The General's Genius Daughter

Chapter 30 - The Odious Human Heart

Hua Qiyue knew that she had taken Youshui by shock, though she did not bother explaining further. Hua Qiyue laughed and gestured for Youshui to continue combing her hair.

Lv Xin’s heart roiled with waves of surprise, though it was the good kind of surprise. She recalled the changes she had seen in the young lady for the past few days. If the young lady really did participate in the platform martial arts tournament organized by the Ji family, who knew she might achieve shocking results.

After washing up, Hua Qiyue went to the grand hall. When Tianci saw her, he pattered towards her and grasped her hand tightly. His eyes looked pitiable, as if they were saying—"Mommy, you’re awake? Why didn’t you allow Tianci to sleep beside you? Are you angry?"

It did not take Hua Qiyue long to know what the child was thinking.

Children were sensitive. Even if Tianci was mute, his thoughts could be expressed through his eyes.

"Mommy had a bit of a cold last night. I was worried you’d catch it too, so I asked you to sleep beside sister Lv Xin. Understand?"

Tianci looked as if he just had a revelation. He nodded vigorously before moving to rub her small hand with his face.

Hua Qiyue felt delighted. Soon, the servants brought breakfast. After breakfast, Hua Qiyue and the little guy headed over to Fu Xin Hall to see the Old Madame.

The Old Madame saw Hua Qiyue and immediately brightened up.

"Come sit beside grandmother. Tianci, you come too."

Hua Qiyue obeyed and led Tianci by hand to sit beside her grandmother. The Old Madame appraised Tianci before nodding appreciatively. "Tianci had grown so fair and chubby after just a few days. Qiyue, looks like you’ve been doing a wonderful job raising him!"

Hua Qiyue grinned. "It’s all thanks to you, grandmother! Because of your good health, the whole family is at ease. We’ve been eating and sleeping well. Even the children have gained some weight."

At Hua Qiyue sweet words, happiness bloomed in the Old Madame’s heart like flowers. Her body had recovered a great deal. She felt two or three times better than she used to. Now, she could feel energetic for the whole day.

Well, the Long Red was a miraculous medicine after all. How could anyone’s vitality not improve by leaps and bounds after drinking that soup!

That was why the Old Madame had been treating Hua Qiyue like a priceless treasure and was practically spoiling her rotten.

After all, Hua Qiyue had suddenly obtained the aid of a ’supreme master’. Hence, the Old Madame would not dare treat Hua Qiyue with anything other than courtesy and respect.

After a while, Second Madame and Hua Mengshi made their appearance. When they saw Hua Qiyue, they immediately noticed her glowing expression. Hua Qiyue seemed to them to be pink in health and altogether showing signs that she had been living a good life.

Hua Mengshi’s nails dug into her palms. She felt a strong urge to murder Hua Qiyue right that instant, though her rational mind told her to endure. She had to endure!

"Old Madame, Mengshi wants to participate in the platform martial arts tournament organized by the Ji family. This time she might be able to make a name for Hua’s Mansion!" Second Madame said smilingly while gazing at Hua Mengshi with nothing but pride and joy.

This daughter had a lot of pride in her. She had bested the daughters of all other families in the entire capital.

Hua Mengshi wore a pale pink gown today. A dancing phoenix was embroidered on the gown’s neck with golden threads. All in all, her attire was colorful and eye-catching. A pearl was attached in the place of the phoenix’s eye. The pearl glowed lustrously, accentuating her skin which was soft and milky like bean curds.

The gown fitted her like a glove. It was neither too tight nor too loose. It brought out Hua Mengshi’s perfect figure.

Hua Mengshi flashed a tiny smile and said, "Grandmother, I’ll try my best to glorify Hua’s Mansion’s name."

The Old Madame did not comment much at all. She wore a flat expression, as if she did not hold much hope for Hua Mengshi’s prospects. "I can only hope so. The Ji family is a house of divine medicine. No ordinary person could catch the eyes of the head of that house. Just try your best. Do not be so blind as to hold yourself to unrealistic standards."

Hua Mengshi received the Old Madame’s words of advice immediately, though deep down she was in a good mood.

She just hoped that the day of the tournament would come sooner. The moment she stepped onto the platform and defeat all the other Qi Artists, she would be able to gain more admiration and attention.

Surely, nobody could outshine Hua Mengshi if she were to successfully become a disciple of the Ji family. Not even Hua Qiyue could do it, no matter how outstanding she was.

Second Madame chatted with Old Madame for a short while before taking her leave, claiming the need to accompany Hua Mengshi to enroll for the tournament.

Hua Qiyue took a tiny sip of tea. The light in her eyes was mild, like a growing ripple in water. Her disposition bespoke sophistication and composure. "Grandmother," she said, "I’d also like to participate in the tournament."

At Hua Qiyue’s sudden words, Old Madame, who was enjoying a bowl of ginseng soup, stared at Hua Qiyue in pure shock. Recently, this neglected granddaughter of hers had been surprising her continuously.

Now Hua Qiyue was actually thinking of participating in the tournament?

"Qiyue, you must know that no participant of that tournament is allowed to put blame on their opponents for any deaths or injuries. Because of this lack of accountability, your opponents would not show any reservations at all throughout the tournament. You have bad Qi flow and you have no knowledge in the Qi arts. Just how do you think you could hold your own in the tournament?" Old Madame asked in a low voice.

Hua Qiyue shook her head, though her eyes contained nothing but confidence. "Old Madame, to tell you the truth, a supreme master had helped cleared the Qi passage of my body a while ago. So now, I’m able to learn the Qi Arts. In fact, I’ve already reached the Oracle Profound stage at the moment. Please do not worry about me!"

Old Madame was stunned, her heart palpitating.

Hua Qiyue could learn the Qi Arts?

That was something nobody knew. How could she have found out only now?

For a normal woman, reaching the Oracle Profound stage was already considered an impressive feat. What had utterly surprised her was the fact that Hua Qiyue had reached the Oracle Profound stage so rapidly.

"Yue Er, why didn’t you tell me this earlier?"

"Pardon me, grandmother. I was worried that I would end up disappointing you if it turned out that I wasn’t gifted in the Qi Arts at all. So I decided to wait until I’ve shown some good prospects before I tell you. That would please you more, grandmother." Hua Qiyue’s response was flawless.

Old Madame looked at the lovely and adorable Tianci, who was waiting quietly beside them. She felt a shudder in her heart.

This child was definitely not ordinary. Hua Qiyue had only trained him for just a few days, and yet he was already so quiet and composed.

Such a disposition was beyond that of an ordinary child.

"I see. So Yue Er can now train in the Qi Arts and is even a Qi Artist at the Oracle Profound stage. Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful! Can’t believe that our Hua’s Mansion now has two talented Qi Artists." Old Madame was ebullient. Immediately, she ordered Nanny Zhou to retrieve Hua Qiyue’s reward.

Hua Qiyue tried to turn down the reward, though her efforts were futile due to Old Madame’s strong insistence. In the end, she was forced to accept her reward.

Beside them, Lv Xin and Youshui were so surprised that they nearly started squealing. No wonder they were told that the young miss was different. It turned out that she could now train in the Qi Arts!

"Very well, then. But Yue Er, if you really do participate in the tournament, then you have to promise me one thing. If your opponent is more powerful than you, then you must not force yourself during decisive moments. The most important thing is to stay alive, you understand? The Hua family isn’t a big family after all. We don’t want you taking unnecessary risks. You don’t have to trade your life for reputation."

Concerned, Old Madame gave out earnest instructions, all of which Hua Qiyue took to heart. Afterwards, Hua Qiyue began formulating plans with Old Madame. Hua Qiyue had decided to present two sprigs of Long Red to Old Madame after the tournament. Old Madame would then bring the two sprigs to the palace and present them to the emperor.

Naturally, Old Madame was thrilled with the idea. The emperor would no doubt be extremely overjoyed when presented with two sprigs of Long Red.

Old Madame had been entertaining that idea for quite some time, though she had decided to put it off until a later time. She was afraid that Hua Qiyue might hate the idea.

After all, Hua Qiyue had acquired the aid of a supreme master, who must have been among the world’s top elites. Old Madame would not risk alarming him just for the sake of a gift.

Now that Hua Qiyue herself had suggested it, the Old Madame could finally heave a sigh of relief.

Hua Qiyue had left Tianci at home under Youshui’s care while she and Lv Xin went to enroll for the tournament.

The streets were busy and filled with noises from the crowd. The entire street was lined with a variety of stores. There were herb stores, pawnshops, and other shops that cater for all basic human needs.

An old man strolled around with a tray of skewered candies while children with sweet teeth chased after him. The children finished skewer after skewer, leaving the old candy seller grinning from ear to ear.

The enrollment booth that the Ji family had set up was especially crowded. When Hua Qiyue saw the long queue, she frowned. At this rate, she did not know how long it would take before it was her turn.

Her time was too precious. She really did not want to waste her time waiting in line.

Lv Xin had noticed Hua Mengshi and Second Madame. In Changjing Kingdom, all women were allowed to step outdoors, though some women preferred to have their faces obscured with a veil.

There were others who did not mind showing their faces too. They would step outdoors without any reserve. The tournament’s platform had been set up in the area, which was teeming with beautiful women. The beautiful women in the area were as abundant as the clouds in the sky. Most of the men who were lining up for the enrollment would throw surreptitious looks at these women from various prominent families.

Of course, the daughters of some prominent families would just send their servants to enroll on their behalf.

"Come, let’s head over." Hua Qiyue had noticed Hua Mengshi, which caused her eyes to shine brightly. A barely-there smile adorned her lips as Hua Qiyue strolled confidently towards the front of the queue.

"Miss, what do you think you’re doing? Don’t we have to queue up?" asked Lv Xin.

Lv Xin was seriously taken aback by Hua Qiyue’s blatant confidence. "What is she trying to do? Get Hua Mengshi to help her enroll?" Lv Xin wondered.

With the kind of mentality Hua Mengshi had, surely she would not bother helping Hua Qiyue at all.

When Hua Qiyue walked up to Hua Mengshi and Second Madame, she was smiling crisply. "Second Madame, sister, I didn’t expect to meet you here."

It was clear that Second Madame loved her daughter dearly. When the servants from other families saw that she had personally come to accompany Hua Mengshi for the enrollment, they began singing Hua Mengshi’s praises. They lauded Hua Mengshi for being in such good taste. They even went as far as declaring Hua Mengshi as the woman destined to win the tournament. At such compliments, Second Madame was all smiles.

When they suddenly heard Hua Qiyue voice, both Second Madame and Hua Mengshi thought they were both mistaken.

But when they looked to their left, the person they saw there was indeed Hua Qiyue. Hua Qiyue stood there, smiling at them. Lv Xin was there too with her small face crumpled into a frown.

"Oh, yes. What a coincidence. Big sis, are you here to shop?" Hua Mengshi was grinning. Her attitude towards Hua Qiyue was affectedly kind and warm.

Hua Qiyue looked at the long queue a little hesitantly. Most of those in the line were servants. These servants were in charge of the enrollments of several ladies in their respective houses.

"No... I... actually... I’m also here to enroll." Hua Qiyue looked a little sheepish, her eyes filled with hope and yearning. "A supreme master said that this year will be my lucky year. Any tournament that I join, I’ll be able to win, right?"

When the first heard them, those words really sounded like something only a lunatic would say. Hua Mengshi and Second Madame looked at each other, their eyes brightening with glee.

"This really is a fantastic opportunity!" they both thought.

Before, Hua Mengshi had been trying to come up with ways to get Hua Qiyue to enroll in the tournament. But now, Hua Qiyue had volunteered to sign her own death warrant!

Hua Mengshi smiled like how she normally would, calm and poised. She picked up Hua Qiyue’s hand with warm enthusiasm. "Big sister, why didn’t you tell us earlier that you intend to join the tournament? Mother and I would help guarantee your spot."

Hua Mengshi’s good looks could literally topple cities. Smiling as she did, she had the men who were queuing beside them utterly besotted. Countless pairs of eyes were now set upon her.

Hua Qiyue’s own looks certainly would not lose to Hua Mengshi’s city toppling beauty. If Hua Mengshi were a peony, then Hua Qiyue would be an elegant white lily in a pond. Her entire being exuded grandeur and elegance.

Second Madame nodded. "Yes, that’s right. First Miss, you need not to trouble yourself with the queue. We’ll enroll on your behalf!"