Tang Mei Yi enters the room, Jiang Jin Wei and Jiang An Yi were already back to their seats and Lory calmly went back to her seat with Mong Yi serving her more tea, Zhao Li Xin leans on his chair lazily. Tang Mei Yi's hatred went deeper when she saw Lory sitting next to Zhao Li Xin while leisurely drinking her tea without care.
Tang Mei Yi stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, no one invited her to sit, everyone pretends they didn't see her. Once again, she was humiliated, but she must hold her anger, after what she's going to say she's sure Zhao Li Xin would not ignore her anymore.
?
"What do you want?" Zhao Li Xin asked straight to the point.
"Oh, I… I can cure your poison," She said nervously.
Everyone sneered inwardly, Tian Meng Ji's faces lit up while Lory... She's confused, what poison?
Zhao Li Xin tapped his finger on the armchair in a monotone sound, his eyes fixed on Tang Mei Yi, no one said anything. The room becomes quieter, Tang Mei Yi felt something's not right, she was suddenly anxious.
"Explain." Zhao Li Xin said hinting her to continue.
A triumphant smile brimmed her face, she can already taste the victory on the tip of her tongue, she gave Lory a complacent gaze, "A few days ago, the fiancée of the Young Master from Jiu Yun Sect contacted me, she needs my help to cure Li Mo Zhen. His fiancée said he got a mysterious illness, and no one can cure him, not even the people from the Moon Tower Sect"
"Your help?" Jin Hao frowned, "What can a mercenary group do to cure sick people?" he ridiculed.
"If Dragon Palace lend me a hand, I can—"
"So, you used other people's power to gain your need... again," Bei Li Yan scoffed, "Well, that's not surprising," he pours a cup of tea for himself while shaking his head with a disbelieved expression.
Jin Hao laughed, sounding eerie, not even his Lord ever forced him to cure someone to gain benefits, and this impudent woman dared to use him? How marvelous!
"This… This is for Brother Zhao's own good!" she justifies herself, "If she didn't contact me, none of us would have known about this!" she believed she played an important role to save Zhao Li Xin.
"Please~ The only reason Jiu Yun's people contacted you is because of your connection with Hei Shen which was spread by yourself years ago, if not, why would anyone contact a mercenary group like you to cure anyone?" Bei Li Yan rolled his eyes, mocking her. Tang Mei Yi had been using Hei Shen's name for years and they only let her because of Tian Meng Ji.
Tian Meng Ji's face turns red, he knew Tang Mei Yi took advantage of Zhao Li Xin's authority. Normally, his disciple never tolerated this kind of behavior but because of him, Zhao Li Xin looks over it. Tian Meng Ji felt remorse, he really became the worst master for his own disciple.
"Chienzi Flower is Jiu Yun Sect's treasure. You can say the power they have achieved to this day is because of that flower. For them to consider giving the flower to us showed how dreadful their situation is," Jin Hao suddenly got curious about what kind of illness that even the Chienzi flower couldn't fix.
"That's why they have no choice but to accept our request, if we can cure him—"
"What if we can't?" Bei Li Yan cuts her off again.
Tang Mei Yi bit her lower lip, holding herself not to shout at Bei Li Yan, "The flower is hidden inside Jiu Yun headquarter. When we try to cure Li Mo Zhen, they would invite us inside their place, at that time the shadow guard could investigate the place so when everything goes south, we could—"
"Steal from them…" this time it was Lory who cuts her off, her voice sounding unfamiliar.
Everyone was stunned, they never heard Lory sounds so… angry. Zhao Li Xin was also bewildered, not even him had seen Lory angry before. Sometimes, she would mock other people or say sarcastic words but angry? Never!
"This is Hei Shen's problem, you have no right—" Tang Mei Yi was furious! Why does everyone cut her off?! Does she look so easy to bully?! Can anyone learn to be polite?!
Lory raised her left hand, "This token gives me every right to interfere in all Hei Shen matters!" Lory showed the Xin Xen Token which was hanging on her left wrist.
Tang Mei Yi's eyes bulged as if her eyeballs would fall from its socket, she stares at the token with envy and greed, she glared at Zhao Li Xin, her eyes ask him for an explanation but Zhao Li Xin's eyes were fixed on Lory.
"How… How could you…" Tang Mei Yi clenched her fist in her chest. This can't be true! That token is hers! Zhao Li Xin is hers! Hei Shen is hers! Everything is hers! She staggered a few steps back looking very distraught.
Lory ignore her, "Now tell me, what do you want to do by using my people?" Lory's aura became domineering, her gaze became intense. In a second, she turned from a cheery and bubbly girl into an overbearing and charismatic leader who's demanding an answer from her lowly subordinate.
"I… I…" Tang Mei Yi stuttered, she can talk back at Lory, but suddenly she feels like Lory's presence became heavy, making her feel suffocated. This is not Qi pressure, but her heart's beating so hard just like a drum, she doesn't know what happened.
The room suddenly turned quiet, no one dares to make a sound, the atmosphere inside the room becomes thin, making it hard for them to breathe. Is this the easy-going Luo Ri Yi? She should be the kind and cheerful lady, why did she suddenly become like their Lord? No! They don't want this! Please return our gentle lady!!
Tang Mei Yi can barely stand, her feet suddenly softened, "It's… for Brother Zhao," She remains stubborn.
"Don't use my fiancée's name to do your bad deeds," Lory warned her, "And you should start calling him Milord just like how everybody does!" Lory leans her back to the chair, but her eyes were fixed on Tang Mei Yi. Falling in love with Zhao Li Xin is fine, she can't blame her for the matter of the heart but using Zhao Li Xin to do atrocious behavior is something she could never accept.
All the killing that Zhao Li Xin had done is all for self-defense and because the enemy provoked him, but he never attacks people who never meant any harm to him, there are many other ways if they want to get Chienzi Flower, so why must they degrade themselves to a thief?
"You took advantage of their grief, then you used Hei Shen Sect's power to give them false hope, you used their trust to steal from them. Does Hei Shen looks like a liar and a thief to you?!" Lory's anger increased, her questions made Tang Mei Yi tongue-tied, she doesn't know how to refute that, while every Hei Shen Sect member were cheering for their future sect madam inside their mind.
"I know sometimes, to protect everything dear to us we need to scheme, cheat and… kill, but when we give our words," Lory, emphasizing the last word, clenched her fist tightly.
"When we make a promise, we value it. We value it more than golds, Miss Tang. Hei Shen Sect may be a killer, a villain, and a tyrant, but we are not a scum who steals from people who trust us!" Lory squints her eyes with a deprecated expression.
Tang Mei Yi's face turned white as a sheet, her mouth opened and closed without speaking any words. Everything was out of her hands, she never would have thought that none of Zhao Li Xin's subordinate would support her, because it's for Zhao Li Xin's well-being, she thought at least one of them would side with her decision but why were they all looking at her with scorn.
Meanwhile, Bei Li Yan is fighting his urge to give Lory a standing ovation, he vented his urge by hitting Jin Hao who was sitting close to him, Jin Hao was annoyed but anyone can see his mood is exceptionally good, Jiang Jin Wei also couldn't hide his proud smile. Every word Lory has said was in line with his heart, he couldn't be more satisfied.
Mong Yi and Mong Ki stood quietly but their faces seem elated. Zhao Li Xin, on the other hand, was dismayed by her strong words, he suddenly saw a glimpse of her past life.
"My fiancée is right," Zhao Li Xin eventually spoke, "If I want the Chienzi Flower, I could offer Jiu Yun Sect something of similar value. I can't believe my sect would not have something that can be valued as much as the flower and even though I have the flower… The chances for that flower to cure me is still unknown isn't it, Jin Hao?"
Jin Hao steps up from his seat, bowed courteously at Zhao Li Xin before answering, "Yes, that's because the cold poison has stayed on Milord's body for too long, the poison has become a part of Milord. If we give too much antidote, Milord's body would also be ruined but if we give too little, it will not affect the poison. That is why it was so hard for me to treat Milord's condition at that time." he gives tian Meng Ji a meaningful gaze.
"Was…?" Tian Meng Ji frown in confusion, why Jin hao using past tense words to describe Zhao li Xin's condition?
Tang Mei Yi suddenly have a bad premonition, Zhao Li Xin smiles that didn't reach his eyes, he opened his arms widely.
"Do I look like a sick person to you?" Zhao Li Xin raised his eyebrows.
"What!" Tian Meng Ji was shocked beyond belief! The cold poison is the worst poison in the world, not because it's deathly but because of how resilient the poison could be just like what Jin Hao said but Zhao Li Xin said he's already cured, but HOW?!
"Xin'er, let me check your pulse!" Tian Meng Ji didn't wait for Zhao Li Xin to answer, he literally dashes toward him then immediately checked his pulse and was surprised at how calm and strong it is, "You… You have been cured, but… How?" he is shocked and excited at the same time, he always felt pity for Zhao Li Xin, someone with so much potential who would die early, he thought he would never see him reach his true potential but now, he has so much hope for him.
Zhao Li Xin smiles became gentle, this poison is the reason he met Lory in the first place that's why he didn't hate the people who did it to him and he didn't hate the imperial family as much as he used too, because of them, he managed to find this gem. For him, this is a fair trade.
"I had a fruitful encounter…" he fixed his sleeves, "It has been almost three years since I was cured."
"What?! Why have you never told me?!" Tian Meng Ji felt wronged.
"You were never here," he answered flatly. Tian Meng Ji shuts his mouth, at that time he was too busy helping Tang Mei Yi and increased his own cultivation so it's not really Zhao Li Xin's fault for not telling him, he realizes he does a bad Master???
On the other hand, Tang Mei Yi's dream crashed in front of her. No wonder he didn't care for the divined fruit she painstakingly found for him, no wonder no one cares about the Chienzi Flower, it was all because Zhao Li Xin has been cured and he doesn't need it anymore.
He just wants her to make a fool of herself, that's why they were looking at her like she's a joke, they must have laughed at her. Tang Mei Yi's face has lost its color, her body trembles from shame and anger, everything is ruined. Everything has been ruined, her dream… her ambition… her love… everything has now become nothing.
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