Perhaps because the wedding date was set, the Seventh Prince seemed to care little about appearances and began sending gifts to his fiancée frequently.
Food, daily necessities, and even medicinal pills poured into Jishui Courtyard, sparking envy among onlookers.
The Wen family disciples, initially shocked, eventually grew numb to the spectacle. Especially when they heard the rumours outside: people in the streets marvelled at how deeply the Seventh Prince adored the third daughter of the Wen family, claiming he couldn’t even wait a month to shower her with gifts infused with spiritual energy to please her. By now, the Wen family disciples were resigned to the reality of it.
Even they began to believe that the Seventh Prince was truly fond of Wen Qiao. Otherwise, why would he be so generous, sending such a vast array of spiritual pills, elixirs, and artefacts?
Of course, the Seventh Prince himself, a mortal, couldn’t possibly produce so many cultivation resources. But Emperor Chenghao could.
The royal Ning family was famously wealthy in Dongling, and Emperor Chenghao doted on the Seventh Prince. Whatever the prince desired, he was granted without hesitation, so sending these resources to Wen Qiao was nothing unusual.
Suddenly, Wen Qiao became the envy of many. Even if the Seventh Prince couldn’t cultivate, his heartfelt gestures and the sheer abundance of resources he provided were enough to compensate.
Why couldn’t they have such a generous fiancé?
—
Lian Yue entered the room carrying a jar of spiritual tea and said to Wen Qiao, who was seated by the window reading, “Miss, the Seventh Prince sent over this tea. They say it can counteract the cold. You should drink it regularly.”
Wen Qiao shifted her gaze from her book to the jar in Lian Yue’s hands and silently gestured for her to brew it.
When the tea was ready, a delicate fragrance filled the air, faint traces of spiritual energy drifting throughout the room. Just smelling it invigorated the spirit.
Wen Qiao took a sip and immediately recognized the taste—it was the same spiritual tea served in the private room at Lingxu Pavilion.
As the warm tea spread through her body, faint spiritual energy flowed through her meridians, bringing a rare sense of comfort and relief.
Just then, a voice filled with laughter sounded from the courtyard.
“What a refined aroma. It seems to be some kind of spiritual tea.”
Wen Qiao looked up to see a group of young women from the Wen family entering her courtyard, led by Wen Mei and Wen Xian, the so-called “Twin Beauties of the Wen Family.” The two were inseparable and represented the most outstanding of the younger generation.
Wen Qiao, Wen Mei, and Wen Xian were all born in the same year, with Wen Mei and Wen Xian being just a month apart, set to come of age at the end of the year. Despite being peers, Wen Qiao’s frail health had kept her mostly isolated, limiting her interactions with her two cousins and leaving their relationship distant.
In truth, Wen Qiao was distant from the entire Wen family. While others trained diligently at the martial field, she spent her days bedridden at Jishui Courtyard. Opportunities for bonding were scarce.
Now, with Wen Qiao’s wedding approaching, Wen Xian had suggested they visit her. The others, perhaps out of curiosity or politeness, had agreed to accompany her.
Wen Qiao remained seated and greeted them coolly, “Have a seat.”
Her tone was detached, her voice light and distant. The young women, lacking much experience or thick skin, felt awkward under her indifferent demeanour and shyly found places to sit.
Lian Yue brewed fresh tea for everyone.
As the tea’s fragrance wafted through the air, Wen Mei took a sip and paused momentarily.
“This is excellent tea,” Wen Xian remarked in surprise. “This must be the tea the Seventh Prince sent, right?”
Jishui Courtyard would never have such high-quality tea. Considering the Seventh Prince’s frequent gift deliveries, the origin was obvious.
Wen Qiao glanced at Wen Xian and replied with a simple “Yes.”
“The Seventh Prince treats you so well,” Wen Xian said, her tone laced with envy. Turning to Wen Mei, she asked with a sly smile, “Ah Mei, the Third Prince has been engaged to you for years now. Has he ever given you anything like this?”
Wen Mei’s brow furrowed slightly.
The Third Prince was ten years her senior. When their engagement was arranged, Wen Mei was still a child, and he a young man. They had little interaction, and as Wen Mei grew older, the Third Prince spent most of his time training or in seclusion. Gifts or tokens of affection had never been part of their relationship.
Comparatively, the Seventh Prince’s attentiveness to Wen Qiao seemed excessive.
However, it wouldn’t do to say the Third Prince was too focused on cultivation to care about romance. That might imply the Seventh Prince was idle, with nothing better to do than woo his fiancée.
Those present quickly realized the trap in Wen Xian’s question. No matter how Wen Mei answered, someone would be offended.
Wen Xian’s curious gaze lingered on Wen Mei, but Wen Mei simply ignored her, quietly sipping her tea.
The other young women, mere background to the “Twin Beauties,” remained silent. They understood the delicate dynamics and refrained from speaking to avoid offending either side.
Wen Xian’s smile stiffened.
Feigning composure, she turned to Wen Qiao and said, “Ah Qiao, your wedding is coming up soon. Don’t you feel a bit nervous?”
Wen Qiao calmly drank her tea and replied, “Even if I weren’t getting married, it’s not as if you’d visit me often.”
Wen Xian’s expression faltered—was this a jab at their lack of visits to Jishui Courtyard?
She forced a laugh, pretending not to notice the barb, and continued, “I’ve heard the Seventh Prince has sent you many gifts recently. He must be very attentive. Once you marry, you’re sure to live a happy life.”
Too bad you’re a short-lived person. No matter how many cultivation resources the Seventh Prince has, they’ll be wasted on you.
Wen Qiao nodded. “Yes, he’s quite thoughtful. He has plenty of items imbued with spiritual energy, and I can use them as I please.”
Wen Xian: “…” This conversation was going nowhere.
After a few more exchanges, Wen Xian felt drained. She thought Wen Qiao still didn’t know how to carry a conversation.
As the visit wound down, Wen Mei, sensing they had accomplished their purpose, finished her tea and excused herself. Wen Xian had no choice but to follow suit.
“Ah Qiao, let us know if there’s anything you need help with. After all, we’re family,” Wen Xian said with a bright smile as she prepared to leave.
Wen Qiao merely replied with an indifferent “Oh.”
The others couldn’t shake the feeling that something about Wen Xian’s words felt off—was it really her place, as a third-house daughter, to make such declarations?
—
After they left, Lian Yue began clearing the teacups and muttered, “The Fifth Miss really doesn’t know how to talk. Miss, your response was perfect!”
Wen Qiao, holding her tea, replied, “I didn’t argue.”
Lian Yue paused, unsure how to respond, and decided to ignore it. “They all say the Fifth Miss is a kind person, always willing to help. But as a third-house daughter, what good does her enthusiasm do? The Wen family would never let her take charge. Even if she wants to, she’d need to reach the Yuan Martial Realm first…”
Wen Qiao finished her tea and returned to her room to cultivate.
—
Over the next few days, she continued channelling spiritual energy into the seed in the flowerpot. Despite her efforts, the seed remained dormant. Each time she depleted her spiritual energy, the pain in her meridians flared, but after replenishing all 36 of her spiritual apertures, she noticed a slight increase in her energy reserves.
It wasn’t much, but it was progress—a sign that, one day, she might break through the mid-stage Entry Yuan Realm barrier and advance.
Unlike ordinary cultivators, whose spiritual apertures could hold and retain energy, hers leaked like a broken jar. This flaw, despite her extraordinary spiritual roots, severely hindered her cultivation progress.
However, Wen Qiao recently discovered that plant essence not only soothed her fragile meridians but also stabilized her spiritual apertures, allowing them to retain energy. This gave her hope.
Though her half-demon bloodline couldn’t restore her body to normalcy, it offered her a unique path to strength.
Focused and determined, she resumed her efforts.
— On the eve of her wedding, Wen Qiao finally broke through to the late-stage Entry Yuan Realm.
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