Chapter 15: You Are Provoking Me

The Little Emperor is still young, and the inner palace only houses the Empress Dowager and several Grand Concubines. When the Little Emperor first ascended the throne, Li Taifei once helped the Empress Dowager and her son, so Li Taifei's status in the inner palace is not to be underestimated.

The carriage stopped before the palace gate. Cheng Xi stepped down slowly, and the sight of the ornate carriages and fine horses from various estates made the Cheng Family's carriage appear quite shabby.

This carriage was not the one usually used by Cheng Fu, but one that was rarely used, which Li Shi had discarded and left behind the day she departed the estate.

Cheng Xi did not care about these external things, but Mulan was indignant, feeling aggrieved on behalf of the Eldest Miss.

Palace attendants were waiting at the palace gate; seeing Cheng Xi disembark, they came over to lead the way.

Passing through the palace gate and walking forward, she saw a person striding ahead. Suddenly, that person's footsteps paused, and they turned around to look in Cheng Xi's direction.

Under the sunlight, Li Zhi'an was cold and stern, like snow on a high mountain. His pupils were ink-black, his raven hair bound in a golden crown; he was elegant, reserved, and possessed unparalleled beauty.

"Chief of Tongtian," Cheng Xi took the initiative to greet him.

The eunuch leading the way was startled; did this Eldest Miss Cheng actually know Lord Li?

Not daring to be disrespectful, he bowed to Li Zhi'an and retreated to the side to wait.

Li Zhi'an looked at Cheng Xi with some surprise. Today, Cheng Xi's brows and eyes were faint, and she seemed to be in a bad mood. "Why is Eldest Miss Cheng here?"

"Li Taifei asked me to enter the palace for a banquet," Cheng Xi said, concise and to the point.

Li Zhi'an's brows furrowed, a flash of disgust crossing his alluring peach-blossom eyes, and he immediately said, "Cheng Xi, do you know what kind of banquet this is today?"

"This girl does not know, I ask that you enlighten me, my Lord."

The more Cheng Xi acted this way, feigning innocence, the more Li Zhi'an could not help but recall the sight of her that day at the desolate village, holding a Long Blade, covered in blood, and filled with murderous intent.

Those thieves had tried to violate her maid, so she had castrated them one by one with her blade.

Jiang Boyu had told him that Eldest Miss Cheng's skill at castrating men was no worse than those in the palace.

Severed at the root, the cut surface smooth.

Such blade technique was not something a good-for-nothing could possess.

"Everyone coming to the banquet today is a person of talent."

Cheng Xi raised her brows slightly; in other words, was this intentionally targeting her, the good-for-nothing?

"Many thanks for the reminder, my Lord."

Li Zhi'an did not find a single trace of fear or panic on Cheng Xi's face; instead, those eyes were like vast, misty waves, carrying an indescribable meaning.

Was it mockery?

Li Zhi'an's gaze darkened slightly; he withdrew his eyes and turned to leave.

Cheng Xi watched Li Zhi'an's back. This person truly had a dog's temper; she had spoken to him nicely, so why was he angry again?

However, what kind of temper he had was none of her concern.

Cheng Xi had walked a few steps when she suddenly saw Li Zhi'an turn back. She looked at him in surprise, "Does Lord Li have any further instruction?"

Li Zhi'an waved his hand to dismiss the leading eunuch, then lowered his head to look at Cheng Xi. "I suddenly remembered I need to pay my respects to the Empress Dowager. Since I am going the same way as Eldest Miss Cheng, let us go together."

Cheng Xi had never entered the palace and did not know if his words were true or false, but it did not matter whether they were true or false.

She happened to have something to ask him, so she walked side-by-side with him and said, "Has the Incense Bait been used by you yet, my Lord?"

"Jiang Boyu set an ambush today; there will be news later."

"Oh." Cheng Xi nodded. It hadn't been used yet, so she didn't know how effective it was and couldn't compare it with the one from her past life.

"Eldest Miss Cheng, can you tell me where you got this incense recipe? As far as I know, five hundred years ago, during the human-demon war, a Demon Fire burned Tongtian Tower, and many ancient books and techniques were swallowed by the Demon Fire."

Sensing Li Zhi'an's probing, Cheng Xi said without changing her expression, "There is such a thing? Forgive my ignorance, but I have never heard my Master mention it."

Li Zhi'an's footsteps paused. "Who is your Master?"

"A disheveled old man I met when I was driven to the estate by the Cheng Family and was burning paper money for my mother. He taught me for three years, then disappeared. He never mentioned his name."

What Master?

Her master was herself.

Li Zhi'an was too suspicious, so she had to make one up to fool him. Anyway, that's how movies and television dramas always played it; masters who lived in seclusion in the mountains were all like that.

Li Zhi'an's brows furrowed even tighter. He always felt that Cheng Xi was lying to him again, but he had no evidence.

"If Eldest Miss Cheng trusts me, shall I look into it for you?"

"I naturally trust Lord Li. It is just that the old man cherished talent and could not bear to see my potential buried, which is why he taught me for a few years. Once I had achieved success, he could not wait to pursue his own freedom. My Master was naturally free-spirited, unconstrained, and especially loathed the rules and etiquette of noble families, so I will not trouble you, my Lord."

Li Zhi'an:...

He always felt she was implying something, pointing at the mulberry to curse the locust tree, but he had no evidence.

After this sentence, the two had no further conversation.

Li Zhi'an escorted Cheng Xi to the location of the palace banquet. The midsummer sun was scorching, so the banquet was set in a pavilion by the lake.

The windows on all four sides were open, and a cool breeze blew in. It was a good place to enjoy the lake view and escape the heat.

There were already many people in the hall, and the sound of laughter was constant, but when they saw Cheng Xi and Li Zhi'an walking side-by-side, the noise in the hall stopped abruptly.

The Cheng Family had caused quite a few incidents recently and had long become a laughingstock in Jindu, especially the matter of Cheng Xi driving her own father and stepmother out of the estate in the middle of the night, which had spread far and wide.

The gazes of those in the hall could not help but wander between Cheng Xi and Li Zhi'an. That was Li Zhi'an!

When had anyone ever seen him walk so closely with any young lady?

Cheng Xi keenly sensed the strange atmosphere in the hall. She then raised the corners of her lips, turned to look at Li Zhi'an, and spoke in a voice that was even softer and sweeter, acting coyly: "I have arrived. You do not need to worry about me, my Lord. Please feel free to return."

Li Zhi'an's temple throbbed. It was a pity she didn't go into acting, being this good at it.

Seeing Li Zhi'an's expression darken, Cheng Xi stepped forward slightly, leaned in, and whispered in his ear, "You escorted me here, wasn't it because you were afraid someone would bully me? Borrowing your prestige to hold the line for me—how about I give you the recipe for the Incense Bait as a reward later?"

"The Four-Eyed Demon Fox is about to be brought to justice; what use is the Incense Bait then?" Li Zhi'an said.

"How does my Lord know that the Four-Eyed Demon Fox won't escape again in the future?"

"Are you thinking of breaking into Tongtian Tower to let it out?"

"That is not impossible."

"Eldest Miss Cheng, are you provoking me?"

"My lord is truly boring; I was only joking with you. You and I can be considered to have a debt of gratitude, so how about this: later, I will send you a Yangshen Pill as a token of my thanks."

Li Zhi'an had never seen a woman like Cheng Xi!

"Fine, this official will wait." Li Zhi'an raised his eyes to scan everyone in the hall, putting on a full show of backing Cheng Xi, before gritting his teeth and leaving.

Cheng Xi was very satisfied in her heart; although Li Zhi'an was temperamental, he did have a sense of contractual spirit.

Watching Li Zhi'an leave, she then lifted her feet to enter the hall, and upon looking up, she saw Cheng Fenglan staring at Li Zhi'an's back with a livid expression.