Chapter 58

Chapter 58

The next day.

At Tianwen Sect, Xiao Mei and several disciples blocked Ye Piaoling’s path.

“I hear you’ll be restoring your Immortal Pulse tonight. You’re not lying, are you?” Xiao Mei sneered.

Ye Piaoling said mildly, “Would you dare lie about something like that?”

Xiao Mei said, “But why don’t I believe it? My brother has already spoken with Prime Minister Ye. Tonight, the two of us will be going to the Prime Minister’s Mansion as well. We’ll witness it ourselves and see what sort of show a cripple like you can put on!”

Ye Piaoling said, “Fine. You’re welcome to come.”

The more, the merrier. Haters were still fans.

Xiao Mei gave a cold laugh, then turned to the young ladies and gentlemen following her. “Why don’t we make a bet? Tell me, do you think Eldest Miss Ye can recover her magic?”

One young lady, eager to curry favor, immediately said, “Of course not! If the Princess says she’s lying, then she must be lying!”

“Exactly,” another young gentleman chimed in. “Once a genius becomes a cripple, she’s a cripple forever. How could she possibly turn back?”

Xiao Mei was delighted to hear it. Then she glanced at Ye Xiangxiang. “What do you think?”

Ye Xiangxiang had already been forced into Xiao Mei’s social circle. Xiao Mei had deliberately brought her along just to watch her bow and scrape, timid and submissive.

Faced with Xiao Mei’s question, Ye Xiangxiang stammered, “I-I don’t know…”

She didn’t dare say anything. She was afraid of angering Xiao Mei, but she was also afraid of angering Ye Piaoling.

Xiao Mei glared at her. “I’m asking you to guess whether that crippled sister of yours can restore her Immortal Pulse. What don’t you know?”

Another young lady snorted. “She’s Ye Piaoling’s younger sister. Deep down, of course she’s still on her family’s side!”

Xiao Mei looked at Ye Xiangxiang with venom in her eyes. “Is that so? You’d rather side with your crippled sister?”

“N-No!” Ye Xiangxiang shook her head again and again in fright.

She did not dare offend Xiao Mei.

Ye Piaoling watched, speechless, then shook her head and turned to leave.

Only after she had gone far away did Ye Xiangxiang hurriedly force out a smile and say to Xiao Mei, “I also think the Princess is right. There’s no way she can recover her magic. Tonight, she’ll only make a fool of herself…”

Xiao Mei laughed mockingly and raised her brows. “No wonder people say the young ladies of the Prime Minister’s Mansion are more useless than the last!”

Night fell.

The Prime Minister’s Mansion was bustling with activity. Dozens of chairs had already been set up in Falling Petals Courtyard, along with all kinds of fruits and refreshments.

Those who had come to watch were either wealthy or noble. Ye Liaozhai was beaming as he repeatedly bowed and received his guests.

There were eunuchs sent from the palace, military officials from court, imperial relatives who enjoyed a good spectacle, and some disciples from Tianwen Sect. Ximen Chunqiu and Hua Wuhuang had also come.

Ximen Chunqiu had even brought several chests of gifts. He had already made up his mind that in the future, he would propose marriage to the Ye family and take Ye Piaoling as his wife.

Ye Piaoling had a gift for business, and he just so happened to have businesses of his own. The two of them were simply a match made in heaven!

Ximen Chunqiu had made his plans in secret, but he was no reckless boy. He knew this matter had to be approached slowly, winning Ye Piaoling’s favor and the favor of the Prime Minister’s Mansion bit by bit, so he was in no hurry to confess his feelings. When he met Prime Minister Ye, he naturally acted especially warm and humble.

Ye Liaozhai, however, had little interest in paying him any attention and treated him coldly.

Ye Liaozhai was a scholar, and he had always looked down on merchants. The son-in-law he sought had to be useful to his official career. He had even once fantasized that Ye Piaoling might marry the Young Emperor in the palace and become empress…

Even if she could not marry the emperor, she had to marry into the imperial clan.

Someone like Xiao Chengxu, for example.

So the moment he saw the Xiao siblings, Ye Liaozhai went up to welcome them with a broad smile. “Heir, Princess, how do you have the leisure to come tonight as well?”

Xiao Chengxu said, “For such a major event, of course we had to come and watch.”

Xiao Mei smiled in a strange, mocking way. “I’m only afraid Eldest Miss Ye won’t be able to recover her spiritual power, and everyone will have made this trip for nothing. Prime Minister, tell me, what crime should that be?”

Ye Liaozhai knew Xiao Mei was Qiao Shu, the maidservant who had been driven away, but he very wisely did not mention it. He merely smiled and said, “The Princess jests. Since my daughter dared invite everyone here, she must have confidence.”

Xiao Mei sneered and said no more.

Before long, Liang Yun arrived as well.

“Lord Liang?” Ye Liaozhai was overwhelmed by the honor and quickly cupped his hands, saying excitedly, “I never imagined such a trivial matter would alarm Chonghua Palace!”

Liang Yun gave a faint nod. “His Highness asked me to come and take a look.”

The time had come, and everyone had taken their seats.

Xiao Mei said, “Where is Ye Piaoling? Why hasn’t she come out yet?”
“The ritual to restore the Immortal Pulse will take place in that room,” Ye Liaozhai said, pointing to the building before them. “Princess, please remain calm.”

At the same time…

In the main hall, Ye Piaoling stuffed her ears with cotton, then took the Flashlight out of the fish tank and switched it to Ashes Mode.

Here we go-

Outside, Xiao Mei was still demanding in a shrill voice, “What? She’s actually hiding in the room? Then what are we supposed to see?”

Before she could finish speaking…

A dazzling radiance suddenly burst from the room, bright enough to pierce the heavens!

Immediately after came a series of earth-shaking booms, accompanied by peerless spiritual light surging and scattering in every direction…

Bang, bang, bang!

Boom, boom, boom!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Through the doors and windows, everyone could clearly see countless flashes of light flaring and dimming inside, mixed with a clanging, crashing din like the world itself was being split open.

For a moment, it was as if storms were raging within the room and ten thousand bolts of thunder were roaring at once!

Everyone was stunned.

Even though the intense light nearly blinded them, they still could not help widening their eyes.

How much power did one have to summon to create such an astonishing scene?

Liang Yun stared at the room, disbelief written all over his face.

This, this, this…

Was Eldest Miss Ye performing a ritual, or undergoing a heavenly tribulation?

The Xiao siblings were also struck dumb.

Xiao Mei murmured, “Impossible. How could she restore her cultivation so easily…”

And become this powerful on top of that!

Xiao Mei grabbed Xiao Chengxu’s hand. “Brother, I don’t believe it! There has to be some trick here!”

Xiao Chengxu did not believe it either.

His brows knitted tightly. Then he suddenly let out a cold laugh, having come up with an idea.

“Fine! Then let this Heir personally test Miss Ye’s cultivation!”

Xiao Chengxu shot forward.

Gathering his spiritual power to the fullest, he struck a palm toward the door!

If Ye Piaoling was putting on an act, this palm would expose her for sure!

Inside the fish tank in the hall, the Koi had already gone mad.

Fine, Pleasant Goat had been taken away. But now it had been replaced with this ashes-level sound-and-light show?

The Koi’s entire body was being rattled so hard it could barely take it.

Unable to endure it any longer, it leaped fiercely out of the water. With one divine-dragon tail whip, it roared:

“All of you, back, back, back the hell off!!!”

A powerful surge of demonic energy blasted outward, and the cups and dishes in the room shattered on impact!

Before Xiao Chengxu’s palm wind could touch the door, a wave of powerful spiritual energy suddenly swept out from within.

The arc-shaped spiritual gale struck Xiao Chengxu square in the chest and sent him flying!

“Pfft!!”

Xiao Chengxu took the heavy blow, spat out a mouthful of blood, and crashed more than a dozen zhang away.

He was flung all the way outside Falling Petals Courtyard, landing beyond everyone’s line of sight…

“Brother!”

Xiao Mei was horrified and hurriedly got up to look for him.

Everyone was utterly shocked.

If anyone had still doubted whether Miss Ye’s Immortal Pulse had truly been restored, they no longer did now.

After all, Xiao Chengxu had personally tested it… Ah, what a painful realization. It proved that Miss Ye’s cultivation really had recovered!

Inside, Ye Piaoling had already gone into the bedroom and buried her head under the blanket to block out the noise.

Sensing that the atmosphere outside seemed off, she opened the door and went to the hall to take a look.

The Koi had already lost its temper. It looked like it had once again flown into a rage and wrecked the place, leaving the floor in shambles.

Ye Piaoling: “…”

Figuring the timing was about right, she turned off the Flashlight.

Then she got up and walked outside.

Under everyone’s shocked gazes, Ye Piaoling raised her arm and revealed her wrist.

On her pulse gate was a vivid blood-red wan-shaped mark!

That was the mark of an Immortal Pulse!

“Thank you all for watching my live ritual performance. Although my Immortal Pulse has now been restored, I still need to train diligently in the future,” Ye Piaoling said, lowering her hand with a modest expression. “I hope everyone will continue to offer me guidance!”

A moment later, the senior eunuch from the palace was the first to rise with a smile. “Congratulations, Miss Ye. Congratulations, Prime Minister Ye. This old servant shall return to the palace to report at once.”

The other guests also sighed in amazement and took their leave one after another.

Ye Piaoling smiled at them all in return.

As for the wan-shaped mark on her pulse gate, she had drawn it entirely based on Hua Wuhuang’s mark…

After all, they were both Immortal Pulse bearers. Their tattoos were the same.

In the grass outside Falling Petals Courtyard, the crowd found the gravely injured Xiao Chengxu.

Xiao Chengxu had already fainted. Blood stained the corners of his mouth, making him look rather terrifying.

“Brother!!” Xiao Mei threw herself over in panic.

She felt for his breath and found he was still alive. Only then did she feel slightly relieved.

Ye Liaozhai hurriedly ordered the servants to help Xiao Chengxu into a carriage and take him back to the Duke’s Mansion for treatment.

Xiao Mei climbed into the carriage as well. Before leaving, she glared viciously at Ye Liaozhai.

“Ye Piaoling injured my brother. Just you wait. The Duke’s Mansion is not done with you!”