Chapter 48: The Black Market Really Is Black!

“Yes.” Cold sweat covered the man’s body in layers. Standing before such a Dongfang Wuye, the shadow outside the door felt immense pressure.

A leisurely voice drifted from within the hall. Compared with before, its tone had softened somewhat. “I hear that the chancellor’s daughter, Luo Qianfan, has returned?”

“Yes. It seems she recently severed ties with the Luo family again,” the man replied hesitantly after a long pause.

Rare interest surfaced in Dongfang Wuye’s eyes. “Such a thing actually happened? How interesting! Get me a detailed profile of Luo Qianfan. For someone this intriguing, I want to see what gives her the confidence to leave the Luo family.”

“Yes.”

Dongfang Wuye gave a slight wave of his hand, and the man vanished like the wind.

…

The Luo Residence.

“Mother, did Luo Qianfan really sever her relationship with Father?” Luo Yuhuan asked, her face filled with disbelief. She had thought Luo Qianfan was merely saying it in anger, which was why she had hurried back to find out the truth. But now someone was telling her that it was all real!

It was simply unbelievable!

Luo Qianfan had truly been driven from the family!

“Not only that, she even made a grand display of her arrogance and humiliated your father. If she wants to come back in the future, it will be difficult!”

Madam Yu’s face was full of malicious delight. She knew exactly what had happened that day. Now that Luo Qianfan had left, there was virtually no chance of her returning.

“That’s wonderful! Who would have thought she could be so foolish? Father went to such lengths to bring her back, yet she still angered him and even severed their relationship!”

Without the protection of her family, Luo Qianfan was nothing more than a worthless cripple whom anyone could bully.

“Yuhuan, how are your studies going lately? The Palace Gathering is almost here, and the major academies will soon begin accepting students. Do you have any plans?” Madam Yu stroked Luo Yuhuan’s beautiful, straight hair, her face full of maternal affection.

“Mother, rest assured. My mastery of the Phoenix Soaring Furnace is already perfect. When the four great academies begin enrollment, I’ll make them beg me to join.”

Luo Yuhuan’s face was full of pride. She did not take the admission standards of the four great academies seriously at all. “By the way, Mother, I heard that the black market will be auctioning a Beauty-Preserving Pill in Tianlin Kingdom. I want it.”

Her eyes were filled with determination.

“Don’t worry. Only my daughter is worthy of such a high-grade pill. When the time comes, bid as much as you like. The entire Luo family will stand behind you.”

“Thank you, Mother. Once I obtain the Beauty-Preserving Pill and further improve my cultivation technique, my chances of being accepted will be even greater!” The mere thought of the Beauty-Preserving Pill filled Luo Yuhuan with excitement.

“You must perform well when the time comes. Your brother will be waiting for you at one of the four great academies as well!” Thinking of the outstanding son and daughter she had raised, Madam Yu felt pride swell in her heart.

“I certainly will!”

Luo Yuhuan spoke with absolute confidence, her gaze drifting into the distance.

Luo Qianfan, now that you’ve left the Luo family, no one can protect you anymore.

At that very moment, the much-discussed Luo Qianfan was enjoying the bliss of being surrounded on both sides.

Bai Yu clung adorably to her side, while Luo Mo questioned her about one thing after another with a smile in his eyes. Luo Yi had taken on the responsibility of protecting them. The four of them formed a tight little circle.

“What did you say? The Beauty-Preserving Pill is going to be auctioned in Tianlin Kingdom?” Luo Qianfan suddenly sat upright, breaking out of the comfortable atmosphere. She stared at Luo Mo in astonishment.

“Of course,” Luo Mo replied casually. “I only heard about it a couple of days ago. They even made a grand announcement about the Beauty-Preserving Pill. The auction will take place in three days, and it has already caused an uproar across the kingdoms. There will definitely be countless people fighting over it.”

Luo Mo spoke with great enthusiasm, growing more animated by the moment.

Luo Qianfan could no longer hear him. Only the words “Tianlin Kingdom auction” echoed in her mind, and the corner of her mouth twitched.

Damn, the black market really was ruthless!

They had actually thought of holding the auction in Tianlin Kingdom.

If she wanted to join in the excitement, she would have to travel there. Everyone else would surely do the same. Wouldn’t that drive the Beauty-Preserving Pill to an astronomical price?

Luo Qianfan was suddenly filled with admiration for the black market’s business acumen. A single Beauty-Preserving Pill not only resolved any disputes that might arise afterward, but also secured the greatest possible profit.

That was viciously clever!

Why had she never thought of it?

When she had the time, she absolutely had to meet the legendary leader of the black market.

…

The following days passed rather peacefully for Luo Qianfan. Lu Xuanxuan occasionally came to Yizui Tower to hunt her down. After coming so often, she had become a regular there, and Luo Qianfan could do nothing about her.

There was no news from the Luo Residence either. Everything remained as usual, with nothing particularly noteworthy happening.

As for the Crown Prince’s Residence, ever since the incident involving his favored consort, Dongfang Ao often went to comfort Luo Yuhuan. The beauty responsible for the trouble had been cast into the Cold Palace. She had once been as dazzling as the sun, and now she was equally wretched.

Dongfang Ao also stopped sending people to Prince Yu’s residence. Everything seemed to have returned to normal.

That day, Fengyue Kingdom remained as lively as ever. The streets and alleys were filled with people hurrying about, everyone shouting energetically in hopes of selling a little more. No one cared who had just passed them or what that person had done.

At the entrance of Yizui Tower, a handsome and graceful man walked out. His tall, slender figure was followed by two equally attractive young men. They climbed into a splendid carriage and departed in grand fashion.

The procession was so imposing that it drew every eye.

Bai Yu recalled the luxurious carriage and said worriedly, “Young Mistress, aren’t we being a little too conspicuous? There are quite a lot of people around here.”

She remembered how the young mistress was always telling them, “You girls must remember this: whenever you’re out, keeping a low profile is essential!”

But why did Bai Yu feel that the young mistress had never once been low-key?

“It’s fine.” Luo Qianfan showed no concern whatsoever.

Conspicuous? That was exactly the effect she wanted!

With certain people, if you did not put on a show of strength, they might mistake you for a sick cat.

Luo Qianfan had barely left when a tall, powerful carriage slowly approached. Lu Xuanxuan leapt out and charged straight into Yizui Tower without even looking back, leaving everyone nearby trembling with fear.

Lu Xuanxuan!

One of the famous “Southern Lu and Northern Luo” families!

She was Lu Xuanxuan of the Lu family, a demonic presence. No one had expected to be so “lucky” as to encounter her first thing in the morning. How could they not be afraid?

Lu Xuanxuan rushed inside in a frenzy, her face alight with excitement. She had no time to care what others thought of her; all she wanted was to find Luo Qianfan.

The Beauty-Preserving Pill would be auctioned in Tianlin Kingdom three days later. Lu Xuanxuan believed Luo Qianfan would be unable to resist its allure.

That was why she had come so early to tell her the good news. She wanted to travel to Tianlin Kingdom with Luo Qianfan and have some fun. Even setting aside the Beauty-Preserving Pill, Tianlin Kingdom was the foremost of the six kingdoms and stood beside the four great academies. There would surely be plenty of good things to see.

Ever since Luo Qianfan’s return, Lu Xuanxuan had changed considerably. She had discovered that Luo Qianfan was not nearly as annoying as she had imagined. On the contrary, she was actually a rather decent person.

Loyal, and incredibly bold!

Most importantly, the two of them got along exceptionally well.

Lu Xuanxuan had originally been wary because of the generations-long conflict between the Lu and Luo families. She had never expected Luo Qianfan to sever ties with the Luo family outright. Now she could openly seek Luo Qianfan out without any reservations.

Lu Xuanxuan was so happy she could have died of joy!

“Bang!”

With a tremendous crash, the door to the foremost private chamber flew open. Lu Xuanxuan strode inside, then froze, her expression stiffening on her lovely face.

The first chamber was completely empty. Even Luo Yi’s room had been cleared out so thoroughly that not a speck of dust remained.

“Where is she?”

Lu Xuanxuan searched everywhere but failed to find Luo Qianfan. She questioned the manager as well, but learned nothing. Turning around, she headed straight for Qianying Tower.

She stormed along the road. By now, she had become a regular visitor to the tower, so the steward naturally recognized her and knew of her relationship with Luo Qianfan. The moment he saw her enter, he greeted her with a smile.

But he had not expected Lu Xuanxuan to seize him by the collar and roar, “Where is Luo Qianfan? I want to see her!”

Lu Xuanxuan showed no mercy. The steward’s heart trembled as she dragged him about, yet he could not reveal Luo Qianfan’s whereabouts. He was so miserable he nearly wanted to cry.

“This… The movements of Qianying Tower’s guests have never been disclosed. Miss Lu, please don’t make things difficult for this humble servant.”

Watching Lu Xuanxuan’s dangerous grip, the steward forced out words that neither hurt nor offended. The whereabouts of that person were not something they could casually reveal.

Lu Xuanxuan was not afraid of making a scene. Unable to find Luo Qianfan, she turned Qianying Tower upside down. Strangely, the Qianying Tower, whose strict rules normally made people both love and fear it, allowed her to wreak havoc as though no one were there. Not a single person came out to stop her.

In the end, Luo Mo could hide no longer. She came out with a taut expression to salvage the situation.

If the young mistress had not instructed her before leaving, “If Lu Xuanxuan comes to cause trouble, let her do as she pleases so long as no one’s life is endangered,” Luo Mo would absolutely have packed Lu Xuanxuan up and sent her back for re-forging.

Just look at the Qianying Tower she had painstakingly managed. Could it still be called a proper establishment?

The young mistress’s casual “Let her do as she pleases” was costing them dearly!

The moment Lu Xuanxuan saw Luo Mo, she crossed the distance in three quick strides. “Where is Luo Qianfan? I know she’s here.”

“How could we possibly know Miss Luo’s whereabouts? Miss Lu, surely you must be joking.” Luo Mo had already prepared herself to deny everything to the death. In any case, Lu Xuanxuan would never find her.

A strange glimmer passed through Lu Xuanxuan’s eyes. Then, driven to the limit of her anger, she shouted, “Fine, then tell her this for me: I never want to play with her again! She clearly promised to take me to Tianlin Kingdom, but she went ahead by herself. What a complete traitor!”

“You said the two of you had agreed to go to Tianlin Kingdom together?” Luo Mo’s eyes widened in disbelief.

The young mistress had never mentioned this to her. What was going on?

Damn it! Luo Qianfan had really gone to Tianlin Kingdom—and had not even taken her along!

Lu Xuanxuan had only meant to test Luo Mo. After all, Luo Mo’s calmness had been far too unnatural. As expected, there was something suspicious.

Having learned Luo Qianfan’s whereabouts, Lu Xuanxuan did not linger. She immediately mounted her tall, powerful black horse and rode out through the city gates.

After Lu Xuanxuan left, Luo Mo suddenly slapped her own head in shock. Only then did she realize that Lu Xuanxuan had been baiting her.

And she had actually fallen for it like an idiot!

“How can I be this stupid?”

As she ordered people to repair the places Lu Xuanxuan had damaged in Qianying Tower, Luo Mo secretly reproached herself in remorse.

“Young mistress, I’m sorry. I’ve disappointed you again!”

Please take good care of yourself out there, young mistress!

Meanwhile, far away in a foreign land, Luo Qianfan was sightseeing and enjoying the scenery along the road, seemingly unconcerned about missing the auction of the Beauty-Preserving Pill.

She did not know that trouble would follow her every step of the way.