Silver Pool Madam

Ning Xiaochuan did not head straight to the auction house. Instead, he first went to the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall, intending to collect this month's stipend.

"Ning Xiaochuan!"

A woman's voice rang out behind him, clear and pleasant, carrying a faint lingering melody.

Ning Xiaochuan turned around and saw an Azure-Clad Woman standing not far behind him. A green gold hairpin adorned her cloudlike hair, jade ornaments hung from her body, and her figure was petite, her skin delicate and fair. Most captivating of all were her eyes, like two round, gleaming gemstones.

She stood beneath an osmanthus tree as autumn leaves drifted around her, exuding an air of noble elegance.

A trace of surprise appeared on Ning Xiaochuan's face. He smiled and said, "Deacon Yu, it has been a long time."

Ning Xiaochuan did not know Yu Qianqian's identity. He only assumed that she was a deacon of the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall.

Yu Qianqian gave a sweet smile. "A few days ago, I went to the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion to look for you, but the guards said you no longer lived there. What exactly happened?"

As the treasured daughter of the royal household, Yu Qianqian naturally understood what it meant for a direct descendant of a Marquis Mansion to be unable to live in that mansion. It meant he had completely lost his qualification to become the mansion's heir and had become someone abandoned by the mansion.

She was deeply curious. A talent as outstanding as Ning Xiaochuan should have been a descendant the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion nurtured with all its strength. How could he have been cast aside? If the Sword Pavilion Marquis had truly wanted to conceal his talent and had therefore claimed to the outside world that he suffered from a congenital ailment, there was still no reason to arrange for him to live outside the mansion. It made no sense at all.

Ning Xiaochuan's expression changed slightly. "You did not tell anyone in the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion that I became a Heart Nourisher, did you?"

Yu Qianqian said, "I did not. I heard that you no longer lived in the Sword Pavilion Marquis's Mansion, so I left. I did not mention a single word about why I had come looking for you. By the way, where do you live now? I can have someone personally deliver your monthly stipend to your residence."

Ning Xiaochuan sighed in relief. Walking side by side with Yu Qianqian toward the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall, he smiled. "Nanshan Village, Begonia Manor. If Deacon Yu has the time, why not come as a guest?"

"When I have time, I will certainly come and discuss Heart Nourishing Art knowledge with you."

Yu Qianqian took Ning Xiaochuan to collect this month's stipend. Along the way, everyone treated her with extraordinary respect. Many maidservants would retreat to either side and kneel as soon as they spotted her from afar.

Ning Xiaochuan accepted the small chest containing his stipend, opened it, and counted through it. "Why is there so much? Isn't an Elementary Heart Nourisher's monthly stipend only five hundred thousand Small Coin?"

The chest contained fifty large silver ingots, worth five million Small Coin—ten times an Elementary Heart Nourisher's monthly stipend.

Yu Qianqian covered her smile with her lips. "This was the Hall Master's decision. He said Young Master Ning has the potential to become an Intermediate Heart Nourisher and is a Peerless Prodigy, so naturally you may receive an Intermediate Heart Nourisher's stipend. Our Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall spares no effort in supporting geniuses."

Ning Xiaochuan closed the chest. "Then many thanks to the Hall Master."

Ning Xiaochuan happened to be short on money, so he did not stand on ceremony in the slightest.

Just as Murong Wushuang had said, generous people were all bastards.

Now that he had another five million Small Coin, Ning Xiaochuan had far more confidence in buying Intermediate Pills.

When Yu Qianqian learned that Ning Xiaochuan intended to buy Intermediate Pills, she immediately recommended the Golden Roc Auction House.

It was also an industry under the Golden Roc Conglomerate. Intermediate Pills refined by Heart Nourishers of the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall would likewise be consigned to the Golden Roc Auction House for auction.

Just as Yu Qianqian and Ning Xiaochuan were about to leave for the Golden Roc Auction House, an unfriendly voice came from outside the main gate. "The mighty Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall actually sells counterfeit Mysterious Medicine. You are truly disgracing the Three Great Heart Nourishing Halls. Shouldn't your Hall Master come out and explain this?"

Yu Qianqian's expression darkened slightly. She strode outside, stood atop the steps, and stared down at the chaotic crowd. Her voice turned cold. "What happened?"

The Sixth Deacon of the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall hurried over and gave Yu Qianqian a respectful bow. "It is Silver Pool Madam. She says that the Mysterious Medicine she just bought from the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall is counterfeit."

Yu Qianqian furrowed her brow deeply. "How could the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall possibly sell counterfeit Mysterious Medicine? No, Silver Pool Madam is an Intermediate Heart Nourisher of the Imperial Heart Nourishing Hall. Why would she not buy Mysterious Medicine from the Imperial Heart Nourishing Hall, but come to the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall instead? She is clearly here to make trouble."

The Sixth Deacon said, "I also know that Silver Pool Madam came to make trouble, but we simply cannot find any flaw in her story. A genuine Fourth Grade Bloodstone Profound Grass suddenly lost all its mystic qi and medicinal aura, turning into the most ordinary Stone Grass. Nothing like this has ever happened before. Strange! Utterly strange!"

Ning Xiaochuan stood not far away and glanced at the Sixth Deacon and Yu Qianqian.

Ning Xiaochuan had visited the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall several times, so he naturally understood the Sixth Deacon's identity and status there. Yet he actually had to bow to a young female deacon. This made Ning Xiaochuan begin to suspect Yu Qianqian's identity.

At the same time, Ning Xiaochuan glanced down the steps.

Below stood a magnificent carriage, enormous in size, like a miniature palace mounted upon wheels. Even ten people seated inside would not have found it crowded.

In the Imperial City, there were countless nobles and densely gathered wealthy men—Hidden Dragons and Crouching Tigers.

Every important figure possessed their own carriage and favored extravagant ornamentation, competing against one another. Thus, carriage compartments grew larger and larger. Some nobles even had palace-like sedan carriages that required one hundred and eight martial artists to carry.

The carriage before them was particularly awe-inspiring. It was drawn by eighteen First Grade Mystic Beasts. Every one of them was a different species, yet their fur was all pure white.

From this alone, it was clear that the carriage's owner was no ordinary person.

Ning Xiaochuan looked toward the woman standing beside the carriage. She was a noblewoman dressed in incomparably lavish attire. Mysterious stone jewelry and an Azure Gold belt all displayed her wealth and lofty status.

This was Silver Pool Madam.

Silver Pool Madam was the wife of the previous Qi Tian Marquis. More than ten years ago, she had been an exceptionally famous beauty in the Imperial City, peerlessly graceful and renowned throughout the realm. Countless men had wished to taste her fragrance, yet none could.

But no one had expected her to ultimately marry the Qi Tian Marquis, who had already been at death's door then. She even bore him a daughter and a son.

The Qi Tian Marquis had died ten years ago. Before his death, he passed the title of Marquis to the son he shared with Silver Pool Madam.

At the time, the Little Qi Tian Marquis had been only two years old.

Although the current twelve-year-old Little Qi Tian Marquis appeared to be the master of the Qi Tian Marquis's Mansion, everyone knew that Silver Pool Madam was the true power holder of the mansion.

The fact that she, a mere woman, could cow the entire Marquis Mansion and become its ruler showed just what methods this woman possessed.

Though Silver Pool Madam had already borne a daughter and a son, she maintained herself superbly. Her eyes were bright, her teeth white, her dark hair cascaded like a waterfall, her lips were alluring, and her lush figure graceful. She looked like a wealthy young lady barely past twenty.

Moreover, compared to those immature daughters of wealthy households, she was more elegant, more enchanting, more captivating—the kind of stunning beauty whose very sight could make any man's blood surge through his veins.

Beside Silver Pool Madam stood a youth of seventeen or eighteen. He was exceedingly handsome, with fair skin, refined features, and a hint of heroic spirit in his gaze.

Silver Pool Madam repeatedly cast flirtatious glances at him. Anyone with a sharp eye could tell that the relationship between this youth and Silver Pool Madam was anything but ordinary.

Silver Pool Madam's figure was lush and sensual, her skin snow-white. Every frown and smile carried an enticing charm, making the martial artists around her find it almost unbearable. Many did not even dare look at her.

"Qian Qian, your Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall is one of the Yulan Empire's Three Great Heart Nourishing Halls, yet you can still sell counterfeit Mysterious Medicine. That is very damaging to the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall's reputation!" Silver Pool Madam said with a beaming smile, her eyes curved like twin crescent moons, making her seem like a young maiden.

Many martial artists had already gathered around, and quite a few were longtime customers of the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall.

Counterfeit medicine dealt a severe blow to a Heart Nourishing Hall's reputation. One person spread it to ten, ten spread it to a hundred. Once its reputation was ruined, who would dare buy Mysterious Medicine from the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall in the future? Who would dare sell Mysterious Medicine to the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall?

What was more, so many people were watching. If this was mishandled, the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall would be suppressed by the other two great Heart Nourishing Halls and never recover.

"The Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall must give us an explanation. This is the Main Hall. If even the Main Hall sells counterfeit Mysterious Medicine, the other Branch Halls must be even worse."

"I truly question the skill of the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall's Heart Nourishers. They accepted counterfeit medicine without even realizing it. It seems that from now on, we cannot buy Mysterious Liquid or Mysterious Pills from the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall."

"I just refined a Heart Nourishing Cauldron recently and had decided to join the Golden Roc Heart Nourishing Hall. Now it seems I need to think it over much more carefully."

As Silver Pool Madam listened to the discussions around her, an alluring smile appeared on her exquisite face.

She had come prepared. No wonder even the experienced Sixth Deacon found the matter troublesome.

Yu Qianqian frowned deeply. She found this woman, Silver Pool Madam, extremely distasteful. "May I see that counterfeit Mysterious Medicine?"

Silver Pool Madam appeared very generous. She lightly waved a hand and said, "Xiao Li, hand that Fourth Grade Bloodstone Profound Grass over for Qianqian Princess to inspect. No—rather, that worthless Stone Grass."

The handsome youth standing beside Silver Pool Madam curled his lips into a mocking smile and presented the box containing the Mysterious Medicine to Yu Qianqian.