Chapter 4: Collecting Interest First

With things having been said to this extent, Wei Lingyue could only agree to let Yunxi stay temporarily with the Feng family.

Afterward, Wei Lingyue left the two alone and, with a grim expression, went to Concubine Du’s courtyard.

At this moment, Du Ruolan was soothing the crying and fussing Wei Yunqing. To have managed to give birth to the eldest daughter before Feng Jiayun, she certainly had her own abilities. Besides her own radiant beauty and graceful figure, she was also Wei Lingyue’s childhood companion. If the Wei family hadn’t needed to forge a political alliance, she would have been the undisputed Lady Wei.

But at this moment, Du Ruolan’s face was a little twisted, seething with resentment in her heart. Just because she wasn’t Lady Wei, even though she enjoyed the master’s favor, she was still ranked beneath others. Now her daughter had to suffer along with her.

When Du Ruolan saw Wei Lingyue enter with a cold face, she immediately straightened her pink dress and adjusted the low-grade defensive hairpin in her bun, greeting him with a bright smile.

Wei Lingyue, however, paid no heed to the fact that there were maids present in the courtyard and rebuked her harshly:

“How have you taught Yunqing? Did you teach her to snatch Yunxi’s things? And to do so in front of the Feng family!”

The smile froze on Concubine Du’s face. She immediately curtsied, guilt written all over her features. “It’s my fault for not teaching Yunqing well. She’s just a child and doesn’t understand. It won’t happen again. If you want to punish someone, punish me—please don’t punish Yunqing.”

Wei Lingyue sat down, drawing his robe aside, a hint of impatience in his voice. “Don’t even think about taking Zhuohua Courtyard. Pick another one; Zhuohua stays with Yunxi.”

Concealing the hatred in her eyes, Concubine Du lowered her gaze and replied meekly, “Yes, I will obey the master’s wishes.”

Wei Lingyue leaned back in his chair and spoke coolly, “Ruolan, you were too hasty this time. The head of the Feng family was right beside me. Even if I wanted to favor Yunqing, I couldn’t. If you want to become Lady Wei, you’ll just have to swallow this loss.”

Upon hearing this, Concubine Du actually felt somewhat comforted. At least Wei Lingyue’s heart was still with her. She was just one step away from becoming Lady Wei—she would swallow even poison if necessary.

She quickly adjusted her expression, smiling as she agreed, her tone full of remorse and not a trace of complaint, coaxing Wei Lingyue into leaving Haitang Court in good spirits, and even promising to get Yunqing another magical artifact.

Once Wei Lingyue had left, Concubine Du returned to embrace her daughter and softly inquired about what had happened.

Wei Yunqing was three months older than Wei Yunxi and spoke clearly, though her account was a little disjointed. Still, Du Ruolan understood.

Though her cultivation was only at the third level of Qi Refining, she knew a thing or two about cultivation matters. She believed that Zhuohua Courtyard, the Lady Wei’s residence, must have some opportunity meant for her daughter.

In this, her thinking matched her own daughter’s. Neither considered that it was Lady Wei’s residence—any hidden opportunity would naturally be reserved for Lady Wei’s own child, not for a concubine’s.

But now, Wei Yunxi had already seized the chance that rightfully belonged to her. She enlisted her uncle to help gather everything from her mother’s courtyard into a storage pouch.

Feng Jiaqing swept the room with his spiritual sense and found the secret compartment in the jade bed empty. His eyes darkened, a trace of irony flashing within.

He circled the room, pried up a floor tile in the corner, and retrieved a filigreed white jade box, handing it to Wei Yunxi. “Yunxi, this is likely something your mother left for you. Keep it well—this box can only be opened by you.”

Wei Yunxi feigned innocence, obediently placing the box into her storage pendant at her waist—a pendant suitable even for a little girl like her without cultivation, and a gift from Feng Jiaqing.

In truth, Wei Yunxi’s heart was anything but calm. She remembered a passage from the novel where Wei Lingyue gifted a filigreed jade box to Wei Yunqing to celebrate her becoming an apprentice; inside was a portable medicine garden that gave Wei Yunqing tremendous support. Now it seemed, that box was meant for Wei Yunxi all along.

Clutching Feng Jiaqing’s large hand as they walked toward the Feng family estate, Wei Yunxi silently cursed her scoundrel father. Now that she was here, no one would steal her fortune—not even a single hair.

Seeing his niece’s spirits high and her willingness to come to the Feng family, Feng Jiaqing felt much more at ease.

He had always known that his sister’s marriage to Wei Lingyue had been for the stability of their families, with no affection between them. Now, Yunxi had become the key link between the Wei and Feng families. He would have to look after her more carefully, perhaps even win her over to the Feng family’s side.

Wei Yunxi didn’t know what her uncle was planning, but even if she did, she wouldn’t mind. At least she was still valuable—someone would protect her.

On the very night Wei Yunxi moved into the Feng residence, Feng Jiaqing took her to the family’s Soul Lamp Hall. Pointing to a lamp with a feeble glow, he said, “Yunxi, that’s your mother’s soul lamp.”

Wei Yunxi was stunned. She was not really a five-year-old child; with her experience reading cultivation novels, she knew that as long as the soul lamp was lit, its owner was still alive. So why had Wei Lingyue said her mother had perished?

Still, she maintained her act and asked innocently, “Uncle, is that my mother’s soul lamp? Why is it about to go out?”

Since Feng Jiaqing wanted to win over his niece, there were things he would tell her, even if she didn’t fully understand.

“Yunxi, your mother’s soul lamp is so faint because she’s very far away from us, unable to find her way home for now. I hope you can help her.”

Wei Yunxi thought for a moment and, furrowing her small brow, asked, “Uncle, didn’t Father say Mother passed away? That’s why he wants Concubine Du to be my mother. But you say my mother just can’t find her way home. I’m confused.”

Feng Jiaqing chuckled. “Yunxi, you’re still young, so there are some things Uncle can’t tell you yet. Even if I did, you wouldn’t understand. Once you set foot on the path of cultivation, you’ll come to understand my intentions. For now, just trust your uncle—Uncle will never harm you.”

Although Wei Yunxi did not agree with Feng Jiaqing’s methods, she understood that there were things in the cultivation world beyond the ability of a five-year-old child to handle. So she nodded obediently, “I’ll listen to Uncle.”

With her consent, Feng Jiaqing formed a spell and drew a drop of blood from his niece’s fingertip, letting it fall into his sister’s soul lamp. The once feeble flame seemed invigorated, flickering more robustly than before, which allowed Feng Jiaqing to breathe a sigh of relief.

Wei Yunxi watched the soul lamp for a while, confirming it wouldn’t go out soon, then turned to Feng Jiaqing and asked, “Uncle, is this enough to help Mother?”

“Of course. Your very existence is your mother’s anchor.”

After finishing, Feng Jiaqing didn’t immediately take his niece from the Soul Lamp Hall. Instead, with a swipe of his storage ring, he produced a spirit-testing disc in his hand.