Chapter 46: Revenge

Chapter 46: Revenge

Last time, when Hua Changxi happened upon the sisters Lu Qingluo and Lu Qingling sharing intimate words, she had waited for them to leave before stepping out to avoid embarrassment. This time, Hua Changxi did not want to wait; she walked directly past them.

"Changxi..."

Seeing Hua Changxi, Lu Qingluo was startled, and even Lu Qingling’s expression became somewhat unnatural.

Talking behind someone's back only to be overheard by the person in question was indeed quite awkward.

Hua Changxi gave Lu Qingluo a smile, then turned her gaze toward Lu Qingling: "Although your analysis sounds quite logical and convincing at first glance, have you ever actually interacted with me? Have you ever dealt with me?"

"You and I have barely exchanged a few words. Are you certain that what you are analyzing is the person known as Hua Changxi?"

Lu Qingling had never expected Hua Changxi to be so blunt in exposing her gossip and to question her directly to her face.

Whether in the Lu family or the Apprentice Hall, everyone tried their best to avoid direct confrontation. Hua Changxi’s approach of laying everything bare immediately caught her completely off guard.

Seeing Lu Qingling's reaction, Hua Changxi gave a contemptuous smile: "All you have analyzed are mere rumors. If someone takes rumors as truth, would you call them clever or foolish?"

Having said her piece, she ignored Lu Qingling’s wide-eyed, furious stare and walked straight into the Sixth Bureau.

Everyone talks behind someone's back, and everyone has someone talking behind theirs.

Hua Changxi could accept being the subject of discussion, but she wouldn't let people get away with it. If it happened once, fine; but if it happened two or three times and it was always badmouthing her, she would certainly step up to reclaim her dignity.

"She..."

Lu Qingling pointed at Hua Changxi, her face flushed red, unsure if it was from anger or shame.

Lu Qingluo, knowing Hua Changxi's combativeness, quickly consoled her sister: "Sister, don't be angry. That's just how Changxi is; she often makes people lose face."

Lu Qingling quickly calmed her emotions and remained silent for a moment: "This Hua Changxi is quite a person of character."

Hearing this, Lu Qingluo was surprised to see that her sister was not cursing Hua Changxi, but instead spoke with a hint of admiration. She let out an involuntary "Ah."

Lu Qingling looked at her sister, feeling somewhat uneasy: "Hua Changxi isn't wrong. My view of her was indeed biased."

"Someone like Hua Changxi, who says things directly to your face, is much easier to get along with than those who act one way to your face and another behind your back."

"Even if she makes things awkward sometimes, it is far better than plotting behind someone's back."

Lu Qingluo nodded in agreement: "Actually, as long as you don't provoke her, Changxi is quite easy to talk to."

Lu Qingling did not want to mention Hua Changxi any further. She took out the notes she had recorded in the Apprentice Hall, and just as she was about to instruct Lu Qingluo to study them well, she saw a crowd running toward the warehouse.

"What happened?"

Lu Qingluo grabbed someone from the Sixth Bureau to ask.

"A fight has broken out at the warehouse! It's quite fierce; I heard martial artists are involved!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Qingluo and Lu Qingling exchanged a glance. Both sisters were curious to see what a fight between martial artists would look like.

"Sister, shall we go take a look?"

"Let's watch from a distance."

By the time the sisters reached the warehouse, it was already surrounded by layers of people.

"Who is fighting whom?"

"It's the people from Sancha Pharmacy coming to cause trouble for the people in Warehouse No. 5."

"What exactly is going on?"

"You know Mao Wei from Warehouse No. 5, right? Last year, Mao Wei had several teeth knocked out, so he left Warehouse No. 5. Now, Mao Wei has returned with his brother, Mao Yong, to demand justice."

The incident of Mao Wei being beaten had caused a brief sensation in the Servants' Hall previously, and both Lu Qingluo and Lu Qingling remembered it.

"Who hit Mao Wei?"

"I heard it was a female servant."

"How would a female servant dare to strike someone?"

"That female servant has quite a background. She is the younger sister of Yu Hui, the manager of Warehouse No. 5."

Listening to the crowd's discussion, Lu Qingling's previous change of heart regarding Hua Changxi—thinking she was a person of character and that it might be worth getting to know her—instantly vanished.

Someone who is constantly embroiled in gossip is not suitable for friendship, no matter how capable or virtuous they may be.

Within the circle of onlookers, Yu Hui looked at the arrogant group led by Mao Wei with a grim expression. He whispered to Wan Xiaozhou, "Quickly, go tell Godfather that someone is causing trouble at the warehouse."

Upon hearing this, Wan Xiaozhou immediately went to find Eunuch Yu.

Yu Hui looked at Mao Yong, who stood beside Mao Wei. Mao Yong was a manager at Sancha Pharmacy and had come to the Medical Bureau today to deliver a batch of medicinal materials. He hadn't expected that once the materials were unloaded, they would start looking for trouble.

"Manager Mao, are you certain you want to cause trouble at the warehouse?"

Mao Yong replied, "I heard the person who injured my brother is your woman. Yu Hui, for the sake of Eunuch Yu, I won't make things difficult for you. Hand her over. My brother lost several teeth; she should lose a few as well."

Yu Hui's face darkened as he looked at Mao Wei: "Mao Wei, why were you beaten in the first place? Did you not tell your brother?"

Just as Mao Wei was about to speak, Mao Yong raised his hand to interrupt him: "Er-lang has already told me what happened. Even if he said a few jokes, your woman should not have laid a hand on him."

Yu Hui frowned deeply: "Are you two refusing to be reasonable?"

Mao Wei said resentfully, "I lost my teeth! I can't even enjoy eating meat properly now. What kind of damn reasoning are you talking about?"

Seeing the crowd growing larger, Mao Yong did not want to escalate the matter further. He walked straight toward Yu Hui, intending to use force to compel him to hand the person over.

Seeing him about to strike, Yu Hui's expression changed drastically. Although he had been consuming medicinal pills to practice martial arts for the past two months, his foundation was too weak, and he was currently only a Third-Rank martial artist.

Fortunately, Mao Yong was only a Fourth-Rank martial artist. Although there was a gap, Yu Hui could still withstand a few of his moves.

Watching Yu Hui and Mao Yong engage in combat at the slightest disagreement, the surrounding onlookers quickly retreated several meters.

At first, Yu Hui fought somewhat cautiously, anxiously hoping that Eunuch Yu would arrive quickly. But as the fight progressed, he realized that Mao Yong could not completely suppress him.

As a Fourth-Rank martial artist, Mao Yong had developed internal strength, but Yu Hui's strength was a notch higher. He relied on brute force to endure the internal energy unleashed by Mao Yong.

Yu Hui was surprised in his heart, and he quickly thought of the medicinal pills he had been taking.

He had long noticed that the pills refined by Hua Changxi were much more potent than those sold on the market, but he didn't know exactly how strong they were. After this exchange, he knew.

Yu Hui fought with increasing courage, even showing a slight tendency to push Mao Yong back.

The onlookers only thought Yu Hui was impressive, but the one-armed middle-aged man brought by Mao Yong frowned deeply.

A Third-Rank suppressing a Fourth-Rank... the Medical Bureau truly was a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers!

*Bang!*

Yu Hui and Mao Yong collided with their fists. Mao Yong took two steps back before stabilizing himself, but Yu Hui was knocked back several meters by the impact of the internal energy before he could steady himself.

Even so, this left Mao Yong somewhat startled, and he shot a quick glance at Mao Wei.

His younger brother had told him that Yu Hui was only a Second-Rank martial artist.

Was this a Second-Rank martial artist? He was clearly Third-Rank, and even the kind that was about to break through to the Fourth-Rank.

Mao Wei was also stunned. When he had left, Yu Hui was only a Second-Rank martial artist.

Mao Yong looked coldly at Yu Hui: "Yu Hui, I don't want to make a scene. Are you certain you want to shield that female servant?"

Seeing that he could actually push Mao Yong back, Yu Hui gained even more confidence. He refused to back down: "The fault in the previous matter lies with Mao Wei. If you truly want to be reasonable, Mao Yong, you shouldn't be here causing trouble."

Mao Yong's face darkened: "It seems you are beyond reason." As he spoke, he glanced at the one-armed man beside him.

The one-armed man nodded. Instantly, a heavy pressure, like Mount Tai pressing down, bore directly onto Yu Hui. The surrounding onlookers also felt their breath tighten, feeling a sense of immense strain.

Martial Artist Pressure!

The moment the pressure struck, Yu Hui's legs struggled to stand straight, but he endured with difficulty. Before long, his face was flushed red, and large beads of sweat broke out on his forehead.

Watching this scene, Lu Qingling gripped Lu Qingluo's hand tightly: "Hua Changxi is too much of a troublemaker. And even if she causes trouble, she might be fine, but those around her will suffer the consequences."

"Just watch. If this Yu Hui doesn't hand Hua Changxi over, he will surely run into trouble. But if he does hand her over, he will feel guilty and be criticized by others."

"Therefore, to avoid being caught in such a dilemma, the best way is to have no connection with Hua Changxi at all."

Lu Qingluo was also frightened by the martial artist's pressure and nodded repeatedly.

Lu Qingling wanted to give her sister more advice when, suddenly, a cold female voice sounded from behind them.

"I heard you are looking for me?"

Everyone turned toward the sound and saw Hua Changxi walking toward them with a faint smile. The onlookers hurriedly made a path for her.

Unfazed by the martial artist's pressure, Hua Changxi walked calmly to Yu Hui and pulled him behind her. The mountain-like pressure in the air vanished instantly.

Seeing this, Mao Yong's expression changed, and a look of wariness appeared on the one-armed man's face.

Hua Changxi looked at Yu Hui: "Brother Yu, are you alright?"

Yu Hui breathed a sigh of relief and smiled as he wiped the sweat from his forehead: "I am fine."

Only then did Hua Changxi look at Mao Yong: "I was the one who hit your brother. If you want to seek revenge, you should come for me. What is the meaning of coming to the warehouse to cause trouble?"

As she spoke, her gaze shifted to Mao Wei.

"It seems I didn't hit you hard enough last time. Not only have you failed to realize your mistake, but you actually want to come for revenge."

Mao Wei shuddered and quickly hid behind Mao Yong.

Just as Mao Yong was about to say something, he was stopped by the one-armed man.

The one-armed man looked at Hua Changxi: "We were presumptuous today. We will leave immediately."

Hua Changxi laughed: "You come when you want and leave when you want?" She then sized up the one-armed man. "You must be from the martial world. Is that how the rules of the martial world work?"

The one-armed man's expression was solemn: "What do you want?"

Hua Changxi looked toward Yu Hui.

Yu Hui was stunned for a moment, then whispered, "It is best not to make this a big matter."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi also did not want to escalate things. She looked at Mao Yong: "Since you came to the warehouse to cause trouble, you should at least apologize to Brother Yu, right?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Hui immediately wanted to say there was no need for an apology, but meeting Hua Changxi's gaze, he knew she was standing up for him, so he silently swallowed his words.

With a light cough from the one-armed man, Mao Yong pulled Mao Wei forward with a grim expression and said to Yu Hui, "Manager Yu, we brothers were out of line today."

Yu Hui smiled and waved his hand: "It's fine. There is no harm in fighting to make new acquaintances. It is my luck to be able to spar with a skilled martial artist like Manager Mao."

Mao Yong glanced at Hua Changxi. Seeing that she remained silent, he pulled Mao Wei to leave. As he turned, he heard Hua Changxi's voice once more.

"Is this matter settled?"

The one-armed man answered for Mao Yong: "It is settled."

Hua Changxi: "Good. Since it is settled, I will turn the page. In the future, let no one bring this up again."

The one-armed man: "They won't."

Hua Changxi smiled and looked at the grim-faced Mao Yong and Mao Wei brothers: "If you still want revenge, I welcome it. But remember, my name is Hua Changxi. Don't go looking for the wrong person again."

Mao Yong looked at her: "Since the matter is settled, we will not bring up old business." Having said that, he led Mao Wei, the one-armed man, and the other servants delivering medicinal materials away.

After exiting the back door of the Medical Bureau, Mao Yong immediately looked at the one-armed man: "Just what rank is that Hua Changxi?"

The one-armed man shook his head: "To be able to break my pressure instantly, her martial cultivation must be above mine."

Mao Yong was shocked: "Brother Yu, you are a Seventh-Rank martial artist."

The one-armed man looked at him: "Do not underestimate anyone. At the Capital Martial Academy, the age of martial artists above the Seventh-Rank is getting younger and younger. Didn't an eighth-rank martial artist of fifteen appear last year?"

"In the past, practicing martial arts meant tempering the body bit by bit. But now, more and more miraculous medicines are appearing. Some people take these medicines and, in a single day, break through their shackles to become Seventh-Rank Post-Natal martial artists."

Mao Yong listened with longing: "Are there truly such miraculous medicines?"

The one-armed man shook his head: "I don't know, but there are such rumors. They can't be baseless."

Mao Yong looked at Mao Wei: "That matter with Hua Changxi... let it go."

Seeing that even the one-armed man did not dare to confront Hua Changxi directly, Mao Wei did not dare to say anything more: "Brother, what about my duties?"

Mao Yong: "From now on, you will follow me and work at Sancha Pharmacy."

At the warehouse, after Mao Yong and his group left, the others also dispersed.

Watching Hua Changxi talking to Yu Hui, Lu Qingluo said to Lu Qingling, "Sister, although Changxi can cause trouble, she can also handle it."

"And she is so amazing! As soon as she appeared, she didn't even do anything—just said a few words, and the people from the pharmacy had to apologize obediently."

Lu Qingling had nothing to argue against.

Lu Qingluo added, "Sister, what you said is partly right, but not entirely. Look at Manager Yu; I think he is very willing to associate with Changxi."

Lu Qingling: "Enough. That is their business; we should mind our own. Let's go back."

Lu Qingluo took one last look at Hua Changxi and silently followed Lu Qingling away.

On this side, Hua Changxi performed a pulse diagnosis on Yu Hui. Seeing that he was indeed fine, she prepared to leave the Medical Bureau to go look at her house.

Seeing that Wan Xiaozhou had not yet returned, Yu Hui prepared to go see Eunuch Yu personally to report today's events. The two happened to be traveling the same path.

Halfway there, they encountered the returning Wan Xiaozhou.

Yu Hui: "I sent you to call Godfather, so where did you take him?"

Wan Xiaozhou shot a quick glance at Hua Changxi before saying vaguely, "Eunuch Yu is busy hosting the Great Merchant Zhu."

Yu Hui paused: "Great Merchant Zhu has arrived?"

Hua Changxi interjected curiously, "Who is Great Merchant Zhu?"

Yu Hui whispered, "Doesn't my Godfather handle a batch of discarded medicinal materials? In the past, they were always handed over to this Great Merchant Zhu for processing."

"Since you started refining medicine at the Qihuang Hall, the discarded materials for Great Merchant Zhu have certainly decreased. He is likely here to ask about it."

Hua Changxi gave an "Oh" and did not ask further. Seeing that Wan Xiaozhou seemed to have more to say, she parted ways with Yu Hui.

Watching Hua Changxi walk away, Yu Hui tapped Wan Xiaozhou on the head: "What were you being so vague about just now?"

Wan Xiaozhou smiled bitterly: "Eunuch Yu intentionally didn't go to the warehouse. He said this matter was caused by Sister Changxi, so she should resolve it herself."

Yu Hui frowned: "It seems Godfather still doesn't consider Sister Changxi one of his own."

Wan Xiaozhou: "Exactly. A couple of days ago, I saw Pharmacist Zhou again. Eunuch Yu was even thinking about having Pharmacist Zhou replace Sister Changxi."

Yu Hui sighed, looking troubled: "Godfather has always been uncomfortable with Sister Changxi taking a forty percent share of the profits. But since Sister Changxi provides both the formulas and the technique, it wouldn't make sense to ask her to take less."

Wan Xiaozhou sighed along with him: "Indeed."

The issue between Eunuch Yu and Sister Changxi had no solution at all. He hoped they wouldn't fall out, as many people were relying on Sister Changxi's medicinal pills to practice their martial arts.