Song Yao-shi sat nearby.
The words of the young lady—calm, steady, without a single fluctuation in tone—entered his ears, yet carried an overwhelming authority that made one uneasy.
Su Hua noticed Song Yao-shi’s expression. Even the usually composed, seasoned man had betrayed a hint of nervousness upon hearing her mention going to the Yaowang Pavilion to settle matters.
Su Hua’s voice softened as she reassured him, “Don’t be anxious. I never act without confidence in my plan.”
Song Yao-shi nodded, his tone firm: “I only worry for you, Miss. No one dares offend the Yaowang Pavilion. Not its stewards, not even the lowest-ranked pharmacist—they are all beyond ordinary men’s reach. After all, who can guarantee they won’t require your skill in medicine one day?”
“Require my skill in medicine for a lifetime?” Su Hua mused silently. She had the inheritance of the Ancient Medical Sect, and the secret space of the Sheep Fat Jade Bottle—she didn’t need to depend on anyone.
Besides, Zhu’s cousin had only colluded with a single steward of the Yaowang Pavilion. One steward alone cannot represent the entire Pavilion, let alone the supreme Yaowang Hall.
“Doesn’t matter. Let’s go.” Su Hua’s tone was calm, decisive.
“Understood,” Song Yao-shi replied.
Su Hua glanced at him, smiling faintly. “Song Shi, aren’t you afraid?”
“I am.” Song Yao-shi answered seriously. “But you said you never act without certainty. Madam has passed, and all of us respect you. Whatever you decide to do or whomever you choose to deal with, I will follow and support you.”
“Rest assured. Those who follow me will never be disappointed.” Su Hua’s voice carried an unyielding weight.
With that, the three of them departed Jisheng Herb Shop, heading straight toward the Yaowang Pavilion in Tianxiao City.
..
Nearby, a wide, simple carriage waited.
Inside, a man dressed in flowing white robes, ethereal and elegant, his icy, perfect features akin to a celestial exile beneath the moonlight, sat composed.
Suddenly, a voice from outside the carriage broke the silence:
“Your Highness, Miss Su and her companions have just left Jisheng Herb Shop. Judging by their carriage, they are heading toward the Yaowang Pavilion.”
Mo Qianhan’s voice was cold. “Follow them.”
Liu Xing responded promptly, guiding the carriage behind Su Hua’s. He murmured thoughtfully, “Your Highness, the Jisheng Herb Shop matter involves the Yaowang Pavilion. You usually act discreetly, yet now it concerns Miss Su…”
“She is my fiancée. There is no need to intervene.”
Liu Xing felt a deep understanding. Indeed, upon their first meeting yesterday, Miss Su’s words, intellect, and judgment had already impressed His Highness.
Mo Qianhan toyed with the jade thumb ring in his hand. “If she dares go to the Yaowang Pavilion, she must have a sure plan. She does not need my assistance.”
Liu Xing hesitated. “Your Highness, the Yaowang Pavilion is backed by the supreme Yaowang Hall, a force standing above all on the Tianlan Continent.”
Mo Qianhan said calmly, “One minor steward cannot represent the entire Pavilion, much less the Hall.”
Liu Xing: “True… but even a steward carries the Pavilion’s weight. To outsiders, no one dares provoke the Yaowang Pavilion, even the lowest-ranking official. Unless Miss Su possesses some divine stratagem.”
Mo Qianhan: “Perhaps… she does.”
Liu Xing fell silent. He had followed His Highness for years but had never seen him trust anyone like this.
After a moment, Liu Xing spoke again: “Your Highness, the head of the Yaowang Pavilion in Tianxiao City is the Hall’s envoy, overseeing all Yaowang Pavilions under the Cangfeng Empire. This person is elusive; our intelligence network has been unable to uncover any trace.”
“If Miss Su challenges them today, it would be the first time in many years that anyone dared provoke the Pavilion. If the head intervenes… even with divine stratagems, it would be difficult.”
Mo Qianhan’s voice was sharp: “If the head of the Pavilion were to protect its face, they should first clean the corruption beneath them as a warning. The Pavilion is powerful. Anyone who acts against it gets crushed immediately. Miss Su has likely counted on this and is confident that no one can suppress her this time.”
Liu Xing no longer spoke. His silence signaled agreement.
..
Su Hua’s carriage came to a halt. She stepped down, eyes sweeping across a nine-story building, grand and majestic. The comings and goings of people were innumerable.
Tianxiao City’s Yaowang Pavilion truly lived up to its reputation.
Song Yao-shi and Yun Shuang flanked her, ascending the outer steps and entering the first-floor hall. Su Hua glanced around, noting the difference in medical prestige—here, even the first floor outshone any ordinary herb shop.
Her Jisheng Herb Shop had some renown in Tianxiao City and traded with the Pavilion, but compared to this first floor, it was but a shadow.
Yun Shuang whispered, “Miss… it’s so big.”
Song Yao-shi had been here before, but he recalled this was Su Hua’s first visit. Yet she showed no surprise—as if the Pavilion were nothing extraordinary.
Su Hua smiled faintly at Yun Shuang’s awed expression. In her previous life, she had been used to research towers a hundred stories high; a mere nine-story Pavilion did not faze her.
At that moment, a sharp, mocking laugh cut through the hall.
It was Zhu Gui, Zhu’s cousin, accompanied by the steward of the Pavilion he had befriended, Zhou Xun.
Zhu Gui sneered arrogantly, “Oh? Isn’t this Miss Su, newly in charge of Jisheng Herb Shop? What brings you to the Yaowang Pavilion?”
Su Hua’s cold gaze locked on him. She stepped closer deliberately, stopping at just the right distance.
Zhu Gui, seeing her approach, scoffed. “You’ve come for the old accounts left at the Pavilion, and the new batch of herbs, I suppose. You really think that throwing me out of Jisheng Herb Shop lets you take over smoothly? Foolish.”
Su Hua ignored his barking. A faint, cold smile touched her lips. As Zhu Gui opened his mouth to speak, her fingers flicked swiftly—one tiny pill slid into his mouth. Upon contact with his saliva, it dissolved instantly.
Zhu Gui’s arrogance only grew. He stepped closer. “Return Jisheng Herb Shop to me, and—”
Su Hua: “One.”
“Give back the 200,000 taels you took from my cousin—”
Su Hua: “Two.”
“And publicly bow and apologize to me…”
Su Hua: “Three.”
Zhu Gui never finished his sentence. Blood spurted from his mouth, eyes, and nose.
Su Hua’s gaze was ice-cold. “I never bow to threats.”