“That No. 1 family in the Tianqi Empire?”
“Yes, that’s the Nangong family,” the excited person replied. “Remember when the young master of the Nangong family left the clan for a girl?”
“Oh, that was quite a scandal back then. It made headlines, and people from all the neighboring countries heard about it.”
“And guess what? The young master’s daughter has returned to the Nangong family,” the man continued. “Isn’t that strange? The young master didn’t return, but his daughter did.”
“Is it really the young master’s daughter? Could it be someone else pretending to be her?”
“No, it can’t be a fake. The Nangong family places great importance on bloodlines and has a way to verify it,” the man explained. “After the young master’s daughter returned, the news spread like wildfire in the Tianqi Empire. Rumor has it that the Emperor intends to arrange a marriage between her and Prince Diqin.”
“No way,” some people expressed their disbelief.
“It’s true,” the informant insisted. “The whole Empire is buzzing with it. Some even say Miss Nangong is breathtakingly beautiful and a perfect match for the Emperor’s prince. She’s stunning, both in looks and grace.”
“Really? ” a fellow diner pointed at Huang Quan, who was seated by the window. “Is she as beautiful?”
The speaker laughed, “How would I know? I’ve never seen the Nangong family miss, how can I compare her to that girl?”
“I think she could be as beautiful as that girl,” a person at the same table chimed in. “From what I’ve heard, that girl is truly a celestial beauty.”
“I can’t say for sure, having never seen her.”
The group chatted while eating and eventually switched topics.
Unbeknownst to Huang Quan, the gossip she overheard during her meal would turn out to be connected to her fate.
Time passed swiftly, and another seven days flew by. During this time, Huang Quan spent most of her hours refining elixirs, ranging from common ones to rare promotion elixirs.
“Quanquan,” Nangong Mian entered the courtyard from outside and saw Huang Quan seated at the stone table, engrossed in a book. He hurried over and inquired, “What can I do for you?”
“Third brother, I’ve just completed refining a promotion pill,” Huang Quan said, taking out a porcelain bottle and placing it in front of Nangong Mian with a smile. “You can have it.”
“A promotion pill?” Nangong Mian appeared surprised, then accepted the porcelain bottle. “Quanquan, have you really mastered the art?”
“Absolutely,” Huang Quan replied confidently. “If I can refine a bone regeneration pill, a promotion pill is a walk in the park.”
Nangong Mian looked at her sister with a smile and praised, “As expected of my sister, you’re amazing.”
“Third brother, you’ve been stuck at level six for a while now. Your foundation is rock solid. You can use the Promotion Pill with confidence,” Huang Quan cautioned. “But remember, once you’re promoted, you can’t rely on the Promotion Pill anymore.”
“I understand,” Nangong Mian replied and then hugged Huang Quan. “Quanquan, thank you. If it weren’t for you, I don’t know when I would have made this breakthrough.”
“The Promotion Pill merely accelerates your promotion. Even without it, you’d have broken through eventually.”
Indeed, but it would take time to break through naturally, who knows how long that might have been?
“Quanquan, I promise to live up to your expectations,” Nangong Mian declared, holding the porcelain bottle. “I’m going to break through right now.”
With those words, Nangong Mian left the courtyard.
As soon as he departed, the smile on Huang Quan’s face slowly faded, and she let out a quiet sigh.
It had been eleven days since Ye Qin left. She couldn’t help but wonder when he would return. And truth be told, she missed him a bit…
