Chapter 14 – Host, You’re Going to the Sky (Part Two)
“However, I’m not threatening everyone; I’m threatening all of you except Jingxian and Wan. They are genuinely kind to me, unlike you… I fought tooth and nail to save you, yet here you are scheming against me… What a treachery for gratitude!”
These noble girls were merely teenagers, each as tender as spring flowers, thinking they can hide their schemes from her?
If these naive young ladies could truly conceal their thoughts, then the livestock of the Seventh Legion could jump into the river in unison.
With no real connection to each other, they weren’t even cute in their plots. When she threatened them, there was no hesitation at all.
The noble girls turned pale as paper, their delicate bodies swaying as if ready to topple.
“Doing this… aren’t you afraid of repercussions afterward?”
One noble girl gritted her teeth, believing that Liu Lanting was different from bandits; there were things bandits would do that he absolutely would not.
That noble girl spoke to Jiang Pengji with all the arrogance bred from her gentry background, but if it were the original Liu Lanting, he might have felt intimidated.
You see, even if clans harbor sordid entanglements, on the surface, it’s all about maintaining appearances, pretending all is well. Ripping off the mask? That’s just too ugly.
But Jiang Pengji was never someone to fall for such tricks.
“Repercussions? Tsk, that’s a good reminder.” She tapped her lips, pondering for a moment, then said, “You think I would just stand there like a wooden puppet while you manipulate me? Let’s be clear: to outsiders, you’re the noble girl, and I’m the young master. While you’re taught to be a gentlewife in your boudoir, I’m out here studying the ways of Confucius and Mencius.”
“The deceitful plots in your alcove are nothing but spirits of mischief; you think you can use your narrow outlook and tactics against me?”
With that, the complexion of the noble girls drained of color, Jiang Pengji had just slapped all the noble ladies of the gentry with her words.
“How dare you… humiliate me like this…” Another girl was so furious she nearly crushed her perfect manicured nails.
“You’ve got it all wrong; from beginning to end, you’ve been humiliating yourself,” Jiang Pengji replied with a smile, twirling a dagger in her hand.
Meanwhile, Shangguan Wan’s face turned crimson, and she quietly tugged on Wei Jingxian’s sleeve, whispering, “I feel like older brother Lanting looks so tall and imposing.”
Wei Jingxian glared back at her, “What she just said was a slap to all the noble girls, you included, little flower.”
Sticking out her tongue, Shangguan Wan wriggled a bit, saying, “Wan’er wants to be as profound as brother Lanting…”
Wei Jingxian: “…”
“You just need to keep quiet and guard this secret. If not, once my identity is exposed…”
Jiang Pengji blew a breath on her dagger lazily, “A group of noble girls stuck overnight in a bandit’s den, sigh…”
How shameless!
The collective thought among the girls.
Jiang Pengji’s words dealt a double blow to the noble girls, one even fainted and rolled her eyes back.
Even in front of bandits, these ladies had never experienced such rage coursing through their veins, “Liu! Xi!”
The system couldn’t take it anymore: “You are so ruthless even in front of beauties; can’t you show some compassion?”
Jiang Pengji snorted, “Though I’m a poor, beauty-loving fool, that is just my hobby. When it comes to serious matters, even faced with a thousand beauties, I remain unaffected, for my rationality is always online; I won’t act rashly.”
The system: “…”
Right, rationality is online, but do you even realize how often your values and morals go offline?
“I give you a choice: either you shut up willingly, and I’ll prove my worth. After all, anyone in this room or outside has died by my hand; what could be more convincing? Your reputations remain intact.”
For these noble girls, having a clean reputation and family honor was paramount, even more important than their lives.
“And the other option…” She made a gesture of silencing someone, “I can certainly do it.”
“In this deserted mountain, filled with bandits, all I could do was save Jingxian and Wan’er. No one would blame me.”
Nowadays, men were all about flaunting makeup and floral scents; especially in Hejian County, it was all the rage.
It was obvious that the body Jiang Pengji currently inhabited was weak; managing to save herself and two other girls was quite a feat.
The room fell into silence; no one dared make a sound, even holding back their tears.
The aristocratic families didn’t cultivate these noble girls without reason. It wasn’t just about making them obedient and dull; some had the guts and intellect that rivaled the scholars of the day.
Jiang Pengji’s earlier words were not mere humiliation but a means to provoke.
Time passed, and finally, someone could no longer stand it.
“As long as… we keep your secret, you would help us?”
Jiang Pengji’s mannerisms and the remnants of severed limbs around the room stimulated the defenses of these noble girls.
In their minds, a scale balanced; they understood how to maximize their benefits.
Jiang Pengji’s terms were crystal clear; they could all see what to choose… and soon, they made their decision.
However…
One noble girl covered her mouth with a napkin and bitterly sneered, “Your proposal is quite good; naturally, we have no intention of refusing. But, if your identity isn’t exposed, do you really expect to marry Wei Jingxian come wedding time?”
Oh dear—now the meddling begins?
Her tactics were still a bit too raw but effective nonetheless.
Jiang Pengji raised an eyebrow, finding a bit more respect for that upright noble girl.
Based on the current overwhelming trend, her counterattack proved to be quite clever.
Yet these girls had no idea that aside from her high combat prowess and sharp tongue, Jiang Pengji was also unrivaled at flirting.
Why did so many beautiful women in the Seventh Legion always declare, “I’ll marry no one but her?”
Why was the density of single men always so high wherever she went?
Ugh, she couldn’t even flirt better than a mere woman; no wonder she was single.
Wei Jingxian cast a complicated look at her, and Jiang Pengji responded with a smile, her words solemn like a vow.
“If she is willing to marry me, even if it means we become an official couple, I would strive to give her a life of honor. If she wishes for another, I shall give her ten miles of red dowry; any infamy from breaking an engagement, I alone shall bear, wishing only for her happiness with her true love.”
Wei Jingxian turned beet red, her face furious yet bashful.
“You used to look so serious; how come… now you just can’t stay on topic? Are you really like Wan’er said, unmasking your true self and spouting shameless nonsense … if you wish to marry, I definitely won’t marry you.”
The noble girls: “…”
This cold shot of dog food slapped them all in the face; can you take your affection to another place?
The system: “… Host, let me tell you, if you keep flirting like this, and she ends up unable to marry, you’re responsible… you heartless vixen!”
Why flirt if not to marry?
Jiang Pengji innocently retorted to Wei Jingxian, “I already owe you so much, having hidden it all this time; isn’t it my duty to make it up to you?”
Meanwhile, she answered the system in her heart, “If I have to be responsible, then so be it.”
The system: “…”
Wait, if your female identity isn’t revealed, how can you handle the household strife and palace intrigues?
