Chapter Nine: Searching for a Martial Arts Manual to Practice

Bailian finally let out a sigh of relief when she saw Shen Fuyu truly walking away, and hurried over to help Lucha up from the ground. But to her surprise, Lucha brushed her hand away coldly, accepting help instead from another young maid who hurried over. All at once, sharp, biting words tumbled out unchecked: “You must be pleased, Bailian, aren’t you? You think that just because I failed, you’ll have your chance?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” They were all of the same ilk, after all. Bailian’s face changed as she was scolded to her face. “If you had any real ability, you’d already be mistress of this palace. We’re all just palace maids. Don’t mistake your false kindness for something worth more than it is!”

“Kindness? You, Bailian, you wretch!” Despite the pain, Lucha still tried to lash out. “What do you amount to? When you broke Her Ladyship’s things, if I hadn’t pleaded for you, you wouldn’t even have had the chance to enter the palace with us!”

The slap that landed on Bailian barely hurt, but it enraged her instantly. Dropping her feeble, delicate pretense, Bailian’s features twisted with fury as she slapped Lucha back. “We’re both senior maids to Her Ladyship, yet you dare curse and strike me? If I hadn’t interceded just now, Her Ladyship would have had you killed! Today’s only the first day Her Ladyship enters the palace, and already you’re desperate to crawl into the Emperor’s bed? You shameless harlot!”

“And you—always weeping and throwing yourself at men! You’ve no right to speak of me!”

“I’m not like you! You still have the gall to live after being caught in bed with someone!”

“Wretch…”

“Go to hell…”

Outside Xianyue Palace, the eunuchs and maids tried to break up the fight as the two senior maids’ quarrel drew a crowd of onlookers. Meanwhile, Shen Fuyu sat quietly inside the hall, feeling that the joys and sorrows of human beings were truly worlds apart.

With a thought, she entered her space once more, watering her medicinal and poisonous herbs with both toxins and water. Lazily, Shen Fuyu yawned, wandering into the little room within her space. After last night’s cleansing, her body had finally reached the minimum threshold required to practice the martial arts secret manual from her space. It seemed that from now on, every bath would need a dose of spiritual stream water. As her body was further refined, her martial prowess would surely advance rapidly!

The martial arts manuals here were nothing like the common fist, staff, or sword skills of the outside world. Shen Fuyu had often flipped through them before, and found that each complete set comprised two parts: one, the internal cultivation method—the inner energy or qi she’d heard spoken of; and the other, weapon techniques, which, when combined with the internal method, far surpassed even the finest skills of this world.

Unfortunately, one could not practice all at once—Shen Fuyu would have to choose just one. Now, living in the imperial palace, it was nearly impossible to forge a weapon. She needed a skill that either used an easily concealed weapon or none at all, and one she could perform while wearing elaborate court dress, as she would be required to do as a consort.

Her gaze fell upon a manual titled “Plucking Flower Fingers.”

“This one will do,” she decided—the name itself was pleasing.

Sitting cross-legged, she swallowed a pill that aided cultivation, then fully absorbed the internal method described. She closed her eyes, focusing on the so-called circulation of inner energy described in the book. A subtle, mysterious sensation began to flow through her body, especially her arms and hands, which became almost feverishly warm as the inner energy coursed through them. Shen Fuyu was amazed. Once, she’d thought all this was just fiction, but now she truly felt it for herself.

To become stronger—combined with her poisons—Shen Fuyu believed she might survive much longer this time. The highest level in the space was one hundred, and countless identities and years had passed for her to reach only thirty-six. She wondered how many more such days it would take until her journey was complete.

Within the main hall of Xianyue Palace, all was still and quiet. Outside, the endless bickering between Bailian and Lucha at last ceased when Lucha fainted first. In the palace, there was never any shortage of gossip. What had happened was merely Qin Zhiyi coming to see Shen Fuyu, and a failed attempt by Shen Fuyu’s maid to climb into the Emperor’s bed—a simple scandal. But by the time the story spread through every corner of the harem, it had changed beyond recognition.

“What did you say?” The Virtuous Consort’s brow knit tight with astonishment and disbelief. “Repeat that.”

“Yes, Your Ladyship. I heard it from one of our eunuchs,” said her senior maid, Lichun. “Today, while all the consorts were still gathered in Fengluan Palace, the Honorable Consort’s personal maid tried to seduce the Emperor. I heard that after Her Ladyship returned, she wasn’t even angry. I fear it won’t be long before there’s a second mistress in Xianyue Palace.”

The Virtuous Consort clenched her handkerchief tightly. She had been in the palace for six months, and after the Emperor had fallen gravely ill, he had only visited her a handful of times, never spending the night. Now Shen Fuyu had managed to get ahead of her—and even if that could be endured, to be beaten to it by a lowly maid?

“My lady… it was only a maid. Perhaps the Emperor was momentarily confused and mistook her for the Honorable Consort,” Lichun hastened to comfort her mistress, knowing well how deeply she cared for the Emperor and how unbearable such news was. “What I find strange is that it should be the Honorable Consort who is most enraged, yet she seems entirely unbothered. If I were in her place, I would have sent such a shameless maid far, far away already!”

The Virtuous Consort said nothing, wrestling with her jealousy. At length, she spoke: “Go to Xianyue Palace and find out what you can. I don’t believe this is true!”

Nor could she believe the Emperor had no feelings for her!

Shen Fuyu had saved the Emperor’s life—if it were Shen Fuyu… that could be excused. The Virtuous Consort’s eyes reddened with frustration. No, it wasn’t just Shen Fuyu; any of the other consorts would do—they were all daughters of noble families. She refused to believe that in the Emperor’s eyes, they ranked below a mere palace maid.

As for Shen Fuyu, she was not the legitimate daughter of the Shen family. Had the eldest legitimate miss of Shen entered the palace, none of this would have happened. Alone, the Virtuous Consort’s thoughts ran wild. In the end, she convinced herself that it was Shen Fuyu’s inability to handle such matters—her lowly birth—that allowed her maid to act so shamelessly.

“This is impossible!”

In Shou’an Palace, the Empress Dowager, startled, dropped her teacup and sat in her chair, replaying the shocking words she’d just heard. “Quickly, send the imperial physician to take the Emperor’s pulse. The Emperor’s health must not be compromised!”

Once she regained her composure, the Empress Dowager slammed her palm on the table in fury. This Shen Fuyu—what a troublesome creature! The events of the previous night were still fresh in her mind, and now, to commit such an indecency in broad daylight, it was utterly shameless!