"Father, I want to go home…"
Liang Chuchu curled her body up helplessly, sobbing softly.
… …
At noon, the Royal Concubines, drenched in sweat from their dance practice, returned, their lively chatter filling Yan Qu Hall with warmth.
The rumors of ghosts had completely subsided, and Yan Qu Hall was no longer closed and locked.
Although someone had just died a few days ago, everyone acted as if nothing had happened, continuing their routines as before.
People in the palace always had short memories.
Moreover, they had no choice but to forget quickly.
"Sù Yuè, only you can do the 'Cloud-Folding Waist' that was taught today; that move is too difficult."
"Of course, Sù Yuè comes from a military family; her skills are already excellent, so learning a dance is a piece of cake for her."
"The 'Cloud-Folding Waist' is indeed difficult, Sù Yuè. Can you tell us if there are any tricks to it?"
The 'Cloud-Folding Waist' that the Royal Concubines were discussing was a high-difficulty dance technique.
It required leaping into the air, extending the body, and then flipping backward, followed by unfurling two cloud sleeves in hand, landing steadily, and then dancing with the cloud sleeves to create graceful lines.
It sounded simple in just a few words, but performing it was extraordinary.
The Royal Concubines had already undergone several months of dance training after entering the palace; whether they had a foundation or not, they were now trained to be delicate, soft, and easily pushed over.
Splits, backbends, and backflips were all child's play.
But it was this 'Cloud-Folding Waist' that stumped everyone except Wang Suyue.
Wang Suyue, hearing her sisters' flattery and their earnest request for guidance, was naturally already in high spirits. She immediately cleared her throat and began to speak:
"Actually, it's nothing much. It mainly relies on good physical fitness. With more practice, it's definitely not a problem."
"When you dance, you all have reservations and lack confidence. If your body can keep up, you naturally won't be afraid, and then it will be even easier to do."
Wang Suyue wasn't a technical dancer; her main approach was simple and crude, using brute force to overcome difficulties.
Relying on her good physical skills, she used her physical fitness to forcefully execute these high-difficulty dance moves.
Upon hearing such useless words, the others couldn't help but roll their eyes.
But just then, someone suddenly said, "What's that smell? It's so stinky!"
As soon as she said that, everyone smelled a foul odor wafting over, and they all covered their noses, searching for the source of the smell.
"Look, isn't that Liang Chuchu? Why is she completely soaked?" A sharp-eyed Talent pointed into the distance.
Liang Chuchu was carrying a wooden bucket full of water, moving like a zombie.
She was completely drenched from head to toe; her hair and clothes clung to her body, and there were some yellowish stains on her wet clothes.
And the foul odor that the Royal Concubines smelled was emanating from her.
Even from a distance, the smell was enough to churn one's stomach.
"What kind of mischief is she up to now? She's already been demoted to a palace maid, and she still can't settle down?" Someone said with undisguised disdain.
"Isn't it just being punished with a month of labor? Is there a need to look like that?"
"You don't know yet, do you? She has been completely stripped of her Talent qualifications. From now on, she's only destined to be a palace maid."
Seeing her companion's confusion, a well-informed person immediately interjected, her tone full of schadenfreude.
"No way, isn't her father the Grand Secretary? The Liang family isn't some ordinary family in the capital."
"Her father is no longer the Grand Secretary. Not only was he dismissed from office, but his entire family was also driven out of the capital, never to be reinstated."
"Ah, there's such a thing!"
With the facts confirmed, more and more people felt schadenfreude, and their interest in gossip was further piqued.
"What crime did her father commit? To be punished so severely!"
"I heard he angered His Majesty, but I'm not clear on the specifics. It's all just hearsay."
"But looking at Liang Chuchu's unlucky state now, it probably can't be false."
Several Royal Concubines giggled, pointing and gesticulating at Liang Chuchu's back, no longer minding her smell at this point.
When she first entered the palace, Liang Chuchu used to bully others, always looking down on people.
Now that she was down and out, there were naturally plenty of people who were happy.
It was Wang Suyue, who had been competing with her since childhood, who felt a little uneasy looking at Liang Chuchu's back at this moment.
Seeing her little sisters getting more and more excited, she quickly said, "Alright, stop talking about Liang Chuchu. That smell on her is enough to make one lose their appetite; we won't be able to eat later."
"There's also etiquette class this afternoon, so it's better to go back and rest early."
Wang Suyue led her sisters away, but in the end, she couldn't help but look back.
Liang Chuchu was like a wooden person, seemingly unaware of their discussion from beginning to end.
Or perhaps she had already grown accustomed to it.
… …
The clear night was dustless, and the moonlight was like silver.
Li Xuan and Deng Weixian slowly finished their cultivation, feeling the surging Qi and Blood Power within their bodies.
With the continuous consumption over these past few days, the cold power within Li Xuan's body seemed to have diminished.
"It seems I'll have to absorb some more Linhu Essence Blood tonight."
He only gained four points of progress tonight, indicating a decrease in the progress obtained.
But even so, the Bloodthirsty Tiger Claw was now close to completion.
[Bloodthirsty Tiger Claw: 86%]
In about three more days, he would be able to cultivate this martial art to completion, and then he would be able to enter the Ninth Rank.
As Li Xuan thought of this, he couldn't help but wag his tail, unable to suppress the excitement in his heart.
He yawned while lying on the wall, preparing to visit his long-unseen big treasure after Deng Weixian fell asleep.
He wondered if Deng Weixian had hidden the clay pot containing the Linhu Essence Blood later on.
But in any case, it should be in his room, which wouldn't be a problem for Li Xuan, a professional little cat thief.
Deng Weixian relaxed his tense body after cultivation and was about to return to his room when a black figure floated over and landed in front of him.
"Son greets Godfather!"
Deng Weixian hastily bowed. Godfather had arrived very late today, which even surprised him a little.
"Extend your hand."
Godfather didn't waste words, uttering two characters.
Deng Weixian immediately bowed respectfully, extending both hands, palms up.
Godfather stroked Deng Weixian's palm, but then his figure froze for a moment, and then he stroked it again, remaining silent for a long time.
Deng Weixian maintained the posture of extending his hand, waiting quietly, without the slightest hint of apprehension.
Finally, Godfather spoke softly, "The Ice-Cold Breath within you is growing well. It seems you've absorbed quite a lot of Linhu Essence Blood."
"Reporting to Godfather, the Linhu Essence Blood is already more than half consumed, and my cultivation has been very smooth these past few days."
Deng Weixian didn't know whether he had absorbed a lot or a little, so he could only truthfully state his situation.
"More than half?"
Godfather's tone had a noticeable fluctuation for the first time.
"Bring out the clay pot for me to see."
Deng Weixian nodded, turned and went back into the room, and after rummaging through cabinets for a while, he brought out the clay pot and handed it to Godfather.
Li Xuan, hiding in the shadows, saw Deng Weixian messing around in the room for so long and couldn't help but curse inwardly:
"This kid is quite cautious."
And after Godfather took the clay pot, he directly opened the lid, then reached inside, and then he heard him exclaim:
"How can this be!?"