CHAPTER 575: CHAPTER 32: MILITARY INVITATION

"Miss, just as you expected, the Yanyue Chamber of Commerce has met a total loss. After converting their Fourth-level Dark Pills to Fifth-level Dark Pills, they still owe nearly ten million Fifth-level Dark Pills. Given Yanyue Chamber of Commerce’s situation, full payment will be difficult," Hongling wasn’t too surprised after learning that Yue Jinghua instructed Hong Yao to place an additional two million Dark Pills bet at the last moment.

However, after hearing this news, Yue Jinghua signaling them to collect the wager from the Yanyue Chamber of Commerce in a few days puzzled her.

According to reliable information, the Yanyue Chamber of Commerce received three bets of two million Dark Pills each at the last minute. Although she did not know which forces the other two bets belonged to, one thing was certain: the other parties would surely come to collect the wagers soon.

If the money were collected by others first, wouldn’t they end up with nothing?

"Hongling, you’re wrong. Your miss here isn’t short on money," Yue Jinghua said in a manner suggesting she was a wealthy local tyrant, "What do you think is the most valuable thing in the Imperial Capital?"

"In Wohua Imperial City, there are two common currencies. One is Imperial gold coins; the other is all kinds of Xuan Beast Xuan Pills. Is there anything more valuable than these two?" Hongling was clearly puzzled.

"Wrong. There’s something even more valuable than Dark Pills and gold coins—shops. I’m waiting for the Yanyue Chamber of Commerce to run out of Dark Pills and be forced to use their shops to settle the debt. Don’t forget, Yanyue and Yunhu Commerce own nearly half of the busiest district shops in the Imperial City. My father, Yue Nian, was targeted back then for being too high-profile. This time, we need to quietly make a fortune," Yue Jinghua, possessing Fengdan Bailu’s two counties and the Star Falling Mine, along with the Elixir Shop in Five Saints Town, now earns hundreds of thousands of Fourth-level Dark Pills every month.

But the Duke Mansion’s shops had been confiscated, leaving only a few properties on Linlan Street.

After the battle in the Beast Fighting Arena, the situation on Linlan Street should improve. However, if she truly wants to secure her footing in the Imperial Capital, she must reclaim the Duke Mansion’s shops and restore the family business.

"I have already entrusted this matter to Hong Yao. She’s a new face in the Imperial City and masquerading as a foreigner, so her engaging in this will not draw suspicion towards the Duke Mansion. Let’s first head to the Imperial Hospital; I am somewhat concerned about my elder brother’s health," Yue Jinghua decided to visit the Imperial Hospital to check on Cheng Ying, remaining wary of her.

The master and servant took a carriage and hurried to the Imperial City’s Imperial Hospital.

According to what Cheng Ying had said before leaving, the Imperial Hospital was on the outskirts of the city, half a two hours away by carriage.

Yue Jinghua, having engaged in a battle of wits and bravery with the people of the Beast Fighting Arena the night before, let Hongling drive the carriage while she took the opportunity to rest inside.

They had only traveled half the distance when the carriage abruptly came to a halt, causing Yue Jinghua, unprepared, to collide with the side of the carriage.

The curtain of the carriage was lifted, and a face poked inside.

The newcomer, seeing Yue Jinghua, broke into a smile and said, "Well, well, Yue Jinghua, you certainly made it difficult for me to find you."

Without another word, the person pulled Yue Jinghua down from the carriage.

Groggy, Yue Jinghua mumbled, "Jin Nuo, you scared the hell out of me. If you wanted to drink and chat, come by tomorrow morning; I need to make a trip to the Imperial Hospital."

"Don’t worry, I already know about Yue Minzhi. Although I am not sure what poison it is, once the person is in Cheng Ying’s hands, even the dead can be brought back to life. By the way, what’s your relationship with Cheng Ying? Such a snobbish person has actually offered you help?" The person turned out to be Peng Bo, one of only two acquaintances Yue Jinghua had in Wohua Imperial City. It was Jin Nuo.

Yue Jinghua looked outside the carriage and saw that Hongling had already been sent down from the carriage, standing together with a group of Imperial City commoners.

Jin Nuo appeared as he always did, only now his armor had been swapped for plain clothes, and the round and plump Black Dragon wasn’t following behind him.

Yue Jinghua didn’t dislike Jin Nuo, in fact, she found his straightforward and somewhat careless nature to be quite endearing, making him a person worth befriending.

Before Yue Jinghua and Jin Nuo broke up, Jin Nuo had invited Yue Jinghua to have a drink with him once she settled the affairs of the Duke Mansion.

However, after reporting back to the Military Department, Jin Nuo got so busy that he disappeared, and with Yue Jinghua occupied by the Beast Fight matters, the two never had a chance to meet.

Initially, Yue Jinghua, being new to Imperial City, only had a superficial understanding of the people and events there.

In the Imperial City circles, Cheng Ying’s reputation even surpassed her own father, the Imperial Alchemist Cheng Longfeng.

It wasn’t that Cheng Ying’s Qihuang Skill exceeded Cheng Longfeng’s, but she was notoriously "unhirable" — even with money, you couldn’t get her services.

For Yue Jinghua, a noble from a declining Duke Mansion, to have Cheng Ying personally intervene was quite a piece of news in Imperial City.

"I’ve met her twice, once at the Sky Port, and the other time was at the Beast Fighting Arena," Yue Jinghua said crossly, since Cheng Ying was clearly an ingrate; all that talk of free treatment was just a sham.

"Sky Port?" As Jin Nuo was insistent, Yue Jinghua couldn’t shake him off in a short time, so she dragged him into a nearby tavern, and while they ordered a few drinks, they started talking.

That’s when Yue Jinghua recounted her encounter with false accusations at the Sky Port, injuring Ji Yun, and then meeting people like Cheng Ying and Long Jiuzun.

She went on to talk about the conflict with Qing Zizhu at the Beast Fighting Arena and the beast fight with the Yanyue Chamber of Commerce.

During this process, she didn’t hide anything, just reported honestly, and only then did Jin Nuo realize just how much had happened in Imperial City over the past half a month.

"You’re quite cunning, taking on both Ji Yun and Qing Zizhu, who are fierce as tiger cubs. Do you even care about surviving in Imperial City?" Jin Nuo was astounded; he had been around Yue Jinghua for a while and found her to be quite shrewd, like a little fox, but surprisingly, she could also be impulsive.

"Even a clay figure has a temper, let alone their repeated provocations. Those who offend my family will receive zero tolerance," Yue Jinghua narrowed her eyes. On this strange continent, she went from having no attachments to having family that she worried about.

She had already decided that her family was her bottom line.

"Then, it seems I’ve come to the right person today," Jin Nuo drank up the liquor in his cup, "Tell me, do you want to join the Dragon Rider Team and become a Dragon Knight? Don’t be polite with me, just say the word, and I guarantee I can recommend you to join the Dragon Rider Reserve Camp."

After speaking, Jin Nuo looked at Yue Jinghua with eager anticipation.

He thought that once he made this offer, Yue Jinghua would be so excited she’d immediately accept.

In the whole Imperial City, countless nobles’ sons longed to join the Dragon Rider Team, but very few were chosen, and even Yue Jinghua’s brother, Yue Minzhi, had to go through thick and thin to enter the Dragon Rider Reserve Camp.

Now Jim Nuo had the opportunity to personally recommend Yue Jinghua to join the Dragon Rider Team, which would be like a pie falling from the sky—a golden opportunity that Yue Jinghua certainly wouldn’t refuse.

Yet, things turned out to be completely beyond Jin Nuo’s expectations.

Far from nodding in agreement, when Yue Jinghua heard this, she spit out a mouthful of wine and sprayed it right across his face.