Chapter 1: An Elite Hunter

“Report!”

“This year’s champion goes to Zhuyue City, Zhaoyang City follows closely behind, and third place falls to Xincao City.”

The resounding announcement carried through the entire hall.

Gold-inlaid jade wine cups froze in midair, and the shimmering, radiant dance skirts sank awkwardly. The officials chatting and laughing in the hall all stiffened at once and exchanged slightly embarrassed glances.

Their Muxing City again failed to place in the top three this year.

“Muxing has lacked successors for a long time, so it is only reasonable that we cannot defeat these great cities,” the grand overseer said at last from the seat of honor. “But it does not matter. There will be plenty of chances next year. It is a festival day, so let none of you worry over trifles. Raise your cups.”

At his words, the hall immediately grew lively again. Seemingly to cover the lapse, the toasts and teasing laughter rose louder than before.

The grand overseer turned his head, his gaze falling casually on the man seated on the left side of the hall.

The man had turned his head slightly. He had handsome brows and slender eyes, and his glance was full of spirit. He wore a thin pale-yellow gauze robe, and his eyes were full of starlight and amber glow.

He did not seem to care in the slightest about any “chance next year.” He only sat with one knee bent, drinking. When he tipped his head back, the leftover wine spilled down his cheek and soaked half of his lotus-silk collar.

Having drunk his fill, he waved away the dancer who had been keeping him company and looked over the hairpins and skirts dancing in the hall again.

Young and high-spirited, he was, after all, a passionate romantic.

The grand overseer smiled, shook his head, and withdrew his gaze.

Once that pressure-laden gaze vanished, Ji Bozai relaxed his shoulders a little. He glanced over at the girls at the front and was about to pick another at random when a wine cup suddenly flew at him from across the way.

He turned his head and dodged. Frowning, he looked toward where it came from, and caught sight of a dove-gray silk skirt spinning open like a flower, revealing the slender, snow-white ankles of its owner.

“Have mercy, my lord.” The skirt settled. The woman knelt on the ground, her waist trembling like a willow, her voice clear as an oriole’s.

Ji Bozai’s brow twitched.

What a delightfully lovely figure.

The skirt itself fell wide, yet the goose-yellow sash at her waist was tied so tight that her waist was barely a handful. Her bosom was full and round, while her shoulders were slender and thin. Her double-ring buns were glossy black like lacquer, the tip of her nose was powdery white like jade, and her small cherry mouth trembled as she apologized again and again.

Standing before her was Qian Li, the left secretary of the Ministry of Revenue. He was born fat-headed and big-eared to begin with, and in his anger his nose and eyes all squeezed together, looming over her like a mountain.

“Go pick it up and bring it back to me right now!”

“Yes, my lord, please calm your anger.”

She got to her feet unsteadily and stumbled toward Ji Bozai’s direction.

The gold cup from a moment ago had struck the stone pillar standing behind him and landed right at his feet.

Ji Bozai watched her approach with interest, wanting to get a look at her face. But the little girl was apparently scared silly. She did not even raise her head. She only said “Forgive my offense” to him and bent down to pick it up.

He clicked his tongue softly and set his foot on the rim of the cup.

The girl froze, then lifted her head in alarm. Her dark, misty eyes looked softly into his: “My lord?”

That voice was truly pleasant to hear.

Ji Bozai smiled: “Drink with me, and I will give it to you.”

Alarm instantly filled the girl’s eyes: “This, I, Lord Qian summoned me to his side first…”

“He will not take you away. He has a fierce, formidable wife at home. Never mind concubines, there is not even a maidservant in his back courtyard.” In excellent spirits, he pinched her chin. “As for me, I might just take you back to my residence.”

The moment the words fell, before the girl could react, the man drinking beside them spat out his mouthful of wine.

“You said the same thing to the last dancer,” Yan Xiao said, choking on the wine as he exposed him. “Can you not change your lines?”

Ji Bozai glanced at him sideways and snorted a laugh: “Go drink your wine.”

“Little miss, do not believe his nonsense just because he is handsome,” Yan Xiao said, turning to her and speaking earnestly. “That man has not a speck of green at home, yet he has tasted the spring of ten thousand flowers. If you truly want someone to follow home, you would do better to pick me. At least I keep my word.”

The girl turned to look at him. Her gaze landed on the pattern at his sleeve cuff, which marked his official robe, and she immediately knelt upright: “My lord, my name is Ming Yi. Ming as in bright moon, Yi as in the one in one’s heart.”

Ji Bozai: “…”

She turned with the wind faster than a rudder.

Yan Xiao clapped his hands: “Bright moon, the one in one’s heart. What a good name! Come over to my side.”

She got up happily, then looked at Ji Bozai. Her eyes were full of flattery and apology, mixed with a trace of regret.

That single trace of regret did little harm but carried extreme insult, like he was an exquisite piece of porcelain in which she found a tiny flaw and had to give up on.

“Explain yourself clearly,” Ji Bozai said, laughing in anger. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her close. “What exactly is wrong with me?”

Ming Yi froze and shook her head in alarm: “My lord, you are seated here, so naturally you are a dragon and phoenix among men. How would this servant dare say anything is wrong with you?”

“Then you still want to follow him?”

Her fingers rubbed together helplessly, and she smiled awkwardly: “My lord, you are… good, it is true, but you do not yet hold an official post. This lord is different. With the pattern on his sleeve, he must be a high official of the third rank or above.”

A high official was good. A high official had a big residence and a large monthly stipend. If he took her home, she could eat and drink the finest things.

Ming Yi’s eyes lit up.

Yan Xiao was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing: “Hahaha, good, good! This girl is interesting, and she judges people accurately too!”

Ji Bozai’s face darkened. He shoved Yan Xiao away, pulled her up to sit on his lap, and stuffed the piece of jade he had just received into her hand: “It is yours as a reward.”

Her palm turned cool. Ming Yi looked down, and her small mouth fell open in a circle: “This is top-grade mutton-fat jade. It is so precious.”

Ji Bozai said lightly: “The grand overseer just bestowed it. Among the Three Si and Six Ministries, I am the only one who has it.”

“Wow.” She blinked. “Then my lord is truly remarkable.”

“It’s nothing special. I am only a little better than this third-rank official beside me.” He raised a brow slightly. “I will give you one more chance. Whom do you choose?”

Ming Yi stroked the jade in her arms, blinking and blinking: “Um, if I choose him, will my lord take the jade back?”

“Yes.” Ji Bozai nodded without mercy.

Even so, the little creature only touched the mutton-fat jade longingly, then returned it to him.

“What he said makes sense. A person of your standing, my lord, surely would not bring anyone back to his residence. This servant fears getting her hopes up for nothing, so I would rather seek peace of mind.” Ming Yi pointed at Yan Xiao. “This servant wants to go with this lord. Please grant my wish, my lord.”

“…”

In more than twenty years of life, it was the first time Ji Bozai had suffered such anger.

He smiled without any warmth in his eyes, his thumb lightly brushing the corner of her mouth: “I cannot grant it. Of all the dancers in the hall tonight, I find you the best.”

Yan Xiao raised a brow: “You said that just now too…”

“Shut up.”

“Oh.”