The Charm of Titles

Zheng Fanren decided to wait it out and was content to enjoy the spectacle, pulling "Dongmei" to sit with him by the window. Yet he was deeply curious about the moving embroidered picture. "What kind of embroidery skill is this? Is such a technique even possible in this world?"

Seeing his incredulous expression, Qiuxiang pursed her lips lightly and said, "What's so strange about it? I can embroider something like that too."

It seemed that no matter what status a woman held, her embroidery skills were always a point of pride. Zheng Fanren grinned mischievously at her—this girl was actually quite adorable.

Noticing his sly smile, "Qiuxiang" felt a shiver run through her and quickly explained, "There's a kind of Celestial Silk that's normally invisible. By adjusting the amount of spiritual power infused, it can shift through various colors. So that fabric isn't ordinary silk—it should be Celestial Silk cloth."

Her explanation only astonished Zheng Fanren further. "How many experiments would it take to create all those different changing images?"

He was now certain that the woman behind this was no ordinary person, and his curiosity about the riddle hidden in the Celestial Silk cloth grew even stronger.

"Qiuxiang" continued, "But it's a bit of a shame—she can only control one stream of spiritual power at a time, so only one part of the image can change at once, not multiple parts simultaneously."

Zheng Fanren nodded. "Yes, that's right. The maid, the falling petals, and the flowing water all moved one after the other."

Then something occurred to him. "How many streams of spiritual power can the Zhou family's second son control?"

"Six—the minimum requirement for a Sealed Mystic Master!"

"No wonder Sealed Mystic Masters are so rare."

"Dongmei" added, "Of course! Otherwise, my mistress wouldn't have come out with him. I hear he can manage up to seven streams at most—that's truly formidable!"

Zheng Fanren tapped her on the head and pretended to be stern. "Right now, I'm your master."

After spending some time together, the young girl had come to understand Zheng Fanren's true nature. She smiled and replied without a care, "Then, master, why don't you try solving the riddle? Who knows, maybe we'll get to see more of that fascinating Celestial Silk cloth?"

"Celestial Silk is one of the three treasures of Luo City," Qiuxiang said, her eyes brimming with longing. "It takes a thousand-year-old heavenly silkworm to produce Celestial Silk threads, and the real challenge is how hard it is to collect. I always heard the All-Flowers Pavilion was extraordinary—seems the rumors are true!"

At that moment, the young man had already approached the middle-aged woman.

Carrying himself with flair, he turned with the maid in his arms and declared, "Today, I shall be the first to meet Miss Luoxue—just watch and see."

As soon as he finished speaking, the room erupted with thunderous applause, especially from the guests at his own table, who cheered him on with relentless enthusiasm.

However, "Qiuxiang" whispered in astonishment, "Wan Lixing—the third-ranked prodigy of the Anxi Empire."

"Hmm?"

"Dongmei" was taken aback. "Qiuxiang, do you know him?"

"Qiuxiang's" tone turned cold and indifferent. "He's the one who saw through my disguise; otherwise, we wouldn't be running for our lives."

In that moment, a commanding presence radiated from the girl, as though she held the power of life and death over thousands—a sense of dominance Zheng Fanren had never encountered before, leaving him momentarily stunned.

The three turned to face the middle-aged woman. The entire hall was silent; every guest watched Wan Lixing intently. But upon seeing the riddle, he quickly fell into a state of contemplation and confusion.

Soon after, the middle-aged woman put away the Celestial Silk cloth and gestured for Wan Lixing to leave.

The hall fell into a hush, then erupted into waves of laughter.

"Haha, I thought the great prodigy of the Anxi Empire would be something extraordinary, but it turns out he's nothing special!"

"Indeed, indeed! Miss Luoxue's riddle is truly ingenious—not something a country bumpkin could hope to solve!"

"Heh, well, at least it provided us with some after-dinner amusement."

Laughter filled the hall as mocking and derisive murmurs rippled through the crowd. Many gazed at Wan Lixing with thinly veiled ridicule, whispering about his overestimation of himself.

Amid the jeers, Wan Lixing's face grew dark. He said forcefully, "What are you laughing at? I just didn't have the right mindset!"

Suddenly, he exclaimed in delight, "Ah, so that's it!"

With that, he set the maid aside and strode straight toward the doors behind the middle-aged woman.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Wan Lixing was unceremoniously bounced back, forced to retreat three steps.

"Young Master Wan, be careful!" The middle-aged woman caught him just in time to spare him an embarrassing fall.

Once he regained his balance, Wan Lixing shouted angrily, "I know the answer!"

The woman smiled lightly and replied, "Too bad—you've already lost your chance."

Instantly, the room fell silent again—then, unable to restrain themselves any longer, many guests burst out laughing, clutching their stomachs.

Wan Lixing pondered for a moment, then, unable to endure the ridicule any further, stopped speaking, ignored even his friends, and stormed out of Luoxue Hall without a backward glance.

At this moment, "Dongmei" edged close to Zheng Fanren, her eyes pleading. "Young master, please, why don't you give it a try? That riddle must be really interesting."

"Me?" Zheng Fanren was taken aback, but shook his head firmly. "No, I'm still waiting for that fellow Nangong Mo."

"Dongmei" persisted. "You can wait inside too."

Her expression radiated the irresistible innocence of a young girl.

While the two whispered, several other guests stood up to try their hand at the mysterious riddle. Unfortunately, not a single one succeeded, and each was promptly shown out.

Though no one solved it, the atmosphere in the hall grew ever more charged. Everyone knew that solving the riddle would be a perfect chance to shine; it was hard not to feel one's blood stir.

Just then, Murong Shushan approached the trio, smirking. "Zheng Fanren, it seems your young master doesn't dare to try. Well, that's to be expected—being shown out would be a real disgrace!"

Zheng Fanren smiled. "It sounds like Young Master Murong is quite confident?"

"Naturally. If your young master won't go, I'm terribly disappointed! Or perhaps you, a servant, would take his place?"

"Speak plainly, Young Master Murong."

This was exactly what Murong Shushan had been waiting for; his smile widened. "Let's make a small wager. If I go in before you, you become my servant! I've heard Nangong Mo plans to grant you your freedom—I suppose you have the right to agree to this bet?"

"Dongmei" seized the opportunity with excitement. "And if we go in first?"

Murong Shushan laughed loudly. "You go in first? Ha! That's impossible. But since it's a bet, there must be rules. I'll wager fifty taels—the highest price for a servant in Luo City!"

Seeing the determined look in "Dongmei's" eyes, and remembering her illness, Zheng Fanren decided not to refuse. He replied in a clear voice, "No need for wagers! If you lose, you must bark three times like a dog for everyone to hear."

That was just Zheng Fanren's style—if he was going to offend someone, he would do it thoroughly.

Murong Shushan's anger flared, and he was about to explode, but "Dongmei" suddenly jumped up and cried, "That's great! That's great!"

Her outburst immediately stifled his anger, leaving him stifled and frustrated. "Where did this little oddball come from?"

But remembering his teacher's words, he sneered, "When you become my servant, I'll make sure to give you a taste of real torment!"