Lingyang School

Summer came.

Beiyue had used her appearance as Maria in order to order clothes that were mostly dominantly-white, but paired in various shades of purple and pale pink.

She wore clothes befitting of Enchanters. But there were appropriate clothes for every Profession and Rank, and she's now a Magus Class 9 as she spent her days learning how to use Illusions, and skills a Summoner worth their salt must know. And she'll soon break through to Archmagus-Class, that she wore robes befitting of an Archmagus.

She's now ready to go, her long hair in a high ponytail with a peony-inspired scrunchie.

'Ready to go now miss?' Dongling asked Beiyue who nodded. Its now time for Lingyang Assessment Exams!

'Mm. You'll be fine at home since I erected a complicated barrier keyed only to us and uncle.' Beiyue reassured her. 'Keep busy with cultivation and improving yourself. For now, do your sword skills and hand-to-hand, all at full power after making yourself lunch. It'll take me a whole day over there.'

'Alright.' Dongling prepared the carriage.

Her lady really has unusual tastes that she uses to emphasize that she doesn't want anything to do with anybody. Various forms of Independence, she's done it.

Her garden of fruits, be it tree or shrub, edible or for cultivation. Her pond full of precious seven-colored lotuses, its flowers good for pill-making and its roots were extremely nutritious. They often eat it steamed and its holes piped with miso paste as a snack. They also give some to Emperor when he visits as a Supplement, and it was why he was stress-free that every time he eats, the younger he looks in appearance, even if he was chronologically in his forties. He was also more energetic and robust, that rumor has it that he had so much energy he finished his paperwork like a madman with great mental clarity that he could afford leisure time for days after other than discussing in court, and...exhausted all his wives in bed.

And all that, from a serving alone. A serving on a side dish plate, contained thick ten-piece slices.

This was because Lotus Roots, when Beiyue studied it, has fatally-overdose levels of vitamins and minerals enough to satisfy five hundred people in Earth for a week, but contained a healing property that ensures whoever eats it, will heal quickly while benefiting off it, triggering healing and regeneration! Ten slices alone per person is already too too much.

Then there's the Lotus Leaf and Flower Teas that are doggone too powerful it helped two malnourished girls oh-so-much. It also tasted great that this was their most precious asset. The Emperor often brings home tea bags of it.

It took months to truly heal indeed that during training, they noticed improvement in their organs, and their bones. Thus they made it a point to take great care of the flowers that only bloom in summer. But these lotuses require...special attention.

Infuse qi into the water...and missy tends to overdo it so the flowers would last weeks. Problem? Their massive carps that became too huge and somehow gained spiritual foundations. If left too long, they'll become spirit beasts and no longer edible for humans. Thing is, they're raised as FOOD in their pond so that's a no-no! They had to build another pond to prevent it from happening again. They dumped their huge fish in there and problem solved.

The huge fish that mutated from qi was the size of earth's King Salmon and would normally require two adults to carry. But unlike that salmon, their carp got very fleshy! And packed with umami and fat that it can really be good for sushi or sashimi, and overflowing with Omega-3s. It's also so tender it melts in the mouth when raw and at its most flavorful, moreso emphasized with soy sauce and when cooked in low heat or by steaming, it's oh-so-fluffy but loses 40% of the flavor...but it gets ruined if done in high heat by become tough, rough and its like eating paper, so boiling, roasting and grilling attempts are a NOPE. Thus its sauces are in room temperature or cold.

But naturally at prime health, they stop eating these two particular foods, until needed again.

But in a pond without lotus, they didn't get the same results...so they gained a new farming technique and enjoyed their own fish.

But getting off-topic here, missy's carriage is a little...strange...while it does look elegant, the unusual architecture...er...she can't describe it...

xxx

Admission Exams Day...

This determines whether or not a senior student gets promoted or demoted. This enables quicker graduation.

But for students just about to begin at age twelve, they have the standardized exams and regardless of what they can do, they must begin at first year. They can only get promoted in next year's exams.

First is a paper test.

Then a Performance Test.

This is why they last long.

Families and even royalty are present, the latter because of Beiyue.

Cultivation Test? She said she was both an Enchanter and Summoner much to disbelief. And she proved it. As an Enchanter...there was a damn good reason she wore Archmagus Robes. Summoner Rank? Just a level below Zhanye, being 9-star junior! And she's twelve! Her Summon is a large ghostly-looking nine-tailed fox with midnight-colored wispy fur and blood-red eyes. Its claws were also blood-red and its fangs a pristine-white. It's class? They have to rely on Zhanye's Kirin for an estimation.

'It's a Wuling-Class like myself.' it said much to gasps of astonishments. 'Normally, there's only five elementals at a time. There would have been SIX for a Phantom Beasts' place, but these guys are extreme loners and shut-ins its damn-impossible to find them and look for the strongest even if you're the best in spells in the world so one really can't tell if there are phantoms as strong as us. You'd have more luck making ten Marrow-Washing Pills in succession a day than finding them.'

And those odds are TERRIBLE as even Prince Xiaoyao had to get lucky refining such a pill, his odds being 1/20 and that's the best anyone can get even with his genius!

Yet the not-so-trash anymore got herself a rare type that's so hard to find?

In terms of spells for Enchanters, she can only perform up to third year level, same for Summoners, so by next year, she'd be a third or fourth year student immediately, if she studied more. But she managed this much, ever since Princess Royal returned from the grave? Its already an incredible feat. A genius that wouldn't be known, had Concubine Xue gotten her way and her father Xiao Yuancheng didn't bother to check! He clearly didn't care for his royal daughter, caring for his concubine-borns!

Speaking, people now began gossiping openly about the Xiao Family over this, that Yuancheng can only grit his teeth and bear it in silence while his surviving children were both not too happy and trying to make themselves small.

Two days since 'that incident' and they moved into the original Xiao Mansion again, Zhongqi got letters from his friends and to sum it up, his friends all dumped him, not wanting to associate with a clan of thieves, as its now known that they stole from their royal relative while abusing her so bad Princess Royal came back a vengeful ghost!

Lin Wanjun, Xiao Rou's childhood friend sent a scathing letter that associating with her in public would ruin her reputation.

Zhonglei who's now a second year student was glad he hasn't associated with anyone YET, too busy studying to better himself. He thus, has no associates thus did not suffer the dumpings Zhongqi and Rou had. But this will also mean that nobody would ever be friends with a child of a thief and poisoner. After all, kids are like their parents! He was immediately condemned a sinner through the sins of his family, making him sigh.

He wanted to be family head...UNTIL he found out that father, grandfather and Zhongqi, the heads of the family are debt slaves tied to the royal family until they paid off a massive debt. Forbidden by cursed sorcery to leave Nanyi country and forbidden to escape by suicide!

Qinghe's annual income is 200 million. A fief bestowed on Beiyue by the Emperor, making her richer than his son, the crown prince.

Miyang's annual income is 190 million. A fief Princess Royal had through her father, the Grandking.

Nobles and royals income are based on the annual incomes of fiefs granted to them. In INGOTS, not in coins.

With father's monthly salary of 10000 gold COINS, it'll be hard for him to pay that debt he'll die a debt slave.

Grandfather's naturally-wealthy as a Summoner. But he was forced to fork over his personal fortune to downpay some of what his family owed.

Zhongqi was forced to do the same as with investigation, he had his own bank account, and he got his money via questing.

All that, is a fart in the air compared to how much money they owed the royal sister.

1 ingot = 20 coins.

Yeah. He's glad Zhongqi's the clan head and NOT him. WHY should he pay for crimes he didn't even commit? Why should he pay that 7.8 billion?! Heck, steal his mother did but she never once spent a single iron on him. Proven in his mother's account books which was why he wasn't in on the punishment too. Concubine Fang may have treated Beiyue well, but the allowance father gives her came FROM Beiyue's money and even then its 5000 coins a month. So Concubine Fang has a debt of 180.000 gold. She and the other wives originally had an allowance of 500 each from their father...until Princess Royal's death happened.

Due to Concubine Fang being the only decent person towards her even when Princess Royal was alive and after her death, Beiyue wiped her slate. Thus the ones suffering, are the past, present and future clan heads.

Grandfather wasn't too happy with the whole family he exploded on all of them, blaming his father, and his older siblings and youngest sister Rou for what they caused to happen on the clan. They're now known as the clan of thieves! Who would marry them now? And all bridges built, are burned! No money, resources and even connections!

He was the only one scott-free though he too, looked down on Beiyue but dared not touch her, otherwise he'd be a disfigured corpse by now like their servants.

Royal Aunt killed his sister by poisoning her with the poison his mother used on Beiyue as revenge on her. To this day, he doesn't know and most likely, will NEVER know...his mother is in prison...

He had taken to questing and he wasn't dumb enough to open a bank account lest he lose his earnings. He's alienated now simply for being his mother's son, so he moved out on the sly and lived under another name as he now has his sister's Space Ring he put everything he owned in there. He went under an alias and worked in low-level quests that earned him thousands by ingots, not millions. He earns his own money as times for him, were hard as grandfather was prejudiced against him and father had trouble looking at him, being a facial masculine version of his mother.

He hasn't done ANYTHING, but grandfather got especially prejudiced towards him because he was the child of a scheming poisoner who has ties to someone who wanted Princess Royal dead, after punishing father with his bright idea to make Qin and his mother managers of two fiefs. Had it been Fang, they wouldn't be in this mess! But given how his father works, read: favoring useful family members, his dumbest idea was trusting two sinful women over his only virtuous living wife and grandfather favors her. Her daughter? Not so much. She's worse than useless, she's a disaster if left to her own devices! No social cues, graces, and doesn't know WHEN to shut up!

Everything is thus, father's fault.

This spring break before school, he saved up enough money, and he thought Xirong would be nice...he thus lived under a new name and popped a hair-growing pill...just so he can get a new hairstyle once he gets into Xirong's capital. Since father hardly sees him these days, its easy to disappear during the Enchanter Exams. After all, he just came to see how much Beiyue changed that she's now an Archmagus...and Summoner...

xxx

The tests weren't over yet.

After Enchanting and Summoner Exams, there's the Warrior Division too. Beiyue competed in hand-to-hand, showing Bronze-Class Prowess as expected of someone who just started. Same for Sword Arts. All in all, the results are to be expectedly understandable. Not even a genius can skip years if they just started weeks ago in the physical arts that sorcery is a lot easier to learn, and Beiyue had an affinity for sorcery so she learned enough for three years' worth of lessons. Its where she shone at, other than her cultivation.

However, the princess' good will is lost forever as she knows full well how everyone thought of her in her hard days and how nobody was ever there for her. She has seen their true colors or heard of them towards her.

Its not that hard to miss the look of hatred and contempt in her eyes. Someone once tried to talk to her ended up getting buried neck-deep in concrete he had to be dug out. But when they did, his entire body was dried up and he was barely alive.

Zhanye tried to scold her but had to dodge a rain of falling washtubs and it follows him everywhere no matter how much he tried to dodge.

'...washtubs?' the Emperor croaked out feebly after he asked her to stop which she did.

'He's your son so that's being nice.' said Beiyue. Zhanye felt a chill down his spine. 'I would have used eggs but there's none in the area.' nearby people could NOT imagine eggs being rained on you, nevermind on Crown Prince of all people.

Because his father was the only one truly good to her, he's alive or not half-dead?!

xxx

At home...

'So you've finally vindicated yourself today, Yue'er.' said the Emperor. 'It'll be next year before you're a Fourth Year student, but that doesn't mean you get to slack off alright?'

'Yes uncle.' Beiyue chimed as Dongling brought in raw fish slices and pickles on plates, and a soy sauce dip.

The Emperor eyed the...accidental mutant fish the girls accidentally created but it soon became a palace favorite. But it was also the most delicious oily fish he ever had. Its indeed best eaten fresh and raw, that storing it really required Space Rings...because it spoils fast within a day, if not used immediately due to what its like. And they need a damn spoon to eat it because they can't hold it with chopsticks because of its tenderness! Beiyue had to craft a wooden spoon out of bamboo for its antibacterial traits.

The fish plus those pickles. Simple but the taste is luxurious. Combine that with wine and its the perfect drinking snack!

'Yes, but marriage is out of the question OK? I've seen so many pigs.' said Beiyue. 'If anyone tries political bullshit now that I'm a so-called useful princess that's as good as a death sentence.' she stated with a vicious smirk. The Emperor knows that too well as his sister is back for revenge.

She killed Mu Shi, Mu Mixin's puppet empress who tries...and still fails...to control him. He was no weakling like his mother. She punished Xue Che and killed Xiao Yun. Revenge attacks on people they hated most.

'Oh yes uncle, these letters appeared in my room this morning.' Beiyue took out a space ring and from the ring out came the letters which she took. Each letter is paired up with strings. 'I arranged them by date and by letter and reply so its easy to understand. Its a little shocking, so I acted in my own way but I have little power for a full-power revenge, so mother took away what they value most on the sly.'

'Mm...Mu Mixin, the Marquis Jing'an values his daughter whom he forced me to marry by making mother make me marry her for who-knows-why-and-what.' the Emperor's expression was murderous to say the least. 'For power I didn't let him have. I'm not a weakling like your grandmother who let herself be bullied so easily!' he grunted. 'And she's a Grandqueen and he a mere Marquis! Thanks to that he got quite the big head!' he took the letters from Beiyue.

'Next is Xue Che who came to repudiate you. I don't know why sister removed his family jewels but he's clearly up to no good with his father when he visited your house! And not even Jing'er can get them to talk as to why sister is angry with them but I got a feeling I won't like it.' the Emperor twitched. 'Lastly, tit-for-tat. That maid of yours tried to poison you, sister poisoned back her daughter after curing you and awakened your talent! A true parent never gives up on their children. Can't say the same for that Xiao Yuancheng! He chose sinful ones over virtuous ones I feel sorry for your mother and Concubine Fang!'

'Well, mother gave them quite the slap.' Beiyue snickered viciously. 'But the one doing the ultimate beating...will be you.' she said. 'You will understand when you read the letters in your room tonight. Don't let anyone see you read those letters as any servant in the palace is a possible spy from all noble houses, including our shared enemy.'

The Emperor was in total disbelief. He did not see that coming.

'So these letters...'

'The key to the past twenty years.'

The Emperor pursed his lips at this, ashen faced.

'I have nothing against grandmother, but her being easily-bullied by an uppity marquis caused three of us to suffer. You, mother, and myself. However, she pays for that for years...that for two decades, she is tormented by her guilt, knowing full well what she got her children into, though does she have any idea what happened to me yet?'

'Not yet, a mere letter cannot express my anger at what happened in your former estate.' the Emperor growled, sporting a darkened expression. 'But I did tell her to come home due to an emergency. Tormented by guilt, you say? Let's add your story to her list. I'll have to talk to the other children first before I take a day off. I don't think I can wait any longer.' he said, taking the snacks with him into his ring.

xxx

The Palace...

'Father, how is Beiyue?' Yingye asked her father as the royal children were with just the Emperor and the Empress, their legal mother in law.

'She's already taking out her drinking snacks, satisfied with how much she slapped that no-good family of hers and her naysayers with her performance.' the Emperor snorted. 'She even gave me some.'

'Princess is drinking?' the Empress gasped out, stunned.

'She's taken to that...habit...out of severe stress no thanks to her situation.' the Emperor sighed wearily. 'At least her drinking snacks are healthy. She compensates with that.'

'Probably that mutant fish of hers.' said Jing with a sweatdrop.