Chapter 175: Chapter 111: Ji Qinglian’s Change in Attitude, the Rivalry of the Two Women

’All of them put together aren’t worth a single Zhong Ming.’

...

After weighing her options, Ji Qinglian chose to sacrifice the interests of her own followers to win over Zhong Ming.

This scene made the expressions of her followers turn incredibly grim.

Ji Qingyue was just as anxious.

Having finally gained a capable subordinate and a chance to realize her ambitions, she was unwilling to just let him go.

"No, Zhong Ming is my man!"

"Hee hee..." Ji Qingyue’s anxiety didn’t make Ji Qinglian’s expression turn sour. Instead, she laughed. "Sister, are you saying that Zhong Ming is your servant, and his comings and goings are entirely subject to your command?"

"I didn’t mean that," Ji Qingyue hastily retorted.

Ji Qinglian said, "If that’s not what you meant, then don’t interfere, Sister. Let Zhong Ming make his own decision."

Though she told Ji Qingyue not to interfere, the very next second, she took a step forward to Zhong Ming’s side and said to him with a soft smile, "Zhong Ming, you came to the Qinghe Commandery Mansion and aligned yourself with my sister. You must have your own goals, right?"

Zhong Ming had no intention of denying this.

"Of course. I want my sect to become a Banner Holder, and I want to secure a position as a Child of the Morning Star... Although, in the assessment held by your Prince Qinghe’s Mansion, a spot as a Child of the Morning Star is guaranteed for me. Becoming a Banner Holder, however, requires support."

Zhong Ming’s declaration that the Child of the Morning Star title was already in the bag made Ji Qinglian’s eyebrow twitch.

But in the end, she didn’t voice any objections. Instead, she advised Zhong Ming, "In that case, you have even more reason to join our faction."

"Whether it’s becoming a Child of the Morning Star or a Banner Holder, it’s difficult to achieve either alone. You must have support."

"Second Sister, heh..." After a soft chuckle, Ji Qinglian said bluntly, "Second Sister is a very kind person, and she is doted upon by Father, but when it comes to official business, Father would never let her do as she pleases."

"So, if you support my sister, it will be practically impossible for you to get what you want."

"But it’s different if you join our faction. My brother is Ji Qinghui. You must have heard of him. He is the one in Prince Qinghe’s Mansion with the best chance of inheriting the title of Prince."

"..." Ji Qinglian’s words made Ji Qingyue clench her fists. She wanted to argue, but she knew that what her sister said was the truth.

Helpless, her only choice was to look to Zhong Ming, hoping he would decide to stay.

However, Zhong Ming’s next words made her heart sink.

"You’re right. Ji Qinghui is indeed the most likely to become the next Prince."

At this, Ji Qinglian shot her sister a triumphant glance, a look of delight spreading across her face.

However, before her smile could fully blossom, it was cut short by the rest of Zhong Ming’s sentence.

"But that is precisely why I will not join your faction!"

"???"

"Why?"

Utterly bewildered, Ji Qinglian blurted out the question. In response, Zhong Ming declared with a look of pure arrogance, "Because your faction is too strong, of course! If I join you, I could just coast my way to victory. How would that showcase my abilities or let anyone know how important I am!"

"I joined Princess Qingyue’s side precisely because she is weak. Leading someone like her through every obstacle to achieve victory—only that will let everyone see how incredible I am!"

Ji Qinglian stammered, "You..."

Zhong Ming’s absurd reasoning left Ji Qinglian so mentally exhausted that she couldn’t even form a complete sentence.

On the other side, Ji Qingyue, who had just heard Zhong Ming’s decision to stay, also froze, unsure whether she should be happy or not.

But Zhong Ming didn’t care how they felt. He, for one, was quite pleased with himself.

Of course, "making things more difficult for himself" wasn’t the real reason Zhong Ming refused to switch factions.

Ji Qinghui was powerful, but because of that, Zhong Ming would receive little attention if he went over. Ji Qinghui might not even give him the title of Child of the Morning Star.

Instead, he might say something about "acting for the greater good" and make Zhong Ming give up his spot as a Child of the Morning Star to a disciple from a more powerful Major Sect.

Don’t think it’s impossible. People stealing credit is a common occurrence everywhere.

Therefore, rather than joining Ji Qinghui’s team and getting caught up in their various schemes and plots, Zhong Ming was better off staying with Ji Qingyue.

Since she could only rely on him, she would have no choice but to tolerate and accommodate his every action.

...

Given Zhong Ming’s previous displays of madness, utter disdain for everyone, and over-the-top arrogance,

Ji Qinglian... didn’t find his utterly absurd reason all that suspicious.

And it wasn’t just her. Many others present also felt that Zhong Ming might genuinely think that way.

This left many of them speechless.

"He’s truly... unbelievably arrogant!"

"It feels wrong to say it, but after comprehending the Celestial Star·Divine Monarch in half a day and opening nine apertures in one go, he really has earned the right to be arrogant!"

"The heavens are blind! Why would such extraordinary Talent fall upon a character like him? What a waste..."

While the crowd lamented, Ji Qinglian was still unwilling to give up.

Her persistence wasn’t born from spite or a desire for revenge against Zhong Ming. She had a compelling reason to act this way.

As Ji Qinghui’s sister, her status was high, and she was well-respected.

But Ji Qinglian knew with stark clarity that everything she currently possessed was as illusory as flowers in a mirror or the moon’s reflection on water.

’On a normal day, my brother dotes on me, but when it comes to official business, he won’t consider my opinion. For example, to secure an alliance with some Major Sects, he would absolutely send me off in a political marriage.’

Unwilling to be treated like a commodity whose life could be arranged at will, Ji Qinglian wanted to fight back.

’If I can recruit Zhong Ming, and he performs exceptionally well, my own status will rise with his success.’

With this thought in mind, she suppressed her frustration and said to Zhong Ming, "Zhong Ming, I must warn you. Your current mindset is completely wrong. You’re treating this entire assessment like a game..."

Before Ji Qinglian could finish, Zhong Ming cut in disdainfully, "Isn’t it just a game? With my strength, becoming a Child of the Morning Star is a sure thing. That being the case, I’ll naturally do whatever I please."

"You..."

Realizing it was impossible to get through to Zhong Ming, Ji Qinglian became extremely agitated.

Finally, she could only say through gritted teeth, "Since you’re so confident, Zhong Ming, then I wish you the best of luck!"

Feeling that she would be angered to death if she stayed near him any longer, Ji Qinglian flicked her sleeve and left with her people.

After she left, Zhong Ming turned his gaze to Ji Qingyue and took a step forward.

SHUFFLE...

Seeing him approach, all the people allied with Ji Qingyue retreated a step in unison.

Just now, Zhong Ming hadn’t just verbally blasted Ji Qinglian’s people; Ji Qingyue’s followers, and even Princess Qingyue herself, had been caught in the crossfire of his verbal ’assault’.

What was even more frustrating was that because Zhong Ming’s Talent was so outstanding and dazzling, they couldn’t refute him, and were even somewhat afraid to. This made everyone terrified of confronting him directly.

Even Ji Qingyue’s scalp tingled with dread.

However, determined to have Zhong Ming on her side, Ji Qingyue couldn’t back down. She could only suppress her exasperation and say to him, "Zhong Ming, thank you for staying. I will give you my full support."

A slight smile touched Zhong Ming’s lips. "It’s good that you understand. As I’ve said, even though you are a woman and I am the only prodigy following you, I can still elevate you to a high position."

Before his words had even faded, Zhong Ming’s tone shifted, taking on a matter-of-fact quality as he said,

"Oh, right. Don’t skimp on the resources."

"For the Star Stones needed for Body Forging, I want triple the usual amount."

"Also, see if you can find me an Earth-Level Top Grade Qi Cultivation method..."

Seeing Zhong Ming still acting so arrogant and dismissive of everyone, Ji Qingyue, despite her exasperation, also felt a sense of relief.

Gazing at Zhong Ming’s confident and spirited expression, for the first time, she thought, ’The position of a Child of the Morning Star... maybe, just maybe, I really can fight for it!’