Chapter 109 -

Chapter 109: Chapter

Boss Qian’s fat face twisted into a dark, greedy grin. "How do you suggest we strike back, Second Young Madame?"

An Yulan stood up from her chair, her eyes cold as ice as she laid out her wicked plan.

"Gather your men," An Yulan commanded quietly. "Spread rumors all across the East Market tonight that the new pavilion is built on stolen, shameless money! Tell everyone that the woman inside is an unfaithful wife! And when the Great Uncles arrive at the Bai Manor, I will make sure the whole family hears about her dirty actions outside!"

Boss Qian laughed loudly, his heavy wooden stick slamming onto the floor with a satisfying thud. "Wonderful! Absolute perfection! With your words backing us, we will make sure that pavilion never opens its doors!"

An Yulan turned around and walked out of the restaurant, her heart racing with dark joy.

As she stepped back out into the cold, snowy market street, Maid Wu leaned in close to her ear. "Young Madame, what if First Young Master Zhengyu finds out you met with these shopkeepers?"

An Yulan let out a loud, mocking laugh, her eyes full of pure disdain. "Zhengyu? That useless cripple can’t even stand up on his own two legs! What can he possibly do to me? Once I drag Yimei’s name through the mud, Grandmother will throw her out of the family forever!"

"Cause her as much trouble as you what.. after all she had humiliated you today in front of so much workers you have to let her know her place.. let her know that you are the real owners of the east market."

With a cruel grin on her face, An Yulan climbed into her carriage, completely unaware that a pair of dark, sharp eyes had been watching her every single move from the shadows of a nearby alley.

Inside the back room of the wine shop, Boss Qian and Boss Sun watched An Yulan’s carriage drive away into the falling snow. Boss Qian’s fat face was flushed red with excitement, his eyes gleaming with nasty, cruel greed.

"Did you hear what she said?" Boss Qian laughed, his heavy voice echoing off the wooden walls. "She is the Second Young Madame of the Bai family! With her backing us, even if that girl complains to the family, no one will believe a word she says!"

Boss Sun rubbed his thin hands together, a wicked grin spreading across his pale face. "That little girl thought she could scare us with the Bai family name! She didn’t know we would find an even bigger backer right inside her own house!"

Boss Qian turned around, slamming his heavy wooden stick onto the floor with a loud THUD. He looked at his head guard, a tall, rugged man with a scar across his cheek who was waiting by the door.

"Gather twenty of our strongest men tonight!" Boss Qian ordered loudly, his voice full of vicious anger. "Bring heavy clubs, buckets of black ink, and oil lanterns! We are going to teach that arrogant girl a lesson she will never forget! By tomorrow morning, I want that whole three-story pavilion smashed to pieces, dirty rumors posted on every wall, and black ink spilled over every new floorboard! After she humiliated us today in front of all those workers, we must let her know her place! We must let her see who the real owners of the East Market are!"

"Understood, Boss!" the guard replied with a cruel grin, bowing quickly before rushing out to assemble the thugs.

Meanwhile, across the street on the second floor of the grand pavilion, the soft golden light of an oil lamp flickered inside Yimei’s big office.

The air was quiet and smelled of clean ink and fresh wood. Yimei sat at her rosewood desk, carefully writing down the last few numbers into her financial account book. She set her ink brush down on the stone holder and let out a long, quiet breath.

A soft knock sounded at the door, and Lin Fang stepped into the room, holding her cloak tightly around her shoulders.

"Young Madame," Lin Fang said politely, bowing her head. "It is getting dark outside, and the snow is coming down harder. Master Chen and the workers have finished their tasks for today and are packing up their tools. We are ready to close the main doors."

Yimei looked up, a small, gentle smile touching her lips. "You all worked very hard today, Lin Fang. Tell Master Chen to take the men home safely and rest well tonight. You should head home early too."

"Thank you, Young Madame!" Lin Fang replied, her eyes bright with gratitude. "I will make sure the front doors are locked tight before I leave."

Yimei nodded smoothly and dismissed her.

Once the door clicked shut and Lin Fang’s footsteps faded down the hallway, the big office fell into total silence. The workers downstairs gradually cleared out, leaving the vast three-story pavilion completely quiet.

Yimei leaned back in her high wooden chair, her dark eyes looking thoughtfully at the flickering flame of the oil lamp. She closed her eyes for a moment and called out in her mind.

Nine.

A cheerful, electronic chime instantly echoed inside her head, ringing like a clear bell.

[Ding! System Online!]

Nine’s mechanical voice popped up clearly, followed by the familiar bright blue screen floating right before her eyes.

[Host, how can Nine help you tonight?]

"How many favorability points do I currently have with Zhengyu?" Yimei asked silently in her mind. "And what skills are available for me to purchase right now?"

[System Query Processing...]

[Target Character: Bai Zhengyu]

[Current Favorability Rating: 28%]

[System Notice: Host currently has 28 Favorability Points stored in your system account!]

The bright blue screen flashed, expanding into a neat, glowing list of available items and abilities. Yimei looked down at the screen, noticing seven distinct skills displayed with their respective point costs and abilities:

1. Basic Martial Arts & Self-Defense (Cost: 20 Points)

Grants the host expert hand-to-hand combat skills, quick reflexes, and knowledge of human pressure points.

2. Poker Face & Lie Detection (Cost: 15 Points)

Allows the host to instantly read human micro-expressions and detect deceit in real time.

3. Master Bookkeeping & Speed Counting (Cost: 10 Points)

Allows the host to read, calculate, and analyze complex financial records within seconds.

4. Imperial Tea & Culinary Craft (Cost: 10 Points)

Unlocks top-tier royal tea-brewing methods, secret dessert recipes, and flavor enhancements.

5. Eavesdropping & Enhanced Hearing (Cost: 18 Points)

Enhances the host’s hearing range up to thirty paces, allowing her to listen through wooden walls and doors.

6. Advanced Medical & Poison Knowledge (Cost: 25 Points)

Grants complete mastery over rare ancient herbs, instant poison detection, and advanced acupuncture techniques.

7. Silken Voice & Persuasion (Cost: 28 Points)

Increases the host’s charm and voice influence, making targets 30% more likely to agree with her proposals.

Yimei’s eyes lingered directly on the very first skill on the list: Basic Martial Arts & Self-Defense.

She thought back to what had happened earlier that afternoon with Boss Qian and Boss Sun. Today, she had managed to scare them off simply by dropping the name of the main Bai estate. But Yimei was a realistic and practical woman. She knew that relying on a mere family name was never enough to guarantee absolute safety in a dangerous city.

If those two greedy shopkeepers decided to hire thugs, or if someone tried to corner her in a dark alley, a family name wouldn’t stop a sharp blade or a heavy wooden club. If she hadn’t scared them off today, they could have caused serious physical trouble right inside her building.

She needed to know how to fight. She needed the real strength to protect herself, her servants, and her business without depending on anyone else.

A woman in this world must have her own power, Yimei thought, a cold, sharp glint flashing in her dark eyes.

"Nine," Yimei commanded firmly in her mind. "I want to purchase the Basic Martial Arts & Self-Defense skill right now."

[Ding! Purchase Confirmed!]

[Deducting 20 Favorability Points...]

[Remaining Favorability Points: 8 Points!]

[Integrating Skill: Basic Martial Arts & Self-Defense... Please wait!]

A sudden, warm wave of energy surged straight from the glowing blue screen, flowing into Yimei’s forehead and rushing down her limbs.

Instantly, her mind was flooded with clear memories, combat instincts, stance angles, and pressure point strikes. Her muscles felt lighter, her reaction time sharpened dramatically, and her senses expanded as if a heavy fog had been lifted from her eyes. She looked down at her small, delicate hands, feeling the solid, hidden strength flowing through her veins.

A small, satisfied smile touched Yimei’s lips. She stood up from her desk, put on her warm fur cloak, and picked up her small medical bag.

"Now," Yimei murmured softly to herself, looking out the window at the dark, snowy market street. "Let’s see who dares to cause trouble."