Chapter 863: Liyue’s Current Situation
However, Ningguang didn't seem to appreciate Zhiqiao's flattery.
She sneered and threw the jade back into the box with a crisp "bang".
When Zhiqiao saw this, her heart suddenly tightened. It was as if the jade stone had hit her heart, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on her forehead.
Just when Zhiqiao was terrified, Ningguang suddenly raised her eyebrows with a dagger hidden in her smile and said slowly:
"But, I seem to remember that among the merchants who followed Mr. Maocai to cause trouble for me, your old grandfather seemed to be among them..."
When Zhiqiao heard this, she felt like she was struck by lightning. Her body trembled violently and she fell to her knees with a plop.
Now, she was sweating profusely and almost fainted from fear. She begged for mercy quickly, "Lord Ningguang! I'm sorry! My father was also bewildered at the time, which is why he did such a wrong thing! Please be magnanimous and forgive him this time!"
Ningguang looked at Zhiqiao who was kneeling on the ground expressionlessly, her eyes revealing a hint of indifference and indifference.
"Don't be so reserved. Your old grandfather has already offered many things. My anger has long since subsided."
However, just when Zhiqiao breathed a sigh of relief, Ningguang suddenly changed the subject with a hint of teasing in her tone.
"But you don't want to use these so-called ancestral jades to exchange for the property you gave me..."
Zhiqiao quickly shook her head and spoke in a very humble voice.
"Of course not. My father gave all his inheritance to Lady Ningguang willingly..."
Zhiqiao took a deep breath, calmed herself down, and continued, "It's like this. I think that now that you, Master Ningguang, have such a large industry, you must need some capable managers to help you manage it."
"My family is not very talented, but they have been in the mineral business for generations. I can help you manage it and help you make more money, right?"
When Ningguang heard Zhiqiao mention "making money for herself", her originally nonchalant expression suddenly became focused.
She raised her eyebrows slightly and asked, "Help me make money?"
Seeing this, Zhiqiao was secretly delighted, thinking that her proposal seemed to have aroused Ningguang's interest.
She immediately said more humbly, "Yes, Master Ningguang, my family is very willing to serve you and help you better manage your industry so that your wealth can continue to grow! Please give me a chance."
Ningguang looked at the humble "Zhi Qiao" in front of her. Her right little finger gently stroked her chin, as if she was weighing something in her mind, but she never responded.
"..."
Seeing Ningguang remained silent, Zhiqiao became increasingly frightened. She begged in an increasingly humble voice, almost crying, "Master Ningguang... please, give me a bite of food!"
Ningguang watched coldly as "Zhi Qiao" wagged her tail and begged for mercy from her. Although she was wearing gorgeous clothes, she looked like a servile servant.
This strong contrast made Ningguang feel a strange feeling in her heart, an indescribable joy and a hint of inexplicable fear.
After a while, Ningguang finally waved her hand and said in a magnanimous manner:
"Forget it. When I, Ningguang, do things, we always eat together. But, you have to wait until I fill my stomach before others can eat the rest."
Upon hearing this, Zhiqiao, who was kneeling on the ground, felt as if she had been pardoned. She kowtowed repeatedly with tears of gratitude, and her prostrating posture seemed extremely humble.
Then, she mustered up enough courage, carefully raised her head, looked at Ningguang with timid eyes, and asked in a trembling voice: "Then...are you full now?"
Ningguang raised the corner of her mouth slightly, licked her lower lip with a smile, revealing the demeanor of a queen who is high and mighty.
She replied slowly, "I will send someone to your house in two days to discuss the details. After all, I can't just watch everyone starve to death, right?"
Zhiqiao's face was filled with joy, and her voice trembled slightly with excitement.
"Thank you, Master Ningguang! Don't worry, as long as you give us the opportunity, we will do our best to earn more wealth for you!"
However, Ningguang's reaction seemed a little cold. She wanted to get rid of Zhiqiao, the uninvited guest, as soon as possible, so she said casually:
"Okay, go ahead. I'm a little tired..."
Seeing this, Zhiqiao hurriedly thanked him and left in a hurry.
After Zhiqiao left, Ningguang, who had been sitting upright behind the desk, slowly leaned back in her chair.
The powerful aura of a business queen that she possessed also disappeared without a trace in an instant, and was replaced by a dull expression that made people feel pity.
Just like that, after just a few seconds, Ningguang laughed without any warning.
The laughter was very light at first, as if suppressing something, but it soon became louder and louder, even a little crazy.
"Haha...haha, Mr. Shao Yun, why don't you kill me? I'm in so much pain..."
Ningguang laughed and talked to herself, tears falling uncontrollably from the corners of her eyes.
When Ningguang saw Zhiqiao's humble begging look, a certain desire deep in her heart was greatly satisfied.
However, this feeling of satisfaction did not last long, and was replaced by a deep fear.
Ningguang began to recall her past, her voice echoing in the empty room.
"I started as an ordinary saleswoman at Yaoguang Beach, and gradually became a vendor at Liyue Harbor, and now I am the leader of the Liyue Seven Stars. Along the way, I have never stopped climbing up..."
Ningguang suddenly paused, her eyes becoming somewhat confused.
"How I once longed for the supreme wealth and power!"
"To achieve this goal, I can do whatever it takes... I can spend money like water."
"I can even lower myself to be a lowly slave and serve you a drink, just to get the absolute force."
Her voice gradually became lower, revealing a deep helplessness and regret.
“Now I finally have everything I have ever dreamed of.”
"I have power, everyone is in awe of me, even the immortals won't interfere with my decisions... I have absolute power, no one can match me!"
At this point, Ningguang's emotions suddenly became agitated, and her spirit collapsed at this moment.
"But, I was bitten back! I was bitten back by power... no, I should say, I was bitten back by my own desires! I feel so uncomfortable..."
As she spoke, Ningguang unconsciously pinched her fair neck with both hands, and the feeling of suffocation made her eyes widen.
"Why? Shao Yun, why didn't you kill me then? Why did those immortals save me? I have been completely dominated by desire. Am I crazy?"
A hint of madness flashed in Ningguang's eyes. Her breathing became more and more rapid, and her face turned pale due to lack of oxygen.
Just when she was about to strangle herself to death, her body's instinct suddenly made her loosen her hands, leaving only a series of red scratches on her neck.
"Whoever can kill me, please..."
Ningguang's eyes were empty and dull, and her tone was unusually humble, like a desperate person begging in despair.
Just as Ningguang was falling into madness, Baiwen walked in holding a thick stack of documents.
Her footsteps were particularly clear in the silent hall, but Ningguang was completely unaware of her arrival until Baiwen approached.
"Lord Ningguang, these are the documents we sorted out today..." Bai Wen said softly.
Ningguang came back to her senses when she heard Baiwen's voice.
She quickly covered the red mark on her neck with the collar of her cheongsam and tried to restore herself to her usual calmness and dignity.
“Got it, leave it to me…” Ningguang’s tone became normal, in stark contrast to her previous madness.
Bai Wen carefully placed the pile of documents in his hand on the desk in front of Ningguang, then rubbed his eyes which already had dark circles.
She took a deep breath and summoned up the courage to say to Ningguang, "Um, Lady Ningguang, when will Senior Ganyu's vacation end?"
"Now, there is so much work to do... Bai Xiao and Bai Shi are both exhausted..."
Ningguang looked at the dark circles under Baiwen's eyes. She knew that her three secretaries had been working very hard during this period, but she also had her own difficulties.
"I understand. I will arrange for you to take turns to take leave as soon as possible, but please..." Before Ningguang could finish her words, she was interrupted by Baiwen.
"I'm not here to take a vacation," Bai Wen explained quickly, "I just hope that Senior Gan Yu can come back soon so that our work can be easier."
"To put it bluntly, Miss Ganyu...if she doesn't come back, no matter how much rest we get, we won't be able to process so many documents..."
Ningguang heard Baiwen talking about Ganyu and said helplessly: "I can't interfere in the affairs of the immortals. I don't know when Ganyu will come back..."
……
In Aozang Mountain, inside the cave of Master Liuyunjiefeng.
At this moment, in Shen He's room.
Gan Yu and Shen He were sitting cross-legged on a wide bed, facing each other with their palms facing each other.
Gan Yu closed her eyes tightly and concentrated on using the power of her Qilin bloodline to suppress the restless Gu Chen Jie Sha fate in Shen He's body.
Over the past month, Ganyu has suppressed Shen He almost every hour.
Because once the time limit is exceeded and there is no suppression, Shen He will fall into a state of mental disorder, becoming violent and difficult to control.
At this moment, Ganyu had temporarily suppressed the restless power of Gu Chen Jie Sha in Shen He's body countless times.
Shen He slowly opened his eyes, his clear pupils were still covered with a hint of scarlet.
"Senior Sister, can I still be cured?" Shen He asked in an unusually hoarse voice.
Ganyu opened her eyes and looked at Shen He's scarlet eyes, feeling a pang of sadness in her heart.
My junior sister has suffered so much... I feel so sorry for her.
She sighed softly and comforted him, "Junior sister, don't be anxious."
"Although it's only been a month, the power of the Lonely Star Tribulation in your body has stabilized a lot. As long as you hold on for a while longer, you will definitely get better."
However, Shen He had no idea how many times he had heard such words of comfort.
She knew that Ganyu was trying her best to comfort herself, but heart disease needs to be treated with heart medicine.
Now, as long as Ying has been kidnapped for a day, it will be impossible for Shen He to truly suppress the restless power of Gu Chen Jie Sha in her body.
"I want to save Ying... Ask Master to let me go to Mondstadt. I am not afraid of death..." Shen He begged, "Senior Sister, I am in so much pain every minute and every second..."
As she spoke, bright red tears flowed from Shen He's eyes, slid down her pale cheeks and dripped onto the bed.
Ganyu gently stroked Shen He's cheek, trying to give her some comfort in this way.
"Don't think too much, everything will be fine..."
However, she herself did not believe what she said.
……