Senior Edina moved around the bed, feeling its soft and fluffy texture. It reminded her of the luxurious comfort back in the Leon Empire, which suddenly jolted her awake. As she looked around the room, she realized she was still in her childhood home, but it was now clean, the bed was soft, and the broken window was fixed. A smile crept onto her face as she muttered, "I am a genius."
She glanced to her left and saw a letter left by Junior Edina. She didn't need to read it to know the plan had been successful. The fact that everything had gone so smoothly was quite shocking.
Senior Edina knew she had a talent for reciting poems and lines—her mother had told her so. She had used this skill when she got married. Her husband wanted to create an image of a loving couple, and if she acted out, he would starve her or throw her into a dark room, just like in the Jinwei Mansion. To avoid this, she started writing lines that could be used in future conversations during her free time, memorizing them to recite without caring about what she was saying or hearing. Most of the time, it worked, reinforcing her belief that she had a natural talent for poetry. This is why she asked Junior Edina to do the same, with a backup plan to run away from the sect ready. She knew Junior Edina might be able to succeed.
The result was quite unexpected for Senior Edina. She had perfected her speech over the years, but Junior Edina seemed to have mastered it in just two weeks. Then again, Junior Edina had only suffered at Li Mei’s hands for a year, unlike her, who had endured four years of torment that killed even the slightest optimism within her.
As Senior Edina read, she was confused by the news that Jade Grass Commerce was not accepting any more investments. Junior Edina had asked a servant to send a message to the store to inquire about their situation, and the response indicated that they had enough investors to continue pursuing their new business model and were not willing to share profits with additional investors.
Senior Edina couldn’t understand what had caused this change. It could be that she was not remembering the timeline properly. After all, she didn’t really remember much of what happened when she was 13 to 16, those years spent in torment under Aunt Li Mei. She concluded that this discrepancy must be due to her misremembering events from that period.
Junior Edina had asked Senior Edina to check her accounts, which of course she was going to do. At the end of the letter, Junior Edina posed an intriguing question: did Senior Edina know why the dark room was originally built in Jinwei Mansion? No one seemed to know its purpose. This question piqued Senior Edina’s interest. She realized she had never thought much about it, perhaps because she was so focused on surviving Aunt Li Mei's torment.
As she pondered the mystery, trying to recall any hints or forgotten memories, she suddenly sensed something—Qi, the presence of a Grade 4 martial artist’s Qi. The sliding door opened, and Lian Hua walked in with a smile.
“Have you awakened, Young Mistress Edina?” Lian Hua asked warmly.
Senior Edina replied, “I did, Miss Lian Hua.” Lian Hua was initially taken aback by her mistress’s newfound confidence but was pleased to see her energetic demeanor. She supported her to the bath and helped her wash.
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Senior Edina had guessed that this must be Lian Hua based on the description in Junior Edina’s letter. It seemed her personal maid was a martial artist. Senior Edina knew this was her grandfather’s doing. He must have arranged for the position to be given to someone who could defend her and also escape to send a message if Aunt Li Mei tried anything.
Once in the office, Senior Edina began checking the accounts Junior Edina had calculated for any mistakes. She was meticulous, ensuring every detail was accurate. It’s good that grandfather Liang Feng has suspended classes for all the children till the trial period to let them focus on accounting and prove themselves, after that,she started writing a timeline of events she could remember, noting down anything relevant. She wrote in Leonese to maintain secrecy.
Currently, Jinwei Mansion had a budget of 14 gold teals. Based on estimates, 4 gold teals would be more than sufficient, even considered excessive. This left Edina with about 10 gold teals to invest and use for future plans. Senior Edina could easily let Junior Edina live peacefully for the next three years, avoiding confrontations with Aunt Li Mei. Once she turned 16 and was out of Li Mei’s custody, she could marry a handsome and caring husband and live out the rest of her days in peace.
However, Senior Edina’s goal was much larger: to save everyone who had protected her, from dying at the hands of the demons of the underworld. To achieve this, she needed a united front before the demons attacked. At the current rate, Aunt Li Mei would become the sect leader and join the sect with the second prince’s faction, which would end in disaster.
The first prince after becoming emperor, in the process of eliminating opposition in the Central Plains, would die at the hands of the Demonic Sect’s heir. This would leave the Central Plains without a leader during the demon’s ascent. With no unity in the Eastern Continent, a large portion of the population would perish, and the survivors would flee to the Western Continent for a final stand against the demons. This, of course, would not bear fruit.
Senior Edina pondered over these grim memories, strategizing her next moves. She couldn't let history repeat itself, Senior Edina thought of how to save Lu Shun, Aunt Qin, and her grandfather Liang Feng. She considered how to unite the Eastern Continent against the impending demonic threat. After a moment of contemplation, she sighed. Her only real option seemed to be aiming for the position of sect leader. With her parents gone, she was third in line for succession, right after Aunt Li Mei, and above everyone else in her generation. She had a chance, but it would be tedious work. Moreover, she wasn't sure what Junior Edina wanted, and her plans wouldn’t be possible without her cooperation.
Determined to clarify their shared goals, Senior Edina decided to ask Junior Edina about her aspirations in the letter she planned to leave behind today. She needed to ensure they were aligned in their objectives to effectively counter Aunt Li Mei's influence and protect their loved ones.
After working diligently for several hours, Senior Edina finally sat down to a well-cooked meal, savoring the flavors that were a stark contrast to the soggy and bland food she had been forced to eat under Xiao Min’s reign. The taste of flavorful dishes uplifted her spirits. Once lunch was over, she returned to her work, drafting detailed plans for investments that could bolster Jinwei Mansion’s influence within the sect. She meticulously mapped out the optimal path to unite the Eastern Continent until nightfall.
As the day came to a close, Senior Edina finally sank into the soft bed she had longed for over the past few days. The comfort quickly lulled her to sleep, and she drifted into a dream where she floated on fluffy clouds. However, the sensation of a hard surface beneath her abruptly jolted her awake.
Disoriented, she surveyed her surroundings. She was in a dimly lit wooden room, possibly a cabin, illuminated by a single candle at the far end. Her hands were tied behind her back. frustration welled up inside her as she muttered out loud, "What the fuck happened in a week?"