They all want to change my future.

Chapter 21 Discusses the Three Victories of the Heavenly Sect's Holy Maiden

"Please come in, young master. There's no need to be so polite."

Ji Baizhi's voice came through the door.

Li Zhi pushed open the door and entered.

The candlelight in the room was warm and soft. Ji Baizhi did not get up. She sat at her desk, holding a pen, writing something.

Seeing his focused and solemn expression, Li Zhi became interested and walked to the opposite stool to sit down.

What's wrong with you?

Ji Baizhi finished writing the last sentence before putting down her pen and replying, "Young master, why don't you first state your purpose?"

"No rush," Li Zhi smiled, leaning forward slightly to look at the still-wet ink on the paper. "What I'm curious about now is, what are you writing?"

"I said I didn't want to show it to you, young master." Ji Baizhi held out her hand to block Li Zhi's gaze. "Will you give up, young master?"

"You won't let me see?" Li Zhi sat up straight, withdrew his gaze, and looked at Ji Baizhi's bright face. "Then let's not see."

Ji Baizhi was surprised by this answer and asked, somewhat taken aback, "Young Master, aren't you curious now?"

"No, that's not it." Li Zhi shook his head. "I am curious, but since you really don't want me to see, I still have to respect your wishes."

"Young master is saying such nice things again. If I don't give them to you, it would make me look bad."

Ji Baizhi sighed softly and pushed the paper in front of him. "Let the young master see it. After all, what is written on it is also related to the young master."

Li Zhi took the paper and glanced at it.

The title boldly proclaims: "On the Three Victories of the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect".

Li Zhi laughed out loud after just one glance, looking up at Ji Baizhi: "I didn't expect you to be so competitive."

"Young master, you're making fun of me," Ji Baizhi said, somewhat annoyed.

"No, please explain in detail." Li Zhi pushed the paper back.

"Young master, why don't you see for yourself? That will be faster." Ji Baizhi was clearly still angry, and her tone was somewhat sharp.

"It's fast, but it's meaningless."

Li Zhi leaned back, finding a comfortable position, ready to listen to the analysis.

"I don't want to talk about it."

Regarding Ji Baizhi's little act of betrayal, Li Zhi shook his head: "Miss Ji, it seems you've forgotten again. If you don't say it, I'll say it for you."

Ji Baizhi paused for a moment, recalling Li Zhi's past behavior, and then sighed.

Then, he slowly opened his mouth, his voice calm yet tinged with resentment.

"Then I'll tell you, young master, where I went wrong in this round."

"please."

"My first loss was due to my naivety and underestimation of the implications of my identity."

I originally thought that the worst outcome would be that the empress would be happy to see me ruin my reputation and would give me the opportunity to do so.

But I never expected that some people wouldn't allow me to tarnish this identity in such a way.

My desperate measures, in their eyes, might be seen as a loss of composure that must be stopped.

"That's normal." Li Zhi nodded: "At that time, you were already driven to the brink of collapse by the pressure. Abandoning all your reputation and going all in was originally a liberating thing."

Ji Baizhi's eyelashes trembled, and she looked at Li Zhi with a complicated expression: "Young Master really understands me."

"So where did you lose in second place?"

"Secondly, of course, it's because of you, young master." Ji Baizhi's gaze towards Li Zhi grew increasingly resentful: "I never expected you, young master, to be like this..."

She paused for a moment, as if searching for a suitable adjective.

Li Zhi directly helped her continue: "You don't know what's good for you. You're so kind to me, you've offered yourself to me, even at the cost of your own dignity, but I, who am penniless, choose not to accept it."

"Young master, you shouldn't say that."

Ji Baizhi couldn't bear to listen any longer and reached out to stop her. Then she said seriously, "It's my fault. I chose to believe in Young Master's future. In the end, it was my greed that made me want to be completely bound to Young Master."

These words were spoken with sincerity, but Li Zhi shook his head: "If I didn't know you, what you said would be a bit too sycophantic."

"Tea?" Ji Baizhi was a little confused. "Does Young Master want some tea? I'll go and brew some right now."

As she spoke, Ji Baizhi stretched out her hand, and phoenix fire surged forth, preparing to start brewing tea.

Li Zhi didn't stop her, watching Ji Baizhi get busy.

Soon, a cup of clear tea was placed in front of Li Zhi. The tea was clear and steaming.

Li Zhi didn't stand on ceremony. He understood Ji Baizhi's personality; she only went to make tea to ease her guilt.

This girl is a good person, but she still feels uneasy about taking advantage of me.

That's why they often put themselves in a low position.

After taking a sip of tea, Li Zhi put it down and continued the previous topic: "Tell me, where did you lose in the end?"

"In the end," Ji Baizhi's voice lowered, "I lost because I underestimated the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect."

This time, Li Zhi didn't respond, quietly waiting for Ji Baizhi to express her resentment.

"This time, I finally understood what it means to be in the thick of things, and what it means to be a pawn and a player."

Ji Baizhi let out a slight breath, as if she had relieved herself of something: "I was caught up in the situation and only saw my own little world. I had no idea how far the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect could see or what methods she had used."

She paused, then shook her head: "By the time I found out, she had already coordinated with all parties, and as a pawn, I could only accept it."

Listening to her analysis, which was filled with frustration and enlightenment, Li Zhi tapped his cup and said, "Actually, you have another way: smash this chessboard."

Ji Baizhi looked helpless: "I'm not like you, young master, I can't do that."

She is Ji Baizhi, the reincarnation of a phoenix, and the eldest princess of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Blood ties bring a sense of responsibility that she can neither let go of nor abandon.

The phoenix, which should have been soaring through the sky, is now confined to a small courtyard in the capital.

The topic had become rather heavy, so Ji Baizhi looked at Li Zhi and changed the subject:

"I've finished speaking. Now, young master, you should tell me about your business. What brings you here?"

"About spiritual practice."

After Li Zhi finished speaking, Ji Baizhi immediately replied, "Where is the problem? Young Master needs me to answer that."

"No," Li Zhi yawned, "it's just that I find cultivation meaningless, since I don't have the same heavy responsibilities as you."

Upon hearing this, Ji Baizhi once again found herself speechless.

But she continued, "So, young master, what do you want?"

"Let's have a prize."

When his purpose was mentioned, Li Zhi immediately became interested.

Ji Baizhi was taken aback at first, then the resentment in her eyes resurfaced, and her tone became subtle:

"A prize? What else is the young master thinking? If you have something that catches your eye, just ask. There's no need for all this trouble."

She paused, lowered her voice, and said with an almost self-deprecating bluntness, "After all, aren't I completely on your side now?"

"It wasn't you." Li Zhi turned his head to look at a shadowy corner in the room where the light couldn't fully illuminate it. "Miss Lin, why don't you come out and take a gamble?"

The shadow was silent and still, as if nothing was there.

Ji Baizhi followed his gaze, a knowing glint in her eyes, and then spoke:

"Miss Lin, eavesdropping is not a good habit."