Chapter 130: The Conflict Between Women

Chapter 130: The Conflict Between Women

Ming Yang had already begun to declare war on Ning Xiaochuan in advance, forcefully surpassing the first three levels of the Heavenly Bridge and once again leaving his peers far behind.

This meant he could now cultivate in the Heavenly Palace for three days, equivalent to three years of cultivation outside.

How much stronger would he become after emerging from the Heavenly Palace three days later?

Ning Xiaochuan pondered for a moment before saying, "Thank you for the reminder, Senior Sister. Ming Yang is indeed a once-in-a-century genius. Surpassing three levels of the Heavenly Bridge is a testament to his strength. Tomorrow, I will also attempt the Heavenly Bridge. Whether I can match him will be revealed then."

Ning Xiaochuan spent 200,000 Small Coins to purchase the Flame Lotus from Luo Li and then continued searching for the other two auxiliary mystic medicines.

Soon, Ning Xiaochuan found a Four-Star Spiritual Herb, the Ice Muscle Grass, at another stall—and also encountered a familiar face.

Xie Mengyao reached for the Ice Muscle Grass before Ning Xiaochuan could, asking the stall owner, "Senior, I’ll take this Ice Muscle Grass."

The stall owner was a second-year student, dressed in loose robes and squatting on the ground, his face completely hidden under a large straw hat.

Upon hearing Xie Mengyao’s sweet and delicate voice, his eyes beneath the hat immediately lit up with excitement. "Junior Sister has excellent taste! This Ice Muscle Grass is a Four-Star Spiritual Herb. If you can find a Heart Nurturer to refine it into Jade Skin Dew, it can preserve a woman’s youthful appearance for ten years."

"How much?" Xie Mengyao’s eyes sparkled, her voice soft and enchanting, making the straw-hat-wearing senior feel weak in the knees.

"F-Fifty thousand Small Coins..."

"That’s so expensive~ Senior, can’t you lower the price a little?" Xie Mengyao blinked her eyes innocently, like a delicate young girl.

"T-Thirty thousand Small Coins... I can’t go any lower!" The straw-hat senior felt all his strength draining away, his gaze fixed on her, barely aware of what he was saying.

"Really no lower? But I still think it’s too expensive~ How about ten thousand Small Coins?" Xie Mengyao pursed her lips slightly, staring at him with childlike innocence.

"O-Okay..." The straw-hat senior felt as if his soul had been stolen.

Yu Qianqian stepped forward. "I’ll take this Ice Muscle Grass. I’ll pay double the price."

Upon seeing Yu Qianqian, the straw-hat senior’s soul returned to his body, replaced by a sense of awe. He inwardly rejoiced at his luck today—encountering two beautiful junior sisters in a row. He must be on a roll!

The straw-hat senior hesitated. "That... might not be appropriate. After all, this junior sister saw it first. I can’t just sell it to someone else for a higher price. I’m not that kind of person."

"Triple the price," Yu Qianqian said.

The straw-hat senior took a deep breath. "How much is triple?"

"Naturally, three times the original price—150,000 Small Coins," Yu Qianqian replied calmly, as if 150,000 Small Coins were nothing to her.

The straw-hat senior gulped hard. "But... but I’m really not that kind of person..."

"Five times the price," Yu Qianqian said.

"Deal!"

The senior wearing a straw hat fixed his eyes on Xie Mengyao and said, "Junior Sister, how about returning the Ice Muscle Grass to me? I’ll give you another Four-Star Spiritual Herb for free."

Xie Mengyao completely ignored the straw-hatted senior, holding the Ice Muscle Grass in her hands as her beautiful eyes locked onto Yu Qianqian. She smiled and said, "Princess Qianxi truly lives up to being the Great Golden Roc King’s treasured pearl. Five times the price—how extravagant! It’s almost frightening."

"I’ll pay ten times the price. Keep the change."

Xie Mengyao took out a fist-sized piece of Green Gold and tossed it to the straw-hatted senior. Then, cradling the Ice Muscle Grass, she walked away without looking back.

The straw-hatted senior picked up the Green Gold from the ground, weighed it in his hand, and was instantly overjoyed. He had struck it rich—this piece of Green Gold weighed at least 50 taels.

Yu Qianqian stomped her foot in anger, glaring at Xie Mengyao’s retreating figure while grinding her teeth like an enraged little hen.

Never in her life had she suffered such humiliation.

Humiliation. Absolute humiliation.

Ning Xiaochian merely chuckled inwardly. It was best not to get involved in conflicts between women. Yu Qianqian would surely find a way to reclaim her pride.

"Ah, it’s you." Ning Xiaochian recognized the straw-hatted senior—he had seen him during the Opening Battle, a member of the Tianli Society.

Earlier, his attention had been entirely captured by Yu Qianqian and Xie Mengyao’s rivalry, but now he finally noticed the straw-hatted senior.

The straw-hatted senior also recognized Ning Xiaochian and exclaimed happily, "Ning Xiaochian! You’ve arrived in Emperor’s City so soon. Your injuries must have healed. How about joining us at the Tianli Society for a drink?"

"Senior Yue, why are you wearing a straw hat?" Ning Xiaochian asked curiously.

Yue Mingsong removed the straw hat from his head, revealing a face that looked remarkably mature—like a man in his forties or fifties. With a bitter expression, he said, "What can I do? I just look too old. I’m actually in the prime of my twenties, but many junior sisters take one look at me and call me ‘Uncle.’ So I have to wear this hat to hide my face—the very face that has charmed countless young women."

Yu Qianqian, still fuming, nearly burst out laughing at Yue Mingsong’s words.

Ning Xiaochian said, "It seems this face has caused you quite a bit of trouble."

"Indeed. At my age, there aren’t many men who are as mature, steady, melancholic, and captivating as I am. But being handsome isn’t my fault, is it?" Yue Mingsong composed himself and turned serious. "I heard Ming Yang has already cleared three levels of the Heavenly Bridge today, causing quite a stir in Emperor’s City. Have you attempted the Heavenly Bridge yet? Did you pass the second level?"

Although Ning Xiaochian had fought Ming Yang to a draw during the Opening Battle, many still believed Ming Yang’s cultivation far surpassed his, and that Ning Xiaochian had only managed to contend with him by relying on his Battle Pet.

So when Ming Yang cleared the third level of the Heavenly Bridge, the other students didn’t think Ning Xiaochian could do the same.

After all, the Heavenly Bridge couldn’t be conquered with the help of mystic beasts—only through one’s own martial prowess and talent.

Ning Xiaochuan's martial cultivation was, after all, two ranks weaker than Ming Yang's. Whether he could pass the second level was uncertain, let alone the third.

Ning Xiaochuan said, "I’ll attempt the Heavenly Bridge tomorrow."

"You haven’t tried it yet? Great! I’ll definitely go to the Heavenly Bridge tomorrow to watch you challenge it and support you in spirit," Yue Mingsong replied.

Yue Mingsong insisted on inviting Ning Xiaochuan to the Tianli Society. Unable to refuse outright, Ning Xiaochuan claimed he would visit the Tianli Society after attempting the Heavenly Bridge.

"Since you have urgent matters to attend to, I won’t press you further," Yue Mingsong said.

As Ning Xiaochuan and Yu Qianqian had just left Yue Mingsong’s stall, they overheard a female student whispering, "Look at that uncle over there—he looks so creepy!"

"Ugh, how could someone so sleazy be a student at the Emperor's Martial Palace? Better stay away from him."

Hearing this, Ning Xiaochuan felt a pang of sympathy for Yue Mingsong. When he turned to see Yue Mingsong’s reaction, he found the man had already pulled his straw hat low over his face, hiding it completely.

Yu Qianqian couldn’t help but smile. "Is that senior really from the Tianli Society?"

Ning Xiaochuan nodded. "Probably."

"The Tianli Society is a major faction in the Emperor's Ruins, counted among the 'Three Alliances and Five Societies.' If they genuinely want to recruit you, it might be a good opportunity."

Yu Qianqian continued, "Competition in the Emperor's Ruins is fierce. Without alliances for mutual support, even the strongest cultivators can die without anyone knowing why. Moreover, if new students venture out alone to complete missions and earn merit points, the mortality rate is extremely high without guidance from senior students."

Ning Xiaochuan nodded solemnly. "Thank you for the reminder, Your Highness. I’ll consider this carefully."

Yu Qianqian was sharp-minded, no less intelligent than Ning Xiaochuan, and wielded the influence of the Golden Roc Prince's Manor within the Emperor's Ruins. She knew many things Ning Xiaochuan did not.

Lowering her voice, she added, "There’s one more thing I must warn you about. In previous years, the Jian Pavilion Marquis House also had geniuses admitted to the Emperor's Martial Palace—they must be formidable martial experts by now. But the struggle for succession among noble houses is brutal. Given your superior talent, those experts from the Jian Pavilion Marquis House might not help you. They could even secretly move to eliminate you."

Ning Xiaochuan didn’t need Yu Qianqian to remind him of this. He was well aware of his predicament. The Jian Pavilion Marquis House was no sanctuary—both the First Master and Fourth Master wanted him dead.

In the Imperial City, they feared the Old Marquis’s authority and dared not act against Ning Xiaochuan.

But in the Emperor's Ruins, they could act without restraint. They had likely already laid traps there, waiting to take his life.

Ning Xiaochuan’s enemies were far more numerous than just Ming Yang.

After searching the trading market for a long time, Ning Xiaochuan and Yu Qianqian found no more mystic medicines. Just then, a figure emerged from the shadows, knelt before Yu Qianqian, and whispered something.

Yu Qianqian’s eyes lit up with excitement. "So soon? Perfect! Gather a few experts—this princess is going to teach her a lesson tonight."

"Xiaochuan, I have urgent matters to attend to. Let's meet tomorrow by the Heavenly Bridge." Yu Qianqian hurriedly left with a subordinate from the Golden Roc Prince's Manor.

It didn’t take a genius to guess she was going to deal with Xie Mengyao.

Ning Xiaochuan had no interest in the conflicts between women and naturally didn’t follow.

"Whoosh!"

At that moment, a stone flew toward him from an unknown direction.

Ning Xiaochuan caught the stone in his hand and scanned the darkness, but saw no trace of anyone.

"Emperor's City, Spirit Water Lake. The Manor Master is invited to meet—Ghost Manor."

The writing on the stone was delicate, carrying a faint fragrance, clearly written by a woman. The handwriting and scent matched the previous message exactly.

Just by reading the words and smelling the faint fragrance, one could be certain it was from an exceptionally beautiful woman.

"Who could it be?"

Ning Xiaochuan crushed the stone into powder, his gaze piercing into the darkness.