Chapter 64: The Greatest Love-Obsessed Fool in the World

Chapter 64: The Greatest Love-Obsessed Fool in the World

When Ning Xiaochuan woke up, it was already noon the next day.

His head throbbed with pain!

Gritting his teeth, he struggled to sit up on the bed, rubbing his temples as he tried to recall the events of the previous night. Yu Qianqian had declared she wouldn’t marry, and then—someone had struck him from behind, knocking him unconscious.

Wait… who exactly had Yu Qianqian refused to marry?

Ning Xiaochuan glanced around the room—the sandalwood bed, the purple-tinged cauldron, the silk mosquito net—this was… the Jian Pavilion Marquis House. Specifically, the small courtyard he had once shared with Ning Xin'er.

"Brother, you're awake!" Ning Xin'er walked in, carrying a copper basin filled with water. Her rosy cheeks were lit with delight.

Ning Xiaochuan frowned in confusion. "How did I end up back at the Jian Pavilion Marquis House?"

"Second Uncle carried you back. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten everything from last night?" Ning Xin'er dipped a brocade cloth into the water, wrung it out, and gently wiped Ning Xiaochuan’s face. Her large, round eyes blinked playfully as she teased, "Brother, turns out you can cultivate Martial Arts Profound Qi now! And you kept it a secret from me. What a terrible brother you are."

Her voice was soft, her movements tender. Her delicate, jade-like face wore a smile he had never seen before—like a shy, budding flower.

"I need to go to the Jade Viewing Pavilion!" Ning Xiaochuan declared firmly.

Ning Xin'er’s hand froze mid-motion, her lips parting as if to speak.

Ahem!

A dry cough sounded from outside.

The Old Marquis strode in, blocking Ning Xiaochuan’s path. An aura of cold authority radiated from him, his sharp, aged eyes piercing like daggers—as if a single glare could strike a man dead. "Today, you’re not going anywhere!"

Ning Xiaochuan felt as if the blood in his veins had frozen. His entire body stiffened, his breath turning ragged. Yet, he clenched his jaw and spoke through gritted teeth. "Lady Ningsheng saved my life. This debt must be repaid. I promised her—to buy her freedom, to help her enter the Emperor’s Martial Palace. Even if it costs me my life, I will keep that promise!"

His voice was ironclad, devoid of fear or hesitation.

The Old Marquis studied Ning Xiaochuan’s resolute gaze and nodded. This was the unshakable conviction of a true warrior—a far cry from the boy he once knew. It seemed Xiaochuan had truly transformed into someone worthy of cultivation.

The line between mediocrity and genius could be drawn in a single glance.

"The problem is, even if you sacrifice your life, you won’t help her. You’ll only doom her," the Old Marquis said.

Ning Xiaochuan was no fool. The Old Marquis’ words struck him like a bucket of cold water, snapping him back to reality. Right—he had been thinking like a modern man, forgetting the brutal truth of this semi-feudal, semi-slave society. Who here cared about reason?

Everything revolved around imperial authority and martial might.

To defy the Emperor was to wage war against the entire world.

Seeing Ning Xiaochuan’s composure return, the Old Marquis continued, "You’re not wrong. A young man should have fire in his heart and courage in his bones. But your methods were flawed, and your timing was off."

"Timing was off?" Ning Xiaochuan echoed.

The Old Marquis, having lived for over eighty years, was naturally more cunning and worldly-wise than Ning Xiaochuan. He said, "The Emperor intends to strip the military power from the hands of the nobility, and the first target is our Jian Pavilion Marquis House. He wants to incorporate our two million private soldiers into the Emperor's Army. The Great Golden Roc King is using a marriage alliance to resist the Emperor's move, and the alliance is between you and Princess Qianqian."

Ning Xiaochuan was stunned. "Me and Qianqian... a marriage alliance? This is a complete mismatch!"

The Old Marquis shook his head and sighed. "Unfortunately, Princess Qianqian saw how deeply devoted you are to Yu Ningsheng and how much you love her. Last night, she knelt outside the Imperial Palace and personally requested the Emperor to annul the engagement. Naturally, the Emperor did not want the Golden Roc Prince's Manor and the Jian Pavilion Marquis House to form an alliance, so he granted her request. This time, we have thoroughly offended the Golden Roc Prince's Manor."

"Me and Yu Ningsheng deeply devoted? How is this not an even bigger mismatch? Which eye did Yu Watermelon use to see that we're so deeply in love? I redeemed Yu Ningsheng just to repay her for saving my life," Ning Xiaochuan was momentarily speechless, even blurting out the nickname he had given Yu Qianqian.

Ning Xin'er smirked. "Brother, even I wouldn't believe that. If you weren't deeply devoted, would you have spent 800 million Small Coins to redeem her? If you weren't deeply devoted, would you have dared to rebuke the Emperor for her? If you weren't deeply devoted, would you have risked your life for her?"

Ning Xiaochuan thought carefully and realized it really did seem easy to misunderstand.

Ning Xin'er's lips glistened, and her eyes sparkled mischievously. "Now the entire Imperial City is talking about you and Miss Ningsheng. Many say that for her sake, you disregarded life and death, defied imperial authority, and even heartlessly rejected the beautiful Princess Qianqian. You're being called the Greatest Love-Obsessed Fool in the Yulan Empire since its founding."

"Love-Obsessed Fool?"

Ning Xiaochuan rubbed his temples, feeling an even worse headache coming on. "Princess Qianqian must be heartbroken hearing this. I need to explain things to her, or she'll hate me forever."

The Old Marquis stopped Ning Xiaochuan again. "Don't go. I've already sent Qiancheng with gifts to the Golden Roc Prince's Manor to apologize. Princess Qianqian is furious right now. If you go now, you’ll only make things worse. For the next two days, you’re not allowed to go anywhere. Stay in the Marquis House, calm your mind, and prepare for the Emperor's Martial Palace entrance examination in two days."

The Old Marquis turned to leave the room.

Ning Xiaochuan asked, "Is imperial authority truly unshakable?"

The Old Marquis paused, a strange smile appearing on his face, as if he had been waiting for Ning Xiaochuan to ask this question. He coughed lightly and said solemnly, "I know you still want to redeem Yu Ningsheng and fulfill your promise. But you must understand—Yu Ningsheng was demoted to a courtesan by the Emperor's decree. There’s only one way to change the Emperor’s will."

"What way?"

"It’s too difficult. You can’t do it." The Old Marquis deliberately teased him.

Ning Xiaochuan said, "No matter how difficult, I can do it."

"Oh?"

The Old Marquis' lips curled slightly as he said seriously, "There’s only one person who can change the Emperor’s will—the 'Master of the Martial Palace.'"

"Who is he?" Ning Xiaochuan asked.

The Old Marquis said, "He is the master of the current Emperor and the Great Golden Roc King. If the Emperor makes a mistake, only he can reprimand him. If there is anyone in this world who can change Yu Ningsheng’s lowly status as a courtesan, it is him."

"How can I meet him?" Ning Xiaochuan asked.

The Old Marquis replied, "First, you must pass the entrance exam for the Emperor's Martial Palace. Second, you must rank among the top ten candidates of this year’s examinees. If you perform exceptionally well, the Master of the Martial Palace might appear and take you as his disciple. Of course, the chances are slim. Someone of his stature would only accept a disciple if they were an unparalleled genius."

Ning Xiaochuan finally understood. The Old Marquis was quite cunning—he wanted him to enter the Emperor's Martial Palace to bring glory to the Jian Pavilion Marquis House, yet he had to weave such elaborate schemes.

Even if the Old Marquis hadn’t said these words, Ning Xiaochuan would have gone to the Emperor's Martial Palace. After all, finding the "Master of the Martial Palace" wasn’t the only way to help Yu Ningsheng escape her disgraceful status.

There was a second method: if Ning Xiaochuan’s martial cultivation became so powerful that even the Yulan Emperor feared him, then he could naturally help Yu Ningsheng leave the brothel.

He had to grow stronger! He must become stronger!

"Ji Bo, keep an eye on Xiaochuan. Don’t let him leave the Jian Pavilion Marquis House these next few days." After giving this order, the Old Marquis swaggered away.

Ji Bo brought eight martial experts to guard the courtyard—half to keep watch over Ning Xiaochuan, and half to protect him from potential assassins.

...

For now, the storm had calmed, but the rumors caused by this incident had not subsided. Instead, they spread like wildfire throughout the Imperial City. Every street and alley buzzed with talk of Ning Xiaochuan and Yu Ningsheng.

A tragic love story grew increasingly sorrowful and elaborate as it spread. At the same time, the name "Ning Xiaochuan, the Greatest Love-Obsessed Fool in the World" spread throughout the Imperial City and even across the entire Yulan Empire.

Ning Xiaochuan was a rational man. He knew that what he needed most now was to improve his cultivation. Only with strength could he help others and protect himself.

Cultivate! Cultivate!

After reaching the Divine Body Realm, the Earth Martial Essence left in his body by the Old Marquis was completely exhausted, transforming into Ning Xiaochuan’s own Martial Arts Profound Qi.

He needed another method to rapidly enhance his cultivation.

Ning Xiaochuan took out the Golden-Threaded Purple Wood Box and pressed his palm against it. Streams of Earth Martial Essence immediately flowed out, surging into his blood and accelerating its circulation at a frenzied pace.

"Crackle! Crackle!"

Tiny arcs of electricity wrapped around Ning Xiaochuan’s body.

Within a radius of 30 meters, faint traces of lightning gathered on the ground before converging toward his heart.

After absorbing Earth Martial Essence for an entire day, Ning Xiaochuan felt his cultivation had progressed significantly.

"Lightning Divine Beast!"

Ning Xiaochuan activated his divine ability. A sphere of electricity emerged above his head, continuously condensing into the form of half a lightning beast.

"My divine ability has improved again. Before, I could only summon a single Lightning Beast Claw, but now I can manifest half of its body. I’m one step closer to the Great Perfection of Divine Ability."

Only by condensing lightning into a complete giant beast can the power of the "Lightning Divine Beast" be unleashed to its fullest, achieving the Great Perfection of Divine Ability.

Ning Xin'er tiptoed over from behind, a Profound Qi Sword forming in her hand. In an instant, she struck like lightning, thrusting the sword toward Ning Xiaochuan's back.

"Swish!"

Ning Xiaochuan naturally sensed Ning Xin'er's attack, knowing she wanted to test his current cultivation level. With a sweep of his arms, he formed a shield of lightning behind him, blocking her strike.

"Lightning Divine Beast!"

Ning Xiaochuan forcefully twisted his body and pressed his palm toward Ning Xin'er.

His palm was enveloped in countless electric currents, transforming into half of a Lightning Divine Beast. Its momentum was ferocious, crashing down like a tidal wave.