“Oh, right,” Sun Lingtong continued to remind Ning Zhuo.
“Don’t forget about the matter of the Fetal Breathing Spirit Boat. If we ever need to negotiate purchasing this heirloom treasure in the future, I can’t even begin to imagine the cost.”
Sun Lingtong suggested, “How about this? We join forces and steal everything from the Myriad Medicine Sect!”
“We’ll plunder their entire herb stash and sell it for a fortune.”
“Then we can find an opportunity to steal the Fetal Breathing Spirit Boat - problem solved!”
Ning Zhuo shook his head without responding.
Sun Lingtong pressed, “We still have a good chance with the Ten Thousand Li Traversing Dragon.”
“I’ll do the dirty work. Little Zhuo, you can move around and create an alibi for yourself.”
“You still need to maintain your reputation.”
Ning Zhuo sighed and shook his head. “Boss, let’s discuss this later. For now, let’s wait until my family’s ancestor arrives.”
Yesterday, he had received a letter from Ning Jiufan, who had sent it before his departure. The letter had been sent ahead, arriving at the Myriad Medicine Sect faster than Ning Jiufan himself.
A few days later, at the martial arts arena of Little Contention Peak, Ning Zhuo and Han Zhou had just finished a sparring session.
Ning Zhuo, drenched in sweat, stared at Han Zhou with a distant gaze. A strange thought crossed his mind: *If I used Han Zhou as a precious material for mechanisms, how much would that save me?*
“I must be really broke,” Ning Zhuo laughed and shook his head, quickly dismissing the absurd idea.
“Human resources are valuable! It would be a huge waste to use Han Zhou like that.”
Ever since Sun Lingtong’s recent reminder, Ning Zhuo had been feeling the financial pressure and had been racking his brain for ways to make some quick money.
Han Zhou, exhausted, asked with curiosity and a hint of expectation, “Daoist Ning Zhuo, with the next day of Little Contention Peak approaching, who do you plan to challenge this time?”
Ning Zhuo shook his head. “In the short term, I’m planning to settle down and take things slow. The only ones worth challenging for me are Zheng Xingchen and Lai Wuying.”
Han Zhou nodded. Having sparred with Ning Zhuo many times, he had gained a deep understanding of his combat power.
Although Ning Zhuo was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, his combat abilities, bolstered by his mechanical limbs, were impressive - definitely among the top tier of Little Contention Peak.
Ning Zhuo, Hua Guzi, and Chang Yan had already been recognized as being in the same league. And above that tier, only two individuals - Zheng Xingchen and Lai Wuying - stood dominant, rarely losing to others like Chang Yan, Hua Guzi, or Luo Xiao.
The two left the arena and walked side by side.
As they passed by, most people greeted them out of respect. Both Ning Zhuo and Han Zhou were well-known figures on Little Contention Peak.
Despite his considerable strength, Han Zhou’s cave residence ranked low, mainly for two reasons: First, he practiced the Suffering Sutra, a technique that required him to endure hardship and seek out pain to maintain the cold, bitter true essence in his upper dantian. Second, he intentionally challenged other cave residences from the bottom up, then deliberately “lost” to gain certain benefits.
The Suffering Sutra was the least resource-demanding method Ning Zhuo had come across. Even so, Han Zhou still had to work hard to earn spirit stones to support his cultivation.
Cultivation, after all, was about transforming external resources into personal strength through specific methods.
As for Ning Zhuo, his reputation had spread throughout the Myriad Medicine Sect.
His battle with Hua Guzi had fully demonstrated his strength, silencing those who had doubted him.
With his combat abilities now acknowledged, Ning Zhuo’s life became much more stable, and the public opinion against him become more positive.
Ning Zhuo knew that aside from showcasing his strength, Senior Brother Linghu Jiu of the Myriad Medicine Sect had likely intervened, causing his juniors to stop bothering Ning Zhuo.
However, the only downside was… people.
“Young Master Ning Zhuo, we meet again!” From around the corner, Hua Guzi appeared, like a blazing flame rushing toward them.
Ning Zhuo and Han Zhou both widened their eyes.
“Meet again?” Ning Zhuo’s mouth twitched. “This is the third time today... Daoist Hua, I’ve already made it clear - there’s no need for apologies, and I don’t need your dumplings.”
Ning Zhuo sighed, utterly helpless.
Han Zhou, witnessing this scene, couldn’t help but marvel. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have believed it.
A few days ago, Hua Guzi had come to apologize, offering spiritual dumplings, only to be rejected by Ning Zhuo on the spot.
Han Zhou had thought she would cause trouble after that, but to his surprise, she came again the next day with different dumplings to apologize. This completely shocked Han Zhou.
Even more surprising was that Ning Zhuo rejected her again, wanting nothing to do with her.
Privately, Han Zhou had advised Ning Zhuo to lower his stance a little. After all, Hua Guzi was strong, and since she had apologized, there was no need to turn a potential friend into an enemy.
But Ning Zhuo had only said to him, “You don’t understand.”
What happened next completely shook Han Zhou’s understanding of the world.
No matter how Ning Zhuo refused, Hua Guzi didn’t get angry. Instead, she persisted, continuing to apologize and bring gifts. What had started as once a day had escalated to three times a day!
The more cold and indifferent Ning Zhuo was toward her, the more enthusiastic she became, to the point of almost fawning over him!
“Is this really necessary?!” Han Zhou had always considered Hua Guzi to be in the same tier as Ning Zhuo - a top Foundation Establishment cultivator on Little Contention Peak.
But all of her dignity as a top-tier fighter was gone, and she seemed more like a lapdog.
To others, however, Hua Guzi remained her usual self. It was only when she faced Ning Zhuo that her attitude suddenly became humble and ingratiating.
After much bewilderment, Han Zhou finally shifted his gaze to Ning Zhuo’s face.
He had an epiphany.
“Hua Guzi must be in love.”
This was the only explanation that made any sense to Han Zhou.
“Young Master Ning Zhuo must have realized her feelings and is trying not to lead her on, which is why he’s always so cold.”
Suddenly, Ning Zhuo’s previously strange behavior all made sense.
“How did I not figure this out sooner?”
“Come to think of it, Young Master Ning Zhuo’s reactions have been quite sharp. He sensed something was off the very day this started and immediately distanced himself from her.”
Han Zhou secretly admired Ning Zhuo. If it were him, he wouldn’t have been able to detect the change in Hua Guzi’s emotions so quickly.
“No wonder he’s the carefully groomed son of a prestigious cultivation family.”
“He must have been pursued by women many times before, so he recognized Hua Guzi’s behavior immediately.”
“Comparing myself to him, well...”
Han Zhou looked at Ning Zhuo, then back at himself, shaking his head in mixed emotions.
“Young Master Ning Zhuo, I have brought you a carefully cultivated Golden-Tailed Phoenix Flower. Please accept it!” Hua Guzi stared at Ning Zhuo with wide eyes, her face full of anticipation and longing.
Her pitiful appearance, as if she would burst into tears any moment, made even Han Zhou, who practiced Buddhist sutras, feel reluctant to reject her.
Yet Ning Zhuo mercilessly refused.
“How many times must I say it? I don’t need your gifts. Farewell, Daoist Hua.”
Ning Zhuo walked around Hua Guzi and continued on his way.
“Young Master Ning Zhuo!” Behind him, Hua Guzi turned and cried out, her tears flowing, filling the air with sorrow.
Ning Zhuo quickened his pace, knowing full well from his life hanging thread technique that deep within, Hua Guzi was feeling intense joy and excitement.
In Yuan Mountain.
Lin Shanshan stared at the information in her hands, her face darkening. “What’s going on with Hua Guzi?”
“Ever since she lost to Young Master Ning Zhuo, she’s been clinging to him. Has she no shame?”
Lin Shanshan gritted her teeth.
The news of Ning Zhuo’s victory over Hua Guzi had barely made her happy for a few days before this report came in.
“Ning Zhuo rejected her again?”
“That’s excellent!”
“Young Master Ning Zhuo, with your incredible insight, of course, you see through their ulterior motives. How could you be so easily deceived?”
Lin Shanshan’s gaze turned icy.
Her maid, Xiao Ju, waved her hand nervously in front of Lin Shanshan’s face. “Miss, wake up! Don’t look at me like that. I’m Xiao Ju, not Hua Guzi.”
Lin Shanshan blinked, then quickly apologized to Xiao Ju.
At Ning Zhuo’s cave residence.
“What is going on with Hua Guzi?” Ning Zhuo, sitting on a meditation cushion, was also troubled.
He hadn’t expected that rejecting her with cold words would not discourage her. Instead, it seemed to make her more persistent, more determined.
“Boss, what should we do in this situation?” For the first time, Ning Zhuo was at a loss on how to handle someone like her. Since he didn’t want to harm her, he asked Sun Lingtong for advice.
Sun Lingtong, hiding inside the mechanical dragon, was laughing so hard he could barely stand.
This was just too entertaining.
As Ning Zhuo grew older, moments where Sun Lingtong could see him struggling like this had become rare.
Wanting to keep watching, Sun Lingtong suppressed his laughter and pretended to be serious. “Little Zhuo, Hua Guzi is actually quite pitiful.”
Ning Zhuo: “?”
Sun Lingtong continued, “Think about it - does this behavior seem normal to you?”
“Her twisted personality is proof of the severe trauma she must have suffered in childhood.”
Ning Zhuo fell silent for a moment. “Boss, the way you put it, I’m starting to feel a little sympathy for Hua Guzi.”
Sun Lingtong clapped his fists. “Exactly! So, you should help her!”
Ning Zhuo: “Huh?”
Sun Lingtong explained further, “People with personalities like hers can easily go to extremes. If you keep rejecting her like this, what if she gets desperate and does something drastic?”
Ning Zhuo wasn’t entirely convinced. “I don’t think that’s likely. Every time I reject her, she seems secretly thrilled.”
Sun Lingtong shook his head. “You never know with people like her.”
“She might turn from love to hate, and if she can’t have you, she might try to destroy you!”
Ning Zhuo frowned and sneered, “The only reason I haven’t dealt with her is because of the rules here and my reputation. If she ever -”
“No, no, no,” Sun Lingtong interrupted. “You’re misunderstanding me, Little Zhuo.”
“What I mean is, rather than letting her turn against you in the future, why not take the initiative and recruit her?”
“People with personalities like hers are usually trained as assassins.”
“She’s a wild, dangerous blade. If you’re careful, she could be useful. Mishandle her, though, and she could hurt you.”
Ning Zhuo shook his head repeatedly. “She’s too crazy. I didn’t think someone like this could even exist! Honestly, I don’t want to have anything to do with her.”
Sun Lingtong warned, “If you let this continue, it could become dangerous. Even if she doesn’t target you, what about your branch family? What will you do if she turns her attention there?”
“With the way she’s obsessed with you now, once we leave this place, what if she goes to Fire Persimmon Immortal City looking for you?”
Ning Zhuo furrowed his brow even more.
“Boss, you’re right. But I have a bad feeling that if I accept her, even partially, it’s going to bring me trouble in the future.”
Just then, a message arrived.
Opening it, Ning Zhuo’s face turned slightly pale, and his voice even trembled a bit with fear. “Boss, what do I do? She’s now heading directly to my cave!”
Sun Lingtong scanned the message with his spiritual sense. “Little Zhuo, don’t panic. Look at the contents closely. Hua Guzi is offering to teach you how to cultivate seven rare and exotic flowers.”
“This is valuable stuff. If you bring it back to your family and it grows into a large-scale business, wouldn’t that solve our cultivation resource problem?”
“These are priceless treasures.”
Ning Zhuo looked closely and realized it was indeed as Sun Lingtong said.
He fell into brief silence.
A moment later, Ning Zhuo led Hua Guzi into his cave.
Leave a Comment