Chapter 128

Gou Chen’s expression was grim.

Over the years, his relationship with Lie Quan, Xu Hua, Zhi Qing, and the others had nearly reached the freezing point. They had once been close friends who shared everything, but after that incident, they had begun drifting apart.

He clearly remembered that day when Si Zang lost his life under the endless sword light of the crowd.

By all logic, he should have been utterly annihilated, both body and soul. And yet… Gou Chen couldn’t shake the feeling that Si Zang hadn’t truly perished. Perhaps it was because Si Zang had always left such a powerful impression on people that it was difficult to believe he had truly fallen like that.

Would Si Zang really surrender so easily?

Had he left behind some kind of backup plan?

The strangest thing was that his Innate Sword Bone had disappeared without a trace. A treasure of such caliber would never simply vanish, even if its owner had perished.

And yet, Si Zang’s Sword Bone was missing. They had searched for years but had never found it.

Their mission had failed, and later, they had sacrificed countless geniuses before finally satisfying that being.

But now, with a cultivator experiencing an explosive surge in power, it was hard for him not to make certain connections.

And then there was “Melon Mover,” who had also caught his attention.

At one point, he had thought “Melon Mover” might be that person.

But he distinctly remembered that when he first met Daoist Friend Ning at Si Zang’s place, she had already reached the Golden Core Stage.

Meanwhile, “Melon Mover” was only at the Qi Refining Stage.

So, the two of them couldn’t possibly be the same person.

And yet, their posting styles were strikingly similar.

Over the past three thousand years, many cultivators had come forward with shocking exposés. It could be said that there was never a shortage of gossip-mongering cultivators. “Melon Mover” was by no means the most flamboyant or exaggerated among them—there had been others far more ostentatious—but they were undeniably the most accurate.

So, was there a connection between “Melon Mover” and Daoist Friend Ning? And if so, what was it?

Gou Chen felt a vague unease.

It was as if a storm was brewing.

He looked out the window. The sky was overcast—perhaps the storm was truly coming.
—

At that moment, “The Three Thousand Realms Cultivator Exchange Area” was in an uproar once again due to a response from a great power.

【If my calculations are correct, 199 Heavenly Lightning Strikes is precisely the number required to transcend tribulation from the Foundation Establishment Stage to the Body Integration Stage.】

【???】

【!!!】

【I only knew that this person had skyrocketed from a low cultivation level, but I never expected that they started their sprint from the Foundation Establishment Stage!】

【Isn’t this absurd? Isn’t this truly absurd? This is beyond absurd!】

【From Foundation Establishment to Body Integration? I wouldn’t even dare dream of something like this!】

【But I also did the calculations. Doesn’t it take 216 Heavenly Lightning Strikes to ascend from Foundation Establishment to Body Integration?】

At that moment, the great power responded.

【If one undergoes multiple tribulations in a single go, the number of lightning strikes will be slightly lower. It’s just that ordinary cultivators don’t know this.】

Ordinary cultivators… don’t know this.

A great many ordinary cultivators felt personally called out.

Then, the great power left two more comments.

【Being able to ascend from Foundation Establishment to Body Integration isn’t just a matter of good fortune. There must be other reasons we don’t yet know.】

【The update for the Celestial Pavilion’s Genius Ranking is coming soon. When the time comes, we’ll find out exactly where this genius came from.】
—

The so-called genius that these cultivators were discussing was currently traveling with Ning Xu.

With her cultivation level skyrocketing, their travel time had significantly shortened. A journey of over ten thousand kilometers took them only a single day.

As they arrived at their destination, the Melon-Eating System excitedly shouted, 【Sky City, we’re back!】

That’s right—Ning Xu’s destination was Sky City.

Compared to three thousand years ago, Sky City was now even more prosperous. The most striking change was its sheer size—the city’s territory had expanded to twice its previous size.

In her memory, she had visited Sky City not too long ago.

But this time, the number of shops in the city had multiplied several times over, the streets were significantly wider, and the number of cultivators walking around had increased tenfold.

Ning Xu said to the Melon-Eating System, “It seems Sky City has developed quite well over the years.”

【Indeed, the Ji family does have some skill and luck.】

Over the long years, the other great cities of the cultivation world had all experienced shifts in power, with the city lord’s position constantly changing hands. Yet Sky City had remained stable, always under the absolute control of the Ji family.

Ning Xu and the Innocent Cultivator strolled leisurely through the city, leading an old yellow ox. Their unusual combination didn’t attract much attention—there were plenty of others who stood out far more than they did.

【Host, I always knew that Laurel Tower was a money-making machine, but I never paid much attention to it. After all, no matter how much money it made, it had nothing to do with us. But now that I know it belongs to you, I can’t help but care!】

Ning Xu asked, “How is it doing now?”

The Melon-Eating System shrieked excitedly, 【It’s doing great! But I think it could be even better!】

Ning Xu immediately decided to inspect Laurel Tower.

Three thousand years had passed, and its location had become even more prominent—right on the main street of Sky City, in the most visible spot. No cultivator visiting the city could possibly miss it. Its signage had also grown even flashier.

As soon as Ning Xu approached, the cat inside her storage artifact grew restless.

As her trump card, she had refrained from summoning the Mountains and Rivers Diagram during the previous battle.

As a result, Xu Hua and the others still didn’t know she was its master.

The Melon-Eating System muttered, 【I knew it couldn’t hold back.】

【This cat is way too lustful.】

Ning Xu proactively introduced it to the Innocent Cultivator, “This is my newly contracted Artifact Spirit. I’ll explain more later.”

The Innocent Cultivator simply replied, “Alright.”

As they reached the entrance of Laurel Tower, a male host approached to greet them.

“Welcome, Daoist Friends, to Laurel Tower. If you wish to enter, the fee is 1.2 million lower-grade spirit stones per cultivator and 600,000 per spirit beast.”

Ning Xu: “???”

【Good heavens, they’ve raised the prices!】 the Melon-Eating System exclaimed.

Previously, the fee had been 500,000 lower-grade spirit stones per cultivator and 250,000 per spirit beast.

Now, the prices had skyrocketed.

Without hesitation, Ning Xu handed over 3.6 million lower-grade spirit stones.

After all, the money left her left pocket only to go straight into her right pocket.

Seeing her generosity, the turtle attendant became even more enthusiastic.

“Daoist friend, please follow me.”

Ning Xu followed the turtle attendant into the Laurel Pavilion.

As before, the moment they crossed a certain boundary, their vision suddenly expanded.

The real Laurel Pavilion appeared before them—still the same pavilions and terraces, stone bridges, and flowing water.

Perhaps due to the absence of its pavilion master over the years, the Laurel Pavilion had neither expanded nor undergone any significant changes internally.

The Melon-Eating System commented, 【All these years, the City Lord’s Manor has been diligently protecting the Laurel Pavilion, ensuring that no one could touch this massive piece of cake.】

【However, since this is your property, the Ji family couldn’t interfere too much, so the Laurel Pavilion hasn’t changed much.】

As she listened to the Melon-Eating System, Ning Xu took the booklet from the turtle attendant’s hands.

She flipped through it briefly, skimming over its contents. Truthfully, the quality of both the male and female models had declined compared to before. Even the cat showed little interest.

After all, it was now a well-traveled cat, frequently interacting with six male foxes, which had significantly raised its standards. The current top courtesan of the pavilion couldn’t even compare to Fox Eight, let alone Fox Chen, Fox Yao, and the others.

Just as Ning Xu was about to say something, she suddenly realized that the Innocent Cultivator had been silent for quite some time.

The Melon-Eating System muttered, 【Host, you actually brought the Innocent Cultivator to a place like this!】

【And you even flipped through the booklet right in front of him!】

【That booklet contains a hundred male models of various styles!】

【The Innocent Cultivator is upset!】

【The Innocent Cultivator wants head pats!】

【The Innocent Cultivator needs comforting!】

Ning Xu: …

“Melon, don’t be ridiculous!”

Thinking of how the Innocent Cultivator had obediently waited for her in the Endless Sea for three whole years without taking a single step away, Ning Xu took the initiative to explain, “This place is my business. I’m just here to inspect it.”

“These people are merely my subordinates.”

The turtle attendant: ???

No way. If you want to pick a courtesan, just pick one—why bring up business and inspections? Are you here just to show off? Everyone knows the Laurel Pavilion’s master hasn’t shown up in three thousand years. No one even knows if they’re still alive, and now you’re claiming the title?

The turtle attendant was just about to refute her when Ning Xu directly took out the pavilion master’s token. The token gleamed brilliantly, with the character “Xu” inscribed in an extravagant, flamboyant script, while the back bore the words “Laurel Pavilion.” A formation array on the token was slowly revolving.

At the sight of the token, the turtle attendant’s expression changed instantly.

“You… you are the master of the pavilion who has never appeared before?”

Ning Xu gave a soft “Mm” and said, “Summon the steward.”

The Melon-Eating System loudly praised, 【Host, that was a perfect display! Absolutely brilliant! So satisfying!】

It was thoroughly enjoying itself!

Didn’t the turtle attendant look like he was about to start cursing just moments ago?

Yet the moment Ning Xu revealed the pavilion master’s token, his expression shifted immediately!

Before long, the steward arrived in a fluster.

This steward wasn’t particularly old and was merely a mortal. He clearly wasn’t a descendant of the original steward.

The Melon-Eating System quickly supplied, 【The previous steward was caught embezzling and was severely punished by the City Lord’s Manor. This new one is timid but relatively loyal.】

Even with the City Lord’s Manor overseeing things, greed was inevitable. Over the years, more than one steward had been caught embezzling. Fortunately, the true master of the pavilion had now returned.

As soon as the steward arrived, Ning Xu stated flatly, “Due to certain reasons, I was unable to manage the pavilion personally. Now that I have returned, the Laurel Pavilion requires immediate reforms.”

The steward stole a glance at the pavilion master’s token and quickly lowered his head, bowing deeply. “I will follow all of the pavilion master’s instructions.”

No sooner had the steward spoken than the Melon-Eating System started picking apart the issues.

【Host, several male and female courtesans here were actually sent by our rivals. They don’t focus on their work at all—they just slack off and stir up trouble! They’ve already driven away several groups of guests!】

【And where did those guests go after leaving? Straight to our competitors!】

【The Laurel Pavilion might not have suffered a catastrophic loss, but the damage is still significant!】

With that, the Melon-Eating System immediately listed the names of the troublemakers.

It held grudges! These people took salaries from the Laurel Pavilion while working for the rivals, blatantly siphoning away resources. Such rotten apples couldn’t be kept.

Ning Xu was decisive. She directly called out their names and instructed the steward, “Tell them to pack their things and leave immediately. As for their monthly wages, they won’t be receiving them. If they ask why, they should already know the answer.”

The steward: ???

Was the pavilion master always this ruthless?

And the first thing she did upon returning was to fire seven courtesans at once.

When exactly did they offend her?

The steward quickly realized that the pavilion master was not someone to be trifled with. Without a word of protest, he ordered his trusted aides to handle the matter.

Ning Xu was quite satisfied with his obedience.

Just as she was about to issue more orders, a servant suddenly rushed in and announced, “Steward, the Old Ancestor of the City Lord’s Manor has arrived!”

The Old Ancestor of the City Lord’s Manor?

Wasn’t that the former city lord from three thousand years ago?

Why had he come? It was said that he had stepped back from affairs in recent years and rarely visited the Laurel Pavilion. His sudden appearance now seemed suspicious.

As the steward puzzled over this, the Melon-Eating System praised, 【Smart move—he came knocking on our door himself, saving us the trouble of going to the City Lord’s Manor.】

It seemed the bait they had thrown out had worked, keeping the Ji family on edge. As soon as the Old City Lord heard the pavilion master had returned, he rushed over immediately.

Since the Old City Lord was showing courtesy, Ning Xu couldn’t be too aloof. Just as she prepared to go out and greet him personally, the dismissed courtesans pushed their way forward.

“Why should she get to kick us out?”

“She says she’s the pavilion master, and we’re just supposed to believe her? I could say I’m the pavilion master too!”

“I don’t care! I’ve been working here just fine—why should I leave? I won’t!”

“Step aside! I don’t believe it! Everyone knows the Laurel Pavilion’s master is a mystery. Suddenly, someone shows up claiming to be the master—who knows if her token is real?”

“It could be a forgery for all we know!”

“Unless the City Lord himself confirms it, I refuse to acknowledge her as the pavilion master!”

At that moment, a tall, imposing figure appeared in the distance, walking towards them with calm assurance.

He first glanced at Ning Xu, quickly suppressing the surprise in his eyes, and then personally verified her identity. “I may not be the City Lord, but I can guarantee—she is undoubtedly the pavilion master.”

The customers inside the Laurel Pavilion, along with the male and female courtesans: !!!

The pavilion master, who had disappeared for three thousand years, was not only alive but had suddenly reappeared?

This was the biggest scandal of the year!