Chapter 66

Halfway through their walk, Ning Xu suddenly stopped and said, “Let’s go to your family head’s private treasury later.”

Wu Luchen scratched his head but didn’t ask why. He simply replied, “Okay, Captain.”

Ning Xu couldn’t wait to go eat melons and casually said, “I’ve got something to do. I’ll leave for a bit.”

Wu Luchen immediately responded, “What is it, Captain? You’re not familiar with this place, and the Wu family has many taboos. To avoid any misunderstandings, how about I go with you?”

Even the usually quiet Innocent Cultivator spoke up, “Together.”

Since her teammates insisted, Ning Xu naturally agreed.

She told the Melon-Eating System, “Looks like I’ll be taking my teammates along to watch the drama this time.”

The Melon-Eating System cackled, 【Even more thrilling.】

As one of the three great families of Xingtao City, the Wu family estate was full of carved railings, painted buildings, and scenic spots every few steps, with exotic flowers, strange plants, pavilions, and towers everywhere. This was a clear display of the Wu family’s deep foundations. Was it just scenery? Of course not. These were all shining spirit stones.

Following the direction indicated by the Melon-Eating System, Ning Xu walked southeast. As they walked, the system continued introducing the surrounding landscape.

【This is the Martial Training Platform. The younger generation of the Wu family must arrive here at the hour of Mao (5–7 AM) every day for practice.】

【But no matter how much they train, it’s useless. Aside from the Qilin Heir, none of them are worth mentioning in a fight.】

【To the left is the Library Pavilion. But the books inside are just so-so. Nothing special. There’s no point in going in to read.】

Wu Luchen: … If the family head heard these words, he’d probably die of anger.

【Ahead is the residential area for the younger generation—nothing noteworthy.】

【Beyond that is the family head’s residence.】

【That old man really knows how to enjoy life.】

【Inside, aside from a variety of beauties, there are also plenty of treasures.】

【Behind his main residence, there’s a spiritual hot spring so rich in spiritual energy that it’s practically vaporizing. Soaking in it, the spiritual energy would just rush into your body nonstop!】

Compared to the hot spring, Ning Xu was obviously more interested in other matters. She asked, “Do all thirty-four concubines live there?”

The Melon-Eating System replied, 【Yes.】

Ning Xu was surprised. “Then he’s no different from a mortal emperor.” Thirty-four concubines—that was no small number. Some emperors’ harems were about the same size.

The Melon-Eating System casually added, 【He’s still a bit behind. An emperor’s women must go through layers of selection, but his concubines weren’t even properly verified. He just married them outright. There’s even a man among them, and he doesn’t know.】

Ning Xu: “…”

“That’s true.” After a pause, she asked, “How long has it been, and the family head still hasn’t noticed?”

Wu Luchen rubbed his nose, looking equally curious.

Yeah, why was Grandpa so slow on the uptake?

The Melon-Eating System snickered and explained, 【The thirty-fourth concubine was just married two days ago. On the wedding day, the Wu family’s Qilin Heir had an accident. The family head has spent most of his time focusing on the Qilin Heir these past two days and hasn’t even consummated the marriage yet.】

Ning Xu nodded. “No wonder.”

She was a little curious about the Wu family head’s lifestyle. “Does he pick a concubine every night?”

【No.】

【Cultivators are different from mortals. Every cultivator has an exceptional memory.】

【He doesn’t need to pick—he arranges everything perfectly in his mind.】

Ning Xu: “…”

Wu Chichun: “…”

The Melon-Eating System teased, 【He’s quite sentimental, making sure to spread his favor evenly so no one is left out.】

Ning Xu nodded seriously. “An emperor’s harem might have concubines he dislikes, but all of the Wu family head’s concubines were chosen by him, so he must like them all.”

【Exactly. He likes all of them and doesn’t neglect any.】

Wu Luchen: …

How was he supposed to face the Wu family head in the future? He felt like he knew too much now!

On the way to the family head’s residence, Ning Xu and the others encountered many members of the Wu family.

Seeing their unfamiliar faces, quite a few people came forward to inquire.

Fortunately, Wu Luchen had the identity token given by the family head, allowing them to pass smoothly and reach the entrance of the family head’s courtyard.

As expected, the family head’s residence was heavily guarded, with multiple layers of defensive formations that ordinary people couldn’t enter easily.

Wu Luchen scratched his head and asked, “Captain, why are we here? This is where the family head lives.”

Ning Xu solemnly lied, “I sensed a treasure here, so I came to take a look.”

Isn’t melon-eating just for satisfying curiosity?

Wu Luchen saw through her but didn’t expose her, simply responding with an “Oh.”

Ning Xu asked the Melon-Eating System, “How are we supposed to watch from here?” With so many guards, there was no way to get in.

The Melon-Eating System replied, 【They’re currently in the outermost courtyard. You don’t need to go in—you can see from a distance.】

“Alright.” The Melon-Eating System had some credibility. Following its instructions wouldn’t go wrong.

Ning Xu, Wu Luchen, and the others avoided the guards and walked around the perimeter of the family head’s courtyard.

The closer they got, the more excited the Melon-Eating System became.

【They’re right inside the courtyard!】

【We’re here! We’re here!】

Ning Xu stared at the three-meter-high wall in front of her, silently stepping forward to touch it.

The next second, it was as if she had touched an invisible water surface—waves of ripples spread outward layer by layer.

It was a defensive barrier.

The Melon-Eating System quickly said, 【Use the identity token that the old man gave Wu Luchen, and you can bypass the barrier.】

【Three meters to your left, near the ground, there’s a hole.】

【You can look inside through that hole.】

Ning Xu was silent for two seconds. “A dog hole?”

【A spiritual beast! A spiritual beast hole!】

【It’s just a spiritual beast hole, okay?】

Ning Xu: “…”

Forget it. A little sacrifice for the sake of eating melons was nothing.

Besides, she didn’t have to crawl through—just looking inside was fine. Thinking this way, Ning Xu felt no burden at all.

She took the identity token from Wu Luchen and found the hole the Melon-Eating System had mentioned.

The hole was small, but it was just enough for her to clearly see the scene inside the courtyard.

A few meters away from her stood two female cultivators dressed in luxurious clothing, their hair styled in elegant updos.

The woman on the left was tall, with striking makeup, a graceful figure, and every movement exuded an enchanting charm.

Compared to her, the concubine beside her appeared much more delicate and dependent.

That concubine had a gentle and refined appearance, with soft and graceful features—completely different in style from the other concubine next to her.

Ning Xu asked, “That tall one—is he cross-dressing?”

【Yes!】

Ning Xu was momentarily stunned. “I can’t tell, not even a little bit!”

This melon-eating trip was totally worth it! Absolutely worth it!

In her previous life, she had at least lived in an era of information explosion. In that time, cross-dressers weren’t unheard of. No matter how flawless their makeup was, there would always be some telltale signs of their true gender.

But this person before her—there wasn’t a single flaw to be seen.

“She” wore black and gold eyeliner, her phoenix-shaped eyes were narrow and seductive, and there was a decorative floral mark between her brows. Every glance, every movement carried an endless charm.

After a moment of silence, Ning Xu asked, “He learned the makeup, posture, and movements of female cultivators… Is it really just because he wants to reunite with his childhood sweetheart, and not because he actually enjoys it himself?”

This question rendered the Melon-Eating System speechless.

It hesitated. 【It should be for reuniting with his childhood sweetheart.】

Ning Xu fell silent for a moment before asking again, “How does he compare to that Grand Eunuch?”

The Melon-Eating System sighed. 【Each has their own strengths; it’s hard to say who’s better.】

Ning Xu remarked, “The cultivation world really isn’t lacking in talent.” In every aspect, there was no shortage of remarkable individuals.

Just as she was marveling at the countless charms of this cross-dressing expert, he suddenly pulled something out of his storage bag.

Seeing that object, Ning Xu’s eyes widened, and her expression cracked. “Ah, this… this…!”

The Melon-Eating System let out a sly chuckle. 【Shocking, right? Unexpected, right?】

Ning Xu was dazed. “What is he doing with that?”

The Melon-Eating System replied directly, 【It’s for his childhood sweetheart.】

Ning Xu: “Huh?”

【He has already bribed several guards. When the time is right, he and his childhood sweetheart will cross-dress as men and escape together.】

【Among the concubines of that old man, several are mere mortals who cannot cultivate. Every day, servants bring food and carry out kitchen waste.】

【When the time comes, he and his childhood sweetheart will disguise themselves as kitchen waste collectors and use the opportunity to escape.】

【To make it convincing, he crafted this himself. He plans to have his childhood sweetheart wear it.】

【Of course, besides this, there’s also an Adam’s apple and other details.】

【He’s fully prepared, leaving no room for failure.】

Ning Xu: “…”

This ruthless man didn’t just fully transform himself into a mature, alluring woman—he even managed to create such a realistic prop.

“He’s a refining master, isn’t he?”

The Melon-Eating System denied it. 【No, he’s a blade cultivator.】

“Huh? Since when were blade cultivators so versatile?”

The Melon-Eating System chuckled. 【Life isn’t easy. To reunite with his childhood sweetheart, of course he had to learn a few extra skills.】

He might not have learned other things, but when it came to strange and peculiar skills, he had mastered them to perfection.

Ning Xu sighed. “He’s quite cautious.”

Kitchen waste collection usually happened in the middle of the night.

At that time, the night guards would already be sleepy, and with poor lighting, they likely wouldn’t notice the finer details.

But he had thought everything through.

Every potential flaw that could expose his identity—he had accounted for and addressed.

The Melon-Eating System asked, 【What do you think of his figure?】

Ning Xu answered honestly, “Hot.”

Truly, scorching hot.

This “mature beauty” had a curvy figure, long red-painted nails, and slender fingers that were particularly eye-catching. Compared to him, his childhood sweetheart looked like a child—plain and unremarkable both in appearance and attire.

The Melon-Eating System snickered. 【Perfect figure, right?】

Ning Xu hummed in agreement.

The Melon-Eating System added, 【And he’s not using mere steamed buns.】

【He’s using custom-made props—100% realistic.】

【The Wu family patriarch isn’t an idiot. They say the older one gets, the wiser they become. That old man is no fool—pulling off something under his nose isn’t easy.】

【The fact that he hasn’t noticed anything yet just proves that this “mature beauty” is one step ahead.】

No kidding…

Ning Xu muttered, “A real talent.”

Wu Lüchen: !!!

What on earth were they talking about?!

Since he couldn’t see what was happening in the courtyard, Wu Lüchen could only infer based on their conversation.

The Melon-Eating System had exclaimed “shocking” multiple times.

So just how shocking was it? He really wanted to take a peek.

At that moment, Ning Xu’s expression wavered. “Wait… didn’t he just put that away?”

“Why is he taking it out again?”

The Melon-Eating System exclaimed, 【Just now, he only showed it to his childhood sweetheart for a moment.】

【After putting it away, they discussed more details about their escape.】

【Now, he’s taking it out again to let her try it on—see if it fits. If not, he’ll make adjustments.】

Ning Xu: “…”

“Why don’t they go inside to do this?”

The Melon-Eating System replied, 【Maybe the lighting is better in the courtyard, so they can see more clearly?】

Ning Xu: …

The Melon-Eating System laughed. 【They don’t know someone is watching nearby.】

Just as Ning Xu was about to examine the craftsmanship of this custom-made item, the Innocent Cultivator suddenly covered her eyes with his hands.

She had been lying on the ground, secretly peeking into the courtyard.

Before she even noticed, a pair of hands had appeared in front of her. These hands were warm and dry, carrying a faint, pleasant fragrance.

Ning Xu blinked. Although the Innocent Cultivator was a food cultivator, he didn’t carry any smell of ingredients—just a light, refreshing scent.

She was briefly dazed. Just as she was about to ask why he was blocking her view, the Innocent Cultivator spoke. “Captain, a patrol squad is coming.”

Ning Xu responded with an “Oh.”

The Innocent Cultivator let go and asked, “Captain, how was the treasure?”

His tone was the same as usual, but for some reason, Ning Xu felt like his mood wasn’t great.

He seemed… a little unhappy.

Ning Xu withdrew her gaze and said, “You’ve got the wrong idea. There’s no treasure here.” Those things could hardly be considered treasures.

The Innocent Cultivator’s lips curved slightly. “Oh? Then shall we head to the storage room?”

Ning Xu paused for a second.

Why did it seem like his mood had suddenly improved? His voice even carried a hint of amusement.

Was she imagining things earlier?

She didn’t dwell on it and answered immediately, “Sure!”

Having finished her melon-eating session, Ning Xu stood up, looking utterly satisfied. But just as she got up, the patrol squad the Innocent Cultivator mentioned started heading straight for them.

She halted mid-step.

Were they coming for her?

That seemed unlikely. They had no way of knowing what she had just witnessed.

As she speculated about their intentions, the squad leader spoke.

“Ah Chen, the Liu family has come to provoke us. The Patriarch orders you to report to the gate immediately.”