Crazy-Gossiping-C69

Chapter 69

The Second Young Master, who had been following alongside Ning Xu while eating melons, couldn’t help but reveal a faint smile.

As far as he knew, among the suitors around Goddess Yutao, one of them happened to be the legitimate second son of Star Peach City’s City Lord.

This second son was currently in the limelight, highly favored, and many believed he was on the verge of winning the beauty’s heart.

Coincidentally, his relationship with this second son of the City Lord was not particularly harmonious.

If a scandal about this person were to be exposed, completely ruining his reputation, the Second Young Master might even wake up laughing in his sleep.

Ning Xu tilted her head slightly and happened to catch sight of the smile on the Second Young Master’s face.

Somewhat surprised, she asked, “What are you smiling about?”

The Second Young Master’s heart tightened upon hearing this. For some reason, a voice inside him told him that he absolutely must not speak the truth.

Not only could he not say it, but it was best not to even reveal a single related word.

Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately said, “Just thinking about how Ah Chen, whom I watched grow up, actually shares a blood relation with me—it makes me uncontrollably happy.”

Ning Xu also smiled in response.

Wu Lüchen had made quite a splash today, and she herself had received benefits from the Wu Family Patriarch. It could be said that she had gained a lot.

The two of them each had their own reasons for smiling. At this moment, the Melon-Eating System suddenly clicked its tongue.

【The Wu family’s Second Young Master beside you is quite the entertainer.】

Second Young Master: ???

Ning Xu openly glanced at the Wu family’s Second Young Master and asked, “How so?”

【This Wu Second Young Master—about ten years ago, when he was nearly a hundred years old—the Wu Family Patriarch suddenly became concerned about his marriage and wanted to arrange a marriage between him and the daughter of a certain family in Star Peach City.】

An arranged marriage, huh?

Seemed like a common practice for cultivation families.

She asked, “And then?”

【Then, his proposed fiancée had been poisoned in childhood and wasn’t particularly attractive.】

【He didn’t fancy her.】

At this point, the Melon-Eating System clicked its tongue in disdain.

【To refuse the marriage, he publicly proclaimed that he and his cousin from his maternal uncle’s family were deeply in love. He said they were childhood companions, a perfect match made in heaven, and that if not for family pressure, they would have been together long ago.】

【When he spoke of his cousin, he choked up several times, overwhelmed with emotion.】

Ning Xu: !!!

Second Young Master: …

Never in his wildest dreams did he expect to be caught up in a melon of his own.

This mysterious existence actually knew about something from so many years ago?

It had been years, and almost no one in Star Peach City talked about this anymore. Even he, the person involved, had nearly forgotten about it. Yet today, it was suddenly brought up again…

Don’t ask. Asking is just embarrassing.

Ning Xu, intrigued, asked, “So, what’s his relationship with his cousin? Were they truly in love?”

【No, their friendship was indeed good, but not in that way.】

【Pure brotherly love, nothing more.】

Ning Xu glanced at Wu Second Young Master with admiration.

“To avoid an arranged marriage, he was even willing to sacrifice his own reputation.”

The Melon-Eating System burst into laughter.

【Exactly! Otherwise, why call him an entertainer?】

【There were clearly better ways to handle it, but he deliberately chose the one that was the most disadvantageous to himself.】

【And he dragged his cousin into it as well.】

Ning Xu, even more intrigued, asked, “How are they now?”

The Melon-Eating System cackled wildly.

【Not much to say—they’re both eternal bachelors now.】

Upon hearing the phrase “eternal bachelors,” Ning Xu couldn’t help but laugh as well.

Seeing the amusement in her eyes and the smile on her lips, even the Innocent Cultivator’s lips curved slightly.

The only one wounded in this situation was Wu Second Young Master.

Wu Second Young Master: Eternal bachelor? No way, no way, he’s just barely past a hundred! His cousin isn’t much older either—how did they suddenly become eternal bachelors?

The Melon-Eating System continued,

【Anyway, no reputable daughter from a prestigious family in Star Peach City would ever consider them.】

【The Wu Family Patriarch has also given up on arranging a marriage for Wu Second Young Master.】

Ning Xu asked, “Why? Did the Wu Family Patriarch actually believe it?”

【Oh, he did. Not just him—everyone who knew about it back then took it seriously.】

【They thought the two had a love stronger than gold. After all, this guy’s acting skills were top-notch.】

【But in reality?】

【Reality was quite different.】

【Who would have thought that Wu Second Young Master was just a scoundrel? He was just playing around!】

【His cousin had been eager to find a partner before, but unfortunately, no one from a comparable background was interested in him. Recently, he developed feelings for a young lady, but she now avoids him like the plague—afraid of becoming part of his and Wu Second Young Master’s ‘play.’】

Wu Second Young Master: !!!

His cousin actually had a crush on someone?!

He had wronged his cousin!

But he and his cousin hadn’t seen each other for almost four or five years, so how was it that people still remembered what happened between them?

Ning Xu asked, “Does Young Master Wu have someone he likes?”

【Probably not. With his three-year-old mentality, I doubt he’s figured that out yet.】

Young Master Wu, who was just called a three-year-old: …

As they chatted and enjoyed their gossip, the Wu family head’s private treasury arrived.

Ning Xu showed her identity token to the guards at the entrance and was immediately allowed in. Clearly, the guards had already been instructed by the Wu family head.

As soon as she stepped into the private treasury, Ning Xu was momentarily dazzled by the treasures before her. There was no doubt that the Wu family head’s private collection was filled with an abundance of valuable items, all neatly categorized.

Young Master Wu enthusiastically said, “Daoist friend, take whatever you like. You made my grandfather shine today. Even if you empty this place, I doubt he’d say anything.”

Ning Xu joked with the Melon-Eating System, “If the Wu family head finds out, he’ll probably scold him for being an unfilial grandson.”

The treasures in the private treasury likely made up the majority of the Wu family head’s wealth.

Emptying it completely was obviously unrealistic. Although the Wu family head had said to take whatever she wanted, if she really took everything, any goodwill between them would be gone.

There was no need to take everything, but picking out some valuable and useful items was definitely necessary.

The Melon-Eating System was excited as soon as it entered.

After all, its bound host was about to get rich overnight!

【Host, pick this one, this one! A top-grade defensive magic treasure shaped like a sachet—super convenient to carry around.】

【Host, this hairpin is so beautiful! It’s also defensive and suits you perfectly!】

【Host, host, and this one…】

There were around a hundred treasures in the Wu family head’s private treasury.

Ning Xu only planned to take about twenty.

Of course, the six most valuable treasures were the first ones she picked.

As for the rest…

In the multi-treasure cabinet by the window, she noticed a small, exquisite pot.

The pot was entirely black, about the size of a fist, with a vividly carved black dragon on its surface. When sunlight reflected off the dragon, it almost looked as if it were about to soar into the sky.

She couldn’t resist picking it up and playing with it. Unlike what she expected, the pot wasn’t cold to the touch but had a smooth, warm texture that felt incredibly pleasant. She turned to the Innocent Cultivator and asked, “Do you like this?”

As soon as she picked up the pot, the Melon-Eating System immediately provided information.

【The Wu family head obtained this from a secret realm when he was young.】

【He had many people appraise it, but they all concluded it was just a normal pot with a decent appearance.】

Ning Xu paused and said to the Melon-Eating System, “A normal pot? Then I won’t give it to the Innocent Cultivator.”

The Melon-Eating System hurriedly stopped her.

【Even though no one could identify its material or origin, the Wu family head was convinced it was something special, so he stored it in his private treasury.】

【And he was right! This is actually a great item—the main material is Star Iron, an extremely rare metal that hasn’t been mined for over a thousand years.】

【This metal allows the pot to maintain a constant temperature at all times. Even if burned with exotic fire, it won’t melt. It can be used for cooking as well as for defense.】

【Over thousands of years, this pot has witnessed the battles between humans and demons, times of peace, and has been passed through countless owners.】

【It’s about to develop a spirit!】

Ning Xu hadn’t expected the pot to have such a rich history.

After hearing the Melon-Eating System’s explanation, she realized it was indeed a valuable item.

Holding the pot, she moved closer to the Innocent Cultivator and said, “I think this is pretty good, very suitable for you. What do you think?”

【Wuwuwu, my poor Innocent Cultivator! He’s still using a regular pot that he bought for a few hundred low-grade spirit stones!】

【Although that ordinary pot becomes extraordinary in his hands, it’s still too cheap for him!】

By the end, the Melon-Eating System was practically shouting, its voice cracking.

Ning Xu wholeheartedly agreed. “His current pot really doesn’t suit him.”

Her teammate, of course, should use the best.

The Innocent Cultivator lowered his gaze slightly, concealing the amusement in his eyes, and said, “I’ll listen to you.” Then, without hesitation, he performed a blood recognition ritual to claim ownership.

Young Master Wu: !!!

He just claimed ownership like that?

That pot… Even he was tempted by it.

Star Iron!

That was a legendary material mentioned in cultivation textbooks!

The Melon-Eating System wasn’t wrong—Star Iron had indeed been unminable for over a thousand years.

It was practically a myth.

It was the dream material of countless artifact refiners, and yet, he had just seen an item made from Star Iron in his grandfather’s private treasury.

But now, that treasure belonged to someone else.

Saying he wasn’t heartbroken would be a lie.

Saying he wasn’t envious would be an even bigger lie.

But there was nothing he could do. This pot had no fate with the Wu family.

Since it was fated for someone else, then giving it to them was also a kind of destiny. Besides, his grandfather didn’t know about this, so he might as well pretend nothing happened.

Seeing the Innocent Cultivator accept the pot, Ning Xu eagerly said, “I wonder if food cooked with it will taste even better.”

The Innocent Cultivator’s pale, jade-like fingers held the pitch-black pot. The contrast of black and white created an oddly mesmerizing aesthetic. He asked, “What would you like for dinner?”

“I’m craving pickled cabbage and fatty beef soup again.”

“Alright!”

After selecting the pot, Ning Xu picked out another dozen or so treasures.

Most of them were defensive artifacts.

One could never have too many defensive treasures, especially when she had several teammates to consider.

By the time she finished, Young Master Wu’s expression was complicated.

This duo really knew how to pick.

Although she had only taken a fifth of his grandfather’s treasury, this fifth was worth more than the remaining four-fifths combined.

There was no doubt that his grandfather had paid a hefty price for this.

But in the end, they had delivered a body-refining genius to the Wu family at a crucial time.

Wu Lüchen’s presence not only intimidated other noble families but also stabilized internal family affairs. This was something that couldn’t be measured in spirit stones.

At the end of the day, even if Ning Xu had been greedier, it wouldn’t have been unreasonable.

—

The moment they stepped out of the treasury, Ning Xu and the others received several pieces of news.

The first was that, to formally introduce Wu Lüchen, the Wu family head planned to host a grand banquet in three days, inviting countless friends and family.

The second was that Young Master Wu’s cousin happened to be nearby. Upon hearing the news, he was rushing over.

The third was that, as a token of appreciation, the Wu family head invited Ning Xu and her teammates to dinner.

Hearing this, Ning Xu let out an “Oh-ho.”

“Looks like we’ll get to see that perpetual bachelor whom Young Master Wu dragged down with him.”

The Melon-Eating System spoke nervously.

【Forget the bachelor for now.】

【The City Lord of Xingtao City’s second legitimate son has invited the Peach Goddess for a night out.】

【She agreed!】

【But that guy is no good! He’s planning something shady! Unfortunately, he’s such a good actor that even the Peach Goddess was fooled!】

Ning Xu barely hesitated before saying, “Drop the melon! Right now!”

To prevent that guy from succeeding, she and the Melon-Eating System would just have to play dirty.

She couldn’t help but think to herself—Daoist friend, sorry about this. But since you’re a scumbag, I’m sure you were mentally prepared for your secrets to be exposed, right?