A life of idleness in the world of demons

Chapter 16, Section 16: As the older brother, you always have to worry more.
The winner has been decided in the cockfighting arena.

The lackeys of the Wealthy Chamber of Commerce sighed and complained.

Liu Shirong slapped his forehead and laughed, "I lost, I lost. Brother Ning's Golden-Winged Thunder God is still a cut above the rest."

He seemed happier than if he had won, even though he had lost.

Ning Xuan said confidently, "Of course."

Liu Shirong clapped his hands, and a servant went to put "Iron-Beaked General" into a cage. He didn't even glance at the defeated rooster again, and went straight to Ning Xuan's viewing pavilion, saying, "Brother Ning, you can send someone to my Fugui Chamber of Commerce later. I, Liu Shirong, mean what I say. Those two cargo boxes on the Western Regions line definitely belong to Brother Ning."

Ning Xuan asked, "Old Liu, what are you planning to do?"

Liu Shirong smiled, then tilted his head and said, "Let's talk at Zuihualou."

After saying that, he added, "The Drunken Flower Pavilion has gained two new courtesans. Today, when you and I go there, they will naturally be dressed up and become courtesans. It is their good fortune that they have given us, two noble young gentlemen, our first time."

Come to think of it, I never know when my family will arrange a marriage.

Once the marriage is arranged, we brothers won't be so carefree anymore. Even if we want to go to brothels, we'll have to consider the wife's feelings. Ha, let's go!

Ning Xuan laughed and said, "I have been to the Chenxiang Pavilion in the prefectural city many times, but I have found that none of them can compare to Xiao Jie."

Liu Shirong said with annoyance, "Why don't I have a Xiaojie to be my maid?"

Ning Xuan said, "Old Liu, just tell me, what do you want?"

Liu Shirong gave him a wink.

The lackeys understood and dispersed.

Ning Xuan gave a signal, and his men quickly left.

Only two people remained.

Liu Shirong then said, "To be honest, brother, my father has given me a deadly task: I must marry my sister to you. The dowry is negotiable."

Ning Xuan asked curiously, "With Yu Shu's qualities, countless men must be pursuing her, right? Besides, your Wealthy Merchant Guild is a powerful organization in itself, so why do you insist on marrying your young lady to me?"

Liu Shirong gritted his teeth and said, "This was arranged by my father. I don't know the specifics of his plans, since he's still alive."

Brother Ning, why don't you give Yu Shu a try? That girl Yu Shu is quite nice.

After saying that, he slapped his face repeatedly and said, "I'm begging you like this, brother, please help me."

Moreover, if you marry Yu Shu, there are at least two advantages.

First, Yu Shu is extremely skilled at managing household affairs, so you will have no worries.
Second, as I just mentioned, if you want to go to brothels after the wedding, you should consider your wife's feelings. You don't need to consider Yu Shu's feelings; go if you want. If she gets angry, I, her brother-in-law, will help you keep an eye on her.

Ning Xuan said, "How can you say that to your sister?"

Liu Shirong said, "What is there to apologize for? My sister only needs to lie on your bed, do some ready-made deals, and manage things. Even if she makes a mistake, it won't be a big deal. As her older brother, I have to worry a lot more. I'm truly walking on thin ice."

"Hey brother, we may be drinking buddies, but there's some friendship between us. I'm begging you. My father gave me a death order: I absolutely must win you over as my brother-in-law."

Ning Xuan said, "Don't beg, don't cheat, that's no fun."

He thought for a moment and said, "How about this, when Dad comes back, I'll mention it to him. If he doesn't shake his head, I'll give it a try."

To be honest, Liu Yushu was quite attentive to him, and he had seen her appearance before; she was quite nice.

As for her personality, she is virtuous and suitable to be a wife.

Moreover, since she was eager to marry him, she wouldn't be able to control him after marriage and would prioritize his needs.

The trade routes of the Wealthy Merchant Guild can serve as an intelligence network for him, helping him to investigate many demons and monsters, thereby aiding him in understanding this world and refining the Heavenly Demon Talisman.

If he were to rush to marry a wealthy heiress with even greater influence, it might seem like a better option, but there would be trouble after the marriage.

Liu Shirong laughed and said, "With Brother Ning's words, I can finally report back to the old man. Thank you very much."

Ning Xuan wasn't in a hurry to refine the "Ghostly Monkey" Heavenly Demon Talisman; he needed to gather more information first. Even horses can stumble, and people can make mistakes. If he failed, it would be all over. Why choose to take a risk when there was a sure thing?

He wasn't in a hurry to worship the "mysterious Buddha statue." Even if he were to use such strange magical techniques, he needed to understand them thoroughly before having someone test them and waiting until it was safe to do so.

The injury from the blow from Ghostly Monkey was healing rapidly, and he was basically completely healed in a few days.

Ning Xuan changed locations and resumed his "daily training".

Weighted long-distance running, rock climbing, push-ups, sit-ups
He underwent brutal training day after day.

In the blink of an eye, another half month has passed.

His physical constitution also changed from 1.8 to 2.2, and the bonus provided by the "Mountain-Colliding Bear Demon" Heavenly Demon Talisman changed from "2.3" to "2.1".

As for Xiong Lu's height after he was summoned, it changed from eight feet to seven feet, which is becoming more and more normal.

On this day, he returned to the city and boarded the carriage that was parked in front of the city gate.

Today, he thought it would be the same as usual: Xiao Jie would take him home, and a banquet would be arranged for him that evening.
But, it's a little different.

Today, as soon as he got into the car, Xiaojie solemnly told him, "The master is back."

After being away for nearly two months, Master Ning has finally returned.

Ning Taiyi is a very peaceful person. He celebrated his fiftieth birthday two years ago. Ning Xuan had calculated that his father and mother should have been preparing to have him when he was thirty-five years old.

Originally, he thought his father was a career-oriented person who had been working hard until he was thirty-five. After that, he got tired of the glamorous world and came to the remote prefecture city. He fell in love with his mother at first sight and settled down here peacefully.

However, after seeing Han Ba ​​and the yellow-robed Taoist priest who was suspending in mid-air and casting golden snake chains, he changed his mind.

There are too many suspicious things about my father.

His father's attitude towards him was also a bit strange.

He had feelings for his father.

Therefore, the more this was the case, the less he wanted his father to be ruthless towards him.

Ning Xuan entered the study with mixed feelings.

In the study, a figure was sitting quietly with eyes closed, resting. Hearing footsteps, the figure opened his eyes. Ning Xuan was startled to see his father.

His physical constitution has now reached 2.2, and all his senses have become much sharper. He can hear others talking even through two walls, so he can naturally perceive things that he had never noticed before.

My dad is getting old.

They age very quickly.

He appeared refined and composed on the surface, but his vitality was declining in an inexplicable manner.

His hair was completely black, but there were white spots at the roots, indicating that he had dyed his hair black using a "worldly hair dyeing method".

In addition, there was an indescribable mysterious majesty about my father. That majesty made him seem like he was sitting on the earth with his back to the sky, giving people a sense of vastness, immensity, emptiness, and insignificance.

Looking at him is like looking at mountains and rivers.

Ordinary people wouldn't be able to appreciate such detail and would just call him "Master Ning, Master Ning".

But at this moment, Ning Xuan saw it clearly.

While he was looking at Ning Taiyi, Ning Taiyi was also looking at him.

Ning Taiyi smiled kindly and said, "Master Zhang said you were lazy, only working sporadically, but I never expected you to have secretly practiced so diligently."

Ning Xuan scratched his head.

Ning Taiyi said, "Your Master Zhang should be no match for you now. I never expected that my Xuan'er would be such a martial arts prodigy."

Ning Xuan revealed a simple and honest look, as if he had been praised by an elder. He smiled and said, "I suddenly had an epiphany."

Ning Taiyi clearly hadn't discovered his true level. After all, Ning Xuan's "strength" was restrained. As long as he didn't deliberately unleash it, it was like a calm sea, which at first glance looked like a small river.

Ning Taiyi's ability to discern so much with just a glance surpasses that of many others.

At this moment, Ning Taiyi rubbed his forehead and said, "Practicing martial arts is good, it can help with self-defense. But martial artists have strong blood and energy, they are easily angered and impulsive, and are prone to causing trouble. Xuan'er, you should read more books, and just practice martial arts to make yourself strong. Don't learn any of the killing techniques of the martial arts world."

Ning Xuan keenly sensed his father's disdain for "martial arts killing techniques" and understood his father's meaning.

The old man was afraid that his son, who was only half-baked, would cause trouble, think he was something special, and end up getting into trouble.

"The kid knows."

He responded and then wanted to tell his father about "Liu Yushu" and ask for his opinion.

At this moment, Ning Taiyi suddenly said, "I've arranged a marriage for you this time."

Ning Xuan was taken aback and asked, "Who?"

Ning Taiyi said, "Qin Jin'er, the illegitimate daughter of General Qin Shanjun, is the mistress of Hanzhou Ranch. After you get married, you should also go to Hanzhou Ranch. You can ride horses and gallop freely in the future."

Hanzhou Ranch?

A concubine's daughter?

Ning Xuan was taken aback.

Hanzhou was a very far place; he had never been there, nor had he ever thought of going there.

"Father, are you going to marry me off to your husband and not let me stay here to take care of you two?" Ning Xuan suddenly asked.

Ning Taiyi simply and clearly said one word: "Yes".

The air suddenly became quiet.

Ning Taiyi suddenly laughed.

His smile is like a gentle breeze, capable of dispelling all resentment.

“Xuan’er, I know you have many questions, but you must believe that this is the best arrangement I can make for you.”

You should go back to your room first. Dad is a little tired.

"If you want to talk, we'll have time to talk later, just the two of us."

Ning Xuan didn't say much. Since his father had said so, he could wait.

He said, "Father, you should rest well," and then withdrew.

He left, but his senses remained keenly fixed on his father's study.

He went very far, to a distance from which even a master of martial arts could no longer pinpoint the location of that study.

Suddenly, he felt someone watching him.

It wasn't beside them, but far away.

He forced himself not to turn his head, and the probing gaze suddenly disappeared.

Immediately, he sensed another voice coming from his father's study.

"Are you really going to send Xuan'er to Hanzhou?"

"He doesn't understand, but don't you understand either?"

"I understand. Xuan'er, all you need to do is be the only descendant of yours and then go through with the marriage."

The more dissolute he is, and the less he inherits any of your mantle, the more at ease the superiors will be.

No matter what, it's just a family conflict, or he's had affairs with a few women; he hasn't committed any major crimes.

As the older brother, I had to worry about many things. I was truly on tenterhooks, as if standing on the edge of an abyss or walking on thin ice.

"Dad, I really don't know if you're biased towards me or him."

The figure let out a long sigh, and then said, "Borrowing the dragon energy from the extermination of the bear demon clan, I have taken another step forward in the Celestial Master realm."

(End of this chapter)