A life of idleness in the world of demons

Chapter 33. The First Treasure

Uncle Tang, whose given name is Tang Chuan, is the head of Ping'an Prefecture, north of Wangyue Prefecture.

Ning Xuan had intended to host a banquet, but Tang Chuan waved his hand and said gently, "It's already late, a bowl of vegetarian noodles will suffice. As for drinks, let's skip that. I know a little about what you want to ask, nephew, let's talk while we eat."

Ning Taiyi laughed and said, "Xuan'er, we all take great care of our health in this line of work. If we can't avoid eating meat and fish, we only eat a few bites. Don't even mention your Uncle Tang, do you think your father has ever overeaten?"

Ning Xuan suddenly thought of the president of the Wealthy Merchant Guild, who was fat and ate delicacies every day. Compared to him, the difference was obvious.

He nodded.

Ning Taiyi said, "Your Uncle Tang and I only need two bowls of vegetarian noodles. As for you, you can eat whatever you want, like big fish and meat. You're different from us."

Ning Xuan smiled and told Xiao Jie to make the arrangements.

Soon, three bowls of noodles were served.

Two bowls of vegetarian noodles, fragrant and garnished with chopped scallions and neatly arranged green vegetables.

Ning Xuan's noodles only had an extra piece of meat on them.

The three of them started eating noodles.

Eat and eat
Ning Taiyi said, "Old Tang, you've been in the capital for a long time, only recently leaving. Do you have any advice for my Xuan'er?"

Tang Chuan said, "The imperial court is implementing reforms."

Seeing Ning Taiyi's serious expression, Tang Chuan added, "There's nothing wrong with that. The imperial court has begun to pay special attention to generals and has also started to train demon plague warriors with decent self-control."

Ning Taiyi asked, "How should we emphasize this method?"

Tang Chuan said, "I don't know. After all, I don't have any other generals' sons or nephews, so I have no way of knowing. But my dear nephew will find out soon."

Ning Taiyi was incredibly perceptive. He frowned and said, "Are you saying that even if I report this to General Qin, in the end, Xuan'er and my Ning family will still have to obey His Majesty's orders?"

Tang Chuan didn't answer, but suddenly asked, "How many years of history do you think the Qin family has?"

Ning Taiyi looked horrified.

He was aware of this, but no one dared to mention it openly.

The Qin General's Mansion has stood for over eighty years. Two emperors have died, but General Qin is still alive. He has become an evergreen figure in the entire Hanzhou and even this region.

Tang Chuan said, "So our Emperor, who has only recently ascended the throne, wants to make some changes. His Majesty will not force the newly appointed generals; on the contrary, he will give them many benefits. So, Brother Ning, Nephew, you can put your minds at ease."

Ning Xuan was completely bewildered.

Tang Chuan's meaning was simply that His Majesty wanted to divide the "Generals" into "new faction" and "old faction," with the "new faction" being closer to His Majesty and also creating a separation between them and the "old faction."

It's all about demons and political intrigue.
Is it even possible to live like this anymore?

He started to worry about his father.

The Ning family has been saved.

However, the future of the Ning family is uncertain.

Is his future wife from General Qin's mansion or from His Majesty's?
He doesn't treat these arranged marriage wives as wives. Everyone is just a representative of the same interests. As long as they're not ugly and won't insult him, that's fine.

But then he realized that the person who said this was Tang Chuan.

What is Tang Chuan here for?
Tang Chuan is here for a marriage alliance.

After Tang Chuan said that, his father felt that he couldn't marry either of them, so he decided to marry a daughter from the Tang family.

They're all old foxes.
Ning Xuan ignored that and instead asked curiously, "Why has General Qin's mansion been able to last for eighty years?"

The fact that the General's Mansion lasted for eighty years does not mean that General Qin only lived to be eighty years old. Rather, it means that he lived to be eighty years old after becoming the General, and that the General's Mansion still stood strong until then, showing that it had not aged.

Tang Chuan didn't answer. Instead, he picked up the bowl of noodles, drank the rest of the soup, and then reached into his pocket and pulled out a palm-sized jade box. He then placed it on the table and pushed it towards Ning Xuan.

He smiled and said, "I originally intended to offer this item for a higher price, but I am quite satisfied with your methods and character, nephew. Regardless of whether we have the chance to become family, I will give this item to you."

He said, "Open it and take a look."

Ning Xuan twitched his finger.

The box was opened, revealing a throwing knife the size of a palm.

However, this knife has no handle, is made entirely of metal, and has an extremely thin blade.

Upon closer inspection, the metal appeared chillingly cold, with faint traces of dark blue thorns and ice spikes visible within.

No matter how many times steel is forged, this texture cannot be replicated, which can only mean that the metal itself has special properties.

Tang Chuan laughed and said, "Try gripping it tightly."

Ning Xuan dodged the blade and gripped it with his five fingers.

With that grip, he felt a terrifying chill rush out.

He let go.

Snapped.

The throwing knife landed.

Tang Chuan looked at him strangely and said, "Nephew, you are indeed cautious. You have caught a cold. Shouldn't you use your qi and blood to resist it?"

Ning Xuan said, "Uncle Tang, stop keeping me in suspense."

Tang Chuan said, "If you use your qi and blood to resist the cold, and then let it seep back into the blade, you can completely control this flying knife. This knife can not only withstand all your force, but also sense your qi and blood. Before your qi and blood are exhausted, it will fly through the air, completely obeying your will."

Seeing that Ning Xuan still didn't grasp it, Tang Chuan said, "This item was obtained by Bing'er in the Divine Weapon Camp. She can't use it, so I, as her father, brought it out this time."

Ning Taiyi's eyes widened in surprise, and he exclaimed, "Your daughter actually went to the Divine Weapon Camp?"

Tang Chuan laughed and said, "Brother Ning, am I sincere? Why don't we let the children look around and see if they like what they see? That would be good."

Ning Taiyi fell into thought.

Tang Chuan remained calm and composed.

Ning Taiyi felt his son's curious gaze and explained, "The Divine Weapon Camp is a mysterious force established by the capital after the appearance of demons. I don't know anything else, but I do know that the weapons produced by the Divine Weapon Camp are all extremely powerful."

Tang Chuan smiled and said, "It wasn't easy for Bing'er to get into this camp. She went through many tests. The 'Rain of Pear Blossoms' and 'Four Generations Under One Roof' were part of her test works. The Divine Weapon Camp only allowed her to enter the camp after confirming that she had the talent."

Ning Xuan slowly tightened his grip on the throwing knife.

Cold shock.

He used his qi and blood to counteract the pressure.

Slowly, the cold melted away, and the throwing knife established a mysterious connection with him.

The word "refinement" instantly popped into his mind.

With a thought, he held out his five fingers, and the throwing knife began to spin rapidly. With another thought, the spinning knife suddenly stopped. With yet another thought, the knife spun around the hall.

He found it amusing and grew accustomed to the throwing knife.

He became more and more skilled, and the speed of his throwing knife increased, gradually transforming into a rainbow of light, swirling around like a silver spindle.

He felt the drain.

Throwing knives consume a lot of energy.

It consumed more energy than his full-force attack.

The faster and farther the throwing knife is, the greater the energy consumption.

Ning Xuan conducted a simple test.

Soon, he stretched out his palm, and the rainbow light fell into his palm again.

He stared at the settling rainbow light, at the thorny, ice-spike-patterned throwing knife, and involuntarily thought of the "brocade cassock" and the "yin wind banner".

Although this throwing knife is simply a weapon that can withstand his power, and although it does not have the function of the "brocade cassock" to share and dissipate the power, nor the function of the "yin wind flag" to amplify the yin wind, it is still a real treasure, and not a treasure made of incense.

"Thank you, Uncle Tang!"

Ning Xuan stood up and expressed his gratitude.

Tang Chuan chuckled and then said, "Bing'er is very outstanding, and you are outstanding too. Why don't you two juniors consider dating?"

As he spoke, he looked at Ning Taiyi and said with a smile, "Brother Ning, why don't we take a walk together after dinner and chat some more?"

Ning Taiyi smiled and said, "Alright."

The three of them strolled together in the gardens that were part of the mansion.

Just as they were having a pleasant conversation, a golden light suddenly surged from the ground and appeared beside Tang Chuan. It was a middle-aged Taoist master in purple robes.

The Heavenly Master looked at Tang Chuan with respect and whispered, "Prefect Tang, something has happened."

Tang Chuan frowned and said, "Can't you see I'm having a pleasant chat with Brother Ning and Nephew Ning?"

The Heavenly Master said in a deep voice, "Prefect, this is a big deal. Many demons have appeared in the west of Ping'an Prefecture, with billowing black smoke. It's practically a demon tide."

Tang Chuan was taken aback.

Ning Taiyi said, "Then Brother Tang, go ahead and get busy."

Tang Chuan nodded, then said, "Brother Ning, nephew, I must attend to official business now."

The three of them said goodbye.

Immediately, the purple-robed celestial master led Tang Chuan and hurriedly disappeared from the spot.

Ning Taiyi looked at the disappearing golden light and said, "Everyone should sweep the snow in front of their own door. After all, sweeping the snow brings benefits, while not sweeping it means bearing the disaster themselves, unless there is a prior deal or some arrangements from above."

He was explaining this to Ning Xuan.

Even though the neighboring demons were causing chaos, and even though he and Tang Chuan had a good personal relationship, he wouldn't help them for no reason.

Tang Chuan clearly understood this as well, so even though the Heavenly Master had "panic" written all over his face, he did not ask this readily available "nephew who was about to become a general" for help.

That's the rule.

Ning Xuan stretched and said, "I'm going to have some refreshments."

Ning Taiyi laughed and said, "You little rascal, where do you want your wife to come from?"

Ning Xuan said, "I want to marry Xiao Jie. There won't be any trouble then."

Ning Taiyi said, "Don't worry, Father will do his best to help you keep a close eye on things."

Ning Xuan waved his hand and said, "Alright, Dad, do as you please."

After saying that, he reverted to his original dissolute and playboy demeanor.

Ning Taiyi watched his retreating figure, his smile slowly fading. He coughed heavily a few times, his eyes revealing his weakness. He murmured, "Your marriage is the last step I can take for the Ning family before I die. I will definitely play it well, so that the Ning family will not be destroyed."

(End of this chapter)