Male superiority and female superiority: forced love

Lu Huaisi's pupils trembled as he looked at the golden fruit in his hand that he had waited for twenty years. He could no longer hold back the tears in his eyes and burst into tears.

Seeing this, two elders from the Tianshi Sect who had been waiting in the dark hurried out to comfort them.

"Each golden fruit represents a cause and condition. There are twelve in total, and none of them can be missing!" Lu Huaisi cried inconsolably as he stroked the treasure in his hand. His crying was so loud that passers-by stopped to watch, wanting to know what was happening inside.

"Master, stop crying and eat quickly."

"Yes! Eating it is equivalent to realizing the cycle of reincarnation. It's worth it!"

The two elders kept trying to persuade him. It was too late to feel bad now; it was better to digest it quickly. The Fortune Fruit not only held special meaning but also possessed profound health benefits. One fruit boosted one's power by 30%, but if they weren't eaten, they would wilt.

"How can I understand if I'm missing a bite?" Lu Huaisi cried even more sadly.

Yue Yixing strode in, bag on his shoulder. Seeing Old Seven's heartbroken expression, he smiled and shook his head. Only then did he reveal his true age. He stepped forward, patted his shoulder, and said, "In two months, the Wangxi Sect will have a joint sect competition, and I have to go. If you don't want to eat it, give it to me." As he spoke, he reached for the golden fruit.

"No, no!" Elder Liu lunged forward, knocking Yue Yixing back two steps.

Elder Jiang quickly grabbed the golden fruit and stuffed it into the Sect Master's mouth. Even if the Sect Master didn't want to eat it, that kid wouldn't get it!

Lu Huaisi's mouth was filled with the aroma of fruit, and he quickly began to chew without caring about his sadness. In previous years, his father was reluctant to eat a single one, so he couldn't let his second brother get away with it.

Yue Yixing stumbled to steady himself, looking at Elder Liu's increasingly plump figure year after year, and said speechlessly, "Elder Liu! I haven't seen you for a few months, and you look even healthier!"

"Master Yue, are you okay? I'll take you to rest. Today in the kitchen we have your favorite Jade Dew Lotus Seed Pastry, Steamed Duck with Wine, Pickled Radish..." Old Liu Changfeng took the bag from his shoulder, enthusiastically introduced the food, and invited him in.

Jiang Daming approached Lu Huaisi, who had just finished eating the golden fruit, and whispered, "Master, did you hear that? There's a joint competition in Wangxi Sect in two months. How about we go too?"

"What are we going to do? The Tianshi Sect is not among the united sects. Besides, we are not good at swordsmanship, so it would be useless to go there." Lu Huaisi looked at Elder Jiang in surprise.

"How could it be a wasted trip? Of course... Everybody there is rich. Just a couple of divinations and we'll have enough to eat even if we don't open this year." Jiang Daming secretly wiped the sweat from his forehead, almost letting it slip. The old master had instructed that this year, no matter what, he must find a way to secure the master's marriage. There were at least a hundred female disciples in the Wangxi Sect, all of them distinguished and beautiful. If he carried a large banner and read their fortunes, wouldn't that be the beginning of fate?

Lu Huaisi has always been a name-bearer and doesn't care about gold or silver. Considering that he was severely looked down upon by his mother just now, he was so angry that he agreed to Elder Jiang's suggestion on the spot.

"I haven't made any profit every year and I've lost everything." He wanted to let his mother see his ability to make money and make a mountain of gold to invest in the Zhenbei Palace.

Autumn Thoughts Courtyard

Xiang Yunchi kept brainwashing Ruan Chuyin, making her fully aware of how "amiable" the King and Queen of Zhenbei were.

"Yun Chi, do you have your own house in Yangcheng? Wouldn't it be too much of a bother for me to live in the Zhenbei Palace?" Ruan Chuyin had been looking forward to seeing her grandparents, but now she didn't want to at all. She felt like the two old people wouldn't like her.

"Yes, I do, but Mom won't agree. Don't worry too much, I'll take care of everything." Xiang Yunchi said this, but he wasn't sure. In this world, the people he admired most were his grandparents, who were so arrogant and superior. It was because they looked down on my father's status as a gangster that drove him away. If my last name wasn't Xiang, I really wouldn't want to bring Little White Rabbit back home.

Seeing Ruan Chuyin lowering her head and twisting her handkerchief, Xiang Yunchi pondered, "When the time comes, dress yourself up to be prettier and cuter. No, the prettier and cuter the better. My grandfather is a painting enthusiast, and you can paint, right? It's a perfect gift for him. As for my grandmother, she doesn't have many hobbies besides her love of beauty. Ask Ji Zhiya to help you."

"Oh." Ruan Chuyin stared at her husband, lost in thought. One loved painting, the other loved beauty. I understand.

"What kind of paintings does grandpa like? I mean, does he like landscapes? Flowers and birds? Or portraits?"

Xiang Yunchi thought for a moment and said, "Grandfather not only loved painting but was also good at it, specializing in flowers and birds. Old Seven has some of his brushes and inks, I'll go get them."

Lu Huaisi didn't expect that Lao Wu would have the nerve to come to him to ask for a painting. He turned his head and shouted the word "no" in a sonorous and powerful voice.

With a crisp "clang" sound, a row of green bamboos in the yard fell to the ground with a loud rustling sound, and crushed a garden of irises in front of it.

"You're going too far! I'm going to fight you!" Lu Huaisi suddenly raised his palm and chopped it down towards Xiang Yunchi repeatedly. The stone table in the yard broke into four pieces in an instant, leaving broken pits on the ground.

Xiang Yunchi was stunned, with a look of embarrassment on his face. He suppressed the twin swords that were about to come out of his sleeves and rushed forward with his bare hands.

Perhaps it was the golden fruit in his stomach that took effect. Lu Huaisi became more and more powerful as he fought. The true energy in his dantian was continuously replenished, his whole body was full of strength, and even his eyes became more lively than before.

"Damn it, you little bastard!" Xiang Yunchi was so angry that he laughed. He had wanted to let this kid go, but he actually got more aggressive, not knowing what was good for him. He immediately drew his weapon and attacked the other flowerbed behind him without any hesitation.

Lu Huaisi had loved flowers since childhood. He turned around and saw that the sword energy had stopped half an inch from the "feet" of the iris. The purple petals flew high into the air and slowly fell, landing on his head, shoulders, and hands.

"Are you still going to fight?" Xiang Yunchi waved his arm and pointed at the garden of "Tianhe Stars" on his left, threateningly.

"No... fight... anymore." Lu Huaisi's heart trembled as he retracted his palm, his eyes red with anger. Of the nine brothers, he was the most arrogant. The older ones gave way to him, and so did the younger ones. And his mother actually accused him of favoritism towards him and the sixth brother?

"Take out the 'Hibiscus and Cockfighting Painting'. I'll return it to you after I've shown it to your fifth sister-in-law." Xiang Yunchi pulled out a stack of banknotes from his pocket and stuffed them into his hand. Lu Huaisi was shocked and looked down in disbelief. He counted them and found that they were more than what his mother had given him, and the amount was even greater.

"These...are all for me?"

"Hurry up and take out the painting." Xiang Yunchi didn't have time to talk to him. He had to take his wife to the Treasure Pavilion in town soon.

"Fifth brother, come sit inside, I'll get it." Lu Huaisi excitedly put the banknote into his pocket. A full eight hundred thousand taels, Kuli finally had money! He not only brought his grandfather's writing brush and ink, but also offered his fifth brother some good tea.

The scroll lay flat on the long table, revealing a lifelike rooster and clusters of hibiscus. The colors were vibrant, the composition ingenious, and the brushwork delicate and fluent, each detail revealing the artist's profound skill. Xiang Yunchi had never seen his daughter-in-law paint, but he had heard that her paintings for palace banquets were sought after by the emperor and many ministers. Gazing at his grandfather's inspired work, he couldn't help but feel worried.

"What does Fifth Sister-in-law want my grandfather's paintings for?" Lu Huaisi asked as he got closer.

"It's nothing. I'll return it to you later." Xiang Yunchi replied nonchalantly, carefully rolled up the painting and took it away.