Nine Nether Dragon Emperor-Chapter 163: Auntie Really Knows How to Have Fun!
「Five days later.」
Ning Xuan, wearing a cloak, stepped into Junlan City with Mo Xiaoxiao. This was the Jun Family’s stronghold.
"It’s so lively!" Mo Xiaoxiao, who had also been wearing a cloak, lifted her black veil upon entering the city. She looked around curiously, her interest piqued.
"Wow, he can make clay figurines!" she exclaimed, squeezing toward a stall with a look of amazement.
Ning Xuan was exasperated. Those are sugar figurines! This girl can’t even tell the difference between sugar and clay. She’s really something else. However, it didn’t take long for him to catch the sly look in her eyes.
Ning Xuan had the sudden urge to ask, "Do you even remember that I’m your enemy?" Of course, that was just a thought. After spending a few days together, he realized this little girl was severely lacking in love. He would never do something so despicable.
Seeing how much she liked it, Ning Xuan paid for one and took the opportunity to ask the stall owner, "Sir, why are there so many people in the city?"
"Keep the change." As a Heavenly Crystal was handed over, the stall owner’s frown was instantly replaced by a delighted smile.
"Them? They’re all here to watch the showdown between Ning Xuan and Jun Ting! Ah, it’s about to start! I need to pack up quickly!"
The stall owner’s words left Mo Xiaoxiao’s mouth hanging slightly open. Her little tongue peeked out, and she even forgot to lick her sugar figurine. Many people nearby stared, stunned. Although Mo Xiaoxiao was dressed as a boy, anyone with a discerning eye could tell she was a young girl. At fourteen, she had already blossomed into a real beauty.
As Ning Xuan stuffed the sugar figurine into her mouth, he also helped her lower the black veil.
Mo Xiaoxiao turned her head to look at Ning Xuan. At such a close distance, even with the black veil in the way, he could clearly read her gaze.
Ning Xuan knew what she was asking. He was curious himself. He was supposed to have a showdown with Jun Ting tomorrow? How come he didn’t know anything about it?
"It wasn’t me! I didn’t do it!" Mo Xiaoxiao suddenly blurted out anxiously.
"What are you thinking about? As if you have the brains for something like that." Ning Xuan reached out, took off her hood, and gave her a pat on the head. Then, before she could react, he pulled the hood back over her head.
The gazes of many onlookers filled with silent resentment. This bastard is a real piece of work! He won’t even let us look, but he gets to touch her! Fine, go ahead and touch her, but then you hide her again! Dammit! Can’t you act like a decent human being for once?!
"Where is the showdown?" Ning Xuan asked the stall owner.
The stall owner jutted his chin in one direction. "Right in the city’s central square."
After thanking the stall owner, Ning Xuan took Mo Xiaoxiao toward the square.
"Big bad guy, do you think they’re planning to use the same method you used on the other families against you?" After a moment of silence, Mo Xiaoxiao suddenly whispered to Ning Xuan.
Ning Xuan glanced at her, surprised.
"Hey, bad guy, I’m pretty smart, you know?!" Although she couldn’t see his eyes, Mo Xiaoxiao could guess what Ning Xuan was thinking.
"You’re quite the mind reader. How about you don’t read my mind next time?"
"Bad guy, what do you mean?!"
"It’s not far. We’ll know when we get there."
Mo Xiaoxiao suddenly stopped, saying earnestly, "Why don’t I go scout ahead? What if it’s a trap? You can only die by my hand!"
Ning Xuan shook his head. "The Jun Family wouldn’t stoop to setting a trap for just one person. They can’t afford to lose face like that."
"True. These great families care about their reputation more than anything! For the sake of face, they’d even..." Mo Xiaoxiao seemed to recall something, and her mood suddenly soured. She started walking ahead without another word.
Ning Xuan called out to her, "San Wu..."
"What? And you! Don’t call me San Wu, you big bad guy!"
"San Wu, this way. You’ve gone the wrong direction again!"
Under her black veil, Mo Xiaoxiao stuck out her tongue and followed the direction Ning Xuan pointed. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖
Behind her, Ning Xuan shook his head. It’s not that she has a poor sense of direction... she has no sense of direction whatsoever! Because he’d let her lead the way, they had taken countless detours over the past few days. Otherwise, they would have arrived long ago. So, right after their first day together, Ning Xuan had given her a new, perfectly fitting name: San Wu. No sense of direction, no scheming mind, and certainly no city-bred cunning. The Three-Nothings Girl, or San Wu for short.
As they approached the city center, the crowd became denser. The two of them were pushed forward by the throng of people until they finally reached the outskirts of the square.
From a distance, they saw two young men standing on a high platform in the center of the square. A powerful King Realm expert stood behind each of them.
"Whoa, that guy really looks like you?!" Mo Xiaoxiao exclaimed, lifting her veil to stare at Ning Xuan in surprise as she got a clear look at one of the young men.
Ning Xuan only needed a glance to know it was an impostor. Then he looked at Jun Ting. He was the real one.
What in the world is going on? Ning Xuan was bewildered.
Just then, a woman’s voice clearly rang out across the square. "Everyone, please don’t push! I, Qian Yourong, give you my word, on the reputation of the Jun and Qian families, that everyone who wants to bet will get a chance!"
Ning Xuan followed the voice and saw a stunning young woman standing at the edge of a secondary platform below the main stage. Dressed in palace attire and wearing an ornate golden headdress, she was using her hands to calm the crowd.
"She’s so beautiful, so..." Mo Xiaoxiao didn’t finish her sentence and looked down at her toes instead.
Ning Xuan’s gaze only lingered on her for a moment before shifting to the person behind her in surprise. He saw that little fatty, Qian Duoduo!
An idea sparked in his mind, and Ning Xuan began to move with the crowd heading in that direction. At the same time, he transmitted his voice to Qian Duoduo, "Fatty, what’s going on here?"
The busy Qian Duoduo’s chubby body trembled, and he started to look around. He reacted quickly, however, and before Ning Xuan could remind him, he went back to work as if nothing had happened.
Just then, he heard Qian Duoduo’s voice transmission in his mind. "Boss, you’re finally here! If you hadn’t shown up soon, my aunt was going to flay me alive!"
"Cut the crap. You owe me an explanation."
Qian Duoduo’s ingratiating voice came back. "Boss, don’t be angry. Listen, this is what happened..."
After hearing the explanation, Ning Xuan was speechless. After a long pause, he sent back, "Your aunt really knows how to play games!"
It turned out that Qian Yourong was not only Qian Duoduo’s aunt but also Jun Ting’s third sister-in-law. After learning from Qian Wanyi that Ning Xuan was fond of Element Crystals, she had taken it upon herself to orchestrate this showdown. Her goal wasn’t to mediate the conflict between Ning Xuan and Jun Ting, but purely to make money! She set up the betting pool and even found the impostor. As the house, she could control the outcome of the showdown at will. It was a surefire way to make a profit!
"Hehe, don’t worry, Boss. My aunt said that the earned Element Crystals will be split three-seven!" Seeing that Ning Xuan didn’t seem angry, Qian Duoduo also breathed a sigh of relief.
"Getting thirty percent for doing nothing sounds pretty good. Thank your aunt for me. But Jun Ting must die."
Qian Duoduo immediately replied, "Don’t worry, Boss, my aunt couldn’t care less about the Jun Family’s business! She just wants to make money. Also, you got the split wrong. She said it’s seventy for you, thirty for her!"
Ning Xuan glanced at Qian Yourong with some astonishment. This woman is clever, alright. And she’s definitely got more than a few tricks up her sleeve.
"By the way, what are the betting odds?" Ning Xuan suddenly asked. After all, he was about to take the lion’s share.
