Chapter 16: As an Older Brother, One Always Has to Worry More

On the cockfighting field, the winner had been decided.

The lackeys on the side of the Fugui Merchant Guild sighed in disappointment.

Liu Shirong, on the other hand, slapped his head and laughed loudly, “I lost, I lost. Brother Ning’s Golden-Winged Thunder Duke is still superior.”

He had clearly lost, but he seemed happier than if he had won.

Ning Xuan said with high spirits, “Of course.”

Liu Shirong clapped his hands, and a servant came to put the “Iron-Beaked General” back in its cage. He, however, did not look at the defeated rooster again, but walked straight to Ning Xuan’s viewing pavilion and said, “Brother Ning, you can send someone to my Fugui Merchant Guild later. I, Liu Shirong, am a man of my word. Those two cargo boxes on the Western Regions line will definitely belong to Brother Ning.”

Ning Xuan said, “Old Liu, what are you trying to do?”

Liu Shirong smiled, then tilted his head and said, “Let’s talk at the Zuihua Pavilion.”

After a pause, he added, “The Zuihua Pavilion has two new courtesans. If you and I go today, they will naturally be deflowered and become red courtesans. It is their good fortune that their first time can be given to us, two noble young masters.

Speaking of which, I don’t know when the family will arrange a marriage.

Once we are married, you and I, brothers, will not be so free. Even if we want to go to the brothels, we have to consider the face of our legal wives. Heh, let’s go!”

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

Liu Shirong said in annoyance, “Why don’t I have a Xiao Jie as a maid?”

Ning Xuan said, “Old Liu, just say it, what do you want?”

Liu Shirong gave him a look.

The lackeys understood and all dispersed.

Ning Xuan also gave a look, and the people on his side also quickly left.

Only the two of them were left.

Only then did Liu Shirong say, “To be honest with you, brother, my father has given me a dead-end task, and that is to marry my sister to you. The dowry is negotiable.”

Ning Xuan said curiously, “With Yushu’s conditions, there should be countless men pursuing her, right? Besides, your Fugui Merchant Guild is a power in itself. Why do you have to be so eager to marry your young miss to me?”

Liu Shirong gritted his teeth and said, “This was arranged by my father. I don’t know his old man’s plan either. After all, he is still alive.

Brother Ning, why don’t you try to get along with Yushu? That girl Yushu is very nice.”

After speaking, he slapped his face back and forth and said, “I’m begging you with no face left, brother, please help me.

Moreover, if you marry Yushu, there are at least two benefits.

One, Yushu is extremely good at managing household affairs and will definitely let you have no worries;

Two, didn’t I just say that after marriage, if you want to go to the brothels, you have to consider the face of your legal wife? You, you don’t have to consider Yushu’s face. You can go whenever you want. If she gets angry, I, her older brother, will help you manage her.”

Ning Xuan said, “Do you think you are doing your sister a favor by saying that?”

Liu Shirong said, “What’s there to be sorry about? My sister just has to lie on your bed, do some ready-made transactions, and manage some affairs. Even if she makes a mistake, it won’t be a big deal. I, her older brother, have to worry about a lot more. I’m really trembling with fear, as if I’m walking on thin ice.

Alas… brother, although we are friends of wine and meat, there is some friendship between us. I’m really begging you. The old man has given me a dead order, and I must win you over as my brother-in-law.”

Ning Xuan said, “Don’t beg, don’t be shameless, that’s not interesting.”

He thought for a moment and said, “How about this, when my father comes back, I’ll mention it to him. If he doesn’t shake his head, I’ll give it a try.”

Speaking of which, Liu Yushu was quite attentive to him, and he had seen her appearance, which was quite good.

As for her temperament, she was virtuous and suitable to be a wife.

And because she was eager to marry him, she would not be able to restrain him after marriage and would be centered on him.

The trade routes of the Fugui Merchant Guild could become an intelligence line for him, helping him to investigate many demons, so as to help him understand this world and refine the Heavenly Demon Record.

If he were to eagerly marry a young miss from a larger power, it might seem better, but there would be trouble after marriage.

Liu Shirong smiled and said, “With Brother Ning’s words, I can also report to the old man. Thank you.”

Ning Xuan was not in a hurry to refine the “Ghost Shadow Horse Monkey” Heavenly Demon Record. He had to collect more information first. A horse can stumble, and a person can make a mistake. If he fell, it would be over. If he could be foolproof, why choose to take a risk?

He was also not in a hurry to worship the “mysterious Buddha statue.” Even if he were to use this strange demonic technique, he had to understand it clearly, then find someone to try it, and wait until it was safe.

The blow from the Ghost Shadow Horse Monkey’s stick was recovering quickly, and after two or three days, it was basically completely healed.

Ning Xuan changed places and started his “daily training” again.

Long-distance running with weights, rock climbing, push-ups, sit-ups…

He carried out cruel training day after day.

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

His own constitution had also increased from the previous 1.8 to 2.2, and the bonus that the “Mountain-Crashing Bear demon” Heavenly Demon Record could provide had changed from “2.3” to “2.1”.

As for his height after summoning the Bear Record, it had also changed from eight feet to seven feet, which was becoming more and more normal.

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

Today, he had thought it would be the same as usual. Xiao Jie would take him back, and in the evening, some banquets would be arranged…

But, it was a little different.

Today, as soon as he got into the carriage, Xiao Jie told him solemnly, “The master is back.”

Old Master Ning had been out for nearly two months, and finally… he was back.

Ning Taiyi was a very peaceful person. He had passed his fiftieth birthday the year before last. Ning Xuan had calculated that his father should have been thirty-five years old when he and his mother were preparing to have him.

Originally, he thought that his father was just a busy career man who had been struggling before the age of thirty-five. After that, he grew tired of the bustling world, came to a remote prefectural city, and fell in love with his mother at first sight, and then settled down here peacefully.

But, after seeing Han Ba and the yellow-robed Taoist who was performing the golden snake chain lock in the air, he changed his mind.

There were too many suspicious points about his father.

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

He had feelings for his father.

So, the more it was like this, the more he hoped that his father would not be ruthless to him.

Ning Xuan walked into the study with a complicated mood.

In the study, a figure was sitting quietly with his eyes closed, resting. Hearing the footsteps, the figure opened his eyes.

When Ning Xuan saw his father, he was shocked.

His own constitution had now reached 2.2, and all his senses were much sharper. He could even hear people talking through two walls, so he could naturally perceive some things that he had not perceived in the past.

His father was old.

He was aging very quickly.

On the surface, he looked refined and elegant, but his qi and blood were declining at an incredible rate.

His hair was all black, but at the roots of some of his hair, there was white, which meant that he had used a “hair dyeing method of this world” to dye his hair black.

In addition, his father had an indescribable mysterious majesty. That majesty made him sit there, giving people a sense of sitting on the earth, with his back against the vast sky, a sense of vastness, immensity, emptiness, and insignificance.

Looking at him was like looking at mountains and rivers.

Ordinary people could not see so carefully, and would only shout “Old Master Ning, Old 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, fishing for three days and drying the nets for two. I didn’t expect you to have practiced so deeply in secret.”

Ning Xuan scratched his head.

Ning Taiyi said, “Your Master Zhang should not be able to beat you anymore. I didn’t expect, I didn’t expect that my Xuan’er is actually a martial arts prodigy.”

Ning Xuan showed the simple and honest look of “being praised by an elder.” He smiled and said, “I just suddenly had an epiphany.”

Ning Taiyi obviously did not discover his true level. After all, Ning Xuan’s “strength” was introverted. As long as he did not deliberately display it, it was like a calm sea, which at first glance looked like a small river.

Ning Taiyi could see so much with a casual glance, which was already beyond many people.

At this time, Ning Taiyi rubbed his forehead and said, “It’s good to practice martial arts, it can be used for self-defense. But martial artists have strong qi and blood, are prone to anger and impulsiveness, and are easy to cause trouble… Xuan’er, you should read more books. Practicing martial arts is just for a strong body. Don’t go and learn any killing techniques of the martial world.”

Ning Xuan keenly felt his father’s disdain for “killing techniques of the martial world,” and also understood his father’s meaning.

His father was afraid that he would be a half-baked person, cause trouble, think he was amazing, and end up in trouble.

“I know, son.”

He replied, and then wanted to mention the matter of “Liu Yushu” and ask for his father’s opinion.

And just then, Ning Taiyi suddenly said, “When I went out this time, I arranged a marriage for you.”

Ning Xuan was stunned and asked, “Who?”

Ning Taiyi said, “The illegitimate daughter of the great general Qin Shanjun, Qin Jin’er, the mistress of the Hanzhou Ranch. After you get married, you… you should also go to the Hanzhou Ranch. In the future, you can ride horses and gallop.”

Hanzhou Ranch?

Illegitimate daughter?

Ning Xuan was stunned.

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

“Dad, are you marrying me off and don’t want me to be filial to you and mom at your knees?” Ning Xuan suddenly asked.

Ning Taiyi said concisely and clearly, “Yes.”

The air suddenly became quiet.

Ning Taiyi suddenly laughed.

His smile was like a spring breeze, which could resolve all resentment.

“Xuan’er, Dad knows you have many doubts, but you have to believe that this is the best arrangement Dad can make for you.

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

If you want to talk, we, father and son, will have time to talk later.”

Ning Xuan did not say much. Since his father had said so, he could also wait.

He said, “Dad, you have a good rest,” and then he retreated.

He left, but his perception was keenly locked on his father’s study.

He went very far, to a distance where even a martial arts expert could not lock on to that study.

Suddenly, he felt someone looking at him.

Not next to him, but in the distance.

He resisted the urge to turn his head, and the prying gaze suddenly disappeared.

Immediately, he felt another voice in his father’s study.

“Are you really going to let Xuan’er go to Hanzhou?”

“He doesn’t understand, don’t you understand either?”

“I understand. Xuan’er just has to be your only descendant, and then go and get married.

The more dandy he is, the less he inherits your mantle, the more at ease the people above will be.

No matter what, it’s just a family conflict, just playing with a few more women, and he won’t make a big mistake.

And I, as an older brother, have to worry about many things. I’m really trembling with fear, as if I’m on the verge of a deep abyss, as if I’m walking on thin ice.

Dad, I really don’t know if you are biased towards me or him.”

The figure let out a long sigh, and then said, “With the dragon qi from the extermination of the bear demon clan, I have taken another step forward in the Heavenly Master realm.”