Chapter 89: Gossip at Your Own Risk; Fake News is Not Guaranteed

The banquet was set within the peach forest.

Except for some lingering paleness, Valley Master Yun appeared mostly recovered.

Ning Xuan entered the feast with his arm around Yun Huaiyue. A group of younger disciples burst into excited hoots and cheers, making Yun Huaiyue so shy she didn’t dare lift her head.

Valley Master Yun smiled and signaled for everyone to quiet down. Only then did the two of them take their seats.

“Ning Xuan,” Valley Master Yun said, “where is An’an?”

“Junior Sister Ning is right behind us!” Yun Huaiyue said happily, leaning against Ning Xuan’s shoulder.

Valley Master Yun tapped her daughter’s nose. “You, acting so improper in public.”

Ning Xuan smiled thinly, looking down at Yun Huaiyue with protective eyes. “It’s fine. As long as Yue’er is comfortable.”

Just as the crowd had settled down, Xue Chen and Ning Shengsheng entered the peach forest hand-in-hand.

Another wave of uproar rippled through the guests.

Valley Master Yun turned to Ning Xuan and remarked, “It seems Great Ning is about to celebrate two happy occasions at once…”

After the events at the Magma Sea, Ning Xuan had fully accepted Xue Chen. “When the time comes, Valley Master Yun must come to Great Ning for a while so we can celebrate together.”

“En, I will.”

Ning Shengsheng let go of Xue Chen’s hand just as they were about to take their seats.

Xue Chen’s gaze dropped to his empty palm, his pupils darkening. His brow furrowed slightly as he watched Ning Shengsheng begin chatting vibrantly with those around her.

The joy in his eyes was slowly swallowed by darkness.

Sooner or later… your eyes, your heart, and your side will belong to me alone.

At the banquet, Valley Master Yun announced the upcoming marriage of Yun Huaiyue and Ning Xuan to everyone. The wedding date was set for next month.

The celebration lasted late into the night before the guests finally dispersed.

Back in Great Ning, Meng Jingyang and Pei Yuan were holding down the fort, but the issue of Shen Qinghe had to be resolved. Leaving such a threat alive left Ning Xuan uneasy.

The following day.

Ning Xuan, Ning Shengsheng, and Xue Chen set out for Du’e City. Yun Huaiyue remained at the Hundred Herb Valley, as the disciples afflicted by the Gu poison still required her treatment.

On the flying ship, the three of them sat together, drinking tea and chatting.

“Xue Wuyin,” Ning Shengsheng asked, “why did the City Lord of Du’e save Shen Qinghe? What’s his background?”

“Bone Dust (Gu Chen) was originally a member of a Buddhist sect,” Xue Chen explained. “He later betrayed the sect for the woman he loved. He is now a loose cultivator.”

“Xue Chen is right,” Ning Xuan added plainly. “Rumor has it that this man is extremely obsessed. His lover died, but he refuses to bury her. The Ten Thousand Gu Sect possesses a type of Gu worm that can prevent a corpse from rotting.”

“Hiss, how terrifying!” Ning Shengsheng hugged her arms, shivering slightly.

Xue Chen remained silent, his head lowered. If he were Bone Dust, he would likely be even more obsessed and extreme. People of their kind could not accept the disappearance of the only light in their lives. Regardless of life or death, they had to be together.

He cast a furtive glance at the fearful Ning Shengsheng.

Bone Dust scares her.

One day, when she realizes I am the same kind of person, will she fear me too?

The thought of no longer being able to see her carefree, radiant smile was something he could not endure even in thought.

Crack—

The teacup in his hand suddenly shattered.

Tea splashed everywhere.

Ning Shengsheng leaned back in surprise. “Xue Chen, what are you doing?”

Ning Xuan also looked over.

“It’s nothing. I just thought of how Shen Qinghe almost harmed you, and I wished I could kill him immediately.” Xue Chen lowered his head to pick up the shards.

He didn’t even seem to care that the porcelain had sliced his index finger.

“Killing him would be mercy. Zhen wants to tear him into ten thousand pieces,” Ning Xuan said ruthlessly.

“Your Majesty is right.” Xue Chen smiled faintly.

The topic was successfully diverted. He let out a silent breath of relief, but a clean white bandage was soon wrapped around his injured finger.

Lifting his gaze, he saw Ning Shengsheng acting with focused care, though her mouth was scolding him: “If you want to kill him, then kill him, but how could you be so careless as to hurt yourself?”

After bandaging him, she tied it with a neat little butterfly knot. Her movements were fluid and practiced.

Xue Chen blinked. A tiny hole seemed to have been pried open in the depths of his heart, and sweet syrup began to bubble up from within.

“The Princess is right…” He stared at her blankly.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Flirting right in front of Zhen. You’re quite the expert at bandaging.” Ning Xuan raised an eyebrow, his tone sounding a bit miffed. “When your own brother was injured at the Magma Sea, I didn’t see you willing to move your precious fingers once.”

Ning Shengsheng gave him a flat look. “You had Sister-in-law to take care of you. Why would I meddle?”

Ning Xuan opened his mouth to argue but found no words.

“Here, here, here. I’ll give you the bandages. If you like being bandaged so much, go play with them yourself.” Ning Shengsheng tossed the roll of bandages to Ning Xuan and went to a corner to sit and meditate.

“Her temper is getting worse,” Ning Xuan muttered, shaking his head. He then turned to Xue Chen with a look of grand brotherly authority. “If she dares to bully you in the future, tell Zhen. Zhen will definitely seek justice for you.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Xue Chen replied with a dry, polite smile.

He thought to himself: You get bullied by her yourself; how are you going to seek justice for me?

The flying ship, powered by a massive amount of spirit stones, traveled at its absolute limit. They reached Du’e City in just half a day.

The three of them hid in a small grove outside the city.

“Does everyone entering the city have to wear a mask?” Ning Shengsheng asked.

“Yes.” Ning Xuan stood with his arms crossed, explaining with confidence. “Du’e City is a ‘Four-No-Man’s Land.’ They don’t ask about your origins or your purpose. You simply need to pay three thousand ‘Ghost Stones’ to buy a mask.”

“Ghost Stones?” Ning Shengsheng was confused.

“Two thousand spirit stones can be exchanged for one thousand Ghost Stones.” Xue Chen pulled three black robes from his storage pouch. “Put these on.”

Ning Xuan looked at him with appreciation. “Prince Consort Xue is quite thoughtful.”

Ning Shengsheng: “…”

Xue Chen helped Ning Shengsheng drape her cloak, then replied, “Your Majesty is the one who is truly knowledgeable.”

The world has truly gone mad, Ning Shengsheng thought. Am I really inside the novel “Chains of Clouded Joy”?

***

The group donned their hoods and walked toward the city gate.

“Do you have Ghost Stones?” The guard wore an eerie ghost mask, and his voice was hoarse and grating.

Ning Xuan tossed a storage pouch over with a disdainful look. Sensing that these people were not to be trifled with, the guard quickly produced three masks.

Ning Shengsheng and the others put on the masks and walked into Du’e City with an air of practiced calm.

The city was bustling with noise. Stalls lined both sides of the street, selling everything imaginable. There were spiritual medicines and pills, poisonous snakes and Gu worms—someone was even selling storybooks that claimed to contain the secrets of the Four Great Sects.

“Interesting. I’m going to buy one.” Ning Shengsheng squeezed into the crowd and returned holding a book. “Hahahahaha! Older Brother, you’re actually the subject of the very first chapter! Let me see what secrets you have.”

Ning Xuan leaned over curiously.

“The youngest ruler of Great Ning, Ning Xuan, is unremarkable in appearance, only five feet tall, and… doesn’t like to bathe?”

Ning Shengsheng took a half-step back, pinching her nose. “Brother, do you really not like to bathe?”

“What. Do. You. Think?” Ning Xuan glared furiously at the stall owner. One of these days, I’ll raid this entire black market.

Xue Chen stood behind Ning Shengsheng, stifling a laugh.

“Don’t be mad. Let’s look at the Qingling Sect. ‘The chosen talent, Hua Qingxue, appears cold and indifferent, but secretly apprentices at embroidery shops and excels at weaving lotus-patterned sword tassels.'”

“‘Everyone believes he practices his sword daily, but in reality, he spends his time researching tassel-weaving techniques.'”

“‘He likes to secretly eat snacks while flying on his sword. Once, while eating osmanthus cake, he accidentally blundered into a demoness’s cave and was locked on a stone bed for daily flirting, becoming the demoness’s prisoner of love.'”

At the bottom right corner, there was a special note: [Gossip at your own risk; fake news is not guaranteed to be true.] [This is a work of pure madness.]

“Hahaha, Hua Qingxue has it even worse than Zhen.” Ning Xuan laughed so hard he couldn’t stop. If Hua Qingxue ever saw this book, he would probably want to kill the author.

“Brother, look!” Ning Shengsheng gleefully pointed to the very last page. It said in giant, bold letters: [Pay extra to buy the illustration of the Emperor of Great Ning running naked!]

“…” Ning Xuan looked like he wanted to shred the book.

“Good, very good. This person better pray Zhen never finds them.

Otherwise—Zhen will make sure they taste all eighty-one tortures of the Black Cell!”