NOVEL NEXT Chapter 114: Good
Chapter 114: Good
After finishing his martial arts training at the academy, Pei Heng bought some groceries and brought them back, handing them over to the two maids to prepare lunch.
Since these maids were from poor families and had never practiced martial arts, they couldn’t leave the house during the day. This meant that Pei Heng had to buy the groceries himself.
As the direct son of the Pei family, he had never done anything like this before. Initially, he made quite a few mistakes, but over time he got the hang of it. The experience of buying food wasn’t that bad after all.
When the food was ready, Xu Lian and Pei Zhaoxi came out of the inner room, still playfully teasing each other.
“Brother-in-law, did you solve the problem with Chen Xuan?” Pei Heng poured a cup of wine for Xu Lian and then filled his own cup as well.
Pei Zhaoxi snatched the wine jug and poured herself a cup as well, pouting. “Am I not human?”
Xu Lian raised his wine cup and clinked it with Pei Heng’s and Pei Zhaoxi’s cups. “It’s settled.”
Pei Heng sighed. “Back in Green Bamboo Town, my identity as a direct son of the Pei family was respected wherever I went. But here in Pingyang County, it’s not worth much. In fact, it often leads to people looking down on me and inviting trouble.
Chen Xuan’s harassment of Zhaoxi was partly my fault. When Zhaoxi and I first arrived at the martial arts school, I wanted to make friends, so I revealed our identities. Little did I know that it would attract Chen Xuan’s attention and he would target Zhaoxi, thinking that we were easy prey from a rural town”.
Xu Lian patted Pei Heng’s shoulder. “It’s okay. You’ll learn from this experience. In the future, just keep your identity hidden and no one will know your background.”
Pei Heng smiled. “After you killed Chen Xuan in public and showed your strength, everyone at the academy was scared. Now, people avoid me, and the martial arts instructors even asked me why I still study at the academy when I have a brother-in-law with such a high cultivation level.”
“Even though my strength is decent, my cultivation method is not suitable for you,” Xu Lian said as they continued to eat and talk. Their relationship had always been good, and now that Xu Lian was Pei Heng’s brother-in-law, they were even closer.
Pei Zhaoxi rarely spoke, but Xu Lian didn’t neglect her. He occasionally served her food, focusing on building up her favorability, starting with small details.
After lunch, they drank tea to aid their digestion.
Pei Heng had to return to the Academy in the afternoon, so he took a short nap.
Xu Lian and Pei Zhaoxi went out to explore the city.
Hand in hand, the two of them-one handsome, the other stunning-looked like a perfect match, drawing the attention of many onlookers.
Xu Lian bought Pei Zhaoxi clothes, jewelry, and other items. Women, regardless of age or status, loved these things. Even female cultivators couldn’t resist such gifts.
Finally, Xu Lian took Pei Zhaoxi to the Spiritual Essence Tower, where he spent some spirit stones to buy medicinal cuisine and bathing materials that would aid her martial arts training.
As for more advanced pills, Pei Zhaoxi didn’t need them yet, so the total cost was minimal.
He knew that the Pei family, one of the three major families of Green Bamboo Town, certainly had wealth, but Spirit Stones were scarce. Even if they had some, they were extremely limited.
Pei Zhaoxi was both touched and pleased. “Thank you, husband.”
Xu Lian smiled and gently rubbed her nose. “When Zhaoxi, the little rich girl, married me back in Green Bamboo Town, she wasn’t stingy at all. She brought so many estates and fields as a dowry. How could I be stingy with you?”
Pei Zhaoxi leaned against him and whispered sweet words into his ear. “I am so glad I shot that cold arrow at you back then. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have approached me and we wouldn’t be husband and wife.”
Xu Lian knew that this was the perfect opportunity to build up her favorability. “I never expected that the once-spoiled Zhaoxi would give me her whole heart after we got together. Zhaoxi, you’re really good.”
“Husband, you’re good too.”
“No, Zhaoxi is better.”
“Husband is better!”
Just as the atmosphere was at its peak, a clear youthful voice called out, “Brother-in-law?”
Xu Lian turned around and felt that the girl looked familiar. After thinking for a moment, he remembered where he had seen her before. She was Lin Wan’s cousin, Lin Xin, the daughter of Lin Wan’s uncle. Xu Lian had met her at the Spirit Residence on First Street.
Lin Xin’s eyes narrowed with suspicion as she watched the intimate behavior of Xu Lian and Pei Zhaoxi. “Brother-in-law, who is she?”
Xu Lian wasn’t nervous. There was no reason to be. Instead, he casually joked, “She’s my sister. I’m just buying some cultivation items for her.”
However, Pei Zhaoxi wasn’t having it. She glared at Lin Xin and retorted, “I’m his legally married wife. Who are you, and why are you calling him brother-in-law?”
Lin Xin’s cheeks puffed up in anger. “He is the husband of my eldest cousin from my second uncle’s family. Of course I call him brother-in-law.”
Pei Zhaoxi understood immediately. Xu Lian had another wife in Pingyang County. While this wasn’t a big deal, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy, especially since Xu Lian had just been so affectionate with her. She sneered, “So that’s how it is. Tell your cousin to serve my husband well. If she doesn’t do a good job, I won’t allow it.”
Little Pepper is still Little Pepper. Her words can sting like a viper… Xu Lian thought, feeling a bit helpless.
However, Lin Xin was furious. Her face turned red as she glared at Pei Zhaoxi. “My cousin isn’t part of your family. What right do you have to interfere?”
Pei Zhaoxi was well aware that in Xu Lian’s heart, the gentle and elegant woman, Xi Ya, held the top position. After her, Pei Zhaoxi knew that she was next. She could feel Xu Lian’s affection for her.
As long as it wasn’t Xi Ya, she wasn’t afraid of anyone. She immediately replied, “I see you’re a bit older than me. Your cousin must be even older. In a few years, she’ll be past her prime. Even if she’s not part of my family, she can only be a concubine,”
Lin Xin was so angry that her whole body trembled. Without thinking, she raised her hand and slapped Pei Zhaoxi’s face.
“A concubine’s cousin dares to hit me?” Pei Zhaoxi exploded in anger like a wild cat whose tail had been stepped on. She retaliated with a slap of her own.
Xu Lian quickly intervened, grabbing both of their wrists and pulling them apart. “Enough, enough. What’s going on here?”
The saleswoman watched the scene with a smirk, considering whether to add fuel to the fire by revealing Xu Lian’s relationship with the Zhao sisters. However, she decided against it. After all, Xu Lian was her valued customer and she didn’t want to offend him.
“Brother-in-law, I forgot to bring spirit stones when I came out. I’ve chosen this pill. Can you pay for it?” Lin Xin looked at Pei Zhaoxi. In truth, she had brought spirit stones, but she was determined to stand her ground. She had seen Xu Lian buying things for Pei Zhaoxi, and she wanted to assert herself for Lin Wan’s sake.
Pei Zhaoxi pulled Xu Lian’s hand and tried to walk away. “Don’t buy anything for her!”
Lin Xin grabbed Xu Lian’s other hand. “I’ll do it anyway. What can you do about it?”
Pei Zhaoxi sneered. “Your cousin is your cousin, and you are you. What’s the point of asking my husband to pay for your pill? Do you also want to be my husband’s concubine?”
Lin Xin froze for a moment, realizing her mistake. Her face turned red as she quickly let go of Xu Lian’s hand.
Xu Lian asked the clerk how much the pill Lin Xin had chosen cost, then took out the spirit stones and placed them on the counter. Then he left with Pei Zhaoxi.
By placating Lin Xin, Xu Lian hoped to prevent her from spreading rumors about him to Lin Wan, which could affect his favorability. However, Lin Wan was unlikely to be swayed as Xu Lian had already taken her to Green Bamboo Town and revealed his situation to her.
Pei Zhaoxi might be stubborn, but she wasn’t petty. With a few words, Xu Lian managed to calm her down.
In the following days, Xu Lian spent a full seven days with Pei Zhaoxi, taking her to all the best and most enjoyable places in Pingyang County. By the end of the seventh day, Pei Zhaoxi’s favorability increased from 90/100 to 91/100, earning Xu Lian another progress point.
Now, Xu Lian had a total of four progress points. One had already been allocated to his rank, requiring a Nightbloom Flower to advance. The other three were still available.
“I’ve already checked with the Spiritual Essence Tower. The Nightbloom Flower is a specialty of Yuanfu County. It’s not available in Pingyang County. I’ll need to go to Yuanfu County to get it,” Xu Lian thought to himself.
After some consideration, he decided to make the trip to Yuanfu County.
However, Yuanfu County wasn’t dominated by the Yi Sect, and the situation there was far more complex than in Pingyang County. His Purple Jade Badge and his position as an inspector wouldn’t be as effective there.