NOVEL NEXT Chapter 35: Trouble Arrives
Chapter 35: Trouble Arrives
[Name: Xu Lian]
[Rank: None]
[Skills: None]
[Items: None]
[Notes: Li Xiya’s affection for you has increased from 92/100 to 93/100. You have gained 1 Progression Point, which can be allocated to either Rank, Skills or Items].
The next day, when Xu Lian woke up, he saw this pleasant surprise.
It seemed that the sweet words he had said to Li Xiya last night had worked. Of course, he hadn’t said them just for the sake of gaining affection – those were words spoken from the heart, so it was a natural outcome.
“Now that I have two progress points in hand, I just need the materials to advance. I wonder when Pei Heng will be able to get the tiger bones. It should be soon, right?”
Xu Lian thought for a moment. Given his current relationship with the Pei family, they were likely paying close attention to his needs, and he was confident that they’d procure the tiger bones quickly.
“Add points to the rank!”
For this new progression point, he chose to allocate it to his rank. He wanted to see what materials would be needed, so it was best to prepare in advance.
Since he didn’t have any skills or items at the moment, there was no need to think about it too much. Boosting his rank was always a safe bet. Once his rank was high enough, who cared about skills and items?
[Point allocation completed. Please add tiger bones to reach the Bone Refining level. Then add stone marrow to advance to the Marrow Refining stage].
“Stone marrow?”
Xu Lian had never heard of it before.
It seemed to be a resource for cultivators, and even if he had money, it wouldn’t necessarily be easy to obtain.
Meanwhile, he also learned the ranking of the stages: Skin Refining Stage, Muscle Refining Stage, Bone Refining Stage, and Marrow Refining Stage.
“What’s the rank above that?” He wondered.
Then he shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it. Cultivation was all about steady progress; chasing after high goals without the proper foundation was a mistake. He should focus on reaching the Bone Refining and Marrow Refining stages before thinking about the next level.
Seeing that Li Xiya was too tired to get up and cook breakfast, Xu Lian had no choice but to make it himself.
It was the leftovers from last night, just reheated for a quick meal.
After breakfast, he automatically walked towards the stable.
He stopped in his tracks when he saw the empty stable, suddenly remembering… the horse was gone.
He had no choice but to walk to the mine.
“Manager Xu, are you going to the mine? I can give you a ride.”
“Manager Xu, please ride in my cart.”
On the way, many of the stone haulers from the mine invited him to ride with them.
Xu Lian politely declined, “No need, I’ll walk. I just want to stretch my legs.”
Ever since becoming the manager, he had been constantly bothered by people trying to establish connections. He didn’t want to get involved with anyone casually.
People might not think much of it, but as soon as he got into someone’s cart, they might ask him for a position as an overseer… That would be awkward.
This world was so practical and straightforward.
“Son-in-law.”
Yang Ye’s little black donkey cart pulled up with Zhang Yuan inside, and it wasn’t until then that Xu Lian hopped on.
Yang Ye, now an overseer, didn’t need the donkey cart anymore. He had planned to dismantle the cart frame and ride the donkey to save the donkey’s strength and conserve fodder, but Zhang Yuan begged him to leave it intact because he wanted to ride the cart to and from work every day. Yang Ye, who was meticulous, didn’t agree.
The two of them bargained for a while, finally reaching an agreement of “strategic cooperation”. Yang Ye’s cart would remain intact, but Zhang Yuan would have to give Yang Ye three jin of grain in exchange for the ride.
When they arrived at the mine, Xu Lian saw that Pu Ling and Lin Bufeng had already arrived. These two valued their position as overseers and were usually the first to arrive.
“Pu Ling, take care of the arrangements,” Xu Lian instructed before going into the stone house to drink tea and look over the ledgers.
For the most part, Xu Lian had delegated all of the mine’s affairs to Pu Ling and had become a hands-off manager, enjoying his free time.
After all, Lu Kan was in charge of the mine’s finances and supplies. With money and authority separated, it was difficult to cause any trouble.
Just as Xu Lian finished reviewing the books and lazily half-reclined in his chair for a nap, there was a loud “bang” and the door was kicked open.
Xu Lian was startled awake, thinking that something had happened. Upon focusing, he saw Pei Zhaoxi walking in, draped in a cloak. A carriage was parked outside, accompanied by several guards.
“Isn’t it dangerous for a woman to go out in broad daylight? Aren’t you afraid of attracting evil spirits?” Xu Lian asked in surprise.
Pei Zhaoxi casually closed the door, unwrapped her cloak, and revealed a white marten fur coat underneath.
What was this about? Xu Lian’s eyes narrowed. Just when he thought something might happen, Pei Zhaoxi sat down in the chair opposite him, causing him to feel a bit disappointed.
Pei Zhaoxi’s small face turned cold as she said, “Are you an idiot? Don’t you know this? Ordinary women have weaker constitutions and are more susceptible to evil spirits. Women like me who practice martial arts have a stronger constitution, so it’s fine to go out in the daytime”.
So, it’s related to one’s physical constitution… Xu Lian understood, glancing at her as he recalled the previous evening. Her constitution was indeed quite impressive… he had experienced it first hand.
“Since you practice martial arts, why were you unable to defend yourself when I attacked you?” Xu Lian asked somewhat amusedly, pretending to be clueless.
Pei Zhaoxi became angry, “I may have practiced martial arts, but I haven’t reached the level of a martial artist yet. How was I supposed to know that you were a hidden expert? If I knew you were a martial artist, I wouldn’t have foolishly led people to ambush you.”
Xu Lian comforted her, “It’s already happened… there’s no point in regretting it.”
Pei Zhaoxi glared at him, seemingly remembering something, and her face turned red.
This little firecracker was already a beauty, and when she blushed, she became even more charming. Xu Lian felt a surge of heat in his chest and immediately stood up and walked over to her. “Zhaoxi, since it’s already happened, what difference does it make if it happens again?”
At first, Pei Zhaoxi refused, but then she gave in, completely losing herself, even more recklessly than Xu Lian.
More than an hour later, the madness finally stopped.
Pei Zhaoxi’s face was cold as she spoke, “The young master of the Fang family, one of the three great families, has had an engagement with me since childhood. He’ll be coming to my house soon to propose to me. I’ll see how you handle it.”
“Why didn’t you tell me before?” Xu Lian frowned. For ordinary families, this wouldn’t be a big problem, but for a prominent family like the Fang family, the requirements would be much stricter. It was probably impossible now.
Pei Zhaoxi sneered, “Do you think I had time to tell you?”
“…”Xu Lian remained silent for a moment. “This can’t all be my fault. You have a responsibility as well. If you hadn’t led those people to ambush me, this wouldn’t have escalated.”
Pei Zhaoxi stared at him, “Do you regret it?”
Xu Lian shook his head, “No, I don’t regret it.”
Pei Zhaoxi asked, “What are you going to do about it?”
Xu Lian thought for a moment before answering, “Now that it’s come to this, what can we do? Let your family find a way to call off the engagement.
Pei Zhaoxi’s face turned cold again, “Canceling the engagement would be an insult to the Fang family. They would never let it go. Are you saying that my family should bear the consequences while you stay out of it?”
“I don’t mean it like that.”
Xu Lian replied, “If I can help in any way, I’ll definitely do what I can.
Pei Zhaoxi continued, “What will happen after the engagement is cancelled?”
“Will you move into my house and be my wife?” Xu Lian said this as a trial, unsure whether she would agree or not.
Pei Zhaoxi made a request, “I want to be the first wife.”
“No way!” Xu Lian immediately rejected her. Li Xiya’s position in his heart was irreplaceable, and this was his promise to her.
Pei Zhaoxi’s small face alternated between pale and flushed as she stared at him coldly, “I’m willing to be your wife, and this is a simple request. You can’t even agree? Are you asking me to become a concubine in your house as the legitimate daughter of the Pei family?”
Xu Lian thought for a moment. Allowing her to be a concubine seemed to be impossible. “How about this: you can be an equal wife, with the same status as the first wife, or you can have your own household. I’ll work harder and run between the two households.”
Pei Zhaoxi shot him a cold glance, threw on her cloak and headed toward the door.
Xu Lian watched her slender figure and called out, “Will you agree? Can I have a word with you?”
Pei Zhaoxi didn’t respond, her face cold as she opened the door and walked out.