Chapter 5: The Domineering Princess's Pursuit of Her Husband
At the entrance of the Hall of Law Enforcement.
Lou Yuqing and Si Nidie waved goodbye and agreed to meet again tomorrow.
Although she was momentarily taken aback when Senior Sister Ni revealed some gossip about their master, the gossip that followed was still very enticing, and to her surprise, her gossip-loving value increased rapidly.
[Gossip Value: 560 points]
Thinking of this, Lou Yuqing glanced at Gu Bugai beside her. This man seemed even colder and more stern than Captain Wei, yet he could remain expressionless when he heard such a funny story.
In a sense, she admired people who could resist the temptation of melons.
"Senior Brother Gu, if Master asks, just say we were diligently on duty in the observation area and didn't slack off at all, understand?" Lou Yuqing reminded him worriedly, afraid that he would reveal the truth.
Gu Bugai said slowly, "...Isn't that inappropriate?"
“There’s nothing wrong with it. Master is a parent who pushes his child too hard. If he knew we were just lazing around, how could he enjoy watching the drama unfold? You don’t want to leave here, right?” Lou Yuqing said enticingly.
"Chicken parenting"? Or "Salty fish"?
Gu Bugai silently absorbed the meaning of those two words and roughly understood what his little apprentice meant. He replied, "Yes, if he asks, I'll cover for him."
Lou Yuqing clenched her fist: "Yay!"
She smiled and said to him, "Senior Brother Gu, I misunderstood you. Although you seem aloof, you are actually quite reasonable."
Looking at her bright and cheerful smile, Gu Bugai reflected on himself, wondering if he had put too much pressure on her, causing her to only be able to relax by eating melons.
In fact, with him around, even if his little apprentice isn't ambitious, he can still protect her.
Gu Bugai has come to terms with it; he'll just be a salted fish if he wants.
"Senior Brother Gu, are you laughing? It looks a little creepy." Looking at Gu Bugai's twisted expression that seemed to be smiling but wasn't, Lou Yuqing thought he had suddenly fallen ill and asked weakly.
Gu Bu Gai: ?
He summoned a water mirror, looked at himself in it, and thought to himself, "Who is this pervert?"
Who could have known that he just wanted to smile with satisfaction?
"I had an accident on my face, so I can't make facial expressions," Gu Bugai had no choice but to explain.
Lou Yuqing suddenly realized, then sighed: "Senior Brother Gu has a poker face. Has Master seen him? Can he be cured?"
Gu Bugai made up a story off the cuff: "I've seen it, but it can't be cured."
Just then, a male disciple walked towards them. He glanced at Lou Yuqing and Gu Bugai, then looked behind them with a puzzled expression.
"Have you ever seen a female disciple who looks a lot like me?" the male disciple asked, pointing to his own face.
Lou Yuqing stared at the other person's face and immediately noticed something amiss.
The male disciple actually shared the same face as Si Nidie, except that Senior Sister Nidie had a softer, more feminine face, while the male disciple had a more angular and rugged face.
"It seems you've seen her. Could you tell me where she went? I told her to wait for me here, but that girl has gone off somewhere and is acting crazy," the male disciple complained.
Lou Yuqing asked, "Who are you?"
“I’m a man, his older brother,” the male disciple said casually.
Lou Yuqing: ?
Gu Bu Gai: ?
Lou Yuqing suddenly couldn't understand what the other person was saying, so she asked again, "We can tell you're a man, no need to emphasize it. What I mean is, who are you to Senior Sister Ni? Are you her brother?"
“Yes, I am Si Nidie’s older brother, Si Nanren. Nan means south and Ren means benevolence.” The male disciple had an “I knew it” look on his face, and then gave a detailed introduction.
He always has to repeat his name a second time when introducing himself to someone, and he's gotten used to it.
Lou Yuqing pointed to the right: "Okay, Senior Brother Si, Senior Sister Ni went in that direction."
"Thank you."
Si Nanren turned to leave, but then suddenly remembered something, turned back, and asked, "Why do you call me 'Dead Senior Brother' instead of 'Dead Senior Sister,' and call her 'Senior Sister Ni'?"
"...Senior Sister Si doesn't sound good."
"Does 'dead senior brother' sound better?" Si Nanren pouted. "I don't care, you have to give me a different title."
"Then, Senior Brother Nan?"
"That sounds like a male senior brother. I am a man, so this is redundant. Let's find another one!"
You have so many demands.
Lou Yuqing, eyes downcast and mindful, asked, "Brother Ren?"
"Senior Brother Ren?" Si Nanren rubbed his chin and shook his head. "No, calling me that makes me feel like I'm not human."
"Senior Brother Nanren?"
“Brother Man…” Si Nanren was speechless.
Lou Yuqing spread her hands: "I can't do anything about it. Even a clever cook can't cook without rice. Who told you to have this name? You'd better accept your fate, Senior Brother Si."
“No, please call me Senior Brother Nan.” Si Nanren said solemnly, “I’ve thought it through. This is slightly better. After all, I don’t want to die or be expelled from the human race.”
Lou Yuqing couldn't help but become curious about this family. What kind of parents would give their child such a name?
[Source: Si Nanren (200 points)]
Looking at the required "gossip value" on the panel, Lou Yuqing tapped it and began to browse the system panel.
Haha, so that's how it is!
Back then, Senior Brother Nan's mother was pregnant with twins, and the delivery was extremely difficult. Coincidentally, Si's father was away on a mission and had not yet returned.
The thought of enduring the hardships of childbirth for him, only to have him not by her side, filled Si's mother with rage. She shouted, "You damned man, I'm your father!"
[Surprisingly, as soon as Mother Si finished shouting, Senior Brother Nan and Senior Sister Ni were born one after the other.]
This scene was witnessed by Si's father, who rushed back home. He felt that these words had protected the two children, so he named them Si Nanren and Si Nidie.
Si Nanren: "..."
He stared at Lou Yuqing, speechless, wanting to say, "Are you telling the truth?" but the words stuck in his throat, and he couldn't say them.
This alarmed Si Nanren.
I inexplicably heard Lou Yuqing's inner thoughts, which revealed things I didn't even know. What's going on?
Suddenly, another voice came.
This time it wasn't a thought, but a telepathic communication technique.
"Don't doubt it, what you heard is true, you just can't say it out loud. Just keep a calm mind." Gu Bugai began to wrap things up for his little apprentice.
Si Nanren: Can this thing be preserved?
"Brother, you heard that too?"
Not long after Si Nidie left, she remembered her promise to her brother and turned back to find him, so as not to be nagged by him for a long time. Just as she was about to greet him, she heard Lou Yuqing's thoughts.
Si Nanren nodded: "I heard you."
Si Nidie stood ten feet away, her face a mixture of emotions: "Then do you know whether what Junior Sister Lou said is true or false, and whether our names really came from that?"
Si Nanren shook his head: "I don't know. Every time we went to our parents to protest the name change, they would just say it was a good name and that we could use it without worry."
“Is it possible that they’re not just being perfunctory, but that they genuinely believe it?” Si Nidie said heavily. “If what they’re saying is true, given my parents’ mindset, they might just do it.”
Si Nanren remained suspiciously silent.
It's better not to know at all.
[Brother Nan was handsome from a young age and very popular with girls. When they played house as kids, he would be the emperor and all the little girls would want to be the empress.]
Once, he announced that he was going to marry a girl. The other girls were heartbroken and cried their eyes out. Si's father thought he had caused trouble and gave him a beating.
[This experience left Nan with a psychological scar, and he matured a lot overnight, never playing house with anyone again.]
Si Nidie: Pfft!
Si Nanren: Don't laugh!
Si Nidie: I can't hold it in... *pfft*
Sorry, brother, I'll start with a laugh.
Si Nanren looked depressed.
Wow, Senior Brother Nan has grown up to be even more remarkable. He manages to win the hearts of women every time he goes out on a mission, and this time he even got a marriage proposal from the Princess of Wu Kingdom!
Si Nidie's smile faltered: Brother, when did you become a live-in son-in-law? You didn't tell the family beforehand, are you itching for a beating?
Si Nanren protested his innocence: "It's a misunderstanding! How could I possibly have any connection with that Princess Wu? I don't even know her."
Because the target of the mission was a cunning fox demon that specialized in draining men's vital energy, Senior Brother Nan disguised himself as a scholar to lure the fox demon.
[It just so happened that the Wu Kingdom was holding its imperial examinations, and that day was the day the results were announced. The Wu Kingdom princess glanced into the crowd and spotted her senior brother, Nan, passing by. She declared, "I want him!"]
Caught off guard, Senior Brother Nan was tied up by the guards of Princess Wu. Fearing that the fox demon was watching, he had no choice but to endure it.
[This forbearance lasted until the wedding day. Although Senior Brother Nan explained to the princess that he was not a candidate in this year's imperial examination, the princess would not listen, saying that she valued him as a person, not his status.]
In the end, Senior Brother Nan still slipped away. Princess Wu swore to the heavens on the spot that she would find him and marry him while wearing this bright red wedding dress.
Si Nanren's heart sank. He didn't want this ill-fated relationship. He had exposed his identity in order to escape the marriage, and he hadn't even caught a single hair of the fox demon. Instead, the sect deducted a lot of contribution points from him.
Don't panic, stay calm.
Si Nanren took a deep breath. The barrier between mortal nations and the cultivation world is very thick. Perhaps she is just saying nice things, but in reality, she has already given up.
Princess Wu's efficiency is truly remarkable; she used her extensive network of connections to pinpoint Senior Brother Nan's location, and he's currently right at the entrance of the Wendao Sect.
What a captivating tale of a domineering princess pursuing her husband!
Si Nanren blurted out, "What!"
He was so shocked that he couldn't stop talking.
Instantly, everyone turned to look, even Lou Yuqing, who was engrossed in watching the drama unfold.
Si Nanren: "...I suddenly remembered something urgent."
After saying that, he threw out a flying sword, lightly stepped on the sword, made a sword incantation with his hand, and transformed into a stream of light that flew into the distance.
Si Nidie laughed: "Serves you right for being so stubborn. You'll show your true colors when things get tough."
Just then, she felt someone's gaze on her, and subconsciously looked over, only to meet Lou Yuqing's eyes: "..."
Lou Yuqing revealed an innocent smile: "Senior Sister Ni, your brother seemed to have left in a hurry. Didn't you have an agreement?"
Si Nidie stiffened, feeling as if she could see right through her. She quickly said, "I just wanted to have a meal with him. It's nothing. It's okay to postpone it."
Lou Yuqing nodded thoughtfully.
Si Nidie wiped away non-existent cold sweat, fearing that her underwear would be stripped off by this seemingly innocent junior sister, and said, "Then I'll take my leave."
Lou Yuqing waved: "See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow...tomorrow."
After Si Nidie finished speaking, she turned around and put on the mask of pain. She never thought that one day, working in the auditorium would make her feel scared.
Lou Yuqing watched her departing figure and asked in confusion, "Senior Sister Ni's back seems a little unsteady."
"Really? You must have misread it," Gu Bugai corrected calmly.
Lou Yuqing believed it to be true and didn't take it to heart.
At the same time, the gossip system displayed a line of small text: "This big gossip has been delivered. Five people are gossiping: Zixiao Immortal Venerable, Qingxuzi, Meng Zonghan, Sinanren, and Si Nidie."
Gu Bugai glanced at a certain spot high in the sky.
"Did Uncle Zixiao discover us?" Meng Zonghan felt guilty after being looked at like that.
Sect Leader Qingxuzi said, "Although my master is currently using an avatar, his spiritual sense is just as strong as his original self, so it's normal that he detected us."
A moment ago, he heard from Meng Zonghan that his martial uncle had entered the Law Enforcement Hall using his real name, Gu Bugai. He was shocked and came to see what was going on.
Upon arriving here, I heard Yuqing's innermost thoughts.
To Qingxuzi's surprise, Meng Zonghan also heard the thoughts this time. He paid special attention to the disciples' performance and found that only the Si siblings could hear it.
My uncle must have noticed this as well.
Unfortunately, there are too few examples to discover the pattern of inner thoughts for the time being.
“I like Princess Wu’s personality. That’s how I won over the lady back then. She has some of my charm.” Meng Zonghan’s face showed a nostalgic expression.
Qingxuzi scoffed, "What you're doing is called persistent pestering. If my sister-in-law weren't so shy and couldn't resist your nagging, how could she have gotten away with this? You old scoundrel."
Meng Zonghan laughed heartily: "Senior Brother Sect Leader, you are no match for me in this respect. Not only do my wife and I have a very deep affection for each other, but she also gave birth to a daughter for me."
"I may not be as shameless as you, but don't even think about showing off in front of me. I also have a daughter," Qingxuzi said proudly.
Upon hearing this, Meng Zonghan sighed and said, "Who would have thought that you, Senior Brother, who have been single your whole life, would have a daughter who has been living away from home? I wonder how well Song Li's injuries are recovering. When will you bring her out for us to see? My daughter is about the same age as her, and we might become friends."
"With the Frost Toad lent by Junior Sister Hongyan, plus my treasured Frost Jade Bed, the fire poison in Li'er's body has been almost completely removed, and she will be fully recovered soon." A gentle look flashed in Qingxuzi's eyes.
He once rescued a female cultivator while traveling, and they developed feelings for each other. However, due to various reasons, the relationship eventually ended without fruition.
A month ago, someone sent a letter to Wendao Sect. When Qingxuzi opened it, he found it was the dying words of a female cultivator. In the letter, she said that she had left him a daughter named Song Li.
Qingxuzi froze on the spot, his hand holding the letter trembling. It took him a long time to come back to his senses. He then flew to the south of the continent to bring his daughter back to the sect to take care of her.
When he saw Song Li being chased by fire beasts in a mountain range, his heart skipped a beat. She looked so much like the female cultivator. Her face was seven or eight parts similar to the female cultivator's, and she was practically a young version of the female cultivator.
Around Song Li's neck hung a love-bin necklace, a token of love he and the female cultivator had exchanged years ago.
Unfortunately, before he could ask a few questions, Song Li fainted from the fire poison.
Qingxuzi's hand, hidden in his sleeve, caressed the concentric shell, his gaze wistfully fixed on the south, as if he could see her voice and smile through the drifting clouds.
The next day.
Lou Yuqing skipped and hopped to the audience area. After a good night's sleep, she was full of energy, her face was fair and rosy, and she looked very healthy.
Gu Bugai still sported his perpetually expressionless face, his hair tied up in a jade crown, his robes without a single wrinkle, and his gait exuded a bold and unrestrained air.
The two pushed open the door and entered.
"Senior Sister Ni hasn't arrived yet? She arrived at this time yesterday." Lou Yuqing glanced around the room and only saw a few disciples on duty today.
Hearing the door open, the disciples all looked over. Seeing unfamiliar faces, they showed puzzled expressions. The leading disciple asked, "Who are you?"
The disciple's gaze swept past Gu Bugai and landed on Lou Yuqing, who seemed much more approachable than the one next to her.
“We are new disciples who arrived yesterday. Captain Wei Houming assigned us to Senior Sister Ni’s team. Does this senior brother know when she will arrive?” Lou Yuqing asked politely.
The disciple in charge suddenly realized, "That's right. Xiao Si has just broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage, so she should have a few more helpers. You wait here for a while. She comes every day, but she might be held up by something today."
"Thank you," Lou Yuqing said with a smile.
Before long, the disciple in charge received a message from Wei Houming saying that there was a case to be tried, so he led the other disciples to the Hall of Law Enforcement.
Before leaving, he pointed out a place to Lou Yuqing: "There are piles of cases that the Law Enforcement Hall has handled over the years, in five areas. If you're bored, you can go and take a look. With your authority, you can go directly to the first area."
Lou Yuqing was like a mouse that had fallen into a rice jar, and began to happily enjoy spiritual nourishment.
[Gossip Value +20]
[Gossip Value +100]
[Gossip Value +50]
...
By comparing different "melon-eating values," Lou Yuqing discovered that among melons of the same size, fresh melons earned more "melon-eating values" than old melons.
In other words, if you want to quickly accumulate a lot of "gossip points," it's best to pay more attention to recent events.
Lou Yuqing put down the jade slip in her hand and came out to see Gu Bugai and Si Nidie chatting, and they seemed to be having a very harmonious conversation.
"What are you talking about?" Lou Yuqing asked curiously.
When Si Nidie saw her, her heart skipped a beat. If the sect leader hadn't spoken to her and her brother yesterday and shared his thoughts, she definitely wouldn't have come today.
Thinking this, Si Nidie patted the seat next to her and tentatively asked, "Junior sister, please sit down. What kind of person do you think I am?"
Lou Yuqing sat down and said earnestly, "Senior Sister, you may seem unreliable, but you are actually very responsible. The opinions on the cases given on the jade slip are all very pertinent."
No one has a voice?
Si Nidie breathed a sigh of relief. She was afraid that Lou Yuqing would suddenly reveal her secret, as social death was a terrible way to die.
Unbeknownst to her, Lou Yuqing had already spent 100 points of gossip value to unlock her gossip on her way home yesterday, and her evaluation was: so-so, not very interesting.
Then, Lou Yuqing randomly picked a melon maker named Yuan Yan and ate a melon at 10 o'clock. The melon was so bland that it was almost undetectable. It was basically just a basic description of the melon maker's information, which was dry and uninteresting.
Lou Yuqing immediately swore that she would never again consume melons worth less than 200 points, and would never waste a single penny of money on the system.
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