Clear Stream Market, Town Guardian Cultivator's Manor.
Zhou Yingxi was probably the last person to find out that her position as a judge had been taken over by her own father.
To Yulou, pinching pennies wherever possible was the priority. An early Qi Condensation cultivator like Zhou Yingxi wanted six hundred spirit stones, whereas Mu Chunze, who had successfully achieved Foundation Establishnt, was willing to make an appearance for free.
Did that even require a choice?
The lovely young lady wanted six hundred, while the mature old tir was free. Choose the old tir!
Anyone who hesitated could give up on cultivating—their Dao heart was simply too weak.
"Yingxi, your father didn't want to go either, but that old scoundrel Wang Xianmao is incredibly crafty. He backed into a corner where I couldn't refuse."
Mu Chunze spoke cautiously, noticing his daughter's displeasure.
Such was the life of a live-in son-in-law.
He did not carry the Zhou surna, and Zhou Yingxi possessed absolute peak talent, making her the darling of the Zhou family's ancestor.
Compared to Zhou Yingxi, Mu Chunze's status within the Zhou family was akin to a long-term hired hand—even worse off than Tie Qinhe within the Wang family.
"I have no objection to you going, Father. It's just, on what grounds does the Wang family get to refuse you even a single spirit stone?"
Zhou Yingxi felt too embarrassed to ntion that Wang Yulou had played her, so she used this excuse to brush off her cheap father.
A noble daughter of the Zhou family was exactly that. Calling Mu Chunze her father was basic etiquette, but it went without saying that she did not particularly look up to this matrilocal father.
Wang Xianzhou looked down on him, and so did Zhou Yingxi!
"As the Town Guardian Cultivator of Clear Stream Market, safeguarding the peace of this region and ensuring its prosperity is my responsibility.
Spirit stones or not, it doesn't matter at all, it really doesn't matter."
Mu Chunze, famous for diluting water with water, put on a self-righteous front. Zhou Yingxi remained silent, stood up, and left.
After his daughter departed, the smile on Mu Chunze's face slowly faded. He let out a long sigh and resud his cultivation.
What else could he do?
A live-in son-in-law was exactly that—a live-in son-in-law.
Every choice carried a price.
Since he wanted to rely on the Zhou family's protection, he had to endure the cold shoulders of its mbers.
He was well aware of Zhou Yingxi's attitude toward him. Now, seeing his daughter look down on him more and more, Mu Chunze actually did not feel a single shred of regret.
Not a single shred!
If he had to play the cowardly lackey, then so be it. It was worth it!
Still, rembering how his daughter used to grab his pant legs and call him Daddy when she was little, Mu Chunze couldn't help but feel a bit lancholy.
——
At the Huafeng Residence, Cuiguo found Yulou, who was currently reading How to Handle Sword Cultivators: Eighteen thods to Counter Flying Swords.
Sword cultivators usually possessed top-tier magical combat skills and were experts at manipulating various types of flying swords.
As for flying swords themselves, from the artifact level to the magic treasure level, nurous artificing masters had researched them ticulously.
Therefore, knowing how to deal with sword cultivators was a mandatory technique that every immortal cultivator had to master.
"Wang Yulou, the young miss wants you to co over."
Toward Yu'an, Cuiguo would strike with heavy fists.
Toward Yulou, Cuiguo was completely submissive.
"Where?"
Yulou stood up. He still had to show Zhou Yingxi proper respect. She was an indisputable core disciple of the Purple Palace immortal clan, the Zhou family, and she was the sa age as him.
To facilitate her cultivation, Mu Chunze had been deployed directly to Clear Stream Market as the Town Guardian Cultivator. Most of the spiritual essence of the Qin Rhy Clear Stream was being consud by Zhou Yingxi.
This female cultivator's cultivation wasn't just training; it was literally burning spirit stones.
Even if such a person never beca his Dao companion, maintaining a good relationship with her would provide a great network for the future.
"Zhiwei Bistro. The young miss seems a bit angry, so keep your wits about you,"
Cuiguo chattered and warned him all along the way.
Going upstairs, Yulou found Zhou Yingxi sitting by the window, staring blankly at the street outside.
Through the side of her veil, one could see her perfect profile. Below those beautiful peach-blossom eyes was a delicate, exquisite nose, and her lips, which were sowhat thin, were pressed tightly together in tension.
"Fellow Daoist Yingxi?"
Yulou sat opposite her and asked.
"Should we order so food? Today they have Water Essence Spiritual Duck. We can have the kitchen prepare the Wang family's secret recipe roast duck for us."
The Wang family's secret recipe roast duck was a new dish created by Yulou. However, it wasn't very well-known, since few cultivators could afford a ninth-grade duck.
Withdrawing her gaze from the outside, Zhou Yingxi looked at Wang Yulou, her eyes filled with resentnt.
"You aren't even willing to give six hundred spirit stones. Wang Yulou, isn't that a bit too much?"
However, to Zhou Yingxi's astonishnt, after she finished speaking, Wang Yulou suddenly burst out laughing.
It was the kind of laugh that simply couldn't be held back, which made Zhou Yingxi even more furious.
Yulou was also helpless.
It was truly because Fellow Daoist Yingxi looked too hilarious, and Yulou failed to suppress the sudden wave of amusent that surged within him.
Fellow Daoist Yingxi was wearing a red Dharma robe today, with a red ribbon tied in her hair, styled into a beautiful flying ring bun—making her look exactly like she was wearing a red hood.
Combined with her line, "You won't even give six hundred spirit stones," it was truly hard not to crack up.
"Let's put it this way, Fellow Daoist Yingxi. The process and scale of the Talisman Master Competition have indeed undergone a few minor changes.
My clan's ancestor and Senior Chunze will serve as judges. It would be inappropriate for you to be a judge now, so..."
Without finishing Wang Yulou's explanation, Zhou Yingxi chose to decisively and passionately air her grievances.
"Then you should have notified ! You didn't even ntion it to , and I only found out when my father told .
Oh, turns out I was fired by you!
Wang Yulou, your Wang family's secrecy work is truly exceptional, the absolute best kind of exceptional.
Everyone else knew I was fired, and I, Zhou Yingxi, am the last to know.
If my father hadn't brought it up with , would I have foolishly gone over there on the day of the competition just to be a laughingstock?"
Fellow Daoist Yingxi was still very well-bred. Even though she was angry, highly resentful, and clearly venting her emotions, her words were completely devoid of vulgar insults.
In this regard, she truly deserved the title of a little fairy—in the most positive sense of the term.
"Haha, it's like this. I've been rather busy lately. Even if you hadn't co, I would have visited you on another day to inform you of the corresponding changes.
Furthermore—"
Zhou Yingxi interrupted Wang Yulou's explanation once again.
"Fine, now that you've inford , let's leave our discussion at that. In the future, unless absolutely necessary, there is no need for us to be friends.
Your Wang clan of Anbei Kingdom is so proud, unwilling to flatter those above you—though I never considered myself a superior, I understand your pride.
Patriarch Mangxiang is about to attain the Golden Core, so the chickens and dogs he raises are naturally different from before. Let's leave it at that!"
Fellow Daoist Yingxi tilted her chin up, extrely satisfied with her own biting sarcasm.
She hadn't cursed him by na, but she had achieved massive success in terms of passive-aggressive mockery.
The chickens and dogs raised by Mangxiang are naturally different from before—I, Zhou Yingxi, am truly brilliant.
"The Yang clan is collaborating with us and has invested thirty thousand spirit stones as preparation funds for the Talisman Master Competition.
Many of the plans I originally established myself have been modified, so it is indeed no longer suitable for Fellow Daoist Yingxi to continue serving as a judge.
However, I also advocated for you to the Patriarch. Fellow Daoist Yingxi is skilled in the musical Dao, so you can perform a warm-up show before the competition begins.
You are, after all, a noble daughter of the Zhou family. For such a performance, we are willing to pay one thousand spirit stones as compensation. I wonder what you think?"
Remaining calm in the face of praise or humiliation was a fundantal trait. Wang Yulou would not slap soone's face, let alone actively offend a disciple of a great clan like Zhou Yingxi. Therefore, he had prepared a new position for her.
Wang Yulou saw things clearly; what this girl lacked was not spirit stones, but the experience of participating in sothing novel.
Having grown up within her clan and a grotto-heaven since childhood, and then coming to a remote place like Clear Stream Market to cultivate after growing up, Zhou Yingxi was already so bored that she watched the flow of people on the street as scenery. What else could one expect from her?
"Ah, this?" After her passionate outburst, Zhou Yingxi realized that things were completely different from what she had imagined.
The Wang family and the Yang clan had already poured thirty thousand spirit stones into the competition, so it was naturally impossible to have an early Qi Condensation cultivator like her serve as a judge.
anwhile, Wang Yulou had also offered her another task as compensation, and the reward was visibly high.
With Wang Yulou being so open and generous, her behavior just now seed sowhat unreasonable and clownish.
At this mont, Old Tang attentively walked up carrying a teapot. Seeing that neither of the two people at the table was speaking and the atmosphere felt slightly awkward, he silently poured two cups of tea and quickly slipped back downstairs.
Zhou Yingxi lowered her head and saw a reflection on the surface of the tea.
Who was this person?
Oh, it turned out to be her clownish self.
Putting herself in his shoes, Wang Yulou was truly a loyal friend. What about herself?
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