An Beixue pushed open the courtyard door and entered. Clad in white robes brighter than snow, her presence was ethereal, and her bright eyes sparkled with liveliness.
“Beixue, weren’t you in seclusion? How do you have time to come see me?” Ning Chen asked, puzzled.
Ever since she had been scolded by An Nanjing more than half a month ago, An Beixue truly hadn’t slacked off since. She had been diligently cultivating day and night, and her cultivation had indeed improved, having advanced from the 6th stage Martial King Realm to the 7th stage.
“Hehe!” An Beixue laughed awkwardly. “Now that spring is in full bloom, the banks of the Yushu River outside the Imperial City are bursting with flowers, and the willow trees form a green canopy. Today, I want to ask you, Brother-in-law, to go on a spring outing with me!”
“A spring outing? You’re not bitterly cultivating anymore? Have you forgotten what your sister told you before she left?”
An Beixue pouted, her face showing grievance, “Brother-in-law, don’t bring that up. Secluded cultivation is way too painful. After more than half a month, I’m about to throw up from staying in my room!”
“Isn’t there a saying? Work and rest must be balanced. That applies to cultivation too. A martial artist can’t just shut themselves away forever. They need to relax their mind too!”
Hearing this reasoning, Ning Chen couldn’t help but smile, amused.
Clearly, An Beixue was like a playful child from his previous life—eager at first, but quickly bored.
Diligence could only last for so long. In the end, she couldn’t endure it.
“Brother-in-law, don’t laugh at me. You have it easy lying around. Of course, you don’t know how hard cultivation is!” An Beixue huffed.
“Haha, you’re right, I can’t argue with that!” Ning Chen smiled and shook his head.
Thanks to the Lying Flat System, he truly didn’t know what bitter cultivation felt like.
Even though he hadn’t experienced the hardship, his cultivation had soared.
An Beixue had worked tirelessly for half a month to go from the 6th to the 7th stage of the Martial King Realm. She had no idea that Ning Chen, just by lying down, had already surpassed her.
“Brother-in-law, come on, go on the outing with me. You don’t need to worry about Sister. As long as we both keep quiet, she’ll never know!”
“My good brother-in-law, won’t you? Please?”
An Beixue stepped forward and shook Ning Chen’s arm, speaking in a soft, coquettish voice.
That sweet tone was such a stark contrast to An Nanjing’s cold demeanor.
Even Ning Chen couldn’t resist and finally agreed, “Alright, alright, stop shaking me. I’ll go on the outing with you!”
“Haha, Brother-in-law, you’re the best!” An Beixue was overjoyed, but then leaned in close and whispered carefully.
“But lately, my sister brought back a few Martial Saint bodyguards from the military. If we want to enjoy the spring outing, we can’t let them find out. Otherwise, they’ll definitely follow us, and we won’t have any freedom!”
“I already arranged for a substitute in my room. In a moment, the two of us can quietly climb over the back wall and sneak out…”
“Uh… alright.” Ning Chen smiled, thoroughly impressed by An Beixue’s mischievous cleverness.
As for whether it was safe to sneak out, he wasn’t too concerned.
After all, he had Shadow Ghost protecting him. As long as they didn’t run into someone like An Nanjing, a Martial God-level powerhouse, there wouldn’t be any real danger. You are reading on novelping(.)com, the official source.
And so…
This unlikely pair—Brother-in-law and Little Sister-in-law—secretly slipped out of the An Residence.
They rented a horse-drawn carriage and headed toward the Yushu River outside the Imperial City of Great Chu.
“Brother-in-law, the scenery along both banks of the Yushu River is incredible during spring. And there are riverboats with dancing girls competing in beauty and performance!”
“It’s super lively—you’ll love it so much you won’t want to leave!”
An Beixue, having left the mansion, was no longer weighed down by cultivation. Her pretty face was full of excitement, and she chattered non-stop to Ning Chen.
Sure enough, once the carriage left the city, the Yushu River came into view.
From afar, it looked like a shimmering silver ribbon, tying the massive Great Chu Imperial City into two parts.
The water sparkled with waves as elegant boats and painted pleasure barges drifted back and forth.
On both riverbanks, green willows swayed, their long tendrils hanging like a curtain. Beneath the trees bloomed a variety of exotic flowers, each more vibrant than the last.
“Brother-in-law, isn’t the spring scenery beautiful? Come on, let someone watch the carriage—we’re going to rent a riverboat and enjoy the outing!”
Full of enthusiasm, An Beixue pulled Ning Chen off the carriage and boarded a decorated boat.
As the boat floated downstream, the spring scenery unfolded on both sides.
“Mm… this is truly beautiful.”
Looking at the breathtaking view, Ning Chen felt utterly relaxed and happy.
In his past life, his greatest dream had been to travel the world and enjoy nature’s wonders.
But in the end, he had been caught in the rat race until he died, and that dream was never fulfilled. Now, not only could he lie down and enjoy life, but he was also fulfilling that old wish. He wouldn’t trade this for anything.
“Brother-in-law, you don’t know—when my sister and I were little, we loved coming to the Yushu River in spring!”
“Even when Father forbade us, we still sneaked out all the time. My sister got scolded by Father more times than I can count because of it!”
An Beixue began telling Ning Chen stories from her childhood.
But soon, her expression turned a little somber. “It’s just… after I turned sixteen, we never came here again.”
Sixteen. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
That was the year her father died in an accident, and An Nanjing took over his military command.
“Beixue…”
Seeing An Beixue’s mood dip, Ning Chen smiled gently. “Your sister’s burden is heavy, and she has little free time. But I do. Whenever you want to come out and enjoy the spring, I’ll accompany you.”
“Brother-in-law, you’re the best!” An Beixue instantly lit up again.
As the decorated boat drifted along, the scenery was picturesque, flowers were in full bloom, and some large riverboats featured singing and dancing.
The lively atmosphere made both Ning Chen and An Beixue feel thoroughly entertained.
Until a three-story riverboat suddenly blocked their path, and a delighted voice called out, “Beixue!”
They both looked up and saw a fat man step out from the opposing boat.
His features were ordinary, and his body was bloated, yet he wore an overly tight, luxurious robe. At first glance, he looked like a well-dressed white pig.
Looking closer, his face was pale, and his eyes were sunken—he looked like someone completely hollowed out by wine and women.
“Wanyan Zhu!!”
Whoosh!
The moment An Beixue saw him, her expression darkened instantly!
A deep look of disgust flared in her eyes.
“Wanyan Zhu? The Young Master of the Wanyan Clan?” Ning Chen also frowned.
From the memories of his predecessor, he knew that besides the An Family, the most powerful family in the Great Chu Empire was—the Wanyan Clan.
Wanyan Tianxiong, the old patriarch of the Wanyan Family, was second only to An Nanjing in strength, and it was said he had reached the half-step Martial God Realm!
He had a daughter who was the most favored imperial consort in Emperor Chu Yuan’s harem, and Wanyan Zhu—the man before them—was his only grandson, pampered by the Wanyan Family since birth.
Because of this, he was known as the number one hedonistic young master in the Great Chu Dynasty!
But although spoiled, Wanyan Zhu wasn’t without talent. Combined with his family’s resources, he had already reached the Martial Emperor Realm at a young age!
“Beixue, it’s been so long—I’ve missed you dearly. I’m coming over right now to ease my longing!”
Wanyan Zhu, eyes full of lecherous excitement, was already preparing to leap from his boat onto theirs.
But just then, a cold shout rang out!
“Stop right there!!”