Xu Mu picked up his phone again and looked at the woman on the screen. She appeared to be in her thirties.
But by the standards of the alien races, it was perfectly normal for her to have married and had children by that age.
He noticed the sorrow in her eyes in the photograph and finally understood why.
It turned out that her man had died.
“I agree to give you two hundred jin for the information, but I’m not handing it over for free. You’ll have to prove first that you really know her.”
Xu Mu spoke calmly. “Don’t tell me about her preferences. Just explain in detail who she is. I’ll verify whether you’re telling the truth.”
“Fine! That’s easy. Her name is Tushan Rui. She’s the Queen of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sacred Palace, but her husband has died. According to the traditions of the Nine-Tailed Fox clan, she’s supposed to be buried alive alongside the king.”
The middle-aged man explained, “However, that custom was abolished many years ago. As long as she leaves the Nine-Tailed Fox clan and marries into another race, she won’t have to die.”
Xu Mu nodded slightly. “Go on. You still haven’t gotten to the important part.”
“What else is there to say? As the queen of the Sacred Palace, she possesses numerous powerful cultivation techniques. Whoever marries her is essentially gaining access to all those techniques. More importantly, she’s beautiful, and many major powers are willing to take her in.”
The middle-aged man slapped the table. “Give me the two hundred jin now. I know what she likes, and I guarantee I can help you marry her.”
“You still haven’t mentioned the key point. Let me ask you something.”
Xu Mu smiled. “Why was she able to become the queen of the Sacred Palace?”
“Isn’t that common knowledge? Because she’s a pure-blooded member of the Nine-Tailed Fox clan. She has a human form, but can also transform into a fox, meaning she can grow animal ears atop her head and tails behind her.”
The middle-aged man explained, “The Nine-Tailed Fox clan was one of the earliest races to allow mixed-blood descendants. Most of the experts in the clan are mixed-blood, including the king. But the queen must be pure-blooded.”
“What traits do mixed-blood descendants have?”
Xu Mu continued questioning him.
“Some can maintain a normal human appearance and condense tails, but those tails are formed from qi rather than real flesh. Others are born with animal ears and tails and can’t transform into a normal human form.”
The middle-aged man continued explaining.
“Looks like you don’t actually know anything. Every answer you’ve given has been incomplete.”
Xu Mu took back his two spirit stones, then turned and led Ying Weiyang out of the shop.
After all, he had already obtained the information he was looking for.
He now knew Tushan Rui’s identity and the predicament she was facing.
“Wait! I really do know! I’ll give you a discount, all right?” the middle-aged man hurriedly called out, reaching toward him. “One hundred jin! Fifty… You win. Just give me the two you had on the counter, and I’ll tell you.”
Xu Mu had already reached the doorway. Hearing this, he turned around and walked back inside.
“I’ll believe you one more time.”
He placed the two spirit stones on the counter again.
This time, the middle-aged man grabbed the stones first before smiling and saying, “Tushan Rui has no children. She often visits the orphanage on the outskirts to see the children there. She likes men who are kind and caring toward children.”
“Where is the orphanage?”
Xu Mu asked.
“Follow this street straight ahead for about two thousand meters.”
The middle-aged man explained.
“All right.”
After saying that, Xu Mu led Ying Weiyang forward.
Following behind him, Ying Weiyang puffed out her cheeks slightly. “Was what that man said true? Did you really come here this time to marry her?”
“Of course not. I already have a wife.”
Xu Mu certainly wouldn’t make such a decision on his own. The mission was clearly written: he was to establish a favorable relationship with the other party. It never said he had to marry her.
Even if Tushan Rui got married, that wouldn’t stop Xu Mu from becoming her friend.
“You already have a wife?”
Ying Weiyang’s face was filled with astonishment.
“Yeah. I’ve married one, and there are several others waiting to marry me.”
Xu Mu glanced at Ying Weiyang. “What? You want to join the family too?”
“Hmph! I’m not interested. But I am technically your subordinate. If you ordered me to, I’d have no choice but to agree.”
Ying Weiyang folded her arms as she spoke.
“You’re certainly obedient.”
Xu Mu gave a bitter smile and continued walking.
His perception had already spread across a radius of two thousand meters. Before long, he spotted the orphanage in the distance.
“We’ve been tricked.”
Xu Mu smiled faintly. The orphanage was filled with men who were all being “kindhearted.”
Some were buying food for the children, while others were playing with them. The scene looked harmonious and happy.
Apparently, this secret was already common knowledge.
Still, he had obtained some information, so he decided not to go back and demand a refund for the spirit stones.
When they arrived at the orphanage, Xu Mu saw a fence made of trees surrounding it. The fence was about one and a half meters high, allowing people outside to clearly see the children within.
Armored guards stood at the entrance, protecting the orphanage.
Xu Mu noticed that numerous street stalls had been set up around the orphanage, all selling food and toys that children liked.
He shook his head slightly. These people really knew how to make money.
He led Ying Weiyang inside.
Following him, Ying Weiyang asked with a smile, “Why aren’t you buying anything? How are you supposed to attract attention otherwise?”
“I don’t like following the crowd.”
Xu Mu entered the orphanage proper. Unlike ordinary orphanages in the outside world, this place was essentially a large stretch of open land enclosed by a fence. Housing had been built farther inside to provide the children with the necessities of life.
Xu Mu noticed that most of the smiles on the children’s faces were genuine. Perhaps they didn’t even understand why so many people had suddenly appeared and started treating them so well.
Xu Mu activated his Divine Eye and examined everyone around him one by one, wondering whether he might stumble upon a female protagonist.
Although Ying Weiyang’s destiny level was fairly good, she wasn’t a female protagonist.
He searched the entire area but found no female protagonist. The highest level of destiny power here was only Level Five.
Just as he was preparing to leave, a young man dressed in a black robe appeared.
He had a sharp, pointed chin and long black hair that hung loosely around his shoulders.
His hands were clasped behind his back, and his eyes were vertical pupils.
Two middle-aged men in armor followed at his sides. They had the same vertical pupils.
The men who had been playing with the children all around the orphanage looked surprised when they saw the young man in black.
“All unrelated people, get out.”
The young man smiled as he spoke.
Many of the men immediately stood up and began walking out of the orphanage.
One of them was clearly unhappy and muttered under his breath, “Who is this guy? What gives him the right to drive us out?”
“Leave if you don’t want to die. Tushan Rui’s marriage has nothing to do with us anymore.”
“He’s Hei Shen, the eldest son of the Flood Dragon clan’s third commander. You still want to compete with him?”
…
When that man heard what the others said, his face instantly turned ugly.
He hadn’t expected even the Flood Dragon clan, one of the top races of the Inner Realm, to have designs on Tushan Rui.
In that case, they truly didn’t dare cause trouble. Offending the Flood Dragon clan meant certain death for the other races.
As the crowd continued talking, Ying Weiyang looked at Xu Mu. “Are we leaving too?”
“Heh. Isn’t this exactly the opportunity we were waiting for?”
Xu Mu grinned.
his freshman year, Su Bai accidentally bound the "Indulgence Tycoon System." 【Sleeping in? Reward: +$1,000】 【Spent $288 at a street barbecue stall? Cashback: +$2,880】 【Dropped $14,396 on in-game skins? Special reward unlocked: A brand-new Porsche Panamera!】 Luxury cars, penthouses, corporate shares, financial empires… College life was all about living freely and doing whatever he pleased! … When the adorably naive academic genius faced family medical bills and financial struggles, Su Bai waved his hand dismissively: "Your future is on me." "Wuwu~ Big Brother is so good to me! I’ll become a scientist to repay you!" When the genius girl got bullied by a shady professor? Su Bai casually dropped a billion-dollar investment, forcing the university to grovel and beg for her return. A company’s funding chain collapsing? Su Bai smirked—cash was the one thing he’d never run out of. Years later, when people traced the rise of the AI prodigy beauty, who was the man behind her success? Not just that—Su Bai also became the tsundere campus belle’s unattainable dream, the contrast senior’s daily necessity, and the beautiful counselor’s emotional anchor…
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
