Chapter 111: Second Aunt, you wouldn't want Young Master Ye to find out, would you?

"Little friend, isn't this going too far?"

Seeing Ning Mu with a look of self-satisfaction, he appeared to be deep in thought.

Yet her own legs felt waves of numbness, which instantly made the hair on her body stand on end, a sense of trembling, as if she had broken out in goosebumps.

Helpless.

Liuli had no choice but to speak softly, her brows knitted in distress.

A shy, flickering light shimmered in her eyes.

Her pretty face was as red as blood, like the brilliant clouds under the radiant sunlight of this moment.

"Ah?"

"Oh, oh, oh, I'm sorry, cough, cough, just a slip of the hand, just a slip of the hand. The Reverend need not mind, it's just a habit I've formed."

Ning Mu looked down shamelessly.

He saw that Liuli's legs seemed to be covered in a layer of blood-red hue.

His own hand had almost reached that Sacred Land of the Buddha Gate, and he couldn't help but smile awkwardly, yet he had no intention of pulling it back.

Instead, he continued to advance.

"Ning Mu!"

Liuli's face instantly flushed red, and she scolded him sharply.

At the same time, she reached out and pressed down on Ning Mu's hand, which was attempting to pry into her Buddha-nature and Zen heart!

At this moment, she was truly flustered!

A strange thought flashed through her mind involuntarily.

As expected, her practice of the Buddha Dao is still not profound enough! It is merely a skin bag; when the moment of truth arrived, she was still so timid! The oriole begins to chirp, and a good thing is brewing.

But clearly, Liuli at this moment was neither that oriole, nor did she want this "good thing" to continue brewing! Having tested Liuli's bottom line, Ning Mu withdrew his hand at the right time.

Far from showing the slightest remorse, he instead placed his hand under his nose right in front of Liuli.

He took a light sniff.

He said with satisfaction: "As expected of a high monk and Divine Nun, just from a simple touch, I feel as if this hand of mine is already filled with the scent of the Buddha family."

"……"

This is called a simple touch? If you weren't being simple, would you have touched your way inside? The corners of Liuli's eyes twitched; she did not want to pay any more attention to this incorrigible, lecherous scoundrel.

Just at this moment.

The information flashing on the System Interface made her feel a sense of relief.

【Notification: Congratulations to the Host for completing Task Two. Reward: 100 Heroic Couple Points, Ning Mu Strategy Value increased by 5 points!】

Phew! Liuli let out a soft breath, feeling incomparably ashamed, and could no longer stay.

"Little friend, please enjoy your meal; this poor nun is full!"

Leaving behind these words, Liuli fled as if escaping.

The group of maidservants looked at each other, their eyes filled with strange expressions.

The Young Master is awesome! Even a nun was moved by him.

And this nun is the Divine Nun Ciyun! I fear that under the heavens, only the Young Master has the courage to take such actions, and even make Divine Nun Ciyun accept it willingly!

Glancing at the bench.

Looking at Liuli's graceful back, Ning Mu couldn't help but smile slowly.

She was moved after all.

Yet she dared not face it.

I wonder when she will be able to break these Buddha Gate rules.

Shaking his head, Ning Mu pressed down on Ning Xiaoxiu's head.

While enjoying the feeding from Chunzhi, he ate his breakfast with pleasure.

While advancing, he kicked off this brand-new day.

【Notification: Congratulations to the Host, the Number Two Sub-System has completed Task Two. Feedback of task rewards to the Host: gained 100 cultivation points, Liuli Loyalty Value increased by 2%!】

Liuli's Loyalty Value was growing visibly to the naked eye.

It's already at 46%! More than halfway to 80%! I believe it will only get smoother from here.

After Liuli left, Ning Mu let out a long breath, then leaned back in his chair, resting his elbows on the armrests, propping up his chin, and began to frown in deep thought.

As for Ning Xiaoxiu.

She was supporting her knees with both hands.

She began to cough.

Her little face was deathly pale.

He Daqian dared to hire an assassin to kill him.

It seems that the strategy he offered to the Prefect, Pi Taiyu, has already touched his bottom line.

Coupled with the fact that he holds his secrets.

It has forced him to harden his heart and want to get rid of him as quickly as possible.

Ning Mu stood up.

Chunzhi hurriedly helped him tidy his clothes.

He looked up at the lush green leaves rustling in the wind.

"The wind has risen."

"Then let the Tan Family go bankrupt and be destroyed!"

……

For the next several days in a row.

Ning Mu hardly stepped out of his door at all.

Yet the world outside, because of him, underwent earth-shattering changes.

The government posted notices, and the Grain Association signed them.

All grain prices were raised across the board; in the span of three days, they rose twice.

Grain prices climbed all the way up; one jin of Coarse Grain had already broken through six hundred and fifty wen, and the Bran fed to livestock had already reached two hundred and eighty wen.

Seeing the notices posted by the government in conjunction with the Grain Association, the residents in the city were secretly so furious that they stomped their feet and cursed.

Families that used to be able to eat a meal of fine rice every day could now barely afford even Coarse Grain.

And families that ate Coarse Grain every day had to tighten their belts even further.

Not only that.

What dealt an even greater blow to the city's residents was this.

Yesterday, the government issued new instructions.

Except for East City, the city gates of South City, North City, and others would no longer strictly restrict movement; disaster victims with strong bodies could enter the city to seek odd jobs to sustain their lives.

But the old, weak, women, and children were required to temporarily reside outside the city.

A large number of disaster victims flooded into the city, and order was thrown into chaos for a time.

Once these two government notices were released, Grain Merchants from surrounding cities caught the scent of silver and immediately moved upon hearing the news.

No one was willing to let this excellent opportunity slip by; they all transported the grain they had hoarded via land and water routes to Yonghang City, preparing to make a killing during this disaster! The various wharves of Yonghang Prefecture gradually became bustling.

And the various criminal gangs took advantage of this opportunity to recruit disciples on a large scale.

Two more days passed.

In the blink of an eye, it was already the third day of the fourth month.

The wharves outside Yonghang City were already docked with countless ships, their masts fluttering.

The sounds of work chants, gongs, and drums rang out incessantly.

Not only that, a large number of horse caravans swarmed in via land routes, packing every inn outside and inside the city.

And on the roads, there were still large numbers of Grain Merchant caravans, whipping their horses to hurry here.

A large number of hardworking and willing disaster victims were recruited, becoming Laborers loading and unloading cargo at the wharves or inns.

Early this morning. Before the sky had even brightened.

The area in front of the notice board at the gate of the Yonghang Prefectural Office was already crowded with people watching and listening for news.

"Move aside, all of you!"

Before long.

Yamen Runners wearing official uniforms came out holding several notices filled with writing; the Yamen Runners responsible for maintaining order and protecting the notices cleared a path through the crowd.

As the notices were posted.

Immediately, some were happy and some were sorrowful.

Today's notices were different from the past.

Three in a row.

The first one: Grain prices raised again, Coarse Grain at 780 wen per jin, Bran at 350 wen per jin! "Damn it, how much of a kickback did this dog Prefect take for grain prices to still be rising?"

"This is already the fifth price hike! At this rate, let alone the disaster victims, I'm afraid the commoners in the city will all starve to death!"

"Damn it all, my family has already been reduced to one meal a day; at this rate, what's the point of living? Better to die sooner!"

"..."

"Wonderful! Wonderful! Simply wonderful! We can make a killing this time!"

"I think the situation seems like it could rise even further; should we hold onto the goods in our hands a bit longer?"

"Brother, your words are reasonable. The Prefect is wise, and we can get a share of the profits too. Truly a benevolent act; he is worthy of being called a parent official!"

"..."

Immediately following.

The second notice in the Yamen Runners' hands was posted.

'The government's official buildings are being renovated, and new housing is being built outside the city; a large number of Laborers are needed. While guaranteeing two meals a day, there is also a wage of one hundred wen to be collected.'

Before everyone could react.

The third notice was posted.

'This year's Sacrificial Saint Festival activities will begin on the fourth day of the fourth month and continue until the end of the fourth day of the fifth month. During this period, competitions and performances in poetry, Go, calligraphy and painting, zither arts, cuju, martial arts rings, lion dances, dragon boats, and more will be held. Various merchant firms may sponsor teams or individuals to participate in this event! The top five in poetry can each obtain the status of a core student of White Deer Academy; the top three can be admitted as disciples under Dean Tang Yuzhao of White Deer Academy; the first place can enter Jixia Academy.

Except for the poetry competition, all other events can be sponsored by merchant firms. The team that takes first place will have their sponsoring merchant firm exempted from taxes for one to three years; the top three teams can each receive rewards ranging from eight hundred to two thousand taels of silver.

Additionally, those who perform outstandingly in projects such as Go, calligraphy and painting, and zither arts will have the opportunity to be admitted under the tutelage of famous masters in their respective fields to cultivate.'

Once this news came out, even the champions of various events from previous years expressed that if they had had this opportunity in the past, they wouldn't have faded into obscurity, and this time, he/she must seize the opportunity well and strive to win first place again! "Has this official gone crazy? Now that everyone is so poor they can't even put food on the table, he actually has the heart to organize such superficial things?"

"Grain prices keep rising, yet the wages for hiring Laborers are several times lower than in previous years. We can't even afford to eat, yet he's holding some competition?"

"Damn him!"

The angry ones spat in the direction of the Prefectural Office.

The Yamen Runners had long since received notice from above: no matter how the public reacted, ignore it, as long as they didn't storm the Prefectural Office.

Therefore, regarding their cursing of the superiors, the Yamen Runners acted as if they saw and heard nothing, and after posting the notices, they left in a hurry.

Not far from the notice board.

The curtain of a luxurious sedan chair was lifted, revealing a face of peerless beauty.

A pretty maid dressed as a servant approached the sedan chair.

"How is it?"

The maid reported, "Replying to the Shopkeeper, the three notices are exactly as you described."

Upon hearing this, Jin Xiangyu's long, slender, charming moth-eyebrows furrowed, her expression filled with astonishment.

"What he said was indeed correct!"

"Go to the back door of Yichun Courtyard, to Yingyue Terrace!"

A flash of gravity crossed her eyes; Jin Xiangyu suddenly looked up and instructed the maid.

"Yes, Shopkeeper!"

……

Next door to Yichun Courtyard.

Jinyun Gambling House.

At this moment, Ning Mu was inspecting the place with Second Aunt Tong Yuyue and her elder brother, Tong Shankuang.

There was no shortage of gamblers who had lost their minds and were causing trouble, only to be forcibly thrown out by the bouncers.

There was also the excitement of those who were on a winning streak.

"Little Brother Ning, if you have taken a liking to this gambling house, I will just give it to you. Since you are a Disciple of my younger sister's sister, you are an honored guest of the Tong Family. Don't mention any cooperation; I will fetch the documents, have them stamped by the government office, and give it to you directly."

Tong Shankuang appeared rugged on the outside, but his mind was extremely meticulous.

On the surface, he laughed and exchanged pleasantries, but every word he spoke was intentionally aimed at drawing their relationship closer.

Ning Mu smiled and shook his head, glanced at Second Aunt Tong Yuyue, then looked at Tong Shankuang and said, "This junior should address you as Uncle Tong."

"Uncle Tong, one should not accept rewards without merit. If you really want to give it away for free, then this junior would rather start from scratch, even if it means losing some money."

"Let us cooperate with an eighty-twenty split, you take eighty and I take twenty. The venue, staff, and building will all remain the same, but it must be merged under the banner of my Yichun Courtyard, and the daily ledgers must be submitted to the main accounting office. Strictly speaking, I am the one being unreasonable and taking advantage of you."

"But we are all one family, and I do indeed need a gambling house to expand the scale of Yichun Courtyard, so... I ask for the understanding of Uncle Tong and Second Aunt!"

Ning Mu looked embarrassed.

After all, he hadn't contributed anything, yet he was forcing them to merge into his own business and taking twenty percent of the profits.

This wouldn't make sense anywhere.

Fortunately, this was the elder brother of his Second Aunt; they were family.

Tong Shankuang did not respond immediately, but instead glanced at his younger sister, Tong Yuyue.

"Little Mu, since you've put it that way, then Second Aunt will agree on behalf of my brother. Don't be so distant and talk about taking advantage or not. As you said, we are all one family, so why talk about understanding or not?"

Tong Yuyue's eyes were as seductive as silk, and her beautiful eyes shimmered with a strange light as she agreed on Tong Shankuang's behalf.

Especially when she mentioned taking advantage.

Her heart was thumping wildly.

You brat have taken every advantage; not only do you want me, but now you want my property, and you're still standing there talking so sanctimoniously about understanding.

Really.

Shameless! Tong Yuyue scolded him coquettishly in her heart, her gaze toward Ning Mu filled with helplessness and shame.

But one must bow their head when under someone else's roof.

Furthermore, it was just a small gambling house; in the entire gambling industry of Yonghang, Jinyun Gambling House didn't even rank.

Being able to use this to make the little guy feel completely at ease with her, and to gain the friendship of Liu Qingmei, this deal was not a loss.

Strictly speaking, it was a case of each getting what they needed.

Tong Shankuang laughed and said, "That's right, we are all one family, so it's settled. Ayue, you accompany Little Brother Ning to handle it. You are all old acquaintances from the stronghold. I have already told Ceng Lao, and he will handle it properly. There are still some matters on Father's side, so I must go over to help."

After bidding farewell to Ning Mu, Tong Shankuang left Jinyun Gambling House.

At this moment.

On the corridor of the second floor of the gambling house, looking down from above, the floor below was full of gamblers, bustling with noise and excitement.

Upstairs, only Ning Mu and the sexy, charming Second Aunt remained.

Looking at Tong Yuyue, who was dressed incredibly sexily today, embodying both enchantment and hotness, Ning Mu smiled slightly.

Immediately, he reached out calmly and wrapped his arm around her soft, delicate waist.

Eek! Feeling that warm, mischievous hand, Tong Yuyue's entire body tensed up, and her eyes darted around quickly.

Confirming that no one had noticed them, she furrowed her brows, turned her head to glare at Ning Mu, her face flushed, her beautiful eyes filled with a hint of coquettish anger, and she lowered her voice to scold, "Little Mu, don't go too far, we are outside!"

"So, you mean it's okay if we are inside?"

Ning Mu smirked, leaned his body slightly closer, and took a light sniff of her intoxicating fragrance.

Then, with a threatening tone, he whispered into her ear, "Second Aunt, you wouldn't want your brother or Villa Master Ye to know about this, would you?"

(End of this chapter)