25 - Crazy! Criticizing the Prime Minister for Being a Servant

Chapter 18: A Social Anxiety Gathering "Are you three from the Shangyun Sect?" A wave of silence followed. [I have social anxiety, why aren't you two saying anything?] Ning Songwu held his breath and glanced surreptitiously at the two beside him. They were also sneaking glances at her. All three were stuck in this awkward moment. Great, a social anxiety gathering. Someone always had to be the forced spokesperson. It was a common experience. Taking a deep breath, she forced a bright smile. "Yes, we are from the mountain. Why is the line so long?" "Ah, well, our auction house requires a minimum deposit of fifty taels to get a ticket. After paying, you have to wait in this line to enter. Alternatively, you can pay one hundred fifty taels for direct entry." The little brother spoke while his not-so-big eyes sparkled. Ning Songwu knew that look all too well—it screamed "Fork over the money." Ahead of them was a seemingly endless line, and in front of them was the eager shop assistant. With a pained expression, Ning Songwu struggled as she pulled out some banknotes, ready to hand them over, but Liu Ruoying stopped her with a raised hand and politely asked, "Is the hundred fifty taels also a refundable deposit like the fifty taels?" "Uh, no. Out of the hundred fifty, fifty taels won't be refunded. However, we'll prepare the best seats for you once you're inside. It also includes..." Liu Ruoying lifted a hand to interrupt him, bowed slightly, and pulled the other two, turning to leave. "No need, we'll wait in line." [The most painful thing in life is either wasting money or waiting in line. If I have to wait, I'd rather not come at all.] [But if fifty taels can buy me a faster entry, then I’d rather wait in line.] Resigned, Ning Songwu sighed deeply. Beside her, Liu Ruoying was explaining to Luo Sheng why they shouldn't pay the hundred fifty taels. "Because we're poor," Liu said earnestly. "But Ning Songwu has enough..." Both of them immediately covered the mouth of the simple-hearted girl. Silly child, never reveal your wealth! * The line crawled forward at a snail's pace. Friends from various sects and ordinary people from the mundane world came to join the fun. Since the fifty taels would eventually be refunded, they considered this a mere amusement expense. Even waiting in line had its amusements. Cultivators have sharp ears and clear eyes. Without even focusing, they could clearly hear the conversations of those close to them. The three of them started listening to a lady ahead of them gossiping about family matters and neighbors, and inevitably, the topic shifted to them. It wasn’t surprising—mainly mocking their poverty, as these "immortal friends" who claimed to be from the celestial mountain were waiting in line with them. Once trivial gossip started, it was hard to stop. The conversation spread, covering new recruits and fresh jokes from the outer sect of late. But there was always one person who kept steering the topic back to them, constantly ridiculing the immortal friends for standing in line like the rest. Ning Songwu's face turned red, then white, but she wasn’t good at arguing with others. Even in modern times, she was someone who avoided conflict, so she kept telling herself— [It's okay, it’s unlikely that I'll be seated next to this old gossip. It's fine. It's fine.] [Hehe, if you mess with me, you're just kicking at cotton!] Luo Sheng clenched his fists. After nearly a half-year on the mountain, she was no longer the frail girl from their first meeting. She had grown significantly and almost reached Ning Songwu's height. Her hair was still tied up in a high ponytail, and as she got angrier, a slight oppressing aura started to emanate from her. Listening for a while, Luo Sheng whispered, "We clearly have money, why are we enduring this?" Ning Songwu consoled her, "We're avoiding unnecessary expense and trouble. Just let it go." The lady, enjoying the drama, raised her voice, mocking, "Three little poor kids claiming to be from the immortal mountain, aren’t you from the outer sect? Why are you wearing your own clothes? Is that not against your sect’s rules?" [She’s talking nonsense, she’s talking nonsense, she’s talking nonsense…] "And I thought disciples of the immortal sect would be great. They rejected my son for what?” [She’s talking nonsense, she’s talking nonsense, she’s talking nonsense…] [Even the outer sect wouldn’t accept your son? How useless must he be? Ignore, ignore, ignore…] Liu Ruoying painfully pried Luo Sheng's clenched fingers apart and saw the blood marks in her palm. Before she could express her concern, Ning Songwu, stony-faced, walked straight towards the little brother. "Hey, Senior Sister, where are you going?" Ning Songwu, appearing to shut off her hearing, walked directly to the cashier and returned shortly, holding three slips of paper. "We're not waiting or putting up with this anymore." She said coldly, handing out one slip each. "I asked about it. For two hundred taels, we can get seats on the second floor." Liu Ruoying: "How much is refunded?" The young girl bit her lip, face showing pain, voice trembling, "One hundred." [It's okay, consider it money well spent to avoid disaster.] [Wuwuwu, my money, my heart, my liver!] The other two silently handed her a banknote each, tucking them into her hand. "It's fine. We're in this together." * Not long after the three left, a maid appeared in the line, searching until she found the gossiping woman. With a bow, her voice icy, she said, "Our establishment does not welcome you today. Here's your refunded ticket. Please leave." Without giving the woman a chance to argue, two maids came and promptly escorted her out without a sound. * Inside, the first floor looked unremarkable. Following the server to the second floor, the opulent wealth nearly blinded Ning Songwu. Not in an overly ostentatious way, but in a style that someone ignorant wouldn't recognize. But Ning Songwu knew because this was the same style as Chaomu Peak. Even if she recognized it, she didn’t understand these specific items. It wasn’t until the three of them were seated that Liu Ruoying began explaining their value. Ning Songwu clutched her chest, silently bemoaning her fate. [Oh, the wealthy are always understated but luxurious. If there are so many rich people in the world, why can’t I be one?] Before long, a maid knocked on their compartment door carrying a tray slightly over a foot long. She wore a soft pink outfit and spoke gently, "Excuse me, is this little compartment assigned to Ning Xiao-Daoist?" Momentarily dumbfounded, Ning Songwu pointed to herself, stammering, "You mean me?" The maid stifled her laughter. "The compartment is registered under your name, so naturally, it's you." She presented a beautifully crafted booklet on the tray, explaining, "This contains all the items for today's auction. Each compartment gets one." "Additionally," the maid paused, taking out banknotes from her sleeve, whispering, "You have good fortune. This is the last auction of the year for our store, and one compartment is free. Your previous payment has been refunded here." "You are in compartment three. When the auction starts, everything will be based on the compartment number. If you have any other needs, ring this bell anytime." Expertly, the maid relayed all necessary details, and without giving the girl a chance to speak, she gracefully bowed, carrying the tray out, leaving the three staring at each other. "This is for us...?" Ning Songwu held the banknotes, but the other two quickly snatched one each and stuffed them into their pockets. Luo Sheng: "This is being returned to us." Ning Songwu: "But it wasn't even warm in my hand, wuwuwu..." Pretending to wipe tears, the young girl put the remaining banknote into her dimensional ring, her mind suddenly cautious. [Can things really be this good? The store wouldn’t target us for robbery because of our clothing, would they?] * In the room above them, a woman sipping warm tea choked upon hearing this. Qin Siyue, who was rarely dragged out of the mountain, glanced at her coolly with a slight smile, "Daydreaming while drinking water can cost you your life." "..." Ran Fanyin rolled her eyes and snorted, "I just brought you out for some fun. Is it necessary to tease me like this?" "Just for fun? My peak has many people. Checking their progress takes time. Unlike you, who only needs to raise one little one across the hills, it’s no wonder you're relaxed." The woman nonchalantly spoke, her face indifferent and focused on the booklet in her hand, ignoring her companion’s reactions. Ran Fanyin scoffed and turned away, distancing herself from this heartless woman. If it weren’t for the rare celestial herb needed by this woman up for auction, she would never have dragged her down Qingye Peak, only to be berated. Qin Siyue, lightly tapping on an item in the booklet, asked, "This item, why haven't you mentioned it before? It’s highly beneficial for you. Could we acquire it outside the auction?" "Let me take a look first." Since her senior sister said it was beneficial, it must truly be, otherwise, she wouldn't waste her breath. Qin Siyue pointed to a black dress fashioned after numerous runemaster designs, boasting remarkable warmth and wind resistance. Warmth? What use was that? Without seeing it, just thinking of a black dress... Elder Ran despised such lifeless attire—she really didn’t like it. She pushed the booklet away, complaining, "Senior Sister, I'm a fire spirit root. What’s the use of warmth for me?" "But it's not just about warmth. With more protection, your body will endure less hardship. Keeping the cold at bay is most beneficial," Qin Siyue said. She lowered her eyes in thought for a moment before continuing, "In any case, you must acquire this centerpiece item." "Another day, I'll ask Mianmian to study the formation symbols left by these runemasters and apply them to your other garments as well." Qin Siyue had already begun to make plans. For now, she set aside the matters of her peak, focusing instead on how to care for this frail person before her. Ran Fanyin thought of the marks left by the runemasters after drawing symbols and felt a slight aversion. With Qin Siyue nearby, she didn't show it. Otherwise, she’d be nagged endlessly. She sighed silently, her ears catching an exclamation. It turned out that Ning Songwu had also flipped to this auction item. This site has no pop-up ads. Permanent domain name