Chapter 105: The Whispering Boat

"Go ahead. They won't be finishing their fight anytime soon anyway." Qingjin simply took out the book *One Hundred Questions on Gods and Demons*, and while carefully reading, he hugged the little white cat that had run over to fawn on him and began petting it.

"Then I'll have someone clear the table first," Jiuquan said, glancing at the chaotic tabletop.

"Hmm," Qingjin replied with a nod, turning his head. His profile was beautiful and luminous.

Just as the table was cleared, someone came to report that Young Master Ning Qi had returned, and he had brought someone with him. Since Ning Qi had arrived, it wouldn't be appropriate to meet him in the dining hall. Qingjin immediately called for his younger siblings to change their clothes to receive their guest; it was the most basic courtesy.

Qinghu, who had groomed herself back into a little beauty, happily sat down to her eldest brother’s left, then glared at Qingzhen, who was sitting to his right. Qingzhen looked straight ahead, ignoring her completely.

Ning Qi entered with the young woman they had seen the night before. Qingjin and his siblings rose to greet them.

"This is my good friend Shen Qingjin, this is his younger brother Qingzhen, and his younger sister Qinghu. This is Xie Wu, my senior sister from my master’s elder colleague’s household."

Xie Wu offered her greetings with grace and composure. "Thank you so much for last night. Our human race is weak, and that Black Wolf young master brought experts with him. I truly thought I was done for. That pretty boy clearly practiced some sort of predatory cultivation; I’ve heard that when alien races use such methods, the 'meat cauldrons' they feed upon never survive. They are left with nothing but withered skin and aged bones."

"Miss Xie, you are too kind. Since we are all acquainted, why don't we sit and talk in detail?" Seeing her elegant demeanor and clear, bright eyes, Qingjin extended an invitation.

Seeing Qingjin invite Xie Wu to sit and chat, Ning Qi felt a silent weight lift from his heart. Honestly, he had been worried that Qingjin might be angry at him for involving them in yesterday's trouble.

"I am very sorry that you were implicated in yesterday's events."

"What is there to blame? She is your senior sister; you were right to rush in out of concern for her. If this had happened to Qinghu, I would have rushed in too. It’s just a pity that you still lost people on your side," Qingjin said.

"Senior Brother Gao was a truly good person. This time, he was the only one who really stood up for me. The others—humph—they told me to accept my fate and follow that Black Wolf young master," Xie Wu said.

"Isn't that just telling you to go die?" Qingzhen asked bluntly.

"That is exactly what they meant. When those Black Wolves came to drag me away, none of them moved. Only Senior Brother Gao was willing to help me, and he ended up losing his life. I struggled desperately, and those Black Wolves actually found it amusing; at the young master's signal, they stripped my clothes in public, tearing them to shreds. It was clear they viewed my life as nothing more than grass. When I have the chance in the future, I will never let him off." Xie Wu showed no shame from the humiliation, only fury.

"That pretty boy looks like he won't live long. I think you'll definitely get your chance," Qingzhen chimed in immediately.

Xie Wu smiled faintly. She was a young woman in her twenties, mature in thought and composed in her actions. Even after what happened yesterday, she did not wallow in self-pity. After returning, she had personally seen her Senior Brother Gao off, burying him in the earth. Gao was an orphan, and although they did not share the same master, he had always taken good care of her.

"Speaking of which, why do those high-ranking alien nobles seem so wary of you, always seeking reconciliation?" Xie Wu asked.

"Well..."

"They probably misunderstood something," Qingjin said, cutting off Qingzhen. Hearing his eldest brother speak, Qingzhen fell silent. Qinghu didn't say a word either; she always followed her brother's lead.

Seeing this, Xie Wu immediately understood and changed the subject. "I heard that the events at the black market yesterday have been spread around wildly by others. There’s even talk of an 'Eastern Wasteland’s Greatest Beauty.' How do you plan to handle this?"

Qingjin glanced over. "Is there some hidden implication in this?"

"The title of 'Greatest Beauty' sounds nice, but it’s too conspicuous. Many experts and important figures in the cultivation realms of the Eastern Wasteland are women, and they are all very proud of their looks. If this title truly falls upon little Miss Qinghu, I fear she will never know peace again."

"Will it be very troublesome?" Qinghu immediately asked, frowning.

"They will come to find you endlessly, competing with you in beauty, using all sorts of excuses to step on you. The more miserable you are, the happier they will be. Never underestimate a woman’s jealousy," Xie Wu said. "I once had a senior sister who was peeled alive and hacked to death by the fourth concubine of the Lord of Wuding City simply because she was more gentle and beautiful than her."

"That wouldn't be beautiful anymore if she died," Qinghu said, annoyed. "Qingquan, come here. Go tell that brocade-wearing fellow—tell him I said this: I am indeed quite beautiful, but I never wanted it spread all over the city. I’m afraid of trouble! If they all come to my house to gawk at me just to catch a glimpse of my face, what am I supposed to do? If I show them, outsiders will say I’m immodest. If I don't, they’ll say I’m arrogant. What should I do? Just tell him that the rumors all over the city have made me very unhappy. Tell him to handle it. I am beautiful, but I don't need others interfering in my business."

Xie Wu was left stunned. Ning Qi also held his forehead, speechless. Why hadn't he realized before that Qinghu was this narcissistic?

"Yes," Qingquan replied and immediately walked out. When they were processing the property transfer, the manager had told him how to find their master.

"Wait, if you go and say that, aren't you afraid they'll come to kill you?" Xie Wu asked helplessly.

"It’s fine, that fellow knows what to do," Qinghu said. If a dog doesn't listen, you just turn it into a dog-meat hotpot. Although she had been eating well since arriving in Wuding City, delicious food was always right in front of her, and she felt she could handle another pot.

Qingjin was also helpless. "Must you really do this? Little Hu’er, what if he finds out?"

"It doesn't matter. Might as well use it while we can," Qinghu blinked and said. Qingjin understood: she meant that if she waited until she was discovered, she wouldn't be able to use the connection anymore anyway.

Qingzhen added, "I think little Hu’er’s plan is better too. Otherwise, a bunch of women coming every day to compete with her would be so annoying. Besides, little Hu’er wouldn't even be able to beat them—ouch! You pinched way too hard!"

Qinghu had already moved next to Qingzhen, and the moment he kept disparaging her, she pinched his arm with her small hand and twisted it three times, making him yelp in pain.

Xie Wu felt a headache coming on. *Are you sure this won't make things worse?* She desperately wanted to ask, *What makes you think they are willing to follow your arrangements?*

Before long, Qingquan returned, bringing someone with him.

"Young Master, sir, miss, someone from that side is here. I told the manager everything the young miss said. It just so happens he had business to report to the young miss anyway."

"I am Heishuang, greetings to Young Master Shen, Fourth Young Master Shen, and Miss Shen. My master asked me to report that the construction materials for the young miss have all been moved to the plot of land you designated. If you need a strong and diligent construction crew, he can help you find one as well. Additionally, regarding your instructions, I will report them to my master upon returning. These minor rumors will be quieted by tonight. They will not cause you any more trouble."

"That’s more like it, otherwise I’d be in a difficult spot. When it comes down to it, the source was your master’s nephew. Did that kid get disciplined after he went back?" Qinghu asked.

"He was disciplined long ago; my master gave him a severe beating," Heishuang said with an exaggerated tone.

"Don't lie to me. I can tell you're lying the moment you speak. Fine, go back and tell your master he promised me he’d discipline that dog. If he doesn't keep his word, he’ll have to face the consequences." The consequences of deceiving a deity—he could think about that himself.

"I will go back and convey your meaning immediately, Miss." *My ancestors, the young clan leader has been spoiled by his parents since childhood and hasn't even been touched by a finger. You want me to get my master to beat him? Isn't this just forcing my master to become enemies with his own brother?* Heishuang was terrified, stumbling slightly as he left.

If she hadn't been too terrified to observe closely last night, today Shen Qinghu had given her a lesson. Was there really such a way to treat the usually high-and-mighty alien races?

After Heishuang left, Xie Wu said with a look of astonishment, "Miss Shen is amazing. This is the first time I've ever seen an alien race bow their heads. You haven't seen how those aliens usually treat us."

"What’s so strange about the weak being bullied? If you want the human race to be high and mighty, you need to cultivate more top-tier human experts," Shen Qinghu said immediately. "What's the use of just complaining that others aren't treating you fairly or are discriminating against you?"

"But the problem is that because our human race is weak, even when we find great cultivation resources, we can't keep them. As for other resources to cultivate experts, those aliens have a very strict blockade against us. They don't allow any other weak tribes like us to trade with us."

"Are you sure it's the aliens who won't let them sell? Could it be that those weak tribes don't actually want the human race to rise either? After all, if the human race rises, they remain the same, and perhaps the human race would end up riding on their heads and acting just as tyrannically as the other aliens. If it were me, I certainly wouldn't help an ally. Isn't it better if everyone is being stepped on? At least we have company. If I stay and you leave, wouldn't that be terrible?"

Hearing Qinghu's words, Xie Wu's face turned pale.

"Oh, so that's why their attitude toward us has always been so ambiguous—sometimes good, sometimes bad, sometimes close, sometimes distant. It turns out they had such thoughts?" Ning Qi suddenly felt the mist clearing regarding certain people.

"This kind of thing is like a layer of window paper; it breaks with a single poke. We didn't realize it because we were all blinded by their attitudes," Xie Wu sighed.

"The struggle between species has always been cold and ruthless," Qinghu said. Xie Wu gave a bitter smile.

"By the way, did you find anything satisfactory while roaming the black market?" Ning Qi asked.

Qingjin said, "We saw some things, but the prices were too high, so we didn't buy them."

"The daily expenses of commoners here aren't high; an ordinary family of eight only spends sixty to one hundred red gold coins a month. Red gold coins, that is. However, the foundation here is deep, and there are countless alien races, many of whom have lived here for tens of thousands of years. So the prices for high-end items here are extremely expensive. Things like shops on the street, mansions near the market lanes, well-preserved ancient houses, or properties on the mountainside—all of them start at a million purple gold coins. Purple gold coins, mind you.

"There are other things as well. If you have time, you can come with us to the auction house. There, prices are constantly in the thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or millions of purple gold coins. It’s as if money isn't even money. This time, thanks to you saving Xie Wu, my uncle asked me to bring you a token of gratitude. Please, accept this."

Ning Qi took out a palm-sized small box and pushed it toward Qingjin. Qinghu leaned over and flipped the box open. Inside lay a palm-length, exquisite, cyan-green small boat. It was incredibly small and cute.

"This little boat is called a Wind-Resting Boat. My uncle got it from an ancient tomb a long time ago. He had someone appraise it, and they said it was a treasure, but unfortunately, no one can drive it. We don't know if it's broken or just functional in a way we don't understand," Ning Qi said with regret.

Qinghu pinched the little boat in her hand and looked closely. It was indeed broken, and quite thoroughly so; many of the core divine metal structures inside were missing. She wondered if the original owner had eaten them? However, the shell of the boat was rock-solid and forged from true divine metal. Sensing the divine energy aura of the crafter, it wasn't the same Primordial God-race that built Wuding City. Although she didn't yet know the divine metal formula the other party used, that didn't stump her. A careful analysis with divine power would reveal it.

The problem was she didn't have that much divine power to use right now. However, she didn't need divine power; couldn't she learn from her predecessors and use spiritual energy? Since the internal structure was already mostly gone, it might be better to just modify it and downgrade it. Turn it into a spiritual energy boat and use it for the time being.

"This gift is quite pretty. We'll accept it then," Qinghu said, taking the boat and tucking it into her sleeve.

Qingjin was speechless. "Ning Qi, your uncle is too generous."

"That’s right, that little boat looks like a treasure," Qingzhen said. "If you give it to us, wouldn't you be losing out?"

Ning Qi immediately smiled. "Not at all, not at all. You saved my senior sister’s life."

"Actually, we were purely victims of a disaster; we were implicated. The Black Wolf young master originally took a fancy to that girl from the Dao Court. To divert the disaster and save herself, she led that Black Wolf young master to bump into us. As a result, I got dragged into it, and she didn't get away either," Xie Wu said with disdain. "She looks like a pure girl, but she’s actually quite the schemer."