Chapter 176: The Second Mission
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“She also applied to participate in the competition. If the value of the resources she collects is higher than those two, the wedding date will be extended by two years.”
Li Menghua patiently explained.
“No way? Did those two great families really agree to that?”
Lin Muyu asked with some disbelief.
“…”
Li Menghua didn’t respond, only remaining somewhat silent.
“They really agreed to it? What were they thinking?”
The more she thought about it, the more confused she became. Why would they be willing to let the bride participate in this kind of competition?
And there was even this kind of magical bet, insisting on waiting two years.
“What else could it be? They just don’t think the bride can win.”
Yunduo crossed her arms and snorted lightly, her tone confident.
“Huh?”
Lin Muyu was stunned for a moment and wanted to ask more, but was interrupted by Yunduo.
“Do you know what the bride’s dowry is?”
Yunduo deliberately kept her in suspense, her eyes hiding a smile.
“What is it?”
Lin Muyu took the bait as expected, leaning forward to ask.
“How would I know? You little silly goose~”
Yunduo looked at her serious expression and couldn’t hold back her laughter anymore.
Lin Muyu instantly realized she’d been teased and rolled her eyes beautifully at Yunduo.
“Let me explain.”
Li Menghua spoke up at the right time, breaking up their banter.
“Actually, after entering the secret realm, neither of those two families has any confidence in who can obtain how many resources. They’re thinking that if Xuanxuan really wins, two years is enough time for them to maneuver again, which is better than fixing the marriage right now.”
“So who exactly is this Xuanxuan engaged to?”
Lin Muyu asked curiously.
“Well… she was previously engaged to Xiao Huo, but suddenly, Xiao Huo lost his cultivation, so her family made her break off the engagement and get engaged to my younger brother instead…”
Li Menghua responded helplessly. He didn’t want to get involved in these family conflicts, which was why he entered Qinglan Sect to cultivate.
Unfortunately, the secret realm happened to open in the border city, and the sect sent him here to establish a sect outpost on the grounds that he was familiar with the place.
“So now that Xiao Huo’s cultivation has recovered and he’s come back, this Xuanxuan is really just a tool for their family?”
Lin Muyu understood. So this was a melodramatic plot. At this moment, she remembered the key issue.
“Aren’t you afraid they won’t be able to come out of the secret realm? Didn’t you say before that there’s danger in that secret realm?”
“This secret realm does have a certain degree of danger, but it’s not that high.”
Li Menghua explained in detail.
“If they really can’t come out from inside, it can only mean their skills aren’t good enough, and they can’t blame anyone else.”
“Alright.”
Lin Muyu nodded and raised the most important question.
“But I’m not even familiar with this Xuanxuan, so why should I go protect her?”
Why should she, Lin Muyu, protect a stranger?
“It’s like this, her family has issued a D-rank mission. Completing it will give you 500 contribution points.”
Li Menghua patiently explained.
“As long as Xuanxuan can safely come out of the secret realm, you’ll have completed the mission. Even if she doesn’t come out, there won’t be any penalty for you.”
“I think this kind of mission is very suitable for Junior Sister. Junior Sister is already at the late stage of Foundation Establishment, your strength is quite good.”
“They’ll also owe Qinglan Sect a favor, which is beneficial to the sect’s development in the border city.”
“I see…”
Lin Muyu’s eyes lit up as she instantly grasped the key point.
“You mean I can choose whether to help or not?”
In other words, she didn’t have to give it her all, she just needed to lend a hand when it didn’t endanger herself. Even if the mission failed, there wouldn’t be any loss.
“That’s right, Junior Sister.”
Li Menghua nodded.
“You only need to help when you can ensure your own safety. If you encounter a truly dangerous situation, you can completely choose to protect yourself and don’t need to force it.”
“Then what’s there to say? I’ll take this mission!”
Lin Muyu clapped her hands boldly, her eyes full of smiles.
“No mandatory requirements, and quite a lot of contribution points. This mission is a great deal!”
“Oh right, what cultivation stage is this Xuanxuan at now?”
Having settled on the mission, Lin Muyu remembered the key information. After all, if she was going to protect someone, she should at least know the other person’s strength.
“Early stage of Foundation Establishment.”
Li Menghua’s voice was very calm.
“…Isn’t she just a burden then?”
Lin Muyu was stunned on the spot.
Early stage of Foundation Establishment in a Foundation Establishment secret realm, she couldn’t beat anyone, right? Wasn’t this the bottom of the food chain?
She really hadn’t expected that this Xuanxuan, who was being fought over by two men, would be this weak.
Well, if she was strong, would she have been reduced to a commodity for family transactions?
She just didn’t know if this girl could also fight above her level.
“But isn’t Junior Sister there?”
Li Menghua laughed somewhat embarrassedly.
“With you there, you’ll definitely be able to protect her.”
Lin Muyu wasn’t buying that. She stared at Li Menghua, her tone carrying a bit of teasing.
“What about you, Senior Brother? Don’t tell me you’re not going to do anything?”
Li Menghua’s smile faded somewhat, and his tone became more serious.
“You know that Zhou Xing and I are good brothers. Now the conflict between the City Lord and my father is becoming more and more obvious. It’s really not appropriate for me to get involved in this matter, to avoid making things difficult for both sides.”
Lin Muyu looked at his troubled expression and didn’t press him further, helplessly drawing out her tone.
“Fine~_~”
The two chatted for a few more sentences and confirmed they would depart in two days.
After Li Menghua left, Lin Muyu immediately moved closer to Yunduo and asked in a low voice.
“Are you going to the secret realm?”
“Of course I’m going, how could I not?”
Yunduo raised her eyebrows, her eyes full of anticipation.
“If I don’t go, how can I watch this drama unfold?”
“?”
Lin Muyu asked instinctively.
“Are you really at Foundation Establishment cultivation? I thought before that you were hiding your true strength.”
“I’m not.”
Yunduo admitted frankly.
“If you’re not at Foundation Establishment, how will you get in?”
Lin Muyu was even more confused. Didn’t the secret realm entrance have cultivation restrictions?
“Can’t I just suppress my cultivation to Foundation Establishment?”
Yunduo said it casually, as if this was the most ordinary thing.
“You can do that?”
Lin Muyu’s eyes widened. This was the first time she’d heard of someone actively suppressing their cultivation just to enter a secret realm to watch the drama.
“Why not?”
Yunduo asked back, her eyes full of smiles.
“I just need to control my spiritual energy well and not let the secret realm’s restrictions detect it.”
“Fine, you’re amazing.”
Lin Muyu was completely convinced and gave Yunduo a thumbs up.
However, Yunduo didn’t tell her that the moment she used spiritual energy, she would be kicked out of the secret realm. In other words, Lin Muyu had gained another burden, and one without any combat ability at that~
“Alright, stop dwelling on this.”
Yunduo smiled and grabbed her wrist, her tone cheerful.
“Let me take you around the city, okay~ I heard there’s a new barbecue place that opened in the west part of the city, and it tastes really good.”
“Barbecue? They have barbecue here?”
Lin Muyu felt somewhat nostalgic hearing this familiar yet strange term.
“What a country bumpkin. There are so many delicious foods in this world. If I get the chance, I’ll take you to Shu City to eat hotpot.”
Yunduo said generously.
“There’s hotpot too?”
Lin Muyu was almost drooling just listening.
“But you have to pay~”
“?”