"Who on earth dares to kill my, Ning Hongyuan's, grandson in the northern border?"
"Reporting to the Family Head, your subordinate has already investigated. Yesterday, Young Master Wushuang sneaked out of the royal city to intercept Ning Wuque and Princess Mu Yunshang. Based on your subordinate's speculation, Young Master Wushuang most likely died at the hands of Princess Yunshang..." A middle-aged man in black armor replied in a low voice from below.
"Intercept Ning Wuque? Wushuang must have been after Ning Wuque's sword heart, never expecting to fall victim to that bitch Mu Yunshang..."
Ning Hongyuan's throat bobbed as he let out a harsh, low roar.
No one believed that Ning Wushuang had died at Ning Wuque's hands.
After all, Ning Wuque's dantian had been destroyed, and his chaotic physique had already been carved up among their families.
How could he possibly have killed Ning Wushuang?
"Family Head, please accept my condolences!" the middle-aged man said.
"Condolences? Hmph, that Ning Wuque was trash to begin with. It was an honor for my grandson to set his sights on his sword heart. What right does Mu Yunshang have to kill my grandson? Just because she's the Prince of Southern Suppression's daughter?"
A ferocious look crossed Ning Hongyuan's face as he looked up at the middle-aged man. "Wang Yuan, if I remember correctly, your wife comes from the Ouyang Family, a major clan in the Southern Frontier. Ouyang Jing, the current imperial concubine of the Southern Suppression Prince's Estate, is the younger sister of the Ouyang Family's current head, am I right?"
Wang Yuan was slightly startled, then nodded.
Ning Hongyuan's hoarse voice echoed through the grand hall: "No matter what method you use, contact the Ouyang Family as quickly as possible. Tell them I am willing to go all out to help Ouyang Jing rise to power, unseat the current Princess of Southern Suppression, and help their Ouyang Family become the premier clan of the Southern Frontier. My only condition is that once it is done, Mu Yunshang must be handed over to me to deal with..."
"Your subordinate obeys!"
Wang Yuan gave a heavy nod and immediately departed.
Ning Hongyuan walked into the center of the hall, knelt beside Ning Wuque, and gently stroked that icy face, his eyes filled with hatred: "Wushuang, you can rest in peace! Ning Wuque won't live much longer. As for that Mu Yunshang, once I capture her back here, Grandpa will bury her alive to keep you company..."
Chapter 5: Border Interception
The Southern Frontier.
One of the eight domains of the Dayan Dynasty, containing thirteen large cities and hundreds of medium and small cities within its territory.
Nanjiang City, where the Southern Suppression Prince's Estate was located, was the very center of the Southern Frontier.
On this day.
The sky was clear, the scorching sun hung high, baking the earth.
In the central district of Nanjiang City.
Before the sprawling, luxuriously decorated and solemn gates of the Southern Suppression Prince's Estate, a magnificent carriage slowly approached.
Two guards stood at the entrance. Seeing the carriage from afar, they immediately reacted: "It's the Prince's Divine Swift Carriage! The Princess has returned. I'll stay here to welcome her, you go notify the Princess Consort immediately..."
"Yes!"
The other guard turned on his heel and hurried into the estate.
The remaining guard hurriedly hurried forward. Once the carriage came to a steady stop before the estate gates, he bowed respectfully and said, "This subordinate welcomes the Princess back to the estate!"
"Mhm!"
Mu Yunshang's ethereal voice came from within the carriage. "Are my father and mother in the estate?"
The guard quickly replied, "Replying to the Princess, the day before yesterday there were unusual movements among the Southern barbarians at the border. The Prince rushed off to the frontier garrison overnight and is not in the estate. As for the Princess Consort..."
Before the guard could finish, an exasperated voice rang out from within the Southern Suppression Prince's Estate: "Where is that damned girl? Where is she? How dare she arbitrarily commandeer your father's Divine Swift Carriage and leave the Southern Frontier without permission? You damned girl still dare to come back? See if I don't break your legs..."
Inside the carriage.
Mu Yunshang shrank her neck, stuck out her tongue at Ning Wuque beside her, and said, "Don't worry, my mother has followed my maternal grandfather in the military since she was a child, and she's always had this fiery temper."
"Uh..."
Ning Wuque rubbed his nose.
This was his future mother-in-law, after all!
He couldn't hit her, nor could he scold her!
Besides, Mu Yunshang had run all the way to the Northern Frontier without permission precisely because of him. How could he not worry?
Yet worry or not, he had to face it.
It was impossible to let Mu Yunshang bear her future mother-in-law's wrath all by herself.
Ning Wuque tightened his grip on Mu Yunshang's soft little hand, pulled her out of the Divine Swift Carriage, and stepped down.
Greeting his eyes was an opulent and regal beautiful woman, lifting her skirt with both hands as she rushed out of the estate at a flying pace.
This beautiful woman bore a striking resemblance to Mu Yunshang, though her brows carried a greater heroic spirit, giving her a dashing and vigorous aura. Moreover, she was even more mature and full-figured—unquestionably a rare beauty in this world.
She was Mu Yunshang's biological mother, the Princess Consort of Southern Suppression, Su Qingluan.
Right now, however, Ning Wuque was in no mood to appreciate her.
A dozen meters apart.
The moment Su Qingluan saw Ning Wuque holding hands with Mu Yunshang as they stepped out, she first froze, and then directly kicked off one of her shoes, which flew through the air with a "whoosh" right toward Ning Wuque.
Slap!
Ning Wuque instinctively raised his hand and caught the embroidered shoe, which emitted a faint, lingering fragrance.
Seeing Su Qingluan hurl a shoe at Ning Wuque the moment they met, Mu Yunshang momentarily forgot her fear. She hurriedly stepped in front of Ning Wuque, glared, and said, "Mom, what are you doing? Why are you throwing shoes at Brother Wuque?"
Supported by two maidservants, Su Qingluan hopped forward on one foot to the front of the carriage, maintaining a golden-rooster-standing posture, and said angrily, "Why am I throwing things at him? My precious daughter ran thousands of miles to the Northern Frontier to see this piece of trash, and now she's even dragged him back here—you tell me why your mother is throwing things at him? If your mother didn't have a weapon in her hand right now, I'd want to run him through..."
Looking at Su Qingluan's fierce expression, the corners of Ning Wuque's eyes twitched violently.
He felt that this mother-in-law of his was going to be rather difficult to handle!
Mu Yunshang sighed and said, "Mom, I told you long ago, in this lifetime I only acknowledge Brother Wuque. Whether he is a genius or trash, I will never abandon him. A chicken you follow, you follow a chicken; a dog you follow, you follow a dog—isn't that what you taught me?"
"Go your mother's... uh, no... just look at what you've driven your mother to!"
Su Qingluan let loose a profanity, but instantly caught herself, remembering she was the dignified Princess Consort of Southern Suppression. She gave a light cough and continued, "Mu Yunshang, you listen to me: I will never, ever allow you to marry him. You'd better give up that thought and obediently come back inside with me. As for this brat, I'll send people to escort him right back to Prince Shenwu's Estate..."
The news of Prince Shenwu's Estate carving up Ning Wuque's chaotic physique had been thoroughly suppressed; the outside world only knew that the King of Mobei had destroyed Ning Wuque's dantian, stripping him of his cultivation and his title as the heir of Prince Shenwu's Estate.
They knew nothing else whatsoever.
Otherwise, Ning Wuque appearing safe and sound in the Southern Frontier would inevitably cause a massive uproar.
Mu Yunshang said, "Mom, my marriage with Brother Wuque was personally bestowed by the Imperial Uncle..."
"Don't you dare wave His Majesty over me! When His Majesty bestowed that marriage upon you two, it was to curry favor with Prince Shenwu's Estate. Now that this brat's cultivation is entirely gone and he's even lost his title as heir, even if we took this all the way to His Majesty, he would support breaking off the engagement..."
Su Qingluan let out a cold snort, maintaining her single-legged stance as she glared fiercely at Ning Wuque. "Brat, your name is Ning Wuque, right? As Yunshang's mother, I'm asking you not to be so selfish. In your current condition, insisting on staying with Yunshang is harming her, it's ruining her..."
Ning Wuque fell silent for a moment.
Had he not forged the Chaotic Sword Body and inherited the legacy of the Sword Ancestor, after hearing Su Qingluan's words, for Mu Yunshang's sake, he would most likely have chosen to give up this marriage.
But right now...
With the *Chaotic Infinite Swordsmanship* and the Chaotic Sword Body within him, Ning Wuque had absolute confidence that he could far surpass his former self, so naturally he would not easily let go.
After all, during his journey to the Southern Frontier, he had deeply experienced the sheer might of the Chaotic Sword Body and the *Chaotic Infinite Swordsmanship*.
In the few days spent traveling on the road, without any external resources to help him, he had already stepped into the Third Layer of Qi Condensation Realm.
Almost one realm a day!
Such a speed of cultivation was truly unprecedented!
Ning Wuque cupped his fists toward Su Qingluan and said, "Please rest assured, Princess Consort, Wuque will do everything in his power to give Yunshang happiness!"
The corners of Mu Yunshang's mouth lifted slightly into a tender, happy smile. She gripped Ning Wuque's hand tighter, stepped forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him, and also stared fixedly at Su Qingluan. "Mom, please give your blessing to me and Brother Wuque!"
"You're rebelling, you're really rebelling!"
Su Qingluan glared at the young couple before her, stamping her foot in anger as she looked at the nervous guards standing nearby. "What are you all standing around for? Why haven't you separated them and brought the Princess back inside..."
"Yes!"
The guards nodded heavily, their gazes falling upon Ning Wuque with a hint of hesitation. "Reporting to the Princess Consort, how should this brat be dealt with?"
"Beat him to death... no, wait..."
Su Qingluan bit her lower lip, but the moment she saw the two of them holding hands so tightly, her heart softened. She said, "Leave him with a breath, and send him back to the Northern Frontier!"
"Understood!"
The two guards immediately stepped forward, saying to Mu Yunshang, "Princess, offenses will be given!"
As for Ning Wuque, the two of them simply ignored him.
Both guards possessed the cultivation of the Third Layer of Qi Condensation Realm, and they fancied themselves more than capable of handling a piece of trash whose dantian had been destroyed.
Therefore, coming from the left and right, they closed in on Ning Wuque and Mu Yunshang.
"Get lost!"
Ning Wuque barked with a dark expression.
"Audacious!"
" Courting death!"
The expressions of the two guards turned stern as they struck with lightning speed.
Yet...
Just as they were about to touch Mu Yunshang and Ning Wuque, Ning Wuque suddenly moved.
He held Mu Yunshang's soft hand in one of his own, while his other hand raised high and then suddenly swept downward. The embroidered shoe belonging to Su Qingluan that he held in his hand was whirled with such fierce momentum that it stirred up a blur of afterimages.
Slap!
Slap!
Two crisp smacks echoed across the skies of the Southern Suppression Prince's Estate.
Those two guards were actually sent flying by Ning Wuque's slap, spinning in midair like tops several times before hitting the ground with two dull thuds a few meters away, one after the other.
Hiss!
An intake of cold breath instantly rippled through the crowd.
Pair after pair of disbelieving eyes fixed upon Ning Wuque. "Wh-what is going on here? Weren't they saying that Ning Wuque is trash with a destroyed dantian? How did two guards at the Third Layer of Qi Condensation Realm get knocked flat on their backs without the slightest ability to resist?"
"The estate guards are battle-hardened veterans! What on earth is happening? Could the intelligence report be wrong? Was Ning Wuque's dantian never destroyed?"
"That's impossible! If Ning Wuque's dantian wasn't destroyed, how could he possibly have lost his position as the heir of Prince Shenwu's Estate?"
Amidst the chorus of gasps and whispered murmurs.
Su Qingluan furrowed her delicate brows, staring intently at Ning Wuque. "Your cultivation..."
Ning Wuque cupped his fists toward Su Qingluan, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Just as the Princess Consort sees, my dantian remains intact. Although I have only just recovered my cultivation to the First Layer of Qi Condensation Realm, as long as you give me enough time, I believe I can quickly recover and even surpass my former self. I wonder if the Princess Consort still intends to obstruct my marriage with Yunshang?"
Mu Yunshang chimed in from the side, "Mom, Brother Wuque is right, his dantian has already recovered, and he can still cultivate. Please give us your blessing!"
"..."
Su Qingluan's pretty eyes rolled as she thought to herself: *If Ning Wuque truly hasn't become useless trash, with his talent he is quite worthy of Yunshang. Besides, looking at this girl Yunshang, it's practically impossible for her to ever leave him—perhaps I should just go with the flow and grant them their wish?*
After all, she was her own biological daughter; she was unwilling to push Mu Yunshang too hard either.
Just as Su Qingluan was mulling this over in her heart, intending to voice her thoughts, a cold voice rang out from behind her:
"A mere Qi Condensation realm cultivator—the Southern Frontier army under the Prince's command could crush a whole bunch of them just by throwing a brick down. With just that bit of ability, you still dare to harbor delusions of marrying the Princess of our Southern Suppression Prince's Estate? Simply wishful thinking..."
Chapter 6: You, Worthy?
"Who are you?"
Ning Wuque's sword-like brows furrowed slightly as he followed the voice.
A beautiful woman wearing a purple floral gown, breathtakingly gorgeous, radiating noble elegance mixed with an innate, alluring charm, walked leisurely toward them.
Upon seeing her, Mu Yunshang instinctively tightened her grip on Ning Wuque's hand.
Su Qingluan's expression also turned icy in an instant.
"This younger sister greets the elder sister!"
The beautiful woman walked straight up to Su Qingluan, bowed in greeting, let her gaze sweep briefly over Su Qingluan's bare foot, and covered her mouth with a light, mocking laugh. "Whatever could be the reason for elder sister to be standing in such a posture?"
"Hmph, your mother happens to like standing like this—is it any of your vixen business to poke your nose into it?"
Su Qingluan snorted coldly.
The beautiful woman gently shook her head and said nothing more. Her eyes, which seemed capable of hooking a soul, landed upon Mu Yunshang and Ning Wuque.
This person was none other than the imperial concubine of the Southern Suppression Prince's Estate, Ouyang Jing.
Yesterday, she had received the message sent by her family.
Both parties got what they wanted.
They hit it off immediately and reached an alliance.
Therefore, the moment she heard that Ning Wuque and Mu Yunshang had returned, she couldn't wait to appear.
Ouyang Jing's willow-like brows arched slightly, carrying a hint of displeasure and cold indifference. "Yunshang, you are a princess of our Southern Suppression Prince's Estate. How could you commit such a shameless act?"
"Aunty, I..."
Mu Yunshang's face turned slightly pale.
Ouyang Jing and Su Qingluan had never gotten along.
Moreover, compared to Su Qingluan's straightforwardness and blunt speech, Ouyang Jing possessed a deep and calculating mind, full of schemes. She had caused Mu Yunshang and her mother to suffer heavy blows on several occasions.
So much so that every time Mu Yunshang saw Ouyang Jing, she was utterly suppressed.
Before Mu Yunshang could finish, Su Qingluan exploded: "Ouyang Jing, you foul-smelling vixen, what kind of nonsense are you spouting here? When has my daughter ever committed a shameless act? If you don't make yourself clear today, your mother will tear your mouth apart..."
Even though she didn't care much for Ning Wuque and was unwilling to see Mu Yunshang walk the path with him, no matter what, Mu Yunshang was her own flesh and blood!
How could she allow others to hurl insults and reprimands?
"Why must elder sister fly into such a rage? Could it be that this younger sister spoke wrongly? As a princess of our Southern Suppression Prince's Estate, before even being betrothed, Yunshang arbitrarily brings back some wild man—if this isn't shameless, what is?"
Ouyang Jing said expressionlessly, "Today happens to be a day when the Prince is not in the estate. If the Prince were here, Yunshang would undoubtedly be confined. As for this brat, even if he weren't beaten to death, he'd be stripped of a layer of skin! Do you really take the Southern Suppression Prince's Estate for a shelter where any stray cat or dog can be dragged back?"
"Aunty, Brother Wuque and I are betrothed. How is he a wild man?"
Mu Yunshang grew angry.
She widened her bright, dark eyes and glared fixedly at Ouyang Jing.
Ouyang Jing's delicate brows knitted together.
All along, whenever Mu Yunshang saw her, she was like a mouse seeing a cat; when had she ever dared to talk back to her like this?
Watching this scene, Su Qingluan felt an incomparable surge of delight, temporarily setting aside her prejudice against Ning Wuque. She said, "Yunshang is right. Wuque is betrothed to her, how is he a wild man? Besides, this marriage was personally bestowed by His Majesty. For you to call him a wild man, aren't you saying that His Majesty ordered the princess of our Southern Suppression Prince's Estate to marry a wild man?"
"I didn't mean that..."
Ouyang Jing glared fiercely at Su Qingluan and her daughter. She didn't dare to continue down that topic, so she shifted her target to Ning Wuque instead, saying expressionlessly, "Ning Wuque, the former number one genius of the Dayan Dynasty and the heir of Prince Shenwu's Estate, right?"
Ning Wuque nodded indifferently.
He could already see that Ouyang Jing had come with ill intent.
Moreover, based solely on Ouyang Jing's attitude toward Mu Yunshang, he had already mentally placed this person on his blacklist.
Ouyang Jing's expression showed a trace of displeasure, though she said nothing more about it. Instead, she coldly remarked, "You should have heard the idiom 'times have changed', right? In your current state, even if you aren't thoroughly useless trash, you are still nothing more than a puny Qi Condensation cultivator. What qualifications do you think you have to marry the princess of our Southern Suppression Prince's Estate?"
"By Princess Consort Ouyang's logic, what conditions must be met to marry Yunshang?" Ning Wuque asked.
Ouyang Jing slightly raised her fair chin, speaking with arrogant pride, "To marry the princess of our Southern Suppression Prince's Estate, one must at the very least be the primary heir to a princely title, a high-ranking civil official of the second rank or above, or the legitimate son of a military general of the third rank or above! Only then are they qualified!"
"I see!"
Ning Wuque nodded. He leaned his body forward slightly, narrowing his eyes as he looked over Ouyang Jing. "Yet as far as I know, before Yunshang left the Southern Frontier, Princess Consort Ouyang tried to arrange a marriage for her with Ouyang Zhe of your Ouyang Family. May I ask what kind of a thing that Ouyang Zhe is? Ah, no—I should say, what kind of thing is Ouyang Zhe's father? Is he a second-rank civil official or a third-rank military general?"
On the way to the Southern Frontier, Mu Yunshang had mentioned this matter to him.
Ning Wuque hadn't expected it to come in handy so quickly.
Mu Yunshang chimed in from the side, "Brother Wuque, Ouyang Zhe's father is the commander of the city garrison forces in Jinjiang City here in the Southern Frontier. He should be a fifth-rank military official!"
Su Qingluan corrected her, "Sixth-rank! Where did you get fifth-rank?!"
"Oh... so it's a sixth-rank..."
Ning Wuque wore a look of sudden realization, looking smilingly at Ouyang Jing, whose face was gradually turning unsightly. "That being the case, Ouyang Zhe falls quite a bit short of the standards the Princess Consort mentioned! I wonder how Princess Consort Ouyang ever dared to propose a marriage for him to Yunshang? Do you really take the Southern Suppression Prince's Estate for a shelter where any stray cat or dog can be dragged back?"
The exact same words, the exact same tone.
Except moments ago, Ouyang Jing had used them to squeeze and humiliate Ning Wuque.
Now Ning Wuque was returning her exact words to her!
Looking at Ouyang Jing's shifting, livid expression, Ning Wuque sneered inwardly.
He spoke politely to Su Qingluan only for Mu Yunshang's sake.
Who on earth did Ouyang Jing think she was?
Watching Ouyang Jing get so thoroughly rebuffed by Ning Wuque that she was left speechless, Su Qingluan felt that Ning Wuque looked more and more pleasing to the eye.
Ouyang Jing bit her lower lip hard, her voice chilling. "No matter how silver-tongued you are, it cannot change the reality that right now you are nothing more than a Qi Condensation ant. Today I'll put my words right here: you want to be the son-in-law of the Southern Suppression Prince's Estate? You're daydreaming!"
Mu Yunshang protected Ning Wuque behind her, staring dead at Ouyang Jing. "I will marry no one but Brother Wuque!"
"Shut your mouth!"
Ouyang Jing said coldly, "When adults are talking, where does it your turn to butt in? If you say another word, even if your mother doesn't teach you, I, as your aunt, will make you understand what respect for order and hierarchy means!"
Tears welled up in Mu Yunshang's eyes, and she cast a pleading look toward Su Qingluan.
"..."
Su Qingluan opened her mouth, but ultimately did not refute Ouyang Jing.