**Chapter 121 Ning Fengzhi's face turned green when he answered the door**
"Am I still getting benefits by staying with you?"
After hearing Gu Ziyi's explanation, Ning Shuangjiang looked at him with shining eyes.
"Of course, but it's not a loss for me, as I've gained a beauty like you by my side!"
He said with a smile.
As he said, practicing dual cultivation with Ning Shuangjiang, though it didn't bring much improvement to his own cultivation, gave him the joy of holding a beautiful woman close.
She was even destined to be Ning Rongrong's mother.
This sense of accomplishment, not to mention how thrilling it felt.
"Shuangjiang, if we have a daughter in the future, her name should be Gu Rongrong!"
Thinking of this possibility, Gu Ziyi said with a grin.
"Oh..."
Ning Shuangjiang hadn't expected him to directly talk about having a daughter. How could Gu Ziyi be so sure that if she got pregnant, it would be a girl?
What if it was a boy?
"I'll listen to you, Brother Yi!"
But she didn't mind and replied sweetly.
Gu Ziyi thinking about having children with her filled her with happiness, even though she felt shy.
The sweet tone of Ning Shuangjiang calling him "Brother Yi" warmed Gu Ziyi's heart.
This was a title he had asked her to use. Though she was a few years older than him, he still enjoyed being called that.
He had even asked Li Chanfei to call him that before, but she had refused.
"Brother Yi, let me help you!"
Feeling her lover's burning passion, Ning Shuangjiang smiled sweetly and then slowly slid down.
Ssss~
Gu Ziyi's heated problem was quickly resolved.
As it turned out, she even used her Martial Soul ability—Frozen Bird—that he had taught her the previous night, now wielding it with great skill.
…
A Week Later
"Your Highness, the Holy Son, the leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is here and wishes to see you personally!"
While Gu Ziyi was busy training and spending intimate moments with Ning Shuangjiang, a familiar figure came knocking. This time, it was Ning Shuangjiang's cousin, Ning Fengzhi.
"Ning Fengzhi?"
"Let him in!"
Gu Ziyi knew the man must have come because of Ning Shuangjiang. But even knowing his reason, he had no intention of hiding.
After all, he had no reason to fear his woman's relatives!
Ning Shuangjiang had come to him on her own; it wasn't Gu Ziyi who had pursued her first.
"Yes, Your Highness, the Holy Son!"
The servant quickly obeyed.
Gu Ziyi also sent someone to fetch Ning Shuangjiang.
Ning Fengzhi was likely there to see his cousin, so there was no need to deliberately keep her away.
Since the visitor already came to his door, he must know his cousin was staying with Gu Ziyi. There was no point in trying to hide her.
"Brother Yi, is my cousin here?"
Ning Shuangjiang was clearly nervous and uneasy about the unexpected visit. She hadn't expected Ning Fengzhi to come see her in person.
Was this really necessary?
She wasn't even a central disciple of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
"He's here. There's no need to be nervous!"
Seeing her unease, Gu Ziyi took her hand and gently comforted her.
"Mm-hmm!"
Ning Shuangjiang nodded emotionally.
After she arrived, Ning Fengzhi didn't take long to join them.
Ning Fengzhi brought along his two protectors, Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo. The moment he entered, he saw Gu Ziyi intimately holding his cousin's small hand.
Especially after noticing that Ning Shuangjiang's features were even more radiant and alluring than the last time he saw her, his face turned even grimmer.
The kind of grim that makes one's head go pale blue!
As an experienced man, how could Ning Fengzhi not understand what Ning Shuangjiang's current appearance signified?
It meant that the cousin he had always intended to marry as his first wife had now been taken by another man.
Not long after Ning Shuangjiang came of age, he had already noticed her extraordinary beauty.
However, since she was attending the Tiandou Royal Academy at the time, he hadn't rushed to bring up the topic with her.
After all, Ning Fengzhi was not short on women, and he truly cherished his cousin. She had expressed her desire to participate in the Soul Master Tournament, so he allowed her to train properly at the academy before returning to the sect.
Yet, he never anticipated that his cousin would actually fall for someone because of what happened during her last match in the Soul Master Tournament. She even went to this young man, demanding he take responsibility for his actions.
Luckily, he had managed to dissuade her during their last conversation, and she returned to the sect with him.
Ning Fengzhi had subsequently tried to court his cousin himself, but his efforts yielded no progress.
Who would have thought that Ning Shuangjiang would suddenly disappear?
When he learned that his cousin had gone to Tiandou Temple in search of Gu Ziyi, he had a strong premonition that something was about to happen. He immediately rushed over to find her.
Yet, even with his haste, he arrived too late.
"Cousin!"
"Uncle Sword, Uncle Bone!"
When Ning Shuangjiang saw Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo, and Bone Douluo, she quickly greeted them.
"Leader Ning, how are you?"
"Greetings to the esteemed seniors as well!"
Gu Ziyi greeted the visitors with a smile.
Judging from Ning Fengzhi's expression, Gu Ziyi became even more certain that his woman was indeed Ning Rongrong's mother from the original story. Otherwise, Ning Fengzhi wouldn't be wearing such a bitter expression right now, as if someone had stolen his wife.
Ning Fengzhi's inability to conceal his emotions at this moment showed that he had long harbored feelings for his cousin, seeing her as his forbidden love.
Hearing Gu Ziyi's voice snapped him back to reality.
Ning Fengzhi took a deep breath to calm himself. The anger in his eyes quickly subsided, and he forced a smile as he said, "Your Highness, I am well."
The two Douluos simply nodded at Gu Ziyi. As Titled Douluos, they didn't feel the need to be overly formal with the Martial Soul Hall's Holy Son.
"The Sect Leader Ning must have come to see Shuangshuang, correct?"
Seeing Ning Fengzhi compose himself so quickly, Gu Ziyi was genuinely impressed.
"Yes, my cousin left without saying goodbye earlier. I was concerned that something might have happened to her, so I came to look for her and, in doing so, happened to meet Your Highness, the Holy Son."
By now, Ning Fengzhi had fully adjusted his mindset.
From the moment he saw his cousin, he knew she no longer belonged to him.
So, he shifted his focus, ceasing to dwell on the fact that Gu Ziyi had taken his cousin from him.
After all, there had never been a romantic relationship between him and Ning Shuangjiang; it had always been a one-sided desire on his part.
Even so, no matter how much he forced himself to let go, he couldn't help but feel deeply displeased with the situation.
"It's natural for Sect Leader Ning to be concerned about his cousin."
"But now that Sect Leader Ning has seen that Shuangjiang is perfectly safe by my side, I assure you that I will protect your cousin from now on. You no longer need to worry about her safety."
Gu Ziyi spoke with a smile, simultaneously declaring that Ning Shuangjiang was now his woman.
"Your Highness, the Holy Son, could we speak privately?"
Ning Fengzhi completely gave up after hearing Gu Ziyi's words and requested a private conversation with him.
"Certainly!"
Gu Ziyi smiled.
After instructing others to entertain Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo, he invited Ning Fengzhi to share tea in a private room.
"Please, Sect Master Ning!"
After serving the tea, Gu Ziyi began the tea ceremony. "Logically speaking, I should also address Sect Master Ning as cousin!"
"So, Your Highness, the Holy Son, are you planning to marry my cousin?"
When Ning Fengzhi heard the way Gu Ziyi addressed him, he paused slightly while holding the teacup and replied with a smile.
After saying this, he drank all the tea in his cup.
"…"
Hearing Ning Fengzhi's words, Gu Ziyi was momentarily speechless.
Originally, he had only wanted to tease him, but he hadn't expected such a clever comeback.
"It seems that Your Highness, the Holy Son, does not intend to marry my cousin!"
Ning Fengzhi's face darkened slightly as he placed his teacup down, interpreting Gu Ziyi's silence.
"There's no need for Sect Master Ning to worry. Regardless, I will not treat your cousin poorly."
Gu Ziyi did not respond directly but made it clear he had no plans to marry Ning Shuangjiang.
For him, there was only one candidate for his true wife: Bibi Dong. The other women would merely remain his companions. (N/E: While it's clear he wants Bibi Dong as his main wife, this statement suggests he views other women more as objects of desire than as individuals.)
"Hmph!"
"If you can't even give her a proper status, why should I believe what you say?"
Ning Fengzhi snorted coldly.
"Sect Master Ning, people do not openly share their secrets. If I were to marry Ning Shuangjiang, wouldn't that raise even more questions about my intentions with your sect?"
"After all, she is also your cousin. If outsiders learned of this, they might assume the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had defected to our Spirit Hall!"
Gu Ziyi no longer wanted to waste words with Ning Fengzhi and directly addressed the real issue.
In truth, this was one of the main reasons Ning Fengzhi had strongly opposed his cousin pursuing Gu Ziyi earlier. She may not have possessed the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul, making her less central to the sect's core.
However, she held another identity—Ning Fengzhi's cousin.
This wasn't usually significant, as long as the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect declared she wasn't a core disciple. Whoever she married wouldn't matter much to the sect.
But outsiders would never believe that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect wouldn't ally with Spirit Hall through her marriage!
If one of the three great sects like the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect defected to Spirit Hall, it would bring immense shame to the sect.
This wasn't true just for the top three sects but also for the four lower sects.
Any of the seven great sects aligning with Spirit Hall would face ridicule and scorn.
When Hu Yanbo previously proposed that Gu Ziyi and Hu Yanzhen fight to determine an outcome, his real intention had been to reject the alliance.
It was simply not easy to directly refuse a request from Spirit Hall's Pope.
However, no one had expected Gu Ziyi to actually defeat Hu Yanzhen's son.
In the end, Hu Yanbo agreed to cooperate with the Martial Soul Hall because of the commitment he made and because he genuinely hoped that his Armored Elephant Sect could one day defeat the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect.
"As long as His Highness, the Holy Son, understands, I do not want you to use my cousin to make any cunning moves in the future!"
After hearing Gu Ziyi's words, Ning Fengzhi wiped the anger from his face and spoke calmly.
In truth, he was worried that Gu Ziyi might use Ning Shuangjiang's identity to do something that could lead to misunderstandings among outsiders unaware of the situation.
"It seems that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect truly does not want to have much to do with our Martial Soul Hall!"
"Has Sect Leader Ning never considered cooperating with our Martial Soul Hall?"
Gu Ziyi immediately laughed at his statement.
This straightforward way of speaking was much more comfortable.
"Your Highness, please stop joking like that!"
"I really dislike the way your Martial Soul Hall operates!"
"Therefore, there is no possibility of cooperation between the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Martial Soul Hall."
Ning Fengzhi said coldly.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect supports the Heaven Dou Empire. Only with the existence of the Heaven Dou Empire can the sect remain secure and continue to possess significant power.
He greatly disapproved of the Martial Soul Hall's methods!
Ning Fengzhi also recognized some of the ambitions of the Martial Soul Hall, so he would never cooperate with them.
"It's truly a pity, but I believe Sect Leader Ning will definitely change his mind in the future!"
Gu Ziyi smiled faintly at his remark and said no more.
From Ning Fengzhi's tone, he could tell it was impossible to persuade the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to join the Martial Soul Hall at this stage.
Unless the Martial Soul Hall became so powerful that it could sweep across the entire continent, Ning Fengzhi would never make a deal under the current circumstances.
For now, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was one of the three major sects in the empire, and as the strongest auxiliary martial soul sect, it enjoyed boundless glory under its leadership.
"If His Highness, the Holy Son, ever decides to leave the Martial Soul Hall, our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will welcome you at any time!"
Ning Fengzhi gave a faint smile before turning his back on the host.
The two had already exchanged enough words, and after discussing business, there was little left to talk about.
Ning Fengzhi soon bid farewell and left the premises. Before leaving, he also had a private conversation with his cousin.
He likely explained to Ning Shuangjiang that, having chosen Gu Ziyi, she would no longer be considered a member of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
"Brother Yi, my cousin expelled me from the sect!"
Sure enough, after Ning Fengzhi and his companions left, Ning Shuangjiang approached Gu Ziyi with red eyes to tell him about her conversation with her cousin.
Although she understood that she could no longer claim to be from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect after her choice, she hadn't expected Ning Fengzhi to actually expel her from the sect.
"It's alright; you'll still have me from now on!"
Gu Ziyi hugged her and comforted her.
What Ning Fengzhi had done was not beyond his expectations. He truly wanted no ties to the Martial Soul Hall!
...
City of Slaughter
"Congratulations to No. 7424 for winning this Hell Slaughter Arena match and achieving 54 consecutive victories!"
In the arena of the Hell Slaughter Arena, as the announcer declared, a man stood, breathless, wielding a massive hammer, victorious in his 54th consecutive match.
That man was none other than Tang Hao.
In over two years, he had secured 54 straight wins.
He was now more than halfway to completing the required 100 consecutive victories to qualify for the Hell Road.
"Only 46 matches remain. As long as I complete 46 more, I'll achieve 100 consecutive victories and gain access to the Hell Road!"
"I must obtain my own Domain!"
Tang Hao gripped his Clear Sky Hammer tightly and began to walk slowly out of the Hell Slaughter Arena.
The spectators around him stepped back in fear as Tang Hao approached.
In the face of such a ruthless man, everyone was terrified.
Tang Hao didn't even glance at the crowd, completely disregarding their presence.
After all, anyone foolish enough to provoke him would be beaten to death.
After more than two years of grueling trials in the City of Slaughter, Tang Hao radiated an icy killing intent, his demeanor chilling and unforgiving.
'Gu Ziyi, wait for me!'
'I will personally avenge the humiliation you inflicted on me in our match!'
After leaving the Hell Slaughter Arena, Tang Hao looked up at the blood-red moon that loomed over the City of Slaughter, silently swearing his vengeance.
It could be said that his desire for revenge against Gu Ziyi was one of the driving forces behind his determination to complete all 100 consecutive victories.
Although the rules dictated that what happened in the Soul Master Tournament should remain in the tournament arena...
There should be no pursuit of grudges outside of the matches.
Yet, Tang Hao was determined to face Gu Ziyi again, to reclaim his lost honor.
He wanted to defeat his rival head-on and prove his worth, even while Gu Ziyi wielded his Domain.
Thus, he was resolute in completing the Hell Road and earning his reward.
…
(End of Chapter)
N/E: Guys, my dear readers. I recently realized that I didn't put the Romance Tag, I was going to change it so that new readers could find my work more easily, but with the recent chapters, if I hadn't made a commitment to you, my beautiful readers, I would have already abandoned this work.
Seriously, how much authors in China don't respect women? It's okay if you don't want a monogamous relationship, as long as your partner approves, I don't care, but you simply demeaning one of the women who has a romantic relationship to the detriment of another, is already something I can't respect.
I really hope that this work in the future doesn't address too many aspects of relationships, I'm getting really pissed off with what this author writes.
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