…

After a long day of showing off, Gu Xijiu finally got a grasp of his intention. Like a peac.o.c.k fanning its feathers in a display, he was actually trying to impress her with as many a.s.sets as he could possibly boast.

She touched her face in bewilderment, wondering if her disguise had somehow been removed. If she remembered correctly, she should look rather ordinary, but surprisingly, it was enough to attract many men. Perhaps her brilliant character was what they valued the most. Apparently, a mediocre appearance could not hold her back. 

If Gu Xijiu were any younger, she would believe that this man was sincerely trying to woo her. However, years of experiencing the real world had taught her to be cautious about excessive compliments. The man must be planning for something more; otherwise, he would not go completely out of his way to impress her.

"Little Jiu, what are you looking at?" Meng Wuya approached her with a tray in his hand.

Gu Xijiu saw the tray and was immediately attracted by the fact that her favorite food filled the plates. Her favorite pa.s.sion fruit cookies were nicely prepared and had an irresistible smell. Frankly, Gu Xijiu was more impressed by the food than his excessive flaunting. He had done so many things but finally got one right. Happily, she started indulging in the food.

"Do you like it?" Meng Wuya seemed relieved at her approval of the food. He had done everything he could in the past two days, but she was largely uninterested in what he had to offer. Finally, there was some progress.

"I do," she complimented his great choice of food.

"Are you really the fiancée of the National Master?" Meng Wuya suddenly added.

She remained very noncommittal and only answered with a smile, for she knew that he would be asking more questions.

As expected, Meng Wuya began his interview. "Little Jiu, what do you think about polygamous relations.h.i.+ps? Would you share your husband with another concubine, or would you mind if he marries another wife?"

Gu Xijiu took a moment to think about it. When she was ready, she replied, "No, I would not mind."

From the beginning, Gu Xijiu knew that this was all meant to be a show. Having a husband was not part of her plan at any point anyway.

Meng Wuya was quite surprised by her honesty. "You are lying." He then grasped her by the wrist and pulled her to him. "Come with me."

Gu Xijiu pushed his hand away with obvious reluctance. "I will go with you. Stop pulling me."

Meng Wuya did not argue with her and led the way. Soon, they visited the backyard of the crystal palace and saw an enormous royal blue crystal stone.

Gu Xijiu saw it once when she first visited the crystal palace. A quick touch on the surface was enough for her to sense the strong flow of spiritual energy within the crystal stone. It was quickly apparent to her that the power it contained was even stronger than any of the spiritual stones that she had harvested over the past few days.

At one point, she even thought about taking the crystal stone away to place it within the Tianyin Valley. Little did she know that Meng Wuya was going to bring her to the stone. Soon, he began performing with a series of activation spells to turn the crystal stone into a mirror. Images then started playing across the mirror in front of her.

Pavilions, terraces, and open halls were displayed in vivid colors, forming a bustling city view. Gu Xijiu found it impressive and decided to keep watching. What came after was a scenic view of the Monster Kingdom, along with its inhabitants. Two familiar faces then appeared on the screen. They were Di Fuyi and Tu Shanying, the ruler of the Monster Kingdom.

They could be seen having a chat under a tree. The message was very clear. It did not take long for Gu Xijiu to know that they were talking about a deal.

It seemed that Tu Shanying was obsessed with Di Fuyi. Perhaps, she was as equally obsessed with him as she was in regaining her t.i.tle as the Monster King, so Di Fuyi went on and tempted her with a fruitful deal.