Nine Nether Dragon Emperor

"Let's go. We have to hurry to your home. I need to get to the Jiang Family right away!"

Ning Xuan grabbed Shangguan Qingrou and burst through the window, gliding through the air.

Shangguan Qingrou's red dress was a real eye-catcher. No sooner had they appeared than they were spotted by the people who had been searching all over the city.

"They're here! Everyone, come quick!"

"They're heading for the City Lord Manor! Chase them!"

"Hey, you... where are your pants?"

As Ning Xuan and Shangguan Qingrou swept across the sky, a growing crowd gave chase on the ground below. Those individuals had been searching everywhere, which naturally aroused the curiosity of others.

Ning Xuan had only written the beginning of the story, a mere twenty to thirty thousand words. For people with their reading speed, it took no time at all to finish. Word spread from one person to ten, and from ten to a hundred, culminating in the current spectacle.

「Posa City, City Lord Manor.」

"How is it? Have you found Qingrou?" Shangguan Hong asked urgently as he saw the captain of his personal guard stride in.

"City Lord, we've found her, but…" The guard captain's expression was very solemn.

Shangguan Hong cut him off, pressing, "Where?!"

"The young miss should be at the entrance by now, but…"

Before he could finish speaking, Shangguan Hong had already vanished.

The guard captain opened his mouth but stopped. He bowed to the City Lord's wife, who sat in the seat of honor with her eyes never leaving the book in her hands, and then hurriedly followed.

「City Lord Manor, Front Gate.」

Shangguan Hong had just appeared at the entrance when he saw Shangguan Qingrou and Ning Xuan. The smile on his face twitched when he glanced at Ning Xuan's left hand.

He was about to scold them when he froze. An innumerable crowd was desperately chasing them from behind—not just youngsters, but even old folks with missing teeth!

Shangguan Hong was dumbfounded. "Since when did Qingrou become so popular?" he mumbled to himself.

Before he could even react, Ning Xuan pulled Shangguan Qingrou right past him. Then came a loud BANG! from behind.

Shangguan Hong looked back and his face darkened. The gate had been shut! He, the mighty City Lord of Posa City, had been locked out of his own manor!

"That brat! How audacious!"

Fuming over what he had just seen, Shangguan Hong stomped his foot, leaped into the air, and executed a graceful backflip. When his feet touched the ground again, he was already behind the gate.

Looking ahead, Shangguan Hong's face turned green. He saw his own precious 'cabbage' bolting the gate! So the one who had shut the gate was…

"What's your name? Where do you live? How many people are in your household? What's your cultivation level?"

Unable to scold his own 'cabbage', Shangguan Hong immediately turned his ire on Ning Xuan.

Before Ning Xuan could reply, shouts erupted from outside.

"How dare you!"

"What do you think you're doing?!"

"This is the City Lord Manor! Are you trying to rebel?!"

"Dad, let's talk about this later," Shangguan Qingrou said, pulling Ning Xuan past Shangguan Hong again.

Ning Xuan gave an apologetic smile. To Shangguan Hong at that moment, however, the smile was nothing but pure provocation!

He was beside himself with anger. He felt like lashing out, but after glancing back at the gate, he decided to hold back for now.

Swallowing his anger, he began to give orders and make arrangements. However, by the time he returned to the inner chambers, he was utterly stunned.

His wife, who was always buried in some worn-out book to the point of neglecting sleep and food, was actually laughing and chatting with the young man Qingrou had brought back!

The way his wife looked at the man made him insanely jealous. He wanted to explode in anger but was afraid of being called petty. Feeling aggrieved, Shangguan Hong could only cough a few times.

To his dismay, his wife merely glanced at him before ignoring him completely, turning back to smile at the young man.

Shangguan Hong felt like his lungs were about to explode.

Of course, Ning Xuan was aware of this, but he felt helpless. On the way over, Shangguan Qingrou had explained that her father was completely under his wife's thumb. While her father was in charge of the city, her mother called all the shots at home.

Ning Xuan needed to use the Teleportation Array to get to the Realm Capital, which should have been Shangguan Hong's responsibility. However, ever since Shangguan Hong had used it once to visit the Realm Capital, her mother had taken complete ownership of it. Shangguan Hong didn't dare object, because the Divine Crystals required to operate the Teleportation Array were provided by his wife's family, the Ouyang Clan.

When Ning Xuan met Ouyang Qing, he was extremely polite, but she paid him no attention at all. Seeing the book *The Demon Lord's Overbearing Love* in her hand, what else could Ning Xuan do? He could only pander to her interests.

As expected, his plan worked immediately, which led to the current situation.

Noticing that Ning Xuan kept getting distracted, Ouyang Qing followed his gaze to Shangguan Hong before saying, "Don't mind him! Keep talking!"

Ning Xuan seized the opportunity to send a telepathic message to Shangguan Hong. "City Lord, you can activate the Teleportation Array, can't you? I can provide the Divine Crystals. Please, I beg you to persuade your esteemed wife. I really can't withstand her onslaught."

We're both men, and a man knows a man best. If this keeps up, Shangguan Hong is going to chop me to bits!

Upon hearing Ning Xuan's telepathic message, Shangguan Hong's expression softened slightly. Then, without another glance at Ning Xuan, he turned and left. Before leaving, he gave Shangguan Qingrou a meaningful look.

Shangguan Qingrou glanced over at Ning Xuan for a moment, then quickly followed Shangguan Hong out.

Ning Xuan was stunned. Good heavens, is the City Lord of Posa City really this magnanimous?

Immediately, Ning Xuan felt a pang of shame. Such magnanimity!

Ning Xuan felt he couldn't let such a man down. He cast aside his inhibitions and began enthusiastically narrating the plot to Ouyang Qing.

「Meanwhile.」

In a secluded place, Shangguan Hong was asking Shangguan Qingrou about everything regarding Ning Xuan. Shangguan Qingrou didn't conceal anything, recounting everything that had happened.

"He actually knows the most beloved little princess of the Jiang Family!" Shangguan Hong muttered, a gleam in his eyes.

Shangguan Qingrou's heart skipped a beat. She immediately began to plead coquettishly, "Dad, you have to think of a way to keep him here!"

Shangguan Hong didn't answer her. Instead, he asked, "You just said he can write those… novels?"

"Why don't you go out and see for yourself?" Shangguan Qingrou pouted, gesturing with her chin toward the main gate.

"Fine!" The moment the word left Shangguan Hong's lips, he vanished.

Shangguan Qingrou was left speechless.

I've finally realized it—I can't rely on my mom or my dad! I'll have to figure this out myself! I refuse to believe I can't compete with that little brat, Jiang Chan!

After giving herself a pep talk, Shangguan Qingrou returned to the inner hall. To her surprise, not only was Ning Xuan gone, but her mother was missing too.

Her heart sank. Shangguan Qingrou quickly asked the maid at the door, "Where are they?!"

The maid looked at Shangguan Qingrou, then glanced toward the door, looking as if she were about to cry.