High-Grade Dance Manual

"Has your Mo Clan gone mad dreaming of soaring to glory? You don't know how high the heavens are or how deep the earth is, yet you dare compete with us for the chance to enter the palace?"

The fat-headed, big-eared woman kept cursing, using every crude word she could think of. Even Chen Ning could barely stand to listen.

The woman being cursed, however, did not retreat half a step. She said softly, "Shopkeeper Yang told me to give it a try."

To her surprise, the woman grew even angrier at her words and shouted, "Shopkeeper Yang told you to wait? Who knows who you slept with to get this chance?"

Humiliated like this, the woman could no longer hold back her hurt and began to weep softly.

Just then, a middle-aged man came out of the Heavenly Ox Chamber of Commerce. Seeing the scene before him, he asked, "What's going on?"

"Shopkeeper Yang, you can't blame me. I only said a couple of things to her, and she started crying."

The woman was the first to hurry over, speaking with a smile.

When the woman saw Shopkeeper Yang come out, she stopped crying and curtsied. "Mo Sanniang of the Mo Clan greets you, Shopkeeper Yang."

"Good. Since you're both waiting here, I'll make the announcement to you officially."

Shopkeeper Yang took out a sheet of yellow paper bearing the royal emblem of the Great Yan Imperial Dynasty.

"This year, the imperial palace will select more than ten dancers from our Gold and Iron City to perform song and dance at the autumn banquet. In previous years, the Qin Clan always entered the palace to perform, but this year, the dancers at the Mo Clan's Prolonged Beauty Hall all have fine looks and figures, so I'm giving Mo Sanniang a chance."

"Hmph!"

The fat-headed, big-eared woman snorted coldly in disdain.

Decades ago, the Mo Clan's Prolonged Beauty Hall had performed song and dance exclusively for the Great Yan Imperial Dynasty. It was only because it had fallen into decline for a time that the Qin Clan had seized the opportunity and enjoyed decades of prosperity.

They had climbed right on top of the Mo Clan.

Today, the Qin Clan madam naturally could not bear to see the other side get another chance to turn things around.

"Shopkeeper Yang, just tell us how we'll compete."

The woman put her hands on her hips and asked in a domineering manner.

"Simple. Three days from now, here at the Heavenly Ox Chamber of Commerce, each of your clans will perform a dance, and I'll make my decision."

Shopkeeper Yang brought his hands together and smiled. "And I'll add a prize. The winner will receive a bottle of incomparably precious Star Essence Liquid. Even at the Heavenly Ox Chamber of Commerce, such a fine item is rarely seen."

At those words, Chen Ning's eyes lit up. His target had appeared.

In front of the chamber of commerce, Shopkeeper Yang turned and went back inside after speaking. The Qin Clan woman spat and headed off into the distance, still cursing under her breath. "Pah! Just wait for death, you bitch!"

Only Mo Sanniang silently bowed toward the Heavenly Ox Chamber of Commerce. She was deeply grateful to Shopkeeper Yang for giving her this chance.

Only by performing in the palace this time could she change the Mo Clan's fate of decline.

But how could it be so easy?

"Why the long face? Don't you have a chance to compete with that fat woman?"

Chen Ning walked over from nearby and spoke up.

Mo Sanniang looked up at him. Seeing that he was dressed in fine clothes and had an exceptionally cute young woman with him, she thought they must both come from distinguished backgrounds.

She said politely, "Young master, you don't know the full story. Although the Mo Clan was fortunate enough to get this chance, defeating the Qin Clan will be extremely difficult."

"Why do you say that? That shrew has neither a face nor a figure to speak of. How could she beat you?"

Chen Ning asked in puzzlement.

Mo Sanniang explained earnestly, "The sisters of my Mo Clan are naturally no worse than those of the Qin Clan, but because the Mo Clan has been in decline for decades, we don't have a high-grade dance manual fit to show anyone."

"What's a dance manual?"

Chen Ning wanted to ask more, but Su Ling'er answered first. "Brother Sect Master, a dance manual contains the skills and formations dancers learn. You can think of it as being like the cultivation manuals we cultivators use. High-grade dance manuals are hard to come by even for a thousand gold."

"So much goes into it..." Chen Ning's praise came from the heart.

He had not expected that, aside from cultivators, so many other professions in this world would also have a connection to elemental power.

For instance, the dishes at that restaurant were shaped using elemental Qi.

They were lifelike.

And dancers even had dance manuals, similar to those used by cultivators.

Sure enough, coming out this time had broadened his horizons considerably.

"Brother Sect Master, do you want to help her?"

Su Ling'er asked by Chen Ning's ear.

"That's what I'm thinking. If she wins, I'll discuss with her whether she can give me the Star Essence Liquid."

Chen Ning lowered his voice to answer.

After catching a few words of their conversation, Mo Sanniang grew excited and dropped to her knees before Chen Ning, tears welling in her eyes. "Please, young master, save my Mo Clan."

She had just heard what Chen Ning said, so he surely had a way.

No matter how slim the hope, she had to seize it and hold on tight.

If they lost to the Qin Clan this time, the Mo Clan would surely face ruin within three to five years.

If nothing else, the Qin Clan would not let her have an easy time of it.

Seeing Mo Sanniang so agitated, Chen Ning was at a loss for a moment. "Don't do this. I might not be able to help you."

"Brother Sect Master, we can help."

Su Ling'er giggled and stepped slightly aside, leaving Mo Sanniang kneeling directly before Chen Ning.

In the little loli's heart, Brother Sect Master was worthy of her kneeling to him.

It was rare for Brother Sect Master to feel compassion. Never mind kneeling and bowing before him; for the dignified sect master of the Dragon-Seeking Sect not to make her his slave for eternity and have her serve him at his bedside already showed his kind heart.

Of course, Su Ling'er did not want the women around Brother Sect Master getting too close to him now, either.

A jealous loli could be terrifying.

"Brother Sect Master, Ling'er has a high-grade dance manual here that you can bestow upon the Mo Clan."

Chen Ning's brow twitched when he heard this. "Where did you get it?"

Su Ling'er pinched the hem of her clothes in embarrassment and said in a soft, sweet voice, "I took it from the sect's treasure vault..."

"All right."

Chen Ning did not know whether to laugh or cry. It was obviously a professional habit she had picked up as the Thief God's successor, but after getting to know her better over so many days, he knew Su Ling'er really was a simple and adorable loli.

Besides, she had been a great help again this time, so he could hardly blame her.

"Brother Sect Master, Ling'er took this a long time ago. Ling'er secretly took it when the old sect master was still in charge."

Su Ling'er raised her face and looked at Chen Ning with her clear eyes, as if to say that she really had been very obedient ever since Brother Sect Master took over, and this was a problem left over from the past.

Over the past few days, because the young girl had often been with Chen Ning, she had inevitably let a few treasures and weapons from the sect accidentally fall out.

Whenever Chen Ning caught her, Su Ling'er said that her family was poor, that her mother had told her from childhood that children from poor families had to learn to fend for themselves early, and that she had secretly taken the items because she had been frightened by poverty. She also said she had taken them while the old sect master was still in charge.

Each time, Chen Ning smiled and nodded, telling her to be more careful next time.

He never pursued the matter. Such a simple loli meant no harm to anyone, and if she stole a little, so be it. Chen Ning did not care.

"What do you think of the grade of this dance manual?"

Afraid that Brother Sect Master would ask more questions, Su Ling'er hurriedly changed the subject. She took out a dance manual and tossed it to Mo Sanniang.