Betrothal Gift of 10 Billion

Shu Heng's attitude was extremely hostile.

Ning Ze was not surprised, because Shu Yi had not allowed him to explain his talent and potential.

This father-in-law of his had apparently wanted to marry his girlfriend off to someone else before. If not for the fact that he was Shu Yi's father, Ning Ze would have nailed him to the wall with a single sword strike without another word!

"I came today to formally ask for Shu Yi's hand in marriage and discuss our wedding."

Li Wan and Ning Hua should have come originally, but Old Master Shu had asked him to come himself. That was fine; there were not so many rules nowadays.

"A marriage proposal? A wedding?"

Shu Heng's eyes widened as he roared, "I don't agree!"

If this brat had not seduced his daughter, his obedient little girl would not even be dating now. Why would Flagship Group need to resort to such methods to force a marriage? He would not have taken that beating from Shu Hongjing either.

Last time, he had been too bothered by company matters to deal with this brat. And now he dared to come to his door to propose marriage?

Flagship Group might have poor character, but in Shu Heng's eyes, Ning Ze was not much better!

At the very least, he simply clashed with this brat!

"Dad! What kind of attitude is that?"

Seeing Shu Heng's attitude, Shu Yi immediately grew anxious. If possible, she naturally wanted her parents' blessing, but her father did not approve of their marriage.

"What kind of attitude? What is so good about this brat? Why should I marry off my daughter without knowing a thing about him?"

As he spoke, Shu Heng glanced over the things in Ning Ze's hands. "Nourishing Liquid, Changbai Ginseng Maotai, Qiluo Yujin, Hangzhou Longjing. The gifts are quite good, but I don't know what kind of person you are. That still needs to be examined."

Shu Yi was momentarily speechless. Shu Heng's words were not wrong. He truly did not know Ning Ze well. He only knew that Ning Ze had some talent and was now a martial artist. He also knew that Ning Hua was a martial artist and taught at Limitless Martial Arts School.

But their family was not bad either. At least, Shu Heng did not think so. The two families were reasonably well-matched; it certainly could not be called marrying up.

After receiving a vicious beating before, Shu Heng found Ning Ze displeasing no matter how he looked at him, so his attitude was especially firm.

Ning Ze asked sincerely, "Then what would it take for you to agree to let Xiao Guai marry me?"

Shu Heng lazily leaned back against the sofa. Raising his eyelids, he casually said, "Since Xiao Guai is getting married, we need proof that she'll live well in the future. That requires certain family conditions. How about this? A betrothal gift of 100 million."

"100 million?" Ning Ze smiled politely and said confidently, "That's fine."

There was skill in giving gifts. Among the gifts he had brought, the two sets of supplements for trainees were the most expensive. The two sets were priced at 20 million Huaxia Coin, but as a two-star citizen, he received a twenty-percent discount and had spent only 16 million Huaxia Coin.

This concerned the future of both families. It could not be wrong to buy good things for the two of them.

Then there was the Changbai Ginseng Maotai he had bought for Shu Hongjing. This was a long-term consumable. One jar weighed three jin and was worth 5 million Huaxia Coin; he had bought it for 4 million Huaxia Coin. The other gifts were cheaper. Even the Qiluo Yujin for women was merely something used by ordinary people.

Altogether, they already came to 20 million. What was another 100 million as a betrothal gift? It was nothing at all.

Seeing Ning Ze agree, Shu Heng's eyelids drooped again. He lazily said, "The price has gone up. One billion Huaxia Coin!"

Shu Yi's expression darkened. She was just about to speak when Ning Ze raised a hand to stop her.

"One billion?" Ning Ze frowned, then said seriously, "That's fine too!"

After buying a combat saber, he still had 710 million Huaxia Coin left. He could afford 1 billion.

It was just that he had originally planned to ask his family to add some money so he could buy a Combat Suit.

A Series 8 Combat Suit would cost 750 million at half price. But it did not matter if he did not upgrade. If they really set a wedding date, he probably would not have time to enter the Wilderness Area for more than a month.

In another day, his Movement Technique would break through to Perfect Level. Given more time, his combat strength would continue to rise. If he was not hunting Lord-level monsters, he would not need a Combat Suit.

Besides, he felt that this father-in-law was testing his sincerity. It was probably a test and not something he truly wanted. Even if he did truly want it, it would not matter. The betrothal gift was substantial, but acceptable. For his woman, he was willing to spend however much money was needed. Feelings could not be measured by money.

"One billion is fine too?" Shu Heng sneered and asked, "Do you brat really have that much money? Trying to fool me? You're still too green!"

"Forget it. Whether you have it or not doesn't matter. The price has changed again. Ten billion! If you agree this time and transfer me 10 billion, I'll approve your marriage. I absolutely won't change my mind!"

Shu Yi silently stood behind Ning Ze, her eyes seemingly burning with anger. This was too much. He was clearly making things difficult on purpose. Only because she thought it might be her father's test could she endure it.

Upon hearing this, Ning Ze's pupils abruptly contracted. He slowly closed his eyes. He was not sure whether the man truly wanted it or was testing him. But even if he truly wanted it, Ning Ze would give it to him.

When he opened his eyes again, his expression was calm. "10 billion is fine, but I need some time."

"Hahaha!"

Shu Heng burst into hearty laughter, laughing so hard that he rocked back and forth.

Ning Ze simply watched him calmly.

Shu Heng thought he was putting on an act.

In Shu Heng's eyes, Ning Ze was now even less reliable than Zhai Yanko. He dared to boast that he could come up with 10 billion, so he had to be a liar.

With such character, Shu Heng did not believe his father would approve their marriage, and his mood relaxed.

After laughing enough, Shu Heng asked with interest, "Even 10 billion is fine? Then how long will it take? Don't tell me it'll be a hundred years?" His tone was full of mockery. It was the best attitude he had shown since Ning Ze entered, yet it was filled with amusement.

Ning Ze replied calmly, "It won't take that long. At most a year, at least half a year. No later than one year. What do you think?"

"One year? Half a year?"

Shu Heng clutched his stomach and laughed uproariously, so amused that tears came out. Laughing until he could barely speak, he said, "Fine, it's settled! I'll give you half a year. A year is fine too! Go earn 10 billion Huaxia Coin, and then I'll agree to let you marry."

"That's enough, brat. You can leave now. Come back in half a year, or a year."

After saying that, Shu Heng raised an arm and waved toward the door, clearly telling him to leave quickly.

Meanwhile, he kept shaking his head as he laughed. Suddenly, he would burst out laughing again. After trying hard to calm himself, he could not help laughing once more, wave after wave, completely unable to stop.

Ning Ze narrowed his eyes, a dangerous gleam flickering in their depths. So he really wanted it?

Knowing full well that Ning Ze did not have that much money, he was still making things so difficult. He simply did not want them to get married!

Ning Ze was just about to speak.

Shu Yi could no longer endure it. She shouted furiously at Shu Heng, "Dad, I really misjudged you! I'm going to find Grandpa!" Turning around, she pouted at Ning Ze, "Ning Ze, let's go find Grandpa. He doesn't keep his word! I thought he was testing you for my sake, but I never expected him to be deliberately making things difficult."

Ning Ze slightly raised his eyebrows. Of course he knew this father-in-law's words carried no weight.

He also knew the man was deliberately making things difficult for him.

But he was still Shu Yi's father. No matter what the relationship between father and daughter was like, who would not want their family's blessing for a marriage?

10 billion Huaxia Coin was not too difficult for him. After one year, would it not be easy to kill four or five Lord-level monsters?

He had the ability to handle this matter, so there was no need to consider what would happen if he failed. What he wanted was to peacefully and perfectly complete the wedding now.

He was marrying Shu Yi, not his father-in-law. There was no need to get into a conflict with this man.

However, he would certainly remember this. The man had given him an impossible task to make things difficult for him. Once Ning Ze paid the money, their relationship would be distant from then on.

But now, Ning Ze realized there was no need for such trouble at all.

Shu Yi was already angry and did not want to pay Shu Heng any attention.

Since his woman did not care, he cared even less. He could simply save the 10 billion Huaxia Coin and ignore the man entirely.

Otherwise, if he really gave this man 10 billion in the future, even if it was not much to him a year later, it would still leave a bad taste in his mouth.

"Come on~" Shu Yi tugged Ning Ze's arm and continued acting spoiled. "I'll have Grandpa deal with him." Her large eyes looked pitiful, worry written all over her face.

Seeing her adorable appearance, Ning Ze smiled inwardly. He had never taken Shu Heng seriously, so naturally he would not be angry at Shu Yi.

Besides, he found this suggestion quite interesting. He had seen the injuries on Shu Heng's face last time. Old Master Shu was clearly someone who did not mind using his fists.

"Alright. Stop pulling. I'll go with you."

Shu Yi happily pulled Ning Ze upstairs, then turned back and shot Shu Heng a vicious glare. Who knew how worried she had been? She had finally gotten to marry Ning Ze, and this lousy father of hers had nearly ruined it!

"You still dare glare at me? This brat claims he can earn 10 billion in a year! Only a foolish girl like you would believe him!"

Shu Heng craned his neck and shouted toward the stairs, glaring as he did so. He was not afraid at all. If the old master asked, he would say it was a test. Anyone not out of their mind would know it was impossible to earn 10 billion in a year!

When they reached a room on the second floor, Shu Yi pushed open the door and pulled Ning Ze inside.

"Grandpa, Ning Ze is here."

"Grandpa Shu."

Shu Hongjing greeted them cheerfully. "Come, sit over here. When did you get here?"

"Just now," Ning Ze replied with a smile.

After pulling Ning Ze down to sit, Shu Yi began to complain. "Grandpa, my dad just demanded a 10 billion betrothal gift from Ning Ze downstairs!"

"10 billion? Nonsense!" Shu Hongjing's pupils shrank, and his gaze turned dangerous. "Didn't I tell you to come directly to me and ignore that father of yours?"

Shu Yi pursed her lips. She had still wanted to give it a try. In the end, it had nearly angered her to death.

Shu Hongjing turned to Ning Ze, his expression becoming kind and gentle. "Xiao Ze, I've made a fool of myself in front of you. Your father-in-law is just an ordinary person with no talent and little knowledge. He has also run a business these years, so it is inevitable that he has become obsessed with money."

Ning Ze smiled calmly. "I understand. Money is quite important."

He was very poor right now too. He could not afford Secret Manuals or equipment, and had only a small sum of 700 million.

Even excluding the Combat Suit, he was short by 20 billion!

Money troubled him just the same.

"Mm."

"Xiao Guai told me about the two of you before. I knew you were a good child from the first time I met you. I'm at ease with Xiao Guai following you."

Shu Hongjing said with a bright smile, "I approve of your marriage!"

"Thank you, Grandpa!" Shu Yi was extremely excited.

"Thank you, Grandpa!" Ning Ze was also overjoyed. Being able to smoothly marry the girl he loved was the most perfect ending.

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

A few days earlier, on September 9, Ning Ze and Shu Yi had successfully held their wedding.

They invited quite a few guests: old comrades and neighbors from the older generation, familiar friends of the young couple, as well as some high school and university classmates.

At the wedding banquet, Ning Ze saw Shu Heng again with his face bruised and swollen. Clearly, Grandpa Shu had struck again, and this time had focused on his face. Throughout the wedding, Shu Heng tried to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. He had no desire to socialize at all, nor could he find common ground with those martial artists.

The wedding ended.

The newlyweds were inseparable, completely wrapped up in each other. Over these past days, Ning Ze's training time had been cut by one-third, leaving him with only thirteen hours of training each day.

Inside the Training Room.

"Rumble!"

"Rumble!"

Sonic booms ravaged the room and echoed endlessly.

At some point, a decorative vase on the table had fallen to the floor and shattered. Two white towels spun continuously around Ning Ze like enchanted flying carpets.

Ning Ze stepped forward half a meter with his left foot, taking a bow stance. In this position, his lower body was extremely stable, making it more suitable for generating force with his upper body.

The stance did not look like he was using a sword. Instead, it resembled a saber's chopping strike.

At that moment, he was slashing wildly, tireless, as though he would never stop.

His arms were so fast that only afterimages remained. Before him was completely covered in silver-white Sword Light. Countless sword flashes formed an arcing white shield studded with sword spikes.

Ning Ze seemed to have fallen into a crazed state of attack, filled with the urge to assault. He had completely discarded the nimbleness of Sword Art, instead stubbornly clashing head-on with his enemy.

Tyrannical, chilling, ceaseless, and carrying ultimate danger—it seemed capable of grinding everything into dust!

This Sword Art was completely different from Gale Slash and Gale Sword Master. Even though Gale Sword Master was sharper, it was still exquisite, relying on technique and strategy to build the momentum of killing an enemy with a single sword strike.

But his current Sword Art seemed to have returned to the era before sabers and swords had diverged. It was violent and filled with endless power, fighting with one's life on the line and using every possible means, seeking only to defeat the enemy.

This was a new Sword Art Secret Manual Ning Ze had purchased. Its level was slightly below the top-tier Secret Manuals, but it was still an exceptionally rare and excellent Sword Art. This Secret Manual had five levels in total, and its Force Generation could reach 4.2. He could cultivate it perfectly.

Moreover, its price was not too high. It was even slightly cheaper than Gale Sword Master. The full-price Secret Manual cost 600 million, while at half price, it required only 300 million Huaxia Coin.

More importantly, this Secret Manual also contained the character "Wind."

Its name was Wild Wind Shadowless. Its core was the word "wild." It contained only several chopping sword moves and no fixed forms. Cultivating it relied entirely on feeling. When the Sword Art aligned with nature, it would naturally possess immense and boundless power.

Ning Ze felt that Secret Manuals that were more closely related would be easier to cultivate. Furthermore, he had already gained some understanding of "Wind," so he learned it relatively quickly, and it could make up for his own shortcomings.

Of course, the greater reason he was cultivating this Secret Manual was that Gale Sword Master required far too much proficiency to advance to the next level!

The proficiency needed for a single level of Perfection Realm was 100,000! Continuing to improve it was simply too difficult, too difficult, too difficult.

Compared with specialized Secret Manuals that could be cultivated to perfection in just two months, reaching the limit of Perfection Realm would take ten months, while Artistic Conception Level would take eight years!

Previously, he had entered the Wilderness Area three times. During the last two trips especially, he had fought an unknown number of battles. Only under such pressure had he been able to improve so quickly.

If he cultivated normally, reaching the limit of Artistic Conception Level would take sixteen years, perhaps even twenty years.

Humanity still lived within Base Cities. Very clearly, there were many ordinary humans, while most monsters had entered Warrior Level.

If humanity had not struggled without cease, and if it did not possess the inheritance of the previous era's "technology" and the ancient martial arts culture inherited from the era before that, it might have been eliminated long ago.

Now, humanity could only huddle inside Base Cities, and the situation was perilous to the extreme.

Twenty years—Ning Ze could not wait that long.

He had to find a way to solve this problem himself. Cultivating a new Secret Manual was the method he had come up with.

If one Secret Manual encountered a bottleneck and became difficult to improve—

Fine!

Then cultivate another Secret Manual from scratch.

Starting over with new insights and learning a new Sword Art, even if the system data did not improve, his realm would still rise!