Chapter 37: The Gongsun Family Wants to Form a Marriage Alliance with Me?

Marriage alliance?

A marriage alliance between me and the Gongsun family?

Do you even realize what you’re saying?

Song Qi was startled at first, but quickly regained his composure.

“No, that can’t be right. The Gongsun family is one of the four great families of District Seven. Why would you want a marriage alliance with me?”

District Seven had four major families, each controlling vast resources and boasting countless high-level professionals. Every family had at least one top human expert at the level of a headmaster. Their resources were so abundant it was staggering, and their manpower so powerful they could form independent squads to eradicate threats in the wild. Without exaggeration, if there was no city lord overseeing the district, District Seven would be little more than the private domain of these four families.

For such lofty existences to seek a marriage alliance with a commoner like himself? If they wanted him to marry into their family, that would sound more plausible.

A marriage alliance? Such an equal term felt strangely unreal to Song Qi.

“Who am I marrying?” Song Qi asked again.

“The beloved granddaughter of the patriarch, an extremely noble identity,” Gongsun Wuyue teased.

“Impossible!” Song Qi shook his head so vigorously it was like a sieve.

“If you told me some high-ranking member of the Gongsun family adopted a niece just to send her to placate me, maybe I’d believe it. But the patriarch’s own granddaughter?”

“I don’t buy it.”

Gongsun Wuyue sighed.

“You’re the city lord’s personal disciple, your status isn’t low. What’s so impossible about it?”

“Do you realize your reputation is already famous among the four families, drawing quite a bit of hostility?”

“The Chu family even received a special warning from the city lord. I heard their patriarch smashed a whole room’s worth of stuff that night in rage.”

Song Qi was taken aback and interrupted her.

“Wait! When did I become the city lord’s personal disciple?”

It wasn’t surprising that people knew he practiced at the city lord’s mansion—he hadn’t made any effort to hide it. The families’ informants were everywhere, so it was only natural. But calling him the city lord’s personal disciple was pure nonsense.

Gongsun Wuyue shook her head.

“I know the city lord hasn’t officially accepted you as a disciple.”

“But... titles aren’t important. What matters is the treatment you receive.”

“The Demon Elixirs, rare potions that don’t circulate in the market but can stimulate attribute growth—you’ve already used them, haven’t you?”

“Did you know? The potion you used was actually taken from the allocation meant for the four families.”

Demon Elixirs?

Was it the purple potion he applied yesterday?

So the portion used on him was originally meant for the four families? The city lord intercepted it and gave it to him?

“Yes, I did use it.”

“But I only used one bottle yesterday. Are the families really so petty as to hold a grudge over a single bottle?”

Song Qi muttered doubtfully.

“No, wait—you use one bottle a day?”

Gongsun Wuyue was stunned, disbelief flickering in her eyes. After a long, thoughtful silence, she finally spoke.

“In that case, calling you the city lord’s personal disciple is definitely just a rumor.”

Song Qi nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, I don’t think the city lord would take me as a disciple either.”

“No, that’s not what I mean,” Gongsun Wuyue shook her head. “Personal disciple? He’s treating you like his own son!”

She suddenly grew agitated.

“Do you know that even the top candidates in the four families only get one bottle every five days?”

“Each use requires mixing in large quantities of herbs and monster essence to maximize efficiency.”

“And you use one a day?!”

“And you don’t even think much of it?”

Gongsun Wuyue looked like she wanted to hit someone.

Their family had produced twelve super S-class talents to date. On average, each received only three bottles a month from the city lord, and that was after their patriarch fought tooth and nail for it.

Yet Song Qi was using one a day?

Nearly ten times the difference!

The disparity in treatment was staggering.

“That potion is really that precious?” Song Qi was astonished.

Gongsun Wuyue shot him a glare.

“You’re really acting coy after getting such a windfall.”

Song Qi scratched his head in embarrassment. He genuinely hadn’t known how rare the potion was.

Thinking it over, he decided to shift the topic to ease the tension.

“If that’s the case, why do the other three families resent me, but the Gongsun family doesn’t? Why offer the patriarch’s granddaughter in a marriage alliance?”

“Because our younger generation is disappointing.”

“This generation doesn’t have a single S-class talent, so no one qualifies to use the potion.”

“The marriage alliance is because the patriarch’s granddaughter doesn’t have high talent either. She’s decent among ordinary people, but for the family elders, she’s lacking.”

“So, despite her noble status, she’s destined to be a political sacrifice.”

Gongsun Wuyue answered frankly.

Song Qi: “.......”

Well… this was even more awkward.

The current generation was underwhelming?

Wasn’t this like stabbing at the Gongsun family’s sore spot?

“Enough, let’s head to the Dungeon Square.”

Gongsun Wuyue cut off Song Qi’s musings.

“As for the marriage alliance, think about it. When you have an opinion, let me know.”

With that, the two walked toward the Dungeon Square...

...

Arriving at the Dungeon Square.

As usual, Song Qi, Wang Zihao, and Gongsun Wuyue formed a team.

First, they ran three rounds of the [Corpse Tide] dungeon.

Afterward, it was endless speed runs of the [Crimson Blood Nest].

For Song Qi now, the dungeons posed no challenge at all.

The process was monotonous and dull.

The only thing that piqued his interest was that the [Soul Link] skill had finally reached Level 1.

[Soul Link LV1 (0/5): The summoner may designate one summon and share all its attributes and skills. Duration: twenty minutes. Cooldown: twenty-three hours.]

The duration had increased by ten minutes, and cooldown was reduced by one hour. Mastery required for leveling up had risen to five.

Though the cooldown change wasn’t much, doubling the duration greatly improved usability.

He no longer had to calculate his remaining time down to the last second.

Twenty minutes was more than enough to wipe out any low-level dungeon.

Meanwhile, Optional Quest 3 was already sixty percent complete.

[Optional Quest 3: Eliminate 50,000 monsters. (34,154/50,000).] (Reward: 5 lottery draws)

In about four days, he’d finish the quest, gain five draws, and unlock new tasks.

Speaking of which, he was already level fourteen.

Yet he still hadn’t drawn a second summoning ticket, which made him anxious.

Compared to random luck, he preferred more certainty.

At four thirty in the afternoon, Song Qi bid farewell to his teammates and headed once more to the city lord’s mansion.

On his second visit, he walked into the training room with ease.

Sure enough, another brand-new bottle of purple potion awaited him.

“It really is one bottle a day.”

“I wonder how much the other three families’ share has been cut.”

Song Qi mused, but it didn’t stop him from quickly pouring out the potion, covering himself, and changing into his training clothes.

He’d already borne the brunt of the families’ resentment—no reason not to accept the benefit.

He then entered the training room.

The city lord, half-squinting, extinguished his cigarette.

“Ready...”

“Today, we’ll practice the second and third movements.”