Chapter 18:Shocking the Ning Family

"Dinner’s ready."

Back in reality at Ning Manor in the Magic City, Wang Shikong had just returned when Ning Qingya’s soft voice called out. The sound of footsteps followed, and an alluring figure in a crimson dress entered his room.

"Hmm," Wang Shikong acknowledged.

Ning Qingya expertly wheeled his chair toward the stairs, smiling softly. "After we eat, I have some gifts for you."

"Gifts?"

Wang Shikong blinked, his mind briefly blank before comprehension bloomed across his face.

"I guarantee you’ll love them," she smiled.

By the time they reached the dining room, a fortnight of having a son-in-law who used a wheelchair had made the Ning family somewhat accustomed to his presence. Yet that night, Ning Qingrou wasn’t her usual placid self. She pouted, glaring at him like a child whose toy had been snatched.

Wang Shikong pretended not to see her simmering pout, focusing instead on his meal and the conversation Ning Tianxiong was having at the other end of the table. The Ning family was now investing heavily in the Endless Continent. They began buying Yuan coins days ago and were actively setting up a guild.

The Splendor Guild would be official within days.

"Shikong, come over here. Let me show you what I prepared." After dinner, everyone gathered in the sitting room with tea. Ning Qingya arrived with several gift boxes. "You should feel lucky," Ning Qingrou muttered beside him. "Normal people could only dream about this stuff. It’s insanely expensive."

"Stop it." Ning Qingya shot her sister a look and handed Wang Shikong the first gift. "Number one: A Spatial Ring."

"Cost me 120,000," mumbled Qingrou.

"This is a Communicator." Qingya ignored her, pulling out the sleek rectangular device.

"50,000," Qingrou whispered again.

"These are basic essentials for the Endless Continent," Qingya explained. "Especially the Communicator. Please learn how to use it. We can add each other to stay connected in the game."

"I already have a Communicator and a Spatial Ring," Wang Shikong stated, casually pulling out his own device.

Ning Qingya froze, shock flickering across her face. Across the room, Ning Tianxiong and Qingrou both gaped with equal astonishment. Though foundational gear, Spatial Rings and Communicators remained inaccessible to over ninety-five percent of players. The former sold for 1,200 Yuan coins and the latter for 500. Even the luckiest players only earned about twenty Yuan coins daily. After two weeks, few could possess four hundred Yuan coins. Without converting real-world currency into Yuan coins, affording these items was near impossible.

"Shikong, you’re that successful? You earned that many coins?" Qingya’s shock turned into delight. Until now, she had deliberately avoided asking about his Endless Continent experiences to shield his feelings as someone who couldn’t walk freely, meaning he couldn’t actively fight—making coin collection extremely challenging.

"Getting by," Wang Shikong smiled softly. His personal stash already exceeded 300,000 Yuan coins—30 million in real-world money. This wasn’t tied up in stocks or property. The Ning family boasted assets worth billions, but only held around a billion in liquid cash. Stocks and other holdings had plummeted in resale value.

"Look!" Relieved that he seemed to be thriving within the game, Qingya smiled and brought out a staff. "A Black Iron Staff."

"You can’t possibly have one of these!" Qingrou piped up again, unable to resist, her voice tinged with a "bet-you-don’t" sneer. "This cost a whopping 1.5 million coins."

Wang Shikong glanced sideways at her. His palm moved and a Guardian Staff materialized within it. "I do," he said.

Qingrou’s jaw dropped. "O" shaped, she stared. "You actually managed to get that?"

"Remarkable, Shikong! You earned a Black Iron Staff yourself?" Ning Qingya’s mother gasped. Everyone knew how scarce such gear was. Wealthy individuals struggled to purchase Black Iron items outright—meaning Shikong must have obtained it through personal effort.

"Shikong, did you complete an incredible quest?" Qingya asked breathlessly. She then produced a new item. "But you couldn’t possibly have… this robe?"

Wordlessly, Wang Shikong retrieved a Black Iron Robe looted from Zhang Zihao’s companions.

"???"

"Did you rob a merchant stall?" Qingrou finally sprang to her feet, staring at him wild-eyed. Before he could answer, she swiftly grabbed another box from Qingya’s bundle. "This you definitely don’t have!"

She revealed an accessory: A Black Iron Necklace.

"Don’t have that," Wang Shikong admitted, shaking his head. This he truly lacked. Accessory slots for cultivators were limited, and only certain pieces provided benefits. Standard gear for magic casters usually consisted of: headgear, robes, staff, bracelets, necklaces (or pendants), boots, pants, and sometimes exceedingly rare book items.

"Hmph! Thought you’d somehow have everything," Qingrou retorted with a sniff, feigning indifference despite being unable to tear her gaze away from it. "Not even I have one," she mumbled under her breath.

Wang Shikong watched her struggle between jealousy and covetousness, a smirk tugging his lips. His little sister-in-law was matching his father-in-law blow-for-blow in the annoyance department this lifetime. In his past life, her passive-aggressive digs constantly grated on him.

"You should have this, Shikong." Qingya’s voice was soft.

"No," Wang Shikong insisted firmly. "Give it to Qingrou."

Instantly, Qingrou perked up. Her eyes lit with glee as she stared expectantly at her sister. Exactly! What does a cripple need this for anyway?

"It's fine..." Qingya began.

"I have something better." Wang Shikong cut her off. He brought out the Blood-Eye Jade Pendant. It emitted a profound glow, unmistakably superior, and its stats shimmered above it.

Just the words Bronze Equipment made Qingrou’s eyes nearly pop out of her head.

"BRONZE?! BRONZE?! HOLY SHIT!" True to form, she leaped off the sofa, looking utterly bewildered. "Bronze gear? Am I hallucinating?!"

Gulp! Ning Tianxiong swallowed hard, equally dumbstruck. To date, no one had ever reported obtaining Bronze equipment. The starting villages didn’t stock it. According to native NPCs, even basic Bronze gear started at 100,000 Yuan coins or more. One piece cost over ten million yuan—a substantial amount even for their family wealth.

"Did… you cozy up to a rich lady in the Endless Continent?"

"Or does the Continent give bonus loot to players with disabilities?" Qingrou leaned perilously close to study both him and the pendant, firing off frantic questions. "Seriously, Bronze gear?!"

Wang Shikong smiled faintly and asked her a devastatingly simple question: "Is Bronze equipment truly that difficult to obtain?"

It felt like a direct jab at her soul.

"Shikong… what… what level are you?" Qingya managed to ask, equally astonished.

"Level three," he answered honestly.

"I'm Level Five and haven’t found a single decent piece of common gear!" Qingrou exploded, her eyes boring into him. Level Three seemed almost implausible for someone in his condition—yet he possessed such impossible equipment? HOW?! It screamed pure cheat codes. "HOW do you have all this?"

"I picked it up," Wang Shikong replied plainly. He knew Qingrou’s obsessive nature well: without an explanation, she'd fret for days about this. But letting his infuriating little sister-in-law stew? That brought its own twisted satisfaction.