《This Lady Is Trying to Kill Me》 Chapter 1 one man, one saber, one bird great wei, yun¡¯an city¡­ the rain in the early summer was like a little flower thief breaking into a boudoir in the middle of the night. when it came, the wind was strong, and the rain was heavy. when it left, it left in a hurry, leaving only the muddy water stains between the gullies and rain-stained pear blossom trees. the wind and rain stopped, and the streets of the capital gradually became lively. people walked out of their houses one after another, and the peddlers hawked their goods along the streets. ¡°stuffed steamed buns!¡± ¡°selling coal!¡± ¡­ amidst the noises all over the street, a convoy slowly approached from the entrance of heavenly water bridge. a carriage was at the back, and in front of it were thirteen martial artists on horseback. they were all wearing straw raincoats and bamboo hats and had sabers at their waists. they looked travel-worn. it was rare to see such a team with such a strong sense of jianghu in the capital. many pedestrians looked sideways and saw that the leader of the team was a young man. the man was wearing a black robe under his raincoat, and there was a big white bird standing on his shoulder. he was tall and fair-skinned, and his eyes were dark and bright. he had a pair of sharp eyebrows, and his handsome face was even more sharp. ¡°wow! mom, look, that brother is so handsome!¡± ¡°shh! don¡¯t shout. aren¡¯t you ashamed?¡± ¡°that bird is so fat!¡± ¡°chirp?¡± ¡°huh? it can even understand human speech!¡± ¡­ the young man in black didn¡¯t seem to hear the praises of the young women and girls on the street. he looked straight ahead and led the team to the entrance of the zhenyuan escort agency at the end of the street. all the shops on heavenly water bridge had the same family insignia with the word ¡®pei¡¯ hanging in front, and so did the zhenyuan escort agency. people who could buy a street in the capital where every inch of land was worth gold were obviously not from a small family. they were grandiose and full of pomp. outside the tall entrance of the escort agency, there were often two escorts standing there to bring prestige. seeing the unfamiliar team arrive at the entrance, an escort went forward and cupped his hands. ¡°your excellency, you are?¡± ¡°ye jingtang.¡± the escort looked bewildered. he looked at the martial artists with extraordinary auras and said, ¡°i have never heard of your name. are you here to hire escorts, or¡­¡± ¡°challenge.¡± ¡°¡­¡± as soon as he said this, the street fell silent. the passersby who were originally strolling the streets gathered around them. even the wonton vendor on the street put down his soup spoon, wiped his hands on his aprons, and stood on his tiptoes to get a better look. ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°a challenge? this is really rare in the capital¡­¡± ¡­ when the two escorts outside the escort agency saw that the young man in black didn¡¯t come with good intentions, their faces darkened. if it were an ordinary hot-headed youngster, they would have ordered him to retreat. but the 13 riders outside the entrance all carried sabers and looked like they were about to wipe out the agency. they were not to be trifled with. the escort¡¯s expression was still relatively polite as he cupped his hands and said, ¡°private fights are strictly prohibited in the capital. our boss is a legitimate businessperson who abides by the law. i can¡¯t accept the challenge. if you have a dispute with the boss, you can go beat the drum and go to the government office to reason¡­¡± as soon as he said this, the onlookers immediately started to heckle. ¡°what?!¡± ¡°are you still a martial artist? he¡¯s already knocking on your door, but you want him to go to the officials?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right!¡± ¡­ the black-clothed young man unsheathed his saber from his waist and threw it to someone behind him. bare-handed, he said, ¡°ask your escort head to come out. i¡¯ll leave after a fight.¡± seeing all the neighbors surrounding him, the escort looked displeased. the person beside him ran to the side of the street, looking like he wanted to report to the officials. unfortunately, he had only run a few steps when a saber wielder behind the black-clothed young man blocked him. ¡°hey! you¡­¡± as soon as he did this, seven people rushed out from behind the door of the escort agency, armed with sabers and spears in their hands, looking furious. a strong voice came from inside the escort agency. ¡°kid, it¡¯s fine for you to be young and impetuous, but you have to keep your eyes open.¡± everyone looked over and saw a man walking out of the main hall of the escort agency¡¯s compound. he was wearing a brocade robe and had a burly figure. his right hand, which was covered in calluses, was spinning two iron walnuts. crack, crack¡­ seeing this, the escort outside the door hurriedly called out, ¡°master chen, this kid is causing trouble.¡± the onlookers¡¯ eyes lit up, and they started talking at once. ¡°chen biao has come out.¡± ¡°this handsome brother won¡¯t be beaten to death, will he?¡± ¡°who dares to kill people in the capital? at worst, he¡¯ll vomit some blood.¡± ¡°he¡¯s so handsome. even if he just vomits blood, my heart will ache¡­¡± swoosh! before anyone could say a word, they suddenly heard the light sound of rushing wind from the street. many escorts and pedestrians only saw a blur in front of their eyes. the black-clothed young man, who was originally sitting on a horse, suddenly exerted force and soared into the air. he jumped over the ten-foot-tall door of the escort agency and landed in the courtyard. chen biao, who had just walked out of the main hall, was so shocked by this scene that he trembled. he instinctively threw out the two iron walnuts, but the black-robed young man swept them away with a flick of his sleeve. then the goshawk pounced on the rabbit and grabbed his neck with its claw. bam! in the blink of an eye, the tall and burly chen biao was pressed against the doorpost behind him, knocking off a few black tiles on the eaves. thud! the tiles fell to the ground and shattered. the dozen or so escorts in the courtyard were shocked, and they trembled with horror in their eyes. chen biao¡¯s face turned pale. he didn¡¯t even have the intention to resist as he shouted anxiously, ¡°young hero, wait! i¡¯m just an escort head. if you have a grudge against us, go find the boss. don¡¯t come after me¡­¡± since he could speak, it was obvious that the young man didn¡¯t kill him. the black-robed young man gripped chen biao¡¯s neck with one hand and tilted his head to signal an old saber wielder outside the door. ¡°his name is yang chao. in the future, he will be the head of the escort agency, and you will be the deputy head. do you understand?¡± chen biao was baffled, but he didn¡¯t dare to answer back. he just spread out his hands and said, ¡°young hero, we are a formal business, and we pay business taxes on time. we¡¯re not a jianghu organization. if the boss doesn¡¯t agree, i can¡¯t make the decision even if you beat me to death¡­¡± ¡°my father is pei yuanfeng, the younger brother of your boss. he asked me to send the family¡¯s assets to you. from now on, they will be members of the zhenyuan escort agency. if they are mistreated, i will look for you.¡± chen biao was stunned. he sized up the young man in black and said in surprise, ¡°you are second master¡¯s son?! why is your surname ye?¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t answer. after he finished speaking, he took out a stack of official bills with a denomination of one hundred taels, slapped them on chen biao¡¯s chest, and turned to leave. outside the door, the neighbors were stunned and started whispering to each other. ¡°what amazing skills¡­¡± ¡°is this a young master of the pei family?¡± ¡°it sounds like¡­ the pei family did have a second son in the past. it happened around thirty years ago¡­¡± ¡­ the twelve escorts who followed him all had complicated expressions. the leader, escort head yang, handed the saber to ye jingtang, who had walked out of the door, and advised, ¡°young master, why are you doing this? the old master likes to talk when he drinks. you don¡¯t have to take it seriously. where can you go if you leave with nothing?¡± ¡°jianghu.¡± ye jingtang took the saber and put it back at his waist. he let the pet bird rest on his shoulder, looked at the morning sun on the horizon, and took a deep breath. his figure looked carefree, but his clear eyes flashed with a hint of confusion. although the world was big, there was nowhere for him to stay. it had been 18 years since he came to this dynasty called great wei. when he was about two years old, he had gradually regained his memories. ye jingtang had lived in an escort agency in the border town of great wei. he was an abandoned child picked up by pei yuanfeng on an escort mission. because his voice and cries were loud, pei yuanfeng named him ye jingtang and took him in as his foster son. pei yuanfeng had been injured in a fight when he was young. he had never married and had no children. he was very ¡®caring¡¯ for his foster son¡¯s growth. he beat him up three times a day and doubled it during festive occasions. he forced ye jingtang, who had hoped to make a name for himself by copying poems, brewing wine, and making soap, to become the top fighter of the escort agency. just last month, pei yuanfeng got drunk and died at the table. after ye jingtang took care of the funeral, he found a letter among pei yuanfeng¡¯s belongings. the letter had been written in advance to prevent any accidents. it only said three things: one: pei yuanfeng was not an ordinary person. he was once a famous expert in jianghu. initially, pei yuanfeng wanted to teach him a ¡®peerless saber technique¡¯ after he grew up. but since he could read the letter, it meant that pei yuanfeng was not lucky enough. they were father and son. he had to think of a way to practice the saber and seek revenge on the person who injured pei yuanfeng back then. pei yuanfeng was already dead. it didn¡¯t matter if he was a true expert or not. it was only right for a son to take revenge for his father. ye jingtang had no objections to this. perhaps because pei yuanfeng was afraid that he wouldn¡¯t have a place to learn advanced martial arts, he told him a secret. this was the second matter. when the previous dynasty perished, pei yuanfeng¡¯s master took advantage of the chaos to sneak into the imperial palace and steal the incomplete ¡®roaring dragon chart¡¯. it was rumored that the roaring dragon chart was a supreme secret manual that recorded nine strange secret arts. if one could obtain one of them, they could overwhelm ordinary people. if one could learn all of them, they could live forever and ascend to immortality. however, the battle at that time had been too intense. he couldn¡¯t bring it out of the palace and buried it under a ginkgo tree in the ¡®harem¡¯. pei yuanfeng told him that if he had the chance, he had to enter the palace to retrieve it. when ye jingtang saw this, he was speechless. from the description, the roaring dragon chart should be the cheat he had been looking forward to for 18 years. he naturally wanted such a unique treasure in the world, but it was buried in the imperial city¡¯s harem. if he, a man, went to take it, would he have to sneak in as a eunuch? if he wanted to practice it, would he have to castrate himself first? this matter was equivalent to not saying anything. the thing that affected ye jingtang the most was the last matter: pei yuanfeng had left home at a young age and never returned. he felt that he owed his parents, so he asked him to sell the business of the escort agency and send the proceeds to the pei family in the capital. he didn¡¯t say a word about leaving him a single cent. if ye jingtang hadn¡¯t read the letter, he wouldn¡¯t have known that his lonely foster father had a brother. but after all, they were family. he hadn¡¯t been filial and had been busy away from home for so many years. he had directly asked ye jingtang to sell everything and hand over all the assets to his family. he really didn¡¯t treat him as a son. an ordinary person would definitely have ignored this letter. after all, no one knew about it. but ye jingtang was different. his previous life had already become a thing of the past. in this world, he only had one family member. they were not related by blood. to be able to pick him up and raise him was already of utmost benevolence to him. he hadn¡¯t even had the time to repay his kindness and show his filial piety. in the end, ye jingtang followed his will and sold the escort agency in the small border town in exchange for 1,000 taels of silver. he brought 12 escorts and their families who were willing to leave and traveled thousands of kilometers all the way to the capital of great wei. but it was impossible for ye jingtang, a grown man, to live under someone else¡¯s roof. now that he had settled his adoptive father¡¯s matters and handed over the family¡¯s assets to the pei family, ye jingtang had completely bid farewell to the past and became a wanderer in jianghu who had no one to rely on. he didn¡¯t know where he came from, and he didn¡¯t know where he would go. there was only one man, one bird, and one saber left. he said that he was going to jianghu, but he stood at the entrance of the street and looked around blankly. where was ¡®jianghu¡¯? ye jingtang led the black horse through the bustling crowd and walked along the street aimlessly. but just as he took a few steps, two crisp sounds suddenly came from beside him. clang! clang! a pole holding up a sliding window fell from the second floor and rolled to his feet. he looked up at the window on the second floor and saw a delicate and charming figure¡­ Chapter 2 ed flower pavilion when there was a commotion at the entrance of the zhenyuan escort agency, it was noticed on the second floor of the cloth shop not far away. a beautiful woman stood up from behind a desk and came to the window to look at it. the woman was wearing a ruqun. she had a dark red collared upper garment that wrapped around her heavy chest and a pale white pleated skirt with a belt sash that had green pearls neatly tied around her waist. her eyes were like almonds, and her lips were vermilion. coupled with her intellectual temperament, she was beautiful, steady, and mature. seeing that ye jingtang had come to cause trouble, the woman was not angry, but her charming almond-shaped eyes lit up instead. ¡°a calm and dignified demeanor, bright and limpid eyes¡­ what a beautiful appearance.¡± the maidservant behind her stood on her tiptoes and looked at him from afar. ¡°yes, he¡¯s really handsome. it¡¯s just that his brain doesn¡¯t seem to work well. he didn¡¯t even check the other party¡¯s background before he challenged them. should we warn him in case chen biao hits him too hard¡­¡± bam! after a thud, chen biao was held down, and the street fell silent. the two women were speechless. ¡°my father, pei yuanfeng¡­¡± a clear voice sounded. the beautiful woman¡¯s gaze instantly turned from frivolous to serious. then it revealed the passion of someone who saw sweet dew after a long drought. but this reaction was not because the beautiful woman had ill intentions toward ye jingtang. the woman was called ¡®third lady pei¡¯. her real name was pei xiangjun. she looked like a woman from an ordinary merchant family, but under her beautiful and gentle appearance, she had another identity¡ªthe current leader of the red flower pavilion, a wealthy and powerful sect of jianghu! the great wei dynasty had only been established for sixty years. now that the female emperor ruled the court, there were powerful enemies eyeing the country covetously in the north and many princes with ulterior motives inside. the chaotic situation had nurtured an unprecedented flourishing jianghu. those who could dominate a region in jianghu could be called grandmasters. at the top of the grandmasters were the one immortal, two sages, and eight chiefs. they were the eleven most powerful people in the world. even the imperial court had to treat them with caution. and the leader of the red flower pavilion, pei cang, was the ¡®spear chief¡¯ of the eight chiefs. he ranked seventh in the world, which showed the status of the red flower pavilion in jianghu. ¡®spear chief¡¯ pei cang was pei xiangjun¡¯s master and pei yuanfeng¡¯s biological father. he was also ye jingtang¡¯s foster grandfather. pei yuanfeng was originally the second son of the pei family. he had shocking talent since he was young, but he had a conflict with his family and ran away from home. he had sworn that he would not return until he became famous. the result was self-evident. pei yuanfeng didn¡¯t have much of a reputation even until his death. it wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to teach ye jingtang true martial arts, but he didn¡¯t want ye jingtang to repeat the same mistakes. after pei yuanfeng died, he wanted ye jingtang to leave the capital with nothing. it was not a test of ye jingtang¡¯s character but a ¡®name card¡¯ for his family. normal people would not be so loyal and respectful as to listen to a dead person and give up their family business to become a homeless wanderer. but pei yuanfeng knew that ye jingtang would do this. he did this only to let his family see this so that ye jingtang could enter the red flower pavilion and become the next leader and spear chief. this was the real inheritance pei yuanfeng had left for his son. however, pei yuanfeng probably didn¡¯t expect that the pei family wasn¡¯t doing much better than him. pei cang had passed away many years ago. his eldest son had inherited the position but had later died at the hands of his enemy. the title of spear chief had changed hands, and only his youngest disciple, pei xiangjun, could take over the leadership of the red flower pavilion. pei xiangjun was a woman, and her martial arts skills were not low, but she was far from the level of the eight chiefs. she couldn¡¯t bear the weight of a rich and powerful sect of jianghu. as a result, the prestige of the red flower pavilion plummeted. on the outside, jianghu forces were annexing the red flower pavilion¡¯s sources of wealth. on the inside, the various hall masters were seizing power. pei xiangjun¡¯s position had long been unstable. she had even sent people to secretly search for the whereabouts of the second master, hoping that he would come back to support her. pei yuanfeng had already been laid to rest. this was obviously bad news for the pei family. but ye jingtang¡¯s ¡®return¡¯ had brought a glimmer of life to the crumbling pei family. the pei family really needed a stunningly talented ¡®young master¡¯ to stabilize the situation and suppress the internal and external troubles of the red flower pavilion! it was also because of this that when pei xiangjun found that ye jingtang¡¯s skills were not ordinary and knew his identity, she revealed such a ¡®starved and thirsty¡¯ expression. seeing that ye jingtang was about to leave without saying goodbye, pei xiangjun pushed open the window by the street and pushed the pole down. clang! clang! clang! ye jingtang, who was leading his horse on the street, raised his head. the reflection of the beauty by the window appeared in his eyes, but he didn¡¯t show the amazed expression of an ordinary man. ¡°miss, why are you so careless?¡± pei xiangjun was very beautiful. very few men could remain unmoved when they saw her. seeing his expression, she nodded inwardly but pretended to be unhappy. ¡°how impolite. my name is pei xiangjun. i am your foster father¡¯s junior sister. everyone in the family calls me third lady. you are second brother¡¯s son. why did you leave without saying goodbye?¡± foster father¡¯s junior sister¡­ martial aunt? from his foster father¡¯s letter, ye jingtang only knew that his foster father¡¯s family was in the capital. he knew nothing else. his foster father had asked him to give all his assets to the pei family. as a dignified man, he had given the assets to them, but he naturally wouldn¡¯t rely on others for a living. but this soft rice looked so delicious¡­ but this was even more inedible! after ye jingtang understood pei xiangjun¡¯s identity, he cupped his hands and bowed. ¡°greetings, martial aunt. my foster father asked me to send the things over. after finishing, i still have to go to the government office to exchange for a token. after i settle down in the capital, i will come to the residence to pay a visit.¡± these words were obviously a tactful refusal. he didn¡¯t want to visit. but the big white bird standing on ye jingtang¡¯s shoulder wasn¡¯t so polite. upon hearing that they were relatives, the bird flew to the window on the second floor, stopped in front of pei xiangjun¡¯s chest, and opened its beak. ¡°chirp~¡± this snow-white-feathered bird was the hunting bird of ye jingtang. its name was ¡®white king¡¯. logically speaking, it was a bird, but it had grown into a ball. ye jingtang didn¡¯t know what species it was. when he was young, this bird had come to freeload when he was drying grains at home. he had caught it and raised it. initially, he thought that it was some kind of auspicious beast. but after raising it for so many years, he found that other than eating, sleeping, and acting cute, there was nothing special about this big fat bird. sometimes, it even liked to be stupid. for example, right now, it ran over to beg for food. it was fine if it only landed on the woman¡¯s chest, but its small claws sank slightly into the soft fabric. it probably felt that its feet felt good, so it even stepped back and forth twice. its eyes were sparkling as it turned around and looked at ye jingtang. ¡°chirp~¡± it probably meant: so soft~ this made pei xiangjun blush, and she quickly carried the naughty bird down. ¡°huh? this bird is so clingy!¡± ye jingtang¡¯s eyes were full of embarrassment as he reprimanded, ¡°come back.¡± ¡°chirp¡­¡± only then did the bird obediently fly down from the second floor and land on ye jingtang¡¯s shoulder. pei xiangjun smoothed her lapels and said, ¡°you should just call me third lady. martial aunt sounds old. second brother is really too much. he took you in as his foster son, but he asked you to send your family assets over. if the pei family accepts it, the neighbors will definitely criticize us. since you¡¯re here, we¡¯re family. there¡¯s no need to be so polite. you should take back the money. in the future, you will be the young master of my pei family, and the escort agency will be allocated to you. how about it?¡± ye jingtang had sold the escort agency in the small border city and received more than 1,000 taels of silver. it didn¡¯t seem like much, but according to the conversion of purchasing power, it was about a million chinese yuan in his previous life. it was definitely not a small sum for ordinary people. but the price of an escort agency opened in the capital was at least ten times higher. a man didn¡¯t eat food that was given by hand. ye jingtang directly rejected this gift. ¡°thank you for your kind intentions, third lady, but i won¡¯t go against the arrangements in my foster father¡¯s will. his relatives and friends are my relatives and friends. if you need anything in the future, you can let escort head yang inform me. the escorts are all elders in the family. third lady, i hope you will treat them well in the future. i will take my leave first.¡± pei xiangjun saw that ye jingtang was loyal, righteous, and didn¡¯t want to receive rewards without doing anything, so she liked him even more. she didn¡¯t force him to stay any longer. after a few pleasantries, she watched ye jingtang leave. soon, one man, one horse, and one bird merged into the crowd on the street and disappeared at the intersection. pei xiangjun waited until ye jingtang disappeared from her sight before her smile slowly faded and she fell into deep thought. the maidservant, xiuhe, was standing behind her. at this moment, she raised her head and whispered, ¡°pavilion lord, did second master send us a treasure? young master ye is so handsome. he looked at me just now, and my legs went soft¡­¡± pei xiangjun narrowed her eyes, slightly displeased, but she quickly nodded. ¡°i really didn¡¯t expect second brother to take in such a handsome foster son. he made my heart race¡­ not to mention his martial arts skills and moral character, just his looks alone can make him thrive in the capital.¡± xiuhe giggled. ¡°how is young master ye¡¯s talent? pavilion lord, did you see through him?¡± pei xiangjun thought about it seriously. ¡°his aura is as chaotic as a bunch of vines, but he has a vast amount of internal energy. his punches and kicks have no methodology, but his muscles and bones are not inferior to those of dragons and tigers. second brother probably only taught him a basic foundation and didn¡¯t teach him true martial arts. he is only eighteen years old and has such a level of maturity. he can be called a heaven-blessed genius. as long as someone is willing to teach him true martial arts, it is not impossible for him to make a name for himself in jianghu in just a few years.¡± xiuhe¡¯s eyes revealed a hint of seriousness. ¡°then, what should we do now? find an opportunity to tell young master ye about the affairs of the pavilion, teach him spearmanship, and train him to be the young master of the pavilion?¡± pei xiangjun shook her head slightly. ¡°following the will and giving the family assets from thousands of kilometers away may seem like good conduct, but you can¡¯t judge a book by its cover. martial arts are killing techniques that cannot be easily passed down. the red flower pavilion is too big, and i cannot decide the future pavilion master with just a word. i still have to observe for a period of time.¡± ¡°but young master ye seems to have a very stubborn personality. he doesn¡¯t want to live under the pei family¡¯s roof. how can you observe him?¡± ¡°young people who have just entered jianghu are all stubborn. i¡¯ll go over tonight to persuade him, and he¡¯ll soften¡­¡± ¡°pavilion lord.¡± ¡°hmm?¡± ¡°that sounds weird¡­¡± ¡°?¡± Chapter 3 startling saber strike (1) at dusk, ye jingtang led his horse through the bustling streets of yun¡¯an city. after coming to this world for 18 years, ye jingtang understood the situation here. great wei was divided into twelve provinces, and its territory was slightly smaller than great tang. the sovereign was an empress. but the geographical environment was very strange. the mountains and rivers had the same names, but they were completely different from the five lakes and four seas in his previous life. as for the state of the country, ye jingtang felt that it was not very stable. there were jianghu people everywhere who were not willing to be controlled. there were many enclaves in the heavenly south that relied on natural hazards to become kings, and there was a northern liang outside liang province pass that was eyeing the country covetously. even the central plains was said to have many hidden forces with ulterior motives. ye jingtang had always lived in a small border town, living in poverty and seclusion. when he heard about the undercurrents surging in the world, he naturally thought that great wei couldn¡¯t be considered prosperous. but after coming to the capital, he realized that he had underestimated this world. the capital was quite large. there were 8 horizontal main streets and 6 vertical main streets, totaling 14 main streets. there were thousands of smaller streets and alleys, and the resident population likely exceeded one million. the drainage system, greenery, and other infrastructure were quite complete. there were even ¡®sidewalks¡¯ paved with blue bricks on both sides of the main streets for the common people to pass through. it was like a large city without neon lights. the drizzle had just stopped, and the weather was cool. many people were strolling on the streets. on both sides of the streets, there were beautifully dressed young ladies and young masters, as well as young married women with children in their hands. occasionally, tantalizing fragrances wafted from the roadside shops, accompanied by the shouts of the stall owners. ¡°authentic kiln roasted chicken. ancestral recipe. oily but not greasy!¡± this was the first time the big fluffy bird had come to a street with so many people. it was a little timid as it squatted obediently on ye jingtang¡¯s shoulder and stared straight at a roast golden chicken. it rubbed gently against ye jingtang¡¯s face. ¡°chirp chirp~¡± ye jingtang stopped, took out two taels of silver from his sleeve, and looked at them. this was all his savings from when he was the young master of the escort agency. his foster father hadn¡¯t left a single cent of his assets behind for him and gave them all to the pei family. with two taels of silver, not to mention renting a house in the bustling capital, even staying in a cheap inn to eat and drink, it probably wouldn¡¯t be enough to last for long. in the morning, he had still been a rich son with a net worth of a million. but at dusk, he became a vagrant with two sleeves of wind. the ups and downs would inevitably evoke emotions. but no matter how hard things were, he couldn¡¯t be a bitter bird. as a dignified man, he thought about how to earn money, not save money. ye jingtang raised his hand, rubbed the bird, went to the roast chicken shop by the street, and bought a roast chicken. he asked, ¡°shopkeeper, when outsiders come to the capital, where do they usually find work?¡± ¡°oh! young hero, you¡¯re so handsome. one look and i can tell that you¡¯re from an extraordinary background. i¡¯m afraid you¡¯re flattering me by asking me¡­ there are many outsiders in the capital. when they first come to find a place to stay, they usually go to jasper pavilion in the east of the city. the big families in the city hire shopkeepers and guards there. young hero, as long as anything catches your eye, finding a job is easy¡­¡± ¡°thanks.¡± ¡°young hero, you¡¯re too polite. here you go. take care¡­¡± ¡­ ye jingtang took the roast chicken and went to a small tavern to order some food. after having a hearty meal with the bird, he rushed to jasper pavilion in the east of the city when the sun set. yun¡¯an city was a city that never sleeps. before the sky turned dark, the streets were already full of lights, and there were more people on the streets than during the day. ye jingtang dismounted from his horse near jasper pavilion and strolled along the street. on the way, he encountered a large government office with black paint on the door and walls, but there was no plaque at the door. at first, he thought that it was some unknown government office. after asking around, he found out that this government office was the famous ¡®black office¡¯ in jianghu. its function was about the same as the special police of ancient china. there were six chief constables inside, and they were known as the ¡®black office¡¯s six fiends¡¯. the people of jianghu were terrified when they heard their names. escorts were a standard profession in jianghu. they were not afraid of the mountain kings of jianghu blocking their way, but they were afraid of officials in tiger skin setting up barriers. due to his professional habits, ye jingtang found that when he reached the entrance of the ¡®king of hell¡¯s palace¡¯, he directly bypassed it and arrived at the market that recruited talents. great wei didn¡¯t prohibit weapons, so people carrying sabers and spears could be seen everywhere on the streets. but according to the laws, ¡®swords should be returned to the sheath, and bows should be unstrung¡¯. those who casually flashed their weapons would be detained for 15 days and fined 5,000 copper coins. ye jingtang knew the laws. he was hagning the saber passed down from his foster father at his waist and covering it with his robe to avoid disturbing others. however, even though he paid attention not to affect others, he couldn¡¯t avoid blind people from affecting him. ye jingtang was strolling on the street with his horse when he suddenly heard a voice behind him. ¡°hmm?¡± there was movement at his waist. someone was reaching out from behind and touching the hilt of his saber! their saber was what escorts used to earn a living and protect their lives. if someone took it away, they would basically lose their lives. in order to train the ¡®instincts¡¯ of martial artists, ye jingtang¡¯s foster father had often ¡®stolen¡¯ from him and beaten him up countless times when he was young. ye jingtang had already raised his left hand the moment the abnormal movement appeared at his waist. clang! on the brightly lit street, a cold light flashed! the pedestrians at the back were originally looking around casually. but they never expected that a silver dragon would suddenly appear, bringing with it the cold light of the half-moon in the night sky. the street instantly fell dead silent. everyone turned around when they heard the sound of the blade being unsheathed. in the middle of the crowded street, a young saber wielder in black held an old saber in a reverse grip. the saber was 3.3 feet long and two and a half fingers wide. the blade was straight, and the handle was wrapped with a black rope. the guard and tail ring were made of brass, and both were carved with dragons. the blade was not as smooth as a mirror. the front half was densely covered with fine scratches. those who knew their stuff could tell at a glance how much this old saber had experienced! at this moment, the blade remained motionless, resting on the right side of the neck of the person behind him. the person behind him was bowing slightly while holding the scabbard with his left hand. the blade was only half an inch away. his entire body was stiff, his face was pale, and a drop of sweat was rolling down his forehead. Chapter 4 startling saber strike (2) drip! although the beads of sweat were small, the sound could be heard all over the street. seeing this scene, the people on the street were shocked. they were amazed by ye jingtang¡¯s lightning-fast and thunderous skills and his courage. ¡°this kid¡­¡± ¡°good skills¡­ but poor eyesight¡­¡± ye jingtang¡¯s eyebrows shot up when his saber was grabbed from behind. but when he saw the figure behind him, his anger froze. he quickly retracted his saber and cupped his fists. ¡°sir, please forgive me for the misunderstanding.¡± the reason why he apologized so quickly was not because the person behind him was powerful but because he was wearing a black and blue robe, a gauze hat, and had iron feathers hanging at his waist. it was the signature equipment of constables of the black office. unlike ordinary constables, the black office dealt with jianghu people. they had the right to arrest and interrogate people directly without questioning. if necessary, they could kill first and report later. no jianghu people were not afraid. the constable behind him looked to be in his early thirties. he was slightly plump and had a beard. after walking through the gates of hell, the constable raised his hand to wipe the sweat off his forehead. his skills were inferior to ye jingtang¡¯s, and he was in the wrong. seeing that ye jingtang was polite, he raised his hands and returned the greeting. ¡°excellent skills. i was wrong just now. i am banner commander wang chihu of the black office. little brother, this saber isn¡¯t bad. it looks like it has killed many people. your skills are worthy of this saber.¡± facing the constable¡¯s suspicion, ye jingtang replied calmly, ¡°i am ye jingtang from liang province. my family ran an escort agency. the saber was left by my father. it is inevitable that we would encounter situations when traveling around.¡± while speaking, he took out the ¡®token¡¯ issued by his hometown¡¯s government office. on it was clearly written ¡®native place, occupation, and age¡¯, with the government office¡¯s seal. wang chihu checked the token. after he confirmed that it didn¡¯t seem to be fake, his expression became much calmer. ¡°i didn¡¯t expect a poor and remote place like liang province to have a good seedling like you. no wonder they always say that handsome birds are raised deep in the mountains¡­¡± ¡°chirp~¡± the eyes of the bird standing on ye jingtang¡¯s shoulder lit up. only now did wang chihu notice that there was a bird squatting on ye jingtang¡¯s shoulder. he was slightly taken aback. ¡°oh! this bird is quite smart. it¡¯s common for people to bring eagles, dogs, and parrots around jianghu. what is this?¡± ¡°a bird from outside the great wall. it¡¯s an eagle, hmm¡­ a fat eagle.¡± ¡°if you didn¡¯t tell me, i would have thought it was a fat chicken without a neck. it doesn¡¯t look like it can fly very high¡­¡± ¡°chirp!¡± ye jingtang held down the angry bird. while chatting, he and wang chihu walked to a teahouse on the street. ¡°sir, do you need something of me?¡± ¡°brother ye, you¡¯re an escort head. are you here to recruit escorts or to make a living?¡± ¡°to make a living. sir wang, do you want to recruit me into the black office?¡± wang chihu shook his head. ¡°constables are a lowly profession. you look like you¡¯re in the limelight, but once you take off this skin, everyone will hate you. you¡¯re young and skilled. getting you to work in the black office is delaying your future. i called you over to show you the way to riches.¡± ¡°oh?¡± seeing wang chihu¡¯s frankness, ye jingtang had a good impression of him. he smiled and said, ¡°i¡¯d like to hear the details.¡± wang chihu raised his hand and cupped his fists toward the imperial city at the end of his field of vision. ¡°her majesty intends to choose a husband for the prince of jing. i think you look quite upright¡­¡± ? ye jingtang¡¯s smile froze. he had some understanding of the imperial court. it was said that the empress of the current dynasty had a strong and harsh personality. originally, she was only a regent. after she tried her best to salvage the situation, she simply abolished her brother and ascended the throne herself. not only did she become the empress, but she even made an exception and conferred the title of prince of the blood on her sister. the first thing that came to ye jingtang¡¯s mind at the mention of the empress¡¯s and female prince¡¯s man was ¡®gigolo¡¯. he was very confident in this profession, but he was not interested in it at all. ¡°thank you for your guidance, sir wang. however, i already have a family, and i can¡¯t abandon my wife who went through thick and thin with me¡­¡± ¡°the prince of jing reveres martial arts. she will really like your looks and skills. how could she mind having another pair of chopsticks at home? you won¡¯t leave your wife, so the prince of jing might even appreciate you more.¡± ? ye jingtang knew that the empress, the female prince, and even the empress dowager might ¡®rape¡¯ him if he appeared in front of them. but this was the first time he had heard the statement of a gigolo bringing his wife to meet his customer face to face. ¡°sir wang, from your tone, you must be acquainted with the prince of jing?¡± a hint of pride flashed in wang chihu¡¯s eyes as he gestured to the black office in the distance. ¡°the prince of jing is her majesty¡¯s chief assistant. the black office is not a part of the six departments and has been assigned to be the prince of jing¡¯s private guard. even the black office¡¯s monthly salary is allocated from the prince of jing estate, so i naturally know her. ¡°let¡¯s not talk about the prince of jing¡¯s identity first. let¡¯s talk about martial arts. the prince of jing¡¯s master is the imperial preceptor, revered daoist xuanji. you seem to be a good seedling for martial arts. if you obtain the prince of jing¡¯s favor, and she helps introduce you, your path of martial arts can be said to reach the heavens in a single step. are you sure you don¡¯t want to give it a try and fight for a smooth life?¡± ye jingtang had long heard about daoist xuanji. she was the martial aunt of void jade mountain and the junior sister of lu taiqing, one of the two sages. she ranked sixth in the world and was considered the strongest woman in the world. although ye jingtang yearned to meet the extraordinary people of jianghu and wanted to enter the palace to dig up the roaring dragon chart, he had not fallen to the extent of ¡®selling his looks¡¯ to achieve his goal. ¡°i¡¯m just a lowly wanderer. how can i be so lucky¡­¡± ¡°hey, i think you have a good chance. that¡¯s why i¡¯m telling you this. as long as you¡¯re lucky, you can save yourself sixty years of detours¡­¡± ¡­ ye jingtang and the constable were chatting in the tea shop, and this place happened to be visible from the top of jasper pavilion in the distance. the black office had existed since the founding of the country and was one of the private guards of the emperor. after the empress ascended the throne, she assigned it to the prince of jing. because the ¡®green bandits¡¯ had assassinated the prince many times, the location of the black office had been moved to outside the prince of jing estate. jasper pavilion was built in the back garden of the prince of jing estate. the five-story building had already exceeded the height of the palace walls and was extremely overbearing. it was for this reason that the common people called this block jasper pavilion. the sky gradually darkened, and jasper pavilion was brightly lit. in the study at the top, dongfang liren, dressed in a silver python robe, stood on the terrace with a jade crown on her head. there was a painting table in front of her. she held a golden brush and outlined the eyebrows of the beautiful man on the paper. ¡°i asked wang chihu to ask about his family background. i did not expect this child to be so skilled¡­ that strike just now is somewhat similar to the eight-steps frenzied blade¡¯s starting stance. could this child be zheng feng¡¯s disciple?¡± behind dongfang liren was an old woman with white hair that reached the floor. her figure was fleeting, like a shadow standing behind dongfang liren. ¡°i have met zheng feng before. his attacks weren¡¯t so light. this child looks like he has a good foundation, but his ¡®tangible form and no power¡¯ should be just a coincidence. ¡°it is said that zheng feng¡¯s master, kuang yazi, stole the roaring dragon chart in the palace back then. if this child knows the eight-steps frenzied blade, he must have something to do with this¡­¡± the white-haired old woman asked, ¡°should we send someone to test this child?¡± dongfang liren pondered for a moment and shook her head. ¡°that is a rumor in jianghu from before the founding of the country. there is no need to make a big fuss over it. check his background first. if this child¡¯s background is clean, when i finish the portrait, i will send it to her majesty to take a look. he is so beautiful. her majesty might like him.¡± ¡°yes.¡± Chapter 5 uninvited guest at night, dye workshop street, double osmanthus alley¡­ ye jingtang led the old horse through the dark alley while looking left and right. the bird was in a good mood after circling around for a day. it lay on the horse¡¯s back and looked up at the stars while humming a tune. ¡°chirp chirp chirp~¡± dye workshop street was a slum with many handicraft workshops. the sun hadn¡¯t fallen yet, and there were still a few small workshops working. once it was dark, it would be difficult to see anyone. this was especially so for double osmanthus alley. no one cared about it all year round, and even the path had accumulated a lot of leaves. when one stepped on it, there would be a light rustling sound. ye jingtang had walked around the talent market just now. there were a lot of jobs, but those that paid well were all in high demand. as the saying goes, the poor study while the rich practice martial arts. as a martial artist, ye jingtang had to spend a lot of money just to buy all the things he needed to practice martial arts, not to mention the exaggerated appetite of martial artists. obviously, he couldn¡¯t find a job suitable for him. although he didn¡¯t find a job, he did find a place to stay. ye jingtang originally thought that two taels of silver would not be enough for him to stay in the capital. but after asking around, he found that double osmanthus alley was a treasure land. there were more than ten courtyards in the alley, and they were all owned by a landlady. it cost two taels of silver to stay for a year, and he could live in whichever building he wanted. ye jingtang had paid the rent for half a year, but the landlady didn¡¯t give him a key. when he came over to take a look, it was exactly as he had expected. there were more than ten old courtyards in disrepair. almost all of them had cracked walls, and only a few doors were intact. few people would be willing to stay here if they had money. ye jingtang and the bird didn¡¯t have a family and only had to take care of themselves, so they didn¡¯t care about this. they found a decent-looking courtyard and pushed the door open. the courtyard was covered in fallen leaves, and the doors and windows were open. there was only a bed frame inside, and there was not even a table or chair. ¡°chirp~¡± the bird jumped down from the horse¡¯s back and circled around the house. it looked at ye jingtang with its big black eyes, meaning: why don¡¯t we go back to live with sister big chest? ye jingtang ignored the bird. he tied the horse to a corner of the courtyard and fed it some grass. then he took off the bedding from the horse. clatter, clatter! sparks flew from the collision of the fire strikers, followed by dim yellow candlelight filling up the bare walls of the house. ye jingtang leaned his saber against the wall and looked around the empty room. suddenly, he realized that the floor was quite clean. there was a depression in the dry thatch on the bed. he lowered his head and looked carefully. he found a long strand of hair. ¡°hmm?¡± ye jingtang picked up the long strand of hair and sized it up. the quality of the hair was quite good. he could be sure that it hadn¡¯t been too long ago that this strand of hair had fallen. someone had lived here recently. but in this era, both men and women had long hair, so the gender of the owner couldn¡¯t be seen. could the previous tenant have left it¡­ ye jingtang was slightly puzzled, but he didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. after throwing the hair outside the door, he took the bed sheets and bedding to make the bed. the bird, on the other hand, was very naughty. it pecked at a small package, wanting to take out the dried meat in it. ¡°you¡¯re still eating? can¡¯t you see that we¡¯re already living in this lousy place? if we don¡¯t get any money, i¡¯ll have to sell you next month.¡± ¡°chirp~¡± the bird jumped twice, indicating that it was fat and couldn¡¯t be sold for much money. ye jingtang had just smoothed out the bed sheets when he suddenly heard a faint sound from outside. whoosh! it was as if a gust of wind had blown into the courtyard and stirred up the fallen leaves on the ground. ye jingtang frowned and grabbed the hilt of his saber beside him. he looked out of the window that was only for decoration. there was a figure in the courtyard! it was dark, and the silver moon was like frost. the moonlight over the wall only illuminated half of the courtyard. the figure stood in the light and darkness. this person was wrapped in a cloak and had a bamboo hat on their head. it was impossible to tell if this person was fat or thin, male or female. this person was holding a long spear wrapped in black cloth. the figure didn¡¯t move at all and didn¡¯t speak. it was obvious that this person didn¡¯t come with good intentions. ye jingtang raised his finger and signaled for the bird to go look for the escort head quietly. at the same time, he placed his saber horizontally behind his waist and went to the door. ¡°who are you? is this your residence?¡± the bamboo hat person was naturally sister big chest, who came to visit the young man in the middle of the night. but pei xiangjun didn¡¯t say anything. the spear in her hand slid forward. she held the end of the spear with one hand, raised the spear horizontally, drew a semicircle in the old courtyard, and pointed it at ye jingtang. she raised her bamboo hat, revealing a ghost mask. holding the end of the nine-foot-long spear with one hand and raising it was impossible to do so without a solid foundation. seeing this,ye jingtang took half a step back without batting an eyelid. he held the hilt of his saber with his left hand and prepared for battle. but the other party didn¡¯t attack directly. instead, she raised her spear horizontally and shook her wrist lightly. smack! in the alley under the moon, the sound of a whip echoed. the black cloth wrapped around the spear instantly broke into pieces, revealing the black spear. the silver spearhead shone with a ghastly cold light under the moonlight. after the black cloth was torn, the spear trembled, and a sound resembling a dragon¡¯s roar rang out. buzz! ye jingtang was slightly shocked. it was easy for him to hold a spear with one hand, but directly shattering the cloth wrapping it was beyond his ability. he knew that he was no match for this person. suddenly, he looked at the courtyard door and revealed a ¡®joyed¡¯ expression. ¡°hero wang?!¡± pei xiangjun quickly tilted her head to look. bam! ye jingtang jumped up from the ground and leaped onto the roof, planning to run wildly toward the bustling street. unfortunately, this trick might be useful against ordinary martial artists, but the person who came this time was not an ordinary person! after ye jingtang landed on the roof, he didn¡¯t hear any movement behind him, but the sound of rushing wind came from above. swoosh! ye jingtang unsheathed his saber and looked back from the corner of his eye. he was shocked to find that the bamboo hat person, who had not moved a moment ago, had arrived first. she had jumped thirty feet into the air and was holding her spear with both hands as she smashed it toward ye jingtang¡¯s head with the force of splitting a mountain. the house was only ten feet tall, and this jump was equivalent to jumping three floors. this was the first time ye jingtang had seen someone jump so high in his life, and he couldn¡¯t help being shocked! facing the oppressive attack, ye jingtang quickly raised his saber horizontally and pressed his right hand against the back of the saber. dang! clatter! amidst the sound of metal colliding, the old roof instantly collapsed. the spear smashed ye jingtang into the house. he felt that the spear contained an unstoppable brutal force that he couldn¡¯t withstand. after landing, the soles of his feet still hurt. ¡°great hero, wait¡ª¡± ye jingtang wanted to speak and escape, but the spear user who suddenly came didn¡¯t give him a chance at all. she pierced through the hole in the roof and stabbed her spear directly at his face. clang! ye jingtang slashed horizontally. amidst the loud sound, a few sparks exploded in the room and blew out the swaying candlelight. the spear that pierced through the roof felt like a thousand-pound iron pillar as he struck it to the side. ye jingtang seized the opportunity to jump up. he held the saber with both hands and slashed along the spear shaft toward the bamboo hat person¡¯s five fingers, wanting to counterattack. but after the spear tip touched the ground, it flew backward out of the roof and landed lightly on the roof. the spear tip pointed diagonally at the courtyard and didn¡¯t attack again. seeing this, ye jingtang hurriedly stopped in his tracks and stood in front of this person with his saber in both hands, maintaining the posture of facing an enemy. thump, thump! the courtyard fell into dead silence under the moonlight, and a heartbeat that was about to explode could be clearly heard. ye jingtang¡¯s forehead was covered in beads of sweat as he held his saber without moving and stared at the figure on the roof. after a moment of confrontation, the person on the roof raised her bamboo hat slightly and said in a hoarse voice that was neither male nor female, ¡°you don¡¯t know the eight-steps frenzied blade?¡± ye jingtang frowned. he had practiced martial arts with his foster father since he was a child and had only learned normal saber and spear techniques. he had never heard of the eight-steps frenzied blade. as for secret manuals, he had never seen them before. the books that could describe jianghu in the border town were all miscellaneous books like ¡®tears of a heroine¡¯, ¡®the history of martial arts¡¯, ¡®the legend of the romantic hero¡¯, and so on. he had read a lot of them. he had not learned any moves, but he had learned a lot of postures¡­ ¡°i¡¯m just an escort. i¡¯ve never heard of the eight-steps frenzied blade. i only know a few tricks. your excellency, you may have found the wrong person.¡± ¡°the eight-steps frenzied blade was created by the previous dynasty¡¯s saber chief and passed down to the saber grandmaster zheng feng. today, when you drew your saber at jasper pavilion, your starting stance is similar to the eight-steps frenzied blade¡¯s. i¡¯m afraid the imperial court will come to your door soon. however, you really don¡¯t, so don¡¯t worry. at worst, they¡¯ll beat you up to test your strength.¡± ? another beating? ye jingtang could roughly deduce that zheng feng was the alias of his foster father, pei yuanfeng. he really didn¡¯t expect his foster father to be a true grandmaster. you had such an awesome saber technique, but why didn¡¯t you teach me it? if you don¡¯t want to teach me, then don¡¯t teach me. what¡¯s with the entire starting stance? moreover, someone recognized it¡­ it looks like i can¡¯t burn joss paper for you this year¡­ ye jingtang¡¯s heart raced, but his expression remained natural. seeing that the other party seemed to be reminding him kindly, he asked, ¡°i¡¯ve never heard of those things. who are you?¡± ¡°red god of wealth.¡± ye jingtang recalled this title and was inwardly shocked. he had heard of the red god of wealth. it was the title of the pavilion lord of the wealthy and powerful red flower pavilion, who was also known as the spear chief. he ranked seventh in the world and ranked even higher than his foster father¡¯s enemy. even though it was rumored in jianghu that the spear chief had changed, a starving camel was still bigger than a horse. no wonder this person is so powerful¡­ ¡°so, it¡¯s the pavilion lord of the red flower pavilion. i¡¯ve heard a lot about you. senior, may i know why you are here to guide a junior like me?¡± ¡°i saw that you have good talent. do you want to learn spearmanship?¡± ye jingtang was stunned. ¡°senior, you want to take me as your disciple?¡± pei xiangjun pointed her spear at the ground and said with the full-fledged demeanor of an expert, ¡°the overlord spear is only passed down to one person in a generation, and this person must be the leader of the red flower pavilion. it¡¯s our first time meeting, and we don¡¯t know each other. it¡¯s too early to mention becoming a disciple. show your ability and character first. if you¡¯re qualified, i¡¯ll consider teaching you martial arts and tell you the details of the red flower pavilion.¡± the red flower pavilion was different from the green bandits and the pacifying heaven cult. it belonged to the very low-key jianghu forces. it focused on managing its own small territory and was not on the government¡¯s clean-up list. ye jingtang was from an escort agency, and he was merely a wanderer in jianghu. to be able to enter a rich and powerful sect of jianghu with such a ¡®righteous¡¯ style and be trained as the successor could be regarded as reaching the heavens in a single step. ye jingtang had no intention of becoming someone¡¯s disciple to learn martial arts. but there was no stable place in front of him now. with such a big road in front of him, he couldn¡¯t find a reason to refuse for a moment. he thought for a moment and asked, ¡°senior, i have admired your reputation for a long time. if i have the chance to learn excellent spearmanship, it will be my honor. i wonder what you think of me?¡± ¡°the red flower pavilion is a business. martial arts is very important, but more important is knowing the ways of the world. you went to the pei family today and seem to have some connections. go help the pei family. i will observe your ability and conduct in secret.¡± ? ye jingtang blinked and felt that something was amiss. he carefully sized up the figure of the bamboo hat person, but he couldn¡¯t see anything¡­ ¡°my father asked me to give the assets to the pei family. we have nothing to do with each other¡­¡± pei xiangjun said seriously, ¡°i¡¯m asking you to help. you don¡¯t owe each other anything. i¡¯m not asking you to be the young master of a rich family. if you¡¯re really embarrassed, you can just give up your salary. aren¡¯t you willing to help your relatives?¡± this person¡¯s voice was hoarse and had the demeanor of an expert. but no matter how ye jingtang looked at it, this person didn¡¯t sound like a formidable person of jianghu¡­ this person sounded more like a woman acting coquettishly¡­ ye jingtang had some guesses, but it was difficult to confirm them. he thought about it and nodded. ¡°alright, i¡¯ll do as you say, senior. however, i am a straightforward person. martial arts are like a pair of shoes to me. the quality of the shoes doesn¡¯t matter. i only look at whether the shoes are suitable for the person wearing them. senior, if i feel that we¡¯re not suitable in the future, please forgive me.¡± ¡°people of jianghu should be like this. my sudden visit has delayed you. whether you¡¯re incompetent or not, i won¡¯t let you have high expectations for nothing.¡± with that, pei xiangjun disappeared from the roof and sank into the night¡­ Chapter 6 ginkgo tree after confirming that the figure had left, ye jingtang sheathed his saber, and his expression turned solemn. regardless of whether the red god of wealth was a friend or foe, the exchange just now had indeed made him feel pressure. when he was in the border town, he had been the number one expert. he had believed that his martial arts skills were top-notch in jianghu. but after witnessing the spearmanship of the red god of wealth, he realized how big the gap between him and the renowned figures of jianghu was. it felt like playing chess. he wanted to smash the chessboard with every move, but even if he did, it wouldn¡¯t change the fact that he was a lousy chess player. he didn¡¯t have any chess skills at all. to put it simply, he seemed to have used his energy on the incorrect things and went in the wrong direction. ye jingtang was not surprised by this. he had learned martial arts from his foster father, but his foster father hadn¡¯t taught him true martial arts at all. this meant that what he learned were all ¡®false moves¡¯. it would be a problem if he could learn anything correctly. this time, it was a ¡®friend¡¯. the next time, it might not be the same. without profound martial arts, it was definitely not a long-term plan¡­ thinking of this, ye jingtang raised his eyes and looked at the imperial city. the red god of wealth had said that she wanted to teach him spearmanship. but before he really learned anything, he couldn¡¯t count on this. even if the red god of wealth really wanted to take him in as a disciple, in order to prevent himself from being controlled by others, he had to make some backup plans. as for this trump card, it seemed that it could only be the roaring dragon chart that his foster father had mentioned. not to mention immortality, there were rumors in jianghu that as long as one obtained any of the nine pages of the roaring dragon chart, they would be able to transcend mortality and become a sage, far surpassing ordinary people. the roaring dragon chart was buried under a ginkgo tree in the harem and was incomparably difficult to obtain. but today¡¯s emperor was a woman. even if the woman had gigolos, it was unlikely that they would stay in the harem. this way, the harem would definitely be sparsely populated¡­ even if gigolos lived in the harem, and there were many beautiful men in the harem, with his appearance where even ¡®the empress dowager would chase after him to eat him¡¯, it seemed that it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for him to fish in troubled waters¡­ breaking into the imperial city was obviously not something that could be decided with a snap of the fingers. if he didn¡¯t figure out the situation, it would be easy for him to end up really becoming ¡®noble consort ye¡¯. ye jingtang stared at the imperial city for a long time, but he had no clue at the moment. he put the matter of ¡®sneaking into the harem¡¯ to the back of his mind and returned to the house to start picking up the rubble and wood. not long after, the sound of horseshoes came from the alley. the voices of the old escort yang chao and the bird sounded. ¡°young master? young master?¡± ¡°chirp chirp chirp~¡± ¡°i¡¯m fine.¡± ye jingtang clapped his hands and walked out of the courtyard. he looked at the escort who had rushed over to help. ¡°someone from jianghu just came. we chatted casually for a while, and then this person left. it was a false alarm.¡± the twelve escorts glanced at the dilapidated alley and frowned. yang chao advised, ¡°young master, third lady is a good person. she has arranged accommodations for all of us. even little six lives in a better place than you. why don¡¯t you go back? you¡¯re unfamiliar with the capital¡­¡± ye jingtang wasn¡¯t sure if the red god of wealth was related to the pei family. after some consideration, he shook his head and said, ¡°it¡¯s fine. it¡¯s quiet here. i just have to get used to it. if i really can¡¯t find any work in the capital, i¡¯ll visit the pei family tomorrow and ask for an errand. you don¡¯t have to worry. go back and rest early.¡± hearing this, all the escorts breathed a sigh of relief and immediately got off their horses to help ye jingtang pack up¡­ ¡ª¡ª¡ª under the same night sky, in the imperial city¡­ night fell, and lanterns were lit. the palace lanterns swayed with the wind under the eaves. the light penetrated the lush branches and leaves of large trees, leaving small fan-like leaf reflections on the white stone tiles. several palace maids in colorful clothes stood quietly in the covered corridor with their heads lowered and lanterns in their hands. there was a swing hanging under a 1,000-year-old ginkgo tree. a young woman in a gold and red phoenix dress held the swing rope with both hands and swung back and forth in the night. she swung very high, and her gorgeous skirt and embroidered red shoes drew a half-moon arc under the tree. whoosh¡­ whoosh¡­ the night was quiet and beautiful like a painting, but there was no sound at all, causing the originally beautiful and moving scene to appear lonely. the spacious and elegant courtyard looked like a carefully crafted birdcage. as for the young woman swinging on the swing alone, she was like a canary in the cage, trying to use the swing to jump over the red walls and golden tiles and look at the outside world. tread, tread¡­ after she swung back and forth countless times, footsteps sounded from the corridor, followed by respectful greetings from the palace maids. ¡°we pay respects to your highness the prince of jing.¡± the swing under the ginkgo tree slowly stopped, and the woman in the phoenix dress turned her head, revealing a charming face. her red lips and apricot-shaped eyes were picturesque, but there was a hint of resentment in her eyes. seeing the prince of jing coming over, the woman in the phoenix dress didn¡¯t go down to welcome her. instead, she continued to swing on the swing and asked gently, ¡°liren, why are you here today?¡± ¡°i came to pay my respects to your majesty the empress dowager.¡± dongfang liren was wearing a silver python silk robe and looked like a magnificent and handsome prince. after coming to the swing, she held the empress dowager¡¯s shoulders and gently pushed her. ¡°i was discussing political matters with her majesty just now. her majesty asked me to come over and take a look. it¡¯s already so late. why are you not asleep? do you feel that the palace is lonely? do you want me to arrange for someone to send you to clear water villa to stay for a while?¡± ¡°if you are alone in the palace, you will be alone when you go out. what¡¯s the difference?¡± ¡°her majesty and i are the same.¡± ¡°it¡¯s different. her majesty and you have serious matters to do. as long as you want to, you can go anywhere in the world. you can also choose the man you like~¡± the empress dowager turned her head and looked at dongfang liren. ¡°what can i do? i have been in the palace for ten years. there are no concubines in the harem for me to manage. my only hope of survival is to count the days until i am buried in the imperial mausoleum¡­ ¡°once you enter the palace, you won¡¯t see spring every year.¡± dongfang liren pushed the swing and comforted softly, ¡°imperial families have always been like this since ancient times. although you have lived a lonely life, you are at least respected and loved by her majesty¡­¡± the empress dowager was slightly displeased. ¡°i would rather not be liked by her majesty. for the other concubines of the late emperor, if they have sons, they can follow their sons out to their feudal domains. it is even better if they do not have sons. they can leave the palace after guarding the mausoleum for three years. i suffer the most. without a son, i cannot leave, and i cannot remarry¡­¡± dongfang liren¡¯s eyes were full of helplessness. ¡°you are the empress dowager! the ¡¯empress¡¯ is the wife, and concubines are concubines. since ancient times, apart from the destruction of a country, how can an empress dowager remarry?¡± the empress dowager was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°in history, there has never been an empress dowager who remarried, but there have been countless empress dowagers who did not abide by the ethics of women and raised ¡®beautiful companions¡¯¡­¡± ?! dongfang liren felt that she was asking for a paramour from her step-daughter. she¡¯s quite rebellious. she patted the empress dowager¡¯s shoulders and said, ¡°empress dowager, what are you talking about?¡± the empress dowager harrumphed softly. ¡°i am almost going crazy in the palace. can¡¯t i just say it casually? i didn¡¯t say that i wanted to raise a paramour¡­ fortunately, i am not your biological mother. i am just an ornament in the palace. if her majesty¡¯s biological mother does not abide by etiquette and raises a paramour, you can only turn a blind eye¡­¡± dongfang liren sighed. ¡°forget it. i will pretend i didn¡¯t hear it.¡± the empress dowager thought for a moment and asked, ¡°neither you nor her majesty have anyone to sleep with. have you found anyone recently? do you have a portrait or something? i will take a look for you.¡± dongfang liren had just drawn a picture of a beautiful man. but when she saw the empress dowager¡¯s appearance of yearning for love, it wasn¡¯t appropriate to take it out and appraise it together. ¡°her majesty is busy with government affairs, and i am so worried about the green bandits that i don¡¯t have the time to think about marriage¡­¡± ¡°you¡¯re not young anymore. if there¡¯s a chance, you should consider it early¡­¡± ¡­ after they chatted for a while, a few cold raindrops fell from the gaps between the ginkgo tree. rustle, rustle, rustle¡­ the empress dowager raised her eyes and looked at the lush crown of the ginkgo tree. there was a hint of resentment in her eyes. ¡°it is said that this tree has a spirit. i come to visit it every day, but in the end, i haven¡¯t encountered anything good in the ten years i¡¯ve been in the palace. it¡¯s fine if it makes my life difficult, but it¡¯s raining when i¡¯m swinging. i¡¯ll chop you up in a few days!¡± ¡°when the heavens rain, the tree shelters you from the wind and rain. if you chop down this tree, will it not be even more stormy?¡± ¡°that¡¯s true¡­¡± Chapter 7 young master rustle, rustle, rustle¡­ a light drizzle fell into the silent courtyard. the four walls in the room were bare, and the roof was leaking. the situation was really not optimistic. ye jingtang opened his oil-paper umbrella to cover the hole in the roof. he lay down with his saber in his arms and tilted his head to look at the side. the fluffy bird was lying on the pillow with its claws facing the sky and its head tilted. its sleeping posture was really unsightly. although the stupid bird was naughty and unreliable most of the time, it had been taught to ¡®watch and scout¡¯ since it was young. it was not sloppy at all when it came to work. in the past, when they were on escort missions, the bird had always been on guard, and nothing had ever gone wrong. but there was only one man and one bird now. it would be inhumane to get the bird to work the day and night shifts continuously. so ye jingtang slept for half the night and woke up in the early morning to change shifts so that the bird could rest. in this era, there was no entertainment equipment, and it was a little lonely to lay alone in bed in the dark in the middle of the night. ye jingtang was 18 years old, and he had been practicing martial arts all year round. due to biological nature, it would be strange if he didn¡¯t miss women at this time. so after lying down for a while, the image of pei xiangjun leaning out of the window and the heavy arc in front of her clothes appeared in his mind¡­ now that he thought about it, it was really big¡­ half-asleep, half-awake, he heard a faint voice come from the rain. ¡°eh? why are there people living here? how poor are they?¡± ¡°it¡¯s probably a scholar who came to the capital to take the exam. he doesn¡¯t have the money to stay at an inn and is hiding here from the rain¡­ yunli, let¡¯s go¡­¡± ¡­ ye jingtang instantly came back to his senses and listened carefully. the sound came from the entrance of the alley. from the direction, it was not from the road but above the house. the voices sounded like those of two women. one was a young girl who was no older than 18 years old, and the other was an older woman¡¯s voice. it was light and gentle, and it was difficult to determine her age. from their tone, they seemed to be a mother and daughter. ye jingtang quietly held the saber in his arms and waited. the sound quickly disappeared. there was the sound of raindrops hitting bamboo hats that gradually faded into the distance. they seemed to be jianghu people looking for a place to stay¡­ ye jingtang immediately understood where the hair he had found on the bed came from. double osmanthus alley was very remote, and no one cared about it all year round. it was a suitable place for people to hide. it wasn¡¯t strange for jianghu people to find such a place to stay. after the two of them left, the chances of encountering another wave of jianghu people were extremely low. he thought about it and decided not to change places. with this interruption, the ¡®fantasy¡¯ from before naturally couldn¡¯t continue. ye jingtang wiped his face and swept away the miscellaneous thoughts. he felt that he had too much energy, so he got up, took the broom, and pondered over the spearmanship of the red god of wealth in the room. an hour later, the sky gradually brightened. ye jingtang tidied up his clothes and put on a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat. he hugged the sleeping bird under the straw raincoat and led the horse out of the alley. the sky was bright, but it was raining. there were very few people on the streets. after ye jingtang ate some steamed buns, he walked along the street for about a kilometer and arrived at heavenly water bridge. heavenly water bridge was the property of the pei family. there were all kinds of shops here, including rice shops, cloth shops, escort agencies, and taverns, all of which were open. ye jingtang arrived outside the zhenyuan escort agency. he wanted to call the escort who was washing up, but from the corner of his eye, he saw a maidservant holding an oil-paper umbrella appear in an alley not far away. it was third lady¡¯s maid he had seen yesterday. ¡°young master ye, you¡¯re here so early?¡± ye jingtang was slightly surprised and led his horse over. ¡°i came to take a look. why are you waiting here?¡± ¡°last night, escort yang said that you have something to do at home. third lady is waiting for you at home. let¡¯s go. i¡¯ll bring you there.¡± as the maidservant xiuhe spoke, she took the reins and wanted to hug the bird. but the drowsy bird glanced at xiuhe¡¯s clothes¡­ without any interest. ye jingtang handed the stupid bird to xiuhe. when they arrived at the depths of bluestone lane, they could see that the courtyard wall of a family¡¯s residence stretched the entire length of the lane. the internal buildings were irregular and disorderly, which was a typical example of a rich family¡¯s residence. but most merchant families kept a low profile. the entrance was not imposing, but there were high walls and small doors with lanterns with the word ¡®pei¡¯ hanging on them. ye jingtang followed xiuhe into the residence. just as he turned around the screen wall, he saw a group of maidservants appear at the corner of the covered corridor, looking at him curiously and chattering. ¡°that¡¯s young master ye, right?¡± ¡°yes, not only is young master ye handsome, but he¡¯s also skilled in martial arts. yesterday, i saw young master ye beat escort head chen on the street with my own eyes.¡± ¡°compared to eldest young master, the difference is like heaven and earth¡­¡± ¡°no, no, i heard from sister xiuhe that young master ye is older. in the future, eldest young master will have to be called second young master¡­¡± ¡­ when ye jingtang heard this, he asked xiuhe a few questions and learned that his ¡®uncle¡¯ pei yuanming had an accident when he went out to do business and had passed away. he left behind an only son, pei luo, who was considered the only child of the pei family. he was currently studying in an academy. there were no other males in the family. they chatted along the way and soon arrived at the drawing room of the pei residence. pei xiangjun was already waiting in the drawing room, but she was not alone. sitting opposite her were two old men in their fifties. their brows were tightly furrowed, as if they were discussing something troublesome. ¡°can¡¯t we just ignore these hooligans¡­¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. as long as we give them some benefits, those people will definitely push their luck¡­¡± seeing this scene, ye jingtang stopped in the corridor and waited for pei xiangjun to finish talking. but the pei family had already notified his arrival in advance. as soon as he appeared, the two old men stood up and cupped their hands. ¡°young master jingtang.¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t really want to acknowledge the identity of a young master of the pei family, but he was pei yuanfeng¡¯s foster son. he couldn¡¯t deny this, so he immediately nodded and returned the greeting. ¡°you¡¯re too kind. third lady, may i know who these two gentlemen are?¡± ¡°they¡¯re the head shopkeepers of the family. they¡¯re both old people in the family.¡± pei xiangjun put away the ¡®worry¡¯ between her brows. ¡°you two can go back first.¡± ¡°yes.¡± the two shopkeepers immediately took their leave. when the big bird saw the big-breasted sister, it was no longer sleepy. it flapped its small wings, flew to pei xiangjun¡¯s lap, raised its head, and used its black eyes to act cute. as a result, its vision was blocked by her clothes. the bird tilted its head slightly, jumped curiously, and nudged its head against it. dong~ dong~ her clothes were trembling, and the scenery was beautiful. pei xiangjun quickly pressed the bird down, held it in her arms, and fed it melon seeds. ¡°why are you so naughty?¡± ye jingtang pretended not to see this scene. he came to the tea table and sat down. ¡°third lady, you and the two shopkeepers don¡¯t look very happy. are there any trivial matters in the shop?¡± ¡°sigh~¡± the third lady who had shown overwhelming strength last night had now become a frail and melancholic woman. she sighed bitterly. ¡°how can business be smooth sailing? there¡¯s no man in the family. those local tyrants outside are all aware that the pei family¡¯s orphans and widows are easy to bully and often cause trouble¡­¡± ¡°oh?¡± ye jingtang, sitting on the other side of the tea table, frowned. ¡°what¡¯s the trouble?¡± ¡°the local ruffians at river shore wharf want to collect ¡®tribute money¡¯ at heavenly water bridge. my pei family is doing proper business at the foot of the emperor, so we naturally can¡¯t give it to them. as a result, those people look for trouble every few days. today, they said that the food was so bad that they fell sick from eating it. tomorrow, they¡¯ll say that the cloth shop is selling inferior goods. they made a fuss for a day and made the shop unable to do business¡­¡± ye jingtang came to a realization. he used to work in an escort agency and knew this kind of thing too well. ¡°the pei family does business in the capital. is the government not doing anything? or do the troublemakers have a background?¡± ¡°it¡¯s the blue lotus gang at river shore wharf that¡¯s causing trouble. it¡¯s also related to the government. as businesspeople, our relationship with government officials is made of real money. it¡¯s not worth it to use it for such a small matter. we should solve it ourselves. you¡¯ve also seen deputy head chen. if we can¡¯t settle it, we can only leave it like this.¡± pei xiangjun held her forehead and looked at ye jingtang bitterly. ¡°sigh, the shops they disturb the most can¡¯t do business, but they don¡¯t dare to do anything serious in the capital. i¡¯m just a little aggrieved. i¡¯ll just bear with it, and it¡¯ll pass. you don¡¯t have to worry¡­¡± this aggrieved and bitter gaze was almost explicit. ye jingtang naturally understood what she meant. he stood up and said, ¡°let me go over and have a look. hmm¡­ i¡¯m new here, and it¡¯s indeed difficult for me to find a job in the capital. when the matter is settled, i¡¯ll be an escort with the pei family. third lady, you can decide on the salary¡­¡± pei xiangjun had already communicated with ye jingtang last night, so she naturally wouldn¡¯t overdo it at this moment. she stood up and walked over to help him straighten his clothes. ¡°you¡¯re a man who wants to earn his own living, so i naturally won¡¯t force money on you. but when you go out to do things, you still have to use the status of the eldest young master of the pei family. you¡¯re second brother¡¯s foster son. if i treat you like a hired escort, i¡¯ll definitely be mocked.¡± pei xiangjun moved closer. the fragrance drifting toward his face was quite alluring. her face was beautiful to begin with, and she even had red rouge on. as her lips opened and closed, her teeth were faintly visible. coupled with her gentle and mature temperament, she was like a red-sleeved knife that specialized in cutting young men. ye jingtang¡¯s willpower was not bad, but there was a limit. he couldn¡¯t withstand third lady¡¯s ¡®soft knife¡¯, so he took a step back and tidied his clothes. ¡°understood. i¡¯ll get going then.¡± ¡°change your clothes. you don¡¯t look like a young master from a rich family. xiuhe, get someone to bring the young master to change his clothes. tell chen biao and the others to follow him later.¡± ¡°yes¡­¡± ¡­ a moment later, outside the pei residence¡¯s door¡­ the old escort head yang chao stood beside a carriage with two expert escorts and waited. chen biao brought the two of them and chatted with yang chao. ¡°the leader of the blue lotus gang is from the same family as you. his name is yang guan, and he has a powerful master. have you heard of the three absolutes elderly immortal?¡± ¡°¡®three absolutes elderly immortal¡¯ guanghan lin? he¡¯s a jianghu grandmaster who claims to have received guidance from fengguan city?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. it¡¯s him¡­¡± the escort behind yang chao, little six, was young and asked curiously, ¡°you can brag about it just because someone gave you some pointers? are the grandmasters of jianghu so worthless?¡± ¡°what do you know?¡± yang chao stroked his beard and explained, ¡°fengguan city is publicly acknowledged as the number one city in the world. if the elder there comes out of conclusion, he will be invincible and can dominate the world. not to mention being guided by the elder there, those who can meet him are all formidable people in jianghu¡­¡± while they were talking, the chattering of a maidservant came from inside the door. ¡°wow¡­¡± ¡°young master, don¡¯t go so fast¡­¡± the escorts turned around and saw a figure with an umbrella walking out from behind the wall as if he was being chased away. the figure was wearing an aristocratic robe. the inner clothes and outer robes were both black, and the fabric was made of valuable water cloud brocade. as he walked, the robe was like rippling water and flowing clouds. its smoothness could be seen with the naked eye, and as the light changed, it faintly glimmered a dark golden color. his long hair was combed meticulously and tied up with a black jade hairpin. he looked spotless, gentle, and refined. the only flaw was that he was carrying a saber in his hand, which seemed slightly degrading. the escort little six didn¡¯t recognize him. escort head yang chao was also stunned and sized him up carefully. ¡°young master, your appearance is indeed extraordinary. i think many people will believe it if you say that a prince is visiting incognito.¡± ye jingtang quickly walked out of the door and jumped into the carriage. ¡°let¡¯s go. those girls, sigh¡­¡± as soon as he finished speaking, a group of maidservants chased after him. they stuck their heads out from behind the wall and looked at him with glowing eyes. they were just short of asking him if he wanted maidservants to accompany him. chen biao found it funny. he jumped onto the carriage and sat in the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°young master, please be more refined with your words. it will spoil the mood if the madams and young ladies hear you.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. in this outfit, don¡¯t carry a saber. you should take a fan.¡± as they chatted and laughed, six horses followed the carriage out of bluestone lane¡­ Chapter 8 neat and tidy at noon, it was windy and rainy on the riverbank. a few empty ships were docked at the port, and there were few people at the port market. occasionally, shouts sounded from brothels and wine shops. ¡°come and drink¡­¡± ¡°b-b-big¡­ ahhh~¡± ¡­ most of the buildings in the market were old, but there was a manor next to the river bank. it was hidden among the trees, and only the eaves and blue tiles were visible from the port. the manor was called blue lotus villa. it was the private residence of a magnate in the capital. they would only stay here for a few days in the hot summer. usually, it was left to the ¡®guards¡¯ to manage and watch the business at the port. this was where the name ¡®blue lotus gang¡¯ came from. although it was called the blue lotus gang, it had nothing to do with the gangs of jianghu. among them, only the gang leader, yang guan, was considered a member of jianghu. the others were all local hooligans, totaling about a hundred people. yang guan had studied martial arts in wu province¡¯s three absolutes valley since he was a child. his skills were not bad. after taking root in the capital, he relied on his connections to settle the local tyrants at the port in just a few months and monopolized river shore wharf. recently, he even extended his hand into the capital, hoping to expand his business. most of the families that could do business in the capital were backed by powerful forces, who were either rich or noble. the streets and alleys without any background had long been occupied by local tyrants. after searching for a long time, yang guan discovered that heavenly water bridge was very clean! the few merchants led by the pei family had money, but no one in the family was an official, and there were no other local tyrants fighting for territory nearby. yang guan naturally wouldn¡¯t be polite with such a big fat sheep. he had been ¡®communicating¡¯ with merchants this month to try to gain a firm foothold in heavenly water bridge. yang guan¡¯s ambition was undoubtedly great, but the consequences would be immediate. at noon, in the blue lotus villa, yang guan, who was wearing an official¡¯s robe, spoke confidently in the drawing room. ¡°third lady pei of heavenly water bridge really doesn¡¯t give me any face. i sent an invitation twice, but she didn¡¯t show her face. we will just sit down to drink tea and chat. it¡¯s not like i¡¯m greedy for her beauty¡­¡± ¡°sigh, third lady pei has a stubborn temper, and she has some ties with the government. the nearby businesses all depend on her. we want to ask landlord yang to send some people to help chase away the troublemakers. it¡¯s a good thing, but since the pei family doesn¡¯t agree, it¡¯s really not easy for us to make a decision¡­¡± ¡­ the few big bosses were all wealthy merchants in the neighborhood of heavenly water bridge. the merchant families didn¡¯t dare to offend a local tyrant like yang guan. they just tactfully pushed the matter to the pei family, who was not present. if the pei family couldn¡¯t withstand it, then they would have to give this ¡®hard-earned money¡¯. yang guan didn¡¯t know why the woman of the pei family was so stubborn. he wanted to use both kindness and force to get a few bosses to pass the message on his behalf. suddenly, a shout came from outside. ¡°gang leader, gang leader!¡± the people in the drawing room looked outside the door. yang guan slammed his teacup on the table. ¡°how many times have i told you to call me boss?¡± the man with a saber ran in from outside the drawing room and came in panting. ¡°boss, there¡¯s a guest here. escort head chen from heavenly water bridge is driving. he said that it¡¯s the eldest young master of the pei family¡­¡± ¡°hmm?¡± hearing this, the merchants were stunned. the eldest young master of the pei family, pei luo, was quite famous. because he was the only heir of the pei family, the pei family had indulged him since he was a child. he spent his days drinking and not doing anything serious. he was a well-known prodigal son in the area. yang guan had obviously heard of the reputation of young master pei. his eyes revealed surprise. ¡°third lady pei didn¡¯t come personally and let such a profligate son come to my door. is she being perfunctory with me? let him in.¡± seeing this, the merchants stood up. ¡°then, we¡¯ll take our leave first. landlord yang, take your time to chat with young master pei. after you¡¯re done, please send someone to inform us.¡± yang guan served tea and sent the guests off. he sat at the end of the drawing room and waited. clomp, clomp, clomp! soon, dense footsteps sounded from the corridor outside the courtyard. as a servant raised his hand to lead the way, a black-robed young master strode in. he was tall, had a stern expression, and his aura was extraordinary. chen biao, who was somewhat famous in heavenly water bridge, was holding an umbrella over the black-robed young master, his attitude rather flattering. behind him were five escorts. the old man in the lead was holding a long saber with a black sheath. yang guan raised his eyebrows. he felt that the person who came wasn¡¯t an idle dandy and put down his teacup. the few wealthy merchants who had just walked out of the door had heard about the incident at the zhenyuan escort agency yesterday. they guessed that this unfamiliar young master was the ruthless person who had arrived yesterday. they immediately stopped in their tracks and cupped their hands in greeting. ¡°young master, you¡¯re unfamiliar. are you the eldest young master of the pei family?¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t respond. he strode up the steps, took the saber from yang chao, and directly entered the door. slam! the door was closed, shutting the bewildered crowd outside. chen biao almost hit his nose on the door. just as he was about to ask the young master what he was doing, he heard a sound coming from inside the room. clang! it was the sound of a saber being drawn! in the room, yang guan, who was sitting in the main seat, realized that something was wrong. he moved his hand and reached for the single-edged broadsword placed on the shelf behind him. at the same time, ye jingtang suddenly rushed forward, unsheathed his saber in midair, and slashed at yang guan¡¯s head. swoosh! the blade flashed in the drawing room. yang guan¡¯s skills were not bad. in the blink of an eye, he raised his broadsword horizontally in front of him. but the difference in their explosive power was too great. just as he raised his hand, the heavy saber smashed his broadsword into his chest, crushing the armchair he was sitting on. clatter! ¡°you¡ª¡± yang guan fell to the floor and was about to rebuke him angrily when he found that the boy in front of him wanted to kill him. in the blink of an eye, the saber was stabbing at his heart. yang guan¡¯s hair stood on end. the skills he had learned since he was a child were brought to full play at this moment. he stomped on the floor with both feet and forcefully widened the distance between him and the blade. at the same time, he raised his broadsword and fought back. dang! the blades collided again. yang guan¡¯s broadsword slashed out, but it didn¡¯t hurt his opponent at all. instead, he was struck back by the other party¡¯s tremendous force. the lacquered wood shelf behind his back was immediately smashed, and he fell out of the door behind him. ¡°cough!¡± yang guan fell into the rain in the courtyard behind him. he let out a muffled cough and rolled to the side with all his might before he could look ahead. as he expected, the next moment, the saber slashed at the spot where he had landed and pierced several inches into the stone. ¡°you¡ª¡± yang guan scrambled to his feet and raised his broadsword in anger. he wanted to speak, but the expressionless young man pulled out his saber and walked over unhurriedly. he even cracked his neck. his eyes were not fierce but instead showed the calmness of familiarity. yang guan was horrified. he couldn¡¯t tell anything else, only that this kid had definitely killed before. he held his broadsword with both hands and roared angrily. he seemed to want to rush forward, but his feet moved to the back of the courtyard. after taking a few steps, he ran to the backyard and shouted, ¡°men, come here! where the f*ck is everyone?!¡± clang! as soon as the words came out of his mouth, a bone-chilling wind came from behind him. yang guan¡¯s skills were not bad. with a backhand slash, he accurately blocked the blade slashing at him. but his body couldn¡¯t withstand the immense force, and he was directly struck to the ground. the broadsword was also shaken out of his hand. clang! yang guan didn¡¯t have time to care about his weapon. he got up and wanted to run to the back of the house, but this time, he didn¡¯t have a chance. just as he got up, the back of his head sank. just as his boots stepped on the wet limestone tiles, a cold light fell in front of him. crack! ¡°young hero, wait! spare me¡ª¡± accompanied by the pitter-patter of rain, a heart-wrenching cry came from the elegant courtyard. ye jingtang stood quietly in the rain, stepping on the left side of yang guan¡¯s face. the blade was stuck in front of his eyes. he looked at the edge of the blade that was a few centimeters away from him, and only then did some blood return to his face. ¡°you sent a message to the pei family and asked someone to come over to discuss something? what do you want to discuss? tell me.¡± yang guan¡¯s face was contorted, but he wasn¡¯t angry at all. he just stared at the blade in front of him. ¡°misunderstanding, it¡¯s a misunderstanding. i was blinded by greed. i didn¡¯t know that you were from the pei family. this is the capital. it¡¯s not easy to explain if someone dies. young hero, don¡¯t be impulsive¡­¡± ¡°i heard that you¡¯re a disciple of the three absolutes elderly immortal. your skills don¡¯t seem like it.¡± ? yang guan didn¡¯t expect this kid to know who his master was, but he didn¡¯t dare to be arrogant now. he hurriedly explained, ¡°i¡¯m an honorary disciple. my family has some ties with my master. i went to his home to learn for a few years, but i didn¡¯t learn anything. i¡¯ve embarrassed myself and made you laugh, young hero¡­¡± ¡°for the sake of your master¡¯s reputation, i¡¯ll spare your life.¡± ¡°thank you for your kindness, young hero. ah¡ª!¡± before yang guan could finish speaking, he screamed. ye jiantang pulled out the saber and stabbed it into his right arm, nailing it into a limestone tile. yang guan¡¯s face distorted as he looked at ye jingtang, his eyes full of fear, unable to speak at all. ¡°this stab is because i¡¯m afraid that you think i won¡¯t dare to do it. i may not be able to kill your master, but it¡¯s really effortless to kill you. goodbye.¡± crack! ye jingtang pulled out his saber, wiped the bloody blade on yang guan¡¯s clothes, sheathed the saber, and turned to walk to the drawing room. yang guan clenched his teeth, covered his bleeding right arm, and got up. he didn¡¯t dare to cry out in pain as he watched ye jingtang leave. squeak! the front door of the drawing room opened. in the courtyard outside, there were dozens of hooligans holding iron weapons. yang chao, chen biao, and the other escorts held their sabers and guarded the door. the few wealthy merchants stood outside the courtyard with astonished expressions. ye jingtang closed the door and threw his saber to yang zhao. he took the umbrella and held it above his head. ¡°it¡¯s over. let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°so fast¡­¡± chen biao muttered in a low voice, but he didn¡¯t ask what had happened. after all, everyone outside could hear the noises and miserable cries coming from inside. even a fool knew to keep their mouth shut. the thugs in the courtyard didn¡¯t dare to stop them when they saw that the gang leader didn¡¯t show up. they all made way for them in the rain. the wealthy merchants didn¡¯t know if this young man from the pei family had directly killed yang guan, so they didn¡¯t dare to speak. rustle, rustle, rustle¡­ the huge manor was utterly silent. only the black umbrella was floating out of the alley between the white walls and blue tiles at a leisurely pace. it wasn¡¯t until the carriage left that there was a commotion in the courtyard again. ¡°gang leader? gang leader, are you alright? how dare this lunatic¡­ let¡¯s report this to the officials¡­¡± ¡°get lost! you trash¡­ report to the officials¡­¡± Chapter 9 listening to music at a theater rumble! the wheels rolled over the blue bricks and stopped outside the pei residence. pei xiangjun was hugging the fluffy bird. looking like a noble lady waiting for her husband to return, she was standing under a lantern and looking into the distance. seeing ye jingtang alight from the carriage, pei xiangjun smiled. ¡°jingtang, how was the discussion? did yang guan make things difficult for you?¡± ¡°third lady, why are you waiting at the door?¡± ye jingtang stepped onto the steps and raised his hand to touch the bird that was enjoying life more than him. ¡°it wasn¡¯t difficult. i just spent a lot of effort talking to explain the matter to landlord yang¡­¡± ¡°ahem, ahem!¡± chen biao and the two escorts, who were unloading the carriage, staggered when they heard this. they turned around and looked at ye jingtang. you said five sentences in total. is that what you call a lot of effort talking? yang guan didn¡¯t make things difficult for you. don¡¯t you know the reason? yang chao, little six, and the others who knew ye jingtang reacted calmly. after all, in their opinion, their young master had indeed spent a lot of effort talking today. when they were in the lawless border town, the young master wouldn¡¯t even say a word when he encountered such ruffians. he would just kill them and then turn around and leave. ye jingtang ignored their gazes and continued to explain the process gently, in case third lady pei was frightened. pei xiangjun, who had watched from the beginning to the end, was naturally not frightened. she was like an obedient little woman. after listening to ye jingtang¡¯s explanation, she bit her lower lip lightly and looked at him with admiration in her eyes. ¡°amazing. it¡¯s really different to have a man at home~¡± the peerless beauty revealed a look of admiration for the strong. it was very destructive. ye jingtang admitted that he didn¡¯t care about fame and fortune, but under third lady¡¯s admiring gaze, he still felt a little proud. he waved his hand in a manly manner. ¡°it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°your aunt and i discussed it just now. we¡¯ll let you be the young master of the pei family and give you a hundred taels of silver a month. you don¡¯t think it¡¯s too little, do you?¡± the young master was probably like the deputy chairman of the pei corporation. his authority would be enough to open a bank, and his monthly salary would be a hundred taels of silver. in modern times, his monthly salary would be more than a hundred thousand yuan. this treatment was a little exaggerated. ye jingtang would definitely feel guilty if he accepted it. he shook his head and said, ¡°third lady, you said that a man should earn his own living. the shopkeepers on the street will definitely not be convinced if you give me this treatment. just pay my salary according to the salary of an escort head.¡± hearing this, chen biao quickly shook his head. ¡°young master ye, you are really treating us like outsiders. you¡¯ve saved us more money by dealing with yang guan today. moreover, an escort head only earns twelve taels of silver a month. what can you do with this much? when young master pei goes out for a drink, it costs more than this¡­¡± pei xiangjun nodded and said, ¡°that¡¯s right. being a young master isn¡¯t that carefree and easy. there are many occasions when you go out to socialize. when you drink and listen to music with the sons of officials at literary virtue bridge, you won¡¯t be able to tip any money to the girls. wouldn¡¯t that be a disgrace to the pei family? this silver is purely pocket money. if you¡¯re really embarrassed, just work diligently for the family.¡± hearing this, ye jingtang no longer refused. ¡°then, i¡¯ll listen to third lady¡¯s arrangements. the matter with blue lotus villa is over. do you have any other matters for me to take care of?¡± pei xiangjun had a lot of things to take care of. her eldest brother had died in jianghu, and the title of spear chief had been taken away. she had yet to take revenge. many forces in jianghu were robbing her money, but no one stood up for her. the few hall masters of the red flower pavilion were restless and kept pressuring her to give up her position. but these were all matters of jianghu. it was still too early for ye jingtang to come into contact with them, so she smiled and said, ¡°i have a bunch of shopkeepers working for me. how can i let the young master handle everything? it¡¯s raining today, so there won¡¯t be many social functions. you should rest first and then let chen biao show you around the capital.¡± while speaking, pei xiangjun leaned closer, took out a banknote, and quietly stuffed it into ye jingtang¡¯s hands. ¡°from now on, they will be your subordinates. if you have nothing to do, taking them out to a restaurant for a drink is also the young master¡¯s duty.¡± hearing this, chen biao perked up and quickly sent the horses back to the stable. when the bird heard that they were going out to a restaurant, it instantly felt that pei xiangjun¡¯s arms were not soft anymore. it jumped onto ye jingtang¡¯s shoulder and flapped its wings at pei xiangjun. ¡°chirp chirp~¡± it was probably saying: goodbye, sister big chest¡­ ye jingtang went to his room and changed back into his usual clothes before setting off with the few escorts. but just as they were about to leave, pei xiangjun saw chen biao¡¯s sly smile and reminded, ¡°chen biao, don¡¯t go to those places. jingtang just came from the outside and hasn¡¯t seen the world of the capital. if you make jingtang become like pei luo¡­¡± chen biao¡¯s sly smile disappeared, and he pretended to be mature. ¡°boss, do you think i look like that kind of person?¡± ¡°third lady, don¡¯t worry. i know what to do,¡± ye jingtang replied and then left the alley with his subordinates. ¡ª¡ª¡ª an hour later, on the second floor of the spring fragrance pavilion¡­ the musician holding the pipa was singing a melodious tune on the stage. three dancers in colorful clothes danced along with the song, their figures graceful. seven fierce escorts stared at the girls downstairs from the window with wide eyes. they gulped and weren¡¯t even willing to take a bite of the food. ye jingtang was sitting in the private room and drinking. the bird shook its head beside him, looking like it had drunk more than ye jingtang. chen biao raised his wine glass with both hands and toasted ye jingtang. ¡°young master, you really know what to do!¡± ye jingtang had been ordered to bring his subordinates out for ¡®team building¡¯, so he naturally couldn¡¯t be too stingy. ¡°we¡¯re just listening to music. it¡¯s not like we went to a brothel. to be honest, the girls at the border are much worse than the girls in the capital. they¡¯re probably stronger than me. if i didn¡¯t know some martial arts, i would have been snatched away at the age of fourteen¡­¡± chen biao blinked and leaned closer. ¡°young master, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re still¡­¡± ? ye jingtang didn¡¯t know how to answer this question. yang chao, who was drunk beside them, answered, ¡°you have sharp eyes. with the young master¡¯s looks, if he goes out to look for a girl, the girl should pay him instead. how could he do a losing business?¡± ¡°that¡¯s true. in my opinion, the only girls who match with the young master are the ladies of literary virtue bridge. if the vulgar girls outside want to steal the cabbage, i¡¯ll be the first to disagree¡­¡± ¡°hehe.¡± they had gone to a theater to listen to music, eat, and drink. while they were drinking and chatting, there was a commotion on the street outside. clomp, clomp, clomp! it was the sound of a large group of foot soldiers running. a few of them frowned, got up, and went to the window to take a look. they saw many imperial guards and constables from the black office running in the rain in the direction of jasper pavilion, which was at the end of their line of sight. ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°with such a big commotion, something must have happened at the prince of jing estate. there are many jianghu bandits locked up in the black office. i heard that jasper pavilion also has many martial arts secret manuals. there are often bold jianghu thieves who commit crimes there. the disturbance usually stops after a few hours.¡± since it had nothing to do with him, ye jingtang didn¡¯t pay much attention to it and continued to drink. the alcohol tolerance of martial artists was not low, and the wine he drank was relatively high-quality. it was fragrant but not strong. for most of the day, no one drank it. unknowingly, it was already late afternoon. after eating and drinking to their heart¡¯s content, a lustful escort even hinted to them to go to the ¡®meat market¡¯ for the next round. but chen biao knew the severity of the matter. listening to music and watching girls dance was fine. but if he dared to bring the young master to a brothel, third lady would definitely kick them all out. in the end, he didn¡¯t dare to say any nonsense to ye jingtang, and everyone dispersed. when the sky gradually darkened, one man, one horse, and one bird returned to dye workshop street. the banknote third lady had given him today was an advance for a month¡¯s salary. a hundred taels of silver was enough to rent two courtyards. if he was lucky, he might even be able to buy a maidservant who could warm his bed to relieve his boredom at night. although ye jingtang was not picky about where to stay, he didn¡¯t have the habit of deliberately enduring hardship. after a day of rain, with such a big hole in the roof, it would definitely be impossible for him to stay. the reason ye jingtang came back was to pack up some things in the house and tell the landlady to change his accommodations to a better place. squeak! the old courtyard door without a lock was opened. the furnishings inside remained unchanged. ye jingtang tied the horse under the roof of the kitchen, put away the umbrella, and went to the main room. he pushed the door open and entered while talking to the bird. ¡°behave yourself in the future. don¡¯t go into a woman¡¯s arms for no reason¡­¡± the bird acted as if it hadn¡¯t heard anything. it squatted on his shoulder and hummed. ¡°chirp chirp chirp~¡± but the next moment, both the man and the bird fell silent. the room was mostly empty, and there was not much to begin with. naturally, any changes could be seen with a glance¡ªa raincoat was covering the hole in the roof. but ye jingtang and the bird didn¡¯t notice this. they only stared blankly at the bed. beside the double bed covered with dark gray sheets was a pair of blue embroidered shoes embroidered with bamboo leaves. an unfamiliar woman was sitting cross-legged on the bed. her hair was tied into a woman¡¯s bun, and a jade pearl hairpin was inserted diagonally. she looked like a young woman. the young woman¡¯s skin was extremely fair. she had a pair of beautiful peach blossom eyes, and her eyebrows were like willow leaves in the early spring of february. her cherry-like lips didn¡¯t have any rouge, but they were naturally rosy and full. it would be too clich¨¦ to describe her face as merely gorgeous. she was more like a fox immortal who had come to a farmhouse to repay a favor or the fairy who had married the cowherd. she was so beautiful that she exuded an ethereal aura. the young woman was wrapped in a light blue cloak, and only her fair hands folded at her abdomen were visible. her posture made her look like an otherworldly expert. she should be circulating some profound martial arts techniques. there was some fragrant sweat on her forehead, and wisps of mist were rising from her hair bun, as if she was about to become cooked with a high fever. ¡°chirp?¡± the bird stood at ye jingtang¡¯s feet and tilted its head to look at the bottom of the bed, seemingly looking for the steamer below. ye jingtang was baffled and didn¡¯t even notice the young woman¡¯s transcendental beauty. he only wondered if he had entered the wrong door. but there was probably no other house in the capital with such a big hole in the roof. ¡°heroine?¡± ye jingtang¡¯s home was occupied, so it was impossible for him to turn around and leave. he called out from the door, but the young woman didn¡¯t react. after thinking for a moment, he held the saber and walked toward the bed. on the other hand, the bird shrunk its head and peeked out from behind the door, looking frightened¡­ Chapter 10 strange encounter at home tread, tread¡­ in just two steps, ye jingtang was already at the edge of the bed. he looked at the woman carefully. she didn¡¯t move at all. he couldn¡¯t even feel her breathing. she was like a meticulously carved jade sculpture, but he could feel a touch of warmth and smell a faint fragrance. for such a strange woman to appear so suddenly in a barren house, it was easy for people to think of stories about ¡®fox spirits¡¯ or ¡®snail girl¡¯. ye jingtang hesitated for a moment before reaching out to put his hand under the tip of the woman¡¯s nose to feel her breathing. her breathing was almost imperceptible, but it was rhythmic. she wasn¡¯t dead¡­ seeing this, the bird mustered its courage and jumped onto the woman¡¯s shoulder. it tilted its head and sized her up. it even touched her face with its beak, but it woke her up. the woman opened her eyes, revealing her beautiful peach blossom eyes that were like cold ponds. with a hint of coldness, she looked at the man and the bird in front of her. ¡°chirp!¡± the bird trembled in fear and hurriedly ran behind ye jingtang. ye jingtang felt the pressure contained in this gaze. he quickly retracted his hand and took two steps back. ¡°heroine, you¡­¡± the woman didn¡¯t say anything and closed her eyes again. ?? ye jingtang was at a loss. is she practicing martial arts? or have her acupoints been sealed¡­ dragoon¡­ he didn¡¯t know why this word popped up in his mind as he carefully sized up the woman. judging from the woman¡¯s appearance, he thought that she probably didn¡¯t want to be disturbed, so it was a bit inappropriate to ask her questions. but this was his house, and she was occupying it. why was he, the master, watching from the side? while ye jingtang was hesitating, dense footsteps came from the street outside the alley. tap, tap, tap¡­ ¡°let¡¯s go over there and take a look¡­¡± judging from the commotion, he realized they were government officials. two people were heading toward the alley. he frowned and wanted to go outside to take a look. but just as he turned around, a voice sounded beside him. ¡°close the door.¡± her voice was light and elegant. her tone was slightly cold but innately gentle. moreover, it sounded a little familiar. it seemed to be the elder of the pair of jianghu women in the morning. when ye jingtang came to this realization, he subconsciously stopped. but afterward, he frowned. ¡°are you a fugitive?¡± the woman¡¯s peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly, but her eyes were very calm. ¡°i¡¯m expelling poison. it¡¯s not that i can¡¯t move, but i don¡¯t want to be injured. go send the soldiers away. i will definitely reward you heavily after this.¡± ye jingtang asked, ¡°what crime did you commit to be hunted down by the imperial court?¡± tread, tread¡­ the footsteps in the alley were getting closer. the woman hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°i am a member of the righteous path. i entered the capital only to save someone. help me send them away, and i will teach you martial arts after this.¡± ye jingtang pondered for a moment. to be able to cause a government search, it was obvious that she had committed a crime, and the crime of harboring a bandit was not small¡­ but the moment he moved, the woman stretched out her fair right hand from under the cloak and flicked her fingers. two copper coins flew out. swish! swish! one hit the door, and the other bounced off the wall and hit the door as well, actually closing it. ! ye jingtang¡¯s heart sank. her technique and strength were so precise. her martial arts skills were unfathomable. since she could flick a copper coin to close the door, she could naturally shoot a hidden weapon to kill. if he made this woman anxious, the two constables running over would most likely die. and it was uncertain if he could escape¡­ just as he was hesitating, the footsteps in the alley disappeared. it seemed that the constables were very experienced. they had already stopped running and were walking quietly toward the courtyard. the woman looked at ye jingtang and said calmly, ¡°i don¡¯t want to kill the innocent, but they will definitely die if they come in. my companion is still outside. if there is too much commotion and it attracts soldiers to surround me, causing me to be captured, she will definitely come back to seek revenge for me. you should think about it carefully.¡± hearing this, ye jingtang remembered that this woman had an accomplice. this was troublesome. tread, tread! in the blink of an eye, a light sound came from the house next door. it seemed that the constables were not prepared to knock. this way, they wouldn¡¯t even have a chance to cover up and send the constables away. seeing that she was about to be exposed, the woman frowned slightly. it seemed that she wanted to stand up and face the enemy. there was a high chance that the two constables would die if they entered. ye jingtang would also be implicated. after weighing the pros and cons, he said, ¡°don¡¯t be rash. i¡¯ll help you send the constables away, and you¡¯ll teach me martial arts for free. how about that?¡± the woman¡¯s eyes moved slightly. after thinking for a moment, she nodded. ¡°okay, i¡¯ll teach you one move¡ªyou!¡± as soon as these words came out of her mouth, the woman was shocked to discover that the incomparably handsome young man in front of her had directly arrived in front of her! knowing how ye jingtang wanted to cover for her, the woman anxiously said, ¡°young hero, wait¡ªyou little thief!¡± when she found that ye jingtang was pressing her down, the woman¡¯s expression instantly turned into embarrassment and anger. ye jingtang didn¡¯t want to take advantage of her. he tried his best to support his body and not come into contact with the woman to prevent any embarrassment. he covered the two of them with the blanket and began to shake the bed while giving her a look. but what ye jingtang didn¡¯t expect was that even though the woman knew his intentions, she didn¡¯t cooperate at all when calamity was imminent. she actually looked like a ¡®heroine suffering humiliation¡¯ and stared at him fiercely. she even wanted to push him away with her hands. ? what¡¯s wrong with you? i didn¡¯t take advantage of you! ye jingtang couldn¡¯t turn back. he was risking his life to help her, but this woman was so ignorant. naturally, he was anxious. in his anger, he could only pinch her. the woman was caught off guard. her entire body trembled violently, and her eyes turned into shock. she let out a soft cry of panic. ¡°ah~!¡± the approaching footsteps outside the door stopped abruptly at the same time. ye jingtang heaved a sigh of relief and glared at the woman, telling her to continue crying out. then he said, ¡°is your husband powerful? hmm?¡± but to ye jingtang¡¯s despair, the woman¡¯s eyes were watery as she glared at him. she only weakly pulled his fingers away and refused to cooperate. seeing this, ye jingtang wanted to throw her out directly, but he had already started acting. there was no room for him to turn around and explain to the constables halfway. no matter how angry he was, he had to continue. he could only sing a one-man show. ¡°you don¡¯t think it¡¯s not strong enough?¡± while speaking, he kept winking at the woman to get her to cooperate. but the woman was quite stubborn. she gritted her teeth and refused to open her mouth. two streams of tears even rolled down from the corners of her eyes. although the woman wasn¡¯t cooperating at all, ye jingtang¡¯s acting skills were outstanding. after a series of operations, he still managed to fool the constables outside the door. there were whispers. ¡°doing this in broad daylight, it¡¯s really¡­ the bed is shaking like it¡¯s falling apart. they¡¯re quite fierce.¡± ¡°the woman really knows how to hold it in. she didn¡¯t even yell twice.¡± ¡°how would she dare to yell in broad daylight¡­ what should we do now?¡± ¡°hmm¡­ it must be the thief¡¯s trick! let¡¯s go in and take a look.¡± ¡°okay, let¡¯s go¡­¡± they moved even faster than when they were speaking! ?! the two people in the room were dumbfounded! ye jingtang was relieved at first. but when he heard the last part, he almost spat out a mouthful of blood. he didn¡¯t know whether he should say that the constables were too shrewd or too f*cking shameless. they even had to run in to take a closer look?! ye jingtang¡¯s acting was quite complete. he had already pulled off his outer robe and quickly hugged the woman under him. when the woman heard that the constables were coming in, her resistance decreased a little, but she still couldn¡¯t cooperate. she panicked and wanted to curl her arm in front of her body, trying her best to support ye jingtang. ye jingtang had thought that this woman didn¡¯t know what was good for her, but now he felt that this woman really didn¡¯t know how to cooperate. he didn¡¯t have the chance to investigate further. he used his head to block the woman¡¯s face and continued to put on the act. smack! the door was kicked open. the two constables holding official sabers rushed into the room righteously and stared at the bed with wide eyes. ¡°ah!¡± this time, the woman wasn¡¯t stupid. she leaned close to ye jingtang¡¯s ear and screamed, almost deafening him. why are you shouting so loudly at this time?! ye jingtang¡¯s eardrum hurt from the shock, and an unknown fire burned in his heart. but this expression was just right for the current situation. he hugged the woman tightly and turned his head to glare at the door. ¡°who?! huh? sirs, what are you doing?¡± the two constables took a closer look and found that she was tightly covered. other than her hair, they couldn¡¯t see anything else. they were clearly disappointed. but their expressions were still righteous. ¡°a thief broke into the black office in the afternoon. we¡¯re conducting a routine inspection. why are the two of you hiding here? did you see a suspicious figure just now?¡± broke into the black office? ye jingtang was shocked. he didn¡¯t expect this woman to be so capable. but at this moment, he didn¡¯t have the time to think about it carefully. he carefully pulled his robe over and touched his sleeve. he took out the lease written by the landlady and threw it to the constables. he pretended to be angry but didn¡¯t dare to speak out. ¡°sirs, i only moved here yesterday. do you think i look like i could see a thief?¡± the constables didn¡¯t think so. one of them took the lease and looked at it. after confirming that ye jingtang was a normal resident, he could only find something to say. ¡°it¡¯s not even dark yet. doing this kind of thing at home¡­¡± the constable beside him raised his hand. ¡°forget it. it¡¯s raining heavily, and there¡¯s nothing to do. let¡¯s go.¡± the constables threw the lease onto the bed, turned to leave, and closed the door behind them. ye jingtang wanted to get up but found that the two of them stopped after taking a few steps. it seemed that these two constables were not mediocre people. they were still cautious. the woman also noticed this. she raised her eyes and looked at ye jingtang with a complicated expression on her iceberg-like face. although she didn¡¯t say it explicitly, the meaning in her eyes was obvious: continue. ye jingtang felt strange and said seriously, ¡°what spoilsports. wife, did they scare you?¡± ¡°no, husband¡­ you¡­¡± the woman opened her mouth, and a blank look flashed across her eyes. it seemed that she didn¡¯t know what to say. Chapter 11 shameless little thief creak, creak¡­ in the small courtyard built in the remote alley, there was still the sound of old wood shaking. ye jingtang racked his brains and said some flirtatious words that he felt were shameless. the cold and elegant heroine was still biting her lower lip. her teary eyes stared at ye jingtang, unwilling to let outsiders hear her moaning. fortunately, ye jingtang¡¯s acting skills were on point. the constables outside finally let down their guard and whispered. ¡°looks are so deceiving, and that glib tongue of his¡­ tsk tsk.¡± ¡°it doesn¡¯t matter. there¡¯s nothing to hear. let¡¯s go.¡± ¡­ tread, tread! after two light sounds of climbing over the wall, the courtyard fell completely silent. in the room¡­ ye jingtang heaved a soft sigh of relief. he tilted his head to look out the window and listened carefully. the woman¡¯s originally cold expression was long gone. her face was rosy and watery. there were beads of sweat on her forehead, and her peach blossom beautiful eyes were crystal clear. her face had regained its color. at this moment, she looked even more breathtakingly beautiful. she looked like a fairy from the heavenly palace who had been tortured. the woman looked at the handsome side profile inches away from her. perhaps it was because she had been ashamed and resentful for too long, but at this moment, she was a little ¡®angry¡¯. the poison had clearly subsided by more than half, but she couldn¡¯t exert much strength compared to before. after the constables left, the woman was about to question him when she found that the young thief had moved his hand. ¡°you¡ªah~¡± just now, he had no choice but to put on an act. this was still explainable, but this time, it was real! she hurriedly covered her mouth, and killing intent appeared in her eyes as she glared at the man above. ¡°you¡­¡± ye jingtang turned around and said inexplicably, ¡°you can¡¯t let go? then i¡¯ll¡­¡± the woman was not a pushover. she suddenly unsheathed the soft sword at her waist, bringing with it a cold glint. ye jingtang reacted extremely quickly. he jumped out and landed on the floor, holding the hilt of his saber. ¡°what do you want to do? kill me after i¡¯ve outlived my usefulness?¡± the woman pointed her soft sword at ye jingtang, her eyes filled with indignation. ¡°shameless little thief¡­¡± ¡°heroine, don¡¯t you know who¡¯s the thief between us?¡± ye jingtang looked at her tear-stained face. even her anger had a different kind of beauty. ¡°if i didn¡¯t do that, how could we guarantee that the constables wouldn¡¯t come over to check on your appearance and injuries? you clearly knew that a calamity was imminent, but you still refused to make a sound. were you trying to make me anxious to death?¡± the woman¡¯s eyes were cold, but she couldn¡¯t suppress the helplessness in the depths of her eyes. ¡°i know that you were just putting on an act, but you¡­ you really did it! taking advantage of people in danger¡­¡± ye jingtang retorted, ¡°you didn¡¯t even cooperate with me when i put on the act. couldn¡¯t you cooperate well? don¡¯t you have a daughter? don¡¯t you know how to do it? or have you always turned your head and closed your eyes without making a sound when you were doing it before?¡± in the face of such ¡®obscenities¡¯, the woman¡¯s eyes became even more embarrassed and angry. ¡°you are shameless!¡± ye jingtang looked dissatisfied. ¡°just now, you asked me to cover for you, and i took the risk to help you. but after the constables left, you call me shameless? if you had stayed calm and cooperated with me in the face of danger, would i have touched you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± the woman glared at ye jingtang, but she understood that he was telling the truth. after gritting her teeth for a long time, she slowly put down the soft sword. ¡°on account of you upholding justice and helping me, i¡­ i¡¯ll let you off this time¡­¡± only then was ye jingtang satisfied. he came to the bed. ¡°you said you would teach me martial arts. teach me.¡± ? the woman raised her eyes, her face full of anger. ¡°i¡¯m not holding it against you for being so frivolous to me, but you still¡­¡± ¡°frivolous? do you think i wanted to? i haven¡¯t said that you took advantage of me.¡± seeing that she wanted to go back on her word, ye jingtang was unhappy. he picked up a small mirror from the bed and shone their faces on it. ¡°look for yourself. who¡¯s better looking between the two of us? is it worthwhile for me to risk my life for you?¡± ? perhaps the woman had never been belittled for her beauty, but when she heard this, she found it ridiculous. she turned to look at her reflection in the mirror. she had been ¡®ravaged¡¯ just now. her hair was messy, and her face was covered in tears. she was also angry. no matter how good her foundation was, she was not half as stunning as usual. as for the little thief beside her, he had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. from his facial features to his temperament, he was perfect to the point of being impeccable¡­ the bird, who had been hiding under the bed, came out to be the referee. it stood between the two of them and sized them up for a long time before pointing its wings at the young woman. ¡°chirp.¡± the meaning was that sister little watermelons looked better. ? ye jingtang was speechless when he saw that the stupid bird was undermining him. the woman understood what the bird meant, and a hint of pride flashed across her eyes. but with this interruption, she couldn¡¯t say that this handsome little thief had coveted her beauty and taken advantage of her. she was a little lacking in confidence, so she said coldly, ¡°this matter¡­ i¡¯ll pretend that it never happened. you¡¯re not allowed to tell anyone. otherwise, even the gods won¡¯t be able to protect you.¡± seeing that the young woman was no longer being unreasonable, ye jingtang threw the mirror aside and tidied up his clothes. the woman averted her gaze, wrapped herself in the thin blanket, and quietly tidied up her ruffled clothes¡­ ye jingtang saw that the young woman¡¯s face was flushed red, and her eyes were sometimes angry and sometimes ashamed. naturally, he understood what was going on. she can be like this even when we just put on an act¡­ if he said this, she would definitely not let it rest until he died. he didn¡¯t say anything else. he buttoned his robe and asked, ¡°now that everything is fine, shouldn¡¯t you make things clear? who are you? what did you do?¡± the young woman¡¯s thoughts were a bit chaotic as she quietly tidied up her clothes and said coldly, ¡°my name is luo ning. as for the rest, it won¡¯t be beneficial for you to know. i came to the capital this time to save a friend from jianghu. in the afternoon, i was investigating in the black office and accidentally triggered a trap. i was poisoned and hid here to avoid the white impermanence¡¯s pursuit¡­¡± hearing this, ye jingtang was surprised. the constables of the black office usually went out in pairs to do things, and the six strongest chief constables were called the six fiends by the people of jianghu. they were named after ghost messengers and were called: iron-armed impermanence, phantom impermanence, vajra ox-head, silver-horned horse-face, white-haired diting, and eight-armed ksitigarbha this young woman named luo ning was being chased by the white impermanence, but she could still escape. this meant that her martial arts skills couldn¡¯t be underestimated. after ye jingtang roughly listened to the process, he looked left and right. ¡°where¡¯s your girl?¡± ¡°helping me distract the pursuers. she should be back soon. you¡­ you¡¯d better leave immediately¡­¡± ¡°this is my house!¡± ye jingtang gestured to the bed sheets and bedding. ¡°i bought the bedding yesterday. they are all my belongings. you didn¡¯t greet me and went to my place, causing me trouble. i haven¡¯t made things difficult for you, but you still want me to leave? are you trying to go back on your word and not teach me martial arts?¡± after suffering such a huge loss, luo ning really didn¡¯t want to teach him. but people in jianghu kept their promises. she didn¡¯t want to owe this little thief a favor, so she stood up, slid away, and raised her palms. ¡°i said that i¡¯d only teach you one move, and this is the only time. it¡¯s your ability if you can remember and learn it. if you can¡¯t learn it, it¡¯s your bad luck. you can¡¯t say that i went back on my word.¡± ye jingtang nodded slightly as he watched luo ning¡¯s movements with a focused expression. luo ning raised her palms and moved them rhythmically, sometimes holding the moon and sometimes raising them horizontally. her movements were as smooth as flowing water. after demonstrating back and forth for half a day, she pushed them forward and was done. ¡°have you learned it?¡± ?? ye jingtang¡¯s eyes were brimming with confusion. ¡°are you joking with me? do you think i¡¯m a three-year-old child? can this be called martial arts?¡± luo ning was enraged. ¡°i¡¯ve already taught you the move¡­¡± ¡°what did you teach?¡± ¡°chirp.¡± the bird¡¯s eyes were also full of confusion. it even flapped its wings a few times to indicate: who doesn¡¯t know how to wave their hands? luo ning and ye jingtang looked at each other. when she saw that his expression didn¡¯t seem to be fake, her anger slowly subsided, and she asked doubtfully, ¡°have you never learned martial arts before?¡± ye jingtang wanted to say that he had learned martial arts, but on second thought, what his foster father taught him were all fake moves¡­ didn¡¯t that mean that he had never learned any? ye jingtang¡¯s expression softened as he asked seriously, ¡°it¡¯s true that i have never learned real martial arts. are you sure you were teaching me a move just now?¡± luo ning gave ye jingtang a strange look. ¡°i see that your innate ability isn¡¯t bad, and you also have internal energy. i thought you had learned martial arts¡­ without anyone to teach you, how did you practice to this level?¡± ¡°every day, run fifteen kilometers with weights, lift stone chains three hundred times, do five hundred sit-ups¡­¡± luo ning raised her finger slightly, indicating that there was no need to say anything else. ¡°what you¡¯re saying should be that someone guided you to build your foundation. a proper martial artist wouldn¡¯t train like this.¡± ¡°then, am i an improper martial artist?¡± ¡°yes.¡± luo ning nodded like a bird, agreeing strongly with this statement. ye jingtang opened his mouth but did not quarrel with heroine luo. he asked, ¡°how do normal martial artists practice martial arts?¡± ¡°regarding the so-called martial arts, the martial is the moves, and the arts is the internal energy. the two complement each other. with only moves but no inner strength, it will always be just the ¡®form¡¯. on the other hand, with inner strength but no moves, it¡¯s equivalent to having thousands of soldiers under one¡¯s command but only knowing how to attack a city with brute force, without any strategy.¡± ye jingtang understood what she meant. ¡°i do have this feeling. then, am i a brainless general who only knows how to charge around? how should i practice moves?¡± luo ning said seriously, ¡°a move is a method of ¡®circulating qi¡¯, not a method of actual combat. when you have mastered a move, you¡¯ll naturally understand how to use it in actual combat. it¡¯s like a straight punch that¡¯s skillful but not effective. others can shake the city wall, but you can¡¯t break the door. the difference lies in the ¡®arts¡¯ behind the punch.¡± ye jingtang seemed to understand. he raised his hands and slowly moved them. ¡°it means that if you practice slowly like this, it is the method of circulating qi. if you really fight, there will only be the last push?¡± ¡°i see you understand.¡± luo ning nodded. ¡°this move is the first move of the fourteen dappling cloud palms. it emphasizes soft strength. if you can practice this move to the point where when your palm strikes the chest and abdomen, the organs will shatter without damaging the skin, you will be considered to have reached basic mastery. if ordinary people practice it to this level, they will need at least three¡­ three¡­¡± before the young woman could finish speaking, she saw the young man in black moving his palms back and forth. his movements were exactly the same as hers just now. ¡°you have a good memory!¡± luo ning was slightly surprised and continued to guide him. ¡°think carefully about why there are so many movements. experience the measure of each movement, the strength, and the direction of qi and blood. carefully comprehend the hidden qi circulation meth¡­ method¡­¡± the words stopped. whoosh¡­ whoosh¡­ in the closed room, a faint breeze blew past the young woman¡¯s face, blowing the hair on her temples. her eyes slowly turned from surprise to shock¡­ Chapter 12 cult mistress (1) ye jingtang was fully focused and carefully sensed every movement. after practicing back and forth twice, he experienced a rather mysterious feeling. in the past, the restless qi and blood in his body that had nowhere to vent seemed to be gathering a stream of qi toward his right hand with the guidance of the move. although his movements didn¡¯t look much different from the usual waving of his hand except for the difference in the way he exerted strength, he felt as if he had suddenly learned how to walk and arrived at a completely different domain. to put it simply, when he practiced martial arts in the past, he practiced ¡®form¡¯, but now he practiced ¡®spirit¡¯. after practicing for the third time, ye jingtang understood the purpose of these movements without having to ponder seriously over them. when he felt it, he directly threw a palm strike at the wall beside him. bam! there was a dull sound in the room. the sound was almost inaudible, but the strike was extremely heavy. it was like a thousand-pound hammer wrapped in cotton hitting the wall. there was no sound, only strength. the old house shook slightly, and a few old tiles fell out of the hole. other than that, there were no other changes. ye jingtang took his hand back from the earthen wall. the earthen wall was intact, and even the surface of the wall hadn¡¯t fallen off. but when he poked it with his finger, it was as if it had fallen into soft sand. rustle, rustle, rustle¡­ the sand slid down, and a clear palm mark appeared on the wall. it was more than two inches deep! ¡°this is martial arts¡­¡± ye jingtang looked at his palm with surprise in his eyes. this was the first time in his life that he had discovered that his martial arts skills were so high. luo ning had casually taught him a move, but he was already so powerful. if he could dig out the supreme secret manual roaring dragon chart buried in the harem and use it for himself, wouldn¡¯t he soar on the spot? thinking of this, ye jingtang subconsciously looked in the direction of the imperial city outside the window, and a trace of eagerness flashed in his eyes. opposite him, luo ning¡¯s red lips parted slightly, and her alluring peach blossom eyes widened. she stared blankly at ye jingtang for a long time before coming back to her senses and saying in disbelief, ¡°why¡­ why do you know the fourteen dappling cloud palms?¡± ¡°hmm?¡± ye jingtang put away his thoughts and looked at luo ning in bafflement. ¡°didn¡¯t you just teach it?¡± ¡°you still know that i just taught you? you can learn it just after being taught?¡± ye jingtang raised his hand and waved it. ¡°if i can¡¯t even learn such a simple move after you taught it, wouldn¡¯t i be stupid?¡± simple¡­ stupid¡­ luo ning¡¯s eyes bulged, clearly shocked by these words. the fourteen dappling cloud palms took an ordinary person three years to reach basic mastery. although this child in front of her had already built up his foundation and had formidable internal energy, it was too unbelievable for him to figure out the entire qi circulation method and turn the move into his own after practicing it three times. he even said confidently that he would be stupid if he couldn¡¯t learn it. according to this logic, other than the one immortal, two sages, and eight chiefs, everyone else in the world was an idiot! luo ning¡¯s mouth was slightly agape. she wanted to question ye jingtang, but she had just personally taught him the move. she had never taught it to outsiders, so how could this child learn it in advance? could this child¡¯s talent be really unbelievable to this extent¡­ ye jingtang saw the young woman¡¯s shock and guessed that he had indeed learned it a little quickly. he stopped and smiled. ¡°i¡¯m a quick learner, but heroine luo, you taught me well and carefully. hmm¡­ why don¡¯t you display it again? i don¡¯t believe i can learn such a profound move after watching it once.¡± luo ning didn¡¯t believe it either. she raised her hand to display it again, but she immediately realized that this kid was trying to freeload off of her! luo ning quickly retracted her hand and placed it behind her back, putting on the posture of an icy beauty. ¡°if you want to learn martial arts, you should know the rules, right? first, you have to become my disciple and be filial to me for three years. i see that you¡¯re sincere and have good character and comprehension, so i¡¯ll consider teaching you true martial arts. do you have a master?¡± ye jingtang understood what the young woman meant. she wanted to take him in as a disciple. he didn¡¯t speak and glanced at heroine luo¡¯s impressive little watermelons. ¡°¡­¡± only then did luo ning remember that she had just been pressed down and touched. it was probably not appropriate for her to be his master, so she coughed lightly. ¡°i have some connections in jianghu. other than the three old immortals on the mountains, i have some friendship with the rest. you¡¯re quite talented. if you want, i can guide you and introduce you to a master. the prerequisite is that you have to follow me sincerely and treat me as¡­ as¡­¡± it was as if nothing she could say would be right¡­ ye jingtang could tell how big luo ning¡¯s tone was and said in surprise, ¡°you know all eight chiefs?¡± ¡°yes. they all have to give me some face.¡± ye jingtang¡¯s eyes were full of doubt. ¡°then, why were you beaten up so badly in the capital that you had to run away like a mouse and rely on me to cover for you?¡± luo ning could sense ye jingtang¡¯s disdain, and her eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°who do you think dares to come to the capital to cause trouble for the black office? i just didn¡¯t want to kill the innocent. otherwise, with just you and the two constables, i can kill all of you without alerting the people on the streets. if you don¡¯t want to follow me, then you can only learn one move. we¡¯re even.¡± hearing this, ye jingtang didn¡¯t force it. he jumped up and repaired the roof that was leaking rain. he casually asked, ¡°heroine luo, are you really married?¡± ¡°huh?¡± luo ning was stunned and looked at ye jingtang coldly. ¡°what do you mean?¡± ¡°your reaction just now was very jerky. you don¡¯t even know how to be intimate. you don¡¯t look like a married woman¡­¡± ?! luo ning instantly felt ashamed and enraged and was about to draw her sword. but suddenly, light footsteps sounded outside the courtyard. tread, tread¡­ the two of them were startled. they thought that the constables had returned, and their reactions were surprisingly the same. the beautiful heroine lay down on her back and assumed the appearance of a wife. ye jingtang pounced on her and started acting. but before they could make a sound, a woman¡¯s low cry came from outside. ¡°martial mistress?¡± !!! Chapter 13 cult mistress (2) it was like a bolt from the blue! ye jingtang was about to say something flirtatious, but he almost choked to death when the words reached his mouth. luo ning was ready to cooperate, but she was frightened by the voice. she raised her leg and kicked ye jingtang off the bed. plop! there was a muffled sound in the house. at the same time, the door was kicked open. a figure wearing a bamboo hat and a raincoat rushed into the barren room. the figure was not tall, probably only reaching ye jingtang¡¯s shoulder. there was a saber with a red tassel hanging under the raincoat, and her face under the bamboo hat was very exquisite. she was a young girl who looked less than eighteen years old. the girl in the bamboo hat was extremely agile. the moment she crashed into the house, she saw the tall ye jingtang roll onto the floor and get up. but the face of her master¡¯s wife was pale as she leaned against the wall in fear. her eyes were full of panic, and it was unknown how much humiliation she had suffered! ¡°thief!¡± when the girl in the bamboo hat saw this scene, she was furious. she immediately drew her saber and charged at ye jingtang. ¡°die!¡± ye jingtang was stunned. he instinctively pulled out his saber to block, but he found that this girl was quite fierce. she actually made him stagger with a slash and attacked again. ye jingtang could block her attacks. he couldn¡¯t really fight. seeing that luo ning was so panicked that she didn¡¯t stop the girl, he hurriedly reminded, ¡°heroine, wait! we¡¯re on the same side!¡± the girl in the bamboo hat paused and looked at her master¡¯s wife from the corner of her eye. luo ning, who was curled up in the corner, was trembling all over. when she came back to her senses, she hurriedly said, ¡°yunli, stop. this little thief¡­ no, this young hero is a good person.¡± the girl in the bamboo hat was skeptical. she looked at ye jingtang coldly. ¡°who are you? why are you here?¡± ¡°i¡­¡± ye jingtang wanted to explain, but he immediately felt that something was wrong. he spread his hands slightly. ¡°miss yun, this is my house! why do you think i¡¯m here?¡± zhe yunli was stunned. ¡°my surname is zhe! not yun. i found this place first and stayed here for half a month. how is it your house? yesterday, when i came over, you occupied my house, and i haven¡¯t dealt with you yet¡­¡± ye jingtang took out the lease contract written by the landlady from his sleeve. ¡°did you pay? show me the lease.¡± ¡°¡­¡± naturally, zhe yunli didn¡¯t. as she was in the wrong, she changed the topic and sized up ye jingtang¡¯s attire. ¡°aren¡¯t you a scholar?¡± ¡°who says i¡¯m a scholar?¡± ¡°martial mistress said¡­ alright.¡± zhe yunli finally realized that they were the ones who had trespassed. she put away her saber and ran to the bed. ¡°martial mistress, are you okay?¡± while speaking, she took off his bamboo hat, revealing her long hair that was tied up like a man¡¯s. her oval face was very exquisite, and her willow-shaped eyebrows and red lips carried a hint of a different kind of chivalry. in terms of appearance, she was not inferior to the beauty in front of her. it was just that she had yet to grow, so she didn¡¯t have the seductive charm brought with age. when ye jingtang heard zhe yunli call luo ning martial mistress, he secretly heaved a sigh of relief for some reason. luo ning was obviously feeling guilty. she nestled under the blanket and pretended to be weak. ¡°i¡¯m fine. don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°martial mistress, why is your face alternating between red and white?¡± ¡°i just forced the poison out. my martial arts skills are profound, and i¡¯m already fine. i¡¯m just a little out of breath.¡± ¡°oh¡­ why is there a white chicken here?¡± zhe yunli looked at the bird watching from the side, then at ye jingtang. ¡°you raised it?¡± ¡°chirp?¡± the bird was very unhappy. ¡°it looks like it. i¡¯ll make some chicken soup for martial mistress,¡± the girl in the bamboo hat said and was about to catch the chicken. but before ye jingtang could move, luo ning hurriedly blocked the bird that had helped her ¡®talk¡¯ earlier. ¡°you can¡¯t eat this bird. hmm¡­ every being has a soul. i like this bird.¡± seeing this, zhe yunli let the bird go and wanted to examine luo ning¡¯s body. but when she pulled the blanket, she turned to look at ye jingtang. ¡°do you have any dry rations? martial mistress didn¡¯t eat in the afternoon. when i came back, time was tight, and i forgot to bring them.¡± ye jingtang looked at the two of them who couldn¡¯t leave. after a moment of silence, he called the bird over and turned to leave¡­ ¡ª¡ª¡ª the sky had already turned completely dark. the door and windows of the main room were closed, but they couldn¡¯t block the breeze that penetrated through the gaps. crystal raindrops would only drop from the straw raincoat covering the hole, making a crisp sound. an oil lamp was beside the bed, casting the shadows of the two people on the wall. luo ning hugged a pillow as she lay on the bed. her blue skirt had been pulled down to her hips, revealing her waist and back that were as fair as suet. under the candlelight, she looked like an elusive and flawless piece of jade. zhe yunli was massaging her back with both hands, soothing her qi and blood. she sighed. ¡°it¡¯s all master¡¯s fault. there are so many experts in our pacifying heaven cult, but master wasn¡¯t willing to lend any of them to us. if any of the four great protectors had come, we wouldn¡¯t have been chased¡­¡± luo ning was a little absent-minded and said gently, ¡°your master isn¡¯t heartless. there are crouching tigers and hidden dragons in the capital, a hundred thousand imperial guards outside, and many experts hidden in the imperial city. your master isn¡¯t even confident that she could save someone, so how could she let her disciples take the risk? we owe hero qiu a favor. coming here in private is already disregarding the big picture¡­¡± the pacifying heaven cult was one of the top jianghu factions in the world. the pacifying heaven cult¡¯s cult master ranked first among the eight chiefs and was also the most powerful ¡®rebel leader¡¯ in great wei. but the gap between the pacifying heaven cult and the rulers of the world was still too great. zhe yunli knew that her master¡¯s wife was telling the truth, but she was still unhappy. ¡°hero qiu was caught by the government in order to cover for me. and he can be executed at any time. how can i stand by and do nothing? it¡¯s all her fault. it¡¯s fine if she didn¡¯t come to save him, but she refused to teach me her true skills, and she didn¡¯t teach you either¡­¡± ¡°martial arts depends on talent. your master is a genius that only appears once in a hundred years. that person in fengguan city said that if he left the mortal world, your master might take over the title of ¡®martial immortal¡¯. a person with this level of ability, even if she taught us all the skills she knows, can we learn them? in the past, when i wanted to learn them, your master taught me the screen-opening sword. she said that it was an ordinary sword technique i could casually study. in the end, i didn¡¯t even reach basic mastery after learning it for half a month. you don¡¯t know, but your master looked at me with disdain. sigh¡­¡± when luo ning said this, she tilted her head to look at the night rain outside the window. she seemed to be thinking about ye jingtang¡¯s gaze today. his eyes looked to be saying that it was unbelievable that there were idiots who couldn¡¯t learn the move. zhe yunli smiled. finding that her master¡¯s wife had no reaction, she blinked and looked back at the window. ¡°martial mistress, why are you looking at the window from time to time?¡± i¡¯m afraid that little thief will peek¡­ luo ning retracted her gaze and said gently, ¡°it¡¯s windy in the room. i have taken off her clothes, so i naturally have to be careful.¡± zhe yunli smiled sweetly. ¡°martial mistress, don¡¯t worry. that kid¡¯s martial arts skills are weak. he staggered after being struck by a single strike of my saber. how would he have the guts to peek?¡± luo ning had just been touched for fifteen minutes, so she didn¡¯t think that the little thief didn¡¯t have the guts. but she didn¡¯t dare to say these things and just smiled. ¡°don¡¯t underestimate this little thief. i tested him today, and his talent is really extraordinary. he will probably become a great person in the future.¡± zhe yunli was surprised and asked, ¡°really? how does he compare to me?¡± ¡°the gap is not small.¡± ¡°hehe, of course. master said that as long as i study hard, i can become a grandmaster before the age of twenty-five¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± luo ning opened her mouth, but she didn¡¯t want to attack her dear junior, so she didn¡¯t say anything. after applying the medicine, zhe yunli carefully checked her master¡¯s wife¡¯s body to see if there were any other injuries. but just as she lifted the blanket and touched her, she was suddenly stunned. ¡°martial mistress¡­¡± ¡°hmm?¡± zhe yunli¡¯s expression was strange as she touched luo ning¡¯s leg. ¡°why are your pants so wet?¡± ?! luo ning¡¯s face instantly flushed red as she hurriedly pulled up the blanket. ¡°just now, when i forced out the poison, i sweated a lot. how can my body be dry?¡± ¡°i thought you wet the bed¡­ oww~!¡± before zhe yunli could finish laughing, she was knocked on the head¡­ Chapter 14 eight-steps frenzied blade (1) the moon was dark, the wind was strong, and the rain was heavy. there were no longer any common people on dye workshop street. the few shops were closed, leaving only the patrolling constables and soldiers. occasionally, they would pass by in the rain with lanterns. ye jingtang held an oil-paper umbrella and walked slowly on the dark road. the bird on his shoulder kept chirping. it was probably saying something like: sister little watermelons is still the best. poached eggs don¡¯t attract this bird¡­ ye jingtang had touched heroine luo for a long time just now, and there were indeed waves in his heart. but he didn¡¯t reminisce as he walked. instead, he pondered over the move that luo ning had just taught him. when it came to martial arts, no matter how varied they were, there was no departure from the original basis. although it couldn¡¯t be said that ¡®one technique could lead to mastering all techniques¡¯, the logic wouldn¡¯t be much different. ye jingtang used to practice martial arts in the escort agency. he always pursued the ¡®form¡¯ and heavy force, paying attention to the routine of breaking and countering moves. he had never thought about the ¡®spiritual will¡¯ before. as for ¡®qi circulation¡¯, since his foster father hadn¡¯t taught him, he didn¡¯t even know that such a thing existed in the world. but it didn¡¯t seem right to say that his foster father had deliberately hidden it from him. his foster father had been extremely ¡®concerned¡¯ about him since he was a child. it was impossible for his foster father to deliberately abuse him by beating him and squeezing out his physical strength three times a day. since his foster father had solidified his foundation, he must have wanted him to become a ¡®talent¡¯. he didn¡¯t teach him any saber techniques even until his death. it could only be said that his foster father had some reason for not wanting to teach him. as for why he didn¡¯t teach him¡­ was he afraid that he would get into trouble because of this? or could it be that he had already taught him, but he had not discovered the profundity behind it before¡­? ye jingtang carefully recalled the ¡®moves¡¯ that his foster father had taught him. there were only a few moves in total, and they were all basic skills. in the past, he had only focused on strength and speed and didn¡¯t study them in-depth. if he studied them according to the methods of the fourteen dappling cloud palms¡­ thinking of this, ye jingtang stood in the rain and moved his saber to his waist. he held the hilt of the saber with a reverse grip in his left hand and recalled the action of drawing the saber in his mind. then he compared it with the qi circulation method of the fourteen dappling cloud palms. just copying it would definitely not work. just now, when he came into contact with qi circulation, he discovered that qi circulation was related to the acupoints, muscles, breathing, posture, and almost all other aspects of the body. the changes that could occur with every step increased exponentially. it was impossible for anyone to try all the paths. people could only follow the guidance of the move and figure out the qi circulation that this move should have. it was extremely difficult to create a move out of thin air, but ye jingtang, who was standing quietly in the rain, quickly realized that the saber-drawing action that his foster father had taught him seemed to be the starting point of the move. the ¡®move¡¯ only had the beginning, and the following was completely blank. if he wanted to perfect this saber move, he had to explore the paths of qi circulation himself and ¡®add bricks and tiles¡¯ to this saber move¡­ ye jingtang deliberated for a moment and closed his eyes in the rain. based on the foundation of his foster father¡¯s teachings as the beginning and drawing his saber as the ending, he deduced the middle process based on his intuition and imagined how to use this opening action as the starting point to maximize the lethality of the saber move¡­ tap, tap, tap¡­ soybean-sized raindrops hit the umbrella and slid down the umbrella ribs. the bird stood on his shoulder. at first, it was a little confused, but after waiting for half an hour, its eyes gradually turned into panic: tangtang is being cooked! ye jingtang, who had closed his eyes for a long time, saw the blood vessels on his right hand slowly swell. some raindrops landed on the back of his hand and quickly evaporated into a faint white mist. this scene first appeared on the back of his hand, then his left arm, and then his entire body. even the veins on his forehead bulged, and a faint mist rose. whoosh! in the rain, a wave of heat appeared out of thin air. the raindrops falling from outside the umbrella clearly shifted, as if they were moving with the wind. and in the center of the wind was ye jingtang under the umbrella. buzz! buzz! after an unknown period of silence, the long blade in the sheath let out a low cry like a dragon¡¯s roar. it was like a hidden dragon trapped in a deep pool beginning to stare at the mouth of the pool. the hidden dragon quickly accumulated its aura to the limit. before the cold pool couldn¡¯t withstand it, its body surged up like an azure dragon emerging from the water and shot into the sky! clang! a cold light flashed across the silent street. the rain on the street seemed to be disturbed by something and was pushed out a little. the cold light flashed away, and in an instant, the street returned to calm. ye jingtang was still standing quietly in the rain with an umbrella in his hand. his left hand was still holding the hilt of the saber in a reverse grip, and his saber was sheathed. it was as if he had never moved. not far from him, an old locust tree that was as thick as a waist made a soft cracking sound in the wind and rain. soon, the old locust tree couldn¡¯t withstand the wind and rain. it broke in the middle and collapsed to the side. boom! after a muffled sound, the old locust tree fell to the ground. the raindrops landed on the new crack in the tree root. as if they were dripping on the surface of a mirror, they slid to the side, and not even half a drop of water remained! ¡°chirp!¡± the bird¡¯s eyes were full of shock. under the umbrella, ye jingtang opened his eyes and turned his head to look at the locust tree that had fallen to the ground. his eyes were full of admiration. the eight-steps frenzied blade is indeed powerful. it looks like foster father didn¡¯t hide anything¡­ but couldn¡¯t he have just taught me directly? why do i have to waste my brain thinking about it? isn¡¯t this unnecessary¡­ ye jingtang came to the locust tree and carefully examined it for a moment. then with some doubts, he rubbed the cut and left dye workshop street to go to the nearby market. the bird was frightened just now. it kept chirping and jumping back and forth until ye jingtang bought a box of dried meat for it. ¡ª¡ª¡ª soon, ye jingtang returned to double osmanthus alley with two oil paper bags and an earthen pot in his hands. the courtyard was silent, but there was light. ye jingtang pushed open the courtyard door with his shoulder. before he could close the door, he found that there was a little bamboo hat person standing behind the door, holding the hilt of a saber and staring at him. ¡°what took you so long?¡± ye jingtang threw one of the oil paper bags to zhe yunli. ¡°dye workshop street doesn¡¯t have any restaurants. do you expect me to run back and forth?¡± Chapter 15 eight-steps frenzied blade (2) zhe yunli took the oil paper bag and opened it. there were a few roasted sweet potatoes inside. she nodded slightly. ¡°mm~ you¡¯re quite¡ª¡± her words came to an abrupt halt. this was because ye jingtang carried the earthen pot into the house and placed it on the bed. he opened the earthen pot, and inside was steaming hot black-bone chicken soup. he also had a bowl and utensils. in the other oil paper bag were freshly baked hot steamed buns. ?? zhe yunli was stunned. she looked at the roasted sweet potatoes in her hand. ¡°hey? why are you treating us differently when you buy food?¡± ¡°don¡¯t you have long legs? or do you have no money? do you really think you¡¯re a precious young lady?¡± zhe yunli opened her mouth but had nothing to say. luo ning was already sitting on the bed. seeing ye jingtang return, she couldn¡¯t help thinking of the humiliation she had just suffered. but it wasn¡¯t appropriate for her to show it in front of zhe yunli. she greeted him with a gentle expression. ¡°yunli, and you, come and eat together.¡± ¡°martial mistress, you can eat. don¡¯t worry about us.¡± zhe yunli stood at the door. after glaring at ye jingtang for a moment, she took a big bite of a roasted sweet potato. ¡°you¡¯re sensible and know how to take care of others. seeing that you¡¯re so sensible, i¡¯ll help you. if you follow me and martial mistress in the future, i guarantee that you¡¯ll be able to do whatever you want in jianghu.¡± ye jingtang handed a steamed bun to luo ning, came to the door, placed his hands on the door frame, and looked down at zhe yunli. ¡°you¡¯re just a little girl, yet you¡¯re learning how to wander jianghu. i had to save your master¡¯s wife, and i had to buy food for you two. if i follow you, won¡¯t i starve nine times every three days?¡± holding the sweet potato, zhe yunli took a step back and stood on the threshold. she met ye jingtang¡¯s eyes. ¡°do you know who i am?¡± there were no chairs in the room, so ye jingtang directly sat down on the threshold. ¡°a thief who trespasses on private property and freeloads. am i right, bird?¡± the bird squatted in front of him with a small box of dried meat in front of it. burying its head in its food, it chirped twice, but it didn¡¯t sound like it agreed. after all, ye jingtang had touched sister little watermelons for so long and didn¡¯t even care about its meal. what was the difference between him and this lascivious bird? ¡°don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ll pay you.¡± zhe yunli sat down at the side, picked up a piece of dried meat from the bird¡¯s box, and threw it into her mouth. ¡°chirp?!¡± ye jingtang waited for zhe yunli to chew slowly before frowning. ¡°the two of you seem to be having a hard time. you can even eat rat meat¡­¡± the bird nodded cooperatively. zhe yunli¡¯s expression froze, and her delicate face turned green. she wanted to vomit, but she felt embarrassed, so she gripped the hilt of her saber. ¡°you little thief, i¡¯m going to¡­¡± luo ning, who was drinking soup on the bed, finally couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and said with a frown, ¡°yunli, he¡¯s teasing you. this bird is very smart. how could it be willing to eat rat meat? no vendor is so free as to turn rats into dried meat and put it in a box.¡± zhe yunli didn¡¯t believe it. she picked up another piece of dried meat and fiercely fed it to ye jingtang. ¡°eat!¡± ye jingtang was quite surprised. he opened his mouth to catch it. before zhe yunli could feel relieved, he nodded and praised, ¡°i didn¡¯t expect you to be so good at serving people.¡± these words angered the two women in the room. luo ningshang could ignore the teasing. but he had just taken liberties with her, and now he was being frivolous with yunli. how could she tolerate it? ¡°little thief! try spouting nonsense again!¡± luo ning straightened her back with a spoon in her hand, fully displaying her cold and elegant temperament. with her master¡¯s wife backing her up, zhe yunli raised her chin slightly and glared. ye jingtang knew that his joke had gone overboard. he raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. ¡°alright, i won¡¯t talk anymore. let¡¯s eat.¡± only then was zhe yunli satisfied. she revealed her two canine teeth as she ate a mouthful of dried meat and a mouthful of sweet potatoes. she completely ignored the bird that was swinging her sleeve with its beak. ¡°you¡¯re young, yet you¡¯re so glib¡­ what¡¯s your name? where are you from?¡± ¡°ye jingtang, from liang province.¡± ye jingtang carried the angry bird over and placed it on his leg. he asked, ¡°who did you two come to the capital to save?¡± ¡°a senior who taught me saber techniques was captured by the black office. his name is qiu tianhe. have you heard of him? last year, i studied under hero qiu. a spy betrayed him, and the black office¡¯s ghost messengers surrounded the mountain. in order to let us juniors escape, hero qiu guarded the mountain gate alone and didn¡¯t escape. then he was captured¡­¡± qiu tianhe¡­ ye jingtang recalled that he had heard of this name before. when he used to practice martial arts with his foster father, when his foster father was drunk, he had liked to talk about jianghu. he had mentioned qiu tianhe a few times, and the evaluation was quite positive. ¡°it¡¯s said that he¡¯s a hero of jianghu. he¡¯s righteous, but i don¡¯t know much about him. is he very powerful?¡± zhe yunli broke the remaining sweet potato in half and handed half to ye jingtang. ¡°you¡¯re ignorant and inexperienced~ you should have heard of the ¡®three heroes of cloud lake¡¯ from thirty years ago, right?¡± ye jingtang took a bite of the sweet potato. ¡°the three outstanding youths of yun (cloud) province and ze (lake) province?¡± zhe yunli was slightly stunned, but she still nodded. ¡°the description is quite strange, but it¡¯s similar. ¡®cloud lake¡¯ refers to the large lake near jun mountain terrace. because of the reputation of ¡®saber chief¡¯ xuanyuan chao, all the young saber wielders in the world like to travel around ze province. the three most outstanding young saber wielders thirty years ago were: ¡®heaven equaling saber¡¯ qiu tianhe, ¡®dragon slaying decree¡¯ xuanyuan tiangang, and ¡®eight-steps frenzied blade¡¯ zheng feng. the three of them were both enemies and friends, and they often fought each other. they are called the three heroes of cloud lake.¡± ye jingtang knew that zheng feng was most likely his foster father. he didn¡¯t expect his foster father to have such a reputation when he was young. he asked curiously, ¡°who is the strongest among the three?¡± zhe yunli said proudly, ¡°it must be hero qiu. zheng feng¡¯s saber skills are the worst. he could be ranked among the three heroes purely because the eight-steps frenzied blade is too famous. he was crippled a few years after he appeared. xuanyuan tiangang was the strongest back then, but because of zheng feng¡¯s matter, he fell out with his father. he withdrew from jianghu and fishes and farms all day long.¡± ye jingtang frowned slightly. the enemy mentioned in his foster father¡¯s letter was none other than ¡®saber chief¡¯ old man xuanyuan. but he didn¡¯t write why there was a grudge back then. from what zhe yunli said, the matter back then seemed to be quite complicated. he asked, ¡°what happened to zheng feng back then?¡± zhe yunli shook her head. ¡°if hero qiu doesn¡¯t want to say it, how would i know? my hometown is in the heavenly south. about the old matters of ze province¡¯s jianghu, you have to ask the people there.¡± seeing that zhe yunli didn¡¯t know the details, ye jingtang didn¡¯t ask further and changed the topic. ¡°heroine zhe, your territory is the heavenly south. whose territory is yun province?¡± ¡°in the past, it was the red flower pavilion¡¯s territory. the land and water transportation businesses had the red flower pavilion¡¯s shadows behind them. but this time, i came on a ship from the water cloud sword pool. i guess things have already changed.¡± ¡°oh? isn¡¯t the red flower pavilion a wealthy and powerful sect? its prestige in jianghu seems to be higher than the water cloud sword pool¡¯s.¡± ¡°that was before.¡± zhe yunli sat closer and put on the expression of an expert who was familiar with the past and present. she explained seriously, ¡°the previous pavilion lord of the red flower pavilion was the spear chief, who ranked seventh in the world, so his prestige was naturally high. but spear chief died of old age, and his son took over. but in the end, he was beaten to death by the current spear chief and replaced by a woman.¡± ¡°woman?¡± ye jingtang blinked and recalled the red god of wealth¡¯s height and words. he became even more suspicious of the red god of wealth¡¯s identity. but the pei family didn¡¯t seem to be in the dock business. just based on this, it was still impossible to determine if it was related to third lady. he thought for a moment and continued to ask, ¡°and then?¡± ¡°once the spear chief title was lost, the red flower pavilion¡¯s reputation plummeted. and the water cloud sword pool is the family of the current sword saint, ranking tenth in the world alongside yan province¡¯s cutting cloud palace¡¯s palace lord. if the red flower pavilion doesn¡¯t have a new leader who appears and makes rules for the people of jianghu, it will be devoured in a few years at most and become a second-rate sect¡­¡± ¡°oh?¡± after chatting for a while, they finished their meal, and it was late at night. ye jingtang stood up and went to the well to get water to wash up. zhe yunli was sleepy. she stretched at the door and looked around the barren house. ¡°where are you sleeping tonight?¡± ye jingtang wiped his face with a towel and walked into the house. he said in a puzzled tone, ¡°on the bed. this is my house. where do you think i¡¯m sleeping?¡± ? zhe yunli frowned and turned to look at the double bed. if three people squeezed together, they would be able to sleep on it¡­ but was this possible? zhe yunli coughed lightly. ¡°martial mistress is injured and needs to recuperate. let her sleep on the bed¡­ i will sleep against the wall with you. do you have any objections?¡± seeing that zhe yunli was quite sensible, ye jingtang didn¡¯t make things difficult for her. ¡°sure.¡± he went to a corner of the room that wasn¡¯t leaking rain, found a piece of cloth to spread on the floor, and sat on it against the wall with his saber in his arms. zhe yunli placed her raincoat under her butt and sat beside ye jingtang. she waved her hand. ¡°big stupid bird, come here.¡± ¡°chirp?¡± the bird didn¡¯t like this girl who had snatched its food and wanted to make soup with it. it flew up to the roof beam, pushed the raincoat a little open, and stuck its head out. zhe yunli looked up, a little puzzled. ¡°what is it doing?¡± ¡°keeping watch.¡± ¡°oh! this bird isn¡¯t stupid. i couldn¡¯t tell¡­¡± Chapter 16 the young master killed someone! the night passed uneventfully. early in the morning, ye jingtang was leaning against the corner of the wall and paying attention to the sounds outside. the bird was squatting in his arms. perhaps it was because there were outsiders, but its sleeping posture was a little more normal. it only tilted its head. heroine luo didn¡¯t seem to be in a deep sleep. every fifteen minutes, she would turn over and sneak a glance at him, probably to see if he touched zhe yunli. zhe yunli, on the other hand, was well-behaved. she was leaning against the wall three feet away, holding her saber without moving. she didn¡¯t even lean on his shoulder in the middle of the night. the eastern sky gradually brightened. seeing the sunlight, ye jingtang stood up with the bird in his arms. unexpectedly, when he moved, the girl beside him raised her saber half an inch and looked at him warily. ¡°what are you doing?¡± ¡°going out to work.¡± ye jingtang patted his robe and gestured to the room. ¡°do you think i¡¯m the same as you people from big sects who do nothing all day but eat and drink?¡± zhe yunli blinked, put away her saber, stood up, and patted her perky butt. ¡°what are you going to do? do you need help?¡± hearing this, luo ning, who was lying on the bed, propped up her upper body and said in a sleepy voice, ¡°yunli!¡± after a night of rest, luo ning¡¯s complexion had mostly recovered, and her original appearance was beginning to show. when she propped herself up like a lazy young woman, her long hair scattered down like waves. her sleepy and slightly angry beautiful peach blossom eyes were enough to instantly wake up drowsy people and make sober people fall into a daze. yesterday, ye jingtang had already felt that luo ning¡¯s appearance was extraordinary. when he looked at her again in the morning, she looked even more fairy-like. it was not an exaggeration to say that she was a fairy who had been tricked home by a cowherd. he couldn¡¯t help taking a few more glances at her. noticing ye jingtang looking at her, luo ning laid down and pulled up the blanket to cover her body. her eyes were slightly cold. seeing luo ning in a difficult position, zhe yunli replied with a grin, ¡°martial mistress, i¡¯m not going out to play. i¡¯m gathering information. it¡¯s safer to follow him.¡± ye jingtang went out with his saber. ¡°you¡¯re safe, but what about me? i¡¯m not your accomplice. if you attract the six fiends of the black office, i won¡¯t be able to fight or run. won¡¯t i be implicated?¡± ¡°i¡¯ll pretend to be your wife. there shouldn¡¯t be anyone¡­¡± ¡°yunli!¡± luo ning raised her head, burning with anger! zhe yunli said helplessly, ¡°i¡¯m just going to put on an act¡­¡± ¡°what put on an act?¡± luo ning was infuriated when she heard this term. if yunli pretended to be this little thief¡¯s wife, she would definitely be taken advantage of. she had already¡­ wouldn¡¯t they be master and disciple serving the same husband¡­ ¡°you¡¯re an unmarried girl. how can you put on that kind of act?¡± zhe yunli thought about it and agreed. ¡°then, i¡¯ll pretend to be his sister¡­ huh?¡± before she finished speaking, ye jingtang had already disappeared outside the courtyard¡­ ¡ª¡ª¡ª on another side, at the pei residence at heavenly water bridge¡­ the sky had just brightened when pei xiangjun sat in the main hall. she tapped her fingers on the table and frowned. on the main seat sat the widow of the eldest son of the pei family, madam zhang yulian. there was a worried look on her face. she held a white porcelain teacup in her hand and gently rubbed the edge of the cup with the lid. ¡°the jianghu people from outside are getting more and more unreasonable. helm master wang went to visit the zhou family to talk about clear river wharf. he didn¡¯t even get to see the family head, and it was the steward who received him¡­ our azure dragon hall has fallen to such a state. how can we still have the face to order the hall masters of the red flower pavilion¡­¡± ¡°sister-in-law, how can i not know these things? in jianghu, one¡¯s words depend on one¡¯s fists¡­¡± madam zhang¡¯s position in jianghu could be regarded as the wife of a gang leader. now that the eldest son and second son of the pei family had passed away, only her son, pei luo, was left. pei luo didn¡¯t have any talent in martial arts and was an only child. she didn¡¯t dare to tell her son about the business in jianghu. now, who else could she count on other than third lady in front of her? madam zhang knew that it wasn¡¯t easy for pei xiangjun to support the red flower pavilion alone. she sighed softly and said, ¡°third lady, i¡¯m not talking about you. i¡¯m talking about the situation. now, we can only hope that jingtang, who was sent by second brother, can shoulder these matters. second brother passed away, but jingtang could still follow his will and send his assets over from so far away. he must value friendship, and his character can¡¯t be bad. why don¡¯t you teach jingtang spearmanship and let him¡­¡± pei xiangjun shook her head slightly. ¡°i know that jingtang has a good character and talent and looks like someone who does big things. but distant water can¡¯t put out a close fire. even if he has a good foundation and good talent, it will take at least three to five years for him to practice spearmanship well. it will take another three years for him to accumulate fame in actual combat¡­¡± madam zhang had no other hope, so she could only say, ¡°perhaps jingtang¡¯s talent is astonishing, and he¡¯ll be able to learn the pei family¡¯s spear within a month. next month, you¡¯re going to meet the hall masters at the juyi building. you can bring jingtang along¡­¡± pei xiangjun was a little helpless. ¡°if we force seedlings to grow like this, even the best embryos will be wasted. even if jingtang learns spearmanship in a month, without any experience in jianghu, who can he defeat when he goes out?¡± while the two women were talking, footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door. xiuhe ran in, her eyes filled with anxiety. ¡°pavilion lord, bad news!¡± the moment she said this, the two women in the hall frowned. pei xiangjun stood up and said, ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know why, but young master got into a conflict with the six fiends on the way here today.¡± ¡°the six fiends?¡± pei xiangjun frowned and thought for a moment. ¡°he must have drawn his saber near jasper pavilion and was suspected by the black office. the black office sent someone over yesterday to confirm jingtang¡¯s identity. jingtang doesn¡¯t know the eight-steps frenzied blade. let them test him casually. nothing will go wrong.¡± xiuhe quickly shook her head. ¡°no, no. the black and white impermanences attacked. we don¡¯t have any informers nearby. i only heard that when the iron-armed impermanence came out, his left arm was bleeding profusely¡­¡± ¡°what?!¡± zhang yulian stood up in disbelief. ¡°jingtang injured the black impermanence?¡± pei xiangjin hurriedly shook her head. ¡°what kind of joke is this? jingtang doesn¡¯t have any methodology in his martial arts at all. how can he cut through the black impermanence¡¯s bronze skin and iron bones? that¡¯s an external martial arts grandmaster of the black office!¡± xiuhe said nervously, ¡°that¡¯s what the people are saying. quickly take a look. young master seems to be still blocked by the white impermanence¡­¡± hearing this, pei xiangjun didn¡¯t dare delay any longer and hurried out the door¡­ ¡ª¡ª¡ª dark clouds pressed down on the city. it had been a while since dawn, but the streets were still relatively dark. ye jingtang led his horse out of double osmanthus alley and came to the vicinity of heavenly water bridge with the bird. he ordered a basket of buns from the bun shop at the entrance of the street and had breakfast with the bird. he was thinking about what the two women would eat in the house and whether he should get the bird to send two buns back. but before he could figure it out, ye jingtang noticed from the corner of his eye that a figure was looking at him from the alley not far away. ye jingtang looked up and saw that the person at the entrance of the alley was yang guan, whom he had just beaten up yesterday. yang guan¡¯s arm was wrapped in bandages, and his face was gloomy. he beckoned him with his hand and entered the alley. ? ye jingtang sensed that something was wrong. he raised his hand slightly, and the bird spread its wings and flew into the sky. a moment later, the bird descended from the sky and chirped three times, indicating that there were three people. yang guan appeared again. it seemed that the matter had not been settled. ye jingtang pondered for a moment, threw down a few copper coins, and entered the alley with his hand on his saber at his waist. the alley was very deep. after turning the corner, there was a dead end. there were high walls on both sides and a passage in the middle. under the gloomy sky, two figures stood side by side in the middle of the alley. they were both wearing straw raincoats and bamboo hats. they were dressed like ordinary jianghu people. one was tall, and the other was thin. neither of them were holding a weapon. yang guan stood behind them. ye jingtang stood alone at the entrance of the alley. after sizing up the two people in bamboo hats, he looked at yang guan. ¡°not convinced?¡± yang guan was full of confidence. ¡°you¡¯re new here, yet you dare to behave atrociously in the capital by relying on your martial arts. do you really think that there¡¯s no one in the world who can deal with you? if you cut off one of your arms and legs, i will let you off. otherwise, i¡¯ll beat you to death today. you¡¯re a foster son of the pei family. no one will stand up for you.¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t say anything. he held his saber and slowly walked forward. after taking two steps, his figure suddenly erupted and rushed toward the two people in bamboo hats. ye jingtang was very imposing, but he could never have imagined what level of things a hoodlum who collected protection fees on the streets could get! as soon as the blade was out of its sheath, the tall figure raised his bamboo hat slightly, revealing his hard face. then his figure flashed and arrived in front of ye jingtang. ye jingtang sensed that something was wrong and slashed at the tall man. but he didn¡¯t expect the tall man to raise his right arm to block. dang! the crisp sound of metal colliding rang out. ye jingtang originally thought that the tall man was wearing a metal wrist guard. but after tearing his sleeve, he was shocked to discover that there was bronze-colored skin under his clothes. the muscles on his forearm were knotted. other than a white mark, his skin wasn¡¯t even broken! ?! ye jingtang was astonished. for a moment, he thought that he was seeing things. the two sides were fighting, so there was clearly no chance for communication between them. the tall figure blocked the saber with his right arm and punched ye jingtang¡¯s chest with his left hand. bam! this punch was quite heavy. although ye jingtang didn¡¯t know any high-level moves, his foundation was solidified by his foster father. to put it simply, his attack power was not good, but his resistance to attacks was flawless. after being punched in the chest, ye jingtang barely reacted. he stabbed his saber into the ground and slid a few steps back before stabilizing himself. but as soon as he stopped, a gust of cold wind blew over from in front, lifting the hair around his ears. whoosh! ye jingtang felt a chill in his heart and immediately leaned back to dodge. the next moment, a phantom-like figure flashed past from above, looking like a raincoatthat didn¡¯t have a body being blown by the wind. but a gloomy face really appeared under the bamboo hat. the eyes looked at him coldly, and the figure¡¯s body moved with the wind as if he didn¡¯t have a single bone. ye jingtang swept his saber at the phantom, only to find that when the blade touched the raincoat, the raincoat followed the blade without any sense of resistance. the saber swept past, but it didn¡¯t injure the phantom at all. instead, his right arm was rubbed. the ¡®phantom pat on the shoulder¡¯ was very light, so much so that ye jingtang felt as if he was being grazed by his robe. but his shoulder immediately became numb. coldness penetrated into his body, and the strength of his right arm decreased greatly. ye jingtang was shocked. he turned his body and sheathed his saber. he held the hilt of the saber in a reverse grip with his left hand with his back to the wall. from the corners of his eyes, he locked onto the two figures on his left and right. the feather-light phantom had already silently blocked the only exit. his bamboo hat was slightly lowered, and he was as motionless as a piece of wood. it was the same for the tall figure. although they weren¡¯t moving, ye jingtang could feel the invisible pressure in the quiet alley. it was as if there were two mountains standing on both sides of the alley¡­ Chapter 17 the prince of jing¡¯s appreciation (1) at the same time, on the top floor of a restaurant in the distance, two people were watching the fight taking place in the remote alley. the morning sun had just risen, and the golden morning light outlined the heroic and bright face of the prince of jing, dongfang liren. she stood by the window with her hands behind her back, a look of approval in her eyes. ¡°good skills. this child¡¯s foundation is as solid as a rock.¡± the white-haired old woman with long hair that reached the floor stood behind her and shook her head slightly. ¡°she long didn¡¯t even flinch when he was hit. his foundation is indeed extraordinary, but he¡¯s too young. he¡¯s too rash and doesn¡¯t know the depths of jianghu. he doesn¡¯t have any methodology in his martial arts and can only rely on brute force. why don¡¯t we call she long and the others back?¡± ¡°since they¡¯re already there, let¡¯s help this child learn his lesson so that he won¡¯t be arrogant and offend her majesty when he enters the palace in the future.¡± the white-haired old woman nodded slightly and said no more. ¡ª¡ª¡ª in the alley¡­ ye jingtang held his saber tightly and paid attention to the powerful enemies on each side. in fact, he had already learned his lesson. in the past, he was invincible in the border town. he had only been in the capital for a few days, but all the people he met were f*cking deities. it was impossible for him not to be careful in the future. seeing that the two of them weren¡¯t attacking, ye jingtang said coldly, ¡°yang guan, is this the help you found?!¡± these two helpers were definitely not found by yang guan. after all, these two experts were known as the black and white impermanences. even yang guan¡¯s master, the three absolutes elderly immortal, had to walk around them when he saw them. martial arts grandmaster was an honorary title, and there were no clear boundaries. there were many ways to evaluate people in jianghu, one of which was to treat the black and white impermanences as ¡®examiners¡¯. in jianghu, those who could defeat one of them or retreat unscathed when the two of them joined forces were considered true grandmasters. it could also be said that the black and white impermanences were the standard for grandmasters. although yang guan was just a tool for the arrest of this young man, it was still quite satisfying to have someone vent his anger for him. ¡°these two experts are close friends of my master. do you really think i don¡¯t have any connections in the capital?¡± ye jingtang¡¯s eyes darkened. he paid attention to the movements of the two people on his left and right, waiting for an opportunity to make a move. ¡®iron-armed impermanence¡¯ she long had no interest in bullying children at all. he had been ordered by the prince of jing to come and check on ye jingtang¡¯s foundation. he could already tell that ye jingtang had a very solid foundation, but his martial arts were terrible. seeing that the prince of jing wasn¡¯t stopping them, she long strode forward again. tap, tap, tap! his footsteps were not fast, but they were steady and powerful, as if an iron tower was walking over. ye jingtang was able to hit the iron man, but he couldn¡¯t touch the phantom. after weighing the pros and cons, he gritted his teeth and jumped up, seemingly wanting to jump over the wall and break out of the encirclement. when ¡®phantom impermanence¡¯ shang jianli saw that ye jingtang didn¡¯t know any real martial arts and that his right shoulder was sluggish from his palm strike, he didn¡¯t have any intention of intervening. he just watched from the entrance of the alley. she long¡¯s figure flashed and arrived on ye jingtang¡¯s left. he raised his hand and punched again. bam! the fist was powerful and heavy, bringing with it a gust of wind in the alley! judging from the situation, ye jingtang would be struck down by the punch before he could even jump three feet. but unexpectedly, she long¡¯s expression changed drastically before his fist hit. he raised his arm and prepared to dodge! clang! the next moment, a dragon-like saber roar suddenly sounded in the alley! in the old limestone alley, a saber light flashed! dang! it was the same crisp sound of metal colliding, but this time, there was a mist of blood. she long¡¯s leaping figure was sent flying by the tremendous force. his left sleeve was completely torn apart, revealing his bronze-colored muscular arm. his forearm that was as hard as iron and stone was no longer intact. there was a bone-deep wound. it was a shocking sight as blood sprayed out. splash! watching at the entrance of the alley, shang jianli¡¯s eyes widened in incredulity. she long had tempered his arms for decades, and they were equivalent to divine weapons. countless people in jianghu wanted to cut them off, and those who could penetrate a finger¡¯s width into his flesh were already considered fierce people. for this child to be able to see the bones with a single slash, it was enough to show how strong his physique and majestic internal energy were. but this wasn¡¯t the main point. a true external martial arts grandmaster could also cause this much damage to she long with a single slash. the main point was the speed of the slash! shang jianli could clearly see that she long had detected ye jingtang¡¯s intentions in advance. as soon as the saber was unsheathed, he began to dodge. the two sides moved at the same time. even though she long was an external martial arts grandmaster with rich combat experience, his arm was still severely injured. this could only mean that she long couldn¡¯t dodge this extremely domineering saber move even after using all his skills. shang jianli had been in jianghu for many years. in his impression, the only saber technique that could match this saber move¡¯s explosive power was jun mountain terrace¡¯s dragon slaying decree. if it were the xuanyuan family¡¯s dragon slaying decree, if she long recklessly got into close range, he would definitely be struck by multiple blows and become severely injured. this child had explosive power comparable to the dragon slaying decree¡¯s, so the possibility of him not knowing how to deal the finishing blow was very low. therefore, shang jianli immediately rushed forward to help. she long also knew that the situation was bad and quickly retreated. but what surprised the two of them was that ye jingtang didn¡¯t take advantage of the good opportunity of his opponent¡¯s hasty retreat to attack again. after ye jingtang repelled the enemy with a single strike, he instantly sheathed his saber and resumed his starting stance. then he kicked the wall and chased after she long, whose left arm was injured. if he could catch up, she long would not be worthy of being called a grandmaster. seeing she long dodging in the air and getting out of his way, ye jingtang unleashed his full strength and charged toward yang guan! this move was not to kill due to his anger but to capture a hostage. no matter how solid his foundation was, he only knew how to use this saber move. however, the two experts were unfathomable. if they didn¡¯t send themselves to his door for him to slash, it would be very difficult for him to catch up to them, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape. the only way to survive was to capture their employer hostage. yang guan didn¡¯t expect ye jingtang to be able to break through iron arm impermanence¡¯s defense with a single slash. the shock in his eyes couldn¡¯t be any greater. Chapter 18 the prince of jing¡¯s appreciation (2) when yang guan saw ye jingtang rushing toward him, his expression instantly turned into horror. he knelt on both knees and shouted, ¡°con¡ª!¡± before he could finish his word, ye jingtang had already grabbed his neck. he moved behind him and held the hilt of the saber with his left hand, ready to attack. as for the opponents¡­ shang jianli didn¡¯t care about yang guan¡¯s life at all, so he naturally didn¡¯t have any reaction. his body was like a phantom as he floated in front of yang guan. he stretched out his white palm and struck straight at yang guan¡¯s chest and abdomen. it seemed that he was preparing to ¡®transmit the candied hawthorn¡¯ and pierce ye jingtang¡¯s heart. ye jingtang was shocked. he never expected that these two people would go crazy and kill their employer! knowing that his saber would most likely be useless, ye jingtang gritted his teeth and wanted to use the palm technique that luo ning had taught him yesterday to test it against this phantom. but yang guan finally managed to spit out his unspoken words, ¡°constable shang, save me¡­¡± as soon as he said this, he revealed their identities. ye jingtang instantly realized that they were people from the imperial court probing him. he forcefully stopped the palm that was about to strike. seeing ye jingtang stop, shang jianli naturally wouldn¡¯t really use ¡®transmit the candied hawthorn¡¯. he lightly retreated and landed 30 feet away, returning to his standing posture that resembled a wooden man. ¡°young master ye, good saber technique. you¡¯re only eighteen years old, but your internal energy is already comparable to that of ordinary grandmasters. this talent really makes me blush with shame. it¡¯s a pity that you don¡¯t know much true martial arts.¡± on the wall, she long¡¯s muscles in his left arm bulged, and he forcefully stopped the bleeding. he jumped down from the high wall and raised his bamboo hat, revealing a slightly surprised face. ¡°that saber strike is really domineering. young master ye, if not for your inexperience that caused you to reveal your killing intent in advance, i might not have been able to leave this alley today.¡± ye jingtang bumped into two ghost messengers in the morning, and his mood was extremely bad. he said in a low voice, ¡°you flatter me. sirs, you two are famous experts. it¡¯s not appropriate for you to bully a junior like me, right?¡± shang jianli didn¡¯t respond. instead, he looked at she long beside him and asked, ¡°is this the eight-steps frenzied blade?¡± when ye jingtang heard this, his heart skipped a beat. he knew that he was about to bear the blame for his foster father¡¯s debts. he didn¡¯t know if his foster father had caused any harm when he roamed jianghu in the past. but his foster father¡¯s enemy, ¡®saber chief¡¯ xuanyuan chao, was the marquis of jun mountain specially conferred by the imperial court, and he had a close relationship with the imperial court. if the imperial court found out that he knew the eight-steps frenzied blade, xuanyuan chao would know. if he wanted to eliminate the root of the problem¡­ thinking of this, ye jingtang held the hilt of his saber quietly, planning to fight desperately to escape. but ye jingtang didn¡¯t expect she long to shake his head after a moment of silence. ¡°it doesn¡¯t look like it. i¡¯ve seen zheng feng before. the beginning of this saber move is a little similar to zheng feng¡¯s saber technique, but the power is worlds apart. it¡¯s the difference between a dragon and a python.¡± ? ye jingtang was taken aback. are you blind? how could i practice the saber technique taught by my foster father wrongly? shang jianli asked, ¡°who is the dragon, and who is the python?¡± she long gestured at his bleeding arm. ¡°what do you think?¡± shang jianli understood. zheng feng¡¯s master was very famous, but zheng feng¡¯s saber skills were really ordinary. if he had the terrifying power of this child, how could he have been crippled at such a young age? shang jianli¡¯s eyes revealed a hint of surprise. he seriously sized up ye jingtang and recalled the famous saber wielders in jianghu. he really couldn¡¯t find a similar saber technique, so he asked, ¡°young master ye, what is the name of your saber technique?¡± the eight-steps frenzied blade¡¯s starting stance¡­ ye jingtang felt that these two people who were pretending to be mysterious were not observant at all. they had already recognized it, yet they were still here to forcefully give an explanation for him. but since the other party was blind, he naturally wouldn¡¯t take the initiative to confess. he said nonsense, ¡°white slash!¡± ¡°chirp?¡± the bird poked its head out from the wall. ¡°?¡± ¡°white slash¡­¡± she long nodded and asked again, ¡°did you create this saber technique yourself, or did an expert teach you?¡± my foster father taught me¡­ ye jingtang had no choice but to answer the constable¡¯s question, so he could only continue to say nonsense, ¡°on an escort mission, i suddenly saw a huge river falling from a mountain peak¡­¡± she long raised his hand to interrupt. ¡°i understand. you accidentally comprehended it from heaven and earth. unfortunately, you only have one saber move now and no follow-up moves.¡± ¡°that¡¯s indeed the case. sirs, i¡¯m sorry to have made a fool of myself¡­¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª while they were conversing in the alley, the two people on the top floor of the restaurant in the distance were also discussing. dongfang liren¡¯s eyes were no longer as indifferent as before. instead, they were full of surprise. ¡°he doesn¡¯t know any true martial arts, but his foundation is as solid as an early-stage grandmaster¡¯s. he¡¯s even better than me¡­ how did he train? or did he deliberately hide his skills?¡± ¡°this child really only knows one saber move. his internal energy is majestic, and his body is strong. perhaps this child didn¡¯t have any expert to teach him, but he¡¯s talented and hardworking. he¡¯s trained his limbs diligently.¡± dongfang liren had heard of the story of ¡®practicing the sword in the mountains for decades and becoming the sword saint when leaving¡¯, but this was the first time she had encountered it. ¡°even with the foundation of an early-stage grandmaster, it¡¯s too unbelievable that she long couldn¡¯t even fight back against a single slash¡­ is the eight-steps frenzied blade that domineering?¡± the white-haired old woman frowned and said solemnly, ¡°it¡¯s true that no one at the same level can block kuang yazi¡¯s saber, but zheng feng¡¯s saber is definitely not so domineering. in my opinion, this saber is a masterpiece, while zheng feng¡¯s eight-steps frenzied blade is a fake that has taken the wrong path. they look similar in spirit and form, but they¡¯re two completely different things.¡± ¡°could it have been taught by kuang yazi?¡± ¡°because of the roaring dragon chart, kuang yazi was hunted down by the entire jianghu and couldn¡¯t live until now. it is said that when zheng feng met kuang yazi, kuang yazi was already at the end of his rope¡­ i estimate that before zheng feng learned the eight-steps frenzied blade, kuang yazi died. zheng feng didn¡¯t learn the essence and didn¡¯t have a master to guide him, so he crossed the river on his own and went astray¡­ as for this child¡¯s saber move, if kuang yazi were still alive, it wouldn¡¯t be too surprising. the origin of this saber technique is indeed difficult to figure out¡­¡± Chapter 19 the prince of jing¡¯s appreciation (3) ¡°could zheng feng have gone into seclusion all these years and comprehended kuang yazi¡¯s saber technique? and then he taught it to ye jingtang?¡± the white-haired old woman shook her head. ¡°zheng feng was crippled by xuanyuan chao. even practicing martial arts would be a problem. people can¡¯t gain enlightenment out of thin air. moreover, even if he taught it, he wouldn¡¯t only teach one saber move.¡± dongfang liren nodded slightly and looked at ye jingtang in the distance. ¡°it¡¯s impossible for kuang yazi to teach it. zheng feng himself went astray, so he couldn¡¯t teach it¡­ if he comprehended this saber move himself, doesn¡¯t this mean his comprehension is better than mine?¡± it¡¯s much better¡­ the white-haired old woman knew that the prince of jing was arrogant and didn¡¯t dare to attack her, so she just tactfully said, ¡°if this child comprehended this saber move himself, his comprehension ability could be said to be unprecedented. however, there have been many martial artists in the world who excelled at just one move. most of them died without making a splash. there are very few people who can use one move as a guide to expand a martial arts. we will have to see his specific achievements in the future.¡± dongfang liren didn¡¯t say anything else. seeing the people in the alley still waiting for orders, the white-haired old woman said, ¡°your highness, it¡¯s time to send a portrait to her majesty to take a look. let this child go back to freshen up and wait for her majesty¡¯s summons.¡± ¡°¡­¡± standing with her hands behind her back and looking at the handsome ye jingtang in the distance, dongfang liren remained silent for a while. ¡°her majesty is not interested in martial artists. this child¡¯s talent in martial arts is extraordinary. if he is really favored, it would be a pity for him to abandon martial arts and follow the literary path in the future. hmm¡­ there¡¯s no need to send a portrait. give him a token of the prince of jing estate. if he needs anything in the future, he can come to the estate to visit at any time.¡± ? hearing this, the white-haired old woman felt that the prince was deceiving the empress. she was keeping the handsome man and filling her own pockets¡­ but what the prince of jing said made sense. once he was favored by the empress, no matter how good his treatment was, he would still be treated like a princess¡¯s husband. he wouldn¡¯t be able to become an official, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to leave the empress¡¯s side. moreover, ¡®accompanying the emperor was like accompanying a tiger¡¯. he would be destined never to be able to raise his head for the rest of his life. the white-haired old woman also cherished talent and immediately nodded. ¡°as your highness orders.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª in the alley¡­ she long¡¯s arm had been cut by ye jingtang, so he left first to treat it, leaving only shang jianli standing here, talking nonsense with ye jingtang, waiting for orders from the higher-ups. after he waited for a long time, a black office constable ran into the alley and whispered something to shang jianli. after listening, shang jianli took a token and threw it to ye jingtang. ¡°saber wielder zheng feng¡¯s saber technique is similar to yours. zheng feng and qiu tianhe are acquainted, and qiu tianhe is a criminal of the imperial court. i was ordered to investigate this matter. today, i came for a routine investigation. young master ye, i hope you can forgive me for disturbing you.¡± ye jingtang secretly heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°sir, you are impartial. i should cooperate. it¡¯s good that the matter is investigated.¡± ¡°young master ye, your talent is extraordinary, and the prince of jing appreciates you greatly. she has specially given you a token. from now on, young master ye, you are an honored guest of the prince of jing estate.¡± ye jingtang accepted the token of prince of jing estate and sized it up. he was quite surprised. with this token, he would probably be able to go directly to the prince of jing estate and seek an audience with her. but more importantly, he would have a ¡®relationship¡¯ with her. the prince of jing was the younger sister of the reigning empress, and she was extremely favored. this was apparent from the fact that the empress had made an exception and conferred her, a princess, as a prince of the blood. having this token that allowed him to enter and leave the prince of jing estate meant that he had a close relationship with the prince of jing. it didn¡¯t matter what type of aristocrat or general someone was. if they wanted to touch this person, they had to ask the prince of jing¡¯s opinion first. however, once the token was shown, it would mean that the prince of jing would settle the matter for him, and it would be difficult for him to return the favor. ye jingtang pondered for a moment, put away the token, and cupped his hands. ¡°thank you for your appreciation, your highness prince of jing. is her highness the prince of jing nearby?¡± shang jianli didn¡¯t know how to answer, so he mumbled, ¡°her highness the prince of jing is everywhere.¡± then he turned around and left. ¡°¡­¡± ye jingtang felt that these words were very pretentious. he raised his head and looked around. he noticed yang guan, who was pretending to be dead in the corner! ¡°sir shang, is yang guan really a disciple of your close friend?¡± shang jianli didn¡¯t even turn his head. ¡°no.¡± with that, he disappeared into the alley. ¡°¡­¡± the old limestone alley fell silent. ¡°chirp!¡± the bird jumped out from the top of the wall and flapped its wings vigorously, presumably signaling: tangtang cut him! yang guan, who had lured ye jingtang into the encirclement, turned deathly pale when he saw that the black and white impermanences had suffered a loss and claimed not to know him. he raised his hands. ¡°young master ye, wait¡­ hiss¡ª¡± before he could finish his sentence, there was a gasp. ye jingtang had been beaten up by the black and white impermanences early in the morning. it wasn¡¯t good for him to be angry when facing people in the government, so he could only endure this stomach full of anger. seeing that the ghost messengers had left, he raised his hand and stabbed his saber into yang guan¡¯s intact right arm. crack! ¡°want to cut off my arm and leg?¡± yang guan didn¡¯t dare to make a sound. his arm drooped as he gritted his teeth and smiled apologetically. ¡°i was forced. i really can¡¯t afford to offend the black and white impermanences, so i could only do as i was told. otherwise, how would i dare to offend you? young master ye, your saber skills are truly impressive. i admire you. young master ye, take care¡­¡± ye jingtang sheathed his saber, put the bird on his shoulder, and quickly walked out of the alley¡­ Chapter 20 you¡¯re even deceiving me? the alley was near heavenly water bridge, and the commotion of the fight was not small. when ye jingtang turned out of the dead-end alley, he could see that the street was already full of people watching the excitement nearby. chen biao, yang chao, and the other escorts were among them. third lady was dressed as a woman from a merchant family. she was wearing a snow blue dress and stood at the entrance of the alley with a maidservant. she said apologetically, ¡°jingtang is young and rash. i will definitely discipline him well in the future. sir she¡¯s injury¡­¡± ¡°miss pei, there¡¯s no need to be so polite. we were ordered to investigate, and the government will take care of the injury. this matter has nothing to do with young master ye. please forgive us for disturbing the pei residence.¡± ¡°it¡¯s nothing¡­¡± pei xiangjun was an unmarried young lady of the pei family. although the shopkeepers and workers called her third lady, she was generally addressed as miss pei on formal occasions. ye jingtang tidied his robe and made sure that he was presentable before walking out of the alley. third lady hurriedly ran over while the escorts chased away the idlers watching the commotion. pei xiangjun¡¯s heart was full of anger, but she couldn¡¯t flare up. she arrived in front of ye jingtang and carefully examined his chest and arms. ¡°jingtang, are you hurt?¡± ye jingtang wanted to say that he was fine, but he felt a sharp pain in his left arm. he pulled up his sleeve to take a look. the blood vessels on his forearm were swelling, his skin was red, and there was a dull pain. pei xiangjun looked at his arm and could tell that his injury was due to withdrawing his move forcefully, causing internal energy backlash. fortunately, the injury wasn¡¯t serious. she held ye jingtang¡¯s left hand and covered it with her sleeve. ¡°how did you get hurt like this? those constables are really¡­¡± ye jingtang¡¯s hand was held. her warm hand felt tender and smooth¡­ but third lady¡¯s concern came from the bottom of her heart. he wanted to pull his hand away. ¡°i¡¯m fine. it¡¯s just a scratch.¡± but he didn¡¯t pull his hand away. ¡°it¡¯s just a scratch? it¡¯s already a serious injury.¡± pei xiangjun pulled ye jingtang to the front of the carriage and pushed him up, looking fierce. ye jingtang entered the carriage. he was a little unaccustomed to such overly considerate care. ¡°third lady, don¡¯t be so worried. in the past, at home, my foster father chased and beat me with a stick every day. this small injury is nothing.¡± after pei xiangjin got into the carriage, she closed the curtains and got the carriage driver to return to the manor. she took out some medicinal wine and soft pillows from the side. she placed the soft pillow on her knees and put ye jingtang¡¯s arm on it. ¡°what¡¯s wrong with you? if the constables ask, just tell them the truth. why did you pull out your saber and cut him?¡± ¡°it¡¯s a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°misunderstanding?¡± pei xiangjun gently applied the medicine on his forearm, her eyes full of annoyance. ¡°what kind of misunderstanding requires you to be so ruthless? i heard that even grandmasters of jianghu might not be able to injure the iron-armed impermanence. how did you injure him?¡± ¡°my foster father taught me a unique skill as my trump card. i didn¡¯t expect it to be so powerful.¡± hearing this, pei xiangjun became even angrier! when she went to test ye jingtang¡¯s martial arts, ye jingtang had ¡®pretended¡¯ to know nothing. in the end, when the black office came to interrogate him, ye jingtang took out the ¡®peerless saber technique¡¯. wasn¡¯t he courting death? but pei xiangjun also wondered why the black and white impermanences didn¡¯t see the clues. she asked, ¡°did second brother really teach that saber technique?¡± ¡°yes. who else could it be?¡± ¡°what is the name of the saber technique?¡± ¡°white slash¡­¡± snap~ pei xiangjun patted ye jingtang¡¯s shoulder as he spouted nonsense. she bit her lower lip, and her eyes were pitiful, looking as though she had been deceived by a heartless person. ¡°you¡¯re even deceiving me? do you know how scared your aunt and i were today? we were even going to look for the sirs at literary virtue bridge to help intercede¡­¡± ye jingtang really couldn¡¯t bear the look in her eyes and comforted her gently. ¡°i really practiced it casually. third lady, don¡¯t worry. the officials have already investigated everything. there¡¯s no problem. they even gave me a token.¡± pei xiangjun knew that ye jingtang didn¡¯t want the pei family to be involved in the affairs of jianghu. after looking at ye jingtang for a while, she didn¡¯t ask further. she took ye jingtang¡¯s token and looked at it. ¡°the token of the prince of jing estate? this thing isn¡¯t simple¡­¡± this token was equivalent to an olive branch thrown out by the prince of jing. if ye jingtang handled this properly and formed a strong relationship with the prince of jing, it would be equivalent to having a close relationship with the black office. and the black office was the government office that specialized in dealing with the people of jianghu. if such a person were in charge of the red flower pavilion, it would not be an exaggeration to describe him as ¡®all-powerful¡¯. even if he didn¡¯t know martial arts, how many forces in jianghu would dare to provoke him? thinking of this, pei xiangjun placed the token back into ye jingtang¡¯s hand. ¡°you have to take good care of this token. um¡­ the prince of jing appreciates you, so you have to be sincere. i¡¯ll go prepare some things and send them to the prince of jing estate in your name. you don¡¯t have to pay her a visit. if you really visit her without any special reason, it will make it seem like you don¡¯t know your place¡­¡± ¡°third lady, please make the arrangements as you see fit.¡± pei xiangjun pondered for a moment and said gently, ¡°i¡¯ll give you a few days off. rest well these few days and don¡¯t be busy with the matters of the shops. when i¡¯m done preparing, come to the pei residence. i¡¯ll introduce you to the other businesses of the pei family and bring you to meet a few shopkeepers from other places.¡± ye jingtang was slightly surprised. ¡°other than heavenly water bridge, the pei family has other businesses?¡± ¡°a little.¡± when pei xiangjun thought of the internal and external troubles of the red flower pavilion, she felt vexed and said quietly, ¡°it¡¯s such a big family business. as a woman, i really have my hands full. you have been doing well these few days. in the future, you will have to take over officially and help share the burden.¡± ¡°third lady, you¡¯re paying me such a high salary. i feel guilty because i have nothing to do. if there¡¯s anything, just arrange it.¡± ¡°you said it yourself. when the time comes, you can¡¯t quit because you find it too troublesome.¡± ¡°how is that possible? i always keep my promises.¡± only then was pei xiangjun satisfied. she wiped his arm gently and virtuously. ye jingtang had his hand on third lady pei¡¯s legs. although there was a soft pillow between them, this posture was indeed a little intimate. third lady lowered her head to apply medicine. the pearl hairpin on her bun swayed slightly as the carriage moved forward. her soft red lips and heavy clothes were within reach. ye jingtang originally thought that his willpower was outstanding enough that he wouldn¡¯t be bewitched by beauty. but after arriving in the capital, he became less and less confident. his gaze moved away from her plump red lips, and he moved to get the medicine. ¡°i can do it myself.¡± smack! pei xiangjun patted ye jingtang¡¯s hand. ¡°do you dislike me?¡± ¡°how can that be? i¡¯m just afraid that you will be tired. sigh~ okay, continue¡­¡± ye jingtang could only retract his hand and sit upright. to be honest, he felt a little strange. after sitting for a while, he recalled the matter of the red flower pavilion and quietly looked at third lady a few times. she was gentle, delicate, and charming. she even spoke coquettishly at every turn. no matter how he looked at her, she didn¡¯t seem to be related to the ¡®female sect master¡¯ of a wealthy and powerful jianghu sect. it was impossible for ye jingtang to make a move to probe her. after looking at her for a while, he found that third lady had raised her eyes to look at him before shifting her gaze elsewhere¡­ Chapter 21 again, little thief? ye jingtang left heavenly water bridge and rode his black horse back to dye workshop street. on the way, he checked his left arm. forcefully retracting his attack had injured his left arm. after pei xiangjun massaged it with medicine, there were no longer any traces by noon. he didn¡¯t know if his injury was too light or if the medicine was too potent. in any case, the effect was a bit outrageous, so he specially asked for two bottles of medicine. when he returned to double osmanthus alley, the old alley was already silent. from the traces on the ground, the constables had not come to patrol again. he led the horse to the house and pushed the door open. the courtyard had been cleaned up. the door to the main room was open, but there was no sign of the two women inside. ye jingtang thought that the two of them had left without saying goodbye and felt a little disappointed. but when he walked under the kitchen roof, he saw a figure standing in the small kitchen that had never been used. the figure was wearing a long blue dress. her legs were long under the dress, and the skirt reached her ankles. she was wearing a pair of shoes with bamboo leaf patterns on them. the figure had her back to the window. she must have known that he had entered the house, but she ignored him. she was wiping the edge of the rice vat with a linen cloth. her slightly bent posture caused her long ink-black hair to slide down her shoulders. her long dress was already form-fitting to begin with. viewed from behind, the dress hugged her waist, and the skirt drew a plump arc in the old kitchen. her butt was like the full moon of the mid-autumn festival. (¡Ñ_¡Ñ;)! ye jingtang¡¯s gaze only subconsciously swept past, but he didn¡¯t stare. but luo ning¡¯s senses were rather sharp. sensing that something was wrong, she immediately stood up straight and turned to look at the window with a slightly cold gaze. ye jingtang tethered his horse outside the window and said with a smile, ¡°heroine luo, you are so virtuous. why did you help me clean the kitchen?¡± when luo ning found that there was nothing out of the ordinary, the vigilance between her brows disappeared, but her anger did not subside. ¡°you look like a human, but your house is a mess. not to mention firewood and rice, you don¡¯t even have a pot¡­¡± ¡°i just moved in yesterday. you can¡¯t blame me for that. and this house is too run-down. i was going to change places yesterday, so i didn¡¯t need to clean it.¡± ? luo ning stopped. ¡°why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? yunli and i have been cleaning up for half a day¡­¡± ¡°in that case, stay here for now. anyway, i¡¯ve already paid the rent.¡± ye jingtang carried the bird into the old kitchen and sized it up from behind the stove. ¡°where¡¯s the girl?¡± luo ning took two steps to the side to keep a distance. ¡°she went to buy you kitchenware¡­¡± as she spoke, ye jingtang took out a small porcelain bottle and handed it to her. ¡°what is this?¡± ¡°wound medicine. i asked the boss of the escort agency for it. it¡¯s very effective. why don¡¯t you try it?¡± luo ning took the small medicine bottle, opened it, and took a sniff. ¡°jade dragon ointment¡­¡± she frowned and looked at ye jingtang suspiciously. ¡°this medicine came from ¡®xinglin sacred hand¡¯ medicine king li. it¡¯s a divine medicine for treating internal injuries, and it can¡¯t be bought on the market. it can be sold for more than a hundred taels of silver on the black market. even if an escort agency in the capital has it, it will only be used to save lives. how can it be given to you for nothing?¡± ?! hearing this, ye jingtang almost staggered. third lady had treated his arm with it today as if it was free. he thought it was just ordinary wound medicine. more than a hundred taels of silver? no wonder the medicine is so effective¡­ ye jingtang had already taken it out, so he naturally wouldn¡¯t take it back. he said magnanimously, ¡°consider it an advance payment. the sooner you recover and leave, the sooner i can be free. take it.¡± when luo ning heard this, the look in her eyes changed. ¡°are you stupid? even if i¡¯m injured, i have my own medicine. why do i need you to work for a year for nothing?¡± ¡°heroine luo, if you feel embarrassed, why don¡¯t you teach me more martial arts?¡± luo ning knew what ye jingtang was up to, so she handed the medicine back. ¡°give it back to your boss. dream on. when second-rate experts in jianghu take in disciples, the disciples have to offer a hundred taels of silver. you want me to teach you an ultimate technique with just a bottle of medicine? hmph¡­¡± ye jingtang naturally didn¡¯t take it. he crossed his arms, looked out of the courtyard, and said jokingly, ¡°sigh, it¡¯s a good thing i¡¯m not a villain.¡± ¡°aren¡¯t you a villain? yesterday, you¡­¡± luo ning¡¯s beautiful face flushed red, and she wiped the vat harder. wipe, wipe¡­ ye jingtang said helplessly, ¡°if i were a villain, it would be too easy for me to get you to teach me martial arts. i¡¯ll just say one sentence. madam luo, you don¡¯t want our matter to be¡ª¡± clang! before he could finish his sentence, a cold light flashed in the old kitchen. a three-foot-long blade was unsheathed from nowhere. when it appeared, it was already at ye jingtang¡¯s neck. luo ning bit her lower lip tightly and glared at ye jingtang, her face alternating between red and white. her eyes were glistening with disappointment, and two tears were about to roll down her cheeks. ¡°chirp~¡± the bird shrank its neck weakly and moved away. ye jingtang¡¯s reaction was calm. he looked at the sword that was only half an inch away from his neck. ¡°i was just making an example. heroine luo, you¡¯re not teaching me, so i¡¯ve only tried to flatter you. have i ever been rude to you?¡± ¡°if you were truly incorrigible, you would have died yesterday. you wouldn¡¯t have lived until today.¡± luo ning¡¯s expression was ice-cold as she stared at ye jingtang. ¡°you and i are both responsible for what happened yesterday. i won¡¯t hold it against you anymore, and you¡¯re not allowed to mention it again. if you dare to spread it to a third person, don¡¯t blame me for being ruthless¡­¡± while luo ning was speaking, a commotion suddenly sounded outside the alley. clomp, clomp¡­ it sounded like a person. their footsteps were heavy, and there was the sound of metal rubbing against each other. it sounded like armor. this person was moving very quickly¡­ ye jingtang¡¯s brows furrowed. hiding armor privately was the crime of rebellion. someone who could walk around in armor could only be from the government¡­ luo ning also had a puzzled look on her face. if she hastily flew out of the courtyard, she would be easily discovered by experts. she looked at ye jingtang, wanting to discuss how to deal with this situation. but the little thief in front of her didn¡¯t panic in the face of danger. his reaction was extremely fast. he directly pulled her right hand, which was holding the sword, and rushed out of the kitchen toward the main room. ¡°you?!¡± luo ning, who was still maintaining a cold expression, staggered from the pull. her eyes were astonished, and she felt that this kid had been waiting for such an opportunity! luo ning wanted to pull her hand back and stop, but she didn¡¯t want to make too much noise. after hesitating for a moment, she let him pull her into the room. the door was closed carefully. luo ning was afraid that this little thief would pounce on her and touch her, so she quickly raised her sword and warned in a low voice, ¡°don¡¯t touch me. i¡¯ll do it myself!¡± ye jingtang nodded, carefully watched the window, and signaled her to put on a good act. luo ning didn¡¯t get pushed down by this man and secretly heaved a sigh of relief. she sat upright on the edge of the bed and whispered with her eyes full of disgust, ¡°ah¡­ ah¡­¡± her voice was emotionless and skillless, like a dead fish pretending to cater to a man. ?! ye jingtang¡¯s expression changed drastically. he quickly turned around and covered heroine luo¡¯s mouth. ¡°are you courting death? why are you still messing around at a time like this?¡± luo ning¡¯s mouth was covered, and her entire body trembled violently. then she was furious. she forcefully pried open the hand covering her mouth and glared fiercely at ye jingtang, presumably meaning: i¡¯m already cooperating and crying out, yet you still dare to touch me?! from the looks of it, she still didn¡¯t know what she had done wrong. ye jingtang didn¡¯t know what to say to this woman. he gestured for luo ning to shut up, squatted at the side, and shook the bed vigorously. creak, creak¡­ the sound of old furniture shaking was faintly discernible in the courtyard. soon, the footsteps in the alley slowed down. then a familiar faint voice sounded. ¡°martial mistress?¡± the voice was full of suspicion! ye jingtang¡¯s movements stiffened as he looked outside in bewilderment. luo ning¡¯s anger instantly turned into panic. she hurriedly pushed ye jingtang, who was squatting in front of her, away and stood up. squeak! the courtyard door was pushed open at the same time. ye jingtang looked out from the crack of the door and saw a pile of things walking in cautiously. it was hard to describe the exact appearance. it was probably an iron pot at the top with bedding underneath. the bedding was placed on a few stools, and kitchenware was hanging around it. at the bottom was part of a dress. as the pile walked, the kitchenware hit each other, making clangs. zhe yunli turned sideways slightly and poked her watery face out from behind the pile of items. her gaze was very strange as she looked at the room. what is martial mistress doing¡­? luo ning knew that zhe yunli had heard the sound of the bed and didn¡¯t know how to explain. just as she was at a loss, she felt a pain in her arm. someone was pinching her. in the blink of an eye, the shameless thief squatted at the edge of the bed and pretended to be repairing the bed while beckoning her to speak. luo ning came back to her senses and hurriedly said, ¡°yunli, welcome back.¡± hearing luo ning¡¯s voice, zhe yunli secretly heaved a sigh of relief. her footsteps quickened as she carried the things into the kitchen while asking in puzzlement, ¡°martial mistress, what are you doing? why did i hear the bed shaking just now? you seemed to have hummed twice¡­¡± ¡°i¡­¡± luo ning¡¯s face flushed red. she just wanted to kill this little thief with one strike. she didn¡¯t know how to hide it. squatting at the head of the bed, ye jingtang had a calm expression as he shook the bed a few times. ¡°the bed is loose, so i¡¯m fixing it. i was talking to your martial mistress just now. ¡± ¡°why are you back so early?¡± zhe yunli stopped and looked suspiciously at the closed door. ye jingtang stood up and went to open the door. ¡°there¡¯s nothing much going on outside. i just got home. why did you buy so many things?¡± when zhe yunli saw that ye jingtang¡¯s clothes were neat and that there was nothing unusual, she inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°what can we use if i don¡¯t buy them?¡± she placed the miscellaneous items on the chopping board, only to find that there was a big white bird in the rice vat. it was using its claws to press against the linen cloth and was doing housework miserably. zhe yunli¡¯s eyes lit up. she immediately put the matter of the man and woman repairing the bed behind closed doors to the back of her mind and leaned over the rice vat to look inside. ¡°huh? this bird knows how to clean vats?¡± ¡°chirp¡­¡± the bird jumped to the edge of the rice vat and threw the linen cloth into the hands of poached eggs. then it lay down on the chopping board and spread its wings, making a ¡®tired bird¡¯ appearance¡­ Chapter 22 family of three the warm sun was setting in the west, and smoke was rising from the old alley that had not seen the lives of common people for a long time. most of the courtyard had been tidied up, and even the pillars had been wiped clean. the setting sun was shining on the kitchen window on the left. two pieces of smoked meat, a salted fish, and some ginger, garlic, and dried vegetables were hanging from the window. the fluffy bird was squatting on the windowsill and staring at the big salted fish eagerly, its bright black eyes filled with regret that there was nothing in its beak. beside the wooden table by the window stood a young woman in a blue dress. she was holding a brand new kitchen knife in her hand and cutting a handful of lush garlic sprouts. her delicate face was glowing with a crystal-clear color under the sunlight. she really looked like a fox fairy who had gone to a farmhouse to repay a favor. beside the stove at the back, a handsome man in black was skillfully cooking stir-fried meat with a spatula. because heroine zhe didn¡¯t know how to cook, she looked like a little girl in a family of three. she was squatting beside the stove to add firewood while looking at ye jingtang eagerly. ¡°i didn¡¯t know a grown man like you could cook.¡± ¡°i was raised by my foster father. there were only two men in my family. i couldn¡¯t possibly eat out every day. speaking of which, you¡¯re a girl. how are you going to get married in the future if you don¡¯t even know how to cook?¡± ¡°i am from jianghu. in jianghu, you are always on the road. if there are restaurants, you eat there. if there aren¡¯t any, you¡¯ll eat dry rations. so there¡¯s no need to learn how to cook.¡± ¡°so, you¡¯re already fifteen or sixteen years old, yet you still let your martial mistress do all the cooking alone?¡± ¡°my master will also¡­¡± ¡°yunli!¡± luo ning turned around and shouted fiercely. then she looked at ye jingtang¡¯s back as if she wanted to throw the kitchen knife at him. zhe yunli looked at ye jingtang and pondered for a moment before saying coquettishly, ¡°big brother jingtang~¡± oh my god¡­ ye jingtang and luo ning staggered at the same time and looked at the coquettish zhe yunli. zhe yunli¡¯s sweet face was full of smiles. ¡°you¡¯re making a living in the capital, so you definitely have more connections than martial mistress and me. is there any way to sneak into the black office and help us save hero qiu?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ye jingtang was naturally not interested in helping these two crazy women break someone out of prison. but he would indeed go to the black office to build a good relationship with the imperial court so that he could figure out the situation and find an opportunity to enter the palace to dig up the roaring dragon chart. furthermore, he knew that his foster father had a grudge against xuanyuan chao, but he didn¡¯t know the cause of the grudge. qiu tianhe and his foster father had known each other back then, so he probably knew a little. while he was getting close to the black office, it didn¡¯t seem impossible for him to think of a way to meet him¡­ while ye jingtang was deep in thought, his lower back was suddenly hit by an elbow. when he came back to his senses, he saw heroine luo standing beside him with the kitchen knife and garlic sprouts, her eyes slightly annoyed. ¡°the food is burning!¡± ¡°hmm?¡± ye jingtang realized that there was smoke coming out of the pan. he quickly tossed the food in the pan and asked luo ning to put the garlic sprouts in. ¡°i¡¯ve long heard that hero qiu is chivalrous. i¡¯ll go to the black office tomorrow and ask. however, let me make it clear first. i¡¯ll at most help you confirm hero qiu¡¯s safety. i won¡¯t help you save him.¡± luo ning saw that ye jingtang was really going to help her inquire, so the annoyance in her eyes subsided a little, but she was also a little suspicious. ¡°you¡¯re helping me just like that? there¡¯s no¡­ improper request?¡± ye jingtang knew what heroine luo meant. he shook his head and smiled. ¡°if you feel embarrassed, you can teach me a few moves as compensation.¡± zhe yunli patted the poached eggs on her chest heroically. ¡°that¡¯s simple. if you can help save hero qiu, i will ask the eight chiefs to teach you martial arts.¡± luo ning nodded. ¡°i won¡¯t owe you a favor. if you help me, even if it¡¯s just to find out about qiu tianhe¡¯s situation, i¡¯ll teach you martial arts. however, i¡¯ll only teach you one move.¡± hearing this, ye jingtang was naturally forthright. ¡°no problem.¡± crackle¡­ the aroma of the stir-fry gradually filled the small courtyard in the deep alley. as the sun set in the west, a small table was placed in the main room. as an ¡®elder¡¯, luo ning sat on the main seat and faced the door. ye jingtang and zhe yunli sat opposite each other while the bird stood at the edge of the table. on the table were three bowls of rice, four dishes, and one soup, as well as a small plate with food for the bird. three people and one bird were eating in the old but neat courtyard. the scene looked quite harmonious. even if officials came in, they would probably not be able to see any clues. luo ning was holding her small bowl and eating slowly. her demeanor and actions were very ladylike. occasionally, she would help zhe yunli pick up some food. ye jingtang naturally didn¡¯t have such good fortune. he didn¡¯t take the initiative to curry favor. he only occasionally fed the expectant bird with its beak open. as for zhe yunli¡­ zhe yunli had a very lively personality. seeing that her master¡¯s wife had been a little unhappy for the past two days, perhaps she wanted to make a joke to tease her. while eating, she quietly raised her embroidered shoe under the table¡­ and rubbed it against her leg! ! luo ning suddenly froze as she was taking a small bite of food. from the corner of her eye, she looked at ye jingtang, who was ¡®acting¡¯ as if he was playing with the bird, and boundless anger and shame surged in her eyes. then¡­ she pretended nothing had happened and continued eating. ?? zhe yunli frowned in disbelief. why didn¡¯t martial mistress react after i teased her? shouldn¡¯t she be blushing or glaring at ye jingtang? could it be that she doesn¡¯t dare to flare up? zhe yunli thought that this was the only reason. she pondered for a moment and raised her embroidered shoe again. following the orientation of her master¡¯s wife, she quietly rubbed her shoe against ye jingtang¡¯s leg. ye jingtang reacted extremely quickly. he turned his head and looked under the table. then he looked up at zhe yunli with a strange gaze. ¡°why did you kick me?¡± !! zhe yunli¡¯s expression stiffened. why didn¡¯t you pretend not to notice? aren¡¯t you afraid of embarrassing me? after thinking about it, she got up and wanted to run. luo ning realized that it was yunli who was causing trouble just now. she was so angry that her willowy eyebrows were vertical as she slammed the table. ¡°yunli! come back here!¡± ¡°ah! martial mistress, i was wrong. i was just joking¡­¡± pa! pa! pa! as soon as zhe yunli got up, luo ning caught her, picked up the broom in the room, and smacked her butt twice. ¡°you¡¯re a pure and unmarried girl. how could you rub a man¡¯s leg? didn¡¯t your master teach you how to behave? the older you get, the more presumptuous you become¡­¡± ¡°ah¡ª! martial mistress, i was wrong. i was just joking. don¡¯t be so angry¡­¡± ye jingtang naturally didn¡¯t care to help zhe yunli. she was the one who made the joke and jumped into the volcano herself. he buried his head in his food, pretending not to see anything. the bird, on the other hand, was very warm-hearted. it flew to the two of them to persuade luo ning to stop. ¡°chirp, chirp, chirp¡­¡± it was probably saying: stop hitting her. you should be beating tangtang¡­ fortunately, ye jingtang didn¡¯t know. otherwise, they would be eating poached chicken for dinner¡­ ¡ª¡ª¡ª unknowingly, the moon had risen. the courtyard hidden in the old alley already had a brand new look. the ground and steps were neat and clean, and the cracks in the doors and windows had been repaired. a simple bird¡¯s nest had even been made under the roof. tap, tap, tap! zhe yunli, who was wearing a flaxen dress, was squatting on the roof of the main room and nailing wooden boards over the hole with a small hammer. ye jingtang was standing on top of the kitchen in the neighboring courtyard, tearing down tiles and throwing them to zhe yunli. of course, he had already informed the landlady about this. in the afternoon, luo ning¡¯s head hurt from being angered by zhe yunli, so it wasn¡¯t appropriate for her to go out and walk around. she had entered the room earlier and gone to sleep with her head covered, ignoring everyone. after working hard for most of the day, they completely repaired the roof, and the place was already like a normal small house. the two of them jumped down from the roof. although there were a few small stools in the room, if they sat in front of luo ning at this time, they would probably not be treated with a smile. under the alluring moonlight, they practiced martial arts in the spotless courtyard. zhe yunli had learned many martial arts. at this moment, she was slowly practicing a fist technique under the eaves. the bird was imitating her not far away. but other than ¡®white crane spreading its wings¡¯, it was all flapping around. in the middle of the courtyard, ye jingtang was standing with his saber at his waist, eyes closed and focused. after comprehending the first saber move through the ¡®introduction¡¯ taught by his foster father, he was considered to have gotten started. ye jingtang felt that the eight-steps frenzied blade should be a combo technique. this could be seen from the drawing of the saber with the left hand. as for the combo, it would definitely be ¡®one move with the back, followed by two moves with the front¡¯, with no gaps in between. the left hand should draw the saber in a reverse grip and cut horizontally. after stopping, the tip of the saber should be pointing outward, and the hilt should be pointing to the right hand, which would then allow for the ¡®main hand grip¡¯. crack! ye jingtang drew his saber with his left hand in a reverse grip and swept it across. he sent the saber in his left hand into his right hand. his posture changed to a posture of holding his saber with his right hand while leaning forward. then he thrust his saber forward and slashed, making a vibrating sound in the air. swoosh! after feeling it for a while, he began to adjust his feet, waist, and back, looking for the most suitable movements for the saber technique. zhe yunli was punching slowly. after watching for a long time, she said in puzzlement, ¡°what are you practicing?¡± ye jingtang sheathed his saber. then he cut horizontally and slashed again. ¡°practicing with the saber. can¡¯t you see?¡± ¡°you call this a saber technique? it¡¯s completely a sham¡­¡± ¡°yunli!¡± at the window of the main room, luo ning was secretly peeking. because she had witnessed ye jingtang¡¯s astonishing comprehension ability, she naturally wouldn¡¯t mock him. instead, her expression was solemn. ¡°are you creating your own saber technique?¡± ye jingtang shook his head. ¡°i¡¯m just learning the moves taught by the older generation. it¡¯s impolite for others to ask questions when people are practicing martial arts.¡± hearing this, luo ning and zhe yunli naturally stopped interrupting and just looked at ye jingtang seriously as he practiced. but in the end, as the night deepened, they didn¡¯t see ye jingtang accomplish anything. today, zhe yunli had gone out and bought bedding. the small room on the east side had also been cleaned up. there were bed frames inside, which had already been laid out. ye jingtang didn¡¯t mind sharing a bed with a girl, but luo ning and zhe yunli certainly wouldn¡¯t agree. so they slept in separate rooms, and the day ended just like that¡­ Chapter 23 the black office the sun rose from the east, and the distant morning bell rang in the enormous city. the area around jasper pavilion was already packed with people. countless travelers from all over the world gathered here to seek a livelihood. ye jingtang rode his black horse through the bustling streets and alleys and stopped outside the unplaqued government office near jasper pavilion. the black office was quite large. there was a small square outside the main entrance with a flagpole erected on it. however, there was no flag hanging on it. instead, it was a place where heads were hung. there was even a special saying in jianghu about this: hanging heads at the black office. the black office was known as the ¡®king of hell¡¯s palace¡¯ and was a private guard of the prince of jing. it was not within the framework of the six departments, and it didn¡¯t accept lawsuits or hold trials. usually, no one would visit at all. there were only two constables standing guard outside the door. ye jingtang handed over his token and was invited in. inside the door was a normal lobby. there were detention rooms on both sides but no place to receive guests. after waiting for a while behind the screen wall, two people walked out from the back of the hall. the one in the lead was ¡®white impermanence¡¯ shang jianli. he was dressed differently from yesterday¡¯s jianghu apparel. he was wearing a blue robe. by the way, the nicknames white impermanence and six fiends were given by the people of jianghu. their original intention was derogatory, but because of their strength, they became respectful titles. shang jianli was a proper military official who enjoyed a fourth-rank salary. there was a high probability that he didn¡¯t like the title of ¡®life-reaping impermanence¡¯. he wore a blue robe instead of white, presumably to avoid arousing suspicion. following behind shang jianli was the bearded wang chihu. he waved politely from afar. ¡°brother ye, you¡¯re really disloyal. two days ago, you pretended to be poor. but the entire heavenly water bridge belongs to your family. to think i wanted to help you¡­¡± ye jingtang stepped forward and cupped his hands. ¡°sir shang, commander wang, why did you personally come out to welcome me? i¡¯m too undeserving.¡± wang chihu chuckled and said, ¡°it¡¯s good that you know. as the eldest young master of the pei family, you injured constable she. if you don¡¯t go to the golden screen building and order more than ten girls to serve us, do you still want to survive in the capital?¡± ¡°of course. i accidentally injured sir she yesterday and didn¡¯t have the time to apologize. why don¡¯t we invite sir she up to the golden screen building now?¡± while talking, ye jingtang sized shang jianli up. only then did he realize that shang jianli was very young, in his early thirties at most. internal martial arts experts were all more monstrous the older they got. to be able to create a reputation that made the people of jianghu tremble in fear at such a young age was terrifying. shang jianli¡¯s temperament was rather cold, but he still showed a smile when facing ye jingtang. ¡°i don¡¯t like alcohol and women, and she long still needs to recuperate for a few days. young master ye, when work is over, you can accompany commander wang. young master ye, are you here to see her highness the prince of jing?¡± ¡°i¡¯m just a commoner, so i wouldn¡¯t dare to alarm her highness. her highness appreciates me, so i¡¯m here today to see if i can help the imperial court with my skills.¡± ¡°oh?¡± when shang jianli heard this, his eyes showed a look of approval. he directly led ye jingtang to the back office. ¡°if her highness knows that you have such intentions, she will definitely be gratified. jianghu is too big, and the authority of the black office isn¡¯t clear. the dirty work that the law office can¡¯t handle is all thrown to the black office. the constables of the law office really can¡¯t do any work¡­¡± after chatting for a while, shang jianli brought ye jingtang into the main hall. there were several rows of bookshelves in the hall, and the west wall was full of ¡®wanted posters¡¯. there were probably close to a hundred people. the topmost one had the name ¡®xue baijin¡¯ written on it. this name was a little unfamiliar, but ye jingtang looked at the content for a bit and was shocked. xue baijin, pacifying heaven cult master. the pacifying heaven cult was like thunder in ye jingtang¡¯s ears. it was an organization established by the remnants of the previous dynasty. they guarded the south firmament mountains to the death and still refused to surrender even 60 years after their country perished. and pacifying heaven cult master ranked first among the eight chiefs and fourth in the world. this person was known as ¡®invincible under the mountains¡¯ and had no opponents in the secular jianghu. the only ones the pacifying heaven cult master couldn¡¯t defeat were the three old monsters cultivating immortality on the mountains. standing in front of the wall, ye jingtang looked at the pacifying heaven cult master¡¯s wanted poster. he felt that it was just for show. behind him, wang chihu guessed ye jingtang¡¯s thoughts and teased, ¡°master ksitigarbha shook his head when he saw this thing. no one dares to accept it. brother ye, do you want to give it a try?¡± ¡°the people hanging on this wall are all celestial soldiers and generals. i can¡¯t even afford to offend the ones at the lowest level. commander wang, stop joking.¡± ¡°one must have ambition.¡± wang chihu sighed. ¡°the pacifying heaven cult master isn¡¯t a good person. the former number one beauty of jianghu, the ¡®moon goddess¡¯, was chivalrous, highly skilled in martial arts, and had countless admirers in jianghu. her peerless elegance of ¡®dressing in blue under the moonlight¡¯ had attracted countless young heroes. to this day, all the women in jianghu love blue clothes more than red clothes¡­¡± ye jingtang had never heard of this story before and asked curiously, ¡°this heroine was harmed by the pacifying heaven cult master?¡± ¡°if she were harmed, i would still respect xue baijin for not being moved by beauty. according to the rumors, the moon goddess was a chivalrous heroine who accidentally met the pacifying heaven cult master and then became the cult mistress.¡± ¡°the pacifying heaven cult master captured her?¡± shang jianli shook his head. ¡°don¡¯t listen to the rumors of jianghu. the pacifying heaven cult has been defending the south firmament mountains for sixty years without surrendering. it¡¯s true that they are stubborn, want to restore the former dynasty, and are unforgivable rebels, but they do know the word loyalty. otherwise, the pacifying heaven cult wouldn¡¯t be sought after by so many people in jianghu. how could such a formidable person do such a despicable thing as robbing a woman?¡± ye jingtang thought about it and nodded. shang jianli was afraid that ye jingtang would misunderstand, so he explained, ¡°of course, i¡¯m not saying that the pacifying heaven cult master is a good person. it¡¯s just that compared to the green bandits, who have committed countless atrocious acts, he¡¯s slightly more moral. to the imperial court, they are all unpardonable rebels. if the people of jianghu were as loyal to the imperial court as the void jade mountain and jun mountain terrace or as obedient as the red flower pavilion and water cloud sword pool, the world would have long been at peace.¡± wang chihu was bold enough to say directly, ¡°people who know that those in power are unfair and unkind but dare not use martial arts to break the rules are not worthy of the word ¡®chivalrous¡¯. if everyone could eat and drink their fill, how many people would hang their heads on their belts and wander around jianghu? in my opinion, there is a reason that there are too many people in jianghu who are unruly. the problem lies in the first three rows of the hall of the supreme principle. you can¡¯t blame the people of jianghu for having spines.¡± ?! this was no longer killing the conversation but killing people. shang jianli turned around and left, as if he hadn¡¯t heard anything. ye jingtang was stunned. he braced himself and asked, ¡°may i ask who commander wang¡¯s respected father is?¡± a proud look appeared on wang chihu¡¯s face. ¡°my father is the country-protecting duke, wang yin, and the prince of jing is my cousin. am i fierce?¡± ye jingtang really couldn¡¯t tell. no wonder he wasn¡¯t afraid of death. he cupped his hands and said, ¡°impressive, impressive. i was blind.¡± ¡°it¡¯s nothing¡­¡± shang jianli should be accustomed to wang chihu¡¯s unrestrained words and actions. he went to the bookshelves, took out a pile of dossiers, and handed them to ye jingtang. ¡°young master ye, these are the tasks that the black office is doing. they are all under the jurisdiction of yun province. you can choose whatever you want. young master ye, you are not from the black office, so according to the rules, after you complete a task, the reward will be sent directly to your residence. the credit can only be recorded in my name. please don¡¯t mind it, young master ye.¡± this meant ¡®outsourcing¡¯. because there were too many people in great wei¡¯s jianghu, the government didn¡¯t have enough manpower. such things were actually very common. the ¡®bounty order¡¯ was one of them. ye jingtang had come to the black office to build some connections. it was definitely not enough to just talk without action. so he immediately took the stack of dossiers and checked them¡­ shang jianli didn¡¯t stand on ceremony at all. they were all big cases! the perpetrators basically all had nicknames in jianghu, such as ¡®heart eviscerator¡¯ and ¡®skinning scholar¡¯. one look and it was apparent that they were devils of jianghu. the evaluations of martial arts skills were either ¡®first-rate expert, suspected grandmaster¡¯ or ¡®ruthless and cunning, treat with caution¡¯. after ye jingtang flipped through a few pages, his expression became slightly awkward. ¡°is there anything simpler? i¡¯ve just entered society¡­ ahem¡­ i¡¯ve just entered jianghu. i¡¯m afraid these tasks¡­¡± shang jianli did a ¡®ghost pat¡¯ on the shoulder. ¡°young master ye, you almost severed she long¡¯s arm. even though he¡¯s not a grandmaster, he¡¯s not far from being one. letting you catch petty thieves who will only reward you with a few taels of silver is too unfair to you. the black office doesn¡¯t have such simple tasks. since you¡¯re already here, you can just pick any one of them. if you succeed, you will be getting rid of evil for the people. it doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t succeed.¡± ye jingtang braced himself and flipped through the list. finally, he found a cat burglar¡ªthe yan province thief ¡®wingless owl¡¯. his lightness skills were outstanding, but his combat strength was not high. according to sources, he had come to the capital recently and snuck into the ¡®monolith stele pavilion¡¯, where historical materials were stored. he seemed to be looking for something, so he should still be in the capital. the wingless owl had a few lives on his hands, which was why he was wanted by the black office. but those who were ¡®thieves¡¯ probably didn¡¯t have exaggerated combat strength and were less dangerous. ye jingtang wanted to accept it, but after taking a closer look at his file, he found that the most famous feat of the wingless owl had been stealing from yan mountain¡¯s cutting cloud palace! ye jingtang was shocked. he never expected that there would be a jianghu thief in the world who could steal from one of the eight chiefs. this person was dangerous but also not dangerous. but how could a fierce person who dared to steal from cutting cloud palace and escape unscathed be easily captured? the other cases were much more risky than this one. ye jingtang flipped through them twice, but there weren¡¯t any other ones that were easy for him to get involved in. it seemed that this was the only case. after thinking about it, he still took out the case file of the wingless owl. ¡°i don¡¯t have much combat experience, so i¡¯ll try this. if i can¡¯t catch him, i hope you won¡¯t blame me.¡± ¡°the government is also investigating. young master ye, just do your best. even if you can¡¯t catch him, if you can find his whereabouts, the reward will not be small.¡± ¡°dead or alive?¡± ¡°the bandits who can be pursued by the black office have all committed serious crimes and are dangerous and cunning. other than some people with special identities, if you can kill them on the spot, don¡¯t hold back. in the past, because of this, many brothers in the government died. young master ye, you must not be merciful.¡± ye jingtang nodded slightly. after accepting the task, he made use of the situation and said, ¡°i¡¯m quite passionate about saber techniques. yesterday, sir shang mentioned ¡®heavenly equalling saber¡¯ qiu tianhe. i heard that he¡¯s a grandmaster of the saber. i wonder if it¡¯s convenient for you¡­¡± shang jianli had seen ye jingtang¡¯s saber technique yesterday, so he wasn¡¯t surprised that he was curious about the saber grandmasters of jianghu. ye jingtang¡¯s family background was clear. and in the black office, shang jianli was not afraid of him breaking the prisoner out or killing the prisoner. shang jianli turned around and led the way. ¡°alright, young master ye, i¡¯ll bring you to take a look. qiu tianhe is a saber grandmaster who is famous in jianghu. if he can give you some pointers, it will be extremely beneficial to you.¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t expect shang jianli to be so straightforward. he immediately followed behind and cupped his hands. ¡°thank you for your help, sir shang.¡± ¡°it¡¯s nothing. don¡¯t mention it.¡± Chapter 24 the new generation replaces the old the black office was independent of the six departments. they could patrol, arrest, interrogate, and execute internally. the prison where the criminals were held was behind the office. to be precise, it was directly under jasper pavilion. ye jingtang followed shang jianli for a long time and gradually came to the vicinity of jasper pavilion. he discovered that there was a large mansion behind it. behind the high walls were pavilions and trees, vividly displaying the luxurious style of the imperial family. ¡°is this the back door of the prince of jing estate?¡± ¡°the black office is the prince of jing¡¯s private guard, so it¡¯s logical that it¡¯s in the outer residence of the prince of the jing estate. the main gate of the black office is the back door of the prince¡¯s estate.¡± shang jianli entered the stairs that led to the underground from the corridor. those who could make the black office mobilize were not mediocre people. most of them would be killed on the spot and wouldn¡¯t be allowed to live a moment longer. there were not many people imprisoned in the dungeon. as soon as ye jingtang entered the dungeon, he felt a gloomy cold air assault his face. the aisle in front of him was bottomless, and the oil lamps along the way looked like will-o¡¯-the-wisps. after walking for about a hundred steps, he walked down two floors and arrived at a basement. there were two jailers standing outside the basement. there were no windows on all sides. there were oil lamps lit and a large hole in the middle. a refined iron fence covered the hole, and a chain with an iron lock locked the gate of the hole. every iron rod of the fence was as thick as a man¡¯s wrist, and just the weight of the rods alone was impossible for ordinary people to lift, let alone break through the lock. ye jingtang came to the hole and looked down. inside the hole was a stone room with some daily necessities. there was a prisoner sitting against the wall. the prisoner¡¯s clothes were relatively clean, but his hair was loose. his hands and feet were bound by arm-thick iron chains. his skeleton was large, but his body was very thin. ye jingtang popped his head out over the hole, and the prisoner with disheveled hair raised his head. there were some wrinkles on his face, and he looked to be about fifty years old or so. but his eyes were full of vigor, and he didn¡¯t look dispirited at all. it was as if he was sitting at home and watching a guest come to visit. but after discovering that the face was unfamiliar, the prisoner returned to sitting cross-legged and closed his eyes. ye jingtang asked, ¡°is this hero qiu? why is he locked up so tightly?¡± ¡°these things are just to prevent accidents. they won¡¯t be of much use. what is really locking him up is the soft bone fragrance.¡± after shang jianli explained, he looked down at the prison cell. ¡°qiu tianhe, this is ye jingtang, young master ye. he is also a saber wielder. you may be interested in him.¡± inside the cell, qiu tianhe opened his eyes again. ¡°come down.¡± shang jianli opened the gate and raised his hand. ¡°please.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t believe that someone so tightly locked could pose a threat to him. he didn¡¯t cower and jumped into the hole. thud! a soft sound rang out in the claustrophobic stone room. qiu tianhe was originally calm, but he soon saw the hornless dragon saber behind ye jingtang. the shape of this saber was actually very common in jianghu. this was because kuang yazi, a former saber grandmaster of the previous dynasty, had reached the pinnacle among saber wielders. the younger generation naturally imitated the saber he used. now, there were a lot of these sabers in the world. jun mountain terrace¡¯s saber technique was called the dragon slaying decree. its original intention was to slaughter this hornless dragon saber. however, there were many imitations but only one real one. it might be difficult for those who were not familiar with it to distinguish, but top saber wielders who had seen this saber before could recognize the saber better than they could recognize people! qiu tianhe¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. he only sized up ye jingtang¡¯s face. ¡°what a handsome kid. why are you looking for this old man?¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t look down from above. he sat on the ground in front of qiu tianhe and cupped his hands. ¡°i have long admired you, hero qiu. i am just here to visit.¡± ¡°your saber is not bad. show me your skills. let me see your strength.¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t say anything else. he pushed the saber behind his waist and held the hilt. clang! a cold light flashed in the stone room, bringing with it a slight breeze that blew up qiu tianhe¡¯s messy long hair. whoosh¡­ ye jingtang sheathed his saber and let go of the hilt. ¡°what do you think, hero qiu?¡± the student surpasses the master¡­ qiu tianhe¡¯s expression showed no abnormality. he only nodded lightly. ¡°great talent. if i weren¡¯t trapped here, i would definitely consult you, young hero ye.¡± ¡°you flatter me, hero qiu. i¡¯ve just entered jianghu and don¡¯t know much about the saber wielders of jianghu. i only know about xuanyuan chao, hero qiu, zheng feng, and a few others. hero qiu, can you tell me these stories?¡± qiu tianhe had already seen through ye jingtang¡¯s identity. although their saber techniques were completely different, their starting moves were exactly the same. when qiu tianhe was young, he and zheng feng were both opponents and friends. they had competed no less than a hundred times, and he knew that the ¡®right path¡¯ that zheng feng had been searching for was the perfect saber move that this child had just made. zheng feng didn¡¯t come, but the saber appeared in this child¡¯s hand. it could only be said that zheng feng had already taken one step ahead and reached the bridge of helplessness. a trace of sadness flashed across qiu tianhe¡¯s eyes. he understood why ye jingtang had come and said, ¡°xuanyuan chao is the current saber chief. you can hear the stories of his life everywhere. there¡¯s no need for me to repeat them. xuanyuan tiangang has long left jianghu, so it¡¯s not convenient to mention him. as for zheng feng, he¡¯s a fool.¡± ¡°oh?¡± ye jingtang became more serious. ¡°what do you mean?¡± qiu tianhe looked up. ¡°come down and listen. it¡¯s not a secret.¡± it seemed that shang jianli was also interested in these past events of jianghu. he jumped down, silently landed behind ye jingtang, and stood with his hands behind his back. ¡°i have been practicing the saber since i was three years old. it has been fifty-two years. i have met many friends, and i have also met many opponents. however, other than xuanyuan tiangang, everyone else has already turned into dust. zheng feng wasn¡¯t outstanding among these people, but he suited my taste and could be considered a close friend.¡± qiu tianhe looked at ye jingtang. ¡°back then, zheng feng was as sharp and high-spirited as you. unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t as handsome as you, and his talent was also slightly inferior to yours. originally, i made an agreement with him that on the day when we mastered our saber techniques, we would defeat old man xuanyuan first before fighting on jun mountain terrace and deciding on the new saber chief in one battle. unfortunately, zheng feng broke the agreement.¡± ye jingtang asked, ¡°why did he break the agreement?¡± ¡°zheng feng had a good relationship with xuanyuan tiangang. he went to jun mountain terrace a few times and got to know old man xuanyuan¡¯s daughter, xuanyuan shuye, and formed a relationship with her.¡± xuanyuan shuye¡­ ye jingtang frowned inwardly. he felt that this name was most likely related to his surname, ye. ¡°zheng feng was deeply in love and came to propose marriage. however, at the time, the imperial court was selecting girls. in order to seek wealth, old man xuanyuan wanted to send xuanyuan shuye into the palace to be a consort. in order to make his daughter listen to the arrangements, old man xuanyuan deliberately provoked zheng feng, who came to propose marriage, to speak with his saber.¡± qiu tianhe sighed. ¡°back then, zheng feng wasn¡¯t even a grandmaster. how could he be qualified to challenge old man xuanyuan? however, he still drew his saber. ¡°in that battle, zheng feng used all his strength and established his title as a saber grandmaster, but he was still too far away from xuanyuan chao. ¡°old man xuanyuan never thought of marrying his daughter to him. in order to make his daughter give up, he was ruthless. although he didn¡¯t take zheng feng¡¯s life, he definitely became a cripple. even giving birth to children would probably become an extravagant hope.¡± ye jingtang knew that his foster father had never been married, had no children, and had been drunk every day. when he heard this, his expression hardened. ¡°and then?¡± ¡°after that day, zheng feng completely disappeared from jianghu. i have never seen him again. now, i¡¯m afraid he has already left before me.¡± hearing this, ye jingtang fell silent for a moment before asking, ¡°what happened to xuanyuan shuye?¡± shang jianli, standing behind him, answered, ¡°in the second year of cheng¡¯an, the imperial court chose girls from good families to enter the palace. xuanyuan shuye was among them. when she arrived at the border of yun province, qiu tianhe killed his way to her carriage. he was stabbed eight times and risked his life to kidnap xuanyuan shuye. he fled to the ends of the earth and was pursued by the imperial court and jun mountain terrace for nearly thirty years. it was only last year that he was captured by the black office.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ye jingtang was shocked and looked at qiu tianhe in disbelief. qiu tianhe smiled. ¡°zheng feng and i were rivals and bosom friends. after he disappeared, xuanyuan shuye secretly sent someone to find me. she asked me to help find zheng feng¡¯s whereabouts and tell him that xuanyuan shuye would be waiting for him at the bridge of helplessness. ¡°how could i know where zheng feng was hiding? i couldn¡¯t bear to see these sad things, so i single-handedly killed my way into the marriage envoy team and kidnapped xuanyuan shuye. then i brought her to find zheng feng for ten years. from the wilderness of the heavenly south mountains, i found the desolate grasslands. from the east sea cliffs, i found the northwest desert. up to now, i don¡¯t know where zheng feng hid. xuanyuan shuye was disheartened and retreated from jianghu to the market. she¡¯s not living alone now¡­¡± after a moment of silence, ye jingtang shook his head and smiled without saying anything. qiu tianhe chuckled. ¡°i¡¯ll go down and talk to zheng feng about these things. let go. the matters of the older generation of saber wielders have nothing to do with a fledgling like you. i only hope that you won¡¯t become like zheng feng and let old man xuanyuan be the saber chief for another thirty years.¡± ¡°take care, hero qiu. i¡¯ll take my leave.¡± ye jingtang stood up, bowed, and then leaped out of the stone room with shang jianli. qiu tianhe leaned against the wall and watched until the iron fence closed and the footsteps disappeared. then he sighed. the new generation replaces the old¡­ you¡¯ve endured hardships and finally produced a good son. but i am suffering from imperial displeasure. what kind of logic is this¡­ Chapter 25 do you want to be my consort? (1) tread, tread¡­ footsteps sounded in the dark tunnel as the two people walked out. ye jingtang¡¯s expression was still as calm as usual, but there was clearly a trace of sadness between his brows. shang jianli walked silently like a ghost floating in front of him, his face as cold as ever. ¡°the saddest things in the world are when a hero is in his twilight years and a beauty¡¯s hair turns white. young master ye, you haven¡¯t reached adulthood yet, so it¡¯s natural for you to feel emotional about such things, but don¡¯t take it too seriously. everyone has their own life, and their experiences can move you and me. but compassion should be used on those who deserve compassion.¡± ¡°sir shang, do you have a story too?¡± ¡°there is no one in the world who doesn¡¯t have a story. the only difference is if they¡¯re big or small, wonderful or not wonderful.¡± ¡°hehe.¡± after chatting for a while, ye jingtang bade farewell and left. but before he could go far, he saw wang chihu running over and greeting him from afar. ¡°brother ye, her highness has summoned you. come over quickly.¡± shang jianli had yet to leave. seeing this, he raised his hand and gestured. ¡°young master ye, please.¡± when ye jingtang heard that the prince of jing had summoned him, surprise flashed in his eyes. after tidying up his clothes, he followed wang chihu into the small gate under the high wall. the white wall seemed to separate two worlds. in front of the wall was a solemn and dignified government office. after he passed through the small door, the scenery in front of him suddenly opened up, and colorful flowers entered his eyes. a covered corridor stretched over a green lake, leading to scattered pavilions and buildings. countless young women in colorful clothes were walking among them. it was as if he had walked from the human world to the peach garden of the heavenly palace in an instant. ye jingtang walked through the corridor, looking straight ahead. he didn¡¯t look at the well-dressed women in the back residence of the prince¡¯s estate. but helplessly, he was attractive to women. as soon as he appeared from the corridor, he found dozens of gazes looking at him from all directions. he could vaguely hear whispers. ¡°whose son is this?¡± ¡°so handsome. could it be that our prince chose him¡­¡± ¡°what a good match¡­¡± ¡°if her highness doesn¡¯t like him, will she reward him to us?¡± ¡°in your dreams¡­¡± the maidservants in the prince¡¯s estate were so naughty that ye jingtang could infer that the prince of jing wasn¡¯t a difficult person to serve. he calmed down a little and followed wang chihu to jasper pavilion. it was a tall five-story building. one could only feel its majesty and magnificence when they were close to it. any figure standing below was like a grain of rice. at the entrance of jasper pavilion, a maidservant was waiting. wang chihu stopped at the bottom of the steps and silently winked at ye jingtang. ¡°brother ye, if you stabilize yourself at this step, you can avoid sixty years of detours. you have to be mindful and attentive.¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t know how to respond to this, so he cupped his hands and bowed. then he lightly raised his robe, stepped onto the stairs, and followed the maidservant into jasper pavilion. the first floor of the tall building was a spacious hall, but there were no tables, chairs, screens, or other daily furnishings. there was an empty space in the middle, about 60 feet in length and width. the floor was not made of wood but black stone of an unknown material, densely covered with fine scratches. there were eight huge pillars in the surroundings, and behind the pillars was a corridor. dozens of display tables were placed along the wall, and on them were weapons such as sabers, spears, swords, and halberds. martial arts in great wei was in vogue. whether it was men, women, old, young, rich, or poor, they would all learn some martial arts. it wasn¡¯t strange for the prince to have some weapons at home. at first, ye jingtang didn¡¯t pay much attention to his surroundings. he only followed the beautiful maidservant, who would occasionally look back at him. but when he reached a display table, he stopped in his tracks. on the red mahogany display table was a long spear. it was unknown what material the spear was made of, but it was blackish-blue and had a jade-like luster. the tip of the spear was one and a half feet long, and the black tip was like a mirror, exuding a gloomy and cold gleam under the light. the entire spear was not engraved with any patterns or words, but in the eyes of martial artists, it was like the body of a beautiful woman. most importantly, there was a wooden tablet under the table with the name of the spear engraved on it. roaring dragon after ye jingtang learned about the roaring dragon chart from his foster father, he had inquired about the origins of this strange book. it was said that in history, there was a founding monarch who had met a strange person in the chaotic world and obtained the strange book. he first entered the martial arts transformation realm, then unified the world. when he was old, he rode a dragon and ascended to immortality. for this reason, this strange book was called the roaring dragon chart by later generations. and the spear that the founding emperor used to conquer the world was also named ¡®roaring dragon¡¯ by later generations. it was the leader of the ten famous spears, and it had always been in the private collection of the various emperors of the various dynasties and had never appeared in jianghu. as a martial artist, ye jingtang would inevitably stop and take a few more glances when he suddenly saw this ¡®legendary gold equipment¡¯ to distinguish between authenticity and falsehood. it was unknown if he was too engrossed, but while he was carefully observing it, a voice suddenly sounded in his ear. ¡°like it?¡± the voice was clear, solemn, and cold. it carried a dignified aura that couldn¡¯t be disobeyed. just by listening to the voice, one could imagine the majestic image of awe-inspiring might. but this voice came from a woman. luo ning¡¯s feminine voice was light and otherworldly with a hint of gentleness. it sounded like a mature heroine who had come out of seclusion. this mature female voice was haughty, confident, and not to be disobeyed. it had the aura of a domineering female ceo¡­ ye jingtang didn¡¯t hear the footsteps and was slightly shocked. he turned around and saw a woman in front of the maidservant who had led the way. the woman had a jade crown on her head and was wearing a silver-white python robe. there was a jade belt around her waist with a green jade dragon pendant hanging on it. the style of the woman¡¯s clothes was obviously men¡¯s clothing, but it had been slightly modified. they were slimmer, and her waist was tightly tied. her clothes were very big, and they were bulging with two lumps. even the five-clawed golden python on it had become a ¡®fat-headed dragon¡¯. Chapter 26 do you want to be my consort? (2) the woman was very tall, her height reaching ye jingtang¡¯s eyes. on a woman, she could be said to be a crane in a flock of chickens. but this woman¡¯s figure was very well-coordinated. she had a standard 1:9 head-to-body ratio, long limbs, and a perfect waist. she was slender where she should be slender and plump where she should be plump! as for her appearance, the woman had three-dimensional eyes and eyebrows, skin as fair as suet, eyebrows like willow leaves, a high nose bridge, and gorgeous red lips. she was extremely eye-catching but not the least bit seductive. it could be said that her beauty was dignified and majestic. it was too gentle to describe her as ¡®beautiful¡¯. it felt more appropriate to describe her as ¡®handsome¡¯. ye jingtang was surprised to see such a powerful beautiful woman with fiery red lips. but he didn¡¯t lose his composure. he raised his hand and bowed. ¡°ye jingtang greeting your highness the prince of jing.¡± dongfang liren was quite close as she stood behind ye jingtang. when she saw him looking back and that there was no change in his expression, her eyes were quite appreciative. ¡°you are calm in the face of danger, and you are neither startled by favor or disgrace. you¡¯re quite smart. no need to stand on ceremony.¡± ye jingtang recognized the woman from the python robe, but he really didn¡¯t expect the prince of jing to be so young. he withdrew his hands and stood up straight. instead of sizing up the prince of jing¡¯s appearance, he looked at the roaring dragon spear and answered the question just now. ¡°i was just curious, so i stopped to take a look. i don¡¯t know spearmanship, so i really can¡¯t say i like it.¡± dongfang liren took the spear and examined it in her hand. ¡°the roaring dragon spear is an old object from hundreds of years ago. no matter how powerful it was back then, after lasting to the present day, it is difficult to be of great use. it is placed in the imperial city as a decoration. this spear is an imitation, but the material is even better than the original¡¯s.¡± she raised the spear with one hand and handed it to ye jingtang. ¡°try it?¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t take it and said in shame, ¡°i don¡¯t know spearmanship, so i really don¡¯t dare to waste such a treasure. please forgive me, your highness.¡± dongfang liren retracted the spear and placed it back on the table. she walked along the many circular corridors. ¡°i value martial arts. not only are there famous weapons from all over the world hidden in this building, but there are also many martial arts secret manuals passed down from various dynasties. since i was young, i have wanted to ¡®gather the strengths of the hundred schools of thought into one¡¯. unfortunately, the people of jianghu have strict rules. they only teach their true martial arts to their disciples and not outsiders. they don¡¯t even give me face.¡± ye jingtang followed her and pondered for a moment. ¡°your highness wants to learn my saber technique?¡± dongfang liren stopped and looked at ye jingtang. ¡°you are smart. are you willing?¡± ye jingtang was naturally willing to do so. his goal was to go to the palace to dig up the roaring dragon chart. compared to the roaring dragon chart and the connection with the prince of jing, what was one move of a saber technique that had already been exposed? ¡°no matter how good a technique is, it depends on who uses it. people don¡¯t dare to teach outsiders true martial arts because they¡¯re afraid that the outsiders will surpass them. my saber move has already seen the light, so it can¡¯t be my trump card. if i teach it to outsiders, if they can use it better than me, then they can still defeat me with other moves. if they don¡¯t use it as well as i do, can they use this move to be a match for me? what¡¯s the harm in teaching it to the world?¡± dongfang liren nodded slightly. ¡°you are insightful. the martial immortal of fengguan city does not reject any grandmasters who come to ask him for guidance. i¡¯m afraid those people don¡¯t understand his thoughts, and he might have the same thoughts as you. unfortunately, no one has been able to compete with fengguan city on the same stage. i hope you can do this in the future.¡± ¡°your highness thinks too highly of me. i¡¯m not that ambitious. i¡¯m just a little selfish. i only know this saber move. if your highness likes it, you can teach me a move or two later¡­¡± dongfang liren understood what he meant: an exchange. she turned around. ¡°that¡¯s easy. do you want to learn jun mountain terrace¡¯s dragon slaying decree?¡± ? ye jingtang was really surprised to hear this. ¡®saber chief¡¯ xuanyuan chao was his foster father¡¯s enemy. if he could learn the dragon slaying decree and use xuanyuan chao¡¯s own saber technique to defeat him in the future and teach jun mountain terrace how to use the dragon slaying decree¡­ how awesome would it be¡­ when ye jingtang thought of this, his heart palpitated, but he said awkwardly, ¡°i¡¯m afraid that only one saber move in exchange for the dragon slaying decree of the current saber chief is¡­¡± ¡°you know your place.¡± dongfang liren walked to the front of the table, gently raised her hand, picked up an exquisitely crafted old saber, and sized it up. ¡°you only know how to begin with one move, and you can¡¯t even form your own style. it definitely isn¡¯t worth the complete dragon slaying decree. you have to exchange at least one complete high-tier martial arts before i will teach you it.¡± ye jingtang knew that there was no such good thing as a free lunch. he felt a little helpless. ¡°i really only know this move, and i¡¯m still thinking about it. when i can figure it out, i really can¡¯t say for sure.¡± ¡°if you perfect this saber technique, it will be at least ten years later. i am not in the mood to wait.¡± ¡°then, what does your highness mean?¡± dongfang liren flicked her fingers and unsheathed his treasured saber. ye jingtang could see the word ¡®heaven equaling¡¯ engraved near the guard. it was most likely qiu tianhe¡¯s saber. ¡°are you interested in the heaven equaling saber?¡± ¡°¡­¡± seeing this saber, ye jingtang immediately understood the prince of jing¡¯s intention. she wanted to learn the heaven equaling saber, but qiu tianhe definitely wouldn¡¯t teach her, so she wanted to borrow his hands to learn it. ye jingtang had heard about qiu tianhe and his foster father¡¯s past today. it was difficult to say if his foster father was right or wrong, but there was nothing wrong with qiu tianhe¡¯s actions. if there was a chance to get him out legitimately, he would definitely not stand by and do nothing. after deliberating for a moment, he shook his head and sighed. ¡°the heaven equaling saber is famous throughout jianghu. if i have the chance, i naturally want to learn it. however, qiu tianhe is in prison. i have to remember our friendship before i can learn the saber technique. he is at death¡¯s door because of my respected master. if i ignore this, i will become an ingrate. if i save him, your highness will probably imprison me too.¡± dongfang liren put the saber back in the sheath and placed it on the table. ¡°since you could send your family assets to the capital from afar, i can tell that you value affection. i naturally won¡¯t put you in such a dilemma. qiu tianhe has been captured and hasn¡¯t been executed yet. do you know the reason?¡± ye jingtang shook his head. ¡°in the second year of cheng¡¯an, qiu tianhe kidnapped xuanyuan shuye. xuanyuan shuye is the legitimate daughter of the marquis of jun mountain. she was supposed to become a noble consort, but she was taken away. there was a shortage of people, so the marriage envoy chose a woman from an aristocratic family to enter the palace.¡± dongfang liren turned around with her head held high and her body straight. ¡°after that woman entered the palace, she was favored by the former emperor and gave birth to two princesses. guess which two princesses they are?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ye jingtang looked at the slender and elegant prince of jing in front of him and was rather surprised. ¡°it¡¯s your highness and¡­¡± dongfang liren nodded and continued along the corridor. ¡°although it was a freak combination of factors, qiu tianhe can indeed be considered rendering a meritorious deed. i didn¡¯t kill him because first, i want his saber technique, and second, it¡¯s very difficult to dislike his ¡®great rebellious act¡¯. ¡°if you learn his saber technique, respect him as an elder, and are willing to work for me, i can write a petition to her majesty for your sake to ask her majesty to show mercy outside the law and let qiu tianhe leave the dungeon. however, don¡¯t even think about regaining his freedom. he can escape death, but he can¡¯t escape punishment. it¡¯s already the greatest forgiveness for qiu tianhe to find a small courtyard near the black office to retire.¡± hearing this proposal, ye jingtang fell silent for a moment. ¡°what does your highness want me to do?¡± ¡°well¡­¡± dongfang liren stood on the spot with her hands behind her back. she turned around and looked at ye jingtang¡¯s handsome face and tall and strong body thoughtfully. ?! ye jingtang stood a little straighter. he felt that this fiery princess meant: do you want to be my consort? ¡°uh¡­¡± ¡°hmph~!¡± dongfang liren turned around, leaving her back to ye jingtang. ¡°don¡¯t think too much. i have seen all kinds of talents. you can¡¯t catch my eye with your fancy appearance but poor skills. i am in charge of the black office and responsible for chasing down bandits who commit crimes in jianghu. what do you think i want you to do?¡± ye jingtang knew that there was no such good thing. he smiled bitterly and said, ¡°understood. regarding bandits who disregard human life, everyone has the right to punish them. if i have the chance to meet any bandit, even if your highness didn¡¯t say anything, i would still get rid of the evil for the people.¡± ¡°without any evidence, how can i believe you?¡± dongfang liren raised her hand slightly. ¡°since you dare to take on the case of the wingless owl, it means that you are confident. let me see your abilities first.¡± what? what a f*cking confidence?! ye jingtang finally understood that something was wrong. just now, almost all the dossiers were about savage and violent jianghu bandits. for the sake of his safety, he had chosen a low-risk task. he wanted to do his best and just do it as a token. after hearing what the prince of jing said, he knew that if he couldn¡¯t catch him, his image in her heart would be greatly reduced. in the future, finding an opportunity to enter the palace to dig up the treasure would naturally become a problem¡­ since he was the one who accepted the task, he couldn¡¯t go back on his word and change it now. after thinking about it, he braced himself and said, ¡°i will definitely do my best.¡± ¡°good. i await the good news.¡± Chapter 27 dog official! it was noon, and dye workshop street was sparsely populated. ye jingtang led his horse back to double osmanthus alley. along the way, he pondered over how to capture the wingless owl. the old alley was very quiet, and he could hear the bird chirping from afar. he walked to the outside of the courtyard wall and tiptoed to check. there were a few more things in the clean courtyard. the vegetable trellis in the far corner had been rebuilt. a beautiful young woman in blue with her skirt gathered in front of her legs was squatting in front of the trellis and digging a small hole by the wall with her small hoe. the young woman had a graceful figure to begin with, and her posture of gathering her skirt and squatting down drew a full moon under her waist. the fluffy white ¡®winged owl¡¯ diligently picked up seeds from the small cloth bag next to the young woman. it jumped to the small hole and put them in. then it opened its beak and asked for food. ¡°what are you planting? bitter melons?¡± seeing ye jingtang return, luo ning put down the small hoe and went to the gate of the courtyard to pay attention to the movements at the entrance of the alley. ¡°how was your investigation at the black office today?¡± the reason why she had such a reaction was because zhe yunli wasn¡¯t at home. if she didn¡¯t pay attention to the outside, the moment footsteps sounded, this little thief would definitely pull her into the room. ye jingtang was a little amused. he took out a small stool from the kitchen and sat under the eaves. ¡°it went quite smoothly. i met qiu tianhe.¡± luo ning¡¯s vigilant expression froze slightly, and a suspicious look appeared in her eyes, but she didn¡¯t approach. but after ye jingtang described qiu tianhe¡¯s appearance and characteristics, her expression turned to surprise. she went to the eaves and asked, ¡°how did you meet qiu tianhe? why did the black office let you go to the dungeon so easily?¡± ye jingtang placed another small stool beside him. ¡°i¡¯m a good citizen. i have a clean foundation and decent saber skills. it¡¯s reasonable for me to seek help from the officials to experience the heroes of jianghu. what¡¯s so difficult about it? come sit down.¡± ¡°¡­¡± luo ning glanced at the small stools placed together and hesitated for a moment. she walked over, moved the stool a little farther away before sitting down, and got the bird squat in the middle. she asked softly, ¡°how is qiu tianhe¡¯s situation?¡± ¡°he¡¯s locked up in the second basement floor of jasper pavilion. not to mention the iron lock and fence, he¡¯s also been poisoned by the soft bone fragrance. he probably doesn¡¯t even have the strength to get up. as for rescuing him, don¡¯t even think about it. sneaking into the dungeon to break someone out of prison is even more difficult than directly assassinating the prince of jing. i don¡¯t think anyone in this world can do it.¡± a worried expression appeared on luo ning¡¯s face. ¡°i naturally know that the chances are not high. but qiu tianhe saved yunli¡¯s life. if we ignore him, yunli will feel guilty for the rest of her life. sigh¡­¡± ye jingtang smiled. ¡°but it¡¯s not impossible.¡± ¡°huh?¡± luo ning was surprised. ¡°do you have a way to save him?¡± ye jingtang nodded but didn¡¯t say it directly. instead, he sized up luo ning. ¡°this is a matter of losing my head. heroine luo, since you¡¯ve asked me to help, shouldn¡¯t you be a little sincere?¡± ? luo ning sat up a little straighter and reached for the soft sword at her waist, her eyes slightly cold. ¡°ye jingtang, i see that your nature isn¡¯t bad. that¡¯s why i didn¡¯t kill you because of what happened last time. if you don¡¯t know the severity of the matter, want to take advantage of the situation, and use this as a threat¡­¡± ye jingtang shook his head. ¡°i don¡¯t have any improper thoughts. i just want you to answer a few questions.¡± ¡°what questions?¡± ¡°heroine luo, are you married or not?¡± luo ning¡¯s delicate face turned sullen as she said in a deep voice, ¡°married! i have been married for many years. everyone in jianghu knows about it.¡± ¡°but you don¡¯t even know how to hug a man. you don¡¯t even know how to moan. how do you look like you¡¯re married? i feel that you¡¯re still a virgin¡­¡± crack! before he could finish his sentence, a gleaming sword was pointed at his neck. luo ning¡¯s face flushed red from the obscene words. ¡°married is married. a married couple lies in the word ¡®love¡¯. what does it have to do with whether you¡¯ve done that kind of thing? if you say such obscene words again, i will cut off your tongue!¡± she hasn¡¯t done it before¡­ it seems she¡¯s indeed a virgin¡­ ye jingtang¡¯s gaze was rather strange. he pushed the sword aside. ¡°your husband is really wasting heaven¡¯s gift. is it possible that your husband has been injured and can¡¯t do his best?¡± luo ning retracted her sword and glared at ye jingtang. ¡°it¡¯s none of your business. do you think everyone is like you, only thinking about women¡¯s bodies and having sex after marriage? yunli¡¯s master is very polite to me, much more righteous than you. moreover, he looks better than you, and his martial arts skills are better than yours¡­¡± ??? ye jingtang really didn¡¯t know where to start ridiculing these ridiculous words. after holding it in for a long time, he only said inexplicably, ¡°what are you comparing me to your man for? are you trying to anger me on purpose and make me jealous?¡± luo ning opened her mouth. she felt that there was something wrong with his words, so she changed the topic. ¡°don¡¯t talk about these things that will ruin our reputation! what method do you have to save qiu tianhe?¡± ye jingtang stopped bickering with heroine luo and took out a wanted poster from his bosom. ¡°when i went to the black office today, the prince of jing took a fancy to me because of my good locks and saber skills. she asked me to find an opportunity to learn qiu tianhe¡¯s saber technique and teach it to her. when learning martial arts, one must remember others¡¯ kindness. in order not to make me a treacherous villain, the prince of jing can make an exception and let qiu tianhe out of the dungeon to retire in the capital. however, the price is that i have to work for the imperial court in the future.¡± luo ning listened quietly and frowned secretly. the prince of jing¡¯s condition seemed to be open-minded, but it was actually quite cunning. she wanted ye jingtang to learn saber technique, teach it to her, and then work for the imperial court in exchange for the opportunity to let qiu tianhe out of the dungeon. as long as ye jingtang complied, ye jingtang and qiu tianhe would have a relationship. in order to prevent ye jingtang from being implicated, qiu tianhe wouldn¡¯t leave the capital for the rest of his life even if he didn¡¯t have any shackles on his body. it was equivalent to being a ¡®permanent death row prisoner¡¯. if ye jingtang valued relationships and righteousness, in order to ensure that qiu tianhe didn¡¯t go to the guillotine, he could only do his best to work for the imperial court. one condition would tie the two of them up completely. the prince of jing didn¡¯t pay any price and even took qiu tianhe¡¯s saber technique for nothing¡­ luo ning pondered for a moment and said coldly, ¡°those dog officials are really treacherous¡­ if you agree, won¡¯t you become a lackey of the imperial court?¡± ye jingtang shrugged slightly. ¡°i am a good citizen. it¡¯s an honor to be valued by the imperial court. i will even learn a saber technique for nothing. how can i be called a lackey of the imperial court?¡± ¡°¡­¡± luo ning thought about it and agreed. ye jingtang was different from her. he wasn¡¯t a rebel. there didn¡¯t seem to be any harm in accepting this condition, but¡­ ¡°you are talented, but you will always be below others in your official career. you will only be a low-ranking official at most after working hard for half your life. in jianghu, with your talent and my connections, i can guarantee that you will rise to the top and become an influential overlord in jianghu in the future¡­¡± ye jingtang looked at luo ning, who was trying to get him to join her team, and asked with a smile, ¡°heroine luo, do you want to save qiu tianhe, or do you want me to follow you in the future?¡± i want¡­ luo ning hesitated for a moment before sighing softly. ¡°if you take this step, you will cut off the path of jianghu. in the future, the imperial court will use qiu tianhe as a threat to force you not to disobey it. even if you want to serve the imperial court, you and i are strangers. because of yunli¡¯s matter, i¡­ i really can¡¯t agree to putting a shackle like qiu tianhe on you.¡± ye jingtang pulled the small stool over and sat closer. ¡°heroine luo, if you feel that you will owe me, you can think of a way to compensate me.¡± ? luo ning¡¯s regretful emotions vanished in an instant. she gripped the hilt of her sword at her waist, and her eyes turned slightly cold. ¡°what do you want?¡± ¡°i want to learn martial arts. what do you think, heroine luo?¡± i thought you wanted me to¡­ luo ning¡¯s expression softened. ¡°if you¡¯re really willing to help yunli save hero qiu, i don¡¯t mind teaching you all my martial arts. but from now on, you¡¯ll be in the imperial court, and i¡¯ll be in jianghu. we will part ways¡­ sigh~¡± she didn¡¯t finish her sentence, but there were too many similar things in jianghu. they were once as close as brothers, but because one had loyalty in his heart and the other had chivalry, they had no choice but to face each other with swords and sabers. their reconciliation could only wait until they were in the netherworld. this was undoubtedly the saddest thing in jianghu. no one was wrong, but there was nothing they could do. luo ning used to have such an old friend. they had been like sisters. but ever since she joined the pacifying heaven cult, they had become strangers who never saw each other again. no matter what she thought of ye jingtang, it was fate that they were living under the same roof now. how could she not worry that the two of them would fall into such a heart-wrenching situation in the future? ye jingtang didn¡¯t think too much about it. seeing that luo ning was sentimental, he comforted her. ¡°rather than leave them to moisten each other with their damp and spittle, it would be far better to let them forget themselves in their native rivers and lakes. heroine luo, you will get what you want, and i will have a bright future. why worry about the future?¡± ¡°if one day you and i reunite in another part of jianghu, you will already be in a high position, and i will still be a rebel¡­¡± ¡°then, heroine luo, i hope that you can take good care of yourself. at that time, if you are as peerless as you are today, i definitely won¡¯t destroy the flower.¡± ? luo ning¡¯s sorrowful thoughts were completely wiped out by these words. if you don¡¯t ruthlessly destroy the flower, it means that you¡¯re greedy for my beauty and want to capture me back as a slave and concubine. you might even energetically train and defile me. to the women of jianghu, it would be better to die! luo ning¡¯s face darkened as she cursed softly, ¡°dog official, i won¡¯t let you have your way even if i die.¡± ye jingtang chuckled and stopped flirting. he signaled toward the wanted poster. ¡°if i want to be appreciated by the prince of jing, i have to do a job to prove my abilities first. heroine luo, do you have a way to catch the wingless owl?¡± luo ning retracted her cold gaze and carefully sized up the wanted order. ¡°the wingless owl¡­ this person is quite famous. his lightness skills are likely not inferior to mine. without any information, how can we capture him with just a wanted poster?¡± ye jingtang was also worried about this matter. he thought for a moment and said, ¡°the wingless owl stole from the cutting cloud palace to learn lightness skills. but after he succeeded, not only did he not keep a low profile as a thief, but he even spread this matter to form his current reputation. this means that he¡¯s like ordinary jianghu people. he¡¯s famous and wants others to talk about his achievements.¡± luo ning understood what he meant. ¡°since he¡¯s famous, he must care about his reputation. people in jianghu hate it the most when someone uses their name to swindle others and ruin their reputation. if you do something disreputable, you¡¯ll be risking the reputation of the wingless owl. the more unpleasant it is, the better. you¡¯ll then spread the news in jianghu. although the wingless owl is keeping a low profile in the capital, when he hears that someone is impersonating him and causing trouble, he will definitely be dissatisfied¡­¡± ye jingtang nodded. ¡°if i were the wingless owl and heard something similar, i would most likely figure out the whole story. even if i guessed that it was bait from the government, i would still come over to see what the imperial court was up to. as long as he moves, i will have a chance to catch him.¡± luo ning felt that the possibility of this was very high. ¡°you¡¯re quite cunning and treacherous. what are you going to steal to lure the snake out of its hole?¡± ye jingtang took it as a compliment and shrugged slightly. ¡°the thing i steal must be valuable. only then will outsiders believe that i¡¯m the wingless owl and discuss it, spreading the news. second, the reputation of the thing i steal must be unpleasant to hear so that the wingless owl won¡¯t accept this ¡®fame¡¯ and ignore it. it¡¯s best if i can wash away the suspicion of ¡®the government setting bait¡¯. i¡¯m also worried. heroine luo, do you have any good ideas?¡± luo ning thought seriously for a long time before saying tentatively, ¡°hmm¡­ how about the prince of jing¡¯s undergarment?¡± what?! ye jingtang was stunned. stealing the king of jing¡¯s undergarment could indeed do everything at the same time. the item was priceless, idle people would discuss it, the wingless owl would be ashamed to be associated with this deed, and the government would be cleared of suspicion. but how was he going to get this thing? wouldn¡¯t he lose his life? ¡°are you kidding me? even the wingless owl wouldn¡¯t be able to get this thing. even if i don¡¯t steal it, the prince of jing will still skin me alive if i borrow it in the name of investigating a case¡­ heroine luo, are you trying to kill me with a borrowed knife?¡± luo ning knew that this idea wouldn¡¯t work and frowned. ¡°i¡¯m not a cat burglar. how would i know what to steal? you¡¯re helping the government with a case. the government should prepare this thing for you. you can¡¯t really steal it yourself, right?¡± ye jingtang smiled. ¡°actually, the idea of an undergarment is quite good, but i can¡¯t borrow it¡­ i¡¯ll go to the black office and ask¡­¡± Chapter 28 mr. horn dong, dong, dong! the sound of the distant morning bell cut through the misty rain. smoke rose from the hundreds of streets and thousands of alleys in the capital. the majestic imperial city in the north opened its palace gates, and civil and military officials in various official uniforms entered through the thousand steps corridor. dongfang liren was wearing a silver bodice embroidered with a ¡®fat-headed dragon¡¯. she was standing behind a screen with her arms outstretched, and a maidservant was helping her wear a robe. her eyes looked past the screen and at the palace at the end of her vision. a carriage surrounded by a hundred people was moving toward the hall of the supreme principle. ¡°her majesty woke up ten minutes late today. why?¡± the white-haired old woman standing behind her replied respectfully, ¡°last night, the empress dowager went to the eternal joy palace and stayed overnight in the bedchamber. the empress dowager likes to talk to people. her majesty might have chatted with the empress dowager too late.¡± ¡°her majesty is busy every day and is already tired. how can she stand being pestered by the empress dowager at night¡­¡± ¡°why don¡¯t i make some arrangements to bring the empress dowager to the estate to stay for a few days?¡± dongfang liren pondered for a moment and nodded in agreement. after putting on the python robe and jade belt, dongfang liren went to the study on the top floor and sat down. she flipped open the memorials organized by the black office and checked the news reported from various places. ¡°several helm masters of the red flower pavilion went out at the same time. they seem to be making a big move¡­ what is the red flower pavilion doing? are they going out in full force to destroy the water cloud sword pool?¡± the white-haired old woman pondered for a moment. ¡°impossible. if the former spear chief were still around, the red flower pavilion would have the confidence to destroy the water cloud sword pool. but the current red flower pavilion has to be discreet and worry about the water cloud sword pool. i heard that all the hall masters of the red flower pavilion meet every year. they are probably going to discuss the future of the red flower pavilion.¡± ¡°the red flower pavilion is not small on the surface. there must be more hidden in the dark. they can be considered rich in jianghu. if they can¡¯t survive in jianghu and are willing to give their loyalty to me, we can give them a chance.¡± ¡°yes.¡± dongfang liren no longer paid attention to the red flower pavilion and continued to look at the reports. ¡°a caravan entered from liang province pass, and the blood bodhi seems to be hidden inside¡­ who is the blood bodhi?¡± ¡°a killer who ran amok in the heavenly south¡¯s jianghu ten years ago. he has a lot of blood debts. he once assassinated the governor of chongzhou and was chased by the imperial court and even jianghu. he disappeared without a trace until now.¡± the white-haired old woman¡¯s eyes revealed a look of solemnity. ¡°this person¡¯s martial arts are unknown. he¡¯s good at using traps, hidden weapons, and disguising himself. his patience is also astonishing. in order to assassinate the sect master of the seven mysteries sect, he hid near the sect for nearly a year. he brushed past him many times but didn¡¯t attack. only when the target completely let down his guard did he kill him with a single strike and escape. now that he has reappeared, he might have been recruited by the green bandits.¡± when dongfang liren heard this, she frowned. ¡°the green bandits recruited such a top-notch assassin for either important ministers in the imperial court or me. let the black office pay attention to the people who have come from liang province recently¡­¡± at this point, dongfang liren suddenly remembered ye jingtang, who had just entered the capital from liang province. but ye jingtang was only 18 years old. their ages didn¡¯t match. thinking about it, she dispelled her doubts. after understanding the news reported by the black office, dongfang liren stood up and went to the terrace to look at the situation inside and outside the imperial city. but not long after, she saw her eldest cousin, wang chihu, leaving the black office sneakily with something in his arms. dongfang liren frowned and asked, ¡°what is wang chihu doing now?¡± ¡°yesterday afternoon, ye jingtang came to visit and planned to capture the wingless owl. he asked for the assistance of the government and borrowed something from wang chihu.¡± dongfang liren didn¡¯t think that ye jingtang had the ability to capture the wingless owl, so she was naturally interested. she turned around and asked, ¡°what did he borrow? soft bone fragrance? soul separating needle?¡± ¡°uh¡­¡± the old woman hesitated, but she didn¡¯t want to lie to the prince of jing. she thought for a moment, then walked up to dongfang liren and whispered in her ear. after dongfang liren listened quietly, her heroic face turned red. she frowned and said, ¡°what¡¯s wrong with him?¡± ¡°sigh, for the sake of work, your highness shouldn¡¯t fuss over these trivial matters¡­¡± ¡­ ¡ª¡ª¡ª the early summer drizzle fell into the old limestone alley, and yellow streamers swayed silently under the eaves. in the stable beside the wine shop, there was a fierce horse. it had just stopped after running, and its nose and mouth were still breathing heavily. chi, chi! there was no one else in the wine shop. two whispers came from the window. ¡°did you bring anything?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°mr. horn .¡± ¡°mr¡­. huh?¡± in the wine shop, ye jingtang was wearing a black robe and a bamboo hat, dressed like a wanderer. he was sitting at a table and taking a red sandalwood box from wang chihu with a strange expression. perhaps wang chihu was afraid of ruining his reputation, so he was extremely vigilant. he used his body to block the shopkeeper¡¯s line of sight and whispered, ¡°this item was carved from an entire piece of jade. the value of the base material alone was worth no less than a thousand taels, and it was made by a famous craftsman from the previous dynasty. the people who have used it are princess consorts and first-rank officials. after the founding of great wei, this item went through several twists and turns and flowed into the marquis of ding¡¯an estate¡­¡± ye jingtang looked at the exquisite sandalwood box but didn¡¯t dare to open it. ¡°brother wang, i asked you to help me find an unpresentable item. this is too¡­ too realistic. this item¡­¡± wang chihu¡¯s expression was solemn. ¡°there¡¯s no need to fuss over such minor matters when working for the imperial court. brother ye, what else can you think of that¡¯s even more unpresentable than this?¡± ye jingtang really hadn¡¯t expected this. he had thought that borrowing an undergarment from the prince of jing was ridiculous enough. but he never expected that wang chihu would be able to find something even more ridiculous. however, this thing was indeed not like bait from the government. if word got out, it would be unpleasant. but its value and origin could attract the wingless owl and other thieves. it was very suitable. ye jingtang took a few more glances at the wooden box before putting it away. ¡°brother wang, thank you for your troubles. i will certainly live up to your high expectations and capture the wingless owl.¡± ¡°we¡¯re all helping the imperial court. there¡¯s no need for thanks. i¡¯ve already gotten hidden informers in the city to spread the news and fan the flames. you can just go and sell the stolen goods. whether you can succeed depends on your luck. i will take my leave first. goodbye¡­¡± ye jingtang watched wang chihu leave sneakily. then he looked at the red sandalwood box in his hand. after hesitating for a while, he didn¡¯t open it. he wrapped it in a black cloth and left the shop. it was drizzling, and there were few people on the streets. ye jingtang walked around the streets a few times, and after confirming that no one was following him, he entered an alley. luo ning and zhe yunli were waiting in the alley with umbrellas in their hands, dressed like an ordinary mother and daughter. the bird was standing on a wall as a lookout, paying attention to their surroundings. seeing ye jingtang return, zhe yunli trotted over and asked, ¡°what did the black office give you as bait?¡± ye jingtang dismounted from his horse and handed the red sandalwood box wrapped in black cloth to luo ning. it wasn¡¯t easy to explain it clearly. ¡°it¡¯s indecent. i haven¡¯t opened it. it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t open it either, lest you get angry.¡± ? luo ning took the box and weighed it. it didn¡¯t seem like an ¡®undergarment¡¯. ¡°if you don¡¯t take a look, how are you going to sell the stolen goods later?¡± then she raised her hand to open the wooden box. but she was afraid that it was a trap, so she moved closer to ye jingtang and got him to look at it together. when zhe yunli heard the word ¡®indecent¡¯, she couldn¡¯t resist her curiosity and leaned beside luo ning to have a look. the red sandalwood box was opened, and a bright red cloth appeared in front of the family of three. inside the box was a translucent green jade object. it had been carved with exquisite skills and had a pearl-like luster. even an amateur could tell the value of this item. as for the shape¡­ ye jingtang blinked, not knowing what to say. zhe yunli was stunned for a moment. she moved closer to take a closer look. ¡°wow! it¡¯s so big¡­ this piece of jade is probably worth a lot of money, but the shape is a little strange¡­¡± she wanted to touch it with her hands. smack! the box slammed shut, almost clamping zhe yunli¡¯s fingers. ¡°martial mistress, what are you doing?!¡± luo ning¡¯s face turned red as she threw the wooden box to ye jingtang. ¡°you little thief¡­¡± ye jingtang knew that this would be her reaction. he steadily caught the red sandalwood box. ¡°this is public property for handling the case. if it breaks, will you compensate for it?¡± zhe yunli didn¡¯t know the use of the jade item and asked curiously, ¡°martial mistress, why are you angry? what is this thing used for? ow~¡± luo ning knocked on her head. she was afraid that zhe yunli would be led astray, so she suppressed her embarrassment and explained in a soft voice, ¡°the things men use in brothels are not clean. don¡¯t ask too many questions.¡± zhe yunli blinked her big eyes. ¡°such a big stick is used to bully women? how do you use¡ªow!¡± luo ning was like an innocent mother who couldn¡¯t take it anymore. facing her curious daughter, she could only pinch her ears and reprimand her. ¡°if i tell you not to ask, don¡¯t ask. is it appropriate for a girl to ask such questions?¡± feeling the pain, zhe yunli quickly raised her hands in surrender. ¡°alright, alright, i won¡¯t ask. i just want to help save hero qiu¡­ then, shall we go to the black market to sell the stolen goods now?¡± how could luo ning bring yunli along with them while holding such a filthy item? ¡°since we want to lure the snake out of its hole, going with three people will easily alert the snake. your lightness skills are average, so you won¡¯t be able to help. go back and don¡¯t leave!¡± zhe yunli was clearly unhappy, but she couldn¡¯t say anything in the face of her strict master¡¯s wife. she could only sigh softly and leave, turning her head three times with every step she took. ye jingtang had been holding in his laughter. the moment zhe yunli left, luo ning¡¯s expression turned cold, and she glared at him angrily. ¡°you are shameless!¡± ye jingtang¡¯s smile froze, and he said in bafflement, ¡°how am i shameless? this is an item given to me by the government. i told you not to look at it, but you insisted. after seeing it, you scold me for being shameless. it¡¯s just a jade carving. is there a need to have such a big reaction?¡± as a mature woman, even though luo ning had never experienced sex, she had heard of the use of such items from some women in the pacifying heaven cult. but the problem wasn¡¯t with ye jingtang. luo ning thought about it, suppressed the embarrassment in her heart, and said solemnly, ¡°how can the imperial court be so shameless as to let you use this¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s good as long as it¡¯s useful. if you were the wingless owl, found out that you stole this kind of thing, sold it, and became the laughing stock of jianghu, would you be angry?¡± luo ning thought about it and agreed. she didn¡¯t say anything else, but ye jingtang handed her the box again and asked her to hold it. ¡°what are you doing?¡± ¡°hold it!¡± ye jingtang stuffed the red sandalwood box into the hands of the disgusted heroine luo. ¡°i am a man and the head of the family. is it appropriate for me to carry the box and follow you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± luo ning gritted her teeth, but in the end, she still took the box and held it in her arms. ye jingtang placed the bird on his shoulder and led the horse out of the alley. ¡°let¡¯s disguise ourselves as jianghu thieves traveling together. from now on, i¡¯ll call you ning¡¯er, and you¡¯ll call me¡­¡± following behind, luo ning said coldly, ¡°i¡¯ll call you winged owl.¡± ¡°are you kidding me?¡± ye jingtang tilted his head and looked at heroine luo, who was dressed like a young wife. ¡°why don¡¯t you call me husband? a young couple traveling in jianghu together won¡¯t arouse much suspicion.¡± luo ning was definitely unhappy, but other than this form of address, there was no other relationship that could explain why a man and a woman were traveling in jianghu together. she thought for a moment and said, ¡°the word husband is too serious. people in jianghu usually don¡¯t use that term. hmm¡­ should i call you yelang ?¡± yelang? ye jingtang was well aware of the story of ¡®the arrogance of yelang¡¯, so he naturally shook his head. ¡°that doesn¡¯t sound good.¡± ¡°what about tanglang?¡± ¡°chirp?¡± the bird tilted its head and looked left and right, probably wondering: where is the mantis ? ye jingtang suddenly felt that his foster father¡¯s naming skills were a little unreliable. what should his wife call him in the future? after pondering for a moment, ye jingtang recalled the title of ¡®third lady¡¯ and simply said, ¡°let¡¯s call him silang. hmm¡­ surname is huang, huang silang.¡± ¡°huang silang¡­¡± luo ning felt that there wasn¡¯t anything wrong, so she stopped talking¡­ Chapter 29 entering the room¡­ yun¡¯an city was the capital of great wei and was under the eyes of the empress. there were no forces of jianghu on the surface, but it was unrealistic to say that a large city with a population of more than a million didn¡¯t have any places to hide filth. in the west of the capital, half of the area was martial arts schools, escort agencies, and carriage and horse shops. it was a place where people from all walks of life gathered. many people from jianghu who entered the capital liked to stay nearby. the black office had also planted many informants in the market. ye jingtang wanted to pretend to be the wingless owl to lure the snake out of its hole. the black office was very cooperative. since yesterday, wang chihu had asked informants to spread news in the market, such as ¡®the theft of an aristocratic family¡¯, ¡®the wingless owl is suspected to have struck again¡¯, ¡®a mr. horn was stolen and is being sold¡¯, and so on. what ye jingtang wanted to do was to sneak into the ¡®black market¡¯ provided by the black office and take out the mr. horn to ask about the price to attract the attention of some people. although wang chihu looked carefree and unreliable, his ability to handle affairs was really extraordinary. ye jingtang originally thought that it would take several days before wang chihu would make some noise in the market. unexpectedly, while walking, he heard a casual conversation. ¡°brother wang, have you heard? the wingless owl struck again¡­¡± ¡°oh?! is that so? what family did he steal from this time?¡± ¡°according to rumors, he snuck into the prime minister¡¯s residence and stole¡­¡± ¡°woah! the wingless owl is so bold?¡± ¡°he has always been bold. i heard that that item is a must-have item for prime minister li. since the wingless owl stole this item, doesn¡¯t that mean he has indirectly touched prime minister li¡¯s wife and concubines¡­¡± ¡­ the drizzle had not stopped, and the sky had already darkened unknowingly. ye jingtang led his horse along the sparsely populated street. when he heard the whispers coming from the teahouse, he couldn¡¯t describe the emotions in his heart. throughout the day, he only wandered around the capital and took the mr. horn to a few shops to ask about the price. he didn¡¯t take the initiative to fabricate any story. in the end, the idlers in the market were really good at imagining things. they exaggerated the story for no reason and forcefully imagined a woman losing her chastity. they even beat their chests and stomped their feet in anger, cursing the wingless owl for being a good-for-nothing. there were even some people who described the use of this item vividly, as if they had personally seen the prime minister¡¯s wife holding the mr. horn and stuffing it into the prime minister¡¯s little flower¡­ this kind of news about the affairs between men and women spread quickly everywhere. ye jingtang was skeptical of this method at first. but when he heard the hooligans in the teahouse talking about this, he knew that as long as the wingless owl was in the capital, it would definitely reach his ears. luo ning had been following by his side, holding the box like a little wife. when she heard all this nonsense, her face almost turned blue, and she wished she could smash the dirty thing in her arms on the spot. but this was obviously not possible. seeing that the sky was getting dark, luo ning asked, ¡°where to now?¡± ye jingtang was pretending to be the wingless owl and strolling the streets, attracting the attention of many people. but when he and luo ning secretly observed them, they were all ordinary jianghu people who had heard the news. there were no traces of any experts with extraordinary lightness skills. under the fanning of the black office, as long as it was a place where people from all walks of life gathered, they were basically talking about the wingless owl stealing the mr. horn. if the wingless owl was hiding in the capital, it was impossible for him not to hear anything. to find him, they only needed to wait for him at the shop selling the stolen goods. according to ye jingtang¡¯s estimation, the wingless owl might already be following in the dark to investigate. but his lightness skills were too good, so he and luo ning didn¡¯t notice. if he ended work and returned home now, there was a high chance that he would reveal himself. he pondered for a moment and said, ¡°ning¡¯er, should we continue to find a place to sell the goods or rest for the night?¡± luo ning was a little hesitant. in her opinion, the rumors released by the black office had almost spread throughout the city. it would be too fake for her and ye jingtang to continue to find a place to sell the stolen goods. but they couldn¡¯t return to double osmanthus alley now. if they wanted to rest, they could only find an inn to stay. the two of them were pretending to be husband and wife in jianghu. if they stayed in an inn, they would sleep together¡­ luo ning¡¯s footsteps slowed down as she hesitated for a moment before whispering, ¡°you are a man. make up your own mind.¡± ye jingtang nodded slightly. after scanning the street, he walked toward an inn on the side. ¡°¡­¡± luo ning gritted her teeth. since the matter was serious, she didn¡¯t show any abnormalities and followed ye jingtang. ¡°waiter, get me a good room. feed the horse and get some hot water.¡± ¡°alright, guests. please come upstairs.¡± ¡­ soon, the two of them arrived at a room on the second floor. after ye jingtang waited for the waiter to go downstairs, he entered the room, came to the window, raised his hand, and knocked twice. the bird, who was standing guard in the dark, was already outside the inn and on standby. when it heard this, it cooed in reply. ye jingtang calmed down slightly. he took off his bamboo hat and raincoat and turned to look at heroine luo. luo ning closed the door, took off her hat, revealing her stunningly beautiful face, and looked around the room. the room was a standard ¡®big bedroom¡¯. the windows were facing the street, and there were guest rooms on both sides. there was a square table, a tea table, and a bed with a blue mosquito net against the wall. it was very big. luo ning glanced at the bed. the walls had ears, so she didn¡¯t show any abnormalities. she walked to the tea table and sat down. ¡°the wind is blowing outside. let¡¯s take turns keeping an eye on it in case the officials come!¡± ye jingtang sat at the side. he tilted his head and pointed outside, signaling: how will we lure the snake over if we take turns standing guard? but he smiled and said, ¡°what¡¯s there to be afraid of? don¡¯t you believe in my abilities? there were only a few followers on the way just now, but we shook them off. don¡¯t worry and sleep.¡± luo ning blinked and wanted to say something, but she couldn¡¯t find an excuse, so she got up, sat in front of the dressing table, and pretended to comb her hair. it was easy to expose themselves if they said too much. the two of them chatted for a while before stopping. when the waiter brought hot water, the two of them washed up like ordinary guests. ye jingtang came to the bed, placed the box beside the pillow, and lay down. ¡°phew¡­¡± sitting at the dressing table, luo ning glanced at the man on the bed with a complicated expression. she couldn¡¯t possibly sleep on the table all night. after gritting her teeth for a long time, she finally touched the soft sword at her waist, sat down at the head of the bed, and glared at ye jingtang. when ye jingtang saw luo ning¡¯s murderous gaze, he shook his head and sighed. ¡°let¡¯s sleep. we might have to run away at night. there¡¯s no need to take off our clothes.¡± luo ning¡¯s eyes warned ye jingtang for a moment before she slowly lay down on the pillow. she kept her hand on the soft sword at her waist and kept a foot away from ye jingtang. she closed her eyes and pretended to sleep while paying attention to the movements outside. but if they fell asleep the moment they lay on the bed, they would clearly not look like husband and wife. in order to make the act more convincing, ye jingtang tilted his head and looked at the sandalwood box between the two of them. ¡°ning¡¯er, have you ever used this thing in private?¡± ? what¡¯s wrong with you? heroine luo opened her beautiful peach blossom eyes. her eyes were full of embarrassment and anger. she suppressed her anger and said softly, ¡°what nonsense are you saying? go to sleep.¡± luo ning¡¯s appearance was very fairy-like. even without makeup, her bare face was extraordinary. whether she was angry or annoyed, her eyes carried a heart-palpitating beauty. lying on the pillows, they looked at each other in close proximity, and the trembling of each eyelash was very clear. rustle, rustle, rustle¡­ it was drizzling outside the window. other than two people breathing, there was no sound in the room. ye jingtang looked at the side profile of the beautiful woman in front of him and thought for a moment before saying, ¡°are you still angry? i really didn¡¯t do it on purpose last time. at that time, you were almost discovered by the constables. i was helping you. who would have thought that you wouldn¡¯t cooperate at all¡­¡± the bulging little watermelons under luo ning¡¯s clothes undulated slightly as she said flatly, ¡°don¡¯t talk about it. it¡¯s all in the past. if i blamed you, i would have castrated you long ago.¡± even though it sounded like a joke, she was telling the truth. ye jingtang smiled and closed his eyes to pretend to be asleep while secretly paying attention to the movements outside. before long, the bird hooted in the distance. ¡°coo~ coo~¡± the cry of an owl was very common at night, but ye jingtang¡¯s heart skipped a beat. he understood the secret signal of the bird: there was a suspicious figure outside. he didn¡¯t expect the fish to take the bait so quickly. he turned to look at luo ning beside him. luo ning also recognized the bird¡¯s sound. in order not to alert the enemy, she turned around, looked ye jingtang in the eye, and mouthed: what should we do? ye jingtang listened attentively to the sounds outside. because he couldn¡¯t find where the person was coming from, his eyes signaled not to alert the enemy. then in the tone of a couple chatting, he said gently, ¡°why do i feel like you¡¯re still angry?¡± luo ning¡¯s expression was solemn as she listened to the wind outside the window. ¡°how am i angry at you?¡± ¡°if you¡¯re not angry, why are you sleeping so far away?¡± ?! you little thief! luo ning glared at him as if she wanted to eat him up. there was indeed a faint sound outside the window. it seemed that someone was listening on the roof, but they couldn¡¯t tell the exact location. luo ning was extremely annoyed, but in the end, she put the overall situation first. she moved a little closer and lay on the same pillow as ye jingtang. they were only a palm¡¯s width away from each other. she raised her slender hand and made a gesture of scissors cutting, telling ye jingtang not to play with fire. ye jingtang expressed that he understood. his eyes were focused on the window as he raised his hand to hug luo ning. ?! seeing ye jingtang pushing his luck, luo ning quickly leaned back to dodge. she glared at ye jingtang with a look that said: little thief, are you tired of living? ye jingtang¡¯s movements paused for a moment before he went forward and whispered into luo ning¡¯s ear, his voice as soft as a mosquito¡¯s. ¡°what can i do? i can¡¯t kiss you, but i can¡¯t just lie here and stare, right?¡± his scorching hot breath blew against her earlobe and neck. luo ning shivered and avoided his gaze. but if the two of them were facing each other without any movement, it would indeed arouse suspicion. she gritted her teeth and gestured to the head of the bed, telling ye jingtang to shake the bed. ¡°there¡¯s no foreplay. are we just going to start shaking?¡± foreplay? luo ning seemed to understand but didn¡¯t quite understand. she was afraid that if they dragged it out for too long, the person would notice something amiss. so she made up her mind, covered ye jingtang¡¯s mouth with her hand, pressed him onto the pillow, and leaned forward to kiss the back of her hand. smooch¡­ Chapter 30 the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the bird behind ye jingtang lay flat on his head and looked at the heroine right in front of him with a strange expression. although luo ning¡¯s arms were between them, and she didn¡¯t come into direct contact with him, her moist hair slid down her shoulders and sprinkled on the side of his face, tickling his heart. there was a fair hand separating them, but it was indeed a woman¡¯s forceful kiss. ye jingtang felt that this method wasn¡¯t bad, so he immediately suppressed his wandering thoughts and paid attention to the movements outside while lightly kissing her palm. !! luo ning felt a warm and numbing sensation in her palm, and goosebumps rose all over her body! so close, she could feel ye jingtang¡¯s hot breath on her face. although it wasn¡¯t a real kiss, the impact on her was not small. although it was unbearable, luo ning had the experience of being touched the last time. in the end, she suppressed the trembling in her heart, closed her eyes, and kissed ye jingtang through her palm while paying close attention to the movements outside the window. but¡­ this kid seems to be very experienced in taking advantage of girls! just as luo ning suppressed her current embarrassment, she found that not only was ye jingtang kissing her, but he had even raised his hand and placed it on the back of her head. then he slid his hand down along her black hair and gently caressed her back and shoulders. this kind of touch was indescribable. luo ning only felt that this gentle caress was like a branding iron running on her back. every stroke struck her heart directly, causing her to tremble involuntarily. she couldn¡¯t help wanting to cry out. luo ning moved her hand slightly and squeezed ye jingtang¡¯s arm, warning him not to touch randomly. ye jingtang felt that he was innocent. after all, it was impossible for a man to kiss while keeping his hands still. he only touched her shoulders and back, not any sensitive areas. sensing heroine luo¡¯s murderous intent, ye jingtang restrained himself a little. he spread out his hands and leaned on the pillow, pretending to be an ¡®insulted hero¡¯ who was forcefully being bullied by heroine luo. the soft sounds lasted for nearly half an hour. luo ning had obviously overestimated her endurance. she had one arm curled in front of her chest to support her body and pressed down on ye jingtang¡¯s body. at first, she didn¡¯t think much of it, but as the man¡¯s body temperature continued to spread, she gradually began to feel that something was wrong with her entire body. her face was slowly heating up, her heart was in a mess, and her breathing involuntarily became heavier¡­ luo ning¡¯s mind was in chaos. she could only close her eyes, remind herself not to pay attention to this, and listen attentively to the situation outside the window. ye jingtang lay obediently and didn¡¯t cross the line again. but he slowly realized that there was something wrong with heroine luo, who was pressing down on him. they were too close to each other, so he couldn¡¯t see luo ning¡¯s face clearly. he could only sense that her eyes were closed, her breathing was hot, and her clothes were rising and falling. originally, luo ning¡¯s left arm was curled up in front of her chest to maintain the distance between them. but as time passed, her strength started to weaken. in the end, it turned into her upper body pressing against his chest. ? although ye jingtang¡¯s willpower was outstanding, he wasn¡¯t a saint. seeing luo ning sticking so close to him, he couldn¡¯t help raising his hand, quietly moving it to her back, and gently caressing her. luo ning had her eyes closed and was trying her best to sense the situation outside, so she didn¡¯t seem to notice that his actions were different from before. ¡°¡­¡± ye jingtang blinked. then his hand slid down a bit. ¡°uh?!¡± this time, luo ning finally reacted and instantly regained awareness. she propped herself up again, opened her eyes, and glared angrily at ye jingtang! ye jingtang quickly raised his hands. with a serious expression, he mouthed a reminder: don¡¯t get distracted! i¡¯m distracted? luo ning had been ¡®concentrating¡¯ on the movements outside the window just now, so she didn¡¯t feel that she was distracted. besides, even if i¡¯m distracted, can you touch me? seeing that ye jingtang was still playing the blame game, luo ning really wanted to draw her sword and reason with him. but the person outside the inn didn¡¯t seem to have left and should be hiding still. luo ning glared fiercely at ye jingtang and wiped her hand on his clothes in disgust. then she turned over, lay flat on the pillow, pressed her hand on the soft sword at her waist, and suppressed her emotions. ¡°we still have something to do tomorrow. go to bed early.¡± seeing that luo ning was angry, ye jingtang shrugged slightly and carefully paid attention to the movements outside. the inn was completely silent. the two of them didn¡¯t speak again. it was as if they had fallen asleep after kissing. but after the two of them finished, there were still others staying in the inn. there were all sorts of people gathered nearby, and the people of jianghu didn¡¯t care much about etiquette. martial artists had too much energy, so it was common for men and women to have sex in inns at night. ye jingtang had just closed his eyes for a moment when he heard a sound coming from a room in the inn. the voice sounded like she was crying and complaining. she was much more professional than heroine luo. ye jingtang¡¯s expression became strange, and he silently looked at luo ning beside him. he saw that her already red face was gradually turning into a burning cloud and then turned cold again. she tightly clenched her hands, which were folded on her lower abdomen, and pretended not to hear anything. ye jingtang was paying attention to the movements outside the window, but he was a little distracted by this noise. he thought for a moment and whispered, ¡°this woman is really unrestrained.¡± ¡°hmph¡­ slut¡­¡± the voice not far away was tormenting luo ning. after mumbling, she turned around, leaving ye jingtang with the back of her head. when ye jingtang heard that luo ning really commented, surprise flashed in his eyes. he originally wanted to chat casually, but looking at luo ning¡¯s attitude, she probably didn¡¯t want to talk, so he let it go. in the dead of night, the sounds of the happiness between a man and a woman were a mental test for the man and woman lying together. fortunately, the man not far away was of average skill. after about three minutes, he stopped moving. a woman¡¯s annoyed voice came. ¡°i haven¡¯t eaten enough~¡± luo ning breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as though a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders. the rainy night had also completely quieted down. at first, there were still voices on the street. but as the night deepened, only the lanterns hanging outside the inn slowly swayed in the wind and rain. the two of them lay in silence for nearly two hours. there was no other movement outside. ye jingtang wasn¡¯t sleepy. from time to time, he would look at luo ning¡¯s side profile to see if she had fallen asleep. luo ning slowly adapted to lying next to ye jingtang, and her complexion returned to normal as she patiently waited for the fish to take the bait. but the fish outside was more cautious than they had imagined. in the end, there were no abnormal movements. in the latter half of the night, two soft sounds came from the window. ¡°chirp chirp¡­¡± luo ning¡¯s eyelashes fluttered as she opened her eyes in confusion. ye jingtang understood what the bird meant: open the window! i¡¯m freezing to death! after observing the window for a moment, he flipped over luo ning¡¯s body and quietly approached the window with his saber. squeak! the window was raised, and the cold wind and rain immediately drifted in. the fluffy bird swooshed into the room from the outside. its feathers were completely drenched. it landed on the bed and began to shake its head crazily. swoosh! swoosh! swoosh! water droplets splashed everywhere! luo ning frowned, but her heart ached. she pulled the bird over and wiped it with a thin blanket. ¡°did he leave?¡± the bird had been exposed to the wind and rain for an entire day. it felt very wronged, so it opened its beak first. ye jingtang watched outside the window for a moment before walking up to the bird. he took out some dried meat and fed it. ¡°looks like he¡¯s gone.¡± luo ning had been suffering for so long, so when she heard this, she was naturally angry. ¡°then, what should we do? did we put on this show for nothing?¡± after the bird finished eating, it finally felt a little better. it pointed outside with its wings. ¡°chirp, chirp.¡± ye jingtang explained, ¡°it¡¯s very smart. someone was secretly observing us, so it naturally acted as the oriole behind. i don¡¯t believe the wingless owl can be so cautious that he can shake off a bird¡¯s tracking. let¡¯s follow it to capture him.¡± luo ning was still brooding over the fact that ye jingtang had touched her just now, but since it was a serious matter, it wasn¡¯t appropriate for her to flare up. in the end, she still climbed out of the window with ye jingtang¡­ Chapter 31 carrying a saber without an umbrella on a rainy night the capital was massive. there were the debauched and extravagant lives of powerful and wealthy families, and there were muddy old streets with few people. peregrine street on the north side of the west market was a livestock market. whenever it rained, the street would be flooded with sewage and emit a foul smell. those who walked here were mostly low-level peddlers and servants, and most of the surrounding houses housed poor people. it was late at night, and the rain was getting heavier. deep in the alley of peregrine street, an oil lamp lit up, illuminating the windows of an abandoned courtyard. a thin figure wearing a bamboo hat placed the oil lamp on the windowsill and took off the bamboo hat. he carefully observed the movements outside. the light illuminated his ordinary face, making him look like an ordinary man living here. the man¡¯s name was guo yuanlong, but no one in jianghu knew his real name. he was usually called by his title: wingless owl. just as shang jianli had said, everyone had their own stories. the only difference was that some were well-known, while others were unknown. if guo yuanlong¡¯s story were to be told, it would be considered exciting. he was born into a wealthy family in yan province. he had been fond of gambling since he was young. after losing all his family properties, he ¡®returned from the lost path¡¯ and began to support himself and make a living by stealing. although guo yuanlong was a poor player at the gambling table, he was extremely talented in the field of theft. at the age of 17 or 18, he became a famous local thief. due to his agility, a ¡®senior¡¯ in jianghu took a fancy to him and took him in as a disciple. afterward, guo yuanlong began to be lucky. after learning extraordinary lightness skills, he roamed around the various sects in yan province, stealing secret manuals, weapons, and rare treasures. he had never failed. he had once taken the risk to infiltrate yan mountain¡¯s cutting cut palace not because he really wanted to target the overlord of yan province, lu jieyun, but purely because he wanted to sneak in and steal two useful martial arts manuals. in the end, his luck was heaven-defying. he accidentally found lu jieyun¡¯s place of seclusion. lu jieyun was not at home, so he obtained a martial arts book without any effort. lu jieyun¡¯s lightness skills and movement techniques were the best in the world. he had always been trying to break through his limits. if he had any insights, he would casually write them down and slowly ponder them. ordinary people might not be able to understand them. guo yuanlong believed that he was talented, but so far, he had only learned 30% to 50% of what lu jieyun had recorded. even so, his lightness skills were already considered outstanding. escaping from ordinary martial artists was like walking a dog. from then on, his name spread throughout jianghu, and he became the well-known thief king of yan province, the wingless owl. in the mind of the people of jianghu, stealing lu jieyun¡¯s martial arts insights was already guo yuanlong¡¯s greatest battle record, but this was actually not the case. under the candlelight, guo yuanlong took out an item from his bosom and unfolded the black cloth wrapped around it. inside was a piece of golden paper. the golden paper was not made of gold, and guo yuanlong still didn¡¯t know what material it was made of. he only knew that it was extremely tough and could bend but could not be folded. it was invulnerable to water and fire and indestructible to sabers and spears. the golden paper was the size of a book page, and there was a picture engraved on it. the content was ¡®a dragon turtle with the head of a dragon and the body of a turtle carrying three tall mountains on its back¡¯. the picture shone with golden light under the dim yellow candlelight. it was dreamlike and unreal, and the picture was like a living creature. guo yuanlong had found this golden paper in a secret compartment in the prince of yan¡¯s study when he snuck into the prince of yan estate. at first, he thought it was an ordinary treasure because it was indestructible. but after he stole it from the prince of yan, there was no movement at all. the prince of yan¡¯s reaction, coupled with the uniqueness of the golden paper, immediately made guo yuanlong guess the true identity of this golden paper: the roaring dragon chart! the roaring dragon chart had been first obtained by the founding monarch in history. therefore, since ancient times, there was a saying that whoever obtained the roaring dragon chart would obtain the world. throughout the dynasties, the roaring dragon chart was a forbidden item. other than the emperors, no one dared to hide it. a vassal prince collecting this item was no different from hiding the dragon robe and jade seal. it was no wonder that the prince of yan only dared to deal with it in a low-key manner after losing it. after guo yuanlong obtained this golden paper, his life¡¯s ideals changed. he no longer cared about the secular world and jianghu. in his heart, there were only the three old monsters on the mountains and the higher level of ¡®longevity, immortality, and becoming an immortal¡¯. according to the rumors circulating in jianghu, the roaring dragon chart had a total of nine pages, and every page recorded a supreme secret technique. it was said that the previous dynasty had gathered more than half of them, but after the country was destroyed, heroes entered the capital to snatch them. the founding emperor of great wei had only recovered one page, and the rest were lost in jianghu. guo yuanlong had made many inquiries and learned that the one in his hand was the ¡®dragon form picture¡¯ of the roaring dragon chart. it was said that one could obtain a divine power comparable to a dragon turtle after learning it. although the dragon form picture was not as famous as the longevity picture and the fire bathing picture nor had the domineering effect of ¡®shaking immortals and buddhas with the power of mortals¡¯, it was still far beyond the countless martial arts techniques in the mortal world. but the effect of roaring dragon chart was domineering, and the threshold was not low either. this was because it was completely different from worldly martial arts. after guo yuanlong obtained and studied it for several years, he had only scratched the surface. until now, he had not been able to reach basic mastery. the roaring dragon chart was a secret technique to ascend to immortality, so it was inevitable that progress was slow. guo yuanlong wasn¡¯t too anxious. while studying it, he was also searching for the whereabouts of the other pages of the roaring dragon chart. over the years, guo yuanlong had searched the studies and back residences of various aristocratic families. he had even taken the risk to enter the sword pavilion of the water cloud sword pool, but unfortunately, he had found nothing. without any leads, guo yuanlong came to the capital. he wanted to look through the historical records inside the censorate to find clues. at the same time, he wanted to see if there was a chance to sneak into the imperial city and search for the only page of the roaring dragon chart whose whereabouts was known: the jade bone qilin picture kept by the great wei imperial family. night was naturally the work hours of thieves, when they generally didn¡¯t sleep. but when guo yuanlong heard the strange rumor of the wingless owl stealing a mr. horn, he realized that something was wrong. he had followed the male and female thieves throughout the afternoon and had yet to figure out their background. for safety reasons, he didn¡¯t go out to work and temporarily changed his residence to hide. under the quiet night rain, he carefully studied the dragon form picture in his hand. but not long after guo yuanlong started studying, his ears twitched. he heard a soft sound coming from the alley not far away. swish! a trap was triggered, and the sound of silver needles piercing through the air could be heard! ¡ª¡ª¡ª boom! muffled thunder resounded through the majestic city under the rain. the raindrops were like soybeans as they hit old tiles, making crackling sounds. ye jingtang held his saber in his hand, leaned against the wall of the alley, and slowly walked toward the abandoned courtyard in the depths. luo ning walked in front and took off her veiled hat to prevent any bumps from alerting their prey. this place was not as deserted as double osmanthus alley, but it was safer. a butcher who sold dog meat lived in the alley, and there were more than ten dogs waiting to be slaughtered in the courtyard. as long as there was the slightest sound, it could cause dogs to bark. for this reason, even the bird stayed at the entrance of the alley. the two of them used the sound of the rain to cover all their sounds and slowly searched for their target. when they arrived near the abandoned courtyard, they could vaguely see a faint light in the extremely dark night. luo ning¡¯s eyes focused as she gently raised her slender hand, indicating the alley at the side of the courtyard. seeing this, ye jingtang held his breath and turned to the side of the courtyard, splitting up to outflank the target to prevent him from escaping. but even though the two of them were so cautious, they still underestimated the wingless owl¡¯s vigilance. even though he had temporarily settled down here, he had already calculated the possible routes that enemies might approach and made meticulous arrangements in the surroundings of the abandoned house. ye jingtang leaned against the wall and turned into the side alley. he noticed a wooden stick leaning against the alley wall. through the subtle movements of the rainwater falling, he noticed the existence of a thin thread. it was clearly a trap. after observing carefully, he paid attention to the wooden pole and wanted to bypass the trap. but unexpectedly, when he moved, he heard a sound coming from below. snap! it was the sound of a thread snapping! ! ye jingtang didn¡¯t expect the other party to set up two mechanisms, one in the open and one in the dark. his heart sank, and he jumped out without hesitation. but the wingless owl was a veteran of jianghu. when he arranged traps according to the current environment, he knew how people would dodge them. the moment the thin thread snapped, several flying needles shot out from the shadows. swoosh! swoosh! swoosh! the target of the hidden weapons was not where ye jingtang was. instead, it was a few steps in front and a few steps behind. the moment luo ning heard the commotion, she already knew that something was wrong. she slid her soft sword into her hand and leaned directly behind ye jingtang. the sword¡¯s momentum was like the wind as it cut off the silver needles that shot out from the rain. ding! ding! ye jingtang heard the sound of silver needles piercing through the air, and his saber was instantly out of its sheath. he identified the position of the sound and swept his saber across twice, knocking down all the hidden weapons flying toward him. but from the corner of his eye, through the curtain of raindrops, he discovered that an object had already arrived in front of him without any sound. ye jingtang was horrified. it was already too late to block with his saber, so he could only try his best to move and avoid his vital points from being hit. unexpectedly, before he could move, a slender arm grabbed his shoulder and pulled him to the side, forcefully making him avoid the hidden weapon that was inches away. after all, luo ning was more experienced in jianghu. her soft sword was like a peacock spreading its tail, making the defense in front of them watertight. after coming into contact with the silent black needle that even she didn¡¯t notice, she knew that the shameless little thief, who was still inexperienced in jianghu, couldn¡¯t block it. although she had a lot of opinions about ye jingtang taking advantage of her, when life and death were at stake, she didn¡¯t hesitate at all. she pulled ye jingtang away with all her might and used her three-foot-long sword to sweep away the shadowless black needle that shot out from the dark. whoosh! ding! in her haste, luo ning felt a sharp pain in her shoulder. she ignored it. she tapped her left shoulder lightly to seal her acupoints and jumped over the courtyard wall with her sword in hand¡­ Chapter 32 saber light in the cold alley clatter! amidst the silent rain, a commotion suddenly broke out, causing crazed barking. ¡°woof woof woof!¡± ye jingtang was pulled away by luo ning. he heard the sound of a window breaking coming from the courtyard and immediately rushed to the courtyard. at the same time, three flying needles shot toward the wall ye jingtang was about to jump onto. the flying needles were two in the light and one in the dark. the sound of the two light ones cutting through the wind attracted attention, while the dark one was silent. on this extremely dark and rainy night, it was very difficult for anyone to detect the existence of the silent dark needle. but ye jingtang didn¡¯t know many moves. he had already discovered that the hidden weapon was difficult to avoid, so his fighting style no longer followed the norm. clang! the saber at his waist flashed. the old courtyard wall in front of ye jingtang exploded under the blade and turned into rubble. the rubble covered the sky and the earth as it smashed toward the house and drowned the flying needles shooting over. swish! swish! swish! the old house was instantly riddled with holes by countless broken bricks. guo yuanlong, who had just crashed out of the window, was horrified when he saw this scene. knowing that two experts suspected of being grandmasters had come knocking, he didn¡¯t even have the intention to fight back and directly fled to the side. ye jingtang didn¡¯t know lightness skills and wouldn¡¯t be able to catch up to him if he got away. but his short-distance explosive power was not low. knowing that the wingless owl¡¯s lightness skills were extraordinary, when ye jingtang saw the black shadow dash out of the house, he threw his saber at the spot where the black shadow would land to prevent him from borrowing the force to soar into the air. whoosh! the three-foot-long silver blade brought about a violent wind-breaking sound in the night rain. guo yuanlong didn¡¯t expect these people to react so quickly. his right foot that was about to land on the ground quickly rose back. the next moment, the blade slashed past his foot, cutting off a layer of the sole of his shoe. this move had already restricted guo yuanlong¡¯s movements, but guo yuanlong¡¯s reputation was well-deserved. since he couldn¡¯t step on the ground, he used the tip of his foot to tap on the vibrating saber lightly and borrowed the force to soar into the air. swoosh! but no matter how fast he retracted his foot and changed his footing, it was still slower than usual. luo ning and ye jingtang rushed into the courtyard at the same time. how could they give the cat burglar a chance to escape? at this moment, like a fairy from the heavens, luo ning leaped into the air and slashed horizontally with the soft sword. swish! amidst the sharp sword cry, the soft sword was like a peacock spreading its tail, turning into a half-moon folding fan in the rain. the sword wind drove the raindrops falling from the sky and turned them into a storm of pear blossoms that shot toward guo yuanlong. a few raindrops smashed against the collapsed walls of the house, and explosions immediately sounded everywhere. poof! poof! poof! dust flew everywhere, and a line of round holes appeared on the wall. screen-opening sword?! guo yuanlong recognized that this move was from a sword technique of the pacifying heaven cult of the heavenly south. he couldn¡¯t help being astonished. he didn¡¯t understand why he was ambushed by the rebels of the pacifying heaven cult when he was at the feet of the emperor. but with a page of the roaring dragon chart on him, the entire world was his enemy. the person had already come to kill him, and he had no chance to understand the cause and effect. blocked top and bottom, guo yuanlong found it difficult to force his way through. he spun around in the air to dodge the raindrops while simultaneously throwing a copper ball with an iron wire from his sleeve to the side. bam! the copper ball pierced through a wall. as the soil flew, the iron wire stretched taut. guo yuanlong borrowed the force and pulled himself over. his entire body moved horizontally toward the distant wall. ye jingtang had thrown his saber, but he didn¡¯t stand there stupidly. if he let the cat burglar land, he might not be able to touch the corner of his clothes anymore. seeing the copper ball flying out, he unleashed his full strength, approached the center of the wire, raised his hand, and struck. guo yuanlong¡¯s eyes were sharp. from ye jingtang¡¯s attack, he could tell that ye jingtang¡¯s martial arts skills were definitely not low. but under the siege, escaping was his top priority. he immediately braced himself and threw a punch in the air. he wanted to borrow ye jingtang¡¯s palm force to fly out of the courtyard and escape into the distance. guo yuanlong¡¯s plan was good, and he achieved his goal. unfortunately, he had greatly underestimated the strength of ye jingtang¡¯s palm strike and borrowed too much force! ye jingtang had never encountered an expert at the border. after entering the capital, he had already fought a grandmaster, which had almost traumatized him. at this moment, when fighting against someone, he didn¡¯t dare to hold back at all. seeing the opponent¡¯s violent punch, he blasted his palm out with his full strength. boom! in the rainy night, a thunderous explosion sounded in the courtyard. luo ning¡¯s sword fell from the air, but she was shocked to find that the rain in the courtyard exploded and shot out in all directions, forming a hole in the curtain of rain. the moment the fist of the cat burglar collided with ye jingtang¡¯s palm, his entire body turned into a sack hit by a battering ram. he flew out horizontally, causing the iron wire in his hand to snap, and crashed into a wall. it was the same for ye jingtang. ye jingtang¡¯s combat experience was not low, and his opponent had nowhere to borrow strength in the air. logically speaking, no matter how good his martial arts were, he couldn¡¯t exert much strength. it was impossible for him not to be able to withstand the impact with his feet on the ground. but when his opponent¡¯s fist landed on his palm, he felt as if he had caught a crossbow bolt with his bare hands. there was no technique to speak of. it was all pure brute force! the punch forced his arm taut, and the explosive force instantly numbed his right arm. his feet were still on the ground, but he couldn¡¯t stand at all. his entire body slid back and crashed into the house behind him. clatter! with a loud bang, a hole appeared in the wall. guo yuanlong¡¯s figure didn¡¯t stop until he crashed through the opposite wall, fell into another courtyard, and landed on the ground. ye jingtang fell into the house and rushed out in the blink of an eye. his eyes were astonished. the punch just now was too powerful, so much so that he felt that the opponent wasn¡¯t a human at all but a demon transformed from a bull or a giant elephant. luo ning also saw that the wingless owl¡¯s physical strength was unbelievably high, but his martial arts skills were really not much. she immediately reminded anxiously, ¡°he¡¯s severely injured. chase after him!¡± although guo yuanlong was strong, his martial arts skills were really average. otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t just be a cat burglar. under ye jingtang¡¯s palm strike that contained boundless internal energy, guo yuanlong¡¯s right arm lost its combat ability and drooped. after landing on the ground, he coughed before flipping over and flying away into the distance. seeing this, ye jingtang ran after him with large strides. luo ning landed on the ground, pierced her sword through the hornless dragon saber¡¯s ring on the hilt, and threw it to ye jingtang. whoosh! ye jingtang caught the saber while running. it was only at this moment that he realized that luo ning¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t right, and her left arm was unnatural. it seemed that she had been injured by the invisible black needle when she forcefully pulled him away. ¡°you¡­¡± ¡°chase after him!¡± hearing this, ye jingtang gritted his teeth, jumped onto the house with his saber, and approached the back of the black shadow. tap, tap, tap¡­ in the old alley, the sound of tiles breaking echoed continuously. chickens cawed, dogs barked, and residents shouted. guo yuanlong was extremely agile, making almost no sound as he moved through the rain. but he was severely injured due to ye jingtang¡¯s palm strike. no matter how good his lightness skills were, it was impossible for him to be unaffected at all. he obviously staggered a little during the escape. ye jingtang sheathed his blade and ran wildly on top of houses. along the way, he grabbed tiles, predicted where the cat burglar would land, and kept throwing broken tiles to interfere. luo ning did the same. swish! swish! swish! under this kind of pursuit, guo yuanlong forcefully held on for half a kilometer, but he was still unable to shake off the two of them. his right arm was bleeding, and under the turbulence of his blood and qi, his injuries had already spread to his chest and abdomen. moreover, he was still being chased. guo yuanlong was a cat burglar. he had killed people from both the underworld and normal society, and he also had a precious treasure on him. as long as he was caught, he would definitely die. at this moment, he had the intention to fight to the death. guo yuanlong jumped over a wall and suddenly landed on the ground. at the same time, he threw out a flying needle, shooting it upward. this move was to use ye jingtang¡¯s poor vision to catch him off guard. unfortunately, guo yuanlong had overestimated ye jingtang¡¯s skills. this kind of small wall that was taller than the head, even third-rate experts in jianghu could pass over it with ease. but ye jingtang was different. he didn¡¯t know any lightness skills. after seeing the red god of wealth, the black and white impermanence, and heroine luo, he knew how terrifying the experts of jianghu were. if he rashly jumped into the air, he would have nowhere to borrow strength. if he were intercepted, he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape even if he had wings. therefore, he wouldn¡¯t leave the ground unless he was completely confident. seeing the cat burglar disappear behind a wall and losing sight of him, ye jingtang didn¡¯t hesitate at all. he turned his body and slammed the wall with his shoulder like a bull. boom! the moment guo yuanlong shot out the flying needle, he heard a loud bang behind him. the old brick wall bulged from the impact and then exploded, smashing against his back. bam! guo yuanlong¡¯s eyes flashed with shock as he was struck by the tremendous force from behind. he was sent flying and fell on the street in the pouring rain. ¡°cough cough!¡± with his life hanging by a thread, guo yuanlong became ruthless. after falling on the ground, he rolled, bounced up, and turned back. he took out a dagger with his left hand and stabbed it straight at ye jingtang¡¯s face. this move was akin to exchanging life for life. clang! ye jingtang immediately unsheathed his saber at his waist and slashed at the chest of the cat burglar, instantly cutting out a white arc in front of him. this slash was flawless. it should have cut the wingless owl¡¯s chest, but something unexpected happened. crack! amidst the ear-piercing sound, ye jingtang was shocked to discover that the cat burglar, who should have been cut in half, only had a hole in the front of his shirt. the slash that could even cut through the iron-armed impermanence¡¯s arm landed on the cat burglar¡¯s chest but only left a string of sparks. judging from the sound, sparks were still coming from the blade. a golden light flashed across the cat burglar¡¯s chest, as if there wasn¡¯t even a scratch! his opponent had used a move that traded life for life, and he had used his opponent¡¯s flaw to attack. but in the end, he had failed to break through his opponent¡¯s defense. under normal circumstances, he should have been killed by his opponent in one strike. this was guo yuanlong¡¯s plan. unfortunately, ye jingtang had underestimated guo yuanlong¡¯s defense, and guo yuanlong had underestimated ye jingtang¡¯s damage output. ye jingtang had failed to cut open guo yuanlong¡¯s chest, but the majestic internal energy contained in the blade wouldn¡¯t disappear into thin air. the indestructible ¡®heart protecting mirror¡¯ dispersed the force of ye jingtang¡¯s blow to half of guo yuanlong¡¯s chest, giving him the feeling that an octagonal copper hammer had smashed his chest with overwhelming power. the immense force sent guo yuanlong flying dozens of feet away. in this exchange, both sides looked shocked. guo yuanlong knew that he was no match for ye jingtang at all. he desperately wanted to throw his dagger to stop the pursuer. ye jingtang had failed to kill the cat burglar. he thought that he had encountered another indestructible body like the iron-armed impermanence¡¯s. if he still held back after this, he was probably tired of living. seeing his opponent sent flying, ye jingtang used the second saber move he had come up with without hesitation. the saber he had slashed out with his left hand was sent to his right hand. then he stomped heavily on the ground and rushed forward with the saber in his hand! boom! luo ning followed behind. just as she rushed out from behind the collapsed wall, she heard a loud roar on the long street in the heavy rain. the shameless little thief with the silver saber was like a wild dragon going out to sea. he broke through the rain and created a white line formed by mist on the street. swoosh! a cold light flashed, and the sound of the blade tore through the rain! before luo ning could even see his figure clearly, ye jingtang had already flashed across the street. before the cat burglar landed on the ground, ye jingtang had already appeared behind him. his figure stopped, and he sheathed his saber! crack! the saber light came to an abrupt stop! plop! gurgle! the cat burglar¡¯s body fell to the ground, still holding the dagger in his hand that he couldn¡¯t throw in time. the head flying into the air only landed on the ground after a while. it bounced a few times and rolled to the side of the street. dark red blood mixed with mud. the wide eyes on the head had not yet completely lost their spiritual will. the last trace of shock in the eyes might be saying four words: eight-steps frenzied blade¡­ rustle, rustle, rustle¡­ as the blade was sheathed, the noisy rainy night completely fell silent¡­ Chapter 33 unexpected wealth the dust settled, and the street fell silent. ¡°huff, puff¡­¡± ye jingtang was panting like an ox. after sheathing his saber, he turned to look at luo ning. he saw her clutching her left shoulder, her lips slightly parted, staring at him with her mouth agape. ¡°how is your injury?¡± ye jingtang walked over quickly and held luo ning¡¯s left arm to check it. luo ning twisted her waist slightly to avoid ye jingtang¡¯s touch. she didn¡¯t even have time to care about her injury as she exclaimed in surprise, ¡°what saber technique was that? why is it so powerful?¡± ¡°did i say i was weak?¡± ¡°didn¡¯t you never learn martial arts?¡± ¡°i trained in the courtyard a few days ago. didn¡¯t you see?¡± ¡°you¡¯ve only practiced for a few days¡­¡± luo ning opened her mouth, then paused. she felt that it wasn¡¯t impossible for this shameless little thief to comprehend a peerless saber technique in a few days¡­ she put away her shocked thoughts, held her left shoulder, and said calmly, ¡°it¡¯s the wingless owl¡¯s unique poison, tendon piercing powder. i sealed my acupoints myself. it¡¯s fine.¡± hearing this, ye jingtang inwardly heaved a sigh of relief. he took out the jade dragon ointment that he had obtained from third lady and handed it to luo ning. then he rummaged through the headless corpse. ¡°don¡¯t block hidden weapons for me in the future. you can¡¯t even block them¡­¡± ? when luo ning heard these heartless words, her eyes were naturally full of anger. ¡°why do you care if i¡¯m willing? do you think everyone in jianghu is like you and watches coldly from the sidelines without caring about the safety of their companions if they don¡¯t think they can help?¡± ye jingtang just didn¡¯t want the people around him to get hurt because of him. he was still very touched, so he didn¡¯t retort. he just quickly searched the corpse. in the end, he didn¡¯t find an antidote bottle. instead, he found a golden item on the corpse¡¯s chest. ye jingtang took out the golden paper and sized it up. he knew that it was an invulnerable treasure, but he didn¡¯t know the details. he placed it beside him and continued to search. luo ning came over and was about to say something when she caught sight of the golden paper from the corner of her eye. her body trembled slightly. ye jingtang was engrossed in searching for things when he noticed luo ning¡¯s heavy breathing. he turned around and looked at the golden paper. ¡°you know what this is?¡± luo ning¡¯s pale face concealed her shock, but she was clearly a little flustered. she knew what this golden paper was. the pacifying heaven cult master was also collecting the ¡®roaring dragon chart¡¯ and had a page. according to pacifying heaven cult master, each page of the roaring dragon chart contained one of nine mystical sect secret techniques. obtaining one page would allow one to far surpass ordinary people. luo ning wasn¡¯t sure if one would be able to ascend after learning all of them, but she was certain that one¡¯s appearance would last forever. because from the moment she had first met the pacifying heaven cult master until now, apart from her mature temperament, her appearance was no different from back then. she had also learned a little, and her skin was still as tender as yunli¡¯s¡­ even though it didn¡¯t have the magical effect of allowing one to become an immortal, just the rejuvenation of one¡¯s youth was enough to drive countless jianghu grandmasters crazy. when the previous dynasty perished, various grandmasters had taken advantage of the chaos to rush into the capital. in order to compete for the roaring dragon chart, it was not uncommon for brothers to stab each other in the back and master and disciple to kill each other. there had been countless human tragedies in history. it could be said that this thing was a scourge. whoever obtained a page would basically silence those who knew to prevent the news from spreading and being hunted down by the people of jianghu. if she informed ye jingtang, what if this little thief coveted the treasure and made up his mind¡­ with this little thief¡¯s character, he shouldn¡¯t¡­ luo ning hesitated for a moment before replying euphemistically, ¡°store this thing well. it¡¯s very important. don¡¯t let outsiders see it¡­ otherwise, you¡¯ll be killed.¡± ye jingtang blinked and looked at the drawing of a dragon turtle carrying three mountains on the golden paper. he pondered for a moment and said, ¡°this can¡¯t be the roaring dragon chart, can it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± luo ning didn¡¯t say anything. she took a few steps back and looked at ye jingtang warily. seeing luo ning¡¯s apprehensive expression, ye jingtang guessed her worries. he shook his head and continued to search for the antidote. ¡°you risked your life to block the hidden weapons for me just now, but you¡¯re on guard now. are you schizophrenic?¡± luo ning also felt that her actions were a little inconsistent and said in a deep voice, ¡°i don¡¯t think you¡¯re a sinister person, so i told you. if you really didn¡¯t have any morals, you would have died on the first day you saw me.¡± ye jingtang ignored her stubborn words and continued to search. he found that this cat burglar had a lot of belongings. not only did he have the golden paper, but he also had a jade pendant and a small booklet at his waist. the booklet was ordinary and even a little old. he glanced at the content. it was similar to a diary and was all casually written insights. it was written unsystematically, but the strokes were bold and powerful. it was obvious that it was written by a master. if he wasn¡¯t wrong, it was the martial arts insights of the legendary lu jieyun. standing behind him, luo ning looked at the small wooden box that had been thrown aside. the wooden box was very exquisite. when looking for the antidote, ye jingtang had opened it. there was an emerald green jade pendant lying inside. ¡°the water cloud sword pool¡¯s zhou family¡¯s heirloom, the dragon pool tourmaline¡­ i heard that the wingless owl went to the water cloud sword pool, but the zhou family didn¡¯t do anything. it turns out that they lost this thing.¡± ye jingtang wrapped up the incomparably precious booklet to prevent it from being soaked by the rain and asked, ¡°is this jade pendant very precious?¡± ¡°it¡¯s just an ordinary jade pendant. the zhou family¡¯s ancestor picked it up and treated it as an heirloom. losing this is no different from slapping the water cloud sword pool in the face. no wonder the zhou family didn¡¯t make a fuss.¡± ye jingtang was not interested in these trivial matters and didn¡¯t reply. he carefully searched the waist of the corpse for a long time. other than some miscellaneous items, he didn¡¯t find anything else. ¡°there doesn¡¯t seem to be an antidote.¡± ¡°in order to escape, most cat burglars will place antidotes elsewhere for their poisoned pursuers to retrieve and wait for an opportunity to escape. you killed him too quickly and forgot to ask.¡± ¡°uh¡­¡± ye jingtang¡¯s expression stiffened. he stood up and looked at luo ning, whose complexion was getting worse and worse. ¡°so, what do we do?¡± luo ning wasn¡¯t very worried. ¡°i won¡¯t die from the poison. i¡¯ve sealed my acupuncture points and just need to get the poison out. quickly clean up the mess and send me back to double osmanthus alley.¡± ye jingtang wasn¡¯t a bandit. after he killed someone, it was impossible for him to throw the corpse on the street. after putting away the spoils of war, he was about to hide the headless corpse when many horseshoes sounded on the street in the distance. tap, tap, tap¡­ with such a huge commotion, it was obvious that bandits were causing trouble in the capital. it wasn¡¯t strange for officials to rush over. ye jingtang hurriedly asked luo ning to hide first and then waited on the street. not long later, more than ten riders dressed in black and blue robes galloped over. they were constables from the black office. ye jingtang was afraid that there would be a conflict by mistake, so he took out the wanted poster issued by the black office and shouted, ¡°heavenly water bridge¡¯s ye jingtang is under the orders of the black office to capture a thief.¡± the banner commander of the black office constables dismounted from his horses and came over. he took ye jingtang¡¯s wanted poster to check it. after confirming that the seal was correct, he put away his crossbow and cupped his hands. ¡°young master ye, you have good methods! you are the young hero who sparred with sir she a few days ago, right?¡± ¡°exactly.¡± the banner commander looked respectful when he heard this and cupped his hands again. ¡°thank you for your help, young hero ye. are you sure it¡¯s the wingless owl?¡± according to the rules, ¡®bounty hunters¡¯ would help capture bandits. other than the stolen goods that the imperial court had ordered to recover, the rest would belong to the bounty hunters. ye jingtang naturally wouldn¡¯t foolishly take out the martial arts insights and the page of the roaring dragon chart for the constable to confiscate. he only threw the jade pendant to him. ¡°this seems to be the dragon pool tourmaline. i hope that you can bring the corpse and item back to the black office to report. i just finished a fight and have to rest for a while, so i won¡¯t go now.¡± when the constable saw the house full of broken walls, he knew that the fight had been very fierce. fortunately, young master ye didn¡¯t have any obvious injuries. the banner commander asked his subordinates to carry the corpse and head away. at the same time, he handed ye jingtang a token. ¡°imperial physician wang of literary virtue bridge is a divine doctor in the capital. anyone from the black office injured in the line of duty can go see him. young master ye, since you¡¯re injured, take this token and go over there directly.¡± ¡°thank you.¡± ye jingtang told the constables where the wingless owl had been found and asked them to check on the aftermath. then he bade farewell and left. after walking out of the sight of the constables, ye jingtang turned back and arrived at a dark alley under the guidance of the bird. luo ning was waiting in the alley, her face slightly pale. seeing ye jingtang return, she hurriedly said, ¡°let¡¯s go¡ªhuh?¡± before she could finish speaking, ye jingtang came up to her and carried her on his back. luo ning lay on his back while holding her shoulder. her thighs were being held, so her eyes were full of anger. ¡°my arm is injured, but my legs are fine. why are you carrying me?¡± ¡°don¡¯t talk nonsense. i just got a token. i¡¯ll bring you to an imperial physician for your injury.¡± imperial physician? luo ning had investigated the black office for a long time and knew who he was talking about. she said helplessly, ¡°i¡¯m a rebel. imperial physician wang deals with people like the six fiends all day long, so his eyesight must be sharp. am i going to walk into a trap?¡± ye jingtang stopped in his tracks. he thought about it and then turned around and ran toward the west market. seeing how enthusiastic he was, luo ning felt a little uncomfortable. initially, she didn¡¯t want to be carried by the little thief, but she soon realized that he was running in the wrong direction. ¡°where are you going? this isn¡¯t the way to dye workshop street¡­¡± ¡°let¡¯s go to the inn. double osmanthus alley is half the city away. you¡¯ll be dead by the time i run over. can¡¯t we force the poison out in the inn?¡± ? for some reason, luo ning¡¯s attitude was very firm. ¡°i¡¯m not going to the inn! put me down. i¡¯ll go back to double osmanthus alley myself. little thief! did you hear me¡­? say something¡­¡± Chapter 34 i knew you were up to no good! tap, tap, tap¡­ ye jingtang carried luo ning on his back as he ran through the rain with large strides. along the way, the cold and elegant heroine¡¯s extremely annoyed nagging sounded. ¡°put me down! if you keep going, i¡¯ll hit you¡­¡± luo ning shouted at ye jingtang for a long time along the way, but he was disobedient. she couldn¡¯t beat him up. after making a fuss, she arrived at the inn on his back. carrying her, he jumped into the window. after ye jingtang placed luo ning on the bed, his hands moved close to her front. her expression became tense and serious. she shrank back on the bed and said coldly, ¡°you¡­ little thief! don¡¯t take advantage of me! i¡¯m injured!¡± the extremely embarrassed and angry rebuke made the bird, who had just followed in, shrink its neck in fear. just as ye jingtang was about to pull open luo ning¡¯s collar, he heard her voice and looked up. ¡°let me take a look at your injury! i¡¯m not taking advantage of you! stop worrying about trifles. we have to treat you!¡± bah! luo ning had suffered many times, so she had long understood ye jingtang¡¯s character of ¡®taking advantage of the situation¡¯. how could she believe what he said to coax little girls? ¡°don¡¯t i have hands of my own? i¡¯m not dying¡­ turn around!¡± hearing this, ye jingtang got up, put down the curtain, and turned around. ¡°it¡¯s a matter of life and death. don¡¯t force yourself.¡± ¡°when did i force myself? i asked you to return to double osmanthus alley, but you refused to listen¡­¡± seeing the curtain lowered, luo ning secretly breathed a sigh of relief. while complaining to ye jingtang, she untied her wet belt and pulled open her coarse clothes, revealing the undergarment under her clothes and her fair and flawless neck. her skin was originally as fair as jade, but there was an additional bruise on her shoulder where the poisonous needle had pierced. it was like a blob of ink staining a piece of white paper. it didn¡¯t look serious, but when placed on her flawless body, it was a little shocking. luo ning¡¯e frowned slightly. she had sealed her qi and blood. her original intention was to go home and ask yunli to help her get the poisoned blood out. in the end, the little thief acted on his own and brought her to the inn. how could she force the poison out alone? luo ning tilted her head to try, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t bite her shoulder¡­ she looked left and right. there were no usable items on the bed. luo ning gritted her teeth and wished she could beat ye jingtang up. after thinking for a while, she could only say softly, ¡°little thief, give me a cup.¡± ¡°hmm?¡± ye jingtang, who was waiting outside, was a little puzzled when he heard this. after thinking for a moment, he picked up a teacup and reached into the bed curtain. he didn¡¯t take the opportunity to peek. luo ning took the blanket and placed it on her shoulder. but her shoulders were not so straight, and the cup was too big. it was unrealistic to use it for cupping. she thought for a moment and said, ¡°please¡­ go help me cut off a piece of bamboo, a thin piece.¡± ? ye jingtang was baffled. ¡°how can there be a bamboo forest around here? what exactly are you doing?¡± ¡°cupping. don¡¯t ask so many questions.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ye jingtang wasn¡¯t stupid. after pondering for a moment, he understood luo ning¡¯s difficulties and turned around to open the curtain. swish! ¡°ahhh!¡± the man suddenly appeared in front of her. luo ning, whose clothes were half undone, was caught off guard. she was so shocked that her entire body trembled. she hurriedly pulled up her clothes, her beautiful face full of anger. ¡°you little thief¡­ what are you doing?¡± ye jingtang came close, grabbed luo ning¡¯s right wrist, and pulled it away. the unbuttoned lapel fell open, revealing a pale blue mountain and a full moon. luo ning knew this would happen. she looked at ye jingtang with shame and anger and wanted to cover herself up. but her left hand had sealed her qi and blood, so she couldn¡¯t exert any strength. her right hand was being held, so even touching the soft sword was an extravagant hope. after luo ning was pressed onto the pillow by ye jingtang, her heart was full of sadness and shame when she noticed the man sizing up her chest. two streams of tears rolled down from the corners of her eyes. ¡°you shameless thief, i knew you had this intention. i knew you had ill intentions¡­¡± her tone was plaintive, and her body was writhing and struggling on the bed. ye jingtang couldn¡¯t focus at all. he said seriously, ¡°will you stop swaying?¡± ? luo ning no longer cared about her injury and shouted angrily, ¡°let go of me! you little thief, if you dare to touch me¡­!¡± ¡°if you continue to mess around and anger me, i won¡¯t be gentlemanly anymore.¡± ¡°¡­¡± luo ning glared at ye jingtang with bloodshot eyes. she was still ashamed and resentful, but she didn¡¯t dare to say anything else. ye jingtang looked down at the bruise on her shoulder and asked, ¡°is it okay to put the poison in your mouth?¡± luo ning gritted her teeth, knowing ye jingtang¡¯s intentions. she tilted her head and closed her eyes, looking like a helpless heroine who was powerless to resist and being subjected to humiliation. ¡°i¡¯m asking you a question. answer me.¡± ¡°why don¡¯t you try it yourself?¡± luo ning said angrily. ¡°this is poison. if you don¡¯t tell me, i won¡¯t dare to try.¡± luo ning bit her lower lip and refused to speak. ye jingtang was helpless. after pondering for a while, he could only lean on heroine luo¡¯s shoulder. slurp¡­ ¡°woo~¡± luo ning raised her face slightly. her lower lip looked about to break from biting it. she arched her legs and rubbed them against the bed uneasily as a few more tears rolled down her face. ptui! ye jingtang raised his head, spat out a mouthful of black blood into the teacup he had just brought over, and continued. the bird was on sentry duty at the window, so it could only see the shadows through the curtain. it didn¡¯t know what the two were doing, so it was puzzled and chirped twice. luo ning¡¯s seconds felt like years. an indescribable embarrassment filled her heart. she opened her eyes and looked at the lowered curtain, then at the little thief, who was busy with her body, to see if he had any evil intentions. in the end, she found that ye jingtang¡¯s face was a little distorted, and he looked like he was in pain. tendon piercing powder was the same as most poisons. only when the skin was broken and blood was seen could someone be poisoned. if his mouth wasn¡¯t injured, he should be fine as long as he didn¡¯t swallow it. but when luo ning saw ye jingtang¡¯s pained expression, her heart still skipped a beat. she thought that his mouth had been injured. although luo ning was so ashamed and resentful that she wished she could chop this little thief to death with a sword, with a life at stake, she still asked nervously, ¡°are you poisoned?¡± ye jingtang¡¯s brows were furrowed and eyes were drawn together as he spat out a mouthful of blood and spittle. ¡°so f*cking bitter¡­¡± ?? the worry in luo ning¡¯s heart dissipated into thin air as she harrumphed coldly. ¡°you¡¯re a man, yet you¡¯re afraid of a little hardship¡­ your heart isn¡¯t in the right place, and you bully women whenever you have the chance¡­¡± ye jingtang frowned, stepped forward, and leaned toward luo ning¡¯s red lips. ¡°you¡¯re not afraid? okay, taste it yourself¡­¡± luo ning¡¯s eyes were full of shock as she hurriedly covered ye jingtang¡¯s mouth and said fearfully, ¡°i know it¡¯s hard¡­ don¡¯t mess around!¡± hearing this, ye jingtang was satisfied¡­ Chapter 35 flying tanglang! (1) the room was silent. luo ning¡¯s clothes were half undone. her eyes were closed, and her face was tilted to the side. she maintained the appearance of a heroine in distress whose heart was dead and didn¡¯t move at all. luo ning felt that she should be very disgusted by this kind of behavior. a cold and elegant heroine being taken advantage of by an unscrupulous little thief, she should be very resistant even if she couldn¡¯t resist. but for some reason, her body didn¡¯t listen to her at all. she knew that if she breathed too heavily, the little thief would see the rise and fall of her chest undergarment, but her breathing still became heavier and heavier. she knew that her flushed cheeks would make her look weak, but the heat on her face quickly spread to her neck. her throat felt suffocating. she wanted to moan, but she gritted her teeth and endured it. if she really moaned in front of the little thief, she didn¡¯t know how he would tease and laugh at her. she might as well die. the soreness on her shoulder gradually eased, but the feeling of his touch became clearer and clearer. luo ning only felt that each second was a year. she really wanted to kick this little thief away now, but after trying a few times, she gave up, mainly because she didn¡¯t dare. after witnessing ye jingtang¡¯s domineering saber technique just now, she admitted that her body was a little weak and she might not be able to defeat him. no matter how overboard ye jingtang was, he was still using the name of ¡®treating her injury¡¯. she wouldn¡¯t be in the right to attack. besides, if she failed and was held down by this little thief, she would really become a fish on the chopping board. there was complete silence behind the curtain, and it was unknown how much time passed. ye jingtang observed the wound carefully. her originally purplish skin had mostly recovered, and there were some bright red blood beads seeping out. she seemed to be fine. he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. his mouth was bitter, stiff, and numb. it was inconvenient for him to speak, so he didn¡¯t say anything. he grabbed some medicine and applied it to her wound. then¡­ his gaze moved down uncontrollably. ye jingtang wasn¡¯t a villain, but he wasn¡¯t a saint either. just now, he was afraid that something might happen to luo ning, so he really didn¡¯t have the mood to look around. now that everything was fine, and luo ning was sitting in front of him so openly without moving, where could he look? ¡°¡­¡± ye jingtang examined her for a moment and forced himself to raise his eyes to look at the peerless face in front of him. luo ning¡¯s face was flushed red, and her eyes were closed as she maintained her aggrieved expression. she didn¡¯t move at all, like a fairy from the heavenly palace who had fallen into the hands of a little thief. some people might feel guilty when they saw this, but others might become even more excited. it was at this moment that ye jingtang realized he was not the former. he blinked and saw that luo ning didn¡¯t have any reaction. she didn¡¯t realize that it was over and was still waiting for him to continue. he felt an inexplicable sense of defeat. ye jingtang deliberated for a moment before quietly leaning over and gently tapping her ruddy lips. her lips felt like water, and the soft and fragrant feeling made his heart flutter. ¡°uh?!¡± luo ning felt an indescribable sensation, and her entire body trembled. she quickly opened her eyes and looked at ye jingtang. perhaps she hadn¡¯t realized what had just happened, so her eyes were full of shock and confusion. ye jingtang had already retreated and was sitting upright, looking like a skilled and benevolent young physician. his voice was calm and harmonious as he said, ¡°alright, put your clothes on.¡± ?! it was true that luo ning was disoriented, but she wasn¡¯t stupid. when her lips were suddenly touched just now, it didn¡¯t feel like a finger¡­ he just¡­ that was my first kiss! luo ning¡¯s eyes were full of disbelief, shame, and anger. she raised her hand and pulled out the soft sword at her waist. clang! ye jingtang hurriedly backed away and raised his hands. ¡°huh?! heroine luo, what are you doing? are you burning the bridge after crossing it?¡± ¡°you!¡± luo ning¡¯s face flushed red as she pointed her sword at ye jingtang. ¡°did¡­ did you just kiss me?¡± ye jingtang waved his hands. ¡°no, no, what nonsense are you saying¡­¡± ?? luo ning was enraged by this little thief who was lying through his teeth. she raised her sword to stab him. before she even moved, ye jingtang¡¯s gaze darkened, and he pressed her down first. ¡°heroine luo, if you want to stab me with your sword, i really won¡¯t be gentlemanly anymore.¡± being pressed down, luo ning realized that her body was a little limp and couldn¡¯t exert much strength. what a tyrannical poison. it¡¯s already been detoxified, but it still has the effect of soft bone fragrance¡­ when luo ning thought of this, her burning eyes weakened slightly. perhaps she was afraid that this daring little thief would really take advantage of the situation to do something to her. after gritting her teeth for a long time, she suppressed the raging waves in her heart and pretended to be an ice beauty. ¡°don¡¯t think i don¡¯t know what you just did. if there¡¯s a next time, i won¡¯t let you off!¡± ye jingtang nodded repeatedly and helped her pull up her clothes to cover her upper body. ¡°alright, there won¡¯t be a next time.¡± luo ning¡¯s eyelashes were trembling. she got up, turned her back to ye jingtang, and silently fixed her clothes. she raised her hand to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes and touched her warm lips. who knew what she was thinking, but her eyes turned red again. ye jingtang acted as if nothing had happened. he thought for a moment and asked casually, ¡°heroine luo, are you married or not?¡± ¡°i¡¯m married! how many times do you want me to say it?¡± ¡°then, why are you always so ambiguous with me¡­¡± huh?! luo ning was stunned by these words. she turned around and said with difficulty, ¡°who¡¯s ambiguous with you? you¡¯re the one who keeps pushing your luck and using those methods to bully women. you even twist your words to deny things¡­¡± ¡°just now, you risked your life to save me and let me treat your injury¡­¡± ¡°who risked their life? who asked you to treat my injury?¡± after fully clothing herself, luo ning felt a sense of security. her aura rose as she said with a frosty face, ¡°was i dead? or was i unconscious and unable to take care of myself? i shouldn¡¯t have cared about you, you little thief! i took the risk to save you and asked you to bring me back to double osmanthus alley, but you carried me here without a care and then took advantage of me. isn¡¯t this repaying kindness with ingratitude?¡± Chapter 36 flying tanglang! (2) ¡°uh¡­¡± ye jingtang thought about it carefully and seemed to be in the wrong. he raised his hands slightly. ¡°okay, let¡¯s stop arguing and get down to business, shall we?¡± luo ning bit her lower lip and glared at ye jingtang for a moment before sitting down on a chair far away. ye jingtang took out the spoils of war, put them on the table, and first flipped through the booklet. ¡°this should be lu jieyun¡¯s lightness skill insights. i will present this to the prince of jing tomorrow. come over and tell me about them first.¡± luo ning was sitting on the chair coldly and didn¡¯t want to talk to ye jingtang. but when she heard this, her eyes flickered, and she suppressed the anger in her heart. she turned around and said, ¡°lu jieyun¡¯s lightness skills are the best in the world. this item is a treasure that all jianghu people dream of. why are you offering it to the prince of jing?¡± while flipping through the booklet, ye jingtang said casually, ¡°i captured the wingless owl, so the entire black office will know i have it. instead of waiting for the prince of jing to ask for it, i might as well do her a favor. besides, it¡¯s just a small booklet. it¡¯s not like i can¡¯t make a copy of it. don¡¯t you want to save qiu tianhe?¡± that makes sense¡­ luo ning felt that she was muddle-headed from anger. ye jingtang leaned against the head of the bed and read the booklet. judging from his appearance, he probably wouldn¡¯t come over to show it to her. she hesitated for a moment before getting up. she rested her plump butt on the edge of the bed and tilted her head to take a closer look. ¡°these are insights, not a secret manual. they¡¯re a little profound. you have to learn lightness skills first before you can improve yourself according to these insights¡­ i saw that you don¡¯t know any lightness skills today. if you want to learn one, i¡­¡± luo ning¡¯s red lips parted slightly. she thought about it and stopped talking. she didn¡¯t seem to want to teach this lustful disciple. ye jingtang looked up and said helplessly, ¡°the black office is full of experts. isn¡¯t it easy for me to learn lightness skills? you promised to teach me one martial arts. if you don¡¯t teach me lightness skills, you have to teach me something else. i think the fourteen dappling cloud palms is very powerful. you can teach it all to me.¡± in your dreams¡­ the fourteen dappling cloud palms was a top-notch internal martial arts that luo ning had obtained from void jade mountain. it had been created by daoist xuanji, who ranked sixth in the world, and was an ultimate technique. if ye jingtang behaved well, she might have taught him in private. but this shameless little thief had taken advantage of her and kissed her. if she handed over her assets, wouldn¡¯t she be a fool? ¡°i, luo ning, am a person of my word. if you want to learn lightness skills, so what if i teach you? but my lightness skills aren¡¯t considered top-notch. i can only bring you to basic mastery. you will have to think about how to improve yourself. with lu jieyun¡¯s insights, you should be able to achieve something in the future.¡± ¡°no problem.¡± lightness skills were not as simple as running fast. it was a systematic category of martial arts. the ¡®movement techniques¡¯ when fighting, the ¡®concealment¡¯ when hiding, and the ¡®walking on water¡¯ when traveling were all classified as ¡®lightness skills¡¯. they were complicated to learn. ye jingtang wasn¡¯t in a hurry. he put down the booklet and took out the roaring dragon chart page to size it up. ¡°can i copy this?¡± luo ning was speechless. ¡°if the roaring dragon chart could be copied, i¡¯m afraid anyone who finds a page would immediately find a workshop to print tens of thousands of copies and distribute them to the heroes of jianghu so that they won¡¯t be hunted down. these pictures can¡¯t be copied, and they¡¯re very mysterious. it¡¯s very difficult to impart them to others like ordinary martial arts. usually, people will comprehend them themselves after obtaining them.¡± ye jingtang was slightly surprised. ¡°heroine luo, do you know how to practice this thing?¡± luo ning knew a little bit, but the fact that the pacifying heaven cult master had a page of the roaring dragon chart was a top secret and couldn¡¯t be spread. with ye jingtang¡¯s comprehension ability, it probably wouldn¡¯t take long for him to figure it out. she said coldly, ¡°how would i know? think about it yourself.¡± ye jingtang nodded slightly and sized up the indestructible roaring dragon chart page. ¡°this item is difficult to damage with weapons, and there¡¯s no way to duplicate it, so there¡¯s no way to split the spoils. when i figure out a way, i¡¯ll teach you how to practice it. you have no objections, right?¡± ? luo ning was stunned. ¡°rumor has it that after learning the roaring dragon chart, one can dominate the world and become immortal. you little thief, are you willing to teach me?¡± ye jingtang spread his hands slightly. ¡°heroine luo, you and i got it together, but you didn¡¯t even think of taking it for yourself. do you think i lack morality and will monopolize it? the reason why i¡¯m taking it and not letting you study it is that your comprehension ability is average. you will definitely take longer to study it than me, and it¡¯s easy for it to bring you a fatal disaster.¡± ¡°¡­¡± luo ning felt that he was looking down on her. but back then, she had indeed spent half a year without eating or sleeping to study the pacifying heaven cult master¡¯s ¡®beauty-retaining picture¡¯, causing the pacifying heaven cult master to frown. she wanted to learn this mystical technique, but she didn¡¯t want to fight with this shameless thief for the supreme treasure. so she didn¡¯t continue the conversation. she stood up, walked to the center of the room, and put on the demeanor of a fairy. ¡°get up. i¡¯ll teach you lightness skills. when you were young, you practiced long-distance running with heavy weights to build a foundation for lightness skills. it¡¯s just that you don¡¯t know any qi circulation techniques, so you have amazing explosive power, but you can¡¯t run fast or jump high. learn well. i won¡¯t teach you a second time.¡± ye jingtang put away the items and got up. he came close to observe seriously. seeing that the two of them were done, the bird, who was guarding the window, jumped onto the table and watched eagerly. it probably wanted to see if tangtang could fly higher than it after practicing. ¡°the so-called lightness skills are techniques for lightening the body. the ¡®rising of qi¡¯ allows one to be as light as a swallow and soundless. and vice versa, the ¡®sinking of qi¡¯ allows one to be heavy, which is known as the thousand ton drop in jianghu. however, it¡¯s impossible for ordinary people to learn both at the same time, and it¡¯s easy for them to suffer qi deviation¡­ if you study hard and practice hard, you should be able to master both at the same time¡­¡± luo ning spread her legs apart and placed her fists at her waist, performing a beautiful horse stance while seriously explaining the methods of lightness skills. ye jingtang imitated her and listened carefully. then¡­ fifteen minutes later. clatter! on the rainy night, there was suddenly a commotion on the roof of the inn, and a hole was knocked out. a handsome man stuck his upper body out from between the tiles. his head was drenched by the heavy rain, and half of his body was still below. his eyes were full of surprise. ¡°this is martial arts¡­¡± the bird flew to the roof and landed on its shoulder. it considerately raised its wings and helped to block the rain. ¡°chirp, chirp¡­¡± it was probably muttering: it¡¯s not as high as me¡­ in the room, luo ning raised her beautiful face and looked at the ¡®flying tanglang¡¯ who soared into the sky and hung on the roof like a hanged ghost. her eyes were full of shock and speechlessness. ¡°why are you using so much strength?¡± a few noises came from the inn. ¡°guests, it doesn¡¯t matter how much you do it, but please pay for the roof repair tomorrow morning. otherwise, the inn will report you to the officials¡­¡± ¡°who is it? don¡¯t you sleep at night?!¡± ¡°you still have the cheek to shout? look at that room. the roof is breaking down¡­ hey?! get up! don¡¯t pretend to be dead!¡± Chapter 37 the person in the painting the next day, in double osmanthus alley¡­ tick, tick¡­ the ethereal sound of the raindrops falling into puddles made the room seem exceptionally quiet. lying on the bed by the window, ye jingtang opened his eyes and turned his head to look. the sky outside was gray, and he didn¡¯t know if it was morning or afternoon. the bird, who had worked hard the entire night, was sleeping beside his pillow with its claws facing the sky. as he moved, it let out a drowsy ¡®chirp~¡¯ and turned over to continue sleeping. ye jingtang scratched the big bird with his fingers, then covered it with a thin blanket. he sat up and took out the golden paper from his pocket to check. after hearing about the mysteries of the roaring dragon chart from his foster father¡¯s letter, he had been thinking about it for a long time. but now that he had really succeeded by accident, a problem appeared again. the golden paper in his hand could block his full-strength saber strike without being damaged at all. there was a high chance that it was the real thing. but there were no words on the front or back of the paper. there was only a picture of a turtle carrying three mountains. there was no hint. even if he knew that it was a supreme secret manual that recorded a unique secret technique, he didn¡¯t know where to start practicing it. ye jingtang held the golden paper and studied it carefully, trying to figure out the mystery from the lines of the picture. after looking at it for a while, he looked at the courtyard outside the window. the room where ye jingtang slept was in the west wing opposite the kitchen. luo ning and zhe yunli stayed in the main room. zhe yunli was more lively and couldn¡¯t stay idle. the two of them were catching up on sleep. zhe yunli had nothing to do at home and went out for a walk. luo ning was still resting in the main room. with the three of them living in the courtyard, the main room had changed drastically from when they first arrived. after zhe yunli bought a few pieces of furniture, the main room looked even more like a living space. there was a small cabinet in the corner with some makeup, bronze mirrors, wooden combs, and other things. on the bed, luo ning was sleeping in her clothes. a thin blanket was covering her waist, outlining the curves of her waist perfectly. coming back here in the middle of the night to lie down had indeed been a little tiring, but after experiencing yesterday¡¯s unforgettable night, as a woman, how could luo ning sleep? luo ning lay on her side on the pillow, her beautiful peach blossom eyes looking at the wall in a daze. her fair fingers were placed on her lips as she recalled the short kiss. since lying here in the early morning, she couldn¡¯t help recalling every step she had taken in the past. she was born in a river village in jiang province. her family could be considered a prestigious family in jianghu. unfortunately, when she was still learning how to walk, her family had encountered enemies. her parents had died, and her family fell from grace. as a woman, she shouldn¡¯t be wandering jianghu. but her talent was outstanding. if she didn¡¯t come out to shoulder the responsibility, who would settle the enmity? when she first started roaming jianghu, she had great ambitions and vowed to become the ¡®number one person in jianghu¡¯ like that elder in fengguan city. but in the end, jianghu was too big, and the sky was too high. after running around in circles, other than the title of ¡®the number one beauty in jianghu¡¯, she didn¡¯t make any other name for herself. as for her enemy, he suddenly repented and became a monk at the thousand buddha temple in sha province. he became the disciple of zen master shenchen, one of the two sages. zen master shenchen said that her enemy had repented and felt guilty for what he had done in the past. living was the punishment for her enemy. how ridiculous was this statement? if living was considered punishment, then what about people who died for no reason? relief? in order to settle her enmity, she searched everywhere. she went to void jade mountain and met daoist xuanji. she went to the heavenly south¡¯s fengguan city and met the martial immortal. but she couldn¡¯t obtain any true teachings until she met the pacifying heaven cult master. the pacifying heaven cult master had inherited her ancestral teachings and wanted to restore the country for the previous dynasty. to put it bluntly, she wanted to rebel against great wei. since she was rebelling, she had to become an emperor. since she didn¡¯t want to be a subordinate, she had to wear the golden robe. but since ancient times, how could there be a woman who became an emperor? even if the pacifying heaven cult master felt that it was alright, her subordinates would be afraid that the world they had painstakingly conquered would be used as a dowry by a woman and be taken advantage of by outsiders. because of this, after the pacifying heaven cult master agreed to teach luo ning all her divine martial arts, she helped the pacifying heaven cult master conceal her identity and became the cult mistress to manage the internal affairs of the pacifying heaven cult. the two heroines who had just entered jianghu hit it off and became the most enviable deity couple in jianghu. originally, there was a lot of hope in living like this, but how could it be easy to practice martial arts to the level of the two sages on the mountains? ever since she went to south firmament mountains, her life seemed to have been frozen. her days were very monotonous. she practiced martial arts all day long, but she was getting further and further away from the pacifying heaven cult master. the glory of being the number one beauty in jianghu gradually faded, leaving only endless trivial matters. she didn¡¯t know how she ended up like this. the appearance of the shameless little thief was like throwing a stone into a pool of stagnant water, causing thousands of ripples and making it unable to calm down again. luo ning couldn¡¯t understand how there could be such a bold and thick-skinned man in this world. but there was nothing she could do. she couldn¡¯t beat or scold him. she could only let the other party slowly take more and greater advantage of her. she and the pacifying heaven cult master said that they were helping each other, but everyone in jianghu knew about their relationship as husband and wife. but she was flirting with a man outside. if word got out that the wife of the pacifying heaven cult master was having an affair with a young man, wouldn¡¯t the pacifying heaven cult master¡¯s reputation be ruined? she would also become a promiscuous and unscrupulous woman¡­ you even asked me about my identity. if i tell you, i will scare you to death¡­ luo ning didn¡¯t feel sleepy at all. the more she thought about it, the more confused she became. just as she was worrying about a million things, the light in the room suddenly dimmed. she turned around and saw the handsome little thief standing silently by the window. ? luo ning¡¯s expression turned cold as she pulled up the thin blanket. ¡°what are you looking at?¡± ¡°i just woke up, and i¡¯m preparing to report to the black office. i came over to greet you. don¡¯t let your guard down when you¡¯re alone at home.¡± luo ning was mentally and physically exhausted and didn¡¯t want to bother with ye jingtang at all. she turned over lightly, leaving ye jingtang with the view of the back of her head. ¡°sigh¡­¡± soon, the footsteps faded away. luo ning took a deep breath, hugged her little watermelons, and began to think again¡­ ¡ª¡ª¡ª double osmanthus alley was quite far from jasper pavilion. after ye jingtang had a meal at a street vendor, he carried the red sandalwood box and arrived outside the black office without a plaque. in the small square outside the office, there was a flagpole erected. the originally rotten heads had been replaced by a new one. some idlers were sizing it up and whispering. ¡°who is this?¡± ¡°yan province¡¯s king of thieves, the wingless owl. he has stolen from many important figures and killed several people¡­¡± ¡°the cat burglar who sneaked into the censorate a few days ago? why was he suddenly caught?¡± ¡°he was too daring. of all the things to steal and people to steal from, he stole from prime minister li¡­¡± ¡°oh, it¡¯s not an unjust death¡­¡± ¡­ ye jingtang pretended not to hear the gossip, went to the black office, and showed his token. in just a moment, shang jianli came out of the office to welcome him. he cupped his hands in the distance. ¡°young master ye, you¡¯re so capable. i really didn¡¯t expect you to bring this thief to justice in a few days.¡± ¡°i just put in some effort. if it weren¡¯t for the government¡¯s full support to spread the news everywhere, how could i catch this cat burglar¡­¡± after exchanging pleasantries, he arrived at the back of the office. the registrar of the black office rewarded him with 300 taels of silver, along with a ¡®commendation letter¡¯ stamped with the prince of jing¡¯s seal as a form of encouragement for his chivalry. compared to the infamy of the wingless owl and the difficulty of solving him, 300 taels of silver was really not much. but this was the first bucket of gold he had earned with his own ability, apart from the salary he received in advance from third lady. ye jingtang wasn¡¯t greedy for money, but he really didn¡¯t have a lot of money in his pocket. he gladly accepted it. after going through the necessary procedures to close the case, he asked, ¡°sir shang, is the prince of jing at her estate?¡± ¡°her highness is hosting a guest in the estate. the visitor is noble, so it might be inconvenient. however, her highness said this morning that if you come over, i should get you to wait for a moment. i will go and inform her.¡± as shang jianli spoke, he led ye jingtang to a tea room at the back of the office. the tea room should be a place for daily discussions. it was ordinary and nothing special. ye jingtang sat down by a tea table and placed the red sandalwood box containing the mr. horn on the table. then he quietly waited for the king of jing¡¯s summons¡­ ¡ª¡ª¡ª behind the black office, at the top of jasper pavilion¡­ the rain stirred up the wind chimes hanging on the eaves of the terrace, and the sound of a zither rang out in the room. ding~ ding~ several palace maids were waiting outside the study for orders. dongfang liren was wearing a silver python robe. she was standing in front of a painting table, holding a brush, and sketching the beautiful scenery in front of her. behind the zither platform directly in front of her was sitting a graceful and elegant young woman in a phoenix dress. her fair fingers plucked the strings of the zither, and her mature and plump buttocks drew a heavy arc behind her dress. there was a hint of resentment on her face. ¡°liren, are you done? it¡¯s been an hour.¡± ¡°empress dowager, don¡¯t worry. it will be done soon.¡± ¡°you said you would bring me out to relax. but in the end, i can¡¯t even get out of the door due to the rain. sigh¡­¡± the empress dowager had been bored to death in the palace. it wasn¡¯t easy for her to come out, but she could only sit in the chilly jasper pavilion. she couldn¡¯t even see the view of the streets. she felt really depressed. dongfang liren was considerate. while painting the portrait, she comforted her gently. ¡°when the rain stops, i will send you to clear water villa. let¡¯s enjoy the hot spring. the scenery there is much better than here. it¡¯s suitable for relaxing.¡± ¡°what¡¯s the use of good scenery? without anyone to accompany you, you can only admire yourself alone.¡± the empress dowager fiddled with the zither strings, her gaze fixed on the street market in the distance of jasper pavilion. she really wanted to suggest that the prince of jing take her shopping ¡®incognito¡¯. but there were undercurrents in the court. dongfang liren had been plotted against several times by bandits. even if dongfang liren agreed to this, she couldn¡¯t bear the responsibility. she thought about it and decided to forget it. after sitting for a long time, dongfang liren finally stopped painting. a lifelike portrait of a beauty appeared on the paper. the empress dowager stood up and rubbed her sore legs. she went over and looked at the painting. before she could comment, she heard a maidservant¡¯s footsteps coming to the door. ¡°your highness, young master ye is here.¡± when dongfang liren heard the news of the wingless owl¡¯s arrest in the morning, she had wanted to see ye jingtang. hearing that the person was here, how could she still be in the mood to accompany the empress dowager? she immediately said, ¡°there¡¯s a servant in the office that handled a big case yesterday. i am going to meet him. empress dowager, you should rest first.¡± the empress dowager knew that dongfang liren was busy with work, so she didn¡¯t keep her. after watching dongfang liren leave, she wandered around the room alone and took out a painting from one of the bookshelves. dongfang liren and the empress had been taught by daoist xuanji. one of them was good at the literary arts, while the other was good at martial arts. both of them had received her true teachings. dongfang liren¡¯s painting and calligraphy skills were quite impressive, and she usually liked to paint the various scenes of the market outside jasper pavilion. the empress dowager appreciated it for a moment. then she quickly picked up a brand new scroll from the middle of the bookshelf, unfolded it, and saw a man drawn on it. the man was wearing a black robe. he had sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, and an imposing aura. he was holding a saber in a reverse grip in his left hand and placing it on a person¡¯s neck. on his shoulder stood a fat owl. the details of the man and the bird were outstanding. ¡°tsk tsk~ so handsome¡­¡± the empress dowager¡¯s apricot eyes lit up. she raised the portrait to the window and observed it carefully under the light. the man in the painting had a very unique temperament. he was wild and heroic, but he didn¡¯t lose his gentleness and elegance. no matter how she looked at him, he was pleasing to the eye. he was so handsome that it was a little unreal. it was as if he was just a person in the painting, and it was impossible for such a flawless man to exist in reality. ¡°could he be the husband in liren¡¯s fantasy¡­¡± the empress dowager pondered seriously for a moment and felt that it was very likely. she secretly teased dongfang liren and prepared to put the portrait away. but at this moment, there was some movement below jasper pavilion. the empress dowager looked down and saw two people walking out of the huge government office. the person in the lead was a scholar in a blue robe. she had seen him before. he was a chief constable of the black office, shang jianli. behind him was a man in black. his posture was neither servile nor overbearing, and his footsteps were neither fast nor slow. he was covered by the rain, and she was far away, so she could only see his side profile. but she could still see this man¡¯s handsomeness. hmm? the empress dowager was taken aback. she picked up the portrait and looked at it. then she looked at the black-robed man in the distance and then at the portrait¡­ ?? the empress dowager¡¯s eyes slowly glowed with the fire of gossip. just as she was trying to figure out the relationship between the two, she found the handsome man looking in her direction. shocked, she hurriedly left the window¡­ Chapter 38 the younger generation will surpass the older ye jingtang sat by the tea table and tapped his fingers on the chair while waiting for shang jianli to return. after he waited for a while, footsteps sounded outside the door, and a figure appeared at the door. the figure was tall and slender, and her makeup was as gorgeous as the last time he saw her. even without looking at her face, the ¡®fat-headed dragon¡¯ that was about to emerge was recognizable at a glance. ¡°your highness?!¡± ye jingtang stood up with a happy expression to welcome her, but his expression immediately stiffened. from the corner of his eye, he looked at the red sandalwood box in front of him¡­ (0_0)! ye jingtang wanted to hide the mr. horn quickly, but this action was no different from burying his head in the sand. he could only brace himself and act natural. dongfang liren raised her hand slightly to dismiss her entourage and entered the tea room alone. ¡°young master ye, you are so fast. it is really beyond my expectations.¡± ¡°it¡¯s nothing¡­¡± ye jingtang¡¯s eyes were full of embarrassment as he used his body to cover the red sandalwood box. dongfang liren walked to ye jingtang¡¯s side and sat down. although she knew what was in the red sandalwood box, she still pretended to be surprised and asked curiously, ¡°what is this? a meeting gift for me? young master ye, you are really considerate¡­¡± while speaking, she reached for the red sandalwood box. but a rebellious hand pressed down on the box. snap! ye jingtang pressed down on the box with one hand, his expression indescribable. he tried his best to explain calmly, ¡°your highness, you¡¯ve misunderstood. i borrowed this item from commander wang to capture the thief. um¡­ it¡¯s not very clean¡­¡± you know it¡¯s unclean? dongfang liren thought, but her expression was rather serious. ¡°i am in charge of the black office. what kind of dirty things haven¡¯t i seen? i¡¯m curious. what kind of magical item did you rely on to capture the wingless owl¡­¡± while speaking, she reached out with both hands. what the¡­ ye jingtang couldn¡¯t fight with the prince of jing, so he could only explain in advance, ¡°it was commander wang who came up with the idea for me. inside¡­¡± clatter! the wooden box was opened, revealing the mr. horn¡¯s true appearance. even though dongfang liren was mentally prepared, her dignified expression froze when she saw the lifelike, thick, and long stick. a faint blush appeared on her face. click! dongfang liren quickly closed the box. not angry but arrogant, she looked at ye jingtang with a look that said: i didn¡¯t expect you to be such a person! ye jingtang¡¯s scalp went numb. he felt that the image he had painstakingly built up was completely destroyed. he took out a small booklet from his sleeve and changed the topic. ¡°this is what i found on wingless owl when i caught him yesterday. it should be the ¡®lightness skill insights¡¯ in the rumors in jianghu. i came here today to present it to your highness.¡± dongfang liren was originally putting on an act to tease ye jingtang. hearing this, she was slightly stunned. ¡°although the dragon pool tourmaline is precious, it¡¯s still an ordinary item. it¡¯s understandable that you hand it over. this item is a most precious treasure in jianghu. why are you giving it to me so readily?¡± ¡°i made a copy last night. i only hope that your highness doesn¡¯t inform the cutting cloud palace about this.¡± dongfang liren understood and didn¡¯t take the booklet. ¡°i like your personality. you are honest enough. however, this item is indeed hard to find in jianghu, but i have no use for it. if i really want to learn lu jieyun¡¯s lightness skills, i can send a letter to the prince of yan to get lu jieyun to come to the capital to teach personally. you can take this item with confidence.¡± ye jingtang generously gave the prince of jing the lightness skill insights because first, he didn¡¯t want the black office to have any ideas, and second, he was worried that the cutting cloud palace would come knocking on his door for ¡®stealing¡¯. with the prince of jing¡¯s words, ye jingtang was naturally relieved. dongfang liren took out a jade pendant from her sleeve and put it on the tea table. ¡°take this too. regarding capturing fugitives and bandits, the stolen goods that the imperial court haven¡¯t named will belong to the constables who arrest them. i won¡¯t intervene and ask about them. this is a rule of the black office.¡± ye jingtang took the jade pendant and saw that it was the dragon pool tourmaline he had obtained last night. ¡°this item is a family heirloom of the water cloud sword pool. your highness, giving it to me, isn¡¯t it a bit¡­¡± ¡°the zhou family lost something, and they didn¡¯t report it to the government. they think that matters of jianghu belong to jianghu. how can i take the initiative to return it? if you don¡¯t dare to take it, you can return it to the zhou family. if the reward is too little, i will help you seek justice.¡± ye jingtang understood the meaning and accepted the jade pendant with a smile. ¡°thank you for your reward, your highness. shall i go see qiu tianhe now and talk about learning his saber technique?¡± dongfang liren wanted to see how good ye jingtang¡¯s comprehension was, so she deliberated for a moment before saying, ¡°your talent in martial arts is extraordinary. since you¡¯ve obtained lu jieyun¡¯s lightness skill insights, go back and comprehend them well. when you gain something, i will spar with you and see how much you¡¯ve learned from lu jieyun.¡± if ye jingtang wanted to enter the palace to dig for treasures, he would definitely need the prince of jing¡¯s help. naturally, he wouldn¡¯t refuse such a favor. ¡°alright, i will visit your highness in three days. let¡¯s compare our lightness skills¡­¡± what? dongfang liren frowned slightly and looked at ye jingtang. ¡°three days?!¡± ye jingtang realized the problem and corrected himself. ¡°three days might be too short. how about seven days?¡± ¡°¡­¡± this was the first time in dongfang liren¡¯s life that she had heard that learning martial arts could be calculated by days! although ye jingtang seemed to have a solid foundation, lu jieyun¡¯s experience in lightness skills was a field that only grandmasters could come into contact with. first, one had to have basic mastery of lightness skills. then one had to comprehend the lightness skill insights and turn them into one¡¯s own. seven years was already considered fast. what could he do in seven days? dongfang liren fell silent for a moment before nodding. ¡°forget it. in three days, we will discuss your comprehension of lightness skills. it¡¯s beneficial for you to learn these insights. go and meet qiu tianhe and discuss with him. see if he¡¯s willing to teach his saber technique in exchange for a chance to live a peaceful life.¡± ye jingtang got up to leave, but when he was about to take the red sandalwood box, he saw the prince of jing put her hand on it. ¡°let others return it. you can go directly.¡± ye jingtang knew that wang chihu was the prince of jing¡¯s eldest cousin, so he naturally believed her without a doubt. after cupping his hands in salute, he left the tearoom on his own. it was still raining outside. ye jingtang followed shang jianli to the dungeon to meet qiu tianhe. but when he passed through the corridor and arrived near jasper pavilion, he suddenly felt that someone was looking at him. following his senses, he looked up at the top of jasper pavilion. he could see a woman in a home dress at the top who just turned around. he thought that it was a maidservant from the estate secretly spying on his beauty, so he didn¡¯t take it to heart¡­ ¡ª¡ª¡ª the dark dungeon was full of a ghostly aura, and the few dim oil lamps looked like will-o¡¯-the-wisps from afar. ye jingtang slowly walked through the tunnel with his saber hanging from his waist and arrived at the entrance of the hole on the second basement floor. in the stone prison, qiu tianhe had disheveled hair and still maintained the same posture as before, sitting against the wall silently. clatter! the chain on the iron fence was unlocked. shang jianli waited at the entrance of the hole, while ye jingtang jumped in. qiu tianhe opened his eyes and saw the descendant of this old friend. he felt a sense of closeness in his heart, but his expression was quite calm. ¡°why are you here again? what do you want to ask this time?¡± ye jingtang landed steadily on the ground. he removed the hornless dragon saber from his waist and placed it horizontally on his knees. ¡°hero qiu, i have been practicing the saber since i was a child and have always admired you. i¡¯m here today to ask you to teach me your saber technique.¡± ? qiu tianhe raised his eyebrows slightly and sat up straight. he looked at ye jingtang as if he was considering ye jingtang¡¯s intentions. ye jingtang didn¡¯t hide anything and said directly, ¡°after i learn your saber technique, you will have the grace of giving me guidance, and i won¡¯t be able to sit back and watch you stay imprisoned. so i discussed the matter with the prince of jing. i will learn your saber technique and then pass it on to the prince of jing. in exchange, the prince of jing will release you from prison and allow you to retire in the capital.¡± ¡°¡­¡± qiu tianhe understood what he meant. he was saving him. regarding this hard-won opportunity, qiu tianhe shook his head and rejected it without thinking. ¡°the prince of jing is really good at scheming. she¡¯s plotting against my saber technique and even using me as a threat to make you serve her in the future. i¡¯d rather die in prison than let her have her way. boy, give up on this idea.¡± ¡°i am a good person, and i don¡¯t have a criminal record. it¡¯s a blessing to be recognized by the imperial court. it¡¯s better than licking blood at the edge of my saber in jianghu. hero qiu, you don¡¯t have to worry about my future.¡± qiu tianhe naturally knew that it was a blessing to be recognized and placed in an important position by the imperial court. however, as long as he walked out of the dungeon, it would be equivalent to putting a rope around ye jingtang¡¯s neck for no reason. ye jingtang would have concerns about doing things in the future. ye jingtang¡¯s talent was outstanding, and he was also the descendant of an old friend. in order to save this old man, he would let himself be controlled by others. how could qiu tianhe face his old friend in a hundred years? ¡°it¡¯s your business if you want to serve the imperial court. we¡¯re not on the same side, so i don¡¯t want to owe you a favor. if i really want to go out, i can teach the prince of jing my saber technique myself.¡± ye jingtang had a headache. after a moment of silence, he noticed that shang jianli was only listening from the outside but didn¡¯t lower his head to look inside. so he stroked the scabbard with his finger and wrote the words ¡®zhe yunli¡¯. at the same time, he said, ¡°the heaven equaling saber has a great reputation, but it has never been ranked at the top of saber techniques. hero qiu, you are famous in jianghu and already the most outstanding successor of this saber technique, but there¡¯s still a gap between you and the saber chief. instead of letting this saber technique be buried in the dungeon, why don¡¯t you let me try and see if i can raise the status of the heaven equaling saber in jianghu by half a level?¡± these ostentatious words were meant for shang jianli to hear. when qiu tianhe saw the name written by ye jingtang¡¯s finger, there was an obvious change in his expression. he had taught zhe yunli saber skills and knew her personality. she valued relationships and righteousness. he had been arrested for covering for her, so she would definitely think of ways to save him. although he didn¡¯t know how ye jingtang got in touch with zhe yunli, the fact that ye jingtang could write this name meant that he was in the same group as her. zhe yunli was the pacifying heaven cult master¡¯s disciple, and the pacifying heaven cult was a rebel who had formed an army. ye jingtang was with a rebel, so he was naturally a rebel too! figuring this out, qiu tianhe suddenly ¡®understood¡¯ ye jingtang¡¯s intentions. ye jingtang was a rebel from the pacifying heaven cult. he had secretly infiltrated the black office to be a ¡®spy¡¯ for the pacifying heaven cult¡¯s grand plan to restore the country. he needed his saber technique to please the prince of jing and infiltrate the top echelons of great wei. saving him out of prison was just a matter of convenience! in that case, if he stubbornly refused to leave, not only would he not be able to help the younger generation, but he would even ruin the long-term plan of the pacifying heaven cult and ye jingtang¡­ thinking of this, qiu tianhe looked at the young ye jingtang in front of him and couldn¡¯t help sighing inwardly. what a great hidden move! at such a young age, he is going deep into the enemy¡¯s belly and secretly devising strategies to vie for supremacy in the future. this ambition, this boldness, this younger generation will really surpass me¡­ Chapter 39 let this old man have some peace qiu tianhe sighed inwardly for a moment before saying coldly, ¡°raise the status of this saber technique by half a level? with just you?¡± ye jingtang had written zhe yunli¡¯s name with a simple meaning: there is a silly girl who dragged her master¡¯s wife to the capital to die. don¡¯t be stubborn, and quickly teach me the saber technique. he never expected qiu tianhe to have such a big imagination. however, even though their thoughts were worlds apart, the matter was settled. seeing qiu tianhe relenting, ye jingtang said heroically, ¡°just me.¡± qiu tianhe stopped talking nonsense about this matter. he snorted coldly, slowly propped up his body, and held a chain. ¡°give me the saber.¡± as he spoke, he looked up at the entrance of the hole. shang jianli knew the rules, so he didn¡¯t plan to learn secretly and left the basement. clang! ye jingtang flicked his finger, and the hornless dragon saber flew forward. qiu tianhe caught it steadily. qiu tianhe, who had practiced the saber all his life, had not touched a saber for almost a year. after he held the saber hilt, a trace of nostalgia surged in his eyes, and his aura also changed. it was as if he had instantly transformed from an old man with half a foot in the grave to an indomitable pine tree standing between heaven and earth. whoosh, whoosh¡­ amidst the sound of the iron chains shaking, qiu tianhe¡¯s feet moved, and his body followed the saber. his movements were smooth and unhurried. even though his body was extremely weak, one could still see the deep foundation contained in his footsteps and movements. whoosh, whoosh¡­ qiu tianhe¡¯s saber technique was very complicated. it was just one move, but it had numerous movements and postures. it was as if all the joints in his body were moving. after the demonstration, qiu tianhe threw the saber to ye jingtang and said in a proud voice, ¡°this saber technique is called ¡®heaven equaling¡¯. it¡¯s derived from the meaning of ¡®oneness of heaven and man¡¯. the saber intent is completely different from that of the eight-steps frenzied blade and dragon slaying decree. it emphasizes the concept rather than the moves and focuses on ¡®going with the flow¡¯. when mastered, the firmness is like a raging river, and the gentleness is like a butterfly¡­ butterfly¡­¡± the impassioned voice faded, then died away. qiu tianhe guided the junior like an otherworldly expert, but the junior in front of him didn¡¯t listen at all. he only took the saber and imitated qiu tianhe¡¯s previous actions. initially, qiu tianhe had thought that ye jingtang was a ¡®waste¡¯ who was too eager for quick success. he hadn¡¯t even figured out the ¡®saber intent¡¯ before he started to imitate the technique without capturing the spirit. the more one imitated it, the more one would go astray because the ¡®heaven equaling saber¡¯ did not have fixed moves at all. it was all conception. but soon, qiu tianhe¡¯s dissatisfied expression turned into bewilderment. after practicing it twice, ye jingtang realized that there was something wrong with the saber technique taught by qiu tianhe. the route of qi circulation was erratic. at first glance, it looked right, but when he looked deeper, it was all wrong. ye jingtang didn¡¯t dwell on this strange feeling. he believed in his own judgment more. if the teachings were wrong, he wouldn¡¯t follow them. he would carefully perceive how to execute this saber move and let the ¡®sense of the saber¡¯ lead the way. ¡°huff¡­ puff¡­¡± apart from heavy breathing and the sound of the saber, the stone room was silent. ye jingtang held the saber in one hand and slowly repeated qiu tianhe¡¯s movements. every time, it was different. qiu tianhe¡¯s eyes were full of surprise. he didn¡¯t expect ye jingtang¡¯s comprehension ability to be so good. he wouldn¡¯t even need qiu tianhe¡¯s explanation to reach basic mastery and begin to feel the hidden mysteries of the move himself. the heaven equaling saber was not the strongest saber technique in the world, but it was the most difficult saber technique to learn. this was because the heaven equaling saber did not have high physical requirements for martial artists. meanwhile, women and even weak men could not practice saber techniques like the dragon slaying decree and the eight-steps frenzied blade well. the heaven equaling saber had a wider audience and was powerful. but the price was naturally that it was extremely difficult to master. it tested the martial artists¡¯ comprehension and was even a little ¡®metaphysical¡¯. slow-witted people might spend their entire lives learning it without reaching basic mastery. ye jingtang could comprehend the knack so quickly, so it was only a matter of time before he reached basic mastery. in qiu tianhe¡¯s opinion, it would take at most three months¡­ months¡­ before qiu tianhe could even think further, he was stunned by the scene in front of him. ye jingtang held the saber in one hand and practiced more than ten times before suddenly stopping and becoming motionless. the flames of the oil lamps on the wall were straight, and the saber in ye jingtang¡¯s hand was as quiet as a lonely lamp. as his breathing caused the flames to sway slightly, the saber in his hand trembled accordingly. qiu tianhe was astonished. after a moment of silence, he shook his wrist lightly. clatter! an ear-piercing sound of metal rubbing against metal resounded in the dungeon. qiu tianhe, whose body smelled of soft bone fragrance and had less than 10% of his martial arts skills left, merely raised his right hand slightly, and the heavy iron chain on his wrist instantly tightened, turning into a steel whip that lashed toward ye jingtang. but before qiu tianhe made his move, ye jingtang made his move. swoosh! a saber light flashed in the dungeon, bringing with it a gust that instantly blew out the candles on the wall. as soon as qiu tianhe lashed out with the iron chain, a silver light pierced through the loop of one of the links and stopped the iron chain that was about to strike. the tip of the blade also stopped at the place where qiu tianhe exerted strength with his elbow. it pierced through the prisoner¡¯s clothes, but it didn¡¯t hurt his flesh at all. clatter! the chain lost its strength and fell to the ground again. the movement stopped abruptly, and the light dimmed. crack! ye jingtang slowly sheathed his saber, took out a matchstick from his waist, and walked toward the oil lamps. he praised, ¡°wonderful saber technique. if the enemy does not move, i will not move. if the enemy moves, i will move first. by sensing the subtle changes of the opponent, i can counterattack in advance and always be one step ahead. the senior who created this saber technique is likely an extraordinary person with ordinary physical conditions but unprecedented comprehension¡­¡± there was no response in the stone room. qiu tianhe¡¯s eyes were incredulous. after a while, he asked, ¡°why do you know the heaven equaling saber?¡± ¡°hmm?¡± while lighting the oil lamps, ye jingtang turned around and saw qiu tianhe staring at him in a daze. he blinked. ¡°didn¡¯t you just teach it, hero qiu?¡± ¡°i just taught¡­¡± qiu tianhe almost said the same thing to luo ning. after he saw ye jingtang¡¯s eight-steps frenzied blade last time, his evaluation of him was already very high. finally, he returned to his senses, nodded slightly, and waved his right hand. ¡°go out and let this old man have some peace.¡± ¡°could i have misunderstood?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. when my master took me in, he told me that practice depends on the individual. go back and practice yourself. if there¡¯s nothing important, don¡¯t disturb my peace in the future.¡± ¡°the heaven equaling saber only has this move?¡± ¡°the heaven equaling saber seeks conception and intent, and it can be considered an internal martial arts. it¡¯s a single saber move, but it¡¯s ever-changing and amorphous. furthermore, the more one learns it, the more wondrous it becomes. you¡¯ve just seen the tip of the iceberg. don¡¯t underestimate this saber technique. when you practice it for a long time, you will understand the domineering aspect of this move.¡± ye jingtang felt that the heaven equaling saber was indeed profound. although he initially thought that it was not as powerful as the saber technique taught by his foster father, there were a few more orders of magnitude to it, and it had great potential. he needed to study and comprehend it diligently. with this in mind, ye jingtang cupped his hands and bowed. ¡°thank you for your generosity in teaching, hero qiu. if there¡¯s anything i don¡¯t understand in the future, i hope you can give me some pointers. i¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± ¡°sigh¡­¡± qiu tianhe thought, it¡¯s good that you don¡¯t give me pointers in the future. how could i give you pointers? but these words were too damaging to the grandmaster¡¯s dignity, so he didn¡¯t say anything. in the end, he just leaned against the wall to shut himself in¡­ Chapter 40 everyday meal in the afternoon, the rain gradually lessened. ye jingtang walked out of the dungeon. his hand was still on the hilt of his saber as he tried to figure out the essence of the heaven equaling saber. after interacting with qiu tianhe in the dungeon, he had learned the heaven equaling saber. but the heaven equaling saber was a rare internal martial arts among saber techniques. it was completely different from his foster father¡¯s saber technique. he could only say that he had learned how to use it, but he didn¡¯t understand the deeper meaning of the technique at all, so he couldn¡¯t be considered proficient. it was too early and too ridiculous to teach the prince of jing now. he had to familiarize himself with it for two days. while thinking, he walked out of the dungeon¡¯s entrance. he turned back to look at jasper pavilion. he wanted to take a glance and leave, but he didn¡¯t expect to hear a mature woman¡¯s words vaguely in the light rain. ¡°what are you thinking? giving me such an item¡­¡± ¡°you¡¯re really lonely, so¡­¡± ¡°no, it¡¯s too shameful~¡± the voice was shy and demure and had a hint of disgust in it, but it was soft and sweet and very pleasant to the ear. just by hearing her voice, one could imagine a beautiful noblewoman biting her lower lip shyly and refusing in annoyance. ye jingtang was slightly puzzled and wanted to hear who she was talking to and what they were talking about. but just as he pricked up his ears, he heard an ancient ghost-like whisper. ¡°young master, please.¡± the voice came so suddenly that it shocked ye jingtang, who thought that his martial arts skills were not bad. he turned around and found an old woman with long hair that reached the ground standing three steps away from him. she was hunched over with her left hand behind her back and her right hand gestured to the outside of the black office. although ye jingtang was seeing this white-haired old woman for the first time, he could guess from her appearance that she was most likely one of the black office¡¯s double flower red sticks¡ª¡¯white-haired diting¡¯ meng jiao. the eight-armed ksitigarbha and the white-haired diting were both top grandmasters and coaches of the ¡®national team¡¯. although they looked inconspicuous, one could imagine how important they were in jianghu. ye jingtang was caught eavesdropping on a conversation between women in the prince¡¯s estate. he was really embarrassed. after cupping his hands and bowing, he quickly walked out of the black office. after taking a few steps, he looked back. the entrance of the dungeon was empty, as if the old woman had just been an illusion. good lightness skills¡­ like a ghost¡­ with lingering fear, ye jingtang quickly walked out of the black office and rode back on his horse. along the way, he was thinking about the identity of the noblewoman who spoke just now. to be able to stand at the top of jasper pavilion and chat without any scruples, she must have a noble status. but she didn¡¯t seem like the empress. he had been wandering around the capital for the past few days and had privately inquired about the situation in the imperial court. the current empress was the prince of jing¡¯s elder sister. there was not much difference in age between the two. no one dared to mention her appearance, and it was only known that she was decisive and tough. the prince of jing had a supermodel-like figure and peerless looks, so the empress shouldn¡¯t be too bad either. such an empress wouldn¡¯t be so shy with her words. as for others¡­ ye jingtang didn¡¯t know many people, so he really couldn¡¯t figure out who she was. he just thought she was the prince of jing¡¯s relative. he wanted to enter the palace to look for the roaring dragon chart. speaking of which, he had heard rumors about ¡®gigolos¡¯ in the past few days. based on the information he had gathered over the past few days, the empress and her sister were very clean and honest. there were no rumors about them having gigolos¡­ the same was true for the widowed empress dowager qin in the palace¡­ but no matter how he thought about it, it was a little shameful to sell his looks and deceive a woman¡¯s feelings to enter the palace to get something. the only way left was to train hard in lightness skills and sneak into the palace. the probability of success for this method was very high, but it was undoubtedly extremely risky. even the prince of jing had a ruthless ghost-like white haired diting by her side. he didn¡¯t even dare to think about who the empress had by her side. if he were discovered, even the bird would probably be turned into squab soup¡­ passing through the busy city streets, he unknowingly returned to the alley of dye workshop street. although he didn¡¯t hear anything, he could smell the fragrance of stir-fried meat from afar. ye jingtang hadn¡¯t eaten well since yesterday. when he smelled the fragrance, his appetite was greatly aroused. he quickly walked to the courtyard and looked over the wall. there was a stool under the eaves, and the little heroine was sitting outside the kitchen. she was using a hatchet to chop firewood. her knife skills were not bad, but she was not very familiar with the work, so the length of the chopped wood varied. smoke was rising from the kitchen, and the windows were open. heroine luo was wearing an apron as she walked back and forth between the chopping board and the stove. rice was warming on the small stove. the bird was also very diligent. it stood on the stove and opened its beak, waiting to help taste. ye jingtang opened the courtyard door and raised the two small wine jars in his hands. ¡°is the meal ready? i happened to buy two jars of wine on the way. it¡¯s the warm spring flame from parasol street. i drank it at the golden screen building before. the wine is especially fragrant¡­¡± luo ning had heard the footsteps for a long time and glanced at ye jingtang. she hadn¡¯t calmed down from being bullied last night, so she didn¡¯t say anything. zhe yunli, on the other hand, was much more enthusiastic. with a flick of her wrist, she threw the hatchet out and nailed it firmly to a piece of firewood. she got up and ran over to carry the wine jars. ¡°brother jingtang, how was the black office?¡± ¡°it went smoothly. i went to hero qiu to learn his saber technique, and he agreed. after i learn it for a few days and teach it to the prince of jing, i should be able to get him out.¡± ¡°the prince of jing won¡¯t break her word after learning the saber technique, will she?¡± ¡°what the prince of jing is interested in me is my ability. how can she win me over if she breaks her word? besides, she¡¯s not letting a tiger return to the mountains. letting hero qiu retire in the capital is equivalent to moving him to another place to be imprisoned, so there¡¯s no point in deceiving me.¡± ¡­ while chatting, ye jingtang went to the kitchen and looked around. when he found no wine cups, he said, ¡°yunli, help me buy a wine set from the grocery store on the street. thank you.¡± ¡°sure thing.¡± zhe yunli immediately picked up her umbrella and moved to leave. luo ning didn¡¯t care at first, but after stir-frying two dishes, she realized that something was wrong. how could he forget to buy a wine set when he could buy wine? ! luo ning¡¯s ice-cold face stiffened slightly, and she hurriedly turned around. ¡°yunli¡­¡± zhe yunli was quite agile. there was already no one else in the courtyard. at the same time, ye jingtang had already walked over and rubbed the big bird. ¡°heroine luo, you¡¯re really skilled at cooking.¡± ¡°¡­¡± luo ning took a step to the side and didn¡¯t look at ye jingtang. ¡°ye jingtang! if you dare to push your luck again, don¡¯t blame me for being ruthless.¡± ye jingtang had realized in the morning that luo ning was indeed a little unhappy. he knew that he was a little impulsive yesterday and felt quite ashamed. he took out a jade pendant from his sleeve, placed it on the chopping board, went behind the stove, and fiddled with the stove fire. ¡°don¡¯t think too much. the black office gave me the dragon pool tourmaline. it¡¯s a jade pendant. if i give it to you in front of yunli, it¡¯s easy for her to misunderstand.¡± luo ning glanced at the dragon pool tourmaline. ¡°you know that she will misunderstand, yet you¡¯re still giving me the jade pendant? what do you mean?¡± ¡°how can i say that i¡¯m giving it to you? last night, we joined forces to capture the thief. i can¡¯t take all the spoils for myself. could it be that you want to give me everything? this will make my imagination run wild.¡± luo ning thought about it and agreed. she put the jade pendant away. ¡°this is what i deserve. it¡¯s not a gift from you. when i leave the capital, i will take it to the water cloud sword pool to exchange for silver.¡± no matter how one looked at it, she was deliberately trying to anger ye jingtang. ye jingtang shook his head and smiled. ¡°you can do whatever you want with your things.¡± crackle¡­ mist in the pot rose and blocked their vision. they stopped talking. luo ning skillfully stir-fried the dishes, but she was obviously a little distracted. from the corner of her eye, she paid attention to ye jingtang, who was fiddling with the stove fire. the seasonings were basically misused. after a short silence, luo ning couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°get out. don¡¯t stay here.¡± ¡°heroine luo, you can¡¯t bear to see me?¡± luo ning put down the spatula, stared at ye jingtang coldly with a look that said, ¡®our matter isn¡¯t over¡¯, and seemed ready to quit cooking. ye jingtang shook his head and went outside to chop the firewood that yunli hadn¡¯t finished chopping. only then did luo ning relax and continue to cook. in between, she picked up a small piece of fried meat, blew on it, and fed it to the bird, who was waiting to be fed. the bird¡¯s eyes sparkled as it caught it. then¡­ ¡°chirp?!¡± the bird twitched twice. it closed its beak and nodded like it was pounding garlic, as if it was praising sister little watermelons¡¯ culinary skills. then the bird hopped out of the door over to ye jingtang and seriously watched him chop firewood¡­ as the fragrance of food filled the courtyard, the rain stopped. ¡°time to eat~¡± zhe yunli carried the dishes and walked through the tidy courtyard to the main room. she found the bird squatting in the birdhouse under the eaves and asked in confusion, ¡°why aren¡¯t you in a hurry today?¡± ¡°chirp chirp~¡± the bird flapped its wings vigorously, indicating that it was full. ye jingtang sat at the table, opened a wine jar, and poured wine for the two women. luo ning sat down on the main seat and helped scoop the rice. her eyes were still not looking at ye jingtang, but with yunli here, her actions were much more natural. after all the dishes were served, ye jingtang raised his wine cup. ¡°come, cheers. let¡¯s wish hero qiu a quick escape from his misery.¡± zhe yunli was very polite. she quickly raised her wine cup with both hands. ¡°hero qiu¡¯s life is not in danger. brother jingtang, martial mistress and i owe you a huge favor. we will toast you first.¡± luo ning was not in the mood to toast to ye jingtang, but since yunli had already said it, she couldn¡¯t refuse. after thinking about it, she put down her chopsticks, raised her cup with both hands, and clinked it with ye jingtang¡¯s. ding~ luo ning covered her mouth with her sleeve and drank the cup of wine all in one gulp. her fair cheeks immediately flushed red. it looked like she didn¡¯t drink often. her naturally misty eyes also became more misty. zhe yunli¡¯s alcohol tolerance wasn¡¯t bad, and her face didn¡¯t even turn red after she took a big gulp. she even leaned close to luo ning and gently stroked her back to calm her down. she smiled and said, ¡°martial mistress, this is the first time i¡¯ve seen you drink. brother jingtang, you¡¯re so lucky. if the people of jianghu knew¡ª¡± ¡°yunli!¡± luo ning knew that zhe yunli wanted to say: the moon goddess offered you a toast. her eyes darkened, and she interrupted zhe yunli¡¯s words. zhe yunli said resentfully, ¡°i¡¯m not stupid. i just said it casually. why are you so angry?¡± luo ning put down her wine cup and replied calmly, ¡°i¡¯m usually like this.¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t say anything. he picked up his chopsticks, picked up a piece of stir-fried meat that looked delicious and smelled fragrant, and put it in his mouth¡­ oh my god! no wonder the stupid bird is standing outside¡­ ye jingtang could be considered a real man. he chewed on the unpalatable stir-fried meat without changing his expression and took a sip of wine to cover the taste. at the same time, he glanced at heroine luo to see if she was deliberately tormenting him. it doesn¡¯t look like it¡­ so, her absent-mindedness caused her to perform poorly¡­ zhe yunli smiled and poured a cup of wine. she also picked up a piece of stir-fried meat and put it in her mouth. then her face turned green! but if she vomited the food that her master¡¯s wife had painstakingly cooked on the spot, how sad would she be? zhe yunli gritted her teeth and swallowed it. she stared at ye jingtang with wide eyes: how did you eat it?! ye jingtang picked up another piece of meat with his chopsticks for zhe yunli and said with concern, ¡°you¡¯re growing. eat more.¡± you jerk!!! zhe yunli gritted her teeth, but her expression didn¡¯t change. she also picked up a piece of meat with her chopstick for ye jingtang. ¡°brother jingtang, you are a man and have to work. you should eat more. how is martial mistress¡¯s cooking?¡± ¡°delicious.¡± ye jingtang¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he gritted his teeth and swallowed it. ¡­ the family of three ate like this, and the atmosphere was quite warm. luo ning¡¯s eating style was similar to a fairy¡¯s. she had a light taste and didn¡¯t like oily food. she only ate the stir-fried side dishes. seeing ye jingtang and zhe yunli acting so intimate with each other, she was quite displeased. but the two of them picked up food for each other and didn¡¯t speak while eating. they also drank wine in silence, finally causing luo ning to realize that something was wrong. luo ning picked up a piece of stir-fried meat with her chopsticks. her expression changed immediately, thinking that someone had poisoned the food. then she said angrily, ¡°it¡¯s so salty¡­ don¡¯t you know how to say that it tastes bad? and you¡¯re even eating so much!¡± ye jingtang chuckled and raised his hand. ¡°it¡¯s fine¡­ ahem¡­ it¡¯s strangely good¡­¡± zhe yunli finally couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. she got up to get the teapot and poured it into her mouth. gulp, gulp¡­ ?! luo ning stared at the two lunatics. she looked like she wanted to laugh, but she held it in. she slapped the table lightly, got up, and went out. she picked up the bird that was peeping at the door and scolded, ¡°what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°chirp¡­¡± Chapter 41 - Chapter 41: Third Lady, You… chapter 41: third lady, you¡­ translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios on another side, after pei xiangjun gave ye jingtang a few days off, she began to prepare various things for ye jingtang to ¡®recognize his ancestors and return to the ancestral hall¡¯. the red flower pavilion was huge and had branches all over the world. in the beginning, it was an organization formed by many ship gangs, and the pei family acted as the spokesperson. after it evolved into the red flower pavilion, the branch that the pei family led was called the azure dragon hall. the capital was the core of great wei¡¯s trade. the red flower pavilion couldn¡¯t be without someone in the capital. for this reason, when the country was founded, the pei family took the opportunity to move the azure dragon hall to the capital. however, as an aristocratic family of jianghu, the pei family had taken root under the feet of the emperor, so they didn¡¯t dare to show off their identity as jianghu people. they had always been hiding in the streets and secretly managed their businesses. at noon, in the drawing room of the pei family¡¯s mansion, three helm masters who had come from afar were sitting at the table. they were two men and a woman. the men were two old men named li sanwen and wang ren, and the woman was madam huang zhu. they were all helm masters of the azure dragon hall. pei xiangjun and her sister-in-law, madam zhang, were sitting at the main seats and listening to huang zhu¡¯s complaints. ¡°it doesn¡¯t matter if the zhou family came to the docks to snatch business, but even a second-rate force like the baoyuan school wants a share of the profits. if it weren¡¯t for the overall situation, i would have personally gone to baoyuan mountain to reason with them¡­¡± helm master li sanwen was the oldest and currently the most experienced ¡®uncle¡¯ in the azure dragon hall. even pei xiangjun had to address him respectfully as an elder. holding his teacup, he shook his head and said, ¡°li hunyuan¡¯s ¡®yuan clasping force¡¯ has reached perfection, and he¡¯s also a famous grandmaster in yun province. you¡¯re just a minor helm master. what can you use to reason with him?¡± these words made it sound like huang zhu didn¡¯t know the immensity of heaven and earth, but the meaning was that he was dissatisfied that pei xiangjun couldn¡¯t restrain the people of jianghu. huang zhu retorted, ¡°our business was stolen, so why can¡¯t i say anything? you¡¯re an old man in the family. you should be the one to step in for such matters. it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t stand up for me, but you¡¯re still sitting here mocking me¡­¡± thump! li sanwen smacked the table. pei xiangjun raised her hand to stop the two from arguing. ¡°stop arguing. i called you over this time to introduce someone to you. yuanfeng left behind a foster son called ye jingtang. he came to the capital a few days ago and is a good person¡­¡± ¡°how old is ye jingtang this year?¡± ¡°eighteen, a little young¡­¡± li sanwen had a straightforward temper and directly said, ¡°he hasn¡¯t even built a good foundation at the age of eighteen. what can he do? pavilion lord, you mobilized a large number of people to call the helm masters back. could it be that you are preparing to retire and find a random member of the pei family to replace you? if that¡¯s the case, you might as well let pei luo be the pavilion lord¡­¡± madam zhang said unhappily, ¡°luo¡¯er isn¡¯t from jianghu, so we shouldn¡¯t let him know about the affairs of jianghu. moreover, with luo¡¯er¡¯s idle personality, what if you let him know that our family has so much money? he might even buy the white horse academy tomorrow and become a teacher¡­¡± pei xiangjun knew that the helm masters didn¡¯t trust the young man, so she said, ¡°although jingtang is young, he has a methodical way of dealing with people. his martial arts skills aren¡¯t high, but he can still be considered a first-rate expert. you¡¯ll know the details when you see him. you won¡¯t be disappointed.¡± hearing this, the three helm masters looked solemn. according to the rumors in the market about jianghu, the top grandmasters were the eight chiefs, and first and second-rate experts were a bit unpresentable. but this was definitely not the case. the red flower pavilion was so large, but there were only three people who were respected as grandmasters by outsiders. to be as strong as she long and shang jianli was considered a ¡®shame to grandmasters¡¯. it was imaginable how high the threshold for first-rate experts was. wang ren¡¯s eyes were full of doubt, but since he hadn¡¯t met yang jingtang yet, he couldn¡¯t refute her. he nodded and said, ¡°pavilion lord, since you think so highly of him, when all the helm masters arrive, bring him over for us to meet. if it¡¯s really as you say, it¡¯s a good thing for our azure dragon hall and even the red flower pavilion.¡± li sanwen pondered for a moment. ¡°pavilion lord, did you call us all over because you¡¯re preparing to establish ye jingtang as the young master?¡± ¡°that¡¯s my intention.¡± ¡°how can you do that? now, the red flower pavilion is facing both internal and external troubles, and the white tiger hall is eyeing the position of the leader. pavilion lord, once you establish a young master, you won¡¯t be able to convince the masses¡­¡± pei xiangjun said solemnly, ¡°i¡¯m confident that i can make this decision. as long as you see jingtang, you won¡¯t think that i¡¯m being too hasty.¡± seeing that pei xiangjun had made up her mind, li sanwen said in displeasure, ¡°alright, i want to see what kind of young man can make you so determined. if 1 make things difficult for the younger generation, please forgive me, pavilion lord.¡± if someone wanted their subordinates to submit, it was useless to rely on just the boss¡¯s praise. ye jingtang had to rely on his own ability. pei xiangjun didn¡¯t say much. after chatting for a while, wang ren talked about their difficulties again. ¡°the last time i went to the zhou family, i saw a steward. i didn¡¯t even see the second uncle of the zhou family. they¡¯re really disrespectful. the business at clear river wharf is declining day by day. if we don¡¯t negotiate with the zhou family and draw a clear line¡­¡± ¡°the elder of the zhou family is about to celebrate his birthday. i will pay a visit to celebrate his birthday and chat about this matter. since the zhou family doesn¡¯t give you face, if i come forward in person, they¡¯ll have to consider it.¡± the three helm masters clearly had objections to this. after all, among the prestigious forces of jianghu, there was no precedent of a leader personally going to another force to discuss small business. seeing that the atmosphere was slightly depressing, madam huang zhu tried to smooth things over. ¡°old master zhou is a famous swordsmith. he has forged more than a thousand weapons for people in his life. on his eightieth birthday, all the famous figures of ze province¡¯s jianghu will visit to congratulate him. it¡¯s said that even the cult mistress of the pacifying heaven cult will be present. it¡¯s not a loss of status for the pavilion lord to go¡­¡± pei xiangjun didn¡¯t want to talk about troublesome things, so she changed the topic. ¡°i haven¡¯t met the moon goddess before. i heard that she was once the number one beauty in jianghu¡­¡± madam zhang smiled. ¡°you¡¯re at a disadvantage because you¡¯re at the helm of the red flower pavilion and can¡¯t show your face. if you dress up beautifully, go to the banquet, and sit with the moon goddess, i¡¯m afraid the title of the number one beauty in jianghu will fall to our red flower pavilion in the future.¡± sigh-¡± pei xiangjun shook her head. ¡°i¡¯m the leader of the red flower pavilion. if we become famous because of my looks, i¡¯m afraid no one will take the red flower pavilion seriously¡­¡± the next morning¡­ the sky had just cleared after the rain, and the common people stepped out of their houses one after another. heavenly water bridge was crowded with people along the street, and there was an endless stream of hawkers. ye jingtang had been off work for a few days and had wandered around with luo ning all day. he was so happy that he almost forgot about third lady. just after he woke up this morning, yang chao suddenly ran over and said that third lady had something to tell him. only then did he remember that he still had to go to work. although he had only been here for a few days, what he had done was not a small matter. almost everyone near heavenly water bridge knew him. along the way, he even heard the greetings of various shops. young master ye.¡± hello, young master¡­¡± after ye jingtang greeted them, he arrived at the pei residence in the depths of the alley. third lady was wearing a light yellow chest-high ruqun. she was standing in front of the door with her maidservant, xiuhe, and looking up. her appearance was gentle and demure, like a daughter of a humble family who was looking forward to her man¡¯s return. ¡°third lady, why are you waiting outside again?¡± ¡°chirp chirp-¡± pei xiangjun had been nagged by the helm masters for a long time yesterday, so she felt a little resentful. she hugged the bird that flew over and frowned like an aggrieved wife. ¡°i gave you a few days off because i wanted you to treat the pei family as family. in the end, you didn¡¯t even show your face and didn¡¯t even come back. you really treat the pei family as outsiders. sigh-¡± ¡°chirp.¡± the bird felt wronged too and showed that it was innocent. ye jingtang felt a little ashamed. he entered the residence with pei xiangjun and explained, ¡°i received the prince of jing¡¯s token. i had nothing to do these two days, so i went to the black office to get close to them and build some connections. i helped them do some work.¡± you¡¯re really capable. you could even catch the wingless owl. it looks like i have to increase your salary. otherwise, if you accept any cases in the future, you¡¯ll earn more there than working for the pei family for half a year.¡± ¡°working on a case is like licking blood at the edge of a knife. it¡¯s very risky. it¡¯s not as stable and safe as working for you, third lady. there¡¯s no need to increase my salary. i feel like i¡¯m eating soft food¡­ free food¡­¡± while chatting, the three of them turned around a corridor and went straight into the festoon gate?. past the festoon gate was the inner courtyard. because young master pei luo was not around, the madam, pei luo¡¯s concubine, the maidservants, and the others were all women. as a man, ye jingtang felt that it wasn¡¯t appropriate to enter. ¡°third lady, you called me over. what¡¯s the matter?¡± pei xiangjun stroked the bird and said unhappily, ¡°can¡¯t i call you over without a reason?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ye jingtang was powerless to reply. he could only look straight ahead as he walked past the lotus pond by the koi pond and arrived at the main courtyard where the family lived. ye jingtang originally thought that third lady was going to bring him to the tea court to sit. but as he walked, he realized that the direction was wrong. third lady walked gracefully to her bedroom and even instructed, ¡°xiuhe, go and rest first.¡± xiuhe, who was following behind, hurriedly ran away. ye jingtang glanced at the empty courtyard and the beautiful back swaying in front of him. his thoughts were very normal, and he wanted to say something but hesitated. ¡°third lady, you¡­¡± ¡°come in.¡± squeak! the door opened, and third lady entered the elegant bedroom. she even turned around and glanced around to see if anyone was paying attention. ? what is she doing?ye jingtang looked at the third lady, who looked as if she was about to have an affair, and felt strange. ¡°third lady, this is your boudoir. it¡¯s not appropriate for me to come in, right?¡± pei xiangjun looked over and saw that ye jingtang had misunderstood, but she didn¡¯t explain. ¡°come in. i¡¯m just going to talk to you about something, but i don¡¯t want others to know.¡± ye jingtang hesitated for a moment before finally entering the bedroom. click. after ye jingtang entered the room, pei xiangjun threw the bird out the door and closed the door, leaving only the man and woman alone in the boudoir. ¡°chirp?!¡± ye jingtang turned around and looked at the delicate third lady in surprise. ¡°uh¡­¡± pei xiangjun went to her bed and sat down. her posture was gentle and elegant as she patted her side. ¡°jingtang, come sit down.¡± ¡°third lady, you¡­¡± ¡°sit down! don¡¯t let your imagination run wild!¡± ? you¡¯re already in bed, yet you¡¯re still telling me not to let my imagination run wild? seeing that third lady was frowning slightly and a little unhappy, ye jingtang could only sit down at the side. ¡°i¡­ f*ck!¡± as soon as he sat down on the bed, he found that there was nothing below. the bed board collapsed, and he fell backward. thud! in the blink of an eye, the two of them landed on the pitch-black floor. the beautiful bed above closed, and there was no longer any light. ye jingtang really didn¡¯t expect this. he looked around with lingering fear. ¡°third lady? what are you doing?¡± ¡°what do you think i want to do? ¡°uh¡­¡± ye jingtang thought about what pei xiangjun could do to him and explained, ¡°third lady, i thought you were going to introduce me to the family business. i didn¡¯t expect you to bring me to such a place¡­ where is this?¡± ¡°hmph~!¡± sizzle¡­ the sound of a matchstick igniting rang out, and the faint light of the fire illuminated their faces. pei xiangjun moved the matchstick on an oil lamp beside the stone wall. the oil lamp lit up, and then lamp lights spread forward one after another. a door appeared at the end of the tunnel. pei xiangjun restrained her gentle and weak temperament. she tidied up her clothes slightly and walked along the tunnel to the underground door. the distracting thoughts that ye jingtang had just suppressed rose again at this moment. after all, the bedroom, secret passage, and basement could easily make people think of some indecent things¡­ ¡°what is this place?¡± squeak! as he spoke, the door opened, and a brightly lit hall appeared in front of him¡­ Chapter 42 - Chapter 42: Who Is Unconvinced? chapter 42: who is unconvinced? translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the hall was spacious, with a length and width of 6o feet and a height of 20 feet. there were eight chairs inside, four on the left and four on the right, and a plaque hanging at the top with the words ¡®azure dragon hall¡¯. against the wall was an altar with more than ten memorial tablets, and there was a new memorial tablet with the name of his foster father, pei yuanfeng. in front of the altar was a long spear. the body of the spear was covered in fine scratches. it was obvious that it was an old spear that had experienced a lot in jianghu. at this moment, there were already people sitting in the eight chairs. dressed in luxurious clothes, the five men and three women had solemn expressions. they all turned their gazes to the door in unison. ?! ye jingtang was thinking about something eye-opening in the basement when he suddenly saw this imposing and formal hall and the eight solemn-looking elders. he was stunned. although he didn¡¯t know what was going on, he immediately restrained his emotions and put on a grave expression. he stood behind pei xiangjun and observed the situation. as pei xiangjun appeared, the eight helm masters in the underground hall stood up and bowed. ¡°pavilion lord!¡± ¡°no need for formalities.¡± pei xiangjun¡¯s aura changed completely. she displayed the aura that a female sect master should have and sat in the main seat of the azure dragon hall unhurriedly. ye jingtang was a little confused, but from the details of the name and memorial tablets, he could roughly tell where this place was¡ªthe main hall of the red flower pavilion. ye jingtang wasn¡¯t very surprised by this. ever since the day the red god of wealth had looked for him, he had been suspicious. now, he had confirmed his guess. so, that bamboo hat person was really third lady¡­ no wonder the red flower pavilion is in such a miserable state¡­ ye jingtang couldn¡¯t ask. he silently went to the back of pei xiangjun¡¯s chair and stood behind her while sizing up the people sitting here. the eight helm masters sitting in the azure dragon hall had different expressions after ye jingtang appeared. the three female helm masters¡¯ eyes were full of astonishment. li sanwen and the men were scrutinizing him. pei xiangjun didn¡¯t introduce their background to ye jingtang because he was very smart and could understand the current situation. seating in the main seat of the azure dragon hall, she glanced at the eight helm masters on her left and right. ¡°this is ye jingtang, the foster son of my second brother, pei yuanfeng. last month, second brother passed away and sent him to the capital with his assets. i¡¯ve already told you that with his character and ability, he can be entrusted with heavy responsibilities. therefore, i want him to be the young master. do you have any objections?1 wang ren said, ¡°the red flower pavilion isn¡¯t the small heavenly water bridge outside, and our opponents aren¡¯t idlers like yang guan¡­¡± pei xiangjun raised her hand to interrupt him and looked at ye jingtang. ¡°jingtang, are you confident?¡± ye jingtang was still at a loss. he didn¡¯t know who was who, but his answer to pei xiangjun¡¯s question was straightforward. ¡°the pei family is my foster father¡¯s family. third lady has treated me generously and given me a high salary. if anything happens, i will naturally do my best to protect the family. as for the pei family¡¯s businesses, it doesn¡¯t make any difference to me whether they¡¯re located in heavenly water bridge or spread all over the world.¡± pei xiangjun was very satisfied with these words, but li sanwen frowned. ¡°a newborn calf doesn¡¯t know the immensity of heaven and earth. now, the entire jianghu is making things difficult for the red flower pavilion! you have to look at your own ability to keep your word. how can we believe you with merely empty words?¡± ye jingtang felt that the old man¡¯s words were thorny, so he calmly replied, ¡°i¡¯m not a member of the pei family. helping the pei family is just out of friendship. if you don¡¯t believe me, i will still do what i should do. if you believe me, i won¡¯t agree to what 1 shouldn¡¯t do.¡± of the eight helm masters, some frowned and some nodded. they looked at each other and seemed to be discussing something. when ye jingtang saw these people talking and ignoring third lady, lacking the minimum respect for their ¡®boss¡¯, he frowned secretly. he pondered for a moment and recalled the situation of the red flower pavilion. the pavilion lord was not strong enough, the forces of jianghu were eyeing the pavilion covetously, and the various halls were restless¡­ then he looked at the delicate third lady beside him. she indeed didn¡¯t look like someone who could bear shouldering the burden. he thought for a moment and asked, ¡°third lady, did you bring me here today to show my ability and gain the recognition of everyone here?¡± as soon as he said this, the eight helm masters turned around. pei xiangjun was waiting for li sanwen to come out and find fault with ye jingtang so that she could prove ye jingtang¡¯s potential. ¡°yes, something like that.¡± ye jingtang nodded slightly, walked in front of third lady, and looked at the helm masters. ¡°then, let¡¯s do it directly. do you want to test me one by one, or do you want to do it together?¡± ?! the eight sitting helm masters were stunned when they heard the arrogant tone of ¡®i want to beat all eight of you¡¯. pei xiangjun widened her almond-shaped eyes and hurriedly stopped him. ¡°jingtang, don¡¯t be impolite!¡± ye jingtang raised his hand slightly and continued, ¡°third lady has given me a salary and asked me to be the young master. since i¡¯ve taken the money, i have to do things well. if you think there¡¯s a problem with third lady¡¯s arrangements, you can stand up and raise it. if 1 can¡¯t refute it, i¡¯ll leave myself.¡± whoosh! li sanwen was already dissatisfied with pei xiangjun¡¯s decision. seeing that this kid had no respect at all, he was furious. he immediately slapped the armrest and stood up. but suddenly¡­! clang! a saber light flashed in the underground hall! ye jingtang unsheathed the three-foot-long silver blade at his waist, bringing with it a cold half-moon glow. the shrill sound of the saber sent chills down the spines of the nine people sitting in the hall! li sanwen was not an ordinary person. seeing this, his eyes were horrified as he retreated in panic. but the eight-steps frenzied blade was ferociously attacking first to suppress the opponent. although ye jingtang had only comprehended it for a few days, he thoroughly knew it by heart. she long had had to block it in a hurry. how could an immaterial helm master receive it? the blade flashed past and went straight for li sanwen, who had just left his chair. as expected, when li sanwen raised his hand, there was already a hole cut open in the clothes of his chest. fortunately, before the silver blade could touch li sanwen¡¯s robe, a jet-black spear reached out from behind to block the saber. clang! the crisp sound of metal colliding rang out. if it were before, this spear could have knocked ye jingtang¡¯s saber away. but this time, it was different. the powerful and heavy spear shaft couldn¡¯t stop the saber in ye jingtang¡¯s hand. it was raised by three inches, and the spear shaft directly collided with li sanwen¡¯s chest. bam! clatter! li sanwen flew back, knocked over the chair, and fell to the floor. the other seven helm masters were all horrified. they stood up and backed away a few steps, looking as if they were facing a formidable enemy. li sanwen didn¡¯t even care about the pain in his chest. his face was pale as he got up and ran behind pei xiangjun as if he had seen a ghost. after the saber light flashed, the azure dragon hall instantly froze. pei xiangjun never expected that ye jingtang¡¯s martial arts skills would become so outrageous after not seeing him for a few days. it was also at this moment that she understood why she long¡¯s arm had been cut by ye jingtang. ¡°what are you doing? old li is an elder¡­¡± ¡°i only recognize third lady and don¡¯t know anyone else.¡± ¡°we¡¯re all family. you just need to show us your skills. why were you so heavy-handed?¡± ¡°i¡¯m a martial artist, not an actor! if someone tries to test my strength, i have to let them know.¡± pei xiangjun felt that ye jingtang was serious and didn¡¯t say anything. ye jingtang pointed the tip of his saber at the floor and looked at the helm masters. ¡°everyone, who else wants to test my strength?¡± as soon as he said this, the eight stunned helm masters finally reacted. they looked at each other in dismay and silence. the first time they met, he had taken them down a notch. he was definitely unhappy with the helm masters sitting here. but the strength displayed by ye jingtang¡¯s saber move already had the elegance of a grandmaster. wouldn¡¯t it be courting death for them, the helm masters, to test his strength? to have such martial arts skills at only the age of 18, there were few people like him in the entire jianghu. if such a person with unlimited potential became the young master of the red flower pavilion¡­ even though this young master looked a little fierce and not easy to get along with, it was better to suffer a little inside the sect than to be bullied by the forces of jianghu outside. seeing everyone hesitate, madam huang zhu took the lead to step forward and cup her hands. ¡°young master, good skills!¡± seeing this, the remaining helm masters also cupped their hands and bowed. li sanwen did the same. ye jingtang sheathed his saber and retreated behind pei xiangjun. ¡°i¡¯m not interested in the red flower pavilion¡¯s businesses. i¡¯m only standing here because my foster father¡¯s memorial tablet is on the altar. 1 can take nothing from my foster father¡¯s property, and it¡¯s the same for the pei family. when third lady feels that she doesn¡¯t need my help, 1¡¯11 leave.¡± pei xiangjun had interacted with him for a few days and roughly knew ye jingtang¡¯s personality. she said gently, ¡°let¡¯s talk about those things later.¡± ye jingtang said no more. pei xiangjun sat up straight again and looked around the hall. the eight helm masters in front of her were much more serious than before. they were silent and sitting upright, waiting for pei xiangjun to speak. ¡°it¡¯s almost the end of the month. in a few days, i will go to west king town to meet the hall masters. at that time, i will bring jingtang along and officially announce this matter. do you think the hall masters will have any objections?¡± the eight helm masters shook their heads in unison. when they thought of how the jaws of the various hall masters would drop, they were even a little impatient. huang zhu said, ¡°at that time, the white tiger hall will definitely issue a challenge to you, young master. don¡¯t be too ruthless¡­¡± after being beaten up, li sanwen didn¡¯t complain much, mainly because he really couldn¡¯t win. he said, ¡°if you don¡¯t strike ruthlessly, the people below won¡¯t know what ¡®rules¡¯ are! when the old pavilion lord was around, would the song family dare to fart? only because the pei family only has an orphan and a widow left do they dare to clamor¡­¡± wang ren pondered for a moment. ¡°it¡¯s not good to hit your own family ruthlessly. the zhou family¡¯s birthday banquet is coming up soon. when the time comes, let the young master go over and meet the young master of the zhou family. i want to see if the zhou family still has the face to snatch the port business after losing in the arena.¡± ¡°yes, it¡¯s most suitable for the young master to go¡­¡± someone took the lead, and the messy to-do list of the azure dragon hall came out. several helm masters wished they could pull ye jingtang over to keep up appearances for them right away. seeing this, pei xiangjun raised her hand to quiet the crowd. ¡°jingtang learned saber skills from second brother, but he doesn¡¯t know spearmanship. it¡¯s fine if he uses a saber at the juyi building, but if he doesn¡¯t know spearmanship at the zhou family, outsiders will think that we spent money to hire a jianghu expert to support our reputation.¡± the eight helm masters thought about it and agreed. disappointment appeared on their faces. but something unexpected happened. just as pei xiangjun finished speaking, behind her, ye jingtang said, ¡°there are so many things piled together, so 1 naturally have to do them. third lady, you can teach me spearmanship. 1 remember that west king town is not far from the water cloud sword pool. since we have to go out in a few days, we can just deal with them together and save ourselves the trouble of running back and forth.¡± ?? as soon as these words came out, all the helm masters raised their heads. if they hadn¡¯t just seen ye jingtang¡¯s talent, they would have scolded, ¡°where did this idiot come from? go play at the side.¡± pei xiangjun didn¡¯t know how to complain. she tried her best to be calm and said, ¡°the staff for a month, the saber for a year, and the spear for a lifetime. spearmanship can¡¯t be mastered in two or three days. 1 know you have the intention to help the pei family, but you can¡¯t be anxious when it comes to practicing martial arts.¡± ¡°could it be that the pei family¡¯s spear technique is very profound?¡± ¡°the spear is the king of weapons, and the spear technique once reached number seven in the world. what do you think?¡± ye jingtang thought about it and agreed, so he didn¡¯t say anything else¡­ Chapter 43 - Chapter 43: Annoying Trifles chapter 43: annoying trifles translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios dye workshop street, double osmanthus alley¡­ the sun was rising in the east, and golden rays of light sprinkled on the vegetable trellis covered in dewdrops. the stars were crystal clear. the orderly sound of cutting vegetables echoed in the spotless courtyard. thump, thump! a stunningly beautiful woman in a thin blue dress stood elegantly in front of the kitchen window. the golden morning sun shone on her face, and her peach blossom eyes were lost in thought. after putting the sliced garlic sprouts on a porcelain plate, she looked up at the rising sun in the distance. there were three rooms in the old courtyard. every day, she cooked, planted flowers and plants, and waited for her husband¡­ no, waited for her son and daughter to return. there were no sabers and swords of jianghu, only a leisurely and peaceful life¡­ perhaps this was the life of an ordinary person. ordinary people had long been tired of it, but jianghu people couldn¡¯t wait for it¡­ tap, tap, tap¡­ amidst the countless knots in her heart, light footsteps sounded outside the courtyard. it sounded like yunli¡¯s. luo ning regained her senses and turned around. she saw yunli, dressed like a girl next door, run back from outside, jump over the wall, and land in the courtyard. zhe yunli was a little anxious. ¡°martial mistress, bad news. i was wandering around the streets just now and bumped into protector zhang¡­¡± ¡°hmm?¡± when luo ning heard this, the kitchen knife in her hand paused. the protector zhang that yunli mentioned was called ¡®south mountain iron trigram¡¯ zhang henggu. he had been a little daoist child of the great yan imperial astronomer. when the previous dynasty was destroyed, he had escaped to the south firmament mountains with the great yan imperial family and experienced sixty years of ups and downs. now, he was one of the four great protectors of pacifying heaven cult and a founding elder. even the pacifying heaven cult master had to call him martial uncle. now that he had suddenly run to the capital, it could only be the pacifying heaven cult master had spoken and invited her back to the south firmament mountains. luo ning pondered for a moment, then walked out of the kitchen and asked, ¡°where is protector zhang?¡± ¡°he arranged a way to leave the capital at the east gate and asked me to go back and invite you over. he said that it¡¯s going to be the zhou family¡¯s birthday banquet soon. he even brought the zhou family¡¯s invitation. martial mistress, your sword was made with the help of the zhou family. if you don¡¯t go, people in jianghu will say that you are ungrateful and forgot your old friends after marrying into a wealthy family¡­¡± when luo ning was still the moon goddess, she had searched for experts everywhere for help to avenge her family. she had once gone to the water cloud sword pool. although she didn¡¯t learn swordsmanship, thanks to her reputation of being ¡®beautiful¡¯ in jianghu, the zhou family still did her a favor and forged the famous weapon ¡®weeping water sword¡¯ at her waist. later, she married into the pacifying heaven cult and became the cult mistress, so the pacifying heaven cult naturally came to owe this favor. the zhou family didn¡¯t ask her to pay them back, but she really couldn¡¯t forget it. ¡°isn¡¯t old master zhou¡¯s birthday in the middle of next month? it¡¯s not like 1 said i¡¯m not going. why¡¯s the hurry?¡± ¡°protector zhang said that there might be friction between the zhou family and the red flower pavilion at this birthday banquet. there¡¯s a high chance that you¡¯ll be involved if you attend. master wants to discuss countermeasures with you and wants you to go back.¡± luo ning¡¯s original plan was to take a boat from the capital to the zhou family in a few days. in any case, the distance was not far. she would come back after going through the formalities and continue working on rescuing qiu tianhe. hearing what yunli said, she couldn¡¯t help frowning. she glanced at the food cooking in the pot. ¡°there¡¯s already some progress in saving qiu tianhe¡­¡± zhe yunli patted the poached eggs on her chest heroically. ¡°martial mistress, don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ve already told protector zhang about the situation. i¡¯ll stay in the capital to accompany brother jingtang. protector zhang will take over and secretly control the situation. you can go back without worry¡­¡± ? luo ning¡¯s eyes turned cold as she looked at zhe yunli severely. ¡°nonsense! you have a rash personality. how can i be at ease if you stay in the capital alone?¡± zhe yunli blinked. ¡°protector zhang will protect me in secret. he¡¯s much more powerful than you¡­¡± ¡°that won¡¯t do either.¡± luo ning would either stay or leave with her. how could she leave yunli with ye jingtang? with that shameless little thief¡¯s personality, by the time she returned, yunli might be pregnant¡­ luo ning pondered for a moment before walking back to the kitchen. ¡°ye jingtang is quite talented. if protector zhang sees him, he will definitely think of a way to bring him to the south firmament mountains¡­¡± ¡°isn¡¯t that good?¡± ¡°what¡¯s so good about it? isn¡¯t our pacifying heaven cult rebelling? ye jingtang¡¯s goal is to be in the bureaucracy. he¡¯s already done his best to help. is it appropriate for us to force him to become a rebel in the south firmament mountains?¡± zhe yunli pouted. she wanted to say something, but it wasn¡¯t easy to refute this. ¡°let¡¯s go quickly. it¡¯ll only take half a month to go back and forth¡­ i will talk with ye jingtang later. ye jingtang values chivalry. after we leave, he will still help save qiu tianhe. we¡¯ll be back in a few days.¡± zhe yunli didn¡¯t believe it. ¡°we¡¯ll be gone. why would brother jingtang risk his life to help us save him?¡± h ii luo ning opened her mouth, but she couldn¡¯t find a reason. she could only say calmly, ¡°i will persuade him. go prepare with protector zhang first. 1¡¯11 come over later.¡± ¡°okay¡­¡± zhe yunli could only turn around and leave quickly¡­ the pei residence¡­ the red flower pavilion was very large and had a lot of affairs. just introducing the various industries took the eight helm masters half a day. ye jingtang was listening, but he didn¡¯t take it to heart. he was helping the pei family handle affairs. it was fine as long as he helped third lady. he didn¡¯t care for the family business, so it was useless to remember these things in detail. by the time the meeting of the azure dragon hall ended and the helm masters left through the tunnels, it was already noon. ye jingtang crawled out of third lady¡¯s bed and appeared in the boudoir. he heard a light tapping¡­ it was the sound of claws kicking the door. he opened the door and saw that the courtyard was silent. the bird that had been left outside the door for half a day tilted its head and looked elsewhere when it saw him. it made a face that said: girls before birds¡­ i don¡¯t want to talk to you. pei xiangjun came out of the bed curtain, and her demeanor turned into a gentle little woman again. she came to ye jingtang¡¯s side, hugged the angry bird in her arms, and praised, ¡°it¡¯s indeed different to have a man in charge of the family. these helm masters are elders in the family and are all loyal. however, after watching me grow up, they always treat me as a junior in their hearts. 1 can¡¯t lecture them. after you¡¯ve taken them down a notch today and taught them the rules, it will be much easier to talk to them in the future.¡± ye jingtang used to feel light-headed when he saw third lady¡¯s admiring gaze, but after discovering that she was the red god of wealth, he instantly felt different. you¡¯re the dignified leader of the red flower pavilion, a famous formidable figure in jianghu, yet you¡¯re pretending to be a pitiful and beautiful woman asking for protection in front of me? but being admired by a strong woman seemed to make him feel even more smug¡­ ye jingtang¡¯s thoughts were a little chaotic. he thought for a moment and replied, ¡°it¡¯s just my duty. third lady, it¡¯s good that you don¡¯t mind. it¡¯s getting late. i¡¯ll go back first and come back tomorrow morning to listen to your arrangements.¡± ¡°you¡¯re already the young master. why are you treating us like outsiders and living outside? your aunt has cleaned up the east wing, so you can live at home from now on.¡± ¡°the pei family is full of women. as a man with a different surname, it¡¯s inevitable that i¡¯ll attract gossip if i live here. dye workshop street isn¡¯t far from here. third lady, you can send someone to call me at any time.¡± pei xiangjun was placing all her hopes on reviving the red flower pavilion on ye jingtang, so she naturally wanted to stay in front of him and spend day and night with him to nurture their relationship. but since ye jingtang was so persistent, she couldn¡¯t force him to stay. she could only say, ¡°i don¡¯t need your help with the matters of heavenly water bridge. the most important thing for you now is to go to the juyi building in a few days and help me suppress the hall masters. go back and rest first. i¡¯ll teach you spearmanship later.¡± with that, pei xiangjun walked to the dressing table, opened a small drawer, and took out a stack of banknotes. it seemed she wanted to give ye jingtang pocket money. judging from the denomination of the banknotes, ten of them added up to a thousand taels. a thousand taels was approximately more than a million chinese yuan according to purchasing power! seeing this scene, ye jingtang finally understood what it was like to be taken care of by a beautiful rich woman. but as an upright man, he definitely wouldn¡¯t take a gift other than his salary. he cupped his hands and said, ¡°i¡¯ll leave first. third lady, rest early.¡± he went straight out the door. ¡°huh?¡± pei xiangjun had just taken out the banknotes when she saw ye jingtang and the bird leave in a hurry.. her eyes were full of helplessness¡­ Chapter 44 - Chapter 44: Different Paths, Same Destination chapter 44: different paths, same destination translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°chirp chirp chirp-¡± it was noon, and there were few people on dye workshop street. ye jingtang led his horse across the street. the white bird on the horse was leisurely eating a small piece of jerky he had just bought for it. when they arrived at double osmanthus alley, the bird couldn¡¯t wait to fly into the deep alley. along the way: ¡°chirp chirp chirp-¡± ¡°welcome back. are you hungry?¡± ¡°chirp chirp!¡± a young woman¡¯s doting voice came from behind the courtyard wall. ye jingtang smiled when he heard this and led his horse into the courtyard. there were some changes in the clean and tidy courtyard. there was a row of small flower pots under the courtyard wall, with green seedlings planted inside. he didn¡¯t know what kind of flowers they were. outside the kitchen, the chopped firewood was neatly stacked. even the smoked meat, onions, ginger, and garlic hanging under the windows were arranged in an orderly manner. as a result, when he entered, he felt that the entire courtyard was a little brighter. ye jingtang had lived with his foster father since he was a baby. both of them were martial artists. his house couldn¡¯t be said to be dirty and messy, but it was inevitable that they weren¡¯t too particular with cleanliness. seeing this scene, he suddenly felt that having a virtuous wife at home was indeed a very blissful matter. luo ning, in her blue dress, walked out of the kitchen with two plates of side dishes and the bird perched on her shoulder. her expression was as cold and elegant as when they first met. she didn¡¯t look at ye jingtang, who was tethering his horse beside the vegetable trellis, and only greeted him calmly. ¡°yunli went out to play. come and eat.¡± ye jingtang felt that luo ning had suddenly become much closer to him and was a little surprised. he entered the kitchen and carried the stir-fried dishes to the main room. he put them down and looked at luo ning, who was plating the table. ¡°heroine luo, why are you so gentle today?¡± luo ning sat down on ye jingtang¡¯s left, opened a small wine jar, and poured two cups of wine. she said in a casual tone, ¡°although our relationship isn¡¯t very good, i really have to thank you for taking care of me these days. 1 have been in the capital for a while, but i didn¡¯t tell my family when i went out¡­¡± ye jingtang stopped taking the wine cup and retracted his hand. ¡°you¡¯re leaving?¡± ¡°chirp?¡± the bird, who was eagerly looking at the stir-fried meat, immediately panicked when it heard this. it raised its head and looked pitifully at sister little watermelons. luo ning hugged the bird in her arms and rubbed it. she frowned slightly. ¡°what do you mean by that? you still want to detain me in the capital to keep cooking and washing for you?¡± this wasn¡¯t what ye jingtang meant. he thought for a moment and said, ¡°qiu tianhe hasn¡¯t been fished out yet, and 1 haven¡¯t figured out the roaring dragon chart. it¡¯s probably not appropriate for you to leave now.¡± ¡°i have to do something at home, so i have to go back. i¡¯ve promised that as long as qiu tianhe is released from prison, 1 will teach you martial arts. now, i have already taught you lightness skills. 1 don¡¯t want the roaring dragon chart either. i believe that you will keep your promise even if i¡¯m not around¡­¡± ? ye jingtang frowned and said, ¡°are you planning to go and not return?¡± this wasn¡¯t luo ning¡¯s plan, but her expression was very serious. ¡°you save qiu tianhe, and 1 teach you martial arts. this was what we agreed on in advance. i¡¯ve already taught you lightness skills, and i don¡¯t even want the roaring dragon chart. why would i come back?¡± ye jingtang was stunned by this question. he tapped his fingers on the table and pondered for a moment. ¡°when qiu tianhe is released from prison, he will still be trapped in the capital. it¡¯s not a long-term solution. if 1 navigate around the imperial court more, 1 might be able to let him completely regain his freedom.¡± ? luo ning was just ¡®playing hard to get¡¯ by saying that she would never come back. then she would reluctantly agree to return in a few days so that this little thief wouldn¡¯t pester her and not let her go. she really didn¡¯t expect ye jingtang to make such a big promise to keep her. she felt a little embarrassed. but she definitely couldn¡¯t show her thoughts. otherwise, if the little thief noticed, he would absolutely push his luck and make some improper request. ¡°i have something important to do at home, and someone has already been sent to inform me, so 1 have no choice but to leave early. if¡­ if you can help qiu tianhe completely regain his freedom, i will come back in a few days and teach you the fourteen dappling cloud palms.¡± hearing this, ye jingtang smiled and asked, ¡°what¡¯s going on at home? why are you in such a hurry?¡± ¡°this is my private matter and has nothing to do with you.¡± ¡°i¡¯m just afraid that something will happen to you. you haven¡¯t told me your identity. if you run outside, it¡¯ll be like looking for a needle in a haystack to find you. if you accidentally die outside, i will think that you didn¡¯t keep your word. don¡¯t you think so?¡± luo ning was silent for a moment. it wasn¡¯t appropriate for her to say that she was going to the water cloud sword pool to attend old master zhou¡¯s birthday banquet. she only said, ¡°it¡¯s not a big deal. um¡­ i¡¯m going back to send a gift. i¡¯ll come back after i¡¯m done. it¡¯s only about twenty days¡­¡± ¡°twenty days¡­¡± ye jingtang had to accompany third lady out for a few days. he would first go to west king town to cut a few people and then go to the water cloud sword pool to cut a few more people. when he returned, it would be around the middle of next month. the timing of their schedules was about the same¡­ ye jingtang thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°alright, i have to go out in a few days anyway. it will be very difficult to get qiu tianhe out in a few days. why don¡¯t we continue when we come back?¡± ? hearing this, luo ning thought that ye jingtang didn¡¯t trust her and wouldn¡¯t help if she wasn¡¯t around. she said unhappily, ¡°1 said i would come back, so i will. why are you going out?¡± ye jingtang spread his hands. ¡°i¡¯m an escort of heavenly water bridge, not a wanderer. i have to work for my salary. 1 have to deal with some small business matters in a few days.¡± hearing this, luo ning didn¡¯t ask further. after thinking for a moment, she picked up the wine pot on the table and poured wine for ye jingtang. ¡°you are very talented. how can you be satisfied with being an escort? whether it¡¯s going into the bureaucracy or entering jianghu, it¡¯s better than working for others¡­¡± she held her flowing sleeve with her hand and poured wine gently. coupled with her considerate words, she looked like a little wife complaining about her man¡¯s lack of ambition. ye jingtang picked up his chopsticks, looked at luo ning, and blinked. luo ning sensed something, and her eyes turned slightly cold. she put down the wine pot, picked up the filled wine cup, and took a sip. ? ye jingtang was instantly speechless. he picked up the wine pot and poured himself a cup while asking casually, ¡°i¡¯ve even risked my life to save you. heroine luo, are you still unwilling to tell me the truth?¡± luo ning covered her face with her sleeve and finished the strong wine in one gulp. as soon as she put down her wine cup, ye jingtang poured her wine. she didn¡¯t refuse. ¡°i have my reasons for not telling you my details.¡± ¡°what reasons?¡± the reason why luo ning didn¡¯t say anything was that the pacifying heaven cult was a rebel organization. after ye jingtang found out, he would have to choose between ¡®an official career¡¯ and ¡®following her¡¯. if he chose an official career, the two of them would have to part ways. and qiu tianhe¡¯s matter would be difficult to handle. second, the pacifying heaven cult master was a woman. to be honest, if she said all of this and ye jingtang found out that she was just a pure and innocent single big sister, there was a high chance that she wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand this little thief¡¯s various methods. ¡°don¡¯t ask. when qiu tianhe is out of danger, i will explain it to you.¡± ¡°can¡¯t you tell me in advance?¡± ye jingtang picked up his wine cup and sighed softly. ¡°i feel that i¡¯m immoral now. i¡¯m hooking up with a married woman and violating the word chivalry. i can¡¯t sleep at night¡­¡± so, you do know. luo ning sat up straight and said solemnly, ¡°in that case, you should rein in at the brink of the precipice and turn over a new leaf¡­¡± ye jingtang raised his hand slightly. ¡°but the matter has already happened. i reined in at the brink of the precipice and still made a mistake¡­ 1 want to cut the gordian knot quickly, but i¡¯m afraid that you will think i¡¯m a heartless person.¡± luo ning was so angry that she laughed. she picked up her wine cup and took a sip. she couldn¡¯t be bothered to respond to such shameless words. ye jingtang poured her another cup of wine. ¡°marriage is something that is uncertain. i don¡¯t have a wife or concubine yet, but as you know, i¡¯m handsome and talented, and there are many people who have their eye on me. the prince of jing opened the door for me. haven¡¯t you thought about the reason?¡± Chapter 45 - Chapter 45: Heroine Luo, Are You Afraid That I Will Misunderstand? chapter 45: heroine luo, are you afraid that i will misunderstand? translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios luo ning blinked, her thoughts clearly stirred by these words. she raised her wine cup and took a small sip. ¡°could it be that the princess has taken a fancy to you?¡± tin just a poor kid from the borders of liang province. my talent is not bad, and i¡¯m good-looking. it¡¯s not surprising that people have spotted me. but if i have someone i like, i can still politely decline with the words ¡®a wife who shared her husband¡¯s hard lot must never be cast aside¡¯. otherwise, what can i do if the empress¡¯s sister rakes a fancy to me?¡± for some reason, luo ning¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she heard this. she wanted ro say that ye jingtang was lying. but ye jingtangs appearance and talent were indeed beyond reproach. it was reasonable for the princess to take him into her harem, and he had no way to resist. if he became the princess¡¯s consort, he would have to serve her for the rest of his life and completely draw a line with other women¡­ but this little thief had kissed and touched her. what would she do in the future? although this idea was inappropriate, from a rational point of view, even if she didn¡¯t like this little thief, he had taken advantage of her, so he should give her a window of time to consider. how could he become the princess¡¯s consort after taking advantage of her¡­ luo ning drank several cups of wine in a row before saying coldly, ¡°how can a dignified man submit to a woman for wealth?¡± ¡°did those beheaded people at the entrance of the market want to be beheaded by the empress? did those concubines in the palace really want to marry the emperor?¡± luo ning was powerless to refute. after some thought, she took a deep breath. ¡°you¡­ you little thief, you have already offended me. i haven¡¯t thought of how to make you pay. before that, you¡¯d better be careful. hmm¡­ if the prince really has improper thoughts about you, you can say that you already have someone you like¡­¡± ¡°if the prince of jing asks, who should i say it is? i can¡¯t just randomly pick someone, can i? the princess is offering her favor to me. if i refuse, it will be equivalent to cutting off my career¡­¡± whoosh! luo ning slapped the table, her eyes slightly cold. ¡°you were the one who had lustful thoughts first. whether i let bygones be bygones or ask you to compensate me, it all depends on my intentions. before i think it through, you have to wait obediently. only when i forgive you can you cling to the princess. do you dare to say no?¡± the heroine was very fierce. ye jingtang poured her another cup of wine. ¡°i can wait, but heroine luo, you¡¯re already married. you¡¯re destined not to give me a chance to turn over a new leaf -¡± ¡°so what if i¡¯m married?¡± after luo ning drank a few cups of wine, her face flushed red. she looked angry and retorted with the help of the alcohol, ¡°can¡¯t i remarry after getting married? can¡¯t i be a widow? what if my husband has a special fetish and likes men? what if we¡¯re just husband and wife in name?¡± ¡°cough cough!¡± ye jingtang almost spat out a mouthful of wine. his eyes were full of shock. he looked around and made sure that there was no one around before leaning in front of heroine luo and saying in disbelief, ¡°likes men?¡± luo ning said righteously, ¡°yes, my husband likes men! and he¡¯s hungry. he can¡¯t walk away when he sees a beautiful man like you. do you know what will happen if my husband finds out you¡¯re pestering me?¡± ?? a certain part of ye jingtang s body tightened, and his scalp went numb. ¡°what do you mean?¡± seeing that she had frightened the lawless little thief, heroine luo was quire energetic. her snow lotus-like face raised slightly, and she made a threatening look. ¡°whatever you do to me, he¡¯ll do to you!¡± ¡°what?!¡± ¡°furthermore, his personality is domineering and overbearing. he will definitely be more ruthless than a little thief like you. he will press you down, tie you up, and bully you with all his might. you can¡¯t beat him, and no one will save you even if you scream your throat out. you can only be bullied day and night¡­¡± these words were quite outrageous. but what was even more outrageous was that ye jingtang felt that luo ning was telling the truth! ye jingtang had goosebumps all over his body. he moved away and raised his hand. ¡°alright, alright, stop talking.¡¯1 luo ning had been bullied all this time. when she saw that ye jingtang was finally scared, her aura naturally became stronger. because she had drunk a few cups of wine, she was more active than usual. in an ethereal and cold voice, she mocked, ¡°what¡¯s wrong? are you scared? where did the courage to bully me go? if you dare to be rude to me again in the future, i only need ro go back and say a word, and you will end up like this¡­¡± ye jingtang s scalp really went numb. he drank two cups of wine to calm himself down before asking, ¡°heroine luo, why did you marry such a pervert? were you forced?¡± luo ning blinked and restrained her expression as she became more serious. ¡°it¡¯s a long story. i¡¯ll tell you after we save qiu tianhe. before that, you can¡¯t cling to the princess¡­¡± tin afraid that won¡¯t do. your husband is so abnormal. what if i¡¯m caught? 1 don¡¯t think there¡¯s anywhere in the world safer than the prince of jing estate.¡± ?? luo ning realized that she had painted a too frightening scene, scaring the little thief so much that he was about to hug the princess¡¯s thigh. she explained, ¡°well¡­ you don¡¯t have ro worry too much. i¡¯m the one who takes care of things in the family. as long as i don¡¯t say anything about what you¡¯ve done to me, he won¡¯t do anything to you.¡± ye jingtang thought for a moment and dragged his stool over to sit in from of luo ning. ¡°your husband likes men, and the two of you don¡¯t have any feelings for each other. did you only become a fake couple to hide your husband¡¯s perverted fetish?¡± the man suddenly sat beside her. luo ning tensed up a little, but she still maintained her aura. ¡°more or less. but it¡¯s nor as unbearable as you think. he is doing something for me, so i¡¯m helping him cover up the differences between him and other men. were just working together.¡± ¡°then, heroine luo, you¡¯re actually unmarried and single, not a married woman?¡± luo ning felt that something was wrong. she seemed to have unknowingly told him everything. ¡°on the surface, i¡¯m indeed a married woman. if you dare to be rude to me again, you know the consequences.¡± ye jingtang deliberated for a moment. ¡°i think it¡¯s better for me to seek refuge with the prince of jing¡­¡± smack! luo ning was a little angry and slapped the table. ¡°as long as i guarantee your safety, no one can touch you. what are you afraid of? do you want to serve under rhe princess¡¯s skirt so badly? where did your courage go?¡± ye jingtang looked at luo ning¡¯s resentful eyes and finally understood what she meant. she was telling him not to cling to the prince of jing as her consort and not to be afraid of that pervert¡­ ye jingtang nodded slightly and didn¡¯t say anything else. he picked up his wine cup. ¡°let¡¯s drink. let¡¯s not talk about this anymore/¡¯ seeing this, luo ning stopped threatening the little thief with the pacifying heaven cult master. she raised her wine cup, clinked it with his, and downed it in one gulp. the two of them charted for a long time, and before they knew it, they had already drunk three rounds. luo ning had never touched alcohol in the past, but today, she could talk so much nonsense. she had obviously drunk too much. after drinking a few cups in a row, she felt light-headed. as she drank, she looked out of rhe corner of her eye. the handsome little thief was drinking alone. his expression was still cold and extraordinary, with a hint of elegance and gentleness hidden in it. but his eyes looked a little distracted, as if he was thinking about many things and was nor very happy. when luo ning saw this, her drunkenness dissipated a little, and she recalled their conversation. if she didn¡¯t know that the pacifying heaven cult master was a woman, it wouldn¡¯t sound right. she was a woman as beautiful as a heavenly fairy. because she wanted to achieve some goals, she pretended to be husband and wife with a perverted man, and she even said that she was relying on that pervert¡­ if the man who treated her as an innocent and pure fairy¡¯ knew about this, his good impression of her would plummet. no matter how much he liked her, he would lose all his good impression of her and even abandon her like a pair of worn-out shoes¡­ for some reason, luo ning¡¯s cold and beautiful face revealed a hint of nervousness. although she had no interest in this shameless little thief, in order to stop him from daydreaming, she had used these things to ruin her clean image and make him misunderstand and even despise her. it seemed that the gains did not make up for the losses¡­ luo ning stole a few glances at ye jingtang, thought for a moment, and said, ¡°don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t let your imagination run wild. he and i are just helping each other. there¡¯s nothing between us. i¡¯m not the kind of woman who doesn¡¯t care about her reputation for the sake of her goals¡­ the whole story is very complicated. i can¡¯t tell you for the time being, but it¡¯s definitely different from what you think. i¡¯ll explain these things to you after we save qiu tianhe. at that time, you¡¯ll feel that this is a very normal thing. it¡¯s just that you don¡¯t know the inside story, so it sounds strange¡­1¡® ye jingtang looked over and saw the fairy-like elder sister. her face was flushed red as she explained in a drunken voice. the corners of his mouth curled up.. ¡°heroine luo, are you afraid that i will misunderstand?¡± Chapter 46 - Chapter 46: Drunken Frenzy chapter 46: drunken frenzy translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°heroine luo, are you afraid that i will misunderstand?¡± as soon as he finished speaking, luo ning¡¯s eyes darkened. she looked unhappy. ye jingtang hurriedly raised his hands. ¡°alright, alright. how could i misunderstand you, heroine luo? i believe whatever you say. cheers.¡± only then did luo ning give up. she raised her fair hand and rubbed the space between her eyebrows. ¡°i can¡¯t handle any more alcohol, so i¡¯ll leave first. yunli is still waiting¡­¡± ¡°then, i¡¯ll drink for you? we¡¯re going to part for a long time, so we have to finish this meal.¡± ye jingtang naturally held luo ning¡¯s hand that was holding the cup and drank it in one gulp. then he finished his own wine. ¡°is this okay?¡± seeing that ye jingtang didn¡¯t force her to drink, luo ning bit her lower lip and didn¡¯t say anything. she just picked up the wine pot and poured wine for him. whoosh-! whoosh-! the cool wine fell into the cup and spilled some, but it was still full. ye jingtang wanted to take it himself, but heroine luo picked up the wine cup and moved it to his mouth. ¡°hurry up and eat. i will leave after we¡¯re done¡­¡± ye jingtang heard her slurred words and wanted to end it here and let her rest first. but the wine cup had almost reached his nose, so he could only open his mouth to catch it. gulp¡­ before he could finish the cup of wine, his shoulder felt a weight as a mass of soft fragrance leaned against him. clatter! the wine cup slipped from her fair fingertips and was caught by ye jingtang. he turned his head to look. heroine luo¡¯s face was flushed red, her entire body was leaning limply against his shoulder, and her hands hung down listlessly. her expression remained cold and serious, but her brows quickly relaxed, leaving only the softness of spring water in march. she even muttered faintly, ¡°little thief, if you dare to¡­ be frivolous again¡­¡± ¡°chirp?¡± the bird, who had been engrossed in eating at the table, raised its head, tilted it, and sized them up with its big black eyes. in the past, his foster father had often gotten drunk and slept on the floor. it was always ye jingtang who had dragged him to his bed to rest. seeing that this sister was also drunk, the bird naturally pointed at the bed with its wings, indicating: just throw her there, and let¡¯s continue eating. ye jingtang ignored the bird and looked at the face close to him. a faint fragrance wafted over. at first, he wanted to shake luo ning awake. but when he raised his hand, she, who wasn¡¯t learning against him very closely, fell backward. he could only hurriedly hold her shoulder and hug her in his arms. ¡°heroine luo?¡± ¡°zzz¡­¡± luo ning¡¯s willowy eyebrows twitched, but she didn¡¯t respond. ye jingtang blinked. there were distracting thoughts in his mind, but he still sighed in the end. the last time he kissed her impulsively, luo ning was so angry that she cried. she had been aggrieved on the bed and faced the wall for an entire day. thinking about it later, it was indeed a little too much. it didn¡¯t seem like a chivalrous action. ye jingtang hesitated for a moment but still didn¡¯t touch her. he only held her back and bent legs and carried her, who was as light as a swallow, to the bed. although he didn¡¯t take off her clothes, he had to take off her shoes since she was going to lie down and rest for a while. ye jingtang squatted down in front of the bed and held the embroidered shoes under the blue dress. there were a few bamboo leaves embroidered on the shoes, and the design was very beautiful. he took off her shoes, and the delicate feet wrapped in white cloth socks appeared in front of his eyes. the lines were extremely beautiful, and he could feel the creamy softness through the thin fabric. after taking off the embroidered shoes, ye jingtang placed luo ning¡¯s legs flat on the bed. then he went to the head of the bed and looked at her peaceful face. seeing the jade hairpin in her hair bun and thinking that it would make her a little uncomfortable, he raised his hand to take it off. but¡­ luo ning was an internal martial arts expert. she had drunk a little too much and was a little dizzy, so she had closed her eyes to rest for a while. after a moment, she realized that someone was touching her feet. the vigilance in her heart made her open her eyes. in the end, she found herself lying on the bed. and directly above her was that familiar man¡¯s face. he was leaning down and touching her face. ?! luo ning instantly sobered up. with a flick of her finger, she poked the man¡¯s chest as fast as lightning. boom! ye jingtang realized that luo ning had suddenly opened her eyes. just as he was about to speak, but before he could say anything, his chest went numb. he lost all feeling in his limbs and fell down. thump! everything went black. his face hit something. ¡°wuu¡­?!¡± luo ning¡¯s eyes were full of shame and anger. she didn¡¯t even notice their current posture and shouted angrily, ¡°ye jingtang! what did you do to me? are you trying to anger me to death?!¡± ¡°wuu wuu¡­¡± ye jingtang lay on his stomach, his entire body paralyzed. he couldn¡¯t even feel his limbs. the only thing he could move was his mouth, but his vision was blocked by something, and he couldn¡¯t hear anything clearly. as soon as ye jingtang opened his mouth, luo ning felt his hot breath. her entire body trembled violently. she pushed ye jingtang away and threw him aside. she rolled over and stood up. her drunk face turned into a red apple. she pulled out her soft sword and said with a trembling voice, ¡°you shameless little thief, what did you do to me just now?!¡± ye jingtang turned over and could finally see. but his limbs were still numb and couldn¡¯t feel anything. he said in surprise, ¡°what technique is this? acupoint tapping? hey¡­ i didn¡¯t do anything just now. believe me¡­¡± luo ning didn¡¯t believe it at all. ye jingtang had a criminal record. she had been drunk for an unknown period of time. she didn¡¯t even dare to think about what had happened between the two of them. she looked down and saw that her clothes were intact. it seemed that nothing had happened. but what if this little thief had put her clothes back on after he was done? luo ning was slightly drunk, her heart was in a mess, and she had lost her mind. she pointed her sword at ye jingtang. ¡°you¡¯ve done it again and again. do you really think i¡¯m a woman who is easy to bully? if i don¡¯t teach you a lesson today¡­¡± ¡°huh?! heroine, wait!¡± ye jingtang¡¯s expression changed drastically. seeing that luo ning had drunk too much and was pointing her sword at his lower body but couldn¡¯t exert too much strength, he forcefully opened up the sealed acupuncture point a little and moved his waist to dodge. ¡°i really didn¡¯t do anything. don¡¯t be impulsive. if you didn¡¯t hit me, i wouldn¡¯t have buried my head in your chest¡­¡± ¡°chirp chirp chirp-¡± the bird hurriedly flapped its wings and helped ye jingtang explain. luo ning glanced at the sky and the food that hadn¡¯t turned cold before confirming that she hadn¡¯t been drunk for long. it was true that ye jingtang had carried her to the bed, but did he really not kiss or touch her along the way? even if ye jingtang didn¡¯t do anything, she had been taken advantage of these past few days. she had to teach this little thief a lesson. seeing the fear in ye jingtang¡¯s eyes, how could luo ning stop? she pretended to be a fierce and crazy fairy and raised her sword to stab randomly, pretending to want to castrate ye jingtang. ¡°what do you not dare to do? don¡¯t you like to bully women? come on, i¡¯ll let you bully¡­¡± ¡°don¡¯t, don¡¯t, don¡¯t. don¡¯t stab my arm. don¡¯t make random moves¡­¡± ¡°no way! you little thief¡­¡± luo ning raised her sword and aimed it between ye jingtang¡¯s legs. the shocked ye jingtang turned into a noodle man. he twisted left and right to dodge. when his numb limbs fully recovered, he turned around, jumped up, and ran around the house. ¡°stop!¡± ¡°i really didn¡¯t do anything. why don¡¯t you believe me¡­¡± ¡°how do you expect me to believe you? tell me honestly. what did you do just now?!¡± luo ning chased after ye jingtang, her clothes trembling with her movements. the waves undulated, and the scenery was exquisite. but ye jingtang didn¡¯t have the time to appreciate it at this moment. after all, luo ning didn¡¯t care about martial ethics at all. she was aiming her sword at his lower body. even though he knew that luo ning was just scaring him, he didn¡¯t dare to bet on her not missing the happiness of his lower body. he could only use the table and chairs as cover and circle around the room. ¡°heroine luo, good sister, you¡¯re drunk¡­¡± ¡°i¡¯m not drunk. stop right there!¡± ¡°chirp¡­¡± Chapter 47 - Chapter 47: Isn’t This a Coincidence? chapter 47: isn¡¯t this a coincidence? translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after the azure dragon hall meeting ended and ye jingtang left, pei xiangjun brought her maidservant, xiuhe, to the resistance of her sister-in-law, zhang yulian, and recounted the situation. ¡°although jingtang is young, he does have the aura of a leader. now that the eight helm masters no longer look down on him, as long as he becomes famous in jianghu, the chaos in the red flower pavilion will be resolved¡­¡± pei xiangjun was wearing a light yellow dress and sitting on a carved soft couch. she was holding a needle and thread in her hand and embroidering ¡®birds playing in the water¡¯ while praising ye jingtang¡¯s performance in a soft voice. madam zhang was sitting opposite her. when she heard this, her expression calmed down a little, but there was not much joy. instead, there was a faint worry. ¡°no matter how good jingtang is, he is only second brother-in-law¡¯s foster son. he¡¯s not related to the pei family by blood, nor has he ever received any favors from the pei family. it¡¯s out of friendship that he¡¯s helping the pei family. it¡¯s also his freedom not to help the pei family, and the pei family won¡¯t be able to say anything.¡± ¡°sister-in-law, don¡¯t worry. i know jingtang¡¯s character.¡± madam zhang had been a sect master¡¯s wife for many years after all. she had more experience than pei xiangjun. she sighed softly and said, ¡°third lady, there are some things that i still have to say. people¡¯s hearts will change. with jingtang¡¯s performance today, you definitely won¡¯t be able to control him when his wings harden in the future. you can¡¯t just rely on the word ¡®believe¡¯ for such a large family business. you have to think of a way to keep people¡¯s hearts.¡± ¡°jingtang is very chivalrous. the advantage is that he doesn¡¯t care about fame and fortune, but the disadvantage is the same. if he wants to help the pei family, he¡¯ll do his best even if i don¡¯t say anything. if he doesn¡¯t want to help, what can 1 do to keep him?¡± helplessness flashed across madam zhang¡¯s eyes. seeing that there were no outsiders, she leaned closer. ¡°what men like is nothing more than power, money, fame, and sex. jingtang isn¡¯t greedy for money and power, and he doesn¡¯t need the pei family to give him fame. we can only start from the last one¡­¡± pei xiangjun paused in her embroidery and looked up. ¡°sister-in-law, do you mean to use a honey trap? jingtang looks better than ninety-nine percent of women. i don¡¯t think there are many women in the world who can tie him down.¡± madam zhang glanced at pei xiangjun¡¯s figure. ¡°ordinary women naturally can¡¯t tie him down, but how can you be an ordinary woman? as the female leader of the red flower pavilion, you¡¯re beautiful and charming. there¡¯s a saying in jianghu that ¡®friendship is no match for four taels on a woman¡¯s chest¡¯. you must weigh a kilogram, right? can¡¯t you tie down a young man?¡± ?! pei xiangjun¡¯s eyes were astonished. she retracted her bulging dress slightly and looked a little embarrassed. ¡°sister-in-law! what nonsense are you saying? you and 1 are of the same generation. jingtang calls me martial aunt!¡± ¡°martial aunt?¡± madam zhang said earnestly, ¡°you¡¯re a disciple of the pei family, and jingtang is a foster son of the pei family. the two of you have nothing to do with each other. who would say that there is a problem with becoming husband and wife? jingtang is a talented man, and his looks are extraordinary. if you don¡¯t fight for a favorable position and give such a good man to an outsider for no reason, won¡¯t you think you¡¯re losing out? if 1 had a daughter, i would betroth her to jingtang now¡­¡± ¡°sister-in-law, don¡¯t try playing matchmaker. it will be embarrassing if you make a fool of us.¡± ¡°i¡¯m not joking. if you can¡¯t let go, try to find someone from the red flower pavilion. there are countless disciples in the red flower pavilion and many beautiful women. no matter what, you have to choose one and send her to jingtang to warm his bed. if we don¡¯t become a family, how can you guarantee that jingtang will have his heart set on the red flower pavilion?¡± xiuhe, who was brewing tea and eavesdropping at the side, puffed out her chest slightly. she even ¡®accidentally¡¯ touched the teacup and made a sound, almost coughing twice. pei xiangjun ignored the lovestruck xiuhe, but she knew that what her sister-in-law said made sense. after hesitating for a moment, she sighed. ¡°i¡¯ll go sound out jingtang first and see if he¡¯s interested in starting a family.¡± madam zhang felt that pei xiangjun was just too shy and thin-skinned to drive a young car. ¡°if an eighteen or nineteen-year-old boy doesn¡¯t want girls, he must be seriously ill. this kind of young man is not like an old fox who is used to romance. it¡¯s best to get to him first. as long as you ¡®please¡¯ him a little, he will treat you as his little sweetheart and listen to you¡­¡± ¡°hey-!¡± pei xiangjun waved her sleeve lightly and interrupted her sister-in-law¡¯s shameless words. seeing that it was still early, she got up and bade farewell. ¡°i¡¯ll go over and ask. sister-in-law, don¡¯t play matchmaker.¡± madam zhang shook her head and continued embroidering. ¡°you just can¡¯t bring yourself to chase after a man. when you regret it one day, don¡¯t blame me for not giving you any ideas.¡± ¡°i know. sigh, really¡­¡± clomp clomp! not long after, a luxurious carriage with a wooden sign with the word ¡®pei¡¯ drove past the old dye workshop street. the curtain of the carriage was raised, and xiuhe poked out her pretty face and looked around the street. ¡°why does young master ye live in such a shabby place? i¡¯ve been in the capital for many years, but i¡¯ve never been here.¡± ¡°jingtang is frugal. he didn¡¯t have any money when he first entered the capital, so he stayed here.¡± pei xiangjun, who had even dressed up a little, was sitting in the carriage. she was wearing a gorgeous light yellow spring dress with a shawl over her shoulders. there was light red rouge on her cheeks, making her look intellectual and beautiful. she looked like the eldest daughter of an affluent family. although pei xiangjun had no intention of eating young grass, just as her sister-in-law had said, she had nothing to do with jingtang. the man was unmarried, and the woman was unmarried. jingtang¡¯s looks and character were flawless. although she had no intention of doing so, she didn¡¯t plan to resist deliberately. it was best to let nature take its course. this trip was to sound out jingtang, but for some reason, pei xiangjun had a strange feeling of ¡®self-suggesting to sleep with him¡¯. just as pei xiangjun was thinking about what to say later, her ears twitched slightly. suddenly, she heard a strange movement in the deep alley. swish, swish! the sound of a sword stabbing forward was accompanied by the words of a man and a woman. ¡°heroine, wait! don¡¯t, don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°continue running. let¡¯s see how long you can run!¡± ?! pei xiangjun¡¯s eyes narrowed, and she instantly came back to her senses. she hadn¡¯t interacted much with jingtang, but she understood his personality. the last time she came to his door in disguise, he had no chance of winning at all, but he was still calm in the face of danger. to be able to make him panic to this extent, what kind of powerful enemy had he encountered? swoosh! in a flash, the curtain of the carriage moved slightly, and pei xiangjun, who was sitting inside, had already disappeared. in just two jumps, she rushed over the deserted houses and landed in a completely new courtyard compared to the last time she saw it. thud! when her feet landed steadily, pei xiangjun saw two people standing in the main room! jingtang was standing on the right side of the table with a flustered expression, still maintaining the posture of raising his hands to stop the woman and looking at her in shock! opposite the table was a young woman with a willow-like waist, peach blossom eyes, willow-leaf eyebrows, and a face like an iceberg. her appearance was perfect to the point of being impeccable, and she even carried an otherworldly immortal aura. even she, who was a peerless beauty, was stunned when she saw her. but this woman clearly didn¡¯t have good intentions! the anger in the woman¡¯s eyes had yet to subside. she raised the three-foot-long sharp blade in her right hand and pointed it at ye jingtang. there were many sword marks on the floor and wall. pei xiangjun¡¯s expression turned slightly cold. she immediately wanted to rush in and suppress this bold female thief! but just as she moved, she saw the sumptuous meal on the table and the bird squatting on the table, watching the show¡­ there were two bowls and two pairs of chopsticks on the table, as well as half-drank wine¡­ upon closer inspection, pei xiangjun saw that the sword-wielding woman¡¯s face was red. she wasn¡¯t even wearing shoes¡­ no matter how she looked at it, it looked like they were flirting! ?? pei xiangjun froze on the spot.. the calmness of having a high position prevented her from losing color, but some red still tinged her face as she asked, ¡°jingtang! you¡­ who is this?¡± Chapter 48 - Chapter 48: See You Again in Jianghu chapter 48: see you again in jianghu translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios tread, tread! suddenly hearing a commotion outside, heroine luo, who was chasing after the little thief in a drunken state, and ye jingtang, who was circling the table, had their expressions change slightly. luo ning instantly sobered up. she wanted to rush to the bed and pretend to be a little wife. but the people who came this time were much more powerful than the previous constables. almost the moment the two of them heard the commotion, a figure descended from the sky and landed in front of the main room. luo ning¡¯s heart sank. she thought that it was a powerful enemy and was ready to go out and fight to silence her. but then she heard the other party¡¯s words. ¡°jingtang! you¡­ who is this?¡± it was worse than a powerful enemy! how could she explain this? ye jingtang had been playing the ¡®shameless little thief and heroine¡¯ game with luo ning when third lady caught him red-handed. he was also a little stunned. fortunately, he was mentally strong. afraid that the two of them would misunderstand and fight, he hurriedly said, ¡°third lady, why are you here? this is my friend, miss ning¡¯er, whom 1 met on the way to the capital. she specially came to the capital to visit me two days ago and hasn¡¯t greeted you¡­¡± ninger¡­ visit¡­ pei xiangjun blinked and looked at the young woman who looked like a fairy. she understood what he meant. she was jingtang¡¯s former lover. for some reason, she felt that someone had stolen her good cabbage, and she was inexplicably embarrassed. ¡°oh, is that so? it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you¡­¡± after ye jingtang finished speaking, he looked at the helpless heroine luo. ¡°ning¡¯er, this is pei xiangjun, the big boss of heavenly water bridge. i work under her. you can call her third lady.¡± luo ning had drunk some wine and was ¡®caught in the act¡¯ on the spot. her thoughts were in a mess, and she didn¡¯t even think carefully about this person¡¯s extraordinary lightness skills. hearing ye jingtang¡¯s introduction, luo ning quickly put away her sword. her face was red as she lowered her head and greeted, ¡°third lady.¡± then she put on her shoes and was about to leave. she looked like she wanted to escape. pei xiangjun had come here to ask ye jingtang if he had any intention of starting a family. but now that she saw his ¡®good friend¡¯, her thoughts naturally dissipated. it was impossible for her to treat the people around ye jingtang coldly. she accidentally ruined the scene of a man and woman flirting and felt rather embarrassed. seeing that the young woman was about to cover her face and flee, she hurriedly went forward to block the door. ¡°i¡¯m sorry. it¡¯s my fault. miss ning¡¯er, don¡¯t mind me. we¡¯re family.¡± luo ning was directly blocked. she wished she could stab ye jingtang with her sword, but she couldn¡¯t say anything. she could only say with a flushed face, ¡°hmm¡­ how is that possible? 1 was just¡­ drinking with jingtang and drank too much, so¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s fine. you¡¯re at home. i usually drink too much, and i¡¯m even crazier than jingtang.¡± pei xiangjun was quite amiable. like a big sister, she held luo ning¡¯s wrist and found¡­ ha- this woman¡¯s chest is not small. it¡¯s almost comparable to mine. no wonder she can take jingtang away¡­ luo ning wasn¡¯t in the mood to pay attention to these things, but she also felt that the figure of this charming female boss was really excessive and completely unreasonable. she was held by the arm and returned to the table to sit down. she was restless and looked at ye jingtang, wanting him to help her out. ye jingtang couldn¡¯t bear to part with heroine luo, but third lady was the leader of the red flower pavilion, while heroine luo¡¯s identity was unknown. if the two of them chatted for a while, something would definitely go wrong. he smiled and said, ¡°third lady, she has something to do and is about to leave the capital. she was just getting ready to go¡­¡± ¡°is that so?¡± pei xiangjun blinked. seeing that ye jingtang didn¡¯t seem to be lying, she said warmly, ¡°coincidentally, my carriage is outside. why don¡¯t we get jingtang to send you off?¡± luo ning tried her best to smile shyly. ¡°there¡¯s no need. my family has arranged a carriage. i¡­ i have to go. it will be difficult to explain if i stay here for too long. third lady, please don¡¯t blame me. i will visit you with jingtang in the future.¡± after luo ning finished speaking, she stood up and bowed with the demeanor of a young lady from a wealthy family before running out. ye jingtang knew that after this farewell, the next time they met would be next month. he was a little reluctant to part with her, so he got up and went to the door. ¡°uhh¡­¡± being stopped, luo ning could only try her best to suppress her emotions and look back. ¡°is there anything else?¡± ye jingtang opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but he couldn¡¯t find a topic. pei xiangjun misunderstood and thought that she was in the way. she turned around and teased, ¡°you can hug if you want. i won¡¯t peek.¡± ?! seeing that ye jingtang didn¡¯t speak for a long time, luo ning thought that this little thief wanted to take advantage of her again before leaving! luo ning was half drunk and in an embarrassing situation. in order to escape as soon as possible, she gritted her teeth, opened her arms, and gave ye jingtang a ¡®little watermelon collision¡¯. ye jingtang actually didn¡¯t have this intention, but now he did. he quickly raised his arms and hugged the beautiful woman with a willow-like waist. he even carried her and walked around to the door. whoosh! the blue skirt fluttered. this action made the already embarrassed luo ning frown, but she didn¡¯t say anything. after being put down, she turned around and ran away. she really looked like a shy little heroine who had fallen in love and couldn¡¯t bear to part with her lover. tread, tread¡­ hearing the movement, pei xiangjun shook her head secretly. seeing ye jingtang standing at the door and watching her leave, she frowned and said, ¡°aren¡¯t you going to send her off? why are you standing there like a fool?¡± ¡°oh, right.¡± seeing that third lady didn¡¯t mind, ye jingtang hurriedly ran out. tread, tread, tread¡­ in the deserted alley, a beautiful figure in blue clothes trotted quickly. when she reached a place where no one was paying attention, she jumped onto a house and ran. ¡°heroine luo! she hadn¡¯t run far when she heard a shout from behind. she turned around and saw that the little thief, who had just taken advantage of her, was chasing after her again! luo ning¡¯s eyes were full of anger as she ran even faster. but with the lightness skills that ye jingtang had just learned, she really couldn¡¯t throw him off. one of them chased after the other. in the blink of an eye, they were a kilometer away and were about to enter a bustling street. afraid of being noticed, luo ning could only slow down and land in an alley. she pulled out her sword and turned around coldly. ye jingtang landed in the alley. seeing luo ning rushing over with a murderous aura, he hurriedly raised his hands. ¡°forget it. heroine luo, if you¡¯re really angry, just stab me. just don¡¯t stab my lower body.¡± luo ning strode forward and raised her sword, preparing to stab him. but ye jingtang didn¡¯t dodge, so how could she really attack? she said coldly, ¡°why are you so thick-skinned? your boss is here, yet you still wanted me to¡­¡± ye jingtang¡¯s expression was serious and earnest. ¡°heroine luo, don¡¯t misunderstand. 1 just wanted to say goodbye. you didn¡¯t even give me a chance to explain and just hugged me¡­¡± ?! luo ning saw that ye jingtang was playing the blame game again, so her chest puffed up. she raised her sword and was really about to attack. ye jingtang hurriedly said, ¡°alright, alright. i¡¯m thick-skinned. i won¡¯t do it again.¡± luo ning glared at ye jingtang. she wanted to scold him, but other than ¡®shameless¡¯, she couldn¡¯t find any suitable word. she put away her sword and said coldly, ¡°i¡¯ll let you off today. i¡¯ll settle the score with you later. go back and explain properly. don¡¯t let your boss suspect my identity. i¡¯m leaving.¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry about that. are you sure there¡¯s no risk on this trip?¡± luo ning¡¯s eyes revealed the arrogance of a cult mistress. ¡°in the entire jianghu, you are the only one who dares to be rude to me! do you really think that i, luo ning, am an ordinary person who can be bullied by anyone outside?¡± ¡°i¡¯m just worried.¡± ¡°i¡¯m just going to send a gift. what¡¯s there to worry about?¡± luo ning had no intention of being touched. after harrumphing, she turned around and was about to leave, but she thought for a moment and said, ¡°also, you¡¯d better think twice about the matter of the princess. i¡¯ve told you everything i need to say. when i return to the capital, if 1 find out that you¡¯ve become a consort¡­¡± ye jingtang found it funny. ¡°if the princess really likes me, i¡¯ll say that 1 have someone i like and can¡¯t abandon her no matter what. heroine luo, if you don¡¯t let me compensate you, i¡¯ll explain that you ran away with another man and win the princess¡¯s sympathy¡­¡± ?! luo ning couldn¡¯t stand this little thief anymore and said coldly, ¡°can¡¯t you stay away from the princess?¡± ¡°then, how can i save qiu tianhe?¡± ii ii luo ning had nothing to say. she rubbed her forehead and turned to leave. ye jingtang didn¡¯t ask her to stay any longer. he stood in the alley and watched her leave. when her back was about to disappear from the alley, he said, ¡°heroine luo, see you again in jianghu. help me say goodbye to yunli. by the way, will yunli come again next time?¡± ¡°what do you mean?¡± ¡°with yunli around, you¡¯ll be more at ease. otherwise, you¡¯ll definitely be worlds apart from me.¡± ¡°the next time we meet, i¡¯ll certainly teach you a lesson¡­¡± before she finished speaking, her figure had already disappeared from the alley. ye jingtang sighed softly and felt empty in his heart. after staring for a long time, he shook his head and returned alone. tap, tap, tap¡­ the footsteps gradually faded away. at the corner at the end of the alley, the woman in blue leaned against the wall. she tilted her head and listened to the distant footsteps, then looked at the clouds in the sky. there were hundreds and thousands of emotions hidden in her eyes. the alcohol that had yet to dissipate made her face blush like a peach blossom in february. this annoying fellow¡­ luo ning raised her hand and rubbed the space between her eyebrows. when the footsteps completely disappeared, she tried her best to suppress her thoughts and put on her usual cold and charming fairy-like appearance. but not long after, she couldn¡¯t help kicking away a small stone by her feet with her embroidered shoe. it seemed that the small stone was the little thief who made her uneasy. she kept walking and stopping like this. after an unknown period of time, she arrived at a side street near the east gate of the capital. there was a carriage parked on the street, and four figures were waiting outside the carriage. the leader was an old man holding a fortune-telling banner. he had one hand behind his back, and his eyes were half-closed. fie had been looking at the majestic imperial city at the end of his line of sight. he had grown up outside the imperial city when he was young and was probably recalling the past. zhe yunli was wearing a bamboo hat and a saber at her waist. she was sitting at the edge of the carriage in a daze. her two calves were swaying in the air, and she was holding a small toy she had just bought on the street. although it was also a bird, it didn¡¯t look like that bird no matter how she looked at it, so she was unhappy. beside zhe yunli were two women dressed like ordinary women. they were helm masters of the pacifying heaven cult and the servant girls of the cult mistress. when luo ning approached with a veiled hat, the two women bowed respectfully. ¡°madam.¡± zhe yunli jumped down from the carriage and asked, ¡°martial mistress, what did brother jingtang say?¡± ¡°everything has been arranged. let¡¯s go. he asked me to say goodbye to you and tell you not to be naughty.¡± the voice was still ethereal and clear, like that of a fairy from the heavenly palace who had never been tainted by dust. zhe yunli sighed listlessly. she held her master¡¯s wife¡¯s hand and looked back. in the end, luo ning immediately turned her face back. ¡°what are you looking at? can¡¯t bear to part with your brother jingtang? ¡°martial mistress, what are you saying- grandpa zhang is still here¡­ i¡¯m afraid that something will happen to hero qiu.¡± luo ning felt that she had drunk too much today. her words and actions were a little ridiculous. its all that annoying fellow¡¯s fault¡­ luo ning tried her best to suppress her chaotic emotions. she pulled zhe yunli, who looked back once every three steps, into the carriage. before she boarded the carriage, she also couldn¡¯t help turning back to take a look. the breeze lifted the veil of the hat, revealing her stunning peach blossom eyes. the meaning in her eyes was difficult to understand. ¡°go.¡± clomp, clomp¡­ the carriage wheels rolled away from the side street and headed for the city gate. ¡®south mountain iron trigram¡¯ zhang henggu walked slowly outside the carriage with his fortune-telling banner. he looked back at the majestic imperial city and sighed softly. ¡°the fate of great wei seems to be like the sun in the sky.¡± zhe yunli leaned against the window and looked at the gradually disappearing street. she asked curiously, ¡°grandpa zhang, how can you tell? fortune telling?¡± ¡°the will of the people. now, yun¡¯an is much more flourishing than when i was a little daoist boy in the capital. i¡¯ve been thinking about great yan for sixty years and have been planning for the restoration of the country for half my life. but when i¡¯m old, 1 am in the capital of the wei dynasty and see the magnificent prosperity that yun¡¯an should have. alas¡­¡± zhe yunli knew that these words were a blow to the confidence of the rebels, so she said confidently, ¡°the capital of great wei is peaceful, but the outside world is still a mess. if master becomes the emperor, he will definitely be better than the female emperor in the palace¡­¡± ¡°hehe.¡± luo ning, who was in the carriage, didn¡¯t say anything, but she felt emotional in her heart. even a proud son of heaven like ye jingtang was devoted to the imperial court.. how could the fate of great wei not be like the sun in the sky¡­ Chapter 49 - Chapter 49: Third Lady’s Foundation chapter 49: third lady¡¯s foundation translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios double osmanthus alley was silent. a luxurious carriage was parked at the entrance of the alley, and the coachman was napping outside the carriage. in the courtyard, xiuhe wandered around the kitchen, diligently washing the dishes and tidying up the kitchen utensils. in between, she asked sneakily, ¡°pavilion lord, what should we do now?¡± pei xiangjun was sitting gracefully at the table in the main room and stroking the bird¡¯s feathers. she kept looking at the double bed not far away thoughtfully. ¡°what do you mean?¡± ¡°it¡¯s about what madam said. mm¡­ arrange a beauty to serve young master ye¡­¡± ¡°didn¡¯t you see that jingtang already has someone in mind?¡± ¡°young master ye has such a good personality. he definitely can¡¯t bear to let his lover wash clothes, cook, and do rough work. 1 think we can arrange for a beautiful maid to serve tea and feed the bird¡­¡± ¡°chirp!¡± the bird very much agreed with this proposal and nodded vigorously. pei xiangjun rubbed the bird. ¡°do you want to take on this heavy responsibility?¡± ¡°uh¡­¡± xiuhe blinked and felt that she might be expelled from the red flower pavilion if she touched the dish that the pavilion lord hadn¡¯t touched. she shook her head and said, ¡°i¡¯m just giving an idea. pavilion lord, you are older than young master ye, and i¡¯m also older than him. i¡¯m going to marry with you in the future and serve my future master.¡± pei xiangjun harrumphed lightly and looked at the bed. ¡°look at jingtang¡¯s personality. does he look like a man who can¡¯t walk after seeing a beauty?¡± ¡°that¡¯s hard to say. pavilion lord, your appearance is one in a million. don¡¯t you see young master ye¡¯s heart race when he sees you¡­¡± as they chatted, sounds came from the alley. pei xiangjun gestured for xiuhe to be quiet. then, like a normal female elder, she sat up straight elegantly. squeak! the courtyard door opened, and ye jingtang walked in. he was slightly distracted and smiled when he entered. ¡°third lady, sorry to have kept you waiting. xiuhe, don¡¯t be busy. 1 will clean up later.¡± ¡°young master, you¡¯re welcome- it¡¯s my duty.¡± pei xiangjun waited for ye jingtang to sit down in the room before asking gently, ¡°jingtang, who was that girl just now?¡± ye jingtang noticed that third lady¡¯s demeanor was very dignified and graceful. it was very different from her usual coquettish manner. he roughly knew the reason and didn¡¯t find it strange. he replied, ¡°a heroine i got to know in the past. hmm¡­ hehe¡­¡± pei xiangjun thought that ye jingtang was too embarrassed to answer, so she didn¡¯t ask further. she stood up and said, ¡°1 had nothing to do, so i wanted to come over and teach you spearmanship. we have to go to west king town at the end of the month. afterward, we have to go to the water cloud sword pool to attend old master zhou¡¯s birthday banquet. we will have to take a boat back and forth for more than half a month. you can spend the time on the boat to ponder over spearmanship.¡± ¡°okay.¡± ye jingtang immediately got up and went to the courtyard, wanting to pull out two bamboo poles from the vegetable trellis. but pei xiangjun had already made arrangements before she came over. she asked xiuhe to continue cleaning up the house and brought ye jingtang out to a workshop near dye workshop street. the workshop used to make rattan mats. like most of the industries on the street, it had been abandoned a few years ago. the green bamboo trees planted by the courtyard wall as decoration had taken root and broken the soil. they had grown into a small bamboo forest in the courtyard, and a thick layer of dead leaves covered the ground. pei xiangjun scanned the bamboo forest. she pulled out the saber from ye jingtang¡¯s waist and cut two bamboo poles of suitable size. after shaving off the branches, she threw one to ye jingtang and stood upright. ¡°jingtang, from now on, i¡¯m your master.¡± ye jingtang had just caught the bamboo pole when he heard this. he looked up. ¡°master?¡± pei xiangjun raised her head, puffed out her chest, and pointed the bamboo pole in her hand at the ground. ¡°i¡¯m a disciple of the pei family, and you¡¯re a foster son with a different surname. we have nothing to do with each other. you¡¯re going to learn spearmanship from me. how can 1 teach you if you don¡¯t acknowledge me as your master?¡± ye jingtang¡¯s eyes were full of helplessness. ¡°a master for a day, a mother for life. this is definitely not a joke. third lady, why don¡¯t you teach me a few basic moves first? i¡¯ll learn and try them first. we will talk about these things later?¡± pei xiangjun didn¡¯t want to accept ye jingtang as a disciple either. but today, she had seen his confidante and had cut off the possibility of ¡®marriage¡¯ between them. if she wanted to keep his heart, she could only be a good master¡­ or a foster mother¡­ ptui~ pei xiangjun thought of something and felt strange. she deliberated for a moment and changed her words. ¡°alright, let¡¯s talk about this later. regardless of whether you acknowledge me as your master or not, as long as you learn spearmanship from me, 1 will treat you as my disciple. i¡¯ll be strict when i should be strict, and i will punish you when i should punish you. don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ye jingtang held the bamboo pole and cupped his hands. ¡°i¡¯m not good at learning. third lady, it¡¯s a blessing that you can teach me.¡± hearing this, pei xiangjun didn¡¯t say anything else. she wanted to start the demonstration with the collapsing spear style, but she was wearing a dress, so it was inconvenient for her to move too much. she first stabbed the bamboo pole into the ground, took off her shawl, and pulled open her sash¡­ swish swish¡­ she took off her sash and clothes. ?! ye jingtang stood up straighter. he wanted to look away, but he felt that it wasn¡¯t too serious, so he didn¡¯t. fortunately, third lady had no intention of testing him naked. under her dress, she was wearing a thin and short suit made of water cloud brocade. the clothes were very tight and wouldn¡¯t affect her skills, but they also couldn¡¯t hide her heroic figure like a loose dress. her chest was naturally tall when her clothes were tightened. and her bulging body looked very constricted. her waist was just right, and along the waistline, there was a tight hip line and legs. her entire body looked like a gourd. to be honest, this appearance was not very suitable for using a spear, but it was definitely eye-catching. out of respect for his teacher, ye jingtang insisted on not changing his expression or shifting his gaze. he looked straight ahead and only looked at the bamboo pole in third lady¡¯s hand. whoosh! pei xiangjun slid her feet away and raised her spear. instantly, there was an explosive sound, and her aura completely changed. ye jingtang took three steps back. there were no distracting thoughts in his mind, only concentration. whoosh! whoosh! whoosh! holding the green bamboo pole in her hand, pei xiangjun rotated it around her body in line with her footsteps. her movements were like flowing water. then she turned and jumped up. she raised the bamboo pole high and smashed it toward the ground. a normal spear strike would at most be raised above the head and not let go of the middle of the shaft. but pei xiangjun¡¯s spear smash was completely different from the martial arts in the market. the spear almost went around to the back of her head. she held the spear with both hands and smashed it down, her posture like she was splitting a mountain. ¡°haa¡ª¡± a delicate shout! the light bamboo pole in pei xiangjun¡¯s hand was like a steel whip that had been accumulated to the limit. bam! when the spear hit the soft fallen leaves, the withered leaves that were more than an inch thick on the ground were instantly shaken away and scattered in all directions, directly making an empty space with a radius of more than ten feet on the ground. the light bamboo pole landed on the ground. the sound was extremely dull, as if a massive object had fallen to the ground. it wasn¡¯t loud, but ye jingtang felt his feet tremble. bustie, rustle, rustle! after the strike, many bamboo leaves fell from the nearby bamboo forest. ye jingtang nodded slightly, his eyes solemn. ¡°good spearmanship.¡± after attacking, pei xiangjun retracted the green bamboo pole smoothly and stood up. with one hand behind her back, she looked like a jianghu expert. ¡°the word ¡®red flower¡¯ in the red flower pavilion refers to the red tassel at the head of the spear. this move is the ¡®yellow dragon crouching¡¯ in the pei family¡¯s overlord spear technique. it¡¯s similar to the spear cleaving technique, but the technique is completely different. try practicing it first.¡± ye jingtang held the bamboo pole and was about to take a stance when he thought of something. ¡°third lady, i learn fast. later¡­¡± ¡°learn it first.¡± pei xiangjun was a little displeased when she saw ye jingtang bragging before he even started. ¡°it¡¯s not that easy to reach basic mastery in the spear technique that once ranked seventh in the world.¡± ye jingtang¡¯s eyesight was not bad. this spear technique was powerful, but just like his saber technique, it was an external martial art that emphasized heavy moves and had a high requirement on one¡¯s physical fitness. but in terms of difficulty, it was really inferior to qiu tianhe¡¯s metaphysical saber technique. ¡°third lady, let me make a prediction. later, you¡¯ll definitely say, ¡®how do you know the overlord spear?¡¯ then 1¡¯11 say that you just taught¡ª¡± ¡°hurry up and practice!¡± pei xiangjun frowned.. like a serious teacher, she stood with her hands behind her back and stared at ye jingtang fiercely, signaling him to be more serious¡­ Chapter 50 - Chapter 50: Relying on Someone chapter 50: relying on someone translator: atlas studios editor: attas studios the setting sun hid in the west, and the red glow drew the shadows of two people in the abandoned courtyard. one of them was straight, while the other was curvy. ye jingtang held the bamboo pole in his hand and stood in the courtyard. he first shook his spear. whoosh! the crisp sound of a whip rang out. ye jingtang had learned sabers, spears, and staves since he was young. he was very experienced in this kind of showy move. moreover, as a man, his limbs were long and slender, so he looked very handsome. pei xiangjun nodded slightly. ¡°that¡¯s right. however, these fancy moves can only deceive the heroines of jianghu and are useless in actual combat.¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t respond. he focused all his attention and imitated pei xiangjun¡¯s actions. he spun the bamboo pole and walked forward slowly. then he swiped his spear and seriously analyzed the hidden profundities in the move. seeing that ye jingtang could remember the movements after one display, pei xiangjun¡¯s eyes were full of praise. she assumed the posture of an expert and circled around him to explain. ¡°you can imitate it just by looking at it once. your memory is really good. regarding the so-called martial arts, the martial is the moves, and the arts is the internal energy¡­ energy¡­¡± when ye jingtang heard that there was no more sound, he shook his head secretly and continued to focus on studying the hidden qi circulation methods of the move. although his speed was slow, every step of progress was instantaneous. after he practiced back and forth three times, a breeze appeared in the empty space, bringing with it fallen leaves. whoosh- whoosh- after he went back and forth five times, a strong wind blew in the bamboo forest. whoosh! whoosh! whoosh! fallen leaves were flying like a tornado. (o_o) oh my god¡­ what is this¡­ pei xiangjun stood rooted to the ground. her red lips were slightly parted, and her almond-shaped eyes were wide open. ye jingtang was used to this. he held the green bamboo pole and spun it around his body. his speed became faster and faster. when he felt that it was about time, he suddenly turned around and smashed the spear down with both hands. bam! the ground suddenly shook, and the withered leaves dancing in the wind immediately scattered like a torrential rain, shooting toward the surroundings of the abandoned courtyard. swish! swish! swish! the two bamboo trees closest to him split open with a crisp sound! pei xiangjun was standing 30 feet away. the impact of the spear caused her feet to go numb. one could imagine how strong the internal energy in this spear strike was. swoosh, swoosh, swoosh¡­ dead leaves fell from the sky like heavy snow. ye jingtang retracted the green bamboo pole and looked it up. he saw that the ¡®spear¡¯ in his hand had been shattered by him and turned into a bamboo brush. he felt slightly ashamed. ¡°i seem to have used too much strength. i¡¯ll do it again.¡± weapons emphasized technique and not brute force. otherwise, no matter how good the spear was, it wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the full strength of the eight chiefs. it was indeed wrong to shatter the bamboo pole. but pei xiangjun had no intention of blaming or correcting him. the shock and astonishment in pei xiangjun¡¯s eyes were even greater than luo ning¡¯s and qiu tianhe¡¯s. she blurted out, ¡°how do you¡­¡± halfway through her sentence, pei xiangjun recalled ye jingtang¡¯s prediction and forcefully held it in. she tried her best to maintain the bearing of an expert and asked, ¡°you¡¯ve reached basic mastery in one go? or did second brother teach you in the past?¡± ye jingtang took the bamboo pole from pei xiangjun and continued to practice in the courtyard. ¡°i have a solid foundation, and reaching basic mastery for me is indeed faster than ordinary people. however, it¡¯s only basic mastery. i¡¯ve only figured out two and a half moves of the saber technique taught by foster father. i still feel a little stupid.¡± pei xiangjun blinked her almond-shaped eyes. she didn¡¯t know how to evaluate him. after all, she had seen many people with ¡®talent¡¯ that reached as high as the ceiling, but this was the first time she had seen someone so high that it reached the heavenly palace. no wonder there¡¯s such a beautiful heroine throwing herself at him¡­ if it were me¡­ bah! as the leader of the red flower pavilion, pei xiangjun had strong mental fortitude, which she had cultivated by pretending to be calm all year round. she forced herself to suppress the urge to be dumbfounded, but she didn¡¯t know what to say. ye jingtang carried the green bamboo pole. after practicing for a while, he realized that third lady was silent and didn¡¯t comment. he stopped and asked in doubt, ¡°third lady?¡± ¡°hmm?¡± ¡°what do you think?¡± pei xiangjun was afraid of losing the bearing of a teacher, so she nodded unhurriedly. ¡°well¡­ your talent isn¡¯t bad, but you only know how to move routinely and can¡¯t control your strength accurately. you can¡¯t use the spear in actual combat yet. practice well. we¡¯re going to the juyi building and the water cloud sword pool next month. it might come in handy.¡± although her words were calm, pei xiangjun was very excited in her heart. she wished she could pick ye jingtang up and spin him around a few times. they were about to go to the zhou family of the water cloud sword pool. her original intention was to lower her attitude and negotiate. but ye jingtang¡¯s talent was so exaggerated that he could directly ¡®go out of seclusion¡¯ and give the zhou family a ruthless slap in the face first. then she would let the jianghu people present see what the foundation of the red flower pavilion was! not to mention the renowned figures of ze province¡¯s jianghu, even the moon goddess, whose husband was the number one person among the eight chiefs, would be shocked¡­ ye jingtang naturally didn¡¯t know what pei xiangjun was thinking. when he heard the praise, he smiled and asked, ¡°how many moves does the overlord spear have?¡± ¡°the seven basic spear moves combine to form a myriad of changes. how much power you can unleash depends upon yourself.¡± ¡°is ¡®yellow dragon crouching¡¯ one of the seven moves?¡± ¡°yes.¡± when ye jingtang heard that there were only seven moves, he smiled and said, ¡°i thought it was so profound. third lady, you can just teach it once. it won¡¯t take a month to learn this spear technique. third lady, teach it seriously. i feel that two hours is more than enough.¡± ?! pei xiangjun blinked her almond-shaped eyes. she really wanted to use the tone of a teacher to scold him, ¡°don¡¯t be arrogant. don¡¯t bite off more than you can chew.¡± but she really couldn¡¯t find any reason. she only reminded, ¡°1 can teach you, but you have to remember ¡®the staff for a month, the saber for a year, and the spear for a lifetime¡¯. no matter how stupid a person is, as long as the teacher seriously teaches the qi circulation methods, they can learn the moves. however, learning them is one thing, and knowing how to use them is another. do you understand?¡± ye jingtang naturally understood that actual combat was not like chopping wooden stakes. the strength of the moves depended on the timing of the attacks. only when one¡¯s proficiency, movement techniques, scheming, and so on were all coordinated flawlessly could one be considered to know a martial arts. ¡°understood. i will study hard and strive to become proficient as soon as possible.¡± pei xiangjun really didn¡¯t expect ye jingtang¡¯s talent to be so good. she couldn¡¯t figure out her thoughts. just as she was about to get into a stance, she reminded, ¡°by the way, the pei family has taken root in the capital. if the imperial court finds out about our identity, we will definitely have to hand over our assets and be controlled by the imperial court. we might even be taxed heavily and slaughtered like fat sheep. the overlord spear is too famous. so unless you hide your identity, you can¡¯t use this spear technique to fight enemies rashly unless you have no choice.¡± ¡°third lady, don¡¯t worry. i know what to do.¡± ¡°also, you didn¡¯t acknowledge me as your master. according to the rules of jianghu, 1 have to hide the last two moves. when our relationship deepens in the future, 1 will teach you again. don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°hehe, i understand.¡± in the blink of an eye, the moon was above the branches. pei xiangjun put on her dress and walked out of the bamboo forest. she wiped the sweat off her forehead and boarded the carriage in satisfaction, leaving behind an exhausted man. ye jingtang had practiced spearmanship for half a day and had consumed a lot of stamina. he watched the carriage leave at the entrance of the alley and rested for a moment before carrying the bird back to the courtyard. squeak! after opening the door, he saw a clean and tidy courtyard. under the silver moonlight, it was quiet and warm, but there was no one around. it revealed loneliness. the moment ye jingtang opened the door, his eyes were a little dazed. he recalled the scene of him returning home alone in the courtyard that he had grown up in since he was a child after burying his foster father last month. everything was there, but there was no one who could give the word ¡®home¡¯ to the courtyard. it gave him the feeling that, in an instant, he was the only one left in this world. ye jingtang stood outside the empty courtyard. it didn¡¯t feel as empty as last month. after all, his foster father¡¯s soul had already returned to the earth, but the people in this courtyard could still return here. carrying his saber, ye jingtang walked into the main room, took out the unfinished strong wine, and sat under the roof with a small stool. the bird squatted on the steps and looked at the empty kitchen, depressed. ¡°chirp chirp chirp-¡± ¡°she¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°chirp chirp!¡± ¡°if she doesn¡¯t return to the capital and 1 meet her outside, i won¡¯t be polite. it will be she who doesn¡¯t keep her word first, so she can¡¯t scold me for not being chivalrous¡­ what did you say? make it a done deal? alright¡­ this is your idea¡­¡± ¡°chirp?¡± the bird raised its head in confusion and spread its wings to indicate that it was hungry: hurry up and cook. what nonsense are you talking about? ye jingtang looked up at the bright moon and took a big gulp of wine as if he didn¡¯t see it¡­ Chapter 51 - Chapter 51: Two Phoenixes Playing in the Water chapter 51: two phoenixes playing in the water translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios thud! thud! the distant morning bell resounded from the depths of yun¡¯an city. the small courtyard deep in double osmanthus alley was silent. there was only a black horse standing quietly at the side of the kitchen. the door to the main room was closed. it hadn¡¯t been opened since luo ning and zhe yunli left. there were a few more flower pots under the vegetable trellis. they were placed together with the ones luo ning had bought. after two days, the lush green seedlings had grown a little. in the west wing, ye jingtang was sitting on the bed with his upper body bare, holding the golden paper in his hand, his eyes closed in focus. the big white bird was squatting beside the pillow and looking at the window listlessly. a few days ago, yunli would have already woken up at this time and hugged it to feed it. and living with tangtang obviously didn¡¯t have this blessing. it had only been two days since they parted, but the bird¡¯s longing for them was already lingering in its heart. ¡°chirp¡­¡± after the bird waited for a long time, ye jingtang didn¡¯t move. it rolled to his side and kicked him with its claws, indicating that it was time for breakfast. ye jingtang¡¯s eyelashes fluttered. then he opened his eyes and looked at the golden paper in his hand. after luo ning and zhe yunli left, the days became quite monotonous. these two days, he basically didn¡¯t leave the house and focused on practicing martial arts. he was practicing the heaven equaling saber, the overlord spear, lightness skills, and his own saber technique. speaking of which, he was a little busy. mastering martial arts was by no means a one-day goal. ye jingtang was not in a hurry. he rested when he was tired and thought about the page of the roaring dragon chart that he had accidentally obtained. according to the decryption methods he knew, such as projection, copying, soaking in water, burning, and so on, he didn¡¯t get any results. originally, he had already put it aside for the time being. but when he woke up this morning, he suddenly had an idea. he thought of something: bamboo as method?. he didn¡¯t have much experience in this life, but he had a lot of random memories from his previous life and knew the interesting story about the sage¡¯s bamboo as method. although the method of investigating was wrong, he still looked seriously at the drawing of the ¡®turtle carrying three mountains¡¯ on the golden paper and began to seriously apply ¡®paper as method¡¯, trying to forcefully see the truths of the heavenly dao contained in it. surprisingly, he discovered that this method really worked. although he didn¡¯t see the logic of the heavenly dao and didn¡¯t know if it was because he had been looking at it for too long, he felt that the golden dragon turtle in the picture was moving, and the clouds surrounding the three mountains seemed to be flowing slowly under the effect of light. after pondering for a long time, he felt that this might be a qi circulation method. he closed his eyes and focused. he imagined the various scenes in the picture as certain parts of his body and tried to connect the ¡®illusion¡¯ he saw inside his body. just as he was thinking about it, the bird kicked him awake. seeing that the sky was bright, ye jingtang was not in a hurry. after memorizing this method, he put away the golden paper and put on his robe. he was about to set off for west king town, and third lady had already started making preparations. but before they left, he still had to finish the matter with the prince of jing first. last time, he had promised the prince of jing that he would practice lightness skills before seeing her three days later. and in the blink of an eye, the time had come. it just so happened that he could use this opportunity to teach her the heaven equaling saber. if the prince of jing learned it quickly, he might be able to get qiu tianhe out today, lest heroine luo say that he didn¡¯t pay attention to proper business. after washing up, ye jingtang watered the flowers and plants planted by luo ning. then he led his horse and the bird out of double osmanthus alley and headed toward jasper pavilion. he had stayed in the capital for many days, and it was currently late april. the young ladies and young women walking in the bustling streets were dressed a little cooler, attracting the gazes of idlers. ¡°chirp!¡± the bird on his shoulder raised its wings to cover his eyes, indicating that he shouldn¡¯t look. ye jingtang flicked the bird and rode his horse through the bustling streets to the black office. from time to time, he saw constables from the black office rushing to and fro. as soon as they reached the entrance, two people walked out together. the burly man in front was ¡®black impermanence¡¯ she long. his arm was still wrapped in bandages. behind him was shang jianli. seeing she long, ye jingtang went forward and cupped his hands. ¡°sir she, sir shang. are you two going out on an errand?¡± she long¡¯s brows were originally furrowed tightly, but when he saw ye jingtang, he relaxed a little. he walked up to him and patted his shoulder. ¡°young master ye, you came at the right time. let¡¯s do the errand together. my arm hasn¡¯t recovered yet. if something really happens, it won¡¯t be good for me to help jianli. you¡¯re an external member. please help us.¡± he really didn¡¯t treat ye jingtang as an outsider. ye jingtang had injured she long, so he found it difficult to refuse and asked, ¡°arrest who?¡± she long stood with his hands behind his back with a worried expression. ¡°we¡¯re not sure. yesterday, a chief constable of the government office, wang sheng, bumped into someone in the east city and died on the spot. his corpse was only discovered this morning. this person used a blunt stick and cracked his head. from the traces, wang sheng didn¡¯t even have time to draw his saber. wang sheng¡¯s martial arts skills are considered top-notch in jianghu. the person¡¯s martial arts skills are probably unfathomable.¡± there were about 40 chief constables in the black office, and the six fiends were the best among them. hearing that a chief constable had been killed, ye jingtang couldn¡¯t help being shocked. ¡°could this person be a grandmaster?¡± ¡°most likely. young master ye, are you free? why don¡¯t you come with us?¡± ye jingtang was free. it wasn¡¯t too risky to go out with the black and white impermanences, so he wanted to agree. but shang jianli interrupted, ¡°young master ye is inexperienced in jianghu. if we rashly bring him along and something goes wrong, it won¡¯t be easy to explain. her highness the prince of jing went to clear water villa yesterday and specially instructed us to tell young master ye to go to clear water villa to have an audience with her if he comes here.¡± she long was just casually pulling in a helper, so hearing this, he naturally didn¡¯t insist. ¡°since her highness has given her order, young master ye, go ahead and take care of your business first.¡± ye jingtang cupped his hands and said, ¡°sirs, be careful on your way. 1 have an arrangement with her highness, so 1 came here to meet her. when i¡¯m finished with my affairs, 1 will invite you two to the golden screen pavilion.¡± ¡°oh, you¡¯re too polite¡­¡± the black and white impermanences cupped their hands and bowed before leaving together. after ye jingtang found out that the prince of jing was at a hot spring villa, he didn¡¯t enter the black office. he mounted his horse and rode toward the east gate of the capital with the bird. clear water villa was located under the spring morning peak outside the city. it was adjacent to the lotus pool and the clear river and could be considered a summer resort. the scenery was top-notch in yun province. unfortunately, it was exclusively for the emperor and was idle for 90% of the year. at noon, a few pleasure boats carrying scholars and young ladies were sailing on the river. there were also many merchant ships coming and going in the river. there were no tourists on the shore. the surroundings had cleared within a kilometer of the villa. the imperial guards in shining armor were on duty everywhere. every bird that flew past would be scanned a few times. the warm sunlight shone on the villa under spring morning peak. the imperial guards patrolled outside the villa, and outside the dragon cleansing pool at the back, countless palace maids in colorful clothes were bowing and waiting quietly. the dragon cleansing pool was very large. there were flowers, green plants, and resting water pavilions around it. there was some white mist in the center of the pool, and several dragon heads were spitting out warm spring water. splash¡­ sunlight was shining on a misty open-air hot spring. a tall woman with fair skin was swimming on her back in the water without any clothes on. in the shade at the edge of the hot spring, the empress dowager, whose long hair was draped over her shoulders and had a silk gauze shawl around her shoulders, had her jade-like feet submerged in the pool, and her expression was as bitter as ever. ¡°you said that you would bring me out to relax, but in the end, you didn¡¯t even let me out of the door. what¡¯s the point of taking a bath here? sigh-¡± dongfang liren had excellent swimming skills. she turned around on the surface of the water, kicked her slender jade legs slightly, and dived into the water. when she emerged, she was already in front of the empress dowager. her silky long hair stuck to her smooth back as she smiled. ¡°something happened in the city yesterday. the black office is patrolling. when it subsides, i¡¯ll bring you to tour the river scenery.¡± dongfang liren was as tall as a man. even if she had the same proportions as ordinary women, her breasts would definitely be larger. the empress dowager came from jiang province and was a gentle, scholarly beauty. her height only reached dongfeng liren¡¯s chin, but she had been pampered since she was young and didn¡¯t lack nutrition. her capital was also quite impressive, and the ratio of her bust was very eye-catching. but the two of them definitely had no intention of comparing. the empress dowager slid into the pool and floated lazily as her hand gently stirred the water. ¡°it¡¯s either raining outside or something goes wrong when i go out. are the heavens deliberately making things difficult for me?¡± ¡°empress dowager, don¡¯t think about this all the time. think about something pleasant.¡± ¡°how can 1 be happy when you¡¯re so unreliable? last time, i thought you gave me something good¡­ 1 asked hongyu to throw that thing away. if you¡¯re so presumptuous in the future, i¡¯ll complain to her majesty!¡± ¡°i saw that you were lonely in the palace, so 1 came up with it at the last minute¡­¡± ¡°even if i¡¯m lonely, you can¡¯t act recklessly. when i entered the palace, you weren¡¯t young anymore. don¡¯t you know my situation? you¡¯re an inexperienced woman, but i¡¯m not?¡± the empress dowager glared at dongfang liren angrily and recalled the handsome man she had seen in the painting last time. she pondered for a moment and asked curiously, ¡°liren, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve already¡­¡± dongfang liren¡¯s handsome face froze as she frowned. ¡°what do you mean?¡± ¡°you are the prince of jing, second only to one person and above tens of thousands of people. it¡¯s not easy for you to find a young husband to serve you¡­¡± the empress dowager glanced underwater. ¡°liren, tell me the truth. have you already¡­ uh-huh?¡± ?! dongfang liren naturally knew what the empress dowager meant and was a little angry. ¡°empress dowager, what nonsense are you spouting? how could i¡­¡± the empress dowager knew that she couldn¡¯t get anything out of her, nor could she check herself, so she said resentfully, ¡°i¡¯m just curious. you should have gotten married long ago. if you have someone you like, you can just say it. i will help you propose to her majesty.¡± the empress was dongfang liren¡¯s biological sister. if she liked a man, why would she need the empress dowager to help matchmake them? she just smiled at this. the two of them chatted for a while when a female official entered the dragon cleansing pool and reported respectfully behind the screen, ¡°your highness, there¡¯s a report outside that young master ye, ye jingtang, is here.¡± ¡°oh?¡± dongfang liren hadn¡¯t had the chance to ask ye jingtang how he was learning the heaven equaling saber in the past few days. seeing that ye jingtang was here, she naturally wanted to meet him. but discussing martial arts with each other would take more than half a day. she came out to accompany the empress dowager to relax. it was definitely not appropriate to leave the empress dowager behind to meet a man in private. she thought for a moment and instructed, ¡°ask young master ye to tour the villa first. i¡¯ll summon you when i¡¯m free.¡± ¡°yes.¡± the last time the empress dowager was at jasper pavilion, she had seen dongfang liren go out to meet ¡®young master ye¡¯. then she saw the perfect young man in the painting. the surname ye was very rare, and there were only a few with this surname in the entire capital. from the way she addressed him, he was not a member of the government. last time, the little man had been dressed like an ordinary young master. she felt that there was a high chance he was the same person. ¡°liren, who is this young master ye?¡± dongfang liren was a little distracted. afraid that the empress dowager would notice, she swam behind her and helped her comb her long hair. ¡°a new helper recruited by the black office. his martial arts skills are outstanding, but he comes from a merchant family. there¡¯s nothing special about him.¡± nothing special?the empress dowager didn¡¯t believe this at all. if this ¡¯ye jingtang¡¯ was really the person in the painting she had seen last time, his appearance alone was special enough. but as the empress dowager, it wasn¡¯t appropriate for her to ask about such matters. she said considerately, ¡°if you have something to do, go ahead. i¡¯m used to being alone.¡± ¡°i¡¯m here to accompany you to relax, so i naturally have to accompany you well. there¡¯s no hurry for these small matters.¡± ¡°it¡¯s good that you¡¯re not in a hurry¡­ i¡¯m just afraid there¡¯s someone hiding in your heart. do you think that i¡¯m blind?¡± ¡°sigh¡­¡± Chapter 52 - Chapter 52: Dongfang Dumdum chapter 52: dongfang dumdum translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the sun was setting in the west. the pleasure boats on the river gradually dispersed, and the horizon was dyed red. ye jingtang was standing in a river pavilion and using his fingers as a saber. he slowly pondered over the saber technique his foster father had taught him. the bird raised its claws to the sky and used the bushes as a rocking chair. it lay on the leaves and swayed as it hummed a tune leisurely. ¡°chirp- chirp-¡± at noon, he came to wait for the prince of jing to summon him. he thought that, just like before, he would only have to wait for a moment. he didn¡¯t expect to wait from noon to the afternoon. although the wait was a little long, it wasn¡¯t boring. the prince of jing was quite considerate. after lunch, she even arranged for a beautiful palace maid to be a tour guide and allowed him to visit the scenery around clear water villa, clear water villa was a famous scenic spot in yun province. it was said that the dragon cleansing pool inside had the miraculous effect of maintaining and beautifying the appearance, but those who weren¡¯t royalty couldn¡¯t come here at all. ye jingtang was lucky enough to visit. he originally wanted to go to the dragon cleansing pool to take a look, but the female tour guide refused. he didn¡¯t know why. when it was almost dark, ye jingtang felt sorry for the palace maid who had accompanied him for a long time, so he went to the river pavilion to rest and ponder over saber techniques. not long after, footsteps came from the villa at the back. he looked back and saw the prince of jing, who was dressed in a silver python robe, walking our of the villa with a procession of maids in colorful clothes. the prince of jing had a supermodel-like figure, and she was a head taller than the gentle palace maids behind her. her legs were long, so her strides were naturally large. the accompanying palace maids had to trot to keep up. as she walked, the extremely eye-catching fat dragon shone brightly under the rays of the sun, and the waves were undulating. coupled with her calm and dignified appearance, she looked very imposing, like a noble and aloof young queen¡­ it seemed like she was a proper queen to begin with, and she just didn¡¯t have a fief. ye jingtang didn¡¯t size up her figure. keeping his gaze straight, he walked out of the river pavilion and cupped his hands from afar. ¡°greetings come back!¡± before he could finish bowing, he saw the bird lying in the flowers flip over and flap its wings to land in front of dongfang liren. it raised its head and looked at sister fat-headed dragon with its bright black eyes. it opened its beak to beg for food. when it heard ye jingtang1 s voice, it even turned its head 100 degrees. ¡°chirp-¡± dongfang liren walked to the lawn. seeing the bird blocking her way, she raised her hand and hooked it, letting rhe bird land on her arm. while walking, she tilted her head and sized it up. ¡°this snow eagle is really good-looking. it¡¯s just that its bloodline isn¡¯t pure, and it¡¯s a little fat. what is its name?¡± ye jingtang approached and took the bird. ¡°it¡¯s called white king. it likes to freeload, so i casually gave it a name.¡± freeload¡­ this was the first time dongfang liren heard this term. but seeing the intention in the word, she felt it meant not paying after prostituting¡¯. it wasn¡¯t a good word. dongfang liren didn¡¯t say anything about this to ye jingtang. she raised her hand slightly and took a saber with a green jade sheath from a palace maid. ¡°this name is too vulgar. you¡¯re mistreating such a beautiful bird. what do you think of changing its name to noble consort snow?¡± ¡°chirp! ¡± the bird generously expressed: as long as you feed me, you can even call me the kitchen god. ye jingtang would never accept this name. he followed dongfang liren to the river bank. ¡°as long as your highness is happy. your saber looks¡­¡± ¡°this saber is called ¡®qing yi¡¯. it¡¯s a saber that the old master of the water cloud sword pool made for me. although it¡¯s not one of the top ten famous sabers in jianghu, its craftsmanship is even better.¡± dongfang liren handed the saber to ye jingtang. ¡°i will lend it to you to observe.¡± <1 it to be honest. ye jingtang was at a loss for words. he had wanted to say: this saber looks flashy but useless. the saber was the overlord of short-range weapons. its characteristics were that it was durable and easy to carry. its practicality far exceeded other short-range weapons. there might not be a second saber that looked better than dongfang liren¡¯s saber in the world, but in terms of practicality, he would probably be committing suicide and dying like a rich noble if he used it. but dongfang liren was an imperial princess. whether it was in the past or in the future, she would never have the chance to fight with her life on the line. this saber was indeed suitable for her. ye jingtang received the saber and pondered for a moment before praising, ¡°it¡¯s indeed beautiful. if i held it in my hand, 1 wouldn¡¯t be willing to use it to cut people.¡± dongfang liren took back the saber and hung it at her waist. she stood by the river and asked calmly, ¡°how¡¯s your saber technique learning these few days?¡± ¡°i have learned a little. i came here today to teach your highness/¡¯ ye jingtang got straight to the point. in order to avoid arousing suspicion, he kept his distance, unsheathed his saber, and held it in his hand. he began to replicate the move taught by qiu tianhe. dongfang liren stood elegantly by the river and seriously observed ye jingtangs actions. just as she was about to say, ¡°you¡¯re quite good. you¡¯ve practiced well¡­¡± ye jingtang put away his saber and asked, ¡°has your highness learned the heaven equaling saber?¡± ? dongfang liren was baffled. ¡°you just taught me the move. 1 haven¡¯t even memorized it. how can 1 learn it?¡± ye jingtang nodded slightly and taught her again earnestly. then he said, ¡°how about now?¡± ??? dongfang liren thought that ye jingtang was asking her if she remembered the move. she was a little speechless. she immediately unsheathed her saber and began to repeat ye jingtang s actions, showing off her ¡¯outstanding¡¯ memory. unfortunately, ye jingtang didn¡¯t exclaim and praise her for having a good memory like the other old teachers and masters. ye jingtangput his saber away and stood with his hands behind his back. he watched the princess practice the saber seriously. he wanted to praise her, but he immediately realized that she was just drawing a tiger using a cat as a mod el?¡¯. she did remember the movements, but there were basically no details. it just looked like it. uhm¡­ ye jingtang s heart turned half-cold when he realized that rhe princess was so slow-witted yet so confident. as the other party was a princess, ye jingtang couldn¡¯t say anything. he nodded and said, ¡°your highness has an extraordinary memory. hmm¡­ i¡¯ll demonstrate again. your highness, please take a good look.¡± then he rehearsed the move again. dongfang liren was diligent, studious, and not ashamed to ask questions. she observed ye jingtang¡¯s actions seriously. after four or five demonstrations, dongfang liren finally remembered the details of the body movements. actually, this speed was already very fast. it could be said that her talent was extraordinary. but in ye jingtang¡¯s eyes, he could only sigh secretly. finally remembered¡­ he breathed a sigh of relief and stood at the side with his hands behind his back again, waiting for dongfang liren to figure out the hidden path of qi circulation in the move. in the end¡­ the sun sank into the river, the clouds rose and fell, the moon rose above the branches¡­ two hours passed in the blink of an eye. dongfang liren was very earnest. she held her saber in her hand and practiced methodically on the grass. her movements were accurate as she repeated them over and over again without showing any frustration. ye jingtang s initial patience slowly turned into confusion, then into disbelief! his impression of the prince of jing also changed from a supermodel with a stellar figure and a fairy-like face to a big-breasted and hardworking stupid sister¡­ damn, it¡¯s been more than a hundred times, and you still haven¡¯t learned anything? could all the nutrients have gone to your chest¡­ seeing the palace maids in the distance were dozing off, ye jingtang couldn¡¯t help reminding, ¡°your highness, this heaven equaling saber can¡¯t be practiced according to the rules. ummm¡­ you have to find the feeling¡­¡± dongfang liren believed that she was studying very seriously. when she heard his guidance, she asked in confusion, ¡°what is the feeling?¡± ¡°just don¡¯t stick to the move to the death. find the feeling. it¡¯s that kind of feeling. you should use the saber the way you think you should. hmm¡­ the sense of the saber!¡± ye jingtang tried his best to explain, but what he said sounded like telling a tone-deaf person about absolute pitch. dongfang liren was proficient in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. she really had a sense of sound¡¯, but how could she have a sense of the saber without practicing the saber for ten to twenty years? dongfang liren was slightly dissatisfied when she saw that ye jingtang was having a hard time explaining the saber technique. she put away her saber and shook her head. ¡°forget it. go to qiu tianhe for guidance again and ask him to explain the technique clearly. you don¡¯t even know how to practice it, so how can you teach me?¡± that¡¯s how i practiced it¡­ but it was indeed useless for ye jingtang to learn it himself. with his method, he couldn¡¯t teach dongfang dumdum at all. ye jingtang estimated that he had to break the move into pieces and feed them to the princess one by one. he immediately stopped trying in vain. ¡°alright, i ll go to the dungeon tomorrow and ask qiu tianhe to explain the practice method clearly. in two days, i have to discuss some business matters with my family. i ll think about how to practice the heaven equaling saber these few days and come back to teach your highness after a while.¡± Chapter 53 - Chapter 53: Treading on Water, Riding Waves chapter 53: treading on water, riding waves translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios it would take at least a few months to figure out a profound saber technique like the heaven equaling saber. dongfang liren was in no hurry. she nodded and said, ¡°learn well. as long as you figure out the practice method, i¡¯ll teach you the dragon slaying decree even if you don¡¯t know how to use it. by the way, last time, you said that you wanted to learn lightness skills. you read lu jieyun¡¯s lightness skills insights for a few days. what did you comprehend?¡± ye jingtang had just started practicing lightness skills. speaking of which, he had yet to study the insights of the grandmaster. ¡°i¡¯m inexperienced in jianghu and have never come into contact with profound martial arts. if you want me to talk about comprehension, 1 definitely won¡¯t be able to say anything. why don¡¯t 1 compete with your highness to see my current level of lightness skills?¡± dongfang liren found it funny, but she still put on the demeanor that an expert should have and didn¡¯t decline. in order to let ye jingtang understand what ¡®the immensity of heaven and earth¡¯ meant, she tapped the grass with the tip of her toes, leaped up lightly, and landed on a willow tree on the river bank. her figure was light and ethereal like a fairy. seeing this, ye jingtang took a step forward. swoosh! he soared into the air and landed on a branch beside dongfang liren, causing the willow tree¡¯s branches to sway a few times. creak, creak.. this scene showed who was superior. he was clearly inferior to dongfang liren. but surprise flashed in dongfang liren¡¯s eyes. ¡°you know lightness skills?¡± ¡°i¡¯ve just learned a bit. sorry for making a fool of myself in front of your highness.¡± just learned? dongfang liren was slightly puzzled. a few days ago, she had confirmed that ye jingtang didn¡¯t know lightness skills. could it be that when she tested him last time, he was hiding his skills? dongfang liren thought for a moment and jumped down from the willow tree. she landed on the clear river, touched the blue waves with her feet, and walked upstream like a dragonfly skimming the water. she was full of heroism. ye jingtang hadn¡¯t tried ¡®treading on water, riding waves¡¯ yet, but according to the principle of lightness skills, as long as there was a place to borrow strength, he could fly even on blades of grass. ye jingtang pondered for a moment before jumping down and falling straight into the river. in the end¡­ plop! water splashed everywhere. seeing this, the bird shook its head. treading on water, riding waves was a great test of the mastery of lightness skills. if one didn¡¯t master them well, they would become drenched. dongfang liren knew this would happen. she looked back with a teasing expression, but before she could ridicule him, her eyes turned to surprise. after ye jingtang fell into the river, he quickly rushed out of the water and ran wildly on the river. tread, tread, tread! although his movements were swift and violent, causing the water to splash higher than a person, which looked very unsightly. but the ¡®powerful flying brick¡¯ was extremely fast. the moment dongfang liren turned around, ye jingtang had already overtaken her and rushed upstream like a wild horse. ?? it was the first time dongfang liren had seen such strange lightness skills in her life. she couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°why are you running so fast?¡± ye jingtang¡¯s answer was quite straightforward. ¡°if i run slowly, i will fall into the water. what does your highness think of my lightness skills?¡± what kind of lightness skills is this?! dongfang liren didn¡¯t know what to say to ye jingtang. he was really fast, but his movements were like thunder. other than escaping, what was the use? dongfang liren was not a grandmaster, but she had learned lightness skills from the white-haired diting. she was absolutely top-notch. she was a little dissatisfied that a half-baked person had overtaken her, so he immediately sped up and chased after him. ¡°the key point of lightness skills is ¡®lightness¡¯. silently fast is really fast¡­ you!¡± dongfang liren wanted to catch up to him and explain, but she found that this fellow in front of her didn¡¯t know the ways of the world at all. when he noticed her chasing after him, he actually ran faster and faster, as if he wanted to shake her off. tread, tread, tread¡­ a line of ripples appeared on the clear river surface. two figures were flying forward, one in the front and one behind. one was like a dragonfly skimming the water, carefree and handsome, while the other was like a child kicking away water. after chasing for a while, dongfang liren slowly realized that something was wrong. ye jingtang¡¯s speed of treading water kept increasing, and his speed was already beyond common sense. if it were shang jianli, he could probably run to a draw. but she couldn¡¯t catch up at all! ¡°you!¡± dongfang liren was instantly furious, thinking that ye jingtang had pretended to be weak to tease her. but after taking a closer look at ye jingtang¡¯s footsteps, she realized that he was indeed a dabbler. his running was too ugly! but this was enough for him to shake her off? dongfang liren gritted her teeth and accelerated with all her might. she wanted to chase after him, but after chasing for a long time, not only did she not close the distance, but she was getting farther and farther away. seeing that she couldn¡¯t catch up, she could only shout, ¡°stop!¡± ye jingtang was only familiarizing himself with the rhythm of treading on water and borrowing strength. as he became more and more familiar with it, he naturally became faster and faster. only when he heard the voice did he realize that something was wrong. he quickly jumped up from the river and landed on the river bank. tread, tread, tread¡­ the blue waves rippled on the river¡¯s surface. dongfang liren, dressed in her python robe, instantly chased after him and landed in front of him, her willowy eyebrows raised! ye jingtang realized the problem and said awkwardly, ¡°i just learned lightness skills and couldn¡¯t hold back. please forgive me, your highness.¡± dongfang liren¡¯s fat-headed dragon puffed up a little. but she was not a delicate woman. after glancing at ye jingtang, she suppressed her anger. ¡°you¡¯ve just learned lightness skills, but you can run so fast. your foundation is indeed not bad. you have to practice more in the future. don¡¯t just try to be fast. an expert who is good at lightness skills is difficult to see from a hundred steps. like you, even if you run for five kilometers, the pursuers can follow the movements and catch up.¡± ye jingtang knew the flaws of his lightness skills and nodded. ¡°thanks for the pointers, your highness. i will definitely pay attention in the future.¡± dongfang liren originally wanted to discuss martial arts with ye jingtang, but after being tossed about like this, she felt that it was impossible to chat. so she caught the bird and turned around. ¡°what you lack the most now is ¡®worldly experience¡¯. in the future, you should ask me and the experts of the black office for guidance. even though you have a good foundation, you have to take the right path to achieve something.¡± the two of them had chased each other and ran along the river for about three kilometers. they were already far away from the clear water villa. when they arrived near the white horse academy in the city outskirts, the sky was already dark. white horse academy was one of the four major academies in yun province. ordinary wealthy merchants liked to donate a lot of money to send their children here for ¡®gilding¡¯. the eldest young master of the pei family, pei luo, studied here. ye jingtang had heard from chen biao that the family had spent a lot of money to send him here. the academy was located on the river bank. because the students came from all over the world, they all lived in the academy. there were also a few small streets outside the academy. however, the rules of the academy were extremely strict. once it was dark, the students had to return to the dormitory to do their homework and get ready for bed. the small streets outside were also closed. at this moment, dongfang liren was almost self-closing regarding lightness skills, so she wasn¡¯t interested in flying back with ye jingtang. she placed the bird on her shoulder and walked with her hands behind her back while looking at the quiet academy. ¡°have you studied?¡± ¡°my family ran an escort agency and was fairly well-off. i attended a private school for a few years, but i¡¯ve never been to such a large academy. 1 have read many books and have basically read everything on the market.¡± ¡°oh?¡± dongfang liren had already discovered that ye jingtang¡¯s talent in martial arts was a little terrifying, and his appearance was so outstanding. if he were good at both civil and martial arts, he really wouldn¡¯t be human. ¡°how is your literary talent?¡± ¡°my writing is decent, and 1 know some accounting, but i don¡¯t know anything else.¡± ¡°that¡¯s a pity. the martial arts style of great wei is prosperous. men with good martial arts skills are too common, but scholars are very rare. if you knew how to recite and compose poems and showed your face at literary conferences, who knows how many families would take the initiative to come to your door and ask you to be their son-in-law.¡± ¡°everyone has their own strengths. poetry¡­¡± ye jingtang wanted to show off casually, but before he could think of it, his ears twitched slightly.. he immediately turned to look at the dark street¡­ Chapter 54 - Chapter 54: Heaven Equaling Saber chapter 54: heaven equaling saber translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the cold moon hung in the sky like a hook, and there were no lights or fires on the small street by the river. ye jingtang frowned as he looked at the dark alley. he felt that something was spying on him in the dark, but he couldn¡¯t figure out where the feeling came from. the bird squatting on dongfang liren¡¯s shoulder spread its wings and flew into the sky without needing an order. it began to investigate the river bank. dongfang liren walked forward with her hands behind her back. she was still waiting for ye jingtang to speak when she noticed something amiss. she looked up at the bird hiding in the sky. ¡°what happened to it?¡± ye jingtang raised his hand slightly and stood in front of dongfang liren. he held the hilt of his saber with his left hand and carefully sensed the wind and grass in the night. dongfang liren had been plotted against many times. seeing this scene, she knew that something was wrong. she had just competed with ye jingtang in lightness skills and suddenly ran out without informing the people in the villa. if there was a rebel secretly watching her movements, this short period of time was undoubtedly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! dongfang liren didn¡¯t think that a dabbler like ye jingtang could protect her. however, she, who had never experienced actual combat, would definitely not be a match for an assassin who dared to assassinate a prince. her heart sank to rock bottom. she immediately grabbed the hilt of her saber, wanting to be back-to-back with ye jingtang and drag it out until her guards rushed over to help. but¡­ ding- under the silver moonlight, a ray of saber light and sparks exploded without any warning! dongfang liren hadn¡¯t even sensed the danger coming before she found that ye jingtang had unsheathed his blade with lightning speed and blocked her forehead. sparks erupted from the blade as it trembled non-stop. it was obvious that it had been hit by an unknown hidden weapon. the hidden weapon had been aimed at her glabella, but it was deflected by the blade and shot toward a stone block where horses were tied up. the remaining force still made a crack in the white stone. the impact force was terrifying! what was even stranger was that from the beginning to the end, dongfang liren had not heard the sound of the hidden weapon cutting through the air! dongfang liren¡¯s eyes were astonished. she didn¡¯t understand what kind of hidden weapon was so domineering, nor did she understand how ye jingtang, who had mediocre martial arts skills, could block a hidden weapon without hearing any sound. although she was surprised, her experience of being ¡®protected¡¯ all year round still made her understand the current situation. she gave up on the idea of defending herself against the enemy and took a step forward, hiding behind ye jingtang. ye jingtang was well-proportioned and didn¡¯t look strong, but he was actually very tall and could block the prince of jing completely. after the attack, the street fell into dead silence. it was so quiet that it seemed as if it was just an illusion. even though the bird circling in the sky had amazing night vision, it still couldn¡¯t find any traces of their enemy. ¡°retreat.¡± ye jingtang held his saber in his right hand and didn¡¯t look anywhere. he only sensed the possible surprise attack with the subtle changes in the environment and retreated. dongfang liren¡¯s footsteps maintained the same frequency. her chest, which was in the way, pressed against ye jingtang¡¯s back. after suppressing her emotions slightly, she said in disbelief, ¡°is this the heaven equaling saber?¡± ding! as soon as she finished speaking, another spark exploded from ye jingtang¡¯s blade. before dongfang liren could even see the movement clearly, she found that ye jingtang¡¯s hornless dragon saber was blocking the side of her face. buzz! buzz! the blade vibrated and buzzed. dongfang liren broke out in a cold sweat and quickly hid herself. she knew that her words had interfered with ye jingtang¡¯s concentration, allowing the enemy to seize the opportunity to attack. she hurriedly held her breath and didn¡¯t say a word. based on the impact of the hidden weapon, ye jingtang turned to face an alley more than 100 feet away and moved his feet sideways to the side of the street. but since the two of them couldn¡¯t see where the enemy was hiding, they didn¡¯t dare to run around. at most, they could only retreat to the side of the street and block the opponent¡¯s attack angles. under ye jingtang¡¯s cover, dongfang liren went to the bookstore by the street, used a dagger to cut open the copper lock, and retreated inside. ¡°come in.¡± but just as ye jingtang was about to enter the bookstore, he sensed something wrong and made another move with his saber. swish! this time, there was the sound of a hidden weapon breaking through the air, and the impact force was clearly stronger. ding! with a flash, the hidden weapon collided with the blade and bounced up. it still pierced through the wooden wall and brushed past dongfang liren¡¯s hair crown, directly cracking her jade hairpin. whoosh! shattered jade flew everywhere. dongfang liren¡¯s long hair immediately fell down. her eyes were horrified as she quickly flipped forward and rolled behind the counter of the bookstore. clatter! the sound of a bead rolling on the floor rang out. dongfang liren looked out of the corner of her eye and saw a red bead rolling on the floor tiles of the bookstore. it was shaped like a water droplet and made of an unknown material. it was clearly the hidden weapon that had just flown in. dongfang liren¡¯s heart sank as she quickly reminded, ¡°it¡¯s the blood bodhi, an unstoppable assassin active in the heavenly south more than ten years ago who assassinated a grandmaster of the seven mysteries sect¡­¡± ¡°shh!¡± ye jingtang held the saber in one hand and raised his left hand, signaling dongfang liren not to speak. the street fell dead silent again. it was impossible to figure out where the enemy was. after they entered the bookstore, it was inconvenient for them to move around, but the enemy could penetrate the wall. the possibility of rescue being late was very real. behind the bookstore was a limestone river dike. it was impossible to pierce through it. there were houses on both sides. the only places to attack from were the front and the air. ye jingtang didn¡¯t think that the enemy could snipe him from a high altitude. as long as he defended the front, he would be able to protect the prince of jing without any problems. he immediately held his saber and guarded the door. ding! ding! but a moment later, two more sparks exploded on the street. ye jingtang slashed twice consecutively and accurately blocked the flying hidden weapons. then he stood in front of dongfeng liren with his saber in both hands and mocked at the night. ¡°is that all you¡¯ve got? the six fiends will be here soon. if you still want to do useless things, i can fight with you for a day.¡± this was to force the assassin to retreat. since it was an assassination attempt, if he missed, he should escape immediately. but the security around dongfang liren was usually too tight. there was no possibility of a direct assassination. tonight was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. as soon as ye jingtang finished speaking, a sound came from the sky. ¡°chirp chirp chirp-¡± a figure gradually appeared in an alley in front of the bookstore. the figure was wearing a gray robe and had a hunched back. his bamboo hat was lowered so that his face couldn¡¯t be seen. he had a black iron cane in his hand and one hand behind his back as he walked unhurriedly. thump, thump¡­ the slight sound coming from the iron cane hitting the ground seemed to be knocking on people¡¯s hearts, making them feel stuffy. a hoarse voice sounded. ¡°what a good heaven equaling saber. qiu tianhe is considered a hero of jianghu. as his successor, why are you a lackey of the imperial court?¡± after hearing the confirmation that ye jingtang had used the heaven equaling saber, dongfang liren was even more surprised. but she didn¡¯t have the time to ask. she was afraid that he wouldn¡¯t be able to deal with the enemy, so she quickly repeated the information gathered by the government. ¡°the blood bodhi is good at long-range attacks with hidden weapons. in close combat, he uses the dragon subduing cane. he mainly attacks the upper body. protect the midline and attack the lower body¡­¡± bam! before she could finish speaking, an explosion sounded on the street. the old man wasn¡¯t stupid. how could he let dongfang liren explain the gate of life and death clearly before taking action? when there was still a distance of 50 to 60 feet between them, the old man suddenly sped up. he hit the bluestone with his iron cane and directly shattered the blue bricks on the ground. ye jingtang felt the soles of his feet tremble. it was as if a three-legged gigantic beast was charging at him with the pressure of a mountain. he held his saber in front of him with both hands to guard his midline and locked onto the old man tightly. he wanted to judge the other party¡¯s movements and counterattack with the heaven equaling saber. but when the old man strode closer, his feet, shoulders, and iron cane were all moving. it felt as if there were weapons all over the enemy¡¯s body, and every part of him seemed to be about to explode violently. with ye jingtang¡¯s proficiency in the heaven equaling saber, he couldn¡¯t capture his opponent¡¯s exact intentions at all. thump, thump! in the blink of an eye, the old man had already crossed the seven-step limit. his body suddenly leaned forward, and the iron cane in his hand stabbed out like a venomous snake. the old man had seen through the depths of ye jingtang¡¯s heaven equaling saber, which was why he had appeared to fight. with ye jingtang¡¯s attainments in the heaven equaling saber, it was absolutely impossible for him to counterattack with a distance of seven steps. however, the old man was 100% confident that he could kill him in one strike. when the old man saw ye jingtang¡¯s ¡®terrified¡¯ expression and that he was still hastily judging the truth of his move, a cold smile flashed across his eyes. he was already preparing what to do after piercing ye jingtang¡¯s chest when the prince of jing suddenly broke through the window and fled. the result was a split second of distraction. swoosh! under the silver moon, a saber wind suddenly rose like an azure dragon entering the world and an evil flood dragon raising its head! Chapter 55 - Chapter 55: Small Fry of Jianghu chapter 55: small fry of jianghu translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios swoosh! a gust of wind suddenly swept across the street! the old man only paid attention to the movements in the bookstore from the corner of his eye, but the ¡®panicked¡¯ young saberman in front of him seemed to have instantly changed into a different person. ye jingtang didn¡¯t use the hornless dragon saber in front of him to choose any method to break the move. instead, he exerted strength in his feet and pushed the saber forward with his body, performing a progressive slash with lightning speed! this saber move was very unskillful. there were no feints or defense at all. it relied on terrifying explosive power to directly strike the opponent. the old man had rushed within seven steps and had no chance to dodge. if it were an ordinary martial artist, they would have been slashed in the chest and waist by this saber move the moment they were distracted. however, the old man was not an ordinary martial artist. when he was at his peak, he had killed a grandmaster. since he was old, his physique had weakened, but his experience had not. the old man stabbed straight at ye jingtang¡¯s heart. ye jingtang pushed his saber forward and slashed. logically speaking, he should slash the iron cane. otherwise, he would definitely be stabbed through first. but ye jingtang had no intention of striking the iron cane at all. he had already raised his speed to the extreme, and there was no room for him to change his move. the old man could tell that ye jingtang wanted to exchange life for life with him and bet on their courage to force him to defend himself. a hint of mockery appeared in his eyes. after all, this move was too easy to break. with the advantage of being the first to attack, the old man only needed to pierce ye jingtang¡¯s heart with his cane and swing it horizontally at the same time to use the tail to protect his midline and block the saber to break this move made in desperation. the old man did this, but¡­ thud! there was a muffled sound! the old man stabbed with all his might. the iron cane was like the tip of a spear as it stabbed straight at ye jingtang¡¯s left chest. but the old man was shocked to discover that the iron cane had been blocked by something and couldn¡¯t pierce this child¡¯s chest at all! the length of their weapons was about the same. if he missed, the blade would already reach his arms. there was no chance to break through ye jingtang¡¯s defense with an inch of force. the old man could only move the iron cane horizontally in front of him. but the power contained in this slash was far greater than he had imagined! clang! the sound of metal colliding resounded on the quiet street! although the cane blocked the blade, it couldn¡¯t block the power contained in the blade. the old man didn¡¯t stab ye jingtang¡¯s chest, and there was no fulcrum on the other end of the iron cane, so how could he block ye jingtang¡¯s two-handed, full-strength slash with one hand? the iron cane directly struck his body, and his bamboo hat immediately shattered. the blade grazed his cheek and cut off half of the old man¡¯s right ear. bam! in just one exchange, the old man, who had appeared with an extraordinary and oppressive aura, had been blown back and flew toward the house across the street. ye jingtang knew that the other party was most likely an old grandmaster. it wasn¡¯t easy for him to pretend to be weak and deal a hard blow. how could he give the opponent a chance to make a comeback? at the same time that the old man flew out, ye jingtang followed him like a shadow, spun around, and slashed down at the old man who had yet to land. this slash was the third saber move that ye jingtang had comprehended while waiting for dongfang liren in the afternoon! swoosh! the two saber moves linked together without any gaps. the speed was so high that even seeing them clearly was an extravagant hope, let alone blocking them. this was exactly the valiant aspect of the eight-steps frenzied blade. it went all out and only attacked without defending. as long as the user struck with the saber and made the opponent lose their balance, the opponent would basically die. the eight-steps frenzied blade was too ferocious. it spared no effort in erupting with strength, and it consumed a lot of energy. it was very easy for the user to tear and pull their muscles. there was even a saying that went: one move with the left hand and one move with the right hand, go home and recuperate. even kuang yazi, the saber chief of the previous dynasty, could only use eight saber moves consecutively, so it was called the eight-steps frenzied blade. there were very few people in the world who could deliver eight saber slashes in a row, but there was basically no one who could withstand eight slashes from ancient times to the present. normally, the outcome would be decided in one slash. the old man was sent flying, and his bamboo hat shattered, revealing his wrinkled old face. his eyes were full of shock when he recognized that this was the eight-steps frenzied blade. he knew that he had fallen into a desperate situation, so he could only hurriedly raise his iron cane in the air to block. dang! a saber slash that could split a mountain! the old man, who had yet to hit the house, was smashed into the ground from midair. boom! the blue bricks on the street instantly shattered, gravel flew everywhere, and a circular pit formed. the aftershock of the airwaves even blew up the pages of the books in the bookstore and scattered dongfang liren¡¯s hair. ¡°pfft¡ª¡± the old man slammed into the ground and spat out a mouthful of blood. his face turned sickly red. in this desperate situation, the old man¡¯s movements were still not slow. he kicked the ground with both feet and slid backward. at the same time, he raised his iron cane and stabbed. ye jingtang was standing upright and could advance and retreat freely. the old man had already fallen to the ground with severe injuries. it was impossible for him to break the eight-steps frenzied blade. when the old man fell to the ground, he tried his best to counterattack. it was nothing more than death. he wanted to exchange death for injury and bite the opponent even if he died. but what the old man didn¡¯t expect was that the young saberman was so steady that it made one¡¯s hair stand on end! he didn¡¯t even trade injury for death. as soon as he raised his hand, the young saberman decisively jumped backward, landed in front of the bookstore¡¯s door, and put his saber back into its sheath. crack! crack! the commotion came to an abrupt stop! the sheathing of the saber was clean, neat, and indescribably elegant. in the old man¡¯s eyes, he felt that he had already been cut by ye jingtang¡¯s saber unknowingly, and his head rolled to the ground. from the corner of his eye, he saw that half of his ear was missing. he wasn¡¯t dead yet¡­ the old man was a little stunned, but he still grabbed onto the life-saving straw. he immediately jumped onto the roof across the street and assumed a defensive posture. he stared at ye jingtang as if he was facing a formidable enemy. ¡°eight-steps frenzied blade?!¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t respond. he just pressed his hand on the hilt of his saber and scanned the street with a cold gaze. in the bookstore, dongfang liren had stuck her head out when ye jingtang drew his saber. now, her eyes were like a fangirl¡¯s looking at a handsome knight. when ye jingtang made the two slashes and flew back elegantly, dongfang liren thought that the assassin had been killed. she was about to faint from ye jingtang¡¯s peerless elegance. but when she looked at the other side, the assassin¡¯s face was full of relief for having survived. he looked as if he was about to cry from fear of ye jingtang¡­ ?! the assassin isn¡¯t dead. why are you posing so handsomely? dongfang liren¡¯s gaze was indescribable. ¡°you¡­¡± ye jingtang held the hilt of his saber and scanned the surrounding houses with his stern eyes. his voice was cold and cautious. ¡°how can such a small fry of jianghu dare to assassinate your highness alone? this person is bait. there must be experts around.¡± small fry? dongfang liren¡¯s eyes were full of surprise as she thought, according to the information, the blood bodhi is a true grandmaster. it¡¯s just that he¡¯s a little old¡­ but on this occasion, she didn¡¯t dare to disturb ye jingtang. she hurriedly hid behind the counter to avoid dragging him down. and on the other side¡­ under a misjudgment, the old man was severely injured after two consecutive slashes and felt as if he had just walked through the gates of hell. hearing these words, he immediately understood why this unfathomable young saberman had stopped. he felt that he was too weak and wasn¡¯t the main force. afraid of being ambushed by more assassins, he didn¡¯t dare to move away from the prince of jing rashly. the old man had roamed jianghu for decades, but this was the first time he had been treated as cannon fodder by his opponent. it was simply a great humiliation! but the opponent was indeed unfathomable. he couldn¡¯t even withstand the eight-steps frenzied blade, so he couldn¡¯t try to see if the other party knew the dragon slaying decree. in his opinion, there was a high chance that he did. seeing that ye jingtang had also ¡®misjudged¡¯, the old man said without hesitation, ¡°go!¡± then he flew back and retreated, acting as if his accomplices were nearby and coordinating from a distance. he flew farther and farther away. ye jingtang still put on a cautious expression as he scanned the street. only when the assassin completely disappeared did he secretly heave a sigh of relief. you call yourself a grandmaster? you¡¯re even inferior to third lady.. what the hell¡­ Chapter 56 - Chapter 56: Darling Ye, Take Medicine chapter 56: darling ye, take medicine translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios silver moonlight covered the bluestone street. the storm stopped, leaving only a black-clothed saberman standing in front of the bookstore, facing the circular pit in front of him. the sudden confrontation was actually very short. it only took about ten breaths of time. at this moment, some lights lit up in the academy in the distance. many figures walked out of the houses to check. ye jingtang maintained his posture of drawing his saber at any time. he only retracted his sharp gaze when there was no more movement on the street. he looked down. there was a circular hole in his robe at his heart, revealing the golden page inside. he moved the dragon form picture away. from the hole in his clothes, it could be seen that his left pectoral muscle had been ruptured and that his chest and shoulder were bruised. the blood bodhi had made a misjudgment and suffered a loss, but he was indeed an old grandmaster of jianghu. the force contained in his swift and violent attack was definitely not light. the page of the roaring dragon chart had blocked the stab, and the force had been evenly distributed to half of his left chest. but it had still been like a heavy fist smashing into his chest. the injury wasn¡¯t serious, but it was indeed not good. dongfang liren poked her head out from behind the counter and went to the door of the bookstore to take a look. ¡°ye jingtang, come in quickly. are you injured?¡± ye jingtang patted his chest, sat on the threshold, and raised his hand casually. ¡°i¡¯m fine. your highness, don¡¯t be afraid. the assassin has already been¡ª¡± ¡°who¡¯s afraid?¡± dongfang liren seemed to have forgotten about the matter of hiding behind ye jingtang just now. she half-squatted beside ye jingtang and tilted her head to check. because the jade hairpin on her head had been shattered, her long hair that was like water fell down. her originally heroic face completely revealed the femininity it should have. she was still wearing her slender python robe, but she no longer had the serious aura of a prince. she looked more like a noble princess with fiery red lips. dongfang liren discovered that there was a hole in ye jingtang¡¯s robe and bruises inside. she raised her hand to tear off his clothes. ye jingtang hurriedly pressed down on his collar. ¡°no need, no need. i¡¯m really fine!¡± dongfang liren was very timid when encountering assassins because, as the target of the assassination, she had to protect herself to avoid causing trouble for her guards. in front of ye jingtang, the princess¡¯s aura naturally returned. she narrowed her eyes slightly. ¡°hmm?¡± ye jingtang felt a little helpless facing the domineering princess. he pulled open his collar, revealing half of his chest and shoulders. ¡°i¡¯m really fine. it¡¯s just a small injury.¡± dongfang liren looked at ye jingtang¡¯s muscular chest and shoulder. her gaze was a little strange as she carefully examined his injury. ¡°how did you get injured? why does it look like you were injured by a blunt instrument through a heart-protecting mirror?¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t see it clearly. it might be a unique hidden weapon.¡± ye jingtang casually explained and changed the topic. ¡°who are the green bandits?¡± dongfang liren felt that there was something wrong with the wound, but she didn¡¯t delve into it. she pressed her slender fingers on ye jingtang¡¯s chest and ribs to determine if there was a fracture. ¡°her majesty ascended the throne as a woman, and there are a number of people in the government and the folk who have objections. every few days, assassins will enter the capital to assassinate her majesty¡¯s loyalists and relatives. most of the assassins are like the blood bodhi, bandits of the green forest, so they¡¯re collectively called the green bandits. as for who¡¯s behind the scenes and whether they¡¯re a force, we haven¡¯t found out yet.¡± ye jingtang felt strange when the princess touched his chest, but it wasn¡¯t easy to push her away. he could only treat her as a doctor and ask, ¡°could it be the pacifying heaven cult?¡± ¡°the pacifying heaven cult is just a force in jianghu. they guard a small mountain alone and wish that the imperial court can¡¯t see them. they don¡¯t have such strong skills. in my opinion, the green bandits can only be backed by vassal kings, aristocratic families, or the northern liang imperial court.¡± after dongfang liren spoke for a bit, she suddenly thought of something and scrutinized ye jingtang. ¡°why do you know the heaven equaling saber?¡± ye jingtang was puzzled. ¡°your highness asked me to learn the saber technique from qiu tianhu. why is your highness surprised?¡± ¡°you have only learned it for a few days, yet you can already use it to deal with the blood bodhi?¡± ¡°if you can¡¯t even learn it in four or five days, what¡¯s the point of using a saber?¡± ?! dongfang liren sensed the ¡®contempt* in his words, and her eyes turned cold. ¡°you mean 1 am not worthy of using a saber?¡± well, you¡¯re simply insulting my saber¡­ this was what ye jingtang thought, but he couldn¡¯t say it out loud. ¡°how is that possible? your highness is a quick learner. among the young saber users i know, you¡¯re at least ranked in the top two.¡± when dongfang liren heard this praise, a hint of surprise flashed across her eyes. ¡°really?¡± the only other saber user of the same generation ye jingtang knew was little yunli. according to his estimation, dongfang dumdum might not be as powerful as little yunli, but she was indeed in the top two, so he nodded sincerely. ¡°how could i joke with your highness?¡± dongfang liren was clearly delighted by ye jingtang¡¯s praise. she carefully examined the bones and muscles in ye jingtang¡¯s chest. ¡°it seems that you still have some eyesight, but you¡¯re inexperienced. the opportunity to assassinate me is fleeting. why would the green bandits leave people in the dark? you missed a good opportunity when you retreated just now.¡± ye jingtang naturally knew that he should have continued attacking at the time, but he had only figured out the third move in the afternoon. he didn¡¯t know the fourth move, and he couldn¡¯t casually attack. ¡°my self-created white slash only has three moves at the moment. there are no more moves after the two slashes. had 1 attacked him again, he would have figured out my details, so 1 retreated to put on an act. the next time i encounter the blood bodhi, he will definitely die.¡± dongfang liren was stunned for a moment and felt that something was wrong. ¡°doesn¡¯t your white slash only have one move?¡± ¡°two days ago, while catching the wingless owl, 1 comprehended the second saber move. while i waited for your highness in the afternoon, it was too long and a little boring, so i thought of another move¡­¡± are you speaking in human language? while 1 was taking a bath and putting on makeup, you casually figured out such a domineering saber technique? who are you lying to? dongfang liren stared at him wide-eyed with an indescribable expression. through the reactions of a few grandmasters, ye jingtang had already confirmed that he was slightly smarter than ordinary martial artists. seeing that the princess had been dealt a blow, he comforted her softly. ¡°the reason why 1 comprehend things so quickly is that i¡¯ve been practicing the saber since i was young. i¡¯ve accumulated enough, and i¡¯m eating dividends now. when 1 exhaust my past accumulations, i should be about the same as an ordinary person¡­¡± dongfang liren didn¡¯t know what to say, so she didn¡¯t say anything. she lowered her head and carefully examined his wound. after confirming that ye jingtang didn¡¯t have fractured bones and wasn¡¯t bleeding internally, dongfang liren heaved a sigh of relief. she raised her hands and lifted her long hair hanging loose over her shoulders. ye jingtang thought that the princess was going to tie her hair. but after a quick look, he found that the prince of jing put her hands behind her head, undid her gold necklace, and pulled it out along the collar. but the pendant seemed to be clamped by something. she even used her hand to move the soft lump under the fat-headed dragon through the python robe¡­ ?! ye jingtang hurriedly turned his head and looked straight ahead. dongfang liren¡¯s expression remained the same as she pulled out a small gourd from her collar. the small gourd was made of pure gold and was about the size of a fingertip. after she opened it, he could see a vermillion medicinal pill inside. needless to say, the medicine that the prince of jing carried around her neck was a life-saving divine medicine. it was priceless. ye jingtang hurriedly raised his hand. ¡°there¡¯s no need for your highness¡¯s medicine. 1 have medicine for injuries¡­¡± dongfang liren¡¯s expression was rather serious. she pinched the vermillion pill and ordered in the tone of a queen, ¡°just eat it if 1 tell you to. how can 1 harm you? open your mouth!¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t want to waste it, but dongfang dumdum was quite domineering and wanted to pinch his chin and stuff it in. he could only raise his hand to take it and throw it into his mouth. the pill melted in his mouth, and it still had the warmth of her breasts. the taste was really indescribable. while the two of them were talking, a sound came from the sky. the bird flew back from the river, landed in front of the door, spread its small wings, and waved them. ¡°chirp chirp chirp-¡± ¡°the blood bodhi is very vigilant. he knew that the bird was investigating from the sky and escaped into the water.¡± dongfang liren had been wondering why the bird had disappeared. when she saw this, she was slightly surprised. she raised her hand and stroked the bird. ¡°you¡¯re quite smart.¡± then she stood up and looked around in front of the door, waiting for the guards of the black office to arrive. after ye jingtang took the pill, he felt that his chest and abdomen were soaked in hot water. the swelling pain instantly disappeared, but the price was that he was a little drowsy. afraid that the page of the roaring dragon chart would be discovered if he fell asleep after the medicine took effect, ye jingtang could only wrap it in a cloth and give the bird a look to get the bird to take it home when the opportunity arose. ¡°your highness!¡± ¡°your highness!¡± soon, a commotion came from the river. dongfang liren went out the door, and the bird took the opportunity to grab the cloth bag and fly out of the back window. ye jingtang heaved a sigh of relief.. he no longer resisted his sleepiness and leaned against a bookshelf while holding his saber¡­ Chapter 57 - Chapter 57: This Young Master Is a Fierce Medicine chapter 57: this young master is a fierce medicine translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios under the cold moon and above the cold river, the night wind rustled. the foot of spring morning peak was brightly lit. three thousand imperial guards held powerful bows and crossbows and surrounded the entire clear water villa in a solid formation. outside the entrance of the villa, chief constables of the black office were gathered and guarding everywhere strictly. there were countless officers and constables on both sides of the river, digging three feet into the ground to search for traces of the assassin. a luxurious carriage driven by five horses was parked outside the villa. dongfang liren, dressed in her silver python robe, was standing outside the carriage with her hands behind her back. she said angrily, ¡°is this how you work? there was news of the blood bodhi a month ago. he attempted to assassinate me at her majesty¡¯s feet. you¡¯ve been looking for him for so long but haven¡¯t found anything¡­¡± she long and the other chief constables of the black office were all full of lingering fear. if something had really happened to the prince of jing today, no matter what the reason was, they would have all lost their heads. at this moment, they wished they could enter the carriage and kowtow to hero ye. dongfang liren knew that it had been her own carelessness that had allowed the assassin to find an opportunity, so she didn¡¯t punish the people of the black office. after warning them, she returned to the carriage. the carriage of the prince of the blood was very big, like a small house. a white screen covered the bed. ye jingtang was lying on the bed. his outer robe had been taken off, revealing his well-proportioned upper body muscles, and he was only wearing thin pants. he was sleeping peacefully. a female doctor dressed as a rich madam took his pulse and carefully checked his physical condition. dongfang liren maintained a calm and dignified expression as she went behind the screen and saw ye jingtang¡¯s naked upper body. her face turned red, and she retreated from the screen and sat on the soft couch. looking at ye jingtang¡¯s side profile, she couldn¡¯t help recalling today¡¯s experience. in the afternoon, she had asked ye jingtang to teach her the heaven equaling saber. seeing that he was so clumsy that he couldn¡¯t explain it clearly, she had thought that he was just so-so. she had posed as an expert for a long time, but not long after, she had hidden behind him and watched him use the heaven equaling saber to fight the enemy¡­ now that she thought about it, she felt a little ashamed. she felt like a half-baked scholar who had not studied for a few days and said that a famous scholar couldn¡¯t write. although the scholar didn¡¯t say it on the surface, he had probably ridiculed her countless times in his head¡­ dongfang liren¡¯s eyes were full of displeasure. she really wanted to blame ye jingtang for being dishonest. he didn¡¯t tell her even after he learned it, causing her to be arrogant and make a fool of herself. but when she thought of ye jingtang standing in front of her on the street, and the sense of security she had when she hid behind his back¡­ dongfang liren had only encountered assassins a few times, and they were all resolved by the white-haired diting. she couldn¡¯t even see the assassins¡¯ faces. this feeling of hiding behind a man and being protected is really¡­ it really doesn¡¯t match my image¡­ after some time, the madam stood up. dongfang liren asked, ¡°madam wang, how are his injuries?¡± madam wang was the daughter-in-law of the old imperial physician wang. she usually only treated the imperial family and was dongfang liren¡¯s accompanying doctor. madam wang retracted her fingers and said respectfully, ¡°young master ye¡¯s physique is extremely healthy. even if he didn¡¯t take the angong pill, he would have recovered on his own in three to five days.¡± dongfang liren could tell that madam wang was complaining that she had made a mountain out of a molehill, but she didn¡¯t mind. ¡°he is a martial artist. does he have any old injuries?¡± ¡°young master ye has practiced a lot of martial arts, but he hasn¡¯t learned well, causing his qi meridians to be slightly messy. he just needs to recuperate more and calm his qi.¡± ¡°oh?¡± ¡°second, young master ye¡¯s body is too good, and he¡¯s too diligent in martial arts, resulting in his yang qi being too strong and accumulating in his internal organs. he needs to recuperate in moderation on a daily basis.¡± ¡°hmm?¡± dongfang liren didn¡¯t understand and asked, ¡°what do you mean?¡± madam wang was a little hesitant, but she still explained, ¡°he¡¯s eighteen or nineteen years old and young and vigorous, but he doesn¡¯t have a wife or concubine. if he stifles himself for too long, he will have problems. he has to take appropriate measures to recuperate his body and mind.¡± dongfang liren understood what she meant this time, and a strange look flashed across her eyes. ¡°he¡­ he is so handsome. has he never touched a woman?¡± ¡°i¡¯m not sure about the past, but this year, he must have adhered to the path of a gentleman and didn¡¯t get close to women. hmm¡­ this young master¡¯s physique is too healthy. if he has a wife, she might suffer a little.¡± dongfang liren was baffled. ¡°why? madam wang knew that the prince of jing¡¯s physical condition was very good, but she definitely couldn¡¯t handle young master ye, so she had tactfully reminded her. seeing that the prince of jing, who was still inexperienced, didn¡¯t understand, she explained gently, ¡°it¡¯s harmful to a man¡¯s body to have excessive energy, and it¡¯s the same for women. this young master is a fierce medicine. if his wife¡¯s body is delicate and soft, she won¡¯t be able to withstand the effects of the medicine. she will definitely hide in her maiden home every two or three days.¡± dongfang liren understood what she meant and had a strange look in her eyes. ¡°then, how do we treat it?¡± if this young master¡¯s wife doesn¡¯t mind, she can share the burden with a few concubines. if she minds, she can strengthen her body. but it will be¡­ difficult to catch up to this young master.¡± with that, madam wang left the carriage with the help of a maidservant. dongfang liren waited for the footsteps to disappear before getting up and walking behind the screen. she sat down beside the soft bed and scanned ye jingtang¡¯s face and chest. is he so fierce? he doesn¡¯t look lecherous¡­ no, if someone¡¯s body is too good and energetic, they will be fierce. it has nothing to do with character¡­ the doctor has already explained everything, so he just has to follow the doctor¡¯s orders and quickly find a wife to take care of it¡­ no, he has to find a few¡­ but how can i tell him this? isn¡¯t this pulling a gentleman onto the demonic path¡­ while dongfang liren was in a daze, a sound came from outside the carriage. ¡°your highness, lord wang of the imperial capital government has arrived.¡± the blood bodhi had yet to be brought to justice. dongfang liren had to mobilize the capital¡¯s guards to seal the entrances and exits of the capital. she quickly restrained her distracting thoughts and took a thin blanket from the bed to cover ye jingtang¡­ when it was almost midnight, a dense army of imperial guards was surrounding clear water villa, ready to send the empress dowager and the prince of jing back to the capital to prevent any more accidents. the officials who had rushed over from the capital were reporting matters to dongfang liren by the river and listening to her orders. inside clear water villa, a carved carriage carried by eight eunuchs slowly walked out under the protection of the imperial guards. the empress dowager had fallen asleep after soaking in the hot spring. she was really not in a good mood to be pulled out of bed in the middle of the night. but after learning that something had happened to the prince of jing, she didn¡¯t complain. she was well-behaved as she was escorted back to the palace and ended her trip of relaxation. the empress dowager was wearing a gorgeous phoenix dress. with the help of the palace maid hongyu, she boarded the carriage and muttered to hongyu with a hint of sleepiness, ¡°those thieves really know how to pick a date. fortunately, everyone is safe and sound¡­¡± as soon as she entered the carriage, she saw a man covered by a thin blanket lying on the soft bed behind the screen. she could see his handsome face. he exuded a cold and stern temperament from the inside out, and he was much more attractive than in the portrait. i the empress dowager was no longer sleepy. she quickly folded her hands at her waist and assumed the posture of a dignified and noble empress dowager. ¡°this young master¡­ are you asleep?¡± finding that the man¡¯s eyes were closed, the empress dowager stopped talking and walked to the screen. hongyu followed behind with small steps. she wanted to remind the empress dowager to avoid taboos, but when she saw the man¡¯s appearance, she dismissed the idea. she walked up to him sneakily and stretched her head forward to size him up. ¡°wow, this young master is really¡­¡± as she spoke, she reached out to touch ye jingtang¡¯s arm. the empress dowager was slightly displeased. she patted the back of hongyu¡¯s hand. ¡°are you in heat? have you gone crazy from holding it in in the palace?¡± aren¡¯t you the same¡­ hongyu quickly retracted her hand and looked at him curiously. ¡°could this young master be the prince of jing¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°most likely. she¡¯s thin-skinned, so don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± the empress dowager¡¯s posture was dignified and elegant. her perfectly curvy buttocks rested on the round stool as she carefully sized up ye jingtang¡¯s appearance. perhaps she wanted to see how serious his injury was, so she even raised her hand to lift the thin blanket. but just as her hand moved, hurried footsteps and dongfang liren¡¯s voice sounded from outside. ¡°empress dowager, why did you come out yourself?¡± the empress dowager retracted her hand in shock. she hurriedly stood up and put on the dignified posture that an empress dowager should have. she waited for dongfang liren to enter before saying unhurriedly, ¡°you were busy, so i came out by myself. this is young master ye, right? how is his injury?¡± dongfang liren went over and escorted the empress dowager out. ¡°there¡¯s a mess outside. he risked his life to protect me. he¡¯s slightly injured and needs to recuperate. let¡¯s go out and talk!¡± the empress dowager felt that she was being pushed out. she couldn¡¯t help feeling helpless, but she couldn¡¯t say anything. she could only obediently walk out¡­ late at night. somewhere downstream of clear river, a lone boat was floating on the sparkling river. there was no one on the boat. clatter! with a splash, the reflection of the silver moon shattered. a figure crawled up from the left side of the boat like a water ghost, flipped into the small boat, threw his iron cane to the side, picked up the medicine he had prepared, and bandaged his right ear. the old man had traveled jianghu his entire life and had never revealed his real name. he had almost forgotten his name. the people of jianghu gave him the nickname ¡®blood bodhi¡¯, so he also called himself blood bodhi. the title of blood bodhi had made people tremble in fear in the jianghu of the heavenly south more than ten years ago. his most famous feat was assassinating a grandmaster of the seven mysteries sect of the heavenly south. dozens of first and second-rate experts had died at his hands. it was not until he assassinated the governor of chong province and offended the imperial court and the heavenly south¡¯s jianghu simultaneously that he ran to northern liang. as an assassin who had long retired from jianghu, the blood bodhi didn¡¯t lack money at all. he didn¡¯t owe anyone any favor even though he had traveled thousands of kilometers alone. it wasn¡¯t easy to get him to return to jianghu. the reason the blood bodhi returned from northern liang this time and accepted the business of assassinating the prince of jing was that the green bandits had given him an offer he couldn¡¯t refuse: the roaring dragon chart. the blood bodhi was over 70 years old. if nothing went wrong, his soul would return to the earth in a few years. as a top expert who had roamed jianghu unrestrained his entire life, who didn¡¯t want to return to the peak and be carefree for 60 years? although the green bandits didn¡¯t promise the longevity picture, any one of the nine pages of the roaring dragon chart could improve one¡¯s physique and extend one¡¯s lifespan. at first, the blood bodhi didn¡¯t believe it. but in the face of the insurmountable barrier of life and death, he still came to the capital and met the contact. the contact called himself ¡®yan bugui¡¯, and there was a high chance that he was from the capital. the green bandits didn¡¯t lie. yan bugui had shown him a side that far exceeded ordinary people. he had a strong physique and extraordinary strength. he had practiced the dragon form picture in the roaring dragon chart. the blood bodhi decided to help the green bandits assassinate the empress¡¯s sister at all costs to learn the dragon form picture. but it was impossible for yan bugui to pay first, and it was still unknown when he would be able to learn it. but today, the blood bodhi had suddenly made an unexpected discovery. just now, he had stabbed his opponent¡¯s chest with his iron cane but failed to break through his defense. the other party must have placed something on his chest. the material of that thing was unbelievably tough. it was definitely not a heart-protecting mirror made of gold and iron. from the young saberman¡¯s reaction, he was extremely confident in the item on his chest, knowing that no matter what method the blood bodhi used, it was impossible to pierce it. the blood bodhi had roamed jianghu his entire life and had heard of all kinds of strange divine weapons. regarding this ¡®small and paper-thin item that even grandmasters of jianghu couldn¡¯t break through the defense of¡¯, the first thing that came to his mind was the heavenly book he dreamed of. if that young saberman really had a page of the roaring dragon chart on him, judging from the fact that his martial arts skills and age didn¡¯t match at all, it was very likely to be the legendary ¡®beauty-retaining picture¡¯. if he learned it, he could return to his youth, and it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for him to reach a hundred years old¡­ when the blood bodhi thought of this, his heart stirred as he looked in the direction of yun¡¯an city. but when he thought of the young saberman¡¯s extremely domineering saber technique and extremely steady personality, the blood bodhi felt his scalp tingle and calmed down for the time being. after all, if it weren¡¯t for the fact that the other party was too steady today, not to mention longevity, it would have been his death anniversary next year¡­ and no one would have burned paper for him¡­ Chapter 58 - Chapter 58: Empress of Great Wei! chapter 58: empress of great wei! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios unknowingly, it was dawn. sunlight shone through the window paper and sprinkled on the luxurious room. there was no noise at all. only the faint fragrance of sleep-assisting incense rose from the gilded incense burner on the dressing table. under the effect of the medicine, ye jingtang slept very deeply. he didn¡¯t dream the entire night. after sensing the light, he opened his eyes and saw the ¡®roof¡¯ carved with dragon and phoenix patterns above him. he thought that he was sleeping in a small house. when he sat up to check, he found that he was lying in an extremely beautifully crafted ¡®babu bed¡¯. the large bed was made of nanmu wood and covered with a bright yellow blanket. it was very soft and wouldn¡¯t feel crowded even with four people sleeping on it¡­ outside the bed was a wooden platform with wooden railings. there were even windows installed on both sides, forming a corridor. on the right side of the corridor was a dressing table. on it were jewelry boxes and cosmetics in colored porcelain containers. it could be said that from waking up to dressing up, one could do it without their feet touching the floor. for such an exaggerated woman¡¯s babu bed, there was no need to guess who the owner was. ye jingtang looked himself up and down. he thought that dongfang dumdum had slept with him, so he lowered his head and checked his body. he was wearing a white sleeping robe. his clothes and saber were gone, and there was a pair of house shoes on the floor. the dark bruises on his chest had subsided, and he was fine. who changed my clothes¡­ ye jingtang tried to recall the scene last night. but after he fell asleep, it was a dreamless night. he thought about it and decided to forget it. after putting on the shoes and looking around the room, he opened the window. it was obvious that he was on the fourth floor of jasper pavilion. outside the window were the buildings of the city and the majestic imperial city. it was rare to see the interior of the imperial city. a strange look flashed across ye jingtang¡¯s eyes. he looked up, wanting to find the ginkgo tree that his foster father had mentioned. unfortunately, the imperial city was too big, and greenery was everywhere. it was really not easy to find a tree. after looking for a long time, he couldn¡¯t find a ginkgo tree. instead, he saw a team of nearly a hundred people escorting a golden carriage out from the back of the hall of the supreme principle in the middle. the distance was too far, so it was impossible to confirm if the empress was sitting in the carriage covered by the bead curtain. but from the looks of it, it was most likely her. ye jingtang looked around for a moment, then closed the window and searched the building for traces of the prince of jing. but as soon as he walked out of the bedroom, he found a few rows of bookshelves in the outer room. there were many wooden boxes with small mahogany cards hanging on them, which read: double buddha arms, zhou family sword spectrum, clasping yuan art, roaming dragon spear¡­ what the¡­ ye jingtang immediately perked up. it was as if he had seen a row of beautiful women with voluptuous bodies. he walked to the bookshelves and sized them up. but before he could look through the martial arts manuals, he found a red sandalwood box at the bottom of a bookshelf. there was no signboard, and it looked familiar, so he took out the red sandalwood box and opened it. as expected¡­ ye jingtang looked at the bookshelf that contained martial arts manuals and was slightly puzzled. this is where the prince of jingkeeps martial arts manuals¡­ why did the prince of jingput this thing with them? could there be something special about this item, and it records some unique martial arts? ye jingtang thought that his comprehension ability was not bad. puzzled, he picked up the jade object and examined it. as if he were studying the roaring dragon chart, he began to research the ¡®mr. horn¡¯. although he felt weird, when practicing martial arts, one couldn¡¯t care about trifles¡­ on another side, in the imperial city¡­ under the warm sun, civil and military officials in various official robes filed out of the imperial city. behind the hall of the supreme principle, a hundred palace servants were surrounding a carriage and walking toward the eternal joy palace. the carriage carried by 16 people had dragons, phoenixes, and auspicious beasts carved on the outside and a golden bead curtain. it looked dignified and imposing. however, the empress of great wei, who was sitting in the carriage, was not very solemn. not only was she not sitting upright, but she even placed her left leg on her right leg, leaned on the armrest, and supported the side of her face with the back of her hand. the twelve tassels made of jade beads in front of the emperor¡¯s crown were swaying diagonally in front of her. with the bead curtain covering her, the empress of great wei couldn¡¯t be seen clearly. but judging from her figure, she was about the same height as the prince of jing, and her breasts and hips were quite well-rounded. she didn¡¯t look delicate at all in the dragon robe but rather gave off a special kind of domineering aura. when she arrived near the palace where she usually lived, a question came from the carriage. ¡°liren was assassinated last night. how is the investigation going?¡± an old eunuch walking beside the carriage bowed and said, ¡°your majesty, the prince of jing has ordered the black office to seal the city and search for him. there is no news yet.¡± ¡°liren has always been steady. why did she run to white horse academy and let the rebel find an opportunity?¡± ¡°according to the prince of jing¡¯s report, she accompanied the empress dowager to relax at clear water villa yesterday. in the evening, she had nothing to do and practiced lightness skills. inadvertently, she arrived at white horse academy without any guards, which gave the rebel a chance to attack.¡± ¡°the blood bodhi is quite famous in the green forest. liren is definitely not his match. how could she escape danger?¡± ¡°uh¡­¡± the old eunuch bowed slightly. ¡°the prince of jing only said that a friend who came with her risked his life to protect her. she didn¡¯t report the details. however, 1 heard from imperial physician wang that the person who accompanied her was a young master surnamed ye from the capital. and he¡¯s very handsome.¡± ¡°a young master¡­¡± after a moment of silence, the empress sighed softly. ¡°this girl has really grown up. she even dares to hide things from me.¡± ¡°shall this old servant ask the prince of jing to enter the palace?¡± ¡°no need. liren was assassinated yesterday and was frightened. 1 will go over and visit her.¡± ¡°yps; ¡± the warm sunlight shone through the window of jasper pavilion. ye jingtang stood by the window and used the light to carefully observe the patterns of the jade object, trying to figure out the truth of the heavenly dao contained in it. perhaps because he was too engrossed in his research, he didn¡¯t hear any movements. a woman¡¯s voice suddenly sounded from behind, breaking the silence. ¡°who are you? why are you here?¡± her voice was very majestic and charming. it was completely different from dongfang liren¡¯s cold and dignified older sister voice, but the nobility and self-confidence of being in a high position for a long time in the voice were even better. ye jingtang didn¡¯t expect this at all. when he heard the voice, he was really startled. he quickly turned around and hid his hands behind his waist. then his wrist shook slightly, and he threw the jade object out of the window¡­ swish! plop! it sounded like he had thrown it into the garden lake¡­ ye jingtang was quite mentally strong. his expression didn¡¯t change at all as he maintained a cold and extraordinary expression and looked up. at the staircase separated by a few rows of bookshelves, a woman in red had appeared at some point. the woman was wearing a fiery red dress, and her belt sash was also bright red. the entire dress didn¡¯t have any patterns or pendants, but it was more gorgeous than any complicated decorations. it was as if there was an additional flame in the room that was difficult to ignore. as long as she existed, she would always be the focus. everything else was just the background. the woman¡¯s almond-shaped eyes were crystal clear and faintly glistening. they were so clear that one could clearly see their reflection in her eyes. her lips were not rouged, but they were naturally rosy. her hair was tied up simply with a headband and draped over her back, making her look simple and pure. as for her figure, the bulge above her big red waist and the perfect round curves below her waist, the ratio was so good that her dress couldn¡¯t suppress it. he didn¡¯t dare to imagine what she would look like if she took it off¡­ the temperament of this woman gave off a very special feeling. it was like a thorny flower and a soul-stirring poison. it was tempting and attractive, but no one dared to touch it. ye jingtang was slightly puzzled and asked, ¡°and you are, miss?¡± when the great wei empress saw ye jingtang¡¯s appearance, she knew that he was the ¡®young master ye¡¯ who had protected her sister yesterday. seeing that the other party didn¡¯t recognize her, the empress didn¡¯t reveal her identity. she restrained the pressure in her expression and turned into a graceful red-clothed woman. she walked forward. ¡°i am a female official in the palace. 1 was ordered to visit her highness the prince of jing. who are you?¡± the empress was about the same height as the prince of jing, but her temperament was the complete opposite. she had come to jasper pavilion alone and wasn¡¯t wearing a dragon robe. just based on her height alone, it was difficult to associate her with the empress of great wei, who ruled an empire. when ye jingtang heard that she was from the palace, he immediately understood and explained, ¡°i am ye jingtang. my home is at heavenly water bridge. yesterday, i went out with her highness and encountered an assassin. after taking medicine, i fell asleep and woke up here¡­¡± the empress shifted her gaze to ye jingtang¡¯s hands behind his waist. ¡°this is her highness¡¯s private library. the dossiers and martial arts manuals here are all confidential secrets. are you peeking?¡± ye jingtang took out his hands, indicating that his hands were empty. ¡°miss, you¡¯ve misunderstood. i¡­¡± his words came to an abrupt halt. the empress shifted her gaze to the empty red sandalwood box beside him.. ¡°is that so?¡± Chapter 59 - Chapter 59: As Long as You’re Bold… chapter 59: as long as you¡¯re bold¡­ translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°uh¡­¡± ye jingtang glanced at the empty red sandalwood box and felt slightly embarrassed. ¡°this box is quite special. um¡­ miss, you can report this matter to her highness. 1¡¯11 explain it to her later.¡± the empress didn¡¯t probe further into ye jingtang¡¯s ridiculous actions just now. she turned around and sized up the bookshelves. ¡°young master, you stayed overnight at jasper pavilion and even dared to touch her highness¡¯s personal belongings. it seems you have a deep relationship with her highness.¡± ye jingtang had nothing to do with the prince of jing. if the people in the palace misunderstood him and the news reached the empress, there would be trouble. heroine luo would probably stab him to death when she came back! ¡°i¡¯m just a foster son of a merchant family, and i just entered the capital at the beginning of the month. 1 have some martial arts skills that her highness appreciates, so i¡¯ve helped the black office with some cases. yesterday¡­¡± ye jingtang explained seriously why he was here. but the empress didn¡¯t listen at all. even though what ye jingtang said was uninteresting, her sister¡¯s attitude toward him was already unusual since she could let a man sleep in jasper pavilion. ¡°you¡¯re not bad-looking, and you have such skills at such a young age, so you¡¯re quite capable. do you want to be the prince consort of the black office?¡± ye jingtang hurriedly shook his head. ¡°i¡¯m a foster son of the pei family of heavenly water bridge. 1 am a businessman, so 1 can¡¯t avoid running into trouble on a daily basis. i came to the black office purely to make friends and find a big tree to take shelter in. her highness has a high status and extraordinary looks. our families and statuses are unsuitable. how could 1 dare to have such thoughts?¡± the empress felt that ye jingtang wasn¡¯t lying. she nodded slightly and said, ¡°it¡¯s true that her highness values martial arts, but her highness was born into the imperial family and has seen too many people with high martial arts skills. lu taiqing and daoist xuanji of void jade mountain are both her highness¡¯s masters. no matter how powerful ordinary martial artists are, in the eyes of her highness, they¡¯re just thugs. if you want to build a relationship with her highness, you¡¯d better find another way.¡± ye jingtang was slightly surprised. ¡°miss, you want to give me advice?¡± the empress revealed a smile. she hugged her chest and rested her buttocks on the desk, looking like a female ceo instructing her subordinate. ¡°although her highness dances with spears and staves all day long, her highness has good ¡®literary talent¡¯. her highness is proficient in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. young master, when you talk about martial arts, her highness can¡¯t teach you much. but if you are proficient in zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and song, her highness can chat with you for half a day.¡± seeing that this woman was from the palace, ye jingtang actually wanted to ask about the situation in the palace. but these questions were too sensitive, and he couldn¡¯t find a chance to bring them up. when he heard her talk about poetry, he began to think of a way to get information. ¡°i know a little about poetry.¡± ¡°oh?¡± the empress looked up, slightly surprised. ¡°i really couldn¡¯t tell. young master, can you compose a poem for me to comment on? if you have real talent and knowledge, i will help you tell her highness that 1 unintentionally heard you express your feelings. if it¡¯s a casual work, it will save you from embarrassing yourself in front of her highness.¡± ye jingtang placed one hand behind his back, looked at the palace outside the window, and pondered for a moment. ¡°hmm¡­ wait till the double ninth day in fall comes around, i¡¯ll bloom when other flowers¡¯re to be withered and gone. the rushing fragrance is sure to sweep through¡­ through yun¡¯an, and there¡¯ll be golden armor spreading all o¡¯er th¡¯ town¡­?¡± ? the empress was stunned for a moment. after she thought about it carefully, a thought-provoking look slowly appeared in her eyes. why did this poem sound like a rebel poem? in the future, if you want to send troops to yun¡¯an and usurp my position¡­ you wrote this thing and even read it in front of me. aren¡¯t you afraid that 1 will castrate you¡­ seeing that ye jingtang didn¡¯t know her identity, the empress didn¡¯t show any surprise. ¡°did you write this poem?¡± ye jingtang shook his head and smiled. ¡°i¡¯m a martial artist. i¡¯m not good at literature. 1 happened to remember this poem and recited it out of feeling. what do you think, miss?¡± ¡°recited it out of feeling¡­ young master, could it be that you have some bumpy experiences with unfulfilled ambitions? for example, the imperial court has treated you unfairly. one day, you want to¡­¡± ¡°miss, you¡¯re joking. 1 just thought it was suitable for you, so i recited it to you.¡± suitable?the empress was slightly stunned, and a strange look appeared in her eyes. if someone had written this poem for her, it would indeed be quite suitable. she and liren had been born princesses. although they were shockingly talented, intelligent since childhood, and deeply loved by their father, females were destined not to be able to show their talents on stage. after their father, the emperor, passed away, his eldest son succeeded to the throne. out of old resentment, he even wanted to marry the two sisters to the enemy country, northern liang. after that, she came out with ¡®golden armor spreading all o¡¯er th¡¯ town¡¯, washed the imperial court with blood, abolished her brother, and sat on the throne that only men could sit on since ancient times. from then on, she was no longer subject to anyone, any rules, or any etiquette, and became the emperor of this dynasty. the empress thought that ye jingtang had seen through her identity, so he showed off his literary talent to please her, wanting to enter the palace to be her bed-warming beauty. but after she carefully observed ye jingtang, it didn¡¯t seem like it. she asked, ¡°what do you mean?¡± ye jingtang looked out of the window and sighed softly. ¡°i heard that the women in the palace are all the women of the emperor, but our majesty probably won¡¯t favor women. miss, you are so beautiful, but you have to live alone in the palace for half your life. isn¡¯t this like a scholar who¡¯s depressed and frustrated? but with your speech and appearance, i think that one day, you will definitely be able to ¡®bloom when other flowers¡¯re to be withered and gone¡¯¡­¡± ? this time, the empress understood what he meant. this audacious young master ye in front of her was trying to flirt with her because she was beautiful! the empress raised her eyebrows slightly and sized up ye jingtang¡¯s figure. ¡°the palace isn¡¯t as lonely as you say. if a palace maid isn¡¯t favored, she can leave the palace to marry at the age of twenty-five. i¡¯m still in the palace because 1 don¡¯t fancy a man outside.¡± ye jingtang only wanted to start the conversation. following this line, he asked, ¡°is the palace very interesting? other than serving people, what else can you do?¡± ¡°everyone has their own duties. they take care of the palaces, halls, pavilions, courtyards, flowers, and plants. the palace is so big. when they¡¯re free, they can walk around.¡± the place where palace maids could stroll around was definitely not the core area where the emperor appeared. ye jingtang looked at the palace and asked, ¡°is that so? 1 see that the palace is full of houses, and there¡¯s no special scenery. where do you usually go?¡± the empress raised her fair finger and pointed at the imperial garden behind the palace. ¡°there. do you see it? it¡¯s to the right of the longevity palace.¡± ye jingtang looked up and saw that it was at the northwest corner of the imperial city. just as he was about to nod, he looked carefully and found a big tree in the area that the woman was pointing at. the trunk was probably dozens of feet wide and was already taller than the palace. ye jingtang¡¯s heart stirred as he asked, ¡°that tree is huge. what kind of tree is it?¡± ¡°it¡¯s a ginkgo tree that¡¯s more than twelve hundred years old. it was planted by emperor xuan¡¯s beloved concubine.¡± ¡°twelve hundred years old?¡± ye jingtang¡¯s eyes were amazed, but he was pleasantly surprised in his heart. his foster father¡¯s letter had only mentioned the ginkgo tree and didn¡¯t mention anything else. the ginkgo tree that hid the roaring dragon chart was most likely this one. although it was still out of reach, he could at least see the place with his naked eye. ye jingtang memorized the location of the thousand-year-old ginkgo tree and began to size up the surrounding terrain¡­ the empress saw ye jingtang sizing up the ginkgo tree and asked, ¡°do you want to go over and take a look?¡± ?! ye jingtang hurriedly retracted his gaze and smiled. ¡°this is the first time i¡¯ve heard of a twelve-hundred-year-old tree. i¡¯m surely curious. but that¡¯s the harem. as a man, how can i dare to go in? miss, can you let me take a look?¡± the empress naturally could, but she didn¡¯t say it explicitly. instead, she said, ¡°that poem just now was not bad, but the killing intent was too strong, and there was a feeling of rebellion. don¡¯t spout nonsense in the future. i¡¯ll pretend i¡¯ve never heard it.¡± ¡°if you don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate, i naturally won¡¯t mention it.¡± ¡°young master, excuse me. i have to head down. let¡¯s meet again if fate allows.¡± ye jingtang¡¯s mind was completely focused on the ginkgo tree, so he didn¡¯t ask this memorable female official to stay. but just as the woman was about to disappear from the stairs, he felt that knowing someone from the palace might be helpful in digging up the roaring dragon chart in the future. ¡°it¡¯s fate that we met. may 1 ask for your name?¡± the empress walked gracefully and looked at ye jingtang meaningfully. only when her figure disappeared did she say, ¡°yuhu.¡± ye jingtang felt that this name was strange, but for some reason, he felt that it suited this woman¡¯s temperament. she was exquisite like jade and grandiose like a tiger¡­ of course, this tiger wasn¡¯t a tigress. it was the kind of tiger that said, ¡®women are tigers ?¡¯¡­ ye jingtang waited until the woman¡¯s footsteps disappeared before coming to the window to observe the scenic lake and look for the jade object he had thrown down. there was a maid walking by the lake, so he would definitely be discovered if he went into the water to fish for the mr. horn. while he was thinking about countermeasures, a maidservant suddenly ran upstairs with his robe and saber. ¡°young master ye, her highness asked you to go back to your residence first. her highness will summon you when her highness is done. hurry up and change your clothes. 1 will send you out of the estate.¡± ¡°hmm?¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t expect that the prince of jing would ask him to leave without even meeting him. he couldn¡¯t forcibly stay. he looked at the lake in the garden and wanted to pick it up when he went out. unexpectedly, the maidservant didn¡¯t bring him through the main entrance. instead, she sneakily took him out of the side door used by servants and sent him to the back street as if he couldn¡¯t be seen¡­ Chapter 60 - Chapter 60: You Are My Biological Sister chapter 60: you are my biological sister translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios in the main hall of the black office, the atmosphere was solemn. a few civilian staff were summarizing news while chief constables were on standby. once there was news, they would immediately set off to patrol. dongfang liren was sitting upright in front of the hall, commanding and dispatching people. after being assassinated last night, she thought that the empress would call her into the palace to reprimand her and had been waiting for the imperial edict. but what she didn¡¯t expect was that the edict-bearer from the palace didn¡¯t come. instead, a maidservant from the prince of jing estate ran to the hall and whispered in her ear, ¡°your highness, her majesty has come¡­¡± ¡°uh?!¡± there was a man hiding in dongfang liren¡¯s bed. when she heard this, her beautiful face naturally turned pale. she asked nervously, ¡°is her majesty in jasper pavilion?¡± ¡°no, her majesty is waiting for your highness in the garden. her majesty wants your highness to go over quickly.¡± dongfang liren secretly heaved a sigh of relief. she hurriedly got up and tidied her clothes. after walking out of the hall of the black office, she whispered, ¡°hurry up and tell ye jingtang to go back. leave through the back door. don¡¯t let her majesty see you.¡± ¡°yes, your highness.¡± after making arrangements, dongfang liren suppressed the chaotic emotions in her heart and slowly walked through jasper pavilion with her maidservants to the garden of the prince¡¯s estate. the estate garden was very large. there was a lake on the side of jasper pavilion, with tens of thousands of colorful koi fish. in the veranda by the lake, the great wei empress, who was wearing a red dress, was leaning against the railing, holding a porcelain cup in her hand and feeding the fish. several maidservants of the estate were standing respectfully not far away with their heads lowered, awaiting orders. dongfang liren got the maidservants to retreat and went forward alone. ¡°sister, why are you here?¡± the empress looked at the koi in the pool and said in an intimate tone, ¡°you were assassinated by a rebel yesterday, so i naturally came to visit you. sit down.¡± dongfang liren hesitated for a moment before sitting down beside her. her silver fat-headed dragon python robe and the empress¡¯s red dress looked like ice and fire. ¡°did you just go to jasper pavilion to look for me?¡± ¡°i saw that you were busy with work in the black office, so 1 didn¡¯t go up.¡± ¡°oh¡­¡± dongfang liren felt relieved. ¡°nothing happened to me last night. it¡¯s just that the assassin hasn¡¯t been found yet. i will definitely do my best to capture the rebel¡­¡± the empress turned her head and looked at her good sister beside her. ¡°who protected you last night? to be able to protect you from the blood bodhi, this person is quite capable.¡± dongfang liren didn¡¯t dare to deceive the empress blatantly. after some thought, she said, ¡°it¡¯s a new helper from the black office. his name is ye jingtang, and he¡¯s a child of a merchant family of heavenly water bridge. his martial arts skills are not bad. i¡¯m prepared to take him into the black office and let him hold an important position¡­¡± ¡°his vigilance is so high, and he¡¯s loyal and unafraid of death. naturally, he has to be entrusted with heavy responsibilities. the rebel hasn¡¯t been caught yet. if he infiltrates the palace and causes trouble, it won¡¯t be easy to explain to the court officials. get ye jingtang to patrol the imperial city with the experts of the black office. the empress dowager is timid and was frightened yesterday. let him often patrol the surroundings of the longevity palace so that the empress dowager can sleep peacefully.¡± hmm? dongfang liren was baffled. it was fine to patrol the palace, but getting ye jingtang to go to the empress dowager¡¯s residence to patrol, wasn¡¯t this inviting a wolf into the house¡­ no, sending a sheep into the tiger¡¯s den? if the empress dowager, who was lonely, discovered him, could she still sleep? it wasn¡¯t easy to say this out loud, so dongfang liren only said tactfully, ¡°ye jingtang protected me last night and was injured¡­¡± the empress had just seen the energetic ye jingtang and asked with concern, ¡°is his injury serious? do you want to send an imperial physician to take a look?¡± dongfang liren found it difficult to answer. she hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°it¡¯s not too serious. he should be able to do patrols. i will arrange it later. hmm¡­ the blood bodhi is really powerful. if i stay in the estate, i will be worried about the people 1 send to the imperial city making mistakes. 1¡¯11 enter the palace to accompany you for the next two days to prevent the subordinates from being distracted.¡± the empress could tell that her sister wanted to run to the palace and continue to be sweet with her lover. she got ye jingtang to enter the palace to patrol just to fulfill his desire to see the thousand-year-old ancient tree, but she didn¡¯t say anything about this. ¡°alright. there¡¯s a lot of work in the court recently. with your help, i can be more free. speaking of which, you¡¯re not young anymore. you should choose a husband. have you found anyone recently?¡± dongfang liren sat up straighter. ¡°sister, why are you bringing this up again? you don¡¯t even have anyone to sleep with. as your sister, if i have a good candidate, i should give him to you first. how can i beat you to it?¡± ? liren, do you really have the cheek to say that?the empress took a deep look at her younger sister. she didn¡¯t say what was in her mind and didn¡¯t expose her. she just looked at the lake. ¡°hehe~ i¡¯m just afraid that you¡¯ll be anxious and do something stupid.¡± ¡°sister, you¡¯re thinking too much. why would i be anxious¡­ anxious¡­¡± dongfang liren looked at the fish food that the empress had thrown out and saw that at the bottom of the clear lake, there was a¡­ a¡­ dongfang liren¡¯s cold, arrogant, and noble face stiffened, and her eyes were full of shock and confusion! the empress sighed softly. ¡°an item used in the boudoir can be seen in the garden. 1 really don¡¯t dare to think about how many things are hidden in the house.¡± dongfang liren¡¯s scalp went numb. she recalled that the empress dowager had said yesterday that she wanted hongyu to throw this dirty thing away¡­ that wretched girl hongyu threw it at my door?! is there something wrong with her brain¡­ seeing that her sister had misunderstood, dongfang liren hurriedly explained, ¡°no, no. sister, listen to my explanation. the empress dowager asked someone to throw this thing away¡­¡± the empress had seen ye jingtang destroy the corpse with her own eyes. seeing her sister still pushing the blame to the empress dowager, she felt even more speechless. ¡°sigh, you¡¯re not young anymore. it¡¯s normal for you to yearn for the love between a man and a woman. if there¡¯s a man you like, tell me. no matter what, it¡¯s better than a stone to warm your heart¡­¡± seeing that her sister didn¡¯t believe her, dongfang liren couldn¡¯t say anything. she could only explain the ins and outs of this item in detail before instructing coldly, ¡°someone, come scoop this thing up and throw it away. then pull wang chihu out and flog him twenty times. if he dares to come up with any bad ideas in the future¡­¡± the empress originally thought that her sister and ye jingtang had already developed to the point of using props to liven things up in bed. but when she saw liren¡¯s innocent reaction from embarrassment to anger, she felt that it didn¡¯t seem like it. the empress shook her head and said, ¡°forget it. wang chihu¡¯s original intention was to get rid of evil for the people. i was just joking with you. are you sure you don¡¯t have someone in mind?¡± dongfang liren didn¡¯t want to talk to her sister about this topic at all. she changed the topic. ¡°no, let¡¯s not talk about this. hmm¡­ sister, you like poetry the most. what good works have you heard recently? tell me. i¡¯ll help you comment.¡± the empress leaned against the railing and caressed her forehead. the helplessness between her brows was evident. ¡°okay. wait till the double ninth day in fall comes around, i¡¯ll bloom when other flowers¡¯re to be withered and gone. the rushing fragrance is sure to sweep through yun¡¯an, and there¡¯ll be golden armor spreading all o¡¯er th¡¯ town. what do you think?¡± dongfang liren was proficient in poetry and song. when she heard the poem, her brows turned solemn. ¡°this poem is filled with killing intent. it seems to have dissatisfaction with the court¡­ who wrote it? i¡¯ll capture this person and interrogate them.¡± ¡°no need.¡± the empress threw some fish food into the lake. ¡°the upper echelons have to be tolerant. if we don¡¯t allow others to write, don¡¯t allow them to speak anywhere, and imprison them on groundless accusations, it means that we have guilty consciences. i have never cared about the writings of scholars.¡± ¡°sister, you are wise¡­¡± Chapter 61 - Chapter 61: So It Was You Who Threw It! chapter 61: so it was you who threw it! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after leaving the prince of jing estate, ye jingtang had breakfast on the street and returned to dye workshop street. he led his horse into the courtyard and looked up to see the white bird squatting on the steps. there was a pile of small wooden boxes in front of it, containing dried meat, fish, and so on. seeing him return, the bird politely used its wings to gesture at the snacks. ¡°chirp-¡± the meaning was probably: do you want some? ¡°who bought it for you?¡± ¡°chirp chirp chirp-¡± the bird spread its wings and made the gesture for sister big chest. after such a huge incident yesterday, third lady must have heard the news and came to visit. there was no sign of third lady in the courtyard. it seemed that she had guessed he wouldn¡¯t return from the prince of jing estate in a short time and had already returned to heavenly water bridge. he went to the steps and jumped up. from the birdhouse under the eaves, he took out the page of the roaring dragon chart that the bird had hidden. luo ning and zhe yunli were not at home, and it was really boring to stay home alone. after ye jingtang watered the flowers and plants luo ning planted, he carried the bird and prepared to go to heavenly water bridge to report his safety to third lady. but to his surprise, before he could walk out of dye workshop street, a fast horse came running over from the street. sitting on it was a constable from the black office. he dismounted and said, ¡°young master ye, her highness the prince of jing invites you over.¡± ye jingtang had just returned from the prince¡¯s estate. when he heard this, his heart sank. could the prince of jing have discovered that the mr. horn is missing and asked me to go over to question me? ye jingtang was indeed in the wrong. without any delay, he mounted his horse again and returned to jasper pavilion. this time, he didn¡¯t go through the back door of the black office. the constable led him straight to the main entrance of the prince of jing estate. there were imperial guards standing guard along the street, and there were even more guards at the entrance of the estate. not only were there many maidservants standing there, but dongfang liren, who was wearing her silver python robe, was personally standing at the foot of the stairs and looking up. seeing this from afar, ye jingtang quickly dismounted and walked to the entrance of the majestic estate. ¡°greetings, your highness. your highness can just get someone to greet me. why go out to welcome me in person?¡± dongfang liren had a smile on her face. when ye jingtang arrived in front of her, she walked into the estate side by side with him. ¡°don¡¯t say such formal words. yesterday, you risked your life to save me. 1 originally wanted to wait for you to wake up and thank you in person, but someone from the imperial court came, so 1 could only get you to go back first. don¡¯t worry.¡± when ye jingtang heard that someone had come from the palace, he thought that miss yuhu had told on him. so without waiting for the prince of jing to ask, he directly confessed his crime. ¡°speaking of which, i have committed a crime. when i woke up earlier, i strolled around jasper pavilion and discovered a red sandalwood box on a bookshelf. inside was¡­ eh?¡± before ye jingtang could finish speaking, he suddenly saw the arrogant and noble dongfang dumdum abruptly stop in her tracks, turn around, and grab his collar with her hands. her eyes were brimming with anger, and her eyebrows were bristling! the surrounding maidservants hurriedly lowered their heads. the bird shrank its neck! ye jingtang was confused. he raised his hands and explained, ¡°i didn¡¯t lose anything. i threw it into the lake¡­ huh?!¡± thud! there was a soft sound. dongfang liren¡¯s fat-headed dragon was about to explode from anger. she pressed ye jingtang against the screen wall of a coiling dragon and gnashed her teeth. ¡°so it was you who threw it?!¡± ye jingtang felt that dongfang liren was unusually angry. he raised his hands and gestured. ¡°yes¡­ um¡­ did it break?¡± dongfang liren had wondered why she had explained this matter to her sister for so long, but her sister had looked at her with a ¡®you still dare to lie to me¡¯ expression. so this was the problem! ¡°you¡­¡± dongfang liren had almost been embarrassed to death. she wished she could beat ye jingtang up. but when she recalled how he had risked his life to save her yesterday, she couldn¡¯t say anything harsh. after gritting her teeth for a while, she let go of her hands and regained the calm bearing that a princess should have. ¡°why did you throw it away? did anyone see you?¡± ¡°just now, a palace maid came to see your highness and almost ran into me. 1 was afraid that if this thing were discovered, your highness would be misunderstood by the palace, so i threw it away. is it very serious?¡± palace maid¡­ dongfang liren immediately understood the situation. her sister had already met ye jingtang, which was why she had kept asking her about her lover. judging from ye jingtang¡¯s appearance, he probably didn¡¯t know her sister¡¯s identity¡­ dongfang liren breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°it¡¯s not a big deal. it¡¯s just that when 1 was strolling around, 1 found the dirty thing thrown into the lake. it¡¯s poor decorum. did that palace maid see you?¡± ye jingtang knew what the prince of jing was worried about, so he explained, ¡°she just asked who i was. 1 was afraid of being misunderstood by the palace, so 1 clearly explained my background and why i appeared in jasper pavilion. your highness, don¡¯t worry.¡± hearing this, dongfang liren nodded. her expression returned to normal as she asked with concern, ¡°are you feeling better?¡± ¡°i¡¯m fine now.¡± ¡°that¡¯s good¡­¡± dongfang liren recalled madam wang¡¯s doctor¡¯s orders and deliberated for a moment before casually asking, ¡°you¡¯re handsome, good at martial arts, and have a chivalrous heart. there should be many young ladies pursuing you, right?¡± ¡°there are quite a lot. in the past, in liang province, matchmakers came to propose marriage when 1 was thirteen or fourteen. some valiant young ladies from rich families even wanted to come and snatch me.¡± dongfang liren didn¡¯t doubt this and asked curiously, ¡°so, you have a lot of old acquaintances?¡± ye jingtang had promised heroine luo, so he replied, ¡°your highness, you¡¯re joking. 1 only have one person i like, but she¡¯s not in the capital now.¡± only one person he likes¡­ when dongfang liren heard this, she didn¡¯t suspect anything because madam wang had said that ye jingtang must have been clean this year and didn¡¯t come into contact with women¡­ however, he had to come into contact with women, and it even had to be a few of them. otherwise, he would suffocate¡­ dongfang liren hesitated slightly before saying tactfully, ¡°don¡¯t you think of finding a few more?¡± chirp?!¡± not only ye jingtang, but even the bird felt that something was wrong. ye jingtang blinked. he really couldn¡¯t bear the fiery princess. ¡°your highness, this¡­ um¡­¡± dongfang liren realized that ye jingtang had misunderstood. afraid that he would misunderstand, she explained, ¡°i¡¯m just joking. 1 thought you were quite lecherous, but i didn¡¯t expect you to be such a devoted man¡­¡± ¡°hehe¡­¡± ye jingtang couldn¡¯t figure out what the prince of jing meant, so he really couldn¡¯t say anything. while chatting, the two of them walked through the corridors and arrived at a waterside pavilion by the koi lake. the waterside pavilion was decorated quite elegantly. there were colorful flowers outside and a bead curtain hanging near the lake. on the stage opposite the lake, dancers in colorful clothes were dancing and playing music. there was a long table in the waterside pavilion. all kinds of delicacies had already been served. there were dozens of dishes and a few jars of old wine on the table. ¡öheartless hungry chicken¡¯, who was walking in front of the two of them, saw this scene, and its eyes lit up. but in front of outsiders, it still had to restrain itself. it just watched eagerly and didn¡¯t fly over. dongfang liren sat elegantly on her side behind the long table. her tall figure paired with her majestic python robe made her posture gorgeous and imposing. the bulging section of her clothes could be placed on the table as long as she leaned forward slightly. her shoulders, waist, and hips drew perfect and flawless arcs, just like the portrait of a beautiful woman carefully drawn by a famous master. ye jingtang sat upright and didn¡¯t look around. he just looked at the familiar bird. dongfang liren raised her wine cup slightly in a toast. ¡°you have done a meritorious deed in protecting me this time. what reward do you want?¡± ye jingtang raised his wine cup in return and said, ¡°1 have already learned the heaven equaling saber. yesterday, 1 even used it to fight against the enemy. qiu tianhe can be regarded as my teacher¡­¡± dongfang liren understood what he meant and said readily, ¡°1 will keep my word. you have already accomplished your task, so 1 won¡¯t make things difficult for you. however, i can¡¯t release him today. the blood bodhi hasn¡¯t been brought to justice yet, and the capital is under martial law. if i rashly let qiu tianhe out of the dungeon, the people from the government will be easily distracted. i will make arrangements in two days. you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± ye jingtang calmed down. seeing that the prince of jing was so straightforward, he said, ¡°then, the dragon slaying decree¡­¡± dongfang liren blinked and put on a serious expression. ¡°back then, we agreed that you would use a saber technique to exchange for the dragon slaying decree with me. have i learned the heaven equaling saber?¡± ye jingtang was stunned. you¡¯re clumsy and can¡¯t learn, yet you still have the cheek to question me righteously? but he definitely couldn¡¯t say this. he nodded helplessly. ¡°i will definitely study the practice method seriously and teach the heaven equaling saber to your highness as soon as possible.¡± dongfang liren nodded slightly. after drinking two cups of wine, she suddenly remembered that ye jingtang was about to go out, but the empress had just asked ye jingtang to enter the palace to patrol¡­ ¡°ye jingtang, you said that you were going to help your family deal with business. are you in a hurry?¡± ye jingtang was afraid that the prince of jing would keep him and ruin the red flower pavilion¡¯s business, so he could only say, ¡°the time has been set. it¡¯s a little urgent¡­ if your highness has arrangements¡­¡± dongfang liren sighed. ¡°the blood bodhi has yet to be brought to justice. if anything goes wrong in the palace, 1 will definitely be impeached by the court officials. i wanted you to help me go to the imperial city to work for two days, but if you have something urgent, forget it.¡± work in the imperial city? i don¡¯t think i¡¯m in a hurry anymore¡­ ye jingtang really didn¡¯t expect happiness to come so suddenly. seeing that dongfang liren was about to cancel the arrangements, he replied, ¡°it is my honor to serve your highness. hmm¡­ there¡¯s indeed an urgent matter at home, but i will just be patrolling the palace today and tomorrow. the time doesn¡¯t conflict.¡± dongfang liren nodded slightly. thinking of madam wang¡¯s ¡®doctor¡¯s orders¡¯, she felt that she had to say it. she said tactfully, ¡°her majesty is a woman, so there are no concubines in the harem, and it¡¯s not too taboo for men to enter. when you patrol the area, if you like a palace maid, you can tell me openly. you¡¯ve made a merit in protecting me, so it¡¯s only right that 1 give you a few people to serve you tea.¡± ye jingtang pondered for a moment and felt that these words were a test for him, so he said righteously, ¡°your highness must be joking. even if 1 need people to serve me tea, why would 1 go to the imperial city to look for them? when do i start patrolling the imperial city?¡± dongfang liren had drunk a few cups of wine, so her face was red. she glanced at ye jingtang and said, ¡°do you find drinking with me boring and are in a hurry to leave?¡± ¡°your highness is being too serious. i¡¯m just afraid that i¡¯ll drink too much and ruin the official business.¡± when dongfang liren saw ye jingtang¡¯s gentlemanly appearance of ¡®talking politely and being unmoved by beautiful women and wine¡¯, she couldn¡¯t help sighing inwardly. he really has the temperament of a gentleman. i wonder what kind of woman his lover is¡­ dongfang liren took out a waist token and threw it to ye jingtang. ¡°no one knows if the rebel will disturb the imperial city. the sooner the patrols start, the better. take my token and look for shang jianli. he will explain what to take note of.¡± ye jingtang caught the waist token, stood up, cupped his hands, and bade farewell. the bird followed him while turning its head back three times with every step. before leaving, it even flapped its wings. ¡°chirp-¡± goodbye, sister fat-headed dragon. dongfang liren smiled and waved her hand. ¡°chirp!¡± after the man and bird walked out of the waterside pavilion, dongfang liren sighed faintly, and a complicated expression appeared between her brows¡­ Chapter 62 - Chapter 62: I’m In the Palace! chapter 62: i¡¯m in the palace! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios it was afternoon, and there was still half an hour before the evening drum sounded. outside the chao¡¯an gate on the east side of the imperial city, ten chief constables of the black office, who had been temporarily transferred here, had bronze plates hanging from their waists. after negotiating with the imperial guards, they entered the palace gate one after another. ye jingtang had changed into a black brocade robe and had his saber hanging from his waist. he walked among the ten chief constables while the bird stood on his shoulder and looked around curiously. there were seven men and three women among the ten chief constables. they were all in their thirties or forties, while ye jingtang was too young. walking in the middle, he looked like a disciple. but with the deed of capturing the wingless owl and repelling the blood bodhi, he was treated with respect. she long even walked in front of him and introduced things like a good brother. ¡°there are many stories about the chao¡¯an gate. do you see that rotten brick? at the end of the previous dynasty, when yun¡¯an city was breached, emperor yan gong escaped from this gate. wherever he ran, he tripped and fell, and he died in a few months¡­ after the founding of the dynasty, the founding emperor specially left this brick behind to warn the descendants that ¡®if a monarch is not good for the country, the heavens are watching¡¯¡­¡± ye jingtang followed him to the outer palace wall. along the way, he listened to the stories that happened in various places. a certain emperor committed suicide, a certain prince usurped the throne, where certain people broke through, and so on. the imperial city was enormous. the external security was entrusted to the imperial guards, while the secret guards were in charge of the internal security. the eleven of them entered the palace to increase manpower temporarily to guard against any accidents in the palace. this was not the first time the chief constables had done such a job. every time they walked by a section, two people would leave the team together and disappear among the buildings. when they reached the corner tower on the east wall, there were only three people left. ye jingtang stood under the tower and surveyed the interior and exterior of the imperial palace. he asked, ¡°sirs, should 1 follow you or stand here as a lookout?¡± according to the black office¡¯s practice, no matter what task they did, there had to be two people, and no one could be alone. but ye jingtang didn¡¯t have a teammate, and the prince of jing didn¡¯t specify where he was going to patrol, so the arrangements became a problem. shang jianli deliberated for a moment before saying, ¡°patrolling the imperial city is a heavy responsibility. we still have to focus on our duties. young master ye, her highness specifically asked you to come over, but her highness didn¡¯t give any specific instructions. her highness trusts you, so you can patrol on your own¡­¡± ? ye jingtang was surprised to hear that he was allowed to patrol the palace alone. wasn¡¯t this letting the monkey king into the immortal peach garden? ¡°as a man, if i walk alone in the palace, i¡¯m afraid¡­¡± ¡°young master ye, her highness appointed you to this position, and we don¡¯t have the right to dispatch you. you can arrange these things yourself.¡± shang jianli turned his head and gestured to the center of the imperial city. ¡°however, there are some rules that i still have to explain. the eternal joy palace in the center is where her majesty the empress sleeps. it¡¯s under the responsibility of the secret guards. we can¡¯t enter the eternal joy palace¡¯s territory for any reason, or we¡¯ll be killed without mercy. we have to come here every two hours to meet up to prevent any accidents.¡± ye jingtang was more than happy to act alone. seeing this, he cupped his hands and said, ¡°then, i will patrol by myself. sirs, go ahead and do your work. we will meet again in two hours.¡± shang jianli and she long didn¡¯t say anything else. with a light tap of their toes, they lightly jumped down the palace wall and hid among the buildings¡­ dong, dong, dong! the evening drum sounded, and the setting sun on the horizon sank into the mountains. the palace gates closed one after another, and the imperial city gradually became quiet. outside the peaceful hall of the eternal joy palace, more than a dozen palace maids in light clothing were kicking rattan balls in the garden. among them, two tall figures were the most eye-catching. they were the empress of the current dynasty and the prince of jing. the empress was not wearing a dragon robe. instead, she was wearing a red tube top and a red skirt with a high slit on one side. as she ran and kicked a rattan ball, her long and voluptuous legs could be seen. her breasts, which were wrapped in the tube top, were also jumping up and down with her movements. as she ran, her snow-white and smooth shoulders and fair collarbones were all exposed. crystal-clear beads of sweat slid down her neck and rolled toward the bottomless ravine in her chest. the scene could only be described as ¡®exquisite¡¯. on the other hand, dongfang liren¡¯s attire was much more serious. it was pure white hunting attire. even her ankles and neck were not exposed. she looked valiant and heroic. she looked more like a young emperor playing with his beloved concubine than a princess. the eternal joy palace was full of laughter, but the longevity palace, which was also in the imperial city, was silent. there were only dim yellow palace lanterns swaying in the wind, casting mottled reflections of flowers and trees on the walls. the longevity palace was also known as the west palace. it was the residence of the empress dowager and the imperial consorts. it had fallen silent just after nightfall, and there were only a few dim lanterns in the huge palace complex. in the empress dowager¡¯s bedroom, there were also a few people. the empress dowager, dressed in a crimson nightgown, was kneeling upright on the tea couch by the window. she was holding her flowing sleeves with her left hand and a brush in her right hand while slowly painting on a piece of white paper. this kneeling posture drew a full curve behind the empress dowager¡¯s waist. she looked like an extremely beautiful painter with a tight waist, plump buttocks, and exquisite figure. the silver moon outside the window sprinkled moonlight on her watery eyes and light smile. hongyu, the palace maid who served her all year round, was kneeling by her side. in front of her were cinnabar, green ink, and other paints. occasionally, she would hand them to the empress dowager¡¯s hand. she stared fixedly at the painting under her brush, feeling slightly puzzled. ¡°your majesty.¡± ¡°hmm?¡± ¡°what¡­ are you painting?¡± ¡°you will know when the painting is finished.¡± hongyu carefully looked at the thing painted on the paper. she could roughly tell that it was a human, but the figure¡¯s eyes were slits and lifeless, the lips were flat, and there was a ball on the shoulder¡­ even if this painting was finished, hongyu wasn¡¯t sure if she would be able to tell who it was. ¡°hmm¡­ could this be a handsome man?¡± ¡°heh~ your eyesight is not bad.¡± the empress dowager¡¯s posture was dignified and gentle. she seriously outlined the man¡¯s sword-like eyebrows and asked, ¡°how are my painting skills compared to the prince of jing¡¯s?¡± ¡°uh¡­?¡± hongyu sat up a little straighter with a strange expression. the prince of jing¡¯s master was daoist xuanji, and she was proficient in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. moreover, she showed signs of surpassing his master. in the capital, where crouching tigers and hidden dragons were abundant, she could be considered a famous painter. as for the empress dowager¡­ the empress dowager¡¯s hometown was in jiang province, where literary arts were at their peak. she did know zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but she had been born in a general family, so she only knew a little. hongyu really didn¡¯t dare to affect the empress dowager¡¯s good mood, so she commented seriously, ¡°her highness the prince of jing¡¯s paintings are too realistic. if the painting is too real, it will lack artistic conception and charm. however, your majesty¡¯s are different. ink paintings are mainly about freehand brushwork. although your majesty¡¯s painting looks like clouds and mists separates it at first glance and can¡¯t be understood, if you study it carefully, you will find the wonders and beauty- it is like the water of the clear river and flows endlessly. umm¡­ it has the elegance of daoist xuanji¡¯s-¡± ¡°is that so?¡± the empress dowager was quite pleased with this obvious flattery and revealed a smile. daoist xuanji was the master of the empress and her sister and an accomplished expert of void jade mountain. when the empress dowager entered the palace, she had visited void jade mountain. then in the capital, daoist xuanji and the empress dowager had gotten along for a few years. she could be considered the empress dowager¡¯s best friend. unfortunately, ever since the empress and her sister finished their discipleship, daoist xuanji had returned to void jade mountain and rarely went to the capital. the last time they met was last year. hearing hongyu mention her, the empress dowager thought for a moment and sighed. ¡°she only knows how to live freely and leisurely in jianghu. she doesn¡¯t even know to come to the palace and visit every now and then.¡± ¡°all¡­ counting the days, she should be here soon. your majesty, don¡¯t be anxious.¡± the empress dowager carefully painted for a long time. the man in the portrait gradually took shape. she looked him over carefully. this painting¡­ is alright¡­ the paper seems a little narrow¡­ in other words, the painting was off, and the portrait wasn¡¯t centered¡­ the empress dowager blinked and pondered for a moment. then she took out a paper knife from a small case and planned to cut the painting to center the portrait. but before she got started, she heard a voice from outside. ¡°young master, you are in the wrong place..¡± Chapter 63 - Chapter 63: The Worried Empress Dowager chapter 63: the worried empress dowager translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the moon was bright, and the stars were sparse. the palaces and pavilions were silent. the white bird jumped forward along the battlements of the palace wall. when it encountered people, it stopped and tilted its head to size them up. its eyes were full of the words: so boring- ye jingtang was wearing a black brocade robe and walking on the palace wall with his hand on his saber. unknowingly, he had already walked around the imperial city and met with shang jianli and the other chief constables once. the buildings inside the palace walls were surrounded by flowers and wood. it was difficult to see the scene between the houses, but voices could be heard in the dead of night. after walking around the imperial city, ye jingtang could confirm that the buildings next to the palace walls were full of palace maids and eunuchs doing chores. there were more people on the south wall of the imperial city, and there were fewer people on the north wall at the back. there was a large garden in the northwest corner of the imperial city. it should be the imperial garden. there were some lights in the nearby palace. ye jingtang walked around for a long time and felt that there was no risk, so he acted as if he had sensed something amiss, floated over the palace wall, and landed near the longevity palace. behind the wall was a laundry room. he could see many clothes hanging there. they were all women¡¯s clothes, some of which were quite beautiful. he could hear the sound of breathing in the room. ye jingtang passed through the building, pretending to be patrolling. he looked around openly to see if there were any hidden sentries here. after he walked like this for a while, the scenery gradually became more and more elegant. a rather beautiful hall appeared in front of him, and the thousand-year-old ginkgo, which was beautiful in the forest, was in the courtyard at the back of the hall. there were many palace maids living in the buildings, and most of them were already asleep. seeing that there were many people in the palace, ye jingtang felt worried. it wasn¡¯t good to sneak in rashly, so he observed the situation in the palace from the periphery. from above the corridor, he could see lights in the hall. the window on the left was open. there were flowers and trees outside the window and a tea couch inside. there was a candle lamp on the tea couch, and there was a noblewoman in a crimson nightgown sitting on her knees dignifiedly and elegantly. she was holding a brush and drawing on paper. beside her was a palace maid with an extraordinary appearance, looking at the painting eagerly. ye jingtang sized her up carefully. he could see that the noblewoman¡¯s figure was quite graceful. her kneeling posture vividly displayed her full buttocks, and her nightgown was quite eye-catching. as for her charming and graceful face, it was hard to tell her age. there was a natural nobility between her eyebrows, and her almond-shaped eyes were very big. under the candlelight, they sparkled like two stars in the night sky. although the noblewoman¡¯s appearance and temperament were extraordinary, she was a curvaceous, mature woman who could make young men vomit three liters of blood by biting her lips lightly. but ye jingtang wasn¡¯t here for women. his mind was full of the roaring dragon chart, so he didn¡¯t pay attention to these merits. he only observed her clothes to see who this mysterious noblewoman was, what she was doing, and whether he had the chance to pass through the hall to the back garden. the glamorous lady was obviously painting. as for the content¡­ ye jingtang narrowed his eyes to look at it. it was obvious that it was a human figure. as for her painting skills¡­ the painting was pretty good. it looked like a human¡­ but why is there a big bump on the shoulder? he understood now. carrying the sun and the moon on the shoulders! the idea is indeed extraordinary¡­ why is she cutting off half of it? oh¡­ so the painting is crooked¡­ can¡¯t you add some flowers and plants for decoration¡­ ye jingtang looked at her with a strange gaze. before he could understand, a voice sounded not far away. ¡°young master, you are in the wrong place.¡± in the blink of an eye, a middle-aged woman walked out from behind the flower bed. she had an ordinary appearance and was dressed in the clothes of a palace maid. there was an official saber hanging from her waist and a secret guard waist token. ye jingtang was patrolling openly, so he naturally didn¡¯t panic when he saw her and immediately walked out of the shadows. in the hall, the empress dowager, who was cutting the paper with a small knife, heard the sound and looked out of the window. ¡°yang lan, what¡¯s wrong?¡± when she turned around, she saw a figure appear in the corridor under the moonlight. the empress dowager looked carefully and saw that the figure was a man. he was wearing a black brocade robe and had a secret guard token hanging at his waist. he had sharp eyebrows, starry eyes, and a cold temperament. he cupped his hands and bowed with a serious expression. ¡°i am ye jingtang, and i am patrolling the palace under her highness the prince of jing¡¯s orders. this is my first time in the palace, so i¡¯m not familiar with the terrain¡­¡± ye jingtang?! hearing the name, the empress dowager was first surprised and then stunned! she looked down at the ¡®lifelike¡¯ portrait of a handsome man¡­ oh my god! the empress dowager knew that the situation was bad, so she quickly lifted the portrait and hid it behind her waist. beside her, hongyu secretly nodded when she saw this. her majesty reacted very fast. her majesty knows that she can¡¯t embarrass herself and let outsiders see this ghastly scribble¡­ the secret guard yang lan looked at ye jingtang with a serious expression and asked, ¡°when the black office enters the palace to assist in defense, two people are together. why are you alone?¡± ye jingtang replied calmly, ¡°i am not a chief constable of the black office. i helped her highness the prince of jing out of a predicament yesterday, so i was called to patrol the palace at the last minute. i wasn¡¯t arranged any companions.¡± yang lan wanted to ask more, but the empress dowager behind her had already said, ¡°i know him. yang lan, you can leave.¡± hearing this, yang lan stopped talking and turned around to bow. ¡°as your majesty empress dowager commands. it¡¯s getting late. your majesty should go to bed early.¡± with that, she disappeared from the garden. empress dowager¡­ hearing this title, ye jingtang was slightly surprised. he didn¡¯t expect this beautiful young noblewoman to be the ¡®imperial mother¡¯ of the prince of jing and the empress. no wonder she lives in such a huge palace and has experts protecting her at all times. in that case, it¡¯s almost impossible to dig for the roaring dragon chart behind the palace¡­ ye jingtang stood quietly in the corridor and cupped his hands. ¡°greetings, your majesty. i¡¯m new here and not familiar with the terrain. please forgive me for barging in rashly.¡± the empress dowager was sitting upright on the couch. she looked very dignified, but she was panicking inside. after all, she had just imitated the prince of jing¡¯s painting of a handsome man. if ye jingtang saw it and knew that the empress dowager drew his portrait here in the middle of the night¡­ wouldn¡¯t she be treated as a lustful empress dowager with pent-up desires? the empress dowager coughed lightly and put on a dignified and solemn expression. ¡°ye jingtang, did you see anything just now?¡± i saw you painting¡­ the painting is okay, but 1 don¡¯t understand it¡­ ye jingtang didn¡¯t have any attainments in painting and calligraphy, so he didn¡¯t flatter her blindly and replied seriously, ¡°there is nothing unusual in the palace. i was patrolling the surroundings. as soon as i arrived, i was stopped by that madam. please forgive me for offending you.¡± seeing that ye jingtang didn¡¯t look strange, the empress dowager felt a little relieved, but she was still worried. because from where ye jingtang was standing, he could completely see what she had been painting just now. the empress dowager couldn¡¯t ask about this matter, so she said solemnly, ¡°my status is special. you barged in tonight. no matter what you saw, it¡¯s best to keep your mouth shut. if rumors spread outside, i won¡¯t let you off.¡± ye jingtang nodded sincerely. ¡°don¡¯t worry, your majesty. i will pretend 1 haven¡¯t been here.¡± the empress dowager raised her hand slightly. ¡°you may leave. if you patrol this place in the future, inform the palace maids in advance. don¡¯t come in rashly.¡± ¡°as your majesty commands. i will take my leave.¡± ye jingtang hurriedly ran away. the empress dowager sat down demurely. when it was completely quiet outside the hall, she secretly heaved a sigh of relief. she took out the portrait from behind her waist and looked at it, feeling very embarrassed¡­ behind her, hongyu was still looking at the corridor eagerly. ¡°your majesty, this guard is the young master who was in the prince of jing¡¯s carriage yesterday, right? he¡¯s so handsome!¡± ¡°handsome? what handsome? you¡¯re starry-eyed¡­¡± the empress dowager deliberated for a moment before unfolding the portrait and asking, ¡°hongyu, do you think this painting and that guard just now¡­ uh-huh?¡± ?? uh-huh what? does it matter? hongyu was at a loss. but how could a palace maid who could serve the empress dowager be stupid? she immediately revealed a look of surprise and looked at the painting carefully. ¡°so your majesty painted this guard?! i was wondering why he looked so familiar. now that i look at it, your majesty simply captured both the spirit and the form. look at this nose, look at these eyes, look at this mouth¡­¡± when the empress dowager heard this, her heart skipped a beat. its over! she knew that hongyu was bootlicking, but she couldn¡¯t be completely lying. at least 10% of it was true, right? although she felt that her painting skills were average, even the silly hongyu could see some resemblance. ye jingtang could naturally tell who she painted¡­ a man carrying a fat bird on his shoulder, who else could it be¡­ it¡¯s so embarrassing to be seen drawing someone¡¯s portrait at night¡­ ye jingtang has a close relationship with liren. if he reports this matter to her to avoid suspicion¡­ the empress dowager is secretly spying on her stepdaughter¡¯s sweetheart¡­ if word gets out, how can i still be the empress dowager? with liren¡¯s personality, she will definitely not bring me out of the palace to relaxin the future¡­ should i warn ye jingtang again? no, i have to tell him clearly. if he says something like ¡¯empress dowager, about the matter of you painting a portrait of me, if you don¡¯t want the prince of jing..: hongyu chattered and praised for a long time. when she realized that the empress dowager was frowning in a daze, she raised her hand and waved it. ¡°your majesty?¡± ¡°oh, it¡¯s nothing. go find out where the prince of jing is staying tonight. i¡¯ll go over there¡­¡± ¡°yes, your majesty¡­¡± Chapter 64 - Chapter 64: Girls Can’t Be Kept After They’ve Grown Up chapter 64: girls can¡¯t be kept after they¡¯ve grown up translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios on another side, in the eternal joy palace, the lights were gradually extinguished. there was a faint incense burning in the huge bedchamber. in the middle of the dragon bed with a golden curtain hanging, two tall and well-rounded women lay side by side. dongfang liren¡¯s bearing was not inferior to that of a man. even when she was sleeping, she was not as graceful as a young girl. she lay on her pillow steadily with her hands folded at her waist. the silver undergarment embroidered with a dragon python stood tall. her eyes were closed, and she had the aura of a queen. the empress beside her was the complete opposite. the empress was usually a little frivolous. her actions were carefree and casual, especially when she went to bed. she was wearing a thin red gauze nightgown that was hazy and translucent. under the gauze, it couldn¡¯t be said that hair couldn¡¯t be seen, but hair really couldn¡¯t be seen. as for her posture, it was also very different from the prince of jing¡¯s. she lay on her side on her pillow, the full curves of her waist and buttocks behind the gauze outlined, making her look like a bewitching concubine serving an emperor. after playing for a long time, the empress was a little tired. she had already closed her eyes and looked like she had fallen asleep. dongfang liren was the same. but in the dead of night, she opened one eye, glanced at her sister beside her, and quietly got up. ¡°mm-¡± the empress turned over lazily and murmured, ¡°where are you going?¡± dongfang liren froze. she couldn¡¯t say that she was going to a palace guard to learn a saber technique in the middle of the night. she only replied gently, ¡°i can¡¯t sleep, so i¡¯m going out for a walk. there¡¯s still a court meeting tomorrow. sister, rest well.¡± ¡°umm¡­¡± after the empress replied softly, there was no more sound. dongfang liren secretly breathed a sigh of relief. she quietly picked up her robe and changed behind the screen. then she quickly walked out of the bedchamber. after dongfang liren left, the empress opened her eyes. there was a hint of helplessness in her eyes that said: girls can¡¯t be kept after they¡¯ve grown up. judging from liren¡¯s appearance, she¡¯s obviously moved by ye jingtang s act of the hero saving the damsel in distress. she¡¯s a noble prince of the blood and already an adult. she has a man she likes, but she¡¯s hiding it from me. is she afraid that i¡¯ll snatch her love, or is she too embarrassed to say it? the empress pondered for a moment and felt that it was both. she couldn¡¯t help shaking her head. she got up in her translucent red gauze nightgown. ¡°come.¡± ¡°your majesty.¡± the palace maid serving in the side hall hurriedly walked in, bowed, and waited for instructions. ¡°change my clothes. i¡¯m going out for a walk.¡± ¡°yes, your highness.¡± it was already time to turn off the lights and go to bed. the lanterns in the palace gradually went out. in the picturesque garden with beautiful mountains and clear water, a man and a bird walked slowly and aimlessly. having been on duty all night and unable to sleep, the bird was a little sleepy. it lay on ye jingtang¡¯s shoulder and chirped softly, probably talking about the scribbling sister just now. ye jingtang didn¡¯t take the matter of meeting the empress dowager to heart. he kept thinking about how to get the roaring dragon chart. as his mind raced, he unknowingly walked around the imperial garden. ye jingtang checked the time. it was about time to go to the corner building to meet up with shang jianli and the others to report his safety. so he brought the bird and returned to the northeast side of the imperial city. but just after passing through a few palaces and pavilions, he suddenly heard a faint tune coming from between the palaces. the sound was distant, low, and slow. it sounded like the sound of a flute and was full of the carefree spirit of jianghu. ye jingtang paused. as an expert in the imperial palace, he naturally had to go over to check if there was anything wrong. he jumped onto a roof and silently sneaked over with the bird. soon, he arrived at the lotus pond of a palace. beside the lotus pond was a corridor for palace servants to walk through. the pond reflected the moon and the galaxy, and there was even an observation pavilion built on it. ye jingtang moved closer and saw a palace lantern hanging in the pavilion. two palace maids were waiting outside. in the stone pavilion, a tall beauty wearing a silver fat-headed dragon python robe was holding a green jade flute in her hand. she looked at the moonlight in the lotus pond and played a tune. her side profile looked elegant and refined, and there was a special femininity in her heroic spirit. ¡°chirp?¡± the eyes of the bird on his shoulder lit up. it hurriedly flapped its small wings, flew across the pond, landed on the beauty, and opened its beak to ask for food. seeing this, ye jingtang landed in the corridor. he looked at her from across the pond and cupped his hands. ¡°your highness.¡± dongfang liren put down the jade flute and handed it to a palace maid behind her. ¡°you can leave first.¡± ¡°yes, your highness.¡± the palace maids bowed and left the pavilion. without his gaze wandering, ye jingtang went straight to the stone pavilion and looked at the sky. ¡°it¡¯s already late at night. why isn¡¯t your highness resting?¡± ¡°the blood bodhi hasn¡¯t been brought to justice yet. i¡¯m worried that something might go wrong in the imperial city, so 1 can¡¯t sleep.¡± with a noble bearing, dongfang liren slowly walked out of the stone pavilion, strolled by the pond with ye jingtang, and asked, ¡°after patrolling for half a day, did you find anything unusual?¡± ¡°the security of the imperial city is tight. there are no troubles.¡± ¡°there¡¯s no such thing as an infallible place in the world. it¡¯s because you and i both think that nothing will happen that things will happen. we have to pay attention.¡± after dongfang liren casually exhorted him, she gestured to the palace. ¡°do you know where this is?¡± ye jingtang looked around the palace and shook his head. ¡°this is the first time i¡¯ve entered the imperial palace. 1 can only distinguish north, south, east, and west. everything else looks the same to me. where is this?¡± ¡°great blessing palace. her majesty and 1 lived here when we were young. after her majesty inherited the throne, i moved to the prince¡¯s estate.¡± dongfang liren brought ye jingtang to the buildings beside the lotus pond and gestured to the pavilion on the right of the main hall. ¡°on the left was my boudoir, and on the right was her majesty¡¯s.¡± ye jingtang looked at the large courtyard. he could see many flowers planted inside. there were also wooden figures, weapons racks, and other things. it was similar to a place where boys learning martial arts lived. he asked curiously, ¡°her majesty also practices martial arts?¡± ¡°all the children of the imperial family have to practice martial arts to strengthen their bodies. her majesty is the same. however, her majesty is not interested in martial arts and prefers to study.¡± ye jingtang thought about it and agreed. as an emperor, how could she have the time to focus on practicing martial arts? ¡°i come from jianghu, so 1 really don¡¯t know much about the capital¡­ speaking of which, i don¡¯t know much about martial arts either. in the past, i couldn¡¯t find a way to practice martial arts in red river town in liang province. when 1 came to the capital, i realized that the experts in the world were so powerful. in the past, i often heard from storytellers that there were countless experts in the imperial palace and many hidden secret manuals. is that true?¡± dongfang liren pulled out the hornless dragon saber from ye jingtang¡¯s waist and slowly practiced the heaven equaling saber in the courtyard. ¡°all the martial arts manuals have been moved to jasper pavilion, and there are quite a few profound ones. but it is never the secret manual moves that reaches the pinnacle, but the ¡®human¡¯. if you want to become the number one in the world, you still have to rely on your comprehension.¡± ¡°is that so?¡± ye jingtang took the opportunity to ask, ¡°i heard from the storytellers that the experts of the previous dynasty seem to be snatching a chart¡­¡± ¡°are you talking about the roaring dragon chart? that thing isn¡¯t a martial arts secret manual but a method to seek immortality and seek the dao.¡± ¡°seek immortality and seek the dao?¡± ye jingtang was slightly puzzled as he looked at the sky. ¡°are there really immortals in this world?¡± ¡°i am also an ordinary person. how would 1 know if there are immortals in the world? however, the roaring dragon chart is indeed not something of the mortal world. there¡¯s the jade bone qilin picture in the palace. if you learn it, you will obtain a full set of qilin bones. i have practiced it for more than ten years and have made some achievements¡­¡± at this point, dongfang liren became interested and raised her fair fist. ¡°try touching it.¡± ye jingtang really wanted to see how powerful she was after she practiced the roaring dragon chart. he immediately raised his hand, clenched his fist, and bumped fists with her. thump- the princess¡¯s hand was soft, smooth, and cool to the touch. it was like carefully carved jade. if he held it in his hand, the feeling¡­ h ii dongfang liren felt her fist being gently touched. her handsome face flushed slightly as she said unhappily, ¡°use strength! have you not eaten? you don¡¯t have to worry about my status.¡± ¡°oh.¡± ye jingtang also felt that something was wrong. he immediately became serious, and his entire body trembled. bam! in the courtyard under the moon, a loud explosion suddenly sounded! Chapter 65 - Chapter 65: Kind Sister-in-Law chapter 65: kind sister-in-law translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ye jingtang¡¯s footsteps slid back and forth. the muscles in his arms were bulging, and his black robe suddenly tightened. bam! a strong gust of wind suddenly rose, pressing down on the surrounding flowers and trees and lifting dongfang liren¡¯s long hair!! ¡°haa!¡± the explosive roar was like thunder! ye jingtang¡¯s eyes were sharp, and his strength rose from the ground as he threw a powerful punch¡­ ¡°huh?!!¡± when dongfang liren saw this scene that resembled killing gods and devils, she was so shocked that her beautiful face turned pale. she quickly used the hornless dragon saber to block in front of her and took a few steps back with fear in her eyes. the big bird acting cute at the side also jumped far away. ye jingtang stopped the punch. he looked at the princess who was full of confidence just now and blinked. ¡°hmm?¡± how dare you?! dongfang liren was rather angry, feeling that ye jingtang really didn¡¯t know what was good for him. she said angrily, ¡°1 told you to use strength, so you want to beat me half to death with a punch?¡± ¡°uh¡­ i thought the roaring dragon chart was very powerful. i forgot that your highness was still practicing it¡­¡± ¡°what do you mean?¡± ye jingtang loosened his fist and cupped his hands bitterly. ¡°i don¡¯t mean anything. uhh¡­ sorry for offending your highness.¡± dongfang liren knew that ye jingtang felt that she was lousy and liked to play, so she was really dissatisfied. she didn¡¯t give ye jingtang a chance to test how hard her fists were and continued to practice the saber technique. ¡°you want to see the roaring dragon chart?¡± ye jingtang smiled. ¡°it¡¯s the most precious treasure in jianghu, so of course 1 want to see it. but it¡¯s said that this object is a forbidden item. if you obtain it, you can obtain the world. if your highness shows it to me, i¡¯m afraid¡­¡± ¡°i believe that you can ¡®become immortal and ascend¡¯, but ¡®obtaining the world¡¯ is nonsense. the situation of the world has never depended on one person or one martial arts technique, but on the will of the people. as long as you perform well, 1 don¡¯t mind letting you see it in the future.¡± ye jingtang knew that it wouldn¡¯t be that easy. he nodded and smiled. ¡°thanks for your highness¡¯s favor. 1 have to go to the corner tower and meet up with sir shang and the others to report my safety. why don¡¯t 1 get the bird to accompany your highness while i go over there?¡± if the secret guards didn¡¯t appear when the time came, the others would mistakenly think that something had happened. dongfang liren didn¡¯t ask him to stay and threw the saber to ye jingtang. ¡°go and come back quickly. i¡¯m still waiting for you to teach me the saber technique. if you can¡¯t teach me, don¡¯t even think about learning the dragon slaying decree.¡± sigh¡­ ye jingtang estimated that it would be at least a year and a half later by the time he could learn the dragon slaying decree. he nodded helplessly, sheathed his saber, cupped his hands, and quickly left the great blessing palace¡­ while ye jingtang and dongfang liren were exchanging martial arts in the courtyard, they didn¡¯t notice that there was a gaze scrutinizing them from the top of the palace not far away. the empress, wearing a bright red dress, crossed her arms and looked at her sister and the handsome young master playing in the courtyard where they grew up together, her eyes filled with emotions. when they were young, liren had been very strong and liked to dance with spears and staves. however, liren hadn¡¯t been her match at all. she hadn¡¯t stood on ceremony and had often teased liren for being a stupid girl. those days were very interesting. unfortunately, the two of them had already grown up, so it was very difficult for them to fight and spar like before. out of respect for the prince of jing, the grandmasters under their command would never truly fight with liren, let alone strike her. but ye jingtang was different. he was extraordinarily handsome and just as talented as she was back then. he could tease and scare liren, but he knew that she was proud and arrogant, so he could also be accommodating. he would admit defeat when he should so that she wouldn¡¯t really be unhappy. such a man truly matched liren¡¯s aesthetic standards. it was no wonder that she treated him differently and even dared to hide it from her biological sister. after ye jingtang left, liren held a saber and stared in the direction he left. her expression was fleeting, and it was obvious that she had something on her mind. afterward, she practiced the saber for a while before turning around to take a look. the emotion of waiting for ye jingtang to come back quickly and continue practicing the saber with her was almost written in her eyes. she¡¯s obviously interested in ye jingtang and wants to continue associating and developing¡­ but it seems that ye jingtang only treats liren as a princess and doesn¡¯t seem to be tempted. he even deliberately keeps a distance¡­ thinking of this, the empress frowned. this is a big problem. liren has a cold personality and doesn¡¯t know how to express her feelings. if she pursues the person she likes herself, there might not be any results even after three or five years. she might even end up with a pitiful ending where she can¡¯t get what she wants and becomes depressed¡­ the empress deliberated for a moment, looked in the direction where ye jingtang had left, turned around, and walked toward somewhere in the imperial city¡­ they had entered the palace at dusk. after meeting twice, it was about ten o¡¯clock at night. ye jingtang returned from the corner building and went straight to the great blessing palace so as not to make dongfang dumdum wait for too long. however, he didn¡¯t know if it was because there was something strange in the palace, but just as he passed through a few palaces and before he arrived at the great blessing palace, he saw a palace maid walking back and forth alone in the corridor. the palace maid was holding a palace lantern in her hand. she was dressed in red and had a well-rounded and tall figure. her appearance was devastatingly beautiful. even from afar, he could recognize her from her unique disposition of being the center of attention everywhere. miss yuhu?ye jingtang stopped with a surprised look in his eyes. guards were responsible for interrogating suspicious figures. when he saw the palace maid he met at jasper pavilion yesterday and that her eyes seemed to be full of worry, he landed at the other end of the corridor and said in the tone of a guard, ¡°who is here in the middle of the night¡­ miss yuhu?¡± in the corridor, the great wei empress, who had been waiting for a long time, smiled, but her expression was still troubled. ¡°young master ye?! why are you¡­¡± ¡°her highness the prince of jing ordered me to be a guard and patrol the imperial city. miss yuhu, why are you here alone? are you in trouble?¡± ¡°sigh-¡± the empress had a worried look on her face. ¡°it¡¯s not much trouble. in the afternoon, her majesty the empress was bathing in the bright yang pool, and 1 was serving by the side. i lost the jade pendant i carried with me when i took off my clothes. the jade pendant was something left by my mother¡­¡± ye jingtang frowned slightly. ¡°then go look for it. why are you standing here?¡± the empress bit her lower lip lightly. her pitiful and seductive expression would probably shock the civil and military officials who were usually afraid of her. ¡°i can¡¯t wander around the palace, and 1 have no reason to go look for it¡­ the bright yang pool is cleaned every morning. if the eunuchs and palace maids see it and take it away, 1 definitely won¡¯t be able to find it¡­ young master, as a secret guard, i wonder if you can¡­¡± ye jingtang was in charge of patrolling the imperial city. other than the empress¡¯s bedroom, he could go to any place openly, and helping the palace servants run errands was also within his duty. he didn¡¯t reject such a simple task. ¡°alright, i¡¯ll help you take a look. where did you drop the jade pendant?¡± ¡°i¡¯ve searched for it on the shore, but i didn¡¯t find anything. it must have fallen into the pool. i¡¯m really sorry to trouble you, young master ye. as long as you can help me find it, 1 will certainly be grateful.¡± ¡°it¡¯s nothing more than some effort. let¡¯s find it first.¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t delay. he asked yuhu to point out the location of the bright yang pool and walked over quickly. the bright yang pool was located in the southwest of the imperial city. it was an independent palace surrounded by green plants and a rather beautiful hall. it was already late at night, and because it was a place for bathing, it was quiet and deserted. ye jingtang arrived at the outside of the bright yang pool openly and looked around. when he didn¡¯t see eunuchs and palace maids on duty, he went straight to the outside of the hall and pushed open the door. there were many beautiful screens erected inside the door. on the shore were beautiful couches, golden incense burners, and other things. in the center was an ¡®indoor pool¡¯. the pool was made of white jade and was quite large. white mist floated on the surface of the water, and a dragon-headed fountain could be seen in the east, spewing running water into the pool. it looked like an indoor hot spring. the mist blocked the view of the bottom of the pool, and there was no light. it wouldn¡¯t be easy to find a jade pendant. after ye jingtang searched around the pool, he didn¡¯t see the jade pendant. so he slid into the pool and dived into the water.. he held his breath and carefully searched along the edges of the pool¡­ Chapter 66 - Chapter 66: I’m Dead Meat! chapter 66: i¡¯m dead meat! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios in the great blessing palace¡­ the bird was squatting on a wooden figure and watching sister fat-headed dragon practice the saber. it was a little sleepy, and its head started nodding bit by bit. dongfang liren was also a little distracted. from time to time, she would look back at the northeast side of the imperial city. why isn¡¯t this fellow here yet? did he really seduce a palace maid¡­ just as she was feeling bored, a palace maid quickly walked over. ¡°your highness, her majesty requests that you go to the bright yang pool.¡± ¡°hmm?¡± dongfang liren¡¯s saber paused. ¡°didn¡¯t her majesty go to bed?¡± ¡°i¡¯m not sure. 1 heard from the palace maid who sent the message that her majesty couldn¡¯t sleep and wanted to take a bath at the bright yang pool. her majesty wants your highness to accompany her.¡± dongfang liren guessed that her sister probably woke up when she got up in the middle of the night. she didn¡¯t dare to delay. she put away her saber and handed the bird to the palace maid. ¡°take good care of it. when ye jingtang comes later, return it to him. tell him to wait here.¡± ¡°yes, your highness.¡± soon, dongfang liren led the palace maids through the corridors and buildings and arrived at the bright yang pool. she saw two female officials waiting for the empress outside. when they saw her, they bowed. ¡°greetings, your highness.¡± ¡°has her majesty come yet?¡± ¡°her majesty saw that the moonlight was beautiful, so her majesty wrote a poem on a whim. her majesty asked your highness to wait a moment.¡± dongfang liren knew that her sister was fairly casual, so she wasn¡¯t surprised. she brought the palace maids into the bright yang pool and went to the side hall to change first. she was thinking about how to brush her sister off so that she could go back and continue practicing the saber. swish swish¡­ with a soft sound, her belt was untied, and the silver python robe slipped off from her shoulders, revealing a silver undergarment and thin pants embroidered with a dragon python. then the fat-headed dragon undergarment was removed, and two full moons appeared in the bathing room. dongfang liren put on a gauzy bathrobe and went to the edge of the misty pool. she hugged her heavy and plump body with one hand and tested the water with her toes. splash! feeling that the temperature of the water was suitable, she united her bathrobe and plunged into the water in a beautiful posture. plop! the bright yang pool was very large, about the size of a standard indoor pool. its shape was not square but oval, and there were a few crescent bends on the edges for reclining. ye jingtang held his breath and dived to the bottom of the pool. the light in the water was dim, so it was difficult to see the bottom of the pool. the bottom of the pool was inlaid with cobblestones and was not flat. it was really not easy to find a jade pendant. fortunately, after searching along the bottom of the pool for more than half a circle, he finally found traces of the jade pendant among the cobblestones. ye jingtang was delighted. he surfaced and took a deep breath. then he dived to the bottom of the pool to pick up the jade pendant. but the jade pendant was stuck in a gap, and his fingers couldn¡¯t reach in at all. without damaging the bottom of the pool and the jade pendant, he could only fiddle with his fingers bit by bit and move the jade pendant out. but the jade pendant was stuck quite in a very unique way, and it was very slippery. he couldn¡¯t get it out by twisting and pulling it. ye jingtang was not in a hurry. he slowly fiddled with the jade pendant. not long after, he suddenly realized that something was wrong. he vaguely sensed light. the bottom of the pool was as deep as his shoulders, so he couldn¡¯t hear the subtle sounds outside at all. this scene really shocked him. he looked up and saw that through the misty pool water, there were indeed a few balls of light moving beside the pool. the place where the jade pendant had ¡®dropped¡¯ was at a crescent bend of the pool. the white jade stone wall blocked the view, so he couldn¡¯t notice the light at the door at first. by the time he noticed it, a ball of light had already walked half a circle. ye jingtang was shocked and puzzled. when he came in, he had already checked the surroundings. there were no outsiders, and it was already late at night. no matter how he looked at it, it didn¡¯t look like anyone would come¡­ is it a eunuch on patrol? if the eunuch found him and expelled him, he would definitely not be able to stay in the pool¡­ ye jingtang thought to himself. at this moment, he could only use his hand to silently pry open the cobblestones and take out the jade pendant. then he quietly poked his head out from the crescent bend that he was in to see what was going on. near the pool were not eunuchs but a few palace maids in colorful clothes holding lanterns behind a screen. as soon as ye jingtang surfaced, he found that the door behind the screen was open, revealing the outline of a woman. she was wearing a white gauze bathrobe. hazily, below seemed to be¡­ hiss! ye jingtang¡¯s eyes suddenly widened. he didn¡¯t even look at the woman¡¯s appearance and figure carefully. he quickly shrank back into the pool, wanting to find a way to escape. but the bathing room was full of translucent screens, and he was still in the water. it was easier said than done to escape silently. if he showed his head, he would definitely not be able to clear his name even if he jumped into the yellow river. but if he was discovered without showing his head, wouldn¡¯t he be dead meat¡­ before ye jingtang could think of a countermeasure, he found a fair jade foot reaching into the surface of the pool in the distance and swaying gently. splash! with the help of the light from the pool, he could see that her bare foot was extremely fair. her toes were like crystal clear jade, and the lines were extremely beautiful. and the scenery above the water was hazy and white¡­ no way! ye jingtang noticed that the woman seemed to have taken off her bathrobe. at this moment, he didn¡¯t dare to show his face. just as he was hesitating if he should make some noise to remind her, he heard a muffled sound. plop! the calm pool water not far away suddenly stirred up waves, and a fair figure smashed into the pool. ye jingtang first saw her slender arms, followed by her heroic face and snow-white shoulders. originally, the posture of entering the water was perfect and wouldn¡¯t cause much water to splash. but the woman¡¯s body was clearly not streamlined, and the resistance in her chest was very large. the moment she entered the water, he saw two large balls pushing through the water, creating rhythmic waves, swaying and surging. an indescribable pressure assaulted his face¡­ f*ck///this shocking scene stunned ye jingtang. he froze at the edge of the pool, his heart like dead ashes. but after seeing who it was, he felt a little relieved. fortunately, its dumdum¡­ no, how can 1 say it¡¯s fortunate¡­ what should 1 do¡­ he could escape death, but he couldn¡¯t escape punishment. he would be threatened for the rest of his life¡­ counting on the prince of jing not discovering him at this time, even the heavens wouldn¡¯t agree. dongfang liren dove into the pool like a white fish and swam two lengths forward. she opened her eyes and prepared to swim backward to the reclining area on the other side of the pool. but the moment she opened her eyes, she found something strange at the bottom of the pool. there seemed to be a black shadow in the crescent bend at the edge of the pool. ?! dongfang liren was slightly startled. she quickly scrutinized the shadow carefully and saw the handsome face full of shock through the faint light. gulp! even dongfang liren, who couldn¡¯t express her emotions, let out a scream when she encountered this accident and stared at ye jingtang in disbelief. then she quickly hugged her chest, shrank into a fetal position in the water, and used her feet to block the most embarrassing part. ye jingtang noticed the prince of jing looking at him, so he hurriedly closed his eyes and raised his hands. although he didn¡¯t say anything, he was obviously signaling: i was wrong! 1 was wrong! i didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡­ after dongfang liren saw who was underwater, her face turned red. she was embarrassed, angry, and shocked. but her calm mind in the face of danger didn¡¯t make her completely flustered like ordinary women. after blocking her vital points, she forcefully suppressed the tempestuous waves in her heart and quickly surfaced. splash! at the edge of the hot spring pool, a few palace maids looked at the hibiscus-like princess with blank expressions. dongfang liren¡¯s face was as red as blood. she suppressed her emotions, put on a normal expression, and ordered, ¡°all of you, get out!¡± her voice was trembling. the palace maids found it strange, but they didn¡¯t dare to ask. after bowing, they walked out of the bathing room in puzzlement. when there were no outsiders by the pool, dongfang liren¡¯s expression completely turned into shame, anger, and shock. she wanted to get out of the pool to get her clothes, but she was afraid that what was under her hands and feet would be seen clearly¡­ she might have already been seen, but she couldn¡¯t be seen again! dongfang liren curled up into a ball and floated in the water in a strange posture. she didn¡¯t know what to do. splash! there was a soft splash. a handsome man¡¯s face appeared from the crescent bend. his face was full of embarrassment, his eyes were closed, and his hands were raised high. then he turned around to face his back to her. ¡°uh¡­¡± dongfang liren gritted her teeth. when she saw ye jingtang turn around, the embarrassment and anxiety in her heart eased a little. she stood in the pool, and the water reached her neck. she reprimanded softly, ¡°you¡­ how dare you!¡± ye jingtang was dumbfounded. with his back to dongfang liren, he explained, ¡°i didn¡¯t do it on purpose. i¡­¡± how the f*ck can 1 explain this?! dongfang liren¡¯s eyelashes trembled slightly as she slowly retreated to the edge of the pool. she questioned coldly, ¡°why are you here?¡± ye jingtang had come here to help find miss yuhu¡¯s jade pendant. if he pointed out her at this time, the prince of jing would definitely vent her anger on the palace maid. although he couldn¡¯t even protect himself, he hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth and explaining, ¡°i just met sir shang and the others and passed by this place. 1 heard water splashing in the dark, so i came in to take a look. in the end, i found that it was the mouth of a spring¡­ umm¡­ when someone came, i hid. i didn¡¯t expect your highness to come suddenly¡­ isn¡¯t your highness practicing the saber in the great blessing palace?¡± dongfang liren didn¡¯t believe ye jingtang¡¯s excuse at all, but she really didn¡¯t think that ye jingtang had hidden here on purpose to peek. she had been called over by her sister, and ye jingtang didn¡¯t know about it beforehand. even if he knew, it was impossible for him to come and peek at her taking a bath. even if he really wanted to peep, he wouldn¡¯t be so stupid as to hide in the pool¡­ fortunately, sister didn¡¯t come. otherwise¡­ sister didn¡¯t come¡­ ? dong! fang! yu! hu! dongfang liren was smart and instantly guessed who had set her up! other than her omnipotent sister, there was no one else in the palace who could trick her and ye jingtang into coming here! is there something wrong with your brain? how can you do this? i¡¯m your biological sister¡­ although she had figured out the reason and knew that ye jingtang was also a victim, she had suffered such a huge loss for no reason, so she couldn¡¯t let him off. dongfang liren¡¯s expression changed. she gritted her teeth and questioned coldly, ¡°what did you just see?¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t look carefully. otherwise, he would have been able to see everything. ¡°i didn¡¯t see anything¡­¡± when dongfang liren heard him refuse to admit it, her eyes were full of shame and anger. ¡°do you think i¡¯m stupid?¡± ye jingtang said innocently, ¡°i really didn¡¯t do it on purpose. as soon as i saw the outline, i quickly closed my eyes.¡± outline? the outline of what¡­ the outline of everything¡­? dongfang liren stood in the water with her arms crossed. she wanted to reprimand ye jingtang, but her mind was in a mess, and she couldn¡¯t organize her words. ¡°you¡­¡± ye jingtang was afraid that the prince of jing would get angry and castrate him, so he quietly climbed out of the pool and apologized at the same time. ¡°i really didn¡¯t do it on purpose. i¡­¡± before he could climb out of the pool, his words and actions stopped. dongfang liren¡¯s eyes narrowed. she hugged her chest and looked wary, but she immediately heard footsteps outside. is liren inside?¡± ¡°your majesty empress dowager, her highness is taking a bath¡­¡± ?! both of them were shocked. ye jingtang looked around, trying to find a place to hide. however, the empress dowager might go to the side hall to change her clothes first. there was no way for him to hide. the bath looked quite big, but even the screens were translucent. as a man, he would be easily discovered if he hid in the room. ye jingtang gritted his teeth and wanted to quickly climb out of the window. but dongfang liren quickly stopped him. ¡°don¡¯t! there are secret guards outside. you¡¯re covered in water. if you go out, you¡¯ll be discovered¡­ turn your head!¡± just as ye jingtang turned around, and before he could see anything, he was rebuked shyly and angrily. he hurriedly turned around and asked, ¡°so, what do we do?¡± tread, tread, tread¡­ the empress dowager seemed to be in a hurry. she didn¡¯t look like she was going to take off her clothes in the side hall, and her footsteps had already reached the door. dongfang liren had no choice. she flicked her finger to extinguish a few candles with water droplets and said in a low voice, ¡°get down.¡± huh? ii ¡°hurry up!¡± ¡°oh.¡± with nowhere else to hide, ye jingtang could only take a deep breath and slide back into the water to hide again¡­ Chapter 67 - Chapter 67: Untitled chapter 67: untitled translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios on the other side¡­ after the empress dowager¡¯s drawing of the handsome man was seen by ye jingtang, she had been feeling uneasy and asked hongyu to ask around. in the end, she heard that the prince of jing and the empress hadn¡¯t gone to bed yet and were preparing to take a bath at the bright yang pool. hearing this, the empress dowager brought her palace maids to the bright yang pool, only to see the prince of jing¡¯s maids waiting outside. there was no sign of the empress¡¯s honor guard. seeing that the empress hadn¡¯t come yet, the empress dowager had a chance to be alone with the prince of jing, so she hurriedly entered the hall. the hot spring pool was only lit by a few dim lanterns. the light was very dim, and other than the flowing of the spring water, there was no sound. the empress dowager, who was wearing a dark red dress, moved past the screens and saw the fair dongfang liren floating in the middle of the pool. she was stirring the water with her hands. perhaps it was because she was soaking in the hot spring, but her face was red and very beautiful. ¡°empress dowager, why are you here?¡± ¡°i couldn¡¯t sleep at night. 1 heard you were here, so i came to take a look. you don¡¯t have to get up.¡± at the edge of the pool, the empress dowager raised her hands and wanted to pull open her belt and jump into the hot spring with her. but how could dongfang liren agree?! ye jingtang was still in the pool. if the empress dowager also stripped naked and jumped in, it wouldn¡¯t be as simple as a ¡®couple¡¯s bath¡¯, but¡­ it would be a very disgraceful and immoral thing! seeing that the empress dowager was about to undress, dongfang liren hurriedly stopped her. ¡°wait!¡± ¡°hmm?¡± the empress dowager blinked her big eyes and looked slightly confused with her hands on her belt. ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°hmm¡­ the water is a little hot tonight. i¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be used to it¡­¡± ¡°is it hot?¡± the empress dowager bent down and squatted at the edge of the pool, wanting to test the temperature of the water with her hand. but ye jingtang¡¯s back was facing the door, and the empress dowager was standing directly above him. if she lowered her head, it was very likely that she would discover the figure underwater through the mist. dongfang li¡¯s heart was in her throat. in a moment of desperation, she could only let go of her chest and swim forward. in the blink of an eye, she rushed to the empress dowager. whoosh! water splashed. dongfang liren lay both hands on the edge of the pool while suppressing the shame and anger in her eyes. she looked at the empress dowager and asked calmly, ¡°empress dowager, you can¡¯t sleep at night. is there something on your mind?¡± the empress dowager had almost been splashed by dongfang liren. she moved back a little. ¡°1 don¡¯t have anything on my mind. 1 just came over to take a look¡­ oh, yes, you were in danger yesterday. it¡¯s been on my mind. you have to bring guards with you in the palace¡­¡± dongfang liren¡¯s expression remained unchanged as she gritted her teeth. ¡°don¡¯t worry, empress dowager. i¡¯ll bring them with me at all times.¡± ¡°did you bring young master ye, who protected you yesterday?¡± dongfang liren felt like she was stepping on this person! ¡°yes, he¡¯s patrolling the palace.¡± the empress dowager nodded slightly, sat on the edge of the pool, and brushed the hair by her ear. ¡°how¡¯s the patrol going? did they find anything unusual?¡± ¡°no, everything is as usual¡­¡± ¡°that¡¯s good¡­¡± meanwhile, underwater¡­ ye jingtang was hiding with his back against the edge of the pool, so he couldn¡¯t hear the words on the surface of the water. in order not to offend the prince of jing again, even though he was at the bottom of the pool, he closed his eyes and waited for her to send the empress dowager away. but not long after he closed his eyes, he felt a water wave approach. he opened his eyes slightly to look at it¡­ two long legs swung back and forth as she swam toward him. the extremely oppressive objects appeared without the slightest concealment. it generously arrived directly on top of his head and pressed against the white jade wall of the pool¡­ ?! facing the magnificent so close at hand, ye jingtang was shocked, but what was even more shocking was not this. in order to block him, the prince of jing lay on the edge of the pool, which was shoulder deep. he was leaning against the wall of the pool, with the prince of jing directly above him, and in front of him was naturally¡­ in order not to come into contact with him, ye jingtang could feel dumdum¡¯s long legs swaying in the water, causing some ripples in the water. ye jingtang tilted his head and closed his eyes without looking. his heart was beating like a drum as he kept reminding himself to abide by his mind and not submit to his desires. and the prince of jing seemed to know where his gaze might fall. this wait was much longer than he had imagined¡­ ¡°that young master ye has such high martial arts skills at such a young age. he¡¯s really not simple. how is his character?¡± ¡°hmm¡­ he¡¯s okay. it¡¯s just that he¡¯s inexperienced in jianghu and easily deceived.¡± ¡°is that so¡­¡± at the edge of the pool, the empress dowager sat elegantly on her side. after chatting for a long time and seeing that ye jingtang didn¡¯t look like he was going to report about her, she relaxed a little. the empress dowager pulled down half of her clothes, revealing her fair shoulders and voluptuous figure. she wanted to bathe with dongfang liren. but just as she made this move, dongfang liren¡¯s expression changed slightly, and she hurriedly helped the empress dowager pull up her collar to prevent the empress dowager¡¯s naked body from being exposed. ¡°don¡¯t.¡± the empress dowager was baffled. ¡°why? i want to come in and have a bath, but you won¡¯t let me?¡± n ii dongfang liren didn¡¯t know how to explain. her mind raced as she changed the topic. ¡°no, 1 just thought of a poem. you will probably like it. could you help me get a brush and paper?¡± the empress dowager was born in jiang province, where literature was at its peak. she had dabbled in poetry, but she was not very interested. but since dongfang liren said this, she naturally had to listen. she turned around and instructed outside the hall, ¡°hongyu, get me a brush and paper.¡± ¡°yes, your majesty.¡± soon, the palace maid hongyu ran in with a tray with a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. the empress dowager helped to grind the ink. dongfang liren lay at the edge of the pool, holding a small brush in her hand, writing on the white paper. in order to stall for time so that her unscrupulous sister would discover her predicament and send the empress dowager away, dongfang liren wrote very slowly. every stroke had to be considered, and after writing a sentence, she had to think carefully. ¡°wait till the double ninth day in fall comes around¡­ i¡¯ll bloom when other flowers¡¯re to be withered and gone.¡± the empress dowager read each sentence, and her casual expression gradually turned solemn. she picked up the paper and carefully appraised it. ¡°this poem is really¡­ fierce. who wrote it?¡± ¡°from what her majesty said, it was written by a scholar. empress dowager, if you are interested, you can ask her majesty.¡± the empress dowager seriously looked at the poem on the paper and said helplessly, ¡°as the empress dowager, what¡¯s the point of asking about a talented scholar¡­ sigh, you like martial arts and can meet a man with extraordinary martial arts skills like ye jingtang. her majesty loves poetry and songs and can meet such a talented and ambitious man¡­¡± dongfang liren knew that the empress dowager was starting to feel sorry for herself again. just as she was considering her words to comfort her, she suddenly felt someone touching her calf. ?! dongfang liren¡¯s heart skipped a beat. she thought that ye jingtang finally couldn¡¯t keep maintaining the way of a gentleman, but she quickly felt that it didn¡¯t seem like it. he was patting her to remind her. remind me of what¡­ dongfang liren thought to herself and suddenly came to a realization. she and the empress dowager had been talking nonsense for a long time without realizing it. martial artists had long inner breaths. some tyrannical grandmasters who were good at the turtle breathing technique could be full of vigor after staying in the water for a few months. it wasn¡¯t strange for ordinary martial artists to hold their breath for two hours, but this kind of internal martial arts needed to be practiced. ye jingtang seemed very skilled in martial arts, but madam wang had said that his qi meridians were messy. it was obvious that he had never practiced this kind of martial arts. he had been holding his breath in the water for so long and had likely reached his limit. if he couldn¡¯t show his head, he might faint! dongfang liren was anxious. it was already very abrupt not to let the empress dowager enter the water. she couldn¡¯t chase the empress dowager out again. this wretched sister, do you not notice that the empress dowager is here, or do you deiiberateiy want to expose the matter so that i will embarrass myself in front of her? if the empress dowager saw her taking a bath with ye jingtang, she would have no choice but to marry ye jingtang. she might even be bestowed with a marriage tomorrow. dongfang liren reckoned that her sister hadn¡¯t shown up until now, likely because she had the idea of letting the empress dowager discover her embarrassing situation and force her to get married quickly. it wasn¡¯t that dongfang liren didn¡¯t want to get married, but how could she end her single life in such an embarrassing way? moreover, ye jingtang had someone he liked and seemed to be in love with.. how could she be a bad woman who relied on power to snatch her love¡­ Chapter 68 - Chapter 68: You’re Really Capable! chapter 68: you¡¯re really capable! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios dongfang liren was anxious. her leg touched ye jingtang¡¯s cheek, and she could clearly feel that his face was getting hotter and hotter. he patted her leg again. if ye jingtang fainted, he would definitely float out from beside her. she couldn¡¯t step on him and drown him. dongfang liren gritted her teeth and made up her mind. she looked up behind the empress dowager. seeing this, the empress dowager turned around unprepared. dongfang liren immediately raised her hand, intending to commit a rebellious act and knock the empress dowager unconscious! fortunately, her sister wasn¡¯t too bad. a voice finally came from outside. ¡°your majesty, her majesty said that she won¡¯t be coming. her majesty just received a few good poems. your majesty and your highness, please go to the eternal joy palace to appraise them.¡± dongfang liren hurriedly retracted her hand, feeling relieved. the empress dowager turned her face back, slightly puzzled. ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡± dongfang liren smiled and said, ¡°it¡¯s nothing. i¡¯m seeing things. empress dowager, go over first. i¡¯ll go there after my hair dries.¡± hearing this, the empress dowager didn¡¯t stay long. she stood up and left the bright yang pool with her palace maids¡­ tread, tread, tread¡­ the footsteps gradually faded away, and the palace maids who were about to help the prince of jing put on her clothes were driven out again. dongfang liren¡¯s face alternated between red and white. before she could calm down, she noticed that the man holding her leg was moving a little strangely, as if he was instinctively trying to surface. dongfang liren was afraid of suffocating ye jingtang, so she quickly jumped out of the pool, picked up a thin blanket, and wrapped herself up like a caterpillar. she wanted to stand up straight and act like a dignified and majestic princess, but she didn¡¯t know if it was because she had been in the water for too long and couldn¡¯t stand steadily, so she sat on a chaise longue. seeing that there was no reaction in the water, dongfang liren flicked her finger and threw out a go piece. plop! seeing that ye jingtang didn¡¯t come out, she threw another one in. plop! splash! soon, ye jingtang emerged from the water and took a deep breath. ¡°huff¡­ puff¡­¡± after looking around a few times, he saw her sitting on the chaise longue and jumped onto the shore. ¡°i¡­¡± ¡°come here!¡± dongfang liren was tightly wrapped in a thin blanket, and even her toes were wrapped. her face was red, and her willowy eyebrows were furrowed. ye jingtang wiped the water off his face and tried his best to maintain a calm appearance as he went to the beauty¡¯s chaise longue. ¡°your highness, i didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡­¡± ¡°is there a difference?!¡± dongfang liren gritted her teeth, but she couldn¡¯t look ye jingtang in the eye, so she turned her head. ¡°you peeked on me while i was bathing and even made me do that in front of the empress dowager¡­ if you hadn¡¯t saved me once, i would skin you alive!¡± ye jingtang was also quite innocent, but at this moment, he could only apologize sincerely. ¡°please forgive me, your highness.¡± dongfang liren glanced at ye jingtang and fell silent for a moment. then she looked elsewhere and pursed her lips, not knowing what to say. seeing that the prince of jing¡¯s face was covered in water, ye jingtang turned around, picked up a towel from a table, and handed it to her. dongfang liren wanted to raise her hand to take it, but when she moved her hand, her chest felt cold as she revealed a large area of whiteness. she hurriedly hugged the thin blanket tightly. ¡°why are you still here? are you waiting to see me get dressed?¡± ye jingtang gestured to the outside. ¡°didn¡¯t your highness say that there are secret guards outside? can i go out now?¡± dongfang liren was speechless. since she was here, the secret guards would definitely be guarding the periphery of the bright yang pool. if he wanted to go unnoticed, she had to leave first. dongfang liren thought for a moment and stood up. like a jumping zombie, she jumped behind a screen and prepared to put on her clothes. tread, tread, tread! this scene was rather funny, but ye jingtang was about to be pulled to the castration room. he didn¡¯t dare to laugh and just turned his back. dongfang liren looked through the translucent screen. seeing that ye jingtang was very self-conscious, she secretly heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°i asked you to patrol the palace, but in the end, you peeped at me bathing on the first day you entered the palace. you¡¯re really capable!¡± ye jingtang also felt that the palace was very strange. he explained helplessly, ¡°it was an accident. in the future, i will patrol the palace walls, and this kind of thing will never happen again. hmm¡­ why is your highness here? i thought there would be no one here in the middle of the night¡­¡± dongfang liren couldn¡¯t say that she had been tricked by her unscrupulous sister. she said coldly, ¡°i was sweating from practicing the saber, so i naturally had to come take a bath. you¡­ forget it. you don¡¯t have to enter the palace to patrol in the future. if i let you do anything rash again, you might offend the empress dowager tomorrow¡­¡± ye jingtang felt that he had lost the roaring dragon chart, but dumdum didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of punishing him. he was already very lucky. he immediately replied, ¡°okay, 1 will never set foot into the imperial city without your highness¡¯s permission in the future. hmm¡­ 1 will definitely atone for today¡¯s matter¡­¡± ¡°atone¡­ alright, from now on, you¡¯re the deputy commander of the black office. be obedient to me¡­¡± ?! ye jingtang hurriedly turned around to stop her. ¡°your highness, you can¡¯t¡­¡± when he turned around, he saw the tall, fair beauty standing behind the translucent screen. although through the gauze screen, the view was not as direct as underwater, there was no light underwater, so it was not clear. at this moment, a candlestick was beside dongfang liren. under the light, her plump, jade-like figure was clearly visible. the curve behind her waist was like a crescent moon and full of tension. (o_o)!! ye jingtang¡¯s expression froze, and his words abruptly stopped. ¡°you!¡± just as dongfang liren let down her guard, ye jingtang turned around to take a closer look. she was so angry that her eyebrows bristled. she hurriedly embraced the moons with both hands and blocked in front of her with the thin blanket. ye jingtang quickly turned back and changed the topic. ¡°well¡­ well¡­ it¡¯s my duty to share your highness¡¯s burdens. but i only know martial arts. i can do some hard work, but i¡¯m really not qualified for an official position. moreover, not long after i entered the capital, i was suddenly assigned to such a high-ranking position. no one in the black office will believe that i have no special relationship with your highness. as a dignified man, if i want to take an official career, i should rely on real merits and achievements. only then can i convince the public.¡± dongfang liren hugged her body. after nervously confirming that ye jingtang wouldn¡¯t turn around again, she heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°forget it. then take on a case tomorrow to accumulate merits. if you dare to slack off¡­¡± ye jingtang felt that the prince of jing¡¯s thoughts were a little unclear and incoherent, but he couldn¡¯t refuse. he only said tactfully, ¡°that¡¯s not a problem. but 1 still have to do something for my family. can i start next month?¡± dongfang liren didn¡¯t respond. she put on a clean white robe and covered her exquisite body. only then did she calm down a little. she slowly walked out from behind the screen. ¡°alright.¡± ye jingtang turned around and saw that the prince of jing had finally put on her clothes. relieved, he went up to her. ¡°today¡¯s offense¡ª¡± ¡°you don¡¯t have to say anything else. this stops here.¡± dongfang liren raised her hand to interrupt him. she returned to her usual noble and aloof demeanor as a princess. ¡°if you dare to spread this matter, i will send you to the palace to be the head of the eunuchs!¡± a certain part of ye jingtang felt a chill. he nodded slightly. ¡°don¡¯t worry, your highness. i will definitely keep my mouth shut.¡± dongfang li¡¯s aura was dignified and noble, but she couldn¡¯t suppress her red apple-like face. in order not to show an expression that was beneath her status, she tried to find something to talk about. ¡°since you¡¯ve protected me, in the eyes of the green bandits, you¡¯re my person. if there¡¯s a chance, they will definitely attack you. when you¡¯re outside, you have to pay attention to your safety.¡± ¡°thank you for your concern, your highness.¡± dongfang liren took a long time to calm down and suppress her stormy emotions. she turned around and walked out of the door. ¡°your highness¡­¡± dongfang liren stopped, thinking that ye jingtang was going to say something ridiculous like ¡®i will be responsible for your highness¡¯. her body stiffened slightly, and she didn¡¯t dare to turn around. she said coldly, ¡°is there anything else?¡± ¡°should i go to the great blessing palace to teach your highness the saber technique later?¡± ? dongfang liren took a deep breath, causing her clothes to rise.. without responding, she walked out of the door with heavy footsteps¡­ Chapter 69 - Chapter 69: Young Master Ye, Are You Alright? chapter 69: young master ye, are you alright? translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the silver moon shone faintly. in a corridor deep in the imperial city, a red-robed woman holding a palace lantern stood quietly and solemnly. thud! drip, drip, drip¡­ a soft sound came from the end of the corridor, and a handsome guard in a black robe appeared. his robe was drenched, and water droplets were dripping from his sleeves and hair. he looked back as he walked, looking preoccupied and troubled. the empress took out a handkerchief from her sleeve and walked over. ¡°young master ye, are you alright?¡± ye jingtang¡¯s mind was filled with thoughts of ¡¯big, big, big¡¯ and whether heroine luo would kill him if she found out. he was really a little distracted. seeing yuhu, he put away the distracting thoughts in his mind, took the handkerchief to wipe the water on his face, and took out the jade pendant from his sleeve. ¡®tin fine. i found the jade pendant.¡± the empress really didn¡¯t expect that ye jingtang wouldn¡¯t forget to bring the jade pendant back for her even in such a difficult situation. she raised her hand to take the double fish pendant and blinked. ¡°1 saw people going to the bright yang pool just now. you didn¡¯t bump into anyone, did you?¡± ¡°i¡¯m a guard. it¡¯s normal for me to be seen patrolling. don¡¯t worry. 1 didn¡¯t expose you. be careful in the future. i¡¯m here today. if it were anyone else, they definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to find this jade pendant.¡± didn¡¯t expose me.. the empress didn¡¯t know if she should say that ye jingtang was too chivalrous or too foolish. in any case, she felt that she was like an unscrupulous sister-in-law who had deceived her innocent brother-in-law. she fell silent for a moment and put away the jade pendant. ¡°thank you, young master ye. 1 don¡¯t even know how to thank you.¡± if he hadn¡¯t run into the prince of jing, ye jingtang might have thought of the prince of jing and asked her for a beautiful palace maid to bring home to serve him tea and water. but now, he really had no intention of chatting with the girl. ¡°it¡¯s nothing. there¡¯s no need to thank me. it¡¯s getting late. miss yuhu, hurry back. 1 have to continue patrolling.¡± the empress¡¯s lips curled into a smile as she bowed like water. ¡°i¡¯m really sorry to trouble you, young master. i¡¯ll repay your kindness in the future.¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t think that this beautiful palace maid could repay him anything. he thought that she was just being polite. he nodded slightly in return and turned to leave the corridor. but after walking a distance, he suddenly thought of the red handkerchief in his hand. ye jingtang turned around and wanted to stop yuhu, but he saw that the palace lantern had already turned the corner of the corridor, and he could only see the afterglow. he hesitated for a moment and decided to forget about it. the moon came overhead, and there were few people in the palace. this unforgettable night finally fell completely silent. ye jingtang felt that the palace was very strange, so he didn¡¯t dare to run around again. he just paced back and forth under the palace wall, waiting for the night wind to dry his clothes. although he tried his best to suppress his emotions, he kept thinking about the oppressive feeling the prince of jing gave him when she jumped into the water, as well as the indistinct touch of her hair¡­ this wasn¡¯t because of his lust but because the impact was too great. any man would have to sleep for a few days to calm down after encountering such a thing. he was obviously not a saint who could turn his head and forget and have his heart be as still as water. if the prince of jing wanted him to take responsibility for this sudden affair, he would definitely not be able to escape. if heroine luo returned and found out that he had become the prince¡¯s consort, she would be so sad¡­ what should i do¡­ ye jingtang was so distraught and confused that he couldn¡¯t even think about the roaring dragon chart. worried that the prince of jing would look for him, he even went to the great blessing palace to take a look. but in the end, other than a silly palace maid waiting obediently with a bird in her arms, there was no trace of the prince of jing. although he knew that it was unlikely that the prince of jing would come again, he still followed the palace maid¡¯s instructions and waited in the courtyard, pondering all kinds of martial arts on his own¡­ on another side, in the empress¡¯s bedchamber in the eternal joy palace¡­ after a series of messy experiences, the atmosphere between the empress dowager, the empress, and the prince of jing became very strange. in the middle of the night, the room was very quiet, and only the moonlight and palace lanterns outside the windows brought weak light. on the large dragon bed, three women with different but very hot figures lay side by side on their pillows. they seemed to be asleep. after dongfang liren went to the eternal joy palace, she had prepared many words to vent her anger on the empress. but after the empress returned to her bedchamber, she acted as if she didn¡¯t know anything. dongfang liren was embarrassed and speechless. moreover, she was afraid of her sister. in the end, she pretended that nothing had happened. at this moment, dongfang liren was wearing a silver-white nightgown that tightly covered her. she was sleeping on the outside of the bed. her face was slightly cold, and her back was facing the two of them, with a look that said ¡®i am very angry¡¯ and a myriad of emotions. seriously¡­ why do 1 have such a stupid sister¡­ ye jingtang was really a gentleman just now. under such circumstances, he even knew to turn his head, close his eyes, and not look around¡­ but him not looking around isn¡¯t the same as not seeing anything¡­ if ye jingtang s lover knew that something like this happened between him and me, she wouldn¡¯t be angry, right¡­ she will definitely be angry. how can other women be as sensible as me?as long as ye jingtang isn¡¯t at fault, 1 won¡¯t punish him¡­ if ye jingtang falls in love with me and is abandoned by the person he loves because of this matter, will he blame me¡­ 1 don¡¯t want to see you. who asked you to be tricked by my sister¡­ how could she do such a stupid thing¡­ the more dongfang liren thought about it, the angrier she became. she secretly elbowed the empress under the thin blanket to vent her anger. the empress had changed back into her translucent red gauze dress. she was no longer as lazy and casual as a noble consort. instead, she was lying flat in the middle with her hands folded on her abdomen. her eyes were closed as she focused, ignoring her sister¡¯s tantrum. on the other side, the empress dowager was lying on the innermost side in a dark red nightgown. from time to time, she would turn over and let her imagination run wild. if ye jingtang finds out that 1 drew his portrait, won¡¯t his imagination run wild¡­ even if his imagination doesn¡¯t run wild, for the empress dowager to draw a man¡¯s portrait in her room and be seen by the main character, won¡¯t it be embarrassing to death¡­ also, what¡¯s going on with these sisters? after an unknown period of silence, the empress dowager turned over and glanced at the empress, who was as steady as a mountain, and the prince of jing, who was lying on her side. ¡°why are the two of you sleeping in opposite ways? didn¡¯t liren always lie down on her back before?¡± dongfang liren turned around and saw that the empress was still awake, so she turned away again and said indifferently, ¡°we still have to deal with government affairs tomorrow. why isn¡¯t her majesty resting?¡± ¡°if both of you don¡¯t sleep, how can i sleep?¡± seeing that she couldn¡¯t sleep, the empress dowager propped herself up and asked curiously, ¡°your majesty, who wrote the poem you received today?¡± dongfang liren¡¯s ears twitched slightly. she was eavesdropping, but her goal was not interest in the scholar, but¡­ find her sister¡¯s partner and set up a trap to take revenge for today! the empress didn¡¯t open her eyes. she knew what her sister was thinking. she replied calmly, ¡°his surname is ye, and his name is jingtang. he¡¯s a young master of a family at heavenly water bridge. he has a good character and extraordinary ability. he can be of great use.¡± as soon as these words came out, the bedchamber fell silent. the empress dowager¡¯s curious expression stiffened, and a strange look appeared in her eyes. she kept looking between the empress and the prince of jing. yo~ could these sisters have taken a fancy to the same man? then, liren has no chance¡­ dongfang liren turned around in disbelief and looked at the empress. how can he write poetry? are you deliberately trying to anger me and make me jealous? the empress didn¡¯t explain. she turned her back to dongfang liren. dongfang liren gritted her teeth and turned around, leaving the empress with the back of her head. seeing the sisters in a cold war, the empress dowager felt that something was wrong and tried to smooth things over like a gentle and considerate mother. ¡°sigh, why are you sisters still fighting? let¡¯s talk nicely¡­¡± although her words were gentle, her eyes were sparkling with the flames of gossip¡­ Chapter 70 - Chapter 70: Reprimand! chapter 70: reprimand! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the sun rose and set. in the blink of an eye, it was already the afternoon of the next day. after heroine luo and little yunli left, the small courtyard in double osmanthus alley became much quieter. a green sprout had already appeared under the vegetable trellis, but it was still impossible to tell what it was. the window in the west wing was closed, so the bird couldn¡¯t go out to play. it was lying on the bed with its claws facing the sky, looking at the motionless ye jingtang. it couldn¡¯t help missing sister little watermelons, sister big chest, sister fat-headed dragon, and sister poached eggs¡­ ¡°chirp!¡± the bird raised its claws and kicked ye jingtang to remind him that it was time to eat. unfortunately, there was no response. ye jingtang was sitting cross-legged by the window and focusing his mind while feeling the changes in his body. although he couldn¡¯t explain it clearly, after studying the dragon form picture for a long time, he could vaguely sense a ¡®qi¡¯ circulating in his body. this ¡®qi¡¯ was completely different from the internal energy in the dantian of martial artists. it was even more obscure and difficult to find. it could even make people think that they were hallucinating. but as long as he practiced according to the guidance of the dragon form picture, this illusion would appear. after many attempts, he could confirm that there was indeed an invisible and unpredictable qi in his body. as for the effect, he couldn¡¯t tell for the time being. but according to the prince of jing¡¯s explanation, practicing the dragon form picture could allow one to have extraordinary strength. he estimated that the effect was to nourish the muscles and make the body stronger. ye jingtang had been on duty last night. after returning home, he had been studying the dragon form picture in his room. unknowingly, he had reached this point. just as he was practicing seriously, he suddenly heard a sound. coo- coo coo- it sounded like a chicken cooing, but the sound was completely out of tune. opening his eyes, he saw the bird standing on the windowsill, raising its neck¡­ no, it didn¡¯t have a neck. it should be raising its head and cooing at him. ye jingtang¡¯s eyes were full of helplessness. he took out a dried meat box from the drawer and placed it in front of the bird. then he checked himself. he hadn¡¯t slept all night, but he wasn¡¯t tired or sleepy. he even felt refreshed. it seemed that the roaring dragon chart was indeed extraordinary. he resumed practicing the dragon form picture, but before he could enter the state, he heard another sound. thump, thump¡­ ¡°jingtang?¡± thump, thump¡­ knocking was coming from outside the courtyard. when the bird heard the sound, it immediately perked up and began to open the window itself. ye jingtang stopped practicing and calmed his qi. he put on his robe and opened the courtyard door. he saw third lady standing at the door with a food box in her hand. she was dressed as usual, wearing a chest-high ruqun and decent hair accessories, looking like an intellectual and capable woman from a wealthy family. but her makeup was slightly different. before going out, she had dressed up carefully. her lips were painted in a shimmering red color, exuding a sleek luster under the setting sun, looking like cherries waiting to be plucked. it¡¯s already afternoon. why are you still sleeping? what did you do last night?¡± pei xiangjun frowned, her eyes resentful. she looked like an aggrieved young lady who came to ask for an explanation after a man had stayed out all night. ye jingtang didn¡¯t expect third lady to change back in just a few days. he couldn¡¯t help smiling. ¡°last night, 1 was ordered to patrol the imperial city. 1 stayed up all night and didn¡¯t sleep. come in and talk.¡± pei xiangjun had come to look for ye jingtang the night before yesterday, but he hadn¡¯t returned for two consecutive days. she thought that he had been poached by the prince of jing, so she had been quite worried. after all, if a heroine of jianghu dug up the cabbage, it wouldn¡¯t affect the red flower pavilion. but if the princess poached jingtang, the azure dragon hall¡¯s assets would become his dowry. seeing that ye jingtang was not in a good mood, she walked forward and felt his wrist¡¯s pulse. ¡°yesterday, something happened, and then you were called to patrol the palace. does the imperial court think they can use you however they want?¡± ¡°those who are capable do more work. the prince of jing only entrusted me with such an important task because she appreciated me.¡± ¡°those who are capable do more work¡­¡± feeling that ye jingtang¡¯s pulse was strong and that there was nothing unusual, pei xiangjun secretly heaved a sigh of relief. she went to the main room and put down the food box in her hand. ¡°miss ning¡¯er has left. there¡¯s no one to cook at home. why are you still staying here? the pei residence is so big, and there¡¯s no lack of chopsticks¡­¡± ¡°i¡¯m used to living alone. the pei residence is full of women. it¡¯s really inconvenient to live there.¡± ¡°hmph! are you afraid that the maids at home will take advantage of you?¡± ¡°uhh¡­¡± ye jingtang shook his head and chuckled. he opened the food box and saw the carefully prepared food and a pot of wine inside. the bird immediately perked up. with a whoosh, it crossed the courtyard and landed on the table. pei xiangjun held the bird in her arms and asked, ¡°i heard that you and the prince of jing met the blood bodhi. what happened? tell me.¡± ye jingtang ate heartily and briefly explained the encounter with the blood bodhi. then he said, ¡°1 thought grandmasters were so powerful, but in a real battle, he was only so-so. if 1 had mastered my saber technique, he would have been lying on the ground in a single exchange.¡± ¡°the blood bodhi is an old bandit of jianghu. he¡¯s probably in his sixties or seventies. he retired more than ten years ago. to be able to fight you to a draw now, 1 can only say that he¡¯s still strong despite his age.¡± at this point, pei xiangjun reminded, ¡°if you see that the situation isn¡¯t good, you should use the spear when you should. if the imperial court discovers my identity, at worst, i¡¯ll abandon the businesses of heavenly water bridge and find another place to open the hall. if i run out of money, i can earn more. if i lose people, they will really be gone.¡± ye jingtang smiled and said, ¡°i know my limits. if i¡¯m really about to die, why would i hide my moves and not use them?¡± ¡°how long do you have to patrol the palace? helm master li and the others have already left in advance, and the boat arranged by the family is waiting at the docks. we can set off at any time.¡± ¡°i¡¯ve already told the prince of jing, and i don¡¯t have to go to the palace today. if there¡¯s nothing else tomorrow, we can set off.¡± the two of them had only chatted for a moment when the sound of wheels suddenly sounded outside the alley, along with xiuhe¡¯s voice. ¡°huh?! greetings, your highness prince of jing¡­¡± ¡°no need to stand on ceremony. is ye jingtang inside?¡± ¡°yes, he¡¯s with our boss¡­¡± a luxurious carriage stopped outside the alley, and a tall beauty walked out of the carriage under the protection of a white-haired old woman. dongfang liren was still wearing the domineering and fat-heated dragon python robe, but she had changed her hairstyle to that of a scholarly young lady, with a pearl hairpin inserted diagonally. coupled with the red rouge on her full lips, she looked extremely noble. as soon as she appeared, the entire old street lit up. dongfang liren gently raised her hand and gestured for xiuhe to dispense with the formalities. she led the white-haired old woman into the remote alley. double osmanthus alley was very old. more than ten houses along the way were dilapidated. if she hadn¡¯t come personally, she wouldn¡¯t have known that there was such a dilapidated place in the capital. ¡°tell the imperial capital government to renovate this street.¡± ¡°renovations will only fix the problem for a while. there were a lot of people on dye workshop street during the previous dynasty. after the founding of the country, in order to facilitate control, all the large and small workshops were moved to the west of the city. this place is declining day by day. in my opinion, to make this place active, it is necessary to get special businesses here¡­¡± during their chat, the bird flew to the top of the wall and flapped its wings in greeting. ¡°chirp chirp chirp-¡± dongfang liren smiled, raised her arms to catch the bird, and looked at the courtyard door. the courtyard door opened at this moment, and a man and woman walked out. the man was tall and handsome, and the woman was gentle and dignified. they looked like a young couple with talent and beauty. dongfang liren blinked and couldn¡¯t help looking at pei xiangjun. ¡°your highness!¡± ¡°commoner pei xiangjun greets your highness.¡± ¡°who is this lady?¡± ye jingtang arrived before dongfeng liren and introduced warmly, ¡°this is the head of the pei family. outsiders call her third lady pei. 1 wonder if your highness has heard of her.¡± after getting to know ye jingtang, dongfang liren had come to know the pei family and knew that the head of the pei family was a woman. now that she saw her with her own eyes, she couldn¡¯t help being surprised. ¡°i¡¯ve heard of her, but i didn¡¯t expect her to be so young and beautiful.¡± pei xiangjun bowed. ¡°you flatter me, your highness. i heard that jingtang had an accident the day before yesterday, so i came to take a look. um¡­ i¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± dongfang liren naturally didn¡¯t want her to stay, so she nodded. as pei xiangjun left gracefully, the prince of jing even glanced at her charming figure. ye jingtang didn¡¯t notice these small details. after bidding farewell to third lady, he raised his hand and gestured. ¡°your highness, please go in and have a seat.¡± dongfang liren asked the white-haired old woman to wait outside and carried the bird into the courtyard. she was rather surprised to see the flowers and plants planted by the wall. ¡°you¡¯re a single man, but your home is quite particular.¡± if ye jingtang really lived alone, the courtyard would definitely not be so elegant. he couldn¡¯t say these things, so he smiled casually and brought dongfang liren to the main room. ¡°the house isn¡¯t big, so there¡¯s no place to entertain your highness. i hope your highness doesn¡¯t mind.¡± dongfang liren was born as the second imperial princess. after she was conferred the title of a prince of the blood by her sister, the stable in her home was more spacious than here. seeing that such a capable man like ye jingtang actually lived in such a poor place, she sighed in her heart. she felt that he was indeed not arrogant and impatient or valued fame and fortune. he was a modest gentleman. however, she didn¡¯t express these thoughts. she sat at the square table and assumed the posture of a princess. her expression was slightly cold as she said, ¡°ye jingtang, how many things have you kept from me?!¡± ye jingtang was about to go to the kitchen to get hot water to make tea when he heard the aggressive words. he was at a loss. ¡°huh? what does your highness mean?¡± dongfang liren¡¯s sitting posture was stable, and her bright and beautiful face was dignified and without anger, as if she was examining a rebellious courtier who had deceived his superior. ¡°if you confess, 1 can still be lenient. but if you insist on me pointing it out, don¡¯t blame me for being merciless!¡± ¡°chirp¡­¡± the bird felt that the atmosphere wasn¡¯t right.. it quietly closed its beak and moved a few steps to the side¡­ Chapter 71 - Chapter 71: The Most Difficult Is To Receive the Favor of a Beauty chapter 71: the most difficult is to receive the favor of a beauty translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ye jingtang had a lot of secrets. seeing dongfang liren¡¯s confident and condemning look, he seemed to already know. his heart skipped a beat as he probed, ¡°1 grew up in liang province¡¯s red river town. my foster father is pei yuanfeng¡­¡± i¡¯m not talking about that!¡± ¡°is it because 1 asked about the roaring dragon chart yesterday? as a martial artist, 1 often hear nonsense from storytellers. i¡¯m indeed a little interested in the roaring dragon chart¡­¡± ¡°you¡¯re still beating around the bush?¡± ?? this time, ye jingtang really couldn¡¯t figure it out. apart from these two secrets, what else could the prince of jing have on him? is it the matter of the pei family? i¡¯m just helping my foster father fulfill his last wish¡­¡± thump! dongfang liren patted the table. ye jingtang frowned slightly and sat down at the table. ¡°that¡¯s all i have. what else can 1 hide from your highness?¡± dongfang liren was asking ye jingtang why he wrote a poem for her sister, who liked poetry! seeing ye jingtang¡¯s innocent expression and unwillingness to explain, dongfang liren¡¯s eyes were even more annoyed. she turned her head and looked out the door without saying a word. ye jingtang really couldn¡¯t figure it out. he spread his hands and said, ¡°1 really don¡¯t know what i¡¯m hiding. why doesn¡¯t your highness tell me directly? if i¡¯m in the wrong, i¡¯ll admit it.¡± ¡°wait till the double ninth day in fall comes around¡­ are you familiar with it?¡± ye jingtang was taken aback for a moment. he didn¡¯t expect this to be the reason. he answered truthfully, ¡°the day before yesterday, when i was recuperating in jasper pavilion, i met that female official who came to visit your highness. while chatting, we talked about this poem¡­ umm¡­ it¡¯s just a trivial matter that has nothing to do with anything. how does your highness know about it?¡± as expected¡­ dongfang liren looked displeased. ¡°it¡¯s circulating in the palace. i heard it by chance. you know poetry and songs. why did you hide it from me?¡± ye jingtang said helplessly, ¡°your highness and i haven¡¯t known each other for long. the day before yesterday, at white horse academy, your highness asked me about poetry. i wanted to show off, but unfortunately, we encountered the blood bodhi. i¡¯m a martial artist, so 1 can¡¯t show off my literary talent in front of your highness for no reason. if we don¡¯t talk about this, what should 1 say?¡± ? dongfang liren thought about it carefully. this seemed to be the case. she hadn¡¯t asked, so how could she blame ye jingtang for hiding it from her? ¡°you wrote this poem?¡± ¡°i¡¯m not a scholar. how would i know these things? i just read it from a book in the past.¡± dongfang liren had read a lot of books. hearing this, she asked, ¡°what book? tell me.¡± ye jingtang casually made it up. ¡°umm¡­ tears of a heroine. it¡¯s about a heroine who was forced to marry into the palace and then fell out of favor¡­¡± before he could finish his sentence, he realized that the fat-headed dragon on dongfang dumdum¡¯s robe had puffed up even more! her originally calm eyes were now full of shame and anger, as if she had seen a lecherous, profligate young master who spoke without thinking! ye jingtang was silent for a moment. this is bad. ¡°your highness¡­ have you read this book?¡± dongfang liren clenched her fists and resisted the urge to hit him. she explained coldly, ¡°this book was written by wu shengxie, a prodigal son of the previous dynasty. it¡¯s about a chivalrous and righteous heroine from void jade mountain. but she was captured by wu shengxie. he used inhumane methods to torture and humiliate her, causing her to fall into the demonic path. 1 have never read this book that¡¯s famous in jianghu, but how could 1 not have heard of it? heh~ 1 didn¡¯t expect you to look dignified and upright in public but be so unbearable in private¡­¡± her eyes were full of disgust. ye jingtang had just casually mentioned the name of a random book, but he didn¡¯t expect the prince of jing to know it. seeing the way dongfeng liren looked at him, like she was looking at a pervert, he explained helplessly, ¡°you have to read the book before you can understand what it¡¯s about. although the descriptions in wu shengxie¡¯s book are a little too detailed, it¡¯s actually not as unbearable as your highness said¡­¡± a little too detailed? dongfang liren didn¡¯t know what to say to ye jingtang. she had never read this book and had only heard some messy words. she didn¡¯t even dare to imagine how terrible it was. ¡°you¡¯ve read this book that slanders a righteous sect, and you¡¯re even defending it?¡± ¡°your highness has misunderstood. let me explain. this book is full of emotions from the beginning to the end. there¡¯s no such thing as ¡®inhuman methods to torture and humiliate a heroine¡¯¡­¡± seeing ye jingtang being serious, dongfang liren was so angry that she laughed. ¡°void jade mountain is a daoist temple. a daoist nun was kidnapped by a jianghu thief, and her innocence was destroyed. then she even dealt with void jade mountain with the obscene thief¡­¡± ye jingtang hurriedly waved his hand. ¡°that¡¯s not what is written in the book. this matter has to start from the heroine of void jade mountain who went down the mountain to uphold justice¡­¡± blah blah blah¡­ dongfang liren looked in disbelief at young master ye, whom she had a good impression of, explaining the pornographic book in front of her. her mood was complicated and indescribable. i¡¯m afraid its really as madam wang said. you¡¯re sick from holding it in! but after listening for a while, she suddenly realized that the story was quite interesting and not very dirty¡­ after a while, dongfang liren restrained her dignified aura and frowned. ¡°what happened after he tied up the heroine and humiliated her. he used such despicable methods to humiliate a woman¡­¡± ye jingtang found it difficult to explain. he thought for a moment and said, ¡°i haven¡¯t gotten married yet, so i¡¯m not too sure. but 1 think this should be a way for husband and wife to exchange their feelings. the love between a man and a woman can¡¯t be said to be humiliation.¡± dongfang liren found his words ridiculous. ¡°this isn¡¯t considered humiliation? if 1 strip you naked, tie you up, and humiliate you, will you be happy?¡± ¡°uh¡­¡± ye jingtang blinked. although he didn¡¯t like this kind of play, he didn¡¯t seem to be unhappy¡­ ?! dongfang liren looked at ye jingtang¡¯s eyes and understood what he meant. shock appeared in her eyes! ye jingtang hurriedly raised his hand. ¡°i¡¯m just explaining. this topic is indeed overboard and a little offensive to your highness. let¡¯s not talk anymore. let¡¯s get down to business.¡± dongfang liren glared at ye jingtang for a moment before returning to the topic. ¡°you said that the poem originates from this book? wu shengxie¡¯s book is notorious. if there¡¯s such a poem, it¡¯s impossible for me not to have heard of it.¡± ¡°i don¡¯t remember which book it is. this poem is a little taboo. it¡¯s possible 1 heard it by chance¡­¡± seeing that ye jingtang didn¡¯t seem to be lying, dongfang liren didn¡¯t ask further. after a moment of silence, she instructed, ¡°since you live on this street, you have to help the imperial court. aren¡¯t you the young master of the pei family? i¡¯ll leave this street to you and the pei family to think of a way to revitalize it. the money will be allocated from the imperial capital government. if you can¡¯t do it well, bring your head to me.¡± it was obvious that letting the pei family be a developer and take on such a big job was a favor of nepotism. ye jingtang hurriedly cupped his hands and bowed. ¡°your highness, don¡¯t worry. as long as the imperial court helps, the pei family will definitely not disappoint your highness.¡± ¡°i have already made arrangements for qiu tianhe, but the soft bone fragrance in his body can¡¯t be removed. he needs to stay at imperial physician wang¡¯s place for two days before settling down in apricot flower alley beside the black office. when the time comes, you can go over and take a look.¡± ¡°then, 1 will thank your highness on behalf of hero qiu. mm¡­ third lady has already arranged a boat. i have to leave tomorrow to discuss business. i¡¯m afraid i won¡¯t be back until next month. your highness should pay attention to your safety these days¡­¡± leaving tomorrow¡­ its already afternoon¡­ dongfang liren blinked as a complicated look flashed across her eyes. in the end, she harrumphed and said, ¡°i have plenty of guards. i don¡¯t lack you.¡± ¡°hehe¡­¡± dongfang liren thought for a moment, got up, and walked out the door. ¡°wait here.¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t understand. after he waited in the room for about half an hour, dongfang liren came back with a piece of silver soft chest armor in her hand. it was unknown what material the soft armor was made of. it was as soft as brocade, but it exuded a metallic luster and looked quite elastic. dongfang liren went to the table, sat down, and placed the soft armor on the table. ¡°this item can defend against arrows and hidden weapons, but it can¡¯t defend against top experts. when you¡¯re outside, you have to be careful. i still have many things for you to do. the sooner you go, the sooner you can come back.¡± ye jingtang was slightly surprised. he picked up the soft armor and looked at it curiously. it was warm in his hand and had a faint fragrance, as if it had just been taken off¡­ what the¡­ no wonder the fat-headed dragon looked a little bigger. it turned out that there was a vacuum under the python robe¡­ ye jingtang couldn¡¯t help thinking of the magnificence he had seen in the bright yang pool last night. he put down his soft armor, feeling flattered. ¡°your highness, there¡¯s no need for this. your highness should wear such a treasure at all times¡­¡± perhaps because dongfang liren felt a chill in her chest, she felt a little uncomfortable. she crossed her arms and stood up, looking noble and calm. ¡°i have a lot of soft armor. it¡¯s not convenient for me to go back and get one, so i gave this to you. do you think i look like someone who doesn¡¯t care about my own safety?¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t think so. after all, when they encountered an assassination, the noble princess in front of him instantly became a coward. although the soft armor felt ¡®hot¡¯, ye jingtang indeed needed something to protect his life when he was outside. after hesitating for a moment, he stood up and cupped his hands. ¡°thank you for your kindness, your highness.¡± ¡°you¡¯re working for me. there¡¯s no need to say such polite words. go and come back early.¡± after finishing speaking, dongfang liren walked out the door with her arms crossed. ye jingtang went to the entrance of the alley to see her off. it wasn¡¯t until the prince of jing boarded the carriage that he sighed. clomp clomp! the wheels rattled. dongfang liren was sitting by the carriage window. after leaving a distance, she lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked back. she found ye jingtang still standing at the entrance of the alley, watching her leave. when he saw her turn back, he waved goodbye with the bird. dongfang liren hastily lowered the carriage curtain. after suppressing her chaotic thoughts, she instructed the accompanying maidservant, ¡°look for a hardcover copy of ¡®tears of a heroine¡¯ written by wu shengxie. her majesty is bored in the palace and wants to read it.¡± ? the maidservant seemed to have heard of the famous ¡®tears of a heroine¡¯. it wasn¡¯t a good book¡­ but since the empress wanted to read it, how could she dare to ask further? she hurriedly nodded and got out of the carriage¡­ Chapter 72 - Chapter 72: Fire Bathing Picture (1) chapter 72: fire bathing picture (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ting! ting! the city bell resounded throughout yun¡¯an, and the palace gates opened one after another. the great wei empress usually came to court once every five days. there was no morning court meeting today, so there was no scene of civil and military officials entering the palace gates. there were only some officials waiting to be summoned in the phoenix perching pavilion on the side of the hall of the supreme principle. outside the imperial study at the back of the hall of the supreme principle, eunuchs and palace maids stood quietly and solemnly. there were only a few incense sticks lit in the resplendent and spacious study. the empress, who was wearing a red dress, was leaning on a chaise longue with a stack of memorials on the small table beside her. she was holding a golden brush and reading them seriously. behind the desk not far away, dongfang liren, who was dressed in her python robe, was sitting upright on a chair, reading a book seriously. the cover of the book was very simple. the content of the writing was relatively subtle, but it was accompanied by many illustrations and explanations of postures¡­ there was some strangeness between dongfang liren¡¯s brows. when she encountered an illustration, she quickly flipped the page. rustle¡­ the imperial study was silent except for the soft sound of paper turning. the empress approved a few memorials and found that dongfang liren¡¯s frequency of flipping through the book was wrong. she asked gently, ¡°liren, what are you looking at?¡± tears of a heroine¡­ after hearing what ye jingtang said, dongfang liren became interested in this book that was famous in jianghu, so she had specially found it to take a look and see if it was full of emotions. in the end, after reading it all night, she found that it was indeed about the relationship between a man and a woman. but the accompanying illustrations were a little too detailed, and even the intercourse scenes were vividly drawn. the strange way of making love almost shattered her worldview. but this book was indeed interesting, so she just sat here and read it early in the morning. seeing her sister getting suspicious, dongfang liren slowly closed the book. ¡°just some trivial matters organized by the people below. there¡¯s nothing important.¡± for the empress to sit in her current position, how could it be easy to deceive her? she had grown up with her sister. just by looking at the subtle differences in dongfang liren¡¯s actions, she knew that the book wasn¡¯t as simple as trivial matters. but facing her sister, the empress was still very tolerant. instead, she asked, ¡°are you still angry at me?¡± hearing her sister bring up the matter again, dongfang liren looked unhappy. ¡°you still know? i¡¯ve only known ye jingtang for a few days. i just admire his talent and want to put him in an important position. in the end, you tricked me and him into the bright yang pool without any explanation, causing me to¡­ is this something an elder sister should do?¡± the empress supported the side of her face with her hand and looked at her playfully. ¡°you just want to put him in an important position?¡± dongfang liren said solemnly, ¡°ye jingtang protected me. i do appreciate him and remember his kindness. but if he can be my consort like this, what will the guards of the black office think? it¡¯s a lifelong event, and i¡¯m still considering if i should interact more with ye jingtang. but you added fuel to the fire and made a mess of things, causing the matter to reach this point¡­¡± the empress raised her hand slightly and stopped her sister¡¯s words. ¡°alright, just take it that i took matters into my own hands and interfered in your private matters. take your time to consider this matter. i won¡¯t interfere again. ye jingtang has an extraordinary bone structure and is a great talent in martial arts. regardless of whether you like him or not, don¡¯t push him aside, lest you raise a tiger and another troublesome thorn like the pacifying heaven cult master appears.¡± dongfang liren was slightly surprised. ¡°ye jingtang has the potential to be on par with xue bai jin?¡± the empress blinked. ¡°it seems that i was indeed too hasty. you really don¡¯t know ye jingtang well.¡± ¡°do you understand?¡± ¡°just the punch he threw at you that day at the great blessing palace gave me a rough idea. it¡¯s all talent.¡± dongfang liren thought about it and said with a solemn expression, ¡°is that so?¡± the empress put down a memorial and picked up her teacup to take a sip. her eyes were helpless as she said, ¡°forget it. it¡¯s really tiring to talk to you about this. you¡¯d better continue reading.¡± n 11 dongfang liren could sense her sister¡¯s attitude of ¡®you can¡¯t make a silk purse out of a sow¡¯s ear¡¯. her clothes bulged, and she wanted to retort, but she didn¡¯t dare. in the end, she simply put away the book and left with a flick of her sleeve. ¡°where are you going?¡± ¡°to see the empress dowager.¡± in the northwest of the imperial city, in the empress dowager¡¯s bedchamber¡­ cicadas chirped on the summer day. most of the palace maids who had nothing to do were resting in the corridors. the empress dowager, who slept late and got up late all year round, was still in her bedchamber. she went to bed late because she lived in a secluded palace, had no one to rely on, and couldn¡¯t sleep. but getting up late was not because she hadn¡¯t woken up yet but because she stayed in bed. in the main hall, the palace maid hongyu was leaning against the door, flipping through a book in her hand. in the bedchamber, all the items were neatly tidied up, and there was even a painting that the empress dowager had just finished on the wall. it was a person carrying a fat chicken, and he seemed to be a vendor selling chickens in the market¡­ the empress dowager, who was wearing a gauze nightgown, was sitting cross-legged on her gorgeous phoenix bed. her head was level, her body upright, her mouth was closed, her tongue was against the roof of her mouth, her eyes were closed, and her hands were naturally placed on her lap. this meditation posture was much more standard than ye jingtang¡¯s blind thinking. as a result, the already beautiful and charming empress dowager actually exuded a trace of an otherworldly aura. the empress dowager was born into the qin family, a family of generals in jiang province. she had also practiced martial arts when she was young. her mother had doted on her very much and specially brought her to learn martial arts from lu taiqing, one of the two sages. she had learned these daoist meditation techniques back then, and it was also during this period that she got to know daoist xuanji, her bosom friend. unfortunately, in the end, lu taiqing said that her mortal heart was too heavy and didn¡¯t let her become a daoist nun. not long after she left void jade mountain, she was chosen by the imperial court and became the empress of great wei. but on the way to the capital, the former emperor passed away. in order to win over the aristocratic families of jiang province and consolidate the imperial power, the crown prince even respected her, who had never even seen the late emperor, as the empress dowager. not long after, the qin family contributed to the empress when she forced her brother to abdicate and usurped the throne. therefore, when the empress ascended the throne, she still respected her as the empress dowager. she could be said to have lived through multiple emperors and solidified her position as the mother of the country.. Chapter 73 - Chapter 73: Fire Bathing Picture (2) chapter 73: fire bathing picture (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios this experience was too tragic. the empress dowager had long forgotten about these meditation techniques that nourished her body and extended her life. but a few years ago, when she was bored and asked the palace maids to build a swing under the ginkgo tree in the back garden, hongyu suddenly discovered a rusty iron box buried under the tiles. she thought that it was a love object buried by a concubine from the previous dynasty. but when she opened it, she found a piece of golden paper inside. she had seen the jade bone qilin picture in the palace and recognized it immediately. it was the golden phoenix fire bathing picture in the roaring dragon chart. as for who had buried it under the ginkgo tree, she didn¡¯t know. legend had it that after someone mastered the fire bathing picture, their wounds could heal by themselves, and their limbs could regenerate. as long as one wasn¡¯t killed in one strike, they couldn¡¯t be killed at all. few people who walked jianghu didn¡¯t have hidden injuries. in the hearts of many people with disabilities, an intact body was even more important than immortality. the weight of this picture was imaginable. after the empress dowager obtained this item, she was naturally happy. every day, she went to the ginkgo tree to pray for blessings and thank the ginkgo tree for bringing a turnaround in her unhappy life. but her good luck seemed to be limited to this. ever since she obtained the fire bathing picture, she had never encountered anything else pleasant. she had practiced this picture for many years. she felt that she practiced it well, but she couldn¡¯t figure out what use this seemingly powerful secret technique had. this picture said that wounds could heal by themselves and limbs could regenerate, but the premise was that the practitioner had to be injured! she had been pampered since she was a baby, and this was even more so when she came to the palace. even when she slept, the palace maids were afraid that the bed would be too hard and hurt her. how could she be injured? in order to verify the authenticity of the secret technique, she had secretly cut her arm with a small knife. in the end, her injury healed really quickly, but it was really painful. it even made hongyu think she wanted to commit suicide and the prince of jing come to ask about her well-being. after thinking about it, she found the only use of this page of the roaring dragon chart might only be to leave her a healthy corpse a hundred years later¡­ and there was a high chance that she would live in the deep palace without illness or calamity until her lifespan reached its limit. she would probably live longer than the 120-year-old elder in fengguan city¡­ thinking of the long and lonely years in her future, the empress dowager opened her eyes and sighed faintly. she turned to look at the painting of the chicken vendor on the wall and couldn¡¯t help thinking of the cold young master who had accidentally entered her palace grounds a few days ago. she didn¡¯t know if she had been misunderstood when he bumped into this painting the day before yesterday¡­ although it was a very small matter that ordinary people would forget immediately after turning around, the empress dowager¡¯s life was too boring. this kind of accident caused a small wave that was enough for her to remember in her heart for a long time. just as she was letting her imagination run wild, footsteps suddenly sounded outside the bedchamber. a figure strode in. her footsteps were heavy, and her expression looked angry. the empress dowager looked up and found that it was liren. she originally wanted to lie on the phoenix bed and pretend to be asleep, but she immediately sensed that something was wrong. she hurriedly flipped over and ran barefoot to the wall, wanting to take down the painting. ¡°empress dowager, you¡­¡± dongfang liren walked into the bedchamber and saw the empress dowager in a nightgown. her feet were bare, and her clothes were disheveled. she was standing on tiptoes to retrieve the painting on the wall. but because the painting was hung a little high, she couldn¡¯t reach the hanging string and froze by the wall. ¡°uh¡­¡± the empress dowager had an awkward expression and didn¡¯t dare to turn her head. tread, tread, tread¡­ dongfang liren slowly walked up to her and raised her hand to help her take down the painting. she held it in her hand and sized it up¡­ the anger she had suffered from her sister just now instantly dissipated by half! what the heck is this painting¡­ she¡¯s the same as my sister¡­ the empress dowager¡¯s beautiful face was full of embarrassment. she didn¡¯t dare to look at dongfang liren¡¯s expression and said softly, ¡°well, i just had nothing to do, so 1 painted casually¡­¡± ¡°i can tell.¡± ¡°all? you can tell? then¡­¡± dongfang liren really couldn¡¯t bring herself to attack the empress dowager, who was interested in painting. she looked at the painting and praised, ¡°although it¡¯s a casual work, it has the style of an expert. the artistic concept of ¡®living a hard life as a commoner in the market¡¯ is vividly displayed in the painting¡­¡± ? the empress dowager was taken aback. she looked up at her masterpiece and then at dongfang liren, whose eyes were full of praise. her eyes first looked relieved, then gradually turned aggrieved and resentful. ¡°liren, this painting is imitating the one in your study. it¡¯s a very handsome young master with a big bird¡­¡± ?? dongfang liren¡¯s approving expression froze, and she carefully looked at the painting again¡­ how is this imitating it? other than the man and the bird, do the composition, artistic conception, and painting skills have anything to do with it? if ye jingtang saw this, when he saw her take a bath the day before yesterday, he probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to walk out of the bright yang pool standing up¡­ but seeing the empress dowager pursing her lips and looking like she was about to become depressed, dongfang liren reacted extremely quickly and nodded slightly. ¡°i can tell. hmm¡­ when i drew that painting, ye jingtang had just entered the capital and only had two taels of silver in his pocket. even eating was a problem. umm¡­ my original intention was to draw ¡®it¡¯s not easy for commoners who have just entered the capital to earn a living¡¯. unfortunately, the painting style was too high-class and ungrounded, so i didn¡¯t finish painting it. empress dowager, your painting is just right. it¡¯s wonderful.¡± the empress dowager was not stupid and had self-knowledge. she could tell that liren was praising her. but no matter how much she was praising her, there would at least be a pinch of truth, right? the empress dowager was flattered. she moved closer to her and looked at the painting carefully. ¡°really? can you recognize who it is?¡± dongfang liren really wanted to praise her again, but she truly couldn¡¯t endure it, so she just smiled and said, ¡°appreciating paintings requires standards. everyone has their own opinions. i can recognize him at a glance.¡± the empress dowager was skeptical. ¡°hmm¡­ if the person in the painting sees this painting, do you think he can recognize himself?¡± 1 don¡¯t think he can¡­ dongfang liren really did not want the empress dowager, who suffered alone in the palace all year round, to be unhappy. she thought for a moment and said, ¡°he¡¯s just a martial artist. how can he understand the artistic conception in your painting? but if he looks carefully, he can still recognize himself.¡± oh¡­ the empress dowager pondered for a moment and smiled. ¡°i think your painting looks good. i¡¯ve always wanted to learn painting, but i don¡¯t know the essence. why don¡¯t you call that guard over to stand outside for me so 1 can practice my painting skills?¡± it was rare for dongfang liren to see the empress dowager interested in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, so she didn¡¯t refuse. ¡°ye jingtang has something on at home and has to leave the capital for a while. when he comes back, 1¡¯11 call him over and let you draw him for a few days.¡± the empress dowager was very happy to be coaxed, so she wasn¡¯t in a hurry. perhaps she was afraid of embarrassing herself, so she held dongfang liren¡¯s arm and walked toward the garden. ¡°that¡¯s fine. i¡¯ve been very interested in painting recently. stand here and let me draw a painting of a beauty. you can also help me appraise it and give pointers¡­¡± painting of a beauty¡­ dongfang liren wasn¡¯t sure whether after the empress dowager painted it, she would be able to tell if it was a man or a woman. but experiencing the superiority of being an expert here was better than feeling slow-witted in front of her sister or ye jingtang, so she didn¡¯t refuse¡­ Chapter 74 - Chapter 74: Set Off! chapter 74: set off! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios as midsummer approached, the weather gradually became hotter. not long after the morning bell rang, the scorching sun climbed up the window, and the cry of cicadas sounded in the silent courtyard. zing-zing¡­ ¡°chirp-¡± there were two books on the windowsill and a small wooden donkey that had been casually bought as a toy. the chubby bird held the wooden donkey with its claws in boredom and shook it back and forth, imitating the cry of the summer cicadas. ye jingtang was standing beside the wardrobe. in front of him was the bronze mirror that luo ning had used. he was carefully dressing himself in his black aristocratic robe. today, he would take a boat to west king town with third lady to participate in the mid-year meeting of the halls of the red flower pavilion. afterward, he would go to ze province¡¯s water cloud sword pool. the soonest he could come back was late may?. since he would be gone for a long time, to prevent the courtyard from being abandoned again, yesterday, he had specially asked the old escort yang chao to come over every few days to water the plants and tidy the house up. otherwise, when heroine luo returned next month and found that he had raised the flowers and plants to death, she would definitely blame him for not being responsible even if she didn¡¯t say anything. after tidying up the courtyard, ye jingtang led his horse out of double osmanthus alley and arrived at heavenly water bridge a few streets away. it had already been twenty days since he entered the capital. the twelve escorts brought over from liang province had already settled down. the wives and children they brought with them had even started side jobs with the help of the pei family. the youngest, little six, had even become the future son-in-law of the shopkeeper of a grain store with chen biao¡¯s help. ye jingtang was quite worried about this trivial matter. he specially stopped outside the zhenyuan escort agency, pulled little six out, and reminded him with concern. ¡°a man can only be called a man if he can hold his own on the outside and support his family on the inside. if you don¡¯t improve in the future and delay the girl, i¡¯ll cut off your three legs¡­¡± ¡°young master, don¡¯t worry. once old yang leaves, i¡¯ll definitely be the escort head¡­¡± ¡°hey! you son of a bitch!¡± before little six could finish speaking, the old escort yang chao walked out with his saber, scaring little six so much that he turned around and ran away. ye jingtang shook his head and smiled. he caught the bird, who wanted to fly over to watch the show, and quickly walked into the alley. in a bedroom of the pei family residence¡­ cicadas were chirping in the courtyard. pei xiangjun was sitting in front of her dressing table. she had just taken a bath and was only wearing a light yellow undergarment. she held a slender lip pencil and carefully adorned her cherry-red lips. pei xiangjun¡¯s comprehension of martial arts was actually extremely good. otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been accepted as pei gang¡¯s last disciple and become the red flower pavilion lord. until now, she was still at the tail-end of the grandmaster ranks. she had not been able to achieve a famous battle record in jianghu mainly because her physical condition had met a ceiling. this didn¡¯t mean that pei xiangjun¡¯s health wasn¡¯t good, but the pei family¡¯s overlord spear was a top external martial arts. it was bold and powerful, and it was not suitable for women to practice. a tall beauty like dongfang liren, who was not inferior to men in terms of height and figure, might still have some achievements in this spear technique. but pei xiangjun couldn¡¯t. her mother was a lady from a wealthy family in jiang province who was famous for her elegance. pei xiangjun inherited this, so her figure wasn¡¯t very tall. she had been well nourished since she was a baby and practiced martial arts, causing her figure to become very ¡®good for fertility¡¯. to put it simply, her buttocks were full and plump, and her front was magnificent and tall. such a figure was natural beauty on a woman, but it was really awkward to use a spear. it was much more difficult to practice to the pinnacle than ordinary people. the maidservant xiuhe was standing behind pei xiangjun and helping her comb her hair. xiuhe tilted her head and glanced at her chest, which was much bigger than hers. there was a hint of envy in her eyes. she thought for a moment and asked, ¡°pavilion lord, have you thought about what madam said?¡± ¡°what is it?¡± ¡°it¡¯s just that we shouldn¡¯t let our fertile water flow to outsiders. the young master is dignified, and you are naturally beautiful. you¡¯re simply a match made in heaven¡­¡± what fertile water? am i fat?¡± ¡°hehe~ pavilion lord, you are thin where you should be thin and fat where you should be fat. if you take off your clothes, the young master¡¯s eyes will fall out¡­¡± pei xiangjun harrumphed. soon, a maidservant ran in and said that ye jingtang was here. she restrained her thoughts, got up, put on a thin spring dress, and left the pei residence. seeing ye jingtang waiting at the door, pei xiangjun smiled. ¡°jingtang, let¡¯s go.¡± ye jingtang took a look at third lady. although he felt that her makeup was beautiful, he didn¡¯t show any strange expressions. he raised his hand to lift the curtain of the carriage. after sending third lady and xiuhe in, he sat outside the carriage and lightly flicked the horsewhip in his hand. ¡°giddyup! clomp clomp! the carriage rolled toward the river dock¡­ on the east side of yun¡¯an city, in a junction town more than ten kilometers away¡­ in the courtyard of the town¡¯s horse and carriage shop, the blood bodhi, who had been pursued by the government for many days, was dressed like an ordinary old man. he was holding a purple clay pot in his hand and leaning on a recliner to bask in the sun, his eyes closed in concentration. tread, tread¡­ as a breeze blew past, two figures landed in the courtyard. they were both dressed as people of jianghu and had bamboo hats on their heads. one held a spear, and the other was empty-handed. the person with the spear walked over to the blood bodhi and cupped his hands. ¡°1 am lu ruan. young master yan asked us to come here and listen to your orders.¡± ¡°i am chen ming.¡± the blood bodhi raised his eyes and thought for a moment before asking, ¡°¡®heart eviscerator¡¯ chen ming and ¡®seven-foot spear¡¯ lu ruan?¡± the tall and thin lu ruan said in admiration, ¡°senior, you haven¡¯t been in great wei for many years. i didn¡¯t expect you to know my name.¡± ¡°it¡¯s not surprising that i¡¯ve heard of the outstanding juniors of jianghu.¡± the blood bodhi stood up with his cane, a smile on his face. but this smile was not appreciation for the rising stars. after fighting with ye jingtang last time, the blood bodhi had discovered a clue about the roaring dragon chart, and his goal had changed. he was no longer planning to help the green bandits and take on the risk of assassinating the prince of jing. instead, he was thinking of a way to get the page of the roaring dragon chart from ye jingtang. after all, ye jingtang was much easier to deal with than the prince of jing. as a top assassin, the blood bodhi naturally had full authority on how to assassinate the prince of jing. the employer was responsible for providing him with information and manpower. through this convenience, the blood bodhi had recently found out ye jingtang¡¯s identity: a foster son of the pei family of heavenly water bridge in the capital. he might have learned martial arts in the black office and had an ambiguous relationship with the prince of jing. the pei family had arranged for a boat to go to west king town to discuss business, and ye jingtang would follow. the son of a merchant went out alone without the experts of the black office accompanying him. this was undoubtedly the best opportunity to strike. but he was no match for ye jingtang alone. in order not to lose his life in vain, the blood bodhi has asked his employer to get him two helpers in the name of assassinating the prince of jing. chen ming and lu ruan were both notorious bandits in jianghu. they relied on killing and plundering to make money. their martial arts were top-notch, and any one of them could exchange a few moves with ye jingtang. with the three of them working together, he was confident in defeating ye jingtang¡¯s extraordinary saber technique. after that, if he wanted to monopolize the page of the roaring dragon chart, it would be easy for him to kill his two teammates to silence them. the blood bodhi secretly deliberated. after confirming that there were no mistakes in his preparations, he felt ready to move. he flipped over, stood up, held his iron cane, and walked out of the carriage shop. ¡°let¡¯s go.¡± on another side, downstream of the clear river¡­ a passenger ship was sailing along the winding river path, its deck full of business people and traveling merchants from all over the world. in a guest room on the second floor of the ship, the wife of the cult master of the pacifying heaven cult, the overlord of jianghu, was standing in front of a window facing the river. she was dressed in blue and hugging her small watermelons. her beautiful peach blossom eyes were looking at the gloomy sky in a daze. the source of the clear river was heavenly carnelian lake in northern liang. it crossed great wei¡¯s territory from the north to the south until it entered the sea in fengguan city in the south. luo ning had set off from the capital and traveled down the clear river to the heavenly south. she had already left for four to five days. it had only been a few days, but there was a world of difference between returning home by boat and living in double osmanthus alley. if the few days in double osmanthus alley were her most memorable days, then the period on the ship was her most difficult days. standing by the window, luo ning stared blankly at the riverbank. the naturally beautiful girl beside her was lying listlessly on a couch and sighed. ¡°i¡¯m about to die without the bird¡­ martial mistress, why don¡¯t 1 return to the capital? you can go to the birthday banquet alone¡­¡± luo ning retracted her thoughts and looked at zhe yunli. ¡°how can i be at ease if you stay in the capital alone?¡± ¡°isn¡¯t there brother jingtang?¡± it¡¯s because of him that 1 can¡¯t be at ease¡­ luo ning couldn¡¯t handle that shameless little thief at all. she didn¡¯t want ye jingtang to take one in each hand or stack them together one day¡­ she didn¡¯t even dare to think about these thoughts. how could she say them out loud? she only comforted, ¡°it¡¯s only about a month. after we go to the zhou family to celebrate the birthday, we will return to the capital. by then, ye jingtang should have already saved hero qiu¡­¡± zhe yunli turned over on the couch and supported her face with her hands. her fair feet swayed in the air. ¡°when we return to the capital and save hero qiu, we will still have to return to the south firmament mountains.¡± we¡¯re from the south firmament mountains to begin with. do you still want to stay in the capital for the rest of your life?¡± zhe yunli didn¡¯t have such plans. she looked at her martial mistress. ¡°i just think it¡¯s a pity. brother jingtang is so powerful. if he works for the imperial court, what if he becomes successful in the future and turns around to beat us up? we have to think of a way to bring brother jingtang up the mountain.¡± luo ning sighed. ¡°great wei is like the sun in the midday sky. it¡¯s easier said than done to restore the country. ye jingtang is determined to be in the imperial court. how can he rebel with us? how can you bring him back?¡± zhe yunli thought about it seriously and blinked her big eyes. she suddenly thought of something. ¡°brother jingtang isn¡¯t married yet. why don¡¯t we try a honey trap?¡± ?! luo ning¡¯s fairy-like face turned cold as she scolded angrily, ¡°what nonsense are you saying? i¡¯m your master¡¯s wife!¡± zhe yunli was baffled. ¡°eh-! martial mistress, what are you thinking about? there are many young and beautiful girls in the pacifying heaven cult. how can you do such a thing personally? besides, even though you¡¯re the number one beauty in jianghu, you¡¯re older than brother jingtang. how could he fall for your honey trap¡­¡± ?? luo ning took a deep breath, and the small watermelons turned into big watermelons. she looked around and found a ruler. zhe yunli, who had spouted nonsense, stood up and ran away when she saw this. ¡°i was wrong! 1 just said it casually. martial mistress, don¡¯t take it seriously¡­¡± luo ning gritted her teeth. it wasn¡¯t until zhe yunli ran out of the door that she slowly restrained the anger in her eyes. she turned to look in the direction of yun¡¯an city with thousands of thoughts in her eyes¡­ Chapter 75 - Chapter 75: Tail chapter 75: tail translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios boom! the blue sky darkened as thunder rumbled and clouds gathered. the windy rain sprinkled on the endless river, and a few ships could be seen appearing and disappearing on the horizon. the towns on both sides of the river gradually lit up with lights. ye jingtang, dressed in his black aristocratic robe made of water cloud brocade, with a saber hanging from his waist, was standing at the bow of the ship with an oil-paper umbrella in his hand. the deck behind him was full of cloth, tea leaves, porcelain, and other miscellaneous items. they were covered by oilcloth, and two disciples of the red flower pavilion were fastening the ropes holding them in place. starting from the day before yesterday at river shore wharf, they had already sailed along the clear river day and night for two days. they would arrive at west king town at the border of yun province tomorrow morning. there were no entertainment facilities in this world. running a ship was hard work. every day, other than patrolling back and forth to prevent the goods from falling and the ship from hitting reefs, ye jingtang practiced martial arts on the deck. although third lady was also on the ship, there were six disciples dressed as laborers on board. as the sect master, she had to maintain the posture of an expert, and it wasn¡¯t appropriate for her to dress up like a delicate and charming woman and talk nonsense. so she had been staying in her cabin with xiuhe. the riverway from the capital to west king town was the main trade route for the capital. there were many ships coming and going, and he could see patrolling ships at all times. logically speaking, it was very safe. but after two days of observation, ye jingtang still felt that something was amiss. he stood at the bow of the ship and looked back. he could see that there was a small merchant ship behind them. it was about two kilometers away, and he couldn¡¯t see the name clearly. ¡°li jian, who owns the ship behind? do you know it?¡± li jian, a young man fastening the oilcloth tightly beside the pile of goods, was the grandson of helm master li sanwen. in terms of seniority, he and ye jingtang were fellow disciples. li jian was wearing a bamboo bamboo hat. hearing this, he walked up to him and stuck his head forward to take a look. he couldn¡¯t see the ship clearly, so he ran into his cabin, brought over a copper cylinder, pulled it open, and focused on the ship. ¡°hmm¡­ it¡¯s under the zhang banner, but i¡¯ve never seen it before. it¡¯s probably a small merchant who sells groceries¡­¡± ye jingtang was slightly stunned when he saw the bronze telescope. he took it and sized up the lenses. ¡°you even have this?¡± seeing ye jingtang¡¯s surprised expression, li jian showed a proud expression. ¡°brother jingtang, you haven¡¯t seen it before, right? this thing is called a thousand-kilometer mirror. it only spread in northern liang recently.¡± ye jingtang was no stranger to telescopes, but this was indeed the first time he had seen one in this world. he picked up the telescope and looked behind the ship. he saw a small cargo ship filled with groceries and a man wearing a bamboo hat with a spear covering the ship with oilcloth. it was difficult to see the facial details of the bamboo hat man from two kilometers away. after ye jingtang observed for a while, he returned the telescope to li jian. ¡°there¡¯s something wrong with this ship. when we set off the day before yesterday, it was hanging behind us, neither far nor close. according to my experience with escorting, there¡¯s a high chance that it¡¯s on the lookout for an opportunity to rob us.¡± ¡°brother jingtang, don¡¯t be overly suspicious. there are thousands of ships going back and forth every day on this waterway. it¡¯s normal to have ships going the same way. perhaps it¡¯s because they saw that our ship is big, so they¡¯re traveling together for safety.¡± at this point, li jian put away the telescope and gestured to his fellow disciples on the deck. ¡°moreover, there are at most three to five people on that small ship. our pavilion lord is on our ship, and there are still two grandmasters, eleven hall masters, and more than a hundred helm masters waiting in west king town. i really don¡¯t believe that anyone in jianghu dares to rob the red flower pavilion¡¯s headquarters.¡± ye jingtang thought about it and agreed. he shook his head and smiled. ¡°it¡¯s a professional habit. it looks like i¡¯m overthinking. but it¡¯s better to be careful. take turns watching the ship behind. if there¡¯s anything unusual, immediately warn me.¡± ¡°brother jingtang, don¡¯t worry. i¡¯m still aware of this.¡± after ye jingtang finished giving instructions, he changed shifts with the red flower pavilion disciples and went to the back of the merchant ship. as a cargo ship, the living environment was not good. there were only four cabins on the deck at the stern, and the others had to live below the deck. ye jingtang entered the cabin area and faintly heard a sound coming from a cabin. ¡°chirp chirp chirp-¡± ¡°mmhmm-¡± it was the bird going crazy and the humming of a woman. ye jingtang¡¯s lips twitched slightly as he walked to third lady¡¯s door and entered the cabin. even the ¡®captain¡¯s¡¯ room wasn¡¯t very big. it was clean and plain, and there was a board bed, a table, and chairs inside. the window was open at the stern, allowing people to see what was going on behind. other than these things, there was nothing special. the bird had probably gone crazy from being stifled on the ship. at this moment, it was rolling back and forth on the bed. xiuhe was sitting beside it and watching it with a smile. third lady was wearing a thin summer dress that revealed half of her fair forearms. she was sitting in front of a bronze mirror, holding a makeup box, and slowly drawing her eyebrows. her originally watery almond-shaped eyes, under her careful outlining, looked a little more heroic. the color of her alluring red lips, which specialized in tempting young men, also became light. her appearance was still the same, but she looked very serious, cold, and a little fierce. she had the feeling of the prince of jing, but she was not as imposing as dongfang dumdum due to her height. ¡°third lady, why did you do your makeup like this?¡± ¡°young master ye.¡± xiuhe hurriedly got up, moved a chair over, and poured tea. pei xiangjun put down the makeup box, turned around, and raised her head. ¡°does it look good?¡± ye jingtang sat down on a chair and carefully looked at her beautiful face. ¡°third lady, you are beautiful no matter what. but this makeup¡­ i think it¡¯s a little fierce.¡± ¡°hmph-!¡± pei xiangjun picked up the mirror and looked at it. ¡°clothes make the person. 1 have to meet the hall masters. if 1 look gentle and have no imposing manner, how can i suppress the scene?¡± ye jingtang was enlightened. there was nothing much to do on the ship. after struggling for a while, pei xiangjun got up, walked behind ye jingtang, untied his black hair tie, and let his long hair fall. ¡°1¡¯11 dress you up too.¡± xiuhe was quite interested in this matter and hurriedly ran over. ¡°let me do it, let me do it¡­¡± ye jingtang always dressed cleanly and succinctly, but he didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. seeing that the two women were interested, he didn¡¯t refuse. he sat on the stool with his back straight and let third lady and xiuhe play with him. pei xiangjun held an eyebrow pencil and drew his eyebrows very close to him. ye jingtang was sitting upright. originally, he didn¡¯t have any evil thoughts, but third lady was leaning in front of him. her red lips were less than a foot away, and he could clearly feel her warm breath on his cheek. whoosh! at first, ye jingtang¡¯s eyes were clear, but he slowly felt that something was wrong. he wanted to lean back a little, but there was the watery xiuhe behind him. if he leaned back, he would probably have to rest his head on her chest. in a dilemma, he could only look straight ahead at the bird tilting its head and looking at them beside him. pei xiangjun noticed ye jingtang¡¯s ¡®shy¡¯ reaction. a faint smile appeared on her lips, but she didn¡¯t say anything. she only raised her left hand and used her water sleeve to cover her bulging front to prevent ye jingtang from feeling uncomfortable. after working hard for half a day, the two of them finally finished. ye jingtang was relieved from the two double bun sandwiches. he secretly heaved a sigh of relief and picked up the bronze mirror to look at himself. with a jade crown on his head, eyebrows as sharp as knives, and a somewhat evil charm, he looked like a perverted and crazy young master who liked both men and women¡­ ¡°uh¡­¡± ye jingtang was speechless. after looking at him eagerly a few times, xiuhe scratched her head. ¡°young master, you don¡¯t seem to be as good-looking as before, but you¡¯re still so handsome-¡± pei xiangjun felt that she didn¡¯t know how to do makeup for men, so she said bitterly, ¡°his foundation is too good. dressing up too much will only be adding something superfluous and ruin his looks. forget it¡­¡± while they were talking, pei xiangjun¡¯s eyes moved slightly as she looked out the window. it was raining heavily outside, and the sky had turned dark. she could only see a few boat lights floating in the distance on the dark river. other than this, there was no movement at all. seeing this, ye jingtang went to the window with his hand on the hilt of his saber. he scanned the river behind the merchant ship, but the rain was too heavy, and there were some waves on the river. the environment was too complicated, so he couldn¡¯t see anything. ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°the sound of water is wrong.¡± pei xiangjun had stayed in the pei family for many years and had gone out to sail many times. her sailing experience was much richer than that of ye jingtang, who had escorted on land. she reminded, ¡°just now, a hundred feet to the right of the stern, something swam across the water. it was either a dolphin or someone from jianghu approaching secretly.¡± ye jingtang gripped the hilt of his saber and focused his gaze on the river. ¡°shall i go down and take a look?¡± ¡°when this expert discovered that there was someone at the window, he already knew that he had alerted us and ran away long ago. there are many water bandits robbing merchant ships on the clear river. they probably saw that our ship is big and wanted to take advantage of us. there¡¯s no need to deal with them. just pay more attention at night.¡± ye jingtang wanted to stay in the cabin and protect third lady all night, but then he thought about it. third lady looked gentle and sweet, but she could actually uproot willows. if a thief really killed his way onto the ship, it would be more likely for third lady to protect him. therefore, he didn¡¯t open his mouth to make third lady roll her eyes. he turned around, bade farewell, and returned to the cabin next door.. he lay on the bed with his saber by his side and paid attention to the movements around the merchant ship¡­ Chapter 76 - Chapter 76: Meeting of the Wind and Clouds chapter 76: meeting of the wind and clouds translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios rustle, rustle, rustle.. outside the window, the rain was pouring. there was a commotion outside, and it was buzzing like a busy market. ¡°don¡¯t dawdle!¡± ¡°hurry up!¡± ye jingtang opened his eyes and pushed open the side window in his cabin. the first thing he saw was a large ship filled with goods. there were a few stewards of merchant families on the ship, instructing the laborers to cover the goods. it looked like the wind at night had blown open the oilcloth. he leaned out of the window to take a look. he could see that the merchant ship had already docked. on the right was the dock¡¯s riverbank. it was raining, but the dock was still crowded with people. carriages and ox carts full of goods were almost blocking the traffic. behind the dock was a large town. looking up the river, he saw that the scene was even more magnificent. thousands of sails gathered by the river under the light rain. the masts and sails blocked his entire view. he was clearly on the river, but he couldn¡¯t see the river at all. at a glance, he saw no less than a thousand ships of various sizes moored on the river bank. ye jingtang wasn¡¯t surprised by the prosperity. after all, this was the mouth of the ¡®gold river¡¯, and west king town was on the shore. there were many rivers in great wei, and three of them flowed into the sea. they were the daliang river, clear river, and wu river. for the sake of shipping, all the dynasties had been building a waterway system. they had slowly built the two large canals, the gold river canal and the wuxi canal, to connect the three rivers completely. by boat, one could travel from ye jingtang¡¯s hometown, red river town, to the estuary of jiang province on the other side of great wei¡¯s territory. the intersection of the two great canals was the mouth of the gold river under their feet. anyone who traveled from the north to the south or vice-versa almost always had to pass through this place. although it was only a small town, its scale and prosperity were not inferior to those of any large city. the people of jianghu usually treated this place as the gateway to the capital. the red flower pavilion¡¯s annual meeting was held here. first, it was because this place was where the various ship gangs had formed the alliance to establish the red flower pavilion back then. second, there were too many people coming and going between the south and the north. if the hall masters of the red flower pavilion came here in a low-key manner, they wouldn¡¯t attract attention. they arrived at their destination without accident along the way. ye jingtang felt relieved. scanning the river surface, he didn¡¯t find the small cargo ship with the ¡®zhang¡¯ banner. it had probably arrived and unloaded elsewhere. ye jingtang put away his thoughts, tidied his clothes, and walked out of his cabin. he saw li jian and the others standing on the shore, communicating with the port steward about trivial matters such as loading and unloading. in the cabin next door, third lady had already tidied up. she was wearing a dark purple dress, and her bun was very dignified and mature. she looked like a smart and capable shopkeeper. the bird was still lazing in bed, lying on the windowsill with its limbs spread out and a handkerchief covering its stomach. it looked like it was sleeping. last night, ye jingtang and the bird had kept watch in shifts. he didn¡¯t wake the bird up. after washing up in the cabin area, he put on his bamboo hat, took out an oil-paper umbrella, and headed to town with pei xiangjun. the flow of people in west king town was immense. there were no less than 100,000 people gathered in the town, and the streets were always blocked. even though it was raining, they could see merchants and jianghu people running around. ye jingtang walked along the street while looking around. before they arrived at the inn, he suddenly heard the sound of horse hooves in front of him. the carts, carriages, and pedestrians on the street moved to the sides. tread, tread, tread¡­ ¡°get out of the way!¡± ye jingtang frowned. he protected third lady and retreated to the side of the street. he looked up and saw a convoy approaching. in front of the convoy were eight sabermen in embroidered robes, bamboo hats, and straw raincoats. even the clothes of their horses were expensive. behind the eight sabermen was a wide carriage. the door was closed, and the people inside couldn¡¯t be seen. behind the carriage were a few stewards and servants on horses. west king town was full of people from jianghu. someone who could make everyone avoid them must have an extraordinary identity. ye jingtang took a closer look and saw that the eight sabermen all had tokens hanging on their waists. they were carrying large sabers on their backs, and the sabers looked extremely heavy. he estimated that they weighed no less than 25 kilograms. jun mountain terrace¡­ ye jingtang recognized these people from the shape of their sabers and frowned slightly. before his foster father died, he had left a will asking ye jingtang to look for the person who had crippled him if he had the chance in the future. and this enemy was the patriarch of the jun mountain terrace, ¡®saber chief¡¯ xuanyuan chao. the people of jianghu usually called him the divine marquis of jun mountain. xuanyuan chao was among the eight chiefs and had reached the peak of jianghu. he had also been conferred the title of marquis of jun mountain by the imperial court. it could be said that he had reached the peak of both the underworld and lawful society. even at its peak, the red flower pavilion had to be polite. ye jingtang understood the gap between them. he wasn¡¯t in a hurry to run up and look for trouble. he pretended not to see them and continued walking. but to his surprise, when the carriage passed by, the window curtain was slightly raised, and someone looked out of the carriage. from the corner of his eye, he could see the middle-aged man sitting in the carriage. he was dressed in an aristocratic brocade robe and looked serious and handsome, with eyes like an eagle¡¯s. ye jingtang didn¡¯t recognize this person, so he didn¡¯t turn his head to look at him. after the carriage left, he asked, ¡°third lady, who was that person?¡± pei xiangjun looked at the shops on the street and replied unhurriedly, ¡°xuanyuan hongzhi, the second son of xuanyuan chao. he runs around all year round and is in charge of socializing. he¡¯s probably planning to go to the zhou family¡¯s birthday banquet.¡± ¡°why did he look at me?¡± pei xiangjun gestured to the hornless dragon saber at ye jingtang¡¯s waist. ¡°the dragon slaying decree of the jun mountain terrace slaughters the hornless dragon. as a saberman, when you saw them carrying sabers on their backs, didn¡¯t you take a few glances at them?¡± ye jingtang immediately understood. he raised his hand and put away the saber at his waist. ¡°in the future, when i¡¯m outside, i¡¯d better wrap the saber.¡± ¡°yeah.¡± clomp, clomp¡­ the carriage drove through the streets under the rain. the noise outside the window was endless, but it was very quiet inside the carriage. xuanyuan hongzhi was sitting upright, his gaze still outside the window, his brows furrowed. sitting beside him, his son, xuanyuan zhe, was slightly puzzled. ¡°father, what were you looking at?¡± after a long silence, xuanyuan hongzhi shook his head and sighed. ¡°kuang yazi has been dead for decades, but there are still people in jianghu using the hornless dragon saber. alas¡­¡± when xuanyuan zhe heard this, he immediately understood why his father sighed. at the end of the previous dynasty, kuang yazi had been the saber chief, and the hornless dragon saber had been extremely popular in jianghu. his father was in his fifties. he had been born at the end of kuang yazi¡¯s domination of the saber world and had personally witnessed the rise of the dragon slaying decree and the decline of the hornless dragon saber. so his feelings for this saber were far deeper than those of contemporary martial artists. then kuang yazi¡¯s successor, zheng feng, had been crippled by the xuanyuan family because of his aunt¡¯s affairs. but the family didn¡¯t eliminate the root of the problem, causing his father to have a knot in his heart. he was always worried that one day, someone would come to him with the hornless dragon saber to settle the old and new grudges. ¡°father, you¡¯re thinking too much. zheng feng himself deviated from the saber technique, and the eight-steps frenzied blade has long been lost. even if he has a disciple, so what if a saber technique that grandpa broke decades ago appears again?¡± xuanyuan zhe looked at the martial artists on the street outside the carriage. ¡°as for the hornless dragon saber, there were too many of them in the past. you can see one every few days. most of them are ancestral sabers or old sabers bought from the market. they¡¯re very common¡­¡± xuanyuan hongzhi shook his head. ¡°jianghu is jianghu. yesterday, there was a cause, and today, there is a result. no matter how invincible you are, no one can escape the karma of jianghu. back then, i advised your grandfather to eliminate the root of the problem, but your uncle insisted on caring about that trivial chivalry of his and obstructed us. in the end, this hesitation has been exchanged for thirty years of paranoia¡­¡± ¡°why don¡¯t i send people to investigate the new saber users in jianghu?¡± ¡°there are thousands of saber users in the world. how can we find them?¡± xuanyuan hongzhi retracted his gaze and returned to his unsmiling expression. ¡°let¡¯s go to the zhou family first. the zhou family has occupied the ancestral property of the red flower pavilion. if the red flower pavilion doesn¡¯t appear to ask for an explanation at this birthday banquet, it means that the situation is over. the clear river wharf is the main port of the yun and ze provinces. without our xuanyuan family¡¯s approval, the zhou family won¡¯t be able to eat such a huge piece of fat¡­ ¡°so what if the red flower pavilion appears? in my opinion, people should decisively let go of what they can¡¯t hold, lest they suffer the consequences. the red flower pavilion is an old hand in jianghu.. why can¡¯t they even understand this logic¡­¡± Chapter 77 - Chapter 77: A Man and a Woman Go Out Alone Late at Night… chapter 77: a man and a woman go out alone late at night¡­ translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios when ye jingtang brushed past the people of the jun mountain terrace, there were three gazes sizing up the crowd from a teahouse window on the street. the blood bodhi was pretending to be an old merchant with white hair. he was holding a cup of hot tea in his hand and frowning. chen ming and lu ruan had followed the blood bodhi¡¯s arrangements and come to assassinate the prince of jing¡¯s personal expert. at this moment, they were sitting on both sides of the table with solemn expressions. ¡°yesterday, chen ming used the rain as cover and went to the ship to find out the details. before he could get close, there was something strange in the cabin. this child is so young. isn¡¯t he too experienced in jianghu¡­¡± ¡°i suspect that there are still experts on the ship. after observing for a few days, the young man who often changes shifts with ye jingtang seems to be quite skilled, but he¡¯s at most second-rate. could the experts be hiding in the dark?¡± the blood bodhi was also puzzled about this matter. ye jingtang and the prince of jing had an ambiguous relationship. he guessed that the prince of jing might have arranged guards for this trip, so after leaving the capital, he didn¡¯t act rashly for a long time, wanting to figure out the identity of the guards first. but there were only nine people on the merchant ship. ye jingtang, six servants, and two women. in terms of martial arts, they all seemed to know a little. but other than ye jingtang, no one else seemed like a grandmaster. according to his experience in jianghu, if he couldn¡¯t figure out the details of the opponent, it meant that the opponent¡¯s skills were superior. taking action rashly was courting death, and he should leave decisively. but this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and the blood bodhi was using his employer¡¯s manpower to do private work. if he missed it, he might never have such an opportunity again. the blood bodhi deliberated for a long time before saying, ¡°in our line of work, we can¡¯t be anxious. we¡¯ve already arrived at west king town. ye jingtang will definitely walk around and socialize. as long as we continue to follow him, we will always find an opportunity.¡± chen ming and lu ruan were both ruthless people who walked on the edge of a knife in jianghu. the two of them felt that something was wrong with this mission. but in terms of experience in jianghu, the two of them combined were inferior to the blood bodhi. they obeyed the command and disguised themselves as the blood bodhi¡¯s followers as they pulled a cart of groceries and joined the crowd. the blood bodhi was experienced in assassination, so ye jingtang and third lady didn¡¯t notice him. after ye jingtang and his group entered west king town, they first checked into an inn. then they went to the town¡¯s trading venue and visited merchants from all over to discuss various trivial matters. although ye jingtang didn¡¯t have any guards with him, there were too many people in west king town. among them, there were many crouching tigers and hidden dragons, and there was no lack of experts. if they attacked on the streets, it would cause too much of a commotion, and it would be easy to attract the trouble of brave and chivalrous people. the blood bodhi and the other two secretly followed for a long time, but they didn¡¯t find an opportunity. time passed from morning to dusk, and ye jingtang returned to his inn. there were many people from jianghu staying in the inn. they didn¡¯t know the situation inside the inn, so it wasn¡¯t appropriate for them to act rashly. they had already given up for today and planned to continue looking for opportunities tomorrow. but to everyone¡¯s surprise, ye jingtang, who had been so cautious along the way, suddenly presented an opportunity in front of them. the sky gradually darkened, and the rain did not stop. the streets of west king town lit up with lanterns. the blood bodhi and his two helpers took turns watching the inn on the opposite side of the street. as they watched, they discovered two figures quietly walking out of the alley on the side of the inn. the blood bodhi narrowed his eyes and sized up the two figures. he could confirm that the tall man wearing a bamboo hat was his target, ye jingtang. the well-rounded woman beside him was the female boss of the pei family, third lady pei. the two of them went out together without anyone by their side. it was dark, windy, and rainy. in the eyes of the killers, they were basically two dead people. the three of them quickly went downstairs. lu ruan took out a thin spear from under the carriage and asked in a low voice, ¡°why are they going out so late at night?¡± it was late at night, and it was raining. there were very few people on the streets. ye jingtang walked down an alley, and they could attack him at any time. but the blood bodhi didn¡¯t act rashly. he held his iron cane and followed from afar in the darkness. ¡°i¡¯m not sure. this child has a lot of experience in jianghu. be careful that it¡¯s not a trick to lure enemies out. find out his intentions first before attacking.¡± chen ming and lu ruan also felt that this opportunity had come too suddenly. they really didn¡¯t dare to attack directly. they followed the blood bodhi silently, trying to figure out their intentions. and the intention of this man and a woman alone seemed very obvious¡­ ye jingtang and the female boss walked side by side, holding an umbrella together. the female boss¡¯s shoulder was pressed against ye jingtang¡¯s body, making her look like a charming, mature, and beautiful wife. no one would not believe that the two of them were a couple strolling in the middle of the night. the places the two of them went to became more and more remote. finally, they left the town, arrived at a riverside street, and entered an inconspicuous old inn by the street. h 11 the blood bodhi had been in jianghu his entire life. no matter how he looked at it, he felt that this behavior was ¡®fornication¡¯, and a strange look appeared on his old face. the two people behind him clearly understood this too, but chen ming was more cautious and said doubtfully, ¡°if the two of them want to sleep together, they can just stay in the inn. why do they have to go to the river and find another inn?¡± the blood bodhi pondered for a moment. ¡°this child has an ambiguous relationship with the prince of jing. i¡¯m afraid he doesn¡¯t dare to let the prince of jing know that he¡¯s having an affair with a woman.¡± lu ruan chimed in, ¡°according to my investigation, that woman¡¯s name is third lady pei, and ye jingtang is a foster son of the pei family. he has to call that woman ¡®aunt¡¯. they¡¯re an aunt and nephew having an affair, so they naturally have to hide it from their family.¡± pftrf/chen ming spat in disdain. ¡°he looks talented, but he does such an inhumane thing behind people¡¯s backs. to think 1 thought he was a troublesome person.¡± ¡°in rich families, there are many people who have affairs with concubines. this kind of thing is not unusual.¡± the blood bodhi raised his hand to stop the two from chatting. he paid attention in the dark for a long time and didn¡¯t find anything unusual about the old inn. only then did he silently sneak toward the back alley of the small street¡­ pitter-patter¡­ the raindrops fell on an umbrella, and the umbrella bones trembled, splashing some water. ye jingtang was afraid that third lady¡¯s shoulder would get wet, so he leaned over closer with the umbrella in his hand. he almost hugged pei xiangjun with one arm, but his arm wasn¡¯t behind her back. pei xiangjun walked slowly along the riverbank with the demeanor of a wealthy lady. ¡°this street is called koi street. it¡¯s privately owned by the ze province hail. there are a lot of tourists during the day¡­ the hall masters are meeting soon. in order to prevent the news from leaking, all the people on the street have been changed with our people, and foreign people aren¡¯t allowed in.¡± if third lady hadn¡¯t said anything, ye jingtang really wouldn¡¯t have been able to tell that the idlers, boatmen, and shop assistants on the street were their people. he sized them up slightly. ¡°how many people are in the building?¡± ¡°there are more than three hundred people, and most of them are from the ze province hall. the twelve halls of the red flower pavilion are in the twelve provinces of great wei. they are of various sizes, and the people who came this time are all core members. there are only a dozen or so from each hall, and they¡¯re all waiting in the large round building in front¡­ when you see hall master song and hail master chen later, you¡¯d better be polite. the two of them are genuine grandmasters and much more powerful than me. if you act unreasonably, they will really beat you up¡­¡± ¡°of course i know that¡­¡± as they chatted, pei xiangjun brought ye jingtang through the riverside street, and they arrived at the entrance of an inn. the inn looked rather old. it was probably a hundred years old, and the door had already turned black from the erosion of the wind and rain. there was an oil lamp in the lobby. the old shopkeeper was checking the account behind the counter, and the waiter was leaning lazily against the door. the waiter didn¡¯t look surprised when the two of them came over. he only raised his hand. ¡°guests, please come in.¡± then he led the two of them to the back of the inn¡­ Chapter 78 - Chapter 78: The Heroes of the Red Flower Pavilion chapter 78: the heroes of the red flower pavilion translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after exiting the back door of the inn, they arrived at an old alley. on the other side of the alley was a wall, and inside was a large round building. the round building was in the architecture style of jiang province. such buildings were actually quite rare in yun province. it was completely circular, with two-story houses on the outside and a bluestone square with a diameter of 200 feet in the middle inside. the round building had some history, and the interior decoration was beautiful. it was a scenic spot in west king town, and rich merchants often held banquets here. at this moment, the round building was silent. in the east hall, there were several chairs. the various hall masters were here, waiting for the pavilion lord to arrive. more than a hundred helm masters stood outside along the corridors of the round building. familiar faces such as li sanwen and madam huang zhu could be seen. then there were core disciples, such as the grandchildren and children of the helm masters like li jian. there were probably more than two hundred people standing neatly in the round building. but compared to the size of the round building, it wasn¡¯t crowded. ye jingtang and third lady appeared outside the round building. the silent and solemn disciples of the red flower pavilion cupped their hands and bowed. the eleven hall masters sitting in rhe hall also stood up. the red flower pavilion was low-key. although they had already cleared the surrounding area of the round building, it was right in front of west king town. in order to prevent any experts from passing by and discovering them, no one shouted loudly. the grave aura, coupled with the stifling rainy night, made the atmosphere quite oppressive. pei xiang]un entered the round building. her originally charming aristocratic temperament had disappeared, and her expression was neither happy nor angry. under rhe gazes of the disciples, she slowly walked through the circular corridor. ye jingtang followed behind and found that the people around him were all looking at third lady respectfully, while the hall masters sitting in the hall had different expressions. the 12 hall masters of the red flower pavilion were equivalent to 12 family heads. there was a difference in status, and the exact ranking could be seen from the seating arrangement. the pavilion lord¡¯s position was in the center of the hall. on the right was a tall middle-aged man in a white brocade robe. he was the second-in-command of the red flower pavilion, song chi. on the left was chen yuanqing of the vermillion bird hall, and to his right was the hall master of the black tortoise hall. the remaining were the hall masters of the smaller halls named after the provinces where they were located. the four large halls were formerly all ship gangs from the various provinces. the other hall masters were new talents who had joined one after another. at the peak of the red flower pavilion, the three generations of the old, middle-aged, and young could gather seven grandmasters and one martial arts chief. they had almost dominated jianghu. but in recent years, their luck hadn¡¯t been good. the black tortoise hall in wu province was the first to fall behind. the hall master had not even broken through to the grandmaster level. after that, the pei family became deficient in people, and they could only let pei xiangjun take over the position of pavilion lord. there were only three grandmasters left in the entire red flower pavilion. although the white tiger hall and the vermillion bird hall were also facing the dilemma of a shortage of talents, the hall masters were in their prime. their situations were still better. the second-in-command, song chi, was just over 50 years old. his martial arts skills ranked in rhe middle among grandmasters. it wasn¡¯t impossible for him to become a top grandmaster in the future or even become one of the eight chiefs. as for the third-in-command, chen yuanqing, he had single-handedly dealt with a powerful enemy, a ship gang of jiang province, back then. he was an internal grandmaster supported by his battle results. although he wasn¡¯t as strong as song chi, he was only in his early forties and had a limitless future. pei xiangjun was an early-stage grandmaster and even younger. but after succeeding the position of pavilion lord, she was limited by her strength and the situation of the red flower pavilion, so she had never gone out to settle matters. she didn¡¯t have rhe support of actual battle results, which led to a lot of trouble. this situation where rhe lord was weak but the ministers were strong led to the second and third-in-command being more important than the pavilion lord, pei xiangjun. for example, just like now, even though the burly song chi and the elegant chen yuanqing had stood up to welcome the pavilion lord, they were looking at her like they were looking at a later generation. pei xiangjun¡¯s strength was inferior to the two hall masters, and she was indeed a junior, so there was nothing she could do about this situation. she walked unhurriedly to the chair in the middle of the hall, sat down, and raised her hand slightly. ¡¯please take a seat, hall masters.¡± there were actually not many rules for the internal meeting of the red flower pavilion. song chi sat down beside her and raised his hand to get a junior who had come for the first time to serve pei xiangjun tea. at the same time, he looked at ye jingtang, who was standing behind third lady. ¡°and this is?¡± ye jingtang cupped his hands. ¡°1 am ye jingtang. my father is pei yuanfeng.¡± oh? upon hearing this, the eleven hall masters all turned their heads and sized up ye j ingtang. the previous pavilion lord, pei yuanming, had been a genuine top grandmaster. he had even been the spear chief for a period of time and had high prestige in the red flower pavilion. unfortunately, he had died at the hands of the current spear chief. pei yuanfeng was pei yuanming¡¯s younger brother. many hall masters knew him. back then, he had even fought with song chi. his talent was only a little weaker than his elder brother¡¯s. if he had grown up smoothly to this day, there was a high chance that he would have become a top grandmaster. song chi¡¯s expression turned solemn as he asked, ¡°is yuanfeng back? second brother passed away at the beginning of the year. he sent his foster son to the pei family and asked me to take care of him on his behalf.¡± when rhe hall masters heard this, they all revealed disappointed and sad expressions. the pei family was the founder of the red flower pavilion. the old head and his two sons had passed away, and the only descendent, pei luo, couldn¡¯t enter jianghu. this was equivalent to ending the family line in jianghu. as the third-in-command, chen yuanqing had even called pei yuanfeng elder brother when he was seven or eight years old. when he saw his deceased old friend¡¯s foster son, he was quite amiable. ¡°since you¡¯ve come to the red flower pavilion, you¡¯re our nephew. if anything happens, feel free to tell us. although the red flower pavilion isn¡¯t as good as before, second brother song, pavilion lord have some weight in jianghu.¡± i, and the putting the pavilion lord behind rhe two of them was enough to show third lady¡¯s status in jianghu as the sect master. song chi sighed and gestured to the young master behind him. ¡°this is my son song changqing. the two of you are about the same age. you should get to know each other.¡± after ye jingtang greeted them one by one, he cupped his hands at the muscular song changqing. song changqing was 25 or 26 years old. he didn¡¯t regard ye jingtang as an opponent and returned the greeting like a fellow disciple. after song chi finished speaking, he began to talk about serious matters. ¡°1 am in chong province. i heard that the water cloud sword pool robbed all the business at rhe clear river wharf. the azure dragon hall started at the clear river wharf, and its ancestral property was robbed. pavilion lord, what is your plan? do you want me to make a trip with yuanqing?¡± the question seemed to be full of concern, but the meaning behind it was very clear: the ancestral property has been snatched. pavilion lord, if you can¡¯t handle it, don¡¯t force yourself. let go of your power and leave rhe matter to us. in the past, pei xiangjun wouldn¡¯t have been able to answer such a question because she really couldn¡¯t settle things. but today was different. pei xiangjun sat in her seat confidently and said with a smile, ¡°i will resolve this matter as soon as possible. all the hall masters are here today, so i¡¯ll announce something first.¡± ¡°oh?¡± song chi was quite surprised. he thought that pei xiangjun had thought things through and was preparing to give up her position. but as he looked at her expression, it didn¡¯t seem like it. chen yuanqing asked, ¡°pavilion lord, what arrangements do you have? the hall masters looked over. pei xiangjun raised her hand slightly and got ye jingtang to take a step forward. ¡°from now on, jingtang will be rhe young master of the red flower pavilion¡­¡± buzz! ¡°this¡­¡± before she could finish speaking, the entire hall exploded. all the hall masters and even the old helm masters listening outside were stunned. after song chi confirmed that pei xiangjun was not joking, he frowned and patted the armrest of his chair. ¡°xiangjun, do you knowhow important the young master is in a sect?¡± pei xiangjun replied calmly, ¡°the young master is my designated successor, if i die, he will directly take over the red flower pavilion. if i lose contact, he can mobilize the pavilion members himself, and all the hall masters must obey his orders.¡± although chen yuanqing, the third-in-command, had no intention of becoming the pavilion lord and had always supported pei xiangjun, he shook his head gently and reminded, ¡°xiangjun, being at the helm isn¡¯t just a title. only by being able to convince the masses can you make the people below listen to your orders. back then, you took the position legitimately, and the hall masters and i had no objections. but your performance over the years¡­ sigh/¡¯ the helm masters of the various halls had the same thought. pei xiangjun herself couldn¡¯t do anything, and even a trash force like the baoyuan school had started to act atrociously. how could she dare to arrange for a young master to ride on top of all the hall masters? no matter how loyal they were, they couldn¡¯t follow a muddle-headed leader and mess around with such a large family business! song chi¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look too good. after some thought, he didn¡¯t ger angry. he raised his hand and said, ¡°the people of jianghu speak with their fists. if nephew ye has the ability to take over, the hall masters naturally won¡¯t question the pavilion lord¡¯s decision. changqing, go outside and spar with nephew ye. let the elders see nephew ye¡¯s capabilities.¡± song changqing was the successor of rhe white tiger hall. in the future, when his father became the pavilion lord, he would be the young master. this was an opportunity to showcase his talents in front of the hall masters, so he naturally had to treat it with 120% focus. song changqing took a step forward and cupped his hands at the hall masters. then he raised his hand and gestured to the curtain of rain outside the hall. ¡°brother ye, please.¡± ye jingtang had come here for this matter, so he didn¡¯t say anything. after cupping his hands to the hall master, he walked out the door with song changqing and went to the bluestone square under the rain. the hall masters and helm masters present all became serious. they wanted to see why the pavilion lord made such a ridiculous arrangement. but just as the two of them walked into the rain and before they could get into position, a shout suddenly came from above the roof of the round building. ¡°who is there?!¡± then a sharp whistle sounded. swish! as soon as the sound came, the round building fell silent. all rhe higher-ups of the red flower pavilion were having a meeting in west king town. no matter how broad-minded they were, they had to be prepared to avoid being wiped out by the other jianghu forces. the whistle was to warn that powerful enemies were attacking. everyone was ready for battle. chen yuanqing¡¯s and song chi¡¯s expressions changed slightly. they immediately flew out of the hall, broke through the curtain of rain, and landed at the roof of the round building. whoosh! at the same time, the helm masters and the disciples, who were watching around the bluestone square, also flew up, looking as if they were facing a formidable enemy. on the riverside street outside the round building, whooshing sounds tore through the air. from the sound, no fewer than a hundred people were moving! ye jingtang and song changqing looked puzzled. seeing this, they tapped their feet on rhe pillars of the corridor, landed on the eaves of the round building, and looked outside. under the heavy rain, the roofs of the riverside were densely packed with people. they looked around with sabers in their hands, prepared to face an enemy. what¡¯s going on?¡± who¡¯s here? i don¡¯t know. there seem to be only three of them.¡± the hall masters and the helm masters are all inside. how can there only be three people attacking? be careful of the thieves hiding in the dark¡­¡± directly below the round building, under the back wall of the inn, were three people with bamboo hats who had been surrounded. they were back to back and looked at the roof in horror. they started whispering. what¡¯s going on? were we ambushed? is there a need to ambush us with so many people?! the two sides faced each other blankly.. the entire riverbank fell into a strange silence¡­ Chapter 79 - Chapter 79: Bold Blood Bodhi! chapter 79: bold blood bodhi! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the rainy night was silent, and the lights on the riverside street were sparse. the blood bodhi had brought two experts and prepared to assassinate the aunt and nephew who were having an affair on the rainy night. before they reached the inn, they heard a warning sound from the round building in the distance. swish! the blood bodhi thought that something was wrong and immediately wanted to escape. but after running a few steps, he realized that the shopkeeper and waiters in the inn, the waiters in the tea shop, the boatmen on the pleasure boats by the river, and even the drunkards wandering on the rainy night all made abnormal movements. swoosh! swoosh! swoosh! the sound of air being torn apart was like a swarm of locusts passing through! in an instant, everyone in sight jumped to a high place at the same time. from one end of the street to the other, it looked like a dustpan had been overturned, and the black beans inside were leaping off the ground. hiss! chen ming and lu ruan gasped and retreated to the blood bodhi. even though the blood bodhi had been in jianghu his entire life and was extremely experienced, he couldn¡¯t help being stunned when he saw this scene. his target was the man and woman who went out alone to have an affair at night. even though he had guessed that the other party might be luring the snake out of its hole, his attention had still been on the surroundings of the inn. who would have expected that the entire street was full of people lying in ambush? swoosh! swoosh! swoosh! on the rainy night, the sound of air being torn apart was endless, and the sound coming from the round building at the end of the street was the densest. in the blink of an eye, more than 200 people stood densely above the two-story round building. coupled with the figures along the street, there were probably no less than 300 people. chen ming looked around at the ¡®heavenly net¡¯ and whispered, ¡°what¡¯s going on? were we ambushed?¡± the blood bodhi shook his head, thinking that ye jingtang didn¡¯t deliberately ¡®entrap them¡¯. after all, this trap was a little too big. anyone who could easily jump up two floors must have a foundation in martial arts, and it wasn¡¯t low. more than half of the 300 people present could fly through the air with ease. it was apparent that they were all experts of jianghu. the round building was the most terrifying. from the movements, it was obvious that there were many first and second-rate experts. there might even be grandmasters among them. against more than 300 martial artists with extraordinary skills and grandmasters among them, even the eight chiefs might be in trouble if they came. was there a need to mobilize so many people to deal with the three of them? ¡°maybe we came to the wrong place. calm down.¡± the three of them didn¡¯t dare to rashly provoke this group of jianghu people with unknown origins. they could only stand where they were, raise their hands, and wait quietly. the heroes of the red flower pavilion came out in full force and quickly surrounded the inn. boom! a bolt of lightning flashed. on top of the round building, the eleven hall masters stood side by side on the edge of the roof. against the background of the lightning and rain, their auras were awe-inspiring and solemn. song chi stood in the middle with his hands behind his back. he lowered his head to look at the three small fries in the alley and questioned in a low voice, ¡°who are you? report your name!¡± although the pei family had always been in the dark, the various halls outside were all far away from the emperor and openly rooted in jianghu. when the blood bodhi saw song chi above the round building, his heart sank. he recognized that this was the second-in-command of the red flower pavilion, ¡®white buddha¡¯ song chi. he was a famous fist grandmaster in the heavenly south, and his strength far exceeded his. and the elegant middle-aged man standing beside him was surely the third-in-command of the red flower pavilion, ¡®jiang province crane¡¯ chen yuanqing! if the blood bodhi had encountered chen yuanqing alone, he might be able to exchange a few moves. but with ¡®white buddha¡¯ song chi and the surrounding 300 experts, if each of them spat, there were enough people to drown him in saliva. at this moment, he understood what kind of place he had touched: the red flower pavilion¡¯s headquarters! the blood bodhi knew that things were bad, but he still forced himself to calm down and raised his hand slightly. ¡°i am wang ying from tu province. we didn¡¯t mean to offend you, but we found that something was wrong here, so we came to take a look. please forgive us for disturbing you.¡± song chi and chen yuanqing felt that these three people were strange and very suspicious. but after thinking about it for a long time, they really couldn¡¯t think of a motive for these three people to come to the red flower pavilion in the middle of the night. they felt that they might be jianghu people who had accidentally barged in. but before the two of them could think of how to deal with these three rash people, a clear voice came from behind. ¡°blood bodhi?¡± ye jingtang walked out of the crowd, came to the edge of the eaves, and looked down at the alley with a very strange gaze. at this moment, he finally knew who the person who had been following him all the way was. the blood bodhi¡¯s name had a deep impact on song chi, who had taken root in the heavenly south. song chi sized him up carefully and realized that the old man in the lead was holding an iron cane. it indeed matched the legendary blood bodhi weapon. he asked in surprise, ¡°nephew ye, you know this person?¡± ¡°i do. a few days ago in the capital, he tried to assassinate the prince of jing, and i happened to be by the prince of jing¡¯s side. i helped protect her and fought with him. he likely followed me all the way here to take revenge on me¡­ 1 just didn¡¯t expect him to follow me to this place.¡± when the blood bodhi saw ye jingtang come out of the red flower pavilion, he knew that the information his employer had gathered was utterly faulty. other than his name, not a single word was true. after being seen through by ye jingtang, the blood bodhi knew that he couldn¡¯t escape this calamity, so he no longer hid his identity. with both hands on the iron cane, he looked at the top of the round building and said unhurriedly, ¡°i knew it. how could an escort from a border town and the adopted son of a merchant family know so many profound martial arts? young master ye, you have hidden deeply enough. white buddha, jiang province crane¡­ it looks like all the hall masters of the red flower pavilion are here. what a large formation.¡± although the interior of the red flower pavilion was not very harmonious, ¡®internal disunity dissolves at the threat of external invasion¡¯. when the hall masters saw that the person below was indeed the blood bodhi and was here for their nephew of the red flower pavilion, their expressions turned cold. song chi took half a step forward and narrowed his eyes. ¡°are you here to deal with nephew ye?¡± the blood bodhi¡¯s expression was fearless as he said calmly, ¡°i am a member of the green cult, and i¡¯ve been ordered to eliminate the people around the prince of jing. this matter has nothing to do with your red flower pavilion. ye jingtang is a member of your red flower pavilion. considering that the higher-ups¡¯ information was wrong and there was a misunderstanding between us, i and even the higher-ups won¡¯t make a move against him again in the future. i hope everyone can give the green cult some face.¡± the green cult was the green bandits. although they rarely mingled in jianghu, they were extremely notorious. not only did they have countless experts, but they even had a powerful backer. they dared to confront the imperial court directly and were existences that people in jianghu kept a respectful distance from. song chi and chen yuanqing frowned when they heard the name of the green bandits. chen yuanqing deliberated for a moment and said, ¡°you barged in here today, so you clearly didn¡¯t know that this was the headquarters of the red flower pavilion. you didn¡¯t even know of the existence of the red flower pavilion here before this. if we kill you, how will the green bandits know who killed you?¡± the blood bodhi spread his hands fearlessly. ¡°the green cult rarely asks about the matters of jianghu, but for anyone who dares to obstruct us, we will exterminate their entire family to make an example of them. if you have the guts, you can try.¡± song chi and chen yuanqing were both veterans of jianghu. the core strength of the red flower pavilion was present. if they could be intimidated by these words and didn¡¯t dare to take action, they might as well retire from jianghu. after thinking for a moment, song chi wanted to send these three rash people away. but beside him, ye jingtang raised his hand. ¡°the three of them came for me. it¡¯s a personal grudge. uncles, there¡¯s no need for all of you to help me settle the matter.¡± chen yuanqing frowned. ¡°nephew ye, you¡¯re from the pei family. if anyone dares to attack you, it¡¯s equivalent to hurting the family of our red flower pavilion. how can you say that it¡¯s a personal grudge? come back.¡± the hall masters also spoke up to stop him. after all, in front of everyone, if the opponent came and they let their nephew deal with the matter himself, where would they, his uncles, put their face in the future? but at this moment, pei xiangjun appeared on the roof with a bamboo hat covering her face. standing behind everyone, she said in a hoarse voice, ¡°let him go.¡± hearing this, many hall masters frowned, but they had no intention of disobeying the pavilion lord and stopped talking. thud! ye jingtang jumped down the round building and landed in the alley behind the street. he raised his hand, took a spear from a house, and looked at the blood bodhi in front of him. ¡°the red flower pavilion is a famous force in jianghu. we don¡¯t bully others with numbers. since you¡¯ve dared to come, i will give you a chance. it¡¯s actually very simple to leave alive. if you can restrain me as a hostage, the elders above will definitely not act rashly. do you dare to try?¡± the three of them slowly turned around and faced ye jingtang. the current situation was very clear. no matter how skilled the three of them were in martial arts, it was impossible for them to walk out of this alley alive. their only hope of survival was that ye jingtang was giving them a chance to capture him and take him hostage to break out of the siege. but if the three of them rushed forward, the heroes of the red flower pavilion above would realize that the situation wasn¡¯t right, and hundreds of people would definitely jump down. the blood bodhi knew how domineering ye jingtang was. his eyes darted around slightly, and he pretended to have a jianghu air about him. ¡°young master ye, you are indeed a character. the red flower pavilion doesn¡¯t bully others with numbers, so we naturally won¡¯t fight against you with numbers. i only hope that our friends above can follow the rules of jianghu.¡± he tilted his head to signal. ¡°lu ruan..¡± Chapter 80 - Chapter 80: Midnight Massacre (1) chapter 80: midnight massacre (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios swoosh, swoosh, swoosh¡­ the rain was getting heavier and heavier, and the atmosphere in the dark alley was getting tenser and tenser. lu ruan, who was beside the blood bodhi, walked forward with his spear. his originally ashen expression turned into a valiant one of someone about to fight the death. ¡°¡®seven-foot spear¡¯ lu ruan. i¡¯ve long heard of the famous overlord spear of the red flower pavilion. today, i want to see how much of the former spear chief¡¯s spear technique is left in young master ye¡¯s hands.¡± ¡°lu ruan?¡± upon hearing the introduction, the experts of the red flower pavilion were stunned. they didn¡¯t expect the two pawns beside the blood bodhi to have such powerful backgrounds. the reputation of ¡®seven-foot spear¡¯ lu ruan was not low in yun province. he had been born in ya province and had studied under ¡®north cliff spear king¡¯ chu hao. back then, chu hao had been a strong opponent of pei yuanming¡¯s, and they had even fought a few battles for the title of spear chief. although lu ruan had been expelled from the lineage because of his bad character, his talent was indeed extraordinary. he had committed several major crimes single-handedly after entering the jianghu and had been pursued by the black office for many years without being caught. he had even created a technique called the roaming snake spear based on the north cliff¡¯s roaming dragon spear. there were even hints of the former surpassing the latter. lu ruan wasn¡¯t a grandmaster, but most of the hall masters present weren¡¯t either. there were even a few who admitted that they weren¡¯t lu ruan¡¯s match. seeing him appear, they couldn¡¯t help making a commotion. ¡°lu ruan? why is he here?¡± ¡°blood bodhi, lu ruan¡­ is there a need to go so far to deal with a junior?¡± but before everyone found the answer to their doubts, the situation in the alley explained to them why the blood bodhi had mobilized so many people! tread, tread, tread¡­ lu ruan held his thin spear in his hand. after taking three steps forward, he began to stride forward to close the distance, holding the spear with both hands and bending down almost to the ground. ye jingtang stood in the alley with his spear in his hand. he turned sideways and pointed the spear at the ground with one hand. the dense raindrops hit the tip of the spear, splashing water. ¡°haa!¡± when lu ruan was 30 feet away, he suddenly increased his speed and pointed his spear forward like a shuttle. swoosh! swoosh! swoosh! strong winds suddenly rose in the alley, and rain flew everywhere. under the light of the lanterns, lu ruan actually stabbed out several whirlpools in the rain between the two of them. his spear turned into an afterimage, and no one could see the movements of the spear clearly. this spear attack was fierce and fast. the explosive power made many hall masters blush with shame. but the fact that he stabbed several times in a row meant that he had missed ye jingtang. otherwise, one stab would have been enough. holding the spear with one hand, ye jingtang didn¡¯t immediately counterattack. instead, he raised the spear and moved back unhurriedly. his body seemed to be in danger, but he moved out of the attack range of the spear every time. swoosh! swoosh! swoosh! lu ruan¡¯s footsteps were steady as he walked forward step by step. his spear seemed to be as fast as a dragon, but no matter how he pressed forward, the tip of the spear in his hand was still slightly off. ye jingtang¡¯s extraordinary movement technique made the eyes of many hall masters light up! but before everyone had time to be amazed, the following scene directly horrified them. lu ruan missed 12 thrusts in a row, and he was already at the end of his breath. he could only retreat and accumulate strength. at this moment, ye jingtang, who was unscathed, slid his spear behind him until he held the end of the spear with one hand and pointed the tip of the spear to the ground. ding! a soft and low cry. in the next moment, a loud explosion sounded in the alley! boom! ye jingtang pushed his feet against the ground, exerted strength from his waist and abdomen, and tightened his muscles. holding the end of the spear with one hand, he whipped the spear forward from the back to the front like a long whip. ¡°haa!¡± it was hard for the hail masters to imagine how powerful this attack was. as soon as ye jingtang raised his arm, the straight spear collapsed into a bow shape under the terrifying acceleration. the spear struck the rain falling from the sky, and the raindrops exploded into white mist. the spear tore apart the rain curtain above, and the spear wind swept the raindrops in half of the alley and shot toward lu ruan like a tornado. lu ruan¡¯s hair stood on end. he raised his spear to block without hesitation, but in front of this attack, his robust body was like a praying mantis raising its arms before a landslide. boom! with a loud bang, a wave of air formed by water mist, and grass instantly rushed out of the narrow alley for more than 100 feet, like a powerful dragon suddenly appearing in the alley. the spear that lu ruan raised was instantly broken. crack! a cold light flashed, and the tip of ye jingtang¡¯s spear hit the top of his head. bam! flesh flew and blood splattered everywhere. before the shock in lu ruan¡¯s eyes could turn into fear, his entire body exploded in the rain. the shock wave engulfed his internal organs and blood and forcefully splashed a fan-shaped blood splatter in the limestone alley! splash¡­ the moment the spear landed, all sound suddenly stopped! the entire round building fell dead silent. the scene was too bloody. even pei xiangjun turned her head. ye jingtang slowly retracted his spear, looked up at the opposite side, and raised his chin slightly. ¡°next.¡± pitter-patter¡­ it was raining heavily. the surroundings were silent for a long time before voices gradually sounded. ¡°woah¡­¡± ¡°what the hell is this¡­¡± ¡°what a good move of yellow dragon crouching!¡± above the round building, song chi and chen yuanqing were shocked when they saw this scene. when the two of them saw the pavilion lord push ye jingtang out, they had guessed that this child must have some skills. but they really didn¡¯t expect his skills to be so great! extraordinary physique, surging internal energy, and the most domineering pei family¡¯s overlord spear in the world! the momentum of this spear attack was definitely at the level of a grandmaster. even song chi was startled. this child looks less than twenty. how can he be so domineering? in the eyes of the experts of the red flower pavilion, this scene was indescribably shocking. in the blood bodhi¡¯s eyes, there was only horror. the blood bodhi knew that ye jingtang had learned the eight-steps frenzied blade, the heaven equaling saber, and even possibly the dragon slaying decree. he originally thought that ye jingtang was a saber expert, but he never expected his spearmanship to be so terrifying. although it seemed that ye jingtang¡¯s spearmanship was far less spiritual than his saber skills, a spear was inherently 30% stronger than a short weapon in a one-on-one battle. if he couldn¡¯t even withstand the saber, how could he deal with this overlord spear that had once dominated the world? pitter-patter¡­ the silence in the rain lasted for a long time. in the end, ye jingtang raised his spear and pointed it at the blood bodhi and chen ming. ¡°attack together. at least you won¡¯t die so vexed.¡± one move instantly killed lu ruan, so the remaining two would attack together. no one present felt that there was a problem. the blood bodhi gripped his iron cane with a dark expression. he turned around and walked toward the riverside street. ¡°the two grandmasters are watching from above. young master ye, you won unfairly. how about we change locations?¡± if they fought below the round building, song chi, chen yuanqing, and the others could jump down to help at any time. as for the blood bodhi and cheng ming, they would have to divert their attention to guard against attacks from above. it indeed went against martial ethics. although the blood bodhi and chen ming didn¡¯t have the right to reason, ye jingtang didn¡¯t care. he carried his spear on his shoulder and walked through the alley on the side of the inn. in this desperate situation, the face of ¡®heart eviscerator¡¯ chen ming turned pale. but in this situation where there was no way out, his hands under his sleeves moved slightly, and two iron claws popped out. there were sharp blades at the top of his fingers, flowing with a cold light in the faint light. chen ming¡¯s notoriety was even greater than lu ruan¡¯s. when ye jingtang took on the job of dealing with the wingless owl, there was a bounty on ¡®heart eviscerator¡¯ chen ming. dong, dong, dong! the iron cane hit the stone bricks, making a dull sound. the three people in the alley quickly passed through the buildings and arrived at the long riverbank street. they stood 100 feet apart. boom! a bolt of lightning tore through the rain. ye jingtang pointed his spear diagonally at the street with one hand, raised his left hand, and hooked it slightly¡­ Chapter 81 - Chapter 81: Midnight Massacre (2) chapter 81: midnight massacre (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios boom! the black sky thundered, the windy clouds moved, and the torrential rain swept through the old street on the riverbank. the numerous shops were closed, the multitude of alleys were washed, and the rain poured down on the river and boats like the heavens weeping blood! three figures were confronting each other at both ends of the long riverside street. at the same moment that ye jingtang hooked his finger, the hunched blood bodhi stepped forward and swung the iron cane in his hand. swish! the black iron cane turned into a crescent moon in the rain. three dark red beads flew out of the hole at the bottom of the iron cane and tore through the air, striking at ye jingtang¡¯s glabella, throat, and heart! the speed of the blood bodhi¡¯s hidden weapons was terrifying. it was harder than ascending to the heavens to parry them with a spear, but the overlord spear¡¯s fighting style had never been delicate. under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes, ye jingtang didn¡¯t even have any intention of blocking or dodging. he held his spear with both hands and directly used a sweeping move. boom! this move was the most iconic move of the pei family¡¯s overlord spear, the overlord opening the sea. this was where the spear technique¡¯s name came from. it vividly displayed the pei family¡¯s spear¡¯s boldness, fierceness, and domineeringness. the moment he raised the spear with both hands, the rain stirred up around him. when the spear swept past in front of him, the rain ten feet around him was actually shattered into mist by the sharp spear tip, forming a mist ring. bam! waves of air surged, and the rain and mist torn apart by the spear tip spread out, engulfing everything like a tornado. the three dark red beads shooting over were instantly brought off balance and scattered to the side. as for the blood bodhi opposite him, he wasn¡¯t surprised by this terrifying scene. he seized the opportunity to attack with all his might. ¡°haa!¡± ye jingtang¡¯s spear swept from the right to the left. taking advantage of the momentum, he dashed forward and unleashed another yellow dragon crouching. but when experts fought, it was a consensus in jianghu not to use a move twice. the blood bodhi was extremely experienced and had calculated ye jingtang¡¯s consecutive moves. he raised the iron cane to block, but he didn¡¯t exert any strength. instead, his body moved sideways as he flipped the iron cane. bang! the powerful and heavy spear tip smashed toward the iron cane without any resistance. the iron cane turned around and slammed down toward the blue bricks on the street. boom! the street bricks instantly shattered, and a five-foot-long groove was smashed out. the blood bodhi hooked the spear shaft with his cane and pressed down with all his might! and chen ming, who had been following ye jingtang like a shadow, finally appeared at this moment. he jumped over the blood bodhi¡¯s head and grabbed ye jingtang¡¯s forehead with the iron claw in his right hand. the two of them cooperated smoothly. although their physiques were inferior to ye jingtang¡¯s, they were relying on their experience and skills to forcefully kill him in one strike. the expressions of song chi and the others above the round building changed drastically. they could tell that ye jingtang wasn¡¯t familiar with the spear technique yet. he had used too much strength, and the blood bodhi managed to catch his move and break it. ye jingtang¡¯s spear was being pressed down too heavily, so he seemed to have no choice but to abandon the spear and use his saber. but chen ming, who was already close to him, wouldn¡¯t give him a chance at all. even if ye jingtang quickly blocked chen ming, the blood bodhi would make up for the finishing blow at the same time. with the two of them joining forces, ye jingtang was almost certain to die. this scene made pei xiangj tin¡¯s expression change drastically. but she was too far apart to help. song chi wanted to shout, ¡°show mercy!¡± but before he could open his mouth, his eyes bulged! (0-0;)! ye jingtang, who seemed to have no way to use his spear, didn¡¯t choose to abandon his spear and retreat when chen ming¡¯s claw attack arrived. instead, he unshackled his explosive power to the limit, pressed down his left hand on the end of the spear, and raised his right hand that was gripping the spear. ¡°haa! with a loud shout, ye jingtang¡¯s sleeves were torn apart, and his spear collapsed into a semicircle. this move was not a spear move of the overlord spear but a simple brute force move called ¡®the overlord lifting the cauldron¡¯. the spear forcefully picked up the blood bodhi, who had erupted with all his might in the desperate situation, and smashed him into chen ming above! bam! the two figures collided in the air, and chen ming¡¯s figure was sent flying into the sky. this scene really stupefied the heroes of the red flower pavilion on the round building. after all, ye jingtang¡¯s physical strength was already so strong that it was completely unreasonable. he could defeat ten martial artists with his absolute strength. it was meaningless to look at his moves anymore. even if he smashed around with an iron rod, he could make it difficult for a grandmaster to get close. but the blood bodhi was indeed an old grandmaster of jianghu. the moment he was forcefully lifted, he didn¡¯t panic. instead, he actually raised his hand in the air, grabbed chen ming¡¯s belt, and threw him forward. chen ming took the opportunity to close in and swipe his claw at ye jingtang¡¯s chest without hesitation. crack! the iron claw swept past, bringing with it an explosive sound! ye jingtang was fighting fiercely in the rain and was drenched. with this claw attack, water vapor could be seen steaming on his black robe. the robe in front of his chest instantly tore, and a large hole was scratched diagonally from his left shoulder to his ribs. and then¡­ the gleaming silver soft armor was revealed! f*ckyou! in this desperate situation, chen ming had risked his life to close in and launch a surprise attack, but he had grabbed a piece of soft armor and barely damaged the opponent. his mood was no less than tearing open the pants of beauty and discovering a chastity lock. even though he was in a fierce battle, he still cursed in his heart. the next moment, ye jingtang raised the tip of the spear and hit chen ming¡¯s waist. bam! chen ming instantly turned into a bent shrimp and was smashed directly into the street under him along with his spear. bang! the water on the street shook, and circular ripples appeared. chen ming, who had been thrown onto the stone bricks, immediately sprayed out blood from his mouth and nose. his waist was twisted, and his lumbar spine was broken. cough! as a bandit of jianghu, chen ming aroused his ferocity when he was bound to die. chen ming, who had lost all feeling below his waist, still roared loudly. ignoring the spear piercing his body, he grabbed his spear shaft with his left hand and swept his right claw forward with all his might toward ye jingtang¡¯s arm. ¡°ah!¡± this move was to restrain the weapon and give the blood bodhi, who had just landed, a chance to attack from behind. even if he died, he had to bring ye jingtang with him. unfortunately, the blood bodhi was not trustworthy. the blood bodhi had fought against ye jingtang before. just now, after being forcefully raised by ye jingtang, he sensed that ye jingtang¡¯s brute force had advanced to another level in just a few days. these changes were completely illogical. the only possibility was that he had practiced the roaring dragon chart. those who had practiced the roaring dragon chart either had thick skin and thick flesh, or their vitality was so strong that it made one¡¯s hair stand on end. if they were not killed on the spot, it would basically be doing useless work. moreover, the blood bodhi had never thought of exchanging lives from the beginning. he had come to the river to fight for a chance to escape. after throwing chen ming out as a meat shield, he rushed toward the nearby riverbank. plop! chen ming had risked his life in exchange for an opportunity, but when he heard the sound of splashing water, his eyes showed shock and anger. there was a spear stabbed into his chest, but his bulging eyes still turned to the water on the riverbank. he cursed angrily with blood foam in his mouth, ¡°you f*cking¡­¡± pfft- his words came to an abrupt halt. ye jingtang¡¯s spear had pierced through chen ming¡¯s chest and abdomen. he took the opportunity to slash horizontally and tear chen ming¡¯s upper body. before blood splattered on his robe, he flew toward the riverbank. but there were countless uncles from the pavilion here present, so there was no need for him to personally chase after the deserter. before ye jingtang could jump into the river, a figure passed by him and dived into the dark water. like a torpedo silently penetrating through the bottom of the water, he instantly went forward dozens of feet. swish! the red flower pavilion relied on shipping to make its fortune. the hall masters had all been ship gang bosses, and their swimming skills were their ability to make a living. if the blood bodhi escaped from the shore, he might have had a chance. but since he was escaping from the water, it could only be said that he had really been forced into a corner and couldn¡¯t think straight. ye jingtang stopped on the shore. the next moment, water exploded into the air from the river surface more than 100 feet away. boom! the fleeing blood bodhi flew out of the water. chen yuanqing followed like a shadow. his figure was like an eagle soaring through the sky as he grabbed the blood bodhi¡¯s neck with one hand. as for the white tiger hall¡¯s song chi, he crossed the distance of more than 100 feet like a dragonfly skimming on water. his tiger eyes were wide open, and he was about to kill this shameless bandit who had fled at the last minute with a punch. ye jingtang hadn¡¯t figured out which leader of the green bandits was connected with the blood bodhi yet, so he immediately shouted, ¡°wait!¡± hearing this, song chi hurriedly stopped in midair and grabbed the blood bodhi¡¯s shoulder. when the blood bodhi was at his peak, his martial arts skills couldn¡¯t hold back the current second-in-command of the red flower pavilion, not to mention that chen yuanqing, who was also a grandmaster, was still here.. he could barely resist before his left and right arms were grabbed by the two of them and he was directly lifted to the shore¡­ Chapter 82 - Chapter 82: Let’s Continue Sparring chapter 82: let¡¯s continue sparring translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios under the heavy rain, the small riverside street fell dead silent. all the red flower pavilion disciples stared blankly at the black-robed young master standing by the riverbank with a spear in his hand, their eyes full of shock and surprise. tread, tread, tread! amidst the ripples in the water, song chi and chen yuanqing grabbed the blood bodhi¡¯s shoulder with one hand each and landed on the shore. they no longer looked at ye jingtang as a junior and were rather solemn. chen yuanqing first checked ye jingtang¡¯s complexion and didn¡¯t see any injuries. then he looked at the restrained blood bodhi. ¡°he took someone¡¯s money to help them. he doesn¡¯t know his employer¡¯s identity. it¡¯s useless to keep him.¡± ye jingtang really wanted to ask who the mastermind was. but when he heard this, he didn¡¯t say anything and planned to stab him to death. but the restrained blood bodhi shouted anxiously, ¡°1 haven¡¯t said anything yet! how do you know that i don¡¯t know?!¡± chen yuanqing frowned. ¡°i know the rules of jianghu. you¡¯re also an elder of jianghu. be dignified, and don¡¯t die like a wild dog.¡± ye jingtang raised his hand to signal the two hall masters not to be anxious and asked, ¡°who sent you?¡± the blood bodhi, who was being pressed to kneel on the ground, gritted his teeth and said, ¡°a mysterious employer in the capital who calls himself ¡®yan bugui¡¯.¡± yan bugui¡­ ye jingtang pondered for a moment and nodded lightly. ¡°how do you meet?¡± ¡°yan bugui provided me with a hiding place, and the contacts were always with messages written in code. i only met him once when i entered the capital. he never showed his face again.¡± chen yuanqing shook his head. ¡°if you hire assassins in jianghu and report your identity, you will be sold to your enemies. the person who dared to hire the blood bodhi is definitely not an ordinary person. if you track him down with the clues the blood bodhi provides, you will only be ambushed.¡± the blood bodhi looked at ye jingtang and said through gritted teeth, ¡°everyone here is a veteran of jianghu. 1 indeed don¡¯t know the identity of the employer, but young master ye, there¡¯s a secret that you will definitely be interested in.¡± ¡°speak.¡± ¡°the green bandits used the roaring dragon chart as a reward to invite me out of seclusion. young master ye, as long as you spare my life, i can teach you this secret technique.¡± ? everyone was stunned when they heard this. ye jingtang¡¯s interest was indeed piqued. he wiped the rainwater off his face, stabbed the spear into the ground, and squatted down in front of the blood bodhi. ¡°you know one of the roaring dragon chart¡¯s secret techniques?¡± ¡°yan bugui taught me the secret technique. i¡¯ve only practiced it for two to three months, so 1 haven¡¯t made much progress yet. however, i¡¯ve seen how powerful yan bugui is. he can carry a boulder weighing a thousand kilograms with one hand and walk in a leisurely manner. he¡¯s practicing the legendary ¡®turtle carrying three mountains¡¯ of the dragon form picture¡­¡± although the blood bodhi hadn¡¯t learned the dragon form picture, he had indeed seen yan bugui¡¯s strength. therefore, his voice was calm and without any guilt. even song chi and the others felt that it wasn¡¯t fake, and they hesitated. but¡­ ye jingtang was at a loss for words. he complained inwardly, 1 know you want to live, and i would hesitate if you had randomly pulled out any of the nine pictures. but you said the one on my chest? were you hired by the wingless owl¡¯s ghost to take revenge? ye jingtang felt that the blood bodhi¡¯s lifespan was indeed up. he had followed him to the headquarters of the red flower pavilion and found an excuse to survive by using the item in his hands. one might not be able to find another person in the entire jianghu who was so unlucky. crack! a saber light flashed. before the blood bodhi could finish speaking confidently, his old head landed on the muddy ground. thump, thump! song chi and chen yuanqing looked at the head that rolled away, slightly puzzled. ¡°nephew ye, don¡¯t you want to hear more?¡± ye jingtang sheathed his saber and tried his best to suppress the bafflement in his heart. ¡°1 know the prince of jing and have seen a page of the roaring dragon chart once. the roaring dragon chart is difficult to pass down by word of mouth, so you can only take it and comprehend it yourself. even if the green bandits have a picture, it¡¯s impossible for them to really give it to a jianghu villain.¡± ¡°oh¡­¡± song chi and chen yuanqing nodded in understanding. they hooked their fingers slightly and signaled the disciples to come over and deal with the corpse. pei xiangjun walked over with her bamboo hat still on, wanting to send ye jingtang back to the building to check his injuries. ye jingtang had been struck by a claw just now. although it didn¡¯t break his defense, chen ming¡¯s strength wasn¡¯t low. it was equivalent to smashing his chest through the soft armor, and there were probably a few more bruises on his chest. but ye jingtang had no intention of leaving. he looked at the silent red flower pavilion disciples and found song changqing watching from the roof. ¡°i¡¯m fine. elders, let¡¯s continue with the meeting. because of my private matters, my spar with brother song was interrupted. please forgive me. brother song, let¡¯s continue sparring.¡± as he spoke, he raised his spear and walked toward the round building, preparing to have a bloody battle with song changqing. ?! all the hall masters of red flower pavilion, including pei xiangjun, staggered when they heard this. continue sparring? are you talking like a human?! just now, you killed people without batting an eyelid and smashed someone to smithereens. there isn¡¯t a complete corpse on the ground. who would dare to spar with you?! judging from the momentum of ye jingtang¡¯s attacks, he definitely had the foundation of a grandmaster. getting song changqing, who could barely be considered a first-rate expert, to come forward and fight him one-on-one, did he want to teach someone¡¯s son a lesson in public? song changqing, who was standing at the back of the crowd, was already shocked. when he heard this, his expression turned stiff and awkward as he looked at his father. ¡°uh¡­¡± song chi didn¡¯t expect ye jingtang to say this. he wanted to say, ¡°nephew ye, you are injured. let¡¯s talk about this after your injuries heals.¡± however, these words were really shameless. for a moment, he didn¡¯t know what to say. fortunately, the third-in-command, chen yuanqing, helped resolve the situation. ¡°what¡¯s there to fight about? nephew ye¡¯s potential is enough to be the young master. if second brother song has any objections, i¡¯ll talk with him. there¡¯s no need for the pavilion lord to speak.¡± the hall masters, helm masters, and even countless disciples present nodded like birds and had no objections to this. ¡°yes, changqing is outstanding, but it¡¯s normal for him to be outstanding. nephew ye is completely¡­ hmm¡­¡± ¡°he has the posture of the eight chiefs.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right, the posture of the eight chiefs!¡± ¡°there¡¯s no one else in jianghu with young master ye¡¯s martial arts skills at his age. if he doesn¡¯t become the young master, is the red flower pavilion worthy of this status?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. our red flower pavilion hasn¡¯t had such a good seedling in thirty years¡­¡± ¡°yuanming wasn¡¯t that fierce back then. i guess only the old pavilion lord could have such an imposing aura when he was young¡­¡± the heroes of the red flower pavilion discussed spiritedly. when song chi heard the words of the hall masters and helm masters, his expression gradually changed from complicated to helpless. song chi really wanted to be the leader. after all, pei xiangjun couldn¡¯t support the red flower pavilion at all. now that the azure dragon hall had a successor whose potential was much greater than his, a fifty-year-old uncle; all the hall masters and helm masters approved of him; and he couldn¡¯t find any fault with him, what else could he say? song chi thought for a moment and smiled in relief. ¡°nephew ye¡¯s talent is unprecedented. he¡¯s probably a true grandmaster now. not to mention being the young master, even if he becomes the pavilion lord, we have no objections.¡± pei xiangjun shook her head. ¡°jingtang has just entered jianghu and doesn¡¯t even recognize all the forces in jianghu. it¡¯s fine to be the young master, but he can¡¯t be the pavilion lord.¡± ye jingtang was self-aware. he smiled and said, ¡°just now, my spear was pressed down. it¡¯s already considered a loss. i relied purely on my innate divine strength to counterattack. i guess that i have the foundation of a grandmaster, but without the attainments of a grandmaster in martial arts, i¡¯m not worthy of the title of grandmaster.¡± song chi and the others didn¡¯t say anything else. they cupped their hands and bowed to pei xiangjun. ¡°pavilion lord, you should bring nephew ye to check his injuries. originally, there was quite a lot of trouble in the pavilion. but from the looks of it now, there¡¯s no trouble. we can deal with them ourselves.¡± the internal and external problems of the red flower pavilion could be summarized in one point: insufficient strength and a worrisome future. ye jingtang set their minds at ease. the hall masters had a solid idea in their minds, so they naturally didn¡¯t have any objections. this was probably the first time pei xiangjun was so happy since she took over.. she didn¡¯t say anything else and left with her treasure in satisfaction¡­ Chapter 83 - Chapter 83: Sword Pointing at the Zhou Family chapter 83: sword pointing at the zhou family translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the night was dark, the rain was heavy, and the wind was strong. the west king town was at the intersection of the three rivers. the roars of the rivers could be heard from west king town several kilometers away. rumble! in a waterside pavilion by the river, there were dim yellow candle flames. from the window paper, one could see the silhouette of a well-rounded beauty. she was on top of a body, her red lips opened and closed, and her upper body rose and fell¡­ ¡°hiss¡­ be gentler¡­¡± ¡°does it hurt?¡± ¡°well¡­ it doesn¡¯t hurt too much.¡± ye jingtang was lying on a soft pillow with his outer robe and silver soft armor off, revealing his muscular upper body. the soft armor was a protective treasure given by dumbum. it was extremely tough and wasn¡¯t damaged. but ye jingtang had forcefully used the ¡®overlord lifting the cauldron¡¯ and used too much strength, causing his arms and back to ache slightly. they were probably a little strained. pei xiangjun was sitting on the side of the couch with medicinal wine beside her, rubbing ye jingtang¡¯s broad back with both hands. a bone-setting massage was not the same as a typical massage. the force applied was quite strong, and ye jingtang could only describe his feeling as sour and refreshing. from time to time, he would raise his head and gasp. ¡°the prince of jing is really good to you. if it weren¡¯t for this soft armor today, you might have had to lie in bed for half a month.¡± ¡°if i didn¡¯t have soft armor, i wouldn¡¯t have taken the claw head-on. they¡¯re just three jianghu small fry.¡± ¡°small fry¡­ your spearmanship is really mediocre. you rely on your strength to fight head-on. if you encounter she long, let¡¯s see how you can pick him up¡­¡± ¡°hehe¡­¡± ye jingtang was tall and strong, and he had practiced martial arts since he was young. his figure could be said to be perfect. as he lay on the couch, the muscles on his back were perfectly displayed. pei xiangjun rubbed his back with her hands. the man¡¯s perfect and flawless back was clear in her eyes. she didn¡¯t have any thoughts of being a bad sister, but ye jingtang couldn¡¯t see her, so her eyes couldn¡¯t help looking back and forth. at the same time, she was a little puzzled. ¡°jingtang, were you really born with divine strength? when you picked up the blood bodhi today, i felt¡­ hmm¡­¡± ye jingtang wasn¡¯t born with divine strength. instead, he walked the agile route and used a fast saber to fight enemies. in his opinion, his increase in strength had something to do with practicing the dragon form picture. however, he had only practiced for a few days. although he had broken through his past limits, there were not many breakthroughs. he could fully explain this. ¡°my life was hanging by a thread, so it¡¯s normal for me to have more explosive power. perhaps it¡¯s because i¡¯ve been resting better recently.¡± pei xiangjun felt that it made sense, so she didn¡¯t say anything else. the room was very quiet, and her soft, jade-like hands massaging rose and fell. ye jingtang lay obediently on his stomach and reviewed the battle just now. after lying down for a while, he suddenly noticed from the corner of his eye that he could vaguely see third lady¡¯s reflection at the base of the bronze lampstand in front of him. through the reflection, he could see that third lady was rubbing his back seriously. while she was rubbing, her almond-like eyes were sizing him up and down. her gaze¡­ ? ye jingtang blinked and turned to look behind him. pei xiangjun paused and looked up, her expression normal. ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± ye jingtang just wanted to see third lady¡¯s expression to confirm if she was secretly taking advantage of him. he didn¡¯t see anything, so he pretended that nothing had happened and lay down again. ¡°nothing. i just feel that your hands are too light¡­ hiss¡­ no, no, that was good just now¡­¡± ¡°hmph~!¡± pei xiangjun sized ye jingtang up openly. ¡°with your body, you are a natural spear embryo. if i had your physique, i could have challenged the spear chief at eighteen. how could i have been beaten up like you by a few jianghu small fries?¡± ¡°i will definitely work hard to practice the spear and strive to catch up to you as soon as possible.¡± ¡°sigh-¡± pei xiangjun sighed softly. ¡°the most terrifying thing in jianghu is to teach disciples and starve the master to death. since i can teach you martial arts now, you will naturally treat me with respect. when you grow up in the future, who knows how you will treat me¡­¡± her resentful tone and lonely expression made her seem like a pitiful wife complaining about a heartless man. ye jingtang was rather helpless. ¡°third lady, since you¡¯re worried about me, 1 won¡¯t practice the spear for the time being. when you are completely relieved one day, 1 will continue practicing. the people of jianghu pay attention to ¡®honor¡¯¡­¡± thump! pei xiangjun patted ye jingtang¡¯s back lightly. ¡°1 was just joking with you. why are you taking it seriously? if you don¡¯t care about me in the future, 1 have plenty of ways to deal with you.¡± ¡°how could 1 not care about you¡­¡± ¡°how could you not? a hero can¡¯t resist a beauty. the word honor isn¡¯t worth mentioning in front of the two balls of meat on a woman¡¯s chest¡­¡± two balls ofmeatfye jingtang subconsciously looked back, but pei xiangjun glared at him. he hurriedly turned his head back. ¡°uh¡­¡± pei xiangjun covered her chest with one hand and pursed her lips. she looked like she wanted to say something to ye jingtang, but she suppressed the words that were about to come out of her mouth and continued, ¡°i¡¯m telling the truth. i¡¯m not teasing you. the person you like is so beautiful that she can topple cities and countries. if she wants you to roam the world with her, i¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll follow her with just a hook of her finger. also, there¡¯s the prince of jing. the prince of jing has a high status, great authority, and an extraordinary appearance. she¡¯s also considerate to you. if i were you, i would place my heart on the prince of jing. 1 have nothing to do with you. after you¡¯ve grown up, you will definitely run away with someone¡­¡± ye jingtang really couldn¡¯t refute these words, so he could only say, ¡°it¡¯s useless to make promises about these things. third lady, just watch what 1 do in the future. speaking of which, my chest hurts a little. i¡¯d better apply some medicine.¡± then he propped himself up and sat on the couch, revealing his broad chest. when pei xiangjun saw ye jingtang¡¯s chest, waist, and abdomen, her eyes clearly averted, but she quickly put on a natural expression and looked at ye jingtang¡¯s chest. when chen ming had been thrown over by the blood bodhi, his strength hadn¡¯t been stable, but it hadn¡¯t been light either. through the soft armor, four red marks had been left on ye jingtang¡¯s chest. pei xiangjun picked up the jade dragon ointment and moved closer, wanting to rub ye jingtang¡¯s chest muscles and apply the ointment. but when she lifted her hand halfway, she didn¡¯t dare to touch it. pei xiangjun blinked and placed the medicine in ye jingtang¡¯s hand. ¡°this kind of thing should be done by your lover. really¡­ apply the medicine yourself!¡± then she tidied her clothes, stood up, and walked out the door. ye jingtang smiled and didn¡¯t say anything. he applied the medicine himself¡­ in the round building, the eleven hall masters were sitting and discussing the situation of the red flower pavilion¡¯s halls in the first half of the year and the arrangements for the second half of the year. although there were no changes to the external troubles of the red flower pavilion, there was now hope in their hearts. knowing that they would definitely recover one day, the hall masters had much more relaxed expressions. some elders even began to have some other thoughts. ¡°the young master is not even twenty years old. he should be unmarried¡­¡± ¡°hall master wang, i¡¯m afraid you¡¯re thinking too much. with the young master¡¯s looks and talent, do you think he doesn¡¯t have a few female friends?¡± ¡°it¡¯s only natural for a man to have three wives and four concubines. my granddaughter¡­¡± ¡°ahem!¡± while they were speaking, pei xiangjun walked into the hall with brisk steps and sat down on the main seat. ¡°jingtang already has a sweetheart and loves her dearly. he doesn¡¯t have any intention of taking a concubine for the time being. let¡¯s talk about this later.¡± hearing this, the hall masters chuckled. sitting in the second seat, song chi raised his hand to silence the chatter and said seriously, ¡°the zhou family has had poor manners in recent years. pavilion lord, you must have brought the young master out this time for this matter. i wonder how you plan to discuss the clear river wharf with the zhou family?¡± the clear river wharf was the largest port in jianghu in the yun and ze provinces. the azure dragon hall started there and had been passed down for nearly a hundred years. nearly 4.0% of its revenue came from the port. it could be considered the lifeblood of the azure dragon hall. but as the red flower pavilion declined day by day, the zhou family of the water cloud sword pool set their sights on this piece of fat. they established connections with the government and jianghu and bought a piece of land next to the clear river wharf to build a new port. relying on their reputation in jianghu, they used both kindness and force to attract away all the local merchants. as a result, the clear river wharf could only rely on the support of wealthy foreign merchants contacted by the hall masters to maintain its daily operations and make ends meet every year. holding a cup of tea, chen yuanqing joined the conversation. ¡°the zhou family wants to force the clear river wharf to death. we¡¯re all from jianghu. how can we just talk about it?¡± song chi shook his head. ¡°with ¡®sword saint¡¯ zhou chiyang around, we don¡¯t have the confidence to flip the table. in my opinion, we still have to negotiate at the table.¡± pei xiangjun said, ¡°the red flower pavilion and the water cloud sword pool are not small forces. it¡¯s not worth it to fight to the death over a port. i plan to get jingtang to lead a team to celebrate the birthday and find an opportunity to spar. if we can take it back, we¡¯ll take it back. if we can¡¯t, we won¡¯t fall out. as long as jingtang grows up steadily, there will always be a time for an eye for an eye. ¡°our red flower pavilion suddenly has a young master, and he even dares to openly come and challenge them. this shows that he has confidence. it¡¯s not like the zhou family won¡¯t be able to tell. when jingtang goes over, he has to be more arrogant so that the zhou family has no choice but to accept the challenge because of face.¡± pei xiangjun smiled and said, ¡°with jingtang¡¯s personality, we can only advise him to take it easy. if we really let him be unreasonable, he might even destroy the archway of the water cloud sword pool without a word before saying, ¡®your home is called the water cloud sword pool¡¯?¡± ¡°hehe¡­¡± the hall masters only thought that this was a joke and shook their heads. chen yuanqing raised his hand and pressed down. ¡°pavilion lord, who do you think the zhou family will send out?¡± ¡°jian yuhua. he¡¯s a wanderer who appeared in jianghu a few years ago. he¡¯s talented and was taken in as a disciple by the zhou family two years ago. it¡¯s said that he¡¯s very powerful, but he shouldn¡¯t be a match for jingtang.¡± the hall masters near ze province had vaguely heard of jian yuhua¡¯s name and nodded slightly. song chi thought for a moment before saying, ¡°when the wife of the cult master of the pacifying heaven cult roamed jianghu back then, the zhou family forged a sword for her and didn¡¯t require her to pay. now that old master zhou is celebrating his eightieth birthday, there¡¯s a high chance that she will come and show her face. if the pacifying heaven cult interferes and doesn¡¯t let us challenge¡­¡± the pacifying heaven cult master ranked first among the eight chiefs and was equivalent to the emperor of jianghu. as long as he spoke, no one in jianghu would dare not to give him face. pei xiangjun hesitated for a moment and could only say, ¡°if the pacifying heaven cult interferes, forget it. uncle song, uncle chen, you should follow us when the time comes to prevent anything from happening to jingtang in the zhou family.¡± ¡°of course. it¡¯s the young master of the red flower pavilion making his debut. there have to be two followers supporting him¡­¡± ¡°that¡¯s right¡­¡± Chapter 84 - Chapter 84: I’m Not Interested in the Cult Mistress chapter 84: i¡¯m not interested in the cult mistress translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios in yun¡¯an city, the wind was gentle, and the sun was bright. the warm summer sunlight shone on the eaves of jasper pavilion, and the breeze stirred the wind chimes on the eaves, making a soft, ethereal sound. dingling! dingling! the white screen placed by the window was blocking the sunlight. in the dazzling study, a woman in the python robe was sitting upright with her back straight. on the desk in front of her was an open book, a jade rack of gold brushes, and a white porcelain teacup beside her hand. overall, she looked like a cold female ceo working hard in summer. the only disharmony was that a strange expression would appear on her fair face from time to time. she hurriedly turned a page of the book and skipped the illustration¡­ the study was silent. after an unknown period of time, a gust of wind suddenly blew into the room, and the white-haired old woman landed silently in front of dongfang liren¡¯s desk. dongfang liren was taken aback because the old woman appeared without announcing her arrival. she quickly closed the book and hid it behind her back, looking slightly unhappy. ¡°your highness, li huai of west king town sent a message overnight. he said that the blood bodhi, ¡®heart eviscerator¡¯ chen ming, and ¡®seven-foot spear¡¯ lu ruan went to assassinate ye jingtang last night¡­¡± ¡°uh?!¡± when dongfang liren, who had always remained calm even if a mountain collapsed in front of her, heard this, her eyelashes twitched, and the book behind her fell to the floor. she stood up with fury in her eyes. ¡°how is that¡­ how is ye jingtang?!¡± sensing that the prince of jing was tense, the white-haired old woman quickly replied, ¡°li huai visited young master ye. he¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°phew¡­¡± dongfang liren felt relieved and patted the desk lightly. ¡°these bandits are really bold. with my order, get the gold river prefectural governor to mobilize eight thousand soldiers and surround west king town. if he can¡¯t catch the bandits, tell him to bring his head to me¡­¡± the white-haired old woman raised her hand slightly, signaling the prince of jing to calm down. ¡°there¡¯s no need. the blood bodhi, chen ming, and lu ruan all died at ye jingtang¡¯s hands last night. two of them were beaten so badly that their corpses weren¡¯t intact, and the blood bodhi was beheaded¡­¡± ¡°hmm?¡± dongfang liren was stunned and puzzled. ¡°one old grandmaster and two first-rate bandits, how is that possible¡­ it doesn¡¯t seem impossible.¡± thinking of ye jingtang¡¯s terrifying potential, dongfang liren felt relieved again. ¡°according to young master ye, he discovered the bandits¡¯ whereabouts in advance and succeeded in his sneak attack. with young master ye¡¯s foundation and saber skills, chen ming and lu ruan are definitely not his match. and the blood bodhi was severely injured last time. so it¡¯s not impossible for him to accomplish this feat.¡± dongfang liren nodded slowly. after a moment of silence, she said coldly, ¡°after several years of investigation, we still haven¡¯t been able to find out the ins and outs of the green bandits. i and the people around me have experienced assassination attempts repeatedly. is the black office raising so many people for nothing? get them to investigate.¡± ¡°yes, your highness.¡± the white-haired diting turned around to leave and found that the book had fallen to the floor. she wanted to bend down and help the prince of jing pick it up, but just as she raised his hand¡­ a gentle breeze across the pages, revealing an exquisite illustration¡­ ?? the white-haired old woman retracted her hand and pretended not to see anything. she floated out of the room like a ghost. dongfang liren was thinking about ye jingtang¡¯s feat and didn¡¯t notice. when the white-haired old woman was about to leave, she realized that the ¡®tears of a heroine¡¯ on her desk was gone. she looked back and forth. her expression froze. she hurriedly picked up the book and said, ¡°ahem¡­ her majesty wants to read this book and asked me to review it and make annotations first.¡± ¡°i understand, your highness.¡± the sky was bright, and the rain along the two banks of the river was getting lighter. it would probably clear up in the afternoon. koi street had returned to calm. the hired craftsmen were cleaning up the damaged street. in a teahouse in west king town¡­ ye jingtang was sitting on a couch with fruits and snacks beside him. the bird was squatting at the side and in charge of eating. pei xiangjun was leaning on the other side of the tea table and listening to the storyteller talk about the past of jianghu in an old-fashioned tone. beside him was a veiled girl playing a jiang province tune with a pipa in her arms. pling pling pling¡ª ¡°the sun and moon are dark and windy. old sect master fu walks alone outside the seven mysteries sect¡­¡± the storyteller was talking about the assassination of a seven mysteries sect grandmaster by the blood bodhi. at the time, this matter had spread like wildfire in jianghu, but after decades, very few people remembered it. the storyteller was talking about this today because the infamous blood bodhi had died in west king town last night. after bandaging his wounds last night, ye jingtang had carried the head and the token given by the prince of jing to a constable on duty. this was not for the huge bounty on the heads of the three bandits. the green bandits wanted to kill the prince of jing, but they had found him because he had protected the prince of jing. now that he had dealt with the assassins, if he didn¡¯t tell anyone and ¡®killed without leaving a name¡¯, wouldn¡¯t he have encountered an assassination attempt in vain? reporting this matter to the black office would let the prince of jing remember his contributions. this would be very beneficial to saving qiu tianhe in the future and even studying the jade bone picture. now that everything had been settled, he was free. there were many trivial matters in the red flower pavilion, such as north-south business scheduling and dispatches, industrial development direction, and so on. the discussions would last at least three to five days. ye jingtang¡¯s position in the pavilion was the ¡®enforcement officer¡¯. these kinds of things would naturally be handled by the advisors. it was not his turn to waste his brain cells. he could rest for the next few days. as the sect master, third lady should have gone to the meetings, but he was injured. she was afraid that something would happen to him if he wandered on the streets alone or he would be bored, so she specially accompanied him. he was listening to music at a theater while the beautiful sect master served by the side. to be honest, she was a little complacent. according to the sect rules, she should lose her power. ye jingtang had declined politely, but third lady had been bored sitting in the conference room, so she still followed. at this moment, pei xiangjun was leaning against the tea table and skillfully brewing tea from jiang province on a tea tray. there was a fan of beauties beside her hand, and her posture was quite gentle and elegant. seeing ye jingtang sitting upright and looking at the old storyteller with bright eyes, pei xiangjun couldn¡¯t help laughing. ¡°jingtang, are you usually so upright when you listen to music?¡± ye jingtang picked up a small tea bowl and took a sip. ¡°my back feels a little uncomfortable. it¡¯s not convenient to lean on it.¡± pei xiangjun¡¯s eyes were full of smiles as she gestured at the girl playing the pipa in the distance. ¡°do you want to call her over and use her as a pillow? i heard that men are like this when they¡¯re outside.¡± ye jingtang raised his hand slightly and gestured for third lady to lower her voice. ¡°that¡¯s brothels. you can listen and touch at the same time. this place is a theater. you can¡¯t mess around.¡± pei xiangjun harrumphed faintly. ¡°you know quite well- so, it¡¯s not that you don¡¯t want to listen and touch, but this place doesn¡¯t allow it?¡± ¡°chirp.¡± the bird nodded vigorously. ye jingtang rubbed the bird¡¯s head and changed the topic. ¡°why did the blood bodhi kill the sect master of the seven mysteries sect?¡± pei xiangjun supported the side of her face with her hand and patted her chest with her fan. she explained casually, ¡°there are many sects in the heavenly south¡¯s jianghu, and their relationships are very complicated. it¡¯s said that it¡¯s because sect master fu killed a thief back then. he upheld the morals of jianghu and didn¡¯t kill his family. in the end, the thief¡¯s son grew up, accumulated a lot of money in business, and hired the blood bodhi to take revenge¡­ there are endless grudges and grievances in jianghu. this kind of thing is too common, but most people can¡¯t take revenge¡­¡± at this point, pei xiangjun suddenly thought of something and said, ¡°the moon goddess, have you heard of her?¡± ye jingtang leaned on the tea table with his arm and poured tea for third lady. ¡°i¡¯ve heard of her. she¡¯s the former number one beauty of jianghu and married the pacifying heaven cult master.¡± ¡°the life experience of the moon goddess is similar to this. i heard that she was a young lady of a jianghu aristocratic family in jiang province. but her family¡¯s enemies came and either killed or maimed her family members. in order to get revenge, she searched for famous teachers everywhere and even looked for the red flower pavilion, but she couldn¡¯t find anyone. in the end, she went to the pacifying heaven cult and became the cult master¡¯s wife. she probably wanted to use the pacifying heaven cult master¡¯s power to take revenge, but unfortunately, there was no follow-up¡­¡± ¡°the pacifying heaven cult master just deceived the woman and didn¡¯t do anything?¡± ¡°the pacifying heaven cult master is invincible under the mountains. he¡¯s a truly formidable person. how can he not keep his word? he¡¯s not helping her take revenge simply because he can¡¯t defeat the opponent.¡± ¡°can¡¯t defeat the opponent?¡± ye jingtang picked up the pine nuts that the bird had pushed aside and threw them into his mouth. ¡°he¡¯s already invincible under the mountains, but he can¡¯t defeat the opponent? who is the opponent?¡± ¡°zen master shenchen of the thousand buddha temple in sha province, one of the two sages. for some reason, the enemy of the moon goddess had an epiphany, put down the butcher¡¯s knife, and converted to buddhism. he was taken in as a disciple by zen master shenchen. if the moon goddess wants to go to the thousand buddha temple to kill someone, zen master shenchen will definitely not agree. no matter how powerful the pacifying heaven cult master is, he can¡¯t reason with a true deity.¡± when ye jingtang heard this, he shook his head and said, ¡°what lousy deity? if someone can wash away their enmity by putting down the butcher¡¯s knife, then i¡¯ll destroy the thousand buddha temple another day and convert to buddhism. let¡¯s see if he accepts it or not.¡± pei xiangjun shrugged slightly. ¡°we can¡¯t understand the thoughts of those enlightened experts. if you sincerely repent, they might really forgive you.¡± the bird grabbed ye jingtang¡¯s sleeve and shook its head. he raised his hand to rub and comfort it. he stopped talking about this boring topic and asked, ¡°how beautiful is the moon goddess?¡± hearing this, pei xiangjun straightened her posture and waved her fan gently. her charming eyes glanced at ye jingtang. ¡°interested?¡± ¡°she¡¯s already taken. why would 1 be interested? i¡¯m just curious. i don¡¯t think there¡¯s any beauty in jianghu who¡¯s more beautiful than you, third lady. right, bird?¡± ¡°chirp-¡± the bird spread its wings and gestured: no matter how big the world is, it¡¯s not as big as third lady! pei xiangjun enjoyed this flattery. of course, she was quite confident, so she said casually, ¡°when the moon goddess was fifteen or sixteen, she ran all over jianghu, so her beauty naturally spread throughout the world. i was the eldest young lady of the pei family when i was fifteen or sixteen. i never left the house. if 1 ran around like her¡­¡± pei xiangjun wanted to say, ¡°how could there be anything about her?¡± but these words were too arrogant. she changed her words and said modestly, ¡°1 would have some fame too. if you want to see the moon goddess, you will likely get your wish soon.¡± is that so? hehe¡­ the moon goddess is already married. i¡¯m not interested at all¡­¡± ¡°hmph- you¡¯re just being stubborn.. don¡¯t have your eyes glued to her when you see her¡­¡± Chapter 85 - Chapter 85: South Firmament Mountains chapter 85: south firmament mountains translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios on a scorching summer day, at the peak of a mountain¡­ dressed in blue, luo ning stood on a io,ooo-foot-tall precipice. behind her was a watchtower made of black stone that overlooked the winding river outside the mountain. the wind gently teased luo ning¡¯s long black hair. her peach blossom eyes passed through thousands of mountains and looked at the unreachable yun province as various thoughts filled her heart. the heavenly south was a general term. its exact location was roughly at the coastal line of jiang province, chong province, and tu province. the south of chong province was the core region of the heavenly south¡¯s jianghu. the south firmament mountains were originally called the south guarding pass. it was a southern fortress built by the previous dynasty. a river passed through the mountains, and on both sides were ten thousand feet tall precipices. it was a natural strategic location. when great wei rose up and swept through the world, the xue family, who guarded this pass, had defended it with 2,000 soldiers, isolated and helpless. at the moment of the collapse of the country, the imperial family in yun¡¯an city had been escorted out by loyalists. they had broken through the blockade of countless rebels and fled to the south firmament mountains. here, they were protected by the xue family to the death, and their descendants were still alive. therefore, in theory, the former great yan dynasty had not been completely destroyed. there was only one place, the south firmament mountains, and one minister, the xue family, left. strictly speaking, the pacifying heaven cult master was the ¡®marquis of the south mountains¡¯ conferred by the previous dynasty. he was the great yan general who guarded the south firmament mountains, and the great wei imperial court was the true traitor. at first, great wei still wanted to conquer this pass, but the northern liang dynasty in the north posed a greater threat than the valiant jianghu heroes in the south. the main army was in the north, and ordinary soldiers could forget about conquering this pass. when the founding monarch of great wei passed away and the new ruler ascended the throne, he couldn¡¯t even be bothered to care about the small south firmament mountains. the xue family refused an amnesty offering and enlistment, but the situation in the world had already been decided. they didn¡¯t dare to openly raise the banner of great yan to restore the country and attract a large army to suppress the borders. instead, they established the pacifying heaven cult. they relied on various skills to roam jianghu, win over followers, and slowly accumulate strength. with the passage of time, great yan had long become a thing of the past. even the unruly people of jianghu had acknowledged the world was surnamed ¡®wei¡¯. whether the south firmament mountains surrendered or not was no longer relevant to the general situation of the world. if nothing unexpected happened, the south firmament mountains would sooner or later be buried in the dust of history. but what no one expected was that the xue family¡¯s luck had yet to end. after decades of persistence, a ¡®xue baijin¡¯ suddenly appeared in the family. in just a few years, he directly went from a new talent in jianghu to the top of the eight chiefs. he pointed his sword at the three immortals on the mountains, and his momentum was close to that of fengguan city, which had swept through jianghu back then. because of this, the pacifying heaven cult also rose to prominence. it had more than ten thousand followers and became the overlord of the heavenly south¡¯s jianghu. at the same time, it attracted the vigilance of the imperial court. but the pacifying heaven cult master could see the situation clearly. there were many supporters of the ¡®emperor of jianghu¡¯, but if he really had delusions of restoring great yan, the entire jianghu would probably draw a clear line with the pacifying heaven cult on the spot. therefore, he only walked in jianghu and never talked about the old matters from sixty years ago. even luo ning, the wife of the cult master, could tell that it was a fantasy for the pacifying heaven cult to restore the country. but being able to be a local emperor in a place where the mountains were high and far away from the emperor was better than being controlled by the imperial court and bowing down to yun¡¯an city. luo ning stared at the cliffs for a long time before going to a waterfall at the top of the mountain. the waterfall flowed down 3,000 feet, drawing a rainbow under the cliff. through the water curtain, she could vaguely see a figure sitting cross-legged in the waterfall. luo ning stood at the edge of the waterfall and said in a clear voice, ¡°yunli and i are leaving. take care of yourself.¡± there was no one on the mountain peak, but the beautiful waterfall seemed to have an additional sharpness. the figure in the waterfall opened her eyes. ¡°when will you come back?¡± ¡°i have a way to let qiu tianhe regain his freedom. i will come back after this matter is over.¡± ¡°what do you have in mind?¡± luo ning¡¯s method, although it didn¡¯t sound pleasant, did seem to work. she used a honey trap to charm the shameless little thief, and the shameless thief used a honey trap to charm the princess, thereby using a curve to save qiu tianhe. this method obviously couldn¡¯t be said. otherwise, as the biggest ¡®victim¡¯, the female husband below would definitely come out of seclusion, beat the perverted little thief half to death, and not let her silly wife go out again. luo ning looked at the distant mountains and pondered for a moment. ¡°i have recruited a follower in the capital, and he¡¯s trying to enter the black office to be a spy. if this matter succeeds, not only can we save qiu tianhe, but we will even have a higher chance of restoring great yan in the future.¡± ¡°what conditions did you use to recruit him?¡± ¡°teach him martial arts. what else can i use?¡± there was a moment of silence under the cliff. without asking further, she said, ¡°there are crouching tigers and hidden dragons in the capital. your martial arts skills are poor, so you have to be careful.¡± ? luo ning¡¯s eyes turned slightly cold. ¡°traveling in jianghu doesn¡¯t rely on martial arts skills but the ways of the world. you¡¯re not the only supporter 1 have. if i¡¯m really captured, i¡¯ll just report the name of that smelly daoist nun on void jade mountain. at worst, i¡¯ll change my religion and become a nun on void jade mountain. what can the imperial court do to me?¡± the smelly daoist nun luo ning was talking about was naturally the empress¡¯s master, daoist xuanji. back then, luo ning had traveled around jianghu looking for experts. it was impossible for her not to go to void jade mountain, the daoist holy land. although she hadn¡¯t seen lu taiqing, she had lived with daoist xuanji for a period of time and had a good relationship with her. unfortunately, she later joined the pacifying heaven cult and became irreconcilable with the imperial court, so she drew a line with daoist xuanji. one was still an official, and the other became a rebel. ¡°once you go to void jade mountain, our relationship will end. it¡¯s better to be careful. in addition, if you can really plant someone around the prince of jing, ask him to find an opportunity to take you to the eternal joy palace.¡± ¡°why?¡± ¡°there¡¯s a secret room hidden under the peaceful hall. after the emperor moved to the south firmament mountains, before he died, he told my grandfather that there was something in the secret room that could be exchanged for northern liang¡¯s help.¡± luo ning blinked. ¡°where is the peaceful hall?¡± ¡°it¡¯s the resting palace of the empress of great wei.¡± ? luo ning opened her mouth and wanted to complain, but in the end, she only said one sentence. ¡°how can i enter the place where the empress sleeps?¡± ¡°act within your capabilities. it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t have a chance. don¡¯t tell outsiders about this. if the item falls into my hands and we can really exchange for reinforcements from northern liang, we can launch our uprising. but if it falls into the hands of other ambitious people, the world will inevitably be in chaos.¡± luo ning stopped talking about this ridiculous topic and asked, ¡°do you really want to be the empress?¡± ¡°why are you asking this?¡± ¡°i think¡­ you should directly reveal your identity. in the past, there was no female emperor, so it was fine for you to pretend to be a man. now that there¡¯s a precedent of a woman becoming the emperor, what¡¯s the point of pretending to be a man?¡± ¡°the empress has a powerful aristocratic family behind her. what do i have behind me? if a woman rebels and conquers the country, they will benefit a man sooner or later. who will follow her wholeheartedly?¡± luo ning didn¡¯t really want to be the cult mistress anymore, so she had asked xue baijin to reveal her identity. she and xue baijin had worked together for many years, and she had learned martial arts and the roaring dragon chart from her. if xue baijin didn¡¯t reveal her identity, she would really be in the wrong if she quit and asked for a ¡®divorce¡¯. after thinking about it, she didn¡¯t say anything else.. after bidding farewell, she left the cliff¡­ Chapter 86 - Chapter 86: Setting Off Again chapter 86: setting off again translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios on the 8th of april, the silver moon hung in the sky. the vast river was sparkling, and ferries filled with passengers sailed along the river to the west of ze province. the boats were full of lights, reflecting colorful reflections on the water. on a ship, an old man in simple clothes was sitting on a pile of junk on the deck with a small drum in his hand and telling stories about jianghu. ¡°ever since fengguan city was born, all the martial artists in the world have become second-rate¡­¡± beside him was a chubby girl holding an erhu and matching it to the tune. ye jingtang was dressed in a black robe and a bamboo hat. like other jianghu wanderers, he was leaning against the outside of the ship¡¯s deckhouse and listening to the familiar stories. the bird was looking eagerly at the vendors hawking in the crowd. ¡°small crispy fish from the clear river, five copper coins each. it¡¯s a specialty of the west ponds. there won¡¯t be a shop like this after this village¡­¡± ¡°chirp-¡± since the beginning of the month, he had stayed in west king town for four to five days. basically, he had listened to music in theaters and recuperated. nothing worth mentioning happened. after the annual meeting of the red flower pavilion ended, third lady set off again for the next stop on this trip, the water cloud sword pool. third lady¡¯s original plan was for her to go to the water cloud sword pool in person to celebrate the birthday and discuss the friction with the water cloud sword pool over the years. but a sect master was still a sect master after all. if she personally went to the other party¡¯s home to discuss matters, it would place her in an inferior position. now that there was a young master who could support her, such a birthday celebration was naturally the most suitable for the young master to go- for this reason, the hall masters discussed and decided that ye jingtang would lead the team on this trip, and the two hall masters chen yuanqing and song chi would follow. third lady also followed, but she only stayed in the dark and left everything to ye jingtang to handle. the ferry they took for this trip was from the je province hall. it was quite large, so they didn¡¯t need to clear it. the heroes of the red flower pavilion all lived in the deckhouse, and the ferry was still carrying passengers. there were many jianghu people going from the south to the north on the ferry, but not all of them were martial artists. storytelling, singing, juggling, fortune-telling, and other businesses were all considered jianghu professions. it was quite interesting listening to these people tell stories about traveling from the south to the north. after ye jingtang watched for a while, he threw a piece of silver into a basin in exchange for the chubby girl¡¯s ¡°thank you, young master.¡± he bought a bag of dried fish and went to the second floor of the deckhouse. he saw the second-in-command, song chi, and the third-in-command, chen yuanqing, dressed as ordinary merchants and playing go in the tea hall. li sanwen was standing at the side and thinking. ¡°leader song, i don¡¯t understand your moves¡­¡± ¡°you can¡¯t even understand this? it¡¯s already four in a row. isn¡¯t he going to lose for sure¡­¡± ¡°oh, it¡¯s gomoku. i know it¡­¡± ye jingtang found them amusing, but he didn¡¯t disturb them. he went straight to the master room at the stern. from the window, he could see that the spacious room was brightly lit. there was a blanket in the middle. third lady was wearing a light yellow casual dress and sitting on the blanket, holding the back of her head with her hands and doing sit-ups. xiuhe was in the ¡®w-sitting¡¯ posture, with her crotch pressing on third lady¡¯s fair feet and her hands pressing on her ankles. it was not easy to move around on a ship. martial artists couldn¡¯t sit still all the time. it was normal to exercise in their room. third lady¡¯s movements were very standard, and her speed of rising and falling was quite fast, but¡­ speaking of which, her movements were like weight-bearing sit-ups¡­ (o_o)! after taking a look, ye jingtang felt that this wasn¡¯t proper, so he turned his gaze to the river and didn¡¯t even pay attention to xiuhe¡¯s w-sitting. when ye jingtang appeared outside the window, pei xiangjun sensed it. she turned around and saw ye jingtang ¡®righteously¡¯ looking at the bird with half a small fish in its mouth. she panted for a moment and greeted, ¡°come in. why are you standing outside? phew¡­ is it very lively down there?¡± ye jingtang¡¯s original intention was to go to third lady¡¯s room to sit, but he felt that it was inappropriate now. he stood by the window and looked at the river. ¡°it¡¯s quite lively. third lady, you can go down and take a walk.¡± ¡°i¡¯m a woman. it¡¯s easy to attract attention when i go out and show my face.¡± pei xiangjun stood up, took a handkerchief from xiuhe¡¯s hand, and wiped the sweat off her face. she went over to ye jingtang, looked at the lights on the riverbank, and exhaled. ¡°is your injury better?¡± ¡°after resting for so long, i¡¯ve long recovered.¡± ¡°that¡¯s good. when we reach the zhou family, if you fight, don¡¯t take it too seriously. jian yuhua isn¡¯t an ordinary person. he¡¯s a little older than you, so it¡¯s normal that you can¡¯t beat him. you haven¡¯t reached the time to exert strength yet, and you should take care of your body now¡­¡± ye jingtang tilted his head and looked at third lady¡¯s flushed side profile. ¡°third lady, does this count as increasing the momentum of others and undermining your own prestige?¡± ¡°umm¡­¡± pei xiangjun knew that ye jingtang had his own opinions, so she didn¡¯t say anything else. she glanced at the river and was about to introduce ye jingtang to the local customs of the west ponds when her eyes suddenly narrowed. ¡°hmm?¡± after pei xiangjun examined carefully, she returned to her room and took out a copper telescope to look at the river bank. ye jingtang followed the direction of the telescope and saw a small town deep in the land. four to five kilometers away, a house seemed to be burning. the flames were very eye-catching. ye jingtang originally thought that the shore caught fire, but third lady said softly, ¡°silver-horned horse-face¡­ is the black office working on a case?¡± ye jingtang was very familiar with the ¡®ox-head and horse-face¡¯ of the six fiends. hearing this, he bent down and leaned close to third lady¡¯s face, wanting to look through the telescope. as a result, he accidentally rubbed third lady¡¯s delicate face. after she exercised, her face was a little hot, and it felt like silky and tender tofu. ? pei xiangjun shrunk her neck slightly, and her face instantly turned red. she turned to look at ye jingtang, her almond-shaped eyes slightly widened. ye jingtang was also a little embarrassed. he quickly stood up straight. ¡°uh¡­¡± fortunately, third lady didn¡¯t bother with him. she moved the telescope in front of him. ¡°take a look.¡± ye jingtang bent down again. through the telescope in third lady¡¯s hand, he could see a street by the river with flames soaring into the sky. houses collapsed from time to time, as if a raging bull was rampaging through the town. and above the buildings, there was a figure in a long robe dragging two slender chains in his hand. his feet were flying non-stop above the town without touching the ground. he looked like¡­ um¡­ spiderman? although he couldn¡¯t see it clearly, he was sure that the disturbance was huge. ye jingtang was so focused on observing the battle situation that he almost stuffed his eye into the telescope and didn¡¯t even know to let the beautiful lady beside him take a look. how could pei xiangjun not be curious when the six fiends took action to catch a bandit? seeing ye jingtang occupying the telescope, she complained in her heart, her eyes full of resentment. after waiting for a moment, she could not help saying, ¡°we can¡¯t see anything from so far away. why don¡¯t we go take a look?¡± ¡°hmm? okay, let¡¯s go¡­¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t mind watching the commotion. since third lady had spoken, he naturally didn¡¯t say anything. he put away the telescope and jumped onto the river. tread, tread, tread¡­ ye jingtang¡¯s feet tapped on the blue waves as he flew toward the river bank. pei xiangjun¡¯s martial arts skills were extraordinary, so she naturally didn¡¯t need ye jingtang to carry her. she informed xiuhe and jumped over the railing. the two of them rose and fell on the river like dragonflies skimming the water. when they arrived near the river bank, faint voices came from the night wind. ¡°murder!¡± ¡°yang wanli, you won¡¯t be able to escape today even if you have wings. surrender and i can give you a quick death. if you resist stubbornly, i¡¯ll make you wish you were dead!¡± ¡°ma laosi, don¡¯t force me¡­¡± boom! boom! ye jingtang landed on the shore, lowered his body, and quickly walked toward the town. he asked softly, ¡°who is yang wanli?¡± ¡°a jianghu person of jiang province who was originally the leader of a sea gang. but last year, he was blind and hijacked a ship heading to the xiao mountain fortress in jiang province. the xiao mountain fortress put a kill order on him and hunted him down. he escaped from the south¡¯s jianghu, and i heard that he wanted to escape to northern liang.¡± ¡°yang wanli is a pirate?¡± ¡°this pirate has a lot of lives on his hands. otherwise, the six fiends wouldn¡¯t be hunting him down.¡± ¡°who is ma laosi??¡± silver-horned horse-face¡¯ chen miao. and ¡®ox-head¡¯ tu jiuji is called ¡®old ox three¡¯ by jianghu people.¡± ye jingtang nodded in understanding. he and the third lady silently jumped onto the low wall of the town. when he stuck his head out to take a look, his relaxed expression turned solemn. the small town was in a mess. red light soared into the sky, and the cries of women and children echoed everywhere¡­ ¡°dad¡­ waah¡­¡± in yellow pine town, two houses collapsed, and dark red blood slowly flowed into a ditch. at the end of the blood was a corpse cut in half by a saber. a three or four-year-old girl was squatting at the corner of a house, crying her heart out as she looked at a couple on the other side of the street. the couple¡¯s faces were pale. the woman knelt on the ground and kowtowed while the man held a hatchet and wanted to rush over, but he was blocked by a huge creature in front of him. under the light of the fire, it was apparent that the huge creature was a human, but its figure completely exceeded the scope of a normal human. the figure was more than two meters tall, his arms were larger than an ordinary person¡¯s waist, and his waist was like a millstone. he was wearing black heavy armor and holding two short-handled bronze hammers in his hands. he was breathing like a bull as he stood on the street like a black mountain of flesh. the chief constables of the black office were always a combination of one inside and one outside. this mountain of flesh was naturally tu jiuji, who was known in jianghu as the vajra ox-head. tu jiuji¡¯s eyes were blood red as he stared at the bandit yang wanli across the street. yang wanli looked to be in his fifties. he was wearing an ordinary official¡¯s robe, but it was already in tatters. the weapon in his hand had been disarmed by the silver-horned horse-face in the battle just now. he was now holding a long-handled hammer he had grabbed from a blacksmith shop. yang wanli was also tall and burly, but in front of tu jiuji, he was like a little kid standing in front of a fat adult. yang wanli could be considered a formidable character, but the ox-head and horse-face were chief constables of the imperial court who specialized in dealing with grandmasters. they didn¡¯t regard someone like yang wanli as a special figure at all. if they hadn¡¯t happened to meet him by chance, they would have left such a figure to she long and the others to deal with. originally, either tu jiuji or chen miao could have crushed this bandit to death. but yang wanli saw them first and wanted to escape before he was discovered. on the way to escape, yang wanli had killed civilians wantonly to create chaos to restrict tu jiuji. tu jiuji and chen miao were military officials who enjoyed a fourth-rank salary in the imperial court. it was impossible for them to kill indiscriminately like the people of jianghu, and they were forced not to dare to step forward rashly. at this moment, yang wanli was already in desperate straits. he was curled up in a corner, his hammer hanging above the head of the little girl beside him. he spat out blood and cursed, ¡°i¡¯ve already earned enough. today, every kill i make is a gain. my life is worthless. if you have the guts, come and take it! come on!¡± clank! clank! the sound of chains swaying approached from afar. first, a silver hook flew out of the night and nailed to the beam of a house on the street. then chen miao, who was as light as a leaf, landed lightly on the eaves of the house. the long sleeves of his robe were drooping, and the slender chains slowly retracted into the sleeves. he looked coldly at the street corner. ¡°how far do you think you can run?¡± come here if you dare!¡± the ox-head and horse-face appeared and maintained a safe distance. yang wanli¡¯s blood-red eyes didn¡¯t dare to move away. he slowly retreated, picked up the little girl with one hand, and moved toward the entrance of the town. ¡°dad¡­ mom¡­¡± ¡°daughter!¡± heart-wrenching cries echoed on the street. chen miao¡¯s face was as calm as water while he stood motionless. tu jiuji, who had a relatively irritable personality, clenched the bronze hammers in his hands tightly, and cracking sounds came from his teeth. when the distance between the two sides was more than 300 feet, and even a grandmaster wouldn¡¯t be able to cross the distance in an instant, yang wanli¡¯s eyes revealed a strong desire to live. he quickened his pace and turned around to run out of the town. but suddenly¡­! swoosh! a saber light flashed in the night! Chapter 87 - Chapter 87: True Midnight Massacre chapter 87: true midnight massacre translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios on the old street with flames soaring into the sky, a snow-white saber light suddenly bloomed in the night. clang! yang wanli heard the sound of the saber being drawn from behind, and his blood went cold. he immediately wanted to smash the wailing girl¡¯s head. but the sound of the saber being drawn was clearly above the city gate tower behind him. he raised his hand, but he found that the hammer in his hand didn¡¯t fall. swoosh! hot blood splattered on his and the little girl¡¯s faces. from the corner of his eye, he realized that what he was raising was only half of an arm that had been chopped off! his right hand holding the hammer had left his body at some point in time and was falling to the ground. this saber move had been unbelievably fast, and the saber¡¯s blade hadn¡¯t even been visible. if not for the fact that ye jingtang was afraid of accidentally injuring the hostage, he would have slashed yang wanli in the head and turned him into a corpse. yang wanli was horrified, but he was experienced in jianghu. in the moment of his life and death, he threw the little girl out without hesitation and dashed into the house beside him. at the same time, he bent down and lowered his head. swoosh! a saber light swept across the top of his head almost at the same time, cutting off the scalp on the back of his head and countless strands of hair. after lowering his head to dodge the fatal attack, yang wanli grabbed the hammer and right hand falling to the ground without hesitation and hurled them at the girl in the air. whoosh! whoosh! whoosh! the hammer and severed hand spun like a windmill! yang wanli knew that there was an expert attacking him. this move was to threaten the girl to save himself. if the saber attacked him again, the little girl would definitely be smashed into a pile of rotten meat. unfortunately, as soon as the little girl flew out, a woman in a yellow dress flew into his view and hugged the screaming little girl in the air. crack! the next moment, his left arm left his body under another saber light and spurted out a stream of blood. ¡°ahhhh!¡± the miserable howl rang out in the blazing town, accompanied by a muffled bang. ye jingtang had struck three times in a row and cut off the bandit¡¯s left and right arms. knowing that third lady was nearby, he didn¡¯t care about the flying hammer and little girl. but when he heard the muffled sound, his heart skipped a beat. from the corner of his eye, he saw that third lady, who was hugging the little girl, had been smashed by the hammer in her right shoulder. her body staggered, and she fell to the ground with the little girl in her arms like an ordinary woman who only knew some basic martial arts. ?! ye jingtang immediately understood. the ox-head and horse-face were here. third lady was afraid that her identity would be exposed, so she deliberately did this. seeing that third lady had been hit, ye jingtang no longer had the mood to care about yang wanli, who had lost both his arms. he kicked his back, sheathed his saber, flashed in front of third lady, and hugged her tightly. ¡°third lady?!¡± pei xiangjun was afraid that the ox-head and horse-face would notice something amiss, so she took the hammer attack symbolically. it was originally nothing. but ye jingtang suddenly rushed over and wrapped his right hand around her back and his left hand around her waist. it might have been unintentional, but he still placed his hand on her butt to support her, instantly stunning her. ?! pei xiangjun hugged the little girl and lay in ye jingtang¡¯s arms. when she saw the face so close to her, her first reaction was: is jingtang deliberately touching my butt¡­ but when she saw ye jingtang¡¯s distressed gaze, she dispelled this thought. she sat on ye jingtang¡¯s palm like a frail woman with a frown, looking pitiful. ye jingtang came over to help third lady up. holding her in his arms, he just didn¡¯t want her to fall to the ground. when he felt the heavy weight in his hand, he realized that he had touched her¡­ wow/ its so plump¡­ ye jingtang¡¯s expression froze. he wanted to move his hand away, but third lady was acting weak. once he let go, she would definitely sit on the ground. for this reason, he could only brace himself and crouch down. he let third lady sit on his knee and turned to look at the street. yang wanli had been kicked out and fell face-first onto the street. he forcefully arched his body with his forehead and wanted to turn around and escape. ¡®silver-horned horse-face¡¯ chen miao had already flown over with his two silver hooks hanging from his sleeves. when he was still dozens of feet away, he threw the iron hooks in the air, accurately nailed them into yang wanli¡¯s ankles, and pulled hard. bang! yang wanli, whose arms had been severed, was immediately pulled onto the street face-first, as if he was dragged along the street by a fierce horse. swoosh! swoosh! swoosh! the furious tu jiuji rushed over with his two bronze hammers. his iron helmet covered his face, so his expression couldn¡¯t be seen clearly, but his red eyes could probably scare ordinary rats to death. yang wanli¡¯s body drew a trail of blood on the ground. he was on the verge of death and was unable to break free, but he still remained brave. he rolled over and cursed, ¡°do you think i¡¯m afraid of you? twenty years later, i¡­¡± chen miao dragged yang wanli in front of him but didn¡¯t kill him directly. instead, he said coldly, ¡°i am an official of the imperial court, and i keep my word. if i say i¡¯ll make you wish you were dead, i¡¯ll make you wish you were dead!¡± then he let go of the chains and walked toward ye jingtang. tu jiuji, who was as big as a mountain of flesh, stood in front of yang wanli. he waved one of the bronze hammers in his hand and smashed his left foot. bam! blood splattered everywhere. the bones in the front half of his foot instantly shattered, turning into meat paste that blended into the broken blue bricks. ¡°ahhhh!¡± a scream sounded, but a hammer immediately smashed his jaw. ye jingtang¡¯s view was blocked by chen miao, but he could still tell that these two constables were preparing to smash yang wanli alive inch by inch into meat paste. although yang wangli was a criminal from jianghu, killing and torturing were two different things. ye jingtang¡¯s heart palpitated when he saw this scene. he hugged third lady tighter, blocking her vision. pei xiangjun didn¡¯t resist. she lowered her head and hid her face in ye jingtang¡¯s chest while covering the little girl¡¯s eyes. chen miao walked over to block the view of the woman and child so as not to scare the innocent people. he stood in front of ye jingtang and cupped his hands in thanks. ¡°young hero, you¡¯re skilled at martial arts. thank you.¡± ¡°sir, you flatter me. it¡¯s not worth mentioning.¡± seeing that the lady in ye jingtang¡¯s arms was scared out of her wits, chen miao raised his hand and said, ¡°old tu.¡± tu jiuji, who was panting like an ox, had already smashed yang wanli until only half of him was left. his technique was precise, and he avoided his vital points, so yang wangli was still alive. his eyes were full of despair as they stared into the pair of eyes as big as copper bells. tu jiuji heard chen maio, but he had no intention of stopping. he grabbed the rotten flesh on yang wanli¡¯s leg and dragged him into a dark alley. then he swung his hammer again. thump, thump¡­ this scene was even bloodier than death by a thousand cuts. the scene of the ¡®hell of mills q was probably nothing more than this. ye jingtang frowned when he saw this. chen miao knew that this method was very cruel and calmly explained, ¡°humanity should be used on people, and chivalry should be used on chivalrous people. our salary comes from the people. the villains of jianghu are cruel and ruthless to the people, so we have to return to them ten times the cruelty and ruthlessness. we will let the people of jianghu understand what the law of the king is. young hero, 1 hope that when you walk in jianghu in the future, you can abide by the path of chivalry and remember what you saw today.¡± ¡°thank you for your teachings, sir. i will definitely remember this.¡± the street was still in chaos. chen miao didn¡¯t say anything else. he picked up the little girl, nodded, and returned to the street¡­ Chapter 88 - Chapter 88: You Can’t Hide the Look In Your Eyes When You Like Someone chapter 88: you can¡¯t hide the look in your eyes when you like someone translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°hurry, get water¡­¡± ¡°be careful. the beam has collapsed¡­¡± pitter-patter¡­ the fighting had already ended, but the town was still not quiet. the constables and people in the town were running back and forth to put out the fires. the silver-horned horse-face carried the little girl over and comforted the young couple. although tu jiuji, who was as strong as a hill, still had a head that died with grievances hanging from his belt, he no longer looked as brutal and violent as earlier. he was standing in a burning, collapsing house and carrying a beam alone, searching for the person pinned down. after ye jingtang watched from afar at the entrance of the town for a while, he picked up third lady, who was pretending to be injured, and walked toward the dark night with his back to the burning town with a complicated expression. pei xiangjun leaned on ye jingtang¡¯s shoulder and looked back at the chaotic town. she said gently, ¡°do you think there¡¯s nothing good about jianghu?¡± ¡°heh, 1 was born in jianghu. i¡¯m not worthy of saying that.¡± ¡°1 have been in jianghu for a long time, and 1 have always had this feeling. there¡¯s an old saying in the world, ¡®if there¡¯s only fine wine and no stories in jianghu one day, it will definitely be an unprecedented and enlightened golden age¡¯. it¡¯s not the jianghu people who are wrong, but the people who turn people into jianghu people.¡± carrying third lady in his arms, ye jingtang walked out of the town gate and looked down at the beautiful, mature woman who was still looking back. ¡°third lady, you¡¯re quite philosophical.¡± pei xiangjun harrumphed lightly and looked up at ye jingtang. as a result, she realized that his handsome face was right in front of her at an angle she had never seen before. his black and bright eyes were like stars in the night sky, making her heart go soft. ¡°okay, let me down.¡± a strange look appeared in pei xiangjun¡¯s eyes. she got off, landed on the ground, patted the dust off her dress, and rubbed her shoulder. ¡°hiss¡­ he¡¯s really ruthless¡­¡± ye jingtang had already returned to normal. seeing this scene, he held third lady¡¯s arm. ¡°is the injury serious?¡± it¡¯s nothing serious. it just hurts a little.¡± pei xiangjun was a martial artist and had a strong physique, but she didn¡¯t practice martial arts that focused on resisting injuries. she had been unguarded and hit by a flying hammer, so pain was inevitable. ye jingtang raised his hand, touched her shoulder, and found that the skin under the fabric was swollen. he frowned and said, ¡°you could have just let it brush past. why did you take it head-on?¡± ¡°chen miao is an expert, and his martial arts skills are even better than song chi¡¯s. he rushed over just now to rescue the girl. if 1 had dodged it, it would have been easy for him to see through me.¡± at this point, pei xiangjun glanced at ye jingtang angrily. ¡°you know my identity. why did you rush over in such a hurry? if others see this, they will think that our relationship is unclear¡­¡± ye jingtang shook his head helplessly and took out injury medicine from his pocket. ¡°let¡¯s hurry back to the ship. although it¡¯s a small injury, your body doesn¡¯t look like it can withstand much beating. it¡¯ll be troublesome if there¡¯s a scar.¡± pei xiangjun was a little absent-minded. she glanced at ye jingtang¡¯s side profile and didn¡¯t say anything. she walked unhurriedly toward the river bank and then¡­ where was the boat? ye jingtang arrived at the stone beach by the river and looked around. he saw that the surface of the river was sparkling under the moonlight. other than the lights from fishing boats, there was no trace of the ferry. ¡°uh¡­¡± it was only at this moment that pei xiangjun remembered that when they ran out in a hurry to watch the commotion, the ferry was moving. the two of them had watched the battle from the town wall and helped rescue the hostage. going back and forth had taken about fifteen minutes. the ferry was very light, and the wind and current were smooth. according to the normal speed, it should have already sailed more than five kilometers away. ye jingtang looked at the empty river and suddenly felt like a fool for looking for a long-gone boat. he said awkwardly, ¡°it looked like we stayed a little too long¡­ third lady, should we chase after it?¡± ¡°it¡¯s too tiring to chase a boat sailing along the river. let¡¯s rest here. there are many boats coming and going on the clear river. when the next ferry passes by, we¡¯ll just board it. xiuhe will definitely wait at the next dock.¡± pei xiangjun looked around and found a stone for washing clothes by the river. she walked over, sat sideways, and gently rubbed her shoulder. ye jingtang stood by the river and looked around. there was no sign of any ferries, so he picked up a few pieces of dry wood and hay from the riverbank and used a special flame stick to start a small fire. pei xiangjun saw ye jingtang¡¯s skillful appearance and felt some heartache. she said gently, ¡°you¡¯re really good at everything. you must have suffered a lot in the past, right?¡± ye jingtang sat beside pei xiangjun and placed his saber flat on his knees. ¡°it can¡¯t be considered suffering. the border is very poor. if you can eat and drink, you are already doing better than countless people. i started escorting with foster father when 1 was a child. 1 saw the scenery along the way, drank wine, and listened to stories from the south to the north. i was quite carefree.¡± pei xiangjun blinked, leaned closer, and said meaningfully, ¡°shouldn¡¯t there be a ¡®looked at girls in all directions¡¯ too? embarrassed to say it?¡± ye jingtang nodded with a smile. ¡°there was that, but 1 was still young at the time and didn¡¯t understand these things. 1 just watched the street performers. 1 really didn¡¯t pay attention to the girls on the way.¡± ¡°do you understand now?¡± ye jingtang was speechless. pei xiangjun giggled and stopped teasing the innocent young jingtang like a bad elder sister. instead, she said, ¡°i wasn¡¯t as carefree as you. at a young age, 1 was brought to the pei family to be a disciple and became the eldest young lady. 1 stayed at home to learn literature and martial arts. 1 only found out about the red flower pavilion when i was fourteen or fifteen. then a few years later, your foster grandfather left. not long after eldest brother took over, the burden fell on me¡­¡± ye jingtang fiddled with the fire with a stick. ¡°third lady, have you never traveled jianghu?¡± ¡°i haven¡¯t gone out alone. the capital has always been peaceful, and i don¡¯t see many people from jianghu. after becoming the leader of the red flower pavilion, 1 didn¡¯t dare to show my face at all because 1 wasn¡¯t strong enough. i¡¯ve only come out to watch the commotion alone a few times like today. speaking of which, it¡¯s quite a pity. hmm¡­¡± pei xiangjun recalled the past for a moment and frowned slightly. she rubbed her shoulder. seeing this, ye jingtang hesitated for a moment and asked, ¡°do you want me to take a look?¡± ? pei xiangjun blinked. her originally charming gaze had a different meaning. she turned around and looked at ye jingtang. ye jingtang raised his hand slightly. ¡°i¡¯m afraid that your bones and tendons are injured. if it drags on for too long, there will be problems. third lady, if you feel that it¡¯s not appropriate, pretend i didn¡¯t say anything.¡± pei xiangjun hesitated for a moment but didn¡¯t say anything. she looked around and saw that there was no one around. she turned around, loosened her belt a little, and then pulled open the top of her light yellow dress along her neck. rustle, rustle¡­ silver moonlight and firelight intertwined. with her back facing him, pei xiangjun pulled open her collar from her right shoulder slightly, revealing her fair neck and round shoulder. her skin was tender and as fair as jade under the light. half of a beautiful woman¡¯s shoulder was exposed from the back. but in reality, there was nothing much exposed. the only thing that could be seen was a light yellow undergarment tie partly covered by her hair. but her voluptuous and seductive back, coupled with her charming temperament, brought an indescribable impact. she was like a captivating fox under the moon. ye jingtang subconsciously sat up straight, but he didn¡¯t have the nerve to look around. ¡°uh¡­ i just said it without thinking, third lady¡­¡± pei xiangjun looked back gently, her chin and red lips almost touching her fair shoulder. she glanced at ye jingtang with a serious and dignified expression. ¡°jingtang, you know who i am to you. it¡¯s just my shoulder, not my clothes. if you have evil intentions, just take it that i¡¯ve misjudged you¡­¡± ye jingtang sighed and sat closer to check her shoulder. there was clearly a bruise on her shoulder where the iron hammer had hit it. it was as if there was an ink stain on a piece of flawless jade. although it was not serious, it was very dazzling. in addition, when she looked over her shoulder, he could see her collarbone. but pei xiangjun¡¯s hand was covering her collar, so he couldn¡¯t see anything spectacular. ye jingtang¡¯s expression was normal. he didn¡¯t show any desire. he took out the jade dragon ointment and applied it to the bruised area with his fingers. ¡°all-¡± with just a touch, pei xiangjun¡¯s shoulders shrank, and she turned around. ¡°be gentle- do you think i¡¯m as thick-skinned as you?¡± ¡°oh.¡± ye jingtang¡¯s fingers became gentler as he slowly applied the ointment. pei xiangjun¡¯s face was a little red, but she maintained the dignified and calm demeanor that a sect leader should have. she looked at him. seeing ye jingtang¡¯s solemn expression, as if he were offering incense to his ancestors, she felt at peace and even found it a little funny. ye jingtang was a very modest gentleman. he knew that he shouldn¡¯t look around. pei xiangjun naturally relaxed. she looked at the river and asked casually, ¡°jingtang, that girl you like, where is she from?¡± ye jingtang carefully applied medicine to the bruise and smiled. ¡°third lady, why are you asking this?¡± ¡°i¡¯m just curious. from now on, you¡¯re the young master of the red flower pavilion. my half-disciple was abducted by a wildflower outside. naturally, my heart is distressed. can¡¯t 1 ask?¡± ¡°hehe, she¡¯s a heroine from the heavenly south.¡± ¡°how is she? is she good to you?¡± she¡¯s fierce to me! when ye jingtang talked about her, he couldn¡¯t help thinking of luo ning¡¯s ¡®humiliated heroine appearance¡¯ with her head tilted to one side and tears in her eyes. he smiled. ¡°hmm¡­ she¡¯s usually cold and distant. she¡¯s very inexperienced. but in front of me, she¡¯s more lively. she cleans up the house quickly, and her cooking is delicious. she¡¯s very virtuous¡­¡± pei xiangjun quietly tilted her head and glanced at ye jingtang. she could clearly see the nostalgia in his eyes and the joy when he mentioned the person he liked. it was exactly like the saying, ¡®you can¡¯t hide the look in your eyes when you like someone¡¯. pei xiangjun blinked her almond-shaped eyes. after he finished applying the medicine, she pulled up her collar and tidied her clothes. she sighed softly. ¡°you have to cherish such a good girl. think of a way to get her to live in the capital. when she comes to the pei residence, 1¡¯11 have a companion. to be honest, i¡¯m worried about a devastatingly beautiful heroine running around alone in jianghu. you¡¯re too broad-minded.¡± how could ye jingtang be at ease? but luo ning¡¯s attitude was too stubborn. he could only say, ¡°she¡¯ll be back at the end of this month. speaking of which, third lady, do you have anyone you like? have you considered marriage?¡± pei xiang turned around and puffed out her chest slightly, indicating her strong family background. ¡°i¡¯m the leader of the red flower pavilion. it¡¯s impossible for me to marry into another family, so 1 can only find a matrilocal husband. my family is extremely rich, i¡¯m very skilled in martial arts, i¡¯m not bad-looking, and my status in jianghu isn¡¯t low. what kind of man do you think 1 should marry? i don¡¯t care about the low-level ones, but a man with ability and status won¡¯t accept marrying into the bride¡¯s family¡­¡± ye jingtang thought about it and agreed. he frowned and said, ¡°then, what should you do?¡± ¡°what else can i do? when i really don¡¯t have a choice one day, i¡¯ll find a suitable disciple in the azure dragon hall to marry in order to keep the good things for our own people. your aunt has a candidate. do you want to hear who he is?¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t want to hear it. he shook his head and said, ¡°marriage is a big deal. we can¡¯t be hasty. third lady, you still have to make the decision yourself.¡± ¡°what decision can 1 make myself? we have to listen to our parents and the matchmaker¡¯s advice when it comes to marriage¡­¡± when pei xiangjun said this, she saw a brightly lit ship floating over from upstream the clear river. she thought for a moment and stopped talking. she sighed softly and stood up. ¡°a ship is here. let¡¯s go.¡± hearing this, ye jingtang extinguished the fire, jumped onto the river with her, and floated over the waves¡­ Chapter 89 - Chapter 89: The Water Cloud Sword Pool chapter 89: the water cloud sword pool translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios april 15th, the zhou family¡¯s birthday banquet¡­ on the south side of azure yang city, there was a mountain called ¡®morning dew¡¯. the clear river passed by the mountain, and the tributaries converged at the foot of the mountain to form the moon reflection lake. beside the lake were scattered buildings. the common people called this place zhou manor, and in jianghu, it was a famous sword sect of great wei¡ªthe water cloud sword pool! the buildings in the center of zhou manor were ancient, and the members of the zhou family lived in them. about seventy to eighty percent of the surrounding buildings had been expanded in recent decades. because of the reputation of the sword saint, zhou chiyang, there were countless martial artists coming here to learn. but there were only around three hundred people who could really become disciples of the zhou family. the zhou family had lived here for generations. their ancestors were from the sword crafting villa, and their main business was to help the people of jianghu forge various weapons. in the previous dynasty, they were only a little-known small business. because old master zhou was forthright, generous, and loved to make friends, when great wei was founded, he had helped the revolutionary army forge many weapons. as a result, the zhou family walked the path of officialdom, but they were only a second-rate family in jianghu. it was only when the current sword saint appeared that the zhou family was able to soar into the sky. they established their own sect and named it the water cloud sword pool, becoming the second most powerful jianghu force in ze province, next to jun mountain terrace. old master zhou was too old and had long stopped caring about worldly affairs. currently, the head of the zhou family and the sect master of the water cloud sword pool was old master zhou¡¯s eldest son, zhou huaili, the elder brother of the current sword saint. at noon, music and singing were endless at morning dew mountain. famous figures of jianghu who had come from all over to celebrate the birthday were drinking and chatting happily in the seeking sword hall by moon reflection lake. the manor was noisy, but the back of the ancestral residence was rather quiet. beside a pond at the foot of the mountain, there was an old blacksmith shop. there was a blackened sign hanging on the door, and the words ¡®zhou family¡¯s shop¡¯ were vaguely visible. this was where the zhou family¡¯s ancestors started their enterprise. the fire in the blacksmith shop that had been passed down for a hundred years was still not extinguished, and the crisp sounds of hammering could be heard. ding! ding! the snow-white-haired old master zhou was hunched over, holding a hammer in his hand and hitting an iron ingot clamped between tongs. because he was too old, his strength was not heavy, but his technique was extremely stable. viewed from the side, it even had a unique rhythm. sect master zhou huaili was standing outside the blacksmith shop with his hands in his sleeves. he looked to be in his fifties and had a three-foot-long sword hanging at his waist. his aura was quite extraordinary. as the brother of the current sword saint and a genuine sword grandmaster, zhou huaili¡¯s status in jianghu was definitely not low. but facing his biological father, no matter how old he was, he could only stand quietly at the door like an ordinary son and listen to the elder¡¯s long-windedness. ¡°jianghu is the tides of the clear river. when there are rising tides, there will be receding tides, and vice versa. when there are no waves, it will become stagnant water¡­ back then, when 1 gave xuanyuan chao a saber, who would have thought that an unfilial son who had been expelled from the xuanyuan family could make great contributions in the army at a young age and practice a peerless saber technique to become the saber chief today? back then, when your grandfather forged a saber for kuang yazi, kuang yazi was like the sun in the midday sky, dominating the saber world. who would have thought that it would be difficult to see even half a successor of his in jianghu today¡­¡± old master zhou stayed in this blacksmith shop covered in heavy smoke all year round. his voice was not good. he spoke slowly and hoarsely. if one didn¡¯t listen carefully, they wouldn¡¯t be able to hear him clearly. zhou huaili listened patiently for a long time before saying, ¡°father, you¡¯ve told me these old stories hundreds of times.¡± old master zhou hammered the iron in an orderly manner, as if he didn¡¯t hear his son¡¯s words, and continued to mutter, ¡°it¡¯s not easy to make a living in jianghu. tell me. if i had turned xuanyuan chao down when he came to ask me for a saber, how many people in the zhou family would still be alive now?¡± ¡°everyone in jianghu knows that you have been generous your entire life. if not for that, there wouldn¡¯t be so many friends from jianghu coming to congratulate you on your eightieth birthday¡­¡± ¡°this isn¡¯t generosity. when others are down and out, a handful of rice is far better than a thousand gold coins when they are rich. when others are down and out, a cold gaze might be exchanged for the destruction of your entire family. this is how jianghu is¡­¡± ¡°father, i¡¯m past the age of groping for my destiny. i¡¯m not young anymore. it¡¯s your birthday today. rest for a day.¡± old master zhou paused in his hammering. after a moment of silence, he continued to raise the hammer. ding! ding! it was quiet inside and outside the blacksmith shop, except for the sound of hammering iron. zhou huaili waited for a while. seeing that old master zhou wasn¡¯t in the mood to go out to meet guests, he stopped trying to persuade him. he turned around and walked out of the ancestral residence to the seeking sword hall by moon reflection lake. ¡®seeking sword¡¯ was to understand the meaning of swordsmanship. back then, sword saint zhou chiyang had attained enlightenment by the lake and soared into the sky. from a young swordsmith, he became the most powerful swordsman in jianghu. for this reason, the seeking sword hall was considered the holy land of the water cloud sword pool. usually, idlers were not allowed to enter. it would only open when there was a celebration banquet. those who could enter were all famous figures in jianghu. zhou huaili led some servants in from the back of the seeking sword hall. the enormous hall was full of guests, and outside was the blue moon reflection lake. there was a boulder by the lake with the word ¡®chivalry¡¯ written on it. it had been personally carved by sword saint zhou chiyang. the brush strokes were bold and sharp. many people were observing and studying it. when zhou huaili saw the word ¡®chivalry¡¯, a hint of displeasure flashed across his eyes. as the saying went, every family had their difficulties, and this was also true for the zhou family. zhou huaili had become the head of the family at an early age. because of the family¡¯s wealth, he was not very polite to his brother, whom his father loved very much. although they hadn¡¯t drawn their swords against each other, there had been many quarrels between them. after his younger brother¡¯s sword resounded throughout the twelve provinces, he didn¡¯t teach his elder brother a lesson. after carving this word, he picked up his sword and left. he began to travel the mountains and rivers and never returned home. zhou huaili knew that his brother was teaching him a lesson, and like his father, he hoped that he would ¡®return from the wrong path¡¯, but he never felt that there was anything wrong with his actions. his younger brother, zhou chiyang, was obsessed with the sword and had no interest in the mundane family business. he even looked down on his unscrupulous and utilitarian older brother. he was a hero respected by everyone in jianghu, but such a person could only be regarded as ¡®face¡¯ and not a family member. all the forces in jianghu talked about ¡®chivalry¡¯, but if this was all they cared about, no matter how capable they were, they couldn¡¯t accumulate a family fortune. he, zhou huaili, was indeed unscrupulous. he was not noble or chivalrous enough, but if not for his unscrupulousness, how could the zhou family have so many guests today? how could there be vast tracts of fertile land outside? if he hadn¡¯t immersed half of his life in business, no matter how famous the sword saint was, the zhou family would still only be a small aristocratic family. to this day, they would still have to make a living by forging. between his personal reputation in jianghu and the wealth of his family, what was wrong with him choosing the latter? as the distracting thoughts flashed past, zhou huaili arrived at the seeking sword hall. when he saw the guests present, he put on a smile and cupped his hands. ¡°madam xue, brother xuanyuan, sorry for making you wait so long. my father is old and has been working as a blacksmith all his life. if he doesn¡¯t stand by the forge every day, he will feel uncomfortable. he will come out later¡­¡± the guests in the hall were all famous figures in jianghu around ze province. the seven people sitting at the main table were all famous grandmasters in jianghu. the three absolutes elderly immortal of wu province¡¯s three absolutes valley; the head of jun mountain terrace, xuanyuan hongzhi; and so on were among them. it could be said that the wealthy families and large sects near ze province had sent people here. but the ones with the highest status here were the two women sitting at the main seats of the table! Chapter 90 - Chapter 90: A Storm Is Coming chapter 90: a storm is coming translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the seeking sword hall was full of guests. outside, the warm sunshine shone on the lake, and inside, there was music and laughter. a pair of ladies, dressed as a mother and daughter, were sitting in the main seats and watching the singing and dancing in the hall. the older young woman was dressed in a soft and elegant blue dress. her hair was tied into a dignified woman¡¯s bun, with a jade pearl hairpin inserted diagonally. there was a thin gauze veil covering her face, revealing only a pair of enchanting peach blossom eyes. beside the young woman was a little girl. she was wearing a white and red dress, and her hair was tied in a double bun like an ordinary little girl. if not for the saber hanging on her waist, she would look like a young lady from a scholarly family. although the mother and daughter didn¡¯t reveal their identities and were only called ¡®madam xue¡¯ and ¡®miss yun¡¯ by the zhou family, the famous figures of jianghu who could sit in the hall were well aware of the young woman¡¯s identity¡ªthe cult mistress of the pacifying heaven cult, the woman of pacifying heaven cult master xue baijin! xue baijin was publicly acknowledged to be invincible under the mountains. not to mention the guests present, even sword saint zhou chiyang would have to be respectful to this madam. after zhou huaili took his seat at the main table, the famous figures of jianghu began to chat again. the three absolutes elderly immortal, guanghan lin, didn¡¯t have the highest martial arts skills in the hall, but he had students and good relationships with people all over the world. he was almost 70 years old and could be considered half an elder of everyone present. guanghan lin was sitting beside xuanyuan hongzhi. he stroked his beard and sighed. ¡°the young people of jianghu nowadays are different from us old people. they don¡¯t follow the rules and don¡¯t take the reputation of jianghu seniors seriously. a honorary disciple of mine in the capital was taught a lesson by a hothead last month. he stabbed my disciple¡¯s left and right arms. after stabbing, he even said, ¡®1 heard that you¡¯re a disciple of the three absolutes elderly immortal?¡¯ sigh, i almost died of anger on the way when 1 received the letter¡­¡± ¡°hehe¡­¡± everyone shook their heads and chuckled. zhe yunli had just rushed over with her master¡¯s wife. her eyes were sparkling as she asked curiously, ¡°so arrogant? hero guanghan, didn¡¯t you deal with that kid?¡± guanghan lin shook his head and said, ¡°thirty years ago, i would go to the capital to see whose son was so arrogant. now, 1 can¡¯t do it anymore. the rules of the imperial court are strict, so the rules of jianghu are naturally lighter.¡± the people sitting here were all people of jianghu. talking about these things could easily evolve into criticism of the imperial court¡¯s ¡®strict laws and cruel punishments¡¯. zhou huaili felt that it wasn¡¯t appropriate to talk about this, so he changed the topic. ¡°heroes emerge in troubled times, and only famous ministers can appear in prosperous times. the current jianghu is still the same wave as twenty to thirty years ago. the younger generation all grew up in peace. all of them are proud and arrogant, but there aren¡¯t many who are really outstanding¡­¡± ¡°that¡¯s true¡­¡± everyone discussed animatedly. luo ning sat in her seat like a fairy and looked at the musicians. she didn¡¯t listen to these gossips at all. she only played with a small jade pendant with her delicate hand in her sleeve. the jade pendant was the ¡®dragon pool tourmaline¡¯, an heirloom passed down by the zhou family¡¯s ancestor. she had killed the wingless owl with ye jingtang in the capital and obtained it. originally, she had planned to use this item as a gift for the zhou family and return it to its rightful owner, thereby repaying the favor of the zhou family for forging a sword for her back then and no longer having to participate in such boring occasions in the future. but after sitting here, she wasn¡¯t able to speak no matter what. after all, this jade pendant had been given to her by the shameless little thief¡­ on the day she obtained the jade pendant, the little thief had untied her clothes, kissed her shoulder, and even kissed her red lips gently¡­ if i give this jade pendant away, the little thief won¡¯t be angry, will he¡­ how could 1 be afraid of him?! luo ning flipped the jade pendant with her fingers, feeling that something must be wrong with her. she wanted to sweep away the distracting thoughts in her mind and take out the jade pendant to give it away. but every time this thought rose, it was quickly suppressed by her distracting thoughts. she was going back to the capital in a few days. if the little thief pestered her again because she gave the jade pendant away, wouldn¡¯t it be troublesome¡­ just as she was letting her imagination run wild and hesitating, a commotion suddenly sounded outside the seeking sword hall. ¡°father! father! something happened¡­¡± luo ning turned her head and saw one of zhou huaili¡¯s sons running in in a panic. today was the zhou family¡¯s birthday banquet, and countless people from jianghu were present. some ran in yelling in a panic, so he naturally attracted everyone¡¯s attention. the entire hall fell silent. zhou huaili¡¯s smile froze, and anger flashed across his eyes. he looked up and saw that it was his son, so he didn¡¯t slap him and tell him to get out. he suppressed his anger and said calmly, ¡°everyone sitting here is an elder. if there¡¯s anything, go look for your third uncle.¡± ¡°third uncle told me to come here. people from the red flower pavilion are here. there are many people, including the white buddha and the jiang province crane. there¡¯s a person wearing a bamboo hat in the lead. he¡¯s probably the red god of wealth¡­¡± buzz! as soon as he said this, there was a commotion in the hall. the water cloud sword pool and the red flower pavilion had a lot of friction over the business of the clear river in recent years. everyone in jianghu knew about this. it was the zhou family¡¯s birthday banquet today. no one was surprised that people from the red flower pavilion had come to maintain their relationship on the surface. but who were the people who came? fist grandmaster of the heavenly south, the white buddha; formidable ship gang leader of jiang province, chen yuanqing; red flower pavilion¡¯s pavilion lord, the red god of wealth¡­ there were only three grandmasters in the red flower pavilion, and they had all come out in full strength. it didn¡¯t look like they were here to celebrate a birthday but more like to annihilate a family! when luo ning heard this explosive news, the young woman¡¯s wandering thoughts were suppressed, and her eyes turned solemn. before she left, the pacifying heaven cult master had already guessed that there would be friction between the red flower pavilion and the zhou family. she told her to be cautious with her words and not offend either side. but she had never expected the red flower pavilion to come in such a grand manner. if the two parties fought, she, who had the highest status here in jianghu, would have no choice but to speak. what should she do¡­ zhe yunli¡¯s eyes lit up. she wanted to get up and go out, but luo ning stopped her with a look. the guests in the seeking sword hall also wanted to get up and take a look, but zhou huaili didn¡¯t say anything, and it wasn¡¯t appropriate for them to go out on their own, so they looked at him. zhou huaili¡¯s eyes darkened. he knew that the red flower pavilion was probably up to no good. but countless friends from jianghu were sitting here. if the zhou family showed cowardice, they would definitely be gossiped about in jianghu. zhou huaili thought for a moment and smiled. ¡°so it¡¯s esteemed guests from the red flower pavilion. everyone, please wait a moment. 1¡¯11 go out and welcome them. 1¡¯11 be back¡ª¡± ¡°no need!¡± before he could finish speaking, a clear voice suddenly sounded from outside the seeking sword hall. ¡°we came uninvited. there¡¯s no need for sect master zhou to go out in person to welcome us.¡± the voice was clear, proud, and full of energy. just from the voice, people could tell that the person who spoke was definitely an untamed young man with extraordinary martial arts skills! at the same time, dense footsteps sounded from the lake. tap, tap, tap, tap¡­ their footsteps were extremely fast, and there were many people. it sounded like an army was pressing forward and approaching the entrance of the seeking sword hall! the oppression that felt like a storm was coming made the expressions of everyone present change. they turned to look out the door. luo ning was so shocked by the man¡¯s voice that her shoulders shook slightly. her eyes flashed with panic as if she was a little wife who had been caught by her husband. but luo ning¡¯s expression immediately turned into astonishment and disbelief. this voice¡­ zhe yunli¡¯s reaction was almost the same, and she almost slid from her chair.. she opened her mouth, looking like she wanted to say: this voice¡­ why does it sound so much like my brother jingtang?! Chapter 91 - Chapter 91: The Matters of Jianghu Should Be Settled with the Ways of Jianghu chapter 91: the matters of jianghu should be settled with the ways of jianghu translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the red sun was setting in the west, and the river breeze was drifting through the mountain. as the group stepped into the water cloud sword pool, morning dew mountain fell silent. tread, tread, tread¡­ dense footsteps sounded from the path by the moon reflection lake. the famous figure of jianghu sitting inside the seeking sword hall turned around and saw more than twenty disciples of the zhou family holding their swords and retreating step by step along the lake. the person in the lead was the zhou family¡¯s third master, zhou huaiyi. zhou huaiyi was the third master of the zhou family and had the water cloud sword pool as his backing. no matter where he was, he was a figure who could do whatever he wanted. but at this moment, zhou huaiyi was holding the hilt of the sword at his waist tightly and walking backward in his home. anger burned in his eyes, but he kept raising his hand to stop the restless disciples of the zhou family from acting rashly. this scene was quite unbelievable, but when they looked opposite of zhou huaiyi, everyone understood. on the white stone path, more than 30 people were striding forward! the people in the back were all dressed in black, wearing bamboo hats, and had weapons behind their backs. all of them had extraordinary auras. and the three people in front were even more eye-catching. the burly man on the right was dressed in a brocade robe. he had his hands behind his back and looked tough. he was ¡®white buddha¡¯ song chi, who had established his name as a grandmaster in the heavenly south¡¯s jianghu with his fists. as for the man on the left, he was wearing a scholarly robe and looked very refined, but his figure was somewhat fleeting. everyone sitting here recognized him at a glance. it was the boss of jiang province¡¯s ship gang, chen yuanqing, the third-in-command of the red flower pavilion. these two were famous figures in jianghu, and no one was surprised that they could force zhou huaiyi to retreat step by step. however, the arrogant words just now didn¡¯t come from these two people but from the person walking at the front. his figure was quite tall. he was wearing a black robe made of water cloud brocade and a bamboo hat. his face was covered with a black scarf, and only his sharp eyes could be seen. this person was striding forward with more than 30 followers. his aura was like that of a fierce general leading thousands of soldiers into battle. on the other hand, zhou huaiyi was like an insignificant soldier trying to stop a battalion of chariots! ¡°this is¡­¡± ¡°he isn¡¯t the red god of wealth¡­¡± the famous figures here originally thought that this person was the current red god of wealth, but the current red god of wealth was a woman. this black-robed, bamboo-hatted man was half a head taller than song chi, and his figure was well-proportioned and heroic. he was clearly not a woman in disguise. tap, tap, tap¡­ the group¡¯s footsteps were very fast. the black-robed man strode forward, completely disregarding the people of the zhou family blocking the way. he only stopped when he reached the outside of the seeking sword hall and looked up at the plaque above. zhou huaili¡¯s expression was ugly, but there were many famous people in jianghu in the hall, so it wasn¡¯t appropriate for him to flip the table. he walked out the door and cupped his hands with an insincere smile. ¡°master song, master chen, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. may i ask who this is?¡± ¡°red flower pavilion, ye silang.¡± ye jingtang¡¯s gaze fell on zhou huaili, so he didn¡¯t notice that there were two stunned beauties at the back of the hall. ¡°ye silang¡­¡± the famous figures in the hall looked puzzled when they heard this name. as the third-in-command, chen yuanqing took a step forward and raised his hand to introduce. ¡°this is the young master of our red flower pavilion. this time, he has been ordered by the pavilion lord to come and congratulate old master zhou on his birthday. at the same time, we want to let all the friends of jianghu get to know him.¡± ¡°young master?¡± ¡°when did this¡­¡± as soon as chen yuanqing finished speaking, the crowd in the hall became noisy, and they whispered to each other in discussion. zhou huaili was also a little puzzled. after all, the current red god of wealth had only been in power for a few years and was far from the age of succession. where did this young master come from? although he knew that the visitors of the red flower pavilion had ill intentions, zhou huaili couldn¡¯t treat them coldly since they came in the name of congratulations. he still smiled and raised his hand in an inviting gesture. ¡°so, it¡¯s nephew ye. sorry for not welcoming you. please come in.¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t move. he stood in front of the door with his hands behind his back and said in a clear voice, ¡°the people of jianghu pay attention to ¡ögratitude and grudges¡¯ when doing things. although it¡¯s a birthday celebration, there are disputes before it. i won¡¯t feel comfortable drinking wine beforehand, and i¡¯m afraid sect master zhou won¡¯t feel at ease accompanying me. why don¡¯t our two families settle the trivial matters first before we enter to say our congratulations?¡± the famous figures of jianghu present knew that this would happen. the inside and outside of the seeking sword hall instantly fell silent, and the atmosphere became tense. zhou huaili stood on the steps with his hands behind his back and looked at ye jingtang with a smile. ¡°nephew, you¡¯re straightforward and outspoken. you¡¯re quite to my liking. the zhou family and the red flower pavilion have indeed had some minor friction in recent years and have hurt each other¡¯s harmony. i wonder how you want to resolve it?¡± ¡°the people of jianghu speak with their fists. sect master zhou, choose someone to fight me. if i lose, the five docks in ze province will all be given to old master zhou as a birthday gift. if you lose, remove the people at the clear river wharf and toast me. how about this?¡± buzz! as soon as he finished speaking, a commotion broke out in the seeking sword hall. everyone here thought that the red flower pavilion had come over aggressively to determine the ownership of the clear river wharf. they didn¡¯t expect the red flower pavilion to make such a big bet. the red flower pavilion was using all their territories in ze province as their wager and wanted zhou huaili to lower his head and apologize if he lost. the water cloud sword pool was not a small force. if the old spear chief were still around, it would be understandable for him to say such arrogant words. but the red flower pavilion was declining day by day. why was he so aggressive? everyone present was full of bewilderment. only madam xue understood the reason, but her eyes were also full of shock. hearing this arrogant tone, luo ning knew that the person standing outside was definitely her shameless little thief! other people wouldn¡¯t have the confidence at all. but how did he become the young master of the bed flower pavilion? isn¡¯t he a poor border fellow who lives in a dilapidated courtyard? could he have deliberately pretended to be poor to gain my favor so that he could¡­ no wonder he¡¯s so handsome and talented, but he didn¡¯t know any real martial arts. then he shows up with a peerless saber technique¡­ so it was all an act¡­ liar! when luo ning suddenly learned this news that instantly destroyed her impression, her eyes were full of mixed emotions. soon, tears welled up in her eyes. she was like a pitiful heroine who had been deceived by a young master of a wealthy family. she gripped the jade pendant in her hand tightly and wanted to stand up and question him several times, but there were many famous figures of jianghu present, so she endured it. as for zhe yunli, her head was full of question marks. how did brother jingtang get kidnapped by the red flower pavilion? this won¡¯t do. what about my pacifying heaven cult¡­ the two women were originally sitting at the front of the hall. at this moment, everyone was looking out the door, so they were now at the back. their expressions didn¡¯t attract anyone¡¯s attention. zhou huaili¡¯s expression changed when he heard ye jingtang¡¯s arrogant words. he turned to song chi. ¡°master song, are you sure this nephew can represent the red flower pavilion?¡± song chi replied indifferently, ¡°the young master¡¯s intention is also our red flower pavilion¡¯s intention. if the young master loses, this will be a birthday gift for old master zhou. in the future, our families will no longer have any disputes. sect master zhou, do you dare to accept it?¡± seeing that the red flower pavilion was too arrogant and having been in jianghu all year round, zhou huaili knew that there might be variables in this matter. but in the past, it was the zhou family who had been aggressive and snatched the red flower pavilion¡¯s business. they had even avoided the helm masters who came to discuss the matter. now that the people of the red flower pavilion were directly knocking on the door, and countless famous figures of jianghu were watching, if the zhou family didn¡¯t dare to accept it, how could they have the face to stay in jianghu in the future? standing with his hands behind his back, zhou huaili was silent for a moment before nodding slightly. ¡°the matters of jianghu should be settled with the ways of jianghu. nephew, since you have a grudge in your heart, as your elder, i naturally have to give you a chance to vent your anger. nephew, you must have heard of my disciple jian yuhua. as long as your skills are superior, our past grudges will be written off, and 1 will personally toast you and apologize.¡± ye jingtang said, ¡°sect master zhou, 1 hope you can be as straightforward as you are now.¡± ¡°whoa¡­¡± his tone was indeed a little outrageous, and everyone present looked at him with strange expressions. zhou huaili clenched his hands behind his back and suppressed the anger in his eyes, concealing any trace of emotion. ¡°yuhua is practicing the sword at the back mountain. 1 will call him over. nephew, please wait a moment. third brother, please accompany the guests!¡± with that, he turned around and left. pei xiangjun was dressed as an ordinary disciple. she was wrapped tightly and stood behind ye jingtang. seeing that the zhou family had indeed accepted the challenge for the sake of face, she was slightly happy. but it wasn¡¯t appropriate to praise ye jingtang now, so she just whispered, ¡°keep it up!¡± halfway up morning dew mountain, there was a bamboo building facing the winding clear river. it had a bird¡¯s eye view of the mountains and rivers of ze province. outside the bamboo building, two vegetable fields had been opened, and several chickens and ducks were walking in them, searching for the insects hidden deep in the ground. although it looked like a small farmhouse, the bamboo building was very clean. there was a small go board under the eaves, and the two young people were sitting opposite each other on small stools. as they played go, they chatted. ¡°senior brother, it¡¯s grandfather¡¯s birthday today. grandfather said that he will publicly betroth second sister to you. are you happy?¡± of course i¡¯m happy.¡± ¡°then, in a few days, are you going to hold the wedding?¡± ¡°hehe¡­¡± while they were talking, a sound came from outside the bamboo building, and a figure landed silently at the end of the path up the mountain. the two of them immediately turned around and stood up. ¡°father? ¡°master.¡± ¡°yuhua, come here for a moment.¡± after glancing at the two of them, zhou huaili frowned and walked toward the mountain path. jian yuhua put down the go piece and quickly walked behind zhou huaili. ¡°master, what¡¯s the matter?¡± zhou huaili walked slowly on the mountain path, his voice displeased. ¡°people from the red flower pavilion came. their young master has come to cause trouble. you have to go out and fight.¡± jian yuhua smiled. ¡°just let junior brother and the others inform me about such a small matter. there¡¯s no need to come personally, master.¡± ¡°it¡¯s not a small matter.¡± zhou huaili stopped and looked at jian yuhua seriously. ¡°the red flower pavilion is risking their lives this time. if they don¡¯t succeed, they will die. if they win, our water cloud sword pool¡¯s reputation will plummet, and i¡¯m afraid we will fall back to thirty years ago.¡± jian yuhua frowned. ¡°it¡¯s that serious?¡± zhou huaili nodded. ¡°since the red flower pavilion has the confidence to bet, they should be fully confident. i¡¯ve worked hard all my life to achieve the zhou family¡¯s current business and reputation. no matter what, it can¡¯t be destroyed by the red flower pavilion. you wanted to marry my daughter, so you became a disciple of the zhou family. the old master¡¯s agreement doesn¡¯t count for this marriage. it will only happen if 1 agree. 1 hope you won t disappoint your future father-in-law.¡± when jian yuhua heard this, his smile froze. jian yuhua was indeed not a disciple taught by the zhou family. his real name was fu yuhua. the fu family of liang province, a famous family in the previous dynasty, had served in the army for generations. when the previous dynasty perished, his family had been destroyed. now, he was the only descendant left in the world. he had concealed his identity and became a wanderer in jianghu. he practiced the ¡®storm staff¡¯ passed down in his family. a few years ago, jian yuhua had wandered to ze province and visited the water cloud sword pool. zhou huaili saw his talent and asked him to stay with the zhou family to learn. he happened to meet someone he came to love and became the eldest senior brother of the water cloud sword pool. in the past, zhou huaili had been quite polite to him, and old master zhou even treated him as his biological grandson. jian yuhua was grateful for this and had long treated the zhou family as his own. but what zhou huaili just said made him feel a little disappointed. after a moment of silence, jian yuhua smiled and said, ¡°i understand. i will definitely do my best in this battle.¡± ¡°you can¡¯t lose this battle. 1 know your potential. as long as you don¡¯t want to lose, there¡¯s no peer in jianghu who can suppress you.¡± ¡°i understand, master. don¡¯t worry. 1 will definitely win this battle..¡± Chapter 92 - Chapter 92: Next! chapter 92: next! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios whoosh! whoosh! the breeze stirred up ripples on the moon reflection lake and made the hem of the black robe outside the seeking sword hall flutter. the seeking sword hall was paved with white stone tiles, and at the edge was the lake shore. at this moment, all the guests within a hundred feet had retreated, leaving only ye jingtang standing in front of the door with his hands behind his back. the setting sun was setting in the west, and the beautiful moon reflection lake was already full of people. half of them were disciples of the zhou family, and the other half were followers and relatives who had come to celebrate the birthday. most of the famous figures of jianghu had walked out of the seeking sword hall and were discussing softly, waiting for this storm to begin. the silent and solemn atmosphere made the zhou family disciples, who were originally burning with anger or full of confidence, slowly become nervous. they kept looking at morning dew mountain behind them. ye jingtang, still wearing a bamboo hat, stood in front of the hall with his hands behind his back. his mind was not on the upcoming battle but on the seeking sword hall behind the crowd. just now, from the corner of his eye, he suddenly noticed a familiar figure sizing him up at a window in the seeking sword hall. but when he looked over, the figure disappeared from the window, and he couldn¡¯t see who it was. ye jingtang didn¡¯t know many people here. the only person he had seen here before was xuanyuan hongzhi, who was standing in front of the door. if he had such a feeling, he must know someone in the hall. but with everyone watching, it was really not appropriate for him to go in and take a closer look. he could only suppress this thought and wait quietly for the zhou family to arrive. ¡°he¡¯s here¡­¡± ¡°brother jian, long time no see.¡± ¡°young master xuanyuan, you¡¯re too polite¡­¡± after waiting for 15 minutes, there was some noise by the lake. ye jingtang turned around and saw zhou huaili walking toward the seeking sword hall with a smile on his face. following behind zhou huaili were two young men. one of them was in his early twenties. he was dressed in a brocade robe and looked handsome. one look, and it was apparent that he was from an aristocratic family. the other looked to be in his mid-twenties. with a black-sheathed longsword in his hand and a calm smile, he greeted his friends along the way, looking like a jianghu wanderer. soon, zhou huaili arrived outside the main entrance of the seeking sword hall and raised his hand to introduce, ¡°these two people are my eldest disciple, jian yuhua, and my second son, zhou ying. 1 believe everyone is familiar with them. nephew, this is the first time you have appeared, so no one knows your details. but i¡¯m afraid you know yuhua¡¯s strength. for the sake of fairness, let zhou ying go on stage first to warm your hands. nephew, do you have any objections?¡± zhou huaili¡¯s approach was equivalent to letting zhou ying test the waters and show jian yuhua the strength of his opponent. this move was in line with the rules. when people came to the door to issue a challenge, it was etiquette in jianghu for those with unknown strengths to face a gatekeeper first. however, zhou ying was the most talented member of the zhou family. although his strength was not as good as jian yuhua¡¯s, he was still considered outstanding among the younger generation. zhou huaili¡¯s move was suspected of making the battle a two-on-one. everyone at the lakeside looked at the young master of the red flower pavilion with strange gazes. ye jingtang¡¯s response was rather straightforward. ¡°sect master zhou, i don¡¯t mind if you get them to fight together.¡± ¡°uh¡­¡± the famous figures in front of the hall felt that ye silang was too crazy and arrogant and frowned. zhou huaili¡¯s expression turned cold. he didn¡¯t say anything else and tilted his head. although zhou ying wasn¡¯t as skilled as his senior brother, jian yuhua, he was still an outstanding talent in the zhou family. seeing the red flower pavilion being so arrogant, he pulled out his sword and walked down the steps. ¡°brother ye, i hope your martial arts skills are as good as your mouth skills.¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t say anything and only raised his right hand. chen yuanqing, who was standing under the round platform, threw an eyebrow staff into ye jingtang¡¯s hand. zhe yunli, who was secretly observing from the window in the hall, was baffled when she saw this. ¡°doesn¡¯t the red flower pavilion use a big spear? why are they giving him an eyebrow staff? how can ye¡­ ye silang fight?¡± luo ning wasn¡¯t in the mood to pay attention to the fight at all. her eyes flickered as she casually explained, ¡°the long spear is easily more than eight feet long, so it¡¯s naturally thirty percent stronger than a short weapon. at the same level, it¡¯s almost impossible for a sword to defeat a spear. before the former spear chief became famous, when he competed with others, in order not to bully them, he liked to use an eyebrow staff.¡± ¡°oh¡­¡± the people in front of the hall were discussing this matter. zhou ying felt ye jingtang¡¯s contempt. he gripped his sword and said coldly, ¡°are you sure you don¡¯t want to use a spear?¡± ye jingtang placed one hand behind his back and pointed the staff diagonally at the ground with his right hand. ¡°it¡¯s unnecessary to beat you.¡± h 11 whoosh! a breeze swept across the lake, and the outside of the seeking sword hall fell silent. there was a hint of gunpowder. zhou ying¡¯s eyes were full of displeasure, but he didn¡¯t overestimate himself. he assumed a stance with his sword and pressed toward ye jingtang unhurriedly. tap, tap, tap¡­ his figure seemed neither fast nor slow, but his speed became faster and faster. soon, he was 30 feet in front of ye jingtang. seeing that ye jingtang had yet to take a stance, zhou ying swayed, and his body slid to the right strangely. the three-foot-long blade in his hand stabbed toward ye jingtang¡¯s armpit at lightning speed. swoosh! a cold light flashed outside the seeking sword hall, and the cry of the sword tearing through the air sounded! zhou ying¡¯s move was extremely tricky. if ye jingtang¡¯s reaction was a little slow, he would be confused by the feint, slow to regain his guard, and be hit. ye jingtang had yet to get into a stance with staff. in the eyes of the famous jianghu figures in front of the hall, he was completely courting death. but soon, everyone¡¯s eyes turned to surprise! tread, tread, tread¡­ the moment the sword was about to strike, ye jingtang took a step back. his figure was neither fast nor slow, just in time to avoid the edge of the sword. the staff in his hand slid back until he was holding the end of the staff with one hand. boom! the tip of the staff tapped the ground. zhou ying was indeed worthy of being born into a famous jianghu family. his knowledge far exceeded that of the villains in jianghu. when he saw this scene, he knew that something was wrong and immediately withdrew his sword and retreated. unfortunately, it was too late! bam! outside the seeking sword hall, there was a sudden explosion! ye jingtang¡¯s robe shook violently. his waist and abdomen tightened as he rose from the ground. he held the staff in one hand and smashed forward ferociously like he was splitting a mountain! whoosh! some sand on the white stone ground was instantly stirred up. even many people standing outside the seeking sword hall had their robes, beards, and hair blown by the strong staff wind. when the people in front of the hall saw this scene, their eyelids twitched. zhou ying had never expected the opponent¡¯s explosive power to be so powerful. before he could take half a step back, the heavy staff blow was already above his head. he could only hastily raise his sword. clang! there was the crisp sound of metal colliding! the treasured sword meticulously forged by the water cloud sword pool turned into a noodle under the heavy staff blow. it didn¡¯t have the slightest blocking effect and smashed into his chest along with the staff. bam! with a muffled sound, zhou ying¡¯s robe immediately tore apart. the bent sword smashed into the flesh on his chest and instantly gouged down, causing a mist of blood to spray! ¡°cough!¡± under the heavy blow, zhou ying smashed into the ground with his sword and let out a muffled cough. the ground shook, and even the lake outside the stage rippled. whoosh-! whoosh-! after the attack, the wind in the seeking sword hall suddenly stopped, leaving only a ripple slowly spreading toward the center of the lake! ye jingtang held the eyebrow staff in one hand and pointed it at zhou ying¡¯s throat. ¡°are my martial arts skills as good as my mouth skills?¡± ¡°cough cough cough¡­¡± the robe on zhou ying¡¯s chest was instantly dyed blood red. he let out a few muffled coughs as his throat was pressed. he abandoned his sword and raised his hands. ding! ding! ding! ding! the bent sword bounced a few times on the ground. ye jingtang snorted lightly, raised the eyebrow staff, and pointed it at jian yuhua, who was standing behind the many famous figures. ¡°next.¡± buzz! only at this moment did the people by the lake recover from their shock and let out a wave of surprised and shocked cries. even luo ning, who was at the window, temporarily suppressed her distracting thoughts of being deceived by the heartless man. her eyes were full of surprise. she didn¡¯t expect the little thief to be so good at spearmanship. she could tell the power of the yellow dragon crouching move just now. he had clearly held back when he smashed the staff down. if he hadn¡¯t held back, zhou ying¡¯s ribs would definitely have been broken. not to mention coughing, he might have died on the spot before he could react. the famous figures in front of the hall also saw this. they knew that the red flower pavilion had come aggressively and definitely had confidence, but they didn¡¯t expect this young master who had appeared out of the blue to have such a solid foundation. not to mention the juniors of jianghu like zhou ying and jian yuhua, even the three absolutes elderly immortal and the other old grandmasters were not sure whether they could deal with this child personally. what could the zhou family use to fight such a figure? it was silent outside the seeking sword hall. the onlookers¡¯ expressions changed from surprise to strangeness.. from the corner of their eyes, they looked at zhou huaili and jian yuhua! Chapter 93 - Chapter 93: Storm Staff chapter 93: storm staff translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios it was completely silent outside the seeking sword hall. the atmosphere changed from a tense confrontation between the two forces to a strange silence. with his hands behind his back, zhou huaili looked at his son, whom he highly valued, holding his chest and being helped away by his disciple. there was anger in his eyes, but more than this, he was surprised by ye jingtang¡¯s strength. seeing that zhou huaili was silent for a long time, ¡®three absolutes elderly immortal¡¯ guanghan lin thought for a moment and said, ¡°a short-ranged weapon against a long spear, even if they¡¯re at the same level, the chances of winning are slim. with young master ye¡¯s martial arts skills, even 1 might not be able to gain an advantage when 1 go on stage. this battle¡­ sect master zhou, what do you think?¡± xuanyuan hongzhi and the zhou family had already discussed dividing up the clear river wharf. if the zhou family admitted defeat, both families would gain nothing. after some consideration, he interjected, ¡°yuhua¡¯s talent is extraordinary. i haven¡¯t seen him for a few months. he¡¯s likely improved again. since he¡¯s here, he should fight.¡± zhou huaili looked at jian yuhua. ¡°yuhua.¡± jian yuhua was surprised to see ye jingtang¡¯s foundation, but he didn¡¯t lose his composure. seeing the elders of jianghu looking over, jian yuhua walked down the steps unhurriedly and looked at the sword in his hand. ¡°swords are indeed at a disadvantage when fighting him.¡± ye jingtang said calmly, ¡°do you need me to cut another section of the staff?¡± ¡°i won¡¯t take advantage of you, brother ye. your martial arts skills are extraordinary, so i naturally admire you. but as a martial artist, i don¡¯t like others being modest with me. i still want to see your true overlord spear.¡± ¡°hmm?¡± as soon as he said this, everyone at the lakeside was stunned, and there was a lot of noise everywhere. in summary, the meaning was probably: you might not be able to break my move with the eyebrow staff. but if you use a spear to fight, can you survive a round? jian yuhua didn¡¯t care about the crowd¡¯s jeers. his wrist shook slightly, and he threw the three-foot-long sword to the zhou family disciple behind him. ¡°i¡¯m sure everyone knows my story. i just became a disciple of the zhou family two years ago. i have only learned swordsmanship for two years, so i¡¯m unable to display the essence of the zhou family¡¯s sword. today¡¯s battle concerns the zhou family¡¯s reputation. since i¡¯m going to participate, i have to do my best. everyone shouldn¡¯t mind if i use my accumulated skills to exchange blows with brother ye, right?¡± hearing this, everyone fell silent. jian yuhua had been a jianghu wanderer, but he hadn¡¯t been famous in the past. he only came to prominence after joining the zhou family. they really didn¡¯t know what jianghu skills he had. as for changing weapons, no one had any objections. after all, the red flower pavilion was famous for its spear technique. however, song chi¡¯s fist technique and chen yuanqing¡¯s palm technique were equally famous. if ye jingtang couldn¡¯t defeat his opponent with a spear and switched to using his fists, this was also his own true ability, and outsiders wouldn¡¯t be able to say anything about it. hearing what jian yuhua said, ye jingtang became interested. ¡°since we¡¯re going to compete on stage, we naturally have to convince the other. just show me what you have.¡± jian yuhua revealed a smile and raised his hand. ¡°brother ye, your eyebrow staff is fierce and powerful, but that¡¯s now how the eyebrow staff is used.¡± ¡°huh?!¡± as soon as this statement came out, the entire place was in an uproar. just now, ye jingtang was already crazy and arrogant enough. they didn¡¯t expect jian yuhua to go on stage and say that he wanted to teach ye jingtang how to use the staff. his arrogant tone could break through the sky. zhe yunli, who was secretly observing on the second floor, immediately became furious. ¡°does this guy have eyes? brother jingtang is so domineering, but he even wants to teach brother jingtang to use the eyebrow staff. is he worthy?¡± luo ning¡¯s martial arts skills were higher after all. she frowned. ¡°ye jingtang has probably only been learning the spear for more than half a month. his foundation is solid, but his skills are not comparable to spear and staff grandmasters. if jian yuhua has learned the staff since he was young, ye jingtang might really be at a disadvantage.¡± hearing this, zhe yunli became nervous again. ye jingtang didn¡¯t expect the other party to be so arrogant. he didn¡¯t waste any time and threw the eyebrow staff in his hand to jian yuhua. ¡°you¡¯ve only been practicing the sword for two years, and 1 haven¡¯t been practicing the spear for long. i hope you won¡¯t disappoint me.¡± the surrounding people had doubts about this statement. after all, looking at ye jingtang¡¯s skills, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for him to say that he had started practicing the spear when he was three years old. however, ¡®the staff for a month, the saber for a year, and the spear for a lifetime¡¯. from ye jingtang¡¯s aura, they estimated that he was around 20 years old. even if he had been practicing the spear for 17 years, it was indeed not that long in terms of spearmanship. seeing that the zhou family was quite arrogant, chen yuanqing didn¡¯t throw another eyebrow staff to ye jingtang to embarrass himself. he took out a long spear wrapped in black cloth and threw it to ye jingtang. ye jingtang raised his hand to catch it. he untied the black cloth unhurriedly, revealing a completely black spear. this spear was called ¡®black oilin¡¯. the shaft was 2.3 meters long, and the spearhead was 40 centimeters long. it ranked eighth among the ¡®ten famous spears¡¯ listed in jianghu. it had been forged by jiang province¡¯s xiao mountain fortress during the previous dynasty. it had originally been given to the great yan imperial court, and the great yan emperor had often carried it when hunting. after the country perished, it had wandered around jianghu until falling into the hands of the red flower pavilion. when the famous figures of jianghu present saw this legendary weapon, their eyes burned. ye jingtang held the spear with both hands, holding the end of the spear with his right hand and the shaft with his left hand. one of his feet slid forward while the other slid backward. his opening stance was the ¡®cauldron supporting the crushing spear stance¡¯. his body was as stable as a mountain. ¡°please.¡± jian yuhua held the eyebrow staff at the side of his waist, with the tip of the staff pointing forward. his posture was steady, and his entire aura changed, as if he were a pine tree that wouldn¡¯t fall. whoosh! silence fell in front of the seeking sword hall. everyone subconsciously held their breaths with solemn expressions. most of the moves of the spear and staff were similar. the spear and the staff each had their own strengths. victory and defeat depended on the attainments of both sides. jian yuhua¡¯s aura alone evenly matched that of ye jingtang, who had stunned everyone just now. this battle probably wouldn¡¯t be simple. whoosh, whoosh¡­ the waves hit the shore, and the two of them faced each other with their long weapons. jian yuhua¡¯s eyes were focused and calm. his hands trembled slightly, and the eyebrow staff emitted an explosive sound. thump! then he advanced step by step. ye jingtang didn¡¯t take the initiative to attack. instead, he changed to a straight stance and focused on observing jian yuhua¡¯s footsteps. tread, tread¡­ soon, the tip of jian yuhua¡¯s staff was about to touch the black spear. this distance was the key point in a battle between the long weapons. under normal circumstances, whoever could control it would occupy the ¡®gate of life¡¯, and vice versa would occupy the ¡®gate of death¡¯. the famous figures in front of the hall were all staring at the subtle changes in the two of them, wanting to see the details in advance. unfortunately, the two people on the stage didn¡¯t fight according to the normal jianghu routine. just as the weapons of both sides were about to come into contact, jian yuhua¡¯s arms trembled violently. thump! the sound was like a clap of thunder on dry land. it was a show of strength, and the sound was almost ear-piercing. the long staff exerted strength within an inch, but it forcefully knocked ye jingtang¡¯s spearhead three feet away. if it were an ordinary person, they would probably lose their weapon from this strike. jian yuhua¡¯s attack succeeded. his figure exploded, and he took a big step forward. the long staff in his hand silently pointed forward and went straight for ye jingtang¡¯s throat. there was no gap between the two moves. the speed was so fast that only the afterimages of the staff could be seen. when the people by the lake saw this unimaginable starting move, their eyes were full of astonishment. a name that had long been unfamiliar to jianghu flashed across the minds of some experienced and knowledgeable jianghu elders¡ªthe fu family¡¯s storm staff! the storm staff was the signature staff technique of the northwest generals of the previous dynasty. throughout the great yan dynasty, it was the ultimate technique among spear and staff techniques. it was famous for being unexpected and having thunderous momentum. according to the experience of the people present, the young master of the red flower pavilion had been caught off guard when encountering this move. there was a high chance that he would be defeated in one strike and wouldn¡¯t be able to counterattack at all. but the next moment, the gazes of the famous figures present turned into shock! Chapter 95 - Chapter 95: Brat! How Dare You?! chapter 95: brat! how dare you?! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°sect master zhou, are you convinced?¡± as soon as he said this, there was dead silence inside and outside the seeking sword hall. zhou huaili was also shocked by ye jingtang¡¯s formidable spearmanship and strange lightness skills. his expression changed when he heard the voice, and he remembered the current situation. the zhou family had lost, and they had been crushed without any argument! ¡°woah!¡± ¡°good martial arts¡­¡± the many famous figures of jianghu in front of the hall only remembered to give a few cheers at this moment. the three absolutes elderly immortal didn¡¯t pay attention to the outcome of the battle. instead, he asked in surprise, ¡°young master ye, did you use yan mountain¡¯s cutting cloud steps?¡± ye jingtang blinked. ¡°i was recommended by an elder and visited the cutting cloud palace in private.¡± ¡°as expected¡­¡± ¡°this is the first time i¡¯ve heard that the martial arts of the cutting cloud palace can be combined with spearmanship¡­¡± the red flower pavilion had the yan province hall. although it wasn¡¯t large, it wasn¡¯t strange for them to have some friendship with the cutting cloud palace. many people didn¡¯t doubt his nonsense. the three absolutes elderly immortal nodded slowly with approval in his eyes. he looked at zhou huaili beside him. ¡°sect master zhou, what do you think of this battle?¡± zhou huaili¡¯s face was wooden, and he clenched his hands behind his back. after a moment of silence, he glanced at xuanyuan hongzhi, who was standing beside him, and said unhurriedly, ¡°nephew ye¡¯s martial arts skills are so high that it¡¯s unexpected. yuhua is indeed inferior. however¡­ just now, nephew ye was knocked out of the stage by yuhua. according to the rules of jianghu¡­¡± ¡°what?!¡± as soon as he said this, there was an uproar outside the seeking sword hall. many people were stunned. they had long known that zhou huaili was shameless, unscrupulous, and far inferior to the famous sword saint, zhou chiyang. but they still didn¡¯t expect zhou huaili to say such shameless words in the face of such a disparity. he came to challenge your zhou family and fought at your entrance, but he didn¡¯t get knocked out of your zhou family¡¯s stage. fighting out of the shore only means that your zhou family¡¯s courtyard is too small. could it be that you still want two outstanding talents of the current generation to fight at the entrance that¡¯s less than 60 feet wide and full of miscellaneous items? song chi had won the bet and originally wanted to give the zhou family some face. but when he heard this, he was instantly furious and took a step forward. ¡°zhou huaili, are you a sore loser?¡± three absolutes elderly immortal guanghan lin also frowned. ¡°sect master zhou, your words are a little bullying to the junior¡­¡± zhou huaili had already spoken. he stopped pretending and said calmly, ¡°since it¡¯s a challenge, there are limits¡­¡± standing beside him, xuanyuan hongzhi had already used both kindness and force to obtain a portion of the future profits of the clear river wharf from the zhou family. at this moment, he also took a step forward and said, ¡°when he sparred with zhou ying just now, they were both on the shore and didn¡¯t leave the stage. yuhua clearly held back when he used the ¡®rabbit kicking the eagle¡¯ move just now. it meant that he would stop when a certain point was reached, and getting hit out of the stage was it. after he realized that nephew ye didn¡¯t stop when he fell into the water, he hurriedly chased him off the stage, causing him to lose. if yuhua had made a fatal move with his kick, nephew ye would have flown out of the stage and wouldn¡¯t have been able to get up again.¡± these words were also sophistry, but the jianghu heroes discussing this matter fell silent. after all, ze province¡¯s jianghu was ruled by the two powerful forces, jun mountain terrace and the water cloud sword pool. if it were only the zhou family who couldn¡¯t afford to lose and acted shamelessly, the famous figures of jianghu present could still be fair and speak up. but the two forces were in the same boat. not to mention ze province, not many forces in the entire great wei would dare to challenge them. when song chi and the others saw the two aristocratic families of ze province join forces, they frowned. although they didn¡¯t want to take this lying down, they didn¡¯t have the confidence to fall out on the spot. they looked at the pavilion lord beside them. pei xiangjun¡¯s expression under her mask was very ugly, but she had expected that the zhou family wouldn¡¯t withdraw from the clear river wharf cleanly. this battle had already made the red flower pavilion famous. if they really flipped the table, they would suffer immense losses against the two giants of ze province. at the moment, she could only secretly give ye jingtang a signal. in any case, the zhou family was shameless first. if the red flower pavilion didn¡¯t give them the five docks promised beforehand, no one in jianghu would say anything. they would only scold the zhou family for being shameless, immoral, and undignified. ye jingtang was silent for a moment. he stood on the top of the boulder, turned the spear in his hand, and pointed at the word ¡®chivalry¡¯ engraved under his feet. ¡°sect master zhou, since you can¡¯t see this word, why bother putting it in front of your door and embarrassing yourself?¡± ¡°what?!¡± as soon as these words came out, there was an uproar. seeing that the situation wasn¡¯t right, the three absolutes elderly immortal hurriedly raised his hand to smooth things over. ¡°hey! young master ye, it¡¯s just a spar. it¡¯s natural for there to be differences. there¡¯s no need to be angry over this¡­¡± zhou huali¡¯s expression was cold as he said in a low voice, ¡°nephew ye, do you have any objections to brother xuanyuan¡¯s words? if you do, you can say it and let the elders present comment.¡± the lakeside fell silent. a few people wanted to speak, but they were stopped by the people beside them. after all, this wasn¡¯t a small fight. whoever stood up to slap jun mountain terrace¡¯s and the zhou family¡¯s faces might die on the way back after the birthday banquet ended. ye jingtang gripped the spear in his hand. he really wanted zhou huaili to come up and fight him personally, but behind him were the thousands of lives of the entire red flower pavilion. he couldn¡¯t act on impulse. he thought about it and prepared to leave. but at this moment, jian yuhua, who was standing under the boulder, clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and said, ¡°my kick just now didn¡¯t kick him out of the stage¡­¡± ¡°brat!¡± as soon as he said this, zhou huaili¡¯s expression turned into anger. he took a step forward and grabbed the sword at his waist. buzz! at this moment, the spear on the boulder flashed and pointed at zhou huaili! ye jingtang¡¯s eyes were cold, and his voice was like that of an asura from purgatory. ¡°if you dare to draw your sword today, i will dare to exterminate your entire zhou family!¡± zhou huaili stopped in his tracks and shouted angrily, ¡°how dare you?!¡± swoosh! swoosh! swoosh! the moment the sabers and swords were unsheathed, the outside of the seeking sword hall instantly exploded. countless zhou family disciples drew their swords and surrounded the seeking sword hall. more than thirty red flower pavilion disciples also took out their weapons at the same time and guarded under the boulder, blocked jian yuhua and ye jingtang behind them. the famous figures present were in a mess. some quickly distanced themselves, and some raised their hands to stop the fight. at this critical moment when the battle was about to begin, a voice suddenly sounded from the seeking sword hall behind. ¡°sect master zhou, young master ye, today is old master zhou¡¯s birthday. i don¡¯t want to see old master zhou¡¯s mood spoiled. both of you take a step back. sect master zhou, withdraw from the clear river wharf. young master ye, congratulate old master zhou. let¡¯s leave it at that.¡± the voice was cold and ethereal. although she was sitting in the hall and speaking, and the distance wasn¡¯t close, the aloofness in her words made her seem to be above everyone¡¯s heads, lowering her head to speak. moreover, these words were not a discussion but an order. it was as if the leader of jianghu was casually persuading two noisy juniors. if it were an ordinary sect master who dared to speak like this in the current situation, she would be courting death. but when the people outside the building heard the voice, they stopped in unison. even xuanyuan hongzhi¡¯s face showed a solemn expression. after all, the person who spoke in the hall was the moon goddess, the publicly acknowledged ¡®number one beautiful young married woman¡¯ in jianghu.. or rather, she was the beloved wife of xue baijin, the pacifying heaven cult master, the leader of the eight chiefs, the overlord of jianghu in the secular world, the person reputed to be invincible under the mountains! Chapter 96 - Chapter 96: The Clouds Are Not Settled, The Winds Are chapter 96: the clouds are not settled, the winds are about to rise translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the one immortal and two sages had long reached great heights, and they lived in seclusion all year round. everyone in jianghu respected them, but very few people were really afraid because these three living deities disdained to deal with the juniors of jianghu under the mountains. but pacifying heaven cult master xue baijin was different. xue baijin was truly a figure who still roamed jianghu. if not for the fact that feng guancheng was also in the heavenly south, and it wasn¡¯t good to be too ostentatious, he would have long become the martial arts alliance leader of the heavenly south¡¯s jianghu. the moon goddess¡¯s martial arts skills weren¡¯t very high, but with such a husband standing behind her, it was really not a problem for her to treat the red flower pavilion and the water cloud sword sect as juniors. if not for the fact that she had interacted with the zhou family when she traveled in jianghu in the past, with the status of the moon goddess, she wouldn¡¯t have deigned to go to the small zhou family to celebrate a birthday. the moon goddess wanted both forces to take a step back. be it the red flower pavilion or the water cloud sword pool, they didn¡¯t have the confidence not to give her face. the famous figures present heaved a sigh of relief and observed zhou huaili¡¯s reaction. after all, the moon goddess was clearly standing on the side of ¡®morality¡¯ and helping the red flower pavilion uphold justice. for the sake of the clear river wharf, zhou huaili didn¡¯t even care about his face. when he saw the pacifying heaven cult suddenly jump out to disrupt the situation, his face instantly darkened to the extreme. but the pacifying heaven cult master¡¯s status in jianghu was obvious. ze province was also bordering chong province. if the pacifying heaven cult wanted to kill their way over, it would probably take less than three days. furthermore, they could really exterminate the zhou family. when sword saint zhou chiyang returned, there would probably be an extra head hanging in front of the door. zhou huaili gritted his teeth for a long time, but he slowly suppressed his anger, turned around, and cupped his hands. ¡°i didn¡¯t treat my guests well and made a fool of myself in front of you, madam xue. since you have spoken, i won¡¯t say anything. let¡¯s take a step back and do as you say.¡± everyone looked at the people of the red flower pavilion. song chi, chen yuanqing, and the others felt relieved when they saw the cult mistress of the pacifying heaven cult come out to uphold justice. they turned to look at their young master and found¡­ the young master was still maintaining a ruthless gaze and a murderous attitude while pointing his spear at the door of the seeking sword hall! 2/ what the f*ck do you want to do?! song chi and chen yuanqing were stunned when they saw this! the expressions of the famous jianghu figures turned from relief to shock! does this hothead even want to talk back to the cult mistress of the pacifying heaven cult? can¡¯t you tell that she¡¯s speaking up for you?! song chi and chen yuanqing were full of fear. they wanted to pull the young master, who was being overly pretentious, away, but the young master was standing on the boulder, so it wasn¡¯t convenient for them to do anything. they wanted to see what the pavilion lord wanted to do, but in the end¡­ pei xiangjun, who was standing behind them and pressing her hand down on the bird that was about to stick its head out, stood rooted to the ground in a daze and didn¡¯t react. ?? song chi was confused. he looked at chen yuanqing from the corner of his eye. whaf does this mean? chen yuanqing had an extraordinary bearing with one hand behind his back, but there was fear in his eyes. i don¡¯t know! what should we do? ye jingtang, who looked murderous, was actually stunned on the spot. he looked fiercely at the entrance of the seeking sword hall, but his emotions had already changed countless times. isn¡¯t this cold and mature voice my sister little watermelons¡¯? she¡¯s here too? what a coincidence¡­ no! why is heroine luo speaking so domineeringly? according to the occasion¡­ f*ck.. moon goddess! whose woman did i touch¡­ that pervert who likes men is the pacifying heaven cult master? i¡¯m dead for sure¡­ pei xiangjun was also thinking. why does the voice of the moon goddess sound exactly the same as that of jingtang s lover? jingtang is also stunned. it seems its not just me¡­ oh my god! how could jingtang s lover be the pacifying heaven cult master¡¯s woman? if this matter spreads, the red flower pavilion will probably be exterminated by the pacifying heaven cult master¡­ what should i do, what should i do¡­ everyone was dumbfounded as they looked at the young master of the red flower pavilion standing there like a killing god. they didn¡¯t understand what this ruthless man wanted to do. even zhou huaili was stunned, but he didn¡¯t say anything. his meaning was probably: kid, if you have the guts, continue to speak fiercely. i respect you as a man! finally, the cold voice sounded from the seeking sword hall again. ¡°young master ye, do you have any objections to my words?¡± her voice was as cold as an iceberg and seemed angry! the jianghu people present knew that something was wrong. song chi and the others were anxious and wanted to go up and apologize. fortunately, the young master wasn¡¯t that unreliable. he finally reacted and put away his spear unhurriedly. his posture was still a bit unruly as he cupped his hands. ¡°madam xue, since you have spoken, 1 will naturally give the zhou family some face. today¡¯s matter ends here. i wish old master zhou a long life.¡± with that, ye jingtang flicked his sleeves, jumped off the boulder, and strode away. when passing by jian yuhua standing by the shore, he immediately stopped. ¡°you have offended the zhou family. you won¡¯t live for more than a few days. let¡¯s go. if the zhou family dares to do anything to you, i will definitely help you pay them back tenfold in the future!¡± his voice was very loud. it was not for jian yuhua to hear but for the zhou family. ye jingtang could tell that jian yuhua was in a bad mood. the zhou family must have something on him. otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be so dejected after speaking out righteously. although he didn¡¯t know jian yuhua, he felt that the only person in the entire zhou family who was worthy of the word ¡®chivalry¡¯ in front of the door was this young man with the eyebrow staff. after ye jingtang finished speaking, he ignored the expressions of the zhou family people and strode away with the disciples of the red flower pavilion. tread, tread, tread¡­ the heroes of the red flower pavilion quickly disappeared outside the seeking sword hall. the shore of the lake fell silent again, leaving only the last rays of the setting sun illuminating half of the word ¡®chivalry¡¯ on the boulder. the light was not strong, but it was extremely dazzling at this moment. all the people here had different expressions on their faces. looking at jian yuhua standing alone on the shore, someone wanted to speak, but he hesitated. jian yuhua kept his head lowered and moved his legs slightly, as if he wanted to kneel down and admit his mistake. but a martial artist¡¯s backbone was too hard, and he couldn¡¯t bend his knees no matter what. after a long silence, he finally threw away the eyebrow staff in his hand. ding! ding! ding! ding! after glancing at the bamboo house on morning dew mountain, jian yuhua turned around and left, walking toward the boundless rivers and mountains. ¡°senior brother jian¡­¡± ¡°yuhua!¡± the fellow disciples wanted to persuade him to stay, but a heart-wrenching shout came from inside the villa. jian yuhua stopped in his tracks, but he couldn¡¯t turn around. he only wiped his face and disappeared from the lake. tread, tread¡­ soon, a figure in a long dress ran out of the building complex and chased outside the manor. zhou huaili¡¯s eyes turned cold. he was about to scold her when footsteps came from the side of the seeking sword hall, and a hoarse chuckle sounded. ¡°why are you standing outside? lin, why is your hair all white¡­¡± ¡°oh, elder zhou is here. the two juniors were sparring just now, so we came out to watch the battle. elder zhou, how is your health?¡± ¡°i think i can survive this year. let¡¯s go in and sit down. huaili, come and entertain the guests¡­¡± ¡°hehe¡­¡± outside the seeking sword hall, there was some commotion again. zhou huaili put his hands behind his back and looked at the deserted lakeshore for a long time before suppressing the boundless anger in his heart. he turned around and returned to the hall. ¡°i¡¯ve embarrassed myself in front of everyone¡­ come, serve the wine. today is my father¡¯s birthday. thank you for coming¡­¡± soon, the setting sun sank behind the mountains, and the lights of the zhou manor lit up. the sound of music could be heard everywhere, and the place looked festive. but the entire manor fell into a strange atmosphere. whether it was the guests or the zhou family members, they were chatting and laughing absent-mindedly. everyone was smiling, but no one¡¯s smile was genuine. this was because everyone knew that although the matter on the table seemed to be over, a storm was silently brewing. this storm might suddenly stop because of the strange death of the young master of the red flower pavilion. but it might become an ever-expanding typhoon that pulled the red flower pavilion, the water cloud sword pool, jun mountain terrace, and so on into it until it evolved into a calamity that swept through the yun and ze provinces¡­ Chapter 97 - Chapter 97: Scissoring? chapter 97: scissoring? translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios under the cold moon and in the cold river, a breeze stirred up waves and hit the river shore with a soft whoosh. ye jingtang was dressed in black. he stood under a willow tree by the river and looked at the full moon in the water for a long time without saying anything. after today¡¯s battle, he had completely formed a grudge with the zhou family. under the deterrence of the pacifying heaven cult, the two forces seemed to have reached an agreement on the surface, but the zhou family had already sensed the pressure from the imminent resurgence of the red flower pavilion. what the zhou family would most likely do next was to think of a way to nip this hope for the future of the red flower pavilion in the bud to prevent the danger of raising a tiger. in order to prevent anything from happening, the people of the red flower pavilion left the zhou manor, boarded the ferry, and sailed along the river to the government-controlled azure yang city. on the way back, third lady had been silent. she had probably heard that domineering voice, which was exactly the same as his miss ning¡¯er¡¯s. ye jingtang didn¡¯t expect heroine luo, whom he had been thinking about day and night, to be the wife of the cult master of the pacifying heaven cult. without knowing the inside story, he didn¡¯t dare to explain it to third lady, so he could only walk slowly by the river in the suburbs of azure yang city and think about the current situation. stealing the wife of the cult master of the pacifying heaven cult in jianghu was no less than stealing the empress dowager in the capital. although he was still alive, he was probably dead¡­ ye jingtang knew that heroine luo had a secret. she was only faking her marriage, and her husband was a pervert who liked to bully and humiliate beautiful men¡­ he wasn¡¯t afraid of ordinary perverted experts, but how could he not be afraid of pacifying heaven cult master xue baijin, who was ¡®invincible under the mountains¡¯? if xue baijin catches me¡­ whatever 1 did to heroine luo, the pacifying heaven cult master will do to me¡­ he shuddered¡­ after his imagination ran wild for some time, there was finally movement by the river. puff! puff! puff! the bird had been circling near the zhou manor. at this moment, it flew back from the night sky. while flying back to the ferry on the river, it found ye jingtang standing by the river. it turned around, landed on his shoulder, raised its wing, and pointed upstream. ¡°chirp-¡± ye jingtang naturally understood what it meant. without any delay, he silently disappeared into the night and rose and fell in the forest by the river. there were thousands of acres of fertile land by the river, but there were no residences. a breeze swept across the green rice fields, and ripples of green waves spread forward to the end of his vision. whoosh, whoosh¡­ under the moonlight, a faintly discernible lamp at the end of the rice fields was like a bean, rising and falling with the wind and waves. ye jingtang silently crossed the rice fields and landed in front of the lonely lamp. he could see a small boat moored on the river bank. this boat was a small pleasure boat for sightseeing on the river. in the middle was a painted deckhouse. faint yellow lanterns were hanging at the bow of the boat, illuminating the surrounding area. a tall woman was standing at the bow of the boat. she was wearing a gauze-veiled hat and a slim-fitting blue dress and facing the calm river. as a breeze blew, the hem of her dress fluttered with the wind. from afar, she looked like a fairy under the moon. she could only be seen from afar but not touched. if ye jingtang¡¯s footsteps were a little heavier, he was worried that he would shatter the extremely beautiful scene in front of him. tread¡­ ye jingtang landed by the river and looked at the peerless beauty he had yearned for day and night at the bow of the ship. at this moment, a cold voice sounded. ¡°you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°i¡¯m here¡­¡± ye jingtang wanted to continue the reply, but he realized that the words were a little strange, so he jumped onto the boat. ¡°heroine luo, you¡­¡± clang! the three-foot-long blade was unsheathed, bringing with it a cold glint under the moonlight, and landed on ye jingtang¡¯s shoulder. ye jingtang froze. he glanced at the sword on his shoulder and raised his hands slightly. luo ning turned around and pointed her sword at ye jingtang with one hand. he couldn¡¯t see her face under the veil, but he could imagine her teary eyes. ¡°you liar! to think i trusted you so much¡­¡± she tried her best to keep her voice calm, but she couldn¡¯t suppress the trembling coming from the bottom of her heart. ye jingtang said gently, ¡°how did i lie to you? qiu tianhe has already been saved¡­¡± ¡°you are the young master of the red flower pavilion. why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°aren¡¯t you the wife of the cult master of the pacifying heaven cult? you didn¡¯t tell me!¡± luo ning¡¯s fair hand tightened slightly, and she pressed her sword down. ¡°the pacifying heaven cult is a rebel organization. i didn¡¯t tell you because i was afraid of scaring you. you¡¯re clearly rich, born into a wealthy family, and so skilled. why did you pretend to be a poor, rural kid to lie to me? you¡­¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t lie to you. when i met you, i was really just an escort from liang province. i really lived in that dilapidated courtyard, and i really didn¡¯t have money.¡± ¡°you¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± luo ning must have been crying. her voice had an obvious vibrato. ¡°you are clearly the young master of the red flower pavilion. otherwise, where did your martial arts come from? also, that bottle of jade dragon ointment and how easily you sneaked into the black office to see qiu tianhe¡­¡± ¡°that¡¯s because i¡¯m capable!¡± ye jingtang spread his hands. ¡°with my ability, do i need to rely on connections to accomplish these things?¡± ¡°we¡¯ve only been apart for a few days, but you suddenly became the young master of the red flower pavilion¡­¡± ¡°it happened in the past few days.¡± ye jingtang moved the sword edge away with his finger and explained amiably, ¡°i only found out about the red flower pavilion the day you left. as soon as you left, i became the young master. you know the rules of the red flower pavilion. i can¡¯t tell anyone outside¡­¡± luo ning and ye jingtang had been together for a long time, so she actually didn¡¯t believe that he had put on such a big show to deceive her innocence. she felt that the people of the red flower pavilion must have snatched him away during the few days she was away¡­ after a moment of silence, luo ning moved her sword back and questioned coldly, ¡°why did you join the red flower pavilion? didn¡¯t you want to become an official?¡± ye jingtang spread his hands. ¡°is this a conflict? the red flower pavilion does serious business. i¡¯m an official and a gang leader at the same time. no one said that i can¡¯t do it.¡± luo ning was stumped by this question and gritted her teeth. ¡°you clearly met me first, so you should have joined my pacifying heaven cult¡­¡± ¡°did you ask?¡± ye jingtang moved the sword away, walked to luo ning, took off her veiled hat, and looked at her pitiful and beautiful face. ¡°how many times have i asked you? if you had said that you were the wife of the cult master of the pacifying heaven cult, how could i not go with you? but you refused to say anything. i didn¡¯t even know who you were and could only look out for my own future. now, you¡¯re blaming me for entering the red flower pavilion. how can i explain it?¡± luo ning glared at ye jingtang. after being silent for a long time, she realized that she was being unreasonable. she couldn¡¯t blame the red flower pavilion for being faster¡­ seeing that luo ning was silent, ye jingtang took half a step forward and raised his hands¡­ ? luo ning was stunned. she immediately took half a step back and raised her sword in front of her. ¡°you little thief¡­ what are you trying to do?¡± ye jingtang stopped in his tracks. ¡°hmm¡­ it¡¯s been a long time since we last saw each other. 1 wanted to hug you and pat your shoulders to express my longing. why don¡¯t we shake hands instead?¡± luo ning raised her sword and pretended to slash, but in the end, she didn¡¯t attack. she just moved away a little. ye jingtang moved forward and asked in a low voice, ¡°heroine luo, is the pervert in your family who likes beautiful men xue baijin?¡± luo ning¡¯s eyes turned slightly cold. ¡°you still dare to touch me when you know?¡± ¡°what else then? do you expect me to go weak in the knees and stay away from you after finding out who you are?¡± hearing these shameless words, luo ning was speechless for a while. ye jingtang sat down at the bow of the ship, placed his saber by his side, and patted his side. ¡°let¡¯s sit down and chat. you¡¯re the wife of the pacifying heaven cult master, and i¡¯m the young master of the red flower pavilion. if our affairs get out, the two forces will definitely fight to the death. you said that the pacifying heaven cult master won¡¯t look for me, but i¡¯ve already kissed and touched his wife. how could he not find trouble with me? when i learned of this news, i didn¡¯t run away because i cared about our relationship. if it were anyone else who found out that he had touched the pacifying heaven cult master¡¯s woman, do you believe that he would turn around and flee to northern liang, leaving you behind?¡± luo ning hesitated for a moment before sitting down beside ye jingtang. her skirt hung above the river, and her sword was placed horizontally on her knees. ¡°this matter is top secret. you¡¯re not allowed to tell a third person. otherwise, you¡¯ll definitely die!¡± ye jingtang nodded. luo ning looked around. seeing that there was no one around, she explained in a low voice, ¡°xue baijin wants to restore her country. in order to win over people to rebel with her, she has disguised herself as a man since she was a child¡­¡± ¡°uh?!¡± ye jingtang turned around and looked at the charming heroine luo with strange eyes. ¡°are you two like lesbians?¡± ¡°what do you mean?¡± ¡°like, do you¡­ uh¡­ do scissoring?¡± ?! Chapter 98 - Chapter 98: You Don’t Have The Ability! chapter 98: you don¡¯t have the ability! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ?! as a jianghu person, how could luo ning not understand such dirty words? her face immediately flushed red. ¡°nonsense. she and i are like sisters. 1 became the cult mistress to help her cover her identity¡­ i¡¯ve never scissored¡­ bah! you¡¯re simply¡­¡± she raised his sword, wanting to cut down ye jingtang. ye jingtang hurriedly raised his hands. ¡°alright, alright. heroine luo, even if you¡¯ve polished mirrors before, i don¡¯t mind¡­ hey, wait!¡± luo ning realized that after explaining everything to this little thief, he started to get carried away. unable to take it anymore, she placed her sword on his shoulder. ¡°why don¡¯t you try saying those things again?¡± ye jingtang¡¯s expression became serious as he said gently, ¡°in that case, since you¡¯re single and unmarried, and the pacifying heaven cult master won¡¯t treat me like that because of our affairs¡­¡± ¡°there¡¯s nothing between us!¡± ye jingtang moved the sword away from his neck and said helplessly, ¡°then, heroine luo, do you want me to take responsibility, or should 1 pretend that nothing has happened?¡± luo ning gritted her teeth. ¡°i haven¡¯t thought about it yet.¡± ye jingtang wasn¡¯t in a hurry. ¡°alright, then, heroine luo, take your time to consider. we¡¯ll talk about it after you¡¯ve thought it through.¡± luo nin saw that ye jingtang was behaving himself, so her cold expression softened slightly. she put away her sword and thought for a moment before saying, ¡°1 am the wife of the cult master of the pacifying heaven cult. even if baijin and 1 are a fake couple, i¡¯m still a leader of the pacifying heaven cult and a rebel. if¡­ if you want me to forgive your previous actions, you have to join the pacifying heaven cult first!¡± ye jingtang hesitated. ¡°uh¡­¡± ¡°since you can enter the red flower pavilion, why can¡¯t you help the pacifying heaven cult? 1 even helped the red flower pavilion out today. what benefits has the red flower pavilion given you?¡± ¡°it¡¯s not an issue with the red flower pavilion¡­¡± ye jingtang thought of dumdum, whom he had seen naked, and suddenly realized that he seemed to be riding on three ships¡­ but he couldn¡¯t afford to offend even one ship. if he abandoned one ship, he might lose his third leg¡­ seeing ye jingtang hesitate, luo ning¡¯s eyes turned slightly cold. ¡°then, what¡¯s the issue?¡± ye jingtang explained calmly, ¡°well¡­ 1 work for the black office, and the prince of jing appreciates me very much¡­¡± ? luo ning¡¯s eyes immediately became vigilant. ¡°you little thief, are you really clinging to the princess? i¡¯ve already warned you¡­¡± ¡°calm down. the thing is, the blood bodhi tried to assassinate the prince of jing, and i was right in front of her, so i naturally had to protect her. i was injured while protecting her, so the prince of jing moved me back to her estate and asked me to patrol the palace. then somehow, the prince of jing and i¡­¡± ?! luo ning¡¯s face was full of disbelief. she was stunned for a long time before she reacted. ¡°you¡­ how many days has it been? you two have already¡­¡± ¡°no, no. we haven¡¯t reached that stage yet.¡± ¡°you¡­¡± luo stared at ye jingtang with glistening tears and bitterness. she wanted to raise her sword and stab him, but under her grievances, she didn¡¯t want to look at this little thief. she turned her head and said coldly, ¡°the pacifying heaven cult and the red flower pavilion can still negotiate, but the cult is irreconcilable with the imperial court. at this point, you can choose for yourself. do you want the princess, or do you want me to forgive you?¡± faced with this question of choosing one out of two, ye jingtang spread his hands helplessly. ¡°do i have a choice?¡± ?! luo ning turned around and looked at ye jingtang in disbelief. ¡°you¡­! that¡¯s right. the princess is so powerful that you can¡¯t afford to offend her. you¡¯re going to choose the princess, right? okay¡­ okay¡­¡± as she spoke, she got up with tears in her eyes and wanted to leave. ye jingtang hurriedly grabbed luo ning. ¡°that¡¯s not what i mean. once i disappear, what will happen to my relatives and friends in the capital? the situation is like this. i can¡¯t run away. why don¡¯t you give me an idea?¡± luo ning¡¯s eyes were red, and her expression was cold. ¡°you didn¡¯t keep your word and interacted with the princess. now that things have come to this, you can¡¯t leave the princess. other than you and me not contacting each other again, what else can we do?¡± ye jingtang said calmly, ¡°i¡¯ve always remembered our promise. that time was really an accident. the princess asked me if i had someone 1 loved, and i answered firmly that i did and said a wife who shared her husband¡¯s hard lot must never be cast aside¡­¡± ¡°i¡¯m the one casting you aside!¡± ¡°okay, okay. you¡¯re casting me aside.¡± ¡°the princess knows that you¡¯re in love with someone. what did she say?¡± ¡°she didn¡¯t say anything. mm¡­ she¡¯s especially good to me.¡± luo ning understood what he meant. she nodded slightly and stood up with tears in her eyes. ¡°i understand. i¡¯ll make way, okay? i don¡¯t want a little thief like you to take responsibility¡­¡± ye jingtang raised his hands and pressed down on heroine luo¡¯s shoulders. ¡°stop throwing a tantrum. let¡¯s talk about the matter. let¡¯s think about how to resolve this matter, okay?¡± ¡°how else do you want to resolve this? do you still want to trick me and the princess back home?¡± ¡°well¡­¡± luo ning looked at ye jingtang¡¯s expression and understood the meaning. her eyes widened. ¡°how¡­ how can you be so shameless? even if i lose my mind and ask you to be responsible for me, how will i get along with the princess in the future? i¡¯m a rebel. if my identity is discovered, my head will definitely hang outside the black office. what will you do then?¡± ye jingtang¡¯s expression was serious, and he was full of manliness. ¡°heroine luo, before you lose a strand of hair, 1 will definitely lose my head first, okay?¡± ¡°then, what if 1 kill the princess?¡± ye jingtang shook his head decisively. ¡°you don¡¯t have the ability.¡± ?! luo ning almost fainted from anger. she raised her sword and held it in for a long time before gritting her teeth and saying, ¡°how am 1 not capable? when you¡¯re being intimate with the princess, i¡¯ll come over too. then i¡¯ll strike when you¡¯re not prepared¡­¡± ye jingtang raised his hands. ¡°don¡¯t joke around. give me time to think of a solution, okay?¡± ¡°what can you do?¡± ¡°i heard that you were coming and learned about the pacifying heaven cult¡­¡± ¡°you heard that the moon goddess was coming, right? pervert!¡± ¡°okay, i¡¯m a pervert. the pacifying heaven cult is a lone minister of the previous dynasty. they¡¯ve insisted on defending the south firmament mountains to the death and refuse to surrender. the imperial court has even tried to offer amnesty and enlistment, but it didn¡¯t succeed. why don¡¯t i think of a way to lobby and facilitate the amnesty offering¡­¡± actually, luo ning had long seen that great wei was at its peak and had already won the hearts of the people. it was no different from a fantasy for the pacifying heaven cult master to restore great yan, which had been destroyed for sixty years. but the pacifying heaven cult was already dominating jianghu and was beyond the reach of the imperial court. xue baijin was perfectly fine as the ¡®empress of jianghu¡¯, but she came to bow down to the imperial court. she might even be given a cup of poisonous wine. would xue baijin accept that? ¡°it¡¯s impossible for the pacifying heaven cult to accept the amnesty. why don¡¯t you persuade the imperial court to surrender to the pacifying heaven cult? the pacifying heaven cult master is a minister of great yan, and great wei is the rebel!¡± ye jingtang was speechless. he spread his hands and said, ¡°i¡¯ll try my best, okay? whether it¡¯s the south firmament mountains offering amnesty to the twelve provinces of great wei or the pacifying heaven cult being offered amnesty, the two forces will turn into one. i¡¯ll choose whichever one has the chance of succeeding, okay?¡± luo ning blinked. she felt that she was forcing this little thief into a corner, so she didn¡¯t say anything else. ¡°you¡¯d better handle the matter properly. if the imperial court attacks the south firmament mountains one day, i will be the first to rush to your house and kill the princess.¡± ye jingtang was confused by the mess. he turned to look at the river and didn¡¯t say anything else. the riverside fell silent, leaving only the quiet moonlight and the man and woman at the bow of the boat. luo ning looked at the vast clear river and wanted to get up and leave, but she found it difficult to say anything. after thinking for a moment, she untied the anchor rope at the bow and let the boat float downstream. ¡°you smashed the zhou family¡¯s face today. it¡¯s impossible for the zhou family to settle the matter peacefully. i¡¯ll send you to the port. leave early to avoid anything going wrong.¡± ¡°what about you?¡± ¡°i¡­ i have to go to the capital to save qiu tianhe. i¡¯ll only set off tomorrow, and 1¡¯11 take a different route from you.¡± ye jingtang nodded slightly and tilted his head to look at the cold side profile beside him. he couldn¡¯t find a topic to ease the atmosphere for the time being, so he put his hands together, interlocked his fingers, and put them against his mouth. then¡­ ¡°wooo¡ª wooo ¡° Chapter 99 - Chapter 99: Heroine Luo, You Can’t Afford to Lose? chapter 99: heroine luo, you can¡¯t afford to lose? translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°wooo-¡± a desolate melody that sounded like sand flying in the desert rang out at the bow of the boat. it was distant and desolate, but it didn¡¯t contain any sorrow. it gave people the feeling that they were in a desert with thousands of kilometers of yellow sand. a wanderer was riding a horse and slowly passing through thousands of kilometers of sand dunes¡­ ? a trace of surprise flashed across luo ning¡¯s beautiful eyes. she looked at ye jingtang¡¯s handsome side profile and had to admit that when this little thief didn¡¯t touch her, he was indeed unbelievably handsome, especially when he was playing music now¡­ the bird seemed to recall the times when it went on escort missions with ye jingtang. it jumped over, squatted between the two of them, and hummed. ¡°coo- chirp chirp-¡± because it had hummed many times in the past, it wasn¡¯t out of tune. luo ning¡¯s expression softened. she sat in front of ye jingtang and carried the bird into her lap. she lowered her head and silently stroked its wings as her skirt swayed in the wind above the river. after a long time, the song ended. ye jingtang lowered his hands and looked to the northwest. he felt somewhat nostalgic for the times when he was escorting in the gobi desert at the border. his foster father was walking in front drunkenly, and yang chao and the other old escorts were telling dirty jokes at the side. ¡°you¡¯re a man, yet you know how to play music?¡± ¡°it¡¯s a song from the desert of sha province. in the past, when i went on escort missions at the border of liang province, i often ran there. the road was long, so 1 learned to entertain myself. how was it?¡± so-so.¡± luo ning turned her head and looked around. ¡°what are you looking for?¡± ¡°a xiao flute, or a pipa will do¡­¡± ye jingtang looked at her red lips. ¡°heroine luo, you know how to play the flute?¡± luo ning¡¯s expression was cold, but there was a hint of pride in her eyes. ¡°i am a woman born in jiang province. 1 am proficient in music, go, calligraphy, and painting.¡± ¡°oh¡­¡± there was no flute on the boat, so ye jingtang couldn¡¯t say anything lewd like ¡®i have one here¡¯. he turned to look at the river bank. ¡°hold on.¡± then he flew up, stepped on the blue waves, and reached the river bank. tread, tread, tread¡­ soon, ye jingtang returned with a piece of green bamboo cut from the river. after returning to her side and sitting down, ye jingtang pulled out his saber, continuously cut the bamboo, and then used the tip of the saber to punch holes in it to make a very rough flute. he made it at the last minute, and there was basically no craftsmanship, but there were only two people and a bird in the world. it was fine as long as she could blow it and make sounds. the requirements were not that high. luo ning took the bamboo flute. after looking at it for a while, she brought it to her red lips. ¡°woo¡­ toot-toot¡­ woo- toot-toot-¡± under the bright moon, the two people and one bird sat side by side at the bow of the boat. the gentle melody of the flute with the charm of flowing water sounded. the sound quality was very rough and a little off-key, but it didn¡¯t affect the beauty and carefreeness of the scene. ye jingtang looked at the side of her beautiful face and found heroine luo looking at him coldly. he turned his gaze away and looked at the moon. after a while, luo ning put down the bamboo flute. perhaps she had also recalled her past and hometown, so her gaze was complicated. she took a deep breath and asked, ¡°what other songs do you know?¡± seeing that heroine luo was interested, ye jingtang thought for a moment, raised his palms again, and began to play a tune in his memory. ¡°wuwuwu- wuwuwu-¡± when the tune entered her ears, luo ning was slightly stunned. the tune was very pleasant, but she couldn¡¯t describe the style of the tune. she had never heard it before¡­ luo ning blinked and assumed the dignified and cool posture of a cult mistress as she listened attentively. but soon, she realized that ye jingtang was only playing a few tunes back and forth. she asked, ¡°why are you only blowing this?¡± because that¡¯s all 1 remember¡­ ye jingtang smiled and turned around. ¡°why don¡¯t i sing for you? ¡°you¡¯re a man, yet you know how to sing?¡± ¡°cough cough¡ªthe carrion has drawn a swarm of bloodthirsty ants-¡± (?-?)? luo ning tilted her head and opened her red lips slightly. before she could be shocked, ye jingtang couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore and raised his hand. ¡°forget it. this song is too advanced and not suitable. why don¡¯t we compose and recite poetry? hmm¡­¡± luo ning sat up straight, her eyes filled with suspicion. ¡°you can compose poetry?¡± ye jingtang was slightly proud. ¡°i grew up in the borders and traveled jianghu since 1 was young. i know a little bit about everything.¡± luo ning was already very surprised by ye jingtang¡¯s extraordinary martial arts skills and outstanding appearance. she really didn¡¯t believe that this little thief was also talented in literature. she thought for a moment and said, ¡°composing poetry isn¡¯t as simple as just humming a few sentences. do you think 1 don¡¯t have any knowledge because i¡¯m from jianghu?¡± ye jingtang smiled and said, ¡°why don¡¯t we make a bet? if 1 can compose a poem and you think it¡¯s pretty good, i¡¯ll win. otherwise, i¡¯ll lose. how about it?1 ii luo ning was not a silly little girl. she narrowed her eyes slightly. ¡°what do you want?¡± ye jingtang blinked and looked at heroine luo¡¯s red lips. ?! luo ning¡¯s expression turned cold, and she raised her sword again. ye jingtang smiled and said, ¡°if we want to bet, we have to bet big. if i lose, i will take off my clothes and swim naked to azure yang city from here.¡± ¡°chirp?¡± the bird¡¯s eyes lit up, indicating that it really wanted to see it. although luo ning felt that she might be at a disadvantage, ye jingtang¡¯s bet was really scary. driven by her curiosity and desire to win, she warned coldly, ¡°it must be a masterpiece with a neat rhythm. i¡¯ve read a lot of books. don¡¯t think of copying a random poem to fool me!¡± ¡°uh¡­¡± ye jingtang¡¯s expression froze, as if he was in a dilemma. seeing this, luo ning immediately gained confidence. her peach blossom eyes were slightly cold as she mocked in an ethereal and clear sisterly voice, ¡°what¡¯s wrong? you talked so big just now, but you don¡¯t dare to bet now?¡± ye jingtang deliberated for a long time before nodding. then he looked at the river and began mulling. h h luo ning looked at him coldly, not lacking confidence at all. after all, the bet was that she thought the poem was a masterpiece. even if ye jingtang really composed a poem with a neat rhythm, as long as she said that it was ordinary, he would still lose¡­ ¡°the west wind blew dongting¡¯s youthful face away; overnight, xiangjun¡¯s hair turned gray¡­.¡± just as she was thinking about her victory, words suddenly entered her ears. luo ning¡¯s expression froze slightly. she raised her eyes and looked blankly at the man beside her. ye jingtang turned his head and looked at her with a smile. ¡°drunk, she knows not the sky is afloat in the water; a boat laden with sweet dreams weighs down the milky way. heroine luo, what do you think?¡± ?! luo ning was stunned. looking at the handsome little thief with a smile on his face, she realized something. oh no, i fell into this little thief s trap! luo ning¡¯s expression turned cold. she stood up and wanted to run, but ye jingtang held her shoulder down. ye jingtang was slightly dissatisfied. ¡°heroine luo, do you want to go back on your word?¡± luo ning¡¯s face flushed red, and her eyes were full of shame and anger. ¡°little thief! you deliberately set me up, right? how could you have written this poem?¡± ye jingtang frowned. ¡°then, who do you think wrote it?¡± h ii luo ning had read a lot of books, but she had never seen or heard this poem. she gritted her teeth and retorted, ¡°dongting should be a lake. this is a river¡­¡± ¡°there¡¯s a small lake in liang province. 1 was touched by the scenery here and expressed my feelings.¡± ¡°then, who is xiangjun?¡± ye jingtang blinked. ¡°pei xiangjun. haven¡¯t you seen my boss?¡± ?? this sentence stunned luo ning and made her speechless. she thought for a moment and said, ¡°why does she have so much gray hair?¡± ¡°that¡¯s an exaggerated figure of speech. her family¡¯s business isn¡¯t doing well, so she¡¯s worried.¡± ye jingtang looked at the dumbfounded heroine luo, shook his head, and teased, ¡°heroine luo, 1 thought you really meant what you said. alas¡­ could it be that you think this poem is ordinary and not a good work?¡± ¡°you!¡± luo ning bit her lower lip and had nothing to say. she turned her head and pretended to be an iceberg fairy, ignoring ye jingtang. ye jingtang looked at luo ning for a moment and shook his head. he got up and placed the bird on his shoulder. ¡°forget it. let¡¯s go back. it¡¯s boring, right, bird?¡± ¡°chirp.¡± the bird nodded vigorously, feeling that sister little watermelons couldn¡¯t afford to play. luo ning¡¯s face alternated between red and white. seeing that ye jingtang was really about to leave, she said coldly, ¡°come back here! who can¡¯t afford to lose?¡± ye jingtang threw the bird aside and sat back down. he looked at luo ning, who was acting like a ¡®deceived heroine¡¯. ¡°is that so?¡± luo ning felt that she had been tricked, but she couldn¡¯t deny the bet she had agreed to. she pondered for a moment and said, ¡°you must be cheating. if you can compose another poem i¡¯ve never heard before, and it¡¯s a good work, i¡¯ll believe you.¡± ye jingtang said helplessly, ¡°heroine luo, this is against the rules. the bet just now has been concluded. if you want me to compose another poem to prove myself, it should be after you fulfill the bet and we make another bet. otherwise, if you keep asking me to prove myself, won¡¯t you be unreasonable?¡± luo ning gritted her teeth. her eyes were full of anger as she looked at the flowing river without saying anything. ye jingtang felt that this was tacit agreement. he blinked and moved closer to her cold face. luo ning¡¯s entire body tensed up, and her hands gripped the corner of her dress tightly. she wanted to lean back and dodge, but in the end, she didn¡¯t move due to the bet. she only closed her beautiful peach blossom-like eyes and put on the appearance of a humiliated heroine who said, ¡°there¡¯s no greater sorrow than a dead heart. even if you get my body, you won¡¯t be able to get my heart.¡± two streams of tears rolled down from the corners of her eyes. ¡°wu-¡± their lips met, eliciting a low cry. luo ning¡¯s shoulders trembled slightly, and her mind instantly went blank. this time, it was much clearer than the last time. the man¡¯s scorching breath brushed across her face, and an indescribable touch impacted her mind, making her feel dizzy. it became difficult for her to even sit properly. there was no one on the two banks of the river, and the light in the middle of the river was like a bean. the man and woman stood at the bow of the ship, leaning against each other.. there was no more sound, only countless tender feelings¡­ Chapter 100 - Chapter 100: On the Limpid River, the Moon Moves Closer and Closer… chapter 100: on the limpid river, the moon moves closer and closer¡­ translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios sizzle- a soft sound echoed at the bow of the ship, and it seemed as though there was only the small boat left in the world. the bird squatted at the back and looked at them curiously. it waved its wings, saying that it definitely wouldn¡¯t leave. it wasn¡¯t until ye jingtang raised three fingers, indicating that the bird could eat as much as it wanted for three days, that it was satisfied and quietly flew away from the boat. the peerless iceberg beauty sat at the bow of the ship in a daze. her teeth had been pried open at some point in time. she curled her hands in front of her helplessly. this was the first time ye jingtang had kissed his sweetheart passionately. it was a little unrealistic to say that he could maintain absolute rationality. as he kissed her, he got a little carried away, and his hands couldn¡¯t help¡­ wu?! luo ning didn¡¯t know how much time had passed. the abnormal movement in front of her instantly made her come back to her senses, and she quickly moved back. her face was red as she glared at ye jingtang! ye jingtang sat down calmly, pretending that nothing had happened. ¡°okay, let¡¯s continue. do you still want to bet?¡± luo ning glared at ye jingtang for a long time before suppressing the countless emotions in her eyes and turning cold again. ¡°compose another poem now. if you can¡¯t do it, i¡­¡± she touched the soft sword at her waist and looked at the position of little jingtang. ye jingtang smiled and looked at heroine luo, whose red lips were moist and glistening. ¡°you mean you still want to bet? if i can¡¯t do it, you¡¯ll castrate me. if i can do it, what will you do?¡± luo ning wasn¡¯t stupid. she said in a deep voice, ¡°1 don¡¯t believe that your poetry talent is better than your martial arts talent. you must have come prepared and deliberately made a bet to deceive me. if you can compose another poem on the spot according to my request, i¡¯ll believe you.¡± ? according to your request¡­ ye jingtang¡¯s expression froze. this time, he was really lacking in confidence. in order to make heroine luo give up, he leaned close to her ear. ¡°alright. if 1 can do it, you¡­¡± he probably wanted her to give him her watermelons, a big mouthful of them¡­ ?! luo ning¡¯s beautiful eyes widened, and her face flushed red. she raised the soft sword at her waist. ¡°you shameless little thief! how can you say such a thing? i¡­¡± ye jingtang knew that heroine luo wouldn¡¯t agree. he shrugged. ¡°heroine luo, it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t dare to bet. let¡¯s end it here. hmm¡­ it¡¯s not far from azure yang city. i¡¯ll go back first. heroine luo, you don¡¯t have to send me off¡­¡± this move was to take the opportunity to retreat while ahead so that he wouldn¡¯t be exposed and beaten to death. but luo ning was not stupid. when she realized that ye jingtang wanted to escape, she understood that this little thief lacked confidence. she said angrily, ¡°stop!¡± ye jingtang paused and blinked. ¡°heroine luo, are you really going to make this bet with me?¡± luo ning didn¡¯t dare to bet at first, but when she saw ye jingtang¡¯s timidity, she immediately became bold. she placed her sword on ye jingtang¡¯s shoulder and said coldly, ¡°fine, let¡¯s bet. if you compose a poem according to my request, i¡¯ll let you have your wish. if you can¡¯t do it, i¡¯ll castrate you!¡± ye jingtang looked at the three-foot-long blade on his shoulder. ¡°hmm¡­ heroine luo, you definitely won¡¯t really let me do that. why don¡¯t we change the bet? if 1 can¡¯t do it, i will swim back to azure yang city naked¡­¡± luo ning could tell that ye jingtang was admitting defeat and wanted to reduce his losses. her eyes became more and more angry. ¡°no way!¡± however, it was indeed impossible to castrate ye jingtang. she thought for a moment and changed her words. ¡°if you lose, kowtow three times to the heavenly south and join the pacifying heaven cult¡­¡± ¡°huh? then, i won¡¯t be your disciple?¡± ¡°what disciple?¡± how could luo ning do such a stupid thing as ¡®feeding her disciple with her body¡¯? she said coldly, ¡°you will be an underling who just entered the pacifying heaven cui, the kind who carries water and sweeps the floor. and you won¡¯t receive any benefits. if you are still alive after this, you will be a member of the pacifying heaven cult. and if you die, you will be a ghost of the pacifying heaven cult!¡± ¡°uh¡­¡± to be honest, this bet was a little difficult to accept. but ye jingtang had just kissed heroine luo for a long time. he couldn¡¯t blame anyone for being stuck in this tough position. he could only say, ¡°alright, let¡¯s bet on this. from now on, i will join the pacifying heaven cult. i¡¯ll kowtow¡­¡± ? luo ning tightened her grip on her sword. ¡°you haven¡¯t even composed a poem, yet you¡¯re just admitting defeat? 1 knew you deceived me, you little thief. you¡­¡± ¡°oh, alright.¡± ye jingtang had forgotten about this and sat up straight. ¡°okay, make your request. 1¡¯11 try my best to make a desperate struggle.¡± luo ning could tell that ye jingtang really didn¡¯t have any confidence. her heart softened for a moment, and she didn¡¯t make things difficult for him. she came up with a relatively simple request. ¡°compose a poem using the river and the moon as the theme. if you can do it, i¡¯ll believe you.¡± river, moon¡­ ye jingtang blinked. is she deliberately going easy? his aura immediately returned, and he sat up straighter. ¡°mm¡­ i moor my boat by the misty shore; the day is late, my traveler¡¯s sorrow renews. in vast fields, the sky lowers itself to the trees; on the limpid river, the moon moves closer and closer. what do you think?¡± luo ning¡¯s cold expression froze. her red lips parted slightly as she stared at ye jingtang in disbelief. ye jingtang wanted to laugh, but he didn¡¯t dare. he coughed lightly and sat closer. ¡°heroine luo, you set such a simple request. my win really wasn¡¯t too fair. sigh¡­ look at how embarrassed we are now¡­¡± luo ning gritted her white teeth tightly. after her initial shock, her beautiful peach blossom eyes slowly turned misty. she looked like an innocent heroine who had been deceived by a playboy. after glaring at ye jingtang for a moment, luo ning angrily threw her sword aside and raised her hands to unbutton her collar. with tears in her eyes, it looked like she was really being bullied. seeing that the situation wasn¡¯t right, ye jingtang hurriedly held luo ning¡¯s hands. ¡°don¡¯t worry about it. i was just joking. if you¡¯re unwilling, how could i force you¡­¡± ¡°get your hands off me!¡± luo ning¡¯s voice was sobbing and trembling as she untied her collar stubbornly. as she untied it, tears fell, and she even sobbed twice. ye jingtang raised his hands and pulled up her collar. ¡°okay, we¡¯re just sitting together to chat and joke. it¡¯s meaningless to cry. let¡¯s change the conditions. 1 will change my bet, so it¡¯s only right for you to change your agreement. you won¡¯t be going back on your word and reneging on the bet.¡± tears welled up in luo ning¡¯s eyes as she sobbed twice. she didn¡¯t say anything, but she stopped untying her collar. ye jingtang pondered seriously. ¡°hmm¡­ heroine luo, let¡¯s change it to you letting me kiss you every day. what do you think?¡± luo ning¡¯s lips moved, looking like she didn¡¯t want to agree. ¡°how about letting me hug you once a day? if this doesn¡¯t work, forget it. i¡¯ll just pretend that what happened just now didn¡¯t exist.¡± luo ning¡¯s eyes softened a little. she seemed to be able to accept this reluctantly. ye jingtang stretched out his pinky, moved it to luo ning¡¯s hand, and made a hook. ¡°it¡¯s a deal! from now on, i¡¯ll hug you once a day. heroine luo, you can¡¯t refuse, can¡¯t say that i¡¯m lecherous, and can¡¯t be angry or cry.¡± luo ning didn¡¯t move her fingers, but she still let him hook her pinky with his. then she raised her hand to wipe the corners of her eyes and stood up. ¡°we¡¯ve arrived at azure yang city. go yourself. yunli is still waiting. i¡¯m leaving.¡± ye jingtang stood up and sent her off. ¡°shall i wait for you and yunli at the dock tomorrow?¡± luo ning didn¡¯t say anything.. she jumped down from the bow of the ship, tapped the sparkling river surface with her toes, and moved farther and farther away¡­ Chapter 101 - Chapter 101: Something Happened to the Young Master! chapter 101: something happened to the young master! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios pitter-patter¡­ it was late at night when it suddenly started to drizzle outside azure yang city. the ferry of the red flower pavilion was moored at the port outside azure yang city. many disciples were patrolling around the ship, paying attention to the surrounding disturbances. at a window on the second floor of the deckhouse, the faint light of a candle could be seen burning on the table. the dim yellow light illuminated the bird sleeping on a pillow, as well as the side profile of the mature beauty. scrape¡­ scrape¡­ a white porcelain cup lid gently rubbed against a teacup. the tea had been cold for a long time, but pei xiangjun didn¡¯t notice it at all. she still took a sip from time to time and sighed faintly. how did jingtang get together with the moon goddess? when did the two of them meet¡­ second brother just passed away last month. it might have been on his way to the capital¡­ but jingtang is only an escort, and the moon goddess¡¯s husband is the invincible pacifying heaven cult master under the mountains. it¡¯s said that the pacifying heaven cult master¡¯s appearance isn¡¯t bad either, so how could she have feelings for jingtang¡­ is it because jingtang is so handsome¡­ perhaps the pacifying heaven cult took a fancy to jingtang1 s heavenly beauty and sent the cult mistress to seduce him¡­ sister-in-lawsaid that at jingtang1 s age, he is the most unable to withstand eider sisters. with the moon goddess¡¯s beauty and experience, as well as the methods of a married woman, wouldn¡¯t it be easy to capture jingtang¡­ thinking of this, pei xiangjun instantly felt regret. back then, when she saw the handsome and talented ye jingtang, she should have been wary of him being poached by the forces of jianghu. her sister-in-law had even persuaded her to find a beauty to tie jingtang up first. if it really didn¡¯t work, she could do it herself. but she saw that jingtang had someone he loved, so she didn¡¯t follow up on this matter. now, he¡¯s being taken away by the pacifying heaven cult. no, he¡¯s even going with my spear technique¡­ if jingtang runs away, won¡¯t the red flower pavilion be finished? while she was deep in thought, footsteps suddenly sounded from outside her room. knock knock! the third-in-command, chen yuanqing, had come to the door. he didn¡¯t even dare to alarm the disciples and whispered, ¡°pavilion lord, something happened to the young master.¡± ?! pei xiangjun¡¯s hand holding the teacup trembled slightly. she hurriedly stood up and went to the door. she looked at chen yuanqing, who was drenched and slightly pale. ¡°uncle chen, what happened?¡± chen yuanqing¡¯s expression was solemn. ¡°the young master killed someone.¡± ? when pei xiangjun heard that it was a murder, she secretly relaxed. she looked at the pitch-black port under the rain and asked softly, ¡°who did he kill?¡± chen yuanqing didn¡¯t say anything, but his complicated gaze and stiff expression indicated that someone who shouldn¡¯t have been killed had died outside azure yang city¡­ earlier, at the zhou manor¡­ the banquet outside ended, and the visiting guests returned to their rooms to rest. the atmosphere in the zhou family¡¯s ancestral residence was extremely oppressive. even the working servants didn¡¯t dare to breathe loudly. there was a light on in the study of the main residence, and the silhouettes of two people were by the window. zhou huaili, who had returned from the banquet, leaned back in his armchair. he no longer had the smile on his face. his face was ashen, and his clenched fingers were making cracking sounds. on the chair in front of the desk, zhou ying, the son who had competed today, had suffered a heavy blow to his chest. at this moment, his face was still rather pale as he said softly, ¡°in recent years, we have invested tens of thousands of taels of silver just to renovate the clear river wharf, build ships, and bribe shipyards, merchants, and officials everywhere. also, we¡¯ve already discussed the port with xuanyuan hongzhi, and xuanyuan hongzhi even helped speak up today. but the clear river wharf has been lost. with xuanyuan hongzhi¡¯s temperament, he will definitely make our zhou family repay this favor¡­¡± when zhou huaili was born, his family was still a small family that forged for a living. he had worked hard for decades to build up the current family fortune, but a piece of his flesh had suddenly been cut off, and his reputation had been damaged. how could he endure this? but losing a port was still a small matter. zhou huaili said with a gloomy expression, ¡°the clear river wharf is just an industry. it has nothing to do with life and death. in recent years, we¡¯ve offended the red flower pavilion to death. today, because of jian yuhua, ye silang wanted to kill me. the day ye silang becomes one of the eighth chiefs will be the day our zhou family suffers a calamity!¡± zhou ying naturally knew how rude they had been to the red flower pavilion over the years. he leaned closer. ¡°how about writing a letter to second uncle?¡± ¡°the matter started because of me. if ye silang really wants to exterminate the family, your second uncle might come back. but in this situation, it¡¯s impossible for him to care about me, his elder brother.¡± zhou ying thought for a moment. ¡°with ye silang¡¯s talent, as long as he matures, second uncle might not be able to suppress him. if we don¡¯t do anything, it will be raising a tiger to cause trouble¡­ why don¡¯t we go¡­¡± zhou huaili was silent for a moment. ¡°the pacifying heaven cult has spoken today. if we do things now, it is tantamount to slapping the pacifying heaven cult¡¯s face. the red flower pavilion has stepped on our zhou family, so they will definitely talk about the rules with other sects. li hunyuan of yun province¡¯s baoyuan school has eaten the properties of a helm master of the red flower pavilion this year. the two forces are negotiating. i think ye silang will go to the baoyuan school next.¡± ¡°father, do you mean that we should wait and see?¡± zhou huaili didn¡¯t respond. he just stared at the moonlight outside with a stern look in his eyes. while the father and son were chatting, the third master, zhou huaiyi, walked in from outside. when he reached the window, he whispered, ¡°we found her. second girl and yuhua are at yellow pine pier. do you want me to bring her back?¡± zhou huaili looked angry. ¡°if he hadn¡¯t spoken up today, the red flower pavilion would have retreated. how could we have ended up in this situation? we worked so hard to raise him for two years, but in exchange, we got an ingrate¡­¡± zhou ying interrupted, ¡°grandfather just fell asleep. today, grandfather asked second sister to go out, meaning that he won¡¯t hold senior brother jian accountable. if something happens to grandfather because of anger, it will be difficult for us to explain to second uncle.¡± zhou huaili took a deep breath. after a long silence, he got up, took a sword from a sword stand, and hung it at his waist. ¡°i will go and bring second girl back personally. third brother, look for a good family and let second girl go far away. don¡¯t let this matter spread, and don¡¯t let father know.¡± zhou huaiyi hesitated for a moment, but it was impossible for the zhou family to use jian yuhua anymore. jun mountain terrace was also full of resentment. if he wasn¡¯t eliminated, zhou huaili and jun mountain terrace wouldn¡¯t be able to suppress their anger. he immediately sighed softly and turned to leave. seeing zhou huaili about to leave, zhou ying thought for a moment and advised, ¡°jian yuhua¡¯s talent is extraordinary. he¡¯s not on the same path as us, but he still remembers grandfather¡¯s kindness. why don¡¯t you bring him back to correct him and give him another chance?¡± zhou huaili held the hilt of his sword and walked out of the door. he turned to look at his son. ¡°your grandfather will die sooner or later. if your grandfather dies, who else will jian yuhua remember the favor of in the zhou family? since jian yuhua dares to leave today, it means he cut off all ties with you and me. do you think that if 1 let him off and let him stay in the zhou family as a son-in-law, he will be grateful to me in the future? his talent isn¡¯t low either. if he¡¯s given ten years to mature, he will only become a sword hanging above the zhou family¡¯s head. after i die, do you think you can suppress him?¡± zhou ying was naturally no match for jian yuhua. it was the same now, and it would be the same in the future. after a long silence, he nodded slightly and didn¡¯t say anything else. whoosh! a gust of night wind blew past, and there was no longer anyone in front of the door¡­ Chapter 102 - Chapter 102: Enemies On A Narrow Road chapter 102: enemies on a narrow road translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios suddenly, the flowing clouds came and covered the bright moonlight. the riverside turned completely dark, and thunder rumbled. ye jingtang, wearing a bamboo hat, was pacing slowly outside the port. the night wind gradually blew away the sweet feeling of being with heroine luo, and all kinds of messy worries surged into his mind. dumdum is very good to me. be it out of the righteousness of the worid or out of personal righteousness, i can only think of ways to recruit the pacifying heaven cult. how should i persuade xue baijin to surrender¡­ i stole her wife, and i plan to ask her to surrender. am i a villain¡­ there¡¯s also third lady. i can¡¯t tell third lady that xue baijin is a woman. how should 1 explain this¡­ i stole someone else¡¯s woman and said that the pacifying heaven cult wouldn¡¯t deal with the red flower pavilion. it would be strange if third lady believed it¡­ ye jingtang looked up and saw that there were still lights on on the second floor of the ferry in the distance. the mature beauty was sitting with her back facing the window on the second floor. although he didn¡¯t look very carefully, he could still feel the resentment and sorrow emanating from her bones from afar. ¡°sigh¡­¡± ye jingtang rubbed his forehead and remained silent for a while. but he still put on a peaceful and warm expression and walked toward the ferry. but just as he entered the port, a figure walked out from the shadows. ¡°jingtang?¡± ye jingtang thought that third lady was waiting for him and was shocked. but when he turned around, he saw the patrolling second-in-command, song chi, walk out. song chi, who was wearing a brocade robe, walked up to him with a serious expression. ¡°we haven¡¯t left azure yang city yet. the zhou family might be making moves secretly. it¡¯s very risky to walk outside alone. be careful.¡± ye jingtang cupped his hands and bowed. ¡°i¡¯ve always been on guard. thank you for your concern, uncle song.¡± song chi placed his hands behind his back and fell silent for a moment. ¡°that jian yuhua today is a good seedling. i like him, but it¡¯s a pity that he met someone unvirtuous. if he can become a disciple of our red flower pavilion, we will have another general in the future.¡± ye jingtang indeed had a good impression of jiang yuhua. he asked, ¡°uncle song, do you know where he is?¡± ¡°he snuck here to look for a boat just now. yuanqing followed him to take a look. they¡¯re at yellow pine pier.¡± ye jingtang nodded slightly. he didn¡¯t know how to explain to third lady now, so he simply turned around and said, ¡°let¡¯s go and take a look. i¡¯ll see if i can make him join us.¡± song chi and ye jingtang walked out of the port together. after some thought, song chi said, ¡°changqing¡¯s talent isn¡¯t good, and i have taken root in the powerful heavenly south. if 1 don¡¯t have a successor, the red flower pavilion¡¯s influence in the south will¡­¡± ¡°uncle song, you want jian yuhua to enter the white tiger hall?¡± song chi sighed. ¡°if we really poach him back, third lady will definitely pull him into the azure dragon hall and let that kid learn spearmanship. let¡¯s just keep this between us. as an elder, 1¡¯11 teach you fist techniques later¡­¡± ye jingtang shook his head and chuckled. ¡°uncle song, you can go over and recruit him yourself. why are you calling me over?¡± song chi waved his hand. ¡°i am the hall master of the white tiger hall after all. how can i deceive my superiors and secretly line my pockets? when you take charge of the red flower pavilion in the future, you will make things difficult for me. won¡¯t 1 feel terrible?¡± ¡°uncle song, you¡¯re being too serious¡­¡± azure yang city was a large city in ze province. farther east was the cloud dream swamp, and jun mountain terrace was on the other side of the cloud dream swamp. for this reason, there were many ports around azure yang city. most of them were along the clear river, and another portion was at the mouth of a tributary that headed to the cloud dream swamp. pitter-patter¡­ it was already late at night, and it suddenly started to rain again. the inside and outside of azure yang city fell into a dead silence, leaving only the sound of the rain. ye jingtang held his bamboo hat on his head and silently passed through the streets and alleys covered in sewage with song chi. they arrived at a small dock on the east side of azure yang city. the dock was a small dock that usually transported groceries. there were a few warehouses around it and some cargo ships anchored by the river. some lights could be seen on the small street in the distance, but the dock was completely dark. ye jingtang followed song chi. when they turned around the alley, he realized that there was some light coming from a small window in a warehouse in the distance. ye jingtang was about to go over when song chi raised his hand to stop him. sensing that something was wrong, ye jingtang instantly stopped and listened carefully. he heard sounds coming from the old warehouse. mwah¡ª the breathing of a man and a woman, as well as strange sounds, which sounded similar to his kiss with heroine luo¡­ ?! song chi¡¯s calm and reserved expression froze. ye jingtang was also baffled. he looked at the second-in-command beside him. uh¡­ what should we do? song chi really didn¡¯t expect to encounter such an awkward matter when he brought the young master here to take in a disciple. but since he was already here, he couldn¡¯t turn around and go back. therefore, the young master and second-in-command of the red flower pavilion were like old perverts listening at the base of a wall in the middle of the night. they sneakily leaned against the wall and listened to the sounds inside. fortunately, the people inside didn¡¯t embarrass the two big shots of jianghu too much. soon, they spoke again. ¡°why don¡¯t we take the clear river route? if we take the cloud dream swamp route, we might bump into the people of jun mountain terrace¡­¡± ¡°i just went to the riverside to take a look. there are people watching the dock. we¡¯ll be discovered if we board the ship.¡± ¡°it¡¯s all thanks to that young master ye today. otherwise¡­¡± ¡°sigh, master has always had this temper. it¡¯s my fault for not practicing my martial arts well. otherwise, i wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this¡­¡± ye jingtang was listening intently when song chi¡¯s ears suddenly twitched, and he raised his hand slightly. rustle, rustle, rustle¡­ the sound of rushing wind approached from the rain. the sound was extremely quiet. if not for the fact that it was drizzling and it was difficult to hide the traces, he would probably not have noticed it until the sound was very close. ye jingtang¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. he leaned against the wall under the eaves outside the warehouse and became motionless while paying attention to above him. whoosh¡­ a black shadow appeared above the alley and flashed past, making it difficult to see the figure clearly. at this moment, the conversation in the warehouse stopped. soon, steady footsteps sounded from the river opposite the warehouse. tap, tap, tap¡­ the warehouse on the small dock was full of goods such as clay pots and stones. there was only a small lock on the door. at this moment, it had already been opened. there was a small candle placed above a pile of limestone tiles. jian yuhua was leaning against the wall with his sleeves rolled up. his arms were bruised, and his face looked a little weak. a woman dressed as a young lady was holding medicine in her hand and was originally applying it to his arms. but at this moment, the two of them were silent, and their expressions were solemn as they looked at the door of the old warehouse. tread, tread¡­ the familiar and steady footsteps gradually approached, and every sound seemed to hammer their hearts. their faces gradually turned pale as the footsteps approached. swish swish¡­ jian yuhua stood up with his back against the wail, his arms drooping weakly, as he looked at the door silently. the woman¡¯s eyes were full of fear.. she stood up and stood in front of jian yuhua¡­ Chapter 103 - Chapter 103: Courting Death? chapter 103: courting death? translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios squeak! the old door of the warehouse was pushed open, and a gust of wind and rain blew in. lightning flashed, and a figure with a sword at his waist appeared outside the door with his hand on the hilt of his sword. only the outline of a body as steady as a mountain could be seen. ¡°father¡­¡± the woman¡¯s face was pale. she spread her arms and stood in front of jian yuhua, her eyes filled with sorrow and despair. jian yuhua seemed to have expected this. his reaction was rather calm. ¡°second miss, you should go back first. i¡¯ll apologize to master and go back later.¡± the woman shook her head vigorously. there were tears in her eyes, but she couldn¡¯t say anything. thump! with a soft sound, the woman¡¯s eyes lost focus, and her body went limp. jian yuhua raised his hands to catch her and slowly put her down. he leaned against the wall, walked to the pile of junk, and took out a wooden stick that was the handle of a hoe. ¡°master, are you really that heartless?¡± zhou huaili walked forward slowly, his eyes indifferent. ¡°in the past two years, i have treated you as my own and given you everything. half my lifetime of hard work was lost in today¡¯s battle. i already reminded you beforehand. i didn¡¯t want you to win. i just wanted you to remain silent. why couldn¡¯t you control your mouth?¡± jian yuhua held a long stick in his hand, and his eyes no longer showed his usual admiration. ¡°my fu family of liang province has been loyal for three hundred years. my family lived and died with the country. we have never had an unfilial son. we¡¯re different from your zhou family, this kind of jianghu folk family.¡± ¡°hehe¡­¡± zhou huaili nodded slightly and slowly unsheathed his sword. whoosh! a faint trembling sound appeared in the old warehouse. under the candlelight, a cold light gradually rose. but suddenly, wobbly footsteps sounded from the alley outside¡­ tap, tap, tap, tap¡­ ¡°get drunk while wine is still available, then worry about tomorrow when it comes¡­ cutting running water with a sword, ¡¯twill faster flow. drink wine to drown your sorrow, it will heavier grow.¡± it seemed that this man had drunk too much wine, making his voice sound a little hoarse. the two of them paused and turned to look at the source of the voice. tap, tap, tap¡­ soon, the footsteps moved from the wall to the door. lightning flashed, and a drunk man wearing a bamboo hat staggered to the door with a long saber in his hand and a wine bottle in his other. his entire body was drenched by the rain. ¡°burp! why¡­ are people here¡­ get lost. this is my territory¡­¡± zhou huaili had come out alone because he didn¡¯t want his father and outsiders to hear about him killing his disciple. when he saw an outsider barge in, his face turned cold, and he said in a low voice, ¡°get lost.¡± his voice was murderous! the man wearing the bamboo hat at the door looked around a few times, revealing an incomparably handsome face. but the bamboo hat was covering his eyes. ¡°heh! yes¡­ it¡¯s a friend from jianghu doing something. old man, are you preparing to kill and rape?¡± zhou huai¡¯s eyes were full of anger as he turned around. seeing this, jian yuhua hurriedly said, ¡°brother, this is a private matter¡­¡± ¡°this dock is my territory. i sleep here every day¡­¡± the man staggered into the warehouse and held the hilt of his saber with both hands. he was drunk but heroic. ¡°kid¡­ don¡¯t be afraid. no one can¡­ kill and rape in my territory. go. i¡¯ll deal with him¡­¡± zhou huaili¡¯s eyes were full of anger. he unsheathed his three-foot-long sword and pointed it at the drunk man in front of him. ¡°i am zhou huaili. are you blind?¡± ¡°zhou huaili¡­ haha¡­ never heard of you.¡± swoosh! the next moment, a cold light flashed in the old warehouse. the three-foot-long blade was like a slithering snake as it stabbed out like lightning, aiming for the bamboo hat man¡¯s throat. jian yuhua¡¯s expression changed drastically, and he wanted to raise his stick to block. but what he didn¡¯t expect was that the drunkard quickly retreated as soon as the sword light came out. in an instant, he retreated to the wall, and the saber in his hand flashed. bam! the wall beside him was instantly shattered, and a hole appeared, revealing the sewage alley under the rain. swoosh, swoosh, swoosh¡­ the warehouse fell silent. zhou huali¡¯s casual strike missed. he sensed that this drunkard was definitely not an ordinary person, and caution flashed in his eyes. crack! the man stood up straight, slowly sheathed his hornless dragon saber, and leaned against the wall, his bamboo hat slightly tilted. ¡°go.¡± jian yuhua¡¯s arms were severely injured, and he had no combat strength. seeing that the bamboo hat man was an expert who had drawn his saber to help, he didn¡¯t say anything else. he slowly retreated, picked up the unconscious woman, and moved toward the wall. tread, tread¡­ zhou huaili¡¯s eyes were furious as he locked his gaze on the bamboo hat man. ¡°who are you?¡± the man held his saber and didn¡¯t speak. from time to time, he would burp. it was only when jian yuhua walked out of the hole beside him and left quickly that he slowly stood up and was no longer drunk. ¡°do you know why i let him go?¡± ¡°you want to die for him?¡± ¡°i¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll recognize me, and i¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll plead for you.¡± the man slowly raised his bamboo hat, revealing his sharp eyebrows and starry eyes. ?! zhou huaili recognized who it was from the murderous eyes, and his heart skipped a beat. ¡°ye silang¡­¡± ¡°good eyesight.¡± holding the three-foot-long blade in his hand, zhou huaili looked around from the corner of his eyes, obviously looking for hidden experts from the red flower pavilion. ¡°there¡¯s no need to look. it¡¯s just me.¡± zhou huaili didn¡¯t notice anyone jumping out of the dark, and a trace of confusion flashed across his eyes. ¡°are you here to die?¡± ye jingtang took off his bamboo hat, threw it aside, and raised his saber. ¡°right.¡± rustle, rustle, rustle¡­ the old dock fell silent. there was only a little candlelight left, swaying slightly in the night wind. zhou huaili had seen ye jingtang¡¯s martial arts skills today. he was very powerful, but with this overlord spear, he could only fight jian yuhua. he was definitely not his match. he thought about it and felt that there must be an ambush around him. otherwise, ye jingtang wouldn¡¯t be so bold. zhou huaili pondered for a moment and didn¡¯t try to kill this great enemy from the red flower pavilion. instead, he moved slowly toward the door. ye jingtang raised his saber and looked at him calmly, but he had no intention of chasing after him. tread, tread¡­ soon, zhou huaili retreated outside the warehouse. with a light tap of his feet, his figure soared into the sky and disappeared outside the warehouse. but the next moment, an explosion sounded under the rainy night! boom! the sound was like thunder. the roof of the old warehouse instantly caved in, as if a thousand-pound object had smashed into it. clatter! the entire roof collapsed, and zhou huaili fell from above. song chi¡¯s eyes widened as he fell from above. there was a sword wound under his ribs, but he ignored it. he punched zhou huaili¡¯s chest again. bam! a punch was thrown out, and the sound was like thunder. as the rain and debris fell from the roof, the fist wind blew them away, forming a ring-shaped dust wave visible to the naked eye. zhou huali¡¯s martial arts skills were far inferior to the current sword saint, but to be able to be the sect master of the water cloud sword pool, he was by no means an ordinary person. he thrust his sword in the air, aiming it at song chi¡¯s right shoulder, wanting him to stop and block the attack. but this move failed to force the valiant fist of song chi to stop. thud! the tip of the sword pierced into his flesh, accompanied by a muffled sound. zhou huaili¡¯s falling speed increased sharply, and his face turned red, but he still didn¡¯t lose his composure. he spun in the air and stabbed at ye jingtang below. swish! the sharp sword cry was almost shrill, like a volley of arrows being fired.. the three-foot-long blade stabbed down from the air, and in the blink of an eye, it was already above ye jingtang¡¯s head! Chapter 104 - Chapter 104: A True Man Doesn’t Let Grudges Last Overnight chapter 104: a true man doesn¡¯t let grudges last overnight translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios clang! in the warehouse filled with rubble, a cold light flashed! the moment zhou huaili broke through the roof, ye jingtang stepped heavily on the ground and flew up. he held the saber in his left hand and unsheathed the silver blade like a white rainbow penetrating the sun, accurately striking at the tip of the stabbing sword. thump! an ethereal sound rang out. accompanying it was the sound of robes tearing. zhou huaili was extremely skilled in swordsmanship. he blocked with the flat of his sword, and the blade curved and flicked toward ye jingtang¡¯s shoulder, instantly piercing through the black robe. this move could have severed ye jingtang¡¯s tendons and crippled his left arm. but when the sword tip bounced up, what it brought out was not flesh and blood but undamaged silver soft armor! almost at the same time, the surging power contained in the saber spread from the sword to zhou huaili¡¯s body. zhou huaili had nowhere to borrow strength in the air. how could his 125-pound physique withstand ye jingtang¡¯s full strength from the ground? his body instantly bounced upward. ¡°haa!¡± the falling song chi shouted. he lowered his elbow and threw an extremely fierce elbow strike at the back of zhou huaili¡¯s head, wanting to kill him with one blow. but the reputation of zhou huaili¡¯s sword skills was definitely not undeserved. the sword was smashed in front of him by ye jingtang¡¯s explosive attack. zhou huali directly blocked the blade with his arm. thump! the blade curved and bounced back around his body. it almost bent into a half arc as it accurately pointed toward song chi¡¯s heart. song chi¡¯s fight style was valiant, and he dared to exchange injuries for injuries, but he definitely wouldn¡¯t do something stupid like exchanging his life for an injury. he immediately retracted his elbow and kneed zhou huaili in the side of his waist. bam! although he had nowhere to borrow strength in the air, he still kneed zhou huaili sideways and smashed him through the old wall of the warehouse. boom! bricks exploded! zhou huaili was fighting one against two, and he was still basically unharmed. he even exchanged a few ruthless moves with the two of them, but he knew that he would definitely be at a disadvantage if the fight continued. the moment he broke the wall, he wanted to fly into the city. but just as zhou huaili¡¯s feet landed on the riverbank, a sound came from behind him. swoosh! the violent saber wind broke through the rain, bringing with it the almost shrill sound of the wind breaking! when he received the first saber attack just now, zhou huaili was still doubtful. but when this strike attacked from behind with a terrifying aura, he was certain that this was the eight-steps frenzied blade that had disappeared from jianghu for thirty years! if it were anyone else, they would most likely be caught off guard by this attack. but zheng feng had been one of the ¡®three heroes of cloud lake¡¯ back then, and zhou huaili was from ze province. he and zhen feng were of the same generation, so it was impossible for them not to have sparred. although the power of the saber behind him was far more terrifying than zheng feng¡¯s, zhou huaili was not the zhou huaili in his twenties. zhou huaili didn¡¯t even turn around when the saber came. he raised his left hand and slapped the sword in his right hand. thump! the blade bent in front of him and bounced behind him again. all the raindrops along the way were shattered into white mist. ye jingtang exploded with his full strength and slashed at zhou huaili¡¯s left waist. although he was already on guard against the ¡®returning horse sword¡¯, the tip of the sword suddenly popped out from zhou huaili¡¯s left shoulder and stabbed at him, shocking him. but when he saw zhou huaili stabbing at his heart, ye jingtang ignored the attack and slashed down with all his might. zhou huaili¡¯s sword strike hit ye jingtang¡¯s heart first. it was a one-hit sure-kill technique. even with the silver soft armor that ye jingtang was wearing, he was confident of piercing through it. but after the unbeatable sword pierced through ye jingtang¡¯s robe and soft armor, it hit something and couldn¡¯t advance any farther, causing the sword edge to bend instantly. crack! the saber slashed down without any hesitation! zhou huaili dodged sideways, but a bloody wound instantly appeared under his left rib, and two of his ribs were broken! ¡°haa! song chi had already rushed over with large strides, looking like a ferocious tiger in the forest. when he was still 30 feet away, he had already pounced forward and punched the unsteady zhou huaili¡¯s back. boom! the heavy punch landed on flesh, and the sound of tearing flesh sounded at the same time. the raindrops from the sky exploded on zhou huaili¡¯s back, and he flew forward and hit a stone platform by the river. bam! zhou huaili¡¯s swordsmanship could be considered to have reached perfection. if it were a one-on-one battle, song chi might not be able to gain an advantage, and ye jingtang wasn¡¯t his match at all. however, facing two martial madmen, one with a precious treasure that he couldn¡¯t break through the defense of and the other who traded injuries for injuries and was unafraid of death, how could he deal with them with just a single sword? zhou huaili slammed into the stone platform horizontally and fell to the ground where sewage was flowing. he spat out a mouthful of blood. but before he could get up, the saber slashed down again without any pause. ¡°haa!¡± ye jingtang was furious at zhou huaili¡¯s unreasonable words and threats in the zhou manor today. the occasion hadn¡¯t been right, so he couldn¡¯t flip the table. now that he had seized the opportunity, how could he let the grudge last overnight? ye jingtang had no intention of holding back. he leaped up, spun in the air, and slashed at zhou huaili, who had fallen to the ground. swoosh! zhou huaili knew how powerful the eight-steps frenzied blade was, so he immediately put his left arm against the flat side of his sword and used his sword as a shield to block the saber. bang! an explosion rang out. waves rose by the river, and the water on the shore was shaken up by more than a foot. all the old bricks under zhou huaili¡¯s back shattered, and his entire body almost sank into the ground. behind him was the stone platform. it was impossible to move back, but rolling and revealing his back was courting death. he could only jump up. but just as zhou huaili jumped halfway, the fourth slash landed again without any pause! ¡°haa!¡± ye jingtang let out an explosive shout. his muscles bulged as he raised his saber above his head with both hands. then he slashed down violently and struck the sword supported by zhou huaili¡¯s left arm again. clang! sparks flew in the rain. zhou huaili¡¯s sword didn¡¯t break, but his entire body sank another inch. clang! clang! clang! the opponent had no room to move at all. after the fourth slash, ye jingtang no longer cared about any moves and just slashed down fiercely with the saber. with every slash, zhou huaili sank a little more. the eight-steps frenzied blade was too stressful on the body. after just three slashes, ye jingtang¡¯s face had already turned red. the veins on his forehead seemed to be about to explode, and the webbing between his thumb and index finger was about to split open. but as the one being attacked, zhou huaili had a much harder time than ye jingtang! the sword in his hand didn¡¯t break. but his left arm supporting his sword was shattered by the violent force. his raised arm fell inch by inch. but if his arm couldn¡¯t hold on even once, his head would definitely be chopped off. but even if his arm could hold on, it would be useless. song chi rushed forward, but he couldn¡¯t make a move due to ye jingtang¡¯s frenzied slashes. he jumped left and right behind ye jingtang anxiously, wishing he could punch him away and beat up zhou huaili himself. now that zhou huaili was on the verge of death, his eyes were full of fright and anger. he shouted, ¡°stop!¡± in the distant night, another anxious shout sounded. ¡°don¡¯t kill him!¡± ye jingtang¡¯s saber landed. with terrifying brute force, he pressed the saber against zhou huaili¡¯s sword. from the corner of his eye, he saw the third-in-command, chen yuanqing, rushing over with an anxious and furious expression. ¡°what are you two doing?!¡± song chi was covered in blood and had a violent temper. he immediately replied, ¡°what else can we do other than beat this shameless bastard to death?¡± thud! chen yuanqing landed nearby, anxious and angry. ¡°zhou chiyang is still around. if you kill his brother, who will pay for his life?¡± zhou huaili was pressed into a pit, and his eyes were full of anger. ¡°if you have the guts, do it! if my life can be exchanged for your entire red flower pavilion being slaughtered, i won¡¯t lose out at all. let¡¯s see if you have the guts!¡± song chi had always had a bad temper. at the zhou family today, what he had endured wasn¡¯t just a bit of resentment. when he bumped into zhou huaili tonight, he immediately wanted to kill him and hit it off with ye jingtang. only after hearing chen yuanqing¡¯s words did he remember that this shameless villain had a younger brother who was among the eight chiefs. sword saint zhou chiyang was a man of chivalry, and he indeed didn¡¯t have a good relationship with zhou huaili. if they beat zhou huaili half to death, he might not even bother to ask. but it would be different if they killed him. if zhou chiyang didn¡¯t care about the murder of his brother and didn¡¯t take revenge, he would be heartless and unrighteous. how could he have a foothold in jianghu in the future? song chi wiped the rain off his face and realized that things wouldn¡¯t end well if this continued. he looked at ye jingtang. ¡°what should we do?¡± zhou huaili knew that the red flower pavilion didn¡¯t have the guts to kill him. he looked at ye jingtang with a cold gaze. ¡°do you really think you¡¯re invincible? if you have the guts, i¡¯ll let you cut me down to¡ª¡± plop! the bright silver blade pressing against zhou huaili¡¯s chest slid up, directly pierced through his jaw, and came out from the top of his head. his words stopped abruptly. the rainy night fell into a dead silence! zhou huaili looked at the young man in front of him in disbelief. his wide-open eyes were gradually dyed red by blood, and the light in his eyes quickly disappeared. song chi and chen yuanqing froze and stared blankly at zhou huaili, who had died with his eyes wide open. crack! ye jingtang pulled out the saber, wiped the blood off on the sleeve of zhou huaili¡¯s corpse, and put the saber back into its sheath. he wiped the rainwater off his face. ¡°do you really think i don¡¯t dare to kill you¡­¡± song chi¡¯s eyes widened. after being stunned for a while, he said anxiously and angrily, ¡°jingtang, you¡­¡± chen yuanqing¡¯s face turned pale. he looked at the corpse on the ground and said angrily, ¡°song chi! you brought jingtang here to cause trouble. take care of the troubles yourself.¡± ¡°how can 1 take care of zhou chiyang? if we burn the corpse, no one will know!¡± ¡°do you think the zhou family is stupid? we had a conflict with them during the day and threatened to exterminate the entire zhou family. zhou huaili died at night. who could have killed him?¡± song chi wanted to say something, but when he saw chen yuanqing¡¯s furious gaze, he fell silent. zhou huaili suddenly died outside. even a fool could guess that it was the red flower pavilion who did it. if he took the blame, when zhou chiyang came looking for him, he would be the only one who died. if he didn¡¯t take the blame, then ye jingtang would have to. if ye jingtang died, the red flower pavilion would be gone. chen yuanqing looked at ye jingtang. ¡°go back quickly and leave azure yang city with the pavilion lord as soon as possible. pretend that you don¡¯t know about this. i will send song chi back to the heavenly south to hide in guan city for a while.¡± ye jingtang shook his head and said, ¡°this matter can¡¯t be related to the red flower pavilion now. i¡¯ll think of a way to resolve it.¡± ¡°you¡¯ve already killed him. how are you going to resolve it?¡± ye jingtang picked up zhou huaili¡¯s corpse and threw it into the warehouse at the dock. he found a few buckets of oil, poured them over the corpse, and lit it with a flame stick to prevent others from seeing the fist marks on the flesh. then he took out the bronze waist token of the prince of jing estate and nailed it to the wall with zhou huaili¡¯s sword. when song chi saw the token of the prince of jing estate, his eyes lit up. ¡°the black office¡¯s token¡­ when the zhou family sees this, they definitely won¡¯t dare to act rashly. they will have to figure out the intentions of the imperial court first¡­ but it¡¯s impossible for the black office to take the blame. when the zhou family investigates, well be exposed¡­¡± ¡°zhou huaili had no regard for the law and disregarded human lives. i saw injustice and drew my saber to help. i acted heroically in a just cause. i can explain it clearly to the prince of jing.¡± ¡°even if the black office supports you, the zhou family can still use their relationships with the government to find out who did it. they will still find you¡­¡± ¡°let¡¯s talk about it after they find out. with this token, at least they won¡¯t think about the red flower pavilion for the time being. as long as i¡¯m given some time, so what if zhou chiyang comes?¡± chen yuanqing felt that this was the best solution at present. he turned around and left quickly. ¡°you two go first. i¡¯ll inform the pavilion lord to leave immediately.¡± flames gradually rose on the old dock, and a commotion slowly started in the distance. ye jingtang stood in front of the fire and watched as the corpse gradually turned black. then he turned around and jumped onto a small boat. ¡°let¡¯s go.¡± song chi wiped the rain off his face and flew onto the boat. he used the pole to push the boat away from the riverbank and quickly moved toward the clear river in the rain. along the way, he was still muttering, ¡°i shouldn¡¯t have gone out today. in the past, it was always yuanqing who held me back. you¡¯re so young, but why is your temper even more explosive than mine?¡± ¡°i had already shown my face. when i went in, i didn¡¯t plan to let zhou huaili leave alive. he had to die in the end.¡± ¡°sigh¡­ we can¡¯t go out together in the future¡­¡± Chapter 105 - Chapter 105: Life and Death In Jianghu chapter 105: life and death in jianghu translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios a soft drizzle fell outside a window, sounding like an hourglass quietly flowing. it was quiet and long, making people feel as if they were in an eternity. rustle, rustle, rustle¡­ dressed in a blue dress, luo ning was sitting by the window, stroking the dragon pool tourmaline in her hand and staring at the lake in front of the window with countless thoughts. i must have lost my mind today. that little thief was obviously cheating. how could i fall into his traps¡­ it¡¯s only been a few days. how did he get the princess to take a fancy to him¡­ overnight, xiangjun¡¯s hair turned gray¡­ he¡¯s quite worried about his delicate and charming boss¡­ the environment of the room was elegant. on the bed not far away, zhe yunli, who was wearing an undergarment with a bird sewn on it, was hugging her blanket and sleeping soundly, revealing her fair and flawless waist. at an unknown time, the sound of thunder came. pitter-patter¡­ zhe yunli¡¯s eyelashes fluttered. she opened her eyes sleepily and looked out the window. ¡°martial mistress¡­ huh? martial mistress, you¡¯re back?!¡± zhe yunli flipped over, put on her clothes, and ran to the window. ¡°did you see brother jingtang? how did brother jingtang become the young master of the red flower pavilion? did you tell him that he should come to the pacifying heaven cult?¡± luo ning came back to her senses, and a hint of guilt flashed across her eyes. she pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°he¡­ he received money from the red flower pavilion to help them. don¡¯t tell outsiders about this. as for the pacifying heaven cult, after he finishes the red flower pavilion¡¯s matters, he will follow me to the south firmament mountains.¡± zhe yunli¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°then, brother jingtang will be my junior brother from now on?¡± ¡°what junior brother? he will be a protector of our pacifying heaven cult. you have to call him martial uncle in the future.¡± huh?¡± zhe yunli¡¯s expression froze for a moment. she pondered for a moment. ¡°brother jingtang is only a few years older than me. calling him martial uncle is probably¡­¡± luo ning left the window and pulled zhe yunli to the bed to lie down. ¡°we¡¯ll talk about these things later. let¡¯s rest. we have to leave for the capital at dawn.¡± zhe yunli wasn¡¯t sleepy at all. she lay on her pillow and rested her chin on her hands. ¡°then, won¡¯t brother jingtang become a spy planted by the pacifying heaven cult beside the princess? will he be in danger?¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry. your brother jingtang knows the principle of ¡®a man knows when to yield and when to stand tali¡¯. if jian yuhua hadn¡¯t been too chivalrous today, and zhou huaili hadn¡¯t wanted to kill him, your brother jingtang would have taken the overall situation into consideration and wouldn¡¯t have bickered with that villain zhou huaili.¡± ¡°zhou huaili is really shameless. brother jingtang clearly won, but he still blatantly distorted the truth. if master were here, she would have slapped him to death on the spot.¡± ¡°ye jingtang isn¡¯t your master. how dare he attack zhou huaili in the zhou family¡¯s territory¡­¡± ¡°third uncle! third uncle¡­¡± tread, tread, tread! while the two women, who looked like mother and daughter were chatting, hurried footsteps and shouts suddenly came from outside the zhou family¡¯s ancestral residence in the distance. there were several courtyards by the lake for distinguished guests to stay. along with the commotion, the sound of robes cutting through the wind rang out. ¡°elder guanghan, what¡¯s going on? is the red flower pavilion attacking at night?¡± ¡°it doesn¡¯t look like it. let¡¯s go over and take a look¡­ hongzhi, what happened to the zhou family?¡± ¡°i¡¯m not sure. 1 was just woken up¡­¡± luo ning frowned and felt that something was wrong. she turned around, put on her veil, and walked out of the courtyard. ¡°master!¡± ¡°who did it¡­¡± it was already early in the morning. the zhou manor, whose lights had long been turned off, became as bright as day in a moment. below the octagon archway outside the villa, countless zhou family disciples with swords were gathered. some of them hadn¡¯t even had time to put on their shoes and stood there in a daze. outside the octagonal archway was a boat owner dressed as a merchant. his face was pale, and he was holding a sword and a bronze token in his hand. he didn¡¯t even dare to speak and only trembled on the spot. beside the boat owner was a stretcher covered by a white cloth. a few servants were drenched, but they held an oilcloth to prevent the rain from falling on the corpse covered by the white cloth. tread, tread, tread¡­ in an instant, dozens of famous figures of jianghu, who had stayed overnight in the zhou manor and were returning tomorrow, rushed out of the manor. when they saw the famous sword with the green and white hilt, morning dew, their eyelids twitched. this was the sword of the water cloud sword pool¡¯s sect master! ¡°this¡­¡± ¡°who is so bold¡­¡± all the famous figures revealed looks of disbelief! earlier, they had thought that this storm might end with the strange and sudden death of the young master of the red flower pavilion. who would have thought that just a few hours later, zhou huaili would use his corpse to slap their faces and tell them what a true strange and sudden death was? how could zhou huaili die? as long as the current sword saint was still around, who in jianghu would dare to kill him easily? could it be that he had drunk too much just now, ran to the city to find a courtesan in the middle of the night, and died on her stomach? ¡°big brother¡­!¡± while everyone was looking at each other, hurried footsteps came from the back of the crowd. zhou huaiyi, who had just gotten up, rushed out of the crowd with a pale face. when he saw the stretcher on the ground, he staggered and fell. his eyes were full of disbelief, and then his eyes turned bloodshot with anger and hatred. in the afternoon, xuanyuan hongzhi and zhou huaili had exerted pressure on the red flower pavilion. in the wee hours of the morning, the corpse placed in front of him had shock in its eyes. ¡°did the red flower pavilion do it?¡± the boat owner had just extinguished the fire at the docks. when he found this corpse, he was scared out of his wits. at this moment, when a big shot of jianghu asked, the boat owner didn¡¯t know anything, so how could he dare to speak nonsense? he only handed over the bronze token with a trembling hand. the bronze token had a python dragon carved on the back and the word ¡®jing¡¯ engraved on the front. when xuanyuan hongzhi saw the token that only chief constables of the black office had, his expression turned solemn. he quickly took the token to confirm its authenticity. the token was obviously real. zhou huaiyi, whose face was full of hatred, knew that something was wrong. he turned around, stood up, and raised his hand to chase away the surrounding juniors. ¡°all of you, go back.¡± the jianghu juniors who had come to watch immediately scattered like birds, leaving only four or five famous figures standing under the archway. ¡°where was the body found?¡± ¡°at¡­ at yellow pine pine. the fire was too strong, and the inside was full of stone. after putting out the fire, i got people to go in and clean it up¡­ and then¡­ then they saw this token nailed to the wall by the sword¡­¡± after the boat owner finished speaking with a trembling voice, he bowed and ran out of the manor. xuanyuan hongzhi frowned. ¡°let¡¯s take a look at his injuries first.¡± zhou huaiyi gritted his teeth, knelt down beside the white cloth, and raised his hand to lift it, only to see a charred corpse inside. the skin and flesh had basically been burned clean, turning into a charred substance stuck to the bones. it was impossible to recognize it. but zhou huaiyi was very familiar with his brother¡¯s bone structure. he recognized him at a glance, and his hand trembled slightly. the three absolutes elderly immortal squatted down beside him and carefully checked the marks on the corpse. ¡°he suffered heavy blows to his chest and back. i can¡¯t tell what moves caused them. the fatal injury was a saber wound. the saber cut through his lower jaw and skull. there¡¯s a wound on his lower ribs, and the bones in his left arm were shattered¡­ which saber technique is this?¡± everyone turned their gazes to xuanyuan hongzhi. after all, jun mountain terrace was the sect of the current saber chief. no one was more familiar with the saber techniques of the world than them. xuanyuan hongzhi slowly walked over and checked the two broken ribs in the lower ribs. an unknown killer began to appear in his mind. the saber was drawn from behind and struck zhou huaiyi. the posture, strength, and speed¡­ rustle, rustle, rustle¡­ the rainy night fell into a dead silence. everyone was waiting with rapt attention. xuanyuan hongzhi¡¯s eyes moved slightly, and a trace of shock flashed across his eyes. after a moment of silence, he looked at the skull. the three absolutes elderly immortal moved to the front of the charred corpse¡¯s head and carefully looked at the hole in the skull. ¡°the saber is two and a half fingers wide, and the blade is straight. it looks¡­ quite common.¡± although three absolutes elderly immortal said this, he looked at xuanyuan hongzhi with a meaningful gaze. this was the form of the hornless dragon saber. xuanyuan hongzhi rubbed his fingers gently, and his gaze moved slightly, as if he had something on his mind. after pondering for a long time, he said, ¡°i can¡¯t tell what saber technique it is. including ye silang, there are only four grandmasters in the red flower pavilion, and no one is proficient in the saber. the conflict only happened in the afternoon, and the red flower pavilion already took back the clear river wharf. it¡¯s impossible for them to be stupid enough to kill him outside azure yang city at night¡­ this doesn¡¯t seem to be the red flower pavilion¡¯s doing. the murderer is someone else.¡± everyone thought the same way. the red flower pavilion was a well-known force in jianghu after all, not street barbarians. if they really wanted to kill someone, they would do it secretly without leaving any traces. how could they be so brazen, as if they were not afraid that people wouldn¡¯t know they did it? luo ning, who was standing at the back, was full of surprise when she saw the saber wounds. afraid that everyone would suspect the red flower pavilion, she interrupted, ¡°why did sect master zhou go to yellow pine pier alone in the middle of the night?¡± the famous figures present looked puzzled when they heard this and looked at zhou huaiyi. zhou huaiyi¡¯s eyes moved, but he didn¡¯t speak immediately. after all, his eldest brother went out in the middle of the night to kill jian yuhua and bring his second daughter back. jian yuhua had a good reputation. today, he even characterized the word ¡®chivalry¡¯. if this matter spread, it would be a family scandal. he couldn¡¯t even tell the disciples, so how could he let the people of jianghu know? ¡°big brother¡­ i went back to my room to rest after the banquet ended. i don¡¯t know why he suddenly went out.¡± seeing that zhou huaiyi wasn¡¯t telling the truth at a time like this, everyone could roughly guess what zhou huaiyi had been doing outside. cleaning up the zhou family! speaking of which, although the person who died was wrong, the goal was unexpectedly achieved¡­ when these clues were connected, one could roughly deduce the sequence of events. jian yuhua left the zhou family and ran to yellow pine pier with the second miss, preparing to elope. when the zhou family heard the news, zhou huaili couldn¡¯t swallow his anger. he went to clean up the family in the middle of the night, but he happened to bump into an expert of the black office. jian yuhua had a good reputation in jianghu. zhou huaili¡¯s actions could be considered indiscriminate killing of the innocent. when the expert of the black office found out, he killed him in anger. as for leaving the identity token, it might be because the expert didn¡¯t want to cause a commotion in jianghu, so he openly revealed his identity and told the zhou family to go to the imperial court for verification and reasoning. this logic and motive made sense. everyone present looked at each other and felt that this matter might not be easy to handle. the people in the black office were all the guards of the empress¡¯s sister. even if this person of the black office was in the wrong for killing someone, they would only be punished according to the law. no matter how powerful the zhou family was, they couldn¡¯t drag out the person from the black office and torture him¡­ zhou huaiyi knew that it would be extremely difficult to deal with this matter in the jianghu way. after thinking for a long time, he looked at xuanyuan hongzhi. ¡°lord xuanyuan is a marquis conferred by the imperial court. 1 wonder if brother xuanyuan has a way to find out the identity of the murderer?¡± to be honest, xuanyuan hongzhi¡¯s mood was even heavier than that of zhou huaiyi, whose brother had died. he was sure that the saberman had used the eight-steps frenzied blade. being able to shatter zhou huaili¡¯s arm bones and kill him meant that the saberman had long been a grandmaster but was still unimown in jianghu. there was a high chance that he was lying low and waiting for the day when his saber technique reached perfection to do something. needless to say, this matter was to avenge the disciple of the eight-steps frenzied blade who had been crippled back then! if this was the case, it wasn¡¯t a big deal for zhou huaili to die. after all, this person only killed zhou huaili and wasn¡¯t targeting the zhou family. however, for jun mountain terrace and the successor of the eight-steps frenzied blade, there was a possibility that jun mountain terrace had killed this person¡¯s father or master! but this person was under the prince of jing¡¯s command. as a founding marquis of great wei, jun mountain terrace really didn¡¯t dare to act rashly¡­ xuanyuan hongzhi wiped the rain off his face and stood up. he thought for a moment and said, ¡°huali and i are as close as brothers. how can i sit back and do nothing after such a misfortune? i will surely think of a way to help the zhou family investigate this matter.¡± zhou huaiyi hurriedly cupped his hands. ¡°thank you for your kindness, brother xuanyuan. as long as you help the zhou family find the murderer, my zhou family¡­¡± ¡°let¡¯s bury huaili properly first. this concerns the imperial court, so we have to act with caution. let¡¯s investigate first. everyone, please disperse..¡± Chapter 106 - Chapter 106: Overnight, Xiangjun’s Hair Turned Gray chapter 106: overnight, xiangjun¡¯s hair turned gray translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios whoosh, whoosh¡­ the ferry quietly sailed out of the port in the thunderstorm and headed upstream along the clear river. the lights on the ship were flickering. more than thirty helm masters and hall masters were patrolling back and forth in the night rain, paying attention to any movements on the river. inside the deckhouse, the door of the tea room was tightly shut. the dim yellow candlelight illuminated the corners of the tea room. four people were sitting here in silence. coo?!¡± the bird was squatting obediently on the tea table and looking at the fruit plate beside it. because the atmosphere was wrong, it stuck its head out a few times but didn¡¯t dare to eat. after ye jingtang changed into a clean robe, he sat down on the right side of the tea table. his expression was cold, and his eyes were calm as he thought about the current situation. ¡®white buddha¡¯ song chi¡¯s arms, shoulders, and back were wrapped in bandages. he was sitting upright on a chair, his eyes bright and unmoving. chen yuanqing, the third-in-command, was pacing silently in the tea room with his hands behind his back. occasionally, he would sigh. ¡°sigh¡­¡± as the sect master, pei xiangjun was sitting upright in the main seat. perhaps it was the first time in her life that she had such a serious expression. she coldly stared at the two talents sitting on the left and right of the tea table. alright, the young master stole the beloved wife of the pacifying 1 leaven cult master¡­ the second-in-command took the young master out to lull the brother of the current sword saint in the middle of the night¡­ the eldest brother is like a father. the people with the hatred of killing a father and the hatred of snatching a wife are still alive! i, third lady pei, have such a right-hand man to assist me. why should 1 worry about not being able to hide my identity? 1 should just escape to northern liang. the more pei xiangjun thought about it, the angrier she became. she looked at the unsmiling song chi. ¡°hall master song, explain what happened today!¡± song chi knew that he had caused trouble and couldn¡¯t show off the temperament as an elder anymore. he said softly, ¡°i saw that jian yuhua was quite talented and wanted to take in a disciple, so i went over with the young master to take a look. who knew that zhou huaili would also come¡­¡± ¡°and then you took it upon yourself to kill him?¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t make the decision on my own. 1 discussed it with the young master with our eyes¡­¡± ? pei xiangjun took a deep breath. ¡°you are an elder! jingtang is young and energetic. why should you discuss it with him? if you take even a little bit longer, he will think that you¡¯re signaling to end things quickly!¡± ye jingtang sat upright and said softly, ¡°it¡¯s true that 1 had murderous intentions today. uncle song and i¡­¡± song chi raised his hand slightly. ¡°we both had the intention to kill. otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t have attacked together without saying anything.¡± ¡°you two¡­ sigh¡­¡± pei xiangjun was speechless. she held her forehead with her hands and closed her eyes. chen yuanqing was also speechless. he guessed that this was how the two of them had discussed: ¡°how about we kill him?¡± ¡°go, go, go, go!¡± as for the consequences, they would just kill him first. if they missed the opportunity, it would be gone. chen yuanqing thought for a moment before deciding to smooth things over. ¡°you¡¯ve already killed him. there¡¯s no point in saying all this. we should be thinking about how to clean up the mess now. if this matter leaks, the red flower pavilion and the zhou family will definitely go to war. with zhou chiyang around, the zhou family will be in an invincible position¡­¡± ye jingtang said calmly, ¡°i burned the corpse so people wouldn¡¯t be able to see the marks of the punches and kicks clearly. they will only see saber marks. i also left the prince of jing¡¯s token. if nothing goes wrong, the zhou family should associate it with the imperial court and go to the capital to investigate the identity of the saberman. they won¡¯t suspect the red flower pavilion.¡± song chi nodded. ¡°our red flower pavilion doesn¡¯t have a grandmaster who¡¯s good at the saber. furthermore, we only had a conflict in the afternoon, and then we went out to take revenge like boors on the streets at night. it doesn¡¯t seem like the behavior of a prestigious jianghu force¡­¡± ¡°you still know this?! ¡°yes¡­ this is called taking the enemy by surprise. they won¡¯t think that the dignified red flower pavilion is so rough, so we did the opposite¡­¡± bah! pei xiangjun really had no strength to complain anymore. she turned to look at ye jingtang. ¡°the zhou family and jun mountain terrace are in the same boat. jun mountain terrace has a close relationship with the imperial court, so they will definitely investigate the prince of jing¡¯s subordinates to see if there¡¯s a saberman who knows how to use the eight-steps frenzied blade. you showed your saber in the capital¡­¡± ye jingtang thought for a moment and said, ¡°i will send a letter to the prince of jing. i will say that i was out doing something and got to know the red flower pavilion. for the sake of learning the overlord spear, i went to the zhou family to support the red flower pavilion, and then¡­¡± ¡°even if the prince of jing approves of your actions and protects you, she can only guard you against open attacks. if they attack in secret¡­¡± song chi pondered for a moment. ¡°jingtang is handsome, and the prince of jing is a woman. if the zhou family knows that jingtang is the prince of jing¡¯s lover, zhou chiyang probably won¡¯t dare to assassinate him at the risk of having his entire family executed. even if he wants to take revenge, there¡¯s a high chance that he will come openly and beat jingtang half to death. he won¡¯t go too far.¡± the tea room fell silent. pei xiangjun¡¯s almond-shaped eyes widened. she wanted to say that song chi had come up with a poori dea, but after some thought, she found that this really seemed to be the safest method. ye jingtang would be the brother-in-law of the empress of great wei. everyone would know the consequences of killing him. not to mention the zhou family, even if the pacifying heaven cult took action, they would have to consider if they could withstand the iron hooves of great wei galloping across the heavenly south. pei xiangjun fell silent for a moment before looking at ye jingtang. ¡°jingtang, what do you think?¡± ye jingtang thought for a moment. ¡°this method is a bit ridiculous. how can i deliberately get close to the prince of jing and deceive a woman¡¯s feelings in order to avoid trouble? well, i¡¯ll write a letter to the prince of jing first. if it really doesn¡¯t work, i¡¯ll leave the capital and go to the heavenly south to hide. this matter won¡¯t implicate the red flower pavilion.¡± pei xiangjun understood what he meant. if he couldn¡¯t hug the princess¡¯s thigh, he would hug the cult mistress¡¯s thigh. in any case, whether it was the prince of jing or the pacifying heaven cult, zhou chiyang couldn¡¯t afford to offend either of them. what was this? multiple relationships leading to multiple paths? it turned out that her fair thigh was the thinnest, and it broke the moment she came up¡­ pei xiangjun had so many thoughts in her head that she didn¡¯t know what she was thinking. after pondering for a long time, she raised her hand slightly. ¡°uncle song, uncle chen, please rest first. i¡¯ll talk to jingtang alone.¡± song chi stood up, cupped his hands, and left the tea room with chen yuanqing. ¡°you get out too.¡± ¡°chirp.¡± the bird stood up and ran out. the tea room fell silent. the dim yellow candlelight illuminated the side profiles of the man and woman. pei xiangjun, who was wearing a light yellow ruqun, leaned against the small table. she held her forehead with her hand, her expression no longer as gentle and graceful as before. instead, she frowned slightly, looking worried about her unfilial nephew. after the footsteps completely disappeared, ye jingtang got up and sat opposite third lady. he raised his hand and poured tea. ¡°third lady?¡± third lady narrowed her eyes. her clothes rose and fell slightly, but there was no other reaction. ye jingtang comforted her gently. ¡°third lady, don¡¯t worry. 1 killed him, and i wanted to kill him. 1 definitely won¡¯t let the disciples of the red flower pavilion withstand revenge for me.¡± pei xiangjun took a deep breath and looked up. ¡°since you¡¯ve helped the red flower pavilion handle matters, our red flower pavilion will advance and retreat with you. if zhou chiyang dares to come and kill you, the two hall masters and i will definitely die before you. are you treating me as an outsider by saying that?¡± ye jingtang waved his hand. ¡°how is that possible? i just said it so you wouldn¡¯t worry¡­¡± ¡°wouldn¡¯t worry? you even dare to touch the woman of the pacifying heaven cult master, yet you¡¯re telling me not to worry? how good was your performance in the past? why did you become confused when it came to a woman? is xue baijin¡¯s woman someone you can touch?¡± pei xiangjun held the small table with one hand. her beautiful face was very angry, and there were faint tears in her eyes, as if she was looking at a heartless man who was fooling around. ye jingtang explained softly, ¡°ning¡¯er and i¡­¡± ¡°call her cult mistress. ning¡¯er is for xue baijin to call her!¡± ¡°the cult mistress and i have already made things clear. the pacifying heaven cult master will definitely not vent his anger on the red flower pavilion because of us¡­¡± pei xiangjun didn¡¯t believe him at all. she thought for a moment and asked, ¡°jingtang, have you been tricked? in order to make you rebel, the pacifying heaven cult deliberately sent the number one beauty to seduce you?¡± ¡°how could i be seduced by beauty? 1 didn¡¯t know her identity before. when i interacted with her, she resisted violently. it was me who took the initiative¡­¡± resisted violently? you took the initiative? so, you used force to harm a married woman?! pei xiangjun was so angry that she was confused. her clothes puffed up. ¡°you even dare to lay your hands on an unknown beautiful woman? haven¡¯t you heard what the ¡®three things not to provoke¡¯ in jianghu are? how can a woman who¡¯s as beautiful as a flower and dares to walk alone in jianghu be a good person? if you want to touch her, you have to wait until you have the strength to fight the pacifying heaven sect master. if you mess around now, i won¡¯t be able to protect you even if i sell the red flower pavilion¡­¡± ye jingtang knew that third lady was concerned and comforted her. ¡°it¡¯s not that serious. i guarantee that the pacifying heaven cult master won¡¯t hold it against me. but the reason is a secret. 1 can¡¯t tell you. if 1 do, something will really happen¡­¡± thump! pei xiangjun patted the small table lightly, her eyes filled with resentment, as if she was looking at a heartless person she no longer recognized. ¡°jingtang, we met on the first day you entered the capital. i told you everything. i trusted you enough to take off my clothes in front of you and let you treat my injury. but in the end? just because the moon goddess is beautiful, you¡¯re treating me as an outsider and keeping her secret¡­¡± ye jingtang felt his scalp tingle under her resentful gaze. ¡°i have to be trustworthy. i can¡¯t go back on my word when i¡¯ve promised not to say something. it¡¯s the same when i promise you. 1 know that it¡¯s difficult for me to guarantee these things since we¡¯re not related, but i will always keep my word. third lady, just watch what i do in the future. time will tell.¡± pei xiangjun¡¯s emotions were in a mess. after a moment of silence, she finally sighed. ¡°sigh¡­ i know you¡¯re loyal and value relationships. i didn¡¯t say that i don¡¯t believe you, but your aunt is worried and keeps saying nonsense. since i¡¯m the head of the family, 1 have to reassure your aunt¡­¡± ye jingtang looked at the third lady, who wanted to say something but hesitated, and asked, ¡°what did aunt say?¡± pei xiangjun hesitated for a moment with a strange expression. ¡°your aunt wants you to¡­ um¡­ consider your marriage with someone from the azure dragon hall and become a family with us. do you have anyone in mind?¡± ye jingtang wasn¡¯t stupid. he could guess what third lady was worried about and what she wanted to say. he thought for a moment and smiled. ¡°i feel that a marriage forced by circumstances isn¡¯t good. third lady, you don¡¯t like to make do casually, right? well¡­ i think the most important thing in a marriage is to be happy with each other. anyway, i won¡¯t abandon you. as for whether i can find someone i love in the azure dragon hall, it depends on fate. what do you think, third lady?¡± i think the same¡­ but even the cult mistress of the pacifying heaven cult personally came to poach you¡­ pei xiangjun wanted to say something, but in the end, she decided against it and raised her hand slightly. ¡°forget it. i¡¯ll go back and discuss it with your aunt. go write a letter and see how the prince of jing responds. if she can¡¯t protect you and you have to go to the pacifying heaven cult¡­ we¡¯ll talk about it then.¡± ye jingtang nodded slightly, stood up, and left the tea room. squeak! the door opened and closed. pei xiangjun remained sitting at the tea table. the frustration in her heart gradually subsided, but the worry on her face increased.. ¡°sigh¡­¡± Chapter 107 - Chapter 107: Jingtang’s Letter chapter 107: jingtang¡¯s letter translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios zing-zing! on a hot summer day, the chirping of cicadas echoed in the garden of the prince of jing estate. in the study at the top of jasper pavilion, there was a white screen placed by the window to block the sunlight. dongfang liren was wearing a thin dress with a black blindfold covering her eyes, holding a three-foot-long saber in her hand motionlessly. behind the desk, the petite and exquisite empress dowager lay in a large chair with her legs propped on the armrests, her full and plump buttocks outlined under her dress. she was holding a small furball in her hand and gently throwing it up and catching it. she said in a lazy voice, ¡°jiang province is still the best. winter is warm, summer is cool, and the four seasons are like spring. speaking of which, i haven¡¯t gone back to visit my family for a few years.¡± it¡¯s too hot in summer. the journey of thousands of miles will be too tiring. empress dowager, you won¡¯t be able to take it¡­¡± just as dongfang liren finished speaking, the empress dowager threw the furball in her hand. the furball was soft and light, and it didn¡¯t make the slightest sound. but even so, dongfang liren sensed it. swoosh! dongfang liren didn¡¯t listen to the sound to determine its position. instead, the moment the empress dowager raised her hand, she had already raised the saber in her hand and blocked it from the side, her movements clean and efficient. and then¡­ plop! the little furball hit the fat-headed dragon, bounced to the floor, and rolled away¡­ the palace maid hongyu held back her laughter and hurriedly went forward to pick up the little furball and return it to the empress dowager. the empress dowager praised, ¡°not bad. you¡¯ve only been practicing for half a month, but you¡¯ve already reached this level. you can be considered a martial arts genius.¡± her words were slightly exaggerated but not too much. ye jingtang had only taught the movements of the heaven equaling saber but didn¡¯t explain the qi circulation method. in just half a month, dongfang liren was able to figure out the qi circulation method according to the guidance of the movements and make it her own. strictly speaking, she was already at the basic mastery level, but she wasn¡¯t proficient with it. this learning speed was at least the outstanding talent level in the current era of jianghu. in the past, dongfang liren would still be complacent. but after meeting ye jingtang, she felt that she was ¡®little dongfang dumdum¡¯. how could she be complacent? dongfang liren patted the fat-headed dragon on her chest, readjusted her posture, and pointed her saber diagonally at the floor. ¡°empress dowager, you flatter me. please continue.¡± ¡°sigh-¡± the empress dowager had been dragged over by her to help her practice the saber. how could she be interested? she reclined on the chair and continued to play with the little furball. ¡°it¡¯s been quite lively in ze province recently. when i chatted with her majesty in the morning, she mentioned some things¡­ ¡°a rich tycoon of jianghu, the red flower pavilion, suddenly has a young master named ye silang. the day before yesterday, he went to the water cloud sword pool to seek revenge and won a challenge. it¡¯s said that his talent is not bad¡­¡± the empress dowager had lived in the palace for a long time and didn¡¯t know much about the affairs of jianghu. she thought for a moment and said, ¡°i remember that the owner of jiang province¡¯s virtuous boating company, chen yuanqing, is also from the red flower pavilion. he ran errands for the qin family a few times before. later, the matter was handed over to xiao mountain fort.¡± ¡°xiao mountain fort doesn¡¯t do it anymore¡­¡± swish! as dongfang liren spoke, she quickly raised her saber again and struck beside her in a flash. the empress dowager was still holding the small fur ball, her eyes blank. (0^0)? c-% thump, thump! fortunately, the sound of footsteps broke the awkward atmosphere. when hongyu arrived at the door, she saw a maidservant walking up quickly with a letter in her hand. ¡°your highness, an escort of the pei family of heavenly water bridge has just sent an urgent letter from young master ye.¡± ¡°hmm?¡± dongfang liren pulled down her blindfold, took the letter, and examined it. she saw a wax seal on the letter and the words ¡®for the prince of jing¡¯ written on it. seeing that the confidentiality measures were so good, dongfang liren knew that it was a serious matter. she walked to the window, opened the envelope,and took out the letter. dense words came into view: your highness, seeing this letter is like seeing me¡­ when 1 killed the blood bodhi, i got to know song chi of the red flower pavilion. 1 learned the overlord spear, helped the red flower pavilion to challenge the zhou family, and killed someone¡­ when dongfang liren read this, her expression didn¡¯t change. after all, the red flower pavilion was a very honest jianghu force. they immersed themselves in earning money and paid business taxes on time for all their surface industries. ye jingtang had learned the overlord spear, so she could take advantage of this to learn this jianghu ultimate technique for free. perhaps she could even use ye jingtang to turn the red flower pavilion into her private golden cave, lest the ministry of revenue always complain that she spends too much money to raise guards¡­ but then, she continued reading. jian yuhua spoke up for justice and fell out with the zhou family¡­ at night, i went to recruit jian yuhua and found that zhou huaili came to kill him, so 1 killed him with song chi¡­ ?l dongfang liren tilted her head slightly. she really didn¡¯t expect that ye jingtang could kill the sect master of the water cloud sword pool. the sects that the eight chiefs belonged to were basically the top eight forces of jianghu. the strength of the sect masters was definitely not low. ye jingtang and ¡®white buddha¡¯ song chi had actually succeeded. it seemed that ye jingtang¡¯s martial arts skills had improved by leaps and bounds recently¡­ at this point, dongfang liren understood the meaning of ye jingtang¡¯s letter: i want to hug your thigh! dongfang revealed a proud expression, but as she continued reading, she saw a few righteous words. i carry the mandate of the prince of jing and have the responsibility of hunting and killing bandits¡­ although 1 had enmity with him and wanted to kill him, zhou huaili was indeed disregarding human lives. no matter what his intention was, 1 had to draw my saber and stop him¡­ according to the laws of great wei, anyone who refuses arrest will be punished. if they resist arrest or escape, they can be killed without mercy¡­ zhou huaili resisted violently he stabbed me twice and song chi four times¡­ the helper, song chi, and the victim, jian yuhua, can both be witnesses¡­ i left the token of the prince of jing estate at the crime scene to avoid implicating the red flower pavilion¡­ i hope that your highness will preside over a fair and open trial. i am willing to confront sword saint zhou chiyang in court to distinguish right from wrong. if i am in the wrong, your highness should punish me according to the law¡­ please ask the imperial court to protect the personal safety of the victim, jian yuhua, and mine so that we won¡¯t be silenced by criminals¡­ ??? dongfang liren was dumbfounded! he never expected that ye jingtang, a jianghu man with thick eyebrows and big eyes, would actually know the laws of great wei. what happened to ¡®the matters of jianghu belong to jianghu¡¯? not to mention ye jingtang sending his letter to her, even if he sent it to prime minister li or the empress, the imperial court had to protect ye jingtang¡¯s personal safety according to the law. after verifying the facts of the case, the imperial court would then impose penalties on him according to the law. but how could he lose this lawsuit? if sword saint zhou chiyang went to the capital to litigate a lawsuit, even if he didn¡¯t care about his reputation in jianghu and dared to come, with the deplorable things his brother had done, he might be treated as an accessory to his brother¡¯s crimes and be sentenced to death in the end! dongfang liren was stunned for a long time, unable to say anything. her strange expression surprised the empress dowager. she asked curiously, ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± dongfang liren coughed lightly. ¡°it¡¯s nothing. ye jingtang reported a case. i have some small matters to deal with. meng jiao.¡± whoosh! a quiet breeze blew into the room. the white-haired old woman silently landed in front of the screen and asked respectfully, ¡°what are your highness¡¯s orders?¡± dongfang liren handed the letter to meng jiao. ¡°what do you think?¡± the white-haired old woman took the letter, read it carefully, and nodded slightly. ¡°hmm¡­ this child is indeed a great talent. at such a young age, he has comprehended the highest mental cultivation method of martial arts.¡± dongfang liren was confused by this letter, and she was embarrassed to say that she wanted to protect ye jingtang. she said seriously, ¡°since this case has been reported, i have to act according to the law. hmm¡­ spread some news in jianghu first. say that the black office recently captured a leader of the green bandits in ze province and incidentally killed a violent criminal named mr. zhou. this is to prevent the zhou family from retaliating against others recklessly in case they can¡¯t find the murderer¡­ no, can¡¯t find the righteous person who drew his saber to help.¡± the white-haired old woman nodded slightly. ¡°i¡¯ll send people to find jian yuhua and bring him back as a witness. then 1 will send a letter to the zhou family to ask zhou chiyang to come here and wait for your highness to ask about the case.¡± dongfang liren nodded and said righteously, ¡°send a message to zhou chiyang. if the zhou family is in the wrong, mr. zhou deserves to die. if the black office is in the wrong, the offender will pay with their life. i will invite lu taiqing and daoist xuanji to observe this case. i will never cover up for my subordinates and watch the citizens of great wei die tragically. i will definitely give him justice.¡± the white-haired old woman shook her head and sighed. ¡°zhou huaili¡¯s personal morals are too bad. the zhou family can¡¯t turn this case around at all. your highness will publicly uphold justice for zhou chiyang, but whether he comes or not, he will lose. if he loses in court, he will find that person from the black office to take revenge, being neither righteous nor chivalrous. however, if this blood feud can¡¯t be resolved, there¡¯s a high chance that the zhou family will hire people to take revenge. moreover, this case is related to ye jingtang¡¯s saber technique. jun mountain terrace¡¯s reaction will likely be greater than the zhou family¡¯s¡­¡± dongfang liren thought for a moment. ¡°it¡¯s easy to dodge open spears but difficult to guard against hidden arrows. as long as zhou chiyang can¡¯t take action for the time being, it¡¯s fine. we have to conceal ye jingtang¡¯s identity more tightly. for the rest, we can only let ye jingtang be on guard. i¡¯ll write a letter and send it to him¡­¡± yes, your highness..¡± Chapter 108 - Chapter 108: Return to the Capital (1) chapter 108: return to the capital (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the sun hung high in the sky. thousands of sails gathered at the port of west king town, and merchants came and went like shuttles. an inconspicuous ferry was moored between the boats. li sanwen and the others communicated with the merchants on the shore and loaded the ship with groceries to bring back to the capital. the river breeze blew the wine flags by the river. ye jingtang stood under a flagpole in a black robe and took a small package from a pei family shopkeeper who had rushed over. the package wasn¡¯t big. there was a token inside, which was his new prince of jing estate waist token, and a letter. the corners of ye jingtang¡¯s mouth curled up into a smile, l ie opened the envelope and unfolded the letter. the bold handwriting came into view. the content of the letter was very serious. for example, ¡®this prince is impartial. if i find that your confession is fake, i will do what i should according to the law¡¯. in conclusion, it was nothing more than going back for a hearing. ye jingtang read for a moment and revealed a smile. fie put away the letter and called out to li sanwen on the ship. ¡°uncle li, there are urgent matters to attend to in the capital. pack the goods and prepare to set off.¡± ¡°alright. everyone, work faster!¡± ye jingtang went to a restaurant on the shore. song chi and chen yuanqing, who were escorting him and third lady back to the capital, were here. seeing him come in, third lady, who was drinking tea in the room, went over to him and asked softly, ¡°how is it? what did the capital say?¡± ye jingtang nodded and said, ¡°the prince of jing released the news that the matter of the person killed by the black office is being dealt with. my personal safety will be protected.¡± song chi, who had been in fear for a few days, heaved a sigh of relief when he heard this. he stood up and said, ¡°young master, your abilities are even better than your martial arts skills. with such connections, what¡¯s the point of being in jianghu?¡± ¡°this can only ensure my safety temporarily. when my martial arts skills are higher in two years, i will resolve my enmity with zhou chiyang in a battle and completely resolve this matter.¡± song chi nodded. ¡°that¡¯s true. young master, you have to be careful.¡± chen yuanqing walked over and said softly, ¡°after west king town is the capital. since the young master¡¯s safety is temporarily fine, second brother song and i have to return to our respective posts. if there are any abnormal movements in the future, the pavilion lord can send a message at any time. we will definitely rush over in time.¡± chen yuanqing and song chi were both leaders of the boat gangs in their provinces. if they left for too long, there would definitely be trouble in the halls. pei xiangjun wanted to return to the capital as soon as possible, so she didn¡¯t delay any longer. she called her people and headed to the port together. song chi had taken the young master out to kill a sect master. after being taught numerous lessons by chen yuanqing and third lady on how to behave like an elder, he became much calmer before he left. he walked in front of ye jingtang and lectured him like an old man. ¡°jingtang, you have to be steady in your actions in the future. don¡¯t imitate me. i¡¯ve lived to this age purely because my life is hard enough¡­¡± ye jingtang and song chi could be considered birds of a feather¡­ no, kindred spirits. ye jingtang smiled and replied, ¡°i have always been steady in my actions. uncle song, if you hadn¡¯t emboldened me that day, i definitely wouldn¡¯t have made a move so easily.¡± ¡°if you hadn¡¯t been there that day, how could i have taken action rashly¡­¡± pei xiangjun¡¯s head hurt from listening to them, but zhou huaili¡¯s death had really vented her anger. she didn¡¯t scold them seriously anymore and only harrumphed softly. ¡°the two of you just emboldened each other, right? fortunately, this is ze province. if you two were together in the heavenly south, you might even dare to test the depths of feng guancheng.¡± ¡°hehe¡­¡± song chi chuckled and thought for a moment before saying, ¡°no matter how good a weapon is, there will be times when it¡¯s not by your side. the most practical weapon for martial artists is still their fists and feet. last time, i promised to teach you a few fist techniques. but i¡¯m in a hurry to go back and don¡¯t have the time to teach you here. i taught a technique to the pavilion lord earlier. with your comprehension ability, you should be able to reach the basic mastery after practicing with the pavilion lord for three to five months.¡± pei xiangjun had actually taken the initiative to ask him to let her teach on his behalf. not only could she learn a fist technique for free, but she could even enhance her relationship with ye jingtang. however, she definitely couldn¡¯t say this. ¡°uncle song, don¡¯t worry. i will teach jingtang martial arts well. when we meet next year, you can test him.¡± song chi waved his hand. ¡°when we meet next year, i¡¯m afraid i¡¯ll have to be as cowardly as changqing. if you¡¯re really capable, you should beat the fist chief, jiang zhahu, to the ground. as your honorary master, i can at least bask in some glory.¡± ¡°hehe¡­¡± as they chatted and laughed, everyone arrived at the port. song chi and chen yuanqing led their respective disciples onto the ships heading back to their provinces. ye jingtang also boarded the ferry to the capital. at this moment, the storm of the annual meeting of the red flower pavilion had completely ended. before pei xiangjun came out, she really didn¡¯t expect to experience such exciting ups and downs. first, she stabilized her position as the sect master in west king town. then the red flower pavilion displayed its prestige in the zhou manor. just as the red flower pavilion was about to soar into the sky, she discovered that her precious treasure had stolen the woman of the pacifying heaven cult master and even killed zhou huaili with a snap of his fingers. although it had only been 20 days, pei xiangjun had experienced more things during this time than she had as the sect master during all these years. she was physically and mentally exhausted. after boarding the ferry, she returned to her room to catch up on sleep. ye jingtang returned to his room and wanted to have a good rest. but just as he entered the room, he found that the bird that was watching outside had flown to the window and raised its wing to signal to a small ferry in the port. ¡°chirp-¡± ye jingtang looked over. in the corridor outside the deckhouse, a woman in blue clothes and a veiled hat was looking over. when she saw him, she waved her hand, telling him to hide quickly. ? ye jingtang was a little confused.. he thought that there was someone special on the ferry, so he immediately retreated into his room and waited quietly¡­ Chapter 109 - Chapter 109: Return to the Capital (2) chapter 109: return to the capital (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios whoosh, whoosh¡­ in the blink of an eye, it was already night. the ferry was sailing quietly on the river, leaving only the sound of waves outside the window. there was no light in the room, and the window was open. the gentle night breeze quietly entered the room, causing ripples on the curtains. ye jingtang was sitting cross-legged on the bed and practicing the dragon form picture. after he waited for an unimown period of time, there was finally the sound of water ripples outside. he opened his eyes to check, only to see a young woman as thin as a willow silently jump in from the window and land in front of the bed. there was faint red rouge on her lips. her long black hair was tied up, and there was a blue hairpin inserted diagonally. she looked like a fairy on the summer night. the little watermelons on her chest swayed slightly with the inertia after she landed¡­ ¡°hero¡ª¡± ¡°shh!¡± luo ning was very cautious. she went over to him and asked in a low voice, ¡°are you crazy? why did you suddenly kill zhou huaili?¡± ye jingtang moved to the side and gestured for luo ning to sit down. ¡°how did the zhou family react?¡± luo ning had been so anxious that she had chased after him. she hadn¡¯t had the time to think about the minor details. she sat on the side of the bed and said solemnly, ¡°the zhou family is in an uproar. they must find the murderer and make him pay with blood.¡± ¡°do they suspect the red flower pavilion?¡± ¡°no, you left the black office¡¯s token and used saber skills. it¡¯s very difficult to suspect the red flower pavilion, but they will find you eventually.¡± hearing this, ye jingtang heaved a sigh of relief. seeing that he was relieved, luo ning said solemnly, ¡°you¡¯re only working for the red flower pavilion. why are you taking the blame yourself when something happens? did the red flower pavilion force you to draw a clear line with them?¡± ye jingtang said with a smile, ¡°no. the red flower pavilion can¡¯t beat the zhou family now. since 1 wanted to kill zhou huaili myself, 1 should settle the matter.¡± ¡°how are you going to settle it?¡± luo ning had been anxious for the past two days, afraid that zhou chiyang would run faster and find ye jingtang in the capital first. she fumbled in her sleeve and took out a small iron token. on it were the words ¡®the soul of yan is indestructible, aspiring to pacify heaven¡¯. she handed it to ye jingtang. ¡°this is a token the pacifying heaven cult master gave me and yunli. all eight chiefs know it. if you meet zhou chiyang, show it. he definitely won¡¯t dare to kill you.¡± ye jingtang was slightly surprised. he looked at the small iron token in his hand. ¡°is that so?¡± ¡°you still don¡¯t believe me? as long as you don¡¯t bump into the one immortal and two sages, when others see this token, they won¡¯t kill you at the risk of angering the pacifying heaven cult master.¡± ¡°i believe you. how can 1 not believe you?¡± ye jingtang rubbed the small iron token with a rather strange expression. with the token of the prince of jing, no one in lawful society would dare to provoke him. with the token of the pacifying heaven cult master, no one in the underworld would dare to provoke him¡­ wasn¡¯t this equivalent to hugging a thigh with black stockings and a thigh with white stockings at the same time and being invincible? but if he carried the two tokens at the same time, if they were exposed, both the black and white stocking thighs would probably trample him¡­ after sizing up the token for a moment, ye jingtang returned it to heroine luo. ¡°no need. i wrote a letter to the prince of jing¡­¡± ?! when luo ning heard this, a complicated look appeared in her eyes. ¡°yunli and 1 chased you for hundreds of miles just because we were afraid that something would happen to you. you didn¡¯t even ask me when you got into trouble and went straight to the princess. do you think i¡¯m heartless and won¡¯t help you?¡± ye jingtang shook his head and said, ¡°what are you thinking? do i look like someone who lives off a woman and clings to a lady¡¯s thigh?¡± luo ning snorted. ¡°if you don¡¯t rely on the princess, how can you deal with zhou chiyang?¡± ye jingtang said solemnly, ¡°the law! i killed zhou huaili because he went to kill jian yuhua in the middle of the night. 1 acted bravely and upheld justice on behalf of the government. this isn¡¯t hiding under the skirt of the princess but standing upright under the law of the country, being a law-abiding citizen, and adhering to righteousness and chivalry!¡± luo ning blinked her beautiful eyes and thought for a moment before saying, ¡°if you didn¡¯t know the princess, would the imperial court interfere in this matter?¡± ye jingtang smiled and said, ¡°why wouldn¡¯t the imperial court care? it¡¯s just that the case won¡¯t be handled so quickly.¡± luo ning thought about it and felt that this was hugging the princess¡¯s thigh. but it was indeed easier for the imperial court to mediate than for the pacifying heaven cult to exert pressure. she put away the token. ¡°does that mean you¡¯re okay for now?¡± ¡°i¡¯m fine for now. when i¡¯m done practicing my saber, the ones in trouble will be jun mountain terrace and the zhou family.¡± luo ning had been worried for several days. at this moment, she secretly heaved a sigh of relief and thought for a moment. ¡°you¡­ hurry up. yunli is still waiting. i have to go back.¡± ye jingtang blinked. ¡°hurry up with what?¡± luo ning sat up straight with a serious expression. ¡°since i¡¯m willing to bet, i¡¯m willing to admit defeat. do you think i, luo ning, am a person who goes back on my word? even if you have forgotten, do you think that i¡¯ll pretend nothing happened?¡± ye jingtang had been busy for a few days and had really forgotten about the bet. he smiled and opened his arms. luo ning placed her hand on the hilt of the sword at her waist and tilted her head to look elsewhere. her expression was cold, as if she was not taking the initiative, refusing, or cooperating. ye jingtang hugged heroine luo generously and patted her back gently. ¡°thank you and yunli for worrying about me. when 1 get back, i¡¯ll strive to let qiu tianhe regain his freedom as soon as possible.¡± luo ning¡¯s entire body tensed up. her eyes moved as she said calmly, ¡°just do your best. it¡¯s not convenient to come and go these few days. we¡¯ll talk about the rest when we return to the capital¡­ by the way, can you take me to the palace?¡± ¡°hmm?¡± ye jingtang was stunned. he turned his head and looked at luo ning¡¯s ear. ¡°why do you want to go to the palace?¡± ¡°i¡¯m curious. i just want to look around.¡± ¡°are you planning to kill the empress?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t have the ability.¡± ¡°that¡¯s true¡ªhiss! you said it yourself. why are you pinching me?!¡± luo ning loosened her grip on ye jingtang¡¯s waist and said seriously, ¡°the previous dynasty buried something in the palace. i have to go get it.¡± ? ye jingtang was stunned and asked, ¡°the roaring dragon chart?¡± luo ning didn¡¯t know what the pacifying heaven cult master wanted her to take, so she thought for a moment. ¡°it can¡¯t be the roaring dragon chart. it should be something related to the great yan imperial court.¡± ye jingtang was doubtful. ¡°where is it buried?¡± ¡°eternal joy palace, peaceful hall.¡± ? ye jingtang took a deep breath, pushed luo ning away, and looked at her pair of innocent peach blossom eyes. ¡°sister, do you know where that is?¡± when luo ning heard the word ¡®sister¡¯, her heart trembled for some reason. she pretended to be calm and said, ¡°the emperor¡¯s resting palace.¡± ¡°you still know? how do you expect me to enter the place where the empress sleeps? should i be sent to the dragon bed by the prince of jing?¡± luo ning recalled xue baijin¡¯s reminder and added, ¡°you have to take me in with you. i have to pick it up myself.¡± ? ye jingtang spread his hands. ¡°you mean that after i¡¯m sent to the dragon bed, i have to be loyal to you and bring you along? even if the empress agrees, what can you do? let us busy ourselves first while you put on your clothes and get up to walk around yourself?¡± luo ning had long felt that this matter was ridiculous. she sighed softly. ¡°xue baijin asked me to help. 1 just casually mentioned it. if it doesn¡¯t work, forget it. have you hugged me enough? it¡¯s been so long.¡± ye jingtang let go and patted heroine luo¡¯s shoulders. ¡°don¡¯t mess around when you return to the capital. this is really not a small matter.¡± ¡°i know what to do. i¡¯m leaving.¡± luo ning tidied her clothes and flew out of the window like a breeze. tread, tread¡­ ye jingtang got up and went to the window to look. he could see that the beautiful figure on the river had already run far away, leaving only circles of ripples that had yet to disappear. after watching luo ning return to the distant ferry, he looked up at the silver moon in the sky and breathed a sigh of relief. after entering the capital, he had inexplicably stepped on three ships. now, it seemed that his footing was becoming more and more stable¡­ unfortunately, these three ships were not very harmonious. if one of them went astray one day, his third leg would be torn off on the spot¡­ if his foster father knew that he was in jianghu and that the girls he met were worried about him and gave him life-saving charms, he would probably feel that his foster son was very useless¡­ who didn¡¯t want their son to stand between heaven and earth alone with a saber? even if he were pointed at by thousands of weapons and attracted the anger of gods and buddhas, he would still raise his hands to hold up the sky and step on the ground, protecting everyone behind him with a smile¡­ crack! a cold light flashed in the room. holding the hornless dragon saber horizontally, ye jingtang stroked the densely packed fine scratches on the silver blade with his fingers. the saber let out a hum. buzz! then he pointed the saber diagonally to the floor, took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and began to practice the saber¡­ end of volume 1: a golden scale enters a cold pool Chapter 110 - Chapter 110: I Will Help You Settle This Matter (1) chapter 110: i will help you settle this matter (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios rumble! rainstorms in midsummer always came unexpectedly. at river shore wharf, the peddlers and porters who had just disembarked ran back and forth with their hands covering their heads. ships of all sizes parked on the riverbank bobbed in the waves. pei xiangjun got off the ferry. xiuhe held an umbrella beside her as they boarded the pei family¡¯s carriage that was picking her up. on the ferry, ye jingtang was wearing a black robe and holding an oil-paper umbrella while looking at the riverbank, searching for traces of the small ferry. in the blink of an eye, three days had passed. the ferry had returned to the eastern suburbs of the capital smoothly. heroine luo¡¯s small ferry would stop along the way, and it was slower. it didn¡¯t seem to have reached the port yet. little yunli had kidnapped his bird. he didn¡¯t know if it had gained weight after she fed it for a few days¡­ ye jingtang looked into the distance for a moment, but there was no trace of her. he turned to follow the carriage. just as he took a few steps, he saw madam huang zhu, who was taking another boat to go to broad crossing county, run up to him with an umbrella. she pushed him toward the ferry at the side. ¡°young master, now that the matter with the water cloud sword pool has been settled, it¡¯s time to go to the baoyuan school, right?¡± after ye jingtang dealt with the zhou family, they naturally had to teach the local jianghu sects in yun province the rules. but they had just returned to the capital, and the storm of the zhou family had yet to pass, so they had to wait a few days first. ¡°aunt huang, don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ll go to broad crossing after i¡¯m done with the matters in the capital.¡± huang zhu said aggrievedly, ¡°that li yuanyuan is too much. it doesn¡¯t matter if he takes my shops¡¯ business. i went to discuss it, but he actually said¡­ said¡­¡± ¡°hmm?¡± ye jingtang looked at huang zhu¡¯s embarrassed expression and frowned. ¡°what did he say?¡± ¡°he told me to get lost.¡± ye jingtang nodded slowly. he felt that the situation was not much different from what he had imagined. ¡°li hunyuan really needs to be taught a lesson. but i¡­¡± ¡°young master, if you don¡¯t help me, 1 won¡¯t be able to pay the tribute this year. the pavilion lord will definitely punish me¡­ young master, why don¡¯t you waive my tribute this year?¡± ye jingtang raised his hand helplessly. ¡°i¡¯m just an enforcer. you have to ask third lady about this.¡± huang zhu frowned. ¡°how can third lady exempt me? if i can¡¯t pay the tribute, according to the sect rules, i have to give my businesses to other helm masters. 1 have no choice but to go to the li family to fight for my life. young master, if i die, please burn more paper money for me¡­¡± ye jingtang sighed. ¡°what are you saying? isn¡¯t it just li yuanyuan? i¡¯ll take some time to go there after i finish my work. i¡¯ll make him vomit everything he ate, including the interest.¡± seeing that ye jingtang really couldn¡¯t leave, huang zhu could only give up. ¡°it¡¯s a promise- when things are settled, i¡¯ll secretly arrange for a few courtesans to reward you without letting the pavilion lord know¡­ speaking of which, young master, do you want a wife? my daughter is fourteen this year. she¡¯s a little young¡­¡± ¡°sigh¡­¡± ye jingtang was quite helpless. it was his job. how could he accept a bribe from a helm master? if third lady and heroine luo heard about it, he would suffer another unexpected calamity. he immediately sent huang zhu away with a pleasant expression. after watching the ship leave, he turned around and boarded the pei family¡¯s carriage. in the carriage, xiuhe was sitting at the side, sorting out account books. pei xiangjun was wearing a light yellow summer dress. the beauty was sitting on the couch with her legs bent and her butt resting on her calves. she was waving the fan in her hand gently, and her bearing was like that of a delicate and charming wife of a wealthy family. ¡°did huang zhu make trouble for you again?¡± ¡°it¡¯s not really trouble. i get paid, so this is my job. but i¡¯ll only have time in a few days. third lady, you¡¯re tired from the long journey. go back and rest early. i have to go to the prince of jing estate later and ask about the zhou family situation. 1 might not have time to come over in the next two days.¡± pei xiangjun looked elsewhere. ¡°sigh- 1 can¡¯t help with the zhou family matter at all. i still have to rely on you to handle the situation on your own. it¡¯s only right for you to visit the prince of jing more often. how could 1 stop you?¡± is this called not stopping?ye jingtang was already used to this faintly resentful look. he smiled and said, ¡°third lady, i will definitely come over to help you when i have time. speaking of which, uncle song said that he wanted you to teach me the eight extremities of thunder¡­¡± pei xiangjun paused for a moment. ¡°how could we use it on a merchant ship? come to the pei family when you have time. 1¡¯11 teach you slowly. li yuanyuan of the baoyuan school is very skilled with the fist and palm. it¡¯s more interesting to use your opponent¡¯s skills to knock them down.¡± ye jingtang smiled and said, ¡°okay.¡± pei xiangjun pondered for a moment and said gently, ¡°has your beloved returned to the capital? are you going to let me go over to meet her, or are you going to let her visit and serve tea to me, an elder?¡± ye jingtang blinked. ¡°she doesn¡¯t know your identity. um¡­¡± ¡°are you afraid that i¡¯ll bully her as an elder?¡± ¡°how is that possible¡­¡± ¡°why not? she poached my person. if i meet her, i have to get her to serve tea and call me martial aunt a few times to establish the rules¡­¡± ye jingtang opened his mouth. he could already imagine heroine luo¡¯s cold expression when she came back to vent her anger on him after being beaten by third lady¡­ after thinking for a moment, pei xiangjun raised her fan. ¡°forget it. i know that in your heart, your sweetheart is more important than me, a martial aunt who has nothing to do with you. i won¡¯t make things difficult for you. we¡¯ll talk about it later. by the way, you told the prince of jing about your relationship with the red flower pavilion. are you sure the prince of jing won¡¯t make me pay tribute?¡± ye jingtang breathed a sigh of relief and shook his head. ¡°after i came to the pei family, except for my salary, 1 didn¡¯t receive a single cent more. i have a clear conscience. i¡¯ll explain it to the prince of jing. but i¡¯m afraid the spear technique is unavoidable. after all, i have to give the prince of jing a greeting gift.¡± pei xiangjun nodded slightly. ¡°just tell the prince of jing not to spread it. in any case, it¡¯s impossible for the prince of jing to fight someone personally.. at most, she¡¯ll find her guards at home to satisfy her cravings¡­¡± Chapter 111 - Chapter 111: I Will Help You Settle This Matter (2) chapter 111: i will help you settle this matter (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after they chatted for a while, the carriage entered the east gate of the capital and arrived at a bustling street. although it was raining, there were many pedestrians holding umbrellas on the main street, and the stores were also dazzling. ye jingtang looked over at the shops. a thought popped into his mind. he felt that after going out for a while, he should at least prepare some small gifts. he got out of the carriage and walked to a rather high-end jewelry store on the street. he chose a few pieces of jewelry and prepared one for xiuhe to prevent her from complaining that the young master was biased. he even bought a small ornament for the bird. after doing this, ye jingtang opened his umbrella and returned to heavenly water bridge. under the rain, there were few pedestrians on the streets, and the neighbors were all taking shelter from the rain and chatting under the eaves. seeing ye jingtang return, the familiar shopkeepers and waiters greeted him. ¡°hey! welcome back, young master ye!¡± ¡°i haven¡¯t seen you for half a month, and you¡¯ve become a lot more handsome¡­¡± ¡°hehe¡­¡± ye jingtang replied politely along the way. he wanted to go straight to the pei residence to give the gifts to third lady, but halfway there, he saw a carriage drive out of the alley. chen biao followed behind with an umbrella and hurriedly dissuaded, ¡°young master, don¡¯t act on your own. if third lady and madam find out, your allowance for this month will definitely be gone¡­¡± the curtain of the carriage was lifted, and inside was a young master who was 16 or 17 years old. his bearing was considered elegant and steady, and he was waving his fan hard and complaining, ¡°i can also contribute to the family. i¡¯m already seventeen years old. why can¡¯t i take care of a few things? 1 only stayed in the academy for a few months, but when i came back, i saw that the eldest young master had become the second young master. the maidservants in the residence don¡¯t want to see me and talk about ¡®young master jingtang, young master ye, so handsome-¡® all day. what does this mean? am i ugly?!¡± ¡°uh¡­ young master, compared with young master ye¡­ it¡¯s hard to tell the difference!¡± holding his umbrella, chen biao jogged outside the carriage to dissuade him. ¡°third lady just came back, but you¡¯re going out and acting on your own¡­¡± as the eldest son of the pei family, pei luo had been studying outside the city. when he came back during the holidays, he saw that the pei family¡¯s surname was about to change to ¡®ye¡¯. no matter how good his temper was, he would inevitably be full of complaints. ¡°i deliberately waited for third aunt to come back before going out. otherwise, how would third aunt know my ability?¡± ¡°young master, you are a scholar. you have to take the exam to gain merit¡­ eh?! young master ye!¡± halfway through his words, chen biao saw ye jingtang walking over. he hurriedly ran forward with the umbrella and asked about his well-being. ¡°young master ye, you¡¯re finally back. how was your journey? let me help you carry your things. don¡¯t tire yourself out¡­¡± ?? in the carriage, young master pei was still listening to chen biao. when he saw this scene, he waved the folding fan in his hand a few times with a rather complicated expression. he looked at the black-robed young master who was walking over. he was half a head taller than him and had an extraordinary figure. he felt that this man could kill him with a single punch¡­ as for his face¡­ how the f*ckis this hard to tell the difference? we both have two eyes and one nose, so its hard to tell the difference, right? young master pei directly closed the curtain and urged, ¡°let¡¯s go.¡± but when the coachman saw that the young master had arrived, how could he dare to listen to pei luo? he only sat outside the carriage and smiled foolishly. from the conversation, ye jingtang recognized who was sitting in the carriage. holding his umbrella, he walked to the window. ¡°i¡¯m just a shopkeeper hired by third lady. young master pei, please don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± the curtain of the carriage was lifted, and pei luo stuck his head out. his demeanor was rather easy-going, like a well-mannered and well-educated descendent of a wealthy family. ¡°are you brother jingtang? i really didn¡¯t see you just now. hmm¡­ third aunt is discussing something with my mother at home. you can go over directly. i still have something to do. please excuse me.¡± chen biao quickly raised his hand to stop the carriage. ¡°oh, young master ye can handle this matter. you¡­¡± pei luo waved his fan a few more times. ¡°chen biao, how many drinks have i treated you to? do you think i can¡¯t do anything?¡± ¡°no, no. this matter has something to do with young master ye¡­¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t understand and asked, ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± chen biao sighed and explained, ¡°it¡¯s not a big deal. didn¡¯t the government ask the pei family to renovate dye workshop street? many local tyrants are eyeing this big piece of fat meat and want to eat with the pei family. the pei family definitely won¡¯t agree. a few days ago, someone came to discuss this matter. the shopkeeper of the grain store received him, but the other party¡¯s attitude was very bad. he pointed at his nose while speaking. little six of the escort agency saw that his future father-in-law was being bullied, so he scolded him.¡± little six was an old team member of ye jingtang¡¯s. when he heard this, he frowned. ¡°and then?¡± ¡°nothing happened at the time, but the next day, little six went out shopping with the girl from the grain store. when they returned, they were blocked. with the girl in front of him, little six didn¡¯t want to lose his image and apologize. he fought with those people and was beaten until he couldn¡¯t get up¡­¡± ¡°who did it?¡± pei luo jumped out of the carriage. seeing ye jingtang¡¯s angry expression, he patted his shoulder. ¡°the young master of the three yuan building, cheng song. he¡¯s a rich young master from parasol street. i¡¯ve interacted with him before. leave this matter to me. i¡¯ll get the medical expenses back later¡­¡± ye jingtang looked at young master pei. ¡°what is cheng song¡¯s background?¡± pei luo thought for a moment. ¡°his father is second master cheng of the west market. i¡¯m not sure about the rest. anyway, he has some connections in the government and jianghu. he¡¯s not to be trifled with. the shopkeepers want to keep the peace, but 1 can¡¯t tolerate sand in my eyes. brother jingtang, you just came to the pei family, but your subordinate was bullied. as the young master, if i don¡¯t stand up for you, who can stand up for you? ¡­ eh? jingtang, where are you going?¡± ¡°to see little six.¡± ye jingtang walked into the alley behind heavenly water bridge. chen biao hurriedly accompanied him. young master pei stood alone in the rain. he felt a little neglected, but he wasn¡¯t angry. he followed him and continued, ¡°i have some face on parasol street. all the big bosses have to address me respectfully as ¡®young master pei¡¯. cheng song dared to hit someone from my family. he has kicked an iron plate¡­¡± while speaking, the three of them arrived outside a courtyard in the back alley. third lady was very kind. she had arranged accommodations for the twelve escorts and their families who had moved to the capital. the walls of the alley were clean and tidy, much better than the environment of double osmanthus alley. ye jingtang pushed the door open and entered. he smelled medicine. little six¡¯s mother, aunt lin, was brewing medicine in the kitchen, and the old escort yang zhao was cursing and preaching in the room. ¡°if you don¡¯t have any f*cking skills, why are you fighting with others? do you think you¡¯re the young master?¡± seeing ye jingtang enter, yang chao hurriedly went out to welcome him. aunt lin came up to complain. ¡°jingtang, you have to take care of this¡­¡± yang zhao hurriedly stopped her. ¡°sister lin, go do your work. the young master knows what to do.¡± ye jingtang comforted aunt lin and went to the main room. he saw little six lying on the bed in the side room with bandages on his body, looking rather haggard. he stood up with a smile. ¡°brother jingtang, why are you here? it¡¯s not a big deal. it just makes me look like i¡¯m about to have my funeral¡­¡± ye jingtang checked his injuries and asked, ¡°no matter how unreasonable they were, if you couldn¡¯t win, why didn¡¯t you come back and look for help? if you die outside, what will happen to your mother?¡± little six chuckled. ¡°sigh, 1 only realized that 1 couldn¡¯t win after being beaten up. this is my fault. i shouldn¡¯t have disturbed my father-in-law¡¯s business discussion¡­¡± after ye jingtang checked his injuries, he took out a banknote and handed it to yang chao. ¡°find a good doctor. make sure there aren¡¯t any lasting problems.¡± ¡°hey, there¡¯s no need. brother jingtang, you¡­¡± ye jingtang waved his hand and told little six to lie down. after saying goodbye to aunt lin, he opened his oil-paper umbrella and left the courtyard. pei luo had been standing outside the courtyard and looking around. at this moment, he said, ¡°jingtang, don¡¯t worry. i will help you settle this matter. if cheng song dares not to pay for the medical expenses today¡­¡± ye jingtang looked at the left and right alleys. ¡°where is that young master cheng?¡± pei luo thought for a moment. ¡°this time, he¡¯s usually in the three yuan building, accompanying a few young masters of literary virtue bridge to play cards. if you want to go there and take a look, 1¡¯11 bring you over. but try not to speak and be polite. leave it to me. there will be problems if we offend the sons of officials of literary virtue bridge¡­¡± ye jingtang thought about it and nodded. ¡°okay..¡± Chapter 112 - Chapter 112: Didn’t You Tell Me Not to Speak? chapter 112: didn¡¯t you tell me not to speak? translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios boom! dark clouds rolled over the city, and bean-sized raindrops sprinkled outside the main hall of the black office. the chief constables on duty were sitting on both sides of the hall. two constables were standing in the middle of the hall. they both had black eyes and had clearly been punched a few times. behind the main table, dongfang liren was dressed in her silver python robe, sitting upright with her back straight. she looked at the injuries on the constables¡¯ faces with hidden anger in her eyes. ¡°what happened?¡± the two constables were clearly afraid. one of them, the slightly older one, lowered his head and said, ¡°we patrolled bamboo street today and discovered a murder case. the way of death was very special. it¡¯s obviously a big case. the corpse that i and xiao wang discovered first was undergoing an autopsy. but the people from the six gates chased us out¡­¡± thump! dongfang liren slapped the table. ¡°then you took action? how many times have 1 told you not to fight with the people from the three law division? if anything happens, come back directly and tell a chief constable¡­¡± the older constable lowered his head and replied, ¡°i didn¡¯t want to fight in the first place. i was just scolding them. but i don¡¯t know what xiao wang was thinking, but he suddenly said, til stab you to death with a stick in your back door!¡±¡® ¡°cough cough!¡± she long, who was sitting upright, choked when he heard this. his face turned red, and he coughed a few times, almost suffocating. shang jianli¡¯s cold face twitched a few times. only dongfang liren¡¯s eyes were blank. ¡°what does that mean?¡± constable xiao wang said aggrievedly, ¡°at first, i didn¡¯t know what it meant. old liu said that it was a profound spear technique that was especially powerful. so 1 casually scolded them. the people from the six gates laughed at me. then they figured it out and became angry¡­¡± dongfang liren was baffled. ¡°what do you mean by a stick in the back door?¡± she long forcefully suppressed the churning aura and waved his hand. ¡°go treat your injuries. you¡¯re embarrassing yourself.¡± ¡°yes, sir.¡± the two constables hurried away. she long faced the prince of jing and said respectfully, ¡°your highness¡¯ ears have been dirtied by the vulgarities in the market. please excuse me for taking action first. this beating was for nothing. 1 don¡¯t think the case will come back.¡± seeing the strange expressions on the male and female chief constables¡¯ faces, dongfang liren knew that the words weren¡¯t anything good, so she didn¡¯t ask further. the black office didn¡¯t even have an official position. in theory, it was the private guard of the prince of jing estate. imperial authority could manage anything, but the black office¡¯s powers overlapped with those of the judicial organ. there were only so many cases in the capital, and constables and officials all needed achievements. for this reason, the two sides had great differences and often got into conflicts. the salary of the black office¡¯s constables was allocated from the prince of jing estate, and dongfang liren had to ask the ministry of revenue for money. without achievements, the ministry of revenue wouldn¡¯t allocate funds. for this reason, the black office could give up small cases such as theft, but it had to participate in murder cases. dongfang liren was just about to arrange for a fiercer subordinate to go to bamboo street to take some credit forcefully when she heard hurried footsteps outside. tread, tread, tread! she looked up and saw wang chihu, who was wearing an aristocratic robe, running in with an umbrella. ¡°your highness, your highness!¡± ¡°the black office is an important place. it¡¯s unbecoming to make a ruckus.¡± ¡°brother ye is back.¡± ¡°hmm?¡± dongfang liren¡¯s anger froze. she looked outside, but there was no sign of ye jingtang. ¡°where is ye jingtang? tell him to come over. 1 have something to arrange.¡± wang chihu stopped outside the hall and said excitedly, ¡°brother ye just smashed a casino on parasol street and beat someone half to death. then he turned around and went to the west market. he¡¯s probably going to beat up vice-minister wang¡¯s brother-in-law. your highness, do you want to watch the show?¡± dongfang liren was puzzled. she wanted to get up, but it didn¡¯t match her status, so she patted the long table lightly. ¡°how dare he! at the feet of her majesty, he¡¯s fighting in the streets. does he still have the law in his heart? i will go and take a look. all of you, stay here.¡± the chief constables, who were about to follow to watch the show, immediately sat back down resentfully¡­ whoosh! outside the three yuan building, it was pouring rain, but inside, it was in full swing. the children of wealthy families were throwing money on the gambling tables with beauties accompanying them. the scene was worlds apart from the murky gambling dens on the streets. ¡°come, come, come! four, five, six!¡± ¡°great!¡± ¡°sigh, how unlucky¡­¡± parasol street was a famous money-squandering cave in the capital. the three yuan building wasn¡¯t considered top-notch on the street, but its background was quite strong. the owner was cheng bao, second master cheng, who had roots in the west market. second master cheng was born in the iron buddha ridge, a large sect in yun province. his elder brother was the sect master, and his young sister had married into the wang family of yun province. he was in-laws with an important minister of the current dynasty. with this background in lawful society and the underworld, it could be said that no one dared to touch him. cheng song, who was in charge of the three yuan building, was the eldest son of second master cheng. he had good relationships with the profligate sons in the capital. at noon, in a private room facing the street of the three yuan building, a few young masters of literary virtue bridge were playing pai gow tiles at the table. cheng song, dressed as a rich young master, was accompanying them. as the martial arts scene of great wei was flourishing, no matter where people were, jianghu affairs were always a topic of conversation. the young masters at the table chatted casually as they spent money like water. ¡°young master cheng, 1 heard that the sect master of the water cloud sword pool was killed?¡± cheng song pushed out the silver ingots on the table in front of him with a folding fan and smiled amiably. ¡°young master li, you¡¯re quite well-informed. it¡¯s said that zhou huaili went out in the middle of the night to kill someone, but he was bumped into by someone from the black office and capsized.¡± ¡°then, what can they do about this?¡± ¡°what else can they do? in the eyes of the imperial court, everyone from beggars to the eight chiefs is a ¡®citizen¡¯. the black office kills people according to the law. if they don¡¯t accept it, they can go to the law division to complain. because of zhou chiyang¡¯s special status, the imperial court treats him quite politely and will specially let vice-minister lin, who is the most impartial and unselfish person in the ministry of justice, preside over the trial. vice-minister lin is someone who even dares to arrest and sentence relatives of the emperor. moreover, because the black office¡¯s authority and position are unclear, he has impeached the prince of jing many times¡­¡± ¡°the prince of jing is famous for being protective of her people. since she dares to let iron head lin interrogate her person, then it must be an ironclad case that even her majesty can¡¯t reverse¡­ has sword saint zhou chiyang come?¡± ¡°who knows how many lives zhou huaili has taken. wouldn¡¯t zhou chiyang be in trouble if he came? if the zhou family takes the initiative to give up on pursuing the matter and accepts the punishment, zhou chiyang will be a hypocrite if he goes to the black office to take revenge. but if he doesn¡¯t take revenge, he will be heartless and unrighteous. it¡¯s quite unlucky to have such a stupid brother¡­¡± at this point, cheng song thought of something and said, ¡°now that the zhou family has gotten into this trouble, they definitely won¡¯t dare to commit another crime and get into a conflict with the red flower pavilion. broad cossing¡¯s baoyuan school has also eaten the red flower pavilion¡¯s industry. i reckon that the red flower pavilion will find trouble with li yuanyuan next¡­¡± ¡°then, young master cheng, won¡¯t you be able to reap some benefits?¡± ¡°hehe¡­¡± the iron buddha ridge behind cheng song and the baoyuan school had established their sects in yun province. it was impossible for them to mind their own business. if the red flower pavilion knocked the baoyuan school down a peg, the iron buddha ridge would naturally benefit from it. cheng song smiled and said, ¡°jianghu is just like this gambling table. luck is more important than wealth and power. when this luck comes, even while sitting, windfalls will blow your¡ª¡± clatter! while he was speaking, the sound of doors and windows shattering suddenly sounded from downstairs. ¡°who¡¯s there?!¡± ¡°what happened?¡± the private room fell silent. the young masters were a little puzzled. cheng song frowned, got up, and went to the window to look. parasol street was the most prosperous street in the capital. even though it was raining heavily, there were still many carriages coming and going. at this moment, they had all stopped. in front of three yuan building stood a young master in a water cloud brocade robe holding a black umbrella. the umbrella blocked his face, so his appearance couldn¡¯t be seen. behind the black-robed young master was a rich young master in a brocade robe. the umbrella in his hand fell to the street, his mouth was wide open, and his eyes were full of shock. the subordinates originally standing at the entrance of three yuan building had already disappeared. as expected, they had been kicked into the door. pei luo?cheng song recognized this big financier of heavenly water bridge and thought that pei luo had brought thugs to cause trouble. ¡°excuse me for a moment.¡± he jumped down from the window on the second floor of the three yuan building, his figure elegant and agile. the profligate young masters sitting here were all busybodies. they also knew pei luo, a slightly famous rich young master in the capital. seeing that there was something interesting to watch, they didn¡¯t care about the game on the table and went over to look curiously. the noble young masters originally thought that cheng song would negotiate with young master pei in front of the door. but unexpectedly, just as cheng song jumped out of the window, an explosion sounded from below. bam! the black-robed young man standing outside the building didn¡¯t even move the oil-paper umbrella away. he raised his head, looked up, turned around, and raised his leg. then a fierce side kick was aimed at cheng song, who was jumping down from the second floor. this kick was as fast as lightning, and white mist erupted around his right leg. cheng song didn¡¯t expect the other party to be so unethical. his eyes were full of shock and anger. if this kick landed on his crotch, he would probably become half a woman for the rest of his life. before he landed, he pressed down with his hands in the air. bam! in an instant, the boot pressed against the two palms! cheng song, who had yet to land, flew back at several times the speed he fell, smashing the plaque of the three yuan building into pieces. clatter! then he smashed into the wooden beam and let out a muffled cough. he lost his balance and fell from the air, landing on the steps outside the three yuan building. thud! there was a deathly silence inside and outside of the three yuan building. pei luo, who had come to help ye jingtang settle the matter, was stunned when he saw this scene. he raised his hand and said incoherently, ¡°hiss¡­ jingtang¡­ what¡­¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t respond. holding his umbrella, he walked up the steps. ¡°cough, cough, cough!¡± cheng song had fallen to the ground. he wanted to get up, but his arms could no longer exert any strength. he could only grit his teeth and glare at the man outside the door. ¡°you¡ª¡± as soon as the word came out of his mouth, the man stepped on his chest. crack! ¡°cough!¡± broken bones were accompanied by muffled coughs. cheng song was firmly stepped on by the boot on the steps. his face immediately turned red, and he slapped the boot hard. ba! pa! pa! this scene made the people inside and outside the three yuan building scream a few times. the thugs of the casino who came out to help were also stunned on the spot. pei luo was a scholar. his face turned pale with fear. he ran forward in horror and pulled ye jingtang¡¯s arm. ¡°what are you doing? are you crazy? this is the capital. we¡¯re at the feet of her majesty¡­¡± cheng song was also a ruthless person. his eyes were bloodshot as he forced himself to speak. ¡°my father crack! another stomp came. cheng song stopped talking abruptly and coughed up a mouthful of blood. he couldn¡¯t even make a sound. his eyes were full of horror, and his entire body was trembling. he pushed hard against the boot that almost stomped into his chest. ye jingtang lowered his head and looked into his eyes. it was only when his face turned purple and his eyes became unfocused that he restrained his strength slightly. ¡°ugh¡ªcough, cough, cough!¡± ye jingtang moved his foot away to prevent blood from splattering on his boot. ¡°do you know why i hit you?¡± cheng song clutched his chest and coughed non-stop. he didn¡¯t dare to speak and only nodded vigorously. ye jingtang didn¡¯t say anything else. still holding his umbrella, he turned to leave. pei luo¡¯s eyes were dull. realizing that ye jingtang had left, perhaps afraid that he would be beaten to death by the casino¡¯s thugs, he hurriedly caught up to ye jingtang. ¡°are you crazy? a gentleman uses his mouth, not his hands¡­¡± after walking a few steps, ye jingtang turned to look at pei luo. ¡°didn¡¯t you tell me not to speak?¡± ¡°i¡­¡± pei luo was stunned. ¡°i told you not to speak, but you just hit him?! you¡­ second master cheng is a big shot in the west market. he has hundreds of thugs under him. let¡¯s go. i ll bring you to the government to turn yourself in. if you hide in a cell and pay a sum of money, this matter might be over¡­ hey, where are you going?¡± ¡°i¡¯m going to talk business with second master cheng.¡± ¡°what?! you beat his son up like this, and now you¡¯re going to discuss business with him. he will definitely beat you up¡­ don¡¯t go. hey, listen to your brother¡¯s advice. the capital has its rules. if you mess around like this, third aunt will definitely hang you up and beat you up.. i won¡¯t dare to speak up for you¡­¡± Chapter 113 - Chapter 113: Iron-Headed chapter 113: iron-headed translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios west market, orchid pavilion¡­ at the same time the incident occurred on parasol street, the orchid pavilion was closing its doors. the local tyrants in the nearby streets were sitting together and discussing a neither too big nor too small matter. last month, the imperial capital government had specially approved the renovation and rebuilding of dye workshop street. the matter was outsourced to the pei family, the wealthy merchant family of heavenly water bridge. dye workshop street occupied a large area. after renovation and rebuilding, there would be at least a hundred stores. from renovating and rebuilding buildings to attracting merchants and the subsequent maintenance of the street, it was all white silver. cheng bao, second master cheng of the west market, had a high seniority in yun¡¯an city. today, he was sitting in the main seat and chatting with a few familiar bosses about this matter. ¡°there are many streets and alleys in the capital where no one is causing trouble, but heavenly water bridge is just a grocery street. just relying on some trivial relationships gained by piling up money, they have such a tough tone. they¡¯re really impudent¡­¡± second master cheng was about fifty years old. he had a bald head and a round face. he looked a bit like a gangster, but he was dressed quite formally like a minister. the other five people sitting here were dressed similarly, but one of them was more special. yang guan from river shore wharf had almost been beaten to death by ye jingtang last month. he had already learned his lesson and had been very honest recently. but because he had a conflict with the pei family and could be considered to have ¡®interacted¡¯ with them, he had been invited here by a few bosses in the city to give advice. yang guan¡¯s two arms had been stabbed, and his bones and tendons had yet to recover. at this moment, his left and right arms were wrapped in bandages and in a sling hanging from his neck. he couldn¡¯t even drink tea, and his expression was very ugly. ¡°second master cheng, i think it¡¯s better not to get involved in the matter of dye workshop street. you got people to beat up someone from heavenly water bridge, so 1 think it¡¯s better to visit to apologize and give some medical expenses. the martial arts skills of young master ye of heavenly water bridge are quite domineering, and his temper is even more domineering than his martial arts. moreover, he¡¯s close to the black office and not to be trifled with.¡± hearing these cowardly words, an old man sitting beside him sneered while holding a teacup in his hand. ¡°no matter how domineering he is, can he be as domineering as second master cheng with his fists? in terms of relationships, second master cheng is the brother-in-law of the vice-minister of the ministry of works. he even helps prime minister li¡¯s third wife manage a few stores. aren¡¯t these relationships domineering?¡± someone sitting opposite said, ¡°we¡¯re businessmen, and we¡¯re not cutting off the pei family¡¯s income. we¡¯re all in the capital. the government has decided that this family will take the bulk of the profits, leaving the chores to us. it¡¯s only natural¡ª¡± squeak! while he was talking, the door was pushed open. the wind and rain outside instantly swept into the restaurant, blowing up the clothes and hair of the several people inside. whoosh! the people in the hall stopped speaking. everyone frowned and turned to look. outside the restaurant, a handsome young master who was folding his umbrella appeared. behind him was a young master of a rich family with terrified eyes. he was pulling the handsome young master¡¯s arm with all his might. ¡°no, no, no. there are hundreds of people outside. if the two of us are beaten to death, the pei family will have no descendants. i¡¯m only seventeen¡­¡± the men led by the big bosses outside the restaurant were originally taking shelter from the rain in the nearby teahouses and wine shops. when they saw this scene, they ran toward the door angrily. ¡°who are you?!¡± ¡°kid, are you blind¡­¡± the people discussing matters in the restaurant looked displeased. yang guan was sitting near the entrance of the restaurant. when he noticed something amiss, he turned around to check. he was originally frowning, but when he saw the young master¡¯s appearance outside the door¡­ ¡°hiss!¡± yang guan was instantly frightened out of his wits. he hurriedly stood up and took a few steps back. ¡°ah! young master ye, 1 didn¡¯t get involved! i swear i was forcefully dragged here. 1 just tried to persuade them, but i couldn¡¯t persuade them at all¡­¡± ye jingtang closed his umbrella and found that yang guan, who had both arms in a sling hanging from his neck, was also in the restaurant lobby. he was really surprised and tilted his head slightly. yang guan didn¡¯t dare to say no. he nodded and ran out of the door with a smile. when he saw young master pei walking in, he blocked him with his body. ¡°young master pei, this place isn¡¯t for you to enter. just stand outside.¡± pei luo was obedient, mainly because he didn¡¯t dare to go in. he turned around and looked. ¡°gang leader yang?! it¡¯s good that you¡¯re here. quickly help pull him back and apologize. don¡¯t let anyone get hurt. the pei family will definitely thank you heavily afterward¡­¡± ¡°alright. young master ye, don¡¯t be agitated. second master cheng is just temporarily confused¡­¡± ¡°you¡¯re pulling the wrong way! speaking of which, what¡¯s wrong with your arms?¡± ¡°sigh, it¡¯s a long story. there¡¯s no need to talk about it¡­¡± there were five people sitting here. from yang guan¡¯s messy words, they could distinguish the identities of two noble young masters¡ªthe two young masters of heavenly water bridge. second master cheng¡¯s expression was still normal. ¡°young master ye, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re here. i¡ª¡± ¡°you stay here. the rest of you, get out.¡± ye jingtang¡¯s attitude couldn¡¯t be considered arrogant, but his tone of instructing small fries really dissatisfied the bosses, who had high statuses. the man closest to him immediately slapped an armrest. ¡°you¡ª¡± as soon as he said the word, ye jingtang raised his leg and kneed the man in the forehead with lightning speed. bam! an explosion sounded in the restaurant. the man sitting in the armchair suddenly leaned back, shattered the back of the chair, and fell straight to the floor. he couldn¡¯t move anymore. there was dead silence inside and outside the restaurant. everyone¡¯s eyes were horrified. only yang guan¡¯s expression was normal. the remaining three local tyrants were stunned for a moment when they saw the man being knocked down in one move. they stood up and walked out of the restaurant from the side as if they were facing a formidable enemy. second master cheng¡¯s eyes were quite surprised. he put down the teacup, stood up, and slowly rolled up his sleeves. ¡°kid, do you want to talk with your fists?¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t respond and strode over. second master cheng frowned and was about to attack when he heard a crisp crack coming from the floor. ye jingtang¡¯s figure exploded, and in the blink of an eye, he was already close to him. he flew forward and kneed second master cheng in the chest. boom! second master cheng was stunned. before he could raise his hand, he was instantly sent flying and smashed into the center of the restaurant. clatter! his body immediately made a large hole in the wall, revealing the private room behind it, and smashed into the tables and chairs inside. second master cheng crashed to the floor. he tried to stand up, but halfway through, he was hit in the forehead by ye jingtang, who was following him like a shadow. he instantly fell backward, and the back of his head hit the floor. boom! ye jingtang grabbed second master cheng¡¯s neck with one hand and punched his forehead three times in a row. bam! bam! bam! second master cheng raised his hands to fight back, not forgetting to curse angrily, ¡°damn it¡ª¡± bam! the last punch landed, and second master cheng directly shattered the floor. half of his head sank into the floor, and his words abruptly stopped. the people outside the door were terrified. they felt that even if second master cheng didn¡¯t die this time, he would be crippled! but second master cheng still refused to admit defeat after suffering such a heavy blow. he shook his bald head twice and then raised his fists to fight back. ye jingtang frowned and didn¡¯t say anything else. he pressed down and continued beating him. bam! bam! bam! in the empty restaurant, muffled thunder sounded. after taking several punches, second master cheng¡¯s upper body sank into the pit in the floor, but he still refused to admit defeat. countless thugs outside the door turned pale. many of them were so frightened that their clubs fell to the ground, making thumping sounds. after more than ten punches, ye jingtang was afraid that he would beat this fool to death. he wanted to stop, but after the last punch, he discovered that there were faint cracks on second master cheng¡¯s forehead. the cracks looked like cracked ice. because the capillaries were damaged and bleeding, his skin quickly turned dark red, and it was difficult to see any traces. if not for the fact that the lighting was good, ye jingtang wouldn¡¯t have noticed this slight abnormality at all. ? ye jingtang¡¯s fist paused. he felt that there was something wrong with this fellow¡¯s body. he was definitely not practicing an ordinary defensive martial arts. second master cheng, whose head had already sunk into the floor, suddenly raised his hand and patted ye jingtang¡¯s armpit. pa! pa! pa! ¡°i¡­ i¡¯m convinced¡­¡± a trace of doubt flashed across ye jingtang¡¯s eyes, but it would be against the rules if he continued to beat him. after thinking about it, he retracted his fist and stood up. ¡°the iron buddha ridge lives up to its reputation.¡± second master cheng lay in the pit, his mouth and nose covered in blood. his breathing was heavy, and he couldn¡¯t say a word. ye jingtang glanced at second master cheng¡¯s forehead again before suppressing the doubts in his heart, turning around, and leaving. the bosses outside the door turned pale and hurriedly made way. the hundreds of thugs gathered outside also retreated. yang guan nodded and bowed. ¡°take care, young master ye. come often in the future¡­ no, if you need anything in the future, just send someone to inform me. you don¡¯t have to come personally¡­¡± pei luo followed ye jingtang and passed through the hundreds of thugs. seeing that no one really dared to block their way, he whispered, ¡°brother jingtang, you¡¯re so awesome! but in the capital, relying on fists alone isn¡¯t enough. the cheng family has people in the government¡­¡± while they were talking, ye jingtang noticed a carriage parked at the street corner. the curtain was lifted, revealing a dignified face looking over coldly. ¡°this is?¡¯ ¡°the prince of jing.¡± ¡°oh¡­¡± pei luo stopped in his tracks and opened his mouth, but he had nothing to say. he moved forward like chen biao had earlier. ¡°brother, i¡¯ll hold the umbrella for you. when greeting the prince of jing, you have to have the bearing of a young master¡­¡± ye jingtang handed the umbrella to pei luo. ¡°you should go back first. study hard and achieve scholarly honor. jianghu isn¡¯t a place for scholars.¡± ¡°okay, i¡¯ll go back to the academy to study now¡­¡± pei luo wanted to go back obediently, but when he saw the thugs being dispersed, he felt a little unconfident. in the carriage, dongfang liren instructed, ¡°send young master pei back home. ye jingtang, come up.¡± then she lowered the curtain¡­ Chapter 114 - Chapter 114: What Do You Mean? (1) chapter 114: what do you mean? (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios clomp clomp! the carriage moved slowly on the street. the heavy rain fell on the roof of the carriage, making light pitter-patter sounds. the guards accompanying the carriage outside were talking to each other in low voices. ¡®¡±iron bull¡¯ cheng bao really lives up to his reputation¡­¡± ¡°the iron buddha ridge is a famous sect in yun province after all. the sect master, cheng shilu, is known as the glaring vajra. he has practiced defensive martial arts to the point that his entire body is invulnerable. even constable she praised him. his brother must have some true ability¡­¡± ¡°young master ye is ruthless. my hands hurt just looking¡­¡± ¡°young master ye doesn¡¯t seem to have a title in jianghu. i¡¯ll call him ruthless iron hands in the future¡­¡± it was rather quiet in the spacious carriage. dongfang liren was sitting upright in the main seat. she was still wearing her silver python robe, and her long black hair was still tied up with a jade crown. there was very light red rouge on her lips, and the python dragon outlined by silver threads was raised into a perfect semicircle by the spheres below, shining brightly in the carriage. although her appearance was soul-stirring, her dignified temperament, which she had developed by being in a high position for a long time, coupled with her outstanding figure, made her look like a cold and heartless top expert. ye jingtang was sitting upright beside the carriage window. his expression was as cold and extraordinary as ever, but his mind was a little distracted. he had been practicing martial arts for many years and had sharp eyesight. the cracks on cheng bao¡¯s forehead just now were definitely not an illusion. defensive martial arts that strengthened the skin and the bones could make him as invulnerable as she long. but once the skin was broken, it was impossible for there to be patterns like when ice was shattered. there was definitely something strange about this¡­ dongfang liren looked at ye jingtang¡¯s grazed right hand. she took a small red wooden medicine box from the side and placed it on the small table. ¡°treat your wounds yourself.¡± ye jingtang hadn¡¯t seen dumdum for a long time. speaking of which, he had really missed her a little. when he saw her in person, he couldn¡¯t help recalling the unforgettable memory in the bright yang pool last month¡­ ye jingtang quickly cleared his mind of these distracting thoughts, sat forward, and opened the small medicine box. he saw a pile of bottles and jars inside. he picked one up, opened it, and smelled it¡­ what is this? ye jingtang couldn¡¯t be blamed for his ignorance. the first-aid medicines carried by the princess were all miraculous healing medicines made by famous experts. it was impossible to see them on the market. dongfang liren saw ye jingtang¡¯s puzzled expression and shook her head slightly. she sat down in front of him, picked up a red porcelain bottle, and grabbed a tea tray to use as a washing tool. ¡°clumsy¡­ give me your hand.¡± ye jingtang had only grazed his hand, so there was no need to apply medicine at all. but since the princess was so considerate, he still placed his hand on the tea tray. ¡°what medicine is this? does it hurt?¡± ¡°it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± ¡°oh¡­ um¡ª?!¡± dongfeng liren opened the red porcelain bottle and poured the brown medicinal wine on the back of his right hand, washing away the blood and some stains. ye jingtang¡¯s elegant and easy-going smile disappeared. his cold eyes widened a little, but he didn¡¯t pull his hand away. he tried his best to say calmly, ¡°does your highness usually¡­ use medicinal wine like this?¡± dongfang liren slowly washed the broken skin of his hand. ¡°my doctor will seal my acupoints first when treating my injuries. does it hurt?¡± ¡°why didn¡¯t your highness seal my acupoints?¡± ¡°can¡¯t you do it yourself?¡± ye jingtang spread out his left hand slightly. ¡°no one is perfect. i¡¯m not omnipotent.¡± it was rare for dongfang liren to see ye jingtang not proficient in martial arts. she put on the posture of an expert and raised her finger to poke his chest. plop! ye jingtang¡¯s limbs were instantly paralyzed. the pain disappeared, but his body fell straight forward. this time, his face didn¡¯t land on little watermelons or a fat-headed dragon but a solid mahogany tea table. ¡°eh?!¡± dongfang liren didn¡¯t care about making him fall. she raised her hand to support ye jingtang¡¯s shoulder, pushed him onto the couch, and continued to deal with his right hand. ye jingtang lay paralyzed on the couch, feeling that it was similar to when luo ning had poked him. even the technique was similar. he asked curiously, ¡°what is the name of this move?¡± ¡°fourteen dappling cloud palms, a technique created by daoist xuanji of void jade mountain.¡± ye jingtang was rather surprised, but he couldn¡¯t say it. isn¡¯t this little watermelons¡¯ technique? did the two of you learn it from the same master? after dongfang liren rinsed the wound, she wiped his grazed right hand with medicinal cotton and said unhappily, ¡°don¡¯t you know the laws of great wei? do you know what crime it is to fight in the streets?¡± ¡°if you are caught on the spot, you will be detained for fifteen days and fined five thousand copper coins. if you are not caught, you won¡¯t be investigated. second cheng won¡¯t go to the government to sue me.¡± ? dongfang liren paused. ¡°why?¡± ¡°he knows that i have connections in the black office. in order to prevent the matter from expanding and alerting his backers in the court, he will definitely settle it according to the rules of jianghu and get his brother to beat me up.¡± dongfang liren sat up straighter. ¡°after talking for so long, isn¡¯t it all because i¡¯m supporting you?¡± ye jingtang smiled and said, ¡°even if he sues me, i¡¯ll go to the iron buddha ridge as a member of the red flower pavilion, and he will withdraw the lawsuit himself.¡± h h dongfang liren was speechless and nodded slowly. ¡°impressive. you have both the underworld and lawful society covered. do you know what i do?¡± ¡°control jianghu. i was born in jianghu. there are some things i can¡¯t help when i run into them. the red flower pavilion didn¡¯t commit any crimes. they¡¯re a proper shipping organization¡­¡± dongfang liren harrumphed lightly. ¡°do i need a reason to deal with the people of jianghu? the red flower pavilion is wealthy. since i helped them smooth things over, i should receive a greeting gift, right?¡± ¡°right.¡± feeling some sensation in his limbs, ye jingtang slowly sat up again. ¡°your highness has good talent in martial arts. your highness¡¯s physique is slender and suitable for practicing the spear. the red flower pavilion asked me to teach your highness the overlord spear as a greeting gift.¡± since the red flower pavilion was so sensible, dongfang liren really couldn¡¯t ask for too much. she nodded and said, ¡°at least they¡¯re smart.. shouldn¡¯t you make up for your mistake to me¡­¡± Chapter 115 - Chapter 115: What Do You Mean? (2) chapter 115: what do you mean? (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ye jingtang was slightly puzzled. ¡°make up for what?¡± dongfang liren blinked, and the shiny silver fat-headed dragon visibly swelled up. ye jingtang raised his hand. ¡°1 understand. it¡¯s about the bath. but 1 have a clear relationship with the red flower pavilion, and i won¡¯t be the pavilion lord. if your highness wants to occupy their assets¡­¡± thump! dongfang liren didn¡¯t expect ye jingtang to be so straightforward. she slapped the table lightly. ¡°what do you mean? do i look like someone who lacks money?¡± ¡°no, 1 was just talking casually. hmm¡­ then, what does your highness mean?¡± dongfang liren¡¯s meaning was for ye jingtang to take the initiative to gain authority in the red flower pavilion, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to say it, so she casually said, ¡°you agreed to help me when you came back. i¡¯ll take you to bamboo street to see a murder case and let you familiarize yourself with the rules of the government.¡± seeing that dumdum wasn¡¯t going to extort third lady anymore, ye jingtang secretly heaved a sigh of relief and smiled. ¡°alright. by the way, about the zhou family¡­¡± dongfang liren harrumphed lightly. ¡°don¡¯t think that you can be lawless just because you know a few sentences of the laws of great wei. if not for your connection with me, with the zhou family¡¯s connections and financial resources, you wouldn¡¯t be able to say a single word in refutation in court.¡± ye jingtang nodded. ¡°understood. i will remember your highness¡¯s kindness.¡± only then was dongfang liren satisfied. she used a white cloth to clean his grazed right hand. ¡°when old master zhou heard the news, he directly expelled zhou huaili from the family on the grounds of ¡®family misfortune¡¯. he even sent an ¡®incorruptible¡¯ sign to the azure yang city government office. then he replied to the imperial court: this person deserves to die, but hatred can¡¯t be eliminated. so that you won¡¯t be afraid, i¡¯ll let you go to the zhou family to spar without harming your life to settle all the enmity in jianghu with one battle. if you don¡¯t dare to go, the zhou family won¡¯t be in the wrong if they find trouble with you in the future.¡± ye jingtang felt that the meaning of ¡®without harming your life¡¯ was to leave him alive on his last breath. he frowned and said, ¡°now?¡± ¡°how is that possible? i said you were busy with work and helped you set a ten-year agreement.¡± ¡°ten years¡­ thank you, your highness.¡± dongfang liren wiped the back of his right hand with a piece of cotton wool. ¡°don¡¯t thank me yet. the zhou family has plenty of money and connections to hire assassins. also, your saber technique is exactly the same as the eight-steps frenzied blade. if jun mountain terrace knows, they will definitely come looking for you. you have to be careful in the future.¡± ye jingtang nodded. ¡°i will practice martial arts well and strive to go out again after some time. i¡¯ll beat the two families until they¡¯re convinced.¡± dongfang liren didn¡¯t question ye jingtang. she deliberated for a moment. ¡°it¡¯s easy to dodge open spears but difficult to guard against hidden arrows. you still have to do important things for me, so you can¡¯t die outside. go to the palace tomorrow. i will teach you the dragon slaying decree and the jade bone picture so that you can have more capital to protect yourself.¡± ? ye jingtang was stunned. he looked at princess dongfeng, who was bandaging his right hand with a dignified expression, and felt a little embarrassed. ¡°i only caught a few bandits. your highness treats me so well¡­¡± dongfang liren looked up. ¡°you have to return the favor. do you think i¡¯m giving them to you for nothing?¡± ye jingtang smiled and nodded. ¡°i will never forget your highness¡¯s kindness. i will definitely repay your highness in the future.¡± dongfang liren wrapped his right hand and sat upright again. after some thought, she suddenly asked casually, ¡°by the way, ye jingtang, do you know what ¡®a stick in the back door¡¯ means?¡± ??! ye jingtang¡¯s cold and extraordinary face clearly twitched, but it quickly recovered. he looked left and right to see if the guards outside the carriage had heard her. seeing this, dongfang liren knew that ye jingtang understood. she lowered her voice. ¡°there¡¯s no harm in saying it. 1 heard it on the way today, but 1 didn¡¯t understand what it meant. it¡¯s just to clear my doubts.¡± ye jingtang¡¯s gaze was very strange. ¡°does your highness really want to hear it? your highness won¡¯t be angry?¡± dongfang liren puffed out her chest and raised her head, looking calm and noble. ¡°do you think i am someone who can¡¯t even tolerate a phrase? could this be a rebellious statement?¡± ye jingtang really couldn¡¯t bring himself to say it. he waved his hand. ¡°uhh¡­ let¡¯s talk about this later. perhaps your highness will understand one day.¡± seeing ye jingtang unwilling to speak, dongfang liren harrumphed softly. ¡°don¡¯t pretend. to think i have always treated you as a gentleman, but in the end, you¡¯re a lecher who hides your true colors.¡± ¡°hmm?¡± ye jingtang frowned and said with a serious expression, ¡°your highness, i really didn¡¯t do it on purpose. your highness was so close to me naked. i even closed my eyes¡­¡± ¡°shut up!¡± dongfang liren¡¯s face was brimming with anger. she turned around, took out the book ¡®tears of a heroine¡¯ from a box, and threw it into ye jingtang¡¯s arms. ¡°you said that ¡®this book is full of emotions¡¯. 1 really believed you. in the end¡­ take a look for yourself!¡± ye jingtang knew that the prince of jing would buy it and read it. he picked up the beautifully framed book with a smile and casually flipped through it. then he was stunned. ¡°woah!!! why are there illustrations? are you sure this is tears of a heroine?¡± dongfang liren was baffled. ¡°what do you mean? this is ¡®tears of a heroine¡¯. it¡¯s an official edition printed by the imperial academy of the previous dynasty. don¡¯t say that you haven¡¯t seen it before.¡± ¡°is that so?¡± ye jingtang held the hardcover book and looked at it carefully as if he had obtained a treasure. ¡°the ¡®tears of a heroine¡¯ i saw at the border of liang province was really different from this. 1 exchanged two pheasants for it from a private school teacher, and a few pages had been torn off. it was probably a pirated version. i didn¡¯t expect the original to have illustrations. oh¡­ so this is the posture of ¡®two beauties offering peaches¡¯¡­¡± ? dongfang liren¡¯s self-righteous, questioning expression froze. that¡¯s right. there aren¡¯t many scholars at the borders of liang province. where would such an exquisite book come from? that copy of tears of a heroine was probably a private print from a small workshop. not to mention illustrations, its already good enough if there aren¡¯t any missing words¡­ then, what have 1 been reading these days? Chapter 116 - Chapter 116: What Do You Mean? (3) chapter 116: what do you mean? (3) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios dongfang liren saw that ye jingtang was studying it seriously. she tilted her head and glanced at it. fie was looking at one of the colorful illustrations in the book. the illustration was an annotation of the phrase ¡®two beauties offering peaches¡¯ in the book. it was two beauties kneeling side by side on a couch and offering big peaches¡­ thump! ye jingtang was admiring the illustration when a fair hand pressed on the illustration, almost knocking the book away. he looked up and saw that the princess¡¯s eyes were slightly cold. ¡°what are you looking at?¡± ye jingtang blinked. ¡°i¡¯m reading the book. your highness showed it to me. is there a problem?¡± dongfang liren felt that the problem was huge. perhaps she was afraid that the messy illustrations in the book would lead ye jingtang, a good young man who was a gentleman, astray, so she hurriedly took the book back. ¡°hmm¡­ perhaps my subordinate misunderstood and took the wrong book. 1 only took a glance and felt that it was unrefined, so i threw it aside and didn¡¯t read it.¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t believe her at all, but he didn¡¯t expose her. ¡°1 see. i¡¯ve never seen the original version of wu shengxie¡¯s masterpiece. can your highness¡­¡± ¡°no!¡± ¡°i¡¯m just borrowing it. it¡¯s just a book for light reading¡­¡± dongfang liren¡¯s expression was serious. ¡°the purpose of reading is to apply what you¡¯ve learned. after reading these things, do you want to put them into practice?¡± otherwise?ye jingtang couldn¡¯t refute. he gave up on the idea of borrowing the book and said, ¡°then¡­ this book can clear your highness¡¯s doubts¡­¡± ?? dongfang liren looked at ye jingtang in disbelief. ¡°you remember it so clearly?¡± ¡°there aren¡¯t many books at the border. i¡¯ve read it dozens of times. my memory is good, so it¡¯s normal for me to remember it.¡± h h the fat-headed dragon in front of dongfang liren undulated slightly. after examining ye jingtang for a long time, she lowered her head and flipped through the book. she found the forty-eighth chapter that she had yet to read and carefully read the content¡­ no, no, it can¡¯t be done there¡­ n after dongfang liren understood the meaning behind the obscure words, her eyes gradually widened. her face was like a blooming peach blossom in february, turning redder and redder, and her dignified bearing was completely gone¡­ ye jingtang sat on the couch, rested his elbows on his knees, and covered his mouth to prevent his laughter from ruining his cold temperament and being beaten to death by dumdum. thump! dongfang liren slammed the book shut. after looking around, she reached for ye jingtang¡¯s waist, wanting to pull out the hornless dragon saber. snap! ¡°huh?¡± ye jingtang grabbed dongfang liren¡¯s wrist and pressed the saber back. he said amiably, ¡°your highness, don¡¯t be rash. be careful of your highness¡¯s python body¡­¡± ¡°let go!¡± dongfang liren frowned and pulled out the saber forcefully. seeing that ye jingtang wouldn¡¯t let go, she pulled it a few times. then she suddenly stopped and looked at her fair right hand that was being held by the man. h ii ye jingtang hurriedly let go of her smooth and warm hand and protected the saber. ¡°1 come from jianghu, so it¡¯s only right for me to know more. i¡¯m just clearing your highness¡¯ doubts. if your highness is angry, your highness should dig wu shengxie¡¯s grave. there¡¯s no reason to punish me.¡± dongfang liren¡¯s eyes were brimming with killing intent. she wanted to scold him, but at this moment, the carriage stopped. ¡°your highness, we¡¯ve arrived at bamboo street.¡± ye jingtang felt relieved and stood up. ¡°let¡¯s go. i¡¯ll watch your highness work on the case. i¡¯ll pretend that nothing happened today.¡± then he quickly walked out of the carriage. dongfang liren clenched her fists and restrained herself for a long time before taking a deep breath. she closed her eyes and focused, wanting to forget the ¡®knowledge¡¯ she had just gained. however, it seemed that she could never go back¡­ Chapter 117 - Chapter 117: Saber Sense chapter 117: saber sense translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ye jingtang got out of the carriage, opened his oil-paper umbrella, and looked at the street. bamboo street was surrounded by residential areas. most of the people living here were middle-class people such as rich businessmen and retired officials. the street was very neat. behind the street, the outline of mansions with white walls and blue tiles could be seen, as well as willow laurel leaves sticking out of branches. at this moment, at the entrance of an alley by the street, there were many people, including scholars and businessmen holding umbrellas and whispering to each other. ¡°how did elder zhao die?¡± ¡°i heard that he was killed. it was a robbery.¡± ¡°he has no children, yet he still suffered such a calamity in his old age. it¡¯s really¡­ eh? who¡¯s here?¡± when the crowd heard the sound of the carriage, they turned around and revealed shocked expressions. they hurriedly retreated to the side of the street and bowed. ye jingtang held the umbrella above dongfang liren¡¯s head and raised his hand in invitation. dongfang liren didn¡¯t know why, but when she saw ye jingtang, she recalled the ¡®new knowledge¡¯ she had just seen. she felt very uncomfortable and looked straight ahead as she led her people to the entrance of the alley. ye jingtang followed beside her and paid attention to the surrounding disturbance. when they arrived at the entrance of the alley, he saw four constables standing in front of a mansion in the depths of the limestone alley. the three law division was commonly known as the six gates. it was an official judicial institution. its clothes were exactly the same as the black office¡¯s. the only difference was that the word ¡®arrest¡¯ was embroidered on the constables¡¯ chests. the black office¡¯s constables were considered ¡®vigilantes¡¯ and didn¡¯t have any decorations on their clothes. the constables standing outside the mansion saw the prince of jing coming over. one of them went in to report while the others quickly came over and bowed. ¡°greetings, your highness.¡± ¡°there¡¯s no need to stand on ceremony. i passed by this place and heard that there was a murder case, so i came to take a look. what happened?¡± ¡°zhao de, a junior official from the ministry of works who lives here, was killed by an evildoer the day before yesterday. his corpse was only discovered this morning¡­¡± while they spoke, ye jingtang arrived at the entrance of the mansion. the mansion was divided into two courtyards. when they entered the courtyard, they saw flowers and plants. but most of them were destroyed at this moment, and there was damage on the courtyard walls and pillars. five officials were holding umbrellas and examining the courtyard. a corpse covered by a white cloth was lying in the hall. several people quickly walked out. the leader was a middle-aged man wearing a gauze hat. he was wearing a red official robe with an official saber. he had sharp eyebrows and tiger eyes, looking rather dignified. when he saw the prince of jing, he stopped and cupped his hands. ¡°humble official yuwen chengde greets your highness the prince of jing.¡± dongfang liren walked into the crime scene and frowned in deep thought as she looked at the surroundings. ¡°do your work first. it¡¯s not a small matter for an old official of the imperial court to be killed at the feet of her majesty. we have to solve the case as soon as possible and give the imperial court an explanation.¡± yuwen chengde knew that the prince of jing was going to intervene in this case, but he didn¡¯t dare to say anything. he nodded respectfully. ¡°this humble official will surely live up to your highness¡¯s expectations.¡± with that, he returned to the room and continued to examine the corpse with the coroner. dongfang liren maintained a thoughtful expression. with her hands behind her back, she stopped under the courtyard wall. she looked as if she knew everything, but she didn¡¯t say anything after looking for a long time. ye jingtang stood beside her, holding the umbrella. after waiting a long time and seeing that dongfang liren didn¡¯t react, he whispered, ¡°isn¡¯t your highness here to investigate a case?¡± standing with her hands behind her back, dongfang liren replied in a low voice, ¡°how can a superior do everything by themself? autopsies, investigations, and pursuing criminals will be done by coroners and constables. 1 have the duty of supervision.¡± ¡°supervising¡­ then, what should i learn?¡± ¡°you only know how to fight and kill. in the future, when you encounter such situations, pretend to know very well like she long and casually say something to deal with it. then ask and discuss it in private so that you won¡¯t be looked down on by your subordinates or blindly command them, causing your subordinates to feel troubled and mess things up.¡± when ye jingtang had been tested by ¡®iron-armed impermanence¡¯ she long, he could tell that she long was an understanding brother. he could spout nonsense with a serious expression. at this moment, he understood what she meant. dumdum came here to teach him how to be a leader who ¡®put her hands behind her back and stuck her stomach to supervise and take credit for achievements¡¯. from the corner of his eye, ye jingtang glanced at the princess¡¯s waist. there was a jade belt around her waist. it was so big that he couldn¡¯t see her small stomach, but her posture of standing thoughtfully with her hands behind her back made her look like di renjie?. ye jingtang found it a little funny, but he was at a crime scene, and the deceased was not far away. in order to respect the deceased, his expression was still very deep and serious. the five officials were seriously checking for any clues in the courtyard. yuwen chengde was conducting an autopsy in the hall. perhaps he felt that it wasn¡¯t right to pay too much attention to or ignore the prince of jing¡¯s presence, so he walked over to her again and examined the marks on the wall. ¡°after my basic investigation, 1 found out that the murderer used a sword, but i didn¡¯t dare to confirm what move left behind these marks. i wonder if your highness has any opinion?¡± the marks on the wall were left behind by the sword move ¡®white crane sweeping its tail¡¯, which was a common sword move in jianghu. anyone with some martial arts foundation could tell. yuwen chengde had clearly said this to make the prince of jing feel a little involved. when dongfang liren saw yuwen chengde¡¯s worldliness, she was rather impressed and explained seriously, ¡°the marks are caused by the sword move white crane sweeping its tail. from the strength, this person¡¯s martial arts skills are not low¡­¡± originally, at this point, with the prince of jing¡¯s participation, they could return home. yuwen chengde had been ¡®prompted¡¯ by the prince of jing. when the case was closed, he would put the prince of jing¡¯s name at the top of the case file and write a letter praising ¡®the prince of jing¡¯s eyes are as bright as a torch and see everything clearly¡¯. then he would inevitably be taken care of by the prince of jing in the future. but before yuwen chengde could say, ¡°i see. your highness is wise,¡± he saw the black-clothed guard standing behind the prince of jing shake his head and say, ¡°don¡¯t talk nonsense. they were cut by a saber.¡± ?! as soon as he said this, the officials, coroners, and even the constables of the black office fell silent. dongfang liren¡¯s words stopped abruptly. she clenched her hands behind her back and glanced at ye jingtang. (-_-)! the corners of yuwen chengde¡¯s eyes twitched. where did this lunatic come from? how dare he undermine the prince of jingin front of me.. but when he turned around and saw ye jingtang¡¯s appearance, yuwen chengde realized something. he was so handsome, but he didn¡¯t look like the son of an aristocrat. there was a high chance he was a boy toy the prince of jing had brought out to walk the streets. no wonder he spoke so freely¡­ yuwen chengde¡¯s expression turned serious as he gestured at the marks on the wall. ¡°i think your highness is right. the marks of swords and sabers are very different. all the coroners and constables present think that they¡¯re sword marks. this young master said that they¡¯re saber marks. do you have any other opinions?¡± ye jingtang opened his mouth because he was afraid that the professionals present would realize that dumdum was talking nonsense. he found that the atmosphere wasn¡¯t right, and only then did he realize that the courtyard was full of fools. seeing everyone looking over, ye jingtang couldn¡¯t just say that he saw wrongly. he really explained to everyone, ¡°the marks were indeed left behind by the white crane sweeping its tail, but they look very awkward. the marks are too heavy for a sword but too light for a saber. it looks like an expert who has been using a saber for many years. this person used a saber similar to a sword and used a sword move¡­¡± ?? the officials in the courtyard were confused. yuwen chengde frowned and thought about it. he felt that these words were even more awkward and asked, ¡°young master, how did you see all this?¡± ye jingtang made his judgment based on the feeling of using a saber all year round. he couldn¡¯t explain it in detail. he thought for a moment and said, ¡°when you hold the saber for a long time, you will be able to feel it. hmm¡­ it¡¯s saber sense!¡± h ii yuwen cheng had been holding an official saber for more than twenty years, and he was older than ye jingtang. when he heard this, a complicated look appeared in his eyes. if the prince of jing weren¡¯t present, he would probably have had to fight with this kid who was spouting nonsense. dongfang liren knew how powerful ye jingtang was. seeing that he was so earnest, her gaze softened, and she said seriously, ¡°in handling a case, we should rely on factual evidence. if you just use your feelings, as long as you make a mistake once, there may be an unjust, false, and wrongful conviction. you said that the murderer used a saber. can you give a precise explanation?¡± ye jingtang thought for a moment and handed his umbrella to dongfang liren. he checked the traces on the flowers, trees, and walls in the courtyard¡­ Chapter 118 - Chapter 118: Sorry, I’m a Spy! chapter 118: sorry, i¡¯m a spy! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios due to the rain, it was only after two days that the murder had been discovered. the footprints on the ground had long disappeared, and all the investigators could find were the marks of a sword or saber that couldn¡¯t be erased. after sizing up the surroundings carefully for a long time, ye jingtang jumped and landed outside the courtyard wall. dongfang liren and the officials looked over in confusion. crack! the sound of a saber being drawn outside the wall sounded, and then a figure soared into the sky. ye jingtang¡¯s clothes fluttered in the wind. he held his saber in one hand like a hawk pouncing on a rabbit and stabbed straight at the flowers in the courtyard. swoosh! the blade was accurate as it pierced into traces of the broken branches and leaves of the flowers. then the blade raised and stopped, and his right elbow smashed into the air beside him. bang! his robe fluttered! then he stabbed again, brushing past the eaves and pillars, matching the marks on the pillars perfectly. the ¡®imaginary enemy¡¯ who was attacked seemed to realize that he couldn¡¯t defeat ye jingtang and wanted to escape outside the courtyard wall. ye jingtang immediately flew up and swept his saber horizontally. the tip of the saber swept across the courtyard wall, forcing the person in the air to fall to the ground. then he raised his left hand and slapped to the side, aiming at the window of the main room¡­ dongfang liren and the many officials were at a loss at first, but they quickly understood that this was the process of reconstructing the fight between the murderer and the deceased. their eyes gradually turned into surprise. because there wasn¡¯t an opponent, there were many movements that a person couldn¡¯t do alone. after ye jingtang slapped out with his palm, he stopped, sheathed his saber, and thought for a moment. ¡°hmm¡­ the deceased used a short stick such as a crutch or a wooden stick. the murderer¡¯s weapon was most likely a straight saber with a curved edge. the tip of the saber is no different from a sword, but the back is the back of a saber. ¡°the back of the saber couldn¡¯t cut through the arm, so the murderer didn¡¯t choose to cut upward like with a sword. instead, they used their elbow to push back the opponent. judging from the height of the marks on the pillars, if the murderer¡¯s body proportion is normal, their height is about the tip of my nose. ¡°after the murderer intercepted the deceased in the air, they landed on the ground and turned sideways to dodge a strike. the strike didn¡¯t reach their chest. this person is either a man or a flat-chested woman¡­¡± many of the officials present were stunned when they heard this. they started whispering. ¡°impressive¡­¡± ¡°other than the difference between the sword and saber, the other things are exactly the same as the sirs¡¯ deductions¡­¡± ¡°he hasn¡¯t even looked at the corpse. how did he determine that the murderer attacked with an elbow and a palm strike?¡± he should have inferred from the angle of exerting force, the distance the deceased moved, and the damage to the building. this young master has probably fought a lot¡­¡± ¡°oh¡­¡± yuwen chengde wanted to say something but hesitated. he seemed to want to retort, but after thinking for a long time, he couldn¡¯t find a reason. dongfang liren looked at ye jingtang¡¯s eloquent manner and the shocked gazes of many constables. her eyes lit up, just like when she saw him knock away the blood bodhi with two slashes. this time, ye jingtang didn¡¯t slack off. after saying his analysis, he looked at everyone. ¡°i can confirm that the murderer used a saber, and their martial arts skills are definitely higher than you think. if this person really wanted to kill someone, the deceased wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to fight back at all. since the murderer left traces, i think they wanted to ask for information and kept the deceased alive first.¡± as ye jingtang spoke, he walked into the house and squatted down beside the corpse covered by a white cloth. he lifted the white cloth and saw the white-haired deceased. there was a bruise under his ribs, a palm print on his chest, and all his fingerbones were shattered. it was obvious that he had been tortured to extract information. ¡°it looks like my guess is right.¡± ye jingtang turned to look outside the door. ¡°does anyone have any objections?¡± facing such discerning insight and deductions, all the officials and coroners present were astonished. how could they have any objections? ¡°young master, you have good eyesight.¡± ¡°if it weren¡¯t for her highness the prince of jing, i would have thought that you killed him personally¡­¡± seeing everyone¡¯s admiration, dongfang liren¡¯s eyes were full of pride. she turned around and asked, ¡°what was the murderer looking for?¡± ¡°zhao de used to work in the heavenly south army and was mainly responsible for building city defenses. later, he was promoted to the ministry of works and participated in the repair of the imperial city.¡± yuwen chengde squatted down beside the corpse and gestured at the black palm print on the deceased¡¯s chest. ¡°the palm that slapped zhao de into the house looks like the ¡®wandering body palm¡¯, a unique technique of ¡®south mountains iron trigram¡¯ zhang henggu. the murderer is most likely a rebel of the pacifying heaven cult, looking for a way to destroy the city walls or enter the palace to assassinate¡­¡± dongfang liren frowned, moved to the corpse, lowered her head, and sized it up. ¡°it indeed looks like the wandering body palm. this is no small matter. pass down the order to patrol door to door¡ª¡± ¡°wait!¡± before dongfang liren could finish speaking, the ten or so officials saw young master ye raise his hand again. ¡°there seems to be something wrong with this palm technique.¡± the house instantly fell silent, waiting for ye jingtang to express his opinion. although they had just confirmed that ye jingtang was an expert with great discernment, everyone still had doubts in their eyes. ¡®south mountains iron trigram¡¯ zhang henggu had been a daoist child of great yan¡¯s imperial astronomer. later, he became a founding elder of the pacifying heaven cult. before the pacifying heaven cult master was born, he had been roaming jianghu to raise an army. he had been dealing with the government for decades. the six gates could probably dig out several large boxes in the case archives regarding the relevant records of the wandering body palm, so it was impossible for them to be wrong. no matter how dongfang liren looked at it, she felt that it was the wandering body palm, but she didn¡¯t dare to refute sir tangtang. she only asked gently, ¡°how did you figure it out this time?¡± ye jingtang blinked. from my identity as half a spy of the pacifying heaven cult¡­ he and the cult mistress of the pacifying heaven cult had an ambiguous relationship. if the pacifying heaven cult wanted to find a way to enter the palace or get a city defense map, they should use a honey trap to get information from him. coming to the capital to kill a low-ranking official and interrogate him and being easily discovered by officials, was there something wrong with the murderer¡¯s brain? even uncle song wouldn¡¯t do such a harebrained thing. ye jingtang guessed that someone had committed a crime in the capital and framed the pacifying heaven cult to hide their motive so that the government would make misjudgments. but there was no way to explain his speculation. facing the gazes of everyone looking at the big shot, ye jingtang could only look at the palm print on the deceased¡¯s chest with a deep gaze. ¡°the wandering body palm emphasizes gentle strength to move a thousand kilograms. although 1 can¡¯t see any problems with this palm print, i feel there¡¯s something off.¡± dongfang liren blinked. ¡°relying on palm sense?¡± ¡°your highness is indeed smart.¡± ye jingtang nodded in relief. dongfang liren¡¯s lips curled up slightly when she was praised. realizing that she wasn¡¯t serious, she regained her dignified and noble appearance. ye jingtang continued, ¡°moreover, the murderer pretended to be a swordsman to hide their true identity. it¡¯s impossible for this person to use this iconic unique palm technique to expose their origins. this palm technique is most likely fake. they want to frame someone and divert attention.¡± everyone present was skeptical of these words. yuwen chengde thought for a moment and took a step forward. ¡°young master, you have sharp eyes, and your words are reasonable, but i really can¡¯t agree. i¡¯ve been working in the government office for twenty years and have seen the marks of the wandering body palm. i¡¯m sure this is the pacifying heaven cult¡¯s unique wandering body palm. young master, since you¡¯re saying it¡¯s fake, can you point out the problem?¡± ye jingtang shook his head. ¡°i¡¯m not good at palm techniques. at the moment, i can¡¯t tell where the problem is. 1 have to go back and study it.¡± dongfang liren trusted ye jingtang¡¯s judgment more, but there was irrefutable evidence in front of her. she hesitated for a moment and could only say, ¡°meng jiao.¡± whoosh! a cold wind blew into the room, and the white-haired old woman landed silently inside. the constables and officials hurriedly bowed as if they had seen the king of hell. the white-haired old woman walked forward with a hunched back and inspected the wound on the deceased¡¯s chest. ¡°hmm¡­ from my experience, this is indeed the wandering body palm, and it¡¯s even the same as zhang henggu¡¯s. but young master ye can see some clues, which means that there might be something fishy behind it. we can¡¯t jump to conclusions.¡± the white-haired old woman had long seen that ye jingtang¡¯s talent and comprehension far exceeded her own, so even though she was certain that it was zhang henggu¡¯s palm technique, she didn¡¯t dare to say it with surety. hearing the white-haired diting say this, ye jingtang knew that there was a high chance this palm technique was real. he had to go back and ask heroine luo about the inside story. he could only say, ¡°it¡¯s possible that i¡¯ve misjudged. 1¡¯11 go back and think about it carefully. when 1 have some ideas, 1¡¯11 conduct a new autopsy and continue discussing with everyone.¡± dongfang liren nodded slightly. ¡°continue to inspect the scene. if you find any new clues, report them to me and young master ye immediately.¡± ¡°yes, your highness.¡± yuwen chengde cupped his hands and said, ¡°may i know your name, young master? if 1 have any questions, i will come and seek your guidance. 1 hope you will be able to help me clear my doubts.¡± ¡°ye jingtang from the black office. i don¡¯t dare to clear your doubts. i just happen to know a little¡­¡± after some time, in the carriage¡­ raindrops fell outside the carriage. ye jingtang propped his elbows on his knees and sat by the carriage window. his expression was cold, and his eyes were deep as he gently rubbed his fingers. dongfang liren had been full of anger when she went out earlier. but on the way back, she felt much better. at this moment, she was sitting upright with her hands folded on her lap, looking at ye jingtang¡¯s side profile. she looked like a princess who didn¡¯t dare to disturb her husband¡¯s serious thoughts. only when ye jingtang returned to his senses did she ask gently, ¡°have you thought of anything?¡± ye jingtang was indeed thinking about something, but he was thinking about the wound on second master cheng¡¯s forehead. seeing dumdum¡¯s expectant eyes, he felt a little embarrassed. ¡°i haven¡¯t figured it out yet. 1 still have to think about it. when there are clues, i will tell your highness immediately.¡± ¡°don¡¯t be anxious. sometimes, you have to rely on a flash of inspiration to solve a case. 1 really didn¡¯t expect you to have the potential to be a divine detective. work harder in the future. if you can solve this case, i¡¯ll give you that roaring dragon spear.¡± at the mention of giving something, ye jingtang remembered that he had bought a hairpin when he came back today. unfortunately, chen biao had helped him carry it, so he didn¡¯t bring it with him. he could only give it tomorrow. ye jingtang turned to look at dongfang liren. seeing that she was very happy, he thought for a moment and decided to push his luck. ¡°there¡¯s no need for the roaring dragon spear. 1 prefer to use a saber. if your highness really wants to reward me, can that book¡­¡± ? dongfang liren¡¯s warm smile froze. she recalled the ¡®jade tree in the backyard¡¯, and a murderous look slowly surfaced in her eyes¡­ ye jingtang saw that something was wrong and hurriedly raised his hands. ¡°i¡¯m just joking. i¡¯ll go back first. 1¡¯11 go to the black office to meet your highness on time tomorrow. goodbye.¡± then he turned around and left the carriage. dongfang liren clenched her hands under her sleeves.. she only harrumphed lightly when ye jingtang¡¯s footsteps disappeared¡­ Chapter 119 - Chapter 119: How Long Will the Hug Last? chapter 119: how long will the hug last? translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the rain stopped. ye jingtang carried a small package and walked back to dye workshop street. it was already past dinner time. it had been more than 20 days since he left the capital. the old and dilapidated street was completely unrecognizable. he could see sheds erected everywhere and half-rebuilt stores. the ground needed to be relaid with blue bricks. the old and broken bricks had been pried off, leaving potholes and puddles ail over. he jumped left and right on the street and arrived at double osmanthus alley. before he got close to the courtyard, he heard a voice coming from behind the wall. ¡°wipe it well. you can only eat after you¡¯re done.¡± coo.¡± ¡°what coo? you¡¯ve grown round after eating all day long¡­¡± ¡°chirp¡­¡± it was the familiar elegant and gentle voice of the big sister and the aggrieved cries of the bird. ye jingtang smiled and quickly walked to the courtyard door. the courtyard was as clean as before, and the bonsai under the vegetable trellis was verdant and lush. the doors of the main room and the west wing were open. zhe yunli was wearing a red top and a white pleated skirt with flower petals. she had her hair up in double buns commonly worn by unmarried girls. she didn¡¯t look like a jianghu girl at all. she looked more like a well-behaved and witty little young woman. she was using a feather duster to clean the table and chairs in the main room while humming. ¡°mmhmiib¡± in the kitchen on the right, luo ning was wearing a blue summer dress and an apron, wiping the dusty corners of the table. her long black hair reached her waist, and there was a blue hairpin in her hair. with her exquisite waist and hips, coupled with her delicate face, she looked like a gorgeous cook. the big fluffy bird was standing beside the rice vat, its claws stepping on a small linen cloth as it circled listlessly around the vat to clean it. when he returned home after work, he saw the mother and daughter diligently tidying up the small house with the little pet helping by the side. he felt¡­ lie felt that he might be beaten to death by the pacifying heaven cult master! when ye jingtang thought of the pacifying heaven cult master, all the miscellaneous thoughts in his head disappeared. he walked into the courtyard. ¡°chirp!¡± as if the bird had been pardoned, it threw down the rag and wanted to fly out, but luo ning stopped it with a look. luo ning didn¡¯t turn around, but her wiping slowed down. zhe yunli turned around, revealing her energetic little face. just as she was about to speak, she saw ye jingtang¡¯s bandaged right hand. she frowned and hurriedly ran to the door. ¡°brother jingtang, why are you injured?¡± luo ning, who was originally cold, immediately turned around when she heard this. when she saw that ye jingtang¡¯s right hand was wrapped like it had been broken, graveness and worry flashed across her eyes. she put down the linen cloth and walked over. ¡°what happened to you?¡± ¡°i was dealing with a small matter in the morning and got into a fight with someone.¡± ye jingtang walked into the house, took out a jewelry box, and threw it to yunli. zhe yunli caught the jewelry box and looked at ye jingtang¡¯s injury and complexion seriously. ever since luo ning got to know ye jingtang, she had never seen him suffer a loss. he has basically dealt with the wingless owl, zhou ying, jian yuhua, and so on all in seconds. this was the first time she saw him return with bandages. luo ning wiped her hands on her apron, picked up ye jingtang¡¯s right hand, and checked his fingerbones. ¡°who did you fight? who can injure you like this?¡± ye jingtang was completely fine. it was just some grazed skin on the back of his hand, but the princess had been very concerned. after she bandaged it, it looked like his hand had been broken. seeing the rare concern in heroine luo¡¯s eyes, ye jingtang hesitated for a moment and pretended to be in pain. ¡°1 fought someone from the iron buddha ridge. hiss! it hurts a little.¡± seeing this, luo ning immediately became much gentler and instructed, ¡°yunli, go buy some rice. i¡¯ll take a look at your brother jingtang¡¯s injury.¡± ¡°okay.¡± zhe yunli¡¯s eyes were also full of concern. after carefully looking at ye jingtang¡¯s right hand a few times, she carried the bird and ran out the door. luo ning pulled ye jingtang to the main room and sat down in front of the bed. she placed his right hand on her thigh and took out medicine. ye jingtang sat upright on the bed and watched heroine luo remove the bandage worriedly. he felt that he would be beaten up later. he thought for a moment and hugged luo ning with his left hand. luo ning, who was unwrapping the bandage on his right hand, sat up straight, and embarrassment flashed across her eyes. before she could say anything, she heard ye jingtang say seriously, ¡°let me hug you. don¡¯t get angry when i hug you. you must be willing to admit defeat.¡± ? luo ning gritted her teeth. she felt that this little thief was completely heartless, but in the end, she still followed the bet. she suppressed her anger and continued to remove the bandage. ¡°at a time like this, you still haven¡¯t forgotten to take liberties with a woman. really¡­ did you meet the glaring vajra?¡± ¡°i met his brother, second cheng.¡± luo ning blinked. she had never heard of this person. she frowned and asked, ¡°is second cheng also a top expert?¡± no, he¡¯s just a street gangster.¡± ¡°a street gangster injured you like this? were you drunk and couldn¡¯t stand steadily?¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t draw my saber. i hit him with my fist.¡± luo ning raised her eyes in confusion. ¡°the iron buddha ridge practices defensive martial arts. why did you hit him with your fists? did someone take away your saber?¡± ¡°i just wanted to test how domineering defensive martial arts were. the people of jianghu boast about it so much, but in the end, i still beat him to the ground.¡± luo ning opened her mouth but didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°you¡¯re a saber grandmaster, yet you still have the cheek to be complacent when you injured your hand dealing with an ordinary gangster¡­¡± before she finished speaking, she removed the bandage, revealing the back of his right hand, showing the obvious injury¡­ fortunately, ye jingtang came back in time. if he had been a few hours later, luo ning really wouldn¡¯t have been able to find the wound. ?! luo ning was stunned for a long time. when she saw this ¡®injury¡¯, her willowy eyebrows instantly raised. she looked up at ye jingtang, and anger gradually surged in her eyes. ¡°ye jingtang!¡± ye jingtang hurriedly hugged the furious heroine luo tightly. ¡°you promised not to be angry. i was indeed injured, but the medicine was good, so i recovered quickly.¡± luo ning gritted her teeth, threw the bottle of medicine to the side, and tilted her head to look elsewhere. ¡°have you hugged enough?¡± if ye jingtang let go, he would probably be beaten up, and he definitely hadn¡¯t hugged her enough. he changed the topic. ¡°by the way, when 1 punched second cheng today, the skin on his forehead had cracks like porcelain. do you know what kind of martial arts this is?¡± luo ning¡¯s eyelashes fluttered as she turned around. ¡°porcelain?¡± ¡°it looked like ice cracking, the kind of spiderweb patterns created when you punch it. i feel that it¡¯s not a defensive martial arts at all. do you think it¡¯s possible that it¡¯s the ¡®golden scale picture¡¯?¡± luo ning¡¯s beautiful face was solemn as she recalled carefully. suddenly, she frowned and said coldly, ¡°hand!¡± ye jingtang was also thinking. his hand subconsciously slid down a little and touched something very plump and beautiful. seeing that heroine luo was angry, he slid his hand up. ¡°i wasn¡¯t paying attention. don¡¯t be angry.¡± luo ning¡¯er pressed her hand against the sword at her waist, her eyes threatening ye jingtang for a moment before she continued to think seriously. ¡°xue baijin said before that after mastering the golden scale picture, the skin will be as tough as dragon scales and be nigh indestructible¡­ the description is very different from what you said, so it shouldn¡¯t be.¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t think someone like second master cheng could practice the roaring dragon chart. ¡°it¡¯s probably a strange martial arts technique. when his brother, the glaring vajra, comes to find trouble, i¡¯ll beat him up and study it carefully.¡± luo ning glanced at the big hand on her waist. she wanted to be angry, but she couldn¡¯t. her face was as cold as an iceberg as she asked again, ¡°haven¡¯t you hugged enough? how long will the hug last?¡± let¡¯s finish talking.¡± ye jingtang turned to look at luo ning and asked, ¡°is there anyone else from the pacifying heaven cult in the capital?¡± ¡°what do you mean?¡± ¡°yesterday, an official was killed by someone from the pacifying heaven cult¡­¡± ¡°that¡¯s impossible.¡± luo ning shook her head solemnly. ¡°i just arrived at noon today. the few helm masters i brought are all staying outside the city. i¡¯m still in the city. it¡¯s impossible for xue baijin to hide it from me and arrange for people to come to the capital to cause trouble.¡± ye jingtang thought for a moment and said, ¡°then, someone is deliberately framing. the murderer used the wandering body palm of ¡®south mountains iron trigram¡¯ zhang henggu, but the people from the black office and the ministry of justice didn¡¯t see any problem. does zhang henggu have a disciple who defected?¡± ¡°wandering body palm¡­¡± luo ning recalled for a moment. ¡°the wandering body palm is protector zhang¡¯s unique technique. he has only taught it to xue baijin and his disciples. even 1 don¡¯t know it. the few of them are all in the south firmament mountains. it¡¯s impossible for anyone else in the world to know this technique. they must have seen wrongly.¡± ye jingtang was skeptical. ¡°even the white-haired diting confirmed that it¡¯s the wandering body palm. are you sure it¡¯s not one of your people?¡± ¡°absolutely not. i know all the arrangements of the pacifying heaven cult. the matters in the capital are only about qiu tianhe. it¡¯s impossible for outsiders to know the wandering body palm¡­ where is the corpse? i¡¯ll go take a look. you must be mistaken.¡± ¡°in the government office¡¯s morgue. accompany me to secretly take a look tonight and find clues about the faked palm technique so that i can explain it to the government. otherwise, the blame can only be placed on the pacifying heaven cult.¡± luo ning naturally wanted to see it for herself. just as she was about to get up and prepare, she realized that his hand was still on her waist. she took a deep breath. ¡°even if 1 abide by the bet, there must be a time limit. you can hug me for fifteen minutes a day at most. when qiu tianhe regains his freedom, we¡¯ll be even.¡± ye jingtang nodded. ¡°alright, as long as you¡¯re happy.¡± as he spoke, he took out a hairpin box and handed it to her. luo ning looked at the exquisite hairpin box and wanted to reject it, but after some thought, she looked at the small package beside her. ¡°who did you buy the other jewelry for?¡± ¡°i bought them for close female friends. i can¡¯t wear them myself.¡± ? a trace of suspicion flashed across luo ning¡¯s eyes as she tilted her head to look at the package. there are still four items¡­ there are four other women¡­ ye jingtang found her funny. ¡°don¡¯t think too much. they¡¯re just gifts 1 brought back. didn¡¯t i buy one for yunli too? heroine luo, since you don¡¯t like it, i¡¯ll just give it to yunli. 1 think she¡¯ll really like it.¡± ¡°what am 1 thinking? you¡­ little thief, it¡¯s not like i don¡¯t know your personality. it has nothing to do with me¡­¡± after muttering this, luo ning put the hairpin box aside and stopped talking¡­ Chapter 120 - Chapter 120: Male and Female Thieves chapter 120: male and female thieves translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios at night¡­ the black clouds covered the sky, obscuring the starlight. the lights of the majestic yun¡¯an were as bright as day. it was like a sea of fire on the dark land, spreading along the river to the end of the sky. with the reconstruction of dye workshop street, almost all the surrounding residents had moved away. at night, it became a black hole in a sea of lanterns, leaving only a faint light in the middle. in the small courtyard in double osmanthus alley, ye jingtang had changed into night clothes. he leaned against the door with the hornless dragon saber in his arms and looked at the afterglow of the lights in the direction of the imperial city, thinking about the ginkgo tree that he frequently had on his mind. the bird was squatting on his shoulder and energetically chirping. it was probably saying that it went to buy rice in the afternoon, but poached eggs didn¡¯t buy dried meat for it. the doors and windows of the main room were closed. lights were on inside, and ye jingtang could hear the conversation of two women. ¡°martial mistress- i want to go too. i¡¯m almost bored to death in the capital¡­¡± ¡°stay at home and study. last time, your master tested you on your homework, but you couldn¡¯t memorize a single sentence. have you forgotten how much i was scolded because of you?¡± ¡°i¡¯m a jianghu person. what¡¯s the use of studying¡­¡± ¡°yunli! ¡°sigh- martial mistress, your chest is so big. how will you breastfeed your child if you bind it too tightly¡­¡± ¡°shh!¡± the house fell silent. ye jingtang could tell that heroine luo was wrapping her little watermelons. he raised his eyebrows but didn¡¯t say anything to scare her. squeak! after a while, the door opened, and the light in the room fell on the courtyard, reflecting the reflection of two women, one big and one small. luo ning was wearing a black night suit. as soon as she opened the door, she saw ye jingtang leaning against the door. her beautiful eyes were slightly shocked, followed by anger. clearly, she suspected that he had sneaked to the door and peeped at her changing clothes just now. but yunli was behind her, so she couldn¡¯t say it out loud. she didn¡¯t have any evidence either, so she thought about it and decided to let it go. in order to make it convenient for her to move around and not cause rustling sounds, her night clothes were all tight-fitting. there was no hem on her robe, and her pants and leggings could be seen. luo ning was tall to begin with, so wearing this outfit accentuated her long legs. her upper body was bound, and her chest was very tight, making it look much smaller. her face was covered with a face cloth, and her hair was wrapped up, leaving only a pair of soul-stirring eyes exposed. ye jingtang glanced up and down and felt that this outfit was¡­ umm¡­ uniform temptation? realizing that heroine luo was glaring at him, ye jingtang smiled and raised his hand to cover his face with a scarf. ¡°let¡¯s go.¡± zhe yunli was still dressed like a girl next door. she held her saber in her hand and leaned against the door frame listlessly, her fingers twirling the little turtle ornament she had bought for the bird. ¡°brother jingtang, let me follow as the lookout. it¡¯s so boring to be home alone.¡± luo ning turned around, pointed at the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone on the table, and said in a cold voice. ¡°before i return, if you don¡¯t finish today¡¯s homework, i will punish you and ground you for three days!¡± ¡°sigh-¡± zhe yunli had no choice but to return to the room reluctantly and sprawled on the bed. ¡°got it! martial mistress, be careful.¡± luo ning had never had the image of a strict mother in the past, so she was a little helpless about this. after closing the door, she silently jumped onto the wall. ¡°let¡¯s go.¡± the bird raised its wings. ¡°chirp!¡± ye jingtang flew up and followed beside luo ning. like male and female thieves creeping in the night, they silently left dye workshop street and sneaked toward the center of the city. at noon, after finding out that the deceased had been hit by a palm technique of the pacifying heaven cult, ye jingtang had the intention of conducting another autopsy and asked about the location of the morgue. after running in the night for a while, the two of them arrived outside a government office in the north of the city. this government office was the anti-crime division under the ministry of justice. it controlled the bandits in the north of the city. the morgue was at the corner of the government office. at night, there were few lights inside. constables with official swords hanging from their waists were patrolling the surroundings, but there were not many of them. whoosh! ye jingtang and luo ning were on a building near the government office. they first asked the bird to investigate the situation near the morgue. soon, the bird flew back. ¡°chirp chirp-¡± it indicated that there were only two guards. when luo ning cooked, she was incomparably gentle and beautiful. when she handled affairs, she was full of chivalry, and her eyes were extremely focused. after carefully checking the surroundings and confirming that there was nothing unusual, she raised her hand slightly, crossed the wall of the government office with ye jingtang, and landed among the buildings. at night, the government office had already ended work. there were very few people remaining, and only the cries of birds and insects sounded. ye jingtang silently crept on the roof and quickly arrived at the northwest corner of the government office. morgues weren¡¯t good places. the officers on duty here definitely wouldn¡¯t stay in the same room with corpses. they were all in the guardroom outside. ye jingtang silently landed on the roof of the brightly lit building and listened attentively. he could hear a soft voice coming from below. ¡°¡­ the people of the black office are interesting. sir yuwen met two fools on bamboo street today¡­¡± luo ning landed in front of ye jingtang. when she heard the conversation, she blinked and felt that it sounded a little familiar. when she first met the little thief, he had pressed on the bed and teased her with dirty words. there was this sentence among them¡­ so that¡¯s what it means! this perverted little thief¡­ ye jingtang was carefully listening to what was going on in the room when he suddenly felt a murderous aura! he observed from the corner of his eye and found that heroine luo was glaring at him with a pair of cold eyes, as if she was looking at a pervert who did all kinds of evil. if not for the fact that the occasion wasn¡¯t right, she might have drawn her sword and attacked him! ye jingtang blinked. luo ning didn¡¯t say anything. after all, it had been a long time since the incident. she retracted her gaze. after confirming that there was nothing unusual around her, she landed outside the morgue and gently hooked her finger. ye jingtang asked the bird to stand sentry on a tree. he landed silently by the wall and surveyed the environment of the morgue. morgues were special. in order to preserve corpses for a long time, they were built in cool places. this morgue looked like it was often used. it was made of stone and had no windows, only a small door. luo ning moved to the door and skillfully unlocked the lock with an iron needle. ye jingtan stood behind him and paid attention to the surroundings. after unlocking the lock, luo ning held it in her hand and slowly pushed the wooden door open with her palm. a cold breeze immediately came from the pitch-black room. the permanent population of the capital exceeded one million, so there were all kinds of people. no matter if it was humans or ghosts, they all knew some martial arts. no matter how strict the laws were, it was impossible to avoid the occurrence of murder cases. for this reason, the morgue of the anti-crime division was quite big. there were 30 beds in it and more than ten corpses covered with white cloth. luo ning entered the morgue first, followed by ye jingtang. he closed the door silently and raised his hand to get her to stand at the door while he went to lift the white cloths. she knew what it would be like to store corpses for a few days in the summer, so she didn¡¯t reject ye jingtang¡¯s good intentions. ye jingtang took out a flame stick and blew on it. after there was some light in the dark room, he used his hand to block the weak light, went to the wooden beds where corpses were stored, and carefully searched for the corpse under the white cloths. great wei didn¡¯t restrict weapons. the corpses that could enter the government office¡¯s morgue must have died violently. with mutilated limbs and the hot summer, it was imaginable what the scenes under the white cloths were like. under every piece of white cloth contained a different big surprise. ye jingtang frowned in disgust just after flipping open the first one. fortunately, this ¡®unveiling¡¯ didn¡¯t last long. at the third corpse, he found zhao de, a junior official of the ministry of works. ye jingtang secretly heaved a sigh of relief and tilted his head slightly. luo ning walked up to him silently and used the light of the flame stick to check the black palm print on the corpse¡¯s chest. seeing luo ning staring at the corpse for a long time, ye jingtang leaned close to her ear. ¡°how is it?¡± ¡°this¡­¡± luo ning took the flame stick from ye jingtang¡¯s hand and moved closer to the corpse to examine the skin texture. her eyes were full of doubts. ¡°it¡¯s indeed the eight trigrams wandering body palm. it¡¯s not too powerful, but the user is extremely experienced. i almost believed that protector zhang did it himself. but from the size of the palm, the murderer is definitely not from our cult.¡± ye jingtang pondered for a moment. ¡°could the murderer be one of zhang henggu¡¯s former disciples?¡± ¡°impossible. protector zhang¡¯s disciples are ail hall masters and helm masters of the pacifying heaven cult. i know all of them, and i¡¯ve never heard of any other disciples.¡± ¡°could someone have coincidentally used the move?¡± luo ning thought for a moment and shook her head. ¡°the meridians for qi circulations are like the layout of a go game. there¡¯s an old saying that there¡¯s no such thing as an identical game. it¡¯s impossible for there to be two completely identical go games in the world. no matter how similar they are, there are subtle differences. this palm print is identical to protector zhang¡¯s wandering body palm. it must be from the same source.¡± ye jingtang nodded slowly and thought for a moment. ¡°do you want to write a letter to the pacifying heaven cult and ask? since it was created by zhang henggu and came from the same source, it¡¯s impossible for zhang henggu not to know the origin.¡± luo ning wanted to nod, but after some thought, she turned her head. ¡°1 am a leader of the rebels of the pacifying heaven cult. if i help the imperial court solve the case and find the real culprit, won¡¯t it¡­¡± ye jingtang really didn¡¯t expect heroine luo to think of this. he spread his hands. ¡°if you don¡¯t help me solve the case, how can i establish my prestige in front of the prince of jing? without prestige, how can i save qiu tianhe?¡± establish prestige? why do 1 feel like i¡¯m helping you woo the princess¡­ luo ning felt strange in her heart, but she couldn¡¯t say it out loud. so she didn¡¯t say anything else and silently studied the details of the palm print. the two of them hadn¡¯t studied it for long when a noise suddenly sounded outside. coo- coo-¡± it was the hooting of an owl. the flame stick in luo ning¡¯s hand was instantly covered, and there was no longer any light in the morgue. she was listening carefully when she realized that the man was hugging her and slowly pressing her down. luo ning knew that there was movement outside, so she didn¡¯t resist. she silently leaned into the little thief¡¯s arms and rolled under the wooden bed by the wall with him.. she listened attentively to the movements outside the morgue¡­ Chapter 121 - Chapter 121: Sorry, I’m a Constable chapter 121: sorry, i¡¯m a constable translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°coo, coo¡¯¡± the cries of the bird came from outside again. ye jingtang held luo ning under the bed and was puzzled. the secret signal of the bird was a reminder that someone was approaching secretly. it wasn¡¯t an official patrolling¡­ who could it be? ye jingtang held his breath and waited quietly for a short time before he saw a small gap appearing at the wooden door of the morgue, revealing some light outside. then a black shadow sneaked in. as the door closed, there was no more movement, showing that the lightness skills of the person who came were definitely not low. there was the sound of the wind blowing, and a faint flame lit up from the door of the morgue. ye jingtang held his breath and looked carefully. it was obvious that this person was doing the same thing as him. they were wearing black night clothes, revealing only a pair of sharp eyes. their face was wrapped in a scarf, and they were carrying a weapon wrapped in black cloth on their back, revealing a foot of the black handle. looking at the height of the person in black, it was about the same as the tip of his nose¡­ ?! ye jingtang was stunned. he observed silently and found that the person in black had begun to search through the corpses. soon, they stopped beside zhao de¡¯s corpse. a small bottle slipped out of their sleeve silently, and they poured it onto the palm print on the corpse¡¯s chest. sizzle! wisps of white smoke rose from the corpse¡¯s flesh. luo ning¡¯s and ye jingtang¡¯s eyes narrowed at the same time. they understood what this person was doing¡ªruining the corpse to eliminate evidence! the person was most likely the murderer! the moment this thought flashed through luo ning¡¯s mind, her ears were covered by the little thief. at the same time, a thunderclap sounded behind her. ¡°ha¡ª!¡± ye jingtang¡¯s name came from his loud cries when he was young. this meant that he was born with a strong breath and an excellent physique, showing his talent. now that he had grown up, his speaking style had always been calm and tepid, but his talent had clearly not disappeared. at this moment, he shouted with all his might, as if a clap of thunder had sounded in the silent night! the moment the sound thundered out, all kinds of commotion appeared in the government office. even the bird chirped. it was so frightened that its feathers stood on end. the morgue was a sealed stone room, and the sound inside was several times louder than outside. luo ning, whose ears were covered, felt her head buzz from the impact. her entire body twitched a few times, and her beautiful eyes widened in horror. she was so shocked that she almost jumped up on the spot. even though luo ning knew who had shouted, she was still frightened. the black-clothed person¡¯s reaction was self-evident. the black-clothed person had sneaked into the government office to destroy the evidence. they had already pricked up their ears to listen to any sounds outside and were also affected by the gloomy environment of the morgue. but a thunderclap suddenly rang out. the black-clothed person holding a flame stick instantly straightened their body and swayed. the bamboo flame stick was crushed as this person fell straight backward. they were actually shocked into a stiff state. now! clatter! ye jingtang broke through the wooden bed and pounced at the black-clothed person. he held their head with his right hand and grabbed their neck with his left hand, trying to capture this person alive. but the black-clothed person was by no means an ordinary person. the moment they were restrained, they immediately recovered and splashed the bottle in their right hand behind their head. bang! ye jingtang didn¡¯t expect this person to return to their senses so quickly. he knew that the highly corrosive liquid in the bottle would most likely disfigure him if it splashed on his face. he didn¡¯t dare to take it head-on and quickly bent down to dodge. he was afraid that luo ning, who was behind him, would be affected, so he pulled the white cloth covering the corpse and swept it upward at the same time. swish! the white cloth swept the splashing liquid toward the stone wall. some of it splattered on the corpse, immediately melting a few holes and emitting white smoke. the black-clothed person was able to escape. knowing that they had been ambushed, they had no intention of fighting and flew toward the door. although luo ning was almost frightened to tears by ye jingtang¡¯s shout, her movements were not slow at all. she bounced up from the ground, unsheathed the soft sword at her waist, and charged toward the small door of the morgue. swoosh! under the light from the fallen flame stick, the three-foot-long silver blade was like a peacock spreading its tail, directly locking the way out! astonishment flashed across the eyes of the black-clothed person in the air. they flicked their wrist, and a red rope popped out of their sleeve. swish! the red rope shot toward a wooden bed on the right side of the room and pierced through it. the black-clothed person yanked with their left hand, and their body flew over. ye jingtang could tell that this person¡¯s martial arts skills were unfathomable. he gave up on the idea of capturing them alive and grabbed the hilt of his saber with his left hand. clang! a cold light flashed in the sealed stone room! the black-clothed person was still in midair when they noticed the killing intent coming at them. they immediately grabbed the saber hilt behind their shoulder with both hands. haa! amidst the loud shout, the saber on the black-clothed person¡¯s back was unsheathed. the muscles in their arms instantly tore through their sleeves, and the three-foot-long straight saber slashed down at a terrifying speed. clang! the two blades collided, and sparks erupted in the stone room, as if a bolt of lightning had streaked across the air. the surging energy contained in the two sabers instantly erupted, directly overturning the two wooden beds beside them. holding his saber in his left hand in a reverse grip, ye jingtang blocked the opponent¡¯s two-handed blow. his body slid back and knocked over the wooden bed behind him. the black-clothed person was sent flying and hit the stone wall behind them. clatter! bain! the two of them separated by nearly thirty feet at the same time. clatter, clatter! the black-clothed person¡¯s flame stick fell to the ground and burst into bright flames. the morgue fell into dead silence. ye jingtang didn¡¯t attack again. he held his saber with both hands and maintained the posture of thrusting forward with the tip of the saber. his eyes were locked on the black-clothed person¡¯s every move as he asked, ¡°what saber technique is he using?¡± luo ning, who was blocking the only exit, replied, ¡°northern liang¡¯s piercing blade. it¡¯s a battle formation saber technique.¡± the black-clothed man leaned against the wall and held his straight saber vertically in front of him with both hands. it was obvious that he was guarding against the second strike of the eight-steps frenzied blade. there was also surprise in his eyes. ¡°eight-steps frenzied blade?¡± seeing that the opponent could see through it, ye jingtang switched to holding his saber with one hand and changed to the stance of the heaven equaling saber. ¡°are you from northern liang?¡± clang! clang! clang! suddenly, the sound of a gong sounded outside. the officers on duty must have recovered from the shock and were calling for reinforcements. the black-clothed man glanced at luo ning, who was blocking the exit, and then at ye jingtang, who was wearing night clothes. ¡°you¡¯re dressed the same as me. why make things difficult for each other? we won¡¯t be able to escape when soldiers come. why don¡¯t we go out and fight?¡± ye jingtang stared at the black-clothed man with all his attention. his left hand shook slightly, and a brass waist token slid out. ¡°i¡¯m a constable!¡± ?! when the black-clothed man saw the waist token with the word jing¡¯ engraved on it, astonishment flashed across his eyes. he was probably thinking: you¡¯re a f*cking official. why are you hiding in the government office¡¯s morgue to scare people like this? are you sick¡­ since he was an official, there was definitely no room for negotiation. the black-clothed man must have seen that ye jingtang had switched to the heaven equaling saber. he shuffled one foot forward and the other backward and placed the straight saber horizontally by his side, the tip of the curved blade pointing forward. seeing this, luo ning reminded, ¡°this is the opening stance of the dragon qi sword of the thousand crane villa in tu province. the dragon qi sword is ghostly and invisible, and it¡¯s difficult to figure out the path of the sword. you don¡¯t have to block it. just hit the opponent directly. as long as he¡¯s not as fast as you, he will definitely defend.¡± ? the two opposing sides fell silent. ye jingtang thought for a moment and aimed his saber at the center of the opponent¡¯s body. the black-clothed man looked at luo ning and felt that this woman seemed to be even more difficult to deal with. for a moment, he didn¡¯t dare to break out rashly. luo ning was blocking the only exit, so she was naturally not in a hurry to attack. tread, tread, tread¡­ there were already footsteps coming from outside. if this stalemate continued, it would be difficult to escape. the black-clothed man gritted his teeth and swung his left hand to the side. swoosh! swoosh! swoosh! three darts tore through the air with a shrill sound, targeting luo ning¡¯s upper body. ye jingtang moved at the same time. he raised his saber and slashed forward. in an instant, he brought a strong wind in the morgue and pressed toward the black-clothed man. at this distance, ye jingtang would definitely use the eight-steps frenzied blade to close in on him. as the black-clothed man threw the darts, he blocked the saber in front of him and jumped back with both feet. clang! as airwaves surged, a deafening explosion sounded in the morgue. ye jingtang¡¯s saber struck the black-clothed man¡¯s straight saber, and an overwhelming force directly poured out. the black-clothed man was already charging backward with all his might. under the combined force of the two, he directly turned into a cannonball and smashed into the stone wall. boom! under the heavy blow, the foot-thick hard stone wall instantly caved in and exploded. the black-clothed man let out a muffled groan. although he was seriously injured from the collision, he was still knocked out of the morgue. before he landed, he flipped his left hand slightly and flicked out a red thread, piercing it in a beam. swish! ye jingtang didn¡¯t give him the slightest chance. he attacked with his saber, followed by another slash. the moment the black-clothed man pulled his body up, he slashed at his waist and abdomen. clang! in an instant, the black-clothed man was sent flying again. he shattered the brick wall behind him and fell to the side street outside the government office. haa! before the black-clothed man landed on the ground, ye jingtang had already flown up, spun around, and slashed with all his might. the moves of the eight-steps frenzied blade interconnected one after another. the black-clothed man lost his balance from the attack and couldn¡¯t counterattack at all. if he received another saber strike, even escaping would be an extravagant hope. in the desperate situation, before the black-clothed man fell to the street, his entire body trembled violently. a small bump suddenly bulged on his chest and then¡­ boom! the fabric exploded! a hole was blown out of the black-clothed man¡¯s clothes, and white powder sprayed out, raising a line of white dust on the path of his fall. if ye jingtang wanted to get close to him, he would definitely have to pass through the dust. because he wasn¡¯t sure what the white powder was, he immediately retracted his strength, jumped to the side, and covered his mouth and nose with his left hand. ¡°be careful.¡± luo ning rushed out of the morgue and saw the white powder being blown over by the night wind. she held her sword in her hand and transformed the three-foot-long blade into a windmill. she blew away the white powder and circled around to flank the opponent. plop! the black-clothed man fell to the street, flipped over, got up, and smashed a few more bottles onto the ground. at some point, a mist of dust filled the sky, covering his figure. whoosh! under the night breeze, the mist of dust immediately spread toward the government office. seeing that the bird was already chasing the opponent in the sky, ye jingtang didn¡¯t take the risk of rushing into the mist of dust and pulled luo ning to dodge. luo ning was from the pacifying heaven cult. to her, the government was more of a threat than the murderer. she immediately looked behind her cautiously. the two sides had only fought for a moment before the people in the government office surrounded them. the sound of bows being loaded rang out around them. thump! thump! thump! ye jingtang was wearing night clothes, so the officials couldn¡¯t tell friend from foe at all. afraid that they would shoot him, he said, ¡°the black office¡¯s ye jingtang is handling a case. don¡¯t hurt allies!¡± he pulled down his scarf and showed the prince of jing estate¡¯s waist token! more than ten officials rushed over from the periphery of the government office. they raised their heavy bows and crossbows and circled out of the passageways on both sides. when they discovered the token of the prince of jing estate, they paused for a moment. yuwen chengde, who was standing behind the officials, hurriedly raised his hand. ¡°stop, stop! young master ye, why are you here?¡± ye jingtang put away his waist token and explained what he had deduced based on the results, ¡°the wandering body palm is real. i deliberately said that there might be something strange during the day and came here to wait for the murderer to destroy the evidence. i didn¡¯t expect it to really happen. this matter is definitely not simple. there must be a mole in the government office who informed the murderer. investigate the people present at bamboo street today.¡± ¡°a mole¡­¡± many officials looked at each other in confusion. after a moment of confusion, yuwen chengde turned around and said angrily, ¡°go investigate. call everyone who went to bamboo street today¡­¡± ye jingtang sheathed his saber and saw that some white powder was staining his left sleeve. he frowned slightly and jumped to the horse-drinking trough in the government office behind him to wash his left hand with water. whoosh-! whoosh-! luo ning walked over to ye jingtang and raised her finger to tap two acupoints on ye jingtang¡¯s left shoulder. then she immediately lowered her left arm and held his left hand to examine it carefully. ¡°do you feel anything?¡± ¡°i can t even feel my hands with the acupoints sealed. 1 think it¡¯s quicklime.¡± luo ning said solemnly, ¡°do you think this is a street fight? quicklime¡­¡± ye jingtang thought for a moment and felt that it was unlikely for something like quicklime to appear in a battle of this level. he was afraid of winning a big prize, so he took a horse from the stable and mounted it. ¡°just in case, i¡¯m going to look for imperial physician wang first. are you going?¡± ¡°imperial physician wang¡­¡± luo ning knew that the old imperial physician wang and his daughter-in-law, madam wang, were both famous divine doctors. as long as someone had a breath, they could pull people back from the brink of death. she wasn¡¯t injured and didn¡¯t need an examination, but she wasn¡¯t afraid that imperial physician wang could see through her. she immediately jumped up and sat behind ye jingtang. ¡°in what capacity am i following you? your subordinate?¡± ¡°my unmarried wife.¡± luo ning opened her mouth, but she couldn¡¯t think of a more reasonable relationship, so she stopped talking. ¡°go.¡± ye jingtang squeezed the horse¡¯s belly lightly with his legs and rushed out of the side door of the government office. he arrived at the street and looked around.. then he turned the horse¡¯s head and ran toward literary virtue bridge¡­ Chapter 122 - Chapter 122: Observing, Listening, Asking, and Examining chapter 122: observing, listening, asking, and examining translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the prince of jing estate was silent. the five-story jasper pavilion was like a lighthouse erected in the capital, with golden lights shining in the windows. outside the study on the top floor, the empress dowager, who was wearing a crimson nightgown, was standing beside the balcony railing. she was holding a telescope that had been tributed and looking at parasol street in the distance. the night wind blew the hem of her dress, faintly revealing her fair calves. the study was brightly lit. dongfang liren was sitting behind her large desk with several stacks of files in front of her, writing and drawing on a small booklet. dongfang li had been born as the second princess of the imperial family. she liked martial arts, but practicing martial arts and investigating cases were two different things. she hadn¡¯t had the chance to go out personally to handle cases, so she had never learned these things before. but today, on bamboo street, sir tangtang had come to show his divinity in person. it really stunned her. originally, her martial arts talent was already lacking a little. now, she couldn¡¯t even say a word about her job. how could she establish her prestige in front of her subordinate in the future? for this reason, after returning from bamboo street, dongfang liren had been immersing herself in reading past dossiers and learning experiences so that she wouldn¡¯t be treated as prince dumdum by ye jingtang the next time she encountered such an occasion. while she was studying seriously, the empress dowager handed the telescope to hongyu and walked into the room listlessly. ¡°liren, is that subordinate of yours back?¡± dongfang liren wrote something in the booklet without looking up. ¡°who?¡± it¡¯s that young master ye. didn¡¯t you say last time that i should learn to paint? have you forgotten?¡± dongfang liren paused in her writing and blinked. she recalled that she had promised last month to lend ye jingtang to the empress dowager for her to paint him for a few days. ¡°yes¡­ he just came back this morning. when he¡¯s free, i¡¯ll ask him to come over and let you paint him.¡± the empress dowager sat sideways on the beauty¡¯s couch and played with the little furball used for saber practice. she sighed faintly. ¡°you are a prince. do you still have to see if your subordinate is free?¡± dongfang liren explained, ¡°official matters are more important. ye jingtang is a great talent. today, i brought him to bamboo street to handle a case. i only gave him a little pointer, and his eyes were like torches. from some traces, he deduced the characteristics of the murderer and shocked the people of the ministry of justice. if i send such a capable minister to the palace and let my sister keep him by her side, the people will have one less just and incorruptible official¡­¡± dongfang liren was likely explaining to the empress dowager that she was detaining ye jingtang because she appreciated his talent and not because she wanted to keep a handsome man for herself. but the empress dowager wasn¡¯t stupid. she pretended not to hear these deceptive words and thought for a moment before saying, ¡°if he really has the ability, you have to think of a way to use him as the edge of a sword to share her majesty¡¯s worries. i don¡¯t care about the affairs of the court, but 1 can feel that the situation isn¡¯t very peaceful. yesterday, 1 accompanied her majesty to bathe and found that her majesty had a strand of white hair. i was so anxious¡­¡± ¡°hmm?¡± dongfang liren¡¯s eyelashes fluttered as she looked up. ¡°white hair?¡± ¡°there¡¯s only one. her majesty said that it¡¯s fine, but 1 don¡¯t think so. in history, there have been many diligent emperors who became ill from overwork. although you¡¯re also busy, at least you can take a break from your busy schedule. when you have nothing to do, you can even walk around with ye jingtang to relax. when her majesty wakes up, she has to deal with government affairs. every day, she can only play with the palace maids beside her for a while. it¡¯s like this every day, every year¡­¡± dongfang liren blinked and felt that things were not that simple. as the emperor of a country, there was indeed a lot of pressure on her shoulders. however, with her sister¡¯s valiant personality, which even dared to pull down the emperor, she could completely withstand it. how could she worry about growing old¡­ is it because i kept a handsome man in my pocket¡­ just as she was letting her imagination run wild, the white-haired old woman silently appeared in the study and reported softly, ¡°your highness, just now, young master ye went to investigate the murder case on bamboo street and found the murderer in the anti-crime division¡­¡± ¡°hmm?¡± dongfang liren snapped out of her daze and closed the booklet. she was rather surprised. ¡°he ran out to investigate the case alone in the middle of the night? how did he find the murderer?¡± the white-haired old woman¡¯s eyes were full of admiration. ¡°according to the report, young master ye saw that the wandering body palm was real during the day, but he felt that there was more to it, so he deliberately said that there was something suspicious about the palm technique. then he staked around the corpse at night to see if anyone would come to destroy the evidence. in the end, the murderer really came at night¡­¡± dongfang liren frowned. ¡°does he suspect that the government has a mole?¡± the white-haired old woman nodded solemnly. ¡°from the results, there is indeed a mole in the government office. after discovering that young a/iaster ye saw through the palm technique, he secretly reported it to the murderer.¡± dongfang liren blinked. ¡°uh¡­ how did he know that the government office had a mole?¡± the white-haired old woman thought for a moment and reluctantly explained, ¡°young master ye must have seen something unreasonable about the palm technique, so he gave it a try. the murderer came at night to destroy the evidence, which means that the murderer himself thinks there¡¯s a difference between his palm technique and the palm technique of zhang henggu¡¯s lineage. the murderer is definitely not from the pacifying heaven cult¡­ hmm¡­ i can only say that young master ye has sharp eyes, extraordinary intuition, and good luck¡­¡± dongfang liren was surprised, feeling that ye jingtang¡¯s ability to handle cases seemed to be even more ridiculous than his talent in martial arts. she nodded slowly. ¡°there¡¯s a unique palm technique of the pacifying heaven cult and a mole in the government. this matter is definitely not small¡­ has the murderer been caught?¡± ¡°young master ye said that the murderer is very cunning and is trying to track him down. when he was fighting with the murderer, young master ye was injured and just went to imperial physician wang¡¯s residence¡­¡± ¡°injured?!¡± dongfang liren¡¯s expression changed slightly as she stood up. ¡°empress dowager, you should rest first. i¡¯ll go out and take a look.¡± the empress dowager waved her hand in understanding. ¡°go ahead. you don¡¯t have to rush back to accompany me tonight.¡± ? dongfang liren stopped in her tracks, feeling that there was a hidden meaning in the empress dowager¡¯s words. but after thinking about it, she decided to forget about it¡­ literary virtue bridge, wang family¡¯s mansion¡­ literary virtue bridge was located in the southern part of the city and was adjacent to the outer wall of the imperial city. most of the residents here were aristocrats and high-ranking officials, so the living environment was excellent. the street was paved with white stone tiles, and there were green plants on both sides. at night, although there weren¡¯t many pedestrians, there were lanterns hanging on both sides of the street. it was one of the few streets in the capital equipped with ¡®street lights¡¯. imperial physician wang¡¯s mansion was in the center of the literary virtue bridge. in front of it was a medical clinic. above the entrance was a golden signboard with the words ¡®xinglin sacred hands¡¯ written by the founding emperor of great wei. behind the clinic were several houses for patients to recuperate. a few rooms had lights lit. the last building was the wang family¡¯s residence. it was quite large, but it was very simple. there were all kinds of medicinal herbs growing in the garden. in the main hall of the wang residence, there was candlelight. ye jingtang was sitting upright beside the tea table, his right hand stretched out flat on a soft pillow. opposite the tea table was an old man in a white robe. his beard and hair were snow-white, and he had a kind expression. his left hand was holding ye jingtang¡¯s wrist, and his right hand was gently rubbing his fingers. he was frowning in deep thought. imperial physician wang was over 8o years old now. in the previous dynasty, he was a folk doctor who had roamed jianghu with his master. when great wei launched its rebellion, he became a military physician. the founding emperor had been injured in several battles, and it was imperial physician wang who had personally saved him. after the founding of great wei, he had served as an imperial physician until now. including the deposed emperor, he had experienced four emperors. no one in jianghu dared to provoke the divine doctor, medicine king li, who had learned from imperial physician wang. a bottle of jade dragon ointment from medicine king li could be sold for a hundred taels of silver in jianghu. it was imaginable the status of imperial physician wang. but even the old divine doctor had a solemn expression on his face at this moment. he took ye jingtang¡¯s pulse for a long time and didn¡¯t say anything. ye jingtang knew divine doctor wang¡¯s name and originally thought that he was fine, but when he saw him like this, his heart turned cold. afraid that heroine luo, who was waiting outside, would be heartbroken to hear bad news, he approached and probed, ¡°elder wang, can 1¡­ still be saved?¡± imperial physician wang gently rubbed his fingers. after a long time, he replied, ¡°it¡¯s snow moth scale, commonly known as the white lime. it¡¯s more common in northern liang. few people use it in great wei. it¡¯s not considered poison, but it¡¯s powerful because once it enters the flesh, it can block the meridians. it is difficult to treat in a short time. it¡¯s mostly used to ambush or stop pursuers.¡± oh¡­ how should i solve it?¡± ¡°you can recover on your own in seven days. i¡¯ll give you a needle, and you¡¯ll be fine in half an hour.¡± ye jingtang secretly heaved a sigh of relief. at the same time, he was a little speechless. it¡¯s just a small matter. did you have to examine me for so long? it made me feel that you were thinking about how to explain my funeral¡­ but this was definitely not easy to say. ye jingtang smiled and said, ¡°elder wang, you really live up to your reputation. that white powder really looks like quicklime. i didn¡¯t expect it to have a great origin¡­¡± ¡°snow moth scale can also be sprinkled on people¡¯s faces. the effect isn¡¯t much different from quicklime. that¡¯s why it¡¯s commonly known as white lime. it¡¯s an item that doesn¡¯t care about martial ethics. even if it¡¯s sprinkled accurately, this thing actually doesn¡¯t work as fast as quicklime. it¡¯s just that those with high martial arts skills have extraordinary movement techniques, and quicklime can¡¯t be sprinkled, so the jianghu scoundrels figured out this item.¡± ¡°oh¡­ i see.¡± while imperial physician wang spoke, he took out a golden needle from the needle box beside him, stabbed it into ye jingtang¡¯s left arm, and then pricked his fingertip. black blood immediately seeped out of his fingertip and dripped into a porcelain bowl. ye jingtang found that after imperial physician wang finished performing the acupuncture, he took his pulse again. ye jingtang asked, ¡°do 1 have any other illnesses?¡± imperial physician wang tapped his fingers on the armrest and pondered for a long time. he looked up and asked, ¡°who is your father?¡± ? ye jingtang didn¡¯t expect imperial physician wang to ask this. he shook his head and said, ¡°i¡¯m an abandoned child. i was picked up by my foster father and don¡¯t know my background. elder wang, could it be that you saw something?¡± imperial physician wang stroked his beard. ¡°dragons give birth to dragons, and phoenixes give birth to phoenixes. your bone structure ranks among the best of the people i¡¯ve seen in my life. your parents are definitely not ordinary people. i¡¯m just curious.¡± ¡°hehe, elder wang, you flatter me. perhaps my foster father taught me well and helped me build a good foundation since i was a child.¡± drip- drip¡ª the drops of blood on his fingertip dripped into the bowl, and the black color visibly faded. imperial physician wang took his pulse seriously. after a long time, he said, ¡°the muscles, bones, and skin are the surface. the essence, qi, and spirit are the inside. only tempering the muscles, bones, and skin and not cultivating the inside will overdraft one¡¯s innate essence qi. this isn¡¯t the path of longevity. no matter what martial arts you practice in the future, you must remember this principle.¡± ye jingtang felt that there was something in imperial physician wang¡¯s words, but it was difficult to confirm. he nodded and said, ¡°i will definitely pay attention in the future. elder wang, have you seen through my martial arts skills?¡± ¡°qi circulation methods must follow people¡¯s meridians. as long as you have rich experience, you can tell something from the strength of the meridians. i¡¯ve checked the pulses of kuang yazi, qiu tianhe, and the old spear chief. i can see their shadows in you.¡± ye jingtang¡¯s eyes were full of surprise as he nodded and cupped his hands. ¡°sorry for being rude. i¡¯m ignorant and experienced. elder wang, have you taken zheng feng¡¯s pulse?¡± ¡°after zheng feng was seriously injured, he came here once. his meridians were all broken, and even giving birth to a descendant was an extravagant hope. i¡¯m a doctor, not a god. i couldn¡¯t save him.¡± ye jingtang¡¯s gaze moved slightly, but he didn¡¯t show any abnormality. he just nodded slowly. ¡°don¡¯t move around. once your finger stops bleeding, you can pull out the needle yourself.¡± with that, imperial physician wang stood up with his walking stick and walked to the back of the hall. ye jingtang was a little emotional. after a moment of silence, he suddenly remembered that the bird was still working outside.. he turned to look outside, only to find that heroine luo, who had been waiting outside the door, had disappeared for some reason¡­ Chapter 123 - Chapter 123: Miss, Listen to Me chapter 123: miss, listen to me translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios clomp clomp! a luxurious carriage stopped outside the wang family¡¯s medical clinic. the guards of the black office guarded the intersection. before the carriage stopped, dongfang liren jumped off the carriage and walked to the medical clinic. madam wang, who was grabbing medicine in front of the medicine cabinets, hurriedly walked out of the room and bowed. ¡°what brings your highness here?¡± dongfang liren slowed down and assumed the posture of a calm and unhurried princess. ¡°i came to take a look. how are ye jingtang¡¯s injuries?¡± madam wang¡¯s expression was gentle as she walked with her. ¡°young master ye just came over. i¡¯ve taken his pulse, and he¡¯s fine. i asked the old master to perform acupuncture. speaking of which, young master ye¡¯s fiancee is really good-looking¡­¡± ? dongfang liren suddenly stopped in her tracks as a strange look flashed across her eyes. ¡°his fiancee¡­ his lover is also here?¡± ¡°yes, she¡¯s a very beautiful girl. she looks a few years older than young master ye and has an especially good temperament. she cares a lot about young master ye and has been wandering in the corridor waiting for news¡­¡± dongfang liren blinked. for some reason, she was a little afraid to enter. but on second thought, she had nothing to do with ye jingtang. she was just here to comfort her subordinate. it was normal for her to bump into family members. why wouldn¡¯t she dare to enter? dongfang liren felt very strange and thought for a moment. ¡°my identity is special. don¡¯t disturb ye jingtang¡¯s family. hmm¡­ bring me there to have a look. i¡¯m quite curious what kind of woman ye jingtang loves.¡± mrs. wang was an experienced person and understood what the prince of jing was thinking. she didn¡¯t say much and took her to a side hall of the wang family¡¯s mansion. from the window, they could see the corridor outside the main hall. dongfang liren acted natural and silently looked out of the window. she could see the young woman in night clothes pacing back and forth in the corridor with her hands folded at her waist. upon closer inspection, she saw that the young woman¡¯s skin was as fair as jade, her lips were red like vermillion, and her dark eyebrows were like light smoke. coupled with her pair of soul-stirring peach blossom eyes, anyone who looked at her would be mesmerized, especially now that she was full of worry. she was biting her lower lip lightly and constantly looking at the main hall. perhaps even the heart of the coldest man in the world would tremble when he saw her. as for the woman¡¯s figure, she was wearing close-fitting night clothes, so one could clearly see her slender waist and fine and straight legs, but her hip lines were very well-rounded, and her hips were wider than her shoulders. at first glance, she was the type of ultimate beauty described in tears of a heroine. what was even more special was this woman¡¯s temperament. she looked like a goddess who had descended to the mortal world. she had no trace of the mortal world at all and exuded an otherworldly immortal aura. no wonder ye jingtangloves her¡­ the moment dongfang liren saw this woman, she understood why ye jingtang couldn¡¯t forget his beloved. although she was very confident in her looks, she had to admit that this woman was more like the fairy partner in the fantasies of jianghu heroes. on the other hand, she was clearly a little more assertive and lacked a bit of gentle and delicate femininity¡­ dongfang liren stared at her for a moment, and a complicated look flashed across her eyes. she turned around and fell silent. madam wang understood a woman¡¯s thoughts and smiled. ¡°when i see this girl, i indeed feel ashamed of my inferiority. but there¡¯s no need for your highness to be like this. your highness also has breathtaking beauty, but your temperament is different from this girl¡¯s. just like a peony and a hibiscus, each with their own good points. moreover¡­¡± madam wang looked around, stood on her tiptoes, and whispered into dongfang liren¡¯s ear, ¡°moreover, looking at this miss¡¯s face, i can tell that she¡¯s relatively delicate. she¡¯s the kind of woman who becomes passionate at a touch. with an energetic and fierce man like young master ye, there¡¯s a high chance that she will wipe her tears every night¡­¡± ?? dongfang liren blinked with a strange expression. ¡°really? umm¡­ why are you talking to me about this?¡± madam wang smiled. ¡°your highness cares about your subordinates. there¡¯s no need to worry about these daily matters of life. why don¡¯t i talk to that girl and tell her not to be jealous¡­¡± dongfang liren acutely sensed the hidden meaning in madam wang¡¯s words. she raised her hand and said, ¡°there¡¯s no need for that. hmm¡­ you said something about ye jingtang¡¯s yang qi being too strong last time. i really can¡¯t tell him. ye jingtang is relatively¡­ gentlemanly. you can give this miss some advice. don¡¯t let it go on for too long. if his body really¡­¡± madam wang felt that the prince of jing really had the demeanor of a married woman, so she smiled and nodded. ¡°i understand. i¡¯ll go talk to that girl now.¡± dongfang liren wanted to say something, but she felt that it was inappropriate to say anything. she turned around and said, ¡°send this girl away. i¡¯ll go ask about the case. don¡¯t let her see and misunderstand.¡± yes, your highness.¡± buzz, buzz! the night was silent, and the clear sound of insects echoed outside the main hall. luo ning, dressed in night clothes, took off her face cloth, revealing her black hair tied behind her head. she clasped her hands at her waist and paced back and forth in the corridor like a wife who was worried about her husband¡¯s condition. luo ning had heard of imperial physician wang¡¯s reputation for a long time. when she came here just now, she thought that ye jingtang was fine. but imperial physician wang took his pulse for a long time while looking solemn without saying anything. it gave people the feeling that they could basically prepare for the funeral. the little thief isn¡¯t even twenty years old¡­ luo ning¡¯s heart was in her throat. although she felt that she had nothing to do with ye jingtang, she still felt cold in her heart and sweat on her forehead when she suddenly encountered this situation. it was as if her soul and body were not together. no, he¡¯s definitely fine¡­ the little thief looks tough, and he looks like he will have many children and grandchildren. how can he die so easily¡­ with such thoughts running wild, she paced back and forth countless times. before there was any movement in the hall, footsteps sounded from behind the corridor. luo ning turned around and saw the female manager of the medical clinic walking over with a friendly expression. ¡°miss, don¡¯t worry. no matter whether the illness is curable or not, the old master will just take a look and start writing prescriptions or tell people to make funeral arrangements. since he¡¯s examining him for so long, he must be looking at other things. young master ye¡¯s bone structure is extremely good. i checked it for a long time before.¡± hearing this, luo ning felt relieved and nodded. ¡°thank you for clearing my doubts, madam wang. how long until jingtang comes out?¡± ¡°that¡¯s hard to say. the old master has a bad temper, so i don¡¯t dare to go in and ask. hmm¡­ miss, you¡¯re young master ye¡¯s confidante, right?¡± before coming here, luo ning had already come up with a status with ye jingtang. at this moment, she didn¡¯t deny it. her face was slightly red as she said, ¡°yes, um¡­ we haven¡¯t known each other for long¡­¡± madam wang nodded gently and raised her hand. ¡°i have something to tell you. it¡¯s about young master ye.¡± while they spoke, they walked toward the front of the mansion. luo ning was a little puzzled, but no matter how powerful a person was, they still had to be timid in front of a doctor. she immediately followed madam wang to the medical clinic and asked, ¡°is there something wrong with jingtang¡¯s body?¡± madam wang stood beside the medicine cabinets and said softly, ¡°miss, you¡¯re also a martial artist. you should know that if you strengthen your body all year round, your qi and blood will be exuberant. an eighteen or nineteen-year-old man is at his most energetic. young master ye¡¯s foundation is very good, but he¡¯s too diligent in martial arts. he doesn¡¯t know how to combine work and rest. when you¡¯re at your peak, you will inevitably decline. when things go to extremes, they will inevitably reverse. if this continues, problems may arise.¡± luo ning thought for a moment and said, ¡°1¡­ i know that when your yang qi is too strong, you will be frustrated and angry and have sores in your mouth. you just need to take some medicine to cool the heat. is this a big deal?¡± madam wang said earnestly, ¡°there are three types of poison in medicine. if you can recuperate on your own during normal days, it¡¯s naturally better than taking medicine. moreover, it¡¯s fine for ordinary people, but it¡¯s not a small matter for experts. if the yin and yang in your body are imbalanced, your blood and qi will be chaotic. it¡¯s easy to be agitated, and it¡¯s very difficult for your heart to be calm. young master ye often fights with others. life and death are only a hair¡¯s breadth away. a slight fluctuation in his heart may be the difference between life and death. miss, if you really care about your beloved, you have to let him relax. don¡¯t wait for something to happen before you regret it and wipe your tears¡­¡± luo ning understood what she meant and felt that the matter was indeed quite serious, but¡­ ¡°madam, are you saying that i should¡­ help jingtang recuperate his body and mind?¡± madam wang nodded seriously. ¡°the combination of a man and a woman is the path of recuperation. overexertion will harm the body. but not doing it will also harm the body. you have to be moderate. miss, is it inconvenient for you?¡± luo ning¡¯s gaze was very strange. she was the wife of the cult master of the pacifying heaven cult master, so it was definitely not convenient for her to serve the little thief. however, madam wang made it sound so serious. as his ¡®fiancee¡¯, if she resisted firmly, it would seem a little insensible. after some thought, she could only say, ¡°yes¡­ jingtang dotes on me very much, and he¡¯s a gentleman. if 1 only be with him in order to recuperate his body¡­ i¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t agree.¡± when madam wang saw that ye jingtang had such good conditions and was still ¡®maintaining his chastity¡¯, she knew that he was a modest gentleman who cared about the woman¡¯s feelings. she thought for a moment, turned around, opened a drawer in the medicine cabinets, took out a medicine box, and placed it in luo ning¡¯s hand. ¡°miss, as long as you¡¯re willing, young master ye will at most hesitate beforehand. after that, he will only cherish you even more. if you find it difficult to speak, or if you think that young master ye won¡¯t agree, give him this pill and pretend to know nothing. wait until he goes to get close to you, then reluctantly yield after resisting¡­¡± ?! luo ning¡¯s gaze was strange as she asked in a low voice, ¡°is this an aphrodisiac?¡± madam wang hurriedly shook her head and leaned closer to explain, ¡°this is a proper medical clinic. how can we sell those harmful items that mess with people¡¯s minds? this is an ordinary nourishing item. it¡¯s like how hawthorn fruit stimulates people¡¯s appetite. no matter how much of an appetite someone has, they understand what can and can¡¯t be eaten. if you regret it and really don¡¯t let your lover touch you, young master ye will naturally abide by the path of a gentleman and won¡¯t be rude to you. but if you agree, it will be ¡®dew after a long drought¡¯. young master ye might dote on you more in the future¡­¡± luo ning blinked. she felt that the little thief would explode at the slightest hint. there was no need for this thing to add fuel to the fire when it came to being frivolous to the heroine. how could she sleep with the little thief behind xue baijin¡¯s back just to recuperate his body? luo ning pondered for a while. she still wanted madam wang to prescribe a normal heat-reducing medicine for ye jingtang to use first. but before she could say anything, she noticed from the corner of her eye that a delicate and beautiful face was sticking out from the door of the medical clinic, looking inside and then at her. in the corner of the clinic¡¯s door, a fluffy head also popped. it tilted its head and greeted, ¡°chirp-¡° Chapter 124 - Chapter 124:I Will Send It to Jingtang chapter 124:i will send it to jingtang translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios earlier, at heavenly water bridge¡­ when pei xiangjun returned from the business trip, she was faced with the trivial matters of the past month. she worked in the accounting room until late at night before she roughly sorted them out. she returned to the pei residence with some fatigue. the house was very quiet. pei xiangjun went straight to the back residence. she saw her sister-in-law, madam zhang, sitting in the tea hall with a needle and thread in her hand and a happy expression on her brows. ¡°sister-in-law, why are you so happy?¡± ¡°hello, third lady. have a seat. this morning, luo¡¯er was unconvinced and took the initiative to go out with jingtang to do something. in the end, jingtang fought his way from parasol street to the west market alone and subdued luo¡¯er. when he came back, he praised jingtang for being amazing. then he packed his belongings and returned to the academy. it seems he feels pressured and knows that if he doesn¡¯t study, the pei family will have nothing to do with him in the future.¡± pei xiangjun wasn¡¯t surprised. she sat down opposite the tea table. ¡°jingtang is indeed impressive. he did a good job this time. it¡¯s just that¡­ he¡¯s a little rash¡­¡± mrs. zhang poured pei xiangjun a cup of tea. ¡°are you talking about the matter with zhou huaili? if jingtang can resolve the subsequent troubles, then he¡¯s not rash. he¡¯s really capable¡­¡± ¡°sigh¡­¡± pei xiangjun was talking about the cult mistress, but she really didn¡¯t dare to let her sister-in-law know about this. she thought for a moment and said tactfully, ¡°jingtang met a heroine in jianghu. she¡¯s from the pacifying heaven cult¡­¡± mrs. zhang¡¯s eyes narrowed as she said warily, ¡°the pacifying heaven cult came to poach him?¡± pei xiangjun nodded. ¡°the pacifying heaven cult definitely has the intention of poaching him, but jingtang seems to really like her¡­¡± madam zhang put down her needle and thread, and her expression turned serious. ¡°third lady, i told you when jingtang first came that we had to guard against other jianghu forces poaching him. were you not prepared at all?¡± pei xiangjun sighed. ¡°i didn¡¯t expect the pacifying heaven cult to come so quickly. jingtang promised me that he would continue to help the pei family¡­¡± mrs. zhang patted the tea table, a little annoyed. ¡°jingtang isn¡¯t related to our pei family. second brother ran away from home. even if he helps out of friendship, our pei family shouldn¡¯t accept it with a clear conscience. now that he has made a promise, will you really not be ashamed to keep him? ¡°i already said a long time ago that you could either do it yourself or choose a beautiful girl from the pavilion to keep his heart here first. in the end, you didn¡¯t do it yourself and refused to let the people of the pavilion get involved. ¡°xiuhe has been looking forward to it for so long. didn¡¯t you see it? when we were discussing matters in west king town, the hall master of the ze province hall shamelessly brought up his granddaughter. but you immediately stopped him and let an outsider take the lead. what are you thinking?¡± h ii pei xiangjun originally thought that it was nothing. now that she heard her sister-in-law¡¯s scolding, she realized that what she had done was not much different from what uncle song did. she hesitated for a moment and sighed faintly. ¡°then, what do you think 1 should do?¡± madam zhang frowned and said, ¡°the pacifying heaven cult is using a honey trap. don¡¯t you know how to do it? you¡¯re still in a favorable position. can you not play with the pacifying heaven cult that¡¯s thousands of miles away?¡± ¡°i¡­ sigh¡­ 1 haven¡¯t known jingtang for long. it¡¯s really hard to make a decision on such a big matter¡­¡± mrs. zhang thought for a moment and said with a straight face, ¡°if you can¡¯t make the decision, 1¡¯11 make the decision for you. the eldest sister-in-law is like the mother. your brother and master are not around, so 1 should make the decision on your marriage. you didn¡¯t even eat such a good man when he brought himself to your mouth. if your master knew about this, he might kick his coffin lid open and give you a mouthful. ¡°if you miss ye jingtang, you will regret it for the rest of your life. i will decide for you on this matter. even if you regret it in the future, you can only scold me for poor matchmaking. at least the red flower pavilion will still be able to hold on. no matter what, it¡¯s better than him running away and the red flower pavilion ending. you will regret it for the rest of your life.¡± pei xiangjun blinked. ¡°1¡­ sigh, i¡¯ll find a chance to talk to jingtang about this¡­¡± while the two of them were chatting, a sound came from outside the door. they turned around and saw xiuhe running in through the door with the big bird in her arms. ¡°third lady, young master ye¡¯s bird suddenly flew over¡­¡± ¡°chirp chirp-¡± when the bird saw pei xiangjun, it flew to the windowsill and raised its wing to point outside. ¡°chirp!¡± pei xiangjun was a little confused. she stood up and held the bird as she asked, ¡°what are you doing? did something happen to jingtang?¡± ¡°chirp chirp chirp-¡± the bird flapped its wings and chirped, indicating: 1 just chased after the bandit and finally followed him to his lair. but when 1 returned, 1 found that tangtang had actually gotten off work first. i couldn¡¯t find him at home, so 1 went to jasper pavilion. 1 didn¡¯t find sister fat-headed dragon there either, so i could only look for you¡­ pei xiangjun didn¡¯t understand half a word, but she understood that something must have happened. she didn¡¯t dare to delay and went out with the bird. the bird was smart. it didn¡¯t bring pei xiangjun directly to the place where the murderer was hiding. instead, it went to the anti-crime division¡¯s office first. pei xiangjun made some inquiries and learned that ye jingtang had just fought with the murderer and had gone to imperial physician wang¡¯s residence. she really didn¡¯t expect that he would be able to fight from morning to night on his first day back. worried, she quickly rushed to literary virtue bridge. the breeze parted the clouds, revealing the silver moon and starlight. pei xiangjun hurried to the medical clinic and found the carriage of the prince of jing estate parked not far away. she hesitated a little. but jingtang might be seriously injured since the prince of jing had come. after much thought, pei xiangjun finally brought the bird to the entrance of the clinic. it wasn¡¯t too late. occasionally, members of the wealthy families of literary virtue bridge would come to seek medical treatment. the guards of the black office nearby didn¡¯t stop the woman when they saw her walking toward the clinic. pei xiangjun walked to the door. before she entered, she vaguely heard a sentence. ¡°¡­ pretend to know nothing. wait until he goes to get close to you, then reluctantly¡­¡± ? pei xiangjun recognized madam wang¡¯s voice and was a little puzzled. she stuck her head out to take a look. she saw madam wang standing at a corner of the medicine cabinets, talking to someone in a low voice. opposite madam wang was a cold and beautiful woman. her beautiful peach blossom eyes were rather eye-catching¡­ isn¡¯t she jingtang1 s¡­ no! isn¡¯t she the cult mistress of the pacifying heaven cult? pei xiangjun¡¯s expression froze for a moment, but she immediately regained her senses. there was a strange look in her eyes. the bird was very enthusiastic. it stuck its head out from the corner of the door and raised its wings. ¡°chirp-¡± there was silence inside and outside the clinic. madam wang turned around and was slightly surprised. ¡°miss pei, why are you here alone so late at night? is there an emergency at home?¡± luo ning¡¯s heart trembled when she suddenly bumped into third lady. she wanted to act like a gentle little wife, but she felt that something was wrong¡­ overnight, xiangjun¡¯s hair turned gray¡­ if i¡¯m his fiancee, then this female boss should be my love rival¡­ luo ning¡¯s heart raced. she put on a neither servile nor overbearing attitude and nodded. ¡°third lady, are you here to visit jingtang?¡± when pei xiangjun saw that the cult mistress didn¡¯t know her identity in the red flower pavilion, she immediately felt much more at ease. she walked into the hall with a dignified bearing, as if she was an elder coming to visit her nephew. ¡°miss ning¡¯er, you¡¯re here too. madam wang, jingtang is the young master of my family. 1 heard that something happened, so 1 came to visit¡­¡± mrs. wang really didn¡¯t know ye jingtang¡¯s family background. she said in surprise, ¡°is that so? i was wondering which family raised such a handsome man. so he¡¯s the young master of heavenly water bridge. young master ye is fine. the old master is performing acupuncture. you two chat first.¡± since miss ning¡¯er had met an in-law, madam wang naturally couldn¡¯t stand here and chat. she immediately left the hall of the medical clinic. pei xiangjun folded her hands at her waist and walked to luo ning unhurriedly, her eyes full of concern. ¡°miss ning¡¯er, why are you dressed like this? did you and jingtang go out to do something just now?¡± ¡°yes. um¡­ third lady, why are you here?¡± ¡°the bird flew over to find me, so i came here.¡± pei xiangjun was a little curious. she looked around the back of the clinic and asked, ¡°the prince of jing is also here. did you meet her just now?¡± ¡°hmm?¡± luo ning really didn¡¯t notice the princess was here. she went to the door to check and found the carriage of the prince of jing estate parked on the street. luo ning¡¯s current identity was love rivals with the princess! and her true identity was even more outrageous. one was the emperor¡¯s sister, and the other was the wife of a rebel leader. if they bumped into each other, it would be a fight to the death. for this reason, luo ning didn¡¯t dare to stay for long. she thought for a moment and said, ¡°i didn¡¯t see the princess. uhm¡­ jingtang is inside. he¡¯ll probably come out soon. i¡¯m a woman from jianghu, so i don¡¯t dare to disturb the princess. why don¡¯t 1 go back first while you wait here?¡± pei xiangjun knew that the cult mistress didn¡¯t dare to see the princess. although she really wanted to teach the cult mistress a lesson for poaching, she was afraid that her identity would be exposed and luo ning would settle scores with her. after thinking about it, she decided to forget it and said very understandingly, ¡°then, miss ning¡¯er, be careful on the way. hmm¡­ what is this?¡± pei xiangjun looked at the medicine box in luo ning¡¯s hand. ?! luo ning, who was about to run away, stiffened and pretended to be calm. ¡°it¡¯s the medicine madam wang prescribed for jingtang to recuperate his body¡­¡± pei xiangjun nodded in understanding and naturally reached out to take the medicine box. ¡°really? i¡¯ll give it to jingtang later.¡± luo ning held the small medicine box, not wanting to let go at all. unexpectedly, third lady was quite domineering. with a clean pull, she took away the medicine box. ¡°huh?¡± luo ning was shocked. she opened her mouth but didn¡¯t know what to say. pei xiangjun thought that the cult mistress was treating her as a love rival who was ¡®scrambling to serve her lover¡¯. a little unhappy, she put the medicine box into her sleeve and asked, ¡°miss ning¡¯er, is there anything else?¡± i¡¯m fine, but i¡¯m afraid something will happen to you¡­ luo ning¡¯s eyes widened. she felt very strange. she wanted to say that this was a medicine to liven things up, but if her love rival in front of her found out that she had asked madam wang to prescribe this medicine, she didn¡¯t know what pei xiangjun would think of her. luo ning hesitated again and again, but in the end, she didn¡¯t dare to explain. she only reminded tactfully, ¡°this medicine was prescribed by madam wang. i haven¡¯t asked about its usage and effects yet. uhm¡­ third lady, you must listen to the doctor¡¯s advice first. i¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± with that, luo ning quickly ran away. pei xiangjun felt that the cult mistress was a little strange, but she didn¡¯t take it to heart. she went to the back of the medical clinic and found madam wang, who was busy, and asked, ¡°madam wang, how should we use this medicine?¡± madam wang was packing up dried medicinal herbs when she turned around and saw the small medicine box in pei xiangjun¡¯s hand. she was slightly stunned. miss ning¡¯er is also foolish. how can she leave this kind of thing to someone else? isn¡¯t it aggrieving enough to have the prince of jing suppressing her? but after all, this was someone else¡¯s family matter, so madam wang couldn¡¯t say anything. she only explained softly, ¡°one pill at a time. it will take effect in half an hour.¡± ¡°oh¡­¡± Chapter 125 - Chapter 125: Soft in the Mouth, Straight into the Throat chapter 125: soft in the mouth, straight into the throat translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after imperial physician wang left, the main hall fell silent, leaving only a dim candle and the faint fragrance of medicine. drip- the blood seeping out of his fingertip had already returned to its normal bright red color. it would take a long time for another drop to drip. ye jingtang placed his arm on the armrest and leaned against the chair. he felt that this scene was familiar. it was like an iv drip in the hospital. the only difference was that there was a missing medicine bag beside the chair. just as he was letting his imagination run wild, footsteps came from outside the door. tread, tread¡­ he turned around and saw dumdum¡¯s glistening fat-headed dragon walking over with her attendant. her expression was calm and dignified, like she was a superior visiting her subordinate. ¡°your highness, why are you¡­¡± ¡°you don¡¯t have to get up.¡± dongfang liren raised her hand to dismiss her attendant and came closer. ¡°how is your injury?¡± while speaking, she bent down to size up ye jingtang¡¯s left hand. originally, this action was nothing, but ye jingtang was sitting on a big chair, and dongfang liren was very tall. as she stood beside him and bent down, the oppressive fat-headed dragon appeared in front of his eyes. the heaviness visible to the naked eye was within reach. ye jingtang couldn¡¯t stare at the fat-headed dragon and size it up, so he could only look away and gesture to the seat beside him. ¡°why is your highness here? did your highness see¡­¡± ¡°your beloved?¡± ye jingtang nodded. he was a little worried. dongfang liren stood up straight with a calm expression. ¡°yes, i saw her. i was afraid of disturbing your family member, so i didn¡¯t meet her. speaking of which, where did you abduct such a beautiful girl?¡± ¡°sigh, how could i abduct her? we met by chance and got together. tonight, i brought her out to handle the case. 1 didn¡¯t expect the murderer to be so cunning¡­¡± dongfang liren picked up a chair and sat upright in front of ye jingtang, her posture as if she were interrogating a suspect. ¡°since you went out to handle the case, why didn¡¯t you inform me? why did you bring your family member with you instead?¡± ye jingtang answered honestly, ¡°your highness has zero combat experience. if something really happened, i would have had to divert my attention to protect¡ª¡± thump! dongfang liren was infuriated by these frank words and patted the armrest. ¡°i have thousands of people under my command. i meant that i could have arranged people for you. do you think i¡¯d go out with you to investigate a case with my precious body?¡± ye jingtang smiled and said, ¡°i was just guessing. if we had really brought chief constables of the black office along and nothing had happened, wouldn¡¯t it have been embarrassing?¡± at this point, dongfang liren¡¯s eyes turned serious as she asked curiously, ¡°how did you guess that the government had a mole?¡± ye jingtang shook his head and said, ¡°i just wanted to study the palm print again at night. ning¡¯er was also curious, so we dressed up and went there together. who would have thought that we would coincidentally bump into the murderer ruining the corpse and destroying the evidence? since the murderer sneaked over so quickly, he must have a mole in the government and definitely didn¡¯t commit the crime alone.¡± dongfang liren nodded in understanding. ¡°i see¡­ but it¡¯s also very impressive. at least you did see that there was something wrong with the palm print, which was why the murderer appeared. did you see the face of the person who came?¡± ye jingtang recalled carefully. ¡°no. from his height, weapon, and posture, he¡¯s definitely the murderer. however, he wasn¡¯t present at bamboo street when we were handling the case. the murderer¡¯s martial arts skills aren¡¯t as good as mine, but he can¡¯t be underestimated. he knows northern liang¡¯s piercing blade and tu province¡¯s dragon qi sword. he has a red rope in his sleeve that can penetrate roof beams to allow him to move. he carries many hidden weapons and smoke pills on him, such as snow moth scale from northern yan¡­¡± dongfang liren listened quietly and frowned in thought. ¡°the fact that he knows so many martial arts from all over the world means it¡¯s likely the green bandits¡¯ doing again.¡± ¡°i got the bird to chase after him. it should be back soon. we can continue investigating later.¡± dongfang liren was really impressed by ye jingtang¡¯s meticulous plan. but when she saw the bowl of blood under ye jingtang¡¯s hand, she still said solemnly, ¡°regardless of whether this matter is solved or not, you will receive the greatest credit. let the chief constables of the black office handle the rest. rest well. they receive salaries from the government but couldn¡¯t find any clues for months. you haven¡¯t taken a single cent, but you¡¯re still working hard at night. really¡­¡± ye jingtang smiled and said, ¡°your highness is so good to me that your highness is even giving me the jade bone picture. it¡¯s only right for me to treat your highness¡¯s matters as my own.¡± dongfang liren blinked. she felt a little touched. ¡°it¡¯s good that you have the heart, but don¡¯t joke about your safety. 1 have many experts under my command. after a busy day, go back and accompany your beloved.¡± ye jingtang vaguely felt that there was a hint of jealousy in her words, but he couldn¡¯t point it out. he just nodded with a smile. the two of them chatted for a bit before there was another commotion outside the door. ¡°chirp chirp chirp-¡± the bird flapped its wings, flew in from the door, and landed on ye jingtang¡¯s shoulder, looking very angry! but seeing that ye jingtang seemed to be injured, it rubbed its head against his neck, probably to comfort him. seeing that blood no longer seeped out of his finger, ye jingtang pulled out the golden needle and placed it on the table. ¡°did you find him?¡± ¡°chirp.¡± the bird opened its beak and asked for a reward. dongfang liren had interacted with the bird a few times, so she could roughly understand bird language. she picked it up. ¡°bring me to find the murderer. if i catch him, i will give you a big gold birdcage.¡± ¡°chirp?!¡± when the bird heard the word birdcage, it jumped back onto ye jingtang¡¯s shoulder with a look that said: this bird doesn¡¯t know you. ye jingtang and dongfang liren walked out of the main hall together. they didn¡¯t find any traces of heroine luo. instead, they saw third lady in a light yellow summer dress standing at the corner of the corridor and looking around with a small medicine box in her hand. ¡°greetings, your highness.¡± ¡°miss pei, you¡¯re here too. hmm¡­ where is miss ning¡¯er?¡± dongfang liren looked around. ¡°miss ning¡¯er is thin-skinned. seeing that your highness was here, she excused herself and left first.¡± pei xiangjun looked at ye jingtang¡¯s complexion. seeing that there was nothing wrong, she said, ¡°since there isn¡¯t any problem with jingtang, i¡¯ll go back first¡­¡± dongfang liren hurriedly raised her hand. ¡°there¡¯s no need. ye jingtang, send miss pei back home. i still have something to do. i¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± with that, she picked up the bird from ye jingtang¡¯s shoulder and left with her attendant. with the departure of the princess and heroine luo, the wang family¡¯s medical clinic became quiet. after bidding farewell to madam wang, ye jingtang walked out of the clinic with third lady. as soon as the princess left, pei xiangjun¡¯s virtuous and dignified aura changed. she folded her hands at her waist and assumed the posture of a jealous elder, leaving ye jingtang with the back of her head. ¡°hmph~! you¡¯re really amazing. you didn¡¯t find it satisfying to beat up two people in the morning, so you ran out to fight someone at night¡­¡± walking behind her, ye jingtang sighed. ¡°i had no choice. in the morning, i helped you solve a problem with heavenly water bridge. at night, i worked for the black office to handle a cause. i have to take care of both sides. i¡¯m doing this so that the prince of jing will appreciate me and protect the red flower pavilion in the future.¡± pei xiangjun¡¯s footsteps slowed down a little, and she started walking shoulder to shoulder with him. ¡°you have to have priorities when doing things, right? if i ask you to help, i have to arrange for a few experts to follow you to prevent any mistakes. you¡¯re helping the government with a case. it¡¯s fine as long as you have the intention. why risk your life? are you sure you¡¯re not trying to please the princess?¡± ¡°how can you say that i¡¯m trying to please her? the prince of jing cares about me very much, and i feel guilty just doing these few things for her. alas¡­ the most difficult debt to repay in jianghu is the debt of favors. there is indeed some truth in this saying.¡± pei xiangjun grumbled sourly. seeing ye jingtang¡¯s helpless expression, she stopped talking and changed the topic. ¡°i¡¯ve sent people to pay attention today. second master cheng sent someone to iron buddha ridge. i¡¯m afraid that the glaring vajra will come for you in a few days. be careful.¡± ¡°of course i know that¡­¡± while speaking, the two of them arrived at the street. the carriage of the prince of jing estate had already left, leaving only an official¡¯s horse in the stable beside the medical clinic. pei xiangjun had come here in a hurry and didn¡¯t take a carriage. it was fine for the two of them to ride together, but it was obviously not convenient for pei xiangjun, who was wearing a dress. seeing this, ye jingtang wanted to look for mrs. zhang to borrow a carriage, but pei xiangjun went forward and moved the horse over. ¡°it¡¯s fine as long as we can go back. don¡¯t trouble anyone.¡± hearing this, ye jingtang gave up. he went forward and let third lady go up. then, like sun wukong, he led the horse toward heavenly water bridge. clack, clack.. the long white stone street was empty. there were only lights and green trees on both sides of the street. pei xiangjun was sitting sideways on the horse¡¯s back. seeing ye jingtang leading the horse so obediently, she felt a little embarrassed. ¡°why don¡¯t you come up too? no one will see you.¡± ¡°there¡¯s no one here, but there must be people on the street in front. it won¡¯t be good if people misunderstand you, third lady.¡± ¡°sigh¡­¡± pei xiangjun folded her hands at her waist and looked at ye jingtang¡¯s tall back. she couldn¡¯t help thinking of her sister-in-law¡¯s words and the internal and external troubles of the red flower pavilion. while she was thinking, she suddenly thought of the medicine box in her hand. she opened the medicine box and saw that there was a red soft cloth inside. there were four pits, and each of them had a medicinal pill emitting a medicinal fragrance. she could smell expensive medicinal herbs such as ginseng. it should be something to nourish the body. she raised her fingers and picked one out. ¡°jingtang, this is the medicine madam wang prescribed for you. come take it.¡± ye jingtang turned around and raised his hand to catch the pill, but third lady threw it directly. he could only open his mouth to catch it as if he was eating a peanut. it felt¡­ hmm¡­ it wasn¡¯t bitter.. it was soft in the mouth and went straight into the throat¡­ Chapter 126 - Chapter 126: Third Lady, You… (1) chapter 126: third lady, you¡­ (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios as the name suggested, literary virtue bridge and heavenly water bridge were both by the riverside in the capital. the difference was that one was upstream and the other was downstream. they were not close. ye jingtang led the horse and walked quickly through the bustling streets and quiet side streets. after walking for half an hour, they returned to the alley of the pei residence from the back streets of heavenly water bridge. pei xiangjun was sitting on the horse. because there were pedestrians on the roadside and she was a distance away from ye jingtang, it wasn¡¯t appropriate for them to chat about family matters. she had been thinking about disorderly things. when the horse stopped outside the double door with the signboard with the word ¡®pei¡¯ on it, pei xiangjun jumped off the horse and straightened her dress. ¡°jingtang, come in and sit. 1 have something to tell you.¡± ¡°uh¡­¡± ye jingtang felt that his chest and abdomen were a little hot. for some reason, he kept recalling the impact of dumdum¡¯s meatbail attack, heroine luo¡¯s shyness when she was enduring humiliation, third lady¡¯s bare shoulder when she was looking back¡­ hearing third lady¡¯s voice, ye jingtang came back to his senses and turned to look. ¡°what¡¯s the matter? why don¡¯t we talk here?¡± pei xiangjun was about to enter the residence when she stopped in her tracks and revealed a jealous gaze. ¡°eager to go back and accompany miss ning¡¯er?¡± yep. ye jingtang didn¡¯t know why, but he really wanted to hug heroine luo and chat. but when he saw third lady¡¯s resentful expression, he immediately suppressed his thoughts and walked up the steps. ¡°it¡¯s already night. if we go in, there might be people listening. let¡¯s chat here.¡± pei xiangjun thought about it and didn¡¯t insist. she folded her hands at her waist and looked at the alley in the distance, silently formulating her words. standing next to third lady, ye jingtang couldn¡¯t help glancing at the full curve behind her waist¡­ he recalled the feeling of holding it inadvertently before¡­ under the illumination of dim yellow lanterns, the full moon behind her waist was as round as the moon of the mid-autumn festival¡­ ye jingtang raised his hand¡­ smack! there was a crisp sound. pei xiangjun was deep in thought when she heard the sound of a slap behind her. she looked back blankly. ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± ye jingtang rubbed his face with his hands. his eyes were a little terrified as he pretended to be cold and looked around. ¡°uhh¡­ it¡¯s summer. there are mosquitoes.¡± ¡°why are you slapping yourself in the face when there are mosquitoes? seriously¡­¡± pei xiangjun looked around the door and didn¡¯t notice any buzzing sounds. suddenly, she noticed ye jingtang beside her. he turned around and looked at the couplet beside the door with bright eyes. ?? pei xiangjun followed his gaze, slightly confused. ¡°jingtang, what are you looking at?¡± 1 don¡¯t know either! ye jingtang didn¡¯t dare to look at the beautiful lady beside him, who could draw eyes with every three steps. he stared at the couplet thoughtfully. ¡°this handwriting is really extraordinary. it looks like it was written by a famous calligrapher¡­¡± ¡°i bought it for a few coins on the streets. what famous calligrapher?¡± ¡°is that so¡­ this beam looks a little old¡­¡± pei xiangjun looked at ye jingtang looking around and was a little puzzled. she shook her head and said, ¡°let¡¯s get down to business. 1 told your aunt today that you met a heroine from the pacifying heaven cult when you went out this time and that you really like her¡­¡± ¡°what did aunt say?¡± ye jingtang felt restless and flustered all over, so he sat down on the threshold. as a result, his eyes happened to be right in front of the roundness behind third lady¡¯s waist. ?! ye jingtang wanted to stand up, but he discovered that his sword was drawn, so he could no longer stand up¡­ pei xiangjun didn¡¯t notice ye jingtang¡¯s abnormality. she gently stroked her skirt and sat down beside him on the threshold. she propped her elbows on her knees and supported her chin. she looked at the swaying yellow lanterns under the eaves with a hint of helplessness between her brows. ¡°your aunt said that our pei family has treated you poorly. since you have someone you love, we can¡¯t force you to stay, but the pei family can¡¯t do without you. so she asked me to quickly find someone in the pavilion and promise her to you. sigh¡­ there are only a few girls in the azure dragon hall who are waiting to be married. tell me, who do you like?¡± at this point, pei xiangjun stole a glance at ye jingtang, wanting to figure out his intentions. but instead, she found him staring at her lips intently¡­ ?! pei xiangjun¡¯s almond-shaped eyes widened a little. she panicked and sat up straight. ¡°i am your¡­ don¡¯t let your thoughts wander.¡± ye jingtang wiped his face and fidgeted. ¡°no, no. third lady, how could i possibly want to do something with you in order to prove that i won¡¯t abandon the pei family¡­ this is unfair to you.¡± pei xiangjun blinked and hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°but your aunt¡¯s meaning is for me to¡­ let me keep you. what do you think 1 should do?¡± ¡°third lady, you should decide your marriage yourself. i¡­ i can do it¡­¡± ¡°you can do it?!¡± pei xiangjun¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°no, no, 1 mean¡­¡± ye jingtang felt a little light-headed. he kept saying whatever was on his mind. he suppressed his distracting thoughts and organized his thoughts. ¡°yes¡­ everyone loves beauty. i¡¯ve helped you, and you treat me very meticulously. there must be more than just ¡®chivalry¡¯ in my heart¡­ but i still hope that you can consider these things from your own perspective and not only think about external reasons such as the red flower pavilion. imagine if there was no red flower pavilion, aunt wasn¡¯t urging you, and you were just an ordinary girl, would you be so anxious and think about wronging yourself to keep me in the pei family?¡± these words finally hit the nail on the head. pei xiangjun hadn¡¯t known ye jingtang for long. she had a good impression of him, but because he didn¡¯t live in the pei residence, she hadn¡¯t had many opportunities to interact with him. they had only stayed together for a period of time when they were on the ship. ye jingtang¡¯s incomparable excellence indeed made her want to keep him by her side all the time, but her original intention was to help the red flower pavilion and the pei family. she couldn¡¯t tell at all if she really had any romantic feelings for him.. Chapter 127 - Chapter 127: Third Lady, You… (2) chapter 127: third lady, you¡­ (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios seeing that ye jingtang was so honest, pei xiangjun blinked, and a complicated look appeared in her eyes. she held her chin and looked at the swaying lanterns under the eaves. ¡°jingtang, i didn¡¯t misjudge you¡­ i know you won¡¯t abandon me, but the more it¡¯s like this, the more i feel like 1 owe you. it¡¯s like reaping without working¡­¡± ye jingtang knew that third lady was feeling uneasy and wanted to enlighten her, but all he could think of now was ¡®enlightenment¡¯! unable to organize his thoughts at all, he could only put his hands on his knees and look left and right. pei xiangjun had expressed her thoughts, and her heart was racing. but she found that ye jingtang was in a hurry to leave and felt a little resentful. ¡°are you so eager to go back to accompany miss ning¡¯er?¡± ¡°i¡­¡± ye jingtang wished he could hug third lady beside him and kiss her. this onset of lust was too sudden, and he gradually realized that something was wrong. he was definitely not such a lecherous person. the problem could only be with the medicine he had just taken¡­ medicine¡­ disbelief flashed across ye jingtang¡¯s eyes as he turned around. ¡°third lady, did you drug me?¡± ¡°huh??¡± pei xiangjun¡¯s resentful expression froze. ¡°i know you are doing this for the red flower pavilion, but how can you wrong yourself and do something so stupid? sigh, at this point, i¡­ bah! what nonsense am i thinking¡­¡± ?? pei xiangjun looked at ye jingtang¡¯s strange appearance with a baffled gaze. ¡°jingtang, calm down¡­ how did i drug you?¡± ye jingtang touched his face. ¡°it¡¯s the medicine just now. 1 feel¡­ uh¡­¡± only then did pei xiangjun realize that ye jingtang¡¯s face was a little red. she raised her hand and touched it with the back of her fingers. his face was hot, and his breathing was as fervent as an aroused bull. ?! pei xiangjun¡¯s eyes were full of shock. after recalling for a moment, she understood something and frowned. ¡°that demoness!¡± ¡°hmm?¡± ye jingtang turned around. ¡°what demoness? third lady, did the medicine you drugged me with come from the demoness?¡± ¡°what do you mean i drugged you? why would i drug you?¡± pei xiangjun was very serious as she took out the medicine box. ¡°this medicine was prescribed by that vixen from the pacifying heaven cult. i saw with my own eyes that she asked madam wang to prescribe this medicine. i said that 1 would give it to you, but her reaction was quite strange, and she refused to give it to me. no wonder¡­ so she had such intentions!¡± heroine luo?ye jingtang hurriedly shook his head. ¡°impossible.¡± pei xiangjun gritted her teeth and said, ¡°before i entered, 1 heard someone say with my own ears, ¡®pretend to know nothing. wait until he goes to get close to you, then reluctantly yield after resisting¡­¡¯ at the time, i didn¡¯t understand what she meant, but now i understand. she¡¯s playing hard to get. on the surface, she keeps you at arm¡¯s length, but then she secretly drugs you so that you can¡¯t help using force. this way, you¡¯re in the wrong, and she can continue to act cold and aloof, but you still have to coax her¡­¡± ye jingtang waved his hand and said, ¡°how is that possible? heroine luo is very pure. she¡¯s not such a woman.¡± ¡°you!¡± when pei xiangjin saw that ye jingtang still trusted the cult mistress so much at a time like this, her eyes were aggrieved and resentful, as if she was looking at a heartless person she no longer recognized. ¡°you mean i¡¯m lying to you? since you believe her, i¡¯m talking nonsense, right?¡± ?! seeing that the situation wasn¡¯t good, ye jingtang comforted her gently. ¡°no, there must be something hidden in this matter¡­ i¡¯ll go back and ask. 1¡¯11 explain to you tomorrow¡­¡± pei xiangjun hurriedly pulled ye jingtang back, her eyes filled with anger. ¡°you¡¯re not allowed to leave!¡± ye jingtang wanted to get up, but he found that it was inconvenient to stand. he sat down again. ¡°i¡¯m just going back to clarify the situation¡­¡± ¡°is there a need to ask? she clearly wants to drug you. you¡¯ve already taken the drug. won¡¯t you be at her mercy if you go back? with your current appearance, i¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll agree to whatever that vixen says¡­¡± pei xiangjun gritted her teeth and said righteously, ¡°i can¡¯t let you fall for it!¡± to be honest, ye jingtang hoped that heroine luo had deliberately drugged him so that when he returned, he could do something¡­ but looking at third lady¡¯s aggressive appearance, if he dared to leave today, she would dare to hang herself at the door. he could only raise his hands. ¡°alright, i¡¯ll go back after the medicine wears off. hmm¡­ third lady, do you have an antidote? i can¡¯t control my thoughts now. i¡¯m afraid i¡¯ll offend you later.¡± pei xiangjun looked around. ¡°why would 1 prepare such an antidote¡­ your eyes are clear. it doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯ve been drugged with an aphrodisiac. you¡­ you should be able to suppress it, right?¡± ye jingtang took a deep breath. his breathing was hot. ¡°third lady, if you enter the house, i can suppress it. if you sit here, i¡­¡± pei xiangjun understood what he meant. she was too sexy¡­ but what if i go into the house and you run away? how could that vixen from the pacifying heaven cult do such a thing? fortunately, i¡¯m smart and grabbed the medicine, preventing jingtang from falling into the trap¡­ but jingtang still ate it. won¡¯the feel uncomfortable all night for no reason¡­ pei xiangjun felt that it wasn¡¯t right to sit like this. her eyes darted around. ¡°how about¡­ you go find the prince of jing?¡± n ii ye jingtang felt that this was a good idea, but he immediately suppressed his distracting thoughts. this medicine is really powerful. how can i have such crooked thoughts¡­ the two of them fell silent. pei xiangjun¡¯s expression was really strange. before she could think of a way to deal with this situation, footsteps suddenly sounded at the entrance of the alley. the two of them turned around and saw a woman in blue clothes and a veiled hat appear at the entrance of the alley and look inside. ye jingtang was delighted. as if he had seen his savior, he hurriedly waved his hand. ¡°heroine¡ªwoo¡ª¡± pei xiangjun¡¯s expression darkened. she hurriedly covered ye jingtang¡¯s mouth and wanted to hide inside the door. she even whispered, ¡°why are you still shouting? are you stupid?¡± ye jingtang was dragged by third lady into the door. half of his body fell into her arms. pei xiangjun was in a hurry to hide from the cult mistress, so she didn¡¯t notice that something was wrong with his clothes¡­ ¡°all!¡± pei xiangjun trembled in shock and hurriedly let go of ye jingtang. she hugged her clothes with both hands, her face flushed red, her eyes filled with fear and shame. ye jingtang¡¯s mind was in a mess. he turned over and stood up. ¡°third lady, you know that it¡¯s really not my fault¡­ it¡¯s the medicine.¡± h ii pei xiangjun widened her almond-shaped eyes with a complicated expression. seeing that ye jingtang was about to leave, she gritted her teeth, went forward, hugged his arm, and pulled him through the door. ¡°you¡¯re not allowed to go with her. i¡¯m doing this for your own good. you can¡¯t fall into her trap!¡± what the¡­ ye jingtang¡¯s arm was clamped, and his legs were no longer listening to him. he said amiably, ¡°third lady, calm down. if you continue like this, i¡¯ll do something stupid.¡± pei xiangjun¡¯s gaze was resolute, and she probably meant: it¡¯s better to let you do stupid things in the red flower pavilion than to fall into the evil scheme of the pacifying heaven cult¡¯s demoness! pei xiangjun¡¯s face flushed red. she pulled ye jingtang into the house and wanted to close the door. ¡°get in!¡± ¡°third lady, calm down¡­¡± ye jingtang was still rational.. how could he dare to close the door and shut heroine luo outside? he could only block the door with his legs and wait to be dismembered by the two of them¡­ Chapter 128 - Chapter 128: No, You Came at Just the Right Time! chapter 128: no, you came at just the right time! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios it was already late at night. all the stores on heavenly water bridge were closed, and there were no longer any pedestrians. wearing a veiled hat, luo ning slowly walked through the street. every time she passed by an alley, she would look inside. after leaving the wang family¡¯s medical clinic, luo ning had returned to double osmanthus alley and didn¡¯t think too much about it. but as soon as she changed her clothes, she felt that something was wrong. that female boss clearly cared a lot about the little thief. the little thief had even written a poem with the line, ¡®overnight, xiangjun¡¯s hair turned gray¡¯, which showed that he had the female boss in his heart. after she gave the medicine prescribed by madam wang to the female boss and the female boss figured out the whole story, wouldn¡¯t she take advantage of the situation and eat the little thief? although she felt that her relationship with the little thief was as clear as water, they had basically done everything except the last step. although she hadn¡¯t decided yet if she should let the little thief take responsibility, from a rational point of view, she had to have some brains and guard against losses that she shouldn¡¯t suffer, right? it was indeed unreasonable for her to draw a clear line with the little thief and not let others eat him. but even if she didn¡¯t eat him, she shouldn¡¯t help pass the chopsticks and deliver a box of medicine if someone else wanted to eat him. wouldn¡¯t this be too stupid?! for this reason, luo ning ran back to the wang family¡¯s clinic. when the little thief came out, she planned to take him away. in the end, she found that the little thief had already left with the female boss. luo ning felt that something was wrong, so she asked for the address and went over. after searching for a while with her heart tight, she finally found the pei family alley. luo ning looked around and happened to see a man and woman sitting under two lanterns. the man was extraordinarily handsome, and the woman was stunningly beautiful. they were like a couple having a moonlight tryst. when luo ning saw this scene, she hurriedly turned around. an indescribable jealousy and anger arose in her heart! this little thief¡­ luo ning gritted her teeth. just as she was about to leave in a fit of anger, a voice suddenly came from the alley. ¡°heroine¡ªwoo¡ª¡± ¡°you¡¯re not allowed to go with her¡­¡± ?! luo ning¡¯s anger immediately rose! not allowed to go with me? in the eyes of this female boss, 1 should be ye jingtangs fiancee, right? seeing me coming over, aren¡¯t you afraid? you¡¯re even holding ye jingtang and not letting him leave. aren¡¯t you bullying me and riding on my face? luo ning clenched her fists tightly. she knew that she shouldn¡¯t run in because of this messy matter. but she, luo ning, was the dignified cult mistress of the pacifying heaven cult. if she endured this anger and allowed herself to be bullied by another woman, how could she survive in jianghu in the future?! luo ning took a deep breath, turned around, and quickly walked into the limestone alley. tread, tread, tread¡­ in just a few steps, luo ning arrived outside the pei residence¡¯s entrance, and words came to her ears. ¡°third lady, calm down¡­¡± ¡°why should i calm down? do you feel so sorry for that vixen? i¡¯m doing this for your own good¡­¡± ?! she looked up and saw the charming woman hugging her nominal fiance¡¯s arm and pulling him into the house with all her might. she even wanted to close the door! luo ning was shocked! she had seen a shrewish mistress before, but this was the first time she had seen such an arrogant woman in front of the wife! no matter how good-tempered luo ning was, her chest was about to explode from anger. ¡°ye jingtang!¡± her voice was loud and reverberating. it seemed that she was crying from anger. ye jingtang was stuck inside the doorway. hearing this, he hurriedly raised his hand. ¡°heroine luo, calm down¡­¡± when pei xiangjun saw that the cult mistress, who had plotted to drug jingtang, even dared to come knocking on her door, she wasn¡¯t afraid. ¡°why are you shouting, you vixen? aren¡¯t you afraid the neighbors will hear you make a fool of yourself?¡± luo ning originally wanted to settle things peacefully, but as soon as she heard this, how could she back down? she said coldly, ¡°so what if they hear it? i¡¯m his fiancee. you¡¯re stealing my man and still dare to be impudent in front of me? if you have the ability, shout, you shrew. let¡¯s see who¡¯s embarrassed!¡± ¡°huh?!¡± when pei xiangjun heard the word shrew, she was so angry that her willowy eyebrows bristled. i¡¯m just ye jingtangs martial aunt, and we have nothing to do with each other. you¡¯re xue baijin¡¯s officially wedded wife! as a married woman, you¡¯re using medicine to poach my person, but you still dare to come to my door and curse at me?! do you really think 1, third lady pei, am a pushover? pei xiangjun glared angrily and retorted, ¡°jingtang is the young master of my family. you haven¡¯t married into my family. do you still want to snatch a man from my pei family at night?¡± luo ning¡¯s temper was also quite bad. ¡°he¡¯s just getting paid to help your family. do you really think he¡¯s your family? isn¡¯t my relationship with him closer than yours, a boss unrelated to him?¡± pei xiangjun hadn¡¯t confirmed her relationship with ye jingtang. she knew that this day would come, but she didn¡¯t expect it to come so suddenly! ¡°since you two are in love, why are you giving him that kind of medicine, you vixen?¡± ? when luo ning heard this, she cowered¡­ but even in this situation, luo ning¡¯s mind was still working very quickly. ¡°he¡¯s my fiance. can¡¯t i buy medicine for him to liven things up? do you have to interfere in the matters in our boudoir? what right do you have to interfere?¡± these words rendered pei xiangjun speechless. pei xiangjun couldn¡¯t win the argument, but she couldn¡¯t let the drugged jingtang leave with this demoness of the pacifying heaven cult. she could only grit her teeth and say, ¡°jingtang will stay with me tonight. i¡¯ll accompany him. go back and wait!¡± huh?/the front of luo ning¡¯s clothes bulged, and her shoulders trembled with anger. she couldn¡¯t be bothered to curse anymore. she just took off her veiled hat and reached out to grab him by force. as the pavilion lord of the red flower pavilion, pei xiangjun was indeed afraid of the pacifying heaven cult master, but she wasn¡¯t afraid of the cult mistress who was famous for her beauty. seeing that this woman with a belly full of evil tricks dared to get physical, she didn¡¯t say anything and went forward to fight. just as the battle was about to start, a voice suddenly sounded from the middle. ¡°stop!¡± ye jingtang was caught in the middle. no one dared to interrupt, nor could they interrupt. although he had expected that he would be torn limb from limb for riding on three ships sooner or later, he didn¡¯t expect third lady¡¯s and heroine luo¡¯s ships to part ways first. they were all people of jianghu and had no hatred or enmity against each other. if they continued to argue like this, if the ships of the pacifying heaven cult and the red flower pavilion capsized, he was afraid that little jingtang would be split into two! ye jingtang stood in the middle of the door. he didn¡¯t even dare to tilt his hair. he raised his hand to try to stop the fight. ¡°we are all people of status. please speak nicely. it¡¯s bad for your health to be angry¡­¡± luo ning was already bullied to this extent. seeing that this little thief was still trying to smooth things over instead of speaking up for her, her eyes were a little aggrieved as she said angrily, ¡°ye jingtang! come out!¡± pei xiangjun hurriedly hugged ye jingtang¡¯s arm. ¡°you¡¯re not allowed to leave.¡± ?! do you two want me to die?! ye jingtang felt helpless, and his face darkened. ¡°let me make this clear first. i¡¯ve taken the medicine, and my brain isn¡¯t working properly. you two want to fight, right? alright, i¡¯ll do as you wish¡­¡± ye jingtang hugged third lady¡¯s waist and picked her up. then he went to the door and put his arm around heroine luo¡¯s waist. carrying them in one arm each, he strode into the house. ¡°it¡¯s good that you¡¯re here. a twofer with one cannon¡­¡± ?! the two quarreling women instantly fell silent! luo ning¡¯s eyes were full of horror. she even forgot to struggle and glared at the little thief with a lewd look on his face. ¡°little thief, what are you doing?¡± ye jingtang tilted his head and kissed heroine luo¡¯s face. ¡°what am 1 doing? what do you think i¡¯m doing? the two of you worked together to drug me. now i¡¯m going to take the antidote¡­¡± pei xiangjun was stunned when ye jingtang hugged her waist and carried her away. only now did she come back to her senses. her face turned red as she struggled. ¡°jingtang! you¡¯ve been drugged. don¡¯t go crazy! i¡­ ah!¡± ye jingtang leaned over to kiss third lady, but third lady reacted quickly. she hurriedly leaned back and covered ye jingtang¡¯s mouth. she turned her head to hide the fear in her eyes like a wife being forced. ¡°jingtang, are you serious?! you¡­ you¡¯ve been drugged. don¡¯t go crazy¡­ there are maidservants in the residence. don¡¯t let anyone see you¡­ vixen, quickly take him away!¡± luo ning was originally extremely angry, but at this moment, she was confused. seeing ye jingtang seemed to be drugged and couldn¡¯t suppress it anymore, she didn¡¯t dare to bring this man back to harm her. she hurriedly said, ¡°didn¡¯t you tell him to stay with you? i¡­ i¡¯ll let him!¡± while speaking, luo ning struggled with all her might, jumped down from ye jingtang¡¯s arm, turned around, and ran away. tread, tread, tread¡­ ?! pei xiangjun was still being carried. seeing that the maidservants were about to run out, she hurriedly broke free from ye jingtang¡¯s arm around her waist and pushed him out. ¡°go harm her! i won¡¯t be angry! she said she would liven things up with you. don¡¯t fall for her trap.¡± with that, she forcefully pushed ye jingtang out of the pei family¡¯s doors, closed them, and even inserted the door bolt. click! ye jingtang was locked outside the door with a relieved expression, as if he had just walked through the gates of hell! then he pretended to be anxious and chased toward the alley. ¡°heroine luo¡­ heroine luo¡­?¡± pei xiangjun¡¯s back was against the door. her face was as red as blood, and her eyes were so complicated that half a book could be written! it wasn¡¯t until ye jingtang had walked far away that she stomped her embroidered shoes hard.. her meaning was probably: how dare this coquettish vixen scold me? i¡¯m not done with you¡­ Chapter 129 - Chapter 129: I’ll Eat It for You to See! chapter 129: i¡¯ll eat it for you to see! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios tap, tap, tap¡­ the silver moon hung in the sky above the capital. the long street was silent except for a beautiful figure in blue clothes running down the street as if she was being chased by a rapist. after running out of heavenly water bridge, luo ning slowed down and looked back at the empty alley. the little thief didn¡¯t follow me out. he was probably dragged into the house by that woman¡­ the little thief was drugged. he definitely won¡¯t be able to withstand it and will be eaten up by that woman¡­ but if i go back and continue to snatch him, the little thief will definitely harm me¡­ it¡¯s better to leave first. in any case, the little thief can¡¯t help it. its not impossible to forgive him¡­ i shouldn¡¯t throw myself into trouble¡­ luo ning looked back at the entrance of the street for a moment. then she gritted her teeth and turned to leave. but as soon as she turned into the alley, she bumped into a warm embrace. plop! ¡°all!¡± luo ning was startled. she quickly moved a few steps away and held the soft sword at her waist. in the dark alley stood a valiant man. he opened his arms and walked toward her. ¡°heroine luo, don¡¯t be agitated. it¡¯s me¡­¡± clang! luo ning wasn¡¯t agitated at first, but when she heard this familiar voice, her shoulders trembled violently. she pulled out her sword as if she had seen a fiend and pointed at the little thief like an innocent heroine meeting a rapist. ¡°you¡­ don¡¯t come over!¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t care about the sword inches away from him. he walked forward until the tip of the sword touched his chest. ?! luo ning looked at the little thief¡¯s burning eyes, and her eyelashes trembled slightly. she was clearly panicked, but she didn¡¯t dare to really stab him. so she could only retreat step by step until her back was against the wall of the alley. ¡°little thief! wake up! you¡ªah!¡± as soon as the sword tip was moved away, ye jingtang took a step forward, raised his arms, and hugged heroine luo¡¯s waist. he pulled her into his arms and gently rubbed her earlobe. ¡°phew¡­¡± ¡°you!¡± luo ning tilted her head forcefully and felt her waist being squeezed. her eyes were full of shame and anger as she hurriedly pushed away the hands messing around. ¡°little thief! behave yourself. this isn¡¯t an aphrodisiac. it won¡¯t mess up your mind. you¡¯re doing it on purpose, right?!¡± ye jingtang was indeed doing it on purpose, but it was also due to the medicine. he hugged heroine luo tightly and refused to let go. ¡°heroine luo, why did you drug me? do you want it but don¡¯t dare to say it?¡± ? luo ning felt her entire body go numb from the man¡¯s hot breath. she twisted her shoulders forcefully. ¡°who drugged you? it¡¯s madam wang. she said that you have too much internal heat and need to have intercourse to recuperate¡­¡± ye jingtang was stunned. he smelled the faint fragrance in her hair. ¡°then, heroine luo bought me medicine and prepared to help me recuperate?¡± tightly wrapped by his arms, luo ning explained angrily, ¡°in your dreams. i pretended to be your fiancee, so mrs. wang misunderstood. 1 said that you were a modest gentleman and would never be rude to me because of those things, so she prescribed a box of medicine¡­ i misjudged you!¡± ye jingtang blinked. ¡°then, you took the medicine but were too embarrassed to use it, so you gave it to third lady?¡± luo ning¡¯s eyes turned slightly cold. ¡°what do you mean 1 gave it to her? she suddenly ran over and snatched it without saying a word. i couldn¡¯t explain it to her¡­¡± ¡°then, why did you come over to drag me back? were you jealous?¡± luo ning didn¡¯t know how to answer this question. she hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°i haven¡¯t decided whether i want you to take responsibility yet. you harassed me first, so you have to make amends¡­ shouldn¡¯t i come over and drag you away? could it be that 1 should let you fool around outside before i¡¯ve thought about it? ¡­ don¡¯t kiss my ear!¡± ¡°sigh¡­ i can¡¯t help it¡­¡± ye jingtang relaxed his hug slightly and said seriously, ¡°i¡¯ve always been trustworthy. i was drugged by a freak combination of factors. there¡¯s nothing i can do about it. i¡¯ll just kiss you¡­¡± luo ning¡¯s face flushed red as she said angrily, ¡°little thief! don¡¯t find an excuse. you¡¯re just using ¡®wine to boost your courage¡¯. madam wang said that this medicine won¡¯t affect your mind. if 1 regret it and refuse, you can completely restrain yourself¡­¡± ye jingtang whispered into her ear, ¡°do you believe that? you¡¯ve already drugged me, which means that you already have thoughts. even if i have a mental lapse, i will go with the flow. madam wang just said that because she was afraid that you wouldn¡¯t be able to let go¡­¡± luo ning struggled, but she couldn¡¯t break free. the shame and anger in her eyes slowly turned into helplessness, and her beautiful peach blossom eyes became misty. ¡°ye jingtang, don¡¯t find excuses to deceive me! madam wang said that it won¡¯t affect your mind. it¡¯s obvious that you have ulterior motives. if you really cared about my opinion, wouldn¡¯t you be able to hold back?¡± hearing this, ye jingtang relaxed slightly and looked straight into her eyes. ¡°this is a fierce medicine. how can i bear it? my mind is tenacious, but will i not die if i eat poison?¡± luo ning glared at him. ¡°as long as you¡¯re mentally resilient and don¡¯t think about those things, you¡¯ll definitely be able to stay calm!¡± ye jingtang thought for a moment, took out the medicine box from his pocket, and took out a pill. ¡°open your mouth!¡± ?? luo ning was a little confused. ¡°what do you want to do?¡± ye jingtang moved the pill into luo ning¡¯s mouth. ¡°since you said that i can bear it, try it yourself. we¡¯ll both take it and stand here. whoever moves will be a puppy. how about it?¡± luo ning felt that this method sounded fair, but when she thought about it carefully, it was all a trap. she hurriedly covered her mouth and looked vigilant. ¡°i wasn¡¯t the one who fed you the medicine. third lady pei gave it to you. why should i try it with you?¡± ye jingtang agreed and nodded slightly. ¡°heroine luo, you really can¡¯t be blamed for this. third lady didn¡¯t know either. i¡­ i¡¯ll go to the prince of jing¡­ i have to solve this matter¡­¡± when luo ning heard that he was going to look for the princess, she instinctively raised her hand and pulled his sleeve. ye jingtang stopped. seeing that heroine luo wanted to say something but hesitated, he changed his words. ¡°then, should 1 go to the dragon cry pavilion?¡± luo ning stopped ye jingtang, who seemed to have already lost his mind, and said solemnly, ¡°the women in that place aren¡¯t clean. you¡­ you have to keep yourself clean.¡± ye jingtang felt rather helpless. ¡°heroine luo, you dragged me out of third lady¡¯s place and won¡¯t let me find the princess nor go to a brothel. you know that i can¡¯t help it, but you don¡¯t dare to take the medicine either. instead, you¡¯re making me stand here and resist. are you trying to kill me?¡± luo ning stood by the wall and looked at the man speaking eloquently in front of her. she couldn¡¯t retort, so she gritted her teeth, snatched the medicine box away, and said in a determined voice, ¡°alright, i¡¯ll eat it. if i can¡¯t bear it, i won¡¯t blame you for whatever you do to me. if i can bear it, i¡¯ll castrate you¡­¡± then she took out a pill to throw into her mouth. ye jingtang hurriedly raised his hand to stop her. ¡°alright, stop fooling around. you definitely won¡¯t be able to bear it.¡± ?! luo ning didn¡¯t believe it. she struggled with all her might to swallow the medicine and endure it for ye jingtang to see. when ye jingtang saw this stubborn look that had refused to suffer a loss, he felt helpless. ¡°if you eat here, what if you can¡¯t bear it and the two of us put on a show on the street?¡± luo ning thought about it and agreed. she held the pill and deliberated for a moment. ¡°yunli is at home. let¡¯s go to an inn and get a room¡­¡± ye jingtang spread his hands slightly. ¡°if you can bear it, why are you afraid of yunli? you know that you won¡¯t be able to endure it, so don¡¯t take the medicine rashly. otherwise, when you wake up tomorrow, you¡¯ll regret it and say that 1 set a trap or something.¡± luo ning fell silent for a moment before turning around and walking toward dye workshop street. ¡°do you think i have bad thoughts like you? i¡¯ll go back and take it for you to see. even if it¡¯s really an aphrodisiac, as long as 1 don¡¯t have any evil thoughts, 1 can suppress it¡­¡± ye jingtang shook his head and sighed. he stopped trying to persuade her and followed the angry sister little watermelons home. ¡°okay, but let¡¯s make things clear first. if anything really happens, heroine luo, don¡¯t blame me tomorrow.¡± ¡°hmph!¡± heavenly water bridge was about three kilometers away from dye workshop street. it wasn¡¯t too far. it was already around midnight. the afterglow of the sea of lanterns could still be seen in the center of the city, but the current block had already become empty. other than the clear and silent moon, there was only a night watchman occasionally carrying a lantern back and forth. the two of them walked side by side. under the drive of the fierce medicine, ye jingtang¡¯s footsteps naturally became faster and faster. luo ning, on the other hand, lacked confidence. her footsteps became slower and slower. she went from walking in front to following behind. she pursed her lips, and her cold face had a hint of hesitation. she looked like she wanted to go back on her word, but she couldn¡¯t speak. the two of them walked in silence. before they reached dye workshop street, an eagle¡¯s cry suddenly sounded in the distant night sky. shreech!¡± the sound was shocking and alarming. it was late at night and under the clouds, so probably half of the capital could hear it. luo ning was walking with her imagination running wild when the little thief in front of her stopped in his tracks, causing her almost to bump into his back. she was puzzled. ¡°what are you doing?¡± ¡°it¡¯s the bird.¡± ye jingtang looked at the night sky, and his eyes regained focus. based on his many years of experience, the cry should be expressing: you idiots, you¡¯re infuriating this bird. this way, this way, this way¡­! ye jingtang frowned and turned around. ¡°it¡¯s the bird. it¡¯s very anxious. i¡¯ll go over and take a look.¡± luo ning blinked and suddenly remembered madam wang¡¯s instructions. she felt a little anxious and followed beside him. ¡°you took that medicine. you¡­¡± ye jingtang¡¯s lecherous expression returned to calm. ¡°i was just joking with you. there¡¯s really nothing wrong with my mind. it¡¯s just that i¡¯m flustered all over and have endless energy. i just want to find someone to vent¡­¡± ?! hearing these excessive words, luo ning was extremely angry and grabbed ye jingtang¡¯s wrist. ¡°what nonsense are you saying? come back with me¡­ i¡­ i¡¯ll think of a way for you, okay? i¡¯ll help you suppress the effects of the medicine first. what if something happens to you¡­¡± before she could finish speaking, another sound came from the sky. shreech!¡± this time, the sound was a little closer¡­ Chapter 130 - Chapter 130: The Wolf on East Center Street chapter 130: the wolf on east center street translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the clear light of the cold moon shone on the streets and alleys, and the loud cry of an eagle echoed in the night sky. ye jingtang jumped onto a house and looked up at the source of the sound. a few figures were rising and falling in the air above the street at the end of his vision, flying toward the east city wall. there were no pursuers from the black office behind them. luo ning landed in front of ye jingtang and pulled his arm. ¡°don¡¯t mess around. your mind isn¡¯t working well now¡­ come home with me! i¡¯ll think of a way to help you first¡­¡± ¡°i¡¯m really fine. the chief constables of the black office don¡¯t understand the bird¡¯s signal. they definitely couldn¡¯t find the direction and just started running without stopping.¡± luo ning saw ye jingtang¡¯s focused expression. his heart was indeed as calm as water. her heart was in turmoil, but she couldn¡¯t stop him anymore. she gritted her teeth and followed him while pulling out the sword at her waist. swish! the three-foot-long blade was unsheathed, bringing with it a cold glint under the moonlight. ye jingtang landed on the side of a street. after observing where the figures were heading, he picked up the long rod supporting the rain canopy outside a shop. his footsteps were silent as he cut toward the path of the figures at a hidden angle. afraid that something would go wrong with ye jingtang, luo ning ran forward with her sword. on the way, she passed through a street interaction and looked at her surroundings cautiously. there were a total of three people speeding forward on top of the houses. at the front was a burly man holding a podao and carrying a man on his back. the man lying on his back was holding a straight saber in his hand. although his face was covered by a black scarf, from his size and weapon, he was the murderer they had encountered in the morgue today. walking at the back was a man in a scholarly robe. he was holding a short weapon wrapped in yellow cloth in his hand. he rose and fell silently. from time to time, he would stop and look back carefully before looking at the sky. luo ning reminded in a low voice, ¡°the man at the back is extraordinary. don¡¯t be careless.¡± ¡°then, let¡¯s kill him first.¡± carrying the long rod, ye jingtang quickly arrived at east center street and stopped outside a two-story cloth store. east center street was a main street of the capital. it was 30 meters wide. including the walkways on both sides, there was a distance of 40 meters between the buildings on both sides. ordinary martial artists couldn¡¯t fly over it at all. anyone who came here would definitely land here. ye jingtang took a deep breath and suppressed the restless qi and blood in his body. his eyes turned sharp. he held the seven-foot-long rod horizontally on the steps of the cloth store and stepped forward while listening attentively to the movements behind him. luo ning hesitated for a moment, but she still suppressed her emotions. holding the three-foot-long sword in her hand, her figure was like a blue snake as she circled a pillar outside the cloth store and swam up silently. she hung on the eaves and made no more sound. tread, tread, tread¡­ but in the blink of an eye, footsteps had already arrived above the cloth store. whoosh! under the silver moon, the burly figure with the man on his back rushed over the eaves first, smashing into the middle of the street like a bull. boom! then he rushed toward the opposite side of the street! ye jingtang held the rod with both hands and didn¡¯t move at all like a statue. when the light sound of stepping on tiles sounded, his eyes narrowed, and his legs trembled violently! crack! the stone bricks under his feet immediately cracked as ye jingtang soared into the sky like an eagle, instantly jumping more than twenty feet and arriving under the eaves. ¡°haa!¡± the loud shout tore through the long street under the moon! the seven-foot-long rod in ye jingtang¡¯s hand collapsed into a semicircle outside the window on the second floor of the cloth store and swept under the eaves! boom! the entire cornice immediately exploded, turning into shattered wood and debris flying into the sky, almost overturning half of the roof of the cloth store. the long rod carried the vast power of the sea as it smashed toward the figure passing by above. logically speaking, with the obstruction in vision, it should be very difficult to defend against this strike. but the figure above the cloth store was clearly not mediocre. the middle-aged man in the scholarly robe on the roof had just jumped up when he heard the sound of rushing wind. his expression changed drastically, and he moved the long yellow cloth in his hand to block his side. then there was a crisp ding. the yellow cloth wrapped around the weapon exploded, revealing a long black bar mace. the middle-aged man in the air was like a baseball that had been struck with immense force. his body flew horizontally in the air and crossed over the eaves of the cloth store! swish! suddenly, a shrill sword cry tore through the night sky! the woman in blue clothes hanging on the eaves unleashed her full strength. the three-foot-long sword in her hand stabbed up quickly, piercing through the eaves and stabbing straight at the foot of the middle-aged man. boom! with a flash of sword light, the eaves of the cloth store shattered again. although the middle-aged man was extremely skilled, in the face of the sudden ambush, the sword edge still cut a bloody gash on his right leg. his entire body fell out of the air and crashed toward the yellow dirt street. ye jingtang knew that this person was an expert. while this man was still in the air, he stepped heavily on a pillar of the cloth store and broke through the night sky. with the rod in one hand, he used the ¡®yellow dragon crouching¡¯ and whipped at the middle-aged man. ¡°watch out!¡± it was only now that a reminder came from the murderer lying on the burly man¡¯s back. the middle-aged man fell to the ground, his right leg drawing a line of blood in the air. seeing ye jingtang pressing down with terrifying momentum, he quickly raised the bar mace. bam! a thunderous explosion rang out on the long street! when ye jingtang¡¯s rod struck down, the dust on the street immediately parted to the left and right, creating a vacuum zone more than ten feet wide. the dust and soil were swept up by the air wave again, turning into a yellow dragon pressing down on the middle-aged man who had yet to land. this attack had once smashed ¡®seven-foot spear¡¯ lu ruan into pieces. but the middle-aged man was far more powerful than chen ming. the bar mace blocked the full-strength strike, but his arms didn¡¯t even bend half an inch by the massive force. but no matter what kind of god or demon someone was, how could they offset the strength of the dragon form on the long rod when they had no foothold in the air? boom! with the swing of the rod, the middle-aged man, who had yet to touch the ground, turned into a cannonball carrying sand and dust and flew more than 100 feet away. ye jingtang¡¯s qi and blood were restless. if he wasn¡¯t calm enough, there would definitely be disadvantages. but in combat, being violent, fanatical, excited, and bloodthirsty was not a negative state most of the time. after striking with the rod, ye jingtang threw it to luo ning and held the hilt of his saber in a reverse grip with his left hand. crack! the cold moon was like frost as saber light flashed on the long street! before the middle-aged man in the scholarly robe landed on the ground, ye jingtang had already drawn his saber and transformed into a violent dragon breaking through the sea. he strode across the distance of more than 100 feet on the long street in three large strides and slashed at the middle-aged man¡¯s waist. clang! sparks flew in all directions in the dust! the middle-aged man blocked the hornless dragon saber with the bar mace and flew backward again. ¡°haa!¡± ye jingtang sent the saber in his left hand into his right hand. with a forward slash, he exploded with all his might and caught up to the middle-aged man. clang! another slash! the middle-aged man finally hit the ground. on the long yellow dirt street, he plowed a groove more than a foot deep. before he could get on his feet, ye jingtang spun and slashed above his head. clang! boom! the street behind the middle-aged man exploded, revealing a pit. ye jingtang landed. he held his saber with both hands over his head and slashed down flagrantly. ¡°haa!¡± amidst the loud sound of the two weapons colliding, the pit on the ground instantly sank. the middle-aged man¡¯s arms were like giant pillars holding up the sky and didn¡¯t move at all, but he let out a muffled groan from the immense force. he gritted his teeth and held the mace in his right hand as he slapped the ground with his left hand and pushed himself up. ¡°haa¡ª! the angry roar was like a thunderclap in the night! ye jingtang¡¯s qi and blood surged, and his muscles bulged. the fabric on his upper body and legs instantly burst, revealing the silver soft armor and taut muscles on his legs. after exploding with so much force, dark red lines appeared on his arms. his muscles were obviously strained, but the saber in his hand was only fast and not slow. the moment the middle-aged man stood up, the long saber slashed upward diagonally toward his waist and abdomen. boom! the two weapons collided, and the yellow dirt was immediately swept away by the air wave, forming a ring-shaped fog belt. the middle-aged man, who had just landed on one foot, held the bar mace horizontally to block the saber, but this body couldn¡¯t stand still. like a cannonball, he flew diagonally upward, smashed through the wall of a restaurant, and then flew out of the roof into the air. boom! the middle-aged man coughed out a mouthful of blood in the air. he gritted his teeth, grabbed the auspicious beast on the roof with one hand, and pulled his body to the restaurant beside him. he stood on one foot as if he was nailed to the roof of the restaurant. whoosh! five saber and two spear moves were exchanged in an instant. at this moment, the shattered wood and debris filling the sky above the cloth store scattered on the street like raindrops. huff¡­ huff¡­¡± ye jingtang held his saber and panted like an ox. there was a hint of surprise in his eyes as he stared coldly at the figure on the restaurant. on the roof of the restaurant, the middle-aged man¡¯s right leg was bleeding profusely, and he could only stand on one foot, but his body was as stable as a pine tree. he held his bar mace in his right hand and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve. his eyes were cold and full of hatred. ¡°are you done?!¡± ye jingtang¡¯s five saber and two spear moves had sent the middle-aged man flying more than a hundred feet. the saber moves had been a combo, and luo ning couldn¡¯t catch up with him even though she had chased with all her might. at this moment, luo ning rushed forward and reminded him as if they were facing a great enemy, ¡°be careful, it¡¯s ¡®blue steel mace¡¯ xu bailin.¡± hearing this, ye jingtang was slightly stunned. although he had only been in jianghu for a short time, he had really heard of ¡®blue steel mace¡¯ xu bailin. like qiu tianhe, this person was a top figure in jianghu. his life goal was to defeat zhou chiyang and become one of the eight chiefs. he had once challenged zhou chiyang to a one-on-one battle. although he had been defeated with a single sword strike, zhou chiyang had accepted the challenge, which meant that this person¡¯s foundation was definitely not low. no wonder he can still stand¡­ ye jingtang was fearless even when he suddenly bumped into such a famous figure. he glanced at xu bailin¡¯s right leg, in which the muscle belly had been cut, and said arrogantly, ¡°i just finished the foreplay¡ªbah. i¡¯ve just warmed up.. how can you ask if i¡¯m done? if you have the guts, come down and return in kind!¡± Chapter 131 - Chapter 131: Return Home! chapter 131: return home! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios tread, tread, tread! the two of them stared at each other coldly. the man with the straight saber being carried on the burly man¡¯s back arrived at a distance and stopped on the street with his saber in his hand. his gaze was cautious and even a little frightened. the man¡¯s name was cao aning. his original identity was a eunuch in the imperial palace of great wei and a junior commander of the secret guards. however, after the great palace gate god, eunuch cao, lost his power along with the deposed emperor, he, a mysterious palace expert, became an exiled wanderer. cao aning had killed the low-ranking official from the ministry of works on bamboo street the other night. he had thought that there were no flaws, but he didn¡¯t expect a mole in the government to report that a ¡®ye jingtang¡¯ had suddenly appeared in the black office, saw through that he used a straight saber at a glance, and even sensed that there was something wrong with his palm technique. cao aning¡¯s wandering body palm had been taught by eunuch cao. he had thought that there was nothing wrong with it, but to be safe, he had still gone to the morgue at night to destroy the evidence. however, he didn¡¯t expect ye jingtang to be so meticulous that he could predict the future. he actually ambushed him in the morgue and waited for him to fall into the trap and severely injure him. if this were all, cao aning wouldn¡¯t be afraid. he would just think that he had been too careless and fallen into an expert¡¯s trap. but what cao aning couldn¡¯t figure out was that ye jingtang clearly didn¡¯t chase after him. he had also confirmed that there was no tail behind him. but after he escaped to the hiding place, a large number of black office constables came. after cao aning was surrounded, he immediately understood that ye jingtang had let him go cleanly because he knew that he couldn¡¯t escape. ye jingtang only treated him as prey after being injured and watched his every move in secret, waiting for him to return to his lair! after this battle, it was imaginable what ye jingtang¡¯s image in cao aning¡¯s perspective was. he could grasp the situation thoroughly and had incredible foresight. cao aning couldn¡¯t beat him in martial arts, and even if he wanted to escape, he couldn¡¯t get away from the black office and this living king of hell. no matter what he did, where he went, and how deeply he hid, he couldn¡¯t escape these eyes that saw through everything! at this moment, cao aning wasn¡¯t surprised at all that he had been ambushed by ye jingtang again. he hurriedly reminded, ¡°this kid is very astute and shrewd. don¡¯t be provoked by him. let¡¯s go!¡± no matter what, xu bailin was still a formidable figure in jianghu. he was furious that he had suddenly been severely injured by a sneak attack. but the heroes of the black office would be here soon. this kid was indeed not simple and wasn¡¯t so easy to deal with. he could only say angrily, ¡°i will remember this!¡± then he jumped to another building with one leg and flew toward the east city wall. ye jingtang wanted to catch bandits for dumdum, so he naturally couldn¡¯t let these bandits escape. he raised his saber and pointed it at xu bailin. ¡°a man doesn¡¯t leave an overnight grudge. with such courage, you still have the cheek to fight for a spot among the eight chiefs?¡± boom! as soon as he finished speaking, xu bailin, who had jumped out with one leg, stepped on the wall of the tall building and turned back. he held the blue steel mace in one hand, his eyes wide open like a glaring murderous god. ¡°die!¡± although ye jingtang was reckless, he wouldn¡¯t do something stupid like blocking a heavy bar mace head-on with his saber. he immediately retracted his saber, grabbed the long rod in luo ning¡¯s hand, and flashed under the eaves. boom! the blue steel mace smashed the stone lion outside the restaurant. the stone lion¡¯s head immediately exploded and shattered, sending gravel flying. ye jingtang seized the opponent¡¯s weakness of moving with one leg. he stopped at the main corridor pillar and violently swung the rod with both hands! smack! an explosion rang out. the tip of the rod swept across xu bailin¡¯s left leg. as soon as xu bailin landed on the ground, he was sent rolling horizontally. but before he fell, his left hand slapped the ground, and he bounced up. the long mace in his hand whipped toward ye jingtang again. crack! ye jingtang was behind the waist-thick red-painted pillar and raised his rod to block. but even so, under the heavy attack, the wooden rod in his hand was instantly broken, the pillar cracked, and even the roof beam swayed a few times. ¡°die!¡± xu bailin seemed really infuriated. after breaking ye jingtang¡¯s weapon with his mace, he raised his hand and stabbed the pillar. plop! the bar mace actually pierced through the waist-thick pillar, and the tip of the mace stabbed at ye jingtang¡¯s head. however, ye jingtang didn¡¯t use the pillar as a shield. he had already tilted his head to dodge. seeing that the bar mace had penetrated through the pillar, he immediately grabbed the bar mace with his hand and yanked with all his might. crack! the bar mace was inserted into the pillar until it stuck at the hand guard. the mace couldn¡¯t be used by those without strength. xu bailin didn¡¯t think much of it at first, but when he pulled hard, he realized that something was wrong. the mace seemed to have been welded to ye jingtang¡¯s hand. the strength was unbelievable, and he couldn¡¯t pull the mace out at all. ¡°haa! seeing that the situation wasn¡¯t right, xu bailin held the bar mace with both hands and pressed it to the side, instantly tearing apart half of the pillar. crack! the bar mace was out of the pillar, but ye jingtang was still holding it with both hands. at this moment, luo ning seized the opportunity to raise her sword and stab at the back of xu bailin¡¯s head. swoosh! xu bailin sensed that something was wrong. his robe immediately swelled and tore the seams. he erupted with all his strength, wanting to pull out the mace and sweep it at luo ning. but the young man in black in front of him was unbelievably strong. he pulled with all his might and pulled ye jingtang forward, but he couldn¡¯t pull the bar mace back. shock flashed in xu bailin¡¯s eyes. he had no choice but to let go of the bar mace. he turned around and clamped the sword blade between two fingers of his left hand. then he threw a punch with his right hand at luo ning¡¯s face. bam! wind erupted from the punch! but luo ning wasn¡¯t stupid. she was guarding against her opponent¡¯s ¡®returning horse mace¡¯. when she saw that her opponent was already retreating after exerting strength, she suddenly withdrew her sword and drew a bloody wound between xu bailin¡¯s fingers. after snatching the bar mace, ye jingtang immediately flipped it over and smashed it forward. luo ning raised her sword to intercept and lock xu bailin¡¯s position. xu bailin was unarmed. facing the combined attack of the two of them, he could only retreat. but at this moment, an angry shout came from behind. ¡°ah!¡± from the corner of his eye, he saw that the burly man in the distance had already rushed over with his podao. he rushed between luo ning and ye jingtang and slashed wildly with his saber while roaring, ¡°go!¡± clang! ye jingtang swung the bar mace at the podao and drew his saber with his left hand at the same time, opening a bloody wound on the burly man¡¯s chest. xu bailin knew that he had been careless. but his right leg was injured, and there was nothing he could do. under the cover of the burly man, he could only jump wildly on one leg on the street, catch the saber thrown by cao aning in the air, grab cao aning, who had no combat strength, with one hand, and fly toward the city wall. clang! clang! the commotion on the street continued, but the man with the podao was much weaker than xu bailin. ye jingtang flipped his saber in his left hand and held it straight. he held the bar mace in his right hand and struck violently in turn. in just a few moves, he broke the podao. several saber wounds appeared on the man¡¯s body. his eyes were like copper bells as he threw away the wooden handle, hugged ye jingtang¡¯s right arm, and pushed forward like a bull. ye jingtang raised his saber in his left hand and only needed one move to sever the man¡¯s spine. but for the sake of a confession, he finally hit the back of the man¡¯s neck with his elbow. boom! there was a muffled sound! the burly man knelt down and lay on the street. his movements stopped abruptly. ¡°huff¡­ huff¡­¡± ye jingtang carried the two weapons and chased after xu bailin for a few steps. luo ning reminded, ¡°be careful of xu bailin coming back to silence us.¡± hearing this, ye jingtang stopped and stood in front of the captive. he was panting like an ox, and his strong heartbeat could be heard from a few steps away. luo ning still had lingering fear, and her forehead was covered in sweat. she leaned her back against ye jingtang¡¯s back and carefully looked at the surroundings. ye jingtang waited for a moment. seeing that xu bailin didn¡¯t return to silence them, he threw away the bar mace and sheathed his saber. ¡°xu bailin is indeed something. he¡¯s so fierce with one leg. won¡¯t he take off with three legs?¡± ? luo ning blinked and felt that the effects of ye jingtang¡¯s medicine hadn¡¯t worn off yet. she turned around and looked at his bruised arms. ¡°be more serious! if your attack fails, quickly retreat. you even chased after him to slash¡­¡± ¡°didn¡¯t 1 chase him away? 1 even caught the criminal¡¯s accomplice. it¡¯s a great merit. at least i¡¯ll be worshiped by dumdum for half a day.¡± ¡°you!¡± luo ning didn¡¯t know who dumdum was. she thought that ye jingtang was spouting nonsense and said angrily, ¡°you fought earth-shatteringly from the beginning to the end and struck with all those weapons, but in the end, the only time he got hit was by me¡­¡± ¡°yes, yes, yes. heroine luo is the best¡­ phew¡­¡± ye jingtang had unleashed his full strength and consumed a lot of energy. after saying a few words, he sat on some steps and wiped the sweat off his face. luo ning half-squatted in front of him and raised her hands to check his arms. because she had also exercised vigorously just now, her cheeks were flushed red, and her forehead was covered in fragrant sweat. her breath smelled like orchids, and the little watermelons under the clothes of her chest were undulating¡­ ye jingtang blinked and couldn¡¯t help moving toward her red lips. muacks- ?! luo ning¡¯s red lips were kissed, and she was instantly stunned on the spot. but this time, she didn¡¯t raise her sword to slash ye jingtang. instead, she leaned back a little and said coldly, ¡°little thief, are you heartless? i¡¯m checking your injuries!¡± ye jingtang raised his hand slightly. ¡°this medicine is really fierce. i can¡¯t suppress it after a fight. it¡¯s getting stronger and stronger. 1 feel like i can break the bed¡­¡± luo ning was really annoyed by these dirty words. ¡°you just said that you were joking with me and that there was nothing wrong with your mind¡­¡± ¡°i was prioritizing business. if 1 had said there was something wrong with my mind, would you have let me go block them?¡± luo ning frowned, and her eyes became serious. she was angry and anxious. ¡°in a fight between experts, a single thought is the difference between life and death. you clearly know that your body isn¡¯t right, but you still came here to fight and kill? what if something happened to you?¡± ¡°that¡¯s the way it is in jianghu. things won¡¯t come when you¡¯re fully prepared. i¡¯m just trying to make more contributions so that qiu tianhe can regain his freedom as soon as possible.¡± luo qinqi said, ¡°1 think you¡¯re working so hard because you want to claim credit with the princess!¡± h a twofer with one cannon¡ªbah. two birds with one stone. i can¡¯t keep a distance from the princess while trying to save someone¡­¡± while they were talking, a sound came from the sky. ¡°chirp chirp chirp-¡± the bird flew over the street like a white cannonball, then turned back. several figures followed closely behind and landed on the street. she long and shang jianli were in the lead. when she long saw the broken walls on the street and the burly man lying on the ground, his eyes were a little shocked. he turned around and saw ye jingtang. he quickly walked up to him. ¡°young master ye, you are too fierce¡­ are you alright?¡± ye jingtang waved his hand slightly. ¡°it¡¯s xu bailin. they went to the east city wall. this is their accomplice on the ground. hurry up and chase after them.¡± shang jianli and the others had important work to do. they cupped their hands and thanked him. one of them took the burly man who had fallen to the ground, and the rest chased after him toward the city wall. before she long left, he reminded, ¡°her highness the prince of jing is right behind us. seeing your bravery, her highness will definitely give you a lot of praise.¡± then he jumped onto a house and disappeared from the roof. ye jingtang turned around and looked at the street. ¡°the prince of jing is here too. she¡¯s just right in time to touch bah¡­¡± seeing that ye jingtang was gradually turning into a lecherous ghost, luo ning thought that this situation wasn¡¯t good. when the princess comes, she will definitely pull ye jingtang away. i won¡¯t dare to say anything¡­ then the princess will discover that ye jingtang is drugged and extremely hungry. naturally¡­ even if the little thief weren¡¯t drugged, he would definitely go with the flow¡­ i will probably have to wait outside the door¡­ luo ning¡¯s eyes flickered. after some deliberation, she grabbed ye jingtang¡¯s left arm and placed it on her shoulders. then she held him and walked toward dye workshop street. ¡°little thief, don¡¯t even think about taking advantage of the princess with the excuse of being drugged. i¡¯ll take the medicine for you to see later. i don¡¯t believe that this medicine can¡¯t be suppressed. if i find out that you used it as a pretext¡­ hand!¡± ye jingtang leaned against heroine luo and wanted to lean down. when he heard this, he realized that there was a little watermelon in his hand. he hurriedly let go, gently smoothed her clothes a few times, and said apologetically, ¡°sorry. right now, my boobs¡ªpfft¡­ brain¡­¡± luo ning looked askance at ye jingtang and pretended not to hear the dirty word.. she lowered her head and held him to return home¡­ Chapter 132 - Chapter 132: Heroine Luo, Are You Serious? chapter 132: heroine luo, are you serious? translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the moonlight shone on the potholed road of dye workshop street. there were no lights or fires around, and the cries of summer insects sounded in the deep alley. buzz, buzz! the man and woman who returned late at night walked along the path by the street. the woman was dressed in blue, and her black hair was coiled up behind her head in a beautiful bun. her dignified and cold temperament made her look like the moon goddess walking under the moon. the man¡¯s arm was on the woman¡¯s shoulders, and his sleeves were in tatters. as he walked, he touched her from time to time, and his eyes were wandering. he even wanted to kiss the woman¡¯s cheek. ¡°little thief, don¡¯t use the medicine as an excuse. if you move around again, don¡¯t blame me¡­¡± ¡°heroine luo, i really can¡¯t help it. i¡¯m already very well-behaved¡­ why don¡¯t i go see the prince of jing? otherwise, i¡¯ll die¡­¡± luo ning¡¯s face turned red. she supported ye jingtang forcefully and walked toward double osmanthus alley. seeing that there was no one around, she took out the medicine box and picked up a pill to throw into her mouth. but just as she raised her hand, ye jingtang stopped her. luo ning frowned slightly and said coldly, ¡°what¡¯s wrong? are you afraid of exposing yourself, so you don¡¯t dare to let me eat it?¡± ye jingtang held heroine luo¡¯s hand, looked at the cold face close to him, and said seriously, ¡°if you really can¡¯t withstand the effects of the medicine, taking it is equivalent to giving yourself away for nothing. it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t believe me, but 1 have to make things clear to you. if you¡¯re unwilling and take the medicine spitefully, if i don¡¯t stop you, won¡¯t i really become a shameless little thief who only craves your body?¡± luo ning looked at ye jingtang¡¯s eyes that were suddenly free of distracting thoughts. her chest rose and fell a few times before she slowly pulled her hand back and said through gritted teeth, ¡°do you think i¡¯m as weak-willed as you? if i can¡¯t withstand it, it means that you really don¡¯t have a choice. i¡¯m trying to find a way to suppress the medicine for you. it¡¯s an act of urgency. i won¡¯t blame you for what you did¡­ but if 1 can withstand it and find out that you¡¯re lying to me, i¡­¡± ye jingtang raised his hand slightly. ¡°i won¡¯t lie to you. heroine luo, you are so reasonable. what else can i say? if you dare to eat it, go ahead.¡± luo ning held the small pill in her hand and opened her red lips. but when she brought it to her mouth, she stopped. after hesitating for a long time, she made up her mind and opened her red lips to throw the pill into her mouth. her throat moved slightly as she swallowed. ?! ye jingtang blinked. ¡°heroine luo, are you serious?¡± luo ning¡¯s eyes were firm. ¡°i, luo ning, always keep my word. if i really can¡¯t suppress it, i¡¯ll reap what i sow.¡± ye jingtang sighed inwardly and understood heroine luo¡¯s intentions. he held her and walked forward. ¡°let¡¯s go find an inn.¡± luo ning pulled ye jingtang back and walked toward double osmanthus alley. ¡°you¡¯re up to no good. 1 can keep calm, so why don¡¯t 1 dare to go home?¡± ye jingtang¡¯s hands and feet were much more well-behaved. he persuaded gently, ¡°you are yunli¡¯s martial mistress. yunli is only fifteen. it¡¯s best if you can suppress the effects of the medicine. but if you can¡¯t, yunli will see me holding you as we walk¡­¡± ¡°don¡¯t talk nonsense. i¡¯ll stabilize my mind. if you dare to mess around again, 1 won¡¯t hold back.¡± ye jingtang let go of luo ning¡¯s shoulder and stood upright. he had a stern expression, and there was no evil thoughts in his cold eyes. ¡°okay. if i take the initiative to touch you again tonight, 1 will be a puppy. but to be on the safe side, let¡¯s go get a room and slowly compare our willpower. you have to have a backup plan for everything, don¡¯t you think so?¡± luo ning pursed her lips and didn¡¯t say anything. she dragged ye jingtang back to the small courtyard where they met for the first time. the horse was still at third lady¡¯s house. other than the flowers and plants in the courtyard and the dried fish and garlic hanging by the kitchen window, there was nothing else in the courtyard. it was clean and tidy. luo ning entered the courtyard silently and looked around quickly. she could see that the lights in the main room were off, and there was the sound of light breathing. luo ning signaled ye jingtang to wait in his room. then she entered the main room and searched for medicine. jingle, rumble¡ª on the bed in the main room, zhe yunli was sleeping with her saber in her arms. when she heard the noise, she opened her eyes and found her martial mistress carefully looking for something beside the cabinet. she propped up her upper body. ¡°martial mistress, you¡¯re back? i heard a commotion on east center street just now¡­¡± luo ning¡¯s eyes flickered as she pretended to be a dignified mother and sat beside the bed. ¡°it¡¯s your brother jingtang. he went to catch bandits. uhh¡­ he beat them too fiercely and injured his arms. i¡¯m getting some medicine for him.¡± zhe yunli blinked and sat up. ¡°martial mistress, why don¡¯t you rest? i¡¯ll go.¡± luo ning¡¯s face darkened, and she hurriedly held down zhe yunli, who was about to give herself away for free. ¡°sleep well!¡± seeing this, zhe yunli could only give up. just as she was about to lie down, she suddenly looked at luo ning¡¯s face in confusion. ¡°martial mistress, why is your face red?¡± luo ning panicked. she remembered the words ¡®you have to have a backup plan for everything¡¯ and said gently, ¡°i fought with xu bailin just now and exerted myself. um¡­ yunli, can¡¯t you sleep?¡± seeing that her master¡¯s wife wasn¡¯t injured, zhe yunli didn¡¯t think too much about it. ¡°i can¡¯t sleep. why don¡¯t¡­¡± tap, tap! there was a soft sound. zhe yunli¡¯s back was tapped twice, and she immediately swayed and fell back. ¡°martial mistress¡­ there¡¯s no need¡­ 1 just want to go out for a¡­ a walk¡­¡± before she could finish speaking, she collapsed onto the pillow. her breathing was stable, and she didn¡¯t move anymore. luo ning laid yunli down and pulled up the thin blanket to cover her. then she took the medicine box and walked out of the main room. ye jingtang lived in the west wing. he had already lit the candle in the side room, and the man¡¯s silhouette could be seen moving back and forth on the window paper. from the looks of it, he was making the bed¡­ ?! luo ning¡¯s eyes were slightly cold as she slowly walked over and arrived at the door of the west wing. ¡°yunli just fell asleep. you¡¯d better behave yourself.¡± ye jingtang¡¯s room was not big. there was a wooden bed by the window and a cabinet by the wall. there was no table or chairs in the room. there were only two books on the windowsill and a small wooden donkey and tortoise ornament bought for the bird. it was very clean and tidy. the candle lamp was on the cabinet, emitting a faint yellow light that illuminated the room. ye jingtang¡¯s expression was cold and calm. after smoothing the bedsheets, he sat down on the edge of the bed and turned to look at the door. then he was slightly stunned. luo ning stood tall and slender in front of the door. her exquisite and tall figure, coupled with her cold and peerless face, made her look graceful and charming under the dim yellow light. her soul-stirring eyes reflected the light in the room. her cheeks were slightly red, and her hands were folded at her waist, holding a small medicine box. this scene was beautiful, but why did it look like a ¡®private massage¡¯¡­ ye jingtang felt rather strange and said casually, ¡°don¡¯t be nervous. it¡¯s my first time too¡­ pfft¡­¡± luo ning was baffled. she entered the room and turned around to close the door. then she walked over gracefully and sat sideways with her butt resting on the edge of the bed, drawing a perfect arc. ¡°give me your hand. i¡¯ll treat your injuries.¡± ye jingtang sat upright and stretched out his right arm. he grabbed a book with his left hand and looked at it under the light of the lamp. luo ning¡¯s mind was very clear, but the aura in her body was unstable, and her eyes flickered. she didn¡¯t dare to look at ye jingtang¡¯s body. she only took out the jade dragon ointment, poured it into her palm, and gently smeared it on his bruised arm. after rubbing it a few times, she let go. ¡°do it yourself. do you really think you¡¯re a young master?¡± hearing this, ye jingtang handed the book to luo ning, took the jade dragon ointment, and applied it himself. ¡°heroine luo, you have an enemy. it¡¯s monk shenchen, right?¡± ¡°why are you asking?¡± ye jingtang said with a smile, ¡°give me a few years, and i¡¯ll definitely help you beat up that sanctimonious old bald donkey.¡± luo ning indeed had this thought in her heart, but her speech was very serious. ¡°why do you want to help me? after you save qiu tianhe, we¡¯ll be even.¡± ye jingtang rubbed his arm. ¡°we have fought many bloody battles together, so we can be considered life-and-death friends. i killed zhou huaili, and you could give me your token to save my life. since you have enmity with someone, shouldn¡¯t 1 be duty-bound to help you?¡± luo ning lowered her head to look at the book and harrumphed lightly. ¡°wait until you have the strength before you say such boastful words. even xue baijin can¡¯t do anything to monk shenchen. if¡­ if you really help me take revenge, you will be my benefactor¡­¡± at this point, luo ning felt a little uncomfortable. she raised her beautiful eyes and looked at the little thief, who looked normal. ¡°how are you feeling?¡± ye jingtang¡¯s eyes were clear as he raised his hand slightly. ¡°1 don¡¯t feel uncomfortable at all, and my mind is especially clear.¡± ? luo ning blinked, feeling that something was wrong. she wanted to say something, but she held it back and lowered her head to continue reading. ¡°it¡¯s good that you can suppress the effects of the medicine. hmm¡­ i was wrong to blame you earlier¡­¡± ye jingtang said solemnly, ¡°that¡¯s right! heroine luo, you led by example, and 1 had an epiphany. as long as my mind is firm, i can completely suppress this medicine. look at me. as long as i don¡¯t think too much, i¡¯m fine.¡± luo ning¡¯s face turned red, and her breathing was uneven. she pursed her lips and listened to his guidance. she didn¡¯t let her imagination run wild and read quietly. but the books that ye jingtang usually read were all¡­ no, no, no. demon, 1 hate you- girls love bad boys¡­ ?! luo ning¡¯s expression turned cold. she closed the book that messed with people¡¯s minds and forced herself to sit up straight. ¡°do you usually read these things?¡± ye jingtang nodded. ¡°they¡¯re just books to pass the time. if i don¡¯t read them, should i read military books and strategies to govern the country?¡± luo ning didn¡¯t look ye jingtang in the eye. her beautiful peach blossom eyes looked left and right and glanced at the saber leaning against the head of the bed. ¡°this saber of yours seems to be of good quality. did your foster father give it to you?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. this saber is my foster father¡¯s true love. logically speaking, it should have been buried with my foster father instead of left to me. it should be because his wish is still unfulfilled.¡± ¡°does this little wooden donkey have an explanation?¡± ¡°there¡¯s no explanation. it¡¯s purely because it¡¯s cheap.¡± ¡°where about this little turtle¡­?¡± ¡°there¡¯s kind of a reason. birds are descendants of the vermillion bird, and turtles are descendants of the black tortoises. 1 bought this for the bird¡­¡± luo ning listened quietly to the modest gentleman ye jingtang¡¯s stories. her eyes were wandering, and she didn¡¯t know what she was thinking. the last time she left the capital, she realized that she only had this old courtyard in double osmanthus alley in her heart. every night, when she dreamed about it, her mind would be full of this face in front of her and every time they touched each other. this feeling seeped deep into her bones. it was unforgettable. it was like the strongest wine and poison, making it difficult for her to control herself. at this moment, these memories surged into her mind one after another. luo ning knew that it must be the medicine and the environment that were stirring up her emotions. she tried her best to calm her mind. but even if she could suppress the effects of the medicine, how could she forget everything that had happened between them¡­? the little thief really didn¡¯t lie¡­ no wonder when 1 found him, he was sitting at the door with third lady pei and didn¡¯t enter the house¡­ he was probably afraid that if he entered the house, he wouldn¡¯t be able to restrain himself from offending third lady pei¡­ how did he resist until now¡­ Chapter 133 - Chapter 133: Heroine, Wait! chapter 133: heroine, wait! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the dim yellow light filled the plain room. the man and woman were sitting side by side on the edge of the bed. the man applied medicine to his wounds and whispered random stories. the woman stared fixedly at the man¡¯s handsome side profile, her eyes complicated. occasionally, her lips would move, but she hesitated to speak. after an unknown period of time, luo ning saw the bruises on his arms and couldn¡¯t help gently touching them with her fingers. ye jingtang paused and turned around. ¡°heroine luo?¡± luo ning sobered up a little. she blinked, retracted her hand, and regained her aloof expression. ¡°your foster father has such expectations for you, so you have to live well. there¡¯s something wrong with your body today, so you shouldn¡¯t have rashly gone. this medicine is really overbearing. 1 can stabilize my mind, but a little thief like you definitely won¡¯t be able to withstand it. i¡¯ve known you for a long time, and you¡¯ve taken advantage of me so many times¡­¡± ye jingtang raised his hand slightly with a serious expression. ¡°heroine luo, i can withstand it!¡± ¡°?!¡± luo ning closed her legs and arched her legs slightly under her skirt. she subconsciously rubbed the floor and gritted her teeth. ¡°what if your body suffocates? madam wang said that your yang qi is too strong and your body needs to recuperate¡­¡± ye jingtang was righteous and said seriously, ¡°heroine luo, i am young and energetic, and you¡¯re too beautiful. when i first saw you, i really couldn¡¯t control myself. but when you cried grievingly that time and ignored me for an entire day, 1 understood your personality. ¡°i, ye jingtang, am an indomitable man. how can 1 let a woman who doesn¡¯t like me make such a huge sacrifice to help me recuperate? this isn¡¯t worthy of the word ¡®chivalry¡¯. how can i establish myself in jianghu in the future¡­¡± ??? luo ning bit her lower lip lightly, her tears about to come out. she couldn¡¯t look at the righteous and heroic little thief, so she looked away and said in a low voice, ¡°little thief, is there something wrong with your brain? as the wife of the cult master of the pacifying heaven cult, i was molested by you and didn¡¯t punish you. when i saw that you had provoked the zhou family, i rushed hundreds of miles to give you a protective charm. i even followed you to the capital to help you do laundry and cook¡­¡± ye jingtang blinked and tilted his head to look at luo ning¡¯s face. ¡°isn¡¯t this so that i will help yunli save qiu tianhe?¡± luo ning gritted her teeth and looked at the man¡¯s teasing gaze. her expression was still aloof, but tears gradually appeared in her crystal clear peach blossom eyes. ¡°that¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s right. what else do you think it is?¡± drip- per tone was too heavy, causing a tear to roll out of her eye socket, slide down her fair face, and drip onto the back of ye jingtang¡¯s hand. luo ning raised her sleeve and wiped the corners of her eyes. she bit her lower lip and pretended to be angry as she glared at ye jingtang. ¡°i can withstand it. i¡¯m just afraid that you¡¯ll hurt your body. since you¡¯re trying to be brave, why should 1 go out of my way to help you?¡± the room was silent, leaving only the man and woman staring at each other. ye jingtang smiled, raised his hands, pressed luo ning¡¯s shoulders, and pushed her down. luo ning¡¯s eyelashes trembled, and her eyes were a little flustered. she forced herself to say, ¡°what are you doing? i can bear it¡­ are you going to use force?¡± ye jingtang nodded. he pressed luo ning onto the bed, lowered his head, and looked at her cold and charming face. ¡°yes, i¡¯m going to use force. my willpower isn¡¯t as strong as yours, heroine luo. i have no choice. when you wake up tomorrow, you¡¯re not allowed to hit me, okay?¡± luo ning¡¯s entire body was trembling slightly, and her eyes were full of shame and anger like a humiliated heroine. but she subconsciously held the man¡¯s ribs, and her breathing was unstable. ¡°i knew you were making excuses. but madam wang said that your body is not good and needs recuperation¡­ 1¡¯11 forgive you this time, but this is the last time. you¡¯re not allowed to remember this in the future¡­¡± ? ye jingtang blinked, sat up, and said righteously, ¡°i feel that i can still bear it¡­¡± ?! luo ning felt that she wasn¡¯t sober, but it was very difficult to endure. she was lying down and didn¡¯t want to get up. when she saw that this little thief knew her thoughts but still deliberately kept her hanging, her anger rose. luo ning sat up and pressed ye jingtang onto the pillow. her eyes were cold, as if she was murdering her husband. ¡°how can 1 not see what¡¯s going on with you? i know that your body can¡¯t withstand it, so how can i, luo ning, disregard the overall situation and fight with you to see who has better willpower? behave yourself¡­¡± ¡°huh? heroine, wait! calm down! i can really withstand it¡­¡± ¡°you can¡¯t!¡± ¡°woo¡ª¡± ye jingtang fell onto the pillow. luo ning, who was as light as a willow, grabbed his collar and blocked his mouth from speaking. ye jingtang raised his hand to support heroine luo¡¯s shoulders, but his wrists were grabbed and pressed against the pillow. boom- i¡¯m being pinned down by sister little watermelons! ye jingtang was about to explode from holding it in. at this moment, he couldn¡¯t pretend anymore. he lay down obediently and allowed heroine luo to bully him. even so, luo ning still maintained a plaintive expression that said, ¡®you can get my body, but you can¡¯t get my heart¡¯. tears kept rolling down the corners of her eyes, as if she was forced to sacrifice her life for righteousness. in the dimly lit room, there were no more words. luo ning hugged ye jingtang. after they kissed for a long time, her collar loosened a little and slowly opened. ye jingtang knew that luo ning didn¡¯t know anything and only had experience kissing. he immediately pulled his hands out, hugged luo ning, and patted her shoulders. luo ning closed her eyes and didn¡¯t say anything. she just moved her face away and buried it in the pillow beside ye jingtang¡¯s face, not moving anymore. ye jingtang caressed her warm back and whispered into her ear, ¡°i didn¡¯t lie to you, did i? do you feel uncomfortable?¡± ¡°yes.¡± a muffled sound came from the pillow. ¡°i could suppress it for so long and still advised you not to eat it. aren¡¯t i really good to you, heroine luo?¡± the beauty¡¯s ears flushed red, but she didn¡¯t respond. ye jingtang tapped her ear lightly. ¡°i know that you like me, so you¡¯ve been following me¡ª¡± ¡°don¡¯t flatter yourself.¡± ?! ye jingtang let go of her shoulders and said solemnly, ¡°1 feel that 1 can still resist for a few more hours¡­ hiss¡­ alright, alright. i can¡¯t hold on. my willpower isn¡¯t as good as yours. don¡¯t bite my shoulder¡­¡± luo ning¡¯s face flushed red, but she maintained the appearance of being forced and bullied. she raised her watery eyes and threatened, ¡°if you continue talking nonsense, i won¡¯t help you!¡± ¡°okay.¡± ye jingtang hugged her waist obediently and said gently, ¡°heroine luo, tell me that you like me and make me happy.¡± luo ning buried her head in the pillow and muttered after a long time, ¡°you like me.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ye jingtang blinked and felt that the meaning was about right. he nodded and said, ¡°wife, you like me too.¡± luo ning¡¯s shoulders trembled slightly. perhaps she couldn¡¯t withstand this ¡®wife¡¯ that touched her heart, she corrected in a muffled voice, ¡°call me elder sister.¡± ¡°alright, elder sister likes me too¡­ from now on, you will always be my elder sister ning¡¯er, and 1 will always be your shameless little thief¡­¡± rustle, rustle- the dimly lit room fell silent. unknowingly, a blue dress robe slid down silently and fell beside two pairs of boots, one white and one black. the white ones were embroidered with bamboo leaves, and the black ones were outlined with cloud patterns. ¡°shh! don¡¯t make a sound. yunli is next door¡­¡± ¡°i knocked yunli out¡­¡± ¡°uh?!¡± ¡°you said people should have a backup plan. i did it just in case. i didn¡¯t do it to prepare in advance¡­¡± ¡°okay¡­¡± ¡°did you really write that poem with ¡®overnight, xiangjun¡¯s hair turned gray¡¯?¡± ¡°no, i copied it.¡± ¡°you?! i¡¯ll fight you, you little thief¡­¡± ¡°if you have the ability, suffocate me to death¡­ woo¡ª¡± ¡°h-have you done this to the princess before?¡± ¡°no, you are the first.¡± ¡°why do you always bully me? i¡¯ve read books, but there¡¯s nothing like this in the books¡­¡± ¡°that¡¯s because you haven¡¯t read enough books. you haven¡¯t even read such a famous poem¡­¡± ¡°is that so?¡± ¡°little thief.¡± ¡°hmm?¡± ¡°you¡¯re shameless¡­¡± the moonlight outside the window was clear and quiet, and the light in front of the window flickered. fine words came out and were blown away by the summer night breeze. the old courtyard was as quiet and peaceful as usual, but it inexplicably felt a little more like ¡®home¡¯. as the light was forcefully blown out, the world fell silent, leaving only the moonlight in the courtyard, the spring breeze in the room, and little yunli sleeping soundly¡­ Chapter 134 - Chapter 134: Around the Clock, Unending chapter 134: around the clock, unending translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios while a spring breeze was gradually rising on dye workshop street, autumn arrived early in the deep alley of heavenly water bridge. the lights in the courtyard of the deep residence had long been turned off, leaving only a lamp still burning in the back residence. the words of two women came from the window. ¡°you! usually, i think you¡¯re outstanding and quite good at being the sect master. but why are you so disappointing today? jingtang already came to your door and was just short of taking you to bed. you actually really let him go¡­¡± ¡°jingtang was drugged¡­¡± so what if he¡¯s drugged? isn¡¯t that perfect? when he wakes up tomorrow, won¡¯t he be completely devoted to you?¡± ¡°sigh, they¡¯ve already left¡­¡± ¡°that shrewish girl is probably making love with jingtang. after she says some sweet words, jingtang might dote on her even more¡­¡± ¡°i know. i¡¯m going back to my room¡­¡± squeak! the door opened and closed. pei xiangjun held the door with both hands and pondered for a long time. then she turned around and walked out of the eaves. she looked at the silver moon in the sky that wisps of clouds were blocking. ¡°sigh¡­¡± she had lived in this house for many years. ever since her eldest brother passed away, there had only been a heavy burden on her shoulders, making her feel suffocated. she had focused on practicing martial arts, hoping that the heavens would give her a chance to prop up the crumbling pei family and the red flower pavilion again. she had still been full of confidence at first. but as a woman, no matter how good her martial arts skills were, no matter how tough her methods were, she could only watch as this deep residence courtyard withered day by day in the end. on that day in early april, a group of escorts from afar entered heavenly water bridge. the black-robed young master in the lead also entered her sight that day. from that day onward, the burden on her shoulders seemed to have disappeared. the clouds parted, and the sun appeared, shining sunlight on the gloomy courtyard again. every flower was full of vitality and exuded a different beauty than before. the red flower pavilion and the pei family needed jingtang. pei xiangjun had always thought so in her heart, and her kindness toward him seemed to be based on the situation and benefits. but after being scolded by the cult mistress today and seeing jingtang leaving, she guessed what the two of them were doing now. why did her heart feel so sour¡­ if she hadn¡¯t allowed jingtang to leave just now, she would feel much better now. and the person who should be feeling sad alone should be the cult mistress¡­ jingtang didn¡¯t enter because he didn¡¯t want to offend her. she could already tell. how could she get cold feet at the last minute¡­ pei xiangjun looked at the moonlight in the sky and stood alone for an unknown period of time. she wanted to go to dye workshop street to take a look, but in the end, she returned to her courtyard and sat alone in front of the elegant bed. she looked at the empty room and sighed faintly¡­ meanwhile, on east center street¡­ the lights were on in the cloth store that had encountered a calamity. some store workers were cleaning up the broken wood and rubble on the street. at the entrance of the street, there was a luxurious carriage. the big fluffy bird lay paralyzed in the carriage with its wings spread and claws facing the sky, looking like it was on the verge of death. a maid brought a freshly cut strip of meat to its mouth, but it didn¡¯t want to move at all. more than ten chief constables of the black office were standing quietly in front of the carriage with ashamed expressions and their heads lowered. dongfang dumdum, who was aloof from worldly affairs, was standing outside the carriage in her silver python robe, holding a black bar mace in her hand with a dignified expression and summarizing today¡¯s work. ¡°ye jingtang found the murderer and even lent you his bird to find the murderer¡¯s hideout. 1 led the team personally, and you twenty-plus people only had to capture three people. but from the beginning to the end, you couldn¡¯t even find a trace of them. in the end, ye jingtang, who was recovering from his injuries, intercepted them on his way home. tell me, how am 1 going to see ye jingtang tomorrow? when you bump into him in the office, won¡¯t you be embarrassed to talk to him?¡± she long knew that the prince of jing, who had personally led the expedition but had failed to accomplish anything, was furious. he said in shame, ¡°young master ye¡¯s methods are indeed domineering. we were at a disadvantage because we didn¡¯t understand the snow eagle¡¯s signals¡­¡± ¡°even without the eagle leading the way, don¡¯t you know how to chase after people? you said that xu bailin is powerful. what is this?¡± dongfang liren raised the seized blue steel mace. ¡°this is the blue steel mace, the weapon that xu bailin carried with him for decades. it has broken the weapons of countless officials and constables. now, it¡¯s in my hand. could xu bailin and ye jingtang have met in jianghu, and he decided to give it to ye jingtang?¡± many chief constables of the black office were speechless. they lowered their heads and remained silent. dongfang liren had sworn to ye jingtang that she would be in charge of the matter of the murderer. in the end, the numerous experts she had raised for many years with astonishing salaries had brought her out to walk around the city twice. finally, ye jingtang had dealt with it. she was really furious. in the eyes of sir tangtang, wasn¡¯t she a stupid prince and just a pretty face? after complaining outside the carriage for a while, dongfang liren slowly suppressed her emotions and got the chief constables to continue searching. she looked at she long. ¡°you said ye jingtang was injured?¡± she long replied respectfully, ¡°the sleeves of his robe were torn, and both his arms were bruised. he probably injured his arms when using his saber. uhm¡­ his wife brought him home to recuperate.¡± dongfang liren looked at the sky. it was already past midnight, so it didn¡¯t seem right to disturb him again. but in the head-on encounter with xu bailin, the battle scars on the street were so exaggerated. if two mace strikes hit him, he will definitely suffer many minor injuries. and the bird is still here¡­ dongfang liren hesitated for a moment before getting her carriage to go to dye workshop street. then she picked up the exhausted bird and got out of the carriage. dye workshop street was under construction, so the carriage couldn¡¯t enter. it was already late at night, and dongfang liren was afraid of disturbing ye jingtang, who was already resting, so she had only brought her personal guard, meng jiao, along. dongfang liren carefully walked through the potholed street while comforting the drowsy bird on her shoulder. ¡°you performed well today. tell me, what style of birdcage do you want? 1¡¯11 get an artisan to customize it tomorrow.¡± coo?¡± the bird turned its head and looked at the street, ignoring the heartless fat-headed snake. dongfang liren raised her hand to rub the bird. just as she turned into the alley of double osmanthus alley, the white-haired old woman behind her raised her hand to block her way. ¡°uh¡­ your highness, it¡¯s better to go back. i¡¯m afraid it¡¯s inconvenient for young master ye.¡± dongfang liren was stunned. just as she was feeling puzzled, she suddenly heard the faint cry of a woman coming from the depths of the dark alley. ¡°wuwu~ wu~¡± the bird raised its head and tilted it in confusion. then it hurriedly wanted to run back to see if sister little watermelons was being beaten up. dongfang liren held the bird down, her heart filled with doubts. ye jingtang lives in this place. why is there a woman crying¡­ could he be hitting a woman? that¡¯s impossible¡­ or is it that he can no longer be cured¡­ dongfang liren¡¯s expression changed slightly when she thought of this. the white-haired old woman could tell that the prince of jing had misunderstood, so she tactfully explained, ¡°your highness, after the sun sets, it¡¯s time for couples to improve their relationship¡ª¡± while she spoke, a clear voice came from the depths of the silent alley. ¡°ahh!¡± !! dongfang liren stopped in her tracks. her noble and dignified face instantly turned into a red apple. she held down the curious bird and turned around. ¡°this pervert¡­¡± the white-haired old woman advised helplessly, ¡°your highness, please calm down. they¡¯re at home, and this is just human nature. it is inappropriate to scold young master ye.¡± dongfang liren blinked and felt that it made sense. she had sneaked to ye jingtang¡¯s house in the middle of the night to eavesdrop. it was she who offended him. dongfang liren rubbed the bird and wanted to quickly leave, but she suddenly recalled madam wang¡¯s words. ordinary women couldn¡¯t withstand it, and this girl obviously couldn¡¯t¡­ will she be killed?! dongfang liren was afraid that the ignorant ye jingtang might cause a disaster, so she stood where she was and listened carefully. ?? the white-haired old woman knew that the prince of jing was unmarried, so she was curious about this kind of thing. she stood where she was, helplessness filling her eyes. there was only one house in the entire block, and it was late at night, so the slightest movement could be heard far away in the night. dongfang liren covered the bird¡¯s head while she pricked her ears and used the heaven equaling saber¡¯s technique to sense the slightest movement in the alley. needless to say, she could actually vaguely hear intermittent words. ¡°sit on top¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s very simple¡­¡± dongfang liren secretly heaved a sigh of relief when she heard that ye jingtang¡¯s voice was very gentle. at the same time, she recalled a scene and illustration from tears of a heroine¡­ this girl is so stupid. i still need to teach her for a long time¡­ the sounds inside made people blush. dongfang liren didn¡¯t dare to stay for long. she suppressed her chaotic thoughts and tiptoed out of dye workshop street¡­ sizzle- a match was ignited, and a red candle was lit. the dim yellow light illuminated the room again. the room was a little more charming than before. the blue dress and tattered black robe had fallen to the floor. the small cotton-padded jacket that dumdum had considerately given had been placed at the end of the bed. there was even a small undergarment with a full moon embroidered on it. the moon-white blanket was spread out and covered the bed. because it was a single bed, it wasn¡¯t wide, so the two of them could only stick close to each other. ye jingtang leaned on the pillow. the bruises on his arms had faded a lot. his sharp eyebrows and starry eyes were quite bright under the candlelight, reflecting the woman¡¯s snow-white back and silky hair. luo ning¡¯s cold and otherworldly face was slightly red. she held the thin blanket with one hand and lit a candle. then she leaned back on the bed and rested her head on ye jingtang¡¯s shoulder. she folded a white handkerchief stained with a plum blossom mark and held it in her palm, looking at the tiles on the roof in silence. ye jingtang placed his hand on luo ning¡¯s waist and turned her over to face him. ¡°what are you thinking?¡± luo ning¡¯s lips moved. she wanted to make an expression of grief and indignation like that of a ¡®humiliated heroine¡¯, but she was unable to do so. she looked away and said, ¡°forget about what happened today. otherwise, if xue baijin finds out that i¡­¡± ? ye jingtang smiled. ¡°why do you make me sound like i¡¯m stealing someone¡¯s wife?¡± i¡¯m supposed to be¡­¡± luo ning wanted to get up and draw a clear line with this little thief, but she hesitated and didn¡¯t move. instead, she used her hands under the thin blanket to search around his body. when she touched something, she shrank back as if she had been electrocuted. a strange look appeared in ye jingtang¡¯s eyes. ¡°you can touch it if you want. i don¡¯t mind.¡± luo ning¡¯s eyes were complicated as she whispered, ¡°don¡¯t spout nonsense. why¡­ why isn¡¯t the medicine cured?¡± when ye jingtang heard this, he turned around. ¡°heroine luo, do you also feel this way?¡± luo ning was fine just now. but after resting for less than half an hour, she found that her face was starting to burn again. she frowned and said, ¡°it doesn¡¯t make sense. i¡­ 1 just¡­¡± her voice choked. ye jingtang thought for a moment and explained, ¡°well¡­ this should be something to liven things up. and¡­ we still have energy, so we will naturally be excited¡­¡± luo ning frowned and glanced at ye jingtang. ¡°you mean, you want to torment me until you¡¯re no longer energetic?¡± ye jingtang knew that heroine luo had worked very hard. he thought for a moment and said, ¡°i can endure it. i can rest now, but i don¡¯t know if you will be in a bind.¡± luo ning¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°little thief, i could have suppressed the effects of the medicine. hmm¡­ since i¡¯ve already helped you, 1 have to help you to the end. since you feel uncomfortable¡­¡± ye jingtang understood what she meant and nodded slightly. ¡°it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t say anything. but after you said it, i feel a little uncomfortable.¡± luo ning bit her lower lip lightly.. seeing ye jingtang come closer, she tried her best to look like she was being forced and humiliated and slowly let go of the thin blanket¡­ Chapter 135 - Chapter 135: A New Day (1) chapter 135: a new day (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios knock, knock, knock! after an unknown period of time, the sun rose. the sound of knocking on wood came from afar, mixed with the chirping of cicadas on the summer morning. chirp, chirp! luo ning slowly woke up, but her mind was still blank. she opened her eyes and looked at the window, only to see the morning light shining on the paper window, making the room much brighter. why did i faint? what did i do last night¡­ luo ning¡¯s clear eyes were full of confusion. just as she was feeling puzzled, a conversation came from outside. ¡°brother jingtang, why did your bed collapse?¡± ¡°yesterday, i was lying down and practicing the thousand pound drop, but i accidentally broke the bedboard¡­¡± ?! hearing yunli¡¯s voice, luo ning instantly woke up. she rolled her head over, her eyes filled with fear as she looked down¡­ she was wearing her long blue dress and lying on the big bed in the main room. everything in the room was fine, as if nothing had happened. hmm? was it a dream yesterday? luo ning was very confused. she wanted to get up, but when she moved her legs, she realized that something was wrong¡­ ¡°all-¡± so sore¡­ luo ning quickly covered her mouth as countless images flooded into her mind. with a mental lapse, 1 went to the pei residence to catch the little thief¡­ being provoked by the little thief, 1 competed with him in willpower¡­ 1 knocked yunli unconscious and took the initiative to press the little thief down¡­ the little thief was so skilled¡­ 1 found that the effect of the medicine hadn¡¯t disappeared, so 1 didn¡¯t leave¡­ then 1 became confused and dizzy. 1 have only some memory fragments left. when 1 woke up again, the bedboard was broken¡­ 1 panted weakly as i watched the little thief help me put on my clothes¡­ then he carefully carried me to the main room and placed me on the bed¡­ what have 1 done?! this little thief is really good at tricks. why am 1 so stupid¡­ luo ning covered her cheeks with her hands, and a blush instantly spread to her ears and neck. after sitting on the bed for an unknown amount of time, she finally suppressed the shame in her heart. then boundless indignation surged in her heart. she really wanted to draw her sword and rush out to cut the little thief into eight pieces. as for the reason why she wanted to cut him into eight pieces, it wasn¡¯t important! luo ning took a deep breath and regained her cold appearance. she wanted to turn over and get up. but as soon as she moved, she frowned slightly and almost gasped. in the end, she resigned herself to her fate and fell onto the pillow. she continued to pretend to be asleep and nursed her body that was about to fall apart¡­ the morning summer sun shone on the courtyard, and a new day began. breakfast had already been prepared in the kitchen. because luo ning didn¡¯t like meat and fish, breakfast was vegetable porridge, which was being warmed by the stove. the green seedlings and bonsai under the vegetable trellis showed a lush color under the sunlight. the bedding and bed sheets had been washed and hung on the vegetable trellis to dry. zhe yunli was dressed like a little girl next door. she was wearing the magpie hairpin that ye jingtang had given her yesterday, and her saber was hanging behind her waist. she was leaning against the window of the west wing, twirling the little turtle ornament with her fair fingers as she looked around the room. the west wing was clean and tidy. there was no trace of liquids left behind by sister little watermelons. ye jingtang was half-squatting on the floor with a small hammer and nails in his hands and a broken bedboard in front of him. as the saying went, ¡®a person who is in poor health cannot handle something so strong as a tonic¡¯. the old wooden bed that had been used for many years had completely died of old age after being ravaged by ye jingtang without mercy. even though his handiwork was exquisite, it was difficult for him to repair the broken old bed. after he hammered for a long time, there were more and more cracks. zhe yunli held her chin with one hand and praised, ¡°brother jingtang, you¡¯ve really mastered the thousand pound drop. it¡¯s better to buy a new one. even if you repair this bed, you probably won¡¯t be able to sleep on it for more than a few days.¡± ye jingtang felt that she made sense. he gathered up the broken wooden bedboard and carried it out the door. ¡°i have to go to the black office soon. heroine zhe, i¡¯ll have to trouble you to help me buy a sturdier bed later. when your martial mistress wakes up, please bring her the porridge. she was the main force when we fought xu bailin yesterday and consumed a lot of energy.¡± zhe yunli stretched out her small hand. ¡°no problem. just give me enough money for the errand.¡± ye jingtang threw the wood into a corner of the courtyard to use as firewood, took out a banknote, and handed it to zhe yunli. after some thought, he said, ¡°hero qiu has already come out. i¡¯ll go find out where he¡¯s staying today. i¡¯ll bring you over to meet him when i have the chance.¡± when zhe yunli heard this, she immediately put away her sloppy behavior and pushed the banknote back in a refined manner. ¡°i¡¯m just joking. brother jingtang, you still have to pull strings and need silver everywhere. how can i take your money? it¡¯s just a bed. i¡¯ll ask martial mistress for money to buy it.¡± ? ye jingtang felt that it was a little inappropriate to let heroine luo use her own money to buy the bed, but this wasn¡¯t easy to say. he put away the banknote, packed up, and prepared to go out. just as he hung his saber at his waist, he heard a sound from the door of the main room. squeak! he turned around and saw the cold young woman in blue appear at the door. her hair was tied up neatly in a bun, with the blue hairpin he had given her stuck in it. her bearing still carried an otherworldly immortal aura, but she had a bit more indescribable charm than before. luo ning maintained her usual distant appearance, as if she didn¡¯t remember anything, and walked gracefully to the kitchen. ¡°yunli, come eat.¡± ¡°okay!¡± zhe yunli hurriedly skipped into the kitchen and began to scoop porridge. ye jingtang looked at heroine luo and found luo ning¡¯s eyes turning cold. she reached for the sword at her waist, looking as if she wanted to find an opportunity to slash him. he felt rather helpless and said, ¡°i¡¯m leaving. goodbye.¡± ¡°brother jingtang, take care.¡± luo ning looked up from the kitchen window. although she really didn¡¯t want to talk to the little thief, she hesitated for a moment before exhorting, ¡°your arms are injured. you are not allowed to fight.¡± ¡°okay.¡± ye jingtang smiled, turned around, and walked out of the courtyard.. Chapter 136 - Chapter 136: A New Day (2) chapter 136: a new day (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios dye workshop street was being rebuilt. after dawn, there were many craftsmen working while the weather was cool. there were sounds of knocking everywhere. ye jingtang walked out of double osmanthus alley and was about to walk to the black office when he saw a carriage parked at the entrance of the street corner. his big black horse, which had fattened up a few times, was standing by the roadside. when it saw him, it shook its head and looked elsewhere. it seemed that it ate and drank well in the pei residence and didn¡¯t want to go back to its owner, who roughed it all year round. the curtain of the carriage was closed, but xiuhe was standing at the street corner, chatting with a few foremen. when ye jingtang saw this, he recalled the crazy scene yesterday. one in each arm, a twofer with one cannon, and so on¡­ he felt a little embarrassed. ¡°young master ye~¡± ¡°hi. use an umbrella. be careful of getting tanned.¡± ¡°thank you for your concern, young master-¡± ye jingtang walked to the carriage. after greeting xiuhe, he jumped into the carriage. the carriage was rather spacious. third lady was wearing a light yellow summer dress with rose-red lipstick on her lips and her hair coiled up in a beautiful and moving style. she was holding a landscape fan in her hand and sitting beside the carriage window, looking at the work situation on the street in a daze. on the table in front of her, other than the tea set, there were two red packets with the word ¡®happiness¡¯ on them. there should be banknotes inside. when ye jingtang entered the carriage and saw third lady¡¯s slightly complicated expression, he knew that she was still thinking about what had happened last night. he sat down on the opposite side of the carriage. ¡°third lady?¡± pei xiangjun turned her eyes, sat up a little straighter, and raised her hand to pour tea for ye jingtang. her red lips moved slightly, but she didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°i really took the wrong medicine yesterday. third lady, you were the one who fed it to me. my words and actions were inappropriate¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s fine.¡± pei xiangjun pushed the teacup in front of ye jingtang and sighed softly. ¡°you didn¡¯t do it on purpose. i don¡¯t blame you.¡± ye jingtang smiled and said, ¡°yesterday was a misunderstanding. ning¡¯er¡¯s box of medicine was prescribed by madam wang. she didn¡¯t want to drug me¡­¡± ye jingtang told her about his over-exuberant yang qi and the need to regulate it. after listening to the explanation quietly, pei xiangjun blinked, and her expression clearly improved. ¡°i knew it. how could she be so unreasonable as to steal my family¡¯s young master and even dare to come to my door to cause trouble for me¡­ in the end, did she help you take care of your health?¡± ye jingtang blinked. he found it difficult to answer her directly. pei xiangjun harrumphed faintly. there was a strange look in her eyes as she pushed the red packets on the table to him. ¡°you are newlyweds, but miss ning¡¯er didn¡¯t come to serve tea. i can¡¯t forget the rules just because i¡¯m angry. take it and help me give it to miss ning¡¯er. tell her that i won¡¯t bicker with her.¡± ye jingtang was a little helpless, but he still accepted the red packets. he took out two jewelry boxes from his sleeve and handed one to third lady. ¡°this is the hairpin i bought yesterday. i didn¡¯t have the chance to give it to you. see if you like it.¡± pei xiangjun took the hairpin box and looked at it, slightly surprised. ¡°you bought it for me?¡± ¡°of course. i bought jewelry for the bird. how could i forget you? i also bought one for xiuhe. please give it to her later. she will probably be happy for several days.¡± pei xiangjun put down her round fan and opened the box to take a look. it was a hairpin with bird and apricot flower decorations. it had excellent craftsmanship, was extremely beautiful, and matched her temperament. it was obvious that he had chosen it carefully¡­ pei xiangjun closed the hairpin box and thought for a moment before saying, ¡°you really know how to get along with everyone¡­ i¡¯m not related to you. you can¡¯t give me a hairpin randomly.¡± ye jingtang said seriously, ¡°third lady, you are my martial aunt and honorary master. so what if i¡¯m filial to my master? i¡¯ll cut whoever dares to gossip.¡± pei xiangjun blinked and hesitated for a moment before saying jokingly, ¡°who¡¯s your master? i can¡¯t teach a disciple like you. if i had really acknowledged you, i¡¯d still be heartbroken when you were kidnapped that day.¡± then she still put away the hairpin box. ¡°alright, go do your work. i¡¯m going back too. remember to come over to learn the fist technique tonight. also, after you¡¯re done with the matters in the capital, you have to consider the matter of the baoyuan school. otherwise, huang zhu will come over and trouble you again. when the time comes, i¡¯ll see if i¡¯m free to accompany you.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll keep this in mind. i¡¯ll go there when i have time.¡± ¡°hmph-!¡± ye jingtang chuckled and got up to leave the carriage. after watching the carriage leave, he rode his horse to the black office¡­ meanwhile, in a private manor hidden halfway up a mountain somewhere in the outskirts of the city¡­ there were countless guards patrolling outside the manor, but there were only a few people inside. cao aning stood at the window of a tall building that could look at yun¡¯an city from afar. he looked at the majestic imperial city where he had grown up as a child with a heavy expression. the room behind him was full of the smell of medicine. xu bailin was sitting on the floor. the sword wound on his leg had been stitched up and bandaged, and there was a brand new bar mace beside his hand. however, losing the blue steel mace that had accompanied him for many years was no less than ye jingtang losing the hornless dragon saber. no matter how good the new weapon was, it couldn¡¯t suppress the haze and hatred of ¡®seizing his wife¡¯ in xu bailin¡¯s eyes. after a long silence, xu bailin spoke first. ¡°the higher-ups have been planning for many years, but we¡¯ve already made such a huge mistake as soon as we got started. how are we going to explain ourselves?¡± cao aning turned around, sat down opposite him, and wiped the straight saber in his hands. ¡°fan yu doesn¡¯t know the inside story. the black office won¡¯t be able to get anything out of him. you were goaded yesterday. you should have left.¡± xu bailin knew that it was his impulse to retaliate yesterday that had caused his companion to rescue him forcefully and fall into the hands of the government. after a moment of silence, he grabbed the bar mace. ¡°i¡¯m going to save him.¡± cao aning raised his hand to stop him. ¡°the imperial court is not jianghu. you can¡¯t do things out of loyalty. if he dies, so be it. when we accomplish our goals, his contributions won¡¯t be forgotten. it¡¯s the same for you and me.¡± xu bailin gripped the bar mace. ¡°what should we do next?¡± ¡°ye jingtang and 1 are at odds, but we can¡¯t see through his shrewdness at all. if we don¡¯t resolve it, we won¡¯t dare to act rashly.¡± ¡°kill ye jingtang first?¡± ¡°we have to prioritize important matters. killing ye jingtang will waste too much manpower and effort, and it¡¯s easy to be exposed¡­ we can use someone else to kill him.¡± xu bailin thought for a moment. ¡°who can we use?¡± cao aning recalled carefully. ¡°according to eunuch cao, thirty years ago, the successor of the eight-steps frenzied blade formed a life-and-death blood feud with jun mountain terrace. if jun mountain terrace knows that ye jingtang knows the eight-steps frenzied blade, they will definitely not be able to sit still.¡± xu bailin frowned and said, ¡°xuanyuan chao is the marquis of jun mountain. he doesn¡¯t dare to attack the prince of jing¡¯s person.¡± ¡°if they don¡¯t strike first, they will be the ones to die in the future. all we have to do is send the news. jun mountain terrace will think of a way to resolve the future trouble. we don¡¯t need to worry about how to resolve it. even if the xuanyuan family can¡¯t deal with ye jingtang, they can at least cause him trouble. making him divert his attention is better than letting him bite us and not let go.¡± xu bailin thought about it for a moment and felt that this method was feasible, so he didn¡¯t say anything else¡­ wanna gift the story? try one. Chapter 137 - Chapter 137: Jade Bone Picture (1) chapter 137: jade bone picture (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the sun rose in the east. the morning light sprinkled on the streets as merchants and servants walked among the carriages and horses. an old man with a rack of candied hawthorns was sitting on the stone steps outside a teahouse. he shouted at the top of his voice, ¡°candied hawthorns!¡± ye jingtang, with his saber hanging at his waist, led his black horse and stopped outside the teahouse. he tilted his head to look at the red candied hawthorns, and a few words suddenly sounded in his ears. ¡°jingtang, do you want to eat?¡± ¡°only children eat this kind of thing.¡± ¡°you¡¯re only six years old. do you think you¡¯re not a child if you don¡¯t wear diapers?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°hmph! if you don¡¯t have a wife, you¡¯re still a child at sixty years old. when you can bring a wife back, you can pretend to be an adult¡­ here¡­¡± time flew, and in the blink of an eye, twelve years had passed. he remembered sitting on this horse with his foster father leading the horse in front like this, with an identical saber hanging on his waist. now, he was an adult and walked in front of the horse. when he occasionally recalled the words of the past, he couldn¡¯t help feeling a little nostalgic. ye jingtang looked back at the empty back of the horse and wondered when he would bring heroine luo back to red river town to burn some paper money. while letting his mind wander as he walked along the street, he heard the sound of wheels from the entrance of the street. he looked up and saw a luxurious carriage approaching. the black office constables opened the path in front. the carriage window opened, and a heroic woman¡¯s face appeared. she was staring at him from afar. beside her, the big white bird tilted its head and leaned out from the corner of the window. ¡°chirp-¡± ye jingtang came back to his senses and walked toward the carriage. he cupped his hands. ¡°your highness, the fight lasted until late at night, so i woke up late this morning¡­¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t wake up late. he didn¡¯t sleep at all. after helping heroine luo suppress the effects of the medicine until she stopped moving, he could only bring water into the room and help wash her. heroine luo had been ashamed and angry, but she had been too lazy to move. she would dodge every time he touched a key part of her body. finally, he washed her clean with great difficulty and carried her back to her bed to sleep. he had also washed the bedding and bed sheets. before he finished, yunli had woken up and helped cook breakfast. thus, he would definitely be late in the morning. fortunately, dongfang liren knew who ye jingtang had done last night, so she didn¡¯t blame him for making her wait for a long time. dongfang liren was sitting upright in the carriage with a strange look in her eyes. she thought for a moment and said, ¡°yesterday, 1 got she long and the others to chase after the bandits, but they still lost them in the end and failed to catch the murderer. you and the bird were busy all night for nothing¡­¡± ye jingtang mounted his horse like a guard and walked beside the carriage window. ¡°we captured a captive yesterday. did your highness get anything out of him?¡± ¡°he¡¯s just a jianghu vagabond who¡¯s paid to do things. he doesn¡¯t know anything. someone who can invite xu bailin is definitely not from a small force. there must be something behind this matter, but 1 don¡¯t have any clues now.¡± at this point, dongfang liren looked at ye jingtang. ¡°divine detective ye, do you have a way to continue the investigation?¡± although ye jingtang didn¡¯t match the words ¡®divine detective¡¯, he really had a way. the wandering body palm was the unique technique of ¡®south mountains iron trigram¡¯ zhang henggu. since the murderer knew it, zhang henggu most likely knew some of his origins. he could just ask directly. but this method was based on his powerful connections of ¡®hugging a black stocking thigh and a white stocking thigh at the same time¡¯. if he said it, he would suffer on the spot. ye jingtang pondered for a moment and said, ¡°1 will think of a way to get the red flower pavilion to investigate. the red flower pavilion is a prestigious force in jianghu, so they should have more connections.¡± dongfang liren nodded slightly, her eyes full of praise. ¡°i really couldn¡¯t tell in the past that you were so good at doing things. keep up the good work in the future. 1 will give you clear rewards and punishments. as long as you have enough merit, there¡¯s nothing in the world that i can¡¯t reward you¡­¡± at this point, dongfang liren recalled what madam wang said about miss ning¡¯er being unable to bear it and asked, ¡°the last time you entered the palace, i asked you to look for a suitable palace maid. did anyone catch your eye? you¡¯re a person of status now. you can¡¯t let the person you love do all the washing and cooking. i will reward you with two maidservants for what happened yesterday.¡± when ye jingtang heard this, the only maidservant he knew, miss yuhu, naturally flashed across his mind, but he had no intention of getting two maidservants. ¡°your highness, please don¡¯t joke. i¡¯m from jianghu and used to being free. if 1 really get two maidservants at home, i¡¯ll have to worry more.¡± ¡°hmph!¡± while the two of them were chatting, the carriage drove through the bustling streets near jasper pavilion and arrived at the vermillion bird gate at the front of the imperial city. dongfang liren was a prince of the blood. as the favored younger sister of the empress, not many people would dare to say anything when she entered the imperial city via the imperial passage. however, she wasn¡¯t arrogant to this extent because of being favored. she went through the gate that ministers entered and left through. ye jingtang followed dongfang liren into the palace and went straight to the eternal joy palace, which he had never set foot in before. the eternal joy palace was the residence of the emperor. the density of people in the palace was much higher than elsewhere. one could meet several palace maids walking back and forth within a few steps. one could even hear the sound of music from deep in the palace. ye jingtang knew that this place was the empress¡¯s palace, so it wasn¡¯t appropriate for him to look around casually. after walking for a while, he asked, ¡°is your highness taking me to meet her majesty?¡± dongfang liren acted as if she was returning to her own home. she strolled leisurely and elegantly as she led ye jingtang to the back of the eternal joy palace. ¡°at this time, her majesty is in the imperial study approving memorials and doesn¡¯t have time to see you. do you want to meet her majesty?¡± ye jingtang was definitely curious about the female emperor who ruled great wei, but he still knew that accompanying a monarch was like accompanying a tiger. the empress was a tigress. if he accidentally played himself as ¡®noble consort ye¡¯, he would have to suffer for half his life. he shook his head and said, ¡°i¡¯m just a commoner and don¡¯t know how to govern the country. how could i dare to disturb her majesty so easily? where are we going?¡± ¡°to her majesty¡¯s resting palace.¡± iqn Chapter 138 - Chapter 138: Jade Bone Picture (2) chapter 138: jade bone picture (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ye jingtang blinked. he felt that dumdum probably wasn¡¯t here to ask him to serve the empress, so he didn¡¯t say much. the two of them walked for a long time and circled around the corridor on the side of the main hall. they arrived at the lake at the back of the peaceful hall and dismissed the attendants. the lake had been artificially excavated. it was circular in shape and surrounded by white jade guardrails. in the center was a waterside pavilion built on a stone platform. there were lotus leaf-like stones on the surface of the lake that were arranged gracefully and led to the waterside pavilion. the scenery was extremely elegant and looked like an ink painting. the waterside pavilion didn¡¯t look too old, but the white stone foundation underneath had already turned yellow and had some traces of damage. it was unknown how many years it had been there. ye jingtang stopped by the lake and looked at it for a while before asking, ¡°what is this place?¡± like a tour guide, dongfang liren introduced earnestly, ¡°the roaring dragon pool. it is said that more than a thousand years ago, the founding emperor of great wu attained enlightenment and ascended to heaven by riding a dragon. this pool is located in the middle of the imperial city. according to daoist xuanji, it is between the eyebrows of the ¡®dragon vein¡¯. it converges the feng shui of the four seas and gathers the providence of a country. if one isn¡¯t the true son of heaven, they will not be able to control this treasured land. anyone who stays here without authorization will suffer heavenly punishment.¡± ye jingtang placed his hands behind his back and nodded slightly. ¡°is it true or fake?¡± dongfang liren blinked. ¡°i have never believed in those myths about strange powers and chaotic spirits, but the roaring dragon chart is indeed an item of strange powers. daoist xuanji said that this place is suitable for daoists to cultivate in peace. when she comes to the capital, she often stays here. i also think that the feng shui of this place isn¡¯t bad, and practicing the roaring dragon chart will yield twice the results with half the effort. things like heavenly punishment have never come true.¡± ye jingtang nodded thoughtfully. ¡°your highness and daoist xuanji are both women. it¡¯s definitely fine to go in. has any man other than an emperor ever entered in history?¡± dongfang liren recalled carefully. ¡°this is the palace of the emperors of previous dynasties. in history, most of the men who could stay here but were not emperors were rebel leaders and traitors of the country. those who didn¡¯t die will certainly become emperors. i reckon that this is where the legend of the ¡®true son of heaven¡¯ comes from.¡± ye jingtang understood the meaning: survivor bias. dongfang liren tapped her toes lightly on the blue waves a few times and arrived at the waterside pavilion in the middle of the lake. she turned around and frowned when she saw that ye jingtang wasn¡¯t moving. ¡°don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re frightened by those rumors about ghosts and spirits?¡± ye jingtang wasn¡¯t worried about heavenly punishment. but even if he wasn¡¯t superstitious, he couldn¡¯t be sure about the empress. what if he rashly ran into this forbidden land and incurred the apprehensions of the empress? dongfang liren could naturally tell what ye jingtang was worried about. she waved her hand. ¡°no one will see you. just come here.¡± no one will see me?! ye jingtang felt that compared to the roaring dragon chart, his head was more important. he raised his hand slightly. ¡°your highness, although i am a person of jianghu, i still know what ¡®overstepping¡¯ means. this place¡­¡± dongfang liren was a little helpless. ¡°i said it¡¯s fine, so it¡¯s fine. i¡¯ve already asked her majesty.¡± ¡°her majesty agreed?¡± ¡°if her majesty didn¡¯t agree, how would 1 dare to bring you here?¡± hearing this, ye jingtang breathed a sigh of relief. he flipped over the guardrail and arrived outside the waterside pavilion after walking a few steps. tread- he stepped on the stone platform far away from the shore, and the world became quiet. ye jingtang looked up at the sky, probably to determine if there were any strange phenomena of the world changing color. seeing this, dongfang liren was slightly amused. she turned around and walked into the waterside pavilion. ¡°come in.¡± the waterside pavilion was quite large and had an open room inside. there were oil bookshelves, weapon racks, and many calligraphy and paintings hanging around it. in the center were two meditation mats embroidered with dragon and phoenix patterns, which looked to be the exclusive seats of the empress and the prince of jing. dongfang liren walked around the waterside pavilion and disappeared behind a bookshelf for a moment. when she came out again, she had a box in her hand. the box was made of green jade and was the size of a book. from the size, there was a high chance that it contained a picture of the roaring dragon chart. dongfang liren took the jade box to the center of the waterside pavilion and sat down on her meditation mat. ¡°have a seat.¡± ye jingtang went to the other meditation mat and took a look. he picked up the bird squatting on the dragon and phoenix meditation mat and sat down in front of dongfang liren. dongfang liren felt that ye jingtang paid too much attention to etiquette, but she didn¡¯t say anything and slid open the jade box. whoosh! a golden paper immediately came into view. ¡°this is the jade bone picture. you killed the blood bodhi and made a great contribution last night. i can show you this item, but you can¡¯t take it away from here. if it¡¯s lost, her majesty won¡¯t be able to answer to the future monarch.¡± ye jingtang sat upright and took the jade box. he didn¡¯t touch the golden paper with his hand and studied it seriously under the sunlight outside the waterside pavilion. the size and shape of the golden paper were exactly the same as his dragon form picture. it felt like two pages torn from the same book. the only difference was the content inside. the jade bone qilin picture was naturally the picture of a qilin. it was a towering beast carrying the blue sky on its back and stepping on the ground. the lines were extremely exquisite. ye jingtang sized it up for a moment and knew that it was the real thing. he couldn¡¯t help feeling strange. although there were deviations in the process and outcome, he had finally achieved his plan when he first entered the capital¡ªto think of a way to sneak into the palace and obtain the roaring dragon chart. he secretly used the method of practicing the dragon form picture to study the jade bone picture. in the end, he discovered that they came from the same source and the practice methods were the same. they couldn¡¯t even be called two secret techniques, but it was the method of practicing the dragon form picture with a few more paths. the two could be combined into one, turning into a technique with two effects¡­ outside the waterside pavilion was the clear water lake. in the spacious and quiet room, the man and woman were sitting opposite each other, and only the cries of birds and cicadas sounded. ¡°i understand¡ª¡± ¡°chirp¡­¡± ye jingtang held the golden paper with both hands and observed it seriously. his black robe made of water cloud brocade, coupled with his thoughtful eyebrows and cold side profile, carried a different kind of otherworldly aura in this ink painting-like environment. dongfang liren sat upright on the meditation mat. her originally heroic eyes revealed a hint of gentleness. it was unknown what she was thinking, but she stared fixedly at the man¡¯s face in a daze. ye jingtang looked at the golden paper for a moment and put it down. ¡°this picture is indeed mysterious and extraordinary. i can only see hints of it.¡± dongfang liren nodded slightly. ¡°you¡¯re very talented. it shouldn¡¯t be difficult for you to understand it. try practicing it.¡± ye jingtang nodded lightly. he immediately closed his eyes and began to practice the jade bone picture. but as soon as he closed his eyes, dongfang liren looked at the ¡®little fool¡¯ with a straight back. she assumed the aura of a princess and said seriously, ¡°that isn¡¯t how you practice the roaring dragon chart. i¡¯ll teach you. watch carefully and sit cross-legged. your left leg is outside, and your right leg is inside¡­¡± dongfang liren gently lifted the hem of her python robe, sat cross-legged, and placed her hands on her abdomen. doing so raised the front of her robe high and straight, causing the originally proud fat-headed dragon to become even more three dimensional. ye jingtang practiced the roaring dragon chart entirely based on his intuition and had never paid attention to his posture. he immediately followed suit. he sat cross-legged, held his left hand with his right hand, and closed his eyes. dongfang liren closed her beautiful eyes and instructed unhurriedly, ¡°imagine the picture you saw just now and follow your feelings¡­ um¡­ picture sense, do you have it?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°alright, breathe with me.. you have to have a rhythm and enter a daoist meditative state¡­ exhale¡­ inhale¡­¡± Chapter 139 - Chapter 139: Dragon Slaying Decree chapter 139: dragon slaying decree translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios unknowingly, half an hour had passed. in the waterside pavilion, the handsome man and the heroic prince were meditating opposite each other. other than their rhythmic breathing, there was no other sound. ¡°chirp-¡± the bird felt that it was unnecessary here, so it circled around the two of them, lay down, and rolled on the floor. finally, it jumped out of the waterside pavilion and lowered its head to look at the koi in the lake. ye jingtang was sitting upright, seemingly expressionless, but if one looked carefully, they could still see a trace of surprise between his eyebrows. in words, it was probably: so, i have to meditate. what the hell did 1 practice before¡­ this place is really a treasured land. when 1 breathe, 1 feel relaxed and happy. it feels almost like burying myself between the little watermelons and taking a deep breath¡­ uh- this surging internal energy¡­ although he was a little intoxicated, this was the empress¡¯s resting palace after all. he was afraid that the empress would return if he stayed here too long, so he opened his eyes after practicing for a while. dongfang liren was sitting upright on the meditation mat in front of him, not moving at all. the noble aura between her eyebrows and her heroic attire really made her look like a deeply concealed top expert. as ye jingtang¡¯s breathing changed, dongfang liren stopped practicing and calmed down. ¡°why aren¡¯t you practicing anymore?¡± ¡°this is her majesty¡¯s resting palace. it¡¯s not appropriate to stay too long.¡± ¡°there¡¯s no need to be so reserved. her majesty is diligent in politics and will only return to the palace in the afternoon. if you want to practice in the future, just let me know.¡± ye jingtang already owed dongfang liren a favor for learning the jade bone picture. he didn¡¯t expect to stay here. after some deliberation, he reached into his sleeve, took out a box, and handed it to dongfang liren. ¡°i don¡¯t know how to thank your highness for treating me so well. when 1 returned to the capital yesterday, i came across a good store and bought something. i don¡¯t have any other intentions. i just want to return the favor. i hope your highness won¡¯t mind the common goods in the market.¡± dongfang liren was slightly surprised. she took it and unhurriedly opened the jewelry box. lying inside the small hairpin box was a green and white jade hairpin. the jade hairpin was in a style wearable by both men and women. there were no engravings, only a flawless streamlined shape. although it was simple, it was extremely in line with her usual clothes. ¡°you¡¯re quite thoughtful¡­ i don¡¯t lack jewelry. don¡¯t spend so much in the future. since it¡¯s a return of courtesy, then¡­¡± dongfang liren raised her hand to take off the jade pendant on her waist. seeing this, ye jingtang hurriedly raised his hand to stop her and said seriously, ¡°there¡¯s no need. if your highness really wants to return the gift, just give me an unimportant item.¡± dongfang liren was stunned. she let go of the jade pendant and asked, ¡°what would you like?¡± ye jingtang blinked and leaned closer. ¡°your highness, can you lend me that precious version of tears of a heroine? i went to a bookstore today but couldn¡¯t find it at all¡­¡± ?! dongfang liren took a deep breath and glared at ye jingtang, but she didn¡¯t say anything. she only felt that he had established a good image in her heart yesterday. but half of it collapsed last night when he asked that woman to sit on top, and the other half collapsed now when he asked to borrow tears of a heroine. seeing that the prince of jing was angry, ye jingtang raised his hand slightly. ¡°if it¡¯s inconvenient, i naturally won¡¯t force your highness. i¡¯ve read it for many years and consider myself a fan of wu shengxie, but i haven¡¯t even read the complete version. i just feel a little regretful¡­¡± dongfang liren was silent for a moment before saying angrily, ¡°it¡¯s in my carriage. get it yourself later.¡± ye jingtang cupped his hands. ¡°thanks for letting go of it, your highness. when i finish reading it¡ª¡± ¡°there¡¯s no need to return it! ii ye jingtang was stunned. ¡°then, what will your highness read?¡± dongfang liren originally wanted to say, ¡°i¡¯ll go to the imperial academy to search for another book.¡± but on second thought, it didn¡¯t seem right. she said with a dignified expression, ¡°i never look at that kind of thing. if i didn¡¯t know you wanted it, i wouldn¡¯t have left it in the carriage!¡± ye jingtang understood and cupped his hands again. ¡°your highness is indeed righteous.¡± dongfang liren didn¡¯t want to talk about the book at all. she got up, went to the bookshelf beside the waterside pavilion, took out a book, and handed it to ye jingtang. ¡°your talent in martial arts is something that the heavens blessed you with. you should read more books like this. how can you become a great person if you read those unpresentable things all day?¡± ye jingtang took the book and saw the words ¡®dragon slaying decree¡¯ written on it. the handwriting was forceful and exuded a sharpness. it was likely written by the saber chief, xuanyuan chao. ye jingtang¡¯s expression turned solemn. he didn¡¯t open it immediately. instead, he looked at dongfang liren. ¡°your highness, showing me the roaring dragon chart is already a favor that¡¯s difficult to repay. if you give me this saber technique¡­¡± dongfang liren said earnestly, ¡°i¡¯ve already learned the heaven equaling saber. this is what i promised you. how can i go back on my word?¡± ye jingtang¡¯s eyes were full of surprise. ¡°really?¡± the meaning in his eyes was probably: i didn¡¯t see it, dumdum. you actually learned it. did the sun rise from the west¡­ dongfang liren¡¯s eyes turned slightly cold as she clenched her fists, looking like she wanted to beat someone up. ye jingtang coughed lightly. he pretended to be serious, opened the dragon slaying decree, and looked at it carefully. on the first page, he saw the words: discussion on breaking the eight-steps frenzied blade. dongfang liren had the opportunity to show off her knowledge in front of ye jingtang, so she naturally wouldn¡¯t let it go. she explained like a knowledgeable expert, ¡°the dragon slaying decree slays the hornless dragon. the moves of the eight-steps frenzied blade are fixed, and there¡¯s no such thing as changing between true and false moves. however, the eight-steps frenzied blade was able to dominate the saber world for decades at the end of the previous dynasty because it could achieve ¡®great skill in simplicity, only speed can¡¯t be broken¡¯. you can see it, but you can¡¯t block it. you can predict it, but you can¡¯t avoid it. ¡°in the years when kuang yazi¡¯s saber dominated the saber world, countless sabermen in jianghu racked their brains to counter his moves. finally, they came to the consensus that no one of the same level could break his moves. even if kuang yazi¡¯s opponents were stronger than him, it would be very difficult to counterattack after being hit. the only way to deal with him was to use a roundabout method to pull away and avoid his attacks. ¡°later, xuanyuan chao appeared out of nowhere and broke this situation. he switched to a broad-backed heavy saber and used the method of ¡®one-step retreat, bowing saber spring¡¯ to make the eight-steps frenzied blade die directly in the starting stance. this method didn¡¯t give the eight-steps frenzied blade a chance to combo, so the eight-steps frenzied blad was eliminated from jianghu.¡± at this point, dongfang liren walked to the surrounding weapon racks and picked up two edgeless practice sabers. one was an ordinary straight saber, and the other was a broad-backed great saber. the great saber¡¯s blade was three and a half feet long, the handle was a foot long, the tip was heavy, and the end was light. the broadest part of the saber was four inches wide, and the guard was an inch and a half wide. after dongfang liren walked to the center of the waterside pavilion, she placed the saber on the floor. ¡°why don¡¯t you try?¡± hearing this, ye jingtang stood up, hung the unsheathed straight saber at his waist, and watched dongfang liren¡¯s actions. dongfang liren took a shoulder strap, hung it on her body, and then hung the saber on it. because the saber was too heavy, the leather shoulder strap hanging diagonally in front of her chest pressed right between the fat-headed dragon and formed two semicircles. ye jingtang was only focused on the saber techniques and didn¡¯t look at this. he moved back 30 feet. the surroundings fell silent. after dongfang liren was ready, ye jingtang moved his left hand slightly. crack! a saber light flashed in the waterside pavilion. ye jingtang held the saber in his left hand and slashed toward dongfang liren¡¯s center. at the same time, dongfang liren¡¯s entire body suddenly trembled. even the fat-headed dragon was shaking violently. she moved her left foot back, bent her back, and raised the heavy saber. she held the hilt of the saber that was sticking out over her right shoulder with both hands. ¡°haa! ii a delicate cry. dongfang liren held the 54-kilogram saber and started the ¡®one-step retreat, bowing saber spring¡¯. it was a great test of her body¡¯s explosive power, and even her face turned red. clang! ye jingtang didn¡¯t use his full strength. he just followed the move and slashed horizontally. when he rushed in front of dongfang liren, her extremely explosive saber was already slashing down. it hit the blade of his saber just right. bang! the crisp sound of metal colliding was accompanied by a string of sparks. ye jingtang was holding the straight saber in his left hand when it collided with the heavy saber. he couldn¡¯t withstand the heavy blow of the saber with one hand at all, and the straight saber immediately struck his forearm. this saber slash actually knocked him back. bang! ye jingtang slid twenty feet away on the smooth floor and only stabilized himself when he hit a bookshelf. but dongfang liren¡¯s saber was still coming. with the tip of the saber touching the floor, she dragged the saber and ran forward wildly. she bowed like a tiger and instantly charged at him. if their levels were similar, the first strike would definitely knock ye jingtang back. then dongfang liren¡¯s follow-up attack would dismember him on the spot. but dongfang liren didn¡¯t have that much explosive power. she stopped after taking a few steps forward. she put the saber on the floor and whispered while panting, ¡°huff¡­ huff¡­ how is it?¡± although she had only attacked once, her consumption was visible to the naked eye. her face had turned red, and her chest was heaving violently. ye jingtang looked at the straight saber in his left hand. it had already been deformed by the single saber blow, and his entire left arm was numb. if not for dumdum¡¯s foundation being too weak, this saber move would probably have crippled his left arm. ¡°this saber technique was completely created for the eight-steps frenzied blade.¡± dongfang liren panted for a moment before putting the heavy saber back on the weapon rack. ¡°in the past, the eight-steps frenzied blade was the most powerful. since xuanyuan chao wanted to take down the saber chief, he naturally had to break the eight-steps frenzied blade. if you want to be the saber chief, you have to dismantle the dragon slaying decree and think of something new. learn the saber techniques of the older generation. even if you can defeat xuanyuan chao, you will win because of your youth, not because of your saber technique attainments.¡± ye jingtang nodded thoughtfully¡­ Chapter 140 - Chapter 140: Vendor Selling Chickens Painting (1) chapter 140: vendor selling chickens painting (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios not far away, in the longevity palace¡­ not long after the sun rose, the empress dowager, who always slept late and woke up late, was awake at this time because she had slept with liren yesterday and had been sent back before dawn. but there was nothing to do in the deep palace. the empress dowager still stayed on the phoenix bed, sitting cross-legged, practicing her useless fire bathing picture. the bedchamber was neat, elegant, and solemn but also gloomy. fortunately, the ¡®vendor selling chickens painting¡¯ on the wall added a little humor to the overall composition. just as the empress dowager was quietly cultivating immortality, footsteps suddenly sounded outside the hall. hongyu hurried in and knocked on the door. ¡°your majesty¡­ your majesty¡­¡± the empress dowager¡¯s eyelashes fluttered as she opened her eyes. ¡°what is it?¡± ¡°young master ye seems to have entered the palace. 1 went to the eternal joy palace to get the cold melons tributed from sha province just now and saw the prince of jing and young master ye going to the peaceful hall¡­¡± ? the empress dowager blinked and looked at the ¡®beautiful man¡¯ painting on the wall. then, she sat up, took a stool from the dressing table, placed it beside the wall, and took off the painting¡­ in the waterside pavilion in the middle of the lake¡­ ye jingtang held the jun mountain heavy saber that weighed 54 kilograms and slowly practiced the moves of the dragon slaying decree. with his physique, it wasn¡¯t a problem for him to carry something weighing 54 kilograms with one hand. however, picking it up and wielding it like it was his arm were two different things. the hornless dragon saber weighed only about two kilograms, and its explosive power depended on one¡¯s physique. if one held a 54-kilogram saber and used the eight-steps frenzied blade to explode instantly, it was very likely that the person would go out, but the saber and arm would still be in place. on the other hand, the dragon slaying decree¡¯s ¡®bowing saber spring¡¯ relied on a unique qi circulation method to gather all one¡¯s strength to instantly increase the speed of the heavy saber. then the heavy saber would rely on inertia. as long as the saber¡¯s momentum increased, the speed would become faster and faster, and the force would become stronger and stronger, achieving the effect of ¡®three strikes first can slay a dragon¡¯. although the dragon slaying decree was a heavy saber, due to its special starting stance, its speed was second only to the eight-steps frenzied blade among saber techniques. with this saber technique, only when encountering the eight-steps frenzied blade would one need to take a step back and exchange space for time to attack with the saber. against other saber techniques that weren¡¯t fast enough, it was ¡®one-step forward, bowing saber spring¡¯. it combined strength and speed to the extreme. the only drawback was that it relied on inertia to follow. however, one could see it but was unable to grasp it. a huge saber weighing more than fifty kilograms was flying toward them. if they were hit, they would die. it really took a lot of courage to rush forward and take advantage of the loophole. ye jingtang believed that his attainments in the saber were not low. but after thinking about it for a long time with the heavy saber, he found that the best solution was to stab the opponent to death with a nine-foot-long spear. there was no need to fuss about it. the spear was publicly acknowledged as the king of weapons. it could deal with all kinds of bells and whistles in a one-on-one battle. it was completely unreasonable when fighting against short-range weapons. the spear chief ranked seventh in the world and fourth among the eight chiefs because the six above were deities who were proficient in all kinds of weapons, and they also knew how to use large spears. furthermore, they practiced both internal and external martial arts. just being good at the spear wouldn¡¯t do. as for xuanyuan chao, he could only rank eighth in the world. it wasn¡¯t that his talent was inferior to the spear chief¡¯s but that he specialized in the saber, so he was destined to be suppressed by the spear. the same was true for zhou chiyang. however, if he used the spear to defeat xuanyuan chao, it would only be a vendetta in jianghu, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to obtain the title of saber chief. his foster father had lost in the saber. clearly, he couldn¡¯t take revenge like this. if he wanted to fulfill his foster father¡¯s last wish, he had to polish the eight-steps frenzied blade. ye jingtang was completely focused on studying saber techniques, almost forgetting himself. dongfang liren didn¡¯t mind being neglected. she stood outside the waterside pavilion with her hands behind her back and sized him up carefully. the bird was a little bored. it spread its wings and swayed around dongfang liren¡¯s feet. it kicked sister fat-headed snake¡¯s shoes with its claws. it was probably practicing the ¡®eagle claw technique¡¯. just as the two of them and the bird were seriously contemplating martial arts, footsteps suddenly came from the lakeside. tap, tap, tap¡­ two faint whispers sounded. ¡°your majesty, i¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not a good idea for you to go in. what if her highness is doing something with young master ye¡­¡± ¡°what nonsense are you talking about in broad daylight? i¡¯m just going in to take a look¡­¡± ye jingtang¡¯s blade paused. he turned around and saw two women walking out of the corridor at the side of the peaceful hall. in the back was a beautiful palace maid holding a painting scroll in her hand. in front was a woman in a gorgeous palace dress with a colorful phoenix cloud collar and gold and jade jewelry. her hair was tied into an extremely noble double-knife bun? with wind-patterned gold hairpins. she walked slowly and lightly, without any sway in her footsteps, and her bearing was extremely elegant. the woman¡¯s cheeks were round and soft. her cherry-like mouth and her pair of gem-like big eyes made her look noble and superior, but it was not to the extent that people didn¡¯t dare to look at her directly. she gave off a sense of peace and tranquility. she was the kind of daughter-in-law that wealthy families liked very much. no matter how beautiful and charming a beauty was, she could suppress her. it would be obvious at a glance who was the eldest wife of the family. seeing this, dongfang liren walked out of the waterside pavilion and bowed politely. ¡°empress dowager, why are you here?¡± ye jingtang had met the empress dowager once, but last time, she was wearing a casual dress and looked like a noble lady. he really didn¡¯t realize that the empress dowager looked so good in formal attire. she completely embodied the grandeur and loftiness of an empress. ye jingtang walked out of the waterside pavilion and cupped his hands. ¡°commoner ye jingtang pays his respects to your majesty empress dowager.¡± ¡°no need for formalities.¡± the empress dowager walked gracefully to the lakeside. ¡°1 was bored in the palace and wanted to have a heart-to-heart talk with her majesty. but 1 found that her majesty wasn¡¯t around, so 1 came here to take a look.¡± as she spoke, she wanted to jump onto a lotus leaf stone. the stone was level with the lake¡¯s surface and relatively long. it would be dangerous for ordinary women to walk on it. seeing this, dongfang liren flew up, leaped across the lake like a dragonfly skimming the water, and arrived in front of the empress dowager. the empress dowager was very well-behaved. she consciously raised her hand and let dongfang liren hug her waist. then she was carried into the air toward the waterside pavilion. Chapter 141 - Chapter 141: Vendor Selling Chickens Painting (2) chapter 141: vendor selling chickens painting (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios because dongfang liren was very tall and the empress dowager was relatively petite. from afar, it looked like a silver-robed prince holding his beloved concubine in his arms and walking on water. seeing dumdum¡¯s cool and agile movements, ye jingtang sighed in his heart, feeling that this non-biological mother-daughter relationship was really good. but dumdum never disappointed! dongfang liren¡¯s lightness skills were not bad, but her status meant that she couldn¡¯t bring people along often. she had just used the dragon slaying decree and consumed a lot of energy. treading on water, riding waves had extremely high requirements for body movements. hugging the empress dowager with one hand, dongfang liren tapped the lake twice. perhaps she wanted to pay attention to her elegant posture in front of ye jingtang, but she was distracted, and her footsteps became noticeably heavier. splash! water splashed on the lake! dongfang liren¡¯s eyes widened. the empress dowager, who was about to crash, hadn¡¯t noticed dumdum¡¯s mistake, but ye jingtang could tell that they would definitely fall with a plop. ye jingtang¡¯s smile stiffened slightly. then he rushed out of the edge of the waterside pavilion with a whoosh and approached like a black lightning bolt. huh? when the empress dowager saw ye jingtang rushing over, she was still a little puzzled. then she suddenly realized that she was beginning to tilt and fall toward the lake. ¡°ah?!¡± the empress dowager hurriedly hugged dongfang liren¡¯s neck. dongfang liren¡¯s face instantly turned red. when she saw ye jingtang rushing over, she stretched out her right hand. pa- two palms clasped together! ye jingtang used treading on water, riding waves. before the two of them fell into the water, he grabbed dongfang liren¡¯s right hand, pulled her up, tapped the tip of his foot on the surface of the lake, and leaped back to the edge of the waterside pavilion. whoosh! three figures rose into the air above the lake. this moment passed very slowly. dongfang liren looked into ye jingtang¡¯s eyes and could clearly see the emotions in them. ¡°tsk, tsk, tsk¡­ it hurts my eyes¡­¡± ?! it was supposed to be a very romantic scene. dongfang liren¡¯s eyebrows furrowed in anger. she just wanted to kick this infuriating young master away. the empress dowager, who had suffered a false alarm, leaned into liren¡¯s arms with surprise in her eyes. tread, tread! the three of them landed outside the water pavilion. ye jingtang let go of dumdum¡¯s hand and pretended that nothing had happened. dongfang liren¡¯s face flushed redder. she pretended that nothing had happened and looked at the empress dowager. ¡°empress dowager, let¡¯s go in and talk.¡± seeing the two of them pretending nothing had happened, the empress dowager naturally didn¡¯t say anything. she waved her hand and got hongyu, who was by the lake, to come over. ¡°this must be young master ye, right? i heard that you have extraordinary literary talent. i recently obtained a painting. please appraise it.¡± hmm? who did you hear that from?ye jingtang was baffled. he turned to look at dongfang liren. dongfang liren knew that the empress dowager lived in the depths of the imperial palace and was very lonely. she could remember a small matter for a long time, so dongfang liren wasn¡¯t surprised by this visit at all. she only hinted with her eyes. praise her with ail your might! the empress dowager walked into the waterside pavilion with a dignified bearing and sat elegantly on a meditation mat. dongfang liren sat beside her. hongyu hugged the scroll and trotted across the lotus leaf stones. she didn¡¯t enter the waterside pavilion but just stood on a lotus leaf stone and handed the scroll to ye jingtang. ye jingtang didn¡¯t enter the waterside pavilion either. he stood outside the entrance and took the scroll with both hands solemnly. he unfolded it and observed it carefully. yes¡­ it was the painting of a man carrying the sun and moon on his shoulders that he had seen last time. the painting should have been cropped. this time, the portrait is in the center¡­ ¡°chirp-¡± the bird jumped onto his shoulder curiously and sized up the painting. it tilted its head slightly, probably because it didn¡¯t understand. the empress dowager carefully observed ye jingtang¡¯s expression and asked, ¡°what do you think, young master ye?¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t have any foundation in painting and calligraphy. as long as the figure in the painting looked like a person, it wasn¡¯t bad in his opinion. dumdum had already hinted at him to praise it with all his might, so he definitely couldn¡¯t say that it wasn¡¯t good. after some thought, he said, ¡°well¡­ i have humble talent and shallow learning. if my comments have any mistakes, please don¡¯t blame me, your majesty.¡± ¡°go ahead.¡± ¡°in my opinion, this painting is a top-notch work. judging from the style, it¡¯s an abstract¡­ no, it¡¯s a freehand style. the man looks like he¡¯s looking around in a daze. there¡¯s a three-eyed golden crow on his shoulder, which should be a metaphor for carrying the sun. the rest is blank, just like the sky. hmm¡­ this painting should be describing a man shouldering the blue sky and the bright sun alone, wondering why he¡¯s not understood by the world¡­¡± 11 pii dongfang liren¡¯s eyes widened in shock. can¡¯t you tell that this painting is of you? what nonsense are you saying? its over, it¡¯s over. the empress dowager will be sad for half a year¡­ hongyu, beside him, was full of surprise. oh my, 1 didn¡¯t expect this cold young master ye to be better at flattering than me¡­ when the empress dowager heard these words, she understood that ye jingtang really couldn¡¯t tell what she had painted. she secretly heaved a sigh of relief, and then she was unsurprisingly depressed! seeing that the empress dowager was getting more and more unhappy, dongfang liren hurriedly interrupted with a dignified expression, ¡°ye jingtang, it¡¯s not appropriate for you to praise yourself like that, right?¡± praise myself?ye jingtang stopped talking abruptly and looked at the portrait again¡­ could this be me? it really seems like it¡­ there is a saber hanging at the waist, and this should be a bird on the shoulder¡­ ye jingtang tilted his head slightly while the bird tilted its head almost 180 degrees. it was probably thinking about how it and that ball looked alike. fortunately, ye jingtang¡¯s reaction wasn¡¯t slow. he was shocked, but he still nodded slowly on the surface. ¡°no wonder. 1 was wondering why it looked familiar. hmm¡­ your majesty¡¯s painting is too lofty. i¡¯m just a commoner with the ambition of a sparrow. 1 really don¡¯t dare to associate it with me¡­¡± this time, the empress dowager could tell that ye jingtang didn¡¯t mean what he said at all. she raised her hand and said, ¡°since your evaluation of it is so high, i will give you this painting. i hope that one day, you can shoulder the blue sky and the bright sun and become a pillar of great wei.¡± ye jingtang felt that he should be flattered. ¡°thanks for the reward, your majesty.¡± dongfang liren secretly waved her hand. ¡°remember to take care of the empress dowager¡¯s treasured painting when you go back. if it¡¯s ruined, it¡¯s a crime of beheading. alright, go do your work. i will summon you again if 1 have something for you to do.¡± ¡°i shall take my leave, your majesty, your highness!¡± ye jingtang felt relieved. after bowing and rolling up the scroll, he quickly left the waterside pavilion. the bird was very polite. it stood on ye jingtang¡¯s shoulder, turned around, and raised its wing. ¡°chirp-¡± dongfang liren raised her hand to bid farewell. the empress dowager¡¯s eyes brightened slightly, but when she realized that this little pet wasn¡¯t hers, she didn¡¯t say anything. after ye jingtang disappeared, the empress dowager¡¯s eyes revealed resentment as she glanced at dongfang liren. dongfang liren caressed the empress dowager¡¯s back gently. ¡°1 think your painting is very good. he¡¯s a boorish person, so how can he know how to appreciate paintings? empress dowager, don¡¯t take it to heart¡­¡± the empress dowager had been thinking about it for a month, but no one could recognize what she had drawn. she really felt terrible. ¡°i¡¯m not stupid. find someone to teach me how to paint. if this person can¡¯t teach me well, hmph¡­¡± ¡°alright, 1¡¯11 go look for candidates immediately¡­¡± Chapter 142 - Chapter 142: Discussion on Breaking the Dragon Slaying Decree chapter 142: discussion on breaking the dragon slaying decree translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after ye jingtang left the eternal joy palace, the sun had already risen above his head. he held the treasured painting personally bestowed by the empress dowager with both hands and passed through the wall of the red palace. his mind was still thinking about the solution to the dragon slaying decree. there were many people around the eternal joy palace, and there were also imperial guards patrolling. but when they saw him wearing the prince of jing estate waist token, they didn¡¯t stop him. ye jingtang naturally didn¡¯t wander around. he carried the bird to the imperial stable first. the imperial city was very large, and the prince of jing had the privilege of ¡®entering the palace with shoes on and a sword¡¯. she didn¡¯t need to walk, so the carriage directly entered the palace and stopped in the imperial stable on the side of the eternal joy palace. it was placed next to the empress¡¯s imperial carriage, which was specially looked after by eunuchs. ye jingtang arrived at the empress¡¯s ¡®garage¡¯ and searched among the many carriages. before he could find the prince of jing¡¯s carriage, he was attracted by a horse in the horse farm. there were more than ten horses in the imperial stable, and they were all used by the empress when she went out. one of the red horses had a plot of land all to itself, and the space for it to trot back and forth was much larger than the courtyard where ye jingtang lived. holding the painting scroll, ye jingtang went to the fence to size up the horse. the red horse was shoulder-high and had a shocking figure. its body was like burning charcoal, and there was not a single strand of unkempt hair. it was very mighty. compared to this horse, his horse looked like a malnourished foal. ye jingtang used to work as an escort in an escort agency and had spent half of his time on horseback. when he saw this famous steed that was impossible to see in jianghu, he naturally couldn¡¯t walk away. it was as if he was looking at a beautiful woman with a luscious body. he looked at it for a long time. the red horse seemed to be well-trained. it was as big as a tiger but had a fairly docile temperament. it walked to the edge of the fence with small steps under the sun and looked down at the bird. ¡°neigh, neigh!¡± this was the first time the bird had seen such a big horse. it was a little afraid, so it hid behind ye jingtang and secretly stuck its head out. ¡°coo, coo¡­¡± ye jingtang originally wanted to raise his hand to touch the horse¡¯s head, but he was afraid of causing trouble, so he decided not to. after looking at it for a while, he went to the prince of jing¡¯s carriage. ye jingtang sat beside the soft couch where dumdum usually sat. he opened the small cabinet and found that there were quite a lot of books inside. other than tears of a heroine, there were also a few novels. above were book reviews of tears of a heroine by literati and scholars. ye jingtang was slightly surprised when he saw the opinions of his ¡®comrades¡¯, so he naturally flipped through them. in the end, he realized that the insights of the famous people were indeed something. he had never seen the meaning of some obscure descriptions before. it seems that dumdum¡¯s research is quite deep¡­ ye jingtang nodded and put the book reviews back in their original place. then he got off the carriage and prepared to leave. but as soon as he got out of the carriage, he saw a woman enter the imperial stable. the woman was wearing a bright red skirt and top, without any other colors on her body, only pure beauty. but her even more gorgeous face could overpower these bright red clothes. the moment she appeared, even the summer flames seemed to lose their color. ye jingtang was stunned. he jumped off the carriage and greeted from afar, ¡°miss yuhu, why are you here?¡± ¡°chirp.¡± when the bird realized that ye jingtang knew her, it flapped its wings politely, probably saying: hello, beautiful sister. the empress seemed to have just discovered ye jingtang. she slowly walked over and bowed. ¡°i¡¯m here to take care of her majesty¡¯s horses. young master ye, why are you here?¡± ¡°the prince of jing and i entered the palace, and i received a treasured painting from her majesty the empress dowager. i¡¯m about to go back.¡± ¡°oh¡­¡± the empress blinked and looked at the scroll in ye jingtang¡¯s hand. ¡°her majesty the empress dowager¡¯s painting?¡± ye jingtang wasn¡¯t stingy. he walked up to her and opened the long scroll solemnly. ¡°miss yuhu, what do you think?¡± the empress of great wei was the complete opposite of her sister. she liked the zither, go, calligraphy, and painting. one of her usual hobbies was to stamp the calligraphy and paintings of famous people from the previous dynasty. seeing ye jingtang asking her to appreciate it, the empress was interested and stood beside him to observe. ¡°hmm¡­ this painting can be said to have both spirit and form. it portrays the artistic conception of the difficulty of making a living for ordinary people in the city in a penetrating and profound way¡­¡± h brilliant!¡± ye jingtang nodded. as expected, it¡¯s not that my eyesight is poor but that mortals really can¡¯t understand the empress dowager¡¯s painting¡­ after the two of them chatted nonsense for a while, ye jingtang put away the painting scroll and looked at the horse farm. ¡°what kind of horse is this? it looks really mighty. i was shocked when i came here just now.¡± the empress had come over because she had seen ye jingtang staring at her horse in amazement for a long time from afar. she had specially come to introduce it to this silly boy who had never seen the world. ¡°this horse is called rouge tiger. it was born in notherna yan. it is the king among the ten famous horses, dark clouds treading snow. it¡¯s the only one in the world.¡± rouge tigerq¡­ ye jingtang blinked and looked at miss yuhu beside him. ¡°miss, you and this horse, both in name and temperament, are quite compatible.¡± ¡°i helped her majesty choose this horse¡¯s name, so it¡¯s naturally compatible.¡± after the empress gave a casual explanation, she went to the entrance of the fence and lifted it, preparing to enter. seeing this, ye jingtang hurriedly stopped her. ¡°be careful. if this horse is frightened, i might not be able to hold it back.¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ve been taking care of this horse. it won¡¯t hurt anyone.¡± the empress opened the fence and entered the horse farm. the big red horse took the initiative to run over. she walked to the horse¡¯s side, stepped on the stirrups, and sat sideways on the saddle. her red skirt fluttered in the wind as she rode slowly across the horse farm. ¡°giddyup.¡± clack, clack¡­ the scene of a beautiful woman riding a fierce horse had a unique beauty that combined strength and softness. ye jingtang looked past the fence and praised, ¡°miss yuhu, your horsemanship is quite good.¡± ¡°chirp-¡± the bird nodded. the empress stopped her horse in front of the fence and turned to look at the cold young master below. ¡°young master ye, your compliment is very insincere. i rode a horse for you to see. young master, shouldn¡¯t you compose a poem to show me your thoughts?¡± hearing this, ye jingtang frowned. ¡°by the way, miss yuhu, you said you didn¡¯t hear the poem i told you last time, but the next day, the prince of jing came to my door and almost tortured me. although it¡¯s nothing serious, your actions feel like repaying kindness with ingratitude.¡± h 11 the empress blinked and explained, ¡°because the poem was so good, i casually wrote it down, and other palace maids saw it. i¡¯m really sorry for troubling you and causing you to be punished.¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t argue with this girl and only said, ¡°i¡¯m just a martial artist. how could i compose poems?¡± the empress had personally run over. hearing this, she was a little unhappy. ¡°young master, you should remember something, right? last time, you were so eloquent, but this time, you won¡¯t even say anything. could it be that i made you angry?¡± ye jingtang waved his hand slightly. ¡°miss, you¡¯re being too serious. i suddenly remembered that when you and i discussed martial arts, i might have had some insights. discussing poetry is really making things difficult for me.¡± hearing this, the empress asked despite knowing the answer, ¡°is that so? i know a little about martial arts. i just heard from her majesty that you were discussing the method to break the dragon slaying decree with the prince of jing at the roaring dragon pond. do you have any ideas?¡± this was completely deliberately making things difficult for him. but to the empress¡¯s surprise, ye jingtang said frankly, ¡°the dragon slaying decree is the same as the eight-steps frenzied blade. they are both extreme saber techniques, but the dragon slaying decree is even fiercer than the eight-steps frenzied blade. the eight-steps frenzied blade progresses step by step to become more and more powerful, while the dragon slaying decree only requires a successful start. no one will dare to block a fifty-kilogram saber. therefore, if you want to break the move, you have to start from the starting stance.¡± the empress nodded slightly. ¡°the eight-steps frenzied blade used to be the fastest saber technique in the world. even the eight-steps frenzied blade can¡¯t stop it, so you can only think of a way to take the first strike head-on.¡± ye jingtang was slightly surprised. ¡°miss, you look smarter than ben¡ªthan ordinary martial artists.¡± the empress jumped off her horse and leaned on the wooden fence. ¡°knowing the path is one thing. overcoming the obstacles to create a qi circulation technique and reaching the top is another matter. your insights must have been thought of by the top martial artists in jianghu. but until now, no one has been able to break the move, which shows that this path is very difficult to walk.¡± ii it¡¯s indeed difficult to walk. i pondered for a few hours before 1 got some clues.¡± ye jingtang found that discussing martial arts with miss yuhu was much smoother than with dumdum. he became interested and handed the painting and book to her. then he took out the hornless dragon saber and hung it on his right waist. ¡°the dragon slaying decree rests the saber on your back and starts with the bowing saber spring. the first strike will definitely slash down. with the existence of the ¡®one-step retreat¡¯, this strike can¡¯t be stopped. you can only dodge or forcefully receive it.¡± ye jingtang stepped forward horizontally, with his left foot in front and his right foot behind to support his body. at the same time, he drew his saber with his left hand. crack! when the saber was halfway out of its sheath, ye jingtang pressed his right hand on the back of the saber and raised it forward. ¡°with my right hand supporting the back of the saber and my right foot supporting from the ground, i can withstand the immense force of the dragon slaying decree. the saber is tilted back and pointed diagonally to the right. when the dragon slaying decree slashes down, it will definitely slide to the right, and the force will also decrease. as long as the dragon slaying decree slides out and i push the saber with my right hand, if 1 don¡¯t break his neck, i¡¯ll cut off his right arm.¡± after ye jingtang finished demonstrating the starting stance, he asked, ¡°what do you think, miss?¡± h 11 surprise flashed across the empress¡¯s eyes. she got up and walked around the fence to ye jingtang. then she placed her hands on the fence and jumped up slightly. she sat on the fence and lowered her head to size him up carefully. ¡°using this starting move, at the same level, it is indeed possible to withstand the dragon slaying decree. but without the support of the qi circulation method, this is just a showy but useless move.¡± ye jingtang shook his head secretly and felt that she was hu dumdum. he said seriously, ¡°since you already know the starting stance, it¡¯s equivalent to knowing the exam questions. you just have to follow the questions and go whichever direction is the most suitable for the qi circulation. however, this thing is more difficult to think about. it will probably take a few days to figure it out¡­¡± h 11 the empress swayed her legs gently and pondered for a moment. ¡°this move of yours can block the dragon slaying decree, but you will draw your saber slower. when encountering the eight-steps frenzied blade, you can only pull out half of the saber at most before the opponent¡¯s slash is already at your neck.¡± Chapter 143 - Chapter 143: Remember to Wear Pants When Fighting chapter 143: remember to wear pants when fighting translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ye jingtang naturally understood the difference in speed between using his left hand to draw his saber on the left side and using his left hand to draw it from the right. if he encountered the eight-steps frenzied blade with this starting stance, at the same level, he would be beheaded on the spot. ye jingtang explained, ¡°do you see this step? when encountering rhe eight-steps frenzied blade, take one step back, and when encountering other saber techniques, take one step forward. this is the way the dragon slaying decree breaks the eight-steps frenzied blade. moreover, this left-hand draw and right-hand push can block the eight-steps frenzied blade¡¯s starting stance. if the first move of the eight-steps frenzied blade can¡¯t shake the opponent, it can¡¯t achieve the interconnecting effect.¡± the empress carefully visualized it in her mind and found that this was really the case. she thought for a moment and said, ¡°there¡¯s only one move, and it¡¯s considered defensive. even if you can block the start of the dragon slaying decree, if you fail to defeat the opponent with the saber push, by the rime you can attack a second time, the dragon slaying decree has already started to turn. you won¡¯t be able to block ir at all, not to mention rhe eight-steps frenzied blade, which can cur you into three pieces. what will you do?¡± ye jingtang maintained the posture of stepping forward and pushing the saber. after thinking seriously for a moment, he placed his left foot behind to support his body and his right foot in front. the empress frowned slightly. ¡°you¡¯re not as stable as before. ii ¡°you don¡¯t understand.¡± ye jingtang drew his saber with his left hand and pushed it with his right. ¡°after blocking the dragon slaying decree, the opponent will inevitably slide to the right. it will be difficult to restrain the force of the heavy saber, and it can¡¯t slide past the tip of my saber, so the opponent can only forcefully press the blade and push me away. the position where he is pressing down will definitely be at the tip of the saber. i only need to borrow his strength to rotate my body¡­¡± bam! there was a loud explosion outside the fence! ye jingtang held his saber with both hands and switched to his right leg to support his weight. he followed the movements of the saber and rotated his body. his left leg behind him followed with a powerful whip kick. ¡°if you use your right leg to kick, you will kick the other party¡¯s blade, and you won¡¯t be able to stand on your left leg. if you use your left leg to kick, it won¡¯t be the same. if the opponent¡¯s reaction is fast, you will kick his elbow, and the inertia of the heavy saber will make it difficult for him to stand steadily. if the opponent¡¯s reaction is slow, you will kick his temple directly, and he will probably die on the spot.¡± the empress said, ¡°you¡¯re studying saber techniques. why are you using your legs?¡± ye jingtang¡¯s eyes were full of helplessness. ¡°you¡¯re just splitting hairs now. who said that saber users can t use their legs to kick people when sparring?¡± the empress just said it casually. after some thought, she said, ¡°your saber technique can only break rhe dragon slaying decree. when you encounter the eight-steps frenzied blade, the opponent will retract his saber too quickly. if you dare to retract your saber and kick, you¡¯ll die on the spot.¡± ye jingtang thought about it and agreed. his saber technique could only deal with heavy sabers, it was inferior to the eight-steps frenzied blade when facing light-weight sabers. it was almost impossible for him to reach the pinnacle of the saber world with this technique. ye jingtang pondered for a moment. ¡°i¡¯ve only thought of this for the time being. if it really doesn¡¯t work, i will use the eight-steps frenzied blade to fight head-on. the saber in my right hand will definitely be stronger than the saber in my left hand.¡± the empress was slightly stunned. ¡°the first move of the eight-steps frenzied blade is left-handed. if you draw your saber with your right hand, how do you follow up?¡± ii just reverse the qi circulation method and practice it in reverse. originally, the eight-steps frenzied blade is weak at the first slash and strong at the second and third. conversely, it will be strong at the first slash and weak at the second and third. the fourth slash uses both hands, so there¡¯s no difference.¡± the empress nodded, jumped down from the fence, and extended her hand. ¡°give me the saber.¡± seeing that miss yuhu was very familiar with saber techniques, ye jingtang threw the hornless dragon saber to her. he took a short wooden stick from the stable and assumed a stance in front of her. ¡°let¡¯s attack at the same time. you can feel it.¡± the empress hung the saber on the right side of her belt and stood ten feet away. with her charming temperament, coupled with her clothes and the saber, she looked more like someone from jianghu than ye jingtang. ye jingtang hung the wooden stick on his back symbolically. ¡°use both hands. if the dragon slaying decree¡¯s reaction is slow, draw the saber with your right hand and execute the first move of the eight-steps frenzied blade. if the opponent attacks at the same time, put your right foot in front and draw the saber with your left hand¡­¡± ii i know.¡± ii alright. get ready. one, two, three! ii clang! a cold light flashed outside the stable. the empress¡¯s red skirt fluttered as she moved forward. she drew the saber halfway with her left hand, held the sheath with her right hand, and pressed the back of the saber. her right foot landed in front of ye jingtang. ye jingtang stepped back with his left foot, bent his back, and sprung the wooden stick on his back. then he held the stick with both hands and slashed down. clang! the empress, holding the hilt of the saber in her left hand and pressing the back of the saber with her right hand, blocked the wooden stick just right. when rhe wooden stick pressed down and slid to the right, she followed the force to rotate, raised her left leg, and lashed out a powerful whip kick at ye jingtang¡¯s face. bam! ye jingtang didn¡¯t expect miss yuhu, who didn¡¯t seem to take the spar seriously, to really kick him! he had only practiced the first move of the dragon slaying decree and had yet to figure out how he could withstand the move he had just studied. seeing miss yuhu¡¯s sharp eyes and merciless whip kick sweeping toward him, ye jingtang could only forget that he was holding a heavy saber¡¯ in his hand and duck down to avoid the whip kick. swoosh! the soft red skirt swept past his face. at a glance, he could see that under rhe skirt was a straight and slender right leg that was like a white jade pillar. it was plump and fair without any flaws. there were no tights on her legs. it was just a clean white leg wearing a red palace shoe. he looked up¡­ the sun was shining brightly outside, so the light under the skirt was quite good¡­ although she wasn¡¯t wearing tights, there was clearly a red cloth between her legs. but to put it bluntly, there was too much exposed. the cloth was at most three fingers wide¡­ whoosh! before ye jingtang could take a closer look, the red skirt suddenly came down and blocked his vision. then her left leg lowered onto his shoulder, and the soft skirt slid down his cheek. he saw miss yuhu¡¯s face. she was performing a split and pressing her leg down on his shoulder. ? ye jingtang turned his head and looked at the fair calf and red palace shoe on the side of his face. he was slightly dissatisfied. ¡°miss yuhu, why are you so impolite? we re just practicing moves. why did you really kick?¡± the empress¡¯s original intention was to stop her leg next to ye jingtang¡¯s ear. she didn¡¯t expect this silly boy to hide so quickly and directly crawl under her skirt. she pressed ye jingtang¡¯s shoulder with her left leg and raised the saber in her hand. ¡°did you see anything?¡± ye jingtang felt that he had heard these words before. he said solemnly, ¡°you pressed down your skirt so fast. what could i see? you¡¯re just looking for trouble with me. it¡¯s because you didn¡¯t follow martial ethics. i took refuge in an emergency. it¡¯s a normal reaction.¡± h after the empress confirmed that her brother-in-law was righteous and didn¡¯t have any abnormalities, she retracted her leg. offended you.¡± i didn¡¯t control my strength and ¡°it¡¯s fine. it¡¯s normal to make mistakes when sparring. in the future, when you spar with others, remember to wear martial arts clothes. wearing a skirt and using whip kicks, it¡¯s easy to injure the enemy by a hundred and injure yourself by a hundred thousand.¡± the empress patted her skirt. ¡°i¡¯m wearing pants. they¡¯re just short. it¡¯s hot in summer, so it¡¯s cooler to wear them like this.¡± are you wearing them?ye jingtang felt that this palace maid liked to look strong and dignified, but he couldn¡¯t lift her skirt to verify it. he took the saber. ¡°miss, do you think this saber technique is feasible?¡± the empress deliberated for a moment. ¡°the eight-steps frenzied blade is a nearly perfect saber technique. it just loses to the dragon slaying decree. in order to break the dragon slaying decree, you¡¯re giving up the greatest advantage of the eight-steps frenzied blade. it¡¯s putting rhe cart before the horse. in my opinion, you have to continue polishing it. if you find another path to protect the essence of the eight-steps frenzied blade and prevent the dragon slaying decree from starting, this saber technique will be invincible in the world.¡± after practicing it, ye jingtang also discovered many problems. he nodded and said, ¡°that¡¯s true. you seem to know a lot about saber techniques.¡± ii her majesty likes martial arts. i¡¯ve heard and seen a lot, so i naturally know a little. if you succeed in your saber technique, it¡¯s enough to leave its name in history. what are you going to call this saber technique?¡± ye jingtang thought for a moment. ¡°white cut chicken!¡± h chirp?¡± the bird spread its wings. it s not over for me, is it? the empress seemed to understand the meaning of ¡®white cut chicken¡¯. she smiled and pondered for a moment. ¡°i heard from her majesty that you went to the roaring dragon pond today. that place is very beneficial to martial artists. do you want me to put in a good word for you and let you stay in the roaring dragon pond for a few more days?¡± ye jingtang just didn¡¯t want to trouble dumdum anymore. how could he not want to stay in the roaring dragon pond? fie was slightly surprised to hear this. that¡¯s where fler majesty sleeps. is this possible?¡± the empress nodded. ¡°sure. how are you going to thank me, young master ye? thank you? 1 helped you fish out the jade pendant, and now i still owe dumdum a huge debt. you still have the cheek to ask me to thank you¡­ seeing that miss yuhu was so thick-skinned, ye jingtang thought carefully. ¡°i have a way to let you leave the palace and regain your freedom.¡± ? the empress originally wanted to ask for poetry, bur when she heard this, she asked, ¡°1 am her majesty¡¯s most pampered palace maid. what method do you have to let her majesty part with me?¡± pampered?ye jingtang felt that this word was wrong and leaned closer. ¡°miss yuhu, you and her majesty¡­ that¡­¡± scissoring, the empress understood what ye jingtang meant and nodded. ¡°yes, i sleep on the dragon bed every day.¡± i¡± ye jingtang was rather surprised, but looking at miss yuhu¡¯s gorgeous appearance that suppressed yun¡¯an, he felt that it wasn¡¯t impossible. no wonder she isn¡¯t wearing pants¡­ ye jingtang suppressed the strange look in his eyes and asked curiously, ¡°miss yuhu, you like women too?¡± the empress said casually, ¡°i am a palace maid. can 1 make the decision for such a matter?¡± so, she doesn¡¯t like women? ye jingtang sighed secretly. fie had mixed feelings and felt that this girl was pitiful. just as he was about to say something, he looked at miss yuhu¡¯s bun. the empress was only wearing red clothes and no jewelry. her long black hair was pulled back and tied up with a strip of red cloth, making her look spotless. but like this, other colors were very eye-catching. under the sunlight, ye jingtang could clearly see a white strand hidden in between her black hair. it was not conspicuous, but it was extremely dazzling when he noticed it. ¡°miss yuhu, why do you have white hair?¡± the empress touched her hair and replied casually, ¡°from worry. young master ye, go back early. if palace servants come over and see you, fler majesty will be jealous, and you will lose your head.¡± only then did ye jingtang realize that he was chatting with the empress¡¯s concubine. he immediately raised his hand and bowed, preparing to leave. the empress helped ye jingtang pick up the book and painting scroll at the edge of the carriage. just as she was about to hand them over, she suddenly realized that liren seemed to have read this book with a solemn frame. she casually flipped it open¡­ her face was stupefied. the empress instantly stopped. before she could take a closer look, a large hand pressed on the illustration. she looked up. the cold and extraordinary young master ye maintained a gentle and refined expression as he took the book and painting scroll. ¡°i¡¯ll take my leave first. let¡¯s meet again if fate allows.¡± then he carried the bird on his shoulder and left leisurely. ? the empress¡¯s eyes were a little strange. it wasn¡¯t until ye jingtang left that she sighed.. at least he has some conscience and didn¡¯t push the blame onto liren¡­ Chapter 144 - Chapter 144: Why Is This Person Like You? (1) chapter 144: why is this person like you? (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios click, clack.. it was noon, and the sound of horse hooves appeared outside dye workshop street again. ye jingtang slowly led his big horse through the street, holding the book and painting scroll wrapped in silk in his hand. along the way, he pondered over saber techniques. the bird was chirping, probably chatting about the great beauty they had just met. at noon, the sun was too scorching. there were no craftsmen on the street, and double osmanthus alley was even more deserted. as soon as ye jingtang led the horse into the alley, he stopped his train of thought. he looked around and saw that the courtyard was clean, and the bedsheets and bedding he had washed in the morning had been put away. the door and windows of the west wing were open. there was a small desk inside but no bed. the kitchen was neat and tidy, and there was no one inside. the door and windows of the main room were closed, and there was no sound inside. ye jingtang stopped his horse outside the courtyard and walked toward the main room. ¡°heroine luo?¡± swish swish¡­ the sound of clothes being put on came from the room, followed by a cold and mature voice. ¡°go buy a few kilograms of salt.¡± ye jingtang could tell that heroine luo was wearing a dress. holding the painting scroll, he walked to the main room. ¡°i¡¯m coming in to put something away¡ª¡± ¡°little thief!¡± ye jingtang stopped under the eaves. ¡°alright, alright. i¡¯ll come in after you¡¯re dressed. does it still hurt?¡± there was no response from inside the room. ye jingtang shook his head helplessly and said seriously, ¡°1 went to the palace today and learned the dragon slaying decree and the jade bone picture. but 1 can¡¯t bring the jade bone picture out, so 1 can¡¯t teach it¡­¡± ¡°i don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°i even went to the roaring dragon pond. it¡¯s very fast to practice the roaring dragon chart there¡­¡± ¡°isn¡¯t that in the empress¡¯s resting palace?¡± ¡°the princess brought me there. you said that you wanted to enter the peaceful hall, but 1 don¡¯t think i have a choice.¡± ¡°why?¡± ye jingtang leaned against the door and said mysteriously, ¡°1 heard from a pitiful palace maid that the empress likes women. i¡¯m safe, but it¡¯s too dangerous for you to go in.¡± there was no sound in the room. she was probably stunned by the news. after a moment, she said, ¡°it¡¯s fine if it doesn¡¯t work. i¡¯ve already asked yunli to inform the helm masters outside the city about the murderer yesterday. 1¡¯11 probably receive news in a few days.¡± ¡°that¡¯s good. i was just wondering how to help the princess solve the case.¡± ¡°hmph!¡± after the two of them communicated through the door for a while, the door opened from the inside. luo ning¡¯s figure appeared. her long hair was wet. it looked like she had just taken a bath. she was wearing a light blue summer dress and white embroidered shoes. she had no makeup on her face, and her watery face was like a lotus flower emerging from the water. her cold and otherworldly temperament made the hot summer feel a little more cool and refreshing. the only thing inharmonious was that luo ning was holding a sword with a fierce gaze. ye jingtang got up, walked into the room, put down the book, and held the painting scroll. ¡°this is a treasured painting bestowed by the empress dowager. from now on, i have to take good care of it at home¡­¡± before he could finish speaking, he saw the cold elder sister ning¡¯er block his way with her sword. her eyes were like that of a tragic heroine whose innocence had been ruined by a little thief and had come back to take revenge. ¡°you have to settle yesterday¡¯s matter with me first!¡± ye jingtang looked at the sword in front of him. ¡°heroine luo, you said that if you couldn¡¯t bear it, you wouldn¡¯t blame me¡­¡± ¡°i could bear it!¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. heroine luo, you saw that i couldn¡¯t bear it anymore, so you had to help me. you can¡¯t cut me into pieces now, right?¡± luo ning pretended to be slightly angry. ¡°you knew that i was helping you. why did you use those methods to humiliate women?¡± humiliate?ye jingtang didn¡¯t agree with this statement. he asked, ¡°how did i humiliate you?¡± ¡°you!¡± luo ning found it too embarrassing to say them. she didn¡¯t dare to recall some things. after holding it in for a long time, she only said, ¡°it¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t weaned yet. you¡­¡± weren¡¯t you quite happy? when 1 stopped, you stole a glance at me and took the initiative to move closer to my face¡­ you even wanted to suffocate me to death! ye jingtang knew that heroine luo was thin-skinned, so he comforted her with a pleasant countenance, ¡°okay, 1 was wrong. next time¡­¡± ¡°there¡¯s no next time!¡± luo ning held her sword behind her back and turned around. her posture was like a cold sword immortal. ¡°don¡¯t think that just because i helped you yesterday, you can have fun every night in the future. if you dare to remember what happened yesterday¡­¡± ye jingtang walked closer. ¡°heroine luo, you said that you wanted to help me recuperate. did you change your mind?¡± luo ning paused and hesitated for a moment. ¡°i¡¯ll ask madam wang later and see how often you need treatment.¡± ¡°okay, let¡¯s follow the doctor¡¯s instructions. then, the previous bet¡­¡± ? luo ning turned to look at ye jingtang in disbelief. ¡°when we were on the boat, you said you wanted to eat¡­ eat something. you ate more than one bite yesterday, right?¡± ye jingtang said solemnly, ¡°yesterday was another matter. i¡¯m just asking. if heroine luo wants to brush it off, 1 will pretend that nothing happened.¡± brush it off?luo ning took a deep breath, and the little watermelons puffed up a little, but in the end, she gritted her teeth and turned her head. ¡°i always keep my word. how could 1 brush it off¡ª¡± before she could finish speaking, the man leaned over. luo ning was so shocked that her shoulders trembled. perhaps because she remembered the scene last night, a trace of fear flashed in her eyes. she raised her sword and wanted to break free. ye jingtang bent down, hooked heroine luo¡¯s legs, and carried her horizontally. ¡°we agreed that you¡¯re not allowed to be angry or hit me. 1 don¡¯t want you to break your promise.¡± ¡°you!¡± luo ning¡¯s beautiful eyes widened, but she couldn¡¯t do anything about the shameless little thief. she could only turn her head away and look at the floor, maintaining a distant attitude and ignoring him. ye jingtang was already used to it and quite liked the tone. he sat down in front of the bed and picked up the painting scroll. ¡°this is the empress dowager¡¯s treasured painting. when you hang it up later, don¡¯t ruin it, or i¡¯ll lose my head..¡± Chapter 145 - Chapter 145: Why Is This Person Like You? (2) chapter 145: why is this person like you? (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios luo ning had no interest at first, but when the scroll unfolded in front of her, revealing the vendoring selling chickens painting, her eyes moved, and she sat up a little. ¡°is this the empress dowager¡¯s own painting?¡± ye jingtang nodded slightly and observed carefully. ¡°that¡¯s right. it¡¯s the only one in the world. heroine luo, what do you think?¡± luo ning didn¡¯t know how to complain as looked at the painting. ¡°isn¡¯t empress dowager qin from jiang province? why are her painting skills¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s normal for a tiger girl from a family of generals not to know how to paint. speaking of which, the empress dowager is young. have you seen her?¡± ¡°jiang province is the granary of the country, and the qin family controls the navy of great wei. the emperor died when the empress dowager was on her way to the capital. because the deposed emperor wanted to win over the qin family, she became the empress dowager. the empress couldn¡¯t ascend the throne without the help of the qin family. such an aristocratic family is completely different from the aristocratic families in jianghu. how could 1 possibly know them?¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t know much about the imperial court, so he only nodded slightly. luo ning had been born and raised in jiang province. although she was from a jianghu aristocratic family, she was still a woman from an aristocratic family. her skills in zither, go, calligraphy, and painting were not low. after carefully observing the brush strokes, she was slightly surprised. ¡°although the painting is average, this painting method does have some resemblance to daoist xuanji¡¯s.¡± ye jingtang blinked. ¡°where do you see that?¡± luo ning pointed at the man¡¯s clothes. ¡°i stayed on void jade mountain for a period of time. daoist xuanji taught me how to paint portraits. first paint the bones and then the skin. this technique is exactly the same as what daoist xuanji taught me.¡± ye jingtang was slightly surprised. ¡°heroine luo, you know daoist xuanji?¡± luo ning didn¡¯t really want to talk about these old matters and said casually, ¡°i¡¯m quite famous in jianghu. what¡¯s so strange about knowing me her?¡± ye jingtang felt that it made sense. she was the number one beauty in jianghu¡­ now that she was in his arms, he felt a sense of accomplishment¡­ as his thoughts strayed, his mind became chaotic. the curves of luo ning¡¯s waist were perfect. her buttocks were very plump, and the weight was just right. through the fabric, he could feel the smoothness of her skin, making him feel as if there was a soft jade ball sitting on his lap. ye jingtang was hugging his consummated wife. there didn¡¯t seem to be a reason for him to stick to the path of a gentleman¡­ luo ning was originally looking at the painting, but she slowly felt that something was wrong and frowned. ¡°move the saber. the handle¡­¡± luo ning looked back and saw ye jingtang¡¯s saber placed at the side¡­ what¡¯s the thing poking me¡­ ?! luo ning¡¯s cold face trembled and gradually turned into a february peach blossom. her eyes widened a little, and she was about to become ashamed and angry. ye jingtang said solemnly, ¡°don¡¯t be angry. i didn¡¯t move. it¡¯s just a normal reaction. if i didn¡¯t react, then you should be angry.¡± luo ning gritted her teeth, moved a little farther away, and continued to appreciate the painting. but how could he continue watching? ye jingtang looked at heroine luo, who was shy and angry but couldn¡¯t flare up. even though he knew that it wasn¡¯t gentlemanly, he became even more excited. sensing the awkward atmosphere, ye jingtang grabbed the book beside him. ¡°by the way, i found a unique book from the previous dynasty today. it can¡¯t be bought on the market at all. heroine luo, do you want to examine it?¡± when luo ning saw that the book was framed with golden threads, she knew that it was a treasure hidden by a famous person. in order to find something to suppress the distracting thoughts in her heart, she took the book. ¡°you¡¯re reading books now? are you really going to become an official?¡± ¡°reading is to increase your knowledge. it has nothing to do with being an official.¡± dongfang liren had been afraid of being discovered, so she had wrapped another layer around the cover to hide the title of the book. after opening the book, luo ning saw annotations from famous writers. then there was a lifelike picture of a sword-wielding beauty. when luo ning, who was in a state of confusion, saw the portrait of the beauty, her eyes lit up. she suppressed her thoughts and looked at it carefully. ¡°this painting¡­ seems to be the work of the painting saint of the previous dynasty. the craftsmen in charge of engraving and printing were definitely from a big¡­¡± ye jingtang saw the surprise in heroine luo¡¯s eyes and smiled. he turned around and leaned against the bedhead, letting heroine luo lean on his shoulder. luo ning had to be hugged anyway. sitting on the bed was better than sitting on the little thief, so she didn¡¯t struggle. she leaned quietly in his arms and read the book earnestly. luo ning could be considered well-read, but she had never read this book before. although the book was exquisitely made, and the diction and writing style were quite gorgeous, the content was written in vernacular. the beginning was a beautiful and charming heroine being accidentally injured and fainting. it was full of descriptions of her figure, such as her icy skin, jade bones, otherworldly¡­ luo ning felt a little strange. when she read the part where the male lead in the book carried the daoist nun back to his house to treat her injuries, she couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°why is this person¡­ like you?¡± ye jingtang said solemnly, ¡°far from it. i didn¡¯t touch you when you fainted.¡± you just force yourself on me when i¡¯m awake, right? after thinking about it, luo ning decided not to argue with the little thief and continued to read because the plot was indeed fascinating. the more she read, the more entranced she became, and she forgot about the little thief behind her. whoosh, whoosh¡­ the pages turned, and the room fell silent except for the sound of summer insects. buzz- ye jingtang was reading the book with his beautiful and cold wife in his arms. he was even more focused than luo ning. when she read the key plot, she turned the page, and a lifelike illustration appeared in front of her eyes. the sword-wielding heroine was powerless to resist, her eyes filled with grief and indignation. the little thief kissed her and groped her¡­ ?! luo ning¡¯s face flushed red as she hurriedly closed the book. after thinking about it, she felt that something was wrong. she tilted her head and glared. ¡°little thief, did you learn those methods from this?¡± ye jingtang felt that heroine luo¡¯s reaction was really similar to the heroine¡¯s in the book. he said gently, ¡°men understand these things when they reach a certain age. it has nothing to do with learning.¡± luo ning thought so too. because she wanted to see how the heroine would deal with the little thief afterward, she continued to turn the page. ye jingtang was looking at the illustration. seeing this, he raised his hand and pressed it down. ¡°wait, i haven¡¯t finished reading it.¡± ?! luo ning¡¯s eyes turned slightly cold. she calculated the time and realized that it had already been more than fifteen minutes. she quickly closed the book. ¡°time¡¯s up. this is yunli¡¯s bed. go buy your own bed yourself. do you really want me to pay for it for you?¡± ye jingtang was still unsatisfied, but he didn¡¯t say anything and only reminded, ¡°you can read this book to relieve your boredom, but don¡¯t ruin it. it¡¯s a unique treasure of the imperial court. i have to take responsibility if you destroy it.¡± luo ning was baffled. ¡°how could i destroy the book?¡± ye jingtang knew that heroine luo meant what she said. no matter how embarrassed or angry she was later, she would at most beat him up and not burn the book. he immediately stood up, took out a red packet, and placed it on the dressing table. luo ning was leaning against the head of the bed, reading the book. when she saw this scene, she was slightly puzzled. ¡°what is this?¡± ¡°the red packet third lady gave you. yesterday was purely a misunderstanding. heroine luo, don¡¯t take what happened yesterday to heart. i¡¯ll go out first.¡± red packet? luo ning pondered for a moment and felt that something was wrong. is she treating me as a junior or a concubine? judging from yesterday¡¯s situation, the latter is more likely¡­ luo ning took a deep breath and wanted to say something to ye jingtang, but he had already run away¡­ Chapter 146 - Chapter 146: Rogue Exciting Fist chapter 146: rogue exciting fist translator: atlas studios editor: attas studios at noon, just after lunch, there were few pedestrians on the streets of heavenly water bridge. the second floor of the pei family¡¯s cloth store was the main accounting room of heavenly water bridge. it was equivalent to the ceo¡¯s office and was rather spacious. on the outside was the drawing room for guests, and the inner room was the study. in the study was a large redwood desk with brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones on it. there was also a golden toad with a copper coin in its mouth at the corner of the desk. behind the armchair was a curio cabinet. on the left and right were jade cabbages, porcelain, and other works of art. in the middle was a treasured sword used to protect the store. pei xiangjun was wearing a light summer dress and the apricot flower hairpin that ye jingtang had given her. she was sitting on the armchair, holding a brush in her right hand, supporting the side of her face with her left hand, and absent-mindedly drawing small circles on a piece of white paper. her very eye-catching chest was resting on the edge of the desk. coupled with her dazed eyes, she didn¡¯t look like a sect master at all. she looked more like a charming secretary who was dawdling in the afternoon. pei xiangjun had still not recovered from her inexplicable defeat last night. there were thousands of emotions in her eyes, and it was unknown what she was thinking. just as she was daydreaming, the sound of horse hooves and the conversation between two people came from the street. ¡°old yang, ask chen biao to find a shopkeeper who knows his way around to help buy a few pieces of furniture¡­¡± ¡°alright. young master, what do you want?¡± ¡°firm ones. the old bed at home shakes when i sleep. i can¡¯t sleep well.¡± ¡°chirp?¡± pei xiangjun came back to her senses, got up, and walked to the window facing the street. she opened the window and looked around. she could see ye jingtang standing at the entrance of the escort agency with the bird on his shoulder, talking to the old escort yang chao while the bird was hitting ye jingtang¡¯s face with its head. buying a bed¡­ shakes¡­ pei xiangjun blinked. she felt that the meaning behind these two things was not small, but she didn¡¯t interrupt. when ye jingtang passed by the cloth store, she moved her hand slightly and pushed a branch down. whoosh! ye jingtang, who was leading his horse and passing by below, reached out and grabbed the branch without looking up. it seemed that his martial arts skills had indeed improved a lot compared to when he just entered the capital. pei xiangjun didn¡¯t say anything. she returned to her desk, assumed the bearing of a sect master, and seriously calculated the accounts. tap, tap, tap¡­ soon, a conversation sounded from downstairs. ¡°young master ye, welcome. third lady is upstairs. i¡¯ll help you hold the bird.¡± ¡°hehe¡­¡± ye jingtang walked up the stairs and knocked on the door. pei xiangjun didn¡¯t raise her head and continued looking at the account book seriously. ¡°jingtang, why are you here so early?¡± ¡°i¡¯m done with the matters in the palace. i came here to ask yang zhao to help buy a few pieces of furniture.¡± ye jingtang put the branch back on the windowsill and sat down in front of the tea sea. seeing third lady¡¯s smart and capable appearance, he asked, ¡°is there a lot to do? i learned how to do the accounts in the escort agency. do you need help?¡± after pei xiangjun scribbled on the account book for a moment, she closed it with a look of worry on her face. ¡°that¡¯s right. the zhou family¡¯s matter is over for the time being, but we still can¡¯t recover the money we¡¯ve lost in the past few years. look at the street outside. there¡¯s not a single customer. more than a hundred shopkeepers and employees are taking a nap, and i still have to pay them their monthly salary¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s too sunny at noon, and it¡¯s just past lunchtime, so it¡¯s normal there are no customers. besides, isn¡¯t there a madam buying cloth below? xiuhe is with her. it looks like a big order¡­¡± pei xiangjun stood up, walked straight to ye jingtang¡¯s side to sit down, and began to brew tea skillfully. ¡°sigh- that¡¯s a madam from literary virtue bridge. she wants to learn from the marquis¡¯s manor next door and get a few good sets of clothes for her maidservants and servants, but her heart aches for the silver. she¡¯s been bargaining since the morning until now, and her arguments are as good as the dragon slaying decree. she can¡¯t wait to hack me to death¡­¡± the seat behind the tea set was quite big, but no matter how big it was, it was still a seat for one person. when pei xiangjun sat down, she was right beside him. ye jingtang felt that something was wrong and moved to the side, but he had no room to move. however, it wasn¡¯t right for him to get up, so he could only look intently at the tea set. ¡°i know a little about escort agencies, but i really don¡¯t know much about the cloth business¡­ by the way, i have something to ask you.¡± pei xiangjun used a bamboo leaf-shaped tea knife to cut a tea brick and asked, ¡°what is it?¡± ¡°do we sell women¡¯s clothes here?¡± pei xiangjun blinked her almond-shaped eyes and looked at ye jingtang. ¡°are you going to buy some new clothes for miss ning¡¯er?¡± ye jingtang shook his head. ¡°not really. then¡­ when women wear a skirt in the summer and a pair of pants underneath, and it¡¯s hot, is there anything like¡­¡± pei xiangjun understood what he meant. her gaze was a little strange. ¡°pants that are more immoral?¡± ? ye jingtang still hadn¡¯t figured out what the palace maid yuhu was wearing, so he had no idea how to ask. seeing that third lady managed the cloth store, he asked casually, but she was so direct that it was a little difficult for him to answer. ¡°on the way here, i heard some idlers talking nonsense. i was just curious. i¡¯m just asking casually.¡± pei xiangjun blinked her almond-shaped eyes and was very honest. ¡°no matter how hot the weather is, it¡¯s impossible not to wear anything under the skirt. the difference is just in the length. i heard from the madams of literary virtue bridge that the imperial tailors in the palace have developed a kind of undergarment that¡¯s very bold. probably¡­¡± pei xiangjun put down the tea set and gestured at the side of her leg. ¡°such short pants can be folded into a rouge box. wearing them is the same as not wearing them. they¡¯re especially cool.¡± ye jingtang looked at the place where third lady was gesturing and thought of the scene he had seen when he sparred with miss yuhu today. he suddenly realized. red panties¡­ the women in this world are more spicy than i imagined¡­ seeing the strange look in ye jingtang¡¯s eyes, pei xiangjun said gently, ¡°ordinary women don¡¯t dare to dress like this. when i wear them, i have to wear a pair of pants over them.¡± ?! ye jingtang sat up straight and felt that something was wrong with third lady. ¡°third lady, there¡¯s no need to tell me this.¡± pei xiangjun brewed tea without changing her expression. ¡°i¡¯m just explaining to you. it¡¯s not like i don¡¯t wear pants. but my clothes were all made by your aunt. her skills are definitely not as good as the tailors in the palace. i heard from the madams of literary virtue bridge that the imperial tailors in the palace weave them in one go, and there are no seams. after putting them on, they fit snugly and are very close to the body. unfortunately, ordinary people can¡¯t see them at all¡­¡± fit snugly¡­ ye jingtang felt that there was something wrong with this topic. it was really not appropriate to continue the conversation. he changed the topic and said, ¡°third lady, didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to teach me the fist technique? why don¡¯t we practice now?¡± pei xiangjun poured tea first and handed the small teacup to ye jingtang before putting down the tea set. she got up, went to the inner room at the side, and changed into a short white combat suit. ye jingtang took a sip of tea, took off his saber, and placed it aside. he walked to the middle of the room and looked around carefully. he saw third lady standing in front of him in a decent boxing stance. ¡°song chi¡¯s ¡®eight extremities of thunder¡¯ is extremely firm and extremely yang. its strength is capable of shaking mountains. the moves are fierce and violent¡­¡± while speaking, she was shaking her shoulders and elbows. whoosh! bam! a loud sound suddenly rang out in the room, and the tea in the teacup rippled. this punch was really fierce, and third lady¡¯s aura was also very strong. but with her round and smooth figure, no matter how he looked at her, she didn¡¯t have any deterrence at all when she clenched her fists and assumed such a fierce posture. ye jingtang¡¯s gaze was slightly strange as he nodded slightly. ¡°good fist technique.¡± after pei xiangjun returned from west king town, she had been secretly practicing the fist technique. in order to be a good master, she had put in a lot of effort. seeing ye jingtang being a little nonchalant, she was quite dissatisfied and hooked her finger. ¡°fist and leg martial arts are advanced techniques. there¡¯s no point in practicing the moves directly. you have to start from the basics. come try and hit me.¡± hearing this, ye jingtang didn¡¯t say much and obediently acted as a sparring partner. he clenched his fists, slowly lowered his body, and attacked the center of pei xiangjun¡¯s body with a simple straight punch. tread- the floor on the second floor trembled slightly. when the punch came, pei xiangjun rushed out at the same time. her left hand blocked the punch, and her right shoulder crashed into ye jingtang¡¯s arms. bam! if this were for real, ye jingtang would probably be severely injured. but pei xiangjun was clearly not ruthless. after colliding with him, she grabbed his right arm and threw him over her shoulder. boom! the floor shook. ye jingtang was neatly thrown to the floor by the petite third lady. he thought that it was over, but he found that she immediately put him in a grappling hold. this hold was a rear naked choke. she held him from behind and encircled his neck with her left arm. after ye jingtang landed, he leaned his entire body into third lady¡¯s arms. he felt as if he was leaning on an air mattress. he could feel the indescribable smoothness through the fabric¡­ ?! ye jingtang tried to break free, but third lady held him even tighter, and he could only raise his hands. ¡°third lady?¡± pei xiangjun¡¯s expression was slightly fierce. while holding ye jingtang, she said solemnly, ¡°i¡¯m teaching you martial arts. do you think i¡¯m joking with you? if you encounter an opponent and become casually restrained like this, do you know what the outcome will be?¡± if ye jingtang could fight an enemy to such an extent in a battle, his neck would definitely be broken. but in a battle at the grandmaster level, it was impossible for him to expose his back in actual combat. he leaned in third lady¡¯s arms and hurriedly said, ¡°i understand my mistake. third lady, this move is wrong¡­¡± ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± pei xiangjun frowned slightly and lectured, ¡°try breaking free.¡± leaning against the ¡®soft pillows¡¯, ye jingtang didn¡¯t know where to put his hands. seeing that third lady wasn¡¯t letting go, he put on a serious expression. ¡°alright. i was careless and didn¡¯t have a proper attitude. i¡¯ll learn seriously.¡± ii hmph~¡± seeing that ye jingtang had straightened his attitude, pei xiangjun let go of him, stood up, and assumed a boxing stance again. ye jingtang flipped over and stood up. he didn¡¯t dare to be careless anymore.. he stared at third lady with all his attention and began to learn the fist technique¡­ Chapter 147 - Chapter 147: Heroine Luo, Can’t You Sleep? (1) chapter 147: heroine luo, can¡¯t you sleep? (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the sun sank into the horizon. the lights in the small courtyard of double osmanthus alley lit up. the wooden bed in the main room had been removed and replaced with a mahogany canopy bed. it was in the inner corner with a light blue mosquito net hanging around it. there was also a dressing table with a vertical bronze mirror by the window. the west wing had also changed. the old furniture had been thrown away and replaced with a brand new desk, big bed, and chairs. after ye jingtang tidied up the room, he sat down at the desk by the window and looked at the moon outside. he still hadn¡¯t recovered from the ¡®rogue exciting fist¡¯ in the afternoon. after learning the fist technique, he had basically figured out third lady¡¯s measurements. he didn¡¯t know if he was learning a fist technique or ¡®learning a foreign language¡¯. but fist and leg martial arts were like this. physical contact was inevitable. it wasn¡¯t appropriate to say that third lady had done it on purpose. after thinking about it, he could only say that third lady didn¡¯t treat him as an outsider. the courtyard was very quiet. the bird was very interested in the new bed and was rolling back and forth on it. it even grabbed the soft blanket and made a small nest beside the pillow to lie inside with its claws facing the sky to try it out. after ye jingtang sat alone for a long time, a voice finally came from the alley. ¡°martial mistress, why are you walking so slowly?¡± ¡°oh, i¡¯m just thinking about something. your brother jingtang is back¡­¡± ye jingtang retracted his thoughts and looked up. little yunli, who was wearing a bamboo hat, ran in first. after taking a quick look at the main room, she hurriedly ran in, her eyes filled with surprise. ¡°brother jingtang, why did you buy us such a big bed? and the dressing table¡­¡± luo ning stepped in after her. when she saw him at the window, her expression turned cold, and she turned around to walk into the kitchen. ye jingtang walked to the courtyard and looked at yunli, who was curiously sizing up the canopy bed. ¡°like it?¡± ¡°not bad, not bad. 1 feel like three people can sleep on it.¡± after zhe yunli checked out the canopy bed in satisfaction, she looked at the painting hanging in front of the bed. ¡°was this painting included as a gift for buying the bed? how insincere¡­¡± ¡°don¡¯t take it down! this is a treasured painting bestowed by the imperial court.¡± ¡°what?!¡± zhe yunli looked at it carefully again and nodded thoughtfully. ¡°i was mistaken just now. this fine brushwork is indeed extraordinary¡­¡± ? ye jingtang felt that little yunli was also a flatterer. he went to the kitchen and looked at the unhappy heroine luo. ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡± something must have happened to luo ning, and it was something big! she had secretly gone to literary virtue bridge today, found madam wang, and asked how often she needed to help him recuperate his body. madam wang¡¯s answer was quite direct. if she had time, she should treat him. if she couldn¡¯t take it, she should let him hold it in. what did this mean? she had been paralyzed twice yesterday. did that mean that she would be paralyzed once a day? was she supposed to live like this from now on? luo ning bit her lower lip lightly. she didn¡¯t dare to tell the ¡®bad news¡¯ to the little thief. she just looked at the pile of black ashes behind the stove. ye jingtang also looked at the black ashes. at first, he didn¡¯t pay much attention, but after taking a closer look, he felt that something was wrong. why do the black ashes look like burned paper¡­ burned paper¡­ ?! boom! a bolt of lightning flashed across ye jingtang¡¯s mind, and he instantly broke down. he slowly walked to the stove and squatted down. he raised his hand and looked at heroine luo in shock. ¡°you didn¡¯t burn the book, did you?¡± luo ning wasn¡¯t that ruthless. after ye jingtang left at midnight, she had read it alone in her room. in the end, the little thief in the book took liberties with the heroine, but after the heroine woke up, she didn¡¯t even teach the little thief a lesson! what was written was completely unreasonable. luo ning felt that something was wrong and used the quantum speed reading method to scan to the back of the book. in the end, she found that it was all unsightly erotic pictures! she didn¡¯t even dare to take a closer look and immediately wanted to throw the book away. but the little thief had said very seriously that it wasn¡¯t good to destroy the book. she could only find a random book, burn it, and hide tears of a heroine. seeing the heartache in ye jingtang¡¯s eyes, luo ning harrumphed softly. ¡°so what if 1 burned it? you shouldn¡¯t read those unpresentable books.¡± ye jingtang used a wooden stick to rummage through the ashes, but he couldn¡¯t even find a small piece of paper. he opened his mouth helplessly. n?n luo ning was stunned when she saw this scene. even if 1 really burned it, it¡¯s just an erotic book. do you have to be more devastated than if the roaring dragon chart was burned? ¡°ye jingtang?¡± ¡°sigh¡­ i¡¯m fine. a book can¡¯t be revived. since it¡¯s already been burned, so be it. 1 don¡¯t blame you, heroine luo.¡± h ii luo ning didn¡¯t know what to say. after hesitating for a moment, she turned around, opened the cupboard, took out the book wrapped in black cloth, and threw it to ye jingtang. her eyes were slightly cold. ¡°since this book is so important to you, hug it when you sleep.¡± with that, she walked out of the room without looking back. ?! ye jingtang realized that something was wrong and advised, ¡°that¡¯s not what i meant. this book is the only one from the previous dynasty¡­¡± ¡°what book?!¡± hearing the commotion, zhe yunli walked out of the main room. but luo ning was afraid that her daughter would learn bad things, so she dragged her by the arm into the room and closed the door with a bang. ye jingtang¡¯s words abruptly stopped. he looked at the silhouette on the window paper, spread his hands slightly, and returned to his room¡­ in the imperial city¡­ the moon had risen above the branches, and the palace gates had long been closed. the peaceful hall was quiet. from the window, the peerless empress dowager could be seen standing in front of a painting table with a brush, seriously sketching a painting. hongyu was wearing a man¡¯s black robe with a saber hanging from her waist. on her shoulder stood a little parrot raised in the palace. she was standing in front of the painting table as a model, her eyes looking very innocent. although the parrot and the snow eagle looked worlds apart, to the empress dowager of the freehand style school, there was not much difference. dongfang liren was like a respected teacher. after observing the empress dowager from behind for a moment, she felt that the painting had nothing worth seeing, but she didn¡¯t dare to say anything. she walked to the window and stood with her hands behind his back, looking at the waterside pavilion in the distance.. Chapter 148 - Chapter 148: Heroine Luo, Can’t You Sleep? (2) chapter 148: heroine luo, can¡¯t you sleep? (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios outside the window, the light of the silver moon and river of stars fell into the roaring dragon pond. there were no lights in the waterside pavilion. from the window, she could vaguely see a woman in red sitting alone in the waterside pavilion. the woman had the aloof and proud aura of a sovereign ruling the world, making people feel that just looking at her from afar was offensive. when dongfang liren saw her sister practicing martial arts, there was a hint of envy in her eyes. it was just like watching ye jingtang practice martial arts. her elder sister was the opposite of her. her zither, go, calligraphy, and painting skills were average, but her talent in martial arts was so good that it made one¡¯s hair stand on end. because martial arts in great wei was in vogue, her father and mother had doted on her sister more since they were children. she believed that her talent wasn¡¯t bad. but compared to a prodigy like her sister, her talent in martial arts was like the empress dowager¡¯s talent in painting compared to hers. even though she had been diligently practicing martial arts since she was young, she was still getting further and further away from her sister. orginally, she had thought that she would only be second to her sister in this life. but she never expected that ye jingtang would appear in the capital. in just a few months, he was pressing down on her like a celestial being. moreover, he didn¡¯t know the ways of the world at all and kept mocking her¡­ as for who was more powerful, her sister or ye jingtang, she wasn¡¯t sure. currently, she felt that her sister was still more powerful. after all, her sister was sitting on the throne that only men could sit on since ancient times. since ancient times, there had been countless monarchs who had lost their country because of immorality, but there were not many monarchs who had been forced to step down. this was because, in order to protect themselves, the previous monarchs would choose a good seedling with extraordinary talent, raise him by their side since he was young, and let him practice the pictures of the roaring dragon chart that they had gathered. there was also such a person in great wei. because the roaring dragon chart pictures had been lost when great yan perished, this person was a young eunuch in the palace of the previous dynasty. he had practiced four of the roaring dragon chart pictures and had been less than 12 years old. he had guarded the palace alone and covered the escape of the last emperor of yan. after her grandfather captured the young eunuch, he didn¡¯t kill him. instead, he had used emotions and reason and promised to treat the yan imperial family well to make him loyal to great wei. the young eunuch agreed and became great wei¡¯s imperial city¡¯s ¡®guardian eunuch cao¡¯. when her grandfather passed away, he would protect her father. when her father passed away, he would protect the emperor¡¯s eldest son. eunuch cao was the stabilizing anchor by the great wei monarch¡¯s side. when her sister wanted to usurp the throne, eunuch cao naturally became an insurmountable chasm. even though the new emperor was anxious for quick success and resisted by the court officials, and her sister had the support of her maternal family, as long as eunuch cao didn¡¯t fall, the emperor could still advance and retreat freely. even if he couldn¡¯t defend the palace, he could still escape to the territory of the various princes. at the time, she was about to be married off to the enemy country, northern liang. she was already in despair and was ready to hide her identity and escape. who would have thought that when she woke up one morning, she would become the highest-ranking prince of the blood of great wei? from then on, she no longer had to worry about being controlled by others. these things happened on that night ten years ago. outsiders only knew that the court officials had impeached the emperor and made him abdicate. they didn¡¯t know what had happened in the palace that night and how many people had died. even she didn¡¯t know how her sister had done it. but she knew that her sister was stronger than she imagined. she looked very coquettish on the outside, but there was a towering, indomitable mountain within her body. no matter how strong a storm was, she wouldn¡¯t frown¡­ while dongfang liren was secretly admiring her sister, she suddenly noticed that her sister in the waterside pavilion was frowning slightly. she was holding her forehead with her hand, looking as delicate as a drunk noble consort. ?? dongfang liren was stunned for a moment. then she rushed out of the window, tapped the blue waves with her toes, and arrived at the waterside pavilion in the middle of the lake. she held the frowning empress with her eyes closed. ¡°sister?¡± the empress raised her hand slightly and gently hooked her long hair with her fingertips to cover the inconspicuous white hair between her black hair. she said casually, ¡°i¡¯m fine. continue with your work.¡± dongfang liren blinked and carefully checked her sister¡¯s complexion. after confirming that there was nothing unusual, she nodded slightly¡­ the long night was silent. the lights in double osmanthus alley had already been extinguished. in the main room, the blue curtain was lowered. zhe yunli was wearing an undergarment with a small embroidered bird and had a thin blanket over her stomach. she was sleeping soundly with her limbs spread out on the inside. luo ning was lying on her side on the outside of the bed. there was a thin blanket around her waist, revealing her snow-white shoulders. she was stroking the emerald green jade pendant in her hand and wanted to sleep, but the complicated emotions in her heart were disturbing her. since his yang qi is too strong, it will be easy for him to become flighty and impetuous if not regulated¡­ in a battle of life and death between experts, a single thought can mean the difference between life and death¡­ miss ninger, you have to let go. this kind of thing is very normal between husband and wife. this is for the sake of your husband. don¡¯t have any psychological burden¡­ sigh¡­ luo ning listened carefully. there was no longer any movement in the west wing not far away. he¡¯s probably asleep. since he doesn¡¯t care about his body, why should 1 foolishly worry about it¡­ but the little thief fights all day long. the zhou family and xu bailin hate him to the core. if he makes one careless mistake¡­ people in jianghu shouldn¡¯t act on impulse. from a rational point of view, 1 have already treated him once. if 1 give up halfway and cause an accident to happen to the little thief, won¡¯t 1 suffer a double loss¡­ i¡¯m still counting on the little thief to deal with the old bald donkey shenchen¡­ luo ning¡¯s heart was in a mess for a long time. in the end, her rationality prevailed. she gritted her teeth and sat up silently¡­ in the west wing, the curtain of the canopy bed was lowered, and a robe was hung on the clothes rack beside the bed. ye jingtang was lying on his pillow with a thin moon-white blanket covering him. he was holding the book in his arms and sleeping soundly with his eyes closed. whoosh! a gust of night wind blew silently into the rooms, causing ripples on the curtain. ye jingtang woke up with a start. he opened his eyes slightly. there was no light in the room, and he could only hear sound coming from outside the curtain. bustle, rustle- it was the sound of a dress being taken off. ?! ye jingtang was really surprised and flattered. soon, the curtain was opened, and the thin blanket was lifted. then a soft and fragrant body rolled in silently with her back facing him. ye jingtang closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep. after waiting for a moment, the woman beside him looked back and then prepared to get up and leave. ye jingtang quickly woke up and whispered into her ear, ¡°heroine luo, can¡¯t you sleep tonight?¡± the familiar light and gentle voice of the elder sister sounded coldly in her ear. ¡°little thief, don¡¯t flatter yourself. madam wang said that i should treat you today. otherwise, your heart might be unstable, and you might have an accident while fighting someone. do you think 1 want to come over?¡± ye jingtang was very touched. after some thought, he asked, ¡°what about tomorrow?¡± ? luo ning hesitated for a moment before saying coldly, ¡°1¡¯11 ask tomorrow.¡± ye jingtang smiled and didn¡¯t say anything else. he raised his hand and touched her bare waist. her skin was smooth and delicate. as soon as he touched the big moon, his wrist was grabbed. ¡°hmm?¡± luo ning said in a low voice, ¡°i¡¯m only here to treat you, not to be intimate with you. when you do it, you¡¯re too slow. 1¡­ i¡¯m in a hurry to go back to sleep.¡± ? ye jingtang didn¡¯t feel he was wrong for this. 1 can¡¯t be fast for this¡­ bustle, rustle- there was a movement beside him. he turned around and felt her warmth pressing on his body. it seemed like she wanted to get on the horse directly! ? ye jingtang couldn¡¯t see luo ning¡¯s face, but he knew that she must be biting her lower lip lightly, her eyes filled with helplessness, looking as if she was being forced and humiliated. ye jingtang naturally wouldn¡¯t stop her. he just waited eagerly. bub, rub- ye jingtang wanted to raise his hands, but heroine luo stopped him. he could only say gently, ¡°can you do it?¡± ¡°yes¡­¡± heroine luo said stubbornly like a mosquito. ye jingtang held the back of his head with both hands and didn¡¯t move. he just said, ¡°it¡¯s not good to keep knocking yunli out¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s not knocking her out. it¡¯s a sleeping aid. she didn¡¯t sleep well when she was a child, and her master often did this.¡± ¡°why don¡¯t we buy a new house?¡± ¡°this is your house. make your own decision¡­ keep this one¡­¡± ¡°okay.¡± it was silent inside the canopy bed except for the slight ripples on the curtain. after an unknown period of silence, ye jingtang¡¯s voice sounded again. ¡°heroine luo, didn¡¯t you read the book today?¡± ¡°how could i look at such a dirty thing¡­ little thief, don¡¯t speak. otherwise, i¡¯ll go back to sleep.¡± Chapter 149 - Chapter 149: Kill With a Borrowed Knife chapter 149: kill with a borrowed knife translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios a massive swamp was located in the boundless wilderness. looking from the shore, it felt like one was on the coast. a black boat was moving forward in the wind and waves as soybean-sized raindrops hit the boat¡¯s canopy, making crackling sounds. xuanyuan hongzhi, the second master of jun mountain terrace, held a black oil-paper umbrella in his hand and moved toward a pleasure boat floating on the water with a frown. this morning, jun mountain terrace had sent a messenger pigeon to xuanyuan hongzhi, saying that a mysterious person had provided a clue. a new expert had appeared in the black office. his name was ye jingtang, and he knew the eight-steps frenzied blade. he was deeply valued by the prince of jing. the intention of the person who provided the information was very obvious. he knew about the old enmity between jun mountain terrace and the eight-steps frenzied blade and deliberately provided information in order to use jun mountain terrace¡¯s saber to kill. xuanyuan hongzhi didn¡¯t know the identity of the person who provided the information, but he felt that this news was most likely true. a few days ago, he had examined zhou huaili¡¯s corpse, which had died at the hands of the eight-steps frenzied blade. the imperial court had admitted that this matter was done by someone from the black office. this saberman was very likely the ye jingtang that the mysterious person had mentioned. if he only knew the eight-steps frenzied blade, xuanyuan hongzhi wouldn¡¯t have thought that the situation was urgent. but the words ¡®deeply valued by the prince of jing¡¯ hit jun mountain terrace¡¯s fatal spot. jun mountain terrace had been conferred the title of marquis by the imperial court. even if someone from jianghu had a blood feud with jun mountain terrace, under the deterrence of the imperial court, they didn¡¯t dare to rashly exterminate the entire jun mountain terrace. but the imperial court was different. if it said that an entire family would be seized and executed, it would seize and execute the entire family. with lu taiqing and daoist xuanji around, the so-called current saber chief was just a jianghu soldier in the eyes of the imperial court. back then, jun mountain terrace had destroyed zheng feng¡¯s marriage and crippled his body, causing him to be neither human nor ghost for the rest of his life. to the successor of the eight-steps frenzied blade, this was an irreconcilable mortal enmity. xuanyuan hongzhi knew very well what the outcome would be if he let zheng feng¡¯s later generation grow up. therefore, even though he knew that the mysterious person was using them to kill ye jingting, he would rather ¡®kill the wrong person than let him go¡¯ and think of a way to deal with this serious problem before his opponent grew up. but the source of the information was unclear, and ye jingtang was the prince of jing¡¯s person. xuanyuan hongzhi couldn¡¯t take the risk to eradicate the problem himself. there were many ¡®knives¡¯ in jianghu, so he didn¡¯t need to do it himself. the black boat drifted to the side of the pleasure boat. xuanyuan hongzhi tapped his toes lightly and landed on the deck of the boat. on the pleasure boat, a young master in a scholarly robe quickly came forward to welcome him. ¡°uncle xuanyuan, have you found any news?¡± the young master was zhou ying, zhou huaili¡¯s eldest son of his first wife. he had already recovered from his injuries, but his anger still made his handsome face look sick. a few days ago, zhou huaili had been killed by the imperial court. in order to protect their reputation of chivalry, the zhou family had expelled zhou huaili, this unfilial son who had violated the laws of the country, from the family. as the eldest legitimate son, although zhou ying was not deprived of his inheritance rights, the current head of the water cloud sword pool was the third master, zhou huaiyi. with such a huge family business in front of him, no matter how much zhou huaiyi valued brotherhood, he couldn¡¯t treat his nephew zhou ying as his biological son. the enmity of killing his father was behind him, and the enmity of losing his inheritance was in front of him. the zhou family wanted to settle the matter peacefully, but how could zhou ying swallow this resentment? he was still working in secret, wanting the blood debt to be repaid with blood. xuanyuan hongzhi, like a kind elder, put away his umbrella under the eaves of the pleasure boat, took out a note from his sleeve, and handed it to zhou ying. ¡°nephew zhou, my condolences. the murderer has been found. brother zhou was killed by someone from the black office called ye jingtang in the capital. 1 can only help this much. the rest depends on you.¡± zhou ying picked up the note and read the content carefully. ¡°ye jingtang¡­ what is his relationship with the prince of jing?¡± he¡¯s a new chief constable of the black office. he might be the future seventh fiend. i don¡¯t know who his master is, but he can¡¯t be underestimated.¡± when zhou ying heard that it was someone like the six fiends, he looked troubled. he thought for a moment and said respectfully, ¡°second uncle is the current sword saint. the imperial court was unreasonable and forced the zhou family to admit guilt. it¡¯s really not appropriate for us to do it openly. we can only rely on external forces for this matter. uncle xuanyuan, i wonder if you can¡­¡± xuanyuan hongzhi¡¯s expression darkened, and he was rather displeased. ¡°huili was my best friend and brother. helping you investigate this matter in private is already violating a taboo of the imperial court. nephew zhou, do you still want to drag jun mountain terrace into trouble?¡± zhou ying wasn¡¯t stupid. he never thought that xuanyuan hongzhi really treated his father as a brother. when he heard this, he said directly, ¡°uncle xuanyuan, as long as you can help me contact a few trustworthy experts, i will definitely thank you heavily.¡± then zhou ying entered the deckhouse and came out with a white sheathed sword in both hands. ¡°this sword is called ¡®inspiration¡¯. my father was lucky enough to obtain it ten years ago. he never showed it to outsiders. it¡¯s often said that a treasured sword should be given to a hero. today, i¡¯ll give it to¡­¡± when xuanyuan hongzhi saw this swordsmanship supreme treasure, one of the ten famous swords, surprise flashed in his eyes. he took it and sized it up. ¡°the young master of the thousand crane villa came to ze province to study swordsmanship ten years ago. on the way back, he died at the hands of jianghu bandits¡­¡± zhou ying raised his hand slightly. ¡°this matter has nothing to do with my father. my father bought it on the black market and was afraid of being misunderstood, so he never showed it to anyone.¡± xuanyuan chao understood. after looking at the sword for a while, he held it in his hand and sighed. ¡°forget it. wang chengjing and his brother are walking around ze province recently. 1 will help you contact them. as long as the price is high enough, they will dare to accept this matter. 1 can only help you until here. the rest will depend on you.¡± ¡°thank you, uncle.¡± zhou ying hurriedly cupped his hands and bowed¡­ yun¡¯an city¡­ outside the courtyard, it was drizzling. the raindrops slid down the umbrella ribs and formed a curtain of rain in front of ye jingtang. the bird was squatting on his shoulder and stretching out its wings to touch the rain curtain. in the end, its wings became wet. it was very unhappy and wiped them on tangtang¡¯s robe. ? with one hand holding his umbrella, ye jingtang rubbed the bird¡¯s head and looked at the small room behind him. because of the rain, there was some water in the room. the door of the main room was open. little yunli was sitting in front of a desk with a look of despair on her face. there were books, brushes, ink, paper, and an inkstone in front of her. heroine luo, who was wearing a blue summer dress, was sitting at the desk like a strict mother and pointing at an article in the book. ¡°start from here and copy this page. you can only go out to play after copying it. if i come back and see that you haven¡¯t written it¡­¡± ¡°sigh, i know¡­¡± when ye jingtang saw this scene, he didn¡¯t gloat. he just waited outside the door. after a while, luo ning finished arranging yunli¡¯s homework, opened her oil-paper umbrella, and walked out the door. without looking at ye jingtang, she walked straight to the entrance of the alley. ye jingtang wasn¡¯t surprised at all. after all, he had indeed made a small mistake. last night, heroine luo had taken the initiative to get into his bed. but he had misjudged her attitude, and his old habit of ¡®taking advantage of ning¡¯ had recurred. when heroine luo got up and went out of the curtain to light the lamp, he didn¡¯t know what he was thinking. his heart fluttered, and he patted the big moon in front of him. pa- ripples trembled- then the room fell dead silent. heroine luo definitely wouldn¡¯t believe him if he said he wanted to hit a mosquito. she felt that she had been greatly offended and humiliated, so she immediately beat him up on the spot and then ignored him. seeing that they had space to be alone, ye jingtang walked up to her and comforted, ¡°i really didn¡¯t hit you last night. 1 just touched you a little harder¡­¡± luo ning¡¯s expression was as cold as ice, and her eyes were murderous. ¡°you¡¯re still saying you didn¡¯t hit me? little thief, you have no conscience. 1 must have been crazy to want to help you. from now on, think of a way to recuperate your body on your own. i won¡¯t care about this matter anymore.¡± how could ye jingtang bear to hit his wife? he just couldn¡¯t help patting her yesterday. he couldn¡¯t explain it at the moment, so he said softly, ¡°alright, let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. next time, 1¡ª¡± ¡°there¡¯s no next time!¡± luo ning¡¯s eyes were resolute. ¡°i will go to the wang family¡¯s clinic and get you some medicine. in the future, you¡¯ll drink medicine to recuperate¡­¡± ye jingtang was stunned. ¡°can this be treated by drinking medicine?¡± luo ning was about to nod when she suddenly felt that something was wrong. that¡¯s right. he has too much yang qi. drinking some medicine to cool down the heat won¡¯t have the same effect. 1 thought of this last time, so why¡­ ye jingtang realized the issue from the change in heroine luo¡¯s expression. afraid that she would really make up her mind, he shook his head and said, ¡°medicine is thirty percent poison. moreover, the sages said that it¡¯s better to remove it than to block it. medicine isn¡¯t a long-term solution.¡± luo ning blinked. she felt that this explanation could explain her train of thought last night, so she harrumphed softly. ¡°i will go get you some medicine. if you don¡¯t know etiquette and respect women, you can make your own medicine.¡± ¡°if i behave well, will you reward me?¡± ? luo ning felt that this statement was very strange, but the meaning was indeed so. she didn¡¯t reply and instead said, ¡°where are you going to buy a house?¡± ye jingtang was going out today to look for a bigger house in the capital. he liked this courtyard in double osmanthus alley very much, but it only had three rooms and was too small. there wasn¡¯t even a living room. the two girls didn¡¯t have any privacy at home, and it was inconvenient for them to take a bath. ¡°heroine luo, you¡¯re from jiang province. the houses in the capital that are similar to the style of jiang province¡¯s water towns are all by the inland river, starting from literary virtue bridge to heavenly water bridge¡­¡± ¡°why are you considering me when you¡¯re buying your house? 1 will return to the south firmament mountains sooner or later.¡± ye jingtang shrugged slightly. ¡°1 can¡¯t find rammed-earth houses in the style of liang province. the houses at the border are not as tidy as the ones in double osmanthus alley. heroine luo, you¡¯re familiar with jiang province, so you¡¯re just helping look.¡± after thinking about it, luo ning didn¡¯t say anything. she left dye workshop street with ye jingtang and went to the inland river. the inner river in the capital was called the southern breeze river. the river was about 60 feet wide, and there were several stone bridges along the river connecting the two banks. the scenery on the banks was beautiful. there were many private residences of the wealthy in the capital, and the pei family was one of them. but in order to keep a low profile, the pei family didn¡¯t buy a residence by the river. luo ning wasn¡¯t very interested at first, but standing on the white stone arch bridge and looking at the white walls and blue tiles under the rain, she recalled memories of her childhood and began to accompany the man to look at houses seriously. the southern breeze river was close to the imperial city. the farther upstream one went, the more outrageous the people living there were. as a jianghu person, ye jingtang definitely went downstream. after looking for a long time, they gradually arrived at heavenly water bridge. ye jingtang was standing on a stone bridge and showing the location of the pei residence to heroine luo when he saw chen biao rushing out from the escort agency to the pei family¡¯s alley with an umbrella. seeing ye jingtang standing on the stone bridge in the distance, chen biao was stunned for a moment. then he held his robe up and jogged over. ¡°young master, something happened¡­¡± holding his umbrella, ye jingtang frowned, walked down the stone bridge, and asked, ¡°what is it?¡± chen biao ran up to him and guessed that the woman behind him was the one who had quarreled with the boss the day before yesterday. he nodded respectfully and said nervously, ¡°the sect master of iron buddha ridge, ¡®glaring vajra¡¯ cheng shilu, is here.¡± ye jingtang knew that the cheng family would come looking for trouble. he had noticed something was abnormal with second master cheng¡¯s body and wanted to verify it. hearing this, he said, ¡°where is he? did he destroy the pei family¡¯s property?¡± chen biao shook his head and said solemnly, ¡°no, he abducted someone.¡± ? ye jingtang¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°abducted who? pei luo? ¡°no, yang guan!¡± chen biao sighed. ¡°cheng shilu said that if you don¡¯t arrive at blue lotus villa before dark, he will break yang guan¡¯s legs! sigh, he¡¯s too cruel¡­¡± ¡°???¡± ye jingtang thought about it for a long time. he still couldn¡¯t figure out the iron head¡¯s thoughts and asked, ¡°what does it have to do with me if he abducts the three absolutes elderly immortal¡¯s disciple? why should 1 go there?¡± chen biao shrugged slightly. ¡°i don¡¯t know. it¡¯s probably because yang guan was too cowardly last time at the orchid pavilion. he kept saying you¡¯re powerful, so the iron buddha ridge treats him as your lackey. young master, should we intervene in this matter?¡± ye jingtang deliberated for a moment before saying, ¡°let me take care of something first. go do your work.¡± ¡°alright.¡± luo ning waited for the escort to leave before walking up to ye jingtang. ¡°last time, you said that something was wrong with second master cheng. aren¡¯t you going to take a look?¡± ¡°i definitely have to go take a look. perhaps i can find clues about the golden scale picture. it¡¯s just that the iron buddha ridge is even more careless and crude than uncle song. if i go over, i¡¯ll be like a crazy busybody¡­ forget it. it¡¯s still early. let¡¯s look at houses first.¡± hearing this, luo ning didn¡¯t say anything else and continued to look at houses¡­ Chapter 150 - Chapter 150: Clue (1) chapter 150: clue (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the sky gradually darkened. the atmosphere in blue lotus villa near river shore wharf was grim. amidst the white walls and blue tiles, dozens of gangsters of the blue lotus gang stood silently and listened to the sorrowful voice from inside the wall. ¡°i swear 1 have nothing to do with young master ye of heavenly water bridge. he stabbed both my arms. sect master cheng, even if you beat me to death, he won¡¯t come. why are you doing this¡­¡± there were no lights in the main hall, so the lighting was slightly dim. yang guan, whose arms were hanging in a sling from his neck, was sitting obediently on the chair at the side. the grievance and grief on his face could probably fill several pages. his shelf, which ye jingtang¡¯s saber had been destroyed last month, had just been repaired, and lying on it was a long-handled bronze hammer. the bronze hammer had a head like a golden melon, was as tall as a human, and had a pitch-black and shiny long handle. on the mahogany armchair beside him sat a burly man. he was wearing a brocade robe, but he didn¡¯t look elegant or business-like at all. with his broad shoulders, he looked like a tiger or bear was sitting on the chair. the man¡¯s name was cheng shilu, and he was the founding sect master of the iron buddha ridge in yun province. like his brother, he was bald, but his body was much larger. he looked on par with tu jiuji of the ox-head and horse-face. he was holding a teacup with two fingers and blowing slowly. ¡°phew-¡± the sound was like the panting of an ox or horse. in jianghu, a big physique didn¡¯t necessarily mean being strong. but with such a large body, one didn¡¯t need to think to know how much hard work was hidden under the muscles. yang guan was sitting not far away. his originally strong figure looked like a malnourished dwarf compared to cheng shilu. he explained, ¡°sect master cheng, you should have heard of my master, the three absolutes elderly immortal, guanghan lin¡­¡± cheng shilu raised his tiger-like eyes. although his tone was calm, his voice sounded like roaring thunder. ¡°your master is from wu province. even if he comes to yun province, he has to respect me.¡± ¡°of course. sect master cheng, you and my master are both from jianghu and follow the rules. if you want to see young master ye, 1¡¯11 invite him. if you want to sell houses and land, i¡¯ll invite young master ye over. if he doesn¡¯t come, you can chop off my legs. if you don¡¯t let me go out, how can 1 invite young master ye here?¡± cheng shilu put down his teacup. ¡°on the day my brother and nephew were beaten up, you were there and kept putting in a good word for ye jingtang¡­¡± ¡°both my arms have been crippled. how could i dare to say anything bad?¡± ¡°then tell me, why did he treat you nicely that day and ask you to wait outside?¡± ¡°because he¡¯s beaten me up, i¡¯ve learned my lesson¡­¡± ¡°in other words, you¡¯re convinced and acknowledge him as your leader.¡± cheng shilu looked straight at yang guan. ¡°even if it¡¯s merely a guard dog, he will come if i kick it a few times. a guard dog isn¡¯t something outsiders can touch casually. this is a rule of jianghu. i¡¯m going to beat you up today. if he doesn¡¯t do anything, how can he sit firmly in the capital in the future?¡± yang guan¡¯s expression turned bitter. ¡°sect master cheng, you are flattering me too much. if i were young master ye¡¯s lackey, i deserve to be beaten up today, but i have nothing to do with him. young master ye isn¡¯t from jianghu. he¡¯s a merchant¡­¡± cheng shilu looked like he had a bad temper and a slow brain, but in fact, he was not as rough as he looked. he knew that he was wronging yang guan. the reason why he went after yang guan was that ye jingtang had the prince of jing behind him. cheng shilu had prime minister li behind him, so he wasn¡¯t too afraid. but if the trivial matter of a street fight really reached the officialdom, neither side would have a good time. if he wanted to seek revenge for his younger brother and nephew, he could only use the rules of jianghu to settle the matters of jianghu. cheng shilu had rushed over today and asked around. among the people related to ye jingtang, they were either civilians or officials. only yang guan was a jianghu person and wouldn¡¯t go to the government to cause trouble if he were beaten up. besides, yang guan was more afraid of ye jingtang than the iron buddha ridge. he didn¡¯t know the rules of jianghu. if ye jingtang really didn¡¯t come, he would treat it as teaching yang guan the rules. seeing that the sky had completely darkened, cheng shilu didn¡¯t say anything else. he stood up with his muscular body and grabbed the long-handled bronze hammer. ¡°it¡¯s dark.¡± yang guan¡¯s face turned pale. he quickly raised his hands. ¡°sect master cheng, it¡¯s not necessary. hey¡­¡± seeing the bronze hammer being raised, yang guan didn¡¯t dare to resist. he just closed his eyes with a pale face, his facial features almost shrinking together. but the feeling of his leg being broken didn¡¯t come. instead, footsteps sounded outside. tread¡­ tread¡­ yang guan opened his eyes a crack and looked at the rain outside the main hall. he saw a black-robed man appear at the entrance of the courtyard at a leisurely pace. he was holding a black umbrella in his hand, and a long saber was hanging from his waist. following him was a blue-robed woman in a veiled hat. ¡°?!¡± yang guan was stunned. he didn¡¯t expect young master ye to be so loyal and really treat him as a lackey. he hurriedly stood up and bowed. ¡°young master ye, you really take me seriously?! i can¡¯t repay your great kindness¡­¡± ye jingtang ignored yang guan, handed the umbrella to heroine luo, put his hand on the hilt of his saber, and walked into the rain. ¡°are you sect master cheng, cheng shilu?¡± cheng shilu¡¯s eyes widened. he twisted his neck and walked toward the door. his long-handled hammer hit the floor with a muffled thud. ¡°a few days ago, you beat my¡ª¡± clang! the sound of the saber being drawn interrupted him. after ye jingtang confirmed the victim, he didn¡¯t say anything else and rushed toward the door. standing at the door, luo ning was stunned when she saw this scene. are you in a hurry to go back and recuperate? at least say a few polite words¡­! cheng shilu really didn¡¯t expect this hot-headed young man¡¯s temper to be even more explosive than his. seeing ye jingtang draw his saber and coming at him without any hesitation, he was furious. he smashed the long-handled bronze hammer forward.. Chapter 151 - Chapter 151: Clue (2) chapter 151: clue (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°haa!¡± clang! ye jingtang drew his saber with his right hand and swept the blade against the bronze hammer. the saber was instantly pressed away by the tremendous force, but his right elbow pressed against the back of the saber. crack! an arc of sparks erupted from the main hall, scaring yang guan so much that he hurriedly ran to the side. ye jingtang used his elbow as a fulcrum to support his saber, causing the bronze hammer to slide to the right. the moment cheng shilu¡¯s body staggered, he sent the hilt of the saber into his left hand. the tip of the saber moved forward and thrust forward quickly. crack! with a muffled sound, the tip of the saber stabbed into cheng shilu¡¯s chest. it penetrated less than a centimeter into his flesh and couldn¡¯t advance any farther. as the blade entered his flesh, shock flashed across the eyes of the four people present. before coming here, ye jingtang had already discussed with heroine luo how tough cheng shilu¡¯s skin was. but when he really stabbed him, he realized that this fellow was no different from someone wrapped in iron. it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that he was a complete she long. but when cheng shilu was stabbed in the chest by the saber, he was shocked to realize that this junior who had just appeared in jianghu was much more powerful than his younger brother had said. just from this lightning-fast saber move, he could tell that ye jingtang was at the same level as him. he might even be stronger. after all, cheng shilu¡¯s strength was that his entire body was invulnerable, and his body was like a mountain with boundless strength. if he had an extraordinary movement technique like ¡®iron-armed impermanence¡¯ she long, he would have gone to fight with ¡®fist chief¡¯ jiang zhahu. how could he just be a minor sect master in yun province? when cheng shilu sensed that the momentum wasn¡¯t right, his tiger eyes, which he used to scare the younger generation, immediately became cautious. the muscles all over his body bulged, and while he retreated in large strides, the bronze hammer swept toward ye jingtang¡¯s waist and abdomen with all his might. boom! the golden melon of the bronze hammer smashed into the tea table, shattering it immediately, and the pieces of broken wood flying out were nailed into the wall. ye jingtang¡¯s saber had difficulty breaking through his defense with one strike. initially, he was rather wary, but when he saw that this ferocious man wasn¡¯t fast, he could tell that this person was clearly different from she long. he was too biased. seeing that cheng shilu was not agile enough due to his body shape, ye Chapter 152 - Chapter 152: Your Highness, Do You Know Yuhu? (1) chapter 152: your highness, do you know yuhu? (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios boom! thunder rumbled above the city. the rain suddenly became heavier, and a strong wind blew. near dye workshop street, ye jingtang held his oil-paper umbrella with one hand to block the wind while hugging elder sister ning¡¯er in his arms and using his body to block the raindrops flying over. he couldn¡¯t help complaining, ¡°this rain is the same as yours the night before¡­ hiss¡­¡± luo ning shrunk under ye jingtang¡¯s arm. originally, she was quite touched that the little thief had taken the initiative to shelter her from the wind and rain. but when she heard these words, her cold face instantly turned into shame and anger, and she pinched his waist ruthlessly. ¡°little thief, don¡¯t you dare mention this again. 1 didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡­ 1 even bought new bed sheets to compensate you!¡± ye jingtang smiled and apologized. he used his sleeve to block the wind and rain and pretended that nothing had happened. because they were about to arrive home, ye jingtang quickened his pace, wanting to rush straight into dye workshop street. but in his arms, heroine luo seemed to have been angered by his words and was about to turn around. ¡°i¡¯m going to the wang family¡¯s clinic and will brew medicine for you later.¡± ¡°it¡¯s raining so hard. go tomorrow.¡± ¡°no! little thief, you¡¯re getting more and more overboard. i¡¯m not anyone to you. it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t know how to repay kindness, but you¡¯re still pushing your luck¡­¡± ¡°shh, there¡¯s a carriage ahead.¡± ye jingtang walked forward quickly. because the rain was too heavy, he only heard the breathing of the horses when he reached the entrance of the dye workshop street. he raised his umbrella and looked over. a luxurious carriage was parked by the street to take shelter from the rain. there were guards outside the carriage. the windows were open, and the lights were on inside. the heroic and beautiful princess was sitting upright in the carriage, looking at him through the window with a strange look in her eyes. the bird huddling on ye jingtang¡¯s shoulder raised its wing to greet her. ¡°chirp chirp-¡± when luo ning saw the noble woman in the carriage, her expression changed slightly. she bowed like a shy wife, then took the umbrella and hurried into dye workshop street. pitter-patter¡­ the heavy rain poured down on the bird, making it shiver. it was difficult to speak in the heavy rain, so ye jingtang quickly walked to the carriage. ¡°what brings your highness here?¡± dongfang liren¡¯s gaze landed on miss ning¡¯er, who was running away with her head lowered. she said calmly, ¡°1 came to look for you. miss ning¡¯er¡¯s maidservant said that you went out, so i stayed here to take shelter from the rain. come up.¡± ye jingtang jumped onto the carriage and lowered his head to enter. the sound of the rain outside became quieter, leaving only the soft patter of the rain hitting the roof of the carriage. dongfang liren was wearing a fat-headed dragon python robe. she was sitting on the couch, her gaze still on the street entrance. ¡°what did you say to miss ning¡¯er just now? she seemed to be angry and hit you.¡± ye jingtang sat down by the car window. it wasn¡¯t appropriate to say anything about heroine luo wetting the bed sheets, so he only said casually, ¡°it was just a joke.¡± dongfang liren took a white towel from beside the couch and handed it to ye jingtang, whose face was covered in rainwater. ¡°did you say something obscene to tease miss ning¡¯er?¡± ye jingtang took the towel and wiped his face. ¡°it was just a joke. how can it be called teasing?¡± ¡°hmph!¡± dongfang liren guessed that ye jingtang said something like ¡®ning¡¯er, you moved yourself¡¯, so she didn¡¯t ask further. instead, she said, ¡°the roaring dragon pond is beneficial to your practice. 1 want you to do something and need you to improve your strength as soon as possible, so i said a few good words to her majesty. in the future, you can go to the roaring dragon pond at any time with my token¡­¡± ye jingtang was stunned. he recalled what miss yuhu had said yesterday and was very surprised. he asked, ¡°the peaceful hall is her majesty¡¯s bedchamber. did your highness personally ask?¡± dongfang liren wanted to nod and let ye jingtang remember her kindness, but the reality was that she had never thought of letting him spend the night at the roaring dragon pond. last night, when her sister was in bed, she said, ¡°if you want ye jingtang to practice martial arts at the roaring dragon pond, you don¡¯t have to sneak around. just give him a token that allows him to enter and leave the palace freely.¡± dongfang liren had always been straightforward. she didn¡¯t really want to do something such as falsely claiming credit, so she replied, ¡°her majesty heard that you risked your life to investigate the case and felt that you were loyal, capable, and worthy of nurturing. that¡¯s why her majesty is allowing you to practice martial arts at the roaring dragon pond. however, remember, those who could receive this honor in the past dynasties are all loyal to the imperial court. when you go there, you have to fulfill this responsibility.¡± ye jingtang asked in confusion, ¡°your highness said that only the true son of heaven could enter the roaring dragon pond. who else has entered?¡± ¡°quite a lot. eunuch cao of this dynasty, eunuch xue of the previous dynasty, eunuch wei¡­¡± when ye jingtang heard a string of eunuchs, a certain part of his body was slightly cold. if you want to practice this martial arts, you must castrate yourself first. so this is what it means¡­ ¡°only eunuchs can spend the night there? actually, i think it¡¯s fine to practice slowly outside.¡± ¡°as long as you know your limits and don¡¯t listen, watch, or say anything and just practice martial arts honestly, 1 won¡¯t purify you. come over tomorrow. i¡¯ll bring you into the palace to teach you the rules first.¡± ye jingtang thought for a moment. ¡°i¡¯m afraid i can¡¯t enter the palace tomorrow.¡± ¡°is something wrong?¡± ¡°i have some personal matters these few days. yun province¡¯s baoyuan school has eaten a portion of the red flower pavilion¡¯s businesses, and 1 have to help the red flower pavilion settle the matter. also, the iron buddha ridge wanted to beat me up today. 1 have to go and intimidate them. 1 have to go out for three to five days.¡± dongfang liren clearly had some objections to such trivial matters. ¡°there¡¯s no need for you to go personally for these kinds of things. 1¡¯11 instruct she long and shang jianli to go¡­¡± ¡°there¡¯s no need. for such small matters in jianghu, asking your highness to take part is making a mountain out of a molehill. i¡¯ve learned martial arts from the red flower pavilion, so it¡¯s only right for me to go.¡± hearing this, dongfang liren didn¡¯t say much. ¡°then go and come back quickly. be careful outside. remember to teach me the overlord spear when you return.. do you want me to arrange a few guards for you?¡± Chapter 153 - Chapter 153: Your Highness, Do You Know Yuhu? (2) chapter 153: your highness, do you know yuhu? (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°there¡¯s no need. 1 have always been steady¡­¡± ¡°you fight and kill wherever you go, yet you¡¯re saying you¡¯re steady?!¡± ye jingtang smiled. ¡°i have my own discretion. your highness, don¡¯t worry.¡± hearing this, dongfang liren didn¡¯t say anything else. ye jingtang pondered for a moment and recalled the topic just now. from dumdum¡¯s words, it wasn¡¯t dumdum¡¯s idea to let him stay at the roaring dragon pond to practice martial arts. it was very likely that consort yuhu had said something during pillow talk with the empress¡­ miss yuhu doesn¡¯t look like a lesbian, but as a palace maid, she has no choice. she¡¯s forced to scissor with the empress, and her hair is turning white from worry¡­ but 1 don¡¯t know whether this is true or not. ye jingtang thought for a moment and asked, ¡°your highness, are you familiar with the palace maids?¡± dongfang liren was stunned. she thought that ye jingtang was finally enlightened and was prepared to get a few beautiful palace maids to be maidservants. ¡°i¡¯m familiar with the more outstanding ones. have you taken a fancy to a palace maid or a maidservant from my residence? 1¡¯11 give the order and send her to you¡­¡± ye jingtang shook his head. ¡°no, i just met a palace maid recently. she doesn¡¯t seem to like her life in the palace and worries all day¡­¡± dongfang liren was slightly puzzled. is this a gentleman who feels sorry for a palace maid who isn¡¯t favored and wants to be the hero saving the damsel in distress? ¡°what is her name?¡± ye jingtang sat a little closer and whispered, ¡°her name is yuhu. does your highness know her?¡± h h the outside of the carriage made pitter-patter sounds, and the inside of the carriage fell into dead silence. dongfang liren¡¯s eyes widened, and the fat-headed dragon visibly swelled. no one knew what she was thinking, but her eyes were becoming fiercer and fiercer. in the end, she raised her hand, grabbed ye jingtang¡¯s collar, and pressed him against the back of the seat. their eyes met, and hers were full of killing intent. ¡°what do you mean? do you want me to fulfill your wish?¡± ye jingtang had expected that dumdum would misunderstand him if he talked about palace maids with her. but he didn¡¯t expect that dumdum would suddenly be jealous and have such a huge reaction! and you wanted me to look for palace maids¡­ it was indeed a test¡­ being pressed against the carriage, ye jingtang didn¡¯t resist and explained seriously, ¡°i have nothing to do with yuhu. i¡¯m not asking for her to go back to be my concubine. i¡¯m just curious¡­¡± dongfang liren stared into ye jingtang¡¯s eyes carefully. after confirming that he wasn¡¯t confessing his relationship with her sister, the unknown fire in her heart subsided slightly, but she still frowned. ¡°do you know who she is?¡± ye jingtang looked at the bright face in front of him and said in a low voice, ¡°she said that she¡¯s her majesty¡¯s beloved concubine and often sleeps with her majesty. is this true?¡± 22 sleeps with? it¡¯s the empress dowager who often sleeps with my sister¡­ what is this nonsense? dongfang liren tilted her head slightly. after thinking for a moment, she understood what he meant. her sister must have spouted nonsense again to deceive ye jingtang, who was full of chivalry¡­ dongfang liren wanted to explain that her sister didn¡¯t like women, but on second thought¡­ it doesn¡¯t seem a bad thing to let ye jingtang misunderstand that my sister likes women¡­ dongfang liren blinked. ¡°yuhu is her majesty¡¯s beloved. she is blessed every day. you¡¯d better not have any ill intentions.¡± ye jingtang had only asked out of curiosity. hearing this, he sighed softly and said, ¡°this kind of thing is actually very normal. i don¡¯t mean anything¡­ speaking of which, your highness is her majesty¡¯s biological sister¡­¡± ?? dongfang liren took a deep breath and remained silent. ye jingtang raised his hand slightly. ¡°1 was overthinking. your highness clearly likes men¡­¡± i dongfang liren nodded and shook her head at this. she could only press down on her chest hard and ask in a deep voice, ¡°where do you see that?¡± ye jingtang thought for a moment. ¡°intuition.¡± dongfang liren felt that this topic was a little strange. she moved her hand away from her collar and sat upright. the princess looked very angry. ¡°your talent should be used in investigating cases. what do you regard women¡¯s preferences as? don¡¯t do it again.¡± ye jingtang tidied his clothes and smiled. ¡°understood. it¡¯s getting late. i¡¯ll send your highness back to the prince¡¯s estate.¡± dongfang liren had come in her carriage. if ye jingtang really sent her back, he would have to make a trip there and return here. she waved his hand and said, ¡°go back. come back immediately after you finish your business. be careful.¡± a moment later, in the alley¡­ ¡°chirp chirp chirp-¡± the fluffy bird curled up under ye jingtang¡¯s sleeve and kept urging him. ye jingtang used his sleeve to cover himself and the bird as he rushed through the dark alley in the rain. he only heaved a sigh of relief when he reached the porch. the courtyard was pitch black. only the windows of the main room were lit. he could hear the pleasant voices of women coming from inside. ¡°1 went to the roaring dragon pavilion today. hero qiu seems to live on the side street beside the black office and lives with people from the black office. 1 didn¡¯t dare to go over.¡± ¡°who told you to run over there?¡± ¡°i was just strolling around. i¡¯ve finished copying all the books¡­¡± ¡°i¡¯m going to the baoyuan school with your brother jingtang. stay at home obediently for the next few days¡­¡± ¡°sigh- martial mistress, you used to bring me everywhere you went. now that you have brother jingtang, you like the new and hate the old¡­ ah! 1 was wrong¡­¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t go into the main room to join in the fun. he began to wash up and change into clean clothes. after changing, ye jingtang stood at the door of the west wing and hesitated for a moment. he felt that it was indeed inappropriate to knock little yunli unconscious again. if they needed anything, they could talk on the way. he said, ¡°we¡¯re traveling tomorrow. heroine luo, rest early. i¡¯m going to sleep too.¡± ¡°just sleep. 1 was already asleep, but you woke me up¡­¡± ¡°martial mistress, you clearly weren¡¯t asleep. all!¡± the corners of ye jingtang¡¯s mouth curled up into a smile.. he suppressed the distracting thoughts in his heart, closed the door, sat down on the bed, and began to practice the jade bone dragon form picture¡­ Chapter 154 - Chapter 154: Your Highness, Do You Know Yuhu? (3) chapter 154: your highness, do you know yuhu? (3) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the night passed uneventfully. the next day¡­ thump! thump! the morning bell rang. after the violent wind and rain last night, the streets and alleys of the capital looked brand new. the stores on heavenly water bridge had just opened, and the escorts of the escort agency were sitting at the food stalls and eating breakfast. in the pei family¡¯s alley not far away, a fat horse was standing. there was a weapon strap on the horse¡¯s side, and a long weapon wrapped in a yellow cloth was hanging on it. among the white walls and blue tiles, ye jingtang was wearing a black martial arts suit with the hornless dragon saber wrapped in a black cloth and hanging by his waist. he stood in front of a window and said, ¡°third lady, i can go alone for such a trivial matter. if the young master and the pavilion lord deal with the baoyuan school together, the people of jianghu will laugh at us¡­¡± inside the window was third lady¡¯s boudoir. ye jingtang could hear the rustling sound of clothes being put on. a naturally gentle female voice sounded from inside. ¡°the zhou family is very black-hearted. old master zhou hasn¡¯t done anything for a long time. who knows if they¡¯re secretly waiting for an opportunity? i¡¯ll go with you. don¡¯t worry.¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t mind third lady going with him, but heroine luo was also going. the last time the two of them had quarreled, they had almost split him into two. if they quarreled again on the way, he might not be able to reach the baoyuan school alive. ¡°ning¡¯er is going with me¡­¡± ¡°what¡¯s the use of her going? she¡¯s just the cult mistress and in charge of internal affairs. her greatest reputation in jianghu is that she¡¯s good-looking.¡± ¡°ning¡¯er¡¯s martial arts skills are quite impressive¡­¡± ¡°no matter how powerful she is, can she be as powerful as me? you¡¯re the young master of the red flower pavilion, and i know that this trip is dangerous. if i leave your safety in the hands of the pacifying heaven cult, how can i be the pavilion lord?¡± while they were speaking, the door opened. pei xiangjun walked out of the room dressed in a purple dress, looking like a smart and capable businesswoman. ¡°just tell her to go back. this is a matter of the red flower pavilion. if she goes with us, i won¡¯t be able to give any wages.¡± ye jingtang shook his head. ¡°we¡¯ve already come to an agreement. she¡¯s waiting outside. if i ask ning¡¯er to go back, i¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll return to the south firmament mountains directly.¡± h 11 pei xiangjun saw that ye jingtang was in a difficult position and felt very helpless. it was indeed risky for jingtang to go out to work for the red flower pavilion this time. as the sect master, she couldn¡¯t just ignore it. but if she even handed this matter to the cult mistress, what else could she do? if jingtang wanted to bring the cult mistress along, she couldn¡¯t possibly chase her away¡­ the cult mistress was a grandmaster after all. it was much safer for the three of them to go out together than for two people¡­ but when she and the cult mistress were together, jingtang had only dared to restrain them one by one after taking medicine. if he didn¡¯t take the medicine, he might shut up like a clam on the spot¡­ pei xiangjun deliberated for a moment. she felt that she was going to guard against an accident happening to jingtang, not to snatch a man. there was no need to walk together openly. she could just follow in secret¡­ thinking of this, pei xiangjun said, ¡°forget it. i¡¯m just worried about your safety. since you¡¯re confident, go and come back early. don¡¯t make me worry.¡± ye jingtang breathed a sigh of relief. after comforting third lady, he bade farewell and left the residence. a moment later, the horse arrived at the street of heavenly water bridge. luo ning, dressed in blue and wearing a veiled hat, was waiting by the street. the bird was squatting by her feet and staring at the food stall in the distance. seeing ye jingtang come out, luo ning walked up to him. ¡°everything fine?¡± ye jingtang nodded and extended his hand. ¡°let¡¯s go and come back quickly.¡± luo ning looked around. seeing that no one was paying attention, she jumped lightly and sat behind ye jingtang. ye jingtang was afraid that luo ning would fall, so he wanted to hold her hands and place them on his waist. naturally, she dodged him. he could only give up and turn around. ¡°let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°chirp-¡± clack, clack.. soon, a horse carrying two people and a bird left heavenly water bridge. not long after the two of them left the city gate, a black horse trotted out of the city gate. on the horse was a woman in black clothes and a black veiled hat. on the side of the horse was a long weapon wrapped in black cloth. she looked valiant and heroic. after looking at the end of the official road, she rode the horse toward the northwest¡­ meanwhile, at the border of yun province and ze province, in an unnamed town¡­ the scorching sun after the heavy rain turned the ground into a steamer, and the rising heat distorted the light. there was no one on the streets of the old town. there was only an old dog sticking out its tongue in the shade, looking at the wine and meat in the window of the wine shop. inside the window of the wine shop was the sound of people eating heartily, mixed with trivial conversation. ¡°this job isn¡¯t easy to do. in my opinion, we should just leave as soon as we get the deposit and go to northern liang¡­¡± ¡°we are people of jianghu. we have to follow the rules. once our reputation is ruined, we won¡¯t be able to get a job even in northern liang.¡± ¡°sigh¡­¡± the wine shop wasn¡¯t big. there were a total of four tables. the old shopkeeper was also the cook, and there were two people sitting in the wine shop. the two of them, one tall and one short, were both wearing grayish-white robes. the weather was too hot, so their sleeves were rolled up. they were eating wine and meat, and there were a few weapons leaning against the wall beside them. the slightly taller man had sharp eyebrows and tiger-like eyes, looking rather mature and steady. his name was wang chengjing, known as the ¡®mountain collapsing tiger¡¯ by the people of jianghu. he was a wanderer from the land of yan and was quite famous in yan province. but two years ago, because of an enmity in jianghu, he had offended the cutting cloud palace, causing him to be unable to establish himself in yan province and keep roaming around in jianghu. sitting opposite wang chengjing was his younger brother. the people of jianghu usually called him ¡®second wang¡¯. he was slightly shorter, but he was extremely muscular. he was chowing down the wine and meat. in terms of individual martial arts, the wang brothers were not considered top-notch in jianghu. however, just like the six fiends, the two of them could work together to complement each other¡¯s strength and cooperate seamlessly to attack and defend. unless the difference in strength reached a certain extent, no one could do anything to them. second wang ate big mouthfuls of wine and meat. seeing his brother¡¯s hesitation, he said, ¡°it¡¯s a lot of money, but neither of the people he wants to kill are easy to deal with. needless to say, if we kill someone from the black office, we will have to flee to northern liang. ye silang is the lifeblood of the red flower pavilion. if the news of us killing him leaks, even if the red flower pavilion doesn¡¯t have enough experts, with just their financial resources, they can hire ten grandmasters to surround our wang family¡¯s two heroes¡­¡± ¡°everything is gone after death. as long as we succeed, the red flower pavilion will only think about how to deal with the current situation, rather than going bankrupt to take revenge¡­¡± wang chengjing picked up his wine bowl and looked around. seeing that no one was listening, he continued, ¡°for example, that young master of the zhou family has the revenge of killing his father in front of him. but after finding us, his first thought was to resolve the problem of the red flower pavilion. killing ye jingtang of the black office can only allow zhou ying to take revenge, which is of no benefit to him. but by killing ye silang and forcing the red flower pavilion into a corner, zhou ying can rely on this merit to take back the position of the heir. in front of such a huge family business, a dead father is nothing¡­¡± second wang put down his wine bowl and wiped his mouth. ¡°you can¡¯t say that. zhou ying is considered a filial son. we can kill whoever we have the chance to kill, and we¡¯ll get double the money for killing both. the capital is closer. let¡¯s try the more difficult ye jingtang first¡­¡± wang chengjing shook his head. ¡°if we kill someone from the black office, the government will search yun province for the murderer with an inescapable net. the risk is too high. let¡¯s go to the baoyuan school to wait for ye silang first. the zhou family said that there¡¯s a high chance that ye silang will go there soon. if we miss him, it won¡¯t be easy to find him in the future.¡± second wang nodded and wiped the sweat off his head. he said thoughtfully, ¡°with such a good seedling, it¡¯s impossible for the red flower pavilion not to be on guard at all. this matter is also very risky. can we use the strategy of driving a tiger to devour a wolf and use someone else to kill him for us?¡± ¡°oh?¡± ¡°it¡¯s like this. let¡¯s send the news that ye silang might go to the baoyuan school to ye jingtang of the black office and let those two kill each other¡­¡± wang chengjing was speechless. ¡°the red flower pavilion is engaged in the proper business of shipping. the black office can¡¯t wait to help settle the matter for the red flower pavilion and ask for benefits. do you think the red god of wealth is hiding her identity because she¡¯s afraid of being arrested by the government? she¡¯s afraid of being eaten by the government.¡± ¡°oh, that¡¯s right¡­ i have another plan¡ª¡± ¡°eat your food!¡± Chapter 155 - Chapter 155: The Gentlemanly Ye Jingtang (1) chapter 155: the gentlemanly ye jingtang (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios northwest of yun province, three rivers town¡­ the silver moon hung like a curved hook in the night sky, and the cold moonlight shone on a sparsely lit town. the yellow banner of an inn was swaying silently beside lanterns. ding¡­ ding¡­ amidst the gentle ringing of a horse bell, a horse entered from the entrance of the town and stopped in front of the inn. on the horse was a man and a woman. after a long journey, the people and the bird were tired. luo ning jumped off the horse¡¯s back and directly entered the inn without saying a word. ye jingtang dismounted from his horse and took off the black qilin spear on the side of the horse. he handed the reins to the waiter and rubbed his old waist in front of the horse. he didn¡¯t rub his waist because he was tired from horse riding but because it hurt a little from being pinched. yun province and ze province were both massive plains. after leaving the capital, there were endless fields. there was indeed good scenery, but it was almost all identical. there was really nothing to see. ye jingtang had been riding his horse while looking at the road. he wasn¡¯t tired, but heroine luo had nothing to do sitting at the back. as they rode, she became a little sleepy. halfway through, she leaned on his back. in order not to fall, she wrapped her arms around his waist. ye jingtang thought for a moment. didn¡¯t this ¡®advantage¡¯ come itself to him? since he was bored, he touched the front passenger seat. then he woke heroine luo up. she twisted his waist violently and ignored him the entire way. ye jingtang entered the inn with his spear. it was obvious that heroine luo had already gone upstairs. three rivers town was the main passageway from liang province to the capital and from yun province to the north. ye jingtang had come once when he came to the capital in april and had stayed in this old inn. there were not many people in the inn at night. the elderly shopkeeper was checking the accounts at the counter. because ye jingtang had brought dozens of people with him the last time he came, he must have left a deep impression on the staff. when the elderly shopkeeper saw him, he greeted, ¡°looking at your attire, you must have made a fortune in the capital. i knew that you were very talented.¡± ye jingtang walked to the counter and took out his identification card. ¡°shopkeeper, you have a good memory. i found some work in the capital, and i¡¯m doing well.¡± after some chit-chat and paying the deposit, ye jingtang went to the backyard to get hot water and went to the room on the second floor. this room in the inn was rather spacious and was fully furnished, but there was clearly only one bed. luo ning had rich experience traveling jianghu. after checking the table, chairs, door, and window to make sure that there was nothing wrong, she took out the clean bed sheet she had brought and laid them on the inn¡¯s bed. ye jingtang pushed open the door with the hot water and happened to see the elegant heroine luo leaning over to arrange the pillows on the bed, causing the blue dress to become tight at the waist¡­ what a round moon! luo ning sensed something and suddenly straightened up. she turned around, her eyes slightly cold. ye jingtang¡¯s expression was normal as he carried the hot water into the room and poured it into the bathtub behind the screen. ¡°the weather is too hot, and i¡¯m sweating all over. let¡¯s take a bath before sleeping.¡± luo ning knew what ye jingtang had been looking at just now. she wanted to say a few words to him, but in the end, she decided not to and grabbed the bucket. ¡°you go first. i¡¯ll get some water.¡± ¡°i¡¯m a man. if i let a woman fetch water, the shopkeeper and the staff will laugh at me. go wash up. do you want me to go out?¡± seeing that the little thief was so sensible, luo ning couldn¡¯t be too unreasonable. she thought for a moment and said, ¡°just don¡¯t look around. if i find out¡­¡± ¡°i know.¡± ye jingtang asked the bird to stand guard on the roof of the inn for the first half of the night. then he took out his map and checked the route to the iron buddha ridge and the baoyuan school. luo ning stood behind the screen with a cold temperament. she stood on her tiptoes to look at ye jingtang. after confirming that he was very obedient, she felt relieved. she untied her belt, draped her blue clothes on the screen, took off her white undergarments, and sat in the bathtub. whoosh-! whoosh-! ye jingtang¡¯s ears twitched, and his heart really felt a little unstable. but this wait that felt like years didn¡¯t last long. while ye jingtang was looking at the map and letting his imagination run wild, the sound of horse hooves sounded on the street outside the window. ciack, ciack.. then the sound of ¡°coo¡­ coo? chirp chirp¡­¡± came from the roof. ye jingtang¡¯s eyes narrowed. he felt that something was wrong. from the cries of the bird, he could discern three pieces of information: be careful. there¡¯s a suspicious person approaching. ah? it¡¯s fine. it¡¯s fine. i was seeing things¡­ this kind of situation had never happened to the bird before. in the past, even if there was a misjudgment, it would directly cancel the alert, and there wouldn¡¯t be any surprises in between. this gave him the feeling that the bird had discovered danger, but then the enemy had taken out delicious food, and the bird had been bribed¡­ ye jingtang didn¡¯t think that the bird that was more reliable than him would be bribed by a stranger in an instant. it must know the person who came. this person was very close to it, completely trusted, and could override his command authority. there were only four such people: dumdum, heroine luo, third lady, and little yunli. dumdum¡¯s first priority was to stay in the capital and not give enemies any chance. she would also bring dozens of bodyguards with her and not come secretly. there was no need to mention little yunli. with her mother not at home, she could have fun. if she followed secretly, her butt would probably become itchy. this only left¡­ ? ye jingtang got up and walked to the window. he pushed it open slightly and looked down. he saw a person wearing a black veiled hat carrying a long weapon enter the inn¡­ ?! ye jingtang opened his mouth, a little confused. at the same time, heroine luo, who was bathing behind the screen, also heard the cries of the bird. she stopped and asked in a low voice, ¡°is there something unusual?¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t expect third lady to follow him secretly, but when he thought about how much she cared about him, he felt relieved. when heroine luo asked, ye jingtang didn¡¯t know how to answer. he hesitated for a moment and only said, ¡°it¡¯s nothing. there¡¯s just a jianghu person staying in the inn. continue bathing.¡± hearing this, luo ning breathed a sigh of relief and continued to splash water on her neck.. Chapter 156 - Chapter 156: The Gentlemanly Ye Jingtang (2) chapter 156: the gentlemanly ye jingtang (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios whoosh- after washing up, luo ning got up from the bathtub and changed into clean clothes. she originally wanted to put on her dress, but she was going to sleep immediately, so this was obviously unnecessary. after thinking for a moment, she hugged her chest and said coldly, ¡°little thief, don¡¯t turn your head.¡± ye jingtang¡¯s mind was in a mess. he faced the wall at the window. ¡°okay.¡± tread, tread¡­ luo ning held the little watermelons under her undergarment and quickly walked to the bed. she lay on the inner side and covered herself with the thin blanket before breathing a sigh of relief. ¡°it¡¯s inconvenient to go out, so you and i will take turns keeping watch. you keep watch for the first half of the night and wake me up for the second half.¡± ye jingtang nodded seriously. ¡°okay.¡± luo ning was a little surprised. she pursed her lips, and her tone softened. ¡°please help me change the water and then wash up too.¡± ¡°no need.¡± ye jingtang walked directly behind the screen and began to take off his clothes. ? luo ning was stunned. she wanted to say that the little thief was shameless, but her bath water was very clean. it wasn¡¯t impossible to make do with it, so she didn¡¯t say anything. splash- splash- the sound of water splashing rose and fell in the room. luo ning bit her lower lip lightly, complicated emotions in her eyes. when the little thief came out later, he would definitely walk naked to the bed. she would say in embarrassment and anger, ¡°little thief! are you trying to anger me to death?¡± but the little thief wouldn¡¯t care at all. he would come over and coax, ¡°heroine luo, didn¡¯t you say you wanted to nurse my body back to health?¡± or ¡°we agreed to hug, but i haven¡¯t hugged you today. are you going back on her word?¡± then he took advantage of ning. even though she was full of shame and anger, the little thief might encounter an accident at any time when he was out. she still had to pay attention to the overall situation and help treat him¡­ when luo ning thought of this, her clear and beautiful eyes actually became misty. she felt very aggrieved and turned her head to look at the inner wall, like a sad heroine waiting to be humiliated but was helpless. splash! the sound of splashing water came, and soon, footsteps sounded. luo ning¡¯s body tensed up. she closed her eyes and didn¡¯t look. she only held the sword beside her. if the little thief dared to pounce on her, she would be fierce and show her attitude first. but¡­ thump, thump! the footsteps went to the window. luo ning was a little puzzled. she opened her eyes slightly to look. ye jingtang was dressed neatly with tidy hair. he was standing in front of the window with his hands behind his back. his cold aura and stalwart figure made him look like a desireless and unshakable pine tree standing proudly between heaven and earth! ??? luo ning lay on the pillow in a daze for a while before asking, ¡°little thief, didn¡¯t you take a bath?¡± ye jingtang turned around and looked at his fair and clean hands. ¡°i did.¡± ¡°why are you dressed¡­ so neatly after washing up? it looks like you¡¯re going out¡­¡± ¡°when you¡¯re away from home, something might go wrong at any time. keep things neat to avoid encountering anything embarrassing.¡± ye jingtang stood with his hands behind his back and continued to face the wall. luo ning¡¯s eyes were full of confusion. why is this little thief so serious all of a sudden? has his personality changed? although she knew that the little thief was definitely pretending, this posture of a ¡®gentleman¡¯ did make her feel quite comfortable. after thinking about it, she tilted her head and gestured to the pillow beside her. ¡°the window is closed. what can you see? come lie down. we¡¯ll take turns keeping watch.¡± h h ye jingtang nodded slightly. he went over to the bed and raised his hand to lift the thin blanket. he originally thought that heroine luo would be very vigilant and wear pajamas to bed, but when he lifted the blanket¡­ her upper body was covered with a light blue undergarment, but it couldn¡¯t completely cover the little watermelons. the snow-white arcs at the edges were visible¡­ below were thin white pants. because she was lying flat, and they were close to her body, he could vaguely see that¡­ they fit snugly¡­ ?! the blanket on luo ning¡¯s body was lifted, and her expression changed slightly. she hurriedly pulled the thin blanket back and wanted to scold him. but the little thief had a greater reaction than she did. he turned around with a whoosh and raised her hand slightly with an expression that said, ¡°sorry for offending you, miss. please don¡¯t blame me.¡± ¡°sorry, um¡­ heroine luo, why aren¡¯t you wearing clothes when you sleep?¡± luo ning was slightly stunned. ye jingtang¡¯s behavior made her look as if she was a lecherous elder sister seducing a young hero. she said coldly, ¡°why should i wear clothes when i sleep? i asked you to lie down, but 1 didn¡¯t ask you to lift the blanket.¡± ye jingtang nodded and lay down beside her. he leaned against the head of the bed with his saber and closed his eyes. luo ning felt that the little thief was playing hard to get. he wanted to take advantage of her, but he didn¡¯t want to take the initiative. naturally, she ignored him and closed her eyes to sleep, waiting for the little thief to stop pretending. but¡­ she waited for an hour! it was completely quiet inside and outside the inn. there was no sound at all, and only the moonlight shone on the floor. luo ning quietly opened her eyes and glanced at the little thief. his face was full of righteousness. even with his eyes closed, she could sense the caution in his eyes as he observed the surroundings. it seemed that he was really keeping watch and guarding against any accidents¡­ huh? is the little thief possessed? luo ning was at a loss. she wasn¡¯t used to such a gentlemanly little thief. although it feels good, and the earnest and serious side profile is very comfortable to look at¡­ the bird is keeping watch in the first half of the night. what¡¯s the point of keeping watch so carefully inside the room? moreover, the two of us are going out to do something and may encounter an accident at any time. if the little thief¡¯s physical condition isn¡¯t good and something happens to him¡­ 1 already made plans before we went out. if the little thief followed the rules, 1 would grit my teeth, endure the humiliation, and let the little thief recuperate¡­ but aren¡¯t you a little too well-behaved? luo ning was a little confused and didn¡¯t know how to deal with this situation. the little thief is so serious about proper business. if 1 take the initiative to take care of his body and mind, won¡¯t it seem like 1 have unsatisfied desires¡­ but if 1 don¡¯t take the initiative, the little thief really won¡¯t move. if he doesn¡¯t recuperate well, what if something happens¡­ it seems that 1 have to think of a way to make the little thief take the initiative¡­ Chapter 157 - Chapter 157: The Gentlemanly Ye Jingtang (3) chapter 157: the gentlemanly ye jingtang (3) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ye jingtang was concentrating with his eyes closed. with the special technique of the heaven equaling saber to sense the details of the environment, he could roughly determine that there were three people staying on the second floor. third lady should be in the second room on the left. although he couldn¡¯t hear anything, he could sense her subtle footsteps. she seemed to be leaning against the wall and listening¡­ rustle, rustle- while ye jingtang was concentrating on investigating the situation, he suddenly heard a sound. he opened his eyes and looked around, only to see heroine luo sleeping. perhaps it was a little hot, so she had pulled open the thin blanket, revealing her undergarment with an embroidered full moon¡­ ye jingtang¡¯s pupils constricted slightly, but he quickly looked away and calmed himself down. stay true to your heart, and don¡¯t let your imagination run wild. third lady is next door. she will hear anything you do. if he woke heroine luo up, she would definitely be angry and shy. she would say that he was a pervert and that she wouldn¡¯t help him recuperate¡­ if heroine luo treated his body, third lady might come over to kill him. if he could control the situation well, it might be a twofer with one cannon. but if he couldn¡¯t control it well, it would definitely be a mixed double beating, and he might have to go out and sleep in the stable¡­ perhaps because heroine luo was not used to sleeping in the inn, she turned around and faced him. her arm movements caused the blue cloth to slip a little¡­ at this moment, ye jingtang¡¯s eyes were only two feet away from the little watermelons. if he lowered his head¡­ slurp. i ye jingtang¡¯s eyes widened. he wanted to turn his head away, but this time, his neck didn¡¯t listen to him. he opened his mouth, feeling that he was facing the most severe test in his life. in order not to let the situation get out of control, he gritted his teeth and looked up. how can a dignified man be bewitched by beauty¡­ hiss¡­ heroine luo tossed and turned before turning over and pressing down on his shoulder. her cheek was only inches away from his neck, and her breath was like orchids teasing her neck. ye jingtang gritted his teeth and did his best to resist the temptation. he gently helped heroine luo lie down and covered her with the thin blanket to her neck. then he continued to remain motionless. h 11 luo ning was stunned. in the past, she had hoped that the little thief would treat her with respect every day. she didn¡¯t expect her dream to come true. but i¡¯m serious in the capital. when we go out to do things, 1 have to be flexible when it comes to urgent matters¡­ if this drags on until the second half of the night, it will be time to change shifts with the bird¡­ after lying with her eyes closed for a while, she gritted her teeth and opened her eyes to look at ye jingtang. ¡°little thief, are you feeling uncomfortable?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t feel uncomfortable at all. heroine luo, continue sleeping.¡± luo ning¡¯s face was as frosty as ice and very serious. she propped herself up slightly. ¡°how can i not know if you¡¯re uncomfortable or not? look for yourself!¡± ye jingtang lowered his head and glanced at it. ¡°this is a normal reaction. i¡¯m really fine¡­¡± ¡°you¡¯re still saying you¡¯re fine! you just want me to take the initiative to treat your body, right? why¡­ why are you so shameless? wu¡ª¡± ye jingtang covered heroine luo¡¯s mouth to interrupt her and said gently, ¡°okay, okay. that¡¯s what 1 mean. it¡¯s not convenient in the inn. heroine luo, don¡¯t make a sound.¡± luo ning wanted to struggle, but she was afraid that this little thief would fall ill again, so she turned her head, bit her lower lip lightly, and stopped talking¡­ in another guest room¡­ a black veiled hat was on the table, a spear was leaning against the head of the bed, and a pair of boots was on the floor. pei xiangjun was lying on a pillow with her clothes on and her eyes closed. she was silently analyzing the various situations she might encounter after going to the baoyuan school. jingtang said that he would go to the iron buddha ridge to take a look. he¡¯s probably going to beat cheng shilu up again. his temper is really a little bad¡­ buthe¡¯s still very steady when he¡¯s outside. he can sleep with the cult mistress and remain gentlemanly¡­ ¡°ah-¡± while she was letting her imagination run wild, an ambiguous and indescribable soft sound entered her ears. pei xiangjun¡¯s mature and beautiful face stiffened slightly. she listened carefully and found that the cult mistress was moaning from not far away. it was on and off but full of shyness and charm. !! pei xiangjun opened her eyes, and her face visibly turned red. after she calmed herself for a long time, a trace of anger flashed between her brows. this vixen¡­ the cult mistress had poached jingtang and was causing trouble for him, but she was guarding at the side as a bodyguard. this suffering¡­ pei xiangjun was an unmarried woman. how could she endure this grievance? she wanted to get up and return to the capital. but she came to prevent jingtang from being schemed against by people with ulterior motives, not to be jealous. the vixen is helping jingtang recuperate. it¡¯s normal to do this kind of thing at night¡­ it¡¯s an urgent matter. don¡¯t get angry. don¡¯t get angry¡­ pei xiangjun took a deep breath. in the end, she didn¡¯t leave, but she couldn¡¯t stand the heart-scratching sound either. after thinking for a while, she raised her hand and hammered the wall twice. thump! thump! the movements not far away stopped abruptly. after a long time, the cult mistress whispered, ¡°there¡¯s someone staying in the inn¡­ little thief, are you done?¡± when pei xiangjun heard the cult mistress¡¯s nervous and embarrassed voice, she felt much better. she turned over and closed her eyes. after a while, she buried her face with a thin blanket¡­ Chapter 158 - Chapter 158: Iron Buddha Ridge chapter 158: iron buddha ridge translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios it was a hot summer night. dots of firelight covered the iron buddha ridge. hundreds of blast furnaces stood in the small town outside the mountain range. from time to time, commoners would push ores in and out. cheng shilu, who was as strong as an ox, held his long-handled bronze hammer and walked up the stone path on the mountain at a leisurely pace. he had already changed into another brocade robe, but the weather was too hot, so he had loosened his collar, revealing brown bear-like chest hair. the villa at the end of the stone path was the cheng family¡¯s private residence. just as he reached the entrance of the villa, a young man quickly ran up to him. ¡°father, welcome back. how is second uncle?¡± ¡°don¡¯t you see that i¡¯m covered in dust? what do you think i could do?¡± ¡°uh¡­¡± the young man¡¯s expression froze, but he didn¡¯t dare to ask further. he only chased after his father and smiled apologetically. ¡°it¡¯s good that you¡¯re fine. it¡¯s never too late for a gentleman to take revenge. oh, right, on the afternoon you left, someone came and looked for me in private. he said he wanted to buy dissolving oil and open a large tomb of the previous dynasty¡­¡± cheng shilu raised his hand and slapped the back of his son¡¯s head. his tiger eyes widened. ¡°how dare you sell this thing at will?¡± the imperial court had classified dissolving oil as a forbidden substance. when poured on stone, it could dissolve most of the stone, making it brittle and easy to dig. because the imperial court was afraid that traitors would destroy city walls, break into prisons, rob tombs, and other unsavory matters, the dissolving oil formula was a top secret of the government. it was strictly forbidden for commoners to refine it and keep it privately. the young man naturally knew this and didn¡¯t dare to sell this thing casually. he moved closer, raised his hand, and raised three fingers. ¡°that person is offering this number.¡± cheng shilu stopped in his tracks and asked, ¡°how much does he want to buy?¡± ¡°thirty barrels. it¡¯s not much. when the imperial court checks the number, we can fool them.¡± cheng shilu¡¯s official identity was a contractor who mined iron ore for the imperial court. because he had connections in the imperial court, it was fine to resell some contraband in private. but if 30 barrels of dissolving oil were used properly and soaked key load-bearing points, a city gate tower in the capital could be brought down in a few days. the risk was definitely not small. cheng shilu wiped the sweat off his bald head and asked, ¡°are you sure it¡¯s a grave digger? last time, someone bought it to seek revenge and collapsed a buddhist pagoda, crushing more than thirty worshippers to death. 1 had to give away several boxes of silver to wipe my butt clean¡­¡± the young man promised solemnly, ¡°definitely. the moment i saw him, i smelled the smell of dead people. his face was pale, and it was obvious that he often went out to work at night¡­¡± ¡°alright, keep your hands and feet clean.¡± ¡°father, don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ll do it now¡­¡± after cheng shilu finished chatting about trivial matters, he dismissed his attendants and went straight to a house close to the cliff at the back of the villa. inside the house was a study. there were rows of bookshelves along the walls, containing all kinds of books and scriptures. cheng shilu clearly didn¡¯t have the habit of reading. he placed his weapon on the weapon rack in the center of the room and went to a bookshelf. he pulled out a book a little and pushed it to the side, revealing an arch. behind the arch was a stone room carved out of the mountain wall. there was a secret passage leading to the mine below. it was the ¡®escape route¡¯ that jianghu people commonly prepared in their residences. when a powerful enemy attacked, they could quickly escape. cheng shilu entered the stone room and lit a lamp. there was a suit of armor beside the wall. the armor was silvery-white heavy armor. it had wolf-head shoulder guards and face armor. the quality of the armor revealed that it came from an elite army, but it had become somewhat damaged by time. cheng shilu stood in front of the armor and lit incense. then he picked up a golden bowl from under the armor. the golden bowl was full of clear water, and a pigeon egg-sized white bead was soaking in it. after soaking the egg for a few days, the clear water in the bowl had already turned into a misty white color. splash! cheng shilu took out a clamp and carefully took out the white bead from the water, as if he was holding a piece of red iron. then he took the golden bowl, walked to the small bath in the stone room, and poured the water in the bowl into the pool. he took off his robe and soaked his entire body in the pool, even his face¡­ at the same time, at the foot of the iron buddha ridge¡­ the big black horse stopped in a forest. the fluffy bird was standing at the top of a big pine tree in the forest and looking at the official road in the distance. under the pine tree, ye jingtang had taken off his outer robe and was changing into a completely black robe. luo ning was standing at the side with a veiled hat and a bamboo hat and scarf in her hand. she looked up at the villa on the iron buddha ridge. ¡°i thought the iron buddha ridge was just a small place. i didn¡¯t expect the mine to be so big.¡± ¡°the iron buddha ridge is a mine of the imperial court. all the output is handed over to be used to forge official weapons and armaments. cheng shilu is just a contractor who helps with the work.¡± while ye jingtang was putting on his clothes, he was also sizing up the official road outside the forest. last night, when he realized that third lady had followed him, he had been paying attention. he had even been very careful when eating the watermelons. in the end, third lady listened for half the night and didn¡¯t come over to kill him. she didn¡¯t even say anything. after ye jingtang fell asleep, he woke up early in the morning to change shifts with the bird. he wanted to secretly chat with third lady. but just as he reached the door of her room, she blocked the door. it was unknown if she was afraid that he hadn¡¯t eaten enough and wanted to rush to the second round, or if she was aggrieved by the commotion and didn¡¯t open the door. seeing that third lady knew that she had been exposed, ye jingtang didn¡¯t force his way in. when the sky was bright, third lady covered herself tightly and led her horse away first. ye jingtang rode his horse to the iron buddha ridge. on the way, he asked the bird to investigate. he could confirm that third lady had been following the hoof prints as a bodyguard. ye jingtang looked back a few times. after putting on his clothes, he took the bamboo hat from heroine luo. ¡°i¡¯ll go in. wait outside. if anything happens, the bird will send a signal.¡± luo ning knew that cheng shilu was no match for ye jingtang, but she still reminded seriously, ¡°the anxious rabbit will even kick the eagle. most people don¡¯t die from martial arts but from underestimating the enemy. even if you¡¯re dealing with a street ruffian, you have to be 120% alert.¡± ye jingtang was about to pull up the scarf to cover his face when he blinked again. ? luo ning understood the meaning of this look. she was afraid that the little thief would let his imagination run wild when he was doing something, so she didn¡¯t show a cold expression. instead, like a virtuous wife sending her husband to the battlefield, she stood on her tiptoes, cupped ye jingtang¡¯s cheeks, and pecked his lips. ¡°alright, get down to business. don¡¯t have any distracting thoughts.¡± ye jingtang smiled, pulled up the scarf, took a deep breath, carried the black qilin spear wrapped in black cloth, and walked unhurriedly toward the stone steps leading up the mountain. luo ning followed silently in the mountain forest while investigating the situation on the iron buddha ridge to avoid any ambushes. as a jianghu sect, it was impossible for the iron buddha ridge not to have any disciples. according to the preliminary investigation, there were about 200 disciples in the entire iron buddha ridge, but they all lived near the mine under the mountain ridge and served as supervisors and stewards of the mine. the villa on the mountain ridge was the cheng family¡¯s private residence. there were a few disciples patrolling the mountain path to prevent unrelated people from running up and disturbing the sect master¡¯s cultivation. apart from this, there was no other protection. ye jingtang arrived openly and didn¡¯t walk fast. he only held his spear and walked slowly under the moonlight, waiting for the disciples of the iron buddha ridge to come. but the disciples of the iron buddha ridge seemed to have been at ease for a long time. their vigilance was too low. they gathered on the mountain path to comment on the prostitutes in the city. ye jingtang walked halfway up the mountain without anyone even noticing. luo ning was speechless. just as she was looking around in boredom, she suddenly discovered a few figures outside an independent small house on the mountainside of the iron buddha ridge. the house was alone at the corner of the mountain ridge, far away from the villa. there were guards nearby, but they didn¡¯t light any torches in the middle of the night and were only moving things under the moonlight. luo ning was slightly puzzled and silently approached. she saw a noble young master holding a whip in his hand and instructing laborers to carry a pile of wooden barrels onto a cart. the distance was too far, and the sky was dark, so luo ning couldn¡¯t see very clearly. after paying attention for a moment, she saw that ye jingtang had already come into contact with the people of the iron buddha ridge.. she stopped paying attention to this unrelated matter and hurried up the mountain¡­ Chapter 159 - Chapter 159: Traces of the Golden Scale Picture (1) chapter 159: traces of the golden scale picture (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios it was silent in the stone room. cheng shilu¡¯s entire body was soaking in the pool water and didn¡¯t move at all. wisps of mist were floating on the surface of the water, and his bronze skin showed a reddish color, as if he were soaking in boiling water. thump, thump! footsteps and knocks sounded from outside. ¡°master? master? there¡¯s trouble¡­¡± clatter! anger appeared on cheng shilu¡¯s face. he flipped over, quickly put on his robe, went to the study outside the stone room, and cursed angrily, ¡°why are you shouting in the middle of the night? is your father dead?¡± ¡°master, someone from the red flower pavilion is here. it¡¯s ye silang.¡± ?! cheng shilu was furious. he touched his bald head. ¡°why did he come to the iron buddha ridge? the baoyuan school is in broad crossing. is he planning to fight me?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know. ye silang is waiting in the hall. master, go over quickly¡­¡± the red flower pavilion was a wealthy force in jianghu and much larger than the iron buddha ridge. at most, the iron buddha ridge was comparable to a separate hall. however, the red flower pavilion was too scattered. cheng shilu had the backing of the imperial court and a very strong relationship. under the feet of the empress in yun province, he was not afraid of the red flower pavilion. cheng shilu couldn¡¯t figure out why the other party had come. after thinking about it, he picked up his long-handled bronze hammer, went out, handed it to the housekeeper, and walked to the main hall of the villa. the silver moon was like frost, shining on the elegant scenery of the mountain villa. outside the huge main hall stood more than ten disciples of the iron buddha ridge. they held torches in their hands and looked slightly nervous. they didn¡¯t dare to act rashly and silently waited for the sect master to arrive. there were no lights in the spacious main hall. eight armchairs were placed on the left and right sides, and a painting of seven horses was hanging in the center of the wall at the back of the hall. in front of the painting was a square table and two large chairs on the left and right sides. a long spear wrapped in black cloth was leaning on one of the large chairs. a bamboo hat guest in a black robe was sitting on the main seat, his face not clearly visible. there was a white porcelain teacup beside his hand, and his fingers were gently tapping on the mahogany square table. plop! plop! after a while, footsteps came from outside the main hall, and a loud voice sounded. ¡°young master ye personally came to visit. i¡¯m sorry for not welcoming you properly. please forgive me.¡± cheng shilu was wearing a brocade robe as he strode in. when he saw ye silang sitting in the master¡¯s seat, he stopped in his tracks and looked rather dissatisfied. ¡°a visitor is a guest, but it¡¯s not right to overshadow the host. young master ye, don¡¯t sit in the wrong place.¡± the main seat was the same as the ¡®seat of honor¡¯. only the person with the highest status in jianghu could sit here. from cheng shilu¡¯s words, he clearly felt that he had the same status as the hall masters and young master of the red flower pavilion. in his home, he should sit on the main seat. for ye jingtang¡¯s trip this time, finding clues about the roaring dragon chart was a secondary task. his main task was to let the people of jianghu in yun province understand the weight of the words ¡®red flower pavilion¡¯. upon hearing what cheng shilu said, ye jingtang raised his bamboo hat slightly and lowered his voice. ¡°i¡¯m sitting on the main seat. sect master cheng, do you have any objections?¡± ¡°if the red god of wealth were here, 1 wouldn¡¯t say anything about her sitting on the main seat. but young master ye, you have just made your debut in jianghu and don¡¯t have enough weight. seniority in jianghu is fought for, not given by elders.¡± the hall fell silent. ye jingtang didn¡¯t get up. he just hooked his finger. cheng shilu had a bad temper to begin with, so he didn¡¯t say anything else and raised his hand. whoosh! seeing this, the housekeeper outside the door hurriedly threw the long-handled bronze hammer into the room. the muscles on cheng shilu¡¯s upper body bulged as he stepped forward, caught his weapon in the air, and intended to smash ye jingtang. but the moment the long-handled bronze hammer was in his hand, an explosion sounded in the hall. bam! ye jingtang, who was sitting on the main seat, didn¡¯t seem to exert much strength, but his figure had already exploded. he held the end of his spear with his left hand and fiercely kicked cheng shilu¡¯s broad chest with his right foot. this move wasn¡¯t a conventional punch or kick. it was the ¡®fierce horse collapsing hoof¡¯ from the eight extremities of thunder. when the kick struck cheng shilu¡¯s chest, the force penetrated through his chest and back, and the robe on his back exploded with a bang, revealing his muscular back. as soon as cheng shilu grasped his weapon, his body was kicked three steps back by this extremely fierce kick, knocking over an armchair. clatter! after ye jingtang kicked out, he slammed the spear forward with both hands. the black cloth wrapped around the spear was instantly torn apart by the force, revealing the black spear tip. the spear tip gathered all the scattered tatters of the cloth in the air as it smashed toward cheng shilu in front of him. a hint of horror flashed across cheng shilu¡¯s eyes. he realized that ye silang was even stronger than ye jingtang, whom he had encountered two days ago. how could he dare to be careless again? he immediately retreated with all his might and raised the long-handled bronze hammer. cheng shilu had boundless strength, and the bronze hammer in his hand was a steel rod. but he understood the effect of the famous spear, black qilin, coupled with the yellow dragon crouching. he didn¡¯t dare to block the spear tip at all. instead, he blocked the spear shaft. boom! there was an explosion in the hall, and the doors and windows were instantly pressed against the walls. cheng shilu¡¯s figure was abnormally tall. he was half a head taller than ye jingtang, but he still couldn¡¯t stand still after being struck by the spear. the smash sent him sliding backward, and his feet crushed the floor, leaving two five-foot-long grooves in the floor. the tables and chairs along the way were shattered. after striking with his spear, ye jingtang didn¡¯t give cheng shilu any chance to catch his breath. he raised his spear and stabbed at cheng shilu¡¯s shoulder with the ¡®azure dragon claw¡¯. plop! cheng shilu wasn¡¯t standing firm at all, so how could he defend against this lightning-fast spear attack? half of the spearhead instantly penetrated his flesh and pierced his shoulder bone. cheng shilu¡¯s eyes were wide open and full of rage. he didn¡¯t even think about defending against this attack. the moment the spear tip entered his flesh, he instantly tightened his muscles and turned his body to stop the spear tip from leaving his body. and then he raised his hand to grab the spear shaft. ye jingtang turned the spear shaft. under the huge force, the spear shaft twisted a little, but the spear tip stabbed into cheng shilu¡¯s flesh didn¡¯t move. ¡°haa!¡± cheng shilu grabbed the spear shaft with his left hand and roared as he angrily smashed the long-handled hammer at ye jingtang with his right hand, wanting to force him to abandon the spear and jump away. but what cheng shilu didn¡¯t expect was that ye silang of the red flower pavilion didn¡¯t dodge. instead, he raised his spear shaft and prepared to receive the blow head-on.. Chapter 160 - Chapter 160: Traces of the Golden Scale Picture (2) chapter 160: traces of the golden scale picture (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios boom! cheng shilu smashed the hammer down with all his might, and the tiles under ye jingtang¡¯s feet immediately shattered, leaving two pits. ye jingtang¡¯s entire body was smashed down an inch, but his figure didn¡¯t sway at all. ?! shock flashed in cheng shilu¡¯s eyes. he didn¡¯t expect the opponent¡¯s ¡®thin and weak¡¯ body to be able to withstand his hammer smash. he immediately wanted to do it again. but ye jingtang didn¡¯t give him a chance. he gripped the spear in his right hand and stabbed it at cheng shilu¡¯s armpit while grabbing the long hammer with his left hand and pulling hard. crack! the tip of the spear pierced into flesh again. cheng shilu pulled hard, but ye jingtang didn¡¯t let go. he didn¡¯t dare to let go of the black qilin spear, so he charged forward with the two weapons like a bull. ¡°haa!¡± there was a huge difference in weight between them. ye jingtang could withstand the force of the pressure above with his feet on the ground, but it was difficult for him to stand still when pushed from the front. whoosh! ye jingtang¡¯s body didn¡¯t move at all, but his feet were sliding quickly on the smooth tiles. the tables and chairs behind him were immediately shattered, and a hole was created in the wooden wall. he was instantly pushed out of the hall. ¡°haa!¡± cheng shilu pushed forward with all his might, wanting to shove ye jingtang to the ground as they went down the steps. but the moment ye jingtang¡¯s right foot slid down the steps, he clamped the spear with his right hand and raised it with the momentum of the overlord spear cauldron. ¡°rise!¡± cheng shilu reacted quickly. he wanted to use the method of the thousand pound drop to weld himself forcibly to the ground. but cheng shilu was only good at being invulnerable and powerful. his martial arts attainments were really not high. ye jingtang raised his spear with one hand, and the spear instantly turned into a half arc, forcefully lifting the huge cheng shilu¡¯s feet off the ground and slamming him back down. boom! cheng shilu grabbed his spear and drew a half-arc in the air before smashing the white stone ground into pieces. ye jingtang took this opportunity to grip the spear with both hands. he raised his spear from the ground and bent the spear shaft again. ¡°haa!¡± bam! bam! bam! cheng shilu was pierced by the spearhead and lifted by the spear. with the tremendous inertia and his loss of balance, he couldn¡¯t swing his hammer at all. in an instant, he was smashed down three times, destroying the flower beds beside the steps in the courtyard. when ye jingtang raised the spear again, cheng shilu finally let go of his left hand, and the spearhead stuck in his shoulder left his flesh. boom! cheng shilu¡¯s muscular body spun in midair and smashed through the wall on the side of the courtyard. before he landed, a cold light had already arrived in front of him. ye jingtang had learned his lesson from the last time. he didn¡¯t think of stabbing cheng shilu with all his might. instead, his spear was like a swimming dragon as he stabbed cheng shilu¡¯s chest and played connect the dots. stab, stab, stab, stab¡­ cheng shilu lay on the ground, holding the bronze hammer to block. his feet pushed against the ground and sent him flying back. but in an instant, twelve bloody wounds appeared on his chest. the wounds were extremely shallow, but they were all bleeding. as ye jingtang stabbed continuously, under the bright moonlight, he finally saw clearly that every time the spear tip pierced cheng shilu¡¯s skin, there would be cracks near the wound, looking like porcelain being pierced by a sharp object. although it was fleeting, it was definitely not a hallucination. stab! stab! stab! in an instant, more than ten thrusts forced cheng shilu to the wall of the courtyard. he couldn¡¯t retreat and couldn¡¯t get up at all. he hurriedly shouted, ¡°i admit defeat! i admit defeat! hold back!¡± ye jingtang¡¯s spear paused. he pointed the spear at cheng shilu with his right hand and stood upright under the moonlight with his left hand behind his back. ¡°do 1 have enough weight to sit on the main seat now?¡± although ye jingtang had stabbed cheng shilu many times, they were all superficial wounds. he didn¡¯t aim at any critical points. otherwise, cheng shilu would be dead. cheng shilu was panting as his muscles tightened to stop the bleeding wounds. he threw away his weapon. ¡°enough. please forgive me for offending you, young master ye.¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t withdraw his spear. instead, he sized up cheng shilu¡¯s wounds. ¡°your body is unusually hard.¡± cheng shilu frowned when he heard this and stopped standing up. ¡°young master ye, do you suspect that i¡¯m hiding the roaring dragon chart?¡± ye jingtang retracted his spear and stood with his hands behind his back. ¡°i¡¯m just curious.¡± cheng shilu propped himself up against the wall. ¡°my father practiced the roaring dragon chart. my father was originally from the northern liang army. decades ago, he stole the roaring dragon chart and fled to great wei. because his physique was too strong, he was suspected and killed. 1 don¡¯t know who the murderer is, but jiang zhahu only became one of the eight chiefs after my father died.¡± since cheng shilu gave such a straightforward explanation, it was obviously not the first time that jianghu people had come looking for him. in any case, he didn¡¯t have it. he could just tell them directly so that he wouldn¡¯t be tortured to extract a confession. ye jingtang nodded slightly. he also felt that jiang zhahu¡¯s indestructible golden body was more in line with the description of the golden scale picture. he thought for a moment and asked, ¡°have you practiced the roaring dragon chart before?¡± cheng shilu shook his head. ¡°my father didn¡¯t even dare to tell us brothers about this. 1 only found out about this after he died. i became famous twenty years ago. i wouldn¡¯t have been able to hide the golden scale picture. if i had only reached this level after practicing for twenty years, the golden scale picture wouldn¡¯t be worthy of its reputation.¡± ¡°i¡¯m a unique defensive martial arts practitioner. the reason i could practice to this extent was because i was born with thick skin and good talent. my brother is the same. 1 think this has something to do with my father practicing the roaring dragon chart. dragons give birth to dragons, and phoenixes give birth to phoenixes. if 1 had the roaring dragon chart, even if i showed it to my brother, 1 wouldn¡¯t show it to my disciples. there are more than three hundred people at the foot of the mountain, and they all practice the same martial arts, but they¡¯re not as good as me.¡± ye jingtang looked at the wounds on cheng shilu¡¯s body. ¡°if people practice defensive martial arts well, they can indeed be as powerful as you. however, flesh is flesh. it can¡¯t be shattered. when the wounds on your body appeared, your skin shattered. what¡¯s going on?¡± h ii when cheng shilu heard this, he fell silent for a moment, and his eyes changed. after a while, he sighed softly and nodded in approval. ¡°young master ye, your eyesight is quite sharp. you are the first person to see this. since you have seen it, 1 won¡¯t hide it from you. my father was originally a guard of northern liang. when he stole the roaring dragon chart picture, he also took a bead. the bead is a strange object refined by a northern liang expert. it¡¯s like a jade artifact. if you carry one all year round, it can strengthen your body. but the effect of the bead is much stronger. i often took this item to soak in bath water and eventually obtained hard skin all over my body.¡± ye jingtang was slightly surprised. ¡°sect master cheng, you¡¯re so honest. aren¡¯t you afraid that i¡¯ll kill you and seize your treasure?¡± cheng shilu wasn¡¯t afraid because it was still uncertain who would kill whom and seize the treasure! he had a big head and a thick neck, making him seem slow and reckless, but he was actually very scheming. ye silang suddenly appeared in the red flower pavilion. there had been no news about him before, so there was a high chance that his martial arts skills had improved by leaps and bounds in a short period of time. now that ye silang was asking about the whereabouts of the roaring dragon chart, it was obvious that he wanted to find it, which inevitably made people think that he had practiced the roaring dragon chart. he had just made this conjecture, but this suspicion was not enough for him to take risks. moreover, ye silang had seen through the flaws in his wounds and touched his vulnerable point. cheng shilu had no weakness from head to toe. his only weakness was the heavenly carnelian bead hidden in his secret room. to him, this bead was actually far less useful than his connections in the government. however, this bead involved a secret matter many years ago. if the news were leaked, it might cause the extermination of his clan. in the past, there were two people with extremely sharp eyes who had noticed the abnormality of his wounds, and he had silenced them. and it had to be the same today. there was even a possibility of obtaining a roaring dragon chart picture, which was quite an unexpected gain. facing ye jingtang¡¯s question, cheng shilu showed a calm expression as he turned around and walked to the back. ¡°i¡¯ve used it for more than twenty years. but young master ye, you still casually opened more than ten holes in my body. you probably won¡¯t even take a fancy to such a miraculous item even if i sell it to you. as the saying goes, ¡®no discord, no concord¡¯. i¡¯m not stingy. i¡¯ll give you a look so that you won¡¯t be suspicious one day and come teach me some rules again.¡± ye jingtang felt that cheng shilu was a little too honest. after thinking for a while, he gave the bird guarding in the dark a look and walked behind with his spear.. soon, he reached the cliff at the back¡­ Chapter 161 - Chapter 161: Heavenly Carnelian Bead chapter 161: heavenly carnelian bead translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios under the moonlight, the house at the back of the villa was close to a hundred-foot cliff. below it was the mine that was being dug all night. the burly cheng shilu grabbed a towel from under the eaves and wiped the blood on his chest. he entered the study and saw that ye jingtang didn¡¯t follow him in, so he didn¡¯t close the door and opened the secret door behind the bookshelf. creak! cheng shilu arrived in front of the armor and took out the golden bowl. as he looked at the round bead inside, a hint of cunningness flashed in his eyes. his defensive martial arts skills far exceeded that of ordinary people. it was indeed thanks to the heavenly carnelian bead, but this was not the effect of the heavenly carnelian bead. according to his father¡¯s will, the heavenly carnelian bead was originally a medicine concocted by northern liang. it was said to have the effect of ¡®opening the spine and setting the bones¡¯, but he didn¡¯t know the details. the heavenly carnelian bead had a special significance in northern liang. in order to prevent it from falling into the hands of outsiders, it had been created with a secret technique to make it useless to others. even bone-burning hemp had been specially added. its effect was similar to hemp. as long as someone¡¯s skin touched it, they would feel a burning sensation. this was to prevent outsiders from trying it even though they knew it was useless. with the death of the person who had concocted the medicine and the extermination of his clan, this heavenly carnelian bead that no one could use anymore became useless. now, there were only negative effects left. cheng shilu originally didn¡¯t expect much from the heavenly carnelian bead, but later, he discovered that bone-burning hemp was also a rare medicinal material. it could stimulate the skin and flesh and train one¡¯s pain resistance. it was very suitable for practicing defensive martial arts. for this reason, he tried to soak the heavenly carnelian bead in clear water to dilute the medicinal power of the bone-burning hemp. then he soaked in the water and used the pain to stimulate his skin and flesh, gradually training them to their current state. the effect of the bone-burning hemp was extremely fierce. cheng shilu had soaked in it for many years and had developed a high resistance to medicine, but he still didn¡¯t dare to touch it with his hand for a long time. but for other experts who had never trained with it, as long as they touched the heavenly carnelian bead, the bone-burning hemp would touch their flesh, instantly making them experience bone-burning pain. at best, they would panic, and at worst, they would fall to the ground and wail. it was the reason why cheng shilu could kill the experts who had come looking for him. seeing that ye jingtang didn¡¯t enter the room but was only sizing up his surroundings, cheng shilu held the golden bowl openly and took out the heavenly carnelian bead with his bare hand. he shook it in his palm and poured the clear water in the golden bowl onto the wound on his shoulder. splash- splash- he dared to rinse the wound directly because, even though it was poisonous, it wasn¡¯t a quick-acting poison. moreover, it wasn¡¯t without an antidote. this was to prove the safety of the heavenly carnelian bead to ye jingtang so that he wouldn¡¯t be wary. outside the room, ye jingtang looked at the bead a few times, but he didn¡¯t see anything special about it. he turned to look at the armor in the stone room and asked, ¡°is that your father¡¯s armor?¡± cheng shilu put down the golden bowl and wiped his chest with a cloth. suppressing the burning pain, he walked out with the white jade bead and said with a smile, ¡°that¡¯s right. when my father escaped from northern liang, he took this set of armor with him. hiding armor privately is a serious crime. young master ye, please don¡¯t report me.¡± ¡°a set of armor isn¡¯t a big crime. with your connections, sect master cheng, i don¡¯t think you¡¯re afraid.¡± ye jingtang¡¯s gaze was on the bead in cheng shilu¡¯s hand. ¡°is this the bead you mentioned?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. soak it in water and then bathe. over time, the skin will become sturdier and sturdier.¡± cheng shilu walked to a spot not far from ye jingtang and threw it gently. whoosh! the white jade bead drew a half-moon arc under the moonlight. the bead looked very normal. cheng shilu had picked it up with his bare hand and poured water on his shoulder. he kept a distance and casually threw it out without any sign of getting ready to attack, so it was impossible for people to be wary. ye jingtang caught the jade bead with his right hand like a normal person. cheng shilu¡¯s expression remained the same when he saw this scene, but ruthlessness was already surging in his heart. the bead had been soaked in water. as long as ye jingtang¡¯s skin touched the heavenly carnelian bead, even if he threw it away instantly, it would still be stained with water. then the medicinal power would quickly seep into his skin and flesh, and he would experience the pain of being burned by flames. cheng shilu secretly accumulated strength, preparing to fly out to catch the heavenly carnelian bead after ye jingtang realized that something was wrong and threw it away. but¡­ ye jingtang had never trusted cheng shilu. when he stretched out his hand, he was wearing leather wristguards. his hand sank along with the bead and used gentle force to reduce the inertia of the bead. it stopped steadily on the wristguard. cheng shilu, who was ready to attack, suppressed his breathing when he saw this and quickly asked, ¡°young master ye, are you still afraid that 1¡¯11 throw hidden weapons at you?¡± ordinary people wouldn¡¯t be able to tell that there was anything wrong with this reaction, but ye jingtang knew the heaven equaling saber. he looked at cheng shilu coldly. ¡°what did you mean when you tensed your right leg and prepared to take a step just now? were you afraid that i wouldn¡¯t be able to catch the bead and that it would fall to the ground?¡± cheng shilu didn¡¯t expect ye jingtang to be so perceptive. seeing that he had been exposed, he stopped pretending and suddenly closed in, wanting to snatch the bead. ye jingtang had sensed the ¡®killing intent¡¯ just now. at this moment, he didn¡¯t hold back anymore. he raised his right hand and smashed the unknown hidden weapon against the wall. at the same time, he swept his spear toward cheng shilu¡¯s lower body. even if the bead were made of jade, it would definitely shatter if it hit the wall. without thinking, cheng shilu rushed forward and grabbed the heavenly carnelian bead. this scene stunned ye jingtang. if the bead were a hidden weapon, cheng shilu shouldn¡¯t care about it when fighting. but if it weren¡¯t a hidden weapon, why did cheng shilu throw it to him? bam! the spear swept across his right leg. cheng shilu staggered, but the fingertips of his right hand still touched the heavenly carnelian bead and flicked the bead flying toward the wall into the air. ¡°ah!¡± cheng shilu used his shoulder to hit the spear shaft that ye jingtang had just retracted, knocking ye jingtang two steps back, and raised his hand to catch the falling heavenly carnelian bead. when ye jingtang saw cheng shilu desperately trying to grab the bead, he could tell that this item was definitely not poison. he steadied himself and instantly slashed the spear at cheng shilu¡¯s legs in one hand. at the same time, he tore off a piece of his robe and held the black cloth to cover his palm. bam! with a muffled sound, cheng shilu was swept over, and his back fell to the ground. his right hand was only a short distance away from the falling heavenly carnelian bead, but another hand swept over his and took the bead away. ¡°ilaa! h cheng shilu was furious. the spear was pointed at his throat, but he still didn¡¯t stop. at the risk of having a bloody wound on his neck, he grabbed the spear with his bare hand and grabbed at ye jingtang¡¯s hand. ¡°you¡¯re courting death!¡± after catching the bead, ye jingtang took a step back, but chen shilu was clutching the spear in his left hand fearlessly. immediately, he bent down, and his robe suddenly tightened. his right hand ruthlessly punched cheng shilu in the face. bam! under the moon, the punch caused a storm to rise. amidst the explosive sound, some fallen leaves and dirt on the ground were instantly scattered. with a muffled sound, cheng shilu¡¯s burly body immediately leaned back. his feet left the ground, and his entire body flew 30 feet away like a heavy cannonball, shattering the pillars of the room and the wall behind him. crack! boom! cheng shilu instantly jumped up after falling into the room. he raised his hands and retreated, preparing to block the yellow dragon crouching or the azure dragon claw. but when he looked up, he realized that the bamboo hat spearman in the courtyard had not followed him in. instead, he was checking his palm. the black cloth fell from his hand, revealing several cracked bead shells. some traces of water quickly vaporized and disappeared into the air. ¡°you!¡± when cheng shilu saw that the only remaining heavenly carnelian bead in the world had been destroyed, his expression was furious, but his anger immediately faded. the heavenly carnelian bead had a special origin and was a scourge to begin with. but it was a little useful to him, so he couldn¡¯t bear to destroy it. now, someone had helped him ruin it and wipe out the evidence, so it could be considered as helping him cut off the root of his trouble. as for the heavenly carnelian bead, it had shattered, but nothing had fallen. the medicine inside must have all stained ye silang¡¯s hand. he couldn¡¯t even endure the pain when diluting the bone-burning hemp with water through the medicine¡¯s shell. absorbing most of it directly like this would definitely make him die of pain. with ye silang¡¯s death, even if he couldn¡¯t find the roaring dragon chart, he could still use the black qilin spear. thinking of this, cheng shilu stood up straight and sneered. ¡°kid, how do you feel?¡± when ye jingtang punched out, he had paid attention to the bead in his hand. he had thought that it was a very hard jade stone, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be very brittle and crack with just a little force. the cloth couldn¡¯t contain the water at all. the transparent liquid covered his palm. before he threw the cloth out, the liquid had already seeped into his skin. the medicine had penetrated into his flesh and bones, and he could clearly feel¡­ it was very comfortable. ye jingtang felt that his right hand was hot, but there was a cooling sensation. it was as if he had applied medicinal wine and jade dragon ointment, nourishing his skin, flesh, muscles, and bones. the pain, soreness, and swelling from the fight subsided in the blink of an eye. it was obviously an extremely high-grade medicine. hearing ¡®how do you feel?¡¯, ye jingtang sensed that something was wrong, but he didn¡¯t know what was wrong. he looked up and asked, ¡°how do you feel?¡± ? cheng shilu¡¯s sneer froze. only then did he remember that he had received a heavy punch in his face. when ye jingtang¡¯s fist crushed the heavenly carnelian bead, the medicinal liquid must have seeped out from between his fingers. he thought the burning pain on his face was caused by the fist, so he didn¡¯t care. it was only when ye jingtang asked that cheng shilu felt the burning sensation on his face rapidly intensify. his gaze suddenly changed, and he hurriedly wiped his face hard. seeing this, ye jingtang hurriedly wiped his hand. the medicinal effect became stronger and stronger, and half of his body began to feel comfortable, as if he was being served by a lady with fire and ice¡­ if this were poison and could be fatal, no matter how he thought about it, it could only make him die with pleasure¡­ ye jingtang didn¡¯t know what it was, so he was ready to snatch the antidote. but cheng shilu had no intention of taking the antidote. the veins on his forehead bulged as if someone had poured molten iron on him. he sat on the floor and gritted his teeth to endure the pain while staring fixedly at ye jingtang with disbelief in his eyes. ¡°i low¡­ how can you be fine¡­¡± should something happen to me? ye jingtang was afraid that cheng shilu was putting on an act, so he raised his spear and looked at him warily, waiting to see if he would take out the antidote. the bone-burning pain on cheng shilu¡¯s face quickly intensified, and his skin and flesh twitched. the disbelief in his eyes quickly turned into panic. when the bone-burning hemp came into contact with the skin, it would be like a raging fire burning the body. the pain would become stronger and stronger, and it would only slowly subside after two hours. even though he was already used to the pain of bone burning, too much had stained his face this time. in a moment, he would lose his mind under the intense pain. thinking of this, cheng shilu scrambled toward the inner room. ¡°little thief!¡± ¡°chirp chirp chirp!¡± luo ning, who had been watching from afar, realized that something was wrong and rushed over. she landed in front of ye jingtang. she didn¡¯t know what had happened, but she wanted to grab his wrist and take his pulse. he was afraid that she would be contaminated by this strange medicinal liquid, so he handed her his left hand. ¡°what is this?¡± luo ning quickly held ye jingtang¡¯s wrist and took his pulse carefully. ¡°your pulse is strong¡­ there¡¯s nothing unusual. it can¡¯t be poison.¡± then she turned to look at cheng shilu. ¡°what drug did you give him?¡± cheng shilu forced himself to hold on for a moment. his mind was already unclear, and he could only hear sharp ringing in his ears. he rolled and crawled in the room, wanting to escape through the secret passage. but after seeing the pool water, he instinctively rolled into it to relieve the burning pain. in the end, he immediately let out a scream. ¡°ahhhh!¡± the scream almost resounded throughout the iron buddha ridge. luo ning¡¯s expression changed drastically. she looked around and found the broken shell of the medicine on the ground. she fanned it with her hand and carefully smelled it. in the end, she immediately felt a burning discomfort in her nose and hurriedly retreated. ¡°it seems to be the bone-burning hemp of northern liang. it penetrates the skin deep into the bones, and the pain is unbearable.¡± ye jingtang felt that he wasn¡¯t uncomfortable, so he was doubtful. he wanted to go to the shell to smell it, but heroine luo stopped him. luo ning was also puzzled as to why ye jingtang didn¡¯t react, but she didn¡¯t dare to delay at this moment. she rushed to the well and cut the rope with her sword, wanting to tie ye jingtang up so that he wouldn¡¯t commit suicide because the pain was too severe to withstand. in the room, cheng shilu was resisting the pain of his body being burned. he had completely fallen into madness. lie rushed out of the water and fell to the floor halfway. he twisted and rolled, then got up and ran into the wall on the side. boom! his body made a big hole in the wall and rushed toward the hundred-foot-tall stone cliff¡­ Chapter 162 - Chapter 162: Sandwiched Between Two Buns! chapter 162: sandwiched between two buns! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°ahhhh!¡± amidst his shrill cries, cheng shilu ran wildly toward the edge of the cliff. ye jingtang wanted to stop him, but after taking a few steps, he suddenly stopped. ¡°jingtang!¡± luo ning originally wanted to kick the crazy cheng shilu away, but when she saw this scene, she screamed in fright. she rushed to ye jingtang and raised her hand to seal his acupoints. at the same time, she wrapped the rope around his legs, pulled it hard, throwing him to the ground, and rode on his legs to tie him up. ¡°little thief! don¡¯t go crazy. calm your mind¡­¡± ¡°i¡­ i feel that something is wrong, but¡­¡± ye jingtang felt the medicinal power spreading to every inch of his flesh and blood. the feeling of ice and fire disappeared and was replaced by a scorching heat from the inside out. the qi in his body gradually surged, and his muscles and bones reacted. it felt as though a 300-pound girl was smearing essential oil on his back¡­ ¡°jingtang?¡± pei xiangjun had maintained a distance and watched from the top of the mountain ridge. when she saw luo ning rushing over, she originally didn¡¯t move. but ye jingtang suddenly swayed a few times, making her realize that something was wrong. she flew over from the top of the mountain. when luo ning heard the female boss¡¯s voice, in her desperation, she wasn¡¯t surprised. as if she had grabbed onto a life-saving straw, she said anxiously, ¡°quickly hold him down. don¡¯t let him commit suicide.¡± pei xiangjun had watched helplessly as chang shilu jumped down the loo-foot tall cliff and smashed his head on the pile of rocks below. her face turned pale with fright. after landing in the courtyard, she rushed over, rode on ye jingtang¡¯s chest, and pressed his hands down forcefully. ¡°what did he get poisoned with?¡± ¡°bone-burning hemp.¡± huh?¡± pei xiangjun had heard about this rare and powerful medicine that was a specialty of northern liang. she immediately used her thighs to clamp ye jingtang¡¯s arms with all her might. she held his hands together and tied them with a rope. as for ye jingtang¡­ ye jingtang¡¯s mind was very clear. although the qi in his body was gradually becoming violent, and his muscles and bones were trembling, it didn¡¯t hurt. he felt a little¡­ a little¡­ after all, he was lying on the ground with heroine luo riding on his calves and tying his legs with rope. the feeling of the moon was quite clear. and third lady was even more overboard. in order to suppress him, she rode on his chest with her back facing him and clamped his upper body in a w-sitting posture. ye jingtang¡¯s chin was pressed against the big moon, sinking into it slightly, and he could clearly feel a heavy warmth on his neck. ye jingtang was shocked by cheng shilu, who had committed suicide to seek relief. he shouldn¡¯t have paid attention to this, but because his mind was very clear, he was forced to learn a piece of knowledge. third lady is the same as heroine luo. she has a steamed bun¡­ ye jingtang quickly swept away his distracting thoughts. afraid that he would really lose control, he obediently let the two elder sisters hold him down and said, ¡°if i really go crazy, you won¡¯t be able to suppress me. let¡¯s go find a place without a cliff and tie me to a tree.¡± pei xiangjun knew that if ye jingtang went crazy, even iron locks might break. the hemp rope could only temporarily restrain him. after tying his hands with the rope, she originally wanted to lock him in the stone room in the house. but outside the villa, the iron buddha ridge disciples, who didn¡¯t dare to come in before, had discovered that their sect master had jumped off the cliff, and there was the sound of weapons being unsheathed. ¡°bird, go show the way.¡± ¡°chirp!¡± after pei xiangjun finished instructing the bird, she turned over and stood up. she used the shafts of the two spears to pass under the ropes tying ye jingtang and made a makeshift stretcher. luo ning grabbed the other end of the spear shafts and wanted to lift ye jingtang, who was tied up in ¡®turtle shell bondage¡¯, but she immediately said, ¡°gag his mouth. don¡¯t let him bite his tongue.¡± ye jingtang hurriedly said, ¡°hey, there¡¯s no need for that¡­ wuwu¡ª¡± pei xiangjun was quite efficient. she took off the silk scarf around her neck and stuffed it into ye jingtang¡¯s mouth. then she lifted the stretcher and jumped over the side wall with luo ning. ye jingtang¡¯s face turned red, and traces of sweat appeared on his forehead. but his eyes were quite clear. he was lying on the stretcher and tied up. the only thing he could move was his head. it felt rather strange, but his mouth was gagged, so he couldn¡¯t speak. just like that, he was carried away from the iron buddha ridge¡­ clang! clang! clang! the sound of gongs resounded in the fiery canyon. countless commoners were running around inside and outside the mine, and a few minor officials from the town ran into the mining area. they could vaguely hear shouts. ¡°boss cheng fell to his death¡­¡± ¡°father! who was it? who killed him?!¡± ¡°someone from the red flower pavilion came just now¡­¡± there was a carriage parked on the official road outside the iron buddha ridge. the carriage was covered with rainproof oilcloth, and the goods were tightly covered. cao aning was dressed as a jianghu escort. he was sitting on a horse and looking at the commotion on the iron buddha ridge. ¡®blue steel mace¡¯ xu bailin was leaning against the carriage and wiped his oil-stained right hand. ¡°why did the red flower pavilion come here to kill someone?¡± ¡°cheng shilu didn¡¯t have much ability and had a bad temper. relying on his connections in the imperial court, he often didn¡¯t give others face. perhaps ye silang passed by here to sit down, and they got into a quarrel.¡± ¡°this ye silang also has a bad temper. he kills people at the slightest disagreement. if he messes around in yun province, he might be able to divert ye jingtang¡¯s attention¡­¡± ¡°that¡¯s for the best. let¡¯s go.¡± cao aning turned his horse around and led the carriage toward yun¡¯an¡­ five kilometers from the iron buddha ridge, in an abandoned old temple¡­ there were no lights in the mountains at all. the moonlight shone on the old temple that was overgrown with weeds. the doors had long been damaged, leaving only the stone buddha statue sitting alone on a stand. in the dead of night, there were no humans in the surrounding mountains and wilderness. only the cries of birds and insects sounded. ¡°coo- coo-¡± in the backyard of the temple, the bird was standing watch on the roof. the doors and windows of the room that was used to be the abbot¡¯s were sealed. lights were vaguely visible between the cracks, and two fox-demon-like charming voices sounded. ¡°ning¡¯er, hold him. don¡¯t let him move¡­¡± ¡°do you have any more rope? i¡¯ll take off his pants¡­¡± ¡°what¡¯s the use of untying his belt and taking off his pants¡­¡± ¡°wu¡ª¡± the man grunted, his mouth gagged. the commotion in the room sounded like two mountain fox demons had kidnapped a scholar and were inhumanely extracting his yang qi. the actual situation was similar. in the old room, there was some thatch on the ground and a burning flame stick on the windowsill. there wasn¡¯t any furniture in the room other than an old bed frame. ye jingtang was tied up like a caterpillar by various things to stop him from moving. not only were there ropes and belts, but there were even two sets of clothes. they were twisted into a rope and tied tightly around his hands and feet. luo ning was wearing thin white pants and an undergarment with a full moon embroidered on her upper body. the scenery on the sides was unobstructed. she was leaning forward from one side and hugging ye jingtang¡¯s upper body. pei xiangjun was a little better. because of her huge burden, she always wrapped herself up when she went out. at this moment, she was wearing black tight-fitting pants and a tightly wrapped black chest wrap. but her fair shoulders and collarbones, as well as her small waist and navel, were still clearly displayed under the candlelight. pei xiangjun was leaning forward from the other side and hugging ye jingtang¡¯s waist tightly with her leg locking his legs. ye jingtang was being held in the middle by the two of them, but there was no joy or excitement on his face. his mouth was stuffed with a black silk scarf, his eyes were closed, his brows were tightly furrowed, his cheeks were flushed as if he was drunk, and visible mist was coming out of his hair bun. his body twitched from time to time. ye jingtang didn¡¯t feel any burning pain, but the qi in his body was surging, and all the muscles and bones in his body were twitching. it was as if he was being massaged by an old master. it didn¡¯t hurt too much, but it was indeed a little unbearable. to be precise, the feeling was aching and refreshing. he was hugged from the left and right. he wanted to explain, but his mouth was blocked. his struggles were fruitless, so he gave up resisting. luo ning didn¡¯t know how much pain the little thief was in, and her eyes were full of tears. in order to make him feel better, she pressed her face against his and used her forehead and cheeks to bring some coolness to the little thief¡¯s burning body. pei xiangjun, who was clasping her left hand with her right and hugging ye jingtang¡¯s waist, looked up at his face, feeling anxious. ¡°how long does the bone-burning hemp last?¡± luo ning had only heard about this thing from xue baijin, so she couldn¡¯t remember it clearly. she frowned and thought for a long time before replying, ¡°it seems that the pain gradually subsides after two hours. it¡¯s only been half an hour, and it¡¯s not the most painful time yet¡­ little thief, try your best to stay awake and not lose your mind¡­¡± ¡°wu wu¡­¡± ye jingtang replied twice, but she didn¡¯t know what he meant. pei xiangjun knew that without the suppression of a specific medicine, he could only rely on willpower to withstand bone-burning hemp. but if he couldn¡¯t withstand it¡­ she said anxiously, ¡°is there any use in knocking jingtang out?¡± ¡°it¡¯s useless. he¡¯ll wake up from the pain soon. the qi in his body is too strong, and i can¡¯t press his acupoints at all.¡± ¡°can you distract him?¡± ¡°distract him?¡± luo ning blinked her beautiful peach blossom eyes. she knew that being distracted by something could make people feel slightly less pain or even forget it. but this was for ordinary pain. the bone-burning hemp was an item that could cause pain to a person until they suffered a mental breakdown. it was said that it was similar to a branding iron branding the entire body. what could divert his attention? luo ning¡¯s mind raced as she thought about the little thief¡¯s hobbies¡­ uh¡­ swish swish¡­ seeing that ye jingtang¡¯s resistance wasn¡¯t strong, luo ning hugged him with one hand and pulled the full moon away with her right hand. ¡°little thief, look.¡± pei xiangjun felt the restless man in her arms suddenly calm down. his tightly shut eyes opened a little and looked at the cult mistress¡¯s¡­ ?! pei xiangjun¡¯s anxious face turned red uncontrollably. she wanted to look away, but she was afraid that something would happen, so she could only carefully observe ye jingtang¡¯s reaction. jingtang¡¯s eyes widened a bit. he was obviously attracted by the cult mistress¡¯s¡­ luo ning realized that this method was useful, so she hurriedly moved forward and rubbed watermelon cream on ye jingtang¡¯s face. !! pei xiangjun¡¯s almond-shaped eyes widened as she reminded, ¡°be careful of him biting you.¡± luo ning hugged ye jingtang as if she were feeding a baby. her face was a little red, but she wasn¡¯t reserved. ¡°his mouth is blocked. if he really bites me in pain, i will accept it.¡± pei xiangjun noticed that ye jingtang was blinking. he was obviously a little touched and closed his eyes again. click, click.. a moment later, the sound of rope pulling taut sounded again. pei xiangjun realized that ye jingtang was moving again and panicked. ¡°this won¡¯t work anymore. jingtang can¡¯t hold on anymore. do you have any other solutions?¡± luo ning didn¡¯t know what to do either. her mind raced. ¡°why don¡¯t you try it? crack! the room suddenly fell silent. ye jingtang¡¯s tightly furrowed brows relaxed. he even opened his eyes to look at third lady. then he realized that something was wrong and hurriedly closed them again. ?! the two women in the room fell silent. they were probably thinking: jingtang (the little thief) is really powerful. even though he¡¯s suffering from fire-burning pain, he doesn¡¯t forget to take advantage of women¡­ pei xiangjun¡¯s face flushed red, but her movements were not slow. she instructed luo ning to control his legs while she climbed up. ¡°wu wu¡­¡± although ye jingtang wasn¡¯t pretending, he wasn¡¯t in so much pain that he wanted to die. putting aside the question of whether it was suitable or not, he almost couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore when heroine luo came. if third lady came as well, he would suffocate here even if he wasn¡¯t drugged. ye jingtang hurriedly shook his head, indicating that there was no need. pei xiangjun said solemnly, ¡°don¡¯t force yourself. it¡¯s not like i haven¡¯t been touched by you before.¡± ¡°wu wu¡­¡± ye jingtang tried his best to look gentle. he shook his head to indicate that he was fine, then closed his eyes and lay down. seeing this, pei xiangjun stopped moving, hugged ye jingtang, and encouraged him gently. ¡°hang in there. it¡¯ll be over in a few more minutes¡­¡± luo ning was still applying watermelon cream to ye jingtang to cool him down while keeping track of the time in her mind. but after two hours, they found that ye jingtang¡¯s body was still burning hot. the only change was that the trembling of his bones and muscles slowly decreased. his breathing was a little hot, and his entire body was calm, as if he had fallen asleep. pei xiangjun¡¯s eyes were full of confusion as she asked, ¡°has jingtang made it through?¡± luo ning wasn¡¯t sure either. she checked his pulse. ¡°his pulse is stable. he looks like he¡¯s asleep. what should we do now?¡± pei xiangjun didn¡¯t know either.. she was afraid that ye jingtang would do something strange again, so she pressed him down with luo ning and carefully observed his body¡­ Chapter 163 - Chapter 163: What Are You Looking At? (1) chapter 163: what are you looking at? (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios in the early morning, the sky was bright. the fire had been extinguished, and the room had long become quiet. only three steady breaths were left. ¡°coo- coo-¡± the cries of birds and beasts came from afar. ye jingtang¡¯s eyelashes fluttered, and he opened his eyes silently. a trace of confusion flashed across his eyes. when did i fall asleep¡­ he checked his body¡¯s condition. his limbs were still there. they hadn¡¯t been amputated. his breathing was smooth, he was energetic, and he didn¡¯t have any internal injuries. with the ¡®morning rise¡¯, his sexual well-being was not affected¡­ then, things were fine¡­ after confirming that there was nothing wrong with his body, ye jingtang heaved a sigh of relief and began to pay attention to his surroundings. there was no light in the room. his hands and feet were still tied, and he couldn¡¯t move. his right side was warm and soft. someone was leaning against his face and hugging his shoulders. although there was no strength in her arms wrapped around him, her hands were still clasped beside his left shoulder to prevent him from breaking free. from the size of the little watermelons that his arms were touching, it was heroine luo. on the left was another warm and soft body lower down. her arms were around his waist, her face was pressed against his ribs, and her leg was locking his legs. the two women were very easy to distinguish. third lady practiced external martial arts, so there was a strong explosive force hidden under her weak body, which was tight and elastic to the touch. on the other hand, heroine luo practiced internal martial arts, so her body was soft and felt as if there were no bones¡­ yesterday, he had kept moving, and heroine luo and third lady had hugged him with all their might. it lasted for about four hours. holding someone down was hard work. in the end, they must have gotten tired. but after he calmed down, they didn¡¯t dare to let him go, so they took a short rest. ye jingtang wanted to get out of the pincer attack, but if he moved, the two women would definitely wake up. after hesitating for a moment, he still didn¡¯t move so that the two women, who were worried about him, could sleep for a while longer. the room was dark, and there was nothing to do. heroine luo¡¯s forehead was pressing against ye jingtang¡¯s cheek, and his shoulders were in her arms. because she had rubbed watermelon cream on him, there was only a layer of fabric on his shoulders between them. third lady was better. there were two layers separating them, but he was clamped. after he focused, the feeling on the side of his leg was very clear. he could feel the outline of the camel toe through the fabric¡­ i ye jingtang wanted to calm down and suppress his thoughts, but after restraining himself for a moment, he realized that he had overestimated his willpower, so he still moved. ¡°uh?!¡± the two women woke up at the same time. before luo ning could open her eyes, she tightened her arms and hugged ye jingtang to death. pei xiangjun did the same and locked ye jingtang¡¯s legs. the two of them exerted strength at the same time. if he were a weak scholar, he would probably have been hugged until his bones broke into pieces. ye jingtang only felt that he had instantly fallen from a land of warmth and tenderness to a meat grinder and almost choked. ¡°wuwu¡ª¡± he reminded them twice. there was no light in the room, and luo ning didn¡¯t dare to let go. she only sensed ye jingtang¡¯s aura. ¡°is he okay?¡± pei xiangjun restrained ye jingtang and waited for a moment before replying, ¡°the medicine seems to have worn off. he¡¯s back to normal.¡± ye jingtang nodded, but the moment he moved, he was immediately hugged to death. he could only remain motionless to avoid scaring the two women. after confirming that ye jingtang wasn¡¯t moving, luo ning grabbed his wrist and checked his pulse. ¡°his pulse is normal. he¡¯s just a little¡­ a little excited.¡± pei xiangjun didn¡¯t need luo ning¡¯s reminder to feel that jingtang was very excited. after all, she was hugging his waist, and her elbow was obviously touching something very embarrassing. fortunately, she couldn¡¯t even see her own fingers, so she didn¡¯t feel embarrassed and only asked, ¡°so, what should we do?¡± ¡°i¡­¡± luo ning¡¯s voice was slightly hesitant. it was obvious that she was considering whether to treat the little thief. ye jingtang was indeed excited, but the reason was that he was being put to the test by the two of them. if he underwent more intense treatment in front of third lady and even let her wait upon him at the side, his image would collapse. ¡°wuwuwu, wuwuwu¡­¡± luo ning understood what he meant: heroine luo, let go and let me speak. feeling that the little thief¡¯s mind was clear, luo ning was relieved. but instead of letting go, she bit the black scarf covering his mouth and moved her head back to pull it out. ¡°cough cough¡­ that¡­¡± ¡°jingtang, how do you feel?¡± pei xiangjun hurriedly asked. ye jingtang didn¡¯t dare to move. he said calmly and gently, ¡°1 feel everything is normal. um¡­ 1 feel refreshed and energetic. my breathing is very smooth, and i can breathe all the way down to the soles of my feet. i¡¯m much better than before.¡± luo ning blinked. because she couldn¡¯t see anything, she could only say, ¡°third lady, please light a fire.¡± ¡°jingtang, don¡¯t move.¡± pei xiangjun carefully let go. after confirming that ye jingtang didn¡¯t suddenly spring up, she quickly sat up and searched around. she found another flame stick from the items by the bed frame and blew to light it. clatter, clatter! whoosh! the dim yellow light illuminated the old room. ye jingtang looked at the light and saw the third lady¡¯s back. she was kneeling on the side of her legs, and her long hair was tied up. the afterglow of the light illuminated her round shoulders. there was a black chest wrap in the middle of her fair back, and below it was her flawless lower back. she was even wearing thin black pants, revealing her perfect curves. although the fabric covered her, he could still see the shape of the moon clearly. as third lady got up slightly and placed the flame stick on the windowsill, the big moon resting on her calves slowly rose¡­ ¡°what are you looking at?¡± luo ning was hugging ye jingtang in front of her. she was originally concerned about him and checking his expression, but she found that the little thief¡¯s eyes were following the light. then his gaze fell to the side and looked at where he shouldn¡¯t be looking. seeing this scene, ye jingtang couldn¡¯t help it. hearing the cold voice beside his ear, he quickly turned his eyes to look at heroine luo. ¡°is there anything wrong with my face?¡± luo ning was in a much more embarrassing state than third lady. the fabric of the full moon was almost torn, and everything he should and shouldn¡¯t see was right in front of him.. Chapter 164 - Chapter 164: What Are You Looking At? (2) chapter 164: what are you looking at? (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios when luo ming saw that the little thief¡¯s expression and aura were normal, and his face even had a rosy luster, her worried heart was mostly relieved. but then her originally worried expression turned cold. she let go of him, quickly fixed her blue undergarment, and hugged her little watermelons. ¡°hmph!¡± after putting away the flame stick, pei xiang]tin turned around. although she was dressed very skimpily, her chest wrap covered more than an undergarment after all, and only her shoulders and waist were exposed. she moved forward and held ye jingtang¡¯s wrist to check. ye jingtang was lying in the middle and was examined by the two nurses. he really couldn¡¯t take it anymore and directly closed his eyes. ¡°i¡¯m really fine. third lady, please put on your clothes.¡± dressing like this, pei xiangjun didn¡¯t even know what to say. she raised her hands and untied the black dress tied around ye jingtang¡¯s wrists. luo ning¡¯s thoughts gradually calmed down, and doubts appeared in her heart. she looked at the charming and hot female boss opposite her. ¡°third lady, why are you here?¡± pei xiangjun untied the blue dress and handed it to luo ning. ¡°i was afraid that something might happen to jingtang, so i secretly followed¡­ i¡¯m a helm master of the azure dragon hall. miss ning¡¯er, put on your clothes.¡± luo ning was skeptical, but she didn¡¯t ask further. she took rhe dress and put it on. the lying ye jingtang watched the two girls wear dresses, feeling quite strange. ¡¯th get up myself. don¡¯t be nervous.11 then he raised his legs and lowered them. his back suddenly bounced up. boom! the two women were putting on their clothes with their own thoughts when they suddenly noticed ye jingtang, who was tied up like a caterpillar, bounce up vigorously. from the looks of it, he wanted to flip over third lady elegantly and land on the floor. bur he clearly made a mistake in his exerting strength. with a whoosh, he suddenly soared into the air and collided with the old roof beam. ¡°ah?!¡± bam! the beam trembled from the impact of his head, startling the bird on the roof. ?! the two women were stunned. ye jingtang panicked and fell headfirst. halfway down, while trying to stabilize his body, he broke the ropes around his body, spun in the air, and fell back onto the bed frame. pei xiangjun was shocked and hurriedly raised her hand to catch him. in the end, the tall ye jingtang directly pressed her down. plop! ye jingtang fell onto the bed, and his face smacked two airbags. it didn¡¯t hurt. he hurriedly got up, got off the bed, rook two steps back, and said awkwardly, ¡°ahem¡­ 1 feel that my breathing is a little unstable. i didn¡¯t perform well. i¡¯m fine¡­¡± after pei xiangjun fell onto the bed frame, she stared at ye jingtang with wide eyes. she covered her chest with her hands and looked at him suspiciously, wondering if he had done it on purpose. luo ning¡¯s eyes were complicated as she said coldly, ¡°you fell so accurately. 1 think your performance is quite normal.¡± ye jingtang felt a little embarrassed. he pulled off the broken ropes on his body and turned around. ¡°what a blunder. you two get dressed while i go out to check the surroundings.¡± then he opened the wooden door, went out, and closed it again. click. the room fell silent. luo ning maintained a cold and fairy-like expression as she fastened her collar. she was already very thin-skinned. now that she recalled applying watermelon cream in front of third lady last night, her eyes were a little embarrassed. although pei xiangjun didn¡¯t do anything too extreme, her face had been burning when she saw the cult mistress rubbing ye jingtang¡¯s face for a long time as if she were feeding a baby. she lowered her head and tied her belt. after a while, she said softly, ¡°last night was an emergency. miss ning¡¯er, don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± ¡°yes. it¡¯s been hard on you, third lady. there was a misunderstanding last time. 1 hope you didn¡¯t mind my inconsiderate words.¡± ¡°miss ning¡¯er, you¡¯re joking. i know it s a misunderstanding, so why would i take it to heart?¡± luo ning nodded gently. thinking of how she had asked third lady to wipe the watermelon cream yesterday, and then third lady did it without any hesitation, she felt strange and whispered, ¡°third lady, you like jingtang too, right?¡± ?! pei xiangjun raised her eyes and looked at the cult mistress. ¡°miss ning¡¯er, this question is unusual. jingtang is a member of my pei family. it¡¯s only natural for me to care about him¡­¡± this could be considered as avoiding the topic. luo ning tied her collar and said calmly, ¡°we¡¯re just having a private chat. if you really like him, as long as 1 don¡¯t say anything, jingtang probably won¡¯t say anything¡­¡± ? when pei xiangjun heard this, an indescribably complicated expression appeared on her originally calm face. she understood what she meant: as long as i nod, jingtang will welcome you. these words were indeed thinking for her sake, but they sounded so strange¡­ it was as if the wife was welcoming a concubine¡­ putting aside the fact that jingtang is the young master of the pei family, even if i really have any thoughts, jingtang should be the one to make the decision¡­ pei xiangjun deliberated for a moment. ¡°let s talk about these things in the future. speaking of which, when you and jingtang got together, i was against it at first and didn¡¯t agree. jingtang said good things to me for a long time before 1 agreed to this matter. fortunately, i agreed. otherwise, jingtang would have missed out on such a good girl like you.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± luo ning¡¯s beautiful peach blossom eyes moved. she understood what she meant and threw her original tolerance and acceptance aside. ¡°was there such a thing?¡± ¡°cough!¡± a muffled cough suddenly came from outside the room. lr seemed that ye jingtang¡¯s condition suddenly acted up. the expressions of the two women, who were about to fight, changed, and they hurriedly got up and ran out. the weather was slightly cold, and the sun was rising in the east. the old temple was located between mountains. there used to be a village nearby, but it had long been abandoned. there wasn¡¯t a single person within several kilometers. ye jingtang walked out of the old room and went to the backyard of the temple that was overgrown with weeds. the bird, who had been waiting at a high place for the entire night, quickly flew over and landed on his shoulder. it hugged his face with its wings and rubbed it. ¡°chirp chirp chirp-¡± obviously, apart from the two women being frightened last night, there was also the bird, who had a mutual reliance with ye jingtang. ye jingtang carried the bird down and scratched the white feathers on its stomach with his fingers. he faced the endless eastern sky and took a deep breath. ¡°phew¡­¡± yesterday, although he had ¡®suffered1 from being poisoned by bone-burning hemp, now that he woke up, he found that he felt much more refreshed. it was hard to describe the exact feeling. it felt as though he had gone for a health treatment session last night. there was cupping, scraping, back massage with essential oil, tui na massage, and bone-setting massage all in one package¡­ every pore was breathing. his ears were clear, his eyes were bright, and he was full of energy. no matter if it was a man or a woman, he was confident that he could do ten of them. yesterday, ye jingtang had discovered that the bead should be an extremely effective medicine. now, he was even more certain of this. but cheng shilu had soon felt unbearable pain until he had collapsed and jumped off the cliff. it was obvious that he wasn¡¯t pretending. although his limbs had been a little out of control and his body had been burning red, it had indeed nor been unbearable. it felt more like a sauna. he had absorbed more of rhe medicine. the only reason for this difference was because of his physique. it was similar to how some people couldn¡¯t eat spicy food at all, but some people could eat ghost peppers. his poison resistance might be higher¡­ ye jingtang stood in the desolate courtyard and breathed for a moment. before he could figure out anything, he suddenly heard faint voices in the room. ¡°as long as i don¡¯t say anything, jingtang probably won¡¯t say anything¡­11 ¡°when you and jingtang got together, i was against it at first and didn¡¯t agree¡­¡± ? ye jingtang¡¯s expression changed slightly. he didn¡¯t need to deduce to know that if the two of them continued chatting like this, they would definitely drag him into the confrontation. then heroine luo would beat him up, third lady would leave angrily, or even more tragic, they would double-team him. after beating him up, they would pull each other¡¯s hair¡­ ye jingtang pressed his chest. ¡°cough!¡¯1 ¡°chirp?!¡± the bird was instantly startled, lr hurriedly rubbed its head against ye jingtang, probably saying: don¡¯t die. what will happen to the bird if you die¡­ clatter! the door and window were knocked open, and two women in wrinkled clothes landed in front of the wall at the same time. pei xiangjun held ye jingtang¡¯s shoulder. ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± luo ning held his wrist and checked his pulse carefully. ¡°there¡¯s nothing wrong with his pulse¡­¡± tm a little thirsty. i haven¡¯t had a single drop of water since the meal yesterday afternoon. let¡¯s go find a place to eat.¡± ye jingtang rubbed his stomach, picked up his spear, and walked out. when the bird heard that it was going to eat, it became energetic and ran our. luo ning¡¯s and pei xiangjun s eyes flashed with suspicion, but they didn¡¯t say anything in the end.. they walked forward and continued to examine his body¡­ Chapter 165 - Chapter 165: Are You Li Hunyuan? (1) chapter 165: are you li hunyuan? (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios fifty kilometers away, broad crossing city¡­ at noon, flower willow street on the west side of the city was abuzz with excitement. idle people were running around the wine shops and theaters, talking about the news that came overnight. ¡°sect master cheng of the iron buddha ridge has been killed¡­¡± ¡°who is so bold¡­¡± in a small inn where jianghu people stayed, ¡®mountain collapsing tiger¡¯ wang chengjing was standing in front of a window and observing the situation on the street. second wang, a short and stocky man, was fiddling with flying knives, white ash, and other sinister items at a table. hearing the commotion outside, second wang was a little puzzled. ¡°is there something wrong with ye silang? he left the baoyuan school alone and went to another sect to kill someone. if the news spreads, the baoyuan school will definitely admit defeat publicly. ye silang will see that surnamed li is sensible, so he won¡¯t come¡­¡± wang chengjing walked to the table, sat down, and picked up his teacup. ¡°li hunyuan won¡¯t give in directly. i asked around and found out that li hunyuan is an extremely prideful person. last year, he saw the red flower pavilion¡¯s sunset, so he took over all of the land transportation business in broad crossing and directly chased out a helm master of the red flower pavilion. this year, when he sees that the situation isn¡¯t right, if he quickly apologizes and spits out what he has eaten, how can he survive in jianghu in the future? no matter what, he will fight to find a way out.¡± second wang nodded. ¡°ye silang killed someone yesterday. he¡¯s either not coming or will be here today or tomorrow. should we go to the li residence now?¡± wang chengjing put down his teacup and picked up his weapon on the table. ¡°i heard that cheng shilu was stabbed more than ten times before he finally fell off a cliff and died. i estimate that ye silang¡¯s martial arts skills are only slightly better than cheng shilu¡¯s and on par with li hunyuan¡¯s. after the two of them fight, ye silang will most likely be injured and flee far away. the opportunity is fleeting. let¡¯s go.¡± in the afternoon¡­ the sun was about to set, and two black horses were galloping on the official road outside broad crossing city. ¡°go.¡± clack, clack.. ye jingtang was dressed in a black aristocratic robe. his spear was wrapped in a cloth and hanging on the side of his horse. he galloped through the wilderness with a whip raised and the bird in his arms. beside ye jingtang was a fierce horse with pure black fur, and there was also a long weapon hanging on the side of the horse. pei xiangjun was wearing a valiant black martial arts suit, holding the reins in her hands and looking at the road ahead. her expression was like that of a chivalrous heroine roaming jianghu. heroine luo, who was originally a heroine, was sitting behind pei xiangjun, holding the beauty¡¯s waist in her hands. her cold and aloof face welcomed the breeze as she looked at the surrounding scenery. after finding a place to eat in the morning, ye jingtang had run back to the iron buddha ridge and fetched the horse hidden in the forest. then he went to a famous old doctor to check his body and tell him how he had felt last night. the result was that his body was normal. recently, he had taken a tonic that nourished his blood and essence, so his blood and qi were vigorous. there was no need to worry. the doctor¡¯s diagnosis was no different from his guess. ye jingtang was relieved and rushed to the baoyuan school. ever since he was fine, heroine luo and third lady had become very strange. they didn¡¯t even talk to each other while eating and traveling. they didn¡¯t even take the initiative to talk to him. only the bird in his arms was lively. after waking up, it started to chirp non-stop. it was unknown what it was saying. seeing that they were about to reach broad crossing, pei xiangjun slowed down her horse slightly and said, ¡°li hunyuan¡¯s martial arts skills are not bad. he¡¯s probably very difficult to fight. don¡¯t fight too hard. with your talent, he won¡¯t dare to defeat you even if he can. he¡¯s likely not giving in because he wants a way out without embarrassing himself too much. after you fight once, the matters of jianghu will be settled in jianghu.¡± ¡°i know.¡± ¡°also, your whereabouts are clear. let¡¯s end this quickly. don¡¯t give anyone with ulterior motives a chance¡­¡± luo ning¡¯s eyes moved as she asked implicitly, ¡°little thief, do you need to recuperate first?¡± ye jingtang turned around. ¡°it¡¯s just a fight of fists and kicks. it¡¯s very difficult to kill someone. let¡¯s talk about it after this matter is over.¡± pei xiangjun¡¯s eyes moved. she guessed what the cult mistress meant and didn¡¯t know how to respond, so she didn¡¯t say anything. clack, clack.. soon, the two horses arrived in broad crossing city. pei xiangjun led the way to a small street. before setting off the day before yesterday, she had sent a message to madam huang zhu and agreed on a meeting place. huang zhu was rather long-winded. when pei xiangjun arrived, she exchanged a lot of pleasantries. it wasn¡¯t appropriate to explain luo ning¡¯s identity, so the two of them waited quietly by the street. ye jingtang got off his horse and went alone to a¡­ brothel? he stopped in his tracks, feeling that something was wrong. when huang zhu received the news yesterday, she had been looking around in a carriage at the door. when she heard the sound of horse hooves on the street, she hurriedly ran forward. ¡°young master, you¡¯re finally here. come, come, come, please come in¡­¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t enter the brothel and asked, ¡°aunt huang, where is li hunyuan today?¡± huang zhu knew the ways of the world. the young master of the headquarters had come to help her deal with her troubles. if she ordered him around like a cow without even showing her hospitality, she might be transferred to the border to herd sheep next month. huang zhu was rather enthusiastic as she pushed ye jingtang in. ¡°there¡¯s no hurry. this is the best place for romance in broad crossing¡­¡± ye jingtang was afraid that aunt huang would be transferred to the border to herd sheep by third lady, so he didn¡¯t dare to enter. he raised his hand and said, ¡°no need. aunt huang, let¡¯s get down to business, okay?¡± hearing this, huang zhu could only give up and say, ¡°young master, why did you beat cheng shilu to death yesterday?¡± ¡°he jumped off the cliff himself. it has nothing to do with me. it was an accident. when li hunyuan heard this news, did he get scared?¡± huang zhu shook her head. ¡°li hunyuan believes that he¡¯s highly respected and skilled in martial arts. if you don¡¯t beat him into submission, he won¡¯t learn his lesson. but when the news of cheng shilu being beaten to death spread, li hunyuan still reacted a little. he held a banquet at home in the morning and invited all the famous jianghu people in broad crossing over..¡± Chapter 166 - Chapter 166: Are You Li Hunyuan? (2) chapter 166: are you li hunyuan? (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ye jingtang frowned slightly. ¡°to be bodyguards?¡± huang zhu shook her head. ¡°ordinary jianghu people won¡¯t dare to interfere in the matters of the red flower pavilion. li hunyuan¡¯s actions seem to be putting on a front on the surface, waiting for you to come over and demand an explanation. but i estimate that he¡¯s afraid you will come to kill him in private, so he¡¯s staying in public. young master, you have to worry about martial ethics and your reputation of jianghu, so you will follow the rules.¡± ye jingtang nodded in understanding and led his horse out of the city. ¡°where does li hunyuan live?¡± ¡°the baoyuan mansion is outside the city. should 1 go with you?¡± ¡°aunt huang, hide well for the next few days. show up after the matter is settled so that the baoyuan school won¡¯t take revenge in private.¡± ¡°alright. young master, be careful. li hunyuan isn¡¯t as strong as cheng shilu, but his movement technique and fist technique are very good. he¡¯s not easy to deal with.¡± ¡°got it.¡± after ye jingtang sent aunt huang away, he walked to the two women. ¡°let¡¯s go. we should leave as soon as possible after i finish fighting. since i killed cheng shilu, the prince of jing will probably come to reprimand me again.¡± luo ning mounted the horse and asked after some thought, ¡°why did we meet at a brothel? is it opened by the red flower pavilion?¡± ¡°the red flower pavilion does proper business. how could we be engaged in such things?¡± after third lady explained, she asked, ¡°jingtang, if we weren¡¯t following you, would you have gone in?¡± ¡°are you kidding? let¡¯s go.¡± the two women had different expressions as they rode their horse and followed¡­ at night¡­ outside the city, the baoyuan school¡­ the baoyuan school was built on a mountain and hidden among a green forest. the white stone path stretched from the official road to the depths of the green forest. on the way, there was an ancient archway. many carriages and horses were parked by the roadside with servants looking after them. at the end of the white stone path was a large mansion with white walls and blue tiles. there were two stone lions at the door. although it was not as large as the water cloud sword pool, it was much more imposing than a new sect like the iron buddha ridge. ten disciples in martial arts uniforms were standing outside the door, welcoming guests and showing them in. the entrance of the mansion was brightly lit, and there was a banquet being held in the open. thirty square tables had been arranged left and right, and a temporary arena had been set up in the middle. there were more than 100 martial artists sitting at the square table, all of whom were famous figures around broad crossing. but in jianghu, they could be classified as ¡®small fries¡¯ and were on the same level as yang guan. under the eaves in the middle was a large chair. two disciples were standing behind it with their hands behind their backs. an old man in a brocade robe was sitting on the chair, his hawk-like eyes staring at the archway outside the door. the tables were full of wine and meat, and the atmosphere should be lively and bustling. but none of the hundred martial artists sitting at the banquet were speaking. they only glanced sideways at the arena in the middle. everyone knew who the arena was prepared for and guessed that sect master li hunyuan was feeling slightly unconfident. li hunyuan didn¡¯t practice martial arts as biasedly as cheng shilu. as a strong internal martial arts grandmaster, he could suppress cheng shilu with his movement technique alone. in everyone¡¯s opinion, ye silang¡¯s strength should be on par with li hunyuan¡¯s. the levels of the two sides were not much different. if they fought in private, it was hard to say who would win, and the loser might lose his life and reputation. but this wasn¡¯t the case in the arena. killing someone was a sign of extremely poor martial ethics and inflexibility. no matter what, the victor had to leave a breath for the loser. if li hunyuan lost, he would spit out what he had eaten according to the rules, and the matter would be over. it was better than surrendering without a fight. if he won, he would make peace, and both sides would be able to maintain their dignity and reputation. moreover, he would truly obtain the businesses. this idea wasn¡¯t wrong, but cheng shilu had just died yesterday. it was still a little risky after all. li hunyuan¡¯s eldest disciple, who was standing behind the armchair, whispered, ¡°ye silang seems to be a hothead who doesn¡¯t know how to be flexible. if he doesn¡¯t care about his reputation in jianghu, he might kill directly¡­¡± li hunyuan was expressionless, but he was also worried about this in his heart. after all, it was very difficult for him to kill an opponent of the same level with a single move. on the other hand, the overlord spear could give him heart-wrenching pain if he weren¡¯t careful. as long as they exchanged blows, there was a risk of losing his life. li hunyuan fell silent for a moment before replying, ¡°you mean, i should surrender without a fight?¡± the eldest disciple knew that his master cared about his reputation in jianghu. he wanted to persuade him again, but there was a commotion in the dead silent courtyard. ¡°hmm?¡± ¡°that is?¡± li hunyuan and the martial artists looked up in unison and saw a fierce horse appear outside the archway of the white stone path. clack, clack.. the fierce horse stepped across the white stone path unhurriedly and walked toward the door. on the horse was a black-robed man wearing a bamboo hat with a long weapon hanging on the side of the horse. although no one knew his identity, his arrogant aura had already let everyone guess who he was. ¡°he¡¯s really here¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s ye silang¡­¡± ¡°sect master, what should we do¡­¡± in the courtyard, dozens of baoyuan school disciples looked as if they were facing a formidable enemy. some of them wanted to question him, but others stopped them. li yuanyuan¡¯s eyelids twitched slightly. he took a deep breath, stood up, placed his hands behind his back, and said from afar, ¡°your excellency, are you ye silang?¡± ye jingtang rode his horse to the entrance of the li residence. he ignored the martial artists and disciples looking at him with fear in their eyes and looked at the old man with an extraordinary aura at the back. ¡°i don¡¯t have much time. sect master li, your stage has been set up. why don¡¯t we talk after the battle?¡± the hundred or so martial artists sitting at the square tables felt that the young master of the red flower pavilion was really straightforward and suited their taste. li hunyuan also knew that it was useless to talk among people in jianghu. he immediately tapped his toes lightly, and his body rose from the ground. his body was as light as a leaf and didn¡¯t cause any wind along the way. but after he landed on the arena 30 feet away, the arena made of hardwood creaked as if it was pressed down by a huge bronze statue.. Chapter 167 - Chapter 167: Are You Li Hunyuan? (3) chapter 167: are you li hunyuan? (3) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios many martial artists present were shocked when they saw this scene. they understood that li hunyuan was letting ye silang know that fighting him wouldn¡¯t be easy. li hunyuan stood on the arena with his hands behind his back, his expression emotionless. ¡°young master ye, please.¡± everyone turned to look outside the door. on his horse, ye jingtang didn¡¯t say anything when he saw this. he stepped on the stirrups with both feet and exerted a little force. ¡°neigh!¡± when he stepped off the sturdy horse, it suddenly felt the force, raised its head, and let out a long neigh. swoosh! more than a hundred martial artists raised their heads in unison, only to see ye silang directly soaring into the sky from outside the door. his body was like an eagle striking the sky until he overlapped with the silver moon, and then he fell violently. boom! the black-robed figure landed heavily on the towering roof ridge, causing the entire roof to tremble. a few black tiles fell and shattered the vases in the main hall. crack! when the martial artists present saw this momentum, there was a bit of shock in their eyes. of course, they were also a little confused. the entire place was silent. li hunyuan turned around in the arena and looked at the black-robed figure standing on the roof ridge of the main hall with his back facing the courtyard. he wanted to say something but hesitated. he didn¡¯t know if he should praise his martial arts skills or not. ye silang had almost injured his horse, and along the way, there were clanging sounds. if anyone else present brought out their movement technique, they wouldn¡¯t be so rough. but it wasn¡¯t right to call his skills terrible either. he had flown from the door to the main hall and shook the ground after landing. the profoundness of his skills was a little ridiculous. after hesitating for a moment, li hunyuan put on the posture of an elder and said calmly, ¡°young master ye, it is said that you have learned yan mountain¡¯s cutting cloud steps. from the looks of it, your lightness skills require more practice. also, 1 invited you to the arena. why did you go to the roof?¡± the martial artists present were also very puzzled by this. ye jingtang stood on the roof with one hand behind his back. his gaze was also a little strange. he felt that something was wrong with his body, as if he couldn¡¯t control his strength properly. but it was better to use more strength than having weak hands and legs. he had already gone on stage, so he still had to smooth things over. ye jingtang turned around and looked up at the moon. ¡°the scenery in your mansion is not bad. sect master li, why don¡¯t you come up and fight?¡± upon hearing this, the martial artists present came to a sudden realization. a duel on the ¡®night of the full moon, at the summit of the forbidden city¡¯ was indeed popular among the heroes of jianghu, but not many people dared to play like this in actual combat. because the two sides of the roof were sloping, people could only exert force when standing firmly on the roof ridge. if someone landed on the sloping tiles, it would be very easy for the opponent to suppress them and knock them off the roof. it was equivalent to dueling on a single-plank bridge. ye silang dared to put on such an attitude because he really didn¡¯t care about li hunyuan¡¯s reputation. li hunyuan snorted lightly and tapped his toes. he flew up and silently landed on the roof ridge, standing 30 feet away from ye jingtang. ¡°young master ye, you didn¡¯t bring a spear. could it be that you want to compete with me unarmed?¡± ye jingtang knew that li hunyuan wasn¡¯t simple, so he didn¡¯t underestimate his enemy. he raised his bamboo hat slightly and said, ¡°i have long heard about the famous ¡®yuan clasping force¡¯. it is said that when striking, one can¡¯t exert strength. today, 1 want to see if my eight extremities of thunder really can¡¯t exert strength.¡± due to the red flower pavilion, song chi¡¯s reputation was not small. the eight extremities of thunder was also famous in jianghu for being extremely fierce. when the martial artists present heard this, they stood up. clearly, they were interested in this evenly-matched duel. when li hunyuan saw that ye jingtang was prepared to fight unarmed, his aura changed a little, and his eyes were arrogant. ¡°in terms of unarmed martial arts, i am your senior in jianghu. 1 won¡¯t bully the young. if you can take ten moves today, i will consider you the winner.¡± ye jingtang had just learned the eight extremities of thunder and had only fought cheng shilu a few times in actual combat. he was really a little pressured against li hunyuan, who had been famous for many years. he didn¡¯t say anything else and focused all his attention. one of his feet slid forward and the other backward on the roof ridge, and so did his hands. he assumed a stance of the eight extremities of thunder and hooked his fingers. the silver moon hung in the sky, and the entire mansion fell silent. only the breeze swept past a few fallen leaves on the roof, making a light rustling sound. li hunyuan¡¯s eyes turned profound. he raised his hands, slid his left foot away, and clasped his hands one over the other. his robe swayed with a unique rhythm. but when a fallen leaf floated to his hand, it seemed to be attracted by his hands and moved closer to his palms. then he casually swept it away. swish! the sound of a hidden weapon tearing through the air came from the roof. the fallen leaf was like a sharp arrow leaving a bow. under the moonlight, it turned into an afterimage and instantly arrived between ye jingtang¡¯s eyebrows. ye jingtang¡¯s reaction could be said to be astonishing. he raised his left hand slightly, grabbed the fallen leaf with two fingers, and shattered it into powder. at the same time, the silent li hunyuan had already pressed forward. his eyes were as sharp as two knives as he stretched out his right hand and slapped ye jingtang¡¯s forehead. a hint of mockery flashed in his eyes. boom! a thunderous explosion sounded from the roof! the martial artists present were paying attention to the movements of the two top experts. but they soon saw ye silang tremble violently. the robe on his shoulders and chest instantly tore apart, revealing his gleaming silver soft armor. at the same time that his robe exploded, spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the black tiles on both sides. then they were overturned by a powerful air wave, directly exposing thick wooden beams. under the immense force, cracks appeared on the beams. a terrifying force swept through the surroundings, and a fist shot out at this moment. bam! amidst the outburst, ye jingtang¡¯s sleeve exploded, revealing his muscular right arm. li hunyuan, who was close to him, was shocked by the violent qi that was like a tsunami. his pupils constricted and even showed fear. his outstretched hand instantly retracted to defend, but before he could block the blow, a tremendous force pressed against his chest. boom! the explosion on the roof was like thunder. before the martial artists present could see clearly, li hunyuan had already transformed into an arrow shot by a crossbow. he drew a straight afterimage in the air and shot into the distance toward the eastern part of the mansion. swoosh, swoosh, swoosh¡­ li hunyuan¡¯s body smashed against the roof with such force that he shattered the black tiles below and forcefully plowed out a groove on the roof. bam! bam! bam! after he shattered the cornice, the impact force didn¡¯t decrease at all. he smashed through the white wall on the east side, followed by a patch of green bamboo trees, and then crashed into a study. boom! li hunyuan was like a city-destroying cannonball shot out from the roof. in an instant, his body made a straight line of holes in the buildings until he was nailed to the floor of a study in the eastern part of the mansion. then there was no movement. the entire place was dead silent! clatter, clatter¡­ countless debris and broken bricks scattered. the beams were bent and swayed, and half of the roof began to collapse into the house. everyone watching the battle in the courtyard, even the onlookers outside, opened their mouths wide. pei xiangjun was standing behind a wall at the edge of the mansion, watching ye jingtang maintain the posture of a ¡®city piercing cannon¡¯. her almond-shaped eyes widened in shock. she felt that this punch could scare uncle song to death! ye jingtang remained motionless on the roof, looking at the broken walls and ruins in front of him with shock in his eyes. yesterday, he had punched cheng shilu ten meters away with all his strength. this time, he had also punched with his full strength, but he had realized that something was wrong halfway and slightly reduced his strength. this¡­ was it the stimulant yesterday? distracting thoughts flashed across his mind. seeing that li hunyuan was no longer moving, ye jingtang came back to his senses and went to the study in the eastern part of the mansion to check on the victim. the study was in a mess. li hunyuan was lying upside down on the floor. only his legs were exposed and twitching slightly. blood oozed out of his mouth and nose, and his eyes were still full of disbelief as he groaned hoarsely. ¡°ugh¡­¡± ye jingtang sized him up from the side. seeing that this punch on his shoulder wouldn¡¯t kill him, he said, ¡°it seems that i haven¡¯t received ten moves. sect master li, are you still going to fight?¡± ¡°uh¡­ no more fighting¡­ good¡­ skills¡­ i¡¯m convinced¡­¡± li hunyuan twitched twice, seemingly wanting to raise his hand to send him off as a courtesy, but he couldn¡¯t do it. ¡°sect master!¡± ¡°master!¡± the shocked baoyuan school disciples finally recovered. realizing that something was wrong, they hurriedly jumped over the walls and arrived at the study. when they saw li hunyuan¡¯s tragic appearance, they were all stunned on the spot. a few direct disciples wanted to go forward, but ye jingtang was standing in the room like a powerful dragon, and they didn¡¯t dare to go forward at all. ye jingtang felt that there was indeed something wrong with his body, so he didn¡¯t want to stay long and prepared to leave. but just as he walked out of the study, his ears twitched as he heard a sound outside. ¡°coo,coo-¡± two more victims¡­ Chapter 168 - Chapter 168: Third Lady Going All Out (1) chapter 168: third lady going all out (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the silver moon hung in the sky like a hook. in the neat poplar forest outside the baoyuan school, there was complete silence. luo ning was leaning against a poplar tree and hiding in a dark place, paying attention to the movements around the white stone path. after ye jingtang killed cheng shilu at the iron buddha ridge yesterday, there was a high chance that ¡®ye silang¡¯ would rush to the baoyuan school in the next two days. it had already become public knowledge. it was a taboo in jianghu for people to expose their whereabouts in advance and give their enemies a chance to ambush them. although they weren¡¯t sure if anyone would ambush him, the three of them were still very careful when they came here. first, they had explored the surrounding areas for ways to escape and places to hide. then ye jingtang had publicly entered the baoyuan school according to the normal procedure. third lady, who had strong attack power, had stayed hidden and circled around the residence while guarding against the inside and outside. luo ning was an internal martial arts expert, so her lightness skills were much better than third lady¡¯s. she could come and go silently and was good at hiding. together with the bird, she was in charge of looking for enemies who would move when they heard the news after ye jingtang appeared. luo ning couldn¡¯t see much in the poplar forest covered by tree canopies, but the bird wasn¡¯t affected. the bird had big eyes and amazing night vision. it could search for rats and snakes in the grass at high altitudes. if people were hiding in the woods, unless they were buried underground, it would be impossible not to be discovered. even if the bird were discovered, it would be difficult to arouse anyone¡¯s vigilance when an owl-like bird appeared in the forest. such caution obviously paid off. after waiting quietly for some time, luo ning heard a sound coming from afar. ¡°coo coo- coo-¡± having been with ye jingtang for so long, luo ning could understand some of the signals through the ¡®tone¡¯ of the cries. she had specially learned it before coming over and understood what it meant: two people from the east. luo ning stuck out her face slightly to look around. she could see that on the east side, where the bird cooed, was a small mountain ridge outside the poplar forest. it seemed that the enemy was hiding there. to be discovered by the bird, there was a high probability that they had seen ye jingtang coming and were looking for an ambush spot nearby. after scanning her surroundings, luo ning silently jumped onto a treetop and hid near the white stone path. scrape¡­ scrape¡­ in just a moment, two figures appeared in the forest below. both of them were wearing night clothes. the person in front was short and burly. he was holding a heavy square shield in his left hand and a single saber in his right. there were throwing knives and nets hanging behind his waist. the person behind him was slightly taller and had an extraordinary aura. he was holding a strong bow in his left hand and had a soft whip hanging from his waist. from the looks of it, the whip was probably twenty feet long. when luo ning saw this weapon combination, she knew that it was specially used to deal with ye jingtang. the heavy shield would be used to protect the entire body and withstand the frontal attack of the overlord spear. the flying knives, nets, and strong bow would be used to harass and disrupt positioning. the whip would be used to control the opponent¡¯s weapon, and the saber would be used to go for the kill. if ye jingtang had met the duo alone, he might have been beaten until his scalp went numb by this combination that didn¡¯t care about martial ethics. luo ning didn¡¯t act rashly. she hid among the treetops like a ghost and paid attention to their movements, waiting for ye jingtang to finish his business and rush over with pei xiangjun to find an opportunity to kill them. but at this moment, an explosion came from inside the baoyuan school. boom! the sound was like thunder in the night! the sound of tiles cracking and walls collapsing followed. it was earth-shattering, as if a meteor had crashed into the baoyuan school. luo ning looked around from the corner of her eye and saw that half of the roof of the tallest building in the center of the baoyuan school had been destroyed. she couldn¡¯t see who was standing on it, but the thief didn¡¯t seem to have such destructive power. the commotion also shocked the two assassins below. they immediately fell to the ground and whispered. ¡°f*ck, that scared me! what¡¯s going on?!¡± ¡°i think it¡¯s ye silang and li hunyuan fighting. this commotion¡­ something¡¯s wrong.¡± ¡°there¡¯s more than something wrong. i thought jiang zhahu was here¡­ is it li hunyuan or ye silang?¡± ¡°ye silang uses a spear. it sounded like the sound of a punch. li hunyuan is hiding his strength. if this move hit ye silang, he would either die or be crippled¡­¡± luo ning also felt that ye jingtang didn¡¯t have such a terrifying power. her heart tightened, and she silently wanted to leave the tree crown and rush to help ye jingtang. but the people below were obviously not ordinary martial artists. as soon as luo ning moved, they heard her. snap! the strong bowstring sounded, and then a sharp arrow tore through the air! luo ning¡¯s expression changed drastically. she unsheathed the soft sword at her waist in an instant as if she were opening a fan in front of her, instantly blocking her entire side. ding, ding, ding! fine, soft sounds echoed in the tree crown. ordinary bows and arrows were useless against top experts. the arrows shot out by ¡®mountain collapsing tiger¡¯ wang chengjing were specially made. the moment they left the bowstring, they shattered into hundreds of flying needles that almost instantly drowned the tree crown and riddled the poplar leaves with holes. seeing the sword light that was like a full moon in the sky, wang chengjing¡¯s gaze focused. ¡°it¡¯s the screen-opening sword. there¡¯s an expert ambushing. retreat!¡± second wang quickly raised his large shield, wanting to cover his brother¡¯s escape. but almost at the same time as the sword light appeared, a black shadow rushed through the forest at lightning speed toward the two of them. this figure held a nine-foot-long spear and blocked the retreat. second wang knew that something was wrong. he immediately flipped his shield and placed it behind him while wang chengjing drew his bow like a full moon. swish! swoosh! swoosh! swoosh! countless thin needles pierced through the air, forcing the spear user to hide behind a tree trunk. luo ning landed on the ground, holding her three-foot-long sword. she used a tree trunk as cover and asked from afar, ¡°how¡¯s the little thief?¡± pei xiangjun held her spear, used the tree as a cover, and said loudly, ¡°he beat li hunyuan to death. just stall them. these two are dead meat.¡± ?! as soon as these words came out, the three people were shocked. when wang chengjing heard that commotion just now was caused by the target, his tactic immediately changed into desperate escape. he held his strong bow and shot left and right.. ¡°go!¡± Chapter 169 - Chapter 169: Third Lady Going All Out (2) chapter 169: third lady going all out (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios swoosh! swoosh! swoosh! in the forest, flying needles were as dense as rain as they almost instantly nailed against the tree trunks where the two of them were. the spear in pei xiangjun¡¯s hand was called ¡®overlord¡¯. it ranked in the top three among the ten famous spears. it was two feet longer than ye jingtang¡¯s black qilin spear. it had been the divine weapon that the former spear chief had once used to pierce through the entire jianghu. but when she encountered such bastards who didn¡¯t care about martial ethics, she couldn¡¯t even show her head without a shield. she asked coldly, ¡°how many arrows are left?¡± ¡°four! there are still nine throwing knives and two nets.¡± the sound of the bowstring being drawn suddenly stopped. ¡°chase.¡± pei xiangjun let out a low roar. her figure erupted like a cheetah as she dragged her spear and charged out from behind the tree trunk. luo ning¡¯s figure was like a ghost as she silently darted left and right through the forest. in an instant, she arrived near the two of them. second wang didn¡¯t dare to show his back while being chased. he could only hold his shield and retreat quickly. wang chengjing had brought a quiver of specially-made arrows. the target had yet to come out, so he didn¡¯t dare to shoot randomly. he only drew his bow back and forth and pointed in the direction of the two of them, forcing them to find places to hide. tread, tread, tread¡­ the footsteps in the forest were as dense as rain. when pei xiangjun was 50 feet away, she no longer chose to hide, and her figure rushed to the empty area between two rows of poplar trees. she stepped forward with her right foot, and her eyes suddenly became bloodshot. her cheeks under the scarf turned red, and blue veins bulged on her hands. boom! a strong wind stirred the trees in the forest, blowing away the fallen leaves around pei xiangjun. pei xiangjun stabbed her spear into the ground, causing countless pieces of gravel and soil to fly out. then her figure broke through the night sky and followed behind the flying gravel to approach in the blink of an eye. she raised the nine-foot-long spear in her hand and thrust forward with both hands. swoosh! the tip of the spear pierced through the air, emitting a shrill scream. the speed of the spear was so fast that shock flashed in luo ning¡¯s eyes. she recognized that this was the unique move of the red god of wealth, ¡®wind pool reverse blood¡¯. it had also been the capital of the overlord spear to become the former spear chief. another arrow shot out from wang chengjing¡¯s hand. when he saw the terrifying power of the spear, his hair stood on end. he kicked the heavy shield from behind and pulled his younger brother, who still had his head buried behind the shield, away with all his might. clang! the tip of the spear flashed and arrived. the strong wind stirred up the flying needles. the two-foot-long spearhead that was densely covered in battle scars directly pierced into the heavy shield specially prepared for the black qilin spear. crack! the one-inch-thick black iron shield erupted with lightning-like flames from the front and back. it was instantly pierced through, and the remaining force didn¡¯t decrease as the spear pierced into the shoulder of second wang, who had just left the shield. amidst the explosion, the wang brothers slid back almost instantly, leaving a five-foot-long groove in the ground. the force of this blow was terrifying, but the wang brothers were not ordinary people. the moment the momentum of the spearhead stopped, second wang ignored his pain and pushed forward, making it difficult for his opponent to pull out the spear. wang chengjing swept out the 20-foot-long whip in his hand. but because the distance was around 20 feet, he could only lash out the whip and strike at pei xiangjun from above the shield. snap! the snap of the whip sounded in the forest. luo ning was following closely behind. seeing this, she flew up and accurately blocked the powerful soft whip with the soft sword in her hand. ¡°move!¡± seeing the shield pressing toward her, pei xiangjun let out a delicate cry and slid out her right foot. she exerted strength in her right hand to sweep away the shield. but the moment the shield was knocked away, second wang sprinkled a handful of white powder forward. sha- pei xiangjun was slightly frightened. the vixen had blocked the whip in the air and couldn¡¯t exert strength to move away. if she retreated, the vixen would land between the two of them. in order to prevent the vixen from being hit, she abandoned her spear and jumped back without hesitation. at the same time, she grabbed luo ning¡¯s legs. whoosh- as the white powder scattered, the two of them retreated dozens of feet at the same time. seeing the ambushers retreat, second wang immediately raised his saber and prepared to run away. but wang chengjing¡¯s ears twitched, and his expression changed slightly. ¡°shield up.¡± at the same time, he drew his bow, nocked an arrow, and shot toward a distant treetop. swish! clatter! something crashed into the treetops diagonally above. the tops of several trees exploded, and broken branches flew everywhere, revealing a black shadow holding a spear. boom! the black shadow fell from the sky and found hundreds of flying needles flying toward him. halfway through, he kicked a tree trunk and moved horizontally in the air, weaving back and forth between the tree trunks like black lightning. tap, tap, tap! from the sky, in the poplar forest under the moonlight, a row of treetops shook violently, as if a dragon python had fallen into them and was running wildly through the forest. wang chengjing had shot out three arrows in an instant, but they failed to touch the corner of the black shadow¡¯s clothes. when second wang saw this scene, he quickly retreated. he placed his saber in his mouth, grabbed a cloth bag with his right hand, and threw it into the air. rustle, rustle, rustle! white powder flew and instantly filled the forest. when ye jingtang saw this, he immediately landed on the ground. holding his spear with one hand, he took a step forward, stood firmly on the ground, and exerted his strength. ¡°die!¡± with the roar, all the muscles in his body instantly tensed. swish! the sharp sound of wind breaking resounded through the forest. the black qilin spear turned into a javelin and shot out from his hand. with a sharp whistle, it instantly tore through most of the white powder in front of him, forming a vortex-shaped hole. second wang¡¯s eyes were full of horror. he knew that the heavy shield couldn¡¯t block it, but he still raised it fearlessly. boom! the seven-foot-long spear pierced through the iron shield without any decrease in force. it penetrated through the burly second wang¡¯s shoulder, slammed the shield into him, and stabbed into wang chengjing¡¯s ribs. thump! the terrifying force contained in the spear tip sent the two brothers flying through the forest. wang chengjing had an iron plate and wang er as his meat shields, so he only suffered a superficial wound. the moment he fell to the ground, he pushed second wang away, pulling out the black qilin spear from his body. then he kicked the shield away and pulled the spear out of second wang¡¯s shoulder. ¡°ahhhh!¡± a scream resounded in the night. wang chengjing grabbed his brother with one hand, turned around, and ran away wildly. second wang was being held above the ground while enduring the severe pain, but he didn¡¯t forget to sprinkle white powder, making it difficult for the enemies to chase after them. after ye jingtang threw his spear, he didn¡¯t take the risk of rushing into the cloud of powder. he got the bird on standby high in the sky to chase after the two people escaping and then flew to the two women. upon closer inspection, he could see that heroine luo was unharmed. her robe was stained with some white powder. third lady pulled down her face scarf, revealing her flushed face. she threw a few pills into her mouth and said angrily when she saw ye jingtang, ¡°it¡¯s snow moth scale. these two scoundrels really don¡¯t care about martial ethics. let¡¯s hurry up and find a safe place to hide.¡± ye jingtang noticed that third lady¡¯s complexion wasn¡¯t right. he whistled, and the horse galloped over from outside the baoyuan school. ye jingtang raised his hand, carried third lady horizontally, and then jumped onto the horse. luo ning landed behind him and looked at the martial artists watching from behind the stone lions. ¡°it¡¯s snow moth scale. whoever picks up the spears will be rewarded handsomely.¡± ¡°what?! the few martial artists who had been called out paled when they heard this, but no one moved. they might be refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit. one of the martial artists hesitated for a moment, and then he gritted his teeth and ran over. he rushed into the cloud of white powder, picked up the two famous spears from the ground, ran back, and threw them to the horse. pei xiangjun took out a handful of banknotes from her pocket and threw them into the martial artist¡¯s hand. she didn¡¯t forget to warn, ¡°anyone who dares to rob him will be killed by the red flower pavilion. let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°go.¡± the horse raised its legs and galloped toward the official road. stomp, stomp¡­ the inside of the baoyuan school was brightly lit, and more than a hundred martial artists watched the fierce horse leave in silence. it was not until the sound of horse hooves disappeared for a long time that there were whooshing sounds. many martial artists fled in all directions. there were various comments mixed in. ¡°hero ye¡¯s martial arts skills are a bit too domineering¡­¡± ¡°nonsense. he¡¯s the young master of a wealthy force. do you think he¡¯s just a small fry in jianghu? sect master li was really stubborn. cheng shilu is already dead, but he still dared to set up an arena¡­¡± ¡°sect master li wasn¡¯t beaten to death. his reputation is well-deserved¡­¡± ¡°giving so much money for picking up two spears, as expected of the red flower pavilion¡­¡± ¡°idiot, this is the settlement fee. let¡¯s hurry up and have a good meal¡­¡± ¡°how could the future sect master of the red flower pavilion harm innocent people and ruin his sect¡¯s reputation¡­ hey, no, no.. help me¡­¡± Chapter 170 - Chapter 170: Jealous? (1) chapter 170: jealous? (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the moonlight was like frost. two fast horses galloped across the wilderness and arrived near a small town. because they had expected that they might encounter an accident at the baoyuan school, rhe three of them had made preparations in advance before they left in the afternoon. they had found a safe house near a small town a few kilometers away from baoyuan school so that they could hide in case they encountered danger. ye jingtang rode quickly on his horse. after making sure that there were no pursuers, he hid the two horses in the forest and entered the town under the cover of the night. he headed toward a house while paying attention to the situation in his arms. because third lady and heroine luo had been at a disadvantage in the battle, some snow moth scale had inevitably stained their bodies. snow moth scale was something that stopped pursuers. although the medicinal effect was slow, it would definitely come, and both sides would suffer. the user would have time to escape, but the opponent would definitely not dare to pursue them far. at this moment, the snow moth scale had already exerted its medicinal power. the women¡¯s meridians were blocked, and their hands and feet were limp. ye jingtang could only carry them and run. at this moment, third lady was in ye jingtang¡¯s arms. her face was red, and she was frowning. heroine luo was slightly better. she was lying on his back with her arms wrapped around his neck while checking the surroundings. ye jingtang silently passed through an alley, jumped over a courtyard wall, arrived at a courtyard, and opened the door. ye jingtang took out a flame stick from third lady¡¯s belt and opened it with his fingers. the dark room lit up with a faint yellow light. the house was uninhabited, and there were no neighbors around, but the house had a few pieces of furniture. in the bedroom, the window had been covered with black cloth in advance. there were candles, dry food, water, a first aid kit, and so on on the old wooden table. the canopy bed against the wall originally only had thatch, but they had covered it with a white sheet in the afternoon. after ye jingtang lit the candlestick on the table, he placed the limp third lady on the outside of the canopy bed. then he brought heroine luo down from his back and placed her on the inner side. when they arrived at a safe place, luo ning quietly breathed a sigh of relief. she lay weakly on the bed and turned her head to look at pei xiang]tin¡¯s side profile. ¡°i¡¯m fine. i can just wait for the medicine to dissipate. she used the wind pool reverse blood just now and injured her meridians. and the arrows attacked her from the front, so she probably got hit by a needle.¡± pei xiang]un was adjusting her inner breath with her eyes closed. hearing this, she said, ¡°i¡¯ve already pulled out the needle. it¡¯s the poison of the golden leaf wisteria. i¡¯ve already sealed my acupoints and taken a white emperor pill to suppress it. it won¡¯t hurt to deal with it after we return.¡± luo ning frowned. ¡°you¡¯ve already sealed the poison. we can just force it out. why are you waiting to go back? who knows what will happen if we wait a few days?¡± pei xiang]un¡¯s lips moved, but she stopped talking. ye jingtang put down his weapon and listened by the window. after confirming that there was nothing unusual, he brought over the small first aid kit, sat down by the bed, and asked, ¡°where did the needle hit you?¡± pei xiang]un opened her almond-shaped eyes and looked at ye jingtang. she wanted to say something but hesitated. seeing this, luo ning was a little annoyed. ¡°she charged head-on. it must be on her chest. untie her clothes and look for it. why are you still being so shy at a time like this¡­¡± hearing this, ye jingtang didn¡¯t care about the small details. he raised his hand and untied the belt of her black martial arts suit. pei xiang]un looked at the stern face in front of her. her fingers moved, but she didn¡¯t say anything in the end. instead, she looked away and looked at the cult mistress, who lectured her fiercely. ¡°you¡¯re quite fierce now. when we were fighting, you kept hiding here and there. i didn¡¯t know what you were doing. you only took action once, and i had to pull you back¡­¡± ? luo ning¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°i was using a sword. how could 1 charge up? we agreed to delay. why did you rush up?¡± ¡°i am a spear user. the way to delay is to press forward and fight. hiding behind a tree like you, why should they care about you?¡± luo ning opened her mouth and wanted to retort, but in terms of head-on defense, she was indeed incomparable to the overlord spear. she stopped talking and just looked at ye jingtang. pei xiang]un was staring at luo ning intently. she wanted to put on the posture of a sect master to ease the complicated emotions in her heart, but her face was getting redder and redder. ye jingtang untied her belt and carefully lifted her black collar. he didn¡¯t see any needle holes in the fabric. under her clothes was a tightly wrapped black chest wrap, and her shoulders and waist were clean and spotless. seeing this, ye jingtang raised his hand and grabbed the edge of the chest wrap. he raised it slightly and pulled it down. plop! ripples spread out. the dim light in the room seemed to be a bit brighter. oh!¡± pei xiangjun closed her eyes, tilted her head, and frowned, biting her red lips tightly. so big¡­ luo ning blinked her beautiful peach blossom eyes and looked at the trembling semi-spheres with a strange gaze. she thought for a moment and whispered, ¡°with this body, why are you practicing martial arts? you¡¯re suitable to be a nanny. don¡¯t go out to jianghu in the future¡­¡± ?! pei xiangjun was already ashamed. when she heard this, she perked up again, opened her eyes, and said, ¡°jealous? my martial arts skills are better than yours, and my figure is better than yours.¡± ¡°heh-¡± luo ning took a deep breath, causing her clothes to bulge. she looked like she despised the dignified and strong third lady, but she clearly had the intention to prove herself. ye jingtang didn¡¯t interrupt their quarrel. after all, if he didn¡¯t let them argue, it would only be more awkward. with a cold and focused expression, he held the left orb up a little and pressed his fingers against the thumb-sized black mark on her skin. pei xiangjun arched her legs and bit her lower lip hard. she looked straight at luo ning and tried her best to make a provocative look. luo ning was thin-skinned. she originally wanted to look away and not look at the embarrassing scene, but when she found that this female boss was still provoking her, she looked back at her without showing any weakness. ye jingtang checked carefully. there was only one mark. he looked around the room. ¡°i didn¡¯t prepare a cupping jar. i¡¯ll go find a bamboo tube..¡± Chapter 171 - Chapter 171: Jealous? (2) chapter 171: jealous? (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios when luo ning heard this, she recalled the times when she had been forced and humiliated and felt a little unbalanced. i asked yon to find a bamboo tube, but you ignored me and forced yourself on me. when you meet your female boss, you think about her feelings? am i easy to bully? seeing ye jingtang get up, luo ning said, ¡°there¡¯s no bamboo around. little thief, don¡¯t you know how to detoxify with your bare hands?¡± pei xiangjun¡¯s eyes were slightly fierce. she wanted to say, ¡°you¡¯re kicking someone when they¡¯re down, right?1¡¯ but on second thought, she stopped talking. she secretly gritted her teeth and acted like a sect master. ¡°it¡¯s an urgent matter. there¡¯s no need to worry about trifles.¡± hearing this, ye jingtang didn¡¯t say anything else. he took a cup of water, leaned over, and moved his mouth to the southern hemisphere¡­ sizzle- pei xiangjun¡¯s heart trembled violently. her entire body tensed up a little, but she suppressed it and didn¡¯t show any abnormalities. her almond-shaped eyes looked at the number one beauty beside her, whose face was alternating between red and white, and she even raised her eyebrows provocatively. hmm? luo ning¡¯s eyebrows raised. she really wanted to beat third lady up, but she couldn¡¯t move. she gritted her teeth and thought for a moment before saying, ¡°little thief, flick her.¡± ye jingtang was so busy that his mouth was numb. he said helplessly, ¡°don¡¯t joke around at a rime like this.¡± joke around?seeing that ye jingtang was treating his female boss differently, luo ning wanted to argue, but she felt that this wasn¡¯t taking into account the big picture, so she let it go. after ye jingtang finished, he checked left and right by candlelight. after confirming that there were no other wounds, he asked, ¡°just one needle?¡± pei xiangjun kept looking at luo ning to disperse the embarrassment in her heart. hearing this, she didn¡¯t dare to look at rhe from and only nodded slightly. ye jingtang breathed a sigh of relief and looked inside. ¡°ning¡¯er, are you sure you¡¯re not injured?¡± luo ning shook her head. ¡°only a bit of the snow moth scale touched me, and 1 forced the poison out myself. i should be able to recover very quickly. her meridians are injured. help her massage them. 1 think she injured the governor meridian behind her back.¡± ye jingtang took out the jade dragon ointment to treat internal injuries and turned third lady, who was pretending to be an ostrich with her eyes closed, over to lie on her side. he saw a line of red marks on the skin along the spine line, starting from the fengfu acupoint at the back of her head and extending down to the yangguan acupoint behind the waist¡­ ¡°what caused this injury?¡± pei xiangjun said softly, ¡°it¡¯s the wind pool reverse blood from the last two moves of the overlord spear. there are rules in the family. 1 can only teach you when you become the pavilion lord of the red blower pavilion.¡± when ye jingtang saw third lady pierce through the shield with her spear, he felt that this move was indeed a big move. he didn¡¯t say anything else. he poured the jade dragon ointment on his hands and gently massaged her along her spine. luo ning couldn¡¯t help staring at the big balls in front of her, so she asked, ¡°little thief, what happened to you just now?¡± ye jingtang rubbed pei xiangjm¡¯s lower back and slowly slid down. he frowned slightly. ¡°i¡¯m not sure either. it¡¯s just that when i circulate my qi, 1 feel the qi rushing from the soles of my feet to my fist. there is no¡­ um¡­ resistance. my bones are also flexible, as if they were smeared with lubricant. my body movements are smooth and natural. 1 can send fist out as soon as 1 think about it, but i can still retract it¡­11 luo ning¡¯s expression was focused as she thought for a moment. ¡°i have never heard xue baijin mention such a change¡­ by the way, the snow lake flower of the heavenly carnelian lake seems to have the miraculous effect of regenerating meridians and tempering bones. however, it only blooms once every few decades and is even guarded by the northern liang army. it¡¯s impossible to obtain it¡­ you probably took medicine that contains the snow lake flower.¡± ye jingtang had indeed seen a set of armor in cheng shilu¡¯s house yesterday. it didn¡¯t look like the style of the great wei army. he nodded slightly. ¡°it¡¯s probably a medicine stolen from northern liang¡­ what kind of medicine is it exactly? i ll think of a way to get a few more.¡± pei xiangjun felt her thin pants being pulled open. her face flushed red as she said in a mosquito-like voice, ¡°it¡¯s probably a divine medicine like the meridian replenishment pill. your foster father¡¯s meridians were all broken back then, so he went to red river town to live in seclusion. he probably wanted to find the snow lake flower to regenerate his meridians.¡± red river town was at the border. after leaving the border and walking a few hundred kilometers northeast, one would arrive at northern liang¡¯s heavenly carnelian lake. ye jingtang had also heard of it and immediately said regretfully, ¡°there¡¯s actually such a medicine in the world. my foster father should have told me earlier.¡± ¡°if he had told you earlier, you would have gone to northern liang¡ªjingtang!¡± pei xiangjun was speaking softly when she suddenly felt a chill on her railbone. her weak body suddenly turned over and pressed ye jingtang¡¯s hand down. her eyes were full of shame and anger. ¡°it¡¯s from the fengfu acupoint to the yangguan acupoint. where were you going to touch?¡± ¡°hmm?¡± ye jingtang was slightly puzzled. ¡°isn¡¯t it the governor meridian? 1 remember that the governor meridian goes to¡­¡± pei xiangjun¡¯s face flushed red. she wanted to speak, but she didn¡¯t have the strength. luo ning¡¯s thoughtful expression turned strange as she whispered, ¡°it just goes to the yangguan acupoint behind the waist. little thief, you didn¡¯t touch¡­¡± ye jingtang¡¯s expression was normal as he pulled out his hand that was pressing on the moon. ¡°you didn¡¯t tell me. you just said the governor meridian, so i would naturally apply medicine along the governor meridian.¡± pei xiangjun¡¯s face was as red as blood, and there were tears in her eyes. she closed her eyes and didn¡¯t speak. luo ning looked at the female boss¡¯s ashamed and resentful expression and felt much better. she praised softly, ¡°you¡¯re not wrong. she¡¯s the one who¡¯s being coy. she doesn¡¯t even understand the principle of you shouldn¡¯t be afraid of treatment when you¡¯re sick1.¡± ye jingtang blinked. you still have the cheek to say that? when 1 treated your injuries, you cried, made a fuss, and almost scratched me to death¡­ after ye jingtang applied the medicine, because they were not out of danger, he couldn¡¯t get any distracting thoughts. he only used a black cloth to wrap third lady up. while he was busy, a sound came from outside the window. ¡°chirp chirp!¡± ye jingtang got up and went to the outer room. when he opened the door, the bird landed from the eaves and raised its wing to point into the distance. ¡°chirp!¡± ye jingtang knew that the bird had found the ambushers¡± hiding place, but the effects of the snow moth scale medicine wouldn¡¯t fade for a while. he couldn¡¯t carry the two women to fight, let alone leave alone. he immediately took out a small bag of dried meat from his waist and handed it to the bird. ¡°keep an eye on the surroundings. cali me when you¡¯re sleepy.¡± ¡°chirp¡­¡± the bird was obviously a little unhappy that it had found the prey, but ye jingtang refused to catch them. however, it still grabbed the jerky with its claws and flew to the surrounding trees¡­ meanwhile, on a small cargo ship by the riverbank in the suburbs of broad crossing¡­ no movement could be seen on the cargo ship from the outside, but lights were on in the cabin below the deck. wang chengjing took off his outer robe. the flesh wound under his ribs had already been wrapped in a white cloth around his waist. blood was seeping out of the cloth. he was holding a needle and thread in his hand and suturing second wang¡¯s shoulder. second wang had been struck twice in the shoulder, one of which was a wound where a spear had penetrated. he was leaning against the wall with anger in his eyes. ¡°zhou ying is really a f*cking bastard. he said that he had fought against ye silang and that either of us could kill him easily¡­ who the f*ck was killing whom? ye silang is the same. he doesn¡¯t have the demeanor of an expert at all. his martial arts are so damn high, but he even arranged a bunch of sentries to hide and protect his ass. he didn¡¯t even let us escape¡­¡± wang chengjing also had lingering fears, but his expression was much calmer. ¡°after taking the silver, you have to judge the situation yourself. if the employer knows the opponent clearly, why would he hire someone to kill him? ye silang is indeed unbelievably strong. if we encounter him alone, we might not be able to succeed. let¡¯s leave immediately and change targets.¡± second wang frowned and said, ¡°still killing?! it¡¯s because ye jingtang¡¯s martial arts level is unknown and he¡¯s a member of the government that he isn¡¯t easy to kill. that¡¯s why we prioritized killing the easier ye silang. we can¡¯t even kill ye silang. what if ye jingtang is some kind of freak¡­ why don¡¯t we just leave?¡± hearing this, wang chengjing shook his head. he knew in his heart that this job wouldn¡¯t be easy to do, but how many jobs were easy in the murder business? the two brothers had already offended the cutting cloud palace. they could still survive as wanderers, but if they wanted to take root and establish a sect, it wouldn¡¯t be long before they were found. wang chengjing¡¯s martial arts skills were not bad. if he didn¡¯t want to be a wanderer who lived a life of bloodshed all his life, he had to do something big. he had to get enough funds and go to northern liang¡¯s jianghu to start from scratch and develop his territory and power. the zhou family was very generous, but the deposit was only 3,000 taels of silver. this was enough to live without worries about food and clothing, but it wasn¡¯t enough to establish a decent water transport and escort agency. he couldn¡¯t live a bitter life in an escort agency in a small border city. ¡°people like ye silang are the prodigies of jianghu. their luck is too good. whoever gets in their way will die. it¡¯s unlikely for two people to appear in a generation. according to the intelligence, ye jingtang is only about twenty years old. no matter how talented he is, he can t be as ridiculous as ye silang. as long as we find a good opportunity, it won¡¯t be difficult to kill him.¡± second wang actually had his doubts, but he had always listened to his brother since he was young. he didn¡¯t say much and changed the topic. ¡°after completing this task, we have to get the zhou family to pay more. the information was so wrong that it was completely joking with our lives.¡± ¡°let¡¯s finish this matter first. ye jingtang is a public figure, and zhou ying is avenging his father.. it shouldn¡¯t be a problem to get information¡­¡± Chapter 172 - Chapter 172: Returning to the Capital on a Rainy Night chapter 172: returning to the capital on a rainy night translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios when the sun was about to rise in the east, a black horse pulled a small carriage and quietly drove away from the nameless town. ye jingtang was wearing a black robe and a bamboo hat on his head, and the hornless dragon saber was hanging behind his waist. he was riding his horse slowly on the official road and scanning the endless gray wilderness. the carriage was small and didn¡¯t have much furniture inside. a thin blanket had been spread out on the floor. luo ning was leaning against the carriage wall with a blanket on her back. after resting for a night, most of her limbs had recovered, and she could move freely. but she didn¡¯t sleep well last night. at this moment, she leaned on third lady¡¯s shoulder and closed her eyes to take a nap. the bird, who had been on sentry duty all night, was lying in the carriage with its claws facing the sky, rolling back and forth as the carriage rocked, but it showed no signs of waking up. meanwhile, pei xiangjun, who was leaning against the corner of the carriage, had not felt sleepy since last night. pei xiangjun had put on her clothes, and her beautiful face had returned to its normal fairness with a faint blush. leaning her head against the wood carriage wall, she was looking outside through the gap of the swaying window curtain. although she could only see jingtang¡¯s back, the sense of security that emanated from his bones made her unable to feel anxious and worried at any moment. in this comfortable situation, it was inevitable that countless distracting thoughts would appear in her heart. the assassination outside the baoyuan school might have been arranged by the zhou family, jun mountain terrace, or the spear chief. these were all risks that the pei family and the red flower pavilion had brought to jingtang. regardless of whether it was the vengeance of her eldest brother and second brother or the foundation of the red flower pavilion, she should have been the one to bear it. but now, it had all fallen on the shoulders in front of her, which inevitably made her sigh in her heart and feel that there was no way to repay him. last night, jingtang had treated her injury because it was a matter of urgency. his eyes and expression had been very focused, just like a calm doctor, without the slightest hint of offense. so she had tried her best to treat it as a matter of urgency and not think about relationships between men and women. but in the end, when jingtang massaged her, his fingers slid into the waistband of her pants, and his movements were no longer so calm. although there was nothing unusual, the subtle changes in the strength of his fingers didn¡¯t deceive her tense heart. she knew that there were ripples in jingtang¡¯s heart. after all, he was a man. in that situation, how could he really be as calm as a saint¡­ but if his heart wasn¡¯t as still as water, wouldn¡¯t it become secretly taking advantage of her¡­ pei xiangjun¡¯s mind was racing without countless thoughts. she didn¡¯t know what she was thinking. she just secretly looked at the back outside the carriage window in a daze. as she was daydreaming, she suddenly found that someone was hugging her arm. pei xiangjun came back to her senses and looked to the side, only to see the cold and charming cult mistress leaning on her shoulder. her eyelashes moved slightly, as if she was dreaming. she raised her arms and wrapped them around her arm, her face slightly red. ?! what kind of wet dream are you having, you vixen? do you think i¡¯m jingtang? perhaps because pei xiangjun was bored, she thought for a moment and raised her right hand slightly to touch the side of the cult mistress¡¯s leg. ¡°hmm-¡± luo ning, who was sleeping, let out a faint murmur. pei xiangjun had a strange look in her eyes. she didn¡¯t wake luo ning up and continued to look outside the carriage. clomp, clomp¡­ the wheels rolled over the yellow dirt official road as they embarked on the journey back to the capital. ye jingtang rode on his fierce horse and moved forward under the gray sky. when he passed near the iron buddha ridge, he turned around and looked into the distance. yesterday, they had discussed and felt that the white bead might be some kind of divine medicine that cheng shilu had stolen from northern liang. however, this still didn¡¯t resolve the issue. he and cheng shilu had used medicine together. cheng shilu had a mental breakdown, but he had become stronger. it was a little far-fetched to explain it with physique and luck. he thought about it carefully for a night and felt that that medicine very likely had some sort of connection to him. in order to resolve his doubts, ye jingtang quietly ran to the iron buddha ridge, wanting to go to the stone room to check if there were any other clues. unfortunately, the cheng family didn¡¯t preserve the crime scene. hiding armor was a serious crime. when the officials came to investigate, the cheng family wouldn¡¯t be able to explain it clearly. the stone room had already been cleaned up, leaving only traces of the fight that day. only the dead cheng shilu knew the whole story. since he couldn¡¯t figure out the whole story for the time being, ye jingtang kept this matter in mind and rushed back to the capital with the two women. from broad crossing to the capital, it was a day and a half¡¯s journey. from dawn to midnight, ye jingtang didn¡¯t encounter any suitable villages and towns, so he didn¡¯t stop. they traveled day and night. when they returned to the vicinity of yun¡¯an, it was already about three in the morning the next day. after they left for five days, it was already early june. a light rain came unexpectedly in the middle of the night. ye jingtang took out a raincoat and put it on, then turned around and looked at the carriage. there were no lights in the carriage. the medicine in heroine luo¡¯s body had already dissipated. she was sitting cross-legged in the carriage and practicing internal martial arts with her hands clasped in her lap. third lady had encountered many things on this journey, and she felt a little stuffy. she was using heroine luo¡¯s legs as a pillow and asleep on the thin blanket. the bird was used to sleeping in the latter half of the night. at this moment, it was sleeping under their raincoats. ye jingtang didn¡¯t disturb the two women and brought the carriage to the foot of yun¡¯an¡¯s towering city wall. at night, the city gate was already closed. according to the rules, people had to wait at the gate until the city bell rang before they could enter the city. ye jingtang didn¡¯t want to be drenched in the rain outside the city for a few hours, so he found the guards on duty outside the city gate and took out the waist token that dumdum had given him. the chief constables of the black office arrested powerful jianghu bandits. it was common for them to enter and leave at night. the city gate guards didn¡¯t stop him. after checking his waist token and reporting to the official in charge, they opened the city gate and let the carriage and horses enter yun¡¯an. in the latter half of the night, people could still hear music and singing in some streets in the capital, but they basically didn¡¯t meet anyone on the streets. ye jingtang passed through east center street. he could see that the cloth shop that he had destroyed was under construction, but the street had already been repaired. when the carriage arrived at the entrance of the alley of heavenly water bridge, ye jingtang slowed down his horse, went to the carriage, raised his hand, and knocked. knock, knock.. luo ning had woken up when she entered the city. when she heard the sound, she opened her eyes and looked at the plump female boss lying on her lap. the medicine in pei xiangjun¡¯s body had already dissipated, but the wind pool reverse blood was a move that squeezed her body to the limit and risked her life. it was very difficult for the governor meridian to recover for a day, and she was still a little weak. when phi xiangjun heard the sound, her eyelashes fluttered. she looked at the familiar building outside the window and slowly sat up. ¡°finally home.¡± luo ning stared at the delicate and charming female boss in front of her with mixed feelings. several days ago, they weren¡¯t familiar with each other and had even quarreled. but this time, third lady had seen her applying watermelon cream and watched the little thief sucking on the big dumplings. this relationship was obviously a little weird. umm¡­ did they have the friendship of feeding the thief together? but this female boss didn¡¯t know what was good for her and didn¡¯t want to call her ¡®elder sister ning¡¯er¡¯. as the legitimate wife, luo ning couldn¡¯t take the initiative to warm up to the cold moon. after thinking about it, she didn¡¯t say anything and just looked outside. ¡°little thief, send her back. 1¡¯11 wait for you at the door.¡± pei xiangjun bent down, got out of the carriage, held ye jingtang¡¯s hand, and jumped down. because she had been lying down for two days, she was a little light-headed and even swayed slightly. she raised her hand to tidy her hair. ¡°why don¡¯t you rest here and go back at dawn?¡± ye jingtang felt that heroine luo probably wouldn¡¯t stay in the pei residence. he supported third lady and said, ¡°if we stay in the pei residence, we will inevitably wake aunt and the others up. it¡¯s better for us to go back quietly.¡± luo ning jumped off the carriage. ¡°we still have something to do when we get back. miss pei, rest early. if there¡¯s anything, just come to our house to inform us.¡± our house¡­ pei xiangjun knew that this vixen was yearning for love and eager to go back and be shy with jingtang, so she didn¡¯t insist and walked toward the pei residence¡¯s door. ¡°the door is closed, and 1 can¡¯t circulate my qi. jingtang, please send me in.¡± hearing this, ye jingtang didn¡¯t say anything. he hugged third lady¡¯s legs, flew over the high wall to the pei residence, and walked along the corridor toward the main courtyard. while walking, ye jingtang looked down and found that third lady was leaning on his shoulder obediently. she looked up at him and realized that he had lowered his head, so she looked away. the two of them walked through the corridor and arrived at the main courtyard. the courtyard was very quiet, with only the faint sound of the light rain. there was a breathing sound in the room, which should be xiuhe, who had already fallen asleep. ye jingtang put the third lady down and opened the door. ¡°third lady, rest well. i¡¯ll go back first.¡± pei xiangjun stood at the door of her boudoir and rubbed her sore shoulders. she wanted to go in, but after a moment of hesitation, she turned around and looked up at the tall and handsome young master in front of her. ye jingtang blinked and looked at the mature and beautiful face in front of him. her almond-shaped eyes were clearly different from the ¡®pretending to be resentful¡¯ earlier. there was a certain emotion in them. her red lips moved slightly, and she wanted to say something but hesitated. sensing that the atmosphere wasn¡¯t right, ye jingtang smiled. ¡°third lady, is there anything else?¡± ¡°umm¡­¡± pei xiangjun raised her hands and tidied the raincoat on ye jingtang¡¯s chest. she seemed to be preparing her words, but after thinking for a long time, she said, ¡°jingtang, am i a little fat?¡± ? ye jingtang felt that this question was simply unreasonable. even with his rock-solid willpower, his thoughts were wandering. if he thought because her plump hips were wider than her shoulders that she was fat, then there was probably a problem with him. ¡°third lady, don¡¯t think too much. you don¡¯t even have to ask me. just ask any old lady, and they will praise you for having many children and a blessed figure.¡± pei xiangjun nodded thoughtfully, straightened his clothes, and smoothed his chest. ¡°alright, i¡¯m just asking casually. go accompany your miss ning¡¯er. remember to tell me the next time you go out to do something. other than being jealous, she can¡¯t do anything. if i keep you here any longer, she will kill her way in to snatch you.¡± ye jingtang sighed secretly. after watching third lady enter her boudoir, he helped close the door. before leaving, he went to the window of the side room and knocked. knock, knock.. ¡°hmm- who is it?¡± ¡°xiuhe, it¡¯s me.¡± ii huh?! young master ye¡­ you¡­¡± ¡°don¡¯t think blindly. third lady is back and is a little injured. go take care of her.¡± ¡°oh¡­ i thought you came here in the middle of the night to bully the maidservant- 1 was happy for nothing¡­¡± ? ye jingtang didn¡¯t know what to say. without stopping, he jumped onto the corridor and landed in the alley. he picked up the bird, who was sleeping like a pig in the carriage, and got on the horse. ¡°let¡¯s go.¡± without the third wheel in front of her, luo ning¡¯s expression became much more natural. she walked out from under the eaves and tapped her toes, wanting to get on the horse. but while luo ning was still in the air, she saw the little thief on the horse raise his arms to grab her, who was about to sit behind, and move her to the front to sit her in his arms. thump- luo ning hurriedly sat up straight and frowned. ¡°it¡¯s starting again, isn¡¯t it? you¡¯re a gentleman in front of others, but you can¡¯t control your nature in front of me? am 1 easy to bully?¡± ¡°giddyup.¡± ye jingtang held luo ning in his arms and rode his horse toward dye workshop street. on the way, he pulled up his raincoat and covered luo ning. ¡°it¡¯s drizzling, and there¡¯s no umbrella. you won¡¯t get completely drenched if you sit back.¡± luo ning felt that there was nothing wrong with this explanation, but the place where she was sitting was obviously not flat. her eyes were slightly cold. ¡°do you believe that i¡¯ll break it?¡± ye jingtang was stunned. he looked at her cold face and frowned slightly. ¡°why are you so fierce after we went for a while¡­ who are you? return my pure and cold heroine luo.¡± luo ning had been away for a few days and had experienced many ups and downs. she had indeed let loose a little. seeing that the little thief dared to tease her, she took a deep breath, stuffed her hand between the two of them, touched the hilt of the sword, and used some strength¡­ ye jingtang was instantly terrified. he hurriedly pressed heroine luo¡¯s arm down. ¡°i was wrong. i¡¯m really shielding you from the wind and rain. look, i didn¡¯t even move. you promised to let me hug you every day and that you wouldn¡¯t be angry. heroine luo, you can¡¯t go back on your word.¡± ¡°hmph!¡± only then was luo ning satisfied. she put away her cold expression and leaned into ye jingtang¡¯s arms. ¡°i know you feel uncomfortable holding it in. your performance this time wasn¡¯t bad. third lady pei seduced you so much, but you were unmoved. i¡¯ll treat your body today and give you medicine tomorrow. don¡¯t do it again.¡± ¡°hehe¡­¡± Chapter 173 - Chapter 173: Couple’s Night Talk chapter 173: couple¡¯s night talk translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the reconstruction of dye workshop street was progressing very quickly. in four or five days, most of the road had been paved with limestone bricks, but there were still few people along both sides of the street. ye jingtang rode his horse back to double osmanthus alley. luo ning jumped down first and kept a distance from him to prevent little yunli from discovering that her master¡¯s wife was cheating. ye jingtang went to the outside of the small courtyard and looked around. he could see that there were actually lights in the house. on the window paper of the main room, there was a reflection of a girl. she was holding a brush in each hand and writing furiously¡­ as an experienced person, ye jingtang naturally understood why this was the case. when heroine luo went out, she had arranged homework for yunli and said that she would be back in about five days. little yunli must have had too much fun and only stayed up late to do her homework when death was imminent. luo ning flew over the wall and saw this scene. like all mothers, her expression darkened. ¡°yunli!¡± ¡°huh? martial mistress, why are you back now? i¡¯m studying hard by the cold window¡­¡± luo ning turned around and took a small wooden stick from outside the kitchen. she was about to go in and deal with her daughter. ye jingtang sympathized with little yunli and hurriedly went forward to smooth things over. ¡°don¡¯t stay up late in the future. your martial mistress will get angry.¡± squeak! the door of the main room opened. zhe yunli, dressed as a delicate young lady, ran out with her saber hanging from her waist. her face was a little timid. when she saw ye jingtang helping her, she heaved a sigh of relief. she gave ye jingtang a look that said, ¡°how righteous!¡± then she took out a small bamboo tube. ¡°martial mistress, there was news from the south firmament mountains yesterday. take a look. i¡¯ll feed the horse.¡± luo ning took the small bamboo tube used by messenger pigeons and pulled yunli inside. ¡°it¡¯s already so late. go to bed first.¡± ¡°i¡¯m not sleepy¡­¡± tap, tap! as zhe yunli was speaking, her back was tapped twice. helplessness flashed across her watery eyes as she spread her hands slightly and fell straight down. luo ning supported zhe yunli, carried her horizontally, and placed her on the elegant bed in the main room. seeing this, ye jingtang understood heroine luo¡¯s intentions. he placed the bird in the main room to sleep and turned to enter the west wing. heroine luo covered yunli with a blanket and the bird with a handkerchief. she closed the door of the main room and went to the west wing. when she saw ye jingtang taking off his clothes in the room, she frowned. ¡°what¡¯s the hurry?¡± ye jingtang paused and turned around. ¡°my robe is wet. i just want to change into a clean one. what news did you get?¡± luo ning closed the door, sat down on the bed, opened the bamboo tube, and took out the letter inside. it was written in small words. the first sentence was: ning¡¯er, how are you doing? luo ning¡¯s eyes moved. for some reason, she felt a strange sense of immorality¡­ ye jingtang knew that it was a private message from the pacifying heaven cult master, so he didn¡¯t look at it together and just waited at the side. as the saying went, ¡®the most beautiful thing is not in front of the light.¡¯ luo ning leaned against the edge of the bed with the letter in her hand. her beautiful peach blossom eyes reflected the light of the candlestick. her skin was as fair as jade, and with her cold expression, she looked like a fairy who had descended to the mortal world. her blue clothes made her look like a fairy that could only be seen from afar but not touched. ye jingtang raised his hands to help his wife take off her shoes, but when he saw his hands that had been holding reins all day, he stood up. ¡°i¡¯m going to take a bath.¡± hearing this, luo ning moved to the head of the bed, moved the candle lamp over, and carefully looked at the paper. the letter had been personally written by the pacifying heaven cult master. there was quite a lot of content, and in order to prevent the message from being intercepted, the key content had been encrypted. in the beginning, she wrote about the situation in the south firmament mountains and asked her to be careful in the capital and not let little yunli be naughty. the following content was about the ins and outs of the wandering body palm. ¡®south mountains iron trigram¡¯ zhang henggu had been a little daoist child of great yan¡¯s imperial astronomer of the previous dynasty. his master had been the imperial preceptor of the previous dynasty, and he had often preached the dao to the last yan emperor. the last yan emperor, like all emperors of the previous dynasty, had raised a personal attendant by his side. because eunuch wei of the previous dynasty was already old, he chose a child with nothing to enter the palace and gave him the name cao qianqiu. in addition to practicing the roaring dragon chart pictures collected by the previous dynasty, cao qianqiu would also go to the imperial preceptor to learn martial arts. because he was the same age as zhang henggu, they had often practiced martial arts together. although the two of them were young, they were both very talented. zhang henggu felt that the eight trigrams palm taught by his master wasn¡¯t right, but he didn¡¯t dare to say it out loud, so he discussed it with cao qianqiu in private. in the end, cao qianqiu thought so too, so the two of them secretly studied the qi circulation method of the palm technique. unfortunately, just as the two of them figured out a general idea, the world turned chaotic, and the flames of war soon spread to yun¡¯an. zhang henggu escaped with the last yan emperor, while cao qianqiu, who was only 12 years old, had been trained as a deathsworn since he was young. it was meaningless for him to survive the destruction of the country, so he chose to guard the imperial city for the last yan emperor. afterward, the two of them never met again. during the war of country annihilation, the imperial preceptor of the previous dynasty, eunuch wei, and other loyalists of the previous dynasty all died in battle. cao qianqiu was captured and finally surrendered to the founding emperor of great wei, becoming eunuch cao, the great palace gate god of great wei. on the other hand, zhang henggu and others escorted the last yan emperor to the south firmament mountains. he was protected by the xue family to the death and established the pacifying heaven cult to accumulate power secretly and try to restore the country. in the blink of an eye, it was the present. zhang henggu had taken in seven disciples in his life. three of them had already died, and the remaining four were all in the south firmament mountains. if there was anyone else in the world who knew the wandering body palm, it could only be eunuch cao. when luo ning read this, she couldn¡¯t help frowning. after the founding of great wei, there were many extraordinary people in jianghu, but no one could carry a weapon to the emperor¡¯s resting palace. just this alone was enough to show the weight of the words ¡®eunuch cao¡¯. eunuch cao never left the emperor¡¯s side. no one knew his exact strength, and he wasn¡¯t included in the rankings of jianghu. but if any martial artist of the current jianghu really met eunuch cao, no one would dare to think that he was a small fry. ten years ago, when the empress succeeded the throne, eunuch cao had disappeared without a trace. it was said that he had been killed by the deathsworn left behind by the previous emperor, but no one knew if he was dead or alive. eunuch cao had been confirmed to practice the roaring dragon chart, and it was more than one picture. moreover, he was over 70 years old, extremely talented in his seventies, and had practiced it all his life. if the murderer she met last time were eunuch cao, it would definitely not be the little thief scaring people with his voice. instead, it would have been eunuch cao who suddenly said in front of them, ¡°young friends, why are you hiding in the morgue in the middle of the night?¡± the letter speculated that since she could still write a letter, the person she met must be a disappointing disciple of eunuch cao¡¯s. furthermore, the pacifying heaven cult master also revealed a piece of information. last year, a force had come to visit and wanted to ¡®collaborate¡¯ with the pacifying heaven cult master for a great cause. they had promised to confer the pacifying heaven cult master the title of ¡®south stabilizing prince¡¯ after the matter was over. the pacifying heaven cult master was great wei¡¯s biggest rebel leader on the surface. the other party didn¡¯t think that the pacifying heaven cult master would divulge information to the imperial court. moreover, the imperial court wouldn¡¯t believe the words of rebels ¡®sowing dissension¡¯, so they didn¡¯t hide their identities very tightly. the pacifying heaven cult master roughly guessed that they were people of the prince of wu. among the princes of great wei, the strongest were the prince of liang and the prince of yan, who guarded the country. they had military power in their hands. if these two wanted to rebel, the pacifying heaven cult master would probably have to consider it. but the prince of wu was clearly thinking too much. he was surrounded by the yan province infantry and cavalry and the jiang province navy. the only way his rebellion would succeed was if he developed an ¡®air force¡¯ and found a way to attack yun¡¯an from the sky. thus, the pacifying heaven cult master ignored his people and directly chased them out. after the pacifying heaven cult master¡¯s analysis, she told luo ning that if she wanted to investigate this matter, she could start with the prince of wu. but this was a hidden danger of great wei¡¯s imperial court. it made her remember her identity as the ¡®madam of great yan¡¯s south stabilizing marquis¡¯ and not lose her mind and run to help the empress clear mines. after reading the letter, luo ning put it down and fell into deep thought. this matter definitely involves a lot. if the little thief settles it, the princess will probably treat him as a god¡­ xue baijin is right. i am a member of the pacifying heaven cult. isn¡¯t it siding with outsiders if 1 help the imperial court punish traitors and eliminate dissidents? the little thief wants to make a contribution and win the favor of the princess. what does it have to do with me? won¡¯t 1 lose both my husband and my troops¡­ oh, right, i almost forgot about helping yunli save qiu tianhe¡­ after luo ning deliberated for a moment and suppressed her distracting thoughts, she looked at the door and heard a sound coming from outside. splash- splash- the little thief is taking a bath. luo ning blinked and looked at the clothes on her body. i didn¡¯t have the chance to bathe for the past few days because it was inconvenient. the little thief will definitely come to me later. i have to take a bath¡­ luo ning hesitated for a moment before getting up and walking out of the west wing. it was drizzling outside, and it was early in the morning. it was pitch-black in the courtyard, and only the corner of the main house and the west wing had some light. there was a small well in the corner of the courtyard. beside the wall of the west wing was a laundry pool. in order to be considerate of the women, ye jingtang had even built a curtain under the eaves. the inside was clean and tidy. at this moment, ye jingtang was standing behind the curtain with a bucket of water in front of him and pouring water on his head with a ladle. although the environment was simple, the little thief used it extravagantly. he was taking a bath with a piece of ¡®osmanthus soap¡¯ worth a teal and covering his entire body in bubbles. luo ning stood in the corner, opened the curtain with her fingers, and looked inside. she saw the naked man from head to toe. ¡°you¡¯re not done yet?¡± ye jingtang washed his face and replied, ¡°don¡¯t be in a hurry. i¡¯ll be done soon.¡± ¡°who¡¯s in a hurry? it¡¯s almost dawn. it¡¯s been so long¡­ can i still bathe?¡± ye jingtang paused, turned around, and said tentatively, ¡°i can¡¯t scrub my back. why¡­ why don¡¯t we do it together?¡± luo ning¡¯s eyes turned cold, but after a moment of silence, she walked into the curtain and untied her belt. ¡°don¡¯t look back.¡± ¡°okay.¡± rustle, rustle- luo ning hung her clothes on the wall, walked behind ye jingtang, picked up the osmanthus soap, and rubbed it on his broad back. ¡°stand properly.¡± ye jingtang stood up straight and asked, ¡°what did the letter say?¡± ¡°the murderer has something to do with eunuch cao¡­¡± luo ning told ye jingtang the news in the letter while helping him scrub his back. then she scooped some water and poured it on herself. splash- with the mentality of taking care of his wife, ye jingtang went behind her, rubbed the soap on her, and slid it up from the side of her waist. ¡°heroine luo, analyze it carefully. i¡¯ll do this kind of work.¡± luo ning¡¯s face quickly turned red. she held ye jingtang¡¯s hand and whispered, ¡°i¡¯ll do it myself-¡± it¡¯s fine. we¡¯re helping each other.¡± sigh¡­ there¡¯s also a problem with the prince of wu¡­¡± ye jingtang¡¯s movements were very agile. he filled the front with soap, and the little watermelons became slippery. after luo ning finished speaking, her breathing was already unsteady. in order to prevent the little thief from seeing anything, she tilted her head and pretended to be forced. ¡°i think you¡¯re suitable to be eunuch ye in the palace. you¡¯re skilled in martial arts, talented, and like to serve concubines to bathe.¡± ¡°the concubines in the palace don¡¯t enjoy this kind of service.¡± ¡°you have never seen the world. 1 heard from the old palace maid in the pacifying heaven cult that the concubines in the palace bathed like this¡­ ah-i¡¯ll do it myself.¡± ye jingtang smiled, hooked his feet around heroine luo¡¯s ankle, and spread it to the side¡­ luo ning held ye jingtang¡¯s attentive hand, but she couldn¡¯t stop him, so she gave up struggling¡­ Chapter 174 - Chapter 174: Humiliated? (1) chapter 174: humiliated? (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the next day¡­ it was raining lightly, and the streets were full of pedestrians holding umbrellas. from time to time, shouts from the stores on the roadside sounded. ¡°authentic kiln-roasted chicken! don¡¯t miss it!¡± the bird was standing on ye jingtang¡¯s shoulder, staring straight at the big drumstick roasted until golden yellow. it chirped: the bird has been fighting for five days. shouldn¡¯t there be a reward¡­ it was drizzling, so ye jingtang didn¡¯t ride a horse but walked along the street with an oil-paper umbrella. seeing that the bird was drooling, he bought half a roasted chicken and sat by the window of the shop to continue thinking about his following plans. dumdum had generously given him the jade bone picture and even let him go to the roaring dragon pond to practice. this favor was not easy to return, so he had to think of a way to contribute and help her resolve potential troubles. yesterday, he had relied on his ¡®black stocking thigh¡¯ to obtain important information about eunuch cao, the prince of wu, and others. when he was washing the little watermelons for heroine luo, she had analyzed the information and said that this matter might involve the rebellion of various princes. if he could confirm it and seize the opportunity to remove the hidden dangers in advance, his contribution would be enough to attain a minor noble title. logically speaking, he should report such important news directly to dumdum and let her investigate through the government¡¯s intelligence network. but his source of information was clearly improper. be it eunuch cao¡¯s wandering body palm or the prince of wu¡¯s conspiracy, they were not secrets that he or even the red flower pavilion could know. if he said anything directly, the matter of him ¡®stepping on three boats and dominating the black, white, and gray paths¡¯ would be exposed. for this reason, he had to investigate this matter himself. only when he had concrete clues could he report it as a coincidence. but where should he start investigating this matter¡­ ye jingtang pondered for a moment, but he had no clue. he suppressed his thoughts for the time being and recalled what had happened last night. yesterday, heroine luo had clearly been very proactive. she had helped him scrub his back like a gentle wife, and she didn¡¯t reject it when he helped wash her. in fact, under his coaxing and pestering, she had fed him the little watermelons just like that night. when he saw how obedient elder sister ning¡¯er was, his bad habit of taking advantage of ning acted up again. he held the crook of her left leg with his left hand and the crook of her right leg with his right hand and carried her to the bronze mirror in the room. the result was obvious. heroine luo, who had almost fainted from embarrassment, returned to her senses and scratched him all over. then she went out at dawn, probably going to buy medicine to cool him down. thinking that he would have to sleep with the bird for the next few days, ye jingtang couldn¡¯t help sighing. just as his imagination was running wild, there was some noise on the street. he looked out of the window and saw a large carriage driven by four horses passing by on the street. there were imperial guards escorting it through the rain toward the imperial city. he couldn¡¯t see the person in the carriage. ye jingtang felt that the specifications of this carriage were a little similar to dumdum¡¯s, but it was obviously not her. he asked, ¡°shopkeeper, which noble¡¯s guard of honor is this?¡± the shopkeeper selling roasted chicken sized up the procession from afar. ¡°it should be the heir apparent of the prince of yan. i heard that her majesty is holding a banquet for the ministers today. he¡¯s likely going to the palace to attend the banquet.¡± heir apparent of the prince of yan¡­ ye jingtang was from jianghu and didn¡¯t know much about these people. he asked curiously, ¡°the heir apparents of the vassal princes are all in the capital.¡± ¡°they¡¯re all here. you can meet them occasionally when you go to parasol street. the prince of yan¡¯s heir is quite famous in the capital. his nickname is ¡®cup opener¡¯. he hasn¡¯t met a match in the capital for a few years¡­¡± ¡°the prince of yan¡¯s heir is a martial arts expert?¡± ¡°his ability to shake dice in a cup is top-notch in yun¡¯an.¡± n?n ye jingtang understood and smiled. ¡°is it the same for the other heirs?¡± the shopkeeper nodded. ¡°the princely heirs of our great wei all have unique skills. the prince of liang¡¯s heir is known as liang eight jars. he once drank eight jars of wine for three consecutive days. there¡¯s also the prince of wu¡¯s heir, whose nickname is ¡®golden tongue gentleman¡¯. no matter how good the famous chefs in the capital are, they can¡¯t hide anything from the tongue of the prince of wu¡¯s heir. for example, this kiln-roasted chicken. as long as he takes a bite, he can tell how many days this chicken has been raised, what it¡¯s usually fed with¡­¡± ye jingtang¡¯s eyes were full of surprise. ¡°it¡¯s indeed impressive. now that we already have ¡®eating, drinking, and gambling¡¯, do we have ¡®whoring and breaking hearts¡¯ in the end?¡± the shopkeeper waved his hand gently. ¡°it¡¯s not easy for outsiders to see people¡¯s ability to seduce women, so it¡¯s difficult to make a conclusion at the moment. young master, your appearance is worthy of bringing disaster to the country and the people. speaking of which, you can give it a try. there are many widows of wealthy families in yun¡¯an city¡­¡± ye jingtang smiled and waved his hand. after he talked nonsense for a while, another carriage drove across the street and headed toward the imperial city. this time, the path was also opened by imperial guards, but there were constables from the black office following behind. it was obvious who was sitting inside. seeing this, ye jingtang got up, paid the bill, carried the bird in his arms, and walked to the carriage¡­ rustle, rustle, rustle¡­ fine raindrops sprinkled on the top of the carriage. outside was the noisy street and the soft sound of horse hooves, but inside the carriage, it was very quiet. dongfang liren was sitting on the small couch. she was still wearing a silver python robe, but she had changed it to the ¡®court attire¡¯. it was a robe with wide sleeves and a belt outlined with a python pattern and inlaid with pearls and jade. her bearing was dignified and calm, and she was holding an old book in her hand, looking like a diligent prince always with a book in her hand. but the content of the book¡­ there was the line ¡®jade tree in the backyard¡¯¡­ while she was engrossed in reading, the white-haired old woman silently entered the carriage and placed the various reports from the morning in front of her. ¡°your highness, the people sent to broad crossing returned yesterday. they examined cheng shilu¡¯s injuries and found he had been stabbed fourteen times, all by the black qilin spear. from the way he died, he seemed to have been poisoned¡­ young master ye¡¯s style of doing things is indeed stable. if he can leave no survivors, he won¡¯t.¡± dongfang liren closed the book unhurriedly and rubbed her forehead. ¡°he didn¡¯t believe me when i said that people died wherever he went. he just went out to teach cheng shilu the rules of jianghu. he only had to beat him into submission.. why did he have to stab him more than ten times?¡± Chapter 175 - Chapter 175: Humiliated? (2) chapter 175: humiliated? (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°cheng shilu¡¯s reputation in jianghu was average, but he relied on connections to be arrogant and wild. it was only a matter of time before he was killed. but cheng shilu is related to minister li after all. he was also in-laws with the vice-minister of the ministry of works and helped the imperial court manage the mines in the iron buddha ridge. young master ye killed him for no reason. if your highness doesn¡¯t give the order to arrest him, it won¡¯t be easy to explain to the imperial court.¡± dongfang liren naturally knew that it would be difficult to explain, but she had to protect her general. she thought for a moment and said, ¡°ye jingtang is a man of great chivalry. ever since he entered the capital, he has fought several private battles, but he has always known his limits. he wouldn¡¯t kill innocent people without reason¡­ i¡¯ll wait for him to return and ask him. reply to the ministry of justice first that cheng shilu died of suicide.¡± ? the white-haired old woman had a complicated look in her eyes. ¡°your highness, he was stabbed fourteen times but died of suicide. i¡¯m afraid this is a little blatant¡­¡± ¡°cheng shilu died of suicide. say that cheng shilu used poison to launch a sneak attack. after ye silang saw through it and taught him a lesson, he was so ashamed that he committed suicide. i will definitely investigate this matter to the end. although it has something to do with ye jingtang, at least there¡¯s no need to order his arrest.¡± the white-haired old woman nodded and accepted the order. after some thought, she said, ¡°there¡¯s news from the baoyuan school as well.¡± dongfang liren sat up straighter. ¡°did he kill li hunyuan too?¡± ¡°no. li hunyuan was clever. he set up an arena and called a bunch of jianghu people to watch. if young master ye had beat him to death, he would have ruined his reputation. he only beat him half to death and demolished half of the baoyuan school.¡± dongfang liren breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°fortunately. if he killed li hunyuan too, he would never be able to go out in the name of ye silang in the future.¡± the white-haired old woman was a little puzzled. ¡°according to the rumors, li hunyuan was knocked down by young master ye with a single punch. it¡¯s true that the eight extremities of thunder is extremely powerful, but with li hunyuan¡¯s ability, he shouldn¡¯t have lost so miserably.¡± ¡°maybe li hunyuan is too old, and his flaw was taken advantage of. beware the fists of the young and fit¡­¡± while the two of them chatted, voices came from outside the carriage. ¡°young master ye, when did you come back?¡± ¡°i just got back early this morning. i wonder if her highness has time now?¡± outside the carriage¡­ after ye jingtang showed the guards his waist token, he carried the bird and jumped onto the carriage. he cupped his hands at the white-haired old woman who came out and lowered his head to enter the carriage. because of the rain, the windows of the large carriage were closed. the noble princess was sitting on the small couch with a dignified posture. ¡°chirp-¡± when the bird saw sister fat-headed dragon, it hurriedly jumped off ye jingtang¡¯s shoulder, ran in front of her, tilted its head, and sized up the loose court attire. dongfang liren¡¯s expression was rather serious. after gesturing for ye jingtang to take a seat, she said in a deep voice, ¡°ye jingtang, do you know what your crime is?¡± ye jingtang knew this would happen. he sat down by the carriage window. ¡°when i went to the iron buddha ridge, i wanted to knock him down. however, cheng shilu wanted to kill me and ambushed me with bone-burning hemp, but he accidentally got some of it on himself. he couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, so he jumped off the cliff. i wanted to stop him, but i was also drugged, so i could only retreat first.¡± dongfang liren frowned and carefully sized up ye jingtang. ¡°bone-burning hemp is a strange poison from northern liang. although it¡¯s not fatal and the medicinal effect has a short duration, the victim will have a slim chance of survival. how did you survive it?¡± ¡°the red flower pavilion had followed to help. they tied me up and made me resist it forcefully. the medicine cheng shilu used was quite special. i don¡¯t know what it is, but after the incident, my skills have improved a little.¡± ¡°medicine can save lives if used well. but if not, it can kill people. it¡¯s the same for poison. bone-burning hemp itself has the effect of tempering the meridians and forging the body. it¡¯s just that the medicinal properties are too strong for people to withstand.¡± dongfang liren stood up, sat in front of ye jingtang, raised her hand, and pressed her fingers on his wrist. ¡°even if you were tied up and couldn¡¯t commit suicide, you still had to endure the pain of your bones burning. you¡­¡± ye jingtang felt dumdum¡¯s heartache and smiled. ¡°i may have high poison resistance, and ning¡¯er helped me divert my attention. at the time, i didn¡¯t feel particularly uncomfortable.¡± dongfang liren carefully checked his pulse and found that his pulse was normal and his qi and blood was strong. only then did she retract her fingers and ask curiously, ¡°the pain of burning bones and cutting skin can even wake you up when you faint. how can she divert your attention?¡± ye jingtang couldn¡¯t say it out loud, so he lowered his gaze and took it back quickly. dongfang liren lowered her head to look. then a murderous look flashed across her eyes. she raised her hand to touch ye jingtang¡¯s hornless dragon saber. ye jingtang quickly held down the saber. ¡°i¡¯m just telling the truth.¡± ¡°i don¡¯t believe it!¡± dongfang liren felt that ye jingtang was trying to take advantage of her with his words. she held the saber hilt and stared fiercely. ¡°can¡¯t you rely on taking advantage of women to suppress the pain of cutting skin? let me try and see if you really have the ability.¡± let you try? ye jingtang looked dumdum up and down. ¡°how does your highness want to try? your highness will cut me, but there¡¯s nothing to distract me. 1 definitely won¡¯t be able to withstand it.¡± dongfang liren originally wanted ye jingtang to look at her, but this idea was obviously wrong. she turned around, took a book from the side of the small couch, and threw it into his arms. ¡°look at this. if you dare to frown today, you¡¯ll be deceiving me. you know the consequences.¡± ye jingtang picked up the book and flipped it open. it was an older version of tears of a heroine. the content was the same, but the illustration style was completely different. the previous book emphasized expression and freehand brushwork, while this one was realism¡­ when ye jingtang flipped to the first page of the illustrations, his eyes turned solemn.. he even wiped his hands before carefully checking the old page¡­ Chapter 176 - Chapter 176: Humiliated? (3) chapter 176: humiliated? (3) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios dongfang liren didn¡¯t expect ye jingtang to be more interested in the book than her. it was impossible for her to really give it a try and cut ye jingtang. after thinking for a moment, she pinched the man¡¯s waist with her slender fingers and applied a little force¡­ ye jingtang sat up straight and flipped the book to the page of ¡®flying dragon riding face¡¯. his posture was like he was reading a book while a knife was scraping his bone?. he even nodded thoughtfully. ¡°this painting skill can only be described with one word: absolute.¡± dongfang liren twisted ye jingtang¡¯s waist hard a few times but was shocked to discover that the lecherous young master in front of her really didn¡¯t frown. she thought about it and moved closer to see what illustration was so powerful. but she found out that it was ¡®a defiant woman riding on a man¡¯s head¡¯. if an ordinary woman dared to do this, she might be divorced on the spot¡­ ¡°ye jingtang, as a dignified man, how can you be distracted by such a thing? wouldn¡¯t you feel humiliated if a woman rode on your head?¡± huiniliatedfye jingtang pondered for a moment. ¡°maybe a little, but i think it¡¯s also a kind of fun between husband and wife.¡± dongfang liren didn¡¯t know what to say. she raised her hand and snatched the book back. seeing that dumdum was about to flare up, ye jingtang stopped talking about this topic and said, ¡°by the way, when i came over just now, 1 heard a passerby talking about the ¡®four wonderful heroes of the capital¡¯. is there such a saying?¡± dongfang liren hid the book well to prevent ye jingtang from taking it away again. ¡°they¡¯re just a few profligates in the capital. why are you asking this?¡± ye jingtang asked this to help dumdum investigate the case, but his source of information was special. it was easy for trouble to occur if he reported the prince of wu without any evidence. he said casually, ¡°i¡¯m just curious. ¡®liang eight jars¡¯ is considered normal, but the ¡®cup opener¡¯ is extraordinary. it sounds like ¡®absolute touch¡¯. could the prince of yan¡¯s heir be an expert who hides in the court?¡± prince of yan¡¯s heir, dongfang shuoyue, was dongfang liren¡¯s cousin. she said disdainfully, ¡°he¡¯s just good at gambling. he can¡¯t be considered an expert. but prince of wu¡¯s heir, dongfang yin, is indeed impressive. in the past, i didn¡¯t believe him, so i brought him in front of her majesty and prepared a roasted suckling pig for him. i asked him how many days old it was. he determined the gender in one bite, the butcher time in two bites, and the age in three bites. the entire court was amazed¡­¡± ye jingtang¡¯s gaze was solemn. ¡°this ability is indeed impressive. when i¡¯m free, 1 really want to see where the prince of wu¡¯s heir usually appears.¡± ¡°he usually stays in the prince¡¯s mansion in the eastern suburbs. when major restaurants in the capital open for business, he will go there to try them out.¡± at this point, dongfang liren¡¯s expression turned serious as she warned, ¡°regarding the vassal princes¡¯ heirs, try not to interact with them as much as possible. ever since the founding of the country, there have been disobedient and unfilial descendants of the imperial family, but there are rarely good-for-nothings. 1 feel that these heirs are afraid of being suspected by her majesty, so they spend all their time eating and drinking and doing nothing proper. but in fact, they¡¯re probably very shrewd.¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t know much about these things. he had to investigate to find out. he turned to look out the window and realized that they were almost at the palace. he asked, ¡°is your highness bringing me into the palace?¡± dongfang liren, who was entering the palace to attend the banquet, was stunned. she wanted ye jingtang to accompany her, but this was clearly impossible. after some thought, she said, ¡°it¡¯s the middle of the year. today, her majesty has invited all the ministers to a banquet. those below the third rank can¡¯t sit. it¡¯s not appropriate to bring you in. go do your own thing first. i¡¯ll bring you into the palace tonight.¡± ¡°then, 1¡¯11 continue to investigate the bamboo street murder case and strive to solve this matter as soon as possible.¡± hearing this, dongfang liren felt a little embarrassed. ¡°1 have been investigating for a few days, but i don¡¯t have any clues. i¡¯m afraid it¡¯s very difficult to investigate. if you really want to do something for me, you can just go to the black office to take on a few small cases. there¡¯s no need to insist on this matter.¡± ye jingtang stood up and picked up the bird, who was looking for snacks. ¡°i¡¯m just trying my best. if i can¡¯t achieve anything, just don¡¯t blame me, your highness.¡± ¡°chirp-¡± the bird squatted on ye jingtang¡¯s shoulder and waved goodbye. dongfang liren waved at the bird and also chirped. when she realized that ye jingtang had turned around and smiled, her expression turned slightly cold, and she put on the airs of a cold princess again¡­ Chapter 177 - Chapter 177: Infiltration (1) chapter 177: infiltration (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the white walls and blue tiles of literary virtue bridge had the charm of jiang province¡¯s water towns. looking at the scenery under the light rain, it looked like a hazy ink painting. holding a white oil-paper umbrella, luo ning walked across the stone arch bridge spanning both sides of the river. her footsteps were not fast, and her gaze was fixed on the tall door of a house by the river. as a woman from a water town, luo ning had grown up in such an environment. when she was eleven or twelve years old, she would lie on the railings near the river and look at the talented scholars and beauties on the small boats coming and going. occasionally, she would shyly fantasize about getting married when she grew up. at the time, she thought that her husband should be peerlessly handsome and talented, wasn¡¯t as serious as her father, and would dote on her like doting on a child. and now, her fantasy had really come true. it was just that there was a slight deviation in the last part. doting on her like doting a child should be pampering her and giving her whatever she wanted, not helping her pee like a little girl¡­ luo ning stopped in her tracks and closed her beautiful eyes. her face was cold as she took a deep breath, wanting to forget the extremely embarrassing scene she had seen in the bronze mirror yesterday. but she might never be able to forget this scene for the rest of his life¡­ luo ning gnashed her teeth. in her embarrassment, she wanted to turn and jump off the bridge. after a moment, she swept away her distracting thoughts and quickly arrived at the wang family¡¯s medical clinic. it was drizzling, and there were not many people in the clinic. madam wang was weighing medicinal herbs behind the counter in the wide hall. when she saw the stunning beauty in blue enter, she greeted her kindly. ¡°welcome, miss ning¡¯er.¡± luo ning closed the oil-paper umbrella and quietly walked to the counter. ¡°madam wang, i¡¯m here to get some medicine. jingtang¡¯s internal heat is still quite strong. can you help me prescribe a prescription to cool the heat¡­¡± madam wang put down a bronze scale, walked over, looked at luo ning¡¯s complexion, and asked softly, ¡°is it because your husband is too much, and you can¡¯t take it?¡± ? luo ning felt that this topic was a little private, but it wasn¡¯t a good thing to hide it from the doctor. after thinking about it, she answered truthfully, ¡°a little bit. um¡­ 1 feel that he isn¡¯t fully satisfied every time¡­¡± madam wang¡¯s eyes were full of understanding as she said gently, ¡°it¡¯s normal for martial artists to be strong and vigorous. young master ye is a good young man who¡¯s one in a million. you have a soft body, so you definitely won¡¯t be able to take it head-on. even after he takes medicine to cool the heat and dispel the fire, you still won¡¯t be able to take it.¡± luo ning blinked. ¡°how old will he be when he stops being so vigorous?¡± ¡°it¡¯s hard to say. people who walk the path of external martial arts suffer from overwork, and their bodies will begin to decline after forty. but the path of internal martial arts is different. the older they get, the more monstrous they become. there are many people who are still full of energy at eighty.¡± luo ning had practiced the beauty-retaining picture before. if nothing went wrong, she would still be as beautiful as she was now when she was 80 years old. as for ye jingtang, she didn¡¯t know if he would be so blessed. thinking of the ¡®white-haired old thief¡¯ who was still as elegant as he currently was at the age of 80 and still tormenting her like this, luo ning was afraid and asked, ¡°if a woman practices internal martial arts, will she be able to handle it better?¡± madam wang shook her head. ¡°internal martial arts is a way to nourish one¡¯s qi. they can nourish one¡¯s body and maintain one¡¯s beauty, but they¡¯re not very helpful for this. a woman who practices external martial arts has been tempering her muscles, bones, and skin since she was young. she will be more vigorous and not afraid of men.¡± external martial arts¡­ third lady? uiq ning thought of third lady¡¯s extroverted personality and her tit-for-tat relationship with her and suddenly felt pressure for the future. but these were private matters. luo ning couldn¡¯t talk to madam wang about them, so she still wanted to get some medicine to scare the little thief. in the end, mrs. wang didn¡¯t give her a prescription. instead, she leaned close to her ear and said earnestly, ¡°medicine can cure the symptoms, but not the root cause. miss, if your body can¡¯t take it, you can think of a way to¡­¡± warm up. luo ning recalled that it had always been the little thief using his hands and mouth to warm up her body. when she heard this, she asked curiously, ¡°what should i do?¡± mrs. wang felt that this girl was a little pure and explained softly, ¡°just tell the man. he will naturally teach you.¡± while speaking, she took out a small bottle from under the counter and handed it to luo ning. ¡°this is fragrant concubine dew. it can nourish the skin. some madams are drier, and this item will make them feel more comfortable¡­¡± luo ning roughly understood what she meant. although she was embarrassed to recall her experience with the little thief, she still felt that she probably didn¡¯t need this thing for lubrication¡­ luo ning accepted the white porcelain bottle with a strange expression. ¡°mrs. wang, you even sell these things?¡± madam wang smiled. ¡°aren¡¯t doctors benevolent? i deal with the wives of officials all day long. they can¡¯t tell anyone about their difficulties, so they can only find a doctor like me to resolve them¡­ by the way, there¡¯s a fan family at the corner of the street. it¡¯s the residence of the imperial tailor, fan jiuniang. the tailor store beside it is owned by fan jiuniang¡¯s daughter. if you really want your husband to hand over the spear early, you can look for miss fan. tell her my name, and buy a few clothes to try on.¡± luo ning was slightly confused. ¡°are the clothes there beautiful?¡± madam wang nodded. ¡°fan jiuniang is the feng guancheng of the tailoring world. she was the one who made her majesty¡¯s dragon robe. the common clothes and styles of people nowadays were all designed by her when she was young. for example, your fairy dress was originally custom-made by fan jiuniang for her majesty¡¯s biological mother, imperial consort wang. first, the wives of wealthy families imitated it, and then it spread to the civilians and jianghu¡­¡± ¡°is that so?¡± ¡°i grew up in the capital. how could 1 not know this? miss, your figure is really good. you¡¯re the most beautiful woman i¡¯ve ever seen wearing this dress. the famous ¡®moon goddess¡¯ in jianghu will probably pale in comparison to you.¡± hearing the praise, luo ning was a little happy and smiled. ¡°you flatter me, madam. i¡¯ll go over and take a look later..¡± Chapter 178 - Chapter 178: Infiltration (2) chapter 178: infiltration (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios when madam wang saw that luo ning was very quiet and lovable, she wanted to continue to help her as an experienced person. she wanted to get some intestinal honey dew and so on and teach luo ning how to clean herself and satisfy a man¡¯s special hobby. but before she could speak, she noticed a figure at the door and immediately stopped talking. luo ning also stopped talking and turned around. she saw a handsome young master in a black robe looking into the clinic with a bird on his shoulder. ¡°chirp?¡± luo ning¡¯s expression turned cold. she turned around and asked madam wang to pack a few packets of heat-reducing medicines before quickly walking out of the large pharmacy. ye jingtang was waiting at the door with an umbrella. seeing this, he covered luo ning¡¯s head with the umbrella and raised his hand to hold the medicine. ¡°you got so much medicine? are you planning to let me drink it for half a month?¡± luo ning was still a virtuous wife in the pharmacy. when she walked out of the door and onto the street, her expression turned cold. ¡°take this medicine first. i¡¯ll come back to get more when it¡¯s gone.¡± ye jingtang knew that it had been too much to hold heroine luo in front of the mirror yesterday. he smiled and explained, ¡°yesterday was purely a mental lapse. 1 wanted to see if there was anything wrong with my face, so i got up and looked in the mirror. i promise that in the future, i will never¡­¡± luo ning harrumphed indifferently and ignored him. ye jingtang couldn¡¯t comfort her, so he could only change the topic and pick up the small white porcelain bottle in the medicine bag. ¡°what medicine is this?¡± luo ning¡¯s expression stiffened slightly. she snatched the small porcelain bottle back and explained calmly, ¡°it¡¯s a moisturizer. i bought it for yunli.¡± ye jingtang felt that there was no need for little yunli to moisturize her fair and smooth skin. but he didn¡¯t ask further and changed the topic. ¡°i just met the prince of jing and heard some news about the heir of prince of wu. i¡¯m going out of the city to take a look. heroine luo, do you want to come with me?¡± when luo ning heard the serious matter, her expression softened. ¡°take the medicine back first¡­¡± ¡°business is more important. there¡¯s no harm in getting more medicine when we come back.¡± ye jingtang raised his hand, wanting to throw the medicine into the river. luo ning was instantly annoyed. she had shamelessly chatted for a long time before getting the medicine. if he threw it away, how could she go back and get more? ¡°little thief! if you have any crooked thoughts again, i¡¯ll bring yunli back to the south firmament mountains, and you can think of a way to recuperate your body yourself.¡± ye jingtang paused and held the medicine properly. ¡°i just feel it¡¯s inconvenient to hold the medicine.¡± luo ning ignored ye jingtang and walked beside him. when she passed by a large store with the sign ¡®fan works¡¯ hanging on the street, she thought of something and turned around to enter. ¡°wait a moment. i¡¯m going to order some clothes for yunli.¡± ye jingtang looked up and didn¡¯t ask further. after waiting by the street for a while, he saw heroine luo walk out with a palm-sized silk bag in her hand. after she went out, she put it under her dress at the bosom with a strange expression on her face. ye jingtang didn¡¯t understand and asked, ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°it¡¯s nothing. the things in this store are so expensive. a small piece of clothing costs a hundred taels of silver, and it¡¯s still a friend discount.¡± when ye jingtang heard about the expensive luxury clothes, his expression clearly changed. ¡°what is it? let me see. how dare they rip off customers in the capital? do they think i¡¯m easy to bully¡­¡± luo ning twisted her waist slightly and didn¡¯t let ye jingtang dig into her pocket. ¡°this is a tailor store that makes custom-made clothes for aristocrats, generals, and officials. selling it at this price is not ripping off customers. let¡¯s go and get down to business first.¡± ye jingtang felt that heroine luo wanted to give him a surprise, so he didn¡¯t ask further. holding the umbrella, he walked toward together with her to the east of the city¡­ yun¡¯an city occupied a massive area, but the permanent population was also massive. there were more people than land. most of the wealthy families in the city would build other residences in the suburbs, and some super-large mansions would also be built outside the city. the prince of wu¡¯s mansion, which was more than five kilometers away from yun¡¯an city, was originally a property of the former imperial family. when great wei was founded, numerous properties had been bestowed to the various imperial princes and conferred princes, but they had been left idle. after the deposed emperor ascended the throne, he had summoned the heirs of the various princes to the capital. the prince of wu¡¯s heir, dongfang yin, lived here. but after the empress ascended the throne, she didn¡¯t let the heirs return to their hometowns to this day. in the afternoon, ye jingtang and luo ning arrived near the huge mansion built along the river. from afar, they could see a three-story observation tower standing by the river and other buildings hidden among the trees. there were many guards patrolling the surroundings. on the way here, ye jingtang had chatted with the surrounding people and made inquiries. he learned that the heir of the prince of wu really knew how to eat, but he had a good reputation. occasionally, he would disregard his status and run to a fishing house by the river to fish with the fishermen. then he would eat and enjoy himself with the people. although there were a lot of bad comments about him, such as not having the demeanor of the imperial family, not doing proper work, and not having true ability, ye jingtang couldn¡¯t find a single stain from the perspective of a commoner. if he hadn¡¯t learned from the pacifying heaven cult master that the prince of wu had intentions of rebellion, he wouldn¡¯t have suspected such an honest and dutiful heir. ye jingtang looked at the riverside for a moment and asked, ¡°how should we investigate?¡± luo ning was carrying the small medicine bag like a wife accompanying her husband to admire the river scenery. ¡°in the bamboo street murder case, the deceased was a minor official in charge of building palaces, and he was executed to extort a confession. what the murderer wants to do is most likely related to construction. if the prince of wu¡¯s heir is leading this matter, there may be relevant blueprints in the secret compartments in his study and bedroom.¡± hearing this, ye jingtang handed the umbrella to luo ning. ¡°the defense of the prince¡¯s mansion is very tight. if two people go in, it will cause too much noise. 1¡¯11 sneak in and take a look. you stay here and keep watch.¡± luo ning looked up at the sky. ¡°it¡¯s inconvenient to do things during the day. why don¡¯t we wait until tonight?¡± ¡°the prince of wu¡¯s heir entered the palace to attend a banquet. when he comes back tonight, i¡¯m afraid it will be even harder to investigate.¡± ¡°then be careful. you have to sneak in without leaving a trace. don¡¯t alert the enemy..¡± Chapter 179 - Chapter 179: Infiltration (3) chapter 179: infiltration (3) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°understood.¡± ye jingtang took out a folded face cloth from under his clothes at the chest and put it on his face. he first got the bird to fly into the trees by the river and then plunged into the river at a calm place. his body was like a swimming dragon as he moved toward the riverside observation tower. the heir of a vassal prince was like the heir of a vassal state. the weight of their position was self-evident. the defense of the prince¡¯s mansion was rather tight. even on the river, there were still a few boats patrolling and checking the bottom of the river from time to time. ye jingtang held his breath and swam to the deep end of the river first. after making a big circle, he returned to the riverside and looked up at the sky from the bottom of the water. after seeing that there was no abnormality with the bird¡¯s circling, he quietly stuck his head out from under the stone platform outside the observation tower. tread, tread¡­ above the stone platform, he could hear two sets of footsteps walking on the stone ground and vaguely hear a conversation. ¡°when his highness goes to the palace to attend the banquet, he will inevitably be instigated by the imperial relatives to perform ¡®three mouths and one pig¡¯ again. the dignified heir of a vassal prince is humiliated like this¡­¡± ¡°it can¡¯t be considered humiliation. it¡¯s just having fun at the banquet. his highness only did it to please her majesty and the prince of jing. under someone else¡¯s roof, people have no choice but to lower their heads. if his highness doesn¡¯t make her majesty happy, who knows when we will be able to return to wu province¡­¡± ye jingtang leaned against the stone platform and listened carefully. he could confirm that the two of them were king of wu¡¯s personal guards. after they circled around the observation tower, they gradually left. ¡°chirp-¡± the chirping of the bird resounded in the forest. after confirming that there was no one around, ye jingtang silently went up the stone platform, ducked under the eaves, and listened. there was no movement in the observation tower. it seemed that no one was there. he was about to continue sneaking in, but when he moved his feet, he found a few dark marks on the white stone bricks on the ground. the marks seemed to have been made when moving things. he touched them with the tip of his foot and found that the stained part was quite brittle. with slight force, there was a soft crack, as if he had stepped on charcoal dregs. there were actually cracks on the stain. ye jingtang was slightly alarmed. he held his breath and condensed his qi on the spot for a moment. after confirming that there was nothing unusual, he lowered his head and continued to observe the marks. he felt that this stone had clearly been corroded by something. he thought for a moment and looked inside through the crack of the door. the observation tower looked to have been abandoned long ago. it was empty and had an old wooden floor. there were no suspicious objects. ye jingtang couldn¡¯t figure out the reason for this for the time being, so he recorded this matter and bypassed the observation tower to arrive at the back of the prince¡¯s mansion. only the heir, dongfang yin, lived in the huge mansion. there were some maids and servants, but not many. it was raining, and the master had left, so the servants were slightly idle and resting in a secluded place. ye jingtang hung upside down under the roof of the corridor, passed through the corridor like a gecko, and quickly landed outside a large building. the environment around the building was extremely good. there was even a small garden with a few small dogs inside. these kinds of dogs were usually used for competitions. it wasn¡¯t strange for an idle heir to raise them, but dogs were dogs. they still had the ability to look after the house. as soon as ye jingtang arrived in the corner, two sleeping dogs raised their heads and looked around. ye jingtang frowned. he felt that this place was quite heavily guarded and was definitely not the residence of an ordinary silkpants. he raised his hand slightly to signal. as a bird, it was much easier for the bird to pass through the mansion than ye jingtang. it immediately landed on a large banyan tree near the courtyard and looked at the dogs. the dogs were all distracted and looked up at the bird on the tree. ye jingtang quickly moved to a window of the building. when he found that the window wasn¡¯t locked, he opened it and jumped in silently. inside the window was a study that was adjacent to a bedroom. it was wide and clean, and there was nothing special about it at first glance. ye jingtang listened carefully for a moment before going to a bookshelf and looking at the books placed on it: the secret history of the romantic empress, the secret records of joy, tears of a heroine sequel¡­ Chapter 180 - Chapter 180:1 Have a Unique Investigative Skills (1) chapter 180:1 have a unique investigative skills (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios tsk, tsk, tsk.. ye jingtang was really surprised to see a row of erotic books. if he weren¡¯t on official business, he would have picked them up to read them. he swept away the distracting thoughts and turned around to continue searching for clues, but he suddenly felt that something was wrong. he turned around and carefully looked at the secret history of the romantic empress. he realized that this book wasn¡¯t placed neatly. it seemed to have been read recently and casually put down. seeing this, ye jingtang carefully picked up the book and lightly slid his finger across the side of the book. if a book was opened often, and a certain page was read often, creases would appear in the binding over time, and it would be easier to turn to that page directly. ye jingtang owned a copy of tears of a heroine and had read it intensively for many years. he was considered an old bookworm and had a deep understanding of this. he carefully rubbed the side of the book and quickly realized that there was indeed a page in the book that was different from the other pages. he flipped it open and sized it up. it said that a certain empress dowager had dug a tunnel to leave the palace and had an affair with a noble heir. then she took poison to fake her death and was buried in the imperial mausoleum. the noble heir secretly dug a tunnel into the imperial mausoleum and took the empress dowager away¡­ does this prince of wu¡¯s heir have some fantasy about the empress dowager? ye jingtang subconsciously analyzed the heir¡¯s sexual habits, but after thinking about it carefully, he felt it wasn¡¯t right. he had studied tears of a heroine for many years. he knew better than any constable in the world what plots to glance through and what plots to savor. there were no carnal scenes on the two marked pages. instead, the particulars of digging a tunnel into the imperial mausoleum were written in great detail. for example, ¡®how to break through stone without alerting the guards, tunnel collapse prevention facilities, ventilation facilities¡¯, and so on. it didn¡¯t feel like the author had fabricated these things out of thin air. it felt like he was showing off his knowledge, and he seemed to be a construction expert. he turned to the first page of the book and saw the author¡¯s introduction. it was speculated that he was an official from 200 years ago. he was once the vice-minister of the ministry of works and was in charge of renovating yun¡¯an city. later, he offended an empress dowager of yan and was demoted. in his anger, he secretly wrote this book. as expected¡­ seeing that his judgment was correct, ye jingtang flipped through the other descriptions of the environment and found that the descriptions of the city and streets in the books were very realistic. yun¡¯an city was a thousand-year-old ancient capital. although it had been expanded and rebuilt several times, the general locations hadn¡¯t changed much. the literary virtue bridge in the book was the current literary virtue bridge. there was even mention of dye workshop street. after getting this information, ye jingtang naturally had a hypothesis in his heart. the prince of wu¡¯s heir read this book not because he had fantasies about the empress dowager but to use it as a reference book. there seemed to be only one possibility for him to stay on this page for a long time. he wanted to learn how to dig a tunnel into the imperial mausoleum. it was a little far-fetched to say that the prince of wu¡¯s heir was secretly a tomb raider. moreover, the imperial mausoleum of yan and the imperial mausoleum of great wei were not in the same place at all, and the specifications of the mausoleums were different. what was the use of digging up the imperial mausoleum of yan? after ye jingtang thought about it carefully, he memorized the clues such as ¡®tunnel¡¯ and ¡®imperial mausoleum¡¯ and put the book back in its original position. then he searched for other information in the study. unfortunately, other than the copy of the secret history of the romantic empress, everything else was normal. after ye jingtang¡¯s search was fruitless, he checked the furnishings in the study, drawing room, and bedroom, looking for possible secret compartments. although ye jingtang didn¡¯t have the wingless owl¡¯s talent as a thief, his insight was quite outstanding. after arriving at the bedroom, he observed the various furnishings in the room and deduced the owner¡¯s daily habits. finally, he squatted down and used his hand to feel the smoothness of the wooden floor after being frequently stepped on. finally, he looked at the wardrobe at the side of the spacious bedroom. the wardrobe looked like an ordinary wardrobe closet, but as the heir of a vassal prince, he usually wouldn¡¯t change his clothes himself. the things he wore every day should be placed in the chamberlain¡¯s room. logically speaking, he shouldn¡¯t go to the wardrobe often. ye jingtang stood up and silently walked to the wardrobe. he observed the smoothness of the handle and found that it was indeed often opened, so he carefully opened the wardrobe door. the spacious wardrobe was empty and had no partitions. there was a high chance that it was a secret door. he knocked lightly with his fingers, producing a soft thud. behind it was a solid door. seeing this, ye jingtang looked at the wooden bottom board of the wardrobe¡­ earlier, under the study¡­ a few lamps were placed at the four corners of the secret room. in the middle was a table with piles of dossiers on it. there were six chairs around the table. cao aning was sitting in front of the table, holding a hard bamboo brush. the tip of the brush had an ink slot similar to a fountain pen. he was carefully drawing blueprints on the paper. ¡®blue steel mace¡¯ xu bailin was sitting opposite him, looking at an old blueprint in his hands with a frown. apart from them, there were three other people sitting in the secret room. a refined middle-aged man was reading an old dossier beside cao aning. this person¡¯s name was nangong shaofeng. people in jianghu called him ¡®young teacher¡¯. he was an advisor of the prince of wu and taught the heir, dongfang yin, literary and martial arts. this was where the title of young teacher came from. after dongfang yin entered the capital, he followed him and served as the steward of the heir¡¯s residence. opposite nangong shaofeng was an old doctor holding a silver needle, treating xu bailin¡¯s injured right leg. sitting at the head of the table was an old man in a white robe. he looked very old and thin. he was holding a teacup and sipping it. although the five of them were all skilled in martial arts, there was still a clear difference in their auras when they sat in the room. cao aning and the old doctor had relatively inferior martial arts skills, but their presence was extraordinary. xu bailin was like a bar mace. although he didn¡¯t have a sharp edge, one could feel the hardness in his bones. opposite him, nangong shaofeng¡¯s every move was like clouds and water, and even his breathing carried a unique rhythm. as for the white-robed old man in the main seat, it was a different scene. he looked ordinary. wherever he sat, it was as if he was a decoration in the room. if people didn¡¯t pay attention, they wouldn¡¯t even notice that there was a person on the chair.. Chapter 181 - Chapter 181:1 Have a Unique Investigative Skills (2) chapter 181:1 have a unique investigative skills (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios being able to possess such an aura meant that people¡¯s martial arts practice had reached the realm of ¡®unity of heaven and man¡¯. every move they made was a perfect move, and they were invulnerable even when sitting, standing, or lying down. the five people here were all aides whom the prince of wu had recruited, and they were carrying out the great matter of ¡®bringing order out of chaos¡¯. but ever since the appearance of ye jingtang, things had clearly reached a bottleneck. after xu bailin studied the old blueprint for a while, he said, ¡°the information we got from bamboo street can only confirm the black vine bricks were used for the foundation. it¡¯s impossible to determine the location of the pillars from this.we won¡¯t have another chance if we can¡¯t collapse them the first time. we will have to investigate again.¡± cao aning put down the bamboo brush and sighed. ¡°ye jingtang¡¯s predictions are godlike, and he¡¯s as elusive as a ghost. the previous storm hasn¡¯t passed yet, so we really don¡¯t dare to act rashly.¡± nangong shaofeng asked, ¡°your plan to kill with a borrowed knife to divert ye jingtang¡¯s attention doesn¡¯t seem to have any movement.¡± cao aning thought for a moment. ¡°jun mountain terrace will definitely take action. according to the recent situation in jianghu, i¡¯m afraid jun mountain terrace will also kill with a borrowed knife and use the zhou family as their knife.¡± xu bailin shook his head and said, ¡°the zhou family isn¡¯t stupid. revenge violates the imperial court¡¯s taboo. killing ye silang can protect their family business. this killing with a borrowed knife is equivalent to giving jun mountain terrace a piece of news for nothing.¡± cao aning said, ¡°if the zhou family doesn¡¯t do anything, jun mountain terrace will definitely think of another way. it¡¯s impossible for them to sit still and wait for death. but distant water can¡¯t quench the immediate thirst. ye jingtang is still around, so 1 don¡¯t dare to go to the city to look for officials of the ministry of works to inquire.¡± while several people were talking, the white-robed old man sitting at the head of the table raised his finger slightly with the hand holding the teacup to interrupt them. then he looked up at the ceiling. the other four fell silent. they raised their heads and listened carefully, but they didn¡¯t hear any movement. but they didn¡¯t ask any questions and only looked at the white-robed old man. the white-robed old man put down the teacup and looked at the ceiling. he seemed to be staring at someone. he first went to the bookshelf, stopped for a moment, and then began to move. seeing this, the four of them knew that someone had entered the study. they couldn¡¯t hear any footsteps upstairs, which meant that the person¡¯s lightness skills were extraordinary. cao aning looked at nangong shaofeng beside him and asked in a low voice, ¡°a thief sneaked into the prince¡¯s mansion to steal?¡± nangong shaofeng deliberated for a moment. ¡°thieves often enter the residences of wealthy families. the wingless owl came last time. there¡¯s nothing important in the study. just let him take whatever he wants. you can¡¯t expose yourselves.¡± the four of them waited for a moment and saw the old man move his gaze to look at the stairs at the entrance of the secret room. plop! a light knock on the wardrobe sounded from the tunnel leading to the secret room. nangong shaofeng frowned and signaled for the others to calm down. then he stood up and silently walked to the bottom of the tunnel stairs. click! soon, the bottom board of the wardrobe above the tunnel was lifted, and light shone in from above, revealing the bedroom walls and windows, but there was no one. ? nangong shaofeng remained motionless, ready to attack. a moment later, the hem of the black robe flashed on the left side of the entrance. clatter! swish! nangong shaofeng flicked his right hand lightly, and a white go piece instantly pierced through the wardrobe wall above like a sharp arrow. the remaining force continued unabated and penetrated the ceiling of the bedroom, and a beam of light appeared from the roof. at this moment, there was a sound from the bedroom above. footsteps suddenly erupted and rushed toward the window. want to leave?nangong shaofeng¡¯s eyes were cold. his robe swayed as he rushed out from under the wardrobe and looked at the window with eyes like a falcon¡¯s. in the spacious bedroom, there was a man with a black scarf covering his face and a weapon wrapped in black cloth hanging behind his waist. he was running toward the window with large strides, his back wide open. he was clearly a thief who had sensed that something was wrong and fled. nangong shaofeng was the steward of the prince¡¯s mansion and could appear in the light openly. naturally, he wouldn¡¯t give this little thief a chance to discover the secret passage. in a flash, he arrived behind him and reached out with his right hand, wanting to grab the other party¡¯s neck. but just as his palm reached out, the black-robed man¡¯s figure swayed like a ghost¡¯s and dodged while extending his right hand backward. nangong shaofeng¡¯s expression changed drastically as he quickly blocked the opponent¡¯s palm. whoosh! a breeze blew in the bedroom, but there was no muffled sound of qi colliding. nangong shaofeng leaned forward with his palm on the man in black¡¯s palm and moved along with the man. he wanted to dissipate the vast internal energy in his palm and throw down the man. but the man in black was not an ordinary person. his lower body was as stable as a rock, and his palm was like gangrene stuck to nangong shaofeng¡¯s palm. when he wanted to push him away, the man retreated at the same time, so much so that nangong shaofeng seemed to be catching a ball of cotton and couldn¡¯t use much force. whoosh! whoosh! whoosh! the two of them moved with their palms pressing together, pushing each other three times in an instant. in the end, nangong shaofeng was the first to lean against the wall with his heels. there was no way to retreat, and the man in black found a place to exert his strength. bam! at this moment, palm energy erupted between the two of them. nangong shaofeng took the man in black¡¯s palm strike head-on, and the surging energy vibrated his arm, causing ripples to spread to his upper arm. his sleeve was shattered by the energy, and his back immediately collided with the wall. boom! half of the wall exploded. nangong shaofeng flew out of the bedroom and fell into the garden behind him. he slid more than 30 feet in the rain before he could dissipate the force of the palm and stabilize himself. the moment the man in black struck out with his palm, he rushed out of the bedroom, flew into the air like a swallow, and tapped his feet on the eaves. bam! the black shadow drew a right angle in the air, like a sharp black arrow released from the bowstring. he shot toward the river bank outside the prince¡¯s mansion, and after borrowing force twice, he left the mansion. when the guards jumped onto the roof, he had already disappeared. ¡°woof woof woof!¡± outside the building, fierce barking sounded. nangong shaofeng¡¯s right sleeve was tattered. he stood in the rain and looked in the direction that the man in black was escaping. he was stunned and didn¡¯t react to what was going on.. Chapter 182 - Chapter 182:I Have a Unique Investigative Skills (3) chapter 182:i have a unique investigative skills (3) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after the guards of the prince¡¯s mansion rushed over and chased after the thief, there was movement in the bedroom with the huge hole. the white-robed old man walked out from behind the wall with his hands behind his back. he looked toward the riverbank with surprise in his eyes. ¡°the fourteen dappling cloud palms¡­ it¡¯s a pity that this child walks the path of an external martial artist. he used too much violent strength instead of skillful strength. otherwise, his palm strike would have silently shattered your heart.¡± the fourteen dappling cloud palms, the eight trigrams wandering body palm, and even li hunyuan¡¯s yuan clapsing force emphasized the soundlessness of palm strikes to shake the heart. smashing walls or tearing apart clothes meant that the internal energy had leaked out and hadn¡¯t been used in the most appropriate places. nangong shaofeng was an internal martial arts expert. he could tell that the other party¡¯s palm skills were not very sophisticated, but he still found it unbelievable. ¡°such an inferior palm strike sent me flying thirty feet away. if he had drawn the weapon behind his waist, wouldn¡¯t i have been beheaded on the spot?¡± the white-robed old man nodded. ¡°the details reveal the truth. this child could push you to the wall with a few moves based on his reactions. with a weapon, you would have had a slim chance of survival.¡± although nangong shaofeng¡¯s raw strength was slightly inferior to xu bailin¡¯s, he felt that there were not many people in jianghu who could kill him in one move. he thought for a moment and said, ¡°was it a senior expert from jade void mountain?¡± ¡°the fourteen dappling cloud palms was created by daoist xuanji. but daoist xuanji has taught it to many, so it¡¯s not easy to draw a conclusion.¡± nangong shaofeng frowned and recalled for a moment. ¡°the prince of jing definitely knows it. ye jingtang is a trusted aide nurtured by the prince of jing. could it be that he found this place?¡± after xu bailin and cao aning confirmed that there was nothing unusual outside, they walked to the entrance of the tunnel. xu bailin shook his head. ¡°ye jingtang is indeed powerful, but his martial arts skills aren¡¯t that high. otherwise, i wouldn¡¯t have injured just one leg.¡± cao aning was already traumatized by ye jingtang, but he also shook his head. ¡°if ye jingtang were so powerful, it would have been impossible for me to walk out of the morgue alive.¡± nangong shaofeng nodded slightly. but for safety¡¯s sake, he still said, ¡°even if it¡¯s him, he probably didn¡¯t see anything. clean things up and find a place to hide first. i will report to the officials that the prince¡¯s mansion was robbed and ask the black office to come and check the study and underground room in case the prince of jing becomes suspicious.¡± hearing this, the few of them didn¡¯t say anything else. they turned around and returned to the underground room¡­ rustle, rustle, rustle¡­ a drizzle fell. the bird spread its wings and circled high in the sky, looking at the black torpedo at the bottom of the river, speeding downstream in the river. on the river bank and even the river surface, there were guards from the prince¡¯s mansion chasing and searching. it wasn¡¯t until they were two kilometers downstream and out of sight of the guards that the bird circled in the sky to signal ye jingtang. splash! beside a secluded forest on the river bank, ye jingtang popped his head out of the water and took a deep breath. he wiped the water off his face with his hand, jumped onto the river bank, and sped toward yun¡¯an city. luo ning had been paying attention to the movements of the prince¡¯s mansion. seeing the residence explode and a black shadow rushing into the river, she hurriedly ran downstream. when ye jingtang appeared, luo ning flew forward and landed in front of him, a little angry. ¡°you call this infiltration? infiltration means coming and going without a trace. why did you demolish someone¡¯s house again? the commotion was so big that i could hear it outside the mansion.¡± ye jingtang¡¯s reaction was normal. he quickly walked through the forest and explained, ¡°1 thought there was no one in the bedroom, but i didn¡¯t expect there to be a basement hidden below. 1 bumped into someone as soon as i opened it. i could only retreat and escape.¡± luo ning walked to ye jingtang¡¯s side and held his wrist. seeing that he wasn¡¯t injured, she breathed a sigh of relief and asked, ¡°did you expose your identity?¡± ¡°i used the fourteen dappling cloud palms. they shouldn¡¯t suspect me.¡± ¡°the fourteen dappling cloud palms is daoist xuanji¡¯s palm technique. they will definitely suspect that the imperial court is investigating and destroy the evidence in advance. did you find any clues?¡± ye jingtang seemed to have gained a lot. he nodded and said, ¡°i found a copy of the secret history of the romantic empress in the study¡­¡± ¡°what?!¡± ¡°the secret history of the romantic empress.¡± luo ning stopped in her tracks and pulled ye jingtang back. ¡°i asked you to find evidence. what were you looking for?¡± ye jingtang said seriously, ¡°this book is very realistic. it¡¯s about an empress dowager of the previous dynasty who had an affair with a noble heir¡­ hiss¡ª¡± before he could finish speaking, the furious heroine luo pressed him against a tree. luo ning twisted ye jingtang¡¯s arm. ¡°you even read it?! you took such a big risk to find evidence, but in the end, you secretly read unpresentable books in someone else¡¯s house. little thief, you¡¯re simply¡­¡± ye jingtang raised his hand slightly. ¡°i¡¯m talking about serious matters. i¡¯m not joking. this book was written by an official of the previous dynasty¡¯s ministry of works. he did a lot of research on digging tunnels, imperial mausoleums, and so on. i think the prince of wu¡¯s heir read this book for reference.¡± ¡°this can be used as evidence?¡± ¡°i¡¯m very experienced. i can confirm that the heir has been reading the page about digging the tunnel for a long time¡­¡± ¡°no matter how long he¡¯s read it, it¡¯s still a published book. how can you say that he¡¯s plotting rebellion?¡± luo ning didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°you said that you found an erotic book in his study and accused the heir of a vassal prince of treason. even if the princess believes you, will she dare to arrest him with this as evidence? the vassal prince originally didn¡¯t have the intention to rebel, but you did this. do you believe that twelve vassal dukes and princes will immediately go to the empress to air their grievances and demand that you, a traitor who slanders the loyal, be chopped into pieces?¡± ye jingtang knew that the erotic book couldn¡¯t be used as evidence to confirm that the prince of wu¡¯s heir was up to no good. he could only say, ¡°let¡¯s consider it a clue for now. i¡¯ll buy the secret history of the romantic empress and study it carefully¡­¡± luo ning had nothing to say. carrying the medicine bag, she walked back. ye jingtang followed her and said, ¡°trust my book sense. if the prince of wu¡¯s heir has the same interests as me, he definitely wouldn¡¯t stare at the passages about digging the imperial mausoleum for so long. even if he doesn¡¯t have the same interests, then he still shouldn¡¯t stare at it for so long. the intention of reading is to learn and put what you learn into practice. there must be something fishy about this¡­¡± luo ning turned her head with a complicated expression. ¡°put what you learn into practice? you admit it, right? you read those messy things just to use on women, right? what¡¯s the matter? isn¡¯t tears of a heroine enough for you? do you still want to read the secret history of the romantic empress to bring disaster to the empress dowager?¡± ye jingtang hurriedly raised his hands. ¡°shh! don¡¯t say such impolite words.¡± ¡°hmph~!¡± luo ning actually believed in jingtang very much. but no matter how much she believed this bizarre method of using an erotic book to investigate a case, she couldn¡¯t verbally support him.. at this moment, she didn¡¯t say anything else and walked toward yun¡¯an city with ye jingtang¡­ Chapter 183 - Chapter 183: Why Are You Wiping? (1) chapter 183: why are you wiping? (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios back in the capital, the rain gradually stopped. ye jingtang put away the oil-paper umbrella and handed it to luo ning beside him. ¡°i still have to go to the palace later. i might be back late¡­¡± luo ning held the small medicine bag in her hand and stopped. ¡°aren¡¯t you going to the roaring dragon pond to practice? why are you coming back?¡± why¡­ ye jingtang said seriously, ¡°the peaceful hall is where the empress sleeps after all. even if 1 practice there, it¡¯s impossible for me to really spend the night. i¡¯ll try my best to come back early so that you won¡¯t worry.¡± luo ning felt that the little thief wanted to see the clothes she bought today, so she said coldly, ¡°come back early if you want. i¡¯ll boil the medicine for you first.¡± with that, she turned around and left along the street. ye jingtang watched from afar and touched the hungry bird. he first bought some food by the street and then went to the imperial academy in the north of the city. the imperial academy was full of students, and the surrounding atmosphere was very cultural. most of the people on the street were scholars and intellectuals, and there were also many scholarly young ladies. ye jingtang walked along the street for a while and found an old bookstore. he entered it and searched around. tears of a heroine was a novel about jianghu. although it offended void jade mountain, no matter how powerful void jade mountain was, it couldn¡¯t interfere with the imperial court¡¯s banning of books. this was why there were very few books on the market, and the collector¡¯s editions were rare. as for tthe secret history of the romantic empress, just by looking at the name, it was apparent that it was a banned book. it was written about an empress dowager of the previous dynasty. a hundred years ago, whoever possessed it would die. although this was no longer the case in this dynasty, the book was really not easy to find. ye jingtang looked back and forth in the bookstore for a long time, but he couldn¡¯t find the secret history of the romantic empress. instead, he found a picture book of the ¡®beauties of jianghu¡¯. he picked it up and flipped through it. sure enough, there was the moon goddess in it, and there was a picture of her. but heroine luo had traveled jianghu before the empress succeeded the throne, and she had rarely shown her true face to others. the accompanying picture was also printed by engraving, making her look more like a low-quality version of little yunli. ye jingtang casually glanced at it and then put it aside. after searching for a long time, he found nothing. he could only fine the old shopkeeper of the bookstore, show the token of the prince of jing estate, and ask him to help search in the name of investigating the case. then the shopkeeper conveniently took out an old book from his private collection and reluctantly sold it to him. after ye jingtang received the book, he rushed to the prince of jing estate. on the way, he read it to search for any hidden clues. a novel that had been circulating on the market for hundreds of years, no matter how unpresentable it was, was still a classic ancient book and definitely had its merits. the secret history of the romantic empress was one of them. although the author liked to show off his knowledge and spoke at length about all kinds of buildings, the plot could be said to be full of ups and downs and dangers. after reading it for half an hour, ye jingtang could confirm that this book was not made up. for example, the ginkgo tree in the longevity palace had the orientation and specific location written exactly. it even pointed out that there was a secret passage in one of the rooms in the longevity palace that led straight to the noble heir¡¯s residence outside the imperial city. this information seemed very important, but it could be recorded openly in the book. more than 200 years had passed, and the imperial court had certainly already sealed the tunnel. it was extremely unlikely that the prince of wu¡¯s heir wanted to use this to infiltrate the palace to assassinate. ye jingtang continued to read. in the end, he found that the author, who had constantly liked to show off his knowledge, had written the key plot surprisingly well¡­ meanwhile, on the top floor of jasper pavilion, in the study¡­ dongfang liren was sitting upright behind her desk and looking at the letter in her hand with a puzzled expression. ¡°a thief entered the prince of wu¡¯s mansion¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡± standing in front of her, the white-haired old woman said softly, ¡°shang jian left to check it out. he said that the person who came is extremely skilled in martial arts. according to nangong shaofeng, the other party used the fourteen dappling cloud palms and defeated nangong shaofeng in one move.¡± ¡°one move?¡± dongfang liren knew the fourteen dappling cloud palms and knew nangong shaofeng¡¯s mastery. she deliberated for a moment. ¡°could master have secretly entered the capital?¡± ¡°if it were daoist xuanji, nangong shaofeng wouldn¡¯t even be able to see her shadow. how could she have been discovered¡­ i estimate that it¡¯s someone related to daoist xuanji. daoist xuanji is benevolent and often enlightens martial artists in jianghu. it¡¯s really hard to guess who it is.¡± dongfang liren thought so too. she asked, ¡°did the heir of the prince of wu lose anything?¡± ¡°no. the valuables were placed in the secret room under the study. shang jianli went in to take a look. they were all precious calligraphy and paintings bestowed by the palace. nangong shaofeng was copying a painting inside when he bumped into the thief.¡± dongfang liren couldn¡¯t figure out the whole story, so she got the white-haired old woman to arrange for people to investigate. just as she was continuing to read dossiers, a maidservant came up and said that ye jingtang was here. hearing this, dongfang liren put down the work in her hands, got up, went down the jasper pavilion, and walked to the entrance of the prince¡¯s estate. as soon as she turned around the screen wall, she saw ye jingtang, dressed in a black robe, standing outside the prince¡¯s estate. his left hand was behind his back, and he was holding a book in his hand, reading it attentively. the fluffy bird was squatting on his shoulder with its head lowered and tilted, also looking carefully. dongfang liren was slightly stunned. in the past, she had seen ye jingtang with a cold and resolute figure. this was the first time she had seen him with such an elegant and scholarly aura. dongfang liren raised her hand to get the maidservant to wait and walked leisurely to the entrance. but when she was about ten steps away, ye jingtang closed his book, put it under his arm, and turned around. ¡°why did your highness come out personally?¡± dongfang liren regained her bearing as a princess and walked forward unhurriedly. ¡°i said i would bring you into the palace, so i naturally have to come out. what were you looking at?¡± although ye jingtang guessed that the murder on bamboo street was most likely related to the prince of wu, the clues about the prince of wu were provided by the pacifying heaven cult master. he didn¡¯t have concrete evidence, so he couldn¡¯t say that he suddenly had an idea, sneaked into the heir¡¯s study, discovered the secret history of the romantic empress, and then speculated from the erotic book that the prince of wu¡¯s heir had evil intentions.. Chapter 184 - Chapter 184: Why Are You Wiping? (2) chapter 184: why are you wiping? (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios facing dongfang liren¡¯s question, ye jingtang only replied with a smile, ¡°it¡¯s just a reference book for handling cases. i don¡¯t know anything about investigating cases, so i¡¯m learning.¡± dongfang liren nodded in understanding, but she still wanted to see what ye jingtang was reading to learn how to solve cases. she raised her hand. ¡°let me take a look. if you have any questions, 1 will clear up your doubts.¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t refuse and gestured to the approaching carriage. ¡°your highness, please get in the carriage first. i do have some questions that i want to ask for advice on.¡± hearing this, dongfang liren didn¡¯t say anything else. she stepped onto the large carriage and sat inside. she took some snacks for the bird and let it eat by itself. ye jingtang boarded the carriage and sat on the small couch beside the window. he took out an old book from under his clothes at the chest, covered the name with his hand, flipped directly to the page about digging the tunnel, and pointed at the words on it. ¡°the person who died last time was a junior official from the ministry of works. he was tortured and interrogated, so i wanted to find books related to architecture to read. i read in this book that there¡¯s an oil that can dissolve stone. does the government have such a thing?¡± it was inconvenient for dongfang liren to lean her head forward, so she got up and sat beside ye jingtang shoulder to shoulder. she carefully examined the small words on the paper. it was written in detail about digging a tunnel. the terminology was very professional, but it looked like a novel, and the protagonist was even the heir of a vassal prince from the previous dynasty¡­ dongfang liren was a little confused, but she still replied, ¡°you mean dissolving oil? there is. this item studied by craftsmen in the previous dynasty can make most stone materials brittle after soaking for a day or two.¡± ¡°become like charcoal dregs that shatter when stepped on?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. although the effect is slow, if it¡¯s used secretly to deal with city walls, prisons, bridges, and so on, it has a miraculous effect. it¡¯s strictly prohibited by the imperial court. there was a case last year where a bandit destroyed the foundation of a pagoda, causing the seven-story pagoda to collapse and crush more than thirty people¡­¡± when ye jingtang heard this, he immediately had a hypothesis in his heart. there were traces of corrosion on the stone bricks outside the observation tower of the prince of wu¡¯s mansion. there was a high chance that dissolving oil had dripped accidentally while being transported. the prince of wu¡¯s heir was studying a book on digging tunnels and had obtained dissolving oil. his goal must be to secretly destroy a certain building¡­ dongfang liren saw that ye jingtang was deep in thought, so she wanted to take this novel she had never read and take a closer look. but ye jingtang knew how dumdum would react when she saw the words ¡®the secret history of the romantic empress¡¯. he flipped his wrist and kept the book in his arms with a serious expression. ¡°1 have some ideas about the previous case. would your highness like to hear them?¡± ? when dongfang liren saw ye jingtang suddenly put on such a serious expression, she pushed back the hand about to grab the book and sat upright. ¡°what ideas do you have?¡± ¡°i feel that the reason the murderer tortured the junior official from the ministry of works is that he has his eyes on a special building.¡± ¡°the government can see it, but they don¡¯t know what the bandits are targeting. xu bailin¡¯s martial arts skills aren¡¯t low, so the person who can invite him definitely has a powerful background. if it¡¯s someone from the green bandits, the target is most likely me and her majesty. her majesty is in the palace and has countless secret guards, so it¡¯s useless to find a map of the palace. 1 also have many guards at my side, so assassinating me on the road isn¡¯t any easier than entering the prince¡¯s estate.¡± ye jingtang shook his head. ¡°it might not be for an assassination. 1 happened to see books related to digging tunnels today. i¡¯m guessing that the murderer might have dug tunnels in the dark somewhere and wants to destroy a key place through dissolving oil.¡± dongfang liren felt that this train of thought was a little jumpy. she thought about it carefully and said, ¡°digging a tunnel into the palace takes too much work. it¡¯s very difficult to hide it from people¡¯s eyes and ears, and there¡¯s nothing the bandits can do once they¡¯re inside. in other places, it seems that only prison breaks can use this method¡­¡± prison break?ye jingtang felt that this was very likely and asked, ¡°are there any particularly important people in prison?¡± dongfang liren shrugged slightly. ¡°those who can be imprisoned in the capital are not simple people. the more important they are, the tighter the defense. before confirming the murderer¡¯s target, it¡¯s hard to say which place to guard. i¡¯ve already stepped up my guard after the murder on bamboo street.¡± ye jingtang thought for a moment and said. ¡°think of everything in the worst way. if a certain vassal prince is secretly plotting rebellion and wants to break someone out of prison, who does your highness think he will break out?¡± ipn dongfang liren blinked and looked at ye jingtang seriously. ¡°ye jingtang, did you find out something?¡± ye jingtang had indeed found out something, but there was no witness or physical evidence. if he said it, it would expose his background of the ¡®black stocking thigh¡¯. he could only say, ¡°i¡¯m just guessing based on my intuition. think of the worst. if your highness feels that my words are unfounded, i¡¯ll investigate again and find concrete clues as soon as possible.¡± dongfang liren felt that ye jingtang¡¯s intuition was very accurate. it wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t believe him, but suspecting a vassal prince for no reason might shake the foundation of the country. she thought for a moment and said, ¡°1 will pay close attention to this matter. without concrete evidence, i don¡¯t dare to say such things.¡± ye jingtang nodded. ¡°understood.¡± dongfang liren thought for a moment and looked out of the carriage. then she approached ye jingtang and whispered, ¡°if a vassal prince wants to break someone out of prison, his target can only be the eldest son of the emperor¡­¡± what dongfang liren said was very serious. in order to prevent the highly skilled guards outside the carriage from hearing it, she spoke very softly and almost touched the side of ye jingtang¡¯s face. ye jingtang caught the keyword and looked surprised. he turned around, but his cheek felt a warm, moist, and delicate sensation¡­ !! his words came to an abrupt halt. the two people sitting side by side froze on the spot at the same time. dongfang liren¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at the man in front of her in disbelief. ye jingtang¡¯s eyes also widened a little. his first reaction was to press the saber at his waist to prevent dumdum from cutting him. then he retreated a little to the side, covered his cheek, and looked at dumdum¡¯s red lips. their eyes met! the silver-haired, fat-headed dragon in front of dongfang liren gradually bulged up. her face was as red as blood, and her dignified and cold eyes actually filled with some mist. her appearance was similar to when he had suddenly seen her cleanly. ye jingtang wanted to pretend that nothing had happened and continue discussing the issue of the deposed emperor. but seeing that dumdum was about to erupt, he knew that she obviously wouldn¡¯t let the matter go. he thought for a moment and explained, ¡°uhh¡­ 1 was worried about the case and was careless¡­¡± ¡°how dare you!¡± dongfang liren restrained herself for a long time before she recovered from the indescribable impact. she gritted her teeth and reached out to grab the hilt of ye jingtang¡¯s saber. ye jingtang protected his saber. ¡°it was really an accident. your highness, please calm down.¡± dongfang liren¡¯s long eyelashes trembled slightly. seeing that ye jingtang still dared to protect the saber, she said coldly, ¡°let go of it! when you sneaked into the bright yang pool and did such a heinous thing, i didn¡¯t blame you for it. i¡¯ve already done my best to be benevolent. but this time, you still dare to be impudent?! so what if it was an accident? is manslaughter not a crime?¡± ye jingtang looked at the red cheeks in front of him and comforted her gently. ¡°i¡¯m investigating the case to pay off my debt. this is much less serious than last time¡­¡± less serious?dongfang liren had been seen naked last time, but at least she hadn¡¯t been touched. this time, he openly let her take the initiative to kiss him. how could this be called less serious? dongfang liren gritted her teeth. unable to snatch the saber, she raised her finger. tap, tap- ye jingtang¡¯s chest was tapped twice. he felt that his meridians were a little blocked, but there was not much difference. he looked at the fierce-looking dumdum doubtfully. the meaning in his eyes was probably: you¡¯re so angry that you¡¯re even pressing acupoints crookedly¡­ ? seeing that ye jingtang didn¡¯t lie down, dongfang liren was a little surprised. she raised her hand and prepared to tap him twice more. but how could ye jingtang fall for it a second time? he grabbed dongfang liren¡¯s wrist. ¡°alright, alright. 1¡¯11 add another debt. i¡¯ll definitely think of a way to solve the bamboo street case and make meritorious contributions to absolve my crimes, okay?¡± dongfang liren¡¯s face was frighteningly red. she looked at her wrist being held by the man with a cold gaze! ye jingtang let go of his hand and sat a little farther away. he raised his right hand slightly, but his left hand was still protecting the saber at his waist. dongfang liren glared at ye jingtang. her breathing was uneven, but in the end, she didn¡¯t pounce on ye jingtang and beat him up. she gritted her teeth silently, picked up a handkerchief from the side of the couch, and wiped her red lips resentfully. ye jingtang secretly heaved a sigh of relief. he also wanted to wipe his face with a handkerchief, but dumdum became furious. she turned around and glared at him. ¡°why are you wiping? do you disdain me?¡± ye jingtang paused and said innocently, ¡°there¡¯s rouge on my face. if i go out and someone sees me, won¡¯t 1 besmirch your highness¡¯s innocence?¡± dongfang liren took a closer look and indeed found a red lipstick mark on ye jingtang¡¯s face. the fat-headed dragon in front of her puffed up a little more. she waved his sleeve and pointed outside. ¡°get out!¡± ye jingtang held the handkerchief and asked, ¡°should 1 wipe it or not? alright¡­ i understand. i¡¯ll get out.¡± ye jingtang quickly wiped the lipstick mark on his face and got out of the carriage. dongfang liren clenched her hands tightly under her sleeves.. the scene in the bright yang pool that she didn¡¯t dare to recall was triggered by this sudden touch, and she felt restless¡­ Chapter 185 - Chapter 185: Taboo chapter 185: taboo translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios clomp clomp! the carriage entered the palace gate and headed toward the eternal joy palace. ye jingtang had been kicked out of the carriage and naturally lost the right of the princess accompanying him to visit the palace. after arriving at the eternal joy palace, only a palace maid brought him to the roaring dragon pond. the main purpose of this trip was to introduce him to various rules, such as which paths to take, where he could look, and where not to stay. there were many rules, but in summary, they were pretty straightforward: don¡¯t stay in places where the empress might appear. in addition, he was given a token that allowed him to enter and leave the palace freely. when he wanted to practice martial arts, he could enter the palace on his own without the prince of jing taking him, but he had to notify the palace and obtain approval before entering. logically speaking, ye jingtang could practice all night at the roaring dragon pond, but dumdum wasn¡¯t staying in the peaceful hall. he was afraid of offending the empress, so after memorizing all the rules, he bade farewell to the palace maid and prepared to leave. just as he reached the shore of the roaring dragon pond, he found a gorgeous woman in a bright red dress walking out from near the peaceful hall. she stood by the lake and looked at the night scenery. ye jingtang knew that yuhu was a member of the eternal joy palace, so he wasn¡¯t surprised to see her. when he passed by, he cupped his hands and bowed. ¡°hello, miss yuhu.¡± the empress of great wei turned around with a smile in her eyes. ¡°her majesty is in the imperial study. there¡¯s still a while before her majesty will go to the resting palace. young master, since you¡¯re already here, aren¡¯t you going to stay at the roaring dragon pond for a while?¡± ¡°her highness the prince of jing brought me in. since her highness isn¡¯t here, it¡¯s not convenient for me to stay here alone.¡± ye jingtang walked over and asked, ¡°last time, was it because you helped put in a good word for me that her majesty allowed me to come to the roaring dragon pond to practice martial arts?¡± the empress leaned against the railing by the lake with her arms crossed in front of her chest. ¡°since i¡¯ve spoken, i naturally won¡¯t go back on my word. a few days ago, 1 served her majesty for half the night before her majesty agreed to this matter. how are you going to thank me?¡± ? served for half the night¡­ ye jingtang had a strange look in his eyes. ¡°i¡¯m just a commoner. other than some money, i have nothing else to offer. a few days ago, 1 asked her highness to see if her highness could facilitate freeing you. in the end, i was reprimanded by her highness. alas¡­¡± the empress looked surprised. ¡°you asked the prince of jing for me?¡± asked for you?ye jingtang felt that this woman was a real tiger. he shook his head and said, ¡°miss, please don¡¯t misunderstand. i just saw that you were worried about your hair turning white, so 1 wanted to help you think of a solution.¡± the empress knew that her sister must have taught ye jingtang a lesson for asking this. she shook her head and sighed. ¡°you are really a silly child. how can people leave the imperial city as they please? i¡¯m very comfortable here, and i don¡¯t want to leave. don¡¯t have such crooked ideas in the future.¡± there was indeed nothing that ye jingtang could do. he only smiled at this. the empress leaned against the fence and thought for a moment before asking, ¡°how¡¯s the saber technique from last time? have you found a way to break the dragon slaying decree?¡± the first time ye jingtang had hit cheng shilu, he had used the saber in his right hand. in fact, he had already sensed something. ¡°there¡¯s indeed no way to break the move with a kick. if i use the eight-steps frenzied blade in my right hand and press my elbow against the back of my saber, 1 feel that 1 can forcefully receive the dragon slaying decree. i haven¡¯t discovered any problems yet.¡± ¡°do you want me to practice with you?¡± ye jingtang wanted to practice, but it was clearly inconvenient outside the peaceful hall, so he shook his head and said, ¡°let¡¯s spar next time. this place is her majesty¡¯s resting palace. it¡¯s not good to disturb the palace servants.¡± hearing this, the empress didn¡¯t insist and reminded, ¡°her majesty said that you can only practice the roaring dragon chart step by step. you have to be careful in the future and not take the wrong path.¡± when ye jingtang heard this, his expression turned solemn as he asked, ¡°miss, what do you mean?¡± ¡°although the roaring dragon chart is mysterious, to put it bluntly, it¡¯s still pages of paper that record strange secret techniques. as long as you learn them, you can practice them even without the pages on your body. you should be able to tell, right?¡± ye jingtang walked to miss yuhu. ¡°that¡¯s true. and?¡± ¡°this is just like other books. knowledge already exists in the world. books are only tools for ¡®discovering, recording, and passing down¡¯. the books don¡¯t create a kind of knowledge out of thin air.¡± the empress looked at the starry sky. ¡°it¡¯s the same for the roaring dragon chart. there are longevity methods in this world, and the roaring dragon chart only records a feasible path discovered by predecessors. as long as you find this path, even without the roaring dragon chart, you can still live forever.¡± ye jingtang felt that this explanation was a little special. he thought for a moment and said, ¡°you mean that even without the roaring dragon chart, you can figure out the qi circulation methods of those secret techniques on your own?¡± the empress nodded. ¡°in theory, that¡¯s the case. however, the qi circulation methods of secular martial arts are all ¡®unparalleled in history¡¯. the roaring dragon chart is thousands of times more complicated, and creating your own is even more so. many martial arts geniuses once tried to comprehend the methods on their own in the absence of the roaring dragon chart.¡± ye jingtang had practiced the jade bone picture and dragon form picture before, so he could confirm that the roaring dragon chart was a set of methods. each picture was a branch line that could be intertwined and integrated into one. if one¡¯s comprehension was good enough, it was indeed possible to deduce the qi circulation methods of the other roaring dragon chart pictures. but the workload and risk were too great. he had never thought about this before. ¡°has anyone ever succeeded in history?¡± ¡°the reason why the roaring dragon chart is unique and precious is because what¡¯s recorded in it is the only correct path at the moment. there won¡¯t be any mistakes if you practice it. but figuring out the path on your own is a gamble with your life at every step. as long as you take a wrong step, it will bring about unpredictable consequences.¡± the empress looked at ye jingtang¡¯s body. ¡°the roaring dragon chart is a mystic technique that changes the physique. if you don¡¯t follow the correct path, your body will naturally become abnormal. there are countless people who have tried in history. it¡¯s considered lucky to go crazy and die suddenly. ¡°among them, some unlucky people trained until their entire bodies were stiff. they couldn¡¯t move their hands or speak and suffocated to death. some had their bones and skin melt, rotting clean from the inside out. there was a eunuch in the previous dynasty who wanted to figure out the fire bathing picture on his own to regenerate his broken limbs, but his entire body became covered in flesh lumps. when he died, he didn¡¯t look human at all¡­¡± ye jingtang frowned, his heart palpitating when he heard this. ¡°no one in history has ever succeeded?¡± the empress nodded. ¡°no. those who are lucky and stop in time might live to the end of their lives, but those who are stubborn will all die horrendously without exception. therefore, hundreds of years ago, it became a taboo for top martial artists to ponder over the roaring dragon chart on their own. only when people can¡¯t survive and have no other choice will they drink poison to quench their thirst.¡± ye jingtang nodded thoughtfully. ¡°i will definitely remember this.¡± after the two of them chatted for a while, ye jingtang didn¡¯t stay long because it was already night. he quickly bade farewell and left. leaning against the railing, the empress watched him leave. only when ye jingtang left did she secretly sigh and lift a strand of her long hair to take a look¡­ meanwhile, in the great blessing palace¡­ after the wind and rain stopped, the bright moonlight shone between the palaces and pavilions. the great blessing palace had been imperial consort wang¡¯s palace back then, and it had also been the residence of the empress and her sister. dongfang liren was wearing her silver python robe, standing alone in the pavilion by the lotus pond, looking up at the moonlight in the sky. her appearance was noble and calm, like a steady prince thinking about national affairs alone on a moonlit night. but in her heart, she kept recalling the shocking feeling when her lips touched his cheek. 1 actually kissed him¡­ although he didn¡¯t do it on purpose, he knew fear and trepidation after seeing my body last time. this time, after the kiss, he acted as if nothing had happened. its because he knows 1 won¡¯t punish him, so he¡¯s getting more and more arrogant¡­ while she was letting her imagination run wild, a palace maid ran over and reported, ¡°your highness, young master ye is preparing to leave the palace. he asked me to ask if your highness has any other arrangements. does your highness want him to escort your highness back to the prince¡¯s estate?¡± dongfang liren frowned. ¡°he¡¯s not practicing at the roaring dragon pond?¡± ¡°your highness is not there. young master ye is worried about offending her majesty.¡± dongfang liren had followed him into the palace because she was afraid that her unpredictable sister would do something out of line when she wasn¡¯t around. hearing that ye jingtang knew what was appropriate, she was quite satisfied. but when she thought of the intimate contact just now, she really felt embarrassed to be with him. she instructed, ¡°let him leave the palace on his own. 1 will stay in the palace tonight.¡± ¡°yes, your highness.¡± dongfang liren deliberated for a moment and recalled the serious matter she had just discussed with ye jingtang. she said, ¡°go to the qilin pavilion and find a book. it¡¯s a travelogue related to architecture and the heir of the prince of liang two hundred years ago and contains content about digging tunnels. find it and bring it to me.¡± ¡°yes, your highness.¡± after the palace maid left, dongfang liren looked at the moonlight in the lotus pond again.. after a moment of silence, she took out a jade hairpin from her sleeve and gently stroked it¡­ Chapter 186 - Chapter 186: Inside and Outside the Palace (1) chapter 186: inside and outside the palace (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the moon hung above the branches. ye jingtang carried the bird and returned on foot. along the way, under the moonlight, he continued to read the secret history of the romantic empress in his hand. although the small interlude that happened before he entered the palace was far less impactful than dumdum¡¯s frontal body bomb attack, it still stirred up some waves in his heart. when dumdum mentioned the eldest son of the emperor, ye jingtang had some guesses. the eldest son of the emperor was the deposed emperor who had been pulled down from his throne. according to the official statement, he shouldn¡¯t have been given poisonous wine or died from a sudden illness. the deposed emperor was the legitimate successor of great wei, and it would definitely be a huge disaster if he didn¡¯t die. whether it was vassal princes or enemy countries, as long as they could get him, they might be able to support a puppet emperor of great wei and legitimately attack the empress. eunuch cao was a die-hard loyalist of great wei, and he was equivalent to the late emperor¡¯s trusted minister. his disciple had appeared in the capital, and what he wanted to do was most likely related to the deposed emperor. through these clues and guesses, a vein gradually appeared in ye jingtang¡¯s mind. the prince of wu had won over the remnants of the deposed emperor and wanted to restore the orthodox lineage of great wei. but he was not strong enough, so he approached the pacifying heaven cult to discuss cooperation. even if the pacifying heaven cult agreed, the prince of wu, who was surrounded on three sides, didn¡¯t dare to raise his banner and proclaim himself emperor. thus, he needed a proper cause. if the deposed emperor were in the hands of the prince of wu, the prince of wu could use the name of ¡®supporting great wei¡¯ to incite the other vassal princes to crusade legitimately against the empress, who had usurped the throne. therefore, the prince of wu had arranged for many special agents to come to the capital to operate secretly in an attempt to take the deposed emperor away. ye jingtang¡¯s reasoning was a little hasty, but it seemed very likely at the moment. however, he didn¡¯t have any evidence. he couldn¡¯t confirm if this speculation was true, and he still had to continue investigating¡­ while deep in thought, the man and bird returned to dye workshop street. it was already late at night, and there was no one on dye workshop street, which was still under reconstruction. when ye jingtang entered double osmanthus alley, he smelled the faint smell of medicine coming from the depths of the alley. after thinking for a moment, he walked quietly outside the courtyard wall, wanting to see what elder sister ning¡¯er was doing. the door of the main room was closed, and there was a faint sound of breathing. it seemed that yunli had fallen asleep. in the west wing, where he slept, the lights were on, but there was no sound. from the silhouette on the window paper, he could only see a tall woman standing in front of the bronze mirror. she was rotating her body left and right to size it up and even used her hand to shake the little watermelons¡­ tap, tap- ?! ye jingtang was slightly stunned. he stopped the bird from entering the courtyard and instructed it to guard the entrance of the alley. then he landed in the courtyard with his extraordinary movement technique and went to his room¡­ earlier¡­ after luo ning returned from outside the city, she made dinner and boiled the medicine she had bought from madam wang. after they finished the meal and yunli did her homework, luo ning saw that ye jingtang had not returned yet, so the two of them went to bed first. but if the man didn¡¯t come home at night, he might even be having fun on the dragon bed with the princess. how could luo ning, who had been with the little thief for so long, sleep? after tossing and turning without feeling sleepy, luo ning got up, went to the west wing, sat down by the bed, took out the small silk bag from under the clothes at her bosom, and sized it up. the palm-sized silk bag contained two sets of smallclothes, totalling four pieces. the total amount of fabric used might not even be as much as a pair of pants. luo ning took out a folded upper garment from inside and examined it. it looked like a black triangular handkerchief. she didn¡¯t know how it was woven, but it was cut-out. other than the two peony flowers covering the key points, the other parts were at most decorative, giving a clear view¡­ luo ning¡¯s cold face revealed a hint of distaste. she took out the matching panties and looked at them. it was the same design. not only were they mostly cut-out, but they couldn¡¯t even cover her butt¡­ how immoral! how can women wear such things¡­ after all, luo ning was from a prestigious family in jiang province and was the cult mistress of the pacifying heaven cult. no matter what, she could be considered the wife of a wealthy and powerful jianghu family. when she saw courtesans wearing such shameful smallclothes, she got goosebumps all over her body. she wanted to throw them away so that the little thief wouldn¡¯t see them and harm her. but they were so expensive¡­ the workmanship is indeed not bad. they¡¯re seamless, and the texture is excellent¡­ why don¡¯t 1 let third lady wear them? she¡¯s more coquettish¡­ no, isn¡¯t this sending supplies to the enemy¡­ luo ning sized up the unsightly smallclothes for a moment. although she felt aversion in her heart, no one would see. after thinking about it, she stood up, took off her blue dress and undergarment, covered the little watermelons with the triangular piece of gauze, and tied the strings behind her back and neck. after putting it on, luo ning stood gracefully in front of the bronze mirror and looked around. her gaze landed on the little watermelons¡¯¡­ umm¡­ southern hemispheres¡­ luo ning frowned. she felt that there was a shameless, lecherous seductress in the mirror. if baijin saw her, she would point at her head and scold her for being indecent. only the little thief¡¯s eyes would shine¡­ luo ning raised her hand and shook the little watermelons. to her surprise, she found that this small undergarment looked indecent, but the wrapping feeling was not bad. after thinking about it, she picked up the palm-sized panties, put them on, and tied bows on the sides of her round butt. after putting them on, before luo ning could appreciate them, she heard footsteps coming from the courtyard and the little thief¡¯s quiet voice. ¡°heroine luo?¡± ?! luo ning was so shocked that her shoulders trembled slightly. she hurriedly pulled her dress over and whispered, ¡°yunli just fell asleep. i made you some medicine. it¡¯s in the kitchen¡­¡± squeak! just as she picked up the dress, the door was pushed open. luo ning might as well be naked now. seeing this, she hurriedly rolled onto the bed and covered her body with the thin blanket, her eyes slightly terrified. ¡°little thief, i¡¯m changing my clothes. don¡¯t come in¡­¡± ye jingtang pushed open the door and saw fair beauty rolling into the blanket. after a slight pause, he continued in and closed the door.. Chapter 187 - Chapter 187: Inside and Outside the Palace (2) chapter 187: inside and outside the palace (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ?! luo ning was furious, but she was afraid that yunli would hear her, so she could only whisper, ¡°little thief, are you trying to anger me to death? get out!¡± ye jingtang closed the door. without any evil thoughts in his eyes, he walked to the bed with a solemn expression. ¡°1 just got some information and want to discuss it with you¡­¡± luo ning was afraid ye jingtang would see her indecent clothes and was full of embarrassment. she gritted her teeth and said, ¡°little thief, if you continue like this, 1 will ignore you from now on!¡± ¡°i¡¯m talking about serious matters. i¡¯m not messing around. i feel that the matter with the prince of wu¡¯s heir is related to the deposed emperor¡­¡± how could luo ning be in the mood to listen to this? she said angrily, ¡°go out first and let me put on my clothes!¡± ye jingtang turned around, and his back faced the bed. ¡°i won¡¯t look. this matter is very important. it might cause chaos in the world¡­¡± luo ning carefully glanced at the little thief¡¯s back. seeing that he didn¡¯t seem to be faking it, she carefully let go of the blanket and leaned over to take the dress by the bed. but the little thief never disappointed her. just as she sat up, the little thief in front of her turned around. their eyes met. ye jingtang turned to look at the bed. under the dim yellow candlelight, elder sister ning¡¯er, whose skin was as fair and smooth as cream, was sitting sideways on the bed with her long black hair coiled up in a dignified and intellectual style. her beautiful peach blossom eyes were misty, and her long eyelashes were trembling slightly. her soft red lips were slightly open, revealing a hint of helplessness. the silky-smooth little watermelons were wrapped in a triangular piece of black gauze. the fabric wasn¡¯t large, but it was extremely exquisite. under the candlelight, it even emitted a delicate luster. he could see the carefully outlined patterns of the sea of flowers. the color of the flesh was vaguely visible, and at the top were two black peonies¡­ due to the thin blanket covering her lower body, he couldn¡¯t see much. he could only see a bow tied with a black string at her waist¡­ although ye jingtang had heard from third lady that these kinds of clothes were very bold, when he saw them with his own eyes, he realized that it was really not unreasonable to buy them at such a high price. this exquisite workmanship style was not only bold, but it even completely launched a fierce attack on a man¡¯s vital points¡­ when luo ning saw that ye jingtang had turned around, she was stunned. her face was as red as blood, and in her embarrassment and anger, she wanted to find her sword to silence him. ye jingtang walked over, sat down, held luo ning¡¯s wrist, and looked at her carefully. ¡°you look pretty. you¡¯re already wearing them. why are you still shy? no one will laugh at you.¡± luo ning felt so ashamed that she couldn¡¯t show her face. she gritted her teeth and explained, ¡°how could i wear such shameless clothes? when i went to get medicine for you, madam wang asked me to take care of her friend¡¯s business. 1 couldn¡¯t disappoint her, so 1 bought two pieces¡­¡± ye jingtang knew that ning¡¯er was thin-skinned. he nodded and said, ¡°yes, yes, yes. it would be a waste to throw them away, so you were just trying them on when 1 accidentally bumped into you.¡± ¡°that¡¯s how it is. go out¡­¡± ¡°i¡¯ll just look. i won¡¯t move.¡± ¡°you!¡± luo ning wanted to tear off the embarrassing clothes, but the little thief refused to let go. helpless, she could only put on an expression of ¡®there¡¯s no greater sorrow than a dead heart¡¯ and look to the side with tears in her eyes. ye jingtang was already used to this appearance of hers. he held her wrists, moved them away, and carefully sized her up. ¡°the workmanship is really good. i feel that this is much better than a dudou¡­¡± luo ning endured for a moment and thought of something. she asked, ¡°by the way, i asked madam wang today, and madam wang said¡­ said¡­¡± luo ning leaned close to ye jingtang¡¯s ear, said something about ¡®warm up¡¯, and then said, ¡°1 asked her how to do it, and she asked me to ask you. can it help you treat your body without doing it for real?¡± ye jingtang blinked, a little amused. ¡°it can, but i¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to do it.¡± luo ning had already really done it. what couldn¡¯t she do to warm up? she said coldly, ¡°teach me first, and then we¡¯ll talk.¡± ye jingtang looked outside and whispered, ¡°will yunli wake up?¡± luo ning blinked, put on her dress, and stood up. ¡°i¡¯ll go put yunli to sleep.¡± hearing this, ye jingtang naturally didn¡¯t stop her. he wanted to build a big house as soon as possible. but he saw heroine luo quietly return to the main room, close the door, and lock it¡­ click. nothing else happened. ?? ye jingtang was stunned. he knew that he had been tricked. he walked out of his room, looked at the dark main room, and whispered, ¡°heroine luo?¡± ¡°hmph~!¡± a cold harrumph came from inside the room. the meaning was probably: little thief, what goes around comes around. ye jingtang stood in the courtyard and spread his hands slightly, feeling a little helpless. fortunately, after he waited for a while, the door of the main room opened, and luo ning walked out. ¡°do you think i¡¯m as untrustworthy as you, little thief?¡± ye jingtang¡¯s eyes were full of smiles. he walked up to his wife and held her hand. ¡°1 know.. if you don¡¯t agree in the future, 1 will never hold you and look in the mirror¡­ hiss¡ª¡± Chapter 188 - Chapter 188: Inside and Outside the Palace (3) chapter 188: inside and outside the palace (3) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios meanwhile, in the empress dowager¡¯s bedchamber¡­ it was already late at night, and the lights in the palace were sparse. there were some sounds of watch splashing coming from the windows on the side of the bedchamber. splash- the large hall was full of mist. in the circular bathing pool in the center, dongfang liren was leaning against the edge and stirring the water in front of her with her hands. her eyes were slightly lost in thought, still thinking about the intimate contact in the afternoon. the empress dowager was leaning beside her naked, her posture like a lazy noble consort, as she chatted about the banquet today. ¡°how can someone taste the age of a roasted suckling pig? i tasted it too. it was oily and greasy, and i didn¡¯t feel anything special¡­¡± hongyu was soaking in the pool and massaging the empress dowager1 s back while explaining, ¡°practice makes perfect. with the prince of wu¡¯s heir¡¯s stomach, he can probably eat an entire pig at a time. the more he eats, the more experience he will have¡­¡± during their chat, a palace maid walked over from behind the screen, holding a tray with a hardcover book in her hands. her gaze was very strange, but she didn¡¯t dare to say anything. she just silently went to the side of the bath. ¡°your highness, the book you wanted has been found in the qilin pavilion.¡± dongfang liren raised her hand to pick up the book from the tray. just as she was about to flip through it, she saw the words ¡®the secret history of the romantic empress¡¯ on the cover. she instantly came back to her senses. the empress dowager was leaning beside her. she just casually turned her head to look, but when she saw it, her gaze stopped on the title of the book, and she blinked her big eyes. dongfang liren quickly covered the title of the book and looked at the palace maid. ¡°how presumptuous! 1 asked you to go to the qilin pavilion to get a book. what did you get?¡± the palace maid shivered in fear and said aggrievedly, ¡°i asked eunuch wang of the qilin pavilion to confirm it many times. eunuch wang said that this is the only book that meets your highness¡¯s requirements, so 1 brought it over¡­¡± dongfang liren¡¯s eyes were blank. she thought that there was only a problem with the name, so she opened it and read the content. in the end, the first chapter of the opening chapter was: the amorous noble heir visited the palace in the middle of the night, and the widowed empress dowager in the phoenix pool met her destiny¡­ the empress dowager was stunned when she saw these treacherous words. she took the book and pretended to be dignified. ¡°who is so bold as to write romantic scandals about me¡­ oh, it¡¯s an empress dowager of van. that scared me¡­¡± dongfang liren was baffled. she thought that the palace maid must have taken the wrong book, but when she flipped to the middle, she quickly found the content that ye jingtang had shown her¡­ this pervert//dongfang liren was furious and immediately wanted to confront ye jingtang. but the empress dowager was very interested and flipped the book to the beginning. ¡°this book is quite detailed. it even knows how many branches the ginkgo tree has. the person who wrote it must have been to the longevity palace.11 dongfang liren read the opening chapter carefully and indeed found that the description of the empress dowager¡¯s palace in the book was very similar to the current longevity palace. and the ¡®phoenix pool¡¯ in the book was the bathing pool she was lying in¡­ it seems that it¡¯s really a book related to architecture¡­ but there are so many books that record the appearance of the capital. why did he have to choose this one? could it be because this book is more detailed¡­ in order to investigate more, dongfang liren leaned beside the empress dowager and read the details carefully. as for the empress dowager, she clearly wasn¡¯t interested in the long-winded description of buildings. as she read the plot of the empress dowager of yan breaking through taboo and meeting a man in private, she said with a strange expression, ¡°eh- empress dowager xuanyang was quite famous in the previous dynasty. i didn¡¯t expect her to be so¡­ so unrestrained in private¡­¡± dongfang liren felt that it wasn¡¯t appropriate for rhe empress dowager to see these ¡®precedents¡¯. perhaps she was afraid that the empress dowager would learn from them, so she reminded, ¡°empress dowager xuanyang took part in politics when the emperor of yan was young and offended many people. this is all dirty water splashed by rebels. it shouldn¡¯t taken seriously¡­¡± the empress dowager shook her head and said, ¡°this book doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s made up. look at this stone. 1 used to wonder why it was polished to this extent, but now, 1 found out that empress dowager xuanyang had it made.¡± although the book was written nearly 200 years ago, great wei continued to use the imperial city of the previous dynasty and only renovated it without rebuilding it. as long as things made of precious stones like the bathing pool were maintained well, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem to use them for hundreds of years. it was no different from what was described in the book. dongfang liren followed the empress dowager¡¯s finger and looked at the stone platform in the bathing pool for laying on. she found a semicircular depression on it. after reading a few paragraphs in the book, the empress dowager leaned against the edge of the bathing pool and slid down a little. she raised her fair legs in the water and assumed a very¡­ very embarrassing posture. she said thoughtfully, ¡°i knew it. so it turns out this is how you sit in it. it¡¯s just right and not uncomfortable at all. it¡¯s just that it¡¯s not easy to relax my legs¡­¡± dongfang liren felt that this posture wasn¡¯t right. after some thought, she moved to the front of the empress dowager. according to the knowledge she had learned from the tears of a heroine, he put her arms under the crooks of the empress dowager¡¯s legs and supported her on the edge of the bathing pool. she lowered her head and looked at her beautiful and moving empress dowager. ¡°how about this?¡± ¡°i see¡­¡± the plump and smooth empress dowager was half lying in the pool water with her legs on liren¡¯s arms. she wanted to say that it was just right, but she immediately reacted. what am 1 doing in this posture¡­ the bathing pool fell silent. dongfang liren¡¯s face slowly turned red. she quickly stopped this rebellious posture, got up, walked out of the bathing pool, and picked up a bathrobe to cover her exquisite figure. ¡°people, smash this lousy pool and build another one.¡± the empress dowager¡¯s face was also red, and her expression was rather strange. she left the bathing pool and wrapped her body in a thin blanket. ¡°an old object from two hundred years ago was smashed and rebuilt for no reason. the internal affairs supervisor will definitely say that i¡¯m not diligent and frugal. it¡¯s better to keep it. this book is really detailed. let¡¯s go search and see if there¡¯s anything similar¡­¡± dongfang liren didn¡¯t know what to say.. she put on her robe and followed the empress dowager around the palace, studying these clues that originated from the previous dynasty¡­ Chapter 189 - Chapter 189: Tunnel chapter 189: tunnel translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the sun rose in the east, and the golden morning sunlight shone on the window paper, illuminating the brush, ink, paper, inkstone, and turtle ornament on the desk. the fluffy white bird was lying on the snack plate on the table, tilting its head in a rather awkward posture, sleeping like a pig. ye jingtang was wearing his clothes in front of the bronze mirror. he could vaguely hear the words of the good wife and mother disciplining their daughter coming from the main room next door. ¡°hurry up and get up. the sun is shining on your butt¡­¡± ¡°martial mistress, where¡¯s my undergarment¡­¡± ¡°shh! shameless¡­ your brother jingtang is next door¡­¡± ¡°hehe~¡± although they weren¡¯t really a family of three, this feeling was still very blissful. but when ye jingtang thought about how this happiness should belong to the pacifying heaven cult master, he felt even more pressured. when he returned the night before yesterday, he didn¡¯t visit third lady, who had yet to recover from her injuries, because he had a lot of things to do yesterday. after ye jingtang got dressed, he bade farewell to heroine luo and led his horse out of the courtyard. he wanted to go to heavenly water bridge to take a look before investigating the matter of the prince of wu¡¯s heir. but as soon as he carried the bird out of dye workshop street, he saw a fast horse galloping over, and sitting on it was a constable of the black office. the constable shouted from afar, ¡°young master ye.¡± ye jingtang rode his horse to the front and asked, ¡°is her highness looking for me?¡± the black office constable cupped his hands and bowed. ¡°just now, her highness sent a message asking you to go to the longevity palace immediately. her highness didn¡¯t explain anything.¡± ye jingtang was a little puzzled, but since dumdum had summoned him, he couldn¡¯t reject it. he could only ask the bird to go to the pei residence to help him report his safety while he flew to the imperial city. because it wasn¡¯t his first time entering the palace, he was familiar with the way. he stopped the horse outside the imperial city, showed his token, and entered. he passed through the corridors of the palaces and pavilions and arrived at the longevity palace near the imperial garden. there were relatively few people in the longevity palace. hongyu was waiting outside the palace door. when she saw ye jingtang walking over, she hurriedly went forward. ¡°young master ye, you are finally here.¡± ye jingtang walked to her and sized her up for a moment. he saw some mud on the palace maid¡¯s skirt and asked, ¡°what happened?¡± hongyu led ye jingtang into the palace and explained along the way, ¡°yesterday, when her highness and her majesty were bathing, they found a book that contained many secrets of the palace. her majesty searched for half the night¡­¡± when ye jingtang heard this, he guessed that dumdum must have discovered the secret history of the romantic empress. but judging from the situation, dumdum wasn¡¯t angry, so he didn¡¯t feel guilty. he followed hongyu around and arrived at the bedchamber of the longevity palace. outside the originally clean and tidy bedchamber, there was a pile of soil and gravel. in a room in the side hall, a few palace maids were standing and digging with hoes. there was already a big pit in the ground. the tall and dignified dongfang liren was standing under the eaves of the room, holding a book in her hand and studying it intently. the plump and fair empress dowager was wearing casual clothes, looking at the big pit in the room with great interest. after looking at them a few times, ye jingtang walked over to dongfang liren and cupped his hands. ¡°your highness?¡± dongfang liren quickly closed the book, turned around, and raised her hand to signal. ¡°ye jingtang, is this the book you used to learn how to investigate cases?¡± ye jingtang nodded honestly. ¡°that¡¯s right. the buildings in the capital are described in great detail. your highness must have seen it too.¡± dongfang liren felt that the matters between men and women were written in more detail, but it had indeed been quite interesting to accompany the empress dowager to look for old relics last night, so she didn¡¯t say anything. she turned her head and gestured to the room where the palace maids were digging. ¡°many of the things written in the book are quite accurate. it even said there¡¯s a tunnel below that leads to the noble heir¡¯s residence of the previous dynasty. however, there¡¯s no record of this in the palace. do you think it¡¯s true?¡± ye jingtang had read the secret history of the romantic empress and knew that it was a tunnel used by the empress dowager to have an affair. he thought for a moment and said, ¡°the heir¡¯s residence in the book is near literary virtue bridge. there¡¯s too much work required to dig from here. i feel that it¡¯s not realistic.¡± the empress dowager turned around when she heard the conversation and realized that ye jingtang had arrived. she put on the dignified and majestic bearing of an empress dowager and slowly walked over. ¡°1 don¡¯t think this matter is fabricated. yesterday in the phoenix pool¡­¡± ¡°empress dowager!¡± dongfang liren was afraid that the empress dowager would tell him about the ¡®mother-daughter pose¡¯ last night, so she hurriedly went forward and supported her like a filial daughter. ¡°there¡¯s a lot of dust here. go back to your bedchamber and rest first. when the digging is done, i¡¯ll get someone to invite you over.¡± the empress dowager naturally refused to leave. ¡°the palace can suffocate people to death. i¡¯ll just watch here without getting in the way. if you want to talk to ye jingtang, just say it. i won¡¯t disturb you.¡± dongfang liren¡¯s gaze was a little strange when she heard the empress dowager¡¯s words, but she couldn¡¯t explain it. she looked at ye jingtang. ¡°i asked you to come over and help. don¡¯t just watch.¡± ye jingtang smiled and didn¡¯t say anything else. he entered the room, asked the few pitiful palace maids to retreat, jumped into the pit that was half a person deep, and stepped on it with his feet. then he pulled out the hornless dragon saber, inserted it into the soil, and pressed it down with his palm. swish! it was as if the blade of the saber was being inserted into sand inch by inch. it only stopped when only the hilt was showing. ye jingtang sensed carefully. ¡°there¡¯s a stone slab below. there really must be something here.¡± while speaking, he grabbed a shovel and threw away the compacted soil, quickly revealing a limestone slab. the empress dowager was very curious. she stuck her head out over the pit. ¡°is that the tunnel down there?¡± ye jingtang squatted down and knocked on the stone slab with his hand, making a thumping sound. he nodded and said, ¡°the stone slab is about three inches thick, and it¡¯s empty underneath. it should be the tunnel.¡± dongfang liren entered the room and frowned. ¡°there¡¯s a secret passage in the palace. this isn¡¯t a small matter. open it and see if it¡¯s sealed.¡± hearing this, ye jingtang threw the shovel into the room and waved his hand. ¡°stand back.¡± dongfang liren was slightly puzzled as she left the room. ¡°what are you doing?¡± ye jingtang felt that this stone slab was quite big, but he didn¡¯t have time to dig slowly. he stood in the pit and took a deep breath. then he raised his palm and suddenly slapped the stone slab. boom! crack! lightning-like cracks appeared on the stone slab under his feet. the empress dowager felt her feet go numb from vibrating. she hurriedly retreated and hid behind dongfang liren. dongfang liren widened her eyes and reminded, ¡°be careful of hurting your hand.¡± ye jingtang only used palm strikes because he was afraid of hurting his hand. he immediately circulated his qi again and slapped three consecutive times. bam! bam! boom! when the last palm strike landed, the stone slab shattered into pieces and collapsed with the broken soil. ye jingtang quickly jumped up and landed steadily outside the pit. whoosh! when the dust in the room settled, a five-foot-square hole appeared in the middle of the room. with the light from outside, they could see the stone wall below. when the empress dowager saw this, she wanted to go in and take a look, but dongfang liren was afraid that there was a trap, so she held her back. ye jingtang waited for a moment and didn¡¯t see anything unusual. then he carried his saber to the entrance of the tunnel and looked inside. he could see that this was the end of the tunnel, and on the other side was a staircase leading down. it was pitch-black, and he didn¡¯t know where it led. ¡°this tunnel doesn¡¯t look blocked. it just had the entrance sealed.¡± as ye jingtang spoke, he took out a flame stick from his waist. after blowing on it, he threw it into the depths of the tunnel. tap, tap, tap¡­ after the flame stick rolled down the stairs, it rolled deeper. even when it stopped, the fire was still lit. ¡°it looks like there are air vents. i shouldn¡¯t suffocate to death if i go in.¡± when dongfang liren heard this, she was slightly surprised. she walked over to take a look. ¡°you¡¯ve been in a tomb before?¡± ¡°hmm?¡± ye jingtang looked up, confused. dongfang liren explained, ¡°the black office caught a few tomb raiders. throwing flame sticks into tunnels is a habit of tomb raiders.¡± ye jingtang shook his head slightly while looking at the tunnel that might not have been opened for 200 years and asked, ¡°should i seal it directly or go in and take a look?¡± dongfang liren definitely had to seal the tunnel. otherwise, it would be troublesome if the empress dowager suddenly had a whim one day and sneaked out to play. but before sealing it, she still wanted to see where the tunnel led. ¡°bring me down to have a look.¡± ye jingtang carefully examined the underground structure. after confirming that it was just a simple underground passage, he jumped in. dongfang liren asked a palace maid to bring two lanterns and jumped in as well. when the empress dowager saw this scene, she was a little unhappy. she went to the tunnel entrance and lowered her head. ¡°you¡¯re just going to leave me here?¡± dongfang liren knew that the empress dowager was bored and curious. she checked the tunnel left and right and didn¡¯t find anything unusual, so she flew up, hugged the empress dowager¡¯s waist, and jumped into the tunnel. seeing this, hongyu also wanted to jump down, but the empress dowager said solemnly, ¡°stay here obediently. if the tunnel collapses, call people to dig me out as soon as possible.¡± ¡°oh.¡± hongyu shrank back resentfully. for safety reasons, ye jingtang didn¡¯t let the two of them follow behind. he raised his hand to signal. ¡°i¡¯ll walk in front and scout the way. after confirming that there¡¯s no problem, your highness and your majesty will follow. if anything happens, retreat. don¡¯t worry about me.¡± dongfang liren handed a lantern to ye jingtang.. then she held the other lantern, protected the empress dowager, and followed behind while keeping a distance¡­ Chapter 190 - Chapter 190: Crypt Adventure chapter 190: crypt adventure translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios tread, tread¡­ three footsteps landed in the enclosed tunnel that had been sealed for more than a hundred years. the deep stone path buried deep underground was about two meters wide and tall. the two sides were made of stone bricks, and the top was arched. the tunnel was built extremely solid. ye jingtang raised the lantern and carefully sized up the bricks in the tunnel. then he tapped the floor lightly with his scabbard to determine the bricks¡¯ solidity and sturdiness. he found that they were extremely sturdy and looked normal. dongfang liren held the lantern in her hand and was also checking the details of the tunnel while slowly following ye jingtang. the empress dowager looked at the dark and deep tunnel and felt a little nervous. she followed behind liren, but after taking a few steps in, another figure landed at the entrance and called out, ¡°your majesty.¡± ye jingtang turned around and saw that the person who came was a middle-aged palace maid with an official saber hanging at her waist. he had seen her the first time he entered the palace. she was a junior commander of the imperial city¡¯s secret guards, yang lan, and in charge of the safety of the empress dowager¡¯s palace. it was also because of this that he couldn¡¯t go to the ginkgo tree to dig up the treasure left behind by his foster father. the empress dowager was originally quite nervous. but when she turned around and saw the palace maid running over, she was a little resentful. ¡°this place hasn¡¯t been opened for two hundred years. nothing will happen. i¡¯m not nervous at all with them in front of me. go outside and wait. if something really happens, come save me.¡± yang lan checked the conditions of the tunnel at the entrance and could tell that it had been built as an escape route. the way the walls and ceiling were built and sealed made it difficult to hide mechanisms. it looked quite safe. even though the place was safe, the people might not be. ye jingtang was a man, and he was very powerful. if the prince of jing and the empress dowager ran around with him, what if his beastly nature erupted and he ate them? what the empress dowager had read in the secret history of the romantic empress for half the night last night might come true. yang lan knew that the empress dowager¡¯s life in the palace was boring, so she wanted to find some excitement. she didn¡¯t spoil the mood and only said, ¡°i¡¯ll follow behind. i¡¯ll rush over immediately if anything happens.¡± the empress dowager raised her hand to signal her to step back. then she held dongfang liren¡¯s sleeve and followed ye jingtang into the pitch-black tunnel. because the tunnel had to bypass lakes and other environments, it wasn¡¯t a straight line. in some places, it would go down for a few feet before rising again, seemingly jumping over the foundation of a palace. holding the small lantern, ye jingtang slowly walked on the floor tiles. he took each step carefully and checked the firmness of the walls and the floor. dongfang liren followed twenty steps behind. perhaps infected by ye jingtang¡¯s cautiousness, she was also carefully checking the subtle marks on the wall. as for the empress dowager, it might be the first time she had a secret adventure since she entered the palace. her face was a little nervous, and her big eyes looked left and right. occasionally, she would turn back to look at the increasingly dimmer light at the entrance. when she found that yang lan was hanging behind like a ghost, she even waved her hand. because they were too cautious, the three of them were as fast as tortoises crawling. after entering for fifteen minutes, they had only walked less than three hundred steps. after dongfang liren carefully inspected her surroundings for a long time, she really didn¡¯t feel that this place was special. she said, ¡°the construction of this tunnel is too big of a project. it¡¯s too extravagant to use it for private meetings. it was probably a retreat route built by an emperor of a certain dynasty.¡± the empress dowager retorted, ¡°the entrance to a retreat route built by an emperor should be in the peaceful hall. empress dowager xuanyang ruled in place of the emperor for seven to eight years. i estimate that she secretly built this tunnel because she was afraid of the court officials forcing her to step down. she would use this tunnel to escape from the capital if necessary. usually, when she was idle, she would get some handsome male companions delivered through here to the palace for her pleasure¡­¡± ye jingtang replied, ¡°her majesty¡¯s guess is very likely. the private meetings should only be a byproduct. its main purpose was to escape from danger.¡± receiving his approval, the empress dowager smiled and muttered, ¡°look at how carefree and happy this empress dowager was. she could cover the sky in the imperial court and even summon handsome men to the palace to have fun with at any time¡­ wu~¡± her words came to an abrupt halt. ye jingtang turned around, only to see the rebellious dumdum covering the empress dowager¡¯s mouth with her hand. when she saw him turn around, she even glared at him. ¡°you should scout the way properly. i¡¯m talking with the empress dowager. why are you interrupting?¡± ye jingtang shook his head secretly. he obediently scouted ahead and no longer interrupted them. the empress dowager¡¯s mouth was covered in front of her guard. she clearly felt that she had lost her dignity. she raised her hand and patted dongfang liren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°i¡¯m just sighing. i didn¡¯t say that i wanted to learn after her. 1 didn¡¯t say that i wanted to raise a handsome man. but you keep rejecting me when i want to go out of the palace to relax. i¡¯m not doing anything reckless because i¡¯m sensible and don¡¯t want to cause trouble for you. if 1 really want to do something, do you think you can control me?¡± dongfang liren didn¡¯t refute her words. after all, the empress dowager wasn¡¯t just a pretty face. behind her were the jiang province navy and the southeast meritorious group. although they didn¡¯t have the ability to interfere with the affairs of the harem, they did have the conditions for deposing an emperor and establishing a new one. seeing that the empress dowager was unhappy, dongfang liren comforted her gently. ¡°1 know that you¡¯re sensible. i¡¯m not making excuses, but there are undercurrents outside. the risk is too high. even i have to be careful when i go out¡­¡± just as the empress dowager was just about to harrumph unhappily, she saw ye jingtang¡¯s figure in front of her figure pause for a moment when he reached a corner before he suddenly took half a step back and grabbed the hilt of his saber. clatter! the tunnel was deep underground and silent, so the noise sounded very loud. the empress dowager had just been a little nervous and wanted to say something. when she saw this abrupt reaction, she was so frightened that her entire body shrunk and her breath stopped in her throat. dongfang¡¯s courage depended on how many guards she had. seeing ye jingtang¡¯s huge reaction, she was naturally nervous. she didn¡¯t know what was behind the corner and asked nervously, ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± squeak squeak squeak! as soon as she finished speaking, a strange cry sounded from the corner. then a black shadow crawled out from the corner and rushed toward the two of them. they could only see a pair of small green eyes. ¡°all!¡± two alarmed shouts came at the same time. the empress dowager¡¯s beautiful face turned pale as she hurriedly hugged dongfang liren¡¯s arm. dongfang liren was caught off guard and was equally shocked. she threw away the lantern in her hand and pulled the empress dowager to dodge to the side. squeak squeak squeak! amidst the strange cry, the black shadow arrived in front of them in the blink of an eye. fortunately, the guard in front wasn¡¯t dead. a light flashed forward and stepped on the black shadow. stomp! the black shadow immediately stopped. but before the two noble ladies could breathe a sigh of relief, they saw the black shadow clearly under the light of the lantern. it was a big black rat with fluffy fur. after its tail was stepped on, it bared its teeth at them and rolled and twisted, struggling on the spot, only inches away from their feet!! when the empress dowager saw such a terrifying scene, her face turned pale with fright. she directly jumped to ye jingtang, hugged his arm, and patted his shoulder. ¡°quick, quick, quick!¡± dongfang liren was a little more stable, but she was also thrown a little off balance by this big rat that suddenly appeared. she flashed behind ye jingtang and urged, ¡°hurry up and take it away¡­¡± ye jingtang found that the pale-faced empress dowager was hugging his arm and wanted to burrow into his arms. he hurriedly comforted her. ¡°don¡¯t panic. it¡¯s just a rat.¡± because he was afraid of dirtying his shoe, he didn¡¯t trample the rat to death. he just kicked forward and kicked it away. squeak squeak squeak! the rat that had escaped immediately scuttled into the depths of the pitch-black tunnel. but there was immediately a bang, as if someone had kicked it against the wall, and it immediately stopped moving. the empress dowager still had lingering fear. his arm in her arms moved before she returned to her senses and hurriedly let go. ¡°that scared me to death. this place has been sealed for two hundred years. how can there be a rat¡­¡± while speaking, she glanced at ye jingtang and secretly heaved a sigh of relief when she found that he was checking the surroundings in an upright manner and didn¡¯t seem to notice her inappropriate behavior. dongfang liren was hiding behind ye jingtang. now that the crisis had been resolved, perhaps because she felt that her reaction was unbecoming of a prince, she stood up straight again and acted calmly. as if nothing had happened, she looked up. ¡°there must be vents in the tunnels. it¡¯s not unusual for rats to come in.¡± ye jingtang, on the other hand, was at a loss for words. he felt that he wasn¡¯t checking the tunnel now but accompanying two outstanding beauties to play in a haunted house. even a rat caused such a reaction. he didn¡¯t even dare to imagine what would happen if they continued. ye jingtang picked up the fallen lantern from the floor and advised, ¡°why don¡¯t your highness and your majesty go back? i¡¯ll go in and check. there are rats inside. if your majesty is frightened¡­¡± the secret guard yang lan also walked out from behind and advised, ¡°your majesty, this place is not clean. your majesty¡¯s precious body¡­¡± the empress dowager patted her chest lightly. even now, her heart was still pounding, but when she heard that she was leaving, she was a little unhappy. in the past, she had been cooped up in the palace for ten years. her daily life was like a pool of stagnant water, and it wasn¡¯t easy to encounter even a little disturbance. she had never experienced such an exciting adventure since she was a child. if she went back now, who would accompany her to act recklessly next time? the empress dowager looked at the dark corner and pretended to be calm. ¡°i¡¯m fine. let¡¯s continue. 1 wasn¡¯t mentally prepared just now. 1¡¯11 be careful from now on. yang lan, stay away. there was nothing in the tunnel originally, but with you hanging behind me, i keep feeling a chill behind me and that something is staring at me.¡± hearing this, yang lan looked helpless, but she could only retreat and hide in the dark, continuing to play house with the empress dowager. dongfang liren felt that her reaction just now was a little embarrassing. she instructed solemnly, ¡°ye jingtang, walk in front and scout the way. you have to be more steady. don¡¯t be overly suspicious. it was just a rat. i thought you had encountered a ghost, which scared me¡­¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t expect there to be living creatures in the tunnel. his reaction was indeed a little big. dumdum pushed the responsibility to him, so he naturally didn¡¯t say anything. he held the lantern and continued to explore. the rest of the journey was much more peaceful. although they encountered a few more rats, they were mentally prepared and weren¡¯t shocked again. the empress dowager and dongfang liren walked together, occasionally exchanging a few words. their actions were careful, and they looked very engrossed. the three of them walked inside the tunnel, twisting and turning left and right for an unknown period of time. they felt that they had already left the palace. as expected, this tunnel was not as simple as just for private meetings. after turning a corner, an underground room appeared. the room was about 40 feet square, and there was some furniture inside. but it had been too long, and most of them had decayed. there were storage compartments on the walls, and there was even a small well in the corner. ye jingtang raised the lantern and carefully examined the stone room. ¡°this should be a transit place. if there¡¯s chaos in the capital and people can¡¯t leave the city, they can stay here for a while and leave after the storm passes¡­¡± dongfang liren walked over to a storage compartment carved into the wall and stood with her hands behind his back, nodding slightly. ¡°the preparations are really good, but it looks like they weren¡¯t used in the end. according to the records, empress dowager xuanyang committed suicide by taking poison after losing power¡­¡± the empress dowager had earnestly read the secret history of the romantic empress yesterday. after some thought, she said, ¡°the mausoleum was built by empress dowager xuanyang. to be able to secretly dig such a tunnel, it¡¯s not difficult to tamper with the mausoleum. perhaps after she returned power to the emperor, she faked her death and eloped with her lover to live in seclusion¡­¡± while speaking, the empress dowager went to the door and thought of touching a stone pillar beside it. seeing this, ye jingtang hurried over and raised his hand to stop her. ¡°this is a door-sealing stone to block pursuers. if you move it, the door will be sealed. your majesty, please be careful.¡± the empress dowager retracted her hand and sized it up before looking at the exit on the other end. ¡°shall we continue further in?¡± ye jingtang definitely had to find the exit of the tunnel. but just in case, he moved a stone pillar over from the stone room and placed it under the door-sealing stone.. then he held the lantern and walked deeper¡­ Chapter 191 - Chapter 191: Meeting on a Narrow Path (1) chapter 191: meeting on a narrow path (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios somewhere in yun¡¯an city, in a mansion that had been renovated since last year¡­ the courtyard of the luxurious mansion was full of bricks, stones, soil, and wood. a few carpenters were knocking on pillars. because the surroundings were full of rich and powerful families, bamboo fences had been specially erected on the courtyard wall to block the view and prevent the messy scene from attracting criticism from the neighbors. cao aning, dressed as an ordinary servant, entered the residence with a lunch box in his hand. behind him was xu bailin and the white-robed old man walking with his hands behind his back. cao aning glanced at the back of the mansion. after confirming that there was nothing unusual, he went to a half-rebuilt house, opened the floor covered by wooden boards, went down the wooden stairs, and arrived at an underground passage. both sides of the underground passage were bottomless. the bricks and stones were ancient, but the soil on top was new and had traces of trampling. the white-robed old man walked silently beside the two of them and sized up the old bricks and stones in the tunnel. he was slightly surprised. ¡°this tunnel looks like it was built by the previous dynasty. how did you find this place?¡± cao aning was quite respectful to the white-robed old man. after all, this old man was the master of jiang zhahu, the overlord of liang province. he was also a formidable figure who had once fought with his bare hands and earned the title of fist chief. thirty years ago, just the appearance of the old man¡¯s name in yun province was enough to make the capital¡¯s government offices tremble as if they were facing a formidable enemy. although the white-robed old man was over 80 years old, had been severely injured by the disciple he had expelled, had the reputation he had accumulated for half his life shattered in the battle, and had no choice but to hide and struggle at death¡¯s door, those who had ascended to the mountain peak were still legends of jianghu that could only be looked up to for martial artists like cao aning who were still only halfway there. upon hearing the white-robed old man¡¯s question, cao aning replied, ¡°i was in the palace for many years, but i didn¡¯t know that there was such a secret tunnel underground. his highness possesses remarkable abilities. 1 don¡¯t know where he found the information, but he speculated that there was a tunnel underground. he sent people to explore secretly for a long time before finding this place.¡± ¡°where does the tunnel lead?¡± ¡°the other end leads to outside the city near the clear river. it has already collapsed and been blocked. the entrance might be in the imperial city, but the risk is too great, so we haven¡¯t verified it.¡± hearing this, the white-robed old man nodded slightly and sighed. ¡°it¡¯s a pity i found out too late. if the people of jianghu knew that there was a tunnel that led into the palace, the current jianghu would probably be in a different situation.¡± xu bailin knew that the white-robed old man was someone who had participated in the bloody battle in the capital at the end of the previous dynasty. he asked, ¡°it¡¯s said that when yun¡¯an city was breached, more than half of the martial arts chiefs came and fought for treasures in the imperial city. what was the exact situation back then?¡± the white-robed old man explained, ¡°the last yan emperor lost the heart of the people because of his excessive extravagance. feng guancheng was disheartened, so he came out of seclusion, confined himself on mount yang, and no longer asked about the affairs of the world. the chief eunuchs of the imperial city and the imperial preceptor were also restrained by the revolutionary army, causing the defense of the imperial city to be empty. the heroes of the world all came to yun¡¯an city to fish in troubled waters. ¡°at that time, not only did more than half of great yan¡¯s martial arts chiefs come, but many experts from northern liang also came. some came to snatch the roaring dragon chart, but there were also those who swore to protect the country to the death and heroes who helped the revolutionary army fight. they fought against each other and directly changed jianghu. i, xuanyuan chao, and others, who were all in our teens or twenties at the time, only dared to watch from afar in the city and didn¡¯t even dare to take half a step closer to the imperial city.¡± xu bailin could imagine the brutality of the battle and asked, ¡°according to the rumors in jianghu, kuang yazi obtained one of the roaring dragon chart pictures in the end. is this true?¡± the white-robed old man thought for a moment. ¡°i¡¯m not sure, but i saw with my own eyes that when kuang yazi killed his way out of the capital, he directly took off all his clothes. he only had his saber with him and didn¡¯t even wear pants. if not for that, it would have been very difficult for him to escape from the pursuit of the heroes of jianghu.¡± cao aning said, ¡°after that, the imperial court investigated. four of the roaring dragon chart pictures gathered by the previous dynasty had been lost. one was probably taken to the south firmament mountains, one was taken away by the northern liang people, and the remaining two are missing. i reckon kuang yazi still succeeded. at the time, he barged into the peaceful hall and then fled all the way. he might have hidden the roaring dragon chart picture in his wound¡­¡± while the three of them chatted, they walked in the tunnel for a long time before light appeared in front of them. several oil lamps were hanging on the ceiling of the tunnel. there were two tables along a wall with some blueprints, brushes, and ink on them. there were also more than thirty wooden barrels piled up by the wall. five men were sitting against another wall with hoes, shovels, and other tools beside them. when they saw cao aning coming over, they hurriedly stood up to welcome him. ¡°lord cao.¡± ¡°continue resting. i just came to take a look¡­¡± on the wall between the men, there was a perpendicular tunnel entrance opened, revealing soil. it was supported by wooden boards to prevent collapse, and oil lamps were hanging along the way, stretching as far as the eye could see. cao aning went to the entrance of the newly dug passageway and gestured inside. ¡°the foundation has been dug. as long as we know the location of the load-bearing points, we can pour dissolving oil on them and soak them for two days. but ye jingtang¡¯s schemes are too deep, so 1 don¡¯t dare to act rashly in the city¡­¡± halfway through his sentence, the white-robed old man beside him raised his hand and turned toward the dark tunnel. he frowned. ¡°do you still have people over there?¡± cao aning turned to look into the depths of the tunnel, slightly puzzled. ¡°farther in is the vicinity of the imperial city. we don¡¯t dare to step in it rashly, and it¡¯s already sealed. is there any movement?¡± the white-robed old man listened carefully before turning around and walking into the tunnel¡­ Chapter 192 - Chapter 192: Meeting on a Narrow Path (2) chapter 192: meeting on a narrow path (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the two lanterns were ten steps apart as they moved forward in the long tunnel. it was extremely quiet in the tunnel. after suppressing their footsteps, they could even hear each other¡¯s heartbeats. thump! thump! ye jingtang walked in front with his saber and carefully sized up the details on the ground. he kept feeling that something was wrong, but he couldn¡¯t tell exactly what. dongfang liren was holding the lantern in her hand and hugging the empress dowager¡¯s shoulder while slowly walking behind ye jingtang. perhaps she was infected by his increasingly cautious appearance, she didn¡¯t say anything and only carefully observed the surroundings. the empress dowager was a little nervous because of the two of them and because she had gone too far. the fear of the unknown lingered in her heart, making her want to retreat, but she couldn¡¯t say it clearly. she could only hold liren¡¯s sleeve and look left and right. after they walked like this for a while, ye jingtang suddenly stopped and raised his hand. dongfang liren and the empress dowager held their breaths and asked softly, ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± ye jingtang frowned and squatted down. with the lantern illuminating the stone bricks on the ground, he could see some traces of mud on the stone bricks. although it was already dry and hard, it was definitely less than 200 years old. ¡°there¡¯s something wrong with this place. others have been here recently.¡± ¡°huh?¡± when the two women heard this, they naturally became nervous. the empress dowager asked, ¡°are they humans or ghosts?¡± dongfang liren felt that humans were scarier than ghosts and raised her hand slightly. ¡°shh!¡± ye jingtang frowned. he was surprised, but after he thought about it carefully, it wasn¡¯t strange. he had found the secret history of the romantic empress in the prince of wu¡¯s heir¡¯s study. the prince of wu¡¯s heir had read the content about the tunnel. if someone had come here recently, there was a high chance that this person had something to do with the prince of wu¡¯s heir. ye jingtang deliberated for a moment and looked ahead with the lantern. after taking a few steps, he found a brick wall blocking the tunnel. the brick wall was newly built, and there were obvious differences in the color of the materials and tunnel bricks. judging from the traces, it had been at most a few months. dongfang liren walked over with the empress dowager in her arms, and her eyes turned serious. ¡°someone found the tunnel. why is it blocked here?¡± ¡°the other party¡¯s target is most likely not the palace. they¡¯re just using this tunnel to approach a certain place in the city. they don¡¯t dare to move forward after reaching this point. they probably know that the tunnel will enter the imperial city and are afraid of being exposed.¡± as ye jingtang spoke, he pulled out his saber and silently stabbed it into a gap in the brick wall. ¡°it should be two walls with straw, blankets, and other soundproof items between them so that the sound over there won¡¯t spread too far and be discovered by people in the imperial city.¡± the empress dowager didn¡¯t expect to encounter such a thing. she thought for a moment and said, ¡°doesn¡¯t this mean that the other party is plotting something on the other side of the wall?¡± ye jingtang felt that there was a high chance of this. moreover, there were likely people on the other side of the wall. he immediately raised his hand slightly and gestured for the two women to retreat slowly and not make a sound¡­ on the other side of the wall¡­ the white-robed old man silently arrived 100 feet away from the sealed wall. he squatted down with one hand on his knee and placed his palm on the ground. cao aning and xu bailin followed behind him. they even held their breaths and asked in an extremely low voice, ¡°is there someone here?¡± the white-robed old man sensed for a moment and nodded slightly. ¡°three. they¡¯ve already discovered the abnormality here and are escaping. what are you going to do?¡± cao aning didn¡¯t know who the other party was, but for them to walk over from that end, they must be related to the palace. if this place were exposed, all their plans would be ruined. he thought for a moment and said, ¡°the tunnel has been discovered. it¡¯s useless to silence them. we can only bring forward the plan. the other party came in from the other end without checking the exit, so they must not know where it leads. think of a way to collapse and block the tunnel so that they can¡¯t figure out the exact direction and delay them for a day or two.¡± at this point, cao aning looked at xu bailin. ¡°there¡¯s no need to look for the load-bearing points. let them directly pour the dissolving oil.¡± hearing this, xu bailin retreated silently. the white-robed old man stood up and scanned the rock-solid tunnel to study the structure. then he stepped forward and raised his palms, and a breeze appeared in the underground tunnel. seeing this, cao aning slowly retreated and distanced himself. whoosh! the white-robed old man clasped his hands together, and his robe didn¡¯t even move in the breeze. his hands moved for only an instant before he extended his palms and slapped the sealed brick wall. boom! a thunderous explosion suddenly sounded in the silent tunnel. on the other side¡­ ye jingtang retreated carefully. when he heard a slight movement in the distance, his heart sank. just as he was about to bring the women to fly back in retreat, the brick wall dozens of feet away swelled into a semicircle and then exploded. a sharp wind instantly passed through the tunnel, and thousands of pieces of shattered bricks shot toward the three of them like a swarm of locusts. ye jingtang¡¯s expression changed drastically. with the prince of jing and the empress dowager behind him, he couldn¡¯t dodge at all, and there was no room to maneuver in the long and narrow tunnel. he gritted his teeth and jumped backward. the long saber in his hand spun like a windmill, and he used his body and saber to shield the two women behind him. ding, ding, dang, dang! the sudden explosion made the empress dowager scream in fright. dongfang liren¡¯s reaction was relatively swift. she turned around with all her might and hugged the petite and exquisite empress dowager in her arms. crack! crack! crack! in an instant, thousands of pieces of broken bricks whizzed past the three of them. countless bricks and stones were minced into powder by the saber. dust instantly covered the tunnel and shattered the swaying palace lanterns. ye jingtang used his saber to block with all his might. his upper body wasn¡¯t hit, but the robe and shoes on his lower body were riddled with holes by sharp flying gravel, and bloodstains appeared on his legs. the same happened to dongfang liren¡¯s dress and the empress dowager¡¯s phoenix dress, but with ye jingtang blocking in front of them, their situation was much better. ¡°go!¡± what ye jingtang had to block was not only the flying rocks. although it was dark and he couldn¡¯t see anything, he knew that the powerful opponent who suddenly appeared must have followed behind the rubble. before he could completely sweep away the rubble, he held his saber with both hands and advanced forward to slash.. Chapter 193 - Chapter 193: Meeting on a Narrow Path (3) chapter 193: meeting on a narrow path (3) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios boom! in the pitch-black tunnel, the shrill sound of air and bricks being torn apart rang out! although the saber light couldn¡¯t be seen, an ear-piercing sound instantly pierced through the tunnel. it was like an invisible arrow shooting out more than 100 feet in an instant. the noise caused the ears of the two women in the sealed tunnel to ring. dongfang liren didn¡¯t dare to stop for a moment. enduring the pain in her legs, she carried the empress dowager and flew back. ye jingtang couldn¡¯t see anything in the lightless tunnel, but his slash hadn¡¯t been random. the heaven equaling saber didn¡¯t rely on eyes to see things at all but rather sensed the subtle changes in the environment. although ye jingtang didn¡¯t see anything in front of him, he could still vaguely catch a figure in front in the tunnel. it was squeezing through the airflow and dust at an incredible speed. this saber strike slashed accurately at the person¡¯s neck, clearly shocking the opponent. the white-robed old man had blasted out bricks and stones with two palms, destroying all the light. he couldn¡¯t see anything either, but he could accurately determine his opponent¡¯s movements through breathing, the friction of his robe, and other actions. when the white-robed old man found that the opponent had raised his saber and aimed directly at his neck, he was shocked. he could tell that the opponent was definitely not an ordinary person. he immediately put his palms together and clamped the hornless dragon saber. with a skillful force to relieve force, he pulled it to the side. at the same time, he leaned his shoulder and fiercely slammed into the opponent¡¯s arms. ye jingtang had used all his strength to launch a surprise attack with his saber, but his opponent had caught his saber empty-handed. surprise and shock flashed in his heart, but he didn¡¯t retract his saber. instead, he found firm footing on the ground, straightened his waist, and used the ¡®bear leans hard¡¯ move to collide head-on with the opponent¡¯s shoulder. boom! in the narrow tunnel, two extremely surging forces exploded. the tiles on the ground where the two of them were standing shattered, and lightning-like cracks instantly spread in all directions. the flying dust and soil were dispersed by the forces, and in the blink of an eye, they swallowed the fleeing dongfang liren and the horrified cao aning on the other side. amidst the loud explosion, the white-robed old man didn¡¯t move, but his body was forcefully knocked away. his feet rubbed a more than ten-foot-long groove on the floor tiles. whoosh! although ye jingtang hadn¡¯t been practicing unarmed martial arts for long, his internal energy was indeed a bit stronger. but his striking posture wasn¡¯t as immovable as the white-robed old man¡¯s. he was knocked back a few steps and crushed several tiles. tread, tread, tread! the white-robed old man acutely captured this point. before the cracks spread and the bricks were about to fall down, his figure pounced forward like a tiger. his two palms smashed toward ye jingtang¡¯s chest and abdomen with the force of a golden dragon closing its mouth. although his actions were fast and terrifying, the old man¡¯s attack didn¡¯t cause the slightest movement around him from the beginning to the end. all the energy in his body gathered in his palms. ye jingtang felt that this person¡¯s skills were unbelievably high, but it was obvious that he didn¡¯t have enough strength and stamina. he either was an old man or had hidden injuries. seeing that his opponent still dared to take advantage of his flaw, the moment ye jingtang stabilized himself, he moved his right foot back and slashed his saber horizontally with his left hand, blocking the opponent¡¯s position. at the same time, he clenched his right fist tightly. his muscles bulged as he pulled his arm back and punched forward like a huge cannonball, smashing directly between the opponent¡¯s palms that were put together. boom! this head-on collision was far more powerful than the previous collision. the shockwave shattered the broken bricks falling from above and sent them flying in all directions, smashing them into the surrounding stone walls. the white-robed old man¡¯s combined palms bit down on ye jingtang¡¯s fist. his sleeves shattered from his cuffs, and the force poured into his chest and abdomen. the back of his robe exploded, and even his tied-up white hair flew out. ye jingtang had planted his feet on the ground and punched out. the clothes on the right side of his body were shattered by the force, revealing half of his silver soft armor. but this time, his lower body was extremely stable. his right foot, which was supporting from the ground, crushed the shattered stone bricks, but his body didn¡¯t move at all. but the white-robed old man couldn¡¯t stand still this time. the surging fist force penetrated into his body from his palms. the old leg behind him finally failed to hold up and bent. then the momentum was like a landslide. his entire body was sent flying by the punch and flew deep into the tunnel. bumble! they had only exchanged two blows, but the moment the brick wall exploded, the damaged tunnel began to collapse from above. then bricks and soil fell down, blocking the middle. the moment ye jingtang threw the punch, the broken bricks and soil had already hit his body. afraid that he would be buried alive, he immediately sheathed his saber and turned to run. dongfang liren had been swept forward by two consecutive blasts of air from behind. she didn¡¯t understand what was happening and only tried her best to protect the empress dowager as she ran wildly. just as she took two steps, her body became light. she was grabbed by the waist and sandwiched under an armpit. the same happened to the empress dowager.. because she couldn¡¯t see anything, when she realized that her body was out of balance, she hurriedly grabbed the man¡¯s arm¡­ Chapter 194 - Chapter 194: What Are You Doing? chapter 194: what are you doing? rumble! deep inside the underground tunnel, the sound of the earth shaking spread extremely far. with dumdum under his left arm and the empress dowager under his right, ye jingtang ran with all his might for more than 100 feet. only then did the collapsed bricks behind him stop, and the rumbling in the tunnel quickly subsided. from the explosion of the wall to the collapse of the tunnel, it had all happened in a matter of seconds. under the tremendous changes, the two women couldn¡¯t figure out what was happening. they only tensed up in shock and surprise. at this moment, the light of a flame stick appeared in front of them. the middle-aged palace maid holding an official saber was running over. secret guard yang lan had followed behind to guard against ye jingtang¡¯s ulterior motives. she really didn¡¯t expect such a terrifying battle to suddenly erupt in this tunnel that had been sealed for 200 years. she asked in shock ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± without stopping his footsteps, ye jingtang handed the empress dowager directly to yang lan. ¡°there was an ambush on the other side of the tunnel, and the tunnel collapsed. get out quickly.¡± the empress dowager had her eyes tightly closed. when she heard the voice, she realized that she wasn¡¯t dead and hurriedly hugged yang lan¡¯s neck. when dongfang liren heard the voice, she suppressed the shock on her face and turned to look behind. ¡°who was over there?¡± i¡¯m not sure, but his martial arts skills are extremely high. his moves are exquisite and impeccable, but he doesn¡¯t have enough stamina and strength. i¡¯ve never encountered him before.¡± while speaking, he carried dongfang liren horizontally and looked down at her. ¡°how are your injuries?¡± dongfang liren didn¡¯t notice anything else at first, but when she heard this she realized her legs hurt a little. she hugged ye jingtang¡¯s neck and said calmly, ¡°they were scraped by gravel. it¡¯s no big deal.¡± the four of them ran quickly. after running for a while, they arrived at the stone room on the way. yang lan carried the empress dowager into the spacious room and found that the door-sealing stone at the exit had fallen down. iler footsteps suddenly stopped, and then she breathed a sigh of relief. dongfang liren was also shocked when she saw that the exit was blocked. but when she looked carefully, she realized that ye jingtang had placed a stone pillar under the door in advance. the way she looked at him changed. ye jingtang put dongfang liren down, took out a flame stick, and squatted down to check the door. he could confirm that the tremors just now were too great, causing the door-sealing stone to fall. the door-sealing stone was three feet wide and blocked by the stone pillar. the stone pillar had been smashed apart, but there was still a gap of about two feet, which was barely enough to crawl out. ye jingtang thought for a moment and prepared to enter to take a look. but when dongfang liren saw that ye jingtang was about to crawl under the giant stone, she hurriedly pulled him back. ¡°come back. this stone probably weighs more than ten thousand kilograms. if it falls down on you, you will be cut in half on the spot. don¡¯t take the risk.¡± ye jingtang looked at the gap above the ground. although he felt that the risk wasn¡¯t high, it was indeed there. the prince of jing and the empress dowager were slow, so he didn¡¯t dare to let the two of them crawl through. he said, ¡°i¡¯ll go over and take a look at the situation first. then i¡¯ll get people to remove the door-sealing stone.¡± wait!¡± yang lan was a junior commander of the secret guards. her martial arts skills were very high, but she didn¡¯t think she could destroy a tunnel that was more than 100 feet long in two moves. originally, she had followed behind to prevent ye jingtang from taking advantage of the two women. however, judging from the short battle just now, if he really wanted to eat them all, it probably wouldn¡¯t be a big problem for him to deal with her, a middle-aged but still attractive lady, together with the two women. yang lan knew that her martial arts skills were inferior to ye jingtang¡¯s. if a powerful enemy from the other end of the tunnel came to attack, it would be very difficult for her to block them. so she put down the empress dowager, turned over, and ducked under the stone door. ¡°you stay here and protect iler highness and her majesty. i¡¯ll call people over.¡± seeing this, ye jingtang didn¡¯t follow her. lie looked up and inspected the surroundings. after confirming that the stone room¡¯s structure was extremely solid, he turned around and checked the two women. dongfang liren was wearing a silver fat-headed dragon python dress. the clothes on her upper body were intact, but there were many holes in rhe skirt. the empress dowager was the same, but her situation was much better since the two of them had protected her. ye jingtang squatted down to take a closer look and lifted dumdum s skirt. dongfang liren was stunned. she hurriedly took half a step back and pressed down on her skirt. ¡°what are you doing?¡± the empress dowager said softly, ¡°what else can he do? he¡¯s treating your injuries.¡± then she pulled dongfang liren to sit beside her on the small stone platform in the stone room. dongfang liren pursed her lips. ¡°just let the doctor do it when she comes later. you¡¯re not a doctor¡­¡± ye jingtang placed the flame stick on the edge of the stone platform, grabbed dongfang liren¡¯s white boots, and lifted her skirt to check. dongfang liren always dressed very formally. she was wearing white boots and thin pants underneath. at this moment, there were a few holes in her white pants, a few grazes on the sides of her legs, and a few bruises from the stones. these kinds of injuries were nothing to ordinary commoners, let alone martial artists. but they were a little shocking on a beautiful imperial princess who had been blessed since she was born. ye jingtang carefully took off her shoes and untied the strings of her cloth socks. before he could pull them down, dongfang liren¡¯s face turned red, and her feet arched slightly. ¡°sigh¡­¡± ye jingtang blinked and looked at dumdum. lie didn¡¯t say anything, but his meaning was probably: i¡¯ve seen your entire body, and even your hair rubbed me¡­ dongfang liren¡¯s eyes were full of strangeness. if they were in private, it would be fine if ye jingtang touched her feet. but now, the empress dowager was here¡­ ye jingtang pulled down a cloth sock, and a crystal clear foot appeared in front of him. the entire foot looked like it was carved from suet jade. he could vaguely see the veins through her fair skin. when his hands touched it, his toes even shrank. dongfang liren maintained her noble and dignified demeanor as a princess, but there was obvious embarrassment in her eyes. seeing ye jingtang squatting in front of her and helping her roll up her pants gently, she pursed her lips and wanted to say a few words to break rhe strange atmosphere. but before dongfang liren could speak, she saw ye jingtang take out a small bottle from his waist and was about to pour it on her leg¡­ wait!¡± the charm in dongfang liren¡¯s heart disappeared as she hurriedly said, ¡°does this hurt?¡± ye jingtang paused and said frankly, ¡°golden wound powder, disinfects, stops bleeding, and gets rid of bruises. it hurts a little.¡± dongfang liren originally wanted to put on a strong attitude and endure it, but she was afraid that she would lose her composure if she shouted later, so she raised her hand and tapped her chest twice. then her body went limp, and she fell limply on the empress dowager s shoulder. ye jingtang held her fair and cold feet and sprinkled the white powder on her calf. he tore off a section of the hem of her skirt to wrap around her leg. he did the same for her left leg. then he looked at her thighs. dongfang liren¡¯s face was red. her limbs were numb and unable to move. seeing this, she hurriedly said, ¡°my thighs aren¡¯t injured.¡± ye jingtang checked the surface of the skirt. there were indeed no holes. then he looked at the empress dowager. the empress dowager was supporting liren and kept staring at ye jingtang touching liren¡¯s feet. liren¡¯s face was a little hot, and she could see the two of them exchanging glances. she felt that it was quite interesting. seeing the peerlessly handsome and gentle guard looking over and seeming to want to do the same to her, the empress dowager sat up a little straighter. ¡°umm¡­ i¡¯m fine.¡± how are you fine? your skirt is tom¡­¡± dongfang liren¡¯s gaze was solemn. feeling that her limbs had almost recovered, she bent down, scooped up the empress dowager s legs, and placed them on her lap. ye jingtang stood up and looked elsewhere. dongfang liren lifted the empress dowager¡¯s red skirt, and her snow-white and soft calves and ankles appeared in front of her. she paused and frowned. ¡°empress dowager, aren¡¯t you wearing pants?¡± the empress dowager was in the middle of thinking that ye jingtang was quite a gentleman, but when she heard this, her face instantly flushed red, and she patted dongfang liren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°what nonsense are you saying? i m wearing them!¡± dongfang liren looked at the small feet that weren¡¯t even wearing socks. she knew that the empress dowager definitely didn¡¯t wear pants like her sister, but with ye jingtang present, it wasn¡¯t appropriate for her to say anything. she only helped the empress dowager explain. ¡°it¡¯s hot in the summer, and the pants in the palace are shorter. don¡¯t let your imagination run wild.¡± ye jingtang knew that there was a high chance she was wearing the same style of side-tie panties as heroine luo and miss yuhu, the kind that would fail off when pulled from the side, lie sighed in his heart, but he didn¡¯t turn around to look. dongfang liren held the empress dowager¡¯s feet and carefully examined her calves. she found that there were only some dark red marks and very light abrasions. she didn¡¯t even need any medicine. she breathed a sigh of relief and gently massaged them with her hands. the empress dowager was still in some pain, but she didn¡¯t say anything. she maintained her dignified bearing and looked at ye jingtang. ¡°you¡¯re not seriously injured, are you?¡± ye jingtang looked at his tattered robe. ¡°i¡¯m fine. i¡¯m not hurt at all. dongfang liren gestured to her side. ¡°you should bandage yourself too. if you have time to apply medicine, why are you enduring it?¡± seeing that no one had come yet, ye jingtang sat down beside dumdum, crossed his legs, tore open his pants, and applied the medicine himself. while dongfang liren was rubbing the empress dowager¡¯s calves, she thought for a moment and said, ¡°ye jingtang, did you find something? the tunnel was recorded in an old book. how could there be someone inside, and we happened to bump into him¡­¡± although ye jingtang¡¯s source of information was not easy to explain, meetin someone in the tunnel could already be used as evidence, lie explained, ¡°for the past two days, i¡¯ve been investigating the murder case on bamboo street. i wanted to find books related to architecture, and when i was chatting with the shopkeeper of the bookstore, i found this book. 1 even heard that the prince of wu¡¯s heir is a fan¡­¡± ? the empress dowager blinked. ¡°dongfang yin likes eating, but i¡¯ve never heard of him being lascivious¡­ could it be that he has thoughts about me?¡± dongfang liren stopped the empress dowager from letting her imagination run wild and said solemnly, ¡°and then? you went to the prince of wu¡¯s mansion yesterday, right?¡± ye jingtang nodded. ¡°1 didn¡¯t have any direction, so i ran to the prince of wu¡¯s mansion to take a look. in the end, i found that there was indeed this book in the prince of wu¡¯s heir¡¯s study. there were also creases on the page about the tunnel being dug¡­¡± dongfang liren felt that ye jingtang was really too courageous. she frowned and said, ¡°what does that mean?¡± i just had a suspicion. when i was searching around, 1 discovered traces of dissolving oil outside the observation tower of the prince of wu¡¯s mansion. i thought that the prince of wu¡¯s heir might be plotting something in secret¡­¡± the empress dowager said inexplicably, ¡°you suspect that dongfang yin is up to no good because he reads erotic literature?¡± it wasn¡¯t easy for ye jingtang to explain his reasoning and how he arrived at this conclusion, so he explained casually, ¡°i¡¯ve always been so bold and imaginative when investigating cases. at first, i was just suspicious. i thought that this tunnel had long been abandoned and that the prince of wu¡¯s heir was digging another tunnel. but when i came in today, i found that someone had been working in this tunnel that had been sealed for two hundred years. this can only mean that the prince of wu¡¯s heir had discovered this land and has been doing something shady in secret¡­¡± dongfang liren listened for a moment with a solemn expression. she thought for a moment and said, ¡°it¡¯s not that i don¡¯t believe you, but other than the traces of dissolving oil in the mansion, the rest of your information is all unfounded conjectures. if he were an ordinary official, 1 could arrest him for interrogation without any reason. but dongfang yin is the heir of a vassal prince, and the imperial court doesn¡¯t have any evidence to extort a confession. doing this means forcing the prince of wu to rebel. even if iler majesty issues a decree, the court officials will stop it.¡± ye jingtang knew this. he turned to look at the collapsed tunnel and felt a headache. ¡°we have already alerted the enemy. by the time the tunnel is dug, the other party will have long cleaned up the traces. i¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be easy to find evidence again.¡± dongfang liren said, ¡°as long as dongfang yin is plotting something in secret, there will always be clues. when i go out, 1 will arrange for people to investigate secretly. if this matter can be confirmed, you will receive the greatest merit¡­¡± while they were chatting, dense footsteps came from behind the door-sealing stone. hearing this, ye jingtang stood up and communicated with the palace servants who had rushed over¡­ Chapter 195 - Chapter 195: Driving the Tiger to Swallow the Wolf! chapter 195: driving the tiger to swallow the wolf! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the palace experts and servants rushed over from the tunnel. they first used stone blocks to cushion the door-sealing stone, then passed four iron rods as thick as forearms underneath. eight palace experts inside and outside worked together to lift the boulder blocking the door. the empress dowager and dongfang liren left under the escort of the palace servants. ye jingtang and a few secret guards once again went to the vicinity of the collapsed tunnel to check on the situation. the tunnel had collapsed in a chain. according to ye jingtang¡¯s estimation, it had collapsed by more than 100 feet, which wasn¡¯t too long. but the soil above had already loosened. if they started work without support and reinforcement, they would be buried alive after digging for a few meters. digging up was also risky. if they penetrated into a moat, everyone in the tunnel would drown. after studying it for a while, ye jingtang felt that different people had different specializations. this kind of work of drilling holes, exploration, and opening tunnels had to be left to skilled artisans. he immediately turned around and left the tunnel. after he was busy underground for half a day, it was already noon. ye jingtang jumped out of the room in the side hall of the longevity palace. he saw that everyone outside was from the palace. in addition to secret guards of the palace, there were also a few chief constables of the black office. dongfang liren was standing in the corridor and arranging tasks for the chief constable. when she saw ye jingtang coming out, she walked over to him. ¡°i¡¯ve arranged for people to search the streets and alleys around the imperial city, and i¡¯ve also asked the ministry of works to send artisans to investigate the tunnel. it will probably take some time to investigate.¡± while speaking, she took a robe from a palace maid and handed it to ye jingtang. ye jingtang tore off half of his kasaya-like clothes and put on the palace guard¡¯s robe. he asked, ¡°the entrance at the other end is definitely not on a street.¡± perhaps dongfang liren was afraid that ye jingtang would expose himself, so she stood in front of him and helped him tie his belt. ¡°i naturally know, but the residences of the nobles, generals, and ministers are gathered around the imperial city. we will have to search door to door for the tunnel. no matter what happens, we have to find something¡­¡± dongfang liren¡¯s bearing was still noble, but when she lowered her head to tie the man¡¯s belt, she looked like a girlfriend. her heroic eyebrows and seductive red lips were only inches away from the man¡¯s chin. ye jingtang was stunned by dumdum¡¯s sudden initiative. just as he was about to decline politely, he saw some dust stains on dumdum¡¯s face from when they ran wildly in the dusty tunnel earlier. he raised his finger and rubbed her face. the corridor immediately fell silent. dongfang liren stopped tying the belt and looked up at the handsome young master who was blatantly teasing her, her eyes filled with disbelief. ye jingtang¡¯s fingers paused, and he wiped dumdum¡¯s face with his sleeve. ¡°there¡¯s some dust. i¡¯m helping your highness wipe it¡­¡± dongfang liren grabbed the hand that was wiping her face messily. the fat-headed dragon in front of her bulged as she said in a deep voice, ¡°ye jingtang, you¡¯re out of control, aren¡¯t you? you took the opportunity to offend me. do you really think i won¡¯t do anything to you?¡± ye jingtang gestured to the palace maids and secret guards behind them. ¡°there are too many people here. your highness, please pay attention to etiquette.¡± you also know that there are too many people? you touched iny face in public¡­ dongfang liren turned around and took a quick look. she suppressed the anger in her eyes and said coldly, ¡°if there¡¯s a next time, don¡¯t blame me for being merciless!¡± ye jingtang nodded. ¡°understood.¡± only then did dongfang liren let it go and continue asking, ¡°what are your following plans?¡± ye jingtang tidied up his clothes and thought for a moment. ¡°it takes time to dig through the tunnel. the bandits may escape at any time. i remember the general route of the tunnel. i¡¯ll examine from the surface to take a look first. as for the prince of wu¡¯s heir, your highness will send people to investigate. if your highness needs anything, inform me at any time.¡± dongfang liren actually wanted ye jingtang to rest, but the current situation was unclear, and he was very capable. if she let him rest, she wouldn¡¯t be able to count on the people of the black office to investigate the case, so she reminded, ¡°be careful. don¡¯t force yourself if something happens. inform me first.¡± ye jingtang nodded. just as he was about to set off, he had a thought and asked, ¡°by the way, your highness, where is the emperor¡¯s eldest son locked up?¡± dongfang liren asked doubtfully, ¡°are you suspecting that the traitors¡¯ intention is to break out the emperor¡¯s eldest son?¡± just think of the worst in everything.¡± dongfang liren turned around and whispered, ¡°he is under house arrest in the marquis of yun ning estate in the west of the city. nearby is a camp of the imperial city¡¯s imperial guards. qin wenli is also always staying close to him.¡± ¡°who is qin wenli?¡± ¡°the eight-armed ksitigarbha.¡± when ye jingtang heard this, he nodded slightly and felt that he might indeed be worrying too much. the eight-armed ksitigarbha was the head of the imperial court¡¯s enforcer organization. only the eight chiefs would be confident of killing him. other martial artists were basically unable to touch him, let alone there was a camp of imperial guards to assist in the defense. moreover, no matter how unclear the direction of the tunnel was, it was still in the east of the city. the emperor¡¯s eldest son was in the west of the city, and his location was on the opposite side of the city. since the target of the tunnel was not the emperor¡¯s eldest son, it was even harder to guess. ye jingtang couldn¡¯t guess their intentions, so he bade farewell to dumdum. he hung the saber at his waist, flew up, and jumped onto a roof. according to his memories, he searched outside. just as he passed by a few buildings and had yet to leave the range of the resting palace, he suddenly found himself in the back garden of the longevity palace. ye jingtang stopped at the top of the wall and looked around. the thousand-year-old ginkgo tree that he had been longing for was in the corner of the garden behind the bedchamber. there was a swing hanging on the branches, and below it was a tree ring. the periphery was paved with large limestone bricks. and the roaring dragon chart picture that his foster father had written about was under the big bricks! ye jingtang¡¯s heart skipped a beat. he really wanted to take advantage of the situation and dig out the picture. but after looking carefully, he saw the empress dowager in a dark red phoenix dress and the palace maid hongyu standing in front of the ginkgo tree with three incense sticks in their hands. they were bowing and paying their respects. ? ye jingtang¡¯s eyes were blank. he didn¡¯t know why the empress dowager was worshiping a tree here. the empress dowager, who was holding incense and praying, noticed that there was someone moving on the wall, so she turned around. her eyes lit up, and she seemed to be waving him over. dumdum wasn¡¯t around, so ye jingtang didn¡¯t dare to come into contact with the beautiful empress dowager. he cupped his hands and bowed. ¡°i¡¯m investigating the direction of the tunnel and looking for the bandits. please forgive me for disturbing your majesty.¡± when the empress dowager heard this, she naturally couldn¡¯t keep ye jingtang and ask about his well-being. she said with concern, ¡°thank you for your hard work. be careful when you do things. you did a good job protecting me today. i¡¯ll reward you in the future.¡± ¡°thanks, your majesty.¡± after ye jingtang cupped his hands and bowed, he flew over the wall and headed toward the edge of the imperial city. the empress dowager held three incense sticks and stood under the ginkgo tree that had lived for a thousand years. she raised her eyes and looked into the distance. it was only when hongyu waved her hand in front of her that she came back to her senses and continued to bow to master tree, which could give her good luck¡­ the imperial city was very large. there were countless palaces and pavilions connected to each other, and even palace servants unfamiliar with the place might get lost. ye jingtang walked on the roofs and walls. it sounded a little rebellious, but with the waist token that allowed him to enter and leave the palace freely, he didn¡¯t encounter any obstacles. following the route in his memory, he turned left and right in the imperial city for a while and quickly arrived at the eastern palace wall. outside the wall was the imperial moat and then the eastern area of the city. parasol street, literary virtue bridge, and even the residences of nobles, generals, and officials were in this area. even though ye jingtang had the black office¡¯s waist token, it was impossible for him to be so lawless as to pass through the back residences of dukes and the current prime minister without notification. thus, he could only act in secret. after ye jingtang searched according to his memory for about an hour, he stopped at a vice-minister¡¯s residence. he could see many servants in the residence inspecting the house while the master and his family were standing in the courtyard discussing. judging from their conversation, the tremors from the collapse of the tunnel had spread to the ground and frightened the residents. the tunnel had broken when it reached this place. it wasn¡¯t clear where it led next, and the only way to find out was to dig up the ground. this workload was even greater than rebuilding the collapsed tunnel. by the time it was completed, the traces would have been wiped clean. the clues ended here. ye jingtang stood on top of a tall building and looked around at the endless buildings in the capital with a frown¡­ at the same time, on a small street in the east of the city¡­ the side street was adjacent to east market, and there was a crossroad nearby with dense pedestrian traffic. ¡®mountain collapsing tiger¡¯ wang chengjing, dressed as an ordinary business traveler, was strolling the streets and occasionally glanced at the young martial artists riding past on horseback. his younger brother, second wang, was walking not far away. wang chengjing and his brother had accepted the business of killing people for the zhou family. they had already failed with ye silang. if they couldn¡¯t deal with ye jingtang, it would be equivalent to working for nothing and suffering damage. but ye jingtang was not a simple person. although they knew his name, age, and other information, it was very difficult to find him. after asking around these two days, they only knew that he was the young master of a merchant family in the capital. wang chengjing originally planned to go there and block the road, but he discovered that ye jingtang didn¡¯t return to heavenly water bridge at all, and relying on kidnapping to lure the snake out of its hole wouldn¡¯t work. ye jingtang would definitely bring a group of experts from the black office over. how to get ye jingtang out alone was troublesome. without any clue, wang chengjing could only adopt a stupid method. he planned to wait for an opportunity. he wandered around the streets near the black office to see if he could see ye jingtang passing by and follow him to find an opportunity to kill him. but he didn¡¯t even have a portrait of ye jingtang. he only knew that he was in his twenties, had a tall figure, was very handsome, and carried a saber. this was no different from finding a needle in a haystack. wang chengjing wandered aimlessly along the street. just as he was frowning, the sound of a carriage came from in front. clomp clomp! he casually moved to the side of the street to avoid it, but when the carriage passed by, his ears twitched slightly as he vaguely caught a sentence. ¡°how can it be ye jingtang¡­¡± ¡°that saber slash can¡¯t be wrong¡­¡± it was a conversation between an old man and a young man. wang chengjing suddenly returned his senses and looked calmly out of the corner of his eye. he saw a small carriage ridden by ordinary merchants passing by. there was a middle-aged driver sitting outside. his figure was very well-proportioned. he looked like a martial artist and was extremely vigilant. the moment wang chengjing looked, the driver turned his head. wang chengjing was secretly shocked, but he was in jianghu all year round. his expression showed nothing strange at all as he casually looked around the street. only when the carriage was far away did he frown and turn around to follow it slowly. second wang walked over and asked curiously, ¡°have you found him?¡± ¡°no, but the people in that carriage should be wanted by the government. from their tone, they just fought with ye jingtang.¡± second wang didn¡¯t see anything special about the distant carriage and asked, ¡°should we follow the carriage and wait for ye jingtang to catch them?¡± wang chengjing nodded. ¡°the people in the carriage are very skilled in martial arts. we might be able to complete the task without bloodshed.¡± second wang pondered for a moment and shook his head. ¡°the black office is arresting people. it might not be ye jingtang who comes. there will definitely be a lot of people coming. it¡¯s very difficult for us to fish in troubled waters. moreover, if the people in the carriage are too skilled in martial arts, ye jingtang might not be able to find them.¡± wang chengjing thought for a moment. ¡°that¡¯s not a problem. let¡¯s see where this carriage stops first and think of a way to send the news to ye jingtang. after ye jingtang receives the tip, he will definitely come personally for the sake of credit. we¡¯ll wait for them to fight and find an opportunity to act¡­¡± ¡°good plan¡­¡± Chapter 196 - Chapter 196: Gossip chapter 196: gossip translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios it was difficult for outsiders to know about the commotion in the imperial city. the streets and alleys of heavenly water bridge were still as quiet as usual. ¡°i understand.¡± ¡°chirp-¡± on the hot summer day, there were few people walking around in the back of the pei residence. the maidservants mostly stayed in the cool corridors and chatted. in the tea room of the main hall, there was a cold watermelon transported from sha province. xiuhe was sitting sideways on the carpet in a thin dress and cutting the watermelon into neat small pieces with a knife. beside her was an ice box containing ice cubes taken from the cellar. the big fluffy bird was no stranger to watermelons, but it was indeed the first time it had encountered ice in summer. it was lying lazily on the windowsill with a square ice cube on its head, looking at the green trees in the courtyard, its eyes full of comfort and not thinking about tangtang at all. pei xiangjun was wearing a light yellow summer dress and lying on her side on a beautiful couch, gently waving a fan in her hand. although she looked like a leisurely young madam of a wealthy family, her face wasn¡¯t very happy. jingtang went out on a trip, and 1 followed him, but the vixen accompanied him. when something happened, he would rush forward and protect the vixen¡­ after we got into a fight, i was injured, but nothing happened to the vixen. but in the end, after we returned, jingtang didn¡¯t even come to ask how i was doing¡­ what was the use of sending the bird over? it can¡¯t speak and can only eat¡­ although pei xiangjun knew that ye jingtang was busy and definitely couldn¡¯t find time to come over, she still felt a little disappointed. while she was feeling resentful, there was a sound outside the door, and a maidservant ran over. ¡°third lady, we have a guest.¡± pei xiangjun¡¯s eyes lit up, but she immediately realized that ye jingtang wasn¡¯t a guest, so she lay down weakly. ¡°if it¡¯s a business matter, go find madam. i¡¯m resting for two days.¡± the maidservant¡¯s gaze was a little complicated. ¡°it¡¯s the woman who quarreled with you at the door last time¡­ do you want me to chase her away?¡± the vixen?! pei xiangjun was stunned and sat up. ¡°those who visit are guests. don¡¯t you know the rules? quickly invite miss ning¡¯er in.¡± ¡°yes.¡± soon, footsteps sounded in the corridor. luo ning, who was wearing a blue summer dress, walked into the back residence dressed like a pretty girl from a humble family. behind her was zhe yunli, who was dressed like a young scholarly lady. zhe yunli¡¯s actions were gentle and refined. while walking, she looked around. ¡°i really couldn¡¯t tell from the outside. it¡¯s so beautiful inside¡­ chirp! come here!¡± ¡°chirp chirp-¡± hearing this, the bird perked up. it hurriedly got up, grabbed a small ice cube, flew to zhe yunli¡¯s shoulder, and rubbed it against her neck. but the ice cube made her shiver. ¡°all! it¡¯s so cold. go away¡­¡± ¡°chirp chirp!¡± pei xiangjun knew luo ning¡¯s identity, so she naturally knew that this young lady full of energy was the pacifying heaven cult master¡¯s precious disciple. she didn¡¯t neglect her and said, ¡°xiuhe, go accompany miss yunli.¡± then she looked at luo ning, who was walking over. ¡°miss ning¡¯er, why are you here?¡± although luo ning had a cold temperament and was aloof, she knew the ways of the world because she was the cult mistress of the pacifying heaven cult and took care of the cult¡¯s internal affairs. although third lady refused to call her elder sister ning¡¯er, it was a fact that they had gone through thick and thin together a few days ago. she knew that third lady had an injury on her back, so it would be too heartless not to visit. luo ning originally thought that ye jingtang would come over in the morning, but as soon as he went out, people from the black office called him away. he didn¡¯t even come back for lunch, so he definitely couldn¡¯t go to heavenly water bridge. luo ning had nothing to do at home, so she came over to visit to prevent third lady from thinking that she and the little thief were heartless. after the maidservant left, luo ning sat down on the luohan couch. ¡°jingtang is busy with work and doesn¡¯t have time to come over. 1 came on his behalf to take a look. how is your injury?¡± ¡°it¡¯s just a little strained from qi overexertion. it¡¯s almost healed.¡± pei xiangjun picked up the watermelon plate from the table and placed it on the small table between the two of them. ¡°i heard from an escort on the street that jingtang has been looking at houses recently. i helped him look at one. it¡¯s on heavenly water bridge. it¡¯s a big residence with three courtyard groups. it¡¯s facing the river, and the environment is good. go take a look later.¡± luo ning knocked out yunli every day. she felt that she was unworthy of being a mother and was indeed worried about this matter. she said in surprise, ¡°really? you¡¯re quite considerate¡­ won¡¯t three courtyard groups be too big? ¡°sigh, jingtang is such a talent. in the future, he will have at least three to five female confidantes. if the house is too small to accommodate everyone, he will have to change it. it¡¯s better to do it in one go.¡± luo ning felt that this topic wasn¡¯t very interesting, so she stood up, sat in front of third lady, raised her hand to take her pulse, and then pulled open the back of her collar to examine her back. but when she looked inside, she didn¡¯t see the wound on her back. instead, she was attracted by the undergarment tie on third lady¡¯s back and felt that it looked a little familiar. luo ning was stunned. she leaned over third lady¡¯s shoulder to look at her clothes and even lifted her collar with her hands. ? pei xiangjun was touched inexplicably and patted luo ning¡¯s reckless hands. ¡°what are you looking at?¡± although luo ning only caught a glimpse, she still clearly saw that third lady was wearing a small triangular undergarment that wrapped around the big balls, and there was even the bird embroidered on it¡­ luo ning¡¯s gaze was slightly strange. ¡°you¡¯re an unmarried girl, but you¡¯re wearing such¡­ such a bold undergarment. you¡¯re really¡­¡± pei xiangjun lowered her head to take a look and understood what luo ning meant. she untied her collar a little, revealing the small undergarment made of water cloud brocade. she smiled and said, ¡°this is the latest style in the capital. it has just started circulating in the back residences of the rich and noble families. although it¡¯s a little bold, it¡¯s much more comfortable to wear than ordinary undergarments. miss ning¡¯er, you¡¯ve never seen it before, right?¡± luo ning looked at third lady¡¯s slightly smug expression and harrumphed in her heart. but it didn¡¯t seem appropriate to compare whose underwear was more sexy. she only nodded slightly at this. ¡°it¡¯s indeed pretty.¡± pei xiangjun had a smile on her face. she wanted to talk about some private womanly matters, but there was a commotion outside the door again. she looked up and saw xiuhe running in with a letter in her hand. ¡°third lady, chen biao just said that someone sent a letter to the escort agency.¡± ¡°hmm?¡± pei xiangjun stood up and took the letter. she could see nothing special about the words ¡®to young master ye¡¯ written on it. ¡°who sent it?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know. it was stuck in the door.¡± pei xiangjun was a little puzzled. she wanted to open the letter and take a look, but she was afraid that it was a love letter from a female confidante of jingtang¡¯s. thinking of this, she felt unhappy and instructed, ¡°get the bird to inform jingtang.¡± ¡°okay¡­¡± unknowingly, it was already afternoon. ye jingtang was wandering around the east side of the city with the hornless dragon saber at his waist. along the way, he was still looking for clues on the streets. currently, he only knew that the tunnel was related to the prince of wu¡¯s heir. he didn¡¯t even know the general goal or how many people there were. searching like this was no different from waiting for a pie to fall from the sky. after he wandered around for an entire day and couldn¡¯t find the direction, the bandits in the tunnel had probably already packed up the scene and fled. there was no point in continuing to search. ye jingtang had no idea what to do, so he found a restaurant to eat. he planned to go to the prince of wu¡¯s mansion to take a look later. dumdum had arranged for experts to keep an eye on the place, but he didn¡¯t know if they had gained anything. halfway through the meal, a sound suddenly came from the sky. ¡°screech-¡± it was the cry of the bird. ye jingtang¡¯s ears twitched slightly. he walked out of the restaurant and looked up. he could see a small dot circling under the cloudless blue sky. it seemed to be looking for him. seeing this, ye jingtang paid the bill and quickly went to the roof of a tall building. with a wave of his hand, the bird swooped down from the sky, landed steadily on his shoulder, and then raised its wing. ¡°chirp!¡± seeing that it was pointing toward heavenly water bridge, ye jingtang knew that third lady was looking for him, so he carried the bird and rushed to heavenly water bridge. because he was really busy with work, ye jingtang didn¡¯t go through the main entrance. he directly jumped past the buildings of heavenly water bridge and landed in the back of the pei residence. the weather became cooler in the afternoon, and the women in the back residence were more active. when ye jingtang landed on the roof, he saw zhe yunli and xiuhe sitting on the edge of the pond, holding a spoon and eating half a large watermelon each. seeing this, the bird hurriedly flew over. along the way, it even chirped, seemingly complaining that poached eggs wasn¡¯t loyal and actually started eating in advance. ye jingtang didn¡¯t disturb them and landed in the third lady¡¯s courtyard. just as he was about to call out, he heard low voices coming from the boudoir. isn¡¯t it a little loose on you?¡± ¡°third lady, you¡¯re also a martial artist. you should know that too much burden will only affect your skills¡­¡± ¡°heh- jianghu isn¡¯t just about fighting and killing. there¡¯s also rubbing and massaging¡­¡± ? ye jingtang recognized the voices of ning¡¯er and third lady. he didn¡¯t know what the two of them were doing in the room, so he silently went to the window of the boudoir and looked in through the gap in the window¡­ in the boudoir with closed doors and windows, the two women were standing side by side in front of a bronze mirror. luo ning was wearing thin white pants and a small upper undergarment made of watery cloud brocade. the undergarment was embroidered with a pattern of mandarin ducks playing in the water. the style was similar to yesterday¡¯s interesting design, but it looked handmade. third lady was standing in front of her, wearing only tight-fitting thin pants and an upper undergarment with the design of ¡®the bird begging for food¡¯. because of her abundant capital, she had already stretched the round bird into a three-dimensional pattern. the plump and graceful curves of her waist and buttocks were clearly visible. although the two of them had different body shapes, the moons were both perfect. looking from behind¡­ i ye jingtang felt that something was wrong. he quickly retracted his gaze and retreated into the distance. ¡°ahem!¡± the boudoir instantly fell silent, and then there was a flurry of movements. after he waited for a while, the door opened. the dignified third lady and the cold and elegant heroine walked out of the room together. their expressions were very solemn, as if they had just discussed important matters related to the rise and fall of jianghu. ye jingtang stood at the corner of the courtyard. seeing this, he walked forward and asked, ¡°ning¡¯er, why are you here?¡± ¡°you weren¡¯t home, so i came to visit.¡± after luo ning explained casually, she turned around and walked to where yunli was. ¡°someone just sent you a letter. take a look.¡± ¡°letter?¡± ye jingtang was slightly puzzled and looked at third lady walking over. pei xiangjun walked up to him and took out an envelope from her sleeve. ¡°the letter was sent to the escort agency. did some girl you provoked in liang province come looking for you?¡± when ye jingtang was in red river town in liang province, he had been very strictly controlled by his foster father, and the girls at the border couldn¡¯t shake his determination. he didn¡¯t have any beauty from the past. he took the envelope and opened it. it was an anonymous report letter! the letter didn¡¯t have many words, and the writer didn¡¯t reveal any specific identity. it only said that he was a small merchant around heavenly water bridge. yesterday, he had been having fun on the gambling street in the west market and found that there were no lights or flames in a private house behind a gambling den. however, there were people coming and going from time to time, and they seemed to be carrying crossbows. pei xiangjun originally didn¡¯t want to look at the letter, but ye jingtang directly opened it in front of her. she couldn¡¯t help taking a few glances and found that the content of the letter was baffling. ¡°three crossbows are enough to sentence people into exile. it¡¯s a serious crime to carry any in the capital¡­ if he found any suspicious traces, he should have reported it to the authorities. why did he send you a letter?¡± ye jingtang was also quite surprised. he carefully reread the content. ¡°it¡¯s probably a merchant nearby who knows that i work in the black office, so he sent the letter to me.¡± because ye jingtang was handsome and capable, chen biao bragged about him all day long. everyone around heavenly water bridge knew about him. when commoners discovered suspicious movements and didn¡¯t know anyone in the government, it wasn¡¯t too strange for them to send news anonymously. ye jingtang was investigating the prince of wu¡¯s heir¡¯s case. the people he dealt with were all experts. they wouldn¡¯t use crossbows or other contraband. even if this news was true, it might not be related to the prince of wu¡¯s heir. but he didn¡¯t have any concrete clues at the moment. if there were suspicious clues, be it a trap or real news, he had to investigate. pei xiangjun knew that ye jingtang had received a tip-off. regardless of the truth, he had to go over and verify it, so she reminded, ¡°this person didn¡¯t reveal his identity and even sent the letter to you by name. the enemy is in the dark, and we are in the light. you have to be careful of ambushes. i ll go with you.¡± ye jingtang was currently considered a ¡®vigilante¡¯. he had to consult dumdum first before mobilizing the black office. it wasn¡¯t appropriate to find a bunch of chief constables to follow up on unverified gossip. he thought for a moment and said, ¡°third lady, your injury hasn¡¯t healed yet. ning¡¯er and 1 will go over and take a look.¡± ¡°i¡¯m not a delicate young lady. it¡¯s boring to stay at home. i want to move around. let¡¯s go together.¡± with that, pei xiang] un entered her boudoir and changed her clothes¡­ Chapter 197 - Chapter 197: Jianghu! (1) chapter 197: jianghu! (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the sun set in the west, and the lights in the city lit up. near youji street in the east market, the residents were all low-level peddlers and laborers. the street was relatively old, and there were all kinds of stalls along the street. in the alleys, there were gambling dens and hidden brothels. although the brothels were cheap, their grade was too low in the capital. even at the peak of business at night, there were not many people on the old street. only some sounds came from the brothels and gambling dens. there was a house behind the gambling alley. the door was tightly shut, and there was some mud on the stone doorstep. at night, almost no one entered this place. the house was very quiet inside. the few men in charge of digging the tunnel during the day used hot water to clean the oil stains from the dissolving oil in the house. the door to the main room was closed. xu bailin was sitting on a chair and tapping the armrest with his fingers. his expression wasn¡¯t very good. cao aning was pacing back and forth in front of him. cao aning had grown up in the palace and had been taught by eunuch cao. in the past, he had always been calm and composed. but after experiencing a series of incomprehensible strange events, he could no longer suppress his tense emotions. he revealed a hysterical side and whispered, ¡°when i ran into him in the morgue, i already thought he had god-like predictions. he ambushed us while we were fleeing for our lives. 1 figured that he appeared so soon because he had a lot of informers. but how did he find the prince of wu¡¯s mansion without any evidence? ¡°even if he found the mansion, he didn¡¯t find any clues. how did he find the tunnel? it¡¯s fine if he found the tunnel, but how can he be evenly matched with the former fist chief? if he had the ability, why did he let me escape the first time¡­?¡± it was only today that cao aning and xu bailin confirmed from the white-robed old man that the person who had infiltrated the prince of wu¡¯s mansion yesterday and defeated nangong shaofeng with a single move was really this haunting king of hell. ye jingtang¡¯s movements over the past few days could be said to be so bizarre that there was no way to explain it. not only was cao aning confused, but xu bailin also felt that he had seen a ghost. they believed that they hadn¡¯t leaked any information. after the incident at the morgue, in order to prevent anything from happening, they didn¡¯t dare to move much in the capital. they only secretly went to broad crossing. but in the end, after they didn¡¯t see ye jingtang for a few days, he went straight to the employer behind them and almost caught them red-handed in the tunnel. that wasn¡¯t ail. at first, ye jingtang only had a slight upper hand against cao aning and had clearly been weaker than xu bailin. it had only been a few days since they last met, but ye jingtang had beaten nangong shaofeng with one palm. the former fist chief had gone to block the way and had been stunned by two punches. wasn¡¯t this ridiculous? xu bailin thought for a moment. ¡°since ye jingtang was able to kill zhou huaili, his martial arts skills must be extraordinary. he might be hiding his skills usually. as predicting things like a god¡­ could there be a traitor on our side who¡¯s informing him?¡± cao aning shook his head. ¡°the people below are all working hard. only the few of us and his highness know the entire plan. it¡¯s impossible for his highness to disclose these matters. the former fist chief only went to the tunnel today. he didn¡¯t know the exact location before¡­¡± at this point, cao aning paused and looked at xu bailin. xu bailin had been involved from the beginning to the end. the first time he encountered ye jingtang, he had been provoked by him, causing the officials to capture a member alive¡­ ?! xu bailin¡¯s expression froze for a moment before anger appeared on his face. he slapped the armrest. ¡°are you suspecting that 1 informed the government? if i weren¡¯t so skilled, i would have been hacked to death by ye jingtang on the street last time. how could that be fake?¡± ¡°the skills ye jingtang displayed today are above yours. the last time he fought with you, he clearly held back¡­¡± ¡°if you hadn¡¯t been blocked by ye jingtang in the morgue, causing him to follow you, would i have fought against ye jingtang? explain first how you escaped from the morgue!¡± cao aning thought about it and agreed. he knew more than xu bailin. if the prince of wu had a spy, then this person was most likely him¡­ xu bailin was already paranoid due to ye jingtang, so he didn¡¯t care about cao aning¡¯s suspicion and said, ¡°if the spy were your or me, ye jingtang wouldn¡¯t have come from the other end of the tunnel today to alert the enemy. now that the dissolving oil has been poured, we have to hide it well today and tomorrow. if anything goes wrong again and we fail, we will lose everything.¡± cao aning couldn¡¯t figure out how ye jingtang was tracking him. he felt that if he stayed here, he might still be found, so he said, ¡°you and i will hide separately and meet up tomorrow night. if anything happens, escape alone. don¡¯t escape back to the base rashly, lest ye jingtang follows the clues and wipes us out.¡± xu bailin nodded. after some consideration, he thought of something and said angrily, ¡°ye jingtang can already fight the former fist chief alone. is jun mountain terrace dead? i¡¯ve already sent them the news, but there¡¯s been no movement for so long¡­¡± cao aning thought for a moment. ¡°we wanted to kill him with a borrowed knife, but we didn¡¯t say that his martial arts skills were so high. jun mountain terrace may not have felt the pressure and is thinking of ways to do it secretly¡­¡± ¡°no matter how secretly you operate, there will always be some splashes. if ye jingtang finishes dealing with us, by the time jun mountain terrace comes, it will be too late. wasn¡¯t this giving jun mountain terrace the news for nothing¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s too late to talk about this now. let¡¯s get back to work.¡± xu bailin felt that jun mountain terrace couldn¡¯t even understand the seriousness of raising a tiger to cause trouble. he felt that they really didn¡¯t live up to the reputation of a top rich and powerful family. but since there was no movement from jun mountain terrace, there was nothing they could do. he stopped speaking and left the house with his bar mace wrapped in yellow cloth. cao aning paced around the room with his hands behind his back, looking at his loyal subordinates outside the door. for some reason, everyone looked like a traitor. but it wasn¡¯t convenient to check his subordinates one by one. it might disappoint and discourage them. he thought for a moment and prepared to ask the five subordinates in the courtyard to disperse and hide on their own. they would meet again tomorrow. but as soon as cao aning walked out of the door, he heard the sound of buildings collapsing and metal colliding from the buildings outside. clatter! ding, ding, ding! cao aning¡¯s expression changed drastically. he knew that this haunting ghost from black office had come looking for him again. he couldn¡¯t even think of rescuing his people.. he immediately flew into the depths of the building complex¡­ Chapter 198 - Chapter 198: Jianghu! (2) chapter 198: jianghu! (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the sun set over the city wall, and the streets and alleys darkened. the streets lit up with stars, and the alleys were dim. occasionally, a few gamblers and prostitutes would walk past in a hurry. ye jingtang was wearing a black robe and dressed like an ordinary martial artist. he slowly walked in the alley, paying attention to the traces on the ground and the passers-by. this place was a slum area, so the three jianghu people walking together would be very eye-catching. for this reason, luo ning and pei xiangjun just waited in the carriage at the entrance of the alley so that they could rush over to help at any time. the alleys in this street were full of gambling dens, wine shops, and brothels. the houses were old and not soundproof. there were loud shouts from some of the brothels in order to attract lechers. luo ning¡¯s and pei xiangjun¡¯s martial arts skills were not low, so they could clearly hear voices coming from the depths of the alley. ¡°yes, yes! so powerful!¡± ¡°is it big¡­¡± pei xiangjun had covered her face with a black scarf, so her expression couldn¡¯t be seen, but there was clearly something strange in her eyes. luo ning¡¯s eyes were cold as she tried her best not to recall the scenes of the little thief defiling her. perhaps it was a little boring, pei xiangjun asked softly, ¡°ning¡¯er, has jingtang ever said those obscene things to you?¡± ?! luo ning frowned slightly and turned her head away to ignore her. when the little thief is defiling me, his mouth has never been free. he¡¯s either kissing or eating watermelons. how can he have the time to say those things¡­ the two women were quite embarrassed. ye jingtang was actually the same. as a grown man, ye jingtang was walking past brothels in the middle of the night and even looking around. anyone with some experience would know what he was preparing to do. the prostitutes who were soliciting guests at the threshold of the brothels would wave their hands from time to time to attract the customer. ye jingtang also reacted like a normal person and then quickly looked elsewhere. he pretended not to see anything and continued walking. according to the tip he received, suspicious things had appeared in a house behind the alley. although it was still quite far away, ye jingtang walked very carefully to prevent himself from being ¡®invited into a trap¡¯ by someone with ulterior motives. he had gotten the bird to investigate suspicious activities from the sky. he also kept listening for any movements in the houses on both sides of the alley, with his left hand placed near the hilt of his saber. walking in the middle of the alley, he didn¡¯t notice anything unusual. ye jingtang looked at the small path between two houses not far away. he thought of turning in from there to go near the residence that the informant had reported. in the end, he saw a figure turn from the path and walk toward him. the figure was wearing an earthen-yellow cloth robe and dressed like a commoner in the market, holding a long item wrapped in cloth in his hand. he looked like a gambler here for fun. he looked a little familiar¡­ xu bailin walked out of the narrow path that was as wide as a person. he was originally investigating the surroundings, but as soon as he turned and took two steps, he found a tall man in a black robe standing still 30 steps ahead in the dark alley. although the light was dim and he couldn¡¯t see the man¡¯s face clearly, the man¡¯s standing posture and the long black item hanging diagonally behind his left waist¡­ ?! the dim old alley was noisy, but the atmosphere fell dead silent at this moment. it was as if there were only two people left in the entire world. xu bailin didn¡¯t see clearly who the other party was, but he had encountered ghosts many times and knew that ye jingtang, the king of hell of the black office, was everywhere. he guessed the other party¡¯s identity immediately. ye jingtang was a little hesitant. after all, the alley was too dim, and the other party was wearing a disguise. he felt that this person was familiar, but it was difficult to confirm their identity. moreover, he had inexplicably received a tip and really bumped into a main character. if the other party hadn¡¯t deliberately lured the snake out of its hole to ambush him, it would have been too strange. the two of them were half an old alley away from each other and faced off for a moment. after all, xu bailin was a formidable person in jianghu. his mental fortitude was outstanding, and he didn¡¯t show any abnormalities as he naturally walked to the gambling den beside her. ¡°sir, please wait!¡± ye jingtang called out to him, but the figure in front of him didn¡¯t stop. instead, he instantly exploded and crashed into the curtain of the gambling den. swoosh! ye jingtang moved almost at the same time. he stepped heavily on the dirt alley and sped out. halfway through, he kicked the stone wall outside a house. bam! the stone wall exploded, and several bricks flew out, smashing into the curtain of the gambling den with a terrifying sound. one of the bricks directly tore open the wooden wall of the gambling den, revealing the few tables of gamblers who had yet to react. clatter! when xu bailin saw this, his expression changed drastically. he flipped his wrist slightly, and his bar mace fell into his hand. he swept it through the air, tearing the cloth wrapped around it and shattering the flying bricks. bang! dust instantly flew up in the alley. after ye jingtang confirmed the suspect, he didn¡¯t stop. after kicking, he unsheathed his saber at his waist. clang! a cold light flashed in the alley! almost at the same time as the brick exploded, the incomparably fast saber light arrived in front of xu bailin. xu bailin had heard that ye jingtang and the former fist chief had fought back and forth today. he had thought that it was because the former fist chief was too old. seeing this terrifying blade that was completely different from a few days ago, he suddenly realized that ye jingtang¡¯s skills had indeed increased significantly. fortunately, he had experience fighting ye jingtang before. in order to pursue extreme speed, the eight-steps frenzied blade didn¡¯t have much room the change its moves. when xu bailin sensed that something was wrong, he had already taken a step forward and placed the bar mace horizontally in front of him. clang! the blade tore through the night and flashed through the dark alley. to outsiders, it looked like a bolt of lightning suddenly shooting over and colliding with xu bailin¡¯s chest.. Chapter 199 - Chapter 199: Jianghu! (3) chapter 199: jianghu! (3) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios xu bailin didn¡¯t even stand still for a moment. his entire body was blasted away at the same speed. in the air, he raised the bar mace and prepared to receive the second saber move. but ye jingtang didn¡¯t continue attacking. instead, he retracted his saber. then like a dragonfly skimming water, he jumped onto a roof and scanned his surroundings to avoid being ambushed. whoosh! in an instant, broken wood flew in the alley, and the screams of countless men and women sounded. xu bailin¡¯s feet landed on the ground, but he still maintained the posture of blocking. seeing that ye jingtang didn¡¯t continue the attack, he turned around and fled without hesitation. when ye jingtang realized that no one was ambushing him and could hear the sound of rushing wind from afar, he knew that he had really dug up the hiding place of xu bailin and the others. he immediately shouted, ¡°keep an eye on the fleeing person. don¡¯t easily engage the enemy!¡± hearing this, luo ning and pei xiangjun rushed out of the carriage and quickly jumped onto a house. while speaking, ye jingtang had already rushed across the roof with his saber and chased after the escaping xu bailin. xu bailin didn¡¯t have any desire to fight to begin with. seeing that there were still experts from the black office behind him, he directly gave up the idea of meeting up with cao aning and flew toward the city wall. along the way, his right foot kicked away bricks and tiles at the commoners running in the alley. ¡°ahhhh!¡± a few running commoners immediately fell to the ground with blood on their heads. seeing this, ye jingtang flew into a rage. it was impossible for him to ignore it. his body exploded like black lightning, and he moved left and right in the alley, blocking the bricks and tiles with his blade and gravel. bricks and stones flew everywhere in the old street, and screams soared into the sky, sounding like boiling water suddenly exploding in a pot. xu bailin relied on creating chaos to escape. although this method had no morality at all, it was indeed effective against the constables of the imperial court. bricks and stones were thrown into the distance. even though ye jingtang¡¯s movement technique was superb, under the situation of jumping left and right, he would definitely quickly fall behind. ye jingtang knew that if he continued to chase after him, xu bailin would be driven into desperation and kill people indiscriminately. he immediately wanted to stop and turn around to chase after the bandits on the other side. but what ye jingtang and xu bailin didn¡¯t expect was that just as some distance opened up between them, a sharp arrow pierced through the clouds from the dark and headed straight for xu bailin¡¯s next landing point! swish! xu bailin was caught off guard. he retracted his legs in the air and smashed the hidden arrow aimed at his legs with his mace. but his fleeing figure paused slightly, and he landed on an old limestone street. plop! although xu bailin bounced up after landing, ye jingtang¡¯s reaction wasn¡¯t slow. when the hidden arrow came, he knew that xu bailin would definitely dodge. his figure had already rushed to the old street, holding his saber and waiting to attack. although xu bailin wasn¡¯t afraid of hidden arrows coming from afar, blocking them would definitely interfere with his movement technique. under the circumstances of being chased by ye jingtang, this was almost a matter of life and death. after getting up, he quickly moved. with his back against the pillar of a restaurant, he blocked the archer¡¯s vision and faced the formidable ye jingtang. ye jingtang thought that the constables of the black office were secretly shooting arrows to intercept xu bailin. he wanted to attack again, but when he moved his feet, he felt that something was wrong. tread, tread, tread¡­ two hurried footsteps came from the side of the street. from the direction they were moving, they were circling behind him. ?? after sensing that something was wrong, ye jingtang immediately raised his saber in front of him. from the corner of his eye, he locked onto xu bailin outside the restaurant and the alley behind him. xu bailin was a little confused. seeing that the opponent wasn¡¯t blocking his way, he wanted to escape, but he was afraid that there would be another ambush, so he could only sense the surroundings carefully. tread, tread, tread! but in an instant, a short and burly man rolled out of the alley. he was holding an iron shield and a saber in his hand as he half-crouched on the old street, locking onto ye jingtang in front of him. as for the other taller man, he landed on a roof, holding a strong bow in his left hand and a seven-foot-long spear in his right hand. after appearing, he leaned the spear on his leg and nocked an arrow on the strong bow. under the moon, the old street fell silent. ye jingtang wasn¡¯t blind. from the size and compatibility of these two people, he recognized them as the professional murderers who had tried to assassinate him at the baoyuan school a few days ago. he was a little puzzled. how did these two discover his ye silang identity? xu bailin was rather dumbfounded. he looked at the man in black holding the strong bow on the roof, recalled for a moment, and asked in shock, ¡°mountain collapsing tiger? have you become a lackey of the imperial court?!¡± wang chengjing and his brother were wanderers from yan province, while xu bailin was a wanderer from the heavenly south. although xu bailin was more famous, the wang brothers had always fought two against one, and their overall strength was very high. their status in jianghu was on par with his. they moved around jianghu all year round, so it wasn¡¯t strange for them to hear about each other. wang chengjing had recognized xu bailin just now, so he had shot an arrow to block his way. ¡°no. i took a job to take this kid¡¯s head.¡± ?! when xu bailin heard this, his face turned green. ¡°why did you shoot me when you came to kill him? can¡¯t you see that i¡¯m being chased by him?¡± second wang held his shield with a cautious gaze. ¡°this kid¡¯s martial arts skills don¡¯t seem low, and he even wants to kill you. the two of us will help you kill him.¡± ¡°f*ck you!¡± how could xu bailin not understand that these two people wanted him to be cannon fodder in the front? he immediately turned around and wanted to leave. swish! just as he took a step forward, wang chengjing drew his bow and shot an arrow toward xu bailin¡¯s path. the arrow exploded in midair, turning into thousands of poisonous needles. swoosh! swoosh! swoosh! xu bailin¡¯s expression changed drastically. he flew back to hide behind the pillar and said angrily, ¡°wang brothers, are you f*cking crazy?¡± ye jingtang was also a little confused. while being cautious, he frowned and asked, ¡°did you two provide the tip that xu bailin hid here?¡± wang chengjing was quite honest. ¡°at first, i didn¡¯t know it was xu bailin. otherwise, i would have discussed it with him in advance.¡± ¡°you f*cking directed him to me?!¡± the blood vessels in xu bailin¡¯s head almost exploded from anger.. Chapter 200 - Chapter 200: Jianghu! (4) chapter 200: jianghu! (4) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios wang chengjing said calmly, ¡°so what if i did? if you don¡¯t help, we two brothers can injure you and escape first. ye jingtang will definitely chase after you and not us.¡± ¡°you!¡± xu bailin was so angry that the veins on his head bulged. he turned around and said, ¡°ye jingtang, these two are killers hired by jun mountain terrace to take your head. 1 just want to escape and don¡¯t dare to fight against you. you¡¯d better guard against them.¡± hearing this, second wang was a little puzzled and asked, ¡°how do you know that we were hired by jun mountain terrace?¡± xu bailin scolded angrily, ¡°i was the one who sent the news about ye jingtang to jun mountain terrace. if the two idiots are going to do it, do it. if not, get lost!¡± ¡°i only recognize the employer. i don¡¯t recognize you.¡± wang chengjing drew his bow again and pointed it at the pillar of the restaurant. ¡°if we waste any more time, chief constables of the black office will be here. if you don¡¯t help us deal with this kid, you can help us bring up the rear. choose for yourself. xu bailin knew that these two idiots could advance and retreat freely. since they wanted him to be cannon fodder, he couldn¡¯t afford to delay at all and had no choice. with the three of them working together, they were certain of killing ye jingtang. xu bailin gritted his teeth, roared angrily, and rushed out from behind the pillar like a ferocious tiger. wang chenghu immediately turned his arrow and aimed it at ye jingtang. swish! snap! the arrow exploded in the air, turning into thousands of flying needles. seeing this, ye jingtang reacted extremely quickly. his figure flashed, and he moved horizontally on the old street. the moment he dodged the flying needles, he kicked sideways with his right foot. boom! second wang held his saber and pressed forward with his shield to prevent ye jingtang from escaping. but the opponent rushed over directly, startling him. just as he raised the saber in his hand, a terrifying force came from the round shield in his left hand. boom! under the attack, the short and burly second wang immediately fell back with his shield, landed on the street, and slid dozens of feet away. ye jingtang borrowed the force from the shield and turned back at lightning speed. he almost brushed past the ends of countless flying needles and slashed forward with his saber with both hands. xu bailin held the heavy bar mace in his hand. his strength was rather fierce, but his speed really couldn¡¯t keep up with ye jingtang, who was using a light saber. in the face of the surprise attack, he quickly stopped and swept his mace forward with both hands. crack! amidst the thunderous explosion, sparks flew across the street. the moment the two weapons met, the saber in ye jingtang¡¯s hand turned at an angle and brushed past the bar mace. last time, the heavy mace in xu bailin¡¯s hand had been very difficult to shake, but this time, it was different. xu bailin felt that the mace had hit into indestructible incline, but it couldn¡¯t shake the long saber. instead, it drifted up due to inertia and swept above ye jingtang. in this moment of miscalculation, the blade was already between his arms. ye jingtang pressed his saber forward and stabbed straight at xu bailin¡¯s throat. although xu bailin reacted quickly and dodged to the side, there was still a bloody wound on his chest. swish! blood splattered! xu bailin was horrified. he knew that ye jingtang was no longer the same person as last time. he immediately wanted to jump back, but just as he took a step back, the saber pressed down again. clang! clang! clang! the moment second wang turned over and bounced up, three consecutive slashes had already landed. xu bailin retreated step by step. he could no longer stand firmly on the second saber strike and staggered. the violent force of the third saber strike sent him flying backward. xu bailin knew the effect of fighting with the eight-steps frenzied blade. before he fell to the ground, the bar mace was already blocking above him. at the same time, he cursed angrily, ¡°why the f*ck are you still watching?!¡± wang chengjing¡¯s original plan was to take advantage of the situation and find a gap in ye jingtang¡¯s guard. but he really didn¡¯t expect xu bailin to be so useless. he was almost immediately crushed to death by the eight-steps frenzied blade. seeing ye jingtang chasing after xu bailin, wang chengjing drew his bow and shot an arrow at the spot where xu bailin landed. at the same time, he kicked out the seven-foot-long spear beside him and rushed out with the spear. swoosh! ye jingtang had been paying attention to his back. when he heard the sound, he retracted his saber and dodged. wang chengjing grabbed the end of his spear in midair. seeing ye jingtang attacking from the front, he shook his hand violently, and the spear emitted an explosive sound. the red tassel fluttered, and the sharp spear rotated and vibrated as it stabbed toward ye jingtang¡¯s chest. ye jingtang originally wanted to rely on his terrifying speed to approach the spear. but as soon as he took action, he realized that the killer who used the long whip last time was also an expert in spears. the risk was a little high, so he stepped on the ground. bam! the old street bricks exploded. wang chengjing¡¯s attack landed, but there was no one in front of him. ye jingtang moved like a ghost. he dodged the spear and flashed in front of second wang, who had just stood up. he parried second wang¡¯s saber with his and then used his forward momentum to slam into the round shield with his shoulder. second wang¡¯s martial arts skills were not as good as his brother¡¯s. facing the attack, he subconsciously raised his shield to block, but a mountain-shattering force came from the shield. he immediately regretted it. boom! the dozens of feet of sand and dust on the old street were dispersed by the force. the short and burly second wang was sent flying backward like a cannonball. the moment ye jingtang hit the iron shield, he grabbed its edge with his hand, causing the shield to stop in place. the instant second wang was sent flying backward, a crisp crack came from his left arm. his sleeve was torn, the bandaged wound on his shoulder was torn, and blood immediately spurted out. splash! ye jingtang¡¯s movements were as smooth as flowing water. at the same time that he sent second wang flying, he turned around and flung the round shield behind him. whoosh! the iron round shield was like a flying millstone, causing a muffled whistle in the air. wang chengjing was chasing after him with his spear raised. seeing this, he held the spear with both hands and slammed it up. the spearhead smashed into the round shield, which actually caused it to collapse into a concave shape and bounce high into the sky. but at this moment, ye jingtang, who had been moving with the shield, used his saber to block the spear shaft from lowering and drilled into the gap of wang chengjing¡¯s defense. when wang chengjing hurriedly retreated, ye jingang grabbed the spear shaft with his left hand and threw the hornless dragon saber at wang chengjing¡¯s face. swoosh! wang chengjing¡¯s expression changed drastically. he leaned back to dodge, but the spinning blade still cut a bloody wound on his shoulder.. Chapter 201 - Chapter 201: Jianghu! (5) chapter 201: jianghu! (5) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios xu bailin flipped over and stood up. he wanted to join forces to kill ye jintang, but just as he took two steps, wang chengjing, who was in front of him, moved to the side, and a spinning saber flew toward his face. clang! this sudden attack made xu bailin¡¯s hair stand on end. he directly swept forward with his mace. at the same time that ye jingtang grabbed the spear shaft, he had already raised his right leg and fiercely kicked wang chengjing¡¯s waist, instantly turning him into a hunched shrimp. boom! before second wang could land on the ground, wang chengjing flew to the other side, dropped his spear, and was smashed toward xu bailin. xu bailin reacted extremely quickly. he elbowed wang chengjing¡¯s waist and knocked him away. but the moment wang chengjing moved away, xu bailin¡¯s pupils suddenly constricted. he saw the black-robed figure running forward with large strides. he held the spear with both hands and whipped it forward. the moment his aura erupted, the seven-foot-long spear had already collapsed into a half-moon! boom! under the moon, muffled thunder sounded on the old street, followed by sand and dust flying into the air! ye jingtang smashed down with the spear, blasting out a long groove in the old street bricks in front of him. xu bailin lived up to his reputation. in his haste, he still blocked the end of the spearhead with his bar mace and didn¡¯t have his head shattered by the spear. but his body couldn¡¯t stand still at all. the powerful force contained in the spear tip was like a mighty dragon slamming straight into his chest and abdomen, smashing half of xu bailin¡¯s legs into the street. then his entire body plowed dozens of feet in the old street. his robe was shattered, and he coughed out blood from his mouth and nose. bam! bam! bam! there were three consecutive muffled sounds. in just an instant, the three people who surrounded ye jingtang flew out in three directions. xu bailin landed on the ground first, and wang chenghu smashed the wall of the restaurant on the side. and second wang, who had been knocked into the air first, because of his special eating technique, actually fell on the street last and rolled several times. clang! clang! clang! the round shield that had been knocked into the air landed on the ground and bounced back up. after ye jingtang instantly erupted, the boiling blood and qi in his body made him a little dizzy. but with enemies on three sides, he had trouble deciding who to attack first, so he held the spear, wiped his face, took two steps back and forth on the spot, and shouted angrily, ¡°come on! continue if you have the guts!¡± second wang had flown the furthest, but other than the torn wound on his arm, he wasn¡¯t injured much. when he got up, he saw that his brother was gone. xu bailin was in the ground, flabbergasted. after xu bailin slid to a stop in the ground, he quickly got out with the iron mace in his hand, his eyes filled with disbelief. wang chengjing, who had been kicked in the waist, was the most seriously injured. even though the kick hadn¡¯t broken his lumbar spine, his physique was already stronger than ordinary people¡¯s. after smashing through the wall of the restaurant, he fell to the ground and didn¡¯t get up immediately. with blood foam in his mouth, he said in disbelief, ¡°you¡¯re ye silang?!¡± ye jingtang¡¯s heart was beating like a raging bull, and all the muscles in his body were trembling. he glanced around and found that third lady had already rushed over to help when she heard the commotion. he raised the spear and strode toward xu bailin. xu bailin was shocked and suffering from internal injuries. when he saw ye jingtang turn around and still planned to hit him, his face turned pale, and he cursed angrily, ¡°wang chengjing, f*ckyou!¡± with that, he turned around and ran. ye jingtang wasn¡¯t injured, and his movements were not affected at all. as they fought, the commoners on the old street had long run away. xu bailin was unable to create chaos and obstruction, and he had internal injuries. how could he escape? he fled for her life for less than ten steps before the shrill sound of rushing wind came from behind him. swoosh! xu bailin¡¯s hair stood on end. he dodged to the side and swept his mace at the tip of the spear. clang! ye jingtang had thrust straight with the spear. the moment he missed, he swept it toward xu bailin¡¯s waist. boom! xu bailin blocked the sweep with the bar mace, and his figure immediately drew a right angle on the street, flying out horizontally and smashing through a house on the street. in midair, he used the ¡®let go of the mace¡¯ move and threw it at ye jingtang¡¯s face. this was a move that mace experts used to fight for their lives. once the weapon was thrown away, the users would be at the mercy of others, but the move was quite powerful. however, ye jingtang had already fought to this extent. how could he not be on guard against the opponent¡¯s move? when he sensed that xu bailin¡¯s aura wasn¡¯t right, he flew to the side and dodged. the next moment, a strong wind whistled past in front of him, causing his face to hurt. swoosh! swoosh! swoosh! the heavy bar mace pierced through several buildings, producing a series of explosions among the buildings. who knew how far it went. ye jingtang instantly turned around. seeing xu bailin about to jump onto a house to escape, he raised his hand and stabbed him in the back. crack! the spear tip pierced through his body! xu bailin, who had just jumped up, was smashed into the wall and nailed to the middle of the house. ¡°wait!¡± there was a short, urgent cry mixed with a muffled groan! ye jingtang only needed to turn the tip of the spear to crush xu bailin¡¯s waist and abdomen, but he didn¡¯t do anything. instead, he pulled out the tip of the spear. crack! xu bailin immediately fell to the ground. blood gushed out like a fountain from the puncture wound in his abdomen, but his eyes were still ruthless. ye jingtang raised the spear and pointed it at xu bailin. ¡°tell me the truth about the case, and 1¡¯11 let you die a quick death.¡± xu bailin knew his own matter. being caught was no different from being dismembered and dying. he had no intention of begging for mercy. he looked at ye jingtang, endured the pain, and said through gritted teeth, ¡°roaming jianghu is to hang your head on your belt. if i die in your hands, it¡¯s because my skills are inferior. but at least let me understand! how did you find out?¡± when ye jingtang saw that xu bailin was about to die but still asked this question, he knew that he was ready for death and wouldn¡¯t beg for mercy and exchange information for his life.. Chapter 202 - Chapter 202: Jianghu! (6) chapter 202: jianghu! (6) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ye jingtang thought for a moment and saw that third lady and heroine luo were fighting the professional assassins. the people from the black office had yet to arrive, so he lowered his spear and wiped his face. ¡°the wandering body palm was created by eunuch cao and ¡®south mountains iron trigram¡¯ zhang henggu. your accomplice knows the wandering body palm, but he¡¯s not zhang henggu¡¯s disciple, so it can only be related to eunuch cao. coincidentally, the prince of wu contacted the pacifying heaven cult last year and talked about collaborating for a great cause. it¡¯s not difficult for me to suspect the prince of wu.¡± when xu bailin heard this, he understood what the problem was, but then he immediately asked in confusion, ¡°how do you know that eunuch cao and zhang henggu created the wandering body palm together? also, how did you find out that the prince of wu secretly contacted the pacifying heaven cult master?¡± ye jingtang stabbed the spear into the ground and sighed. ¡°the soul of yan is indestructible, aspiring to pacify heaven.¡± ?! when xu bailin heard this, his eyes were full of shock. as a wanderer from the heavenly south, he naturally knew this rebellious slogan. ¡°you¡¯re from the pacifying heaven cult?!¡± ye jingtang nodded. ¡°1 am a protector of the pacifying heaven cult. 1 came to the capital to be a spy. 1 need to accumulate merits and gain the trust of the prince of jing and the empress to prepare for the sect master to restore great yan.¡± you/hearing this news, xu bailin was dumbfounded. but after he thought about it carefully, only this situation could explain why ye jingtang knew so many secrets that only the pacifying heaven cult master knew and why his martial arts skills were so ridiculous¡­ in the end, it was the pacifying heaven cult master behind the scenes¡­ thinking of this, xu bailin collapsed! their hiding place had been reported by their borrowed knife?, and the borrowed knife used them as a knife. they had been fighting openly and secretly for so many days, but in the end, the imperial court had not done anything. it was another wave of rebels chasing after them¡­ wasn¡¯t this making him die with grievances?! after xu bailin figured out the whole story, he was furious. ¡°your pacifying heaven cult are rebels, and so am 1. it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t help after the prince of wu came to invite you, but you¡¯re even helping the imperial court deal with us. have your brains gone haywire like those two idiots?¡± ye jingtang shook his head. ¡°the prince of wu is surrounded by three military forces. he can¡¯t do anything at all. the pacifying heaven cult can¡¯t place our hopes on you.¡± ¡°but you can¡¯t kick us when we¡¯re down! we¡¯re all rebels! if we fight among ourselves, won¡¯t the imperial court reap the benefits?!¡± ¡°it¡¯s impossible for the prince of wu to succeed. 1 need merits to gain a foothold in the imperial court. you guys have made a great contribution. if 1 don¡¯t hit you, who should i hit? i¡¯ve already made it clear to you. in your next life¡ª¡± ¡°wait!¡± when xu bailin realized that ye jingtang was the same kind of person, his desire to live arose. he whispered, ¡°trust me this once. we still have a few days before we complete our task. as long as we bring the deposed emperor to wu province, the prince of wu will be able to use this opportunity to raise troops. regardless of whether the prince of wu can succeed or not, it will bring chaos to great wei, and it won¡¯t do any harm to your pacifying heaven cult¡¯s grand plan to restore your country. by messing with us at this juncture to make merits, you¡¯ll only be appreciated by the prince of jing. how can the benefits be greater than instigating chaos among the princes?¡± ye jingtang shook his head. ¡°the deposed emperor¡¯s protection is very tight. it¡¯s impossible for you to take him away. isn¡¯t it better for me to prevent trouble before it happens than to make up for it after it happens?¡± xu bailin took a deep breath and wanted to tell ye jingtang how they were planning to get the deposed emperor out of the marquis of yun ning estate. but when the words reached his mouth, xu bailin felt that something was wrong. he looked at ye jingtang cautiously. ¡°give me two days. we will definitely be able to take the deposed emperor away.¡± ye jingtang raised his spear and shook his head. ¡°1 know you don¡¯t believe me and won¡¯t tell the truth. in order to prevent my identity from being exposed, 1 can¡¯t let you leave alive without being sure that you can succeed.¡± xu bailin gritted his teeth. although he felt that ye jingtang¡¯s relationship with the pacifying heaven cult was real and wanted to tell him everything about the plan and rope him in, his rationality finally suppressed his desire to live. ¡°the prince of wu saved my life back then. 1 don¡¯t trust you¡­¡± plop! the tip of the spear pierced through his throat. xu bailin¡¯s eyes widened. he grabbed the spearhead with his hands and stared fixedly at ye jingtang. his shoes scraped against the ground as he struggled. ye jingtang¡¯s eyes were calm. ¡°1 am indeed a member of the pacifying heaven cult. 1 have to silence you. however, you deserve to die. remember to be a good person in your next life and don¡¯t kill the innocent.¡± xu bailin stared intently at ye jingtang. before his consciousness faded, his eyes were still full of unwillingness. after all, being beaten to death by the imperial court was what he deserved. but it was really impossible for him to rest in peace when his peer from the pacifying heaven cult used him for credit¡­ Chapter 203 - Chapter 203: Chatter (1) chapter 203: chatter (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the surroundings of the street fell into dead silence. a few unattended gambling dens were ablaze with raging flames. on the old street full of ruins, xu bailin was leaning against a wall with his head lowered as blood slowly dripped down the steps. after confirming that he was dead, ye jingtang turned around and walked to the end of the street. on the way, he picked up the hornless dragon saber that was inserted into the ground and put it on his waist. the storm didn¡¯t last long. countless constables had rushed over. third lady was afraid that her identity would be exposed, so she returned to the carriage in advance. luo ning, with a veil covering her face and a three-foot-long sword in her hand, was standing beside the two brothers. second wang was lying on the ground without any sound. wang chengjing¡¯s injuries had received the most care, and his injuries were very serious. blood was seeping out of his mouth and nose, and blood stains covered his entire body. he had collapsed to the side, and there was more air going out than coming in. seeing ye jingtang come over, luo ning raised her sword and said, ¡°it¡¯s the two wang brothers of yan province. how should we deal with them?¡± when ye jingtang saw that these two idiotic killers had tried to assassinate ¡®ye silang¡¯ and ¡®ye jingtang¡¯ consecutively, he knew that the zhou family was behind them. jun mountain terrace wouldn¡¯t think of getting rid of his two identities at the same time. but according to xu bailin¡¯s confession, this matter had something to do with jun mountain terrace. ¡°buying the murder of an officer is equivalent to rebellion. these two are witnesses. let the black office interrogate them first and see if they can dig out anything. are you and third lady injured?¡± ¡°these two people were already injured by you. 1 didn¡¯t do much. third lady knocked them down alone.¡± luo ning put away her sword and turned to size up ye jingtang. seeing that he was covered in sweat, she took out a handkerchief and wiped his face. ye jingtang¡¯s wife was caring for him, so his heart naturally warmed. he looked up and saw that countless officials had yet to come. he quickly lifted luo ning¡¯s blue veil, lowered his head, and kissed her red lips. his hand even pinched the big moon, and his five fingers sank into the softness. ?! caught off guard, luo ning was kissed firmly. her eyes widened slightly, and she bit ye jingtang¡¯s lip lightly in anger before retreating. ¡°little thief, you¡¯re really¡­¡± she raised her hand to wipe the corner of her lips, turned around, and ran back to the carriage. after ye jingtang watched his wife leave shyly, he took out his black office waist token and went to the street entrance to discuss with the constables, who had begun to clean up the mess. third lady and ning¡¯er had been afraid that something would happen to him, so they had rushed over to help. they definitely couldn¡¯t have chased after other criminals who had fled in all directions. only the bird followed. it was hard to say whether it could find their hiding place. although there was no one left behind, some clues were found in the residence. there were several pieces of changed clothes and oil-stained bathwater. it looked like the dissolving oil had already been poured, and unexpected events would definitely happen in the next two days. ye jingtang was sure that the other party¡¯s goal was the deposed emperor. he had to inform dumdum as soon as possible. from a chief constable of the black office, he learned that the prince of jing was on the way here, so he went to the carriage first. after the chaos, the neighborhood that was originally full of ambiguous sounds was quiet, and there were no pedestrians on the street. the pei family¡¯s carriage was parked alone by the roadside. when ye jingtang arrived in front of the carriage, he heard voices coming from inside. ¡°you¡¯re so heavy-handed. can you be gentler? it didn¡¯t hurt at all when jingtang applied medicine-¡± ¡°he was touching you, but i¡¯m seriously massaging you. how can it be the same? just now, he was like a martial maniac. he wielded the big spear so fiercely that i didn¡¯t even dare to approach him. how is he now, little miss delicate?¡± ¡°that was a fight. do you think everyone is like you? you appear so polite in public and only reveal your temper in private. when fighting, you only know how to jump left and right. i can¡¯t tell what you¡¯re doing¡­¡± ¡°you!¡± ye jingtang lifted the curtain and saw a candle burning in the spacious carriage. luo ning was sitting on the edge of the soft couch, holding jade dragon ointment in her left hand and applying medicine to third lady. third lady was lying on the soft couch with a soft pillow in her arms. her close-fitting martial arts suit had already been untied, revealing her smooth back and waistline. there was a line of red marks along her spine, and he could even see two large squashed lumps on the side¡­ (0-0;) ye jingtang¡¯s eyes widened as he quickly closed the curtain. ¡°you¡¯re treating injuries¡­ how are your injuries?¡± pei xiangjun heard the noise and was about to pull up her clothes quickly when she found that jingtang had left very gentlemanly. she didn¡¯t move and said softly, ¡°i¡¯m fine. it¡¯s just a small injury.¡± ¡°if you¡¯re fine, what were you complaining about just now?¡± luo ning was angry with third lady, who had been showing off to her with some battle merits. seeing that ye jingtang had arrived, she put down the jade dragon ointment. ¡°you apply the medicine for her. i can¡¯t be bothered to serve her.¡± pei xiangjun was stunned. her face turned red as she turned around. ¡°what nonsense are you saying? you apply it. i¡¯m a woman¡­¡± pa- as if she was dealing with yunli, luo ning raised her hand and slapped her, causing ripples on the big moon. ¡°then don¡¯t make a fuss and say that i¡¯m heavy-handed. if it hurts, hold it in.¡± pei xiangjun turned around and said angrily, ¡°is there something wrong with you? you¡¯re not good at anything, but you¡¯re quite ruthless when hitting your own family¡­¡± ¡°lie down!¡± sitting outside the carriage, ye jingtang found them pretty amusing. he didn¡¯t try to run in to smooth things over. he just leaned against the outside of the carriage and listened to the two women arguing. after sitting on the street for a while, he heard the sound of carriages and horses coming from the main street. a luxurious carriage driven by four horses sped over, and black office constables cleared the way in front. dongfang liren, who was wearing a silver python robe, was standing outside the carriage and looking into the distance. luo ning lifted the curtain of the carriage and saw the heroic-looking princess. she felt strange and asked, ¡°i¡¯ll take third lady back first. are you coming back tonight?¡± ye jingtang naturally wanted to go home to accompany his wife at night, but the actual situation might not allow it. he jumped off the carriage. ¡°the criminals poured dissolving oil. there¡¯s no telling what might happen. it will be very difficult for me to go home today and tomorrow. why don¡¯t you stay at third lady¡¯s house? i¡¯m now a thorn in the criminals¡¯ side. it¡¯s hard to say if someone will find me in double osmanthus alley.¡± pei xiangjun sat up slightly and opened the carriage window a crack. ¡°be careful. if anything happens, get the bird to call for help. i¡¯m fine.¡± luo ning felt a little worried. she hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°do you have time? come back for an hour. i¡¯ll help you recuperate.¡± ¡°hehe¡­¡± ye jingtang agreed with a smile. he patted the horse lightly and got it to take the pei family¡¯s carriage home on its own. then he turned around and quickly walked to the street entrance.. Chapter 204 - Chapter 204: Chatter (2) chapter 204: chatter (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the luxurious carriage stopped at the street entrance. dongfang liren jumped out of the carriage and landed on the street. she looked at the two tied-up survivors and xu bailin¡¯s corpse. seeing ye jingtang walking over, dongfang liren was rather surprised. when he arrived, she checked if he was injured before asking, ¡°how did you find xu bailin?¡± ye jingtang raised his hand and gestured to the wang brothers lying on the ground. ¡°in order to kill with a borrowed knife, xu bailin sent the news that i know the eight-steps frenzied blade to jun mountain terrace. jun mountain terrace might have wanted to kill with a borrowed knife and sent the news to the zhou family. the zhou family hired these two fellows, and these two fellows bumped into xu bailin when they came to the capital. they wanted to use xu bailin as a knife, but then they were all caught.¡± dongfang liren frowned slightly. after thinking about it for a while, she sorted out the situation and said doubtfully, ¡°is that so¡­? how did you defeat these three people alone?¡± ¡°1 killed xu bailin. the red flower pavilion helped capture these two.¡± after ye jingtang explained, he raised his hand to support dumdum¡¯s back and pushed her into the carriage. ¡°i have something to report to your highness. let¡¯s talk in the carriage.¡± dongfang liren felt that this action was rather offensive, but sir tangtang was so amazing that she was too embarrassed to be fierce, so she didn¡¯t argue. she gently jumped up with the tip of her toes, entered the carriage, sat down on the couch, and personally poured tea for ye jingtang. ye jingtang sat down by the window. after considering his words, he said, ¡°the rebels fled in all directions, so 1 couldn¡¯t catch anyone alive. however, i can confirm that the prince of wu¡¯s target is the eldest son of the emperor in the marquis of yun ning estate. furthermore, the dissolving oil has already been poured. your highness has to be more vigilant to prevent the rebels from taking him.¡± dongfang liren picked up the cup of tea and handed it to ye jingtang. she was slightly surprised. ¡°xu bailin was stabbed in the throat. how did you get the information?¡± ye jingtang couldn¡¯t say anything about the internal strife between the rebels. he only vaguely said, ¡°1 stabbed him in the waist and interrogated him for information. xu bailin tried to win me over and said that he would be able to get the deposed emperor out of the capital in two days and help the prince of wu raise the army. when it was over, i would be made a marquis. but the moment i was distracted, he became murderous and wanted to fight back with his life. then 1 casually stabbed him. hmm¡­ i really should have kept him alive.¡± dongfang liren looked at the chaotic battle scars on the street and knew how intense the battle had been. it was normal to overreact when one¡¯s heart was tense. she said very understandingly, ¡°information is secondary. personal safety is the top priority. is this news true? did xu bailin make it up?¡± ¡°i can tell that what he said is absolutely the truth, but i couldn¡¯t get the exact plan.¡± dongfang liren nodded thoughtfully and instructed the black office constables outside the carriage to bring the carriage straight to the west of the city. then she looked at sir tangtang. ¡°from the bamboo street murder case, you single-handedly investigated all the way here. you have made extraordinary contributions time and time again. when this case is over, i will personally write a letter to her majesty to ask for a reward for you. what reward do you want? to be conferred the title of marquis of yunzhong?¡± the marquis of yunzhong was a false nobility title in great wei. there was only honor, no salary and residence, and it couldn¡¯t be inherited. it was a different concept from a founding marquis of the country like the marquis of jun mountain. but when people went out, they could brag that they were a marquis. to ordinary people, it was still an honor that they dreamed of. ye jingtang was still renting a house and didn¡¯t have any land. in theory, he belonged to the ¡®drifter¡¯ class among the commoners. this reward was undoubtedly great. but ye jingtang was from jianghu and yearned for honors like martial chief, so he shook his head and smiled. ¡°there¡¯s no need to be conferred a noble title. i¡¯m just repaying my debt for your highness. i¡¯m ashamed to accept it. if your highness really wants to reward me¡­¡± at this point, ye jingtang suddenly thought of something and leaned closer. ¡°is there really no room for discussion regarding the palace maid yuhu?¡± ?! dongfang liren¡¯s approving gaze turned cold. she took a deep breath, and the fat-headed dragon visibly swelled in front of her. ye jingtang raised his hand slightly. ¡°1 just asked casually. if it doesn¡¯t work, 1 naturally can¡¯t force it. hmm¡­ where¡¯s qiu tianhe? 1 learned the heaven equaling saber and realized that this saber technique is really exquisite. there¡¯s no saber in my hand, but there¡¯s a saber in my heart. the more i think about it, the more remarkable it feels. it¡¯s a little inappropriate to learn the saber technique but ignore the master afterward.¡± seeing that ye jingtang was sensible, dongfang liren restrained her aura. ¡°qiu tianhe robbed the late emperor¡¯s wedding envoy team. this is no different from rebellion. it¡¯s already an act of mercy outside of the law to let him live in the capital. if he¡¯s allowed to leave the capital safely and return to jianghu, won¡¯t the scoundrels in jianghu try to imitate him?¡± ye jingtang knew that this matter wasn¡¯t easy to handle. he nodded and didn¡¯t say anything else. dongfang liren felt that rejecting everything might make sir tangtang feel a little disappointed. she said, ¡°don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ll consider it. qiu tianhe and 1 have no grudges. i even owe him a little favor. if there¡¯s a suitable reason, i¡¯ll make things easy for you.¡± ¡°thanks, your highness.¡± ¡°hmph~!¡± after the two of them chatted for a while, there was nothing to do in the carriage. ye jingtang took out the few weapons he had seized and checked them out. dongfang liren was very interested in martial arts. just like how the empress liked to collect paintings and calligraphy, her hobby was to collect martial arts manuals and weapons. the greater the origin of the weapon, the higher its collectibility value. currently, her most prized collection was qiu tianhe¡¯s saber, heaven equaling. although the roaring dragon spear¡¯s craftsmanship was surprisingly good, it was a replica and had never been used by an expert, so the collectibility value was actually average. xu bailin¡¯s blue steel mace and wang chengjing¡¯s mountain collapsing spear were famous weapons in jianghu. after being seized, they naturally wouldn¡¯t be able to escape the fate of being put on display in the hall of jasper pavilion. xu bailin¡¯s genuine blue steel mace had already been confiscated last time. this time, she had obtained another bar mace. dongfang liren picked up the mace and sized it up. she found that there were several cuts made by a saber, and the marks were much deeper than the last time. she pulled out the hornless dragon saber from ye jingtang¡¯s waist and examined it by candlelight. although the saber was densely covered in scratches from countless experiences, there were no chips. dongfang liren blinked. ¡°your saber is abnormally sturdy. it¡¯s fine even after slashing so heavily.¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t know the details of his foster father¡¯s saber in the past and only felt that it was good. but after entering the capital, he learned a lot of old stories about jianghu and slowly understood that this saber was the weapon passed down from kuang yazi, the saber chief of the previous dynasty. its name was hornless dragon. it had been forged by the xiao mountain fort in jiang province during the previous dynasty. all the hornless dragon sabers in the jianghu were modeled after the style of this saber. kuang yazi¡¯s saber technique was famous for being fierce and violent, and his saber had undergone countless battles without breaking. with the opponents that ye jingtang had met so far, it was really not easy to break this saber. ye jingtang saw dumdum¡¯s sparkling eyes. ¡°don¡¯t tell me your highness wants to collect my saber too?¡± ¡°i have plenty of good sabers. 1 don¡¯t care about it.¡± dongfang liren put the saber back and thought for a moment. her heart stirred as she looked at ye jingtang. ¡°by the way, 1 heard that the red flower pavilion has the overlord spear and the black qilin spear. you¡­¡± ?! seeing that dumdum was interested in his and third lady¡¯s weapons, ye jingtang hurriedly said, ¡°those are family heirlooms of the red flower pavilion. it¡¯s not appropriate to ask for them. i¡¯ll bring back the spear of ¡®spear chief¡¯ duan shengji and give it to your highness in the future.¡± dongfang liren blinked and said, ¡°if you want to teach me the overlord spear, 1 naturally have to have the matching weapon. think of a way. you can lend it to me for a year and a half. i¡¯ll forge a replica and return it to the red flower pavilion.¡± ye jingtang felt that the noble princess in front of him was acting coquettish to her boyfriend and asking for a gift. but he really couldn¡¯t give away third lady¡¯s weapon. he thought for a moment and could only say, ¡°i¡¯ll borrow the black qilin spear for your highness to practice with. then i¡¯ll take out the roaring dragon spear and make it famous for your highness. how about that?¡± dongfang liren felt that this was a good idea and nodded¡­ Chapter 205 - Chapter 205: The Black Office’s Dungeon (1) chapter 205: the black office¡¯s dungeon (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the place where the imperial guards were stationed was close to the outer wall of the imperial city. there were 3,000 elite imperial guards stationed inside, working in three shifts to protect the safety of the palace. the center of the imperial guards¡¯s camp was the marquis of yun ning estate, where the deposed emperor of great wei was placed under house arrest. ye jingtang and dongfang liren arrived near the marquis of yun ning estate. together with constables of the black office, they checked the surrounding environment and found no traces of tunnels. but for safety reasons, dongfang liren still ordered that the deposed emperor be moved to a nearby residence and be strictly guarded by the imperial guards. then she secretly dispatched people from the black office. dongfang liren didn¡¯t arrange the defenses with great fanfare. after all, she only knew the general intentions and didn¡¯t have any evidence. the heir of the prince of wu was being watched by experts of the black office. today, he was drinking with the other princely young masters in the dragon cry pavilion. there was nothing unusual. if the observation were too obvious, the prince of wu¡¯s heir would definitely know that his plan had been exposed and immediately cancel it. then, even if the dissolving oil worked and the walls of the imperial city collapsed tomorrow, there would be no way to prove that the prince of wu¡¯s heir had arranged for people to do it. if the government killed the heir apparent of a vassal prince without any evidence, there might be chaos. therefore, the imperial court had to pretend that they knew nothing and wait for the heir of the prince of wu to take risks. by the time everything was arranged, it was already late at night. dongfang liren stayed close to the west side of the imperial city so that she could deal with any changes in time. in the morning, ye jingtang had entered a tunnel and fought. at night, he had fought three people on the streets. he had only had lunch and only ate half of it. he really needed to rest, so he handed the matter to the chief constable of the black office and got off work. originally, dumdum wanted him to stay close and spend the night in the palace. but dumdum wouldn¡¯t serve him in bed, so ye jingtang naturally rejected her good intentions, bade farewell, and rushed to heavenly water bridge. it was late at night, and the pedestrians on the streets gradually thinned out. ye jingtang¡¯s figure flitted past countless buildings and mansions like a swallow. he crossed yun¡¯an and arrived at the street of heavenly water bridge. all the shops were closed. there was still some movement inside the escort agency. looking from the roof, he saw chen biao and yang chao sitting under the eaves with two pots of wine and a bowl of peanuts between them, talking nonsense all night. ¡°did the young master really not have a confidante in liang province? the letter was inserted into the door today, and not even the face was revealed. it¡¯s obvious that it was a girl who was shy and embarrassed¡­¡± ¡°i watched the young master grow up, so how could i not know? the girls at the border aren¡¯t good-looking and have bad tempers. from the age of four or five, the young master started squatting at the door, worried about what to do when he got married in the future. when the boss passed away and he heard that he was going to the capital, he simply left without even turning his head back¡­¡± ? on the roof, ye jingtang really wanted to kick old yang for spouting nonsense after drinking too much. but on account that he was an old man in the family, he decided not to. he didn¡¯t disturb the two of them from drinking and went straight into the pei family¡¯s alley. there were two lanterns hanging outside the door of the pei residence, and the door was already closed. ye jingtang didn¡¯t disturb the people of the pei family, who had already gone to bed. he went straight to the back residence. just as he landed on the roof, he saw the big bird sticking its head out of the roof and jumping in front of him. ¡°chirp chirp chirp¡­¡± from its tone, it was saying: damn it! you still know to come back! ye jingtang caught the bird and rubbed its head. ¡°did you catch up with anyone?¡± the bird shook its head and gestured. its meaning was probably: if 1 ran around and followed without stopping, i wouldn¡¯t be able to come back to report. since i came back to report, i obviously lost my target. ye jingtang had been biting xu bailin and the others like a ghost for so long. no matter how ambitious the other party was, they should know not to take any chances. he wasn¡¯t surprised. after the bird chased for half a day, it was also quite tired. ye jingtang was at the pei residence, so he didn¡¯t let the bird keep watch at night. after landing in the corridor, he let the bird play in yunli¡¯s room. heroine luo was staying temporarily in the pei residence, so zhe yunli was naturally staying here as well. because the pei family didn¡¯t have an eldest daughter, zhe yunli was treated like a princess. she stayed alone in the huge west courtyard with five maidservants serving her. although it was already late at night, zhe yunli was not asleep yet. in the spacious room, she and a few young maidservants of similar age were playing mahjong, which was very popular among the aristocratic ladies in the capital. seeing that the young maidservants were so happy that they didn¡¯t look sleepy at all, he knew that his daughter had lost terribly and was a little amused. he didn¡¯t go over to disturb her and quietly went to third lady¡¯s courtyard. in the main courtyard, the light in xiuhe¡¯s side room was already off, but the lights in the main room were still lit. ye jingtang walked to the door and looked around. it was obvious that third lady, who had taken medicine, had already fallen asleep in the bedroom. luo ning was waiting for him to come back. she was leaning on the beautiful couch and flipping through a book in her hand. hearing the sound outside the door, luo ning put down the book and made a shushing gesture. then she quietly walked out of the door, turned around, closed the door, and said softly, ¡°third lady just fell asleep. are you done? are you still going out later?¡± ye jingtang put his hand on heroine luo¡¯s shoulder. ¡°the dust hasn¡¯t settled yet. i may go out at any time.¡± luo ning had waited for ye jingtang to return so that she could help him recuperate and prevent any accidents from happening during a fight. however, it seemed a bit too direct to enter the room when he returned, so she asked, ¡°have you eaten?¡± ye jingtang shook his head. ¡°i ran around all day and didn¡¯t even have time to eat.¡± hearing this, luo ning turned around and walked to the small kitchen in the back residence. ¡°the maidservants are resting now. i¡¯ll cook noodles for you to eat.¡± ¡°cook noodles??¡± ye jingtang blinked and looked at the cold and beautiful side profile beside him. luo ning felt that ye jingtang¡¯s enunciation was wrong. she turned around, and their eyes met. ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± ye jingtang placed his hand on luo ning¡¯s shoulder. ¡°nothing.¡± ¡°hmph~!¡± luo ning twisted her shoulder slightly but didn¡¯t move away, letting ye jingtang hug her. the two of them went to the kitchen of the back residence. because the residence was very large, the size of the kitchen was similar to that of their courtyard in double osmanthus alley. luo ning was afraid that ye jingtang would leave in a hurry after returning, so she had prepared boiling water in advance so that she could make hot food in fifteen minutes at most. luo ning busied herself agilely in front of the stove while ye jingtang supported her by the side. they looked like an intimate couple. but while luo ning was cutting onions on the chopping board, the blade suddenly paused. then she raised the knife and placed it on ye jingtang¡¯s neck, her eyes filled with shame and anger. ¡°you pervert!¡± ye jingtang was beating eggs when he was stunned by this sudden murderous aura. he said blankly, ¡°i didn¡¯t touch you. why did you call me a pervert?¡± luo ning¡¯s face flushed red as she recalled the unbearable experience on the day the two of them took medicine together. she gritted her teeth and glared at ye jingtang for a moment before moving the kitchen knife away and continuing to cut vegetables. chop chop chop- ye jingtang shook his head and smiled. he continued to beat the eggs with chopsticks and leaned closer. ¡°heroine luo, you said it yourself. you can¡¯t go back on your word later.¡± luo ning moved a little farther away, looking very disgusted, but she didn¡¯t say anything¡­ Chapter 206 - Chapter 206: The Black Office’s Dungeon (2) chapter 206: the black office¡¯s dungeon (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios meanwhile, at the prince of jing estate¡­ at night, jasper pavilion was brightly lit and stood in the middle of the city like a lighthouse. outside jasper pavilion was the black office. due to the special nature of the office, there were few prosperous shops on the surrounding streets and alleys. the people coming and going were in a hurry and didn¡¯t dare to stay near the office. outside the high wall on the east side of the black office was an old alley. in the alley was the residence of the black office¡¯s constables. there was a small courtyard inside with the light still on. there was a large pot in the courtyard. a female cook was cooking a large pot of vegetables. qiu tian was wearing cotton clothes. he was standing outside the door with his hands behind his back, looking at the moonlight in the sky. because of the soft bone fragrance in his body, divine doctor wang had sealed his meridians with twelve golden needles. the restriction was too great, and his fingers would tremble from time to time. he looked like a commoner with a large build but weak hands and feet. although he had walked out of the dungeon, he wasn¡¯t free. he was an undying prisoner locked in the capital. there was free food in the dungeon. after coming out, it was obviously not appropriate for the imperial court to provide food and accommodation, but they couldn¡¯t let qiu tianhe leave the black office¡¯s sight. for this, the black office symbolically arranged him a job delivering food to the prison, allocated housing, and gave him four taels of silver a month. qiu tianhe had roamed jianghu for half his life and was considered a big shot at his peak in jianghu. it was a little unseemly to do errands and chores here. but once people entered jianghu, they were at the border of life and death. he had lived a glorious life in jianghu for half his life. now, the imperial court no longer pursued the past grudges. if he could live a peaceful life in the capital, receive food every day, spend the rest of his time drinking tea and basking in the sun, and even receive a pension, no matter how he thought about it, it would be considered a good ending. there was nothing to complain about. qiu tianhe waited outside the door for a while. after the cook finished preparing the last meal of the day and placed it in rice buckets, she walked toward the side door of the black office. just as she took a few steps, she heard a noise. click! it was the faint sound of bricks cracking. qiu tianhe stopped in his tracks and looked at a corner of the outer wall of the black office. he saw a crack in the ground. qiu tianhe frowned. he didn¡¯t see anything special, so he didn¡¯t care. he carried two rice buckets into the black office and returned to the old place where he had been imprisoned for a year. the black office¡¯s dungeon was divided into three levels. the entire building was made of black vine bricks and was indestructible from both the inside and outside. the black office specialized in dealing with jianghu people. when the constables were on the job outside, they would usually kill people on the spot. there were not many people who could be brought back and imprisoned, but those who could be locked in the dungeon either had special functions or possessed unique skills. none of the people to be trifled with. the basement level was still considered normal. those locked up were all strange people with special skills. occasionally, they were taken out to help with cases. they might even be able to leave alive in this life. the second basement was basically full of death row prisoners. once they entered, they wouldn¡¯t have the chance to see the light of day again. the tenants of the eight cells were all famous and formidable people in jianghu. qiu tianhe used to be the most famous person here. it was late at night. occasionally, the sound of chains being dragged echoed in the prison deep underground. qiu tianhe walked past the noisy prison rooms one by one and placed the rice in a bowl on the door. when he reached the second basement, he unexpectedly found that a newcomer had appeared in his ¡®former residence¡¯. qiu tianhe was slightly surprised. he walked to the hole and stuck his head over to see which jianghu friend it was. he saw two people inside. their bodies were covered in blood, and their hands and feet were chained as they leaned against the corner of the wall. seeing him poking his head out, the short and burly man hurriedly sat up. ¡°hey! brother, what is this place?¡± seeing that he didn¡¯t recognize him, qiu tianhe replied casually, ¡°the black office¡¯s dungeon. who are you two?¡± the short and burly man said, ¡°second wang of yan province. my brother is ¡®mountain collapsing tiger¡¯ wang chengjing.¡± qiu tianhe said in surprise, ¡°the two wang brothers of yan province? are the two of you worthy of staying in this room?¡± ¡°hey!¡± in the dungeon, second wang, who had just woken up from a coma, originally wanted to ask about the situation. seeing that the servant delivering food above was so arrogant, he was immediately furious. ¡°old man, the two of us have been imprisoned, and hares may pull dead lions by the beard. i won¡¯t hold it against you. if you were outside, you would be so frightened that you would kneel on the spot when you heard our names. why aren¡¯t we worthy of staying in this room?¡± qiu tianhe slowly scooped the rice and gestured to his left and right. ¡°the one on the left is ¡®thousand-faced gentleman¡¯ nangong ling, and the one on the right is the one-eyed maitreya of sha province. do you think the two of you are qualified to stay in the middle?¡± ?! when second wang heard the names of these two famous devils of jianghu, his aura immediately weakened. he looked around. ¡°it¡¯s not like us brothers can¡¯t exchange two moves with them.¡± ¡°if you have the ability, speak louder so that the two people next door can hear you.¡± second wang felt that the two murderous devils couldn¡¯t do anything to him in the cell, but who knew if he would encounter them in the future? he really didn¡¯t dare to shout loudly and only said, ¡°so what if i don¡¯t dare? you¡¯re just delivering food. why are you using their names to scare me? if you have the ability, open this fence and talk!¡± qiu tianhe couldn¡¯t be bothered to scare the jianghu small fry and asked, ¡°how did you two get in?¡± second wang got angry at the mention of this. ¡°we accepted a murder business. we didn¡¯t succeed and even failed miserably.¡± ¡°kill who?¡± ¡°a sir named ye jingtang from the black office. speaking of which, how many years should we be sentenced for attempted murder?¡± qiu tianhe thought for a moment. ¡°attempted murder without causing harm is three years. if the victim is injured, it¡¯s death by hanging. the penalty for murder is beheading.¡± second wang was delighted. ¡°we didn¡¯t injure him! to be honest, we brothers didn¡¯t even touch the corner of sir ye¡¯s clothes and were even beaten half to death. does this mean that we can be released after being locked up for three years?¡± qiu tianhe shook his head and sighed. ¡°if you were imprisoned in the first basement, you might be able to get out. but don¡¯t even think about it on this floor. from the time the dungeon was restored until now, only one person has walked out of this floor alive.¡± ¡°who?¡± ¡°qiu tianhe.¡± second wang¡¯s eyes were slightly shocked as he said in disbelief, ¡°qiu tianhe is out?! once xuanyuan chao dies, qiu tianhe will firmly become the saber chief. the imperial court dares let this person off?¡± qiu tianhe felt that this kid was quite knowledgeable, so he added another spoonful to his bowl. ¡°qiu tianhe is considered half a master to ye jingtang. it¡¯s not difficult to use connections to open a back door.¡± second wang was very surprised. but after thinking about it, he felt that it wasn¡¯t impossible. it was said that the successor of the eight-steps frenzied blade and qiu tianhe were old acquaintances, and ye jingtang knew the eight-steps frenzied blade, so it was normal for him to be related to qiu tianhe. second wang pondered for a moment and frowned. ¡°sir ye is a member of the imperial court and should punish criminals according to the law. qiu tianhe is half his master, but he can even be released after snatching the emperor¡¯s wife. the two of us didn¡¯t even touch him. according to the law, we should only be locked up for three years, but we¡¯re being imprisoned until we die. isn¡¯t this perverting the law for personal gain?¡± qiu tianhe shook his head and couldn¡¯t be bothered to answer any more questions.. he sent the food down and turned to leave¡­ Chapter 207 - Chapter 207: Daily Family Life (1) chapter 207: daily family life (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios flowing clouds covered the silver moon, and the mansion with white walls and blue tiles became dark. all the women in the back residence were asleep. only in the west courtyard were there faint voices. ¡°little chick, come here.¡± ¡°chirp?¡± ¡°what are you saying? should 1 call you lazybones?¡± ¡°chirp chirp chirp!¡± in the main courtyard, the curtains in the elegant boudoir were hanging down, and pei xiangjun was lying on her side, sleeping soundly on her pillow. because it was midsummer, the thin blanket was only slightly draped around her waist. her upper body was wearing a triangular undergarment made of water cloud brocade. under her pear-shaped waist, she was wearing very cool clothes. after returning from the fight near the east market, pei xiangjun took some medicine and fell asleep early. according to her usual habits, she would wake up naturally early in the morning. but she didn¡¯t know how long she slept for. in a daze, she felt that something was wrong and opened her eyes. swish- pei xiangjun turned over on the bed, lifted the curtain, and looked at the chaise longue in the outer room. the vixen who should have been lying there reading had disappeared. pei xiangjun blinked and felt that something was wrong. she quietly sat up, put on a thin dress, bound her clothes slightly, and went to the window to listen. luo ning was staying at the pei residence temporarily. due to her special status, it was difficult for pei xiangjun to arrange a guest room in the outer residence, but it was also impossible for her to share a bed with the vixen. the room she had arranged was a wing on the side of the main room, only dozens of steps away. she listened carefully. the room was silent. there were no words, but there were some subtle movements. it sounded¡­ indescribable. this vixen is here¡­ is jingtang back?! pei xiangjun¡¯s eyes were full of suspicion. after some thought, she silently jumped out of the window and followed the corridor to the window of the room. the sounds became clearer. she still didn¡¯t understand what was going on¡­ pei xiangjun hesitated for a moment. she leaned against the edge of the window, licked her finger with the tip of her tongue, carefully made a small hole in the window paper, and looked inside. the room was clean and tidy. the candle lamp on the dressing table was emitting a dim yellow light. the usually cold and aloof vixen was wearing small, black, cut-out underwear¡­ when pei xiangjun saw these quality smallclothes, surprise flashed across her eyes. she didn¡¯t expect this cult mistress, who looked conservative and aloof, to be so coquettish in private. upon closer look¡­ between the curtains, the cold and extraordinary jingtang was leaning against the head of the bed, and his broad chest and abdominal muscles were clearly visible. he looked like a lord. on the other hand, the usually fierce and aloof vixen was not fierce at all now¡­ ?! seeing this, pei xiangjun thought that jingtang was bullying and coercing the girl in private, but looking carefully¡­ the vixen was pretending to be aggrieved¡­ this was the first time pei xiangjun had seen such a scene. the impact was a little too great. she watched in a daze. before she could come back to her senses, she realized that jingtang, who was leaning against the head of the bed, had raised his eyes and looked at the window. pei xiangjun¡¯s expression changed slightly as she hid back in her room. a subtle voice sounded from next door. ¡°is third lady awake?¡± ¡°doesn¡¯t sound like it.¡± ¡°oh- little thief, are you done-?¡± ¡°hehe¡­¡± pei xiangjun sat alone on the edge of her canopy bed and looked at the empty room. she couldn¡¯t help thinking about when she had fought over ye jingtang at the door and suffered a crushing defeat. her eyes slowly turned sour. after an unknown period of dejectedness, there was suddenly a sound outside. creak- pei xiangjun immediately returned to her senses. she wanted to get up and see what the two of them were doing, but footsteps approached and arrived at her door. thump! thump! pei xiangjun was slightly startled. she hurriedly lay down and pretended to be sleepy. ¡°who is it?¡± ¡°it¡¯s me. third lady, are you asleep?¡± pei xiangjun felt that jingtang was here to confirm that she had peeped just now. her eyes were a little flustered, and she hesitated for a moment. ¡°i was woken up by the knock on the door. if you¡­ you have something to say, come in and talk.¡± the door opened. ye jingtang, dressed neatly, walked in from the door to the inner room. when he saw that third lady was wearing clothes, he lifted the bead curtain. pei xiangjun sat up. her eyes were a little evasive as she pretended that nothing had happened. ¡°you just came back? have you finished your work outside?¡± ye jingtang definitely didn¡¯t just come back. he knew that third lady had run to the window just now and was afraid that she would feel wronged for half the night, so he had come over. ye jingtang walked over to her, sat down on the makeup stool, held her wrist, and checked her pulse carefully. ¡°i¡¯m not done yet, but i don¡¯t think i need to go out tonight. i¡¯ve been too busy with the things in the government these two days. third lady, your back is injured, but i haven¡¯t visited you yet. today, i even asked you to go into battle with your injury¡­¡± pei xiangjun blinked her almond-shaped eyes. seeing that ye jingtang didn¡¯t seem to notice that she had peeked just now, she secretly heaved a sigh of relief. then she said resentfully, ¡°your ning¡¯er is useless. she can only be fierce at home. when it comes to fighting and killing outside, if 1 don¡¯t help you, who will?¡± ye jingtang smiled. ¡°i know that you¡¯re capable. not only are your businesses orderly, but your spearmanship is also superb. however, ning¡¯er is still very powerful. it¡¯s just that her fighting style is relatively stable. third lady, when you fight others in the future, you should prioritize your own safety. don¡¯t fight so hard.¡± ¡°hmph-i¡± pei xiangjun¡¯s heart warmed. she glanced at ye jingtang and said, ¡°i¡¯ll show you a house on heavenly water bridge¡­¡± ¡°you are familiar with the capital, so it¡¯s naturally best if you have time to help me find a house. but i¡¯ll pay for it myself. please don¡¯t pay for it¡­¡± ¡°you¡¯re the young master of the red flower pavilion. after doing so much, the hall should reward you according to the pavilion rules. if you don¡¯t want it, in the future, all the disciples will learn from you, the young master. then, who will be willing to work hard for the pavilion? this matter will be recorded in the public account. i¡¯m not using my personal money to give you a red packet.¡± when ye jingtang heard third lady mention that it was work compensation, he naturally didn¡¯t refuse. ¡°okay, you can make the arrangements as you see fit.¡± ¡°alright, you woke me up in the middle of the night to comfort me. i don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking¡­ go to bed. i¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°third lady, rest early.¡± ye jingtang got up and left the bedroom. pei xiangjun fell onto her pillow, bit her lower lip, and looked at the closed door.. she felt much better than before¡­ Chapter 208 - Chapter 208: Daily Family Life (2) chapter 208: daily family life (2) translator: atlas studios editor: attas studios meanwhile, in the imperial city¡­ something had gone wrong in the longevity palace. the artisans were reinforcing and clearing the tunnel overnight. in order to prevent disturbing the palace servants, it had already been sealed. the empress dowager had moved to the eternal joy palace to stay temporarily. it was late at night, and the lights in the palace had already gone out, but there was some light in the peaceful hall. the empress of great wei, who was wearing a red gauze nightgown, was lying on her side on the dragon bed, her proud figure faintly discernible under the gauze. although she was wearing pajamas, they covered her like mist and were not much different from not wearing them. the empress dowager was a little more conservative. she was leaning against the head of the bed in a dark red nightgown, holding a book in her hand and concentrating on reading at night. reading the scene in the book where the male lead risked his life to sneak into the imperial mausoleum to open the coffin to reunite with the empress dowager and them hugging each other and crying tears of joy, the empress dowager couldn¡¯t help biting her red lips lightly, her eyes glistening. the book wasn¡¯t thick, and only one chapter was left. the empress dowager couldn¡¯t bear to read it, so she closed the book and asked, ¡°your majesty, what happened to the heir of the prince of liang during the reign of empress dowager xuanyang in the previous dynasty?¡± the empress¡¯s eyes were closed, and she seemed to be asleep. but when the empress dowager asked, she opened her red lips and answered, ¡°there¡¯s no story behind it. after inheriting the title, he became lecherous. it¡¯s hard to count his wives and concubines. just his children alone were more than seventy.¡± ¡°huh?¡± the empress dowager slid down a little and lay in front of the empress in disbelief. ¡°no way. 1 read in a book that he¡¯s suave, talented, and intelligent. he should have some achievements¡­¡± even without looking, the empress could feel the helplessness on her face. ¡°novels can¡¯t be read as official history. even if empress dowager xuanyang had an affair with the heir of a vassal prince, it was the heir who deliberately curried favor with her and used her rule to suppress the civil and military officials in the court. how could she be like in the book, seduced by a few words from a man and become infatuated?¡± the empress dowager retorted, ¡°that¡¯s hard to say. no matter how powerful a woman is, she¡¯s still a woman. your majesty, think about it. if that prince of liang¡¯s heir looks like ye jingtang but is more proactive and lecherous than ye jingtang and even knows how to coax people with sweet words, how many women in this world can resist him?¡± the empress thought for a moment. ¡°that¡¯s true. liren was so rigid in the past that i thought she didn¡¯t like men. but now, she¡¯s chasing after ye jingtang all day and has almost forgotten about me.¡± ¡°there¡¯s nothing we can do about it. ye jingtang is really capable and loyal. if your majesty had met him first, your majesty might not be able to attend morning court anymore.¡± the empress opened her eyes, finding it funny. ¡°in that case, is it actually a blessing for great wei that liren is filling her own pockets?¡± the empress dowager was afraid that talking about this would affect the relationship between the empress and her sister, so she stopped in time. ¡°i¡¯m just joking. marriage is destined by the heavens. your majesty¡¯s future¡­ um¡­ emperor consort¡¯s looks will definitely not be inferior to ye jingtang¡¯s.¡± the empress shook her head silently and didn¡¯t reply. the empress dowager thought for a moment and remembered something. she whispered, ¡°speaking of which, your majesty¡¯s marriage is not easy to handle. the crown prince is the foundation of the country. without an heir, the ministers and people will feel uneasy. with an heir as the crown prince, great wei will change its surname, and the vassal princes will definitely rebel. the green bandits are obsessed with assassinating liren because your majesty only has liren as your heir. if something happens to you two, the vassal princes won¡¯t even need to fight to inherit the throne¡­¡± the empress knew that after succeeding to the throne as a woman, she would inevitably face this dead end. she would either have to cut off the military power of the vassal princes so that no one in the world could disobey her will or let her child have the same surname and family, compromising with the princes of the imperial family. the empress had snatched the throne with her own ability. it hadn¡¯t been given to her by the imperial family. ten years ago, she could make the eldest son of the emperor take off his dragon robe and shout ¡®long live¡¯ in front of the palace. how could she act according to the wishes of the vassal princes in the future? however, the empress couldn¡¯t say these things in front of the pure-hearted empress dowager. she only said calmly, ¡°i¡¯ll take it one step at a time. we¡¯ll talk about these things later.¡± the empress dowager knew that this matter was difficult to handle.. she sighed faintly and didn¡¯t say anything else¡­ Chapter 209 - Chapter 209: Daily Family Life (3) chapter 209: daily family life (3) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios boom! the sky had just brightened when muffled thunder sounded outside the window. in the elegant and spacious wing room, the curtains were lowered, and it was silent. ye jingtang¡¯s eyelashes fluttered. then he opened his eyes and found that it was dawn. he wanted to turn around and get up, but he felt warmth on his arm. he turned his head to look and saw the cold beauty, who had changed back into her full moon smallclothes, lying peacefully beside him. her hands were folded at her waist, and her sleeping posture was very proper. her picturesque eyebrows were inches away, and her eyes were moving slightly. she looked like she was still dreaming. ye jingtang was slightly stunned. then he felt flattered. after all, they had slept together so many times, but in the past, ning¡¯er would always run away immediately after finishing her work. this was the first time that she was still by his side when he woke up in the morning. luo ning had wanted to treat him yesterday, but she didn¡¯t want him to be tired after a busy day. basically, she had taken the initiative from beginning to end. it was impossible for her not to be tired. she was sleeping soundly without any signs of waking up. ye jingtang watched ning¡¯er for a long time and found that her sleeping appearance was really beautiful. although he couldn¡¯t bear to wake up the cold and elegant heroine beside him, the thunder in the government hadn¡¯t exploded yet. it definitely wouldn¡¯t do to stay in the love nest any longer, so he wanted to shake ning¡¯er awake. but just as his fingers moved, ye jingtang felt that this method didn¡¯t seem right for a husband and wife. after pondering for a moment, he carefully approached her to say good morning¡­ smooch- luo ning was lying flat on her back and dreaming. the dream wasn¡¯t of shameful scenes. but the pacifying heaven cult master suddenly came to her door and caught her red-handed. yunli was also staring at her angrily. she was protecting the little thief and trying to explain. it was like a nightmare. before she could explain clearly in her dream, luo ning discovered that the little thief in her dream had gone crazy and started to lick her, the cult mistress, in front of the pacifying heaven cult master, causing the pacifying heaven cult master¡¯s face to turn green with anger. ¡°ah~¡± luo ning¡¯s eyelashes fluttered, and she woke up in a daze. then the clear touch on her lips made her confirm that this wasn¡¯t a dream. she was so shocked that she trembled slightly and quickly checked left and right to look for the pacifying heaven cult master and yunli. then she returned to his senses, and killing intent surfaced in her eyes. thud! ye jingtang, who was full of affection, thought that ning¡¯er would look at him shyly when she woke up. but in the end, he realized that he had really over-thought things. the moment luo ning woke up, she pushed ye jingtang to the side and raised her hand to touch the soft sword at her waist. when she found that she wasn¡¯t wearing a dress, she looked around. ¡°little thief, today i¡¯m going to¡­¡± ye jingtang hurriedly raised his hand and sat up. ¡°it¡¯s dawn. let¡¯s quickly get up. the maidservant will be here soon.¡± while speaking, he put on his robe at lightning speed. luo ning held the three-foot-long sword with a look of indescribable shame in her eyes. she really wanted to beat the little thief up a few times, but she was afraid that third lady nearby would hear it, so she decided to forget it in the end. third lady knew that ye jingtang had worked hard yesterday and that the vixen was probably very tired. so she was very considerate and brought xiuhe to her sister-in-law¡¯s courtyard early so as not to disturb ye jingtang¡¯s rest. she even asked the kitchen to prepare breakfast in advance. but it was obviously impossible for pei xiangjun to bring breakfast to the room and serve the young madam. if she wanted to eat, she could serve herself. after ye jingtang washed up and ate, luo ning hadn¡¯t finished dressing yet. perhaps she was afraid that someone would bump into her, so she was too embarrassed to come out with him. he didn¡¯t stay long. after saying goodbye, he went to the west residence. it was early in the morning. even if yunli wanted to play mahjong, she didn¡¯t have maidservants to play with her. she had just woken up and was practicing her saber on the viewing platform by the lotus pond. but zhe yunli was wearing a small ruqun, dressed like a scholarly young lady who never left her house. she was practicing the saber while holding a circular fan, which looked rather awkward. on the other hand, the bird always went to bed in the latter half of the night. before it woke up, yunli had carried it out and placed the sleeping bird on its stomach on a bench on the viewing platform. ye jingtang went to the viewing platform, picked up the bird, and placed it on his shoulder. he looked at yunli, who was practicing her saber methodically. ¡°heroine zhe, don¡¯t you find it awkward to practice the saber in this outfit?¡± zhe yunli slowly used the fan to hide her saber and blinked. ¡°is it awkward?¡± ye jingtang smiled and said, ¡°you should act more refined. you¡¯re dressed like a young lady from a wealthy family but speak like a bandit. outsiders will know that there¡¯s a problem with one glance.¡± after all, zhe yunli was the heiress of a top family in jianghu. it was just that she was usually mischievous. seeing that ye jingtang felt that she didn¡¯t look like a well-bred young lady, she stood up elegantly and waved the fan in her hand gently. her eyes were shy and resentful as she said seriously, ¡°brother jingtang, 1 think you don¡¯t care about me. we usually don¡¯t see each other, but when we meet, you say that i¡¯m not good and that¡¯s not good. if you have such an attitude, it will be better to ignore me directly¡­¡± ¡°chirp?!¡± the bird, who had been sleeping like a piglet, woke up from the fright. it looked up at zhe yunli in confusion, probably meaning: what kind of monster are you? return poached eggs! ye jingtang really didn¡¯t expect zhe yunli to pull out this trick. his eyes were full of disbelief as he raised his hand. ¡°that¡¯s a bit too much¡­¡± zhe yunli turned her body. ¡°look, you¡¯re getting impatient again. i knew you would be like this. when i¡¯m not well-behaved, you dislike me for being a boor. but when 1 behave myself, you dislike me for being too delicate¡­¡± what the hell¡­ ye jingtang opened his mouth. but after brewing for a long time, he really didn¡¯t know what to say. he cupped his hands and said, ¡°farewell.¡± ¡°hrnph-!¡± zhe yunli¡¯s eyes were full of smugness.. she harrumphed softly and continued to practice her saber skills¡­ Chapter 210 - Chapter 210: I’ll Be Leaving First! chapter 210: i¡¯ll be leaving first! translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the wind was blowing, and clouds were gathering. occasionally, there was muffled thunder in the sky. the streets and alleys were gray, and the sidewalks were full of pedestrians returning home quickly. ye jingtang rode third lady¡¯s black horse and sped past west center street. on the side of the horse was hanging the black qilin spear wrapped in black cloth. the bird, who had just woken up, curled up at the base of ye jingtang¡¯s legs listlessly with its chin resting on his thigh. it was looking at the street and sounded like it was humming: it¡¯s going to rain. tangtang is going to get married¡­ ? ye jingtang felt that this was what the bird meant, so he covered the bird¡¯s eyes with his hand, causing it to shake its head. yesterday, he had received accurate information that the rebels wanted to rob the marquis of yun ning estate and that the dissolving oil had been poured. the black office had been patrolling overnight and secretly setting up defenses. the current situation was still unclear, but the capital was as quiet as usual. it seemed that the thunder had yet to explode. in order to make it easier to command, dumdum had stayed in the imperial city yesterday. ye jingtang rode his horse at full speed to the vicinity of the imperial guards¡¯ encampment in the west of the city. when he didn¡¯t see dumdum¡¯s carriage, he took his waist token and flew up the palace wall to the corner tower in the northwest. the corner tower itself was an important protective facility of the palace. there were secret guards stationed inside all year round, and chief constables of the black office changed shifts here to assist with the defense. the last time he saw dumdum taking a bath, he had even come a few times. when ye jingtang arrived outside the tower, he saw she long and shang jianli standing by the city wall, surveying the area with monoculars. a group of palace maids in colorful clothes were standing at the entrance of the corner tower, and there was a carved carriage beside them. a conversation between two women came from the window. ¡°did he really marry more than ten women?¡± ¡°i¡¯ve checked the history books. there were more than a dozen officially wedded wives and concubines, but i¡¯m afraid there were even more without a status¡­¡± ¡°how can that be~? the book is so romantic. i thought he was a modest gentleman¡­¡± ¡°how can a modest gentleman do something like enter the palace to steal the empress dowager? novels can¡¯t be taken seriously¡­¡± when ye jingtang heard the gentle and charming voice, he knew that it was the empress dowager and the prince of jing inside. he tidied up his clothes slightly, went to the door, and cupped his hands. ¡°greetings, your mahesty, your highness.¡± in the room, the empress dowager, who was wearing a gorgeous phoenix dress, was standing with her hands folded at her waist. she looked pitiful and a little unhappy. seeing ye jingtang arrive, she nodded. because it was an official occasion, she didn¡¯t say anything and looked elsewhere. dongfang liren was wearing a python robe and a jade belt. she was standing in front of the window, facing the city with her hands behind her back, looking full of energy. when she heard the voice, her eyes lit up, and she turned around. ¡°how was your rest?¡± ye jingtang hadn¡¯t moved while heroine luo served him. he had rested very happily and smiled. ¡°very good. did anything happen last night?¡± dongfang liren walked out the door and picked up the bird that wanted to enter the room to ask the empress dowager for food. she brought ye jingtang to the corner of the turret facing the city and looked at the marquis of yun ning estate in the distance. ¡°the guards patrolled all night yesterday. but there¡¯s no movement for the time being. the tunnel of the longevity palace was dug out for more than 100 feet, but the rebels stuffed some poison along the way and injured a few people. it¡¯s impossible to dig it out for a while.¡± so, now we can only wait for the dissolving oil to take effect?¡± ¡°we have already secretly mobilized people to help guard this place. however, in order to prevent the rebels from setting up traps and killing the prime minister, the important ministers of the six ministries, and the heirs of the vassal princes in the capital, currently, we can only get everyone to be on standby in the black office. if anything happens, we¡¯ll rush over to help immediately.¡± ye jingtang nodded slightly. seeing that nothing happened for the time being, he didn¡¯t say anything else. after sending dumdum back to the corner tower, he carried the bird and patrolled outside the imperial city, waiting for any movements below¡­ meanwhile, thunder rumbled in the sky, and heavy rain poured down on the streets. in a residential area one kilometer away from jasper pavilion, in a mansion under renovation¡­ the bamboo fence on the wall blocked the mansion under renovation. people dressed as workers and artisans gradually entered the mansion in the rain. in the main hall of the mansion, the miscellaneous items had already been cleared away, and more than 30 people were standing with solemn expressions. the white-robed old man in the middle was the former fist chief, liu qiansheng. beside him was the prince of wu¡¯s heir, nangong shaofeng. beside them were ¡®heavenly south hero¡¯ xiao yuan, ¡®ya province spearman¡¯ hao yuanzhou, and others. a portion of them were top experts hired by the prince of wu estate from jianghu for heavy benefits. the rest were loyalists cultivated by the prince of wu estate and secret guards who had been exiled ten years ago. after a year of planning, success or failure all depended on today¡¯s battle. even liu qiansheng, who had roamed jianghu for 80 years, had a hint of graveness in his eyes. after all, as long as they made a move today, they would face the minions of the imperial court in the entire yun¡¯an city. the seven fiends of the black office, the six gates, the secret guards of the imperial palace, the imperial guards, and even righteous common people, every juncture was a natural chasm. even if they had prepared meticulously in advance, it was hard to predict whether they would survive this battle. however, there was an old saying in jianghu: fortune comes from danger. most of the people present were vagabonds who couldn¡¯t gain a foothold in the imperial court and jianghu. they hid all day and could rarely see the light of day. but as long as they succeeded today, not only would they attain glory and wealth, but they might even acquire the meritorious service of helping to rescue an emperor. no matter how great the risk, it was worth trying. cao aning was once a junior commander of the secret guards. because he knew the terrain of the capital and even the officialdom very well, he was the main executor of this plan. at this moment, he was standing in front of everyone with a bowl of wine in his hand and said loudly, ¡°it¡¯s hard to say if fan yu will survive being imprisoned. xu bailin served the country loyally last night. his majesty will know of his contributions, and the prince of wu will also remember them. if this matter succeeds, the two of them will definitely be conferred the noble titles. everyone will be the same! ¡°if you can leave yun¡¯an alive, his majesty will bestow upon you hereditary titles. if you die and have a descendant, the titles will be bestowed upon your descendants. if you don¡¯t have any descendants, you will be conferred titles posthumously. your memorial tablets will be enshrined in the hall of heroes, and you will enjoy the incense offerings of great wei forever!¡± then cao aning poured half a bowl of wine onto the floor to pay homage to his dead brothers. splash- the thirty-odd people present raised their wine bowls and did the same. cao aning looked at the people getting ready and continued, ¡°i, cao aning, come from humble birth and grew up in the palace. my master, eunuch cao, taught me since 1 was a child that when i should live, i must grit my teeth and endure humiliation. when i should die, i am duty-bound! today, my comrades and i will use our lives as bait to lure the empress¡¯s minions away from you. we will surely die. i only hope that you can succeed in this battle and not let us down.¡± standing in the middle of the crowd, nangong shaofeng, who was the military advisor, cupped his hands. ¡°sir cao, don¡¯t worry. as long as we can free cao qiansui and occupy the main forces of the imperial court, we have a ninety percent chance of taking his majesty away.¡± liu qiansheng, standing with his hands behind his back, nodded. ¡°imperial preceptor lu taiqing, imperial teacher daoist xuanji, ox-head, and horse-face are not in the capital. the troublesome people in the capital are only the mysterious expert in the palace, diting, ksitigarbha, and the junior called ye jingtang. as long as cao qiansui can hold back these four people, yun¡¯an city will be unmanned. little friend cao, you can go without worry.¡± hearing this, cao aning drank the wine in his bowl in one gulp, cupped his hands, and said in a deep voice, ¡°i¡¯ll be leaving first. i¡¯ll drink and chat with everyone in the netherworld a hundred years later.¡± sir cao, please leave first. we might be right behind you.¡± after the crowd finished their bowls of wine, cupped their hands, and bade farewell, nangong shaofeng left the mansion quietly with more than twenty experts. the five people who stayed behind were all the secret guards who had escaped from the capital ten years ago. they walked to the entrance of the tunnel without saying a word and jumped in. cao aning stood at the door and watched as all the people gathered by the prince of wu left. his tragic gaze slowly retracted. after some thought, he didn¡¯t jump into the tunnel. instead, he took out a letter and silently left the mansion¡­ rustle, rustle, rustle.. unknowingly, it was already afternoon. a misty rain covered the city, and it was still as quiet as usual. in the streets and alleys in the west of the city, ye jingtang was holding an oil-paper umbrella while slowly walking in the rain and leading his horse. on his shoulder was the extremely bored bird. when handling cases, the constables of the black office always worked in pairs. but ye jingtang hadn¡¯t officially entered the office. dumdum didn¡¯t arrange for any constable to be his partner. it was quite boring to patrol the streets like this. however, as long as dissolving oil was used, something would definitely happen. the later the time was, the closer it was to the outbreak of the storm. ye jingtang had never relaxed his vigilance. he was constantly paying attention to the streets and alleys. after wandering around for half a day, he didn¡¯t find any rebels. instead, a black office constable ran over from the street. ye jingtang thought that there was an abnormal movement elsewhere and quickly walked forward. ¡°does her highness have any orders?¡± the constable stopped in front of him and said anxiously, ¡°there¡¯s urgent news. her highness wants you to go over quickly.¡± hearing this, ye jingtang didn¡¯t hesitate. he mounted his horse and galloped to the corner tower that served as the temporary commander¡¯s residence. in the afternoon, the empress dowager had already left. on the city wall outside the tower, it was full of experts. shang jianli and she long were inside the watchtower. even the secret guard, yang lan, and others were among them. they were gathered around a table and discussing seriously. ¡°wasn¡¯t liu qiansheng beaten to death by jiang zhahu?¡± ¡°that old far xiao yuan has been wanted for more than ten years but hasn¡¯t been found. he actually dares to appear in the capital¡­¡± ¡°the prince of wu has put in a lot of effort¡­¡± ye jingtang arrived behind she long and saw two pieces of paper on the table. the first was a list of names. ther was the former fist chief, liu qiansheng, the prince of wu estate¡¯s ¡®young teacher¡¯ nangong shaofeng, ¡®ya province spearman¡¯ hao yuanzhou, and others. there were even the names of a few officials. on the other piece of paper was a map of the streets near the marquis of yun ning estate. all kinds of circular arrows pointed out in detail the temporary hiding places of more than twenty jianghu martial artists, as well as the direction of attack, the rescued hostages, and the retreat route. it even marked the roadblocks set up in advance between the marquis of yun ning estate and the kaiyuan gate in the west of the city¡­ after ye jingtang looked at it, his eyes were slightly shocked. ¡°which sir is so powerful?¡± dongfang liren was standing in front of the table and carefully examining the battle plan. ¡°just now, an unidentified informant sent these two pieces of paper to a patrolling constable. with such detailed information, there¡¯s a high chance that there¡¯s a mole among the rebels¡¯ upper echelons. shang jianli, immediately send people to mobilize the imperial guards to replace the city defense forces in the west and detain all the city gate officials. inform meng jiao to get all the people in the black office to standby in the west of the city. order the six gates and the firefighting office to send people over to assist in defense¡­¡± ye jingtang saw that dumdum was directly transferring the main forces of the city defense and asked, ¡°is the information accurate?¡± shang jianli indicated a few red circles on the battle plan. ¡°i just went to the few places i pointed out. there are indeed experts hiding in the houses and waiting for orders. on the roofs of the retreat route, 1 found snow moth scale, soft bone fragrance needles, fierce fire oil, and other traps to stop pursuers. the setup is interconnected, and the investment is huge. if the top experts, including the former fist chief, are all abandoned pawns of the prince of wu used for diversion, then the main force will probably be two of the eight chiefs joining forces to attack the imperial city.¡± ye jingtang looked at the imperial city behind the wall. dongfang liren said, ¡°i¡¯ve already asked the empress dowager and her majesty to move to the west palace. according to the intelligence, we will quickly eliminate the rebels and the hidden dangers in the west of the city. if there are any abnormal movements in the palace, immediately withdraw to defend the palace. don¡¯t worry about the abnormal movements elsewhere in the capital. i¡¯ll arrange for others to deal with them.¡± ¡°yes, your highness..¡± Chapter 211 - Chapter 211: Diversion? (1) chapter 211: diversion? (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios pitter-patter¡­ the sky gradually darkened, and heavy rain fell on a school in the west of the city. more than ten schoolchildren who couldn¡¯t go home yet were sitting obediently in the schoolhouse and doing today¡¯s homework. on the side of the school, in the room where the headmaster rested, nangong shaofeng, dressed as a confucian scholar, was standing by the window and looking in the direction of jasper pavilion with his hands tightly clasped behind his back. liu qiansheng, the white-robed former fist chief, was also dressed as a teacher. he was holding a cup of tea in his hand and gently tapping the teacup with his fingers, causing slight ripples in the tea. ¡°it will take at most fifteen minutes from the moment we take action to the moment we escape from the capital. are you sure that the preparations in other places are foolproof?¡± nangong shaofeng turned around and sat down beside the tea table. although his brows were solemn, his tone was still calm. ¡°we have already bribed most of the city gate officials of the kaiyuan gate and had them transfer most of the guards away. hundreds of traps have been arranged on the retreat route. xiao yuan and the others are ready to take action everywhere. as long as cao aning reaches cao qiansui and successfully rescues him, the white-haired diting, the eight-armed ksitigarbha, ye jingtang, and even the gate god in the palace will definitely go over to help. at that time, there will only be some imperial guards left in the marquis of yun ning estate. it will be enough to save his majesty and escape from the city in fifteen minutes.¡± liu qiansheng held his teacup and thought for a while. ¡°cao qiansui is a few years younger than me. after being imprisoned in a dungeon for ten years, are you sure he can make the entire city feel that they are facing a formidable enemy?¡± nangong shaofeng nodded. ¡°it¡¯s said that eunuch cao has practiced the golden scale, jade bone, dragon elephant, and evergreen pictures of the roaring dragon chart for sixty years. even if he has lost all his strength in the dungeon, he can still stall countless experts for a long time with just his muscles, bones, and skin.¡± liu qiansheng, the former fist chief, was now very old and had internal injuries. he was very interested in the ¡®beauty retaining pciture¡¯ and the fire bathing picture and asked, ¡°it is said that the evergreen picture practices the qi of essence, qi, and spirit. after practicing this picture for sixty years, other than keeping the appearance from being old, does it have any other effects?¡± as the subordinate of a vassal prince, nangong shaofeng was quite familiar with such palace secrets. he explained, ¡°people are born from qi, and qi is generated from the spirit. by nourishing qi and the spirit in its totality, one can attain the dao. if one practices the evergreen picture every day, one¡¯s physique and organs will remain strong every day. supplemented with the three pictures of ¡®muscles, bones, and skin¡¯, the effect can be imagined. as long as cao qiansui comes out and has a little stamina, the imperial court will have to spend a few hours dealing with him before they can lock him up again. there will be enough time for us to leave.¡± liu qiansheng thought for a moment and was slightly puzzled. ¡°why didn¡¯t the imperial court kill such a living deity who no one can do anything to?¡± ¡°cao qiansui protected the founding emperor since the founding of the country. when the founding emperor passed away, he protected the former emperor. in terms of loyalty and self-sacrifice, all the civil and military officials in the court are not worthy of carrying his shoes.¡± nangong shaofeng sighed softly. ¡°furthermore, the roaring dragon chart pictures have been lost. only cao qiansui knows so many pictures in this world. it¡¯s not a problem for cao qiansui to live to a hundred years old. moreover, the older he gets, the more powerful he becomes. where can anyone find a second person like him? the empress should still want to persuade eunuch cao to be loyal to her. otherwise, she would have removed cao qiansui from his position as the keeper of the seal.¡± liu qiansheng nodded in understanding and didn¡¯t ask further. nangong shaofeng chatted about cao qiansui for a while. he felt that the plan was going extremely well, so he felt more at ease and continued, ¡°it¡¯s almost time. as long as the drums of jasper pavilion sound later, all the experts in the city will rush to jasper pavilion. we¡¯ll¡­¡± tread, tread! while they were talking, footsteps sounded at the entrance of the school. nangong shaofeng and liu qiansheng became silent at the same time and looked at each other. nangong shaofeng hesitated for a moment before putting down his teacup. like an ordinary teacher, he slowly walked out of the room with a ruler and arrived at the school gate. whoosh! rain was pouring down. the light in the limestone alley outside the school was dim. three figures were standing in front of the gate. nangong shaofeng looked up and saw that the two people behind were wearing dark green constable robes, official sabers at their waists, and bamboo hats. they were standing quietly in the rain without moving. the leader was a cold man in a black official robe. he had sharp eyebrows, starry eyes, and a clear face. there was a waist token with the word ¡®jing¡¯ hanging on the side of his jade-inlaid belt. he was standing upright with a black oil-paper umbrella in his right hand, his left hand behind his back, and a saber hanging at his waist. his demeanor looked gentle and elegant, but the energy in his eyes was like two dazzling sharp knives. although nangong shaofeng didn¡¯t see ye jingtang¡¯s face when he fought against him, it was very difficult to find a second person in the capital with this handsome face that was almost ¡®aggressive¡¯. therefore, he still recognized this new fiend of the black office at first glance. nangong shaofeng knew that something was wrong. his footsteps subconsciously slowed down, but his expression remained the same. he came to the gate and cupped his hands. ¡°so it¡¯s a sir from the black office. may 1 ask who you are?¡± ¡°ye jingtang.¡± ¡°oh, so it¡¯s sir ye. i¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡± ye jingtang took a step forward, stepping onto the white stone steps of the school, and looked at the schoolhouse inside. ¡°mr. nangong, you¡¯re a retainer of the prince of wu¡¯s heir. why did you come here to teach?¡± nangong shaofeng smiled and gestured for ye jingtang to enter. ¡°i was a teacher in wu province. his highness is already an adult, so 1 can¡¯t teach him anymore. 1 have nothing to do in the residence, so i set up a school in the city to teach the children of the poor families in the surrounding area.¡± ye jingtang closed his umbrella and slowly walked in. he looked at the neat courtyard. ¡°mr. nangong, your character is admirable. if i had met a teacher like you when 1 was young, 1 wouldn¡¯t have ended up thoughtlessly practicing martial arts and be on tenterhooks all day fighting and killing.¡± ¡°hehe, sir ye, you¡¯re wearing that robe at such a young age. 1 am unworthy of your praise..¡± Chapter 212 - Chapter 212: Diversion? (2) chapter 212: diversion? (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios nangong shaofeng stood in front of them and looked at two schoolchildren in the schoolhouse. ¡°make some tea for our guests.¡± ¡°yes, mister.¡± the two eleven or twelve-year-old schoolchildren hurriedly stood up. ye jingtang raised his finger slightly. ¡°no need. i¡¯m just here to take a look as a matter of routine. it¡¯s getting dark. isn¡¯t school over yet?¡± nangong shaofeng gestured to the sky. ¡°it¡¯s raining heavily, and many children don¡¯t have umbrellas. we¡¯ll let them go back when the rain stops to prevent them from catching a cold.¡± ye jingtang turned his head and looked at the constables behind him. ¡°go find some umbrellas. the children are growing, so it¡¯s not good to study on an empty stomach.¡± ¡°yes, sir.¡± a black office constable behind him cupped his hands and quickly ran out of the alley. nangong shaofeng¡¯s expression was calm, but his hands in his sleeves couldn¡¯t help rubbing gently. ¡°sir ye, did a case happen in the vicinity for you to visit suddenly?¡± ye jingtang sized up the well-behaved schoolchildren in the schoolhouse and said calmly, ¡°someone just reported that there are unknown people in this neighborhood. i¡¯m here for a routine inspection.¡± ¡°i have been here all afternoon and haven¡¯t seen any unfamiliar faces pass by the gate. a junior officer lives at the corner of the alley. sir, why don¡¯t you ask him?¡± ¡°the rain is too heavy. we¡¯ll take shelter here.¡± ye jingtang turned to look at the other constable. ¡°call the junior officer over.¡± ¡°yes, sir.¡± the remaining constable also ran out. nangong shaofeng¡¯s heart turned cold when he saw that ye jingtang had no intention of leaving. but at the critical moment, if the other party didn¡¯t make things difficult for him, he couldn¡¯t take the initiative to expose himself. thus, he casually chatted about innocuous gossip on the spot. after some time, footsteps came from behind. a constable came in with more than ten umbrellas. ye jingtang looked at the sky and raised his hand to call the schoolchildren. ¡°alright, it¡¯s getting dark. go back and eat.¡± hearing this, the schoolchildren in the schoolhouse put down their brushes and looked at nangong shaofeng. nangong shaofeng hesitated for a moment before smiling as usual. ¡°school is over. come back early tomorrow. if you don¡¯t finish your homework, you¡¯ll be punished.¡± ¡°yes, mister.¡± the schoolchildren quickly stood up, ran to the constable, took the umbrellas one by one, and ran out the gate happily. tread, tread, tread¡­ ye jingtang stood in front of the gate, his hand only inches away from the hilt of his saber, paying attention to nangong shaofeng¡¯s every move. when the last hostage left safely, ye jingtang was about to make a move when drumbeats sounded from afar. thump, thump, thump! the drumbeats were war drums that warned that powerful enemies were attacking and urgent help was needed. ye jingtang frowned slightly and looked in the direction of the drumbeats. ¡°is it jasper pavilion?¡± the constable standing at the back had a solemn expression. ¡°rebels have broken into the prison. the black office is asking for help.¡± nangong shaofeng¡¯s heart was already in his throat. when he heard the drumbeats, he immediately felt relieved. he knew that cao aning had followed the plan and started to create a diversion to attract firepower. nangong shaofeng hurriedly said, ¡°did something happen to the black office? 1 know some martial arts. sir ye, why don¡¯t 1 go over with you to take a look?¡± ye jingtang was under orders to clean up the rebels here. the imperial city didn¡¯t explode, and dumdum didn¡¯t send the signal to withdraw the troops, so he had to carry out the current mission according to the orders. ye jingtang ignored the distant drumbeats and looked at the room behind the schoolhouse. ¡°liu qiansheng, you¡¯re an elder of the jianghu. it¡¯s not dignified for you to hide. come out.¡± ? when nangong shaofeng saw that something had happened to the black office, but ye jingtang actually didn¡¯t leave and even directly called out liu qiansheng, his expression changed drastically. he knew that something big must have happened to some part of the plan. ¡°sir ye, what do you mean? i¡¯m the only one here¡­¡± ye jingtang couldn¡¯t sense liu qiansheng¡¯s location, but the intelligence indicated that liu qiansheng¡¯s hiding place was here. he didn¡¯t dare to enter the room rashly, so he turned his head and looked at nangong shaofeng. ¡°mr. nangong, i already saw through your plan last month. i wanted to capture all of you in one fell swoop, which is why you and the heir have been so carefree until today. since you¡¯ve already revealed your true intentions, why are you still pretending?¡± nangong shaofeng¡¯s expression froze, and his original calmness disappeared. he took half a step back and lowered his hands behind his back. standing with his saber in hand, ye jingtang ignored nangong shaofeng and looked at the door in front of him. ¡°there¡¯s a saying in jianghu that a featherless phoenix is inferior to a chicken. i didn¡¯t believe it in the past, but it seems to be true now. thirty years ago, you ranked in the top ten in the world and reached the apex of unarmed martial arts. but you¡¯re so frightened by a junior like me that you don¡¯t dare to go out. you really don¡¯t deserve your previous reputation.¡± ¡°kid, you didn¡¯t come alone.¡± a strong voice sounded from the room. liu qiansheng, who was wearing a white robe, knew that he was surrounded and there was no point in hiding anymore. he slowly walked out from the side door and stood in front of the schoolhouse with his hands behind his back, separated from ye jingtang by the rain in the courtyard. ¡°in terms of martial arts attainments, you are far inferior to me. you¡¯re just young and have fearful strength. although i¡¯m over eighty, it¡¯s still difficult to say who will win if we fight one-on-one. but you¡¯ve brought helpers to bully me with numbers. are you worthy of speaking arrogantly in front of me?¡± ye jingtang said calmly, ¡°i¡¯m a subordinate. according to the law, i should arrest rebels. how is it bullying you with numbers?¡± swish! swish! as soon as he finished speaking, the sound of wind breaking sounded outside the courtyard wall. eight chief constables of the black office, armed with all kinds of weapons, landed around the school wall, surrounding the school tightly. when liu qiansheng saw this formation, he knew that his path in jianghu might come to an end today. but his aura was still strong. he looked up and swept his gaze around before saying disdainfully, ¡°just the few of you?¡± ye jingtang walked into the rain. ¡°i¡¯m also from liang province, and i often heard old people talk about the hong mountain bandits. if i remember correctly, that¡¯s your former organization. to be regarded as a bandit by the common people, you probably haven¡¯t done anything good.. do you want to be more dignified and give up resisting fearlessly and kneel down to await justice, or do you want me to send you off personally?¡± Chapter 213 - Chapter 213: Diversion? (3) chapter 213: diversion? (3) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios liu qiansheng¡¯s eyelids twitched. there was obvious anger in his eyes as he slowly walked down the steps. ¡°kid, you¡¯ll definitely become a martial chief in the future. i¡¯ve roamed jianghu for eighty years and relied on defeating the previous generation¡¯s martial chiefs to shake the world. if 1 die in the hands of a martial chief of the next generation, it can be considered that i¡¯ve completed a cycle of good karma. what¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡± ¡°your path in jianghu ended in jiang zhahu¡¯s hands twenty years ago. you¡¯re just a jianghu rebel struggling at death¡¯s door now. don¡¯t flatter yourself.¡± there was silence in the rain. the two of them didn¡¯t speak again and only stared into each other¡¯s eyes. the chief constables of the black office on the wall knew how powerful liu qiansheng was. seeing this, four of them watched nangong shaofeng while the other four fell into the courtyard and pointed at liu qiansheng¡¯s back with their spears, sabers, and shields, creating a chance for ye jingtang to kill him in one strike. tread, tread¡­ even though liu qiansheng was 80 years old, he could still punch these constables one by one. but if he turned around and punched four times, with ye jingtang¡¯s strength, he would definitely be able to stab him two or three times. he clenched the fists behind his back and gritted his teeth. ¡°ye jingtang, you¡¯re winning dishonorably. do you dare to fight me fair and square?¡± ye jingtang stood 30 feet away and looked at the white-haired liu qiansheng in front of him with an indifferent gaze, as if he was looking at an old fool. one of the chief constables who had circled to the back saw that the white-robed old man in the courtyard was fully on guard against ye jingtang, so he took the lead in attacking and swung his left hand violently. swoosh! swoosh! swoosh! five snowflake darts flew out of his sleeve like butterflies through the rain. they drew five elliptical arcs in the air and shot toward various parts of the white-robed old man¡¯s body. bam! at the same time, liu qiansheng¡¯s figure, which was as immovable as a mountain, almost disappeared from the spot. with his shocking explosive power, he created a line of white mist in the courtyard and punched at ye jingtang¡¯s face. ye jingtang reacted extremely swiftly. he took a big step back and raised his right hand in a fist. his aura instantly soared and dispersed the surrounding rain as his fist punched out. but the last time they fought, liu qiansheng could tell that ye jingtang was too strong. when their fists collided, he was too old and hadn¡¯t been able to stand steadily at all. with his lower body unstable, he had been suppressed and beaten. thus, he had no intention of taking the punch head-on. the moment the heavy punch came, liu qiansheng used his martial arts attainments to the extreme. his figure instantly changed from a charging bull to a willow leaf in the wind, switching between hardness and softness without any trace. whoosh! the punch missed. liu qiansheng¡¯s body brushed past the fist like cotton. he pressed down with his right hand to guard against the saber in ye jingtang¡¯s left hand that he could draw at any time. his figure lowered, and he slipped under ye jingtang¡¯s arm like a ghost. ye jingtang¡¯s reaction was not slow at all. he turned around and kicked at liu qiansheng¡¯s back. liu qiansheng only wanted to escape through the gate. instead of wasting his energy to dodge, he ran with all his might, wanting to rely on his speed to escape ye jingtang¡¯s attack range, but¡­ whoosh! ¡®phantom impermanence¡¯ shang jianli, who was hiding in the dark, silently descended from above the gate. his right hand was like a ghost claw as it aimed at liu qiansheng¡¯s forehead! liu qiansheng¡¯s expression changed drastically. he raised his palm and struck shang jianli¡¯s palm. a terrifying shock wave instantly erupted. bam! with one palm strike, shang jianli, who had fallen from the sky, flew diagonally upward like a broken sack and shattered the archway of the gate. clatter! but liu qiansheng was forced to stop for a moment. ye jingtang¡¯s spinning kick followed liu qiansheng out almost immediately. the moment he paused, the kick landed on his back. liu qiansheng¡¯s thoughts and experience could keep up, but his body could no longer react like a peak martial artist should. he couldn¡¯t dodge in time, so he could only use the thousand pound drop to dig into the ground and arch his back to withstand this kick. bam! boom! amidst the explosion, cracks appeared on the school gate, and the shock wave forcefully pushed out the rain in the alley. the chest of liu qiansheng¡¯s white robe exploded, and his body immediately leaned forward. then he flew out of the gate like a polo that had been swung with all its might. he smashed through the wall of the limestone alley diagonally and rushed into the air. clatter! shang jianli, who had been sent flying, was like a ghost floating in the air. the moment liu qiansheng suffered the heavy blow and was forced to fly toward him, his figure moved to the front like a ghost. a golden needle as thin as a strand of hair was sandwiched between his fingers as he slapped the palm that liu qiansheng struck out. bam! the palms of both hands met, and the golden needle penetrated liu qiangsheng¡¯s body. liu qiansheng sent shang jianli flying again with a palm strike in midair. he smashed through the house behind the wall, but he still didn¡¯t lose his balance and landed steadily on the ground. but just as liu qiansheng was about to circulate his qi and escape, he staggered and fell in the rain. thud! an unbearable heart-wrenching pain came. liu qiansheng¡¯s expression twisted as he held his arm and knelt on the ground. his muscles were twitching violently, and his eyes were bloodshot as he gritted his teeth and cursed, ¡°despicable villain!!!¡± crack! shang jianli landed in front of liu qiansheng as fast as lightning. he held the soul separating needle that divine doctor wang had specially made between his fingers, injected his internal energy into it, and forcefully stabbed it into an acupoint on liu qiansheng¡¯s back. his voice was indifferent as he said, ¡°as one of the former eight chiefs, you have been in the limelight all your life. when you¡¯re old, you should retire peacefully. but you¡¯re still in jianghu at this age. don¡¯t you feel embarrassed to be kicked down by a junior and be unable to even stand?¡± the soul separating needle was taken from the meaning of ¡®it hurt so much that one wished one¡¯s soul could leave one¡¯s body¡¯. the pain felt when trying to forcefully break free after the death meridian was sealed was on the same level as bone-burning hemp. it was something that willpower couldn¡¯t resist at all. liu qiansheng only gave it a try before giving up on struggling with his qi circulation. he gritted his teeth and cursed, ¡°ptui! shameless villain, how dare you talk when you used a hidden weapon to hurt me? if we had fought fair and square, you wouldn¡¯t be my match¡­¡± ye jingtang stood in front of the door with his hand on the hilt of his saber. he frowned and said, ¡°the government is arresting rebels. do you think it¡¯s a private battle between jianghu people? moreover, i gave you a chance to fight me fair and square, but you insisted on choosing such a cowardly way to lose. if you didn¡¯t think about running away, would you have been hit and couldn¡¯t avoid being struck by the needle?¡± ¡°ptui! if you have the guts, remove the golden needle¡­¡± ye jingtang couldn¡¯t be bothered with this old fart. he turned to look at nangong shaofeng, who was standing at the side with an ashen face. ¡°mr. nangong, do you want to resist fearlessly and be beaten half to death before being caught? or do you want to be more dignified and seal your meridians yourself before going back to stand trial?¡± the ashen-faced nangong shaofeng knew that the plan had failed before it even began. at this time, resisting meant death. if he didn¡¯t resist, he wouldn¡¯t be able to live or die. he gritted his teeth and suddenly flew back. a pill slid out of his hand, and he wanted to stuff it into his mouth. clang! a saber light flashed in the courtyard, drawing a line of white mist in the rain. in an instant, ye jingtang had already flashed behind nangong shaofeng and sheathed his saber. crack! a severed arm flew up from behind him and fell into the rain. thud! ¡°ahhhh!¡± a scream followed. the eight chief constables present quickly stepped forward with their weapons and pressed down nangong shaofeng, who wanted to rush to his severed arm to pick up the poison, and liu qiansheng, whose death meridian had been sealed by the golden needle. ye jingtang turned around and walked out of the courtyard to shang jianli. ¡°the black office is asking for help. are we going back to the office now or?¡± shang jianli patted his robe and looked in the direction of the sounds of weapons clashing not far away. ¡°madam meng has already gone back. it¡¯s too late for us to rush back.¡± ¡°is there an important prisoner in the dungeon?¡± ¡°the imprisoned eunuch cao is very powerful, but it¡¯s not as important as removing the prince of wu¡¯s title. let¡¯s prioritize this matter first. sir qin has to protect the deposed emperor and the imperial city. she long and the others alone might not be able to defeat xiao yuan, hao yuanzhou, and the others. let¡¯s go and end the battle quickly.¡± ye jingtang thought about it and agreed. no matter how powerful eunuch cao was, he was still a single martial artist. if he really escaped and entered jianghu, it would be nothing more than the eight chiefs becoming the nine chiefs. he wouldn¡¯t be as threatening as the pacifying heaven cult master. it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to remove the prince of wu¡¯s title and take back his fief. to the empress, this matter naturally had a higher priority. ye jingtang didn¡¯t say anything else.. he beckoned for the bird circling in the sky to find the location of the fight and flew over with shang jianli¡­ Chapter 214 - Chapter 214: Inside and Outside the Dungeon (1) chapter 214: inside and outside the dungeon (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios in the east of the city, at jasper pavilion¡­ rumble! under the pouring rain, a rumbling sound came. a more than ten-foot-deep groove suddenly sank in the alley on the side of the black office. blue bricks were overturned in the soil, exposing the black bricks below. qiu tianhe, who was petting a cat in the courtyard at the side, was so shocked by the sudden commotion that he jumped up and looked around blankly. the chief constables guarding the black office rushed out in unison, and there was a tumult everywhere. ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°people are breaking into the dungeon¡­¡± thump, thump, thump! the sound of war drums sounded from above the five-story jasper pavilion and spread far and wide to yun¡¯an city. the constables patrolling the streets quickly rushed toward jasper pavilion. in the dungeon, huge tremors came. there was a commotion in the dozens of cells on the first basement floor. the sound of dragging iron chains and exclamations instantly caused the silent dungeon to boil. ¡°what¡¯s wrong?!¡± ¡°is there an earthquake?¡± ¡°let us out quickly. it¡¯s going to collapse¡­¡± boom! boom! after a few shouts, heavy door-sealing stones fell from the doors of the cells. countless arrow holes appeared on the walls of the cells and in the corridors. click, click, click.. the dungeon was instantly silent. as for the second basement of the dungeon, the reaction was much more subdued. after all, there were less than ten people living there. in the cell in the center, the wang brothers, who were sleeping in the corner, were woken up by the huge tremors. second wang dragged the heavy iron chain and stood up. he felt the ground shaking, and his eyes were blank. ¡°the ground seems to have collapsed. what¡¯s going on?¡± wang chengjing was more skilled in martial arts. after feeling it for a moment, he leaned against the floor and listened. ¡°there¡¯s the sound of hoes digging into the wall. people are breaking into the prison!¡± second wang really didn¡¯t expect to encounter such a beautiful thing on his second day of prison! but before he could think about taking advantage of the situation, he suddenly discovered that a black boulder had rolled over the hole above and blocked the only exit, completely turning the stone room into a hollow square box. several small holes on the top of the stone room emitted a sizzling sound and spewed out a large amount of black mist. ¡°uh?! hey, hey, hey¡­!!¡± when second wang saw the poisonous smoke pressing down from above, his face turned pale with shock. he leaned against the corner of the wall, his eyes full of horror. ¡°is this soft bone fragrance?¡± the stone room wasn¡¯t big to begin with, and they were wearing chains. there was nowhere to hide. wang chengjing originally thought that it was smoke for anesthetizing the prisoners and didn¡¯t think of resisting. but when he sniffed, a pungent and spicy smell entered his nose. his expression changed drastically in shock, and he hurriedly lay on the floor. ¡°it¡¯s poisonous dragon miasma! quickly lie down and don¡¯t move!¡± when second wang heard this term, his face turned deathly pale on the spot. poisonous dragon miasma was a highly toxic poison. if it touched the limbs, people would have to cut off their hands and legs. if it touched the torso, no matter how good people¡¯s martial arts skills were, it would only be the difference between resisting for a few hours and resisting for a few days. if people didn¡¯t understand this, they would definitely die. because it was too cruel, the apothecaries were directly recruited by the imperial court, and it was considered a unique secret medicine of the government. seeing the poisonous smoke slowly pressing down from above, second wang knew that this was the black office¡¯s ¡®dead hand system¡¯ to prevent felons in the second basement from escaping from the dungeon. they were prepared to eliminate all felons in the second basement indiscriminately. he immediately shouted, ¡°warden! warden! i¡¯m not escaping from prison. i¡¯m innocent¡­¡± wang chengjing, lying on the ground, whispered, ¡°they can¡¯t hear you outside. don¡¯t move. the faster your qi and blood flow, the faster you¡¯ll die. there¡¯s divine doctor wang in the capital. if the people breaking into the prison are eliminated, maybe we can be saved¡­¡± second wang¡¯s eyes were horrified as he hurriedly shut up. when he noticed that the knocking sounds from below were endless, he couldn¡¯t help cursing, ¡°can you guys please f*cking hurry up the prison break? don¡¯t implicate the innocent¡­¡± wang chengjing actually wanted to scold them too. after all, if they were the jianghu devils next door with deep foundations, they might be able to withstand the poison for half a day. the combined strength of the two brothers was equivalent to xu bailin. they were barely qualified to live in the second basement of the dungeon. but the two of them could fight opponents together. it was obvious that they couldn¡¯t resist the poison together. yesterday, they had suffered serious internal injuries. if they soaked in the poison bath here, they would die in an hour at most. wang chengjing realized that the situation was terrible and shouted, ¡°sirs! we brothers can¡¯t take it! we won¡¯t run¡­ sirs¡­!¡± there was no response¡­ Chapter 215 - Chapter 215: Inside and Outside the Dungeon (2) chapter 215: inside and outside the dungeon (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios at the same time, on the third basement floor¡­ compared to the dim second basement, the third basement was very spacious. it could be considered a hall. there were bookshelves all around, a tea table and desk in the middle, a mahogany partition behind it, and a bed for sleeping. other than the lack of windows, it was no different from an ordinary bedroom. door-sealing stones had fallen in the first basement, and poisonous gas had been sprayed in the second basement, but there was no change in the third basement. after all, the person imprisoned here was not a vicious bandit but an old servant who had been loyal to the dongfang clan for sixty years. although eunuch cao was not loyal to the empress, he was indeed the most loyal person to the dongfang clan¡¯s imperial family. anyone in the world could kill eunuch cao, except for the empress. ever since the founding of great wei, he had been conscientious and selfless. everyone knew that eunuch cao was the most trustworthy and loyal servant of the imperial family. his influence was enough to interfere with the imperial court, but he had never crossed the line once. he was just an obscure servant beside the emperor. whoever inherited the throne according to the ancestral family rules, he would be meticulously at their beck and call. if the empress had killed him after taking the throne, it would be equivalent to admitting publicly that she had obtained the position improperly. therefore, eunuch cao¡¯s position as the keeper of the seal was still there, and it was declared to the public that he was already old and retired in the capital. an oil lamp was lit on the desk in the spacious room. the old eunuch was sitting cross-legged in front of the desk, wearing the red robe of the keeper of the seal of the directorate of ceremonial. growing up in the imperial city, he had paid attention to etiquette all his life. even though he was in prison, his red robe was still neat and wrinkle-free. even his white hair was combed meticulously. eunuch cao had practiced the beauty-retaining picture. originally, it was impossible to tell his age. but after his internal energy had dissipated and he had not seen the light of day for ten years, wrinkles still appeared at the corners of his eyes, making him look like a thin old man in his sixties. ding! ding! ding! ding! the sound of stones shattering came from under the wooden floor. soon, a pickaxe pierced through, and the floor was smashed open by a punch. boom! eunuch cao¡¯s robe fluttered in the air, but he didn¡¯t react at all. he merely slowly turned a page of his book. ¡°foster father?¡± cao aning crawled out of the tunnel and almost cried tears of joy when he saw the old eunuch sitting behind the desk. he ran to him, knelt on the floor, and said anxiously, ¡°foster father, let¡¯s go quickly. 1 dug underground and got people to restrain the experts of the imperial court in the west of the city. even ye jingtang, who has god-like predictions, was pulled away by my open scheme. now, we can leave unimpeded¡­¡± cao aning¡¯s eyes were full of excitement. after all, it was easy to deceive the prince of wu, but it was too difficult to lie to the omniscient king ye of hell. if not for his initial plan to throw a watermelon at the imperial court to save a sesame seed? and make the imperial court focus on dealing with the prince of wu, with ye jingtang¡¯s intense pursuit, it would have been impossible to break into the prison. eunuch cao closed the book and looked up at the excited young man kneeling in front of him. ¡°a¡¯ning¡­ it¡¯s been ten years since we last met. you¡¯ve grown up. who asked you to save me, the prince of liang or the prince of yan?¡± when cao aning saw eunuch cao¡¯s old, almost unrecognizable, face, he was stunned for a moment. then he took a medicine box from his subordinate who came out from behind, moved to him on his knees, and placed it on the desk. ¡°it¡¯s someone from the green bandits who calls himself yan bugui. he helped me find a way. the green bandits obtained this secret medicine from the medical sage of northern liang. it can help you open up some of your meridians¡­¡± eunuch cao sighed. ¡°after ten years of separation, you have learned to lie to me. when i leave the capital, where are you going to take me?¡± cao aning opened the medicine box, revealing the pill inside. ¡°foster father, you taught me since i was a child to protect the imperial family of great wei. the eldest princess usurped the throne, which is against the ancestral etiquette and rules. in the future, the throne will inevitably fall into the hands of an outsider. i¡¯ve been operating in secret for the past ten years. among the vassal princes, the prince of yan has the greatest power and is highly respected. this throne should be inherited by the prince of yan¡­¡± ¡°that¡¯s why the prince of yan asked you to come.¡± eunuch cao didn¡¯t look at the medicine box and said earnestly, ¡°1 am a steward, and i am in charge of the daily trivial matters of the dongfang family. 1 listen to whoever is the head of the family. if outsiders have designs on the family property, i have to take care of it. however, the steward has no right to interfere when the children are fighting for the family assets. ¡°the eldest princess is a woman. she forged the late emperor¡¯s will and joined forces with her maternal relatives to seize power, obtaining the country improperly. in the future, when she gives birth to an heir to inherit the throne, it will be even more against the ancestral rules, so foster father, as a servant, you should persuade her and stop her.¡± ¡°the eldest son of the emperor was deposed by the court officials, and the court officials appointed a new monarch. this is a national matter. it¡¯s up to the court officials to decide who should be brought to the capital to succeed the throne. i am a palace servant and have no right to interfere, let alone think about siding with someone and interfering in the selection of the new monarch. do you understand what i mean?¡± cao aning blinked. ¡°but now that the eldest princess has ascended the throne, the lineage of the emperor will definitely change hands in the future. as retainers, we have to take necessary measures when necessary. if we support the prince of yan to ascend the throne, the lineage of the emperor will still be in the hands of the dongfang family. if the empress cuts off the military power of the vassal princes in the future and completely monopolizes the power, we retainers will be powerless to turn the situation around. how can we face the great ancestor and the late emperor in the netherworld¡­¡± eunuch cao shook his head. ¡°do you really think that the prince of yan asked you to bring me to yan province? i¡¯m just a martial artist. no matter how talented i am, i can¡¯t compare to feng guancheng. no matter how deep my foundation is, i can¡¯t compare to the leaders of buddhism and daoism. the prince of yan has thousands of soldiers under him. does he lack a guard like me?¡± ¡°foster faster, everyone knows that you are loyal to the imperial family. you just need to stand on the side of the prince of yan and say, ¡®the late emperor felt that his eldest son was incompetent and once had the intention of letting the prince of yan succeed the throne¡¯. then, the prince of yan will have a basis to succeed to the throne¡­¡± ¡°the late emperor never said that. he only said, ¡®it¡¯s a pity that yuhu isn¡¯t a man¡¯.¡± eunuch cao looked at cao aning and sighed softly. ¡°besides, do you think who becomes the emperor depends on the late emperor¡¯s will? the eldest princess could take out a will out of thin air. does the prince of yan lack this old eunuch¡¯s words?¡± cao aning blinked. ¡°the green bandits have planned so much. their goal is indeed to let me save you¡­¡± ¡°in all the dynasties, there has never been a keeper of the seal who defected to a foreign land. we are born in the imperial city and die in the imperial city. all the vassal princes know this.¡± eunuch cao looked at cao aning. ¡°the eldest princess is not the new monarch chosen by the court officials or even the imperial family. they know that as long as i leave this cell, i will return to the palace and continue to persuade the eldest princess to return power or die in the palace. ¡°their purpose is only to use me as a testing stone to find out the strength of the eldest princess¡¯s guard. you were deceived by them.¡± kneeling on the floor, cao aning thought for a moment. ¡°no matter what they mean, i¡¯ve already done this. it¡¯s fine as long as we don¡¯t follow their wishes. after we go out, we¡¯ll hide in the market. we will wait for the day of the coup in the capital and the new monarch of the dongfang family appears. then, we will come back to help the new monarch¡­¡± eunuch cao shook his head. ¡°i am the keeper of the seal of the directorate of ceremonial. the eldest princess hasn¡¯t abolished my official position. how can i ¡®run away¡¯ in fear of punishment? if 1 can¡¯t persuade the eldest princess and can¡¯t restore the inheritance of the imperial lineage, i can die in front of the palace gate like our predecessors. ¡°i already lost ten years ago. so if 1 enter the palace now, i will die in vain¡­¡± ¡°however, it doesn¡¯t matter if i die. although the eldest princess obtained the position improperly, her talent is unparalleled since ancient times. she will certainly become a hero of a generation and usher in an unprecedented golden age for great wei.¡± eunuch cao picked up the pill on the table and threw it into his mouth. ¡°i am a servant of the family. i can¡¯t go against the late emperor¡¯s will and be loyal to the eldest princess, but i can¡¯t stop the eldest princess. this useless old loser should have died ten years ago. ¡°the eldest princess is a descendant of the dongfang clan after all. in the future, even if great wei changes its surname, it will still have half of the dongfang family¡¯s blood flowing in it. in the netherworld, 1 will still have half of my face to meet the great ancestor and the late emperor.¡± hearing this, cao aning said anxiously, ¡°i¡¯ve already done my best to reach this point. 1 will never have another chance. those who achieve great things should know how to endure. in the future, if the eldest princess angers the heavens and the people, the court officials will elect a new monarch. foster father, if you can appear in your prime, you can always make the eldest princess abdicate¡­¡± eunuch cao shook his head. ¡°you don¡¯t understand how powerful the eldest princess is. the only possibility for the eldest princess to abdicate is if her martial arts practice leads to a dead end and she dies young. if the eldest princess doesn¡¯t die, with her talent, skills, and military power, no one in the world can challenge her throne. as for martial artists, feng guancheng is nothing in front of a hundred thousand iron cavalry, so what am i?¡± cao aning opened his mouth but had nothing to say. eunuch cao raised his hand slightly. ¡°let¡¯s go. i am a servant. i¡¯m useless and don¡¯t want to leave my hometown, so i can only be buried here.¡± Chapter 216 - Chapter 216: Inside and Outside the Dungeon (3) chapter 216: inside and outside the dungeon (3) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios at the same time, above the dungeon¡­ countless constables of the black office were standing at the entrance of the dungeon with weapons in their hands. because none of the higher-ups who could fight were around, although there was no chaos, no one dared to enter the dungeon, where the situation was unknown, without permission. they were only discussing. ¡°what should we do? the mechanism seems to have activated on its own. if we delay any longer, everyone in the second basement will die¡­¡± ¡°they won¡¯t die so quickly. i¡¯ve already gone to invite imperial physician wang. it shouldn¡¯t be a problem to save them¡­¡± ¡°we haven¡¯t even figured out the situation in the dungeon, so how would we dare to let divine doctor wang come over? the lives of those people are not as precious as a finger of divine doctor wang¡­¡± while they were discussing in low voices, footsteps sounded from the side of the black office. the constables turned around and saw qiu tianhe emerging from the corridor, carrying a rice bucket and looking around. the constable xiao wang, who was respectfully addressed as ¡®backdoor spear¡¯ by his colleagues, was shocked when he saw this. he quickly ran forward to stop him. ¡°hero qiu, hurry up and stay in your house. if you stand here now, not only will us brothers be nervous, but you might even be killed by the sirs.¡± qiu tianhe knew that people had broken into the prison and specially came over to take a look. seeing that everyone was standing outside the entrance, he frowned and said, ¡°people are breaking into the prison below. aren¡¯t you going to do anything?¡± xiao wang waved his hand and said, ¡°the dungeon was designed by skilled artisans with untold efforts. the cells of the first basement are blocked with door-sealing stones. if anyone dares to touch the cell doors, tens of thousands of arrows will be fired into their cell. the entrances of the holes in the second basement are sealed with black stones, and poisonous dragon miasma spews out from inside. the faster they move, the faster they will die. they will die before they can run out of the capital.¡± qiu tianhe was surprised. ¡°there¡¯s such a setup in the dungeon?¡± xiao wang smiled and said, ¡°you¡¯ve only been here for less than a year and have never experienced rebels breaking into the prison. naturally, you don¡¯t know. this is the strongest prison in great wei. it would be a problem if there were no protective measures. if the people inside dare to run, let them run. we can just find the corpses tomorrow. those who stay obediently can just wait for divine doctor wang to detoxify them later.¡± qiu tianhe felt that this design was really inhumane, but anyone who could enter the second basement of the dungeon was punishable with death. he couldn¡¯t blame the imperial court if they didn¡¯t look at them as humans. he thought for a moment and sighed. ¡°fortunately, 1 came out quickly¡­ no, earth room no. 2 is my former residence. the two newcomers inside have serious injuries, and their martial arts skills are average. are you sure they can withstand this service?¡± xiao wang¡¯s expression changed when he heard this, and he patted his head lightly. ¡°it¡¯s over. we forgot about these two. yesterday, i heard that the two wang brothers of yan province tried to kill her highness¡¯s that person. they committed a crime so heinous that the prison warden was afraid that something would go wrong, so he specially locked them in the safest cell. now, it¡¯s troublesome. i¡¯m afraid the wang brothers won¡¯t be able to withstand it¡­¡± qiu tianhe felt that it was unrealistic to ask the constables to risk their lives to save the condemned prisoners. he thought about it and sighed. ¡°last night, 1 sent food over and gave them an extra scoop. this can be considered a full meal before they die¡­¡± while they were talking, a white figure silently passed through the rain and landed in front of the dungeon. seeing this, the constables present hurriedly stood up straight and faced the dark entrance of the dungeon with solemn expressions. qiu tianhe greeted, ¡°sister meng, it¡¯s been a long time.¡± the white-haired diting was more than ten years older than qiu tianhe. in the past, when great wei hunted down qiu tianhe to save the imperial concubine, this still-as-charming-as-ever white-robed goddess constable was part of the team. she had had to run all over jianghu because of him, so their relationship was not too good. the white-haired diting ignored qiu tianhe. she only dragged her long white hair and stood in front of the dungeon with a serious expression, looking into the depths of the entrance. qiu tianhe walked over with the rice bucket and asked, ¡°is the person imprisoned in the third basement cao qiansui? it¡¯s been half a day. he¡¯s probably long gone.¡± the white-haired diting frowned and said, ¡°it¡¯s best if he ran away. if he hasn¡¯t run away, it will be very difficult to end things well today.¡± qiu tianhe knew what status the ¡®great palace gate god¡¯ cao qiansui had in the jianghu. he asked, ¡°didn¡¯t you give cao qiansui dozens of golden needles?¡± ¡°he has practiced the three pictures of muscles, bones, and skin. the golden needles can¡¯t enter his flesh, and even if they do, they can¡¯t seal his meridians. we can only rely on the secret medicine concocted by divine doctor wang to dissipate his internal energy and reduce food to weaken his physical stamina. the rebels made such a big scene. there might be an antidote.¡± qiu tianhe nodded and looked around. ¡°qin wenli, chen miao, and tu jiuji aren¡¯t coming over? sister meng, if you stop them alone, i reckon cao qiansui won¡¯t even pay attention to you.¡± the white-haired diting said, ¡°the rebels chose the right time. half of the people aren¡¯t around, and something happened in the west of the city. we have to deal with that side first.¡± qiu tianhe frowned. seeing that the imperial court didn¡¯t seem to have enough manpower, he thought of his indefinite confinement outside the prison and hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°cao qiansui must be trying to recover his internal energy. if we don¡¯t stop him now, when he recovers to his peak, 1 don¡¯t think anyone in the capital can stop him. sister meng, why don¡¯t you pull out my golden needles and return my saber to me? 1¡¯11 help you stop cao qiansui and atone for my crimes. afterward, can you return me my freedom?¡± ? hearing this, the black office constables beside him turned their faces, feeling that qiu tianhe was a little ridiculous. after all, no matter how fierce eunuch cao was, he was still someone who had been locked up for ten years and had his internal energy dissipated. he was incomparable to his peak. moreover, if he came out, it meant that he wouldn¡¯t run away. it would only take a lot of time to lock him up again. as for qiu tianhe, he had been eating and drinking outside for a month and had become fat. with the golden needles pulled out and the heaven equaling saber, he might not have a chance of winning if he charged into the palace head-on, but who could stop him if he fled with all his might? qiu tianhe felt everyone¡¯s speechlessness and said helplessly, ¡°i, qiu tianhe, have been wandering around for thirty years, but i¡¯m still famous for being a hero. now that i¡¯ve finally relied on ye jingtang to clear my name, i have a chance to walk jianghu openly. but if i turn around and run away, it will cause him to take the blame for me. do you think i, qiu tianhe, will do such a stupid thing?¡± everyone thought about it and felt that it made sense. the only case qiu tianhe had committed in his life was to break into the marriage envoy team for his friend, destroying half of his life. although he had a close relationship with the pacifying heaven cult, the reason was that the pacifying heaven cult had saved his life. in essence, he was a jianghu knight-errant who valued relationships and righteousness. meng jiao thought for a moment and said, ¡°if you do your best, i will ask her majesty for permission for this matter. even if her majesty doesn¡¯t allow it, her majesty will give you an identity and let you enjoy the remaining half of your life in wealth in the capital.¡± qiu tianhe only had the title of saber chief in his heart and didn¡¯t care about position and fortune. however, no matter how much he didn¡¯t care, it was better to be able to eat well, drinkwell, and live well than to deliver food in an alley. he immediately put down his rice bucket. ¡°alright. if 1 can only return to my peak this once in my life, at least with cao qiansui as my opponent, my life in jianghu will not be in vain¡­ however, if i¡¯m beaten half to death, the imperial court still has to arrange for imperial physician wang to save me. you can¡¯t treat me as a consumable.¡± ¡°don¡¯t worry. with ye jingtang around, the imperial court won¡¯t treat you badly..¡± Chapter 217 - Chapter 217: Were You Beaten Up? chapter 217: were you beaten up? the rain was heavy, and the sky quickly turned into a dark night. the majestic city was like a sea of fire on rhe vast land. a bolt of lightning streaked across the rain, illuminating a lightless street until it was snow-white. clack, clack¡­ on the long limestone street, ye jingtang rode a black horse and slowly walked through rhe alleys. the black qilin spear in his hand was pointed diagonally toward the street. dense raindrops landed on the spear shaft and slid down the spear tip, forming a line of water on the spear tip. drip, drip, drip¡­ several streets in the west of the city had turned into a desolate hunting ground after several battles. more than a thousand imperial guards and constables, armed with powerful bows and crossbows, surrounded the streets around rhe marquis of yun xing estate. dozens of experts from the secret guards and the black office were roaming the streets in pairs, searching for traces of hidden rebels according to the list. the rebels who dared to commit crimes in the capital were all veterans of jianghu. it was hard to say how good their martial arts skills were, but their ability to hide and escape was absolutely superb. ye jingtang was the first to capture one of the main targets, liu qiansheng. as soon as the uproar appeared, the rebels in other places fled in all directions when they saw that the situation wasn¡¯t right. however, with the battle plan¡¯ provided by the intelligence, most of the rebels who wanted to escape according to the plan ran into ambushes without exception and were captured or lolled with little resistance. a few vigilant experts chose to escape in other directions. but they were blocked in rhe streets and slowly dug out. currently, only two lightness skills experts had yet to be found. after patrolling the streets for a long time, shang jianli, who was hiding in the dark, gradually landed. ¡°no matter how good their lightness skills are, it¡¯s impossible for them to fly out through the sky. could the information be false and deliberately mentioned two extra people?¡± ye jingtang had the same feeling. after all, more than 40 experts of the imperial court, in addition to the bird in the sky and the hunting dogs on the ground, had searched the streets thoroughly, but they couldn¡¯t find any traces. even with the cover of the heavy rain and night, this concealment technique was a little exaggerated. but the two lightness skills grandmasters were the key figures used in the battle plan to charge into the marquis of yun ning estate and take the deposed emperor out of the city. if they gave up on patrolling, creating a flaw that allowed the deposed emperor to be taken away, it would be a big problem. the prince of wu didn¡¯t have the deposed emperor in his hands, so no matter what he did, he would be rebelling and risking universal condemnation. but if he had the deposed emperor in his hands, he could use the reputation of ¡®protecting the former master¡¯ to raise troops and lobby for the help of other opposition forces. the degree of difficulty of annihilating the latter was two different concepts. ye jingtang raised his black qilin spear and scanned the streets. ¡°since we haven¡¯t confirmed the truth, we have to search even if we have to dig three feet into the ground. can we interrogate the captives for information?¡± it seems that only liu qiansheng and nangong shaofeng know the details. liu qiansheng has lived long enough. he¡¯s arrogant and would rather die than lower his head. nangong shaofeng is afraid of implicating the prince of wu and insists that it was his own plan. he¡¯s refusing to say anything else.¡± nangong shaofeng is the teacher of the prince of wu¡¯s heir. we captured so many rebels and the prince of wu¡¯s deathsworn on the spot. the prince of wu can¡¯t shirk this responsibility¡­¡± while the two of them were conversing, a noise suddenly sounded in the night sky. ¡°coo, chirp!! coo, chirp, chirp¡­¡± ye jingtangs eyes narrowed slightly as he looked up at the bird circling in the night sky. he understood the meaning of rhe signal: due east, very far away, very, very powerful. the bird had astonishing eyesight, but normally, it couldn¡¯t tell the level of the target¡¯s martial arts skills. the fact that it could give this warning that the threat level was at maximum could only mean that the target¡¯s aura was ridiculous. seeing this, ye jingtang quickly took out a monocular from the side of the horse and flew up. he landed on the top of a three-story restaurant and looked east from the roof. under the night rain, the city was full of flames. because yun¡¯an city was built on a vast expanse of flat land, the height of the buildings couldn¡¯t exceed the palace wall. standing at the top of the tall buildings was an endless view. jasper pavilion was built in the east of the city and was very far from ye jingtang s current location. but a flash of lightning illuminated the entire city, and he could still see the abnormality at the top of jasper pavilion through the monocular. on the top of rhe five-story tall building stood a person. the figure pointed his saber at the sky with his right hand. his long hair and even his robe fluttered in the wind and rain. his soaring qi that erupted deflected the surrounding rain, causing ripples to appear in the night rain on the top of the tall building. his aura was so strong that it was like a ten-thousand-foot-tall mountain standing at rhe top of the capital! qiu tianhe?! ye jingtang¡¯s pupils constricted slightly. even though he was too far away to see who the figure was, he still recognized this person from the unique saber aura of the heaven equaling saber. he could even tell from this violently soaring qi that qiu tianhe was roaring at the sky. he couldn¡¯t hear any sound, bur he guessed that there was a high chance that it was something pretentious like: 1, qiu tianhe, have entered the realm of earthly immortals again today. in the entire world, who is there besides me who can do it? ye jingtang thought that something was wrong. the aura he was displaying clearly meant that he had suddenly recovered his combat strength and was causing trouble on top of jasper pavilion. the experts were all in the west of the city. there was a high chance that white-haired diting alone wouldn¡¯t be able to suppress qiu tianhe, who was in his early fifties and in his prime. he was qiu tianhe¡¯s guarantor. if qiu tianhe lost his mind and took advantage of the current situation to do something big, he would be in big trouble. ye jingtang quickly put away his monocular, jumped down from the tall building, landed on the horse¡¯s back, and raised the black qilin spear. ¡°there¡¯s some trouble at jasper pavilion. i¡¯ll go over and take a look. sir shang, please help me tell her highness. giddyup!¡± shang jianli was a little puzzled. he was about to say that the higher-ups had commandeered their team and that the prince of jing might punish him for leaving his post without permission. but ye jingtang had already rushed out of the street and galloped wildly toward the east of the city¡­ boom! snow-white lightning illuminated the thousands of streets and alleys in yun¡¯an city. after the drumbeats of jasper pavilion sounded, yun¡¯an city entered a curfew. the alarm had not been lifted, and the people were nor allowed to leave their homes. there was only rain pouring down on the streets. ba-da- dum! ba ¨C da ¨C dum! the lights on both sides of the street were as bright as day. a black horse was charging through the empty long street. because it was moving too quickly, the slanted spearhead tore through the wind and rain, emitting a soft cry. buzz! buzz! ye jingtang didn¡¯t ride a horse when he went back yesterday. in the morning, he rode third lady¡¯s treasured horse. its leg strength was astonishing. after sprinting at full speed for a short time, it had already crossed heavenly street, the central axis of the capital. as rhe distance closed rapidly, bursts of sounds came from the rain. boom! boom! the explosion was like muffled thunder as it moved along the main street of the prince of jing estate toward the imperial city. it sounded like a powerful dragon rampaging through the streets. there was also the sound of a saber tearing through the air! ye jingtang was shocked. he knew that qiu tianhe was very powerful, but he didn¡¯t expect him to be so powerful. from the commotion coming from afar, ordinary martial artists needed a lot of courage to even approach him, let alone resist him. if qiu tianhe lost his mind and killed his way into the imperial city, the hundred or so people left behind by the black office would probably all be killed. moreover, he was the one who had fished qiu tianhe out. if things went south, even the bird would be killed. giddyup!¡± ye jingtang shouted anxiously and urged the horse to speed forward with all its might to rush back to the main street of the prince of jing estate at lightning speed. the white stone avenue outside the prince¡¯s estate was as empty as if it had been washed clean. there were no signs of any people, and only earth-shattering sounds came from the other side. bumble! ye jingtang gritted his teeth and rushed through the gates of the prince s estate in one go. he wanted to stop the unstoppable qiu tianhe when he suddenly heard a sound. bam! an explosion rang out. then a figure flew into the sky from the main street at the speed of an arrow. it left a white trail in the rain and then drew an arc as it smashed onto the street outside the prince¡¯s estate. bam! smack- the figure fell on the white stone bricks of the street, bounced up and down, and slid far away along the rainy street. his legs were crooked, and his body was slanted as he lay there motionless. when ye jingtang saw that this man had flown half the street, he was surprised and doubtful. holding his spear in one hand, he forcefully reined in the horse, causing it to slide a few steps in the rain. then it raised its front hooves and stood upright on the spot. ¡°neigh!¡± the rainy night fell into dead silence. on the horse, ye jingtang hesitated for a moment. seeing that the other party didn¡¯t seem to be dead, he rode the horse closer to take a look. lying in the rain was a saberman in tattered robes. he coughed twice and panted heavily. from his expression, he seemed to be doubting life after being beaten up. f*cku! after ye jingtang confirmed that the saberman lying on the ground was hero qiu, who had just been fighting fiercely on the roof of jasper pavilion, he was stunned. he hurriedly got off the horse and ran forward. ¡°hero qiu?!¡± when qiu tianhe saw ye jingtang coming over, he hurriedly sat up and restored his attitude of a calm expert. he waved his hand. ¡°i¡¯m fine, 1 won¡¯t die. ye jingtang had rushed over anxiously but found that qiu tianhe had been beaten up like this. his gaze was naturally strange as he squatted at the side and sized up his injuries. ¡°hero qiu, were you beaten up?!¡± qiu tianhe was gasping for breath. when he heard this, he looked displeased. ¡°i exchanged blows with cao qiansui, and we fought back and forth. what do you mean 1 was beaten up? do you still expect me to bear down cao qiansui without any injuries?¡± cao qiansui?¡± when ye jingtang heard that qiu tianhe had exchanged blows with the great palace gate god locked in the dungeon, he felt relieved and asked, ¡°didmadan meng remove the restriction on you?¡± qiu tianhe nodded. ¡°1 made a deal with the white-haired diting. 1 will help the imperial court stop cao qiansui, and she will ask the imperial court to give me freedom.¡± when ye jingtang heard this, he was really surprised. if qiu tianhe can help put down the rebellion of the prince of wu and make a great contribution, the imperial court will be able to accept it. there will be almost no resistance to pardoning qiu tianhe. it will be much faster and simpler than me pleading for m ercy everywh ere¡­ no, the entire jianghu will soon know that hero qiu has regained his freedom and left the capital openly. if the pacifying heaven cult master finds out that qiu tianhe is fine, but her cult mistress is still staying in the capital¡­ won¡¯t she rush over immediately to kill me, the other man? ye jingtang felt that he didn¡¯t have long to live, but he couldn¡¯t keep qiu tianhe in the capital for his own benefit. in his heart, he still congratulated qiu tianhe for regaining his freedom. ¡°it s a good deal.¡± ye jingtang looked at the quiet street and asked, ¡°hero qiu, have you stopped cao qiansui?¡± qiu tianhe simply shook his head. ¡°no matter what, he¡¯s the great palace gate god. a starving camel is still bigger than a horse. how can 1 stop him alone? i only injured him and expended half of his combat strength. i think it¡¯s impossible for me to regain my freedom with just this.¡± ?! ye jingtang s expression froze as he asked seriously, ¡°where did cao qiansui go?¡± he must have entered the palace to kill the empress. you¡¯re not his match. don¡¯t go and join in the fun¡­ huh?¡± when ye jingtang heard the words ¡¯kill the empress¡¯, his heart turned cold. how could he be in the mood to talk nonsense with qiu tianhe? he immediately grabbed his spear and ran toward the imperial city. qiu tianhe was sitting on the ground and a little confused when he saw this.. he was probably thinking: aren¡¯t you a mole planted by the pacifying heaven cult? is there a need for you to risk your life more than me? is xue baijin preparing to accept amnesty and be recruited? Chapter 218 - Chapter 218: Dragon City’s Fiend Ye (1) chapter 218: dragon city¡¯s fiend ye (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios rumble! rolling lightning flowed between the thick dark clouds, illuminating the white stone square in front of the hall of the supreme principle. in the thousand-step corridor on the side of the white stone square, there were countless palace lanterns swaying in the wind, but not a single person could be seen in the gigantic imperial city. tread, tread¡­ in the long corridor, an old eunuch in a red robe and a black gauze hat was slowly walking along the path that he had walked for sixty years. his back was slightly hunched, and there was a horsetail whisk in the crook of his arm. although his clothes and demeanor were still meticulous, and his footsteps were very calm, the several saber wounds on his chest and back still made eunuch cao, who had never been disrespectful in his life, look a little disheveled. although his meridians had been opened, his internal energy had dissipated, and the medicine couldn¡¯t recover much of his foundation. after being imprisoned in the dungeon for ten years, his body had aged, and he was not as indestructible as before. facing qiu tianhe, who had been recuperating for a long time, eunuch cao still showed his inability to do what he wanted. although he still won, his injuries were much worse than qiu tianhe¡¯s. but eunuch cao didn¡¯t care about this. he had been born in the imperial city, had done his duty to great yan, and had done everything he could for great wei. the only thing he wished for now was to die in the palace. the sooner he died, the sooner this wish would be settled. eunuch cao followed the old path of the night patrol, walked out of the corridor, and crossed the white stone square of the hall of the supreme principle to the other side of the square. halfway through, a bolt of lightning flashed. boom! then a figure appeared in front of the hall of the supreme principle. the figure was wearing a gorgeous red dress and holding a red oil-paper umbrella in her hand. her almost dazzling beauty and temperament looked out of place in front of the majestic and solemn hall of the supreme principle. whoosh! rain fell from the sky, hitting the red oil-paper umbrella and sliding down the umbrella bones, making crackling sounds. eunuch cao stopped in front of the hall. holding the horsetail whisk, he bowed. ¡°your highness¡¯s martial arts skills have improved again.¡± the empress of great wei slowly walked along the imperial path. her back was straight, revealing the calmness and dignity that belonged to an emperor. she didn¡¯t like this title in her heart, but she didn¡¯t argue. ¡°go back. i¡¯m keeping you here so that you can see how i am as the emperor. ever since 1 ascended the throne, 1 have promoted the imperial examination, rectified corruption, stopped war and improved trade with other countries, and controlled jianghu. in ten years, 1 have built on the foundation left behind by the late emperor into the current situation. give me another ten years, and my era name will be an unprecedented golden age in history. ¡°if you want to protect great wei, you should at least see that day before you die. this way, you can reunite with the great ancestor and the late emperor in the netherworld, and they won¡¯t blame you at all. they will only be gratified to have a descendant like me.¡± eunuch cao bowed slightly and said in a gentle tone, ¡°i¡¯m just a servant. what happens to the country has nothing to do with me. i will sacrifice my life to serve a wise ruler, and it¡¯s the same for a fatuous ruler. however, i can¡¯t be completely loyal to a ruler who usurped the throne and violated the ancestral rules.¡± holding the red oil-paper umbrella, the empress slowly walked down the imperial path. she stood on the white stone square with a calm gaze. ¡°ancestral rules, etiquette rules, and the laws of the country are all set by the emperor. 1 am the emperor, and no one can challenge me now. in the future, if women can become officials and crown princes, there will be an ordinance in the world that women can wield power. what you are guarding is not the ancestral rules but your own rules.¡± eunuch cao stood quietly with his head bowed and replied, ¡°the vassal princes have yet to be pacified, and your highness doesn¡¯t dare to rashly marry and appoint an heir. your highness has to take back the military power of the vassal princes before considering the inheritance of the grand lineage. however, your highness has taken the taboo path, and it¡¯s unknown how long your highness can live. once your highness dies, the second princess won¡¯t be able to take charge of the overall situation. the imperial lineage of the dongfang family might fall into the hands of outsiders. i was favored by the great ancestor and the late emperor. i have to protect the rules of our ancestors and protect the dongfang family¡¯s family property. 1 advise your highness to turn back.¡± pitter-patter¡­ the heavy rain poured down, and silence fell in front of the hall of the supreme principle. the empress was silent for a moment before asking, ¡°is there really no cure for touching the taboo?¡± eunuch cao said calmly, ¡°if your highness knows which pictures of the roaring dragon chart that your highness made mistakes in comprehending, finds them, and uses the heaven-defying effect of the roaring dragon chart to reshape the body, the aberrations in the body will naturally gradually recover. ¡°however, your highness was too eager for quick success. in order to subdue me, your highness practiced both internally and externally and practiced six pictures at the same time. other than the jade bone picture, there must be differences in the others. your highness¡¯s survival to this day is already beyond my expectations.¡± the empress thought for a moment. ¡°you experienced the founding battle in the palace. do you know the whereabouts of the other five pictures?¡± eunuch cao said, ¡°the golden scale picture flowed into northern liang and was stolen. it might be in jiang zhahu¡¯s hands now. ¡°the dragon form picture was stolen after the revolutionary army entered the city. it may be hidden in the hands of a vassal prince. ¡°the evergreen picture was brought to the south firmament mountains by the late yan emperor¡¯s empress. it might be in the hands of the pacifying heaven cult master. ¡°the fire bathing picture was obtained by kuang yazi, but kuang yazi died of old injuries. it might have been snatched away by other jianghu thieves, and its whereabouts are unknown. ¡°the bright spirit picture has not appeared in great wei since the previous dynasty. it might be in the hands of northern liang. ¡°if your highness wants to find all five pictures, you must first search jianghu, the vassal princes, and northern liang. there¡¯s not enough time.¡± the empress frowned and thought for a moment. ¡°i found a good seedling. he¡¯s loyal, and his talent is comparable to feng guancheng¡¯s. it should be possible for him to find them.¡± eunuch cao shook his head. ¡°how can an emperor entrust their life and death to the hands of others? your highness hopes to find one person to find five pictures of the roaring dragon chart and hand them over. what can your highness give him? everlasting youth or ascending to immortality?¡± the empress knew that this was a very practical problem. the previous palace gate gods were so loyal and selfless, but the previous dynasty didn¡¯t dare to hand the precious fire bathing picture to the eunuchs to practice because ¡®power corrupts¡¯.. Chapter 219 - Chapter 219: Dragon City’s Fiend Ye (2) chapter 219: dragon city¡¯s fiend ye (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios when a person had strength that no one could limit and had the chance to obtain supreme power, no matter how loyal this person was, their mentality would undergo subtle changes. even if ye jingtang was chivalrous and wasn¡¯t interested in fame and fortune, she couldn¡¯t take out a peerless beauty worth five roaring dragon chart pictures. she would marry off liren to ye jingtang, and he was only sincere to liren. he wouldn¡¯t give his heart to her, his sister-in-law. she couldn¡¯t treat herself as a prize and get him to work for her wholeheartedly¡­ after waiting quietly for a moment, eunuch cao asked, ¡°your highness, do you have any questions you would like me to answer?¡± the empress took a deep breath. ¡°you want to be loyal and righteous, but i won¡¯t allow it. i want you to be convinced of me as the emperor before you die.¡± ¡°in that case, i can only offend your highness.¡± eunuch cao cupped his hands and bowed. then the red robe on his body swayed slightly in the wind and rain, and his aura rose steadily. in an instant, he went from a groveling old servant to a towering tree in the imperial city. whoosh- whoosh- the empress didn¡¯t move at all. she had needed the help of her master to defeat eunuch cao ten years ago. now that she was facing the old eunuch cao, what she had to do was to make this old servant of the dongfang family be carried out in dignity to continue living in retirement. whoosh! a light breeze swept across the square in front of the hall, blowing the empress¡¯s red dress. eunuch cao took a step forward and was about to die graciously when an explosion suddenly sounded from the side of the white stone square. ¡°haa!¡± his voice was clear, and his strong aura spread throughout the entire hall of the supreme principle. the empress and eunuch cao were stunned. they turned around and saw a black shadow soaring into the sky from the hall on the side of the white stone square. bam! the figure with surging qi broke through the rain that filled the sky like a powerful dragon emerging from the sea, leaving a white trail in the air. the black figure held a long spear in his hand and jumped up to a height almost as tall as the hall of the supreme principle. then he smashed down brazenly toward the white stone square! this scene made the empress and eunuch cao turn their gazes away. after all, these lightness skills and instantaneous explosive power were really too exaggerated. it was obvious that this person was burning with anxiety and hatred. this was just like how a person could unleash several times their strength when they were on the verge of death. crisis broke through the defense mechanisms of the body¡¯s self-protection. usually, it was impossible to drive the body to make such an extreme reaction with willpower. the empress¡¯s calm eyes widened a little, which was rare. there was clearly surprise in her eyes. she had wanted to talk to eunuch cao about a topic that couldn¡¯t be divulged to outsiders, so she had specially removed the palace servants around the hall of the supreme principle. why was ye jingtang here? so be it that he was here. but was there a need to be so agitated about the hatred of killing and snatching his wife? even if you¡¯re here to protect the empress, you don¡¯t even know who i am¡­ boom! in just a moment, the figure smashed onto the white stone square and instantly jumped up, leaving a hemispherical pit in the flat square. he jumped up and down twice, jumping from the top of the side hall to the center of the huge square. the powerful air wave carried the wind and rain and pressed down on the clothes of the two people. a black spear followed and stabbed at eunuch cao¡¯s chest with terrifying might. eunuch cao had never seen ye jingtang before. when he saw that this child looked around twenty years old, but his martial arts skills were so high that it didn¡¯t make sense, surprise flashed in his eyes. bam! an explosion rang out. ye jingtang held the black qilin spear in his hand and stabbed the damn eunuch who dared to make a show of force to the palace maid in the middle of the night. however, the damn eunuch didn¡¯t even move. the tip of the spear stabbed into his chest, but the black qilin spear, which should have pierced through his body, stopped when it entered half an inch into his flesh. the tip of the spear pierced through his body with surging energy, shattering the white stone tiles under the eunuch¡¯s feet, knocking the old eunuch backward and making him instantly retreat to the white stone foundation of the hall. boom! a hemispherical depression was formed on the side of the white stone stepped platform. as for the old eunuch in front of the spear, he had maintained the posture of holding the horsetail whisk in the crook of his arm from the beginning to the end. he only looked at ye jingtang in surprise. 11 shock flashed across ye jingtang¡¯s eyes. when he saw that qiu tianhe had been beaten half to death just now, he thought that qiu tianhe was a noob. but now that he had stabbed the eunuch with all his might, he realized how ridiculous it was that qiu tianhe could leave seven or eight saber wounds on this old monster. ye jingtang held the spear with both hands and pressed eunuch cao against the white stone. he was at the end of his strength, so he bent his legs slightly and leaned forward, pressing forward with all his strength, wanting to stab the black qilin spear into the old monster¡¯s chest. boom! eunuch cao¡¯s body retreated another half a step, and the white stone stepped platform behind him let out a cracking sound. but after the tip of the spear stabbed into the old eunuch¡¯s ribs, no matter how hard he tried, it was difficult for him to move forward. he could only use this method to press the old eunuch against the wall. eunuch cao frowned slightly. he looked at ye jingtang¡¯s face carefully and felt every bit of qi transmitted from the spear. after a moment, he stepped forward. crack, crack! the tiles under ye jingtang¡¯s feet immediately cracked and slid back. it was as if a mountain was moving forward against him. no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t withstand this absolute brute force. ¡°haa!¡± ye jingtang let out an explosive shout. the qi in his body surged explosively and instantly tore apart the black official robe on his body. the muscles on his shoulders, back, waist, abdomen, and legs tightened, and his face turned red. with all his strength, he actually pressed the old eunuch who had just taken a step forward back. however, eunuch cao had practiced the jade bone and dragon form pictures for sixty years. maybe it was possible to gain an advantage against him in terms of martial arts attainments and even endurance. but in terms of brute force, ye jingtang was purely showing off in front of an expert. after eunuch cao was pressed back, he clearly increased his strength and stepped forward again, slowly pushing the spear back.. Chapter 220 - Chapter 220: Dragon City’s Fiend Ye (3) chapter 220: dragon city¡¯s fiend ye (3) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°move back!¡± ye jingtang shouted. his eyes instantly turned bloodshot, and his face was almost ferocious. his almost exploding heartbeat was audible from a few steps away. thump, thump, thump! he exerted all the strength in his body again. the force was so strong that it even broke the headpiece that bound his black hair. he held the spear with both hands and forcefully blocked eunuch cao before crashing into the platform. boom! eunuch cao was pressed against the stone stepped platform. he looked at ye jingtang¡¯s face, and a hint of contemplation flashed across his eyes. the empress of great wei was standing behind ye jingtang with an umbrella, also surprised to see this scene. ye jingtang could force eunuch cao, who had unparalleled brute force, back twice. even if someone had practiced the dragon form picture, they still couldn¡¯t do it. this was because no one in the world had practiced it longer than eunuch cao. if the two sides fought, they would only break the weapon. the instantaneous explosive force shook the mountain rocks, but the tip of the spear remained straight. this meant that ye jingtang was controlling the spear and using internal energy to suppress eunuch cao rather than brute force. although it was just a simple forward thrust, it was obvious that all the bones, muscles, and meridians in his body were coordinating flawlessly. it didn¡¯t feel as though a person was stabbing forward, but an extremely sophisticated machine was pushing the spear. all the components had been polished to perfection. the surging internal energy coursed through his body with a single thought, and no joint or meridian encumbered it. only then could he display this inhuman instantaneous explosive power. this was not a physique that a human could have at birth. it couldn¡¯t even be nurtured carefully after birth. it was more like a human weapon forged with the strength of an entire country¡­ the empress felt that ye jingtang¡¯s body was very special. she wanted to take a closer look at the details, but she immediately realized that he was really risking his life. ye jingtang was using all his strength to suppress the power of eunuch cao¡¯s dragon form. but the blood and qi in his body had already rushed to the limit. the veins in his blood-red eyes were bulging, and his heartbeat was like muffled thunder. if he continued to push the spear, he would damage his meridians and internal organs. seeing this, the empress silently came behind ye jingtang and raised her hand to hold the spear tail lightly. boom! eunuch cao, who was still exerting strength, was instantly pressed against the stepped platform. ye jingtang felt the pressure in his hands decrease sharply, and the pouring rain was covered by the red umbrella above his head. shock flashed across his eyes as he looked at the beauty in red beside him. the empress stood beside him, holding the black qilin spear with one hand, a very domineering look in her eyes. ¡°that¡¯s not how you use a spear.¡± then her shoulder moved slightly. no qi leaked out, and even her red sleeve didn¡¯t flutter. but the black qilin spear pushed forward another two inches. boom! the white stone steps instantly exploded, and eunuch cao¡¯s entire body sank into the bricks. eunuch cao didn¡¯t have much internal energy to begin with. after facing qiu tianhe and ye jingtang head-on, his stamina was already at the end of its rope. and in the end, the empress ran over to deal the finishing blow. a vast amount of qi penetrated his body. although it still couldn¡¯t pierce through his jade bones, his lungs couldn¡¯t take it anymore. he coughed lightly, and blood flowed from the corner of his mouth. his eyes, which were so calm that there were no ripples, lost their vigor in an instant. crack! the empress drew out the spear. the old eunuch leaning against the pit slid to the ground. thud! the rain all around fell completely silent at this moment, leaving only the soft sound of raindrops hitting the umbrella. ye jingtang held the spear with both hands. he hadn¡¯t even felt the attack¡¯s circulation of qi or how powerful it was. ye jingtang looked at the old eunuch, who had collapsed from the light breeze, and a look of doubting life appeared on his face as qiu tianhe had. ¡°he died just like that?!¡± ¡°unconscious.¡± the empress let go of the spear and covered the top of ye jingtang¡¯s head with a red umbrella. her eyes were charming, but they carried a different kind of arrogance. ¡°your performance just now¡ªcough!¡± before she could finish speaking, she let out a muffled cough. her cheeks flushed a hint of dark red, her aura immediately became chaotic, and her body swayed. ?! ye jingtang had regarded miss yuhu as a peerless female expert who could rival the eight chiefs. but when he saw this scene, the amazement in his heart disappeared. he quickly supported great gorgeous, who was about to collapse. ¡°what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± he held the empress¡¯s wrist with his hand and found that the qi in her body was running amok. she seemed to have signs of qi deviation¡­ f*ck! ye jingtang realized that miss yuhu¡¯s domineering spear attack had caused her qi to backlash. he was almost angered to death by this disappointing and pretentious hu dumdum. he quickly wrapped his arm under her legs, carried her sideways, and ran out of the palace. ¡°what kind of lousy martial arts is that? that¡¯s not how you use a spear. do you really have the cheek to say that? if i used a spear like you did, i¡¯m afraid i would have died long ago¡­¡± facing ye jingtang¡¯s merciless mockery, the empress coughed twice, but she still held the umbrella above his head. ¡°don¡¯t leave the palace. take me back to the peaceful hall.¡± ¡°you¡¯re about to suffer qi deviation. i¡¯m taking you to imperial physician wang.¡± ¡°imperial physician wang can¡¯t treat it.¡± the empress glanced at the anxious face in front of her. ¡°i have my own secret treatment method. if you run around, something will really happen to me.¡± ye jingtang stopped in his tracks, turned around, and ran to the harem. he lowered his head and asked, ¡°are you sick?¡± ? the empress blinked. she felt that these words shouldn¡¯t be scolding her, so she didn¡¯t mind. ¡°practicing an evil technique has hurt my body. i¡¯ll be fine after recuperating for a while. i won¡¯t die for the time being. send me back to the palace. don¡¯t let the palace servants see you on the way.¡± ye jingtang felt that the woman in his arms was burning all over. she was almost cooked, and she didn¡¯t look like she could be casually cured back to health. but it wasn¡¯t appropriate for him to act on his own initiative now. he ran in large strides between the palaces and pavilions and suddenly realized that there was no one in front or behind the hall of the supreme principle. he slowly realized that something was wrong. he lowered his head and looked at great gorgeous in his arms. he wanted to ask, but seeing that she didn¡¯t look good, he ran to the eternal joy palace first¡­ the thunderstorm had not stopped, but the storm was gradually coming to an end. many experts in the west of the city were still searching for possible hidden rebels according to orders. under jasper pavilion in the east of the city, the constables of the black office began to rescue the prisoners gradually. the six gates brought people to surround the king of wu¡¯s mansion outside the city. on the top of a three-story pavilion not far from the imperial city, a few figures were holding up a long black pole that was dozens of feet long. cao aning was wearing night clothes and standing on one foot on the top of the long pole. his body was swaying with the wind and rain. with a monocular in his hands, he looked over the palace wall and stared at the hall of the supreme principle at the end of his vision. in his vision, the king ye of hell was everywhere. unsurprisingly, he rushed out again and blocked the red-clothed empress holding an umbrella. then his foster father fell to the ground, and king ye of hell carried the red-dressed empress and left. cao aning took a deep breath. his gaze lingered on the old eunuch lying in the rain for a long time before he slid down the long pole and stood on the roof ridge. the former secret guard beside him asked, ¡°how¡¯s the situation in the palace?¡± ¡°the person who defeated eunuch cao ten years ago was the empress herself. she seems to have suffered internal injuries.¡± cao aning put away the monocular, tightened the straight saber on his back, and started walking out of the city. ¡°let¡¯s go to yan province.¡± the secret guard behind him hesitated. ¡°eunuch cao said that yan bugui and the power behind him are using us.¡± ¡°we¡¯re not eunuch cao. foster father is doing this for the dongfang family, but we¡¯re doing this for fame and fortune. if someone is useless, they¡¯re called trash.¡± ¡°ye jingtang is too powerful. people often say that ¡®the wages of sin is death¡¯¡­¡± cao aning stopped and turned around. ¡°the people of the world also often say that it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry. in the future, when this king of hell appears within a hundred kilometers of us, no matter what happens, we¡¯ll escape directly. i don¡¯t believe that since i can¡¯t provoke him, i can¡¯t even hide.¡± hearing this, the few former secret guards behind him didn¡¯t say anything else.. after taking one more look at the imperial city, they disappeared into the rain one after another¡­ Chapter 221 - Chapter 221: Why Are You So Skilled? chapter 221: why are you so skilled? translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios in the majestic imperial city, three thousand palace lanterns were swaying in the wind and rain. a pair of hurried footsteps ran through the corridors and quickly arrived at the eternal joy palace in the middle of the imperial city. tread, tread, tread¡­ ye jingtang¡¯s clothes were in tatters, and his long hair was loose and hanging down. as he strode forward, he looked like a handsome mountain king with disheveled clothes and hair, carrying a beautiful young lady in his arms and looking for a place to do bad things. the empress¡¯s face flushed red. she was still holding the red umbrella in her hand and leaning on the man¡¯s shoulder, her breathing chaotic. ever since she ascended the throne, the empress had basically never left the palace. she had announced to the public that she had a top expert who could defeat eunuch cao by her side. before the rebels figured out the details, they wouldn¡¯t dare to enter the palace to cause trouble. even if they caused trouble, it wouldn¡¯t be her turn as the empress to take care of it personally. usually, as long as she paid attention to propriety, there had never been any major problems. but today, in order to show off her unparalleled martial strength in front of the unprecedentedly talented ye jingtang, she had accidentally been too pretentious and used too much force. her body¡¯s reaction was more serious than she had imagined. however, although the empress felt uncomfortable, her eyes were still calm. when they quickly returned to eternal joy palace, they could see the palace servants walking around. ye jingtang followed miss yuhu¡¯s instructions and didn¡¯t alarm the palace maids walking in the palace. he familiarly walked around the garden and arrived at the peaceful hall in front of the roaring dragon pond. the peaceful hall was the empress¡¯s daily residence. it was very large. at night, it was brightly lit, and they could see a few palace maids holding lanterns in the hall. ye jingtang went to the back of the peaceful hall, jumped from the lake with a light touch, and entered the bedchamber through the window. the door of the bedchamber was very spacious. there was a long table facing the lake on the outside, and there were many painting scrolls on it. beside the wall were zither stands, chess couches, and other things. there were paintings and calligraphy from famous scholars hanging on the wall. in the middle was a piece of calligraphy with the words, ¡®there¡¯ll be golden armor spreading all o¡¯er th¡¯ town¡¯. although there were no glittering jewels decorating the room, everything from the wood to the porcelain was the most luxurious item in the mortal world, and it was spotless. standing inside, one could feel the opulence and restrained nobility. on the inside was a golden cedar partition carved with auspicious beasts. there was a green jade bead curtain hanging down, and behind the bead curtain was a dragon bed. it was the same as dumdum¡¯s babu bed. it was the kind that wouldn¡¯t be crowded even with four people sleeping side by side. this was the first time ye jingtang had come to the empress¡¯s bedchamber. he wanted to pass through the bead curtain and carry beauty to the bed. the empress raised her finger slightly and gestured to the screen. ¡°go there.¡± ye jingtang followed the direction and walked to the back of the screen. he saw a sliding door behind it. on the sliding door was a relief of a tiger¡¯s head showing a ferocious expression, seemingly warning visitors not to touch it easily. the empress lay on ye jingtang¡¯s arms and raised her hand to twist the eyes of the tiger head relief. the sliding door moved on its own. clatter! behind the sliding door was a bathroom, and in the middle was a bathing pool emitting white mist. it was made of white jade and was only about ten feet in diameter. on both sides were cabinets. on the left were wooden boxes of various sizes, and on the right were various weapons. there were several swords and sabers, two bar maces arranged in a cross, and in the middle was a lance with a dragon pattern decorating it. in front of the wall opposite the door was a suit of armor on display. the armor was a suit of dark golden shining armor. the style was similar to the qilin armor of the imperial city¡¯s imperial guards, but the craftsmanship was obviously better. the scales on the armor skirt were arranged like dragon scales, and there was a beast-faced belt at the waist. there was a qilin on each of the shoulder guards, and the helmet was also a qilin helmet with a visor. it looked fierce and intimidating. ye jingtang didn¡¯t care about the furnishings in the room. he quickly walked to the side of the bathing pool. ¡°put you in?¡± the empress gestured to the cabinet by the wall. ¡°go get the medicine first.¡± hearing this, ye jingtang placed her on the chaise longue by the bathroom. then he went to the wall and lit the lampstand. following her instructions, he picked up a white jade porcelain bottle from a wooden box. after he opened the porcelain bottle, a rich medicinal fragrance wafted out. it should be something that nourished the body in a medicinal bath. he quickly went to the side of the bathing pool and poured the medicinal liquid in. splash- the empress sat on the soft couch and raised her hand to untie the sash at her waist. after some consideration, she said, ¡°ye jingtang, cover your eyes.¡± ye jingtang put the empty bottle down and turned around. ¡°shall 1 call a palace maid over?¡± ¡°i can¡¯t let anyone know that i have internal injuries. just cover your eyes.¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t say anything else. he tore off his belt from his tattered robe and covered his eyes. then he stirred the water in the bathing pool a few times to let the medicinal liquid spread as quickly as possible. when the empress saw this, she silently pulled open the sash of the red dress. the soft red dress slid down from her shoulders, and the bathroom became brighter at this moment. the empress had a standard pear-shaped figure. her waist was slender, and her butt was extremely plump and a little wider than her snow-white shoulders. her chest was also very large, and her size was comparable to dumdum¡¯s. her well-rounded figure looked very generous. the empress was wearing very little. the dress slipped down to reveal a piece of palm-sized fabric. her upper body was wearing a red gauze undergarment embroidered with a golden dragon. it was triangular in shape and just covered the white balls. below was a small underwear with bows on both sides that wrapped around the bulging white jade tiger. but at this moment, her figure didn¡¯t look very healthy. her skin was red and dripping with sweat, and white mist was faintly rising from her body. the empress looked at ye jingtang. seeing that he was seriously preparing the medicinal bath and didn¡¯t deceive the empress by peeping or daydreaming, a hint of approval flashed across her eyes. she put her hands behind her back and wanted to untie her triangular undergarment. but this action was a little too much for her. with the blood and qi in her body churning, she frowned when her hands reached halfway. although ye jingtang was blindfolded, he could sense yuhu¡¯s movements. he immediately stood up. ¡°1¡¯11 help you.¡± then he walked to the side of the chaise longue, reached out to accurately pinch the strings of the undergarment behind her back, and untied the bow. whoosh! the golden fat-headed dragon undergarment fell on her knees. his proficiency in taking off smallclothes was truly at the pinnacle. before the empress could react, she felt a chill in her chest. she subconsciously hugged the big balls that had lost their restraint and then realized that ye jingtang had moved his hands to her waist, pinched the bow on one side, and pulled gently. the small piece of fabric slipped off without restraint, and the plump white jade tiger immediately appeared under the candlelight. ?! even though the empress was about to lose control of the qi and blood in her body, her eyes still widened slightly as she said in disbelief, ¡°ye jingtang, why are you so skilled?!¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t touch her skin from beginning to end. he quickly untied the bow on the other side. ¡°the heaven equaling saber can observe the most subtle changes in the environment. when you move, the fabric will make a sound when it rubs against your skin, and the ties will also drive the airflow. i can sense what kind of clothes you¡¯re wearing.¡± the empress felt that it was one thing to feel them, but it was another to know how to take them off. practice made perfect. she didn¡¯t believe that he hadn¡¯t taken off these kinds of smallclothes many times in the past. could it be that liren had worn them for him before¡­ but she wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk about this at this moment. the empress gently propped herself up. just as her butt left the chaise longue, she sat back down and frowned to suppress the churning qi and blood in her body. ¡°carry me into the pool. don¡¯t touch me with your hands.¡± ye jingtang felt that the yuhu was about to explode, so he wasn¡¯t in the mood to take advantage of her. he held her back with one arm and used the other arm to support the smooth yuhu under the crook of her legs. he deliberately stretched out his arms to keep a distance so that his body wouldn¡¯t touch places he shouldn¡¯t touch. the empress lay in the crooks of his arms. her butt was as fair as a peeled egg, and it drew an astonishing arc under the candlelight. seeing how well-behaved ye jingtang was, the empress forced a smile. ¡°be careful when you lower me.¡± although ye jingtang was blindfolded, he could still remember the bathroom completely. he walked to the side of the bathing pool, squatted down, and carefully lowered the beauty into the warm pool water. splash! ¡°your situation isn¡¯t right. are you sure you don¡¯t want to call imperial physician wang over to take a look?¡± ye jingtang asked. the empress soaked in warm water, and her expression relaxed a little. ¡°no need. you can leave.¡± squatting at the edge of the bathing pool, ye jingtang could feel the faint heat coming from yuhu¡¯s body. if he didn¡¯t call for a palace maid or an imperial physician, how could he be at ease with yuhu, whose condition was unknown, soaking in the pool alone to treat her injuries? he immediately stood up and turned his back to the pool. ¡°i won¡¯t speak. take good care of your body. if you need anything, just say it. don¡¯t force yourself.¡± seeing that ye jingtang wasn¡¯t going out, the empress didn¡¯t say much. after all, it was safer to have someone watching over her. she closed her eyes and began to recuperate. but she was taking a bath here with a man standing beside her. although his eyes were blindfolded and his back was facing her, it was still a little¡­ forget it. i¡¯ll just treat it as a beautiful concubine serving me¡­ the empress opened her eyes, looked at ye jingtang¡¯s back, and closed her eyes again. while recuperating, she was pondering in her heart. she planned to let ye jingtang, who was the most talented in the world, be her secret envoy to help her search for the lost roaring dragon chart pictures in the world. but as an emperor, how could she be so stupid that she would have the thought, ¡¯because i¡¯m the emperor, you have to help me do things for free for no reason¡¯. even the officials had to be paid, and the hearts of the people had to be carefully managed. only after the officials were confirmed to have absolute loyalty would they be given the rights corresponding to their loyalty and entrusted with heavy responsibilities. this was a top-secret mission that concerned the life and death of the emperor. before she completely made ye jingtang have his heart set on her, talking nonsense would just stimulate him. if he found out and went to northern liang to exchange the information for a princely title, great wei would immediately fall into chaos¡­ how can i make him loyal to me? he doesn¡¯t seem to be interested in authority, power, fame, and fortune. he¡¯s just lascivious¡­ but he can remain as still as a mountain under these circumstances. he really doesn¡¯t look like a lascivious man. isn¡¯t he unassailable¡­ the empress felt that she had sharp eyes. it was impossible for ye jingtang not to be attracted to her beauty. she thought for a moment, raised her hand slightly, and splashed water between the white balls. splash- the water flowed down, leaving a shiny surface, and small waves rippled. the empress paid close attention to the man¡¯s subtle reactions. in the end, she found that the ears of ye jingtang, who was standing blindfolded by the bathing pool, twitched. then he turned his head and revealed his side profile with some displeasure. ¡°recuperate well, and don¡¯t mess around.¡± his tone was quite fierce. ? the empress paused and narrowed her eyes. ¡°young master ye, if you don¡¯t know how to appreciate favors, you will suffer when you do things in the capital in the future.¡± ¡°if you recover, i¡¯ll leave. if you haven¡¯t, treat your injury seriously.¡± the empress felt that this youngster wasn¡¯t her brother-in-law but her concubine. if she continued, she would definitely play herself into the cold palace for three days.. she didn¡¯t say anything and started treating her injury seriously¡­ Chapter 222 - Chapter 222: Didn’t See Anything chapter 222: didn¡¯t see anything translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios meanwhile, in the west of the city¡­ the sudden heavy rain continued for a few minutes before gradually subsiding. near the marquis of yun ning estate in the west of the city, countless imperial guards were still guarding strictly. but after the experts of the palace who were hunting confirmed that there were no rebels hiding, they stopped searching and went to the corner tower in the northwest of the imperial city. dongfang liren, dressed in a silver python robe, was standing in front of the door of the corner tower with her head held high and her chest puffed out, looking fabulous. after commanding in the corner tower for a day, she had captured more than 20 important criminals at once. it could be said that she had gained a lot. the only regret was that the prince of wu¡¯s heir had a special status and had to be taken into custody by important ministers of the ministry of justice. she couldn¡¯t bring her guards to arrest him. but there was no doubt that merit for this matter would fall on her, the discerning princess. such a big case had only happened a few times since the founding of the country. after she succeeded, it wouldn¡¯t be unreasonable to ask the ministry of revenue for money in the future, right? it would be even more inappropriate for the censors to say anything about her unclear authority. just thinking about it made her feel comfortable. dongfang liren had achieved such a great contribution, so she definitely couldn¡¯t disappoint her subordinates. the search had just ended, so she was prepared to celebrate and praise her subordinates, who had been working hard all day. but when dongfang liren scanned the crowd that had returned, she didn¡¯t see sir tangtang, who had the most merit. she asked, ¡°shang jianli, where did ye jingtang go?¡± perhaps shang jianli was afraid that ye jingtang, who had finally made a great achievement, leaving his post without authorization would leave some stains on him, so he explained, ¡°young master ye has the snow eagle¡¯s help. its eyes and ears are extraordinary. he realized that the commotion at jasper pavilion was too great and went over to help. the generals outside didn¡¯t receive orders. young master ye must have discovered that he had to go over, so he left the team in advance¡­¡± dongfang liren knew that qiu tianhe had helped out, so it was reasonable for ye jingtang to run over to check without knowing. naturally, she didn¡¯t mind and continued, ¡°you should know who should be first in merit for this big case. do you have any objections to letting ye jingtang serve as the deputy commander of the black office in the future?¡± the position of deputy commander probably had the same status as the white-haired diting. it could be considered a promotion at the speed of light. however, the chief constables of the black office definitely wouldn¡¯t think that this was nepotism. she long said, ¡°there are many people who can fight in the office, but there are very few who can investigate cases. people who can fight and investigate cases are very rare. with young master ye¡¯s talent, even we feel that we¡¯re treating him badly by only having him as an assistant.¡± yang lan, the bodyguard of the empress dowager, had come out today to help capture the rebels. at this moment, he smiled and said, ¡°with young master ye¡¯s talent, he must be the seventh fiend of the black office. sir she, what do you think he should be called?¡± the six fiends of the black office meant the six fiend stars? . their titles were even named after ghost messengers of hell. they were derogatory titles that the people of jianghu called them. but because the six fiends were all ruthless characters, as time passed, they slowly became honorary titles. although the six fiends of the black office didn¡¯t like these jianghu titles, nor would they give any to themselves, they didn¡¯t mind if others really called them these titles. she long pondered for a moment. ¡°we already have ksitigarbha. with young master ye¡¯s talent, he should probably be called the king of hell.¡± dongfang liren was in a good mood and joking around. but when she heard this, her expression darkened as she said fiercely, ¡°if he¡¯s the king of hell, then what am 1?¡± everyone thought about it and felt that it made sense. the king of hell of the black office was definitely the prince of jing. if someone else was the king, wouldn¡¯t they have succeeded in overthrowing her? shang jianli didn¡¯t like the lousy title of ¡®phantom impermanence¡¯, but it gave people some inspiration, so he thought about it seriously. ¡°young master ye can investigate cases and carries a saber. it can be said that he¡¯s well-versed in both civil and martial arts. in the underworld, it seems that only the civil and martial judges are suitable.¡± she long¡¯s eyes lit up, and he nodded. ¡°that¡¯s true. however, judges all look fierce. young master ye¡¯s appearance¡­¡± yang lan smiled and said, ¡°then let¡¯s call him jade-faced judge. it matches the name of the six fiends in jianghu.¡± dongfang liren felt that this title was rather domineering and nodded. ¡°go spread the word in jianghu. dont wait. otherwise, the people of jianghu will come up with a title like ¡®ruthless granny meng¡¯ first. once a terrible title spreads, we won¡¯t be able to get rid of it. if ye jingtang doesn¡¯t like it, he will be depressed for half his life.¡± ¡°hehe¡­¡± after dongfang liren praised everyone for a while, she asked everyone to get off work and rest while she returned to the palace from the palace wall. dongfang liren had already received the news that eunuch cao had run out and entered the palace. she knew that eunuch cao couldn¡¯t cause any trouble, but she didn¡¯t know how her sister resolved it in the end. therefore, after dongfang liren got off work, she immediately went to the eternal joy palace to report on her work and understand the situation. at the same time, she would ask sir tangtang to reward her. it was already night. the eternal joy palace was brightly lit, and palace maids were performing their duties. dongfang liren led the palace maids through the corridors and arrived at the peaceful hall. seeing that it was very quiet inside, she asked the palace maid outside the bedchamber, ¡°is her majesty not here?¡± the palace maid moved close and bowed. ¡°i didn¡¯t see her majesty return, and 1 don¡¯t know if her majesty is in the bedchamber.¡± dongfang liren knew that her sister was good at martial arts and wouldn¡¯t greet the palace maids. the palace maids didn¡¯t dare to enter the empress¡¯s bedchamber without permission, so she went to the east bedchamber door and knocked. thump! thump! inside the bedchamber, inside the bathroom¡­ the naked empress was lying in the warm pool water with her eyes closed, regulating her aura. her expression was better than before, but her face was still flushed. ye jingtang was covered in tatters and blindfolded with his belt as he stood by the bathing pool with his hands behind his back. he looked like a heartless buddha who saw the fairer sex as skeletons. while the two of them were silent, there was some noise outside the bedchamber. ¡°is her majesty not here?¡± when ye jingtang heard dumdum¡¯s voice, he didn¡¯t think much of it at first. but on second thought¡­ f*ck!te jingtang thought of the naked great gorgeous soaking in the pool beside him. he could already imagine the scene of dumdum¡¯s fat-headed dragon exploding with dragon qi and drawing his saber to chop him down. so he immediately thought leaving was his best option. when the empress heard that liren was running over, the expression in her eyes was a little wrong. but when she saw that her brother-in-law was about to run, she still said, ¡°you are not allowed to leave.¡± ¡°uh?!¡± ye jingtang stopped in his tracks. he turned to look at great gorgeous with a look of astonishment on his blindfolded face. what do you mean? do you want this time to be just like that time? the empress had no intention of letting ye jingtang hide in the bathing pool to take a couple¡¯s bath with her. ¡°i haven¡¯t recovered yet, so 1 can¡¯t be discovered by the prince of jing. if you run away, she will definitely find me. go out and help me send her away.¡± ye jingtang was a little speechless. ¡°how can i send her away? i¡¯m a man, and i¡¯ve appeared in the empress¡¯s bedchamber. could it be that i¡¯m hiding here from the rain?¡± the empress shrugged slightly. ¡°the prince of jing is already preparing to come in. if you go out now, you¡¯ll be discovered. she can¡¯t know about my injury. either you can think of a way to go out and get her away, or you can wait here and be dismembered by her later.¡± ye jingtang definitely couldn¡¯t wait here for dumdum to come in. he immediately walked to the door and pulled down the black belt blindfolding him. just as he held the sliding door with his hand, the unquestionable voice of the elder sister came from behind. ¡°wait!¡± ¡°hmm?¡± ye jingtang subconsciously looked back!! the bathroom was dimly lit. great gorgeous¡¯s graceful and stunning figure was soaking in the misty white water with her back against the white jade stone. the water didn¡¯t reach her chest. the water in the bathing pool was not deep. although it was a medicinal bath, the visibility was almost unaffected. under the dim yellow light, the first thing that caught his eye were the two long legs underwater. because she was taking a bath, great gorgeous¡¯s posture was more casual. her left leg was placed on top of her right leg, and she was looking at the door. although her body was buxom and soft, he couldn¡¯t see anything that he shouldn¡¯t see. he couldn¡¯t even see hair. it seemed that he really didn¡¯t see anything¡­ ?! ye jingtang¡¯s pupils constricted slightly. after looking at the white steamed buns, he thought that his eyes would probably be gouged out anyway, so he crashed unstoppably into her world. farther up were full hips, followed by white balls half floating on the water. great gorgeous reacted quickly and hugged them with her arms, so he didn¡¯t see much. their eyes met for a moment. great gorgeous¡¯s eyes widened, and her originally charming and calm face revealed a pressure that could kill. then she seemed to think of something and quickly retracted her legs, shrinking in front of him¡­ ye jingtang was indeed stunned for a moment. after he came back to his senses, he quickly turned his head back and held the sliding door with his hand. he felt that he was in big trouble. even if the king of heaven came, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to save him¡­ the empress¡¯s face was already red, but in an instant, it turned blood red. the wisdom of an emperor prevented her from losing her composure on the spot, but her long eyelashes still trembled a few times. she almost gritted her teeth as she said calmly, ¡°go out and send liren away first.¡± ye jingtang¡¯s head was buzzing. he wanted to forget the scene just now or pinch himself a few times to wake up from the dream and salvage everything, but this was obviously impossible. speaking of which, he didn¡¯t see anything. he only saw the outline of the key points, but not a strand of hair¡­ this seemed to be even more terrifying than stepping on three boats. he could at least think of a way for the three boats to come together. in the current situation, even if great gorgeous didn¡¯t silence him, dumdum would still skin him alive¡­ ye jingtang forced himself to calm down and asked, ¡°what were you going to say?¡± ¡°i forgot.¡± the empress was very honest and revealed her true psychological situation. ye jingtang wasn¡¯t surprised by this. he pulled open the sliding door, quickly walked out, and closed it¡­ Chapter 223 - Chapter 223: Silly Boyfriend (1) chapter 223: silly boyfriend (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios knock, knock- in the magnificent resting palace, dongfang liren knocked lightly on the door and waited for a while. seeing that there was no movement inside, she pushed open the bedchamber door. squeak! the rain outside rhe window was pattering, and the palace lanterns under the eaves emitted dim yellow light, illuminating the elegant outer room. wisps of breeze swept in, and the green jade bead curtain swayed gently in the room. the room was very quiet and seemed to be empty. dongfang liren entered and wanted to call out, ¡°your majesty?¡± but just as she stepped through the door, the door behind her was closed. then two hands reached out from behind her and covered her eyes. ?! dongfang liren¡¯s expression changed drastically. she thought that she had been ambushed by an unknown rebel in the empress¡¯s bedchamber, but how could there be such an ambush? dongfang liren froze on the spot. she thought that her sister was joking, but the feeling of the big hand was clearly that of a man, and it was very familiar¡­ ¡°guess who?¡± the man¡¯s gentle voice that was pretending to be deep sounded beside her ear. yejingtang? dongfang liren was taken aback. she was obviously a little surprised, but she quickly remembered where she was¡­ thump! a soft muffled sound came from the bedchamber. dongfang liren¡¯s movements were extremely fast. she pulled away the hands blocking her eyes, turned around, grabbed the man¡¯s clothes, and pressed the extraordinarily handsome man in front of her against the door. her eyes were slightly fierce. ¡°why are you here?!¡± while speaking, she sized up ye jingtang carefully and found that his hair was disheveled, and the official robe she had given him today was tattered. it was obvious that he had experienced a bloody battle. for this reason, dongfang liren retracted her strength and asked, ¡°are you hurt?¡± ye jingtang was pressed against the door, but he didn¡¯t resist. there was a smile in his eyes. ¡°1 went to look for qiu tianhe just now and found that eunuch cao had rushed into the palace. 1 was afraid that something would happen, so 1 ran over to help. 1 exchanged a few moves with eunuch cao. i¡¯m fine.11 dongfang liren nodded in understanding, but when she thought about it, her eyes were full of suspicion. ¡°i¡¯m asking you why you¡¯re here. do you know what this place is?¡± ye jingtang naturally knew that this was great gorgeous¡¯s bedchamber. in order to prevent dumdum from finding out about great gorgeous¡¯s injury, he could only forcefully make up an excuse. ¡°1 used up my strength and needed to recuperate. the hall of the supreme principle is close to here, so 1 went to the roaring dragon pond to meditate. i just found that your highness was here, so i came over secretly to give your highness a surprise.¡± dongfang liren was skeptical about this explanation and said seriously, ¡°this is her majesty¡¯s bedchamber. didn¡¯t the palace maid tell you last time that you can¡¯t enter without permission?¡± ye jingtang smiled and said, ¡°i saw that there was no one here and your highness was walking here. 1 thought this was your highness¡¯s residence in the palace¡­¡± ¡°you can sneak into my residence?¡± dongfang liren harrumphed lightly but didn¡¯t continue to reprimand sir tangtang. confused about her sister¡¯s whereabouts, she turned around and walked to the screen, wanting to take a look at the bathroom where she usually soaked in the medicinal baths. seeing this, ye jingtang knew that things weren¡¯t good. if dumdum opened the bathroom door and found yuhu lying naked in the bathing pool with her red dress and sexy underwear beside her, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to explain himself even if he jumped into the clear river! as this thought flashed through his mind, ye jingtang quickly raised his hand and pulled dumdum back. dongfang liren¡¯s wrist was grabbed. she paused and looked back. ¡°what are you doing?¡±¡® when she saw ye jingtang¡¯s face, she was slightly stunned. it was drizzling outside the window, and the handsome young master was right in front of her. his bright eyes carried an indescribable tenderness as he stared at her intently. it was as if he was looking at a delicate flower that he truly treasured. he wanted to approach her, but he was afraid that any carelessness would damage the beauty in front of him. dongfang liren could be considered to be in love for the first time. recently, she had learned a lot of theoretical knowledge from reading tears of a heroine, but she was still as inexperienced in love as an unmarried, delicate young lady. but seeing this sudden look of his, dongfang liren immediately understood what it meant. he likes me¡­ ii ii dongfang liren¡¯s body stiffened slightly. her originally dignified, cold, and heroic eyes revealed a trace of hesitation. a hint of red appeared on her fair face, and her red lips parted slightly, but she didn¡¯t say anything. ye jingtang held her wrist and pulled the tall princess to him. their eyes met, and his tone was gentle. ¡°last time at the bright yang pool, 1 accidentally saw your highness naked. your highness let bygones be bygones and asked me to help the black office solve the case and repay the debt. after repaying it for so long, 1 have made some achievements. 1 wonder if your highness is satisfied?¡± ii ii dongfang liren was pulled closer. the shiny silver fat-headed dragon was at most two inches away from ye jingtang¡¯s chest. she raised her head and looked into the man¡¯s eyes. after dongfang liren heard his gentle words, her entire body tensed up. she tried her best to maintain the appearance of a cold princess, but the slight trembling of her eyelashes revealed the turbulence in her heart. ¡°umm¡­ 1 am very satisfied. continue to work hard in the future¡­ why are you suddenly asking about this?¡± ye jingtang¡¯s eyes were gentle as he looked at the bright face in front of him. ¡°it¡¯s nothing. i just want to ask. if your highness is satisfied, how is you highness going to reward me?¡± reward?dongfang liren¡¯s original plan was to ask ye jingtang for a reward, but with the current atmosphere, it didn¡¯t seem right to say this. she felt that the reward he wanted now should have nothing to do with fame and fortune, but the kind between a man and a woman¡­ dongfang liren hesitated for a moment and probed, ¡®what reward do you want?¡± ye jingtang smiled mysteriously and pulled dumdum toward the window. dongfang liren was slightly confused, but she still followed him to the small terrace by the lake. then sir tangtang raised his hand domineeringly, hugged her waist, leaped out of the terrace, and crossed the waves to the other end of the roaring dragon pond.. Chapter 224 - Chapter 224: Silly Boyfriend (2) chapter 224: silly boyfriend (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios tread, tread¡­ the hero and the beauty riding the waves under the moonlight should have been a very romantic scene. but it was raining heavily outside! caught off guard, dongfang liren was carried out, and raindrops fell on her face. she was so angry that she even forgot about being hugged by the man. she raised her hand and hammered the handsome ye jingtang¡¯s chest. ¡°what are you doing? it¡¯s raining so heavily. can¡¯t you go through the front door?¡± ye jingtang also felt that the rain was a spoilsport, but he had no choice. he forcefully pretended to be a carefree hero and rose and fell on the lake while using his incomplete sleeve to shield dumdum from the wind and rain. ¡°it¡¯s fine. i¡¯ll block it for you.¡± dongfang liren was furious at her seemingly romantic but actually foolish boyfriend. if she struggled, the two of them would probably fall into the lake together. she could only bury her head in ye jingtang¡¯s arms to avoid the rain and say angrily, ¡°what exactly are you going to do?¡± 1 don¡¯t know either! ye jingtang held dumdum, who had the figure of a supermodel, and rose and fell on the lake. soon, he passed through the roaring dragon pond, but he didn¡¯t stop. instead, he picked up a colorful umbrella that was drying in a room of the palace servants and jumped onto a pavilion. dongfang liren¡¯s slender waist was hugged as she rose and fell above the imperial city. with the umbrella covering her, she finally recovered a little, but she was still full of annoyance. she looked at the cold and extraordinary young master ye. ¡°where are we going? are you kidnapping me out of the palace?¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t know where he was going either. while they were flying through the palace, he forced a mysterious expression on his face, as if he was preparing to surprise dumdum. when dongfang liren saw this, her interest was piqued. she wanted to see what ye jingtang was taking her to see, so she didn¡¯t say anything else. because it was difficult for her to maintain balance while being held, she even placed her hand on his shoulders and looked around the imperial city. ye jingtang¡¯s expression was cold and extraordinary, but he was panicking inside. after taking down eunuch cao just now, because he was afraid that qiu tianhe going crazy on top of jasper pavilion scared heroine luo and the others, he had asked the bird to go back first to ensure their safety. without the help of the bird, ye jingtang didn¡¯t know what special places were around him that could explain why he ran out in the rain with dumdum. after looking around for a moment, ye jingtang discovered the afterglow of the lights outside the palace. his heart stirred slightly, and he hurriedly flew out of the eternal joy palace and arrived at the palace wall outside the imperial city. thud! the two figures holding an umbrella and hugging each other landed on the gate tower of the vermilion bird gate. outside the gate was the 4.00-feet-wide heavenly street. it was the central axis of yun¡¯an city. from here, they could see the south gate of the capital at a glance. on both sides of heavenly street was a dazzling sea of lights. under the rain, the scenery was extremely beautiful and magnificent. dongfang liren stood at the top of the city gate tower and looked at the bustling yun¡¯an under the night rain. there was indeed a hint of amazement in her eyes. standing under the umbrella, she looked up. ¡°you sure know how to find a place.¡± ye jingtang had originally just found a random place, but standing on a tower of the imperial city and looking at the entire capital, the feeling of being the only one in the world really made people feel a little high-spirited. holding the umbrella above dumdum¡¯s head, ye jingtang turned his head to look at her bright and moving side profile and said with a smile, ¡°like it?¡± dongfang liren nodded. just as she was about to speak, she realized that ye jingtang was still hugging her waist. her eyes turned slightly cold. ye jingtang quickly moved his hand away and stood with his hands behind his back. only then was dongfang satisfied. she looked at the night scenery of yun¡¯an. ¡°the scenery is not bad. what do you want to do by bringing me here?¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t want to do anything embarrassing to dumdum. he just didn¡¯t want her to worry when she saw yuhu¡¯s half-dead appearance. he deliberated for a moment before saying, ¡°your highness, please accompany me to look at the scenery for a while. take it as my reward. how about that?¡± ? dongfang liren felt that these words were very ambiguous and a little offensive, but she wasn¡¯t angry at all. after all, fame and fortune were like worn-out shoes. all he did was seek a smile from a beauty. which woman would dislike such a silly man? dongfang liren blinked and didn¡¯t reject him, but she still added, ¡°seeing that you¡¯ve made a great contribution this time, i won¡¯t argue with you about these small matters. i¡¯m clear about rewards and punishments. 1 will still give you what 1 should give you, even if you don¡¯t want it. from tomorrow onward, you will be the deputy commander of the black office and enjoy the treatment of a fourth-rank military officer¡­¡± ye jingtang was a little hesitant. ¡°i¡¯m okay with doing things, but i don¡¯t know how to be an official.¡± ¡°i¡¯m just giving you an official identity. i¡¯m not asking you to sit in the black office and manage people. if there¡¯s something for you to do, you can do it. if there¡¯s nothing, you can eat the imperial food and attend to your private matters. i won¡¯t punish you.¡± ¡°that¡¯s good.¡± dongfang liren harrumphed lightly. in order not to get wet, she leaned closely in front of ye jingtang and quietly looked at yun¡¯an¡¯s night scenery. ye jingtang felt that it was a little inappropriate to stand here foolishly. he thought for a moment and handed the umbrella to dumdum. then he clasped his hands together and brought them to his mouth to play a tune. ¡°woo- woo-¡± the melody was like flying sand in the desert. dongfang liren¡¯s eyes moved slightly, revealing the same surprise as luo ning had. dongfang liren covered ye jingtang¡¯s head with the umbrella. after listening with sparkling eyes for a moment, she followed the tune. ¡°mmhmm-¡± although dongfang liren usually spoke domineeringly, and her mature voice was proud and cold, when she hummed a tune, it was very gentle and pleasant. ye jingtang paused and turned to look at the noble princess beside him. ¡°your highness knows this song too?¡± a proud look appeared in dongfang liren¡¯s eyes. ¡°i¡¯m proficient in zither, go, calligraphy, and painting. everyone in the sha province knows this tune. do you want to show off to me?¡± ye jingtang smiled and stopped showing off in front of the expert. he stood with his hands behind his back and looked attentively at dumdum humming. ¡°mmhmm-¡° Chapter 225 - Chapter 225: Silly Boyfriend (3) chapter 225: silly boyfriend (3) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the drizzle sprinkled on the majestic city tower, and countless palace lanterns swayed under the eaves. the peerless young man and woman stood at the top of the city gate tower, leaning against each other under the colorful umbrella. the fine raindrops landed on the umbrella and formed a curtain of rain around the two of them. the woman¡¯s sweet voice hummed elegantly under the umbrella and dissipated in the rain. it was as if only the two of them leaning against each other were left in the entire world. the woman looked at the smoke and fire all over the city while the man stared at the woman. dongfang liren hummed seriously for a moment and realized that ye jingtang was staring at her. she couldn¡¯t help straightening her back a little, and her face slowly turned red. although she didn¡¯t really want to admit it, it seemed that this was indeed a secret rendezvous between a man and a woman. from the process written in tears of a heroine, won¡¯t this pervert hug me, kiss me, and stick out his tongue later?he¡¯ll even reach into my clothes to touch my¡­ dongfang liren had been studying theoretical knowledge recently and really knew the dating process of a man and a woman. she glanced at ye jingtang from time to time, and it was unknown if she was guarding against him or waiting. ye jingtang felt that dumdum had misunderstood. if it were any other time, it would be fine to slowly enjoy the scenery here, but yuhu¡¯s injury had yet to recover. it would be troublesome if something happened to her while she was bathing alone. thus, although the atmosphere was obviously not too right, ye jingtang still raised his hand and circled around dumdum¡¯s back, wanting to hug her shoulders. as expected! dongfang liren discovered that ye jingtang was really following the procedure. she hurriedly stopped humming and looked vigilant. ¡°it¡¯s getting late. let¡¯s go back.¡± ye jingtang smiled lightly. ¡°alright, i¡¯ll send your highness back to the prince¡¯s estate.¡± then he hugged dumdum¡¯s waist and gently jumped down the city gate tower with the tip of his foot, heading toward jasper pavilion, which was not far from the imperial city. dongfang liren felt that ye jingtang was tricking her, so she was very careful along the way. she kept paying attention to whether his hand was touching her inappropriately. in the end, ye jingtang was a gentleman. other than hugging her to shield her from the wind and rain, there was nothing overboard. but in a short time, they had already arrived at the main street of the prince¡¯s estate, crossed the wall, and arrived at jasper pavilion in the back garden. whoosh! the two of them landed in front of the tall building, and ye jingtang let go. ¡°rest early, your highness. 1¡¯11 visit tomorrow.¡± when dongfang liren saw that ye jingtang was really planning to leave, she was naturally a little confused. although 1 don¡¯t have any intention of letting you succeed, why aren¡¯t you following the procedure? why are you leaving so cleanly? that¡¯s not what it says in the book.. these words were definitely not easy to say. dongfang liren straightened her clothes slightly and looked at ye jingtang. ¡°your clothes are torn. go up and sit. i will find you clean clothes to change into.¡± ye jingtang had been reading novels for many years and knew what this meant. if he went up now, something might happen. but there was still the half-dead yuhu in the palace. it was indeed inappropriate to leave her alone for a long time, so he could only decline politely. ¡°it¡¯s fine. i¡¯ll go back and change. your highness, rest early.¡± seeing that ye jingtang was determined to leave, dongfang liren couldn¡¯t drag him into her house at night. she didn¡¯t say anything else. she put on a calm and cold expression as she turned around and entered jasper pavilion. before entering, dongfang liren turned around to take another look. ye jingtang had already left with the umbrella and was getting farther and farther away in the rain. dongfang liren blinked, feeling strange and a little empty. she stood at the door for a long time until his figure disappeared into the night. after confirming that he wouldn¡¯t surprise her, she sighed softly and walked toward the stairs unhappily. but after taking a few steps, dongfang liren paused again. she felt that something was wrong¡­ have 1 forgotten something¡­ right, the empress dowager! dongfang liren patted her forehead lightly and thought of the tunnel dug in the longevity palace. the empress dowager couldn¡¯t stay there, and she had been busy today, so she had thrown the empress dowager into the imperial garden to stroll around by herself. she had agreed to look for the empress dowager after she finished with work, but ye jingtang interrupted her, and she completely forgot about it. now that she had already returned, it would be too cumbersome to enter the palace again. the empress dowager knew that she was busy today. when she realized that dongfang luren wouldn¡¯t come, she should know to return to the peaceful hall to sleep. dongfang liren thought about it and threw her mother aside. she walked up the stairs and continued to think about ye jingtang¡¯s gaze just now, which said that he ¡®couldn¡¯t hide his love for a certain someone¡­¡¯ hmph~ you actually dare to have a crush on me? do you think 1 can¡¯t tell? i¡¯m just not calculative with you¡­ Chapter 226 - Chapter 226: Bold chapter 226: bold translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios rustle, rustle, rustle! the rain hit the eaves, and the palace lanterns in the long corridor swayed slightly. the empress dowager was wearing a dark red phoenix dress and sitting on a carved palanquin. she was holding a book in her hand and covering the title of the book with her big sleeves. her sparkling almond-shaped eyes were seriously reading it, like an empress dowager auditing politics. hongyu, who had an extraordinary appearance, was walking in front of the palanquin, holding a palace lantern for the empress dowager¡¯s illumination. she muttered softly, ¡°the tunnel in the side hall has already been dug. 1 heard from the artisans that we can run directly to the prince of jing estate. if we continue forward, we can even go to literary virtue bridge.¡± the empress dowager was quite concerned about this matter and exhorted, ¡°tell the people from the ministry of works not to seal it off. leave the portion that goes to the prince of jing estate. in the future, when i have nothing to do at night, i can go out of the palace to stroll around. it¡¯s safer to take the tunnel.¡± hongyu hurriedly shook her head. ¡°the tunnel is so deep, and there are rats. if your majesty and 1 walk alone, we¡¯ll probably cry from fright halfway.¡± ¡°the first time is unfamiliar, but the second time is familiar. it was my first time last time, so 1 was naturally on tenterhooks. now that 1 know everything, what¡¯s there to be afraid of¡­¡± as they chatted, the honor guard returned to the eternal joy palace. the empress dowager¡¯s resting palace was full of craftsmen and dust. the empress dowager couldn¡¯t stay anywhere at night, and there were no other concubines in the imperial city. there was only the empress. she would definitely sleep with the empress these two days. when she arrived at the peaceful hall, there was no one else inside other than the palace maids. after asking, she learned that the empress¡¯s whereabouts were unknown. liren had just returned, but she had been abducted out of the palace by ye jingtang. the empress dowager was rather helpless about this, but she was used to staying alone in her empty room. she didn¡¯t wait for the two of them. after washing up, she changed into a thin nightdress and climbed into the dragon bed. it was drizzling outside the window, and the bedchamber was dim and quiet. the empress dowager didn¡¯t have the habit of sleeping early. she couldn¡¯t sleep even when lying on the bed. since she had nothing to do, she lay on the side of the luxurious dragon bed with her back facing the light and continued to study the secret history of the romantic empress in her hand. this book was about palace secrets. there was even a plot where the heir was injured, and the empress dowager secretly took the fire bathing picture from the palace to treat her lover¡¯s injuries. the book was written quite well. it said that the fire bathing picture affected the ¡®essence¡¯ of a person. because the fire bathing picture was too powerful, it caused essence blood to go to the brain and made the empress dowager stick out her tongue. the empress dowager felt that the writing was wrong. she was practicing the fire bathing picture and knew that this picture wouldn¡¯t cause the beastly nature of people to erupt. the effect was the same as when a person had just recovered from a serious illness. because a drop of essence was equal to ten drops of blood, and recovering from injuries consumed a large amount of human essence blood, it would cause one to be sleepy and weak for some time. during this time, one would need to eat many nourishing items to nourish the body. even if one wanted to defile a girl, they would be powerless. and why would she stick out her tongue for that kind of thing¡­ the empress dowager¡¯s face turned slightly red. when she saw this paragraph, she remembered how talented ye jingtang was. he should be interested in the fire bathing picture. but the fire bathing picture was a great opportunity bestowed by master tree. it was also the only variable in her life that she could see the end of at a glance. it was extremely precious to her. if the empress urgently needed it and sent people to search for it, she would probably still hand it over to the imperial court after hesitating for a long time. but the empress was tough and gave people the feeling that she was omnipotent. she had never shown that she was in urgent need of these strange and powerful items. it was safer for her to stay in the imperial city for a long time than her. since she could keep her little treasure, she naturally kept it. but ye jingtang was from outside the palace. the previous palace gate gods were not allowed to practice this picture. if she made the decision to give it privately, she might cause trouble for the empress. after letting her imagination run wild for a moment, the empress dowager threw aside her distracting thoughts and continued to admire the scene of the empress dowager being defiled. just as she was gradually entering a good state, she suddenly heard the sound of the bead curtain being pushed aside from outside the bed. clatter! ye jingtang left jasper pavilion and went to the black office to find a robe. on the way, he saw qiu tianhe recuperating in the black office. when he saw that he was fine, he returned to the palace. as the night deepened, the heavy rain turned into light rain, and the palace gradually became quiet. ye jingtang was wearing a black robe with his saber hanging at his waist. he arrived at the eternal joy palace with his waist token that allowed him to enter and leave the imperial city freely. it hadn¡¯t been long since he left. the peaceful hall hadn¡¯t changed much, and the bedchamber by the lake was still quiet. there was no movement. ye jingtang walked around to the side of the roaring dragon pond, crossed the lake surface like a dragonfly skimming the water, and landed on the terrace facing the lake. then he entered the bedchamber and looked at the dragon bed in the inner room. there was a green jade bead curtain in the room, and he could see that the light outside the babu bed was lit. he could vaguely hear the sound of even breathing, but because of the angle, he couldn¡¯t see the exact situation inside the bed from the outside. she¡¯s already out? ye jingtang was in the empress¡¯s bedchamber. he definitely wouldn¡¯t have thought that others could sleep on the dragon bed. seeing that the light was on and she didn¡¯t seem to be asleep, he slowly walked into the inner room and raised the bead curtain to check on her. clatter! the jade bead curtain was opened, and only the outer side of the bed could be seen. the thin blanket had already been unfolded, and long black hair was draped over the edge of the pillow. ye jingtang was about to poke his head over when the woman sleeping on the bed flipped over and looked back at him, revealing her beautiful face and her big eyes that were as bright as stars. boom! a bolt of lightning flashed across their minds. the bedchamber instantly fell silent. even the lampstand seemed to freeze at this moment. ye jingtang¡¯s expression froze. although the other party was wearing a loose nightgown, her hair was undone, and she wasn¡¯t wearing makeup, her almond-shaped eyes, red lips, and round figure made him recognize her immediately! as they looked at each other, ye jingtang could see the flash of surprise in the empress dowager¡¯s eyes. then her almond-shaped eyes widened, her red lips parted slightly, and she covered her bulging clothes with the thin blanket. her expression turned to panic, and she was about to let out a scream that could pierce through gold and crack rocks and was enough to resound through the eternal joy palace. ye jingtang immediately knew that things were bad. he rushed to the bed and covered the red lips that were about to scream. wu¡ª¡± the empress dowager¡¯s mouth was covered by the hand of the tall man who rushed over, and she could only let out a few muffled whimpers. her eyes were full of fear and anger as she raised her hand to push ye jingtang¡¯s arm. she also wanted to slap the book in her hand to make some noise to remind the silly hongyu. her movements were too big, causing her already loose nightdress to shake wildly. ye jingtang was slightly anxious. he didn¡¯t want to alarm the palace maids outside, so he could only brace himself and use the technique he had learned from ning¡¯er to tap the empress dowager¡¯s chest twice. tap, tap- ¡°wu~¡± the empress dowager¡¯s limbs immediately went limp, and she lost all her strength. dizziness overwhelmed her, and her eyes widened a little. helplessness, grief, and despair flashed in her eyes. before she lost consciousness, the last meaning in her eyes was probably: if you dare to touch me, i won¡¯t let you off even if 1 become a ghost¡­ then her big teary eyes slowly closed, and she lay weakly on the pillow. silence returned to the bedchamber. ye jingtang let go of the empress dowager¡¯s lips and looked at her beautiful, mature face full of despair, grief, and indignation. he knew that this matter might not end peacefully. but he couldn¡¯t worry about so much at this moment. yuhu hadn¡¯t reacted at all. something must have happened. ye jingtang quickly covered the empress dowager with the thin blanket, walked behind the screen, and knocked lightly on the sliding door. knock knock! he listened carefully, but there was no movement inside. ye jingtang¡¯s heart sank slightly. he turned the knob on the tiger head relief and opened the sliding door to check. in the enclosed private bathroom, the candlestick was still lit. the qilin armor placed in the middle exuded a dark golden glow. it looked imposing and heavy, giving off a dignified feeling. in front of the armor, a beautiful woman was leaning against the edge of the bathing pool. her complexion had recovered a lot, but her eyes were closed, and she was silent and motionless. ye jingtang looked up and saw a patch of white skin. he hurriedly turned his head to avoid it, but he immediately felt that something was wrong. afraid that yuhu had stopped breathing, he gritted his teeth and entered the bathroom. yuhu¡¯s well-rounded figure was half immersed in the water. the water didn¡¯t reach her neck, and the rest was submerged in the water. her legs were closed together. this time, there was a small piece of red cloth at the base of her legs that covered the triangle area, but her curvy legs and butt line were still visible. yuhu seemed to be on guard. her arms were crossed over her chest, but her entire body was relaxed, causing her arms to slide down naturally. ye jingtang wasn¡¯t in the mood to appreciate these things. he quickly walked up to yuhu and placed his fingers under her nose. her breathing was even and not cold. then he pressed her fingers on yuhu¡¯s neck. her pulse was as thin as a thread and felt very weak. when he was here earlier, yuhu¡¯s body had been hot. but now it was cold, and her body temperature was very low¡­ although ye jingtang didn¡¯t know medicine, he was in jianghu all year round and could roughly tell the situation. yuhu¡¯s pulse was weak from the inside out. it didn¡¯t feel weak because of intense exercise, but it was a loss of the inside. if he had to describe it, it would probably be as if his body had been hollowed out after being enjoyed by seven or eight wolf-like girls for three days and three nights¡­ ye jingtang knew that after recovering from a serious illness or injury, the body would be weak for a few days, but yuhu¡¯s weakness was a little too much. he carefully looked at yuhu¡¯s face and found that there seemed to be an additional strand of white hair among her black hair¡­ while ye jingtang was checking carefully, he suddenly noticed that miss yuhu was moving her eyelashes. then she frowned slightly and opened her charming eyes, showing the displeasure of having just woken up. their eyes met. ye jingtang frowned and asked, ¡°what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Chapter 227 - Chapter 227: Night Watchman chapter 227: night watchman translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the empress of great wei was woken up by the touch. her eyes were still blank for a moment, but she immediately realized something and lowered her head to look¡­ the empress hugged her arms tighter to cover the big balls that were about to slip out. she looked at ye jingtang and remained calm. ¡°you¡­ cough¡­ get me a cup of water.¡± ye jingtang felt that something was wrong with yuhu¡¯s situation. he got up, went to the outer room, poured a cup of water, returned to the bathroom, and handed it to her. the empress raised her hand slightly and wanted to take it, but it was definitely not good to move her arms now. seeing this, ye jingtang brought the cup to her red lips. gulp- the empress¡¯s fair throat moved. after drinking half a cup of water, her almost smoking throat felt better. she glanced at ye jingtang, who wasn¡¯t blindfolded, with displeasure. ¡°have you seen enough?¡± ¡°you think 1 want to see?¡± seeing that yuhu still dared to blame him for not knowing how to avoid taboos, ye jingtang frowned and said, ¡°didn¡¯t you notice that the empress dowager is outside? when i came in just now and found you lying in the pool silently, i thought you were dead. the problem is so serious, but you refuse to see a doctor. what if something really happens? what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± there was no longer much of a problem with the empress, and the internal injury was recovering, but she was feeling weak due to the lack of essence blood. she knew that ye jingtang was full of chivalry and would definitely come back. for this reason, she had covered her vital points to prevent him from coming back after she fell asleep and seeing her completely naked. hearing ye jingtang¡¯s complaint, the empress explained calmly, ¡°my body is a little weak after the treatment, so 1 fell asleep. it¡¯s nothing serious. i called you earlier to remind you that the empress dowager would come over at night, and i was going to rest so that you didn¡¯t have to come again. but you suddenly turned around, and 1 forgot.¡± while speaking, the empress looked out of the sliding door. ¡°did the empress dowager discover that i was recuperating here?¡± ye jingtang felt that aside from being weak, yuhu wasn¡¯t in too much danger and silently breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°1 just came in and bumped into the empress dowager. 1 was afraid that something would happen, so 1 knocked her unconscious. she thought that i was up to no good. please help me explain tomorrow.¡± the empress breathed a sigh of relief. she thought for a moment and revealed a helpless expression. ¡°no one can know that i¡¯m injured. you have to help me keep it a secret. you sneaked in in the middle of the night and knocked the empress dowager out. if 1 didn¡¯t say anything, it meant that 1 wasn¡¯t in the room. if i was in the room but didn¡¯t say anything, the empress dowager would definitely let her imagination run wild. she might guess that i¡¯m healing here, and the situation is more serious¡­¡± ?? when ye jingtang heard the words of the woman who was not wearing clothes and was planning to make him a scapegoat, he frowned. ¡°are you saying that you plan to pretend that you weren¡¯t here and let me take responsibility for sneaking in here and knocking out the empress dowager? even if the empress dowager doesn¡¯t kill me when she wakes up, she will tell the prince of jing about this. if the prince of jing finds out that i¡¯ve attacked the empress dowager and offended her, she¡¯ll kill me no matter how much she likes me. how can i take the blame?¡± the empress knew that ye jingtang couldn¡¯t bear this, so she said gently, ¡°1 will explain to the empress dowager tomorrow that i called you over to arrange a top-secret mission and ask her to keep it a secret. the empress dowager will definitely let her imagination run wild, but she shouldn¡¯t make things too difficult for you.¡± hearing this, ye jingtang heaved a sigh of relief. he felt that he couldn¡¯t stay here for long and stood up. ¡°if you¡¯re okay, i¡¯ll leave first.¡± ¡°wait!¡± the empress¡¯s gentle and charming voice rose a few notches, exuding a sense of irrefutable majesty. ye jingtang stopped in his tracks and turned around with a serious expression. ¡°miss yuhu, i¡¯m helping you today. if you hadn¡¯t messed around with the spear, you wouldn¡¯t have been injured. if you were willing to see the imperial physician, i wouldn¡¯t have carried you here. if you didn¡¯t stop me, 1 wouldn¡¯t have turned around. if you didn¡¯t forget your instructions, 1 wouldn¡¯t come back, let alone provoke the empress dowager. if you have a grudge because of this and want me to be responsible for repaying the debt, i won¡¯t admit it.¡± the empress felt that ye jingtang¡¯s reaction was like a scholarly young lady encountering an overbearing emperor and found it funny. in order to pacify noble consort ye¡¯s dissatisfaction, she explained, ¡°what are you thinking about? i¡¯ve been in the water for too long, and it¡¯s a little cold. help me get my pajamas first.¡± ye jingtang realized that yuhu¡¯s body temperature was very low, so he didn¡¯t say anything else. he quietly went to the inner room and opened the cabinet to take a look. there were many gauze nightgowns of all sorts of styles hanging inside. most of them were red, and there were also a few black ones. ye jingtang took out an opaque red nightgown, covered his eyes, returned to the bathroom, and handed it to yuhu. ¡°shall i call a palace maid in?¡± ¡°no. if the palace maid notices that 1 look weak, she will be suspicious.¡± seeing that ye jingtang had covered his eyes, the empress stopped covering herself with her arms, slowly got out of the bathing pool, took the towel from him, wiped herself, and put on the red nightgown. the red nightgown had a special style. the gown was only slightly lower than the white jade tiger and was rather loose. but the function of the clothes was still retained and covered her decently. when she stood up straight, other than the outline of her body under the fabric, nothing else could be seen. after putting on the nightgown, the empress breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°alright, there¡¯s no need to cover your eyes anymore.¡± ye jingtang pulled down his blindfold and found that the curvy and elegant girl was going commando. he turned his gaze away. ¡°okay, i¡¯m leaving. you must explain it clearly to the empress dowager.¡± ¡°go ahead.¡± the empress nodded slightly. she held the cabinet with her hand, found a medicine box, took out a nourishing medicinal pill, and placed it between her red lips. then she slowly walked toward the door. after taking a few steps, she felt a sense of powerlessness from overdrawing her essence qi. she leaned against the cabinet and raised her hand to gently massage her forehead. plop! just as ye jingtang was about to leave, he saw this scene and sighed. he walked over to her, held her back with his right arm, put his left arm under the crook of her legs, and carried her horizontally. the empress felt dizzy. she closed her eyes and leaned into the man¡¯s arms. to her surprise, she realized that ye jingtang¡¯s body was full of blazing heat, making the fatigue in her body ease a little. she couldn¡¯t help leaning closer. the empress was wearing a very loose, one-piece short nightgown that only just covered her crotch. at this moment, when she was being carried horizontally, her waist and hips sank, and her legs were bent over his arm, so the skirt naturally slid down. her legs were not very close together. ye jingtang was carrying yuhu sideways. at first, there were no ripples, but when he lowered his head slightly, he saw the scenery under the red nightgown that was not covered by any fabric¡­ as fair as snow, a thin line¡­ ?! ye jingtang¡¯s expression froze. when he realized that yuhu was leaning against his chest with her eyes closed and didn¡¯t notice, he secretly heaved a sigh of relief. without looking around, he carefully went to the dragon bed in the inner room and placed her on it. the empress dowager was lying on the side of the dragon bed. her beautiful and mature side profile was presented under the candlelight, but she was still a little afraid. her eyelashes moved slightly, and she looked like she was having some inhuman nightmare. the perpetrator was probably him. seeing this scene, ye jingtang felt that he didn¡¯t have long to live. after putting down yuhu, he wanted to pull the thin blanket over, but he saw her turn over slightly and cover the empress dowager with her hand. ye jingtang was afraid of waking the empress dowager up, so he asked, ¡°what are you doing now?¡± the empress didn¡¯t want to do anything. it was just that when she leaned against ye jingtang¡¯s body just now, she felt especially warm. this was the first time she realized that leaning on someone could relieve her cold and tiredness that came from the inside out. the empress dowager was beside her, so she tried touching her. in the end, she found that the empress dowager¡¯s delicate body was soft and felt quite warm, but she didn¡¯t have the special feeling that she had had with ye jingtang. the empress frowned silently. she let go of the empress dowager and turned around to face the outside. ¡°give me your hand.¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t understand. he half-squatted in front of her and handed her his hand. the empress held ye jingtang¡¯s hand and felt it carefully. she nodded thoughtfully and let go. ¡°i used a secret method to recover from my injury. the essence qi in my body has been exhausted, leading to a deficiency of yang and coldness in my body. you¡¯re a man. you have more yang and excess heat. 1 feel relieved beside you. there are only women and eunuchs in the palace. please bear with it and stay beside me until i fall asleep before leaving.¡± faced with such a mysterious statement, ye jingtang was skeptical. ¡°is the feeling you¡¯re talking about a sense of security?¡± the empress blinked and felt that ye jingtang¡¯s explanation was more reasonable than hers. as an emperor, she was the only one who could protect herself. today, she had witnessed ye jingtang¡¯s absolute reliability and extraordinary martial arts skills. the comfort she felt when her body was weak might really have something to do with a sense of security. no matter what she felt, it was fine as long as it could let her sleep comfortably now. the empress did not delve into it. sleepiness overwhelmed her, and she closed her eyes. half-squatting beside her, ye jingtang comforted her in a low voice. ¡°have a good rest. i¡¯ll leave later.¡± the empress leaned on the pillow. it seemed that the medicine was taking effect. sweat appeared on her forehead, and her body alternated between cold and hot. she didn¡¯t speak anymore, and only her breathing was sometimes rapid and sometimes slow. the bedchamber was silent. ye jingtang was half-squatting beside the dragon bed with two beautiful imperial ladies in front of him. he couldn¡¯t help feeling a little worried, mainly because he was afraid that the empress dowager would wake up and see them. the empress dowager was wearing a dark red nightgown and lying peacefully on the other side. although her side profile was gorgeous, she was covered very tightly. other than the hem of her collar, he couldn¡¯t see anything else. but this wasn¡¯t the case for yuhu. after she lay down, her skirt was covering her again, and he couldn¡¯t see the tiger anymore. but she was lying on her side in front of him, and they were facing each other. the jade balls under the red gauze were stacked together, pressing out a semi-circular outline on the chest of her nightgown, and the top of his arc¡­ ye jingtang was squatting beside her with a cold expression, looking like a heartless saint. he really couldn¡¯t look at her, so he looked around and found a fish pendant hanging on the makeup table beside him. the jade pendant was very familiar. it was the one that he had found for yuhu when he entered the bright yang pool. it was also the one that had caused him to see dumdum naked. ye jingtang¡¯s gaze stopped on the jade pendant. he suddenly realized the cause and effect of the incident in the bright yang pool. he sighed. she even tricked her biological sister. really¡­ after looking at the jade pendant a few times, ye jingtang found the book that the empress dowager had dropped beside her pillow, so he quietly picked it up and opened it. the empress dowager clearly liked this book very much. not only was it neat and tidy without any creases, but there were even poems with beautiful handwriting on some pages. rustle- in the silent room, there was only the soft sound of pages turning. the empress was lying on her side facing ye jingtang. because she was really too tired, her breathing gradually stabilized, and she gradually fell asleep. after an unknown period of time, the candle lamp on the dressing table burned out, and the room completely darkened. ye jingtang came back to his senses from the gripping plot and closed the book. seeing that yuhu¡¯s complexion had mostly recovered and she was already sound asleep, he stood up carefully. the empress felt something. her eyelashes fluttered, but she didn¡¯t wake up. seeing this, ye jingtang sighed in relief. he silently pulled up the thin blanket to cover her.. after looking at the non-biological mother and daughter, he quietly disappeared into the night¡­ Chapter 228 - Chapter 228: Night Chat (1) chapter 228: night chat (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios before the storm stopped, the disturbance had already been settled. it was past midnight, but as a city that never sleeps, yun¡¯an¡¯s bustling streets and alleys were still brightly lit. as the curfew had been lifted, singing and dance music could be heard coming from the pavilions along the streets. on east main street, two horses were walking side by side. ye jingtang was wearing a bamboo hat and a raincoat. he was riding on his fat horse and holding the reins of third lady¡¯s horse. he had left the black qilin spear outside the hall of the hall of the supreme principle. perhaps the secret guards had picked it up, but it wasn¡¯t beside him. it had been a long time since he left the imperial city, but his emotions still hadn¡¯t calmed down. when he carried yuhu back to the eternal joy palace, he had seen that everyone in the palace had been sent away. the resting palace was full of yuhu¡¯s belongings, so it was difficult not to guess her identity. yuhu seemed honest but was actually a scheming empress, so she wouldn¡¯t be as easy to coax as dumdum. it was impossible to predict what she would do to him in the future. moreover, he had offended the empress dowager today. even if she didn¡¯t take revenge on him, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to touch the ginkgo tree that he had been thinking about so much¡­ ginkgo tree¡­ ye jingtang raised his head and looked back at the imperial city that had long been far away. today, the tunnel in the longevity palace was being tidied up. there were many craftsmen there, and in order to prevent anything from going wrong, imperial guards and secret guards were patrolling inside. it might be even more difficult to sneak in and dig something out than usual. after pondering for a moment, ye jingtang temporarily gave up on his plan to go to the imperial city for the third time and returned to heavenly water bridge. heavenly water bridge was a shopping street. at night, all the stores were closed, and there was no one on the empty street. ye jingtang returned to the alley of the pei residence. after knocking on the door and handing the horses to a servant, he passed through the festoon gate and arrived at the back residence. the lights in the back residence were already off, but there was still movement in the west residence. ye jingtang walked through the corridor to the west residence. he saw zhe yunli, dressed as a scholarly young lady, pacing back and forth in the boudoir with her saber in her arms. ¡°yunli, why are you still up so late?¡± hearing the voice, zhe yunli hurriedly ran to the window. ¡°brother jingtang, you¡¯re finally back! just now, hero qiu went crazy. he stood on top of jasper pavilion and shouted, ¡®old man xuanyuan, you didn¡¯t expect that i, qiu tianhe, would come out again, right? hahahaha¡­¡¯ half the city could hear him. is hero qiu alright?¡± ye jingtang knew that qiu tianhe causing trouble on top of jasper pavilion would cause an uproar in the city. he smiled and said, ¡°it¡¯s fine. hero qiu helped the black office deal with cao qiansui today and made a great contribution. he will probably regain his freedom soon.¡± zhe yunli¡¯s eyes lit up. she leaned on the windowsill and asked, ¡°hero qiu fought with cao qiansui? did he win?¡± zhe yunli propped herself up on the windowsill with her arms crossed in front of her chest. it was probably a breast-squeezing posture. one could see the bulge on the chest of her pink and white dress. two months ago, it was obviously not this big. but zhe yunli was about to turn 16 years old, which was the age for growth. she had grown a little taller, so it wasn¡¯t strange for her breasts to grow quickly. at this speed, when she was eightteen, she would probably be equal to her martial mistress¡­ ye jingtang noticed this difference from the corner of his eye, but he didn¡¯t care about it and replied, ¡°hero qiu didn¡¯t win. he was beaten up so badly that he fell onto the main street of the prince of jing estate and couldn¡¯t get up for a long time¡­¡± ¡°what?!¡± zhe yunli¡¯s expectant gaze froze. but after thinking about it carefully, she nodded. ¡°cao qiansui is an old monster who has existed since the founding of great wei. master said that he was especially powerful, so it¡¯s reasonable that hero qiu couldn¡¯t defeat him¡­ so, who dealt with cao qiansui in the end? the eight-armed ksitigarbha?¡± a proud look appeared in ye jingtang¡¯s eyes, and he pointed his thumb at himself. ¡°who else could it be? i went to the hall of the supreme principle alone and took down cao qiansui with one attack.¡± ? zhe yunli frowned, not believing him at all. ¡°how is that possible¡­ even if it¡¯s true, it must be because hero qiu severely injured cao qiansui, and you just went to deal the finishing blow.¡± ¡°hehe~¡± ye jingtang laughed and looked around. ¡°where¡¯s your martial mistress?¡± ¡°she was afraid that hero qiu would go crazy and mess around, so she followed the bird to investigate the situation. third aunt is also with her. they haven¡¯t returned yet.¡± ¡°oh. rest early. 1¡¯11 go take a look.¡± hearing this, ye jingtang didn¡¯t stay long. he told yunli to sleep early so that she wouldn¡¯t go to the central courtyard after being beaten by her mother. his aunt lived in the central courtyard and had already gone to bed at this time. ye jingtang quietly went to the third lady¡¯s courtyard and looked around. he found that xiuhe had already fallen asleep in her side room, so he didn¡¯t disturb her. after he waited in the courtyard for a while, luo ning and third lady still hadn¡¯t returned, so all kinds of headache-inducing things surged into his mind. as ye jingtang¡¯s thoughts raced, he thought of something. he turned around and entered third lady¡¯s boudoir. he touched under the bed, and the bed separated from the middle to reveal the hidden tunnel below. ye jingtang jumped in and lit the lamp in the tunnel. then he walked to the door deep in the tunnel and opened the door. behind the door was the azure dragon hall¡¯s headquarters. people could also leave from here. every time there was a meeting, in order to hide from others, the helm masters would enter from the exit at the other end. however, the door at the exit was usually locked with iron bolts, so they couldn¡¯t enter from the outside. naturally, there was no one in the azure dragon hall at this moment. after lighting the lamp, ye jingtang could only see nine empty chairs placed around the hall. behind the pavilion lord¡¯s chair was a spiritual table. there were several memorial tablets on it, including that of his foster father, pei yuanfeng. ye jingtang walked over, took three incense sticks from the incense table, bowed three times to his foster father¡¯s memorial tablet, and inserted the incense sticks into the incense burner. then he looked at the memorial tablet and pondered. when he left liang province and entered the capital, his foster father¡¯s will had mentioned three things. he had finished the matter of handing over the family assets, and he was also helping his foster father do his filial duty and protect the pei family. although it was a little difficult to dig up the ginkgo tree in the palace to find the roaring dragon chart picture, it could be considered an unintentional opportunity to learn the jade bone picture. as for the main matter of destroying xuanyuan chao to take revenge, he had yet to start planning. instead, jun mountain terrace had struck first. this was his top priority. next, he had to think of a way to resolve jun mountain terrace. although not everything had gone well, he had only entered the capital for a few months. it was already not easy for him to achieve so much. he had even completed an additional mission and found a virtuous wife. if his foster father was in heaven, he wouldn¡¯t say that his son was useless, right¡­ Chapter 229 - Chapter 229: Night Chat (2) chapter 229: night chat (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°chirp chirp chirp-¡± in the pei residence, the bird, who had been tired ail day, flew back under the night rain and rushed into yunli¡¯s room. it landed on the floor and slid far away before stopping. ¡°chirp? did you fall to your death?¡± ¡°chirp¡­¡± two figures followed closely behind and landed under the eaves of the main room of the main courtyard. pei xiangjun was wearing a black outfit and a black bamboo hat on her head. she was a little tired after running around for half a day. she pushed open the door. ¡°jingtang is probably still busy with the government¡¯s matters in the city. the government really treats people like cattle. fortunately, he came back last night to rest¡­¡± luo ning was wearing a long blue dress and a veiled hat. after running around in the rain for half the night, even her underwear was drenched. when she entered, she took off her veiled hat and untied her belt. ¡°i went outside the black office to take a look just now. imperial physician wang went in to treat people, and qiu tianhe was still chatting with the white-haired diting on the roof. it looks like things are finished. what else can he be busy with?¡± ¡°the west of the city seems to be still sealed. he¡¯s probably over there¡­¡± as they chatted, the lights in the boudoir lit up. pei xiangjun closed the door and windows. she raised her hand to untie her belt, and her black clothes fell to the floor. just like luo ning, there wasn¡¯t a dry spot on her. pei xiangjun went to the cabinet beside the bed, opened the cabinet door, took out two clean nightgowns, and sat by the bed. luo ning sat down by the bed and reached behind her back to untie her clothes. from the corner of her eye, she looked at third lady¡¯s extraordinary chest and subconsciously straightened her back. pei xiangjun acutely sensed this and also straightened her back slightly. ¡°is that useful? i¡¯m obviously bigger than you.¡± luo ning felt that this aunt was using her spheres to bully her and said coldly, ¡°what¡¯s the use of being big? you can¡¯t use them, and they¡¯re a burden when fighting.¡± pei xiangjun¡¯s eyes were full of pride. ¡°envious? there¡¯s a difference between not using them and not having them.¡± luo ning¡¯s eyes darkened slightly, but after some consideration, she remembered something troubling. today, when she went outside the black office to take a look, she could confirm that qiu tianhe had fought eunuch cao to redeem himself. from the relationship between qiu tianhe and the six fiends of the black office, it probably wouldn¡¯t be long before he regained his freedom. she and yunli had come to the capital to save qiu tianhe. if the target left, she, the cult mistress, couldn¡¯t continue to stay in the capital to save him. not to mention xue baijin, she wouldn¡¯t be able to explain it to yunli. the little thief was doing well in the government. it was impossible for him to return to the south firmament mountains with her to be a rebel, and third lady wouldn¡¯t let him leave. actually, she didn¡¯t want the little thief to give up his bright future either. her plan was that if she really couldn¡¯t find an excuse, she would return to the south firmament mountains to stay for a few months and pretend. then she would find an excuse to come here again. if she left for a period of time, she would definitely be worried about anything happening to the little thief. although she was unwilling from the bottom of her heart, from a rational point of view, someone had to help the little thief recuperate. luo ning didn¡¯t know how far the princess and the little thief had gone. from her intuition, she guessed that there shouldn¡¯t be any special relationship. if she had to choose between the princess and third lady, she would definitely prefer third lady, who was also a woman of jianghu. if she helped matchmake the princess of the imperial court, wouldn¡¯t she be asking for trouble¡­ luo ning thought for a moment and turned to look at third lady beside her. ¡°ye jingtang isn¡¯t around. let¡¯s open our hearts and talk in private. do you like jingtang too?¡± pei xiangjun paused for a moment and looked at luo ning, who was acting like the principal wife. ¡°what do you mean?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t mean to be jealous of you. i¡¯m just discussing the matter.¡± while speaking, luo ning glanced at third lady and suddenly realized that third lady was the same type of woman as her. she looked very fair and beautiful, the kind that the little thief couldn¡¯t help eating¡­ luo ning felt a little strange. she pulled the thin blanket over her legs and continued, ¡°you should know that ye jingtang needs to recuperate often. i might have to go out for a while. someone has to treat the little thief every day. if you like jingtang, i¡­ i won¡¯t make things difficult for you, but if you keep putting on an act with me and dilly-dally without saying what¡¯s on your mind, 1¡¯11 ask someone else for help.¡± pei xiangjun didn¡¯t expect luo ning to talk about this again. she blinked and revealed a strange expression. in the past, she didn¡¯t know if she was good to jingtang because of the red flower pavilion or because of herself. but ever since the vixen had snatched her treasure at the entrance of her home, almost making her depressed, and fed jingtang at broad crossing¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be a lie to say that she wasn¡¯t interested in jingtang? pei xiangjun¡¯s eyes flickered as she deliberated for a moment. ¡°about this¡­ i¡¯ll discuss it with jingtang. you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± ¡°what are you going to discuss?¡± luo ning, who wanted to talk about seniority, was unhappy when she heard this. ¡°you only know how to fight bravely. you might not even be comparable to xiuhe when it comes to this kind of thing. i took jingtang away at your door, but you didn¡¯t even dare to say anything. i asked you to use your breasts to wipe jingtang¡¯s face, and you obediently untied your clothes and let jingtang kiss your breasts. but you¡¯re pretending that nothing happened after. if it¡¯s left to you to discuss, when there are a lot of girls at home, i¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll still be here playing in the mud.¡± ?! pei xiangjun felt that these words were really unpleasant and was slightly angry. ¡°what are you talking about? last time, 1 was prepared to treat jingtang, but you insisted on snatching him. if you hadn¡¯t interfered, it¡¯s hard to say who would be shy now. i¡­ i didn¡¯t want to quarrel with a vixen like you and make things difficult for jingtang, so i gave in to you..¡± Chapter 230 - Chapter 230: Night Chat (3) chapter 230: night chat (3) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°does that mean you like him?¡± pei xiangjun took a deep breath and thought for a moment. ¡°1 met jingtang first. his aunt has long planned to betroth me to jingtang. even¡­ even if you and jingtang did it first, according to the order, you should be the one who listens to me¡­¡± luo ning raised her hand. ¡°let¡¯s not talk about the first-come, first-served issue. although ye jingtang is lascivious, he¡¯s only lascivious to me. if you don¡¯t take the initiative to express your feelings, he definitely won¡¯t say anything to you. once 1 leave and you act all shy again, he won¡¯t have anyone to treat him and will have to hold it in. if something happens¡­¡± pei xiangjun frowned slightly. ¡°you mean, you want me to take the initiative to express my feelings to jingtang and¡­ and then what?¡± luo ning nodded slightly. ¡°there are still two pills left from the medicine i bought. if you¡¯re too embarrassed to speak, take one. then everything will be resolved the next day.¡± pei xiangjun had a strange look in her eyes. ¡°i¡­ i¡¯m not being forced. why would i drug myself? but about this¡­¡± luo ning said unhappily, ¡°third lady, i¡¯m telling you the truth. if you continue like this, i¡¯ll really ignore you in the future.¡± ¡°okay, i get it. why are you so fierce¡­ if you¡¯re not around, i¡¯ll help jingtang recuperate. you take meticulous care of jingtang, and i¡¯m not inferior to you. when are you leaving?¡± ? luo ning felt that third lady had no conscience and hoped that she would leave as soon as possible. ¡°i don¡¯t want to leave, but there¡¯s something going on at home. i can¡¯t say for sure when¡­ don¡¯t wait until you¡¯re about to die before thinking about sharpening your spear at the last minute. if you don¡¯t tell me in advance, i¡¯ll take jingtang with me when 1 leave. then, you can slowly think about it in the capital yourself.¡± ¡°sigh-¡± pei xiangjun¡¯s mature and beautiful face was rather complicated, and she looked like she was deliberating. luo ning didn¡¯t disturb her and just changed her clothes unhurriedly. but halfway through, she suddenly heard a sound coming from under the bed. click! clatter! ¡°all!¡± two alarmed shouts came at the same time. in the azure dragon hall, three incense sticks were burning. ye jingtang was standing in front of the memorial tablet with his hands behind his back, recalling the bits and pieces of his life with his foster father. in the past, his foster father had always been drunk and looked like an ordinary old man. he didn¡¯t think that he was special. now that he had traveled jianghu and understood what had happened to his foster father in jianghu back then, he understood how much had been hidden behind his drinking all day to drown his sorrows. just as he was deep in thought, he heard some noise from the tunnel at the entrance. ye jingtang returned to his senses. knowing that third lady was back, he extinguished the lamp and turned to walk into the tunnel. before he opened the door, he heard heroine luo and third lady talking. ye jingtang blinked and slowed down his footsteps. he silently crept to the bottom of the entrance and listened quietly. ¡°does that mean you like him?¡± ¡°i met jingtang first¡­¡± ? it sounded like the two women were talking privately. ye jingtang could feel that ning¡¯er was full of arrogance while third lady was a little timid. he felt a little amused. after listening for a while, hearing the two of them suddenly stop talking, ye jingtang wanted to say something to scare them. but then he remembered the first time he came here and how much third lady had frightened him. when ye jingtang sensed that heroine luo was also sitting on the bed, his heart stirred, and he quietly moved the mechanism at the entrance. click! the bed board split open from the middle, revealing the light above. as expected, two exclamations sounded. ¡°air-!¡± ye jingtang was about to catch the two women with a smile when he looked up¡­ (o_o)!!! the two women were skilled in martial arts and had excellent balance. although they were caught off guard, they turned around in midair, wanting to regain their footing. but halfway through, they found that someone was standing below them. their eyes were full of shock, and they panicked. pei xiangjun knew that there was a tunnel below, so her reaction was calmer. she regained her balance in midair and wanted to kick the person below unconscious. but realizing that it was ye jingtang standing below, pei xiangjun hurriedly moved her foot that was about to kick him in the face. once she moved her foot, she lost her balance and fell flat. when ye jingtang saw that ning¡¯er was falling horizontally in a flurry, he raised his hands to catch her, who had lost her balance in a panic. in the end, his pupils immediately constricted, and he saw a white moon rapidly enlarging in front of his eyes. then everything went black. bam! there was a muffled sound in the tunnel, and the separated bed board closed again, leaving only the light from the lamp by the wall. caught off guard, luo ning had fallen into the hole and landed on the man. she was so frightened that half of her soul left her body. fortunately, she saw that it was the little thief below, so she didn¡¯t slap him directly. after luo ning stabilized herself, her expression was still a little frightened. she sat on ye jingtang¡¯s left arm and subconsciously hugged him. after thinking for a moment, she raised her hand and patted him. ¡°you little thief! why are you hiding under the bed?!¡± pei xiangjun had made a move halfway and stopped. she landed on ye jingtang in a flurry. after stopping, she found that she was sitting on jingtang¡¯s right arm. when she lowered her head, she could see jingtang¡¯s cold face with his eyes closed¡­ pei xiangjun recalled that she seemed to have sat on jingtang¡¯s face when she fell just now.. her beautiful face was as red as blood, and she was as quiet as mouse¡­ Chapter 231 - Chapter 231: Night Chat (4) chapter 231: night chat (4) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ye jingtang held one woman in each arm and maintained a calm expression. with his eyes closed, he explained, ¡°when i saw that you weren¡¯t back, i went to burn incense for my foster father. when i heard the voices, i wanted to prank you¡­¡± luo ning looked down and frowned. ¡°we were changing our clothes¡­ i think you did it on purpose! hurry up and send us out!¡± pei xiangjun¡¯s face was burning hot, and she didn¡¯t dare to make a sound. hearing this, she hurriedly raised her hand and pressed the mechanism. click! the bed board parted, revealing the light above. ye jingtang jumped up, landed in the room, and put the two of them down. after pei xiangjun landed, she hurriedly pulled up a thin blanket and covered herself tightly before secretly heaving a sigh of relief. ¡°jingtang, i¡­ i didn¡¯t hit you just now, right?¡± luo ning felt that third lady was a little disappointing. ¡°you still care if you hit him or not. he couldn¡¯t be happier¡­¡± as she spoke, she ran out warily, perhaps afraid that the little thief would do a twofer with one cannon. with his eyes still closed, ye jingtang only said, ¡°i¡¯m fine. it¡¯s already late. i¡¯ll go out first. third lady, rest early.¡± pei xiangjun¡¯s lips moved. she wanted to ask ye jingtang if he had eavesdropped on their private conversation, but her heart was in a mess, and she really couldn¡¯t organize her thoughts. she hurriedly put down the bed curtain and rolled into bed¡­ with his eyes closed, ye jingtang walked out of the boudoir, turned around, and closed the door. in the blink of an eye, he saw ning¡¯er wearing a white nightgown and holding a three-foot-long sword upside down. her otherworldly face coupled with her skirt being blown by the breeze made her look like an immortal as she looked at him coldly. ye jingtang walked over and covered her hand that was holding the sword. ¡°it was really an accident just now. i saw that you were talking, so i wanted to scare you as a joke. i really didn¡¯t notice that you weren¡¯t wearing anything¡­¡± luo ning¡¯s expression was not very gentle. she turned around and walked to the corridor, asking coldly, ¡°did you hear what third lady said just now?¡± ye jingtang smiled and put his arm around ning¡¯er¡¯s shoulders. luo ning¡¯s shoulders twisted slightly. ¡°don¡¯t push your luck. the last time in broad crossing, she and you treated each other¡¯s injuries. her innocence has already been ruined. i saw it and couldn¡¯t ignore it, so i persuaded her¡­ mainly, there¡¯s another reason.¡± ¡°what reason?¡± ¡°from the looks of it, qiu tianhe is fine. i estimate that he will be free in a few days. i¡­ i have to go home.¡± luo ning¡¯s eyes were a little conflicted when she said this. she had just fallen in love and was absolutely unwilling to separate from the little thief. but she couldn¡¯t ignore the sisterhood that had lasted for more than ten years. ye jingtang was also worried about this. they held hands and walked out of the corridor. a thought flashed in his mind. ¡°didn¡¯t you tell me that you wanted me to dig out something in the peaceful hall? isn¡¯t this also your mission?¡± n 11 luo ning stopped and remembered this. ¡°do you have a way?¡± ¡°whether 1 have a way or not, 1 have to try it before i know. if you reply to the pacifying heaven cult master like this and say that you have a way, you¡¯ll probably have to operate in the capital for a while.¡± luo ning¡¯s eyes flickered as she pondered for a moment. ¡°i don¡¯t want to lie to xue baijin. if you¡¯re willing to help, i¡¯ll say that. if you¡¯re unwilling, i won¡¯t lie.¡± ¡°if i have the chance, i will definitely think of a way.¡± luo ning nodded slightly and took a few steps forward. suddenly, she felt that something was wrong. if i say that, i won¡¯t have to leave¡­ then, why did 1 encourage third lady? oh, right, the little thief is too fierce. 1 can¡¯t handle him alone¡­ ye jingtang was walking while holding luo ning¡¯s hand and thinking about his future plans. halfway through, he thought of something and asked, ¡°after working for so long, 1 have finally completed the mission and saved qiu tianhe. heroine luo, shouldn¡¯t you express your gratitude?¡± luo ning blinked her beautiful peach blossom eyes and said reluctantly, ¡°don¡¯t pretend to claim credit. qiu tianhe fought cao qiansui to redeem himself. what does it have to do with you?¡± ye jingtang shrugged slightly. ¡°without my guarantee, how could the imperial court have undone the restriction on qiu tianhe? i was using my head to give qiu tianhe a chance to become free. what you said is too disappointing.¡± luo ning thought about it carefully and realized that this was indeed the case. ¡°was the reward just now not enough?¡± ¡°that was an accident. i just wanted to prank you two. i didn¡¯t even dare to open my eyes¡­¡± luo ning hesitated for a moment. seeing that the little thief had made a great contribution, she turned around and said, ¡°i¡¯ve been running around for most of the day. i¡¯ll take a bath first.¡± ¡°together.¡± ¡°go away.. this is the pei residence¡­¡± Chapter 232 - Chapter 232: Teaching Dumdum Spearmanship (1) chapter 232: teaching dumdum spearmanship (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the next day, the blazing sun rose from the horizon. yun¡¯an city, which was sunny after the rain, returned to its usual tranquility. in the pei residence, the maidservants were bustling about doing their jobs. zhe yunli, who had woken up early, was standing by the lotus pond and slowly practicing health-maintaining boxing with her martial mistress. meanwhile, third lady had brought out maidservants early in the morning and ran to the vicinity of the pei residence to busy herself with buying a new house. at the entrance of heavenly water bridge, a black horse ran out of the bustling streets and alleys, galloping toward jasper pavilion in the east of the city. ye jingtang was riding on the horse. he was wearing an exquisite black official robe, a belt inlaid with white jade around his waist, a silver crown on his head, and long boots. he was meticulously dressed from head to toe. the big white bird had been pulled up early in the morning and was still not awake. it was squatting on his shoulder and dozing off. unlike usual, it had a small black scarf around its neck with patterns embroidered on it to highlight its special identity as an ¡®official bird¡¯. the robe had been sent over early in the morning by dumdum. it was the official robe of the deputy commander of the black office. however, the black office was not under the framework of the six ministries. this official position was considered an internal court official and belonged to the emperor¡¯s close subordinates. it was roughly equivalent to the level of a deputy director of the eastern depot. because the bird had also made great contributions, dongfang liren had specially cut a small piece of cloth for the bird. it looked like a scarf, but when tied to the bird, it looked like a small black undergarment. although dongfang liren was very considerate, the bird didn¡¯t appreciate it. it was squatting on ye jingtang¡¯s shoulder while dozing off and kept chirping and cooing along the way. it probably meant: it¡¯s such a hot day, but you still wrapped me in a piece of cloth. are you preparing to make lotus leaf chicken? ye jingtang understood what the bird meant, but he felt that it looked pretty good, so he didn¡¯t let the bird take it off. he galloped ail the way to the black office. the sun was shining brightly, and the blue sky was clear. on the street outside the black office, there were craftsmen everywhere, repairing the damage from yesterday¡¯s battle. ye jingtang dismounted from his horse in front of the door. many chief constables from the black office came over to congratulate him. they kept calling him ¡®sir ye¡¯. there were even familiar chief constables who jokingly called out ¡®sir bird¡¯. ye jingtang was only in his early twenties, but he was directly appointed as the second-in-command. if it were anyone else, they would definitely be treated as the prince of jing¡¯s boy toy. although the actual situation was pretty much like this, other than the first four of the six fiends, no one else in the entire black office was a match for him. the respect of many chief constables was not fake. all kinds of flattery almost stunned the bird. after ye jingtang finally finished socializing, he arrived at the jasper pavilion behind the black office. dongfang liren knew that ye jingtang would come this morning, so she specially waited in the hall of jasper pavilion. ye jingtang brought the bird in and saw the tall princess in a slender python robe holding his black qilin spear and practicing spearmanship in the martial arts grounds. from the moves, dongfang liren was practicing a spear technique from ya province. because her height was not inferior to a man¡¯s and her limbs were slender and well-proportioned, she didn¡¯t look awkward holding the spear at all. instead, she looked valiant and heroic. looking at the strength of the moves, dongfang liren¡¯s spear momentum was nowhere close to that of third lady pei, the current successor of the overlord spear. at the very least, it wasn¡¯t worth mentioning in the same sentence. ye jingtang stood at the door and looked at dumdum¡¯s focused expression as she played with the big spear. his eyes were indescribable. he felt that dumdum looked as good as yesterday when she stood on the city gate tower and hummed a tune. ¡°chirp chirp-¡± fat-headed dragon was wielding the spear so fiercely that the bird didn¡¯t dare to approach. it stood on the threshold and greeted her. dongfang liren¡¯s spear paused. she turned around, looked back, retracted the spear smoothly, and stood up straight with the full aura of an expert. ¡°you look much more pleasing to the eye in this robe. come in and practice the spear with me.¡± hearing this, ye jingtang naturally didn¡¯t refuse. he let the bird take a stroll in the garden by itself. then he entered the hall of jasper pavilion and picked up the roaring dragon spear, which was as black as black jade, from the display rack by the wall. after weighing it slightly, he found that the quality of the roaring dragon spear was indeed extraordinary. the spear length was similar to third lady¡¯s overlord spear, but it weighed less than four kilograms. when he shook the spear slightly, he could see that the spear shaft was extremely tough. the spear tip trembled slightly and let out a pleasant hum. buzz! dongfang liren walked up to him with the black qilin spear in her hand, her eyes quite proud. ¡°this spear was forged with the painstaking efforts of several famous artisans. it took four years just to make the spear shaft. it is made of silver silkworm silk obtained from northern liang layered over each other. each layer was joined with glue, dried, and wrapped in another layer. from the inside to the outside, more than a hundred layers were glued together before it was finally made into the spear shaft. just for making this spear, i was chased and scolded by the officials for several years. they said that 1 was extravagant and wasted money¡­¡± ye jingtang could tell how ridiculous the craftsmanship of this spear was. the only flaw from head to toe was that it was expensive. the cost of making it was absolutely astronomical. he smiled and said, ¡°1 feel that the materials used for this spear are too solid. i feel that it¡¯s a loss no matter who 1 hit. it¡¯s more suitable to be a ceremonial weapon¡­¡± dongfang liren stood with the spear in hand and said heroically, ¡°a weapon is a weapon. since i¡¯m lending it to you, feel free to use it however you want. if you really leave a few gaps on it and place it here in the future, i can introduce it to others and say that they were left behind by xuanyuan chao and duan shengji. it¡¯s better than just saying nothing.¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t stand on ceremony anymore. he carried the priceless roaring dragon spear to the center of the hall, spread his legs, and assumed the cauldron supporting the crushing spear stance. ¡°how does your highness want to practice the spear?¡± dongfang liren held her spear with both hands and raised it horizontally beside her, her stance as firm as a rock. ¡°1 use ya province¡¯s roaming dragon spear. this spear technique was created by ¡®north cliff spear king¡¯ chu hao. after the former spear chief passed away, before duan shengji took over, chu hao once fought with the successor of the overlord spear. it¡¯s said that his attainments in spearmanship are not inferior to the overlord spear. hmm¡­ let¡¯s not fight one-on-one. show me the overlord spear first..¡± Chapter 233 - Chapter 233: Teaching Dumdum Spearmanship (2) chapter 233: teaching dumdum spearmanship (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ye jingtang nodded slightly. he held the spear with both hands and shook it violently. bang! the spear shaft vibrated violently, emitting an explosive sound. ye jingtang¡¯s robe swelled, and a gust of wind suddenly rose in the hall, instantly blowing dongfang liren¡¯s robe. whoosh! ye jingtang¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. he held the spear with one hand and moved it behind him until he held the end of the spear with his right hand. the tip of the spear touched the ground and made a soft ding. in the next moment, ye jingtang shouted, ¡°haa!¡± the sound was like thunder, and his entire body suddenly tensed up. the yellow dragon crouching, a move that could shake mountains and destroy cities, was about to rush out from in front of him and strike at dongfang liren, who was 30 feet away. dongfang liren was holding her spear and looking with full concentration when she found the overwhelming pressure of a mountain pressing down on her, as if it was going to demolish jasper pavilion with a single strike. she didn¡¯t dare to stand in front of it. with a swish, she jumped back and landed directly on the stairs at the edge of the hall. whoosh! ye jingtang, who was ready to strike, stopped and looked at the coward who had jumped far away. ¡°your highness?¡± after dongfang liren placed one hand behind her back and maintained her expert aura, she said unhappily, ¡°1 asked you to demonstrate. why are you shouting so loudly? forget it. just teach me the moves directly. i will figure it out on my own.¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t laugh at her for being a coward. he began to practice slowly with the spear and teach the spear moves of the overlord spear. dongfang liren¡¯s martial arts talent was actually not bad. it was just that there was a gap between her and the top prodigies of jianghu. she stood at the side and observed. she memorized the moves after just one demonstration. after ye jingtang finished teaching, he stood at the side and observed like an old master. dongfang liren didn¡¯t think much of it at first, but after practicing for half an hour, she still hadn¡¯t figured out the qi circulation method. from the corner of her eye, she saw the cold young master beside her with one hand behind his back and a complicated expression in his eyes. he even shook his head imperceptibly. seeing her look over, ye jingtang hurriedly put on a smiling and approving look. dongfang liren felt insulted. if not for the fact that she couldn¡¯t beat him, she would have raised her spear and swatted ye jingtang a few times. her expression darkened. ¡°if you have nothing to do, go to the dungeon to interrogate the prisoners. i can practice by myself.¡± ye jingtang had no intention of discriminating against dumdum. he just felt that it was a little painful to the eyes. since he had to teach her spearmanship, he had to teach her well. ye jingtang deliberated for a moment before coming behind dongfang liren. he held her hands, hooked his feet around dongfang liren¡¯s feet, and slowly slid them to the side. ¡°the overlord spear opens widely and closes widely. you have to put on a bigger stance and stick out your chest.¡± dongfang liren almost leaned into ye jingtang¡¯s arms. the man¡¯s breath brushed past her ear, and her face immediately turned a little red. but she still followed her master¡¯s teachings, straightened her fat-headed dragon, and stood firmly with her spear. ye jingtang¡¯s right hand moved along her shoulder and sensed the exerting of strength in her muscles. he moved his hand from under her ribs to the side of her waist until it touched her flat abdomen. ¡°lower your back and tense up.¡± dongfang liren blinked and tightened her waist and abdomen. maintaining the dignified and noble posture of a princess, she said solemnly, ¡°ye jingtang, pay¡­ pay attention.¡± ye jingtang¡¯s expression was earnest. he squeezed dumdum¡¯s arm and corrected the wrong places. ¡°practicing martial arts isn¡¯t child¡¯s play. although your highness doesn¡¯t need it, your highness can¡¯t be careless. back then, when i was practicing martial arts, if i stood with the wrong posture, my foster father would hit me with a stick. if i stood correctly, 1 would still be hit. when i could stabilize myself and my legs wouldn¡¯t sway when the stick hit, 1 was considered to have met the standard. ¡°i¡¯m so talented, and i have been practicing for fifteen years, from the age of three to the age of eighteen, before i had my current accumulation. your highness won¡¯t be to practice real martial arts by practicing like this¡­¡± the man¡¯s gentle voice blew against her ear as he massaged her body with both hands. dongfang liren knew that this was to correct her posture, but ye jingtang was doing it¡­ she didn¡¯t seem to have any objection¡­ after adapting for a moment, dongfang liren slowly suppressed the distracting thoughts in her heart and looked forward with a sharp gaze. ¡°i understand this truth. since you¡¯re teaching martial arts, you can let go. correct me if anything needs correcting. there¡¯s no need to be reserved because of my identity.¡± ye jingtang looked at dongfang liren¡¯s side profile. ¡°is your highness sure?¡± ¡°as long as your actions are reasonable, when have 1 ever made things difficult for you?¡± dongfang liren tried her best to put on a good attitude. ¡°if you want to teach, teach well.¡± ye jingtang was indeed a little hesitant. he reminded, ¡°strength should start from the ground, first to the legs, then to the waist and hips, then to the chest and abdomen, and then to the arms. it should form a line. your highness¡¯s application of strength is wrong in many aspects. if i want to figure out the situation, i¡¯ll probably have to squeeze all the way¡­¡± dongfang liren understood what ye jingtang meant. after some consideration, she put on a calm expression as if she was eager to learn. ¡°as¡­ as long as you don¡¯t have evil intentions and teach me spearmanship seriously, how can 1 blame you? just squeeze where you need to.¡± hearing this, ye jingtang passed his right hand under her ribs and placed it under the fat-headed dragon on the right. he carefully sensed the strength of her chest muscles. dongfang liren felt that she was being hugged. she was unsure if this counted as touching her chest. she could sense ye jingtang¡¯s restraint and efforts not to make her feel embarrassed. she pursed her lips and put on a serious expression. ¡°you aren¡¯t even putting your hands on the place where 1 exert strength. how can you sense anything?¡± ye jingtang blinked. hearing dumdum¡¯s words, he no longer restrained himself. he rubbed the fat-headed dragon up a little and carefully sensed the situation of her muscles exerting strength. dongfang liren¡¯s eyelashes fluttered, but she quickly stood straight again. her face was red, and she didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°stick out your chest and raise your head. don¡¯t shrink back. your highness isn¡¯t standing as well as before,¡± ye jingtang reminded calmly. dongfang liren gritted her teeth and assumed a spear stance. she tried her best to adjust the way she exerted strength. the tip of the black qilin spear in her hand trembled slightly in the air before she held it firmly.. Chapter 234 - Chapter 234: Teaching Dumdum Spearmanship (3) chapter 234: teaching dumdum spearmanship (3) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after persisting for a long time, dongfang liren realized that ye jingtang wasn¡¯t moving and frowned. ¡°why do you keep pressing here? squeeze other places.¡± ye jingtang had no intention of taking advantage of her. he explained softly, ¡°the fat layer is a little thick. the sensation of muscle exertion isn¡¯t obvious.¡± dongfang liren knew that her fat-headed dragon was a little thick. after thinking for a moment, she gritted his teeth and said, ¡°just press hard.¡± if ye jingtang exerted more strength, it would hurt. he didn¡¯t follow the instruction and only frowned as he carefully sensed the details under the fat layer. the two of them were practicing spearmanship seriously. before ye jingtang could figure out how much strength and where she was exerting, a breeze blew in from the door. whoosh! the old woman with long hair reaching the floor silently landed in front of the two of them. just as she was about to speak, she found that ye jingtang was pressing on the prince of jing¡¯s clothes, so she stopped talking. seeing this, ye jingtang moved his right hand away, stood up straight, cupped his hands, and bowed. ¡°madam meng.¡± dongfang liren was secretly shocked, but she didn¡¯t put away her spear. instead, she explained seriously, ¡°he¡¯s teaching me spearmanship. don¡¯t misunderstand¡­¡± while dongfang liren was speaking, her eyes suddenly darkened as she asked, ¡°meng jiao, is he teaching me spearmanship?¡± there was a strange look in the white-haired old woman¡¯s eyes, but this was all. hearing the prince of jing¡¯s question, she slowly walked up to her. ¡°young master ye is indeed teaching spear posture. this method allows you to sense the most directly, and it¡¯s much more accurate than what you can see with your eyes. it is mostly used between people who are close.¡± it¡¯s true¡­ dongfang liren secretly heaved a sigh of relief, and the blush on her face dissipated a little. the white-haired old woman reached into her sleeve and looked at ye jingtang. ¡°but young master ye¡¯s technique is too inexperienced. if it were an ordinary woman, he would be able to figure it out. but your highness¡¯s foundation is too strong, and it¡¯s very difficult to sense much with bare hands. ¡°the heaven equaling saber is an internal martial arts technique that can enhance a person¡¯s six senses. its advantage is that it¡¯s comprehensive. it can detect everything within a radius of hundreds of feet, but because it¡¯s too comprehensive, it¡¯s not precise enough. the most sensitive part of a person¡¯s sense of touch is their fingertips. liu qiansheng¡¯s wind listening palm is such a technique. in the past, when he was at his peak, he could sense footsteps a few kilometers away with his palm. it¡¯s the best in the entire jianghu. i have learned a similar technique, but it¡¯s far inferior to his and barely usable.¡± ye jingtang listened carefully and saw the white-haired old woman¡¯s hands move. it was obvious that she was practicing her technique. after practicing, she gestured. ¡°young master ye, give it a try?¡± hearing this, ye jingtang imitated the actions of the white-haired old woman and practiced a few times. after figuring out the hidden qi circulation method, he gently placed his palm on dumdum¡¯s fat-headed dragon. ?? dongfang liren¡¯s eyes were full of anger. with meng jiao in front of them, how could she continue to let ye jingtang touch the dragon? she hurriedly took a step back. ¡°ye jingtang!¡± seeing this, ye jingtang changed his direction and pressed on dongfang liren¡¯s shoulder. through the feeling of his fingertips, he sensed the slight vibrations caused by her heartbeat and blood circulation¡­ the white-haired old woman¡¯s eyes were full of praise. ¡°young master ye¡¯s comprehension is really extraordinary.¡± dongfang liren tidied her ruffled clothes and returned to her cold princess appearance. ¡°do you have something to report?¡± the white-haired old woman nodded. ¡°nangong shaofeng refuses to confess, but liu qiansheng has the intention to negotiate with the imperial court.¡± ye jingtang moved his hand away and asked, ¡°he¡¯s already in his eighties. what does he want? an intact corpse and a good burial place?¡± the white-haired old woman said, ¡°liu qiansheng is an internal martial arts grandmaster. he suffered internal injuries, which is why he became like this. otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for him to live for another twenty years. he wants northern liang snow¡¯s lake flower to reconnect his meridians and to be recruited by the imperial court and given an official title.¡± ye jingtang had heard of the name ¡®snow lake flower¡¯ and asked, ¡°does the imperial court have it?¡± dongfang liren thought for a moment. ¡°the snow lake flower grows in heavenly carnelian lake. it¡¯s said that it blooms once every sixty years and is hard to find. there¡¯s some in the palace leftover from the founding of the country, but it¡¯s only enough to concoct one medicine. it¡¯s left for the emperor in case of emergencies. it¡¯s impossible to give to him.¡± ye jingtang nodded and looked at the white-haired old woman. ¡°what right does liu qiansheng have to ask for this?¡± the white-haired old woman explained, ¡°only this thing can allow him to continue standing in this world. otherwise, it¡¯s no different from death.¡± ye jingtang nodded in understanding. he thought for a moment and said, ¡°why don¡¯t i go talk to him?¡± dongfang liren actually wanted ye jingtang to continue teaching spearmanship, but it was official business, so she still nodded. ¡°it doesn¡¯t matter if he confesses or not. if he can teach all his martial arts, he can live in the capital for his last few years. there¡¯s no discussion regarding what he wants.¡± ye jingtang nodded, put down the roaring dragon spear, turned around, and left jasper pavilion¡­ Chapter 235 - Chapter 235: The Foundation of the Eight Chiefs (1) chapter 235: the foundation of the eight chiefs (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the third basement of the dungeon was damaged, but its overall structure was very solid, so its use remained unaffected. the felons who had been dragged out for treatment yesterday were also locked back in rhe second basement of the dungeon. ye jingtang went to the black office with his saber at his waist, preparing to interrogate a prisoner. when he walked past a tea room, he found that it was quite lively inside. after the storm, the experts of the black office more or less suffered some injuries. the incident had just happened yesterday, but the office couldn¡¯t be left empty-handed. for this reason, those with minor injuries still went to work as usual without resting and awaited orders in the office. the environment in rhe tea room was not bad. everyone had a cushioned recliner, and there were tea and snacks beside them. the wounds of shang jianli, who had suffered two blows from liu qiansheng, gradually recovered. me was sitting with qiu tianhe and recounting yesterday¡¯s results with a few injured chief constables. ¡°liu qiansheng is old, which is why i knocked him down with my needle. if we re talking about who¡¯s more powerful, it¡¯s still hero qiu. eunuch cao is ranked first in jianghu. hero qiu didn¡¯t die from a single strike. it¡¯s really beyond our expectations..11 ¡°i was handling a case for the black office. 1 just cherished my life and held back. if it were a life-and-death fight, cao qiansui wouldn¡¯t have been able to walk out of the street yesterday¡­¡± ye jingtang passed by the window and was about to say a few words of condolence when he suddenly found a big recliner under the window. the big bird with the scarf was lying on it with its wings spread, looking half-dead, waiting for a recuperating female constable to feed it snacks. seeing this. ye jingtang was speechless. he let the bird play by itself. unexpectedly, the bird was so self-aware that it didn¡¯t even let go of the work-related injury benefits of the black office, lie raised his hand and knocked on the windowsill. ¡°chirp?¡± the bird raised its head, jumped up, landed on the armrest, and politely gestured for ye jingtang to sit down with its wing. there was a pause of conversation in the tea room. qiu tianhe looked up, put down his teacup, stood up, and walked out. ¡°kid, you¡¯re really handsome in this outfit. if you wear it out, the heroines in jianghu will circle around you. you won¡¯t be very likable.¡± qiu tianhe s strength had recovered. although his appearance hadn¡¯t changed much, he looked like a completely different person with his essence, qi, and spirit. his build was large, and he had the heaven equaling saber hanging ar his waist. when he stood at the door, he looked like the sweeping monk of the black office. ¡°it¡¯s just something to wear for formal occasions.¡± ye jingtang walked over to him and asked, ¡°hero qiu, how are your injuries?¡± ¡°they¡¯re just some internal injuries. divine doctor wang used a few needles, and i¡¯m basically fine.¡± ¡°that¡¯s good. hero qiu, are you familiar with liu qiansheng?¡± qiu tianhe smiled. ¡°liu qiansheng was one of rhe eight chiefs thirty years ago. at that time, i was still a wanderer about the same age as you. we didn¡¯t meet, but we¡¯ve heard of each other.11 hearing this, ye jingtang raised his hand and smiled. ¡°let¡¯s go. i¡¯ll bring you to see an elder of jianghu. you have a high status in jianghu. liu qiansheng won¡¯t give the imperial court face, but he will probably give you face. hero qiu, see if you can be a lobbyist and persuade him to confess.¡± qiu tianhe didn¡¯t say anything else and entered the dungeon with ye jingtang. there was no difference in the first basement of the dungeon, but the changes in the second basement were huge. yesterday, more than 20 rebels had been arrested. many of them were famous in jianghu and had committed major crimes. they were all locked up in rhe second basement, and everyone had a single room. there were several chief constables questioning them back and forth. ye jingtang walked through the corridor of the second basement and arrived at earth room no. 2, looking for the person most famous in the dungeon, the former fist chief. but when he looked down the hole, he saw two half-dead men lying on the ground, looking weak and pale. ? ye jingtang was taken aback. he looked at them carefully and said in bafflement, ¡°why are they staying here?¡± qiu tianhe lowered his head and looked ar them. he was also surprised. ¡°they¡¯re not dead yet. these two brothers are really tough.¡± when second wang saw the two faces appear above him, his eyes immediately showed a look of ecstasy. he turned over and looked up. ¡°sir ye, you¡¯re finally here. the two of us don¡¯t deserve to die. a sentence of eight to ten years is enough¡­ eh? sir ye¡­¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t bother with irrelevant people. he went out to ask before finding the cell where liu qiansheng was imprisoned. the specifications of the cell were the same as the other cells. it was a large square room. although liu qiansheng was in prison, he still had the airs of the eight chief. his hands and feet were chained, and he was sitting cross-legged with his back against the wall. he looked slightly sage-like. ye jingtang opened the iron fence and jumped in with qiu tianhe. as a person of jianghu, qiu tian cupped his hands and bowed out of respect for the elder. ¡°senior liu, 1 have heard so much about you.¡± liu qiansheng looked up and saw ye jingtang. lie was definitely not very happy. after noticing the imposing qiu tianhe beside him, he frowned slightly. ¡°your excellency, you are?¡± ¡°qiu tianhe. elder liu, i wonder if you have heard of me?¡± liu qiansheng was obviously stunned. it was often said that the new generation surpassed the old. qiu tianhe was a top grandmaster of rhe current era and was only one step away from becoming one of the eight chiefs. in terms of influence on the current jianghu, he was much more influential than him, a senior who had already declined. qiu tianhe could even address him respectfully as elder liu when he had fallen from grace. liu qiansheng obviously enjoyed it. he cupped his hands while holding the iron chains. ¡°so, it¡¯s young hero qiu. the heaven equaling saber is famous in jianghu, and i¡¯ve heard a lot about you. now that i¡¯ve seen you today, you¡¯re indeed extraordinary. back then, you robbed the emperor¡¯s wedding envoy team and committed a major crime that could put nine generations of your family to death. i heard that you were surrounded and captured by the imperial court last year. now¡­¡± qiu tianhe sat on the ground in front and smiled. ¡°1 used to live here, but i made some contributions recently. i¡¯ve cleared my past crime and regained my freedom.¡± a strange look appeared in liu qiansheng¡¯s eyes.. ¡°you can even be pardoned by the imperial court for the crime you committed?¡± Chapter 236 - Chapter 236: The Foundation of the Eight Chiefs (2) chapter 236: the foundation of the eight chiefs (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ye jingtang raised his official robe and sat down beside qiu tianhe. ¡°hero qiu taught the prince of jing his saber technique. as long as the prince of jing is happy, no matter how great the crime is, it¡¯s nothing more than a few words.¡± liu qiansheng was experienced and understood what he meant. ¡°does the imperial court want my martial arts to give me a chance to live? i am over eighty years old and won¡¯t live for more than a few years. when i go out, i will have to bear infamy. there¡¯s no need to go through so much trouble.¡± qiu tianhe said, ¡°i squatted here for a year and know what it¡¯s like. you don¡¯t see the light of day or night, and you¡¯re just waiting to be killed one day. your life is worse than a wild dog¡¯s outside. ¡°elder liu, it¡¯s really not easy for people in jianghu to live to your age. you have experienced decades of glory as one of the eight chiefs that the people in jianghu have never experienced, and you have also endured decades of hardships that people in jianghu have never suffered. when you were young, you defeated the eight chiefs. when you are old, you will teach the new eight chiefs. ¡°you still have a few years left to live. if you can have a three-room house and two acres of fertile land and find a final disciple to teach diligently, your life will be considered complete. among the eight chiefs of the previous dynasties, not many will have a better ending than you. but you still can¡¯t give up your life in jianghu when you¡¯re in your eighties. to be honest, as a junior, i really can¡¯t understand.¡± qiu tianhe¡¯s words were very infectious. after all, qiu tianhe had experienced great ups and downs in his life. he understood what a top martial artist yearned for the most in jianghu. and liu qiansheng was indeed only one step away from a satisfactory life. liu qiansheng¡¯s deep eyes moved. after a moment of silence, he replied, ¡°at your age, i was crippled by my disciple and lost half of my life¡¯s accumulation. if this happened to you, would you accept it?¡± qiu tianhe was in his fifties and was younger than song chi. he could be considered to be in his prime. last year, he had been captured by the imperial court and locked in the dungeon. he had had no hope of escaping in this life and had indeed been unwilling to accept it. qiu tianhe deliberated for a moment and asked, ¡°there are many rumors in jianghu about elder liu and jiang zhahu. what exactly happened back then?¡± liu qiansheng was honest. ¡°back then, when i was traveling in liang province, i had a conflict with someone and killed him with a few punches. not long after, the young jiang zhahu came to the hong mountain gang to become a disciple. ¡°i saw that he was young and talented, so i took him in as a direct disciple. i treated him as my own and nurtured him vigorously. later, i raised him as the gang¡¯s young master and accidentally discovered that he was the son of an enemy. on account of our relationship for many years, 1 didn¡¯t kill him. i only crippled his martial arts and expelled him from the gang. ¡°then you know what happened. a few years later, jiang zhahu returned and beat me up until i was a stray dog. he took over the hong mountain gang, took over my family business, and hunted me until now.¡± ye jingtang deliberated for a moment. ¡°it¡¯s only right for a son to avenge his father¡­ it sounds like neither side is in the right.¡± qiu tianhe commented, ¡°this is an ordinary vendetta in jianghu. there¡¯s no such thing as right and wrong, good and evil.¡± ye jingtang wasn¡¯t interested in who was right and who was wrong. he asked, ¡°at your peak, you fought with jiang zhahu. rumors in jianghu say that he has the golden scale picture. is that true?¡± liu qiansheng sneered at this. ¡°at the age of twenty-five or twenty-six, he defeated one of the eight chiefs in his fifties and at his peak. sir ye, do you think you can do it with just the golden scale picture?¡± ye jingtang thought for a moment. ¡°so, jiang zhahu is extremely talented, and he has the talent to become one of the eight chiefs before the age of thirty?¡± qiu tianhe said, ¡°the fist chief has always been at the bottom of the eight chiefs. after jiang zhahu inherited the title, he forcefully raised the fist chief to the sixth place of the eight chiefs, ranking below the saber chief because the dragon slaying decree of xuanyuan chao could break jiang zhahu¡¯s undefeated golden body. ¡°but jiang zhahu is the same age as me and at the peak. xuanyuan chao is seventy-five years old, which is only a few years younger than elder liu. if they really fought, i feel that it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for jiang zhahu to kill xuanyuan chao.¡± liu qiansheng hated jiang zhahu to the core, but it didn¡¯t affect his affirmation of his strength. he continued, ¡°it¡¯s hard to say who will win if jiang zhahu fights xuanyuan chao with his bare hands, but jiang zhahu¡¯s goal since he was young has been to be the number one in the world. after more than twenty years, i¡¯m the first not to believe that he only practices unarmed martial arts.¡± ye jingtang nodded thoughtfully. ¡°then, has jiang zhahu practiced the golden scale picture before?¡± liu qiansheng thought for a moment. ¡°when unarmed martial arts grandmasters fight, it¡¯s easy to shatter the bones and organs, but it¡¯s quite difficult to break the skin. i guess that he should have practiced it before. his skin is ridiculously hard. however, even if jiang zhahu didn¡¯t have the golden scale picture, 1 would have still lost that battle. i hit a total of three punches, but none of them hurt his vital points. he only punched once from the beginning to the end and directly shattered my spine. that feeling¡­ is unforgettable.¡± there was silence in the cell. qiu tianhe deliberated for a moment before saying, ¡°elder liu, you seem to understand that even if you recover from your internal injuries and return to your peak, you¡¯re probably not jiang zhahu¡¯s match. at least the world knows that you taught jiang zhahu. it¡¯s better to live comfortably and achieve success and recognition in the last few years of your life than to be unable to let go for the rest of your life and die with hatred.¡± liu qiansheng rubbed his fingers gently and thought for a long time. after all, once he let go of the past and his anger, his life in jianghu would be completely over. even if he were lucky enough to heal his injuries in the future, at his age, he no longer had the ambition to rise again. after pondering for a long time, liu qiansheng looked at ye jingtang. ¡°for the sake of young hero qiu, i can confess¡­ i can also hand over what i¡¯ve learned throughout my life, but there are two conditions that the imperial court must satisfy for me.¡± ye jingtang secretly heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°go ahead and say them. if they¡¯re reasonable, the imperial court will consider it.¡± liu qiansheng said, ¡°i can live for at most two to three years. just as young hero qiu said, i¡¯m just an old bag of bones. no matter how much i struggle, i won¡¯t be able to make any waves. in the future, i¡¯ll redeem myself and hide my identity to teach martial arts to the imperial court. the imperial court will let me die of old age and give me a proper burial after i die..¡± Chapter 237 - Chapter 237: The Foundation of the Eight Chiefs (3) chapter 237: the foundation of the eight chiefs (3) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ye jingtang nodded. ¡°that shouldn¡¯t be a big problem.¡± liu qiansheng continued, ¡°1 won¡¯t teach my fist techniques to mediocre people. 1 will only pass them on to the grandmasters of the imperial court. the imperial court also has to arrest jiang zhahu and bring him to justice. he smuggles salt and iron at the border, so he should be punished for his crime.¡± ye jingtang stood a little straighter. he didn¡¯t expect liu qiansheng to want to use the imperial court to take revenge. ¡°if there¡¯s a chance, the imperial court will destroy jiang zhahu without you saying anything. but it¡¯s too easy to escape from liang province, and it won¡¯t be easy to capture jiang zhahu. the imperial court can only do its best.¡± liu qiansheng said, ¡°sir ye, your predictions are godlike, and your eyes and ears reach everywhere. it¡¯s not difficult for you to find jiang zhahu. in terms of talent, you¡¯re not necessarily weaker than jiang zhahu. as long as you are sincere and are willing to investigate jiang zhahu, this matter is really not difficult.¡± ye jingtang thought about it carefully. ¡°i will do my best. tell me about the prince of wu¡¯s case first. you can give your martial arts to the imperial court later.¡± since liu qiansheng had reached an agreement, he was no longer long-winded. ¡°i don¡¯t know much about the prince of wu¡¯s affairs. i only helped him because he has an apothecary who escaped from northern liang. this person is a disciple of northern liang¡¯s medical sage. his name is zhang jinglin, and he might be able to treat my old injuries.¡± ye jingtang called out and asked the constable above to throw down a black-covered notebook. he took out the small brush in the notebook and recorded carefully. ¡°is zhang jinglin more skilled than divine doctor wang?¡± liu qiansheng shook his head. ¡°there is no injury in this world that divine doctor wang can¡¯t treat. if there is, it¡¯s because of a lack of medicine, not that there is no cure. 1 secretly came to the capital before. divine doctor wang told me to find the snow lake flower. he could treat me, but he couldn¡¯t find the medicine. zhang jinglin doesn¡¯t look like a doctor, and he uses a strange method. although he didn¡¯t treat my injuries, i saw with my own eyes that he used a medicine to greatly increase the strength of a death row prisoner with ordinary martial arts skills, almost multiplying it by several times.¡± ye jingtang paused. ¡°there¡¯s such a medicine?¡± qiu tian said, ¡°it might be a medicine that takes an evil path and overdrafts the body in a short period of time.¡± liu qiansheng nodded. ¡°that¡¯s right. he died in less than half an hour after taking it. however, this is the first time i¡¯ve seen such a powerful evil medicine in my life. it expanded the meridians in the entire body in a short time. i¡¯m afraid i would dare to challenge the three immortals on the mountain after taking it. because the medicinal effect is similar to that of the snow lake flower, i let the prince of wu use me while waiting for zhang jinglin to concoct a medicine that can treat my injuries.¡± ¡°how much of this medicine is there?¡± ¡°i¡¯m not sure. 1 was still researching when i saw it. it¡¯s not stable. the prince of wu doesn¡¯t have many soldiers, and he¡¯s surrounded by three military forces. i guess the prince of wu wants to rely on the medicine to produce hundreds or even thousands of experts in a short time to form an elite army to attack the capital alone. from the looks of it, he definitely won¡¯t have a chance¡­¡± ye jingtang listened attentively and wrote down the confession. liu qiansheng knew that ye jingtang was definitely very talented. after saying the information he knew, he dragged the chains and stood up. ¡°this information is actually not that significant to the imperial court. the most valuable thing about me is my martial arts. i¡¯m already old, so sir ye might not have felt much when we fought. in order to prevent you from killing me after getting the confession, i will first submit a token of my allegiance and let you see the foundation that i¡¯ve accumulated for eighty years.¡± ye jingtang was rather interested in this. he put away the notebook and stood up. ¡°i heard that senior liu¡¯s wind listening palm is the best in jianghu. can you let me experience it?¡± qiu tianhe¡¯s heaven equaling saber was similar to liu qiansheng¡¯s wind listening palm. perhaps if he learned this technique, it would become the last piece of the puzzle for him to become the saber chief. because of this, qiu tianhe also stood up and listened attentively. although he felt that it was a little inappropriate, he had been a lobbyist for so long, so it didn¡¯t seem to be too much to ask for remuneration. liu qiansheng felt quite honored to be able to teach two candidates for the eight chiefs. he didn¡¯t hold back and raised his hands to start practicing on the spot. ¡°i¡¯ve heard of the heaven equaling saber. this saber technique is exquisite, but it can only deal with experts below the eight chiefs. martial artists who can become the eight chiefs have all reached the realm of unity of heaven and man. their six senses are not much worse than yours, so you can only wait for xuanyuan chao to die of old age. it¡¯s very difficult to defeat him with this technique.¡± qiu tianhe¡¯s eyes were solemn. ¡°that¡¯s indeed the case. i¡¯ve fought with old man xuanyuan a few times. i can¡¯t cut him with my counter, but 1 have to escape when he counters. 1 can¡¯t fight him at all.¡± ¡°in a fight between martial artists, no matter how high one¡¯s martial arts skills are, the key point is to see the essence of a move and counter it. if you attack from seventy feet away, the move won¡¯t be very powerful, and even a fool can deal with it. only when you can change your moves within a hair¡¯s breadth and counter will you be considered to have reached perfection in your martial arts. the wind listening palm is not a technique used to explore the way like what jianghu says. this technique investigates the entire body of the opponent.¡± after liu qiansheng finished practicing a set of moves, he stood with his hands behind his back. ¡°both of you have the momentum of the eight chiefs. if you can¡¯t remember after seeing it once, go out. although i¡¯m in prison, i don¡¯t have the patience to teach stupid disciples.¡± hearing this, ye jingtang slowly moved his palms on the spot and studied the qi circulation method. qiu tianhe didn¡¯t follow suit. instead, he stood with his hands behind his back and practiced in his mind. first, he did this to have the air of an expert. second, he thought that it would be normal for his imagination to be slower than ye jingtang¡¯s physical deduction. it wouldn¡¯t be embarrassing if he was half a step slower than ye jingtang later. liu qiansheng¡¯s listening wind palm was an internal martial arts, and it was not as comprehensive as the heaven equaling saber. it focused on touch, so its qi circulation method was simpler, but it was still quite exquisite. ye jingtang practiced four or five times. after figuring out the qi circulation method, his hands became gentle, as if they were weightless. they came and went silently, and even his fingers carried a unique rhythm. after all, liu qiansheng had taught jiang zhahu before, and he had also been one of the eight chiefs, so his reaction was not as big as qiu tianhe¡¯s. he only looked surprised and nodded slightly. ¡°good comprehension.¡± ye jingtang practiced for a while, but dumdum wasn¡¯t around. he didn¡¯t have anyone¡¯s chest to press to test the technique. he could only feel the change in the airflow between his fingers and praised softly, ¡°this technique is indeed exquisite.¡± then he looked at qiu tianhe. (-_->) ? qiu tianhe knew that this kid didn¡¯t know the ways of the world at all and wouldn¡¯t save face for an elder like him. but qiu tianhe¡¯s comprehension ability was not bad, and he had decades of jianghu experience, so he wouldn¡¯t be left too far behind. qiu tianhe nodded thoughtfully. his gaze was deep, as if he was studying something exquisite. but in fact, he was stalling for time. after deducing the hidden qi circulation method in his mind, he turned around and raised one hand in front of him. ¡°this technique is quite exquisite. it¡¯s worthy of the reputation of the eight chiefs.¡± ye jingtang stood in front of him and placed his right hand on the back of qiu tianhe¡¯s hand. through the touch of the back of his hand, he could faintly feel the details of the qi flowing in the meridians of qiu tianhe¡¯s palm and even his arm. liu qiansheng stood with his hands behind his back and explained, ¡°when a martial artist attacks, he must first circulate his qi. the heaven equaling saber can only react when the opponent¡¯s muscles exert force and there¡¯s abnormal movement. this technique of mine is even faster. 1 can figure out my opponent¡¯s moves even without them moving their hands and feet. therefore, when sir ye fought against me, your moves were always half a step slower than mine. the reason why you could win was purely because of your powerful physique. ¡°the disadvantage of this technique is that it¡¯s close-range, but its advantage is the same. when two fists meet, there is not much room for changing moves. 1 can know in advance if my opponent changes moves, and i can change my moves to counter him. if my opponent changes moves again, i can still know in advance. this is the capital that i used to attain the title of fist chief.¡± ye jingtang nodded thoughtfully and carefully sensed the feeling on the back of qiu tianhe¡¯s hand. he moved first, but he realized that qiu tianhe¡¯s palm was as light as a gauze, and he couldn¡¯t touch it at all. qiu tianhe immediately struck back, and so did ye jingtang. whoosh! a slight breeze stirred up in the cell. ye jingtang and qiu tianhe stood facing each other, their right hands against each other as they pushed their palms back and forth. because if you changed moves, i had to change moves. and if i changed, you had to change too. the result of pushing hands back and forth was that the speed was getting faster and faster. it depended on whose reaction couldn¡¯t keep up first. qiu tianhe¡¯s talent was not bad, and he had extraordinary experience. he had developed his muscle instincts to deal with moves, so his countering speed wasn¡¯t slow at all. as for ye jingtang, although he relied purely on his reaction speed, he could circulate his qi so quickly that it was almost instantaneous. just as qiu tianhe felt the fluctuation of ye jingtang¡¯s qi in his meridians, the force was already coming, basically not giving him a chance to react. both of them felt pressure in their hearts. in order to prevent hurting their own person¡¯s face, the two of them stopped fighting before they could decide the victor. ye jingtang cupped his hands and praised, ¡°this technique has the highest attainments i¡¯ve seen in my life. 1 have learned a lot from it.¡± qiu tianhe also cupped his hands. ¡°elder liu, you live up to your reputation. just the mastery hidden in this technique is enough for me to ponder for several years.¡± liu qiansheng was indeed old, but martial arts was genuine. there was a hint of pride in his eyes as he sat down again. ¡°this is the technique that i pondered over decades ago. i¡¯ve roamed jianghu for eighty years and have accumulated more than this. but after i teach everything, i will be of no value to the imperial court, so i have to teach slowly. i will only teach you my trump cards before 1 die. sir ye, i hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± hearing this, ye jingtang didn¡¯t say anything else.. he flew up with qiu tianhe and left the dungeon¡­ Chapter 238 - Chapter 238: Liren’s Talent chapter 238: liren¡¯s talent translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios whoosh! two figures jumped out of the hole and landed in the underground room. ye jingtang closed the iron fence and walked out of the cell. he continued to rub his fingers gently, feeling the delicate touch. qiu tianhe walked beside him with his hands behind his back. he turned around and looked at the dark cell. ¡°in the past, i felt that this place was unlucky and didn¡¯t want to come here a second time in my life. now, i¡¯ve realized that this place is a treasured land. whoever has the ability to learn all the skills on the second level will be able to integrate the strengths of various schools of thought¡­¡± ¡°hero qiu, do you want to stay here to further your studies?¡± ¡°there¡¯s no need for that. no matter how good your martial arts are, they¡¯re still skills used to make a living. they¡¯re not as important as being carefree in jianghu¡­¡± ¡°hehe¡­¡± after ye jingtang walked out of the dungeon, he deliberated for a moment. ¡°hero qiu, you have a reputation for chivalry. it shouldn¡¯t be a big problem for you to regain your freedom. however, you are pardoned by the imperial court after all. if you return to the heavenly south and the news spreads to jianghu, the imperial court will lose face.¡± qiu tianhe ¡®knew¡¯ that ye jingtang was a spy from the pacifying heaven cult. he put on a knowing expression and smiled. ¡°i know to avoid arousing suspicion. from now on, i will draw a clear line with the pacifying heaven cult and travel to other places to avoid affecting your future.¡± hearing this, ye jingtang didn¡¯t exhort further. after bidding farewell, he handed the confession to the white-haired diting and returned to jasper pavilion. it had taken less than an hour to go out and finish work. in the hall of jasper pavilion, dongfang liren was still practicing seriously with the black qilin spear in her hands. although she hadn¡¯t figured the technique out yet, she already had some of the charm. the spear cleaved in a very big motion, bringing with it the sound of wind breaking in midair. swoosh! swoosh! ye jingtang arrived at the edge of the martial arts grounds. after he sized her up carefully, his eyes were full of praise. ¡°your highness¡¯s comprehension is really not bad.¡± dongfang liren felt that this praise wasn¡¯t pleasant at all. she raised the spear and assumed a stance again. ¡°is there anything wrong with my posture?¡± ye jingtang walked behind the tall dumdum and took a quick look. he held her waist with both hands and swayed back and forth. she started shaking. he frowned and said, ¡°your highness is just putting on a show and will fall down if the wind blows.¡± dongfang liren took a deep breath, planted her feet firmly on the ground, and tightened her legs. she found ye jingtang¡¯s hands sliding up her flat abdomen, as if he was going to touch the dragon again. her eyes moved, and she tried her best to look calm. but this time, after ye jingtang slid his hands under his ribs, he stopped offending her and sensed carefully. dongfang liren saw that ye jingtang had gone out for a while and suddenly behaved himself again. she reminded, ¡°don¡¯t think too much when you¡¯re teaching martial arts.¡± ¡°shh!¡± standing behind her, ye jingtang placed his palms under the fat-headed dragon. he used the method of the wind listening palm and carefully sensed the details. although there were two layers of fabric separating them, he could still clearly feel the fine texture of her skin. the faint fluctuations caused by breathing and the flow of blood and qi were also entirely presented in his palms. if he sensed carefully, he could even construct a drawing of veins and meridians in his mind. ye jingtang closed his eyes like an old doctor fully focused on taking dumdum¡¯s pulse. after sensing for a moment, he didn¡¯t correct her. instead, he said, ¡°i just learned liu qiansheng¡¯s wind listening palm. once you¡¯ve practiced it decently, the qi flow in the human body¡¯s meridians won¡¯t be able to hide from you. your highness, learn this first. it should be simpler and more intuitive to study moves in the future.¡± just learned¡­ dongfang liren was already used to this. seeing that ye jingtang had started to practice the technique, she didn¡¯t ask any questions and followed him to learn it without saying a word. because ye jingtang could sense the condition of dongfang liren¡¯s meridians, it was much simpler to teach her than before. he checked every detail, pointed out the wrong places, and made fine adjustments to correct them. in half an hour, he brought dumdum to figure out the qi circulation method of the wind listening palm. this was the first time dongfang liren had experienced the learning speed of a prodigy. she focused all her attention on practicing. after she roughly grasped it, she tried to use the method of the wind listening palm and pressed her hand on ye jingtang¡¯s chest. ye jingtang stood straight and asked, ¡°how is it?¡± ¡°umm¡­¡± dongfang liren closed her eyes and probed carefully. she felt that the meridians in ye jingtang¡¯s chest were like countless rivers. although they were flowing, because the rivers were too smooth and without any waves, she felt as if they were motionless, and she couldn¡¯t feel anything at all. ye jingtang saw the confusion between dumdum¡¯s brows. he flipped his wrist, clenched his fist, and gathered qi in his palm. dongfang liren immediately reacted. there was a hint of surprise between her brows. although her palm was separated by his clothes, she could feel the surging qi like a rushing river flowing past the area her palm was covering. ye jingtang smiled and asked, ¡°isn¡¯t it amazing?¡± with her eyes closed, dongfang liren nodded seriously. ¡°it¡¯s indeed worthy of its reputation. it¡¯s much better than meng jiao¡¯s technique¡­ come on, give me another reaction. it¡¯s as quiet as a corpse. what can i sense?¡± ¡°when peak-level martial artists enter combat readiness, they are as quiet as corpses. as long as they don¡¯t make a move, people won¡¯t even be able to catch their breath to prevent their opponents from catching their flaws¡­¡± ¡°i know. this isn¡¯t a fight.¡± hearing this, ye jingtang no longer refused. he circulated his qi and exhaled, allowing dumdum to study it carefully. dongfang liren was standing very close to him. her bright cheeks and red lips were only inches away. she couldn¡¯t sense things clearly with one hand, so she placed both of her hands on his chest. ye jingtang lowered his head to look at dumdum, who was completely focused. the faint fragrance of orchids wafted into his nose. his heart inevitably stirred, and the qi and blood in his body surged. dongfang liren frowned and sensed carefully. she found that the qi and blood in ye jingtang¡¯s body had begun to accelerate, and his heart was beating faster. there were strange movements in many parts of his body¡­ she tried to touch the place where the qi and blood was more active, but she found that the more she touched, the more restless the qi and blood became. after trying for a moment, she realized that ye jingtang¡¯s body seemed to be under her control. she knew what ye jingtang wanted. he would be happier when her hand went to certain places, and he would be disappointed when her hand moved away¡­ ?? ye jingtang was originally focused on teaching the technique, but he slowly realized that something was wrong. dumdum¡¯s hands on his chest were moving along with the fluctuations of his breathing. they slowly slid across his chest with just the right amount of strength. her technique was meticulous, and she focused on where he felt pleasure. he wanted to suppress his gradually agitated qi and blood, but he found that dumdum¡¯s comprehension ability was very high. she actually knew how to draw inferences and find places to stimulate. for example, when she touched his chest muscles, she even probed as if she understood something¡­ what the¡­ how could ye jingtang withstand such sensitive teasing? he said, ¡°your highness is practicing incorrectly and going in the wrong direction.¡± dongfang liren didn¡¯t feel that the direction was wrong. to be able to control ye jingtang¡¯s body was already very impressive to her. she studied it excitedly and said coldly, ¡°you don¡¯t even have this bit of willpower. in the future, when you meet a female expert and she uses a honey trap, won¡¯t you die on the spot? stand properly!¡± ye jingtang understood this logic, but seduction by an evil female devil and teasing by dumdum were two completely different things. helpless, he could only close his eyes and calm down. dongfang liren noticed that ye jingtang¡¯s agitated qi and blood were beginning to subside, and she was unhappy. according to the feedback transmitted to her palm, she began to search ye jingtang for weaknesses. she looked like a bad elder sister who was teasing a good young master. dongfang liren was indeed very talented¡­ ¡°your highness!¡± ye jingtang took a step back and grabbed dongfang liren¡¯s wrist. ¡°this technique is used for fighting. practicing it like this is going astray. the key to this technique is speed. the moment your palm comes into contact with the opponent, you can figure out the movement of the qi in the opponent¡¯s meridians and counterattack. if you touch slowly like this, you will be killed dozens of times by the opponent.¡± dongfang liren actually didn¡¯t dare to touch the man¡¯s place. when she noticed sir tangtang¡¯s helplessness, her eyes were rather smug as she waved her hand and said, ¡°this technique is indeed not bad. 1¡¯11 give you credit for getting it from liu qiansheng. go back. i¡¯ll practice it some more.¡± ye jingtang guessed that dumdum would definitely not practice the wind listening palm in the correct direction of figuring out the opponent¡¯s moves within a hair¡¯s breadth. she would continue to study it and whooly study how to touch him to shake his mind so that he wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand it and give in. but as a subordinate, ye jingtang couldn¡¯t control dumdum.. he could only cup his hands and bow before leaving helplessly¡­ Chapter 239 - Chapter 239: New Home (1) chapter 239: new home (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios in the imperial city, the battle scars on the square in front of the hall of the supreme principle had already been repaired overnight, and it looked just like new. outside the hall of the supreme principle, hundreds of courtiers in various court uniforms filed out of the thousand steps corridor in small groups of three to five, discussing how to deal with the case yesterday involving the prince of wu. behind the hall of the supreme principle, a hundred guards of honor surrounded the emperor¡¯s carriage and walked toward the eternal joy palace. on the imperial carriage, the empress of great wei, who was dressed in a black and red dragon robe, had her left leg over her right leg, revealing her red palace shoe and fair ankle. her elbows were resting on the armrests to support the side of her face. her sitting posture was slightly lazy, and her imposing and proud figure exuded a domineering aura like a monarch overlooking the world. the twelve tassels made of jade beads hanging down from the crown covered the empress¡¯s incomparably beautiful face. her eyes, which were originally so deep in the court that they seemed to be able to see through people¡¯s hearts, were now in a daze. the rebellion of a vassal prince was a huge matter, but with the prince of wu¡¯s strength, he couldn¡¯t cause any trouble. with a reasonable excuse, she could crush him with a flick of her finger. in the empress¡¯s eyes, it wasn¡¯t a big deal. last night, the beauty had been saved by the hero, and he had even seen the beauty bathing. to a woman, this was a huge matter. but the empress was not an ignorant little girl. she wouldn¡¯t be shy and timid because of this. at this moment, her mind was wandering as she thought about how to break out of her situation. there was more than just the prince of wu in great wei who had traitorous intentions. outside, northern liang was eyeing the country covetously, and inside, there were many vassal princes with ulterior motives. there were countless rebels like the green bandits and the pacifying heaven cult. in her situation, she could be said to be surrounded by powerful enemies. but the empress had never regarded these as difficulties. from the day she sat in this position as a woman, she knew that she had the ability to eliminate all the disasters in her sights and leave only a prosperous era without any war for future generations. however, it would take time to do all of this, and only by living could she accomplish everything she wanted. the only predicament she faced was her own body. if she wanted to live long, she had to think of a way to find the five lost roaring dragon chart pictures and heal the physique flaws brought about by touching the taboo. but it was impossible for her to run around the world to find the roaring dragon chart pictures herself. although her master, daoist xuanji, was powerful and had secretly helped her search for them, luck was more important than strength in finding the roaring dragon chart pictures. first, one had to have heaven-defying luck to discover clues. then one had to rely on one¡¯s outstanding detection and tracking ability to find their whereabouts. then one had to rely on peerless martial arts skills to snatch them. for these three points, the aspect of strength was the simplest condition. ye jingtang seemed to meet these three conditions, but he clearly had no reason to go through fire and water for his sister-in-law. if the empress wanted to arrange this heavy responsibility, she had to think of a way to closen the relationship and build a deep friendship that exceeded the differences between a ruler and a subject. but after what had happened yesterday, if they got closer, they might end up in the dragon bed. what they had established was not a pure friendship but a very strange relationship. as the dignified empress, using a honey trap to capture a man¡¯s heart to get him to do things for her wasn¡¯t the way she should behave. as an emperor, she should use her absolute charisma to make her subordinates pledge their loyalty to her. yesterday, when she stabbed eunuch cao with his spear, her peerless charm had already made ye jingtang look amazed and worshipful. but in a few seconds, she couldn¡¯t hold on, and her internal energy had failed on the spot. her image plummeted, and even her hairlessness had been discovered. a featherless phoenix was inferior to a chicken, and a hairless tiger definitely did not look dignified and domineering. how could she make ye jingtang submit to her in reverence¡­ sitting in the imperial carriage, the empress had countless thoughts running through her mind. just as she returned to the peaceful hall, she heard the voice of the palace maid hongyu coming from the hall. ¡°your majesty, her majesty is back. change your clothes. it¡¯s almost noon¡­¡± the empress returned to her senses and walked down from the imperial carriage. she let the palace servants retreat and entered the hall unhurriedly. the hall was empty. the palace maids had already been chased out by the empress dowager. in the bedchamber by the lake, hongyu was standing in front of the dragon bed and persuading gently. the empress dowager was sitting upright on the edge of the dragon bed with her hands folded at her waist. her expression was very vivid. her cheeks were puffed up, and her big eyes were misty. she was clearly very angry! the empress knew the reason. she hadn¡¯t woken up naturally this morning. instead, she had been kicked off the dragon bed by the empress dowager, who had woken up from a nightmare. then the empress dowager curled up in the corner of the bed and hugged her knees, looking like she had been humiliated. she didn¡¯t dare to say what had happened. based on her reaction, the empress reckoned that ye jingtang had really done something last night. the empress dowager was suffering in silence and didn¡¯t dare to tell anyone. the empress was afraid that the empress dowager would take things too hard, so she specially explained to her that she was the one who had called ye jingtang over. she had a secret mission to tell him, so the empress dowager shouldn¡¯t take it to heart. then the empress dowager couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore and complained to her about ye jingtang¡¯s atrocities. she wanted to summon ye jingtang into the palace for interrogation. the empress definitely didn¡¯t agree. she refused politely, but the empress dowager threw a tantrum. she had been sitting here all morning, refusing to eat or change clothes. she looked like she was going on a hunger strike. the empress entered the bedchamber and spread her arms to let hongyu take off her dragon robe and crown. she said gently, ¡°it¡¯s already noon. empress dowager, go eat. don¡¯t starve.¡± the empress dowager stood up and chased hongyu out. she helped the empress undress and looked very aggrieved. ¡°how can 1 be in the mood to eat? ye jingtang came here secretly. even though your majesty secretly summoned him, when he discovered me, he shouldn¡¯t have covered my mouth and even knocked me out¡­ i¡¯m the dignified empress dowager, but your majesty actually doesn¡¯t care about such treasonous actions. if it were liren, she would definitely help me seek justice¡­¡± the empress comforted, ¡°i¡¯ve already reprimanded him. he was afraid of alerting the palace servants, so he had no alternative but to knock you out..¡± Chapter 240 - Chapter 240: New Home (2) chapter 240: new home (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the empress dowager didn¡¯t think so. after hesitating for a moment, she whispered, ¡°even if he had no alternative, i still have to ask clearly about what he¡¯s done, right? when he knocked me out, your majesty wasn¡¯t present. there were only the two of us in the room. if he did anything to me, no one would know¡­ he even dared to knock me out. what if he kissed and touched me¡­¡± the more the empress dowager spoke, the more aggrieved she became. the empress had been asleep at the time, so she actually didn¡¯t know if ye jingtang had done anything. but judging from ye jingtang¡¯s attitude toward her, he wouldn¡¯t do anything treacherous and unethical. she explained gently, ¡°i came back just as he knocked you unconscious. he didn¡¯t have time to offend you.¡± the empress dowager raised her hand and tapped the empress¡¯s collarbone twice. ¡°isn¡¯t this offensive? is this a place that a man can touch? and he covered my mouth so tightly¡­¡± the empress tied the sash of her red dress and compromised helplessly. ¡°it was my lack of consideration that frightened you. how are you going to punish him?¡± the empress dowager¡¯s red lips opened and closed slightly. she really wanted to vent her anger. but when she thought of how ye jingtang had brought her to explore the underground tunnel the day before yesterday and protected her with all his might, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to punish him¡­ ¡°he is your majesty¡¯s¡­ no, he¡¯s liren¡¯s that. your majesty called him over in the middle of the night¡­¡± the empress raised her hand slightly with a solemn gaze. ¡°this matter concerns the fate of great wei. empress dowager, you mustn¡¯t spread it. if i¡¯m interested in ye jingtang, i can openly ask him to enter the palace to accompany me. 1 could confer liren as the highest-ranking prince of the blood. how could i make my sister sad?¡± the empress dowager thought for a moment. with the empress¡¯s personality, there was indeed no need to be sneaky if she wanted to sleep with ye jingtang. she continued, ¡°he is your majesty¡¯s favorite minister. if i punish him, won¡¯t 1 put your majesty in a difficult position? this matter¡­ i won¡¯t quibble with him over it, but your majesty has to let him know that it was i who didn¡¯t punish him, not your majesty protecting him, and tell him not to do it again.¡± the empress nodded slightly. ¡°1 will inform him that he is not allowed to set foot in the longevity palace in the future. if he sees you, he will avoid you in advance so that you won¡¯t be angry.¡± ? the empress dowager felt that if the empress said this, she wouldn¡¯t be able to see ye jingtang for the rest of her life. she didn¡¯t have this meaning, so there was no need for it. ¡°there¡¯s no need. i¡¯ll just pretend that this matter never happened.¡± the empress dowager¡¯s expression softened a little as she changed the topic. ¡°by the way, when is daoist xuanji coming? your majesty has been busy with government affairs, and recently, liren can¡¯t wait to follow ye jingtang from morning to night. yesterday, she promised to pick me up, but she turned around and forgot. she didn¡¯t even tell me¡­¡± ¡°daoist xuanji comes in autumn every year. it¡¯s already june, so it will be soon. when daoist xuanji comes, i will ask her to accompany you to have fun for a while. you can even visit parasol street incognito in the middle of the night.¡± the empress dowager looked forward to this happy time with her best friend every year. when she heard this, even her anger from yesterday dissipated a little. ¡°your majesty, please urge her. she has been cultivating immortality on void jade mountain for many years, but i haven¡¯t seen her cultivate anything special. she shouldn¡¯t still meditate when she comes to the capital.¡± ¡°i know.¡± it was noon, and the hot midsummer sun of june turned yun¡¯an city into an oven. there were almost no pedestrians on the streets. ye jingtang rode his horse along the shade of the trees on the street. he put his hand in front of the bird¡¯s eyes and continued to study the wind listening palm. the wind listening palm used the sense of touch to sense extremely subtle fluctuations. it wasn¡¯t only useful toward humans. in the past, when the bird¡¯s eyes were covered, it would shake its head. but today, it found that no matter how it shook, tangtang¡¯s hand would follow. after the bird failed to shake the hand off several times, its fighting spirit was aroused! at first, the bird didn¡¯t move at all. then it suddenly stuck its head out and even chirped to release fake information about an enemy attack to distract ye jingtang¡¯s attention before it launched a sneak attack. it could be said that its comprehension ability was extremely high. ye jingtang played with the bird and arrived at dye workshop street. the reconstruction of dye workshop street was quite fast, and it could be considered brand new now. but it was still being renovated, and no merchants had opened shop here. ye jingtang went to the depths of double osmanthus alley. he hadn¡¯t been back for a few days, and the courtyard hadn¡¯t changed much. although they were about to move to a bigger house, heroine luo hoped to keep the place where the two of them met for the first time, as well as where they had their first time. ye jingtang had bought this courtyard. the items inside were untouched so that he and luo ning could come here to reminisce about the past in the future. ye jingtang opened the door of the main room and took down the ¡®vendor selling chickens painting¡¯ hanging on the wall. thinking of the painter, whom he had just offended yesterday, he felt pressured. after carefully rolling it up, he took a few daily items and returned to heavenly water bridge. third lady must have some selfishness for helping him buy a house. the new residence was only half a street away from the pei family¡¯s mansion. it was very close to the southern breeze river. to the east was a viewing gallery facing the river, and in front was a sidewalk that led to the stone bridge. willow trees surrounded the residence, offering shade. the environment was extremely elegant. ye jingtang led the horse to the front door. he saw many workers from heavenly water bridge working back and forth inside, cleaning or placing furniture. in order to satisfy heroine luo, the residence was in the style of jiang province. there was a garden on the east side, and most of the buildings were on the west side. the layout was compact. there were four small courtyards in the back residence. there was also a two-story embroidery building where the young lady lived on the east side. from the looks of it, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for the owners and dozens of maidservants to live here. it was ye jingtang¡¯s first time here. he really didn¡¯t expect third lady to buy such a big house in the capital where every inch of land was so valuable. he walked around the residence before finding third lady in the big garden in the east.. Chapter 241 - Chapter 241: New Home (3) chapter 241: new home (3) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios in the middle of the garden was a small pond with a small stone bridge above it. on the other side of the stone bridge was a pavilion, and the original east wall had been built into a row of buildings because it faced the river. after entering, there were viewing galleries and other buildings. third lady was sitting at a small stone table in the pavilion. in front of her was an account book, and she was checking it carefully with xiuhe helping by the side. she looked like the eldest madam in charge of the residence. ye jingtang walked over the small bridge to the pavilion. he smiled and said, ¡°third lady, i¡¯m afraid this residence is a bit big. there are only three of us. just tidying up will tire us out.¡± when pei xiangjun saw ye jingtang, she recalled what had happened last night. her face was still burning. she turned around slightly, buried her head in the account book elegantly, and said in a calm tone, ¡°who knows how many girls you will bring back in the future. if you don¡¯t buy a bigger house, what if you can¡¯t live in it in the future?¡± xiuhe, on the other hand, was enthusiastic. holding a fan, she stood up to let ye jingtang sit down, helped fan him, and smiled. ¡°young master, there¡¯s no need for you to clean up this place personally. there are many maidservants in the family. they think that you are a good person and don¡¯t put on airs, so they all want to come over and serve you. now, they¡¯re drawing lots. they can only come if they win. 1 will be your steward from now on. young master, you don¡¯t mind, right?¡± ye jingtang looked at the beautiful and cute xiuhe, who was as happy as a new official taking office, and found it funny. ¡°how could i mind? but if you run here, what will happen to third lady?¡± xiuhe sat down in front of him and said proudly, ¡°those who are capable will work harder.i¡¯ll run back and forth for now and wait for third lady to move in¡­¡± ¡°xiuhe!¡± pei xiangjun raised her eyes and looked at xiuhe, as if she was preparing to clean up the family. xiuhe blinked. she knew that she had misspoken. she put down her fan and stood up. ¡°then¡­ i¡¯ll go outside and take a look. young master, have a pleasant chat.¡± with that, she ran away. ye jingtang picked up his fan and fanned third lady, who was sitting sideways on the stone stool. he looked up and sized her up. third lady was wearing red lipstick, and her hair was combed meticulously. there was even the bird and flowers hairpin he had given her. although she looked very serious as she buried her head in the accounts, her eyes glanced at him from time to time before quickly looking away. it was obvious that she had something on her mind. ye jingtang looked around the garden. ¡°the house is too big. it¡¯s strange to have so few people living here. third lady, why don¡¯t you live here too?¡± pei xiangjun¡¯s eyelashes fluttered slightly as she glanced at ye jingtang. she didn¡¯t understand what he meant and felt a little complicated. last night, she had fallen naked into jingtang¡¯s arms and even sat on his face. although she was embarrassed, she still understood and treated it as an accident. but before she fell, she and the vixen had been talking about very private things. they had said everything they should and shouldn¡¯t have said. jingtang must have heard everything¡­ this was no different from confessing her feelings to jingtang in person¡­ jingtang is asking me to live here¡­ pei xiangjun glanced at ye jingtang a few times, lowered her head to look at the account book, and said unhurriedly, ¡°i¡¯m the young lady of the pei family. it¡¯s not appropriate for me to live outside¡­ but you¡¯re often not at home. it¡¯s impossible for no one to care about such a big house. i¡¯ll discuss it with your aunt. if she arranges it like this, i¡¯ll come over. if your aunt doesn¡¯t agree, i¡¯ll just get xiuhe to come over and help take care of it.¡± ye jingtang smiled and nodded. ¡°third lady, you have to tell my aunt well. i used to live in liang province, and my courtyard wasn¡¯t as big as the stable here. i don¡¯t have any maidservants and don¡¯t know how to manage the household. third lady, if you don¡¯t live here and leave me in charge, the maidservants who come to help will probably be outrageous and sneak into my room at night.¡± pei xiangjun knew that this was the truth. xiuhe was much bolder than her. if she let xiuhe sleep next door to ye jingtang, within three days, she would definitely perform the drama of ¡®sleepwalking¡¯ into the wrong bed. ¡°got it. this house doesn¡¯t need to be cleaned up to begin with. you can start living here after moving your daily items over. go look around. i¡¯m busy.¡± ye jingtang chuckled and didn¡¯t disturb third lady.. he got up and brought the bird to look at their new nest¡­ Chapter 242 - Chapter 242: Snow Lake Flower chapter 242: snow lake flower translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the new residence on heavenly water bridge would take a few days of purchasing furniture before it was livable. it was inconvenient for the three of them to go back and forth, so they still stayed at third lady¡¯s house. after busying herself with the various arrangements of their new home today, luo ning returned to dye workshop street with ye jingtang to get some rouge, powder, and clothes. on double osmanthus alley, luo ning held a small umbrella and walked toward the courtyard door. along the way, she said, ¡°the four courtyards in the back residence are all prepared for your wives and concubines. every courtyard has a main room and an east and west wing. in total, there are twelve rooms. i don¡¯t even know what third lady is thinking¡­¡± ye jingtang was wearing a black robe with his long saber hanging at his waist. he led the horse behind him and smiled. ¡°it¡¯s better to have more empty rooms than none at all. in the future, when we have children¡­¡± ¡°the young masters have the east residence, the young ladies have the embroidery building, and the maidservants have the side and back rooms. those four courtyards are for your women to live in. do you think i can¡¯t tell?¡± luo ning turned around and looked at the extraordinary little thief beside her. ¡°third lady is already ready. if you don¡¯t fill up the rooms, won¡¯t you be letting her down?¡± ye jingtang put his arm around luo ning¡¯s shoulders and entered the courtyard with her. ¡°are you kidding me? i¡¯m not a donkey. if i bring twelve of them home, i¡¯ll turn into medicinal dregs before i¡¯m thirty.¡± luo ning¡¯s shoulders twisted slightly. ¡°then, how many are you going to marry?¡± ye jingtang thought about it seriously. ¡°what a man wants is nothing more than to dominate jianghu, be a noble, and have three wives and four concubines. three plus four equals seven. seven¡ªhiss! i¡¯m just joking.¡± luo ning¡¯s expression was slightly cold. after glaring at the little thief, who was eating from his bowl and looking at the granary, she entered the courtyard. ¡°i¡¯ll brew some medicine for you when i get back.¡± she looked around the kitchen. ¡°where is the medicine i bought?¡± ye jingtang smiled and said, ¡°i came back in the afternoon. i was afraid that it would expire if left for too long, so i threw it away.¡± threw it away? 1 spent so long with madam wang to get her to prescribe the medicine¡­ luo ning gritted her teeth and walked toward the courtyard gate. ¡°i¡¯ll go to literary virtue bridge to get medicine for you. you¡­ eh?! little thief!¡± ye jingtang blocked the way, picked up the cold and elegant, light and soft heroine, and apologized, ¡°i¡¯ll grab some when 1 have time. the weather is so hot, and we¡¯ve been running all day. take a break, and i¡¯ll massage your shoulders and legs.¡± how could luo ning believe this? yunli and the bird weren¡¯t here, and there were no outsiders in the entire alley. how could she not know what he would do if he carried her into the room? luo ning pressed the soft sword at her waist. ¡°little thief, 1 just came back to get something. 1 have to go back soon¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s just resting. it¡¯s broad daylight. how could i have ulterior motives?¡± ye jingtang pushed open the door of the west wing with his shoulder, sat on the bed, placed luo ning on his lap, and gently massaged her shoulders and arms. ¡°you¡¯ve worked hard these past few days. let me massage you. sit down and chat with me before going back.¡± luo ning wanted to get up, but ye jingtang wouldn¡¯t let her. so she turned her head and pretended to be aloof. ye jingtang had been inspired by dumdum today and discovered that the wind listening palm had other misguided and marvelous uses. although it was a little wasteful of a top-notch martial arts, liu qiansheng wasn¡¯t his master. it was fine to waste it. holding luo ning, ye jingtang massaged her with his hands and carefully sensed the fluctuations of her blood and qi, searching for the parts and intensity that ning¡¯er found the most pleasurable. his technique was extremely gentle. luo ning didn¡¯t want to speak at first, but after a while, she realized that the little thief was different today. it was completely different from the anxious pawing from before. his massage was quite comfortable, as if he was really serving her. luo ning blinked. because of the excellent experience, she slowly leaned against ye jingtang and asked coldly, ¡°what kind of technique is this?¡± ye jingtang had a smile in the corners of his eyes. seeing that ning¡¯er was no longer resistant, he placed his hand on the little watermelons. ¡°it¡¯s the wind listening palm. is it powerful?¡± as an internal martial arts expert, luo ning knew about this top internal martial arts. she was skeptical. ¡°is this how the wind listening palm is used?¡± ¡°martial arts don¡¯t have to be used for fighting. this is a supplementary use. do you want to learn it?¡± luo ning naturally wanted to learn it, but once she opened her mouth, the little thief would definitely push his luck. she thought for a moment and said calmly, ¡°it doesn¡¯t matter whether i learn it or not. if you have a heart, teach me. if you don¡¯t, forget it.¡± ye jingtang held ning¡¯er¡¯s heart and smiled. ¡°how can 1 have no heart? if you don¡¯t believe me, feel it.¡± ¡°i¡¯m not touching¡­ ah, you-¡± luo ning lightly hammered ye jingtang with her hand. helpless, she still lowered the curtain¡­ in the imperial city¡­ unknowingly, the moon rose above the branches, and gorgeous palace lanterns lit up between the palaces and pavilions. the front hall of eternal joy palace was the place where the emperor discussed government affairs. at this moment, the hall was brightly lit. the empress of great wei was sitting in front of a dragon-carved screen. there was a gauze white screen in front of her, and only her figure behind the screen could be vaguely seen. in front of the white screen was a stool. the white-haired imperial physician wang was sitting upright on the stool with a confession in his hand. he was reading it carefully. ¡°zhang jinglin should be a personal disciple of the northern liang medical sage. more than twenty years ago, he followed a northern liang envoy to yun¡¯an and visited me once¡­ this man can be considered talented, but he likes to use fierce medicines and folk formulas. it is a lack of medical ethics to value medical skills over the lives of patients. it is taboo to test medicine directly with humans. with the first time, doctors will no longer have any scruples. from the confession, zhang jinglin should have already walked the evil path before he was expelled by the northern liang medical sage.¡± ¡°imperial physician wang, can you tell what kind of medicine he¡¯s researching?¡± ¡°it expands the meridians in a short period of time to increase the internal energy by several times, and it even lasts for half an hour before causing death. ordinary forbidden medicine can¡¯t do it. if the confession is true, a medicinal herb similar to the snow lake flower should have been added to the formula to repair and protect the meridians.¡± the empress frowned. ¡°he has the snow lake flower.¡± old imperial physician wang shook his head. ¡°the snow lake flower grows in heavenly carnelian lake. it blooms once every sixty years. the last time it bloomed was when the country was founded. now, there¡¯s very little stock left in the world. even if zhang jinglin has it, he can¡¯t be so wasteful. i estimate that he¡¯s researching a medicine that can replace the snow lake flower.¡± the empress¡¯s eyes moved slightly as she sat up straight. ¡°is there any medicinal material in the world that can replace the snow lake flower?¡± ¡°zhang jinglin should have some clues since he can make the people testing the medicine last for half an hour. but even if he found a substitute, the medicinal effect can¡¯t compare to that of the snow lake flower, which precipitates the essence of the sun and moon for sixty years. if it can have one-hundredth of the medicinal effect, it¡¯s already considered a divine item.¡± the empress nodded slightly, deep in thought. if a martial artist¡¯s meridians were broken, they wouldn¡¯t be able to use qi circulation methods. if the main meridians were all broken, this person would be crippled, and their injuries wouldn¡¯t be able to recover at all. in the past, only the snow lake flower and the fire bathing picture could treat this kind of injury. but the snow lake flower was too rare. it was basically a special offering reserved for emperors. needless to say, the roaring dragon chart couldn¡¯t treat many people unless it fell into the hands of jianghu martial artists. if a substitute could be found, and the quantity was large enough, the hidden injuries of countless martial artists in the world would turn around. as for her, she was thinking about the roaring dragon chart. if something happened, the first thing that would be damaged would be all the meridians in her body. the remaining snow lake flower in the treasury had to be kept to save lives, so she didn¡¯t dare to use it. she could only rely on the flawed fire bathing picture to resist. with a substitute, even if the medicinal effect were only 1%, it would at least help her last a few more days longer than if there was no medicine¡­ the empress¡¯s eyelashes fluttered. after some thought, she asked, ¡°the last time the snow lake flower bloomed was when the country was founded. now that sixty years have passed, is it going to bloom again?¡± imperial physician wang said, ¡°according to the calculations, it will be in this year or the next. however, the heavenly carnelian lake is currently in the territory of northern liang and heavily guarded by northern liang soldiers. the truce between your majesty and northern liang has only been a few years. it¡¯s probably not appropriate to send troops at this time.¡± hearing this, the empress didn¡¯t say anything else¡­ a moment later, imperial physician wang left under the escort of palace servants. the empress pondered for a long time before she got up and returned to her bedchamber. she changed into a fiery red long dress, and her hairstyle returned to its refreshing and capable style. she jumped onto the roof of her palace and left the imperial city silently. the empress had extraordinary martial arts skills. in the past, she often strolled around the capital alone. because she liked poems and songs, the places she frequented the most were poetry conferences on parasol street, but she had never shown herself in public. the reason was not that the empress was low profile but that in the fields of zither, go, calligraphy, and painting, she really couldn¡¯t be high-profile. the empress rose and fell gently over the city. she first went to the black office, found the white-haired diting, and asked about ye jingtang¡¯s whereabouts. then she went to heavenly water bridge. the moon was high in the sky, and there were many pedestrians on heavenly water bridge. the depths of the pei family¡¯s alley were also very lively. the empress landed silently on the wall. she could see that a table had been set in the viewing pavilion in the west residence. a delicate young lady and three maidservants were sitting inside. they were focused on the bloody battle on the table. there was a big bird squatting beside them. ¡°little chick?!¡± ¡°chirp?1 ¡°i didn¡¯t call you!¡± in the small garden of the back residence, a charming and beautiful mature woman was walking beside a middle-aged madam and said with a worried expression, ¡°sister-in-law, i¡¯m an unmarried girl. it¡¯s not appropriate for me to live there¡­¡± ¡°jingtang already asked you to live there. his meaning is so obvious. why are you being so shy? if you continue to be like this, 1¡¯11 roll you up in a blanket and throw you over¡­¡± ¡°sigh, sister-in-law, i can¡¯t do anything about your arrangements. i¡¯ll listen to you¡­¡± the empress looked around but couldn¡¯t find any traces of ye jingtang in the huge residence, so she waited among the buildings. after waiting for about two hours, she noticed a horse coming over from a secluded back alley. ye jingtang, who was dressed in a black robe, was sitting in front. his back was straight, and he looked in high spirits. behind him was a stunning beauty in a blue summer dress. she was sitting sideways with a small bag on her lap and her face resting on ye jingtang¡¯s back, looking weak. when the empress saw this, she thought that this lady was sick. but after taking a closer look, she realized that she was wrong. when the horse arrived near the pei residence, ye jingtang stopped. the beauty in blue jumped down, and her legs went weak for a moment. then she frowned and hit ye jingtang with her hand. ¡°i just went back to get some things, but you had to mess around.¡± then she carried the small bag and quickly entered the pei residence. the empress blinked, feeling that ye jingtang must have gone out on a date with his sweetheart and kissed and touched her. the empress secretly observed for a moment and saw ye jingtang hand his horse over to a servant, speak with a maidservant, and then walk to a courtyard alone. she sneaked over silently¡­ Chapter 243 - Chapter 243: As If I Am Here (1) chapter 243: as if i am here (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the silver moon hung in the sky like a hook. from time to time, the greetings of maidservant could be heard in the courtyard. ¡°young master ye~¡± ¡°mm, rest early¡­¡± after ye jingtang handed over his horse, he first went to the west residence to take a look. he found that yunli had lost so badly that her scalp was numb. she had even started to ask the bird to help her draw the tiles. satisfied, he left and went to the east residence. ye jingtang was the young master of the pei family. he was too old to stay in the back residence. he had returned very late two days ago and didn¡¯t care about the rules, so he had directly slept on ning¡¯er¡¯s bed. since he had nothing to do today and was resting at home, he obviously couldn¡¯t swagger into the third lady¡¯s courtyard. he had to live in a courtyard of the east residence according to the rules. the east residence of the pei family¡¯s mansion was very big. his foster father, pei yuanfeng, had lived here when he was young. now, only pei luo lived here. after pei luo went to school, there was no one else here. after ye jingtang entered the capital, third lady had wanted him to stay in the pei residence. two months ago, she had tidied up the room. he had changed his clothes a few times here, but he had never stayed here. ye jingtang walked along the corridors to the east residence. he declined a few maidservants who had secretly come to serve him and arrived at his room alone. his room and pei luo¡¯s room were opposite each other. the layout was the same. the main room was in the middle, the study was in the east, and the bedroom was in the west. at night, the windows were dark, and the room was silent. ye jingtang walked under the eaves and pushed the door open. he could see that the main room was neat and tidy. in the middle of the luohan couch was a fresh fruit plate. ye jingtang took off his saber from his waist, walked to the fruit plate, and picked up a washed green apple, and turned into the bedroom in the west. just as he was about to take a bite of the apple, he stopped in his tracks. the bedroom was divided into inner and outer rooms. in the middle was a round mahogany partition with a bead curtain hanging on it. there was a round table, small stools, a lampstand, and other things in the outer room. in the inner room, there was a canopy bed with a light blue curtain hanging. the room had been tidied up by the maidservants until it was spotless, but the curtain that should have been neatly hung on the hook was lowered, and he couldn¡¯t see the bed behind the curtain. ye jingtang had been an escort all year round, so he was very vigilant. he listened carefully, but there was no movement on the bed. he guessed that the maidservant had been afraid that mosquitoes would enter, so she had lowered it. he walked over and used the hilt of his saber to open the curtain. this move was out of professional habit when he checked rooms. but when he lifted the curtain, he found a woman on the bed! the woman was very tall. her long black hair was tied by a hairband and draped over her back. from the side, he could see that her chest was very magnificent, but her waist was quite slender, and the curves under her waist had astonishing tension. there were no lights in the room. under the moonlight from the window paper, he couldn¡¯t see clearly, but he could still see that the woman was wearing a bright red dress. she was dressed simply without any accessories at all. at this moment, she was lying on her side on the bed with her hand supporting her cheek. swoosh! although this wasn¡¯t the first time that ye jingtang had bumped into a woman of unknown origin on his bed, he was still caught off guard. he retreated behind the bead curtain, holding the saber in his left hand and the hilt in his right hand, ready to attack. as for the green apple in his hand, it fell out of his hand and toward the floor. just as it fell a few inches, a fair hand reached out from the curtain, caught the apple steadily, and retracted. crunch- it sounded like she took a bite. ?? ye jingtang instantly entered a battle-ready state. it was so quiet that only his heartbeat could be heard, but he quickly returned to his senses. ¡°miss yuhu?!¡± ¡°uh-huh-¡± a lazy and mature voice came from behind the curtain. ¡°i came uninvited. i hope you don¡¯t mind, young master ye.¡± ye jingtang let go of the hilt of his saber with a strange expression. he didn¡¯t mind yuhu coming uninvited, but a peerless female expert, whose hairless tiger he had seen yesterday, had come to his bed in the middle of the night¡­ if she wasn¡¯t here to kill him, then she was probably here to sleep with him¡­ ye jingtang hesitated for a moment before putting down his saber. he took out a flame stick and lit the lampstand. ¡°why would i mind? miss yuhu, how is your injury?¡± the dim yellow light illuminated the corners of the room. through the gaps in the curtains, he could see the waistline of the bright red dress. ¡°i¡¯m fine now. sit down. i have something to talk to you about.¡± ye jingtang felt that yuhu¡¯s visit wasn¡¯t about anything good. he didn¡¯t open the curtain and sit on the bed. instead, he went to the outer room, took a small round stool, placed it at the head of the bed, and looked at the woman through the curtain. ¡°miss yuhu, 1 have a clear conscience about what happened yesterday. if you come to tell me to take responsibility¡­¡± the empress was lying on her side on the bed, so her demeanor was natural and languid, as if she was lying on her bed to summon her subordinates. ¡°don¡¯t think too much. i¡¯m here because her majesty has something to arrange for you. i¡¯ll leave after saying it.¡± ¡°what is it?¡± ¡°put your hand in.¡± ye jingtang hesitated for a moment, but he still braced himself, lifted the bottom of the curtain, and put his hand in. then something heavy was placed on his hand, bringing with it her body heat. seeing that it wasn¡¯t anything strange, ye jingtang heaved a sigh of relief. he took out his hand to look at the item, only to see a pure gold token lying in his palm. on the back was a dragon head relief, and on the front was ¡®as if i am here¡¯¡­ ye jingtang knew the weight of this token and couldn¡¯t help feeling strange. in his left hand was ¡®the soul of yan is indestructible¡¯, and in his right hand was ¡®as if i am here¡¯! in the future, he would probably be able to do whatever he wanted in lawful society and the underworld. however, if things got out of control¡­ after looking at the gold token, ye jingtang smiled and said, ¡°this token is not simple. what does her majesty have to say?¡± crunch- the empress took another bite of the green apple and chewed slowly before saying, ¡°yesterday, the prince of wu¡¯s heir was exposed. the news must have been sent to wu province overnight. the prince of wu doesn¡¯t have the strength to rebel, and he won¡¯t come to the capital to be executed. when he receives the news, he will definitely escape..¡± Chapter 244 - Chapter 244: As If I Am Here (2) chapter 244: as if i am here (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ¡°her majesty wants me to capture the prince of wu?¡± ¡°her majesty only wants to take back the prince¡¯s title and land justifiably. the prince of wu himself isn¡¯t important. but the prince of wu has been planning for so long and has made many preparations. he should continue planning in the dark. the imperial court will clean up these matters. what you want to do is another matter.¡± ye jingtang asked, ¡°which is?¡± ¡°the prince of wu has a retainer named zhang jinglin. he is suspected to have developed a substitute for the snow lake flower. this item is very important. you have to think of a way to find him and investigate this matter. if it is true, you have to bring him back alive.¡± ye jingtang nodded slightly. ¡°just this?¡± the empress felt that ye jingtang didn¡¯t understand the seriousness of the matter, so she continued, ¡°my practice of the evil technique has caused some damage to my meridians. only the snow lake flower can keep me alive at critical moments, but there aren¡¯t so many snow lake flowers in the world. therefore, her majesty wants you to go out to do this. you can¡¯t slack off. this token can allow you to mobilize any forces of the imperial court at any time.¡± this time, ye jingtang understood what she meant. yuhu urgently needed this kind of medicine to treat her injury, but she couldn¡¯t let outsiders know that she urgently needed this thing, so she had to let him, an insider, do this job. ¡°understood. if the news is true, 1 will definitely do my best to bring him or the formula back.¡± ¡°put your hand in again.¡± ye jingtang was slightly puzzled. he thought that miss yuhu was going to give him a sword of state or something. but in the end, after he reached in and took it out, there was a green apple lying in his hand with two bites and red lipstick marks¡­ ye jingtang was speechless. ¡°doesn¡¯t it taste good?¡± ¡°it¡¯s good, but 1 don¡¯t have much of an appetite.¡± the empress supported her face with her hand and continued, ¡°in a few days, the prince of jing will serve as the imperial envoy and take officials of the six ministries to rising sun city in wu province to deal with the prince of wu lineage and their assets. ¡°only you know about zhang jinglin¡¯s matter. it is of utmost importance. if you and the prince of jing disagree, you can use a token to make her listen to you and prioritize this matter, but don¡¯t reveal the truth. just do your best to bring him back.¡± ye jingtang felt that yuhu¡¯s demand for the snow lake flower seemed to have reached the level of impatience. he asked, ¡°are you worried about your injury?¡± the empress deliberated for a moment. ¡°it¡¯s not particularly serious, but it can¡¯t be treated in a short period of time. i¡¯m indeed worried.¡± ye jingtang knew that solving yuhu¡¯s problem wouldn¡¯t be as simple as killing a few people. he immediately asked, ¡°can i take a look at your injury?¡± the empress said, ¡°you¡¯re not a doctor. you can¡¯t see my internal injury.¡± ¡°i recently learned the wind listening palm. i can sense the movement of the qi in the body. i¡¯ll give it a try.¡± ye jingtang lifted the curtain and sat by the bed. when the empress saw this, she didn¡¯t say anything. she turned over, lay on the bed, and raised her fair wrist. ye jingtang sat on the side of the bed like an old doctor. he placed yuhu¡¯s hand on his lap and used his fingers to feel her pulse. he closed his eyes and sensed carefully. her pulse was very stable¡­ ¡°i don¡¯t sense a problem¡­¡± the internal injury of the empress was that she had practiced the roaring dragon chart on her own and destroyed the original structure of her body, causing extremely minute flaws. her two strands of white hair were the external changes caused by the internal problem. usually, when nothing was particularly wrong, no problem could be found with her pulse. the empress pointed at her right shoulder. ¡°i occasionally feel a faint pain in my shoulder, but my bones, skin, and flesh are normal. 1 can¡¯t figure out what¡¯s wrong.¡± hearing this, ye jingtang placed his hand under her right shoulder and carefully sensed. ¡°does it hurt now?¡± ¡°it will hurt for a few hours during the day. it¡¯s not serious. 1 just feel it. it doesn¡¯t hurt now.¡± ye jingtang nodded slightly, closed his eyes, and carefully sensed the movement of the qi in her body. the empress leaned on the pillow. for some reason, when she felt the heat from ye jingtang¡¯s body again, she felt very comfortable. although it was called a sense of security, she didn¡¯t seem to lack a sense of security now¡­ the empress stared fixedly at the stunningly beautiful man in front of her. she couldn¡¯t figure out what the issue was. ye jingtang studied carefully like a doctor. in the end, after searching for a long time, he didn¡¯t find any internal injury in yuhu¡¯s body. instead, he found that the blood and qi in her body were not right. the specific description was similar to when he touched heroine luo in the afternoon. but the reaction in yuhu¡¯s body was stronger. even through the thin fabric, he could feel the¡­ lust flowing through yuhu¡¯s body? ye jingtang opened his eyes and looked at yuhu, who was as calm as a meditating old monk. he felt that she looked normal. but her body¡¯s reaction shouldn¡¯t be lying. it was clearly burning¡­ in order to verify it, ye jingtang massaged yuhu¡¯s shoulder gently and found that she felt pleasure. when the flow of her qi and blood increased, he followed it. when they became calm, he adjusted the intensity and position¡­ ¡°phew¡­¡± the empress¡¯s eyelashes moved slightly. she felt extremely comfortable. but her rationality prevented her from forgetting that the person who was teasing her desire was her brother-in-law! for this reason, the empress suppressed the throbbing in her heart and said, ¡°ye jingtang, do you want to enter the palace and serve her majesty with me?¡± ye jingtang paused for a moment and retracted his hand. ¡°i don¡¯t feel any internal injury or abnormality. 1 think it¡¯s endocrine¡­ um¡­ the internal regulation of your body is abnormal. 1 feel that if you go to madam wang, she¡¯ll be able to see more problems than me.¡± the empress narrowed her eyes slightly. ¡°do you mean that you haven¡¯t found anything after touching me for so long?¡± ye jingtang wanted to explain, but in the end, he said frankly, ¡°that¡¯s right. but i only massaged your shoulder. my intention was to treat your internal injury.¡± the empress didn¡¯t bother arguing. she waved her hand and said, ¡°my injury is very difficult to treat. go bring zhang jinglin back first.¡± ye jingtang stood up, picked up the gold as if 1 am here¡¯ token, and looked at it. ¡°should i set off with the prince of jing?¡± ¡°the prince of jing has to take officials of the six ministries on an official ship and will travel slowly. the prince of wu might have already received the news by now. by the time you arrive in wu province, he should have already escaped from rising sun city. the sooner you go, the higher the possibility of completing this matter.¡± ye jingtang put away the token and turned around. ¡°i understand. i¡¯ll go back and pack my things before setting off.¡± the empress raised her hand slightly. ¡°go ahead.¡± ye jingtang was about to walk out of the bead curtain, but when he saw the furnishings of the room, he felt that something was wrong and turned around. ¡°miss yuhu, this is my bed.¡± the empress blinked her charming eyes. she wanted to say, ¡°all the land in the world belongs to me.¡± but these words were a little too domineering. she stood up, stood in front of ye jingtang, and exhorted, ¡°even if you can mobilize the government forces, this matter is still dangerous. you have to prioritize your own safety and be careful.¡± ¡°i know what to do.¡± ¡°if you accomplish this matter, what reward do you want?¡± ye jingtang originally wanted to say that he didn¡¯t seek fame and fortune, but this was obviously impossible. after some thought, he tried asking, ¡°i have two confidantes who want to learn the jade bone picture. miss yuhu, do you think this is possible?¡± when the empress heard that ye jingtang was still thinking about his wife at this moment, she couldn¡¯t help sighing inwardly. my judgment of people is indeed sharp. power, money, fame, and sex. this kid really only has the word sex. the empress thought for a moment, leaned closer to ye jingtang, and said meaningfully, ¡°1 can give you whatever you want.¡± as the fragrance of orchid blew against his earlobe, ye jingtang stood up straight. he felt that miss yuhu was flirting with him and quickly took half a step back. he was about to say, ¡°miss, please respect yourself!¡± but before he could speak, he discovered the peerless beauty in the red lift the bead curtain and walk out of the door, leaving only a faint fragrance remaining in the room¡­ Chapter 245 - Chapter 245: Showing Third Lady a Big Treasure chapter 245: showing third lady a big treasure translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the lights on both sides of the river were dazzling, and the bright moon hung in the sky. the two sails swelled into hemispheres under the river wind, driving the merchant ship down the river. the merchant ship was 60 feet long. in the front was the area of the deck for storing goods. it was empty except for three horses. behind was a small deckhouse. the inside was lit with dim yellow lights, and the silhouettes of two women could be seen on the window paper. ye jingtang was dressed in a black robe with his black sheathed saber placed horizontally on his knees, sitting cross-legged at the bow of the ship, looking at the surging river. the big fluffy bird was squatting beside him. the white feathers on its body fluttered in the river wind, and its mouth was chirping, sounding like it was muttering: the bird came out of the winds and clouds. once it entered jianghu, time rushed¡­ a few months ago, when ye jingtang first arrived in the capital, the old escort yang chao had asked him where he and the bird would go from now on. at the time, he had answered that he would go to jianghu as a joke. now that he was here, he finally understood what jianghu was. the essence of jianghu was all kinds of people connected together by countless loves and hatreds. if there was love, there would be repayment. if there was hatred, there would be revenge. when these things were encountered, there would never be a day to let them go. this was why there was a saying, ¡®when one was in jianghu, some things were beyond one¡¯s control.¡¯ jianghu was not a nice place. but fortunately, his foster father had been honest enough with him when he was young. he had beaten him up three times a day, not letting him have any luck or slack off. the escort agency didn¡¯t have much revenue, but his foster father had still carefully prepared a foundation for him. his foster father would rather drink poor-quality wine for two copper coins a liter so that he could prepare a medicinal bath that cost a few taels of silver for him. day after day, year after year, eighteen years of meticulous care finally polished him into a sharp sword that could amaze the entire jianghu. all the difficulties he encountered in jianghu were no longer difficult under his absolute talent and foundation. unfortunately, his foster father had left these things for him, but he hadn¡¯t seen this day with his own eyes¡­ sitting cross-legged at the bow of the ship, ye jingtang looked at the river that his foster father must have passed through when he was young as countless thoughts appeared in his mind. in front of him, the bird chirped for a moment. seeing that ye jingtang didn¡¯t say anything, it patted him with its wing, looking like it was comforting him: don¡¯t be sad, it¡¯s just two books. if it¡¯s confiscated, so be it. didn¡¯t you often confiscate my snacks in the past¡­ ye jingtang came back to his senses and rubbed the bird¡¯s head. he looked back at the small deckhouse behind him with a helpless expression. he was sitting here in the cold wind at night. clearly, he wasn¡¯t pretending to be a melancholic jianghu wanderer. the ship set off from the capital to wu province. it first had to take the clear river to west king town, then pass by the border of ze province through the wuxi canal until it arrived at wu province¡¯s rising sun city. it was smooth sailing on the fast ship. it would take two to three days to travel nearly 1,000 kilometers by water. although the matter was urgent, it was indeed quite boring on the ship. third lady and ning¡¯er were staying together. ning¡¯er would definitely not let him bully her casually, and it was even more so for third lady. in his boredom, he practiced martial arts in his room and read the famous book given by dumdum in his spare time. but ning¡¯er was clearly bored as well. she ran over and discovered that he was reading the large novel. in the name of letting him practice properly, she took it and read it herself. ye jingtang couldn¡¯t snatch things from his wife, so he could only sit here and watch the scenery and practice martial arts to relieve his boredom. seeing that it was already late and time to sleep, ye jingtang asked the bird to keep watch during the night. then he got up and went to the deckhouse at the back. the small deckhouse at the end of the ship was not big. there was a corridor in the middle and a room on the left and right. ye jingtang stayed in the left one, and the two women accompanying him on his journey shared the right one. because there were only three people on the ship, the door was ajar to make it easier for the bird to enter and ask for food. ye jingtang walked to the door and looked inside. he could see that the light was on in the room. ning¡¯er, dressed in blue, was sitting cross-legged on the wooden bed by the window. her back was straight, and her cold face carried the aura of an otherworldly fairy. from the looks of it, she was practicing the roaring dragon chart. as for third lady, she was an external martial arts expert and didn¡¯t know the roaring dragon chart. at this moment, the way she practiced was similar to yoga. she lay straight on the bed with her hands supporting her upper body, raising her upper body as much as possible to stretch her chest and abdominal muscles and bones. viewed from the side, the curves of her waist and legs were perfect, and the size under her tight clothes was even more amazing¡­ ye jingtang blinked. seeing this scene, he remembered something very important. the roaring dragon chart picture hidden on him was a calamity for people of jianghu. if the news were leaked, it might be a disaster. ning¡¯er had sternly instructed him not to reveal it to anyone unless he could 100% trust them. but to put it bluntly, the roaring dragon chart was only a book. after he learned it, he could only use it as armor. if others learned it, it wouldn¡¯t be a loss to him. dumdum had taken good care of him and even taught him the jade bone picture. he should return the favor. but dumdum was a princess of the imperial court, and the roaring dragon chart was a forbidden item. if he wanted to teach it to dumdum, he had to hand it to the imperial court. he couldn¡¯t let dumdum read it and then take it back to keep it privately. this was a taboo of the imperial court. after he handed it over, if he wanted others to learn it, he would have to ask the imperial court¡¯s opinion first, just like with the jade bone picture. for this reason, since dumdum didn¡¯t urgently need the dragon form picture, he could only wait for a suitable opportunity to teach it. on the other hand, he didn¡¯t have such scruples with third lady. ever since they went to broad crossing to fight and kill, her intentions were basically clear. she treated him far more important than a piece of paper. he had been busy with the case in the capital case a few days ago and didn¡¯t have time to consider this matter. now that they were going to wu province, they had two days of leisure time on the ship. it was a good opportunity to teach third lady. ye jingtang stood at the door and thought for a while before entering the room and closing the door. creak- click! the sound of the door being locked rang out, and the two women on the bed immediately reacted. luo ning opened her eyes and looked at ye jingtang, who was walking over with a mysterious smile, her eyes filled with suspicion. ¡°what¡­ what do you want to do?¡± pei xiangjun seemed to have the same thoughts as luo ning. she thought that ye jingtang was going to twofer with one cannon. she sat up and was a little flustered. ¡°jingtang, your room is on the other side. why are you here¡­¡± ye jingtang went to the bed and sat down. without saying anything, he raised his hand to untie his robe, wanting to take the treasure under the soft armor. but just as he took off his clothes, a noise sounded in the room. thump! luo ning frowned, grabbed ye jingtang¡¯s right hand, and pressed him onto the bed. ¡°little thief! have you lost your mind?¡± pei xiangjun was also shocked. she didn¡¯t expect jingtang to be so bold. he was really prepared to do both of them here. she moved over and held ye jingtang¡¯s other hand. ¡°jingtang! i came out to help you with your task. how¡­ how could you have such thoughts?¡± ye jingtang was like a little flower thief who had barged into her boudoir at night. he was held down by the two beautiful women with a helpless expression. ¡°what are you thinking about? i¡¯m just taking out a big treasure for third lady¡­¡± ptui!¡± this wasn¡¯t the first time luo ning had heard such dirty words. it was big, but she didn¡¯t think it was a treasure at all. it was more like a murder weapon¡­ luo ning¡¯s expression turned slightly cold as she held ye jingtang down and gritted her teeth angrily. ¡°little thief, your wings have hardened, right? do you believe that 1¡¯11 confiscate it from you?¡± pei xiangjun didn¡¯t understand. ¡°what big treasure?¡± ye jingtang asked ning¡¯er to let go of him. then he sat up and whispered into her ear. luo ning understood what his intention was, and her expression changed a little. she wanted to stop him, but after thinking about it, she decided not to. third lady cared about the little thief as much as she did. knowing about the dragon form picture wouldn¡¯t endanger the little thief¡¯s safety. if she could learn the dragon form picture, her combat strength would increase in the future, and she could help the little thief. luo ning thought for a moment and stood up. ¡°it¡¯s yours. you can talk to her yourself.¡± then she walked out the door and went to the room opposite. when pei xiangjun saw that the vixen had left her here alone, she thought that the vixen had become magnanimous and asked her to serve ye jingtang. her mature and beautiful eyes looked strange as she sized up her surroundings, looking like she was looking for an opportunity to escape. ye jingtang stopped third lady, reached under his clothes at his chest, took out a golden piece of paper, and handed it to third lady. ¡°here.¡± ¡°what is this?¡± pei xiangjun took the golden paper and examined it. from the corner of her eye, she was still paying attention to ye jingtang in case he suddenly pounced on her and bullied her. ye jingtang naturally had no intention of pouncing on her. he sat in front of her and explained, ¡°the dragon form picture. third lady, your physique is delicate, so it¡¯s not suitable to practice the overlord spear. with this, you should be able to break through your bottleneck.¡± pei xiangjun had never seen the roaring dragon chart before. when she heard this, she was stunned. she thought that ye jingtang was joking, but when she carefully rubbed the golden paper, she found that it was special¡­ pei xiangjun looked at the golden paper, her eyes filled with disbelief. then they turned serious. ¡°jingtang, how can you casually reveal such a thing in front of a woman? do you know how many couples have turned against each other and brothers have killed each other because of the roaring dragon chart?¡± ye jingtang naturally knew the severity of the matter. he said gently, ¡°third lady, you don¡¯t even care about your life for me. how can you value a piece of paper more than me? hurry up and learn it. i¡¯ll teach you.¡± pei xiangjun blinked and thought that this was indeed so. ye jingtang trusted her, so he showed her the roaring dragon chart. although she felt that she was worthy of this trust, there seemed to be a gap compared with the vixen¡­ the vixen had given up her body, and she hadn¡¯t even been afraid when ye jingtang, who had gone crazy from the drug, bit the little watermelons. but she didn¡¯t give him anything. due to the ancestral teachings, she didn¡¯t even teach him the last two moves of the overlord spear¡­ pei xiangjun blinked and returned the dragon form picture to ye jingtang. ¡°i¡¯ll learn it in the future. we¡¯re not that close yet¡­¡± ye jingtang raised his hand to hold pei xiangjun¡¯s shoulder, making her sit down. ¡°third lady, you already know that 1 have the roaring dragon chart. what does it matter now whether you learn it?¡± pei xiangjun thought about it and agreed. she pursed her lips and said, ¡°whoever knows the last two moves of the overlord spear will be the red god of wealth. because your foster father left home angrily, he didn¡¯t learn them back then¡­ although our ancestors have rules, the rules have to change with time. i will take some time to teach you¡­¡± ye jingtang smiled and said, ¡°that¡¯s fine.¡± pei xiangjun nodded. she wanted to start learning the dragon form picture, but she still felt that this wasn¡¯t enough. the overlord spear was powerful, but it was far inferior to the roaring dragon chart¡­ pei xiangjun¡¯s gaze flickered. after hesitating for a long time, she put on a refined and elegant appearance and said gently, ¡°jingtang, about that¡­ your aunt has already betrothed me to you. 1 can¡¯t escape, so i¡¯m prepared to obey. you¡­ you have to obey whether you agree or not so that your aunt won¡¯t be sad. so i¡­ i¡¯m your fiancee from now on.¡± ye jingtang smiled and said, ¡°marriage is a big deal. now that we¡¯re outside, it¡¯s inconvenient to discuss these things. let¡¯s practice first.¡± after pei xiangjun finished speaking, her face turned fiery red. but as soon as she said the words in her heart, her flustered emotions calmed down. pei xiangjun calmed down a little and regained the bearing that a sect master should have. she said gently, ¡°alright, go treat your body with ning¡¯er. i¡¯ll study it myself.¡± ye jingtang looked at third lady, who had a red face but maintained the appearance of an expert, and shook his head. ¡°you definitely won¡¯t understand it. let me teach you.¡± ? pei xiangjun thought that everything about ye jingtang was good, except for his big mouth. she sat up straight. ¡°i¡¯m only in my twenties, but i¡¯ve suppressed the heroes of the red flower pavilion to become the leader. i didn¡¯t rely on your grandmaster¡¯s guidance. do you think i¡¯m like ning¡¯er, that i¡¯m not capable and only know how to be tyrannical among my own family?¡± the two rooms were not far apart, and luo ning was obviously eavesdropping. at this moment, she said coldly from the opposite room, ¡°ye jingtang, let her figure it out on her own. if she can¡¯t figure it out, she¡¯ll ask you.¡± ye jingtang had spent three or four days thinking hard about the roaring dragon chart to figure it out. he felt that third lady would probably take ten days to half a month to figure it out herself. but since third lady was so confident, ye jingtang didn¡¯t say anything. he got up and left the room. creak- the door was closed, leaving only the dim yellow light in the room. pei xiangjun¡¯s calm aura was finally broken at this moment. embarrassment clearly appeared in her eyes.. after her eyes flickered for a long time, she picked up the dragon form picture and studied it carefully¡­ Chapter 246 - Chapter 246: Beauty in White chapter 246: beauty in white translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios two days later, in baywater town in the southwest of wu province¡­ at noon, the gloomy sky cast shadows on the buildings in the old town, turning the town gray. it looked like dawn or dusk. baywater town was located along the wu river and was not very big. but because the wuxi canal intersected with the wu river upstream, there were many ships coming and going on the river. there were often small pharmaceutical merchants and people of jianghu docking here. there was only one old street from the west to the east in the town. along the two sides of the street were inns and wine shops, and the streets were full of herb farmers with stalls. compared to the bustle of other places, an inn in the center of the town was very quiet. the lobby was silent. after a few tables of diners hurriedly finished eating, they threw down their silver and left quickly. occasionally, hungry jianghu guests would walk to the entrance. after taking a quick look, they would turn around and leave. a few people entered and ate silently. this situation happened because there was a woman sitting by the window of the inn. to be precise, she was a very eye-catching woman. the woman was wearing snow-white clothes. a few red plums dotted the hem of her dress and white shoes, which were spotlessly clean. the woman had a slender waist and a full chest. although her face was covered by a white veiled hat and couldn¡¯t be seen, just by looking at her figure, people could tell that she was a one-in-a-million beauty. such a woman was sitting alone in an old inn, surrounded by wolf-like jianghu men. she looked like she was in danger of being consigned to eternal damnation at any time. but the reality was the exact opposite. women were very common in jianghu, but beautiful women were rare, and it was even rarer for them to travel alone. anyone in jianghu would know that a woman who dared to dress up beautifully and appear alone in a place where people from all walks of life gathered definitely had unique skills. the woman in front of the window was dressed in a way that was incompatible with jianghu. in the eyes of the people of jianghu, she wasn¡¯t a beauty but a piece of fresh and juicy bait. anyone who dared to come into contact with her was waiting for an iron hook to pierce their jaws and their stomachs to be disemboweled until not even bones were left. although the woman only looked out of the window calmly and didn¡¯t reveal any dangerous aura from beginning to end, all the jianghu people in the restaurant consciously stayed away from her and didn¡¯t even look at her. even after she sat there for a long time without ordering, the shopkeeper and waiters turned a blind eye to her. they only prayed in their hearts that this female fiend who had mysteriously arrived would leave as soon as possible. after the silence in the inn lasted for a long time, some commotion came from the street outside. ¡°catch him!¡± ¡°you¡¯re courting death!¡± the customers in the inn and the woman in white at the window all turned their gazes to look at an alley in the distance. a young man of fifteen or sixteen years old ran out of the alley. he was wearing rough linen clothes and holding an oxtail saber. the snow-white blade was dyed a gorgeous blood-red color. in the gray town, he looked as dazzling as the woman in white. behind the young man were six men. the thugs in front were holding swords, spears, and clubs. behind them was a man in a brocade robe, holding a saber in his right hand and the saber wound in his abdomen with his left hand while chasing after the young man. such a scene was too common in jianghu. after the jianghu people in the inn looked at the situation from afar, they continued eating. the woman in white looked over for a moment and saw that the saber-wielding youth was rather valiant. the five men blocking him in the corner still couldn¡¯t approach him. she asked, ¡°what¡¯s going on over there?¡± the voice was ethereal but natural. it was difficult for others not to pay attention to this voice, but the waiter standing at the door immediately understood that she was talking to him. he hurriedly turned around and explained politely, ¡°it¡¯s second master xu from the baywater gang. he runs a gambling den in the alley. the kid he¡¯s after is a foreigner. two days ago, he came here and said that he was looking for his father. he even asked here¡­¡± ¡°did he find him?¡± ¡°no. nearby here is the thousand-kilometer-long wu mountains. there are often jianghu people going to the mountains to dig for medicine. they get lost or are eaten by tigers and bears, and their corpses are never found.¡± ¡°what¡¯s the conflict with the gambling den?¡± ¡°i¡¯m not sure. maybe he ran out of money, gambled a few times, and became angry after losing¡­¡± as they chatted, the weak saber-wielding young man was pinned to the ground by two men with spears and clubs. covering his wound, second a^aster xu went forward, his eyes filled with anger. he raised his saber to cut off the young man¡¯s right arm. seeing this, the woman in white raised her right sleeve and slid out her fair fingers that seemed to have no bones. she was holding a copper coin in her fingertips. but just as she was about to flick it out, a sound came from the street half a street away. swoosh! a robe rustled in the wind. the entire street was paying attention to the battle from afar. seeing that second master xu was holding someone down and preparing to cut off his arm, some chivalrous jianghu people also made some movements. but before anyone could say anything, a figure suddenly appeared in front of second master xu. the bystanders didn¡¯t even see where the figure came from. when the figure stood still, they saw that he was quite tall. he was wearing a black robe and had a long saber wrapped in black cloth at his waist. the man was wearing a bamboo hat. under the bamboo hat, his handsome face looked gentle, elegant, and not ferocious at all. but his eyes were as sharp as two sharp knives. the moment he appeared, all the jianghu people on the street sat back down. second master xu¡¯s saber slashed down. halfway through, the black-robed man¡¯s slender fingers grabbed the back of the saber and held it firmly in midair. it was unable to move down any farther. second master xu was stopped by someone, and the anger from his wound completely transferred to the person who came. ¡°who are you? i low dare you stop me¡­¡± creak! before he could finish speaking, everyone saw the black-robed man, who was holding the back of the saber with his bare hand, exert strength with his left hand. then the iron saber in his hand was bent and deformed visibly. the sound was not loud, but it frightened all the people on the street. clang! clang! clang! the curved iron saber fell to the ground, and the old street fell into dead silence. the thugs beside him quickly threw away their weapons and retreated. second master xu¡¯s anger was completely gone, and there was a hint of surprise in his eyes as he forced himself to say, ¡°my sect is the grasping moon tower¡­¡± halfway through his sentence, he saw the black-robed man in front of him slide out a waist token with the word ¡®arrest¡¯ on it. judging from the style, he was either a reaper of the six gates or a king of hell of the black office. as soon as the token appeared, there were immediately abnormal movements in the small town that was mixed with good and bad people. many people left quietly through the back doors and windows. the people of jianghu were unruly and usually didn¡¯t take officials and soldiers seriously. there were many people who dared to fight with officials, but the premise was that they could defeat them. in the event that they couldn¡¯t win, the tokens on the officials¡¯ waists was a death sentence to the people of jianghu! when second master xu saw that it was someone from the government, his face turned green. he didn¡¯t even care about his abdomen injury as he hurriedly cupped his hands and bowed with an apologetic smile. ¡°sir, please calm down. i was blind and didn¡¯t recognize your identity. i was chopped up by someone, and anger blinded me. i was just trying to scare the perpetrator. 1 definitely didn¡¯t have the intention of committing murder on the streets¡­¡± ¡°you¡¯re from the grasping moon tower?¡± ¡°this matter has nothing to do with the grasping moon tower. it¡¯s a personal grudge. i¡¯m just a disciple using the sect¡¯s fame to scare people. the grasping moon tower might not even know me¡­¡± in the past two days, something had happened to the prince of wu, and the imperial court¡¯s troops were rushing to wu province. second master xu clearly knew what would happen if the imperial court targeted his sect because of his affairs, so he hurriedly cleared up the relationship. the woman in white at the window looked at the situation from afar. she wanted to see how this handsome official would deal with this matter. but halfway through, her eyes moved slightly, and she turned to look at a figure quickly walking away from the side of the town. ¡°waiter, bill.¡± ¡°alright¡­ huh?¡± hearing this, the waiter, who was looking at the situation, hurriedly turned around, only to see that the table by the window was empty. the woman in white had disappeared without a trace, leaving only a copper coin on the table. the waiter¡¯s eyes were blank. after looking around, he ran out of the door and looked all over. after a while, he scratched his head. ¡°what the hell¡­¡± the gray town was almost dead silent. other than some abnormal movements, there were no other human sounds. ye jingtang was standing on the street with his saber. in front of him was the brocade-robed man nodding and bowing. the yellow-clothed young man, who had been held down, got up, but he didn¡¯t dare to run. he only stood on the spot with injuries all over his body and a pale face. over the past two days, ye jingtang had taken a fast ship and sped to wu province day and night, fie had only left the wuxi canal this morning. he originally wanted to go straight to rising sun city, which was dozens of kilometers away. but when he passed by this town just now, he noticed that there was something unusual in the town, so he came over to take a look. he didn¡¯t expect that this gangster who wanted to kill someone on the street was related to the grasping moon tower, a large sect in wu province. since he was here and had encountered something, ye jingtang investigated the situation. after putting away the token, he looked at the yellow-clothed young man standing at the side. ¡°why did you fight privately?¡± second master xu covered his stomach with his hand and hurriedly said, ¡°this kid just drew his saber when he had a disagreement¡­¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t ask you.¡± the yellow-clothed youth stood where he was, clearly a little afraid. ¡°a few days ago, my father came to baywater town to dig for medicine and never returned. i came here to look for him. after searching for a few days, i heard that my father had taken a job from him and went to the mountains to dig for medicine with others¡­ but he didn¡¯t come back. 1 asked him, but he said he didn¡¯t know, so i took action.¡± ye jingtang turned to look at second master xu. second master xu gritted his teeth. ¡°sir, i can¡¯t make the decision on this matter¡­ sir, wait, ahhh¡ª¡± a scream resounded. ye jingtang had hooked his toes to pick up the oxtail saber that had fallen on the ground and stabbed it into second master xu¡¯s right foot, nailing it into the limestone. he stared into second master xu¡¯s eyes. ¡°you think i¡¯m asking you for information?¡± second master xu sat on the ground and covered his right foot with a pale face. he didn¡¯t dare to struggle and hurriedly said, ¡°it¡¯s a steward of the prince of wu estate. he often finds people from jianghu who are good at martial arts to dig medicine in the mountains. there are many tigers and wolves in the mountains. accidents and deaths are too common. his father was unlucky and didn¡¯t come back. you can¡¯t blame me.¡± ye jingtang knew that the prince of wu estate was testing the medicine on living people, so he wasn¡¯t surprised. he asked, ¡°since he was working for the king of wu estate, why didn¡¯t you tell him the truth?¡± second master xu opened his mouth and hesitated for a moment. the saber inserted into his foot rotated, and his expression immediately twisted. he hurriedly gritted his teeth and said, ¡°the prince of wu estate gave a hundred taels of silver as compensation. two days ago, something big happened to the prince of wu, and he had already escaped from rising sun city. when i saw that no one was pursuing the matter, i was obsessed and wanted to take the silver¡­ i will immediately give him some more silver as compensation.¡± after ye jingtang asked about the situation, he felt that this person was useless. he let go of the hilt of his saber and looked at the thugs beside him. ¡°in public, you injured someone with weapons for money. you will be punished by the law for three years. take him with you to the government office for trial. if he doesn¡¯t arrive by tomorrow, he will be beheaded in public, and all of you will join him. if you think you can escape, you can try.¡± sir?!¡± second master xu¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°i¡¯ll compensate him with silver. i guarantee that i will never do it again¡­ sir!¡± after the few thugs carried second master xu away, ye jingtang looked at the pale-faced young man in yellow. ¡°you injured someone with a weapon first, so you should be guilty of the same crime. however, on account of the reason for the incident, i won¡¯t pursue the matter. go home and face the wall for three months to reflect. from now on, remember not to draw your saber if you don¡¯t have the ability. i can¡¯t save you a second time.¡± the yellow-clothed young man heaved a sigh of relief and quickly cupped his hands. ¡°sir, thank you for saving my life¡­ sir, my father¡¯s martial arts skills are very good. it¡¯s impossible for him to be harmed by a tiger or bear. i hope you can help me investigate the murderer¡­¡± ye jingtang knew that his father had most likely died at the hands of the prince of wu. he had given him some compensation money because he didn¡¯t want any trouble and let the news reach the ears of the imperial court. he thought for a moment and said, ¡°wait in the town. if your father is still alive, he will come back to reunite with you. if he¡¯s dead, i will send someone to give you an explanation. what is your father¡¯s name?¡± ¡°my father is zhang wenyuan. he¡¯s from yellow court county in ze province. he often comes to wu province to search for herbs. there are a few scars on the left side of his face. he was injured by a mountain tiger while digging for medicine when he was young¡­ he left home in the middle of last month and has yet to return¡­¡± ye jingtang took out a small black booklet from under his clothes at his chest.. after recording the information, he turned around and left the town¡­ Chapter 247 - Chapter 247: Surrounded by Wolves (1) chapter 247: surrounded by wolves (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ye jingtang went out of baywater town, called down the bird circling in the sky, and carried it back to the river. he looked up to see ning¡¯er and third lady standing side by side at the top of rhe deckhouse, looking at the mountains and wilderness behind the town. ye jingtang jumped up and landed on rhe ship. he turned around and looked at baywater town. ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± pei xiang]un was holding a monocular in her hands and searching through the misty mountains. ¡°when you were handling affairs just now, i seemed to see a white shadow leave rhe town and disappear in a flash¡­¡± ye jingtang landed behind his two fiancees and leaned in front of third lady¡¯s face. she brought the monocular to his eye. ¡°white shadow¡­ where?¡± luo ning felt ye jingtang¡¯s hand on her lower back and pushed ir away calmly. ¡°i was looking ar rhe street just now, but 1 didn¡¯t see any white shadow. i think she must have been dazzled by the dragon form picture these few days.¡± pei xiang]un, who was helping ye jingtang hold the monocular, said unhappily, ¡°how can i be seeing things? it¡¯s clearly your eyesight that¡¯s bad.¡± while they were talking, pei xiangjun also noticed that there was a hand on her lower back. she glanced at jingtang, who was focused, and pursed her lips, pretending not to notice anything. ye jingtang scanned the boundless mountains and wilderness through the monocular. it was empty without any abnormality. he asked rhe bird, ¡°did you see the white shadow?¡± ¡°chirp chirp! ¡± the bird, standing at the top of the mast, shook its head like a rattle drum, indicating that it had been paying attention to the buildings around ye jingtang and hadn¡¯t paid attention to the outside of the town. pei xiangjun searched for a while and found nothing, so she put down the monocular. ¡°forget it. it has nothing to do with us. let¡¯s go to the black tortoise hail to inquire about the situation in wu province first.¡± hearing this, ye jingtang retracted his gaze and jumped down from the deckhouse with the two of them in his arms. then he went forward, pulled up the sail, and steered rhe boat away from the river bank. the red flower pavilion had branches in the twelve provinces of great wei. back then, the various major ship gangs had formed an alliance to establish the red flower pavilion. the guan family near wu province s rising sun city were elders and belonged to the black tortoise hall of the four main halls. during the red flower pavilion¡¯s heyday, rhe black tortoise hail had a martial arts grandmaster presiding over it. with the backing of a top rich and powerful force, it had a very high status among the twelve sects in wu province. but now, fortune was not on its side. the black tortoise hall was the first to fail behind among the four main halls. it had spent a lot of money but had failed to raise a grandmaster to support it. after the former spear chief passed away, rhe red flower pavilion s headquarters had also collapsed. it could no longer manage the affairs in wu province at all. in a situation where the black tortoise hall had no backing and no successor, it rapidly declined in just ten years. now, there were only about two hundred people left in the hall. it relied on three docks to survive. if not for the red flower pavilion s reputation in the past, it wouldn¡¯t have the qualifications to rank among the twelve sects of wu province. rising sun city had been very chaotic for rhe past two days, and ir was very rare to see pedestrians near the city. the guan family¡¯s docks near the river had closed, and the merchants had all fled to avoid the war. the guan family¡¯s businesses near the docks were also closed, and only a few guan family disciples were patrolling the surrounding area. ye jingtang docked the ship on the river bank. immediately, people from the black tortoise hall came over to inquire. as the pavilion lord, as long as pei xiangjun appeared, ye jingtang, the young master, could only stand at the back like a vase. in order to let him take over as soon as possible, she naturally hid behind the scenes and let him handle matters on his own. luo ning didn¡¯t have such concerns. she wore a veiled hat and followed behind, pretending to be ye jingtang¡¯s sword-carrying maid. ye jingtang brought luo ning to the guan residence and saw a large group of people running out of the manor. the leader was the hall master of the black tortoise hall, guan shengxing, and behind him were the helm masters of the black tortoise hall and the disciples of the guan family. during the annual meeting of the red flower pavilion, ye jingtang had met guan shengxing. he was in his fifties, stout, and had business acumen, but his martial arts skills were basically not ranked high. they hadn¡¯t spoken much with each other. at this moment, guan shengxing, dressed as a wealthy merchant, came out. his face was full of joy as he walked to ye jingtang and cupped his hands. ¡°young master, why didn¡¯t you send a message in advance when you came to wu province? i didn¡¯t welcome you properly. please don¡¯t blame me¡­ what are you waiting for? quickly bow¡­¡± many of the disciples behind him were seeing ye jingtang for the first time. when they heard this, they hurriedly cupped their hands. ¡°greetings, young master.¡± the hall masters of the four main halls were elders of the red flower pavilion, and ye jingtang had to call them uncles. guan shengxing¡¯s courtesy was clearly too much. ye jingtang raised his hand to help guan shengxing up. ¡°uncle guan, you¡¯re too polite. i heard that something happened in wu province, so i came over to take a look. let¡¯s go in and talk.¡± recently, wu province was in a mess. when guan shengxing saw that the young master of the headquarters had come to support the scene, he was really grateful from the bottom of his heart. he hurriedly brought ye jingtang to the guan family¡¯s incense hall and first offered incense to the founder of the black tortoise hall. then he dismissed the people around him and sat down in the tea hall. guan shengxing personally carried the teapot and poured tea. hearing ye jingtang ask about the situation in rising sun city, he shook his head and sighed. ¡°two days ago, news came that the heir of the prince of wu was plotting a rebellion in rhe capital, and something happened in rising sun city that night. it seemed that the prince of wu wanted to mobilize his private army to rebel. but the twenty thousand private soldiers raised by the prince of wu can only scare the people of jianghu and don¡¯t have the courage to rebel. 1 heard that the imperial court mobilized two hundred thousand border soldiers to quell the rebellion, and the vanguard army would arrive in rising sun city in three days. so the private soldiers ran away, leaving only a few hundred personal guards to guard the prince of wu estate. the prince of wu is isolated and helpless. he didn¡¯t dare to stay in the city and ran away with his personal guards the day before yesterday¡­¡± ye jingtang took the teacup and asked, ¡°where did he go?¡± guan shengxing shook his head. ¡°wu province is surrounded by yan, ya, and jiang provinces. prince of wu can¡¯t leave at all. he probably escaped into the wu mountains. young master, you¡¯re from the capital. do you know what¡¯s going on in the capital? did the imperial court really dispatch two hundred thousand soldiers?¡± ye jingtang shook his head. ¡°the imperial court didn¡¯t dispatch a single soldier. only an imperial envoy and officials from the six ministries are coming to take over the prince of wu¡¯s assets. they¡¯ll probably arrive in a few days..¡± Chapter 248 - Chapter 248: Surrounded by Wolves (2) chapter 248: surrounded by wolves (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios guan shengxing wasn¡¯t surprised ar all. he shook his head and sighed. ¡°i don¡¯t know what the prince of wu is thinking. why did he have to rebel? with rhe private soldiers under his command, he might not even be able to defeat the prince of yan¡¯s army cooks. 1 don¡¯t understand why he dared to rebel¡­¡± ¡°maybe he was instigated and used by someone with evil intentions. it¡¯s a good thing that the prince of wu didn¡¯t cause a war.¡± guan shengxing shook his head. ¡°this matter won¡¯t affect the imperial court much, but the situation in jianghu will change. iron river manor, the leader of the twelve sects, is close to the prince of wu. once the prince of wu falls, the imperial envoys from the capital will come to deal with the rebels. it¡¯s inevitable that they will investigate iron river manor. ¡°the day before yesterday, iron river manor sent people to send invitations to the heads of rhe twelve sects, asking them to go to iron river manor to attend a banquet to discuss countermeasures. they probably want the twelve sects to take responsibility for this matter together so they can get the imperial court to let the matter go instead of punishing everyone¡­¡± ye jingtang was a genuine imperial envoy¡¯. he was just worried about not knowing who to investigate. when he heard this, he became interested. ¡°iron river manor is holding a heroes conference at this time. does anyone dare to go?¡± guan shengxing shook his head and sighed. ¡°iron river manor¡¯s guan yujia, nicknamed ¡®little fist chief¡¯ in jianghu, is invincible among the twelve sects of wu province. it¡¯s fine if the imperial envoys come and kill him. but if he doesn¡¯t die, and the imperial envoys let him handle this matter¡­ i wasn¡¯t present at the conference today, so 1 definitely won¡¯t be able to settle things peacefully. i¡¯ve been worrying about how to respond these few days¡­¡± ye jingtang smiled and said, ¡°uncle guan, you don¡¯t have to worry about this matter. leave it to me to handle.¡± guan shengxing s eyes lit up, bur he was still a little hesitant. ¡°guan yujia isn¡¯t simple, and the imperial court is even more troublesome. the imperial court will definitely take this opportunity to crack down on the jianghu sects in wu province. if we don¡¯t handle it well and attract rhe suspicion of rhe imperial envoys, we might be made an example of by the imperial court¡­¡± even if ye jingtang wanted to make an example our of someone, it was impossible for him ro kill his own people. after casually saying a few words, he asked, ¡°uncle guan, you have a dock near rising sun city. you should be well-informed. has the prince of wu estate purchased a large amount of medicinal herbs in recent years?¡± ¡°purchased a large amount of medicinal herbs¡­¡± guan shengxing recalled for a moment. ¡°the prince of wu estate has never openly purchased a large amount of medicinal herbs, but it¡¯s possible in private. when i was sailing in wu province, i always kept an eye on the situation of the twelve sects. ¡°since the year before last, the amount of medicinal herbs handled by the grasping moon tower hasn¡¯t changed, but the amount going out is clearly less than in previous years. as a result, the cooperating pharmaceutical merchants could only go to other shops to collect goods. there¡¯s a high chance that this missing portion was eaten by an unknown wealthy merchant¡­¡± when ye jingtang heard this, he mostly understood. the prince of wu wanted ro replicate a medicine like the snow lake flower, and he also wanted to use a forbidden medicine ro create a large number of one-time-use experts as elite soldiers. he definitely needed to stockpile a large amount of medicinal herbs to experiment and make medicine. medicinal herbs were an important resource for war. if a vassal prince hoarded a large amount of them, it would definitely alert the imperial court. for this reason, the prince of wu wouldn¡¯t go through the normal channels. the best method was undoubtedly to let jianghu forces be proxies. this role was most likely the grasping moon tower. thinking of this, ye jingtang didn¡¯t stay any longer. he put down his teacup and said, til go outside to check on the situation. uncle guan, please send people to pay more attention to the movements in jianghu these days. record any sign of trouble.¡± ¡°young master, don¡¯t worry about such a small matter¡­¡± a moment later, outside the guan family¡¯s manor¡­ after ye jingtang bade farewell, he left the guan residence with luo ning. along the way, he thought about the clues he had just learned. luo ning had been listening in just now. while walking, she helped analyze. ¡°there¡¯s a high chance that the grasping moon tower secretly helped the prince of wu hoard medicinal herbs and has a close relationship with him. however, the prince of wu has already escaped. the grasping moon tower is a jianghu sect, so the possibility of them knowing the specific movements is very small¡­¡± the purpose of ye jingtang¡¯s trip was not to capture the prince of wu but ro find the formula for a substitute snow lake flower for miss yuhu to treat her illness. even if he didn¡¯t catch zhang jinglin, imperial physician wang might be able to figure out the formula if he knew what medicinal herbs the prince of wu had mainly bought. he would definitely investigate the grasping moon tower. however, the grasping moon tower was one of the four major sects of the wu province, so it might be a little difficult to visit directly and extract a confession. ye jingtang thought for a moment and asked, ¡°ning¡¯er, how much do you know about the grasping moon tower?¡± luo ning thought about it. ¡°the sect master of the grasping moon tower, huang yulong, has a high status in the jianghu. two years ago, a jianghu elder in the heavenly south passed away. i represented the pacifying heaven cult at the funeral and met huang yulong. from his words and actions, he¡¯s good at socializing¡­¡± ye jingtang was slightly stunned. ¡°you know the sect master of the grasping moon tower?¡± i cover my face when i go out, and i rarely speak when 1 participate in jianghu events. i can¡¯t say 1 know him.¡± luo ning looked at ye jingtang and asked, ¡°you want to pretend to be a member of the pacifying heaven cult and go there to get information?¡± ye jingtang smiled and raised his hand to pinch ning er¡¯s big moon. ¡°what do you mean by pretend? i¡¯m a proper protector of the pacifying heaven cult. i¡¯m just representing the pacifying heaven cult to discuss cooperation with the prince of wu.¡± luo ning¡¯s expression turned slightly cold, and she nudged ye jingtang gently with her elbow. ¡°you still have the check to call yourself a protector after you¡¯ve insulted the cult mistress? if the cult master finds out, do you know what will happen to you?¡± whatever you do to me, the pacifying heaven cult master will do to you¡­ ye jingtang felt that this joke was a little too much, and he could easily be beaten to death by the pacifying heaven cult master, so he didn¡¯t say anything. he just lowered his head and kissed her red lips. smooch- luo ning¡¯s eyes were annoyed, but there was nothing she could do about the increasingly unscrupulous little thief.. she could only bury her head and run back to the riverside¡­ Chapter 249 - Chapter 249: Surrounded by Wolves (3) chapter 249: surrounded by wolves (3) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios at night¡­ deep in the wu mountains, in the hidden dragon cave¡­ the hidden dragon cave was a naturally formed karst cave. the entrance was more than 30 meters tall, and the cave was 10 kilometers long. it meandered like a coiling dragon and was named hidden dragon by the prince of wu. the prince of wu had only secretly developed the hidden dragon cave in recent years. the area within a radius of dozens of kilometers was full of dense forests that humans rarely visited, and tigers and leopards roamed freely in the forests. even herb pickers who went into the mountains to collect herbs rarely set foot in this place. in the middle of the night, the outside of the hidden dragon cave was as dark and silent as usual. but 250 meters into the depths of the karst cave, one could see a wall built of mountain stone. there were nearly a hundred elite soldiers in excellent armor inside, leaning against the wall and resting silently. after passing through the stone wall, flames began to appear in the karst cave, and from time to time, servants were running on the winding path. deep in the cave with open terrain, there were countless torches on the walls. more than a hundred large iron cages were placed at the corners of the cave. in each cage, there were two or three lifeless men. some soldiers holding rice buckets knocked on the iron bars and poured food into the food troughs. in a small cave not far away, it was much cleaner and neater. there was a carriage inside that people could lie on. the prince of wu, dongfang heng, who was wearing a silver python robe, was sitting on the luxurious carriage. although he was over sixty years old, he had lived a pampered life all year round, so his appearance was still young and stout, and he looked to be in his early fifties. however, he had suddenly met with a calamity. all his subordinates had scattered, and he was surrounded by enemies on three sides. even escaping was an extravagant hope. the prince of wu clearly wasn¡¯t in a good mood. he just sat alone in the carriage and stared blankly at the cave that might be his burial ground. after a long silence in the cave, footsteps came from outside. the prince of wu looked up and saw that it was his aide bai siming. he immediately stood up and said, ¡°siming, how¡¯s the situation outside?¡± bai siming was the prince of wu¡¯s chief advisor and number one expert. he was among the top martial artists below the eight chiefs. the prince of wu¡¯s plan to support the deposed emperor had been exposed in advance, causing his troops to disperse and him to be isolated. there was basically no possibility of success again. but the prince of wu had been working hard in wu province for many years, and he had not completely lost his foundation in just a few days. when the prince of wu planned to save the deposed emperor, he had been afraid that using wu province martial artists would arouse the suspicion of the imperial court, so he had bribed foreign martial artists. as for the jianghu forces and peak martial artists that he had secretly developed in wu province, he had not used them. this was one of the remaining forces in his hands. although the forces of jianghu couldn¡¯t allow the prince of wu to rebel, if he used them well, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for him to break out of the encirclement and escape outside the pass. bai siming was in his early forties. he was dressed in a scholarly robe and holding a folded fan in his hand, tapping it gently in his palm. behind him was a man wearing a bamboo hat. bai siming walked over and said calmly, ¡°your highness, there¡¯s no need to worry. we merely lost twenty thousand useless soldiers. everything else is fine, and the situation is still under control.¡± when the prince of wu heard that bai siming was still saying this calmly despite him being at a dead end, he knew that he was saying it for the outsider to hear. the prince of wu looked at the bamboo hat man behind bai siming and asked, ¡°this is?¡± the man in the bamboo hat took a step forward and cupped his hands. ¡°lu fang of the cutting cloud palace greets your highness.¡± when the prince of wu heard the words ¡®cutting cloud palace¡¯, his eyelids twitched. the cutting cloud palace was one of the top forces in jianghu. it was far away from the authority of the imperial court, and it seemed to have no connection with the overall situation. however, the cutting cloud palace was a force in yan province. since the prince of wu could secretly get iron river manor, the grasping moon tower, and other jianghu forces to run errands for him because it was inconvenient for him to appear, if the prince of yan wanted to do something that might arouse the suspicion of the imperial court, how could he appear in person? now, the only person in the world who had the strength to save the prince of wu¡¯s old life was his half-brother, the prince of yan. when the prince of wu saw that someone had come from yan province, he knew that the prince of yan was probing him. he didn¡¯t even care about the bearing of a prince. he went forward and raised his hand. ¡°mr. lu, there¡¯s no need to be so polite. the situation in the wu province has been unstable recently. i¡¯m temporarily recuperating here, so it¡¯s not convenient for me to receive you. i hope you don¡¯t mind the poor reception.¡± lu fang had taken a lot of risks to come here. he didn¡¯t say much and went straight to the point. ¡°in the past, my brother worked in wu province and was treated well by your highness. the day before yesterday, he found out that your highness was in trouble, so he specially sent me over to see if i could help your highness. however, the guard is too tight. the main roads to and from wu province are blocked by the imperial court, and officials and troops have arrived one after another. it¡¯s very difficult to bring your highness to yan province¡­¡± the prince of wu understood that he was asking for a bargaining chip. ¡°i have been working in wu province for decades, and i have connections all over wu province. as long as i can settle down safely in yan province, these things will be of great use one day.¡± what the prince of wu meant was that he had a lot of influence in wu province. if the prince of yan wanted to rebel one day, he could rely on the military, political, and business connections that the prince of wu had accumulated in wu province over the years to support him. unfortunately, the prince of yan didn¡¯t care about the prince of wu¡¯s useless connections at all. lu fang had only come this time to squeeze out the little remaining value of the prince of wu. ¡°my brother knows. my brother heard that your highness has an apothecary under him who has outstanding skills and is researching a secret medicine that can greatly increase people¡¯s internal energy. i wonder if this is true?¡± prince of wu blinked. ¡°sect master lu is quite well-informed¡­ this is indeed the case. mr. lu, follow me.¡± the prince of wu turned around and walked to the side of the karst cave. after passing through the mountain of medicinal herbs, he arrived near the dark river deep in the cave. beside the dark riverside was an artificial stone platform, which winded like a snake for 250 meters. nearly a hundred medicinal furnaces were lined up on it, and more than ten apothecaries were running back and forth to check the fires. on the stone wall of the cave, there was a carved-out room with several rows of bookshelves inside, all filled with medical books. sitting at the table in the middle was an old man with a goatee, disheveled hair, and a dirty body. he was writing on a book with a brush.. Chapter 250 - Chapter 250: Surrounded by Wolves (4) chapter 250: surrounded by wolves (4) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the prince of wu brought lu fang outside the room and said, ¡°this is mr. zhang jinglin, a direct disciple of the northern liang medical sage. however, mr. zhang focuses on medicine and doesn¡¯t like to socialize. siming, help me introduce it.¡± bai siming, who was following behind, stepped forward, took out a medicine box from the wall, walked over to lu fang, and opened it. lu fang looked down and saw that the medicinal box was full of silver powder with a strong medicinal fragrance. ¡°what is this?¡± ¡°snow lake powder.¡± bai siming used a small golden spoon to take out some silver powder. then he got his subordinates to bring over a dying medicine-testing prisoner and directly fed the powder into the prisoner¡¯s mouth. lu fang knelt down beside the prisoner, who was covered in injuries, and checked his pulse. the prisoner¡¯s meridians had been broken. he had an incurable illness and didn¡¯t have much time left. but after taking the medicine, less than 15 minutes later, the meridians that were riddled with holes in his body clearly began to gradually restore and become smooth¡­ when lu fang saw this scene, his eyes were full of surprise. ¡°is this the powder of the snow lake flower?¡± bai siming put down the box and shook his head. ¡°this is a secret medicine concocted by mr. zhang. although the medicinal effect is far inferior to the snow lake flower¡¯s, the advantage is that the medicinal herbs required are all common in the world. one tael of snow lake powder can be made with dozens of taels of silver. brother lu, you should know the value of this item.¡± as a person from jianghu, lu fang naturally knew the value of this unique divine medicine that could protect the meridians and restore them. and it was even cheaper to produce than jade dragon ointment. putting aside making money with it, as long as there were sufficient resources, this thing alone could recruit countless martial artists with hidden illnesses. a strange look flashed across lu fang¡¯s eyes as he asked, ¡°as long as it¡¯s used in large quantities, can it have the same effect as the snow lake flower?¡± before bai siming could respond, zhang jinglin, who was sitting behind, slowly said, ¡°medicine isn¡¯t rice. quantity can¡¯t make up for efficacy. however, as long as there are no new injuries, people can slowly restore damaged meridians after taking this medicine over many years.¡± lu fang¡¯s eyes were slightly disappointed, but he looked at zhang jinglin with more respect and asked, ¡°does this medicine already have a formula, or can it be refined again to further increase its efficacy?¡± zhang jinglin stood up and scratched his messy hair. ¡°hero lu, do you suffer from an internal injury and urgently need this medicine?¡± lu fang realized that he had accidentally revealed his eagerness and quickly replied with a smile, ¡°there¡¯s a nephew in the family who¡¯s made a mistake in his martial arts practice and needs the snow lake flower to treat his injury. if he delays for too long, he¡¯ll miss the best age for practicing martial arts and will become useless. 1 indeed have an urgent need.¡± zhang jinglin walked out of the room and led the three of them between the medicinal furnaces. ¡°the snow lake powder is just an indirect product of my imitation medicine. it¡¯s extremely valuable to the world, but it¡¯s nothing compared to what i¡¯m really researching.¡± lu fang was half a head taller than zhang jinglin, but he bowed and followed behind to ask, ¡°mr. zhang, what kind of divine item are you researching?¡± ¡°heavenly carnelian bead.¡± ¡°oh? what is this?¡± zhang jinglin walked forward with his hands behind his back and introduced seriously, ¡°the heavenly carnelian bead is a secret medicine recorded in the northern liang imperial palace. it was developed by shamans from the various tribes in the western sea. it is said that consuming it can forcefully strengthen and expand the meridians, open the spine, straighten the bones, and stimulate talent. the most important thing for martial artists is their bone structure and comprehension. these two are talents that can¡¯t be changed postnatal. ¡°the heavenly carnelian bead can correct the bone structure and expand the meridians until the bones are straight and the muscles are flexible and flawless. for example, hero lu, as long as you use this medicine, it¡¯s not a problem for you to rank directly as a martial chief of great wei. moreover, you will have the capital to point your sword at the three immortals on the mountain¡­¡± when lu fang heard this, he frowned slightly. ¡°martial chiefs are one-in-a-million talents, and the three immortals on the mountain are even more extraordinary. i admit that i¡¯m worlds apart from my brother, and it¡¯s impossible for me to reach that step in my life. mr. zhang, you¡¯re saying that a secret medicine can allow me to cross this heavenly chasm and point my sword at the three immortals on the mountain. 1 really can¡¯t agree.¡± zhang jinglin walked to a medicine shelf and took out a medicine box. ¡°when i first heard it, i didn¡¯t believe it either. but northern liang did have it in the past, but it was lost. 1 saw a remnant formula in the northern liang imperial palace and studied it for nearly ten years. finally, with the financial support of the prince of wu, i spent hundreds of lives to replicate it.¡± when lu fang saw the white pill in the medicine box, he was slightly startled. ¡°is this the heavenly carnelian bead?¡± zhang jinglin sighed. ¡°the imitation made with snow lake powder is less than one percent effective. 1 think there¡¯s nothing wrong with this medicine, and it can indeed expand the meridians in a short period of time. but the shortcoming is that humans can¡¯t withstand the medicinal strength at all. hundreds of people tried the medicine, and i tried to rescue them at all costs, but seventy percent of them still died. the remaining thirty percent managed to survive, but they lost their minds and became martial lunatics.¡± ?? lu fang stood up straighter and thought for a moment before evaluating, ¡°such a powerful poison is rare in the world¡­¡± bai siming, who had been following behind, said, ¡°it should be the people testing the medicine. their physiques and minds are too weak and can¡¯t withstand the effects of the medicine. top experts might be able to withstand it. in the next few days, 1 will find a sect master from the twelve sects to give it a try. if it¡¯s feasible, brother lu, guan yujia, and 1 can take a big step forward in a short time. in addition to sect master lu, we will occupy four seats of the eight chiefs. why should your highness worry about not succeeding?¡± lu fang felt that this statement was pure nonsense. if peak martial artists could be mass-produced with medicine, northern liang would have long exterminated great wei. would they have waited for the prince of wu to pick up the scraps? northern liang didn¡¯t do this in the past, which could only mean that there was a huge problem with this medicine. either it couldn¡¯t be used at all, or resources were limited. even if there was a formula, the medicine couldn¡¯t be concocted.. Chapter 251 - Chapter 251: Surrounded by Wolves (5) chapter 251: surrounded by wolves (5) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios vrwohe,e lu fgan ndti¡¯d say ihs utshhtgo tuo ulod. eh iasd ot eht eprinc of ,uw fl¡± siht nceiidme is essuu,ccfls si¡¯t inoy a ttaemr fo time beoref yoru engsihsh ecsnads ot the n.orhte ta hatt tim,e 1 heop your igshenhs nac give em a lil.p i wrdoen fi ruoy heshings nca igev me a pyco fo eht aforuml rof eht snow elak por?wde 1¡¯11 desn ti kcab ot any rp.oivenc my btorrhe iwll deiflyient peno pu a ayw sa nsoo as sisolpeb ot srocet oyru shngesih ot any coin¡±rvep¡­ the prince of wu smiled. ¡°mr. lu, if you¡¯re interested in this item, 1¡¯11 give it to the cutting cloud palace when 1 arrive in yan province.¡± lu fang said awkwardly, ¡°i¡¯m just running errands. if your highness isn¡¯t sincere at all, i¡¯m afraid it¡¯s very difficult for my brother to take the risk of incurring the imperial court¡¯s ire to bring your highness to yan province.¡± the npcrie fo wu fwr,enod yarellc nrgaede yb seeht sd,wor but he had no ecchio but ot elorw his .adhe eh oudcl inyo oolk at bai ig,simn asking if he uolhsd geiv sitehnomg pu sf.tir bai siming was afraid that the cutting cloud palace was under the command of the prince of yan and came here to add insult to injury and scam things. he definitely wouldn¡¯t give anything up until he saw a way out. he hesitated for a moment. while the two sides were in a deadlock, a guard ran over from outside the cave with a pigeon in his hand. igeens ts,hi bai signim iulkcqy kwaled ovre dna rabdgeb the oipegn to cc.hke his ysee irvedaee rprssui.e when lu fang came here from yan province, he already knew that the prince of wu had nowhere to go. he could only grab the prince of yan as a life-saving straw and spit out the last bit of chips in his hand before dying. but the pleasant surprise that flashed across bai siming¡¯s face was clearly because he had found a way out to survive. ul fang etiahedst for a tenomm and asked, is¡± there godo news udi¡±to?se bai siming deliberated for a moment and didn¡¯t hide it. he generously handed the note to lu fang. ¡°just now, people from the pacifying heaven cult in heavenly south came. they know that his highness is in trouble and want to secretly take highness to the south firmament mountains to take refuge. the condition is that his highness has to use his financial resources and connections to help the pacifying heaven cult restore their country.¡± when the prince of wu heard this, he immediately revealed a look of joy. but after thinking about it, he felt a little angry. ¡°in the past, when i went to invite the pacifying heaven cult, they refused. what¡¯s the use of coming now?¡± abi gisnim ttguhoh orf a mone.mt ¡°in the pa,ts eht cnfipgaiy ahvnee cutl mithg ton ehva detnaw to sveer your hn.isehgs nwo taht ihgtns heva come to this, fi ryou sghienhs can ncseceondd ot og ot the souht mamnrifet mnsoauni,t it lliw eb a grtea pehl to hte afcinpygi hvneea tl¡­uc ¡°speaking of which, going to the pacifying heaven cult is safer than going to yan province. the pacifying heaven cult master is great yan¡¯s south stabilizing marquis, so he definitely won¡¯t sell your highness to the imperial court. as for yan province¡­¡± when the prince of wu was at a dead end, two forces suddenly extended an olive branch. he was overjoyed and was already considering whether he should go to yan province to live or settle down in the pacifying heaven cult. oe,evhrw he nocut¡¯dl wsho his suhg.otth won hatt eh had a ,eciohc he ahd a gaingibran pi.hc he knew thta iba mising asw rndgiemni lu fang taht he had a yaw uto dna limmeyiedat geanb to o.eproctea ¡°who ou¡¯ortagsue i am a prncie fo eht odlbo of the epimrali filmay fo egrat ie.w ohw nac 1 isbumt ot eht saretmnn fo the srvepoui ayystnd and oferf ila ym sraey fo amatuccunoil ot the en?¡±emy then he looked at lu fang. ¡°mr. lu, please quickly go back and report. if yan province can¡¯t do anything, i can¡¯t just sit back and wait for death. i can only hand over the snow lake powder, heavenly carnelian bead, and even the countless family assets i¡¯ve accumulated to outsiders in order to live.¡± lu fang really didn¡¯t expect that the pacifying heaven cult would get involved in the matter of taking advantage of the prince of wu¡¯s misfortune. ohtluagh eht ircepn fo uw swtn¡¯a fo uhmc esu to eht preinc fo nya, eht oafmrlu of eht nswo klea dopwer was deedni a rare .euresart ul fgan stlli eneedd it urtgen.yl fl the pyfngiaic aveehn utlc tog it, he ¡®woutdnl haev a ccneha ot inbaot it aig.na seeing that the prince of wu¡¯s tone had hardened, lu fang could only agree to make arrangements first. the prince of wu clearly didn¡¯t know that the two paths in front of him were dead ends. his life wasn¡¯t even worth as much as the formula in his hand. after lu fang left, he hurriedly said to bai siming, ¡°hurry up and meet the person from the pacifying heaven cult. i¡¯m of very little use to the prince of yan. even if the prince of yan takes the risk to give me a place to stay, he must have other motives. the pacifying heaven cult is weak and needs my money, secret medicines, and connections. furthermore, they are irreconcilable with the imperial court, so they are more credible. you can negotiate any conditions with them. don¡¯t drive them away.¡± s¡±ye, oyru igsenh..sh i¡¯ll og etme them no¡±¡­w wanna gift the story? try one. Chapter 252 - Chapter 252: Having Fun (1) chapter 252: having fun (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios as the sun set in the west, three fast horses galloped on the official road and arrived outside white millet town. ye jingtang led the way with a long spear wrapped in black cloth hanging on the side of the horse. the bird was squatting on the saddle in front of him, and pei xiangjun and luo ning were following behind with veiled hats. white millet town was east of rising sun city, more than 50 kilometers away. the town was quite large, and the grasping moon tower, a large sect in wu province, had its roots here. jianghu sects had all kinds of names, but they were still a little particular about the names. most of the sects ending with the words pavilion, tower, square, and so on were located in cities, and their main business was to open shops in cities. the red flower pavilion was in the dock business. strictly speaking, it should be called the ¡®red flower gang¡¯, but this made it sound like they were a small fry in jianghu. back then, when the various ship gangs formed an alliance, they had named their sect the red flower pavilion. the red flower represented a spear tassel, and the pavilion meant business people. in essence, the grasping moon tower was also a business in jianghu, but its organizational structure was much more centralized than the red flower pavilion. the entire sect¡¯s manpower was from wu province, and their main business was selling medicinal herbs and fur clothing. they had many disciples, and there were more than 300 in this town alone. it wasn¡¯t a problem to say that the entire white millet town was the grasping moon tower¡¯s territory. after the prince of wu¡¯s accident, the inside and outside of rising sun city were in a mess. white millet town was quite far away, and the situation in the town was still normal. but there were not many merchants and jianghu people coming and going on the streets. after ye jingtang entered the town, he first found a small inn. after confirming that it wasn¡¯t a property of the grasping moon tower, he entered and got a room. then the three of them started to dress up. on the inn facing the street, the bird was standing on the roof as a sentry, paying attention to the surroundings. in the small room, luo ning took off her veiled hat, got onto the bed, lowered the curtain, and hid from ye jingtang to change her clothes. ye jingtang was more generous. he stood by the table and took off his black robe, revealing his shiny silver soft armor. seeing that luo ning was already hiding on the bed, pei xiangjun was naturally embarrassed to take off her clothes in front of ye jingtang. she also got onto the bed and took off her black martial arts suit, revealing her fair and well-rounded figure. she frowned and said, ¡°it¡¯s still unclear whether the grasping moon tower is a trusted aide of the prince of wu. at such a critical moment, we are going to visit with the identity of the pacifying heaven cult. what if huang yulong is afraid of being punished by the imperial court and wants to take you down directly? how are we going to fight our way out of the town?¡± luo ning stood on the bed and untied her blue dress, revealing her full moon undergarment. her peach blossom eyes were full of pride. ¡°do you think that the pacifying heaven cult is like your red flower pavilion, which only has a few hundred people, and ye jingtang is the only one who can maintain the reputation? let¡¯s not talk about the cult master first. any one of the four protectors can crush huang yulong. even if he has ten guts, he won¡¯t dare to touch the people of the pacifying heaven cult.¡± pei xiangjun knew that this was the truth, but she didn¡¯t like it and said unhappily, ¡°what does the pacifying heaven cult being so powerful have to do with you? you¡¯re the wife of jingtang. moreover, when the red flower pavilion dominated back then, there were seven grandmasters and a martial chief. we were even the richest force in jianghu. we were much more glorious than your pacifying heaven cult, who eats grass at the southern border¡­¡± luo ning said calmly, ¡°a hero doesn¡¯t talk about his past bravery. what¡¯s the use of saying such sour words?¡± pei xiangjun wasn¡¯t a clay buddha. seeing that the vixen was starting to be tyrannical again, she raised her hand and slapped her butt. pa- a springy sound came. the curtain was lifted open, and ye jingtang appeared in front of the two of them. ¡°why are you still fighting¡­¡± it fell silent behind the curtain. ye jingtang looked at the endless spring scenery on the bed. even though he was mentally prepared, he was still stunned for a moment. although it was dusk, the room was not dark. the two women were standing on the bed and changing their clothes. ning¡¯er had taken her dress off, and she was only wearing a thin, light blue undergarment. half of the snow-white arcs could be seen at the edge, and her long and straight legs were inches away. her cold and charming face already showed some anger because of the pain. at this moment, she was covering her butt with one hand and glaring at third lady. when she realized that the curtain was open, she looked at ye jingtang. third lady was standing in front of her. the big watermelons were only wrapped in a black cloth wrap. under her snow-white waist were tight-fitting, thin black pants that accentuated the full curves of the white moon¡­ third lady raised her hand, looking like she wanted to do it again. when she saw ye jingtang appear, she was shocked and hurriedly hugged her chest. the two of them were standing on the bed. when ye jingtang lifted the curtain, his gaze naturally landed on the area below their chests. looking up, there were big and little watermelons, and below, there were slim waists. for a moment, he didn¡¯t know which way to look, so his gaze began to sway from side to side. (-_->) when luo ning saw ye jingtang¡¯s dazzled eyes, her eyebrows bristled. ¡°little thief!¡± ye jingtang was jolted awake by the delicate reprimand. he smiled and rubbed ning¡¯er¡¯s moon. ¡°pain, pain, go away¡­¡± ¡°you!¡± luo ning was immediately embarrassed and angry and quickly dodged. pei xiangjun¡¯s face turned red when she saw this scene. before she could scold jingtang, she realized that the vixen beside her was not human. she used her as a shield and pushed her back, causing her to stagger. ¡°huh?!¡± pei xiangjun was caught off guard and pushed toward ye jingtang. she immediately hit him with the standard fat melon attack. with ye jingtang¡¯s reaction, he could completely dodge this attack. but if he dodged third lady, she would fall to the floor. he immediately raised his hands and used his face to resist the collision. then he held the third lady¡¯s waist with one hand to steady her. pei xiangjun was furious. she stabilized herself and turned around. ¡°i think you need to be taught a lesson¡­¡± luo ning¡¯s expression was slightly cold, and her aura was shocking. she raised her hand and pretended to be about to pull off third lady¡¯s chest wrap. ¡°i dare you!¡± ¡°you!¡± pei xiangjun was instantly terrified. she hugged her chest and retreated a little. ye jingtang found them amusing. seeing that third lady was very embarrassed, he lowered the curtain. ¡°alright, hurry up and change your clothes. we still have business to attend to.¡± ¡°jingtang, it¡¯s time for you to manage her¡­¡± ¡°hmph~!¡± ye jingtang shook his head and changed into a dark blue daoist robe while chatting and smiling. the pacifying heaven cult was founded by daoist priests of the former dynasty¡¯s imperial astronomical bureau, although it wasn¡¯t recognized by the daoist orthodoxy and didn¡¯t cultivate immortality. it only wore the skin of daoism to develop its power. thus, when the disciples went out, they often dressed up as daoist priests. after the three of them finished dressing, ye jingtang brought his weapon and walked toward the east side of the town¡­ Chapter 253 - Chapter 253: Having Fun (2) chapter 253: having fun (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios on the east side of white millet town, there was an old alley. the alley was less than five feet wide and was extremely deep. on both sides were high walls made of blue bricks, forming the scenery of ¡®a line to heaven¡¯. occasionally, the moon would rise and fill the line to heaven at the end of the alley, so it was called the ¡®grasping moon¡¯. grasping moon alley was 250 meters long from beginning to end. on the left and right were the courtyards of various residences. the three major families of white millet town were all among them, and they were also the three main halls of the grasping moon tower. the huang residence at the end of the alley was the headquarters of the grasping moon tower. huang yulong was both the head of the family and the sect master. grasping moon alley was equivalent to the back mountain of the sect. it was difficult for outsiders to step into it. usually, there were very few people. but in the past two days, the prince of wu had encountered trouble, and the situation in wu province was unclear. from time to time, disciples would run in from the alley to report the situation of the various places in wu province. in the incense hall deep in the huang family¡¯s mansion, there was a portrait of the grasping moon tower¡¯s founder and several chairs. huang yulong, who was over 50 years old, was dressed like an ordinary merchant. he was sitting in the main seat with a teacup in his hand and gently stirring the tea leaves floating on the tea with the lid. sitting on the right side of the hall was the second-in-command of the grasping moon tower, xiao shichen. he frowned and said, ¡°the people from the imperial court have been arriving one after another. from time to time, official ships will enter wuxi pier. the main routes have been blocked by officers and soldiers. this morning, my third brother-in-law was arrested in baywater town, and he¡¯s under investigation. it¡¯s not just the six gates. there are also people from the black office¡­¡± huang yulong stopped his hands and frowned. ¡°at such a critical moment, if we¡¯re targeted by the capital, the slightest carelessness will lead to disaster¡­ why is he being investigated?¡± xiao shichen naturally knew the seriousness of the matter and said calmly, ¡°the prince of wu estate needed martial artists with solid martial arts foundations. i got my subordinates to recruit foreign martial artists on my behalf, but when i left, my family came looking for me, causing the trouble¡­ my subordinates don¡¯t know the details, and they have cut ties with the grasping moon tower. the case has already been closed, so it won¡¯t affect the grasping moon tower¡­¡± huang yulong put down his teacup and said angrily, ¡°if they can¡¯t even do such a small thing, what¡¯s their use?¡± xiao shichen sighed. ¡°it¡¯s meaningless to say this now. the prince of wu has already fallen. our grasping moon tower has done a lot for the prince of wu. if the imperial court really wants to investigate, i¡¯m afraid half of the hundreds of disciples in the tower, including you and me, will be killed. what should we do now?¡± ¡°the prince of wu¡¯s foundation isn¡¯t weak. there¡¯s no hope of him rebelling and becoming the emperor, but it¡¯s not difficult for him to escape from wu province and take root elsewhere. sir bai is planning. he should find a way to break out in the next few days. when the time comes, we can leave with them¡­¡± xiao shichen looked at the town outside and sighed. ¡°such a big family business is lost just like that. sigh¡­¡± ¡°as long as there¡¯s life, there¡¯s hope. the secret medicine that the prince of wu is researching is making rapid progress. if the two of us can become martial chiefs, what is a lousy town? we will be just like feng guancheng. reaching the summit of martial arts and attaining the admiration of millions of martial artists is true elegance¡­¡± xiao shichen sighed inwardly. just as they were discussing countermeasures, they suddenly heard a voice coming from outside. ¡°who is it?!¡± when the two of them heard the voice appearing outside the main hall of the residence, their eyelids twitched. to be able to pass through countless disciples without a sound and reach the center of the residence, they were definitely top experts! huang yulong didn¡¯t dare to be careless. he put down his teacup, took a saber from the table, quickly walked to the back of the main hall, and looked out through the door. outside the main hall was a large courtyard. at this moment, the surrounding corridors were full of grasping moon tower disciples who had rushed over. the sun had already set, and the light in the courtyard was relatively dim. two figures suddenly appeared and stood on the crosswalk in the center of the courtyard. the person in the lead was a woman in blue clothes. she was tall and had a gauze veil covering her face. only a pair of beautiful peach blossom eyes could be seen. her temperament was otherworldly, like a jade maiden from the moon palace who had descended from the nine heavens. behind her was a man in a loose blue robe. he was tall and had a well-proportioned figure. he looked like an immortal. he was wearing a bamboo hat on his head and a mask on his face, and he was holding a short weapon wrapped in black cloth in his hand. the two of them stood in the encirclement of dozens of disciples. they didn¡¯t move at all and calmly looked at the door of the main hall without saying anything. xiao shichen felt that the people who came had extraordinary auras and were definitely not to be trifled with. he said, ¡°who are you?!¡± huang yulong took a closer look and felt that the figure and temperament of the woman in the lead seemed a little familiar. but he couldn¡¯t see her appearance after all. for a moment, he couldn¡¯t remember who she was. he walked into the main hall and cupped his hands. ¡°i am huang yulong. may i ask who you are?¡± the blue-clothed woman in the lead flipped her wrist and took out a black iron token. there were ten small words engraved on it. when huang yulong saw the words on the iron token, his pupils constricted. he hurriedly walked out of the door and waved his hand. ¡°everyone, stand down.¡± the surrounding disciples of the grasping moon tower hurriedly left the courtyard. huang yulong quickly walked down the steps and cupped his hands. ¡°so, it¡¯s madam xue. it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. i have seen you in the heavenly south before. i was blind just now and didn¡¯t recognize you. i hope you can forgive me¡­ this is?¡± luo ning appeared as the cult mistress. with the support of the pacifying heaven cult, her aura was very strong, and she directly entered the main hall. ¡°a protector of the pacifying heaven cult.¡± luo ning walked straight to the main seat and sat down. ye jingtang stood beside her as a bodyguard with his hands behind his back. facing the wife of the cult master of the pacifying heaven cult, huang yulong really couldn¡¯t put on the attitude of a sect master. he sat down on a chair under the main seat and asked xiao shichen to serve tea. ¡°wu province hasn¡¯t been peaceful recently. madam xue, why are you visiting at this time?¡± luo ning went straight to the point. ¡°the pacifying heaven cult is an old minister of the previous dynasty. the prince of wu secretly plotted to overthrow great wei. he¡¯s on the same path as the pacifying heaven cult. recently, the cult master heard that the prince of wu was defeated and would be wiped out by the imperial court, so he specially sent me over to see if we could help the prince of wu.¡± hearing this, huang yulong was surprised, but it made sense after he thought about it. the pacifying heaven cult were remnants of the previous dynasty. the imperial court had been suppressing the south firmament mountains for many years and couldn¡¯t break through them, so they offered amnesty and wanted to recruit them, but the pacifying heaven cult didn¡¯t agree. it could be said that they were absolute rebels and standing opposite the imperial court. now that the prince of wu¡¯s rebellion had failed and he had no way to escape, it made sense that the pacifying heaven cult wanted to take the opportunity to subdue the prince of wu and obtain his assets and connections in wu province. and the moon goddess was the cult mistress of the pacifying heaven cult. in a situation where the pacifying heaven cult master rarely appeared, she could be said to be the person in charge of the pacifying heaven cult. he had seen her before. there was nothing wrong with her stance, motive, or identity. even if huang yulong wanted to be wary, he didn¡¯t know where to start. he couldn¡¯t possibly suspect that the pacifying heaven cult had been secretly recruited. the pacifying heaven cult master was about to become the emperor of jianghu, so why should he accept amnesty and recruitment for a meaningless title of marquis despite the infamy of going against his ancestors and being disloyal and unrighteous? huang yulong hesitated for a moment. to be safe, he asked, ¡°your cult wants to help the prince of wu. you should have gone to look for him. why did you come to me to find him?¡± ¡°my pacifying heaven cult has eyes and ears all over the world. we don¡¯t lack believers in wu province. it¡¯s not easy to track down the prince of wu. after asking around, 1 heard that sect master huang seemed to be buying medicinal herbs for the prince of wu in recent years, so i came to ask. sect master huang, if you know where the prince of wu is, please help me inform him. if you don¡¯t know, pretend that the pacifying heaven cult has never been here.¡± huang yulong tapped the table lightly with his fingers. because the moon goddess¡¯s identity and standpoint were unquestionable, and the prince of wu was indeed in an urgent situation, he hesitated for a moment before nodding. he turned to look at xiao shichen. ¡°second brother, please deliver a letter.¡± standing behind luo ning, ye jingtang secretly heaved a sigh of relief.. he knew that the fish had taken the bait¡­ Chapter 254 - Chapter 254: Dangerous Jianghu (1) chapter 254: dangerous jianghu (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the sky turned dark, and a breeze blew away the clouds. a bright moon appeared in the sky above the town. on top of a three-story restaurant outside grasping moon alley, pei xiangjun, dressed in night clothes, was lying on the roof and carefully paying attention to the movements in the buildings. beside her were two long spears wrapped in black cloth. the big fluffy bird was squatting at the side. it had been flying back and forth on the roofs, paying attention to the situation inside and outside so that they could rush to each other¡¯s aid in time if anything abnormal happened. it had been two hours since ye jingtang entered. from the signal of the bird, everything was normal. as expected, they were waiting for someone. pei xiangjun knew that they had found the right place. the grasping moon tower was in contact with the prince of wu, who was hiding. she was highly focused and paying attention to the surroundings. after paying attention for half a day, she finally noticed that there was movement outside the town. under the moonlight, she could see a fast horse galloping over on the official road outside the town. she took out her monocular and looked out of the town. she could see that the person riding the horse was a man in a scholar¡¯s robe. after arriving outside the town, he flew up without dismounting. his figure was like an eagle as he passed through the houses at an astonishing speed and headed straight for grasping moon alley. when pei xiangjun saw this scene, she knew that the prince of wu had taken the bait and sent someone over to negotiate. as long as the prince of wu¡¯s trusted aide appeared, the bird would be able to track him down. pei xiangjun shifted her gaze to the back. she wanted to see how many people the prince of wu had arranged to come over, but when she looked, she discovered that something was wrong. as soon as the man in the scholarly robe jumped into the town, a black shadow flashed across the mountains outside the town. he maintained a distance of half a kilometer and followed him. from the distance and position, it was obvious that he was following the man in the scholarly robe without being discovered. when pei xiangjun saw this scene, she was surprised and doubtful. the man in the scholarly robe had come riding a horse, while the person following behind was on foot. if he had relied solely on lightness skills to keep up, then the lightness skills of the black shadow behind were quite amazing. pei xiangjun secretly observed the movements of the person in front and the one behind. soon, she discovered that the man in the scholarly robe had landed near grasping moon alley. he spoke with the people from the grasping moon tower and quickly entered the building complex. the black shadow following behind silently landed on a house and entered the huang family¡¯s mansion. but as soon as the black shadow approached the range of grasping moon alley, he suddenly stopped. then he actually raised his head and turned his gaze toward third lady. he even took out a long cylinder from his waist and pulled it open to look at her location. when pei xiangjun saw this scene, she was so shocked that she broke out in cold sweat. because she was wearing night clothes and hiding well, she didn¡¯t move at all, and even her breathing was stagnant. but the black shadow in the distance had clearly discovered that someone was watching from the roof here. after taking a look, he quickly put away the monocular, turned around, and flew out of the town at an extremely high speed. he disappeared in the blink of an eye. pei xiangjun was shocked and a little confused. she didn¡¯t dare to be careless and carefully observed the direction in which the black shadow disappeared. but after waiting for half an hour, the black shadow didn¡¯t return. instead, she discovered a white-clothed ghost appear on the path that the black shadow had taken. the person was wearing a snow-colored long dress and a veiled hat. her figure looked ethereal and immortal. as she strolled, she seemed to have fused with the world. even her robe fluttered with the rhythm of integrating with the environment. the way the woman in white moved was very special. she was almost walking on the path the black shadow had just taken. after walking for a short distance, she would stop to take a look. she should be checking the footprints. after tracking to the spot where the black shadow had stopped, the woman in white stopped. pei xiangjun knew that something was wrong. she pressed herself against the roof in advance to avoid being discovered again. but the woman in white clearly had unfathomable martial arts skills. she didn¡¯t dare to lose sight of her for too long. after a moment, she raised her head and continued to observe. as expected, the woman in white had already followed the direction in which the black shadow had left and gradually disappeared from her vision. pei xiangjun was baffled. from these clues, she could roughly deduce the situation. there was an expert with extraordinary lightness skills who had secretly followed the prince of wu¡¯s person for some purpose. and the unfathomable woman in white was tracking the lightness skills expert from behind. based on this alone, it was obvious that it was impossible to tell what forces the two of them belonged to and whether they were enemies or friends. pei xiangjun thought for a moment and could only sigh that the situation in wu province was indeed chaotic. she continued to observe the surroundings¡­ the sky was dark, and the main hall in the depths of grasping moon alley was already lit up. after the initial negotiation, huang yulong didn¡¯t say much because he was afraid of making a mistake if he spoke too much. he just sat by the tea table and waited. luo ning was sitting in the main seat and gently stroking her teacup. because she was wearing a veil, she naturally didn¡¯t drink it. ye jingtang stood with his hands clasped behind his back. the expert guard was full of energy. from the beginning to the end, his bamboo hat didn¡¯t even sway. after waiting for nearly two hours, there was finally movement outside the hall. luo ning turned around and saw a middle-aged man in a scholarly robe walk in. he was holding a folding fan in his hand and tapping it lightly on his palm. his posture was rather elegant and calm. after entering, he cupped his hands and bowed. ¡°i am bai siming. 1 have long heard of madam xue¡¯s reputation. seeing you today, you¡¯re indeed extraordinary.¡± luo ning was pretending to be a ¡®life-saving straw¡¯, so she definitely couldn¡¯t be too polite. she postured very well and didn¡¯t get up. she merely raised her hand. ¡°mr. bai, please take a seat. how has the prince of wu been recently?¡± bai siming sat down beside huang yulong. he actually still had some doubts in his heart. huang yulong knew that bai siming was worried that the other party was pretending to be people from the pacifying heaven cult to get information. ¡°sir bai, don¡¯t worry. when i went to the heavenly south two years ago, 1 was lucky enough to meet madam xue. she can pretend to be a beauty in jianghu, but she can¡¯t pretend to be the number one beauty in jianghu..¡± Chapter 255 - Chapter 255: Dangerous Jianghu (2) chapter 255: dangerous jianghu (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios when bai siming heard this, he didn¡¯t ask further and smiled. ¡°his highness is doing well. his highness is negotiating with yan province and will set off in a few days. if madam xue came a little slower, you might not have been able to see me.¡± luo ning understood what he meant. the prince of wu didn¡¯t lack your route. it was the pacifying heaven cult asking the prince of wu, not the other way around. she gently rubbed the edge of the cup with the lid and replied calmly, ¡°the prince of yan has the yan province army. he has money and people. he doesn¡¯t lack the prince of wu¡¯s assets at all. ¡°if the prince of wu brought the deposed emperor over, the prince of yan might even consider colluding for the world. but without the deposed emperor, the prince of wu is probably nothing in the eyes of the prince of yan. ¡°at a time like this, mr. bai said that the prince of yan is prepared to take the risk of being suspected by the imperial court to take in rebels to yan province. what does the prince of yan want? is it for his brotherhood with the prince of wu?¡± bai siming tapped his palm with his folded fan and smiled. ¡°madam xue, you¡¯re underestimating his highness¡¯s foundation. in recent years, his highness has recruited an extraordinary person and researched a secret medicine that can double the physical fitness of ordinary people. as long as there are enough of them, his highness can create elite soldiers who can fight one against five in a short period of time. the prince of yan is very interested in this item.¡± when ye jingtang heard this, his heart stirred, and he interjected, ¡°if the prince of wu had such a medicine, how could he end up like this today?¡± because ye jingtang might interact with him in other identities in the future, he deliberately suppressed his voice, making it sound a little hoarse. bai siming looked at ye jingtang and frowned. ¡°this is?¡± ¡°a protector of the pacifying heaven cult.¡± luo ning¡¯s eyes were calm as she followed ye jingtang¡¯s words. ¡°his words are not without reason. if there was such a medicine, how could the prince of wu end up like this?¡± bai siming sighed softly. ¡°the medicine had just been made and was still being tested. the matter was exposed in advance, resulting in the current situation. i have no evidence, so it¡¯s normal for you not to believe me. in order to prove it, i want to show you something.¡± as bai siming spoke, he took out a box the size of a rouge box from his sleeve and opened it, revealing silver powder. ¡°this is snow lake powder. its effect is similar to the snow lake flower¡¯s. it has the miraculous effect of restoring and protecting the meridians. i don¡¯t think 1 need to introduce the value of the snow lake flower. just this item is worth your pacifying heaven cult taking a risk. and his highness¡¯s accumulation is far more than this. it¡¯s all things that your pacifying heaven cult urgently needs to restore your country¡­¡± seeing that the other party had directly taken out his main target, ye jingtang asked calmly, ¡°mr. bai, are you sure this item is comparable to the snow lake flower?¡± ¡°there¡¯s a difference in the medicinal strength, but if taken for a long time, it will have the same effect as the snow lake flower.¡± as bai siming spoke, he looked at huang yulong. ¡°go find a medicine tester with damaged meridians.¡± huang yulong raised his hand slightly, and the second-in-charge, xiao shichen, quickly walked out of the main hall. moments later, there was some noise outside the door. clank, clank! it was the sound of chains rubbing against each other. ye jingtang looked over and saw xiao shichen holding an iron chain with one hand and dragging a man in. the man was covered in injuries, his hair was disheveled, his face was dirty, his entire body was bound by chains, and his mouth was gagged. seeing this scene, ye jingtang couldn¡¯t help frowning. ¡°wu¡ª¡± the man was dragged into the main hall and knelt on the ground. he looked around, his eyes filled with fear. bai siming stood up, walked over, and pulled out the linen cloth stuffed in the man¡¯s mouth, preparing to feed him medicine. ye jingtang knew that the medicine made by the prince of wu could kill people. after some thought, he asked, ¡°even if there are no injuries, the snow lake flower can nourish and protect the meridians. could it be that this medicine has hidden dangers and only testers can take it?¡± bai siming was straightforward. he poured out some snow lake powder and threw it into the man¡¯s mouth. ¡°medicine is thirty percent poisonous. you can¡¯t take too much, but a small amount is beneficial and harmless.¡± ye jingtang nodded slightly. after bai siming poured the snow lake powder into the man¡¯s mouth, he pressed his hand on the man¡¯s shoulder to check the condition of his meridians. after waiting for less than 15 minutes, he found that the damaged meridians were stabilizing and showing signs of improvement. bai siming stood at the side with his hands behind his back, his eyes filled with pride. ¡°this medicine can treat incurable illnesses. to the people of jianghu, it¡¯s a unique healing medicine. i wonder if madam xue and your excellency are interested?¡± after confirming that there was a substitute for the snow lake flower, ye jingtang felt much more at ease. since there was a substitute, and it was a finished product, as long as he obtained the formula, he could complete the task assigned by yuhu. however, how to succeed was a big problem. if he directly asked for the formula, his intentions would be too obvious. it was impossible for the other party to give it to him now. once the other party discovered his motive, he might fail. since he had seen the prince of wu¡¯s trusted aide, he could follow the clues and find out where the prince of wu was hiding. he could let the bird follow him secretly. the chances of success were obviously higher. while thinking, ye jingtan retracted his hand and nodded. ¡°this medicine is indeed a divine item. when madam and i came here, we had already arranged the specific route to bring the prince of wu to the heavenly south. mr. bai, you can go back and report first. if the prince of wu is willing to work for our pacifying heaven cult in the future, we can receive you at any time. ¡°however, it¡¯s best for you to give an answer as soon as possible. a large number of people from the imperial court are rushing over. today, many constables good at tracking have already appeared. the longer we delay, the lower the chances we have to leave.¡± bai siming naturally knew that the longer he delayed, the faster he would die. seeing that the pacifying heaven cult was so straightforward, he wanted to return immediately and discuss the matter of escaping with the prince of wu. but before bai siming could raise his hand to bid farewell, a commotion and the sound of gongs and drums sounded from the edge of the town in the distance. clang! clang! clang! the cries of the bird also came from the sky. ¡°screech! screech!¡± ye jingtang understood the secret signal of the bird. an army was approaching! bai siming, huang yulong, and xiao shichen clearly understood the signal of the town¡¯s sentry post. when they knew that a large group of soldiers was charging over, their expressions changed drastically. bang! huang yulong suddenly smashed the teacup and wanted to glare at ye jingtang and luo ning. unexpectedly, ye jingtang, who was standing in the middle of the main hall, was even more agitated than them. he turned around first and said angrily, ¡°how dare you report our pacifying heaven cult?!¡± h h huang yulong opened his mouth and forced himself to swallow his words. after all, he had confirmed that the woman in front of him was the moon goddess, a true remnant of the previous dynasty. the pacifying heaven cult had been persisting in rebellion for sixty years without changing their original intention. they were much blacker than them. if the pacifying heaven cult had informed the officers and soldiers to come and wipe them out, wouldn¡¯t that be harming others without benefiting themselves? however, it was even more impossible for them to call the soldiers over to surround themselves. shortly after the two people from the pacifying heaven cult arrived, the soldiers arrived. even if the pacifying heaven cult hadn¡¯t informed the government, it was possible that the pacifying heaven cult had attracted the soldiers. bai siming and the other two¡¯s expressions kept changing, and there was obvious vigilance and hostility in their eyes. ye jingtang didn¡¯t understand why the government had come here. with such a situation happening when they were negotiating a cooperation, there was a high chance that the matter would fail. fortunately, he didn¡¯t want to cooperate at all. after confirming that there was a substitute for the snow lake flower, he only needed to bite the three people in front of him to death. if he could capture them alive, he would torture them to extract a confession. if he couldn¡¯t capture them, he would find a way to follow them. but if they fought now, they would be heavily surrounded by the entire grasping moon tower. the risk was too great, so they had to retreat from grasping moon alley and meet up with third lady. ye jingtang was still pretending to be a rebel of the pacifying heaven cult and holding the hilt of his saber as he said, ¡°there¡¯s a trap here. madam, leave quickly!¡± luo ning¡¯s reaction was not slow at all. she quickly retreated out of the door and even said angrily, ¡°without our pacifying heaven cult, let¡¯s see how you can escape!¡± the prince of wu was already at his wit¡¯s end. when bai siming heard this, he immediately became anxious. he didn¡¯t want to give up on the only two life-saving straws in front of him. but other than the two people who came here, he couldn¡¯t think of anyone else who could leak the news and get the government to raid the grasping moon tower¡¯s headquarters. bai siming hesitated for a moment, gritted his teeth, and said, ¡°something went wrong today. we will discuss this matter in the future. please take care of yourselves. we have to leave first and won¡¯t see you out.¡± ye jingtang glared at the three of them and carefully left the main hall. then he flew up and jumped onto the roof. the soldiers had already reached the outside of the town. bai siming didn¡¯t dare to be negligent. he immediately got huang yulong and the others to pack up and prepare to escape. at the same time, on a mountain ridge outside white millet town- wearing a bamboo hat, lu feng of the cutting cloud palace was standing on the peak of the mountain and looking at the light cavalry galloping over from the official road with a mocking glint in his eyes. ¡°a mere pacifying heaven cult wants to snatch food from the hands of the prince of yan? hmph¡­¡± seeing that the people in the town were starting to flee in all directions, lu feng snorted lightly, turned around, and disappeared into the night¡­ Chapter 256 - Chapter 256: The King of Hell Demands Lives (1) chapter 256: the king of hell demands lives (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios rumble! the sound of horse hooves resounded through the wilderness. more than a thousand cavalry in light armor were galloping over from the direction of rising sun city. in front of them were 300 cavalry holding 12-foot-long lances, and behind them were cavalry armed with bows, crossbows, sabers, and shields. most of the people in white millet town were jianghu people from all over the country. their martial arts foundations were not bad. but the army also practiced martial arts. moreover, most of the people who taught them martial arts were famous teachers from jianghu sects. their martial arts inheritances were more orthodox than most jianghu small fries. ordinary soldiers might not be a match for jianghu people in a one-on-one battle. but with a thousand soldiers wearing armor and holding powerful bows and crossbows, jianghu people might die before they could reach the soldiers. for this reason, the moment the soldiers appeared, white millet town exploded. countless jianghu martial artists displayed their wondrous skills and began to escape in all directions. but the disciples of the grasping moon tower weren¡¯t aware of the situation. they didn¡¯t dare to leave without permission, nor did they dare to attack the approaching army. they could only hide their weapons and stand outside the town as if they were facing a formidable enemy, waiting for orders. ye jingtang brought luo ning out of grasping moon alley. after confirming that they were not being followed, they quickly arrived at another alley. third lady realized that something was wrong and was already leading their horses into the alley to meet them. when she saw the two of them return, she hurriedly asked, ¡°why are soldiers here?¡± ¡°i have no idea.¡± ye jingtang went to his horse, quickly took off his robe, and put on the robe of a black office constable to prevent himself from being mistaken by the soldiers as a rebel. ¡°the prince of wu¡¯s trusted aide has already appeared. i got the bird to chase after him. let the officers and soldiers deal with the small fries in the grasping moon tower. well chase after bai siming.¡± hearing this, the two women didn¡¯t say anything else. they put on black and blue robes and bamboo hats, dressing as constables of the black office. they mounted their horses and followed ye jingtang out of the alley, charging toward the back of the town. the town was in chaos. there were civilians running home and jianghu people fleeing everywhere. many people could be seen flying out of the buildings on grasping moon alley and escaping toward the mountain range behind the town. ye jingtang held his spear and galloped on his horse. after running for less than half a street, he saw a large group of light cavalry surging out of the crossroad in front of him. in front of him was a fierce horse, and sitting on it was a military official wearing a red cloak. the light cavalry at the back were holding strong bows. when they saw the jianghu people showing their weapons, they rained arrows without any explanation and shouted along the way, ¡°everyone, get down! we will kill anyone who moves!¡± ye jingtang and pei xiangjun were rushing over from the side street with their spears. the sound they made was definitely not small. seeing this, the hundred-odd light cavalry who had rushed past the entrance of the street immediately turned their horses around and charged toward ye jingtang. seeing that the three of them had extraordinary auras like experts, and they still didn¡¯t listen to orders and get off their horses to lie on the ground, when the cavalry were still a hundred steps away, dozens of them immediately drew their bows and nocked arrows. ye jingtang was wearing the black office¡¯s robe. seeing that the other party¡¯s eyesight was so bad, he could only take out his waist token and shout, ¡°the black office is under the prince of jing¡¯s orders to investigate the prince of wu¡¯s remaining evildoers. stop!¡± when the dozens of light cavalry who rushed over heard the words, they recognized that ye jingtang was wearing a constable¡¯s robe and immediately put away their bows and arrows. when the military official at the entrance of the street saw this, he turned his horse around and ran dozens of steps forward. after confirming that it was the black office¡¯s token, he said from afar, ¡°i just received an unidentified report that bai siming, a retainer of the prince of wu, was meeting with rebels of the pacifying heaven cult. i¡¯m here to arrest them. how¡¯s the situation in town?¡± ye jingtang had just appeared as a member of the pacifying heaven cult, and only the prince of wu knew about this. when he heard this, he knew that someone on the prince of wu¡¯s side had leaked the news. ¡°i didn¡¯t see any traces of the rebels of the pacifying heaven cult. the grasping moon tower secretly colluded with the prince of wu, captured many civilians, and imprisoned them on grasping moon alley. general, please go rescue them quickly¡­¡± after ye jingtang briefly explained the situation, he turned his horse around and led pei xiangjun and luo ning toward the northwest mountain range¡­ the moonlight was like frost, and the forest in the mountains was full of ghosts. it was difficult for horses to enter the rugged mountain path, and the soldiers wearing armor and holding lances couldn¡¯t run fast. for this reason, the jianghu people who had run out of white millet town all fled into the mountain at the same time. among them, bai siming and the others ran the fastest. in the past two days, after something happened to the prince of wu, huang yulong knew that he might have to run away. he had already asked the third-in-command of the grasping moon tower to settle his family elsewhere. the assets that he could take away had also been transferred. just now, when the soldiers arrived, he ran away cleanly. as for the hundreds of disciples in town, they were all outer sect disciples who had paid silver to learn martial arts. they were placed in white millet town to support the scene so that the officials wouldn¡¯t get suspicious in advance. now that the soldiers were attacking, the smart ones knew to leave and meet again in jianghu. those who didn¡¯t know how to run could only be said to be unsuitable for jianghu. after rushing out of white millet town, huang yulong turned around and saw that the vicinity of grasping moon alley was full of flames. the disciples were already fighting with the soldiers, and there was no large group of people chasing after them. only then did he have time to catch his breath. ¡°sir bai, that woman just now was definitely the moon goddess. 1 won¡¯t be mistaken about this. could it be that the pacifying heaven cult has been secretly recruited?¡± xiao shichen was walking beside him with a long weapon wrapped in black cloth and shook his head. ¡°impossible. the pacifying heaven cult is the overlord of jianghu and is famous for being stubborn. in the past, when they ran out of supplies and food, they didn¡¯t accept amnesty and recruitment. now that they¡¯re so powerful, what would the pacifying heaven cult master surrender without fighting?¡± bai siming was walking in front with a dark expression. he felt that xiao shichen¡¯s opinion was right. there wasn¡¯t a problem with the pacifying heaven cult. but the prince of wu was at a dead end. if he trusted anyone, he would die without a burial place. bai siming thought about it and felt that it was a little risky to return to the hidden dragon cave directly. he said, ¡°i don¡¯t know how the news was leaked, but we¡¯ve already been discovered by the government. i don¡¯t dare to return to his highness for the time being. we¡¯ll go to the iron river manor to recruit people first. if it doesn¡¯t work, we¡¯ll break through and escape from wu province..¡± Chapter 257 - Chapter 257: The King of Hell Demands Lives (2) chapter 257: the king of hell demands lives (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios huang yulong didn¡¯t say anything else. the three of them quickly advanced through the mountains. but after walking for a few kilometers and passing through a sea of bamboo, bai siming suddenly stopped in his tracks and raised his hand. the two people behind him immediately held their breaths and froze on the spot. rustle, rustle, rustle! the gentle night wind blew through the green bamboo sea that covered several mountains, making a wave-like sound. the light in the bamboo forest was dim. other than the cries of birds and insects, there were no living creatures. it was as quiet as a dead land. huang yulong held the short weapon wrapped in yellow cloth and leaned behind xiao shichen. he asked in a low voice, ¡°is there something here?¡± bai siming held his folding fan in his hand and listened carefully to the sounds in the depths of the bamboo sea. then he carefully looked at the darkness at the side of the bamboo forest and frowned. scrape¡­ scrape¡­ soon, the faint sound of boots stepping on bamboo leaves came from the depths of the dark bamboo forest. the pace was neither fast nor slow. just by listening to the sound, they could feel the calmness and casualness. this person was just like an experienced hunter walking toward the prey trapped in a trap. huang yulong¡¯s and xiao shichen¡¯s expressions changed slightly. they silently turned around and looked into the depths of the bamboo forest. the moonlight passed through the gaps in the bamboo leaves, casting flickering shadows on the ground. farther away, there was endless darkness and silence. light footsteps sounded from the darkness. as the three of them focused their attention, a figure slowly appeared. the figure was quite tall. he was wearing a black and blue robe, had a saber hanging at his waist, and was holding a long weapon wrapped in black cloth. as the figure approached, under the dim moonlight, they could see that this man had sharp eyebrows and starry eyes. he was very handsome. there was a waist token hanging on his waist with the word ¡®arrest¡¯ engraved on it! although he was alone and looked weak, his eyes were so calm that there was no emotion in them at all, looking just like a cold-faced king of hell who had walked out of hell to demand their lives. crack! crack! although his footsteps were light, they seemed to be squeezing the hearts of the three people step by step. bai siming could tell that the other party¡¯s aura was extraordinary, so he didn¡¯t dare to let his guard down. he tapped his palm with his fan and spoke first. ¡°sir, did you come here alone?¡± ye jingtang walked unhurriedly until he was 100 feet away and looked at the three rebel leaders, who were alone. ¡°i¡¯m a constable. how can 1 go out alone to do something?¡± tread, tread¡­ sounds appeared on their left and right in the bamboo sea again. two ghostly figures quickly passed through the bamboo forest and stopped 100 feet away. one held a spear, and the other held a sword. bai siming looked at them from the corner of his eye. ¡°just three?¡± ye jingtang slowly unwrapped the black cloth around the roaring dragon spear and said calmly, ¡°there are more than five hundred soldiers behind us.¡± bai siming felt that his question was foolish. the government lacked everything except reinforcements. if they were stalled by the opponent here, the three of them would definitely die. for this reason, bai siming gave up on fighting head-on. he tapped the folding fan in his hand twice and said, ¡°everyone escapes on their own.¡± huang yulong didn¡¯t say anything. he paid attention to the movements of the three people around him as he untied the long strip of yellow cloth and revealed a large saber with nine bronze rings on the back. xiao shichen leaned against huang yulong back to back and took off his holster, revealing a seven-foot-long double-headed spear in his hand. buzz! ye jingtang stood on the spot, raised his spear with one hand, and pointed it at bai siming. as the party catching the rebels, he was not in a hurry to attack at all and waited for the other party to make the first move. bai siming clearly couldn¡¯t afford to delay. after glancing at the three constables from the corner of his eye, he twisted his right foot slightly. crunch! the tip of his shoe kicked into the soil, creating an oval pit in the fallen leaves. soil splattered, and his body retreated at the same time. xiao shichen and huang yulong didn¡¯t need a reminder as they followed bai siming and fled. whoosh! the soil and leaves covering the sky blocked the vision ahead. according to common sense, ye jingtang should jump up or move, dodging the flying soil and stones before chasing after them. but what the three of them didn¡¯t expect was that the moment bai siming attacked, a muffled sound came from the silent bamboo forest. boom! ye jingtang¡¯s entire body trembled slightly. he held the end of the spear with one hand, retracted and released his right arm, and stabbed out with the azure dragon claw move. swish! the ten-foot-long spear was like a giant bolt shot out by a ballista. with a terrifying wind-breaking scream, it cleared out a long black groove on the fallen leaves on the ground. when the incoming soil and stone filling the sky touched the tip of the spear, it was wrapped in midair by qi and turned into a vortex, forcefully stirring a cylindrical hole in the air. clang! at the same time, the crisp sound of a blade being unsheathed pierced through the bamboo sea. at the same moment that ye jingtang threw out the roaring dragon spear, the hornless dragon saber in his left hand had already been unsheathed. it brought out a resplendent white light in the dark bamboo forest and almost followed the tail of the spear to slash at the three people in front. when the three people saw this terrifying power, shock flashed across their eyes. bai siming¡¯s martial arts skills were the highest among the three, so his movement technique was naturally the fastest. he flew back without stopping at all. he only threw the folding fan in his hand at the incoming spear. xiao shichen¡¯s martial arts skills were even inferior to ¡®mountain collapsing tiger¡¯ wang chengjing, and he was the slowest. this sudden spear strike flew straight toward his abdomen. even if he managed to dodge it, there was a saber move as fast as lightning behind it. he would definitely be instantly killed in the next moment, and his heart was full of despair. however, huang yulong was one of the sect masters of wu province¡¯s four major sects after all. his reaction was much faster, and he could follow bai siming to retreat. but when he saw that his brother was about to die, he suddenly stopped, raised the nine-ringed saber in his hand, and slashed at the roaring dragon spear. the unstoppable spear struck bai siming¡¯s folding fan in midair. the folding fan exploded and shattered in the air, but the spear¡¯s momentum didn¡¯t decrease as it stabbed toward xiao shichen¡¯s heart. huang yulong slashed with all his might, forcefully raising the roaring dragon spear and striking it into the air. but ye jingtang followed the spear. the moment huang yulong attacked, he arrived in front of the two of them and slashed at huang yulong¡¯s waist with the saber in his left hand.. Chapter 258 - Chapter 258: The King of Hell Demands Lives (3) chapter 258: the king of hell demands lives (3) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios xiao shichen and huang yulong cooperated very well. seeing that huang yulong was helping him out of the deadly predicament, xiao shichen raised his double-headed spear and placed it at huang yulong¡¯s waist, wanting to block for him. but xiao shichen had clearly underestimated the difference between them. clang! there was an explosive sound of metal colliding. the lightning-fast saber slashed at the double-headed spear. the moment the qi erupted, it directly shattered the webbing between xiao shichen¡¯s thumb and index finger on his left hand. under the irresistible force, xiao shichen¡¯s left arm couldn¡¯t even hold on for a moment, causing the spear shaft to move back and smash into huang yulong¡¯s waist. bain! the moves of the eight-steps frenzied blade were a combo. after ye jingtang made the first move with his saber, the hilt of the saber was already in his right hand. he stabbed forward and pierced xiao shichen¡¯s left chest with the tip of the saber! plop! huang yulong reacted extremely swiftly. after his saber knocked away the roaring dragon spear and when the spear shaft struck his waist, the nine-ringed saber in his hand slashed down to block ye jingtang¡¯s long saber. the nine-ringed saber was a heavy saber. although it was not as exaggerated as the jun mountain saber, it still weighed 10 kilograms. the nine bronze rings on the back of the saber were used as weights to increase the chopping power. clang! when the two blades clashed, the collision of qi instantly shook away the fallen leaves at ye jingtang¡¯s feet, creating a circular empty space. ¡°haa!¡± huang yulong¡¯s muscles bulged. he wanted to press his saber down on ye jingtang and let xiao shichen finish him off. but the moment he increased his strength, ye jingtang withdrew, flying back and landing 30 feet away. thud! huang yulong missed. he immediately retracted his saber and placed it upright in front of him. as he stared at ye jingtang¡¯s actions, shock flashed in his eyes. ye jingtang was standing in the bamboo forest with his left hand behind his back. he was holding his saber in his right hand and pointing it diagonally at the ground. the tip of the silver saber was stained with two inches of red. because the blood wouldn¡¯t stick to the saber, the scarlet color gathered at the tip of the saber and turned into drops of blood that landed on the dried bamboo leaves. drip! drip! the roaring dragon spear spun a few times in midair before falling from the sky a moment later and stabbing into the ground not far away. crack! pei xiangjun and luo ning approached from 100 feet away at the same time. before they could attack, ye jingtang had already retreated. they immediately stopped 30 feet away, picked up the roaring dragon spear, and put on guard stances. drip! drip! the blood drops rolling down from the tip of the saber became the only sound in the silent bamboo forest. huang yulong stared at ye jingtang with all his attention. when he found that ye jingtang didn¡¯t attack again, he looked to his side from the corner of his eye. xiao shichen couldn¡¯t resist ye jingtang at all. his heartstrings were stretched to the limit, and he didn¡¯t even notice the pain. he just stared fixedly at the man with the saber in front of him. seeing that the atmosphere wasn¡¯t right, xiao shichen realized that something was wrong. then he felt a piercing pain in his chest. he looked down and saw a wound on his left chest. it had penetrated more than two inches into his body and made a small cut on the blood vessel near his heart. with his violent heartbeat, blood poured onto his abdomen and gushed out of his wound like a fountain, slowly turning his chest dark red. ¡°cough!¡± xiao shichen¡¯s eyes were full of confusion and disbelief. after a muffled cough, he knelt in the bamboo forest with his spear in his hand and glared at ye jingtang with bloodshot eyes. ¡°what a fast saber!¡± bai siming, who was behind the two of them, fled far away without looking back. ye jingtang still had to follow bai siming to find the prince of wu¡¯s lair, so he naturally didn¡¯t stop him. he retracted his gaze and looked at xiao shichen, who was kneeling on the ground. ¡°1 held back on the saber move. you can still be saved now. in another half an hour, this might not be the case.¡± while speaking, he took out a small medicine bottle. ¡°this is an angong pill personally concocted by divine doctor wang. if you eat it, you will live. bring me to the prince of wu, and i can give this pill to you.¡± when xiao shichen saw the medicine bottle, his eyes lit up. but xiao shichen knew what he had done. over the past two years, he had helped the prince of wu capture more than 400 people to test medicine. most of them had died. no matter how he cooperated, he would be dismembered. begging for mercy would only mean dying a few days later. he slowly suppressed his thoughts. when huang yulong saw this vicious saber technique, he knew he most likely wouldn¡¯t be able to escape today. he gritted his teeth, and his eyes gradually turned fierce. ye jingtang frowned slightly, put away the medicine, and walked forward with his saber. tread, tread! xiao shichen gritted his teeth, threw his double-headed spear to huang yulong, and said angrily, ¡°go!¡± as soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly jumped up and pounced at ye jingtang bare-handed. seeing this, pei xiangjun stepped forward without hesitation and stabbed her spear straight into xiao shichen¡¯s waist with the force of thunder. plop! meanwhile, luo ning cut off huang yulong¡¯s retreat. huang yulong knew that he was surrounded by three people and had no chance of escaping. he caught the double-headed spear and threw out the nine-ringed saber at the same time. ding! ding! ding! ding! the nine-ringed saber spun in the air, and the nine bronze rings collided with the blade, making an ear-piercing crisp sound. ye jingtang walked forward unhurriedly with his saber. he originally wanted to dodge the spinning saber, but a thought flashed in his mind. when the nine-ringed saber brushed past him, he grabbed the hilt. snap! the spinning nine-ringed saber suddenly stopped in midair, and the hornless dragon saber returned to its sheath. huang yulong held the double-headed spear, and his face turned red. the muscles on his shoulders and back almost tore his robe, and his eyes were bloodthirsty and fierce. ¡°killing one is earning one. second brother, you go first. i¡¯ll be there soon!¡± xiao shichen fell to the ground, hugging the spearhead that had penetrated his body tightly. he coughed out large mouthfuls of blood and didn¡¯t respond. ye jingtang held a 10-kilogram heavy saber in his right hand and twirled it, making a light rustling sound. ¡°you¡¯ll probably die sooner than he does.¡± huang yulong¡¯s robe swelled, and his eyes were full of fearless fervor. ¡°it¡¯s all the same!¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t say anything else. his footsteps became faster and faster until he was 10 feet away. his feet stepped heavily on the ground with both feet, and his figure shot forward with the saber in both hands. boom! the bamboo forest instantly overflowed with qi. huang yulong¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. he strode forward with the spear and stabbed at ye jingtang¡¯s throat, but he didn¡¯t expect ye jingtang to be much faster than him with the nine-ringed saber. the moment he raised his hand, the tip of the saber slashed at the spear. bang! Chapter 259 - Chapter 259: The King of Hell Demands Lives (4) chapter 259: the king of hell demands lives (4) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios metal clashed, and sparks flew everywhere. when huang yulong saw the starting stance of the bowing saber spring, he instantly realized that it was the dragon slaying decree. however, he had already received the attack and realized it all too late. the irresistible immense force smashed away the double-headed spear, causing his left hand to almost lose its grip on the spear shaft. ¡°haa!¡± ye jingtang held the heavy saber with both hands and swung it backward. his body spun with inertia. the moment huang yulong pulled back the double-headed spear, ye jingtang slashed down again with mighty force. clang! huang yulong took a big step back. facing the blade that was already slashing at him, he could only raise the spear to block it. then a loud sound resounded in the bamboo forest. boom! the heavy saber struck the spear shaft. even though it wasn¡¯t the jun mountain saber, the force it reached was much greater than that of the the eight-steps frenzied blade. the moment huang yulong received the force, two round pits appeared in the soil under his feet, and his legs sank into the ground to his knees. after ye jingtang struck with the saber, he spun around again and slashed upward with both hands. huang yulong was nailed into the soil. before he could pull his body out, he could only press the end of the spear against the ground and use the force of the saber attack to escape. bam! luo ning, who was cutting off his retreat from behind, saw huang yulong, whose body had just sunk two feet, come directly out of the dry ground. his burly body was pulled out of the ground by the saber and sent flying backward, instantly hitting several green bamboo trees. whoosh! bamboo leaves flew down from all over the sky, and a sound that made the scalps of countless sabermen of jianghu tingle sounded in the bamboo forest. whoosh! swoosh! swoosh! under the moonlight, a circular saber light appeared in the bamboo forest. the snow-white saber light swept across the bamboo forest like a tornado. the fallen leaves along the way were crushed into pieces when they touched the saber light and were carried away by the saber wind. as the speed of the saber became faster and faster, the qi accumulated continuously during the several moves soon reached a terrifying level. as soon as huang yulong landed on the ground and bounced up to stabilize himself, ye jingtang leaped up, and the nine-ringed saber, which had been pushed to the extreme, fell toward his head again. boom! huang yulong raised the spear in a hurry to block. the double-headed spear was a weapon famous for being sturdy. it wasn¡¯t broken, but it couldn¡¯t withstand the vast amount of qi contained in the nine-ringed saber. the moment huang yulong received the attack, the spear shaft bent. the sleeves of his arms were shattered, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. ¡°cough!¡± his entire body was like a polo that had been hit by a long stick. he smashed diagonally to the ground, and his back sank into the soil. he scraped a ten-foot-long groove in the bamboo forest and broke more than ten green bamboo trees. whoosh! ye jingtang waved the nine-ringed saber with both hands. after the saber strike, all the qi was exhausted. for this reason, during the chase, he spun around a few times to strengthen the saber momentum. whoosh! huang yulong was knocked because the spear smashed into him. it couldn¡¯t stay straight at all. he was furious. when he saw the blade pressing down on him again, his entire body trembled violently. he ignored everything and stabbed at ye jingtang¡¯s torso. swoosh! this move was extremely powerful. it was clearly the grasping moon tower¡¯s killing move. seeing that the opponent wanted to exchange lives with him, ye jingtang controlled his body to distance himself and slashed at the spear tip. clang! unexpectedly, huang yulong really had something hidden. the qi contained in this move was unimaginably powerful. when the two weapons met, the collision between the collapsing spear move and the nine-ringed saber actually caused a gap to appear in the blade. ye jingtang felt a sharp pain between his thumb and index finger, and he immediately let go of the hilt of the saber. huang yulong had gone all out to fight head-on, but he was clearly not in a good state either. the spearhead of the double-headed spear broke on the spot, and the spear shaft was smashed to the ground. seeing that the opponent¡¯s weapon had been knocked away, huang yulong turned the spear and used the other end of the double-headed spear to smash at ye jingtang¡¯s head with the spear cleaving move. swoosh! this double-headed spear¡¯s move of collapsing and cleaving was the trump card of the grasping moon tower. as long as the collapsing knocked away the opponent¡¯s weapon, it would be fatal. unfortunately, ye jingtang¡¯s nine-ringed saber wasn¡¯t sent flying. instead, he let go of it. clang! as huang yulong turned the spear, a cold light flashed in front of him. the cleaving spear fell and smashed into the long saber that was suddenly unsheathed. ye jingtang held the saber in his left hand to block the spear and flashed past huang yulong. when he stopped, he was already 30 feet behind him. crack! click! the blade returned to its sheath, and the bamboo sea returned to peace, leaving only a rain of bamboo leaves. rustle! huang yulong held the spear with both hands and maintained the posture of cleaving the spear down. he looked at the empty ground in front of him. when the footsteps sounded behind him, his eyes moved, and he raised his hand to touch the left side of his neck. as expected, it was wet and hot. thump! huang yulong knelt on the ground, and blood seeped out from between his fingers. he turned his head to look at the back of the man in black. his lips moved, but he couldn¡¯t make a sound.. after swaying twice, he fell forward in the bamboo forest¡­ wanna gift the story? try one. Chapter 260 - Chapter 260: Empty Mountain Phantoms (1) chapter 260: empty mountain phantoms (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after the short battle, countless green bamboo trees in the center of the bamboo sea were destroyed by the saber wind, revealing an open space. broken bamboo trees and leaves were everywhere. rustle, rustle, rustle! the rain of bamboo leaves drifted with the wind and gradually covered huang yulong¡¯s corpse. not far away, pei xiangjun held her spear and pressed down on xiao shichen, who was covered in blood. ye jingtang half-squatted in front of him and took out the medicine bottle again. ¡°it will really be too late if you don¡¯t take it now. you¡¯re only the second-in-command. in the past, you had to listen to the sect master¡¯s arrangements. now that your boss is dead, he will bear all the blame. 1 won¡¯t say that i¡¯ll let you escape without punishment, but i can at least spare your life. you¡¯re only in your forties. you still have at least thirty years to live. why should you die for the prince of wu?¡± ¡°cough¡­¡± xiao shichen kept coughing up blood. he looked at huang yulong, who was already dead, and said hoarsely, ¡°you should go after bai siming. the people of jianghu are all opportunists. why would the prince of wu tell us where he¡¯s hiding? cough¡­ if you want to kill me, just kill me. i¡¯ve already done enough¡­ cough¡­¡± ye jingtang frowned and raised his hand to send xiao shichen on his way. he stood up and looked into the depths of the bamboo sea. luo ning walked over to ye jingtang with her sword in hand. just as she was about to speak, she saw that the webbing of his hands was bleeding. she hurriedly held his hands to check. pei xiangjun took out medicine from behind her waist and handed it to ye jingtang with a very displeased expression. ¡°why didn¡¯t you use your spear? why did you fight against a spear with a saber? what were you thinking?¡± ye jingtang wasn¡¯t injured, but the skin between his thumbs and index fingers had been broken by the impacts. he clenched his fingers and shook his head. ¡°1 just wanted to test if the dragon slaying decree was powerful or not. what a lousy saber technique. it¡¯s not useful at all. it almost confused me.¡± luo ning took out a handkerchief and wiped ye jingtang¡¯s hands. she frowned and said, ¡°if you had used jun mountain terrace¡¯s fifty-kilogram heavy saber, huang yulong¡¯s would have been knocked away in the first blow, much less be able to stop the saber with the collapsing spear. it¡¯s clearly because you had the wrong weapon¡­¡± pei xiangjun saw that luo ning was criticizing ye jingtang in an arrogant manner and interrupted, ¡°ning¡¯er, you jumped a lot just now. it was more than thirty times. what move was that? the bewitching array?¡± ?! luo ning stopped speaking and looked at the sarcastic third lady. ¡°what bewitching array? that¡¯s the nine palace steps!¡± ¡°the nine palace steps is a close-combat footwork technique. how can it be used fifty feet away from the opponent?¡± ¡°i¡¯m holding a soft sword. if i don¡¯t find opportunities to launch sneak attacks, am 1 supposed to fight head-on like him? you even used a big spear but only stabbed once from the beginning to the end¡­ woo~!¡± luo ning was quarreling with third lady, who was mocking her, when a handsome face suddenly appeared in front of her. then warmth came to her red lips, blocking her words. ¡°huh?¡± pei xiangjun quickly turned her head when she saw the vixen being hugged and bitten. luo ning was furious at being ambushed by ye jingtang. she raised her hand, hit his shoulder, and turned her face away. ¡°little thief, you¡¯re biased, aren¡¯t you? you didn¡¯t say anything when she criticized me. but when i criticized her, you blocked my mouth.¡± ye jingtang took the roaring dragon spear and put on a serious expression. ¡°i just wanted to take advantage of you. how can you say that i¡¯m biased? let¡¯s go and chase after bai siming.¡± luo ning felt that ye jingtang was biased, but business was more important, so she couldn¡¯t say much. she put away her sword and rushed ahead. pei xiangjun placed the spear that didn¡¯t match her figure at all on her shoulder. as she walked, she thought for a moment and said, ¡°by the way, soldiers suddenly came just now, and we chased after those three without stopping, so i forgot to tell you. when i was spying on the roof, after the prince of wu¡¯s aide came, i saw that someone seemed to be following him.¡± ye jingtang took the overlord spear and placed the two spears on his shoulders. ¡°following him? who?¡± ¡°i¡¯m not sure, but his lightness skills are very good, and his observation skills are astonishing. he discovered that 1 was spying near grasping moon alley and ran away. not long after, a woman in white came to the town from behind. it seemed that she was chasing after the lightness skills expert¡­¡± luo ning slowed down and asked, ¡°what kind of woman?¡± ¡°i¡¯m not sure. it was too far away. i could only see that she was wearing a veiled hat and a white dress. her lightness skills are definitely better than mine¡­¡± ye jingtang only heard this much, so he naturally couldn¡¯t figure out their identities and standpoints. however, based on the fact that the enemy of an enemy was a friend, the person who could follow bai siming was most likely someone from the prince of wu¡¯s side. after deliberating for a moment, ye jingtang first noted down this matter and left the bamboo sea with the two women, chasing in the direction bai siming had left¡­ clouds covered the moon. in the deep mountains and dense forests, withered vines and old trees intertwined. from time to time, the howls of unknown beasts sounded. howl! the bird spread its wings and circled in the night sky. its black and bright eyes reflected the mountains and wilderness within a radius of several kilometers as it locked onto the figure escaping quickly in the forest. bai siming, dressed in a scholarly robe, moved through the mountains with his outstanding lightness skills as if he were walking on flat ground. his speed was extremely fast, but he made no sound at all. occasionally, he would lightly jump onto a treetop and carefully observe the wind and grass behind him. he was extremely cautious. but no matter how cautious a martial artist was, it was difficult to notice a bird circling high in the sky at night. realizing that the king of hell of the black office was held back by huang yulong and xiao shichen and didn¡¯t chase after him, bai siming no longer cared about hiding and began moving at full speed through the mountains. swoosh! swoosh! swoosh! although the movement was small, he was still flying at full speed in the deep mountains and ancient forests, causing a line of swaying treetop branches and leaves that extended northwest, like a ferocious beast moving through the forest. the bird followed him high in the sky. after chasing him through several mountains, it suddenly discovered a black figure standing at the top of a mountain and looking down. bai siming didn¡¯t cause much movement, but it was very eye-catching when one looked carefully. the black figure quickly locked onto bai siming¡¯s location and followed behind silently. the bird tilted its head in the sky. just as it was puzzled, it discovered a white figure floating over from outside its vision at an astonishing speed and chasing after the two of them. the three of them were very far apart, traversing through the mountains like a mantis stalking a cicada, unaware of an oriole behind. the woman in white at the back kept closing the distance. after reaching a cliff, the black figure sensed something and turned around to run into the distance. the woman in white exploded at the same time and jumped down from the cliff. swoosh! then grass and trees began to fly in the wilderness. the black and white figures ran around like a cat chasing after a mouse. bai si ming, who was fleeing in front, heard the commotion and became vigilant. he flew away into the distance without stopping at all. the bird¡¯s head was full of question marks.. because its target was clear, it ignored the two outsiders running around and continued chasing after bai siming¡­ Chapter 261 - Chapter 261: Empty Mountain Phantoms (2) chapter 261: empty mountain phantoms (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios it was already late at night. in the deep mountains and ancient forests, a group of three moved forward silently. ye jingtang carefully observed the traces on the ground to determine the direction bai siming had fled in. however, when top experts fled, the footprints they left behind were barely visible. if they wanted to catch up to bai siming, they had to rely on the scouting bird. the three of them slowly walked in the mountains, mostly resting and recuperating, waiting for the bird to return and report the location of the target. after traveling like this for half an hour, they didn¡¯t see the bird turn back or send a signal. ye jingtang¡¯s ears twitched slightly as he looked at the high mountains in front. pei xiangjun suppressed her aura and looked at the deep mountains. ¡°there¡¯s a situation?¡± ye jingtang stood up, jumped onto the top of a big tree, and looked into the depths of the wilderness. ¡°there seems to be a fight in the mountains. there¡¯s a lot of movement.¡± ¡°bai siming is fighting with someone?¡± ¡°possibly.¡± now, ye jingtang wasn¡¯t the only person from the imperial court who had come to pursue the prince of wu. the prince of wu had plotted a rebellion and escaped. being the first to discover and capture him was a great achievement that was enough to promote someone to a noble. constables from all over the country and even government experts had been rushing to wu province in the past few days. if the others searching for traces in the mountain bumped into bai siming and got into a conflict, the duck in his mouth might fly away. thinking of this, ye jingtang didn¡¯t hesitate and began to move quickly toward the deep mountains. luo ning and pei xiangjun also stood up and followed behind¡­ the clouds covered the full moon, and the deep mountains and ancient forests darkened, leaving only dim starlight. deep in the mountains, in a pine forest¡­ the yellowish-brown pine needles had piled up on the ground in a thick layer. the ground was very slippery and would make a light sound when stepped on. a woman in a snow-colored dress and a white veiled hat slowly walked in the dark pine forest. her white shoes embroidered with plum blossom petals seemed to be weightless when she stepped on the pine needles, not causing any movement or sound. the woman in white was holding a sword that was three feet and three inches long. the edges of the sword were as bright as mirrors, and the handguard was shaped like a yin-yang fish. the name was quite special. it was called ¡®joyful union¡¯, taken from the meaning of yin-yang joyful union. it was the joyful union sword among the ten famous swords. the high ranking didn¡¯t mean that the material and craftsmanship of this sword were special. just like the roaring dragon spear, the material and craftsmanship of the roaring dragon spear was not inferior to the top ten famous spears, but its reputation in jianghu might not even rank among the top 100. after all, the status of famous weapons in jianghu was never determined by quality but by the people who used the weapons and their past achievements. this sword ranked in the top three because it had been the sword of the founder of void jade mountain. now, it was in the hands of the top three of the eight chiefs and the strongest woman in jianghu. the pine forest looked calm as usual, but if there were enough light and one looked closer, they would discover that many black needles as thin as hair were left on the pine trees, and some of the tree trunks even had sword marks. the woman in white¡¯s dress fluttered in the light night wind. after searching the forest for a long time, she stopped and said, ¡°come out. you¡¯ve been hit by my palm. if you continue, you¡¯ll die.¡± her mature voice was elegant, gentle, and unhurried, but there was a hint of playfulness. it sounded both righteous and demonic, making it difficult to distinguish if the speaker was good or evil. as the woman in white spoke, a woman¡¯s voice came from the depths of the forest. she was burning with anger. ¡°demoness, you¡¯ve been hit by my rotten bone needle. even divine doctor wang of southern wei can¡¯t save you. now, throw your sword away and beg for mercy. i¡¯ll give you a way out. if you chase after me again, we¡¯ll die together!¡± the woman in white turned around and walked toward the source of the voice. she sighed softly and said, ¡°you¡¯ve said that seven or eight times. what heart burning needle? meridian breaking powder? every time, you say there¡¯s no cure¡­¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t want to kill anyone, so i held back on you! demoness, you¡¯ve chased me from the western sea of great liang from last year to this year. aren¡¯t you annoyed? if you chase me again, i will drug you with an aphrodisiac and throw you into a brothel¡­¡± ding- a hair-thin flying needle flew silently from the darkness without any warning. however, when it approached, it was swept away by the joyful union sword. the woman in white strolled in the pine forest and looked at a tree crown in the depths. ¡°oh~? you still have an aphrodisiac? i really want to try out how powerful it is. i hope it¡¯s not like those cheap things on the market. they don¡¯t even make me feel anything¡­¡± ¡°ptui! demoness, don¡¯t force me. if you dare to take another step forward, i¡¯ll break my killing rule!¡± the woman in white didn¡¯t stop walking. ¡°you can¡¯t hold on anymore. hand over the roaring dragon chart, and i¡¯ll let you leave alive¡­¡± ¡°i don¡¯t have the roaring dragon chart. i¡¯ve told you a hundred times! if you want to find the roaring dragon chart, go find jiang zhahu. why are you chasing me?¡± ¡°i was going to look for jiang zhahu, but 1 bumped into you first. you¡¯re the ¡®thief sage¡¯ of northern liang. over the years, you¡¯ve visited countless wealthy families in the two countries. you should have more than one picture, right?¡± there was a big difference between the jianghus of northern liang and great wei. great wei was full of traditional martial artists, and the only people in jianghu who were revered as ¡®sages¡¯ were the two sages on the mountain. on the other hand, northern liang respected extraordinary people. martial artists who didn¡¯t take the ordinary path in jianghu also had very high statuses. poison, hidden weapons, and even monoculars, osmanthus soap, and other items that were popular in the world were all created by people of northern liang. they had many titles such as poison sage, medical sage, and thief sage. but no matter how many people there were, there could only be one person in a profession who dared to bear the word ¡®sage¡¯.. Chapter 262 - Chapter 262: Empty Mountain Phantoms (3) chapter 262: empty mountain phantoms (3) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the woman in the forest wasn¡¯t arrogant after being identified by the woman in white. instead, she said angrily, ¡°you are the thief! i have never stolen anything¡­¡± ¡°you have such good lightness skills. you go into the secret rooms of wealthy families every day and don¡¯t steal anything. then, what are you looking for?¡± ¡°i¡¯m just secretly learning martial arts manuals.¡± ¡°the king of yan estate also has martial arts manuals? a few years ago, the king of yan estate was robbed. the prince of yan didn¡¯t say anything and only secretly investigated your whereabouts¡­¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t do the case in the king of yan estate! there are so many thieves in jianghu who steal things and blame it on me. you don¡¯t believe me even when i explain¡­¡± ¡°the wingless owl didn¡¯t even learn thirty percent of lu jieyun¡¯s skills. after stealing the book of lightness skills insights, he was so frightened that he didn¡¯t dare to return to yan province. he doesn¡¯t have the guts and ability. in this world, only you can sneak into the prince of yan¡¯s study without a sound¡­¡± clatter! the two of them had only spoken a few words when the sound of branches breaking suddenly sounded from a pine tree in front of them. then a black figure fell from the treetop and landed on the pine needles all over the ground. thump! the black figure was wearing night clothes, and only her eyes were exposed. after landing, she wanted to stand up, but she let out a muffled groan and clutched her chest. ¡°cough¡­¡± the woman in white slowly walked until she was 100 feet away with her sword. ¡°every time i¡¯m two hundred and fifty meters away from you, you¡¯ll sense it and escape in advance. i don¡¯t believe you when you say that you¡¯ve never practiced the bright spirit picture.¡± the black-clothed woman was lying on the ground and glaring at the fly who wouldn¡¯t let go of her. ¡°is it wrong that 1 was born with extraordinary eyes and ears? 1 travel in jianghu neither stealing nor robbing. 1 have no grudges with you, demoness. but you¡¯re still haunting me and attacking me repeatedly¡­¡± the woman in white held her sword upside down behind her back. ¡°if i wanted to kill you, you would have died long ago. i urgently need the roaring dragon chart. since you have it, i have to take it away. if you hand it over, i¡¯ll let you go and compensate you with a huge opportunity. if you don¡¯t hand it over¡­ 1 don¡¯t want to be a bad woman, but for my disciple, i have no choice.¡± when the black-clothed woman saw the other party walking over, she gritted her teeth, slid out a dagger from her sleeve, and pressed it against her neck. ¡°if you dare to come over, i¡¯ll kill myself immediately!¡± the woman in white strolled leisurely and ignored her. ¡°your suicide won¡¯t stop me from searching your body.¡± ¡°i don¡¯t have the roaring dragon chart, but i know its whereabouts. once i die, don¡¯t even think about finding it!¡± the woman in white paused for a moment before walking forward again. ¡°you¡¯re so smart. how could you commit suicide? tell me the whereabouts of the roaring dragon chart so that you can avoid suffering¡­¡± ¡°you!¡± the black-clothed woman¡¯s eyes were full of grief and indignation. helpless, she stabbed her neck with her dagger. swoosh! when the woman in white saw this, she suddenly sped up and wanted to stop her. but just as she rushed past the pine tree that the black-clothed woman had fallen from, she heard something under her feet. bam! a white mist erupted from between the soft pine needles, instantly engulfing the woman in white who was passing by above. the black-clothed woman¡¯s dagger naturally didn¡¯t pierce her neck. the grief, indignation, and despair in her eyes disappeared, and she quickly jumped up from the ground. the woman in white didn¡¯t panic. she only stopped and looked down. ¡°what is it this time? an aphrodisiac?¡± ¡°in your dreams!¡± the black-clothed woman held the dagger in front of her and said coldly, ¡°this is the blood congealing powder, my unique secret medicine. you¡¯ll definitely die. the faster your qi and blood flow, the faster you will die. you¡¯d better not move.¡± the woman in white sensed it and nodded slightly. ¡°it¡¯s indeed quite powerful this time. 1 should take fifteen minutes to force the poison out.¡± the black-clothed woman didn¡¯t quite believe these words, but she knew how terrifying this demoness was. three black needles slid out of her right hand, and she slowly walked forward, wanting to give this demoness a few more doses. swish! the woman in white was calm and composed. she stabbed her sword into the ground, took out a palm-sized red wine gourd from behind her waist, uncorked it, and slowly took a sip. she even said politely, ¡°the fierce woman¡¯s worry¡¯ produced in sha province, which is also known as immortal kneeling, is the best wine in jianghu. would you like a sip?¡± when the black-clothed woman smelled the fragrance of the wine, surprise flashed in her eyes. ¡°you still dare to drink after being poisoned by the blood congealing powder? do you think that you¡¯re not dying quickly enough?¡± ¡°get drunk while wine is still available today.¡± after the woman in white took a sip of the strong wine, she hung the small wine gourd back on her waist. ¡°people live their whole lives for pleasure. if you throw away pleasure in order to survive, then life is meaningless.¡± the black-clothed woman that the demoness was too calm and didn¡¯t dare to approach rashly. she gave up on the idea of stabbing her with the needles and turned around to run into the depths of the mountains. ¡°i¡¯ll let you run for fifteen minutes. see you later.¡± the woman in white looked relaxed as she watched the black-clothed woman. she only heaved a sigh of relief when the woman¡¯s figure completely disappeared. she took out a handkerchief, placed it on the ground, sat cross-legged with her back straight, and clasped her hands in her lap.. then her gauze dress and veiled hat fluttered without any wind, and beads of sweat appeared on her forehead¡­ Chapter 263 - Chapter 263: Empty Mountain Phantoms (4) chapter 263: empty mountain phantoms (4) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios when ye jingtang heard the quiet sounds, he quickly walked toward the mountain. soon, he arrived at the bottom of a stone cliff behind a mountain. the forest below the stone cliff was in a mess, as if it had been run over by a herd of elephants. when ye jingtang saw this scene, he knew that the people fighting were very skilled in martial arts. he raised his hand slightly to stop third lady and ning¡¯er. pei xiangjun carefully checked the chaotic forest and found a few inconspicuous thin needles inserted into the ground and even the tree trunks. there was also a lot of colorful powder. she reminded, ¡°be careful. there¡¯s poison.¡± ye jingtang also discovered this and carefully retreated out of the forest where there might be poisonous gas. just as he was about to speak, he heard a sound coming from a pine forest a kilometer away. it was the sound of branches breaking. although they were quite far away, the silence in the mountains made it sound abnormally obvious. the three of them frowned at the same time and looked at the pine forest in the distance. ye jingtang knew that the people fighting was still there. without saying anything, he held his saber hilt and silently walked toward the pine forest. pei xiangjun and luo ning didn¡¯t need to communicate. they separated to the left and right and followed at a certain distance. ye jingtang silently arrived at the periphery of the pine forest and used the method of the heaven equaling saber to carefully sense the situation inside. there was no movement in the pine forest. ye jingtang estimated that the other party¡¯s martial arts skills were very high. he was afraid that third lady and ning¡¯er¡¯s footsteps would be exposed in advance, so he raised his hand to ask the two of them to stay put, guard outside the pine forest, and be prepared to rush over to help. he relied on his extraordinary lightness skills to silently step on the pine needles and approach to investigate. after carefully sensing for a distance and passing through several pine trees, ye jingtang saw the scene in the depths of the forest under the dim starlight. a woman in a white dress and a veiled hat was sitting cross-legged in the forest. there was a long sword stabbed into the ground beside her, and she was alone. in the middle of the night, in the deep mountains and ancient forests, a woman in snow-white clothes suddenly appeared. she was silent and carried an elegant and ethereal aura. it was very difficult to distinguish whether she was a human, a ghost, or an immortal. ? ye jingtang wasn¡¯t sure if the other party was dead or alive. after thinking for a moment, he slowly approached. when he was still hundreds of feet away, he noticed the woman in white¡¯s veiled hat turning and looking at him. ye jingtang paused. sensing that the other party¡¯s martial arts skills were extraordinary, he didn¡¯t approach her anymore. he maintained a distance and showed his waist token. ¡°the black office is working. who is sneaking around in the forest? tell me your name!¡± h h the woman in white looked around the forest and quickly recognized the handsome official who had suddenly come over. he was the black-clothed young master who had stopped injustice in baywater town this morning. the woman in white admired this kind of constable who remembered his duties and had a strong sense of justice. if she had met him normally, she might have even chatted with him. but now that he had bumped into her here, she was clearly not interested in chatting. based on the handsome constable¡¯s behavior of doing things, when he discovered an unknown person meditating in the deep mountains and ancient forests, he would definitely pursue the matter to the end. he wouldn¡¯t stop until he figured out her identity, where she came from, and where she was going. but she couldn¡¯t do anything to the conscientious and dutiful constable. furthermore, northern liang¡¯s thief sage was definitely not an ordinary person. although her direct combat strength was far inferior to hers, her lightness skills, six senses, and ability to use poison and hidden weapons were top-notch. the various poisons were very annoying. the blood congealing powder today was indeed a strong and strange poison. although it couldn¡¯t hurt her at all, it wasn¡¯t a problem to limit her for two hours. if a younger generation found out that she, the strongest woman in the world, had been drugged and was sitting here to force out the poison, the invincible image she had accumulated in the past would collapse on the spot¡­ in summary, leaving was the best course of action now. when the woman in white heard ye jingtang¡¯s question from afar, she didn¡¯t respond. she stood up unhurriedly, pulled out the sword beside her, held it upside down behind her back, and slowly walked into the depths of the forest, leaving ye jingtang with an immortal-like back view. ¡°halt!¡± when ye jingtang saw that the other party actually dared to resist arrest, he frowned and pressed his saber forward. ¡°according to the laws of great wei, those who refuse arrest will be killed without mercy. miss, don¡¯t play with fire.¡± swoosh! as soon as his voice sounded, the woman in white, who was originally slowly walking in the forest, soared into the sky and transformed into a white afterimage flying left and right. in the blink of an eye, she had gone more than 100 feet away. ye jingtang was indeed shocked by her extraordinary movement technique, but his movement technique was not bad either. anyone who saw an official and didn¡¯t talk to them but ran away, even if they weren¡¯t a bandit, they were definitely unclean. the prince of wu might be hiding in the deep mountains and ancient forests. the woman in white ran away when she saw an official. ye jingtang naturally assumed that she was a subordinate of the prince of wu.. he immediately flew forward and chased after her¡­ Chapter 264 - Chapter 264: DaoistXuanji (1) chapter 264: daoistxuanji (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios bam! bam! in the pine forest, two explosions sounded almost at the same time. gusts of wind were instantly stirred up in rhe originally silent mountain forest, and countless pine needles were lifted by the two figures. the woman in white was suppressing the strange poison, but her movement technique was still shockingly fast. her feet flickered back and forth on the tree trunks, and in an instant, she had already fled dozens of feet away. she originally thought that the handsome official behind her would be stunned when he saw her actions. but the ability of the young constable behind her was beyond her expectations. just as she flew not far away, the young constable behind her pressed forward at an astonishing speed, instantly pulling the distance to 20 feet. swoosh! the woman in white¡¯s dress fluttered in the wind. as she flew, she looked back and saw the extremely focused, handsome face. she was quite surprised. when she stepped onto another tree trunk, her slender legs bent and suddenly straightened. boom! the waist-thick pine tree trembled violently under rhe immense force! amidst the explosion, the woman in white tore through rhe air, her dress producing loud wind-breaking sounds. wherever her figure passed, the fallen leaves and pine needles on the ground were all swept away by the wind. from afar, it looked like a white dragon had suddenly appeared and was passing through the pine forest. in an instant, she arrived at the edge of the pine forest. ?! even though ye jingtang had a strong mental fortitude, he was still shocked by this unbelievable explosive power. he knew that this woman¡¯s martial arts skills were far higher than he had imagined. after she flew, she landed on the ground and stopped quickly, plowing a long groove in the soft forest. crack! the woman in white instantly distanced herself and recovered her immortal-like figure. she rose and fell above the treetop and even looked back when she was far away. although the veil obscured her face, ye jingtang could still feel the woman¡¯s teasing, as if she was telling him: are you still going to chase me? ye jingtang didn¡¯t know the other party¡¯s details. it was too risky to chase after such an unfathomable opponent. he just stood still on the spot and watched with a frown as he guessed the other party¡¯s identity. under the silver moon, the ghost-like woman in white with a veiled hat rose and fell. soon, she reached the end of his sight. seeing that the other party didn¡¯t come back, ye jingtang wanted to leave this troublesome place quickly. but before he turned around, he suddenly heard a sound from afar. crash- looking carefully, he saw that 500 meters away, the woman in white, who still had an immortal aura just now, staggered when she stepped on a tree trunk. then she missed her footing and fell down. with rhe sound of branches breaking and leaves being crushed, the commotion disappeared. ?? ye jingtang frowned slightly, feeling a little puzzled. after he waited for a moment, there was still no movement in the distance, but two sets of light footsteps came from behind. pei xiangjun was walking beside luo ning and paying attention to the slightest movements in rhe dark pine forest. she asked, ¡°what happened just now? who did you meet?11 ¡®tm not sure. i think 1 met a powerful expert¡­¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t know if he should say that the other party was powerful or that she was weak and liked to pretend. after waiting for a moment, the woman in white didn¡¯t appear again, so he said, ¡°keep your distance and be careful. i ll go over and take a look.¡± luo ning threw the roaring dragon spear to ye jingtang and followed at a distance with pei xiangjun, paying attention to the movements behind. ye jingtang didn¡¯t have the bird as a scour. he was afraid of being ambushed by this woman of unknown origin, so he walked each step very carefully. after about 15 minutes, he passed through the rugged mountain forest and arrived near rhe place where rhe woman had fallen. under rhe light of the moon and stars, a small pit had been pressed out in the bushes in the forest. a white figure was lying inside. there was a veiled hat hanging on the branch beside her, and a gleaming sword was stabbed into the ground nor far away. ye jingtang held rhe roaring dragon spear and walked to a distance of 100 feet to size her up carefully. he could see the woman in a snow-white dress lying on her side in the bushes. she was silent. he could only see her long hair that reached her hips, waist, legs, shoulders, and back. he couldn¡¯t see her face. ¡°hello?¡± ye jingtang called out, but the woman didn¡¯t respond. ye jingtang couldn¡¯t figure out the situation. to be safe, he took out a golden needle and raised it with his fingers from 100 feet away. swish! the hair-thin soul separating needle tore through the air. ye jingtang didn¡¯t often use hidden weapons, so he couldn¡¯t guarantee that his aim would be accurate at a distance of 100 feet. the soul separating needle was poisonous, and it was difficult to use strength well enough so that it wouldn¡¯t penetrate too deeply. if he pierced her abdominal artery, she might die. for this reason, he aimed the needle at the large area behind the woman in white. it was easy to hit, and inserting a needle into it was relatively safe. although he couldn¡¯t see it clearly from afar, from the trajectory of rhe golden needles, he still hit it accurately. the soul separating needle was a powerful weapon developed by divine doctor wang. even qiu tianhe would have to kneel on the spot if he was hit. the eight chiefs might have a way to force out the golden needle, but it was impossible for them to be fine if they were hit. ye jingtang waited for a while. seeing that the woman still didn¡¯t move, he held the hilt of his saber, went around to the side, and looked at rhe woman¡¯s face. under rhe moonlight, rhe woman in a long white dress was lying on her side in a pit of bushes that her body had pressed out. her eyes were closed, her red lips were very calm, and there was a faint blush on her fair cheeks. she looked as if she had just drank too much and was casually lying among the flowers and plants to take a rest. the woman¡¯s long hair should have been tied up on her head, but when ir fell, it spread out. a few strands of black hair covered her face slightly. her black eyebrows gave off a picturesque feeling. her appearance was exquisite, but her temperament was not gentle and elegant. even though she seemed to have lost consciousness and revealed a natural expression, she still gave off a strange feeling of being cynical and indifferent to life and death¡­ ye jingtang sized up the woman from afar. he couldn¡¯t hear her breathing. under rhe cold night air, he walked nearby and poked the woman¡¯s shoulder with the end of the roaring dragon spear.. ¡°hello?¡± Chapter 265 - Chapter 265: Daoist Xuanji (2) chapter 265: daoist xuanji (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the woman still didn¡¯t respond. seeing this, ye jingtang stabbed his spear into the ground, held the hilt of the saber with his left hand, and went over to her. his right hand touched the woman¡¯s wrist. but as soon as his hand reached halfway, the woman opened her peach blossom eyes! her clear eyes were as bright as stars. although she didn¡¯t say anything, ye jingtang could understand what she meant: you dare to stab me with a needle? you¡¯re in big trouble! creak! ye jingtang instantly took a few steps back and looked into the woman. just as he was about to say something, he found that the woman had closed her eyes again. then there was the sound of breathing. her breathing was unstable, and it sounded like she was seriously injured. ye jingtang waited for a moment, but the woman had no reaction at all. just as he was hesitating, he heard a sound. swoosh! from the corner of his eye, he saw ning¡¯er, who was dressed as a constable, flying over from the forest toward the unconscious woman. ye jingtang hurriedly stopped luo ning. ¡°be careful! what are you doing?¡± when luo ning saw the unconscious woman in white, she clearly panicked. ¡°what did you do to her?¡± seeing luo ning¡¯s expression, ye jingtang was a little confused. ¡°do you know her?¡± luo ning didn¡¯t know what to say. she quickly walked up to the woman and checked her breathing and pulse. she found that she had been poisoned by a few poisons, but she was still alive. she quickly took out a white emperor pill and stuffed it into the woman¡¯s mouth. she even patted her face and called out, ¡°shuishui¡­?¡± pei xiangjun arrived with her spear on her back and saw luo ning scrambling to save her. she was a little puzzled. ¡°jingtang, who is this?¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t know who it was, but this woman probably had the strength of a martial chief. she ran away when she saw an official, but ning¡¯er still cared so much¡­ who else could it be but the pacifying heaven cult master? when ye jingtang thought of this, his heart froze, and he hurriedly went forward to check the woman¡¯s pulse. but before he could even touch her wrist, luo ning swatted the back of his hand. pa- luo ning checked her pulse and found that something was wrong. she asked anxiously, ¡°what did you poison her with?¡± ¡°1 only used a soul separating needle. 1 didn¡¯t use any other poison.¡± ¡°where did you hit her?¡± ¡°where¡­¡± ye jingtang gestured at the woman in white¡¯s butt. ?! luo ning¡¯s eyes widened. she knew this crazy woman¡¯s temper very well. she knew that ye jingtang was in big trouble. she hurriedly raised her hands, passed them under the woman¡¯s legs, and carried her horizontally. ¡°hurry back to town. if she¡¯s injured, even the princess won¡¯t be able to protect you.¡± ye jingtang took out a cloth belt to wrap the two spears and tied them together to make a temporary stretcher. he asked, ¡°who is she?¡± luo ning placed the woman in white on the stretcher face down. after thinking for a moment, she took out a mask, covered her face tightly, and even changed her voice. ¡°can¡¯t you guess who such a powerful woman is?¡± pei xiangjun pulled out the joyful union sword from the tree beside her and sized it up. her eyes were slightly startled. ¡°it seems to be daoist xuanji¡­ jingtang, didn¡¯t you ask before you attacked?¡± ye jingtang naturally knew who daoist xuanji was, but he had heard that daoist xuanji was an expert who had attained the dao. she lived in seclusion all year round and never left the mountain. moreover, when he left, the imperial court didn¡¯t say that daoist xuanji would come to wu province. it was unexpected that he would suddenly bump into her here, and she was even injured. ye jingtang and third lady lifted the stretcher and walked out of the mountains. he shook his head and said, ¡°1 didn¡¯t even touch her. she turned around and ran away without saying a word. then she fell flat on the ground¡­¡± pei xiangjun¡¯s gaze was cautious. ¡°she must be injured. be careful. there should be other experts here. someone who can injure daoist xuanji is definitely not an ordinary person.¡± when luo ning heard this, she returned to her senses and carefully observed the surrounding forest. ¡°the person who came is a top poison expert. if this person can injure her, the three of us might not even be able to last a round.¡± ye jingtang asked doubtfully, ¡°is she that powerful?¡± pei xiangjun, carrying the stretcher in front, replied, ¡°the top three of the eight chiefs can use all weapons. do you think they¡¯re small fries like huang yulong?¡± speaking of which, this was the first time ye jingtang had seen one of the current eight chiefs. although he knew that they were very powerful, seeing daoist xuanji¡¯s half-dead appearance, her invincible image in his imagination was greatly reduced. but when he thought of how dumdum and yuhu were both newbs and liked to play, it wasn¡¯t strange for their master to be like this. they were really of a common origin. seeing luo ning¡¯s anxious and worried eyes, ye jingtang asked again, ¡°ning¡¯er, are you familiar with her?¡± luo ning was walking beside the stretcher like a nurse on the battlefield, holding daoist xuanji¡¯s wrist and observing her situation at all times. she replied softly, ¡°i used to travel around jianghu. before i went to the pacifying heaven cult, i first went to tu province¡¯s void jade mountain. at that time, i met daoist xuanji and stayed at qingping monastery for a period of time. she originally wanted me to stay at qingping monastery, but in the end¡­¡± seeing that luo ning wanted to say something but hesitated, ye jingtang asked, ¡°what happened in the end?¡± when luo ning mentioned these old matters of jianghu, her eyes were a little complicated. back then, in order to take revenge, she had wandered jianghu and stayed in qingping monastery for a period of time. she had had a good relationship with daoist xuanji, and it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that they had been like sisters. she had even considered joining void jade mountain. however, void jade mountain was highly regarded by the imperial court, and the sect master, lu taiqing, had been given the title of imperial preceptor. in essence, he had already drawn a clear line with jianghu, and he had to consider the imperial court¡¯s wishes in everything he did. if she joined the sect, it would be very difficult for her to take revenge in the future, so she had been very conflicted. coincidentally, during this time, she met xue baijin, who had just emerged. xue baijin was a rebel from the pacifying heaven cult. she promised to teach her martial arts and help her destroy the thousand buddha temple without any scruples. the two of them instantly hit it off. being related to the pacifying heaven cult meant that she was destined to draw a clear line with the imperial court. daoist xuanji would definitely not agree to this marriage, so she could only secretly leave without saying goodbye and elope with xue baijin. later, during her ¡®wedding¡¯ with xue baijin, daoist xuanji thought that she had been forcefully abducted by the pacifying heaven cult master and even ran to the heavenly south to save her from the sea of misery. she even almost got into a fight with xue baijin. she couldn¡¯t say that xue baijin was a woman. she could only say that she and xue baijin were truly in love, and from now on, she was a member of the pacifying heaven cult. the government and rebels were irreconcilable. as soon as she said this, they severed all ties with each other. luo ning had always felt guilty toward daoist xuanji, but she had to avenge her family, so there was nothing she could do. now, she met her old friend again¡­ when luo ning thought of this, she suddenly felt that there was a big problem. she was following the little thief now. if daoist xuanji discovered her, how would she explain it? first, she had abandoned her old love for her new love, committed herself to rebels, and became the wife of the rebel leader. then she fell in love with someone else and had an affair with a young master of the imperial court¡­ if daoist xuanji discovered this, wouldn¡¯t she hang and beat up a promiscuous woman like her? second, ye jingtang was a member of the government. with her, the cult mistress of the pacifying heaven cult, following him, wouldn¡¯t the matter of him working for both sides be completely exposed?! putting aside the fact that ye jingtang was a double-sided agent, he had even seduced daoist xuanji¡¯s disciple and former best friend. if daoist xuanji knew this, if she didn¡¯t castrate the little thief, she wouldn¡¯t be worthy of her temper¡­ luo ning felt that something big was about to happen to ye jingtang. she hurriedly went to him and whispered in his ear, ¡°when she wakes up, don¡¯t let her know that i¡¯m here.¡± seeing that the two of them knew each other, ye jingtang naturally knew that ning¡¯er couldn¡¯t see the light of day. he nodded and said, ¡°then hide first. i¡¯ll send her away.¡± luo ning covered her face tightly. after speeding through the forest for a moment, she felt that this matter was an enormous thunderbolt that would explode sooner or later. she had to think of an explanation in advance and said, ¡°i was snatched by you through coaxing and pestering. if we¡¯re really discovered in the future, i¡­ 1¡¯11 say that i was working in the capital, but you caught me and took a fancy to my beauty, so you used both coaxing and coercion to detain me at home. i¡¯m in great wei, and my heart is in the south firmament mountains¡­¡± ?? ye jingtang¡¯s eyes were full of shock. ¡°then, wouldn¡¯t this mean i¡¯m a dog official who captured a beautiful rebel and took her home to humiliate? if daoist xuanji finds out, won¡¯t she beat me to death?¡± luo ning frowned. ¡°if she knows the truth, won¡¯t she still beat you to death? with my explanation, you can at least distance yourself from the pacifying heaven cult. it¡¯s nothing more than being known as having poor morals.¡± ye jingtang thought about it and agreed. he had a close relationship with ning¡¯er. if he wanted daoist xuanji to believe that he wasn¡¯t a spy of the pacifying heaven cult, either ning¡¯er had fallen in love with someone else and betrayed xue baijin, or he, a dog official, had forcefully abducted someone¡¯s wife and occupied luo ning. it was obviously not appropriate for ning¡¯er to take the blame for them falling in love with each other, but if he took the blame for kidnapping a beauty, wouldn¡¯t his image collapse? ye jingtang thought for a moment and could only sigh. ¡°let¡¯s take it one step at a time.. let¡¯s go back to town first¡­¡± Chapter 266 - Chapter 266: Two Sides (1) chapter 266: two sides (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios just after midnight¡­ the sudden arrival of soldiers turned the originally quiet white millet town into a mess. only a large group of soldiers patrolling the streets and alleys were left. the jianghu people who hadn¡¯t had time to escape were tied up with ropes and squatting on the ground, awaiting investigation. a raid had occurred on grasping moon alley. the residences of the three major families had already been controlled, and the remaining disciples of the grasping moon tower were all gathered in a courtyard for supervision. the civilians of white millet town entered a state of martial law under the raid of the soldiers. their doors and windows were tightly shut, and they stayed at home. other than a few barks, there was no sound. in an inn at the corner of the town, ye jingtang took the black office¡¯s waist token and sent away the officers and soldiers who had come to search. after closing the inn door, he went to the second floor. suddenly, there was a military disaster. even the innkeeper ran away, and there was no one else in the small inn. ye jingtang arrived at a room on the second floor and stood in front of the window. he looked at the distant mountains and listened to the movements in the room next door. in the room next door, it was much busier. a few candles were placed on the table, illuminating every corner of the room. daoist xuanji, who was wearing a snow-colored dress, was lying on the bed. her cheek pressed against the pillow, facing outward. her closed eyes were calm and gentle, and her face was slightly red. she wasn¡¯t moving. luo ning, who was wearing a constable¡¯s robe and covering her face tightly, was sitting in front of daoist xuanji and carefully checking her pulse. there was obvious heartache and concern in her eyes. pei xiangjun didn¡¯t hide her face. she walked in with a basin of hot water and placed it beside the bed. she asked gently, ¡°how is she?¡± afraid that daoist xuanji would suddenly wake up and discover her, luo ning kept her voice low. ¡°after taking the white emperor pill, her body¡¯s condition has recovered a little¡­ this little thief used the soul separating needle. it will hinder the circulation of qi and blood. we have to take out the needle first.¡± the soul separating needle was so thin that no wound could be seen after it pierced into the flesh. moreover, the poison stimulated the muscles to tighten. forcefully pulling it out would damage the meridians and leave internal injuries. once a martial artist was stabbed in an important acupoint, no matter how powerful they were, they would have to surrender obediently. ye jingtang wasn¡¯t ruthless and stabbed her butt. it could only restrain her, but it was still troublesome to remove it. luo ning first gave daoist xuanji a matching antidote to relieve the poison of the soul separating needle. then she flipped daoist xuanji onto her side and untied her sash. daoist xuanji was wearing a snow-white long dress. only the hem of the skirt and embroidered shoes were adorned with a few plum blossom petals. the originally spotless white dress had a few small holes at the hem and some stains because of her fall from the treetop. but overall, it was still in good condition. it was hot in june, so daoist xuanji didn¡¯t wear many clothes. under her white dress were an undergarment and thin white pants. when pei xiangjun saw the white clothes, surprise flashed across her eyes. ¡°daoist xuanji is an otherworldly expert. i didn¡¯t expect her to wear such smallclothes¡­¡± luo ning was not surprised by this. after all, she had long known daoist xuanji¡¯s personality. she was more immortal-like than her in the outside world, but in private, she was a drunkard who could do anything. ¡°she¡¯s an expert who has attained the dao. how can she be restricted by the rules of the mortal world?¡± luo ning explained for her old friend and continued working. pei xiangjun didn¡¯t stare at first, but while sitting in front, she noticed something from the corner of her eye. she tilted her head slightly and sized daoist xuanji up. ¡°eh- did she shave herself or¡­¡± luo ning had lived with daoist xuanji and xue baijin for a period of time and knew some small secrets that no one else in the world knew. she explained, ¡°according to the cult master, when a girl is three years old, if she starts soaking in medicinal baths and practicing internal energy to build her foundation, when she grows up, she will most likely be tall, have a well-proportioned figure, and have fair skin. but some girls are too talented and too diligent. before they reach the age of eleven or twelve, they have already opened all the meridians in their bodies, so they might become naturally bald there¡­¡± pei xiangjun was skeptical and subconsciously glanced down. ¡°there¡¯s such a matter? i have the posture of the eight chiefs¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s just possible. it varies from person to person. not everyone with good talent will be hairless¡­ besides, this isn¡¯t a good thing. you look like a little girl. it¡¯s embarrassing to be seen by others¡­¡± pei xiangjun blinked her almond-shaped eyes. perhaps it was the first time she had seen it, so she was curious and wanted to touch it with her fingers. but just as she reached out halfway, luo ning patted her hand. ¡°if you can¡¯t help, get out. don¡¯t cause trouble here!¡± pei xiangjun retracted her hand. ¡°i¡¯m just curious. i¡¯m a woman. i won¡¯t touch randomly¡­¡± luo ning gently massaged daoist xuanji. after her muscles that had been stimulated by the poison completely relaxed under the effects of the antidote, she pulled out the golden needle and carefully checked daoist xuanji¡¯s pulse. seeing that daoist xuanji¡¯s body was beginning to recover rapidly, she breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°you¡¯re still curious¡­ do you want to become like this too?¡± ¡°eh~? what nonsense are you saying¡­¡± at the same time, at the window next door¡­ ye jingtang stood with his hands behind his back and looked at the chaotic town. his expression was cold as he frowned in deep thought, seemingly concerned about the country and the people. but the two rooms were only separated by a wooden wall. the two women didn¡¯t treat him as an outsider at all when they spoke. it was really difficult not to hear them. forced to gain new knowledge, ye jingtang didn¡¯t know what to say. he could only suppress the distracting thoughts in his mind and try his best to pretend not to hear anything. after he waited at the window for a long time, the rustling in the room next door quieted down. then footsteps sounded in the corridor. thump, thump! creak- the door opened, and pei xiangjun walked into the room. from morning until now, she had been constantly running around and putting in 120% of her energy. she had exhausted too much energy and stamina. her face was clearly tired. after closing the door, she even yawned and stretched. ¡°hmm- eh?!¡± but before she could finish stretching, pei xiangjun felt an itch on her waist. the sudden touch made her body shrink. she hurriedly turned around and looked at ye jingtang, who had silently touched her back. her almond-shaped eyes widened in annoyance. ¡°what are you doing? how rude¡­¡± ye jingtang looked at third lady, who put on the airs of an elder, and raised his hand to help tidy up her hair. ¡°what¡¯s the situation over there?¡± with the door behind her and ye jingtang in front, pei xiangjun had to raise her head to look at him. she felt a little strange and avoided his gaze. ¡°daoist xuanji is fine. her body is very good, and she¡¯ll probably recover tomorrow morning. has the bird returned?¡± ¡°not yet. bai siming was probably shocked by the fight and didn¡¯t go to the prince of wu¡¯s lair¡­¡± ye jingtang continued to help tidy up third lady¡¯s hair. seeing that her face was red and she actually looked a little uneasy, he lowered his hand. ¡°it¡¯s getting late. third lady, have a good rest. i¡¯ll keep watch.¡± pei xiangjun smoothed her hair and sighed softly. ¡°i want to rest. but ning¡¯er is afraid of being discovered by daoist xuanji, so she wants to hide outside. you have to guard here to prevent anything from happening to daoist xuanji. i can¡¯t follow you and leave her alone outside. with her lousy martial arts skills¡­¡± ¡°who are you saying has lousy martial arts skills?¡± squeak! as they were talking, the door was pushed open, and luo ning, who was covered up tightly, walked in and raised her hand to pat third lady¡¯s butt. ye jingtang grabbed ning¡¯er¡¯s hand and tried to smooth things over. ¡°the town is in chaos now. how can i be at ease if you wait outside alone? it¡¯s safer to let third lady follow you. you guys stay at the inn at the end of the street. don¡¯t run around.¡± luo ning knew that there were many experts in wu province recently. she felt a little guilty staying far away, but she was also a little worried. she glanced at ye jingtang. ¡°daoist xuanji is unconscious. you¡­¡± ? ye jingtang spread his hands slightly, speechless. luo ning thought about it and felt that the little thief had always been openly frivolous when women were awake. he really wasn¡¯t interested in taking advantage of unconscious women. after thinking about it, she didn¡¯t say much and changed the topic. ¡°do¡­ do you need to recuperate?¡± ye jingtang really wanted to recuperate, but daoist xuanji was right beside him. if she woke up halfway through his recuperation, there would be a huge problem. he shook his head and smiled. ¡°let¡¯s talk tomorrow.¡± luo ning and pei xiangjun didn¡¯t say anything else when they heard this. after getting their belongings, they left together. ye jingtang watched the two of them enter an inn at the end of the street from the window. after pei xiangjun waved at the window, he raised his hand and waved, signaling the two of them to rest early. then he sat cross-legged on the bed with his long saber placed across his knees.. he listened to any movement next door and waited for daoist xuanji to wake up¡­ Chapter 267 - Chapter 267: Two Sides (2) chapter 267: two sides (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios on another side¡­ in the wee hours of the morning, in river source county, in the southwest of wu province¡­ ¡°giddyup!¡± clack, clack.. the hurried horse galloped past the official road outside the county city and gradually arrived at the city outskirts. bai siming had been riding on horseback for more than four hours. along the way, he had stolen three horses and rode continuously. he had already run from rising sun county to river source county, but he was still worried. after running a short distance, he would turn around to check the situation to prevent anyone from following him. he was so cautious because when he was in the mountains just now, he had been extremely careful and paid attention to the slightest noise behind him. but even though he had clearly confirmed that there was nothing unusual, the sound of fighting had sounded from more than 300 feet behind him. three hundred feet was quite far for ordinary people, but at the level close to that of the eight chiefs, he could almost reach this distance in front of him with a turn of his head. it was completely within his detection range. if he didn¡¯t sense it, it could only mean that the other party¡¯s lightness skills and movement techniques surpassed his. being followed by such an unfathomable expert, how could bai siming dare to let his guard down? he didn¡¯t dare to return to the hidden dragon cave at all. the only way to escape from being tracked was to risk his life and run away at full speed. peak martial artists might have terrifying short-distance sprinting speeds. but in bai siming¡¯s opinion, someone who could cross mountains and track galloping horses for four hours in a row and still maintain silence without being discovered by a top expert was no longer human. bai siming ran to the vicinity of river source county¡¯s county capital, but he still didn¡¯t discover any signs of anyone following him. his anxious heart gradually relaxed, and he turned his horse¡¯s head and ran toward the phoenix perching villa in the suburbs. the phoenix perching villa was a second-tier jianghu force among the twelve sects of wu province. its strength was average, and it was only slightly stronger than the black tortoise hall, a sect that relied on the prestige of its ancestors to make up the numbers. although the phoenix perching villa was weak, it had a lot of connections and a deep relationship with the neighboring ze province. the young lady of the sect had even married into jun mountain terrace, which dominated ze province. bai siming had traveled a long distance to come here, obviously not just because it was the closest to the grasping moon tower. bai siming was the chief aide of the prince of wu. in recent years, he had assisted the prince of wu in his rebellion and had a deep understanding of the situation in the capital¡¯s bureaucracy. it was impossible for him not to pay attention to a secret service organization like the black office. after bai siming left the grasping moon tower, he had been blocked by a king of hell of the black office. bai siming saw his appearance and confirmed that he wasn¡¯t one of the six fiends. but the young constable had grabbed the saber in the air as nimbly as a dragonfly skimming the water and instantly killed xiao shichen. his martial arts skills were clearly on the same level as the diting and ksitigarbha. furthermore, the saber technique of drawing a saber with the left hand and using the ¡®only speed can¡¯t be broken¡¯ attack was too prominent. bai siming and qiu tianhe were martial artists of the same era, and he was even working in wu province beside ze province. it was really difficult not to recognize the constable. a man from the black office, only in his twenties, extremely handsome, knew the eight-steps frenzied blade¡­ who else could it be other than ye jingtang? a few days ago, the prince of wu estate had received a messenger pigeon from the capital, asking the prince of wu to send someone secretly to deliver news to jun mountain terrace. the description on it was exactly the same as the king of hell of the black office he had met today. bai siming had personally arranged for someone to send the news to jun mountain terrace. at the time, he was still puzzled as to why the people in the capital were so anxious. today, he finally understood what kind of monster cao aning and the others had encountered in the capital. putting aside his incomprehensible investigative abilities, for him to be able to practice martial arts to this level at around twenty years old was completely a replica of feng guancheng. it was obvious that he had heaven-reaching luck, and anyone who stood in his way would die. now that bai siming had been inexplicably ambushed by this living king of hell with countless experts, he knew that something big was about to happen. however, the prince of wu was trapped in the mountains and couldn¡¯t leave at all. bai siming was the strongest expert under him, but he didn¡¯t dare to deal with such a person. the only choice now was to continue using ¡®kill with a borrowed knife¡¯. he had to urge jun mountain terrace to send someone over quickly to send this king of hell away. as for whether jun mountain terrace would come, bai siming wasn¡¯t worried. ye jingtang¡¯s martial arts skills were so high that he could fight two experts alone and easily defeat the second-in-command of the grasping moon tower. he could already be regarded as a top grandmaster. to be able to lead a team to capture or kill the prince of wu meant that he was highly trusted and valued by the empress. he would definitely have power in the imperial court in the future. if jun mountain terrace still dared to let such a person continue to grow to become a disaster, they deserved to be wiped out. bai siming galloped to the phoenix perching villa on the outskirts of the city, got off his horse, and jumped into the huge villa. almost at the same time that bai siming¡¯s figure disappeared, a big bird silently landed on a nearby mountain and lay on a rock. ¡°chirp, chirp, coo, coo¡­¡± it probably meant: i¡¯m so tired¡­ just as the bird was resting on the rock for a moment to observe whether bai siming was staying here, a black shadow suddenly appeared from the mountain range and landed at the high point on the opposite mountain. he took out a long tube and looked into the villa. ¡°coo?!¡± the bird raised its head and felt that this figure was a little familiar¡­ Chapter 268 - Chapter 268: Bon Voyage (1) chapter 268: bon voyage (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios before the long night ended, before dawn¡­ the commotion in white millet town had already calmed down. only the shouts of some soldiers sounded in the distant restaurants. in the room on the second floor of the inn, ye jingtang was sitting cross-legged on the bed, circulating the jade bone dragon form picture to temper his muscles and bones while his ears were paying attention to the slightest noise in his surroundings. after an unknown period of silence, the sound of a bird flying past came from the window, followed by the soft sound of claws kicking the window. tap, tap, tap¡­ ye jingtang opened his eyes, stood up with his saber in hand, walked to the window, and opened it. a white ball crawled in and fell straight on its back on the bed, pointing its claw upward. ¡°chirp¡­¡± ye jingtang knew that it was very tiring for the bird to fly all night. he went to the bed, sat down, picked up the bird, put it on his lap, and stroked its feathers. ¡°have you found the place?¡± ¡°chirp chirp!¡± the bird could distinguish the direction and approximate distance. when ye jingtang learned that bai siming had gone more than 100 kilometers northwest, he took out a map and searched according to the direction. he found that this place was within the sphere of influence of the phoenix perching villa near wu province¡¯s river source county. the phoenix perching villa wasn¡¯t very powerful, and river source county was located on a transportation route, so there was basically no possibility of the prince of wu hiding there. bai siming wasn¡¯t injured, so it was very likely that he had gone somewhere to settle down temporarily. if ye jingtang wanted to keep this lead, he had to go there as soon as possible¡­ but daoist xuanji hadn¡¯t woken up yet¡­ thinking of this, ye jingtang frowned. he turned around and looked at the silent room next door. he placed the bird on a pillow, got up, and walked out of the door. there were no outsiders in the small inn, and the corridor on the second floor was dark. ye jingtang listened carefully at the door. even the sound of breathing inside was barely audible. he couldn¡¯t confirm the situation, so he opened the door. in the not-so-large room, the red candles on the lampstand had long burned out, leaving a pool of melted wax. the joyful union sword, which had already been put into a white scabbard, was lying flat on the dressing table. beside it was a pouch, a small gourd, and other personal items. behind the bed curtain, daoist xuanji, whose age couldn¡¯t be seen, was wearing a snow-white dress and lying quietly on a pillow with a thin blanket covering her chest. the flush on her face had subsided, and her expression was calm. her hands were folded at her waist as she slept on her back. daoist xuanji¡¯s appearance and bearing were clearly very gentle and elegant. she was a gorgeous beauty, but the naturally indifferent expression on her face always gave people the feeling of ¡®i don¡¯t care about anything, so i can do anything¡¯. it made people feel that she wasn¡¯t someone to be trifled with¡­ ye jingtang knew that she was the respected teacher of the empress and a daoist expert. it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that she was one of the leaders of the righteous way. naturally, he wouldn¡¯t judge a book by its cover and determine her personality based on his feelings. after taking a closer look and seeing that the woman didn¡¯t move, ye jingtang slowly walked to the bed and wanted to take her pulse to check her physical condition. but before his right hand could touch her wrist, he found that a pair of black and bright eyes had silently opened in front of him and were looking at him. their eyes met, and the room fell silent for a moment. daoist xuanji was woken up from her sleep, and a moment of confusion appeared in her eyes. then the experience before she lost consciousness surged into her mind. yesterday, she had been hit by northern liang¡¯s thief sage¡¯s blood congealing powder. it was indeed quite powerful. while she was forcing the poison out, this handsome constable had rushed over, causing her to have no choice but to leave¡­ he chased after her, but she escaped. in the end, she didn¡¯t manage to escape. she increased her speed violently to show off, but she was poisoned by the blood congealing powder¡­ she felt that this constable wasn¡¯t a danger, so she decided to suppress the poison first. in the end, this kid came over and actually gave her a shot in the butt¡­ when daoist xuanji thought of this, her peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a dangerous look. ?! ye jingtang knew that things were bad. just as he was about to retract his hand and retreat, he saw daoist xuanji¡¯s left hand, which was folded at her waist, flick out at lightning speed and grab his right wrist. ye jingtang knew how powerful the other party was. if she overreacted after being woken up, his arm might be broken. he immediately moved his hand, wanting to grab the other party¡¯s wrist. when daoist xuanji saw that this audacious young constable actually dared to compete with her in martial arts, a trace of amusement flashed in her eyes. she immediately jumped up and pulled with her left hand at the same time, wanting to use her superb skills to let this young constable understand what the difference between heaven and earth was. the scenario that daoist xuanji imagined was probably: she, dressed in snow-white dress, would jump up from the bed. at the same time, she would pull ye jingtang toward the bed. the moment she jumped over him, she would wrap him into a caterpillar with the thin blanket and throw him onto the bed. she would land gracefully and pick up the wine gourd on the dressing table to drink, leaving ye jingtang with an unfathomable and carefree back view. the idea was good, but when daoist xuanji moved, she realized that the blood congealing powder was quite strong. her body hadn¡¯t completely recovered, and her blood and qi circulation weren¡¯t smooth, causing the power of her jump to be slightly weaker. moreover, ye jingtang¡¯s speed of circulating his qi was far faster than martial artists of the same level, so his reaction speed was actually equal to hers. when she pulled hard, he planted his feet on the floor at the same time, trying to stabilize himself. the result was that daoist xuanji didn¡¯t jump up, but ye jingtang didn¡¯t stop either. they directly rushed toward each other. under daoist xuanji¡¯s terrifying explosive power, ye jingtang staggered and fell straight toward the bed. he originally thought that she was going to press him onto the bed. at first, he didn¡¯t think of resisting, but just as he was prepared to say, ¡°heroine, wait¡­!¡± he immediately realized that the woman in white in front of him didn¡¯t have this intention. after she pulled him hard, her figure actually collided with him horizontally. the height she reached was insufficient to go over his head.. wanna gift the story? try one. Chapter 269 - Chapter 269: Bon Voyage (2) chapter 269: bon voyage (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios it looked like she was about to kill him with her watermelons. (o_o)?! boom! the muffled sound of bodies colliding came from the silent room, and then it fell into dead silence. ye jingtang was pulled toward the bed and knocked back two steps before he could stabilize himself. he raised his arms and caught the beauty in white, whom he didn¡¯t know what she was doing. daoist xuanji crashed into ye jingtang¡¯s body and fell again. her back was supported by his right arm, and her legs were supported by his left arm. she landed in his arms in a standard princess carry. her originally calm eyes, which were both righteous and evil, twitched imperceptibly. but daoist xuanji¡¯s mental fortitude was extremely strong. her expression remained calm as she looked at ye jingtang indifferently, with the attitude of ¡®this is what 1 planned¡¯ to cover up her small mistake. ye jingtang was stunned when he saw her throwing herself at him. the ¡®heroine, wait¡¯ that he had planned to say turned into: ¡°miss, please respect yourself! about that¡­ saving you yesterday was a normal official duty. it¡¯s only right that you want to thank me, but¡­ i¡¯m not a casual person. you¡­¡± then he quickly placed daoist xuanji back on the bed. daoist xuanji couldn¡¯t say that she was powerless and had failed, so she didn¡¯t explain. she propped the side of her face up with her hand on the bed and put on a faint smile. ¡°taking advantage of a woman¡¯s unconsciousness to sneak attack her lower body with a hidden weapon, how dare you say that you¡¯re not casual?¡± ye jingtang really couldn¡¯t imagine that this demon-like woman in white was actually great wei¡¯s emperor¡¯s master, dumdum¡¯s master. if he didn¡¯t know her identity and heard someone say that she was a demoness of a demon sect who took pleasure in harming heroes of jianghu, he wouldn¡¯t doubt it at all. ¡°i showed my waist token for a routine inspection, but miss, you didn¡¯t reveal your identity and even resisted arrest. when i¡¯m not sure of your background, using a golden needle to subdue you is according to the procedure¡­¡± daoist xuanji narrowed her eyes slightly. ¡°young master, do you think i¡¯m a reasonable woman? you acted in accordance with the law, so 1 won¡¯t find trouble with you?¡± from these few words, ye jingtang felt that this woman was indeed unreasonable. he said solemnly, ¡°i have a clear conscience. if you have a grudge, there¡¯s nothing i can do. also, i asked a female doctor in town to treat your injuries. i¡¯ve been staying in the room next door. if you hadn¡¯t jumped into my arms just now, 1 wouldn¡¯t have offended you¡­¡± daoist xuanji carefully observed ye jingtang¡¯s expression and felt that he wasn¡¯t lying. she got up, put on her plum blossom embroidered shoes, picked up the small wine gourd on the dressing table, and brought it to her red lips to take a sip. gulp- as the strong wine entered her throat, more memories from yesterday surged into her mind. after the young constable gave her a shot and approached her, she had seen that there was only focus on doing his job impartially and caution in his eyes, and he didn¡¯t have any ill intentions. so her heartstrings no longer felt tense¡­ although she had let down her guard, her instincts from many years of practicing martial arts were still there. whether it was when she was seriously injured and unconscious or when she was drunk, her instincts would wake her up when she felt danger. for example, when the young constable approached her and wanted to touch her wrist just now, she woke up instantly¡­ she seemed to vaguely remember someone patting her face and a woman¡¯s voice. then this woman took off her clothes and rubbed her butt to remove the needle¡­ her body could feel it, but she didn¡¯t wake up. it could only be said that she subconsciously judged that she was in a very safe environment and didn¡¯t need to wake up forcefully to resist¡­ daoist xuanji¡¯s state was similar to having a hangover. she seemed to remember something vaguely, but she couldn¡¯t remember it clearly. after feeling that there wasn¡¯t a big problem, she didn¡¯t think about it anymore. she put down the wine gourd and raised her hand slightly. ¡°sha province¡¯s fierce woman¡¯s worry, do you want a drink?¡± ye jingtang¡¯s hometown was in liang province, which was relatively close to sha province. he had heard of this famous wine. the original name of this wine was ¡®heart burning knife¡¯. it was mellow in the mouth, but the aftereffects were extremely strong. no matter how chaste a woman was, she would have to lie down and let a man pluck her after drinking one cup. it was the same for men. so the wine was nicknamed ¡®fierce woman¡¯s worry¡¯ and ¡®immortal kneeling¡¯. because the price was astonishing and output was scarce, ye jingtang had indeed never drunk it before. but he couldn¡¯t guess what daoist xuanji would do next. how could he drink this wine? ¡°i¡¯m on official business, so it¡¯s not convenient for me to drink. i¡¯ve just received some news. miss, if you¡¯ve recovered¡­¡± daoist xuanji hung the wine gourd by her waist, went to a chair, and sat down. her sitting posture was rather quiet. she raised her hand and slowly poured tea. ¡°you helped me pull out the golden needle. did you discover my identity?¡± ye jingtang nodded and sat down opposite her. ¡°i am ye jingtang. i¡¯ve heard a lot about you, daoist. seeing you today, you¡¯re indeed extraordinary¡­¡± daoist xuanji raised her finger slightly and interrupted the pleasantries. ¡°young master ye, you can just call me miss shui¡¯er. daoist, daoist priest, and so on are too old-fashioned.¡± ye jingtang thought for a moment and asked, ¡°miss shui¡¯er, your martial arts skills are rarely rivaled by anyone in the world, but yesterday¡­ may i ask who knocked you out yesterday? i¡¯m investigating the whereabouts of the prince of wu. i don¡¯t know how many powerful people he has under him¡­¡± daoist xuanji felt that her invincible image had already collapsed in the heart of the young constable in front of her. her secret goal was to search for the roaring dragon chart, and she had pursued northern liang¡¯s thief sage relentlessly. no one could know about this. but if she didn¡¯t explain clearly, in facing a powerful figure who could knock her down, ye jingtang, who was in charge of tracking down the prince of wu, probably wouldn¡¯t dare to enter the wu mountains again. daoist xuanji deliberated for a moment and explained casually, ¡°i went down the mountain to travel. when i passed by this place, i encountered a black snake with three hundred years of cultivation. it had the image of a flood dragon transforming into a dragon. in order to prevent disaster from affecting the people at the foot of the mountains, i raised my sword and killed it. but i was poisoned by the snake¡¯s venom..¡± Chapter 270 - Chapter 270: Bon Voyage (3) chapter 270: bon voyage (3) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ? ye jingtang felt that this woman had probably drunk too much. he frowned and said, ¡°this matter concerns the safety of the officials of the imperial court. miss, your explanation, i¡¯m afraid¡­¡± ¡°young master, don¡¯t worry. this matter has nothing to do with the prince of wu. i hope you can keep your mouth shut about my appearance in wu province. don¡¯t spread it. otherwise¡­¡± at this point, daoist xuanji glanced at his waist. ¡°i¡¯m a very vengeful person. i will settle old and new grudges together. i¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll regret meeting me for the rest of your life.¡± to be honest, ye jingtang didn¡¯t really want to see daoist xuanji a second time. he cupped his hands and said, ¡°miss, don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ll definitely keep my mouth shut.¡± daoist xuanji took two sips of wine, and her face turned red. she had failed several times in a row. perhaps she felt a little embarrassed, so she didn¡¯t stay any longer. she stood up, took ye jingtang¡¯s bamboo hat away, and put it on her head. ¡°the sun rises, and we sober up. even though we¡¯re separated by thousands of mountains, we are under the same sky. it¡¯s fate that we met. see you again in jianghu.¡± when ye jingtang heard daoist xuanji¡¯s refined words, he stood up and raised his right hand slightly. ¡°bon voyage.¡± 1q11 when daoist xuanji saw ye jingtang¡¯s posture, she thought that he was going to show her how good he was at literary and martial arts. when she heard this, she was instantly speechless. she picked up the joyful union sword and moved her body slightly. like a willow leaf fluttering in the wind, she silently floated out of the window. she was extremely fast and silent, and her posture was ethereal. a look of admiration flashed across ye jingtang¡¯s eyes for daoist xuanji¡¯s extraordinary movement technique. just as he was about to turn around, he suddenly heard a sound coming from outside. clatter! it was the sound of a roof collapsing. ?? ye jingtang quickly turned around and went to the window to take a look. he saw a hole, which had been created by being stepped on, in the roof of the house not far away, and tiles were falling. he also saw the back of the white-clothed figure with an immortal aura floating in the air, rising and falling above the buildings and gradually drifting away, as if nothing had happened. ye jingtang opened his mouth and wanted to comment, but he thought better of it. he felt that if this was all there was to the top three of the eight chiefs, then he seemed to be confident in fighting xuanyuan chao¡­ a moment later, outside the inn at the end of the street¡­ the sun rose in the east. it was around five in the morning, and the streets were quiet without a single person. ye jingtang led his horse to the outside of the inn. seeing that the people in the inn had also escaped due to the raid, he tied the horse to the stable. then he carried the bird, who was sleeping like a pig, and jumped up to a window on the second floor. there were no lights in the spacious room. a spear was leaning against the canopy bed by the wall. in order to make it easier to observe, the curtain wasn¡¯t lowered. the two women were lying in their clothes on the bed. ning¡¯er¡¯s combat strength was slightly lower than third lady¡¯s, so she slept on the inner side. last night, she had been on night watch first. at this moment, her hands were folded at her waist, and she was sound asleep. her eyelashes were moving slightly, and she looked like she was still dreaming. her cold face even looked a little nervous. she was probably dreaming of either being caught by the pacifying heaven cult master for cheating on her or being caught by daoist xuanji for falling in love with someone else. third lady was keeping watch. she was lying on her side and playing with the bird and flowers hairpin in her hand in boredom. seeing ye jingtang entering through the window, third lady quickly put the hairpin into her sleeve. she blinked her almond-shaped eyes and made a shushing gesture, indicating that ning¡¯er had just fallen asleep. luo ning was quite vigilant. when she heard movement in the room, she opened her eyes and propped up her upper body slightly. ¡°has she left? nothing happened, right?¡± ye jingtang placed the bird in a turned-over bamboo hat. ¡°nothing happened. it¡¯s just that daoist xuanji is more¡­ um¡­ down-to-earth than 1 imagined. she doesn¡¯t have the airs of an expert at all. it¡¯s refreshing.¡± luo ning heaved a sigh of relief and leaned back on the pillow again. her beautiful peach blossom eyes looked a little sleepy. ¡°she has always been casual, like a half-immortal that mortals can¡¯t understand. don¡¯t underestimate her. she could wake up so quickly unscathed with the soul separating needle and a bunch of unknown poisons. her internal energy can be said to be unfathomable. she¡¯s dozens of times stronger than third lady.¡± hearing these words, pei xiangjun turned around. ¡°daoist xuanji is powerful, not you. why are you so smug?¡± luo ning harrumphed lightly. ¡°you rely on your connections to survive in jianghu. those who only know how to be reckless will always be goons and can¡¯t become formidable figures.¡± ye jingtang went over and sat beside the bed. he stopped the two of them from quarreling and said softly, ¡°the bird just returned and said that bai siming fled to river source county. how was your sleep?¡± when pei xiangjun heard this, she knew that ye jingtang wanted to rush over. she frowned and said, ¡°river source county is more than a hundred kilometers away from here. it¡¯s more than half a day¡¯s journey. you¡¯re not made of iron. you haven¡¯t slept since yesterday morning. what can you do if you chase after him now? be dizzy while fighting with bai siming?¡± luo ning nodded. ¡°even if we run over now, it¡¯s already noon. bai siming should have left long ago. rest well first and recharge your energy. how can people work without sleep or rest? even if humans can stand it, the bird and horses can¡¯t stand such torture.¡± ye jingtang hadn¡¯t slept for nearly 24 hours. he could withstand it, but it was impossible for him not to be tired. seeing that the two girls hadn¡¯t slept well either, he thought about it and didn¡¯t insist. he turned around and said, ¡°alright, i¡¯ll sleep for a while. let¡¯s set off at noon and rush over early.¡± hearing this, pei xiangjun sat up, put on her embroidered shoes, pulled ye jingtang over, and pressed him onto the bed. ¡°you can sleep here and let her treat you. you don¡¯t know, but she didn¡¯t sleep peacefully at all just now. she thought i was you and touched me everywhere.¡± luo ning frowned. ¡°don¡¯t talk nonsense. when did 1 touch you?¡± ¡°you were asleep, so you naturally don¡¯t know. not only did you touch me, but you were even breathing heavily and clamping your legs. heh~¡± after taunting her, pei xiangjun quickly ran out of the door and took the bird on the way. ye jingtang had a strange look in his eyes. he sat down beside luo ning and asked, ¡°ning¡¯er, were you dreaming just now?¡± luo ning had indeed been dreaming. she dreamed that daoist xuanji had caught her and almost scared her to death. how could she have clamped her legs? ¡°don¡¯t listen to her nonsense. i never move when i sleep. it¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know.¡± ye jingtang shook his head and smiled. without asking further, he leaned on the pillow and closed his eyes. ? luo ning thought that the little thief was going to touch her steamed bun to check. just as she was about to turn her head and pretend to be forced, she found that ye jingtang was sleeping soundly. she felt surprised. luo ning¡¯s lips moved, but she didn¡¯t say anything. she held ye jingtang¡¯s hand and placed it on her bulging heart. ye jingtang originally wanted to be serious, but time seemed to be a little rushed.. he thought about it and turned over¡­ Chapter 271 - Chapter 271: Gathering Storm (1) chapter 271: gathering storm (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios it was noon in summer. the sun was blazing outside the window, and the room was a little stuffy. in the next room, a soft voice could be faintly heard. ¡°chirp- chirp-¡± ¡°shh- don¡¯t wake jingtang up¡­¡± ¡°coo-¡± on the bed covered by the curtain, ye jingtang¡¯s eyelashes fluttered. then he opened his eyes. after a deep sleep, his mind was blank. after a moment of confusion, he remembered where he was. the weather was scorching hot, and the thin blanket originally covering his body had long been kicked to the side. he turned his head. heroine luo might have felt that his body was too hot, so she had rolled to the innermost side of the bed and slept with her back facing him, revealing the perfect curves of her waist, back, snow-white moon, and long legs¡­ so fair¡­ ye jingtang blinked and felt that the already sultry weather had become a little hotter. seeing that ning¡¯er was sleeping soundly, he couldn¡¯t bear to ¡®night and day¡¯ directly. he just tilted his head to appreciate her carefully. after some thought, he picked up a small porcelain bottle from beside the pillow. last night, he had used the dragon slaying decree, so it was inevitable that his arms were a little sore. when he was bullying ning¡¯er, she didn¡¯t want to make a sound, so she had found something to do and helped him rub his arms to distract herself. but she had taken the wrong medicine bottle in a daze. he had asked what medicine it was, but ning¡¯er had stammered and refused to tell him. in the end, under his attack, she had confessed that it was a temporary hair removal ointment. her eyes had been full of vigilance as she covered herself, afraid that he would try it on a whim. he felt that this item was unnecessary. after all, ning¡¯er¡¯s body was flawless from head to toe. any more or less would be superfluous. moreover, with ning¡¯er¡¯s temper, if he dared to make her look so embarrassing, she would absolutely be angry and ignore him for half a month. but it was still possible to scare her. ye jingtang thought for a moment and dipped his finger into a cup of water. then he took the small medicine bottle and flipped it over behind the cold and charming ning¡¯er. his hand carefully circled around her slender waist¡­ ¡°ah-¡± it was already noon, and luo ning didn¡¯t sleep very deeply to begin with. when she felt a cold touch two inches below her navel, her feet curled up slightly, and she frowned slightly before opening her eyes. the first thing he saw was the little thief¡¯s handsome side profile. he was focused on doing something. she looked down and saw that the little thief was holding the medicine bottle in his left hand, and his fingers were on her¡­ ¡°ahhhh!¡± there was a scream. luo ning¡¯s beautiful eyes widened visibly, and fear and disbelief appeared in her eyes. she got up and retreated as if she had been electrocuted. she lowered her head to check. although it was still there, it would definitely be gone tonight, and she would be too ashamed to see anyone¡­ when luo ning thought of this, her face even revealed a hint of grief and indignation. she picked up a pillow and threw it at the stinky man who was messing around while she was sleeping. ¡°i¡¯ll beat you to death, little thief! how¡­ how could you do this?!¡± she was so angry that tears came out. ye jingtang was hit several times by the pillow, but it didn¡¯t hurt at all. instead, ning¡¯er¡¯s movements were too big, and the little watermelons were swaying around, making him a little dizzy. he hurriedly held her wrist and comforted her gently. ¡°it¡¯s water. 1 was just joking. don¡¯t be angry.¡± luo ning glared at ye jingtang for a moment. hearing that he was joking to scare her, she felt relieved. then she became even angrier. she picked up the pillow and hit him a few more times. ¡°joking? do you believe that 1¡¯11 turn you into a hairless brat while you¡¯re sleeping¡­¡± pa! pa! pa! while the two of them were fooling around, the door of the room was pushed open, and third lady stuck her head in the room. ¡°what¡¯s wrong with you guys?¡± although pei xiangjun couldn¡¯t see anything through the curtain, luo ning was still so shocked that she hurriedly hugged the pillow and pretended to be calm. ¡°nothing. he woke me up when he called out the princess¡¯s name while he was sleeping¡­ it¡¯s getting late. let¡¯s get ready to set off.¡± pei xiangjun was next door, but she didn¡¯t hear jingtang talking in his sleep. she guessed that he might have done something bad. but the two of them were fooling around on the bed, so she couldn¡¯t interrupt. she only said, ¡°the sun is already shining. hurry up and get up to eat.¡± then she closed the door. after ye jingtang comforted ning¡¯er for a while, he quickly put on his clothes and went downstairs for a meal.. when the sun was slightly lower, he rode his horse and set off again, speeding toward river source county¡­ Chapter 272 - Chapter 272: Gathering Storm (2) chapter 272: gathering storm (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios meanwhile, at jun mountain terrace¡­ wu province and ze province bordered each other. rising sun city was less than 400 kilometers southeast of ze province, where jun mountain terrace was located. at noon, the cloud dream swamp was shrouded in fog. thirty-six islands were hidden among blue waves, connected by corridors, terraces, and pavilions. among them, ships and pleasure boats floated with the waves, gathering countless sabermen who had come from all over the world to make a pilgrimage or become famous. recently, the prince of wu¡¯s rebellion had caused a huge commotion, but there were very few jianghu people around jun mountain terrace, and most of them were talking about another matter. qiu tianhe had come out. qiu tianhe was one of the ¡®three heroes of cloud lake¡¯ 30 years ago. although he had been through many ups and downs in the past few decades, he was still in jianghu and was honorable and righteous. to this day, he was already one of the most qualified candidates for the next saber chief in the hearts of the people of jianghu. on the day qiu tianhe came out, he shouted at the dragon roar pavilion, ¡°old man xuanyuan, you didn¡¯t expect that¡­¡± after the news spread in jianghu, countless sabermen rushed to jun mountain terrace one after another, wanting to see if qiu tianhe¡¯s first stop after coming out was to cause trouble for old man xuanyuan. compared to the jianghu people, who were watching the excitement, the xuanyuan family¡¯s reaction was rather calm. after all, qiu tianhe would only come for a duel. whether he won or lost, he couldn¡¯t shake the foundation of jun mountain terrace. compared to him, the other saberman who might become a calamity was clearly more worthy of jun mountain terrace¡¯s attention. in the depths of jun mountain terrace, on a tall building facing thousands of kilometers of blue waves, xuanyuan hongzhi was holding a note in his hand. his face was full of anger as he paced back and forth while cursing, ¡°it¡¯s only been a few days. a few days ago, they said that ye jingtang was favored by the prince of jing because of his outstanding looks, and his martial arts skills were only slightly better than the black and white impermanences. now, they suddenly say that he¡¯s half a step away from the eight chiefs level. huang yulong and xiao shicheng joined forces but were killed easily. he¡¯s even serving as an imperial envoy and leading an army to capture the prince of wu¡­ the prince of wu doesn¡¯t even know that someone used him to get information. with such ability, he still rebelled. how disgraceful¡­¡± beside xuanyuan hongzhi stood an extremely muscular man. he carried a broad heavy saber on his back and had a beard on his chin. he looked heroic and extraordinary. he was ¡®saber chief¡¯ xuanyuan chao¡¯s direct disciple, yao wenzhong. although yao wenzhong had a different surname, his status was similar to ye jingtang¡¯s. he was the adopted son of xuanyuan chao and was nurtured by jun mountain terrace as its successor. yao wenzhong was extremely talented and had the qualifications to compete for the position of saber chief in the future. but the reason he could reach this position in jun mountain terrace was mostly due to luck. originally, the most legitimate heir of jun mountain terrace was xuanyuan tiangang, the eldest son of xuanyuan chao. xuanyuan tiangang ranked first among the three heroes of cloud lake in the past. everyone in jianghu knew how talented he was. there had been almost no doubt that he would succeed his father, xuanyuan chao, as the next saber chief at the age of 30, and there had been hope that he would surpass his father and raise the saber chief¡¯s ranking by two places. however, although the three heroes of cloud lake were each other¡¯s rivals, they were also close friends. the eldest daughter of jun mountain terrace, xuanyuan shuye, had gotten to know pei yuanfeng, ye jingtang¡¯s foster father, during one of his spars with her brother. later, in order to curry favor with the imperial court, the xuanyuan family wanted to send their eldest daughter to the palace to be a consort. pei yuanfeng came to propose marriage and was provoked. he challenged xuanyuan chao at the age of twenty and was directly crippled. because of this, the three heroes of cloud lake had all come to an end prematurely. pei yuanfeng failed to find the snow lake flower in northern liang. disheartened, he picked up ye jingtang and lived in seclusion in a border town for the rest of his life. qiu tianhe stood up for his friend and killed his way into the emperor¡¯s wedding team single-handedly. from then on, he became a rebel and wandered aimlessly for decades. xuanyuan tiangang was dissatisfied with his family¡¯s actions, so he abandoned his saber and left jianghu to become a rural fisherman and never appeared again. had these three people grown up smoothly, not only would yao wenzhong not become the successor of jun mountain terrace, but it would have even been a problem for him to become a direct disciple of xuanyuan chao. now that the successor of the eight-steps frenzied blade had appeared with such torrential momentum, yao wenzhong understood what he would face next. hearing xuanyuan hongzhi cursing, yao wenzhong advised, ¡°last time, they didn¡¯t find out the details. this time, it might be an exaggeration because of the urgency. ye jingtang has only appeared for a few months and is about twenty years old. i believe that his martial arts skills are astonishing, but it¡¯s impossible for him to wield military power. at most, he will be a leader of the black office and bring a hundred people¡­¡± xuanyuan hongzhi said, ¡°to be able to frighten bai siming into revealing his identity and sending news, he must have already appeared in front of bai siming. once ye jingtang captures the prince of wu, his merits will be enough to promote him to a noble. if we don¡¯t think of a way to get rid of the trouble now and give him another two years, do you think he will be like zheng feng and come to jun mountain terrace alone to speak with a saber? as long as he attains power in the court, he will first kill the marquis, then send troops to raid the house, and then execute the entire family. on the day i go to the execution ground, it might be the first time i see him¡­¡± yao wenzhong knew that this wasn¡¯t a lie and deliberated for a moment. ¡°if we kill a chief constable of the black office at the critical moment of the prince of wu¡¯s rebellion, if word gets out, we will definitely be accused of colluding with the prince of wu¡­ i will deal with this person personally¡­¡± xuanyuan hongzhi stopped in his tracks and said in a deep voice, ¡°even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. bai siming said that this child isn¡¯t far from the level of the eight chiefs. you might not be able to suppress him. at this moment, it¡¯s time for my father to go personally. it¡¯s best to call zhou chiyang over and let him take revenge for the murder of his brother¡­¡± yao wenzhong shook his head. ¡°it¡¯s impossible for zhou chiyang to wade into such muddy waters. master is the face of our jun mountain terrace. we¡¯re going to kill an official. if something happens, master can still expel me from the sect like old master zhou did and explain to the imperial court that it was my own decision. if master goes personally and accidentally reveals his identity, jun mountain terrace will have no room to maneuver. it¡¯s better if i handle this matter.¡± xuanyuan hongzhi clenched his hands behind his back and turned around. ¡°i¡¯ll go with you. i don¡¯t believe that ye jingtang is really comparable to the eight chiefs in his twenties¡­¡± yao wenzhong wasn¡¯t sure how powerful ye jingtang was, so he didn¡¯t say much about it and left the tall building with xuanyuan hongzhi¡­ Chapter 273 - Chapter 273: Gathering Storm (3) chapter 273: gathering storm (3) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the sun rose and set, and night came again in the blink of an eye. the martial understanding mountain in the middle of wu province was outside the iron river manor, which ranked first among the twelve sects of wu province. from time to time, the leaders of jianghu sects, who had come from afar, would arrive and enter under the guidance of disciples. northern liang¡¯s thief sage, who was dressed in night clothes, looked at the mountainside for a moment before silently infiltrating from the back of the mountain. she didn¡¯t alarm any patrolling martial artists and slowly circled to the stone cliff behind the manor. the stone cliff was hundreds of feet high and offered a bird¡¯s-eye view of the iron river manor below. in a tea garden in the rear area, two figures could be vaguely seen sitting on the tea couch in front of the window and talking. the person sitting on the left was bai siming, who had rushed to the iron river manor after arriving in river source county in the early morning. the middle-aged man on the right was guan yujia, the leader of the twelve sects of wu province. these two people were top experts in jianghu. in order to guard against the walls having ears, guan yujia had already dismissed the servants in the surrounding buildings, and their voices were not loud. normal experts were lying on the stone cliff in the distance, so it was impossible for them to hear anything. however, the black-clothed woman could sense the abnormal movements of daoist xuanji from 250 meters away. her six senses had long drawn a line with those of ordinary people. even though she was far away, she could still vaguely hear the conversation coming from the window. ¡°the imperial court¡¯s vanguard has already arrived. even if the pacifying heaven cult really wants to win over his highness, it¡¯s probably too late. going to the prince of yan isn¡¯t safe either. if we want to leave wu province, we still have to rely on ourselves¡­¡± the one who spoke was bai siming. after he traveled for a long time without rest, his face was already exhausted, but his expression was still focused. guan yujia, sitting opposite him, was playing with a string of beads in his hand, his expression unhappy. ¡°i¡¯ve been working hard in wu province for decades before 1 became the leader of wu province. it¡¯s true that the prince of wu took care of me in the past, but i¡¯ve also helped him a lot¡­¡± bai siming knew that guan yujia couldn¡¯t bear to part with the position of wu province¡¯s martial arts alliance leader. he frowned and said, ¡°you handle all of his highness¡¯s matters in jianghu. if you want to get off the ship now and cut ties with his highness, i¡¯m afraid it¡¯s too late. moreover, you¡¯re known as the ¡®little fist chief¡¯, but you know the difference between you and jiang zhahu. without the pill refined by his highness, you can forget about leaving behind the word ¡®little¡¯ in your life¡­¡± the string of beads in guan yujia¡¯s hand paused, and he was rather dissatisfied with these words. ¡°i¡¯ve been at the prince¡¯s beck and call for years, but sir bai, i¡¯ve only heard you brag about the heavenly carnelian bead. no one has seen the actual effect of the finished product. for a secret medicine that i have doubts about its authenticity, i¡¯ve bet all my wealth¡­¡± ¡°this medicine is definitely real, and it has already become a medicine. it¡¯s just that ordinary martial artists can¡¯t withstand the potency of the medicine, and we lack a grandmaster with a deep foundation to test the medicine.¡± bai siming leaned closer. ¡°in two days, all the sect masters of the twelve sects of wu province will be here. as long as they are poisoned by the strange poison that zhang jinglin concocted, they can only listen to his highness¡¯s orders for the antidote¡­ the three absolutes elderly immortal is an elder of jianghu. he values rules and has lived long enough. it¡¯s impossible for him to bend his knees and live a lowly life. he would definitely rather die than submit. when the time comes, i can use him to test the medicine¡­¡± when guan yujia heard this, he frowned and turned to look at bai siming coldly. ¡°okay, let the three absolutes elderly immortal test the medicine. if he dies suddenly, it means that the heavenly carnelian bead that the prince of wu researched is utterly useless. it¡¯s impossible for me to escape with him. ¡°if the medicine works, and the heavenly carnelian bead is as powerful as you say, the three absolutes elderly immortal might be able to directly become a martial chief after being reborn. ¡°the three absolutes elderly immortal¡¯s saber technique can compete with xuanyuan chao¡¯s, his fist technique can compete with liu qiansheng¡¯s, and his movement technique can compete with lu jieyun¡¯s. sir bai, if you allow him to step into the martial chief realm, do you understand what it means?¡± bai siming sat up straighter and suddenly felt that this was indeed a problem. the last five of the eight chiefs specialized in one path and had tempered their domains to an unparalleled level. as for the first three, they practiced everything both internally and externally. they didn¡¯t have any shortcomings in using weapons, unarmed combat, and movement techniques. if the three absolutes elderly immortal had the physical foundation of the eight chiefs, he would definitely rank fourth among the eight chiefs. even if xuanyuan chao and zhou chiyang came, they might not be able to gain an advantage against him. using medicine to give birth to such an old deity, who would deal with him when the time came¡­ ¡°the medicinal effect of the trial medicine isn¡¯t that strong. it shouldn¡¯t make the three absolutes elderly immortal reach such a height¡­ but to be safe, it¡¯s better to test someone else. it¡¯s best to let guan shengxing of the black tortoise hall try it. he isn¡¯t even a grandmaster. even if his strength increases greatly after taking the medicine, at most, he will be about the same as huang yulong. brother guan, you won¡¯t have any pressure dealing with him¡­¡± ¡°guan shengxing¡¯s physical foundation is not much better than the martial artists who tested the medicine in the past. he might not be able to withstand the effects of the medicine.. if you want to test it, you have to find a powerful martial artist not far from us to see if this medicine is really effective¡­¡± Chapter 274 - Chapter 274: Gathering Storm (4) chapter 274: gathering storm (4) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the two of them were discussing by the window. they were afraid that the medicine would be useless, but they were also afraid that the medicine would be too useful. they were very conflicted. on the cliff, when the black-clothed woman heard these words, her eyes revealed a hint of mockery. she had traveled all over northern liang and had traveled thousands of kilometers to wu province. her main goal was to find the remnant formula of the heavenly carnelian bead in zhang jinglin¡¯s hand. although she had never seen the heavenly carnelian bead before, she knew that it was a special medicine concocted by a special person using special methods. now, there was no longer anyone in the world who could use it. if zhang jinglin restored the formula wrongly, it might still have the right starting effect. if he really restored the formula, whoever ate it would die. it was impossible for it to work. the black-clothed woman listened carefully to their conversation. she wanted to wait for bai siming to finish speaking and leave so that she could follow him to the prince of wu¡¯s lair to find zhang jinglin. but before the two people at the bottom of the cliff finished speaking their conversation, there was a faint movement behind them. the black-clothed woman sensed that something was wrong and turned around to look around. sure enough, she found that there was a white figure lingering on the mountainside. she was floating silently in the mountain forest and searching everywhere. the black-clothed woman was caught up again, and a hint of helplessness flashed in her eyes. she hurriedly disappeared into the night silently and fled down the mountain. on the mountainside, daoist xuanji, who had just arrived, quickly discovered the abnormality behind the manor. daoist xuanji knew that the thief sage was looking for the prince of wu, so she would definitely continue to follow bai siming. if she couldn¡¯t catch up to him, she would find other ways. over the past few days, when daoist xuanji was tracking her, she had inquired about the situation in wu province¡¯s jianghu and guessed that guan yujia had a deep relationship with the prince of wu. if northern liang¡¯s thief sage couldn¡¯t find her target, she might come to the iron river manor to wait for him. daoist xuanji had been shaken off for an entire night and couldn¡¯t find any traces of her. she had only come here to give it a try, but she had gained something so quickly. surprise naturally flashed across her eyes as she quickly followed. not long after, a familiar conversation sounded in the mountains. ¡°demoness! you were poisoned by the blood congealing powder. how did you catch up so quickly?¡± ¡°i was lucky. i met a very handsome young hero who helped me detoxify the poison. 1 already told you that poison was useless. if you had drugged me with a strong aphrodisiac, 1 might still be happy now and not have the mood to care about you¡­¡± ¡°ptui! you know my ability. i just didn¡¯t want to kill you and held back. if 1 really drug you, demoness, do you believe that when you see a tree stump, you will pounce on it and rub it?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t believe it. you¡¯re only good at talking. i just felt a little bit of my energy run out after you poisoned me. it wasn¡¯t interesting at all¡­¡± ¡°alright! you asked for it. don¡¯t blame me for being despicable afterward¡­¡± ¡°stop running. 1 have to go home at the end of the month. i don¡¯t have time to play cat and mouse with you¡­¡± ¡°then get lost!¡± ¡°i have to get the roaring dragon chart before i leave. if you keep running around like this, i¡¯m going to get serious¡­¡± ¡°come! if you dare to kill me, 1¡¯11 drag you down with me¡­¡± tread, tread, tread¡­ as they chatted, the two figures drifted farther and farther away into the wilderness. in the blink of an eye, they disappeared¡­ at the same time, outside river source county¡­ three fine horses galloped past on the official road. a bird sat on one horse, and two people sat on the other. ye jingtang was galloping on his horse and focused on investigating the road ahead, examining the figures coming and going. pei xiangjun was sitting behind luo ning with her hands around her slender waist, and the big watermelons were pressing against luo ning¡¯s back. her eyes were closed as she tried to practice the dragon form picture. originally, pei xiangjun had planned to study the dragon form picture herself and figure out the qi circulation method. but it was indeed a little difficult. last night, when she was sleeping with luo ning, luo ning saw that she couldn¡¯t figure it out, so she had forcefully explained it to her. although pei xiangjun felt that she could do it on her own and didn¡¯t need to hear it, she still heard it. then she figured out the qi circulation method. it was too boring to travel on horseback, so while sitting behind luo ning, she was familiarizing herself with it. luo ning felt the two dough-like soft pillows leaning against her back. as a woman, she naturally didn¡¯t feel that this was very enjoyable. while riding, she looked at ye jingtang and asked, ¡°the sect master of the phoenix perching villa set off this morning. i¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be very difficult to catch up. what should we do now?¡± the three of them had set off at noon and arrived at river source county in the afternoon. under the lead of the bird, they arrived at the phoenix perching villa. ye jingtang originally thought that there was going to be a fight, but in the end, he carefully infiltrated the phoenix perching villa and kidnapped a disciple. after questioning, he heard that an esteemed guest had come to the villa last night, and the sect master had set off to the iron river manor for a banquet at dawn. although ye jingtang had lost bai siming, he wasn¡¯t discouraged. ¡°guan yujia is holding a heroes conference, and the twelve sect masters are all conflicted about whether to go. the phoenix perching villa was originally waiting and watching and didn¡¯t arrange any carriages, but they set off in a hurry this morning. it must be related to bai siming¡¯s visit last night. let¡¯s continue investigating. even if we guess wrongly, guan yujia has a close relationship with the prince of wu. we should be able to gain something by investigating guan yujia.¡± luo ning drove her horse forward and thought for a moment before saying, ¡°the young lady of the phoenix perching villa seems to have married a grandson of xuanyuan chao. this is the only valuable connection in the entire sect. bai siming specially came to the phoenix perching villa. i think it has something to do with this.¡± when ye jingtang heard the words jun mountain terrace, he frowned slightly and pondered silently. he felt that this reason was not impossible. when he killed huang yulong and xiao shichen yesterday, he had shown his saber skills in front of bai siming. with bai siming¡¯s jianghu experience, he should be able to see through it. after seeing the eight-steps frenzied blade, bai siming turned around and ran to a force that had a close relationship with jun mountain terrace. other than informing them, there seemed to be no other intention. ye jingtang thought for a moment. ¡°if bai siming has sent my whereabouts to jun mountain terrace, there will probably be another wave of assassins. the two wang brothers of yan province didn¡¯t succeed last time. the people who come this time will definitely be even more powerful. we have to be careful.¡± luo ning nodded lightly and didn¡¯t say anything else. she felt that third lady¡¯s ¡®watermelon push¡¯ was a little hot, causing her back to sweat. she raised her hand and patted third lady¡¯s thigh. ¡°can you sit still?¡± ? pei xiangjun sat up straight. her thoughts were interrupted, so her eyes were full of displeasure. ¡°who wants to sit behind you?¡± then she flew up and landed behind ye jingtang on the saddle. she hugged his waist, leaned against his back, closed her eyes, and continued thinking about the dragon form picture. ye jingtang felt the soft watermelon push.. he wanted to say something, but seeing that third lady was practicing seriously, he didn¡¯t disturb her¡­ Chapter 275 - Chapter 275: Iron River Manor (1) chapter 275: iron river manor (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the next day, a light rain brought some coolness to midsummer. the jagged mountains of wu province also showed the beauty of an ink painting amidst the clouds and mist. near the mountain road not far from the iron river manor, three horses stopped in the forest. the bird was standing on a treetop and looking around as a sentry. there was a green leaf on its head. it looked like it wanted to avoid the rain, but its body was too round and couldn¡¯t be hidden. it could only comfort itself in its heart. under a big tree, luo ning opened an oil-paper umbrella and covered ye jingtang¡¯s head. standing behind ye jingtang, pei xiangjun draped a robe over his shoulders and helped him change his clothes. she said softly, ¡°you¡¯ve changed your identity three times in a row to investigate bai siming. if bai siming still can¡¯t tell, there¡¯s probably something wrong with his eyes.¡± ye jingtang, standing between the two of them, said with a smile, ¡°we¡¯re not sure if bai siming is in the iron river manor. using the identity of the black office to go there will alert the enemy, and using the identity of the pacifying heaven cult doesn¡¯t make sense, so 1 can only do this. later, i¡¯ll get the bird to investigate the situation first. if it can¡¯t find bai siming, then we¡¯ll appear.¡± pei xiangjun sighed and turned to look at luo ning. ¡°if anything goes wrong in the iron river manor, there will definitely be a fight. since you have time now, why don¡¯t you help jingtang recuperate?¡± luo ning frowned slightly and gestured to the surrounding forest. ¡°it¡¯s raining in the wilderness. how can i help him recuperate?¡± pei xiangjun harrumphed softly. recalling the experience of being forced to listen by the wall yesterday, she said with a strange expression, ¡°you don¡¯t have to lie down. i¡¯ll hold the umbrella for you. just let jingtang carry you. didn¡¯t you know how to do it yesterday at the inn?¡± ? as someone who had experienced this, luo ning naturally understood what position third lady was talking about. she hugged the little thief¡¯s neck face to face, the little thief held her legs, and then¡­ luo ning¡¯s face turned visibly red. she was embarrassed and couldn¡¯t respond. she raised her hand, wanting to hit third lady. ¡°okay, let¡¯s get down to business first. it¡¯s the same to recuperate after we¡¯re done.¡± ye jingtang held luo ning¡¯s hand and stopped the two women who were about to quarrel. after changing their clothes, they walked toward martial understanding mountain from the wilderness. the iron river manor was hosting a heroes conference, and the sect masters of the twelve sects of wu province arrived one after another today due to guan yujia¡¯s deterrence. ye jingtang flew silently in the drizzle. in a moment, he arrived near the mountain road around martial understanding mountain. he could see many carriages and horses parked at the foot of the mountain, and some disciples were walking outside the huge manor. although some of the twelve sects had sect masters serving as stopgaps like the black tortoise hall, most of them were not weak. it was risky for ye jingtang to sneak in rashly. for this reason, he brought third lady and luo ning to the vicinity of the manor to hide and let the bird, who had seen bai siming, act as a scout to investigate the interior of the manor. in the end, after searching for nearly an hour, the bird didn¡¯t find any traces of bai siming in the manor. instead, pei xiangjun, who was squatting outside the manor, discovered a few familiar figures at the foot of the mountain. ¡°guanghan lin, yang guan, why are they here?¡± in the wilderness, pei xiangjun looked at the foot of the mountain with a monocular, her eyes filled with confusion. ye jingtang turned around and saw that the three absolutes elderly immortal, whom he had met once at the water cloud sword pool, had gotten off the carriage at the foot of the mountain. there were more than ten disciples of the three absolutes valley around him, and the unlucky yang guan was among them. ¡°bai siming doesn¡¯t seem to be in the iron river manor. if i go over and introduce myself, it will easily make the iron river manor suspicious. it¡¯s good to have an acquaintance introduce me.¡± after ye jingtang observed the situation a few times, he asked the bird to pay attention to the slightest disturbance in the sky. ning¡¯er hid in the dark, waiting for them, while he and third lady quickly left the spot they were spying from, fetched their horses, and galloped toward the foot of the mountain¡­ the sky gradually darkened. a carriage stopped at the intersection at the foot of the mountain path leading to the iron river manor. more than ten martial artists carrying weapons stood solemnly in the rain around the carriage. the white-haired three absolutes elderly immortal, guanghan lin, got off of the carriage with the help of his disciples. he looked up at the gigantic manor on the mountainside with obvious worry in his eyes. guan yujia had sent a heroes conference invitation and urged the twelve sects to attend the banquet. with guanghan lin¡¯s experience in the jianghu, he could guess that if he didn¡¯t attend, there was a high chance that he would suffer trouble. but the people of jianghu spoke with their fists. the iron river manor¡¯s fists were powerful enough, and they hadn¡¯t fallen yet. if the government didn¡¯t come, and if anyone who received an invitation didn¡¯t come, then guan yujia would personally visit the people who didn¡¯t. guanghan lin knew that this trip was dangerous, but he had no choice but to give him face. as an in-name disciple, yang guan diligently led the horse in front and noticed his master¡¯s face full of worry. ¡°i¡¯ve already sent people to deliver the three-hundred-year-old ginseng to the capital urgently. when young master ye receives it, even if he can¡¯t help, he should give a reply¡­¡± guanghan lin sighed. ¡°far water can¡¯t put out a nearby fire. even if the sir ye you know can help us draw a clear line between the three absolutes valley and the prince of wu¡¯s rebellion, it¡¯s still a matter for the future. we still can¡¯t get through this situation in front of us¡­¡± ba-da- du in! ba-da- du in! while they were talking, the sound of galloping horses came from behind the team. guanghan lin turned to look at the end of the road and saw two fast horses galloping over. the leader was a man in a raincoat and a bamboo hat. on the side of the horse was a long weapon wrapped in black cloth. he was quite tall and was galloping in the light rain with a rather mighty aura. guanghan lin had taken root in wu province for many years and had heard of all the heroes of wu province¡¯s jianghu. he could tell that this man wasn¡¯t an ordinary jianghu person, but he couldn¡¯t recognize him. just as he was feeling puzzled, he suddenly heard the masked man rushing over speak first. ¡°so, it¡¯s elder guanghan. i¡¯m ye silang. i met you at the water cloud sword pool last month and couldn¡¯t come forward to greet you because of some trivial matters. please forgive me, elder guanghan.¡± ye sil a ng? when guanghan lin heard this name, his eyes revealed a hint of surprise. he hurriedly went forward and cupped his hands. ¡°so it¡¯s young hero ye. i was wondering which family¡¯s son was so valiant¡­ why did you come to wu province?¡± because he saw yang guan nearby, ye jingtang deliberately lowered his voice. he got off his horse and returned the greeting. ¡°recently, the situation in wu province has been unclear. my uncle from the black tortoise hall asked me to come over to train and get to know the jianghu seniors in wu province. i happened to meet you, elder guanghan, so i would like to ask you to introduce me.¡± when guanghan lin heard this, he immediately came to a realization. guan shengxing had no weight among the twelve sects of wu province. it was reasonable to invite someone from the headquarters to support him at such a critical moment. although the red flower pavilion was far inferior to its heyday, the structure of the twelve halls was still there. it had fallen from a top-notch force, but its scale was much larger than any sect in wu province. ever since ye silang appeared and caused a scene at the water cloud sword pool, the red flower pavilion had already shown signs of rising again. as the leader of wu province¡¯s jianghu, guan yujia could look down on the people from the twelve sects, but he had to give some face to a prestigious sect like the red flower pavilion. guanghan lin was just worried about how to survive the calamity at the iron river manor. now that there was support, he was naturally happy. he looked up at the masked woman behind ye silang. ¡°young hero ye, you only brought one person?¡± ¡°uncle guan and the others are discussing business in the county city, so i came over to take a look first. elder guanghan, please.¡± ¡°hehe, you fought a great battle at the water cloud sword pool and became famous all over jianghu. my good friends in wu province still don¡¯t believe your skills. when they see you today, you¡¯ll definitely broaden their horizons¡­¡± ¡°eider guanghan, you flatter me.¡± ye jingtang didn¡¯t say much. after confirming from the corner of his eye that luo ning was in position on the retreat route, he brought third lady and guanghan lin up the mountain. yang guan, who was watching the carriage beside the carriage, had been stabbed by ye jingtang and saved by him. he had a love-and-hate relationship with him. seeing ye silang chatting happily with his master, he felt a sense of deja vu. but on such an occasion, yang guan didn¡¯t have the qualifications to approach and call him brother.. he just silently watched his master leave¡­ Chapter 276 - Chapter 276: Iron River Manor (2) chapter 276: iron river manor (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the iron river manor was located halfway up a mountain. every once in a while, someone would bring their disciples over and enter the manor under the welcome of the iron river manor¡¯s disciples. in the center of the manor, the twelve sect masters, who had arrived first, were already sitting in the main hall, drinking tea and chatting, waiting for the banquet to begin. in a tea room at the back of the manor, guan yujia, wearing a brocade robe, was sitting by the tea table, slowly rotating a string of beads in his hand. opposite the tea table, an apothecary under the prince of wu said softly, ¡°the prepared tea leaves have been added with the strange poison dark fragrance corrosion bone that mr. wang concocted. it¡¯s colorless and odorless, so it¡¯s impossible for experts to detect it. the victim¡¯s muscles will slowly become rigid, and their bones will become brittle. there are only a handful of people in the world who can cure this poison¡­¡± guan yujia was only in his early forties. he had single-handedly fought his way from a martial artist in the marketplace to the leader of wu province. he was also a legend in jianghu, and he was only a step or two away from reaching the position of fist chief. but the requirements for martial arts were too harsh. the higher one went, the more difficult it was to take each step forward. at the martial chief level, the distance between each step became a natural chasm. after all, martial artists who could reach this level would not be inferior to others in terms of comprehension, hard work, and even luck. the only thing they could compete in with each other was talent, which couldn¡¯t be changed. guan yujia¡¯s talent and comprehension were not inferior to liu qiansheng¡¯s. but he was at a disadvantage because he hadn¡¯t gone to a martial arts dojo to practice martial arts until the age of 11 or 12, and his master had only been the dojo master of a city dojo. his master knew that he was a good seedling, but he was limited by his knowledge and experience, so the way he built guan yujia¡¯s foundation was not sophisticated. he only knew about hard training in winter and summer, and he saved as much as possible on expensive consumables like medicinal baths. guan yujia had indeed practiced a lot of good martial arts, but he had practiced too hard when he was young and didn¡¯t pay attention to protection. after his body grew into a fixed shape, his bones, muscles, and meridians had some flaws. the flaws had little effect on his skills, but they couldn¡¯t be removed. these flaws meant that no matter how hard he worked, he wouldn¡¯t be able to achieve the effect of ¡®unity of heaven and man¡¯. if people couldn¡¯t practice to this stage, they wouldn¡¯t be qualified to challenge the martial chiefs. this was because the unity of heaven and man was the threshold for becoming a martial chief. if people couldn¡¯t do it, they wouldn¡¯t be able to hide the qi and breathe in their bodies. before they could even move their fists or feet, the martial chiefs would have already sensed it. the only way people could win was if the martial chiefs deliberately went easy on them. guan yujia had already reached this point, but his path was blocked by some flaws in his body. outsiders couldn¡¯t understand the unwillingness in his heart. for this reason, after hearing that the prince of wu could develop a medicine that could let people be ¡®reborn¡¯, guan yujia had the idea of making a last-ditch effort. he did everything he could to help the prince of wu. and now, the divine medicine that the prince of wu spoke of was already in front of him. on the tea table was a small sandalwood box. when the box was opened, there was a snow-white pill with a faint medicinal fragrance inside. although guan yujia said that he didn¡¯t believe it, he also hoped that this medicine would produce the divine effect of rebirth. he picked up the medicine box and carefully sized it up. ¡°is this the heavenly carnelian bead?¡± the apothecary explained with a smile, ¡°this medicine is an imitation. key medicinal herbs such as the snow lake flower have been replaced with substitutes. although it can also allow people to expand their meridians for a short period of time, the medicinal effects are far inferior. therefore, its temporary name is the ¡®earthly carnel bead¡¯.¡± ¡°earthly carnel bead¡­¡± guan yujia felt that this joke was meaningless and asked, ¡°if you want the drug tester to eat such a big bead, you have to restrain them first¡­¡± ¡°this medicine can be absorbed through the skin and doesn¡¯t need to be taken orally. manor lord guan, you need to hide this medicine in your sleeve and isolate it with leather. if you find a suitable person to test the medicine, you can directly slap it on them with your palm. the medicinal liquid in the pearl will splash onto their body, and the person testing the medicine will be affected¡­¡± guan yujia was seriously listening to the usage when footsteps suddenly sounded outside the secret room. a disciple ran outside and reported, ¡°master, the three absolutes elderly immortal is here. beside him is ye silang from the red flower pavilion.¡± ¡°ye silang?¡± guan yujia was somewhat puzzled when he suddenly heard this name. but on second thought, guan shengxing couldn¡¯t do much at all, so it wasn¡¯t surprising for him to invite someone from the headquarters to support him at this time. although guan yujia didn¡¯t attend old master zhou¡¯s birthday banquet at the beginning of last month, he had heard of ye silang¡¯s name from the jianghu people who had returned. from his battle results, he was stronger than jian yuhua, and he could probably fight xiao shichen back and forth. for him to have such strength at such a young age, he must have been carefully trained since childhood, and his physique might not be much worse than his. he had just appeared in jianghu in his twenties, so his desire to survive must be greater than old men like the three absolutes elderly immortal. if he used him to test the medicine¡­ when guan yujia thought of this, his heart stirred. he felt that this move was very promising. ye silang had the standard momentum of the eight chiefs. his martial arts skills were extraordinary, and he was still in his prime. if even such a jianghu prodigy couldn¡¯t withstand the medicinal power of the earthly carnel bead, even if this medicine was real, he probably wouldn¡¯t dare to use it. moreover, last month, ye silang had been kicked off the stage in a one-on-one duel by a jianghu junior like jian yuhua. his martial arts skills were at most 20% better than jian yuhua¡¯s. after ye silang used this medicine, if his meridians really expanded in a short period of time and his combat strength soared, he would at most be comparable to huang yulong. guan yujia was confident that he could defeat him with three punches¡­ guan yujia calculated in his mind and felt that ye silang would certainly be within his control after using this medicine. he immediately stood up and left. a light rain pattered down. in the dazzling main hall, there were several chairs on both sides. seven or eight sect masters were sitting in them with tea beside their hands. they seemed to be chatting and laughing, but there was a hint of nervousness in their eyes. from time to time, they would look toward the back of the hall, waiting for guan yujia to appear. just as everyone was anxious, a sound came from outside the hall. they turned around and saw another group of people walking over. among them was ¡®three absolutes elderly immortal¡¯ guanghan lin, who was talking to the steward of the iron river manor. beside him was a man with a black scarf covering his face and a masked maidservant who helped carry a spear. he looked unfamiliar. when the group of people appeared, guan yujia strode out from the back of the hall with more than ten disciples and cupped his hands from afar. ¡°elder guanghan, please forgive me for not coming out to welcome you.¡± guanghan lin brought his disciple to the front of the main hall and raised his hands to return the jianghu greeting. he chuckled and said, ¡°it¡¯s been a few months since we last met, but manor lord guan, you¡¯ve become more and more heroic.¡± ¡°elder guanghan, you flatter me.¡± as guan yujia spoke, he looked at ye jingtang, who was covering his face with a black scarf. ¡°is this young master ye, ye silang?¡± ye jingtang stood in front of third lady and cupped his hands. ¡°i¡¯m just a junior of jianghu. hero guan, you don¡¯t have to be so polite.¡± ¡°woah¡­¡± the sect masters of the various sects, who had just stood up, were shocked to see the young master of the red flower pavilion.. they hurriedly went forward and cupped their hands to greet him¡­ Chapter 277 - Chapter 277: Exposing Malicious Intent (1) chapter 277: exposing malicious intent (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios as ye jingtang and the three absolutes elderly immortal sat down, the hall fell silent, leaving only the faint sound of rain hitting the roof. pitter-patter¡­ there were more than forty people gathered in the hall. the nine sect masters from the twelve sects of wu province were sitting on the main guest seats. behind them stood their disciples and trusted aides. behind ye jingtang stood only third lady with a spear and a mask. she looked a little weak, but her position was very close to the front. opposite her was the sect master of the wu mountains sect, han song, and beside him was three absolutes elderly immortal¡¯ guanghan lin. although ye jingtang was sitting in this position because huang yulong was absent, he had personally killed huang yulong. from the rules of jianghu, he deserved it. after everyone sat down, guan yujia walked to the large chair at the back of the hall and sat down. he raised his hand and gestured for the six disciples behind him to serve tea. ¡°two nights ago, the black office led troops to surround white millet town. brother huang, brother xiao, and more than a hundred disciples of the grasping moon tower died tragically at the hands of the imperial court. does everyone know about this?¡± ¡°what?!¡± the eight sect masters present had basically been on the road for the past two days. rising sun city was in chaos, and it was inconvenient to transmit news. most people had only just learned about this matter, and they all had strange expressions. guan yujia went straight to the point because he wanted to see the reactions of the various forces here and figure out everyone¡¯s standpoint. but before the eight sect masters of wu province could express their stance. young master ye, who was sitting near the main seat, patted the armrest and said in a deep voice, ¡°these dog officials are really going too far!¡± the hall instantly fell silent. even the eyes of third lady, who was pretending to be a maid, twitched. when guan yujia heard these furious words, half of the imposing aura he had painstakingly accumulated was gone. he turned and said softly, ¡°the imperial court has indeed gone too far. but young master ye¡­¡± ye jingtang¡¯s eyes were full of anger as he said solemnly, ¡°sect master huang is in the medicinal herb business and is considered a friend of the red flower pavilion. 1 often heard stories about him from uncle guan. i came here this time to visit him, but 1 didn¡¯t expect him to be attacked by the imperial court. the imperial court has imposed exorbitant taxes on our jianghu sects. and whenever there¡¯s a storm, they attack the jianghu people first. even if we don¡¯t die, we will be skinned alive. our red flower pavilion has suffered greatly.¡± at this point. ye jingtang turned to look at guan yujia. ¡°it¡¯s a pity that our red flower pavilion is full of business people. our ancestors left behind ancestral teachings that we have to give in to the officials and not casually start a conflict with the imperial court. otherwise, i would definitely chop off the heads of two tax collectors and hang them on the clear river wharf as an offering. hero guan, you¡¯re the leader of wu province¡¯s martial arts alliance. a sect under you was destroyed by the imperial court. could it be that you won t do anything about it?¡± the sect masters here were stunned. ¡°three absolutes elderly immortal¡± guanghan lin originally wanted the red flower pavilion to block guan yujia. when he heard these inciting words, his gaze was really indescribable. however, when everyone thought about how ye silang had just entered jianghu and was at the age where he was a chivalrous hothead who didn¡¯t take the imperial court seriously, they felt relieved. guan yujia s rhythm was disrupted by ye jingtang¡¯s words. after some consideration, he raised his hand slightly. ¡°nephew ye, please calm down. huang yulong and i are close friends, and 1 am very heartbroken that he was harmed by the imperial court. 1 called the sect masters over this time mainly to discuss this matter.¡± ye jingtang leaned back in his chair and said in a deep voice, ¡°although i, ye silang, am a junior, 1 know the principle of the teeth being cold when the lips are gone. the imperial court didn¡¯t give any explanation and directly sent troops to annihilate an entire sect. today, they can destroy the grasping moon tower, and tomorrow, they can destroy the black tortoise hall and the iron river manor. if we ignore this matter, the imperial court will definitely become worse¡­¡± everyone was speechless. old sect master han of the wu mountains sect, who was sitting opposite ye jingtang, had secretly helped the prince of wu do many things. today, he had planned to cooperate with guan yujia. he would play the good cop while guan yujia would play the bad cop to intimidate the various sect masters into joining them. at this moment, all the lines had been snatched away by the red flower pavilion. old sect master han had held his words in for a long time, but he merely said, ¡°i agree with nephew ye. what does everyone think?¡± guanghan lin shook his head secretly. now that the red flower pavilion, the wu mountains sect, and the iron river manor were on the same side, if the remaining seven sects dared to go against them, they would probably be carried out to be made an example of on the spot. for this reason, he could only agree. ¡°the imperial court¡¯s actions are indeed too harsh. however, this matter is related to the prince of wu. if our jianghu sects cause chaos at this moment and attract the imperial court s army to surround us¡­¡± guan yujia finally found an opportunity to fly into a rage and hurriedly said solemnly, ¡°the people of jianghu talk about ¡®loyalty¡¯, not the law. let me ask everyone here. who hasn¡¯t received any favor from the prince of wu? now that the prince of wu is in trouble, and his former allies are being directly exterminated by the imperial court without any trial, if we turn a blind eye and just seek to survive, will we still be able to show our faces in jianghu in the future?¡± when guanghan lin heard that guan yujia wanted to help the prince of wu, who had rebelled, he felt that something was wrong and persuaded, ¡°manor lord guan, you are the leader of wu province, and you have a lot of properties. please think twice about such a matter¡­¡± bang! guan yujia slapped the armrest with a furious expression. ¡°1, guan yujia, have fought all the way from the marketplace to this position. even if 1 fall down today, 1 have the ability to get up again. but if i lose my loyalty, 1 can forget about standing tall in this lifetime. the prince of wu has done me a favor. now that he¡¯s in trouble, 1 will help him. huang yulong is my close friend. if he dies, 1 will seek justice for him.¡± guan yujia stood up and looked at the sect masters sitting here. ¡°i have invited all of you here today because i¡¯m prepared to give up everything here and escort the prince of wu out of wu province safely. if all of you know how to repay kindness and lend a helping hand, 1 will definitely repay this favor on behalf of the prince of wu in the future.. if you stand by and do nothing and want to be a lackey of the imperial court, i will let all of you know the consequences of being a lackey today!¡± Chapter 278 - Chapter 278: Exposing Malicious Intent (2) chapter 278: exposing malicious intent (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios guan yujia directly went to the main topic, and the hall immediately fell silent. the originally nervous sect masters became quiet at this moment. the fear in their eyes disappeared and turned into dissatisfaction. after all, the sect masters¡¯ original guess was that in order to escape the investigation of the imperial court, guan yujia wanted to drag them in to cause trouble and put pressure on the imperial court so that the imperial court wouldn¡¯t punish the masses. although this matter was very risky, due to guan yujia¡¯s tyrannical strength, it wasn¡¯t impossible for them to brace themselves and help. but guan yujia wanted to drag in the twelve sects of wu province to rebel together. the key was that the prince of wu¡¯s rebellion had already failed. he was purely dragging them in to die together. when guanghan lin heard these crazy words, anger immediately appeared on his face. ¡°guan yujia! you have taken root in wu province¡¯s jianghu. we regard you as our leader, so we¡¯ve risked being raided by the imperial court to come here today to discuss countermeasures with you. by saying this, are you planning to make the twelve sects of wu province lose everything and become scapegoats of the prince of wu?¡± the other sect masters also patted the tea tables. ¡°manor lord guan, your martial arts skills are outstanding. we do admire you, but with just a word, you¡¯re asking us to lose everything and die. you don¡¯t have the ability.¡± guan yujia stood in the center of the hall and looked at everyone. just as he was about to flare up, ye silang spoke again. ¡°seniors, don¡¯t be angry. since manor lord guan has said this, he will definitely consider your difficulties. 1 wonder what bargaining chips the prince of wu has prepared in exchange for the various sects¡¯ help? manor lord guan, although 1 admire your chivalry, the red flower pavilion is a business. if you don¡¯t have enough chips, the pavilion won¡¯t agree to my reckless actions.¡± when the various sects heard this, they really fell silent and looked at guan yujia. if the prince of wu wanted the twelve sects to help him escape secretly, he must have made preparations. using poison to control them and using the antidote to threaten them was one possibility. the second was to tempt them with heavy benefits. otherwise, with only threats and no benefits, these sect masters knew that if they helped, it would be a close brush with death, and they would rather die than submit. seeing that the sect masters were interested in ye silang¡¯s words, guan yujia sat back in his chair. ¡°the prince of wu has countless assets. as long as you can lend a helping hand at this time, the reward you can receive will definitely far exceed your expectations. 1 believe everyone knows about this medicine called the snow lake flower. many elders from the big sects are even searching hard for it. the apothecaries under the prince of wu have now developed a substitute called snow lake powder, and its medicinal effect is no different from the snow lake flower. you can have as much as you want.¡± h ii the sect masters frowned, feeling that this bargaining chip was not small, but most of them had no use for it for the time being. it didn¡¯t seem worth betting everything they had on it. guan yujia had been disturbed by ye jingtang, turning the originally tense atmosphere into a serious discussion. but it was really not appropriate for him to get angry. seeing that many sect masters were still waiting for more chips, guan yujia could only consider for a moment and continue, ¡°the prince of wu has also developed a secret medicine that can expand your meridians and let you be reborn. for example, elder guanghan, if you take this medicine, you will become a martial chief in a short time. everyone, you can also take a big step forward. it¡¯s not impossible for you to reach the summit of martial arts in the future. it¡¯s also because of this medicine that i¡¯ve worked for the prince of wu until now.¡± ¡°what?!¡± as soon as these words came out, the eyes of the sect masters were clearly moved. even guanghan lin, who was frowning, looked a little surprised. everyone in jianghu wanted to experience the scenery at the top of the mountain. most of the people present were figures who dominated a region, but they were destined to never reach the summit of martial arts in their lives. if there was really something outside the roaring dragon chart that could bring about a turnaround, most of them would probably be willing to bet their wealth. after everyone looked at each other, one of the sect masters asked, ¡°does the prince of wu really have such a divine item?¡± guan yujia knew that the heavenly carnelian bead would definitely tempt the sect masters, but the prince of wu didn¡¯t have it. otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have landed in such a situation. guan yujia deliberated for a moment and said, ¡°yes, but the method to concoct such a divine medicine is too complicated. we¡¯re still testing the medicine at the moment. as long as the test succeeds, i can guarantee that every sect master can have one.¡± when the sect masters heard this, they naturally frowned. the prince of wu didn¡¯t have anything now but still asked them to help him escape. if they wanted the medicine, they could only run away with him. if they ran away, they might not be able to get it. wasn¡¯t this a joke? when guan yujia saw everyone hesitate, his voice turned colder. ¡°1 guarantee with my head that the prince of wu does have this medicine. i¡¯ve already said this much. if everyone can agree to help, everyone will be happy. if not¡­¡± crack! guan yujia¡¯s right hand moved slightly, and the chair emitted a soft sound. the mahogany armrest actually turned into sawdust under his fingers. when the sect masters saw guan yujia¡¯s coercion, they fell silent at the same time, and the atmosphere became even tenser. guanghan lin was an elder of wu province¡¯s jianghu. he knew that if he allowed guan yujia to do whatever he wanted, the entire wu province¡¯s jianghu would probably be wiped out from the world. he said coldly, ¡°guan yujia, you¡­ cough¡­¡± as guanghan lin spoke, he stood up, but his legs went limp halfway. he sat back down and realized that his body had unknowingly gone limp. he was furious.. ¡°you little bastard, you poisoned me?!¡± wanna gift the story? try one. comment vote ¡ö7a send gitt 0 comment 3 left chapter 279: exposing malicious intent (3) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios as soon as these words came out, there was an uproar in the hall. many sect masters wanted to circulate their qi and stand up, but they realized that their bodies had unknowingly been poisoned. only two sect masters who were timid and didn¡¯t dare to drink tea were still safe and sound. when ye jingtang saw this scene, he was secretly shocked. however, although he had occasionally picked up the teacup, he couldn¡¯t drink it with his face covered, so there was nothing wrong with his body. as for the direct disciples and trusted aides standing behind the various sect masters, when they saw that something had happened to the sect masters, they all drew their weapons as if they were facing a formidable enemy. countless iron river villa disciples, who sensed that the situation wasn¡¯t right, ran over with their weapons in hand. sha!sha!sha! the outside of the hall instantly fell into chaos. when guan yujia saw that most of the experts had been struck by the dark fragrance corrosion bone, a cold expression appeared on his face. ¡°so what if i poisoned you? i¡¯ll give you face one last time. if you agree now, the prince of wu will still give you what you deserve, and we will still be friends in the future. if you don¡¯t agree¡­¡± bain! before he finished his sentence, guan yujia¡¯s figure brazenly exploded in order to make an example out of guanghan lin. many sect masters only saw a blur in their vision. guan yujia had already leaped in front of the three absolutes elderly immortal with lightning speed. his right hand stretched out five fingers like a hook, and like an eagle pouncing on a rabbit, his claw grabbed at the forehead of the white-haired old man. the three absolutes elderly immortal¡¯s pupils constricted. he had been in jianghu for his entire life and could still react, but he was poisoned by a colorless and odorless strange poison. he couldn¡¯t even raise his hand, so how could he block guan yujia? his heart immediately turned ashen, and he could only helplessly watch¡­ ¡­ watch guan yujia fly away! boom! the fist in the hall wreaked havoc, and a thunderous explosion sounded! at the same time that guan yujia pounced forward, the chair under ye jingtang exploded. his right leg slid out horizontally, and his right hand punched Chapter 279 - Chapter 279: Exposing Malicious Intent (3) chapter 279: exposing malicious intent (3) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios as soon as these words came out, there was an uproar in the hall. many sect masters wanted to circulate their qi and stand up, but they realized that their bodies had unknowingly been poisoned. only two sect masters who were timid and didn¡¯t dare to drink tea were still safe and sound. when ye jingtang saw this scene, he was secretly shocked. however, although he had occasionally picked up the teacup, he couldn¡¯t drink it with his face covered, so there was nothing wrong with his body. as for the direct disciples and trusted aides standing behind the various sect masters, when they saw that something had happened to the sect masters, they all drew their weapons as if they were facing a formidable enemy. countless iron river villa disciples, who sensed that the situation wasn¡¯t right, ran over with their weapons in hand. sha!sha!sha! the outside of the hall instantly fell into chaos. when guan yujia saw that most of the experts had been struck by the dark fragrance corrosion bone, a cold expression appeared on his face. ¡°so what if i poisoned you? i¡¯ll give you face one last time. if you agree now, the prince of wu will still give you what you deserve, and we will still be friends in the future. if you don¡¯t agree¡­¡± bam! before he finished his sentence, guan yujia¡¯s figure brazenly exploded in order to make an example out of guanghan lin. many sect masters only saw a blur in their vision. guan yujia had already leaped in front of the three absolutes elderly immortal with lightning speed. his right hand stretched out five fingers like a hook, and like an eagle pouncing on a rabbit, his claw grabbed at the forehead of the white-haired old man. the three absolutes elderly immortal¡¯s pupils constricted. he had been in jianghu for his entire life and could still react, but he was poisoned by a colorless and odorless strange poison. he couldn¡¯t even raise his hand, so how could he block guan yujia? his heart immediately turned ashen, and he could only helplessly watch¡­ ¡­ watch guan yujia fly away! boom! the fist in the hall wreaked havoc, and a thunderous explosion sounded! at the same time that guan yujia pounced forward, the chair under ye jingtang exploded. his right leg slid out horizontally, and his right hand punched forward, blasting at guan yujia, who was flying past him! guan yujia was already very careful. he even guarded against the sect master of the wu mountains sect, who was his ally. he chose to fly in front of the jianghu junior who had always been very sensible and had ¡®mediocre martial arts¡¯ to attack the three absolutes elderly immortal. a terrifying aura erupted from his side. guan yujia¡¯s expression changed drastically. he knew that he had made a misjudgment and immediately turned his palm to sweep at the incoming fist wind. guan yujia¡¯s reaction was indeed fast, but his misjudgment of ye silang far exceeded his imagination. moreover, this junior was rather sinister. he took advantage of the moment his feet were off the floor to attack. just as guan yujia swung his left hand, a fist at an extremely tricky angle landed below his ribs. the surging qi that could destroy cities and shake mountains penetrated his body. if his feet were on the floor, guan yujia might be able to withstand it. but since his feet were off the floor, even a deity would be sent flying. bam! the heavy punch landed on his waist, and the brocade robe around guan yujia¡¯s waist exploded. the surging qi even overturned the empty tables and chairs opposite him. the powerful, tiger-like figure turned into a brocade-robed cannonball shot out of a barrel and shot toward the right of the hall. guan yujia directly broke through the thick corridor pillar and smashed into the wall of the hall without losing momentum. guan yujia was not a small fry like li hunyuan. he had suffered a heavy blow while flying in the air. after breaking the pillar, he righted his body. his feet landed on the floor tiles and scraped out two grooves on the stone floor tiles. he forcefully unloaded the force, but his back still hit the wall. bam! crack! the brick wall on the right side of the hall shook violently, and spiderweb-like cracks appeared. the few calligraphies and paintings hanging on the wall fell to the floor. whoosh! the corridor pillar broke, causing several green tiles to fall from above. the disciples and sect masters below didn¡¯t dodge but looked at the center of the hall in shock. guan yujia was fine after being punched, but his blood and qi surged, and his face turned red. after stabilizing himself, he also revealed a shocked expression as he stared at the black-robed man in the center of the hall. after ye jingtang threw a punch, he didn¡¯t follow up. instead, he slowly retracted his fist and placed one hand behind his back. ¡°if you want to talk about something, just talk about it.. what do you mean by poisoning and attacking? do you really think that jianghu is run by your iron river manor and that you¡¯re feng guancheng?¡± Chapter 280 - Chapter 280: Fierce Medicine (1) chapter 280: fierce medicine (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after the fist wind passed, the hall was in a mess. the strong fist wind blew away the rain curtain outside the door. when the iron river villa disciples who rushed over saw their sect master being sent flying by a punch, they quickly retreated in horror. tread, tread, tread¡­ ye jingtang stood in the center of the hall in a black robe, surrounded by the slumped sect masters and dozens of shocked disciples. although guanghan lin, who had almost walked through the gates of hell, was a little puzzled as to why ye silang had become so terrifying after not seeing him for a month, he couldn¡¯t care less at the moment. with the help of his disciple, he stood up, retreated, and quickly took a detoxification pill. guan yujia leaned against the wall with a hint of surprise in his eyes. after a moment of silence, he stood up and casually patted his tattered robe. ¡°what a good eight extremities of thunder. nephew ye, you¡¯ve hidden well.¡± as soon as the voice sounded, everyone in the hall came back to their senses. the various sect masters and disciples quickly retreated to the entrance of the hall. ye jingtang¡¯s original intention was to discuss a collaboration with guan yujia. he wanted to think of a way to find out the whereabouts of the prince of wu or trick him into giving the secret formula of snow lake powder. now that he had already taken action, there was naturally no need to discuss this matter. ¡°manor lord guan, you don¡¯t seem to live up to the title of little fist chief.¡± ¡°hehe¡­¡± guan yujia let out a lukewarm laugh. he stretched his neck, bones, and muscles and slowly walked toward the center of the hall. ¡°1 saw that you were quite sensible just now and didn¡¯t guard against you. your full-strength punch under your sneak attack didn¡¯t hurt me at all. i¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t have the qualifications to say that 1 don¡¯t live up to my title.¡± when ye jingtang saw that guan yujia¡¯s ribs had been punched heavily, but his aura didn¡¯t change much, he frowned secretly. he didn¡¯t say anything else and just hooked his finger. the hall was silent. everyone inside and outside the hall quietly retreated and distanced themselves. when guan yujia saw how arrogant ye jingtang was, a cold glint flashed across his eyes. with a sway of his body, two pits appeared where he stood. in an instant, he circled half of the hall and almost slid horizontally toward ye jingtang. halfway through, he clenched his right fist and straightened his back. ¡°haa!¡± with a loud shout, guan yujia raised his strength from the ground and threw a punch. his qi gathered at one point, and the terrifying speed of the fist caused the sound of the wind breaking. this attack shocked the sect masters present until their pupils constricted and their faces were horrified. ye jingtang felt a heavy artillery shell smashing toward him. before it reached him, its aura was already so oppressive that it almost suffocated him. this punch was unbelievably fast. liu qiansheng still had the weaknesses of being old and weak, but this punch was really unreasonable. ye jingtang¡¯s reaction was bizarrely fast. he instantly raised his left hand and threw a heavy punch. at the same time, his right shoulder slammed toward guan yujia¡¯s arm head-on with the force of the ¡®bear leans hard¡¯ move. guan yujia was obviously surprised when he saw that ye jingtang¡¯s reaction speed could actually keep up with his fist speed. seeing ye jingtang counterattacking with the bear leans hard in the blink of an eye, guan yujia didn¡¯t have the slightest intention of dodging. he raised his left arm and struck at ye jingtang¡¯s right temple with a powerful elbow blow. elbows were like knives. if peak martial artists such as guan yujia elbowed the side of someone¡¯s head, it was common for them to smash their head on the spot. seeing this, ye jingtang blocked the fist with his left fist and deflected it to the side. then he straightened his right leg and raised his right shoulder to collide with the elbow. boom! the two sides changed moves several times in the blink of an eye. when their bodies collided, the floor under their feet instantly shattered, and two surging qis erupted between them. ye jingtang had the advantage in strength. at the moment of impact, guan yujia¡¯s left sleeve burst into pieces, and a groove appeared under his feet as his entire body moved back more than 20 feet. and guan yujia¡¯s title of little fist chief was not fake. he landed a heavy elbow blow on ye jingtang¡¯s shoulder and directly shattered the clothes on ye jingtang¡¯s right shoulder, revealing a shimmering silver soft armor. without the protection of the soft armor, the skin of his right arm was scraped by the heavy elbow blow, and his body took two steps back. the two of them separated at the first collision. although it looked like guan yujia had been knocked far away and ye jingtang wasn¡¯t affected much, guanghan lin and the others were all experts and could tell that the situation wasn¡¯t good. guan yujia used his elbow to attack and defend. he took the bear leans hard head-on, but his body was still as motionless as a mountain after being knocked back. he was even able to unload the force without suffering any damage, but ye jingtang had received the heavy elbow blow, and his right shoulder and arm looked injured due to the redness. guan yujia slid to a stop and immediately wanted to step forward to suppress ye jingtang. but just as he took a step forward, his eyes turned strange again. ye jingtang knocked guan yujia away and retreated. he grabbed the roaring dragon spear that third lady threw over and was about to counterattack when he stopped in his tracks. he frowned slightly and looked at the wrist guard on guan yujia¡¯s arm. everyone present was confused when they saw the two men suddenly stop. pei xiangjun was on guard with a saber in her hand. when she saw this, she asked, ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± ye jingtang felt that he had smashed something in guan yujia¡¯s sleeve just now. there was a cooling feeling on his arm that was vaguely familiar¡­ when guan yujia saw ye silang¡¯s solemn gaze, he knew that the other party had noticed that he had been drugged. he had originally wanted to test the medicine on ye silang, but the latter had been very sensible, so he had given up on this idea. just now, when they exchanged blows, they had purely been normal moves. he hadn¡¯t planned to take out the earthly carnel bead. however, he had placed the earthly carnel bead outside the wrist guard in case of an emergency. ye silang had slammed into him and forcefully shattered the earthly carnel bead. the medicinal liquid had clearly touched the opponent¡¯s arm. although guan yujia had done it unintentionally, the outcome of the process seemed very ¡®strategic¡¯ and ¡®calculated step by step¡¯. seeing this situation, guan yujia simply stopped and stood up. he revealed a cold smile that said, ¡°everything is within my calculations..¡± Chapter 281 - Chapter 281: Fierce Medicine (2) chapter 281: fierce medicine (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios guan yujia said, ¡°you dare to be presumptuous in front of me with your trifling martial arts skills. do you really think i came close to you just to fight with you?¡± pei xiangjun¡¯s expression changed slightly when she heard this. she knew that ye jingtang had been plotted against and quickly leaned in front of him. ¡°what did he drug you with?¡± ¡°drug¡­¡± ye jingtang felt a cooling sensation on his arm, nourishing every inch of his skin and flesh. even his shoulder, which had suffered a heavy blow just now, was rapidly recovering¡­ this medicine was much stronger than the jade dragon ointment. it was probably worth hundreds of taels of silver¡­ ye jingtang wanted to say that he had been drugged by a divine healing medicine. but from the looks of guan yujia¡¯s ¡®deeply scheming¡¯ appearance, it was clearly impossible to scare him by pretending the healing medicine was poison. unless guan yujia wanted to hit him first before healing him to deliberately humiliate and ridicule him¡­ as the saying goes, there must be a reason when something strange happens. ye jingtang carefully sensed himself and realized that this thing with ridiculous medicinal effects seemed to be a little similar to the white jade bead from last time. he said, ¡°it seems to be a poison made with bone-burning hemp.¡± ¡°what?!¡± when pei xiangjun heard this, she understood that ye jingtang had been drugged with the internal energy boost pill¡¯ again. she also felt puzzled. afraid that ye jingtang would lose control when the medicinal effect became stronger, she immediately protected him and retreated. ¡°let¡¯s go.¡± although ye jingtang felt that this thing wasn¡¯t dangerous, the effect of nourishing his meridians seemed to have disappeared, and his meridians were expanding, causing him to feel some swelling pain. it was different from the medicine from last time. ye jingtang didn¡¯t know what it was. in order to prevent anything from going wrong, he hugged third lady and flew back out of the side window. clatter! guan yujia wanted to see if the other party could withstand the medicine, so he naturally couldn¡¯t let ye jingtang escape. he immediately took a long staff from his disciple¡¯s hand, jumped up to break through the roof above, and chased after ye jingtang. ¡°boy, you¡¯ve been poisoned. the faster you run, the faster you die. stay where you are and protect your heart meridian. you still have a chance to live. 1 won¡¯t take your life.¡± ye jingtang ignored him. he broke out of the window, rushed into the rain with third lady in his arms, and sped toward the mountain range behind the manor. at the same time, he took out a special version of the white emperor pill that could cure hundreds of poisons and swallowed it. the white emperor pill melted the moment it entered his mouth. it could cure hundreds of poisons. even if it encountered a special poison that it couldn¡¯t cure, it could temporarily suppress and relieve the poison. but after ye jingtang took it, the comfort in his arm didn¡¯t disappear. instead, under the effect of the white emperor pill, his injuries healed even faster¡­ pei xiangjun held the spear in her arms and leaned against ye jingtang¡¯s chest, guarding against guan yujia, who was chasing them. at the same time, she held ye jingtang¡¯s wrist to check his pulse. in the end, she found that his meridians were gradually surging. it was as if he had taken an instant aphrodisiac. even his breathing was gradually becoming heavier¡­ ¡°how do you feel?¡± ¡°i¡­¡± ye jingtang was running at full speed in the rain. his cheeks gradually turned red, and heat appeared on his forehead. the meridians of his entire body felt extremely abundant. he felt that he just wanted to find someone to do it with to vent the energy in his body, regardless if they were a man or a woman¡­ ye jingtang looked back. guan yujia was chasing after him from behind. he wasn¡¯t in a hurry to get close. it looked like he was waiting for him to be poisoned to death. the few sect masters who were not poisoned and many martial artists from the twelve sects were maintaining a distance behind. it¡¯s probably not appropriate to press third lady down in public¡­ the qi and blood in ye jingtang¡¯s body gradually became violent. because his bones and muscles had already been tempered to perfection last time, his bones and muscles didn¡¯t feel as sore and refreshing as last time. but since his qi and blood were exuberant, it didn¡¯t feel like it would affect his skills¡­ swoosh! swoosh! swoosh! several figures were flying behind the manor and instantly arrived behind martial understanding mountain. beyond them was an endless mountain range. guan yujia maintained a distance of hundreds of feet and paid close attention to ye silang. he found that ye silang¡¯s speed was gradually increasing. he knew that the medicine was taking effect and was already beginning to expand his meridians forcefully. moreover, his body was definitely being quenched by strong medicines like bone-burning hemp. ordinary people wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand this intense pain of their muscles, meridians, bones, and skin being torn apart. in the past, the martial artists who tested the medicine would either fall to the ground wailing and twitching, or go crazy and attack randomly. usually, they would die after 15 minutes. ye silang was able to withstand it so far without any abnormalities. his desire to live was indeed far beyond ordinary people¡¯s as he had thought¡­ ye silang was the strongest martial artist among the drug testers, and he was likely only slightly inferior to him. guan yujia felt that the possibility of ye silang withstanding the medicine was very high, and he couldn¡¯t help feeling happy. he didn¡¯t even dare to chase too close, lest he affect the other party and cause him to be distracted and unable to withstand the medicine. unfortunately, ye silang¡¯s perseverance seemed to be only slightly stronger than the ordinary martial artists who had tested medicine. guan yujia was speeding through the rain. just as he caught up to the back mountain, he saw ye silang, who was running wildly with someone in his arms, suddenly fall in the forest. swoosh! guan yujia¡¯s figure stopped and landed 100 feet away. he pointed the eyebrow staff at the ground and stared at the back in front of him while comforting, ¡°don¡¯t worry. i won¡¯t take advantage of you. if you can withstand the medicine, 1 will let you live.¡± ¡°phew¡­¡± ye jingtang stopped in the rain. pei xiangjun, who was right in front of him, could clearly feel a wave of heat, just as if he was burning iron man. pei xiangjun¡¯s expression changed slightly. she thought that ye jingtang couldn¡¯t hold on anymore and wanted to use the roaring dragon spear to defend against the enemy. meanwhile, luo ning, who had been waiting at the back of the mountain, silently came over from the side, wanting to cover their retreat. but what surprised pei xiangjun was that when she raised the spear, jingtang grabbed it and pulled it away. ¡°you¡­¡± ¡°i¡¯m fine.¡± ye jingtang raised his sleeve and wiped the sweat and rain from his forehead. his entire body was steaming with mist, and his meridians were so full that he had to find some way to vent the qi out.. Chapter 282 - Chapter 282: Fierce Medicine (3) chapter 282: fierce medicine (3) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios ye jingtang held the roaring dragon spear wrapped in black cloth and turned to look at guan yujia not far away. his wrist shook slightly. bam! the black cloth wrapped around the spear was shattered, and the black tip was exposed to the rain. the qi he released casually deflected the rain around him. when guan yujia saw this scene, he guessed that the other party might not be able to withstand the medicine and was about to go crazy and fight. he said coldly, ¡°kid, stabilize your mind and resist the medicine first. if you lose your mind now, you will definitely die.¡± ¡°what did you drug me with?¡± ¡°the earthly camel bead can expand your meridians, open your muscles, and forge your bones. as long as you can withstand it, you can take a big step forward. if you can¡¯t withstand it, you will die.¡± ye jingtang nodded slightly, thinking that this thing was an imitation of cheng shilu¡¯s bead. he said, ¡°your medicine is wrong. expanding the meridians in a short time will cause them to burst if you don¡¯t find a way to vent.¡± ¡°hmm?¡± guan yujia frowned slightly. at first, he didn¡¯t understand, but his eyes soon turned to horror! the black-robed young man who had just finished speaking slid his hand to the end of the spear. in a flash, he had already broken through the rain and crossed dozens of feet. the spear smashed down! boom! in the quiet mountains and wilderness, the sound of thunder rumbled out of thin air. the martial artists of the twelve sects chasing behind to observe the battle situation had just approached the area where the two parties stopped when they discovered qi wreaking havoc in the forest in the mountain col. a long dragon suddenly appeared with flying leaves and branches wrapped around it and directly split open the dense rain and smashed down. it gave everyone the feeling that they had suddenly barged into a divine forbidden land and awakened an evil and berserk dragon that was sleeping here! guan yujia, who was facing the berserk dragon head-on, naturally had the deepest feelings. seeing the torrential force bringing the rain over through the forest, guan yujia instantly recognized that this was the yellow dragon crouching of the red flower pavilion. however, guan yujia had only seen the red flower pavilion¡¯s yellow dragon crouching display such destructive power in the hands of the former spear chief, who had roamed all over jianghu many years ago. although the control of qi was a little rough and not as light and pleasing to the eye as the former spear chief¡¯s, with such immense momentum, its power shouldn¡¯t be too far off! a look of horror flashed in guan yujia¡¯s eyes. he immediately dodged to the side and swept his staff at the spear. although guan yujia was known as the little fist chief, his defensive martial arts practice had not reached the point where he had an indestructible golden body like jiang zhahu. he also didn¡¯t have the foundation that liu qiansheng had at his peak, where weapons couldn¡¯t touch his body. when fighting an opponent of the same level who was holding a weapon, he definitely had to hold a weapon, and his mastery couldn¡¯t be low. bam! ye jingtang¡¯s spear smashed down extremely quickly. guan yujia raised his staff and swept it horizontally, hitting the end of the spear and accurately deflecting it. guan yujia knew that ye jingtang was under the effects of the medicine. now, he was relying on the medicinal power to attack randomly. after dodging the spear smash, he relied on his extraordinary movement technique to circle to the side and stab ye jingtang¡¯s throat with his long staff. this move was extremely fast and fierce, and the angle was tricky and vicious. in a situation where severe pain affected the mind, it was impossible to defend against it. but what shocked guan yujia was that the spearman in black, whose combat strength had increased exponentially, suddenly stopped in midair when he found that he had missed the destructive spear strike. then he fluidly swept the spear horizontally and used the overlord opening the sea. boom! the spear sweep stirred up the surrounding rain and carried it along, creating a circular hole in the rain. the two moves were connected smoothly without any gaps, and it could be confirmed that there was nothing abnormal about ye jingtang¡¯s body. even the heavy injury on his right shoulder seemed to have disappeared. the only difference was that the qi contained in his attack had increased dramatically in a short time, reaching the point where guan yujia couldn¡¯t block it. bam! guan yujia¡¯s reaction was extremely fast. he retracted his staff and blocked horizontally. the vast amount of qi swept over the staff, sending his body flying. he instantly shattered a row of trees on the side and flew more than 100 feet in the forest. after guan yujia suffered this heavy blow, his heart was full of shock. while flying away, he saw a pair of cold eyes that were as calm as water. he suddenly realized what was happening now. the medicine really worked! ye silang¡¯s internal energy had increased exponentially as the ordinary martial artists had, but he had withstood the side effects and wasn¡¯t affected by the severe pain, causing his combat strength to increase for a short time. although the medicine wasn¡¯t as effective as he had expected, it had directly transformed ye silang into a martial chief in all aspects. it had cured his shoulder injury and increased his internal energy substantially. however, the gap between ye silang and him was not very big to begin with. his injury had recovered, and his internal energy had increased greatly. this meant that he wasn¡¯t inferior to him! guan yujia had personally sent the medicine to raise a monster. he was full of regret and wished he had asked bai siming for an extra earthly carnel bead. if he still had this medicine and took it now, wouldn¡¯t he be able to hang this lucky junior up and beat him up? but it was too late to think about this now. guan yujia didn¡¯t know how powerful this medicine was. after landing, he struck away the spear following him closely with his staff and flew into the depths of the forest with all his might. the veins of ye jingtang¡¯s forehead were bulging, and his blood and qi were almost boiling. after landing, he didn¡¯t give guan yujia any chance at all. in an instant, he chased after guan yujia again and stabbed forward with the spear in his hand, sending an azure dragon claw at guan yujia¡¯s back. swoosh! guan yujia couldn¡¯t escape at all. a chill came from behind him. unable to dodge, he could only turn around in the air, strike with his staff, and deflect the spear in the air. bang! amidst the explosion, the black spear pierced through the rain. although the tip of the spear deviated slightly after the heavy blow, it still pierced into guan yujia¡¯s left shoulder. the terrifying amount of qi contained in the spear instantly erupted. before the tip of the spear penetrated guan yujia¡¯s body, the robe and flesh behind his right shoulder had already exploded, causing a blood mist to erupt in the rain. bam! under the heavy blow, guan yujia grunted and transformed into a sharp arrow leaving the bowstring. he flew backward and swept out a line in the forest.. Chapter 283 - Chapter 283: Fierce Medicine (4) chapter 283: fierce medicine (4) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after ye jingtang severely injured guan yujia with his spear, his figure dashed forward like a bolt of lightning. before guan yujia landed on the ground, he caught up to him again and stabbed at his throat with his spear. guan yujia found that the opponent¡¯s aura didn¡¯t decrease after three consecutive strikes. instead, it became stronger and stronger. he completely believed bai siming¡¯s seemingly nonsensical bragging words. at this rate of improvement, ye silang¡¯s internal energy would probably be comparable to ¡®spear chief¡¯ duan shengji¡¯s soon. guan yujia saw that he couldn¡¯t beat him or run away. if he delayed any longer, he would definitely die. he immediately ignited the courage in his heart. he roared and knocked the spear away with his staff. then he erupted at full speed, closed in, and punched ye jingtang¡¯s face. but ye jingtang didn¡¯t dodge this attack. he abandoned his spear, clenched his right hand into a fist, and blasted it toward the forest in front of him like a huge cannon. boom! the two fists met! the martial artists chasing behind saw the rain where the two of them collided explode into the sky under the incomparable impact, instantly blasting out a hemispherical hole with a diameter of dozens of feet. the destructive fist force shattered the branches and leaves of the surrounding trees and even flattened the weeds and bushes on the ground. a vast amount of qi entered guan yujia¡¯s body. the robe on his upper body shattered, his hair crown exploded, and the blood vessels on his exposed right arm burst. he crashed into the mountain, plowed a groove in the ground, and only stopped when he hit the trunk of a giant tree. bam! the tree trunk shook violently, and countless green leaves flew into the air. as for ye jingtang, he didn¡¯t feel good receiving guan yujia¡¯s desperate punch head-on. his right fist was bleeding, and the already tattered right side of his robe completely shattered. even his face scarf and headband were shattered by the terrifying fist force. his entire body slid back more than 100 feet before stopping. whoosh! after the punch, the rain blasted into the air fell back to the ground of the forest, and deathly silence returned to the mountain col. ¡°huff¡­ huff¡­¡± ye jingtang stood on the spot, panting like an ox. his hair was disheveled, and his entire body was covered in sweat. under the rainy night, he looked like a god of death from hell. he looked at guan yujia, whose body was half buried in the ground, and raised his hand to wipe the rain off his face. guan yujia leaned against the tree trunk, his face flushed red, blood gushing out of his mouth and nose. he staggered and propped himself up against the trunk. he stared at ye jingtang¡¯s handsome face and gritted his teeth. ¡°cough cough¡­ this medicine¡­ is really f*cking fierce¡­¡± ye jingtang wanted to go forward and deal the finishing blow, but he realized that this earthly camel bead seemed to be a fake medicine. after he was hard for a moment, the effect of the medicine quickly subsided, and he showed signs of weakness. moreover, the effect of this medicine on expanding meridians was very fierce, but it wasn¡¯t like the bead from last time, which could repair and protect the meridians. even though ye jingtang had vented the qi in his body with three spear sticks and one punch, it was still suffocating his body to the point of being unable to bear the burden. if he continued fighting, his meridians would probably be damaged, so he immediately stopped. ¡°it¡¯s indeed quite fierce. why don¡¯t you take it yourself?¡± guan yujia wished he could take two now, but he didn¡¯t have any. seeing the martial artists of the twelve sects rushing over, he held his shoulder and staggered into the depths of the forest. ye jingtang deliberated for a moment and didn¡¯t take the risk to chase after him. he only raised his hand and gestured for the bird to follow him to the prince of wu¡¯s lair. tread, tread, tread! a moment later, pei xiangjun and luo ning, who had been thrown off extremely far away, flew over at full speed. behind them were the martial artists from the various sects. ye jingtang found a rag to cover his face and turned to look at the two unpoisoned sect masters. ¡°go after him.¡± the two sect masters¡¯ martial arts skills were not bad. seeing that guan yujia, who poisoned and plotted against them, was severely injured, ye jingtang gave them this order. after thinking about it, they gritted their teeth and chased after him with their disciples. seeing that ye jingtang had consumed too much energy, pei xiangjun and luo ning didn¡¯t dare to leave him alone.. they quickly left the forest with him¡­ Chapter 284 - Chapter 284: Empty Mountain Spirit Rain (1) chapter 284: empty mountain spirit rain (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the rain gradually became heavier. behind martial understanding mountain, dozens of jianghu martial artists carefully followed guan yujia¡¯s traces into the depths of the forest. on the mountain on the side, three figures were walking quickly, far away from the col where the conflict had occurred. just now, luo ning had been in charge of keeping watch at the back of the mountain. she had seen ye jingtang suddenly rush out of the villa and turn back after running wildly for a short distance. his three attacks had almost killed wu province¡¯s overlord, guan yujia, and then his breathing became chaotic. she couldn¡¯t figure out the situation at all. after walking a short distance, luo ning looked at ye jingtang beside her. ¡°little thief, what happened to you just now?¡± pei xiangjun was walking on the other side and kept holding ye jingtang¡¯s wrist to observe his pulse. she replied, ¡°he was poisoned by the internal energy boost pill from last time. this time, it seems to be a fake medicine. his qi and blood are too strong, and his pulse is uneven, but it doesn¡¯t look serious¡­¡± luo ning still remembered when cheng shilu committed suicide. she frowned and said, ¡°should we tie him up?¡± umm¡­¡± pei xiangjun looked up. ye jingtang¡¯s face was red, his breathing was heavy, and his body was very hot. his eyes seemed to be wandering, but he didn¡¯t have the trembling reaction like last time. she asked, ¡°jingtang, how do you feel?¡± ¡°i¡­¡± ye jingtang was holding two spears while walking between the two women. he felt a little indescribable. the earthly carnel bead seemed similar to last time, but the actual experience was too different. the medicine he took last time improved blood and qi circulation, straightened the bones, and made the muscles flexible. although the process was as sore and refreshing as the tui na massage from a 300-pound girl stepping on his back, it was still within his tolerance range and felt very comfortable. this time, the earthly carnel bead had expanded his meridians in a short period of time, but it didn¡¯t stabilize them. if not for the fact that his body was strong enough and he had vented the violent qi in time, his meridians would probably have been riddled with holes. but after releasing the qi in the body, without the huge internal pressure, it was impossible to achieve the effect of expanding meridians. its only use was to allow the user to use the strength that should have been used ten times in three times before quickly exhausting and making them enter a fatigue period. its effect was equivalent to ordinary stimulants with high risks. second, the most powerful thing about the bead last time was the ¡®straightening the bones and making the muscles flexible¡¯. it adjusted every aspect of the body flawlessly. but now, his body had not improved much. but similar medicinal herbs had been added to the earthly carnel bead, causing his body to heat up and produce a large amount of essence blood. he had nowhere to consume it, so his body was very dry. to put it simply, a man with a strong body had eaten a pile of medicinal herbs to nourish his qi, blood, and yang, causing his nose to bleed, his mind to be excited, his body to be hot and abnormally agitated, and other conditions. ye jingtang could clearly feel that his breathing was hot and his heartbeat was unstable. some parts of his body were not under his control at all. to be precise, he was carrying three huge spears now. although this state didn¡¯t affect his consciousness, it was indeed a little uncomfortable to hold it in, especially when the charming third lady was hugging his arm and ning¡¯er was swaying beside him. it was a real test of his willpower¡­ ye jingtang felt that it was inconvenient to walk and wanted to adjust his pants. but with the two girls in front of him, it was not very elegant. he could only maintain a calm appearance and say, ¡°i¡¯m fine. my qi and blood are just a little vigorous. i¡¯ll recover after resting for a while. this lousy medicine isn¡¯t anything good. i can¡¯t use it recklessly in the future¡­¡± pei xiangjun was checking ye jingtang¡¯s pulse and felt that he was a little hot and excited. it was nothing serious. she hugged his arm. ¡°you too. you can¡¯t act recklessly either. you didn¡¯t use your spear again for no reason and insisted on fighting unarmed with guan yujia. you could have just raised your hands and stabbed him a few times. could his arms have touched you?¡± ye jingtang¡¯s arm was clamped by the big watermelons, and his expression clearly showed that he wanted to say something but hesitated. but he was afraid that he would make third lady feel alienated and disdained if he pulled away. after thinking about it, he didn¡¯t pull away. ¡°guan yujia is the little fist chief. if he fights me alone with his bare hands, i definitely have to accept it and accumulate more unarmed combat experience. if not for this lousy medicine disturbing the situation today, guan yujia wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape.¡± seeing that third lady actually dared to hug ye jingtang in front of her, luo ning¡¯s cold and beautiful eyes became a little strange as she harrumphed softly. ¡°guan yujia is the overlord of wu province¡¯s jianghu. if you didn¡¯t take this medicine, could you have beaten him?¡± pei xiangjun felt that there was another reason for the vixen¡¯s cold tone, so she immediately hugged ye jingtang¡¯s arm tighter. ¡°guan yujia¡¯s unarmed martial arts are indeed powerful, but his spear and staff skills are average. jingtang¡¯s reaction is completely on par with his. if he had been thick-skinned and used the spear directly, it would have been very difficult for him to get close to jingtang. when he saw jingtang get the spear, he chased after him with an eyebrow staff. he knew that it was very difficult to break the moves with his bare hands. later, jingtang attacked him three times, but guan yujia¡¯s staff techniques weren¡¯t as exquisite as jian yuhua¡¯s storm staff. even if jingtang didn¡¯t take the medicine, it would have only been a matter of a few more¡­ more attacks¡­¡± pei xiangjun was seriously reviewing the battle when she suddenly noticed that ye jingtang was focusing on the front. his deep eyes were a little cold, as if he was thinking about something important that concerned the lives of the world. she paused and asked, ¡°jingtang, what are you thinking about?¡± ye jingtang was thinking about when he was drugged and attacked by third lady and ning¡¯er from both sides to apply watermelon cream on him. when he heard this, he retracted his thoughts and smiled. ¡°that¡¯s true. guan yujia¡¯s staff techniques are very poor. it¡¯s just that his internal energy is deeper. as long as i don¡¯t give him a chance to get close, he can¡¯t do anything to me¡­¡± pei xiangjun hesitated for a moment and looked around. ¡°why don¡¯t we rest for half the night and wait for the bird to come back before we chase after him?¡± ye jingtang¡¯s original plan was to stay away from the martial artists of the twelve sects and slowly wait for the qi in his body to stabilize before continuing to chase after the heavily injured guan yujia. but now, he was agitated. he had consumed a lot of qi just now and was a little lacking. he was probably in a state of holding it in and feeling weak. there was a risk in a fight, so he nodded after thinking about it. when the three of them arrived at the iron river manor, because they were deep in the tiger¡¯s den, they had investigated the surrounding situation well. they had found a place in the mountains behind them in advance that was easy for spying, hiding, and escaping. this was why ye jingtang had run to the back of the mountain earlier. ye jingtang was carrying the two long spears and walking along the mountain path. not long after, he arrived at the place where the horses were hidden. he picked up his traveling bag and went to a mountainside two kilometers from martial understanding mountain. there were no traces of people in the wilderness. there was a stone cliff halfway up the mountain, and in the middle of the cliff was a natural crack. lying in it, one could use a monocular to observe the situation inside the iron river manor and also had a clear view of the situation behind the mountain. ye jingtang jumped up along the rock protrusions and vines on the cliff like a dragonfly skimming the water. he landed in the crack in the rock that was more than ten feet wide. the two women followed closely behind. the ground between the rocks was relatively flat. with the cliff blocking it, the heavy rain outside didn¡¯t drift in. it was a good place to take shelter from the wind and rain, but it was quite high from the ground. there were only some traces left by birds. ye jingtang placed the bag he took from the horse¡¯s back on the ground. after opening it, there were rolled blankets, medicine, clothes, candles, and other things inside, as well as snacks and dry rations to fill their stomachs. pei xiangjun landed on the stone cliff, took off her bamboo hat, and wiped the rain on her face. she first used her spear and a blanket to set up a simple curtain in the stone crack and then lit a small candle. luo ning took a blanket and spread it on the ground. she picked up third lady¡¯s monocular and stretched her upper body out of the curtain to observe the situation around the iron river manor. after ye jingtang unpacked their things, he took two sips of water and exhaled softly. he took off his tattered clothes and only wore the silver soft armor and pants. he sat cross-legged on a blanket and began to eat while adjusting his breathing. pei xiangjun didn¡¯t disturb ye jingtang. holding a bag of dry rations and a water bottle, she bent down, crawled under the curtain, and lay down beside luo ning. ordinary jianghu people¡¯s dry rations when they went out were dried pancakes, crispy rice, etc. they were not very tasty. as the sect master of the red flower pavilion, third lady would definitely not treat herself badly when she went out to do things. her dry rations were the best jiang province ham, grain pancakes, dried dates, raisins, and other things. the taste was excellent and nutritious. the only thing was that they were high in calories and would make people tired if they ate too much. pei xiangjun held a bright red ham strip in her mouth and took out another one to bring to luo ning¡¯s mouth. ¡°is there anything going on over there?¡± luo ning opened her red lips to catch the meat strip while carefully observing the situation in the iron river manor. ¡°the poisoned sect masters have all run away¡­ yang guan seems to be hiding on the roof and watching. he doesn¡¯t even dare to go forward when something happens to his master. how is he still a disciple¡­¡± ¡°yang guan is just like that. he¡¯s neither capable nor discerning. all he has is good luck¡­¡± ye jingtang was sitting on a blanket with his back against the cliff. when he heard the two of them talking softly, he wanted to join. but when he raised his eyes and took a closer look, he stopped eating his dry food. the dim yellow light emitted by the small candle illuminated every corner inside the curtain. two blankets were placed on the ground, and there were some miscellaneous items in front of him. he was sitting with his back against the stone wall and facing the curtain while third lady and ning¡¯er were lying on the blanket on his left. originally, this was nothing, but the space in the stone crack was not big. the two women were lying down under the curtain. their upper bodies were outside, and the curtain was draped around their waists. their legs and butts were inside the curtain, right beside his hand. ning¡¯er was lying very properly. her shoes, which were embroidered with bamboo leaves, were placed together, and her legs were straight. farther up was a perfectly curved blue full moon that reached her waist. it looked extremely beautiful, like a work of art. third lady was lying right beside her. her pear-shaped figure was different from the tall and slender ning¡¯er. although she was not as tall as ning¡¯er, her waist measurement was similar, so her waist-to-hip ratio was shockingly impactful. even through her skirt and thin pants, he could feel the heaviness¡­ third lady¡¯s lying posture wasn¡¯t very proper. she was lying on the blanket with her embroidered shoes off and her calves in the air. her two white socks were swaying back and forth under the candlelight, making her look lively and mischievous. most importantly, the curtain fell on their waists and covered their upper bodies. they couldn¡¯t see him, and there were only waists and legs in front of him.. this feeling was very special¡­ Chapter 285 - Chapter 285: Empty Mountain Spirit Rain (2) chapter 285: empty mountain spirit rain (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios whoosh! heavy rain poured down in the mountains, and the dense sound of the raindrops hitting the forest covered all the sounds in the world. only a little light remained, shining in the crack on the stone cliff. ye jingtang was eating with his back leaning against the stone wall. he tried his best not to look at the ¡®two beauties offering peaches¡¯ that were so close to him and tried to suppress the restless little flame in his body. but these two girls were not worried at all. they didn¡¯t treat him as an outsider at all! luo ning was looking at the commotion outside the mountain with a monocular. because her waist and legs were lying straight on rocks, it wasn¡¯t very comfortable after some time. she kicked her shoes off and imitated third lady¡¯s swaying. pei xiangjun was lying beside luo ning and chatting with her. after a long time, she became a little bored and began to stretch her muscles and bones on the blanket. the specific movements were roughly to lay her legs flat and use her hands to support herself off the ground and raise her upper body. then she lay on her shoulders without moving and rotated her waist and hips greatly, tightening the curves of her naturally well-rounded waist and butt to the extreme. when ye jingtang saw this scene, he felt that the two girls wanted to kill him. if he continued to hold it in, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to control himself. after some thought, he crawled out under the curtain. swish swish¡­ when pei xiangjun, who was stretching, saw ye jingtang coming out from behind, she stopped and moved to the side. ¡°why did you come out too?¡± ¡°the space inside is too small. it¡¯s suffocating.¡± ye jingtang lay down between the two of them and looked at the endless wind and rain outside. although the scenery was far inferior to the beautiful full moons just now, his body felt much better. he secretly heaved a sigh of relief and asked, ¡°what¡¯s going on outside?¡± pei xiangjun picked up the bag of dry food and handed it to ye jingtang. ¡°there¡¯s nothing. you don¡¯t have to worry. eat and rest before thinking about serious matters.¡± ye jingtang had already eaten his fill. seeing that luo ning didn¡¯t seem to have eaten much, he took out a dried date and leaned over. luo ning was holding a monocular and looking out. she thought that ye jingtang was feeding her and wanted to eat it. but just as she opened her mouth, she found ye jingtang putting the red date in his mouth. being teased, luo ning was naturally a little unhappy. ¡°what are you doing?¡± ye jingtang held the red date in his mouth and raised his chin slightly. ? luo ning understood what the little thief meant. her eyes looked a little unwilling, but after a moment of hesitation, she opened her red lips and leaned forward to bite the red date like a dragonfly skimming the water. before ye jingtang could move forward, she quickly moved back, not letting him take advantage of her. seeing this scene, pei xiangjun blushed and turned her head with a strange look in her eyes. ¡°hmph~!¡± ye jingtang saw the complicated look in third lady¡¯s eyes. it was probably because he was showing off his love for ning¡¯er that third lady was embarrassed. he took out a red date, put it in his mouth, and raised his chin jokingly. ¡°ah.¡± h ti when pei xiangjun saw that ye jingtang was impartial, her face instantly turned red. she wanted to reject him with a serious expression like an elder. but from the corner of her eye, she noticed that the vixen had turned her head and was looking at her with a gaze that said ¡®cowardly junior¡¯. ? pei xiangjun blinked, feeling that the vixen¡¯s gaze was infuriating. the expression in her eyes changed a hundred times, and her head leaned forward and then retracted, highlighting her hesitation. ye jingtang saw that third lady was hesitating, and a smile appeared in the corners of his eyes. after thinking for a while, he leaned forward confidently. !! pei xiangjun saw his handsome face suddenly enlarge in front of her eyes, and her breathing froze. before she could react, she felt the touch of the red date on her lips. his sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes were right in front of her. pei xiangjun¡¯s face instantly turned fiery red. she subconsciously opened her red lips to catch the red date, but their lips touched. it became quiet outside the curtain, leaving only the soft sound of the rain hitting the cliff. pei xiangjun bit the red date. her lips felt a hot and sweet taste, and her eyes were confused. in the past, when she saw the vixen kissing calmly, she had thought that this matter was very simple. when she really did it herself, she realized that it felt as if she had been struck by lightning. her mind instantly became empty, and she didn¡¯t even dare to breathe. pei xiangjun¡¯s daze only lasted for a moment before she came back to her senses. she hurriedly separated and retreated into the curtain. pa- perhaps it was because she was really embarrassed, but she couldn¡¯t bear to hit ye jingtang, so she vented her anger on something elastic. luo ning had a strange look in her eyes at first, but when she felt the burning sensation behind her waist, she immediately became annoyed and turned around. ¡°he teased you. why did you hit me?¡± there was no response from the curtain, but the meaning should be ¡®it¡¯s a wife¡¯s fault for not teaching her husband¡¯. luo ning wasn¡¯t someone who would submit to anyone. seeing this, she stuffed the monocular into ye jingtang¡¯s hand and entered the curtain¡­ meanwhile, in baywater town¡­ after the local tyrant, second master xu, was suddenly punished by a constable of the imperial court, the old town, which was mixed with good and bad people, was peaceful for a few days. the night rain fell, and there were scattered lights in the town. at the entrance of an inn, a young man in yellow was sitting on the threshold under the eaves with an oxtail saber beside him. his gaze was fixed on the other end of the old street, waiting for the handsome official to come back with news. to the officials of the imperial court, this was just an insignificant matter that they could note down casually. they might have just dealt with it carelessly and had long forgotten it. but to the young man, the missing person was his father, the backbone of his family. even if he knew that his father had been killed by evil people and the officials might have forgotten about this matter, he could only wait here. he wanted to see his father, dead or alive. ciack, clack¡­ in the middle of the night, when most of the people in town were asleep, the sound of two horses¡¯ hooves came from the entrance of the town. the young man turned to look at the entrance of the town. under the light of the lantern¡¯s flames, he could see two majestic horses walking side by side into the town. the two riders on the horses were both wearing large bamboo hats and expensive black rainproof cloaks. their muscular bodies and majestic horses made them look like two demon gods from purgatory who had suddenly arrived in the old town. from afar, he could feel the oppression that made him shiver. the young man sensed how terrifying these two jianghu people were. he didn¡¯t dare to look at them and just continued to look at the end of the old street. but when the two horses passed through the rain and passed by the entrance of the inn, one of the horses stopped. the jianghu person on it turned around and said in a deep voice, ¡°this kid looks a little familiar¡­¡± as soon as the voice sounded, the extremely muscular jianghu person in front also stopped his horse. he turned around and sized up the young man¡¯s face. after some thought, he asked, ¡°kid, who is zhang wenyuan to you?¡± the young man was slightly stunned. then he hurriedly stood up and cupped his hands. ¡°he¡¯s my father. two heroes, do you know him?¡± ¡°i¡¯m also ranked ¡®wen¡¯, so i can be considered your father¡¯s senior brother. however, your father left the sect more than twenty years ago, and we haven¡¯t seen each other since.¡± on the horse, yao wenzhong looked at the young man and asked, ¡°how is your father doing lately?¡± the young man said in a low voice, ¡°greetings, martial uncles. a few days ago, my father was plotted against by the prince of wu, and his life and death are unknown. i¡¯m waiting for news here¡­¡± after listening for a moment, yao wenzhong didn¡¯t say anything else and rode his horse to the other end of the old street. xuanyuan hongzhi, who was riding beside him, snorted faintly when they were far away. ¡°he doesn¡¯t have the ability of the three heroes of cloud lake, but he has the faults of the three heroes of cloud lake. he didn¡¯t have any ability and looked down on his sect. now that he¡¯s ended up like this, he really deserves it.¡± yao wenzhong replied, ¡°it¡¯s a common habit of sabermen to draw their saber and help when they see injustice, but ninety-nine percent of sabermen don¡¯t have this ability. the wave of sabermen who mingled in ze province back then either died or retreated. qiu tianhe was the only one who made a name for himself. speaking of which, if it weren¡¯t for the storm due to eldest miss back then, the saber world today would have been much more exciting.¡± xuanyuan hongzhi said, ¡°it¡¯s not just the saber world. if zheng feng and qiu tianhe hadn¡¯t interfered and shuye had entered the palace to become a noble consort and given birth to a son, our xuanyuan family might have attained overwhelming power in the imperial court. there wouldn¡¯t have been the empress and the prince of jing in this world at all, and there wouldn¡¯t have been a huge threat like ye jingtang¡­¡± ¡°if eldest miss had successfully entered the palace, the empress and the prince of jing would have indeed not appeared. however, ye jingtang would still appear, but he might not necessarily have become enemies with jun mountain terrace.¡± after yao wenzhong chatted for a while, he scanned the old town and asked, ¡°wu province is so big and in chaos. where can we find ye jingtang?¡± ¡°ye jingtang is arresting the prince of wu. think of a way to contact bai siming and find their hiding place. we can just wait for him there.¡± hearing this, yao wenzhong didn¡¯t say anything else and rode his horse deeper into wu province¡­ unknowingly, it was already late at night. the rain continued unabated on the stone cliff, but there were no more lights outside the mountain. ye jingtang couldn¡¯t see anything with the monocular, so he hugged the back of his head and lay on his back with his upper body outside the curtain, concentrating on suppressing the agitation in his body. inside the curtain, the candle had already been extinguished, making it so dark that people couldn¡¯t even see their fingers. because there wasn¡¯t much space, the two women were sleeping side by side on a blanket, using ye jingtang¡¯s legs as pillows. pei xiangjun couldn¡¯t fall asleep at all after experiencing the date feeding just now. she was lying on her side facing the stone wall, her fingers gently touching her red lips, her mind filled with countless thoughts. luo ning was lying flat beside the curtain, her hands folded at her waist, her eyes closed, her sleeping posture upright. however, the night was long, and they had free time. she didn¡¯t help the little thief recuperate, so she kept feeling that she couldn¡¯t sleep well¡­ luo ning slept for a moment and found that the little thief¡¯s breathing was not very steady. she wanted to get up several times but stopped. luo ning thought for a moment, quietly raised her hand, touched ye jingtang¡¯s waist, and then moved down¡­ sure enough, it was up to no good and ready to fight¡­ ye jingtang was lying outside the curtain. when he felt someone touching him, he immediately came back to his senses. he lowered his head and looked down, but he couldn¡¯t see anything. he only felt that a soft and smooth hand had grabbed his handle¡­ ?! ye jingtang took a deep breath with a strange look in his eyes. he felt ning¡¯er quickly retracting her hand. thinking about it, he pretended not to notice her small action. luo ning felt that the little thief needed to recuperate now, but it was definitely not appropriate to jump onto the horse directly. she turned her head slightly and found that third lady was lying silently, seemingly not conscious at all. she wanted to speak, but after some thought, she extended her hand again. pei xiangjun felt very safe sleeping inside. her mind was full of thoughts about being kissed by ye jingtang just now, so she really didn¡¯t notice what the bold vixen was doing now. after pei xiangjun let her imagination run wild with her eyes closed for a long time, she discovered the vixen behind her moving. she touched her left hand and pulled it back. pei xiangjun regained her senses and was a little puzzled. just as she was about to ask, she found that the vixen had quietly pulled her hand onto something. (o_o)!! pei xiangjun opened her eyes and let go as if she had touched a snake or scorpion. then she flipped over and hit the vixen. ¡°you slut, you¡¯re really¡­¡± with that, she crawled out of the curtain in embarrassment. ye jingtang originally thought that ning¡¯er wanted to touch him again, but he felt that the little hand messing around again had become rough. only then did he realize that something was wrong. then third lady appeared and flew up the stone cliff with a whoosh¡­ ¡°huh?! third lady?!¡± ¡°i¡¯ll go up and keep watch. you take care of this vixen and make her cry!¡± ¡°oh, okay¡­¡± ¡°ye jingtang! you have no conscience! hey, you¡­ Chapter 286 - Chapter 286: The Bird Knows How to Repay Kindness (1) chapter 286: the bird knows how to repay kindness (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios rumble! in the middle of the night, lightning sounded in the wu mountains that stretched for thousands of kilometers. the bird with snow-white feathers was like a white ghost. it silently passed above the treetops of the deep mountains and forests. after flying for a kilometer, it landed on a tree branch to hide from the rain and watched the figure in the forest slowly run past. guan yujia¡¯s shoulder had been pierced by a spear, and he was suffering from internal injuries. he couldn¡¯t return to the iron river mano, so his only way out was to rush to the hidden dragon cave as soon as possible and obtain an earthly camel bead to treat his injuries. the hidden dragon cave was located in the west of wu province, and his current location was the center of wu province. it wouldn¡¯t be easy for the heavily injured guan yujia to cross hundreds of kilometers of deep mountains and ancient forests on foot. after running for dozens of kilometers in the mountains and completely shaking off his pursuers, guan yujia hid in a cave and swallowed some medicine to recuperate. the bird had flown all night in the rain without anything to eat or drink. it landed near the cave. after confirming that the target wouldn¡¯t leave in a short time, it searched for food in the surrounding forest. as a domesticated bird, the bird ate whatever ye jingtang ate since they were young. it didn¡¯t touch anything that ye jingtang didn¡¯t eat. the only food it could find in the forest were pheasants, mountain rabbits, or small fish. after searching for a long time in the mountainous wilderness and failing to find suitable prey, the bird flew high into the sky and looked around the surroundings, wanting to find a village with lights to mooch a meal. but it didn¡¯t find the village. instead, it found the faint light of a fire in the distant mountains. ¡°chirp?¡± the bird glided across the night sky and passed through the forest all the way to a mountain stream. it stuck its head out from the bushes to look. there were ancient trees and rocks on both sides of the mountain stream. on a cliff beside a pond, there were indentations that had been washed out by floods. there were big trees on top and a cobblestone beach below. at this moment, there was a bonfire on the cobblestone beach. above it were two shiny fat fish roasting on wooden sticks. on a smooth boulder not far away sat a woman in a snow-colored dress with her sword stabbed into the stone beside her. she was holding a wine gourd in her left hand and raising her head to drink wine. ¡°chirp!¡± yesterday morning, the bird had seen this fairy sister who had run away from tangtang¡¯s bed and fell outside the window. its eyes couldn¡¯t help lighting up. it wanted to find an opportunity to mooch, but after a closer look, it felt that things weren¡¯t right. beside the mountain stream, daoist xuanji was drinking the fierce woman¡¯s worry. her bearing was as graceful as an immortal¡¯s, and she looked like a forest fairy born in the green mountains. not far from daoist xuanji, a black-clothed woman was sitting on a rock with her arms and legs tied up. only her eyes were revealed behind her black scarf as she said angrily, ¡°demoness, how many times have i told you? 1 don¡¯t have the roaring dragon chart. you¡¯ve ambushed me time and time again without any morals¡­¡± daoist xuanji put down the wine gourd and handed it to the black-clothed woman. ¡°do you want some?¡± the black-clothed woman glared and turned her head. ¡°i don¡¯t have time to talk nonsense with you, demoness. i have something important to do these days. let me go finish it, and i¡¯ll tell you the news about the roaring dragon chart afterward. if you continue to pester me and mess up my affairs¡­¡± daoist xuanji went over and sat down in front of her. she wanted to pull down the black-clothed woman¡¯s scarf, but after being given a fierce glare, she gave up and asked, ¡°the prince of wu probably doesn¡¯t have the roaring dragon chart. you¡¯ve been running around for more than half a year, but 1 haven¡¯t seen you steal anything. what are you looking for?¡± ¡°will you let me go if i tell you?¡± daoist xuanji shrugged slightly. ¡°it depends on whether your words are true or not and whether the situation is critical.¡± the black-clothed woman fell silent for a moment before explaining softly, ¡°i am from the tribes of the western sea of northern liang. the imperial court of northern liang treats the tribes of the western sea as barbarians. every year, each tribe has to give a large amount of horses, medicinal herbs, and money in tribute. if we can¡¯t hand it over, northern liang will send troops to capture our people to do hard labor¡­¡± ¡°the tribes of the western sea are not easy to deal with. in the past, they almost swallowed half of great yan and northern liang¡­¡± ¡°if you don¡¯t attack us, why would we attack you? be it great yan, great wei, or northern liang, who doesn¡¯t dig up our land and force us to pay tribute? my hometown is by the heavenly carnelian lake. but my tribe members can¡¯t even go to the lake to take a look, or they will be treated as rebels and killed on the spot. our ancestors have been bullied for generations. can¡¯t we resist when we have the chance?¡± daoist xuanji took a sip of wine. ¡°that¡¯s true. but what does this have to do with you coming to wu province?¡± ¡°in the past, there were powerful shamans in our tribes who concocted a secret medicine that could let people be reborn. however, they were killed by the northern liang imperial court, and the medicine and formula were also stolen by the northern liang imperial court. ¡°i ran all over northern liang to find the formula and think of a way to restore it so that my people won¡¯t be slaves for generations¡­ the formula was originally in the hands of the northern liang imperial court, but it was stolen by imperial physician zhang jinglin. now, zhang jinglin is under the prince of wu¡­¡± after daoist xuanji listened carefully, she nodded thoughtfully. ¡°1 see¡­ how about you give me the roaring dragon chart, and i¡¯ll help you capture him?¡± the black-clothes woman hesitated for a moment and asked, ¡°are you sure?¡± ¡°i need the roaring dragon chart to save my disciple¡¯s life. as long as you give it to me, what¡¯s the big deal in helping you catch someone?¡± the black-clothed woman hesitated for a moment. ¡°on account that you don¡¯t look like an evil person, 1¡¯11 believe you this time. the roaring dragon chart is on my chest. you have to return it to me after you use it. if you dare to lie to me, you will be struck by lightning!¡± daoist xuanji revealed a smile and put her hand into the black-clothed woman¡¯s clothes. ¡°you should have done this earlier. ha- your breasts are quite big¡­¡± her words stopped abruptly. the serious gaze of the black-clothed woman immediately turned sly as she quickly rolled to the side. ¡°i¡¯ve already told you that 1 don¡¯t have the roaring dragon chart, but you don¡¯t believe me. you¡¯d better not move. this is a strange poison 1 use to save my life. if you move, you¡¯ll really die. don¡¯t blame me for not warning you..¡± Chapter 287 - Chapter 287: The Bird Knows How to Repay Kindness (2) chapter 287: the bird knows how to repay kindness (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios daoist xuanji looked at the powder on her fair palm and revealed a helpless expression. ¡°if you do this again, i¡¯ll strip you naked with my sword next time.¡± the black-clothed woman flipped over and quickly broke free from the rope binding her. ¡°there won¡¯t be a next time. swear now that you will immediately leave and never bother me again, and i¡¯ll give you the antidote. otherwise, you will definitely die.¡± daoist xuanji took off the cap of the wine gourd and took a sip. ¡°1 don¡¯t believe this poison can kill me.¡± ¡°even if the poison doesn¡¯t kill you, demoness, you will still have internal injuries for the rest of your life. i¡¯ll ask you one last time. are you going to swear?¡± daoist xuanji waved her hand slightly and said casually, ¡°hurry up and run. i¡¯ll catch up in an hour at most. i¡¯ll teach you a lesson then.¡± the black-clothed woman¡¯s eyes were full of anger. she harrumphed lightly, turned around, and ran. but after running a few steps, the black-clothed woman turned around and looked back. she felt that no matter how powerful this demoness was, she would still most likely die. she gritted her teeth, returned, pulled out a round pendant from her collar, and threw it to daoist xuanji. ¡°demoness, if you still have any conscience, this is the end. the next time 1 meet you, i definitely won¡¯t hold back¡­¡± daoist xuanji picked up the pendant, opened it, took out the small pill inside, and threw it into her mouth. ¡°those medicines of yours are just child¡¯s play. none of them are exciting¡­¡± the black-clothed woman was stunned. ¡°if you¡¯re not scared, then why are you taking the antidote?¡± ¡°i¡¯m not stupid. why should i resist when 1 have the antidote? run quickly. i¡¯ll catch up in half an hour at most.¡± ¡°you!¡± the black-clothed woman man was so angry that her eyebrows bristled. she took out a dagger, thought for a moment, then took out a medicinal bottle, opened it, and threw it at daoist xuanji. daoist xuanji picked up the medicine bottle and sniffed it. she was slightly surprised. ¡°what medicine is it this time? it smells quite strong.¡± ¡°lustful fragrance. don¡¯t you want a strong medicine? you asked for it. i don¡¯t have an antidote. if you can¡¯t find a man to vent your body in four hours, you¡¯ll explode and die. if you can resist it, 1¡¯11 take your surname!¡± daoist xuanji blinked her peach blossom eyes, raised her fair hands, and made orchid fingers?. ¡°what kind of poison is this? i can detoxify it with my hand, or i can grab you and scissor¡­¡± ¡°ptui¡ªdemoness! i¡­ ptui!¡± the black-clothed woman was stunned by this intelligent demoness with no lower limit. she turned around and ran into the forest. daoist xuanji watched the black-clothed woman leave and asked from afar, ¡°you really don¡¯t know the whereabouts of the bright spirit picture?¡± ¡°i¡¯ve already told you that i don¡¯t know. i was born with keen eyes and ears. why are you so stubborn¡­¡± as she spoke, her figure quickly disappeared into the depths of the forest. when daoist xuanji saw this, a hint of helplessness appeared on her calm face. after a moment of silence, daoist xuanji¡¯s eyes moved slightly as she looked at the bonfire not far away. she saw a fat eagle with snow-white feathers spread its wings and cautiously walked to the grilled fish beside the fire like a thief. when it noticed her looking over, it quickly straightened up and chirped twice. it looked very intelligent. when daoist xuanji was at the inn, she didn¡¯t notice the bird peeking its head out from the window next door, so she didn¡¯t recognize it. instead, she thought it was a rare beast in the mountains. she smiled and said, ¡°eat.¡± ¡°chirp-¡± the bird ran to the grilled fish with a whoosh, grabbed a grilled fish, and flew into the forest. along the way, it even chirped and cooed¡­ it probably meant: sister demoness, don¡¯t be afraid. i¡¯m going to call someone to save you¡­ daoist xuanji naturally didn¡¯t understand bird language. after the surroundings became quiet, she sat cross-legged on the boulder and closed her eyes¡­ rustle, rustle, rustle! when it was late at night, the heavy rain turned into a drizzle. in the crack of the stone cliff, ye jingtang was lying on a blanket with his traveling bag as a pillow. he was already sound asleep, and his hands were wrapped around a slender waist. luo ning was too tired and lay on ye jingtang¡¯s body. it was unknown if she had fainted or fallen asleep, but there were still faint tears at the corners of her eyes. she looked like a pitiful flower that had been beaten by the wind and rain. ye jingtang was much better than before, but his qi and blood were still not calm. as a result, his most memorable memories of ning¡¯er, dumdum, third lady, and even yuhu replayed one after another, and then¡­ ¡°mm-¡± luo ning frowned slightly in her deep sleep and groaned softly. ye jingtang immediately woke up and opened his eyes. he looked slightly apologetic as he gently helped ning¡¯er lie down and covered her with some clothes. then he put on his clothes and got out of the curtain. it was probably three or four in the morning. everything was silent under the night sky. only the lights in the iron river manor in the distance were faintly shining. after taking a look, ye jingtang flew up and climbed up the cliff, arriving under a tree at the top of the cliff. although he couldn¡¯t see his own fingers, he could still determine third lady¡¯s exact location from her breathing and movements. pei xiangjun had been looking around with her monocular. when she saw ye jingtang come up, she felt a little strange and said softly, ¡°are you feeling better?¡± ye jingtang went over and leaned against the same tree to take shelter from the rain. ¡°much better. you can get some sleep. i¡¯ll keep watch.¡± pei xiangjun held ye jingtang¡¯s wrist and checked his pulse. she found that his qi and blood were still a little turbulent. she frowned and said, ¡°why did you come up when you haven¡¯t recuperated? continue.¡± ye jingtang hesitated for a moment before shaking his head and replying, ¡°i¡¯ve taken too much of a tonic. it¡¯s not an aphrodisiac. my qi and blood will probably be vigorous for a few days. it won¡¯t affect my mind and skills. i just have too much energy.¡± pei xiangjun blinked. ¡°can¡¯t ning¡¯er take it? 1 knew it. she only knows how to talk big. when it comes to the real thing, she¡¯s crying and begging for mercy in less than half an hour¡­¡± ye jingtang felt that it was because of his own fierceness, and ning¡¯er couldn¡¯t be blamed for being incapable. but it wasn¡¯t easy to say such vulgar self-aggrandizing words. he only smiled lightly. it was drizzling outside, and the cliff was silent except for two steady breaths. the faint fragrance wafting from ye jingtang¡¯s side made him feel a little confused. he thought for a moment and sat up straight, pretending to be serious and focused. pei xiangjun looked demure and gentle. after a moment of silence, she tried to find something to talk about. ¡°i see that ning¡¯er¡¯s personality is quite cold. you two have only known each other for a short time. how did you get together so fast¡­¡± ¡°third lady, didn¡¯t you give me the wrong medicine? ning¡¯er originally only allowed me to hug her at most, but in order to give me the antidote, she did that¡­¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t give you that medicine. she bought it herself.¡± pei xiangjun recalled when the vixen had come to quarrel and snatch jingtang away in front of her. she felt a little useless and leaned closer to ask, ¡°did she kiss you before she gave you the antidote?¡± ye jingtang found it difficult to answer this question. ¡°well¡­ 1 kissed her. on the day i killed the wingless owl, ning¡¯er was hit by a needle. i helped her detoxify it, but when 1 saw that her eyes were closed and that she was full of grief and indignation, 1 couldn¡¯t restrain myself and secretly kissed her. but ning¡¯er was angry and aggrieved for an entire day, and she didn¡¯t even cook for me. from then on, i¡¯ve been very well-behaved¡­ ¡°later in yun province, on the day 1 killed zhou huaili, 1 was a little excited to reunite with ning¡¯er after a long separation, so 1 coaxed her and made a bet with her. she lost the bet, so she let me kiss her for a long time¡­¡± when pei xiangjun heard this romantic story, she nodded thoughtfully. ¡°before you kiss her, you have to kill someone to liven things up?¡± ? ye jingtang was instantly speechless. he thought for a moment and said, ¡°didn¡¯t 1 not kill anyone today? 1 only beat guan yujia half to death¡­¡± ¡°hmph-¡± the two of them had only chatted for a moment when there was a faint sound in the night rain. a big bird flew back at lightning speed and landed on ye jingtang¡¯s shoulder. then it grabbed his collar and pulled it. ¡°chirp chirp chirp-¡± seeing how anxious the bird was, pei xiangjun frowned and said, ¡°did something happen?¡± ye jingtang hugged the anxious bird and asked, ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± the bird spread its wings and gestured. ¡°chirp chirp¡­¡± through its tone and movements, ye jingtang could roughly understand what it meant: hurry up and save someone. it¡¯s extremely urgent! ye jingtang frowned. knowing that an important person he knew was in danger, he asked, ¡°how far and how many enemies?¡± ¡°chirp chirp!¡± the bird indicated that there were no enemies and it was about 15 kilometers away. ? no enemies¡­ ye jingtang wasn¡¯t sure what had happened to this person, so he naturally didn¡¯t dare to delay. he immediately stood up and said, ¡°1¡¯11 go over and take a look. third lady, you and ning¡¯er hide well. i¡¯ll be back soon.¡± pei xiangjun wasn¡¯t clear about the situation. she stood up and asked, ¡°shouldn¡¯t we go together?¡± ¡°we have to save this person at full speed. ning¡¯er¡¯s legs are probably weak now. third lady, please take good care of her. i¡¯ll get the bird to come back and keep in touch later.¡± after giving some instructions, ye jingtang leaped down from the stone cliff and landed in the crack. he picked up his saber, the roaring dragon spear, and first-aid medicine and followed the bird southeast¡­ Chapter 288 - Chapter 288: Rubbing (1) chapter 288: rubbing (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios occasionally, a flash of lightning streaked across the sky, and the jagged mountains and wilderness would alternate between bright and dark. in a mountain col, there was a bonfire burning under the cliff near a pond. daoistxuanji was sitting cross-legged on a boulder. after taking rhe antidote, the poison had been cured, bur rhe medicinal strength of the lustful fragrance gradually increased. the lustful fragrance was a potent medicine mixed with the lustful snake. ordinary martial artists would definitely not be able to withstand it. with daoist xuanji¡¯s internal energy, although she wouldn¡¯t suffocate to the point of exploding to death, her face began ro turn red when the medicine took effect, and even her breaths were slightly hot. the most effective solution now was to comfort herself. bur as rhe emperor¡¯s master and the strongest woman in rhe jianghu, it was a bit unseemly to comfort herself after being drugged. seeing that no one was disturbing her in the deep mountains and ancient forests, daoist xuanji calmed her breathing, focused her mind, and slowly regulated her qi and blood. in her mind, she was pondering about her following plans. its almost july. every year, at the beginning of autumn, yuhu will be weak fora period of time. 1 have to return to the capital as soon as possible. i definitely won¡¯t be able to continue chasing northern liang¡¯s thief sage¡­ he haven¡¯t seen each other for nearly a year. 1 wonder if liren¡¯s martial arts skills have improved. if she hasn¡¯t been lazy, she should be at least a second-rate expert now¡­ huaiyan (the empress dowager) is probably going crazy from stress and boredom. i¡¯ll probably have to bring some gifts when i return¡­ i should have caught the big white bird earlier¡­ this medicine is really powerful daoist xuanji frowned. her expression was as still as a mountain, but her breathing gradually became chaotic. her body felt indescribable, and she really wanted ro find something to rub against. fortunately, there were only rocks around her that she could rub against. her body had a reaction, but her heart was not in a mess. she could still suppress these abnormalities. after resisting for a while, daoist xuanji felt that the heat was unbearable, so she slowly lay down on his side, supported the side of her face with her left hand, and held the wine gourd in her right hand. she stared at the bonfire and took a big sip. then her eyes started to become blurred¡­ ¡°chirp chirp chirp ¡± in the wilderness, a man and a bird were quickly passing through. ye jingtangs night vision was far inferior to rhe bird¡¯s. he could only rely on the sound of rain hitting the rocks and leaves to determine the path conditions. but he still wasn¡¯t slow. soon, he sped for dozens of kilometers and arrived at a mountain ridge. the bird¡¯s main task was to follow guan yujia. after leading ye jingtang to the location where the hero would save the damsel in distress, it turned around and flew toward the cave where guan yujia was hiding. ye jingtang looked around from the mountain ridge and could see a faint fire in the col three kilometers away, but he couldn¡¯t see too many details. seeing this, he sped up and headed toward the col. in just a few moments, he arrived near a stream. in the distance, he could see a bonfire burning under the cliff near the pond. ye jingtang knew that the bird wanted him to save this person, but he didn¡¯t know the exact situation. he quietly went to the vicinity of the cliff and looked through the bushes. there was a grilled fish on a wooden stick beside the bonfire, but it had been too long, and one side was burnt. there was a very familiar sword stabbed in the stone not far away. the woman in the snow-colored dress was lying on her side beside the sword, holding an empty wine gourd in her right hand. she shook it upside down and brought it to her mouth to catch wine. it took a long time before a drop fell. when ye jingtang saw daoist xuanji lying in the wilderness drinking wine, he was really surprised. he sized her up carefully and felt that she didn¡¯t seem to be in trouble, so he walked out of the bushes. tread, tread¡­ ¡°miss shul er¡­11 ye jingtang saw daoist xuanji turn around when she heard his voice. he wanted to cup his hands and greet her, but when she turned around, he knew that something was wrong. under the light of the fire, daoist xuanji, who was lying on the boulder and looking back, had a flushed face, and her forehead was covered in swear. two buttons on her clothes had been undone¡­ ye jingtang abruptly stopped talking and quickly turned around. ¡°miss shui¡¯er, you¡­¡± daoist xuanji¡¯s eyes were blurry, looking like she was drunk. when she saw the handsome ye jingtang, her expression revealed a hint of surprise. she was probably wondering why she had imagined this young constable when she was lying here dreaming¡­ ¡°young master ye¡­¡± daoist xuanji stood up unsteadily and walked toward ye jingtang, who had his back facing her. she said drunkenly, ¡°what a coincidence. we meet again.1¡¯ ye jingtang felt that daoist xuanji had drunk a little too much. he turned his head and asked, ¡°are you poisoned again -¡± before he could finish speaking, he suddenly felt something tighten around his waist. slender arms were wrapping around him. ye jingtang s expression changed drastically. he hurriedly wanted to separate the hands from his waist, but he found that daoist xuanji¡¯s internal energy was indeed deep. her arms were clasping him very tightly. he couldn¡¯t pull them off with all his strength, so he could only raise his hand and say, ¡°miss shui¡¯er, please respect yourself. 1 already said last time that i m not a casual person¡­¡± daoist xuanji was drunk, and her eyes were blurry. her cheek pressed against his shoulder as she exhaled. ¡°it¡¯s just a dream. what¡¯s there to be afraid of¡­¡± ye jingtang felt that daoist xuanji was completely drunk. he tried his best to look behind him and patted her flushed cheeks with his hand. ¡°miss shui¡¯er, wake up. you¡¯re drunk. this isn¡¯t a dream¡­¡± pa! pa! pa! daoist xuanji¡¯s face was patted a few times, and she looked up at ye jingtang. after their eyes met for a moment, her eyes became clearer. ¡°it¡¯s not a dream¡­ then, you must be the bird that came to me just now to repay my kindness, right¡­¡± ye jingtang guessed that daoist xuanji had been drugged with a hallucinogen, so her thoughts weren¡¯t clear. he took out a strong refreshing pill from behind his waist and fed it to daoist xuanji. the pill melted in her mouth, and a sore and cool feeling entered her lungs. daoist xuanji frowned from the soreness, and the dreamy scene in front of her eyes returned to reality¡­ Chapter 289 - Chapter 289: Rubbing (2) chapter 289: rubbing (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios the night rain continued to fall around them. the handsome young master¡¯s face was inches away, and the waist in daoist xuanji¡¯s arms emitted a warmth that made her feel comfortable. h h daoist xuanji blinked. her originally red face didn¡¯t change much, but there was still a hint of embarrassment in her eyes. it was as if she had suddenly been seen by an acquaintance when she was drunk alone. ye jingtang waited for a moment. feeling that there was no movement behind him, he raised his hand and waved it in front of daoist xuanji. ¡°are you awake?¡± daoist xuanji¡¯s drunkenness subsided slightly, but the effects of the medicine didn¡¯t dissipate. in order to prevent this handsome constable from seeing that she had been drugged, she took advantage of her current position to strike first and tapped ye jingtang¡¯s chest twice. tap, tap- ye jingtang¡¯s limbs immediately went limp, and he said in bafflement, ¡°miss shui¡¯er, what are you doing now?¡± daoist xuanji didn¡¯t want to do anything. it was just that there was no antidote earlier, so it was natural for her to resist. now that she had the antidote, even if she didn¡¯t use it, she had to keep it for emergencies. daoist xuanji carried ye jingtang, who was taller than her, and dragged him to the side of the boulder to put him down. then she sat behind him drunkenly and leaned back to back. she explained softly, ¡°i¡¯ve been poisoned by a cold poison and need to rely on you to get rid of the cold. sorry for doing this to you.¡± ¡°cold poison?¡± ye jingtang pondered for a moment and looked at the bonfire not far away. ¡°if it¡¯s cold poison, isn¡¯t it more direct to warm yourself by the fire? rely on me¡­¡± ¡°women are yin, and men are yang. you won¡¯t understand these things even if i explain them to you. if you ask any more questions, i¡¯ll knock you out.¡± ¡°i have white emperor pills at my waist to detoxify poisons. why don¡¯t you take it and see the effect?¡± daoist xuanji raised her hand, took the medicine bottle from ye jingtang¡¯s waist, and swallowed a white emperor pill. then she leaned against his back and closed her eyes to focus, trying to continue suppressing the medicinal power of the lustful fragrance. however, the lustful fragrance wasn¡¯t poison. after she took the white emperor pill, the lustful fragrance might not cause her blood and qi to be chaotic and harm her life, but the evil fire provoked was not so easy to extinguish. after resisting for a moment, daoist xuanji began to feel restless, and her mind was full of thoughts such as, ¡®this constable has a good temperament, is handsome, and has high martial arts skills¡¯. as a cultivator, daoist xuanji understood what she would do if her dao heart were lost. in order to prevent things from getting to the point of no return, daoist xuanji simply turned around, laid ye jingtang down, took out a white handkerchief, and covered his face. in daoist xuanji¡¯s opinion, her actions were very natural. but in ye jingtang¡¯s eyes, she was just a drunk fool. after swaying behind him for a while, she slowly turned around and laid him down. it was obvious that she was preparing to do something bad. ye jingtang¡¯s limbs had mostly recovered. seeing that his face was covered, he raised his hand and took off the handkerchief. ¡°miss shui¡¯er, i feel that you¡¯re not clear-headed¡­¡± hearing this, daoist xuanji raised her hand and pulled out the sword beside her, her eyes slightly cold. ¡°you know that i¡¯m not clear-headed, yet you still dare to move!¡± ye jingtang glanced at the gleaming sword and spread his hands helplessly. ¡°miss shui¡¯er, we¡¯re not very familiar with each other. i came here to save you, but i didn¡¯t expect you to be drunk here. can¡¯t you tell me what you want to do¡­¡± ¡°i¡¯m not doing anything. i¡¯m just a little cold.¡± daoist xuanji tapped ye jingtang twice again. then she covered his eyes with the handkerchief and fell drunk beside him. ¡°phew¡­ phew¡­¡± ye jingtang felt that he was coaxing a drunk. seeing that daoist xuanji¡¯s breathing was unstable and she seemed to be quite uncomfortable, he didn¡¯t say anything else. fie just quietly waited for her to sober up. but a few seconds later, a faint sound came from beside him. rustle¡­ then she placed an arm on his chest and gently rubbed against him¡­ ye jingtang frowned. ¡°what¡­ are you doing?¡± there was no response beside him, only the soft breathing of a woman¡­ ¡°phew¡­¡± a moment later, the woman beside him suddenly tensed up and grabbed his collar. her body trembled slightly as she uttered, ¡°ahh~¡± then there was silence. her cheek rested on his shoulder, and her breathing gradually became even. there was complete silence in the wilderness. after ye jingtang¡¯s limbs regained feeling, he pulled down the handkerchief on his face and turned his head to look. daoist xuanji¡¯s face was flushed, and there were beads of sweat on her forehead. her breathing was even, and she looked like she had fallen asleep¡­ ye jingtang carefully moved the hands and feet of the drunk woman off him with a strange gaze. as someone who had been through this before, he understood what had just happened. daoist xuanji should have been drugged with some kind of aphrodisiac, but she had still maintained a portion of her rationality. therefore, she just hugged him and rubbed against him to deal with the drug¡­ this works too¡­ it only took a few rubs to solve it. why is she so sensitive like ninger¡­ ye jingtang was silent for a long time, not knowing how to assess this situation. seeing that daoist xuanji seemed fine, he waited beside her for her to recover¡­ on the grand wuxi canal, a fleet formed by more than ten official ships was sailing in an orderly manner under the thunderstorm. the official ships were full of black-armored guards dressed in qilin armor. on some ships, the officials of the six ministries and members of the imperial family were having discussions inside the deckhouses. the vague sounds of cups being refilled and clinking came. in the center of the fleet was a huge three-story-tall ship with a black and red dragon flag hanging on it. through the windows of the deckhouse, palace maids in colorful clothes could be seen coming and going in the corridors from time to time. the top floor of the deckhouse was brightly lit. the windows were closed, and the rain pattered on them. on the window paper were the silhouettes of two peerless beauties. ¡°liren, have you touched enough¡­¡± ¡°empress dowager, don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ll be done soon. stand up¡­¡± ¡°sigh¡­¡± in the splendid room, the empress dowager, who had run out to relax, was wearing a dark red nightgown. she was sitting elegantly on a tea couch and straightening the clothes on her sizable chest. the pretty princess, who was wearing a silver python robe, was sitting behind the empress dowager and holding her balls with both hands. although she looked extremely focused, outsiders would feel that the outrageous princess was doing something immoral to the empress dowager. two days ago, when the empress dowager heard that dongfang liren was going to wu province as an imperial envoy, she had tried to ask if she could bring her out to relax. liren agreed, and she was quite happy at first. only when she was on the way did she realize that this wasn¡¯t a sightseeing trip at all. she couldn¡¯t even show her face to avoid stealing liren¡¯s limelight. the only thing she did every day was to stay in their room and be a wooden stake for liren to practice. it had only been a few days since she came out, but the empress dowager already missed the empress¡¯s dragon bed. bored, she asked, ¡°it¡¯s almost autumn. why isn¡¯t there any news from your master? 1 thought 1 would meet her when we passed through west king town and have a companion on the way¡­¡± dongfang liren knew her master¡¯s personality very well. she was even more flamboyant than her sister and loved to play more than her. it could be said that she would do anything except for serious matters. the empress dowager had been raised in the palace for a year, and it hadn¡¯t been easy for her to nurture the aura of an empress dowager. perhaps in half a month, her master would turn her into a crazy girl. but dongfang liren had no intention of despising her master. after all, her master was really capable. she was proficient in zither, go, calligraphy, and painting, and her talent in martial arts was the best among the women of the current generation. no matter how talented she and her sister were, they had only learned half of their master¡¯s skills. after not seeing her for a year, dongfang liren missed her a lot. she deliberated for a moment and said, ¡°master¡¯s whereabouts are elusive, but she will certainly go to the capital in july. she¡¯s probably wandering around somewhere now¡­¡± ¡°i bet she drank so much that she lost consciousness and forgot the time¡­¡± after muttering this, the empress dowager suddenly thought of something and turned around. ¡°liren, are you going to confess to your master about you and ye jingtang, or are you going to let your master discover it on her own?¡± dongfang liren¡¯s focused expression froze slightly. she lowered her head and looked at the curious empress dowager. ¡°what about me and ye jingtang¡­¡± h ii the empress dowager blinked. seeing that liren was pretending not to know, she didn¡¯t say anything else.. anyway, with shuishui¡¯s intelligence, she should know that liren has someone she likes at first glance¡­ Chapter 290 - Chapter 290: The Ways of the World (1) chapter 290: the ways of the world (1) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios pa! wet firewood was thrown into a bonfire, and a few sparks erupted from the sparse smoke. ye jingtang was sitting on a stone beside the bonfire with the hornless dragon saber inserted into the ground beside him. he was holding a wooden stick with two small fish that he had just fished out of the pond on it. not far behind him, a tall woman in a snow-white dress was lying flat on a boulder. her fair face had returned to normal, and her entire body exuded an aura of spotlessness. overall, she looked like a flower fairy sleeping peacefully in the forest. she had nothing to do with the drunken beauty who had just gone crazy and taken advantage of a man. ye jingtang had inexplicably become a medicine jar¡­ no, a medicine stick. after he was rubbed against, the feeling in his heart was really indescribable. but for daoist xuanji to do such a thing, it meant that there had indeed been no other way. moreover, she had only rubbed against him a few times. after he thought about it carefully, it didn¡¯t seem like a big deal¡­ while his imagination was running wild, the sound of rushing wind came from the forest. then the white bird landed beside the bonfire. it spread its large wings and dried its feathers. at the same time, it tilted its head and looked at sister demoness not far away. ¡°chirp chirp?¡± it probably meant: is she dead? ye jingtang picked up the grilled fish, tore off a small piece, and fed it to the bird. ¡°she¡¯s asleep. how¡¯s the situation over there?¡± ¡°chirp¡­¡± after the bird finished eating the fish in three bites, it reported that the target had not moved for the time being. it had only come back to eat hot food. ye jingtang knew that it hadn¡¯t been easy for the bird to fly over the mountains and wilderness in the heavy rain. he let the bird warm up by the fire and rest well and didn¡¯t urge it to continue keeping watch. while the man and bird were communicating, there was an imperceptible movement on the boulder behind them. ¡°chirp chirp!¡± the cries of the bird came from not far away. daoist xuanji¡¯s fingers moved, and then her dizzy mind gradually recovered. she felt an unprecedented sense of fatigue in her body, making her feel a little confused. did i drink too much again¡­ no, 1 didn¡¯t drink too much¡­ after being drugged by the lustful fragrance, i couldn¡¯t handle it anymore and prepared to comfort myself¡­ halfway through, ye jingtang suddenly ran over and took advantage of the situation¡­ no, he didn¡¯t seem to have taken advantage of the situation. 1 was the one who pressed him down and rubbed against him¡­ daoist xuanji realized that she seemed to have done something very embarrassing. she opened her eyes, and embarrassment flashed across her clear eyes. from the corner of her eye, she saw that ye jingtang hadn¡¯t left. he was still sitting at the side, waiting¡­ why is he waiting? why is the big white bird here too? oh¡­ it was the one who called him over! if 1 had known, 1 wouldn¡¯t have fed you fish. isn¡¯t this biting the hand that feeds you¡­ the bird was squatting beside the fire and eating fish. when it noticed that sister demoness had turned her head, it raised its wing and greeted her. seeing this, ye jingtang turned around and found that daoist xuanji¡¯s expression was normal as she stood up and rubbed her forehead. he raised his hand and gestured. ¡°go keep an eye on him.¡± ¡°chirp.¡± the bird turned around and flew into the forest after receiving the order. before leaving, it even said goodbye to daoist xuanji. but daoist xuanji ignored the bird, making it very disappointed. it felt that this sister seemed to have no conscience. after ye jingtang watched the bird leave, he turned to look at daoist xuanji. seeing that she had pulled out the joyful union sword, his eyes froze. ¡°miss shui¡¯er, you¡­¡± swish! daoist xuanji twirled her sword and sheathed it. then she sauntered over to the bonfire, sat down, and took the small fish that ye jingtang had roasted for a long time. ¡°young master ye, why are you here? i was poisoned earlier and accidentally drank too much. my head hurts, and i can¡¯t remember what happened¡­¡± ye jingtang blinked. he didn¡¯t think that with daoist xuanji¡¯s skills, she wouldn¡¯t be able to remember what had just happened. but he couldn¡¯t bring it up. he only smiled and said, ¡°hmm¡­ the bird passed by and found you drunk and crazy here, so it asked me to come over and take a look.¡± ¡°is that so?¡± daoist xuanji naturally tore off a piece of fish meat and put it between her red lips. ¡°1 like to go crazy when i¡¯m drunk. i didn¡¯t scare you, did i?¡± to be honest, ye jingtang had been quite frightened. after all, the person in front of him was the ¡®imperial teacher¡¯ and dumdum¡¯s master. ¡°i¡¯m fine. it was just a few tugs. atiss shui¡¯er, is there anything wrong with your body?¡± daoist xuanji actually felt very good and refreshed, but when she thought of the reason for this feeling, she couldn¡¯t feel comfortable. she sighed softly. ¡°it¡¯s not a problem. 1¡¯11 be fine after resting for a few days. i have to thank you for troubling you to take care of me for half a night¡­¡± ¡°no need!¡± ye jingtang raised his hand and said seriously, ¡°let¡¯s not talk about your status first. even if it¡¯s an ordinary person, as a public servant who eats imperial food, i have to help when someone is in danger in the wilderness. if 1 ask for gratitude, it will be accepting bribes.¡± daoist xuanji blinked. ¡°young master ye, you know my identity. as long as 1 put in a good word for you, you will soar in the bureaucracy in the future¡­¡± ye jingtang already had ¡®as if i am here¡¯. if he hugged this thigh again, he wouldn¡¯t be taking off, but his legs would be broken. he said seriously, ¡°i rely on my abilities to be a constable. 1 won¡¯t accept nepotism. i still have official business to attend to. miss shui¡¯er, since you¡¯re fine, i¡¯ll leave first.¡± daoist xuanji wanted to give ye jingtang something to silence him, but when she saw him avoiding her as if she were a tiger, she was a little confused. after some consideration, she smiled and said, ¡°it¡¯s good that you didn¡¯t take offense. i¡¯m fine now. i have to return as soon as possible. young master ye, take care of yourself.¡± ye jingtang nodded. just as he was about to get up, he thought for a moment and asked, ¡°miss shui¡¯er, could it be that you encountered another centuries-old flood dragon and were injured by it?¡± daoist xuanji shook her head. ¡°i just met an expert. she¡¯s not a bad person. she¡¯s just tracking the whereabouts of an apothecary under the prince of wu to find a pill formula. this matter has nothing to do with you. you can¡¯t catch up to her, so just pretend that she doesn¡¯t exist.¡± ye jingtang felt that someone who could torment daoist xuanji to this extent shouldn¡¯t be an ordinary person. he immediately remembered this matter and cupped his hands to bid farewell. daoist xuanji remained sitting and eating grilled fish. her gaze calmly followed ye jingtang as he left. only when his figure disappeared did a trace of worry appear on her face. it would be fine if it were just socializing in jianghu. she could just say, ¡°the journey in jianghu is long. we¡¯ll meet again if fate allows it.¡± then she could hide for many years. the next time they met, both parties would probably have forgotten about this matter. but this man was from the black office. once she entered the capital, she would definitely bump into him as the ¡®imperial teacher¡¯. at that time, the situation¡­ not to mention the airs of a top expert, she probably wouldn¡¯t even be able to put on any airs. ¡°sigh¡­¡± daoist xuanji felt that she had relentlessly chased after northern liang¡¯s thief sage and gotten her retribution. after feeling melancholic for a moment, she threw aside her miscellaneous thoughts.. after confirming that there was no one around, she quickly got up, took off his dress, jumped into the pond, and washed herself clean¡­ Chapter 291 - Chapter 291: The Ways of the World (2) chapter 291: the ways of the world (2) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after ye jingtang left the mountain stream, he headed northeast according to the direction pointed by the bird. it was almost dawn, and the rain was getting lighter. there was some brightness in the mountains, but it was still difficult to see the rocks and trees clearly. after ye jingtang walked more than 5 kilometers, he arrived at the top of a mountain. he covered his mouth with both hands and let out an owl cry. a moment later, a white shadow flew over from the distant mountain forest and silently landed beside ye jingtang. it complained, probably about how sister demoness had ignored it just now. ye jingtang coaxed the sulking bird and silently moved forward in the forest. soon, he arrived near a cave. guan yujia didn¡¯t seem to have left yet. although he was 100% confident of killing guan yujia if he rushed in now, if the other party refused to say anything, he still wouldn¡¯t be able to find the prince of wu¡¯s whereabouts. for this reason, ye jingtang didn¡¯t go forward directly. instead, he used his saber to cut open the bushes and vines about a kilometer away, pretending to clear a mountain path to scout the way. crack! crack! as the sound came, there was an immediate reaction in the distant cave. guan yujia, whose robe was torn and covered in blood, silently came out from inside. he looked in the direction of the sound and quickly fled south. ye jingtang followed him for a while. he guessed that the prince of wu¡¯s hiding place was very far away, so he let the bird continue to follow him. then he returned the way he came and headed back to the vicinity of the iron river manor to prevent anything from happening to ning¡¯er and third lady if he left for too long. after flying dozens of kilometers in the mountains and forests, he returned to the stone cliff. the sky had already brightened, and the rain had gradually stopped. pei xiangjun had been keeping watch all night. at this moment, she was lying on the ground and looking around with her monocular. when she saw ye jingtang return, she asked, ¡°how is it? who was in trouble?¡± ye jingtang landed at the edge of the stone cliff and sighed softly. ¡°it¡¯s nothing. daoist xuanji drank too much and slept in the mountain¡­¡± rustle- as soon as he finished speaking, there was a commotion from behind the curtain. luo ning, whose clothes and appearance were disheveled, raised the curtain and asked in confusion, ¡°you went out? what happened to daoist xuanji?¡± ¡°it¡¯s nothing. it¡¯s just that the bird lied about the intelligence. i went over to take a look and left without finding anything wrong¡­¡± ye jingtang couldn¡¯t say anything about daoist xuanji¡¯s drunken madness. after explaining in a few words, he sat down outside the curtain. ¡°third lady, you didn¡¯t sleep the entire night. rest for a while. when the bird comes back to report the news, it will be at least afternoon. we won¡¯t be able to leave for the time being.¡± pei xiangjun was indeed sleepy, but when she looked at ye jingtang, she hesitated. ¡°you slept for less than two hours last night¡­¡± luo ning had slept the entire night and was already awake. hearing this, she quickly put on her clothes and came out. ¡°why don¡¯t the two of you sleep? i¡¯ll keep watch.¡± ye jingtang had been busy all night. after the ¡®treatment¡¯, he had gone to coax the crazy drunk. he really didn¡¯t sleep well. hearing this, he didn¡¯t decline and rolled into the curtain. pei xiangjun¡¯s eyelids were already tired, but she was still a little embarrassed. just as she was about to say something, she noticed luo ning¡¯s disdainful gaze and swallowed her words. she glared back at luo ning, raised the curtain, and entered. ye jingtang used his traveling bag as a pillow. seeing third lady lying down gracefully in front of him and wanting to pull ning¡¯er¡¯s legs as a pillow, he stretched out his arm. ¡°lie on me and sleep. we¡¯re out, so there¡¯s no need to worry about so much.¡± although pei xiangjun had slept with ye jingtang before, this was the first time she had done it so openly. she hesitated for a moment before lying on her side with her back facing him and resting her head on his left arm, more than a foot away from him. there wasn¡¯t much space behind the curtain to begin with. ye jingtang had stretched out his arm for third lady to rest on his forearm. this was fine, but the two of them were not very comfortable. after some thought, he held third lady¡¯s waist, turned her around to face him, hugged her shoulders with his left hand, and held her in his arms. pei xiangjun¡¯s body suddenly tensed up. she looked up and saw ye jingtang lying on his back without any intention of moving. she secretly heaved a sigh of relief. because he wanted third lady to catch up on her sleep, ye jingtang didn¡¯t have any distracting thoughts. but after lying like this for a while, he realized that something was wrong. ye jingtang opened his eyes and turned his head to look. he saw a familiar and beautiful face lying on his shoulder, looking at him intently. it was unknown what she was thinking. when she saw that he had opened his eyes, she hurriedly closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep. ye jingtang felt that third lady was indeed very inexperienced in relationships. not to mention xiuhe, she probably couldn¡¯t even compare to yunli. he thought for a moment, lowered his head, and kissed her forehead. ¡°sleep well. don¡¯t let your imagination run wild.¡± h 11 pei xiangjun¡¯s forehead was kissed, and her shoulders trembled slightly. before she could say anything, she felt her back being tapped twice.. then sleepiness attacked her, and she fell asleep¡­ Chapter 292 - Chapter 292: The Ways of the World (3) chapter 292: the ways of the world (3) translator: atlas studios editor: atlas studios after a night of chaos, the iron river manor, which used to be famous in wu province, became the target of public criticism. countless disciples of the twelve sects came to inquire about the situation. by dawn, the foot of martial understanding mountain was already full of people. the disciples of the iron river manor had fled after the manor lord had been defeated. in a small town a few kilometers away from martial understanding mountain, ¡®three absolutes elderly immortal¡¯ guanghan lin had mostly recovered after a night of recuperation. he was standing by the window of the inn with his hands behind his back and looking at the gloomy wu mountains with a frown. his disciple yang guan came up the stairs with a bowl of medicine. he walked to his back and advised, ¡°master, you¡¯re already so old. you almost died on the mountain last night. in my opinion, we should go back and wait for the news. sir ye only needs to say a word, and we can distance ourselves from the prince of wu¡¯s rebellion. what can you do by standing here¡­¡± guanghan lin took the medicine bowl and blew at it. he snorted softly. ¡°if 1 count on your connections in the capital, i¡¯ll die outside sooner or later. when 1 was at the zhou residence, 1 helped ye silang uphold justice. yesterday, when calamity struck me, ye silang didn¡¯t hesitate to fall out with guan yujia to help. he didn¡¯t say thanks, but he remembered it in his heart and thanked me with his actions. this is the kind of jianghu friendship that can¡¯t be bought with money.¡± yang guan shrugged slightly. ¡°perhaps young hero ye has a hot temper and just wanted to beat guan yujia up. he would interfere no matter who guan yujia wanted to hit. master, you feel that he¡¯s returning a favor, but in fact, he doesn¡¯t pay attention to you at all¡­¡± guanghan lin frowned, but after thinking about it, he felt that this was really possible. ¡°it¡¯s other people¡¯s business if they remember favors or not. i have to repay the kindness i¡¯ve received. i have to repay this life-saving favor with my life. now that ye silang and guan yujia have fought into the mountains and not a single one of them has come out, if 1 run away dejectedly like the other sect masters without even saying anything to him, how can 1 stand tall in jianghu in the future?¡± yang guan felt that this was a place of trouble and wanted to persuade him, but guanghan lin suddenly raised his hand. clack, clack.. the sound of horses galloping came from outside the town. yang guan looked over and saw two men in black cloaks and bamboo hats riding fierce horses entering the town. because the person in the lead was rather burly, and his clothes and horse didn¡¯t look like ordinary jianghu people¡¯s, he attracted the attention of many martial artists in town. yang guan frowned and sized them up before asking, ¡°master, who are those two? they don¡¯t look like people to be trifled with.¡± guanghan lin had been in jianghu for 70 years and had a very sharp eye. after looking at them for a bit, he said in a low voice, ¡°they should be from jun mountain terrace. there¡¯s a high chance that they¡¯re part of the leadership.¡± ¡°master, both of them have their faces covered. how can you tell?¡± ¡°the weapon is hanging on the weapon hooks on the left side, and the luggage is on the right. this means that the weapon is very heavy, and the size under the black cloth is similar to the jun mountain saber. after practicing the dragon slaying decree for a long time, people¡¯s shoulders and back are broad, and their arms are thick. ordinary people can¡¯t practice to the level of the person in the lead with hard work. it all depends on talent. there aren¡¯t many people with such a physique in jun mountain terrace¡­¡± yang guan nodded thoughtfully and asked, ¡°wu province has been so chaotic recently. why did jun mountain terrace come to the iron river manor?¡± guanghan lin, holding the medicine bowl, fell silent for a moment. ¡°i¡¯m not sure. they¡¯re probably here to look for guan yujia. last time in ze province, jun mountain terrace and the zhou family worked together to pressure the red flower pavilion. zhou huaili is dead, but xuanyuan hongzhi is still alive. i¡¯m afraid they¡¯re very interested in young hero ye¡­¡± yang guan was shocked when he heard this. he leaned closer and whispered, ¡°master, are you going to kill with a borrowed knife?¡± guanghan lin looked displeased. he raised his hand and slapped yang guan¡¯s head. ¡°i¡¯m repaying a favor. jun mountain terrace and the red flower pavilion have already formed enmity at the zhou residence. now, as long as they bump into each other in wu province, one of them will definitely die. young hero ye saved my life. if i ignore his enemies when 1 discover them, won¡¯t i become an ungrateful person?¡± yang guan nodded thoughtfully and asked, ¡°the red flower pavilion is elusive. how can we send the news to young hero ye?¡± guanghan lin looked at the two people from the jun mountain terrace in the distance and saw that after they asked someone a few questions, they didn¡¯t stop and galloped away on their horses. he whispered, ¡°jun mountain terrace shouldn¡¯t be here for young hero ye. this place is surrounded by mountains, and there¡¯s only one official road in and out of the mountains. young hero ye and his group rode here on horses. if they want to go out, they will definitely ride past here. jun mountain terrace can just guard the official road that leaves martial understanding mountain. if they see any jianghu people with their faces covered and a spear, they can stop them¡­¡± ¡°oh¡­¡± Chapter 293 - Chapter 293: Closing the Net (1) Chapter 293: Closing the Net (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At dusk, the red sunset sprinkled light down on the western horizon. Two women and one man sneaked out of the forest. After looking around, they mounted their horses and quickly left. Luo Ning and Pei Xiangjun followed behind while Ye Jingtang rode at the front with a black face scarf and the bird in his arms. It had flown for a day and a night and was half-dead from exhaustion. As Ye Jingtang had expected, Guan Yujia, who was seriously injured and had nowhere to go, ran 100 kilometers in a straight line during the day and reached the wilderness more than 50 kilometers away from Rising Sun City, which was probably where the Prince of Wu was hiding. The three of them could cross over mountains, but even if they traveled a long distance to the place, it would be difficult to capture the prince alone. For this reason, they should use the power of the government to surround and capture him. Then they would take advantage of the chaos to capture Zhang Jinglin or find the formula for the Snow Lake Powder. After the commotion at the Iron River Manor yesterday, many Jianghu people who were not afraid of death came to the vicinity of Martial Understanding Mountain to watch the excitement. There were many trivial conversations. ¡°Ye Silang knocked down Guan Yujia with one move?¡± ¡°Why would I lie to you? I was nearby at the time and saw it with absolute certainty. When Ye Silang was poisoned and couldn¡¯t escape, he punched Guan Yujia and sent him flying dozens of feet away, scaring the group of people chasing after them. I didn¡¯t dare to look at the rest¡­¡± ¡°In that case, wouldn¡¯t Ye Silang be able to fight the Fist Chief with one hand at his peak?¡± ¡°I think he can beat the Fist Chief and the Spear Chief without issue. If he prepares seriously, maybe he can even fight Daoist Xuanji¡­¡± Ye Jingtang passed by on his horse and heard these chaotic conversions, but he didn¡¯t take them to heart. Pei Xiangjun and Luo Ning, on the other hand, listened with bright eyes. On the way, they even discussed this matter. ¡°Ning¡¯er, what do you think Jingtang¡¯s title will be if he becomes one of the Eight Chiefs in the future?¡± ¡°According to the rules, he will gain the title of whoever he defeats.¡± ¡°What if he beats two of them?¡± ¡°Two¡­¡± Luo Ning fell into a dilemma regarding this question. In history, there had been many people who had defeated a few Martial Chiefs in a row. However, if they used a weapon to fight the Fist Chief or a spear to fight the Saber Chief, they would definitely not be able to inherit the other party¡¯s title. Only by defeating the other party in their domain could they inherit the title. Throughout history, there had been several people who had attained multiple titles at once, and the last one was Feng Guancheng. Luo Ning pondered for a moment and recalled an old joke. ¡°Those who are called ¡®Chief¡¯ all rank at the back. The first three have respectful titles, such as the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master and Daoist Xuanji. If Ye Jingtang beats two Martial Chiefs, he¡¯ll be called Flying Tanglang in the future¡­¡± ¡°Flying Tanglang, it sounds a little strange¡­¡± Ye Jingtang was walking in front and was a little speechless when he heard them. He wanted to slow down and interrupt, but from the corner of his eye, he saw Yang Guan of the Blue Lotus Gang standing at the intersection in the distance. He was sizing up the Jianghu people passing and even looked in his direction. Ye Jingtang asked the two women to slow down their horses and arrived first. Yang Guan had been waiting by the roadside for the entire day. When he saw the familiar black-robed man, he hurriedly ran up to him and whispered, ¡°Young Hero Ye, I¡¯m Yang Guan¡­¡± While speaking, he even secretly looked up, seemingly wanting to confirm something. Ye Jingtang knew that Yang Guan found him familiar, so he made his voice deeper and said, ¡°What is it?¡± Hearing that this familiar ruthless man¡¯s tone was unfriendly, Yang Guan lowered his head and stopped looking around. ¡°Young Hero Ye, my master, the Three Absolutes Elderly Immortal, asked me to send you a message. In the morning, the two leaders of Jun Mountain Terrace came to Martial Understanding Mountain and left without stopping. My master asked you to pay more attention.¡± Ye Jingtang was rather surprised and asked, ¡°Do you know where they went?¡± ¡°That¡¯s hard to say. Those two people are probably stronger than my master. No one can track them. But my master suspects that Jun Mountain Terrace is in contact with the Prince of Wu. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have risked coming to the Iron River Manor at this time¡­¡± Ye Jingtang exchanged a few words with Yang Guan. After noting down the news, he bade farewell to him and left Martial Understanding Mountain with the two women. He only mentioned this matter when they arrived on a deserted road. Pei Xiangjun clearly understood why Jun Mountain Terrace was here. ¡°Jun Mountain Terrace must be here to eliminate the root of their trouble. Even the two Wang brothers of Yan Province couldn¡¯t deal with you. With Xuanyuan Hongzhi¡¯s personality, he might have even asked Xuanyuan Chao to come¡­¡± Luo Ning shook her head, ¡°Wu Province is so chaotic now. Xuanyuan Chao isn¡¯t so stupid that he would come here and cause trouble. At most, Yao Wenzhong will come.¡± ¡°Between Guan Yujia and Yao Wenzhong, who is more powerful?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. They¡¯re not ordinary people. Since two leaders came, the three of us may not be able to defeat them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better to focus on finding the Prince of Wu first and transfer the troops from White Millet Town over. Let¡¯s be careful on the way¡­¡± More than ten official ships were sailing under the moonlight. The luxurious ship in the center was brightly lit, and many palace maids who had left the capital for the first time were standing in the corridors of the deckhouse and looking at the magnificent scenery of the intersection of the two rivers at the Wuxi Estuary. There was a terrace on top of the deckhouse. It was originally for the emperor to view the scenery. At this moment, there were carved soft couches and a painting table on it. A few palace maids were holding lanterns at the side, while Hongyu was cutting watermelons nearby. The curvy and fair empress dowager was afraid that the official of the Six Ministries would find out that she had run out with them, so she had dressed up as a female official. But her bearing was still very elegant and noble. She was standing in front of the painting table with her left hand holding her sleeve and her right hand holding a brush. First, she carefully observed the perilous peaks under the moon by the shore. Then she raised her brush and outlined on the paper¡ªtwo towering steamed buns with black circles on them¡­ Dongfang Liren, dressed in a silver python robe, was standing by the railing of the terrace with her hands behind her back and examining the imperial guards on the ship. She had the aura of a ¡®king on a personal expedition¡¯, but what she was actually thinking was: It¡¯s over. 1 haven¡¯t mastered the Overlord Spear, and my Wind Listening Palm isn¡¯t that good either. When Ye Jingtang meets me, he¡¯ll probably treat me as a stupid princess again¡­ But I can¡¯t let the fleet slow down and move slowly¡­ Just as Dongfang Liren was letting her imagination run wild, a familiar voice suddenly sounded from behind her. ¡°What are you drawing?¡± The voice was natural, as if it had always been behind her, but its ethereal and clear tone seemed to have sounded from beyond the heavens. Because the voice cut in too naturally, Hongyu, who was fiddling with the watermelons, didn¡¯t notice that there was another person on the terrace. The empress dowager, who was engrossed in painting, replied rather unhappily, ¡°I¡¯m painting the landscape. Doesn¡¯t it look like¡­ Huh?!¡± At this point, the empress dowager realized something and quickly turned around. She saw a tall woman standing behind her. The woman was wearing a black and white Daoist robe. Her black hair was tied up with a silver lotus crown, and her face was covered with a thin veil, revealing only a pair of amiable peach blossom eyes. There was a horsetail whisk on her wrist. Coupled with her otherworldly aura, she looked like a Daoist expert who had just come down from the mountain. The empress dowager¡¯s eyes clearly began to glow, and the brush in her hand fell to the floor. After confirming that this woman wasn¡¯t an illusion, she raised her hand and gave her a bear hug. ¡°You have no conscience. You¡¯re finally here. Do you know how I¡¯ve been living for the past year? Liren and them hardly ever let me out of the palace, but as soon as I went out, there was lightning, rain, and assassins¡­¡± ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯m here now¡­¡± ¡°Why are you dressed so properly?¡± ¡°Was I not proper before?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Sigh, there are courtiers on the ship. It¡¯s not good to be seen dressed too casually.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± Dongfang Liren watched as the empress dowager refused to let go. She didn¡¯t even have the chance to go over and speak. After the empress dowager finished speaking, she went over and cupped her hands. ¡°Master, why are you suddenly here?¡± ¡°I just finished my seclusion on the mountain and wanted to enter the capital directly. On the way, I heard that you came to Wu Province, so I came to take a look. I didn¡¯t expect the empress dowager to be here.¡± Seeing that there were no outsiders on the terrace, Daoist Xuanji threw her horsetail whisk and veil to Hongyu. Then she walked over to Dongfang Liren and straightened the lapels of her python robe. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for a year. You¡¯ve grown up again.¡± Ordinary people would think that this was the condolences of an elder, but Dongfang Liren didn¡¯t think so. She raised her head and slightly puffed up the fat-headed dragon. ¡°I¡¯ve always been this mature. Master, it¡¯s been too long.¡± ¡°Heh~ It¡¯s all because I¡¯ve built a good foundation for you since you were a child. Speaking of which, I haven¡¯t seen you for a year. Have you found someone you like? Is he on the ship?¡± The empress dowager¡¯s lips curled up slightly when she heard this, wanting to help answer. But Dongfang Liren hurriedly waved her hands and pretended to be calm. ¡°Master, don¡¯t joke. I¡¯m so busy in the capital that I don¡¯t even have time to relax with the empress dowager. I low can I be in the mood to find someone I like¡­¡± Seeing Dongfang Liren¡¯s unnatural reaction, Daoist Xuanji understood most of it. She didn¡¯t ask about this anymore and inquired, ¡°i heard in Jianghu that there¡¯s a very powerful new chief constable in the Black Office. I¡¯ve never seen him before. Is this true?¡± Dongfang Liren thought for a moment. ¡°There is one. His surname is Ye. He came to the capital in April. I¡¯ve inspected him, and he has a good character and ability, so I let him enter the Black Office.¡± Daoist Xuanji nodded thoughtfully, but she couldn¡¯t tell Dongfang Liren¡¯s exact attitude toward Ye Jingtang. She couldn¡¯t figure it out for the time being, so she didn¡¯t talk more about this matter. She turned around, hugged the empress dowager¡¯s waist, and walked into the deckhouse. ¡°Do you have any wine? I drank all my wine on the way, and I feel weak all over¡­¡± ¡°Yes. I thought I would meet you in West King Town, so i specially prepared the best Jade Spring Roast from the Dragon Cry Pavilion for you¡­¡± ¡°Is that so? Let¡¯s go¡­¡± Chapter 294 - Chapter 294: Closing the Net (2) Chapter 294: Closing the Net (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The next day, inside the Crouching Dragon Cave¡­ Hundreds of the Prince of Wu Estate¡¯s personal guards were patrolling behind the stone wall. Three figures were walking into the depths of the karst cave. Bai Siming, who was dressed in a scholarly robe, was walking at the front with his hands behind his back and said seriously, ¡°The two of you came at the right time. If you were a step slower, there might not be a place for Jun Mountain Terrace in Jianghu in the future. The two of you have already seen the divine effect of the Snow Lake Powder, and we¡¯ve already made the Heavenly Carnelian Bead. The person testing the medicine is the young master of the Red Flower Pavilion, Ye Silang¡­¡± Behind Bai Siming were Yao Wenzhong and Xuanyuan Hongzhi, who were wearing black cloaks. Xuanyuan Hongzhi had come here to find Ye Jingtang and eliminate him. But as soon as he came into contact with Bai Siming, he heard the news of two divine medicines. Xuanyuan Hongzhi was in charge of Jun Mountain Terrace¡¯s finances, and he knew better than anyone how valuable the Snow Lake Powder was. As long as he managed it well, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem to trample on a Jianghu tycoon like the Red Flower Pavilion under his feet. As for the Heavenly Carnelian Bead, if it were really as Bai Siming had said, that it could allow people to take a big step forward, the consequences would be even more terrifying. First, he could use the Snow Lake Powder to accumulate wealth. Then he could rely on the Heavenly Carnelian Bead to create countless experts. With these two items, he could establish his own territory in a remote area. Because of this, even though his greatest threat was still nearby, Xuanyuan Hongzhi¡¯s interest was still piqued by these two things. While walking, he asked, ¡°1 have seen the Snow Lake Powder with my own eyes. It is indeed a supreme treasure, but assisting the Prince of Wu to leave the country is a losing business. This item alone is not enough. This Heavenly Carnelian Bead¡­ Brother Bai, are you sure this thing exists in the world?¡± Bai Siming now had some confidence. He chuckled and said, ¡°In the past, I would have hesitated before answering. But the night before yesterday, the two of you should know that Yujia hosted a heroes conference at the Iron River Manor. The young master of the Red Flower Pavilion was hit by the Heavenly Carnelian Bead and then severely injured Yujia with three spear strikes and one punch. If not for the effect of this divine medicine, what else could it be?¡± Xuanyuan Hongzhi had seen Ye Silang with his own eyes and knew his strength very well. He felt that what Bai Siming said made sense, so he nodded slightly. ¡°There will be no lack of buyers for the formulas of these two divine medicines. Now, the Pacifying Heaven Cult, the Cutting Cloud Palace, and the Breaking North Cliff are all contacting His Highness. Although Jun Mountain Terrace is powerful, you only have a county marquis of Ze Province, and it¡¯s still in the belly of Great Wei. Without enough sincerity, His Highness might not accept your offer¡­¡± Yao Wenzhong frowned silently, but in terms of standing in the world, Jun Mountain Terrace was indeed inferior to the Cutting Cloud Palace, which had the backing of the King of Yan, and the Pacifying Heaven Cult, which had self-proclaimed itself king. He didn¡¯t say anything about this. The three of them continued forward and quickly arrived at the depths of the cave. After passing through mountains of medicinal herbs, they arrived at the Prince of Wu¡¯s current residence. Xuanyuan Hongzhi and Yao Wenzhong went forward to pay their respects. In order to ¡®prove the goods¡¯ to the two of them, Bai Siming went to the platform at the back, where dozens of medicinal furnaces were placed, to retrieve the medicine. From afar, he saw the weak-looking Guan Yujia pacing back and forth in front of a shelf and asked in confusion, ¡°Brother Guan, haven¡¯t you used the Earthly Carnel Bead yet?¡± Guan Yujia had just run back to the Hidden Dragon Cave yesterday afternoon. He had originally planned to use a pill himself, but he felt a little lacking in confidence after the medicine was in his hand. Seeing Bai Siming return, he said, ¡°If Ye Silang¡¯s internal energy had skyrocketed, he shouldn¡¯t have let me go. I don¡¯t know the subsequent situation. What if his body exploded and he died after his internal energy soared¡­¡± Bai Siming shook his head. ¡°Impossible. Mr. Zhang said that being able to maintain a calm mind and multiply his combat strength means that it¡¯s a working medicine. If he couldn¡¯t withstand it, his meridians would have been damaged the first time he attacked you¡­¡± Guan Yujia frowned. ¡°Then, why did Ye Silang suddenly stop and let me go?¡± Bai Siming opened his mouth, feeling that this issue was indeed crucial. But before he could figure out the exact reason, hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside. A guard quickly came over and whispered, ¡°Sir, there¡¯s an urgent report. Thousands of soldiers are suddenly coming toward the Hidden Dragon Cave. The scouts are already fifteen kilometers away. They¡¯ll arrive in two hours at most¡­¡± When Bai Siming heard this, his face turned pale. Just as he was about to ask how the soldiers discovered their whereabouts, Guan Yujia, who was beside him, immediately realized it. ¡°No wonder¡­ Ye Silang might be working for the Imperial Court. He deliberately let the tiger return to the mountain and followed me to the Hidden Dragon Cave. This means that there¡¯s nothing wrong with this medicine¡­¡± ?! Bai Siming raised his hand and pointed at Guan Yujia. Since they were in need of people, it wasn¡¯t appropriate for him to curse. He suppressed his anger and said, ¡°Take the medicine later. We need to relocate first. Who will take care of you if you take it now?¡± Guan Yujia had personally seen this divine medicine take effect as soon as it was used. There was no need for any care at all. But Guan Yujia wasn¡¯t sure how long this incomplete version of the Heavenly Carnelian Bead would last or how many times he could take it. When they encountered a fierce blockade while escaping, he would use this medicine to surprise the experts of the Imperial Court.. Doing this seemed to be more useful¡­ Chapter 295 - Chapter 295: Open!!! (1) Chapter 295: Open!!! (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The moon was bright, and the stars were sparse. On a mountain near the Hidden Dragon Cave¡­ Ye Jingtang was hiding in the bushes and using his monocular to observe the natural cave entrance that was more than 100 feet tall in the mountain col. Pei Xiangjun and Luo Ning were guarding the surroundings. After learning the approximate location of the Prince of Wu¡¯s hiding place yesterday afternoon, Ye Jingtang had rushed back to White Millet Town overnight without stopping and found the 2,000 light cavalry stationed there. In the face of this great achievement of capturing the Prince of Wu, the military officer leading the troops didn¡¯t even require Ye Jingtang to take out the ¡®As If I Am Here¡¯ token. He immediately broke camp and rushed over to seize the Prince of Wu. However, the Prince of Wu was hiding in the deep mountains and ancient forests. No matter how fast the soldiers marched, they couldn¡¯t reach the destination in an instant. Ye Jingtang had to act as a scout and first go to the vicinity to keep a lookout to prevent the Prince of Wu from escaping again. The Prince of Wu¡¯s spies were clearly very well-informed. Not long after he arrived, countless figures appeared in the originally deserted Hidden Dragon Cave. Then more than 400 personal guards and servants appeared with boxes containing jewelry, medicinal herbs, and documents. The Prince of Wu, who was wearing a python robe, was among them. Behind them were more than 100 prisoners chained up. Under the moonlight, they quickly walked into the depths of Wu Mountains. Ye Jingtang used his monocular to search the team carefully. After searching for a long time, he didn¡¯t find any traces of Bai Siming, Guan Yujia, and other top experts. It wasn¡¯t until the Prince of Wu¡¯s team walked a few kilometers into the mountains that another team appeared in the cave. There were more than ten people in the group, all of whom looked like experts. Leading them was Bai Siming, who was wearing a scholarly robe, and Guan Yujia, who was wearing bandages. Behind them were two Jianghu people in black cloaks. They each carried a weapon wrapped in black cloth on their backs. And behind them were eight people dressed as guards. They were working together to carry a shoulder-high bronze medicinal furnace. From its size, it was no less than 1,500 kilograms. There was still a flame burning in the fire cavity under the medicinal furnace. Beside it was an old man with disheveled hair and a medicine box hanging on his shoulder. He was walking beside the furnace with a cattail leaf fan and constantly observing the fire. Seeing this scene, Ye Jingtang perked up. He knew that the target had arrived. He handed the monocular to Third Lady and asked, ¡°Are those two men in bamboo hats carrying Jun Mountain Sabers?¡± After taking a careful look, Pei Xiangjun said, ¡°It looks like it, and the body shape of one of them is similar to Yao Wenzhong¡¯s. It seems that the Three Absolutes Elderly Immortal¡¯s information was correct. If Jun Mountain Terrace isn¡¯t here to deal with you, why are they walking with the Prince of Wu¡¯s people?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s for the medicine in the furnace.¡± Luo Ning squinted and observed. She asked curiously, ¡°Why did they split up?¡± Ye Jingtang knew this very well. He raised his hand and gestured. ¡°The Prince of Wu¡¯s personal guards have extinguished all lights and are marching silently to avoid being discovered by scouts. There is a fire in the medicinal furnace, so they have to keep a distance. If something happens behind, the Prince of Wu can run away directly. If something happens in front, the experts behind will be able to throw away the medicinal furnace and quickly catch up.¡± Luo Ning nodded in understanding and deliberated for a moment. ¡°The three of us definitely won¡¯t be able to deal with four top experts. By the time the soldiers arrive, they¡¯ll have long fled. How can we get the formula?¡± Ye Jingtang knew that attacking head-on was courting death. After carefully observing the situation, he curled his fingers slightly and whispered into the ears of the two women¡­ At the same time, in a valley nearby¡­ The Northern Liang Thief Sage, who was dressed in night clothes, was quietly hiding in the forest and secretly watching the group of people carrying the furnace slowly pass by. After she got rid of the demoness in white the night before, the progress of her investigation was much smoother. She no longer had to worry that a white shadow would suddenly appear and beat her up halfway. But now that she thought about it, being chased for more than half a year wasn¡¯t all bad. Ever since she left her hometown with a heavy responsibility a few years ago, she had been hiding in the dark and roaming Jianghu alone. She had traveled all over Northern Liang, but she didn¡¯t know who she was or what she was doing. Usually, she didn¡¯t have anyone to talk to. It was as if she was wandering outside the world. As time passed, she even gradually became depressed and lazy in this environment. The appearance of the demoness in white was like a big wolf behind her, chasing after her and biting her. Although the process was very uncomfortable, she had to admit that her legs were much more agile than when she was traveling alone. The original boringness was gone, and her life became a battle of wits and bravery with the demoness. But the demoness had suddenly left, and she had returned to her days of being alone again. She couldn¡¯t help sighing in her heart. Fortunately, she was already close to her target. As long as she obtained the formula of the Heavenly Carnelian Bead, she would be able to return to her hometown in glory. When the Snow Lake Flower bloomed, she would be able to leave to settle scores with the demoness¡­ While thinking, the black-clothed woman kept a distance and followed the large medicinal furnace slowly moving forward in the forest. The black-clothed woman knew that the ingredients for the Heavenly Carnelian Bead were placed in the medicinal furnace. From her understanding of the Heavenly Carnelian Bead, it had to be prepared for at least half a year and kept warm with fire. As long as she added the main ingredient, Snow Lake Flower, it could immediately condense into the medicinal bead. If this furnace of medicine were ruined, even if the Prince of Wu had the medicinal herbs, he wouldn¡¯t have half a year to prepare the medicine again. Therefore, these people had to escape with the furnace. And Zhang Jinglin, who was looking after the furnace at the side, had a medicine box hanging on his shoulder. If things were as she expected, the Heavenly Carnelian Bead¡¯s ¡®remnant formula¡¯ that he had stolen from the Northern Liang Imperial Palace was inside. She wanted to find an opportunity to sneak up on Zhang Jinglin and snatch the medicine box, but he had four experts by his side. She was confident that she could shake them off, but the risk of rushing in to snatch something was too high. For this reason, she could only maintain a distance and quietly wait for an opportunity. And she didn¡¯t have to wait too long for this opportunity¡­ Chapter 296 - Chapter 296: Open!!! (2) Chapter 296: Open!!! (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Under the moonlight, eight people were carrying the brass medicinal furnace through the forest. They weren¡¯t slow. Bai Siming was leading the way in front while looking around the surrounding mountains and forests and talking to the Jun Mountain Terrace duo beside him. ¡°The Heavenly Carnelian Bead has just been tested. There¡¯s one prepared in the medicinal furnace behind. As long as we take it, it won¡¯t be a problem for me and Brother Guan to become Martial Chiefs on the spot. However, brewing the medicine requires time. The two of you can follow us to Yellow Stone Ridge first¡­¡± Xuanyuan Hongzhi and Yao Wenzhong had just arrived when the soldiers arrived shortly after. It was a little suspicious. But the soldiers were already 15 kilometers away, which meant that they had already set off at noon. At noon, Bai Siming was still lobbying Xuanyuan Hongzhi. Their hiding place had been accidentally leaked by Guan Yujia, so these two people might become life-saving straws. From the beginning to the end, Xuanyuan Hongzhi had never thought about helping the Prince of Wu escape. His goal in staying here was similar to that of the Cutting Cloud Palace. He wanted to swindle the formulas and leave. But Bai Siming was at his wit¡¯s end and very cautious. He wouldn¡¯t hand over the formulas if he didn¡¯t see a way out. He just kept bragging about the power of the divine medicine in his hand. The large group of soldiers would take at least half a day to march 15 kilometers in the mountains. It was enough time for everyone to move, so the group wasn¡¯t in a hurry. But just as the dozen or so people walked a few kilometers, the Prince of Wu¡¯s team, which was marching silently in the distance, suddenly heard a commotion. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± ¡°Enemy attack!¡± Sha!Sha! The dense sounds of sabers being drawn came. Everyone¡¯s expressions changed drastically as they looked up at the distant mountains. Because it was already dark, they hadn¡¯t dared to light a torch. They could only use the moonlight to see a large number of figures moving in formation in the distance. Bai Siming felt that something was amiss and wanted to rush to the Prince of Wu¡¯s side to provide support. But at this moment, a loud voice suddenly came from the forest not far away. ¡°Hero Yao, hold Bai Siming back! In half an hour, Madam Meng will be able to capture the Prince of Wu alive¡­¡± 11 The four people in the lead of the team were all top experts. Their reactions were even faster than their thoughts. The moment the voice sounded, Bai Siming stopped in his tracks. As for Guan Yujia, he was injured, so he was already careful. When he sensed that something was wrong, he raised his hand and directly punched the side of the face of the bamboo hat man beside him. Bam! Xuanyuan Hongzhi¡¯s strength was definitely not bad, but compared to a provincial overlord such as Guan Yujia, there was still a gap. The moment he sensed that things were bad, he immediately touched the hilt of the saber at the back of his waist, but a heavy punch struck him in the face. His entire body flew horizontally and broke two trees as thick as bowls. Crack! Crack! On the other hand, Yao Wenzhong was much more stable. He knew that they had fallen into a trap when he heard the sound. Seeing Bai Siming¡¯s extremely tricky palm strike, he immediately took large strides backward and distanced himself. ¡°Stop! It¡¯s a trap!¡± But everyone¡¯s heartstrings were tense, and they were wary of each other. Even though they knew that there was a trap, the four of them jumped up at the same time and instantly distanced themselves from the bronze medicinal furnace. Ye Jingtang was lying in ambush in the forest, waiting for an opportunity. When he saw the four experts suspecting each other and retreating far away, his figure immediately exploded. Like a black bolt of lightning, he passed through the forest and rushed toward Zhang Jinglin, who was standing in front of the medicinal furnace and had yet to react. Ye Jingtang¡¯s original plan was to abduct Zhang Jinglin and run away, leaving the blame to Jun Mountain Terrace and letting the two groups kill each other. But what Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t expect was that the moment he rushed out at lightning speed, a figure charged out of the forest behind Bai Siming¡¯s team at the same time. The speed of the thin figure was unbelievable. This person jumped from a spot 300 feet away, making an explosion, and flashed to another location with a whoosh, similar to Daoist Xuanji¡¯s shocking movement technique. Ye Jingtang¡¯s expression changed slightly when he saw this scene. He kicked a tree in the air and flew back. As for the Northern Liang Thief Sage, after rushing out, she realized that Ye Jingtang had the same goal as her. There might be a conflict, so she forcefully stopped in place halfway. Whoosh! The moment Xuanyuan Hongzhi was punched and jumped back up, the other five people had already distanced themselves and scattered around the medicinal furnace. The eight guards carrying the medicinal furnace finally reacted. They quickly put down the bronze furnace, pulled out their sabers, and looked around as if they were facing formidable enemies. After Bai Siming glanced at the two people who had suddenly appeared, he looked at the black-robed man with a bamboo hat on the right and felt that his figure was a little familiar. Guan Yujia directly said, ¡°Ye Silang?! You¡¯re really fine! Doctor Zhang, do you see that? It¡¯s him. The medicine has indeed succeeded. He¡¯s still fine¡­¡± Although Yao Wenzhong was surprised that Ye Silang was here, he was in no mood to pay attention to him at this moment. He only frowned while looking at the black-clothed woman behind him, feeling that this woman¡¯s lightness skills were shocking. Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t expect to bump into a person suspected to be one of the Eight Chiefs. He guessed that this woman was the ruthless person who had beaten Daoist Xuanji unconscious. Since the ambush had failed, it would be difficult for him to get close again. Now that Ye Jingtang had exposed his identity as a government official, he would probably be attacked by this group of people. For this reason, he said calmly, ¡°Xuanyuan Hongzhi, long time no see.¡± Xuanyuan Hongzhi and Yao Wenzhong were standing together. They had been punched in the face, and their bamboo hats and masks had been smashed. Half of their faces were swollen. They stared at the black-clothed and face-covered Ye Jingtang. Xuanyuan Hongzhi said, ¡°In just a short month, Nephew Ye has changed so much. It¡¯s really unexpected.¡± Whoosh! Just as the six people present were judging the complicated situation, there was suddenly a sound near the medicinal furnace. Everyone looked over from the corner of their eyes and saw the disheveled Zhang Jinglin quietly opening the medicinal furnace. Then he opened the medicine box at his waist, pressed the hidden button at the bottom, and poured what was inside into the medicinal furnace. Rustle, rustle, rustle- Countless white objects poured out of the hidden compartment at the bottom of the medicine box, emitting a faint sound. At first, everyone didn¡¯t understand what was going on. After the Northern Liang Thief Sage took a look, she recognized the objects and said angrily, ¡°Stop! How can you waste so much¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not a waste!¡± Chapter 297 - Chapter 297: Open!!! (3) Chapter 297: Open!!! (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios With an excited smile on his face, Zhang Jinglin poured the entire compartment of medicine into the medicinal furnace. ¡°1 have been studying the Heavenly Carnelian Bead for twenty years. Now that it¡¯s already a medicine, I have to concoct the true medicine. These two-hundred-fifty grams of Snow Lake Flower were hidden in the Northern Liang Emperor¡¯s private treasury. It was reserved for use for Heavenly Carnelian Beads. If it were wasted elsewhere, it would be a waste of the heavens¡¯ gift¡­¡± ¡°Snow Lake Flower?¡± ¡°Two hundred and fifty grams?!¡± Hearing this, everyone, including Ye Jingtang, gasped. Because Ye Jingtang was looking for a substitute for the Snow Lake Flower, he had asked about the situation of the Snow Lake Flower before he left the capital. He learned that once the Snow Lake Flower bloomed, the output was very small. It had to last the two dynasties 60 years, and it wasn¡¯t even enough for the emperors. When Great Wei was founded, the founding emperor had obtained 500 grams. Now, there was only 15 grams left. It was only enough to concoct two medicines. The empress was so sick, but she still couldn¡¯t bear to use it. But this time, Zhang Jinglin had poured down 250 grams at once. It could no longer be described as a waste of the heavens¡¯ gift. It was completely crazy. Bai Siming had been supporting Zhang Jinglin for nearly three years, but this was the first time he knew that there had been so much Snow Lake Flower hidden under Zhang Jinglin¡¯s medicine box. He said angrily, ¡°Zhang Jinglin, didn¡¯t you say that a Heavenly Carnelian Bead only costs five grams of Snow Lake Flower? Why¡­¡± After Zhang Jinglin poured the Snow Lake Flower into the medicinal furnace, he felt relieved and slowly looked at the fire. ¡°It¡¯s a divine medicine that can allow people to be reborn, transcend mortality, and become a Sage. If it were merely five grams of Snow Lake Flower, the tribes of the Western Sea could have produced dozens of Martial Chiefs to sweep through the north and south dynasties. The Heavenly Carnelian Bead is a supreme treasure. To be able to make two or three in sixty years is already using the power of an entire country. How can there be so many in the world?¡± ¡°Y-you dared to deceive His Highness?!¡± ¡°I stole the Snow Lake Flower and concocted the medicine, but I didn¡¯t take it just to reproduce this thing. It¡¯s a Heavenly Carnelian Bead that the Northern Liang imperial family can¡¯t get. How can you say that I deceived you? After Snow Lake Flower is added to the medicine, it only takes fifteen minutes to condense the bead. At that time, whoever takes it will be the next Feng Guancheng. But it¡¯s best not to make a move now. This is your only chance in this life. Any disturbance might spoil the fire of this furnace of medicine. At that time, no one will benefit.¡± H 11 Everyone fell silent when they heard this. Although what Zhang Jinglin said about being the next Feng Guancheng was a little ridiculous, 250 grams of Snow Lake Flower was already in the furnace. Even if it were an aphrodisiac, it would probably be able to make someone satisfy a hundred women at night. For this reason, it was really not easy to take action recklessly. The Northern Liang Thief Sage knew that this ¡®Heavenly Carnelian Bead¡¯ was most likely real, but no one could use the old version of the Heavenly Carnelian Bead. She had no intention of snatching it. She thought for a moment and said, ¡°I¡¯m also an apothecary. I¡¯m not seeking to be reborn. I¡¯m only interested in the formula. You¡¯ve already concocted the Heavenly Carnelian Bead. Can you give me the remnant formula obtained from the Northern Liang Imperial Palace? I¡¯ll retreat after obtaining it and won¡¯t participate in the competition.¡± Hearing this, Zhang Jinglin was quite surprised, but he wasn¡¯t stingy. He rummaged through his medicine box and took out a roll of parchment with traces of burning. Then he took out a brush and ink, wrote a formula, and asked a guard to bring them over. ¡°I have already completed the formula, so I¡¯ll give it to you too. If you can gather the medicinal herbs to use, don¡¯t forget that I, Zhang Jinglin, taught you this.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± After the Thief Sage received the parchment and the formula, she nodded in thanks and quickly retreated. The others naturally didn¡¯t stop her. After all, although this formula was precious, it wasn¡¯t practical. Even if they knew it, no one could gather a second furnace of medicinal herbs. Ye Jingtang had already used the ¡®internal energy boost pill¡¯, and his body had already been tempered. He didn¡¯t have much need for this item. There were many experts in the current situation. The risk of him fighting for the treasure was too high. Seeing that someone had taken the formula and left early, he said, ¡°Everyone present is a formidable character in Jianghu. Your foundations are much deeper than mine. I won¡¯t participate in the competition. Doctor Zhang, can you give me a copy of the formula for the Snow Lake Powder? I will leave after I get it.¡± Zhang Jinglin¡¯s purpose in his life was to challenge the principles of medicine and do things that others couldn¡¯t do. He didn¡¯t care about a few medicine formulas at all. Hearing what Ye Jingtang said, he directly took a small book from his medicine box. ¡°Young Hero Ye, you tested the Earthly Camel Bead and were safe and sound. This has resolved the knot in my heart. I¡¯ll give you this medicine book. The Snow Lake Powder isn¡¯t the only good thing inside. In the future, if the formulas flow into the market, remember to use my name, Zhang Jinglin.¡± The Thief Sage, who had just retreated not far away, stopped in her tracks and sized Ye Jingtang up when she heard that he had tested the medicine and was safe and sound. Because Ye Jingtang was covering himself in black, making her unable to see his appearance, she didn¡¯t care too much about it. She only thought that something had gone wrong with the fake medicine, so it didn¡¯t kill ¡®Ye Silang¡¯. After Zhang Jinglin finished speaking, he asked a guard to deliver the medicine book. Ye Jingtang wanted to take the medicine book and leave, leaving Jun Mountain Terrace and the Prince of Wu to fight. But Bai Siming wasn¡¯t stupid. He raised his hand to stop the guard and stared at Ye Jingtang. ¡°Young Master Ye, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen you before, but for some reason, I keep feeling that I¡¯ve seen you before. Also, Young Master Ye, can you explain why you attracted the Imperial Courth¡¯s troops here?¡± Ye Jingtang had used different identities to appear in front of Bai Siming three times in a row. He knew his secret would be exposed if he stayed, so he said calmly, ¡°Give me the formula, and 1¡¯11 leave now. If you don¡¯t give it to me, you¡¯ll have another opponent to fight later. Why do you have to do this?¡± Bai Siming felt that Ye Silang¡¯s identity was very special and that he wouldn¡¯t leave even if he gave it to him. After some consideration, he turned around and said, ¡°Brother Yao, Brother Xuanyuan, we only want to survive. The Heavenly Carnelian Bead in the furnace belongs to Jun Mountain Terrace. How about we join forces to kill this kid first?¡± Xuanyuan Hongzhi had already formed enmity with Ye Silang at the Zhou residence. This was exactly what he wanted, so he immediately wanted to go forward.. Chapter 298 - Chapter 298: Open!!! (4) Chapter 298: Open!!! (4) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios But before the Jun Mountain Terrace duo could move, a voice sounded from behind. ¡°Wait! Let me do it!¡± Everyone looked sideways and saw Guan Yujia walk out from beside Bai Siming. With a sneer on his face, he stared at Ye Jingtang and said, ¡°I let you test the medicine the day before yesterday and let you pick up a huge bargain. It¡¯s fine if you¡¯re not thankful, but you actually dare to chase me here greedily. You¡¯re courting death!¡± Facing four top Grandmasters surrounding him, no matter how brave Ye Jingtang was, he had to maintain the minimum respect. He maintained a distance of 200 feet and focused his attention, preparing to escape if the situation turned bad. Bur Guan Yujia had no intention of immediately rushing forward. Guan Yujia had a scheme in mind when he jumped out at this moment. The medicine in the furnace could condense into a bead in fifteen minutes. Now, he planned to use an Earthly Carnel Bead to increase his combat strength dramatically. Perhaps he could be comparable to the Eight Chiefs. When the medicine was ready, he would snatch away the ¡®true¡¯ Heavenly Carnelian Bead. Who present could stop him? Therefore, after Guan Yujia walked in front of them, he stood still and slowly took out a medicine box from his sleeve. ¡°The day before yesterday, you used this medicine and beat me by luck. Today, I¡¯ll give you a taste of your own medicine. I¡¯ll let you taste the domineeringness of this medicine¡­¡± Ye Jingtang frowned when he saw Guan Yujia bullying him with numbers and medicine. Seeing this, Guan Yujia paused and sneered. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you think it¡¯s unfair to use medicine to win?¡± Although Ye Jingtang had experience in using this kind of medicine, he didn¡¯t have much. He wasn¡¯t sure if this fake medicine would increase Guan Yujia¡¯s strength by a lot. If it did, and Guan Yujia took another step forward, he would be Martial Chief. No one present would be able to defeat him, and it would be difficult for him to escape. Thinking of this, Ye Jingtang began to retreat cautiously. ¡°Hmph! So what if I let you run a hundred steps first?¡± Guan Yujia took out a white bead from the box, ignored the stinging pain from his fingertips, and slapped it on his right shoulder. Bang! The bead shattered like an egg. Guan Yujia had selected the position very carefully. It was exactly the same as when Ye Jingtang was drugged. He applied it evenly, allowing the transparent medicinal liquid to moisten every inch of his skin. Bai Siming, Xuanyuan Hongzhi, and the others temporarily dispelled the thought of killing Ye Silang. They looked at Guan Yujia to observe the effect of the medicine. Guan Yujia felt a sharp pain and a burning sensation coming from his arm, but his internal injuries were recovering, and his meridians had indeed begun to expand rapidly. He couldn¡¯t help taking a deep breath and smiling. ¡°Ahhh~¡± Ye Jingtang looked carefully and saw that Guan Yujia¡¯s muscles were rippling. The blood vessels on his arms and forehead began to bulge, and his skin slowly turned red. The effect of the medicine was different from when he took it. Instead, it was similar to Cheng Shilu¡¯s reaction when he took it. He stopped retreating, and his expression turned strange. ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­¡± Guan Yujia was panting like an ox. White mist emitted from his forehead, and his robe fluttered without any wind. His aura rose visibly, gradually revealing a shocking pressure. Whoosh! A breeze suddenly blew in the forest. It was as if even the swaying of the surrounding trees was following Guan Yujia¡¯s breathing with a unique rhythm. When Yao Wenzhong saw this scene, his eyes were full of surprise. ¡°Unity of Heaven and Man?¡± Xuanyuan Hongzhi¡¯s father was one of the Eight Chiefs. He knew very well what it was like for a martial artist to practice to the realm of Unity of Heaven and Man. If ¡®below heaven and man¡¯ was practicing martial arts, then ¡®above heaven and man¡¯ was already beginning to walk toward the ¡®people on the mountain¡¯. The scene displayed by Guan Yujia in front of them was exactly the opportunity that countless top Grandmasters had been pursuing for their entire lives but had never been able to touch. When Xuanyuan Hongzhi and Yao Wenzhong thought, a flash of fanaticism appeared in their eyes. Even Bai Siming, who had no intention of competing for the medicine, glanced at the bronze furnace not far away. ¡°Hahah! 1 finally feel it!¡± Although Guan Yujia was feeling unbearable pain, compared to his foundation being corrected and breaking through the bottleneck that he had been stuck at for years, this pain was far from being able to suppress the excitement in his heart. Guan Yujia looked at Ye Jingtang with bloodshot eyes and revealed an arrogant smile. ¡°Today, I, Guan Yujia, have stepped into the Martial Chief realm. 1 will let you experience the elegance of my first battle! Jade Armor Spirit Rushing, Ironback Dragon Spine! Open!¡± After Guan Yujia shouted, his robe swelled. He clenched his fists and shook his shoulders and elbows. His entire body suddenly trembled! Bain! A thunderous explosion sounded in the forest! With Guan Yujia¡¯s shout, his spine exploded on the spot! Countless blood and bone fragments splattered, exploding into a red mist behind him, spraying the solemn-looking Bai Siming into a bloody man. Hiss! When Ye Jingtang saw this shocking scene, he thought that Guan Yujia was going to transform into a demonic dragon. He was so shocked that he took several steps back. And then¡­ Thump! After opening the dragon spine, Guan Yujia fell straight forward and lay on the ground, motionless. !!! The jaws of the eight guards dropped, and the sabers in their hands fell to the ground. Bai Siming¡¯s eyes widened as blood dripped from his chin, and his breathing stagnated. Xuanyuan Hongzhi and Yao Wenzhong stood rooted to the ground in a daze, unable to react for a long time. The huge forest fell into a strange silence¡­ Chapter 299 - Chapter 299: Saber and Spear Like Dragons (1) Chapter 299: Saber and Spear Like Dragons (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios A flame burned fiercely under the bronze furnace on the ground, and white mist rose from the bronze lid. Guan Yujia was lying on the ground. His exploded spine dyed his back blood-red. He didn¡¯t move for a long time, and several people were standing silently around him. Ye Jingtang pressed his hand on the hilt of his saber to maintain a stance of responding to the enemy. Although he had expected something to happen to Guan Yujia, he really didn¡¯t expect him to die so heroically and silently. After a long silence, Apothecary Zhang Jinglin, who was standing behind Bai Siming, spoke first. ¡°Hmm¡­ Hero Guan might have been injured. While he was recovering, he forcefully strengthened his qi, causing his spine to explode and his meridians to shatter, so he died on the spot. To be able to step into the realm of Unity of Heaven and Man shows that this medicine is still effective¡­¡± As soon as these words came out, everyone present recovered from their shock. Yao Wenzhong turned around and looked at Bai Siming in disbelief. ¡°He died just like that?!¡± Xuanyuan Hongzhi raised his hand and gestured for Yao Wenzhong to stay away from the medicinal furnace. ¡°Be careful of the furnace exploding¡­ Rebelling like this is really the biggest joke in the world¡­¡± Bai Siming also didn¡¯t expect the Little Fist Chief, who had dominated Wu Province for more than ten years, to die so spectacularly and silently. He opened his mouth and moved away from the medicinal furnace. Ye Jingtang wanted to say, ¡®You reap what you sow¡¯, but Guan Yujia¡¯s death was so ridiculous that it wasn¡¯t easy to say it. After some thought, he only commented, ¡°Medicine is thirty percent poison. You still have to listen to the words of elders. Sigh¡­¡± Before everyone could calm down, there was another commotion beside the medicinal furnace. Whoosh, whoosh¡­ When the time was up, Zhang Jinglin opened the bronze medicinal furnace. There was a golden needle hanging upside down at the bottom of the bronze lid. At the end of the golden needle, a bead as white as a jade pearl had condensed, shining with a watery luster. Zhang Jinglin flipped over the bronze lid and placed the round bead in it. ¡°This is the Heavenly Carnelian Bead. If there¡¯s a problem with the formula, it¡¯s impossible to condense the bead. This bead can definitely allow you to correct your foundation and increase your internal energy greatly. Whoever takes it will be the next Feng Guancheng¡­¡± Seeing was believing. No one listened to this endless bragging. Even the eight guards quietly distanced themselves. They were probably afraid that the crazy Zhang Jinglin would throw the medicinal bead at them. Xuanyuan Hongzhi and Yao Wenzhong were no longer interested in this medicine. They glanced at the medicine book in the guard¡¯s hand. Ye Jingtang wanted both, but facing the remaining three experts, he couldn¡¯t act rashly. Bai Siming knew that the Prince of Wu¡¯s only bargaining chip was the formula for the Snow Lake Powder. He went forward and grabbed the medicine book back. ¡°Whoever between the Red Flower Pavilion or Jun Mountain Terrace can lend a helping hand to His Highness will get this medicine book¡­¡± Yao Wenzhong said coldly, ¡°Our Jun Mountain Terrace has a marquis of Great Wei. How can we commit treason? Guan Yujia is already dead. Throw out the medicine book and let the three of us fight for it, and you can still escape. Otherwise, we can kill you first before taking the book.¡± ¡°You!¡± Hearing this, Bai Siming was instantly enraged. Seeing that Yao Wenzhong had shed all pretense of cordiality, he gritted her teeth and directly abandoned the medicine book and the Heavenly Carnelian Bead. He even threw the book and the bead at Ye Jingtang before grabbing Zhang Jinglin and flying into the mountains. Swish! Swish! The medicine book and the Heavenly Carnelian Bead drew a parabola in the air. Ye Jingtang knew that this was a tactic to drive the tiger to swallow the wolf, but it was impossible for him not to catch the items flying toward him. He immediately rushed forward. Boom! Boom! Almost at the same time, a powerful explosion sounded not far away. Xuanyuan Hongzhi and Yao Wenzhong grasped the hilts of their sabers behind their right shoulders at the same time. Their bodies trembled as they bent down and carried their heavy sabers on their backs. Their figures sped forward, and their two sabers slashed at Ye Jingtang from the left and right. Both of them were experts of Jun Mountain Terrace, and they used the Jun Mountain Saber that weighed 54 kilograms. When they slashed the sabers with all their might, the force they released could be said to destroy mountains and overturn seas. The powerful wind instantly disturbed the furnace fire and tore off the surrounding leaves. Ye Jingtang had moved at full speed earlier, so his spear was hidden in the forest. It was impossible for him to defend against two people at the same time with the two-kilogram Hornless Dragon Saber. He immediately grabbed the medicine book with his right hand and swept the white bead that had just approached high into the air. Swoosh! Ciang! The next moment, a cold light flashed in the forest. While Yao Wenzhong and Xuanyuan Hongzhi were distracted by the flying Heavenly Carnelian Bead, Ye Jingtang unsheathed the saber in his left hand and drew a dazzling white light. Swoosh! In the blink of an eye, Ye Jingtang flashed in front of Xuanyuan Hongzhi with his saber in one hand. He used Xuanyuan Hongzhi¡¯s body as a shield to block Yao Wenzhong¡¯s saber and pressed his elbow against the back of his saber to block Xuanyuan Hongshi¡¯s heavy slash. Dang! Amidst the sparks, the heavy saber in Xuanyuan Hongzhi¡¯s hand slid to the left as expected. But the power of the true Jun Mountain Saber was too great, and Xuanyuan Hongzhi wasn¡¯t just a scheming, profligate son. He slashed down with all his might, instantly causing Ye Jingtang¡¯s upper body to tilt. But even so, Ye Jingtang still brushed past him. The moment the heavy saber slid past him, he slashed horizontally, and the tip of his saber landed on Xuanyuan Hongzhi¡¯s shoulder. Crack! Blood splattered! The three figures passed by each other and instantly separated by dozens of feet. After Ye Jingtang passed the two of them, he ran forward without looking back, caught the falling Heavenly Carnelian Bead halfway, and darted into the forest. ¡°The Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade?¡± Xuanyuan Hongzhi had a bone-deep wound on his left arm, and blood was seeping out. But he ignored it and stared fixedly at the Hornless Dragon Saber in Ye Jingtang¡¯s hand! Yao Wenzhong¡¯s eyes were also full of surprise. ¡°It turns out that Zhou Huaili was killed by the Red Flower Pavilion.¡± Since they had confirmed the target of this trip, they had to settle the old and new enmities together. There was no point in saying anything more. The two men carried their heavy sabers and ran wildly through the forest, chasing after Ye Jingtang, who was trying to escape after snatching the treasures. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh¡­ The branches and leaves in the forest flew everywhere as three black shadows dashed nearly a thousand feet away in moments. Although Xuanyuan Hongzhi and Yao Wenzhong were chasing with all their might, the two of them were carrying heavy sabers weighing 54 kilograms and were rather burly. There was a gap between their speed and Ye Jingtang¡¯s.. Chapter 300 - Chapter 300: Saber and Spear Like Dragons (2) Chapter 300: Saber and Spear Like Dragons (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In an instant, Ye Jingtang quickly pulled away, arrived in the depths of the forest, and grabbed the hidden Roaring Dragon Spear. Now that he had already obtained the medicine book and accidentally picked up a Heavenly Carnelian Bead that cost 250 grams of Snow Lake Flower, Ye Jingtang had no intention of fighting. He rushed straight toward a mountain ridge. Even though Yao Wenzhong was running with all his might, the restrictions of his size and weapon still made him slower than Ye Jingtang. Seeing that the distance was rapidly widening, he felt anxious. Xuanyuan Hongzhi knew that they couldn¡¯t catch up to Ye Jingtang. He scanned his surroundings from the corner of his eye and found that in the distant forest, two figures were rapidly moving in the same direction as the escaping Ye Jingtang. Furthermore, their speed wasn¡¯t as fast as the two of them. He immediately turned around. ¡°Over there! Kill his accomplices.¡± Hearing this, Yao Wenzhong also charged at Luo Ning and Pei Xiangjun, who had returned from the Prince of Wu¡¯s side. Seeing this, Ye Jingtang¡¯s eyes turned cold. He dragged his spear in the forest and turned around. His figure was like a ferocious tiger running through the forest. He arrived in front of the two men from the side and raised his hand to sweep his spear. Boom! Wind suddenly rose in the forest, and bushes were instantly flattened. The tip of the spear carried thousands of broken branches as it slammed toward Xuanyuan Hongzhi, who was half a step behind. Xuanyuan Hongzhi dragged his saber and slashed upward, wanting to block the tip of the spear. Swoosh! But the Dragon Slaying Saber only had the advantage against short-range weapons. When encountering long-range weapons outside its attack range, it would face the same unsolvable problem of closing the distance like ordinary sabers. The deterrence effect would decrease sharply, and the shortcomings of a cumbersome starting stance would quickly be magnified. As Ye Jingtang swept across, he saw the blade rising. He simply held the end of the spear and retracted it, making the tip of the spear miss the heavy saber. Then he exerted strength from the ground, and his right hand exerted force violently. He stabbed at Xuanyuan Hongzhi¡¯s chest with an Azure Dragon Claw. Boom! The spear was extremely fast. Even though Xuanyuan Hongzhi pulled back his heavy saber and used the blade as a shield the moment his saber struck the air, he was still unable to block the spear. The tip of the spear pierced into his right shoulder. Swish! If it were just a one-on-one battle, Ye Jingtang could kill Xuanyuan Hongzhi with three attacks. But as the successor of Jun Mountain Terrace, Yao Wenzhong was much stronger than Xuanyuan Hongzhi in all aspects. When he realized that Xuanyuan Hongzhi couldn¡¯t withstand the attack, he swung his heavy saber with one hand and slashed at Ye Jingtang¡¯s spear shaft. Clang! Ye Jingtang¡¯s spear had only pierced two inches when an irresistible force came from the spear shaft, and the spear was knocked to the side. ¡°Haa!¡± Yao Wenzhong¡¯s saber was terrifyingly fast. He didn¡¯t stop at all when his saber struck. His entire body soared into the air and spun around. Before Ye Jingtang could pull back the Roaring Dragon Spear, Yao Wenzhong swung his saber with both hands and slashed down. Seeing this, Ye Jingtang dragged his spear and flew back, trying to increase the distance between them. But Yao Wenzhong was extremely experienced in fighting. After swinging his heavy saber with both hands, he charged forward fiercely without defending, refusing to let the distance between the two of them increase. As long as Ye Jingtang used his full strength to attack, he would definitely slow down, and then Yao Wenzhong would slash his head. Tread, tread, tread¡­ Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! The two sides had only moved a few dozen feet before Yao Wenzhong¡¯s saber momentum accumulated to the limit, emitting a terrifying wind-breaking sound. Ye Jingtang relied on his speed advantage to open up a distance of 15 feet. His long spear moved back like flowing water, and then he suddenly stopped in his tracks. His face instantly turned red, and his eyes were bloodshot. ¡°Haa!¡± Amidst the thunderous roar, Ye Jingtang¡¯s clothes on his upper body were completely torn apart. His face scarf exploded, and his bamboo hat shattered. The muscles on his arms were bulging, and his blood vessels were so full that they were about to burst. Bam! The next moment, the Roaring Dragon Spear smashed down with all of Ye Jingtang¡¯s strength from behind. The violent force instantly shattered the surrounding branches and leaves. The ¡®Wind Pool Reverse Blood¡¯ was the ultimate move of the Overlord Spear. Although overly stimulating one¡¯s qi would damage one¡¯s governor meridian, the effect of instantly doubling the explosive power of the Overlord Spear was far more terrifying than this price. Clang! There was an explosive sound of metal colliding. Yao Wenzhong swung his heavy saber horizontally and struck the tip of the spear. The two blades met, and the Roaring Dragon Spear cut into the blade more than an inch. Then the two qis, which had been accumulated to the limit, erupted at the same time, producing a violent impact that instantly shoveled away the mud in the forest. Boom! Under the unbearable impact, Yao Wenzhong¡¯s heavy saber was forced out of his hands. Ye Jingtang had never thought that he would be able to withstand this saber move. Before the huge force from the Roaring Dragon Spear was transmitted back, he let go of the spear shaft and allowed the spear to be knocked to the side into the forest. Clang! The moment the weapons flew out, Ye Jingtang had already unsheathed the Hornless Dragon Saber at his waist. As soon as Yao Wenzhong¡¯s weapon flew out of his hands, he knew that Ye Jingtang would use the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade. As he retreated and chased after his saber, his right hand reached behind his waist and pulled out a one-and-a-half-foot-long short saber. Because the Jun Mountain Saber was too heavy, the most feared matter was being suppressed and unable to get into the starting stance. For this reason, the disciples of the Jun Mountain Terrace usually practiced another light and short weapon in case they had to abandon their saber and escape. Clang! Clang! Clang! While their weapons were flying away, the two of them met again. In the blink of an eye, three sabers clashed. Ye Jingtang¡¯s attack was as powerful as a dragon python. Under the ferocious suppression of the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade, Yao Wenzhong could only retreat with large strides toward his fallen Jun Mountain Saber. Seeing this, Xuanyuan Hongzhi swung his Jun Mountain Saber from the side and used the heavy saber as a flying saber to slash at Ye Jingtang, who was attacking fiercely. Whoosh! The five-foot-long heavy saber was like a spinning fan blade as it flew in front of the two men in an instant. Seeing this, Ye Jingtang hurriedly stopped. Yao Wenzhong took the opportunity to fly back and grab his fallen Jun Mountain Saber. He wanted to counterattack, but¡­ ¡°Haa!¡± With a shout, Ye Jingtang sheathed his saber with his left hand and grabbed the spinning Jun Mountain Saber with his right. His figure followed the immense force contained in the heavy saber and spun on the spot. Then he swung the heavy saber with both hands and jumped up, slashing at Yao Wenzhong¡¯s head! Swoosh! This scene not only stunned Yao Wenzhong and Xuanyuan Hongzhi, but it also stunned Pei Xiangjun, Luo Ning, and Bai Siming, who had run far away. Ye Jingtang¡¯s series of actions connected to the Dragon Slaying Decree as smoothly as flowing water. Because the flying Jun Mountain Saber carried immense inertia, he didn¡¯t need to accumulate any strength. He started with a full-strength slash. As for Yao Wenzhong, he pulled out the Jun Mountain Saber from the ground and raised his saber to gather strength to slash again. But by the time he raised the heavy saber, Ye Jingtang would probably have already slashed him for the third time. Yao Wenzhong had never expected Ye Jingtang to know the Dragon Slaying Decree. He cursed Xuanyuan Hongzhi in his heart for being a stupid pig. Instead of throwing the saber into his hand, he actually threw it to his opponent. Seeing the saber slashing at him, he could only raise the heavy saber horizontally in front of him as a shield. Bang! Ye Jingtang held the 54-kilogram Jun Mountain Saber and smashed it against Yao Wenzhong¡¯s saber with all his might. Even with Yao Wenzhong¡¯s extremely burly build, it was difficult for him to stand still. He staggered back and slid more than 30 feet away. ii Die!!¡± Ye Jingtang¡¯s face turned red. He dragged the saber with both hands, spun around, and slashed down again. Clang! Yao Wenzhong staggered again. As a disciple of Jun Mountain Terrace, he knew very well the principle of the Dragon Slaying Decree vs. the Dragon Slaying Decree. Whoever struck first would win. Being chased after and slashed by Ye Jingtang with the heavy saber, Yan Wenzhong had no chance to raise his saber at all. He could only use his saber as a shield and fly back. Clang! Clang! Clang! After Xuanyuan Hongzhi threw his saber to ¡®help¡¯ Yao Wenzhong, he pulled out the Sudden Inspiration Sword from under his cloak. However, facing the large saber, he didn¡¯t dare to go forward at all. Seeing this situation, he could only say angrily, ¡°Run!¡± Yao Wenzhong gritted his teeth. After Ye Jingtang¡¯s saber descended again, he directly threw his heavy saber forward. His speed instantly erupted to the limit as he ran wildly toward the forest behind him. Whoosh! Ye Jingtang¡¯s saber attack missed. His left hand grabbed the other Jun Mountain Saber. Like a windmill, he dragged the two large sabers and spun a few times on the spot before stopping. He shouted angrily, ¡°You two pieces of trash, continue fighting if you have the guts!¡± Yao Wenzhong and Xuanyuan Hongzhi turned around and looked. There was obvious anger in their eyes, but they still rushed into the dense forest without hesitation. Huff, puff¡­¡± Ye Jingtang was panting like an ox as he coldly watched the two men escape. After confirming that they didn¡¯t turn back, he dragged the two Jun Mountain Sabers and ran in the other direction. Tread, tread, tread¡­ The two sides had only exchanged several blows in a few breaths of time before turning around and running away at the same time. Pei Xiangjun and Luo Ning hurried over from afar. At this moment, they were only halfway to Ye Jingtang. Seeing the two people from Jun Mountain Terrace retreating, they immediately turned around and picked up the Roaring Dragon Spear that had been sent flying hundreds of feet away. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Ye Jingtang dragged the sabers and ran over to the two women. He handed a Jun Mountain Saber to Luo Ning, and the three of them flew toward the wilderness. The storm in the forest stopped in an instant, leaving only five figures flying in two directions. On a mountaintop in the distance, the Northern Liang Thief Sage had been observing the battle between the two sides with a monocular. At this moment, she put down the monocular and looked in the direction that Ye Jingtang and the two women were leaving. There was a hint of surprise in her eyes. She didn¡¯t expect this young man to have such exaggerated combat strength. Moreover, she had seen Ye Jingtang grab the Heavenly Carnelian Bead with his bare hand. If there was no problem with the medicine Zhang Jinglin had concocted, Ye Jingtang should have been poisoned by the bone-burning hemp and suffered unbearable pain after grabbing the bead with his bare hand. Why does he look completely fine.. Chapter 301 - Chapter 301: Temporary Pause to the Storm (1) Chapter 301: Temporary Pause to the Storm (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It was already night, and the silver moon hung above the mountains. In a mountain col more than five kilometers away from the Hidden Dragon Cave, a large group of soldiers were holding torches and walking quickly into the depths of the mountains. On a nearby mountain ridge, Ye Jingtang was holding his spear in his right hand and a Jun Mountain Saber in his left while walking along the ridge. When he arrived at the edge of a cliff, he threw the Jun Mountain Saber down to prevent Yao Wenzhong from picking up the weapon. Luo Ningtuo was walking with a heavy saber beside her and a strong bow on her back, which she had just used to disrupt the Prince of Wu¡¯s guards. Pei Xiangjun was holding her spear and bringing up the rear. While walking, she paid attention to Ye Jingtang1 s complexion from time to time. Ye Jingtang had struck Xtianyuan Hongzhi twice just now. He wasn¡¯t injured, but the Wind Pool Reverse Blood had squeezed his body too much. When used, the move would injure the governor meridian. At this moment, his back was indescribably painful. It was indeed a little uncomfortable. After the three of them walked along the mountain ridge for a long time, the bird circling in the sky landed and rested on Ye Jingtang¡¯s shoulder. It indicated that the Imperial Court¡¯s troops had discovered the Prince of Wu¡¯s whereabouts. Hearing this, Ye Jingtang stopped walking and found a cave nearby to rest. The naturally formed cave was not big. Before coming here, they had prepared some supplies. Ye Jingtang placed his spear on the ground, unfolded a rolled-up blanket, sat down, opened a canteen, and took a big gulp. Luo Ning leaned the Jun Mountain Saber against the wall, sat down in front of him, lit a candle, and asked, ¡°How does your back feel?11 ¡°It¡¯s a little uncomfortable.¡± Ye Jingtang took off his tattered robe and silver soft armor. In the middle of his broad back, there was a dark red mark that extended from the back of his head to his waist. Pei Xiangjun knew what it felt like after using the Wind Pool Reverse Blood. She put down her weapon, squatted behind him, took our a bottle of Jade Dragon Ointment, and poured it on her hand. ¡°Lie down.¡± Ye Jingtang couldn¡¯t see his back, so he used Ning¡¯er¡¯s thigh as a pillow and lay down on the blanket. ¡°Although this move is powerful, the side effects are a bit serious. 1 should use it sparingly in the future¡­¡± The space in the cave was very small, and Ye Jingtang was tall and strong. It was a little awkward for Pei Xiangjun to kneel down beside him, so she stepped over Ye Jingtang and sat astride on his legs to apply the medicine. ¡°When you use the Wind Pool Reverse Blood, it¡¯s best to pair it with the Azure Dragon Claw, which can pierce through armor and people. Other moves are easy to block. Once you miss, you can only run¡­¡± Ye Jingtang felt quite comfortable being ridden by Third Lady, but a certain part of his body felt uncomfortable with him lying on it. After chatting for a while, he pulled our the rolled-up medicine book from his belt and opened it to examine. The medicine book was crumbled, but it was still complete. In it were all secret formulas developed by Zhang Jinglin. Although there were only seven or eight types, all of them were unique medicines with unique effects. The Snow Lake Powder was among them. Luo Ning was sitting on the ground, letting Ye Jingtang rest on her leg. She also looked at it and asked after some thought, ¡°What happened to Guan Yujia just now?¡± ¡°He used the Heavenly Carnelian Bead1 but couldn¡¯t withstand the medicine. Then he exploded.¡± At this point, Ye Jingtang carefully took out the white bead from the leather armor behind his waist. But when he saw it, he found fine cracks on rhe bead. It should be because it hadn¡¯t been in the box and the tumult from his battle with Yao Wenzhong. Ye Jingtang¡¯s heart sank when he saw this. He quickly got up and distanced himself from the two women to prevent the medicinal liquid from contaminating them. He frowned and said, ¡°The bead in Cheng Shilu¡¯s hand last rime should also be a Heavenly Carnelian Bead. The effect and feel of this bead are exactly the same. Only I seem to be able to use this bead. If anyone else touches it, something will happen¡­¡¯1 Luo Ning still had lingering fears about Cheng Shilu¡¯s death. After thinking for a moment, she raised her hand and fanned the air gently. She smelled the smell emitted by the bead and immediately felt the same discomfort as last time, causing her to hurriedly lean back and distance herself. ¡°It¡¯s bone-burning hemp. Doesn¡¯t your hand hurt?¡± Ye Jingtang¡¯s palm felt warm and comfortable. There was nothing unusual about it. He leaned closer and sniffed. ¡°1 feel fine, and ir smells pretty good.¡± Hearing this, Pei Xiangjun leaned closer and sniffed. She immediately frowned. ¡°It¡¯s indeed bone-burning hemp. Why aren¡¯t you reacting to it?¡± Ye Jingtang fell silent for a moment and seriously thought about the details. In the end, he could only reply, ¡°Maybe my physique is different from ordinary people¡¯s-. This thing took two-hundred-fifty grams of Snow Lake Flower to make. Since the bead is cracked, it will lose its effects over time. It will be a waste of the heavens¡¯ gift. What should we do now?¡± ¡°Two-hundred-fifty grams of Snow Lake Flower¡­¡± Hearing this, Pei Xiangjun and Luo Ning fell silent for a moment before asking, ¡°Will anything happen to you if you use it?¡± Ye Jingtang had used the imitation, the Earthly Camel Bead. The only discomfort was that merely expanding the meridians without protecting them would cause the meridians to tear. Other than this, it felt quite good. As for this authentic Heavenly Carnelian Bead, it had 250 grams of Snow Lake Flower concentrated in it. Clearly, it had an extremely powerful meridian-restoring and protecting effect. In theory, it could expand all the meridians in the body without any damage. But the effects of straightening the bones and malting the muscles flexible¡¯ still couldn¡¯t be unleashed. After using ir, it might be like the Earthly Camel Bead and cause excessive essence qi. Even if he played with Ning¡¯er and made her cry, it might not be able to alleviate it for her¡­ There were already cracks on the Heavenly Carnelian Bead , and the smell meant that the medicinal strength had been evaporating¡­ Ye Jingtang hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Two-hundred-fifty grams of Snow Lake Flower is equivalent to half of the reserves that Great Wei has attained since the founding of the country. If the medicinal strength runs out, Great Wei might not be able to make another one with the strength of the entire country. I¡¯d better try using it.¡± Hearing this, Pei Xiangjun and Luo Ning didn¡¯t say anything else. They got up and stood a little farther away from the cave entrance. Ye Jingtang took a deep breath. He didn¡¯t crush the Heavenly Carnelian Bead directly. Instead, he carefully flicked it like he was peeling an egg, making the cracks expand. The medicinal power seeped into his palm bit by bit. As the cracks in the Heavenly Carnelian Bead expanded, his palm quickly felt moist. Then the same feeling as last time came. The soreness and fatigue in his arm quickly recovered, and even the damage to the meridians on his back quickly recovered. Ye Jingtang sat cross-legged on the spot, crossed his palms, sandwiched the Heavenly Carnelian Bead between his palms, and closed his eyes¡­ Chapter 302 - Chapter 302: Temporary Pause to the Storm (2) Chapter 302: Temporary Pause to the Storm (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the mountains¡­ After Yao Wenzhong escaped from the forest, he quickly walked out of the mountains and stopped looking for Ye Jingtang. After all, the advantage of Jun Mountain Terrace¡¯s Dragon Slaying Decree was that it was nigh invincible in short-range combat. Its disadvantage was that the weapon was too special. The only equivalent in Jianghu was the ¡®dragon head guillotine¡¯. If he had lost another weapon, he could casually pick one up to make do with it, and his combat strength wouldn¡¯t be reduced much. But without the Dragon Slaying Decree¡¯s specific weapon, he wouldn¡¯t be able to use what he had learned. Both of them had lost their Jun Mountain Sabers. The only thing they could do now was to go to a town and see if they could find two more Jun Mountain Sabers. While walking, Yao Wenzhong was very angry and still brooding over what had just happened. ¡°That child used the Wind Pool Reverse Blood and lost his spear. His accomplices wouldn¡¯t have been able to rush over in a short time. As long as I struck him with my Jun Mountain Saber, he would have had no chance of winning. But you sent your Jun Mountain Saber to him¡­¡± Xuanyuan Hongzhi had been cut on his left shoulder and stabbed in his right shoulder. His injuries were not serious, but they greatly affected his combat strength. While walking, he was bandaging his wounds with a rather ugly expression. ¡°Who would have thought that he knew the Dragon Slaying Decree? If he didn¡¯t know the Dragon Slaying Decree and was forced away by my saber, you could have counterattacked. If 1 threw it to you and he slashed you when you caught it, you would have lost an arm on the spot¡­¡± Although the two of them were leaders of the Jun Mountain Terrace, their positions in the sect were different. One was an enforcer, and the other was a part of the think tank. It wasn¡¯t strange for them to be unable to cooperate well. If they were like Ye Jingtang and Song Chi, two enforcers, the effect of working together would be much better. If anything happened, it would mostly be because of using excessive force and causing a ruckus. It would cause the pavilion lord to have an aneurysm, but they would still get things done. Now that things had turned out like this, it was meaningless to complain about his deadweight teammate. After complaining for a while, Yao Wenzhong stopped. After thinking seriously for a moment, he said in a deep voice, ¡°Ye Jingtang¡¯s physical strength is slightly weaker than mine, but he has learned too many things. He¡¯s proficient in light sabers, heavy sabers, and spears. He can fight Guan Yujia in unarmed combat, and he also knows Yan Mountain¡¯s Cutting Cloud Steps. 1 definitely can¡¯t kill him in a one-on-one battle. Are you sure that he had a close fight with Jian Yuhua at the Zhou residence?¡± Xuanyuan Hongzhi frowned and said, ¡°At the Zhou residence, this child must have hidden his strength. He has already grown to this extent. If he¡¯s given another year or two, he will definitely become a Martial Chief. I¡¯m not afraid of the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade, but the Overlord Spear is purely shameless. At the same level, even my father is inferior to him. He¡¯s also young and vigorous. If we can¡¯t get rid of him, our Jun Mountain Terrace will probably be expelled from Jianghu¡­¡± Yao Wenzhong knew that letting a tiger grow was dangerous. He thought for a moment and frowned. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be very difficult for the two of us to kill him. But getting Master to come over will cause too much of a commotion¡­¡± Xuanyuan Hongzhi said, ¡°I¡¯ll contact some more people and strive to use this opportunity to get rid of him in Wu Province to prevent the trouble from growing. If he really becomes a Martial Chief¡­¡± Hearing this, Yao Wenzhong didn¡¯t say anything else and quickly left Wu Mountains with Xuanyuan Hongzhi¡­ Meanwhile, outside Rising Sun City¡­ Amidst the sound of horns, more than ten official ships loaded with imperial guards slowly approached the port outside the city. The officials and generals who had received the news waited at the port in advance in order to claim credit with the Imperial Court. They had arranged a five-kilometer-long welcome for the imperial envoy. The majestic main ship slowly approached the shore. A gangway was lowered from the deck, and countless imperial guards filed out and lined up on both sides. Then Dongfang Liren, dressed in a silver python robe, walked at the front with a dragon-patterned sword hanging at her waist, her aura dignified and noble. Behind her was Daoist Xuanji, dressed as a Daoist priest of Void Jade Mountain, and the empress dowager, who was wearing a veil and looking around curiously. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness the Prince of Jing!¡± Countless local officials on the shore didn¡¯t even dare to raise their heads when facing the empress¡¯s sister. They only cupped their hands and bowed. Dongfang Liren didn¡¯t feel the slightest emotion in her heart about this small scene. She led the officials of the Six Ministries off the ship to the waiting Wu Province officials and asked calmly, ¡°How is the situation in Wu Province?¡± In the crowd, an old official standing in front quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and answered respectfully. ¡°Your Highness, everything in Wu Province is fine. The private army under the Prince of Wu has all surrendered, and the people are not affected at all¡­¡± Dongfang Liren didn¡¯t come all the way here to hear the news she already knew. She frowned and asked, ¡°Have you found the Prince of Wu¡¯s whereabouts?¡± A Ze Province general standing at the side was more astute. He hurriedly went forward and cupped his hands. ¡°Your Highness, I am Hou Yong of the South Stabilizing Army. Recently, with the assistance of the deputy commander of the Black Office, Sir Ye Jingtang, we eliminated many remnants of the Prince of Wu, such as Huang Yulong and Xiao Shicheng of the Grasping Moon Tower. We captured more than one hundred and fifty bandits, seized countless properties, rescued more than thirty imprisoned civilians¡­ The rebels are detained in the prison of Rising Sun City and awaiting Your Highness¡¯s interrogation¡­¡± I When Dongfang Liren heard this, she immediately stood a little straighter with approval in her eyes. After all, the deputy commander of the Black Office was her right-hand man. Saying that he had been assisted by the Black Office to render meritorious service in front of the officials of the Six Ministries and Wu Province was to praise her for her good management of people and her strong ability in handling matters. This was something that made her proud. Sure enough, as soon as the military official reported the matter of the Grasping Moon Tower, the officials of the Six Ministries nearby looked surprised and began to praise Dongfang Liren for her swift and decisive actions. Dongfang Liren was quite satisfied, but she still didn¡¯t show her emotions. She only nodded slightly. ¡°General Hou, you and your subordinates have worked hard.¡± ¡°Thanks, Your Highness.¡± Military Official Hou Yong continued in a clear voice, ¡°At noon today, Sir Ye sent a message. We found traces of the Prince of Wu in the mountains fifty kilometers away. I have sent two thousand soldiers to capture him. I just received an urgent report that the scouts have already caught up to the Prince of Wu¡¯s personal guards. Guan Yujia, one of the leaders of the rebels in Wu Province¡¯s Jianghu, has been killed. If nothing goes wrong, we will capture the Prince of Wu before tomorrow night¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± As soon as he said this, the officials of Wu Province were stunned. They didn¡¯t expect the military official of Ze Province to be close to capturing the Prince of Wu without a word. This way, wouldn¡¯t they, the local officials of Wu Province, seem useless? The officials of the Six Ministries in the back also looked surprised. The lead official of the Ministry of Justice said, ¡°Your Highness, is this Commander Ye Divine Constable Ye who solved the case of Prince of Wu¡¯s heir in the capital? His ability to handle cases really makes me blush with shame¡­¡± ¡°It is said that Commander Ye has opened a ¡®heavenly eye¡¯ and is able to foresee events like a god. He truly lives up to his reputation¡­¡± ¡°Your Highness is really extraordinary to be able to make such a capable person work for Your Highness¡­¡± Dongfang Liren didn¡¯t expect that Sir Tangtang would actually settle most of the matters before she arrived, letting her come here just to be worshiped by the courtiers. She felt a little complacent. After listening to the courtiers¡¯ flattery for a moment, Dongfang Liren said a few words of courtesy and rewarded the military official with a meaningful look. Then she brought her attendants into a carriage. The empress dowager had always been quiet in public. Only when she boarded Dongfang Liren¡¯s carriage did she say in surprise, ¡°Ye Jingtang is so powerful? It¡¯s only been a few days, but he¡¯s almost finished.¡± ¡°Ye Jingtang has always been efficient. If we had arrived a day later, he might have already captured the Prince of Wu and waited at the port.¡± After hearing that the soldiers were pursuing the Prince of Wu and were only about 50 kilometers away, Dongfang Liren couldn¡¯t help but want to have a sense of participation and run to the Wu Mountains to suppress the rebels herself. ¡°Master, please accompany the empress dowager around Rising Sun City. I¡¯ll bring the imperial guards to the Wu Mountains to take a look at the situation.¡± Although it was extremely safe to appear with hundreds of imperial guards, it would be very difficult to prevent a top expert from capturing the princess. It was still risky. Although Daoist Xuanji was a little worried about the awkwardness of bumping into Ye Jingtang, with their identities, they would bump into each other sooner or later. She thought for a moment and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°What about me?¡± ¡°War isn¡¯t child¡¯s play. Empress Dowager, sleep well.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Chapter 303 - Chapter 303: Coming at a Bad Time… (1) Chapter 303: Coming at a Bad Time¡­ (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Unknowingly, it was already late at night. The 2fooo soldiers in the col crossed through it and arrived at the Hidden Dragon Cave. Standing at an elevated height, they could vaguely see the flames in the depths of the mountains. On a nameless mountain ridge, a cave was lit up with dim yellow light. Pei Xiang] un was patrolling back and forth outside the cave with her spear. Occasionally, she would take out her monocular and observe the mountains in the distance. Luo Ning was standing at the entrance of the cave with her arms crossed, carefully observing Ye Jingtang¡¯s complexion. Ye Jingtang was sitting cross-legged on the ground and meditating with his eyes closed. He hadn¡¯t moved for two hours. His upper body had turned light red, and wisps of white mist appeared on his forehead. The entire cave was a little hot. Although the qi and blood in his body were surging so much so that his blood vessels were bulging a little, the effect of the Snow Lake Flower protecting his meridians was quire remarkable. His meridians were opened by the surging qi, and the fine cracks that appeared were healed in the blink of an eye. He couldn¡¯t even feel any pain, and the dark red mark on his back had recovered to normal. As the meridians in his entire body were unblocked, expanded, and consolidated, the feeling Ye Jingtang felt was more and more special. The meridians around his torso and spine were originally connected, but there was something blocking them. As his meridians gradually stabilized, when they reached a certain critical point, it felt as if his qi had passed through gaps, lie suddenly felt enlightened, and his senses and entire body seemed clearer. Ye Jingtang felt that he had probably opened up all the meridians in his body. Putting everything else aside, just his hearing had improved significantly. He had a feeling that he was using the method of the Heaven Equaling Saber at all times. He could even hear the birds and chickadees chattering in the forest outside the cave clearly. However, there was obviously a problem. Ye Jingtang could clearly feel that the vigorous qi and blood in his body had nowhere to vent, and his body felt a little uncomfortable from holding it in. He felt an inexplicable heat from the inside out and wanted to find someone to have a good time with. Women were the best, and men were fine too¡­ Whoosh! Inside the cave, there was a faint hot breeze. Ye Jingtang¡¯s long hair fluttered slightly, and his entire body was abnormally calm. Luo Ning didn¡¯t know how Ye Jingtang actually felt. She only felt that his body hadn¡¯t moved, but his aura had undergone earth-shaking changes. It was as if a sitting person had suddenly turned into a stone without any ripples. He didn¡¯t reveal any sharpness, but he gave off an invisible pressure. This feeling¡­ Its a little similar to when Baijin meditates¡­ Luo Ning blinked. Just as she was carefully observing Ye Jingtang¡¯s complexion, she suddenly heard a voice from afar. ¡°Coo-coo-¡± Luo Ning¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. She recognized that it was the bird, who was guarding the forest. It had discovered a suspicious target approaching. Judging from the sound, the target was 250 meters north. Luo Ning didn¡¯t look in the direction of the target. Instead, she glanced at Pei Xiang]un, who was not far away. Pei Xiang]un also heard the bird¡¯s signal. She turned around quietly and returned to the cave entrance. From the corner of her eye, she looked at the details in the forest. After carefully checking for a long time, she didn¡¯t find any abnormal movements in the forest. Realizing that the opponent¡¯s martial arts skills were unfathomable, Pei Xiang]un didn¡¯t rashly alert the enemy. She only stood guard outside the cave with Luo Ning to give Ye Jingtang time to adjust his breathing¡­ This time, after the Prince of Wu¡¯s failed rebellion, many forces had come to dismember his body after smelling the stench of blood. Now, more than half of them had appeared, and some had even withdrawn. Bin the Yan Province forces, who had arrived first, had yet to make a move. The reason why they didn¡¯t take action was not because Yan Province had some shocking plan. It was simply because the people sent here were not strong enough. In the wilderness, Lu Feng, one of the leaders of the Cutting Cloud Palace, was wearing a bamboo hat. He slowly followed the traces on the ground left by a Jun Mountain Saber and reached a forest on a mountainside. Lu Feng didn¡¯t come here under the orders of the Prince of Yan. The Prince of Yan had thrown rhe Prince of Wu out as cannon fodder. After confirming the empress¡¯s current situation, he had already obtained what he wanted and wasn¡¯t interested in the remaining value of the Prince of Wu at all. But it was different for the Cutting Cloud Palace. Lu Jieyun, Lu Feng¡¯s elder brother and the overlord of Yan Province, had suffered internal injuries for some reason in recent years. All kinds of medicine couldn¡¯t cure him, so they could only gather all sorts of precious medicinal herbs to nourish his meridians and protect his body to maintain his body¡¯s condition. If Lu Jieyun fell, the Cutting Cloud Palace would fall. This matter couldn¡¯t be spread. Only Lu Feng and his brothers knew. Meridians were the foundation of martial artists, and the best medicinal herb for nourishing and protecting meridians was none other than rhe Snow Lake Flower. For this reason, after confirming that the Prince of Wu had the Snow Lake Powder, Lu Feng was determined to obtain this item. Lu Feng had been wandering around the Hidden Dragon Cave these few days, making up all kinds of reasons to get the prescription from Bai Siming. However, Bai Siming was very stubborn when he was at his wits¡¯ end. He wouldn¡¯t give the formula until he saw something concrete. But before Lu Feng could wait for the Prince of Wu and his group to relent, the officials had arrived today. During the fight for the treasure just now, Lu Feng had been hiding on a distant mountain ridge and watching from afar. He could confirm that the people who came were two leaders of Jun Mountain Terrace, Northern Liang¡¯s Thief Sage, and Ye Silang of the Red Flower Pavilion. Lu Feng¡¯s lightness skills and movement techniques far exceeded those of ordinary people, but his direct combat strength was inferior to that of boorish sects like Jun Mountain Terrace. From the beginning to the end, he had never found a chance to enter the battlefield. He could only keep an eye on them in secret. After a series of conflicts, the medicine book finally fell into the hands of Ye Silang of the Red Flower Pavilion. Ye Silang had used a self-harming move like the Wind Pool Reverse Blood. His combat strength was probably less than 30% now, and he was recuperating in a cave. After assessing the situation for a long time, Lu Feng felt that if he took advantage of Ye Silang while he was recovering, it would be very likely for him to obtain the formula, lie might even be able to bring the Heavenly Carnelian Bead back for research. For this reason, Lu Feng suppressed his aura and silently walked in from the forest. Flis gaze landed on the two small fry guards outside the cave.. Chapter 304 - Chapter 304: Coming at a Bad Time… (2) Chapter 304: Coming at a Bad Time¡­ (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The two guards were both women. In Lu Feng¡¯s opinion, they should be the accompanying concubines who helped carry the spears day and night, and their combat strength was average. When Lu Feng was still 100 meters away, he slightly lifted his green cloak, revealing the flying knives and flying needles hanging on his waist. He took out two flying needles and moved his fingers slightly. Then¡­ Swish! Swish! In the forest under the moonlight, there were two faint sounds of rushing wind. The noise was so quiet that even the most careful person might not be able to detect it. But just as the flying needles passed through the dense bushes, the sound of a sharp blade being unsheathed sounded in the night. Clang! Luo Ning raised her wrist slightly and unsheathed her three-foot-long soft sword. It drew a silver arc in the air and swept away the silver needles. Ding! Ding! Two sparks burst out under the night sky, and the two flying needles broke into two and stabbed into the ground. Luo Ning pointed her sword diagonally at the ground and coldly looked at the dark forest in the distance. ¡°Who¡¯s there? Come out!¡± Pei Xiangjun sensed that the hidden person¡¯s martial arts skills were unfathomable. She first glanced at Ye Jingtang, who was meditating in the cave, from the corner of her eye, and then she held her spear with both hands and stood beside Luo Ning. Whoosh! Soon, the sound of rushing wind came from the forest ahead. Lu Feng jumped up from the forest lightly. He stood steadily on green leaves with the tip of his foot and raised his bamboo hat slightly, revealing his defined chin. ¡°Heh¡­ 1 didn¡¯t expect you to be so skilled.¡± When Pei Xiangjun and Luo Ning saw this scene, their eyes narrowed. Although they didn¡¯t see the person¡¯s appearance clearly, other than Yan Mountain¡¯s Cutting Cloud Steps, there were almost no other lightness skills that could allow people to stand on leaves with one foot. Even in Yan Mountain¡¯s Cutting Cloud Palace, only a few of the sect¡¯s upper echelons could practice lightness skills to this level. Pei Xiangjun¡¯s combat strength was extraordinary in upfront combat, but the disciples of the Cutting Cloud Palace generally didn¡¯t fight head-on. The domineering aspect of the Cutting Cloud Steps was that if people practiced the lightness skills to the extreme, they could step on the tip of their opponent¡¯s weapon and soar into the air again. For this reason, when people from the Cutting Cloud Palace fought, they would usually move around in the sky without touching the ground, and they wouldn¡¯t attack unless they were completely confident. If they discovered that something was wrong, they would escape far away. It could be said that they could advance and retreat freely. Pei Xiangjun was not good at lightness skills, and Luo Ning¡¯s lightness skills were not superb. When they faced an expert of the Cutting Cloud Palace, it was very likely that they would have to stand on the ground and defend passively until the opponent seized the opportunity to attack or took the initiative to retreat. Realizing that it wouldn¡¯t be an easy fight, Pei Xiangjun didn¡¯t take the initiative to attack and asked, ¡°Your Excellency, are you from the Cutting Cloud Palace?¡± Lu Feng stood lightly on the treetop and said indifferently, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who 1 am. 1 just want one thing. Give me a copy of the formula for the Snow Lake Powder, and I¡¯ll leave.¡± Luo Ning said coldly, ¡°What if we don¡¯t give it?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Lu Feng stepped on the treetop and slowly walked forward. ¡°Ye Silang used the Wind Pool Reverse Blood. Forceful movements will hurt his foundation. The two of you alone can¡¯t do anything to me. Your Red Flower Pavilion snatched the formula. Copy a copy for me, and everyone will be happy. If you can¡¯t see the situation clearly, be careful not to lose both your life and wealth.¡± Pei Xiangjun might not be able to catch up to the people from the Cutting Cloud Palace, but she was really not afraid of guarding the entrance with her spear. She said calmly, ¡°Ownerless items belong to whoever has the ability. If you want it, come and take it.¡± Lu Feng clenched his hands behind his back. Although he couldn¡¯t see the situation in the cave, Ye Silang didn¡¯t come out after they talked for so long, which meant that he was recovering from his injury and couldn¡¯t use his qi. Thinking of this, Lu Feng didn¡¯t say anything else. The hands behind his back moved slightly, and then¡­ Bain! The crown of the tree suddenly shook, and countless green leaves scattered in the air. Lu Feng threw his hands forward. The six snowflake darts drew random arcs in the air and intertwined with each other, shooting toward the two people in front of the cave from six directions. Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Seeing this, Luo Ning directly soared into the air, spun the Weeping Water Sword in her hand like a windmill, blocking everything in front of her, and then slashed down three snowflake darts. Pei Xiangjun¡¯s fighting method was much more forceful. The Overlord Spear in her hand swept across the air, and the strong wind it brought instantly deflected the darts and leaves shooting over. Then the spear suddenly pierced nearly three inches into the ground. Crack! The next moment, Pei Xiangjun kicked the spear shaft with her right foot, causing the Overlord Spear to bend and flick out of the ground. Bam! With a loud explosion, a groove appeared on the ground. Countless pieces of soil and gravel flew out and shot toward the tree crown. Almost at the same time, Pei Xiangjun¡¯s figure rushed out with the countless soil and gravel. In the blink of an eye, she closed the distance of dozens of feet and attacked. But due to Lu Feng¡¯s fighting style, it was impossible for him to face the spear head-on. His figure soared into the sky, and his hands kept flicking forward, shooting dozens of various hidden weapons from the night sky toward the ground. Pa! Pa! Pa! Pa! In an instant, countless pits appeared on the ground. Pei Xiangjun spun her spear like a tornado to defend against the hidden weapons coming from above. After Lu Feng soared into the air and fell, her legs suddenly shook. Boom! Amidst the explosive sound, Pei Xiangjun held the end of the spear in her right hand and soared into the sky, stabbing straight at Lu Feng. But the Cutting Cloud Steps by no means had an empty reputation. When Lu Feng fell, he shot two flying knives in the air. His feet closed together and accurately caught the spear stabbing at him. Before the terrifying force could enter his body, he jumped into the sky again. Whoosh! Pei Xiangjun spun a few times in the air to dodge the flying knives. Realizing that she couldn¡¯t reach an opponent proficient in the Cutting Cloud Steps, she moved on the ground to find an opportunity and waited for Lu Feng to make a mistake and fall. As for Luo Ning, she was holding her soft sword. In a situation where her lightness skills were inferior to the opponent¡¯s, it was too risky to get close. As soon as the fight started, she picked up the strong bow at the entrance of the cave, nocked an arrow, and drew the bow. Swish! Swish! Several arrows pierced through the air, sending out sharp whistles in the night sky, forcing Lu Feng to change his position.. Chapter 305 - Chapter 305: Coming at a Bad Time… (3) Chapter 305: Coming at a Bad Time¡­ (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Lu Feng had practiced his lightness to near perfection. He stepped on and even borrowed the force of the arrows shot at him to shift his position in the air. From the ground, he looked like a fly flying around in the air, and he even threw two flying knives from time to time. Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Both sides kept exchanging throwing objects. Lu Feng seemed to be at ease, while Pei Xiangjun and Luo Ning were helpless. But in fact, Lu Feng didn¡¯t have much of a solution for the two people on the ground. He originally wanted to rely on his extraordinary lightness skills to find an opportunity, but after flying a few times in the sky, he realized that the two people below didn¡¯t seem to be ordinary helm masters or hail masters. Regardless of whether it was Luo Ning¡¯s Nine Palace Steps or Pei Xiangjun¡¯s spear skills, they were obviously high-tier martial arts, and their stances were as stable as rocks. If he rushed forward rashly without injuring them with his hidden weapons, he would likely suffer a loss. For this reason, Lu Feng could only rely on the Cutting Cloud Steps to float back and forth in the air, waiting for the two people below to make a mistake and give him an opportunity. In order to disturb his opponents, he even put on a confident attitude and sneered. ¡°How dare you show off your insignificant skills in front of me? I¡¯ll give you one last chance. Don¡¯t force me to be serious Boom! Halfway through his words, a loud bang suddenly came from the ground, and the entire mountain seemed to shake. Luo Ning was drawing her bow and shooting arrows when she suddenly felt a burst of qi in the cave behind her. Then the top of the cave entrance exploded. Clatter! A half-naked man carried the soil and gravel filling the sky and tore through the air diagonally. Like a bolt of black lightning, he instantly arrived in front of Lu Feng. While Lu Feng was looking coldly at the two people on the ground, from the corner of his eye, he saw the mountain explode. Before he could react, a handsome and cold face appeared in front of him, looking down at him. Although the other party didn¡¯t speak, Lu Feng could still feel the emotions in his eyes: What trash¡­ As soon as Lu Feng threw out darts, his pupils constricted. Before he could retract his hand and slap out a palm, a terrifying force came from his back! Ye Jingtang flew into the air like an eagle. When he brushed past him, he elbowed him. Although he wasn¡¯t wearing any upper clothes since his qi had torn his robe into pieces, as soon as he attacked, a deafening bang sounded in the air. Bam! Amidst the thunderous sound, Lu Feng, who couldn¡¯t block at all, was like a fly being swatted to the ground. He drew a vertical line in the air and smashed a pit in the mountain. Boom! Lu Feng fell to the ground and let out a muffled groan. Even though they had only exchanged blows for an instant, he still understood that he had bumped into a Martial Chief-level figure. He was shocked and confused, but his movements were not slow at all. The moment he landed, he endured the pain and fled crazily toward the forest. Swoosh! In Pei Xiangjun¡¯s and Luo Ning¡¯s eyes, this scene was like an afterimage shooting out of the cave. Then Lu Feng, who was floating in the sky, fell to the ground at a shocking speed and rushed toward the forest, drawing a right angle on the ground so fast that only his shadow was left. Lu Feng¡¯s lightness skills were extremely extraordinary, and with death on his heels, he increased his explosive speed to the extreme. But just as he had rushed out for a few feet, he heard the thump of heavy footsteps coming from behind. Boom! Almost at the same time as the explosion, a sharp pain came from his right ankle, as if a dragon python was clamping it. Then a terrifying pulling force that felt as though his leg was being torn off came. !! Lu Feng¡¯s hair stood on end. He immediately waved his hand and shook it violently. Several flying needles appeared in his right hand, and he wanted to sprinkle them behind him. But before he could throw the poisonous needles, he lost his balance under the immense inertia. Bam! Bam! Bam! Ye Jingtang caught up to Lu Feng, grabbed his right leg with one hand, and smashed him back and forth on the ground several times, creating two pits on the left and right in the mud before hurling him away. Whoosh! In an instant, Lu Feng flew out, and his body skipped several times on the mountain. Finally, he hung upside down in a bush with his head down and his feet in the air, motionless. The desolate mountains and wilderness suddenly quieted down at this moment. Pei Xiangjun opened her mouth when she saw this scene, her eyes filled with shock. Luo Ning widened her eyes and looked back at the cave, wanting to confirm that the fierce man with disheveled hair was her man. ¡°Phew¡­¡± Ye Jingtang¡¯s entire body felt indescribably hot. The moment the battle ended, the indifference in his eyes disappeared and turned into all kinds of emotions. He even raised his hands to rub his face before quickly walking toward Lu Feng. Pei Xiangjun was still in a daze when she saw Ye Jingtang breathing heavily, gulping, and walking toward Lu Feng with ¡®desire¡¯ burning in his eyes. She instantly woke up, hurriedly went forward, and grabbed his wrist. ¡°Jingtang, are you¡­ are you alright?¡± Ye Jingtang felt that something was wrong with him. He had yet to digest the medicine, and the qi and blood in his body were extremely vigorous. When Third Lady¡¯s hand touched him, his heart became restless. His unruly hand hugged Third Lady and even pinched the moon. ¡°I¡¯m okay. It¡¯s just that the qi and blood in my body are too vigorous. I feel suffocated¡­¡± Pei Xiangjun shivered under Ye Jingtang¡¯s ungentle hand, but she didn¡¯t move away. She only held his wrist and checked his pulse. ¡°If you feel suffocated, look for Ning¡¯er. Why are you looking at a man like that¡­¡± Ye Jingtang felt very agitated and didn¡¯t know what the look in his eyes was. Anyway, all he could think of was making Ning¡¯er cry and beg for mercy later. He forced himself to calm down and turned to look at Third Lady. ¡°How about now? Are my eyes normal?¡± When Luo Ning saw that Ye Jingtang was looking at Third Lady with fire in his eyes, as if he wanted to eat her up in one bite, she understood that the little thief was too energetic. He would probably hold her down until she was half dead later. But at this moment, what else could Luo Ning, this pitiful wife, do other than have no complaints and no regrets? She quickly walked over to Ye Jingtang and touched his chest muscles that were throbbing from time to time. ¡°You look like a bull now¡­ Little thief!¡± Before she could finish speaking, Luo Ning was also hugged. Ye Jingtang held a moon in each hand and felt that his mind was a little unclear, and his hands were not listening to him at all. He forced himself to focus and tried his best to look calm as he looked at the bushes. ¡°Who is this person?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It seems he¡¯s from the Cutting Cloud Palace¡­ He¡¯s brainless and has no real ability at all. He even came to take advantage of the situation¡­¡± Ye Jingtang let go of the two girls, walked over to the bushes, and looked down. A groove had been smashed into the bushes. Lu Feng¡¯s blue robe was in tatters, and he was hanging upside down in the branches and leaves. From the way his body was twisted, his calf had been broken, and a few of his teeth were missing. He was trembling as sounds came from his throat. ¡°Urgh¡­ Urgh¡­¡± Ye Jingtang wanted to interrogate him, so he hadn¡¯t killed him. But when he took a closer look, he saw that this person¡¯s face was dark blue, and he was breathing heavily. It was obvious that he didn¡¯t have long to live. Ye Jingtang frowned. ¡°Is he a deathworn who committed suicide?¡± Pei Xiangjun didn¡¯t think so. After a careful inspection, she found that there were several black needles inserted in this person¡¯s right hand. His right hand had already turned purple¡­ ? Pei Xiangjun was speechless. ¡°He¡¯s not a deathsworn. He didn¡¯t use his hidden weapons well and was poisoned when he poked himself in his hand. The wages of sin is death. Don¡¯t waste a White Emperor Pill to save him.¡± Ye Jingtang originally wanted to ask about this person¡¯s background and purpose, but these seemed obvious. There was no need to waste medicine to save a small fry who brought it upon himself. He couldn¡¯t be bothered to care about him and turned around. ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s go quickly. 1 don¡¯t feel clear-headed. If I do anything to you in the wilderness later, you won¡¯t be able to stop me even if you scream your lungs out¡­¡± Luo Ning felt that Ye Jingtang¡¯s aura was indeed a little terrifying. She hesitated for a moment, and then her cold and beautiful eyes revealed some grievance and annoyance. ¡°Little thief, how¡­ how can I help you when you¡¯re like this after taking medicine? You¡¯ll exhaust me to death¡­¡± While Pei Xiangjun was picking their weapons, she whispered, ¡°As the saying goes, there are only exhausted men and comfortable women¡­¡± When Luo Ning heard this nonsense, she was furious. ¡°Don¡¯t just make sarcastic remarks. Why don¡¯t you try it yourself and see if he doesn¡¯t kill you?¡± How could Pei Xiangjun answer such a question? She helped Ye Jingtang carry his spear and quickly walked out of the mountain. ¡°Let¡¯s find a town to stay in first. With Jingtang¡¯s current state, he definitely won¡¯t be able to calm down without two to three days¡­¡± Two to three days¡­ Luo Ning bit her lower lip.. Her mind was full of thoughts about how to deal with this situation, and she wasn¡¯t in the mood to speak at all¡­ Chapter 306 - Chapter 306: Riverside Town (1) Chapter 306: Riverside Town (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the dead of night, three figures were speeding through the mountains, heading toward a small town outside the mountains. Ye Jingtang¡¯s body had yet to digest the medicine in it, and his qi was still surging, but it didn¡¯t affect him much. But the heat in his body was getting more and more intense. He wasn¡¯t even wearing outer clothes when moving. When he encountered a stream, he jumped in and wet his entire body. But as soon as he stepped ashore and walked a few steps, all traces of water evaporated. Because his body was too hot, the bird refused to squat on his shoulder and flew ahead to scout. Third Lady and Ning¡¯er helped him wipe the sweat off his face from time to time. After they walked more than 10 kilometers and were about to leave the mountains to reach a nearby town, Ye Jingtang looked into the distance and saw a long line of fires in the town around 4 kilometers away. It looked like a team of hundreds of people walking with torches. Pei Xiangjun stopped and stood at a high place to see what was going on with her monocular. ¡°Qilin armor¡­ It looks like the imperial guards of the capital.¡± Ye Jingtang was rather surprised, but according to the time, the Imperial Court¡¯s official ship should have arrived by now. He went over to Third Lady, rested his chin on her shoulder, and looked through the monocular. There were more than 300 elite imperial guards in black light armor in the town, and there was a carriage in the middle. He couldn¡¯t see who was inside, but for imperial guards to escort this person, there was a high chance that it was the Prince of Jing. Ye Jingtang had obtained the formula for the Snow Lake Powder. According to Yuhu¡¯s instructions, he should send the formula back to the capital immediately to avoid unnecessary trouble. He immediately said, ¡°Let¡¯s go meet them.¡± Luo Ning knew that it was safe to meet with the imperial court¡¯s troops, but Ye Jingtang¡¯s flushed face¡­ ¡°Little thief, if you see the Prince of Jing now, will you cause any trouble?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Ye Jingtang wiped the sweat off his forehead, feeling hot. ¡°There are so many people in the town, so how could 1 possibly do anything to the Prince of Jing on the street? Daoist Xuanji is the Prince of Jing¡¯s master, so she might be here too. You two should find an inn in the town to stay in. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Seeing that Ye Jingtang wasn¡¯t muddle-headed, Luo Ning didn¡¯t say anything else about this and only instructed, ¡°Don¡¯t attract Daoist Xuanji over. If I¡¯m discovered, I¡¯ll say that you used force to force me to serve you¡­¡± ¡°Got it. Go to the inn and wash yourself clean first¡­¡± ¡°Ptui!¡± Clomp clomp! The wheels of the luxurious carriage were rolling over the old street along the river. On both sides of the river were pleasant country sceneries. The town stretched following a mountain cliff, and there was only one street from the south to the north. There were few lights between the buildings. The 300 elite imperial guards were riding warhorses and holding torches while walking on the street. There were also some constables from the Black Office walking along the street with hunting dogs. Although they were very well-prepared, they already felt tired before they reached the foot of the Wu Mountains. In the spacious carriage, Dongfang Liren, wearing a fat-headed dragon python robe, was sitting upright with her back straight while looking at the distant mountains and wilderness. The look in her eyes had already changed from enthusiasm to helplessness. After arriving at Rising Sun City at dusk, Dongfang Liren had heard that the soldiers were eliminating rebels 50 kilometers away. She had thought that it was quite close, so she wanted to lead a team over to participate. Only when she really ran over did she realize that the 50 kilometers in Wu Province was very different from in Yun Province. Yun Province and Ze Province were both large plains. People could walk in a straight line on flat roads wherever they went. It wasn¡¯t a problem to say that 50 kilometers was just out the door. But Wu Province was different. As far as the eye could see, there were mountains. The official roads of the towns and villages were all built along the mountains. After walking around in twists and turns for half an hour, people might discover that they had just walked to the other side of a mountain. Sitting in the carriage, Dongfang Liren wasn¡¯t tired, but the imperial guards and horses were clearly unable to withstand such a forced march. From the current situation, it would be very difficult for her to enter the mountains tonight to help with the search. She could only let the accompanying imperial guards set up camp. Daoist Xuanji was also sitting in the carriage. She was wearing a white dress and leaning on the couch. With her tall figure and untainted temperament, she looked just like a beautiful princess consort accompanying her prince on an expedition. But Daoist Xuanji¡¯s bearing wasn¡¯t very dignified. She was supporting the side of her face with her left hand and holding her wine gourd in her right, taking a sip from time to time. Her face was already a little red, and her eyes looked slightly drunk. Dongfang Liren couldn¡¯t do anything about her master¡¯s habitual drinking. While she was checking out the town, she suddenly heard a sound from the street outside. ¡°Chirp chirp chirp-¡± The familiar bird cry approached from afar, followed by a big white ball swooping down from under the silver moon. In the blink of an eye, it crossed half the street and landed beside the carriage window. ¡°Huh?!¡± Dongfang Liren¡¯s eyes lit up. She picked up the bird and looked around. ¡°Why are you here? Where¡¯s Ye Jingtang?¡± The bird was about to ask Sister Fat-Headed Dragon for food, but it immediately discovered that there was a heartless sister beside it. ¡°Chirp?¡± After the bird called Ye Jingtang to save her, Sister Demoness had ignored it. It really held a grudge in its heart and tilted its head to ignore her. It just pointed at the entrance of the town with its wing. Daoist Xuanji recognized that it was Ye Jingtang¡¯s pet and knew that Ye Jingtang was nearby. She was afraid that it would be awkward if she bumped into him, so she stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯m going out for a walk. You can talk to your subordinate.¡± Hearing this, Dongfang Liren naturally didn¡¯t stop her. After her master left silently, she looked up at the entrance of the town and saw a man with disheveled hair holding a spear walking over quickly as if he were a refugee fleeing from calamity. Along the way, he even greeted the chief constables of the Black Office whom he knew. When Dongfang Liren saw Ye Jingtang¡¯s ¡®battle scars¡¯, she felt appreciation but also heartache. She hurriedly said to the palace maid serving outside the carriage, ¡°Quickly find a clean robe and prepare hot water¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness¡­¡± Chapter 307 - Chapter 307: Riverside Town (2) Chapter 307: Riverside Town (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Riverside Town was not big. There were only a few hundred households from the south to the north. Because of the Prince of Jing¡¯s order not to disturb the people, the imperial guards pitched tents on the street to rest. It was almost autumn, and the weather was cool. Other than not sleeping comfortably, there were no major problems. Ye Jingtang, wearing a tattered robe, was walking along the street with the Roaring Dragon Spear. Along the way, he greeted the chief constables of the Black Office he knew. Then he arrived at the carriage in the center of the town without any obstruction. The carriage had stopped outside a decent inn. There were some maids and guards tidying up the inn so that the Prince of Jing could stay there temporarily. For safety reasons, the carriage had to be cleared out and carefully inspected. It hadn¡¯t been cleared out yet, and Dongfang Liren was still in the carriage. As soon as Ye Jingtang walked nearby, he saw a light in the carriage window. Dumdum was sitting by the window, feeding the bird snacks. When she saw him, her eyes were obviously happy, but in order to maintain the demeanor of a princess, she deliberately put on a cold and serious expression and waited. Clang! Ye Jingtang placed the Roaring Dragon Spear on the ground and said with a smile, ¡°Your Highness arrived so quickly.¡± ¡°I just arrived this afternoon. Come in.¡± After Dongfang Liren nodded in greeting, she looked at Ye Jingtang¡¯s sweaty and flushed face and asked in doubt, ¡°Did you just fight?¡± ¡°I discovered the Prince of Wu¡¯s whereabouts in the afternoon. I fought and killed for half the night. The soldiers are chasing after the Prince of Wu. He shouldn¡¯t be able to escape¡­¡± Ye Jingtang entered the carriage and sat down on the couch. After wiping the sweat off his face, he took out a yellowed book from his belt and handed it to Dongfang Liren. ¡°This is something good I found today. There¡¯s a Snow Lake Powder formula in it that can replace the Snow Lake Flower. This thing is very important. Your Highness, it¡¯s best to make a copy now and arrange for someone to send it back to the capital¡­¡± ¡°Snow Lake Powder¡­¡± Dongfang Liren took the medicine book and looked at it. Knowing that it was very important, she put it away in her arms. Then she took a towel, got up, and sat beside Ye Jingtang. She helped wipe the sweat off his forehead and said in a dignified voice, ¡°1 asked you to come here to assist in the investigation, not risk your life. Why are you so tired like¡­ like¡­¡± Her words came to an abrupt halt. Ye Jingtang was dizzy from his restless qi and blood. It was normal at first, but when the dazzling and attractive Dumdum sat beside him, a faint fragrance assaulted his face. Her fiery red lips were just inches away, and his mind was a little restless. Seeing Dongfang Liren helping wipe his sweat, Ye Jingtang subconsciously lowered his hand, and it naturally landed on her plump part that he shouldn¡¯t have touched¡­ Dongfang Liren felt the burning sensation from behind her waist. Her shoulders trembled slightly, and she sat up straight. Her heroic eyes stared at Ye Jingtang in disbelief. After being glared at, Ye Jingtang realized that he had placed his hand on the wrong place. He hurriedly raised his hand and patted the ruffled part of the python robe. ¡°Sorry, 1 was distracted¡­¡± Pa, pa, pa- ?! Dongfang Liren was stunned. She never expected that Ye Jingtang would dare to blatantly take advantage of her when there were hundreds of imperial guards outside. What if someone saw this?! ¡°Ye Jingtang!¡± Dongfang Liren frowned. She grabbed Ye Jingtang¡¯s wrist and said coldly, ¡°Are you out of your mind? Don¡¯t think that you can be arrogant and out of control just because you¡¯ve made some minor achievements. Do you really think 1 won¡¯t teach you a lesson?¡± Ye Jingtang also felt that he was a little out of control. He raised his hand and explained, ¡°1 took the wrong medicine. My mind isn¡¯t clear. Your Highness, please don¡¯t blame me¡­¡± ¡°Took the wrong medicine?¡± Dongfang Liren looked at Ye Jingtang¡¯s lustful expression. He indeed looked like he had taken the wrong medicine. She held his wrist. ¡°Were you poisoned? What poison? An aphrodisiac?¡± Ye Jingtang shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not an aphrodisiac. Just now, I fought with the Prince of Wu¡¯s people and used a medicinal pill similar to the Great Nourishment Pill, but it was too much. There¡¯s no big problem. It¡¯s just that¡­ uhh¡­ my essence qi is in my brain, and my internal heat is high¡­¡± Dongfang Liren checked Ye Jingtang¡¯s pulse carefully and found that his qi and blood were abnormally surging, but there was indeed no serious problem. She asked, ¡°So, what should we do now?¡± Ye Jingtang¡¯s gaze involuntarily moved down and landed on the valiant and majestic fat-headed dragon. He quickly looked away. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ll just go back and take a bath¡­¡± Dongfang Liren lowered her head and looked at her chest. She didn¡¯t reprimand Ye Jingtang because he had been drugged due to work. She stood up and said, ¡°There¡¯s bath water prepared. Take a bath and change your clothes first. 1¡¯11 get a doctor to take a look at you.¡± When Ye Jingtang heard that he was taking a bath, he couldn¡¯t help recalling the impact of the meatballs in the Bright Yang Pool. His eyes kept glancing in front of Dongfang Liren. In order to prevent his limbs from being unruly, he simply hugged and rubbed the bird, who had been eating at the side. ¡°I¡¯m not sick. It¡¯s just that my qi and blood are too strong. I don¡¯t think the doctor will be able to say anything else. Why don¡¯t 1 go back first and visit Your Highness tomorrow¡­¡± Dongfang Liren had been separated from Ye Jingtang for so many days, and it hadn¡¯t been easy for her to see him. They hadn¡¯t even spoken much, and he looked abnormal. How could she let him leave? She reached out and snatched the bird away. ¡°Go take a bath first.¡± After being scolded by Liren, Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t say anything else. He bent down and walked out of the carriage. Dongfang Liren placed the bird beside the snack box and let it continue eating. After tidying up her python robe, she got out of the carriage with a dignified expression and entered the inn. The innkeeper and servers in the inn had already been vacated elsewhere. There were imperial guards standing around as guards, and inside, four accompanying maidservants were running up and down, preparing the room where Dongfang Liren would sleep and hot water. Splash! Splash! When Dongfang Liren heard the sound of water pouring from the second floor, she brought Ye Jingtang upstairs and instructed the maids who were busy inside, ¡°Help Young Master Ye take a bath and go call Imperial Physician Zhang over..¡± Chapter 308 - Chapter 308: Riverside Town (3) Chapter 308: Riverside Town (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± The eyes of the two maids inside lit up when they saw Young Master Ye. They hurriedly wanted to help him undress. Ye Jingtang was agitated. Afraid that he would do something ridiculous like teasing the maidservants, he raised his hand and declined politely. ¡°No need. I¡¯ll wash it myself. Your Highness, make a copy of the formula for Snow Lake Powder and send it back to the capital immediately. This item is very important. Don¡¯t lose it.¡± Hearing this, Dongfang Liren didn¡¯t say anything else. After Ye Jingtang entered, she went to the room next door to copy the formula. After Ye Jingtang closed the door, he heaved a sigh of relief. He quickly tore off his robe and placed his saber, medicine clip, and other items on the table. He looked down and saw a pillar of white jade holding up the sky horizontally like a purple tendon bridging the sea¡­ F*ck.. Ye Jingtang rubbed his forehead. After looking around, he walked behind the screen. The room was just an ordinary inn room, and there weren¡¯t many furnishings to speak of. But in order to let the Prince of Jing have a good rest, a large bathtub with flower petals scattered in it had been provided. Ye Jingtang stood in front of the bathtub and directly got into it. He buried his face in the water, trying to calm down. But the maidservant had been too considerate and prepared warm water. Not only did his mind not clear up after he soaked in it, but he felt that he was immersed in something wet and warm, and his imagination started running wild¡­ Splash! Ye Jingtang emerged from the water. After some thought, he simply sat cross-legged in the bathtub and forcefully entered a meditative state to adjust the chaotic qi in his body again¡­ In the wilderness on the other side of the river¡­ Daoist Xuanji, wearing a snow-white dress, was sitting alone on a treetop, holding her red wine gourd in her hand and shaking it gently. Her clear peach blossom eyes landed on the window paper of the inn in the distance. The dim yellow candlelight in the room cast a man¡¯s silhouette on the window paper. Although she couldn¡¯t see the actual person, his broad shoulders, perfect waist, and abdomen¡­ Daoist Xuanji found this scene pleasing to the eye, but as a nun, she shouldn¡¯t look around. So she looked elsewhere, feeling a little puzzled. Daoist Xuanji was one of the top three figures among the Eight Chiefs, and her eyesight was far superior to that of others. Although Ye Jingtang¡¯s aura was very chaotic, she could still tell that this kid seemed to have suddenly opened up all the meridians in his body and formed a ¡®small heavenly circulation¡¯ in his body, stepping into the threshold for becoming a Martial Chief. Although Ye Jingtang was still inexperienced compared to the Eight Martial Chiefs in the world, and there was a difference in martial arts attainments, combat experience, and Jianghu experience, his comprehension ability was too exaggerated. It probably wouldn¡¯t take long for him to complete the feat of replacing the old and becoming a new Martial Chief. This speed of growth wasn¡¯t achievable with talent and hard work alone. Based on Daoist Xuanji¡¯s understanding of martial artists, this kid must have encountered a once-in-a-lifetime ¡®opportunity¡¯, which allowed him to take another step forward in just a day or two. While Daoist Xuanji was pondering the mystery silently, her peripheral vision moved slightly, and she looked at the forest not far away. The moon was high in the sky, and the forest was pitch-black. There didn¡¯t seem to be any living creatures. But Daoist Xuanji faintly felt a familiar aura, as if an acquaintance was hiding in the woods and sneaking over. ? Daoist Xuanji¡¯s eyes lit up. She didn¡¯t expect that the woman she couldn¡¯t catch after so much effort in the past would actually send herself to her door after she gave up on tracking her. Daoist Xuanji immediately restrained all her aura and squatted on the treetop like a dead thing, looking for an opportunity to capture the Northern Liang Thief Sage. But just like before, the Thief Sage had just approached a certain distance when she sensed that something was wrong. She turned her monocular around and looked at her. Their eyes met. 11 When the Thief Sage saw the demoness of Great Wei, who had beaten her up again and again, her shoulders trembled in shock. She immediately turned around and ran away. After chasing her for more than half a year, Daoist Xuanji couldn¡¯t be bothered to play cat and mouse with the Thief Sage anymore. She directly asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± The Thief Sage came here naturally because she had seen Ye Jingtang¡¯s strength skyrocket. There was a high chance that he had taken the Heavenly Carnelian Bead. She was puzzled and curious. The Heavenly Carnelian Bead was a divine medicine of the tribes of the Western Sea. As far as she knew, no one else in the world could use this thing. If Ye Jingtang could use it, it was because either there was a problem with the medicine that the Prince of Wu concocted or his background was related to the tribes of the Western Sea. This matter was extremely important. Before communicating with the elders of the tribes, she definitely couldn¡¯t tell the people of Great Wei. Because of this, when the Thief Sage heard the question, she only turned around and said, ¡°Why do you care?¡± Then she turned around and crossed the mountain ridge, disappearing without a trace. Seeing that the other party didn¡¯t give her face, Daoist Xuanji wasn¡¯t very happy and immediately chased after her¡­ Chapter 309 - Chapter 309: Scoundrel! Chapter 309: Scoundrel! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The silver moon hung high in the sky, and most of the lights in the houses in Riverside Town were out. There were only a group of five imperial guards patrolling the street and alleys. Tread, tread¡­ The sound of orderly footsteps came from outside the courtyard wall. Pei Xiangjun was standing beside the well and listening. After the footsteps faded away, she carried two buckets of water to the second floor of the small inn. Wu Province was in chaos, and the number of travelers in the remote town had decreased drastically. There were no outsiders in the small inn, and even the innkeeper and servers were already resting. The light in a room on the second floor was on, but there was no movement inside. Pei Xiangjun tiptoed to the door and looked around. She saw Luo Ning, who was wearing a blue dress, sitting on the side of the bed. She had laid out a clean bed sheet. She was holding a small porcelain bottle in her hand and rubbing it gently with a worried look on her face. Pei Xiangjun felt that Jingtang was very irritable today. When he returned later, he might torment the frail and delicate vixen until she was half dead. For this reason, she was quite concerned. She carried the bucket to the screen and poured water into the bathtub. ¡°Ning¡¯er, stop looking. Take a bath first.¡± Splash- Luo Ning came back to her senses, looked at the Fragrant Concubine Dew in her hand, and sighed. She really didn¡¯t know what to do. She already couldn¡¯t take it normally. But today, the little thief had even taken medicine. With the fiery look in his eyes, even if he played with her until she was broken, she wouldn¡¯t be able to finish the treatment¡­ Looking at Pei Xiangjun¡¯s back as she poured the water, Luo Ning¡¯s eyes moved. She stood up, came behind her, and said softly, ¡°Third Lady, do you think it¡¯s easy to help him recuperate?¡± Pei Xiangjun stopped pouring water, turned around, and blinked her almond-shaped eyes. ¡°How is that possible? I know it isn¡¯t easy. But Jingtang has taken too many tonics, and there¡¯s nothing he can do. Bear with it¡­¡± ¡°How can 1 bear it?¡± Luo Ning¡¯s face turned red, and there was an indescribable sparkle in her eyes. She leaned closer and whispered, ¡°When Ye Jingtang is fine, he knows the severity and is very considerate of me. But if his qi and blood are too strong, he¡¯ll easily get carried away like pounding medicine with a pestle¡­ It¡¯s fine if I can withstand it, but if I can¡¯t, you can¡¯t let me die in the room¡­¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t care, I won¡¯t care either. I¡¯ll return to the South Firmament Mountains to hide and ask him to come to the South Firmament Mountains to find me. When the time comes, I won¡¯t let him return to the capital¡­¡± ? Pei Xiangjun was a little anxious when she heard that Luo Ning was actually preparing to give up. ¡°Is there a need to go so far? I heard the rich madams of Heavenly Water Bridge chatting. They all complained that their man wasn¡¯t good enough. No one complained about their man being amazing¡­¡± ¡°Heavenly Water Bridge is full of wealthy gentry. How can they be the same as Ye Jingtang?¡± Pei Xiangjun knew that Ye Jingtang¡¯s body was much stronger than ordinary people¡¯s. She hesitated for a moment and harrumphed softly. ¡°Who asked you to snatch him from the Pei residence¡­¡± Luo Ning¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°Are you gloating over my misfortune?¡± ¡°Sigh- I didn¡¯t mean that¡­ You can¡¯t expect me to help with the storm now, right? When you¡¯re in love, you eat alone. When you¡¯re in trouble, you pull me in to resist the spear¡­¡± Luo Ning thought for a moment and stuffed the Fragrant Concubine Dew into Pei Xiangjun¡¯s hand. Then standing behind her, she gestured with her hands. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so serious. Just help Ye Jingtang recuperate first. It¡¯s very simple¡­¡± Being rubbed by Luo Ning, Pei Xiangjun was a little annoyed. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me¡­ Can this help him recuperate?¡± Seeing that Pei Xiangjun was about to relent, Luo Ning raised her hands to help her undress. ¡°Yes, 1¡¯11 teach you. It¡¯s very simple¡­¡± ¡°How are you going to teach me? You¡¯re not a man¡­¡± ¡°Stop talking so much and study hard¡­¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Meanwhile, in the inn in the center of the town¡­ A candle lamp was placed on the table, and in front of it was a pile of paper. Dongfang Liren was sitting upright in front of the table with the medicine book beside her hand. After writing ¡®For Her Majesty¡¯s Eyes Only¡¯ on an envelope with a brush, she placed her letter inside. A maid in colorful clothes carried a tray to the table and put it down. On the tray were two sets of noble¡¯s robes that she had just found in the town. The maidservant unfolded the two cloud-patterned noble¡¯s robes and held them in her hands for display. ¡°Your Highness, which robe looks better?¡± Dongfang Liren stood up and stood in front of the robes. She recalled Ye Jingtang¡¯s broad shoulders and waist. After a brief check, she raised her hand and picked one of them. ¡°This one. Send someone to send the letter back to the capital immediately¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± After the maidservant left, Dongfang Liren listened carefully. It was very quiet next door. There wasn¡¯t even the sound of water splashing. She didn¡¯t know what he was doing¡­ Could he have fainted¡­ Dongfang Liren thought for a moment before walking out of the room with the robe in her hands. She went to the door of the room next door and listened carefully before raising her hand to knock lightly. Tap, tap- ¡°Ye Jingtang?¡± ¡¯Timm?¡± Splash! There was the sound of water coming from the room, followed by intermittent footsteps. Dongfang Liren frowned. She felt that something was wrong with Ye Jingtang¡¯s movements. Afraid that something would happen to Ye Jingtang, she pushed open the door and looked inside the room. Squeak! The room was clean and tidy. A tattered robe and pants were draped over the back of a chair by the table, and there were a few portable items on the table. There was a faint mist coming out from behind the screen. Ye Jingtang was naked from the waist up, with his wet hair draped over his back and a towel wrapped around his waist. He was supporting himself against the wall with his right hand and rubbing his forehead with his left. He looked very uncomfortable. ¡°Ye Jingtang?¡± Dongfang Liren quickly walked over to him with the robe and a concerned look in her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°1¡­¡± Ye Jingtang¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. He was dizzy from the restless qi and blood. The scene in the room even looked a little hazy to him. Seeing the concerned Dumdum in front of him, he subconsciously raised his hands to hug her and patted her back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± Dongfang Liren was caught off guard. She was so shocked that her hands curled up in front of her chest. Then Ye Jingtang hugged her tightly, and her face immediately turned red. She didn¡¯t dare to move and only said anxiously, ¡°If you¡¯re fine, why are you hugging me? L-let go!¡± Ye Jingtang hugged the soft and cool Liren and tried his best to suppress the impulse in his heart. He stroked the hair on her back and comforted, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m a little lustful¡­ No, I¡¯m a little hot, and 1 can¡¯t control myself. I¡­¡± Dongfang Liren¡¯s body went limp as the man whispered into her ear. Her eyes were shy and anxious as she twisted her shoulders. ¡°If you continue to be so presumptuous, I will call the guards¡­¡± Dongfang Liren twisted a few times, but she couldn¡¯t break free from this bold subordinate¡¯s arms. Instead, she found that the hilt of a saber seemed to be poking her. ? Dongfang Liren¡¯s eyes widened some more, and she didn¡¯t dare to move. The two of them were hugging each other. Perhaps because the noise was a little loud, the maidservant next door sensed that something was wrong and pushed open the door to take a look. Creak- Looking inside, she found the half-naked Young Master Ye hugging the Prince of Jing, who looked like a frightened deer. The maidservant was shocked, but before she could say anything, she saw the Prince of Jing suddenly turn around with a fierce look in her eyes! n The maidservant shrank her neck in fright. She knew that she had disturbed the Prince of Jing¡¯s good deed and hurriedly closed the door. Dongfang Liren¡¯s face flushed red. She turned around and gritted her teeth. ¡°Ye Jingtang, don¡¯t go overboard! If you continue to do this, I¡¯ll send you to the castration room when I get back¡­¡± After Ye Jingtang hugged her for a moment, he found that the heat had not subsided. Instead, his mind was drifting more and more. He restrained his mind and forced himself to stop the hug. He only held Dumdum¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll go back and rest. 1¡¯11 come back to visit Your Highness tomorrow¡­¡± Seeing Ye Jingtang¡¯s rapid breathing and fiery eyes, Dongfang Liren was still worried about his health and asked, ¡°Do you need women? Why don¡¯t I call two maidservants over¡­¡± ¡°No need!¡± Ye Jingtang was dizzy, but he was still clear-headed. He shook his head and said, ¡°A gentleman is lustful. But even if I suffocate to death, I won¡¯t touch a woman 1 don¡¯t like.¡± ? Dongfang Liren frowned slightly, feeling that these words seemed to have the meaning of confessing to her. He won¡¯t touch a woman he doesn¡¯t like, but he¡¯s taken advantage of me. Doesn¡¯t this mean he likes me¡­ Dongfang Liren¡¯s gaze was rather strange. She looked like she wanted to say a few serious words to correct Ye Jingtang¡¯s attitude, but when the words reached her mouth, they became: ¡°Then, what can you do when you go back? If something happens¡­¡± Ye Jingtang could see the worry and hesitation in Liren¡¯s eyes. He raised his hands, hugged her again, and patted her back. ¡°Ning¡¯er is here too. She¡¯s waiting in the town. I¡¯ll go back and rest. Your Highness, don¡¯t worry¡­¡± ? Dongfang Liren was wondering if she should grit her teeth and endure the humiliation to help her subordinate solve his difficult and complicated illness. But when she heard this, she was instantly furious. She raised her boot and stepped on Ye Jingtang¡¯s toes. ¡°Miss Ning¡¯er is here, yet you¡¯re still hugging me? You¡­¡± Ye Jingtang was very agitated, but his mind was still clear. He subconsciously retracted his foot and dodged. However, he only had a towel around his waist. His foot moved away, but the towel wasn¡¯t spared. Dongfang Liren stepped down and heard a swishing sound. She had stepped on something¡­ ?! Ye Jingtang was stunned. Dongfang Liren¡¯s eyes instantly widened. She didn¡¯t dare to lower her head. She threw the robe in her hand to Ye Jingtang, turned around, and ran out. ¡°You scoundrel! Just you wait¡­¡± Before she finished speaking, there was a bang from next door. The door was slammed shut, and there was the sound of the door being locked. Scoundrel¡­ Ye Jingtang was stunned by the noun that Dumdum blurted out. But he felt that this word was very accurate and quickly put on the robe. ¡°Your Highness stepped on it yourself. I didn¡¯t mean to offend Your Highness¡¯s eyes¡­¡± ¡°Hurry up and go back. If you don¡¯t leave, I¡¯ll really call the guards¡­¡± ¡°Alright¡­ By the way, when Your Highness communicates with the officers, please ask them to pay attention to whether there¡¯s a man named Zhang Wenyuan among the Prince of Wu¡¯s captives. It¡¯s related to a missing person case¡­¡± ¡°Got it. Go back and recuperate first¡­¡± ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Chapter 310 - Chapter 310: Sneaking into the Night with the Wind Chapter 310: Sneaking into the Night with the Wind Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios A moment later, on the street of Riverside Town¡­ Ye Jingtang, wearing a cloud-patterned robe, was walking along the street with a scoundrel hiding in his clothes. The night wind blew on his face, making his body feel a bit more comfortable. But when he thought about how Heroine Luo would help him recuperate later, his mind became even more chaotic, and he felt eager to return. The big bird, who was full after eating, was walking by his feet to digest its food. Along the way, it was still chirping and talking about how it had just seen Sister Demoness chasing after someone. Ye Jingtang could roughly understand what it meant. He looked at the mountains and wilderness on the other side of the river and didn¡¯t see any movement. Then he went straight to the small inn in the corner of the town. The door of the inn was already closed. Ye Jingtang flew over the wall and went up the stairs to the second floor. After letting the bird play by itself, he opened the door with the light on. ¡°Ning¡¯er, I¡¯m back¡­ Huh? Third Lady¡­¡± The door opened, and the scene in the room came into view. The bedding on the canopy bed had been replaced with clean bed sheets and blankets. The bed was tidied up neatly, but there was no cleanly washed baby Ning¡¯er on it. Beside the tea table by the window, Third Lady, who had changed into a light yellow ruqun, was sitting elegantly sideways with a teacup in her hand. Her hair was tied up, with the bird and flowers hairpin he had given her inserted into it, and her lips were covered in red rouge. When Third Lady heard the door open, a strange look flashed across her eyes, but she immediately regained the elegance and calmness that a sect master should have. She put down the teacup. ¡°Welcome back. How¡¯s your health?¡± Ye Jingtang looked at the charming and delicate Third Lady and was clearly a little surprised. He quickly restrained his lustful expression, closed the door, and walked to the tea table. ¡°I¡¯m feeling better¡­ Where did Ning¡¯er go?¡± When Pei Xiangjun heard this, she felt a little angry. She had just taken a bath and wanted to discuss with the vixen how to solve the problem at hand. But after the vixen pressed her down and taught her, she hid. She didn¡¯t even give her time to think about it and left her here to withstand the storm. Now that Jingtang asked about her, Pei Xiangjun thought for a moment and could only say, ¡°Ning¡¯er wasn¡¯t feeling well and went to rest first. You¡­¡± Just as Pei Xiangjun was thinking about what to say, she saw the refined-looking Jingtang walking straight to her. He held the armrests of her chair with both hands, surrounding her in the middle, lowered his head, and leaned closer. ?! Pei Xiangjun leaned back in her chair, her eyes a little panicked. ¡°Jingtang! What do you want to do?¡± Ye Jingtang carefully looked at the mature and beautiful face under the candlelight and tried his best to say calmly, ¡°I¡¯m not doing anything. I just want to look. This rouge is really beautiful¡­¡± Pei Xiangjun had already kissed him. After hesitating for a moment, she raised her face generously. ¡°Kiss me if you want. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know that you used to secretly look at the rouge on my lips. I specially drew it for you just now¡­¡± ? Ye Jingtang was rather surprised to see Third Lady being so brave. He leaned over, passed his hand under Third Lady¡¯s legs, picked her up, placed her on his knee, and sat down. He tapped on the red rouge on her sexy lips. ¡°Third Lady, why are you so brave today?¡± Being hugged by Ye Jingtang, Pei Xiangjun was a little flustered. She tried her best to maintain her composure and said softly, ¡°Ning¡¯er can¡¯t do anything. She¡¯s afraid of you and hiding¡­ I¡­ I¡¯m already betrothed to you by your aunt. I¡¯m considered your fiancee. You¡¯re already in so much pain, so why don¡¯t I help you first¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ye Jingtang blinked in surprise. Pei Xiangjun¡¯s face turned red as she explained seriously, ¡°It¡¯s Ning¡¯er¡¯s rotten idea. She was so scared that she was about to cry, so she begged me for help. It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s not like 1 want to do that with you¡­¡± Ye Jingtang leaned back in his chair, pinched Third Lady¡¯s fair fingers, and smiled. ¡°If I endure it, it¡¯s actually nothing much. It feels like I¡¯m making an excuse to take advantage of you by making you two worry so much¡­¡± Pei Xiangjun touched Ye Jingtang¡¯s forehead and said gently, ¡°How can Ning¡¯er and 1 not know if you¡¯re okay? If you¡¯re not feeling well, don¡¯t force yourself. M-my original intention was to wait for the new residence at Heavenly Water Bridge to finish renovations. After you moved in, we could go through all the wedding formalities and get married officially¡­¡± ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll talk when we get back to the capital. I¡¯m really not in a hurry.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Pei Xiangjun wanted to retreat, but when she thought of the vixen¡¯s worried expression earlier, she mustered her courage and said, ¡°I know you care about my feelings. I¡¯m timid, so you¡¯re letting me adapt slowly¡­ It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s usually. But now that Ning¡¯er is as anxious as a hot pot of ants, if 1 have no qualms about letting you take care of me, wouldn¡¯t I be insensible?¡± After saying this, Pei Xiangjun found that Ye Jingtang¡¯s expression was very serious, but his hand slowly slid down the back of her waist to the fat behind her waist and even kneaded it vaguely. She harrumphed softly. ¡°Also, you¡¯re just speaking nicely, but your hands aren¡¯t honest at all¡­¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Ye Jingtang quickly let go. ¡°I can¡¯t help myself. My hands aren¡¯t listening to my brain¡­¡± Pei Xiangjun knew that Ye Jingtang was suffocating from holding it in. After thinking for a moment, she untied the jacket of her ruqun, revealing her tube top embroidered with apricot flowers. ¡°Alright, I know you¡¯re not feeling well, and you¡¯re not doing it on purpose. I¡¯ll help you recuperate first¡­¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Pei Xiangjun found that the breathing beside her ear was heavier. Her face was a little red, but she still sat slightly straighter. ¡°Why are you looking around? If you want to look, just look at me openly. I¡¯m not as fierce as Ning¡¯er¡­¡± Ye Jingtang¡¯s willpower was not bad, but there was a limit. Seeing that Third Lady was so gentle and considerate, he gradually couldn¡¯t control himself anymore. It took him a lot of willpower to stabilize his expression and look into her eyes. Pei Xiangjun felt that Ye Jingtang¡¯s eyes were about to burn her. After hesitating for a moment, she turned her head to look at the light and straightened her back slightly. ¡°Forget it, don¡¯t hold it in. I know you¡¯re not clear-headed. If you want to look, go ahead¡­ Ah-! You¡­! Forget it. I won¡¯t say anything about you¡­¡± ¡°Sigh, do I look like a pervert now?¡± Pei Xiangjun glanced at Ye Jingtang. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s just that you¡¯re pushing your luck. Don¡¯t move around. I¡¯ll help you recuperate.¡± Ye Jingtang felt that he was about to transform into a werewolf, and his heart was beating like a drum. Sitting on the chair, he asked curiously, ¡°How are you going to help?¡± Pei Xiangjun pursed her lips and recalled the vixen¡¯s teachings. She got up and knelt in front of Ye Jingtang. She looked up at him, who was looking down at her. Ye Jingtang could tell Third Lady¡¯s method from her posture. He said doubtfully, ¡°Third Lady, are you sure you can do it?¡± Pei Xiangjun tried her best to look calm. ¡°Ning¡¯er taught me. It shouldn¡¯t be difficult¡­¡± Ye Jingtang knew that it wasn¡¯t difficult, but it was a little unfair to have Third Lady serve him like this. He thought for a moment, pulled her up, carried her horizontally in his arms, and walked to the bed. ¡°Let me do it today. Third Lady, you can do it in the future.¡± Pei Xiangjun leaned in her arms and saw that Ye Jingtang was about to put her on the bed. She panicked a little. ¡°Huh?¡± Ye Jingtang stopped and lowered his head. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Pei Xiangjun had planned to help and then let the vixen be tormented. But Jingtang was preparing to do it for real¡­ Pei Xiangjun wanted to explain, but when she saw Ye Jingtang¡¯s flushed face and him trying his best to be gentle and elegant, it seemed a little cruel to reject him. She swallowed the words on her lips and changed her words. ¡°Can you do it now?¡± Ye Jingtang shook his head and smiled. After placing Third Lady on the pillow, he leaned against her and looked down at her beautiful and nervous face. He raised his hand and pulled out the hairpin he had given her. Pei Xiangjun curled her hands in front of her chest, feeling very flustered. But after gritting her teeth for a moment, she still sat up and pressed Ye Jingtang down. ¡°You¡¯re not feeling well. You should lie down, and I¡¯ll help you recuperate.¡± Ye Jingtang leaned on the pillow and looked at Third Lady above him. He spread his hands slightly. ¡°Third Lady, you know how to help me recuperate?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve followed you two for so long. Even though I haven¡¯t seen it with my own eyes, I¡¯ve still heard it.¡± Pei Xiangjun¡¯s long hair cascaded down like water. She raised her hand and hooked her hair behind her ear. Then she imitated the vixen¡¯s starting posture and straightened Ye Jingtang. Then she placed her hands on his sides and looked down at him. Ye Jingtang¡¯s breath froze. He originally wanted to look at Third Lady affectionately, but her capital was too strong. She was looking down from above in a push-up position, and something completely blocked his eyes. Pei Xiangjun noticed the change in Ye Jingtang¡¯s gaze and looked down. ¡°Cough, cough¡­ This¡­¡± ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t tease you anymore. Don¡¯t get short of breath.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can take it¡­ 1 like you like this.¡± Pei Xiangjun¡¯s face flushed red as she lay on Ye Jingtang¡¯s body and looked into his eyes. ¡°Jingtang, I have to ask you a question first.¡± Ye Jingtang was pressed down firmly, and his breathing was a little chaotic. He replied, ¡°The bird has the lowest position in the family. I¡¯m the second last¡­¡± ?! Seeing that Ye Jingtang was so anxious and had such a strong desire to live, Pei Xiangjun was a little annoyed. ¡°You¡¯re a man. You¡¯ll be the head of the family from now on. I and Ning¡¯er are your wives and concubines. How can we order you around? If Ning¡¯er doesn¡¯t recognize her identity and is fierce to you in the future, you don¡¯t have to say anything. I¡¯ll help you discipline her¡­¡± Ye Jingtang patted her on the back to comfort her. ¡°If she¡¯s fierce to me, I must have done something wrong. Third Lady, just scold me.¡± Seeing that Ye Jingtang was so cowardly that he couldn¡¯t even bear to manage his women, Pei Xiangjun was helpless. She turned around and said, ¡°The new residence I chose has four courtyards: plum blossom, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum. Each courtyard can accommodate three people. You must live in the plum blossom courtyard. Where will I live then?¡± Ye Jingtang had been to the residence before. He smiled and said, ¡°There aren¡¯t many people in the family. We can just live in one courtyard and let Yunli live in the embroidery building for young ladies.¡± Pei Xiangjun knew that no matter how far away Yunli lived, Ning¡¯er wouldn¡¯t dare to live in the same courtyard as Jingtang. She thought about it and didn¡¯t say anything else. She began to help him recuperate according to the techniques she learned from eavesdropping¡­ Ye Jingtang leaned against the pillow. Seeing that Third Lady was about to feed him, he felt really flattered. After thinking for a while, he hugged her and pressed her down. ¡°Let me do it. How can I do nothing for our first time and let my wife do the work¡­¡± Pei Xiangjun¡¯s face flushed red all the way to her neck, but she still looked a little unhappy. ¡°Who¡¯s your wife? We haven¡¯t married yet. Now¡­ now it¡¯s in advance¡­¡± Ye Jingtang raised his hand, lowered the curtain, and moved closer. ¡°1 know. My qi and blood are running around my head, and my mind isn¡¯t clear. If you feel uncomfortable, don¡¯t force yourself. Just tell me¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m much sturdier than Ning¡¯er. You¡­ Wuu~¡± Just as Pei Xiangjun said a few words, her mouth was blocked. She blinked and slowly wrapped her arms around his neck. Rustle, rustle¡­ The light in the room was dim, and the two breaths rose and fell, slowly becoming a little chaotic. Pei Xiangjun was originally very nervous, but after she really went all out, she slowly suppressed it. Just as she closed her eyes and followed the waves, a voice suddenly sounded in her ear. ¡°Third Lady.¡± ¡°Huh-?¡± Pei Xiangjun opened her eyes and found Ye Jingtang looking at her. She hurriedly closed her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°On the first day I arrived in Yun¡¯an, I actually thought that you were so beautiful. At the time, 1 hesitated about whether I should live in the Pei residence and live off a woman¡­ If not for you, I would have definitely been wandering around in Jianghu and not gone to the Pei family to be the young master.¡± ? Pei Xiangjun¡¯s eyelashes fluttered. After a moment of silence, she said softly, ¡°When you just arrived at the escort agency, Xiuhe and I were secretly watching from upstairs. I thought you were so handsome¡­ When I found out that you were Second Brother¡¯s foster son, I felt that it was a pity¡­¡± ¡°Then, can we be considered to have fallen in love at first sight?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of lust¡­¡± ¡°Speaking of which, I¡¯m considered your martial aunt. Aren¡¯t we violating public morals by doing this¡­¡± ¡°What are you saying? Aunt betrothed you to me. It¡¯s perfectly justifiable¡­¡± ¡°Then, how should we address your aunt in the future? Do we each call her differently? You call her aunt, and I call her sister-in-law?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ 1 think that¡¯s the only way. I can¡¯t let you call her aunt. And if I call her sister-in-law, I¡¯ll be in the same generation as Foster Father¡­¡± ¡°What about Pei Luo? You call him brother, but he calls you uncle?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Forget it. You¡¯re not clear-headed. Let¡¯s not talk about these things. I¡¯ll help you recuperate first¡­ Jingtang!¡± ¡°Can I? ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as you like it¡­ It¡¯s a little embarrassing¡­ Wuu~¡± Chapter 311 - Chapter 311: Two Flowers on a Stem Chapter 311: Two Flowers on a Stem Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The gentle mountain breeze blew the green leaves on both sides of the river. The bright moon hung high in the sky, casting silver moonlight that illuminated the river. The wall of the inn facing the river was at the edge of the riverbank, which was no more than two feet wide. Normally, no one would set foot in this place. But at this moment, a human and a bird were sitting at the edge of the riverbank. Luo Ning was wearing a long blue dress and a veiled hat. She was sitting on a handkerchief with her legs dangling in the air. Beside her was a small box containing dried meat, and she was feeding the bird. The big, fluffy white bird was squatting obediently in front of her. Because it had eaten a lot of food in the carriage, it rarely opened its mouth to ask for food. It only looked at the stars in the sky and hummed a tune. Since the bird ran over to accompany her, Luo Ning already understood that Ye Jingtang had returned and was probably in the room fighting with Third Lady. I taught Third Lady just now, but I don¡¯t know if this cowardly woman did it. She must have done it. If she hadn¡¯t done anything after so long, wouldn¡¯t the little thief have died of suffocation in the room? Luo Ning let her imagination run wild and didn¡¯t dare to go back rashly. After all, if she went back, with Third Lady¡¯s temperament, she would immediately leave the little thief to her, run away, and close the door. Luo Ning raised her hand and rubbed her forehead. She wanted to stay for a while longer, but she was afraid that Third Lady would be useless and dawdle. After thinking about it, she quietly got up, landed on the wall, and listened carefully to the subtle movements on the second floor in the distance. In the end¡­ When the bird heard Third Lady crying, it tilted its head in confusion. ¡°Chirp?¡± Luo Ning immediately held its mouth and covered its eyes. She really didn¡¯t expect Third Lady to be so brave. Her gaze was a little strange, but after thinking about it, she sat back down and felt relieved. This coward is finally brave for once. In that case, 1 won¡¯t have to suffer tonight. Third Lady is an external martial arts Grandmaster and has a very tough body. Wait, then, won¡¯t I have to sit here all night?! Luo Ning¡¯s peach blossom eyes blinked. She suddenly felt that the situation was different from what she had expected. She had originally wanted Third Lady to be the warm-up and use up some of the little thief¡¯s firepower first, and then she would enjoy the sweet time after the bloody battle. Now that she did this, didn¡¯t it seem like there was something wrong with her brain, and she had pushed her man into another woman¡¯s arms? Luo Ning stroked the bird¡¯s feathers. The more she thought about it, the more she felt that something was wrong. But if she got up and ran over to cause trouble, Third Lady would probably hold a grudge against her for the rest of her life. She thought about it and endured it. She wanted to cover her ears and not listen, but she kept paying attention to that side. After thinking about it, she could only pick up the dried meat and feed it to the bird to relieve her boredom. ¡°Chirp?¡± The bird felt that Sister Little Watermelons was very dangerous, so it raised its wings slightly and pretended that it wasn¡¯t hungry. ¡°Eat!¡± ¡°Chirp-¡± Luo Ning fed the bird two mouthfuls. Seeing that it was indeed full, she was afraid that it would burst, so she gave up. After some thought, she asked the bird to keep watch. Then she got up quietly and returned to the courtyard of the inn to listen carefully to the sounds on the second floor. Meanwhile, one kilometer away, in the center of the town¡­ It was already late at night, and the entire inn was silent. The imperial guards patrolled the surroundings silently, and the accompanying palace maids had already gone to bed. But the room in the center of the second floor was still lit. In the simple room, Dongfang Liren was sitting upright in front of the table with a piece of paper in front of her. She held a brush in her hand and calmly outlined an ink painting. On the painting was a screen. A handsome man with an extremely hot figure supported himself against the wall with one hand and held his forehead with the other, posing in a very melancholic posture. Dongfang Liren¡¯s painting skills were outstanding. Although her brush and ink were simple, she outlined the man¡¯s expression and temperament perfectly. It even vaguely felt like the person in the painting had just come out of the bath and was covered in a layer of water vapor. Dongfang Liren seriously outlined his muscles and began to draw the towel wrapped around his waist. But when she recalled the scene, that ferocious thing flashed across her mind. ii Ptui! ii Dongfang Liren hurriedly closed her eyes, wanting to forget the terrifying scene. But this was the first time she had seen it in her life. The impact was too great. It was easier said than done to forget it. She was sitting here painting because she had tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. She even had the urge to draw it. Dongfang Liren felt that she could no longer go back to the past. She forced herself to calm down and dispel her messy thoughts. She held the brush and outlined the towel again. While she was concentrating, a sound came from outside the window. Whoosh! Squeak! Dongfang Liren quickly covered the paper. She pretended to be busy with work before turning around. The window opened, and Daoist Xuanji, dressed in snow-white clothes, silently landed in the room. Her face was red, and she was slightly drunk. After landing, she swayed twice and looked around. ¡°Liren, didn¡¯t you get that Young Master Ye to serve you in bed?¡± Dongfang Liren stood up with a noble and dignified bearing. She went forward to support the drunk Daoist Xuanji. ¡°Master, what are you saying? He¡¯s my subordinate, not my concubine!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t they the same? You¡¯re a prince. If you ask him to serve you, he won¡¯t dare to say no.¡± After joking for a while, Daoist Xuanji felt a little tired from chasing after the Northern Liang Thief Sage and being poisoned by all kinds of poisons. She walked to the bed and sat down. ¡°Will I disturb your good deed by sleeping here?¡± Dongfang Liren guessed that Ye Jingtang was currently harming Miss Ning¡¯er. She sat down beside Daoist Xuanji. ¡°What good deed can you disturb? Master, with you here, I can sleep more peacefully. Master, rest early. When Ye Jingtang comes over tomorrow, you can take a look at him. His martial arts skills are very good, and he¡¯s a good person.¡± Daoist Xuanji knew that Ye Jingtang¡¯s martial arts skills were extraordinary and his character was upright. But two days ago, she had hugged him and even rubbed against him. It would be too embarrassing to meet him. But in the following period of time, they would see each other frequently, so it was inevitable that they would meet. After some thought, she didn¡¯t refuse. Outside the window, everything was silent. The candle was silently extinguished. Behind the curtain, Ye Jingtang was lying on the pillow. After some recuperation, the qi and blood in his body were still very vigorous, but it was a little better than before. He kept looking at his chest. After biting her red lips for a long time, Pei Xiangjun raised her eyes slightly and looked at the man beside her. ¡°Jingtang.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ye Jingtang turned around and helped cover her with the thin blanket. ¡°Are you thirsty? 1¡¯11 get some water.¡± Pei Xiangjun pressed Ye Jingtang¡¯s shoulder. Even though she was pretending to be calm, there was still a hint of shyness in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not thirsty. I just feel that it wasn¡¯t difficult to help you recuperate. Why did Ning¡¯er look like she was going to the execution ground?¡± I It takes more than once to recuperate my body.¡± ¡°Then continue. Why did you stop?¡± Pei Xiangjun was about to continue the recuperation when she thought of something. The vixen is still outside! Today, she had only planned to be the warm-up and then hand over the recuperation to the vixen. The vixen had washed herself clean and was ready, but she had directly eaten Jingtang. After such a long time, even if the vixen didn¡¯t hear anything, she should have guessed what she had done. Although the vixen had been eating alone for so long, and it was natural for her to occupy Jingtang alone for a day, she had to be able to eat him. Moreover, being considerate of and taking care of the vixen was the attitude a big sister should have. Thinking of this, Pei Xiangjun blinked and turned to look out of the curtain. ¡°Ning¡¯er?¡± Outside the window on the second floor, Luo Ning was standing under the eaves with her arms crossed, looking at the bright moonlight. She had been listening to the sounds on the second floor, and her cold eyes had a rare hint of resentment. In the past, Third Lady had often been asked to stand guard outside and been forced to listen to the sounds in the rooms. She didn¡¯t think much of it before. Now that she had listened once outside and experienced it for herself, she realized that this feeling was really aggrieving. She wanted to hold the little thief down and beat him up. Just as she was letting her imagination run wild, she heard Third Lady¡¯s call from the second floor. Luo Ning¡¯s eyes moved as she turned around and walked into the inn. She walked down the corridor on the second floor and said calmly, ¡°Why are you calling me instead of continuing to help him recuperate?¡± Pei Xiangjun felt that she couldn¡¯t take it anymore, so she turned to look at Jingtang behind her and whispered, ¡°Go accompany Ning¡¯er and come back later so that she won¡¯t complain that you neglected her tomorrow.¡± Seeing the two women being considerate of each other, Ye Jingtang shook his head and smiled. He got up, put on his robe, and opened the door. Creak- Outside the door, Luo Ning had a rather cold aura. When she saw Ye Jingtang come out, she looked away. ¡°Just accompany her. I¡¯m tired. I¡¯ll go back to my room and rest for a while.¡± Ye Jingtang stepped forward and held Luo Ning¡¯s wrist. ¡°Just rest here.¡± ? At first, Luo Ning didn¡¯t understand the meaning. When she found Ye Jingtang pulling her into Third Lady¡¯s room, her face suddenly turned red. ¡°Little thief, what do you want to do?!¡± Pei Xiangjun was lying under a thin blanket. When she saw the vixen enter, she hurriedly wrapped herself tightly with the thin blanket and turned over twice, rolling to the innermost part. ¡°It¡¯s fine here. It saves Jingtang the trouble of running back and forth. You can help him recuperate. I won¡¯t watch.¡± Luo Ning was a little shy. She wanted to return to her room with her head lowered. But when she saw that Ye Jingtang¡¯s breathing was hot, his eyes were bloodshot, and he looked very uncomfortable from holding it in, she thought about it and decided not to. She only reminded, ¡°Third Lady and 1 will take turns helping you recuperate. You have to be grateful and not act recklessly. If you mess around¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± Luo Ning sat down on the edge of the bed and glanced at Third Lady behind her. It wasn¡¯t appropriate for her to take the initiative, so she tilted her head to look at the floor and pretended to be forced, waiting for the thief to pounce on her. But before Ye Jingtang could move, Pei Xiangjun, who was facing the wall, turned her face around and frowned. ¡°Jingtang isn¡¯t feeling well. Why are you just sitting there? Quickly help him recuperate.¡± Ye Jingtang felt a little dizzy from his surging qi and blood. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± ii Lie still.¡± Pei Xiangjun turned around and poked Luo Ning¡¯s lower back. ¡°You¡¯re not a little girl. Why are you being shy? 1 won¡¯t look at you.¡± Luo Ning gritted her teeth, turned around to pat Pei Xiangjun¡¯s hand lightly, and said coldly, ¡°You¡¯ve never suffered from it!¡± Then she raised her hands and pressed Ye Jingtang down. ¡°If you dare to move, I¡¯ll return to the South Firmament Mountains tomorrow and let Third Lady treat you from now on.¡± Pei Xiangjun blinked. ¡°You said it yourself. Don¡¯t stay behind and not leave after this.¡± When Luo Ning heard these heartless words, she raised her hand and wanted to slap Pei Xiangjun¡¯s waist twice. Ye Jingtang leaned against the head of the bed and hurriedly stopped the quarrel. ¡°Alright, 1 promise not to move. Why don¡¯t I cover my eyes?¡± After giving Third Lady a fierce look, Luo Ning didn¡¯t make Ye Jingtang go to that extent. She kicked off her shoes embroidered with bamboo leaves, sat sideways beside him, bit her lower lip, and untied her sash belt. The canopy bed in the inn wasn¡¯t big. It was just enough for two people, but it was a little cramped for three. Leaning on the bed, Ye Jingtang placed his right hand on Third Lady¡¯s fair back. He had promised not to move, but his hands were a little disobedient. He had to use a lot of willpower to restrain himself. Luo Ning leaned on Ye Jingtang¡¯s shoulder and wanted to get closer, but she found that Third Lady opposite her was watching quietly. She paused and frowned. ¡°How about you do it?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t watch, okay? Be quick.¡± ¡°Martial arts practice requires warming up. Don¡¯t speak.¡± Luo Ning couldn¡¯t be bothered to explain the importance of warming up to Third Lady and busied herself. Sizzle- Pei Xiangjun faced the wall obediently, but she couldn¡¯t hold back the curiosity in her heart. She waited until she heard an ambiguous sound behind her before she quietly turned around to look. The pure and charming vixen was biting her lower lip lightly, pretending to be forced and suffering humiliation? Pei Xiangjun was baffled and asked, ¡°Ning¡¯er, why do you keep acting like that? It looks like Jingtang is using force on you.¡± ¡°You!¡± Luo Ning hurriedly lay on Ye Jingtang¡¯s body and covered herself with a thin blanket. Feeling angry and embarrassed, she immediately started to move. Pei Xiangjun looked away. Her face flushed red, and she wanted to beat Luo Ning up. Ye Jingtang leaned against the head of the bed obediently. Seeing that the two of them were about to quarrel, he smiled and said, ¡°Stop fighting. My qi is about to go out of control. Please take good care of me.¡± The sounds of fighting kept coming from behind the curtain, and before they knew it, it was dawn.. Chapter 312 - Chapter 312: The Next Day (1) Chapter 312: The Next Day (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Thousands of kilometers away, in the Cloud Dream Swamp¡­ It was early in the morning, and the weather was gray. More than ten small fishing boats were bobbing up and down in the water with the wind. There were few people in the old town. There were only a few fishermen sitting on thresholds, smoking tobacco pipes and watching Jianghu people pass by on the old street. Clack, clack.. The crisp sound of horse hooves became the only sound on the old street. Qiu Tianhe held the reins and looked at the small town he had visited when he was young. He felt as if a lifetime had passed. More than 30 years ago, Qiu Tianhe was about 20 years old, about the same age as Ye Jingtang. He had just come out of seclusion, possessing a good saber technique and full of ambition. He had come to the Cloud Dream Swamp, known as the holy land of saber users in the world. It was called a holy land not because rhe Cloud Dream Swamp had any special meaning but simply because the strongest saber user in rhe world was here. Back then, Qiu Tianhe was like all young people. He thought that on the day he left Cloud Dream Swamp, he could take away the title of Saber Chief and return to his hometown in glory like a new top scholar of the imperial examination. Unfortunately, when he left this place in the end, although he had become a true saberman, he couldn¡¯t fulfill his wish and took away the affection and hatred that he had yet to settle. He remembered that the beginning of everything was in Yellow Springs Town. Just like now, Qiu Tianhe was walking on this old street with a saber and a horse. Back then, a handsome Jianghu young man had walked over. He was dressed in black and had a Hornless Dragon Saber at his waist. He was not as sharp as Ye Jingtang, but he was much more arrogant. The two of them brushed past each other. He glanced at the other party¡¯s Hornless Dragon Saber, and the young man looked at his Heaven Equaling Saber. Then there was the crisp sound of sabers being drawn. The Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade was very fast, but his Heaven Equaling Saber was even faster. From then on, he had a brother called Zheng Feng. They drank together, practiced the saber together, and went to Jun Mountain Terrace to see like-minded saber users and heroines together. That period of time was the most carefree time in Qiu Tianhe¡¯s life. It was likely also Zheng Feng s most carefree time. If not for the concubine incident later, the two of them might still be walking around Cloud Dream Swamp, drinking and sparring, fantasizing about the day they would replace Old Man Xuanyuan as the Saber Chief. Unfortunately, the world made fools of people. After a storm, he had finally gotten rid of his identity as a rebel and obtained freedom. As for Zheng Feng, he didn¡¯t even have the chance to turn things around. His soul had already returned to the earth, and he had become a person of the past. On the other hand, Old Man Xuanyuan was still sitting in the Saber Chief1 s position. He hadn¡¯t changed much from before. Good people didn¡¯t live long, and a scourge lived for a thousand years. This was likely the meaning¡­ Qiu Tianhe led his horse through the old street, recalling all the details of the past. When he arrived outside an old wine shop, he stopped. The wine shop was called the Yellow Springs Saber Tomb. In the past, an old saberman had opened it. When Qiu Tianhe first came to Ze Province, he had often come here with Zheng Feng to listen to the shopkeeper brag. But now, things had changed. The old shopkeeper had long been buried, and his beautiful and adorable daughter had become a charming middle-aged woman. Qiu Tianhe stopped his horse at the door and took a few glances inside. He could see that the four tables were full of young Jianghu people with sabers. Just like him back then, they were chatting in full swing about Jianghu with their friends. However, the person they were talking about had changed from the peak saber users 30 years ago to him, who had experienced this before. ¡°¡­ Hero Qiu will definitely come here. He shouted so loudly at Jasper Pavilion in the capital. If he doesn¡¯t come here and fight with Old Man Xuanyuan, wouldn¡¯t it become all bark and no bite¡­¡± ¡°More than three thousand people have arrived at Jun Mountain Terrace. They¡¯re all waiting eagerly. Speaking of which, Jun Mountain Terrace is really black-hearted. Not to mention sitting on the island, just a standing position on a ferry costs two taels of silver¡­11 ¡°There are bets in the prefecture capital. The odds are one to ten for Hero Qiu to lose. How much did you bet?¡± ¡°I bet thirty taels of silver on Old Man Xuanyuan. Although 1 support Hero Qiu, 1 can¡¯t give money to the bankers for free¡­¡± ¡°Tsk¡­¡± Qiu Tianhe took a deep breath. The emotions he had painstakingly brewed were completely destroyed by these little brats. He didn¡¯t even have the mood to go in and drink. In the wine shop, the lady boss lifted the curtain with some side dishes. When she saw Qiu Tianhe outside the door, she was stunned for a moment before turning around. ¡°Gang¡¯zi, your friend is here.¡± Seeing this, Qiu Tianhe was rather surprised. He tied the horse to the door and entered the old wine shop. ¡°Little Sister Lan, 1 haven¡¯t seen you for more than ten years, but you can still recognize me. It¡¯s really not easy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re already in your fifties, yet you still call me little sister. Shameless.¡± ¡°He he¡­¡± Qiu Tianhe greeted her and lifted the curtain of the wine shop to the backyard. The backyard was not big. There were many ropes hanging in it, and the saberfish caught from the lake were drying on them. People could smell the thick fishy smell when they entered. In the kitchen, a middle-aged man dressed as a shopkeeper was stir-frying some dishes in a pot with a ladle in one hand. When he saw Qiu Tianhe enter, he said calmly, ¡°Have a seat. 1¡¯11 finish cooking these two dishes.¡± Qiu Tianhe went to the window and stood with his hands behind his back. He looked at Xuanyuan Tiangang, who was no different from a common man in the market. He thought for a moment and sighed. ¡°Zheng Feng left at the beginning of the year.¡± The cooking stopped. Xuanyuan Tiangang fell silent for a moment before asking, ¡°How did he leave?¡± ¡°He died at rhe wine table. It should be because his internal injuries from back then hadn¡¯t healed.¡± Xuanyuan Tiangang frowned. Back then, he had always been helping Zheng Feng and his sister. After that storm, he had even broken off ties with his family and left Jianghu, giving up his bright future. However, his former friend had ended up like this because of the Xuanyuan family¡¯s scheme. As long as his surname was Xuanyuan, the guilt in his heart couldn¡¯t be erased.. Chapter 313 - Chapter 313: The Next Day (2) Chapter 313: The Next Day (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Did Zheng Feng leave behind an heir?¡± ¡°His injuries couldn¡¯t be cured, so how could he have an heir? He took in a foster son, whose talent and character are not bad. That kid was the one who fished me out of prison. It probably won¡¯t be long before he goes to Jun Mountain Terrace to seek revenge.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a cause yesterday, and there¡¯s a consequence today. It¡¯s only right to seek revenge. This is the Xuanyuan family¡¯s matter. They have had nothing to do with me since more than twenty years ago.¡± Qiu Tianhe sighed. He understood that although Xuanyuan Tiangang said this open-mindedly, the difficulties in his heart were greater than his. After all, one side was his family, and the other was a close friend. The enmity between the two sides wouldn¡¯t end until one of them died. The more someone valued affection and righteousness, the more inhumane they would be. They had to help, but helping anyone was ruthless and unrighteous. Qiu Tianhe knew that talking about these things would only add to his frustration, so he didn¡¯t say anything else. He entered the kitchen, grabbed a pair of chopsticks, and picked up a piece of stir-fried meat. ¡°Your saber skills haven¡¯t deteriorated. They¡¯re still as oppressive as before¡­¡± ¡°This was cut by Alan. If you want to freeload, just say it. There¡¯s no need to flatter me.¡± H H Qiu Tianhe looked slightly embarrassed and blinked. ¡°It¡¯s ail thanks to you that Sister Lan has practiced her saber skills to this level¡­ Not bad. It still tastes the same as before. Zheng Feng liked this taste. Give me two taels of Yellow Springs Flame. After eating and drinking, I¡¯ll go to Jun Mountain Terrace to challenge him. I¡¯ll have lived a worthy life if I die in the arena.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± The rising sun shone through the window paper and onto the floor in front of the canopy bed. There were no other guests in the inn, so it was very quiet in the morning. The only sounds were the ones coming from outside the window. ¡°Coo- coo coo~¡± It sounded like chirping, but it was actually the bored bird calling Tangtang to wake up. Behind the curtain, a faint fragrance still lingered. Ye Jingtang was lying on his side with his right arm stretched out for Third Lady to use as a pillow. His cheek was resting on her soft hair, and his lower abdomen felt sticky. There was an indescribable softness in the warmth and coolness. With her back to the two of them, Luo Ning was being hugged by Third Lady and sleeping soundly on Ye Jingtang¡¯s forearm. The sleeping posture of the three of them was a little strange. Initially, Ye Jingtang had wanted to lay in the middle with one in each arm. But Ning¡¯er was too shy and refused to lie in his arm in front of Third Lady. She insisted on sleeping in the innermost area. Third Lady had been bullied for a long time in the past. Seeing Ning¡¯er¡¯s unwillingness, perhaps because she wanted revenge, she forcefully hugged Ning¡¯er, who was dizzy and didn¡¯t want to move, and layered everyone together. Ye Jingtang¡¯s arms were long, so he didn¡¯t feel any pressure holding them both at a time. It was true that he enjoyed it, but there was a small problem with sleeping like this. After his arm was used as a pillow until now, his right hand had basically lost feeling, and his entire arm was numb. But as a man, it was only right for him to suffer a bit. Ye Jingtang enjoyed it and didn¡¯t feel uncomfortable at all. Hearing the bird¡¯s chirping, Ye Jingtang opened his eyes and carefully raised his head to look around. Seeing that Third Lady and Ning¡¯er, who had worked hard all night, had yet to wake up, he didn¡¯t move and silently sensed the condition of his body. After the two women took turns on him for the entire night, although his exuberant essence qi still hadn¡¯t subsided, his impetuous qi and blood had still stabilized. He felt that his ears and eyes were clear, and every inch of his skin seemed to be much cleaner and smoother. The changes in the meridians in his body were the greatest. His inner breath was long and formed a circulation of its own. Even without using his qi, he could feel the terrifying explosive power hidden in his body. As for the rest, there were not many changes. The strongest effect of the Heavenly Carnelian Bead should be ¡®rebirth¡¯, which was adjusting the muscles, bones, and meridians, allowing the physique and bones to reach the most perfect state. Because they had already been adjusted last time, there were no changes to his muscles and bones this time. It was just that his meridians had been widened and opened. Although his increase in strength was very great, he could have polished his meridians by accumulating hard work over time. Even without taking the Heavenly Carnelian Bead, he could have reached his current state in a few years. The Heavenly Carnelian Bead had consumed 250 grams of Snow Lake Flower to concoct. Its main function should be to temper the muscles and bones. It was indeed a little wasteful to use it like this. But the ingredients for this Heavenly Carnelian Bead had been obtained by Zhang Jinglin from Northern Liang. Ye Jingtang had picked up a huge bargain, so he couldn¡¯t even say that his heart ached. After he let his thoughts run wild for a moment, perhaps because his breathing frequency had changed, Third Lady, who was lying in front of him, moved her eyelashes and opened her almond-shaped eyes. Ye Jingtang whispered into her ear, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Go back to sleep and get some more rest.¡± Pei Xiangjun woke up. Her face, which had returned to normal, flushed red again. She tilted her head and looked at the vixen in her arms. ¡°She¡¯s really useless. Look at her. She starts weeping after a few times and lies down without moving. How did she help you recuperate in the past?¡± Ye Jingtang actually felt that Third Lady wasn¡¯t much better than Ning¡¯er. It was just that she had been determined to fight for her pride and didn¡¯t want to appear weak in front of Ning¡¯er, so she had forced herself to act as if she were at ease. Ye Jingtang naturally saw through this and didn¡¯t say anything. He only said, ¡°I didn¡¯t take so many tonics in the past, so Ning¡¯er could handle it. Did 1 use too much strength yesterday? Did I hurt you?¡± Pei Xiangjun felt a little sore, but she was mostly fine. She leaned against Ye Jingtang¡¯s chest and felt that he seemed to be ready to fight again. She bit her lower lip and glanced at him. ¡°Jingtang, do you still want to¡­¡± H 11 Ye Jingtang was certainly thinking about it. Seeing Third Lady being so considerate, he silently moved his hand under the thin blanket¡­ ¡°Ah-¡± Pei Xiangjun¡¯s face turned even redder. She covered her lips with her hand, and her eyes were watery. She remained silent as she treated him. After being intimate for a while, Pei Xiangjun saw the vixen in front of her. Her eyelashes fluttered, and then she opened her eyes. She turned around to look at her and then turned her face back, wanting to break free from her embrace and get away.. Chapter 314 - Chapter 314: The Next Day (3) Chapter 314: The Next Day (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Why are you running?¡± Pei Xiangjun held Luo Ning in her arms and pulled Ye Jingtang¡¯s hand over. Luo Ning¡¯s eyes were instantly filled with shame and anger. She pressed down the arm of Ye Jingtang, who was bullying the two of them at once. ¡°Little thief, you promised not to mess around yesterday¡­¡± Pei Xiangjun hugged Luo Ning tightly and frowned. ¡°That was yesterday. It¡¯s already the next day. Don¡¯t move around. Let Jingtang rub you for a while.¡± ¡°Third Lady, why are you spoiling him? His personality of pushing his luck¡­¡± When Luo Ning saw that Ye Jingtang was really taking action, her face gradually turned red. She could only close her eyes and pretend not to cooperate¡­ In the blink of an eye, it was late in the morning. The window in the room was open, and warm sunlight shone into the room. Pei Xiangjun wore a light yellow ruqun and sat elegantly in front of the dressing table. Her already mature and beautiful face had become a little more moisturized. Luo Ning was standing behind Third Lady and helping her tie her hair, but she looked quite fierce. When she saw Third Lady peeking at Ye Jingtang, who was changing his clothes behind them, she even held her face with her hands. ¡°Sit still. Don¡¯t move.¡± ¡°Why are you so fierce? Why didn¡¯t I see you being so arrogant earlier?¡± ¡°Yesterday was your first time, so I accommodated you. The next time you help a villain do evil, don¡¯t blame me for being rude¡­¡± ¡°Tsk~¡± Ye Jingtang was changing his clothes at the back. Because he had been a little presumptuous just now, it wasn¡¯t appropriate for him to interrupt and joke. After silently changing into the Black Office¡¯s robe, he rubbed his waist that Ning¡¯er had pinched for a long time, bade farewell to the two women, and left the inn¡­ In Riverside Town, the imperial guards were on standby in the shade. From time to time, scouts would come flying from the distant Wu Mountains and run into the inn to report the various news they had obtained. ¡°Ze Province¡¯s troops have already caught up with the Prince of Wu¡¯s team. They fought in the early morning and captured many of the people accompanying him. The Prince of Wu led more than ten personal guards to break out of the siege¡­¡± ¡°Is there a person named Zhang Wenyuan among the people captured by the Prince of Wu?¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t had the time to check. It¡¯s unclear at the moment¡­¡± ¡°Check again.¡± In the main hall of the inn, Dongfang Liren, dressed in a silver python dress, assumed the attitude that a princess should have while standing behind two tables put together. On the tables was a detailed map of Wu Province. There were various arrowheads and circles on it, indicating the location of the Prince of Wu and the imperial court¡¯s troops. From the looks of it, she looked like a general good at war, strategizing and commanding troops. But in fact, the Ze Province troops in the mountains were not under this command at all. This wasn¡¯t because Dongfang Liren couldn¡¯t mobilize them but because she didn¡¯t dare to give orders rashly from afar. Without entering the mountains, Dongfang Liren could only deduce and analyze the situation in the mountains based on the intelligence sent back by the scouts. Hearing that the Ze Province army was about to capture the Prince of Wu, Dongfang Liren looked up at the street outside the door. Why isn¡¯t that scoundrel here yet? Did he lose himself in carnal pleasures and forget the time¡­ Although she was a little anxious, Dongfang Liren had no intention of sending someone to look for Ye Jingtang. After all, she knew that he had been extremely lustful last night. After working hard for so many days and making great contributions, she had to let him enjoy himself. After she waited for an unknown period of time, a chief constable of the Black Office called out from outside the door, ¡°Sir Bird is here!¡± ¡°Chirp chirp-¡± Dongfang Liren looked up and saw the big bird appear on the sunny street outside the door. After responding to the chief constable and the maidservant who greeted it, it jumped up the steps and raised its wing to greet her. In the corner of the hall, Daoist Xuanji had nothing to do and had been drinking alone. When she saw the lousy bird, who had repaid kindness with ingratitude, she curled her finger slightly and teased it. ¡°Cluck cluck-¡± ¡°Chirp?¡± When the bird saw that Sister Heartless was also here and that she was treating it like a chicken, it was instantly unhappy. It put on a ¡®I am very fierce¡¯ look and ran over to kick Daoist Xuanji¡¯s shoe with its claws. When Dongfang Liren saw the bird, she knew that Ye Jingtang had arrived. She went to the door and looked out. On the sunny street, Ye Jingtang, who was wearing a black robe and had a saber hanging at his waist, was walking over from afar. Along the way, he was greeting the chief constables of the Black Office he knew. He looked radiant and in great spirits. When Dongfang Liren saw this cold and extraordinary appearance, she knew that Ye Jingtang had a good rest. But for some reason, after seeing the well-dressed scoundrel, she felt especially strange. As for Daoist Xuanji, whose skirt the bird was biting and shaking, when she saw Ye Jingtang walking over from outside, she restrained her frivolous demeanor, assumed the posture of an enlightened Daoist, and arrived behind Dongfang Liren¡­ Chapter 315 - Chapter 315: Suspicious (1) Chapter 315: Suspicious (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The bright sunlight shone under the eaves of the inn. Two women were standing at the door, casting two graceful shadows on the ground. Dongfang Liren was wearing a dignified and noble python dress. Her figure was extremely tall, and her curves were rather heroic. From the side, her legs were very slender, and her hip line formed a shapely curve at the back of her waist. Farther up was a three-dimensional fat-headed dragon outlined by silver threads. Coupled with her unsmiling expression, she had the pressure of a cold queen. Daoist Xuanji was standing half a step behind her. Compared to Dongfang Liren, her figure was more graceful. Her waist was as slender as a willow, and her chest was plump. Her white dress, which was as smooth as water, made her look spotless. But the few embroidered petals at the hem of her skirt and the red wine gourd hanging at her waist made her look less formal, making it difficult to distinguish if she was good or evil. If it were any other time, Daoist Xuanji would have stood very casually. She might have crossed her arms, leaned against the door frame, and drank wine. But because the person she was going to meet was rather special, Daoist Xuanji still put on the bearing of an ¡®imperial teacher¡¯. She had her hands folded at her waist, and the expression on her beautiful face was meticulous. Her eyes were ¡®kind and peaceful¡¯, making her look like a highly respected ¡®female master¡¯. Ye Jingtang walked across the street with the Hornless Dragon Saber hanging at his waist. When he saw the ¡®newbish and fun-loving¡¯ master and disciple pair from afar, he felt that Dumdum looked more imposing. As for Daoist Xuanji, because of her clothes, no matter how proper her bearing was, she still felt a little demonic. But it was certainly difficult to say these judgmental words. Ye Jingtang reached the foot of the stairs and cupped his hands respectfully. ¡°Your Highness!¡± ¡°Chirp chirp!¡± The bird was still holding Daoist Xuanji¡¯s skirt in its mouth and shaking its head vigorously. When it saw Ye Jingtang arrive, it put on an aggrieved expression. It probably wanted Tangtang to help beat up Sister Heartless. ¡°No need to stand on ceremony.¡± Dongfang Liren didn¡¯t dare to be too intimate with Ye Jingtang in front of her master. She raised her hand and introduced seriously, ¡°This is Daoist Xuanji, my respected master. She is the sixth peerless expert in the world. You can call her Ms. Imperial Teacher, or you can call her Fairy Lu like the people in the Black Office. Master, this is Young Master Ye, Ye Jingtang.¡± Daoist Xuanji had the aura of an expert as she nodded slightly without batting an eyelid. After Ye Jingtang had seen Daoist Xuanji¡¯s playful appearance, it was very difficult for him to treat this sister in front of him as an expert. Furthermore, a few days ago, she had hugged him and rubbed against him, which was a little ambiguous after all. When they met again, he felt very strange. After Ye Jingtang glanced at Daoist Xuanji, he raised his hands and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Fairy Lu. I have heard of your name since I was a child. Seeing you today, you¡¯re indeed extraordinary.¡± Dongfang Liren felt that Ye Jingtang¡¯s flattery was a little perfunctory. She said softly, ¡°My master only ranked eighth ten years ago. You¡¯ve heard of my master¡¯s name since you were a child?¡± Ye Jingtang blinked. ¡°Ten years ago, I was eight.¡± Eightyears o/d? Dongfang Liren was slightly stunned. Although she knew Ye Jingtang¡¯s age, he looked about the same age as her and had a mature temperament, so she had always treated him as a peer. When she heard him say that he was only an eight-year-old kid ten years ago, she couldn¡¯t help being a little stunned. After all, her sister had already ascended the throne ten years ago. Wouldn¡¯t this make her an old horse pulling a young cart¡­ Due to her personality, Daoist Xuanji didn¡¯t have as many strange thoughts as Dongfang Liren. She only smiled and said, ¡°Young Master Ye, you¡¯re really young and promising.¡± ¡°Hehe, thank you for your praise, Fairy¡­¡± Ye Jingtang and Daoist Xuanji felt a little awkward. Because of this, their conversation was very formal. Basically, it was just a conversation of superfluous respectful words. Daoist Xuanji felt that chatting like this was boring. After saying a few words, she looked down at the little bird, who was still beating her up. ¡°I¡¯ll take it out for a walk. You guys chat.¡± ¡°Chirp?¡± The bird moved to the side and signaled: I am firm and unyielding, and I am definitely not servile¡­ ¡°Cluck Cluck- Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll bring you to eat something delicious.¡± The bird was stunned for a moment. Then it raised its wing and said goodbye to Sister Fat-Headed Dragon before staggering away. Ye Jingtang had long understood the temperament of the bird. After shaking his head and watching the human and bird leave, he stepped onto the steps of the inn. Dongfang Liren secretly heaved a sigh of relief when she saw her master leave, but her cold expression didn¡¯t soften. She entered the hall with Ye Jingtang and stood with her hands behind her back without saying a word. Ye Jingtang wanted to ask about the situation in the mountains, but before he could say anything, he noticed that Dumdum didn¡¯t look too happy. It seemed that she was going to reprimand him. He felt puzzled. ¡°Your Highness?¡± Seeing Ye Jingtang¡¯s blank eyes, Dongfang Liren frowned and said, ¡°What did you do last night? Have you forgotten?¡± Last night, Ye Jingtang first gave Third Lady some meat and then was ridden in turns. The impact was so great that he really forgot about what had happened. When Dumdum mentioned it, he remembered about the scoundrel incident and apologized. ¡°My mind wasn¡¯t clear yesterday. Please don¡¯t mind me for offending Your Highness.¡± Only then was Dongfang Liren satisfied. ¡°It¡¯s good that you know your mistake. On account that you were injured because of work, I will let bygones be bygones. There won¡¯t be a next time.¡± After expressing her attitude, Dongfang Liren looked back at the door and asked, ¡°My master is such a powerful figure. Don¡¯t you have any thoughts when you see her?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ She feels very fairy-like. It seems like she stands alone between heaven and earth and feels like a breeze sprinkling blue snow. As for how powerful she is, 1 haven¡¯t seen it. I think I¡¯ll have to spar with her to realize it¡­¡± ¡°If there¡¯s a chance, I¡¯ll tell my master about this and give you a chance to ask for guidance.¡± Ye Jingtang was rather interested in sparring with experts. He nodded slightly and thought of something. He looked at Dumdum beside him. ¡°Has Your Highness learned the Overlord Spear and the Wind Listening Palm?¡± Chapter 316 - Chapter 316: Suspicious (2) Chapter 316: Suspicious (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Dongfang Liren was like a student whose teacher was checking her homework. Her expression froze slightly, and she subconsciously stood up straighter. ¡°I¡¯ve definitely learned it. It¡¯s just that¡­ I¡¯ve been busy with work these days and haven¡¯t had much time to practice martial arts¡­¡± Ye Jingtang was skeptical. ¡°Practicing martial arts is a big deal. You can¡¯t slack off. Your Highness, please make up a spear stance for me to see.¡± Dongfang Liren looked around and saw that no one was watching in the hall. She slid her feet forward and backward, clenched her hands, and assumed a standard spear stance. ¡°How is it?¡± Ye Jingtang walked around Dongfang Liren and found that there was no difference in her stance between now and back at Jasper Pavilion. When Dongfang Liren saw Ye Jingtang frown, she took a deep breath, and her fat-headed dragon puffed up a little. She was a little unconvinced. ¡°1 practiced according to what you taught me. Is there a problem?¡± Ye Jingtang came behind Dongfang Liren, held her arm, and raised it slightly. Then he hooked her ankle with his foot and slid it a little to the side. After confirming that there was nothing wrong with her posture, he held her waist with both hands and swayed her back and forth. Swish swish- The swaying formed trembling waves on Dongfang Liren, and she was a little annoyed. ¡°You¡¯re shaking so hard. How can I stand still?¡± ¡°Your Highness¡¯s lower body is unstable. Your body became unstable after I swayed casually. If an opponent slashes over, you will fall to the ground on the spot.¡± Ye Jingtang was very serious. He went in front of her, planted his feet on the ground, and held his hands in the air, assuming the Cauldron Supporting the Crushing Spear Stance. ¡°Your Highness, try shaking me.¡± Dongfang Liren sized up Ye Jingtang and walked behind him. She held his waist with both hands and shook it a few times. The flesh on Ye Jingtang¡¯s waist moved, but the muscles and bones inside were like iron frames, stably supporting his body. Even when she shook his waist forcefully, there was no ripple in his drooping sleeves at all. ¡°How is it?¡± Dongfang Liren felt the gap between them. After some thought, she placed her hands on the side of Ye Jingtang¡¯s waist and used the method of the Wind Listening Palm to sense the details of his muscles exerting strength. Then she slowly slid her hands to his abs¡­ ? Ye Jingtang¡¯s essence qi was vigorous, and he had yet to finish recuperating. Dumdum put her hands around his waist and touched his stomach, and the soft fat-headed dragon was pressing against his back. His breathing became chaotic. Dongfang Liren discovered a flaw in Ye Jingtang¡¯s immovability, and her eyes immediately lit up. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Ye Jingtang was a little helpless. ¡°This is different¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s different? When a man slashes you, you¡¯re as motionless as a mountain. But when a woman seduces you before launching a sneak attack, you can¡¯t even stand steadily?¡± It was rare for Dongfang Liren to catch Ye Jingtang¡¯s flaw. She put on the posture of a strict teacher and patted his shoulder. ¡°Stand properly!¡± Ye Jingtang knew that there was indeed something wrong with him. He suppressed his emotions and tried to calm himself down. But Dongfang Liren had no intention of letting Ye Jingtang off. She pressed her hands on his abdominal muscles, moved her head to his shoulder, and blew lightly on his neck. ¡°Phew-¡± ?! Half of Ye Jingtang¡¯s body went limp. He turned his head. ¡°Your Highness, what are you doing?¡± Dongfang Liren put on a serious expression. ¡°Testing you. What else can 1 do? Don¡¯t you even have this bit of willpower? Stand properly!¡± Ye Jingtang wasn¡¯t a dead person. How could he be calm after being blatantly seduced by Dumdum? But he felt that what she said made sense. If he couldn¡¯t even withstand such a small test, if he encountered a demoness with evil intentions in the future, he might lose his reason on the spot. Thinking about it, he didn¡¯t refute her. He forcefully stabilized his mind and allowed Dumdum to tease him. Dongfang Liren¡¯s understanding of martial arts was indeed inferior to Ye Jingtang¡¯s. But in terms of her comprehension of applying profound martial arts to the handle of a saber, she could be considered extraordinarily talented. Seeing that Ye Jingtang still wanted to resist, Dongfang Liren used the Wind Listening Palm to sense the changes in his qi and blood. With just the right touch, in a few moves, Ye Jingtang¡¯s breathing was unstable, his qi and blood were surging chaotically, and ¡®it¡¯ gradually transformed into a big scoundrel. Fortunately, this show of a superior taking advantage of a subordinate didn¡¯t last long. Rapid footsteps came from outside the door. Tread, tread, tread¡­ Dongfang Liren¡¯s expression changed slightly. She hurriedly retracted her hands and stood up straight, pretending to be serious and asking about work. Ye Jingtang felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He turned around and saw a chief constable of the Black Office walking quickly to the door and cupping his hands. ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s news from the mountains that the Prince of Wu is hiding in a cave. His personal guards are relying on the terrain to defend to the death. It¡¯s already impossible for him to escape. Your Highness, should the Ze Province army bring him back, or¡­¡± Dongfang Liren frowned. She wasn¡¯t very happy to hear this news. After all, she had waited for Ye Jingtang for the entire morning. If she set off now, by the time she got there, the Prince of Wu would have long been caught. Did she bring so many people all the way from Rising Sun City just to be a bystander? Ye Jingtang understood Dongfang Liren¡¯s thoughts. He knew that he had delayed Miss Dumdum¡¯s time to take credit, so he said, ¡°Why don¡¯t I bring the experts of the Black Office and send Your Highness over now? It¡¯s around fifteen kilometers of mountain paths. It won¡¯t take long to arrive there. Perhaps 1 can even restrain Bai Siming. This will save the soldiers from incurring more casualties.¡± Dongfang Liren felt that this was a good idea and immediately set out. ¡°Let¡¯s go-¡± Chapter 317 - Chapter 317: Suspicious (3) Chapter 317: Suspicious (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Meanwhile, in Riverside Town¡­ The afternoon sun was a little strong. Daoist Xuanji slowly walked along the shade of the riverbank, twirling the wine gourd between her fingers while appreciating the beautiful scenery. On the wall beside her, the bird, who had eaten its fill, jumped and followed her while chirping, seemingly saying: On account of you being sensible, 1 forgive you¡­ Daoist Xuanji naturally couldn¡¯t understand what the bird was saying. After she walked along the river for a while, a wall blocked the path, making it inconvenient to walk. She prepared to turn back. But before Daoist Xuanji could turn around, her ears twitched slightly as she faintly heard two people talking in the distance. ¡°I¡¯m too embarrassed to buy such smallclothes, but you actually prepared two sets¡­¡± ¡°Do you think I wanted to buy them? Madam Wang recommended the store for a long time, and I had to give her face, so I bought them¡­¡± ¡°When we get back, help me get a few sets. Yours are too small for me to wear¡­¡± ¡°How much bigger are you than me that you can¡¯t wear them?!¡± Although the voices were very faint and were far away on the second floor of a small inn, with Daoist Xuanji¡¯s hearing, she could still hear them clearly. She felt that one of the cold voices sounded familiar. But just as she was about to listen carefully, a voice came from afar. ¡°Fairy Lu!¡± Daoist Xuanji turned around and saw that in the center of the town, more than ten figures had jumped onto the roofs and were speeding toward the town entrance. At the front was Ye Jingtang, who was dressed in black, and Liren followed beside him. After seeing her, Ye Jingtang suddenly accelerated. In the blink of an eye, he flew across half the street and said from afar, ¡°Something happened in the mountains. Let¡¯s go there quickly.¡± Seeing that they were about to leave, Daoist Xuanji turned back to look at the small inn not far away. From the looks of it, she wanted to go over and take a look. Ye Jingtang could tell that Daoist Xuanji was suspicious. He laned in front of her and said with a smile, ¡°They¡¯re my friends inside. One of them treated your injuries last time. Let¡¯s go first. If we¡¯re any slower, Her Highness won¡¯t be able to make it.¡± Friends¡­ When Daoist Xuanji fainted, she had indeed vaguely heard a woman¡¯s voice. She came to a realization and guessed that her sense of deja vu came from this. She didn¡¯t ask further and rushed to Dongfang Liren¡¯s location with Ye Jingtang. On the way, she asked, ¡°Did you bring two female attendants with you when you went out on a mission?¡± Ye Jingtang found it difficult to explain, so he blinked. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± H ii Daoist Xuanji felt that there was nothing wrong with it. It just didn¡¯t fit Ye Jingtang¡¯s persona of being unmoved by beauty¡­ The 2,000 soldiers from White Millet Town were all light cavalry from Ze Province. Because they had to enter high mountains to search, and it was difficult for horses to enter, all the warhorses had been left in a camp outside the mountains, guarded by more than a hundred soldiers. The camp was only around five kilometers away from Riverside Town where the Prince of Jing was. At noon, dozens of soldiers were walking in the camp with more than 2,000 warhorses and feeding them water and grass. A burly military official came out of a tent and quickly walked to the official road. He greeted from afar, ¡°Greetings, Martial Uncle. Why have you suddenly come to Wu Province?¡± Outside the camp, Xuanyuan Hongzhi was wearing a bamboo hat and standing in the shade beside the official road. When he saw the military official come out, he said, ¡°Wu Province hasn¡¯t been peaceful recently, so I came over to take a look. How¡¯s the situation in the mountains?¡± The current group of light cavalry belonged to the Ze Province¡¯s South Stabilizing Army. As a top martial arts aristocratic family in Ze Province with a marquis conferred by the Imperial Court, the experts in the sect were specially hired instructors of the army, and there were countless disciples and grand-disciples working in the army. The military official who came out was someone who had learned martial arts at Jun Mountain Terrace. Although he was only an honorary disciple who had learned some skills and then left the mountain to earn a living, the rules of martial arts were strict. The military official was still very respectful of Xuanyuan Hongzhi. He replied, ¡°The scouts just sent news that they have already surrounded the Prince of Wu. They should be able to capture him soon¡­¡± When Xuanyuan Hongzhi came out of the mountains last night, he had discovered hundreds of imperial guards marching into the mountains. He only came here to find a disciple to ask about Ye Jingtang¡¯s whereabouts. After chatting for a while, he asked, ¡°Has the Prince of Jing also entered the mountain?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. The Prince of Jing is staying in the town in front, and I haven¡¯t seen her giving any orders¡­ By the way, the Prince of Jing asked us to pay attention to a person named Zhang Wenyuan. She said that he¡¯s related to a disappearance case of the Black Office. Judging from her explanation, this matter is quite important. Have you heard of this person, Martial Uncle?¡± Zhang Wenyuan¡­ Xuanyuan Hongzhi was slightly surprised. He recalled the child waiting in Baywater Town. After some consideration, he shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of him. Wu Province isn¡¯t peaceful. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not safe for the Prince of Jing to be here. Do you know what experts she has with her?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. There are probably a lot¡­¡± After asking for a while, Xuanyuan Hongzhi bade farewell to the military official and went to the forest. Yao Wenzhong had been listening from the forest. ¡°Zhang Wenyuan left Jun Mountain Terrace more than twenty years ago, and he doesn¡¯t have much ability. Why did the Prince of Jing specifically order the soldiers to pay attention?¡± Xuanyuan Hongzhi thought for a moment. ¡°The Prince of Jing has a high status and authority, so it¡¯s impossible for her to pay attention to a common Jianghu man alone. For her to specially order a search, someone must have asked her to pay attention to this matter¡­ Let¡¯s go to Baywater Town and ask who¡¯s helping that kid find his father.¡± Yao Wenzhong got on his horse and thought for a moment. ¡°Back then, Zhang Wenyuan left Jun Mountain Terrace because of Zheng Feng¡¯s matter. If the soldiers find him, Ye Jingtang might personally send him to Baywater Town to reunite the father and son¡­ How are the people you contacted?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already sent the letters. I¡¯ve contacted five sabermen with good skills in Ze Province. They¡¯re all people who value money more than their lives. With you and me, the ambush is almost surefire. But when they rush over, I¡¯m afraid there won¡¯t be enough time. Moreover, if Ye Jingtang brings the experts of the Black Office along, something might go wrong¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s make arrangements first and adapt to the situation¡­¡± As they conversed, the two horses galloped along the official road¡­ Chapter 318 - Chapter 318: The Dust Settles (1) Chapter 318: The Dust Settles (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Noon. A group of more than ten people flew across mountains and headed into the depths of the mountains. Ye Jingtang had been here yesterday, so he was leading the way as a guide. The fifty kilometers of mountain paths was not far for people with strong martial arts skills, but crossing mountains and ridges along the way was ultimately still tiring. In a situation where people were unfamiliar with the path conditions, it was normal for them to miss their footing and slip. Ye Jingtang saw that it was a little strenuous for Dongfang Liren to follow him. He wanted to do his duty as a personal guard and carry Dumdum on his back. But Dongfang Liren didn¡¯t have the nerve to lie on the man¡¯s back in front of her subordinates. She only quietly held Daoist Xuanji¡¯s wrist and asked her master to help take care of her so that she wouldn¡¯t accidentally fall in public and embarrass herself. Not long after speeding through the mountains, the group arrived near the Hidden Dragon Cave. The large medicinal furnace was still alone in the forest. As for Guan Yujia¡¯s corpse, because he was a famous person in Wu Province¡¯s Jianghu, the soldiers had already carried it away. After walking another few kilometers into the mountains, they could see many arrows and discarded armor and weapons in the wilderness. The temporary camp of the 2,000 soldiers was nearby. There were more than 100 injured people inside. The Prince of Wu¡¯s personal guards who had surrendered and the captured followers were temporarily detained here. Ye Jingtang arrived at the camp and made inquiries. He found out that when the Prince of Wu fled with his guards, he had been injured by a stray arrow and fled to Yellow Stone Ridge. More than 1,000 soldiers were surrounding Yellow Stone Ridge. But because Yellow Stone Ridge was another hiding place prepared by the Prince of Wu, defensive facilities had been built in advance. One man could hold off ten thousand men. Currently, the general leading the team was still trying to persuade them to surrender. As for the hundreds of test subjects that the Prince of Wu had captured, the Prince of Wu didn¡¯t have the time to care about them after the siege yesterday. Most of them had taken advantage of the chaos to escape into the forest. The soldiers hadn¡¯t had the time to search for them. After Ye Jingtang found out about this, he could only focus on the Prince of Wu for the time being. He went to Yellow Stone Ridge with Dongfang Liren. Under the scorching sun, nearly a thousand soldiers holding powerful bows and crossbows were scattered in the mountains and wilderness around Yellow Stone Ridge. Yellow Stone Ridge¡¯s geographical environment was very special. It was surrounded by steep mountains on all sides. The only path leading to the top of the mountain ridge was a narrow path that the Prince of Wu had sent people to dig. Along the way, there were twists and turns and doomays dug out. Arrows couldn¡¯t be shot from below. As long as one person and one spear guarded a corner, even if there were thousands of soldiers, they wouldn¡¯t be able to break through to the mountain ridge. There was no lack of experts in the Ze Province army who knew lightness skills, but there was still Bai Siming on the mountain ridge. Just three to five experts rushing up would be sending themselves to their death in vain. The thousand-odd soldiers who came to capture the Prince of Wu were helpless. They could only surround Yellow Stone Ridge to prevent him from breaking out. A military official stood at the foot of the mountain and shouted at the top of his voice, ¡°As a dignified prince of the blood of Great Wei and a legitimate son of the Great Ancestor, if you want to die, the Imperial Court will give you a white ribbon to hang yourself and leave your corpse intact¡­ ¡°The weather is so hot in June. If you die on the mountain, we can only cut off your head, cover it with lime, and bring it back to Yun¡¯an. When the court officials see it, your head will probably be infested with maggots and smell terrible¡­¡± This persuasion was very ridiculous, but the effect was indeed not bad. In the depths of a natural cave on Yellow Stone Ridge, two torches were lit. Four injured guards were leaning against the wall and looking at the weapons in their hands with lifeless eyes. The Prince of Wu, Dongfang Heng, had aged more than ten years in just a few days. His hair was white, and he held a sword embedded with pearls and jade in his hand. He raised it to his neck several times, but when he heard the shout from the bottom of the mountain, he stopped. The Prince of Wu felt that he should be a hero. In order to prevent the Dongfang clan¡¯s imperial lineage from falling into the hands of an outsider, he had rebelled. Since he was unlucky and failed, he should commit suicide quickly and not lower his head to the empress. This way, he would probably be left with the reputation of being ¡®unyielding¡¯ in the history books of later generations. But what the military official outside said made sense. He was the son of the founding emperor and the current empress¡¯s uncle. Even if he had committed the crime of rebellion, he should be buried with a full corpse. Now, his death was certain, but if he died here, the soldiers would cut off his head and dismember his body. His head would stink when brought to the court officials for examination. His death would be too unseemly¡­ Beside the Prince of Wu, Bai Siming, dressed in a blood-stained robe, was sitting cross-legged on the ground. His expression was relatively calm. Seeing that the Prince of Wu didn¡¯t dare to commit suicide, he said, ¡°As long as there¡¯s life, there¡¯s hope. The soldiers won¡¯t be able to attack in a short period of time. When it¡¯s dark, I will bring Your Highness to break out of the siege and escape to Northern Liang. With Your Highness¡¯s status, the Northern Liang Imperial Court will definitely protect you¡­¡± Sitting at the side, Zhang Jinglin shook his head. ¡°The two dynasties have just established trade relations, and Your Highness is not of much use to Northern Liang. If Your Highness escapes to Northern Liang, it¡¯s very likely that Northern Liang will send you back as a favor. If you can cross the two countries and escape to the northwest of Heavenly Carnelian Lake, there¡¯s still a chance of making a comeback.¡± Dongfang Heng¡¯s gaze moved. Driven by his desire to live, he said, ¡°If it were decades ago, when the Heavenly Carnelian Cavalry was still around, I might have been able to make a comeback. Now, the tribes of the Western Sea are just a pile of loose sand. We¡¯ll only be struggling at death¡¯s door if we go over. We might as well join the Pacifying Heaven Cult.¡± Zhang Jinglin shook his head. ¡°The Pacifying Heaven Cult is located on the southern border of Great Wei. They don¡¯t produce warhorses there, so no matter how many soldiers there are, they¡¯re just infantry. They¡¯re more than enough to defend a city, but if you want to conquer the world from the south to the north with them, no one has ever succeeded since ancient times. ¡°But this isn¡¯t the case for the tribes of the Western Sea. The characters of the people there are wild, and their martial arts culture is prosperous. Women, children, old, and young can wear armor and draw bows, and they can fight well.. As long as someone can twist all the tribes into a rope and gather thirty thousand Heavenly Carnelian Cavalry, it¡¯s enough to establish themselves between the two dynasties and stand on their own¡­¡± Chapter 319 - Chapter 319: The Dust Settles (2) Chapter 319: The Dust Settles (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The Prince of Wu knew the geographical differences between the north and south. He frowned and said, ¡°The tribes of the Western Sea have long dispersed. Northern Liang has annexed them for decades, but they haven¡¯t been able to make the tribes submit completely. If 1 go there, how can 1 make those northwestern barbarians pledge their loyalty to me?¡± ¡°Heavenly Carnelian Lake is the holy land of the tribes of the Western Sea, and the Heavenly Carnelian Bead is regarded by the tribes as a god-given gift. I¡¯ve recreated the Heavenly Carnelian Bead. If Your Highness goes there, you only need to find the leader of a large tribe and offer this bead¡ª¡± ? When Bai Siming heard this, he said impatiently, ¡°Then the leader will consume it and die on the spot, and the tribe will dismember us?¡± Zhang Jinglin said confidently, ¡°My Heavenly Carnelian Bead is definitely real. Guan Yujia must have exploded and died because of his serious injuries. Mr. Bai, if you take it, you will definitely- -¡± ¡°I will definitely die.¡± After Bai Siming saw Guan Yujia¡¯s spectacular death, he had already determined that the Heavenly Carnelian Bead was a quick-acting body explosion pill¡¯. Whoever believed it was a fool. If not for the fact that Zhang Jinglin s medical skills were indeed outstanding and were their capital to protect their lives, he would have made Zhang Jinglin test how domineering the Heavenly Carnelian Bead was himself. Everyone chatted for a while. Their thoughts of committing suicide were dispelled by their desire to live, and they began to discuss how to break out of the encirclement. But not long after they chatted, a personal guard guarding the mountain ridge rushed in. ¡°Things are bad. The Prince of Jing seems to have brought many experts here to storm us¡­¡± When Bai Siming heard this, his heart skipped a beat. He knew that he was really doomed this time. If they were just ordinary soldiers, it was still possible for them to rely on the natural barriers to defend until nighttime and break our with the Prince of Wu alone. But the Prince of Jing had brought the experts of the Imperial Court here. With just a cliff and six or seven personal guards, it was impossible for them to defend this place. Not to mention anything else, just Ye Jingtang alone was enough to make them suffer. If the Prince of Wu were caught, he might be given a peaceful death. But his loyalists would definitely be executed by death by a thousand cuts or dismemberment. Seeing that there was no hope of escape, Bai Siming had the determination to die. After a moment of silence, he stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll go out and take a look. If the situation isn¡¯t good¡­ Your Highness can decide for yourself whether to stay or leave.¡± After saying his words of farewell, Bai Siming tidied his robe and strode toward the exit of the cave, lie wanted to display the peerless elegance of a peak martial artist in the final battle of his life. Even if he died, he would die like an intrepid person. At the same time, below the mountain ridge¡­ After Ye Jingtang communicated with the military officer who had persuaded the surrender, he learned that there were only seven or eight scattered soldiers left. Zhang Jinglin seemed to be still alive, so he naturally couldn¡¯t wait at the foot of the mountain foolishly. If the Prince of Wu planned to commit suicide and killed Zhang Jinglin along the way, it would be a huge loss for Great Wei. After confirming the situation, Ye Jingtang requested to go to Yellow Stone Ridge personally to negotiate with the Prince of Wu. It wasn¡¯t easy for Dongfang Liren to come here, so she definitely had to send her subordinate to do something. She naturally agreed, but for safety reasons, she still instructed, ¡°Master, please go up with Ye Jingtang. If the situation isn¡¯t right, prioritize self-protection. There¡¯s no need to force yourselves to capture the Prince of WTu alive.¡± Daoist Xuanji was just worried that it would be boring to stand in the camp as a pretty face. Hearing this, she walked straight to Yellowstone Ridge. ¡°Young Master Ye, let s go.¡± In a black official robe with a saber hanging at his waist, Ye Jingtang walked behind Daoist Xuanji. When he was far away from the soldiers behind, he asked, ¡°Miss Shuier, how are your injuries?¡± Daoist Xuanji strolled on the narrow path that was only wide enough for one person and chuckled. ¡°You call me fairy in front of others but Shul er behind their backs. What do you mean by this, Young Master Ye?¡± Because the path was too narrow. Ye Jingtang could only walk behind Daoist Xuanji. It wasn¡¯t appropriate for him to look at her swaying waist and hips, so he looked up. ¡°Miss Shui er, you said that senior¡¯ made you seem old, so 1 naturally can¡¯t call you that. As for fairy, I don¡¯t think you look like an immortal or a god. It feels¡­ um¡­ a little strange to call you fairy.¡± Daoist Xuanji knew that her image in Ye Jingtang¡¯s heart had long collapsed, and he lacked awe for her. In order to salvage her image, Daoist Xuanji decided to put on an act and gently tapped her embroidered shoes on the ground. Swoosh! Under the gaze of nearly a thousand soldiers, an otherworldly woman in a snow-white dress suddenly soared into the sky without much effort. In the blink of an eye, she arrived at a corner at rhe top of the cliff. Behind the corner, there were two of the Prince of Wu¡¯s personal guards. They were originally secretly observing the situation below the cliff. But before they could react, the woman in white arrived in front of them, and then¡­ Tap, tap- Daoist Xuanji tapped her snow-white scabbard lightly twice. The two personal guards collapsed on the narrow path with shock and confusion in their eyes. Dongfang Liren was watching from afar. When she saw this scene, she was shocked. But before the admiration in her eyes could appear, she saw Ye Jingtang, who was following behind, leap up lightly and tap the leaves on rhe mountain wall with the tip of his foot. In an instant, he jumped up the mountain and landed beside Daoist Xuanji. There was no sound along rhe way, just like a black leaf blown up by the wind. ¡°What?!¡± The chief constables of the Black Office, who were standing at the back, were quite familiar with Ye Jingtang. When they saw that he could actually show off his lightness skills in front of Daoist Xuanji and even had his own merits, their eyes couldn¡¯t help showing shock. Dongfang Liren¡¯s eyes lit up with stars. Daoist Xuanji turned around and saw Ye Jingtang¡¯s graceful demeanor. She looked down at the cliff that was hundreds of feet high, and a strange look flashed in her eyes. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Why are you running so fast? Those who drown are those who are good at swimming. It¡¯s not a good habit to act brave and charge forward.¡± ir n Daoist Xuanji didn¡¯t achieve her goal of showing off and was even lectured by Ye Jingtang. Naturally, she wasn¡¯t very happy and said stubbornly, ¡°Those people are just a few nameless pawns. Being overly cautious will only waste time..¡± Chapter 320 - Chapter 320: The Dust Settles (3) Chapter 320: The Dust Settles (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Ye Jingtang shook his head secretly. He felt that this fake sister was inferior to Dumdum. Dumdum liked to play, but at least she knew her limits and wouldn¡¯t cause trouble. This sister was completely like, ¡®I have suffered a loss, but I refuse to admit it and refuse to change my ways¡¯. It wouldn¡¯t be strange for her to play herself to her death one day. The two of them jumped onto the mountain ridge and arrived near the entrance of the cave where the Prince of Wu was hiding. Bai Siming walked out of the cave with the thought of fighting to his heart¡¯s content and dying a spectacular death. Just as he turned around, he saw two figures walking over from the corner of the narrow path. In the back was the King Ye of Hell, whom he had met a few times. He was a worthy opponent for the last battle of his life. In front was a woman in white¡­ ?! Bai Siming¡¯s sorrowful and resolute face twitched. He wanted to retreat quickly into the cave, but he immediately realized something. Daoist Xuanji was personally blocking the door. Where on earth could he hide? Bai Siming¡¯s expression was stiff. Afraid that Daoist Xuanji would insta-kill him with a raise of her hand, his first reaction was to say anxiously, ¡°Wait!¡± Daoist Xuanji was still trying to identify the dirty man in front of her. Seeing the man immediately beg for mercy, she didn¡¯t attack and walked forward unhurriedly. ¡°Are you Bai Siming? Why are you wearing red clothes? If you surrender, you won¡¯t have to suffer any pain.¡± Bai Siming¡¯s body was stained with Guan Yujia¡¯s blood, and he looked quite disheveled. But in this desperate situation, his aura was still quite strong. He stood with his hands behind his back and said, ¡°The crime of rebellion is death. 1¡¯11 die no matter what, and the Imperial Court can¡¯t forgive me. Since I¡¯ve embarked on this path, how can 1 grovel before 1 die?!¡± Daoist Xuanji nodded slightly. ¡°You¡¯re a man.¡± Then she prepared to draw her sword. ¡°Hold on!¡± Bai Siming raised his hands to stop her, his eyes filled with mixed emotions. ¡°It¡¯s indeed my honor to be able to die under the hands of the imperial teacher. But the gap in strength between you and me is too great. Fighting against you is no different from stretching out my neck for you to kill me. Ms. Imperial Teacher, I wonder if you can give me a chance to fight Sir Ye to my heart¡¯s content? ¡°Sir Ye has chased after us relentlessly. First, he ruined the heir¡¯s plan in the capital, and then he made His Highness fall to this state. As a retainer, I¡¯ve been treated well by His Highness. If I never fight against Sir Ye from the beginning to the end, I will really be letting His Highness down, and 1 won¡¯t be able to die in peace.¡± When Daoist Xuanji saw the other party was at a dead end and wanted to choose a more dignified way to die, she wasn¡¯t unkind. She turned around and stuck to the mountain wall, making way for Ye Jingtang. ¡°I¡¯ll leave him to you.¡± Ye Jingtang turned his body and brushed across Daoist Xuanji¡¯s clothes as he passed through the narrow path. He looked at Bai Siming, whose eyes were grim and full of tragedy. ¡°You don¡¯t use weapons?¡± Bai Siming took a deep breath, looked at the clouds in the sky, and raised his right hand slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t have a sect, so I¡¯m self-taught. When I was young, I admired the former Fist Chief, Liu Qiansheng, and learned from his palm technique to create my own Flowing Cloud Palm. Sir Ye, since you can compete with Guan Yujia, your unarmed martial arts skills shouldn¡¯t be bad. Do you dare to compete with me?¡± Hearing this, Ye Jingtang took off his saber and handed it to Daoist Xuanji behind him. He raised his right hand and beckoned. Whoosh! A gust of mountain wind blew by, and the cliff fell into dead silence. The two top experts stood at both ends of the two-foot-wide narrow path, looking at each other. The atmosphere gradually became oppressive. Bai Siming had seen Ye Jingtang fight in the past few days and knew that Ye Jingtang was about 20% stronger than him. If the opponent used a weapon, he would have no chance of winning. But in a competition of fists and feet, he was confident that he could have an evenly matched and earth-shattering battle. Even if he died in the battle in the end, he could at least show the demeanor that the number one expert under the Prince of Wu should have! ¡°Sir Ye, watch carefully!¡± Bai Siming¡¯s eyes were extremely focused. He raised his right hand slightly and drew his five fingers across his body. The trajectory carried a unique rhythm. After staring at Ye Jingtang for a moment, he quietly took a step forward with his right foot! Bain! A thunderous sound suddenly came from the silent cliff. Ye Jingtang¡¯s right foot moved slightly, and his figure broke through the hundred-foot-long mountain wind. When he stopped, his left foot was in front of him, and he strode forward. His right hand immediately clenched, causing his right arm to bulge under his robe. Then he sent a punch that shook mountains and destroyed cities toward Bai Siming. ??! Bai Siming¡¯s pupils immediately constricted, and before he could react, a fist suddenly enlarged in front of his eyes! Ye Jingtang punched out with all his might. When he saw that Bai Siming was motionless and ¡®going to die calmly¡¯, he immediately stopped the heavy punch, which was enough to pulverize Bai Siming¡¯s upper body, half an inch in front of Bai Siming¡¯s nose. Although the fist stopped, the vast qi contained in the fist still poured out like a tsunami. Boom! Under the violent fist wind, the crown on Bai Siming¡¯s head directly exploded. His long hair blew straight behind his head, and even the skin and flesh on his face trembled violently. In the blink of an eye, his mind turned blank. In the eyes of outsiders, there was only the sound of muffled thunder on the cliff. By the time everyone saw clearly, Ye Jingtang was already standing in front of Bai Siming, maintaining the posture of punching without moving. Bai Siming had his right hand raised in the same posture. Seeing that Bai Siming didn¡¯t react, Ye Jingtang frowned and said, ¡°What do you mean by this? Do you want to die at my hands?¡± H ii Bai Siming¡¯s long hair fell down as he stared blankly at Ye Jingtang in front of him. After he was flabbergasted for a long time, his eyes turned into disbelief. ¡°How¡­ how can you¡­¡± At this point, Bai Siming suddenly recalled something. Yesterday, the Heavenly Carnelian Bead in the medicinal furnace had been snatched away by Ye Jingtang. Then Ye Jingtang¡¯s strength soared to this extent¡­ Could the Heavenly Carnelian Bead really be useful?! No, it must be useful. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have grown to this extent in just one short night! When Bai Siming thought of this, his eyes were full of mixed emotions, ranging from disbelief to regret! Seeing Ye Jingtang stop, Bai Siming reacted extremely quickly and hurriedly retreated. An Earthly Carnel Bead slid out of his sleeve, and he slapped it toward his arm! ¡°Huh?!¡± When Ye Jingtang saw that Bai Siming was determined to commit suicide, his expression changed drastically. He immediately raised his hands to stop Bai Siming¡¯s wrist and snatch the Earthly Carnel Bead. ¡°Don¡¯t! Stop!¡± Bai Siming was already a little hysterical. Holding the Earthly Carnel Bead and blocking Ye Jingtang¡¯s hands, he said angrily, ¡°Sir Ye! You¡¯ve already taken it and gained an advantage. Can¡¯t you let me use the medicine and fight you fair and square?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t use¡ª¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I use it? Sir Ye, you¡¯re also a hero of a generation, but you even want to destroy the last wish of a dying person. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s against martial ethics¡­¡± Pa! Pa! Pa! The two of them quickly exchanged blows with their hands on the narrow path. Bai Siming was trying to break the Earthly Carnel Bead, while Ye Jingtang was trying his best to stop him. Daoist Xuanji was standing at the back, her eyes filled with bafflement. She thought for a moment and flashed forward. Her scabbard rushed out from under Ye Jingtang¡¯s armpit and accurately tapped Bai Siming¡¯s chest. Boom! Bai Siming¡¯s movements came to an abrupt halt. Then his eyes were full of unwillingness and grief as he slowly collapsed. From the looks of it, he felt that these two top experts were clearly far stronger than him, but they didn¡¯t even give him a chance to take the drug. They were too inhumane. After Daoist Xuanji knocked Bai Siming down, she frowned and said, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ye Jingtang shrugged slightly. ¡°Preventing him from committing suicide. Speaking of which, the experts recruited by the Prince of Wu can¡¯t rebel. When it comes to giving away their lives in vain, each of them is more powerful than the other.. It¡¯s really not easy for them to last until now¡­¡± Chapter 321 - Chapter 321: Past (1) Chapter 321: Past (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the mountains and wilderness, countless soldiers and constables of the Black Office looked up at the scene on the cliff. Dongfang Liren was standing behind a guard holding a large shield with her hands behind her back while the general of the Ze Province army was flattering her diligently. ¡°If Your Highness hadn¡¯t sent Sir Ye to help the army on this mission, how could a group of rough people like us have chased to this place in just a few days¡­¡± After a few moments, there was movement above the silent mountain ridge. The Prince of Wu, who was at the end of his rope, ultimately didn¡¯t have the courage to commit suicide. He was also too ashamed to go out and kneel in public to confess his crime. When he saw that the situation was hopeless, his vision darkened, and he fainted. The four personal guards accompanying the Prince of Wu had more backbone. They knew that they had no chance of survival and didn¡¯t want to be humiliated as prisoners. After Ye Jingtang entered the cave, they directly raised their sabers and slit their throats. Zhang Jinglin¡¯s reaction was much calmer. Zhang Jinglin was a medicine maniac from head to toe. He was obsessed with medicine and had reached the point where there was no good or evil in his heart. But he was also talented and could do things that others could not. Such a person could no longer be regarded as a human being. Instead, he was a very valuable ¡®resource¡¯, and he was only useful if he was alive. Even if the Northern Liang imperial family, who hated him to the core, captured him, they wouldn¡¯t kill him immediately. Zhang Jinglin knew that after Great Wei caught him, they would continue to let him do research. Because of this, he didn¡¯t even think about resisting. When he saw Ye Jingtang enter, he carried his small medicine box and stood up, looking almost like someone going to a new job. Ye Jingtang called the Black Office constables from the foot of the mountain to carry the Prince of Wu down. Then he escorted Zhang Jinglin down the mountain. On the way, he asked, ¡°Doctor Zhang, what is the origin of the Heavenly Carnelian Bead?¡± Zhang Jinglin didn¡¯t look like a prisoner. He walked on a narrow path and replied, ¡°It¡¯s a secret medicine of the tribes of the Western Sea of Northern Liang. They believe in a ¡®Heaven Official¡¯ there. Legend has it that the Heaven Official descended into the world and gave the lord of all tribes an immortal pill. However, I¡¯ve read the history of Northern Liang and speculated that it should have been researched by the shamans of the Western Sea¡¯s Yechi Tribe around a hundred years ago. The time was about when the Snow Lake Flower bloomed last time¡­¡± ¡°Yechi Tribe¡­¡± Ye Jingtang was sure that only he could use the Heavenly Carnelian Bead, and he felt that this matter was definitely related to him, so he asked, ¡°Where is this tribe now?¡± Daoist Xuanji, walking behind Ye Jingtang, replied, ¡°The Western Sea is the Heavenly Carnelian Lake. In the surrounding five thousand kilometers, there are no less than a hundred tribes of various sizes scattered. The Yechi Tribe is in the far west. It¡¯s said to be the place where the sun sets last. ¡°One hundred and twenty years ago, the Yechi Tribe suddenly expanded and unified all the tribes of the Western Sea. It almost made the situation in the world turn into a tripartite state. But after the former leader died, the tribes of the Western Sea quickly fell apart. ¡°Sixty years ago, the Yechi Tribe submitted to Northern Liang, but it was completely wiped out more than thirty years ago. It no longer exists now.¡± Ye Jingtang nodded thoughtfully. Zhang Jinglin continued, ¡°The term ¡®god-given gift¡¯ should be the strategy of the Yechi Tribe to fool people. It¡¯s just like how the founding emperor of Great Wei deceived people by saying that ¡®nine dragons came to the dynasty¡¯ when he was born. The only real miracle in history should be the departure of the founding emperor of Great Wu on a dragon. After all, the Roaring Dragon Chart is indeed extraordinary¡­¡± ? When Ye Jingtang and Daoist Xuanji heard this, they were stunned. Daoist Xuanji asked, ¡°You¡¯ve seen the Roaring Dragon Chart?¡± Zhang Jinglin smiled and said, ¡°There¡¯s one hidden in the Northern Liang Imperial Palace. I wanted to steal it to study it, but it was too tightly guarded, so 1 didn¡¯t succeed.¡± Hearing this, Ye Jingtang and Daoist Xuanji came to a realization. Being in the hands of the Northern Liang Imperial Court was similar to being in the hands of the Great Wei Imperial Court. Even if people knew about it, they could forget about stealing it. This clue was no different from having no clue. After a short conversation, the three of them arrived at the camp at the foot of Yellow Stone Ridge. When Dongfang Liren saw that the Prince of Wu had been captured and brought down, she arranged for the soldiers to break camp and return. Seeing Ye Jingtang walk over, she went forward and said, ¡°Just now, there was a report that Zhang Wenyuan was found in the forest a kilometer away. What case involves him?¡± Ye Jingtang shook his head. ¡°When I first came to Wu Province, I met a child looking for his father. 1 just wanted to help him investigate. Your Highness, please wait a moment. I¡¯ll go over and take a look.¡± The medicine testers captured by the Prince of Wu had been locked in iron cages for a long time. They didn¡¯t have clothes to cover their bodies or food to eat. Most of them were still injured and couldn¡¯t run far. The Ze Province soldiers had been searching the surroundings, and the medicine testers they found were all gathered in an open space in the forest. Most of them were weak Jianghu martial artists and many medicinal farmers. When Ye Jingtang arrived at the forest one kilometer away, he could see the military doctors treating the injuries of dozens of unkempt medicine testers. A big-boned man with disheveled hair and a vertical scar on his face was sitting in the middle of the crowd and eating military rations with a kettle in front of him. Ye Jingtang walked over to him and lowered his head to size him up. He was originally a man with a large frame, but he was already as thin as a matchstick. There were bloodstains and scars all over his body. It was unknown how much he had suffered under the hands of the Prince of Wu. After taking a few glances, Ye Jingtang said, ¡°Zhang Wenyuan, your son is waiting for you in Baywater Town. Follow the army later, and you¡¯ll be reunited soon.¡± Zhang Wenyuan had been locked in an iron cage for a month. It hadn¡¯t been long, so there wasn¡¯t a huge problem with his mental health. When he heard this, excitement flashed across his eyes. He barely managed to stand up and bowed to thank him. ¡°Greetings, Sir. I can¡¯t thank you enough for saving my life¡­¡± At this point, Zhang Wenyuan¡¯s attention was suddenly attracted by the hilt of the saber at Ye Jingtang¡¯s waist. Although Zhang Wenyuan¡¯s martial arts skills weren¡¯t high, he was still Yao Wenzhong¡¯s junior brother, and his experience wasn¡¯t bad. Although there were many Hornless Dragon Sabers in Jianghu, it was only limited to middle and lower-level martial artists who didn¡¯t have systematic saber skills, so they casually found a beautiful saber to use as a weapon. Once martial artists had a systematic foundation, it was impossible for them to carry around random weapons. People carrying the Jun Mountain Saber would definitely know the Dragon Slaying Decree, and it was the same for people carrying the Hornless Dragon Saber. This was because these weapons were made for matching martial arts. Their weight, length, and shape were all very particular, and other weapons couldn¡¯t achieve the desired effects at all.. Chapter 322 - Chapter 322: Past (2) Chapter 322: Past (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Zhang Wenyuan looked at the bronze hornless dragon on the saber¡¯s pommel ring and then at Ye Jingtang¡¯s face. He wanted to say something but hesitated. Ye Jingtang remembered the kid from Baywater Town was decent at the saber. Seeing this, he asked, ¡°Do you use a saber too?¡± Zhang Wenyuan said respectfully, ¡°When I was young, I studied it at Jun Mountain Terrace for a few years. 1 was fortunate enough to meet the Three Heroes of Cloud Lake and even sparred with them. Sir, this saber seems to have an extraordinary background¡­¡± Ye Jingtang was rather surprised. He had already revealed his identity to Xuanyuan Hongzhi, so there was no need to hide it. He directly said, ¡°This saber was left behind by my father. Have you seen it before?¡± When Zhang Wenyuan heard this, he was clearly stunned. He carefully looked at Ye Jingtang¡¯s face and said doubtfully, ¡°May 1 ask if your father is Zheng Feng, one of the Three Heroes of Cloud Lake?¡± Ye Jingtang raised his hand slightly and asked the weak Zhang Wenyuan to sit down. ¡°My father¡¯s name is Pei Yuanfeng. Zheng Feng should be his alias in Jianghu, but he didn¡¯t tell me what happened back then. 1 don¡¯t know the details.¡± Zhang Wenyuan sat on the ground and thought for a moment. ¡°Sir, you should be Hero Zheng¡¯s foster son, right?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ye Jingtang was puzzled. ¡°How do you know? We don¡¯t look alike?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about looks. I fought in the arena with Hero Zheng back then. Although Hero Zheng¡¯s saber skills were slightly inferior to the other two, his looks were the most outstanding among the Three Heroes of Cloud Lake. If not for this, Senior Sister wouldn¡¯t have¡­¡± At this point, Zhang Wenyuan felt that this topic might be unpleasant, so he changed his words. ¡°Unfortunately, Hero Zheng was plotted against later. Back then, 1 went to ask the doctor who treated Hero Zheng after the incident. His meridians were all broken, and his kidneys were damaged. Not to mention practicing martial arts, even having children was an extravagant hope. Logically speaking, it¡¯s impossible for him to have a son.¡± Ye Jingtang frowned. Although he had heard about his foster father from Qiu Tianhe, he didn¡¯t know the details. ¡°I only know that my father was provoked to go on stage to fight. What exactly happened back then?¡± Zhang Wenyuan sighed and recalled the past. ¡°Back then, I was only in my early twenties. Although my talent in martial arts was relatively poor, I could still play with the sabermen of my generation. ¡°Back then, the young sabermen all liked to go to South Lake City. Eldest Senior Brother Xuanyuan Tiangang, Senior Sister Xuanyuan Shuye, Xuanyuan Hongzhi, Yao Wenzhong, and the others were all regular visitors there. I often went there with my senior brothers to join in the fun. ¡°Once, Eldest Senior Brother and the others were sparring in the city. As soon as Qiu Tianhe and Zheng Feng arrived in South Lake City, they came to join in the fun. Zheng Feng¡¯s first appearance happened to be against Xuanyuan Hongzhi. Because Zheng Feng used the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade, Xuanyuan Hongzhi didn¡¯t even raise his saber before Zheng Feng grabbed his neck and embarrassed him. ¡°It is common for young people to compete with each other. Victory and defeat are regular events. At the time, many people jeered, but no one took it to heart. Eldest Senior Brother helped take revenge and beat Zheng Feng to the ground. Senior Sister even gave him a bottle of medicine. ¡°I originally thought that this was just an ordinary sparring session and that it was over. Afterward, I even went to drink with Zheng Feng and Qiu Tianhe. But Xuanyuan Hongzhi is a petty person and has deep schemes. When he discovered that Senior Sister and Zheng Feng were close, he immediately told Xuanyuan Chao about this. ¡°At the time, the Imperial Court was in the midst of selecting concubines. The Xuanyuan family had already built a good relationship with the capital and wanted their eldest daughter to enter the palace to be a noble consort. When Xuanyuan Chao found out about Zheng Feng, he was furious and ordered Senior Sister not to leave the house. ¡°Then Xuanyuan Hongzhi turned around and got someone to look for Zheng Feng to tell him about the concubine selection. ¡°Zheng Feng was impatient and afraid that the selection would be confirmed, so he ran to Jun Mountain Terrace to propose marriage in public. At the time, many people present made a fuss. Eldest Senior Brother Xuanyuan Tiangang knew Senior Sister¡¯s intentions, so he went with the flow and helped put in a good word for them. ¡°But Xuanyuan Chao had already discussed with the capital the matter of his daughter entering the palace. How could he cancel the emperor¡¯s engagement and be put in the spot¡­¡± Ye Jingtang frowned and asked, ¡°Then Xuanyuan Chao asked my father to speak with his saber?¡± Zhang Wenyuan shook his head. ¡°Xuanyuan Chao is the Saber Chief and the overlord of Jianghu in Ze Province. No matter what, he has to pay attention to seniority in Jianghu. He only rejected this matter. But Xuanyuan Hongzhi jumped out and asked Zheng Feng to use his saber to prove his strength. Seeing that Xuanyuan Chao didn¡¯t agree to the marriage, Zheng Feng agreed to this method and challenged Xuanyuan Chao in public, wanting to receive his saber. ¡°It was impossible for Xuanyuan Chao to marry his daughter to Zheng Feng, so he agreed to the challenge. Fighting in the arena isn¡¯t child¡¯s play. It¡¯s the rule to be responsible for your own life and death. Xuanyuan Hongzhi fanned the flames before the battle and asked Xuanyuan Chao to kill him. After all, if he didn¡¯t agree to the marriage, he would become a mortal enemy of Zheng Feng. If he kept him alive, he would definitely become a huge problem in the future. ¡°Xuanyuan Chao isn¡¯t a good person. He indeed wanted to kill Zheng Feng with one strike to avoid leaving behind a source of trouble. But it wouldn¡¯t be good if word got out that he was too vicious. ¡°I saw that the situation wasn¡¯t right, so I ran to look for Qiu Tianhe with my fellow disciples. I wanted Qiu Tianhe to help Zheng Feng smooth things over, but by the time Qiu Tianhe rushed over, Zheng Feng had already been beaten into a cripple. ¡°You should know what happened next. Because of this matter, Eldest Senior Brother abandoned the saber, withdrew from Jianghu, and severed ties with the Xuanyuan family. Zheng Feng could no longer have children. After he woke up from his serious injuries, he disappeared and never appeared again. In order to help Zheng Feng, Qiu Tianhe single-handedly killed his way into the marriage envoy team and kidnapped Senior Sister. He lived a wandering life for decades. Many disciples of Jun Mountain Terrace, including me, also left Jun Mountain Terrace because they couldn¡¯t stand this matter. ¡°Xuanyuan Chao didn¡¯t become the father-in-law of the emperor, and his heir turned against him. Even his title of Divine Marquis of Jun Mountain became ¡®Old Man Xuanyuan.¡¯ From then on, he rarely walked around Jianghu. It can be said that after this storm, no one won¡­¡± Ye Jingtang frowned. After a moment of silence, he sighed softly and said, ¡°1 see.¡± Zhang Wenyuan glanced at Ye Jingtang and said softly, ¡°Sir, please don¡¯t mind me telling the truth. Zheng Feng was a good person, but his personality was really a little rash. If it were Qiu Tianhe, he would have eloped, kidnapped the bride, or slept with her. Regardless of what he did, Xuanyuan Chao would have had to pinch his nose and acknowledge this son-in-law. But Zheng Feng chose the path he shouldn¡¯t have taken the most. Even so, the chief culprit is still Xuanyuan Hongzhi. ¡°Ever since then, Xuanyuan Hongzhi has been afraid that Zheng Feng would come back for revenge, so he has been thinking of ways to track down Zheng Feng¡¯s whereabouts. I originally thought that after so many years, it was impossible for Zheng Feng to return, but I didn¡¯t expect to meet you ail of a sudden¡­ Sigh, it¡¯s good that Zheng Feng has a son. If Jun Mountain Terrace is really allowed to forget about this matter, then Jianghu will be meaningless¡­¡± Ye Jingtang sighed silently and put aside these old debts for now. He looked at Zhang Wenyuan. ¡°Senior Zhang, you are chivalrous and know right from wrong. You deserve to be called a hero. But the education of your son really isn¡¯t very good. He¡¯s young and rash. If he hadn¡¯t met me, he would have been killed by the local tyrant of Baywater Town. You have to discipline him well in the future.¡± Zhang Wenyuan¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°My son is usually fine. Perhaps he¡¯s worried about my safety¡­ Is he alright?¡± Ye Jingtang wanted to say that he was fine, but he had only made a show of force on the street and asked the kid to wait in town. He really didn¡¯t know what the situation was now, so he said, ¡°I¡¯ve already spoken to him. He should be fine. The Prince of Wu has been captured, and there¡¯s nothing much to do in the mountains. Senior Zhang, I¡¯ll bring your son over, and you can rest well in the army.¡± After surviving a calamity, Zhang Wenyuan naturally wanted to reunite with his family the most. But after he was locked in an iron cage for a month, it was difficult for him to even stand up. There were no horses in the mountains, and he couldn¡¯t let Ye Jingtang carry him out. He could only cup his hands and thank him. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll have to trouble you, sir.¡± Hearing this, Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t delay. He turned around and returned to the camp at the foot of Yellow Stone Ridge.. After explaining to Dumdum, he sped off out of the mountains¡­ Chapter 323 - Chapter 323: Past (3) Chapter 323: Past (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It was just past noon. The sun was blazing in the sky, and the weather was quite hot and stuffy. In a small inn in Riverside Town, the bird was squatting under the eaves and staring at the northern mountains. It chirped softly in boredom. In a room on the second floor, the windows and door were closed. Luo Ning was wearing a long blue dress and sitting cross-legged on the bed, practicing the ¡®Dragon Form Beauty-Retaining Picture¡¯ with her eyes closed. Pei Xiangjun, wearing the bird and flowers hairpin on her head, was dressed as a mature and beautiful young woman and was also meditating. But she had just had her first time yesterday, and her mind was full of the scenes of Jingtang tormenting her, so she couldn¡¯t calm down at all. After sitting for an unknown period of time, Pei Xiangjun bit her lower lip and looked at the cold and charming vixen beside her. ¡°Jingtang hasn¡¯t finished recuperating. What should we do today?¡± Luo Ning¡¯s eyelashes fluttered. Then she opened her eyes and looked at Third Lady. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Seeing Luo Ning pretending not to understand, Pei Xiangjun frowned slightly. ¡°Should we continue to help Jingtang recuperate together, or¡­¡± Luo Ning took a deep breath and said seriously, ¡°You still want to be together? I wanted to tell you last night. Don¡¯t you feel awkward for two women to hug each other and let a man bully them?¡± Pei Xiangjun was still a virgin yesterday. She was actually very thin-skinned, but if the vixen couldn¡¯t accept it, she could adapt to it. ¡°It was an emergency. What¡¯s so awkward about helping Jingtang recuperate?¡± ¡°Even if we treat Ye Jingtang together, we can take turns in order. We can¡¯t let him bully us at once. But you even lay on my back and let him go back and forth¡­ You¡¯re already heavy, but he¡¯s even heavier¡­¡± Pei Xiangjun blinked. ¡°Then from now on, I¡¯ll be below, and you¡¯ll be in the middle?¡± ? Luo Ning didn¡¯t know what to say. She raised her finger and poked Pei Xiangjun¡¯s forehead. ¡°Can¡¯t you not spoil him? As soon as you entered the door, you listened to him and let him bully us together. Do you believe that in a few days, he will dare to bring up even more unreasonable requests and ask you¡­¡± At this point, Luo Ning found it difficult to speak, so she glanced at Pei Xiangjun¡¯s plump moon. Pei Xiangjun obviously didn¡¯t understand what Luo Ning meant. She slapped Luo Ning¡¯s hand away and reprimanded with the bearing of the main wife, ¡°Once you enter the door, you have to understand the principle of ¡®a wife follows her husband¡¯. You¡¯re already Jingtang¡¯s. What can be considered unreasonable?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know when your butt blossoms in the future. He¡¯s always been insatiable¡­¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Luo Ning was scolding the little thief when a cough suddenly came from outside the window, startling her so much that she quickly stopped talking. But on second thought, she was telling the truth. What was there to be afraid of? She turned to look at the window. ¡°Why are you coughing? Are you short of breath again?¡± Squeak! The window opened from the outside. Ye Jingtang, who had just flown back from the mountains, landed in the room, picked up the teapot on the table, and took a big gulp. ¡°I¡¯ve been running for too long, so my throat is a little dry. What were you talking about?¡± Pei Xiangjun was not shy at all in front of Luo Ning and replied, ¡°She felt it was too heavy at the bottom and wanted to be in the middle.¡± ¡°Third Lady Pei!¡± Luo Ning¡¯s eyes turned cold, and she raised her hands to press Third Lady down, preparing to punish her. Pei Xiangjun didn¡¯t dodge. She leaned against the pillow and raised her hands to hug Luo Ning¡¯s upper body. ¡°Come on, Jingtang, let her try.¡± ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡± ?! Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t have any crooked thoughts at first, but when he heard Third Lady¡¯s words, he couldn¡¯t calm down. He put down the teapot and went to the bed. He lay on Ning¡¯er¡¯s back and pecked Third Lady¡¯s lips. ¡°How is it? Is it heavy?¡± Luo Ning was pressed against Pei Xiangjun¡¯s clothes and sandwiched in the middle, unable to move. Her eyes were instantly full of anger as she turned her head and said, ¡°Little thief! If you continue to go overboard like this, I¡¯ll return to the South Firmament Mountains. Get up!¡± Ye Jingtang kissed Ning¡¯er¡¯s lips. ¡°I¡¯m just giving it a try. I¡¯m going to Baywater Town soon. I¡¯m not doing it for real.¡± Pei Xiangjun was pressed down by two people, but she was skilled in martial arts, so she didn¡¯t feel the weight. She lay on the pillow and asked curiously, ¡°Why are you going to Baywater Town?¡± ¡°To pick someone up. I happened to pass by here, so 1 came back to take a look. You guys continue to rest. The Prince of Wu¡¯s matter has been settled. I¡¯ll be back tonight.¡± Luo Ning frowned and said, ¡°You haven¡¯t even recuperated well. Wu Province is so chaotic. Why are you running around alone? 1¡¯11 go with you.¡± Pei Xiangjun was also worried about Ye Jingtang. She looked at the bright sun outside. ¡°Baywater Town is more than fifty kilometers away. It¡¯s too hot in the afternoon, and even a horse won¡¯t be able to withstand it. Let¡¯s rest for a while before leaving. Sharpening the ax won¡¯t delay the chopping of firewood. Look at how sweaty you are.¡± Ye Jingtang had rushed back from the mountains under the scorching sun. It was indeed a little hot. Thinking about it, he pushed the boat along and prepared to rest. Luo Ning wanted to break free from the side, but she was pinned between the two of them. Seeing that Ye Jingtang was about to lift her skirt, she said angrily, ¡°Little thief! Is this what you meant by not doing it for real?¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ I¡¯ll rest soon. For this battle, I¡¯ll be done in fifteen minutes at most¡­¡± ¡°Ptui! When have you not tormented me for an hour? You¡­ Sigh- You should get her to help you first. The weather is too hot. Doing it together¡­ Wuwu!¡± Pei Xiangjun covered Luo Ning¡¯s mouth and harrumphed. ¡°Why are you talking to her so much? She¡¯s unwilling now, but she¡¯ll be honest later.¡± Luo Ning¡¯s mouth was covered, so her eyebrows bristled. Since she couldn¡¯t break free, she could only close her eyes and put on a look of sadness and indignation that said: If you dare to mess around, I¡¯ll go back to my parents¡¯ house¡­ No, back to my husband¡¯s house! Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t force her. He held Third Lady¡¯s hand and kissed Ning¡¯er tenderly.. Only when Ning¡¯er stopped resisting did he line up their hips on top of each other and seize the time to rest¡­ Chapter 324 - Chapter 324: Surrounded? (1) Chapter 324: Surrounded? (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The curtain rippled, and the inn¡¯s not-so-sturdy canopy bed squeaked in the late summer afternoon. Pei Xiangjun was sitting at the head of the bed in a w-sitting posture. She was wearing Luo Ning¡¯s black gauze triangular smallclothes, and the two peony flowers embellished the key points. The cut-out fabric was very tight, making it worrisome that the string would break because of the heavy weight. Luo Ning was sitting in the middle in a similar posture, face to face with Pei Xiangjun. Her clothes were exactly the same, but the color was slightly different. Because her legs were weak, Luo Ning was leaning forward slightly in Pei Xiangjun¡¯s arms, resting her chin on her shoulder with her eyes closed in silence. Her expression still looked like she was being wronged. Pei Xiangjun¡¯s face was red, and she felt a little dizzy due to the rapid movements. Seeing that the vixen was pretending to be dead and not moving again, she raised her hand and patted Luo Ning¡¯s waist. ¡°Hurry up. We still have something to do later. Don¡¯t waste time.¡± ¡°Ah-¡± Luo Ninger frowned slightly and opened her eyes. She held Pei Xiangjun¡¯s waist and looked at Ye Jingtang. ¡°You¡¯re not full yet? Is this the fifteen minutes you said?¡± It wasn¡¯t convenient for Ye Jingtang to speak, but there was a smile in his eyes, indicating: Soon¡­ After a long time¡­ After taking a lunch break, Ye Jingtang took a cold bath and went to the stable refreshed. He fetched the horses and waited outside the inn. He looked up and saw that the bird, who had been left outside for half a day, was very unhappy. It raised its head and looked at the sky, putting on a look that said: Hmph! 1 don¡¯t want to talk to you. ¡°Cluck cluck-¡± ¡°Chirp?!¡± The bird turned around, its eyes filled with shock. Then it rushed down and flapped its wings at Ye Jingtang. Ye Jingtang comforted the bird. After he waited for a while, the two women walked down the stairs. Pei Xiangjun had changed into a black martial arts suit and wore a veiled hat on her head. She looked very heroic, but her expression was unnatural. Ever since they finally consummated, this was the first time Pei Xiangjun went downstairs. Initially, she didn¡¯t feel it when she was in the room, but after taking two steps, she realized that her legs were sore. She was a little embarrassed to go out¡­ But seeing Luo Ning walking straight as if nothing had happened, Pei Xiangjun didn¡¯t show these abnormalities to prevent herself from being laughed at by the vixen. Afraid of being caught by her old best friend, Shuishui, Luo Ning wore a bamboo hat and a scarf that covered her face tightly. Because Ye Jingtang had been disobedient just now, and Third Lady had even acted as an accomplice, Luo Ning put on a stance of repelling people and ignored Ye Jingtang. Ye Jingtang knew that he had gone overboard just now. After coaxing her a few more times, he mounted his horse, and the three of them and the bird left the town together¡­ Baywater Town was located along the Wu River, and 50 kilometers to the west was the mouth of the Wuxi Estuary, which basically bordered Ze Province. In the afternoon, by the river outside the town¡­ Xuanyuan Hongzhi was standing alone at the entrance of the official road. The black cloak on his back was fluttering in the river wind, and his gaze was on the two fast horses in the distance. Ba-da- du in! Ba-da- duin! Amidst the rapid sound of horse hooves, two black dots gradually approached from afar, and figures gradually appeared in his vision. The person in the lead was an old man with a spear hanging on the side of his horse. Although he was wearing a face scarf to protect him from the wind and sand, Xuanyuan Hongzhi could recognize him as the famous ¡®Eighth Master Fan¡¯ in the Green Forest of Ze Province. Jun Mountain Terrace was a major force in Jianghu, and according to the classification, it belonged to the righteous path of Jianghu, such as the Red Flower Pavilion and the Water Cloud Sword Pool. It did proper business and accepted the control of the Imperial Court. It wasn¡¯t wanted by the Imperial Court and could walk outside openly. The Pacifying Heaven Cult and the Hong Mountain Gang were purely underworld forces. They occupied mountains as kings and engaged in illegal businesses. Under normal circumstances, they wouldn¡¯t move around under the noses of the Imperial Court. The same was true for ordinary Jianghu people. There were proper people who ran escort and shipping services, and there were underworld figures who did illegal businesses, of whom the Blood Bodhi and the two Wang brothers of Yan Province were among the best. Eighth Master Fan was not an assassin. He was considered a ¡®water tyrant¡¯. His main job was to collect tolls on the waterway from Ze Province to Jiang Province. His martial arts skills were not bad, and he had many people under his command, but he was not strong enough to shake the powerful and wealthy forces of Jianghu. He was a well-known mediocre person in Jianghu. Recently, all of Wu Province had been sealed off, and people were only allowed to enter but not leave. In order to avoid trouble, many wealthy gentry wanted to escape. Seeing that there was a profit to be made, Eighth Master Fan had started a smuggling business along the Wu River. Xuanyuan Hongzhi had sent him an urgent letter, so he had rushed over. Behind Eighth Master Fan was Han Shaoping, a bandit of Ze Province. He usually helped people seek revenge and collect debts for a living. His martial arts skills weren¡¯t outstanding, but his ability to ambush and assassinate was impressive. The two Jianghu people arrived outside Baywater Town on galloping horses. When they saw Xuanyuan Hongzhi standing by the river, they dismounted and landed in front of him. ¡°Eighth Master, Brother Han.¡± ¡°Family Head Xuanyuan.¡± Although Eighth Master Fan¡¯s hair was white, he was tall and had the aura of a bandit. He didn¡¯t look old. When he walked up to Xuanyuan Hongzhi, he gave a Jianghu greeting. ¡°There are many experts in Jun Mountain Terrace, and Family Head Xuanyuan is a hero whose name is famous in Jianghu. It¡¯s really rare for you to call me, Old Eighth Fan, here urgently to help with a matter¡­¡± Xuanyuan Hongzhi explained, ¡°The person I¡¯m dealing with is special, and the matter is urgent. It¡¯s not convenient for me to go back and recruit people, so I could only trouble the two of you to take action.¡± Han Shaoping took down his weapon from the side of his horse and swept his gaze across the town in the distance. ¡°Family Head Xuanyuan, just say it directly. Who are we going to kill? If we end work early, we can return to Jun Mountain Terrace to watch the excitement. 1 heard that Qiu Tianhe has arrived in the Cloud Dream Swamp. I¡¯m guessing he will go to the Divine Marquis to challenge him in the next few days. Many people have gone over to support him.¡± Xuanyuan Hongzhi knew that Qiu Tianhe would come to Jun Mountain Terrace to cause trouble, but he wasn¡¯t in the mood to care about this now. He went straight to the point. ¡°I want to kill a chief constable of the Black Office, one of the Prince of Jing¡¯s favorites. Yao Wenzhong and 1 will attack together, and you two just need to work together. However, you will have to bear the responsibility afterward. The reward is ten thousand taels each. Afterward, 1 will arrange a way to send you two to the Heavenly South to lie low.¡± H H When Eighth Master Fan and Han Shaoping heard this, their expressions changed. The two of them were in risky businesses to begin with. If they were caught by the Imperial Court, their heads would be chopped off. They didn¡¯t care about the identity of the target. If they were asked to kill the governor of Ze Province for 10,000 taels of silver, they would dare to give it a try. It was only natural for them to bear the responsibility afterward. But money was something people had to be alive to be able to spend. When they heard that Xuanyuan Hongzhi and Yao Wenzhong would have to join forces and would still need their help, they knew that the person they were going to kill was definitely not as simple as having a special identity. Eighth Master Fan thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Family Head Xuanyuan, with you and Hero Yao joining forces, you should be able to kill anyone below the Eight Chiefs at will. Why do you need our cooperation? Is the person you want to kill Daoist Xuanji?¡± Xuanyuan Hongzhi shook his head. ¡°If it were Daoist Xuanji, even my father wouldn¡¯t be able to deal with her. The few of us joining forces would only embarrass ourselves. The person 1 want to kill is called Ye Jingtang. I fought him yesterday. He¡¯s slightly weaker than the Eight-Armed Ksitigarbha, but he has learned too many things and can do a bit of everything. ¡°If Yao Wenzhong and I join forces, it will be easy for us to kill this person. But if he wants to escape, we may not be able to stop him. We have to surround him and block his escape routes. I¡¯ve contacted five people. There are still three on the way. 1 think another one can rush over today¡­¡± Eighth Master Fan knew that Jun Mountain Terrace¡¯s frontal combat strength was unparalleled, but because the saber was too heavy, it was difficult to move quickly. When encountering experts with outstanding lightness skills, the people of Jun Mountain Terrace could only look at them and sigh. Hearing Xuanyuan Hongzhi¡¯s words, Eighth Master Fan raised his spear and said, ¡°As long as we¡¯re not dealing with a Martial Chief, it¡¯s fine. Even if you want to kill the Eight-Armed Ksitigarbha, it¡¯s enough for us to block his retreat and find an opportunity for the two of you to attack. Where is the target?¡± ¡°He might come to Baywater Town in the next two days. I¡¯m not sure whether he¡¯ll come alone or whether he¡¯ll bring people from the Black Office with him. It¡¯s best if we can wait for everyone to arrive and prepare early.. We will wait for an opportunity depending on the situation¡­¡± Chapter 325 - Chapter 325: Surrounded? (2) Chapter 325: Surrounded? (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Meanwhile, outside the mountains¡­ A team of nearly 2,000 people escorted the Prince of Wu and the captives out of the mountains. At the front of the team, Dongfang Liren didn¡¯t let anyone carry her in order to show the founding emperor¡¯s demeanor of leading troops. She led the soldiers over the mountains and returned to Riverside Town. The Ze Province army had been busy in the deep mountains and ancient forests for nearly two days. Many soldiers were exhausted. When they arrived outside the town, they set up camp on the spot and rested. Because of their great achievement, Dongfang Liren specially sent the imperial guards to gather good wine and meat in the town as a reward. After giving the instructions, she returned to the inn in the center of the town and looked at the gradually darkening sky. ¡°It¡¯s only about fifty kilometers to Baywater Town. Ye Jingtang set off at noon and should be back now¡­ Isn¡¯t Ye Jingtang in town?¡± The commander of the imperial guards behind replied, ¡°Sir Ye only left with his two companions two hours ago. The sun must have been too strong at noon, so they rested in the town for a few hours. According to the time, he should have just arrived in Baywater Town.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Dongfang Liren blinked. She originally thought that it was fine for Ye Jingtang to take a break at noon, but when she thought about how Miss Ning¡¯er was with him¡­ This pervert. I was sweating under the sun in the mountains, but he actually sneaked back to bully a girl halfway¡­ If you want to rest, can¡¯t you accompany me to rest at noon? Dongfang Liren was a little dissatisfied. She originally wanted to ignore Ye Jingtang, but Wu Province was in chaos now. She still felt a little worried, so she thought for a moment and said, ¡°Master, please bring me to Baywater Town to take a look. We¡¯ve captured the Prince of Wu. We can¡¯t let anything go wrong at the last moment before we return to the capital.¡± Among the officials and soldiers of the Imperial Court, Daoist Xuanji had to maintain the demeanor of an expert who wasn¡¯t so demonic. She had been restraining herself for the entire day. Hearing that Liren wanted to go out for a walk, she didn¡¯t say anything else. She raised her hand to hug Dongfang Liren¡¯s waist, and with a flash, she jumped onto a house and flew toward the Wu River¡­ ¡°Giddyup!¡± Ba ¨C da ¨C dum! Ba-da- du in! Horse hooves flew on the yellow soil road. Three figures sped on the official road around the mountains under the setting sun and gradually arrived at Baywater Town along the Wu River. Ye Jingtang was wearing the official robe of the Black Office¡¯s commander. His horse was walking at the front while he observed the situation along the way. The bird was standing on his shoulder, facing the wind and looking at the sunlight on the horizon. It was chirping, probably humming: 1 have fought alone over three thousand miles. With a beak, I repelled a million soldiers. Luo Ning was still brooding over the two steamed buns stacked together at noon. She followed behind and didn¡¯t say anything. She just looked at the scenery of the mountains and wilderness that was about to enter autumn. Pei Xiangjun had come out and ran for a while. Her heart that was immersed in love calmed down. She rode in front of Ye Jingtang and played with the excited bird. When the sun completely sank into the mountains, three horses arrived at the entrance of the town. The sky was getting dark. The medicinal farmers in Baywater Town had already left, and the town gradually became quiet. There were dots of light along the streets, and there were not many pedestrians on the old streets. Ye Jingtang slowed down his horse and stepped onto the bluestone street. He looked around the street, looking for traces of Zhang Wenyuan¡¯s son. But when they were still some distance away from the gambling alley they met last time, Ye Jingtang¡¯s ears twitched. Suddenly, he heard a conversation from the depths of the quiet old street. ¡°Is that him? I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be easy to deal with three people¡­¡± ¡°The last two are just attendants with mediocre combat strength¡­¡± The voices were very faint behind the window of the second floor of a restaurant a hundred meters away. If it were anyone else, they would definitely not have heard them. Third Lady and Ning¡¯er, who were so close, didn¡¯t react. Even the bird didn¡¯t notice it. But ever since Ye Jingtang opened up all the meridians in his body, his six senses had directly soared. It could be said that he could sense everything in half of the town. When he noticed something amiss, he paid attention to it and heard this conversation clearly. He could even distinguish that a voice seemed to come from Xuanyuan Hongzhi¡­ H ¡öj>h Ye Jingtang blinked, feeling strange in his heart. In order to prevent alerting the enemy and scaring Xuanyuan Hongzhi away, he continued walking without batting an eyelid. On the way, he gently raised his hand. ¡°You guys wait by the street. I¡¯ll go get him.¡± Luo Ning and Pei Xiangjun didn¡¯t notice that there were people hiding in the distance. Hearing this, they didn¡¯t say anything. They stopped by the street and waited for Ye Jingtang to handle his business. The bird soared into the sky and began to investigate. Clack, clack.. Ye Jingtang rode his big black horse and walked alone through the old street. Through the subtle movements, he could distinguish the situation in the buildings on both sides of the street. There were two people on the second floor of the restaurant. When Ye Jingtang approached, they held their breaths and condensed their qi. He could no longer sense them, but he could hear the sound of weapons being quietly raised. There seemed to be someone in the alley of a gambling den. His aura was almost imperceptible. It should be Yao Wenzhong. After Ye Jingtang walked past a teahouse, the two Jianghu people drinking tea outside the tea shop put down their teacups and reached out to grab something from the corner of the wall and under the table. Unsurprisingly, they were weapons¡­ Sandwiched on three sides¡­ Ye Jingtang walked into the encirclement unhurriedly. He detected all the subtle actions of his opponents and could even deduce the scene of Yao Wenzhong and the old spearman walking out one after another. This feeling was really special. It was similar to teasing Ning¡¯er when he had just learned the Wind Listening Palm¡­ Seeing that the other party didn¡¯t make a move, Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t speak first to avoid alerting them. He dismounted after walking near the gambling den alley. Under the eaves outside the inn, a young man in yellow was still sitting on the steps and waiting. When he saw Ye Jingtang walking over, a look of joy appeared on his face, and he hurriedly stood up. ¡°Sir, is there any news of my father?¡± ¡°Your father is fine. Go in first. 1 have some private matters to deal with.¡± Ye Jingtang arrived outside the inn and raised his hand slightly to let the young man enter. Then he looked at the entrance of the alley not far away. ¡°There¡¯s a light in the alley. The shadow of your bamboo hat is exposed.¡± As soon as he said this, the old street suddenly fell silent. Tread, tread¡­ Muffled footsteps sounded from the alley. Then the muscular Yao Wenzhong walked out of the alley in a black cloak. He was carrying a thick saber on his back, and only his chin was visible under his bamboo hat. He slowly walked to the middle of the old street. One hundred feet behind him, Eighth Master Fan raised his spear, slowly rolled up his sleeves, and blocked the path of retreat. Han Shaoping was holding two sabers in hand as he walked behind Pei Xiangjun and Luo Ning to block their way to help. Xuanyuan Hongzhi and a black-clothed saberman appeared at the window. Their faces were covered by black scarves, revealing only two pairs of chilly eyes.. He said coldly, ¡°Ye Jingtang, I want to see where you can escape today!¡± Chapter 326 - Chapter 326: Overkill (1) Chapter 326: Overkill (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The sun was setting in the west, and the cool night wind swept up a few dead leaves on the old street. A string of lanterns outside the inn emitted a faint yellow light, illuminating more than ten feet in front of the door. Ye Jingtang was dressed in a black official uniform with his long hair tied up with a black headband and his saber hanging at his waist. He looked at the second floor of the restaurant not far away. Xuanyuan Hongzhi was standing at the window with a black scarf covering his face. Because his arms were injured, his combat strength was not at its peak. He didn¡¯t jump down directly and only looked down at the surrounded Ye Jingtang. The other four people surrounding him were also concealing their faces. In addition to Yao Wenzhong, Eighth Master Fan, and Han Shaoping, there was a Ze Province swordsman who had just rushed over. Although time was short, and the remaining two didn¡¯t have time to rush to Baywater Town, Yao Wenzhong and another top expert, as well as the three experienced Jianghu martial artists, could kill anyone as long as they didn¡¯t encounter a Martial Chief. When Xuanyuan Hongzhi saw that Ye Jingtang had appeared alone and fallen into a certain death situation, a cold smile flashed across his eyes. He even mocked, ¡°Ye Jingtang, I want to see where you can escape today!¡± Ye Jingtang looked around the old street with a lukewarm expression and replied, ¡°If I remember correctly, you two were the losers who escaped first yesterday. I didn¡¯t even have my fill of fighting. What do you mean where can I escape?¡± Yao Wenzhong had thrown his saber yesterday because his stupid teammate had given his opponent a weapon. Hearing this, he replied, ¡°If we fight one-on-one, you will definitely lose. Sometimes, numbers don¡¯t necessarily mean strength.¡± Although Ye Jingtang could tell that Yao Wenzhong was implying that Xuanyuan Hongzhi had held him back, he still felt that Yao Wenzhong understood the situation quite well. ¡°Why don¡¯t I give you a chance to have a good fight with me and lose clearly?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Yao Wenzhong clearly thought that Ye Jingtang was playing tricks to avoid being surrounded, so he didn¡¯t appreciate it. There was even a hint of mockery in his eyes. Han Shaoping¡¯s and Eighth Master Fan¡¯s backs were facing each other. Seeing the two women in the distance take out their weapons from the side of their horses and get ready to fight, he said, ¡°These two attendants don¡¯t look like mediocre people. Let¡¯s end this quickly.¡± After all, there were some commoners in the town. If they took too long, the Jianghu people would be able to confirm their identities. Even if Eighth Master Fan and the others took the blame, it would be difficult to explain. When Yao Wenzhong heard this, he gave Eighth Master Fan a look. Eighth Master Fan held his spear horizontally and paid attention to Ye Jingtang¡¯s back. From the corner of his eye, he glanced at Ye Jingtang¡¯s horse a distance away. The Jun Mountain Saber and the spear wrapped in black cloth were hanging on the side of the horse, and he didn¡¯t bring any heavy weapons with him. Ye Jingtang only had a single saber with him. Facing the encirclement of five people, he wouldn¡¯t even have the chance to fight back. When they started fighting, he would definitely think of a way to get the spear immediately. Thinking of this, Eighth Master Fan moved sideways and stood between Ye Jingtang and the horse. Then he pointed his spear forward and slowly walked forward. Tread, tread¡­ At the window on the second floor, the masked swordsman slowly pulled out his three-foot-long blade and prepared to attack. Swish! The two of them wanted to attract Ye Jingtang¡¯s attention and force him to focus on his back and above to create an opportunity for Yao Wenzhong to kill him in one strike. But to everyone¡¯s surprise, Ye Jingtang¡¯s back was facing the inn door, and his sides were facing Yao Wenzhong and Eighth Master Fan. His entire body was like a statue. He didn¡¯t move, and even his aura didn¡¯t change at all. He didn¡¯t look like he was in combat readiness at all. Eighth Master Fan gradually moved to thirty feet away. To top experts, it was almost a face-to-face distance. Seeing that Ye Jingtang had yet to take a stance, his eyes turned cold, and his hands shook violently. Bang! An explosion sounded in the silent old street. The fiery red spear tassel flew in the air, and the ten-foot-long pewter shaft trembled violently. The snow-white spear tip arrived beside Ye Jingtang from thirty feet away almost in an instant. This perfectly executed mid-level stab was just a probing feint. There were no skills or flaws in it, and the target was the side of Ye Jingtang¡¯s face. In the face of this stab that Ye Jingtang had to deal with, the only reaction he could make was to draw his saber to block the spear tip or dodge. Everyone present could deduce the path to counter the attack, so they could naturally react accordingly. Boom! The moment Eighth Master Fan¡¯s spear approached, Yao Wenzhong raised his hands and grabbed the hilt of his saber with lightning speed. He bent his back and flicked his saber as he let out a roar. The black cloth wrapped around the Jun Mountain Saber on his back instantly shattered into pieces as he slashed forward with a force that could split a mountain. A storm immediately appeared on the old street, and the saber and spear pressed down on Ye Jingtang in the middle almost at the same time. The black-clothed swordsman on the second floor also jumped out at the same time, locking down Ye Jingtang¡¯s only way to escape. This cooperation could be said to be perfect. As long as the opponent¡¯s martial arts skills followed common sense, there was no possibility of resolving it. Even if Ye Jingtang were lucky enough to survive this wave of attacks, he would definitely be severely injured. Behind the black-clothed swordsman, Xuanyuan Hongzhi had already silently gathered strength. He wanted to wait for Ye Jingtang to risk his life to break out of the encirclement and suffer heavy injuries before he made a move and finally eliminated this enormous threat. But just as Xuanyuan Hongzhi raised his hand, his pupils suddenly constricted, and the coldness in his eyes instantly turned into shock! The saber and spear approached Ye Jingtang in the blink of an eye, but he still didn¡¯t react. He was as slow as an ordinary passerby with a basic martial arts foundation. But the moment the disdain appeared in Eighth Master Fan¡¯s eyes, a streak of white frost suddenly flashed across the old street. Clang! Before the five people surrounding Ye Jingtang could even see his movements clearly, Eighth Master Fan¡¯s full-strength spear stab stopped abruptly before the side of Ye Jingtang¡¯s face! Eighth Master Fan didn¡¯t even see clearly how Ye Jingtang attacked at all. The spear in his hand suddenly stopped, and he realized that something was wrong. Then he was shocked to discover that the black-robe official close to him had raised his right hand at some point and casually grabbed the spear shaft. The entire spear seemed to have been nailed into iron in an instant. No matter how hard he exerted strength, it was difficult to make the spearhead move even a bit.. Chapter 327 - Chapter 327: Overkill (2) Chapter 327: Overkill (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Yao Wenzhong stood up and slashed down with all his might. Just as his saber was about to land on the left side of Ye Jingtang¡¯s face, the Hornless Dragon Saber at Ye Jingtang¡¯s waist unsheathed at a shocking speed and blocked the heavy saber. This saber move was so fast that it was unbelievable. Even Yao Wenzhong, whom the Saber Chief had taught, had a look of confusion in his eyes. After all, Yao Wenzhong had never seen Kuang Yazi. Apart from Kuang Yazi, there was no one else in Great Wei who could draw a saber so fast. The crisp sound of the saber was like the roar of a dragon from the nine heavens. The three-foot-long blade instantly turned into a ray of light. By the time he realized that Ye Jingtang¡¯s left hand was moving, the Hornless Dragon Saber was already horizontally beside him and even appeared to be waiting for him for a moment. Clang! The sound of ear-piercing friction came, and sparks flew in midair. Even though Yao Wenzhong felt that something was wrong, there was no room for him to maneuver with his heavy saber. He still used all his strength to slash at the Hornless Dragon Saber, wanting to shake Ye Jingtang¡¯s lower body. But Ye Jingtang held his saber with ease, pointed diagonally behind him, creating a steep angle. The 54-kilogram saber landed on it. Although Ye Jingtang¡¯s body leaned to the side due to the immense inertia, it failed to injure him at all and slid behind him almost instantly. Yao Wenzhong had already seen how Xuanyuan Hongzhi¡¯s move had been broken yesterday, and his blood ran cold. Before the heavy saber could completely slide away, he had already taken large strides back to prevent Ye Jingtang from taking the opportunity to slash at his neck. Facing the combined attack of the five people, Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t forcefully pursue Yao Wenzhong. As he blocked the Dragon Slaying Decree with his left hand, he suddenly yanked the spear in his right hand. When Eighth Master Fan felt that he couldn¡¯t move his spear, he sensed that something was wrong, but he didn¡¯t abandon the spear and escape from the battle. Instead, he held the spear tightly to prevent Ye Jingtang from snatching the weapon. After all, his role was to give Yao Wenzhong the initiative. If he abandoned the spear and retreated, he would become a useless teammate who handed his weapon over on the battlefield. Eighth Master Fan¡¯s train of thought was correct, but his overly-experienced Jianghu experience became a death warrant. Eighth Master Fan only saw the two blades clash. Before he could see the details of the exchange, an irresistible force pulled the spear in his hand. He staggered forward, and then there was an explosion in front of him. Boom! Ye Jingtang suddenly pulled the spear and turned around to kick sideways at the same time. His powerful right leg hit Eighth Master Fan¡¯s chest. Ye Jingtang¡¯s internal energy had increased greatly, but he hadn¡¯t really used it against anyone. He didn¡¯t even know how strong his explosive power was now, so he didn¡¯t hold back at all. The effect of this move couldn¡¯t be described as ¡®excessive force¡¯ anymore. It was completely like hitting a fly with heavy artillery. With the full-force kick, Ye Jingtang¡¯s right pants leg and shoe exploded under the terrifying force, and his bare foot directly kicked Eighth Master Fan¡¯s chest. Before Eighth Master Fan could react, his chest instantly caved in, and his back bulged. Then his robe exploded, and his shattered spine, flesh, and internal organs exploded into a bloody mist behind him. Blood splashed onto the back of Han Shaoping, who was ten feet away. Because the speed and strength were too exaggerated, it caused a phenomenon of ¡®passing through¡¯. Eighth Master Fan¡¯s body didn¡¯t move at all. Not only were the people surrounding them horrified by this scene, but even Ye Jingtang himself was disgusted. He quickly retracted his bloody right foot and flashed forward. Directly above the old street, the black-clothed swordsman leaped out of the window. His original intention was to lock down Ye Jingtang¡¯s escape route, but when he flew out, he was horrified to discover that Eighth Master Fan couldn¡¯t even withstand a single blow and was kicked in the chest. Such appalling destructive power terrified the black-clothed swordsman. He couldn¡¯t exert any strength in midair and would definitely die if he landed. Fie could only throw flying knives as a last-ditch struggle. Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Han Shaoping, who was originally wary of the two attendants, was splashed with blood. He turned around and saw the blood mist flying behind him. At the same time, he saw from the corner of his eye that the black-clothed swordsman was about to collide with Ye Jingtang. Han Shaoping was extremely experienced in combat. Seeing that his teammate was in a desperate situation, before he could think, he made the reaction that a top expert should have. His figure instantly erupted, and he slashed at Ye Jingtang with his two sabers, trying to rescue the black-clothed swordsman. But Han Shaoping immediately regretted this decision! Ye Jingtang originally wanted to intercept the black-clothed swordsman. But when he saw Han Shaoping rushing over from the corner of his eye, he dodged without any hesitation and sent the saber in his left hand into his right hand. Swoosh! The shrill sound of rushing wind came from the street. Ye Jingtang¡¯s figure moved horizontally on the street with a dazzling white light. He instantly passed Eighth Master Fan and the black-clothed swordsman and directly flashed in front of Han Shaoping from near Yao Wenzhong. When Han Shaoping saw this inhuman scene, he was terrified. He immediately crossed his two sabers in front of him and slashed at the black shadow charging over. But when the blades attacked, there was no sense of force. There was only a soft poof. Ye Jingtang found that the qi in his body was too strong. He was afraid of using too much strength and leaving minced meat all over the ground, disgusting the people in town, so he restrained his qi. The single saber in his hand was like a butterfly drifting between flowers. With absolute speed, it accurately passed through the gap between the two sabers and hit Han Shaoping¡¯s chest. Then Ye Jingtang exerted strength in his legs again. Bam! The old street bricks shattered under the heavy stomp, revealing two hemispherical pits. Ye Jingtang¡¯s figure turned at a sharp angle in front of Han Shaoping. It looked as if he had been split apart by Han Shaoping¡¯s two sabers. He shot diagonally upward and arrived behind the black-clothed swordsman in the blink of an eye. 11 The black-clothed swordsman had rushed out of the window and had yet to land on the ground. His naked eye could only see a black shadow running on the ground. When his eyes caught up to Ye Jingtang, he was already behind him. The biack-clothed swordsman¡¯s heart was like dead ashes, but his martial arts instincts were still there. As he fell, he slammed the sword in his right hand on his left forearm. The three-foot-long blade bent in the air and drew a semicircle around his body, and the tip of the sword accurately pointed at Ye Jingtang¡¯s heart. The swordsman in black was from Ze Province, and his sword technique came from the Water Cloud Sword Pool. His proficiency with this reverse stab technique was not much different from Zhou Huaili¡¯s. The only flaw was that his internal energy was too shallow. Swoosh! The figure flashed past from behind, but the sword didn¡¯t pierce anything. The black-clothed swordsman wanted to make a second move, but he found that the world was beginning to spin rapidly. Halfway through, he could see a headless corpse holding a sword falling from midair. Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t even look back as he charged toward Yao Wenzhong at the entrance of the gambling den. Yao Wenzhong missed with his saber, took big strides back, and spun around. When he turned back, he found that Ye Jingtang had kicked Eighth Master Fan to death. Then he charged back and forth, instantly killing the three cannon fodder he had recruited. Yao Wenzhong had just fought against Ye Jingtang yesterday. When he saw this unbelievable scene, a look of confusion flashed across his eyes even though a calamity was imminent. His first reaction was to wonder if this black-clothed constable was some Martial Chief in disguise. ¡°You¡­¡± Yao Wenzhong wanted to ask, but his opponent clearly wouldn¡¯t give him a chance. Ye Jingtang¡¯s body was like wild lightning as he instantly dashed back to Yao Wenzhong¡¯s side. He held his saber with both hands and stabbed forward, aiming for Yao Wenzhong¡¯s throat. Ding! Yao Wenzhong was much stronger than the three cannon fodder. The saber momentum in his hand had been accumulated to the extreme. Even though Ye Jingtang¡¯s speed was incredibly fast, he still accurately blocked the Hornless Dragon Saber¡¯s stab. If it were an ordinary opponent, this saber move would be enough to knock away the opponent¡¯s weapon. If the opponent held it and didn¡¯t let go, their weapon could even hit their lower body. But Ye Jingtang took a big step forward. Not only did the speed of his saber increase sharply, but even his speed of retracting his saber was the same. Yao Wenzhong¡¯s heavy saber struck the Hornless Dragon Saber. But before he could apply much force, Ye Jingtang had already pulled the saber back at lightning speed and stabbed again. Swoosh! The Dragon Slaying Decree used a 54-kilogram heavy saber. Its advantage was that it relied on incomparable inertia to make the moves so powerful that ordinary people couldn¡¯t withstand it. But the disadvantage was that ¡®inertia¡¯ was a double-edged sword. The opponent couldn¡¯t catch it, and the saberman himself couldn¡¯t use it as skillfully as with a light saber. Once the saber slashed, the saber had to be swung around to turn it back. If they were evenly matched and the speed of the Dragon Slaying Decree could keep up, the other party wouldn¡¯t dare to take the risk of making another strike. But the gap between Yao Wenzhong and Ye Jingtang was not far to begin with. At this moment, Ye Jingtang was no longer the same as before. His foundation was clearly deeper than Yao Wenzhong¡¯s, and he was even using the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade, which epitomized ¡¯only speed can¡¯t be broken¡¯. In front of absolute strength, any move was nonsense. Yao Wenzhong knew that something was wrong when his saber missed, so he immediately gave up on continuing his saber momentum and forcibly pulled his saber back to stop to block in front of him. But Ye Jingtang was holding the saber with both hands and stabbing forward with all his might. The force was far greater than Yao Wenzhong had imagined. Clang! When the Hornless Dragon Saber touched the blade of the Jun Mountain Saber, a vast qi instantly erupted. The Jun Mountain Saber that Yao Wenzhong had found at the last minute wasn¡¯t as sturdy as his own saber. Although it blocked the Hornless Dragon Saber¡¯s stab, Ye Jingtang¡¯s blade didn¡¯t stop at all. In the blink of an eye, it pierced through the palm-thick blade. Dazzling sparks and metal fragments pierced into Yao Wenzhong¡¯s broad chest along with the snow-white saber.. A bloody blade immediately appeared in the black cloak behind him¡­ Chapter 328 - Chapter 328: Beginning and End Chapter 328: Beginning and End Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Run!¡± A hysterical shout sounded in the small town where the saber lights and sword shadows swept. Yao Wenzhong didn¡¯t know why Ye Jingtang had suddenly become so terrifying, but he understood that it would be immensely difficult for him to leave the town alive today. After shouting, he twisted his saber violently and used his body and the Jun Mountain Saber to block the long saber that had passed through his body. At the same time, he pulled out a short saber with his left hand and slashed at Ye Jingtang¡¯s wrist. Swoosh! Ye Jingtang¡¯s saber had passed through the Jun Mountain Saber, so it wasn¡¯t easy to pull it back. Seeing the saber coming at him, he let go of the hilt and clenched his fists. 13 am! Bam! Two heavy punches landed on the broad saber. With a muffled sound, the Jun Mountain Saber struck Yao Wenzhong¡¯s chest. Yao Wenzhong¡¯s large body immediately flew back, but he didn¡¯t lose his balance. The moment the fist force reduced, he pushed his heavy saber hard and pulled out the long saber stuck in his chest. Then he held his saber with both hands and slashed with all his might. ¡°Ah!¡± Ye Jingtang flew back with ease. When the blade swept forward, he stepped on the ground heavily and bounced up. His knees smashed into Yao Wenzhong¡¯s collarbone, instantly creating two pits in his chest. Bam! Although Yao Wenzhong wasn¡¯t as talented as Xuanyuan Tiangang, he worked the hardest among his peers. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been trained by Xuanyuan Chao as the future sect master. In this situation where there was a clear difference in strength, Yao Wenzhong¡¯s basic skills were still as stable as a rock. The extremely ferocious knees slammed into his chest, and Yao Wenzhong was knocked back again. But his body was like a determined bull that refused to fall. He quickly abandoned the heavy saber that he couldn¡¯t use and grabbed the right foot that had crashed into his chest with both hands. Using the method of the Dragon Slaying Decree, he smashed it behind him with all his might. ¡°Die!¡± Ye Jingtang really didn¡¯t expect Yao Wenzhong¡¯s skin and flesh to be so thick. His entire body was spun half a circle and was smashed toward the ground. Just as he was about to touch the ground, he used his five fingers to dig into the blue bricks on the ground as support, placed his left foot on Yao Wenzhong¡¯s waist and abdomen, and suddenly straightened his body. No matter how terrifying Yao Wenzhong¡¯s body was, it was difficult for him to withstand the massive force from below. Ye Jingtang kicked his waist and lifted him up. His over-the-shoulder smash toward the street came to an abrupt halt. Boom! The old bricks on the street instantly exploded, creating a pit. Ye Jingtang took the opportunity to bounce up and land a fierce kick on Yao Wenzhong¡¯s ribs. Yao Wenzhong slid sideways to the side of the street and smashed through the wall of the gambling den. ¡°Cough!¡± Yao Wenzhong coughed up a mouthful of blood and quickly rolled up. Before he could stabilize himself, the sound of fist wind came from in front of him. Bang! Ye Jingtang almost rushed out with Yao Wenzhong¡¯s figure. When he stopped, he strode forward, raised his arm behind, and launched a punch. He didn¡¯t hold back with his punch at all. The punch was so powerful that the moment the punch was thrown, spiderweb cracks appeared on the old street bricks. The lanterns in the distance were immediately extinguished, as if the night wind on the entire street was stirred. Yao Wenzhong was bleeding from his teeth. Unable to dodge, he raised his fist and tried to clash with Ye Jingtang with all his might. Boom! The two fists collided, and the raging fist winds instantly tore through the walls on both sides. The bones in Yao Wenzhong¡¯s right fist were immediately shattered, and the sleeve on his thick right arm was pulverized inch by inch from his wrist. There was a crisp crack, and white bones pierced out from his back shoulder. His huge body instantly turned into a cannonball shot out of a barrel. He shot backward and smashed through more than ten buildings, leaving a giant Chapter 329 - Chapter 329: Daily Life Chapter 329: Daily Life Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After the short storm ended, the entire town was silent for a long time before there was a sound again. At the entrance of the alley, the goons originally working in the gambling den were temporarily put to work by Ye Jingtang and called over to clean the damaged street and buildings. The damage to the street wasn¡¯t serious, and only a lot of street bricks had been shattered. But Eighth Master Fan¡¯s corpse wasn¡¯t easy to handle. His chest had exploded from a kick, and his flesh and blood had splattered all over a wall. The two goons carrying buckets to wash it had pale faces. If they weren¡¯t afraid of being killed by the King of Hell of the Black Office, they would have quit on the spot. The others were in a much better state. The corpses of Xuanyuan Hongzhi and the other two were carried to the side of the street and covered with white cloth. A few people had sewed their heads back on and cleaned up the blood. Yao Wenzhong¡¯s foundation was indeed solid. His entire body had almost been beaten to pieces, but he still hadn¡¯t stopped breathing. He had fainted from the severe injuries. If Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t leave anyone alive, it would be difficult for him to report the situation to the Imperial Court. For this reason, he left Yao Wenzhong on his last breath and waited for the Black Office to come over to hand him over to the officials to deal with. In addition, because more than ten buildings had been heavily damaged, Ye Jingtang even found the officials in town and asked them to calculate the losses one by one and compensate the victims with a sum of silver. After he finished all of this, the sky had alreadly turned completely dark, and the bright moon was hanging above the branches. Ye Jingtang held the Sudden Inspiration Sword and returned to the vicinity of the gambling den. The yellow-robed youth waiting by the street quickly walked over. ¡°Sir, are you injured?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve already sent someone to inform the officials. Someone will probably come over tomorrow morning. Stay nearby for the night, and don¡¯t run around¡­¡± After Ye Jingtang gave a few reminders, he went to an inn not far away. On the roof of the inn, the bird was dutifully keeping watch. The shadows of two women appeared on the window. Ye Jingtang went up the stairs to the second floor and arrived outside the room. He could hear a soft conversation coming from inside. ¡°We agreed to stall until Ye Jingtang came over. Why did you rush forward?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a spear user. If 1 don¡¯t fight to pressure him, am I going to jump on the walls like you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine if you charged forward, but what did you mean by using the Wind Pool Reverse Blood the moment you met? You were having a good time fighting just now, but now you know how painful it is?¡± ¡°This is the key to fighting. If you don¡¯t fight, forget it. If you fight, you have to use your full strength¡­¡± Ye Jingtang pushed open the door and looked at the two people quarreling. There was a bright candlelight in the clean room. Luo Ning had taken off her face scarf and bamboo hat and was sitting on her side on the bed. There was a hot water basin in front of her, and she was holding a towel in her hand, gently wiping, and applying medicine. Pei Xiangjun had taken off her suit and was lying on the bed with a pillow in her arms, revealing her snow-white back and shoulders. From the side, Ye Jingtang could see a large white ball being pressed down under her chest. Because Pei Xiangjun had used the Wind Pool Reverse Blood, red marks had appeared on her spine from the back of her neck to the back of her waist. At the end of the red marks was her fleshy and plump moon. They had already done the deed. Pei Xiangjun was a little more open-minded and wasn¡¯t wear thin underpants. When Ye Jingtang entered, she moved slightly, wanting to pull up the thin blanket to cover herself. But after thinking about it, she blushed and stopped. Ye Jingtang closed the door. His eyes were full of heartache. He came closer and looked carefully. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt. It¡¯s just a small injury¡­¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t in pain? Who was the one who shouted ¡®gently, gently¡¯ just now?¡± When Luo Ning saw Pei Xiangjun putting on a brave front, displeasure appeared in her eyes. She raised her hand and patted the silky-smooth and snow-white moon lightly, making a soft ¡®plop-¡® sound. ¡°If it doesn¡¯t hurt, why don¡¯t you apply the medicine yourself?¡± Ye Jingtang sat down in front of Ning¡¯er, held her hand that was using the family rule, and rubbed Third Lady¡¯s sore spots. ¡°Just talk. Why are you hitting her?¡± Seeing that Ye Jingtang was being biased again, Luo Ning pulled away his groping hand. ¡°She hit me this morning. Why didn¡¯t you stop her?¡± ¡°Because you were disobedient, right, Jingtang?¡± Pei Xiangjun was being doted on by Ye Jingtang, and a hint of pride flashed across her eyes. Seeing that Ye Jingtang couldn¡¯t touch her anymore, she even twisted her waist and hips slightly toward him as a reward¡­ I Under the dim yellow candlelight, Ye Jingtang saw a thin line of fat between the bright moon. His eyes widened visibly. He wanted to maintain the calm demeanor of a husband, but his eyes wouldn¡¯t listen to him, and he couldn¡¯t move them away. Sitting in the middle, Luo Ning saw Ye Jingtang staring straight at the back of the Third Lady¡¯s waist. Embarrassment flashed across her eyes. She pressed the flirtatious Third Lady back and turned Ye Jingtang¡¯s face away. ¡°What are you looking at? Go take a bath quickly. The water is ready for you. Why did you use so much strength to hit Old Eighth Fan? It¡¯s really¡­¡± Ye Jingtang had kicked out with all his might, exploding his pants and boot. He had yet to change them. He looked down and saw that he was indeed unsightly. He turned his head, kissed Ning¡¯er¡¯s cold face, then stood up and went behind the screen to wash up. Pei Xiangjun raised her feet and swayed them gently in the air. She quietly looked at Ye Jingtang, who was undressing behind the screen, not knowing what she was admiring. Luo Ning was also peeking from the corner of her eye. However, her goal was not to feast her eyes but to see if the little thief was ready to fight again. Seeing that it was really so, Luo Ning quickly turned her gaze away and patted the back of Pei Xiangjun¡¯s waist. ¡°Ye Jingtang¡¯s body hasn¡¯t recuperated yet. You¡¯ve made yourself like this. How are you going to help him recuperate at night?¡± Pei Xiangjun blinked her almond-shaped eyes. ¡°I was the first to fight during the day, and I have to be the first to fight at night. What do we need you for then? It¡¯s not like he¡¯s stabbing you with a knife. As long as you¡¯re willing to go all out, I don¡¯t believe he can really kill you.¡± Luo Ning felt that Pei Xiangjun was like a newborn calf who was not afraid of grass. She didn¡¯t know what it meant to be in an abyss of suffering. She said coldly, ¡°Okay, after you recover from your injuries, try letting Ye Jingtang recuperate with you for a day and a night. If you can still say this afterward, 1 will consider you impressive.¡± Pei Xiangjun was actually a little afraid in her heart, but at worst, she would ask Jingtang to go easy on her. What was there to be afraid of? ¡°I¡¯ll try it¡­¡± Behind the screen, Ye Jingtang was bathing in the bathtub. When he heard that the two girls were thinking of ways to reward him, he couldn¡¯t help finding it funny. He didn¡¯t interrupt until they stopped talking and asked, ¡°What should we do with this Sudden Inspiration Sword?¡± The Sudden Inspiration Sword ranked among the top ten famous swords. Since the previous dynasty, it had been a family heirloom of Tu Province¡¯s Thousand Crane Villa. All the previous masters of the sword were either Sword Saints or Grandmasters. Not to mention its indestructible quality, just due to its origin, it was a legendary collectible that was hard to find even with ten thousand gold coins. Ye Jingtang wanted to give this sword to Dumdum, but the Thousand Crane Villa had a very good reputation in Jianghu. It was not an exaggeration to evaluate it as an entire sect of sword heroes. He felt that it was unchivalrous to find the sword of the late young master and take it for himself. Luo Ning looked at the sword and deliberated for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ve been to the Thousand Crane Villa before and was warmly welcomed. 1 was even taught some swordsmanship. Hmm¡­ This sword is an inheritance of the Thousand Crane Villa. Why don¡¯t you return it and ask them to teach you the Dragon Qi Sword? You should be able to learn it.¡± Pei Xiangjun had the same opinion, but when she heard about learning the sword, she still interrupted, ¡°Aside from being good-looking and light, swords are completely inferior to sabers in actual combat. It takes 120% of the effort to learn 8o% of the saber¡¯s combat strength. Those swordsmen in Jianghu call themselves ¡®sword freaks, sword immortals, and sword devils¡¯. But when they really encounter trouble, the weapons in their hands are each longer than the other¡­¡± Pei Xiangjun¡¯s words were actually a bit inaccurate. In Jianghu, this was true not only for those who used swords but also for other weapon users. Even Ye Jingtang would definitely not use a saber to find excitement when he could use a long weapon if he wasn¡¯t confident. Luo Ning knew that Pei Xiangjun was secretly mocking her low combat strength and said unhappily, ¡°Do I still need you to teach me the principle that an inch longer is an inch stronger? The spear is powerful, but I can wrap the sword around my waist. Can Ye Jingtang wrap a spear around his waist?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see you use it when you had it wrapped around your waist either¡­¡± ¡°You!¡± While Ye Jingtang listened to the conversation, he instinctively looked down. He wanted to make a joke, but after thinking about it, he decided not to. After all, if he said some things, Ning¡¯er would definitely come over with her sword. After washing up, Ye Jingtang got up and jumped out of the bathtub. He wiped his body with a towel and picked up a change of clothes. Seeing this, Pei Xiangjun said considerately, ¡°Why are you getting dressed? You¡¯re going to take your clothes off later anyway. Just let the vixen help you recuperate.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a tiger, aren¡¯t you? Since you¡¯re so concerned about him, you go first¡­¡± While speaking, Luo Ning moved closer to the head of the bed and rubbed the big moon with her hands, revealing the plumpness. ¡°Little thief, come here!¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Ye Jingtang blinked and stopped putting on his outer robe. Because Third Lady¡¯s back was injured, he didn¡¯t go straight to the point as instructed and only teased her with his hand. ¡°Mm-¡± Pei Xiangjun¡¯s vision was blocked by Luo Ning. Before she could figure out the situation, her shoulders trembled slightly from the indescribable touch. Her face turned red, but she didn¡¯t struggle. She just hugged the pillow and bit her lower lip. Seeing Ning¡¯er¡¯s cold gaze, Ye Jingtang stopped while he was ahead. He smiled and said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s rest. We still have to rush back tomorrow morning. We¡¯ll probably have to set off when the people from the Black Office arrive.¡± Seeing that Ye Jingtang knew his limits, Luo Ning raised her hand and patted the moon again.. Then she pulled him away and began to help with his daily recuperation¡­ Chapter 330 - Chapter 330: Unfaithful? (1) Chapter 330: Unfaithful? (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The moon was bright, and the stars were sparse. Two figures were walking on the waves of the Wu River. Dongfang Liren was wearing a python dress. Her figure was as light as a swallow as she rose and fell on the calm river. Her gaze was fixed on the official road on the riverbank, searching for traces of Ye Jingtang. Daoist Xuanji¡¯s white dress was like snow as she walked in front. Compared to her dignified and steady bearing in the military camp, her bearing had changed greatly. She was holding a wine gourd in her hand, and her beautiful face was slightly flushed. Her posture of Treading on Water, Riding Waves resembled ¡®riding a donkey backward¡¯. Although it looked like she was swaying and could fall into the water at any moment, she was like a roly-poly toy. No matter how she swayed, her movements were light and agile without any mistakes. She was even faster than Dongfang Liren. Along the way, she taught, ¡°Liren, traveling and escaping are two different things. Usually, when you use lightness skills, you should pay attention to agility and elegance. You don¡¯t have to be so tense every step¡­¡± Dongfang Liren naturally understood this truth, but she was already using all her strength to keep up with her alcoholic master¡¯s speed. She wanted to be elegant, agile, and pay attention to her bearing, but her strength didn¡¯t allow her to do so. But if Dongfang Liren couldn¡¯t do it, she would be too embarrassed to say it. She paid attention to her posture and became calmer. The two of them had set off from Riverside Town without riding horses. For this reason, they had to use lightness skills to rush over. On the way, they were afraid of passing by Ye Jingtang if he turned back, so they kept walking beside the official road. The two of them didn¡¯t feel much pressure from traveling 50 kilometers on foot, but there was nothing urgent. They admired the beautiful scenery of the mountains and rivers about to enter autumn along the way, so they weren¡¯t fast. When the moon rose above the branches, the two of them arrived outside Baywater Town. Looking over, they could see that the center of the town was brightly lit, and many people were walking on the streets. There were wine shops and brothels, and they could hear people chatting. ¡°I heard that the people who died were all big shots in Ze Province. Old Eighth Fan was among them. He died miserably¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that he died! 1 used to run a boat and was robbed by Old Eighth Fan in the Clear River. In the past, I thought that these people were very powerful, but I didn¡¯t expect an official from the Black Office to come over and kill them all in the blink of an eye¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Those people in the Jianghu all boast that even the emperor has to be polite when she sees them. But in fact, it¡¯s obvious if you think about it. If the Imperial Court were really afraid of those uncultivated Jianghu people, how could they sit firmly in the world? They usually don¡¯t have time to care¡­¡± Dongfang Liren landed on a roof and frowned slightly when she heard these idle conversations. Eighth Master Fan was a water tyrant in Ze Province. He was on the wanted list of the Black Office, but because he was vigilant and had no fixed address, he couldn¡¯t be caught at all. Hearing that Eighth Master Fan was dead, Dongfang Liren knew that Ye Jingtang must have done it on his errand, but she was still a little puzzled. ¡°Why is Old Eighth Fan here? And why did he run into Ye Jingtang?¡± Daoist Xuanji smelled the scent of blood in the night wind and looked at the center of the town. She could see many street ruffians washing the street with buckets of water. The old street was in a mess and full of broken walls. ¡°The fuss was quite big. It looks like an ambush¡­¡± ¡°Ambush?¡± Daoist Xuanji narrowed her eyes and examined the battle traces in the center of the town. From the corner of her eye, she suddenly spotted an inconspicuous little bird squatting on a building in the distance, leisurely eating jerky. Daoist Xuanji knew that Ye Jingtang was there and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go over and ask.¡± Then she landed on the street with Dongfang Liren and walked toward the center of the town. But not long after Daoist Xuanji started walking, her ears suddenly twitched as she heard a few vague words. ¡°Little thief, don¡¯t forget that I started giving you treatment to help you¡­¡± The King of Hell of the Black Office, who had killed many people, was staying in an inn. Although the place wasn¡¯t cleared out, the few guests who had stayed in the inn quietly checked out. There were only three people staying in the guest rooms. Pei Xiangjun had injured her meridians and couldn¡¯t join the group battle. She could only lie on a pillow with a little grievance and close her eyes to recover. In another room on the second floor, a candle lamp was burning on the dressing table. Ye Jingtang leaned against the head of the bed and took a break. He took a cup of water from the dressing table and considerately poured water for Ning¡¯er. Luo Ning was hugging a thin blanket and leaning on her side. Her black hair was draped over her back, looking slightly messy. There was still a blush on her face, but her eyes were angry, as if she had just been used too hard. She didn¡¯t take the cup of water when Ye Jingtang handed it over. Her head was facing the wall, as if she didn¡¯t want to talk to him. Ye Jingtang wasn¡¯t surprised by her attitude. Just now, Ning¡¯er had dragged him over to help him recuperate, and she had made three rules beforehand. In summary, she said, ¡°You are not allowed to move. I will move myself.¡± Naturally, he would not decline such a considerate suggestion. He lay down obediently and let Ning¡¯er help him recuperate. But as usual, Ning¡¯er was half-reluctant and half-cooperative. She took the initiative, but she wasn¡¯t that proactive. Her movements were gentle, reserved, and slow. He had taken too many tonics and had yet to digest them fully. Halfway through, he couldn¡¯t control himself and turned from passive to active. Ning¡¯er cried and clutched bedsheets to beg for mercy, but he even blocked her mouth and ignored her. Seeing Ning¡¯er hugging the thin blanket and about to cry, Ye Jingtang¡¯s eyes were full of shame. He brought the cup of water to her mouth. ¡°I was wrong. Isn¡¯t it because 1 took too many tonics? I¡¯ll definitely be obedient next time. Drink some water¡­¡± Luo Ning didn¡¯t know how many times she had heard ¡®next time¡¯. How could she believe the words of coaxing a girl in bed? She turned her head to avoid the cup of water, her peach blossom-like beautiful eyes serious and earnest. ¡°Little thief, don¡¯t forget that 1 started giving you treatment to help you. When you coaxed me back then, you said you would listen to whatever 1 said. When did you listen to me after that?¡± Ye Jingtang smiled and put his arm around Luo Ning¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I won¡¯t do it again. Come on, be good and drink some water..¡± Chapter 331 - Chapter 331: Unfaithful? (2) Chapter 331: Unfaithful? (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Luo Ning was helpless against the shameless Ye Jingtang. She opened her red lips, took a few sips of water, and then let go of the thin blanket. Based on the mentality that long-term pain was worse than short-term pain, she wanted to help him recuperate and sleep as soon as possible. Noticing that Ye Jingtang¡¯s gaze was looking down and he wanted to say something but hesitated, Luo Ning understood what he meant without needing words. She sat on his lap, held the little watermelons in her hands, leaned over, and said in disdain, ¡°T-t-this¡­ Seriously¡­ why do you look like a baby who¡¯s not even a month old¡­¡± Ye Jingtang¡¯s eyes were full of smiles. He opened his mouth to receive his reward and placed his hands on the moon. Just as he pinched it twice, he suddenly heard a voice coming from outside. ¡°Chirp chirp?!¡± ¡°Chirp- Come here¡­¡± When Luo Ning heard the voice, she quickly leaned back and moved away. As a result¡­ Slurp- When Luo Ning found that Ye Jingtang was still reluctant to part with her, she was so angry that her willowy eyebrows bristled. She raised her hand and knocked the annoying man¡¯s head. ¡°Someone is coming! Hurry up and get out!¡± ¡°Alright, don¡¯t be angry¡­¡± Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t expect Dumdum to rush over so late at night. He quickly got up, put on his robe, and went downstairs. It was taboo to put dead people in inns. For this reason, the four corpses were placed diagonally in the alley opposite, with a few ruffians watching over them. Ye Jingtang walked out of the lobby of the inn and saw Dumdum wearing an extremely eye-catching silver python dress, standing in front of the few corpses to check them. Daoist Xuanji was holding the bird in her arms and rubbing his head. ¡°Cluck cluck?¡± ¡°Chirp-¡± Ye Jingtang tidied his robe and quickly walked over. ¡°Your Highness, Fairy Lu, why are you here?¡± Daoist Xuanji turned around and walked to the street. ¡°The Prince of Wu has been caught. We had nothing to do tonight, so we came to take a look. You guys chat first. I¡¯ll take it for a walk.¡± When Dongfang Liren saw Xuanyuan Hongzhi¡¯s body, her expression was rather ugly. When Ye Jingtang arrived, she frowned and asked, ¡°Jun Mountain Terrace secretly sent people to kill you? Are you injured?¡± Ye Jingtang raised his hand casually at the bodies. ¡°It¡¯s just a few people joining forces to send their heads over. I¡¯m fine. 1 know the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade. Jun Mountain Terrace is definitely afraid. It¡¯s not strange for them to do this.¡± Dongfang Liren¡¯s eyes turned slightly cold. ¡°Xuanyuan Chao is really impudent. How dare he touch my person¡­¡± Ye Jingtang advised, ¡°Jun Mountain Terrace will insist that Xuanyuan Hongzhi acted on his own accord. If this matter blows up, the most that will happen is the removal of the Marquis of Jun Mountain title. Xuanyuan Hongzhi tried to assassinate an official and was executed according to the law. This case will end here. As for my personal enmity, 1 can settle it with Xuanyuan Chao myself. If Your Highness helps me punish Jun Mountain Terrace, as a member of the Black Office, it will be difficult for me to find an excuse to cause trouble for Jun Mountain Terrace in the future.¡± Ye Jingtang wasn¡¯t injured, and Xuanyuan Hongzhi had been beaten to death. No matter how serious this matter became, there would be no way to decapitate Xuanyuan Chao, a founding marquis, in public. Dongfang Liren deliberated for a moment and nodded. ¡°You know your limits. If you can¡¯t resolve it, tell me. I¡¯ll bring tens of thousands of soldiers to surround Jun Mountain Terrace. At worst, I¡¯ll be scolded by the officials for a few years for being domineering and harming loyal people. They won¡¯t be able to do anything to me.¡± Dongfang Liren¡¯s words were domineering, but how could Ye Jingtang let Dumdum bear the infamy because of his own enmity? He only shook his head and smiled¡­ Meanwhile, in the inn room¡­ Since the recuperation had been interrupted, Luo Ning obviously couldn¡¯t lie naked on the bed with her big moon raised, waiting for the little thief to return to continue. After Ye Jingtang put on his clothes and went out, Luo Ning grabbed a dress, put it on neatly inside and out, put her soft sword around her waist, and arranged her hair neatly. Then she stood up and went out, preparing to visit Third Lady, who was alone next door. But when she reached the door, Luo Ning heard a sound coming from outside. Puff! Puff! The sound of the bird flapping it wings¡­ ? Luo Ning was slightly puzzled. She thought that the bird had seen she was free and came back to ask for food, so she raised her hand and opened the door. Squeak! The two doors opened, and the dim yellow light in the room spilled onto the wooden floor in the hallway. The first thing that entered Luo Ning¡¯s eyes was a slim-fitting white dress with pink flower petals embroidered on the hem. Her legs were very slender, and above them were her graceful hip line and slender waist. There was a red wine gourd hanging at her waist and a sword with a yin-yang fish handguard. Her clothes bulged in front of her chest, drawing a perfect arc. Farther up was a beautiful and otherworldly face. The corners of her lips were curled up with a hint of evilness, and her clear eyes were looking at her. The fair fingers on her right hand were covering the bird¡¯s eyes¡­ The big stupid bird thought that they were playing. It stood on her arm adorably and shook its head¡­ !! Luo Ning¡¯s cold and unparalleled face suddenly froze, and her eyes widened visibly. She subconsciously moved her hands, wanting to slam the door shut. Unfortunately, before the door could close completely, someone blocked it with her foot. When Daoist Xuanji and Luo Ning lived together, Luo Ning had still been a 16-year-old heroine. Although they hadn¡¯t seen each other for more than ten years, Luo Ning practiced the Evergreen Beauty-Retaining Picture. Other than her temperament becoming much more mature, her body had hardly changed. She was still as pink and delicate as before¡­ Because of this, Daoist Xuanji recognized the beautiful young woman with lingering joy on her face at first glance. Her eyes were full of surprise. ¡°Ning¡¯er?¡± Luo Ning¡¯s face turned pale. In her panic, she only wanted to close the door and call Ye Jingtang back to help. But as a cult mistress, she couldn¡¯t even defeat Third Lady, so how could she be Daoist Xuanji¡¯s match? Before Luo Ning could exert any strength, Daoist Xuanji had already pushed open the door casually. She threw out the bird, who knew that it had caused trouble and was at a loss, and closed the door. Click. Chapter 332 - Chapter 332: Unfaithful? (3) Chapter 332: Unfaithful? (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Luo Ning¡¯s eyes widened, and she looked around with her peripheral vision. It seemed that she wanted to run away, but she knew that she couldn¡¯t. She could only use all her willpower to pretend to be calm. ¡°Shuishui? Why are you here? I¡­ I happened to pass by¡­¡± Her voice trailed off. After the surprise in Daoist Xuanji¡¯s eyes faded, they turned solemn. She walked into the room unhurriedly and wanted to sit on the bed, but she smelled a strange smell¡­ ?! Daoist Xuanji guessed something, and a hint of shock flashed across her eyes. But she remained calm and sat on a chair. She narrowed her eyes slightly at her former best friend, who was at a loss. ¡°Ning¡¯er, back then, you left without saying goodbye. I personally went to the South Firmament Mountains to pick you up, but you refused to leave. You were even so heartless. You said that you really liked Xue Baijin and asked me not to ruin your marriage¡­ Now that you¡¯ve already become Madam Xue, we¡¯re an official and a bandit and irreconcilable with each other. Even if I miss our old friendship, 1 have to take you down and hand you over to the Imperial Court to deal with. Are you sure you happened to pass by here?¡± Luo Ning¡¯s heart was like dead ashes. She didn¡¯t even dare to look at Daoist Xuanji. Now, she only wanted to hide behind her man and let the little thief handle the matter. But the little thief was heartless and went to accompany the princess¡­ What do 1 do, what do I do¡­ Luo Ning clenched her hands in her sleeves and slowly sat down opposite Daoist Xuanji, pretending to be calm. ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s a long story. 1 have no intention of rebelling. Back then, 1 went to the South Firmament Mountains because of my family¡¯s blood debt. Void Jade Mountain couldn¡¯t teach me martial arts, and I had to seek revenge from the Thousand Buddha Temple, so¡­¡± ¡°So you gave yourself to Xue Baijin and asked him to help you take revenge?¡± ¡°Not really. I just want him to teach me martial arts. I¡¯ll take revenge myself¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Daoist Xuanji nodded thoughtfully. ¡°You accompanied Xue Baijin for more than ten years and realized that he didn¡¯t mean what he said and deceived you. So you looked for a better job and found Ye Jingtang?¡± Luo Ning raised her face, her eyes a little annoyed. After all, Daoist Xuanji¡¯s words completely described her as a woman who didn¡¯t hesitate to rely on her looks to seduce men in order to achieve her goal! But in the eyes of outsiders, this seemed to be the truth¡­ Luo Ning didn¡¯t want her former best friend to misunderstand her like this. She braced herself and explained, ¡°I¡¯m not a fickle woman¡­¡± ¡°So you married Xue Baijin first, and now you¡¯re with Ye Jingtang¡­¡± Daoist Xuanji glanced at the bed, her meaning self-explanatory. Feeling ashamed, Luo Ning gritted her teeth and explained, ¡°Last year, Qiu Tianhe was arrested. Under the orders of the Pacifying Heaven Cult, I¡­ 1 went to the capital to rescue him. Coincidentally, 1 bumped into Ye Jingtang, who had just entered the capital. He¡­ he saw that 1 was beautiful, so he took liberties with me and pestered me. I had no choice¡­¡± Luo Ning was telling the truth. After all, the little thief had indeed been like this at the beginning. But to Luo Ning¡¯s surprise, just as she pulled the little thief out to block the lightning, Shuishui frowned. ¡°You¡¯re not young anymore. Don¡¯t push the blame to the child. Ye Jingtang is chivalrous and upright. How could he be bewitched by beauty and force a woman?¡± ?? Luo Ning was stunned when she heard this. It was obvious that she was saying Ye Jingtang was young and upright. It must be you, the bad older sister, who seduced him and wanted to shift the responsibility onto him. It would be fine if this were really the case, but what she said was obviously the truth! A child? Besides loving to eat watermelons, how is Ye Jingtang a child? Luo Ning sat up straighter. ¡°Shuishui, I was with you for more than a year. Don¡¯t you know my character? Do 1 seem like that kind of woman?¡± Daoist Xuanji knew that Luo Ning was very pure in the past, but people changed. It had been more than ten years, and Luo Ning was still with the Pacifying Heaven Cult. Who knew if her character had changed drastically? But Ye Jingtang was different. A few days ago, she had hugged him and rubbed against him. He had remained as still as a mountain and showed no signs of lust. Her looks were not inferior to Ning¡¯er¡¯s, and with her status as the ¡®number one female expert in the world¡¯, this was enough to prove that Ye Jingtang was not a man with a bad character. However, Daoist Xuanji couldn¡¯t say these arguments explicitly. She only said, ¡°I¡¯m very good at judging people. Ye Jingtang is definitely not what you said¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s because he changed! After he bullied me, I was very angry, so he changed his ways. I¡­ I only let him off because 1 saw that he wasn¡¯t a bad person¡­ I¡¯m still following him because I want him to go to the Pacifying Heaven Cult, but he has his heart set on the Imperial Court and refuses. And he doesn¡¯t allow me to leave either¡­¡± After listening for a moment, Daoist Xuanji gradually understood the situation. ¡°At first, Ye Jingtang was lustful and ruined your innocence. You saw that he was talented and a good person, so you didn¡¯t blame him. Then you developed feelings for him. Now, you want to cut off your ill-fated relationship and return to Xue Baijin, but he can¡¯t bear to let you go. So you¡¯re deceiving yourself and others and hiding day by day?¡± Luo Ning pursed her lips. She wanted to say that she had no feelings for Ye Jingtang and was forcefully tied up here, but Shuishui definitely wouldn¡¯t believe this. She could only nod faintly. Daoist Xuanji looked at her ¡®unfaithful¡¯ old friend. After a moment of silence, she shook her head gently. ¡°If you do this¡­ what will Xue Baijin do? If he finds out that the wife he officially married ran away with Ye Jingtang, the two of you will probably be cut into pieces¡­¡± Luo Ning didn¡¯t think this would happen. If Baijin found out that she was having an affair, she would at worst hang the little thief up and beat him up before ¡®divorcing¡¯ her. But if this matter were to spread, Xue Baijin and the Pacifying Heaven Cult would probably become laughingstocks in Jianghu on the spot, and she would be too ashamed to go out and meet people for the rest of her life. So she replied seriously, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this matter myself. Ye Jingtang is righteous and wants peace in the world. That¡¯s why he¡¯s working in the Black Office and working for the Prince of Jing. 1 think what he said makes sense. He¡¯ll think of a way to persuade Baijin to accept amnesty and recruitment. Don¡¯t tell outsiders about this.. Once the news spreads, it will be impossible to reverse the situation¡­¡± Chapter 333 - Chapter 333: Unfaithful? (4) Chapter 333: Unfaithful? (4) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ? Daoist Xuanji frowned. ¡°Someone from the Imperial Court snatched Xue Baijin¡¯s wife and even wants him to bow down and surrender. Do you think the ¡®number one in the world¡¯ in secular Jianghu is a clay Buddha? If Xue Baijin knows about this, it¡¯s already kind of him if he only rushes to Yun¡¯an and causes trouble in the capital. If he mobilizes more than one hundred thousand soldiers in a fit of anger to wreak havoc in the Heavenly South, do you know how many people will die?¡± Luo Ning felt that Shuishui wasn¡¯t as easy to fool as Third Lady. There were some things that she couldn¡¯t say carelessly, so she could only say, ¡°1 swear on my life that this won¡¯t happen. Baijin¡­ he¡¯s different from ordinary men. Uhh¡­ he likes men too. He and 1 are husband and wife, but he doesn¡¯t care for sex with women¡­¡± ? Daoist Xuanji sat up straight and took the wine gourd from her waist. Her eyes were burning. ¡°Xue Baijin is gay?¡± Luo Ning felt that she would be beaten half to death by Baijin, but at this moment, she could only brace herself and nod. ¡°That¡¯s right. Don¡¯t spout nonsense. 1¡¯11 settle this matter and give you a satisfactory explanation¡­¡± ¡°Why do you want to explain it to me? This matter has nothing to do with me.¡± After taking a sip of wine, Daoist Xuanji frowned and asked, ¡°Does Ye Jingtang know about this?¡± Luo Ning was afraid that Daoist Xuanji would doubt Ye Jingtang¡¯s loyalty, causing him to be suspected by the empress and the Prince of Jing, so she hurriedly explained, ¡°He knows. Because he feels sorry for me, he¡¯s been hiding my identity and persuading me to abandon the dark and return to the light¡­¡± Daoist Xuanji stroked her wine gourd and nodded slightly. After thinking for a moment, she asked, ¡°Does Xue Baijin have a picture of the Roaring Dragon Chart?¡± Luo Ning blinked and shook her head. ¡°You can ask Xue Baijin about this yourself. I¡¯m just the cult mistress, and I¡¯m only in charge of some internal affairs.¡± Daoist Xuanji wanted to ask, but facing Xue Baijin, who was already like the sun in the sky, her chances of winning weren¡¯t high. She immediately changed the topic. ¡°Since you¡¯ve abandoned the dark and returned to the light, don¡¯t even think about returning to the South Firmament Mountains to renew your old relationship. If you have the intention of abducting Ye Jingtang to rebel, you know the consequences. As the ¡®imperial teacher¡¯, 1 can¡¯t ignore the law and cherish our old friendship.¡± Luo Ning pursed her lips. ¡°1 won¡¯t encourage Ye Jingtang to rebel. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°When it comes to the word love, men can do anything. I don¡¯t believe you.¡± Daoist Xuanji stood up and raised her hand. Tap, tap- Luo Ning¡¯s Fourteen Dappling Cloud Palms had been taught by Daoist Xuanji. Before she could react, her body went limp, and she leaned back in her chair. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to test Ye Jingtang. I¡¯m doing this to prevent you from leaking information and colluding to fabricate a story. I¡¯m leaving now. We¡¯ll catch up later.¡± After Daoist Xuanji finished speaking, she walked over to the mirror and tidied her dress slightly. She even made an expression of ¡®I¡¯m not angry, but I¡¯m dignified and fierce¡¯. After confirming that there was nothing wrong, she twirled the wine gourd with her finger and slowly floated out. Luo Ning knew her best friend¡¯s personality very well. The little thief would probably suffer. But in a situation where she couldn¡¯t even protect herself and couldn¡¯t say anything, she could only hope that the little thief who was silver-tongued with her every day would be quick-witted and turn this big matter into a small matter. Creak. The door closed, and the room fell silent. When Luo Ning heard Daoist Xuanji leave, she secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Just as she was feeling extremely worried, a soft voice suddenly sounded from next door. ¡°Vixen, is the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master really gay?¡± ? Luo Ning¡¯s eyes became slightly fierce. ¡°Mind your own business!¡± ¡°Tsk~ Why didn¡¯t 1 see you being fierce in front of Daoist Xuanji? You only know how to be tyrannical with your family¡­¡± Chapter 334 - Chapter 334: You’re Really Capable! (1) Chapter 334: You¡¯re Really Capable! (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The bright moonlight shone on the old street. The bloodstained ground had been washed clean, and the broken bricks had been moved to the side of the road. Dongfang Liren was slowly walking through the battle-scarred street, looking at the buildings on the street with a frown, as if she was thinking about something important that concerned the people. Ye Jingtang was walking beside her. He didn¡¯t want to disturb Dumdum¡¯s thoughts, but after observing for a while, he couldn¡¯t figure out the reason for her frown. He asked, ¡°Your Highness, what are you thinking about?¡± Dongfang Liren wanted to do the same as Ye Jingtang when he investigated the murder case. From the marks on the ground and the walls, she wanted to deduce the positions and moves of the people who had fought. But it was obvious that she had overestimated herself. She couldn¡¯t figure them out, but it wasn¡¯t easy for her to say it in front of Sir Tangtang, so she nodded thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯m reviewing the situation of the battle. You could still retreat with ease despite being outnumbered. Your martial arts skills seem to have improved again.¡± Although she had blindly guessed this evaluation through Ye Jingtang¡¯s unscathed appearance, she indeed had the air of an expert who understood everything. She bluffed very well. Ye Jingtang knew Dumdum¡¯s skills, so he didn¡¯t expose her. He only smiled and said, ¡°Your Highness has good eyesight.¡± Dongfang Liren was too embarrassed to nod. She turned around and walked to the inn. ¡°It¡¯s a mess here. There¡¯s nothing to see. Let¡¯s go back.¡± Ye Jingtang glanced at the inn not far away and thought for a moment before asking, ¡°Where is Your Highness sleeping tonight?¡± Dongfang Liren and her master had run over without any attendants, so they would have to stay with Ye Jingtang. Upon hearing this, Dongfang Liren couldn¡¯t help suspecting that this lecherous subordinate wanted to take the opportunity to serve her in bed when they were alone. But when she thought that her master was also here, her doubts were dispelled. ¡°I¡¯m just staying in the inn. The people from the Black Office will arrive tomorrow morning. Rest early. When they arrive, we will return to Rising Sun City. The empress dowager is still waiting in the city. If we delay too long, she will throw a tantrum again.¡± ¡°The empress dowager is here too?¡± ¡°She was cooped up in the palace for too long, so I brought her out to relax¡­¡± After chatting for a while, the two of them arrived at the entrance of the inn. They looked inside and saw Daoist Xuanji sitting alone in the lobby. Her dress was as white as snow, and her sword was placed on the table. She looked very heroic. Dongfang Liren was walking closely side by side with Ye Jingtang. Afraid that her master would misunderstand, she hurriedly took half a step forward and walked in front. On the other hand, Ye Jingtang felt a little guilty. He glanced at the second floor from the corner of his eye. The two of them entered the door, and Daoist Xuanji said with a calm expression, ¡°Liren, go upstairs first. Ye Jingtang, help boil some water. Liren has been running all day and is sweating all over.¡± Dongfang Liren didn¡¯t bring any maids, and Ye Jingtang was the only person in the inn who could serve her to bathe. Ye Jingtang naturally didn¡¯t say anything about this. After watching Dongfang Liren go upstairs, he turned around and went to the backyard of the inn. Daoist Xuanji seemed to be sitting in the lobby as a guard on night duty, but after the two of them separated, her eyes narrowed slightly. Then she stood up and silently walked out the door¡­ The backyard of the inn was quite big. There was a stable, a kitchen, a staff dormitory, and other buildings. Because Ye Jingtang had been so murderous, he had scared everyone away. There was no one in the backyard, only three horses parked in the stable. Ye Jingtang first fed the horses with grass, then fetched water from the well, poured it into the big pot in the kitchen, and added firewood to the stove to boil the water. Because he was a little bored alone, Ye Jingtang fiddled with the firewood behind the stove and even hummed a nameless tune. ¡°Mmhmiib¡± Click! Just as the fire was lit, the faint sound of fallen leaves breaking suddenly sounded in the night. Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t stop humming. He just looked at the dark night outside the kitchen from the corner of his eye. There was no one outside the door, only the bright moonlight in the courtyard. Ye Jingtang frowned. After he looked out the door for a while, his gaze shifted back to the stove, and he continued to fiddle with the firewood. But at this moment, someone arrived from outside. Whoosh! It sounded silent, but Ye Jingtang could vaguely sense something pushing through the air and rapidly approaching! Swish! Ye Jingtang¡¯s reaction was extremely fast. He immediately jumped up and leaned back. A fair right hand, which was originally planning to clutch the back of his neck, and a white sleeve brushed past his eyes as fast as lightning, but they didn¡¯t cause the slightest sound of rushing wind. ?! Ye Jingtang¡¯s left hand was already holding the hilt of his saber. When he saw the flowing sleeve, he recognized the person. His left hand switched to grabbing the woman¡¯s wrist, wanting to twist her right hand and pin her against the stove. But he was obviously thinking too much. Daoist Xuanji was indeed carefree and frivolous, but for her to be able to fight her way into the top three of the Eight Chiefs, it was enough to show that her martial arts skills had long reached the level of transcendence. When Daoist Xuanji saw that Ye Jingtang wanted to counterattack, her right hand seemed to turn into a boneless white snake. It instantly wrapped around his wrist and slithered up to lock his left arm. At the same time, her finger pointed at his chest. Although there was still a gap between Ye Jingtang and Daoist Xuanji, it wasn¡¯t to the extent that his reaction couldn¡¯t keep up with her. After all, he had also reached the realm of Unity of Heaven and Man. When their hands met, he had already used the method of the Wind Listening Palm. His hand followed her qi and instantly pushed away her fair hand. His right hand flicked out at the same time and pointed at the chest of the beauty in white. Surprise flashed across Daoist Xuanji¡¯s eyes when she saw her self-created technique. Then she smashed her knee at Ye Jingtang¡¯s crotch. Bam! Her knee struck out, producing a muffled sound out of thin air! F*ck!e Jingtang¡¯s hair stood on end. He really didn¡¯t expect that a dignified female Martial Chief would use such a despicable move when fighting. If this knee hit him, he might really have to take over the role of the keeper of the seal. He immediately clamped his legs together to defend against the heinous attack and changed his right hand from pointing to grabbing.. He blocked the opponent¡¯s right hand and hurriedly said, ¡°Heroine, wait!¡± Chapter 335 - Chapter 335: You’re Really Capable! (2) Chapter 335: You¡¯re Really Capable! (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Boom-! Although he shouted, Daoist Xuanji still didn¡¯t stop. After her knee hit his thighs, she pushed forward and pressed him against the wall. Clatter! The movements in the kitchen abruptly stopped. Ye Jingtang¡¯s wrists were grabbed, but he didn¡¯t resist or struggle anymore. Daoist Xuanji held Ye Jingtang¡¯s hands. Her beautiful face was as cold as frost. Although she had to raise her head to look up, her eyes revealed an unparalleled sharpness. It was as if she was standing on a io,ooo-foot-high peak and looking down at a mortal ant. Ye Jingtang lowered his head and looked at her beautiful face inches away from him. He originally felt that this posture was inappropriate and wanted to get up. But when he felt the cold killing intent coming from the opposite side, he remained still, looking slightly puzzled. ¡°Miss Shui¡¯er, you¡­¡± Clang! It was the sound of a saber being unsheathed. Daoist Xuanji flipped her wrist slightly, pulled out the saber from Ye Jingtang¡¯s waist, and pressed it against his chest. She said in an indifferent and emotionless voice, ¡°1 have been conferred the title of imperial teacher, and it is my duty to safeguard Great Wei¡¯s imperial lineage. It was my dereliction of duty to let you, a little thief, slip through to the Prince of Jing¡¯s side. Today, 1 will kill you, a bold traitor, on behalf of the Imperial Court¡­¡± ??? Ye Jingtang¡¯s eyes were full of confusion. He raised his left hand slightly and pinched the saber that was about to press against his neck. ¡°Miss Shui¡¯er, what do you mean by that? You know my identity¡­¡± ¡°Of course 1 know.¡± Daoist Xuanji¡¯s eyes were like two sharp blades as she stared into Ye Jingtang¡¯s eyes. ¡°You are the beloved general of the Prince of Jing, the current young master of the Red Flower Pavilion, and the lover of the cult mistress of the Pacifying Heaven Cult. You¡¯re riding on three ships at once. You¡¯re really capable!¡± Ye Jingtang had taught Dumdum the Overlord Spear, and she frequently practiced it. He wasn¡¯t surprised that Daoist Xuanji knew about the identity of the young master of the Red Flower Pavilion. But the lover of a rebel leader¡­ Ye Jingtang glanced at the inn outside and then at Daoist Xuanji, who was emitting a murderous aura. ¡°Miss, have you met Ning¡¯er?¡± ¡°Ning¡¯er? You call her so intimately.¡± Daoist Xuanji pressed Ye Jingtang back and said coldly, ¡°The Prince of Jing trusts you so much. I didn¡¯t expect you to be a spy sent by rebels to the capital¡­¡± Ye Jingtang knew that there would be a day when the three ships would capsize, but he didn¡¯t expect Daoist Xuanji¡¯s ship to capsize first. He moved his saber slightly, indicating for her to calm down. ¡°Miss Shui¡¯er, you¡¯ve misunderstood. I¡¯m definitely not a spy from the Pacifying Heaven Cult¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re sleeping with the cult mistress of the Pacifying Heaven Cult, yet you still dare to say that you¡¯re not from Pacifying Heaven Cult?¡± Ye Jingtang blinked, slightly baffled. ¡°I¡¯m sleeping with the cult mistress of the Pacifying Heaven Cult. How can 1 be from Pacifying Heaven Cult?¡± H ii Daoist Xuanji blinked and felt that it made sense. Even if he were originally from the Pacifying Heaven Cult, after having an affair with the cult mistress, he definitely wasn¡¯t now. This accusation was totally untenable¡­ Daoist Xuanji thought for a moment and continued, ¡°The Pacifying Heaven Cult Master is gay. You¡¯re so handsome, so you might be Xue Baijin¡¯s male companion.¡± Ye Jingtang felt that Miss Shui¡¯er¡¯s thoughts were really fresh and refined. He said solemnly, ¡°Miss Shui¡¯er, do 1 look like I like men?¡± This time, Daoist Xuanji nodded decisively. ¡°A few days ago, when 1 was hugging you, you didn¡¯t react at all. You didn¡¯t seem like a normal man at all. And now, we¡¯re so close, but there are no ripples in your eyes¡­¡± ?? Ye Jingtang was speechless and spread his hands slightly. ¡°1 was afraid of ruining your innocence. Is it wrong to lay still and remain calm? Besides, you hit my acupoint and immobilized me. 1 can move now. Why don¡¯t you try rubbing against me? Besides, you¡¯re holding a saber to my neck. Do you expect me to be distracted?¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re so calm, why did you touch Luo Ning?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t this prove that I¡¯m as lecherous as ordinary men? 1 was a wild kid who just came from the border. When 1 met the number one beauty in Jianghu, some impulses were inevitable¡­¡± Daoist Xuanji narrowed her eyes slightly. ¡°You¡¯re uncharacteristically impulsive in front of Luo Ning, but your heart is as still as water in front of me?¡± ?? Ye Jingtang felt that Daoist Xuanji wasn¡¯t here to catch a mole. It was more like she was finding fault with him for being unmoved by beauty last time¡­ ¡°Miss, you¡¯re devastatingly beautiful, and your charm is unparalleled in the world. The reason why my reactions are inconsistent is that when I first came to the capital, 1 hadn¡¯t seen the world. Later, as I gained more experience, 1 learned to suppress my instincts in my heart. I paid attention to propriety to avoid making you unhappy¡­¡± ¡°In other words, during my act of urgency, you had evil intentions in your heart?¡± Ye Jingtang opened his mouth and said helplessly, ¡°Appetite and lust are human nature. They stem from desire but stop at decorum. My lack of reaction was out of courtesy, but the waves in my heart were out of instinct. Miss, you were hugging me, but 1 was able to remain as still as a mountain when you were asleep. This is already impeccable behavior. A man who can be calmer than me either has a hidden illness or doesn¡¯t like women. If you insist on finding faults, 1 have nothing to say.¡± Daoist Xuanji actually felt that there was nothing wrong with Ye Jingtang. It was really far-fetched to say that he was an undercover agent from the Pacifying Heaven Cult, so she stopped interrogating him. She inserted the saber back and slowly retreated. ¡°It¡¯s just because you¡¯re sensible that 1 didn¡¯t attack you directly. However, the law doesn¡¯t tolerate emotions. In private, you are having an affair with the wife of the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master. If this matter reaches the ears of the Imperial Court, it will be difficult for Liren to protect your future. As the imperial teacher, 1 can¡¯t ignore it. ¡°Ye Jingtang, you probably don¡¯t want the Imperial Court to know about your secret affair with the cult mistress, right? If you want me to keep it a secret¡­¡± Chapter 336 - Chapter 336: You’re Really Capable! (3) Chapter 336: You¡¯re Really Capable! (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Facing Sister Demoness¡¯s coercion, Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t compromise. Instead, he flipped his wrist, took out a golden token, and said seriously, ¡°Miss Shui¡¯er, strictly speaking, my authority is higher than yours. I don¡¯t think this is a big deal, and 1 have the right not to tell anyone the truth. If you continue to do this, I will order you to return to Void Jade Mountain immediately.¡± Daoist Xuanji was clearly stunned when she saw the ¡®As If I Am Here¡¯ token. ¡°You and Yuhu¡­¡± Ye Jingtang corrected her sternly like an impartial judge. ¡°Miss, how can you call Iler Majesty by name? You should say Iler Majesty.¡± Daoist Xuanji¡¯s red lips moved slightly. After some thought, she compromised and nodded. ¡°What is your relationship with Her Majesty?¡± Ye Jingtang said seriously, ¡°Ms. Imperial Teacher, you shouldn¡¯t ask about such top-secret matters. Don¡¯t make things difficult for me.¡± Daoist Xuanji took a light breath, causing her clothes to bulge slightly, but she didn¡¯t say anything. After all, in terms of etiquette, a teacher for a day was a father for life. The status of a master was indeed as supreme as a biological father, but this obviously didn¡¯t apply to the emperor. Otherwise, the three teachers of the Eastern Palace would be the ones to make the final decisions in the Imperial Court. Daoist Xuanji had been conferred the title of imperial teacher. If necessary, she could even spank Dumdum. But before the supreme imperial power, she still had to have the awareness of being a subject. If she felt that she was above the empress and casually interfered with the affairs of the empress at will, there would definitely be problems. Daoist Xuanji remained silent for a moment and didn¡¯t ask further. She only harrumphed softly. ¡°Kid, you climbed really fast. Even Her Majesty trusts you so much¡­¡± Ye Jingtang said frankly, ¡°1 feel that what I¡¯ve done is worthy of the trust of Her Majesty and the Prince of Jing. 1 didn¡¯t obtain these things by flattery and my looks but by working hard and fighting with my life on the line.¡± Daoist Xuanji knew that Ye Jingtang had repeatedly made extraordinary achievements after entering the capital, so she didn¡¯t deny this. ¡°Her Majesty favors you, so I naturally listen to you. However, you¡¯re thinking too much if you think you can rely on this to suppress me. I personally supported Her Majesty to ascend the throne, so Her Majesty still listens to me more.¡± Ye Jingtang put away the token. ¡°Miss, I have no intention of competing with you for favor. As long as you don¡¯t interfere with my work, I will still listen to you.¡± Daoist Xuanji had come over to interrogate and reprimand Ye Jingtang, but he had counterattacked. She was very unhappy. After all, Luo Ning was her best friend, Dumdum was her disciple, and Yuhu was also her disciple. Young Master Ye, who was ¡®not attracted by beauty¡¯ in front of her, had stolen almost all the people around her. She wanted to manage it, but she couldn¡¯t. How could she be happy? But there was nothing Daoist Xuanji could do about Ye Jingtang at this moment. After some thought, she turned around and said, ¡°Alright, go boil some water. I¡¯ll keep this a secret for you for now. If I find out later that you have a close relationship with Xue Baijin¡­ Hmph.¡± After Ye Jingtang watched Sister Demoness leave, he shook his head silently. He felt that if Xue Baijin came to kill him in the future, even a god wouldn¡¯t be able to save him. But since things had come to this, he could only take it one step at a time¡­ In the inn¡­ Dongfang Liren went up the stairs. When she passed by the corridor, she found that there were two adjacent rooms with lights on. Knowing that Ye Jingtang¡¯s lover was staying inside one of them, she couldn¡¯t help feeling strange. She continued to maintain a dignified expression, but her footsteps subconsciously became silent. She walked to a room a little farther away and was about to open the door when he heard a voice. ¡°Chirp¡­¡± She turned around and saw the big bird squatting sneakily on the roof beam, looking like it had made a mistake and was afraid of being beaten up. Dongfang Liren said doubtfully, ¡°Beloved Consort, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Chirp chirp¡­¡± The bird muttered that it had been deceived by Sister Heartless, causing Sister Heartless to open Sister Little Watermelons¡¯ door without doing anything to warn her. But Dongfang Liren clearly didn¡¯t understand this. For this reason, the bird only flapped its wings and shrank back behind the beam. Dongfang Liren didn¡¯t understand what was going on. Seeing that the bird didn¡¯t want to play with her, she entered the room alone. Dongfang Liren had been surrounded by people since she was a baby. Suddenly having no one awaiting her orders, she was a little uncomfortable. After scanning the clean room, she sat down at the head of the bed and took out Tears of a Heroine from her bosom to read. She had just read a few pages when there was movement in the corridor outside. She hurriedly closed the book and assumed a meditative posture¡­ In the corridor, Ye Jingtang carried two large buckets of hot water upstairs. He looked around along the way and didn¡¯t see Daoist Xuanji around. He quietly went to the door of Ning¡¯er¡¯s room and whispered, ¡°Ning¡¯er?¡± ¡°You still know how to come back? Really¡­ She didn¡¯t beat you up, right?¡± ¡°No, I just told the truth¡­¡± ¡°What truth? That you forced me or that I¡¯m¡­¡± Ye Jingtang understood what Ning¡¯er meant and replied gently, ¡°How could I let you take the blame? The truth was that I took liberties with you and didn¡¯t let you leave. There was nothing you could do¡­¡± ¡°Okay, at least you have some conscience¡­¡± ¡°Hehe~ Please help me get a change of clothes.¡± ¡°For the princess to wear?¡± ¡°Yes, my robe will do. She can¡¯t wear your and Third Lady¡¯s clothes.¡± ¡°How big is she that she can¡¯t wear them?¡± Luo Ning was obviously a little sensitive to the word ¡®can¡¯t wear¡¯, and her voice was quite dissatisfied. Through the ¡®hand test¡¯, Ye Jingtang knew that Dumdum and Third Lady were evenly matched. But he definitely couldn¡¯t say this. After he waited for a moment, the door opened. The cold-faced Ning¡¯er placed a folded robe under Ye Jingtang¡¯s armpit. Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t disturb the angry Ning¡¯er anymore. He carried the clothes and two buckets of water to the room at the end of the corridor and used his shoulder to push open the door.. Chapter 337 - Chapter 337: You’re Really Capable! (4) Chapter 337: You¡¯re Really Capable! (4) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Creak.. The room was lit with candlesticks. Dumdum, wearing a silver python dress, was sitting cross-legged on the bed with her back straight, her hands clasped in her lap, and the fat-headed dragon in front of her shining brightly. She looked very serious. Ye Jingtang closed the door with his foot. ¡°The water is ready. 1 brought you a change of clothes. See if it fits.¡± Dongfang Liren slowly calmed down and went to the screen. She took out the black robe made of water cloud brocade from under Ye Jingtang¡¯s arm and asked casually, ¡°Ning¡¯er is staying next door? Who is the other person?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Third Lady. She came out to play.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really something. You came out to work and even brought two women with you.¡± Dongfang Liren pretended to be dissatisfied and criticized him while unfolding the black robe. Dongfang Liren was very tall, only about two fingers shorter than Ye Jingtang. Her bust size was especially spectacular, and she could completely wear his clothes. But when Dongfang Liren unfolded the black robe and was about to measure it against her body, she found that Ye Jingtang was serving her very well. Not only had he brought the outer robe, but he had even brought a chest undergarment¡­ Whoosh- A piece of cut-out fabric the size of a handkerchief slipped out from the robe. Dongfang Liren reacted quickly and quickly raised her hand to catch it. Then the room fell silent. Ye Jingtang was pouring water from a bucket. When he turned around and saw the cut-out, sexy smallclothes, his gentle and refined expression stiffened slightly. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Dongfang Liren often slept with her sister, so she naturally recognized what this handkerchief-sized piece of fabric was. Her heroic eyes twitched slightly, and then a murderous aura slowly surged. ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s clean¡­¡± Clang! A saber was unsheathed, and a cold light flashed in the room. Dongfang Liren wanted to pull out the Hornless Dragon Saber at Ye Jingtang¡¯s waist, but he held her wrist, and she couldn¡¯t pull it out all the way. She pushed him against the wall. ¡°How dare you?! What do you mean by this? You want me to wear this?¡± Ye Jingtang had just been pressed against the wall by Daoist Xuanji. He felt that Dumdum was indeed her disciple. Their positions were exactly the same. He couldn¡¯t say that Ning¡¯er had given it to him thoughtfully, so he could only brace himself and explain, ¡°We didn¡¯t bring a lot of clothes when we went out. All the clothes outside aren¡¯t well made, and 1 was afraid you wouldn¡¯t be used to wearing¡ª¡± ¡°Can I get used to this?¡± Dongfang Liren¡¯s face flushed red. She held the small piece of fabric that couldn¡¯t even cover the fat-headed dragon and waved it in front of Ye Jingtang. ¡°Or do you want to see me wearing it? Who do you think I am to you? Do you really think 1 can¡¯t bear to deal with you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my fault. 1¡¯11 go find another one¡­¡± Ye Jingtang felt a little embarrassed. He raised his hand and wanted to take the smallclothes back. Dongfang Liren quickly took back the smallclothes and said coldly, ¡°You are a man. How can you touch such an impure thing? I¡¯m confiscating it. If you let me see something like this again in the future, 1 will send you to the harem to wash clothes and let you wash these things every day!¡± Ye Jingtang felt a little helpless and comforted gently, ¡°Alright, this won¡¯t happen again. Take a bath first. The water will turn cold later.¡± Dongfang Liren glared at Ye Jingtang for a moment before letting go of his collar. After Ye Jingtang poured the water into the bathtub, he turned around and left. ¡°I¡¯ll wait outside. Just let me know if you need anything.¡± ¡°No need. Go rest. You¡¯re not allowed to come in unless I tell you!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Creak- The door opened and closed, and the room fell silent. Only after Ye Jingtang left did the blush on her face subside. She took out the black smallclothes from behind her back, went to the makeup mirror, and raised it in front of her chest.. She frowned and muttered softly, ¡°This pervert is getting more and more arrogant because of my favor¡­¡± Chapter 338 - Chapter 338: Can’t Sleep at Night (1) Chapter 338: Can¡¯t Sleep at Night (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the dead of night, the sound of water being poured came from a distant room. Splash- Daoist Xuanji stopped at the staircase and listened to the flirting coming from one of the rooms. A wrinkle of worry appeared between her brows. When she first met Ye Jingtang, she had thought that he was just a good seedling cultivated by the Imperial Court this year. With the attitude of being happy and doing as she wished, she had put on a display to show the demeanor of an expert in front of him. In the end, she had screwed up twice and almost lost herself. Then when she returned, she had discovered that her second disciple and Ye Jingtang had an extraordinary relationship. Now, they had reached the point where they didn¡¯t shy away from discussing underwear with each other¡­ Moreover, she met her best friend, who had abandoned her for a new love, and her best friend actually fell in love with someone else again. She had already become Ye Jingtang¡¯s lover, and they even slept together¡­ This wasn¡¯t all. She went to look for Ye Jingtang to interrogate and reprimand him, but he actually took out an ¡®As If 1 Am Here¡¯ token. For Yuhu to give Ye Jingtang such a token, it meant that he was already an absolute confidant. She might have already slept with him behind Liren¡¯s back¡­ It wasn¡¯t too big of a deal if the sisters served the same husband. But Luo Ning could be considered Yuhu and Liren¡¯s ¡®martial aunt¡¯. If the three of them were sleeping with Ye Jingtang, wouldn¡¯t their seniority be messed up? How awkward would it be for her, their master who had taken advantage of Ye Jingtang, in the future¡­ Daoist Xuanji rubbed her forehead. Even though she had been cultivating for many years and believed that she had seen through the mortal world, she still had a headache from this situation. Fortunately, Daoist Xuanji had grown up in a Daoist temple since she was a child. She paid particular attention to ¡®the Dao follows nature¡¯, and she was very open-minded about worldly affairs. Since she couldn¡¯t sort this mess out clearly, she threw these troublesome matters to the back of her mind and slowly walked to the door of Scumbag Ning¡¯s room. In Daoist Xuanji¡¯s impression, Luo Ning was a very innocent and gentle girl. When they lived together back then, Luo Ning had always advised her to pay attention to her words and actions and not be so wild. Compared to Luo Ning, she was like a wild girl who had grown up in Jianghu. She was rude and could do anything. On the other hand, Luo Ning was a scholarly young lady who had been raised strictly since she was a child. She was the kind of person who couldn¡¯t be corrupted by the things she heard and saw. According to common sense, she should be the woman who messed around after becoming an adult. In the end, she had been cultivating in seclusion on the mountain until now. Although she drank, fought, and teased girls, she had never been in love and was a blank slate when it came to relationships. When she hugged Jingtang that night, it was her first experience in her life. On the other hand, Luo Ning¡¯s temperament had changed drastically. She had abandoned her first and followed the most outstanding rookie in Jianghu back then. Then she had abandoned Xue Baijin and slept with the most outstanding rookie in the current generation. Daoist Xuanji had treated Luo Ning as an innocent sister. Regardless of how indifferent she was to worldly affairs, how could she not be worried when she saw her former best friend degenerate to this extent? While Daoist Xuanji was pondering silently, she listened attentively in front of the door. When she heard the sound of the bedding rustling, she gently pushed open the door. Creak- In the room, Luo Ning was standing in front of the bed and changing the bed sheets that she had wet. Her expression had already calmed down. Although it was embarrassing for her best friend to find out that she was fickle-minded, she wasn¡¯t cheating. It was just that there were some unexplainable reasons. The little thief said that he had settled the matter for the time being and Shuishui wouldn¡¯t cause trouble. She naturally suppressed the turmoil in her heart and thought that she would wait until she made things clear with Baijin and then explain the whole story to Shuishui. When she found that the door had opened, Luo Ning straightened up. She was about to go over and grab the little thief¡¯s waist and say, ¡°You¡¯re still coming in? Aren¡¯t you afraid that the princess will see you?¡± But when she looked back and saw Daoist Xuanji, her expression froze. ¡°Shuishui, why are you here again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s late, so I went to your room to sleep. What¡¯s wrong? You lived in my room for so long back then. Now that 1 want to stay in your room for a night, you¡¯re rejecting me?¡± Of course, Luo Ning didn¡¯t mind. It was just that it had been many years since they last saw each other. It was embarrassing to be caught committing adultery and then to sleep in the same bed with her again. In the past, when she just entered Jianghu, she had searched everywhere for a good master so that she could take revenge. She had lived on Void Jade Mountain for a long time. She had studied the four arts, practiced martial arts, and even secretly went to bathe in the desolate mountains with Daoist Xuanji. Their relationship could be described as childhood playmates. Later, because she wanted to take revenge, she joined the Pacifying Heaven Cult and had no choice but to part ways with Daoist Xuanji. Luo Ning had actually always felt quite guilty. Seeing that Shuishui had entered and had no intention of condemning her, Luo Ning regained her cold and graceful expression and turned around to continue tidying up. ¡°How could 1 mind? As long as you don¡¯t mind¡ª¡± Pa-! Before she could finish speaking, an extremely elastic crisp sound sounded in the room. Daoist Xuanji went over to the bed, raised her hand, and gently patted the blue moon that was tight from bending over, causing ripples. ?! Luo Ning paused and turned to look at Daoist Xuanji. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Daoist Xuanji shrugged slightly. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for many years. Your figure is much better than before. 1 was just trying it out. That kid is really lucky¡­¡± Luo Ning had nothing to say. She continued to bend over and tidy up the bed sheets. ¡°It¡¯s been so many years, but you still haven¡¯t changed your personality. Be careful not to be despised by your husband in the future.¡± ¡°I am a cultivator, and I¡¯m not planning to get married.¡± Daoist Xuanji didn¡¯t change her character. She placed her hand on the round moon and squeezed it. Luo Ning couldn¡¯t do anything about this crazy best friend of hers. She knew that the more she said, the more excited Shuishui would be, so she simply ignored her and waited for her to be bored and behave herself. But the two of them had only been fooling around for a while when footsteps sounded in the corridor, and then the door opened. Creak- The room instantly fell silent.. Chapter 339 - Chapter 339: Can’t Sleep at Night (2) Chapter 339: Can¡¯t Sleep at Night (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Ye Jingtang had just finished serving Dumdum and was thinking of going to talk with Ning¡¯er. He looked over and saw two tall and heroic women, one blue and one white, standing side by side in front of the bed. He was stunned. The two women were about the same height and had similar figures, but Ning¡¯er¡¯s temperament was colder. When she wasn¡¯t smiling, she was cold and aloof. She looked so beautiful that people only dared to look at her from afar and didn¡¯t dare to get close to her. Daoist Xuanji had a beautiful appearance and looked spirited, like a fairy on a mountain peak who didn¡¯t care about worldly affairs. But when she was calm, the corners of her lips would always curl up slightly, revealing a hint of cynical demonic aura. She gave off a strong offensive feeling. One look and people could tell that she was a beauty that wasn¡¯t easy to subdue. Although their temperaments were different, the two of them did look like best friends. They looked like real sisters¡­ ¡°Miss Shui¡¯er, you¡ª¡± ¡°Call her Senior Lu!¡± Luo Ning turned around and heard Ye Jingtang addressing her so intimately, so she corrected him. Daoist Xuanji was hugging Luo Ning¡¯s waist, and she didn¡¯t let go even when her husband came. She even tilted her head slightly and gestured at the bed. ¡°Ning¡¯er and I are going to bed. Do you want to sleep together?¡± Sleep together¡­ Ye Jingtang felt that this shouldn¡¯t be an invitation. If he dared to accept, he would probably be beaten up. He immediately retreated. ¡°Fairy Lu, don¡¯t joke. You two rest first. Just tell me if you need anything.¡± Creak- The door closed again. Ye Jingtang listened attentively in front of the door. He didn¡¯t hear any voices inside, so he tiptoed to the next room and opened the door. The light in the room next door was already off, but Pei Xiangjun wasn¡¯t asleep. She had been lying on the bed, listening to the sounds of Daoist Xuanji dealing with the cowardly Ning¡¯er. When Pei Xiangjun saw Ye Jingtang enter, her face turned red. She silently waved her hand, indicating for him to leave. After all, no matter how much she doted on him, she couldn¡¯t let Daoist Xuanji and the princess listen to the live erotic scene next door. Ye Jingtang had only come to check on Third Lady¡¯s condition and had no intention of letting her reward him while she was injured. Seeing that she was fine, he said softly, ¡°It¡¯s already late. Go to bed early.¡± ¡°I know. You should go to bed early too.¡± In the dead of night, the corridor was dark and empty. Ye Jingtang came out of Third Lady¡¯s room and stood alone in the middle of the corridor. He looked around blankly and suddenly understood what it meant to have three girls but no milk to drink. There were other rooms in the inn, but Ye Jingtang wasn¡¯t sleepy at all. He thought about it and went to the lobby. He took two bottles of wine, jerky, and fruit from behind the counter and jumped onto the roof. He sat on the roof and drank by himself while keeping watch. The hiding bird found that Ye Jingtang was eating, so it couldn¡¯t resist the temptation. It emerged from under the dark eaves and landed beside Ye Jingtang. It spread its wings and chirped, looking like it was complaining about Sister Heartless tricking it. Ye Jingtang naturally didn¡¯t blame the bird. Just like in the border town, he ate snacks while chatting with the bird. ¡°Chirp chirp chirp-¡± ¡°One against five isn¡¯t a big deal. Next time, 1¡¯11 show you one against ten¡­¡± ¡°Chirp?¡± The bird¡¯s eyes were full of confusion as it gestured: Who said you¡¯re powerful? I¡¯m saying to feed me. I¡¯m so anxious! One human and one bird were playing around for a while. Suddenly, a sound came from under the eaves. Ye Jingtang looked over and saw Dumdum, who had just taken a bath and was wearing his black robe made of water cloud brocade, jump up from below. Because Dongfang Liren had just finished washing up and would rest later, her long, wet hair was draped over her back. She was tall and slender, and the length of the man¡¯s robe was suitable, but it was inevitable that it was a little loose. The only part of her body that could hold up was her chest, which was much larger than Ye Jingtang¡¯s. As she walked, the robe swayed like water ripples. And the fat-headed dragon, because it had lost the tight wrapping of the slim-fit python dress, was clearly shaking¡­ Although Ye Jingtang couldn¡¯t see the scenery under the black robe, he was sure that Dumdum wasn¡¯t wearing the sexy smallclothes he had sent. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t look so soft, and the waves wouldn¡¯t be so big¡­ Dongfang Liren walked on the roof with her head held high as usual. Her entire body was covered tightly, so she didn¡¯t feel that anything was wrong. But when she saw Ye Jingtang biting a piece of jerky and looking at her in a daze, and his gaze was still moving down, her heroic eyes turned cold. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Ye Jingtang was surprised to see that Dumdum wasn¡¯t wearing a chest undergarment. But after he thought about it, it was reasonable. After all, she didn¡¯t bring anything with her and didn¡¯t want to wear the sexy smallclothes, so she could only make do with it. He averted his gaze and looked around. When he found that there were no outsiders around in the middle of the night, he moved the bird, who was still engrossed in eating, away and patted his side. ¡°Why is Your Highness up here? Can¡¯t sleep at night?¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense with it on the roof. How am I supposed to sleep?¡± Dongfang Liren walked unhurriedly to the middle of the roof and sat down beside Ye Jingtang. She put on a dignified appearance and calmly looked at the sparsely lit town. ¡°When you work in the bureaucracy, you must have the awareness of being a subordinate. If you hadn¡¯t worked hard and made many extraordinary contributions, I would have thrown you into the dungeon for offending me several times¡­¡± Ye Jingtang looked at Dumdum¡¯s criticizing gaze and found it a little funny. He picked up a wine bottle and said, ¡°Then, I will punish myself with wine to apologize to Your Highness.¡± Seeing that Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t take it seriously at all, Dongfang Liren¡¯s eyes darkened slightly, but there was nothing she could do about him. After thinking about it, she decided to forget it. She picked up the unopened small wine bottle from the side, opened the cork, and clinked it with Ye Jingtang¡¯s. She brought it to her mouth and took a sip. Then she frowned slightly. ¡°What wine is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Burning Knife on the market. One tael of silver per catty?. It¡¯s normal for Your Highness not to be used to it.¡± ¡°It tastes so bad¡­ How can you drink it?¡± ¡°This is already considered good wine. In the past, in Red River Town, my foster father only drank mixed wine that cost a few copper coins a pot. Other than being strong, it has no other taste. He saved all the money for me¡­ ¡°Actually, being able to drink wine is already very rare for the people at the border. Wine is the essence extracted from grain. It¡¯s said that brewing one catty of wine requires three catties of food. It¡¯s already very difficult for ordinary people to eat their fill, so they can only drink a little during festivals¡­¡± Chapter 340 - Chapter 340: Can’t Sleep at Night (3) Chapter 340: Can¡¯t Sleep at Night (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Dongfang Liren had read a lot of records about poor places, but in fact, she had grown up in the capital and had hardly ever gone far. Even when she came out, there would only be echoes around her. The local officials would clear the streets, decorate the buildings, and even drive away the beggars. She had never had the opportunity to see the suffering of the people. Hearing Ye Jingtang talk about life at the border, Dongfang Liren frowned and deliberated for a moment. ¡°The people in Liang Province are too valiant, and there¡¯s a lack of water sources. Since ancient times, they¡¯ve been poor. In the future, bring me to conduct field investigations. If it¡¯s feasible, when Her Majesty recovers Northern Liang, I¡¯ll see if we can open a large canal in Heavenly Carnelian Lake and send water to Liang Province¡­¡± When Ye Jingtang heard Dumdum talking about this project that would take countless years, his eyes were rather helpless. ¡°Your Highness should leave this kind of thing to the Ministry of Works. It¡¯s not a problem for me to bring Your Highness to the border to take a look. Although Red River Town is a little poor, the people aren¡¯t as valiant as the rumors say. They¡¯re usually quite peaceful. I¡¯ve only killed some horse bandits who burned, killed, and plundered since I was young. It¡¯s not as many as the number of people I¡¯ve killed in the two months since I¡¯ve come to the capital¡­¡± ? Dongfang Liren didn¡¯t know how to evaluate these words. A young man with an upright character who was 17 or 18 years old had many lives on his hands. If this could be called peaceful, then the Central Plains could be considered a paradise. Dongfang Liren picked up the wine bottle and took a sip. After some thought, she asked curiously, ¡°Ye Jingtang, when was the first time you killed someone?¡± Faced with this question, Ye Jingtang fell silent for a moment before shaking his head. ¡°The purpose of practicing martial arts is to protect your family, not to take people¡¯s lives. Everyone has parents, wives, and children. People only live once. Killing isn¡¯t a good thing. If people aren¡¯t heinous, you should leave a way out for them and persuade them to turn over a new leaf. Only then can you be called chivalrous. It¡¯s not appropriate to discuss how many people I¡¯ve killed and how 1 killed them.¡± Dongfang Liren felt that the words ¡®kill and punish with caution¡¯ were very in line with the identity of a chief constable of the Black Office, but when it came from Ye Jingtang, she was a little skeptical. ¡°You should leave a way out for people and persuade them to turn over a new leaf? It¡¯s not easy for you to leave corpses intact. Out of the five people who came today, you killed four and a half. One was beheaded, and another exploded. I feel that it¡¯s more suitable for you to say that speaking before taking action is indecisive¡­¡± Ye Jingtang knew that he had always been someone who took action without speaking. If he had to speak, he would only do so after fighting. But he still acted appropriately and responded, ¡°Most of the time, 1 kill people in self-defense. Other than Cheng Shilu¡¯s unexpected death, the others are all people who deserve death for their crimes. I¡¯m quite tolerant of those whose crimes don¡¯t deserve death. For example, Yang Guan of the Blue Lotus Gang, who used to be an arrogant local tyrant, has become much more sensible after being beaten up by me a few times. Now, he¡¯s as cowardly as the bird¡­¡± ¡°Chirp?¡± The bird raised its claws and kicked Ye Jingtang. Dongfang Liren listened to Ye Jingtang¡¯s nonsense. She was a little tired from sitting upright, so she slowly relaxed. After chatting for a while about the fight, Dongfang Liren got up, pondered the nature of martial arts again, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to spar with my master? Do you want me to call her up¡­¡± Ye Jingtang had just been caught riding three ships by Miss Shui¡¯er. He didn¡¯t dare to give her an excuse to beat him up. ¡°Fairy Lu¡¯s attainments in martial arts are too high. If I spar with her now, 1 will be asking for humiliation. Let¡¯s talk about it in the future. Does Your Highness want to exchange martial arts experience? Why don¡¯t I continue to teach Your Highness?¡± Dongfang Liren was always dealt a blow when she asked Ye Jingtang to teach her martial arts. She felt that it was better to let her master teach her, so she declined politely, ¡°I know how to practice by myself. You should improve your willpower first. Come, I will continue to test your willpower.¡± Ye Jingtang naturally didn¡¯t refuse. ¡°That¡¯s fine too. I¡¯ll definitely be as immovable as a mountain this time.¡± Dongfang Liren was quite confident in her ¡®technique¡¯. She didn¡¯t say anything else and got Ye Jingtang to sit down. Then she placed her hands on his chest muscles and squeezed. Ye Jingtang was sitting with his back straight, and his face was like that of an old monk in meditation. He was silently thinking, What should I do if Xue Baijin comes to lull me? If she discovers my affair with Ninger, she¡¯ll definitely beat me to death if 1 don¡¯t join the Pacifying Heaven Cult. If 1 join, Daoist Xuanji will beat me to death. I¡¯ll die either way¡­ This method was simple and crude. Under the pressure of imminent disaster, it was really not easy for Ye Jingtang to fantasize. Dongfang Liren touched Ye Jingtang¡¯s chest for a moment and found that he had made some progress. He really didn¡¯t have any reaction. Her desire to win was immediately aroused. She narrowed her eyes slightly and leaned close to his ear to breathe. ¡°Phew-¡± Ye Jingtang wanted to suppress his emotions, but Dumdum came over, and the fat-headed dragon leaned on his arm. In her chest undergarment-less state, it felt like two soft and warm water balls. The touch made his blood boil¡­ ¡°Hmph-!¡± A smug look flashed across Dongfang Liren¡¯s eyes. ¡°Is that all you¡¯ve got?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Having suffered a crushing defeat, Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t quibble anymore. He turned to look at the bright and charming Dumdum beside him. ¡°Why don¡¯t 1 test Your Highness¡¯s composure and see if Your Highness can stay stable longer than me?¡± Dongfang Liren blinked. Is there a need to compere? When she heard what he said, her heart started to panic¡­ But in order to prove herself, Dongfang Liren still stood up, displayed a stance of holding a spear, and warned, ¡°You can¡¯t do it like me. You can only help me correct my posture of exerting strength. As long as you don¡¯t touch me elsewhere, 1 won¡¯t be affected at all.¡± Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t believe this at all. He suppressed the distracting thoughts in his mind, got up, and went behind Dumdum. He held her waist with both hands and swayed back and forth. Whish, whish- This time, the waves were especially intense and had an astonishing impact. ¡°Don¡¯t shake me! If I don¡¯t teach you well, how can 1 stand steadily?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move yet. Wait for me to calm my breath before you take action.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Under the moonlight, a man and a woman in black stood on the roof one after another, practicing their moves, while the bird was eating beside them. The stormy day came to an end at this moment, and it was completely peaceful¡­ Chapter 341 - Chapter 341: Father and Son (1) Chapter 341: Father and Son (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Eighteen years ago, during the winter solstice¡­ Whoosh! The wind swept across the endless snowfield outside the Liang Province Pass. A crescent moon hung at the end of the sky, and the pale moonlight illuminated the endless land. In the wilderness, there was a bonfire. Beside it was a triangular tent made of oilcloth and two horses tied to wooden stakes. Two men in sheepskin winter coats were sitting on the ground beside the bonfire. One of them was holding a wineskin and roasting a rabbit on the fire with a wooden stick. The man opposite him was holding a silver hairpin and stroking it gently. There was an old saber in a black sheath inserted into the ground beside him. The man roasting the rabbit picked up the wineskin and took a big gulp. He exhaled white mist from his mouth and nose and looked blankly at the snowy plain in the north. ¡°Yuanfeng, you¡¯ve been looking for a month. What are you looking for? At least tell me.¡± The man opposite him looked to be in his early thirties. He was rather handsome, and his name was Pei Yuanfeng. He was also known as Zheng Feng in Jianghu, but this was already in the past. The current Pei Yuanfeng was just a prodigal son who had left Jianghu and the secular world and was wandering aimlessly from border town to border town. Facing the question, Pei Yuanfeng put away the silver hairpin, took the wineskin, and took a big gulp. ¡°I¡¯m looking for an herb called Snow Lake Flower. It grows by Heavenly Carnelian Lake and blooms in winter.¡± ¡°You say that every time. I, Yang Chao, have been living at the border for more than ten years, but I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing outside the border. Even if there is, I heard that there¡¯s a war in the north of Heavenly Carnelian Lake. It¡¯s chaotic there. With our lousy martial arts skills, we¡¯ll be conscripted if we go there¡­¡± Yang Chao, who was in his early thirties, nagged alone for a moment. Seeing that Pei Yuanfeng was silent, he asked curiously, ¡°Yuanfeng, I see that you have delicate skin and tender flesh. You even know how to read and write couplets. You look like a rich son from the city. What caused you to be unable to think things through and come to this remote place?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the second son in the family. I wanted to inherit the family business, but my father refused. I was indignant and had a quarrel. I wanted to make a name for myself before going back. But I just messed around, and now I¡¯m too ashamed to go back.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to be ashamed of? You couldn¡¯t make a name for yourself, but you know what you¡¯re capable of. If you go back honestly, be your second master, and help your eldest brother take care of the family business, won¡¯t you still be the second-in-command of the family¡­¡± Rumble! While they were talking, a rumbling sound came from the snowfield. From afar, it sounded like rolling thunder. Yang Chao handed the roasted rabbit to Pei Yuanfeng. Then he lay on the snow and pressed his ear to the ground. ¡°It sounds like the Northern Liang border army¡­ There¡¯s probably going to be another battle. Let¡¯s go¡­¡± Pei Yuanfeng pulled out the Hornless Dragon Saber from his side, untied the reins, and mounted his horse. He looked north. ¡°Enter the pass first. I¡¯ll look for you later.¡± ¡°Then you have to be careful. Don¡¯t run into the Northern Liang soldiers¡­ Giddyup!¡± Clack, clack! After Pei Yuanfeng watched Yang Chao leave, he rode his horse and continued north. After walking for less than half a kilometer, he saw a chaotic battlefield at the end of the snowfield. Battle cries shook the sky. Pei Yuanfeng sat on his horse with his saber in hand and looked out. He didn¡¯t approach. He circled around the area where the two armies were fighting and continued to advance toward Heavenly Carnelian Lake. But after walking for a few kilometers, he heard a faint cry in the snowfield. ¡°Wah!¡± Pei Yuanfeng hesitated for a moment before following the sound and arriving at a hill in the snowfield. He saw a lonely carriage slowly moving through the snow. There were more than ten arrows in the horses, and it was the same for the carriage. There was a banner hanging in front of the tattered carriage, and Pei Yuangfeng could faintly see the ancient emblem of a tribe on it. The cry came from it. ¡°Wah!¡± Pei Yuanfeng quickly went over to the carriage and lifted the curtain to check inside. He saw a man dressed as a servant lying in the carriage, and there was an arrow sticking out of his back. He was leaning against the corner of the carriage and was already dead. The servant was holding a swaddling cloth in his arms. Inside was a small baby crying loudly. Pei Yuanfeng got off his horse and entered the carriage. He picked up the baby and saw a small bag beside the servant. There were many jade medicine bottles inside. Pei Yuanfeng carried the baby and the bag. He went to the snowy hill and looked out. The desolate snowfield was deserted, and only the flames of war in the distance were gradually spreading to this place¡­ Not long after, at the frontier of Liang Province, Red River Town¡­ The old town was covered in heavy snow, and there was no trace of humans at night. But a cry sounded in a small escort agency in the corner of the town. ¡°Wah!¡± There was a dim yellow light shining in a room in the backyard of the escort agency. Yang Chao was standing in front of the table with a bowl of hot goat milk and kept muttering, ¡°Little ancestor, stop howling. Come, drink milk¡­¡± Pei Yuanfeng brought over hot water and poured it into a basin. He tested the temperature of the water with his hand, opened a jade medicine bottle, and dripped a few drops into it. ¡°There seems to be something wrong with this kid¡¯s body. He keeps crying if he doesn¡¯t soak in this medicine. Even the doctors in town can¡¯t tell what medicine this is, and they don¡¯t know how long he can live¡­¡± Yang Chao held the milk bowl and fed it to the baby. ¡°I think this baby looks quite strong. It¡¯s probably medicine to nourish the body. It makes him feel comfortable, so he doesn¡¯t cry.¡± After Yang Chao fed the baby, Pei Yuangfeng carried the baby and placed him in the warm water. Yang Chao stood in front of them and watched. Seeing that the child wasn¡¯t crying or making a fuss and was even looking around, he smiled and said, ¡°This baby looks smart. His bird is also big and will grow up to be amazing. I haven¡¯t seen his parents come look for him. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to raise him in the future. Should we give him a name?¡± ¡°Yes, we should. What should it be?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ How about letting him become a member of my Yang family and take my surname¡­ Let bygones be bygones. From now on, his name will be Yang Chongxin, meaning to start over¡­¡± ¡°Wah!¡± ¡°Oh? You don¡¯t like it? Then, what do you want your name to be¡­ Yang Big Bird?¡± Pei Yuanfeng turned to look toward the distant north. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°His cries are so loud that 1 can¡¯t sleep at night. Let¡¯s call him Jingtang, Ye Jingtang.¡± ¡°Ye Jingtang¡­ Not bad¡­¡± Chapter 342 - Chapter 342: Father and Son (2) Chapter 342: Father and Son (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Four years later, at the end of the year¡­ In a small escort agency in Red River Town, because of the addition of a smart little child, the originally lifeless atmosphere became much livelier. Raising a child was a delicate job that burned money. For this reason, Pei Yuanfeng, who had been traveling outside all year round, settled down, focused all his attention on the business of the escort agency, and recruited eight more escorts. At the end of the year, more than ten people gathered in the escort agency for New Year¡¯s Eve dinner. Aunt Lin, who lived next door, was carrying Little Six, who had just turned one year old, and cooking in the kitchen. The four-year-old young master was standing behind her, holding a candied hawthorn in his hand and playing with the fat boy on Aunt Lin¡¯s back. ¡°Tangtang, firecrackers are being set off outside. Aren¡¯t you going out to take a look?¡± ¡°Only children set off firecrackers¡­¡± ¡°Hehe, you¡¯re so young, yet you¡¯re talking like a little adult¡­¡± Compared to the escort agency that was gradually progressing, Pei Yuangfeng, the big boss, because he focused all his energy on his foster son, he gave up on what he wanted in his heart. His anger dissipated, and he became increasingly depressed. Before the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner ended, Pei Yuanfeng returned to the backyard alone. He sat alone under the eaves and stared blankly at the Hornless Dragon Saber on his knees. After a moment of silence, drunkenness came over him, and he fell asleep. In the middle of the night, when all the escorts had dispersed and the entire escort agency fell silent, a soft rustling sound suddenly woke the drunk and dreaming Pei Yuanfeng up. He opened his eyes and looked around. The lanterns under the eaves were giving off a faint light. A little child with bright eyes was standing on a stool and holding a sheepskin jacket in his hands. He placed it over him. When he realized that he had woken up, he even scolded him in a childish voice, ¡°Go to bed to sleep. What if you get sick from the cold?¡± Pei Yuanfeng blinked. He had never felt the ¡®kindness of a father¡¯ before, but at this moment, he suddenly understood what ¡®filial piety¡¯ was. After a moment of silence, he grinned and rubbed the child¡¯s head. ¡°Jingtang, do you want to be an expert?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not good to fight and kill. The son of that family at the entrance of the town was stabbed to death because he fought with someone¡­¡± ¡°The purpose of practicing martial arts is to protect the family, not to fight and kill. It¡¯s better to have a saber in your hand than to be unable to protect your family when you encounter trouble. I¡¯ve been through this before. You must remember this.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Moreover, in this day and age, weak men who don¡¯t even have the strength to restrain a chicken live aggrieved lives. You are so good-looking. If you don¡¯t practice martial arts, when you grow up, you will definitely be snatched away by the daughters of the mountain kings outside the town. Each of them has arms thicker than your thighs¡­¡± ¡°Heh! You even know to dislike them and prefer beautiful girls? There are no beautiful girls in Red River Town. The most beautiful girls in the world are all in the capital. They have had no worries about food and clothing since they were babies. They all have big butts good for giving birth and big breasts with plenty of milk¡­¡± ¡°Where is the capital?¡± ¡°It¡¯s in the southeast. You reach it after crossing the Clear River. How about it? Do you want to practice martial arts? I¡¯ll teach you saber skills.¡± ¡°Um¡­ okay.¡± ¡°Hmph! Practicing martial arts is not child¡¯s play. Go do the horse stance for two hours!¡± ¡°Uhh?¡± In the blink of an eye, another four years passed. It was early summer in Red River Town, located in the Gobi Desert in the northwest. The ground was earthly yellow, and there were not many green trees or pedestrians. Ye Jingtang, who had been beaten three times a day for four years, was standing alone on the knee-deep stone beach of the small river outside the town. He was using a sledgehammer to smash the stones in the small river. Then he opened them and picked up finger-long fish from under the stones. On the stone beach not far away, a few women from the town were washing clothes and chatting casually. ¡°I heard from my man that the current emperor is a woman. She just took over a few days ago¡­¡± ¡°A woman can be an emperor?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t a woman do it? Look at the oil workshop. The wife is so fierce that half the street can hear her scolding, and her man is as thin as a chicken. Doesn¡¯t this mean that the woman is in charge¡­¡± On the riverside, there was a small bamboo basket with hay inside. An ugly bird covered in gray fluff was lying lazily in the bamboo basket. From afar, it looked like a hemp ball. It was staring eagerly at the small fish skewered on a foxtail in Ye Jingtang¡¯s hand. ¡°Chirp chirp!¡± ¡°You only know how to chirp all day. If you continue to gain weight, be careful that someone will steal you and stew you during New Year¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Coo?!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Ye Jingtang found that the little chick he had picked up actually responded. He turned around, his eyes filled with surprise. Before he could figure out why, the sound of horse hooves came from afar. Ba-da- dum! Ba-da- dum! Ye Jingtang looked over and saw that at the end of the official road, a horse was running from afar toward the north. The horse was very majestic and mighty, completely different from the ordinary horses in the escort agency. Red River Town was located in a desolate place at the border. Usually, there were very few outsiders coming and going. When Ye Jingtang saw this scene, he carried the small fish and the bird and quickly ran to a small mound beside the official road to look. The speeding figure looked like she had been on a long journey, but she wasn¡¯t travel-worn. She was wearing clean black and white clothes and a veiled hat. She looked like a woman from a good family. She looked out of place with the small earthly yellow border town in the background. The heroine in white was galloping toward Ye Jingtang. Just as she was about to brush past him, the horse slowly stopped. The woman in white on the horse looked around and then looked at him. ¡°Kid, which way is it to Heavenly Carnelian Lake? How far is it?¡± Her voice was very light and carried an otherworldly feeling. After sizing her up, Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t run down the mound. Fie only pointed into the distance. ¡°Go right at the fork ten kilometers ahead. When you come out of the pass, go northeast. I¡¯ve never been there, so I don¡¯t know how far it is. It¡¯s outside the pass. Ordinary people are not allowed to enter or exit. Why are you going there?¡± ¡°You speak quite orderly¡­ I¡¯m going to find an herb. Thanks.¡± The heroine in white took out a silver ingot and threw it to Ye Jingtang on the mound. Then she rode her horse and continued to gallop into the distance. Ye Jingtang moved away from the bird, who had taken advantage of his distraction to eat the small fish secretly. He looked at the back of the heroine in white and was a little puzzled. Before he could think much, his leg was knocked by the hilt of the saber. ¡°Hiss!¡± Pei Yuanfeng, who had appeared behind him at some point, had an ugly expression on his face. He reprimanded seriously, ¡°The world isn¡¯t peaceful. When you encounter strangers of unknown origins, remember not to look at them casually and come into contact with them. If you encounter a ruthless person, you will die with a casual dart.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a woman¡­¡± ¡°How can a clean woman walk alone at the border without true ability? In Jianghu, such people are far more terrifying than bandits who look like bandits¡­¡± Ye Jingtang felt that it made sense and seriously memorized these words. He asked, ¡°Who is that woman?¡± ¡°Judging from her appearance, she should be from Void Jade Mountain.¡± ¡°Void Jade Mountain¡­ Is it that very powerful Daoist temple?¡± ¡°You know quite a lot. What¡¯s the matter? Do you want to marry a wife like her?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just curious¡­¡± ¡°A father knows his son best. Do you think I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re thinking? Without the ability of a Grandmaster, there¡¯s no chance of marrying a woman like her. Don¡¯t even think about it. When you grow up and become a Grandmaster, she¡¯ll have married long ago¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already defeated everyone under the age of fifteen in Red River Town. How can I be considered a Grandmaster?¡± ¡°You¡¯re far from it. Martial arts Grandmasters are all deity-like figures. Be down-to-earth, study hard, and practice hard. You shouldn¡¯t bite off more than you can chew. You¡¯ll probably be able to step into the threshold of the Grandmaster realm by the time you¡¯re thirty.. But if you play with fish and walk with the bird all day long like you¡¯re doing now, you¡¯ll be snatched away by the daughters of the mountain kings outside the town to be the madam of the fortress¡­¡± Chapter 343 - Chapter 343: Father and Son (3) Chapter 343: Father and Son (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios hi the blink of an eye, ten years later, at the end of the year¡­ In the escort agency in rhe border town, four large tables were set up. More than ten escorts were sitting in the banquet hall, drinking and chatting. The person in the main seat was a tall young man in black with an extremely handsome face. The big, fluffy white bird was standing on a stool and looking eagerly at the wine and meat on the table. The escort Yang Chao, who already had white hair, was sitting beside the young man with a wine glass and said softly, ¡°After doing business with Northern Liang, our days have indeed been much more comfortable. The business of the escort agency has increased several times compared to previous years. This empress seems to have some skills. If there were no bandits such as the Hong Mountain Gang and the Horse Gang, our days would really be comfortable¡­¡± ¡°Red River Town is a small place after ail. There¡¯s not even a county magistrate to govern it. The Imperial Court has no control here at all. To collect rhe reward money for the heads of horse bandits, you have to travel hundreds of kilometers. If you want to live a stable life, you have to go to the Central Plains.11 ¡°With the master¡¯s ability, he can make a name for himself wherever he goes. It¡¯s just that in the past, you were young, so it was too risky to abandon the business of the escort agency and bring you to run around outside. Now that the master is old, has old injuries, and drinks all day long, he probably can¡¯t run anymore¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m already eighteen, and my martial arts skills are better than my father s, it¡¯s enough for me to be in charge. I ll persuade him later. If it doesn¡¯t work, 1¡¯11 go to the Central Plains to take a look first. After 1 build a solid foundation, I¡¯ll bring my father over to enjoy life¡­¡± ¡°Young Master, are you thinking about the girls outside?¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± ¡°Young Master, you¡¯re so handsome. You¡¯re already eighteen, but you¡¯re still a virgin. You¡¯re making almost all the girls and young women in town cry from hunger. You even have to be on guard when you bathe and let the bird keep watch. If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t be able to live like that¡­¡± After chatting for a long time, Ye Jingtang left the banquet and went to the backyard. The backyard, where only two people lived, was full of stone chains, wooden stakes, and other martial arts training tools. Because he practiced diligently every day, they were not covered in snow. There was a chair under the eaves of the old house. Pei Yuanfeng¡¯s hair was already white, just like 15 years ago, his saber was placed horizontally on his knees. He was leaning in the chair to sober up. What was different from before was that he looked a little sloppy. He had a beard and many wrinkles on his face. Ye Jingtang sighed. He took a blanket from the room and placed it on Pei Yuanfeng¡¯s chest. Rustle, rustle¡­ There was a faint sound, and the drunk Pei Yuanfeng opened his blurry eyes. He looked at the little child who no longer needed to stand on a stool and even needed to bend down to put a blanket on him. A glint flashed across his eyes as if a lifetime had passed. ¡°Go inside and sleep. Be careful not to catch a cold here.¡± ¡°Pm used to it¡­¡± Pei Yuanfeng sat up straight and gestured to the stool beside him. ¡°It¡¯s the New Year again. These days pass so fast¡­ In the blink of an eye, a lifetime will be over.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the new year. Say something auspicious. I heard that experts in Jianghu can usually live for more than a hundred years. Fifty years old is considered the prime of life.¡± Ye Jingtang sat down in front of him and looked at the bright moon and sparse stars in the night sky. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve grown up, you don¡¯t have to worry about the escort agency. Why don¡¯t we go out and adventure? You¡¯ve worked hard for half your life. It¡¯s time for you to enjoy life.¡± Pei Yuanfeng slowly shook his head. After all, he had already enjoyed life before the age of 20. He was here to atone for the impulsiveness and recklessness of his youth. Looking at Ye Jingtang, who had already grown up, Pei Yuanfeng thought for a moment and said, ¡°I¡¯m old and too lazy to run around. You must go out and adventure. Otherwise, your life will be in vain. Where are you going in the future? To the capital to find a wife?¡± Ye Jingtang shook his head. ¡°Aren¡¯t Jianghu people asking for trouble by going to the emperor¡¯s feet? I heard that there are many saber users in Ze Province. I¡¯ve practiced the saber since 1 was a child. 1 think 1¡¯11 meet many like-minded friends there.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­11 Pei Yuanfeng wasn¡¯t surprised by these words at all. The first stop for the young saber users in Jianghu was usually Jun Mountain Terrace. This was the starting point for saber users and also the end point that all saber users pursued in their lives. ¡°Don¡¯t be in a hurry to go to Jun Mountain Terrace. It¡¯s better to go outside and see the world first. By the way, don¡¯t run to Northern Liang.¡± ¡°Hmm? Why?¡± ¡°This is a rule of Jianghu. The Jianghu of Great Wei is your homeland. Only when you¡¯re at your wits¡¯ end should you go to Northern Liang¡¯s Jianghu to be a homeless prodigal and try to find a way to start over. You still have a way out. If you go there now, you¡¯ll cut off your future path of retreat.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ 1 don¡¯t plan to go to Northern Liang. I still want to visit the Central Plains to take a look.¡± ¡°When are you going?¡± ¡°1 have to escort something to Sha Province on the third day of the new year. It¡¯ll probably be March when I come back. We¡¯ll talk about it then. You should go out for a walk. There¡¯s no point in staying here and drinking alone.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Pei Yuanfeng shook his head and smiled. He didn¡¯t say anything. He picked up rhe wine pot from beside the chair and poured a bowl of wine for Ye Jingtang. ¡°1 don¡¯t know when you were born. You¡¯ll be one year older next year. After today, you¡¯ll be eighteen. You have to walk your own path in rhe future. Don¡¯t embarrass me when you go out.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Ye Jingtang held the wine bowl and clinked it with Pei Yuanfeng¡¯s. ¡°It¡¯s the New Year. Shouldn¡¯t you say something auspicious?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ All things welcome spring and send away the remaining frost. The end of the year is tonight. In the New Year, 1 hope you can find a few beautiful wives.¡± Ye Jingtang s eyes were full of smiles. After thinking for a while, he forced out a sentence. ¡°Happy New Year!¡± Pei Yuanfeng chuckled. He picked up his wine bowl and finished it in one gulp. Then he leaned back in his chair and looked at the fireworks in the town. A moment later, he looked at Ye Jingtang. There was a deep reluctance in his eyes, but there was no regret. After all, there were also times in Jianghu to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new. Although he had accomplished nothing, as a person of Jianghu, it was time for him to go on his way. On the day his son reached adulthood, he had completely finished his journey. The rest of the journey should be handed over to the newcomers.. There was nothing to regret¡­ Chapter 344 - Chapter 344: The Prince of Wu Estate (1) Chapter 344: The Prince of Wu Estate (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Drip, drip, drip¡­ The sun rose from the east, and a light drizzle quietly fell on the roofs at the end of summer and early autumn of the tenth year of Xuanhong. Ye Jingtang opened the oil-paper umbrella and covered the head of the person in his arms. The fluffy bird was curled up in front of him, and the human and the bird were sleeping soundly. Last night, he had drunk, practiced martial arts, and chatted with Dumdum on the roof. He had talked about his daily life in Red River Town, from practicing martial arts three times a day to going out alone to walk the bird and fish to the girls and young women hiding everywhere like wolves and tigers until he was 18 years old. He didn¡¯t tell the rest of the story. After all, ever since he left Red River Town on the third day of the first lunar month and returned to his hometown after the escort errand, what was waiting at home was no longer his foster father, who had raised him since he was a baby, but a letter and an old saber. Dongfang Liren also talked about many things from her childhood. When the sisters were still ignorant, their mother brought them to tour Parasol Street at night. When it came to studying, she learned faster. As for her sister, because she couldn¡¯t write well, she was often punished by her father to copy books. When she was practicing martial arts to strengthen her body, her sister left her behind in the dust. She was clumsy, so she was punished by her father to do the horse stance every day. One of them loved literature and art, and the other loved martial arts. It was at this time that the seeds were planted. After all, the sisters were naturally strong people. They wanted to learn whatever they weren¡¯t good at. As for what they already had, they didn¡¯t value it so much. As for when she was a little older, Dongfang Liren stopped talking about it. Things such as her mother passing away, her father passing away, her brother treating her and her sister as enemies, and her sister usurping the throne and purging the Imperial Court were too heavy to talk about. Like her sister, she didn¡¯t want to mention these matters again. The two of them chatted until early morning and unknowingly finished the wine bottles. Dongfang Liren was sleepy and drunk. She leaned on Ye Jingtang¡¯s shoulder in a daze and closed her eyes under the full sense of security. Because it wasn¡¯t very comfortable to lean on his shoulder, Ye Jingtang laid Dongfang Liren down a little and let her half-lie in his arms. Dongfang Liren¡¯s cheek was pressed against Ye Jingtang¡¯s right arm, and her upper body was leaning on his chest. Under the effect of gravity, the two bulging balls of the fat-headed dragon were stacked together. Through the black cloth, he could feel the warmth and fullness. He could even vaguely see the uneven spots on the top of the clothes¡­ Last night, there had only been the moonlight in the dark, so Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t see anything special. Now that the sky was gradually brightening, he realized that Dumdum seemed to be only wearing the robe. Ye Jingtang lowered his head unconsciously. Thinking that he shouldn¡¯t look at her improperly, he cast his gaze to the distant northwest and continued to recall the past. After sitting for a while, Ye Jingtang found that the drizzle was wetting Dumdum¡¯s ankles and shoes. He put his hand under her legs and gently picked her up, wanting to put her in his arms to lie. But the moment Dongfang Liren¡¯s body moved, her eyelashes moved. Then she opened her eyes in confusion. The man¡¯s peerlessly handsome face fell into her eyes¡­ ?! ¡°You¡¯re awake? It¡¯s raining. I¡­ Hiss¡ª¡± The moment Dongfang Liren woke up, she found herself lying in the man¡¯s arms. She raised her hand to pull out the saber at Ye Jingtang¡¯s waist, but he held it down, so she pinched his waist. ¡°What did you do to me?¡± Ye Jingtang raised his hands. ¡°1 didn¡¯t do anything. Your Highness was drunk, and I was afraid that the rain would wet your shoes, so I wanted to cover you more tightly.¡± H ii Dongfang Liren thought about it for a while and remembered that she had come here to drink last night. Then she blacked out and had a headache when she woke up¡­ What kind of lousy wine was that¡­ Dongfang Liren lowered her head to take a look. After she confirmed that her clothes were not untied, the suspicion in her eyes subsided, but then her expression immediately turned fierce. ¡°1 was drunk. Why didn¡¯t you send me back to my room? How dare you let me sleep on the roof all night and even hug me¡­¡± Ye Jingtang said solemnly, ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t misunderstand. Last night, it was you who took the initiative to lean on my shoulder. I said that I would send you back, but you were fierce to me. You even said, ¡®What¡¯s wrong with me leaning on you?¡¯ So I didn¡¯t dare to disturb you¡­¡± ? Dongfang Liren blinked. Although she couldn¡¯t remember clearly, based on her understanding of herself, it wasn¡¯t strange for her to do such a thing after drinking too much. ¡°I was drunk. Why did you still listen to me?¡± Dongfang Liren let go of him, got up from his arms, and patted her robe. ¡°On account of you being well-behaved, I¡¯ll spare you this time. There won¡¯t be a next time.¡± Ye Jingtang was used to hearing this, so he didn¡¯t say anything.. He picked up the bird, who was sleeping like a piglet, held the umbrella, and sent Dongfang Liren downstairs¡­ Chapter 345 - Chapter 345: The Prince of Wu Estate (2) Chapter 345: The Prince of Wu Estate (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Yellow Springs Town¡­ In the old wine shop, the lady boss, who was still charming, was tidying up the tables and chairs. From time to time, saber users passed by in twos and threes on the street outside the door, heading toward the ferries going to Cloud Dream Swamp and chatting about the Jianghu of the four seas along the way. ¡°I heard that the Prince of Wu was captured¡­¡± ¡°The situation in Wu Province has changed significantly. In the past, there was already no one to speak for the province. Now that Guan Yujia is dead, and a few of the wealthy forces have fallen, they will probably be ranked last among the twelve provinces in the future¡­¡± ¡°This is a good thing. Now that Wu Province is leaderless, if we go there to develop¡­¡± ¡°Forget it. You might not even be able to enter the top three in Yellow Springs Town, yet you¡¯re even thinking about fighting for hegemony in Wu Province¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re looking down on me. I¡¯ve practiced the saber for ten years. I don¡¯t dare to say that I can compare to the Three Heroes of Cloud Lake, but Yellow Springs Town only has a population of eight hundred. If 1 can¡¯t rank in the top three here, all my saber practice will be in vain¡­¡± Under the eaves of the wine shop, Xuanyuan Tiangang was sitting on the steps. There was a large basin in front of him, and he was scaling fish with a small knife. Qiu Tianhe was sitting beside Xuanyuan Tiangang and helping him skillfully cut open the stomach of the fish. Hearing the young people chatting, he smiled and said, ¡°This kid¡¯s skeleton is not bad. In Yellow Springs Town, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for him to rank in the top three.¡± Xuanyuan Tiangang lowered his head and said calmly, ¡°Old Ke from the wonton stall in front had an argument with Liu Qiansheng decades ago and injured his left shoulder¡­ The old lady from the cloth shop at the entrance of the town used to be nicknamed ¡®Red Embroidered Saber¡¯ in Jianghu. When she was young, she was quite famous¡­¡± Qiu Tianhe looked up at the old man cooking wontons with a cigarette in his mouth in the distance and then at the small town. He frowned and said, ¡°There are so many seniors living in seclusion here?¡± ¡°Going out of the dock is Cloud Dream Swamp. When the saber users of Jianghu make their debut full of ambition, their first stop is usually here. After ups and downs, they end their big dream of Jianghu. If those who are still alive in the end don¡¯t return to their hometown, they will naturally live in seclusion at the place where the dream began. This is called beginning and end. Do you think the name ¡®Yellow Springs Town¡¯ was casually given?¡± Qiu Tianhe nodded thoughtfully and asked after some thought, ¡°Then, what can I rank in the town?¡± ¡°In terms of martial arts skills, it¡¯s not a problem to enter the top three. In terms of seniority in Jianghu, you can just call anyone older than you uncle and aunt. Perhaps they¡¯ll be in a good mood and give you some pointers on the saber.¡± Qiu Tianhe wasn¡¯t convinced by these words. ¡°In the capital, 1 was beaten to the ground by Cao Qiansui with twelve consecutive strikes. I can beat everyone below the Eight Chiefs. 1 also have some status in Jianghu. Why do you make me sound like a wild kid who has just entered Jianghu?¡± ¡°You¡¯re still roaming Jianghu, but you¡¯re still a fool who hasn¡¯t seen through the mortal world. When you see through it one day and feel that practicing the saber isn¡¯t as interesting as flirting with women, you can seriously consider yourself an elder. When your mental state is good, your martial arts understanding will naturally improve to a higher level.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always felt that it¡¯s more interesting to flirt with women than practice the saber. Do you know that Sister Meng who used to chase after me and slash me? She used to be the flower of the Six Gates, but now she calls me Tianhe. We¡¯re very close¡­¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The lady boss of the wine shop saw that their conversation was getting more and more ridiculous. Perhaps she was afraid that the frivolous Qiu Tianhe would lead her husband astray, so she coughed lightly in reminder. ¡°Ahem! Ahem!¡± When Qiu Tianhe heard this, his smiling expression disappeared. He sat up straight and regained his mature and serious look. He looked at the lake in the distance. ¡°Sigh¡­ This is indeed a good place to retire. If 1 can win this time at Jun Mountain Terrace, I will fulfill my dream of Jianghu. If 1 can¡¯t, I¡¯m afraid 1 won¡¯t have another turn to fight for the title of Saber Chief. After the battle, I will come here to live in seclusion and see if 1 can take in a good disciple¡­¡± Xuanyuan Tiangang stopped scraping the fish scales and reminded, ¡°Generally, people who say that they will retire after fighting won¡¯t come back alive.¡± Qiu Tianhe threw the fish down in his hands and wiped his hands. He stood up and hung his saber at his waist. ¡°Can¡¯t you say something auspicious?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say that I wish you victory and kill my father on the stage. If you want auspicious words, you should find someone else.¡± Qiu Tianhe opened his mouth, but he felt that this made sense. After cupping his hands and bidding farewell, he led his horse alone toward the dock. Not long after, he stopped the young people who had just passed. ¡°Brothers, are you going to Jun Mountain Terrace too?¡± ¡°Yes. You are¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go watch the show together. This brother¡¯s skeleton is not bad. His saber skills must be extraordinary. May 1 know which senior you learned from?¡± ¡°Senior, you flatter me. I¡¯m just casually practicing my family¡¯s saber technique. Senior, you also use a saber?¡± ¡°I just practice casually. What do you think Qiu Tianhe¡¯s chances of winning against Old Man Xuanyuan are?¡± ¡°Chances of winning? What chances of winning? Aren¡¯t we all betting on how many strikes Hero Qiu can withstand¡­¡± Chapter 346 - Chapter 346: The Prince of Wu Estate (3) Chapter 346: The Prince of Wu Estate (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Rising Sun City, Prince of Wu Estate¡­ It was almost autumn, and the drizzle lasted for a few days. Although it wasn¡¯t heavy, rain and fog covered the entire city, dyeing the world with a hint of gloom. As the residence of a prince of the blood of Great Wei, the Prince of Wu Estate was a miniature version of the Imperial City. There were countless buildings, rockeries, pavilions, and bodies of water inside. Be it the scenery or the scale, they were top-notch. In the afternoon, nearly 1,000 imperial guards were patrolling the surroundings of the estate. In the main hall of the estate, the officials of the Six Ministries from the capital gathered to discuss how to deal with the fief, assets, and descendants of the imperial family. The Prince of Wu had fled in a hurry with his personal guards. The dozen boxes of valuables he had brought with him were nothing compared to his decades of accumulation. In the large warehouse at the back of the estate, there were many large treasures such as bronze cauldrons, furniture, jade artifacts, and so on. There were even some calligraphy, paintings, and cultural relics. They were neatly placed on both sides of the large warehouse. There were probably no less than a thousand items in total. The empress dowager was wearing a dark red dress, dressed like a noblewoman. She was holding a small fan in her hand and slowly walking through the treasury as if she were shopping. When she saw something pleasing to the eye, she said, ¡°This chaise longue is quite beautiful. Move it to the ship later and send it to my room¡­¡± Hongyu was holding a small notebook and seriously recording what the empress dowager took a fancy to so that she could tell the officials of the Six Ministries later. Logically speaking, the private property of the Prince of Wu should be turned over to the national treasury for handling according to the law. It was definitely not legal to embezzle. However, if the empress dowager conveniently took one or two pieces, the court officials certainly wouldn¡¯t be stubborn and refuse to give them to her. But after walking around for a while, Hongyu hesitated and looked at the small notebook full of words. ¡°Your Majesty, aren¡¯t we taking too much? If we take everything in the Prince of Jing¡¯s name, I¡¯m afraid the Prince of Jing won¡¯t be able to explain to the court officials when she comes back.¡± The empress dowager¡¯s moist face was a little unhappy. She waved her round fan and said, ¡°We agreed to bring me out to relax, but the two of them went out to play and left me here alone. What¡¯s wrong with me picking some things that suit my taste? Should I just suffocate to death here?¡± ¡°But what¡¯s the use of the two lances, Your Majesty? Your Majesty can¡¯t even move them¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t 1 put them in my palace to ward off evil spirits? Liren has collected a room full of divine weapons, but 1 haven¡¯t seen her use them much¡­ Also, send this to my room later.¡± Hongyu looked at where the empress dowager was pointing and saw a beauty screen. Beauty screens were very common, but the one collected by the Prince of Wu Estate was rather special. Not only was it made of luxurious wood, but the beauties on the screen were also naked¡­ ? Hongyu hurriedly stood in front of the empress dowager and advised, ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m afraid this thing isn¡¯t inappropriate. Don¡¯t dirty your eyes¡­¡± The empress dowager used her fan to sweep away the rebellious Hongyu and sized up the lifelike screen with interest. ¡°This is an elegant item. How is it not inappropriate? Look at the embroidery skills. It¡¯s so detailed¡­ What are these two beauties doing? Why are they spreading their legs and folding them together?¡± Hongyu naturally couldn¡¯t explain what scissoring was. She covered the very embarrassing part of the screen with her hands. ¡°Your Majesty should look at something else. Look at how beautiful that jade Go board is¡­¡± How could the empress dowager be interested in these random mortal treasures? She was just bored. Seeing Hongyu stop her, she naturally became even more excited. She wanted this ¡®scissoring¡¯ screen. Fortunately, the two of them didn¡¯t quarrel for long before a maid ran in and reported, ¡°Your Majesty, the Prince of Jing is back.¡± The empress dowager¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard this. But she didn¡¯t tell the officials of the Six Ministries that she had come, so it wasn¡¯t appropriate for her to appear in public. She said, ¡°Tell Liren to come here quickly after she¡¯s done.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Clomp clomp! In Jianyang City, 2,000 soldiers were pushing dozens of carriages loaded with prisoners and seized goods on the wide main street of the city. On both sides of the street were people watching. At the front of the army were 300 black-armored imperial guards surrounding the Prince of Jing¡¯s luxurious carriage. Dongfang Liren and Daoist Xuanji were both sitting in the carriage. There were many people around them, so they didn¡¯t open the windows. But from the subtle movements inside, one was probably reading a novel while the other was leaning lazily on the couch and drinking wine. Although Ye Jingtang was very favored by Dumdum, he couldn¡¯t blatantly sit in the princess¡¯s carriage and parade around the city. At this moment, he was wearing the robe of the deputy commander of the Black Office and following behind the carriage. Luo Ning and Pei Xiangjun had changed into the robes of the Black Office constables and were following beside him as attendants. Because Luo Ning had been caught by her best friend, she was too embarrassed to ride near the carriage in front of her and was quite far from Ye Jingtang, so she didn¡¯t say anything along the way. She only carried the bird and looked at the scenery on the street. Pei Xiangjun was wearing an oil coat and riding her horse. There were many constables from the Black Office around, so it wasn¡¯t easy to talk about love. She only whispered about the future arrangements of the Wu Province Hall. The carriage passed through the flat street. When the sky gradually darkened, it arrived outside the enormous Prince of Wu Estate. Dongfang Liren alighted from the carriage. Ye Jingtang fulfilled his duty as a personal expert and opened an oil-paper umbrella to cover her head. Daoist Xuanji walked in front with a veiled hat. At a close distance, he could smell the faint fragrance of wine. The officials of the Six Ministries were all waiting in front of the prince¡¯s estate. When they saw Dumdum¡¯s triumphant return, a group of people naturally went forward to flatter her. ¡°Your Highness is indeed swift and decisive¡­¡± ¡°Civil can hold the brush to suppress Yun¡¯an; Martial can hold the spear to capture the traitor prince¡­¡± ¡°Good poem!¡± Dongfang Liren had made a great achievement and received the praises of the officials. Naturally, she was very happy. She maintained the aura of a cold and stern princess and spoke with the officials calmly. She rewarded the Ze Province¡¯s troops for their contributions. After giving some instructions, she let everyone disperse and rest. She brought her entourage to the back of the prince¡¯s estate. Luo Ning and Pei Xiangjun were not members of the government, so it was obviously inappropriate for them to follow behind the Prince of Jing. Ye Jingtang asked a maid to arrange a dwelling with a good environment for the two of them to stay. He hadn¡¯t gotten off work yet, so he continued to follow Dumdum and discuss matters along the way. ¡°I¡¯ve already sent someone to Ze Province to see Jun Mountain Terrace¡¯s reaction. As long as there¡¯s any news, 1 will inform you immediately.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Highness. I reckon that even if Jun Mountain Terrace finds out, they won¡¯t break the law and commit a crime. Now, the only one who can retaliate against me is Xuanyuan Chao. If he takes revenge personally, it will be very difficult for the government to find out anything¡­¡± As they chatted, everyone passed through the main hall of the estate and arrived at the living area where the wives and concubines lived. Dongfang Liren had been away for a few days and was worried that the empress dowager would be bored out of her mind and depressed. Just as she was about to ask where the empress dowager was, a maidservant trotted over and reported, ¡°Your Highness, Her Majesty is choosing things Her Majesty likes in the warehouse. Her Majesty wants Your Highness to pay respects after Your Highness is done.¡± Dongfang Liren actually wanted to rummage through the Prince of Wu¡¯s private collection to see if there were any good treasures. Hearing this, she followed the maidservant to the treasury. The last time Ye Jingtang saw the empress dowager was the day he saw Yuhu¡¯s white jade tiger. Moreover, it had been on the dragon bed, and he had knocked the empress dowager unconscious. The empress dowager loved to hold grudges. How could Ye Jingtang dare to appear in front of her and ask for trouble at this moment? He hurriedly said, ¡°Then, 1¡¯11 take my leave first. If Your Highness needs anything, just send someone to instruct me. 1 will always be available.¡± Dongfang Liren didn¡¯t know how many rebellious things Ye Jingtang had done that night when he carried her in his arms and looked at the night view of the capital with her. She thought that since he had saved the empress dowager in the tunnel, the empress dowager should have a good impression of him. In front of Ye Jingtang, she should be embarrassed to throw a tantrum because of being left out. Dumdum said, ¡°Since you¡¯re already here, go over and pay your respects before leaving.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Ye Jingtang couldn¡¯t disobey the order, so he braced himself and followed Dumdum to the warehouse. Daoist Xuanji had been walking in front of them. Seeing that Ye Jingtang¡¯s reaction was a little strange, she asked, ¡°Ye Jingtang, have you seen Her Majesty the Empress Dowager?¡± Dongfang Liren replied, ¡°He works in the Black Office, so he has naturally seen the empress dowager. What¡¯s wrong, Master?¡± Daoist Xuanji had many best friends. In the past, her best friend was Luo Ning, and her current best friend was the empress dowager. She knew the personality of the empress dowager, who had been living in the palace for a long time and was prone to depression. It would be very easy for her to be deceived by bad men with ill intentions. Ye Jingtang had already stolen three of the people around her. If he were daring enough to want to wipe them out¡­ Daoist Xuanji narrowed her eyes slightly. There was a vague meaning in her eyes: This child must not be kept around¡­ Ye Jingtang and Daoist Xuanji were walking side by side behind Dongfang Liren. When he noticed Daoist Xuanji¡¯s gaze, he spread his hands slightly. The meaning was probably: Miss Shui¡¯er, what are you thinking? Do I look like a lawless lecher? Daoist Xuanji didn¡¯t think so, but Ye Jingtang had already done things with so many outrageous girls.. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if there was one more outrageous girl, so she gave him a warning look¡­ Chapter 347 - Chapter 347: He Will Definitely Come (1) Chapter 347: He Will Definitely Come (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The sky was getting dark, and the lights in the prince¡¯s estate lit up in advance. In the warehouse filled with dazzling treasures, the empress dowager looked dignified and noble as she stood in front of the beauty screen and admired the lifelike embroidery work. Perhaps Hongyu was afraid that the empress dowager would learn bad things and drag her to imitate the picture when she was bored, her expression was quite nervous. She kept searching for novel items around her, wanting to divert the empress dowager s attention. After a short quarrel between the master and servant, footsteps and a quiet conversation came from outside the warehouse. ¡°Lets not talk about commoners. The scholars have worked hard their entire lives, and all they want is to be comparable to nobles. The Prince of Wu was living such an extravagant life, but he didn¡¯t enjoy it. Why did he rebel¡­11 ¡°The descendants of imperial families have been pampered since they were born. It s very difficult for them to endure hardships or learn from their mistakes. It s not strange for people with high ambitions and low abilities to do stupid things. If you had such a big estate and three hundred beauties in the back residence, would you even want to leave the house?¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± When the empress dowager heard the familiar clear voices, her expression froze. She wanted to hide the big screen, but she immediately recalled Ye Jingtang¡¯s offense and atrocities against her. After some thought, she didn¡¯t hide it. She just trotted to the big jade Buddha statue not far away and pressed her palms together to pay her respects to the Bodhisattva. Soon, the maidservant arrived at the door, and a group of three entered. Ye Jingtang¡¯s expression was as grave as an imperial guard¡¯s. When he entered and saw the empress dowager¡¯s round and smooth back, his footsteps became lighter, and he tried his best to look calm. Dongfang Liren still followed the rules in front of Ye Jingtang. She walked nearby and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Empress Dowager.¡± When Daoist Xuanji saw this, she also bowed, but her attitude was much lazier. She only symbolically bowed. ¡°No need for formalities.¡± Although the empress dowager was wearing a casual dress, she was very majestic. She slowly turned around and sighed. ¡°At the beginning of the founding of Great Wei, there were countless things to do in the world. The Great Ancestor advocated for the imperial clan and the vassal princes to be frugal and love the people. It¡¯s only been a few years, but look at this Prince of Wu Estate. It¡¯s even more extravagant than the Longevity Palace, and there are many things that I¡¯ve never heard of¡­¡± Dongfang Liren knew that the empress dowager was so serious because Ye Jingtang was here. She smiled and said, ¡°Empress Dowager, you¡¯re right. 1¡¯11 definitely take it as a warning. Empress Dowager, have you taken a fancy to something? If so, Ell inform the officials later and bring it back to the capital with the ship.¡± The empress dowager led the few of them through the large warehouse and looked around with a scrutinizing look. ¡°I have been living in the palace for a long time and haven¡¯t left the home much, so 1 don¡¯t have much knowledge. 1 want to choose a few elegant decorations for my bedchamber, but I don¡¯t know what¡¯s suitable. Sir Ye, you¡¯re well-versed in both civil and martial arts. Can you help me find one or two?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Ye Jingtang was looking around from behind. When the empress dowager suddenly called him, he naturally subconsciously looked left and right. In the end, he saw a screen not far from the empress dowager. On the screen¡­ ?? Ye Jingtang took a closer look, and his eyes couldn¡¯t help widening. He felt that this place was inappropriate and wanted to bring the women elsewhere. But before he could speak, the empress dowager followed his gaze and looked over. Her face showed some surprise. ¡°Sir Ye, do you have some opinions about this screen?¡± Dongfang Liren and Daoist Xuanji hadn¡¯t paid attention to the details of the dazzling array of furniture around them at first. But when they heard the two of them talking, they looked over. Seeing the erotic picture on the screen, Daoist Xuanji raised her willowy eyebrows. Clearly, her interest was piqued by this indecent thing. Dongfang Liren¡¯s expression froze. Then she frowned and turned to look at the perverted guard beside her. ¡°Ye Jingtang! You¡­¡± Ye Jingtang was very innocent. After all, such a big screen was erected in front of him. He looked over and saw it. It was normal to take another look to confirm it. He didn¡¯t say that he wanted to recommend it to the empress dowager. When Ye Jingtang saw the women looking over, his scalp went numb. He hurriedly went forward to block the empress dowager¡¯s sight and raised his hand. ¡°This item is uncouth. Your Majesty, please move¡­¡± The empress dowager looked puzzled. She stood on her tiptoes and looked over Ye Jingtang¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a screen with a picture of women? Why is it uncouth? Sir Ye, can you explain it to me?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t dare to refuse the curious empress dowager, so he could only look to Dumdum for help. Dongfang Liren was quite annoyed, but when she saw Ye Jingtang¡¯s embarrassed expression, her heart softened in the end. She went forward, held the empress dowager¡¯s arm, and walked elsewhere to help resolve the situation. ¡°It¡¯s hard to talk about the unclean things embroidered on the screen. After we go back, Ill explain it¡­¡± ¡°Oh, is that so? When I saw Ye Jingtang staring at it, I thought it had an impressive background¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s a normal man. It¡¯s normal for him to take another look at something like this¡­¡± Ye Jingtang was grateful to Dumdum and felt that his cold and extraordinary image had completely collapsed. Just as he was feeling awkward, he suddenly found Hongyu snickering beside him. When she realized that he was looking at her, she hurriedly pretended that it had nothing to do with her to avoid suspicion. ? Ye Jingtang wasn¡¯t stupid. When he saw this, he understood that the empress dowager had deliberately teased him. He felt helpless in his heart, but he couldn¡¯t say that the empress dowager was messing with him. He could only look straight ahead and continue to follow silently. The few of them toured the warehouse for a long time. The empress dowager and Dongfang Liren both picked out many pleasing items, while Daoist Xuanji was more pragmatic and wanted to take away all the fine wines that the Prince of Wu had collected. As a personal guard, Ye Jingtang naturally wasn¡¯t arrogant enough to take things that should be confiscated. He silently followed the girls shopping. Although they had only been walking for a short time, he had to carry all the small items that the girls found pleasing to the eye. It wasn¡¯t easy to interrupt the girls to stop them.. He had to admit that it was a bit tiring¡­ Chapter 348 - Chapter 348: He Will Definitely Come (2) Chapter 348: He Will Definitely Come (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Four hundred kilometers away, Jun Mountain Terrace¡­ Under the light rain, the 72 islands of Jun Mountain seemed to have fallen into the clouds. Hundreds of large and small ferries passed through the islands. In just a few days, nearly ten thousand Jianghu people had gathered here, waiting for a peak battle that would definitely spread throughout the world to begin. Ze Province was located in the middle of the Central Plains, and Jun Mountain Terrace was located at a river mouth in the Cloud Dream Swamp. Its unique geographical location made it tied to the word ¡®Jianghu¡¯ from the moment it appeared. Jun Mountain Terrace was not a name set by the Xuanyuan family, but it was a treasured land of Jianghu since ancient times. There were no less than a hundred sects of various sizes scattered around the Cloud Dream Swamp. Usually, they would each lead for decades. When they could no longer defend their position, the overlord of Ze Province would change. Jun Mountain Terrace had always been here. Whoever had the ability would occupy this treasured land. The family of the current Saber Chief, Xuanyuan Chao, was one of the top wealthy forces in Ze Province from the previous generation. However, their martial arts practice was relatively complex and wasn¡¯t specialized in the saber. Xuanyuan Chao was a genius, but he looked down on the martial arts passed down in his family. He only liked to study unorthodox saber techniques, which was considered a violation of his ancestral teachings. Because of this, he left angrily when he was a teenager, determined to defeat Kuang Yazi, and didn¡¯t look back. Speaking of which, his experience was similar to Pei Yuanfeng¡¯s. However, Xuanyuan Chao wasn¡¯t as lucky. He didn¡¯t encounter any Martial Chief who took him in as a disciple. When he was ten-odd years old, he took a boat to the Zhou family and asked Old Master Zhou to give him a saber. Then he joined the revolutionary army alone and fought throughout the 12 provinces of Great Wei with one saber. When attacking cities, he was the first to climb the walls, and when fighting in the fields, he captured the generals. He relied on the hundred blood battles to kill thousands of people and slowly developed an invincible saber technique. Although the reputation of Xuanyuan Chao wasn¡¯t very good, there were only a handful of people in history capable of being conferred the title of a founding marquis with their own martial strength alone. Their ability couldn¡¯t be denied because of their character. There were many people in Jianghu who scolded Xuanyuan Chao, but there was no one who said that his saber wasn¡¯t good. The vast night shrouded the thousands of kilometers of blue waves. On a ten-thousand-foot-long platform at the center of the 72 islands¡­ The platform itself was a small island, but in the past thousand years, it had been gradually flattened and paved with bluestone bricks. It slowly evolved into the largest arena in the world. This was where the name Jun Mountain Terrace came from. At the edge of Jun Mountain Terrace, there was a huge wordless stele with dozens of weapons inserted in it. They were all left behind by the discouraged challengers from the previous dynasty to this dynasty. There were sabers, spears, swords, halberds, and so on. Most of them were divine weapons that had experienced hundreds of years of wind and frost. But they had very little rust, and some were even as bright as new. An old man was sitting under the stone stele. The old man had long hair draped over his shoulders, and his upper body was naked. He was only wearing a black scale armor skirt, and there was a qilin belt around his waist. He was wearing half a set of Great Wei¡¯s qilin armor. The old man was over two meters tall. His shoulders were wide, and his back was broad. His arms were shockingly thick, like the arms of a python, tiger, or bear. Under the contrast of his majestic body, the 1.5-meter-long broadsword beside him looked like the saber carried by ordinary martial artists. The ratio was very balanced. The young man standing in front of him was of medium build, but at this moment, he looked tiny. Standing in front of the old man sitting cross-legged, he was only a head taller. From the back, the old man was like the sun in the sky. From afar, people could feel the overwhelming pressure of killing thousands of people with his own hands. He didn¡¯t look old at all. But the old man was already over 70 years old after all. Among peak martial artists, who usually lived over 100 years old, he had reached the end of his peak. There were obviously many wrinkles on his face, and his long, disheveled hair was white. Only his eyes were still as sharp as when he was young. The young man beside the old man was Xuanyuan Hongzhi¡¯s eldest son, Xuanyuan Zhe. At this moment, his eyes were full of grief and indignation as he recounted the news that had just come from Ze Province.¡±¡­ Uncle Yao, Father, Old Eighth Fan, and others went together, but they accidentally lost. There are disciples of Jun Mountain Terrace in the Ze Province army. They secretly sent a letter saying that only Uncle Yao was captured and sent to Rising Sun City on his last breath. The rest are corpses. I¡¯m afraid Father¡­¡± Sitting cross-legged on the arena, Xuanyuan Chao looked at the endless blue waves that he had watched growing up without saying anything. Xuanyuan Chao had roamed Jianghu his entire life and only had two sons. In order to show consideration for his eldest son, even though he knew that he would leave an enemy alive, he still held back on the arena. But in the end, his eldest son still turned against him and never returned. Because he had spared Zheng Feng¡¯s life back then, his second son had died at the hands of the other party¡¯s descendant. His only two sons were gone, and he even lost the successor he had trained. To someone of Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s age, no matter how much he had seen through the world, how could he not have waves in his heart? ¡°Grandfather, what should we do? Could it be that Ye Jingtang and the Prince of Jing¡¯s people can casually kill members of our Xuanyuan family? Back then, you contributed to the founding of Great Wei and took the lead in more than a hundred battles. You were the first to attack Yun¡¯an City. After succeeding, you retreated without even accepting the Great Ancestor¡¯s grant of the official position of the general of the South Stabilizing Army. All these years, just the taxes alone, the combined power of the entire Jianghu in Zezhou didn¡¯t pay as much as our family¡­¡± ¡°Matters of Jianghu belong to Jianghu. Ye Jingtang can¡¯t take revenge by relying on the government. If he wants to avenge Zheng Feng, he can only bring his saber to Jun Mountain Terrace.¡± ¡°What if he doesn¡¯t come? If he becomes a high-ranking official one day¡­¡± ¡°When Qiu Tianhe comes, he will definitely come,¡± Xuanyuan Chao said calmly, ¡°This is how Jianghu is. If there¡¯s hatred, there will be revenge. If there¡¯s kindness, there will be repayment. Once this matter is exposed, Qiu Tianhe will definitely die if he steps onto Jun Mountain Terrace. If he doesn¡¯t come, how can he be worthy of the Hornless Dragon Saber in his hand?¡± When Xuanyuan Zhe heard this, the grief and indignation in his heart dissipated a little. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°Grandfather, you¡¯re already old. If you fight these two people¡­¡± ¡°I have dominated for seventy years and experienced all the storms that I should have experienced. When I die, it will be a joyous funeral. What I¡¯m afraid of is not being killed by a saber one day but being afraid of moving forward when I have my saber in my hand one day.¡± Xuanyuan Chao looked at the saber beside him. ¡°If someone can kill me, Xuanyuan Chao, it is the change of the old and the new in Jianghu. After going through a cycle, it can be considered a good ending. ¡°If no one can kill me, and I¡¯m undefeated even until death, my name will shake the world for a thousand years, and I will also have a good ending. ¡°At my age, 1 actually prefer the first option. It¡¯s not a blessing for martial artists to be invincible until they die without meeting an opponent. ¡°I became invincible at the age of thirty, and 1 have been practicing my saber for another forty years. But if there¡¯s no opponent with whom I can use it to my heart¡¯s content, who can I show my saber to? ¡°I¡¯m already standing at the peak of the mountain and can¡¯t see the higher sky of the saber. What¡¯s the difference between dying at thirty and dying at a hundred?¡± Xuanyuan Zhe didn¡¯t have the frame of mind of a Martial Chief, so he naturally didn¡¯t understand these words. He asked, ¡°Grandfather, if something happens to you, what will happen to the Xuanyuan family?¡± ¡°Status and wealth have to be defended by the saber in your hand, not by your father and grandfather. If you have the ability to live in riches, no one can take it away. If you don¡¯t have the ability, you should live the life you deserve.¡± Chapter 349 - Chapter 349: He Will Definitely Come (3) Chapter 349: He Will Definitely Come (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Prince of Wu Estate¡­ It was already late at night, and the back of the estate was brightly lit. Ye Jingtang carried a large pile of calligraphy, paintings, books, curios, and jewelry to the courtyard where the empress dowager and Dumdum were staying. Then he went to a building on the side of the estate. The empress dowager had been holding it in for many days. When Daoist Xuanji and Dongfang Liren returned, they would definitely want to mingle with the people incognito and shop. As a personal expert, it was impossible for Ye Jingtang to get off work early, so he had to go out with them. Dongfang Liren was very considerate of Ye Jingtang. Knowing that he would be bored carrying the packages alone behind them, she specially asked him to call his female friends over to go out to play together. Ye Jingtang went to the building complex and found the courtyard arranged for him. When he entered, he saw the bird standing under the eaves, looking at a piece of jerky. Luo Ning had her hands on her waist like a stern mother lecturing her daughter. ¡±1 asked you to keep watch, but you played with her and forgot about serious matters, and 1 was caught red-handed. Now you¡¯re asking me for dinner?¡± ¡°Chirp chirp¡­¡± The bird nodded vigorously, indicating that it knew its mistake. When it saw Ye Jingtang enter, it hurriedly pointed with its wing. Seeing that Ye Jingtang had returned, Luo Ning handed the jerky to the bird and walked over to him. ¡°Have you finished your work in Wu Province? Why don¡¯t we return to the capital first? Staying here¡­¡± Ye Jingtang knew that Ning¡¯er was a rebel leader, and it was very awkward for her to stay in the prince¡¯s estate, but he had no choice. He hugged Ning¡¯er¡¯s shoulders and comforted, ¡°I¡¯m the deputy commander of the Black Office. It¡¯s against the rules to leave alone in advance. We have to leave together. By the way, the empress dowager and the others are going out shopping and asked me to call you guys.¡± ¡°Why are they calling us?¡± ¡°They¡¯re going out incognito. They¡¯re afraid 1¡¯11 be bored being a guard alone.¡± Luo Ning was already very embarrassed that Daoist Xuanji had discovered her ¡®adultery¡¯, let alone going out to play with the empress dowager. What if the empress dowager asked questions? How would she answer? ¡°Forget it, I won¡¯t go. You can just bring Third Lady. How can you bring the two girls you¡¯re hugging in each arm in front of the empress dowager?¡± Ye Jingtang actually felt that it was a little arrogant to follow behind them with a girl in each hand. Hearing this, he didn¡¯t insist and lowered his head toward Luo Ning¡¯s face. Luo Ning had been interrupted in the middle of helping Ye Jingtang recuperate last night. Actually, she was still a little unsatisfied. Seeing Ye Jingtang kiss her goodbye, she didn¡¯t resist. She raised her hands to hook his neck and kissed him deeply. But just after the kiss, she heard the little thief say, ¡°Wait in the room. I¡¯ll be back later. Don¡¯t be in a hurry.¡± ? Luo Ning¡¯s expression turned slightly cold. She moved away the hand that was kneading one of the little watermelons and turned to leave. ¡°Who¡¯s in a hurry? 1 didn¡¯t sleep well yesterday. I won¡¯t wait for you. Don¡¯t disturb me at night.¡± With that, she carried the bird, who wanted to follow Ye Jingtang out for a walk, into the room. ¡°Chirp?¡± Ye Jingtang knew that Ning¡¯er would definitely be waiting, so he didn¡¯t say anything else. He turned around and went to the wing room. The light in the room was on. The wound on Pei Xiangjun¡¯s back had not completely healed. She was resting alone on the bed. When she heard that he was bringing her out to shop, Pei Xiangjun had already gotten up and stood in front of the dressing table to change her clothes. As soon as Ye Jingtang opened the door, he saw Third Lady wearing only a light yellow undergarment. She was holding a dress in front of her and looking at herself in the mirror. The side of the undergarment showed a fair semicircle, looking like it was carrying a heavy load. Ye Jingtang came behind her and thoughtfully helped Third Lady support the load. ¡°This dress is quite nice¡­¡± Pa- Before he could finish speaking, his hand was patted lightly. Ye Jingtang was stunned. He turned his head and looked at Third Lady¡¯s side profile, wondering if he had accidentally made her angry. Pei Xiangjun¡¯s face turned red. She knocked her shoulder against the presumptuous Ye Jingtang and harrumphed softly. ¡°When Ning¡¯er is around, 1 indulge your presumptuous behavior to teach her how to be a wife. Behave yourself in private.¡± Ye Jingtang understood what she meant: 1 only take the initiative in front of Ning¡¯er. In private, I¡¯m your martial aunt and sect master, so you have to pay attention to etiquette. Seeing that Third Lady was thin-skinned, Ye Jingtang naturally restrained his actions and helped her put on her dress. ¡°Is your injury better?¡± Pei Xiangjun tied her belt and blinked. ¡°Why? Do you want to drag me along tonight?¡± ¡°What are you saying? I¡¯m just worried about your health.¡± ¡°Hmph- When my body recovers, won¡¯t you still have such crooked thoughts? I just read Ning¡¯er¡¯s novel. There are moves in it that aren¡¯t just stacking together. Things like two beauties offering¡­¡± Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t have this intention at first. But when he heard this, he blinked. After helping Third Lady put on her clothes, he held her hand and walked out the door. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it when we get back.¡± Pei Xiangjun saw Ye Jingtang pretending to be calm and serious and harrumphed softly.. Then they opened the umbrella and walked out of the estate¡­ Chapter 350 - Chapter 350: Thousands of Flowers Blooming at Night (1) Chapter 350: Thousands of Flowers Blooming at Night (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Drip, drip, drip! Fine raindrops sprinkled on the main street in the center of the city. The faint light emitted by the pavilions on both sides of the street was dyed by the rain and mist, making the entire street dreamlike. People could even see the reflection of pedestrians and street scenes on the ground. Ye Jingtang was holding an oil-paper umbrella and covering Third Lady¡¯s head while appreciating the rainy scenery, which was completely different from the capital¡¯s. His tense heartstrings when he had been running in the Wu Mountains over the past few days slowly turned into contentment at this moment. The Prince of Wu¡¯s rebellion had caused a huge mess. The people in the city had been afraid that the Prince of Wu would seal the city and trap them, so many of them had fled from the city. But since the imperial guards arrived, the situation had stabilized, and many people had returned to the city. Currently, stores were opening one after another. Although the city wasn¡¯t as prosperous as usual, the rainy streets and empty alleys still had a certain charm. Today, they came out to mingle with the people incognito. It could also be said that they came out to shop incognito. Dongfang Liren was wearing a noble¡¯s robe. Other than her overdeveloped chest muscles, she was very handsome in other aspects. Holding a folding fan, she looked like a handsome tree in the wind. The empress dowager had naturally dressed up as her mother with a maidservant behind her. Her clothes were very mature and charming, but her big eyes and delicate face made her look more like Dongfang Liren¡¯s sister. Daoist Xuanji was the most special. She had dressed up as an unmarried scholarly lady and was her disciple¡¯s little lover. She was wearing a white muslin dress and holding a flower umbrella in her hand. She looked very suitable with Dongfang Liren while walking beside her. Anyone who saw them would say that they were a perfect match. Ye Jingtang was also wearing a noble¡¯s robe, and his appearance was too eye-catching. If he were closer, he would be mistaken for either Daoist Xuanji¡¯s lover or the little puppy raised by the empress dowager. It was a little inappropriate, so he kept a distance and followed behind with Third Lady. The few of them came out to play with the empress dowager. The empress dowager had been cooped up in the palace for too long. Whenever she encountered something, she would stare at it for a while. However, her mood didn¡¯t improve. Instead, she became more and more melancholic. She should be recalling her carefree days when she was a young lady in Jiang Province. Pei Xiangjun was dressed as a little wife and leaned against Ye Jingtang. When she saw Daoist Xuanji and the princess counseling the empress dowager, she sighed and whispered, ¡°The empress dowager is so pitiful. Before she even arrived in the capital, the late emperor passed away. The imperial consorts and palace maids of the late emperor¡¯s era were allowed to leave the palace after the empress ascended the throne. Those with children went to their fiefs to enjoy life. Those without children returned to their hometowns and remarried. Only the empress dowager couldn¡¯t leave. The empress doesn¡¯t have any consorts in the harem, so the empress dowager lives alone in the harem. Just thinking about that kind of life is depressing¡­¡± Ye Jingtang had been to the harem many times and knew the empress dowager¡¯s suffering. Although she looked quirky and playful and held grudges, she could only see outsiders a few times a year and encounter a few matters. If he were imprisoned like this with nothing to do all day long, he would probably have climbed over the wall and flown away. Holding the oil-paper umbrella, Ye Jingtang walked with the Third Lady. Seeing that Dumdum was only talking about historical stories and didn¡¯t know how to please the lady, he thought for a moment and searched left and right¡­ ¡°This bridge has been here for thirty years. When the Great Ancestor conquered Rising Sun City, he felt inspired here and wrote a poem¡­¡± On the bridge spanning both sides of the long street, Dongfang Liren fanned herself gently and recounted the various deeds during the founding of the country. Seeing that there were no passersby around, Daoist Xuanji took off the wine gourd from behind her waist and leaned against the railing carved with stone lions to drink. The empress dowager stood under an umbrella and appreciated the beautiful night scenery of the city. She looked like she was listening carefully to Dongfang Liren¡¯s story, but she was not very interested. After all, the empress dowager came from a family of generals. Although her martial arts skills couldn¡¯t be said to be outstanding, it didn¡¯t stop her from having poor literary talent. When she heard those teachers talk about historical stories, her head hurt. But no matter how bored she was, it was still interesting to be able to see the scenic spots and attractions in a foreign land compared to staying alone in the palace in a daze. The empress dowager had no intention of returning to the estate. She only looked around, searching for something that could pique her interest. After looking for a while, the empress dowager suddenly saw Ye Jingtang from the corner of her eye. He was walking over from the street with two boxes and a mysterious expression. She couldn¡¯t help asking curiously, ¡°Ye Jingtang, where did you go?¡± ¡°I went to buy something.¡± Ye Jingtang carried the boxes to the bridge and opened one of them. There were lanterns inside, and some had Mid-Autumn Festival blessings on them. The empress dowager was stunned. She covered her chest and looked at them. ¡°There¡¯s still a month before the Mid-Autumn Festival. Where did you find them?¡± ¡°The red and white festival store on the street. These things were all prepared in advance. They just started making them, and there were this many. 1 bought them all.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± When Daoist Xuanji saw the empress dowager bending over and looking at the lanterns like a little girl, she found her round butt quite attractive. Her old habit acted up again, so she went over to her and secretly squeezed it. The empress dowager hurriedly stood up straight and pinched Daoist Xuanji¡¯s waist before continuing to watch Ye Jingtang fiddle with a lantern. Ye Jingtang took out a small flower lantern from inside a box, hung it on a pole, placed a candle inside, and handed it to the empress dowager, who had sparkling eyes. ¡°Here.¡± The empress dowager blinked and took the small lantern with a smile. Hongyu took out a flame stick and helped light it.. Chapter 351 - Chapter 351: Thousands of Flowers Blooming at Night (2) Chapter 351: Thousands of Flowers Blooming at Night (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Seeing that the empress dowager became energetic, Dongfang Liren didn¡¯t know if she should praise Ye Jingtang for knowing how to coax girls or say that he actually dared to coax the empress dowager. Seeing that Ye Jingtang had prepared another lantern and handed it to her, she stood a little straighter and gestured at her attire. ¡°This is something that women play with. How can I take it?¡± Hearing this, Ye Jingtang handed the lantern to Miss Xuanji, who was watching at the side. Daoist Xuanji took the lantern and even showed off a technique. She flipped her fair hand lightly, swept across the candle, and lit it. The surrounding people looked surprised. ¡°Fairy Lu, how did you do this?¡± ¡°This is a Daoist immortal technique. If you want to learn it, you must become my disciple first.¡± ¡°Master, you didn¡¯t teach me this!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll teach you when we get back, in case someone secretly learns it.¡± Daoist Xuanji held the lantern and spun around on the bridge. Coupled with her light gauze dress, her appearance and temperament were stunning. The empress dowager also spun, but without the extraordinary lightness skills, her spinning was a little rough. But she had a special elegance and nobility and a different kind of charm. It wasn¡¯t good for Ye Jingtang to stare at the two women he shouldn¡¯t be looking at. He shook his head and chuckled. After taking out two more lanterns, he opened the other box. The box was full of fun goods. There were firecrackers as thick as water buckets, fireworks that would fill the sky with stars, and so on. Dongfang Liren had seen many fireworks, but for safety reasons, she had never been allowed to light them personally. Seeing this, she became energetic. She squatted down and took out the largest one, wanting to light it. ¡°Hey!¡± Ye Jingtang hurriedly held Dumdum¡¯s hand and gestured to the side. ¡°This is a wooden bridge. You¡¯ll burn the bridge here. Go over there.¡± While speaking, he picked up a few large fireworks and arrived at the relatively empty riverbank by the street. Dongfang Liren followed him to the river and held an umbrella for Ye Jingtang. She asked, ¡°Will it be loud?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. We¡¯ll know once we light them.¡± After Ye Jingtang set up the fireworks, he handed a flame stick to Dumdum. ¡°Here.¡± Dongfang Liren held the flame stick in her hand. She wanted to light the fireworks, but when she saw one of the fireworks was thicker than her waist, she felt a little timid. After glancing at the man waiting and watching, she carefully moved closer to the fuse to light it. Seeing this scene, the few of them shook their heads secretly. But no one dared to laugh at Dongfang for being timid. The empress dowager, who relied on her domineering body where she couldn¡¯t be killed as long as she wasn¡¯t killed on the spot, wasn¡¯t timid. She covered her ears and waited for a long time. Seeing that Liren was useless, she held her skirt and ran over. ¡°It¡¯s just fireworks. What¡¯s there to be afraid of? Let me do it.¡± Hearing this, Dongfang Liren didn¡¯t stubbornly force herself. She retreated, hid behind Ye Jingtang, and covered her ears. When Dongfang Liren realized that Ye Jingtang was looking back at her with a strange look in his eyes, her expression turned cold again. She stood up straight and snatched the umbrella over, pretending to be as steady as a mountain. ¡°Go stand at the back. Why are you standing here?¡± ¡°Your Highness isn¡¯t afraid?¡± ¡°What am 1 afraid of? It¡¯s just fireworks. With Master around, can anything happen?¡± Ye Jingtang saw Daoist Xuanji standing behind the empress dowager and watching, and she even shouted to scare the empress dowager. He didn¡¯t say anything else and went to the eaves of the street to stand with Third Lady. Hongyu was standing behind the empress dowager, holding an umbrella. She was a little worried and muttered softly, ¡°Your Majesty, be careful. Once Your Majesty lights it, retreat immediately. This looks scary.¡± ¡°I know. Don¡¯t disturb me.¡± The empress dowager held the lantern in one hand and carefully squatted down to place the flame stick at a fuse. Sizzle- The moment the flames touched it, sparks flew from the firework. The empress dowager was so shocked that her shoulders trembled slightly, and she threw the flame stick to the ground. She quickly held up her skirt, stood up, hugged Daoist Xuanji¡¯s arm, and looked at it intently. Sizzle sizzle sizzle- Swish! Bam! Under the rain, a flame shot into the sky and flew hundreds of feet into the sky. Then it exploded, scattering flames and sparks all over the sky. ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°Look, look¡­¡± As soon as the commotion occurred, the clamor of women, children, old, and young immediately sounded on both sides of the river. The empress dowager¡¯s eyes also lit up. She looked up with Hongyu and let out a soft cry of surprise. Swish! Bam! Bam! The light from the fireworks illuminated the streets, sometimes bright and sometimes dark. Ye Jingtang stood under the eaves and looked out. When he saw that the women were all looking up at the sky, his heart stirred, and he turned to look at his side. Pei Xiangjun had grown up in the capital, so she had seen many fireworks and was not as excited as the empress dowager. She only admired the beautiful scenery with a gentle and elegant expression. Seeing Ye Jingtang looking over, Pei Xiangjun blinked in confusion. ¡°Hmm?¡± Ye Jingtang smiled, raised his hand, hugged Third Lady quietly, and lowered his head slightly to her face. ?! Pei Xiangjun¡¯s expression froze. Seeing that Jingtang was so bold that he actually wanted to kiss her on the streets, and there were even people around them, she was a little stunned. But before she could come back to her senses, warmth came to her red lips. ¡°Woo-¡± Pei Xiangjun¡¯s heart was in her throat. She curled her hands on his chest and carefully observed the women watching the fireworks from the corner of her eye.. Slowly, she opened her red lips¡­ Chapter 352 - Chapter 352: Thousands of Flowers Blooming at Night (3) Chapter 352: Thousands of Flowers Blooming at Night (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Swish! Bam! Bam! Flames and sparks soared into the sky. Soon, countless pedestrians came to the riverside to watch the excitement. After experiencing a storm, Rising Sun City regained its usual vitality. Ye Jingtang had bought a lot of fireworks and lined them up by the river. The empress dowager lit them one by one. Emboldened by the empress dowager, Dongfang Liren also went over and lit two. It took a full half an hour before they lit them all. Seeing that there were too many people watching by the river, Dongfang Liren brought the empress dowager back to the prince¡¯s estate. The empress dowager had so much fun that she didn¡¯t even care about the time when she was knocked unconscious. Her attitude toward Ye Jingtang was much better, and she even praised him a few times along the way. By the time they returned to the Prince of Wu Estate, it was already late at night. Dongfang Liren was tired from running around all day and didn¡¯t let Ye Jingtang work overtime anymore. Ye Jingtang finally got off work and returned to the courtyard where he was staying with Third Lady. In the dead of the night, the people staying at the guest residences of the Prince of Wu Estate were already resting. Ye Jingtang entered the courtyard corridor and looked up to see the lonely bird standing under the eaves, looking toward the city center and watching the fireworks set off by the people. Seeing that Ye Jingtang had returned, the bird was unhappy to be left at home, so it tilted its head and ignored him. Ye Jingtang shook his head and sighed. He brought Third Lady to the wing room and asked, ¡°It¡¯s getting late, and you¡¯re still injured. Are you going to bed early, or¡­¡± Pei Xiangjun had just been kissed on the street and had yet to return to her senses. When she heard Ye Jingtang say this, she hesitated for a moment before pulling him toward the vixen¡¯s room. ¡°You must be thinking about the two beauties presenting peaches. If 1 rest, you¡¯ll be worried about it all night¡­¡± While speaking, Pei Xiangjun gently pushed open the door and looked into the inner room. The bedroom was quiet, and there was no movement. Luo Ning was lying behind the curtain with her back facing the door, and they could only see the back of her head. She seemed to be asleep. Pei Xiangjun didn¡¯t believe that the vixen could fall asleep alone. She quietly walked up to her and lifted the thin blanket slightly. Under the thin blanket, the first thing they saw was her exquisite and graceful fair figure. Her upper body was a cut-out undergarment, and her lower body was side-tie underwear, the kind that couldn¡¯t completely cover the moon. Pa- When Pei Xiangjun saw this coquettish outfit that clearly revealed her wolfish ambitions, she harrumphed softly and patted the moon. ¡°What are you pretending for? Hurry up and serve Jingtang.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Luo Ning was indeed pretending to be asleep. After being slapped, she turned around with a displeased expression. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you help him recuperate? Why did you come over?¡± ¡°Sleep. What else can I do?¡± Pei Xiangjun took off her shoes and crawled under the blanket, imitating what Luo Ning did last time. ¡°Jingtang, come.¡± Luo Ning definitely wouldn¡¯t cooperate. She twisted her waist and even nudged Pei Xiangjun with her elbow. ¡°Is there something wrong with you? If you¡¯re bored, just help him recuperate yourself¡­ Move your hand!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Ye Jingtang smiled and sat in front of them. He teased Luo Ning with his fingers. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s rest early¡­¡± ¡°Little thief!¡± Luo Ning shivered. Seeing how presumptuous Ye Jingtang was being, she wanted to get off the bed angrily. Pei Xiangjun was almost used to Luo Ning¡¯s little acts. She pressed her down and instructed, ¡°Jingtang, touch her. She¡¯ll be obedient when she¡¯s in heat.¡± ¡°Little thief, don¡¯t you dare! Do you believe that I¡¯ll return to the South Firmament Mountains tomorrow¡­¡± Ye Jingtang wasn¡¯t that rude. He just leaned forward and kissed her cold cheeks twice. Luo Ning tilted her head to dodge a few times, but she couldn¡¯t avoid it. In the end, she closed her eyes in resignation and endured the humiliation¡­ Unknowingly, it was early in the morning. The sound of roosters crowing came from afar. ¡°Cluck cluck cluck-¡± At dawn, in an elegant courtyard at the back of the prince¡¯s estate, all the lights were off. Only the two dim yellow lanterns under the eaves of the main room exuded a gentle halo. The bedchamber was very quiet. Only three soft breaths could be heard. Hongyu was sleeping in the side room. On a table not far away, there were lanterns, smiling masks, makeup, and other miscellaneous items. They were all bought on the streets as souvenirs from the trip to Wu Province. In the bedroom, two gorgeous dresses were draped on the screen. The empress dowager was sleeping on the inner side in a thin undergarment. There was a smile on her mature and delicate face. She was probably dreaming of flying out of the palace one day. Daoist Xuanji was lying flat on her side. Although she was usually frivolous, when she woke up in the middle of the night, her face still revealed a faint sorrow that outsiders couldn¡¯t see. Every autumn, Daoist Xuanji would enter the capital to stay for a period of time. To the outside world, she explained that she was visiting the empress dowager. But in fact, she was actually acting as a guard to prevent the empress from encountering any mishaps. Back then, in order to usurp the throne, the empress had embarked on a path of no return. Although she had succeeded, the price of defying the heavens had always existed within her. Grow in spring and wither in autumn. Autumn was the season when everything withered. Every year during autumn, the empress¡¯s body would inexplicably become very weak. The reason for this had yet to be found. All Daoist Xuanji could do was search for the Roaring Dragon Chart all over the world. Every autumn, she would return to the capital to protect her disciple. Day after day, year after year, she had already been searching for ten years. But finding the Roaring Dragon Chart relied on luck rather than strength. After so many years, she had only found possible clues. She didn¡¯t know how long Yuhu could last. If something happened to Yuhu, Liren wouldn¡¯t be able to suppress all the civil and military princes of the dynasty. Even though she was supremely powerful, she was still merely a martial artist. It was easy to defend one person but difficult to defend a country. She couldn¡¯t control the general situation at all. Only she knew about these pressing matters. She was helpless but had nowhere to complain, and she couldn¡¯t hand over this responsibility to outsiders. What should she do in the future¡­ While Daoist Xuanji was leaning against a pillow and silently feeling worried, she suddenly heard a sound coming from outside. Whish, whish- ¡°Your Highness? Your Highness?¡± Chapter 353 - Chapter 353: Thousands of Flowers Blooming at Night (4) Chapter 353: Thousands of Flowers Blooming at Night (4) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Soon, Dongfang Liren¡¯s sleepy voice came from the main room. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°A chief constable of the Black Office just came over to report that he had heard some news in Jianghu. Qiu Tianhe is preparing to go to Jun Mountain Terrace to duel¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Huh?!¡± Dongfang Liren clearly realized what would happen to Qiu Tianhe, who was half a master to Ye Jingtang, if he went to cause trouble after Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s son died. There was immediately the sound of someone getting up and putting on shoes in the room. Daoist Xuanji was already awake. She got up, put on her clothes, and went outside the room. Dongfang Liren quickly put on her clothes and walked out of the room. When she saw Daoist Xuanji, she said, ¡°Master, can Qiu Tianhe defeat Xuanyuan Chao?¡± Daoist Xuanji tied her belt and deliberated for a moment. ¡°At the same level, the Heaven Equaling Saber can¡¯t defeat the Dragon Slaying Decree and the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade. In the past, Qiu Tianhe could at most receive three strikes. Now that his strength has improved, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for him to receive five strikes.¡± ¡°What happens after five strikes?¡± ¡°If he admits defeat quickly, he still has a chance to get off the stage. If Xuanyuan Chao doesn¡¯t care about martial ethics in the pain of losing his son, he shouldn¡¯t be able to run out of the ten-thousand-square-foot arena.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean he¡¯s dead for sure?¡± Dongfang Liren felt that Qiu Tianhe was simply unlucky. He had just been released from the Black Office¡¯s dungeon, but he turned around and bumped into this situation. It would have been better to keep Qiu Tianhe locked up in the capital, delivering food. Dongfang Liren knew that Ye Jingtang valued friendship. If Qiu Tianhe, who didn¡¯t know anything, were killed by the angry Xuanyuan Chao because he had killed Xuanyuan Hongzhi, Ye Jingtang would definitely feel guilty. So she quickly walked out of the courtyard. Ye Jingtang lived in the guest courtyards outside the prince¡¯s estate like the accompanying officials of the Six Ministries. Because Ye Jingtang had female family members with him, Dongfang Liren had made very thoughtful arrangements. He had a single private courtyard with no one else staying around it, so no one would be able to hear what he did at night. Dongfang Liren lightly jumped onto the roof with the tip of her toes and moved along a straight line through the enormous Prince of Wu Estate. She could see a few old officials doing morning exercises in a few guest courtyards. The light in Ye Jingtang¡¯s courtyard was on, and he looked like he had woken up. Dongfang Liren arrived at the courtyard wall and was about to call out when she heard a sound from the main room. Then the door opened, and Ye Jingtang, who was wearing a robe, walked out of the room. ¡°Why is Your Highness here so early? What¡¯s the matter?¡± Dongfang Liren landed under the eaves. She instinctively wanted to tell him the news she had just received, but she subconsciously glanced inside the room. Unfortunately, it was the outer room, so she couldn¡¯t see how many girls were in the bedroom¡­ Last night, Ye Jingtang had tasted the big peaches presented by Ning¡¯er and Third Lady and had slept a little too soundly. He had just woken up and hadn¡¯t even tidied up the messy battlefield. How could he let Dumdum see it? He immediately raised his hand to protect her and walked out. ¡°Ning¡¯er isn¡¯t awake yet. Let¡¯s go to the corridor to talk.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Dongfang Liren suppressed her distracting thoughts and walked into the corridor with him. ¡°I just received news that Qiu Tianhe is going to Jun Mountain Terrace to compete for the title of Saber Chief. Qiu Tianhe was suddenly released. Jun Mountain Terrace must know that you contributed and have a family friendship. You just killed Xuanyuan Hongzhi. Now, Qiu Tianhe is going to challenge his father to a one-on-one battle¡­¡± ? Ye Jingtang paused and turned around. ¡°Did he already go?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like it yet, but the talk is everywhere. It¡¯ll be in the next two days.¡± ¡°Two days¡­¡± Ye Jingtang rubbed his forehead and felt that something was wrong. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°I¡¯ll set off immediately to see if I can catch up to Qiu Tianhe¡ª¡± ¡°You just killed someone from Jun Mountain Terrace. If you go to Jun Mountain Terrace now, won¡¯t you be walking into a trap? Why don¡¯t 1 send a message to Jun Mountain Terrace¡­¡± ¡°Weapons have no eyes. Qiu Tianhe is taking the initiative to go to the arena, which is equivalent to signing a life-and-death contract. If Xuanyuan Chao holds back, it¡¯s because he adheres to martial ethics. If he really kills him and says that it was an accident afterward, the government will have no reason to punish him severely. ¡°The government can¡¯t contact Qiu Tianhe for the time being. When he steps into Jun Mountain Terrace, he won¡¯t be able to escape. 1 know my limits. I¡¯ll come back immediately after stopping Qiu Tianhe.¡± Dongfang Liren was ultimately still worried. After some thought, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask Master to follow you. With Master behind you, at least Xuanyuan Chao won¡¯t be able to kill you. It¡¯s better to be safe than sorry.¡± Ye Jingtang considered himself quite powerful, but he still felt a little unconfident against the Saber Chief, who had been famous in Jianghu for decades. He didn¡¯t decline the good intentions.. After speaking, he returned to his room to pack his clothes¡­ Chapter 354 - Chapter 354: Yellow Springs Town (1) Chapter 354: Yellow Springs Town (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The light rain made the weather a little cooler. The old street of Yellow Springs Town was empty. Outside the old wine shop in the center, the old plaque of Yellow Springs Saber Tomb appeared black and yellow under the rain. Under the eaves, a fit man was sitting on a small stool with a small table in front of him. The five or six-year-old girl with braids was sitting opposite him. She was holding a brush and writing seriously while saying softly, ¡°Dad, why is Grandpa Qiu missing?¡± ¡°Call him Uncle Qiu.¡± ¡°But Grandpa Qiu is over fifty. He asked me to call him that¡­¡± Xuanyuan Tiangang took a deep breath and raised his hand to rub the little girl¡¯s head. ¡°Martial arts experts have long lives. It¡¯s not a problem to call him brother when he¡¯s in his fifties. If we meet him again in the future, call him Brother Qiu¡­¡± ¡°Gang¡¯zi!¡± In the wine shop, the lady boss, A¡¯lan, who was wiping tables, threw the rag on the table. The little girl was so frightened that she hurriedly buried her head in writing. Xuanyuan Tiangang also sat up a little straighter. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding.¡± ¡°Are you kidding? Our daughter is so young. She listens to whatever you say. If you don¡¯t teach her the rules well when she¡¯s young, what should we do if she grows up and goes astray?¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± A wife scolding her husband was undoubtedly the favorite scene of the people in the market. When her voice sounded, it attracted the attention of many neighbors. Even the little girl lowered her head and giggled. After listening for a moment, Xuanyuan Tiangang stood up and walked to the backyard. ¡°There¡¯s no business. I¡¯m going to catch some fish¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go out. It¡¯s almost dark, and it¡¯s raining heavily. Why are you fishing?¡± A¡¯lan grabbed Xuanyuan Tiangang¡¯s sleeve and pulled him into the house. ¡°Do you want to go to Jun Mountain Terrace to watch the excitement?¡± Xuanyuan Tiangang went to the table, poured tea, and shook his head. ¡°I retired more than twenty years ago and have long lost interest in the bustle of Jianghu. Moreover, Qiu Tianhe¡¯s saber technique is not worth watching.¡± A¡¯lan was skeptical about these words. After all, Xuanyuan Tiangang had been born in Jianghu and should live in Jianghu. But now, he was a fisherman in the market who was surrounded by firewood, rice, oil, and salt all day. It was just that the situation forced him to stay here like a prisoner. But as his wife, even if A¡¯lan felt that her husband was very powerful and shouldn¡¯t live a mediocre life, she didn¡¯t want him to wander in Jianghu again, where life and death were always uncertain. A¡¯lan thought for a moment and said softly, ¡°When my father was the shopkeeper in the past, he had drunk with Zheng Feng and the others and said that Zheng Feng¡¯s personality was straightforward and not tactful enough. He persuaded him to travel outside for ten years before coming out of seclusion. Zheng Feng didn¡¯t understand at all at the time and said that this was how a chivalrous person should be. He even kept saying that Qiu Tianhe had too many crooked thoughts and didn¡¯t look like a pure chivalrous person. In the end? After decades, everyone knows that Qiu Tianhe is righteous. How many people knew Zheng Feng¡¯s name? ¡°Your personality is similar to Zheng Feng¡¯s. You¡¯re both young and stubborn, and you can¡¯t tolerate sand in your eyes when you¡¯re in Jianghu. It¡¯s fine if nothing happens, but once something happens, it¡¯s too late for regrets¡­¡± Xuanyuan Tiangang shook his head and smiled. ¡°You¡¯ve been saying this for more than twenty years. I¡¯m already fifty years old, not in my early twenties. I don¡¯t have the energy to be young and impetuous anymore.¡± ¡°Hmph, I said it for you to listen¡­ Hey, we have a guest¡­¡± Clack, clack.. Under the drizzle, two horses that had been traveling for a long time stepped onto the old street of the town. Ye Jingtang, wearing a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat, swept his gaze across the gray town. After a day of running around, there was a hint of fatigue in his eyes. Beside him, Daoist Xuanji, who was wearing a long white dress and exquisite white cloak, was riding side by side with her sword wrapped in cloth at her waist. The two of them, one black and one white, looked like an immortal couple walking side by side in Jianghu. The bird had just woken up. When it saw the town with people, it perked up. It stuck its head out from under Ye Jingtang¡¯s raincoat and looked around. First, it looked at the wonton stall in the distance, then at the grilled fish shop by the street. It had a look that said: I¡¯m so hungry. After receiving the news in the morning, Ye Jingtang had set off from Rising Sun City and galloped toward Ze Province. Along the way, he had kept changing horses along the courier route. He had used the day to ride nearly 400 kilometers and arrived at the northwestern part of the Cloud Dream Swamp. Jun Mountain Terrace was on the east bank of the Cloud Dream Swamp, and the Water Cloud Sword Pool was on the west side of Ze Province. They faced each other across the lake, but they were actually nearly 500 kilometers apart. This town was close to the Wuxi Canal, and there were ferries crossing on the lake. It would take a one-night boat trip to get to Jun Mountain Terrace. Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t know if Qiu Tianhe had issued the challenge yet. In order to rush for time, he didn¡¯t drink a single drop of water along the way. Seeing that there was no ferry at the dock, he stopped in the old town and found a place to eat something to replenish his strength. Daoist Xuanji ran around all year round and must have come to the Cloud Dream Swamp before. She walked beside him and said, ¡°Ye Jingtang, do you know where the name ¡®Moon Goddess¡¯ came from?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard Ning¡¯er mention it. How did it come about?¡± ¡°In the past, when Luo Ning just entered Jianghu, she wanted to go to Jun Mountain Terrace to take a look, but the ferry was already departing. She relied on her lightness skills to walk on the water and chase after it. She was dressed in blue, and her figure was like a fairy from the heavenly palace. She stunned countless people in Jianghu and slowly became the number one beauty in Jianghu.¡± At this point, Daoist Xuanji turned to look at the upright Ye Jingtang. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that such a good cabbage was stolen by something in the end.¡± ? Ye Jingtang blinked, a little unhappy. ¡°Fairy Lu, your words are a little¡­¡± ¡°Xue Baijin is the dignified Pacifying Heaven Cult Master and the number one person in the mortal world¡¯s Jianghu, but he¡¯s actually gay. He doesn¡¯t like beauties but loves heroes. What a waste of Ning¡¯er¡¯s looks. But you know your stuff, and your skin is thick enough¡­¡± Ye Jingtang knew that because of Ning¡¯er and Dumdum, the imperial teacher beside him had a lot of objections about him. He could only shake his head and sigh.. Chapter 355 - Chapter 355: Yellow Springs Town (2) Chapter 355: Yellow Springs Town (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The two of them walked side by side on the street, looking for a place to eat. When they reached the center of the street, Ye Jingtang was suddenly attracted by a plaque. ¡°Yellow Springs Saber Tomb¡­¡± Although it had been a long time, the calligraphy was bold and sharp, as if they had been carved by a saber. Ye Jingtang stopped his horse and looked at the old wine shop. He saw a little girl with braids sitting on a stool obediently and writing. There were four tables in the wine shop. The lady boss, who was dressed like a town girl, was wiping the tables. When she saw the two of them stop, she greeted, ¡°Guests, please come inside.¡± Ye Jingtang looked at the plaque again, got off the horse, and asked, ¡°Lady Boss, what does this plaque mean?¡± ¡°An old grave where sabers are buried. My father wrote it in the past. It¡¯s meaningless.¡± Alan walked to the door and got her daughter to go into the house to write. She sized up Ye Jingtang¡¯s attire. ¡°Young Master, you¡¯re also a saber user?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve learned a lot, but 1 can¡¯t say that I¡¯m a saber user. The old shopkeeper¡¯s saber skills look extraordinary. Ordinary people really can¡¯t carve these words.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Surprise flashed across A¡¯lan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Young Master, you seem to be quite skilled in martial arts. When he was in Jianghu in the past, he did have some ability. But after seeing Kuang Yazi, he stopped practicing and sold wine here for the rest of his life.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± When Ye Jingtang heard this, he knew that the owner of the shop was an elder of Jianghu. He was at least a half-step Martial Chief. He asked, ¡°Is the old shopkeeper in the shop?¡± ¡°Sigh, he left more than ten years ago. Now, the shop is run by my husband and me. We don¡¯t ask about Jianghu. Dear guests, sit down. What do you want to eat?¡± ¡°Chirp chirp chirp-¡± The bird jumped onto a stool and pointed its wings at the most expensive garlic-flavored sauteed fish. After Ye Jingtang invited Daoist Xuanji to sit across the table, he looked at the menu on the wall. ¡°Please give me a grilled fish, a few home-cooked dishes, a basin of rice, and a catty of good wine, the strongest.¡± A¡¯lan looked at the quiet girl in white with a veiled hat and smiled. ¡°My family¡¯s wine is not ordinary. Even a Grandmaster will become drunk after five cups of it. Are the two of you sure you want one catty?¡± Ye Jingtang took off his bamboo hat and sat down at the table. ¡°I don¡¯t drink, but she does. She drinks too much¡­ Hiss¡ª¡± Before he could finish speaking, Daoist Xuanji stepped on Ye Jingtang¡¯s toes under the table and slowly twisted her foot. The lady boss smiled and didn¡¯t ask further. She called out the order to the backyard and then went to the side to get wine. Ye Jingtang picked up the teapot and poured two cups of tea, one for him and the bird. He asked casually, ¡°I heard that Hero Qiu Tianhe is going to Jun Mountain Terrace to compete for the title of Saber Chief. The two of us came to watch the excitement. Lady Boss, do you know any news? Has the battle started over there?¡± A¡¯lan had guessed that these two Jianghu people had come for this and replied, ¡°The battle hasn¡¯t started yet. The people of Jianghu want nothing more than fame. A duel for the title of Saber Chief only happens once in the lives of ordinary people. If the spectacle isn¡¯t big enough, it¡¯s like the top scholar wearing his official clothes at night. There are still ferries picking people up, which means that Jun Mountain Terrace isn¡¯t crowded yet. When it¡¯s full, the people of Jianghu have to wait eagerly for a while. Only then will it have the pomp fitting for top Grandmasters¡­¡± ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Ye Jingtang nodded with a smile, feeling a little more relaxed. He didn¡¯t disturb the lady boss anymore and drank tea with Daoist Xuanji while waiting. Crackle- Soon, the sound of stir-frying came from the backyard, and an appetizing fragrance wafted over. The bird was hungry. It jumped down and walked into the backyard through the curtain, looking like it wanted to go watch the food. Ye Jingtang was afraid that the bird would disturb the little girl, who was reading and writing, so he got up and opened the curtain. ¡°Come back.¡± ¡°Chirp¡­¡± The backyard of the wine shop wasn¡¯t big. There was an old well and a clothesline beside it. The kitchen was on the left and had rows of Cloud Dream Swamp¡¯s specialty saber fish hung outside, and under them were old wine jars. There was a shed beside them with a grill inside, and the lady boss was roasting fish at the back. The bird obediently squatted in front of the grill and looked up at the big fish being roasted until it was golden and sizzling with oil. It wasn¡¯t moving its claws at all, and it even opened its beak to let the lady boss feed it a bite to taste. In the kitchen, a middle-aged man in cloth clothes was cooking in front of the stove. He was tall and well-proportioned, and his appearance was quite heroic. After looking at the bird, who was asking for food, he saw Ye Jingtang enter and said, ¡°Young Master, this bird isn¡¯t bad.¡± Ye Jingtang smiled and was about to call the gluttonous bird back when his gaze was attracted by the main room. He turned around and saw a saber hanging in the middle of the main room. The saber was very long, about 5 feet long. It was a little longer than the Jun Mountain Saber, but the blade was thinner and had a slight curve. After sheathing the saber, if not for the hand guard at the hilt, it would look like an eyebrow-length staff. The saber didn¡¯t look like it was often held. It had been hung up for too long and was already covered in dust. Ye Jingtang felt that this saber was similar to a miaodao. He had never seen this style in Jianghu, so he couldn¡¯t help taking a few more glances. ¡°Shopkeeper, this saber is quite special.¡± Xuanyuan Tiangang turned around and looked at it. ¡°It¡¯s just a straight saber that has been lengthened by two feet. What¡¯s so special about it?¡± ¡°Not only is it long, but it feels like it took a lot of effort to make.¡± Seeing that the shopkeeper didn¡¯t mind, Ye Jingtang walked into the backyard and sized it up carefully. ¡°1 estimate that this saber shouldn¡¯t be made of ordinary iron. It weighs about eight kilograms, right?¡± A¡¯lan stopped roasting the fish and looked up at Ye Jingtang. Daoist Xuanji also put down her teacup and lifted the curtain to watch. Xuanyuan Tiangang sized Ye Jingtang up.. ¡°Young Master, how did you tell?¡± Chapter 356 - Chapter 356: Yellow Springs Town (3) Chapter 356: Yellow Springs Town (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Ye Jingtang observed the long saber and went straight to the point. ¡°The Dragon Slaying Decree has the advantage of having a long blade and great strength. Using a three-foot-long light saber to fight head-on against a spear isn¡¯t much different from using a single saber to close in on a spear. It¡¯s basically difficult to break the moves at the same level. I¡¯ve thought of many moves in the past, but I¡¯ve recently realized that this path is very difficult to follow. If 1 want to break the moves, it¡¯s best to change weapons and use a spear to break them. However, 1 can¡¯t defeat the Saber Chief with a spear. The easiest way to do this is to work on the style of the saber.¡± Ye Jingtang walked to the front of the main house and looked at the saber carefully. He continued, ¡°If you want to receive the Dragon Slaying Decree, you can just switch to a heavy saber to fight head-on. But if you want to surpass the Dragon Slaying Decree in saber concepts, you have to consider all aspects to the extreme. ¡°The saber of the Dragon Slaying Decree is heavy and powerful, but its flaw is that it relies on inertia and has traces to follow. It¡¯s extremely difficult to change moves flexibly. It can be considered to have gone to the extreme. There¡¯s nothing wrong when it¡¯s the strong against the weak, but it basically can¡¯t counterattack against the strong. ¡°The Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade is the fastest in the world, but its disadvantage is that it pursues speed too much, and the combo moves are fixed. If you change moves, it will no longer be the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade. It can also be considered to have gone to the extreme. It¡¯s very difficult to turn things around if the moves are targeted or the rhythm is interrupted. ¡°These two saber techniques are both masterpieces that go to the peak, but they have gone too far in the pursuit of perfection and have obvious flaws. ¡°In my opinion, if you want to defeat these two saber techniques, you should walk the path of ¡®the doctrine of the mean¡¯. You will have the unstoppable power of the Dragon Slaying Decree and the lightning-fast speed of the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade. You can advance, attack, retreat, and defend. You won¡¯t have the current absolute advantages, but you won¡¯t have any obvious shortcomings either. ¡°If we follow this train of thought, the saber has to be neither heavy nor light, neither long nor short, neither fast nor slow. ¡°This saber is five feet long and has a slender blade. It can be wielded with one hand or two, and it has the characteristics of both a saber and a spear. Relying on its length and speed, it¡¯s not impossible to get close when encountering the Dragon Slaying Decree. The power of the heavy slash is astonishing, and it¡¯s difficult for the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade to parry it. I had imagined this saber shape in the past, but I didn¡¯t expect someone to have already forged it in this world.¡± Drip, drip, drip! The small courtyard became a little quieter under the rain. Daoist Xuanji leaned against the threshold, took off her wine gourd, and took a sip. Xuanyuan Tiangang looked at Ye Jingtang for a moment and revealed a smile. He put down the spatula, wiped his hands on his apron, went out, and picked up the long saber in the main room. ¡°There¡¯s only a saber, but there¡¯s no accompanying saber technique. How can you break the moves?¡± Ye Jingtang felt that this shopkeeper was a mighty figure who hid in the town. He smiled and said, ¡°We already have the saber. If we find out the most reasonable way to use it, it will be the saber technique. This saber is compatible with some staff techniques and spear techniques. It can take into account the power of the heavy saber and the agility of the light saber. As long as you have studied enough moves of all kinds, it shouldn¡¯t be difficult to figure out the most suitable saber technique. Shopkeeper, have you figured it out?¡± Xuanyuan Tiangang walked out of the kitchen with his long saber and threw it to Ye Jingtang. ¡°I can¡¯t teach you, kid, and you don¡¯t look like you need me to teach you. I don¡¯t need this saber either. Since you can see how to use it, 1¡¯11 give it to you. I only hope that your hands won¡¯t dirty this saber.¡± Ye Jingtang was rather surprised. He took the long saber with both hands and sized it up before asking, ¡°Senior, may I know your name?¡± Xuanyuan Tiangang returned to the kitchen and continued to cook. ¡°We¡¯re just strangers who met by chance. If we have similar interests, we¡¯re confidants. Why ask each other¡¯s names? Leave after dinner. If we continue chatting, my wife will get angry.¡± Seeing that the lady boss was indeed unhappy and had been glaring at the shopkeeper, Ye Jingtang held the saber and cupped his hands. ¡°I am Ye Jingtang of Liang Province, and my master is Qiu Tianhe. I¡¯m borrowing this saber today. Senior, when I figure out how to use it, I¡¯ll return it to you.¡± ?? Xuanyuan Tiangang¡¯s cooking stopped again. He looked up, and the meaning in his eyes was probably: Who are you lying to? If Qiu Tianhe can teach a disciple like you, I¡¯ll twist my head off and let him use it as a urine pot. However, Xuanyuan Tiangang could still guess something from Ye Jingtang¡¯s self-introduction. He waved his hand slightly. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of smoke in the kitchen. Go out and wait. The food will be done soon.¡± Hearing this, Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t say anything else. He carried the bird, who was still looking with its beak open, out of the curtain¡­ In the blink of an eye, night fell, and the lights in Yellow Springs Town lit up. In the wine shop, Ye Jingtang, who had eaten his fill, paid the bill with the lady boss and picked up the long saber. At the table, the satiated bird might have eaten too much, so it lay sprawled out on the stool and refused to move, pretending to want a hug. Daoist Xuanji, who originally had an ethereal aura, had taken off her bamboo hat. Her beautiful face was flushed red, and she lay on the table drunk while panting softly. She looked as if she had just been tortured. The lady boss looked at her from the side and picked up the wine pot to shake. She clicked her tongue in wonder. ¡°This girl¡¯s drinking capacity is really scary. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen a guest who can drink two pots. You too. As a man, it¡¯s enough to get the girl drunk. Why did you let her drink so much and get drunk like this? What if something happens¡­¡± Ye Jingtang felt the suspicion in the lady boss¡¯s eyes and felt a little helpless. ¡°The wine is too good. I asked her to drink less, but I couldn¡¯t persuade her at all.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you rest here for the night? I¡¯ll make some hangover soup¡­¡± ¡°No need-¡± When Daoist Xuanji heard this, she stood up shakily and put her veiled hat on her head. ¡°I still have something important to do, so I won¡¯t disturb you anymore. Bird, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Chirp-¡± When the lady boss saw that the girl could still stand up, she was speechless. She looked at the dock outside the town. ¡°No ferry has come yet. I think you¡¯ll have to wait until tomorrow morning. If you¡¯re in a hurry, you can go next door and ask to borrow a boat. Take good care of her tonight. Don¡¯t let this girl accidentally fall into the lake¡­¡± Ye Jingtang nodded with a smile. Seeing that the shopkeeper never showed up again, he thanked the lady boss and went next door to borrow a boat. He left the horses in an inn in town and headed to the dock with the long and short weapons. Soon, two people and a bird disappeared into the night on the old street. A¡¯lan stopped at the entrance of the wine shop and looked out for a long time before the curtain behind was lifted. Xuanyuan Tiangang walked out of the backyard, stood beside her, and looked at the rain outside the eaves. ¡°Gang¡¯zi, who is this young man?¡± ¡°He¡¯s probably Zheng Feng¡¯s disciple. His talent is shocking.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ He seems to be much smarter than Zheng Feng. If it were Zheng Feng, he would definitely drink quietly and be too embarrassed to let the girl get drunk alone¡­¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Chapter 357 - Chapter 357: Storm in Jianghu (1) Chapter 357: Storm in Jianghu (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Dark clouds covered the sky, and boats were bobbing up and down on the shore. Behind them was a small town with waning lights, and in front of them was 500 kilometers of blue waves. Raindrops sprinkled on the roof, making dense pitter-patter sounds. The light at the bow of the boat was like a bean. The bird was standing under the lantern, looking at the rolling waves and chirping. From the looks of it, it was humming: The great river goes east, the waves are gone, and the romantic bird of ancient times¡­ On the shore, Ye Jingtang moved the Roaring Dragon Spear, Jun Mountain Saber, and other weapons wrapped in black cloth into the cabin. Then he returned to the shore and opened his umbrella. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± ¡°Hmm-?¡± Daoist Xuanji¡¯s back was leaning on the small shed by the lake. Her face was red, and she looked like she couldn¡¯t even stand steadily. ¡°What can happen to me? I¡¯m the sixth peerless expert in the world¡­¡± ? When Ye Jingtang saw Daoist Xuanji¡¯s drunk appearance, he regretted bringing her along. Now, not only would she not protect him, but he would have to thank the heavens if she could take care of herself without his help. Seeing Daoist Xuanji staggering over, Ye Jingtang was afraid that she would accidentally fall into the water, so he raised his hand to help her. ¡°Be careful¡­¡± But what he didn¡¯t expect was that before he could touch her arm, Daoist Xuanji flipped her wrist and grabbed his hand as fast as lightning. She raised it in front of her and turned to look at him. Her eyes were drunk and blurry, but they revealed a hint of danger. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You want to take advantage of my drunkenness to plot something evil?¡± Ye Jingtang had nothing to say. He felt that Daoist Xuanji was really drunk, so he didn¡¯t argue with her. He held an umbrella and gestured. ¡°Alright, 1 won¡¯t hold your arm. Be careful not to fall into the water.¡± ¡°FImph!¡± Only then did Daoist Xuanji let go of Ye Jingtang¡¯s hand. She lightly jumped onto the small boat, sat on the mat in the cabin, and took off the wine gourd at her waist. ¡°This wine tastes really good. The key is that it¡¯s strong. Are you really not going to take a sip?¡± Ye Jingtang untied the anchor rope, used a bamboo pole to push the boat away from the shore, and then pulled up the sail. ¡°Forget it. This isn¡¯t a peaceful place. You¡¯re already drunk like this. If I¡¯m drunk too and our luck is bad, we might fall into the lake to feed the fish¡­¡± Daoist Xuanji lay on her side on the mat with her right hand supporting the side of his face. The wine gourd swayed slightly as she made a very seductive posture. Her watery eyes were incredibly charming. ¡°Life is short. You should learn to enjoy yourself while you¡¯re young. I¡¯m already drunk like this, but you still don¡¯t know how to be flirtatious at all. How did you woo Ning¡¯er?¡± Ye Jingtang originally wanted to enter the cabin, but when he heard this, he stopped in his tracks and shook his head. He sat under the boat canopy in front of the cabin door and sized up the five-foot-long saber. ¡°Ning¡¯er and I fell in love at first sight. Our feelings for each other formed naturally. She wouldn¡¯t deliberately flirt with me. If I really took the bait, she would beat me up¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t try, how do you know I¡¯ll beat you up?¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Ye Jingtang shook his head and didn¡¯t respond. He held the long saber in his hand and slashed out three inches. A cold light immediately appeared on the deck. Swish! Daoist Xuanji poured herself a cup and drank for a moment. Perhaps feeling a little bored, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re not interested in proactive girls and prefer more reserved ones?¡± Ye Jingtang ignored her. After weighing the long saber, he hung it at his waist, assumed the starting stance of the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade, and tried to unsheathe it. The 5-foot-long saber was really a little too long, and he couldn¡¯t draw the saber as smoothly as the Hornless Dragon Saber. But after he unsheathed it, there was no problem with using the moves of the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade. Although the speed couldn¡¯t reach the peak, the attack range had doubled. He could even use the moves of the Dragon Slaying Decree. He had abandoned a portion of his strength in exchange for infinite possibilities. Swish, swish! Ye Jingtang stood in the rain, holding the long saber in his hand and slowly swinging it while adjusting his posture of exerting strength. He was so focused that it was as if there were only one person and one boat in the world. He completely treated the peerless beauty behind him as air. Daoist Xuanji teased the bird rolling on the mat with her hands. Seeing that Ye Jingtang was ignoring her, she gradually lost the mood to play with it. She held the railing, stood up straight, and put on the posture of an expert. ¡°That¡¯s not how you use a saber.¡± Ye Jingtang stopped practicing his saber techniques and turned around. ¡°Fairy Lu, you know saber techniques too?¡± Daoist Xuanji walked over drunkenly into the drizzle and took the long saber from Ye Jingtang with a proud expression. ¡°The highest realm of martial arts is, ¡®There¡¯s no saber in the hand, but there¡¯s a saber in the heart¡¯. Only ordinary martial artists will pay attention to weapons, moves, internal techniques, and external techniques. I¡¯ve already passed this stage. Now, every move I make is a move, and I can pick flowers and leaves as sharp weapons. There¡¯s no difference to me whether I hold a saber or a sword, so I can be considered to know them.¡± Ye Jingtang knew that Daoist Xuanji was talking about the realm of Returning to Simplicity. When martial artists practiced martial arts, the process was nothing more than: A punch from an ordinary person was a punch. Experts would supplement it with moves and techniques. A punch was no longer as simple as a punch. Above this, it was to combine the strengths of various schools of thought and master them. When one trained their meridians, bones, and muscles to perfection, their every move would reach great heights. Naturally, they would no longer be restricted to moves, and a punch was a punch. If it were the three old monsters on the mountain who said this, he would definitely believe it. But hearing it from the beautiful alcoholic, he couldn¡¯t help doubting her. ¡°Fairy Lu, you¡¯re already so powerful. Why were you poisoned by that woman in black several times?¡± ¡°That woman is not ordinary. Moreover, 1 was the one who wanted to snatch something from her. I was in the wrong, so I held back.¡± Daoist Xuanji raised the saber and twirled it. Because the blade was too long, it looked a little scary. Afraid of being accidentally injured, Ye Jingtang retreated to the cabin and carried away the bird, who was watching curiously. ¡°Be careful not to cut yourself..¡± Chapter 358 - Chapter 358: Storm in Jianghu (2) Chapter 358: Storm in Jianghu (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Daoist Xuanji held the saber and spun it like the wind. First, she drunkenly performed a beautiful sword dance. Then she bowed slightly and held the saber vertically in front of her with both hands. ¡°Watch carefully!¡± As soon as she finished speaking, her swaying and unsteady figure instantly fell into stagnation. It gave people the feeling that she had suddenly disappeared from the deck, leaving only a stone statue without any aura. When Ye Jingtang saw this scene, the contempt in his eyes disappeared. He used the method of the Heaven Equaling Saber to predict Daoist Xuanji¡¯s movements, but unfortunately, he found nothing. Whoosh- Whoosh- The rainy night fell silent. Daoist Xuanji stood at the bow of the boat. Her black hair and white dress fluttered in the wind, maintaining the same rhythm as the rain and waves. Her body didn¡¯t move at all, but she slowly became the focus of the night. It was as if a storm were quietly building up in the night. After Daoist Xuanji brewed for a moment, her eyes narrowed slightly, and then she suddenly exerted strength at her feet. Boom! The bow of the 30-foot-long boat instantly sank a few feet. Water splashed more than ten feet high around the boat until the entire stern of the boat rose out of the water. Swoosh! Then a white figure soared into the sky from the bow of the boat. In the blink of an eye, she had already jumped 100 feet away with the saber. The saber spun with the person, and the five-foot-long saber containing terrifying qi slashed at the surging waves with the awe-inspiring momentum. Boom! Amidst the thunderous sound, the waves exploded in the night. From afar, it looked like a waterfall had appeared out of thin air on the lake. The waterfall crashed outward, shattering the endless waves that were surging over. In an instant, it turned into a giant wave that was dozens of feet tall and surged out for dozens of feet before breaking. The aftershock spread out, creating an endless fan-shaped ripple on the lake! ¡°Chirp?!¡± Such a terrifying commotion made the bird shrink its neck in shock. Ye Jingtang¡¯s pupils constricted slightly, and surprise appeared in his eyes. After all, if this earth-shattering saber strike slashed at the boat, it would probably not be a problem to shatter the entire boat. With Ye Jingtang¡¯s current foundation, he could also do this, and he would even be faster. But when he used a saber, he would supplement it with top-notch qi circulation methods. Experts would be able to recognize his moves at a glance, and there was a possibility that they could break his moves. As for Daoist Xuanji¡¯s saber strike, there was no technique. It was all strength. It was a simple horizontal slash that couldn¡¯t even be called a saber technique, but it produced effects beyond the reach of ordinary people. It was impossible without the foundation of ¡®all schools of thought are connected and flawless inside and outside¡¯. It was also at this moment that Ye Jingtang understood why Daoist Xuanji ranked third among the Eight Chiefs. In terms of saber attainments, Daoist Xuanji was definitely inferior to Xuanyuan Chao, and there was probably still a gap in strength. But Xuanyuan Chao was only a Martial Chief when he used a saber. As for Daoist Xuanji, even if she had a fox tail, she could probably use it as a meteor hammer to reach the summit of the mountain. Although their rankings were not far apart, they could no longer be classified as the same type of martial artist. When Ye Jingtang saw such extraordinary elegance and looked at Daoist Xuanji, it was as if he were looking at a thousand-foot-high snowy peak standing in front of him. He was about to say, ¡®Good martial arts!¡¯ But before he could say anything, his expression froze. (0-0)? After Daoist Xuanji made a move with the saber, she twirled it and placed the five-foot-long saber behind her back. She wanted to put away the saber, but because the saber was too long, it looked like she was carrying an antenna on his back. Originally, Daoist Xuanji¡¯s plan was to show off the elegance of an expert and land on the bow of the boat gracefully. But she was drunk, and the light was dim. Perhaps she was seeing three boats and couldn¡¯t tell which one was real. She stepped into the air a few feet away from the deck and immediately disappeared from sight. Plop! Water splashed. ?! Ye Jingtang was stunned for a moment before running to the edge of the deck to check. He saw Daoist Xuanji floating on the lake with a calm expression, pretending to be natural. She said casually, ¡°I drank too much, and it¡¯s a little hot. 1¡¯11 take a bath. You should rest first.¡± Although she was pretending very well, Ye Jingtang wasn¡¯t blind. He could still tell the difference if she had fallen or jumped down. He was speechless. After some thought, he said, ¡°I know you¡¯re an expert. You were just careless after drinking too much. I won¡¯t laugh at you. Come up quickly. Don¡¯t catch a cold.¡± Splash- Daoist Xuanji looked like she was drunk, but she refused to admit that she had made a mistake and lost her footing. She continued swimming in the water, her posture rather graceful. ¡°1 told you I¡¯m fine. Go rest. I¡¯ll come up later.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Huh? Where¡¯s the saber?¡± ¡°Saber? What saber?¡± The bird was speechless. It spread its wings and tilted its head, not knowing what to say. Ye Jingtang rubbed his forehead and dove into the water to search the lake. Fortunately, the lake wasn¡¯t very deep, and the boat didn¡¯t drift far. Soon, he picked up the saber stuck at the bottom of the lake. When he surfaced, Daoist Xuanji had already jumped onto the boat while he wasn¡¯t around. Ye Jingtang breathed a sigh of relief and flew onto the deck. He saw the drenched Daoist Xuanji lying on the mat in the cabin with her eyes closed, pretending to be asleep. The bird was standing at the door, afraid that Sister Demoness would turn over and flatten it. It didn¡¯t dare to go in and raised its wings slightly. ¡°Chirp chirp¡­¡± It probably wanted Ye Jingtang to help her take off her wet clothes and sleep in the middle so that it could sleep beside him. How could Ye Jingtang take off Daoist Xuanji¡¯s clothes? He ignored it. After looking at her a few times, he closed the door and continued to ponder over saber techniques. Recalling that Daoist Xuanji¡¯s saber move just now didn¡¯t have any technique but was comparable to a top move, Ye Jingtang pondered over the move and movements again. He kept feeling that there was a world of difference between them. Daoist Xuanji¡¯s saber move was a saber move, but he was clearly still studying how to make his saber move look fancy and unique. After practicing for a while, Ye Jingtang stopped. He put the five-foot-long saber aside and sat cross-legged in the rain with the Hornless Dragon Saber placed horizontally on his knees. He closed his eyes and pondered seriously. He was no longer obsessed with the appearance of exerting strength. Instead, he thought about how to make the same saber move undergo a qualitative change. Whoosh- The rainy night was silent, and the lamp in the center of the lake was like a bean. The bird was squatting at the door to avoid the rain. It didn¡¯t disturb Ye Jingtang, who was sitting cross-legged in the rain. But after some time, there was a hint of heat at the bow of the boat. ¡°Chirp?¡± The bird¡¯s eyes were full of confusion. It jumped forward to look, only to see Ye Jingtang¡¯s face turn red and a white mist appear on his head.. He looked like he was being cooked again¡­ Chapter 359 - Chapter 359: Storm in Jianghu (3) Chapter 359: Storm in Jianghu (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Early in the morning, clouds covered the 72 islands of Mount Jun. Hundreds of ships of all sizes had rushed over from various places and were floating on the lake. There were many people on the surrounding islands. In many empty areas, there were Jianghu¡¯s youths sparring on the spot with onlookers cheering at the side. Only the ten-thousand-square-foot Jun Mountain Terrace in the center was empty, and there was only a lonely stone stele erected. The islands were very far apart. Jun Mountain Terrace was an arena, and ordinary people didn¡¯t have the guts to go up. If they wanted to watch the battle, the best place was naturally on the ships. Although they didn¡¯t know when the battle for the title of Saber Chief would begin, they were afraid that they wouldn¡¯t be able to squeeze in front if they missed it. Many ships were waiting in the rain around Jun Mountain Terrace. The martial artists around the world on the ships were all looking forward to the duel. Between the large and small ships, a black boat was slowly floating through the gaps. Hearty laughter came from the boat. ¡°Come, let me toast you, Senior.¡± ¡°Good drinking capacity¡­¡± Under the narrow canopy of the boat, a person was sitting at the stern and rowing the boat while three people were drinking and chatting around a small table. There was only a plate of peanuts on the table, but there were five jars of wine. The two young saber users were already flushed and drunk. As for Qiu Tianhe, who had his back facing the bow of the ship, his expression was normal. He was holding a wine bowl and looking at the scenery outside the window. From Yellow Springs Town to Jun Mountain Terrace, it only took a night by boat. But without Qiu Tianhe, no matter how many people came, there would be no fight. His trip was naturally neither fast nor slow. He had gone sightseeing with the few kids he had just met. After Qiu Tianhe was locked in a dark dungeon for more than half a year and met an infuriating martial arts genius like Ye Jingtang, his mentality had actually changed a lot compared to the past. Although Qiu Tianhe didn¡¯t look too serious, he was essentially like all peak martial artists. He could be considered a martial arts fanatic, and his heart was full of the ¡®morality, chivalry, and friendship¡¯ of Jianghu. In the past, Qiu Tianhe had felt that the most enjoyable thing in the world should be to stand on Jun Mountain Terrace with a saber in hand and be admired by the heroes of Jianghu. But after he was a death row prisoner for more than half a year, the most enjoyable thing in the world was to hold a bowl of old wine in his hand and bask in the evening sun. He used to think that he was carefree, but after completely losing his freedom, he realized that in the past 50 years, he had only been led by fame and fortune. When had he truly been carefree for a day? Then, when he met Ye Jingtang, Qiu Tianhe knew that it was impossible to fulfill his dream of replacing Old Man Xuanyuan as the Saber Chief for decades. Since there was no hope of reaching and staying at the top, he naturally no longer regarded the two words ¡®Saber Chief¡¯ as important Now, Qiu Tianhe actually considered this upcoming battle his final battle. It would bring an end to the past. Afterward, he would leave Jianghu behind and live the life that ordinary people should live. Qiu Tianhe knew that he couldn¡¯t defeat Old Man Xuanyuan, but he had fought him twice in the past years and knew his details. It was impossible for Old Man Xuanyuan to kill him without at least three strikes. If he saw that the situation wasn¡¯t good, he would turn around and run to admit defeat. With more than ten thousand people watching, no matter how thick-skinned Old Man Xuanyuan was, it would be impossible for him to chase after him and chop him down. Originally, the risk of this battle was not high, so Qiu Tianhe felt quite relaxed, as if he were going to work for the last time before retirement. But he never expected Ye Jingtang to give him a huge surprise at this time! Qiu Tianhe was leaning against the canopy and drinking wine when his ears suddenly twitched. He heard two voices coming from the deck of the large ferry beside him. ¡°Why isn¡¯t there any movement from Jun Mountain Terrace? It¡¯s fine if the Divine Marquis doesn¡¯t show up, but Yao Wenzhong and Xuanyuan Hongzhi haven¡¯t appeared either. There are just a few disciples to receive guests¡­¡± ¡°I heard that something happened. One of my brothers is in Wu Province. Last night, he sent news that there was a mess at the mouth of the Wuxi River. It seems that people joined forces to kill an official of the Black Office¡­ Old Eighth Fan and Han Shaoping are both dead. There are also two people from Jun Mountain Terrace. One is dead, and the other is seriously injured. It¡¯s said that they¡¯re Xuanyuan Hongzhi and Yao Wenzhong¡­¡± Qiu Tianhe stopped drinking and looked outside in surprise. His meaning was probably: Xuanyuan Hongzhi is dead? The heavens really opened its eyes. Which just and incorruptible official helped the people get rid of evil¡­ But before Qiu Tianhe could finish thinking, what they said next entered his ears. ¡°Aren¡¯t you spouting nonsense? If those four people join forces, they can kill anyone below the Martial Chief level. For them to be wiped out, who were they dealing with? Daoist Xuanji?¡± ¡°It¡¯s absolutely true. It¡¯s said that he¡¯s a young saberman. His saber is very fast, and he killed four people in the blink of an eye¡­¡± ?? A Black Office official, young saberman, very fast saber¡­ Qiu Tianhe felt that this description sounded like Ye Jingtang. However, although the description matched and there was a motive, Ye Jingtang shouldn¡¯t be able to defeat Yao Wenzhong, let alone fight four people alone¡­ Could Ye Jingtang have brought experts of the Black Office to surround Xuanyuan Hongzhi¡­ Qiu Tianhe knew that Wu Province was in chaos recently, and he also knew about the enmity between Xuanyuan Hongzhi and Ye Jingtang. He felt that this was very likely. He was Ye Jingtang¡¯s uncle and half-master. After Ye Jingtang killed Xuanyuan Hongzhi, he went to Jun Mountain Terrace the next day to pick a fight with Xuanyuan Hongzhi¡¯s biological father¡­ Isn¡¯t this sending myself to his door to vent his anger?! Qiu Tianhe sat up straight. He knew that things were bad, as if he had fallen into a fire pit. He immediately put down the wine bowl. According to Ye Jingtang¡¯s estimation, Qiu Tianhe was a top saberman in Jianghu, and the atmosphere had been enlivened. There were so many people looking forward to the battle. Even if he knew that he would die when he stepped into the arena, he couldn¡¯t lose his face and retreat tactically to avoid attracting criticism from Jianghu. But in fact, Ye Jingtang was thinking too much. If Qiu Tianhe couldn¡¯t even lose this bit of face, how could he have lived to this age? Seeing that the situation wasn¡¯t right and that he might be beaten to death by Old Man Xuanyuan, who had lost his son, Qiu Tianhe didn¡¯t even frown. He prepared to get up and row away to return to the capital to accompany Sister Meng. Unfortunately, the boat was already too close! Before the black boat could turn around in the narrow space between the ships, the noisy ships suddenly became quiet. Then silence spread out until the lake for several kilometers around fell deathly silent, leaving only the sounds of the rain and waves. Boom-! Boom-! A series of heavy footsteps sounded from the ten-thousand-square-foot stone platform. The person wasn¡¯t visible, but the heavy footsteps seemed to knock on the bottom of people¡¯s hearts. They were so heavy that even the sound of the rain became quieter. The three young men on the black boat were originally chatting and laughing, and they kept saying the words ¡®Old Man Xuanyuan¡¯. But when the footsteps sounded, everyone turned pale in unison and gulped. ¡°The Divine Marquis of Jun Mountain is here. This aura¡­¡± ¡°As expected of the current Saber Chief¡­¡± ¡°That arrogant junior Qiu Tianhe is really rude. He actually let Senior Xuanyuan appear first¡­¡± Bang! ¡°Hiss! Senior, why did you slap me?!¡± Qiu Tianhe smacked the back of the young man¡¯s head and let go of the oar he had just held. He sighed softly and muttered, ¡°This damn Jianghu¡­¡± After saying this, Qiu Tianhe walked out of the canopy with his hand on his saber and stood on the bow of the boat, his back as straight as a steep mountain. Thousands of feet of blue waves were silent.. At this moment, in the vast world under the rain, only the two sabermen standing opposite each other were left¡­ Chapter 360 - Chapter 360: The Divine Marquis of Jun Mountain (1) Chapter 360: The Divine Marquis of Jun Mountain (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The pitter-pattering autumn rain turned the world into a misty blackish-blue color. Waves hit the edge of the io,ooo-square-foot stone platform again and again. Hundreds of ships rose and fell with the waves, and the entire lake fell into a deathly silence. Under the gaze of ten thousand people, a white-haired old man wearing an armored skirt with a naked and muscular upper body walked to the towering wordless stele step by step like a mountain. His expression was neither happy nor angry, but the ferocious qilin at his waist looked like a giant beast that had devoured his stomach as it stared at the thousands of ants below the stage. The people who came to Jun Mountain Terrace to watch the excitement were not only the Jianghu people at the bottom. Due to Qiu Tianhe¡¯s reputation, almost all the Jianghu heroes in Ze Province and the surrounding areas had come. On the nearest large ferries were Tu Province¡¯s Thousand Crane Villa, Jiang Province¡¯s Xiao Mountain Fortress, and even the heroes of the Heavenly South¡¯s Jianghu. If not for the fact that Wu Province had just encountered chaos and couldn¡¯t even protect itself, half of the twelve sect masters of Wu Province would have come. When Xuanyuan Chao, who had been sitting in the position of Saber Chief for nearly 50 years, appeared, everyone walked out of the deckhouses and greeted him. ¡°Hero Xuanyuan¡­¡± ¡°Divine Marquis, we haven¡¯t seen each other for a few years, but you¡¯re still as elegant as ever¡­¡± Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s long hair fluttered in the wind. He didn¡¯t respond to the Jianghu juniors he knew or didn¡¯t know. He just stared at the small black boat between the gaps with his hawk-like eyes. On the black boat, Qiu Tianhe ignored the shocked gazes of the brats and stood calmly at the bow. ¡°Xuanyuan Chao, last year, your son bribed disciples of the Pacifying Heaven Cult to inform the Imperial Court and got me sent to the Black Office¡¯s dungeon. Have you ever thought that I would benefit from the disaster, regain my freedom, and stand here openly?¡± Clang! Xuanyuan Chao stabbed his Jun Mountain Saber into the stone brick beside him and raised his head slightly in the rain. ¡°Sabermen speak with their sabers. If you want to reason with my unfilial son, you can go down and talk to him in person later.¡± Buzz! The hundreds of famous figures in Jianghu not far away were in an uproar when they heard this. They understood the news that just spread from Wu Province¡¯s Jianghu was true. Xuanyuan Hongzhi should really be dead. When Xuanyuan Chao said this, he no longer planned to spar. He had made it clear in advance that he wanted to kill. If Qiu Tianhe went on stage, he couldn¡¯t blame Xuanyuan Chao, who had just lost his son, for being too heavy-handed. Qiu Tianhe knew himself. He looked down on Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s character, but he had never underestimated Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s saber skills. He knew better than everyone present whether he could defeat him or not. But he was already being targeted. Xuanyuan Chao obviously wouldn¡¯t agree to let him leave. What lay in front of him was nothing more than a spectacular death befitting a saberman or fleeing in embarrassment before dying. A fierce battle was inevitable. Qiu Tianhe didn¡¯t say anything else. With a tap of his foot, he flew up from the blue waves and landed on the edge of the io,ooo-square-foot stone platform. Both sides had new and old grudges. They stood on the arena that determined life and death and didn¡¯t say anything. Rustle, rustle, rustle! Under the drizzle, the originally noisy lake became completely quiet. Qiu Tianhe stood quietly in the rain and stared at the burly figure who was a head taller than him. Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s long hair fluttered in the wind. After glancing at Qiu Tianhe with his sharp eyes, he seemed to have lost interest. He turned to look at the ships on the lake, as if he were looking for someone. This casual attitude in the life-and-death arena was undoubtedly a form of contempt. Qiu Tianhe gripped the saber in his hand and stepped forward. ¡°Why don¡¯t you put your saber on your back first?¡± The essence of the Dragon Slaying Decree was the ¡®One-Step Retreat, Bowing Saber Spring¡¯. Just like the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade, the position where the saber rested was fixed. Otherwise, it would be very difficult to start the attack at the fastest speed. The surrounding martial artists were a little puzzled when they saw this scene. Xuanyuan Chao didn¡¯t look at Qiu Tianhe and replied calmly, ¡°In the past, fighting in the arena was a spar. It was a competition to see whose moves were better. Today, I¡¯m going to kill, so 1 won¡¯t follow your routine.¡± Qiu Tianhe frowned and slowed down. After all, Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s words were not arrogant, but he was prepared to take action seriously. The Jun Mountain Saber was too heavy. Only by bending over and springing the saber with the back could people start the attack quickly. For this reason, all the saber users were studying how to break this starting stance so that they could press the Dragon Slaying Decree to death in one move. In the past, when Xuanyuan Chao accepted challenges on Jun Mountain Terrace, he had never made other moves. He would just use the ¡®Bowing Saber Spring¡¯ and let others try to break it. Xuanyuan Chao fought using the moves of the Dragon Slaying Decree. As long as a saber user had some foundation, they could withstand one or two moves without dying. After all, the moves were clear. If they couldn¡¯t fight, they could dodge. If Xuanyuan Chao didn¡¯t use this approach, people wouldn¡¯t be able to guess how he would attack. They could only rely on their explosive power, eyesight, reaction speed, saber attainments, and other comprehensive strengths. If they were slightly weaker, Xuanyuan Chao would be able to determine their life and death with a single strike. Qiu Tianhe¡¯s gaze focused slightly, and he ignored all the sounds outside the arena. He focused all his attention on observing Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s stance, aura, and even gaze, wanting to figure out his opponent¡¯s tactics first. Unfortunately, Xuanyuan Chao was as stable as a boulder. Everyone knew that they would die if he hit them, but they just couldn¡¯t figure out how this boulder would hit them. The two of them were hundreds of feet apart, but Qiu Tianhe walked for a long time. His speed became slower and slower, and he didn¡¯t make a move even when the rain became heavier. The surrounding Jianghu people held their breaths. Many of their faces turned red, but no one urged the two people on the arena. When the distance between them was 100 feet, Qiu Tianhe had already finished thinking of all the possible moves of Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s saber. He didn¡¯t hesitate any more and held his saber hilt with his right hand. Clang! A white light suddenly appeared on the stone platform! Qiu Tianhe¡¯s figure exploded. In the blink of an eye, he had already disappeared from everyone¡¯s sight. When they saw him clearly again, the snow-white saber was stabbing toward Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s spine from the left side.. Chapter 361 - Chapter 361: The Divine Marquis of Jun Mountain (2) Chapter 361: The Divine Marquis of Jun Mountain (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Boom! At the same time, gravel flew in the arena, and an explosion sounded. Xuanyuan Chao, who was looking elsewhere, didn¡¯t even turn around. His right foot suddenly kicked the back of the saber beside him, and his left hand grabbed the hilt at the same time. Then he exerted strength in his waist and abdomen, and all the muscles of his body bulged as he slashed down to the left. Swoosh! On the arena, the violent air waves that suddenly rose sent gravel flying in all directions and stirred up the rain around the two of them. From afar, it looked like Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s terrifying counterattack had turned the wind and rain into a gigantic wave. Qiu Tianhe, who was in front of the blade, was like a lonely boat in front of the violent wind and gigantic wave. Even ordinary people with no strength could tell that as long as the wave hit him, he would be torn into pieces. Qiu Tianhe had been practicing the saber all his life. He had calculated that Xuanyuan Chao might start like this, so he wasn¡¯t caught off guard. But calculating a move and blocking it were two completely different things. Seeing the heaven-destroying saber coming at him, Qiu Tianhe immediately retracted his saber, dodged to the side, and held the back of his saber with his left hand. In the next moment, a terrifying qi erupted from the arena. Clang! Boom! Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s counterattack didn¡¯t give the opponent any chance to strike back. The force was so great that it directly knocked Qiu Tianhe to the side. Before his sliding figure could completely stop, Xuanyuan Chao, whose body was like a mountain, had already followed the inertia of his saber and spun around. He held his saber with both hands, jumped up, and slashed down again with the force of splitting a mountain. ¡°Haa!¡± His roar was like thunder. There was no gap between the two saber moves. The terrifying force that erupted instantly forced back the surrounding rain and made a long groove in the ground. Although Qiu Tianhe wouldn¡¯t panic, Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s saber momentum was too fierce. It was almost impossible to dodge without being injured. He could only block with his saber and borrow the force to move. Clang! The heavy saber landed again, and the stone bricks under Qiu Tianhe¡¯s feet instantly shattered as he slid backward. Xuanyuan Chao brandished his Jun Mountain Saber like the wind, leaving no gaps between his attacks. He followed Qiu Tianhe almost immediately and slashed down again, leaving a huge crater in the ground. Boom! The top experts who could see clearly on the lake knew that the outcome of the battle had been decided when they saw this scene. Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s saber technique was so simple that there was nothing to say about it. It was purely a suppression of strength. It was a fighting style where one¡¯s strength defeated ten. Qiu Tianhe used the Heaven Equaling Saber, which excelled in predicting attacks and countering. But at this moment, he didn¡¯t even have the chance to counterattack, so it was naturally impossible for him to win. Qiu Tianhe received three consecutive strikes. The webbing between the thumb and index finger of his hand holding his saber had already been split. He knew that he had no chance of winning and that he might die suddenly if he continued fighting. He immediately flew back and jumped toward the shore of the lake. Although Jun Mountain Terrace was ten thousand feet long and wide, the place where the two of them were fighting was in front of the wordless stele by the lake. As long as he got out of the arena, no matter how thick-skinned Xuanyuan Chao was, it wouldn¡¯t be good for him to chase after an opponent who had already admitted defeat in front of tens of thousands of people. Unfortunately, since Xuanyuan Chao said life and death, he meant life and death. When he saw that Qiu Tianhe wanted to escape, his figure flashed, and he arrived at the lake to block his retreat. The surrounding Jianghu heroes naturally frowned when they saw that Xuanyuan Chao really wanted to kill Qiu Tianhe. At this moment, a roar suddenly came from the group of ships, accompanied by the explosion of a deck shattering. Boom! The people nearby looked over from the corner of their eyes and saw the stern of a small boat suddenly rise on the lake where thousands of sails gathered. Then a black figure flew across the calm lake at an astonishing and terrifying speed, bringing with it a strong wind that directly pulled the white waves more than ten feet high on the water. From afar, it looked as if the figure had instantly split the lake into two. Clatter! Between the waves, it looked as if a sharp arrow left the bowstring. In the blink of an eye, it streaked across hundreds of feet, aiming directly at the burly old man who had just landed on the shore. Qiu Tianhe was about to charge forward. But when he saw this scene, a trace of shock flashed across his eyes, and he hurriedly stopped in his tracks. As for Xuanyuan Chao, who was blocking the way, he sensed a strong wind approaching from behind and stopped. He pointed his saber at the ground with one hand and turned around unhurriedly. Whoosh! Water splashed into the sky and quickly fell back to the lake. The black figure in front of the waves noticed that Xuanyuan Chao had stopped, so it turned around on the lake and flew up to land in front of the wordless stele not far away. It was only at this moment that the countless Jianghu people watching could see the appearance of the person clearly. The person who came was a man. He was wearing a black robe made of water cloud brocade and had a bamboo hat on his head. He was tall and handsome, and his eyes were as sharp as swords. There was a saber in a black scabbard hanging at his waist. The man was dressed like an ordinary saberman in Jianghu, but the saber at his waist was very special to countless saber users present. The saber was 3.3 feet long and two and a half fingers wide. The handle was wrapped in a black rope, and the guard and tail ring were made of brass, both of which were carved with dragons. This was the saber of the previous Saber Chief! This saber was one known to everyone. Although it had disappeared from Jianghu for nearly 30 years, it was still the fastest saber in the world! The lake under the rain fell silent the moment the man appeared. Xuanyuan Chao placed his left hand behind his back. The 54-kilogram Jun Mountain Saber seemed weightless as he casually pointed it at the ground. Coupled with his exaggerated figure of more than two meters, he was like an ordinary saberman holding an ordinary light saber that matched his body size. Xuanyuan Chao knew that this young saberman in his twenties was the culprit who had killed his son, but his gaze didn¡¯t land on the man¡¯s face. He only looked at the Hornless Dragon Saber at his waist with a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. Of course, this wasn¡¯t because he missed Zheng Feng but because he missed Kuang Yazi. There were many peak martial artists in the world, and there were many stronger than Xuanyuan Chao. But the only ¡®saberman¡¯ he had been able to make his opponent, target, and chase after with all his might was Kuang Yazi.. Chapter 362 - Chapter 362: The Divine Marquis of Jun Mountain (3) Chapter 362: The Divine Marquis of Jun Mountain (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After defeating Kuang Yazi, Xuanyuan Chao had been sitting in the position of Saber Chief for more than 40 years. He seemed to have unlimited glory, but in fact, his life was far less fulfilling than it was before he was 30 years old. Because without an opponent like Kuang Yazi, he didn¡¯t know for whom he should practice the saber in his hand from then on. Back then, Xuanyuan Chao had been very disgusted with Zheng Feng and didn¡¯t show him much mercy. One of the reasons was that he wanted his daughter to enter the palace. Another reason was that Zheng Feng was too mediocre. He had even practiced the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade crookedly. He was unworthy of this saber that he had worked so hard to catch up to for thirty years! And this young saberman in front of him looked a little stronger than Zheng Feng. After Xuanyuan Chao glanced at the Hornless Dragon Saber, he looked up at the young saberman in front of the wordless stele. ¡°Are you Ye Jingtang?¡± Ye Jingtang had arrived at Jun Mountain Terrace in the wee hours of the morning. He had been secretly watching the battle just now. When he saw that Qiu Tianhe was at a disadvantage and might be hacked to death, he came out to disrupt the situation. Ye Jingtang had grown up hearing the name ¡®Xuanyuan Chao¡¯. Now that he saw the current Saber Chief, who was more than two meters tall, up close, he indeed felt pressured. But his expression was very natural as he replied calmly, ¡°Ye Jingtang from Liang Province. My father is Zheng Feng.¡± Buzz! As soon as these words were spoken, the Jianghu people on the lake who heard it were in an uproar. Zheng Feng was not very famous. But with the title of the Three Heroes of Cloud Lake and the matter of Qiu Tianhe attacking the marriage envoy team and kidnapping the bride, the saber users of Jianghu basically knew a thing or two about the whole story of the storm back then. Back then, Xuanyuan Hongzhi had secretly provoked and instigated various people. Xuanyuan Chao had killed a junior who was clearly far weaker than him and came to propose marriage. He was still disgraced to this day. Now that Zheng Feng¡¯s descendant was here, it went without saying what he wanted to do. All the people present focused their gazes, sized up Ye Jingtang, and quietly asked about this child¡¯s background. Although Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s son had died, there was no anger on his face. He only said calmly, ¡°I crippled your father, and you killed my son. Do you want us to take revenge on each other, or do you want the Imperial Court to be the peacemaker and write off the past between us?¡± Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s words seemed to mean that he wouldn¡¯t pursue his son¡¯s death and wanted to end their grudges, but this was actually not the case. This was because Xuanyuan Chao knew how his son had died. His son had hired people to kill Ye Jingtang, but they had failed and died because he had been blind and took the initiative to find trouble instead of it being Ye Jingtang¡¯s revenge. It had nothing to do with the enmity of the past. Ye Jingtang¡¯s foster father had been crippled, and he had been assassinated by the people of Jun Mountain Terrace. Not only had he not taken revenge, but his hatred had even intensified. How could he agree to write it off? Xuanyuan Chao had spoken so generously that he wouldn¡¯t pursue his son¡¯s death and only said it in front of tens of thousands of people for the Imperial Court to hear. Ye Jingtang had the Prince of Jing backing him, and Xuanyuan Chao was a founding marquis. Whoever killed the other would arouse the dissatisfaction of the Imperial Court. Xuanyuan Chao first proposed to shake hands and make peace, but Ye Jingtang refused and insisted on taking revenge. It wouldn¡¯t be reasonable for the Prince of Jing to pursue Jun Mountain Terrace¡¯s responsibility afterward. Ye Jingtang had always known that it would be difficult for the Imperial Court to handle this matter. He also understood Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s plan and directly said, ¡°You crippled my father and made him die young. Your son came to kill me and almost buried me in Baywater Town. How can 1 write off such great hatred?¡± ¡°In that case, there can only be revenge.¡± Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s long hair fluttered in the wind as he examined Ye Jingtang with a condescending gaze. ¡°You¡¯re just like your father. You¡¯re too rash and straightforward. If you want revenge, you should have the strength before you come. Coming here now, you¡¯re just paying with your life for my son¡¯s.¡± Since Ye Jingtang was already here, regardless of whether he could win or not, he had to be firm in his words. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that in two years, you won¡¯t be able to carry your saber, and my revenge won¡¯t be satisfying.¡± At this point, there was no need to say anything else. All around Jun Mountain Terrace fell silent again. Qiu Tianhe had already sheathed his saber. Perhaps he was afraid that Ye Jingtang would be careless and end up like Zheng Feng, so he went over to Ye Jingtang and prepared to fight two against one if the situation turned bad. Xuanyuan Chao didn¡¯t care about this and turned to look at the lake. On the lake, the boat that had almost been overturned was lying on the shore. An ¡®accompanying concubine¡¯ dressed in white with a veiled hat on her head carried a few weapons and jumped onto Jun Mountain Terrace. Xuanyuan Chao glanced at the weapons a few times. His gaze first landed on the five-foot-long saber, and surprise appeared in his eyes. ¡°This Muqing Saber is a weapon researched by the Heavenly South¡¯s ¡®Saber Freak¡¯ Sun Muqing. Sun Muqing first used a light saber but lost to Kuang Yazi. Later, he changed to a heavy saber but lost to me. He knew that he had no hope of becoming the Saber Chief and lived in seclusion in Yellow Springs Town. He spent his life researching how to break these two saber techniques and forged this saber. Are you going to use this saber against me?¡± When Ye Jingtang heard this, he understood why the lady boss had been very unhappy when the shopkeeper said that he would give him the saber. If he guessed correctly, this saber should be a relic of the late shopkeeper. He had indeed borrowed the saber to see if he could study the method to break the Dragon Slaying Decree. But even so, it was impossible for him to use it to deal with Xuanyuan Chao with the proficiency he had gained in one night. When he practiced his saber skills last night, he realized that this saber was too long. Drawing the saber with his left hand wasn¡¯t smooth enough, and the move used to receive the Dragon Slaying Decree was too light. Although the attack range had doubled, and he could even use moves such as Yellow Dragon Crouching and Azure Dragon Claw, there was not much point in using them like this. Using them with a spear would be even more powerful. After seeing Daoist Xuanji¡¯s martial arts attainments of ¡®a basic attack is a big move, and people can even form their own style with a foxtail¡¯, he thought for half the night and felt that his train of thought regarding the saber should be wrong. For a saber technique to reach the next level, the focus was on the ¡®technique¡¯ rather than the ¡®saber¡¯. A truly good saber technique should indeed walk the path of the doctrine of the mean, but it should be ¡®it can be long or short, fast or slow, heavy or light¡¯. With a wooden stick in hand, one could also have the power to split mountains, and with a heavy saber in hand, one could also be as agile as the wind. To achieve this effect, it depended on the person using the saber, not the style of the saber. Hearing Xuanyuan Chao ask, Ye Jingtang shook his head. ¡°My previous thoughts were the same as the senior who forged this saber. 1 thought that if I wanted to break all the saber techniques in the world, my saber had to be neither heavy nor light, long nor short, fast nor slow. ¡°In the end, 1 realized that everything was possible, but nothing was perfect. ¡°I can use this saber to break your Dragon Slaying Decree, and I can use the Jun Mountain Saber to break Monk Shenchen¡¯s golden body. 1 can use this saber to break Kuang Yazi¡¯s Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade, and the Hornless Dragon Saber is probably faster than Lu Taiqing. ¡°This saber is a good saber, but those who are not capable can¡¯t use it well, while those who can use it well don¡¯t need it anymore.¡± Daoist Xuanji, who had been quietly acting as a pretty face, tilted her head slightly when she heard this, her eyes revealing some surprise. After all, she had only casually said, ¡®That¡¯s not how you use a saber¡¯ last night when she was drunk. Unexpectedly, after she woke up, Ye Jingtang really had some new insights. Xuanyuan Chao commented, ¡°Good comprehension. However, you haven¡¯t practiced to the level of ¡®no saber is better than having a saber¡¯. Without this saber, what can you use to break the Dragon Slaying Decree?¡± Ye Jingtang held the hilt of his saber with his left hand and raised his bamboo hat slightly. ¡°Among all the martial arts in the world, only speed can¡¯t be broken. The Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade is the fastest saber technique in the world, so it¡¯s naturally the strongest saber technique. There shouldn¡¯t be any opponents. To be targeted and interrupted, it can only be said that the user isn¡¯t fast enough, not that the saber technique isn¡¯t good enough. ¡°The fact that you could break Kuang Yazi¡¯s saber meant that Kuang Yazi¡¯s saber hadn¡¯t reached the pinnacle of speed. It¡¯s not that your saber technique is better. ¡°I¡¯m different. My saber is faster than Kuang Yazi¡¯s..¡± Chapter 363 - Chapter 363: Eight-Steps Dragon Slaying (1) Chapter 363: Eight-Steps Dragon Slaying (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Boom! Lightning streaked across the sea of clouds, and countless twisted lightning snakes spread in the sky. The soybean-sized raindrops hit the huge black stele. The two figures standing on the left and right were as small as rice grains compared to the io,ooo-square-foot platform. At this moment, they became the focus of the entire world. Tens of thousands of Jianghu martial artists focused on the two peak sabermen in front of the stone stele. When they heard the words ¡®my saber is faster than Kuang Yazi¡¯s¡¯, no one laughed. After all, martial arts was like this. People stepped on the shoulders of predecessors, using generation after generation of ¡®disciples surpassing their masters¡¯ to elevate the concept of martial arts to the extreme. There was no fastest, only faster, no highest, only higher. There had never been any strongest move that would never change since ancient times. Everyone in Jianghu knew this logic, but it wasn¡¯t so easy to do it. Martial arts moves were like Go game records. Although it was said that there was no such thing as the same game in history, after thousands of years of inheritance, the past prodigies of Jianghu had already figured out the strongest path to the point where ¡®one more Go piece is a burden, and one less Go piece is lacking firepower¡¯. Not to mention creating a peerless martial arts technique out of thin air, even if it were just innovating and slightly optimizing the methods of the predecessors to improve them a tiny bit, it was harder than ascending to the heavens. Everyone¡¯s gazes focused on Ye Jingtang, who had appeared in Jianghu for the first time. They felt that if he hadn¡¯t innovated anything and surpassed Kuang Yazi, he probably wouldn¡¯t have dared to say such arrogant words on such an occasion. But Ye Jingtang looked a little too young. Although 90% of the current generation¡¯s One Immortal, Two Sages, and Eight Chiefs had reached the top before the age of 30, and being young wasn¡¯t unusual, Ye Jingtang looked around 20 years old at most. A man¡¯s physique wasn¡¯t fully formed until he was 24 or 25 years old. He had yet to reach his peak at this age. If he could surpass Kuang Yazi now, then his talent was already at the level of an immortal, and he might be able to shake Feng Guancheng in the future. Xuanyuan Chao stood quietly in the rain. Facing Ye Jingtang¡¯s arrogant words, he just replied calmly, ¡°Talk with your saber.¡± Splash! The heavy rain fell, and the lake immediately fell silent. After Ye Jingtang glanced at Xuanyuan Chao, he turned around and walked past the stone stele to the middle of Jun Mountain Terrace. Seeing this, Xuanyuan Chao pulled out the Jun Mountain Saber, took off the leather shoulder strap from behind his waist, hung it on his back, and walked to the middle from the other side. Tread, tread, tread¡­ Steady footsteps became the only sound in the world. Qiu Tianhe was a little hesitant when he saw this. After all, if they fought in front of the stone stele, they would have a chance to jump out of the arena. According to the established rules of Jianghu, if someone fell off the arena, they would lose. If the winner jumped off the arena to chase after and kill the loser, it would be unacceptable behavior. Generally speaking, no one would do this. Fighting in the middle of a io,ooo-square-foot platform was equivalent to a deathmatch in a cage. The weaker party had no chance of escaping from the arena. Whether they could survive depended on whether the winner would leave them alive. Qiu Tianhe walked behind, hesitating to speak. He wanted to advise Ye Jingtang not to be so arrogant, but with tens of thousands of people watching, it was clearly not advisable to increase the opponent¡¯s momentum and destroy his side¡¯s prestige. Daoist Xuanji, carrying a pile of weapons, looked much calmer. Her gaze was on Ye Jingtang¡¯s back as she wondered how he could use his saber faster than Kuang Yazi. Jun Mountain Terrace was too big. Countless Jianghu people were floating on the lake and were too far away to see clearly. Seeing outsiders walking onto the stage, some bold saber users jumped onto the edge of the platform. Although standing on the stage carried the risk of being chopped casually and dying in vain and even being scolded, compared to watching a battle of this level up close, this risk was really nothing. Tread, tread, tread¡­ Soon, the two of them arrived at the center of Jun Mountain Terrace, far away from the surrounding waves and boats, leaving only the sounds of the wind and rain between heaven and earth. Ye Jingtang took off his bamboo hat, revealing his long hair tied up with a black ribbon. He stood in the rain with his hands hanging down naturally, and his gaze turned from sharp to calm. There was no longer any aura fluctuation, and he became a stone that had fused with the environment. Qiu Tianhe was stunned when he saw this scene. After all, in the capital a few days ago, Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t have this kind of Unity of Heaven and Man. At this realm, Ye Jingtang couldn¡¯t see through Xuanyuan Chao, and Xuanyuan Chao couldn¡¯t see through him either. For this reason, Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s eyes became more serious. He threw the old and new enmities to the back of his mind, and his hands also hung down naturally. His mind was only on the saber as he stared at Ye Jingtang¡¯s eyes. The two sides were standing 100 feet apart. The dense crowd around Jun Mountain Terrace had their hearts in their throats. A battle that would definitely spread throughout the world and affect the structure of Jianghu for decades to come officially began at this moment! Boom! Blue lightning streaked through the clouds, and thunder rumbled in the sky. A shrill saber cry sounded in the center of Jun Mountain Terrace. Clang! Ye Jingtang¡¯s figure changed from stillness to movement without any warning. The moment the thunder sounded, his entire body had already shot through the air, and the stone bricks under his feet all shattered. The dense raindrops were smashed into mist by his body and wrapped in the strong wind, turning into a long dragon-like white mist. Boom! Ye Jingtang erupted and unsheathed his saber at the same time. The moment the tip of the saber left the scabbard, the figure had already arrived in front of Xuanyuan Chao! Not to mention the nearly 10,000 martial artists watching, even Qiu Tianhe was shocked by this astonishing speed. After all, he was 100% sure that even if he could see this saber clearly, he would definitely not be able to react in time. By the time the saber came out of its scabbard, his head would already be gone. But Xuanyuan Chao was the Saber Chief who had dominated Jianghu for decades after all. Although he had reached the end of his peak, he was still at his peak. This shocking saber move didn¡¯t cause his aura to fluctuate at all. When Xuanyuan Chao saw the saber attack that was as fast as lightning, there was even a flash in his eyes, as if he were a lifetime ago.. Chapter 364 - Chapter 364: Eight-Steps Dragon Slaying (2) Chapter 364: Eight-Steps Dragon Slaying (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After all, when Xuanyuan Chao first met Kuang Yazi when he was young, he saw this saber move. It was flawless, stunning, and unavoidable. Although it was just an opening move, it left him with an unforgettable memory that he would never forget for the rest of his life. For this reason, he had chased after it at all costs for decades. Seeing this saber move again made Xuanyuan Chao feel as if he had returned to the day he had fought Kuang Yazi to determine the Saber Chief. Unfortunately, the saber move was still the same as before without any changes, but he was no longer the same person who had just entered Jianghu! Boom! At the same time that Ye Jingtang¡¯s figure attacked, Xuanyuan Chao had already taken action. His burly figure, which was nearly two meters tall, instantly erupted. His muscles were bulging so much that even his hair exploded and straightened in the air. He raised his python-like arms, stepped back with his left foot, and bent his back. The Jun Mountain Saber, which weighed 54 kilograms, broke through the rain from behind him. ¡°Haa!¡± Ye Jingtang unleashed his full strength and slashed horizontally. He had raised his speed to the limit, but the Jun Mountain Saber was still in front of him and slashing down. Neither side used any feints. They only used their peak moves to the extreme, using the fastest to fight the fastest. The experts present who could see them clearly already understood the result. Ye Jingtang had enough explosive power, but the Dragon Slaying Decree would definitely block his saber. As long as the two blades met, it would be impossible for Ye Jingtang to receive the heavy saber head-on. Not to mention that after the Jun Mountain Saber sent him flying, it would follow up with another blow. The only outcome would be that he would lose his balance and be killed by the Dragon Slaying Decree. Not only were the martial artists watching this scene, but even Daoist Xuanji could tell that something was wrong. She had already quietly moved forward, preparing to help Ye Jingtang when he was sent flying to prevent Xuanyuan Chao from directly hacking him to death with two or three slashes. But to everyone¡¯s disbelief, the scene of the two blades colliding didn¡¯t appear! Xuanyuan Chao sprung his saber from his back violently. With the half-step distance he had created by taking a step back, the heavy saber was already above his head. But the next moment, Xuanyuan Chao suddenly discovered that the last step taken by the black-clothed saberman in front of him was like a heaven-spanning stupa¡¯s base shaking the mountains and rivers, instantly shattering the stone bricks in a radius of dozens of feet. Boom! As for Ye Jingtang, who was holding his saber in his left hand and slashing horizontally, his handsome face instantly turned red, and his eyes were bloodshot. The robe on his body was torn into pieces, and even his hair tie exploded. His explosive speed, which had already reached the peak, forcefully doubled in this half step! ?! Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s eyes were stunned. The moment he saw this saber move, he understood that it had been fused with the Wind Pool Reverse Blood of the Red Flower Pavilion. The Wind Pool Reverse Blood could indeed double the user¡¯s explosive power in an instant by injuring the user before injuring the enemy. But the meridians for using the Wind Pool Reverse Blood were at the spine, and this spear move integrated with the Overlord Spear¡¯s qi circulation method. It had nothing to do with the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade¡¯s starting stance. The outcome of forcefully using it would only be that the qi would split and damage the meridians. For Ye Jingtang to be able to use this saber, it could only be that he had completely disassembled the moves of the Wind Pool Reverse Blood and the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade. Then he reconstructed the qi circulation method and combined the essence of the two peak martial arts into one. Although it looked no different from the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade on the surface, there were already two completely different saber techniques inside. Kuang Yazi began to injure himself after three strikes. He inflicted damage on the enemy, but he suffered comparable damage, albeit slightly less. He was crazy enough to risk his life for the sake of killing power, so his saber technique was called ¡®Frenzied Blade¡¯. But Ye Jingtang¡¯s saber had clearly surpassed the creator¡¯s. When he drew his saber, he didn¡¯t hesitate to injure himself heavily to increase his explosive power. Life and death were only in this saber move. There was no way out at all. It could be said that he had implemented Kuang Yazi¡¯s philosophy to the extreme. It could already be considered the craziest saber technique in the world! Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s astonishing saber attainments allowed him to figure out the details of this saber move instantly. But facing such a suicidal and crazy saber technique, he was still in a dire situation. Just as Ye Jingtang had said before the battle, his saber was faster than Kuang Yazi¡¯s! But this speed was not because of his physical strength but because of his saber attainments. Even if he were at the same level as Kuang Yazi, his saber would be faster. Kuang Yazi would lose even if they fought a hundred times. Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s ¡®step back¡¯ was to defend against Kuang Yazi¡¯s starting stance, exchanging space for time to unleash his saber. In the face of this saber move that suddenly doubled in speed, it had clearly touched the upper limit of what the Bowing Saber Spring could handle. If both sides were at the same level, the Dragon Slaying Decree would still lose even if they fought a hundred times! Swoosh! The saber, which was so fast that it was almost crazy, arrived at Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s waist before the heavy saber slashed down. If nothing unexpected happened, after Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s saber landed, Ye Jingtang would have already relied on his shocking speed to flash past his side and completely end Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s undefeated battle record. But Xuanyuan Chao was the Saber Chief after all. After he chased after Kuang Yazi for decades, it was impossible for him not to have thought of the situation where he couldn¡¯t defend against this saber move. The moment Ye Jingtang¡¯s aura changed, Xuanyuan Chao had already given up on attacking. His rock-steady figure turned to dodge to the side. Boom! Amidst the roar of the ground shattering, Ye Jingtang, who had turned into a black afterimage, passed by Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s side, leaving a trail of blood behind him. Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s figure instantly flashed dozens of feet to the side, pulling away from Ye Jingtang. An inch-deep wound appeared under his left ribs. Compared to Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s size, this superficial wound wasn¡¯t much different from nothing. But when dark red blood splattered on the grayish-black stone platform, it still caused an uproar! ¡°What?!¡± After all, this was the first time Xuanyuan Chao had shed blood on the arena in the 40 years since he became famous! When Qiu Tianhe saw this scene, his eyes glazed over. He didn¡¯t understand at all. As for Daoist Xuanji, she was speechless. She couldn¡¯t figure out where Ye Jingtang had come up with this move. Moreover, it hadn¡¯t taken long for him to come up with it.. Chapter 365 - Chapter 365: Eight-Steps Dragon Slaying (3) Chapter 365: Eight-Steps Dragon Slaying (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the past, Ye Jingtang had never seen the strength of the Eight Chiefs, and his horizons had always been focused on seeing moves and countering them. He had always been studying external conditions such as weapons and movements. After seeing Daoist Xuanji¡¯s ¡®a punch is a punch¡¯ yesterday, he had broadened his horizons and understood that moves and weapons were not important in the eyes of the giants at the peak of the mountain. What was important was the inside. Then he had spent the other half of the night adjusting the qi circulation methods of the Overlord Spear, the Dragon Slaying Decree, the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade, and so on. He used them as references against each other to explore how to make the original moves stronger. As long as his way of thinking was right, constructing qi circulation methods and finding the optimal solutions would really be only a matter of a few hours for him. At this moment, the saber passed by Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s body and left a wound on his body. Ye Jingtang¡¯s eyes, which had always been as calm as water, revealed a fanaticism. ¡°Haa!¡± The moment Ye Jingtang rushed behind Xuanyuan Chao, his feet stepped heavily on the ground, and his figure turned at a sharp angle. He sent his saber from his left hand into his right and thrust the saber forward, instantly pulling out a white mist on the io,ooo-square-foot platform! Boom! The two strikes connected without a gap, not giving the opponent any time to counterattack. When Xuanyuan Chao dodged to the side and landed on the ground, Ye Jingtang had already arrived in front of him again! Xuanyuan Chao had been studying the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade for half his life and knew the moves very well. It was impossible for him to be defenseless against it. While he was dodging to the side, his heavy saber had already spun around and slashed in the direction of Ye Jingtang¡¯s attack. But Ye Jingtang also knew the shortcomings of the Dragon Slaying Decree. Relying on the ease with which he could retract and release his light saber, his speed decreased sharply in the middle of the attack, allowing the Jun Mountain Saber to sweep past him at the right time. Then his speed erupted to the extreme again! Swoosh! Although Xuanyuan Chao could use the 54-kilogram Jun Mountain Saber at will, when fighting at the same level, it was impossible for him to maintain the same reaction speed as Ye Jingtang. Seeing Ye Jingtang exploiting this flaw and continuing to attack, Xuanyuan Chao stopped his saber without hesitation and held it in front of him horizontally, using it as a shield. Clang! A sudden clap of thunder sounded on Jun Mountain Terrace. Ye Jingtang, who had unleashed his full strength, held his saber with both hands and attacked in front of him. Seeing Xuanyuan Chao blocking, he directly turned his slash into a stab and struck the thick saber. This saber move condensed everything that Ye Jingtang had learned in his life. Its power was terrifying. The saber momentum shook the rain and pierced a hole in front of him. If it landed on the Jun Mountain Saber, even if Xuanyuan Chao were holding a divine weapon, it might be possible that it would directly pierce the weapon until it pierced through his heart. But Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s reaction was extremely fast. He pushed his saber with his right hand and made the Jun Mountain Saber form a slant. When the Hornless Dragon Saber stabbed, it slid to the left and back, scraping a thin groove on the heavy saber, and sparks flew! Clang! The Hornless Dragon Saber in Ye Jingtang¡¯s hand was not as unwieldy as the Jun Mountain Saber. After missing, he immediately retracted his saber and slashed at Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s abdomen. But Xuanyuan Chao had rich experience. Although he couldn¡¯t catch up to Ye Jingtang¡¯s speed, he calculated Ye Jingtang¡¯s attack methods and took a step back in advance. Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Clang! Clang! Clang! On the stone platform, the torrential rain was driven by the wind, turning into turbulence that flew in all directions. The nearly 10,000 martial artists watching the battle could only see a black afterimage weaving back and forth around Xuanyuan Chao, bringing with it sparks of fire and ear-piercing thunder. Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s body was like a mountain, and his movement technique was as light as a butterfly. His 54-kilogram saber flashed around his body as he blocked Ye Jingtang¡¯s almost crazy attacks with ease, seemingly not at a disadvantage. But top experts such as Daoist Xuanji could tell that the battle had ended. This was because Ye Jingtang had forcefully interrupted Xuanyuan Chao from raising his saber twice. He didn¡¯t have a chance to raise his saber a third time and could only use the heavy saber as a shield to block passively. If the Jun Mountain Saber couldn¡¯t spin, it couldn¡¯t rely on the accumulation of inertia, speed, and saber momentum to pose a threat to Ye Jingtang. If he wanted to hit Ye Jingtang with a metal lump weighing more than 50 kilograms, it would only be possible if Ye Jingtang¡¯s brain failed and he knocked his head against the saber. Ye Jingtang had the initiative. He might not be able to hit Xuanyuan Chao with a hundred strikes, but as long as he hit him once, Xuanyuan Chao would be gone. Buzz! Although the martial artists watching around Jun Mountain Terrace were slow to react, they quickly realized that Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s Dragon Slaying Decree seemed to have really been crushed to death. A thunderous noise gradually sounded across the lake. When Qiu Tianhe saw this scene that he had fantasized about for countless years, his hands trembled slightly, and he actually felt tears well up in his eyes. But before Qiu Tianhe could get excited, the sudden change in the arena plunged the entire world into an eerie silence! Everyone could tell that Xuanyuan Chao was bound to lose. As the current Saber Chief, how could Xuanyuan Chao himself not be able to tell? Just as Ye Jingtang turned around again and wanted to take advantage of Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s half-turn to stab his saber into his ribs, the clanking of metal suddenly sounded from the arena! Clang! Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s hair was flying about, and his originally calm eyes revealed the fanaticism of a saberman. As he shouted angrily, he twisted his hands that were holding the Jun Mountain Saber slightly. Then his body suddenly exploded, drawing a dazzling white light in the rain! The hairs on Ye Jingtang¡¯s body stood on end. He instantly stopped and changed from stabbing to blocking. His pupils constricted as he looked carefully. He saw the thick saber fly out, leaving only the blade and no hilt. Xuanyuan Chao, whose speed had skyrocketed, was holding a long saber around four feet long in both hands. The saber¡¯s blade was slender and had a cold glint. It weighed at most three kilograms. It almost left an afterimage in the air as it arrived in front of Ye Jingtang in the blink of an eye. Bang! The two blades collided, and Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s terrifying explosive power was finally displayed. Although Ye Jingtang reacted in time, there was a difference in body size. Under the heavy strike, his feet stepped on the bricks, and his entire body slid back more than 100 feet before stopping.. Chapter 366 - Chapter 366: Eight-Steps Dragon Slaying (4) Chapter 366: Eight-Steps Dragon Slaying (4) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Not only Ye Jingtang, but even Daoist Xuanji and the others were stunned by this scene. Although everyone knew that the disciples of Jun Mountain Terrace would carry a secondary weapon to prevent them from being unable to fight if they failed to raise the Jun Mountain Saber, they didn¡¯t expect that Xuanyuan Chao also hid a light saber. After the clash, both sides stopped at the same time. Mist covered Ye Jingtang¡¯s entire body as he looked at Xuanyuan Chao in the distance and said, ¡°Since you¡¯ve lost the famous Jun Mountain Saber, then you admit that the Dragon Slaying Decree has been broken.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Countless Jianghu people surrounding Jun Mountain Terrace only dared to breathe softly at this moment. They were whispering to each other and discussing animatedly, their faces filled with disbelief. Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s upper body was naked, and blood dyed the left side of his armor skirt red. He pointed his four-foot-long saber diagonally at the ground, his eyes still filled with arrogance. ¡°I lost with the Dragon Slaying Decree, but I didn¡¯t lose. The Dragon Slaying Decree was a saber technique I comprehended in my twenties. 1 waited for more than forty years for someone to break it. Do you think I¡¯ve been stagnant for the past forty years?¡± Ye Jingtang knew that it was impossible for Xuanyuan Chao to have only this bit of foundation, but he still said, ¡°Since 1 can break Kuang Yazi¡¯s Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade, 1 can break any saber technique in the world. It doesn¡¯t matter what you¡¯re holding back.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve practiced the saber since the age of three, and the person I admire the most in my life is none other than Kuang Yazi. 1 also know the truth that ¡®only speed can¡¯t be broken¡¯. The Dragon Slaying Decree could break the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade. It was indeed because Kuang Yazi¡¯s saber wasn¡¯t fast enough, and he hadn¡¯t polished the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade to its peak.¡± Xuanyuan Chao flipped his wrist slightly and held the long saber upside down in his left hand. ¡°If I only practice the Dragon Slaying Decree, a faster saber will break it sooner or later. Only by practicing the fast saber can one truly achieve invincibility. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re the only one in the world who has raised the saber technique of the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade by a level?¡± ¡°What?!¡± When the countless Jianghu people watching from the sidelines heard that Xuanyuan Chao was preparing to use the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade to fight Ye Jingtang, their eyes were full of disbelief. But after they thought about it carefully, they found it reasonable. For Xuanyuan Chao to be able to break the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade, he must have painstakingly studied it for decades. With his comprehension ability, it wasn¡¯t strange for him to learn the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade after so much studying. Although it was the same saber technique, Ye Jingtang¡¯s qi circulation method was completely different from Kuang Yazi¡¯s. Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s was clearly the same. This act couldn¡¯t be said to be a competition between fellow disciples or secretly stealing the technique. Instead, they each studied and comprehended according to the martial arts concepts of predecessors and created two new styles. They were competing with each other to determine who had comprehended the better new saber technique! Seeing that Xuanyuan Chao was prepared to join him in using the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade, Ye Jingtang fell silent for a moment before saying, ¡°The saber concepts of the Dragon Slaying Decree makes me gasp in amazement. It has its advantages and disadvantages like the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade, but they are all impeccable. They are the top saber techniques in Jianghu. ¡°If the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade can¡¯t defeat the Dragon Slaying Decree, it¡¯s a human issue. If the Dragon Slaying Decree can¡¯t defeat the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade, it¡¯s still a human issue. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that you gave up the Dragon Slaying Decree and studied the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade instead.¡± Xuanyuan Chao frowned and didn¡¯t say anything. Ye Jingtang stabbed the Hornless Dragon Saber into the ground and raised his hand. ¡°There are thousands of martial arts in the world, and they are mutually reinforcing and restraining each other. There¡¯s no absolute distinction between strength and weakness. It depends on who¡¯s using them. ¡°Since you¡¯ll show me what the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade is, 1¡¯11 show you what the Dragon Slaying Decree is!¡± ¡°What?!¡± When the surrounding spectators heard this, they exploded on the spot. After all, if one changed weapons after a round of fighting, losing both rounds would be a great humiliation, and one could directly commit suicide on the spot. Qiu Tianhe was stunned. Although he knew that Ye Jingtang was domineering, he didn¡¯t expect him to be so arrogant. Teaching Xuanyuan Chao how to use the Dragon Slaying Decree and killing him with it¡­ Daoist Xuanji didn¡¯t expect Ye Jingtang to be so arrogant. As she looked at the high-spirited, handsome young master in the arena, a strange glint flashed across her eyes. If not for the fact that the occasion wasn¡¯t suitable, based on her personality not taking things too seriously when watching the excitement, she would have said, ¡®If you win, I¡¯ll grant you a wish of anything you want¡¯ to stimulate Ye Jingtang. Unfortunately, with more than ten thousand people watching, Daoist Xuanji couldn¡¯t mess around like this. She just threw the Jun Mountain Saber and shoulder strap to Ye Jingtang. Whoosh! Bang! Ye Jingtang caught the heavy saber flying over with one hand, put on his shoulder strap, and hung it on his shoulder. The wind and rain in the sky fell silent at this moment, leaving only the two people standing in the middle of the platform. Xuanyuan Chao stood quietly in the rain with a frown, and his eyes suddenly lost the sharpness they had maintained for 40 years. It was because Xuanyuan Chao actually discovered that the current him was indeed not the same as before he was 30 years old. Before he was 30 years old, facing Kuang Yazi, who was still at his peak, he still dared to visit him with the Jun Mountain Saber like Ye Jingtang to see who should be the Saber Chief. But now that he knew more and had seen more, his hot-headedness that wouldn¡¯t turn back after hitting a wall was gone. It was a good thing to know that ¡®only speed can¡¯t be broken¡¯. But if everyone was enlightened and practiced fast saber techniques, and there were no fools taking other paths to study unorthodox methods, how could there be the current Jianghu where hundreds of flowers bloomed? The arrogance and absolute confidence in Ye Jingtang was like an enlightening beacon, causing Xuanyuan Chao to suddenly wake up. He realized that he had been practicing behind closed doors for 40 years and had unknowingly followed the crowd and forgotten his original intention of practicing the saber! If a saber user had self-doubt and no longer believed in his saber, how could his eyes show sharpness? Xuanyuan Chao gripped the hilt of his saber. After a long silence, he took a deep breath and suppressed all the distracting thoughts in his mind. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that you were born late. After this battle, there will be no saber users in Jianghu who can be on equal footing with you and me. That feeling is invincible in the world, but it¡¯s also indescribably lonely..¡± Chapter 367 - Chapter 367: Eight-Steps Dragon Slaying (5) Chapter 367: Eight-Steps Dragon Slaying (5) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s words were lamenting that ¡®only with an evenly matched opponent can one realize their mistakes and thus improve and grow¡¯. Ye Jingtang understood what he meant. He lowered his hands naturally and replied calmly, ¡°If not for the storm back then that extinguished the spirit of young saber users, the current Jun Mountain Terrace would have been full of heroes and had hundreds of flowers blooming. ¡°The reason why the saber users of Jianghu are in such a poor state today is not that there are fewer people practicing the saber in Jianghu but because you, the leader of the saber users, are not worthy of being admired and chased by young people.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Xuanyuan Chao was over 70 years old and had long understood the rights and wrongs of his life. What he wanted now was nothing more than a carefree slash. Without saying anything else, he strode forward toward Ye Jingtang. Thump, thump! Heavy footsteps sounded under the rain again. Mist covered Ye Jingtang¡¯s entire body. His body was as still as a pine tree, and the fanaticism in his eyes had already turned into his usual tranquility. Boom! A bolt of lightning tore through the sky. Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s footsteps became faster and faster. When he was 100 feet away, he suddenly exerted strength in his feet, and his majestic figure bent and shot forward, instantly breaking through the rain. The long saber in his left hand slashed at Ye Jingtang¡¯s center. This saber was also unbelievably fast! Xuanyuan Chao could see through the ins and outs of Ye Jingtang¡¯s saber technique. Ye Jingtang also saw through the trick of this saber technique at a glance. It was using the method of the ¡®Bowing Saber Spring¡¯, changing the saber spring to a human spring, greatly increasing the speed of the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade¡¯s starting stance. This improvement was very exquisite. This was because Ye Jingtang had only thought of using the saber in his left and right hands. He had never considered using his waist and legs to make the saber in his hand, which had already reached its limit, move faster. Although this saber move wasn¡¯t as terrifying as Ye Jingtang¡¯s self-harming method, the advantage was that there was no self-harm. And it was indeed enough to break the Dragon Slaying Decree. Unfortunately, Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t use the normal Dragon Slaying Decree but the new version of the Dragon Slaying Decree that he had developed yesterday when he was improving the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade with the same idea. ¡°Haa!¡± At the same time that Xuanyuan Chao raised his hand, Ye Jingtang took a step back with his left foot and held the hilt of the saber behind his back with both hands. The exposed skin all over his body instantly flushed red, and the muscles and veins all over his body bulged. Blood even flowed out of the corners of his eyes. Boom! The violent, rushing qi instantly pushed away the rain and shattered the bricks on the ground, clearing a vacuum in the surrounding area. The Jun Mountain Saber hanging on his back also sprung up in the blink of an eye and slashed forward at a crazy speed. Even people who didn¡¯t know this martial arts could tell that Ye Jingtang had injured all the meridians in his body the moment he raised his saber. All his bones and muscles were definitely damaged. But this didn¡¯t hinder the earth-shattering destructive power of his saber move. Xuanyuan Chao erupted with all his strength and rushed in front of Ye Jingtang at the fastest speed in his life. But he couldn¡¯t bypass the One-Step Retreat, Bowing Saber Spring that he had spent decades researching! Ye Jingtang¡¯s half-step back was like a natural chasm in front of him. No matter how hard he tried to squeeze his body, waiting in front of him was the Jun Mountain Saber slashing down on his head without giving him any chance. It was also at this moment that Xuanyuan Chao understood how Kuang Yazi felt when facing him back then, as well as how all saber users felt when facing the Jun Mountain Saber. It was irresistible despair! It was as if a high mountain were pressing down on him. He tried his best, but he couldn¡¯t escape the range of the calamity. He could only watch helplessly as this ten-thousand-foot-high mountain smashed into him. This was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and violent saber techniques in the world. Even if he couldn¡¯t break the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade, they were still evenly matched. It depended on who was using the saber. If he had seen this saber move when he was young, he would probably have been obsessed with it for the rest of his life¡­ But now, why did he see this saber move from the hands of someone else?! This was his saber¡­ Boom! The two blades collided, and the raindrops filling the sky were shaken back into the sky. A strong saber wind wreaked havoc, instantly flattening a layer of bricks on the ground. Xuanyuan Chao, who had stood tall for a lifetime, whether on the battlefield or in Jianghu, was no different from all the saber users who received the Dragon Slaying Decree. Under the terrifying power that could split mountains and break seas, Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s majestic figure couldn¡¯t stand still at all. The back of his saber smashed into his forearm, and he fell backward to the ground. Boom! Debris flew everywhere on the io,ooo-square-foot stone platform, and a huge pit was instantly smashed in the center. The half-armored Xuanyuan Chao flew out of the pit diagonally, fell to the ground, and slid hundreds of feet along the smooth platform. ¡°Haa!¡± Ye Jingtang¡¯s saber followed without any gaps. He flew over again, dragged the saber with both hands, spun around, and slashed at Xuanyuan Chao. Swoosh! Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s reaction was extremely fast. He flipped over and dodged to the side, dodging the dangerous blade, but then the next attack came. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! In the blink of an eye, the terrifying sound that made thousands of Jianghu saber users treat it as a nightmare sounded again on Jun Mountain Terrace. Ye Jingtang¡¯s body spun with his saber, and in an instant, he turned into a windmill. From afar, people could only see the circular, bright saber light, but they couldn¡¯t figure out where the saber was. The torrential rain on Jun Mountain Platform was also stirred into a vortex by the spiral qi. It was like a waterspout that moved rapidly on the platform. Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s huge, over-two-meter-tall body appeared tiny in front of the vast power of heaven. But his movements were still as fast as lightning as he quickly moved and dodged on the platform, but he had no way to touch the heavy saber that was chasing after him anymore. There were nearly ten thousand people around Jun Mountain Terrace. Be it those who were knowledgeable or not, they all knew that the outcome had been decided. The saber momentum of the Dragon Slaying Decree basically made it invincible. If people wanted to fight against it, they could only use long weapons. Ye Jingtang had accumulated the momentum of the saber to such a terrifying extent that people couldn¡¯t see it clearly. Not to mention Xuanyuan Chao, even if Ye Jingtang used his improved Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade, if he dared to take advantage of a loophole to attack, he would probably exchange death for death.. Chapter 368 - Chapter 368: Eight-Steps Dragon Slaying (6) Chapter 368: Eight-Steps Dragon Slaying (6) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It was because there was no time to withdraw after entering. No matter where someone attacked, they would be slashed at least once. Just now, everyone thought that the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade was indeed superior. But now, it seemed that the Dragon Slaying Decree was really not weak. It was just that one was stronger in the early stages, and the other was stronger in the late stages. The period where they were strong was different. It purely depended on whose hand the techniques were in. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Nearly 10,000 people focused on the waterspout on the platform. At this moment, this battle that concerned the position of Saber Chief had become Ye Jingtang¡¯s personal stage. The saber momentum had already accumulated to this point, and the speed and power were already flawless. Xuanyuan Chao couldn¡¯t break this saber technique that he was famous for at all. All he could do was keep dodging. But after the Dragon Slaying Decree¡¯s saber momentum was in action, as long as one knew how to control the saber, the 54-kilogram Jun Mountain Saber would fly on its own without using much effort at all, and its pursuit while spinning wasn¡¯t too slow. Unless Xuanyuan Chao turned around and ran away, it was impossible for him to shake off the relentlessly pursuing blade. Even if he shook off Ye Jingtang, Ye Jingtang obviously wouldn¡¯t stop the saber momentum that he had already formed and would still chase after him. ¡°Haa!¡± This might be the first time in Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s life that he had been thrown into such a hopeless situation. He had roamed Jianghu for his entire life. He wouldn¡¯t admit defeat just like that. Instead, his eyes widened like copper bells as he suddenly exerted strength to collide with the spinning heavy saber. He pushed his saber with both hands and stabbed forward, wanting to pierce Ye Jingtang¡¯s torso. This move was to exchange life and life and force Ye Jingtang to stop his saber momentum. But Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t give him any chance at all. While spinning, he retreated and distanced himself. Then a fierce and powerful heavy saber swept across the thrusting saber. Clang! Amidst the explosive sound of metal colliding, the terrifying destructive power of the 54-kilogram saber was displayed. When it smashed against the 3-kilogram saber, it was completely one-sided. Xuanyuan Chao could hold the hilt of the saber, but the blade couldn¡¯t withstand such a violent blow. It was forcefully bent and turned into a corner. But in just an instant, the heavy saber spinning around slashed at Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s head again with the force of splitting a mountain, not giving him any chance to react. Xuanyuan Chao raised his bent long saber to block. The terrifying force contained in the heavy saber directly vented on his body. The bent saber didn¡¯t break, but it was smashed into his chest. His ribs were shattered, and flesh and blood flew everywhere. His entire body was embedded in the rubble on the ground. Boom! ¡°Haa!¡± The moment Ye Jingtang¡¯s saber landed, he was already exerting strength for the next strike. He spun around and slashed at Xuanyuan Chao, who had yet to bounce up. With Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s foundation, he could still turn around and dodge for some time. But Xuanyuan Chao didn¡¯t move again. As the Saber Chief, he understood the current situation better than anyone else. It was meaningless to delay. Xuanyuan Chao stared blankly at the heavy saber descending from the sky with his old eyes that had seen Jianghu for 70 years. There was no fear, regret, remorse, or unwillingness in his eyes, only a hint of relief. After all, this was Jianghu. The new lived, and the old died. Jianghu was a cycle of the old and new generation after generation. All the peak martial artists couldn¡¯t avoid this fate. He had already carried his saber to roam the battlefield and dominate the saber world. He had accomplished magnificent feats that ordinary people in Jianghu could only dream of in their lives. He had stood at the peak of the mountain his entire life. Now that he was going to die under a saber, he would also die at his peak. He had lost fair and square, not leaving any unwillingness because of old age and a declining body. This was indeed a good ending for a peak martial artist. Even if he survived this battle, his ribs were broken, and his foundation was damaged. He would only live for a few years. Facing his receding halo and old and sick body, what awaited him was probably endless regret and dying alone. If he died under the saber, be it the rights or wrongs of his life, his life and everything would return to dust, and there was no need to think about anything anymore. Unfortunately, this saber move was very long and didn¡¯t land on his head in the end. Drip, drip, drip! The io,ooo-square-foot platform fell into a dead silence, leaving only the sound of dense rain. Ye Jingtang held his saber with both hands and stopped it three inches above Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s head. He was panting like an ox and dripping with sweat, but his eyes were very calm. He looked at the dim old eyes and said, ¡°You have harmed your children your entire life, and you have also harmed my father for his entire life. You have been the Saber Chief in glory for decades. Since you can¡¯t win, you want to die happily under my saber. How can there be such a good thing in the world? ¡°You have two choices now. Continue living without children and no hope, and live the last few years in regret. If you can¡¯t withstand this pain, you can commit suicide and be free. You can die like a pure Jianghu person.¡± After Ye Jingtang finished speaking, he put away the Jun Mountain Saber and stuck it at the edge of the pit. The broad blade looked like a wordless tombstone. Xuanyuan Chao, who was covered in blood, moved his eyes before anger surged. ¡°If you want to kill me, just kill me. Why do you have to say such nonsense?¡± Ye Jingtang raised his hand to wipe the sweat and rain off his face and looked at the distant northwest. He said calmly, ¡°My father didn¡¯t live a hard life. He had a son who stayed by his side every day for more than ten years. His son would help take care of the family business and help him put on extra clothes on windy and snowy days. After he passed away, he also had a son who wore hemp and mourning clothes to send him off. He could also hand over the last wish in his heart to his son to fulfill. His life was quite complete. ¡°If you weren¡¯t so blinded by greed back then, you should have a successful and respectable son now. ¡°You might have been able to sit on the stage at your age and watch your son spar with me. If he won, you would laugh heartily, if he lost, you could comfort him by saying, ¡®Jianghu is a place where the new generation surpasses the older generation. I¡¯m not dead yet. You have plenty of time in the future¡¯. ¡°Who knows, you might have even had a few smart grandchildren. In your free time, you could sit under the eaves and watch your grandchildren practicing in the courtyard with wooden sabers.. You¡¯d laugh and give them some pointers¡­¡± Chapter 369 - Chapter 369: Eight-Steps Dragon Slaying (7) Chapter 369: Eight-Steps Dragon Slaying (7) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Ye Jingtang!¡± Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s face flushed red from these heart-wrenching words. His shout resounded throughout Jun Mountain Terrace, and his eyes were like ferocious tigers. ¡°Unfortunately, you don¡¯t have such good fortune, so there¡¯s no difference to me whether you¡¯re dead or alive.¡± With that, Ye Jingtang turned around, walked over to the Hornless Dragon Saber, pulled out the saber, and sheathed it. Swish! With the soft sound, the wind and rain filling the sky returned to complete silence. ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°Woooo!¡± ¡°Awesome¡­¡± At this moment, the crowded edge of the io,ooo-square-foot platform was like a tide. Countless known and unknown saber users were shouting for some reason. Some even jumped onto the huge wordless stele and beat their chests and stamped their feet, not knowing why they were so excited. The bird circling in the sky landed on Ye Jingtang¡¯s shoulder. It assumed a valiant and spirited posture and spread its wings. ¡°Chirp chirp chirp-¡± Ye Jingtang stood on Jun Mountain Platform and looked around at the sea of people outside. After completing his foster father¡¯s last wish, he felt much more relaxed. It was a pity that Dumdum, Ning¡¯er, Third Lady, and Little Yunli weren¡¯t here. Otherwise, they would definitely rush over and kiss him. Perhaps he could even do a threefer with one cannon at night¡­ Qiu Tianhe looked at Xuanyuan Chao, whose gaze was ferocious but somewhat absent-minded. He sighed silently with a touch of sadness on his face. Back then, Xuanyuan Chao had spared Zheng Feng¡¯s life because of Xuanyuan Tiangang. Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t personally kill Xuanyuan Chao. This was undoubtedly the most reasonable method to clear away the enmity. As for whether Xuanyuan Chao chose to regret for the rest of his life or commit suicide, Qiu Tianhe didn¡¯t care. He could choose whatever he wanted. Qiu Tianhe retracted his gaze and smiled. He walked forward and patted Ye Jingtang¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Sigh, I¡¯ve been thinking about being the Saber Chief for half my life, but I was intercepted by you. This senior has to give in to the junior and can¡¯t compete with you. There¡¯s no hope in the future.¡± Ye Jingtang knew that this was a joke, but he still said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t be here for long. As long as I defeat the top three of the Eight Chiefs, I won¡¯t be included in the secular Jianghu. My title among the Eight Chiefs will automatically go to the next person.¡± Qiu Tianhe blinked and felt that this was indeed the case. As long as Xuanyuan Tiangang didn¡¯t jump out, no one in Jianghu would fight with him for second place. He immediately said, ¡°Not many people will acknowledge automatic transfers. When the time comes, we¡¯ll still fight, and I¡¯ll lose by half a move¡­¡± Daoist Xuanji stood in front of them. Looking at this grand Jianghu scene and the sea of people, she felt glory. She thought for a moment, took off the wine gourd behind her waist, and handed it to Ye Jingtang. ¡°Wedding night, candles¡¯ warm glow; Celebrating success, making the honor roll. Becoming the Saber Chief is to have your name on the honor roll in Jianghu. Why don¡¯t you take a drink on such a happy occasion?¡± Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t decline. He took the red wine gourd and took a big gulp. Daoist Xuanji narrowed her eyes slightly when he saw Ye Jingtang drinking from the mouth, but she didn¡¯t say anything and continued, ¡°I will draw this scene for you later and show it to Liren and Ning¡¯er¡­¡± ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± Before she could finish speaking, Ye Jingtang suddenly coughed twice. His face turned red as he covered his mouth with his fist. ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly. It¡¯ll be embarrassing if I faint on the stage later¡­¡± Qiu Tianhe and Daoist Xuanji, who were enjoying the admiration and longing gazes of thousands of people, changed their expressions when they heard this. They knew that Ye Jingtang¡¯s reckless fighting style just now had injured his body, and it was definitely not light. Qiu Tianhe said, ¡°I¡¯ll help you send away the Jianghu people who come to get close to you. Find a place to recuperate quickly.¡± When Daoist Xuanji saw that Ye Jingtang¡¯s aura was in a mess and that it was difficult for him to stand steadily, she made a very intimate action. She raised her hand, hugged Ye Jingtang¡¯s arm to support his body secretly, and walked toward the lake. ¡°Wooo!¡± ¡°Hero Ye!¡± A tsunami-like cheer resounded through the clouds. Even the thunder and heavy rain couldn¡¯t suppress it. Ye Jingtang¡¯s arm was held by Daoist Xuanji¡¯s little watermelons, which were like warm water balloons. He put on a calm attitude and nodded at the Jianghu heroes on the shore.. Then he got onto the small boat and sailed into the misty rain on the lake amidst the tide of respectful farewells¡­ Chapter 370 - Chapter 370: It’s a Deal (1) Chapter 370: It¡¯s a Deal (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios On the turbulent lake, the atmosphere was still lively. Whether it was the peak experts or the low-level martial artists, they were all chatting. ¡°Impressive. The boat ticket was really worth it¡­¡± ¡°After more than forty years, the Saber Chief has finally changed¡­ Why are you frowning?¡± ¡°Why are you so happy? In the past, when Old Man Xuanyuan was the Saber Chief, we might have been able to seize the opportunity to take over when Old Man Xuanyuan became old. Who is Hero Ye? He¡¯s around his twenties and not even at his peak age, but his saber techniques are already so ridiculous. He will definitely be even more powerful in the future. We won¡¯t have a chance in this life¡­¡± ¡°Uh¡­ That seems to be the case. Why don¡¯t we change to practicing the spear instead? Spears are more powerful than sabers¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s only been a few years since Duan Shengji took over as the Spear Chief, and he¡¯s only in his thirties now. Do you think you have a chance? Currently, the oldest of the Eight Chiefs seems to be Lu Jieyun¡­¡± Noisy conversations echoed among the thousands of sails. On a large ferry between the boats, a window on the second floor of the deckhouse was open, and there was a bead curtain at the window. Behind the bead curtain, a tall figure in a brocade robe was standing quietly in front of the window. This person¡¯s eyes under the bamboo hat watched as the new Saber Chief and the woman in white stepped onto a boat on Jun Mountain Terrace. In the room, a girl dressed as a maidservant was beating her chest and stomping her feet happily like the Jianghu people outside. After smiling foolishly for a long time, she realized that the figure in front of the window was silent. The maidservant walked over and asked curiously, ¡°Cult Master, this Hero Ye is so handsome. His martial arts skills are high, and he¡¯s heroic and young. One look, and you can tell that he¡¯s a good seedling for rebellion. Should we think of a way to rope him in¡­¡± The Pacifying Heaven Cult Master, who had one hand behind her back, pondered for a moment. ¡°According to the rumors in Wu Province, Xuanyuan Hongzhi was killed by the Black Office, and Zhou Huaili was also killed by a saber expert from the Black Office. The person who did this is probably Ye Jingtang. He¡¯s already been placed in an important position by the Imperial Court and is not on the same boat as us.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Hero Ye seems to have a good relationship with Hero Qiu. Why don¡¯t we get Hero Qiu to pull the strings? Then we can kidnap Hero Ye back to the South Firmament Mountains and persuade him to abandon the darkness and pledge his loyalty to Great Yan¡­¡± ¡°The woman in white beside him is Daoist Xuanji. How can it be so easy to kidnap him?¡± The Pacifying Heaven Cult Master was here because she had heard the news that Qiu Tianhe was going to give his life away. She had come from Chong Province, which bordered Ze Province, to take a look to prevent Yunli¡¯s half-master from being killed by Old Man Xuanyuan. Seeing Ye Jingtang, who had appeared out of nowhere, the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master seemed to see her past self. She indeed had the intention to take him in for her own use. But Daoist Xuanji was here and seemed to be protecting her little lover. It would be a little troublesome to snatch the man in front of her. After some consideration, the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master retracted her gaze from the distant boat and looked at Jun Mountain Terrace. ¡°Ning¡¯er went to the capital for half a year and said that she had planted a spy in the Black Office. But she hasn¡¯t sent back news of such a powerful expert in the Imperial Court¡­¡± The young maidservant thought for a moment and said, ¡°For such a young and promising expert, the Imperial Court will definitely keep it a secret. It¡¯s normal that Madam didn¡¯t notice.¡± ¡°She took the initiative to bring Yunli to the capital. She can¡¯t even figure out who the experts of the Imperial Court are. Seriously¡­ Send a letter to the capital to tell her to come back immediately so that she won¡¯t have the chance to sneak into the palace¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Cult Master.¡± The little maidservant hurriedly nodded¡­ Cloud Dream Swamp had a diameter of nearly 500 kilometers. Once people were far away from the islands and lake shores, it was as if they were sailing into an endless sea. Visibility was only a few dozen feet due to the heavy rain, and the raindrops hit the boat canopy, making cracking sounds. ¡°Chirp chirp chirp¡­¡± The bird was standing outside the cabin, keeping watch and taking shelter from the rain. It was still grumbling about how many heroines wanted to feed it, but Ye Jingtang refused to let it go. The rain was too heavy, so the door and windows of the cabin were closed. The cabin wasn¡¯t big. Because it had been idle in Yellow Springs Town all year round, there wasn¡¯t much furniture inside, only a mat on the ground. Ye Jingtang was lying on the mat in tattered pants. His face was red, his breathing was unstable, and his eyes were closed. After all, he had just fought the Saber Chief head-on, and Xuanyuan Chao wasn¡¯t a weakling. His experience and reaction speed were so good that he could deduce his opponent¡¯s intentions in advance. If Ye Jingtang wanted to win, he could only squeeze out his body to the point of self-harm in exchange for the extreme speed that Xuanyuan Chao could see but couldn¡¯t withstand. His mind had been highly focused, and his body had been overly exhausted. Ye Jingtang entered the cabin and fell asleep unknowingly. Daoist Xuanji took off her veiled hat and sat sideways beside him. She held a bottle of Jade Dragon Ointment and messaged Ye Jingtang¡¯s chest. Her eyes were rather bright as she kept sizing up his perfect chest and abdominal muscles. A normal Wind Pool Reverse Blood would cause damage to the governor meridian after use, and red marks would appear along the spine. Ye Jingtang had used the principles of the Wind Pool Reverse Blood to modify the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade and the Dragon Slaying Decree. The overall structure was so complicated and exquisite that it could be seen with the naked eye. At this moment, Ye Jingtang¡¯s shirt was off. His chest, waist, abdomen, and left and right arms were all covered in faint red marks like lightning patterns. Although it was a tragic sight, his foundation wasn¡¯t damaged. Just this point alone showed how terrifying his talent was. This was because qi circulation methods were not something that people could change casually. As long as they took the wrong path, their qi would go out of control. If they were not careful, they could suffer heavy injuries or explode. Moreover, reversing blood and qi was a method of suicide. If people didn¡¯t control it well, they would be severely injured. If someone played like this all over their body, even the most experienced martial artist would be in trouble. If one wanted to complete this feat without any mistakes, they could only rely on an indescribable ¡¯feeling¡¯. This talent couldn¡¯t be attained by practice. After carefully admiring Ye Jingtang for a moment, Daoist Xuanji felt that if he deduced the qi circulation method of the Roaring Dragon Chart on his own, he might be able to navigate this path of no return.. Chapter 371 - Chapter 371: Itrs a Deal (2) Chapter 371: Itrs a Deal (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios However, this path was too risky. Even if Ye Jingtang succeeded, he wouldn¡¯t be able to impart his learnings. What if something happened to the empress? It was safer to find the ready-made Roaring Dragon Chart. Daoist Xuanji¡¯s distracting thoughts flashed away as she continued to apply the Jade Dragon Ointment to the wounds on Ye Jingtang¡¯s body to treat the internal injuries. After touching him for a while, her hand reached under his navel and stopped. Legs were one of the most important points of strength for martial artists. There were some red marks on Ye Jingtang¡¯s exposed calves, so there must be some on his thighs. Logically speaking, medicine should be applied here, but¡­ Daoist Xuanji glanced at Ye Jingtang, who had fallen asleep. She wanted to put on a calm expression and pretend that she didn¡¯t care because she was treating injuries. But wouldn¡¯t this be a lie? If she saw it, she would probably never forget it for the rest of her life¡­ Daoist Xuanji deliberated for a moment before taking out a handkerchief from her pocket and covering her eyes. Then she tore open his pants with a little force, put some Jade Dragon Ointment on her hand, and continued applying the medicine¡­ Pitter-patter¡­ The crisp sound of the rain made the cabin seem exceptionally quiet. Only the muttering of rhe bird outside the door could be heard. Ye J ingtang had fallen into a deep sleep. There was no pressure or dream. He just let his body repair the various injuries after the fierce battle. Originally, this baby-like sleep would last until night or early tomorrow morning. But after an unknown period of time, his consciousness was suddenly awakened. In his half-awake stare, he felt a soft and warm hand caressing the muscles in his lower abdomen and legs. It was very comfortable¡­ Ye Jingtang was still half-conscious and didn¡¯t know where he was. He automatically thought that Third Lady or Ning¡¯er was treating his injuries, and his body instinctively reacted under the comfort. But soon, Ye Jingtang realized that something was wrong¡­ Ye Jingtang suddenly woke up. He opened his right eye slightly and looked around. He saw Daoist Xuanji in a snow-colored dress sitting sideways in front of him. She was holding a medicine bottle in her left hand and applying medicine with her right hand. Her expression was very calm, and her eyes were blindfolded. Because Ye Jingtang couldn¡¯t see her cynical gaze, her long hair draping over her shoulders and beautiful face made her look a little fairy-like. Her shoulders and waist were just right, and her clothes drew perfect curves¡­ Ye Jingtang was still a little confused. After a quick glance, his gaze moved down again, looking at the source of the touch. Daoist Xuanji¡¯s hand was applying Jade Dragon Ointment on his thigh muscles, and not far from the fair palm was the battle-ready scoundrel¡­ ?! Clatter! Ye Jingtang turned over and pulled up his torn pants to cover his inconvenient spot. At the same time, he pressed down on Daoist Xuanji¡¯s hand. But he used too much strength and felt a sharp pain in his muscles, causing him to gasp. ¡°Hiss!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± In order to keep her mind from wandering, Daoist Xuanji had been silently reciting Daoist classics. She really didn¡¯t notice that a scoundrel was eyeing her covetously. Realizing that Ye Jingtang had turned over and grabbed her hand, Daoist Xuanji frowned and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you think I¡¯m plotting against you while you¡¯re asleep?¡± Ye Jingtang looked at the innocent face of Daoist Xuanji, who had yet to understand what had happened, and felt a little embarrassed. After confirming that she hadn¡¯t noticed, he secretly heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Uh¡­ That¡­ I thought I was in danger and woke up with a start¡­ My mind isn¡¯t clear yet¡­¡± Daoist Xuanji¡¯s right hand was held tightly. Seeing that Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t let go, she was a little dissatisfied. She wanted to pull down the blindfold with her left hand, but just as she raised her hand, Ye Jingtang grabbed her left hand! ?? Daoist Xuanji¡¯s hands were held, and she sat up straight. ¡°Ye Jingtang, 1 am Liren¡¯s master. Do you think that I won¡¯t beat you up if you¡¯re injured?1¡¯ Ye Jingtang was at full mast, and his tattered pants couldn¡¯t suppress the scoundrel at all. If he let go, he would be exposed. How could he dare to let Daoist Xuanji pull down her blindfold? He explained awkwardly, ¡°My pants are torn¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you cover yourself? Or are you afraid that I¡¯ll lift it up and peek?¡± ¡°You should keep your eyes covered. I¡¯ll finish applying the medicine myself. It¡¯s inconvenient to cover myself.¡± Daoist Xuanji thought about it and agreed, so she didn¡¯t say anything else. After Ye Jingtang let go of her hands, she didn¡¯t take off her blindfold. She just sat back a little, leaned against the wall, picked up a towel, and wiped her hands. Ye Jingtang actually wanted Daoist Xuanji to go out, but it wasn¡¯t appropriate with the heavy rain outside. After some thought, he acted natural and continued to apply medicine. At the same time, he tried his best to calm down and focus, wanting to suppress the scoundrel. Daoist Xuanji picked up her wine gourd and took a sip. She suddenly recalled that Ye Jingtang had just drunk the wine from the gourd. She wiped the mouth of the gourd and asked, ¡°When did you figure out those saber moves today?¡± ¡°When you were drunk last night. While I was practicing the saber alone, I suddenly had an idea, and 1 figured them out.¡± ¡°Just last night?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t count as one night. I¡¯ve been practicing the saber to build my foundation since 1 was a child, and I¡¯ve been thinking about the method to break the Dragon Slaying Decree for the past few months. Last night, 1 was only thinking about the qi circulation methods. I was able to win because of my accumulation of more than ten years and the fortuitous encounters during this period of time that caused my internal energy to soar¡­¡± ¡°Of course I know that. Even so, to be able to study a move thoroughly in one night is astonishing comprehension, much less two. But those moves of yours aren¡¯t good. Moves that hurt yourself before hurting the enemy can only be used as trump cards when your life is on the line. The moment you start, you¡¯re risking your life. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to lie in bed every day in the future.¡± Ye Jingtang naturally knew the flaws of these moves. He chuckled and said, ¡°When experts fight, it¡¯s just one move. Being injured is better than being killed. However, these moves can indeed only be used as killing moves. When Xuanyuan Chao used the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade today, although there was a difference in explosive power, it raised the upper limit of the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade without paying any price. His attainments are really worthy of his reputation as the Saber Chief. 1¡¯11 just use that move in the future.,¡± Chapter 372 - Chapter 372: It’s a Deal (3) Chapter 372: It¡¯s a Deal (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Daoist Xuanji was slightly surprised. ¡°Are you planning to go back to get Xuanyuan Chao to teach you?¡± ¡°I know the Bowing Saber Spring, and I know there¡¯s a path to take. I just need to figure it out myself. It won¡¯t take much time.¡± Daoist Xuanji agreed and didn¡¯t say anything else. She leaned against the wall and drank some wine while waiting for Ye Jingtang to finish applying the medicine. But not long after the two of them fell silent, their ears suddenly twitched at the same time. They heard the sound of rushing wind coming from afar. The next moment, the bird outside also issued a warning. ¡°Coo, coo!¡± Ye Jingtang¡¯s expression changed slightly. He immediately got up and picked up his saber from the side. Daoist Xuanji quickly pulled off her blindfold and stood in front of Ye Jingtang with the Joyful Union Sword. Her expression was no longer as cynical as before, only focused and cautious. Tread, tread, tread! In just a moment, the sound of rushing wind in the distance crossed a few kilometers of the lake and arrived nearby. A familiar voice sounded from the wind and rain outside. ¡°Kid, how are your injuries?¡± The two of them breathed a sigh of relief when they heard this. Ye Jingtang hurriedly replied, ¡°Hero Qiu, I¡¯m applying medicine. I¡¯ll put on my clothes immediately¡­¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯m just here to ask you something. The major sects in Ze Province are holding a banquet in South Lake City tonight. They probably want to invite you to establish a sect in Ze Province. Will you go?¡± ¡°Invite me to establish a sect?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just for show. Martial Chiefs all have their own territories. You took over Old Man Xuanyuan¡¯s position, and you don¡¯t belong to any sect or family. According to the customs of Jianghu, your next step should be to establish a sect to earn money. ¡°The major sects in Ze Province say that they¡¯re inviting you, but they¡¯re actually asking for information. If you stay in Ze Province, they¡¯ll discuss in private and give up some property and territory to you so that you won¡¯t come to teach them the rules. If you don¡¯t have this intention, they¡¯ll also give you generous gifts to congratulate you. This is the way of the world.¡± Ye Jingtang nodded in understanding. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°I¡¯m the deputy commander of the Black Office. There¡¯s no leader in Yun Province¡¯s Jianghu. I still plan to develop in Yun Province in the future.¡± ¡°Being the overlord of Yun Province¡­ To be honest, since ancient times, only you dare to do this. Alright, I¡¯ll go back and tell those sect masters.¡± Tread, tread, tread¡­ The sound of stepping on water quickly became distant, and in the blink of an eye, there was no more sound. Ye Jingtang shook his head and smiled. Just as he was wondering if the title of ¡®Overlord of Yun Province¡¯ would offend the empress, he suddenly felt a chill in the cabin¡­ ? Ye Jingtang looked down. Daoist Xuanji, who was as tall as the tip of his nose, was leaning in front of him and maintaining a vigilant posture with her sword raised. At this moment, she turned her head to look behind her. Her seductive peach blossom eyes clearly twitched, and a murderous aura gradually appeared on her face¡­ At the same time, he felt that in order to protect him, Daoist Xuanji¡¯s back was leaning against his body, and the full moon was pressed against his waist. Although he had diverted his attention and said a few words, the scoundrel had yet to return to normal. It should have poked the girl¡­ F*ck¡­ Ye Jingtang¡¯s expression froze. He quickly pulled up his torn pants and tried to cover it, but it was clearly too late. Daoist Xuanji turned around and saw the fierce-looking scoundrel. Even someone with outstanding wisdom like her felt as if she had been struck by lightning. She felt that she was no longer clean. It would have been fine if Ye Jingtang was in a normal state. There was nothing they could have done since his pants were torn and he was exposed. But this brat actually¡­ He actually had such a big reaction to her! If this wasn¡¯t harboring evil intentions toward her, then what was it? Daoist Xuanji narrowed his eyes slightly and slowly drew the Joyful Union Sword. Clang! Ye Jingtang¡¯s expression changed drastically. He directly transformed into a disciple of the Crotch Covering Sect. ¡°Hey, heroine, wait. Don¡¯t be impulsive. I¡¯m injured¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Daoist Xuanji pointed her sword diagonally at the floor with a dangerous look in her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re blatantly lusting after the master of your lover. Do you think I¡¯ll be like ordinary women who don¡¯t dare to say anything and will just accept it?¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s a misunderstanding. I fainted just now. When 1 was half-asleep, I felt someone helping me apply medicine. I subconsciously thought it was Ning¡¯er, so¡­¡± Daoist Xuanji narrowed her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re already awake, and we¡¯ve been talking for a long time. Have you been holding up this dirty thing while talking to me?¡± Ye Jingtang felt a little embarrassed. ¡°It¡¯s not like I can control it at will like my arms and legs. I can¡¯t lift it up and put it down just like that. It takes time for my qi and blood to subside. I¡¯m absolutely not interested in you, not interested at all¡­¡± ? Daoist Xuanji felt that Ye Jingtang was telling the truth, but why did it sound so unpleasant? She took a deep breath and said, ¡°Seeing is believing. Why should I believe you? You¡¯ve already offended me. Tell me yourself, what should 1 do?!¡± Ye Jingtang probed, ¡°Last time, you rubbed against me for half a day. Why don¡¯t we call it even?¡± Daoist Xuanji felt that Ye Jingtang was really a little thick-skinned. ¡°Call it even? Do you think I¡¯m a three-year-old girl?¡± ¡°Then, what do you think we should do?¡± Daoist Xuanji actually didn¡¯t know what to do. She couldn¡¯t let her disciple¡¯s lover take responsibility for her. After some thought, she moved her sword away. ¡°I¡¯m a nun, and I¡¯m not married. 1 can pretend that what just happened didn¡¯t happen. But you have to help me do something.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m already at the Half-Immortal realm, only a step away from the three Immortals on the mountain. But I¡¯m stuck at the bottleneck of my body, and it¡¯s difficult to make progress in this life. In this world, only the Roaring Dragon Chart can make a person be reborn. I¡¯ve been searching for it all these years, but I¡¯ve found nothing¡­¡± Ye Jingtang understood what she meant. After the body was fixed, there was no way to change it. For this reason, the foundation of the body often determined the upper limit of martial artists. For example, Guan Yujia had not built a good foundation and had left flaws in his body. No matter how good his perception was and how hard he worked, he couldn¡¯t step into the realm of Unity of Heaven and Man. In history, 90% of the Martial Chiefs had reached their peak before the age of 30. Then they were unable to take another step forward until their deaths. Most of it was because they had reached the maximum limit that their bodies could support. Hearing that Daoist Xuanji was stuck at a bottleneck and needed the Roaring Dragon Chart, Ye Jingtang thought for a moment and asked, ¡°In which way are you stuck? Which picture do you need?¡± Daoist Xuanji needed five pictures, but this was clearly asking for the moon. Ye Jingtang would treat her as a fool. For this reason, she could only choose the two that she knew the approximate whereabouts of. Ye Jingtang might be able to obtain them. ¡°The only places martial artists can have problems with their bodies are their bones, muscles, and skin. I¡¯ve already learned the Jade Bone Picture, so I still need the Golden Scale Picture and the Dragon Form Picture. The Golden Scale Picture is in Jiang Zhahu¡¯s hands, and the Dragon Form Picture should be in the hands of a certain vassal prince¡­¡± Because Ye Jingtang¡¯s body was indeed uncomfortable, he sat down on the mat again. He thought for a moment and frowned. ¡°The pictures of the Roaring Dragon Chart are not cabbages. If 1 have one, 1 can dominate a region like Jiang Zhahu. Just because i accidentally bumped into you, I have to find two pictures of the Roaring Dragon Chart for you¡­¡± Daoist Xuanji knew the weight of the Roaring Dragon Chart and naturally understood that her request was a little unreasonable. She slowly sat on the opposite side and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if you find them, I¡¯m only borrowing them. Even if I have to hand them to the Imperial Court according to the law, I¡¯ll ask Her Majesty to let you be the custodian. You can teach them to whoever you want without asking the Imperial Court. And the rewards that the Imperial Court should give you will not be missing a single cent. I can also satisfy an additional wish of yours.¡± When Ye Jingtang heard these conditions, his heart couldn¡¯t help skipping a beat. Dumdum had let him learn the Jade Bone Picture unconditionally, and she cared about him very much. He had always wanted to return the favor and let her learn the Dragon Form Picture. But if he took it out, he would have to hand it over according to the law. It was taboo to keep it for himself. In the future, if he wanted to teach it to others, he would have to inform the Imperial Court and go to the palace to check it out. If he could get the right to decide freely through Daoist Xuanji¡¯s promises, this matter would be much easier to handle¡­ With this in mind, Ye Jingtang asked, ¡°If 1 really find them, what wish can Fairy Lu satisfy?¡± Daoist Xuanji was looking for the Roaring Dragon Chart to extend her disciple¡¯s life. She also knew that this task was very difficult. In order to motivate Ye Jingtang, she deliberately pretended to be improper and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s up to you. As long as you¡¯re not afraid that Liren will send you to the castration room, 1 can consider some immoral requests.¡± Ye Jingtang felt that she was teasing him again. He shook his head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have any improper thoughts about you, so why would I make any improper requests? Let¡¯s talk about it when I find them. If I really have a request then, just don¡¯t go back on your word.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a deal.¡± Ye Jingtang and Daoist Xuanji had come out together, so he didn¡¯t have the Dragon Form Picture with him. Even if he did, it was impossible for him to take it out now. He had to find a reasonable origin for it. He didn¡¯t say anything else and continued applying the wound medicine. ¡°Please go out first. Don¡¯t look at anything inappropriate.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Chapter 373 - Chapter 373: Go Home (1) Chapter 373: Go Home (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The sky gradually darkened. Lanterns were hung in the corridors and pavilions of the Prince of Wu Estate. Countless imperial guards and constables of the Black Office were walking through the estate on patrol. From time to time, a flame would rise in the large garden at the back of the prince¡¯s estate. Then it would explode in the sky and turn into stars. The voices of women were faintly audible. ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°Your Majesty, this is fun. It can spin on the ground¡­¡± ¡°Your Majesty, be careful of your hands¡­¡± In the large garden, a few palace maids were holding palace lanterns and watching in fear. The empress dowager, who was wearing a dark red casual dress, was holding a flame stick in her hand and lighting all kinds of fireworks. Hongyu had instructed the imperial guards to collect the fireworks from Rising Sun City. The largest one could even explode into a colorful flower in midair. They were much better-looking than the ones Ye Jingtang had casually bought. But having fun was only fun when you had someone to accompany you. No matter how beautiful the fireworks were, it was a little monotonous to set them off alone with palace maids. The empress dowager looked at the fireworks in the sky, and her eyes revealed a hint of resentment. She was probably complaining that Daoist Xuanji had gone out to have fun and left her here again. And the empress dowager was not the only woman in the estate who felt bored. On an observation tower near the garden, Dongfang Liren was sitting upright in a python robe with a gorgeous river bank behind her. The few old officials accompanying her were standing in front of the desk with organized accounts and registers while narrating various matters seriously. Dongfang Liren was very serious about her work and would never be negligent. But no matter how patient she was, she couldn¡¯t withstand the nagging of these old officials. Especially the chief official from the Ministry of Revenue who came to investigate the Prince of Wu¡¯s private property, he could even tell her how many kilograms of soy sauce were left in the kitchen and reported to her everything in detail to show how rigorous he was. Dongfang Liren couldn¡¯t be impatient with how meticulous the official was. She even had to show her approval and listen attentively to him report the names of dishes. After she listened for an unknown period of time, hurried footsteps came from outside. Tread, tread, tread¡­ A chief constable of the Black Office ran over from the corridor with a letter in his hand. He shouted anxiously from afar, ¡°Report! Jun¡­ Jun Mountain Terrace¡­¡± His voice was out of breath, and it sounded like he had rushed back from outside at full speed. When the officials in front of the desk heard this anxious tone, which sounded like there was a report from Northern Liang, they ail stopped talking. Dongfang Liren¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and her expression changed slightly. Ye Jingtang had just set off for Jun Mountain Terrace yesterday morning. He should have just arrived today. Since her subordinate suddenly reported the news in such a hurry, something must have happened. Dongfang Liren quickly stood up, jumped out of the window, landed at the bottom of the observation tower, and asked in a deep voice, ¡°What happened at Jun Mountain Terrace?¡± The chief constable of the Black Office walked over to Dongfang Liren and bowed. Panting like an ox, he said, ¡°The Saber¡­ Saber Chief¡­ has changed! Sir Ye became famous in the battle at Jun Mountain Terrace this morning and beat the Marquis of Jun Mountain until he vomited three liters of blood¡­¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± Dongfang Liren was stunned. Then she revealed an incredulous expression. ¡°He beat Xuanyuan Chao?¡± The chief constable looked proud. ¡°The constables who went to investigate the movements of Jun Mountain Terrace saw it with their own eyes. The news is definitely true. It¡¯s said that the battle was quite brutal. Sir Ye first used the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade to break the Dragon Slaying Decree, then he used the Dragon Slaying Decree to break the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade. He beat the Marquis of Jun Mountain until he shut himself off and shouted for a quick death¡­¡± ¡°Xuanyuan Chao is dead?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s said that Sir Ye said, ¡®Killing you will dirty my saber¡¯. Then he hugged a beautiful woman in his arms and left on the waves. His charm is comparable to a deity¡¯s¡­¡± Dongfang Liren listened to the chief constable excitedly describe the scene at Jun Mountain Terrace. While she was happy, regret surged in her heart. After all, when a martial artist became a Martial Chief, they would become the top scholar among scholars. It was only once in a lifetime. If she missed such a grand occasion in Jianghu, it would be a pity for her for the rest of her life¡­ Seriously, why didn¡¯t I go with Master yesterday¡­ Just as Dongfang Liren was feeling regretful, she suddenly felt that something was wrong. She frowned and asked, ¡°What do you mean by ¡®hugged a beautiful woman in his arms and left on the waves¡¯? Who was he hugging?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± The chief constable knew that there was an unclear relationship between the Prince of Jing and Sir Ye. When he heard this question, his excited expression froze. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and hurriedly explained, ¡°Perhaps the people of Jianghu spread rumors and mistook the imperial teacher for Sir Ye¡¯s that. Sir Ye fought a bloody battle with the former Saber Chief and must have been seriously injured. It¡¯s reasonable for the imperial teacher to help him off the stage¡­¡± Dongfang Liren realized this point and looked anxious. ¡°How are Ye Jingtang¡¯s injuries?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. To defeat Xuanyuan Chao head-on, he must have serious injuries. Hopefully, his foundation isn¡¯t damaged. Otherwise¡­¡± Hearing this, Dongfang Liren was naturally worried. She immediately wanted to leave, but after taking a few steps, she turned back and instructed in a low voice, ¡°The Prince of Wu has been brought to justice. Get the imperial guards to pack up and prepare to break camp immediately. After I¡¯m done with some trivial matters, I¡¯ll immediately escort the Prince of Wu back to the capital.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness..¡± Chapter 374 - Chapter 374: Go Home (2) Chapter 374: Go Home (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The next day¡­ The wind and rain stopped, the warm morning sun shone down from the sky, and the Cloud Dream Swamp welcomed the autumn light all over the lake. The lake was as flat as a mirror, and the man and bird at the bow of the ship were reflected in the water. Because Daoist Xuanji wanted to be a flower protector, it was rare for her not to drink too much. At this moment, she had set up a small table at the bow of the ship. There were brushes, ink, paper, and an inkstone on it. The vermillion red wine gourd was placed beside her. She was sitting sideways behind the small table and raising a brush to outline the sea of people on Jun Mountain Terrace. Coupled with the light of the lake and the autumn sun, she looked like an otherworldly expert. In addition, there was a long rod beside the small table with a thin string hanging from the top, going into the water to catch fish. The bird was squatting beside her and sticking its head out to look at the lake. It was originally afraid of scaring away the fish and didn¡¯t dare to make a sound. But after waiting for a long time and seeing no movement, it couldn¡¯t help spreading its wings. ¡°Chirp chirp?¡± It meant: You heartless person, can you do it? After interacting with the bird for many days, Daoist Xuanji gradually understood what it meant. She slowly replied with the air of a swindler, ¡°Fishing is about ¡®those who are willing to take the bait¡¯. If they don¡¯t come, you can¡¯t ask for it. When they come, they will come even if you don¡¯t ask¡­¡± ¡°Chirp?¡± The bird¡¯s head was full of question marks. The meaning was probably: Those who are willing to take the bait have to have a hook. How can you fish for breakfast with just a string? Seeing that Daoist Xuanji was useless, the bird was a little unhappy. It decided to get food for itself and jumped into the lake. Splash- The windows in the cabin were open, and a few weapons were leaning against the wall. Ye Jingtang had changed into a clean black robe and was lying flat on the mat with his travel bag as a pillow. After medical treatment and a night of rest, his complexion had returned to normal. However, it would take a hundred days for his seriously strained muscles and bones to recover. He definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to make a move again before returning to the capital. It was a dreamless night. Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t know how long had passed. When he felt that the light was a little dazzling, he opened his eyes to check and found that the morning sun was already rising outside the window. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Ye Jingtang frowned and propped himself up. He felt that his entire body was wobbly. It wasn¡¯t uncomfortable, but he was a little weak. He sat for a while before his limbs recovered their strength. He looked around. Hearing movement outside, he got up and pushed open the cabin door. When he looked over, he saw that the bird had turned itself into a drenched chicken and was flapping on the lake. Ye Jingtang shook his head. He arrived behind Daoist Xuanji and lowered his head to look at the painting table. Although Daoist Xuanji didn¡¯t look reliable, she was actually good at both civil and martial arts. This could be seen from her two disciples. Daoist Xuanji¡¯s painting style was similar to Dongfang Liren¡¯s, but because she had more experience, her paintings looked more natural. The lines were simple, and the ink was light, but she outlined the atmosphere and expressions perfectly. The content of the painting was the scene of three people standing on the io,ooo-square-foot stone platform in high spirits after he won. Ye Jingtang originally thought that the sea of people as the background was just a casual outline. But when he looked closer, he was surprised to find that although the crowd was blurry, he could sense everyone¡¯s movements and emotions through the blurry lines. He could even recall the young heroes and heroines he had seen yesterday through these blurry lines. Ye Jingtang leaned closer and praised, ¡°It¡¯s really good.¡± Daoist Xuanji didn¡¯t turn around. She casually lifted a piece of covered paper beside her, and the scene on the paper came into view. In a cabin, a beautiful heroine in snow-white clothes was holding a sword to protect a man behind her. Her expression was focused as she looked at the door as if she were facing a formidable enemy. Standing behind the beautiful heroine, the protected man wasn¡¯t wearing any clothes, and the area covered by rags was pressing against her full and perky buttocks¡­ ?! Ye Jingtang was stunned. He spread out his hands in disbelief and asked, ¡°Why did you draw this?¡± ¡°To keep it as evidence. If you go back on your word, 1 will hand this to Liren¡­¡± ¡°You drew this yourself. How can it be used as evidence? If you draw Feng Guancheng wearing a dragon robe, can you say that he¡¯s rebelling?¡± ¡°I painted it according to reality. When Liren asks you, you won¡¯t have a clear conscience. Why can¡¯t 1 use it as evidence?¡± Ye Jingtang opened his mouth and felt that what she said really made sense. He nodded and said, ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s fine as long as you don¡¯t feel awkward. Speaking of which, why don¡¯t you paint the scene where you took the initiative to jump into my arms and rub against me?¡± Daoist Xuanji said righteously, ¡°Why should 1 paint a picture of when I¡¯m in the wrong? To use it as evidence to threaten myself?¡± H ¡°j>n Ye Jingtang had nothing to say, so he simply stopped talking nonsense. He sat down at the side, took out some dry food, and ate while watching Daoist Xuanji paint. Daoist Xuanji had seen the big scoundrel yesterday. When she looked at Ye Jingtang again, her impression of him being upright and not getting close to women had completely disappeared. She didn¡¯t want to talk with him and just focused on painting without saying a word. After a moment of silence, before the bird could catch breakfast in the lake, at the end of the smooth lake, some ripples appeared, and a small boat floated over. When Daoist Xuanji saw this, she put on her veiled hat. Ye Jingtang put down his water bag and stood up with the Hornless Dragon Saber. ¡°Hero Qiu.¡± On the lake, Qiu Tianhe was on the black boat and floated across the lake for a few kilometers. Soon, he arrived nearby. ¡°I¡¯ve already finished helping you with the ordinary socializing in Jianghu. It¡¯s nothing serious. I still have to go to Yellow Springs Town. 1¡¯11 take my leave first.¡± When Ye Jingtang heard this, he flew up and landed on the black boat. ¡°I rented my boat from Yellow Springs Town. I have to go there too. It¡¯s on the way.¡± When Qiu Tianhe saw Muqing Saber, he knew that Ye Jingtang had been to the old wine shop. ¡°The owner of the wine shop is Xuanyuan Tiangang. Xuanyuan Tiangang and your foster father were good friends. Now that the grudge has been cleared, if you visit again, he will treat you as his nephew, but you two will inevitably feel awkward. The friendship between gentlemen is as calm as water. You can just remember the past friendship in your heart. There¡¯s no need to visit deliberately and say those superficial words.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Ye Jingtang was a little surprised, but after thinking about it, he nodded. ¡°Then, Hero Qiu, please give my greetings. And the Muqing Saber¡­¡± ¡°The Muqing Saber is Old Man Sun¡¯s weapon. In the past, when your foster father and 1 drank there, we were always envious. Old Man Sun even said that we weren¡¯t worthy. Since Xuanyuan Tiangang has given it to you, take it. Even if you can¡¯t use it, you can help choose a successor¡­¡± At this point, Qiu Tianhe glanced at the woman sitting in the distance and leaned closer to whisper, ¡°Yunli will definitely like it.¡± Ye Jingtang understood what Qiu Tianhe meant. He nodded and didn¡¯t say anything else. He changed the topic. ¡°Hero Qiu, where are you going next?¡± Qiu Tianhe thought for a moment. ¡°1 promised the Imperial Court that 1 wouldn¡¯t go to the South Firmament Mountains. I didn¡¯t manage to attain the position of Saber Chief, so I have nowhere to go. I plan to stay in Yellow Springs Town for a period of time. When I¡¯m bored one day, I¡¯ll go out and adventure.¡± Ye Jingtang smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re still in your prime. It¡¯s a bit early to retire now, but it¡¯s a good thing to take a short rest first. Perhaps you¡¯ll have an epiphany one day and comprehend a peerless saber technique. Then you can go out and become famous throughout the world.¡± Qiu Tianhe chuckled and accepted this beautiful blessing. After chatting for a while, he didn¡¯t stand on ceremony and cupped his hands. ¡°You can only see the vast ocean after crossing a thousand mountains. You can only meet your heart after traveling tens of thousands of miles. You still have a long way to go. 1 hope that everything will be smooth sailing for you in the future. We will meet again when we meet again.¡± Ye Jingtang cupped his hands and bowed. ¡°See you again in Jianghu.¡± A moment later, the painting table was moved to the black boat. Qiu Tianhe pulled up the sail and rode the boat to Yellow Springs Town. He would help return the ship and send the two horses back to the relay station. Ye Jingtang stood at the bow of the boat and watched the lonely sail sail away. He didn¡¯t have much emotion in his heart. After all, Jianghu was like this. People were always on the road. As long as they didn¡¯t stop, there would be a day when they would meet again. Daoist Xuanji stood in front of him and waited for the ship to disappear from sight before asking, ¡°Shall we go back now?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. Her Highness will definitely be very happy. Let¡¯s return and report the good news and our safety.¡± Daoist Xuanji had the same idea. She picked up the oars on the black boat and threw them to Ye Jingtang. ¡°You changed the boat, so you can row back the fifty-kilometer waterway yourself. I¡¯m not going to be your boat girl.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Ye Jingtang blinked and suddenly realized that something was wrong. The black boat didn¡¯t have a sail. Wouldn¡¯t he be tired to death if he rowed such a long waterway? ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? If you had said so, we would have left together and disembarked near Yellow Springs Town¡­¡± ¡°When men are talking, do women have the right to interrupt?¡± ? Ye Jingtang felt that Daoist Xuanji really knew how to be a wife. He shook his head and sighed. ¡°Sigh¡­ Forget it. Isn¡¯t it just rowing? Just treat it as returning to training¡­¡± As they chatted, the small black boat floated away on the lake, leaving a small white trail on the mirror-like lake. The beauty in white was painting at the bow of the ship, and the young master in black was swinging the two oars at the stern. Seeing this, the fluffy bird flew to the canopy and spread its wings. It probably wanted to replace the sail and help Tangtang. But¡­ ¡°This is a headwind. Retract your wings!¡± ¡°Chirp?¡± The bird turned around on the spot with its back facing the wind.. Its meaning was probably: The wind is a tailwind now¡­ Chapter 375 - Chapter 375: Rain in the Wu Mountains (1) Chapter 375: Rain in the Wu Mountains (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the depths of the Wu Mountains, the silver moon hung in the sky like a hook. In the rugged mountains and wilderness, two figures walked side by side up a mountainside and stopped in front of a cave with a collapsed entrance. The deep mountains and ancient forests were desolate, but there were some battle scars on the ground. There were still many throwing knives and flying needles on the ground. In front of the bushes not far away, there was a corpse hanging upside down. It had been exposed to the sun and heavy rain and had rotted. It was emitting a foul stench. Cao Aning was wearing a bamboo hat, dressed like a person of Jianghu, and carrying a straight saber wrapped in black cloth on his back. He squatted in front of the bushes. After carefully examining the corpse for a long time, he said in a low voice, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, Master Lu should have committed suicide.¡± Beside Cao Aning was a man in his early thirties in a brocade robe. When he heard this, he pointed at the pit that had been smashed into the ground. ¡°His entire body is covered in injuries. He was beaten like this, yet you¡¯re telling me that it¡¯s suicide?¡± Cao Aning gestured for him to calm down and pointed at the corpse¡¯s right hand. ¡°Master Lu was holding hidden weapons. It looks like he wanted to sneak attack an expert who was far more powerful than him, but in the end, he accidentally stabbed the hidden weapons into his own hand. I think the other party was quite surprised and couldn¡¯t be bothered to finish him off. It¡¯s really a little far-fetched to say that the murderer deliberately killed him.¡± ¡°A member of the Cutting Cloud Palace died in the wilderness. If we don¡¯t investigate clearly, won¡¯t it become a joke in Jianghu if word spreads?¡± ¡°Wu Province is so chaotic, and it¡¯s in the wilderness. No traces can be found after a heavy rain. We can¡¯t investigate.¡± Cao Aning stood up, placed his hands on his hips, and sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s get down to business first. We shouldn¡¯t delay our goal.¡± The brocade-robed man clenched his fists and checked the surroundings for a long time. He found that the murderer was impeccable and didn¡¯t leave any clues that could be used to deduce his identity. He could only put this matter aside for the time being and say, ¡°I just received news that Xuanyuan Chao has been removed from the Eight Chiefs. The new Saber Chief is called Ye Jingtang. Have you heard of him?¡± Cao Aning obviously knew the news. He raised his hand and wiped his face with a look of helplessness that said: If the King of Hell demands your life, no one can keep you safe. ¡°1 know him. When we were in the capital, we even fought in the government office¡¯s morgue. I took four or five blows from him.¡± ? The brocade-robed man frowned, his eyes filled with suspicion. ¡°You took four or five blows? Was Ye Jingtang fighting you with scissors?¡± Cao Aning wasn¡¯t surprised by the man¡¯s doubts at all. After all, he didn¡¯t know how he had gotten out of the capital alive. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°The Great King Ye of Hell is a person who predicts everything like a god. He¡¯s omniscient and can¡¯t be guessed with the knowledge of mortals at all. As long as he¡¯s around, 1 will never take half a step into the capital. Don¡¯t say I¡¯m a coward. You¡¯ll know when you go there.¡± The brocade-robed man frowned and said, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about anything else. The title of Saber Chief is enough for us to be respectful. If I have a choice, I won¡¯t provoke him. However, the higher-ups have already begun to plan. They will definitely deal with him in the capital in the future. If this person is as omnipotent as you say, how will the higher-ups act?¡± Cao Aning thought for a moment. ¡°There will be a time when he¡¯s exhausted. The Great King Ye of Hell doesn¡¯t have three heads and six arms. When the time comes, let¡¯s see if we can send him away.¡± ¡°Send him away¡­¡± The brocade-robed man deliberated for a moment and said, ¡°The Imperial Court must be looking for the Dragon Form Picture. It should be in the hands of the Northern Liang Thief Sage. Why don¡¯t we spread false news that the Thief Sage is preparing to steal from Jiang Zhahu? We might be able to lure Daoist Xuanji and Ye Jingtang over there¡­¡± Cao Aning thought that this was a good idea. He turned around and said, ¡°Write a letter to the higher-ups and let them make the arrangements. Let¡¯s go to Northern Liang first.¡± The brocade-robed man dug a hole and buried the corpse before walking down the mountain side by side with Cao Aning. On the way, he asked, ¡°Have you really fought against the new Saber Chief?¡± ¡°Why would I lie to you? Those who can become Martial Chiefs have luck that far exceeds ordinary people. It¡¯s not impossible for them to have a sudden enlightenment and greatly increase their skills in a short period of time. Great King Ye of Hell is much younger than me. He will definitely be more powerful in the future. If we have to think of a way to take him in for our own use¡­¡± ¡°What a man desires is nothing more than power, money, fame, and sex. The empress can give him all these things. Even if he¡¯s unwilling to submit to others and wants to be the emperor, he can still plot to attain the country from the harem. Such a person is definitely loyal to the Imperial Court. There¡¯s no need to think about buying him over. It¡¯s more practical to win over the Pacifying Heaven Cult¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± Chapter 376 - Chapter 376: Rain in the Wu Mountains (2) Chapter 376: Rain in the Wu Mountains (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the blink of an eye, two days passed. On the flat river channel of the grand Wuxi Canal, countless ferries and cargo ships were moving steadily under the warm autumn light. On a merchant ship loaded with groceries, three sails swelled into an arc in the air, looking like things that a girl would feel very good about. At the back of the merchant ship, there was a rope tied to the bow of a small black boat. On the black boat, Daoist Xuanji¡¯s skirt was hanging in the air as she sat at the bow. She was holding a homemade bamboo flute in her hand and playing a tune. ¡°Wuu~ Wuu~¡± Beside her, the bird was lying lazily in a bamboo hat, swaying and basking under the autumn sun, humming along. Under the boat canopy, Ye Jingtang was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, still recuperating. The day before yesterday, they had set off from the vicinity of the 72 islands of Jun Mountain at noon and rowed out of the Cloud Dream Swamp with his bare hands. The troublesome bird even tried various tricks to increase the ¡®wind resistance¡¯. Although the scenery was beautiful and the company was beautiful, the experience was really not good. Fortunately, there were many ships coming and going in the Cloud Dream Swamp. After he rowed for less than ten kilometers, they encountered a merchant ship heading to Wu Province to do the medicinal herb business. Ye Jingtang was injured. If he rode back on a horse, he would be half-dead. For this reason, he gave a few taels of silver as ship fare and hitched a ride. The merchant ship was full of goods and had no place to stay, so he tied the black boat behind. The merchant ship was carrying a lot of cargo, so it didn¡¯t travel fast. After two days of sailing, it crossed the Wuxi Estuary and turned into the Wu River. When the ship left the Wuxi Estuary, a checkpoint set up by the Imperial Court appeared on the shore. There were also a few warships patrolling the water and checking the merchant ships entering and exiting the checkpoint. When Daoist Xuanji saw this scene, she suddenly thought of something. She put down the bamboo flute and turned around. ¡°Ye Jingtang.¡± Ye Jingtang¡¯s eyelashes fluttered. Then he opened his eyes, got up, and walked out of the boat canopy. ¡°What is it? Is there a situation?¡± Daoist Xuanji picked up her wine gourd and took a sip. ¡°You seem to be in some trouble. Right now, you¡¯re in the limelight. But before long, your reputation will be ruined, and everyone will scold you.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Ye Jingtang was slightly puzzled. He threw the stupid bird to the back and sat at the side. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Sabermen are the same as swordsmen. Their Jianghu air is very heavy. They pay attention to chivalry, kindness, hatred, and the rules of Jianghu. When necessary, they should break the rules and use force to resist the injustices of the Imperial Court. The Saber Chief should do the same. But you are the deputy commander of the Black Office, the king of dogs among the eagles and dogs of the Imperial Court¡­¡± ? Ye Jingtang¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Can¡¯t you say the king of eagles?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all the same.¡± Daoist Xuanji continued, ¡°If you get close to the Imperial Court, you will naturally be far away from Jianghu and will be ostracized by the people of Jianghu. Not to mention the Black Office, which specializes in dealing with the people of Jianghu, countless people hate it to the core. ¡°Your reputation in the future will probably be similar to that of those damn eunuchs of the previous dynasty. Relying on the favor of the emperor, you are slanderous, domineering, cruel, and unscrupulous. You bully men and women everywhere and harm the righteous people of Jianghu. If nothing unexpected happens, you will soon surpass Xuanyuan Chao to become the most notorious Saber Chief in history.¡± Ye Jingtang chuckled at this. ¡°Justice is in the hearts of people. Those who commit evil will see me as a role model and admire me in every way, but I won¡¯t hesitate to kill them. If those with good character are disdainful of me, I won¡¯t make things difficult for them. I will naturally be happy to have a good reputation, but if not, I really don¡¯t care much.¡± Daoist Xuanji raised her eyebrows in approval of these words. She handed her wine gourd over. ¡°You mean, from power, money, fame, and sex, you only have sex?¡± Ye Jingtang took the wine gourd and looked a little speechless. He didn¡¯t respond. Just as he raised the wine gourd and took a sip, he noticed from the corner of his eye that several large ships were sailing over on the river in the distance. ¡°Chirp?¡± The bird, who had been taking an afternoon nap behind them, immediately perked up when it saw this. It flapped its wings and flew toward the ships¡­ A while ago, in the fleet¡­ After learning that Ye Jingtang had become famous in the battle on Jun Mountain Terrace, Dongfang Liren was eager to return home. The Prince of Wu and the people involved in the rebellion had already been arrested. After working overtime and arranging all kinds of trivial matters overnight, she led some officials and the imperial guards to set off and return first. Luo Ning and Pei Xiangjun were Ye Jingtang¡¯s confidants, so it was naturally inappropriate for him to return if they didn¡¯t go back together. They followed the Prince of Jing¡¯s ship and stayed in their room without showing their faces. As for the empress dowager, she had traveled for many days but had to return home after setting off some fireworks. She was definitely unhappy. At this moment, the large room on the third floor of the ship was full of rare items collected from the Prince of Wu Estate. The ¡®scissoring¡¯ screen was folded and erected by the wall. The empress dowager was dressed as a female official and looking at the scenery on the river with a telescope. She said resentfully, ¡°It only takes a few days from here to Jiang Province. When we pick Ye Jingtang up, accompany me to my maiden home. I¡¯ve been in the palace for so many years. Even if I have no merit, I have worked hard, and my seniority is also there¡­¡± Dongfang Liren was wearing a military uniform and holding a shiny saber in her hand. She was fully focused on practicing her saber skills and striving to defeat Ye Jingtang as soon as possible. Upon hearing this, Dongfang Liren replied, ¡°We have a few thousand people with us, and the itinerary has been arranged. If we run around, we will definitely be impeached by the court officials. When I¡¯m free in the future, I will escort you back to your hometown for a visit with Master and Ye Jingtang¡­¡± The empress dowager knew that it was unrealistic to go south now. What she wanted was just hope. She sighed softly and said, ¡°Then it¡¯s a deal. If you dare to lie to me, I¡¯ll learn from The Secret History of the Romantic Empress¡­ Eh?¡± While the empress dowager was talking, she noticed that something was wrong with the river surface. She looked carefully through the telescope and saw a small tail hanging from the back of a large ship a few kilometers away. Upon closer inspection, she could see that it was a small black boat. At the bow of the boat sat a man and a woman. The man was dressed in black and chatting and laughing in high spirits. The woman¡¯s white dress was as white as snow, and she looked delicate and charming¡­ The empress dowager was delighted at first, but she immediately frowned and narrowed her eyes as she carefully sized them up. The two of them were sitting side by side at the bow of the ship and talking about something. Shuishui, who had never been proper, even handed her wine gourd to the handsome man beside her. They looked like an intimate husband and a wife accompanying each other¡­ ??! The empress dowager felt as if she had been struck by lightning. The moment she saw this scene, she had already thought of Shuishui¡¯s child and whether the child should call her grandmother or aunt? Oh my god! The empress dowager¡¯s eyes were full of disbelief. Just as she was about to take a closer look, she was discovered by the ship. Then Ye Jingtang hurriedly stood up¡­ Is this a guilty conscience? Seeing that the empress dowager was silent, Dongfang Liren put away her saber and came to her back. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Huh? Is that Ye Jingtang and Master?¡± The empress dowager looked away from the telescope with a complicated look in her eyes. But it wasn¡¯t appropriate for her to say anything about something that had not been confirmed.. She could only silently note this down¡­ Chapter 377 - Chapter 377: Rain in the Wu Mountains (3) Chapter 377: Rain in the Wu Mountains (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios A moment later, the small black boat docked at the bottom of the majestic lead ship. Daoist Xuanji flew tip to the deckhouse while Ye Jingtang landed on the deck. Countless chief constables of the Black Office had been waiting for a long time. They all went forward to congratulate him. ¡°Sir Ye, you are amazing¡­¡± ¡°My humble heart¡¯s admiration for you is like a surging river ¡­¡± The chief constables of the Black Office were all experts. Although they were not in Jianghu, their yearning for the title of Martial Chief was not much lower than that of ordinary Jianghu people. In addition, Ye Jingtang was usually very easy-going in the Black Office and had a good relationship with them. At this moment, a few familiar people were preparing to take out their sabers and ask Ye Jingtang to carve two words on them. Fortunately, Dumdum quickly walked down from the deckhouse and put on a dignified expression. ¡°If you have nothing to do, go patrol. Why are you all gathered here?¡¯1 The deck immediately fell silent, and the chief constables fled in all directions. Ye Jingtang breathed a sigh of relief. He went forward and cupped his hands. ¡°Your Highness!¡± Dongfang Linen stood with her hands behind her back and tried her best not to be excited. She sized him up. ¡°How are your injuries?¡± ¡°They¡¯re nothing serious. I just need to recuperate for a while.¡± Dongfang Liren turned around and walked into the deckhouse. When there was no one around, she raised her hand and pressed Ye Jingtang¡¯s wrist to check. Seeing that the injuries weren¡¯t serious, she felt relieved and said with a little envy, ¡°It¡¯s only been a few months, but you¡¯re already the Saber Chief¡­¡± Ye Jingtang smiled and said, ¡°If Your Highness hadn¡¯t taught me the Dragon Slaying Decree and given me the Jade Bone Picture, how could 1 have defeated Xuanyuan Chao? My victory was all thanks to Your Highness¡¯s nurturing.¡± ¡°Hmph-d How long have you been the deputy commander? You¡¯ve already learned how to flatter like officials¡­¡± Dongfang Liren was in a very good mood, and her tone softened. ¡°You took the first credit in pacifying the Prince of Wu¡¯s rebellion, and you won the Saber Chief title. I will definitely reward you handsomely. Tell me, what reward do you want?¡± ¡°Reward¡­¡± Ye Jingtang tilted his head and looked at the beautiful Dumdum. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°I did these things to try to make it up to Your Highness. As long as Your Highness doesn¡¯t mind rhe previous offense.¡± Dongfang Liren had asked Ye Jingtang to pay off the debt he had incurred at the Bright Yang Pool. She didn¡¯t expect him to work so hard. Even though she didn¡¯t mind too much, she still felt ashamed and embarrassed deep down in her heart. Although Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t take the initiative to ask, she couldn¡¯t break the rules of a superior being clear about rewards and punishments. Dongfang Liren slowly walked up the stairs and glanced at Ye Jingtang. ¡°How about 1 paint you a picture album?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Ye Jingtang stopped. When he thought of Dumdum¡¯s lifelike painting skills, his eyes lit up. ¡°Tears of a Heroine?¡± Dongfang Liren took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°If you want it, I naturally won¡¯t dampen your mood, even if it¡¯s Tears of a Heroine. However¡­ 1 won¡¯t paint those shameless scenes. I will only paint things like holding hands¡­¡± Ye Jingtang hurriedly shook his head and advised seriously, ¡°It¡¯s just painting. This is art about the human body, and you can¡¯t look at them from a secular perspective. Of course, if Your Highness feels uncomfortable, I won¡¯t force you¡­¡± Dongfang Liren saw that Ye Jingtang wanted it very much. Although she felt that he was a pervert, she couldn¡¯t bear to reject him. She took a step back. ¡°In any case, I won¡¯t paint those abnormal plots. At most, 1 will paint horse riding¡­ Cough¡­¡± II II Ye Jingtang felt that he had completely led Dumdum astray and wanted to laugh. But before the corners of his mouth curled up, his waist was pinched. He hurriedly raised his hand. ¡°Hiss I¡¯m injured¡­¡± Dongfang Liren¡¯s annoyed expression changed. She quickly let go and massaged Ye Jingtang¡¯s waist. ¡°Alright, go lie down in your room and rest well. Ning¡¯er and Third Lady are in the last room on the second floor, the one with two doors. You¡­ The empress dowager is upstairs. Don¡¯t be too unbridled!¡± Ye Jingtang understood what he meant and said helplessly, ¡°I¡¯m wobbly when 1 walk. What can I be unbridled about? Then, 1¡¯11 go rest first. When will Your Highness finish painting?¡± ¡°Do you think my work is the same as those small workshops¡¯ New Year paintings? I can t finish an entire book in a few months¡­¡± ¡°Hehe¡­¡± At the same time, on the top floor of the deckhouse¡­ The bird, who had been wandering outside for a few days and had nothing to do, pretended to have worked hard and contributed a lot. It lay half-dead on the balcony and let Hongyu feed it little strips of meat. Daoist Xuanji leaned against the couch, unfolded a painting, and told the empress dowager about her experience at Jun Mountain Terrace. But the empress dowager clearly wasn¡¯t in the mood to pay attention to this. After chatting for a while, she suddenly asked, ¡°Shui¡¯er, tell me honestly. Did you do something to Ye Jingtang when you went out?¡± Daoist Xuanji was baffled. She turned to look at the curious woman who was pretending to be serious. ¡°Do what?¡± ¡°That¡­ You must understand what 1 mean. Don¡¯t pretend to be stupid!¡± Daoist Xuanji indeed understood. She shook her head and sighed. ¡°Why don¡¯t you suspect that Ye Jingtang did something to me?¡± ¡°How is that possible? Your martial arts skills are so good. If you don¡¯t give him a chance, what can he do to you? Moreover, Ye Jingtang is such a righteous person. How can he have any thoughts about you? On the other hand, you¡¯re flirtatious¡­¡± ? When Daoist Xuanji heard this, she finally understood how Luo Ning felt when she questioned her. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you think rd take the initiative to seduce Ye Jingtang?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the empress dowager said solemnly. ¡°1 saw it with my own eyes just now. You gave him your wine gourd and let him drink¡­¡± ¡°Inviting him to drink is seducing him? Then, since he set off fireworks to make you happy, doesn¡¯t that mean he¡¯s already deeply in love with you?¡± The empress dowager was stunned. She blinked her big eyes and leaned closer. ¡°Is that so?¡± Daoist Xuanji was speechless and said seriously, ¡°You are the empress dowager of the dynasty. You have to pay attention to your status. What if Liren hears this?¡± The empress dowager felt that it made sense, so she stopped talking¡­ Chapter 378 - Chapter 378: Rain in the Wu Mountains (4) Chapter 378: Rain in the Wu Mountains (4) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios On the second floor of the deckhouse, in a room near the stern¡­ In order to take care of each other on the way, Pei Xiangjun and Luo Ning stayed together. When they heard that Ye Jingtang had returned, the two women were a little impatient. Ye Jingtang had defeated Xuanyuan Chao and completed a magnificent feat that shocked the world. To others, it was unbelievable, but the two people who shared a bed with him naturally had to be calmer. After all, they knew how deep Ye Jingtang¡¯s foundation was. It was only a matter of time before he occupied a place among the Martial Chiefs. The two of them were more worried about Ye Jingtang¡¯s health. Luo Ning wanted to be more conservative. She sat upright in her chair and put on the appearance of a cold and heroic woman so as not to let Ye Jingtang come in and find her worried. But her constant stroking of her teacup still exposed the anxiety in her heart. On the other hand, Pei Xiangjun was not so particular. She was wearing a light yellow ruqun, pacing back and forth with her hands folded at her waist. Occasionally, she would lean against the door to eavesdrop. She frowned. Clearly, she felt that the princess was too clingy but couldn¡¯t say it out loud. After she waited for a while, footsteps finally sounded in the corridor. Pei Xiangjun hurriedly put on a mature and steady bearing and gently opened the door. Seeing that Ye Jingtang was alone in the corridor, she said, ¡°Jingtang, did Her Highness go up?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ye Jingtang quickly walked to the door and raised his arms to hug the delicate Third Lady. He was slightly proud. ¡°I¡¯m the Saber Chief now. Am I powerful?¡± Pei Xiangjun was afraid that the palace maids would see her, so she hurriedly pulled Ye Jingtang into the room and said, ¡°Impressive. When Ning¡¯er first received the news, she jumped up and was as happy as a monkey¡­¡± Bang! Luo Ning, who was combing her hair, frowned when she heard this. She patted the tea table lightly. ¡°Who was as happy as a monkey? If I hadn¡¯t stopped you, you would have sneaked away to Jun Mountain Terrace without even changing your clothes. You even said that I¡­¡± ¡°I was worried about Jingtang¡¯s safety.¡± Pei Xiangjun held Ye Jingtang¡¯s wrist and checked his pulse. ¡°How are your injuries?¡± Ye Jingtang rubbed his waist. ¡°My entire body hurts when 1 walk. I haven¡¯t recovered even after resting for a few days. Xuanyuan Chao is indeed domineering. Before I saw him, I didn¡¯t expect him to be so big. Tu Jiuji is considered a little fatty standing in front of him¡­¡± Luo Ning originally wanted to be aloof, but seeing Ye Jingtang like this, she couldn¡¯t hold back anymore. She stood up, walked over to him, rolled up his sleeve, and checked his pulse. ¡°Is there anyone who can wield the heavy Jun Mountain Saber who has a small physique? Xuanyuan Chao probably weighs more than a hundred and fifty kilograms and walks the path of external martial arts. Few people in this world can withstand a full-strength slash from him. You will definitely suffer if you fight head-on¡­¡± Seeing Luo Ning still disciplining her man, Pei Xiangjun retorted, ¡°If he doesn¡¯t fight head-on, should he learn the Nine Palace Steps from you and wait for Xuanyuan Chao to spin his saber?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Ye Jingtang raised his hand to stop the fight and said with a smile, ¡°Help me apply some medicine. I¡¯ve been applying medicine myself for the past two days on the way. The black boat is the size of a palm, and there¡¯s no comfortable place to lie down. I really have to rest well.¡± Hearing this, Luo Ning stopped arguing. She helped Ye Jingtang lie down on the canopy bed and helped him take off his shoes. Pei Xiangjun guessed that Daoist Xuanji wouldn¡¯t help Jingtang recuperate. He must have been holding it in for a few days. She thought for a moment and patted the waist of Luo Ning, who was leaning over. ¡°I¡¯ll apply the medicine while you get down to business.¡± Luo Ning straightened up, her peach blossom-like beautiful eyes looking slightly annoyed. ¡°He¡¯s already injured to this extent, yet you still want to torture him? It will take him a hundred days to recover from his injuries. Let him rest well for the next three months¡­¡± ¡°Uh?!¡± Ye Jingtang¡¯s weak appearance disappeared, and he sat up in shock. ¡°My body is just a little strained. It¡¯s not to the point of being bedridden¡­¡± Luo Ning knew that Ye Jingtang would be like this. She pressed him back down and let him lie down. ¡°It¡¯s broad daylight. Daoist Xuanji and the others are all above, and there are many palace maids around. Aren¡¯t you afraid of being heard?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying that I don¡¯t need to rest for three months. We won¡¯t be back for a few days¡­¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± As they chatted, several ships filled with imperial guards slowly sailed into the Wuxi Estuary under the autumn light of the blue sky, heading toward the distant capital¡­ Chapter 379 - Chapter 379: Return to the Capital (1) Chapter 379: Return to the Capital (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the blink of an eye, it was already mid-July. The sun rose in the morning, and the golden morning light shone on Heavenly Water Bridge. In the mansion deep in the alley of the Pei family, the maidservants who had woken up early gathered in the corridor after finishing their work and chatted. ¡°It¡¯s absolutely true. 1 heard it from Escort Head Chen himself. Young Master Ye ran to Jun Mountain Terrace in Ze Province and split the lake in half with a saber. The former Saber Chief flew more than two kilometers away¡­¡± ¡°Two kilometers?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. After Young Master Ye finished fighting, he rode the wind and left with a stunning beauty in his arms¡­¡± ¡°Who was he hugging? It can¡¯t be Third Lady, right?¡± ¡°Sister Xiuhe said no. Third Lady is so reserved. For her to let Young Master Ye hold her in public, I¡¯m afraid the sun will rise from the west¡­¡± The chatter spread into the elegant west residence. Zhe Yunli, who had been practicing boxing by the lake every day, was rarely absent. In the boudoir where the young lady lived in the west residence, the doors and windows were closed. There was a table in the outer room with a soft blanket covering it. Mahjong tiles made of white jade were neatly placed on it. On the small table were homework, brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. The inner room was separated by a bead curtain. On the screen was a light blue dress. A saber that was over three feet long was placed on the dressing table. Beside it were rouge, powder, hairpin boxes, and other small items such as the bird¡¯s wooden donkey and jade turtle. On the elegant bed, Zhe Yunli, who was wearing white pajamas, was lying spread-eagle on the pillow. Her loose collar revealed a hint of fairness, and her spirited face was full of gloom. From time to time, she would turn over and sigh. In a few days, Zhe Yunli would be 16 years old. She would completely turn from a little girl into a proper heroine. According to the customs of Jianghu, girls could marry a husband at the age of 16 and go out to wander Jianghu alone. On such an important day, her master was thousands of kilometers away in the South Firmament Mountains, and her martial mistress had run away with Brother Jingtang. No one knew when she would return, and even the lazy bird wasn¡¯t around. Zhe Yunli hadn¡¯t slept well these past few days. She had woken up early today and was tossing and turning in bed, thinking about her future plans. Now that she was a grown-up girl, her martial mistress wouldn¡¯t force her to copy books and spank her butt anymore, right¡­ Since she wasn¡¯t a little girl anymore, she had to have great aspirations. As a saber user, her aspirations were naturally to fight for the title of Saber Chief. She wondered if getting Brother Jingtang drunk and beating him up counted¡­ After she let her imagination run wild for most of the day, it was already late in the morning. Perhaps because she was afraid that the maidservants of the Pei family would laugh at her if she got up at noon, Zhe Yunli slowly got out of bed. After washing up, she changed into a dress, dressing up as a scholarly young lady. She went out to the street alone. The autumn weather was cool, and there were many people on the streets of the capital. Zhe Yunli walked through the streets and alleys. After wandering aimlessly for half a day, she had a few bags of snacks in her hand. Unknowingly, she returned to Dye Workshop Street. The renovations of Dye Workshop Street were basically over. Now, the street had a brand new look. The stores on both sides were being renovated, and a few of the fastest ones had already started operations. There were also more carriages and pedestrians on the street that was rarely visited in the past. There were many potted plants in the small courtyard of Double Osmanthus Alley. They hadn¡¯t moved yet, so naturally these things had not been moved. Before Luo Ning left, she had instructed her to come here often to take a look and water them. Zhe Yunli was munching on melon seeds. After greeting the steward of the Pei family on the street, she walked toward Double Osmanthus Alley, still thinking about her plans for when she grew up. But just as she turned into the alley, she suddenly found a sneaky figure loitering outside the small courtyard in the depths of the alley. Zhe Yunli immediately came back to her senses and looked carefully. It was a girl dressed as a maidservant. She was leaning on the wall and looking inside. Her legs were hanging in the air as if she had fallen onto the wall. ?? Zhe Yunli was stunned. Her eyes showed surprise at first, then panic. She looked around. The maidservant in the alley spotted Zhe Yunli from the corner of her eye. She was slightly surprised. At first, she didn¡¯t recognize her. After carefully identifying her, she fell from the wall and said in surprise, ¡°Miss, Miss¡­¡± Zhe Yunli hurriedly raised her hand to signal the maidservant not to be shocked. She quickly walked up to her and looked around. ¡°Ping¡¯er, why are you here? Where is Master?¡± Ping¡¯er was the maidservant of the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master. She was usually in charge of cult master¡¯s meals and daily life. Because she was about the same age as Zhe Yunli, their relationship was quite close. After not seeing Zhe Yunli for nearly half a year, Ping¡¯er was very excited. She held her hand and said, ¡°The cult master didn¡¯t come. 1 originally asked someone to send a letter to Madam, but 1 was afraid that you wouldn¡¯t be able to eat well or wear warm clothes, so 1 asked for permission to come here¡­¡± Hearing this, Zhe Yunli couldn¡¯t help becoming nervous. ¡°Master wants us to return to the South Firmament Mountains?¡± Ping¡¯er nodded. ¡°Madam isn¡¯t around, and the cult master has been taking care of everything. It¡¯s been almost half a year. It would be fine if Madam were busy with serious matters, but Madam hasn¡¯t done anything¡­¡± Zhe Yunli brought Ping¡¯er back to the courtyard and frowned slightly. ¡°What do you mean hasn¡¯t done anything? Martial Mistress and 1 have already saved Hero Qin¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You should go back after saving him. Why are you still staying in the capital?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Martial Mistress still has something important to do. We¡¯ll go back after she¡¯s done.¡± ¡°The cult master said that if the matter of entering the palace can¡¯t be done, then forget it.¡± Ping¡¯er sat on a small stool and said seriously, ¡°How risky is it to sneak into the palace? It doesn¡¯t matter if Madam¡¯s martial arts skills are mediocre, but she can¡¯t find out enough information. The new Saber Chief is from the Imperial Court. There¡¯s such a powerful expert, but Madam has stayed in the capital for half a year and hasn¡¯t mentioned a word¡­¡± ¡öi ii Zhe Yunli blinked. Because her martial mistress was the one in charge of these major matters, she couldn¡¯t spout nonsense. She replied, ¡°Martial Mistress has her reasons. The matter of entering the palace is almost certain. Just go back and reply to Master like this. We will go back after we¡¯re done.¡± Ping¡¯er shook her head. ¡°That won¡¯t do. A few days ago, the cult master said that Madam can¡¯t even figure out who the experts of the Imperial Court are. It¡¯s easy for something to go wrong if you two stay in the capital. The cult master asked me to call you back. If there¡¯s really a way to do something serious, report the progress to me without delay¡­¡± Report the progress??Zhe Yunli sat up straight, a little unhappy. ¡°Did Master ask you to supervise Martial Mistress and me?¡± Ping¡¯er hurriedly shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not supervision. I¡¯m just helping run errands and take care of food and daily life. If Miss or Madam don¡¯t like it, 1¡¯11 go back, and the cult master can come personally.¡± Master will come? Zhe Yunli felt that if her master came here, her happy days of walking in the day and playing mahjong at night would be completely over. Thinking about it, she could only brace herself and say, ¡°How could I not like it? It¡¯s good that you¡¯re here. I haven¡¯t finished copying the books¡­¡± ¡°The cult master said that I¡¯m not allowed to copy books for you. 1 still have to check on behalf of the cult master every day. If you¡¯re disobedient, the cult master will send someone to take you back.¡± Zhe Yunli opened her mouth.. Although she didn¡¯t say anything, she felt that the entire world had turned gray¡­ Chapter 380 - Chapter 380: Return to the Capital (2) Chapter 380: Return to the Capital (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At night, downstream of the Clear River¡­ A fleet formed by several giant ships was sailing smoothly on the river. On the second floor of the deckhouse of the leading ship, the light in the room near the stern was on. Ye Jingtang had a saber hanging at his waist. He was standing by the window with his hands behind his back, looking at the surging river behind him with a helpless look in his eyes. If there was no milk to drink when there were three girls, then staying with five girls and more than ten palace maids was basically equivalent to confinement. The cabins in the deckhouse were all occupied by women. The rooms on the second floor were the rooms of the accompanying palace maids, and the rooms of the empress dowager and Dumdum were upstairs. Daoist Xuanji, who had keen ears and eyes, also stayed upstairs. There were also imperial guards and experts from the Black Office in charge of security outside the deckhouse. Not to mention that Ye Jingtang couldn¡¯t do much with Ning¡¯er and Third Lady day after day, but it was even inconvenient for them to go out and walk. For the past few days, he basically didn¡¯t leave his room and lay on his bed to recuperate. Ning¡¯er and Third Lady stayed next door. During the day, they would come over to apply medicine. They would let him kiss and pinch them, but they didn¡¯t dare to stay in the room at night. As for the three women upstairs, Dumdum was afraid that her master would misunderstand, so she only visited when the female doctor came to take his pulse. Daoist Xuanji was afraid that the empress dowager would misunderstand, so she drank wine all day and didn¡¯t come over at all. As for the empress dowager, needless to say, there was no reason to see him at all. Because it was too boring to stay in the room, even the bird was unwilling to accompany him. It ran upstairs to eat and drink all day and basically never came down. The ships had set off from the Wuxi Canal. After sailing against the current for a few days, they had already arrived near the River Shore Wharf, which was less than five kilometers away from the government port outside the capital. The fleet was full of imperial guards, and they were also escorting the Prince of Wu, Yao Wenzhong, Bai Siming, and other rebel leaders. When they arrived at the government port, thousands of people would enter the city. There would probably be many things to do. Seeing that the official ships behind were already packing up and preparing to disembark, Ye Jingtang turned around and walked out of his room. In the next room, Ning¡¯er and Third Lady were packing up. Although the door was closed, with Ye Jingtang¡¯s perception, he could still hear their whispers. ¡°Finally. Jingtang must have been holding it in¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m going back to accompany Yunli. Didn¡¯t you say last time that you won¡¯t break down? He¡¯s been recharging his energy for so long. You can test his strength alone¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been holding it in too. You rubbed against my arm last night. You definitely won¡¯t be able to hold it in in the middle of the night and will come over to join in the fun¡­¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m like you? 1 can¡¯t wait to have a few days of peace¡­¡± ¡°Just keep pretending¡­¡± Ye Jingtang listened for a while and didn¡¯t interrupt. He went up the stairs to the third floor. This ship was a treasure ship used by the empress when she went out. The third floor was quite magnificent and spacious, but there were not many rooms. It was only divided into a study, a bedroom, and an outer hall for viewing the scenery. The empress dowager was about to return to the palace to be a canary in a cage again. She was definitely reluctant to leave. She was standing on the balcony and looking at the scenery along the river. As expected, Daoist Xuanji was drunk again. She was standing behind the empress dowager with her arms around her waist and her chin on her shoulder. It was unknown what she was doing, but when she saw Ye Jingtang coming up, she turned around to take a look before turning her gaze back. In the study, the door was open. Dongfang Liren was sitting in front of the desk, writing something on a piece of paper with her back straight. She looked extremely focused, like she was reviewing memorials and thinking about national affairs. Ye Jingtang wanted to knock on the door, but after some thought, he didn¡¯t do it. Relying on his strong martial arts skills, he silently sneaked into the study and quietly moved to the side of the desk. Looking over, he could see that Dumdum had an open copy of Tears of a Heroine beside her hand at the scene where the heroine was injured and being treated by the thief. On the few pieces of paper beside her, there were paintings. Half of them were of the environment described in the book. The flowers, plants, and trees had been carefully outlined without any sloppiness. The images of the chivalrous woman and the little thief were even more detailed. Although it was a painting on paper, Ye Jingtang could feel that the watermelons were far more abundant than those of ordinary women through the rise and fall of the lines. He could even sense how much strength the hands holding them were applying¡­ Seeing this, Ye Jingtang was astounded. It was similar to the scene of Dongfang Liren and him practicing martial arts. He carefully sized up the shameless little thief in the painting and realized that he was extremely handsome¡­ ? Ye Jingtang blinked and felt flattered. He didn¡¯t expect Dumdum to be so sincere. She actually used him as the model. Then he looked at the humiliated heroine. Although Dumdum had tried her best not to make her look different, the heroic spirit between her eyebrows still felt familiar¡­ H ii Ye Jingtang blinked. After holding it in for a long time, he only had one thought: No wonder the watermelons in the painting are so big¡­ Because he was afraid of disturbing her, Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t say anything. He just stood not far away and looked at her quietly. Dongfang Liren was fully focused on painting. After finishing a painting, she even wrote the plot of the book in the blank space below. She could be said to be full of sincerity. After finishing writing, Dongfang Li put down her brush and stretched. ¡°Hmm- Ah?!¡± As soon as Dongfang Liren raised her arm, she found a young man in black standing not far away. Their eyes met. Dongfang Liren blinked, then her face turned red. She quickly blocked the paper on the table. ¡°Who let you in?¡± Ye Jingtang pretended not to see anything and gestured outside the window. ¡°The ship is about to arrive. 1 came up to ask about the arrangements. I saw that Your Highness was busy with work, so I didn¡¯t disturb you.¡± Dongfang Liren felt that Ye Jingtang must have been watching for a long time. After glancing at the erotic painting on the table from the corner of her eye, she put away the paper and said unhappily, ¡°You¡¯re my subordinate, so you must remember your identity. 1 originally wanted to draw a picture album for you, but since you¡¯re so arrogant and don¡¯t know etiquette because of my favor, this thing¡­¡± Seeing that Dumdum was about to quit, Ye Jingtang hurriedly apologized. ¡°I know my mistake. 1¡¯11 definitely inform you when I enter from now on.¡± Dongfang Liren harrumphed softly. Because she was painting it for Ye Jingtang, she didn¡¯t pursue the matter. Instead, she said, ¡°We still have to transfer the Prince of Wu and the other rebels to the custody of the Ministry of Justice. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll be busy for most of the night. You¡¯re injured, so you don¡¯t have to follow me. Go back and rest early. How are your injuries?¡± ¡°After recuperating for so many days, I¡¯m mostly recovered. 1¡¯11 report to the Black Office on time tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to be in such a hurry. You¡¯ve been busy since the murder case on Bamboo Street until now. You should relax for a few days. Aren¡¯t you moving to a new residence? When you¡¯re done, come to the Black Office. I will ask for a reward for you. With your merits this time, it shouldn¡¯t be difficult to get a title of nobility.¡± Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t care about these things. He smiled and said, ¡°Your Highness can do as you see fit. I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Dongfang Liren nodded slightly and began to organize the pieces of paper she had painted. She noticed that Ye Jingtang had taken a few steps before turning back. She frowned and said, ¡°Is there anything else?¡± ¡°These paintings, can¡ª¡± ¡°No way!¡± Dongfang Liren had worked so hard for so many days to paint these. If Ye Jingtang played with them, lost them, got them dirty, or stained them with strange things, she would probably vomit blood. For this reason, she pretended that there was no room for negotiation and waved her hand. ¡°1¡¯11 give them to you after I¡¯m done painting and binding them.¡± Hearing this, Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t force it and reminded, ¡°It¡¯s better to focus on business first. You can slowly paint these things. I¡¯m not in a hurry.¡± ¡°I know..¡± Chapter 381 - Chapter 381: Inside and Outside the Palace (1) Chapter 381: Inside and Outside the Palace (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The moon hung above branches. The lights on the port in the suburbs made it as bright as day. Hundreds of ships of all sizes were docked on the riverbank, and as far as the eye could see, there were flags flapping in the autumn wind. ¡°Woo!¡± A loud horn sounded from the river, and several giant official ships sailed into the port. The gangways were lowered from the official ships, and the imperial guards in black qilin armor filed out. Their solemn aura made the entire port instantly fall silent. On the river about a kilometer away from the port, a ship full of scholars was slowly floating on the river. In an elegant room at the back of the deckhouse, a white-browed old man dressed as a butler was standing by the window and looking at the port with a rattan cane. He said slowly, ¡°Back in the capital, when the princes were young, the Prince of Wu often took a ship to enjoy the sights on the Clear River. He wasn¡¯t good at academics, but he liked to be in the limelight. He said many obscure words without knowing what they meant. ¡°Because the Prince of Wu was incompetent, the Great Ancestor didn¡¯t discipline him strictly. He was also conferred a prince title to the peaceful land of Wu Province. The Great Ancestor only hoped that the Prince of Wu would enjoy a lifetime of wealth without illness or disaster, but he never expected that this man would overestimate himself to this extent¡­¡± In front of the old man with a goatee was a young master in a brocade robe. He was holding a folding fan in his hand and looked less than 30 years old. Although he was quite fit, he had a gentle and elegant temperament. He looked like a well-educated scholar. The young master¡¯s name was Dongfang Shuoyue, and he was the eldest son of the Prince of Yan. He was also the crown prince of Yan Province. Ten years ago, after the empress succeeded to the throne, he had entered the capital to study with the princely heirs. He often hung around Parasol Street, and his reputation was neither good nor bad. He could be considered half an invisible person. Dongfang Shuoyue didn¡¯t respond to the white-browed old man¡¯s chatter. His eyes were fixed on the port in the distance, looking at the Prince of Jing and her men disembarking from the official ships. When he saw a military officer in black leaving from a remote place with two followers, he said, ¡°In terms of overestimating one¡¯s ability, who can compare to the Blood Bodhi? Two months ago, the Blood Bodhi lost his mind and asked about Ye Jingtang¡¯s whereabouts. He took the initiative to borrow two Jianghu small fry to take revenge. I thought that they were only dealing with an ordinary Grandmaster, but I didn¡¯t expect that the Blood Bodhi wanted to kill a current Martial Chief¡­¡± The old man replied, ¡°It¡¯s not the Blood Bodhi¡¯s fault. This child either hid too deeply or had too much luck. He has only appeared in the capital for a few months, but he already has such scenery. If I didn¡¯t see it with my own eyes, who would believe that such a young man has already entered the ranks of the Martial Chiefs?¡± Dongfang Shuoyue frowned and said, ¡°Ever since the empress ascended the throne, Daoist Xuanji has usually been silent. Every autumn, she will return to the capital to stay for a period of time. She had been doing this for ten years. We must find out the reason. If Daoist Xuanji is the only Martial Chief, we can still think of a way to deal with her. But if Ye Jingtang is included¡ª¡± ¡°Your Highness!¡± The old man interrupted Dongfang Shuoyue and sighed softly. ¡°Among the four sons of the Great Ancestor, Our Highness the Prince of Yan is the most respected by the courtiers for his ability at strategy and war. When the Great Ancestor wanted to establish the crown prince, most of the courtiers favored His Highness. It was only because Great Wei needed a conservator monarch to guard the throne that the throne was passed to the late emperor. When the eldest son of the late emperor was deposed, the courtiers also turned to His Highness. ¡°As long as something goes wrong with the empress in the future, be it taking back vassal fiefs, abdicating, or even dying young, once there is turmoil in the imperial power, His Highness will be the first candidate to enter the capital and inherit the throne. There¡¯s no need to be in a hurry to commit rebellious actions and attract suspicion. We should guard the border steadily and wait for the empress to be unable to hold back and cause trouble first. Perhaps in the end, the ministers will beg His Highness to enter the capital¡­¡± Dongfang Shuoyue stood with his hands behind his back and shook his head. ¡°My father can wait, but I can¡¯t. The empress isn¡¯t a kind person. She summoned the heirs of the vassal princes to the capital without thinking of letting us leave Yun¡¯an. My father has more than one son, and he doesn¡¯t care whether I go back or not. Both sides are just competing to see who can¡¯t sit still first. Once someone takes the risk and falls out with the other, I will be the first abandoned piece on the chessboard.¡± The old man knew that the heir¡¯s talents and abilities were extraordinary, but he had lived under someone else¡¯s roof in the capital for ten years. He had long had enough of such a life. What he said was the truth. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°Although the Green Bandits are powerful and have connections throughout the two north and south dynasties, we don¡¯t know their background or goals. They are a double-edged sword. They can injure the enemy, but they can also injure us¡­¡± ¡°Any weapon will injure you if you don¡¯t use it well.¡± Dongfang Shuoyue stopped talking about these matters. After seeing the Prince of Jing and her party leave the port one after another, he turned around and returned to his room. ¡°We have to get rid of one of Daoist Xuanji or Ye Jingtang first. Daoist Xuanji is too comprehensive and almost invulnerable, but Ye Jingtang¡¯s foundation is unclear. I¡¯ll think of a way to test Ye Jingtang¡¯s strength and see if he has any weaknesses. Then I¡¯ll think of a way to deal with him.¡± Hearing this, the goateed old man didn¡¯t say anything else. After cupping his hands and bowing, he left silently¡­ Clack, clack.. The streets were full of resplendent lights. The three people led their horses across the stone bridge and arrived at the crowded Heavenly Water Bridge. After running around for nearly a month, Pei Xiangjun finally returned home. She breathed a sigh of relief, but there was also a hint of nervousness on her soft face. After all, when she went out, she was still a dignified and mature young lady. When she came back, she had already learned to feed and ride a horse. She even knew that patting the moon meant, ¡®I¡¯m tired and want to change positions¡¯. Even though her sister-in-law wouldn¡¯t laugh and would instead praise her for being useful, this was a bit embarrassing to say the least. Pei Xiangjun led her horse in front and pretended to look at the business situation of the various stores. But she had been silently thinking about how to report the current situation to her sister-in-law.. Chapter 382 - Chapter 382: Inside and Outside the Palace (2) Chapter 382: Inside and Outside the Palace (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Luo Ning didn¡¯t feel any pressure at the moment. She was dressed as a cold heroine in blue. She was walking beside Ye Jingtang and disciplining rhe bird, who didn¡¯t know how to return home. ¡°You were on the ship for so many days, but you were upstairs all day. Ye Jingtang is injured, but you didn¡¯t even come back to visit¡­¡± ¡°Chirp chirp¡­¡± Ye Jingtang finished his work and returned to freedom, so his gait naturally became much more relaxed. When he reached the entrance of the alley and saw the old escort Yang Chao coming out of the back alley, he said from afar, ¡°Old Yang.¡± ¡°Oh! Young Master, you¡¯re back.¡± Yang Chao quickly ran over and sized up Ye Jingtang, whom he had watched grow up. Joy and exclamation were written all over his face. ¡°Young Master, you¡¯re amazing. If the master in heaven knows that you¡¯ve become the Saber Chief, he will definitely be so happy that he won¡¯t be able to sleep for three days and three nights. Hell have to tell everyone¡­¡± Ye Jingtang chuckled and asked, ¡°Has anything happened to the business at Heavenly Water Bridge recently? How¡¯s Little Six¡¯s leg?¡± ¡°Little Six recovered a long time ago. He went out on an escort mission today. As for Heavenly Water Bridge, after you established your prestige among the gangsters of Yun¡¯an City, Heavenly Water Bridge has almost become a forbidden area. Even petty thefts go around it¡­¡± Luo Ning followed behind them and asked after some thought, ¡°What has Yunli been doing recently? Has she been naughty on the streets?¡± Zhe Yunli walked the streets all day long and basically knew everyone on and around Heavenly Water Bridge. But because she was cute and polite, the neighbors had a good impression of her. Yang Chao didn¡¯t say that Zhe Yunli was idle all day. Instead, he replied tactfully, ¡°Miss Yunli is very sensible. She helps Madam Zhang inspect the stores every day. Things are busy at Dye Workshop Street, so she often goes over to help keep an eye on things. She went out this morning and stayed at Dye Workshop Street all day¡­¡± Luo Ning blinked. She felt that Yunli shouldn¡¯t be so sensible, but there was nothing wrong with temporary inspections. She felt a little relieved. After Ye Jingtang and Yang Chao finished chatting, the three of them walked toward the Pei residence together. Luo Ning said, ¡°Yunli should be at Double Osmanthus Alley. I¡¯ll go back first. Have a good rest tonight.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Ye Jingtang looked cold and aloof like a modest gentleman. But as a man, he would definitely have some indescribable thoughts when he was about to reach home. Seeing that Luo Ning was about to run away, Ye Jingtang grabbed her wrist and looked around. ¡°It¡¯s already so late. Let¡¯s rest first and go back tomorrow morning.¡± How could Luo Ning not understand the little thief¡¯s thoughts? After looking at Third Lady, who was talking to a maidservant at the door, she leaned close to his ear and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll go back and accompany Yunli. If you want to recuperate, teach Third Lady a lesson. She¡¯s a newborn calf that¡¯s not afraid of tigers. She keeps saying that I¡¯m useless all day. You have to let her experience the depths of suffering. ¡®Til come over tomorrow. If she can still stand, don¡¯t come to me in the future. Anyway, she can finish helping you recuperate alone¡­¡± Ye Jingtang still wanted to keep Ning¡¯er. For this reason, he wrapped his arms around her waist in the dark of the alley and gently kneaded the moon. ¡°Third Lady is an external martial arts expert. Her body is sturdy. It¡¯s impossible for me to do it without any restraint¡­¡± Luo Ning¡¯s face turned red after she was rubbed twice. She was a little distracted and pushed gently with her hand. ¡°You have so many tricks up your sleeve, but you only know how to do them to me? I don¡¯t believe that she¡¯s made of iron. You¡­¡± At this point, she took out a small medicine box from her bag and whispered into Ye Jingtang¡¯s ear. The specific meaning was probably to make Third Lady lose her hair and then bring her to experience the flowers and rain of the jade tree in the backyard so that she could see how sinister people s hearts were. Ye Jingtang hugged Ning¡¯er, who had come up with the bad idea, with a strange look in his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s not a good idea, right?¡± ¡°Why not? The more I don¡¯t agree to something, the more energetic you become. But when it comes to Third Lady, you¡¯re soft-hearted and know how to behave?¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Luo Ning stuffed the medicine box given by Madam Wang into the hand of Ye Jingtang, who was pretending to be unwilling. She let him kiss her twice before forcing herself to calm down and leading the horse away. The bird had been out for many days and missed Poached Eggs very much. Seeing this, it jumped all the way and followed Luo Ning. Ye Jingtang held the ¡®scoundrel potion¡¯ and found it funny. After watching the human and bird turn around the alley, he put away the item and entered the Pei residence. After returning home, PeiXiangjun returned to her mature and steady appearance as a boss. She brought Ye Jingtang to the main hail to meet Madam Zhang and told her about the trivial matters of the trip to Wu Province. She didn¡¯t mention anything about giving herself for free. When Madam Zhang married into the Pei family, the former Spear Chief had been at the height of his power, and the Red Flower Pavilion had been at its peak. She had personally watched the Red Flower Pavilion fall from a top Jianghu force to a second-rate force that people could step on. Now that she heard that Ye Jingtang had become the Saber Chief, it was enough to revive the family. Madam Zhang felt the boulder that had been weighing on her heart for many years had been removed. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to describe her reaction as tears of joy. However, Madam Zhang also had some doubts. After sighing for a moment, she said, ¡°For the sects of Jianghu, the most important thing is inheritance. Be it martial arts concepts or working styles, they must be of the same origin to be considered orthodox. It¡¯s naturally a good thing for Jingtang to attain the title of Saber Chief. But if the young master of the Red Flower Pavilion uses a saber to settle matters, the people of Jianghu will still think that the Red Flower Pavilion¡¯s inheritance is broken¡­¡± Ye Jingtang held his teacup and replied, ¡°Not many people know my identity in the Red Flower Pavilion. In the future, I¡¯ll just use a spear to deal with the matters of the Red Flower Pavilion. When 1 master my spearmanship and avenge Uncle, those Jianghu prejudices will naturally cease to exist.¡± Madam Zhang¡¯s husband, Pei Yuanming, had obtained the title of Spear Chief through the inheritance¡¯ method. But in the end, he had died at the hands of ¡®Spear Chief Duan Sheng]i not long after. As soon as the incident happened, not only did no one in Jianghu recognize the former Spear Chief, but the Jianghu hero who was originally on par with Qiu Tianhe even had the reputation of being unworthy of his position. It could be said that his death had become a joke in Jianghu.. Chapter 383 - Chapter 383: Inside and Outside the Palace (3) Chapter 383: Inside and Outside the Palace (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios As his wife, Madam Zhang was angry and resentful because of this matter, and she had fallen ill many times, bat there was nothing she could do. In the past. Madam Zhang had hoped that Third Lady would take revenge, but Third Lady was clearly unable to do so. When she heard Ye Jingtang say this, tears welled up in her eyes, and she was actually prepared to stand up to thank him. Ye Jingtang hurriedly raised his hand and comforted her. Madam Zhang calmed down and started talking about betrothing Third Lady to Ye Jingtang. Pei Xiang]un had already done it with Ye Jingtang, so she definitely wouldn¡¯t refuse. She only pretended to be reluctant and nodded shyly. After talking about these things, Ye Jingtang and Pei Xiangjun walked out of the main hall and headed to the courtyard of the back residence. Pei Xiangjun was still a little embarrassed. She walked beside Ye Jingtang and muttered softly, ¡°When Sister-inLaw talked about our marriage, you should have been polite and modest. But you couldn¡¯t wait to agree. It sounded like you have been coveting your martial aunt for a long time and came to the Pei family for this.¡± Ye Jingtang grabbed Pei Xiangjun¡¯s wrist and said with a smile, ¡°1 have been covering you for a long time. Had 1 hesitated, Aunt would think that I agreed reluctantly. You might overthink too.¡± Pei Xiangjun harrumphed softly and didn¡¯t say anything. When they reached a secluded place, she hugged Ye Jingtang¡¯s arm and gave him a watermelon sandwich to show that she was very satisfied. The two of them passed through the corridors and arrived at Pei Xiangjun¡¯s courtyard. Xiuhe was still busy with the accounts on the street and had not returned. Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t carry Third Lady into the room directly. Instead, he went to the boudoir and opened the bed. The two of them entered the Azure Dragon Hall through the secret passage. Ye Jingtang brought the Third Lady to the memorial tablets with his foster father¡¯s memorial tablet. He took three incense sticks, bowed deeply, and inserted them into the incense burner. The gratitude and grudges that had spanned 30 years and lasted for two generations had completely ended at this moment. Unfortunately, his foster father couldn¡¯t see this day with his own eyes. Ye Jingtang stood in front of the memorial table. After the joy of fulfilling his foster father¡¯s last wish, his face revealed a hint of regret. Pei Xiangjun should have called Pei Yuanfeng second brother, but now, she seemed to have to call him foster father. She felt a little strange. Standing in front of the memorial tablets of her master, eldest brother, and second brother, she felt embarrassed. However, the Red Flower Pavilion had finally made a comeback in her hands. Regardless of whether she relied on her martial arts skills or other skills, this credit was real. For this reason, Pei Xiangjun suppressed her distracting thoughts and picked up three incense sticks to pay respects solemnly¡­ After paying their respects, the two of them left rhe secret passage and returned to the boudoir. Candles were lit in the room, and the dim yellow light illuminated every corner. Pei Xiangjun had a gentle and elegant demeanor. She arranged rhe bedsheets and pillows in front of the canopy bed and asked curiously, ¡°Jingtang, what did Ning¡¯er sneakily say to you just now?¡± Ye Jingtang had just put down his personal belongings. When he heard this, he looked over. Pei Xiangjun was tidying the bed. She was wearing a looser dress. As she leaned over, her pear-shaped figure was fully revealed. The curves of her waist were slender and sofr, and behind her waist was a warm yellow full moon. He could feel her voluptuous and round curves through the fabric of her autumn dress. Especially when her body moved and swayed slightly in front of the light¡­ If a man could withstand it, he was probably shortsighted and couldn¡¯t see her clearly. Ye Jingtang¡¯s eyesight was very good, but he still walked up to her and looked at her carefully. He even raised his hand¡­ Squeeze- Pei Xiangjun shuddered and quickly stood up. She looked up at Ye Jingtang behind her and hit his shoulder shyly. ¡°What are you doing? You were fine just now, but you¡¯re showing your true colors so quickly? I already said that you can be presumptuous when Ning¡¯er is around, but you still have to abide by the rules in private¡­¡± Ye Jingtang sat down in front of rhe bed and pulled Third Lady to sit on his lap. ¡°I know. 1 just couldn¡¯t help myself.¡± ¡°Hmplm¡± Pei Xiangjun didn¡¯t resist. She leaned into Ye Jingtang¡¯s arms and asked again, ¡°1 asked you a question just now. What did Ning¡¯er say to you?¡± Ye Jingtang held the watermelons that he couldn¡¯t hold with one hand, thought for a moment, and whispered into her ear. Pei Xiangjun blinked her almond-shaped eyes. After she heard it clearly, her face turned red, and she immediately wanted to ger up. Ye Jingtang hurriedly hugged his waist. ¡°I¡¯m just saying it. 1 won¡¯t force you.¡± Pei Xiangjun didn¡¯t expect there to be such a ridiculous method. She wanted to say a few words to Ye Jingtang, but she found it difficult to say them. Seeing that he didn¡¯t plan to mess around, she secretly heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°You wont force me, but aren¡¯t you still thinking about it? 1 haven¡¯t thought about that kind of embarrassing thing¡­ You should recover first. Don¡¯t think about these crooked things all day¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think about those things either. This is the first time that Ning¡¯er has told me this¡­¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Pei Xiangjun didn¡¯t believe it at all. Although she didn¡¯t have the courage to be the first to do a certain something, she still had the courage to reward Ye Jingtang. She took off her shoes, lowered the curtain, and then sat on the bed with her legs bent. ¡°When I stretched on the ship, you kept peeking. Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t notice. Are you curious about what I look like when 1 stretch after I take off my clothes?¡± ? Ye Jingtang was startled. He blinked and moved a little farther inside to make way. ¡°May 1?¡± Since Pei Xiangjun had already said so, it was naturally possible. She untied her light yellow dress and pulled down her undergarment and thin pants. The space under the curtain was instantly filled with white flowers. Ye Jingtang instinctively raised his hand, wanting to help Third Lady lighten her burden, but he hesitated and didn¡¯t disturb her. It hadn¡¯t been long since Pei Xiangjun and Ye Jingtang got together. When Luo Ning was around, in order to show her wife-like demeanor, she could still let go. But in private, she couldn¡¯t help feeling shy.. Chapter 384 - Chapter 384: Inside and Outside the Palace (4) Chapter 384: Inside and Outside the Palace (4) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Pei Xiangjun covered her chest with one hand and blushed. After glancing at Ye Jingtang a few times, she knelt on the bed and slowly assumed a ¡®cat stretching¡¯ posture¡­ Under the dim yellow light, the curves of her fair body were undoubtedly revealed. The full moon was close at hand, and every detail was visible. The impact was astonishing. Ye Jingtang wanted to maintain his cold and stern expression, but he had overestimated his composure. He immediately lost his breath and coughed. Pei Xiangjun paused and tilted her head in concern. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did your injuries relapse?¡± ¡°No. Please continue.¡± Pei Xiangjun felt that she might have been too enthusiastic. Ye Jingtang had been holding it in for a long time. They could study this kind of flower work after he recuperated. After thinking about it, she sat up, pressed Ye Jingtang down, and got on top. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not in a hurry. Woo¡­¡± Their lips met. Ye Jingtang lay on the pillow and raised his hands slightly. After thinking about it, he helped pull out the bird and flowers hairpin on Third Lady¡¯s head and placed it beside the pillow. Then he turned over and took the initiative¡­ Meanwhile, in the Imperial City¡­ After Dongfang Liren entered the city and handed over all kinds of miscellaneous matters, it was already late at night. She returned to the Prince of Jing Estate to rest. She would go to the morning court assembly tomorrow to see the empress. The empress dowager would turn into a canary again when she returned to the palace. With the mentality that staying an hour longer was an hour gained, she didn¡¯t return to the palace. Instead, she stayed at Jasper Pavilion and studied the tunnel that led from the Prince of Jing Estate to the Longevity Palace. After Daoist Xuanji returned to the capital, she wasn¡¯t idle. The moment she finished all her trivial matters, she entered the Imperial City alone and went to the Eternal Joy Palace. On the cool autumn night, the Eternal Joy Palace was brightly lit. Countless palace maids in colorful clothes were walking through the corridors and pavilions. In the Peaceful Hall, steam rose from the small bathing pool in the empress¡¯s bedchamber. The empress of Great Wei was lying in the pool made of white jade, with her hands on the edge of the pool. Behind her was a shimmering dark golden armor. Her posture looked extraordinarily domineering, but there was a hint of fatigue on her charming face. Crack, crack.. The mechanism on the tiger-headed sliding door was turned, and then the door parted left and right. Daoist Xuanji in a white dress appeared at the door. The empress opened her eyes and said in a friendly tone, ¡°Master, where is Liren?¡± ¡°At her estate. She won¡¯t come until tomorrow morning.¡± Daoist Xuanji closed the door. Without any awareness of being a subject, she untied her white dress, revealing her proud figure that was as smooth as jade. She tested the water temperature with her bare foot before jumping in. Plop! The empress was used to this. She moved to the side and let Daoist Xuanji lean in front of her. ¡°Still haven¡¯t found the whereabouts of the Roaring Dragon Chart?¡± Daoist Xuanji leaned forward and raised her hands to weigh the broad heart of the empress of Great Wei. ¡°There are many clues. Currently, the most likely one is the one in Jiang Zhahu¡¯s hand. But Jiang Zhahu understands the principle that possessing treasure is a sin. There are countless experts in the north and south dynasties looking for him. He hides very well. When he shows his face, he goes and comes back quickly. He never stays in one place for more than a day. ¡°From last year to this year, I searched for half a year, but 1 couldn¡¯t find Jiang Zhahu. Instead, 1 encountered the Northern Liang Thief Sage, who had the same plan as me. 1 chased after the Thief Sage for half a year, but I found nothing¡­¡± The empress knew the difficulty of collecting the Roaring Dragon Chart. ¡°This kind of thing can¡¯t be rushed. Ye Jingtang found a substitute for the Snow Lake Flower in Wu Province. Although it can¡¯t compare to the original Snow Lake Flower, it can at least help me last for a while¡­¡± When Daoist Xuanji heard Ye Jingtang¡¯s name, she couldn¡¯t help recalling the incidents where she had rubbed against him and he had poked her. Both of them were innocent and didn¡¯t have a guilty conscience, but it still affected their mental states. Daoist Xuanji scooped up some water and poured it on her chest. She hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Ye Jingtang¡¯s talent is unprecedented, and his character is extraordinary. He looks like he can be put to great use.¡± When the empress heard her master praise him, she was quite satisfied. ¡°Ye Jingtang is full of chivalry. Power, money, fame, and sex aren¡¯t effective against him. He¡¯s indeed a rare talent. I want him to search for the Roaring Dragon Chart on my behalf, but 1 can¡¯t tell others about my health. There¡¯s no reason for me to ask¡­¡± ? Daoist Xuanji felt that Ye Jingtang was still lustful, but it was clearly not appropriate for her to say this in front of the empress. If she said it, she wouldn¡¯t be able to explain things clearly. She thought for a moment and continued, ¡°I¡¯ve interacted with Ye Jingtang a few times in Wu Province. Our relationship isn¡¯t bad. I told him that my foundation isn¡¯t good and that I need his help to find the Roaring Dragon Chart. He agreed and will probably think of a way, but I¡¯m afraid it will take a few years.¡± The empress blinked and acutely captured the issue. ¡°Looking for the Roaring Dragon Chart is not a small matter. Ye Jingtang agreed to help you search for the Roaring Dragon Chart just because your foundation isn¡¯t good? From the sound of it, his relationship with you¡­¡± Daoist Xuanji didn¡¯t have any stage fright. She even made a smug expression. ¡°Ye Jingtang became the Saber Chief all thanks to my guidance. Is this favor enough?¡± The empress immediately nodded in understanding. She didn¡¯t let her imagination run wild and asked, ¡°How is Liren¡¯s relationship with Ye Jingtang going?¡± ¡°Liren is thin-skinned. Even now, she¡¯s still saying that Ye Jingtang is a subordinate. The empress dowager and I were present, so she stayed far away and put on the airs of a prince. What else could she do?¡± The empress knew this would happen.. She sighed silently and didn¡¯t ask further¡­ Chapter 385 - Chapter 385: Didn’t You Say You Wouldn’t Come? (1) Chapter 385: Didn¡¯t You Say You Wouldn¡¯t Come? (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios With the renovation of Dye Workshop Street, merchants and workers came to the street, and the buildings here were naturally no longer idle. The previously deserted street was now lit up with more and more lights. Luo Ning led her horse through Dye Workshop Street and looked around at the changes around her. The bird was standing on the horse¡¯s head, staring at the snacks in Luo Ning¡¯s hand, occasionally chirping. When Luo Ning reached the entrance of Double Osmanthus Alley, she raised her hand to signal for silence and asked the bird to watch the horse. She tiptoed into the alley, looking like a young mother coming back from work at night and secretly checking if her daughter was obedient. When Luo Ning arrived at the South Firmament Mountains back then, Yunli had still been a three or four-year-old girl. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that she had watched her grow up. She knew Yunli¡¯s personality very well. According to Luo Ning¡¯s speculation, Yunli must have gone crazy after she was out for so long. At this time, Yunli was either not at home or copying books frantically to make up for her homework. But when she was about to reach the door of her house, Luo Ning was surprised to hear a conversation in the courtyard. ¡°No, I can¡¯t help you copy books¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s a restaurant in the Dragon Cry Pavilion. The chef inside is known as the Cooking Immortal. The vinegar-cooked fish he makes is the best in the capital. Help me copy ten books, and I¡¯ll bring you to eat later¡­¡± ¡°I have money. 1¡¯11 eat it myself later.¡± ¡°Huh? Remember to bring me one too¡­¡± ?? When Luo Ning heard Ping¡¯er¡¯s voice, she suddenly stopped in her tracks. The satisfaction of returning to her small home had completely disappeared, and she became flustered. She felt as if she was having an affair and her husband had come looking for her. She originally wanted to turn around and run away, but if the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master were here, she would have already discovered her the moment she reached the entrance of the alley. If she turned around and ran away now, it would only make things worse. After Luo Ning panicked for a moment, she quickly suppressed her emotions and pretended to be calm. She walked outside the courtyard wall with small steps and stood on her tiptoes to take a look. The courtyard was still clean and tidy. The west wing where Ye Jingtang lived was closed, and the lights in the main room and kitchen were on. Ping¡¯er was standing in the kitchen. Her familiar round face looked a little troubled as she washed the dishes carefully. Little Yunli, who was dressed as a scholarly lady, had moved out a small table and stool and was sitting under the eaves of the main room. She supported her face with one hand and copied books listlessly. She was even trying to persuade Ping¡¯er to help copy books. Luo Ning looked around carefully and didn¡¯t find any traces of the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master in the courtyard. So she flew over the wall with an immortal aura and landed in the courtyard. Whoosh! From the corner of her eye, Zhe Yunli saw a woman in a blue dress appear from the top of the wall. She was so shocked that she trembled. She quickly straightened her back and pretended to copy seriously. Then she said in surprise, ¡°Martial Mistress, you¡¯re back!¡± Ping¡¯er, who was washing dishes in the kitchen, was also pleasantly surprised. She hurriedly wiped her hands, ran out, and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Madam.¡± Luo Ning, the cult mistress, was full of energy. After signaling Yunli to copy books obediently, she brought Ping¡¯er to the courtyard and asked, ¡°Why are you here? Where is the cult master?¡± ¡°The cult master didn¡¯t come and asked me to deliver a message¡­¡± Ping¡¯er obediently explained the cult master¡¯s instructions before saying, ¡°There are crouching tigers and hidden dragons in the capital. Madam, it¡¯s too risky for you to stay here alone. In my opinion, you should go back¡­¡± When Luo Ning heard that the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master hadn¡¯t come, she felt relieved. As for returning, she certainly wouldn¡¯t be happy about it. ¡°I already have a way to enter the palace. I only need to wait patiently for a year and a half to complete the cult master¡¯s arrangements. Go back and let the cult master wait for the good news.¡± Ping¡¯er hurriedly shook her head. ¡°The cult master said that if you don¡¯t go back, I¡¯ll stay here and take care of your food and daily life. Also, if you have any connections or progress so far, you have to report them to the cult master to avoid things going wrong in the future. It will help the cult master come up with a plan to rescue you.¡± When Luo Ning heard the housekeeper¡¯s words, she was naturally a little unhappy. But as the cult mistress, it was indeed unreasonable for her to go on a business trip and not return home for a long time without reporting the progress of her work. Ping¡¯er was not her maidservant, but Xue Baijin¡¯s follower. If she found out that she had not done anything when she came out, she would definitely report it to Xue Baijin. Luo Ning deliberated for a long time before finally reporting her work in the capital for the past few months. ¡°After I came to the capital at the beginning of the year, in order to save Qiu Tianhe, I developed a cult disciple and had him join the Black Office. I was the one who planned Qiu Tianhe¡¯s release¡­¡± Ping¡¯er nodded and said, ¡°When the cult master heard that Hero Qiu was released, the cult master knew that you were indeed doing your best and had obtained the help of a capable person. Since this person is already a disciple of our Pacifying Heaven Cult, the cult master should know his identity in order to avoid accidents if they encounter each other in the future, but the cult master doesn¡¯t know that he¡¯s one of our own people¡­¡± Luo Ning didn¡¯t really want to say it, but what Ping¡¯er said made sense. She had developed a spy herself, but she wasn¡¯t willing to tell Xue Baijin his identity. It would mean that she had selfish motives and was preparing to strike out on her own. Moreover, if the person she trained didn¡¯t have the ability to sneak into the palace, Xue Baijin would definitely ask her to return to the South Firmament Mountains. If she didn¡¯t leave, Xue Baijin might come over herself. Luo Ning hesitated for a moment before leaning close to Ping¡¯er¡¯s ear and whispering, ¡°This person¡¯s surname is Ye, and his name is Jingtang. He¡¯s the helm master I developed in the past two months¡­¡± Ye Jingtang?! When Ping¡¯er heard this name, her round face was full of disbelief. After all, she had just seen Hero Ye¡¯s peerless charm at Jun Mountain Terrace a few days ago. Hero Ye is actually¡­ How is that possible?! Ping¡¯er didn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Hero Ye is one of us? He¡¯s the current Saber Chief. He¡¯s such a formidable person.. Madam, how could you take him in for your own use¡­¡± Chapter 386 - Chapter 386: Didn’t You Say You Wouldn’t Come? (2) Chapter 386: Didn¡¯t You Say You Wouldn¡¯t Come? (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It was impossible for Luo Ning to explain the honey trap she had used, so she made up a story. ¡°Ye Jingtang just came to the capital in April. Although his comprehension ability is unprecedented, he was just a wild Jianghu kid who had never seen the world before. I led the way for him and taught him many martial arts concepts. He didn¡¯t have money, but I even let him stay here. Only then did he reach his current achievements in a short period of time. He regards me as¡­ um¡­ a teacher and a friend and a senior.¡± Ping¡¯er was still skeptical. ¡°Even so, now that Hero Ye has become a Martial Chief, the Great Wei Imperial Court will definitely make good use of him. He will have all the glory, fame, and fortune he wants. Why would he follow us to restore the country? Moreover, Madam, you can¡¯t control such a person at all. He even knows your identity. If he has the idea of abandoning the dark and joining the light, wouldn¡¯t you and the young lady¡­¡± Luo Ning thought for a moment and continued to make up stories. ¡°Ye Jingtang is not a despicable person who forgets righteousness when he sees benefits. He lived in Liang Province since he was a child. In a bitter place like Liang Province, there are bandits everywhere, and the people don¡¯t even have enough to eat. But the Imperial Court doesn¡¯t care about it. So he has always been very dissatisfied with the Imperial Court and wants to change this situation. Our Pacifying Heaven Cult¡¯s goal is to overturn the Imperial Court and return peace to the people. It coincides with him. That¡¯s why he joined our Pacifying Heaven Cult and is working together with us for our great cause.¡± Ping¡¯er felt that this explanation was quite reasonable. After some thought, she nodded and praised, ¡°As expected, heroes cherish heroes. I knew that such a powerful figure like Hero Ye wouldn¡¯t be an eagle or dog of the Imperial Court who loves power. Then, I¡¯ll write a letter now and send it back to the South Firmament Mountains to explain the truth to the cult master.¡± Luo Ning waved her hand slightly. ¡°You should go back and deliver the message. I know what to do. There¡¯s nothing for you to do here¡­¡± Ping¡¯er said awkwardly, ¡°The cult master said that if you don¡¯t go back, 1 will stay here to help you. If I go back, the cult master will definitely be suspicious and might come personally to take a look.¡± Luo Ning blinked. When she heard this, her heart turned ashen. She could only compromise. ¡°That¡¯s fine too. I¡¯m usually busy outside. It¡¯s a good thing that you can accompany Yunli to take care of her food and daily life.¡± ¡°Hehe~¡± Ping¡¯er nodded and smiled. Then she turned around and went back to write a letter. Luo Ning had spouted a bunch of nonsense. After stabilizing the little follower sent by Xue Baijin, she didn¡¯t even have the mood to discipline Little Yunli. Soon, she left alone and ran back to the Pei residence¡­ Late at night, in the back of the Pei residence¡­ The doors and windows of the boudoir were closed, and there was only a candle lamp on the dressing table in the inner room. The hanging curtains rippled like water, and the faint sound of something colliding into the moon was vaguely audible. Pei Xiangjun was still stretching like a cat. Her beautiful face was slightly red. She was biting her lower lip with her eyes closed. Afraid that her sister-in-law and the maidservants in the back residence would hear her, she didn¡¯t make a sound. Ye Jingtang was kneeling on the bed, holding the fair and smooth moon with both hands, his eyes reflecting the snow-white back. He was practicing the Azure Dragon Claw. After practicing for an unknown period of time, before they could decide a victor, soft footsteps suddenly sounded outside. Tread, tread¡­ The dizzy Pei Xiangjun came back to her senses. She knew who was here just by listening to the footsteps. She felt that her current actions were a little embarrassing, so she lay on her side on the pillow and whispered, ¡°This vixen really couldn¡¯t help herself tonight¡­¡± Ye Jingtang also stopped moving his spear. Because it was inconvenient for him to go out, he only stuck his head out of the curtain to look. Creak- Soon, the door was pushed open from the outside, and Luo Ning, dressed in blue, sneaked in quietly. Pei Xiangjun was almost there. Seeing that Ye Jingtang wasn¡¯t moving, she even took the initiative to twist her waist and say, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wouldn¡¯t come? All- What are you doing here?¡± As soon as Luo Ning walked into the inner room, she heard a familiar sound. Her cold and beautiful eyes immediately revealed a strange expression, but she didn¡¯t argue with this shameless woman. She quickly walked to the bed and lifted the curtain. She pushed Third Lady inside, covered the hostile scoundrel with a thin blanket, and sat in front of Ye Jingtang. ¡°Why are you still messing around at a time like this?¡± Ye Jingtang originally wanted to bully Ning¡¯er, who had appeared out of nowhere halfway, but when he saw her anxious and serious expression, he calmed down and frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did Yunli cause trouble?¡± Hearing this, Pei Xiangjun sat up with a puzzled expression. Luo Ning¡¯s expression was complicated. ¡°Xue Baijin sent her personal maid over. She¡¯s already at Double Osmanthus Alley¡­¡± ¡°Tsk~¡± Pei Xiangjun was speechless. She lay back on the pillow and said angrily, ¡°I thought it was something big, but a maid came. Do you have to act like you don¡¯t have long to live?¡± ¡°What do you know?¡± Luo Ning pulled up the thin blanket to cover Third Lady¡¯s face. ¡°Qiu Tianhe has already left. If I stay in the capital, I have to do something. If I don¡¯t do anything, 1 have to return to the South Firmament Mountains immediately. Xue Baijin sent someone to supervise me. If 1 send her back, Xue Baijin will definitely come over herself. At that time, she will definitely beat you to death, little thief!¡± This time, Ye Jingtang understood the severity of the matter. He frowned and asked, ¡°So, what should we do?¡± Pei Xiangjun propped up her upper body and replied, ¡°Then, you can just go back. I can take care of Jingtang alone, and Jingtang won¡¯t be beaten to death¡­¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Luo Ning was furious. She raised her hand and wanted to hit Third Lady. Ye Jingtang hurriedly stopped the fight in the middle and said amiably, ¡°Stop joking around. Let¡¯s get down to business. Now, we have to do something for the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master to see, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not doing it for her to see. I¡¯m doing it seriously,¡± Luo Ning said solemnly. ¡°I¡¯m the cult mistress of the Pacifying Heaven Cult, not a member of the Imperial Court. Since 1 agreed to stay in the capital to find a way to enter the palace, I have to do something.. How can 1 deceive Xue Baijin?¡± Chapter 387 - Chapter 387: Didn’t You Say You Wouldn’t Come? (3) Chapter 387: Didn¡¯t You Say You Wouldn¡¯t Come? (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When Pei Xiangjun heard this, she frowned and said, ¡°Why does your Pacifying Heaven Cult want to enter the palace? Jingtang won¡¯t rebel¡­¡± Ye Jingtang raised his hand slightly and explained, ¡°It¡¯s not a rebellion. It¡¯s just entering the palace to find something. It seems to be buried under the Peaceful Hall. It¡¯s not impossible, but it won¡¯t be easy¡­¡± ¡°Regardless of whether it succeeds or not, 1 have to take it seriously and act on it. If there are any difficulties, I can explain to Xue Baijin and ask her not to rush me.¡± ¡°Understood. Well¡­ Before I left, I told the Imperial Court that I would bring you two to the palace to learn the Jade Bone Picture. I¡¯ll ask about the situation tomorrow¡­ But even if you can enter the palace, don¡¯t take matters into your own hands. Let me do it.¡± ¡°I know. If you really find it, I¡¯ll have to go back right away. Hmm¡­ Let¡¯s talk about it after you find it.¡± After discussing for a while, Luo Ning felt a little more at ease. She got up and wanted to leave, but from the corner of her eye, she saw Ye Jingtang¡¯s broad chest muscles, perfect abdominal muscles, and the hard¡­ When Ye Jingtang noticed that Ning¡¯er was avoiding his gaze, he understood what she meant and took the initiative to put his arms around her shoulders. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s already so late. Let¡¯s rest first. We¡¯ll continue discussing tomorrow.¡± Pei Xiangjun, who had been left hanging, had been waiting for a long time. Seeing this, she flipped over, pressed Luo Ning down, and took the medicine box from beside the pillow. ¡°You came up with a bad idea to mess with me, right? Do you understand the principle of don¡¯t do unto others what you don¡¯t want done unto you? Come, try the taste of being a hairless girl yourself first¡­¡± When Luo Ning saw that Third Lady was going to use force to take off her dress and put the hair removal ointment on her, she naturally panicked and covered herself with her hands. ¡°Third Lady Pei, don¡¯t mess around! What if Yunli finds out when I¡¯m bathing¡­¡± ¡°So what if she finds out? Just say that you shaved yourself because it felt cool. Moreover, it¡¯ll grow out in a couple of months. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m asking you to be a little girl forever¡­¡± ¡°You¡­ Ye Jingtang! If you let her do whatever she wants, 1¡¯11 really go back!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s messing around? You¡¯re the one who started it. I¡¯ll give you a chance now. Do you choose to protect the front or the back¡­¡± ¡°What front or back?¡± ¡°You came up with two bad ideas. Have you forgotten them?¡± Luo Ning pursed her lips. Because she was in the wrong, she simply put on an unyielding expression and tilted her head, closed her eyes, and ignored her¡­ The next day¡­ Ding-! Ding-! The morning bell rang from the bell and drum tower, and the warm autumn sun shone on the streets and alleys of Yun¡¯an City. Ye Jingtang rode his big black horse to the Imperial City. After handing over the token to enter and leave the palace freely, he entered the Imperial City. On the surface, he had gone to Wu Province to investigate the Prince of Wu¡¯s rebellion. But secretly, he had looked for the formula for a substitute for the Snow Lake Flower and captured Zhang Jinglin. Now that he had finished these two things, he had to report back. Because Yuhu had instructed Ye Jingtang not to tell Dumdum, he only entered the palace in the name of meditating and practicing at the Roaring Dragon Pond while he was on leave. Yesterday, the Prince of Wu had been escorted back to the capital. Today, there naturally had to be a morning court assembly to deal with this matter. Ye Jingtang walked past the square in front of the Hall of the Supreme Principle. He could see many courtiers entering the hall, and the valiant and spirited Dumdum was walking in front in court attire. Although Ye Jingtang enjoyed the treatment of a fourth-grade military officer, he was not an official official. Even if he were, a fourth-grade military official was nothing among the important ministers and officials of the Imperial Court. He certainly wouldn¡¯t run over to show his face and greet Dumdum. He directly followed the palace maid past the Hall of the Supreme Principle and arrived at the Eternal Joy Palace. The empress was holding court in the Hall of the Supreme Principle. Other than the palace maids, there was no one else in the Eternal Joy Palace. Ye Jingtang walked familiarly to the waterside pavilion in the center of the Roaring Dragon Pond. He sat cross-legged with his back straight and practiced martial arts. Only after the palace maids looking at him by the lake left did he open his eyes and study what Ning¡¯er had said last night. According to Ning¡¯er, at the end of the previous dynasty, the last Yan emperor had fled to Heavenly South. Before he died, he had told Xue Baijin¡¯s grandfather that there was something hidden under the Peaceful Hall that could be exchanged for help from Northern Liang. The Pacifying Heaven Cult Master didn¡¯t say what exactly it was. He only knew that the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master had emphasized that Ning¡¯er should take it herself and not tell outsiders. The reason was probably that she was afraid that if outsiders got it, they would directly run to Northern Liang to exchange it for a high-ranking official position and money. Ye Jingtang definitely wouldn¡¯t help the Pacifying Heaven Cult restore its country. But in order for Ning¡¯er to stay in the capital legitimately, he still had to go through the process of investigating the matter. According to Ning¡¯er, the item was placed under a rockery on the side of the bedchamber. There was a small secret room under the rockery that was built when Great Yan was founded hundreds of years ago. It had originally been used to preserve the Roaring Dragon Chart. It was extremely hidden and had a delayed opening mechanism. After activating the mechanism, quicksand would fall until the mechanism was activated under gravity. Although the opening method was not troublesome, this process would take an entire day. The commotion when it was opened would be quite big, so it was impossible for outsiders to open it privately. Because the opening process was too ceremonial, in the end, even the founding emperor of Great Yan had been too lazy to use it. He had directly placed the Roaring Dragon Chart in his study. This secret room had most likely been used to store precious items that might not be used for decades. As for the last Yan emperor, he had escaped from the capital without bringing the things out of the secret room because he didn¡¯t have time to wait for an entire day. From Ye Jingtang¡¯s position, he could see the rockery in the garden. It was about 30 feet tall and didn¡¯t look special. Great Wei had only been founded for 60 years, and even the bathhouse that the empress dowager had used to have an affair was still reserved. This rockery probably hadn¡¯t been touched, and the things should still be inside. But it was almost impossible to open the rockery without anyone noticing. Ye Jingtang observed for a long time, but before he could think of a reasonable method, his ears twitched, and he heard footsteps coming from the lake. Tread, tread¡­ Hearing this, he quickly closed his eyes and focused, pretending to be undistracted¡­ Chapter 388 - Chapter 388: Practice Makes Perfect (1) Chapter 388: Practice Makes Perfect (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios A gentle breeze blew across the lake. A woman in a fiery red dress slowly walked across the lotus leaves and jumping stones. From afar, it looked as though she stepped on the blue waves on the water. In the waterside pavilion in the center of the lake, Ye Jingtang was sitting cross-legged with his back straight. He was seriously practicing the Jade Bone Dragon Form Picture. When the figure walked in, he stopped practicing, opened his eyes calmly, and turned around. ¡°Miss Yulin?¡± ¡°Hello.¡± The empress of Great Wei stepped onto the steps of the waterside pavilion. There was a hint of leisure on her peerlessly charming face. She sat down by the lake and patted her side. Pa, pa- Ye Jingtang stood up and walked over. He first looked at the Hall of the Supreme Principle in the distance before sitting down beside her. He was slightly puzzled. ¡°The Hall of the Supreme Principle is in court. Shouldn¡¯t you be¡­ accompanying Her Majesty?¡± The empress should stay in the Hall of the Supreme Principle, but her body had been very weak recently. It was a little difficult for her to sit for the entire morning. Halfway through, she had asked the ministers to continue discussing trivial matters while she went back to rest for a while. Seeing that Ye Jingtang was here, she had changed her clothes and ran over. The empress appreciated the autumn scenery of the lake and casually replied, ¡°What does the ministers attending court have to do with me? Speaking of which, you performed well this time. The Prince of Jing praised you a lot and even took out the letter written by the officials of Wu Province for you to take credit. The ministers are discussing how to reward you.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Ye Jingtang smiled. ¡°Everyone helped out, so it can¡¯t be said that I¡¯ve contributed much. If the Imperial Court really wants to reward me, the Jade Bone Picture I mentioned last time¡­¡± The empress placed her hands on the stone platform and leaned backward slightly, causing her fiery red chest to stand tall. She tilted her head and looked at Ye Jingtang. ¡°I told you last time that if you helped me find the formula for the Snow Lake Powder, I would satisfy you with anything. You did such a good job. Is that all you want?¡± Ye Jingtang had gradually gotten used to Yuhu¡¯s boldness. He said helplessly, ¡°Since I¡¯ve brought this up, I naturally want this. Miss Yuhu, you won¡¯t go back on your word, right?¡± Seeing that Ye Jingtang was too embarrassed to make other requests, the empress took the initiative to say, ¡°When the Roaring Dragon Chart is in the hands of someone with extraordinary comprehension, it can achieve twice the results with half the effort. Even if ordinary people look at it, their achievements won¡¯t be too high, so letting you borrow the Jade Bone Picture is a very slight effort and can¡¯t be considered a reward. The Prince of Jing is thinking of ways to get a noble title for you and wants to make you a hereditary county marquis. But ¡®no marquis without military metis¡¯ has been a tradition from the past dynasties. All the ministers have a lot of objections¡­¡± Ye Jingtang had heard about this from Dumdum and had a slight understanding of Great Wei¡¯s titles of nobility. A county marquis was already the highest title that people could achieve with personal strength. After all, Feng Guancheng, a figure who was already invincible in his twenties, had only been specially conferred the title of a county marquis in the previous dynasty. Even if the Imperial Court dared to confer a higher title, no martial artist would have the nerve to accept it. When Ye Jingtang heard Dumdum had asked for so much, he shook his head and smiled. ¡°The conferment of a marquis title is a little too much. The rebellion of the Prince of Wu didn¡¯t even cause a military disaster. I only investigated a few cases. If I¡¯m really conferred a marquis title, the people of Jianghu might accept it, but the Imperial Court will probably explode. They will feel that the Prince of Jing and Her Majesty are using cronyism and giving excessive rewards. ¡°Moreover, I¡¯m just a person of Jianghu. I don¡¯t have much use for these things. I might as well follow the rules of Jianghu. Miss Yuhu, please remember my favor. If I encounter anything in the future, just give me a hand.¡± The empress felt that Ye Jingtang¡¯s Jianghu aura was a little too heavy and he was asking for too much. After all, the favor from her was much more important than a minor noble title. ¡°I can remember your favor, but this is private. As the saying goes, clear rewards and punishments. Those who deserve to be killed will not be tolerated, and those who deserve to be rewarded can¡¯t be denied. With your merits, you have to be promoted to a higher position for the courtiers to see. If you aren¡¯t rewarded for your merits, how many people will be loyal to Great Wei?¡± Ye Jingtang understood this logic. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°The Prince of Jing mentioned the ¡®Marquis of Yunzhong¡¯ before. I don¡¯t think any court officials will object to this title. If I¡¯m rewarded with a treasured horse and a sword as well, it will be enough.¡± The empress deliberated for a moment and nodded slightly. ¡°Alright. I owe you a favor for your great achievement this time. I¡¯ll slowly reward you in the future. ¡°The Marquis of Yunzhong is a false title. It¡¯s mostly named after places in Yun Province and can be specially bestowed by Her Majesty. What do you want? How about the Marquis of Martial Peace?¡± When Ye Jingtang heard this, he hurriedly shook his head. ¡°The Marquis of Martial Peace has the meaning of ¡®martial peace in the world¡¯. This was Feng Guancheng¡¯s title back then. If I take over now, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be laughed at by the people of Jianghu.¡± ¡°Feng Guancheng was conferred the title by Great Yan. It was also when he defeated a Martial Chief for the first time. His situation was similar to yours. As long as you work hard in the future¡­ Ahem¡­¡± The empress was speaking calmly when her face suddenly turned red. Then she covered her mouth and coughed twice. Her arms went limp, and she fell forward into the lake. Ye Jingtang¡¯s expression changed drastically. He hurriedly held her arms. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Ever since the empress embarked on the path of no return and fought with Eunuch Cao, her body would be extremely weak every autumn for no reason. She had come back to rest in the middle of the morning and planned to take care of her health. It was only because she had seen Ye Jingtang here that she had come over to sit. The empress¡¯s body was weak, and her eyes were full of helplessness. ¡°My old injury has relapsed. What else can I do? If I tell you to ask for a reward, you can just ask for it. Why did you have to talk about it for so long?¡± Ye Jingtang checked her pulse and found that it was chaotic. He quickly got up and carried her horizontally. ¡°Should 1 find the imperial physicians or¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go to the bedchamber. The effect of Snow Lake Powder is really good. I¡¯ll be fine after soaking in it for fifteen minutes.¡± Hearing this, Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t delay. He jumped across the lake, landed on the balcony behind the bedchamber, and quickly entered the room. This wasn¡¯t the first time for the empress, so she couldn¡¯t be bothered to move and let him hold her.. Chapter 389 - Chapter 389: Practice Makes Perfect (2) Chapter 389: Practice Makes Perfect (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Click, click, click.. Ye Jingtang carried the empress to the sliding door, opened the tiger head mechanism, and carried her into the small bathing pool. He placed her on the chaise longue beside him. Then, without any reminder, he took out a cloth and covered his eyes. The empress wanted to take off her dress herself. She found that Ye Jingtang was quite self-aware, so she immediately pulled open her belt. Whoosh- The belt was pulled away, and the fiery red dress slid off her delicate skin, revealing her fair, smooth, and pear-like figure. The upper half of her body was a small undergarment made of red muslin, and the lower half was a pair of small side-tie panties. The style was the same as last time, but the difference was that this time, in order to match the dragon robe, the smallclothes had golden dragon embroidery patterns. It was unknown whether they should be described as domineering or coquettish. Ye Jingtang¡¯s movements were clean and neat. With his extraordinary senses and experience, he accurately locked onto the ties without looking. He helped Yuhu up by her shoulders, untied her undergarment from behind, and pulled left and right on the small red cloth. The empress instinctively clamped her legs together. Ye Jingtang¡¯s movements in taking off her panties were so fast that she was inevitably stimulated. She couldn¡¯t help biting her red lips. She realized that in the blink of an eye, she had been stripped clean before she could say anything. The empress wanted to say something but hesitated. In the end, she sighed. ¡°Ye Jingtang, your skills in taking off clothes have improved even more than your martial arts. Did you specially practice this?¡± Ye Jingtang¡¯s left hand passed under the crook of her legs, and he carried the not-so-light Little Tiger Girl horizontally. ¡°Don¡¯t joke around. I¡¯ve stepped into the realm of Unity of Heaven and Man. My senses have become more developed, so my movements are naturally faster.¡± The empress wasn¡¯t a silly girl. She understood that only practice makes perfect with this skill, but she didn¡¯t mind too much. She leaned on his shoulder, held her watermelons in her hands to avoid them touching Ye Jingtang¡¯s chest, and waited for him to put her in the pool. But what she didn¡¯t expect was that when Ye Jingtang lowered her down with his arms, just as her butt touched the water, he lifted her up a little. Whoosh- The white mist in the pool water immediately rippled when her butt touched it. ?? The empress instinctively straightened her back, and her eyes revealed a hint of shyness and anger. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Ye Jingtang said with a calm expression, ¡°The pool water seems to be hotter than last time. Is it hot?¡± ¡°?? Can¡¯t you test it yourself?! If I lie down like this, won¡¯t I be scalded?¡± ¡°I¡¯m holding you right now. Besides, people have different tolerances. 1 don¡¯t think it¡¯s hot, but you may not think so.¡± As Ye Jingtang spoke, he prepared to put her back on the chaise longue. The empress didn¡¯t know what to say. She didn¡¯t continue talking nonsense with Ye Jingtang and directly said, ¡°It¡¯s not hot.¡± Plop! She was thrown into the pool. Ye Jingtang turned around and picked up the box containing Snow Lake Powder from the small table. ¡°How much should I pour in?¡± The empress¡¯s expression was slightly complicated. She felt that if Ye Jingtang were really a noble consort and didn¡¯t even know how to ¡®handle her with care¡¯, she would definitely throw him into the cold palace in less than three days. ¡°You can pour it all in. Although this item isn¡¯t even one percent as effective as the Snow Lake Flower, and the treatment process is long, the advantage is that it¡¯s relatively cheap to make. You can have as much as you want.¡± Ye Jingtang poured all the Snow Lake Powder in the box into the pool water and stirred it evenly with his hand. ¡°Researching Snow Lake Powder might have injured countless lives, but it¡¯s indeed a good formula with eternal use. Not only can it restore people¡¯s meridians, but it can even treat many ordinary people with damaged meridians. I think this thing should be spread as soon as possible to save lives and heal the injured.¡± The empress leaned against the edge of the bathing pool and covered her chest with her hands. ¡°The Imperial Court doesn¡¯t lack this source of wealth. Take the formula and get the Red Flower Pavilion to recruit apothecaries to create a large medicine shop to manufacture it. As for spreading it to the world, with the Red Flower Pavilion¡¯s connections everywhere, it shouldn¡¯t be difficult.¡± Ye Jingtang understood the value of Snow Lake Powder. To be able to specialize in manufacturing Snow Lake Powder under the special permission of the Imperial Court, the Red Flower Pavilion probably wouldn¡¯t have to run a shipping business in the future. Just this alone could support the family business. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t thank me too early. The Red Flower Pavilion has taken this medicine and has to pay the commercial taxes on time. The people who were harmed because of researching this medicine must also receive pensions from the Red Flower Pavilion. In the future, the price can¡¯t be too high, and the quality must be guaranteed. If anything goes wrong, I won¡¯t plead for you¡­¡± The two of them chatted in the bathroom. Ye Jingtang was blindfolded and couldn¡¯t see anything, but his heart didn¡¯t waver. The empress had a powerful aura. This wasn¡¯t the first time they had met candidly, and her demeanor gradually became natural. After saying a few words, the empress thought of something and said, ¡°Daoist Xuanji is accompanying the empress dowager. She may come over to visit later. If we bump into her, 1 won¡¯t be able to explain myself even if 1 jump into the Clear River. You should go out.¡± Ye Jingtang immediately stood up, bade farewell, walked out of the door, and pulled down his blindfold in front of the door. Seeing this scene, the empress suddenly recalled when Liren barged in. Her heart stirred slightly. She first covered her chest and the white jade tiger with her hands before deliberately saying, ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Ye Jingtang turned around subconsciously, but this time, his reaction was extremely fast. Just as he moved, he turned his head back and faced the sliding door. He said in fear, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Heh~! I¡¯m just testing your reaction.¡± The empress smiled, moved her hands away, leaned against the edge of the bathing pool, and tilted her head slightly. ¡°Your performance this time was not bad. It¡¯s just that you¡¯re a little stupid. You didn¡¯t even know to eat it when it was brought to your mouth.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Ye Jingtang had nothing to say.. He opened the door and quietly walked out¡­ Chapter 390 - Chapter 390: Practice Makes Perfect (3) Chapter 390: Practice Makes Perfect (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At the same time, in the Eternal Joy Palace¡­ The empress dowager had changed into the attire of a madam. She was wearing an autumn dress and had a woman¡¯s bun and a small pouch hanging from her waist. She looked like a little wife preparing to go out while walking in front of Daoist Xuanji. Daoist Xuanji was dressed as a scholarly lady again and held a small umbrella in her hand. The two of them were dressed like this, so they were naturally prepared to leave the palace and stroll around the streets. But Daoist Xuanji knew the empress¡¯s physical condition, so she had to come over to take a look before going out. The two of them passed through the corridors and arrived near the Peaceful Hall. Daoist Xuanji used the excuse of going in to get something to enter the bedchamber. The empress dowager thought that the empress was holding court in the Hall of the Supreme Principle and that there was no one in the bedchamber, so she didn¡¯t go in and wandered in the garden outside the hall. Just after taking a few steps, she saw someone in the waterside pavilion in the center of the Roaring Dragon Pond. ¡°Huh?¡± The empress dowager stopped in her tracks and squinted to take a closer look. After discovering that the black-robed figure in the waterside pavilion was Ye Jingtang, she walked to the lake and put on the air of an empress dowager. She folded her hands at her waist and looked out. Ye Jingtang had just come out of the bathroom and had yet to enter a meditative state. Sensing someone by the lake, he naturally opened his eyes. When he saw that it was the empress dowager, he stood up and jumped over the blue waves of the Roaring Dragon Pond. Tread, tread¡­ The empress dowager looked at the scene of Ye Jingtang crossing the waves under the autumn sun and couldn¡¯t help recalling when Liren carried her while flying. But in the end, they had almost fallen into the lake. Looking at Ye Jingtang now, she still felt that his charm was peerless. But as the empress dowager, she couldn¡¯t show her admiration with little stars in her eyes. She just stood with her hands folded at her waist and waited. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°No need for formalities. Why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m taking the next two days off. Since I¡¯m free, I came over to practice.¡± Ye Jingtang landed by the lake. Because the empress dowager was petite, delicate, and not very tall, when they were alone, he had to bend down slightly to avoid looking down at her from above and offending her. The empress dowager had to raise her head to look at the person opposite her. She was a little lost in his beauty, so she took small steps and walked unhurriedly by the lake. ¡°How are your injuries?¡± ¡°I¡¯m basically fine.¡± Because of the close distance, Ye Jingtang could smell the faint fragrance of cinnamon. Looking at the empress dowager¡¯s beautiful wifely attire, he asked, ¡°Is Your Majesty preparing to leave the palace?¡± The empress dowager nodded, ¡°I¡¯m preparing to go out with Daoist Xuanji to visit the people incognito. Are you free?¡± Ye Jingtang was free, but he would probably become a baggage-carrying machine if he went out on a date with the empress dowager and Daoist Xuanji. He really didn¡¯t want to go, but he couldn¡¯t refuse. ¡°I have no official business today. Your Majesty has a precious body, and there are risks when going out. I¡¯ll be Your Majesty¡¯s guard.¡± The empress dowager wanted to bring Ye Jingtang along because Shuishui only followed her around while drinking wine and let her shop by herself when they went out. It was very boring. Ye Jingtang obviously knew how to please women, so it should be more fun to go out with him. Seeing that Ye Jingtang was sensible, the empress dowager was satisfied. She circled the Roaring Dragon Pond with him until Daoist Xuanji walked out of the bedchamber. When Daoist Xuanji found Ye Jingtang chatting happily with the empress dowager, she turned around and looked at the small bathroom. She was deep in thought, but she didn¡¯t catch them red-handed, so she didn¡¯t think much of it. She walked over and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She threw her small umbrella to Ye Jingtang. Ye Jingtang knew that the day of shopping until his legs broke was about to begin. He sighed inwardly and followed behind the two high-ranking women with the small umbrella. Ye Jingtang originally thought that since the empress dowager was leaving the palace, she would take the east gate of the Imperial City or be carried out by Daoist Xuanji. But he didn¡¯t expect that the two women, who were chatting along the way, would return to the Longevity Palace and go to the room in the side hall. The entrance to the tunnel leading out of the palace was in the room. Now, it had been renovated. There were handrails and stairs installed, and the walls of the tunnel had been painted white. There were even various calligraphy and paintings hanging along the way. What was even more special was that because the tunnel was too long, in order to take care of the delicate empress dowager, the empress had actually installed a wooden track commonly seen in mines in the tunnel. On it was a small carriage with exquisite workmanship. The empress dowager was quite satisfied with this renovation. She lifted her skirt, sat in the carriage, and let Daoist Xuanji sit beside her. There was not much room in the small carriage. The two women had to squeeze their butts together when sitting. They were very close to each other. Ye Jingtang obviously couldn¡¯t get in, so he consciously went to the back and pushed the small carriage deeper into the tunnel. Creak, creak! When the empress dowager returned last night, she had been pushed back by eunuchs and palace maids. Seeing that Ye Jingtang was doing this work behind her, she felt that she was treating him unfairly. After thinking for a while, she turned around, leaned against the backrest, and chatted with Ye Jingtang. ¡°The people from the Ministry of Works are really useless. Horses can¡¯t enter here, and I¡¯m afraid of big dogs, so 1 asked them to get a small carriage that can run on its own. In the end, we raised so many skilled craftsmen, but none of them could make it.¡± ¡°Run on its own?¡± Ye Jingtang looked at the small carriage that could only seat two people side by side and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not that it can¡¯t run on its own, but it should be quite difficult to build it¡­¡± The empress dowager shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s not difficult. You¡¯ve heard of Fan Qiqiao, right? In the previous dynasty, the Fan family made a small box. With a twist, the pony inside could run for a while and even tinkle. I used to have one, but unfortunately, I opened it to look inside and couldn¡¯t put it back¡­¡± Ye Jingtang knew that Fan Qiqiao was the master who had created the Mr. Horn. He said, ¡°Fan Jiuniang from Literary Virtue Bridge seems to be Fan Qiqiao¡¯s granddaughter. Can¡¯t Your Majesty ask her to help fix it?¡± ¡°Her ancestors clearly had warnings not to open the things they made. But 1 didn¡¯t listen to their advice and broke it. If 1 send it to Fan Jiuniang, I¡¯ll definitely be laughed at secretly. Moreover, Fan Jiuniang doesn¡¯t have the true inheritance. She does have some skills, but she likes to make evil things. Hmm¡­¡± When the empress dowager said this, her eyes flickered, and she wanted to say something but hesitated. Daoist Xuanji was rather open-minded. She helped the empress dowager add, ¡°Fan Jiuniang has figured out a Mir. Horn with a built-in mechanism. After turning it, it can¡ª¡± ¡°Hey~! Why are you talking so freely?¡± The empress dowager¡¯s face flushed red. She raised her hand and patted Daoist Xuanji¡¯s shoulder. Perhaps afraid that Ye Jingtang would misunderstand, she turned around and explained, ¡°There used to be something like that in the palace. 1 only heard about it from a palace maid, but I¡¯ve never seen it before.¡± Ye Jingtang saw that the two women were suddenly talking about boudoir supplies. How could he continue? He just pushed the carriage seriously and pretended not to hear anything. The three of them chatted along the way. Because there were lights along the way and they had been here before, it only took half an hour to go through the long tunnel and arrive near Jasper Pavilion. The tunnel led to the harem. For safety reasons, the exit at Jasper Pavilion was completely sealed off. There were many iron gates along the way that needed to be opened manually, and the exit was directly in the garden of the Prince of Jing Estate. Ye Jingtang pushed the carriage to the bottom of the stairs at the exit and followed the empress dowager out of the tunnel. In front of them was a five-story tall building. Shang Jianli, who was in charge of patrolling the Black Office, heard the noise in the tunnel and waited at the exit. Because the Prince of Jing was in the palace, the empress dowager didn¡¯t go to Jasper Pavilion. Instead, she took Daoist Xuanji to the main entrance of the estate. After Ye Jingtang greeted Shang Jianli, he wanted to leave with the two women, but Shang Jianli stopped him with a look. Ye Jingtang was slightly puzzled. He went over and asked, ¡°Sir Shang, what¡¯s the matter?¡± When Shang Jianli first met Ye Jingtang, he had still been the famous Black Impermanence of Jianghu. Now, he had become a proper errand boy. There was even a hint of lament on his face. After Shang Jianli bowed to the empress dowager and Daoist Xuanji, he said softly, ¡°A few days ago, two boxing masters near the Imperial Boxing Dojo were harmed by evil people. The murderer attacked cleanly and didn¡¯t leave many traces. She Long and 1 went to investigate, but we couldn¡¯t identify the murderer¡¯s background. There¡¯s no way to investigate the case. Sir Ye, you have sharp eyes. If you have time, please help us take a look. If we can¡¯t find any clues, Madam Meng will deduct two months of our salary.¡± Yun¡¯an City had a permanent population of over a million, and there was a large floating population. The martial temperament of the people was too abundant, and there were basically murders every day. But the Imperial Boxing Dojo was a place to nurture martial arts masters and military officers. Half of the constables of the Black Office came from there. It was considered a government-run military academy, and there were a lot of retired old Grandmasters serving as instructors. It was really rare for something to happen there. Ye Jingtang had handled several cases and had some experience. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go there in the afternoon to take a look, but 1 only investigate based on my intuition. 1 can¡¯t guarantee that 1¡¯11 be able to see anything¡­¡± Daoist Xuanji was waiting with the empress dowager and listening to the two of them chat. When she heard this, she said, ¡°We¡¯re just strolling around anyway. I¡¯ll accompany you to take a look.¡± The empress dowager was very curious about everything.. When she heard that she was going to investigate a case, she became interested and walked straight to the Imperial Boxing Dojo with the two of them¡­ Chapter 391 - Chapter 391: Investigating a Case (1) Chapter 391: Investigating a Case (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It wasn¡¯t noon yet, and the sun was not as intense as it was in midsummer. The streets in the west of the city were busy with traffic, and men and women were strolling around everywhere. Daoist Xuanji opened the small umbrella and covered the empress dowager¡¯s head. Because of their disguises, they looked very much like a scholarly lady accompanying a madam out to shop. As for Ye Jingtang, who was following behind, although his clothes and aura were extraordinary, he was carrying boxes of various sizes in both hands and had a saber hanging on his waist. He was vividly displaying his identity as a personal guard. The three of them set off from the Prince of Jing Estate and headed to the Imperial Boxing Dojo. Because the crime had happened several days ago, they weren¡¯t in a hurry. The empress dowager rarely left the palace. She only experienced this kind of unrestrained shopping a few times a year. Even if she tried her best to restrain herself and think about doing business first, her mind was still attracted by the dazzling array of items on the streets. Moreover, Daoist Xuanji was very considerate of the empress dowager. Without the empress dowager asking, she went here and there to buy hairpins and boxes of rouges. In the end, they left everything in Ye Jingtang¡¯s hands. Through his observation of the empress dowager, Ye Jingtang could confirm that these things would most likely be left in the palace to eat dust. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to remember them, let alone use them. But shopping was to experience the process of shopping. Ye Jingtang saw that the empress dowager was very happy, so he didn¡¯t show any signs of urging her. Occasionally, he would help her take a look and give some suggestions. After walking for more than half a day like this, the three of them gradually arrived at the Imperial Boxing Dojo in the west of the city. The Imperial Boxing Dojo was equivalent to the Imperial Academy for martial artists. The instructors inside were all experts who had retired from the Six Gates, Black Office, and military camps. There were also many famous Grandmasters specially hired. They didn¡¯t teach boxing alone but also sabers, spears, swords, halberds, military strategy, intelligence, assassination, and so on. The students who could successfully graduate became at least military officials. As the saying went, the poor studied civil arts while the rich practiced martial arts. Those who could learn here generally came from good families. Half of them were descendants of generals, and the other half were young people worthy of being nurtured vigorously in the military and government offices. Studying civil arts only needed a table to read, but practicing martial arts required venues, equipment, and other facilities. Martial arts students who came to study couldn¡¯t exert themselves in the dormitories arranged in the Imperial Boxing Dojo at all. For this reason, the streets around the Imperial Boxing Dojo were all rented courtyards. When people walked nearby, they could hear various sounds of hitting. After arriving at their destination, Ye Jingtang walked in front. He first asked passersby about the location of the murder case. Then he took the two women and turned into an alley from the main street. As they walked, Ye Jingtang asked, ¡°You don¡¯t need to become a disciple to learn martial arts in the Imperial Boxing Dojo?¡± Daoist Xuanji shook her head. ¡°Learning here is the same as studying in the Imperial Academy. The students here are considered disciples of the emperor, and they must remember the emperor¡¯s kindness of teaching them. ¡°Although there are many famous instructors in the Imperial Boxing Dojo, you don¡¯t have to think about learning their martial arts. It¡¯s more likely for you to teach them. They can¡¯t teach you anything.¡± Ye Jingtang smiled and said, ¡°With so many instructors, there must be some I can learn from. Whether martial arts are good or bad depends on whose hand they¡¯re in. The martial arts I don¡¯t know are good martial arts. How can it be said that they can¡¯t teach me?¡± The empress dowager was walking at the side. Because she couldn¡¯t say anything, she looked at the surrounding buildings with a noble bearing. After turning a corner, she found a simple shed in the middle of the alley. There were several constables standing around it. She said, ¡°Is it there?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± Ye Jingtang brought the two of them to the middle of the alley and observed for a while. He could see that the location of the murder was in front of a courtyard. The walls, tiles, and door didn¡¯t have any obvious damage. The corpses had been moved away, and there were only lines on the spot to mark the locations where the corpses had been found. After a cursory look, he didn¡¯t find anything noteworthy. The cloth shed had been set up in the alley to prevent the sudden rain from erasing the few remaining traces. The constables from the Six Gates and the Black Office were standing inside and whispering. ¡°There¡¯s nothing missing in the house, and the two victims didn¡¯t lose anything. I think someone hired a skilled assassin to take revenge¡­¡± ¡°The one who died was Instructor Zhang Lie from the Imperial Boxing Dojo. The other was a good seedling sent by the South Stabilizing Army. Both of them came from clean backgrounds, so it¡¯s unlikely that they have enemies¡­¡± Ye Jingtang listened to the conversation and observed the traces on the ground. Before he reached the front, the constables in the alley turned around. One of the constables said in surprise and joy, ¡°Sir Yuwen, Sir Ye from the Black Office is here¡­¡± The few constables gathered here naturally knew that the Saber Chief had appeared in the Black Office. When they heard this, they immediately revealed fear and trepidation and hurriedly went forward to greet him. Ye Jingtang indicated that there was no need for such big fanfare. He turned to look at the courtyard beside him and saw Yuwen Chengde, whom he had met in Bamboo Street before, running out. Yuwen Chengde cupped his hands from afar and said, ¡°Welcome, Sir Ye. 1 apologize for not coming out to welcome you¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so polite. I heard that something happened here, so 1 came to take a look. What¡¯s the exact situation?¡± Yuwen Chengde had seen Ye Jingtang¡¯s inhuman insight and deductive ability when he investigated the murder of the minor official from the Ministry of Works. At this moment, it was as if he had seen his savior, and he wiped the sweat off his forehead. ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s just a murder case. It¡¯s not a big matter, but the consequences are quite serious. The murdered Instructor Zhang had taught staff techniques in the Imperial Boxing Dojo for nearly thirty years, and he had more or less instructed many military officials and generals serving in the capital. When this matter happened, it directly spread to the Hall of the Supreme Principle. I¡¯m in charge of arresting thieves and murderers. With something like this happening, I might be sent to the Heavenly South¡­¡± Ye Jingtang could tell that Yuwen Chengde was very anxious. He said calmly, ¡°1 know the seriousness of the matter. Let¡¯s talk about the case first..¡± Chapter 392 - Chapter 392: Investigating a Case (2) Chapter 392: Investigating a Case (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Yuwen Chengde nodded. He turned around, went under the cloth shed, and pointed at the footprints and marks on the ground. ¡°According to the Imperial Boxing Dojo, Instructor Zhang went out to patrol in the middle of the night and didn¡¯t return for an hour. Other instructors went to look for him and found the corpses of two people here. Because there were many people practicing martial arts at night around here, the few students living nearby didn¡¯t notice any special movements. The murderer was quite experienced and wiped away all the traces. Even Sir Shang didn¡¯t see anything¡­¡± Ye Jingtang half-squatted down and carefully examined the ground. He could see that the footprints made during the battle had been all smoothed out by someone¡¯s shoes. He could no longer see the posture and direction of exerting force. He could only determine the approximate position. There were fine cracks on the walls on both sides of the alley, which should have been caused by a collision. Other than this, there were no other clues. Daoist Xuanji and the empress dowager were afraid that the officials would recognize them, so they were wearing face scarves. Daoist Xuanji looked around. ¡°Zhang Lie is an old martial arts master. In the past, he taught the spear and staff in the imperial guards and served in the late emperor¡¯s honor guard. His martial arts skills weren¡¯t too high, but his vigilance and reaction when encountering enemies were definitely not bad. To be able to kill him silently without alerting the surrounding students, the murderer¡¯s martial arts skills can¡¯t be underestimated.¡± After carefully observing for a while, Ye Jingtang came to the same conclusion as Daoist Xuanji. He stood up and said, ¡°Are the bodies still here?¡± Yuwen Chengde said, ¡°They¡¯re in the courtyard. Last time, someone sneaked into the morgue. I¡¯ve learned my lesson. I¡¯ve been sleeping with the corpses for the past two days, afraid that someone will destroy the corpses and wipe out the evidence¡­¡± Ye Jingtang turned around and entered the courtyard. From the corner of his eye, he saw the empress dowager standing timidly at the back. It seemed that she didn¡¯t dare to go in and see the dead. But when she noticed that he was looking over, she still maintained a calm expression and walked behind Daoist Xuanji. Ye Jingtang gestured for the empress dowager to stand at the door and then entered the courtyard. The courtyard was for students to live alone. There were stone chains, sandbags, spears, and other objects by the wall. They were slightly scattered. They must have heard the commotion while training and went out to check on the situation. Under the eaves of the main house, there were two stretchers. The corpses were covered with white cloth, and two weapons were placed beside them. The student¡¯s weapon was an eyebrow staff, and the instructor¡¯s was a whip staff used as a pointer. Daoist Xuanji half-squatted down and picked up the wooden whip staff to size it up. There were no marks on it from being hit by an iron weapon, but there were cracks in the middle, as if it had been broken by internal energy. Ye Jingtang lifted a white cloth and saw a white-haired corpse. There was blood from his mouth and nose and bruises on both of his arms. The fatal wound was on his chest, and round black marks were visible. Yuwen Chengde gestured at the corpse¡¯s chest. ¡°I can¡¯t tell anything else. I think this fatal wound was caused by the Heart Piercing Staff. Sir Shang guessed that it was a hidden weapon inside the iron tip, but 1 didn¡¯t find any traces of the hidden weapon falling to the ground¡­¡± After Ye Jingtang looked at the corpse beside him again, he stood up and frowned in thought. Then he looked at Shuishui beside him. ¡°What do you think?¡± Daoist Xuanji stood up. ¡°The culprit is very skilled in martial arts, and he was careful and deliberately hid his tracks. It¡¯s extremely difficult to deduce the murderer¡¯s origins based on these clues.¡± Ye Jingtang nodded, picked up the wooden whip staff from the courtyard, and threw it to Daoist Xuanji. ¡°Practice brings true knowledge. Practice it, and I¡¯ll see if I can deduce the murderer¡¯s movements. Come out and stand here.¡± Seeing this, Yuwen Chengde perked up and asked the constables surrounding the alley to retreat farther away. Daoist Xuanji understood what Ye Jingtang wanted to do. She held the whip staff and pretended to be a victim, putting on the appearance of a strict instructor as she walked into the middle of the alley. Ye Jingtang looked at the few scratches on the ground. In order to make the empress dowager feel a little involved, he raised his hand and hooked it. ¡°Please come stand here.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± The empress dowager was watching curiously. Seeing that she had a share, she became interested, walked over obediently, and stood at the door of the courtyard. Ye Jingtang looked around and went to the corner of the side path. The alley fell silent at this moment. Three figures were standing in various places in the alley. Daoist Xuanji placed her hands behind her back and held the whip staff. She was standing facing the courtyard and pretending to silently observe the students practicing martial arts. Ye Jingtang pretended to be a passerby and walked out of the alley silently. When he found Daoist Xuanji standing in the middle of the alley, he stopped. Daoist Xuanji suddenly noticed that someone had appeared. It was too dark to see who it was, so she spun the whip staff in her hand in front of her and tapped her fingers against the palm of her other hand. This action seemed to be putting on a strict instructor¡¯s attitude, but in fact, she was preparing to meet the enemy. When Ye Jingtang saw that the situation wasn¡¯t good, he quickly raised his hand and made the gesture of a spear stab at Daoist Xuanji. Before Daoist Xuanji could speak, she stopped abruptly and dodged. Bam! Ye Jingtang attacked. He exerted strength in his legs at the same time and instantly crossed a distance of thirty feet. He rushed to Daoist Xuanji¡¯s front and blasted out a Black Tiger Scoops the Heart with his left hand. Daoist Xuanji raised her whip staff with both hands to block, but the wooden staff, which wasn¡¯t very sturdy, didn¡¯t have any blocking effect. It broke with a touch, and Ye Jingtang slapped at Daoist Xuanji¡¯s perfectly curved chest! Crack! Ye Jingtang was fully focused on analyzing the movements. When he realized that he had accidentally broken the wooden staff, the Black Tiger Scoops the Heart stopped in front of Daoist Xuanji¡¯s clothes. This stop was very precise. There wasn¡¯t the slightest bit of force pouring onto Daoist Xuanji¡¯s body. Even her extremely soft clothes weren¡¯t pressed down. It could be said that he had stopped perfectly. Any martial arts expert would probably clap their hands and praise him for his ¡®good martial arts skills¡¯.. Chapter 393 - Chapter 393: Investigating a Case (3) Chapter 393: Investigating a Case (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios However, in Daoist Xuanji¡¯s eyes, this perfect sudden stop went from ¡®accidentally slapping her¡¯ to ¡®taking the opportunity to gently rub her with ease¡¯! ?! When Daoist Xuanji felt the extremely gentle heat on her clothes, her peach blossom eyes widened a little. The meaning in her eyes was obvious: You did it on purpose, right? Why didn¡¯t you stop earlier? Despite being annoyed, Daoist Xuanji didn¡¯t make any mistakes in her cooperation. She still took two steps back and hit the wall as if she had been struck heavily. Bam! Ye Jingtang was a little flustered. He pulled back his weapon and kicked out again, pretending to hit Daoist Xuanji¡¯s heart. Then he pulled back and threw the air weapon behind him at the empress dowager, who was looking around curiously. The set of actions was very fast, and he completed them in an instant. The spot where Ye Jingtang¡¯s feet landed and the spot where Daoist Xuanji received the blow were exactly the same as in the crime scene. Daoist Xuanji should have been knocked down now, but she didn¡¯t slide down the wall to act as a corpse. Instead, she covered her chest with her sleeve and looked at Ye Jingtang with a dangerous gaze. Ye Jingtang felt that his hand was still warm and felt rather awkward. He raised his hands to apologize before turning around and analyzing. ¡°If nothing unexpected happened, Instructor Zhang should have been patrolling the alley in the middle of the night and standing here to watch the students practice martial arts in the courtyard. Because he didn¡¯t want the students to discover him, he didn¡¯t make any noise. ¡°The murderer¡¯s footsteps were also silent. When he turned out of the alley, the two of them encountered each other by accident. Then the murderer suddenly attacked and killed Instructor Zhang in the blink of an eye. ¡°The martial arts student inside heard the commotion and ran out to check. But before he could turn around, he was hit in the temple¡­¡± People reenacted the scene and explained the situation. The constables naturally understood and nodded. But Yuwen Chengde was still puzzled. ¡°Sir Ye, when the murderer attacked, he was still more than thirty feet away from the target. Even a horse lance couldn¡¯t stab him from so far¡­¡± ¡°It was a soft weapon.¡± Ye Jingtang explained, ¡°The point of exerting strength is here. If it were a hidden weapon, there would definitely have been traces on the corpse, weapon, and wall. Since we can¡¯t find any, the murderer must have retracted the weapon after missing. The weapons that can be thrown out and retracted can only be rope darts, meteor hammers, and so on. The corpse suffered injuries from a blunt weapon, so the probability of a meteor hammer is higher.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Yuwen Chengde nodded in understanding. Ye Jingtang thought for a moment and said, ¡°In addition, those who dare to use rope darts and meteor hammers must have precise and fast basic skills to throw three consecutive times. They won¡¯t easily get close. This person should also be good at unarmed combat. In order to kill quickly and safely, he changed his move after missing a single strike. ¡°A soft weapon tests one¡¯s control of internal energy, and the palm strike was as strong as a bow and abnormally fierce. If I¡¯m not wrong, the murderer is a comprehensive expert who practices both internal and external martial arts and can fight at range and in melee¡­¡± Many constables were listening attentively. Gradually, their pensive expressions turned into confusion. Even though Yuwen Chengde had seen it once, he still couldn¡¯t understand it at this moment. He shrugged slightly. ¡°Sir Ye, there are just a few footprints that have been erased. How did you see so many things?¡± Ye Jingtang explained, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not difficult. Humans have two hands and two feet, and the space is so small. Think through all the positions and movements that may cause these marks. Then, according to the effects of the attacks, deduce the strength of the blows and the murderer¡¯s thoughts and find the most reasonable result¡­¡± H 11 Yuwen Chengde felt that the principle was quite simple, but his small brain might not be able to learn it, so his eyes were still full of confusion. Ye Jingtang spoke for a while. Seeing that many constables seemed to be listening to a heavenly book, he didn¡¯t waste his breath and said, ¡°That¡¯s all I can see. The footprints have been erased, and it¡¯s difficult to guess the murderer¡¯s height, body shape, sect, and so on. If we want to catch the murderer with this, we can only find similar experts in Jianghu. The chances are slim.¡± ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s better to have a general direction of investigation than not knowing anything like just now. 1¡¯11 go to the case library to search for experts who match the murderer¡¯s characteristics. If there are any new clues, I¡¯ll report it to you immediately¡­¡± Ye Jingtang couldn¡¯t give too many suggestions, so he didn¡¯t stay long and prepared to leave. The empress dowager was still standing obediently at the door. When she saw Ye Jingtang and Daoist Xuanji fighting just now, she had thought that he would do the same thing with her. She had been secretly nervous about how to respond so that she wouldn¡¯t embarrass herself. When she realized that Ye Jingtang was about to leave, she said in a daze, ¡°Ye Jingtang, you wanted me to stand here without even doing anything?¡± Daoist Xuanji held up the small umbrella and covered the empress dowager¡¯s head as she replied, ¡°You acted as a corpse. Since you stood still, you acted well.¡± ¡°Uhh?¡± The empress dowager turned around to take a look. After confirming that no one was paying attention, she looked at Ye Jingtang with dissatisfaction. ¡°You wanted me to act as a corpse?¡± Ye Jingtang picked up the bags from the ground and shook his head. ¡°How is that possible? We were acting out the situation at that time. Your Majesty was a martial arts student. When Your Majesty heard the commotion, Your Majesty went out to check and then disappeared.¡± 1Q11 Isn¡¯t that still acting as a corpse?! The empress dowager blinked, very unhappy about this. ¡°Ye Jingtang, 1 know some martial arts too. You could have let me practice with you with a wooden staff. You let me show my face and die without even raising my hands. Do you despise me for my poor martial arts skills?¡± ¡°How is that possible? It was just that there were too many people in the alley, and fists and feet have no eyes. I was afraid of offending Your Majesty.¡± Daoist Xuanji had been offended just now. She narrowed her eyes slightly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about offending me? Or do you think it¡¯s fine to touch me?¡± The empress dowager wasn¡¯t stupid. She felt that these words were like a woman acting coquettish and throwing a tantrum. She frowned and reminded, ¡°You¡¯re an elder. So what if a younger generation accidentally offended you during a spar? If you were really taken advantage of, it¡¯s because you¡¯re not skilled enough. How can you blame him?¡± Ye Jingtang¡¯s expression was calm, but in his heart, he really wanted to give the empress dowager a thumbs up. Daoist Xuanji was rendered speechless by the empress dowager¡¯s rebuttal.. She didn¡¯t say anything else and pulled the empress dowager to walk in front¡­ Chapter 394 - Chapter 394: Investigating a Case (4) Chapter 394: Investigating a Case (4) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Meanwhile, in an inn a kilometer away from the Imperial Boxing Dojo¡­ A murder had happened near the Imperial Boxing Dojo. In the past few days, constables had been patrolling the streets everywhere. Inns and other places were the focus of the government¡¯s investigation. In a room on the second floor of the inn, a middle-aged man dressed as a merchant nodded and bowed as he sent away the official conducting a routine inspection. Then he closed the door. In the room, a man of medium build was sitting. He was dressed as an advisor and calculating accounts at the table with an abacus. Other than a few boxes of groceries imported from Northern Liang, there were no other suspicious items in the room. The middle-aged merchant listened attentively at the door. After confirming that the official had gone down the stairs and walked far away, he turned around and regained his Jianghu air. He took out a copper monocular from his chest and looked out the window at the Imperial Boxing Dojo in the distance. ¡°They¡¯ve been patrolling from door to door for the past three days. They definitely didn¡¯t find any useful clues. 1 think this matter will be over in two days.¡± The advisor sitting at the table pushed the abacus to the side with a dissatisfied expression. ¡°You could have made up an excuse to avoid it, but you had to kill people. Do you think no one will care about a murder case in the capital like in Liang Province?¡± The middle-aged merchant sighed. ¡°If I could have avoided it, why would I have taken the risk? Whether someone is an expert or not, you¡¯ll know after looking at each other. That old instructor wasn¡¯t simple. If 1 didn¡¯t attack directly, he would have shouted, and all the experts of the Imperial Boxing Dojo would have come¡­¡± ¡°Hmph! The commotion is so big. It would have been fine in the past. Other than the Eight-Armed Ksitigarbha and the deity in the palace, no one could do anything to us. But I heard that last night, the Prince of Jing returned to the capital, and Daoist Xuanji and Ye Jingtang followed her. Two Martial Chiefs are in the capital. Even the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master might not dare to come. If you reveal your tracks in advance, how are we going to get things done in the future?¡± The middle-aged merchant put down his monocular and sat down across the table. ¡°We¡¯re not here to kill Martial Chiefs. As long as we keep a low profile in the future and don¡¯t leak our whereabouts, those two Martial Chiefs won¡¯t look for us out of thin air. Let¡¯s get down to business first. ¡°Liu Qiansheng has been on the run for twenty years and only showed his face in the capital last month. The Black Office didn¡¯t publicize it after capturing him. They must have secretly recruited him. Since he was recruited, he should be teaching boxing. I wandered around the Imperial Boxing Dojo for so many days, but 1 didn¡¯t see any traces of Liu Qiansheng¡­¡± The man dressed as an advisor put down his teacup. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you that the Imperial Boxing Dojo doesn¡¯t just teach boxing. The word ¡®boxing¡¯ means martial arts. Furthermore, the most powerful instructors there are only Grandmasters. Liu Qiansheng is a former Martial Chief. The instructors inside might not even understand what he teaches. Why would he stay there to teach students¡­¡± ¡°Then, besides this place, where else can we find Liu Qiansheng? We can¡¯t go to the Prince of Jing Estate to look for him. Daoist Xuanji and Ye Jingtang may be there. It¡¯s best if we don¡¯t get close to them within a two-kilometer radius.¡± ¡°Since he¡¯s teaching boxing, there should be some news in the martial arts industry. We¡¯ll slowly investigate. Let¡¯s check out another matter first.¡± At this point, the advisor tapped his fingers on the table and thought for a moment. ¡°The gang leader specially instructed us to find that apothecary from Northern Liang and find out the formula for the Heavenly Carnelian Bead. I reckon that the apothecary was escorted back with the ships yesterday¡­¡± The middle-aged merchant was a little puzzled about this. ¡°What exactly is the Heavenly Carnelian Bead? The gang leader is such a peerless hero, but he actually put aside his hatred to look for this thing first?¡± ¡°When the gang leader was young, his martial arts were crippled by Liu Qiansheng. He ran to Northern Liang to look for the Snow Lake Flower and finally found it in a small tribe. He even learned some secrets. It¡¯s said that the Heavenly Carnelian Bead is a divine bead given by the heavens to the leader of all tribes. Whoever has it is the person chosen by the heavens. Hmm¡­ It¡¯s similar to our Great Wei¡¯s divine right of sovereignty.¡± The advisor took a sip of tea and continued, ¡°Our Hong Mountain Gang transports salt and iron to the various tribes of the Western Sea all year round and has a good relationship with them. The people there also admire the gang leader¡¯s peerless martial arts. As long as we obtain the Heavenly Carnelian Bead, we might be able to rebuild the Heavenly Carnelian Cavalry. At that time H The middle-aged merchant shook his head and interrupted, ¡°The people of Jianghu are indeed from Jianghu. Don¡¯t be so ambitious. The Pacifying Heaven Cult Master is so powerful, but he doesn¡¯t even dare to mention publicly the restoration of Great Yan. If we rebel¡­¡± ¡°The Pacifying Heaven Cult has no possibility of rising to power in the Heavenly South. Liang Province is different. The people are valiant and produce warhorses, and there are endless retreat routes in the north. Since ancient times, it has been the den of rebels¡­ By the way, I heard that the new Saber Chief, Ye Jingtang, is also from Liang Province. People often say that the poor study civil arts while the rich practice martial arts. Liang Province is so poor, but it has produced two Martial Chiefs. The fortune tellers in Jianghu say that the Emperor Star has descended to the mortal world. Now, the ¡®great luck¡¯ has landed in Liang Province. Our gang leader is the overlord of Liang Province. If he rises in power, won¡¯t he emerge to meet a historic destiny¡­¡± The middle-aged merchant felt that it made sense, but after some thought, he frowned and said, ¡°Ye Jingtang belongs to Liang Province and is also a Martial Chief. What if the person of the Emperor Star descending to the mortal world and great luck is Ye Jingtang?¡± ¡°?? Shut up if you don¡¯t know how to speak!¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Chapter 395 - Chapter 395: Shopping (1) Chapter 395: Shopping (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At dusk, the gentle setting sun shone on the banks of the Southern Breeze River and the willow trees. Countless brightly-dressed scholars and beauties were walking back and forth on the streets with folding fans or umbrellas. When Pei Xiangjun returned to the capital, she completely became a madam from a wealthy family. She was walking along the street with a dignified bearing and watching the small pleasure boats coming and going. Xiuhe was following behind, carrying various items bought from the vendors. Luo Ning was walking beside Third Lady with a cold and serious temperament. Beside her were Little Yunli, who was walking the bird, and Ping¡¯er, who was full of curiosity since this was her first time in the capital. This trip was to buy small daily necessities for the new residence, such as handkerchiefs, rouge, and small ornaments. Because Zhe Yunli would also live in the new residence, Luo Ning brought the two of them along. In order to explain their relationship to Ping¡¯er, she had spent a lot of brainpower. The general reason was that in order to hide her identity in the capital, she had deigned to pretend to be Ye Jingtang¡¯s female friend, but many people misunderstood that she was Ye Jingtang¡¯s lover. So she had told Ping¡¯er that even if she heard about it, she shouldn¡¯t explain it. It was fine as long as she understood the situation. Ping¡¯er knew the risks of hiding in the capital, so she naturally understood and didn¡¯t ask further. She quickly got into character and treated herself as a new maidservant to avoid arousing suspicion. Now that she had returned to the capital, Luo Ning could no longer be jealous and quarrel with Third Lady like when they were outside. She only maintained an aloof attitude while thinking about what had happened last night. Thinking of last night, Luo Ning was a little annoyed. She had clearly discovered an unexpected situation, so she had rushed to Third Lady¡¯s room. In the end, Third Lady, that petty woman, had refused to let go of her and forced her to choose between protecting the front or the back. Ye Jingtang had been heartless. He only knew how to laugh foolishly and didn¡¯t help her out! If they were alone, the little thief would definitely have taken a different approach. She might have acted as if she had no choice and gritted her teeth to endure the humiliation. But with the Third Lady around, how could she do such shameless things? Since she really couldn¡¯t push her away, she could only choose the lesser of the two evils¡­ Luo Ning was walking on the street, finding it hard to describe her feelings. It was as if she wasn¡¯t wearing any underwear. She didn¡¯t have the face to see anyone at all. No one knew how much perseverance she used to maintain her cold fairy aura. At the thought that it would take a couple of months for her to recover the appearance of a mature woman, Luo Ning felt very uneasy. If Yunli found out that she was so ridiculous in private, she would probably not be able to raise her head for the rest of her life¡­ While Luo Ning¡¯s imagination was running wild, the five of them walked up a street and bought many daily items. They gradually arrived near Literary Virtue Bridge. The people living at Literary Virtue Bridge were all high-ranking officials and dignitaries. The stores around them mostly sold luxury goods, and most of the pedestrians on the streets were members of prominent families in the capital. Pei Xiangjun had a clear goal and planned to go to Fan Jiuniang¡¯s store to pick out some sexy smallclothes. But halfway there, she saw a few young masters surrounding a traveling merchant on the street and talking. ¡°¡­ Isn¡¯t this a thousand-kilometer mirror? Last time, Brother Wang asked me to borrow a jade artifact from the previous dynasty, but he lost it and compensated me with this. Other than being able to look far away, it¡¯s meaningless¡­¡± ¡°Young Master, what you said is wrong. This thousand-kilometer mirror is not simple. It was made by the Northern Liang¡¯s military ordnance department. I spent a lot of money to get it from the Northern Liang border army. In the past, the former Fist Chief, Liu Qiansheng, could only detect the movements of grass a few kilometers away during his most powerful period. This thing is different. Even if it¡¯s ten kilometers away, as long as you stand high, you can see the movements clearly¡­¡± ¡°Heh~ There really is the inscription of the Northern Liang¡¯s military ordnance department¡­ This thing sounds very good, but in reality, it can¡¯t compare to Martial Chiefs. Liu Qiansheng could discover movements through a wall without even needing to raise his head. Wherever this thing can see, people with good eyesight can see it without using this thing¡­¡± ¡°Oh? Young Master, could it be that you have seen a formidable character like Liu Qiansheng in Jianghu?¡± ¡°I met him at Dragon Creek Alley a few days ago. I even learned a few fist moves¡­¡± ¡°Yo~! It looks like your identity isn¡¯t ordinary. Sorry for being disrespectful¡­¡± Zhe Yunli, who was walking behind, also heard the conversation. She turned around and saw two large baskets of strange objects, so she wanted to go over and take a look. Luo Ning knew that the young masters of Literary Virtue Bridge all had extraordinary identities. She didn¡¯t want to cause trouble for Ye Jingtang, so she pulled Zhe Yunli back and went over to Third Lady. ¡°Didn¡¯t Ye Jingtang say that Liu Qiansheng only teaches Grandmasters and not mediocre people? Who is that noble young master?¡± Pei Xiangjun glanced over and continued walking forward. ¡°The young marquis of the Marquis of Ding¡¯an, who made meritorious contributions during the founding of the country. He is good friends with Wang Chihu, who is the Prince of Jing¡¯s cousin. Liu Qiansheng has already been recruited. No matter how arrogant he is, he still has to understand the ways of the world. He definitely has to give face to the children of nobles. Anyway, they won¡¯t be able to learn anything¡­¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Luo Ning nodded in understanding. After Pei Xiangjun walked a little farther, she turned around and looked back. ¡°Ordinary people can¡¯t get the things made by the Northern Liang¡¯s military ordnance department. This peddler probably found a way from the Hong Mountain Gang. A thousand-kilometer mirror is only ten taels of silver in Northern Liang, but he can sell it to noble young masters in Yun¡¯an for a starting price of two hundred taels of silver. The profit is really enviable¡­¡± Luo Ning blinked. ¡°Your family business is so big. Can¡¯t you just set up a workshop and make it yourself?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. I¡¯ve arranged for people to replicate it, but the color of the mirrors was too mixed, and it couldn¡¯t be polished so smoothly. It looks out of shape¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know how to polish a mirror??¡± ¡°I¡­ What kind of mirror are you talking about?¡± H ^>n The two of them chatted along the way and unknowingly arrived at the Wang family¡¯s medical clinic. Luo Ning asked Pei Xiangjun to take the girls shopping while she entered with the controlled medicines that had been issued by the Imperial Court. Chapter 396 - Chapter 396: Shopping (2) Chapter 396: Shopping (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the hall of the clinic, Madam Wang was leaning against the counter and chatting with a madam.¡±¡­ Men are all amenable to coaxing but not coercion. Think about it. Your husband is troubled by trivial matters all day in the government office. When he comes home at night, you¡¯re nagging in his ear about trivial matters. If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t want to pay attention to you either¡­¡± ¡°But he hasn¡¯t gone out with me for a long time. He would rather drink alone on the street than eat at home¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s boring to stay at home. Go to the Fan family¡¯s store later to buy some clothes. When your husband is reading at night, you can say that the weather is hot and undress in front of him to show the new clothes. If he secretly glances at you, go over and sit in his arms. Tell him you want to read together and ask him what the book means. Even if you understand, you have to pretend not to understand¡­¡± ¡°Eh-? Isn¡¯t¡­ isn¡¯t this the same as brothel women¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why men like to go to brothels and spend a lot of money. If a woman wants to secure her position as the head of a brothel, she has to be a noble lady in front of others and a¡­ Huh?¡± While Madam Wang was speaking, she suddenly noticed a beauty in a blue dress standing at the door and eavesdropping. She hurriedly greeted, ¡°Welcome, Miss Ning¡¯er. 1 haven¡¯t seen you in a long time.¡± The chatting madam noticed that someone was here, so she hurriedly carried a few items and left. Luo Ning¡¯s gaze was a little strange. She went to the counter and handed back the Soul Separating Needle and other items. ¡°Mrs. Wang, you know so much.¡± ¡°Sigh- Doctors are benevolent. 1 mainly treat the young ladies and madams of Literary Virtue Bridge. Most of them are ¡®illnesses from the heart¡¯. Instead of going to doctors after falling ill, it¡¯s better to start from daily life and treat their mentality first.¡± ¡°That does make sense¡­¡± Mrs. Wang placed the remaining medicine under the counter and said, ¡°Sir Ye is really amazing. He even captured Zhang Jinglin. This morning, Imperial Physician Wang even went over to take a look. He hasn¡¯t returned yet. He¡¯s probably talking about pharmacology. Although Zhang Jinglin doesn¡¯t have any medical ethics, his medical skills will likely benefit many people in the future. I heard that Sir Ye is injured. How is his current situation?¡± ¡°He strained himself. On the way back, the doctor took care of him. He¡¯s fine now.¡± Madam Wang leaned on the counter and moved closer. ¡°What about that aspect?¡± ?? Luo Ning blinked. She was still not used to this topic, but she was treating his illness, so she wasn¡¯t afraid. She thought for a moment and answered truthfully, ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s quite good. There¡¯s no problem.¡± ¡°Can you take it now?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m alright¡­¡± Madam Wang nodded with a smile. She looked down at Luo Ning¡¯s waist. ¡°Have you tried the method 1 told you about last time?¡± Luo Ning simply shook her head and acted as though she were avoiding a snake. ¡°No¡­ 1 really can¡¯t do that kind of thing. Madam Wang, is there any other way? Something more normal¡­¡± ¡°The normal things are written in books, and they¡¯ll be taught when we get married. Some madams come to look for me because it¡¯s too normal and boring, so they want to ask about the abnormal things.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do it¡­ Let me think¡­ Oh, right.¡± Madam Wang waved her fan gently. After some thought, she leaned closer. ¡°Go to Fan Jiuniang¡¯s store later and ask her to get you two pieces of jewelry for the boudoir. She makes them all herself. The price is a little high, but the workmanship and style are good, and they won¡¯t hurt the skin¡­¡± Luo Ning was a little confused. ¡°The Fan family also sells jewelry?¡± ¡°Yes, but they¡¯re not on the head.¡± ¡°Uhh?¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll know when you ask. I¡¯ve never used them before¡­¡± Luo Ning felt that the so-called ¡®jewelry¡¯ should be torture tools used in the boudoir. If she really bought anything, she would be reaping what she sowed. But when she thought of how Third Lady had been unreasonable last night, Luo Ning thought for a moment and didn¡¯t say anything. After bidding farewell to Madam Wang, she went to the next store¡­ Unknowingly, it was already evening. In a private room of a large restaurant on Parasol Street, gentle music sounded. Across the street was the Three Yuan Building, which Ye Jingtang had destroyed. Now, the gambling den had closed, and a new owner was renovating it. The environment of the private room was excellent. There was a table in the middle, and there were couches and a Go table around it. On the table were all kinds of delicacies from all over the world. Among them was the restaurant¡¯s signature dish, fish in vinegar sauce. Beside it was a jar of Sha Province¡¯s specialty, Fierce Woman¡¯s Worry, and a few bottles of fruit wine. Ye Jingtang was sitting at the banquet table. He had shopped from morning to evening, and the dignified Martial Chief had almost broken his legs. Even now, he was still doubting life. On the other hand, the empress dowager, who looked delicate and soft, was in excellent spirits. She didn¡¯t look tired at all after walking all day. She was sitting at the table, holding a small wine cup and playing a drinking game with Daoist Xuanji. Daoist Xuanji didn¡¯t look like a scholarly lady at all when drinking at the table. Her posture was lazy, and she was half-leaning on the table. Her cheeks were red, and just by looking at her eyes, one could feel her demonic aura. As a man, Ye Jingtang should be drinking strong wine with Daoist Xuanji, but all living beings were equal in front of Fierce Woman¡¯s Worry. If he drank half a catty of it, he might do something treasonous to the empress dowager. Perhaps he would even attempt a twofer with one cannon. For safety reasons, it was better to drink fruit wine with the empress dowager. The empress dowager had a great time shopping today. She was half drunk, but she still had no intention of returning to the palace. After drinking a cup of wine, she turned around and looked at the handsome young master accompanying her with drunken eyes. ¡°Ye Jingtang, why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± The private room was brightly lit, and the empress dowager¡¯s eyes were very big. Her clear eyes reflected the candlelight and looked sparkling. Coupled with her gentle and mature drunken state, her lethality was quite astonishing.. Chapter 397 - Chapter 397: Shopping (3) Chapter 397: Shopping (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t dare to stare, so he picked up the white porcelain wine pot and poured wine for the empress dowager. ¡°I¡¯m a Jianghu person. 1 don¡¯t know much about being a literati. All I can talk about is fighting and killing¡­¡± Daoist Xuanji swirled the small wine cup and interrupted with a faint smile. ¡°You have two beautiful wives, and you¡¯re still thinking about more. Why are you pretending to be a blockhead here?¡± The empress dowager supported the side of her face with her hand and nodded slightly. ¡°That¡¯s right. If you didn¡¯t know how to chat, how did you coax the girls home? It¡¯s just drinking wine and chatting casually. There¡¯s no need to care about status and etiquette. Just speak freely.¡± ¡°You can even tell two dirty jokes to relieve the empress dowager¡¯s boredom. She likes to hear these the most.¡± ¡°Hey- What are you talking about¡­¡± The empress dowager swiped Daoist Xuanji with her sleeve. Seeing that Ye Jingtang couldn¡¯t find a suitable topic to talk about, she pondered for a moment and took the initiative to speak. ¡°Ye Jingtang, do you know why her name is Shuishui?¡± Ye Jingtang¡¯s gaze moved slightly, and he almost said something that would cause him to be cut into pieces. Fortunately, he reacted in time and didn¡¯t say, ¡°Because there¡¯s a lot of water?¡± He only asked curiously, ¡°Why?¡± The empress dowager explained seriously, ¡°Because her hometown is near the Golden Creek River. The river water is very fast there, and there are glaciers upstream. When she was an infant, her family took a boat to cross the river and accidentally dropped her into the river. Many people searched for her for a long time but couldn¡¯t find her, so they thought that she had frozen to death or drowned. ¡°In the end, they discovered that she actually floated to the shore and was fine. So there were rumors that she was the reincarnation of the river god. They named her Binghe, nicknamed Shuixian (Water Immortal), and even sent her to Void Jade Mountain to cultivate Daoism¡­¡± ¡°I see¡­ Then, why is she called Shuishui?¡± The empress dowager picked up her wine cup, took a sip, and continued, ¡°In the past, the Daoist nuns at Jade Void Mountain called her ¡®Shuixian¡¯. But later, they realized that she didn¡¯t do anything serious at all. She drank, slept, and took baths in the wild all day. She didn¡¯t look like an immortal at all. She became Shui¡¯er. It¡¯s like¡­ umm¡­ she cultivated from an immortal to a mortal¡­¡± ¡°Haha!¡± Ye Jingtang was indeed amused by these words. Daoist Xuanji¡¯s eyes were calm as she said casually, ¡°This is called entering the world and returning to the path of simplicity. What do you know?¡± The three of them chatted, laughed, and drank. Outside the window, the moon had risen about the branches unknowingly. In the end, the drunken Daoist Xuanji lay on the table. Although the empress dowager had drunk fruit wine, she was still drunk. Slowly, she became a little dizzy and forgot where she was. She said in a daze, ¡°Hongyu¡­ send me to rest.¡± Ye Jingtang stood up and said, ¡°This is Parasol Street. I¡¯ll send Your Majesty back to the palace.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± The empress dowager looked around a few times before standing up and staggering to a wooden couch. She sat down directly and raised her hands to wait for the palace maids to undress her. When she found that no one served her, she undressed herself. ?! Ye Jingtang¡¯s expression changed slightly. He hurriedly went forward to stop her. ¡°Your Majesty, this is a restaurant. Why don¡¯t you lie down and rest for a while?¡± The empress dowager blinked, and her already red face blushed again. Then she obediently lay down on a couch. Ye Jingtang shook his head silently and returned to the table. He gently shook Daoist Xuanji¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Fairy Lu?¡± ¡°Uhh?¡± Daoist Xuanji turned over. After looking left and right, she got up, walked to the couch, and lay down with the empress dowager. Then there was no movement. Plop! Ye Jingtang was speechless. He raised his hand and rubbed his forehead. He felt that there was no chance of him going home tonight to appreciate Ning¡¯er¡¯s white steamed bun. He definitely didn¡¯t dare to carry these two back, so he could only call the manager of the restaurant over and inform the Prince of Jing Estate. Although Daoist Xuanji was drunk, her perception wasn¡¯t bad. If Ye Jingtang had dared to look around, she would probably have immediately opened her eyes and raised her head to catch him in the act. For this reason, Ye Jingtang only sat at the table and made tea for himself. After he waited for about half an hour, the sound of horse hooves sounded on the bustling Parasol Street. The nobles along the street started whispering. ¡°Why is the Prince of Jing here?¡± ¡°Hurry up and go to Dragon Cry Pavilion to inform Brother Wang. If he¡¯s caught drinking with women by the Prince of Jing, he¡¯ll be grounded for another half a month¡­¡± Hearing this, Ye Jingtang stood up and went to the window. He could see a luxurious carriage was driving over on the busy street. The constables of the Black Office were clearing the way in front, and the doors and windows of the carriage were closed. He could only see a familiar profile from the window. Clomp clomp! The carriage quickly arrived at the restaurant. On Parasol Street, the sons of nobles and generals gathered. The heirs might be having fun in a nearby pavilion. Dongfang Liren didn¡¯t want to show her face, so the Black Office constables directly closed the street and cleared the unrelated people around the restaurant before the carriage door opened. In order to ask for a reward for Ye Jingtang today, Dongfang Liren had almost broken her tongue. Her sister had run away halfway through the assembly, leaving her to compete with the ministers in the Hall of the Supreme Principle. After the assembly ended, she even called an old minister of the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs over and talked for a long time. After finally settling the matter, Dongfang Liren had wanted to ask Sir Tangtang for credit. But when she left the palace, she had heard that Ye Jingtang had gone to investigate a case and shop. He didn¡¯t even know to wait a while for her! Dongfang Liren waited boredly at Jasper Pavilion all day and only saw Ye Jingtang in the middle of the night. She was obviously not very happy. She put on a dignified and calm expression, brought maidservants, and quickly arrived at the second floor of the restaurant. ¡°Your Highness!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Dongfang Liren came to the door and looked inside the room first. When she saw the empress dowager and her master hugging each other and sleeping soundly, she frowned. ¡°How did you get them like this?¡± 1 got them like this? Ye Jingtang¡¯s eyes were full of helplessness as he spread his hands slightly. ¡°Your Highness knows Fairy Lu¡¯s personality. I can stand now because 1 have strong willpower and didn¡¯t drink much. Otherwise, 1 would have been the first to collapse.¡± Dongfang Liren thought about it and agreed. After looking at the two women, she asked, ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything, did you?¡± ? Ye Jingtang stood up straighter and looked at the suspicious Dumdum. ¡°What can I do?¡± Based on the experience learned from Tears of a Heroine, Dongfang Liren knew that something was bound to happen when a beauty was drunk. But she also knew her master¡¯s ability. As long as she didn¡¯t take the initiative to give Ye Jingtang a chance, he wouldn¡¯t be able to take advantage of her. She didn¡¯t ask further and turned around. ¡°Send the empress dowager and my master back to Jasper Pavilion to rest.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± The maidservants following behind hurriedly entered the room and helped the two beauties down¡­ Chapter 398 - Chapter 398: The Mantis Stalks the Cicada (1) Chapter 398: The Mantis Stalks the Cicada (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Clomp, clomp! The constables of the Black Office clear the way ahead, and the luxurious carriage set off again toward the majestic Imperial City. Dongfang Liren had been busy with work the entire day and wanted to relax in her free time. She didn¡¯t enter the carriage and followed the carriage on foot on the brightly lit street. She said unhappily, ¡°You went to investigate a case today. Why didn¡¯t you wait for me to come back from court and go with you?¡± Ye Jingtang followed beside Dongfang Liren with a saber hanging at his waist. He shook his head and smiled. ¡°I just passed by to take a look. Calling Your Highness over for such a trivial matter feels like making a mountain out of a molehill.¡± ¡°Hmph- Now, everyone in the Black Office is saying that you have sharp eyes. There are all kinds of rumors. There¡¯s even a ridiculous statement like ¡®Sir Ye slid his hand between his eyebrows and immediately golden light overflowed to reveal a heavenly eye¡¯. It¡¯s a pity that I didn¡¯t see it with my own eyes.¡± Dongfang Liren turned around and said in a dignified manner, ¡°Next time there¡¯s a case, remember to call me. Otherwise, I won¡¯t reward you even if you solve the case.¡± ¡°Hehe~¡± Ye Jingtang felt like his girlfriend was complaining to him about not being attentive enough. He smiled helplessly at this and said that he would remember. Only then was Dongfang Liren satisfied. She walked forward with her hands behind her back and talked about serious matters. ¡°The case of the Prince of Wu¡¯s rebellion has been concluded. At the court assembly today, the ministers discussed rewards and punishments. Thanks to you, I¡¯m first in contribution, so I¡¯ve asked for a reward for you. Guess what the Imperial Court is rewarding you with?¡± Ye Jingtang had already communicated with Yuhu, but seeing the mysteriousness in Dumdum¡¯s eyes, he still pretended to be curious and asked, ¡°What?¡± Dongfang Liren¡¯s fat-headed dragon stood tall and proud. ¡°At first, I wanted Her A/lajesty to confer you a hereditary marquis title, but the ministers felt that the reward was too heavy and didn¡¯t agree. In the end, after Her A/lajesty considered it carefully, Her Majesty decided to confer you the title of Marquis of Martial Peace. ¡°Although it¡¯s only a false title and can¡¯t be inherited, it¡¯s one of the most prestigious titles in the past dynasties, second only to the Marquis of Champions. There were only three in the Great Yan Dynasty, and the last one was Feng Guancheng. ¡°When the ministers heard this, they had objections. They said that you were too young and that it would be more appropriate to change your title to the Count of Martial Might. I was angry and told them to pick anyone to fight with you. If they win, you won¡¯t receive any rewards. 1 told them to put their money where their mouth is¡­¡± Ye Jingtang looked at Dumdum¡¯s proud expression and chuckled. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with what the ministers said. I¡¯m indeed young. If I have this resounding title now, it won¡¯t be easy to reward me if I defeat Feng Guancheng in the future.¡± Dongfang Liren didn¡¯t expect Ye Jingtang to be so broad-minded. ¡°If you can really defeat Feng Guancheng, I¡¯ll give you a better title. As a subject, you must have great ambitions. Although the Imperial Court is afraid of princes with different surnames, officials who don¡¯t even dare to pursue the title of prince definitely don¡¯t have much ability. The Imperial Court will look down on them even more.¡± Ye Jingtang nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°The reward has been finalized. The court attire and other items are being made in a hurry. Aren¡¯t you moving? When the time comes, I¡¯ll write a plaque for you to hang above your door¡­ By the way, where¡¯s your new residence? I¡¯ll go take a look at the place first. Don¡¯t be a marquis personally conferred by Her Majesty and live in a small alley again¡­¡± Ye Jingtang hadn¡¯t visited the new residence since the last time he went to take a look at it, so he naturally agreed¡­ Meanwhile, in the center of Parasol Street, at Dragon Cry Pavilion¡­ Dragon Cry Pavilion was the most famous romantic venue in the capital, and 90% of the people playing there were the sons of rich, noble, or powerful families in the capital. As the Prince of Jing¡¯s carriage arrived on the street, Dragon Cry Pavilion immediately became quieter. After all, the Prince of Jing was the younger sister of the empress, and her personality was cold and strict. If these idle hedonistic playboys accidentally bumped into her, they would inevitably be reprimanded. On the second floor of Dragon Cry Pavilion, in an elegant room facing the street, several young masters in beautiful clothes gathered around the table and conversed softly. There were many banknotes and dice cups on the table. In the lounge next door, the heir of the Prince of Yan, Dongfang Shuoyue, was dressed like an ordinary rich young master. He was holding a folding fan behind his back and looking at the distant carriage. The goateed old steward was standing silently in the dark. After the carriage left, he whispered, ¡°I asked the Green Bandits last night. Shi Yanfeng and Zheng Kun from Liang Province¡¯s Hong Mountain Gang seemed to have come to Yun Province after Liu Qiansheng was arrested. ¡°According to the report of the spies in the Six Gates, this morning, Ye Jingtang went to the Imperial Boxing Dojo to investigate the murder case a few days ago. Then Yuwen Chengde from the Ministry of Justice went to the case library to find Jianghu experts who use meteor hammers and are good at unarmed combat. If I¡¯m not wrong, this crime was committed by Hong Mountain¡¯s Zheng Kun. ¡°Shi Yanfeng and Zheng Kun are both formidable characters in Liang Province¡¯s Jianghu. It¡¯s a little difficult for them to kill Ye Jingtang, but they¡¯re good enough targets to attract Ye Jingtang¡¯s attention. If Your Highness wants to deal with Ye Jingtang first, Your Highness can use the strategy of driving a tiger to swallow a wolf. When the two sides fight, Your Highness can find an opportunity¡­¡± Dongfang Shuoyue rubbed his folding fan and asked, ¡°Do you know where Zheng Kun and his group are?¡± ¡°The enmity between Liu Qiansheng and Jiang Zhahu is difficult to resolve. Now that Liu Qiansheng has joined the Imperial Court, Jiang Zhahu will definitely be worried that Liu Qiansheng won¡¯t give up and fan the flames to get the Imperial Court to clean up the Hong Mountain Gang. Sending Zheng Kun and his group here must be to eliminate the root of the problem.¡± The goateed steward thought for a moment and continued, ¡°Liu Qiansheng has just been released from the Black Office¡¯s dungeon and lives on Dragon Creek Alley. Recently, many experts and nobles¡¯ descendants have come to seek guidance. It won¡¯t be difficult for Zheng Kun and his group to find out. We can send the news to Ye Jingtang and wait.¡± Dongfang Shuoyue deliberated for a moment and nodded. ¡°Go make the arrangements. Martial Chiefs can come and go freely in a head-on battle. There¡¯s no chance of any mistakes. Let Zhong Sunyan go over and watch from the sidelines while secretly finding an opportunity to strike. Even if we can¡¯t kill Ye Jingtang, making him lie down for three months will solve the problem.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness..¡± Chapter 399 - Chapter 399: The Mantis Stalks the Cicada (2) Chapter 399: The Mantis Stalks the Cicada (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios As the night deepened, the silver moon hung above Heavenly Water Bridge. Countless young ladies and madams dressed in cool autumn clothes were standing on the bridge with flower umbrellas in their hands and enjoying the scenery. There were also many scholars and beauties riding small boats floating across the brightly lit river. On a street paved with white stone tiles and lined with willow trees, Ye Jingtang was walking with Dongfang Liren. They looked at the white walls and blue tiles on the street while chatting. ¡°Here it is. How¡¯s the scenery?¡± ¡°You have pretty good taste.¡± ¡°Ning¡¯er chose this. She was born in Jiang Province, so she likes the water town-like charm here¡­¡± ¡°Is that so? The empress dowager is from Jiang Province too. I believe she will like the style of this residence¡­¡± Dongfang Liren accompanied Ye Jingtang to see his new home. For the sake of convenient walking, she had changed out of her domineering silver python robe for entering the palace to a fairy-like gauze dress popular in the capital. The upper body was white and should have been embroidered with just flowers and birds, but there was also an inconspicuous dragon embroidered on it. The skirt was pure white, and her body was covered with aqua-green gauze. Her hair was tied up with the jade hairpin that Ye Jingtang had given her. She was dressed simply and elegantly. Dongfang Liren was quite tall, and her chest, hips, and long legs gave off an air of grandeur. Coupled with the temperament she had cultivated since she was young, even though she was wearing a young lady¡¯s dress, she still didn¡¯t lose the aura of a female prince. She looked like a peerless female expert who had hidden her strength even more than Daoist Xuanji. Ye Jingtang was much more easy-going. He looked like a young master accompanying a beauty to play. The new residence at Heavenly Water Bridge was not far from the Pei family¡¯s alley. After Third Lady bought it, she had arranged for maidservants to clean and decorate it. Now, there were two lanterns hanging outside the door of the residence with the word ¡®Ye¡¯ written on them. The residence was in the style of Jiang Province. The layout was different from the square ones commonly seen in the capital. To the west was a residential area, and to the east was a large garden. The housing and buildings occupied only a third of the residence. The rest of the residence was full of ponds, rockeries, and beautiful flowers and trees. There were already a few maidservants in the residence. Ye Jingtang entered through the door and brought Dongfang Liren to the garden first, wanting to introduce the residence to her. But this was only Ye Jingtang¡¯s second time here. He had been practicing martial arts all year round and had not done much research on architecture. Moreover, the Jiang Province-style buildings were too exquisite, and there were explanations for every plant and tree, so he definitely couldn¡¯t explain everything, Dongfang Liren followed him around. After listening to Ye Jingtang talk for a while, she shook her head silently. She turned the tables and told Ye Jingtang about the uniqueness of this residence. Through the door at the back of the garden, they could see a two-story embroidery building. It was the residence of the young ladies. In the future, Zhe Yunli and Ping¡¯er would probably live here. After entering the back residence, the layout of the buildings became more compact. The four courtyards were located on the west side. They were not simply arranged in the shape of a field but distributed asymmetrically according to the landscape. The interiors also had their own merits, and the landscape of each courtyard was built according to the ¡®plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum¡¯ pattern. As the owner, Ye Jingtang lived in the plum courtyard. In the middle of the courtyard was a crosswalk. The main wing was quite large, and in the middle was the living room with a plaque with the words ¡¯Chilling Ice Pavilion¡¯ hanging on it. On the west side was the bedroom, and on the east side was the study and tea room. The areas of the east and west wings were slightly smaller. Third Lady wanted to live in the east wing. She had already moved her daily belongings today and was only waiting to move in. Ning¡¯er definitely didn¡¯t dare to live with Ye Jingtang openly. She hadn¡¯t thought of where to live yet. After Dongfang Liren walked around, she was quite satisfied with the environment. When she arrived at the main wing, she had seen everything she needed to see. She wanted to turn around and walk back, but from the corner of her eye, she discovered that in the elegant bedroom on the west side, the empress dowager¡¯s treasured painting, Vendor Selling Chickens, was hung. Behind the bead curtain in the inner room was a Babu bed. The bed was too big. It was actually about the same size as hers. Four or five girls could sleep side by side without it being crowded¡­ ? Dongfang Liren knew about things like ¡®two beauties presenting peaches¡¯. When she saw this bed, she naturally stopped and walked into the bedroom to take a look. ¡°Why do you have such a big bed?¡± The last time Ye Jingtang came, there was nothing in the bedroom. The bed and even the tables, chairs, and couches were new. When he saw the bed, he was a little confused. It was clearly not appropriate to throw the blame onto Ning¡¯er and Third Lady. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°Perhaps the Pei family¡¯s steward saw that I was tall and strong, so he bought a big bed to let me sleep more comfortably. I just found out¡­¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Dongfang Liren didn¡¯t believe him at all. She opened the bead curtain and walked to the Babu bed. She first pressed it with her hand and found that it was very sturdy. The bed board had been covered with a soft blanket to reduce the shock. No matter how much strength she used, it didn¡¯t make any creaking sounds. She looked at the furnishings. There was a lampstand at all four corners of the bed. They could illuminate everything inside the curtain. There were also a few soft pillows, which were completely useless for normal sleep. According to the description in Tears of a Heroine, they should be something that beauties placed under the waist to make men feel more comfortable¡­ Dongfang Liren was like a goddess who was perceptive of the finest details. After looking around for a bit, she already understood the use of all the items. She turned around and said, ¡°The Pei family¡¯s steward is so sensible. He even prepared these convenient and bad things for you?¡± Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t expect Ning¡¯er and Third Lady to be so considerate. They even took care of his preference for the lights to be on. He thought for a moment and went forward to explain. ¡°How can they be called bad? It¡¯s very normal for husbands and wives to communicate. It¡¯s also normal for stewards to prepare in advance. There¡¯s nothing to see. Why don¡¯t I send Your Highness back to the estate?¡± Dongfang Liren had no intention of going back. She maintained a suspicious expression and looked around the bed. She even leaned over and lifted the pillows, wanting to find other evidence of Ye Jingtang¡¯s crimes.. Chapter 400 - Chapter 400: The Mantis Stalks the Cicada (3) Chapter 400: The Mantis Stalks the Cicada (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Ye Jingtang really didn¡¯t know if Ning¡¯er had prepared Fragrant Concubine Dew, sexy smallclothes, and other items. If Dumdum found anything, his image would collapse completely. Helpless, he could only pretend to breathe heavily. ¡°Phew-¡± Because Dongfang Liren was very tall, when she leaned over, the scope was extremely large. Her slender legs were straight, and the full curves behind her waist were undoubtedly displayed. She didn¡¯t notice anything wrong with her posture at first. But the breathing behind her fluctuated, and she suddenly realized how dangerous it was for a woman to bend over in front of a bed with her back turned to a man in an empty room. If this scene were in Tears of a Heroine, the next few pages would probably be full of Ye Jingtang coaxing and pestering her while she shouted no, no, no¡­ Swish! Dongfang Liren quickly stood up and turned to face Ye Jingtang. Her expression was very serious, but there was a hint of panic in her eyes. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Ye Jingtang¡¯s expression was normal as he looked at the door. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. 1 want to send Your Highness back to the estate. What else can I do?¡± Dongfang Liren didn¡¯t believe it. She felt that Ye Jingtang must have become lustful and wanted to offend his superior. For this reason, she maintained a serious expression and quickly walked out. Ye Jingtang knew that this would happen. He shook his head, smiled silently, and followed her out. The Pei residence was only half a street away from the new residence. Ye Jingtang wanted to send Dumdum back to the prince¡¯s estate before going home, so he didn¡¯t walk toward the Pei family¡¯s alley. But when he passed by the riverbank, he found a constable from the Six Gates riding a horse over from Heavenly Water Bridge. Judging from the direction, he was heading toward the Pei family¡¯s alley. Clomp, clomp! Dongfang Liren was a little puzzled when she saw this scene. Ye Jingtang quickly walked out of the street and stopped the horse. ¡°Are you going to the Pei residence?¡± ¡°Hello, Sir Ye!¡± As the constable ran, he dismounted from his horse and landed in front of Ye Jingtang. He cupped his hands and bowed. ¡°Sir Yuwen asked me to come over and deliver a message. Today, the people in the government office searched the case library to look for people who matched your description. The murderer had an unexpected encounter and killed Instructor Zhang in the blink of an eye without alerting anyone. His martial arts skills are probably above average among Grandmasters. He¡¯s also good at unarmed combat and using rope darts and meteor hammers. There aren¡¯t many similar experts in Jianghu. ¡°According to a constable who recently returned from Liang Province, Zheng Kun of the Hong Mountain Gang seems to have disappeared for many days. This man started his business as a smuggler at the border of Liang Province. Later, he joined the Hong Mountain Gang and became one of the leaders. He learned fist techniques from Jiang Zhahu, and he knows the technique ¡®Whirling Golden Lock¡¯ passed down in his family. The martial arts he has learned completely matches your speculation about the murderer. Moreover, he has a motive. It¡¯s very likely that Jiang Zhahu sent him to kill Liu Qiansheng¡­¡± Ye Jingtang was born and raised in Liang Province. He had heard of Zheng Kun¡¯s name. His nickname in Jianghu was ¡®Golden Snake Dart¡¯. He was violent and bloodthirsty and was a tyrant in the west of Liang Province. Back then, when he followed his foster father on an escort mission and passed by Zheng Kun¡¯s territory, he had to pay tolls. His impression of him was really not good. ¡°Zheng Kun¡­ Have you found his whereabouts in the capital?¡± ¡°As long as such an expert doesn¡¯t take the initiative to appear, small fries like us won¡¯t be able to find them. Sir Yuwen speculates that Zheng Kun is looking for Liu Qiansheng. Since we know his goal, it won¡¯t be difficult to capture him. We just have to trouble the chief constables of the Black Office to help. There¡¯s no one in the Ministry of Justice who can deal with such an expert¡­¡± Ye Jingtang nodded and gestured for the constable to report back. Then he went to Dongfang Liren¡¯s side and asked, ¡°Where is Liu Qiansheng locked up?¡± Dongfang Liren had been listening. When she realized that they had found a clue, she perked up and walked into the city with Ye Jingtang. ¡°Liu Qiansheng is sensible and has performed well. A few days ago, after Meng Jiao got Imperial Physician Wang to apply acupuncture to restrict him, she released him from the dungeon and arranged a courtyard on Dragon Creek Alley outside the Imperial City. It¡¯s convenient for the secret guards and experts of the government to come seek guidance. If Zheng Kun finds him, with Liu Qiansheng¡¯s current situation, the risk is extremely high. We must rush over and transfer him to another place.¡± Although Liu Qiansheng wasn¡¯t a good person, as the former Fist Chief who had painstakingly studied unarmed martial arts for his entire life, his attainments in unarmed martial arts were unbelievably deep. He was one of the few Jianghu elders in the world who could teach anyone. If someone seeking revenge killed him, it would definitely be a huge loss. Ye Jingtang was still hoping to learn more martial arts from Liu Qiansheng, so he naturally rushed to Dragon Creek Alley while saying, ¡°Moving Liu Qiansheng away will definitely alert the enemy. If Zheng Kun finds out, he won¡¯t show his face again. 1¡¯11 go over and wait for him to come and see if I can get rid of him once and for all. Does Liu Qiansheng have any experts protecting him?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve arranged for a few chief constables to patrol nearby. They might not be able to defeat Zheng Kun, but they¡¯re scattered. It won¡¯t be a problem to give warnings if they encounter danger. Nothing should happen now.. Let¡¯s hurry up¡­¡± Chapter 401 - Chapter 401: Liang Province Ballad Chapter 401: Liang Province Ballad Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The Southern Breeze River flowed from north to south and streamed past the east side of the Imperial City. There was a waterway connected to a lake in the palace. For this reason, the limestone alley near the waterway was called Dragon Creek Alley. Although it was very close to the Imperial City, Dragon Creek Alley wasn¡¯t considered a wealthy place. Most of the residents were old eunuchs and palace maids who didn¡¯t have a high status in the palace and were homeless after retirement. Some secret guards who had been disabled during work were also placed here. The bright moon hung high in the sky, and the cold moonlight shone on the limestone alley. There were star-like dots of lights among the buildings. In one of the residences, the crisp tune of a string instrument and hoarse humming sounded. Zing! Zing! It¡¯s hard to resist the heat in June. The wheat on the mountain is yellow everywhere. The long-term workers are cutting the wheat and drying it in the sun- The shopkeeper is sitting in the cool room. Who can leave the world of mortals¡­¡± The tune was the ¡®Liang Province Ballad¡¯. It was a very famous folk song. Almost everyone in Liang Province knew it, and Ye Jingtang could hum a few lines. But because this tune had the intention of encouraging poor people to resist injustice, and the dignitaries in the capital couldn¡¯t stand poor people, this tune couldn¡¯t be heard in the capital. In the small courtyard, the white-haired Liu Qiansheng was wearing rough clothes and leaning on a bamboo recliner with a three-stringed lute in his arms. Ever since Qiu Tianhe persuaded Liu Qiansheng to let go of the anger in his heart, his complexion had become much better than before. He looked calm after seeing through the world. In the courtyard, a very sturdy child was standing bare-chested in the horse stance. The child¡¯s name was She Xiaohu. To have such a rough name, it was obvious that he was the child of Iron-Armed Impermanence She Long. Because Liu Qiansheng had been a Fist Chief and had even taught a disciple like Jiang Zhahu, after he was recruited, countless people in the capital came with their sons and nephews to acknowledge him as their master. But in Jianghu, it was difficult to find a great master, and it was even more difficult to find a good disciple. Even a deity would find it difficult to carve a piece of rotten wood into a future Martial Chief. Liu Qiansheng had internal injuries, and the anger in his heart had dissipated. His lifespan was at most three to five years. He wanted to choose his last disciple to inherit his legacy as soon as possible. Experts who could establish themselves in the capital basically didn¡¯t lack money. They had never been hesitant about laying a foundation for their sons and nephews. With the protection of a top doctor like Imperial Physician Wang, there were many good seedlings. Liu Qiansheng had searched for a long time and finally chose She Long¡¯s son. It wasn¡¯t because his talent and comprehension ability were outstanding but because the word ¡®Xiaohu (Little Tiger)¡¯ was his greatest hope for his last disciple. It was a kind of fate that She Xiaohu had this name. She Xiaohu was only seven years old, and he still didn¡¯t know how great of an opportunity he had obtained for no reason. He only knew that his father had been as happy as a monkey these few days and reminded him to learn attentively from his old master every day. Seeing Liu Qiansheng humming a tune and not hitting him with a ruler, She Xiaohu was a little confused. He thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Grandpa Liu, what are you singing?¡± Liu Qiansheng¡¯s hands didn¡¯t stop playing the three-stringed lute. He narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°It¡¯s a song from Liang Province.¡± ¡°Is Liang Province so miserable?¡± ¡°This is nothing. If you¡¯re a long-term worker at a landlord¡¯s house, you can feed your family with enough rough rice and live a stable life there.¡± Liu Qiansheng rocked on the recliner and explained, ¡°When 1 was your age, my father was killed by horse bandits, and my mother was abducted by these horse bandits. 1 had to eat chaff, herd sheep, and do chores in the horse bandits¡¯ lair to survive. ¡°There are wolves over there. It¡¯s death to let wolves take away your sheep, and it¡¯s death to lose your sheep. 1 had to figure things out on my own and lie on the ground to listen to sounds. At first, I could hear a hundred feet away and then five hundred feet away. Eventually, 1 could see any disturbance within a few kilometers¡­¡± ¡°So, you never lost your sheep?¡± ¡°Heh! By that time, I no longer herded sheep. I skinned the leader of the horse bandits alive and hung him outside the bandit village as a flag.¡± She Xiaohu blinked, clearly shocked by these words. ¡°Do the officials not care about bandits?¡± ¡°The Imperial Court can¡¯t control things over there, so there¡¯s Jianghu. I¡¯m not a good person. 1 smuggled salt and iron and collected tribute money. The people of Liang Province call me the ¡®Hong Mountain Bandit¡¯. But they forgot what the frontier of Liang Province was like before I dominated it. ¡°When there are no emperor¡¯s laws and no Jianghu rules, people don¡¯t have any scruples. Their hearts are far more vicious than lions and tigers. It¡¯s not uncommon for people to split up, burn, rob, and massacre villages. No one stood up for the villagers. After 1 started collecting tribute money, at least horse bandits didn¡¯t dare to step half a step into the territory of the Hong Mountain Gang. And every year, when the crops were harvested, I would leave some food for people¡­¡± Zing- While Liu Qiansheng was speaking, the three-stringed lute in his hand suddenly paused and emitted a long vibrato. He opened his eyes and looked at the entrance of Dragon Creek Alley. She Xiaohu was still listening to the story. Seeing that his old master had stopped talking, he was a little puzzled. ¡°Go out through the back door. You don¡¯t have to come learn tomorrow.¡± Liu Qiansheng put down the three-stringed lute and sighed secretly. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°I can¡¯t absolve myself of the sin of plundering the people in the past, but the root of this mistake has always been the inaction of the Imperial Court. You¡¯re from a family of officials, and you¡¯ll be a member of the Imperial Court in the future. In the future, you have to remember under what circumstances you should use my fist techniques. Try to resolve the source, and don¡¯t let the next Liu Qiansheng appear in Liang Province.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± She Xiaohu clearly didn¡¯t understand that this was ¡®a man¡¯s words are kind when he¡¯s about to die¡¯. He only nodded with some understanding. He got out of the horse stance and quickly ran out the back door¡­ Splash- The stream water in the canal flowed from the stone slabs to the Southern Breeze River, emitting a faint sound. On a side street outside Dragon Creek Alley, Zheng Kun, dressed as a merchant, was slowly walking, carrying two baskets containing half-sold goods on his shoulders, sizing up the surrounding buildings. After arriving near the entrance of the alley, Shi Yanfeng, dressed as an ordinary steward, quietly leaned close and pretended to check the goods. He whispered, ¡°I¡¯ve already checked the surroundings. There are three Black Office constables patrolling the area. They¡¯ve scattered at the few entrances and exits of Dragon Creek Alley. It looks like they¡¯re here to prevent Liu Qiansheng from escaping. They can¡¯t stop us.¡± ¡°Are you sure Liu Qiansheng is inside?¡± ¡°A starving camel is still bigger than a horse. As long as 1 approach, Liu Qiansheng will definitely sense it. Let¡¯s not go in. But judging from the patrol routes of the Black Office constables, he should live in the middle of Dragon Creek Alley.¡± Hearing this, Zheng Kun put down his baskets and tidied up his robe. ¡°The longer we delay, the easier it will be for complications to arise. Why don¡¯t we just attack directly?¡± Shi Yanfeng was a Jianghu brother that Jiang Zhahu had gotten to know after being expelled from his sect. Because Jiang Zhahu lived in seclusion and rarely appeared, Shi Yanfeng was in charge of the Hong Mountain Gang¡¯s finances and was a trusted aide. On the other hand, Zheng Kun was the leader of a force that Jiang Zhahu had subdued. His relationship with Jiang Zhahu was not as strong as Shi Yanfeng¡¯s, so Shi Yanfeng took the lead in all kinds of arrangements. Shi Yanfeng had a more stable personality and was not as irritable as Zheng Kun. After looking around, he frowned and said, ¡°There are crouching tigers and hidden dragons in the capital. If we enter rashly without checking the situation, we¡¯ll be easily ambushed.¡± Zheng Kun shook his head and said, ¡°If people want to ambush us, they have to know who we are and what our goal is. After we entered the capital, we didn¡¯t leak anything. I committed murder a few days ago, but the Imperial Court didn¡¯t find anything. If we¡¯re ambushed here, it will only be because there¡¯s a mole in the gang who sold us out and tipped off the Imperial Court.¡± Shi Yanfeng pondered for a moment and felt that it made sense, so he didn¡¯t say anything else. He took out three bronze rods from the bottom of a basket, avoided the patrolling constables¡¯ line of sight, and quietly entered Dragon Creek Alley from the dark. There was only moonlight in the limestone alley. Other than the faint sound of a three-stringed lute in the middle, there was no other movement. The two of them walked side by side without making any sound. When they heard the familiar Liang Province tune, they confirmed their target. Shi Yanfeng picked up the bronze rods and slowly pieced them together. Clang! At this moment, the sound of the three-stringed lute in the depths of the alley stopped, causing the old alley to fall completely silent. Shi Yanfeng knew that they had been discovered, so he raised his hand and waved lightly. Zheng Kun no longer concealed his breathing. He twisted his neck and let out two soft cracking sounds. He jumped up, hid on the wall of the alley, and paid attention to the surroundings. Shi Yanfeng held the bronze staff diagonally and carefully arrived outside the wall of the courtyard. He listened to the sounds inside before standing at the door and pointing the tip of the staff at the wooden door. Creak.. The wooden door slowly opened, and what greeted the eyes was a simple courtyard and a recliner placed on the steps of the main room. The white-haired Liu Qiansheng was sitting on the recliner with his elbows on his knees. His body was bent like a crouching tiger, and his eyes were looking at the door indifferently. Their eyes met, and the interior and exterior of the courtyard fell silent. Shi Yanfeng stood at the door and didn¡¯t enter directly. After all, he wasn¡¯t sure how Liu Qiansheng¡¯s injuries were and whether he was restricted by the Imperial Court. Shi Yanfeng took each step carefully. He held the bronze staff horizontally in front of his chest and slowly stepped into the courtyard. Liu Qiansheng didn¡¯t do anything, but this wasn¡¯t because he was arrogant. It was because the Imperial Court had locked him up tightly, and he couldn¡¯t defeat him even if he moved. For this reason, he only maintained the aura of a former Martial Chief and said, ¡°i haven¡¯t seen the Fu family¡¯s Storm Staff for many years. Where did you learn the staff technique?¡± ¡°Jian Yuhua from the Cloud Water Sword Pool returned to his hometown in Liang Province. My grandfather was a general of the Fu family and died for the country with Old General Fu. On account of our ancestral ties, I helped him settle down and sent away the people from the Zhou family chasing after him. So he taught me the true staff technique.¡± Shi Yanfeng walked into the courtyard and slid his feet apart. He held the bronze staff by his waist and pointed it at Liu Qiansheng. ¡°You have lived enough from the previous dynasty to this day. How good would it be if you died happily? When you were young, you roamed Jianghu without giving the Imperial Court any respect. When you grew old, you surrendered to the Imperial Court like a homeless dog. Hasn¡¯t your life become a joke?¡± Liu Qiansheng¡¯s eyes were calm. ¡°There¡¯s no need to talk so much nonsense. When I was young, I had dealings with General Fu. It¡¯s a pity that the Storm Staff disappeared in Jianghu for sixty years. Since you know it, show me how much you¡¯ve learned.¡± Shi Yanfeng carefully observed Liu Qiansheng¡¯s aura and felt that the possibility of him bluffing was far higher than hiding his strength. He didn¡¯t say anything else and kicked the ground with the tip of his foot. Boom! A hole was instantly dug out in the yellow ground by the tip of his shoe. Dirt splattered out and splashed toward Liu Qiansheng, who was sitting on the recliner. Thump! Because Liu Qiansheng would expose himself if he stood up, he didn¡¯t move at all and allowed the dirt to sprinkle on his body. Then he patted himself with his sleeve calmly. ¡°It¡¯s not so easy to force me to make the first move¡­¡± Zheng Kun was hiding on the wall. When he saw this scene, he was stunned. He jumped into the courtyard and cursed angrily, ¡°You¡¯re about to die. Why are you pretending to be a big wolf?¡± While speaking, he kicked the dirt again. Bam! Whoosh! Liu Qiansheng frowned. After a moment of silence, he leaned back on the recliner and picked up the three-stringed lute next to him. ¡°I¡¯ve been hit by the Soul Separation Needle and don¡¯t have much combat strength. However, if you want to kill me, you have to go through the gate god first. We¡¯re all from Liang Province. 1¡¯11 play the ¡®Liang Province Ballad¡¯ for you to liven things up. Dying under this tune is a good ending for people from Liang Province. No matter what the outcome is, at least you¡¯ve lived for yourself once and didn¡¯t have to be a worker who resigned themselves to the situation¡­¡± When Zheng Kun saw this scene, he felt that something was wrong. Shi Yanfeng turned around and looked outside the courtyard wall. At this moment, steady footsteps sounded from the alley. Tread, tread¡­ The sound came closer and closer, as if the King of Hell had opened his eyes and knocked on the door¡­ Chapter 402 - Chapter 402: One Slash Asura (1) Chapter 402: One Slash Asura (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Ciack, clack.. The crisp sound of horse hooves crossed the small street under the moon and headed toward Dragon Creek Alley. Ye Jingtang was riding on his big black horse with a saber hanging by his waist. Dongfang Liren, who was wearing a long gauze dress, was sitting sideways behind the saddle. Because of the inconvenient riding position, she was holding Ye Jingrang¡¯s belt with one hand. The bird, who had been dragged out to work at night, was standing on Dongfang Liren¡¯s shoulder. Its feathers fluttered in the wind as it chirped, complaining about working overtime right after it returned. Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t want the bird to work overtime, but after receiving the news just now, he had gone to the nearby Pei residence to get a horse. The bird, who had been strolling in the back residence, had run over on its own and had been commandeered. Because Dongfang Liren was too embarrassed to follow him to the back residence to meet Ning¡¯er and the others, Ye Jingtang asked a maidservant to go over and inform them before riding his horse away from Heavenly Water Bridge. Dongfang Liren was wearing a fairy-like dress. She couldn¡¯t ride a horse without slits on both sides, so she sat behind Ye Jingtang. Seeing that Ye Jingtang was riding his horse very steadily, she urged, ¡°Go faster. Liu Qiansheng has just been released a few days ago. Zheng Kun and his group can find out his whereabouts at any time. If they really kill him, who will you ask for guidance in fist techniques in the future?¡± Ye Jingtang also wanted to go faster, but the saddle was only so big. He himself wasn¡¯t small, and Dumdum s butt wTas very well-rounded. She was even sitting sideways and maintaining distance from him. If he rode too fast, she would definitely not be able to sit steadily. Hearing the urging, Ye Jingtang turned around. ¡°Sit closer. Otherwise, it won¡¯t be safe.¡± Dongfang Liren looked down and didn¡¯t say anything. She moved forward and placed herself behind Ye Jingtang1 s waist. But as soon as she sat down, Ye Jingtang clamped the horse s stomach and shouted. The big black horse changed from trotting to running wildly. Clomp, clomp! Dongfang Liren was shaken so much that she almost fell. She quickly grabbed Ye Jingtang¡¯s belt to stabilize herself. Her eyes were a little annoyed, but she didn¡¯t argue with the energetic scoundrel. She just turned her head to look at the bird on her shoulder to see if it was frightened by this sudden move. But in the end, she found that the bird was standing steadily on her shoulder and completely fine. When it saw that she was looking over, it even turned around and performed the trick of the body moves, but the head does not move¡¯. The meaning of this showy trick was obvious: Fat-Headed Dragon, your balance is not good. Look, you¡¯re not even as good as me¡­ ?? Dongfang Liren couldn¡¯t be bothered to pay attention to it. The two humans and one bird galloped from Heavenly Water Bridge to the vicinity of Dragon Creek Alley. It took about half an hour. Ye Jingtang was afraid of alerting the enemy, so he dismounted from his horse from afar and got the bird to fly over to investigate first. Then he walked to the alley with Dongfang Liren, wanting to find the sentries of the Black Office to ask about the situation. Dongfang Liren had been jolted all the way, and her dress was in a mess. As she walked, she tidied her gauze outer dress and casually looked at the surrounding buildings, searching for a suitable spot to watch. But before the two of them reached the street outside Dragon Creek Alley, Dongfang Liren noticed that the calm, black-robed young master in front of her had stopped. Then he quickly turned around, stretched out his left hand, and pulled her into his arms. He hugged her until her feet left the ground and moved behind a willow tree by the river. Dongfang Liren really didn¡¯t expect Ye Jingtang to be so presumptuous. Just as she was about to speak, his hand covered her mouth. She looked up and saw Sir Tangtang s serious gaze and eye gesture. ? Dongfang Liren immediately stopped resisting. From the corner of her eye, she looked at the street in the distance and found that a traveling merchant carrying two wicker baskets had turned around from the street entrance. His expression and actions were in line with the common image of a peddler, and there was nothing special about him. Dongfang Liren was a little puzzled. She looked at the cold eyes inches away from her. From the looks of it, she was confirming whether Ye Jingtang was deliberately lying about the military situation. Ye Jingtang definitely wasn¡¯t taking advantage of her on purpose. After he entered the realm of Unity of Heaven and Man, it was equivalent to using the method of the Heaven Equaling Saber at all rimes. His perception was quire astonishing. Before the merchant turned the corner, he had sensed that rhe latter had stopped. This short pause was an instinctive reaction of a martial artist who was about to turn into a blind spot and wanted investigate around a corner in advance. Even if ordinary merchants had this habit, it was impossible for them to stop so quickly that ordinary people couldn¡¯t see it. Ye Jingtang blinked and signaled Dumdum not to act rashly. Then he pretended to be a loving young master and gently stroked her hair while whispering words of love. ¡°When I look at the evening sky and clouds, I miss you when I¡¯m walking. 1 miss you even when I¡¯m sitting¡­¡± ?! Dongfang Liren widened her eyes in disbelief. How can you say such greasy words? Ye Jingtang was also so embarrassed that his scalp went numb. He felt that this was too fake, so he was more direct and hugged her tighter. ¡°Just a kiss, okay?¡± Dongfang Liren felt much more comfortable this time, and she was very immersed in her role. She bit her lower lip lightly and pretended to be half-reluctant. Then she turned her face to Ye Jingtang¡¯s and remained silent. Ye Jingtang was paying attention to the movements of the merchant on the street with his hearing. He really didn¡¯t expect Dumdum to be so easy to coax. She agreed without any hesitation. Since the show had already reached this stage, it didn¡¯t seem appropriate not to do it. He moved closer to her fair and flawless face. Muacks- Dongfang Liren¡¯s shoulders visibly shrank, but she wasn¡¯t angry. She only glanced secretly at Ye Jingtang to see if he was acting in a hurry due to official business or taking advantage of the situation. She only relaxed when she realized that he wasn¡¯t a pervert. Because Dongfang Liren had learned how the private meetings between men and women were in Tears of a Heroine, in order to complete the act, she even raised her hands to hook them around Ye Jingrang¡¯s neck, making a shy and clingy appearance. The scenery along the Southern Breeze River was beautiful. There were often private meetings between infatuated men and women. It wasn¡¯t uncommon for them to hug like this in a secluded place.. Chapter 403 - Chapter 403: One Slash Asura (2) Chapter 403: One Slash Asura (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios As for the traveling merchant carrying the baskets, he really didn¡¯t notice anything abnormal. As he passed by, he muttered softly, ¡°Bah! Public decency isn¡¯t what it used to be¡­¡± Ye Jingtang felt that this man¡¯s martial arts skills were definitely not low. There were no flaws in his aura or footsteps. He didn¡¯t move rashly and only hugged Dumdum behind the willow tree and swayed. After they had been intimate for a long time, the merchant walked unhurriedly into the distance and stopped near Dragon Creek Alley. A person dressed as a steward walked out and spoke to the merchant. He looked like he was choosing goods. Ye Jingtang listened carefully, but the distance was too far, and the two men lowered their voices, so he couldn¡¯t hear anything. After waiting for a moment, he found that the two men had walked to a spot out of his sight. Then there was the sound of baskets being lowered. Hearing this, Ye Jingtang patted Dumdum¡¯s back lightly, indicating that something had happened and he was preparing to go over. But Dongfang Liren¡¯s perception wasn¡¯t as strong as Ye Jingtang¡¯s. She had long lost her sensation of the merchant and didn¡¯t dare to move. Feeling Ye Jingtang pat her, she thought he meant they would expose themselves by just hugging, so she raised her face obediently. Ye Jingtang blinked and wanted to say something but hesitated. After thinking about it, he lowered his head slightly and kissed her face. Then he turned around, walked toward Dragon Creek Alley, and raised his hand to signal her not to act rashly. Seeing this, Dongfang Liren touched her cheek, feeling that something was wrong. But she didn¡¯t think too much about it. Seeing Ye Jingtang¡¯s gesture, she suppressed her breathing and silently followed him toward Dragon Creek Alley. Bam! ¡°Why are you pretending to be a big wolf¡­¡± Zing! Zing! After a few indistinct friendly exchanges, a plaintive and desolate tune echoed on Dragon Creek Alley under the moonlight. Ye Jingtang placed his hand on the Hornless Dragon Saber at his waist and focused all his attention on investigating the movements in the courtyard. He found that there was still more than 100 feet between them. Liu Qiansheng could actually discover him and Dumdum through the walls. He couldn¡¯t help feeling a little impressed. Since Liu Qiansheng had made it clear, Ye Jingtang no longer deliberately suppressed his footsteps. He walked unhurriedly to the courtyard door and said calmly, ¡°¡®Golden Snake Dart¡¯ Zheng Kun, Boss Zheng, four years ago, there was an escort missions that passed by Wang Estuary. Your men detained all the people and goods and extorted two hundred taels of silver before releasing them. At the time, I wanted to go pay you a visit, but unfortunately, I was stopped by my father. It can be considered fate that we can meet here today¡­¡± Zing- Zing- The courtyard was completely silent except for the crisp sound of the strings. Shi Yanfeng¡¯s back was facing Liu Qiansheng. He held his staff with both hands and looked at the door. His eyes were gloomy as he looked for other experts lying in ambush from the corner of his eye. Zheng Kun¡¯s expression changed when he heard his name called before he could see anyone. He lowered his hands and prepared to attack as he stared at the wall. ¡°Who are you? I don¡¯t remember being in the business of collecting tolls from escorts in recent years.¡± Tread, tread¡­ Footsteps came to the courtyard door, and a handsome figure in black appeared in front of the two of them. Ye Jingtang looked at the two people in the courtyard with an expression of chatting with people from the same hometown. ¡°I used to be the young master of the Red River Escort Agency. It was a small escort agency with around ten people. Two hundred taels of silver isn¡¯t a big sum. Boss Zheng, it¡¯s normal that you don¡¯t remember. I just remembered this account.¡± As Ye Jingtang turned around, the brass ring on the saber at his waist was revealed. The carving of the hornless dragon was extremely eye-catching. Shi Yanfeng¡¯s expression changed drastically. He didn¡¯t even need to ask who this King of Hell who had appeared out of nowhere was. ¡°So, it¡¯s Hero Ye. We came to the capital this time only to settle a personal grudge and not target others. If we¡¯ve offended you in the past, my sworn brother Jiang Zhahu will compensate you a thousand times. In the future, we¡¯ll meet again in Jianghu. I hope you can give my sworn brother face.¡± Seeing that the other party was using Jiang Zhahu¡¯s name to scare him, Ye Jingtang flipped his wrist and took out a token. ¡°I¡¯m just a constable. If I give you face, I¡¯m afraid the Imperial Court won¡¯t give me face.¡± Ciang! Clang! Clang! The courtyard fell silent again. The melody of the three-stringed lute in Liu Qiansheng¡¯s hands suddenly became urgent, sounding like a death thrum. Zheng Kun and Shi Yanfeng didn¡¯t move at all. They seemed to be hesitating whether to fight together or try to break out, allowing one of them to escape. But they didn¡¯t think about this problem for long. After all, this was the capital. Not only was Ye Jingtang here, but there was also Daoist Xuanji, the Eight-Armed Ksitigarbha, the White-Haired Diting, and a group of experts. They might be nearby. The possibility of breaking out was almost zero. Shi Yanfeng stared at Ye Jingtang for a moment. Without any communication, he suddenly exerted strength in his legs and charged into the empty courtyard next door. Ye Jingtang¡¯s gaze shifted to the right at the same time. Swoosh! At this moment, Zheng Kun seized the opportunity. His robe suddenly swelled, and he waved his right hand. A black spearhead flew out of his sleeve. Behind the spearhead was a golden rope. In an instant, it crossed a distance of 30 feet like a straight golden line splitting the courtyard into two. The terrifying sound of wind breaking was as if Ye Jingtang had used the Azure Dragon Claw. The rope dart was a weapon for catching people off guard. Zheng Kun¡¯s all-out attack with the spearhead dart had an explosive speed much higher than the Silver-Horned Horse-Face¡¯s. Ordinary Grandmasters might not be able to react in time. But Liu Qiansheng, who was playing the three-stringed lute behind Zheng Kun, sighed silently before Zheng Kun attacked. After all, even though he had an injured body, Ye Jingtang had been able to see through his underwear when they fought in the pitch-black tunnel. He had only been able to rely on his strength to fight head-on. Now that Ye Jingtang was already one of the Eight Chiefs, it was a joke for a martial artist who couldn¡¯t even achieve the Unity of Heaven and Man to launch a sneak attack against him by creating a diversion. Clang! A crisp saber cry suppressed the sound of the three-stringed lute and the sound of a strong force breaking through the air! Ye Jingtang looked at Shi Yanfeng, who was flying to the side, but he had already placed his left hand at his waist at some point. His legs bent slightly, and his back suddenly straightened. The porch of the courtyard shattered under the terrifying impact.. Chapter 404 - Chapter 404: One Slash Asura (3) Chapter 404: One Slash Asura (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Boom! The rope dart, which was as fast as lightning, was still flying toward the door. Ye Jingtang held his saber in his left hand, and his figure seemed to teleport as he brushed past the golden rope. Before horror could appear in Zheng Kun¡¯s eyes, the light of the saber had already reached three feet away from him. This saber move was Xuanyuan Chao¡¯s masterpiece. It was only slightly slower than Ye Jingtang¡¯s self-damaging moves. But it was only slow when compared to Ye Jingtang. To other Jianghu people, this was a saber technique that was even more outrageous than the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade. Just this saber move alone could suppress any saber user in the world. Zheng Kun wasn¡¯t weak, and his combat instincts were far faster than his thoughts. When he noticed the abnormality, he had already given up on pulling back the rope dart. He stepped back with his right foot, closed his hands, and used Liu Qiansheng¡¯s Golden Dragon Mouth, wanting to grab and push away the Hornless Dragon Saber. Liu Qiansheng had once used this method to drive away Ye Jingtang¡¯s blade. His fighting style and thinking were indeed correct, but with Zheng Kun¡¯s speed, it would already be over before his hands closed on the blade. Even if he caught it, he wouldn¡¯t be able to move it. It was just a last-ditch struggle. Zheng Kun realized that the gap between the two of them was overwhelming. His heart was like dead ashes. But what shocked him even more was that the current Saber Chief in front of him actually changed his move when he was about to kill him! Ye Jingtang¡¯s blade was about to strike when he realized that this fellow was like a wooden stake and couldn¡¯t react at all. The saber in his left hand suddenly stopped, and his right fist was already clenched tightly. A punch blasted out. Boom! As the fist wind blew, a layer of dirt was instantly flattened, and a ring-shaped dust storm rose. The all-conquering heavy punch instantly collided with Zheng Kun¡¯s closed palms. With a muffled sound, Zheng Kun¡¯s muscular arms visibly shortened by more than an inch. Two bulges appeared behind his shoulders, and then blood exploded from his back. The sleeves of his robe also shattered inch by inch under the destructive force until the upper half of his robe turned into fragments and exploded. He didn¡¯t even stand still for a moment before he turned into a heavy cannonball and smashed into the main room. Boom! Although Liu Qiansheng, who was sitting under the eaves, had his meridians sealed, his experience and eyesight were still there. He had long turned his head while holding the three-stringed lute and waited for Zheng Kun to fly past his ear, crash through two walls, and fall into the depths of the building complex before continuing to play the three-stringed lute. Crash! Amidst the loud sounds of bricks cracking, Ye Jingtang¡¯s figure turned at a right angle without stopping. He dragged his saber and charged toward Shi Yanfeng. Shi Yanfeng¡¯s original intention was to escape to the side, step on the wall, and then turn around to attack together with Zheng Kun. But at this moment, before Shi Yanfeng could step on the wall in midair, Ye Jingtang had already caught up. An indescribable shock appeared in his eyes. The bronze staff in his hand immediately rammed at Ye Jingtang¡¯s face. Ye Jingtang¡¯s movements were smooth. He had already seen through Shi Yanfeng¡¯s intentions before he counterattacked. He caught the bronze staff with his left hand and brushed past it, producing dazzling sparks. Crack! At the same time, the saber hilt entered his right hand, and the blade stabbed at Shi Yanfeng¡¯s back like a venomous snake. This stab was aimed at a major blood vessel in the heart. If nothing unexpected happened, Shi Yanfeng would be fatally injured with just a quick stab and withdrawal. He wouldn¡¯t die, but he wouldn¡¯t be able to live without rescue. It was a fatal stab. But what Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t expect was that the indestructible long saber in his hand suddenly stopped when it pierced into the flesh on Shi Yanfeng¡¯s back, as if it had stabbed into an iron wall made of refined iron. Bam! The blade suddenly stopped in advance, and a massive force returned to Ye Jingtang¡¯s hand and forcefully bent the blade, almost causing his saber to leave his hands. As for Shi Yanfeng, it felt as though a battering ram had hit his back. The blade didn¡¯t penetrate his body, but the terrifying qi poured into his body. His entire body turned into a sharp arrow that shot out diagonally, shattering the side wall and falling into the distance. Crash! Ye Jingtang¡¯s attack failed. He immediately took a few steps back, his eyes filled with shock. ¡°Golden Scale Picture?¡± Liu Qiansheng¡¯s eyes were also full of surprise. After all, he could see how ruthless Ye Jingtang¡¯s stab was. The Saber Chief¡¯s saber had stabbed Shi Yanfeng¡¯s back, but it had only pierced two inches into his flesh. With Shi Yanfeng¡¯s talent, he couldn¡¯t have practiced any defensive martial arts to this extent. He could only have learned the Golden Scale Picture for many years. Rumble! Shi Yanfeng was sent flying and landed on the ground at about the same time as Zheng Kun. Zheng Kun had suffered a heavy blow, and his upper body¡¯s meridians were almost shattered. He couldn¡¯t get up at all after falling. As for Shi Yanfeng, because Ye Jingtang wanted to keep him alive for interrogation, he didn¡¯t stab his spine, the back of his neck, the back of his head, or any other fatal parts. He had stabbed him once in the muscles on his back. Due to Shi Yangfeng¡¯s Golden Scale Skin, the saber only penetrated two inches deep and didn¡¯t hurt the blood vessels of his heart. He only suffered some internal injuries from the shock. His feet landed on the ground, and he ran wildly into the night. Ye Jingtang discovered an exact clue regarding the Golden Scale Picture, so he would definitely not let this person escape.. He immediately sheathed his saber, flew out the door to pick up Dumdum, who had yet to react, and flew in the direction that Shi Yanfeng was escaping¡­ Chapter 405 - Chapter 405: The Oriole Behind (1) Chapter 405: The Oriole Behind (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Rumble! A thunderous sound that resembled an earthquake suddenly appeared on Dragon Creek Alley. By the time the surrounding people reacted and went over to take a look, the battle was already over. Three figures rushed over the houses at an extremely high speed. Shi Yanfeng held the bronze staff and ran for his life toward the nearest northern city wall. The disbelief in his eyes even outweighed the urgency of his life hanging on by a thread. After all, he had met Jiang Zhahu in his early twenties and had started practicing the Golden Scale Picture not long after. His talent was not bad either. Now that he was over 50 years old, he had long reached a state of invulnerability. He originally thought that with his Golden Scale Skin, he would be able to hold on for a while even if he encountered one of the Eight Chiefs. But now, he realized that he had overthought things. Facing a Martial Chief, who had no flaws in all aspects, what determined one¡¯s life and death was always their shortcomings. As long as his reaction couldn¡¯t keep up and he couldn¡¯t dodge, a Martial Chief could kill him as long as they penetrated his flesh. There was no need to stab at the places with thick skin. After rushing out of Dragon Creek Alley, Shi Yanfeng realized that Ye Jingtang seemed to be the only one from the Imperial Court. There were no other experts around, so he should be able to escape if he could get rid of him. Unfortunately, even though Ye Jingtang was carrying someone, he was still flying faster than him, who had internal injuries. Whoosh! On a building behind, Ye Jingtang held Dongfang Liren¡¯s waist with one hand and flew across the roof as fast as lightning, his gaze locked on the figure in front of him. However, the big Dumdum, who had a slender waist, a voluptuous butt, and a proud chest, definitely wasn¡¯t light. It wasn¡¯t that easy to chase after him. Dongfang Liren had her arms wrapped around Ye Jingtang¡¯s neck. She also understood that she was a burden because she was tall and big. She said anxiously, ¡°Why are you carrying me? Just go after him!¡± Although Ye Jingtang wanted to investigate the Golden Scale Picture, he wasn¡¯t muddleheaded. First, he was the Prince of Jing¡¯s guard, and second, he was an official. If he abandoned his target of protection for a vagabond of Jianghu, he would be putting the cart before the horse. ¡°It¡¯s okay. He can¡¯t run far.¡± Ye Jingtang flew at full speed on the buildings. In an instant, he closed the distance between them to around 80 feet. Dragon Creek Alley was already at the uppermost reaches of the Southern Breeze River, and it was less than a kilometer away from Yun¡¯an¡¯s northern city wall. But Ye Jingtang was in good condition. Even if Shi Yanfeng left the city, it would be meaningless. Shi Yanfeng could clearly hear the sound of wind breaking behind him and knew that it was impossible for him to escape. In the desperate situation, his eyes showed courage. When he landed on a wall, he suddenly swung his bronze staff. Bam! A thunderclap sounded in the air, and the eyebrow staff instantly split into three pieces. Ye Jingtang reacted the moment the opponent made the strange move. He unsheathed his saber at his waist and prepared to attack. But he found that the opponent¡¯s weapon had been split into three sections. He immediately raised his saber to block the head of the three-section staff to prevent it from sweeping over his head and hitting his back. Clang! Sparks flew! Shi Yanfeng swung his staff down with all his might and smashed Ye Jingtang from the air to the ground. But before he could continue to escape, the King of Hell behind him bounced up again. The moment Ye Jingtang landed on the ground, he put Dongfang Liren on the ground and jumped into the air. He held his saber with both hands and slashed horizontally in the air. Swoosh! Shi Yanfeng¡¯s reaction was extremely fast. He had already retracted his three-section staff and protected his chest. But he didn¡¯t expect the saber in front of him to flash and cut through the iron ring connecting two bronze sticks. Then the snow-white blade swept across his chest. Plop! A muffled sound came as the blade entered flesh, and a bloody wound appeared on Shi Yanfeng¡¯s chest. Although it wasn¡¯t deep, it stretched from his left ribs to his right shoulder. Swoosh! Shi Yanfeng held the two pieces of the broken staff. Before he could make a reasonable counterattack, a saber light flashed in front of his eyes again. Ye Jingtang struck the same wound twice with perfect accuracy. This time, the damaged Golden Scale Skin could no longer block the blade. Blood splattered in midair, and the blade entering flesh cut off several ribs diagonally, practically opening Shi Yanfeng¡¯s chest. ¡°Cough!¡± Shi Yanfeng let out a muffled groan like a dying tiger and threw away the bronze staff in his hand. After landing on the ground, he clutched his chest and fled crazily. But his chest was almost cut open. If he didn¡¯t receive treatment in time, he wouldn¡¯t survive. He wouldn¡¯t even be able to run many steps before fainting from massive blood loss. Ye Jingtang quickly turned around, picked up Dumdum again, and followed behind Shi Yanfeng. ¡°If you keep running, you will definitely die. If you cooperate with the government obediently, you might be able to get a lighter sentence.¡± Shi Yanfeng and Jiang Zhahu were sworn brothers. Even if he died, he could still maintain his loyalty and brotherhood. But if he were afraid of death, surrendered, and betrayed Jiang Zhahu, even if the Imperial Court didn¡¯t kill him, he wouldn¡¯t live past this year. For this reason, even though Shi Yanfeng knew that he would definitely die, he still had no intention of stopping. He only lowered his head and ran wildly toward the northern city wall, searching for a slim chance of survival. Unfortunately, Shi Yanfeng had not run far from the house when an almost inaudible sound suddenly came from under his feet. Snap! This sound was extremely familiar to the people of Jianghu. It was the sound of a tripwire snapping! Shi Yanfeng¡¯s footsteps suddenly stopped. At the same time that his eyes were full of despair, a trace of doubt flashed across them. Ye Jingtang, who was chasing after Shi Yanfeng, knew that there was a trap the moment he heard the sound of the wire snapping. In order to avoid the flying knives and hidden weapons, he pressed Dongfang Liren into his arms and landed on a roof. Clatter! Under the immense force, a hole was directly trampled in the house, and the two of them sank into it. But to the surprise of both parties, the trap set up here was far more elaborate than they had imagined! Boom! Amidst the shocking bang, the house under Shi Yanfeng¡¯s feet instantly expanded. Flames engulfed his entire body, and the shock wave sent him flying. His robe and long hair were all burnt and tattered! ¡°Damn it!¡± As soon as Ye Jingtang stepped through the roof, he saw sparks quickly flowing in the house. He used all his strength to turn over in the air and protect Dumdum in his arms. His left hand grabbed the roof beam to pull his body up. Boom! The next moment, a shocking explosion came from the house below. Ye Jingtang felt an irresistible impact coming from behind. The robe on his back shattered, and his entire body was sent flying into the sky.. Chapter 406 - Chapter 406: The Oriole Behind (2) Chapter 406: The Oriole Behind (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Boom, boom, boom! Loud bangs continuously sounded. Under the night sky, several thunderclaps rang out in the majestic Yun¡¯an, and dazzling flames soared into the sky in the east of the city. More than ten houses in the area where Ye Jingtang was exploded into pieces one after another. The blinding lights and loud rumbles directly blinded and deafened the ears and eyes of the two parties in a pursuit. This sudden earth-shattering attack stunned even the extremely intelligent Dongfang Liren. She curled up in Ye Jingtang¡¯s arms and closed her eyes. The shock wave sent Ye Jingtang flying about eight meters high. He adjusted his body in midair. Along with the debris filling the sky, he landed in the house that had instantly turned into ruins and protected Dongfang Liren behind him. Shi Yanfeng, who had been blown back, also landed nearby. The explosion didn¡¯t injure his body, but his hair and clothes were tattered and had sparks on them. Being pressed under rubble, he coughed repeatedly as he tried to flip over. Ye Jingtang¡¯s ears were buzzing, and there were countless spots of light in front of his eyes. Most of his extraordinary perception had been temporarily deprived from him, and he could only rely on his vision to guard against the surrounding ruins. For the opponent to be able to stage such a huge scene, the preparations were obviously not limited to this. As soon as Ye Jingtang stabilized himself, he vaguely sensed that something was wrong. And then¡­ Bam! Bam! Two balls pierced through the flames of the ruins and exploded in the air before they even got close. One shot needles in all directions, and the other fell to the ground and exploded into thick grayish-yellow smoke. Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Thousands of flying needles rained down like a storm, almost covering every corner of the ruins. Ye Jingtang knew that something was wrong. The moment the balls flew over, he had already dashed to the side and grabbed the stunned Shi Yanfeng to block in front of him. Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Countless flying needles hit Shi Yanfeng¡¯s body. The Golden Scale Skin was indeed domineering. The flying needles didn¡¯t penetrate his skin, but the wound on his chest and eyes weren¡¯t so lucky. The flying needles pierced into his flesh, and he immediately let out a miserable scream. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± Ye Jingtang protected Dongfang Liren tightly. He bent down and used Shi Yanfeng as a shield to block the rain of needles. At the same time, he flew back to avoid the billowing poisonous smoke spreading in all directions. Ding, ding, ding! Countless flying needles poured out until the ball landed on the ground. The poisonous smoke spread across the ruins with the hot airflow brought by the flames. Its speed was slightly lower. Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t know if the opponent had any other tricks up their sleeves, so he didn¡¯t dare to dodge in the air according to common sense. Instead, he ran wildly out of the ruins in a straight line and relied on his astonishing speed to escape the range of the poisonous smoke. Only when they were far away did Ye Jingtang dare to stop. He held Shi Yanfeng, who was screaming in agony, and vigilantly guarded against his surroundings. Moments later, his ears and eyes recovered. The surrounding sounds returned to his ears, and chaotic screams came from afar. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s thundering!¡± Dongfang Liren had been well protected and wasn¡¯t injured, but she was in a daze for a while. When she recovered, she found that she was standing outside the ruins, being held in Ye Jingtang¡¯s arms, and there were screams in front of her like a malicious ghost¡¯s. ¡°Ye¡ª¡± ¡°Shh! Don¡¯t show your head!¡± Seeing this, Dongfang Liren quickly held her breath and slipped out two daggers from her sleeves. She hid in Ye Jingtang¡¯s arms and paid attention to the surroundings. ¡°All¡ªcough cough¡­ Pfft¡ª¡± Shi Yanfeng¡¯s front was almost black from the smoke, and there were several oily green flying needles inserted in the wound on his chest. It was the same for his left eye. After Shi Yanfeng screamed for a while, blood gushed out of his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth due to the twisted and knotted blood vessels all over his body. He was held up by Ye Jingtang and twitching non-stop. Ye Jingtang had no time to care about the life and death of the bandit leader. His heart was beating like a drum as he carefully sensed his surroundings. After confirming that there was nothing unusual, he slowly retreated and shouted, ¡°Come here!¡± The loud noises had shaken the entire east side of the city. The streets were noisy as far as the eye could see. Countless figures even appeared on the distant city wall. There were three patrolling chief constables of the Black Office on Dragon Creek Alley. After Ye Jingtang took action, they had rushed over hurriedly. But Ye Jingtang had run too fast, and they couldn¡¯t catch up. After the earth-shattering explosions, they were stunned in the distance. Hearing the voice, the three chief constables rushed over. ¡°Sir Ye¡­¡± ¡°Guard the surroundings and be careful of traps. Send a letter to inform the Black Office and the surrounding imperial guards to come over and put out the fire and search for the rebels.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The chief constable who had run over first immediately stopped. He took out the signal flare from behind his waist and shot it high into the sky. Swish! Bam! Ye Jingtang¡¯s eyes were sharp. He raised his saber and looked around for a long time. From the corner of his eye, he looked at the bird circling in the sky and whistled. The bird¡¯s vision was astonishing in low-light environments, but when it encountered the sudden burst of intense light and loud bangs, it was clearly stunned. It had already pulled up to an extremely high altitude and was circling irregularly, indicating that the situation was too chaotic and it couldn¡¯t find the target. Ye Jingtang signaled for the bird to continue observing any suspicious figures around them. Then under the watch of the three chief constables, he protected Dongfang Liren and moved toward Dragon Creek Alley, which they had just run through. Dongfang Liren¡¯s heart was beating extremely fast. She instinctively grabbed Ye Jingtang¡¯s clothes, but she found that the robe on his back had been blown to pieces. Only a few cloth straps were hanging, and they fell off as soon as she grabbed them. Her expression changed slightly as she sized up his entire body. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Ye Jingtang was still wearing soft armor inside. His back wasn¡¯t injured from the explosion, but it was inevitable that there would be some abrasions on his arms and legs. He lowered his head and glanced at his body before replying, ¡°I¡¯m fine. The enemy wasn¡¯t here for Liu Qiansheng, but for me. There are experts good at hidden weapons and mechanisms in the dark, so don¡¯t show your face.¡± Hearing this, Dongfang Liren frowned slightly. There were experts in using hidden weapons and mechanisms in Great Wei, but they were all classified as villains in Jianghu, and everyone hated them. Without the soil to nurture them, they naturally couldn¡¯t grow stronger.. Chapter 407 - Chapter 407: The Oriole Behind (3) Chapter 407: The Oriole Behind (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios On the other hand, Northern Liang¡¯s Jianghu, which was very tolerant of unorthodox methods, was different. It also talked about martial ethics, but not much. As long as people were powerful, they could obtain the corresponding status in Jianghu. For this reason, it had nurtured countless unorthodox experts, of which poison masters and mechanism masters were among the most outstanding. Mechanism masters were proficient in poison, hidden weapons, traps, and so on. They were also skilled in psychology and could figure out the thoughts of their targets. Usually, when they took action, they would set up the traps and leave. They rarely stayed close. In the past, there had been many mechanism experts who had come to Great Wei to cause trouble, but this was the first time Dongfang Liren had encountered someone who dared to scheme against a Martial Chief. She frowned and said, ¡°The Hong Mountain Gang has extensive connections in Northern Liang¡¯s Jianghu. They must have spent a lot of money to hire top experts from Northern Liang¡¯s Jianghu¡­¡± Ye Jingtang felt that this wasn¡¯t right. He gestured at Shi Yanfeng, who was about to stop breathing. ¡°Why would the Hong Mountain Gang spend so much effort to deal with me? I don¡¯t have any grudges with the Hong Mountain Gang. Jiang Zhahu sacrificed two of his main members as bait to plot against me. Is there something wrong with his brain?¡± Dongfang Liren thought about it and agreed. The two experts sent by Jiang Zhahu were equivalent to her subordinates Ox-Head and Horse-Face. It would be too generous to throw them out for free as deathsworn. ¡°There¡¯s something fishy about this matter. We have to investigate clearly. Is this person dead?¡± After Ye Jingtang retreated far away, he put Shi Yanfeng down and checked his pulse. He found that he had lost consciousness. The poison had attacked his heart, and the flesh on his wounds had turned black. Even Imperial Physician Wang might not be able to save him. He could only say, ¡°He¡¯ll be dead soon. Take Zheng Kun back and interrogate him. We must investigate the ins and outs of the matter. Since the enemy can ambush here, they must know the whereabouts and goals of these two people. They can¡¯t not even know who used them¡­¡± Hearing this, Dongfang Liren didn¡¯t say much. Under Ye Jingtang¡¯s protection, she quickly walked toward the imperial guards rushing over¡­ The sudden thunder and intense light in the east of the city attracted the attention of half of the people in the city. The streets were crowded, and all the constables on duty were rushing toward Dragon Creek Alley. Dragon Creek Alley wasn¡¯t far from Literary Virtue Bridge. The commotion also disturbed the officials and dignitaries living on Literary Virtue Bridge. They went up to their observation towers and even roofs to observe the situation. In an elegant observation tower by the Southern Breeze River, the heir of the Prince of Yan, Dongfang Shuoyue, was standing in front of a window with his hands behind his back, looking at the distant flames. Behind him stood the goateed steward. Puff! Puff! After he waited for a moment, a jackdaw flew over from afar and landed in front of the window. Then a figure in a black cloak silently landed on the observation terrace. He slowly walked into the tower and took off his hood. Under the bamboo hat was a rather fair face. He was about 60 years old and looked slightly sinister. Dongfang Shuoyue turned around from the window and gestured at the tea table with his folding fan. ¡°Mr. Zhongsun, you¡¯re really capable. How¡¯s the situation over there?¡± Zhongsun Yan sat down at the tea table, picked up a teacup, and slowly took a sip. He shook his head and said, ¡°He¡¯s unharmed. Ye Jingtang is indeed worthy of the name of the Eight Chiefs. His skills, reaction, and vigilance are all impeccable. There¡¯s even a snow eagle in the sky guarding the surroundings. People can¡¯t win, can¡¯t run, and can¡¯t dodge. If nothing unexpected happens, anyone below the Eight Chiefs will die if they encounter him.¡± Dongfang Shuoyue had been staying in the capital and understood what kind of monster Cao Ailing and the others had encountered. He said, ¡°Everyone has a weakness. Those who are perfect are deities. As long as you plan carefully, you will always be able to find a way to restrain him. Mr. Zhongsun, you¡¯re an expert in mechanisms and hidden weapons. I don¡¯t expect you to get rid of this person, but it shouldn¡¯t be difficult to make him lie down for a month or two without being able to use his combat strength, right?¡± Zhongsun Yan thought for a moment. ¡°This time, Ye Jingtang will definitely be on guard. It will be harder than ascending to the heavens to set another trap in the future. We can only wait for the right time to move. Your Highness is just trying to make Daoist Xuanji and Ye Jingtang unable to interfere in your plan in the capital for a short period of time. To do this, there¡¯s no need to deliberately plot and poison.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Dongfang Shuoyue picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea for Zhongsun Yan. ¡°Mister, do you have any brilliant ideas?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want these two people to interfere, you can just make them leave the capital temporarily. For example, you can find a group of horse bandits outside the pass to dig up Ye Jingtang¡¯s ancestral grave. He will definitely return to his hometown¡­¡± ?? Clatter! The teapot was put back on the table. Dongfang Shuoyue¡¯s expression was indescribable. After a moment of silence, he said, ¡°Mr. Zhongsun, this plan concerns the fate of Great Wei. Don¡¯t say such nonsense.¡± The goateed steward thought for a moment and said, ¡°Mr. Zhongsun¡¯s words do have merit. However, death is like the extinguishing of a lamp. It¡¯s just digging a grave. It¡¯s impossible for Ye Jingtang to leave the empress¡¯s side and return to his hometown now. ¡°If Qiu Tianhe doesn¡¯t have long to live, Ye Jingtang might visit him¡­¡± Dongfang Shuoyue shook her head. ¡°Qiu Tianhe is famous for being slippery. Jun Mountain Terrace chased Qiu Tianhe for twenty years without catching him. It¡¯s easier said than done for us to find him and beat him until he¡¯s on his last breath.¡± Zhongsun Yan thought for a moment. ¡°We don¡¯t have to lure Ye Jingtang away. It¡¯s the same if we can lure Daoist Xuanji away.¡± ¡°Daoist Xuanji¡­¡± Dongfang Shuoyue thought for a moment. ¡°Daoist Xuanji is from Void Jade Mountain. If we want to lure her away, something must happen to Void Jade Mountain. The imperial preceptor, Lu Taiqing, is cultivating the Dao on Void Jade Mountain. I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be easy for something to happen to Void Jade Mountain.¡± Zhongsun Yan said casually, ¡°Your Highness has connections all over the court. As long as we plan carefully, there will always be a way.¡± Dongfang Shuoyue tapped his fingers on the table.. After some consideration, he nodded¡­ Chapter 408 - Chapter 408: Only A Scoundrel Can Deal With Another Scoundrel (1) Chapter 408: Only A Scoundrel Can Deal With Another Scoundrel (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Tread, tread, tread¡­ Countless black-armored imperial guards and constables passed through Dragon Creek Alley in the east of the city. Noises rose and fell. ¡°Search every house.¡± ¡°Be careful. There are still traps here. Go to the military ordnance department and call over people who know their stuff.¡± Meanwhile, inside the Imperial City, a few chief constables of the Black Office who had rushed over were standing outside the Bright Yang Pool. From time to time, palace maids and doctors would enter and leave. Ye Jingtang was standing in front of the door. Although his hair was messy, his expression was as calm as usual. He gestured toward the east of the city with his hand. ¡°To escape from Dragon Creek Alley, you can only escape to the northern city wall. The other party set up traps in advance. They must have set them up on a few routes that are sparsely populated and suitable for escape. We must check inch by inch to make sure we don¡¯t miss anything¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± ¡°Be careful that someone silences them. When Sir Shang and the others arrive, immediately transfer them to the dungeon without stopping on the way. Zheng Kun has committed countless crimes in Liang Province. After he¡¯s sent to the dungeon, don¡¯t worry about the severity of the torture. Use whatever ability you have on him. You must pry open his mouth. No matter what he says, record it down and hand it over to the Prince of Jing for review¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± The Bright Yang Pool was on the east side of the Imperial City. Just now, Ye Jingtang had escorted Dongfang Liren back. He had wanted to send her straight to the Eternal Joy Palace, but when they passed by, Dongfang Liren had seen that the two of them had been blasted until their faces were covered in dust, so she had stopped here and called for palace maids and doctors. Green plants and flowers surrounded the Bright Yang Pool. There was a main hall in the center, and there were already many palace maids standing outside. After Ye Jingtang finished making arrangements, he returned to the Bright Yang Pool. He thought that Dumdum had already started bathing. But when he walked nearby, he found that Dongfang Liren had been watching from a window of the side hall. When she saw him return, she waved. ¡°Come here quickly and let the doctors look at your injuries.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really fine. Your Highness, take a bath and change your clothes¡­¡± ¡°Come in!¡± Although Dongfang Liren looked calm, she had really been shocked just now. Only now did she finally return to her senses, but she was still full of lingering fear. Seeing that Ye Jingtang was still paying attention to etiquette, she quickly walked out of the side hall, grabbed his wrist, and pulled him inside. The side hall was a place for changing clothes and resting. There were tea couches and a Go table inside, and the environment was quite elegant. At this moment, two female doctors had already prepared tools and medicine for cleaning wounds. Dongfang Liren forcefully pressed Ye Jingtang onto a tea couch. He shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s just superficial scratches. There¡¯s no need to mobilize so many people.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Dongfang Liren said fiercely. Then she sat on the side of the tea couch and checked Ye Jingtang. Ye Jingtang had been sent flying by the shockwave. He had a strong physique and soft armor to protect his torso, so he wasn¡¯t seriously injured. But he didn¡¯t have the domineering Golden Scale Skin like Shi Yanfeng after all. There were many red marks and bruises on his arms and legs caused by rubble. As for his robe, it was too horrible to look at. The front, which hadn¡¯t been affected by the explosions, was still there, but there were only rags hanging to his belt on his back, and there were many holes in his pants. Although Dongfang Liren¡¯s dress was torn and her body was stained with dust and smoke, her situation was much better than Ye Jingtang¡¯s. Seeing that he had become like this to protect her, her eyes revealed heartache. She waved her hand and said, ¡°Come here.¡± The female doctors standing at the side hurried over, took out hot towels and medicinal wine, and cut off Ye Jingtang¡¯s tattered robe. Ye Jingtang practiced martial arts all year round, so this bit of rubbing was no different from nothing. Unable to refuse, he could only stand up and say, ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself. You can rest.¡± The two female doctors looked at Dongfang Liren hesitantly. Dongfang Liren was about to leave, but when she heard this, she sat back down. ¡°You may leave.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± The doctors hurriedly stood up and left. Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t let Dongfang Liren serve him personally. He wiped his arm with a towel and applied the medicinal wine. He smiled and said, ¡°Your Highness, please go wash up. Your dress is torn.¡± Dongfang Liren didn¡¯t get up. After checking Ye Jingtang a few times, she pulled up her skirt to check. She was wearing thin white pants under her skirt. The hem of her skirt had been damaged by flying debris, and there were a few holes in her thin pants, showing the scratches on her fair skin. Dongfang Liren didn¡¯t think it was a big deal, so she wanted to lower her skirt. But what she didn¡¯t expect was that Ye Jingtang, who was applying medicine beside her, actually stopped and bent down to pick up her legs. ¡°Huh? What are you doing?¡± Ye Jingtang scooped up Dongfang Liren¡¯s legs with one hand and placed them flat on his knees. He tore open the holes with his hand and wiped the medicine on her calves with a towel. ¡°I¡¯m a man. It doesn¡¯t matter if I have some scars on my body. If Your Highness has scars, your future husband will probably be heartbroken. Don¡¯t force yourself.¡± Dongfang Liren¡¯s legs had been lifted up and placed flat. She could only support herself with both hands behind her back. Seeing Ye Jingtang kneading her calves without any scruples, her eyes were a little embarrassed and annoyed, but she didn¡¯t pull away. She only frowned and said, ¡°When you kissed me at the river earlier, it wasn¡¯t to fool people, but it was on purpose. Don¡¯t think that 1 didn¡¯t notice.¡± Ye Jingtang blinked and explained, ¡°1 was reminding Your Highness to leave. Your Highness misunderstood and took the initiative to move your face closer¡­¡± ¡°So, you¡¯ll kiss me if I come close to you?¡± Ye Jingtang paused and looked up. The meaning in his eyes was self-evident: Otherwise? H H Dongfang Liren took a deep breath, causing the clothes on her chest to bulge. But she had nothing to say. She turned her head and looked elsewhere. Seeing that Dumdum was unhappy, Ye Jingtang sighed silently. ¡°Alright, I know my mistake. The next time Your Highness comes close, I will definitely not be moved.¡± Dongfang Liren turned around, her eyes full of suspicion. ¡°It¡¯s been so long. Do you think 1 don¡¯t know how good your willpower is? You can¡¯t even withstand a breath from me, much less when I come close¡­ As long as you have a legitimate excuse, you will definitely take advantage of a woman. It was the same when we practiced the Wind Listening Palm..¡± Chapter 409 - Chapter 409: Only A Scoundrel Can Deal With Another Scoundrel (2) Chapter 409: Only A Scoundrel Can Deal With Another Scoundrel (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Ye Jingtang said solemnly, ¡°When we practiced the Wind Listening Palm, I reminded Your Highness beforehand, and I only started teaching after getting Your Highness¡¯s permission. How can this be called taking advantage of you? From now on, since Your Highness reminded me not to kiss you, whenever you take the initiative to come close, I definitely won¡¯t kiss you.¡± Dongfang Liren didn¡¯t believe him at all. After some consideration, she leaned forward slightly and approached Ye Jingtang. She assumed the posture of a queen who couldn¡¯t be offended and said, ¡°If you dare to offend me again, I¡¯ll drag you to the castration room!¡± Ye Jingtang looked at the bright red lips in front of him without any emotions in his eyes. He only carefully wiped the medicinal wine on her calves. ¡°See, I¡¯ve already said that as long as Your Highness doesn¡¯t allow it, how can 1 offend you casually? I really misunderstood and made a mistake earlier. Your Highness moved your face closer. I couldn¡¯t turn a blind eye and reject you¡­¡± When Dongfang Liren saw that Ye Jingtang was pretending to be a gentleman who wasn¡¯t bewitched by a woman again, her desire to win was aroused. She recalled a description in the Tears of a Heroine and tilted her head slightly. She pretended to be affectionate and slowly moved closer to the man¡¯s lips. ?! Ye Jingtang¡¯s breathing froze. Looking at the beautiful face getting closer and closer, he subconsciously leaned his face forward. In the end, Dongfang Liren reacted extremely quickly and quickly leaned back to distance herself. There was smugness in her eyes. ¡°Ye Jingtang, why are you pursing your lips? Did I let you kiss me?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Ye Jingtang had nothing to say and looked embarrassed. ¡°Uh¡­ I couldn¡¯t help myself. This time, I¡¯ll be more careful. I definitely won¡¯t move.¡± In order to let Ye Jingtang know that he couldn¡¯t withstand a single blow, Dongfang Liren didn¡¯t say anything else. She pursed her red lips lightly again, tilted her head slightly, and leaned closer. This time, Ye Jingtang¡¯s willpower was very good. He didn¡¯t respond and just stared fixedly into Dumdum¡¯s eyes. Their eyes met. The dimly lit room fell silent. Dongfang Liren looked at the cold eyes, and her gaze suddenly became a little evasive. But the arrogance she had cultivated since she was young prevented her from backing down at the last second. Instead, she continued to play with fire. Her face was two inches away, and her hand was on Ye Jingtang¡¯s chest. Her breath was like orchids, and her eyes were expressing: Come, kiss me. Ye Jingtang¡¯s chest rose and fell slightly. After suppressing his mind for a long time, he finally couldn¡¯t resist Dumdum¡¯s astonishing attack. His face leaned forward again. ¡°Hrnph- All?!¡± Dongfang Liren was about to lean back and dodge proudly when she suddenly realized that the man¡¯s large hand had appeared on her back. She couldn¡¯t move back. Then the man¡¯s face, which had been lingering in her heart for months, enlarged before her eyes. Their lips met. Dongfang Liren¡¯s shoulders trembled violently, and her eyes widened. When she felt the hot touch on her lips, her eyes first showed anger and humiliation but then turned into hesitation. Ye Jingtang held her red lips in his mouth and was actually stunned for a moment. After returning to his senses, he wanted to separate, but he felt that he had mistreated Dumdum. After thinking about it, he caressed her back and didn¡¯t separate. Dongfang Liren had a lot of theoretical knowledge, so even though her mind was in a daze, she still subconsciously knew how to respond. When she realized that the scoundrel was sticking out his tongue, her teeth subconsciously opened, and then¡­ ¡°Woo-¡± Dongfang Liren¡¯s white palace shoes arched slightly, her shoulders visibly tightened, and her face instantly turned fiery red. After a while, Dongfang Liren finally reacted. She pushed Ye Jingtang¡¯s shoulders and separated them. Then she reached out to grab the Hornless Dragon Saber beside her. Clang! Ye Jingtang knew that this would happen. He hurriedly pressed the knife down. ¡°Hey, impulsiveness is the devil¡­¡± ¡°Ptui¡­ Ye Jingtang!¡± Dongfang Liren¡¯s face was red as she pulled out her saber forcefully, with tears of shame and anger in her eyes. ¡°Is this what you mean by being unmoved? I warned you, but you still dared to deliberately offend me. Do you really think I won¡¯t teach you a lesson?¡± ¡°That was the first time. The second time, Your Highness didn¡¯t say that you wouldn¡¯t let me kiss you. I couldn¡¯t help myself¡­ Huh? I was wrong¡­¡± Dongfang Liren wasn¡¯t a meek person. Hearing such unreasonable sophistry, she lost her temper. She pressed Ye Jingtang onto the tea couch, straddled him, and grabbed his saber, wanting to castrate him. Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t feel humiliated being bullied by not-so-light Dumdum. But there was a soft and hot butt sitting on his abdomen, and it was pressing tightly against him. As she pushed him and swayed, the feeling was quite clear. Moreover, the front of her bulging clothes was also rubbing against his arms, making his already messed up mind become even more chaotic. Ye Jingtang found that his body was having an abnormal reaction. He hurriedly protected his saber and reminded, ¡°Your Highness is precious. This isn¡¯t appropriate. Why don¡¯t I owe Your Highness first and repay the debt in the future¡­¡± ¡°How are you going to repay me? I think you¡¯re just a scoundrel with crooked thoughts and want to offend your superior¡­ Then you won¡¯t have to repay me!¡± In her embarrassment and anger, Dongfang Liren didn¡¯t realize that her posture was wrong. In order to control Ye Jingtang, she even clamped her legs tightly and pulled his fingers hard. ¡°Let go of the saber!¡± ¡°Your Highness, please calm down¡­¡± The two of them were fooling around on the couch. But before long, the voice of a palace maid suddenly came from outside the door. ¡°Your Highness, Her Majesty was woken up by the commotion outside the city and asked Your Highness to go to the Peaceful Hall to explain the situation.¡± Dongfang Liren paused and became clear-headed. Ye Jingtang silently breathed a sigh of relief and patted Dumdum¡¯s back. ¡°Okay, Your Highness, hurry up and see Her Majesty.¡± Dongfang Liren¡¯s anger had yet to subside, and her face was still flushed red. She straightened her body and sat on his waist, her eyes slightly cold. ¡°I will deal with you later.¡± With that, she flipped over neatly and landed on the floor. She regained the dignified aura that a princess should have and tidied her clothes before walking out. Tread, tread, tread¡­ Her footsteps were heavy. Ye Jingtang¡¯s robe was in tatters as he lay on the couch, looking as if the domineering princess had just violated him. He sat up and waited for the door of the side hall to close before shaking his head and sighing. He suppressed the distracting thoughts in his mind and picked up the medicine beside him to apply it. But before the footsteps outside the Bright Yang Pool completely faded away, Ye Jingtang¡¯s ears twitched as he heard a sound coming from the main hall. Clatter! Chapter 410 - Chapter 410: Only A Scoundrel Can Deal With Another Scoundrel (3) Chapter 410: Only A Scoundrel Can Deal With Another Scoundrel (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the main hall was a large hot spring pool, where Ye Jingtang had fished out the jade pendant and was ridden on the face by a dragon. Both of them were stained with a lot of smoke and dust. Dongfang Liren had been preparing to wash up in the pool, and palace maids had already prepared bathing supplies. But Dongfang Liren had gone to the Peaceful Hall, and the palace maids had accompanied her. There didn¡¯t seem to be anyone inside¡­ Ye Jingtang frowned and felt that something was wrong. He silently put down the medicine, picked up his saber from the side, and walked to the side room that led to the bathing pool. The side room was a changing room, where nobles in the palace took off their clothes, put on bathrobes, and entered the bathing pool. Dongfang Liren had come out of here earlier. Ye Jingtang silently walked to the door. He could see bright yellow lights in the bathing room and hear the faint sound of water flowing. There was no suspicious aura. Ye Jingtang frowned and deliberated for a moment. He pushed the door open a crack and looked in through the crack. What entered his eyes were a few gauze screens embroidered with landscapes. Behind the screens was a bathing pool filled with white mist. A woman had appeared at some point in time and was leaning against the edge of the bathing pool. Ye Jingtang could see her soft black hair and smooth snow-white shoulders. Farther below was blocked by white jade and couldn¡¯t be seen. In all likelihood, she wasn¡¯t wearing anything¡­ ?! Ye Jingtang¡¯s expression changed slightly. He quickly retracted his gaze and wanted to leave silently. Unfortunately, a charming older sister¡¯s voice immediately came from the bathing pool. ¡°Young Master Ye, you don¡¯t want the Prince of Jing to find out about you peeping at a girl taking a bath, do you?¡± Ye Jingtang was speechless. He stopped behind the door and replied, ¡°Miss Yuhu, why are you here?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep because of the commotion outside, so I came to take a bath to calm down. Do you want to take a bath together?¡± Take a bath together? Ye Jingtang felt that it wasn¡¯t appropriate to stand here. He looked in the direction where Dumdum had left and said, ¡°Miss Yuhu, do you want to ask about the situation outside?¡± ¡°Come in and talk. If the palace maids and eunuchs outside hear you, it won¡¯t be easy for you to explain.¡± Feeling helpless, Ye Jingtang took a towel from the side, covered his eyes, and pushed open the door to enter the Bright Yang Pool. Creak- The empress of Great Wei was leaning against the edge of the bathing pool. She was actually covered with a towel and wasn¡¯t revealing anything. Hearing the door open, she turned around and saw that Ye Jingtang was very self-aware. So she pulled the towel away with approval in her eyes, but she pretended to be generous. ¡°It¡¯s fine even if I don¡¯t cover your eyes. I won¡¯t tell the Prince of Jing.¡± Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t respond to these fierce words. He walked around the screens to the edge of the bathing pool and sat on a chaise longue to talk about serious matters. ¡°In the afternoon, the Six Gates sent a message that the Imperial Boxing Dojo¡¯s murder case might be Zheng Kun¡¯s doing. The Prince of Jing and 1 immediately rushed to Dragon Creek Alley, but people had already laid an ambush in advance¡­¡± Ye Jingtang recounted the story of what had just happened while the empress listened attentively. After he finished speaking, the empress nodded thoughtfully and asked, ¡°Are you sure Shi Yanfeng has learned the Golden Scale Picture?¡± ¡°The feeling is the same as stabbing Eunuch Cao. The only difference is that I¡¯m not as powerful as Eunuch Cao. When 1 used my spear to stab Eunuch Cao in the chest with all my strength, I only pierced a little bit. But when I stabbed Shi Yanfeng with my saber, it went two inches into his flesh. Putting aside the reason that I¡¯m different from before, there should be the reason that Shi Yanfeng didn¡¯t practice for long enough.¡± The empress nodded slightly. ¡°The rumor that Jiang Zhahu has the Golden Scale Picture is indeed true.¡± Ye Jingtang thought for a moment and said, ¡°Should I go find Jiang Zhahu and snatch the Golden Scale Picture back?¡± The empress did have such a plan, but it wouldn¡¯t work for the next two months. Her body was unstable, and it was safer to have two personal bodyguards with her than one. ¡°The Hong Mountain Gang smuggles salt and iron to Northern Liang all year round, so we have to deal with them. However, the frontier of Liang Province is either the Gobi Desert or mountains. As soon as the Imperial Court makes a move, the Hong Mountain Gang will hide in the mountains or hide outside the pass. They¡¯re even harder to eliminate than the Pacifying Heaven Cult. We have to consider this matter at length. There¡¯s no hurry.¡± Ye Jingtang knew that Jiang Zhahu wasn¡¯t easy to deal with, so he didn¡¯t talk much about this topic. Instead, he said, ¡°Then, there¡¯s nothing else to say. Why don¡¯t you take a bath first? 1¡¯11 go to the Black Office to interrogate the prisoners and find out the whole story of what happened today¡­¡± Splash- Before Ye Jingtang could finish speaking, he suddenly heard the sound of water slowly coming out of the bathing pool in front of him. Not only was there the sound of water droplets sliding down a smooth body, but he could even hear the soft and delicate sound of two big balls swaying slightly with the movements¡­ ?! Ye Jingtang abruptly stopped talking. He wanted to say something but hesitated. Pitter-patter¡­ The empress stood up at the edge of the bathing pool. She was naked from head to toe. Under the candlelight, the impact of her figure was astonishing. Her bearing was casual without losing the domineering aura of an emperor. She leisurely walked barefoot like a cat past Ye Jingtang, who was blindfolded. She arrived at the long table near the chaise longue and picked up her bright red dress. Ye Jingtang was less than two feet away. He could touch the empress with a raise of his hand. He could even feel a faint warmth and smell a fragrance. He was stunned for a moment before sitting upright. ¡°Miss Yuhu, please¡­ please respect yourself.¡± The empress picked up her cut-out undergarment and moved it to her dazzling fair chest. ¡°You can¡¯t see. What¡¯s the difference between this and being separated by a wall? The last few times, you were calm.. Why are you panicking this time?¡± Chapter 411 - Chapter 411: Only A Scoundrel Can Deal With Another Scoundrel (4) Chapter 411: Only A Scoundrel Can Deal With Another Scoundrel (4) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Ye Jingtang spread his hands slightly. ¡°The last few times, you were injured and couldn¡¯t move. I helped you because you were ill. Now, you¡¯re healthy and walking naked in front of me. How can this be the same?¡± The empress turned around and rested her butt on the edge of the long table. She crossed her arms across her chest. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®walking naked in front of you¡¯? Shouldn¡¯t 1 get up and change my clothes after taking a bath? You said you wanted to leave, but you¡¯re sitting here without moving. What are you waiting for? Are you waiting for me to throw myself into your arms and reward you?¡± Ye Jingtang thought about it carefully and realized that he was really the one who was being unreasonable. He immediately stood up carefully and wanted to walk around the other end of the soft couch to leave. The empress found it funny. She stood up straight again, lifted her long hair, and tied the thin gauze undergarment around her neck. ¡°Wait!¡± Ye Jingtang stopped in his tracks but didn¡¯t dare to turn around. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± ¡°Help me tie it. Don¡¯t tell me you only practiced to take off girls¡¯ clothes but didn¡¯t practice to put them on?¡± Ye Jingtang and Ning¡¯er had been together for a long time, and he had definitely never done a scumbag thing like letting Ning¡¯er clean herself up after the matter. He was very proficient in helping her put on clothes, but this skill wasn¡¯t something he could use on everyone. Moreover, Yuhu was obviously teasing him. If he really went over to help, she would definitely grab him. He thought about it, turned around, and pretended to pull open the blindfold. Swoosh! But the next moment, behind him, Yuhu wrapped her dress around her body and closed her clothes like lightning. Ye Jingtang paused and turned back. He spread his hands slightly. ¡°See, didn¡¯t you wear it yourself?¡± ¡°I could only wear the dress. I couldn¡¯t tie the undergarment. Besides, 1 didn¡¯t let you take off your blindfold¡­¡± the empress replied casually. Since she was already wearing her clothes, she didn¡¯t take them off and continue teasing him. She tied her belt, walked behind a screen, and took out a long wooden box. ¡°I agreed to ask Her Majesty to bestow you with a noble title and a few items. I came over to bring them to you. See if you like them.¡± Ye Jingtang thought for a moment, pulled down the towel covering his eyes, and looked back. Under the candlelight, a tall and beautiful woman was standing in front of the screen in a long red dress. Her butt was plump, and her chest was broad, making her look extremely eye-catching. After confirming that Little Tiger Girl was wearing clothes, Ye Jingtang breathed a sigh of relief and regained his calm expression. He walked over and took the wooden box to size it up. ¡°What is this?¡± The empress crossed her arms and rested her butt on the edge of the long table again, like a female boss giving a surprise to her subordinate. ¡°Open it and take a look.¡± When Ye Jingtang saw the rare pride in Yuhu¡¯s eyes, he knew that this thing was not light. He immediately placed it on the long table and opened it. Inside was a scabbard. The scabbard was made of an unknown wood, and the workmanship was extremely exquisite. The scabbard slide and tip were both brass-colored, and there were hornless dragon patterns on them. It looked very beautiful, and it was incredibly firm. Ye Jingtang¡¯s expression turned solemn. He picked up the scabbard and sized it up carefully. ¡°This scabbard¡­¡± The empress was rather proud as she explained, ¡°In the last year of the previous dynasty, Kuang Yazi fought in the Imperial City and only managed to escape naked in the end. He was holding his saber in his hand, but there was nowhere to put his scabbard. He had long thrown it away. This month, I got people to investigate and found an old man who had seen Kuang Yazi back then. The scabbard was created using his descriptions of the original. How is it? Do you like it?¡± Ye Jingtang¡¯s Hornless Dragon Saber had been passed down from his foster father. The saber was good, but the scabbard was made of ordinary wood and painted black. It was a consumable item. His foster father had replaced it several times in the past ten years. Because the saber had not been passed down to him for long, he had never paid attention to this aspect. Ye Jingtang looked over the scabbard carefully. Then he pulled out his saber, inserted it into the scabbard, and felt it. Although there was no difference in feel, the overall color and shape were indeed more compatible. With the quality, it would likely last for a long time. He smiled and said, ¡°Miss Yuhu, you¡¯re really considerate. I¡¯m used to being frugal as an escort all year round, and 1 never thought 1 could spend money on a scabbard.¡± ii The empress felt that these words were a little strange, but seeing that Ye Jingtang was very satisfied, she didn¡¯t think too much about it. She turned around and walked toward the door. ¡°A scabbard is nothing. I can give you everything you can and can¡¯t think of. Work harder in the future. I¡¯m going back to the resting palace. Heal well.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Ye Jingtang was indeed pleasantly surprised.. He hung the scabbard at his waist and stood on the spot to watch the woman in a red dress leave until she disappeared out the door¡­ Chapter 412 - Chapter 412: Roping in the Pacifying Heaven Cult (1) Chapter 412: Roping in the Pacifying Heaven Cult (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The bright moon hung high in the sky, and the frosty moonlight shone on the mountains and plains for thousands of kilometers. A large river passed under precipices thousands of feet high. Two travel-worn figures reported their identities outside the mountains. Then, under the lead of white-robed cult members, they stepped onto the rugged mountain path leading to the South Firmament Mountains. The person walking in front was Tang Yudan of Yan Mountain¡¯s Cutting Cloud Palace, Lu Jieyun¡¯s direct disciple. This was the first time he had set foot in the territory of the Pacifying Heaven Cult. Although his master was also one of the Eight Chiefs, the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master ranked first, while his master ranked last. There was no comparison at all. For this reason, his eyes were solemn, and he looked straight ahead while walking. Behind him was Cao Aning, who had become a vagabond in Jianghu after losing his job in the palace. In order to regain his influence and status, Cao Aning had traveled all over the north and south dynasties over the past ten years. It wasn¡¯t his first time coming to the South Firmament Mountains. As he walked, he introduced to Tang Yudan, ¡°If you pass through the South Firmament Mountains, leave the pass, and follow the river path downstream, when you reach the estuary, you can see the Baichi Cliff outside Guan City. Feng Guancheng built a hut there to live in seclusion. Martial artists who can climb the Baichi Cliff to challenge Feng Guancheng, no matter if they win or lose, will be considered overlords in Jianghu. ¡°The Pacifying Heaven Cult Master ranks first among the Eight Chiefs. He challenged Feng Guancheng at the Baichi Cliff and was personally evaluated by Feng Guancheng as invincible under the mountain¡­¡± When Tang Yudan heard this, he looked up at the afterglow of the lights on the mountain peaks and sighed. ¡°Although he¡¯s not the number one in the world, being invincible under the mountain is also an honor that martial artists dream of. Furthermore, the number one beauty in Jianghu, the Moon Goddess, is his companion. This is what a true man should be like.¡± Cao Aning said with a smile, ¡°We mere mortals can¡¯t be envious of the most carefree and unfettered existence in the world. Not to mention you and me, even though King Ye of Hell might not be inferior to the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master in terms of looks and potential, his wife definitely can¡¯t compare to the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master¡¯s.¡± Tang Yudan pondered for a moment and shook his head. ¡°Ye Jingtang lives in the capital, and it¡¯s said that he¡¯s extraordinarily handsome. If the empress likes him, his wife can still compare¡­¡± ¡°Alas.¡± Cao Aning waved his hand. ¡°A wife¡¯s status can be high, but it can¡¯t be too high. The Pacifying Heaven Cult Master and the Moon Goddess are a match made in heaven. If the empress takes a fancy to King Ye of Heli, can he marry the empress home? Even if he succeeds Feng Guancheng, it will be the empress who accepts the number one hero of Jianghu as her consort. From then on, he will enter the deep palace and won¡¯t see spring every year. How can a matrilocal husband compare to the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master? Tang Yudan thought about it and felt that it made sense, so he nodded. The envy he felt for the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master increased. The two of them continued forward and arrived at a mountainside of the South Firmament Mountains. There were many passes along the way, and there were countless sentries patrolling. High on the South Firmament Mountains was the living area of the upper echelons of the Pacifying Heaven Cult. Outsiders were prohibited from entering. For this reason, before the two of them arrived, they were led around by the cult members and arrived at a tunnel on the mountainside. The tunnel was dug by the Great Wei army when they attacked the South Firmament Mountains back then. Now, it had been transformed into the headquarters of the Pacifying Heaven Cult, and the inside was quite large. After walking inside the tunnel for a while, Cao Aning and Tang Yudan arrived at an underground hall. On both sides of the hall were 18 stone lampstands lit with tung oil. In the middle was a long path paved with stone slabs that led to the steps at the back of the hall. Above the steps was a stone-carved seat with a large eight trigrams emblem engraved on the back. On the left and right sides were two flags. Cao Aning entered the stone hall and looked up. He found that there was someone sitting on the stone-carved seat. The tall figure was wearing a white robe and had a jade crown on her head. Although the angle of the light made it impossible to see her face, her astonishing aura was like a powerful dragon entrenched on a mountain peak, looking down at the two ants that had suddenly visited her. Tang Yudan raised his head and broke out in a cold sweat. He hurriedly took a step forward and bowed. ¡°Junior Tang Yudan pays my respects to the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master.¡± On the high platform, the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master didn¡¯t reveal her face. She only said in a voice that was difficult to distinguish between male and female, ¡°Lu Jieyun has a favor to ask of me. Why didn¡¯t he come personally?¡± Tang Yudan knew that he wasn¡¯t worthy of the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master personally receiving him. He took out a token from his sleeve and said respectfully, ¡°I was sent by the Prince of Yan. My master has another important duty and can¡¯t come personally. Please forgive me, Cult Master.¡± The Pacifying Heaven Cult Master looked at the token and said unhappily, ¡°The Prince of Yan asked you to recruit the Pacifying Heaven Cult?¡± ¡°No.¡± Tang Yudan sensed the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master¡¯s dissatisfaction and hurriedly explained, ¡°Everyone in the world knows how loyal the Marquis of the South Mountains¡¯ lineage is to the Great Yan. The Imperial Court has promised you the title of a marquis of ten thousand households and the position of governor of Chong Province, but you regarded all of this as worn-out shoes. Cult Master, how can you be recruited? ¡°The Prince of Yan is planning something big recently. As long as it succeeds, the imperial lineage of Great Wei will fall into the hands of the Prince of Yan. Cult Master, as long as you are willing to help, the territory in the south of Chong Province can be allocated to you, and you can become a king¡­¡± When Pacifying Heaven Cult Master heard this, she said coldly, ¡°Establish myself as a king? Do you think vying for supremacy in the world is like three-year-old children playing house? The empress governs the country with benevolence and virtue. She didn¡¯t go to war for ten years after ascending the throne, and she opened up trade between the north and the south. No matter how 1 look at it, she is a benevolent monarch who doesn¡¯t like war. But what the empress offered me was nothing more than to be a marquis. The prerequisite is that I have to bring my family to the capital to work for her. If the Pacifying Heaven Cult dares to rebel, the empress won¡¯t add a single cent. She will only mobilize troops to attack the South Firmament Mountains and let the world understand what it means that imperial power can¡¯t be disobeyed. ¡°The Prince of Yan is good at war, brave, and resourceful. But it¡¯s because his ambitions are too great that he might destroy the country through militarism. That¡¯s why Great Wei¡¯s founding emperor didn¡¯t give him the throne. The Prince of Yan can¡¯t even tolerate Northern Liang.. And you¡¯re saying that he promises to let me establish myself as a king in the south?¡± Chapter 413 - Chapter 413: Roping in the Pacifying Heaven Cult (2) Chapter 413: Roping in the Pacifying Heaven Cult (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Seeing that the situation wasn¡¯t right, Cao Aning said, ¡°How can we allow others to snore beside our bed? Cult Master, you will definitely not be able to tolerate Great Wei if you restore Great Yan in the future. Before considering these things, you have to have the strength to take over the world first. With the Pacifying Heaven Cult¡¯s current foundation, even establishing Southern Yan in a corner is an extravagant hope, let alone vying for supremacy in the world. ¡°Now that the Prince of Yan has the intention to take over the throne, as long as you help, even if you don¡¯t get any returns, you can still stir up chaos among the vassal princes and make Great Wei panic and have no time to care about the south. This is of great benefit and no harm to you.¡± The Pacifying Heaven Cult Master asked, ¡°How does the Prince of Yan plan to take over the throne?¡± Cao Aning said seriously, ¡°We have reliable news that the empress is not in good health and might not live long. And there are only two guards beside her, Daoist Xuanji and Ye Jingtang. We are in charge of opening up the route. When the time comes, as long as you help deal with Daoist Xuanji¡­¡± Whoosh! A footstep interrupted him. The Pacifying Heaven Cult Master stood up, walked to the edge of the steps, and stood with her hands behind her back. ¡°The empress doesn¡¯t have long to live. Can¡¯t the Prince of Yan wait? The empress doesn¡¯t have any children. If she dies, the throne can only be given to the Prince of Yan or the Prince of Liang. If the Prince of Yan is clever, he can hide quietly near Wu Province. Once the empress dies, he can run to the capital. As long as he runs faster than the Prince of Liang, he can legitimately become the emperor. But you¡¯re saying that the Prince of Yan is planning to assassinate the empress at this time?¡± Cao Aning fell silent for a moment before saying respectfully, ¡°The empress is still young after all. No one knows how long she can live. The Prince of Yan is almost sixty years old. He¡¯s afraid that she will live for a long time¡­¡± ¡°Get lost.¡± The Pacifying Heaven Cult Master¡¯s voice turned slightly cold. ¡°I¡¯ll just treat it as if you¡¯ve never been here. If you spout any more nonsense, I will kill you without mercy.¡± Cao Aning immediately shut up. After exchanging glances with Tang Yudan, he silently turned around and left¡­ Tread, tread¡­ The footsteps gradually faded away, and the stone hall became empty. The Pacifying Heaven Cult Master stood on the steps with her hands behind her back. After the footsteps completely disappeared, she sat back in her chair and frowned in deep thought. Behind the stone hall, ¡®South Mountains Iron Trigram¡¯ Zhang Henggu, who was wearing a Daoist robe, slowly walked out with his hands behind his back. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°It sounds like the Cutting Cloud Palace is doing things privately in the name of the Prince of Yan. However, this is the first time I¡¯ve heard that the empress won¡¯t have long to live. According to the empress¡¯s age, nothing should go wrong.¡± The Pacifying Heaven Cult Master said, ¡°Back then, when the empress usurped the throne, Daoist Xuanji alone couldn¡¯t deal with Cao Qiansui. There must be an expert by her side. However, after so many years of investigation by various forces, they still couldn¡¯t find the expert by the empress¡¯s side. For this reason, no one dared to enter the palace rashly. ¡°Now that someone dares to take action, it means that they have figured out the identity of the deathsworn. The empress¡¯s poor health has nothing to do with the strength of the guards. If they dare to take action because of this¡­ the only possibility is that the person who attacked the Imperial City with Daoist Xuanji was the empress herself, and she has internal injuries. This news is quite important¡­¡± Zhang Henggu hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°When I went to the capital to pick up Madam and Yunli, 1 saw the current situation in Yun¡¯an. It¡¯s a magnificent scene of prosperity. If the Pacifying Heaven Cult wants to restore Great Yan, the people might not agree. ¡°Since there¡¯s no hope of restoring Great Yan in a short period of time, the first plan is to accumulate strength slowly in a corner. If we interfere in this matter, the Prince of Yan won¡¯t remember our help if he succeeds. If the Prince of Yan loses, the empress will definitely let us understand what it means to trample the Heavenly South¡­¡± The Pacifying Heaven Cult Master nodded slightly. ¡°Then, we won¡¯t interfere. Let the Imperial Court fight among itself. We¡¯ll just wait and see what happens.¡± At this point, the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master thought of Luo Ning, who was far away in the capital. Luo Ning had only returned to the capital for two days. She had only sent out the letter reporting the news yesterday. It had probably just passed through West King Town. The Pacifying Heaven Cult Master didn¡¯t know the exact situation in the capital city, so she said, ¡°I¡¯ll write a letter to Luo Ning and urge her to come back as soon as possible so that she doesn¡¯t accidentally get involved in this matter. Ping¡¯er has been gone for so long, but she hasn¡¯t written back at all. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s doing¡­¡± Zhang Henggu was in his seventies and had a lot of experience. The wife had run out of town and didn¡¯t return for a long time. She didn¡¯t say what she was doing either. Under normal circumstances, she should have someone else outside. But the cult master was a girl and didn¡¯t have any awareness of this. As a guardian, Zhang Henggu couldn¡¯t make irresponsible remarks based on speculation. After bidding farewell, he left¡­ ¡°Chirp Chirp Chirp-¡± At dawn, a humming sound came from the Bright Yang Pool, which was surrounded by exotic flowers and trees. The doors and windows of the main hall were closed, and the water in the pool was full of mist. Ye Jingtang had changed into a clean robe and was lying on a chaise longue beside the hot spring pool to avoid falling into a deep sleep. The Hornless Dragon Saber, which had changed into a new scabbard, was leaning against him. The bird, who had helped patrol the east of the city for most of the night, had already flown back late at night. At this moment, it was floating on the water like a fat goose, swimming and humming. After Yuhu left yesterday, Ye Jingtang took a bath and changed his clothes. He should have left. But yesterday¡¯s kiss seemed to have angered Dumdum. He wasn¡¯t sure if she would come back to deal with him, so he had waited here and fell asleep at some point. Reality proved that even though Dongfang Liren was timid, she was still very stable. She knew that if she came here in the middle of the night, she would be kissed again, and something even more exciting might happen. So she just tossed and turned until dawn before bringing palace maids over to take a look. Tread, tread, tread¡­ Ye Jingtang was lying on the chaise longue when he heard dense footsteps coming from afar. He woke up and realized that it was dawn. He turned around and washed up in the pool. Then he picked up the bird and quickly walked out the door. Outside the Bright Yang Pool, Dongfang Liren, who was wearing a silver python robe, asked the accompanying palace servants to wait at the door and entered alone. Before she could take two steps, she saw Ye Jingtang come out and stopped.. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you left yet?¡± Chapter 414 - Chapter 414: Roping in the Pacifying Heaven Cult (3) Chapter 414: Roping in the Pacifying Heaven Cult (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Ye Jingtang carried the bird and walked over to her. ¡°I knew Your Highness was coming over, so 1 waited for you. If you came and 1 wasn¡¯t here, you would be angry again¡­¡± ? Dongfang Liren felt that Ye Jingtang was saying that she wasn¡¯t easy to serve. She wanted to scold him, but when she saw his face, she couldn¡¯t help recalling the moment their lips met last night. She harrumphed lightly, took the bird, and turned around to walk in front. ¡°1 heard from the palace servants that you were here, so I came to take a look. Also, 1 have to remind you that you¡¯re becoming more and more unruly. You¡¯re the deputy commander of the Black Office and my subordinate. 1 am tolerant of you because I appreciate your ability. If you continue to be arrogant because of my favor¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± Ye Jingtang listened attentively to the princess¡¯s teachings and accompanied her to her carriage. After she was finished talking, he looked at her skirt. ¡°Are your legs okay?¡± Dongfang Liren blinked and turned to look at Ye Jingtang¡¯s body. ¡°I¡¯m fine. What about you? Have you recovered?¡± ¡°It was just scratches. There aren¡¯t any traces left.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Dongfang Liren recalled how Ye Jingtang had risked his life to protect her last night and couldn¡¯t bear to continue lecturing him. When the palace servants moved her carriage over, she boarded the carriage and sat down on the couch. ¡°You were injured and need to rest more. Get in.¡± Hearing this, Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t decline. He boarded the carriage with the bird, sat by the window, and fed the bird breakfast. Dongfang Liren had kissed Ye Jingtang on the cheek before, but it had been an accident. It was different from yesterday. Now that they were in the same enclosed space, she felt a little awkward. She couldn¡¯t put on the aura of a princess, so she simply took out a book and drawing tools from the wooden box beside her, making the inside of the carriage look like an office. Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t disturb her at first, but after feeding the bird for a while, he suddenly noticed that the dignified princess, who was working hard, would draw a few strokes on the book, look up at him, and then continue. ? Ye Jingtang¡¯s heart stirred slightly. He placed the bird in the food box and let it eat by itself. Then when Dongfang Liren wasn¡¯t paying attention, he leaned over. As expected, there was a piece of white paper in the book. At this moment, half a picture had already been drawn. It was the scene of the little thief and the heroine kissing. The tall heroine had the same height and curves as Dongfang Liren, but her face couldn¡¯t be seen. On the other hand, Ye Jingtang could clearly see the little thief¡¯s expression and demeanor. He was pressing one hand on the back of the beauty and kissing her forcefully. Bang! Dongfang Liren was caught off guard. She suddenly closed the book and frowned. ¡°Who let you come close?¡± Ye Jingtang quickly sat back down and smiled. ¡°Isn¡¯t this drawing the reward for me? I was just taking a look¡­¡± Dongfang Liren¡¯s face turned red. There was nothing she could do about this scoundrel. She raised her hand and gestured outside. ¡°Get out.¡± Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t say much. He got out of the carriage and walked by the carriage window. Whoosh! Dongfang Liren closed up the carriage window and didn¡¯t let him look. But as Ye Jingtang walked, he could still hear the sound of the bird burying its head in food and the faint sound of a brush touching paper¡­ The carriage drove through the flat street, quickly left the Imperial City, and arrived outside the Prince of Jing Estate. Dumdum didn¡¯t invite Ye Jingtang to sit inside. With the mentality that he was already here, after watching her enter the estate, he brought the bird to the Black Office at the back of the estate. Last night, there had been a mess in the east of the city. The constables were all working overtime to patrol, but it wasn¡¯t easy to catch experts who could set up traps in advance. They didn¡¯t find anything. As soon as Ye Jingtang walked into the Black Office, before he could ask anyone, he saw ¡®Iron-Armed Impermanence¡¯ She Long running over. He cupped his hands and thanked him from afar. ¡°Sir Ye, it¡¯s all thanks to your divine prediction last night. If the Hong Mountain Gang had really killed Liu Qiansheng, I would have rejoiced for nothing¡­¡± She Long was an early-stage Grandmaster. It was indeed a rare opportunity for his son to be chosen by a former Martial Chief as his last disciple. Yesterday, Liu Qiansheng had almost been killed, scaring She Long so much that he couldn¡¯t sleep even now. He wished he could stay beside Liu Qiansheng and be his bodyguard. Ye Jingtang raised his hand and asked, ¡°How are the two people we caught yesterday?¡± ¡°Shi Yanfeng was poisoned by several types of poison. The poisons had already attacked his heart. Imperial Physician Wang could keep him alive, but it was meaningless. He stopped breathing in the morning. The corpse was sent to Zhang Jinglin for him to study the Golden Scale Skin.¡± ¡°As for Zheng Kun, we tortured him all night, but he was quite stubborn. He¡¯d rather die than confess¡­¡± ¡°Really? Let¡¯s go over and take a look¡­¡± Chapter 415 - Chapter 415: Good Sword Skills! (1) Chapter 415: Good Sword Skills! (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Last month, a portion of the dungeon had collapsed. .Now that it had been renovated, there were many more residents than before. The harvest in Wu Province had been quite abundant. The Prince of Wu had been placed under house arrest in the imperial clan court and was awaiting trial, while Bai Siming and other retainers were imprisoned in the dungeon. There was also the half-dead Yao Wenshan and others. Including the top experts captured in the past, the lineup was quite luxurious. Ye jingtang and She Long arrived at the second basement of the dungeon together. They even went to each cell to take a look and check the physical conditions of the prisoners. In the end, when they passed by Heaven Room No. 1, two unfamiliar men below suddenly jumped up and shouted, ¡°Sir Ye! Why don¡¯t you throw us to the Ministry of Justice to be sentenced? We didn¡¯t hurt you even though we attempted to murder you. According to the law, the maximum sentence is three years. It¡¯s not appropriate to lock us up here until we die¡­¡± After going out, Ye Jingtang had almost forgotten about these two professional killers. He turned around and asked, ¡°What should we do with these two?¡± She Long thought for a moment. ¡®Recently, I¡¯ve investigated and found that these two used to drive horse carriages in Van Province, and their criminal records were all about fighting. Later, they offended Lu Jieyun and had nowhere to go, so they thought of going to Northern Liang to do a big job. According to the law, we should hand them over to the Ministry of Justice. At worst, they will be exiled. In my opinion, let¡¯s leave them locked up for now. These two have some martial arts skills. If we meet a ruthless character one day, we can drag them out and let them be cannon fodder to redeem themselves. If they can come back alive, we ll hand them over to the Ministry of Justice. This is making the best use of them.¡± Ye Jingtang looked down from the hole. ¡°How did you offend Lu Jieyun?¡± Second Wang was almost stupid after being locked up for a couple of months. He hurriedly replied, ¡°My hometown is near Yan Mountain. My brother and I took a job to go into the mountains to find a long tiger penis. We chased it to an unknown place. Suddenly, we heard someone screaming like he was being skinned and having his muscles pulled out. We brothers ran over to take a look, but before we could get there, we were stopped by people from the Cutting Cloud Palace. They wanted to kill us on the spot, but we ran away¡­ ¡°We fought with the people from the Cutting Cloud Palace, so they definitely wouldn¡¯t let us survive. We didn¡¯t dare to go home and directly fled. On the way, we heard the news in Jianghu that we had secretly entered the back mountain of the Cutting Cloud Palace to steal things and even killed a few disciples. The Cutting Cloud Palace even issued a Jianghu kill order against us. This is purely framing¡­¡± Ye Jingtang frowned. ¡°Who was screaming?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think the Cutting Cloud Palace was doing something utterly heartless. Speaking of which, does this count as reporting and performing a meritorious deed?¡± Ye Jingtang shook his head. ¡°What kind of reporting is this? Repent well in the future and strive to go out and start a new life in your lifetime.¡± ¡°Eh? Sir Ye, why don¡¯t you lock us up above? At least there¡¯s a skylight to see the sun¡­ Sir?¡± Ye Jingtang turned around and walked out of the noisy door. He asked, ¡°Is the Cutting Cloud Palace secretly killing people?¡± She Long thought for a moment. ¡°For a sect as large as the Cutting Cloud Palace, there¡¯s no need to hide in the deep mountains and ancient forests for the sake of taking human lives. I ll remember this matter and investigate it when 1 have time.¡± Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t pay much attention to such a small matter and walked to the deepest part of the dungeon with She Long. Eunuch Cao was locked in the third basement of the dungeon, but the luxurious cell on the third basement was not as big as the ones on the two floors above. The remaining space was the interrogation room. Ye Jingtang reached an iron door and looked in through a small window. He could see a few oil lamps lit and a brazier burning in the middle of the small interrogation room. The temperature was relatively high, similar to a blacksmith¡¯s shop. Four Black Office constables were sweating profusely while standing beside a torture rack. On the torture rack, Zheng Kun, whose arms had been broken, was chained up. His clothes were tattered and covered in blood, and his head was hanging down silently. In front of him, Shang Jianli, who was known as the White Impermanence, was standing with his hands in his sleeves and a hint of admiration on his slightly feminine face. ¡°Boss Zheng, you have good perseverance. 1 can¡¯t even meet a criminal with such a tough mouth in a few years. There¡¯s an old saying in Jianghu that goes, A wise man submits to circumstances¡¯. When you enter the Black Office¡¯s dungeon, even Liu Qiansheng won¡¯t be able to escape. If you confess earlier, you can go up and rest earlier. If you think that the Black Office only has this little ability, you¡¯re underestimating us. Some torture devices are too inhumane that I can¡¯t bear to see them¡­¡± Zheng Kun¡¯s forehead was covered in sweat as he slowly raised his head. His eyes were ferocious as he said with blood foam in his throat, ¡°1 didn¡¯t say that 1 wouldn¡¯t confess. But you have to ask!!¡± ¡°Who set up the traps on Dragon Creek Alley yesterday?¡± ¡°What traps? 1 was sent flying, and then 1 heard explosions. 1 don¡¯t know anything¡­¡± ¡°Can t remember, can you?¡± Shang Jianli curled his finger slightly. ¡°Continue with the torture.¡± ¡°You motherfuckers! What can 1 say? Are you trying to frame someone? Why don¡¯t you name him? I ll bite whoever you say¡­¡± When Ye Jingtang saw this scene outside the window, he frowned and pushed open the door. ¡°Hold on.¡± The constables holding whips and iron brushes hurriedly cupped their hands and bowed. ¡°Sir Ye!¡± Seeing this, Shang Jianli also turned around. Because he hadn¡¯t done his job well, he said with some shame, ¡°Sir Ye, just go up and rest. I¡¯ll definitely be able to pry this person¡¯s mouth open.¡± Ye Jingtang glanced at the hysterical Zheng Kun and asked, ¡°Sir Shang, what have you asked after interrogating him for an entire night?¡± Shang Jianli said solemnly, ¡°Sir Ye, the chaos in the east of the city yesterday must be targeted at you. For such a big case, we naturally have to investigate the mastermind behind it. But this person is too stubborn. He insists that he was sent by Jiang Zhahu to kill Liu Qiansheng. He refuses to say anything else¡­¡± Zheng Kun was considered a well-known and courageous person in Liang Province. At this moment, he had been beaten into submission. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want me to say. Sir Ye, you¡¯re the Saber Chief, so you should be able to see the situation. How can Shi Yanfeng and I, two small fries, be qualified to be bait for a powerful dragon like you? 1 only extorted two hundred taels of silver from you.. If word gets out that you¡¯re using your position to avenge a private grudge like this, it will damage your reputation¡­¡± Chapter 416 - Chapter 416: Good Sword Skills! (2) Chapter 416: Good Sword Skills! (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Ye Jingtang had suspected yesterday that the two of them might have been used. Zheng Kun had been tortured all night, but the Black Office didn¡¯t get anything out of him, which confirmed this thought. Ye Jingtang came in front of him and sized him up. ¡°So now you remember extorting two hundred taels of silver from me?¡± Zheng Kun had stayed up all night. Not to mention the 200 taels of silver, he even remembered kicking a wild dog when he was bored. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°I remember now. Four years ago, in August, there was an escort agency passing by the Wang Estuary. One of the helm masters lost money gambling and blocked the road to extort two hundred taels of silver. I really didn¡¯t know that it was your escort, Sir Ye. 1 admit that I offended you, and I apologize, but what else can I say? In the past, 1 committed many murders in Liang Province and even killed two people in the capital. 1 have no intention of getting out alive. Sir Ye, please send me on my way and hang my head outside the Black Office. This matter will be over. But you guys are asking me these inexplicable things. 1 really can¡¯t answer them¡­¡± Ye Jingtang nodded. ¡°I¡¯m from Liang Province. 1 know what the Flong Mountain Gang is like. I will kill innocents if I kill everyone, but you leaders aren¡¯t. It¡¯s considered a bargain for Shi Yanfeng to die a quick death. ¡°Now I¡¯m asking you. If you tell me the truth, I¡¯ll give you a quick death after you answer. Your corpse can be buried. But if you hide anything, you can slowly be tortured here until you die.¡± Zheng Kun was a bloodthirsty horse bandit to begin with. It would be considered a good ending if he could die a quick death. ¡°Alright. But I joined the Hong Mountain Gang later. 1 call Jiang Zhahu the gang leader, but I¡¯m not a trusted aide. I really don¡¯t know what I can and can¡¯t answer.¡± Ye Jingtang thought for a moment. ¡°What are the exact smuggling routes of the Hong Mountain Gang?¡± ¡°I only manage the private iron. There are no fixed routes on the trade routes. I¡¯ll go wherever I can. 1 mainly collect goods from the mines in Liang Province, Jin Province, and Sha Province and sell them to the tribes of the Western Sea. The four major tribes, including the Winter Underworld Tribe, want iron the most. 1¡¯11 trade in Clear Curtain City. The contact of the Winter Underworld Tribe is called Jiang Laojiu, an elder of the Winter Underworld Tribe¡­¡± Ye Jingtang had never been to the Western Sea tribes and didn¡¯t know much about them. When he heard this, he asked, ¡°Jiang seems to be a surname from the Central Plains¡­¡± Shang Jianli approached to explain, ¡°The north and south dynasties originated from the northwest. Later, the river changed its course, and the northwest became a barren land. The people migrated to the south and north, gradually evolving into a situation of three countries. After the Northwest Royal Court was broken up, it became the tribes of the Western Sea¡­¡± Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t know much about history. He nodded and continued to listen to Zheng Kun¡¯s confession. Zheng Kun spilled the beans and told him everything about the trade routes he grasped. The constable recorded everything seriously. When he was almost done with the smuggling issue, Ye Jingtang asked, ¡°How much do you know about Jiang Zhahu¡¯s Golden Scale Picture?¡± Zheng Kun said, ¡°He definitely has it, but I¡¯ve never seen it. I joined the Hong Mountain Gang because I wanted to learn it, but Jiang Zhahu didn¡¯t completely trust me and never said anything to me.¡± ¡°How do I find Jiang Zazhu?¡± ¡°There are many people in Jianghu who suspect that he has that precious treasure. He usually doesn¡¯t stay on Hong Mountain. If he wants to arrange anything, he gets his trusted aides to convey it on his behalf. By the way¡­¡± At this point, Zheng Kun thought of something. ¡°Jiang Zhahu asked me to enter the capital for another matter. He wanted me to find someone called Zhang Jinglin and ask for the formula for the Heavenly Carnelian Bead. According to Shi Yanfeng, this thing is like the imperial jade seal. Whoever can consume it is the true Son of Heaven and can unify the tribes of the Western Sea¡­¡± ?! When Ye Jingtang heard this, his eyelids twitched. After all, he could use the Heavenly Carnelian Bead. If the rumor that he was the true Son of Heaven spread, it would probably be a lot of trouble in the future. ¡°I heard from Zhang Jinglin that the Heavenly Carnelian Bead is just a medicine. It is specially concocted to temper the muscles and bones. As long as it¡¯s concocted correctly, anyone can consume it. Is Jiang Zhahu looking for this bead to rebel?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Jiang Zhahu isn¡¯t an ordinary person. 1 think he wants to replace Feng Guancheng more than to be an emperor. But Shi Yanfeng is obsessed with opening up land and sealing territory¡­¡± ¡°Who else knows that you two came to Yun¡¯an?¡± ¡°Other than Jiang Zhahu, there are only a few leaders. Sir Ye, since you were waiting for us, someone must have tipped you off. I suspect that someone in the gang is coveting our positions and betrayed us¡­¡± Meanwhile, in the Longevity Palace¡­ The warm autumn sun shone in the garden. The charming Hongyu was walking back and forth outside the bedchamber and placing the various rare items that the empress dowager had brought back from her trip to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion. The doors and windows of the bedchamber were still closed, and the screen of beauties scissoring was placed in front of the bed. The sun was already shining on plump buttocks. The empress dowager, who had nothing to do, lay on her side on the bed, holding The Secret History of the Romantic Empress in her hand. She flipped through it without blinking, and her face would blush from time to time. Daoist Xuanji was wearing cut-out smallclothes specially provided by the palace. They were still white. She was sitting in front of the dressing table beside the bed and applying lipstick. Although Daoist Xuanji had drunk too much last night, she wasn¡¯t drunk the entire night. She had woken up as soon as the thunder exploded outside the Imperial City and gone to the empress¡¯s side to protect her. She had only come back after the empress had a private meeting with Ye Jingtang. After finishing applying the lipstick, Daoist Xuanji changed into a snow-white dress. Then she went to the bed and raised her hand to pat the empress dowager gently. Pa- ¡°I¡¯m going out for a while. I¡¯ll come back to take you out to relax later.¡± The empress dowager knew that something had happened last night and that Daoist Xuanji might be busy. So she only turned a page of the book and said softly, ¡°Okay.¡± Then she remembered something. ¡°1 heard from Hongyu that Ye Jingtang was injured last night. If you have time, visit him.¡± Although Daoist Xuanji wasn¡¯t looking for Ye Jingtang, she still agreed. Then she left the Imperial City alone and headed for Heavenly Water Bridge. Luo Ning was Daoist Xuanji¡¯s best friend. It hadn¡¯t been easy to interact with each other on the ship, and she hadn¡¯t seen her since they returned the day before yesterday. Since she had time, she naturally had to see her. Daoist Xuanji knew Luo Ning¡¯s address and first went to the Pei residence on Heavenly Water Bridge. After scanning the area, she landed in a corridor of the main courtyard of the back residence. From afar, she heard a conversation between two women in the west wing. ¡°Jingtang didn¡¯t come back all night. I wonder how he¡¯s doing.¡± ¡°He¡¯s definitely fine. If anything happens to Ye Jingtang, the capital will explode. He¡¯s probably accompanying the princess now¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s all your fault.¡± ¡°Huh? Why are you blaming me?¡± ¡°Two nights ago, 1 told you to be obedient, but you insisted on being coy. You delayed Jingtang for an hour to coax you, but you didn¡¯t even help him recuperate well¡­¡± ¡°You were pushing your luck. How could 1 agree? Why don¡¯t you try it yourself¡­¡± After listening to a few words, Daoist Xuanji waited in a secluded place. After a while, she saw Third Lady Pei, who was wearing a light yellow casual dress, come out of the room and return to her room to pack her things. Then she went to the new residence by the river with maidservants. Daoist Xuanji waited until there was no one in the courtyard before quietly going to the door of the room and pushing it open¡­ Chapter 417 - Chapter 417: Good Sword Skills! (3) Chapter 417: Good Sword Skills! (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The west wing was a room temporarily arranged for Luo Ning. There were not many furnishings inside. The saber Ye Jingtang had brought back from Yellow Springs Town was placed on the table. Because he wanted to give it to Yunli as a birthday gift, it was still wrapped in cloth and had not been taken out. After the incident in the city yesterday, Luo Ning had been worried for half the night. After Third Lady left, she sat alone in front of the dressing table and reflected on her problem. But what was her problem? She had come over to discuss something. However, she had been pressed down, and her hair had disappeared, but she still had to be obedient. Wouldn¡¯t she be a doormat then? When Luo Ning thought of the shameful scenery under her dress, her eyes revealed a worried expression. She silently prayed to recover as soon as possible and was also thinking about how to take revenge on the bad Third Lady. Luo Ning looked up and saw Third Lady packing up in the main room and preparing to go out. She quietly leaned over and took out a mahogany box from under the bed. The box contained two new pieces of jewelry, as well as a piece of jade, a piece of wood, a carving knife, and other things. Yesterday, Madam Wang had recommended that she go to the Fan family¡¯s store to buy a few pieces of jewelry. However, she had run over and had been too embarrassed to ask the unfamiliar female shopkeeper, ¡°Do you have any very exciting items here?¡± After thinking for a long time, she had only asked if there was any jewelry. The female shopkeeper was not familiar with her and was relatively conservative, so she gave her two special little things. One was a silver waist bell. Women in the northwest would wear it on their waists and dance. It was rare in the Central Plains, but it was not unheard of. The other one was more special. It was a pair of hairpins with a unique shape. The hairpins were shaped like ears, and they were soft enough to pass for real. When Luo Ning brought it back yesterday, she felt that this thing wasn¡¯t bad. It even looked quite good on her. Using it to deal with Third Lady was undoubtedly sending supplies to the enemy. Since Luo Ning couldn¡¯t find a way to take revenge, she could only take out Ye Jingtang¡¯s hardcover version of Tears of a Heroine and rummage through it. In the end, she had found the right way this time. There were all kinds of ways to bully and humiliate women in Tears of a Heroine. It was too much to take in. Even someone like her couldn¡¯t bear to look at them! Luo Ning took out the hardcover book from under her pillow and flipped to the page she had found yesterday to study it carefully. This hardcover version of Tears of a Heroine was quite exquisite. Not only did the characters have illustrations, but the various items inside had also been thoughtfully illustrated by painters to allow readers to understand what they looked like. There were many unpresentable things in the book, but Luo Ning was too embarrassed to find a craftsman to make such things. If she wanted to use something to return the favor to Third Lady, she could only make it herself. She chose this item because it was small and the workmanship was relatively simple. Luo Ning had secretly worked for half the night last night and had already carved out a rough prototype from wood. After Luo Ning checked the picture carefully, she put away the book. Then she placed the piece of wood on the dressing table and measured a piece of jade against it. She was thinking about how to cut it, but before she could figure it out, she heard a sound. Creak- The door was pushed open! ?! Luo Ning¡¯s expression froze. Thinking that Ye Jingtang had returned, she hurriedly said, ¡°Little thief! Don¡¯t come in!¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Before she could finish speaking, a peerless beauty in a snow-white dress walked in and lifted the bead curtain in the inner room. ¡°Ning¡¯er, what are you doing?¡± When Luo Ning saw that it was Daoist Xuanji, she secretly heaved a sigh of relief and pretended to be calm. ¡°I¡¯m just practicing knife skills out of boredom. I¡¯m carving an ornament.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Daoist Xuanji came in front of her and glanced at her. Then she picked up the carved piece of wood in front of the bronze mirror and sized it up. ¡°Your knife skills are indeed ordinary¡­¡± ? Luo Ning had spent all last night carving and felt that she did very well. When she heard this, she was naturally unhappy. ¡°I¡¯m just practicing casually. I don¡¯t need to gain great skills.¡± Daoist Xuanji chuckled, put the piece of wood back, and picked up the waist bell. ¡°You¡¯re even learning to dance?¡± ¡°I already know how to dance. 1 just bought it for fun.¡± ¡°These ears are quite unique¡­¡± Daoist Xuanji put the red fur ears on her head with great interest and looked at herself in the mirror. ¡°This thing makes you look like a vixen. Only children like these.¡± Luo Ning braced herself and explained, ¡°I bought it for Yunli, my disciple. It looks good on you too¡­¡± Then she continued to focus on carving and pretended to be practicing knife skills. Daoist Xuanji originally didn¡¯t want to disturb her, but unfortunately, Luo Ning¡¯s knife skills were really mediocre. She would only cut the piece of jade after pondering for a long time, and she kept comparing it against the carved piece of wood. In order to guide her unskilled best friend, Daoist Xuanji took the piece of jade and casually sized it up before pulling out the Joyful Union Sword. Clang! The Joyful Union Sword was one of the top ten famous swords, and Daoist Xuanji was one of the top three experts of the Eight Chiefs. Cutting jade was no different from cutting tofu. Luo Ning was sitting at the side and watching as the fist-sized piece of white jade turned in Daoist Xuanji¡¯s hand. Broken bits of jade fell onto the table, and in a moment, it changed into a similar shape as the piece of wood. Daoist Xuanji was skilled in both civil and martial arts. She had taught Dongfang Liren how to draw, and she was a great artist herself. She used the Joyful Union Sword as a carving knife to cut the piece of jade into shape.. When she was dealing with the base, she asked, ¡°What do you want to engrave?¡± Chapter 418 - Chapter 418: Good Sword Skills! (4) Chapter 418: Good Sword Skills! (4) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Luo Ning had been worried about how to use the knife. Seeing that Shuishui was doing it for her and could even customize it, she was naturally happy. In order to prove that this was specially for Third Lady¡¯s exclusive use, she thought for a moment and said, ¡°Engrave a poem.¡± ¡°Oh??1 A hint of surprise flashed across Daoist Xuanji¡¯s eyes. She seriously engraved the words on the base. Then she looked it over carefully and found that it wasn¡¯t smooth enough. So she used her finger and strong internal energy to smooth the surface of the piece of jade. Then she held it in her hand and checked it over. ¡°How is it?¡± Luo Ning sized it up and felt that it was perfect. She praised, ¡°Good sword skills. If you make jewelry, you should be able to make a lot of money/1 Daoist Xuanji played with the small jade object. ¡°With my sword skills, who would sell jewelry to make money? The ¡®sword¡¯ emphasizes agility, elegance, and precision. Your sword skills are sloppy, and you can¡¯t even handle a stone. You have to practice more in the future. Actually, drawing and writing are ail methods to practice weapons. When your hands are stable to the peak, whatever you want to express on paper can also be expressed with the sword¡­¡± When Luo Ning heard Shuishui guiding her in martial arts, her expression was very solemn. But when she saw the jade object turning on her fingertip, she felt very strange. But before Luo Ning could think of a way to get the object, she heard a sound coming from outside. ¡°Chirp chirp chirp!¡± Luo Ning and Daoist Xuanji could understand what the bird was saying: Where is she? Luo Ning¡¯s expression changed, and she hurriedly tried to hide the object. But Daoist Xuanji turned around and walked out of the room. ¡°Huh?¡± Luo Ning¡¯s expression froze. She raised her hand to stop her, but it was too late. ¡°Fairy Lu, why are you¡­¡± Outside the room, Ye Jingtang and the bird landed together. When they heard a sound in the west wing, they walked over directly. Before they reached the door, they saw the fairy-like Daoist Xuanji raise the bead curtain. Ye Jingtang was quite surprised. Just as he was about to greet her, he found that she was wearing two furry ears on her head. She looked like a fox immortal walking out of the room, full of a demonic aura. ? Ye Jingtang was stunned, and there was a smile in his eyes. Just as he was about to ask where this thing came from, he discovered that Daoist Xuanji was playing with a jade object in her hand. No matter how he looked at it, it looked like the one from Tears of a Heroine¡­ Is it similar, or¡­ (O_O)?! Holy shit¡­ Ye Jingtang suddenly stopped in his tracks. He looked at Daoist Xuanji¡¯s right hand and tilted his head slightly. He wanted to say something but hesitated. Daoist Xuanji looked down. With a hint of pride in her eyes, she threw the object to Ye Jingtang. ¡°How is it?¡± What else could he do? Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t dare to take it, but he still caught it for fear of breaking it. He looked at his silly wife behind Daoist Xuanji, and the meaning in his eyes was self-explanatory: Heroine Luo! What are you doing?! Luo Ning was sitting in front of the dressing table, her face flushed red and at a loss for what to do. Then she looked ashamed and aggrieved and lowered her head without saying a word. When Ye Jingtang saw Ningers aggrieved look, he couldn¡¯t bear it. He forced himself to calm down and sized up the jade object. ¡°Hmm¡­ It¡¯s really beautiful. Hehe¡­¡± Daoist Xuanji noticed Ye Jingtang¡¯s strange expression and asked curiously, ¡°Hmm? Is this thing special?¡± Ye Jingtang braced himself and said, ¡°I just feel that the sword skills are really good. The handwriting is like dragons and snakes, and the workmanship is exquisite. It¡¯s obvious that it was carved with a sword¡­¡± Seeing that Ye Jingtang knew his stuff, Daoist Xuanji was quite satisfied. ¡°It¡¯s good that you like it. I¡¯ll give it to you. You accompany Ning¡¯er. I¡¯m going back to the palace. In a few days, Her Majesty will go to Clear Water Villa to rest and relax for a period of time. If you have time, bring people there and inspect the surroundings first. Her Majesty feels relieved when you do things.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t dare to stay long with Daoist Xuanji. After Daoist Xuanji flew away and the bird followed, he rubbed his forehead and quickly entered the room. Luo Ning panicked when she was caught red-handed by the little thief. When she saw the man enter, she hurriedly explained, ¡°Madam Wang told me about it, so I casually got it for Third Lady. When Shui er came over, 1 only said that it was an ornament¡­¡± Ye J ingtang knew very well what was going on and didn¡¯t make things difficult for his wife. He sat down beside Ning¡¯er and looked at the jade object. ¡°There¡¯s a picture in Tears of a Heroine. If Daoist Xuanji finds out the truth in the future, how will I explain it?¡± Luo Ning bit her lower lip lightly. She couldn¡¯t even pretend to be a virtuous heroine like before and said in a low voice, ¡°Just say that¡­ you were the one who came up with the idea and asked me to do it. I didn¡¯t dare to tell her the truth, so 1 kept her in the dark.¡± ? Ye Jingtang felt that she was indeed his wife. He nodded and said, ¡°Daoist Xuanji will probably beat me to death, but I¡¯ll still say this to prevent you from being in a tough spot and feeling awkward.¡± Seeing that the little thief was so easy to talk to, Luo Ning knew that she would have to pay a price. After thinking for a moment, she didn¡¯t let Ye Jingtang take the initiative to speak. She slowly got up, sat in front of the bed, and grabbed the jade object. ¡°This is for Third Lady. You¡¯ve been busy all day. You must be tired, right? I¡¯ll help you recuperate. Lie down.¡± It was rare for Ye Jingtang to see such a gentle Ning¡¯er. He coughed lightly and leaned against the head of the bed. ¡°It s broad daylight. I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as you¡¯re happy.¡± Luo Ning was afraid that Ye Jingtang would be unforgiving and let her reap what she sowed, so she was very considerate. Ye Jingtang found her funny. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t force you if you¡¯re unwilling.¡± When Luo Ning heard this, she looked a little unhappy. ¡°You still say you won¡¯t? Third Lady treated me like that, but you didn¡¯t stop her¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you lost to Third Lady. 1 didn¡¯t dare to interrupt.¡± ¡°You just enjoyed it.¡± ¡°So what if I did? If you have the ability, suffocate me to death¡­ Woo¡­¡± Not long after the two of them started flirting, footsteps sounded from the corridor. Pei Xiangjun had been in the new residence just now. When she heard that Ye Jingtang had returned, she hurriedly rushed back. Just as she turned around the corridor, she found that the vixen was in the room and being intimate with Jingtang. Pei Xiangjun frowned and quickly walked to the west wing. She looked at Luo Ning, who had quickly gotten up and put on her clothes. ¡°Hairless girl, what were you talking about?¡± ¡°Third Lady Pei!¡± When Luo Ning heard this terrible nickname, she frowned. But after some thought, she didn¡¯t flare up. Instead, she stood up, closed the door, and pulled Third Lady into the inner room. ¡°Ye Jingtang bought you a treasure. See if you like it.¡± Then she threw the jade object to Pei Xiangjun. Pei Xiangjun looked at the words on the base of the jade object and was really surprised. She sat down beside Ye Jingtang. ¡®What is this for?¡± Ye Jingtang coughed lightly, hugged Third Lady¡¯s waist, and got her to sit on his leg. Then he patted the other side and got Ning¡¯er to sir down. ¡°It¡¯s just a small item. I¡¯ll tell you later.¡± When Pei Xiangjun saw the vixen¡¯s aggressive aura, she knew that this thing was terrifying and was here to deal with her, so she didn¡¯t ask foolishly. Pei Xiangjun put away the object and looked at Ye Jingtang. ¡°You weren¡¯t hurt yesterday, were you?¡± Ye Jingtang felt uncomfortable sitting, so he lay down and brought his two wives down. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just didn¡¯t sleep well yesterday. I need to catch up on sleep.¡± Pei Xiangjun blinked and leaned over to peck Ye Jingtang¡¯s lips. ¡°How should I help you?¡± Luo Ning leaned over. She originally didn¡¯t want to speak, but at this moment, she still added, ¡°How else can you help him? I¡¯m a little tired. Hurry up and help him recuperate.¡± Pei Xiangjun wasn¡¯t in a hurry to start. She leaned on Ye Jingtang¡¯s shoulder, pulled his hand to her body, and asked, ¡°I heard that the Hong Mountain Gang caused trouble yesterday?¡± ¡°Yeah. I beat Shi Yanfeng to death, and Zheng Kun is still locked in the dungeon for interrogation.¡± ¡°I heard that Shi Yanfeng has a good relationship with Jiang Zhahu. If he dies in your hands, Jiang Zhahu will definitely hold a grudge. Although he doesn¡¯t dare to come to the capital to take revenge on his own, you have to be more careful in the future.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Ye Jingtang held a watermelon in each hand, feeling a little restless. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you two to the palace to practice the Jade Bone Picture later. We should rest early so we can go there early.¡± When Luo Ning heard this, she perked up and turned over. ¡°Is there any progress on entering the Peaceful Hall?¡± ¡°It¡¯s more troublesome. We have to think about it at length. You can go there at night. Don¡¯t do anything rash.¡± ¡°I know.¡¯1 Seeing that Ye Jingtang was eager but holding himself back, Luo Ning patted Third Lady¡¯s waist. Pa- ¡°Hurry up. Why are you dawdling?¡± Pei Xiangjun was slightly unhappy. She propped up her upper body slightly. ¡°Are you being fierce again?¡± ¡°You!¡± Alright, don¡¯t argue¡­ Chapter 419 - Chapter 419: Reciprocity (1) Chapter 419: Reciprocity (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Attas Studios The sun was setting, and pedestrians were coming and going on the streets. A carriage left the Heavenly Water Bridge and drove along the straight street toward the majestic Imperial City in the distance. Ye Jingtang was wearing a black robe made of water cloud brocade and sitting outside the carriage with a riding crop in his hand. His eyes reflected the red sun on the horizon, and his side profile made him look like a carefree knight-errant. Beside him, the big bird, who had run around with Daoist Xuanji but had ended up being rubbed by the empress dowager instead of eating, was squatting beside Ye Jingtang like it was doing an escort mission in the past and humming a Liang Province tune. ¡°Coo- Chirp chirp-¡± Compared to the carefreeness of the man and the bird, the atmosphere inside the carriage was a little tense. Luo Ning, who was dressed in blue, was leaning against the carriage window with her arms crossed. Her face was as aloof as ever, but her body looked a little listless. Just now, Ye Jingtang had returned and caught her red-handed on the spot. Luo Ning didn¡¯t dare to be fierce to the little thief because she was in the wrong. For this reason, she had been very obedient. First, she was afraid that the little thief would make her suffer. Second, she wanted the little thief to help deal with Third Lady. But after Third Lady understood how to use the little jade radish, she had been too embarrassed to play with it in front of Luo Ning. She only promised to let Ye Jingtang mess around when they were alone. Luo Ning definitely wouldn¡¯t agree. She still couldn¡¯t deal with Third Lady after trying for so long. In the end, she could only take a step back and let Third Lady hang the bell on her waist and dance to liven things up. Later, she discovered that when Third Lady was horse riding, the bell would also ring. The rhythm was very special, and Third Lady was quite satisfied. Her original intention was to teach Third Lady a lesson, but she ended up taking out her private money to buy jewelry for Third Lady to liven things up. Wasn¡¯t this a loss of her husband and her troops? In the end, she put on the waist bell and tried it on herself. Who would have thought that something would happen? In the past, she had been very reserved. If she could avoid moaning, she would keep quiet. She would only moan when she really couldn¡¯t help it. But after she put on the waist bell, the bell wasn¡¯t so reserved. Ding-ling, ding-ling¡­ It cried louder than her, making her feel ashamed and resentful. She wanted to press down on the waist bell, but Third Lady even grabbed her hand and almost tortured her to death¡­ The more Luo Ning thought about it, the angrier she became. After leaning against the carriage window for a moment, she turned around to take a look. At the back of the carriage, Pei Xiangjun, dressed like a rich lady, was leaning on the small couch with a moist face. She was holding a piece of jade in her hand and carving it carefully with a carving knife. When Luo Ning saw this scene, she became vigilant. After all, she couldn¡¯t hold Third Lady down, but Third Lady could hold her down. If Third Lady also made a little jade radish, this heartless thief would only watch from the side, and she would probably suffer a lot. After Luo Ning took a few glances, she got up and sat down beside Third Lady. She frowned and asked, ¡°What are you carving?¡± Pei Xiangjun slowly cut the piece of jade and said casually, ¡°A return gift. You¡¯ve put in so much effort to prepare a gift for me. I naturally have to reciprocate the favor.¡± Luo Ning knew it. She held Pei Xiangjun¡¯s wrist and whispered, ¡°Are you stupid? If you keep fighting with me, both of us will suffer in the end, and Ye Jingtang will get all the benefits. What¡¯s the point?¡± Pei Xiangjun blinked and said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as Jingtang is happy. Besides, you were the one who made the first move this time. I can¡¯t not repay it, right?¡± ¡°If you weren¡¯t unreasonable and unforgiving the day before yesterday, why would I find trouble with you?¡± ¡°You were the one who came up with the idea to scheme against me the day before yesterday. How can you say that I was unreasonable and unforgiving? Speaking of which, what words do you want to carve on the base? Peaceful entry and exit?¡± ¡°Ptui! You¡¯re simply¡­¡± Ye Jingtang was sitting outside the carriage and eavesdropping. When he heard the last sentence, he couldn¡¯t help laughing. In the end, Ning¡¯er, who flew into a rage out of humiliation, immediately pinched his back through the curtain. ¡°Huh? 1 wasn¡¯t laughing at you¡­¡± ¡°Then why were you laughing?¡± ¡°I was laughing at the bird looking at its beak.¡± ¡°Chirp?¡± The three people and the bird were fooling around. Just as the sun was about to set under the city wall, they arrived at the east gate of the Imperial City. Ye Jingtang was already familiar with the way. He handed the carriage over to the imperial guards to watch over it. Then, with the token that allowed him to enter and leave freely, he brought the two women into the Imperial City. Although Pei Xiangjun had grown up in the capital, this was her first time entering the palace. In addition, as a person of Jianghu, she was somewhat afraid of the Imperial Court. For this reason, after entering the palace, she became much more serious. She was quiet, dignified, and looked straight ahead. There was no need to mention Luo Ning. As a rebel leader of the Pacifying Heaven Cult, she was probably the first to swagger into the Imperial City since the establishment of the Pacifying Heaven Cult. She was quite nervous and followed Ye Jingtang silently. Ye Jingtang led the way and walked through the passageways between the high walls. Soon, they arrived at the Eternal Joy Palace. Led by the palace maid, they arrived at the Peaceful Hall. Ye Jingtang asked the two girls to wait by the lake while he went to the entrance of the hall alone. He didn¡¯t see Yuhu. Instead, he found a few palace maids standing outside the large study on the east side. After a quick glance, he could see a large desk in the dazzling study. Dumdum, who was wearing a slim-fitting python robe, was sitting upright on the dragon chair with a stack of memorials in front of her. She was working seriously, looking more like an empress than the empress. The palace maids outside the door noticed that Marquis Ye Jingtang was outside and reported, ¡°Your Highness, Sir Ye is here.¡± ¡°Uhh?¡± Dongfang Liren, who was completely focused, looked up when she heard this. Then she lowered her head and continued to review the memorials. ¡°Come in. All of you, get out!¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± The palace maids quickly left. Ye Jingtang entered the study. This time, it definitely wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for him to get close and look around. He only asked in front of the desk, ¡°Your Highness, why are you here?¡± ¡°Her Majesty¡¯s dragon body is not in good condition, so Her Majesty left these trivial matters to me. The Jade Bone Picture is on the table. Take it to Ning¡¯er and Third Lady Pei.¡± Ye Jingtang went to the desk, picked up the jade box beside the memorial, and asked, ¡°Is Her Majesty alright?¡± Chapter 420 - Chapter 420: Reciprocity (2) Chapter 420: Reciprocity (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Don¡¯t ask things like this. You will lose your head. Hurry up and go do your own business. Will you accompany me out later?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Ye Jingtang asked, ¡°Where are we going later?¡± Dongfang Liren paused in her writing and looked up. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m planning to have a private meeting with you?¡± Ye Jingtang chuckled and thought for a moment. ¡°Are we going to Clear Water Villa to inspect it? 1 can just bring people with me for such a trivial matter.¡± Dongfang Liren said solemnly, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m just asking you to go over and patrol? Her Majesty wants to stay at Clear Water Villa for a while. Daoist Xuanji asked you to inspect it, so you¡¯re fully in charge of security. If something goes wrong, all the imperial guards, secret guards, and even palace maids, including you, will lose their heads. Anything related to Her Majesty is a top priority. You have to understand this logic first when you work in the bureaucracy. Do you understand?¡± Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t mean to be negligent. He only said that he could handle this matter alone. Seeing that Dumdum was so serious, he didn¡¯t refute. After nodding, he took the jade box to the Roaring Dragon Pond. Luo Ning was secretly observing the rockery in the garden in front of the hall and saw that the things below were not easy to take, so she put away her thoughts and waited for Ye Jingtang to come over. Then they entered the waterside pavilion in the middle of the lake. Luo Ning and Pei Xiangjun were both practicing the Dragon Form Picture, so it wouldn¡¯t take long to figure out the technique in the picture. However, it would take some brainpower to completely memorize the qi circulation method and proficiently use it. They would have to spend a few days studying it carefully and come here a few more times in the future. Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t expect his two wives to memorize it after just one look. He sat cross-legged at the side and practiced together, while the bird watched the fish by the lake. When the sky turned dark and Dongfang Liren came out of the Peaceful Hall, he put away the jade box and returned it to her. Dongfang Liren trusted Ye Jingtang very much. She had originally wanted Ye Jingtang to take the Jade Bone Picture and let his women learn it before handing it back. But the Jade Bone Picture was too special. If something really happened, Ye Jingtang would be implicated. After thinking about it, he put it away and left the palace with Dongfang Liren. Seeing that their husband had work to do, Luo Ning and Pei Xiangjun naturally didn¡¯t follow behind and disturb him. After leaving the palace, they returned to Heavenly Water Bridge together. Clear Water Villa was originally a summer residence for the imperial family. After the empress succeeded the throne, she would stay in the villa for a period of time every autumn. It had already become a tradition. Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t have to worry about cleaning up inside. What he had to do was to bring the secret guards, imperial guards, and constables of the Black Office over. As the commander, he had to arrange the patrols and garrison work. Being assigned this task was undoubtedly a symbol of the empress¡¯s favor. All the nobles in the dynasty had to be respectful when they saw him. But if anything went wrong, he would be the first to be responsible. Even the bird might lose its head. Ye Jingtang wasn¡¯t careless at all. After leaving the palace, he first mobilized a thousand imperial guards and an elite guard composed of thirty secret guards and chief constables of the Black Office. The Prince of Jing¡¯s cousin, Wang Chihu, led them to the Clear Water Villa. As the march on foot was slow, he and Dongfang Liren left the city first. Under the moon, a luxurious carriage drove out of the city gate and onto the official road leading to the outskirts of the city. Ye Jingtang was riding a horse alone outside the carriage. A long spear was hanging on the side of the horse. Following behind was a team of Black Office constables. Clear Water Villa was about five kilometers away from the capital. If they followed the river upstream, they would reach the White Horse Academy. Although the scenery on the way was beautiful, there was not much of note. Dongfang Liren was sitting in the carriage, immersed in painting the picture album for Tears of a Heroine. Because she had been kissed ruthlessly last night, she still didn¡¯t want to talk to Ye Jingtang, and she didn¡¯t say anything along the way. Ye Jingtang was riding a horse as a guard and scanning the scenery along the river. The bird was squatting on the railing outside the carriage and asking the accompanying maids for snacks. After walking for a few kilometers, the traffic on the official road gradually decreased, but there were still some pedestrians coming from the south and going north. Ye Jingtang¡¯s gaze landed on a pleasure boat full of orioles and swallows on the river. He didn¡¯t pay much attention at first, but as he walked, he suddenly sensed something. He turned to look into the distance on the straight official road. The moonlight was clear, illuminating the banks of the river in early autumn as if it were daytime. A luxurious carriage was leading more than ten followers, and an old horse was slowly walking along the road toward the capital. The horse looked very old, and its fur was wrinkled and multicolored. The saddle and the bronze horse bell on its neck had already turned black. It couldn¡¯t even make a jingling sound as the horse walked. But from the thick frame and the rhythm of the horse¡¯s walking, people could still feel that this was a good horse. No matter how old it was, when it was young, it was definitely among the best in the world. This was also the case for the person on the horse. Sitting on the horse was a skinny old man. He had a black bamboo hat on his head, and there was a gap in front of his forehead. He was wearing a black and gray robe and a faded old cloak whose original color could no longer be seen. He looked as though he was about to dig a hole and bury himself in the earth. But the old man¡¯s skeleton was rather well-proportioned. Even though he was already so thin that he was only skin and bones, he still didn¡¯t give off the slightest feeling of weakness. He was as thin as a saber that had lost its splendor, a sword without a hilt and scabbard. The beauty was gone, and only the edge was left sharp. It was stuck alone between heaven and earth. ¡°Phew-¡± Ye Jingtang pulled the reins lightly and stopped his horse. He raised his hand slightly to stop the carriage and the entourage behind. The constables from the Black Office behind him were not top experts, so they didn¡¯t notice anything strange around them. Seeing Ye Jingtang stop, they quickly urged their horses forward and protected the carriage. Dongfang Liren was alarmed by the commotion.. She silently looked around by the carriage window and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chapter 421 - Chapter 421: Reciprocity (3) Chapter 421: Reciprocity (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Don¡¯t show your head.¡± Ye Jingtang looked at the black-robed old man coming from afar and found that the other party had taken the initiative to make way and retreated to the field by the road. He didn¡¯t let down his guard. He rode his horse forward alone and took out a token from his sleeve. ¡°I am the deputy commander of the Black Office, Ye Jingtang. Who are you? Do you have a pass?¡± A hundred meters away, the black-robed old man raised his bamboo hat slightly when he heard the voice. Then he got off his horse, took a long bundle wrapped in black cloth from the side of the old horse, and held it vertically on the grass. ¡°Your Excellency, are you Young Hero Ye, Ye Jingtang?¡± The voice was old but not hoarse. Instead, it was very clear, giving people the feeling that it was right beside their ears. When the people from the Black Office heard this, they felt that something was wrong. They quietly drove the carriage back and slowly retreated. The bird soared into the sky and observed the surroundings. Ye Jingtang frowned. Because he couldn¡¯t figure out the other party¡¯s details, he got off his horse and walked forward with his hand on the hilt of his saber. ¡°That¡¯s right. Are you here to take the title of Saber Chief?¡± Although the Eight Chiefs enjoyed extraordinary status in the Jianghu, they had also changed from challengers to defenders. Their treatment was the same as the ¡®public enemies of Jianghu¡¯. Everyone wanted to beat them up to prove themselves. Even Ye Jingtang wanted to beat up all the Martial Chiefs, regardless of gender. As long as these kinds of challenges were in accordance with the rules of Jianghu, the Eight Chiefs couldn¡¯t avoid them and not fight. The Martial Chiefs who were annoyed by this would most likely designate a disciple or fellow disciple to accept the challenge. The challengers had to defeat the gatekeepers first before fighting the Martial Chiefs. And Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t have a gatekeeper who could help him block people. Challengers who wanted to become the Saber Chief would naturally go straight to him. But the black-robed old man in front of him didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of challenging him. He slowly pulled down the long black cloth in his hand, revealing a sword. The sword was three feet and three inches long. It looked very old, but it wasn¡¯t aged. It was simple and unadorned. It was completely black and blue without any decorations. Ye Jingtang stopped in his tracks. He originally thought that ¡®Sword Saint¡¯ Zhou Chiyang had come to take revenge, but the other party looked about the same age as Old Master Zhou and didn¡¯t match. He said, ¡°1 have something important to do. If you don¡¯t tell me why you¡¯re here, 1 can only be impolite.¡± The black-robed old man held his sword in his left hand and slowly walked to the middle of the official road. ¡°I have hidden this sword of mine in the box for thirty years. 1 want to find someone to compare it to. Young Hero Ye, I heard that your fast saber is invincible in the world. I wonder if it¡¯s convenient?¡± Ye Jingtang looked at the other party blocking the way. It was probably useless for him to say that it was inconvenient. He stopped talking and strode forward. Tread, tread, tread¡­ The black-robed old man raised his head slightly, revealing his bearded chin and sharp eyes. The old man didn¡¯t look directly at his opponent. Instead, he looked at the full moon in the sky. ¡°Young Hero Ye, do you think there are immortals above this azure sky?¡± ¡°There might be people above the sky, but I don¡¯t think there are immortals.¡± ¡°Then, Young Hero Ye, what do you think the people above the sky should be like?¡± ¡°First, you have to train your body until your golden body is flawless and you can understand the fundamentals of humans. Then you have to train your heart and see through the various situations of the human world to understand the truth of the world. If you can do this, you will naturally become a person above the sky. You clearly haven¡¯t reached that stage.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­¡± The black-robed old man laughed and retracted his gaze to look at Ye Jingtang. He placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. ¡°1 haven¡¯t reached that stage, but I have walked more than sixty years longer than you, so be careful of this strike!¡± Clang! As soon as he finished speaking, there was a crisp sound of an unsheathed sword by the riverbank in the autumn wind, but two cold lights flashed. When the black-robed old man drew his sword, Ye Jingtang had already unsheathed the Hornless Dragon Saber at his waist. With a flash of saber light, he arrived in front of the old man. The black-robed old man¡¯s movements seemed neither fast nor slow, but they were clean and flawless. The three-foot-long sword left the scabbard. It didn¡¯t bring about any aftershocks of qi, but it made the guards of the Black Office behind feel a little cold, as if winter had arrived along the Clear River at this moment. As Ye Jingtang attacked with his saber, he realized that something was wrong. At the Martial Chief level, the ¡®unknown¡¯ was far more terrifying than any move with boundless lethality. When facing Xuanyuan Chao, he could still see through all the other party¡¯s possible intentions when he attacked. However, the black-robed old man in front of him didn¡¯t have a strong aura, but the sword in his hand was like a corporeal blue phantom. Its trajectory was regular, but he couldn¡¯t see through the intent of the attack at all. Seeing that the other party could keep up with the speed of his attack, Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t take the risk of increasing his speed and breaking the situation forcefully. Instead, he dodged to the side as he ran. In an instant, he rushed diagonally behind the black-robed old man and slashed at the old man¡¯s back. Swoosh! The strong wind brought about by his violent attack instantly flattened the grass by the river and lifted the robes of the two people. From the beginning to the end, the black-robed old man didn¡¯t make any fancy moves. Instead, he turned the sword¡¯s edge like flowing water. His thin figure was like a sharp blade as he thrust straight behind him. Swish! His body followed the sword, and the sword followed the qi. The moment the three-foot-long sword attacked, a sharp whistle sounded out in the air. This sword was like the breath of an azure dragon, and even the grass below had a straight line extending forward. Ye Jingtang was still three feet away when he felt a sharp light piercing his eyes. A chill ran down his spine, and he immediately dodged to the side again. Boom! At this moment, the autumn wind suddenly intensified. The three-foot-long sword containing vast qi stabbed toward the riverside. The powerful thrust carried thousands of blades of grass and leaves. Just like a blue flood dragon suddenly appearing, it crossed the grassland with the momentum of a dragon walking in the wild until it crashed into the river, creating a cone-shaped ripple on the vast river. Crash! Ye Jingtang dodged to the side to avoid the sharp attack. Although he was unharmed, he didn¡¯t take advantage of the situation to attack.. Chapter 422 - Chapter 422: Reciprocity (4) Chapter 422: Reciprocity (4) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This was because he could tell that this swordsman was indeed old. The momentum of his attack was not as exaggerated as when he used the Yellow Dragon Crouching in West King Town. He wasn¡¯t his match at all. But this sword strike was equally skillful, and the mastery had even reached the point where it was almost incomprehensible. At first, Ye Jingtang¡¯s punches and spear strikes would shatter his clothes. It seemed that his momentum was earth-shattering, but in fact, his qi had been too scattered, and he couldn¡¯t concentrate his strength. But now that he had learned to control it, he could suppress all his qi in the blade. When he attacked, he used his strongest saber move without any waves. Only when he used his full strength would he be unable to suppress his qi, causing his qi to overflow. The black-robed old man¡¯s all-out sword strike had caused such a shocking commotion, but his deep internal energy was clearly still controllable. The sword drew a line, and the force shook the river. But his robe was like the autumn wind, and even the grass and leaves behind him were not disturbed. To be able to control his internal energy to such an extent, if his sword missed, he could have retracted it and attacked again. The old man had attacked directly just to show off his skills to him. Pitter-patter¡­ Countless broken leaves fluttered down in the autumn wind and sprinkled on the grass where a long groove had been swept out. Two black-robed martial artists were standing by the river. They stopped, and the river bank returned to dead silence. On the official road in the distance, more than ten constables from the Black Office opened their mouths wide after seeing this scene. Their eyes were blank, as if they were facing a formidable enemy. In the carriage, Dongfang Liren, who had been warned not to poke her head out, saw this scene through the window gap and said in disbelief, ¡°Dragon Qi Sword?! SunWuji?!¡± Ye Jingtang pointed his saber at the ground. When he heard this name, he was stunned. The Dragon Qi Sword was the sword technique of the Thousand Crane Villa, and Sun Wuji was the ancestor of the Thousand Crane Villa. But this identity was usually not mentioned in Jianghu. Everyone called him by another name that they were more familiar with: Sword Saint. Sun Wuji had become the Sword Saint in the previous dynasty. About 30 years ago, he had been defeated by Zhou Chiyang, who was in his early twenties, and had disappeared from Jianghu since then. After a Martial Chief was defeated, their journey in Jianghu was over. There were very few people like Liu Qiansheng who still wanted to come back. Most of them either died on the spot or found a place to live in seclusion. Because they would definitely be injured, and the fire in their hearts would dissipate, they usually wouldn¡¯t live for long. Sun Wuji had disappeared for thirty years, and the people of Jianghu had long classified him as a historical figure. The Thousand Crane Villa had also become a second-rate sect. The most recent famous person was the young master of the Thousand Crane Villa, who had been hailed as the next Sword Saint. But after he visited the Zhou family more than ten years ago, he had been killed by an unknown person on the way home. The Dragon Qi Sword was one of the best sword techniques in the world. When Cao Aning discovered that Ye Jingtang was using the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade in the morgue, he had switched to the Dragon Qi Sword to fight him. But Luo Ning had seen through him, so he didn¡¯t dare to use it. According to his age, Sun Wuji was probably a hundred years old. Ye Jingtang was naturally surprised to see an old man of the same generation as his martial ancestor, Kuang Yazi. He put away his saber and cupped his hands. ¡°Your Excellency, are you Senior Sun Wuji?¡± Swish! After Sun Wuji struck with his sword, his complexion was not very good, but there was a smile on his face as he slowly sheathed his sword. ¡°As expected, you have a good foundation. To ordinary people, Martial Chiefs are at the peak of the mountain, but to Young Hero Ye, it¡¯s only the beginning. A few days ago, you helped find my deceased grandson¡¯s sword, but the Thousand Crane Villa didn¡¯t return the favor. I wonder if this sword move can catch your eye?¡± Ye Jingtang had obtained the Sudden Inspiration Sword a few days ago. Ning¡¯er had come up with the idea to return it to its rightful owner. On his way back, he had sent someone to Tu Province. His original intention was to have a chance to personally visit and learn swordsmanship. But he didn¡¯t expect the Thousand Crane Villa to be so righteous that the old ancestor would personally visit to thank him. Ye Jingtang cupped his hands and bowed again, ¡°Senior Sun, you¡¯re too kind. If you can give me pointers on swordsmanship, I should visit you with heavy gifts according to the rules. How can 1 let you visit me personally? If word gets out, I¡¯ll definitely have a reputation for being disrespectful, arrogant, and rude in Jianghu in the future.¡± Sun Wuji hung his sword back on the old horse and held the reins. ¡°Remember favors in your heart, not on the surface. I don¡¯t know how many years I can live, nor do I know if you will come visit. I can¡¯t bring your favor into the coffin, so 1 came out for one last time. It¡¯s a blessing to have a decent junior to entertain me.¡± ¡°Senior, please..¡± Chapter 423 - Chapter 423: Dumdum’s Personal Teaching (1) Chapter 423: Dumdum¡¯s Personal Teaching (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After the strong wind passed, the riverside fell silent. When the constables surrounding the carriage heard that the person who came was Sun Wuji, their eyes revealed surprise. Dongfang Liren opened the carriage door and stood behind the small railing outside the door to take a closer look. The reason for such a reaction was that Sun Wuji was different from Liu Qiansheng and Kuang Yazi. These two people were only peak martial artists in Jianghu, but Sun Wuji was a hero. The Thousand Crane Villa was a famous sword school in the previous dynasty. After Sun Wuji became the Sword Saint, he was widely known for being righteous and benevolent. Even though the Thousand Crane Villa had long withered, and there was no one to support it now, the people of Jianghu still treated it as a famous sect. This was all due to the reputation that Sun Wuji had accumulated. Back then, when the revolutionary army broke through Yun¡¯an, Kuang Yazi and others had entered the palace to snatch the Roaring Dragon Chart, while Sun Wuji and a few Jianghu heroes had helped the revolutionary army deal with the loyalists of Great Yan outside the Hall of the Supreme Principle. Afterward, Great Wei¡¯s founding emperor rewarded everyone according to their merits. Only Sun Wuji directly said, ¡°In the future, if the emperor of Wei is tyrannical, I will also carry my three-foot-long sword and cut him down.¡± Then he left. The founding emperor often used Sun Wuji¡¯s matter to teach his descendants what ¡®those who advocate for justice will enjoy much support, while those who are unjust will have little¡¯ meant. Dongfang Liren had only heard this name from the late emperor. She originally thought that Sun Wuji had long died of old age. When she suddenly saw him in person, she really felt as though she had returned to the founding of the country in a dream. When she saw Ye Jingtang and Sun Wuji arrive in front of the carriage, she nodded and bowed. ¡°So, it¡¯s Senior Sun. 1 have long admired you.¡± Sun Wuji held the old horse¡¯s reins and looked very amiable. ¡°Prince of Jing, you and the founding emperor look a bit alike. Back then, when the revolutionary army set up camp here to attack the city, the late emperor was only six years old. He often came to me to say that he wanted to learn swordsmanship. 1 didn¡¯t expect that in the blink of an eye, sixty years have passed, and I¡¯m still here, but my old friends have really become old friends.¡± There was no technique in these words. They were all about seniority. Dongfang Liren didn¡¯t know how to respond, so she raised her hand with a smile and said, ¡°Senior Sun, please get in the carriage and have a chat. I know very little about the founding of the country and would like to ask you.¡± Sun Wuji was a pure Jianghu person and didn¡¯t want to interact too much with the Imperial Court. ¡°Prince of Jing, you have important matters to attend to, so there¡¯s no need to delay your schedule for me. Young Hero Ye and 1 will just chat a little at the back.¡± Dongfang Liren was a martial artist, so she was quite interested in the elders who had reached the peak of Jianghu. When she heard this, she got off the carriage, let the convoy continue forward, and walked beside Ye Jingtang. ¡°Senior Sun, you can just treat me as an ordinary junior. There¡¯s no need to treat me as a prince.¡± Sun Wuji didn¡¯t say anything. He led his horse behind the team and stroked his beard while looking at the river scenery along the shore. ¡°In the last years of the previous dynasty, there was no good scenery here. The people we saw on the way were all sallow and thin. The fat people were all officials, members of the gentry, and landowners. In just sixty years, it has become like this. The achievements of the three generations of Great Wei¡¯s emperors are indispensable.¡± Dongfang Liren replied with a smile, ¡°Nowadays, life is getting better, but Jianghu isn¡¯t doing well anymore. The Grandmasters and Martial Chiefs of Senior Sun¡¯s generation used to be poor and could still think of raising their swords to quell the injustices in the world. Now, all of them have fallen into the quagmire of money, and there are not many people who still have the word ¡®chivalry¡¯ in their hearts¡­¡± Sun Wuji shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re wrong. Young people who care about the world don¡¯t care about fame and fortune, so why would they care about false reputations in Jianghu? They¡¯re all living stable lives, and they¡¯ll naturally come out of seclusion in troubled times. Those who roam Jianghu during peaceful times only want power, money, fame, and beauties. They don¡¯t have many chances to serve the country and the people. The prosperity of the Imperial Court and the decline of Jianghu are the rules of the past dynasties. It¡¯s not that this generation is inferior to the previous generations.¡± When Dongfang Liren heard this, she felt that it made sense. Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t care about power, money, and fame. If he were no longer lustful and didn¡¯t have any desires after taking revenge, it was indeed time for him to return to his hometown and live in seclusion. Why would he continue to work in the capital? In that case, there were benefits to Ye Jingtang being lustful¡­ Ye Jingtang clearly didn¡¯t know that Dumdum¡¯s thoughts could be so crooked. After hearing Sun Wuji say a few more words, he asked, ¡°Senior Sun, did you come to the capital this time to inquire about your enemies?¡± Sun Wuji slowly walked with his horse and shook his head. ¡°My deceased grandson was extremely talented. It wasn¡¯t impossible for him to become the Sword Saint at the age of thirty, but he was too anxious and didn¡¯t listen to me. He came out of seclusion before he was thirty. ¡°There¡¯s no other family in Jianghu who would kill him. Zhou Chiyang is a good person. He doesn¡¯t care about fame and fortune and only pursues swordsmanship. He wouldn¡¯t kill a junior who doesn¡¯t have the qualifications to be his opponent. Without Zhou Chiyang, the Zhou family has nothing. Those who care about the family business will naturally have the intention to kill. ¡°When people walk around Jianghu, they hang their heads on their belts. My deceased grandson only saw the chivalry on the surface of Jianghu and didn¡¯t see the sinister hearts of the people in the dark. I can only say that this is his fate. Since I¡¯ve retreated, 1 won¡¯t bother about Jianghu matters anymore. Moreover, Young Hero Ye, you have already helped me take revenge. 1 only came to the capital this time to return your favor.¡± Ye Jingtang said, ¡°It was only a little bit of effort. According to the law, stolen goods should be returned to their rightful owners.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the law of the Imperial Court. Jianghu has its own rules.¡± Sun Wuji placed one hand behind his back and looked at Ye Jingtang. ¡°Young Hero Ye, what do you think of that sword strike just now?¡± Ye Jingtang thought about it carefully and commented, ¡°It¡¯s so exquisite that it doesn¡¯t make sense. It feels like ¡®mystic enlightenment¡¯.¡± Sun Wuji said with a smile, ¡°Before I was sixty, I hid a wisp of sword qi in my heart and thought that my sword was invincible in the world. Even when 1 faced Feng Guancheng, 1 thought I was on par with him in swordsmanship. But throughout my life, 1 didn¡¯t last more than three moves under Feng Guancheng¡¯s sword. At the time, I thought that he didn¡¯t use swordsmanship but only won with strength. ¡°And after I turned sixty, 1 lost to Zhou Chiyang¡¯s sword. I was disheartened and fishing by a river. I happened to meet a woodcutter using a wood-cutting ax to kill fish. Although his tool was wrong, his technique was rather skillful, and there was no problem killing fish. ¡°I thought about it for a long time and suddenly understood that Feng Guancheng was indeed using swordsmanship. I was the layman. ¡°Swordsmanship focuses on the word ¡®method¡¯. As long as you thoroughly understand the ¡®method¡¯, it doesn¡¯t matter what weapon you have in your hand. There¡¯s no need to be constrained by shape, weight, and length. Swordsmanship is the same as the method of killing fish. Once you have the ¡®method¡¯ in your mind, changing to an ax is just a matter of adjusting your movements. The fish you kill won¡¯t be any worse than one killed using a knife. If you can only use a knife to kill fish, it means that you haven¡¯t mastered it..¡± Chapter 424 - Chapter 424: Dumdum’s Personal Teaching (2) Chapter 424: Dumdum¡¯s Personal Teaching (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios What Sun Wuji said was a little obscure, so Dongfang Liren didn¡¯t understand it at all. She only nodded as if she understood something. Ye Jingtang thought for a moment and replied, ¡°It¡¯s probably because after mastering all kinds of techniques, you seek the deepest profundities in the simplest forms. With a sword in your heart, you can use a branch to perform the strongest sword move?¡± Sun Wuji nodded. ¡°The deepest profundities in the simplest forms. Different paths lead to the same destination. When a martial artist practices to the end, they all seek the same thing. This is also why the top three of the Eight Chiefs no longer choose weapons. ¡°But there¡¯s no end to martial arts. After 1 reached this step, 1 realized that compared to the vast world, I had just looked up from the peak of the mountain. ¡°The sky is unfathomably high, and the mountain is only a few kilometers tall. Thousands of years ago, there must have been countless martial artists like me standing at the peak of the mountain and looking up. After they understood that the sky is high and the sea is vast, how could they tolerate continuing to stay in the fish pond-like Jianghu under the mountain? But I¡¯m not sure how many of them could take another step forward and become people above the sky.¡± Ye Jingtang looked up at the night sky. ¡°It seems too far to say this. To reach your realm, one has to master all kinds of techniques and Return to Simplicity. 1 haven¡¯t even reached the peak of the mountain. I¡¯m still on the mountainside. I can only go up and take a look in the future.¡± Dongfang Liren was still pondering the previous words. She thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Senior Sun, have you already reached the realm of Returning to Simplicity?¡± ¡°I saw it too late. I¡¯ve been in seclusion for thirty years, but I¡¯ve only scratched the surface. That sword strike just now was the Sword of Heaven and Man, but my old and sick body couldn¡¯t withstand it at all. If I had my understanding now at the age of thirty, 1 might have been able to change Sword Saint into ¡®Sword Immortal¡¯. 1 might have been truly able to travel three thousand kilometers a day on a sword, going from the Northern Sea to stay at the Southern Mountains.¡± At this point, Sun Wuji sighed softly. ¡°I¡¯m digressing. Young Hero Ye, you still have to learn ¡®All Schools of Thought¡¯ first. There are no shortcuts in martial arts. If your foundation isn¡¯t complete, you will never reach Unity of Heaven and Man. Without certain attainments, you will never reach Return to Simplicity. It¡¯s impossible to rely on an expert¡¯s guidance to have sudden enlightenment and increase your skills dramatically.¡± Ye Jingtang naturally understood this logic and asked, ¡°Does it mean that you have to master all the martial arts in the world?¡± ¡°No.¡± Sun Wuji shook his head. ¡°All martial arts study qi circulation methods. The meridians that martial arts techniques use are called main meridians, and those that are not used are called secondary meridians. Qi circulation methods have never been the same throughout history, and every person is different. Your main meridians might only be my secondary meridians. ¡°As for All Schools of Thought, it means that all the meridians are stable, and there is no longer a distinction between main and secondary. This way, you will naturally no longer pay attention to ¡®moves¡¯. You can find a reasonable qi circulation method no matter what weapon you use. ¡°As for the training method, if you have the chance, learn everything you can. Your remaining meridians will slowly open up and stabilize. If 1 don¡¯t have the chance to learn everything, just analyze everything you can and practice in seclusion. However, you have to be careful not to suffer from qi deviation.¡± Ye Jingtang thought about it and nodded. As they chatted and walked, they unknowingly arrived near Clear Water Villa. After looking at it, Sun Wuji said, ¡°My sword strike just now wasn¡¯t very powerful, but you can¡¯t learn it because there is no move. I¡¯ll teach you the Dragon Qi Sword first, and then I¡¯ll stay in the capital for a period of time. If you have any questions, you can come to White Lion Bridge. I¡¯ll answer them as long as I know. Find a sword, and I¡¯ll guide you in swordsmanship. Then we¡¯ll be even. I¡¯m already old, and 1 only want to leave without any worries. 1 don¡¯t want to bring my personal feelings to the grave.¡± Ye Jingtang cupped his hands and said, ¡°Senior Sun, not many people in the world will give this kind of guidance. If I ask for guidance in swordsmanship, it will be not knowing how to appreciate favors¡­¡± ¡°Alas.¡± Sun Wuji waved his hand. ¡°It won¡¯t take you long to understand these things. But if I don¡¯t teach you swordsmanship, you won¡¯t be able to grasp the essence even if you learn All Schools of Thought. ¡°Feng Guancheng is really not better at swordsmanship than me, but his martial arts attainments are higher than mine. He uses no moves to fight against moves to bully a Jianghu junior like me. If I had his martial arts attainments, 1 would be the Sword Immortal.¡± After Sun Wuji finished speaking, he let go of the reins and used his finger as a sword to practice a sword technique on the spot. His movements were smooth and extremely fast. It only took a few seconds. The constables of the Black Office and Dongfang Liren were watching from the side, but Sun Wuji didn¡¯t avoid them at all because they couldn¡¯t remember it even if they saw it. And if Ye Jingtang couldn¡¯t remember it, what he said just now would be a waste of effort. After the demonstration, Sun Wuji held the reins again. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. Please forgive me for disturbing you, Prince of Jing. 1¡¯11 take my leave now.¡± Dongfang Liren said politely, ¡°There¡¯s a guest courtyard here to entertain people. Senior Sun, please stay here for now. You helped found the country and worked hard for the people of the world. If you come to the Imperial Court but don¡¯t even have a cup of tea, won¡¯t we disappoint the martial artists of the world?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t dare to comment on whether 1 worked hard for the people, but it was certainly not for the Imperial Court. The founding emperor and I were strangers who only met by chance. Prince of Jing, there¡¯s no need to be so polite. Goodbye.¡± After Sun Wuji finished speaking, he didn¡¯t stay any longer. He got on his old horse and headed for the capital. Because the horse was indeed old, probably in its forties or fifties, it walked very slowly, almost wobbling. Ye Jingtang felt a little guilty, but he had something to do and couldn¡¯t run around.. It wasn¡¯t good for the constables to follow Sun Wuji, so he could only watch the man and horse leave¡­ Chapter 425 - Chapter 425: Dumdum’s Personal Teaching (3) Chapter 425: Dumdum¡¯s Personal Teaching (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Late at night, there were no pleasure boats on the Clear River. Only a few merchant ships laden with goods came and went with the river wind. Clear Water Villa was brightly lit. Palace maids and eunuchs had hung up the red palace lanterns that the empress liked in the villa halfway up the mountain. From afar, it was beautiful and gorgeous, like a heavenly palace under the moon. On the white stone path at the foot of the mountain, there were already imperial guards dressed in qilin armor standing guard. There were also obstacles, ballistas, and other objects by the roadside. The remaining imperial guards and constables formed groups of five and started to investigate inch by inch from 2 kilometers around Clear Water Villa. There were even people checking the bottom of the river to ensure that nothing unexpected appeared in the empress¡¯s sight. The secret guards who came served as sentries at their respective garrison locations. There was also an assessment. The assessment content was that secret guards wearing night clothes would sneak in from an uncertain direction at an uncertain time. If the secret guards were discovered, they would be fined a month¡¯s salary, and the sentries who found them would be rewarded heavily. If they were not discovered, the sentries would be fined three months¡¯ salary and transferred out of the core area, and the secret guards would be rewarded heavily. This method was rather cruel, but it wasn¡¯t the first time. It was the same in the Imperial City. Ye Jingtang had been discovered as soon as he approached the empress dowager¡¯s resting palace due to rewards and punishments. Otherwise, with no trouble in the Imperial City for ten years, even the most cautious secret guards would be negligent and relax. At the back of the villa, a bright yellow lampstand had been lit in the huge Dragon Cleansing Pool. Dongfang Liren had taken off all her clothes and was leaning in the center of the pool. There were eight palace maids beside her holding trays with fruit platters, wine, and other items, ready to serve at any time. It was extremely extravagant. But Dongfang Liren was not here to enjoy the hot spring. Instead, she was experiencing the water temperature, comfort, the ability of the palace maids to serve, and so on to ensure the best experience for her sister. Ye Jingtang was busy for half the night. From patrolling the surroundings to arranging the garrisons, he did everything personally with Dumdum. But when it came to the segment of ¡®soaking in the hot spring with palace maids serving¡¯, he was actually not allowed to do it personally and was even kicked out of the Dragon Cleansing Pool! Regarding Dumdum¡¯s clearly unfair arrangement, Ye Jingtang couldn¡¯t say anything. He just stood in the garden outside the Dragon Cleansing Pool and slowly practiced his swordsmanship. The bird was in a dining room not far away, serving as a food taster and testing the skills of the imperial chefs. It was working overtime seriously to the point where it couldn¡¯t take its eyes off the food. The authentic Dragon Qi Sword was quite different from Sun Wuji¡¯s sword technique just now, but it could still be seen that they were of the same origin. They both emphasized hiding like a ghost and releasing like thunder. The Dragon Qi Sword¡¯s characteristic was that it was unpredictable, and it was extremely difficult for opponents to determine the intention of the sword. When the sword came out, it was unparalleled in speed and ferocity. It had the same effects as the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade. Although it was not as fast as the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade, it was not as extreme as the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade. It was a martial arts technique that could advance and retreat freely, attack and defend. But after seeing something better, practicing the Dragon Qi Sword was always a bit boring. Ye Jingtang chatted during the practice. ¡°The Dragon Qi Sword is indeed a good sword technique, but compared to Old Sword Saint Sun¡¯s sword strike just now, it¡¯s the difference between an immortal and a mortal. It¡¯s on a completely different level.¡± Dongfang Liren had a towel on her forehead and was leaning comfortably in the bathing pool. The fat-headed dragon even surfaced in the water. She replied, ¡°Of course. Didn¡¯t Old Sword Saint Sun say that his sword has no move? What he taught you was moves. You still have a lot to learn. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll bring all the martial arts manuals I have collected. Whether they¡¯re useful or not, you have to learn them and master them¡­¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Why are you thanking me? You¡¯re skilled in martial arts, and you¡¯re working for me¡­ By the way, the sword in Old Sword Saint Sun¡¯s hand should be the famous sword ¡®Blue Grace¡¯. It has only lost to Zhou Chiyang once in its life, and it¡¯s very famous. If you want to practice the sword, you have to have a good sword. Do you want me to give you one?¡± The sword in Ye Jingtang¡¯s hand was found in the supplies carried by the imperial guards. It was only used for ceremonial purposes. He said, ¡°Your Highness has a good sword in your collection?¡± ¡°I have two good swords, and their quality is not inferior to the ten famous swords. It¡¯s just that they don¡¯t have a reputation. Take them and use them. When you don¡¯t need them anymore, return them to me, and I¡¯ll put them in Jasper Pavilion for collection.¡± Ye Jingtang felt that Dumdum treated him as a heartless reputation-making machine, but he had no objections to this. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that 1 showed off too much at Jun Mountain Terrace and inserted the Jun Mountain Saber into the stage. Otherwise, it would definitely be a treasure of Jasper Pavilion.¡± ¡°You still know this?¡± Dongfang Liren¡¯s heart ached a little at the mention of this, and she didn¡¯t want to speak anymore. After soaking in the bathing pool for a while and feeling that there was no problem, she got up, left the pool, opened her arms, and let a palace maid put on her nightgown. ¡°Have you figured out the qi circulation methods of the Dragon Qi Sword? Old Sword Saint Sun gave you this sword technique. He shouldn¡¯t mind me learning it secretly. I won¡¯t use it¡­¡± Ye Jingtang knew that Dumdum had such an idea. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°It¡¯s a school¡¯s martial arts technique after all. Let me ask first. I don¡¯t think Old Sword Saint Sun will reject it.¡± Dongfang Liren thought about it and agreed, so she didn¡¯t force him. She walked out of the Dragon Cleansing Pool in a luxurious and loose white nightgown. ¡°You are the successor of the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade. I don¡¯t need you to teach me your ultimate moves. The ordinary Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade can already be considered outer sect moves. Do you mind giving me some pointers?¡± Ye Jingtang was about to speak when he turned around and stopped. There were also lanterns hanging outside the bathing pool, and the light in the garden was excellent. Dongfang Liren was like a lotus flower emerging from the water. There was still a faint watery glow on her face. Her gorgeous nightgown was draped over her slender figure. Because it was relatively loose, Ye Jingtang couldn¡¯t see her waistline. But the chest of her robe, which was embroidered with a dragon, was propped up by two towering balls, and the middle was sunken into a ravine.. It was obvious that she wasn¡¯t wearing an undergarment¡­ Chapter 426 - Chapter 426: Dumdum’s Personal Teaching (4) Chapter 426: Dumdum¡¯s Personal Teaching (4) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Ye Jingtang reacted extremely quickly. His gaze lingered on the fat-headed dragon for a moment. When he realized that something was wrong, he looked up. However, Dongfang Liren had been looking at Ye Jingtang, so she naturally caught his subtle eye movements. Her face turned slightly cold. But other than Ye Jingtang, there was no one else in the garden. She was wearing clothes and learning with a teacher, so she didn¡¯t mind. She walked up to him and asked, ¡°So? Do you mind?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Ye Jingtang sheathed his sword and stood up straight. He really wanted to nod, but his strength didn¡¯t allow it. He spread his hands slightly and said, ¡°I only know the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade, but 1 don¡¯t know how to teach moves. How should I teach you?¡± The so-called teaching moves were the basic movements that were slowly practiced. They were related to the meridians that qi circulated through in the martial arts technique. Through the breathing rhythm and body movements, disciples could experience qi circulation. Then the masters would explain in detail and slowly help the disciples deduce the details of qi circulation, force exertion, and so on until they learned the moves. Ye Jingtang learned these things after practicing martial arts techniques a few times because of his unparalleled comprehension ability. Normally, this stage was very long. In ordinary small sects, it was common for disciples to enter basic mastery in three months or even three years. Dongfang Liren had deduced the complicated method of the Heaven Equaling Saber alone in half a month, so her comprehension ability was excellent. His foster father had learned the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade incorrectly. It was most likely because Kuang Yazi had died before his foster father could completely memorize all the movements. He didn¡¯t have a master to correct him, so his subsequent deductions had gone awry. Disciples were slow to learn, and it wasn¡¯t easy for masters to teach them. Masters had to disassemble all the meridians used and the details of force exertion in the moves. Then they had to compile a reasonable set of movements according to the General Movements Manual. For rare meridians, masters had to study how to use simple movements to let the disciples sense them. Ye Jingtang had only been in the capital for a few months, and his qi circulation methods were updated very quickly. How could he have the time to ponder over these things? At the moment, he really didn¡¯t know how to teach people. Dongfang Liren was somewhat disappointed, but she didn¡¯t say anything. She turned around and walked toward the bedchamber. ¡°Forget it then. It won¡¯t be too late to guide me when you figure out the teaching method one day.¡± ¡°Sigh.¡± Ye Jingtang raised his left hand and blocked Dumdum. He said, ¡°The common movements are simple, but I haven¡¯t had time to learn them. How about Your Highness teach me now? 1¡¯11 memorize them, then disassemble the method of the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade, and teach it to Your Highness.¡± Dongfang Liren was definitely interested in teaching Ye Jingtang. She immediately turned around, straightened her back, and assumed the posture of a knowledgeable master. She began to explain seriously, ¡°Sure. Remember it well. I¡¯ll only teach you once. If you don¡¯t remember, find a secret guard to explain it to you. ¡°The General Movements Manual is divided into 360 basic movements. Each movement represents the qi circulation direction of a meridian, the strength of the force exerted, and includes the commonly used meridians in all parts of the body. When combined, it becomes a move. Because the number of points is similar to that of a Go board, and the changes are endless, the saying that ¡®no such thing as the same game in history?¡¯ comes from here. ¡°Qi circulation methods must be in a line. It¡¯s impossible to interrupt and jump out of thin air. Therefore, no matter how the basic movements are combined, they will always be connected from beginning to end. For a situation where you raised your left hand but suddenly moved your right hand downward, it can only be that you deduced the move wrongly¡­¡± Ye Jingtang was not perfunctory. He listened attentively to the explanation. Dongfang Liren was also very focused on teaching. It was like a female Grandmaster giving pointers to a schoolchild. After explaining the basic principles, she began to teach personally and demonstrate every basic movement. ¡°The strength of martial arts starts from the ground. In any martial arts technique, the feet are the first to exert force, so the basic movements start from the big toe of the right foot¡­¡± Ye Jingtang originally lowered his head to look, but because the light at night was a bit dim, he half-crouched down and carefully looked at Dumdum¡¯s white palace shoes. ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s no need to go into too much detail. I can naturally remember every action and figure out what it means.¡± Hearing this, Dongfang Liren didn¡¯t say anything else. She arched her right foot slightly and stopped, and then she leaned forward and stopped. Because her actions were smooth, but she had to stop, she looked as if she were stuck and looked a little comical. Ye Jingtang memorized the movements carefully and silently deduced the meaning behind them. He didn¡¯t pay attention to anything else. However, such a scene of a great teacher and a brilliant disciple didn¡¯t last long. Dongfang Liren demonstrated the basic movements very quickly. In just a moment, she was already on the legs. First, she slid sideways, and then she raised her leg high¡­ Whoosh! Ye Jingtang was half-crouching in front of Dumdum. As a result, the hem of her white nightgown swept past his eyes, and a long leg appeared in front of him. It was as straight as a round jade pillar and flawless. And farther up¡­ ?! Ye Jingtang was rarely disturbed and didn¡¯t pay attention to her movements. A small crescent moon was clearly reflected in his pupils. Although there had been hair on his forehead in the Bright Yang Pool, he didn¡¯t take a closer look. Now¡­ Because their figures were similar, Dumdum¡¯s was actually similar to Yuhu¡¯s. But it was a little more soft and delicate, and the shape was extremely beautiful¡­ Swoosh! The moment Dongfang Liren raised her leg, she reacted. But her reaction was no match for Ye Jingtang¡¯s eyesight. Sensing that something was wrong, Dongfang Liren immediately retracted her leg and pressed down her nightgown. She looked at the scoundrel half-crouching in front of her. Ye Jingtang quickly stood up and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Dongfang Liren¡¯s face flushed red as she went forward to snatch the sword from Ye Jingtang¡¯s hand. ¡°Hey!¡± Ye Jingtang hurriedly grabbed her wrist and said amiably, ¡°I was only looking at the movements. 1 really didn¡¯t pay attention to anything else¡­¡± ¡°What didn¡¯t you pay attention to?!¡± When Dongfang Liren saw this expression, she knew that Ye Jingtang had seen everything. She gritted her white teeth and pulled the sword with all her strength. ¡°You¡¯ve done it again and again. Do you think I¡¯m a clay Buddha?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t blame me this time. I was studying the movements seriously, but Your Highness took the initiative to raise your leg. And you weren¡¯t wearing¡­¡± ¡°What am 1 wearing after taking a bath? Your martial arts skills are so high. If you find something wrong, can¡¯t you turn your head to avoid it? Last time in the Bright Yang Pool, you even knew to turn your head and close your eyes. But why didn¡¯t you move this time?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Ye Jingtang was speechless. After all, he had expected the consequences just now and could have quickly avoided it. But he had no intention of avoiding it at all. He was indeed in the wrong. When Dongfang Liren saw that Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t refute her, her eyes became even angrier. After all, this meant that the scoundrel in front of her had looked at her on purpose! Ye Jingtang wanted to explain, but he didn¡¯t seem to have anything to say. He couldn¡¯t stand still and let Dumdum slash him, so he didn¡¯t say anything and stared into her eyes with a smile. Dongfang Liren instantly cowered. Sensing that something was wrong, she avoided his gaze, but she immediately gathered her aura and looked at him seriously. ¡°What¡­ what are you looking at?¡± Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t say anything and just stared intently. !! Dongfang Liren¡¯s eyes began to avoid his gaze again. The shame and anger from being exposed vanished like smoke. She wanted to leave, but her hand was held. She could only threaten in a low voice, ¡°Ye Jingtang, if you continue to be impudent, I¡¯ll call for help!¡± Hearing this, Ye Jingtang sighed softly. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. Uhh¡­ Your Highness, go back to your room and rest first. I¡¯ll go patrol.¡± Dongfang Liren breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that this scoundrel had actually reined in at the brink of the precipice. She turned around and wanted to run away, but she immediately felt that something was wrong! Dongfang Liren took a deep breath, causing her clothes to bulge. She said coldly, ¡°Ye Jingtang, do you think I¡¯m three years old¡­ All?!¡± Before she could finish speaking, the cold young master in front of her boldly raised his hands and kissed her, directly blocking her words. Dongfang Liren¡¯s shoulders shrunk. This time, she didn¡¯t stay stunned for long. Her lips pressed together for a moment before she hurriedly pushed the man in front of her away. ¡°Ptui~¡± Her eyes were angry, but there was nothing she could do. Without saying a word, she ran back to the Dragon Cleansing Pool. Tread, tread, tread¡­ Ye Jingtang shook his head and sighed. After looking around, he spoke again. ¡°Your Highness, your bedchamber is over there.¡± There was no response from the Dragon Cleansing Pool. A moment later, a palace maid walked out in fear and trepidation and whispered, ¡°Sir Ye, Your Highness asked you to patrol as far as possible.¡± ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll go now.¡± Ye Jingtang smiled. After bidding farewell to the palace maid, he carried his sword and left the garden. He even carried away the bird lying on a chair and eating heartily. ¡°Chirp?¡± Chapter 427 - Chapter 427: Don’t Kiss Your Boss (1) Chapter 427: Don¡¯t Kiss Your Boss (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Tread, tread¡­ Two sets of unhurried footsteps sounded in a dark dungeon. White-Haired Diting¡¯ Meng Jiao was wearing the white dress she often wore when she was young. Although her hair was snow-white and she was no longer young, her demeanor was like that of a middle-aged female constable. She no longer had rhe demeanor of someone old. Behind her, the thin Sun Wuji walked past cell after cell with his three-foot-long sword hanging on his waist. He sighed. ¡°It¡¯S a pity about Nangong Ling. 1 met him once when 1 was traveling in Jianghu. He was a little young and frivolous, but his morals weren¡¯t bad. 1 didn¡¯t expect that after a few decades, he would become a devil who brought disaster¡­¡± Meng Jiao was almost seventy years old. It sounded quite old, but when Great Wei was founded, she had been just a little girl. Her master had been one of the heroes who had helped the revolutionary army break through the city along with Sun Wuji. Later, he had been rewarded with a position in the Ministry of Justice until he passed the position to her. Because of this, no matter how old she was, when she met Zhao Wuji, she still had to call him uncle. Hearing Sun Wuji¡¯s words, Meng Jiao sighed. ¡°Heroes can¡¯t resist beauties. Nangong Ling has a licentious personality. When he was traveling in the Heavenly South, he encountered a femme fatale. After hearing a few flowery words, he lost his mind and kidnapped her. ¡°The people of Jianghu adhere to chivalry. Killing a million people is also to get rid of violence and bring peace. However, once you take the wrong step and violate the principles of chivalry, stealing a copper coin will make you be consigned to eternal damnation. Once Nangong Ling started, and with the people around him fanning the flames, he couldn¡¯t stop. The more crimes he committed, the more people he killed. In the end, I was the one who captured him. When 1 found him, he was penniless and seriously injured. He had been thrown into the mountains to wait for death¡­¡¯1 ¡°Wealth is like a tiger descending from the mountain, and lust is like a knife scraping your bones. It¡¯s really not a joke.¡± Sun Wuji sighed. ¡°One-Eyed Maitreya, Bai Siming, Yao Wenzhong¡­ They¡¯re all juniors I¡¯ve heard of. Their martial arts achievements aren¡¯t low, but they¡¯ve fallen to such a state at such a young age. What a pity for their talent¡­¡± As rhe two of them chatted, they walked to the middle of rhe dungeon. There was no name at the door of the cell, only a T sign so that constables could identify the cell. Although it was Sun W¡¯uji¡¯s firsr rime in the Black Office, he could still tell that the cell marked T in the middle definitely contained the most powerful person. He stopped and asked, ¡°Is Cao Qianqiu locked up here?¡± Meng Jiao shook her head and said, ¡°No, Eunuch Cao is below. The two Wang brothers of Yan Province are locked up here.¡± ¡°The two Wang brothers of Yan Province¡­¡± Sun Wuji had withdrawn from Jianghu for 30 years and no longer asked about the matters of Jianghu. It was normal for him nor ro have heard of some young people. Hearing this, he asked curiously, ¡°Are they young outstanding talents who just appeared in Yan Province?¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t just appear. The biological father of the two brothers is Wang Yi, the Mountain-Collapsing Spear. They didn¡¯t make a name for themselves. They were chased around by the Cutting Cloud Palace and hid everywhere. Two months ago, for some reason, they entered rhe capital and tried to assassinate Ye Jingtang on rhe streets¡­¡± ? After some thought, Sun Wuji stroked his beard and nodded. ¡°The younger generation will surpass us in time. I¡¯ve heard of many assassinations of Grandmasters, but this is probably the first assassination of a Martial Chief since the founding of rhe country¡­¡¯1 Meng Jiao didn¡¯t waste her breath talking about the two small fries. She brought Sun Wuji to the third basement of the dungeon, passed through a long and narrow tunnel, stopped outside an iron door, and opened it. Rumble! The heavy iron door was moved away, revealing the spacious room inside. The room had a wooden floor. The hole from rhe prison break had been repaired, and rhe room was clean and spotless. There was a long table in the middle of the room with an oil lamp burning on it. The old eunuch in a red robe still maintained a meticulous posture as he sat cross-legged in front of the table. Although his expression was calm, his complexion was very poor. The last time he went out, Eunuch Cao had received several saber strikes from Qiu Tianhe and the spear attack from Ye Jingtang and the empress of Great Wei. Although they were only flesh wounds, there was a price to pay for practicing the three pictures of muscles, bones, and skin. Because the skin was too tough, the recovery speed of injuries couldn¡¯t be the same as that of normal people. Without the Fire Bathing Picture, even if it were just a small wound, it would take months or even years to recover. For this reason, Eunuch Cao was basically still in a severely injured state. The iron door opened. Eunuch Cao looked up and saw Sun Wuji outside the door. His eyes moved slightly as he said hoarsely, ¡°Hero Sun, 1 haven¡¯t seen you for sixty years.¡± In the last year of the previous dynasty, Sun Wuji had helped the revolutionary army deal with the die-hard loyalists of the Great Yan Dynasty. At the time, Eunuch Cao was a ¡¯die-hard loyalist¡¯ and guarded the last palace gate. Eunuch Cao had only been 12 years old back then and had been mentally immature. Sun Wuji was already the Sword Saint, so he naturally didn¡¯t kill him after encountering him. Instead, he brought him to the founding emperor of Wei. Only then did the founding emperor treat the Great Yan imperial family well and exchange their lives for Eunuch Cao s loyalty until now. Sun Wuji didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with the Imperial Court. After the founding of Great Wei, he never set foot in Yun¡¯an again, and Eunuch Cao didn¡¯t enter Jianghu, so this was the second time the two of them had met. Seeing the old eunuch who was about his age, Sun Wuji sighed and sat cross-legged opposite the long table. ¡°Back then, you were just a tall kid. 1 didn¡¯t expect you to become an old man in the blink of an eye.¡± Eunuch Cao looked very calm. ¡°I¡¯m old, but I¡¯m still the same person from back then. Hero Sun, you¡¯ve long stopped asking about Jianghu. Now that you¡¯re in the capital, could it be that the eldest princess invited you to persuade me to be loyal to her?¡± Sun Wuji said casually, ¡°When 1 saw you back then, I knew that you were stubborn. Why would I do such a useless thing? Moreover, the current emperor doesn¡¯t lack a gate god like you. ¡°As the saying goes, those who advocate for justice will enjoy much support, while those who are unjust will have little¡¯. Because the founding emperor of Wei was magnanimous, benevolent, and loved rhe people and talents, countless heroes rushed to support him when he raised his army. On the other hand, the last Yan emperor had countless extraordinary people under his command. But because he wasn¡¯t good for the country, how many people were still standing in front of him when the city fell? ¡°The current emperor has been in power for ten years. No matter how we evaluate her actions, the people of the world know it in their hearts.. How can such an emperor not even find a single guard?¡± Chapter 428 - Chapter 428: Don’t Kiss Your Boss (2) Chapter 428: Don¡¯t Kiss Your Boss (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Eunuch Cao said, ¡°Hero Sun, are you talking about Ye Jingtang? This child¡¯s talent is unprecedented, and he seems to have a close relationship with the eldest princess. It¡¯s not a problem for him to be a guard, but¡­ the last time I saw him, I felt that he looked familiar.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Sun Wuji stroked his beard and was slightly puzzled. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Eunuch Cao recalled carefully. ¡°Back then, when Great Yan was destroyed, my master stopped Hero Sun and others outside the Hall of the Supreme Principle to buy time for the last Yan emperor to escape. The Jianghu thieves from all over the world took advantage of the chaos to break into the harem and snatch the Roaring Dragon Chart. ¡°At the time, 1 was standing on the top of the city gate. 1 saw a Northern Liang spearman with inhuman combat strength. He defeated Kuang Yazi with three attacks and forced Kuang Yazi to give up fighting to escape¡­ Although he was wearing a mask and I couldn¡¯t see his face, Ye Jingtang gave me the same feeling as that person. The qi in his meridians was so smooth that he was always half a step faster than others. His muscles and bones were so coordinated that there was no flaw. He didn¡¯t seem to be born with it, but he was more like a sword forged with the strength of an entire country¡­¡± Sun Wuji had fought with Ye Jingtang. In fact, he felt that Ye Jingtang¡¯s foundation was a little exaggerated. Regardless of whether he was born with this foundation or acquired it, it was impossible to achieve this level of flawlessness. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t participate in the fight back then, but I¡¯ve never seen this person. Do you suspect that Ye Jingtang is from Northern Liang?¡± Eunuch Cao shook his head. ¡°He can already be alone with the eldest princess, and his determination to protect her with his life can¡¯t be faked. If he¡¯s someone sent by Northern Liang, what can Northern Liang want? I just couldn¡¯t figure it out, so 1 asked you, Hero Sun. Since you don¡¯t have any impression, we can only wait and see¡­¡± Meanwhile, at Clear Water Villa¡­ It was noon, and Dongfang Liren was standing on a viewing platform facing the Clear River. There was a painting table in front of her with a landscape painting on it. A maidservant was holding the python robe and waiting behind. She reminded in a low voice, ¡°Your Highness, Her Majesty will be moving to Clear Water Villa tomorrow. Shouldn¡¯t Your Highness return to the palace to receive Her Majesty¡­¡± ¡°Are you teaching me how to do things?¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± The maid shrank her neck when she heard this. The viewing platform offered a bird¡¯s-eye view around Clear Water Villa. There were imperial guards patrolling and standing guard everywhere at the foot of the mountain, and by the river in the rusting autumn wind, there was a figure the size of a grain of rice. The figure was wearing a black robe and holding a sword in his hand. He was slowly practicing by the river while the bird was lying on the grass and basking in the sun. Occasionally, constables from the Black Office would run over to him to make routine reports. After speaking, they would leave. In the blink of an eye, it had been two days since she came to Clear Water Villa. Ever since the lustful and bold Ye Jingtang had forcefully kissed her the night before yesterday, Dongfang Liren had never shown her face again. She had been thinking about what to do. In the past, Ye Jingtang had also kissed and touched her, but on the surface, he at least had excuses. It had been an accident or drugs, and he had had no choice but to offend her. If she criticized him, he would admit his mistake. Last time and the time before last time, they were both blatant. If she didn¡¯t fuss about it once and didn¡¯t punish Ye Jingtang twice, wouldn¡¯t she become his lover? A dignified prince of the blood had been wooed by her subordinate. If the people of the Black Office knew, where would her dignity as their boss be? Later, she would have to return to the palace to pick up the empress dowager and the empress to go to Clear Water Villa for a vacation. Ye Jingtang was her personal guard, so he definitely had to follow her. If she didn¡¯t have a good chat with him about this matter, this pervert might even think that she accepted his impertinence¡­ Thinking of this, Dongfang Liren put down her brush and changed into a silver python robe. She once again exuded her majestic aura that could not be offended and led the maidservant downstairs¡­ By the river, Ye Jingtang was practicing various martial arts. Over the past two days, other than patrolling, he had been practicing martial arts by the river. Although he really wanted to go back to accompany his wives, Dumdum was in charge of testing the accommodation and didn¡¯t leave, so he naturally couldn¡¯t leave. Although Dumdum had ignored him since the day before yesterday after he saw her plump and soft line to heaven that he shouldn¡¯t have seen, she still kept her word. She had specially sent someone to Jasper Pavilion to get him a few secret manuals. The manuals were all outer sect moves of the major sects in Jianghu. They were very comprehensive and could be practiced from beginning to end. However, the ultimate moves, which were the strongest, were usually not taught to outsiders. The effect of these secret manuals was far greater than that of actual combat, so there was no need to go into detail. After practicing for an unknown period of time, a maidservant came to report that the Prince of Jing was preparing to return to the palace. Ye Jingtang put away his weapon, picked up the sleeping little bird, and went to get the carriage. Clomp, clomp! The luxurious carriage quickly stopped at the entrance of the villa at the end of the white stone path. Not long after Ye Jingtang waited in front of the door, he saw Dongfang Liren, who was wearing a python robe, walk out from behind the screen wall with her attendants. She was unsmiling and looked straight ahead. When they brushed past each other, she said indifferently, ¡°Ye Jingtang, come in.¡± Hearing this, Ye Jingtang handed the sleeping bird to an accompanying maidservant and boarded the carriage. Dongfang Liren sat down on a soft couch covered in golden satin. Her back was straight, and her aura was very dignified. She was full of the aura of a superior. ¡°Have a seat.¡± After Ye Jingtang glanced at her, he sat down beside her.. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Chapter 429 - Chapter 429: Don’t Kiss Your Boss (3) Chapter 429: Don¡¯t Kiss Your Boss (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Dongfang Liren took a deep breath and said solemnly, ¡°Ye Jingtang, do you have any evil intentions toward me?¡± When Ye Jingtang heard this, he became more serious. ¡°Your Highness cares about me so much. How can 1 have any evil intentions?¡± ¡°You have offended me repeatedly. At first, there were reasons, but recently, you can¡¯t even be bothered to find excuses. But you¡¯re saying that you have no evil intentions?¡± ¡°This is mutual love. What does it have to do with anything evil?¡± Mutual love? Dongfang Liren turned around and sat on her side. She faced Ye Jingtang with a rather displeased gaze. ¡°Who is in love with you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ye Jingtang stopped talking about this well-known topic. Instead, he said, ¡°I figured out the teaching method of the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade yesterday. I have nothing to do on the way back. Shall I teach Your Highness the saber technique?¡± Dongfang Liren frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t change the topic. I¡¯ll learn the saber technique later. Let me make things clear to you first. I appreciate your talent, so I¡¯m more tolerant of you. 1 can ignore what you do in private, but on the surface, the imperial power cannot be offended¡­¡± ¡°When have 1 offended Your Highness publically?¡± Dongfang Liren thought for a moment and found that Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t seem to have offended her publically, so she added, ¡°Even in private, you have to remember the difference between a ruler and a subject. Only when I say yes can you not abide by the rules. If I say no, you can¡¯t be rude. If 1 say no and you force it¡­ Hmph!¡± She couldn¡¯t do anything to Ye Jingtang, so she let him guess the consequences himself. Ye Jingtang chuckled and stood up. ¡°1 know. Practicing martial arts is like sailing against the current. As long as I¡¯m free, I¡¯ll practice martial arts and qi. Your Highness, it¡¯s a waste of your talent to practice at a fixed time every day. If you practice diligently every day, you¡¯ll be a Grandmaster who has dabbled in All Schools of Thought.¡± Dongfang Liren found that the scolding didn¡¯t work, so she didn¡¯t say anything else. She slowly got up and stood in the rather spacious carriage. ¡°The sparring instructors in the palace are afraid that I will be angry, so they are always respectful. No matter how good or bad I am, they will praise me. How can 1 practice true martial arts like this? If I had a strict master like you, who would beat me with a stick if 1 made a mistake until I remembered it, I would definitely learn very quickly. ¡°When you teach me martial arts in the future, don¡¯t have the mentality that I¡¯m learning for fun. You must teach me to become an expert seriously. Don¡¯t restrain yourself when you need to hit me.¡± How could Ye Jingtang hit Dumdum? He thought for a moment and smiled. ¡°Practicing martial arts is hard work. I¡¯ll teach you slowly, and you¡¯ll remember everything over time. However, if Your Highness makes a mistake, I¡¯ll use my hands to correct you. If Your Highness doesn¡¯t want to be offended, practice well. This way, there¡¯s no reason for me to take advantage of you.¡± Dongfang Liren didn¡¯t refuse. She assumed the starting stance of the Overlord Spear. ¡°I have been practicing this move for a month. Look, are there any problems now?¡± Ye Jingtang sized up the proud and cold princess and nodded slightly. Then he leaned back, placed his hand under the fat-headed dragon, and rubbed it upward a little. ?! Dongfang Liren¡¯s vitals were held, and she took a light breath. ¡°There¡¯s no problem with me, but you¡¯re still doing it?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t touch you, how will I know if you¡¯re exerting strength correctly? Your Highness¡¯s chest is too tight. You should lower your shoulders naturally and raise your strength from the ground. Use your waist and back to exert strength, not your arms¡­¡± Dongfang Liren blushed a little, but she still listened to his instructions. She relaxed her shoulders and tightened her waist. Ye Jingtang held Dumdum¡¯s slender waist with both hands and swayed her back and forth. This time, she stood quite steadily. Her body didn¡¯t sway at all. She was like a wooden stake with her feet stuck in the ground. ¡°Not bad, this feeling is right. Your Highness is really smart.¡± Dongfang Liren blinked. She actually felt happy to be praised by him, but she still maintained a serious expression. Ye Jingtang walked around and came in front of Dongfang Liren. He found that Dongfang Liren¡¯s gaze was a little evasive, so he corrected her. ¡°The eyes are windows. Even an ordinary person can see your timidity, nervousness, attack intent, and so on from your eyes. No matter what personality the experts of Jianghu have, when they really fight, they are sharp-edged, but their hearts are like stagnant water. You can only feel pressure when you look at their eyes, but you can¡¯t see any flaws. Your Highness, look at me.¡± Dongfang Liren¡¯s gaze shifted. She exuded the aura of a princess and looked straight into Ye Jingtang¡¯s eyes fiercely. Ye Jingtang shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re being fierce. You look fierce, but you¡¯re actually too forceful. It will make people realize that they don¡¯t have enough confidence. Hmm¡­ Do you know Daoist Xuanji¡¯s gaze? It looks very gentle and charming, but it always gives people a dangerous feeling of ¡®I have a hundred ways to deal with you¡¯. It¡¯s a very powerful gaze that makes people not dare to offend her easily.¡± Dongfang Liren frowned. ¡°My master really has a hundred ways to deal with you, so there¡¯s naturally no need to pretend. I can¡¯t deal with you, so how can I be fierce?¡± Ye Jingtang said, ¡°Your Highness doesn¡¯t have to use force to deal with me. Hmm¡­ This is what Your Highness should think: No matter how good your martial arts are, you won¡¯t dare to touch a single finger of mine. And it¡¯s easy for me to deal with you. As long as you satisfy me, I¡¯ll let you kiss and touch me. If you don¡¯t satisfy me, 1 won¡¯t let you touch me. You must listen to my orders obediently¡­¡± ?? Dongfang Liren frowned slightly. ¡°In your dreams.¡± Ye Jingtang spread his hands helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s not that 1 think so, but it¡¯s what Your Highness should think in your mind. This is the way to deal with me. Once you have a method in your mind, even if you don¡¯t use it, you will have confidence. And naturally, you won¡¯t be afraid of your opponent. This confidence will show in your eyes.¡± Chapter 430 - Chapter 430: Don’t Kiss Your Boss (4) Chapter 430: Don¡¯t Kiss Your Boss (4) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Dongfang Liren pondered for a moment and felt that it made sense. She immediately followed Ye Jingtang¡¯s train of thought and changed her mentality. In the end, she realized that the effect was outstanding. In the past, she couldn¡¯t do anything about Ye Jingtang. But as long as she thought it through and stopped worrying about the barriers between men and women and accepted their relationship, there were too many ways to deal with her boyfriend. If he didn¡¯t listen, she wouldn¡¯t let him touch her. Wouldn¡¯t this pervert at her mercy? When Dongfang Liren thought of this, her eyes changed. She looked at Ye Jingtang and no longer forced herself to be imposing. Instead, she showed the confidence that said: I have plenty of ways to deal with you. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Ye Jingtang gave a thumbs up and praised, ¡°When facing an enemy, once this gaze appears, the other party will definitely be wary because they can see that you have confidence. Before they figure out your details, they will definitely not act rashly.¡± Although Dongfang Liren felt that this teaching method was strange, she had indeed made rapid progress. She thought about it and asked, ¡°Then, what are you going to do?¡± Ye Jingtang¡¯s eyes were calm and without any fear. ¡°1 know what Your Highness¡¯s confidence is, so 1 will naturally think of how to ¡®break your move¡¯. And the way to break the move is, ¡®even if 1 don¡¯t listen and use force, Your Highness won¡¯t really do anything to me¡¯. I have confidence in my heart, so I¡¯m naturally not afraid of Your Highness¡¯s gaze.¡± ? Dongfang Liren¡¯s expression darkened, and her eyes immediately filled with anger. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare disobey me!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just giving an example to teach you how to fight experts.¡± Ye Jingtang said seriously, ¡°These are the tactics used during a confrontation between two sides. 1 felt that Your Highness¡¯s trump cards weren¡¯t enough to keep me in check, so 1 took action. But later, I realized that Your Highness was really angry and wouldn¡¯t let me touch you. For this, I suffered the consequences. This is called ¡®misjudging the opponent¡¯. ¡°As for Your Highness, you knew how to deal with me, but you didn¡¯t harden your heart to deal with me. This is called ¡®overestimating your strength¡¯. ¡°These two things happen in actual combat. You only need to encounter them once to lose your life. They¡¯re very important¡­¡± Dongfang Liren listened carefully. After some thought, she harrumphed. ¡°Since 1 have the means, how can I not be hard-hearted? You¡¯ve misjudged this time. If you dare to disobey, I will definitely make you suffer the consequences.¡± Ye Jingtang shook his head secretly. He felt that Dumdum was still overestimating her strength. How many women could have a heart of stone before they experienced deep love between a man and a woman? In order to let Dumdum remember not to overestimate herself, Ye Jingtang immediately leaned forward and pecked her soft red lips. Muacks- Dongfang Liren was caught off guard. She immediately stood up straight and glared at Ye Jingtang. ¡°You¡­ get out!¡± Ye Jingtang shrugged slightly. ¡°See, Your Highness still hasn¡¯t gotten truly angry. I guess you probably won¡¯t care about it in the afternoon. Although the words aren¡¯t pleasant, martial artists have to be self-aware. ¡°When something happens to people, they often overestimate their abilities. Even if they know deep down that they can¡¯t do something, they still refuse to admit it because of their pride and utilitarianism. Only after something happens will they suddenly wake up and realize their mistakes, but it¡¯s already too late now. ¡°These things are the basic knowledge for traveling in Jianghu. However, because of Your Highness¡¯s noble status, no one has ever taught you them. It¡¯s best if Your Highness can understand when I¡¯m teaching you this way. If you don¡¯t understand, I¡¯ll offend you a few more times. Your Highness will realize you truly can¡¯t be ruthless, and you will naturally understand.¡± Dongfang Liren¡¯s eyes were full of anger, but she was smart. After understanding this pervert¡¯s ¡®good intentions¡¯, she understood a little. She thought for a moment and harrumphed lightly. ¡°Since 1 say I have a way to deal with you when you¡¯re disobedient, 1 have a way to deal with you. Do you really think 1 can¡¯t be ruthless to you?¡± Seeing that Dumdum didn¡¯t believe it, Ye Jingtang wanted to kiss her again. Dongfang Liren hurriedly took a few steps back and sat on the soft couch. She took out a stack of painting papers from a small box and raised her hand to tear it apart. ¡°Huh?!¡± Ye Jingtang¡¯s expression changed drastically. He quickly went forward and pressed Dumdum down. ¡°Why are you tearing them? You¡¯ve been painting for so long¡­¡± ¡°I can tear the things 1 paint if I want. What does it have to do with you?¡± ¡°Sigh, if Your Highness is angry, you can just draw a saber and cut me. Every injustice has its perpetrator, and every debt has its debtor. The paintings are innocent¡­¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you amazing? Where did your arrogant and confident look go?¡± ¡°1 wasn¡¯t self-aware and made a misjudgment. My skills are inferior, and I admit defeat. Your Highness, please don¡¯t be impulsive. You have been painting for half a month. When you tear them apart, my heart aches for you¡­¡± ¡°Do you know your mistake?¡± ¡°I know my mistake. It won¡¯t happen again.¡± ¡°Hmph-!¡± Chapter 431 - Chapter 431: Our Daughter Has Grown Up (1) Chapter 431: Our Daughter Has Grown Up (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Jingtang has been out for three days¡­¡± In the afternoon, Pei Xiangjun was sitting on the porch at the kitchen door at the back of the new residence, holding a jade artifact in her hand and slowly polishing it. She said in boredom, ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to be a carefree young master of a wealthy family. Instead, he goes to the government to work. He¡¯s so busy that he doesn¡¯t even have time to go home and rest¡­ The Imperial Court is really¡­ Since Jingtang is easy to use, they¡¯re using him so much¡­¡± Luo Ning was wearing an apron and busying herself in the spacious kitchen that was being used for the first time. Her expression was cold and aloof, like a single mother who was not interested in men at all. When she heard Third Lady¡¯s words of lovesickness, she said unhappily, ¡°He can¡¯t ask for more than to serve the princess. How can he be willing to come back? Aren¡¯t you afraid that the maids will see you playing with such an impure thing during the day?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if they see it. It¡¯s prepared for you anyway. Tell me quickly. What words do you want engraved? If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll engrave ¡®1 haven¡¯t eaten¡¯. When Jingtang sees it, he¡¯ll definitely torture you to death¡­¡± ¡°You!¡± Luo Ning couldn¡¯t stand this woman anymore. She frowned and said, ¡°Since you have nothing to do, cover over and help. Do you really treat yourself as a wife and me as a kitchen maid?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a martial artist and can¡¯t cook well. Besides, it¡¯s not like there aren¡¯t maids in the residence¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ve just moved in. We have to cook the first meal ourselves. Can¡¯t you just come in and start the cooking fire¡­¡± As the two of them chatted, footsteps suddenly came from outside. Tread, tread, tread¡­ Luo Ning turned around and saw Ping¡¯er jogging over. She stuck her head around the corner of the wall and looked around. Seeing this, Luo Ning put down the kitchen knife and walked over. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a letter from home.¡± Ping¡¯er took out a small piece of paper from her sleeve and handed it to Luo Ning. ¡°Madam, the cult master is urging you to go back quickly, saying that something might happen in the capital.¡± ¡°Uhh?¡± Luo Ning took the note and looked at the words on it. She frowned slightly and turned to look in the direction of the Imperial City. Then she wanted to go out. Seeing this, Ping¡¯er pulled Luo Ning¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Madam, don¡¯t tell me you want to inform the government?¡± Luo Ning stopped in her tracks, blinked her eyes, and said solemnly, ¡°What nonsense are you saying? I¡¯m going to discuss it with Ye Jingtang.¡± ¡°Madam, the cult master told you not to interfere and to go back directly¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s already some progress with the matter in the palace. We¡¯ll be able to succeed in the next few days. Wouldn¡¯t all my previous efforts be in vain if 1 go back now? You go cut the vegetables. 1 know what to do.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Clomp, clomp! The Prince of Jing Estate¡¯s luxurious carriage stopped outside the palace gate. Ye Jingtang got out of the carriage, held horse reins, and looked at the carriage window. ¡°1¡¯11 go back first. Will your Highness spend the night in the palace tonight?¡± After fooling around in the carriage for a while, the two of them had started practicing martial arts again. Ye Jingtang¡¯s weakness was pinched. He was afraid that Dumdum would tear the paintings in embarrassment, so he acted very restrained, not wanting to offend her again. Unfortunately, Dumdum never disappointed people. Even if she tried her best to assume standard stances, there were still more or less errors that needed to be adjusted. For this reason, Ye Jingtang still touched her a lot. Dongfang Liren knew that Ye Jingtang took advantage of her, but she felt that it wasn¡¯t easy to reprimand him justifiably. Afterward, she still couldn¡¯t smile and thank him. At this moment, she was sitting upright in the carriage. She only nodded coldly and closed the window. The bird had been held by a maidservant of the prince¡¯s estate and slept all the way like a pig. Ye Jingtang took it and rubbed it before turning it over. It looked around. ¡°Chirp chirp?¡± It was probably asking: Is it time to eat? Ye Jingtang shook his head and placed the bird on his shoulder. After watching the carriage drive into the palace gate, he got on his horse and headed for Heavenly Water Bridge. The Southern Breeze River ran through Yun¡¯an City from the north to the south. Along the way, there were a total of eighteen stone bridges that connected the two sides. Literary Virtue Bridge was at the top, and the White Lion Bridge that Sun Wuji mentioned was in the middle of the Southern Breeze River. It was named after the two big lion statues standing at the bridgehead. The bridge was very wide, and it was a must-visit scenic spot for travelers visiting the capital. Ye Jingtang rode his horse down the Southern Breeze River. When he passed by White Lion Bridge, he searched at both ends of the stone bridge where people were coming and going. In the end, a voice sounded from under the bridge. ¡°Here.¡± Ye Jingtang went to the stone bridge¡¯s railing and looked down. He saw a small black boat floating under the stone bridge with a fishing rod sticking out. Sun Wuji, who was wearing his old cloak and had his white hair tied up with a headband, was sitting cross-legged at the bow of the boat. Although his figure was thin, he wasn¡¯t weak. He gave people the feeling that his robe was covering a steel frame. Seeing this scene, the bird landed on the bow of the boat and stuck its head over to look inside the fish basket. In the end, it was empty. It tilted its head and spread its wings. ¡°Chirp chirp?¡± Ye Jingtang tied his horse to the railing, flew down from the arched bridge, and landed steadily on the black boat. ¡°Senior Sun, you also like fishing?¡± ¡°Fishing is a way to nourish your qi and calm your mind. As people get older, most of them enjoy this,¡± Sun Wuji said and found that the fat-headed bird was looking at him in disdain. ¡°Fishing is the process. It¡¯s common not to catch any fish nine times out of ten. If you really come for fish, you will be impatient and eager for quick success, and you will instead fall to a mediocre level.¡± ¡°Chirp.¡± The bird pointed at the fish basket with its wings, clearly indicating: If you didn¡¯t come for fish, why did you bring a fish basket? Ye Jingtang walked over and moved the naughty bird to the side. He smiled and said, ¡°Senior, you¡¯re right. I used to fish in Liang Province, but it was too time consuming, so I used a sledgehammer to stun the fish. Now that I think about it, 1 was indeed eager for quick success..¡± Chapter 432 - Chapter 432: Our Daughter Has Grown Up (2) Chapter 432: Our Daughter Has Grown Up (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Hearing this. Sun Wuji turned around and asked, ¡°Where is your hometown in Liang Province?¡± ¡°Red River Town. It¡¯s only dozens of kilometers away from the border. There are only two thousand people in the town, so it¡¯s considered an unknown town.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been to the town, but i passed by the Red River once when I was young. The river water was knee-deep and full of small fish. After Zheng Feng disappeared from Jun Mountain Terrace, did he live there in seclusion?¡± ¡°Yes. He opened a small escort agency. He picked me up during an escort mission and raised me to an adult. Back then, when I was in Red River Town, there was a teahouse in the town, and there were often people talking about the matters of Jianghu. When I was young, I even heard your stories, Senior Sun. Hmm¡­ You had a fierce horse, a blue sword, and a beauty. You didn¡¯t admire nobles or envy immortals. You were extremely carefree. When I heard the stories, I wanted to learn the sword¡­¡± Sun Wuji sized up Ye Jingtang from the corner of his eye. He felt that Ye Jingtang really didn¡¯t look like a spy from Northern Liang, so he didn¡¯t ask further. He only smiled lightly. ¡°That was indeed the case when I was young. But now, my horse is old, I¡¯m old, my beauty has passed away before me. Now, I¡¯m envious of immortals. If I had been more utilitarian when I was young and sought the path of longevity instead of being willful in Jianghu, how could I sit here when I¡¯m old? No matter how open-minded people are about life and death, they still want the people around them to walk behind them¡­¡± Ye Jingtang had never heard any stories about Sun Wuji¡¯s bitterness and hatred. He had descendants, so Ye Jingtang guessed that his wife had passed away. But it wasn¡¯t appropriate to ask about these things. He only nodded and asked, ¡°Have you been here before?¡± Sun Wuji looked at the dark blue river and thought for a moment. ¡°When 1 was your age, I left the mountain to travel Jianghu and came to Yun¡¯an. At the time, it was still Great Yan. The last Yan emperor had just succeeded to the throne, and Feng Guancheng was only in his forties. He lived near White Lion Bridge. ¡°At the time, Feng Guancheng was already publicly recognized as the number one in the world. Countless people from Jianghu came here to see him. The bridge was full from morning to night. I was seventeen or eighteen years old and had yet to master my sword technique. 1 had a straightforward personality and didn¡¯t have any Jianghu friends. I didn¡¯t want to squeeze into the crowd, so I stayed under the bridge alone and waited to see Feng Guancheng. ¡°In the end, Feng Guancheng didn¡¯t come. Instead, a young heroine who wasn¡¯t good at martial arts stood on the railing above to watch the excitement. She lost her footing and fell. ¡°I caught her easily, bur I ended up holding the wrong place. I fell head-first, and it took a lifetime of hard work to repay this debt¡­¡± When Sun Wuji said this, even though his temperament was as sharp as a sword, there was still a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. Ye Jingtang looked up and smiled. ¡°A similar thing happened to me. I just came to the capital and rented a dilapidated small courtyard on Double Osmanthus Alley. On the second day, a pair of heroines broke in¡­¡± ¡°A pair?¡± ¡°A master and a disciple. They claimed that 1 occupied their lair. Fortunately, I had the house deed¡­¡± ¡°Did you kick them out?¡± ¡°I wanted to chase them away, but I didn¡¯t. In the end, I can¡¯t explain it clearly. Hehe¡­11 Sun Wuji sneered and didn¡¯t gossip too much. He only sighed and said, ¡°This is what¡¯s interesting about Jianghu. You don¡¯t know what kind of people you¡¯ll meet tomorrow and what kind of wine you¡¯ll drink. But some people are greedy. When they meet a good person, they think that they can meet a better one tomorrow. But in the end, after missing this person, they will regret it for the rest of their lives. There aren¡¯t many people like me who can return to old places to reminisce about the past before they die. There are very few people who have nostalgia but no regrets. ¡°Kid, you have to cherish the people in front of you. For the sake of fame and fortune, if you become a heartless person, even if you become the number one in the world in the future or even become a king or emperor, all that¡¯s left is regrets¡­ Huh? Coming¡­¡± Ye Jingtang was listening to Sun Wuji sigh about life when he suddenly noticed the sage-like Hero Sun sit up a little straighter, his eyes burning. Ye Jingtang was startled. He thought that some peerless expert had come. But in the end, he found that Sword Saint Sun was holding the fishing rod with both hands and concentrating on fishing. ¡°Chirp?¡± The bird was stunned for a moment. Then it hurriedly lay on the bow of the boat and looked into the water. It even chirped to give orders. Ye Jingtang was speechless. He was afraid of scaring the fish away, so he didn¡¯t dare to disturb them. It wasn¡¯t until Sun Wuji pulled up a palm-long white fish that he started talking about teaching Dumdum swordsmanship. Sun Wuji no longer pursued the sword in his hand, so he naturally didn¡¯t mind imparting swordsmanship. Ye Jingtang chatted for a while more about Jianghu before bidding farewell and leaving with the satisfied bird¡­ Clack, clack.. A horse passed through the prosperous riverbank. It didn¡¯t take long for it to follow the river and arrive near Heavenly Water Bridge. Ye Jingtang was riding on the horse while the bird was holding a small fish with its claws and flying in front of him. Along the way, it muttered, ¡°Chirp chirp¡­¡± It was probably talking about Old Man Sun¡¯s poor fishing skills. The autumn weather was cool, and there were many people on Heavenly Water Bridge in the afternoon. Ye Jingtang was a Martial Chief and had been conferred a noble title by the Imperial Court. Nowadays, he was quite famous. All the neighbors knew him. As long as he passed by on the street, people would definitely surround him and greet him. Ye Jingtang was used to being free in Jianghu. He could only try his best to avoid these compliments and return to the Pei residence from the sparsely populated back alley. But riding his horse through the limestone alley, he found a young girl standing in the alley before he reached the back door. The young girl was wearing a light blue rtiqun, and her hair was tied up in an unmarried style. Her spirited face had slowly lost its childishness and was waiting to bloom, giving her slightly more brightness and beauty. Although her dress was very scholarly, the young lady¡¯s temperament and bearing were not ar all in line with those of a scholarly family. Her upper body was leaning against the wall, and she was holding a brown scabbard with a saber in her arms. She even had a candied hawthorn stick in her mouth. She looked full of a Jianghu air. The age of 15 or 16 was when girls developed the fastest. In the capital, she ate and drank well every day. Zhe Yunli had changed very quickly in rhe past few months. The areas that shouldn¡¯t gain weight hadn¡¯t changed, but the areas that should gain weight had indeed gained some. From the side, the bulging front of her dress could actually clamp the saber, and she was obviously taller,. Chapter 433 - Chapter 433: Our Daughter Has Grown Up (3) Chapter 433: Our Daughter Has Grown Up (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When Ye Jingtang saw Zhe Yunli from afar, he was surprised and asked, ¡°Yunli, why are you standing here?¡± ¡°Chirp-¡± The bird hurriedly flew over and threw the small fish into Zhe Yunli¡¯s hand. Zhe Yunli raised her hand to catch the bird. When she saw Ye Jingtang coming over, she didn¡¯t smile. Instead, she tilted her head resentfully. ¡°Hmph~! You didn¡¯t come see me for days after coming back, but you¡¯re thinking about me now?¡± ?? Ye Jingtang was speechless. He led his horse to the front. ¡°You¡¯re speaking so properly. It¡¯s giving me goosebumps. Why are you unhappy? Did your martial mistress teach you a lesson?¡± Zhe Yunli stood up straight and walked back together with him. ¡®Martial Mistress is busy tidying up your new residence. How can she be in the mood to care about me? Speaking of which, we¡¯ve known each other for such a long time. In the past, 1 helped you tidy up your house every day. Even if I didn¡¯t contribute, I worked hard. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve forgotten what day it is today?¡± When Ye Jingtang returned, Ning¡¯er had told him. He smiled and said, ¡°Today is your sixteenth birthday. How could 1 forget such an important thing? I was supposed to stay in the palace for night duty, but I specially asked for leave to come back for dinner. Aren¡¯t I nice?¡± ¡°Chirp-¡± The bird placed the small fish in Zhe Yunli¡¯s hand again as a birthday gift- only then did Zhe Yunli smile. She hugged the bird and bumped Ye Jingtang with her shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s more like it. When are you celebrating your nineteenth birthday? 1¡¯11 prepare a gift for you in advance.¡± When Ye Jingtang saw Zhe Yunli¡¯s expectant look, he knew what she meant. He said with a smile, ¡°After the Lunar New Year, I¡¯ll be one year older. By the way, I brought you something good when I came back.¡± ¡°Really? It can¡¯t be this fish, right?¡± ¡°How is that possible? That¡¯s the bird¡¯s gift. It wants you to cook it for it to eat H While chatting, Ye Jingtang entered from the back door. He handed the horse reins to a maidservant and went to the west wing of Third Lady¡¯s courtyard with Zhe Yunli. The west wing was Ning¡¯er¡¯s temporary room. Many of her belongings were placed there. Ye Jingtang went to the table and took out a five-foot-long saber wrapped in black cloth. He held it flat with both hands and handed it to Little Yunli. ¡°This saber is called ¡®Muqing¡¯. It¡¯s a saber forged by Sun Muqing, a saberman from Ze Province, forty years ago. It¡¯s five feet long, and it¡¯s both a saber and a spear. When used, it¡¯s fast, fierce, and shockingly powerful. No one has used this saber before. From now on, this saber is yours.¡± Zhe Yunli was indeed surprised. She took the five-foot-long Muqing Saber with both hands and sized it up. ¡°This saber¡­ Brother Jingtang, didn¡¯t you say on Jun Mountain Terrace that ordinary people can¡¯t use it well, and people who can use it well no longer need it?¡± Ye Jingtang put one hand behind his back and explained seriously, ¡°Ordinary people can¡¯t use it well because this saber is too comprehensive. There are too many skills to practice, and it¡¯s extremely difficult to master. And those who can use it well don¡¯t need it because the saber¡¯s shape is special. If they can practice this saber to the peak, they will basically be able to master heavy sabers, light sabers, fast attacks, slow attacks, and spearmanship. They will be able to switch to appropriate weapons according to the enemy and unleash greater power. ¡°This doesn¡¯t mean that this saber is useless, but that the lower limit is extremely high and the upper limit is lacking. You have to at least practice it to the level of Hero Qiu to be able to sense the shortcomings of this saber. Before this, it¡¯s all advantages and no flaws. If I hadn¡¯t already become the Saber Chief, I would definitely have used this saber. This way, when I go out, I wouldn¡¯t have to bring a bunch of weapons to use interchangeably.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Realization dawned on Zhe Yunli. She untied the black cloth and looked at the long and slender saber with a wooden yellow scabbard. Then she raised it upright and tried wielding it. When she found that it was taller than her, her smooth and moist face showed a troubled expression. ¡°It¡¯s so long. How can I pull it out?¡± Ye Jingtang chuckled. ¡°Since 1 gave you the saber, how can 1 not teach you to use it? On the way back, 1 took the time to think of a saber technique. You can try practicing it¡­¡± ¡°You took the time to think about it?¡± ¡°It spent an entire night figuring it out. Don¡¯t think I¡¯m being perfunctory.¡± Zhe Yunli wanted to say something but hesitated. But on account of the title Saber Chief, she still put on a serious expression. Ye Jingtang held the five-foot-long saber in his left hand. He bent his body slightly and touched the floor with the scabbard as he explained, ¡°You can¡¯t hang this saber on your body at all times. Otherwise, it will be awkward to pull it out no matter how you do it. Therefore, you have to hold it in your hand or carry it on your shoulder. When experts exchange blows, it¡¯s a cover. If you encounter an enemy, just pull out the saber with your left hand and rush forward without caring about the scabbard. Cut horizontally with the saber and then use the Azure Dragon Claw. If you miss, follow up with the third move of the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade and then switch to the Yellow Dragon Crouching midway. ¡°With these three strikes, you will basically kill anyone of the same level. It¡¯s faster than the Dragon Slaying Decree and heavier and longer than the Eight-Steps Frenzied Blade. It has fierce momentum, but you can release and retract it freely. As long as it doesn¡¯t encounter long-range weapons, not many people can break it¡­¡± Zhe Yunli looked at Ye Jingtang slowly demonstrating, her eyes half-doubting. ¡°With such random moves, won¡¯t your qi go haywire?¡± Ye Jingtang stood still with the long saber and said seriously, ¡°A person only has two hands and two feet. You can find similar movements with any move. I¡¯m only telling you the general movements. In fact, it¡¯s a new saber technique. The qi circulation methods form a new style, and the strength of the moves is very different. It¡¯s completely different from the martial arts moves I mentioned.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Zhe Yunli nodded. ¡°This saber technique is unique. Only Brother Jingtang knows it, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t use Muqing Saber either, so this is your unique saber technique. Are you satisfied with this gift?¡± Zhe Yunli really didn¡¯t expect Ye Jingtang to do so much for her. She was a little embarrassed. Perhaps she was afraid that someone would secretly learn the technique, so she ran to close the door and stood in the room to wait and see. Over the past two days, Ye Jingtang had learned the General Movements Manual. He was already very proficient with how to break down moves and teach people.. He immediately demonstrated his self-created moves in the room¡­ Chapter 434 - Chapter 434: Housewarming Banquet (1) Chapter 434: Housewarming Banquet (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Squeak! In the alley behind the new residence, Luo Ning left through the back door and walked along the alley toward the Pei residence. For convenience¡¯s sake, the two residences were less than 200 meters apart, and most of the maidservants and servants could move back and forth. Luo Ning entered the Pei residence¡¯s back door familiarly. She wanted to go to the stable to get a horse and run to the Black Office to ask about the little thief¡¯s whereabouts. But when she arrived at the stable, she found the big black horse standing in the stable chewing grass. When it saw her, it even snorted to greet her. ¡°Pfft!¡± Luo Ning was stunned. She looked around and found a maidservant passing by. ¡°Is Ye Jingtang back?¡± ¡°Miss Luo, Young Master Ye is back. He¡¯s in Third Lady¡¯s courtyard.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Luo Ning was slightly puzzled. Judging from the horse¡¯s condition, the little thief must have been back for a while. There was no one in Third Lady¡¯s courtyard, so did he go to burn incense again? While her thoughts were running wild, Luo Ning passed through the festoon gate and walked toward the courtyard where Third Lady lived. Just as she turned the corner of the corridor, she heard a faint conversation. ¡°You learn fast.¡± ¡°Hehe~ Of course. Am I much smarter than the princess?¡± ¡°Huh? How do you know this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a little girl. I¡¯m already sixteen years old. You, an eighteen-year-old man, hang around the princess all day. How can 1 not guess what you¡¯re thinking?¡± ¡°Sigh, I¡¯m asking you how you know that the princess is a slow learner.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say it. I¡¯m just asking. Is the princess really not as smart as me?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say that. The Prince of Jing knows everything about zither, Go, calligraphy, and painting. The people in her painting look like real people. Even if you practice for ten years, you won¡¯t be able to catch up¡­¡± ¡°Tsk, I¡¯m a woman from Jianghu. What¡¯s the use of good-looking writing? Brother Jingtang, are you biased and protective of her shortcomings?¡± ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Luo Ning looked at the closed door and tilted her head slightly. There was a strange look in her eyes. The little thief is quite normal. Why does Yunli¡­ Why does she look like she¡¯s flirting and poaching from the princess? Luo Ning took a deep breath, causing the little watermelons to bulge. She was about to go in and spank Yunli¡¯s butt, but after thinking about it, she felt that it was wrong. What right do 1 have to deal with Yunli? Yunli is already sixteen and about the same age as the little thief One is the Saber Chief, and the other is the direct disciple of the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master. They are well-matched. As long as 1, her martial mistress, am a normal person, 1 should think of a way to matchmake them. Its illogical for me to stop them¡­ Luo Ning¡¯s mind was spinning rapidly. Before she could figure out what to do, the door opened. Creak- Ye Jingtang appeared at the door and looked at the corridor. He said in surprise, ¡°Heroine Luo, why are you here?¡± In the room, Zhe Yunli held the five-foot-long saber with both hands and practiced seriously, putting on a posture of thrusting the saber. When she saw her martial mistress¡¯s strange gaze outside, perhaps afraid of being misunderstood, she hurriedly put away the saber and stood up straight. ¡°Martial Mistress, Brother Jingtang and I are practicing a saber technique.¡± Luo Ning folded her hands at her waist and slowly walked to the door like a cold and dignified single mother. She looked around casually. ¡°Why are you practicing with the door closed?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid someone will steal my technique.¡± Zhe Yunli held Muqing Saber and put on a beautiful posture. ¡°Brother Jingtang just taught me a saber technique. It¡¯s very powerful¡­¡± Luo Ning didn¡¯t probe further and only reminded, ¡°Since it¡¯s powerful, practice well. In a few days, I¡¯ll get your Brother Jingtang to test you. If you don¡¯t pass, 1 will still spank you. Don¡¯t think that I won¡¯t care about you just because you¡¯re sixteen.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Alright, continue practicing. Ye Jingtang, come here.¡± Luo Ning walked out the door and entered the corridor. Ye Jingtang couldn¡¯t talk nonsense in front of Yunli. He followed Luo Ning into the corridor. After turning the corner, he placed his hand on the round blue moon and pinched it gently. His fingers sank into the softness. Luo Ning was still maintaining the posture that a martial mistress should have. When she was suddenly taken advantage of, her shoulders shrank slightly. Then she turned around and hammered Ye Jingtang¡¯s shoulder with her small fist. ¡°Do you want to die?¡± Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t let go. Instead, he pulled Luo Ning over and scratched her annoyed face. ¡°No one saw us. I haven¡¯t seen you for a few days. I miss you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re thinking about me? You¡¯re clearly thinking about recuperating¡­¡± Luo Ning couldn¡¯t break free, so she stopped struggling and brought Ye Jingtang to the corner of the corridor. She raised her face and said solemnly, ¡°Why were you alone with Yunli?¡± ¡°Uhh?¡± Ye Jingtang put his arms around Ning¡¯er¡¯s waist and looked down at her beautiful but cold face, a little puzzled. ¡°I met her when I came back, so I took the opportunity to teach her a saber technique¡­ Is there a problem with this?¡± Luo Ning pursed her lips. ¡°There¡¯s no problem, but it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry. Our relationship can¡¯t be made public, and Yunli doesn¡¯t know about it. In Yunli¡¯s eyes, you¡¯re a man of the same age as her who belongs to the Pacifying Heaven Cult like her. You¡¯re handsome and skilled in martial arts, and you both like the saber. When a girl is fifteen or sixteen, she will usually fall in love for the first time. If Yunli treats you like that¡­ there won¡¯t be a big problem.¡± Ye Jingtang regarded Yunli as a little girl and had never thought of this. He pondered for a moment. ¡°Then, should I stay away from Yunli in the future?¡± Luo Ning¡¯s eyes were a little hesitant. ¡°Yunli will definitely look for a husband. It¡¯s not easy for a woman to meet a man she likes in her life. As her martial mistress, I got there first. If I still stop her, I¡¯ll feel¡­¡± ¡°Ning¡¯er, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re preparing¡­¡± ¡°Ptui!¡± Luo Ning knew what Ye Jingtang was thinking. Her expression turned cold as she reminded him sternly, ¡°Little thief, if you continue to let your imagination run wild, don¡¯t blame me for being heartless. 1 don¡¯t care what Yunli thinks. In any case, you can¡¯t have any crooked thoughts.. If she really has any thoughts in the future, I¡¯ll cut ties with you and be your mother-in-law from then on¡­¡± Chapter 435 - Chapter 435: Housewarming Banquet (2) Chapter 435: Housewarming Banquet (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ?? Ye Jingtang raised his hand and pinched Luo Ning¡¯s face. ¡°Ning¡¯er, if you continue talking nonsense, I¡¯ll really teach you a lesson. Mother-in-law¡­ If you want to play something exciting, 1 can call you martial mistress in the boudoir. How can you mess around like this?¡± Luo Ning was blocked in the corner and spoken fiercely to. She became a little scared, and her eyes flickered. ¡°Then, what do you suggest we do?¡± Ye Jingtang held the moon and lifted Ning¡¯er¡¯s heels off the ground. ¡°What else can 1 do? I don¡¯t have any crooked thoughts. What you have to do now is to publicly clarify your relationship with the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master as soon as possible, and then we can get properly married. You¡¯re an innocent girl, and it¡¯s perfectly justifiable for me to marry you. Why do you have to make it look like we¡¯re thieves?¡± Luo Ning hesitated for a moment. Then she held Ye Jingtang¡¯s waist and bit her lower lip. ¡°I also want to get properly married, but getting Baijin to reveal her identity as a woman is too big a matter. Even if she does, Yunli is still Baijin¡¯s disciple¡­ Forget it. Let¡¯s talk about these things later.¡± Luo Ning swept away her messy thoughts and looked up at Ye Jingtang seriously. ¡°Just now, the Pacifying Heaven Cult sent news that there might be trouble in the capital. They asked me to return to the South Firmament Mountains as soon as possible and not participate.¡± ¡°Uhh?¡± Ye Jingtang¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°What trouble?¡± Luo Ning was actually a little hesitant. After some consideration, she handed the letter to Ye Jingtang. ¡°Let¡¯s make this clear first. Our Pacifying Heaven Cult and the Imperial Court are irreconcilable. If the Imperial Court is in trouble, it will be beneficial to our Pacifying Heaven Cult without any harm. I¡¯m the cult mistress of the Pacifying Heaven Cult, and the Pacifying Heaven Cult has just sent over top-secret information. If 1 turn around and send the information to the Imperial Court, it will be equivalent to betraying the cult and surrendering to the Imperial Court. I¡¯ll become an unloyal and unrighteous person¡ª¡± Ye Jingtang lowered his head and pecked her lips to interrupt her. Then he opened the letter and read it. The letter was full of small words. There were not many words, but there was a lot of information. It pointed out that the expert who forced the emperor to abdicate back then might be the empress herself. Moreover, it judged that the empress should have hidden injuries. Now that she was in a weak state, it attracted a group of wolves to lie in wait. In addition, it also mentioned that Yan Province had contacted the Pacifying Heaven Cult recently and wanted to ask the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master for help. However, the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master felt that the chances of success were slim, so she didn¡¯t agree and chose to wait and see. She wanted Luo Ning to leave the capital city as soon as possible to prevent the Pacifying Heaven Cult from being dragged into the turmoil. Ye Jingtang really didn¡¯t expect to receive such an important letter from the Pacifying Heaven Cult. The empress was going to Clear Water Villa to recuperate in the near future, and her body indeed had hidden injuries. Even Daoist Xuanji had been summoned back, which meant that she had been indeed quite weak recently and lacked the ability to protect herself. As for Yan Province, there was no news in the Imperial Court at all. If what the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master said was true, then Yan Province was very likely preparing to take advantage of the empress¡¯s weak period to make a huge move to cause Great Wei¡¯s imperial power to change hands. Recalling that he had been ambushed by the Hong Mountain Gang a few days ago, but the captured leader of the Hong Mountain Gang knew nothing, Ye Jingtang came to a realization. He now knew which force had been behind the trap. He was one of the empress¡¯s loyal guards. If someone wanted to touch the empress, they had to get rid of the two gate gods, him and Daoist Xuanji, first. If the Prince of Yan rebelled, the consequences would be much more severe than the Prince of Wu¡¯s rebellion. The Prince of Wu only had tens of thousands of private soldiers who had never fought a war before, but the Prince of Yan had the cavalry of Yan Province under him, which could suppress the main army of Northern Liang head-on. There was no need to mention the experts under him. Yan Province was the same as Liang Province. Since ancient times, the people there had been valiant and fierce, and the provinces had produced many formidable experts. Moreover, the people there even had close ties with Northern Liang¡¯s Jianghu. There were countless strange people¡­ Thinking of this, Ye Jingtang felt the severity of the situation and immediately prepared to leave. But Luo Ning hugged Ye Jingtang¡¯s waist. There was a hint of grievance in her eyes. ¡°I knew it. You¡¯re more on the side of the Imperial Court. I took the risk of being treated as a traitor by the Pacifying Heaven Cult and gave you the news. But you¡¯re turning around and going to the Imperial Court to inform them¡­ I knew it would be like this!¡± Ye Jingtang felt that Ning¡¯er was treating him as a heartless man. He hurriedly turned around and said seriously, ¡°What are you saying? If I suddenly hand this news to the Imperial Court, the Imperial Court will ask me about the source of the news. How should I explain it? Should I say that it was sent by the Pacifying Heaven Cult?¡± Luo Ning harrumphed softly. ¡°Since you¡¯ve gotten this news, you definitely won¡¯t ignore it. I¡¯ve already sent the news back that you¡¯re a member of the Pacifying Heaven Cult. As long as you investigate and protect the empress, Baijin will definitely be able to guess that I leaked the news and that you¡¯re not on the Pacifying Heaven Cult¡¯s side. Baijin asked me to quickly return to the South Firmament Mountains, wait to see what happens, and don¡¯t interfere. If I don¡¯t go back, she will definitely come to find out the reason¡­¡± Ye Jingtang felt that this was indeed a problem. After some thought, he said, ¡°The source of the information is unclear. I can only investigate it myself, like how 1 investigated the Prince of Wu. When the time comes, I¡¯ll just make up a reason for how I found out. The Pacifying Heaven Cult Master can¡¯t think that without your news, the Imperial Court won¡¯t be able to receive any clues. It¡¯s fine as long as we don¡¯t reveal anything over the next few days. ¡°As for you not going back¡­ just reply to the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master like this. Tomorrow, the empress will move to Clear Water Villa, and the palace will become empty. Daoist Xuanji and I will take turns guarding Clear Water Villa. When I rest, I can find an opportunity to bring you to the Roaring Dragon Pond to practice and think of a way to take out the things under the rockery. The feasibility of this method is very high, so it¡¯s only right for you to stay in the capital. What do you think?¡± Luo Ning blinked and felt that this was really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She thought for a moment and said, ¡°If you really dig up the treasures left behind by the previous dynasty, will you not give them to the Pacifying Heaven Cult but hand them over to the Imperial Court?¡± Ye Jingtang said seriously, ¡°It depends on what they are. If the items have nothing to do with the overall situation, it doesn¡¯t matter if 1 give them. If there¡¯s something that can really get help from Northern Liang to cause chaos in the world, I¡¯ll definitely keep it for myself. 1 promised you that I would think of a way to persuade the Pacifying Heaven Cult to accept amnesty and recruitment or persuade the twelve provinces of Great Wei to surrender to the Southern Firmament Mountains. Before 1 do this, I can¡¯t let the Pacifying Heaven Cult and the Imperial Court have a chance to have a conflict..¡± Chapter 436 - Chapter 436: Housewarming Banquet (3) Chapter 436: Housewarming Banquet (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Hearing this explanation, Luo Ning finally felt a little better and said softly, ¡°Then, you have to be careful. The forces in Yan Province have already attacked you a few days ago. If their goal is to change the regime, they definitely won¡¯t give up.¡± Ye Jingtang smiled and said, ¡°I know what to do.¡± Luo Ning nodded slightly. After thinking for a moment, she put on the appearance of a cold heroine. ¡°Little thief, I was the one who rewarded you in the past. Now that I¡¯ve sent you such important news, are you going to return the favor?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ye Jingtang looked around and raised his hand to hold her cold face. ¡°What reward do you want? How about I won¡¯t offend Heroine Luo for half a month?¡± ? How can this be called a reward? It¡¯s more like a punishment of being thrown into the cold palace¡­ Although Luo Ning thought so, she still pretended to like it on the surface and harrumphed softly. ¡°I would like some leisure time, but you have to recuperate. How can 1 not understand the importance?¡± While speaking, Luo Ning took out a small jade radish from her sleeve and stuffed it into Ye Jingtang¡¯s hand. ¡°If you have a conscience, help me teach Third Lady a lesson¡­ Wait, it¡¯s not a lesson. Think about it this way. We¡¯ve had a bunch of firsts. If you follow Madam Wang¡¯s method, you will also have a first with Third Lady. This can be considered fair and impartial, right? If I do everything first, Third Lady might not say it, but she¡¯ll definitely blame you for being biased¡­¡± Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t expect Ning¡¯er to come up with such a refreshing and refined reason. But after he thought about it carefully, he found it was quite reasonable. He immediately nodded and leaned closer to her face. Luo Ning hugged Ye Jingtang¡¯s neck, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed him deeply. Then she pushed him away and tidied up her clothes. ¡°Okay. It¡¯s Yunli¡¯s birthday today. I¡¯ve cooked a meal in the new residence. You¡¯re the owner. After eating, let Third Lady help you recuperate before you go back to work. Humans aren¡¯t made of steel. No matter how busy you are, you have to recharge your energy, right?¡± Ye Jingtang¡¯s current priority was to gather information and find all the forces and figures in the capital related to Yan Province. Only after screening the targets could he investigate them one by one. Because the source of the news couldn¡¯t be revealed, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to leave the task of collecting information to the Black Office. If he asked Third Lady to arrange for her subordinates to do it, they would obviously find out more things than he would running around. Hearing this, Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t say much else. After watching Luo Ning enter the courtyard, he quickly walked toward the new residence¡­ At night, in the Plum Blossom Courtyard¡­ In the middle of the Plum Blossom Courtyard was a crosswalk. The last time Ye Jingtang came here with Dumdum, it was still dark. Now, there were lanterns hanging under the eaves, and bright yellow lights lit the east and west wings of the main wing, making the place look beautiful and elegant. In the middle of the main wing was the living room. There was a landscape painting hanging at the back middle of the room. Above it was a plaque with the words ¡®Chilling Ice Pavilion¡¯. Dumdum had written it herself and arranged for someone to deliver it two days ago. Below it was a luohan couch made of nanmu wood. There was a Go table on it. Under the light, it looked golden and spotless. On the west side of the main wing was the master bedroom, and on the east side was the study and tea room. The tea room was the owner¡¯s usual place to drink tea and rest. It was located behind the study and relatively private. The owner would usually have his three meals a day with his wife and concubines here. Only when distinguished guests came would he make arrangements and go to the main hall at the front of the residence. At this moment, the lights in the tea room were lit. The round table in the middle was covered with brocade, and round stools were around it. Xiuhe and Ping¡¯er were busy setting the table. Pei Xiangjun, who was wearing a light yellow autumn dress, carried in a tray with a dignified bearing. There was a plate of vinegar-cooked fish in it. She walked in from the door and said with a smile, ¡°This is my first time cooking fish. I¡¯ve only eaten it on Parasol Street before. If it doesn¡¯t taste good, just tell me¡­¡± Zhe Yunli, who was dressed as a scholarly young lady, didn¡¯t have any homework today because she was the birthday girl. At this moment, she was adjusting the position of the jade turtle and other ornaments in the study with the bird. Hearing Third Lady¡¯s words, Zhe Yunli recalled what had happened on Double Osmanthus Alley in the past and replied, ¡°Third Lady, you¡¯re so virtuous. How can the food you cook not be delicious? Moreover, we¡¯re not picky. When we lived on Double Osmanthus Alley, my martial mistress once made stir-fried meat and put in about three tablespoons of salt. Brother Jingtang took a bite and picked up a piece for me without changing his expression. 1 also picked up a piece for Brother Jingtang without changing my expression¡­¡± ¡°Yunli!¡± Luo Ning came in with Ye Jingtang¡¯s favorite stir-fried meat and garlic sprouts. When she heard the heartless Yunli expose her shortcomings, her face turned cold. Ye Jingtang was carrying two pots of wine. When he saw the warm scene in the room, the corners of his mouth curled up into a smile. After placing the wine on the table, he said, ¡°Yunli, it¡¯s time to eat.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Pei Xiangjun and Luo Ning placed all kinds of side dishes on the table and sat down on the left and right sides of Ye Jingtang. Although Ye Jingtang wanted to be modest, it was his first time eating at home, so he was still pushed to the main seat. Yunli sat beside Luo Ning. Ye Jingtang also prepared a small stool for the bird, who was trying its best to remain calm and not drool. When he saw Ping¡¯er and Xiuhe standing nearby, he said, ¡°Come eat too. There aren¡¯t many people in the residence, so there¡¯s no need to be so polite.¡± Hearing this, Xiuhe bowed and sat beside Third Lady. ¡°Thank you, Young Master! No, Master!¡± This was the first time Ping¡¯er had seen Ye Jingtang up close. She was a little embarrassed and sat obediently beside Yunli with a smile. On the surface, Pei Xiangjun wasn¡¯t married, so she could be considered Ye Jingtang¡¯s martial aunt. As an elder, she was the first to raise her wine glass. ¡°Jingtang can be considered to be in a high position now. A housewarming banquet is a grand affair. All the major sects in the three provinces of Yun, Ze, and Liang will send people to deliver gifts. Half of the nobles and generals of the Imperial Court will probably come too. The commotion will be too big. So I discussed it with Jingtang. Today will be our housewarming banquet, and it happens to be Yunli¡¯s birthday. It¡¯s a double blessing. Cheers!¡± ¡°Cheers.¡± Ding- Six wine cups clinked together. The bird was a little confused, but it still raised its wings and made the gesture of clinking cups¡­ After three rounds of wine and five dishes, the courtyard fell silent. Luo Ning didn¡¯t touch a single drop of alcohol. It was Zhe Yunli¡¯s birthday today, so she was allowed to drink a few cups. But she became drunk. Because of this, when the family banquet was about to end, Luo Ning carried her to the embroidery building beside the back garden to rest. Ping¡¯er was Luo Ning¡¯s subordinate, so it was naturally not appropriate for her to stay at the table to drink with Young Master Ye. Seeing this, she ran over to serve the young lady. Ye Jingtang had drunk a lot, but ordinary wine couldn¡¯t make him drunk. At most, he felt a little tipsy. On the other hand, Third Lady¡¯s face was red as she stood by the window to sober up. There was some hesitation in her eyes. It was obvious that she was considering whether to sleep at the Pei residence or at home. Xiuhe wasn¡¯t a silly girl. Ever since Third Lady returned, as long as Ye Jingtang was at home, Third Lady would send her away. She would either have to go to the cloth shop to check the accounts or buy things far away. She had long guessed Third Lady¡¯s situation. After Xiuhe cleaned the table, she saw that Third Lady was so shy that she didn¡¯t dare to speak out. She said considerately, ¡°1 haven¡¯t checked the accounts on the street today. I¡¯ll go back first. Third Lady, rest here tonight. Otherwise, it won¡¯t look good if such a big house is empty.¡± Pei Xiangjun turned around and naturally didn¡¯t refuse. She gave Xiuhe some instructions and even used the joy of moving into a new house as an excuse to reward Xiuhe with a big red packet before watching her leave. After glancing at the sky, Ye Jingtang threw the bird out of the window and closed the door of the main wing. ¡°Third Lady, do you sleep in the east wing or here?¡± Pei Xiangjun came over and said drunkenly, ¡°The door is already closed. Where else can I sleep¡­ Jingtang, I told you before that 1 haven¡¯t entered your family yet. When Ning¡¯er is around, I won¡¯t say anything if you mess around. But in private¡­¡± Ye Jingtang walked over to the delicate Third Lady, picked her up, walked into the master bedroom, and passed through the bead curtain. ¡°1 have to behave myself in private. I remember. Third Lady, you¡¯ve drunk too much. Rest here. 1 promise not to move. When you fall asleep, I¡¯ll go out and find a place to rest.¡± ? Pei Xiangjun was placed on the very wide Babu bed. She felt that Ye Jingtang was flirting with her. She wanted to pretend, but she wasn¡¯t the vixen after all. So she lay lazily on her side on the bed and slowly untied her belt. ¡°You promised not to move. You can¡¯t go back on your word.¡± As the belt was untied, the top slipped off, revealing snow-white shoulders and a red cut-out undergarment in front of her chest. It was the latest design that she had just bought at Literary Virtue Bridge. Not only did it wrap the watermelons perfectly, but there was also a small oval slit in the middle. The slit was bottomless¡­ Ye Jingtang blinked and sat down in front of Third Lady. ¡°Third Lady, if you have any tests, just use them. If I can¡¯t pass them, I¡¯ll¡­ 1¡¯11¡­¡± Pei Xiangjun lay on her side on the bed. Her left hand supported the side of her face, and her right hand reached into her dark red undergarment through the slit¡­ Ye Jingtang took a deep breath and silently lowered the curtain. ¡°Hmph- I knew you wouldn¡¯t be able to hold on. Today is our big day of moving into a new house. I promised you a few days ago that the two of us can mess around in private, so I won¡¯t say anything about the rules today. But when we¡¯re with Ning¡¯er, you can¡¯t go too far. She gets embarrassed easily, and so do I¡­¡± ¡°I know..¡± Chapter 437 - Chapter 437: Night Wanderer (1) Chapter 437: Night Wanderer (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The new residence was very large. There were lanterns hanging everywhere after the move, but not many people lived here. Only the embroidery building on the east side and the courtyards on the west side were occupied. After the housewarming banquet ended, everyone returned to their rooms to rest. The huge residence had long become quiet, and it was already late at night. The lights in the master bedroom of Plum Blossom Courtyard were already off, but the lanterns hanging outside the door still brought some light. The light golden curtain hung on the curtain hook, and the Hornless Dragon Saber hung beside the bed frame. Ye Jingtang was leaning on the light golden pillow embroidered with mandarin ducks, looking at the carvings on the top of the bed and silently thinking about all kinds of messy things. Third Lady had changed into a gauze nightgown and was lying beside him with her back facing him. The weather was not cold, and the blanket was only draped around her waist. Her plump breasts were still faintly visible. After dinner last night, the two of them had returned to the bedroom to rest. Third Lady had drunk a little too much. It was unknown if it was because she had drunk too much, but after being intimate once, she had actually said she would keep her promise and let him do whatever he wanted. She had even specially gone to take a bath and made herself clean, ready to do whatever he wanted. Ye Jingtang was afraid that Third Lady wouldn¡¯t be able to take it, so he didn¡¯t intend to do it for real, but he had overestimated his composure. Third Lady cooperated obediently, so he naturally took advantage of the situation. It was difficult to describe the process in detail, but the Third Lady was indeed woken up from her drunkenness. Afterward, she even said that he was unruly and took advantage of a girl¡¯s drunkenness to mess around, refusing to admit that it was voluntary for her to do such a shameful thing. Ye Jingtang benefited, so he naturally had to take the blame. After coaxing Third Lady, who had tears in her eyes, to sleep, he lay on his pillow and silently practiced the Jade Bone Dragon Form Picture. He was in a half-awake, half-asleep state. After he practiced for an unknown period of time, light footsteps came from the corridor outside the courtyard. They stopped at the courtyard door, and then someone called out softly, ¡°Young Master?¡± It was Xiuhe¡¯s voice. Ye Jingtang opened his eyes and turned to look at Third Lady, who was sleeping soundly beside him. Then he got up quietly, covered Third Lady with the thin blanket, put on his robe, and went out the door. Because it was the first day after moving, lanterns had been hung everywhere in the house. According to custom, the lights had to be on all night. At this moment, the courtyard was very bright. Xiuhe, who was wearing a light blue dress, was standing at the round door at the end of the crosswalk, holding a stack of papers in her arms and looking around. Ye Jingtang closed the door and waved for Xiuhe to come over. When she got closer, he asked, ¡°You didn¡¯t sleep all night?¡± ¡°I went to sleep. Just now, someone came over and said that they had investigated information overnight. He was afraid that you would need it urgently, so he specially sent it over.¡± Ye Jingtang took the stack of papers. Because it was inconvenient to look at it in the courtyard, he and Xiuhe went to the study room in the main wing. Third Lady was in charge of everything in the residence. Basically, she would never pick the cheap items if she could use the expensive ones. The furniture was all made of precious wood. To say that it was too extravagant was an understatement. For example, nanmu wood was reserved for the exclusive use of nobles in Great Wei. Commoners could be punished for misusing it. However, two days ago, the Imperial Court had sent over the title-conferring edict. Although the Marquis of Yunzhong was a false title, the privileges of food, clothing, housing, and transportation were still calculated according to the status of a marquis. For example, marquises could use a carriage pulled by four horses and a sedan chair carried by eight people in other places. In the capital, they could use a carriage pulled by three horses and a sedan chair carried by four people. For this reason, Third Lady had specially gone to replace a set of furniture for him in the past two days to make their home look like a marquis¡¯s residence. As for things like desks, because they were especially important to nobles, even though Ye Jingtang basically had no use for them, Third Lady had still tastefully chosen them. There were unopened brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones on the table, as well as the little jade turtle, wooden donkey, and other ornaments he had bought for the bird. Ye Jingtang sat down behind the desk. Xiuhe skillfully lit a lamp, placed it on the table, and helped him grind ink. Seeing this, Ye Jingtang raised his hand slightly. ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯m not writing anything. Sit down and help me explain these people and their official positions.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± Hearing this, Xiuhe quickly moved over a round stool from the side and sat beside the armchair. She picked up a piece of paper and explained seriously, ¡°Chen Cang, an official from the Ministry of Rites. His ancestral home is in Yan Province¡¯s Ningyuan County¡­¡± The Pei family had been doing business in the capital for many years, and they had the background of the Red Flower Pavilion in secret. They didn¡¯t know everything about the bureaucracy like the back of their hands, but they still knew who the officials were, where they came from, and where they lived. This information was basically ready-made. Xiuhe had been Third Lady¡¯s secretary for years and was very professional. Ye Jingtang listened attentively to Xiuhe¡¯s explanation and silently analyzed the feasibility of these people committing rebellion. For example, if they could mobilize troops, constables, or people related to the imperial guards, as long as there was the possibility of assassination, he would rather kill the wrong person than let them go. He wrote down all their names and examined them one by one. Because the major imperial examination provinces were in the central and southeastern parts of Great Wei, and Yan Province was a frontier province, there were not many high-ranking officials holding important positions in the capital. Ye Jingtang listened and felt that these people would be crazy if they rebelled until Xiuhe reported the last person. ¡°There¡¯s also a Yan Province person with a very high status in the capital. His name is Dongfang Shuoyue, and he¡¯s the heir of the Prince of Yan. He entered the capital ten years ago. After he finished studying at the Imperial Academy, the Imperial Court gave him an idle position in the Ministry of Rites. However, he has a lazy personality and has never gone to work. He often goes to Parasol Street to play. People gave him the nickname ¡®Cup Opener¡¯, and his gambling skills are second to none in Yun¡¯an¡­¡± Ye Jingtang had heard the nickname ¡®Cup Opener¡¯ before. When he heard this, his eyes moved slightly. He took the paper and looked at it carefully.. ¡°Is the heir of the Prince of Yan very powerful in the capital?¡± Chapter 438 - Chapter 438: Night Wanderer (2) Chapter 438: Night Wanderer (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xiuhe thought for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say how powerful he is, but his status is very noble. In all the dynasties, the two princes of Yan and Liang are respected. The heir of the Prince of Yan is the future Prince of Yan. In the capital, his status is probably only slightly lower than the Prince of Jing¡¯s. When other nobles and generals meet him, they have to bow. ¡°But I¡¯ve heard that the Prince of Yan¡¯s heir is quite easy-going and doesn¡¯t put on airs. He¡¯s also generous. As long as the top courtesans on Parasol Street hear that he¡¯s coming, they won¡¯t see any guests, and they¡¯ll only start work after he finishes choosing¡­ But there should be an exception now. Young Master, if you go to Parasol Street, I guarantee that the Prince of Yan¡¯s heir will have to step aside. Those courtesans will definitely surround you¡­¡± Ye Jingtang shook his head and didn¡¯t reply to the joke. He continued, ¡°Where does the Prince of Yan¡¯s heir live?¡± ¡°That¡¯s hard to say. He is an outstanding gambler and has won many stores and gardens. He has properties inside and outside the city. Because he likes to play, he runs around all day and basically sleeps wherever he goes. If he doesn¡¯t have any properties nearby, he will sleep in inns and restaurants¡­ 1 heard from the people below that he is on Parasol Street tonight.¡± ¡°What experts are around him?¡± ¡°All the heirs of the vassal princes have experts protecting them. 1 heard from Third Lady that the person beside the Prince of Yan¡¯s heir is called Fang Shijie. He was originally a Jianghu wanderer. But later, he became a retainer of the Prince of Yan Estate. Because he hasn¡¯t had any public battle results for many years, his martial arts skills are unknown¡­¡± After listening to the information, Ye Jingtang felt that it would be very difficult for someone who hadn¡¯t left the capital for ten years and had such a reputation to contact the Pacifying Heaven Cult or even make use of the Hong Mountain Gang. It was even more likely that the Prince of Yan was the mastermind behind everything. But no matter what, he had to investigate this person carefully. At this point, Ye Jingtang looked at the sky and stood up. ¡°Continue to acquire information. Let me know if there¡¯s anything important. If Third Lady wakes up, tell her that I¡¯m going to the Black Office and let her rest well.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± ¡°You should rest early too. Don¡¯t stay up late. What if you¡¯re not beautiful in the future?¡± ¡°Hehe~¡± It was late at night, and most of the streets and alleys of Yun¡¯an City were closed. However, Parasol Street, as well as the brothels on it, was open all night long. Although there were fewer pedestrians than in the evening, there were still carriages and drunk young masters on the brightly lit street. The Golden Screen Building in the middle of Parasol Street was full of chatter and laughter. In an elegant hall at the back, a few rich young masters of Literary Virtue Bridge, accompanied by beauties, were gambling in full swing. The Prince of Yan¡¯s heir, Dongfang Shuoyue, had been invited to have fun today. He had drunk a few glasses of wine during the banquet but wasn¡¯t very drunk. Halfway through, he had gone to rest in a nearby room. Because he wasn¡¯t lustful, and his status was too noble, the owner of the Golden Screen Building didn¡¯t try to act smart and arrange for a girl to accompany him. He only sent him hangover soup and tea. There was constant laughter around him, and he could vaguely hear some ambiguous sounds. But the beautiful room was rather quiet. The lights in the room were already off, but Dongfang Shuoyue wasn¡¯t asleep. He was sitting on a tea couch very awake with a frown. Fang Shijie, the old goateed steward, was sitting on a chair opposite him. He gently rubbed his fingers and discussed softly, ¡°The Pacifying Heaven Cult Master isn¡¯t willing to help us, so it¡¯s a little troublesome. With two Martial Chiefs in the capital, it¡¯s too risky¡­¡± Zhongsun Yan was sitting at the side. He slowly brewed tea and poured himself a cup. ¡°You people of Great Wei all like to think deeply and scheme. In Northern Liang, if you want to lure a tiger away, you will dig up its ancestral graves. With their ancestors dug up, no matter how big a devil someone is, they will most likely go back and bury them personally¡­¡± Zhongsun Yan was good at strange skills, and his thoughts had always been bizarre. The few of them were already used to it, so they didn¡¯t make any comments. On the other side of the tea couch, there was a rather tough man with sharp eyebrows and tiger eyes that were naturally full of killing intent. His name was Teng Tianyou, and he was the contact between the Green Bandits and the Prince of Yan¡¯s heir. At this moment, he said, ¡°This matter concerns the empress¡¯s life and death. Let alone digging graves, even if Void Jade Mountain collapses, Daoist Xuanji won¡¯t leave the capital at this time. Killing someone only takes an instant. If Daoist Xuanji can¡¯t help for an hour, we can do it. 1¡¯11 get the higher-ups to think of a solution. Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness.¡± The Green Bandits were a very mysterious organization. Not only did the Imperial Court know very little about them, but even Dongfang Shuoyue, who was an accomplice, didn¡¯t know their exact structure and leaders. Even the name Green Bandits had been given by the Imperial Court. Fang Shijie was the personal guard of the Prince of Yan¡¯s heir. It was inevitable that he was wary of allies with unknown identities. He suspected that the Green Bandits were backed by the Prince of Liang and were secretly using them to pick the fruit. But the Prince of Liang was in the northwest, and most of the people recruited by the Green Bandits were from Northern Liang. It was more likely that the Northern Liang Imperial Court was behind them, but it had never been possible to come to a definitive conclusion about this speculation. Actually, the heir also had doubts in his heart, but he had already stayed in the capital for ten years. The empress clearly had no intention of letting the heir return to the fief. In the end, it depended on whether the empress or the Prince of Yan couldn¡¯t hold back anymore first. No matter who made a move, the heir would be the first to be abandoned. If the heir waited until that time, what he would get would not be returning to his hometown but severe punishment. If he wanted to survive in this predicament, he could only break through the situation himself. If he succeeded, he would obtain everything. If he failed, he would escape to a distant place and start over from scratch. No matter what, it was better than waiting to die in the capital. Therefore, even though he knew that the Green Bandits might be a double-edged sword, without other help, he still had to use them.. Chapter 439 - Chapter 439: Night Wanderer (3) Chapter 439: Night Wanderer (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Seeing that Teng Tianyou had taken charge of this matter, Fang Shijie deliberated for a moment and said, ¡°I have always had a doubt. If we succeed, the Prince of Yan will obtain the imperial throne, and the heir will become the crown prince. It¡¯s reasonable for us to take a gamble for the sake of imperial power. But Brother Teng, you and the people behind you, all you¡¯ve done for the past ten years seems to be only to pull the empress off the throne. As for what you get after accomplishing this, I have no idea.¡± Teng Tianyou said, ¡°The organization has a strict structure. I only know the elder who brought me in, but I have never seen his true face. 1 joined because the higher-ups are resourceful and rescued me from Northern Liang¡¯s Death Prison. They even helped me obtain a clean identity and gave me countless properties to settle my family. ¡°As for what the higher-ups want, I¡¯m not too sure either¡­ According to what 1 know, the Green Bandits didn¡¯t only appear ten years ago. Their goal seems to be just to prevent anyone from unifying the world. It¡¯s said that there¡¯s a shadow of the higher-ups behind the Northwest Royal Court¡¯s collapse more than sixty years ago. And now, dealing with the empress is for the same reason.¡± When Fang Shijie heard this, he frowned slightly. ¡°Your higher-ups think that the empress will be able to unify the world, so they appeared ten years ago?¡± Dongfang Shuoyue continued, ¡°The empress is very ambitious. The three steps of enriching the people, cutting down vassal power and centralizing power, and pacifying the world are almost obvious. However, these three steps are usually completed by three generations of emperors. The possibility of the empress wanting to achieve them all in her lifetime is too low.¡± Teng Tianyou said, ¡°I¡¯m merely a martial artist of Jianghu. I just do what the higher-ups arrange for me to do. I don¡¯t know much about other things¡­¡± Puff! Puff! Puff! While they were talking, the sound of flapping wings suddenly came from the back of the noisy Golden Screen Building. The reflection of a jackdaw appeared on the window paper. The four people in the room fell silent. Zhongsun Yan turned around and frowned slightly. Then he looked at Fang Shijie and gestured with his hand. Fang Shijie knew that there was an uninvited guest. He immediately stood up, tidied up his robe, picked up his cane from the side of his chair, and quietly left the room¡­ Behind Parasol Street was a dark alley. Although it was only a line away from the most prosperous street in the capital, the difference between the two sides was like two completely different worlds. The main street was full of colorful clothes and horses, but the back alley was the residences of brothel workers and odd jobs workers. There was garbage everywhere in the winding alley. There were even a few secret prostitute houses open for foreigners who couldn¡¯t afford to spend on Parasol Street but wanted to go back to their hometowns to brag. It was probably around three in the morning, and the moon had already reached the horizon. Half of the alley was moonlit, and the other half was dark. There was no sign of anyone. Ye Jingtang was wearing a bamboo hat and night clothes, and his saber had been wrapped in a black cloth. As he walked in the darkness of the alley, from time to time, he heard noisy voices from the depths of the buildings. ¡°Mm mm- Ah-¡± ¡°Does it feel good?¡± ¡°Come, keep drinking¡­¡± The bird, who had been forced to work overtime again, was clearly not energetic at this moment. It was standing on Ye Jingtang¡¯s bamboo hat and looking around to observe the surroundings for clues. The purpose of Ye Jingtang¡¯s trip was to investigate and find the main target. He had just learned from Xiuhe that the Prince of Yan¡¯s heir was on Parasol Street. Because the heir never went out secretly, he came over to ask around casually and got the exact location. Seeing that there was still 250 meters from the Golden Screen Building, Ye Jingtang became silent in case there were any informers watching. He floated through the alley like a ghost. But when he walked past the back of the Dragon Cry Pavilion, he heard a few loud voices coming from the depths of the building. ¡°To be honest, when Brother Ye just arrived in the capital, I even sparred with him. 1 drew my saber three inches out, and his saber was already at my neck. Although I lost, you should know the weight of this battle in your hearts¡­¡± ¡°Brother Wang, stop bragging. You were clearly sent by the Prince of Jing to win him over, and you almost got cut down on the street when you reached for his saber from behind¡­¡± ¡°Hey! If it were you, would you be able to touch the Saber Chief¡¯s saber from behind? That¡¯s the current Saber Chief. Last time, he treated me to a drink on Parasol Street and even ordered more than ten girls to accompany him. Are you so lucky?¡± ¡°No¡­ Speaking of which, is Marquis Ye allowed to play here? Can he let go?¡± ¡°That kind of thing can only be understood but not expressed in words¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I understand¡­¡± ?? Ye Jingtang stopped in his tracks. What do you understand?! When he treated Wang Chihu to drinks, he didn¡¯t even touch the girls and only accompanied him to drink. If Dumdum heard this, she would tear the paintings apart. But this was the first time Ye Jingtang knew that the first time he had passed by the Black Office and had been stopped by Wang Chihu, it had been Dumdum who secretly instructed him¡­ Ye Jingtang was recalling the scene when he first entered the capital. The bird, who was standing on his bamboo hat, suddenly raised its head and looked into the depths of the alley. Ye Jingtang immediately came back to his senses and looked up at the buildings in the depths of the alley. He saw that where the bird was looking, a small bird spread its wings, flew up, and disappeared into a building. ¡°Is there a situation?¡± ¡°Coo.¡± The bird was a bird of prey. Perhaps the little bird was afraid that it would hunt it down, so it fled. The bird shook its head and canceled the alert. Ye Jingtang frowned. Because he had been using the bird to scheme against people all year round, he was much more wary of birds in the sky than ordinary Jianghu people. If the other party were also good at this, they would probably be the same. The investigation had just begun. Ye Jingtang was afraid that his identity would be exposed if he encountered the other party and alert the enemy. After some thought, he told the bird not to show its head for now and jumped onto a wall.. After looking around the buildings, he took a sword from the waist of a drunk young master and continued to walk toward the Golden Screen Building¡­ Chapter 440 - Chapter 440: Killing An Old Master with Random Sword Moves (1) Chapter 440: Killing An Old Master with Random Sword Moves (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Come drink¡­¡± ¡°Young Master Chen, you¡¯re such a good drinker-¡± The lights on Parasol Street were dazzling, and the sound of clinking cups and singing rang out everywhere. Behind the buildings, a ghostly black shadow was moving in the darkness. In a moment, it arrived at the dark alley behind the Golden Screen Building. Ye Jingtang was wearing a bamboo hat and night clothes. He leaned against the wall and listened carefully. After distinguishing from the noisy chatter for a long time, he caught a conversation. ¡°In terms of luck, His Highness¡¯s luck is still the best. What am 1¡­¡± ¡°Oh- Young Master Xu, don¡¯t be humble. You won a lot of money from His Highness today. If you don¡¯t treat everyone tomorrow, His Highness won¡¯t let you off¡­¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The voices were coming from a window on the east side of the second floor of the main building. Hearing this, Ye Jingtang jumped up and climbed up the tall building like a gecko. He hung upside down under the eaves and prepared to sneak into the main building. But at this moment, some abnormal movements appeared in the distance. Ye Jingtang frowned and quietly hid under the eaves. From the corner of his eye, he looked at the courtyard behind the wall. This courtyard was where carriages were parked in the Golden Screen Building. There were many horses, a few large carriages, and some workers who took care of them here. In the dead of night, the workers were leaning on chairs and dozing off. There was a wall between the main building complex and the carriage parking space. The carriages entered and exited from the side of the main building complex and went onto Parasol Street in front. VIPs also alighted at the side door. At this moment, an old man with a goatee walked out of the main building complex with a cane. His footsteps were silent, and it looked like his martial arts skills were not low. Ye Jingtang wasn¡¯t sure of the other party¡¯s identity, so he continued hanging under the eaves silently and only watched the goateed old man from the corner of his eye. The goateed old man walked straight through the courtyard with his cane, left through the back door, and entered the dark back alley. He leaned against the courtyard door and began to carefully search the surrounding darkness. When Ye Jingtang saw this scene, he understood that the old man had indeed discovered a suspicious person approaching. It was most likely related to the little bird just now. He could leave quietly at this moment, but the other party was alert and didn¡¯t find anyone suspicious. He would definitely be vigilant. It might be even harder to investigate later. Thinking of this, Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t leave. Instead, he moved along the wall and arrived outside a lighted window. Like a thief, he sneaked in. Not long after, Fang Shijie, who was looking for traces of the uninvited guest below, discovered a man wearing black clothes and a bamboo hat outside the window in the distance. He frowned slightly and silently approached the vicinity. His legs bent slightly. Boom! The next moment, a soft sound like muffled thunder sounded in the dark alley. Fang Shijie, who was holding the cane with one hand, exerted strength in his feet and stepped heavily with both feet. His body instantly shot into the sky. He came later but arrived first. In an instant, he was under the eaves and stabbing the cane in his hand at the black-clothed man hanging under the eaves. Just from this move, Ye Jingtang could tell that this goateed old man¡¯s martial arts were extraordinary. But with the current level he displayed, he was not his match. But if Ye Jingtang showed his true level, it would be no different from embroidering the words ¡®current Saber Chief¡¯ on the back of his night clothes. For this reason, he was just like an ordinary cat burglar. He trembled in shock, and then he hooked his right foot on the eaves and yanked fiercely, pulling his body slightly to the side, making the cane narrowly brush past his armpit. Clang! Fang Shijie¡¯s attack only pierced a hole in the sleeve on the inner side of the other party¡¯s right arm. There was obvious surprise in his eyes, but his movements were not slow at all. He gently twisted his cane and slapped it to the side! Bam! A huge force struck Ye Jingtang¡¯s ribs, and he was knocked down into the alley. He rolled on the ground, flipped over again, and ran wildly out of the alley. Plop! Tread, tread, tread¡­ ¡°Stop!¡± When Fang Shijie saw this scene, he knew that the black-clothed man was a Jianghu thief who had come to rob the heir in the middle of the night. But he didn¡¯t dare to be negligent before finding out his identity. Seeing that the black-clothed man wanted to escape, he immediately stepped on the wall and moved horizontally in midair. In an instant, he caught up to the thief again. Swoosh! When Ye Jingtang heard the sound of rushing wind rapidly approaching, he felt a little helpless. Then he sped up and grabbed the hilt of the sword behind his back with his right hand. Clang! A cold light flashed in the dark alley! Fang Shijie had just caught up to Ye Jingtang¡¯s back. But before he could stab him, he saw the black-clothed man running in the alley pull out the sword hanging on his back and swing his hand. This scene looked as though he had pulled out his weapon while escaping and wasn¡¯t preparing to turn around to fight. But Fang Shijie had extensive experience and could tell at a glance that this was Ze Province¡¯s Cloud Water Sword Pool¡¯s extremely sinister move, ¡®Turning Back to Look at the Moon¡¯. It was an attack that took people by surprise! Fang Shijie immediately held his cane horizontally and blocked in front of his heart! At this moment, Ye Jingtang had already slapped the three-foot-long sword on his left shoulder with the help of his body. The slender blade curved in a half-moon arc around his body, and the tip of the sword accurately pointed at the heart. Ding! There was a crisp sound of metal colliding. Fang Shijie blocked the extremely cunning sword tip. He held the end of the cane with his left hand and pulled it horizontally, pulling the slender sword blade that was no wider than two fingers with the handle of the cane. Clang! The slender sword carried a deep and cold light as it slashed toward Ye Jingtang¡¯s neck. Fang Shijie¡¯s right hand moved the cane to the upper right to block the sword slash that would come from the right side after Turning Back to Look at the Moon. However, what Fang Shijie didn¡¯t expect was that his opponent didn¡¯t make a move according to common sense. After Turning Back to Look at the Moon, his figure lowered. Not only did he dodge the head-cutting sword, but he swept his right leg back to attack the lower body.. Then his sword swept backward, slashing diagonally at Fang Shijie¡¯s ribs! Chapter 441 - Chapter 441: Killing An Old Master with Random Sword Moves (2) Chapter 441: Killing An Old Master with Random Sword Moves (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Fang Shijie was stunned. He recognized that this move was the Heavenly South s Seven Mysteries Sect s White Snake Sweeping Its Tail. In a situation where he had misjudged his opponent¡¯s move, even though Fang Shijie¡¯s internal energy was far superior to this man¡¯s, he still appeared to be in a hurry. He forcefully retracted his move and jumped into the air to dodge the sweeping kick. He used the cane in his right hand to block the sword tip, and with his left hand, he planned to strike the blade and directly thrust the slender sword blade backward toward Ye Jingtang¡¯s spine. However, the next moment, Fang Shijie was shocked to discover that the black-clothed man in front of him didn¡¯t exert any strength when the three-foot-long sword in his hand touched the cane. Then he turned his wrist and circled the long sword behind him at an astonishing speed. Like a peacock spreading its tail, he swept the slender blade forward. He was using the Pacifying Heaven Cult¡¯s Screen-Opening Sword. Ding! There was a crisp sound of metal colliding. Fang Shijie¡¯s eyes were surprised, but this was all. Although it had only been three breaths since he met this person, Fang Shijie s experience in the Jianghu still allowed him to figure out this person¡¯s path. He knew that the next strike would definitely be the Thousand Crane Villa s Picking Flowers in the Waves and stab straight at his throat. After all, from their current postures and positions, this sword move was the most suitable. As for this thief¡¯s sect and master, they were not important at all because he was clearly unskilled. He had secretly learned the outer sect moves of the various sects and used whatever was useful. There was no methodology to speak of. For this reason. Fang Shijie reacted very quickly. This time, he responded according to this sword bastard¡¯s train of thought. His right hand raised his cane while his left hand took out a thin sword from inside the cane and stabbed forward to prevent the Dragon Qi Sword¡¯s Picking Flowers in the Waves. Fang Shijie¡¯s martial arts attainments were authentic. He had indeed calculated Ye Jingtang¡¯s sword move correctly. Unfortunately, the only sword techniques Ye Jingtang knew were the Dragon Qi Sword and Ning¡¯er¡¯s Screen-Opening Sword. The rest were rhe miscellaneous outer sect sword moves that Dumdum had sent over these few days. Sun Wuji was in the capital. Ye Jingtang had just learned rhe Dragon Qi Sword from him. If he used it now, he might expose himself. For this reason, he gave up using the most suitable move and chose to use the Immortal Guidance of the Wu Mountains Sect. He leaned down and stabbed with one hand. Swoosh! As a result, when this move appeared, the two top martial artists with extremely high attainments were stunned! Fang Shijie relied on his astonishing experience and swordsmanship attainments to instantly figure out Ye Jingtang¡¯s next sword move. He preemptively chose Stab on the Rack¡¯. But due to some reasons, Ye Jingtang had to give up on the reasonable move and choose the awkward sword move of leaning down and stabbing. Thus, the weapons of both sides didn¡¯t touch at all. Not only did Fang Shijie not defend against anything, bur he even placed his cane and sword above. As for Ye Jingtang, he turned around and was shocked to discover that the goateed old man, who had just displayed extraordinary swordsmanship attainments, had actually opened his legs in the air and used his crotch to receive the sword!! ?! When Ye Jingtang saw the opponent¡¯s posture, he could tell that this old man was definitely an old sword Grandmaster. With just a few moves, he had accurately predicted the sword moves Ye Jingtang should use next. This experience and reaction could be said to have reached the peak. The only flaw was that he was unlucky and that he had reacted too quickly. Above Ye Jingtang, Fang Shijie had shock and surprise in his eyes. He probably meant: Are you fighting blindly? How can you use a sword like this? But it was too late to think about this now. When Fang Shiji saw that he was about to be stabbed in his crotch, his speed instantly increased by a lot. He kicked the wall on the side with his left foot with all his might, causing his body to move horizontally in the air and crash into the wall on the right. Boom! Ye Jingtang¡¯s sword missed, and he could tell that the goateed old man was hiding his strength. Moreover, there was something wrong with the explosive power of his muscles. He didn¡¯t look like a swordsman who walked the agile and elegant path at all. Because they had already caused a commotion, Ye Jingtang couldn¡¯t stay for long. After noting this down, he sheathed the sword and jumped up, flying over the wall. With a few jumps, he disappeared into the buildings. Crash! The two sides had exchanged four to five moves in just a few breaths. The servants in the carriage parking space were woken up by the sudden commotion and got up to check. Fang Shijie smashed through the wall and landed in a courtyard. He gently flipped his wrist and sheathed his sword, his eyes filled with anger. However, after confirming that it was a blind thief, Fang Shijie didn¡¯t chase after him anymore. He flicked his sleeve and returned to the second floor. In the room, the three of them were looking out the window. When Fang Shijie returned, Zhongsun Yan stroked his beard and said with a strange gaze, ¡°Killing an old master with random punches is indeed not a joke. Old Fang, your swordsmanship is a pleasure to watch, but unfortunately, you encountered a dabbler. As long as this person¡¯s brain was a little normal, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to walk out of the alley today.¡± Teng Tianyou pondered for a moment and evaluated, ¡°It might not be random. This person¡¯s swordsmanship is average, and what he has learned is indeed mixed, but he linked the various moves smoothly. He changed his moves halfway through the fight. It¡¯s possible that he saw through Old Fang¡¯s moves and deliberately used these moves to counterattack¡­¡± Dongfang Shuoyue thought for a moment. ¡°This person uses mixed sword moves and makes unconventional moves every time. It¡¯s indeed possible, but the possibility isn¡¯t high. I think he didn¡¯t use ¡®Picking Flowers in the Waves¡¯ because he hasn¡¯t learned it. The Thousand Crane Villa is famous for its chivalry. Whether they¡¯re good or evil, most people in Jianghu will give the Thousand Crane Villa face. Even bandits won¡¯t rob them on the road. It¡¯s not unreasonable for a thief in Jianghu not to steal from the Thousand Crane Villa.¡± Fang Shijie couldn¡¯t be bothered to recall rhe messy fight just now. He said, ¡°The sword in this man¡¯s hand is the sword of Assistant Minister Liu¡¯s second son. 1 saw it when I came here in the afternoon. I think it¡¯s a wanderer passing through the capital and playing on Parasol Street. He didn¡¯t like Young Master Liu or liked this sword, so he stole it. After stealing it at the Dragon Cry Pavilion, he came here. Itrs just a thief. There¡¯s no need to waste rime on this person.¡± Hearing this, the few of them didn¡¯t say anything else about this and continued to discuss serious matters¡­ Chapter 442 - Chapter 442: Killing An Old Master with Random Sword Moves (3) Chapter 442: Killing An Old Master with Random Sword Moves (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The long night had not ended. The Imperial City was silent. Some palace maids and eunuchs had already gotten up and were preparing breakfast in the imperial kitchen. In the Longevity Palace, located in the northwest of the Imperial City, because the empress dowager had the habit of waking up late due to not being able to sleep for a long time, the palace maids serving her could also nap for a while. There was no movement at the moment. In the resting palace, Hongyu was resting in her room. In the bedchamber with a phoenix bed, two faint breaths sounded. At the open window near the garden, the faint fragrance of cinnamon wafted over in the night breeze. Beside the window, the place where the Vendor Selling Chickens Painting had been hung had changed to a painting of a sea of people on Jun Mountain Terrace. Daoist Xuanji was wearing white pajamas. She was lying flat on the outside of the bed and looking at the painting on the wall. From time to time, she would pick up her wine gourd and take a sip. Her eyes were already a little blurry as her mind recalled the past. Daoist Xuanji had a free and easy nature. When she first stayed on Void Jade Mountain, she ran all over the mountains and fields. But ever since her disciple ascended the throne and arranged a mission for her, she had completely become a wanderer in Jianghu. Over the past ten years, she had been to the northernmost part of the world, where there were endless snowfields and basically no living creatures could be seen. She had once taken a boat deep into the Eastern Sea and had seen the largest fish and the most spectacular waves in the world. She had ridden a camel in the westernmost Sand Sea and listened to the ballads brought by the wind and sand. She had seen sceneries that most of the world had never seen before. She thought there was nothing in this world that could arouse her interest anymore. But this time, when she came back, she had inexplicably met someone she would subconsciously recall when she dreamed at night¡­ Daoist Xuanji was lying on the pillow with countless thoughts running through her mind. She didn¡¯t know what she was thinking about. In her half-asleep state, her ears suddenly moved slightly, and she heard the faint sound of wings tearing through the air outside the palace. Whoosh! Daoist Xuanji immediately woke up and sat up on the bed. She put on a white dress and went to the window to look around. She saw the big bird land on the roof of the corridor in the distance. It looked left and right and even waved its wing at her. Then a cold figure in night clothes appeared in the corridor. After seeing her standing in front of the window, he approached her quietly. Daoist Xuanji tilted her head slightly, tapped her toes lightly, and sat on the windowsill. She lifted a strand of black hair and twirled it on her fingertip, her eyes half-smiling. She was extremely charming. ¡°Young Master Ye, you¡¯re dressed like that in the middle of the night and going to a girl¡¯s room. Do you want to be a rapist? Who is your target?¡± Ye Jingtang was still wearing his bamboo hat, but he had pulled down his mask. With a sword in his hand, he passed through the white stone platform and quickly arrived under the window. ¡°Fairy Lu, please don¡¯t joke. I have something to discuss with you.¡± Daoist Xuanji sized Ye Jingtang up carefully and suddenly found that there was a hole in his sleeve, which seemed to have been pierced by a weapon. The flirtatious look on her face immediately disappeared. She flipped her slender legs over the winderwill and jumped down from the window, landing in front of him. She pulled his sleeve and looked at it. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Her mature voice full of demonic charm suddenly turned serious, cold, and fairy-like. It was as if she had changed into a different person, causing Ye Jingtang to be stunned. But Ye Jingtang wasn¡¯t in the mood to pay attention to this. He looked at his clothes. ¡°Just now, when I was investigating something, I encountered an expert using a cane sword. After exchanging a few moves, I was afraid that my identity would be exposed, so 1 deliberately let him stab me. I¡¯m fine.¡± Rip- Daoist Xuanji tore open the hole with her fingers and checked his arm. Seeing that there was a dark blue mark on the inside of his arm from a blunt object, she breathed a sigh of relief. She let the dozing bird sleep on the windowsill and led Ye Jingtang to the side hall. ¡°What were you investigating?¡± After Ye Jingtang received the information from Ning¡¯er, he originally planned to investigate on his own to prevent the Imperial Court from reacting too strongly when they found out, causing the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master to discover that he and Ning¡¯er were helping the Imperial Court out of trouble. But the Prince of Yan¡¯s heir¡¯s security was tighter than he had imagined. The Red Flower Pavilion couldn¡¯t find out the exact details, so he could only start from the Imperial Court. If he asked Yuhu or Dumdum, they would definitely be puzzled about the source of the information, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to explain it. Only Daoist Xuanji was different. Daoist Xuanji knew about his identity as the empress¡¯s favorite official, her best friend¡¯s traitorous lover, and the young master of the Red Flower Pavilion. She knew about Ning¡¯er¡¯s background long ago. Even if she really guessed the source of the information, she wouldn¡¯t say anything. Moreover, this matter concerned the safety of the empress, and Daoist Xuanji was the empress¡¯s personal bodyguard. If there were hidden dangers, but she wasn¡¯t prepared, something might go wrong. It would be beneficial to tell her. After Ye Jingtang considered his words for a while, he said, ¡°There seems to be a force in Yan Province plotting a big move. The target is Her Majesty. A few days ago, I was ambushed on Dragon Creek Alley. It might be this group of people behind the scenes¡­ 1 just checked the list of officials from Yan Province in the capital and found that the heir of the Prince of Yan has the greatest background, so I started investigating from him. But in the end, the guards beside the heir were more vigilant than 1 expected, and I didn¡¯t find anything¡­¡± Daoist Xuanji went to the tea room in the side hall and got Ye Jingtang to sit down on the soft couch. After some thought, she asked in doubt, ¡°Where did you get your information?¡± Ye Jingtang said solemnly, ¡°It¡¯s hard to say the source. Anyway, it¡¯s mostly true. Only you and I know this information. Remember not to tell anyone, and don¡¯t make a big fuss to avoid alerting the enemy.¡± Daoist Xuanji was very smart. When she heard this, she understood that Ye Jingtang¡¯s information source wasn¡¯t very formal, so she didn¡¯t ask much. She touched her waist and took out the wound medicine that martial artists always prepared. ¡°Alright, as long as the information is true, 1 won¡¯t ask anything else. What did you find?¡± Ye Jingtang thought for a moment. ¡°The guards around the heir of the Prince of Yan are extremely vigilant, and there seem to be birds and beasts as lookouts. When I went to Parasol Street just now, I only paid attention to people but not birds and beasts. In the end, I alarmed a bird. Then an old man with a goatee came out of the Golden Screen Building. His martial arts skills with a cane sword are very high¡­¡± Daoist Xuanji sat sideways in front of him and asked Ye Jingtang to raise his arm. She gently touched the wound with her fingers. ¡°Goatee, cane sword¡­ He should be Fang Shijie, a guard of the heir of the Prince of Yan. His swordsmanship is indeed extraordinary. As for birds and beasts¡­ There are countless profligate sons who raise birds and eagles. There are also many who know how to raise them to look after the house. However, they aren¡¯t as smart as the stupid little bird.¡± Ye Jingtang chuckled and continued, ¡°When I fought with Fang Shijie, I almost castrated him by mistake. When he kicked the wall and dodged to the side, his explosive power was very strong. He seems to be hiding his strength. That¡¯s all the information I found out. If we want to continue investigating, you have to help me find the movements and manpower of the Prince of Yan¡¯s heir. You have always been carefree and casual, so you can do whatever you want¡­ Hiss¡ª¡± Before he could finish speaking, she pinched her waist hard. Daoist Xuanji¡¯s eyes were cold and charming as she got closer. ¡°You don¡¯t have a conscience, do you? You came to my room in the middle of the night and asked me to treat your injuries, but you still say that I¡¯m not proper?¡± Ye Jingtang raised his hand to take the medicine bottle, but he was stopped. He could only say, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. You suddenly investigating the Prince of Yan¡¯s heir is in line with your strange style. Liren and Her Majesty won¡¯t find it strange. I¡¯m different. I¡¯m very pragmatic. If I say that I¡¯m investigating the Prince of Yan¡¯s heir, Liren will definitely know that 1 have secret information. I won¡¯t be able to explain the source if she asks.¡± Daoist Xuanji harrumphed lightly and continued applying medicine to his arm. ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°You have to investigate secretly too. Don¡¯t casually deploy people, lest they alert the enemy.¡± ¡°Sure. What benefits are you going to give me?¡± ?? Ye Jingtang was stunned. He raised his arm and turned around. ¡°You and I both receive our salaries from the Imperial Court. It¡¯s our duty to protect the safety of Her Majesty. Why are you asking me for benefits? It should be you giving me benefits. I¡¯m not Her Majesty¡¯s personal guard.¡± Daoist Xuanji blinked and felt that it made sense, so she changed her words. ¡°So, what benefits do you want?¡± H ii Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t want to joke, but after some thought, he tried asking, ¡°The internal martial arts of Void Jade Mountain are very powerful. Can you teach me?¡± ? Daoist Xuanji pressed his arm in disbelief. ¡°It¡¯s late at night. A man and a woman are alone, and a beauty is beside you. I asked you what benefits you want, but you actually want to learn martial arts?¡± Ye Jingtang spread out his left hand. ¡°I want other things. But Fairy Lu, will you really give them to me?¡± Daoist Xuanji blinked. ¡°As long as it¡¯s in accordance with the rules and etiquette, I won¡¯t be stingy.¡± ¡°Then, can you paint a painting that I can hang in my central hall? It should be ten feet tall. It¡¯s best if it has my horse, saber, and the bird. Hmm¡­ It has to highlight the atmosphere of Jianghu. It should be domineering but not too rough. The artistic conception should be vast and distant, and it can reflect love¡­¡± ??? Daoist Xuanji¡¯s peach blossom eyes twitched imperceptibly. She was stunned. You¡¯re not even going to pay a single copper coin to ask me to paint a ten-foot-tail painting, but you¡¯re still asking for so much. Do you really have the cheek to ask? Why don¡¯t you ask Liren to paint it? But she had just said that she wouldn¡¯t be stingy. This request was also in line with etiquette. It seemed too late to regret it now. After a moment of silence, Daoist Xuanji applied the medicine with force. ¡°Alright. But this won¡¯t be a matter of a day or two. I¡¯ll paint slowly. You wait slowly.¡± Although Ye Jingtang grimaced from being rubbed hard, he still smiled and said, ¡°Thanks..¡± Chapter 443 - Chapter 443: Playing with Fire and Burning Yourself (1) Chapter 443: Playing with Fire and Burning Yourself (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Boom-! Boom-! In the silent bedchamber, the faint sound of bells rang out, and the light gradually brightened. On the bed, the empress dowager, who was sleeping soundly with her eyes closed, was disturbed by the bell chimes day after day. She frowned slightly, then turned over and touched her side. Rustle- Bustle, rustle- ? The empress dowager¡¯s right hand paused. Then she opened her eyes and looked over, only to see that the outside of the bed was empty, and the dress hanging beside the dressing table was gone. ¡°Where is she¡­¡± The empress dowager was a little puzzled. She thought that Daoist Xuanji had gone out for something at night. Just as she was about to continue lying down, she found a fluffy white ball on the tea couch by the window of the outer room. The empress dowager propped up her upper body and took a closer look. Only then did she discover that the fluffy thing was the big white bird. It was sleeping soundly with its head tilted, and it was even very particular about lying on her soft pillow. ¡°Huh?¡± The empress dowager¡¯s eyes lit up. She flipped over, put on her palace shoes, went to the outer room, and looked at it carefully. ¡°Cluck Cluck? Beloved Consort?¡± Beloved Consort was what Liren called the bird, and Cluck Cluck was what Daoist Xuanji called it. Because the bird had freeloaded on the ship for a long time, the empress dowager also started calling it these names. Unfortunately, the bird had a regular schedule. When it shouldn¡¯t sleep, it would get up and play like crazy. When it should sleep, people shouldn¡¯t even think about waking it up. The empress dowager called out for a long time, but when she saw that the bird was ignoring her, her eyes moved slightly. She thought for a moment and said, ¡°Big fat bird?¡± ¡°Chirp?!¡± The bird, who was sleeping on the soft pillow, raised its head when it heard the name. Its round eyes were full of shock. The empress dowager was satisfied. She raised her hand and gestured gently. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. 1 just woke you up because I saw that you were sleeping too soundly. Go back to sleep.¡± The bird became even more shocked, but it immediately tilted its head and rolled to the side. It fell into the gap between the soft pillow and the backrest and stopped moving. The empress dowager didn¡¯t disturb the bird, who was sleeping like a pig, anymore and began to search the resting palace. Since the bird is in my room, Ye Jingtang must have been here, and Shuishui is gone. The two of them¡­ ? When the empress dowager thought of this, what she was about to shout out stopped in her throat, and her footsteps stopped. She opened the door quietly and went to the next door to take a look. Next door was Hongyu¡¯s residence. Although Hongyu looked like a palace maid, she had been with the empress dowager since they were children. After entering the palace, she had the official position of ¡®maid-in-waiting¡¯. In fact, her status was quite high, and her residence was very spacious. Although the sky was just starting to brighten, Hongyu had already woken up and was sitting in front of her dressing table, getting dressed. She didn¡¯t seem to realize that someone had come to the Longevity Palace. Seeing this, the empress dowager didn¡¯t alarm Hongyu. She walked out of the door and headed for the tea room in the side hall. Before she got close, she heard the soft clinking of cups and the words of a man and a woman. ¡°Don¡¯t drink too much. You have something important to do today.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t fall even if 1 drink a thousand cups- This is nothing¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re boasting too much. You won¡¯t fall from a thousand cups¡­ The empress dowager is here¡­¡± ? The empress dowager had been so careful, but she didn¡¯t expect that Ye Jingtang could still tell who she was. Hearing this, she hurriedly ran to the corner of the corridor and looked around. In the end, she saw Daoist Xuanji sitting on a couch, leaning against a small table with a flushed face. Ye Jingtang was sitting on the other side of the small table. The left side of his clothes was intact, but the right side had been taken off, revealing his slender arm with perfect lines. As he quickly pulled his clothes, the empress dowager could clearly see the bulging muscles under his skin¡­ The empress dowager¡¯s eyes widened a little. She walked out from the corner and put on the dignified aura of an empress dowager. ¡°Shui¡¯er, what are you two doing?¡± Ye Jingtang wanted to pull up his clothes, but the left side of clothes had been torn by Daoist Xuanji, so he couldn¡¯t do it. Seeing the empress dowager running over, he could only stand up and cup his hands. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Daoist Xuanji¡¯s reaction was calm. She swirled her small wine cup and replied softly, ¡°I¡¯m drinking with a man. What else can I do? Why are you awake so early?¡± The empress dowager was clearly unhappy, but the reason for her unhappiness was that her best friend didn¡¯t bring her along to drink. She walked over to her with a dignified bearing and was about to say something when her sharp eyes noticed dark red scratches on the inner side of Ye Jingtang¡¯s arm. She frowned. ¡°Ye Jingtang, are you injured?¡± It wasn¡¯t appropriate for Ye Jingtang to talk about what had happened last night. While he was still thinking, Daoist Xuanji helped answer. ¡°We sparred earlier. 1 did it.¡± Just as Ye Jingtang was about to nod, the empress dowager¡¯s smooth face darkened. She picked up the sword beside her and was about to slap Daoist Xuanji¡¯s butt with the scabbard. ¡°You drank too much again, didn¡¯t you? Why did you use so much strength?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Ye Jingtang felt flattered by the empress dowager¡¯s protectiveness, but he couldn¡¯t let Daoist Xuanji be hit for nothing. He hurriedly stood between them and said amiably, ¡°It¡¯s common for there to be some minor injuries during spars. Your Majesty, don¡¯t worry¡­¡± The empress dowager was using this as an excuse to make a fuss. Her expression was still slightly fierce as she slapped her best friend¡¯s butt for not calling her to drink. Pa- Daoist Xuanji wasn¡¯t angry at all. She just leaned against the small table and looked at Ye Jingtang, who wanted to protect her but couldn¡¯t stop the empress dowager. ¡°Go do your work first. Her Majesty is setting off at noon. You have to accompany Her Majesty. Go pack up and have a meal first. Don¡¯t be late.¡± The empress dowager originally wanted to chat for a while, but she was about to go to Clear Water Villa for vacation. She wasn¡¯t in a hurry, so she nodded. ¡°Her Majesty¡¯s honor guard walks slowly. Go eat something first. Don¡¯t starve for half a day on the way.¡± Ye Jingtang nodded with a smile. After bidding farewell to the empress dowager, he carried his sword out of the side hall and whistled.. Chapter 444 - Chapter 444: Playing with Fire and Burning Yourself (2) Chapter 444: Playing with Fire and Burning Yourself (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Chirp-¡± A weak chirp came from the side hall, and then the bird flew out of the window unsteadily and landed on Ye Jingtang¡¯s shoulder. It fell silent again. With the bird on his shoulder, Ye Jingtang walked out. Just as he turned the corner of the corridor, he heard a voice coming from the side hall. ¡°Shui¡¯er, did you sleep here with Ye Jingtang last night?¡± ¡°Uh-huh-¡± ?! Ye Jingtang staggered. He didn¡¯t expect the empress dowager to ask this question, nor did he expect Daoist Xuanji to answer like that. But it wasn¡¯t appropriate for him to interrupt the private joke between the women. He pretended not to hear anything and quickly walked out of the Longevity Palace. Yesterday, Dumdum also stayed in the palace. In the morning, she should be waiting for the empress to pack up. Then she would lead the imperial guards from Heavenly Street to Clear Water Villa. If Ye Jingtang went straight to the Eternal Joy Palace now, he might bump into the empress and the Prince of Jing bathing and changing their clothes. Even if he went, he would be standing outside. For this reason, he left the Imperial City first, took a horse, changed into the official robe of the Black Office, and went to the Black Office, which was not far from the Imperial City. Last night, he had put on an act and stole the sword of a rich man¡¯s son. Regardless of whether the sword was valuable or not, its source was improper. If Ye Jingtang held it in his hand or lost it, he would really become a thief. For this reason, he had to return this borrowed sword. As for the method of returning it, it was simple. The noble son of a wealthy family had lost his sword at the Dragon Cry Pavilion. Even if the guest didn¡¯t care, the owner had to report it to the government to find it. Otherwise, his reputation would be ruined. Ye Jingtang handed the sword to the Black Office and casually said that after the thief succeeded, he sold the stolen good on the black market in the city. His subordinate recovered it and handed it to him. Because he was the deputy commander of the Black Office, no constable would get to the bottom of the matter. After settling this matter, Ye Jingtang casually found a place to eat on the streets. Then he returned to the Imperial City and went to the Eternal Joy Palace. It was customary for the empress to go to Clear Water Villa every autumn to rest and relax. During this time, her personal palace maids would accompany her, and the court assemblies to discuss serious matters would be held at Clear Water Villa. Although it sounded a little troublesome, Clear Water Villa was only about five kilometers away from the city. Great Wei only held a court assembly once every five days, and the officials who could attend the court assembly didn¡¯t lack carriages and horses. Because they had changed places, their working hours were pushed back, and they didn¡¯t have to get up at four in the morning to prepare. Because of this, the officials had never had any objections to this matter. Ye Jingtang arrived at the Eternal Joy Palace with familiarity. He could already see many palace maids walking back and forth in the corridors, carrying the items the empress usually used. In the Peaceful Hall, Dongfang Liren was still sitting in the study, seriously helping her sister with her work. Ye Jingtang arrived at the door of the hall and found that Dumdum was busy with national affairs, so it was naturally not good to go in and disturb her. Thus, he did his job as a guard and stood outside the door as a door guard. He had left the sleeping bird in the bushes outside the hall. During this period of time, the empress was weak and didn¡¯t have the energy to deal with trivial government affairs. She only asked about more important matters and left all the messy matters to Dongfang Liren to handle. In the eyes of ordinary people, things that could be sent to the emperor¡¯s desk were definitely important matters that concerned the rise and fall of a country. But in reality, this wasn¡¯t the case. Great Wei¡¯s territory was massive, and there were indeed many things happening every day. However, the governors and countless local officials were enough to deal with most things. The empress only needed to take a look. The most headache-inducing thing every day was the officials looking for trouble for no reason. At the beginning of the founding of the country, the founding emperor was full of energy and gave the officials the privilege of not being punished for their words. For this reason, it had become a custom for the court officials to submit a report every day. A certain official¡¯s dog barked twice when people passed by. A courtier could write a long article eloquently, saying that the dog barked because it relied on its owner¡¯s power. This official might be using his power to bully the people on a daily basis and should be investigated thoroughly. The empress had to read these trivial matters. If her reply were too perfunctory, the official would have to worry about what to write tomorrow. Now that these trivial matters had fallen on Dongfang Liren, it was even more troublesome. This was because she was the one that the officials found fault with the most. She couldn¡¯t count the number of times that officials complained that the Black Office¡¯s authority was unclear and the expenditure was too high. Dongfang Liren was furious when she saw this, but she couldn¡¯t be angry. As for giving a beating as a warning, forget about it. If she dared to use corporal punishment against these officials, they would dare to die. Then their names would be remembered for ten thousand years. Dongfang Liren was sitting at the desk, holding a long speech in both hands with a dark face. When she noticed that Ye Jingtang had arrived, perhaps afraid that Sir Tangtang would hear her cursing when she couldn¡¯t control her emotions, she said, ¡°Ye Jingtang, go to the Roaring Dragon Pond to practice first. I¡¯ll call you when we set off later.¡± Hearing this, Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t say anything. He turned around and headed to the Roaring Dragon Pond behind the Peaceful Hall, preparing to practice and wait for Dumdum to finish his work. But just as he reached the lake, his ears twitched slightly. He heard a sound from inside the Peaceful Hall. Splash- The sound of water splashing came from behind the tiger head door in the bedchamber. ¡°¡­¡± Ye Jingtang stopped. He wanted to pretend that he didn¡¯t hear anything, but just as he was about to continue walking, another sound came from inside. Splash! It was obviously calling him. Ye Jingtang had an indescribable look in his eyes. He first looked in the direction of the study on the east side of the hall. Then he tiptoed, jumped onto the balcony of the bedchamber, entered silently, and went behind the screen. He whispered outside the tiger head door, ¡°Miss Yuhu, are you looking for me?¡± ¡°Come in.¡± A gentle and charming voice sounded from the small bathing pool. Ye Jingtang opened his mouth. ¡°The Prince of Jing is in the hall. You¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s far away. As long as you don¡¯t make a lot of noise, how can she hear you? Come in quickly.¡± Ye Jingtang was helpless. He took out the mask he had used last night and tied it around his eyes. Then he gently pushed open the sliding door.. Chapter 445 - Chapter 445: Playing with Fire and Burning Yourself (3) Chapter 445: Playing with Fire and Burning Yourself (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Whoosh! The small bathroom was full of mist, and the water in the pool had been dyed milky white by Snow Lake Powder. The empress of Great Wei was lying in the water with her back against the white jade stone. Her hands were not covering herself. Although she was naked, the water in the pool was opaque. Only the top of two hemispheres could be seen floating on the water. And on the floor at the edge of the pool, there was a red dress and smallclothes. Ye Jingtang closed the sliding door and walked to the edge of the bathing pool with ease. When he realized that his foot had touched something, he squatted down and picked up the red dress. ¡®Are you seriously injured?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an old injury. It¡¯s always like this when the weather turns cold. It¡¯s neither serious nor light.¡± The empress stirred up the water and sprinkled it between the bottomless white ravine. ¡°I heard that Sun Wuji came to the capital. You even learned swordsmanship from him?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I found the Sudden Inspiration Sword in Wu Province and sent it back. As a result, Old Sword Saint Sun directly came to teach me swordsmanship. He didn¡¯t even let me speak¡­ Do you want to learn it?¡± ¡°I have plenty of ways to learn what 1 want. I don¡¯t need you to teach me¡­¡± At this point, the empress stopped speaking. Ye Jingtang suddenly stopped. He was holding the folded dress in his left hand and pinching a small triangular piece of cloth on the floor with his right hand. His expression changed slightly. He hadn¡¯t scanned the room before entering, and the clothes wouldn¡¯t move on their own. He clearly knew what was on the floor. Now that he was holding it in his hand, the familiar touch and shape made him understand that he had accidentally taken the natural flavor of Yuhu. It didn¡¯t seem appropriate to throw it away directly, but it was obviously wrong to put the clothes away and pretend that he didn¡¯t recognize what it was¡­ Not only did the empress see Ye Jingtang take her underwear, but she even saw that he couldn¡¯t bear to part with it. She frowned slightly. ¡°Just put them aside. You don¡¯t have to help me clean up.¡± Ye Jingtang acted like nothing had happened. He placed the dress and even the triangular piece of cloth on a chaise longue and asked, ¡°How long is Her Majesty going to recuperate at Clear Water Villa?¡± ¡°It depends. It can take as short as ten days or as long as two months.¡± The empress raised her hand, picked up the remaining upper undergarment, and placed it on the other side. ¡°You have to patrol Clear Water Villa in shifts these days. Last time, 1 promised you that 1 would give the people around you a chance to learn the Jade Bone Picture. They¡¯ve just seen it once. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll be staying at Clear Water Villa for a long time. If you want them to learn it sooner, you can let them stay in the palace these days. Anyway, Her Majesty won¡¯t be here these days, and there¡¯s food and drink in the palace. It¡¯ll save you from working outside and worrying about your family all day.¡± When Ye Jingtang heard this, he was rather surprised. He had run into the small bathroom, wanting to use this opportunity to ask if he could bring Ning¡¯er and Third Lady into the palace to learn the Jade Bone Picture when there was no one in the Eternal Joy Palace. He didn¡¯t expect Yuhu to speak first. ¡°The Imperial City is an important place. Without Her Majesty around, will it be a problem for them to stay in Her Majesty¡¯s resting palace?¡± The empress shrugged casually. ¡°The place where Her Majesty is is the palace of the Imperial City. Where Her Majesty is not, no matter how big it is, it¡¯s just a house. If you come here every day to take a look, it can be considered as protecting the Imperial City from both sides. However, I still have to remind you that the Roaring Dragon Chart is an important national treasure. It has to be passed down to future generations. Her Majesty can¡¯t deal with it at will. Now that I¡¯ve handed it to you and allowed you to teach the people around you, if something goes wrong and the Roaring Dragon Chart is lost, your crime will not be small. You will really lose your head. Ye Jingtang chuckled. ¡°I naturally know the importance. I¡¯ll take turns guarding with Daoist Xuanji every day. I¡¯ll just check when I return to the Imperial City. 1¡¯11 let them study the Jade Bone Picture at the Roaring Dragon Pond for the next few days. When they learn it, I¡¯ll get them to leave the palace.¡± The empress nodded and wanted to chat some more. But after she thought about it carefully, there didn¡¯t seem to be any official topic. She sat up a little higher, letting two balls of white softness surface. The red spots were faintly discernible. She joked, ¡°They¡¯re still packing up outside. It¡¯ll take a while before we set off. Why don¡¯t you come down and rub my back?¡± ?? Ye Jingtang saw that Yuhu was acting up again. With the experience of dealing with her in the past, he took advantage of the situation and said, ¡°Alright.¡± Then he pretended to untie his belt and prepared to enter the pool. ? The empress tilted her head slightly. Seeing that Ye Jingtang had become thick-skinned, she wasn¡¯t flustered. After all, she knew that he was trying to scare her. She moved to the side to make room and half-leaned against the edge of the bathing pool to wait. She didn¡¯t feel anxious at all. Seeing that Ye Jingtang¡¯s movements had slowed down after taking off his outer robe, she even teased, ¡°You¡¯re not taking your clothes off? Why don¡¯t you dare to take them off?¡± Ye Jingtang really didn¡¯t believe that Little Tiger Girl could stare at him until he finished taking off his clothes. After some thought, he crossed his hands to his left and right, preparing to take off the silver soft armor to try. In the end, he was right. No matter how fierce Little Tiger Giri¡¯s words were, she was still a woman in the end. How could she not be timid about something like giving herself for nothing? But what he didn¡¯t expect was that Yuhu didn¡¯t have any intention of admitting defeat. Instead, just as he pulled up the soft armor with both hands and covered his head, he suddenly pressed his arm on the white jade ball on his left. Violent coughing sounded. ¡°Cough, cough, cough!¡± The sound of coughing was quite loud. Immediately, there was movement in the study on the east side of the palace, followed by the sound of running over. Tread, tread, tread¡­ ¡°You!¡± Ye Jingtang was caught off guard and suddenly pulled down his soft armor. He wanted to rush out of the door, but because he pulled down too hard, he brought the black scarf tied around his eyes to his nose, and his vision immediately recovered. Then the scene that fell into his eyes was the small bathroom surrounded by white mist and the beautiful trembling flower in the pool. Since the empress was coughing hard, it was definitely difficult for her to lean against the bathing pool. At this moment, she was sitting in the bathing pool. The water didn¡¯t reach her ribs, and her right hand was covering the watermelon on her left. Ye Jingtang could clearly see her fair fingers sinking into the softness. The right side was shaking vigorously due to no restraint and coughing. A trace of bright red flashed, leaving behind an afterimage. But with a Martial Chief¡¯s eyesight, Ye Jingtang could see it very clearly. The bathroom instantly fell silent. The empress immediately stopped coughing. She raised her left hand to cover the other side and turned into a posture of her hands crossed in front of her body. Her face immediately turned a little red. This was the first time Ye Jingtang was not nervous at all when he accidentally took advantage of Yuhu. Instead, he felt quite good. The meaning in his eyes was probably: You suffered a loss, right? Who asked you to tease me? Because footsteps were running this way and had passed through the main hall and arrived at the door, Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t have time to wait for Yuhu¡¯s reaction. He picked up his robe, turned around, and ran out.. In an instant, he opened the door, rushed out of the bedchamber, and jumped out of the window¡­ Chapter 446 - Chapter 446: Digging for Treasures Deep in the Palace (1) Chapter 446: Digging for Treasures Deep in the Palace (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The autumn wind blew gently, and a merchant ship with a swollen sail was sailing down the Clear River. A few hoarse coughs came from a cabin on the second floor of the ship. ¡°Cough cough cough¡­¡± The deck was full of travelers, but there were not many guests on the second floor. A young man in blue with a three-foot saber in a brocade scabbard hanging from his waist pushed open a door with a tray in his hand. Squeak! Sitting beside the tea table by the window of the room was a tall old man. He was wearing a brocade robe, a jade belt, and a loose cloak. His eyes were reserved, like a lonely eagle that had experienced countless things in the world. ¡°Master, the medicine is getting cold. Take a sip. Even if it can¡¯t cure your illness, it can help with the pain.¡± The blue-robed young master put down the tray, picked up the medicine bowl on it, and placed it beside the old man¡¯s hand. There was deep worry between his brows. But the old man¡¯s reaction was rather calm. He pushed the medicine bowl away with his fingers. ¡°This medicine can relieve pain, but it can mess with your mind. Once you¡¯re addicted to it, you won¡¯t be able to extricate yourself. You can¡¯t touch it. Originally, your martial uncle received some news about the Snow Lake Flower. It might have had some effect. I never thought that I would have a smooth life, but in my old age, my brother ended up dying in the wilderness because of me¡­¡± The blue-clothed young master sat down beside his master and advised, ¡°The death of a person is like the extinguishing of a lamp. Master, my condolences. When I went to the tribes of the Western Sea this time, I thought that 1 would be able to find some Snow Lake Flowers. Who would have thought that the four major tribes combined wouldn¡¯t even have one tael? Counting the time, the Snow Lake Flower will bloom in two years¡­¡± ¡°To treat illnesses, we must start from the source. If we don¡¯t get rid of the source, no matter how many Snow Lake Flowers there are, they can only play a soothing role. If I want my body to recover to its original state, I still have to look at the capital.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± When the blue-clothed young master heard this, he stood up, went to the window, and looked at the increasingly prosperous riverbank. ¡°Xue Baijin is unwilling to cooperate with us, and we don¡¯t know how strong the empress is. In addition, there are Daoist Xuanji and Ye Jingtang, two Martial Chiefs. Master, relying on you alone to hold the line, I¡¯m really uneasy about this trip¡­ Although I¡¯ve obtained ¡®Dragon Imprisoning Miasma¡¯ from the tribes of the Western Sea, this thing has been lost for a hundred years. Who knows if what the Western Sea tribes have now is as domineering as the rumors say¡­¡± The old man shook his head. ¡°The difficulty of this matter doesn¡¯t lie in one or two martial artists, but in the general situation. The empress has worked hard for ten years and accumulated a lot of prestige. Even if we succeed, the Prince of Yan will forcibly wear the yellow robe and be infamous for regicide. He might not be able to sit firmly in the world, and the Prince of Liang might sit back and reap the benefits. If not for the situation, I would have waited a few more years¡­¡± While they were talking, a large group of soldiers and horses appeared in the distance on the river bank, and horns sounded. ¡°Woo¡ª¡± ¡°Woo¡ª¡± The old man stood up and walked to the window to look. He could see hundreds of imperial guards holding the dragon flag high to clear the way. The constables were standing on both sides of the road every five steps. The carriages, horses, and people retreated to the grass by the roadside. They lowered their heads and bowed, not daring to look up casually. There were more than ten carriages in the middle of the formation. The large carriage at the front was especially eye-catching. In front were six pure white horses. The width of the carriage almost occupied the entire official road. On both sides were knights wearing masks, carefully scanning the surrounding grass and trees. Behind them were infantry with sabers and shields and a crowded team with officials, carriages, servants, and so on. The entire team was lined up on the official road and stretched for nearly a kilometer. When the blue-clothed young master saw this scene, he subconsciously took half a step back into the dark and sighed. ¡°No matter how ostentatious the people of Jianghu are, they pale in comparison to the emperor¡¯s honor guard. No wonder everyone wants to be the emperor.¡± ¡°People think about being superior to others, not about the title of emperor. If there are immortals in this world, would the people who can achieve this look up to the emperors in the secular world?¡± ¡°Master, you¡¯re right¡­¡± ¡°Woo¡ª¡± ¡°Woo¡ª¡± From time to time, loud horns sounded among the mighty team. The six-horse imperial carriage was in the middle of the team, and around it were 30 guards wearing qilin armor on horsebase. Although they were dressed the same as the imperial guards clearing the way in front, they were all wearing black face armor. This move was not used to differentiate the soldiers. But the people walking around the imperial carriage were composed of experts from the Black Office, the secret guards, and the imperial guards. There were men, women, old, and young. If they wore their respective uniforms, it would be a mess and not look very elegant. In the imperial carriage, the empress was wearing a red and black dragon robe. The twelve tassels made of jade beads hanging from the crown on her head covered her stunning face. Although she was dressed very formally, her sitting posture was as lazy as ever. Her left leg was on her right leg, and her arms were leaning on the armrest. She looked at the two sides of the river through the gauze windows. In the morning, she had played with fire in the small bathroom and had been seen by a man. If it were an ordinary woman, she would definitely be distracted and let her imagination run wild. Her face would even blush from time to time. However, the empress was obviously not an ordinary woman. This wasn¡¯t the first time Ye Jingtang had looked at her. Because of this, she was quite calm in her heart. She only looked at the various people and things on the roadside and occasionally glanced back. As the second-in-command of the Black Office, it was obviously impossible for Ye Jingtang to flirt with the lady in the carriage behind the empress when he was on guard duty. At this moment, he had also changed into a black qilin armor. He was holding the Roaring Dragon Spear on his side and walking on the grass outside the official road, watching the situation on both sides of the official road. Beside Ye Jingtang was a black-armored knight of similar height. Although this person¡¯s shoulders and back were obviously thinner than Ye Jingtang¡¯s, the chest was bulging and even a little tight. The Black Qilin Spear was hanging on the side of the horse. Coupled with the tassels on the helmet, this person looked majestic and imposing, not inferior to Ye Jingtang beside her at all. From the corner of his eye, Ye Jingtang looked at the two heart-protecting mirrors on Dumdum¡¯s chest. His heart ached a little. He couldn¡¯t figure out how she had managed to squeeze the majestic fat-headed dragon into the breastplate. After walking for a while, he asked, ¡°If Your Highness feels uncomfortable, go back to the carriage and rest. It¡¯s not far.. Why are you wearing this?¡± Chapter 447 - Chapter 447: Digging for Treasures Deep in the Palace (2) Chapter 447: Digging for Treasures Deep in the Palace (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Dongfang Liren wore armor when she went out because she had a good figure and looked very heroic in armor, so she specially wore it for Ye Jingtang to see. Although her chest was squashed by the breastplate, and her breathing was a bit suffocated, she still held her head high and put on a majestic air. ¡°Great Wei was founded by military force. All descendants, regardless of gender, have to learn horsemanship and archery. If they can¡¯t even wear armor, how can they go to the battlefield in the future?¡± Ye Jingtang shook his head silently, but he wasn¡¯t mocking her. Although Dumdum¡¯s martial arts skills were vastly different from his, in the eyes of ordinary people, they were the same as Little Yunli. She was already considered a top expert who could fly over roofs and walk on walls. There would really be no problem on the battlefield. He thought for a moment and suggested, ¡°Your Highness¡¯s python robe can be customized to suit women, and the armor can also be customized. Hmm¡­ the other sizes don¡¯t need to change. Change the circular armor parts to hemispheres¡­¡± ¡°Hemispheres?¡± Dongfang Liren lowered her head slightly to look at her breastplate. She imagined herself wearing armor with two large steamed buns on her chest. Her voice turned cold. ¡°Do you think that¡¯s appropriate?¡± Ye Jingtang thought about it carefully and agreed. This female knight attire seemed to be more suitable for seducing her husband in the boudoir. He smiled and didn¡¯t suggest anything else. Clear Water Villa wasn¡¯t far from the capital, but there were many people following behind, and their pace couldn¡¯t be said to be fast. They set off from the palace for nearly four hours before arriving at Spring Morning Mountain. Spring Morning Mountain was adjacent to the Lotus Pond. There was a garden for kilometers around, which was the empress¡¯s private property. Because preparations had begun a few days ago, the fields outside the villa had become a temporary camp, and the transferred imperial guards were stationed at the foot of the mountain. The carriage that the empress dowager and empress were in entered the villa directly from the imperial road with many palace maids accompanying them. Ye Jingtang was guarding the white stone path outside the villa. It was only when the people who came settled down that he regained his freedom. After Ye Jingtang sent Dumdum, who had always been his teammate, back to her bedchamber in the villa, he went to the room arranged for him to take off his armor. The qilin armor used by the Imperial City¡¯s imperial guards was of excellent quality, and there were 14 to 15 parts. Ye Jingtang had never come into contact with armor before, and he couldn¡¯t damage it, so it was quite troublesome to take it off. Just as he was slowly undressing in front of the mirror in his room, he heard a sound outside his door. Tread, tread¡­ Ye Jingtang turned to look out of the window and saw Daoist Xuanji in a white dress walking over in the corridor. He stopped and asked, ¡°Has everything been settled on Her Majesty¡¯s side?¡± When Daoist Xuanji entered the room and saw Ye Jingtang¡¯s tough appearance in black armor, her eyes were quite appreciative. She went over to help and replied, ¡°Her Majesty and the empress dowager are bathing in the Dragon Cleansing Pool. I took the time to come over and tell you something. This morning, 1 investigated. Fang Shijie is the only expert under the Prince of Yan¡¯s heir. In addition, there are a hundred attendants, but not many of them are skilled in martial arts. ¡°The heir went to Parasol Street last night. He was lightly dressed and only brought Fang Shijie with him. He and a few young masters from Literary Virtue Bridge drank at the Golden Screen Building. Halfway through, he got drunk and went back to his room to sleep. He didn¡¯t bring any birds with him¡­¡± ¡°Fang Shijie is the only one¡­ without any birds¡­¡± When Ye Jingtang heard this, he frowned. As a guard, investigating and arresting people were secondary. Protecting the target at every step was the top priority. When there were uncertain risks, it was normal to send the protection target to a safe place as soon as possible. When he was in the back alley last night, the Prince of Yan¡¯s heir should have been in the main building on the front street. There were several buildings between them, but Fang Shijie went out directly and left the drunk heir alone in the room. No matter how he thought about it, it was unreasonable. ¡°Did any of his friends bring guards?¡± ¡°They¡¯re all profligate sons from wealthy families. There must be guards, but they¡¯re just low-class martial artists and not worth mentioning.¡± Ye Jingtang thought for a moment. ¡°Since the Prince of Yan¡¯s heir was drunk and there were no experts around, it should have been impossible for Fang Shijie to leave easily when he discovered an uninvited guest. I reckon that the heir wasn¡¯t drunk at all. He went to the Golden Screen Building yesterday to meet someone in secret. The bird is most likely raised by this person. He¡¯s not weak, and Fang Shijie trusts him a lot¡­¡± Daoist Xuanji stood in front of him and took off his breastplate. ¡°The Prince of Yan¡¯s heir often only brought a person with him around in the past. Fang Shijie did a lot of paying bills and running errands. With such lax protection, I¡¯m more inclined to believe that the heir himself is good at martial arts. ¡°The descendants of the imperial family have all practiced martial arts since childhood, and the Prince of Yan¡¯s heir has many teachers. No matter how bad his martial arts skills are, he should be about the same as Liren. However, he has been very well-behaved in the capital for ten years and hasn¡¯t fought. I¡¯m not sure about his exact strength.¡± Ye Jingtang thought about it and felt that what she said made sense. If he could protect himself, there was indeed no need for a guard to guard him at all times. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°What has the Prince of Yan¡¯s heir been up to recently?¡± ¡°He does nothing all day, so there¡¯s no way to guess his movements. I only know that the son of a duke of Literary Virtue Bridge is celebrating his birthday today and hosting a banquet in the city. The heir usually plays with these people and might be present.¡± Ye Jingtang nodded and didn¡¯t ask any more questions. When she took off the armor skirt, he only had thin black underclothes covering his body. ¡°Thanks.¡± Ye Jingtang thanked her. Just as he was about to pick up his robe and put it on, he saw the beautiful and charming Fairy Lu look down and secretly glance at the place that girls shouldn¡¯t look at. Ye Jingtang looked down. It was perfectly normal, and there was nothing awkward about it. He knew what Daoist Xuanji was looking at and was speechless. ¡°I¡¯m not a donkey. How can i do that anytime, anywhere? I was really unconscious when you helped me apply medicine.. I thought you were Ning¡¯er, which was why it was indecent¡­¡± Chapter 448 - Chapter 448: Digging for Treasures Deep in the Palace (3) Chapter 448: Digging for Treasures Deep in the Palace (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Seeing that Ye Jingtang had raised his head and puffed out his chest to prove that he wasn¡¯t a lustful person, Daoist Xuanji¡¯s eyes were playful. She leaned back a little to rest her plump butt on the table, crossed her arms over her chest, and made a watermelon squeezing gesture, intentionally or otherwise. ¡°Is that so?¡± Daoist Xuanji¡¯s figure was very well-proportioned. Although the size of her chest couldn¡¯t compare to the three girls of the imperial family, and she would only be asking for humiliation if she compared herself to Third Lady, the scale wasn¡¯t small. It was just enough to hold one fully with one hand. At this moment, her arms were crossed in front of her chest, and she deliberately squeezed. Her clothes showed the tension of being almost unable to bear the burden. She had the unique temperament of a demoness and the Goddess of Mercy, and her lethality was even more astonishing. Ye Jingtang frowned. He felt that this master and disciple were simply too much. In the face of such obvious flirting, he was afraid that his body would have a normal reaction, so he turned away and reached for his robe. ¡°Fairy Lu, please respect yourself.11 ¡°Why should I respect myself? I can t even lean when I¡¯m tired of standing.¡± Daoist Xuanji propped her hands on the table and pressed down on the robe on the table. She tilted her head and looked at Ye Jingtang, who was inches away. ¡°I¡¯m talking business with you. What do you plan to do next? How do you plan to investigate?¡± Ye Jingtang was only wearing a thin undershirt and underpants. Seeing that Daoist Xuanji was determined to tease him, he leaned forward and pressed his hands on the edge of the table. Pa- This action caused Daoist Xuanji to lean back slightly and knock the table against the wall. She frowned and said, ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Fairy Lu, if you want to talk business, can you wait for me to get dressed?¡± ¡°Aren t you wearing clothes now? You¡¯re just showing your neck. Are you afraid that i¡¯ll see you?¡¯1 Ye Jingtang had nothing to say. He pondered for a moment and looked up at the window behind Daoist Xuanji with slight surprise in his eyes. ¡°Yuhu?¡± Hearing this, Daoist Xuanji was so shocked that her shoulders trembled slightly. Although she didn¡¯t hear anything, Yuhu¡¯s martial arts skills weren¡¯t low. It wasn¡¯t impossible for her not to notice her sneaking out of her room. Daoist Xuanji¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly pushed Ye Jingtang, who was still propping himself up on the table, away. She stood up straight, assumed the dignified posture that a master should have, and turned around to look. Swish! Ye Jingtang quickly pulled his robe over and swung it to cover his body. His eyes were mocking. ¡°Why are you nervous? Aren¡¯t we talking business?¡± When Daoist Xuanji realized that the window was empty, her eyes narrowed slightly. She turned around, raised her embroidered shoe, and stepped on Ye Jingtangs foot. ¡°You¡¯re so rude, yet you¡¯re blaming me for having a big reaction? Am 1 supposed to calmly let people see you pressing me onto the table?¡± With that, she turned around and left. Ye Jingtang shook his head and said, ¡°Fairy Lu, take care.¡± Then he put on his clothes in satisfaction¡­ In the blink of an eye, night fell. On the east side of the Imperial City, a carriage with the symbol of the Pei family was slowly driving through the streets. Ye Jingtang was sitting outside the carriage as the driver, with the bird looking around on his shoulder. In the carriage behind him, Pei Xiangjun was dressed very formally, but her demeanor was quite casual. She was half-leaning on the small couch, and there was an inexplicable smile on her lips. Luo Ning was sitting upright by the carriage window, her temperament like an iceberg. Her eyes occasionally glanced at Third Lady Pei¡¯s butt. Yesterday, Luo Ning had pillow talk with their man in advance and went to check the results in rhe morning, only to find Third Lady happily putting on makeup. She had thought that the little thief hadn¡¯t done anything again, but after asking, she had found out that Third Lady had been drunk last night. The little thief had indeed done something bad¡­ According to Luo Ning¡¯s estimation, Third Lady¡¯s butt should have been so sore that she couldn¡¯t get up after she was bullied like that. Who would have thought that Third Lady actually had no reaction at all? She even smiled from time to time with a radiant face, as if she had taken an enormous advantage. After observing for an entire day and finding nothing usual with Third Lady, Luo Ning couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Third Lady, why are you smiling?¡± Pei Xiangjun had lost her second virginity last night and had even been tortured by the shameful jade radish. She didn¡¯t dare to see anyone when she woke up in the morning and hadn¡¯t recovered until now. However, in front of the vixen, she couldn¡¯t show that she couldn¡¯t take it. She said casually, ¡°Why do you care why I¡¯m smiling¡­ Speaking of which, the method that Madam Wang mentioned is really interesting. That feeling¡­ How should I explain it? In the past, I usually drank fruit wine. It was sweet and not intoxicating, but there was nothing special about it. But that method is to drink top-notch strong wine. The fragrance will linger in your mouth, and you won¡¯t wake up for three days. The more you savor it, the more interesting it is¡­¡± When Luo Ning saw that Third Lady¡¯s coquettish appearance didn¡¯t seem to be fake, she immediately regretted it a little. After all, if this were the case, wouldn¡¯t she have given a most wonderful first experience to Third Lady? Wouldn¡¯t this mean that there was something wrong with her brain¡­ She even said that she has a lingering fragrance in her month and won¡¯t wake up for three days. When the little thief comes normally, my soul is almost gone. If it¡¯s really like this, wont 1 flood the bed¡­ Pfft, what am I thinking¡­ Luo Ning¡¯s mind was clearly in a mess. She couldn¡¯t suppress her thoughts, so she continued to put on a cold expression and stared out the window in a daze. Ye Jingtang was driving outside and could hear the intrigue between his two wives. He found it funny. He guessed that Ning¡¯er must be very curious. Next time, she might take the initiative to speak and personally verify Third Lady¡¯s words. For this reason, he absolutely couldn¡¯t interrupt. Otherwise, Ning¡¯er would cry and then vent her anger on him. The carriage continued forward and soon arrived at the east gate of the Imperial City. Now, the empress had moved to Clear Water Villa, but the Imperial City was still the Imperial City after all. There were countless gold, silver, jewelry, and cultural relics inside, so it was impossible for it to become an empty city. The patrolling imperial guards didn¡¯t change, and there were also secret guards guarding it, but they didn¡¯t have to focus on the Eternal Joy Palace anymore.. Chapter 449 - Chapter 449: Digging for Treasures Deep in the Palace (4) Chapter 449: Digging for Treasures Deep in the Palace (4) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Ye Jingtang had already received permission in the morning to bring the two women to the Roaring Dragon Pond to practice martial arts. After he showed his token, rhe palace gate opened. Ye Jingtang followed the old path and brought Ning¡¯er and Third Lady through the corridors to the Eternal Joy Palace. They saw that there were only a few lights on in the huge Imperial City and basically no one walking around. As for the Peaceful Hall, the empress¡¯s resting palace, because all the personal attendants had followed her to Clear Water Villa, there were no lights. After Ye Jingtang arrived at the Peaceful Hall, he looked around but couldn¡¯t find anyone. He went to a side hall near the Roaring Dragon Pond, took out the key given by Dumdum, and opened a door. ¡°You¡¯ll stay here for the next two days. The Prince of Jing told the palace servants in other places. Don¡¯t worry about being disturbed¡­¡± The room was a place for palace maids to stay. It was very clean, and there was nothing much to say about it. After the three people and the bird took a quick look, they walked toward the waterside pavilion in the center of the lake. Ye Jingtang had been keeping the Jade Bone Picture for the past few days and carried it on him. After arriving at the center of the lake and letting rhe two women study it seriously, he went to the garden outside the hall and began to examine what the previous dynasty had left behind. Dumdum and Little Tiger Girl trusted him a lot, so it was impossible for him to give the important items buried by the previous dynasty to the Pacifying Heaven Cult to help in their rebellion. If the buried items were good things that benefited the country and the people, they might be able to help the Imperial Court instead. However, he had learned this information from the Pacifying Heaven Cult, so he could only secretly open it and take a look. The mechanism built by the previous dynasty was very strange. The way to open the secret chamber was to move a few landscape stones in the garden near the rockery to the corresponding positions. As the weight pressed down, the quicksand underground would begin to slide down. After a day or so of draining, the door to the secret chamber could be opened. After closing it, the water flowing out of the Roaring Dragon Pond would lift the quicksand back to its original position. Ye Jingtang was only experimenting. After so long, if the mechanism were broken, he could give a reasonable answer. However, this was the secret chamber of the emperor. If something went wrong, he would lose his head. The artisans had built it according to millenia-lasting engineering standards. As soon as he placed the landscape stones in the proper positions, he faintly heard a subtle rustling sound underground. It should have been activated. Ye Jingtang waited in front of the rockery for a while. After feeling that there was nothing wrong, he went to the waterside pavilion. ¡°The mechanism is still usable. Tomorrow, we can see what the previous dynasty left behind. You guys practice for now. I¡¯ll go out and investigate the case. If there¡¯s anything, get the bird to inform me. I¡¯ll be back anytime.11 ¡°Chirp.¡± The bird, who was lying in the waterside pavilion, agreed. Pei Xiang]un reminded, ¡°There are times when Martial Chiefs make mistakes. Be careful when you go out alone.¡± Luo King said, ¡°Take the bird with you. The palace is so tightly guarded that even a mosquito can¡¯t fly in. What can happen?¡± Ye Jingtang knew that the Prince of Yan¡¯s heir also had something guarding him. If he disguised himself and brought the bird with him, his identity might be exposed. For this reason, he only asked the two of them to practice hard before quickly walking out of the palace. But before he left the palace, Ye Jingtang suddenly remembered something very important: the ginkgo tree! Now that the empress dowager had also gone to Clear Water Villa to rest and relax, and the secret guard Yang Lan was accompanying her, the Longevity Palace, which didn¡¯t have many palace maids to begin with, was completely empty. If he didn¡¯t go take a look at what his foster father had told him, then what was he waiting for? Thinking of this, Ye Jingtang turned around and went straight to the Longevity Palace in the northwest of the Imperial City. The Longevity Palace was dark. The ginkgo tree behind the bedchamber, whose crown was taller than the palace, looked especially eye-catching under the moonlight. There was a swing hanging under the ginkgo tree, and the slender rope was wrapped in colorful cloth. The workmanship was very beautiful, but it was hanging here alone, malting it look a little bleak. Ye Jingtang went to the tree and looked around for a moment. Then, without delay, he began to search the courtyard. According to the instructions in his foster father¡¯s letter, a picture of the Roaring Dragon Chart was buried under the third stone brick against the wall on the west side of the ginkgo tree. The ginkgo tree was very big. There was a tree altar at its roots surrounded by white stones, and the ground tiles were all big bricks. From the traces, they probably had some history. It didn¡¯t look like they had been replaced. Ye Jingtang walked over to the west side of the ginkgo tree, found the third ground tile, and flipped it over to take a look. The ground tiles were very big, and there was compacted soil under them. After he flipped the tile open with his saber, he stabbed the saber into the soil to check. Bur before he could insert his saber deep, something hard blocked it. Ye Jingtang s eyes lit up. With the help of rhe moonlight, he dug out the soil and saw a jade box buried inside. The texture was exactly the same as the box containing the Jade Bone Picture. His heart beat faster. He thought that this should be the picture in his mind and slid open the jade box. Whoosh! A soft sound rang out, and the scene in the jade box entered his eyes. Ye Jingtang took a closer look, and his expression froze slightly. There was nothing golden in the jade box the size of a page. Instead, there was a hairpin that looked extremely exquisite. It was a rare hairpin in the shape of a kitten, and it had clearly been worn by a young girl. ¡°What the hell¡­1¡® Ye Jingtang picked up the young girl s hairpin and looked at it carefully. Then he looked at the pit in the ground, his eyes baffled. Could Foster Father¡¯s information be wrong¡­ Or rather, Kuang Yazi fell into a chaotic battle back then. After snatching the box, he didn¡¯t open it at all. He directly buried it here and escaped from the palace city¡­ No, its just a matter of sliding it open. He even dug a hole. How could he not look.. Sixty years later, a young palace maid who was cleaning accidentally discovered this place. She didn¡¯t recognize the item inside and sold the picture of the Roaring Dragon Chart for gold. She found a piece of jewelry and buried it here to commemorate her youth¡­ Ye Jingtang frowned and thought for a long time. Although he was a little disappointed that the item was gone, at least there was a clue left. As long as he used this hairpin as a clue to investigate, he might be able to find its whereabouts. Thinking of this, Ye Jingtang put away the hairpin and buried the box again because it wouldn¡¯t be easy to deal with.. After compacting the ground and covering it with the ground tile, he cleaned up all traces and left quietly¡­ Chapter 450 - Chapter 450: Traces (1) Chapter 450: Traces (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The moon hung high above the branches. Parasol Street was bustling with traffic, and men and women could be seen everywhere. Ye Jingtang was dressed like an ordinary wanderer with a bamboo hat on his head. He looked like a foreigner who had never seen the market before and looked around at the buildings along the street. Parasol Street was the most prosperous street in the capital. It was famous for its brothels, but not all of the long street was brothels. There were a large number of luxury shops, restaurants, and teahouses that offered normal services. There were also many young ladies and madams who came here at night, but they wouldn¡¯t stop at the entrance of the two large brothels in the center. The owner of the Roaring Dragon Pavilion had a huge business in the capital, and he owned more than one business on the street. He had another restaurant named Four Sides. The chef hired here came from a family who had been imperial chefs for generations. He was respectfully called Chief Chef by busybodies, and some people called him Cooking Immortal. A vinegar-cooked fish commonly seen in Jiang Province had been forcefully made into one of the eight major dishes of Yun Province. Being a guest at the restaurant was similar to being a guest at the Golden Screen Building. There were reserved tables and rooms for people of status. There was usually a queue, and whether one could eat here depended on their luck. Ye Jingtang strolled leisurely on the street and soon arrived in front of Four Sides Restaurant. He could see that there was a lot of commotion in the building, but there were two waiters standing at the door. Every time a customer came to the door, they would say with a smile, ¡°Dear guest, we¡¯re sorry. The Four Sides Restaurant has been reserved by the young master of the Duke of Liang today. Please come back tomorrow¡­¡± Hearing this, Ye Jingtang didn¡¯t approach the door. Instead, he walked around twice to make sure that there were no suspicious birds and beasts on the eaves before silently disappearing into the dark alley at the side. Then he flew up and hung upside down under the eaves of the three-story tall building. He found an empty private room and entered through the window, went to the door, and looked at the hall. ¡°Young Master Li, your literary talents are so good¡­¡± ¡°Come, let¡¯s toast Young Master Li¡­¡± In the center of the three-story building was a hall. There was a screen wall at the door that blocked the scene inside. There were eight large tables inside, full of delicacies. The people sitting around were all young people. Eighty percent of them were young masters from wealthy families, and twenty percent of them were young ladies from prestigious families. Because there were females present, the atmosphere in the hall was rather serious. Young Master Liu, whose sword Ye Jingtang had taken, had held a beauty in each arm in the Roaring Dragon Pavilion yesterday. But today, he had changed into a scholarly robe. His bearing was steady, gentle, and elegant, looking like a shy scholar who had never even touched a girl¡¯s hand since he was a child. Ye Jingtang looked at the table in the middle of the hall. There were six men and one woman sitting there. Dumdum¡¯s eldest cousin, Wang Chihu, was also among them. Although Wang Chihu was only a banner commander of the Black Office, his background was amazing. One of his cousins was the emperor, and the other was a prince. His father was even the commander-in-chief of the Ya Province army. In the entire capital, there were not many people with a greater background than him. From the seats, the person sitting on the right must be the heir of a vassal prince. Ye Jingtang looked carefully and saw that the person on the right was a young master in his thirties. He was tall, handsome, and easy-going, giving off a cynical and idle feeling. He had brought the female guest. When it was time to toast, he stood up. From the way the people at the table addressed him, he was undoubtedly Dongfang Shuoyue. Ye Jingtang carefully observed Dongfang Shuoyue¡¯s words and actions. Although he wasn¡¯t as unbearable as the rumors said, there was nothing special about him. He didn¡¯t put on the airs of a superior as he toasted and drank. He looked like a normal young master. Moreover, Fang Shijie wasn¡¯t at the banquet. After Ye Jingtang secretly watched for half an hour, three rounds of wine had passed, but he still didn¡¯t find anything abnormal. Instead, his attention was attracted by a conversation outside the Four Sides Restaurant. ¡°Ladies, I¡¯m sorry. The Four Sides Restaurant has been reserved by the Duke of Liang Estate today¡­¡± ¡°All? What a pity. Forget it. Let¡¯s go somewhere else¡­¡± ¡°Sister Xiuhe, is the Duke of Liang Estate very powerful?¡± ¡°Of course. The Duke of Liang is a great contributor to the founding of the country¡­¡± When Ye Jingtang heard the voices of the three girls, there was surprise in his eyes. He quietly jumped out of the window and went to the eaves to check the street. The bustling street outside the Four Sides Restaurant was full of carriages and horses. A few servants were slowly leading a small carriage. In front of them were three beautifully dressed girls. Zhe Yunli was wearing a ruqun and holding a circular fan. She looked like a scholarly young lady from a wealthy family nearby who had come out to shop. She looked refined and cultured without any Jianghu aura. Ping¡¯er, dressed as a maidservant, followed behind her. Since it was her first time coming to Parasol Street, she was really shocked by the prosperity here and asked questions along the way. Xiuhe led the way and explained all kinds of things along the way. Before leaving the Four Sides Restaurant, she even glanced at the carriages parked at the side. Then she brought the two girls into Fairy¡¯s Beauty next door. When Ye Jingtang saw this scene, he knew that Little Xiuhe was smart and capable. She followed his instructions and was inquiring about the movements of the Prince of Yan¡¯s heir. If she wandered around alone and asked questions, it would definitely arouse suspicion. Thus, she dragged Yunli and Ping¡¯er along to stroll around and shop. Ye Jingtang watched for a long time but didn¡¯t see anything unusual. After thinking for a while, he landed lightly in the passageway between the two tall buildings and looked around.. Chapter 451 - Chapter 451: Traces (2) Chapter 451: Traces (2) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Fairy¡¯s Beauty mainly sold jewelry and cosmetics. The products mainly catered to pure and lively looks, and they were deeply loved by the young ladies of rich families who had yet to get married. All the current customers inside were young ladies. At this moment, in the store, the three girls were standing outside the counter with a tray in front of them. Inside were a few open rouge boxes. The lady boss might recognize Xiuhe and personally received her at the counter. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re a rare guest. You haven¡¯t been here for half a month¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy at home. I had no choice. I was about to go to the Four Sides Restaurant for a meal, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be reserved¡­ I heard that the Prince of Yan¡¯s heir is also at the Four Sides Restaurant?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. He even brought a top courtesan from the Dragon Roar Tower with him. He even bought a few pieces of jewelry here just now. He¡¯s really generous.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± After the two of them exchanged a few words, the lady boss noticed that Zhe Yunli was looking at lipstick and asked, ¡°How old are you this year, Miss?¡± ¡°Sixteen.¡± ¡°Oh- You¡¯re just the right age. Look at this one. The color is rich but not intense. It¡¯s gorgeous but not gaudy¡­¡± ¡°Huh- Isn¡¯t this a little too eye-catching? Sister Xiuhe, what do you think?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s quite appropriate.¡± ¡°Miss, you can try it first. My store has been open for twenty years. It¡¯s expensive, but I¡¯ve never earned black-hearted money. If the lipstick doesn¡¯t look good, I won¡¯t take your money¡­¡± Luo Ning¡¯s makeup had always been light, and she was very strict with the young Zhe Yunli. Zhe Yunli definitely wouldn¡¯t have dared to buy this kind of slightly seductive red lipstick in the past. But now that she was 16 years old, Zhe Yunli really liked it. Under the recommendation and persuasion, she took out the red lipstick paper from the box and applied it on her lips in front of the bronze mirror. As her lips parted, the originally very light lips became visibly more charming and alluring, so much so that her entire face became brighter. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Miss, you¡¯re so pretty.¡± ¡°This color really matches. Boss, you have a good eye¡­¡± Zhe Yunli was obviously not used to it. Her face turned a little red. She bit her lower lip and looked at the mirror carefully, but she vaguely noticed something strange. In the mirror, she saw a familiar figure wearing a bamboo hat standing outside the side window. He seemed to be smiling at her in the mirror. Brother Jingtang? Zhe Yunli was stunned. She looked back and saw that the window in the distance was empty. There was no one there. Zhe Yunli didn¡¯t think that she would hallucinate about a man. After exchanging a few words with the other two, she took the opportunity while Xiuhe was picking out makeup to walk quietly out of the door and into the side passage. The passage was empty. After glancing around, Zhe Yunli walked along the passage to the back alley and looked left and right. She thought that Ye Jingtang was playing hide-and-seek with her, so she wanted to shout. But just as she opened her mouth, she noticed a familiar black shadow emerging from the eaves. In the blink of an eye, he landed in front of her, covered her mouth, and dragged her into the dark alley. ?! There was a hand holding Zhe Yunli¡¯s and another covering her mouth. Her eyes immediately widened a little, but she didn¡¯t struggle. Instead, she held her breath and condensed her qi. She didn¡¯t make any more noise and leaned against the man¡¯s chest to listen. Clack, clack.. The sound of horse hooves approached from afar in the back alley, trotting toward the Four Sides Restaurant. When they were about to arrive, they slowed down. Zhe Yunli blinked and understood that Ye Jingtang was probably investigating something. She raised her eyes slightly, wanting to see his reaction. Was he going to make a move or stay put? When Ye Jingtang saw the horse coming over, he covered Yunli¡¯s mouth and frowned while listening carefully. He found that the horseman had arrived at the back of the Four Sides Restaurant, and a servant in the restaurant came out to welcome him. ¡°Please come in, Elder Fang.¡± ¡°Has Young Master Li¡¯s birthday banquet started?¡± ¡°It started not long ago¡­¡± The person who spoke was Fang Shijie. The conversation was very normal, and he didn¡¯t notice any movements around the corner. Ye Jingtang silently heaved a sigh of relief and lowered his head to signal Yunli to be quiet. Zhe Yunli had been cooped up in the capital for a few months and was about to die of boredom. When she encountered such a scene where the enemy was in the open and she was in the dark, her eyes could be said to be burning. She waited until the footsteps gradually faded away from the back alley before she blinked. Then, together with Ye Jingtang, she peeked out from the corner of the wall. There was no one in the back alley. Behind the wall, only the waiters of the restaurant were feeding the horses in the stable. Ye Jingtang found that Fang Shijie had left the Prince of Yan¡¯s heir¡¯s side at night, and his whereabouts were unknown. Naturally, he was suspicious. He was about to ask Yunli to go back so he could go eavesdrop when he heard her whisper in his arms. ¡°It seems to be Fang Shijie.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ye Jingtang was stunned. He looked down at Yunli. ¡°How do you know?¡± Zhe Yunli¡¯s eyes were full of pride. ¡°I¡¯ve been strolling in the capital for half a year. Do you think I¡¯m just wandering outside every day? I even know how many people the Black Office has and when they change shifts every day, let alone such a public figure. Fang Shijie is the bodyguard of the Prince of Yan¡¯s heir. Since the heir is here, who else can this old man be except Fang Shijie? ¡°I saw him once on the road when I came to Parasol Street. I heard that this person used to be a wanderer in Yan Province. His nickname is Half-Finger Breeze. He¡¯s good at swordsmanship and boxing, and his martial arts skills are extremely high. Moreover, he¡¯s sixty years old, but his treasured sword hasn¡¯t aged. He even has a mistress in Hexagon Alley in the south of the city. He goes there every few days for an hour. When he leaves, he even rubs his waist¡­¡± ?? Chapter 452 - Chapter 452: Traces (3) Chapter 452: Traces (3) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios A strange look appeared in Ye Jingtang¡¯s eyes. ¡°Who did you hear that from?¡± ¡°I heard from idlers in a teahouse. As the saying goes, there¡¯s no smoke without fire. This old man might really have a mistress outside. Brother Jingtang, are you helping the mistress? Let¡¯s go. Let me lead the way for you.¡± ¡°What mistress am I helping?¡± Ye Jingtang shook his head silently. He went to the middle of the passage, pressed himself against the wall, and listened carefully to the movements in the hall behind the wall. He found that Fang Shijie had directly sat down in the banquet hall. He was only saying polite words. It seemed unlikely that he would conspire openly. Zhe Yunli was obviously a little curious. She didn¡¯t return to the store. Instead, she quietly hung on the wall and stuck her head out to look at the horses in the courtyard. Then she gave Ye Jingtang a look. When Ye Jingtang saw this, he went over and looked at the courtyard from the top of the wall. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhe Yunli¡¯s feet were dangling in the air as she hung herself on the wall. Her eyes were level with Ye Jingtang¡¯s as they gestured to the horse eating grass in the stable. ¡°This horse isn¡¯t sweating much. It didn¡¯t run far, but there¡¯s mud on its hooves and stomach. It looks like it ran through a muddy path. These days, the capital is sunny, and there are no such bad paths in the city. There are river embankments near the capital. There aren¡¯t many places where horses can go. Let¡¯s go to the riverbank and search. We might be able to find hoof prints.¡± Ye Jingtang¡¯s eyes were quite surprised as he looked at the horse hooves carefully. ¡°Today, the empress went to Clear Water Villa upstream. It¡¯s controlled for more than five kilometers along the way. Ships will be strictly inspected when they dock, but downstream is unrestricted. For convenience, merchant ships of all sizes can go downstream to dock. If the ships can¡¯t squeeze into the port, they have to stop by the river¡­ If he went to the river to do something, the possibility of coming back from downstream is higher.¡± Zhe Yunli showed an appreciative look of ¡®heroes cherish heroes¡¯. She tugged at Ye Jingtang¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Then let¡¯s go quickly. A place that can become muddy must be flooded. We¡¯d better find it before the tide in the middle of the night. When the water level comes up, everything will be submerged.¡± Ye Jingtang saw that Little Yunli was quite smart, so he didn¡¯t say anything. After he asked her to inform the other two girls, they quickly set off and headed out of the city¡­ Outside the city, at River Shore Wharf¡­ After Yang Guan returned to his hometown to settle down, the Blue Lotus Gang had disbanded. Now, other local tyrants in the city were managing River Shore Wharf. After Ye Jingtang became the Saber Chief, these local tyrants who had once wanted to do business in Dye Workshop Street knew that they had offended the wrong person. Recently, they had been completely cowardly. Not to mention managing their businesses, it was unknown where they were hiding. They relied on a group of underlings to maintain order. The port was a place where people from all walks of life gathered. Without anyone to watch, it was naturally a mess. Coincidentally, the upstream controlled the number of ships coming to the port from downstream. River Shore Wharf was in a state where ships couldn¡¯t get out from inside or enter from outside. The ships that arrived late could only temporarily anchor by the riverside and wait for the port to clear before entering the port to unload their goods. The moon was bright, and the stars were shining. A large ship from upstream was docked alone near the riverbank, a kilometer away from the port. Most of the guests on the ship had already disembarked and entered the capital on foot, but the goods on the ship couldn¡¯t be unloaded. For this reason, there were still some people walking on the ship, watching the movements at the port. In a courtyard by the river that people used to escape the heat, a young master in blue clothes was standing on the observation tower and looking at the afterglow of the capital¡¯s lights from afar. In a teahouse at the back of the courtyard, a few figures were sitting. Among them, an old man in a cloak was sitting cross-legged. On the right was the muscular Teng Tianyou. Zhongsun Yan was sitting on the left. There was a golden alms bowl on the small table in front of him. It had a lid on it, and the edge was sealed with wax. The surface of the lid was rather exquisite, and there was an ancient emblem engraved on it. Zhongsun Yan always behaved casually, but at this moment, his expression was solemn. He didn¡¯t dare to touch the golden alms bowl. He just looked at it carefully and sighed. ¡°Back then, in order to restrict the extraordinary people who practiced the Roaring Dragon Chart, the Northwest Royal Court asked the shamans of the various tribes to develop the Dragon Imprisoning Miasma. In the end, the Roaring Dragon Chart is still more mysterious. It forcibly reconstructs the body, and the poison is barely effective. It can only serve as a short-term restriction and is directly ignorable after practicing the Fire Bathing Picture. But for ordinary people who haven¡¯t learned the Roaring Dragon Chart, it is a disaster. No matter how high their martial arts skills are, they will become crippled on the spot if they are exposed to the Dragon Imprisoning Miasma. They can¡¯t resolve it and can¡¯t die. They will suffer the pain of ten thousand ants biting their hearts every day. It is even more tortuous than being directly killed¡­¡± Teng Tianyou was also from Northern Liang and had heard of the Dragon Imprisoning Miasma¡¯s notorious reputation. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°Daoist Xuanji and Ye Jingtang are loyalists of the Imperial Court. Logically speaking, they should have both practiced the Jade Bone Picture hidden in the palace. If this thing is useless to them¡­¡± The sitting brocade-robed old man replied calmly, ¡°The domineering aspect of the Dragon Imprisoning Miasma is that it destroys the foundations of people and causes their bodies to disintegrate on their own. If someone has practiced the Jade Bone Picture, it won¡¯t be able to hurt their bones, but their skin and flesh will still slowly rot away. Even if someone has practiced the three pictures of bones, muscles, and skin, the poison will always be in their body, and their body will constantly be damaged and healed. It is a continuous consumption of their essence, qi, and spirit. No matter how high someone¡¯s martial arts skills are, it will be difficult for them to display much strength.¡± Teng Tianyou asked again, ¡°As long as this thing touches the empress, will she definitely die?¡± The brocade-robed old man thought for a moment and shook his head. ¡°This item shouldn¡¯t be of any use against the empress. It can only be used to deal with Daoist Xuanji or Ye Jingtang. There¡¯s only one dose of poison. As for how to lure the tiger away from the mountain and how to use the poison, you¡¯ll have to think of a way yourself.¡± Teng Tianyou frowned and looked at Zhongsun Yan.. He didn¡¯t say anything else and seriously pondered over the specific plan¡­ Chapter 453 - Chapter 453: Madly Scolding the Female Thief (1) Chapter 453: Madly Scolding the Female Thief (1) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The silver moon was in the sky, and the surface of the silent river was sparkling. From time to time, a large ship with flickering lights floated past in the distance. Below the 20-foot-tall white stone river embankment was a knee-deep reed bank. The autumn colors were already appearing, showing a greenish-yellow color. When the breeze blew, the reeds rippled like waves. Swish, swish, swish! Ye Jingtang was dressed as a Jianghu person with a saber and sword hanging at his waist. He was walking along the edge of the reeds and looking at the muddy ground by the river, checking for traces of horse hooves. Little Yunli, who was not very tall, was walking beside him. She was still wearing a ruqun as a delicate young lady, but she had a gray cloak and a bamboo hat that she had casually bought on the streets. She had even taken something from the carriage. With the five-foot-long saber on her shoulder, she looked like a Jianghu person. Zhe Yunli¡¯s cheeks under the bamboo hat still had vermilion rouge. She looked beautiful and moving, but there was a piece of straw in the corner of her mouth. As she walked, she chatted casually. ¡°Where did the bird go? It should be the one doing this job. It can fly along the river and sweep two to three kilometers along the river in less than fifteen minutes¡­¡± ¡°The bird is accompanying your martial mistress and Third Lady in the palace. If anything happens, it will fly up to the sky and call out a few times, and I¡¯ll be able to rush back. If I take it away, it won¡¯t be able to send the news.¡± When Ye Jingtang saw Little Yunli¡¯s appearance, he found it a little funny. He raised his hand and pulled the piece of straw out. ¡°Miss, don¡¯t imitate the people of Jianghu and put a piece of straw in your mouth. If your martial mistress sees it, she¡¯ll definitely spank you.¡± Zhe Yunli was a little helpless. ¡°I¡¯m a big girl now. I should be able to travel Jianghu alone. My martial mistress still treats me like a little girl¡­ Speaking of which, what were you doing when you were sixteen?¡± Ye Jingtang broke off the section of the piece of straw stained with red lipstick and held it in his mouth. ¡°I was sixteen only two years ago. Not long after I took charge of the escort agency, 1 was escorting in Liang Province in July and delivering a few carriages of spices from the west to the east of Liang Province. 1 encountered horse bandits in the Gobi Desert. There were more than ten people riding a specialty of the Sha Province, ¡®Full Foot Mud¡¯¡­¡± When Zhe Yunli heard the story, her eyes lit up slightly. She moved closer, raised her bamboo hat, and asked curiously, ¡°What is Full Foot Mud?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pony with yellow hooves and very good endurance. It can run for several hours continuously in the Gobi Desert, where water is scarce. Horse bandits ride these things and follow caravans like wolves to scare the people. If the caravans can¡¯t run away, they usually leave valuable items behind to prevent disasters. ¡°At the time, 1 brought eight escorts with me. I didn¡¯t want a conflict, so I threw a bag of silver fragments. In the end, that group of horse bandits thought that it was too little and prepared to come over and snatch by force. I got the team to continue walking, and 1 alone raised my saber to meet them. I cut off two heads with two slashes, and then the horse bandits dispersed¡­¡± At the age of 16, Zhe Yunli was still being spanked by her martial mistress. When she heard that Ye Jingtang was already licking blood with his saber in the northwestern Gobi at the same age, she sighed in her heart. She thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Brother Jingtang, when you ran around in Liang Province, did you ever meet your sweetheart?¡± Ye Jingtang shook his head and smiled. ¡°Liang Province is too chaotic. There may be beautiful young ladies, but they all live in the cities and are protected when they go out. We Jianghu people can¡¯t get close at all. As for those we can meet, they¡¯re all more burly and manly than men¡­¡± Zhe Yunli didn¡¯t quite believe it. ¡°The Heavenly South is also a poor place, but there are still many beautiful heroines. Brother Jingtang, you stayed in Liang Province for so long. There weren¡¯t any locals, but you could at least see a few passing by, right?¡± ¡°Passing by¡­¡± Ye Jingtang frowned and thought for a moment. The moving back view of a figure riding a horse flashed across his mind, but he couldn¡¯t remember it clearly after ten years. He only said, ¡°1 should have, but they always wear a veiled hat when they go out. I¡¯ve never seen a girl as beautiful as you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Zhe Yunli bumped Ye Jingtang with her shoulder, but she was still quite happy to be praised. ¡°Brother Jingtang, I haven¡¯t seen a Jianghu man as good-looking as you either.¡± Ye Jingtang blinked and felt that this topic seemed to have gone off track. He was thinking about how to reply when his gaze suddenly moved, and he looked at the river bank in the distance. When Zhe Yunli saw this, she also looked into the distance and saw that Ye Jingtang was looking at a group of buildings by the river. The buildings consisted of more than ten houses. They had been built into a row with their backs facing the river and fronts facing the official road. At the front was an inn and restaurant, which could be considered a temporary stop. Merchants who couldn¡¯t enter the city after the city gates closed at night would usually stay here and wait to enter the city in the morning. On the river embankment at the side of the building complex, there was a staircase that allowed the people above to go to the riverside to wash clothes and fetch water. At this moment, under the moonlight, there was clearly a string of black dots on the stairs. From the distribution, they looked like horse hooves. When the two of them saw this scene, they immediately swept away the distracting thoughts in their heads and quickly walked over to check. The bluestone steps were indeed stained with mud. They looked along the traces to the river and found a string of hoof prints in the mud. Part of them had already been submerged by the gradually rising tide, but they could still clearly distinguish them. After Zhe Yunli looked at them carefully, she said, ¡°There are only hoof prints coming and going from here, but not going past. 1 guess he took the official road. When he arrived, he found that the place he was going to was by the river, so he went down the river embankment and turned back. After finishing, he ran over directly for convenience and took the official road from here¡­¡± Ye Jingtang stood on the steps and looked out. He could vaguely see a large number of lights far downstream. ¡°Fang Shijie was probably looking for a ship. Around two kilometers away is River Shore Wharf, which probably has more than a hundred boats blocking it. The boat definitely won¡¯t be able to enter the port today. It should still be anchored by the river. Let¡¯s go..¡±