Who among the gangsters wants to fall in love?

Chapter 424 The Everlasting Lamp of Flowing Clouds

As the sun gradually disappeared below the horizon, the crimson glow of the sunset was faintly visible through the fine snow curtain. As night approached, the remote town began to light up with yellow lights, which, like stars, hung over the vast snowfield.

In the stables in the backyard of the restaurant, the waiter and the groom gathered together, gazing at the magnificent white horse with no blemishes. Their eyes held a mixture of envy and awe, as they recalled the man in the fox fur coat.

Those who can ride such a BMW are either rich or noble.

Inside the pavilion and side room, Xu Ningchuan was surprised that even a mere maid serving dishes dared to interrupt. He thought to himself that the women of Yanyun were wild, completely different from the demure and refined women of Jiangnan.

However, as a martial arts master, he possessed a natural air of composure, and replied with a smile while waving his paper fan:
"If a woman is going to do something bad, no man can stop her. They have a natural ability to turn the smartest man into a fool, especially beautiful women in the underworld... If they are beautiful and can survive in the underworld, they must be smart."

"And clever women know how to deal with men... that is to show their weakness to men. What do you think, my lord?"

Xu Ningchuan took a sip of wine and looked at Zhao Wumian with a smile, "Lord Marquis has suffered countless hardships for the sake of women."

Before Zhao Wumian could respond, the maidservant carrying the dishes stepped forward, set down the tray, and then, as if flitting among flowers, moved behind Zhao Wumian, gently placing her hands on his shoulders and whispering sweetly in his ear:

"What this gentleman said is absolutely true. Your Excellency should be careful not to let any beautiful woman from the martial arts world cloud your judgment, especially since... you are a married man."

Xu Ningchuan frowned slightly. This attitude was unlike that of an ordinary maid... Something was wrong.

It's one thing for him to call me "Lord Marquis," we were just joking around, but why is a maid like you calling me that? Do you even know who Zhao Wumian is?

Zhao Wumian, holding his wine cup, felt the fragrant warmth emanating from the maid's whispered words in his ear. His expression shifted from initial confusion to a smile, and he said:
"Knowing I have a family, why are you still clinging to me? My wives are not easy to deal with."

"Oh? Which one is difficult to deal with? Your Excellency is a great hero, why should you put up with the temper of those vulgar women at home? If that's really the case, Your Excellency would rather..."

The maid's small hand slowly slid down from Zhao Wumian's shoulder, her fingertips tracing circles on his chest.

She leaned closer, lightly pecking Zhao Wumian's cheek with her pink lips, then lifted one of his hands and placed it against her cheek, saying seductively:
"Find some wildflowers and enjoy yourself."

Although her face wasn't particularly beautiful, her every move, her temperament, and her voice were enough to make any man in the world overlook any flaws in her appearance and become completely captivated.

"It makes sense."

Zhao Wumian then succumbed to temptation.

He raised his hand and took the maid's small hand in his, gently kneading it. The soft, boneless touch was so smooth that he could never get enough of it.

Seeing Zhao Wumian's action, the maid's charming and coquettish expression instantly froze, and her expression turned fierce for a moment, almost imperceptibly, as if she wanted to grab Zhao Wumian's ear and scold him.

No, I was just playing around, and you actually fell for it?

But with outsiders around, she didn't want Zhao Wumian to lose face, so she could only suppress the urge to curse and the bitterness in her heart, and move away quietly.

Zhao Wumian turned around and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

The next moment, the maid gently patted Zhao Wumian's shoulder with one hand, turned around lightly, and gracefully sat down in Zhao Wumian's arms.

Her wide sleeves fluttered in the air, momentarily obscuring her face.

In the blink of an eye, her sleeves fell down, and a peerless beauty with eyebrows like distant mountains, skin like solidified cream, and thin lips with cinnabar dots suddenly appeared before the two of them.

She wrapped one arm around Zhao Wumian's neck, while her other small hand held a wine cup, her breath as fragrant as orchids as she spoke:

"My lord, please."

Bang!

Xu Ningchuan suddenly stood up, his eyes filled with astonishment followed by a chilling glint in them. "This disguise...you're Lady Canghua!?"

"So what if it is?" Shen Xiangge leaned against Zhao Wumian's chest, her legs off the ground, her whole weight resting on Zhao Wumian, looking like a little bird nestled against her, holding a wine cup and smiling slightly.

"The Marquis will protect this 'wildflower' of mine... right?"

She emphasized the word "wildflower" with extra force.

Upon hearing this, Xu Ningchuan suddenly remembered that Zhao Wumian had killed Tong Congdao in the capital, apparently for the sake of Lady Canghua... What a pair of despicable people!

Thinking of this, his expression became somewhat strange, as if he had become the object of this despicable couple's amusement.

Zhao Wumian recognized his wife at first glance, leaned closer to serve Shen Xiangge a cup of wine, and then introduced her to him.

"Xu Ningchuan was born in the Jade Palace... but he left later and began to roam the martial world under another identity, earning himself the title of martial arts champion. He is also the only martial arts champion without any sect affiliation."

Xu Ningchuan sat down at the table again. Upon hearing this, he raised the wine pot and gestured slightly to Shen Xiangge. Then, with a 'snap,' he lightly wiped his face with a paper umbrella, revealing a completely different appearance.

Disguise is something that seasoned veterans of the underworld rely on, but few can be as unpredictable as Shen Xiangge.

Therefore, she could tell at a glance that Xu Ningchuan's disguise technique had flaws, and couldn't help but frown.

"A mere trick, half-empty and rattling, and you still want to embarrass yourself in the martial arts world?"

Xu Ningchuan had long heard of Lady Canghua's great reputation. It was normal for her to be looked down upon because she was not as skilled as him, so he didn't care about such a trivial matter and just gave a casual explanation.

"When you're out in the martial world, you have to have multiple identities and multiple paths. There's no better martial arts technique than disguise. Otherwise, if I were to use the name of a martial arts champion to indulge in drinking, gambling, whoring, swindling, and cheating, the imperial court would definitely take away my martial arts champion plaque... And I have quite a few creditors."

It's unclear whether Xu Ningchuan was referring to a debt of gratitude or a debt of money.

But Shen Xiangge didn't care about Xu Ningchuan at all. Upon hearing this, she simply turned her gaze to Zhao Wumian and frowned.

"Where did you get this shady friend? He's never taken you to a brothel, has he?"

How dare you say that to me? Isn't your Canghualou a brothel?
Xu Ningchuan felt that Shen Xiangge's wariness came out of nowhere.

"If I enjoyed visiting brothels, wouldn't your Canghualou be the first to suffer?"

Zhao Wumian held his wife's small waist, his nose filled with a fragrance he hadn't smelled in a long time.

"You'd better be... But if you really want to, my female disciples have always been enamored with you~"

"My wife, please stop testing me."

"Tch... Hey, did you drink the bathwater I gave you last time?"

“You drank it, but how could you possibly have taken a wild bath… It was just ordinary spring water, wasn’t it?”

"The spring water is a lie; the bathwater is the real thing."

"...How did you find me?"

"We're so in sync, I know where you are..."

"Where's Miss Su?"

"You're being served by your new wife, so I'll come and serve you instead."

Shen Xiangge pinched a stray strand of her hair with her fingertips and playfully teased Zhao Wumian's cheek.

Seeing the two of them whispering to each other without any regard for him, Xu Ningchuan was a little annoyed. He drank a cup of wine, then turned his paper fan to reveal his original appearance and got down to business.

"Since Lady Canghua is here as well, I'll get straight to the point... Wen Wuzheng and I fought for several days, and we both suffered some injuries. The battle ended inconclusively, but now that Mo Jingxue is dead and you have regained your memories, he probably won't return to the Jade Palace."

Upon hearing this, the long-absent adulterous couple finally snapped out of their daze, glanced at each other, and became more serious.

Shen Xiangge frowned deeply. She had just realized that Wen Wuzheng was the scoundrel who had betrayed Zhao Wumian, and her tone became colder.

“If he doesn’t go back to the Jade Palace, where else can he go? The Central Plains martial arts world has long been conquered by my husband, and there is no force left to take him in.”

Zhao Wumian pondered for a moment, then remembered a place and murmured to himself:

"The Western Regions... that's the most chaotic place, the perfect place for a lost soul like Wen Wuzheng."

Shen Xiangge narrowed her almond-shaped eyes slightly, also feeling that Wen Wuzheng could only go to the Western Regions... After all, he couldn't very well go to the grasslands, could he?

She and Su Qingqi had only recently returned from the Western Regions. If they delayed any longer, they might run into Wen Wuzheng again... But even if they did, she wouldn't know who Wen Wuzheng was, and it would probably just fizzle out.

Xu Ningchuan pondered for a moment, then said firmly:

Whether Wen Wuzheng will go to the Western Regions is another matter, but the Illusion Pavilion still has a Nine Bells that is not on Mo Jingxue's person. Now it is impossible for Wen Wuzheng not to go and retrieve those Nine Bells... I wonder if Lady Canghua knows where those Nine Bells are hidden?

Shen Xiangge blinked. Her skills were passed down from Yan Rongfei, but she was certain she had also comprehended the Nine Bells of the Illusionary Truth Pavilion. She then said:
"The nine bells inside the pavilion are called 'Eternal Radiance Lamps,' but their effects... seem rather useless. Let me demonstrate them for you."

Shen Xiangge placed her delicate hand on Zhao Wumian's chest. After a moment, a faint red light flashed across the back of her fair hand, but quickly disappeared.

Xu Ningchuan composed himself and glanced at Zhao Wumian. "How are you feeling?"

Zhao Wumian looked inward for a few seconds and found that the flow of his internal energy was somewhat obscure.

He frowned slightly, then saw Shen Xiangge suddenly pour a glass of wine, bring it close to Zhao Wumian's lips, and softly part her pink lips, "Ah~"

Zhao Wumian subconsciously opened his mouth, but for some reason his lips remained tightly closed. After a moment, he opened his mouth to drink.

He was slightly surprised and intrigued. "The effect of the Nine Bells?"

Shen Xiangge nodded slightly and explained slowly:
"The Everlasting Flowing Clouds Lamp can stir up the weather, sometimes blowing wind and sometimes raining, which is quite magical, but unfortunately it is uncontrollable. It is far less unpredictable than the Inlaid Gold Boshan Furnace and the Naraku Red Silk, and it is not as domineering as the World-Slaying Sword Sheath."

"This is the Dragon King! He can control the wind and rain, he's practically a living god." Xu Ningchuan exclaimed in slight amazement.

Shen Xiangge shook her head slightly, drawing circles on Zhao Wumian's chest with her small hand, and explained:

"The effect of these nine bells is not like that; strictly speaking, it should be 'disruption'..."

"If the Eastern Emperor Bell is meant to suppress heaven and earth, then it is disrupting the way of heaven. Therefore, when it is activated, a perfectly clear day will inexplicably turn into a storm with wind and rain."

"But wind and rain are just external manifestations. There must be something related to the laws of nature. The mortal world can't even touch this level, which is why it's useless."

As she spoke, Shen Xiangge took a sip of wine to moisten her throat before continuing, "I've tried to comprehend this a few times and even grasped a little bit of sorcery... Just now, my husband's internal energy flowed sluggishly, he wanted to open his mouth but couldn't, and sometimes he couldn't distinguish left from right. If you wanted to move forward, your body would inexplicably move backward, doing whatever it wanted, with too much uncertainty..."

"But this little trick requires me to concentrate for a while before I can use it. How can I use it in actual combat? It has such great limitations and is not effective against Wu Kui. It is far less practical than the Nine Bells of Naraku and Red Silk."

Shen Xiangge's words sounded mystical, but the Nine Bells are just that kind of thing.

Zhao Wumian pondered for a moment, feeling that the Nine Bells seemed to be related to concepts such as cause and effect and destiny, or that it was a personification of 'variables'.

It is even more mysterious than the Naraku Red Silk and the Inlaid Gold Boshan Incense Burner.

He has a bit of a chosen one vibe.

Even with his superior martial arts skills, he could only see through the fog when faced with these mysterious things, unable to understand or comprehend them.

If you really want to see and understand it clearly, you'd have to ascend to immortality.

If one's social standing and status are not up to par, then the ever-burning lamp of the rosy clouds naturally seems useless; the fault lies not with the bell itself, but with those of them who are worldly and unworthy of it.

No wonder Mo Jingxue's martial arts didn't show much of the influence of the Flowing Clouds Everlasting Lamp.

It turns out it wasn't that I didn't want to, but that I couldn't.

But no matter how useless it was, it was still Jiuzhong, and Zhao Wumian had no reason to give it up, so he asked:

"Does my wife know where Mo Jingxue hid this?"

"He always carried it with him, there was no safer place than by his side, and now he's dead at your hands... and you still haven't found him?"

Zhao Wumian shook his head, pondered for a moment,

"Mo Jingxue came to Yanyun with a death wish, and she has probably already made arrangements for the Everlasting Lamp of Flowing Clouds, either hiding it somewhere or handing it over to someone directly..."

To whom should we entrust it?

Wen Wuzheng!
Thinking of this, the three of them fell silent again, as if they had come full circle.

Xu Ningchuan twirled the empty wine glass between his fingers, silently frowning. After a moment, he heard Zhao Wumian say to him:
"Right now it's just guesswork, we have no clues, but we still have to go look for it... The Everlasting Lamp of Flowing Clouds might be hidden by him in some branch of the Illusion Pavilion. Go there and search for it. As for Wen Wuzheng, leave him to me."

Indeed, he couldn't just sit there idly. Xu Ningchuan snapped out of his reverie, put down his wine glass, and poured himself a pot of Tinglan wine.

He offered Zhao Wumian a cup of wine, then took out a map from his pocket and laid it out. After Shen Xiangge drew a dozen or so circles on the map, he immediately left gracefully.

Click————

He closed the door, found the waiter, paid for the drinks, and then quickly used his light-footed skills to leave the town in the blink of an eye.

They didn't waste a single moment; they were swift and decisive, clearly action-oriented.

The circles drawn by Shen Xiangge are naturally the possible hiding places of the Huanzhen Pavilion branch where the Flowing Clouds Everlasting Lamp might be located.

Xu Ningchuan has multiple identities and extensive connections, so it's quite easy for him to conduct a thorough investigation.

Some things are better handled by a江湖人 (jianghu person) like him than by the imperial court... At least Xu Ningchuan would definitely have a way to infiltrate the Huanzhen Pavilion and find out many interesting things.

Shen Xiangge glanced sideways at Xu Ningchuan's retreating figure, and only after he left did she unable to help but speculate:

"You've already been betrayed by that bastard Wen Wuzheng once, how can you still trust these so-called friends from the martial arts world?"

Zhao Wumian smiled slightly, showing a magnanimous attitude:

“I was betrayed by Wen Wuzheng, but I made the mistake of befriending him, not the other people.”

"As the saying goes, once bitten by a snake, twice shy... Aren't you afraid that this so-called boxing champion might betray you?"

“If I were afraid, I wouldn’t drink with him.”

Helpless, Shen Xiangge, seemingly threatening, revealed a pair of cute little tiger teeth and gave a somewhat fierce snort, saying irritably:
"That sounds nice... I'm waiting for you to be sold out by these江湖 (jianghu) friends again, and then you'll be crying in my arms, full of regret."

"Cry?" Zhao Wumian was about to say that he never cried, but then suddenly changed his mind and laughed:

Xu Ningchuan said that smart women know how to deal with men, which is to show their weakness to men... In fact, conversely, sometimes it seems that men showing a little weakness is also enough to deal with women.

"Oh?" Upon hearing this, Shen Xiangge's expression changed. She touched Zhao Wumian's chin with her fingertip, adopted a mature older sister demeanor, and smiled charmingly:
"Is that so? Then my dear brother might as well pour out more of his grievances to his sister... for example, complain about those ladies who make you suffer and are difficult to get along with."

"We're too busy feeling sorry for them to complain."

Zhao Wumian hugged Shen Xiangge's waist tightly and pulled her in slightly. She immediately understood his intention and took the initiative to lower her head and offer her her lips.

boo~
Shen Xiangge sat in Zhao Wumian's arms and kissed her lover whom she hadn't seen for a long time.

Zhao Wumian's hand gradually climbed up her waist, lifting her perfectly curved breasts through her clothes.

"you……"

Shen Xiangge had not seen or been intimate with Zhao Wumian for a long time, and her body was more sensitive than before. She let out a soft sob, but hugged him even tighter.

Inside the room, the doors and windows were tightly closed. Outside, the wind and snow raged, but inside, it was warm and cozy, and one could faintly hear the sounds of pedestrians passing by on the street.

But the passionate couple inside didn't care at all. With their martial arts skills, they really didn't need to care. Unless they wanted to, obviously no one in this world had the ability to eavesdrop on the conversations of these top martial arts masters.

Shen Xiangge kissed her lover passionately for a while, then suddenly pulled away, panting heavily, her eyes filled with seductive charm. She then hurriedly loosened the belt of her plain dress and leaned closer to him again.

Another "pop".

She didn't want to leave any room for maneuver, and took the opportunity to loosen her belt. Her elegant dress slipped slightly off her shoulders, revealing a white silk bodice to Zhao Wumian.

Shen Xiangge inherited the Empress Dowager's figure; her curves were perfect, and her size was exactly the same, so much so that even a bellyband couldn't fully cover her.

If viewed from the side, a semi-circular, white, smooth surface can be seen.

Shen Xiangge's breathing quickened, and she took Zhao Wumian's hand again, stammering as she spoke, each word distinct:

"My husband, look... isn't this my weakness?"

Zhao Wumian hadn't intended to do this in a private room of a restaurant, but with his wife being so enthusiastic, how could he not be witty and go along with it?

His other hand slid under Shen Xiangge's skirt, and he chuckled:

“This place is just soft… this spot is the ‘weak’…”

"Well……"

Her eyes were already glazed over. The dignified leader of the Demonic Sect was powerless to resist her lover's advances and could only endure it all.

She couldn't help but hug Zhao Wumian tighter, but then she touched the white cloth used for bandaging and suddenly whispered:
"You are hurt……"

"Yes, it's just an external injury, nothing serious..."

Shen Xiangge suddenly felt a little regretful... Just as Su Qingqi said, he had indeed missed it. If he could have come to Yanyun a few days earlier, that would have been better.

Bangdang————

Zhao Wumian swept the food off the table and laid Shen Xiangge flat on it, her hair cascading down like a waterfall.

Snap————

Two pairs of embroidered shoes fell to the ground. After Zhao Wumian played with Shen Xiangge's cute little feet, which were covered in cotton socks, for a while, her arches suddenly tensed up and then relaxed as if she had lost all her strength.

Zhao Wumian was slightly taken aback, "Why is my wife like this today...?"

Shen Xiangge also felt embarrassed, covering her pretty face with her hands, her ears turning bright red.

"It's been so long since I've seen you, Min... you've become a little sensitive... slow down..."

"My wife is really so soft and weak..."

"Get to work and stop talking nonsense."

……

By the time the two returned, it was already dark.

It wasn't that Zhao Wumian had forgotten the little nun and Miss Su at home; it was just that after they finished, Shen Xiangge sprinkled a lot of incense in the room, opened the windows for ventilation, and waited for half an hour to make sure there was no smell or trace before leaving.

Zhao Wumian accompanied Shen Xiangge for a while, buying many things for Luo Chaoyan and the others who were still in the capital... The town was poor, so there wasn't much to buy.

But the two still strolled around for quite a while.

Being with Shen Xiangge, even if the two of them were just strolling through a snowy plain with nothing in sight, would surely be filled with laughter and joy.

But when Zhao Wumian saw the grove of willow trees, he noticed many cart tracks and footprints outside the courtyard, and a horse-drawn carriage parked in front of the gate.

The banner of the Sword Sect was printed on the side of the carriage.

Zhao Wumian raised an eyebrow slightly, then couldn't help but show a hint of joy.

"My aunts and the others have returned... If I count the days, it should be within the next couple of days."

Luo Xiangzhu was physically weak, so riding in a carriage was definitely better than being jostled and chilled on horseback. Therefore, although Mu Li'er had said she was coming to find Zhao Wumian, she was a little slower on foot.

That's how Su Qingqi and Shen Xiangge arrived one after the other.

(End of this chapter)