This is not how immortals cultivate

Chapter 356 Madam, what are you doing in the closet?

Xiang Yuan's lips twitched. He knew that his mother-in-law had a rather fierce personality and often acted impulsively on a whim.

For example, when they first met, even though she knew he and Xiao Lingyue were in love, she still forced him to pretend to be a pretty boy and act intimately in order to provoke Xiao Yan.

At the time, Cheng Yuling was angry, and although Xiang Yuan couldn't understand it, he said he could.

He genuinely couldn't understand the behavior of crawling into the closet.

There was a knock on the door, but Xiao Yan outside remained silent.

Xiang Yuan glanced at the door, then at the wardrobe in the inner room, rolled her eyes speechlessly, and welcomed Xiao Yan in.

"Xiang Yuan pays respects to his father-in-law!"

Xiang Yuan bowed respectfully, without mentioning the relationship between his adoptive father and adopted son. He was Xiao Yan's ninety-first son, and the title "Master Xiang of the Ninth Year" sounded off.

Moreover, a beautiful woman next door was addressing him as "sir".

That's even more wrong!

It hasn't been many years since we last met... it was just last year.

Xiao Yan's appearance remained unchanged; his features were regular, his appearance dignified, majestic, and righteous, making him truly extraordinary.

It was precisely because of his face, coupled with his remarkable eloquence in charming women, that he was able to maintain a stable marriage at home while having affairs on the side, living a life that Xiang Yuan envied, or rather, loathed.

As for the title of Prince Zhao and the position of Grand Chancellor of Guanshan Road, these had little to do with Xiao Yan's own efforts. It was his eldest son, Xiao Qian, who resented not being born into wealth and hoped his father would become a dragon, who painstakingly helped his father rise to power.

As soon as Xiao Yan entered the room, he smelled a faint fragrance. He frowned, glared at Xiang Yuan, and put aside his authority as a strict father and father-in-law, scolding, "Xiang Yuan, you are my adopted son and my son-in-law. We are family behind closed doors. There are some things I have to say even if I don't want to."

"???"

"You're already engaged to Lingyue and Lingyan, and you're about to get married. How can you still be flirting with other women outside? What kind of behavior is that!"

No, is that your line?

Before we speak, can we at least look in the mirror?

Xiang Yuan rolled her eyes. Xiao Yan wasn't Cheng Yuling, so he didn't need to give him much face. But Cheng Yuling was right there, so the image of a filial child was essential. She had to lower her head and obediently accept the scolding.

He was too lazy to explain Jiang Yingjun's misunderstanding.

Explanation is just a cover-up. No, explanation requires self-justification. Jiang Yingjun has already been wronged once. If she suffers again, Xiang Yuan is worried that she will be too upset and, in doing so, solidify her reputation as a bad woman who seduces a married man.

What good girl could bear such injustice!

Seeing Xiang Yuan obediently accepting the scolding, Xiao Yan stroked his meticulously groomed beard and asked gently, "How is the Jinglan Blade? Is it alright?"

The Jinglan Blade is a weapon passed down through the Zhaowang Mansion, wielded by cultivators at the Innate and Nascent Soul stages. While not particularly valuable in itself, Xiao Yan wasn't born a prince. As a member of a collateral branch of the Xiao clan, he was merely a nobody when he was in the capital. The Jinglan Blade's enduring legacy holds immense significance, and even after he became a prince with no shortage of powerful weapons, the Jinglan Blade still holds a special place in his heart.

There are many reasons why the gift was given to Xiang Yuan, but the main reason lies with Xiao He.

Others may not know Xiao He's abilities and cunning, but Xiao Yan knows them all. Among his biological sons, his eldest son Xiao Qian and his fortieth son Xiao He are both capable of great things, and either one of them is ten times more outstanding than him.

Xiao He had a very high opinion of Xiang Yuan, calling him a hot commodity and urging him to go all in without hesitation.

To win over Xiang Yuan, Xiao He not only became sworn brothers with him, but also introduced his younger sister Xiao Lingyue to him, and even brought Xiang Yuan to see him, recommending him as his adopted son.

This isn't just going all in; this is betting your entire fortune.

Although Xiao Yan couldn't understand it, after a brief encounter, he admitted that Xiang Yuan was shameless and ruthless, capable of great things, and trusted Xiao He's judgment, so he went all in.

He adopted him as his godson, agreed to the marriage, and incidentally gifted him the family heirloom sword, the Jinglan Blade.

This knife bears witness to the impoverished past of the Zhao family. Xiao Yan had not seen it for a long time and missed it dearly. He asked Xiang Yuan to bring out the knife so that he could take a look at it and reminisce about the past.

"The Jinglan Blade has always been by my child's side."

Xiang Yuan drew a long sword from its white scabbard, its surface flawless from the first snow, shimmering with silvery light.

Xiao Yan, his eyes gleaming with envy, gripped the hilt of his sword and drew it with a clang, while Xiang Yuan remained expressionless and silent.

Swish!
The sword weighed a thousand pounds; how could Xiao Yan possibly wield it? The moment it was drawn, his wrist went limp, as if he were holding not a sword, but a small mountain.

The Jinglan Blade fell to the ground, its blade touching the blue bricks and smoothly cutting into them, disappearing into the hilt. The remaining force dispersed, crushing large areas of spiderweb-like cracks.

"Ah this..."

Xiao Yan was dumbfounded when he saw this, and then looked at the expressionless, honest man in the distance, feeling annoyed that he had been tricked.

Hey kid, what's wrong with saying a few words to you? Don't think I don't know. The woman you're having an affair with is hiding in the closet in the back room, making me lose face. I'm going in right now to drag her out of the closet.

We'll see how you explain that then!

Xiao Yan dismissively remarked that hiding things in wardrobes was something he had already done back in the day, and that the young man was arrogant and self-important, unaware that his elders hadn't exposed him to save face.

"What happened to the Jinglan Blade? Did you reforge it?"

"Well, I asked a few friends for help. First, we killed a tiger demon in the Tongyou stage in the Southern Frontier and seized its demon core. Then, we gathered several grandmasters and reforged this sword." Xiang Yuan shrugged, drew the Jinglan Sword with a clang, twirled it with ease, sheathed it, and sent it to the jade wall space.

It's a trivial matter, so I won't go into details here.

Besides, even if he explained the affairs of the Grandmaster circle, Xiao Yan wouldn't understand!
Xiang Yuan briefly showed Xiao Yan his WeChat Moments, and Xiao Yan's face turned red. He felt humiliated and ashamed. He angrily went into the house to drag the woman out of the closet so that Xiang Yuan would also lose face.

If you do the first day of the month, I'll do the fifteenth; we'll both lose face!
Xiao Yan ultimately did not enter the house. The Jinglan Blade was too heavy, and he was afraid that Xiang Yuan might slip and the back of the blade would hit his foot.

On the bright side, although the task was entrusted to the wrong person, the Jinglan Blade has become a master-level divine weapon, far surpassing its former glory. The Jinglan Blade must be happy too.

"Xiang Yuan, what's the story behind your identity as a member of the Liu clan? How did you get involved with the Liu clan of Northern Qi?" Xiao Yan frowned slightly.

"It's a long story, and involves too many things. I've already explained it to the people in the capital. It's better if you don't ask, Father-in-law, otherwise... you'll feel bad," Xiang Yuan said kindly.

Xiao Yan opened his mouth, recalling Xiang Yuan's circle of friends, and politely skipped over the topic.

He had few virtues, one of which was listening to advice, especially his son's. He listened to his son's advice so much that he became the Prince Zhao, the Grand Marshal of Guanshan Road, and the commander of Zhen Dian Prefecture, overseeing all civil and military affairs in eight prefectures.

An adopted son is still a son; you can't go wrong listening to your son!
Thinking of this, Xiao Yan stopped asking where Xiao Lingyue and Xiao Lingyan's princess titles came from. He figured it was just a matter of personal connections, not a circle he could associate with, and he'd only be asking for trouble.

But there were some things he, as the father, had to say. He glanced at the direction of the inner room and reminded him, "You are a Chu person. This is a honey trap. Northern Qi has no good intentions. You must not be blinded by beauty and ruin your good reputation."

Xiang Yuan's molars ached terribly. As I said before, coming from Xiao Yan's mouth, these words were utterly unconvincing.

Xiao Yan was very self-aware. Seeing Xiang Yuan's strange expression and his hesitation, he stopped talking in time and changed his words, saying, "I am an experienced man. I know you are young and full of vigor. It is hard to refuse a beautiful woman in front of you. Let me give you a piece of advice: having too many women is not a good thing."

Xiang Yuan's eyes lit up, sensing an opportunity for amusement. He respectfully said, "Father-in-law, if you have any wise words or insightful advice, please don't hesitate to share them with me."

"Hmph, don't think I don't know what you're thinking! Let me tell you, no way, I won't pass on all my knowledge to you."

Xiao Yan snorted coldly: "On the contrary, I have a lot of complaints about the disadvantages of having too many women. Do you want to hear them?"

"Father-in-law, please say what you want to say. I don't really care."

"Then let me tell you about it!"

Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes, regardless of whether Xiang Yuan believed him or not. For the sake of his two daughters, he emphasized his words and used exaggerated rhetoric: "In the eyes of outsiders, Prince Zhao has nine beautiful consorts and many other women he is in love with. Countless people envy him, but how many of them know the suffering Prince Zhao endures..."

"In the backyard, it's a living hell. Fighting today, arguing tomorrow. Let alone a new piece of clothing, even adding a new potted plant to the yard can lead to a bitter rivalry that lasts for half a month..."

I don't want to hear this!

Xiang Yuan shook his head and interrupted, "Father-in-law, you've said so much, but all I know is that Lingyue is definitely not that kind of woman!"

"Ha, that's because you didn't see her mother. If there's anyone in the manor who's the most unreasonable, she claims to be second to none."

Yes, yes, that's it. Let's go into details.

Under Xiang Yuan's expectant gaze, Xiao Yan poured out his grievances and went on and on.

The original intention was that Xiao Lingyue should follow her mother's example, and if Xiang Yuan didn't want to suffer like him in the future, he should not mess around outside. However, to some people, such as the one in the closet in the inner room, these words were very unpleasant to hear.

After Xiao Yan finished speaking, he noticed that Xiang Yuan was bowing his head and remaining silent. He thought to himself that this was strange and was about to ask something when he heard a commotion coming from outside the house and courtyard.

"Brother, I'm here!"

"This is a sacred place, and there is a princess from another country here. Who is making such a racket here!"

Hearing the loud, fawning voices outside, Xiao Yan glared at Xiang Yuan with displeasure. Seizing the opportunity, he put on his imposing manner: "Look at the kind of lackeys you've taken in. They don't know any manners at all. I can't say it outright. When he comes in later, you can talk to him yourself."

"Ah."

Xiang Yuan nodded, and the moment Xiao Feng happily entered the house, Xiang Yuan strode forward, swung his big purse at Xiao Feng's face, and slammed him to the ground with a thud.

Xiao Feng covered his face, his smile stiff, and looked into the room in confusion.

Xiang Yuan had a sinister look on his face, a middle-aged man standing with his hands behind his back, looking aloof, and... a woman hiding in the wardrobe in the inner room.

Having traveled the underworld for many years, Xiao Feng had seen all sorts of ghost stories. After taking a look at the setup in the room, he immediately guessed three possibilities.

But why hit him?

"Brother, why did you hit me?"

"You deserve to be hit!" Xiang Yuan pointed at Xiao Feng's left leg and said, "Did you step in with your left foot first? How dare you! Who told you to step in with your left foot first!"

As he spoke, he kicked Xiao Feng's left foot hard.

Xiao Feng was bewildered, covering his face with one hand and his leg with the other: "Brother, you can kill me or torture me as you please, but at least let me die knowing why. What did I do wrong?"

“Your voice is too loud. My father-in-law, Prince Zhao, was displeased and asked me to discipline you and establish rules for the post station,” Xiang Yuan told him truthfully.

Behind him, Xiao Yan glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, his face full of arrogance.

In an instant, Xiao Feng's temper flared up!
So you bastard are Xiao Yan, damn it! I've wanted to beat you up for ages!
It wasn't just Xiao Feng who wanted to beat up Xiao Yan; Xiao Qiushui and Xiao Ling also wished they could strangle this grandson to death.

Asking is just a way to transfer anger. I can't repay my brother's kindness. If I can't deal with my brother, I can at least deal with you, you bastard!

Xiao Feng jumped up, his face dark as he looked at Xiao Yan. But because Xiang Yuan was nearby, he couldn't lash out. He lowered his head and admitted his mistake, promising to abide by the rules of the post station next time.

"It is a great virtue to admit one's mistakes and correct them. My father-in-law is a magnanimous man. I will make the decision; he will not hold it against you this time."

Xiang Yuan nodded in satisfaction, slapped Xiao Feng on the back of the head, and grinned at Xiao Yan, saying enthusiastically, "I forgot to introduce you, Father-in-law. This is Xiao Feng from the capital. Don't be fooled by his loud voice and his stupid, ignorant, and sycophantic appearance. He is a Grandmaster of the Tongyou stage, and his seniority is extremely high. He has a certain status in the capital."

"..."

Xiao what?
Whose master is he?
Xiao Yan's mouth dropped open, his knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, sweating profusely. He said, "Xiao Yan, the governor of Zhen Dian Prefecture, pays respects to the clan elder. I was unaware that my elder was in person. I deserve to die a thousand deaths."

According to seniority, Xiao Yan was indeed a grandson in front of Xiao Feng, but the two were too distantly related. If Xiao Yan called out "Grandpa," Xiao Feng might not necessarily respond.

Now I don't want to bother with them at all!

Xiao Feng glared at Xiao Yan, his eyes blazing with fury. He stood tall and proud, displaying the imposing authority of a grandfather, and with his fingers forming a sword shape, he declared in a loud voice, "You grandson..."

Snapped!
I got slapped on the back of the head.

Xiang Yuan said with a dark face, "How dare you speak to my father-in-law like that? You have no respect for hierarchy and no manners. Help him up."

"I'll help you up."

In front of Xiang Yuan, Xiao Feng was as timid as a quail. He quickly stepped forward, put on a smile, and hid Xiao Yan. He gritted his teeth and said, "I am new here and do not know the rules of Zhen Dian Prefecture. I hope that Prince Zhao will take pity on this old man because of my age."

"Don't dare, don't dare."

Seeing the two getting along well, Xiang Yuan smiled and nodded, then said to Xiao Yan, "Father-in-law, I have known Xiao Feng for a while. He saw that I was quite skilled in martial arts, so he recognized me as his elder brother. You don't need to be so polite, just call him Xiao Feng. After all, you are the elder."

Xiao Yan stared blankly into the void, hearing nothing and making no response.

Xiao Feng was speechless and tasted the taste. Seeing that his eldest brother didn't like his grandson very much, he sent a message to ask if he wanted to go to Prince Zhao's palace with a mask on tonight and beat him up.

Xiang Yuan glared at Xiao Feng. If he messed with Xiao Yan, Xiao Lingyue and Cheng Yuling would be unhappy. If the two of them were unhappy, he would be unhappy too, and then no one would have a good time.

Xiao Feng realized that since he couldn't resort to private punishment, he could start with official business and find ways to make things difficult for Xiao Yan.

"By the way, didn't you go to see that old friend? The dinner party ended so quickly?"

"With you here, brother, if anyone dares to touch the chopsticks, I, Xiao Feng, will be the first to object."

Xiao Feng glanced inside the room, curious about who was hiding there. According to his primordial spirit perception, Jiang Yingjun was obediently staying in the next room, and the one having an affair was someone else.

This is outrageous! Send a message to your Prince Zhao's residence to bring your sister-in-law over and keep a close eye on your elder brother, lest the princess of Northern Qi get away with it. And yet, you've had your home raided right under your noses, and others have gotten away with it.

You can't even handle the most trivial matters, what use are you as King Zhao!

Xiao Feng cursed inwardly but dared not show it. He sent a telepathic message to Xiao Yan, asking him to drag the vixen out of the wardrobe and then, as an elder, give Xiang Yuan a good lecture.

He could tell that Xiang Yuan was only somewhat dissatisfied with Xiao Yan, but never denied his status as Xiao Yan's father-in-law. He bared his teeth at Xiang Yuan, and got a big slap in the face; Xiao Yan bared his teeth at Xiang Yuan, and while the latter was naturally unhappy, he could only endure it.

Xiao Yan had the same idea. From the moment he entered the room, he had been constantly plotted against by Xiang Yuan. He regretted not having a chance to get revenge. Upon hearing this, he strode confidently into the inner room.

And listen to Grandpa's advice to ease the tension of their first meeting.

Kill two birds with one stone, win twice!
"Wait a minute!"

Xiang Yuan raised his hand to stop him, his expression changing, and said dryly, "Father-in-law, it would be better if you didn't come in."

"If I don't go inside, how will Lingyue and Lingyan view me!" Xiao Yan swept his sleeves and strode into the inner room.

Xiang Yuan opened his mouth, thought for a moment, and then decisively shut up and stopped speaking.

Inside the room, Xiao Yan went straight to the wardrobe, stood in front of the door, and coldly snorted, "Come out yourself. Do you think I have to ask you to come out, since you are a junior?"

Seeing no movement from inside the wardrobe, Xiao Yan's sneer deepened: "You have the guts to seduce people, but not the guts to open the door. Then I'll ask you to come out."

He opened the wardrobe with both hands and saw Cheng Yuling standing inside, dressed in the attire of a post station servant, her face cold, as if she were looking at a dead person. His heart skipped a beat.

For a moment, my heart stopped beating!

Madam, what are you doing in the closet?

Xiao Yan swallowed hard, closed the door with both hands, and shook his head repeatedly. It was all an illusion; he must have seen it wrong.

He took a deep breath, opened the wardrobe door again, and saw that the woman's eyebrows and temperament were exactly the same as Cheng Yuling's, even the accessories of the breast wrap were exactly the same, and said that she looked just like her.

They closed the wardrobe door again!

Xiao Yan felt that he had opened the door incorrectly and suspected that there was a formation here. He stretched out his hands and opened the wardrobe door for the third time.

Before he could open the door, Cheng Yuling pushed it open herself and came out, her face cold. "There are too many people here, both elders and juniors. Come with me back to the Prince Zhao's residence, and we can sit down and talk slowly."

"Uh-huh."

Xiao Yan's eyes reddened as he recalled his earlier complaints and grumbles, and he followed Cheng Yuling out of the inner room.

What a trap!
Cheng Yuling first bowed and paid her respects to Elder Xiao Feng, then told Xiang Yuan in a gentle tone that she had some tricky matters to deal with and would come to see him again that evening. She then left the courtyard with Xiao Yan in tow.

Xiao Feng was completely bewildered, not understanding what had happened. He looked at Xiang Yuan with a puzzled expression and asked, "Brother, who is that woman? When did she hide in the closet? How come I didn't know about her?"

"You'd better not know."

Xiang Yuan sneered twice, guessing that it was Xiao Feng's idea that led Xiao Yan to come in and open the door.

Since it was quite entertaining, he decided not to pursue the matter further.

"Brother, who exactly is that woman?" Xiao Feng had a feeling there was some juicy gossip to be had, and he scratched his head anxiously.

"Your mother-in-law is your sister-in-law's biological mother. If you meet her again, you'd better be more polite."

"..."

Xiao Feng fell silent, wanting to ask why his aunt was hiding in his elder brother's wardrobe. Was there some unspeakable secret?
Also, does your sister-in-law know?

"Don't overthink it. Your sister-in-law is in seclusion, and Mother received a letter from the Prince Zhao's residence. She was worried that I was having affairs outside, so she rushed back to keep an eye on me. She had a fight with Father-in-law and didn't want to see him, so she hid in the wardrobe," Xiang Yuan explained.

"Oh, I see!"

Xiao Feng suddenly realized what was happening and believed it.

That was so infuriating, Xiang Yuan couldn't hold back any longer. He blocked off the surrounding space and pinned the man to the ground, beating him half to death.

Once Xiao Feng was fully recovered, the two left the inn and went to Xiao Feng's old friend's place for a banquet.

As Jiang Yingjun's personal bodyguard, Xiang Yuan couldn't possibly leave her unattended. If Cheng Yuling could infiltrate the inn, then it was even more likely that a Nascent Soul or Netherworld Realm expert could do the same.

Before leaving, he set up a barrier that would alert him to any intruders and allow him to arrive at the scene immediately.

……

A small courtyard in Zhen Dian Prefecture.

The courtyard slopes gently, covered with fragrant grasses and green vines.

Zi Ping Daoist put down her magic treasure, the Heavenly Pattern Plate, and glanced at Qin Zhaorong, who was eager to try, beside her: "You were right. The Grandmaster had another dinner party and was invited away by Prince Zhao. If you sneak in now, you can get the poetry collection of the Northern Qi princess."

"What are you waiting for? Let's go!"

With the poetry collection readily available, Qin Zhaorong imagined the day of the grand event, pressing her hands to her chest with a worried expression: "It's too cumbersome. It's not appropriate to dress as a man that day, unlike you, Senior Sister, who can simply wear a loose-fitting dress. I really envy you."

If you want to die, just say so! There's no need to be so euphemistic!
Zi Ping picked up the Observation Plate and said irritably, "It's possible it's a trap. Let's wait a bit longer, lest the two grandmasters suddenly return just as we enter."

"Hmm, senior sister is really experienced at stealing."

"Let me make this clear from the start: only take the poetry collection, don't try anything else. If you don't behave, I'll just leave you there," Zi Ping warned.

"What are you saying, Senior Sister? I haven't even tasted meat yet, so who's being dishonest?"

"..."

You're dead tonight!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

10,000 words, please vote with monthly tickets!

(End of this chapter)