Minglong

Chapter 163 Time flies
The following day, Fengyi River.

As dawn broke, Nangong Ye, dressed in a black dress, sat cross-legged on the terrace, her hands forming the Meridian Mudra. On a small table beside her, a wisp of incense burned.

Although he was expressionless and cold like a reclusive patriarch who had renounced all emotions, Nangong Ye's heart was never at peace.

That brat will be coming back later. We've settled our scores, and even if he begs and pleads, I can't be soft-hearted and cross the line again...

But I came so early yesterday, and it's almost noon today, why haven't I seen anyone yet...?

Could it be that I was too indifferent yesterday and angered this kid?
That shouldn't be the case; I was just a bit cold-tongued...

Something went wrong?!

Thinking of this, Nangong Ye's distracting thoughts vanished. He opened his eyes and looked towards the inner city. After thinking for a moment, he put his veil on his head, flew off the terrace, and rushed to the palace at full speed.

Strangely, Ling'er, who had been released from confinement, was not at the West Residence, nor was Qingmo.

The Crown Prince of Dan, whose sister was not home, secretly left the Dan King's study, carrying several paintings and calligraphies, and sneaked away...

Nangong Ye realized something was wrong and rushed to Imperial Physician Lin's residence.

As a result, what came into view was a group of people surrounding the Lin family's guest rooms.

Has Xie Jinhuan really gotten into trouble?
Nangong Ye's eyes had just shown a hint of urgency when he immediately realized something was wrong.

The princess, dressed in a gorgeous herringbone skirt, sat in the courtyard with a drawing board in front of her, and was drawing a portrait of a handsome man.

Zisu, holding a lump of coal, stood in front of it, looking around curiously.
"Isn't that a bit too flirtatious? Young Master Xie is very upright..."

"Guji?"

"Hmph~ You're still young. You'll know what he's like in private when you grow up..."

……

Qingmo and the eldest daughter of the Lin family stood in the corridor, whispering to each other:

"What kind of medicine did Xie Jinhuan take? He needs to lie down for half a month..."

"Zisu's Vigorous Life Pill is very powerful. You'll understand once Jin Huan wakes up..."

"Oh……"

Miss Lin placed her hands on her waist, displaying an elegant and refined demeanor. She seemed to be speaking softly and gently, but her eyes were constantly fixed on the white jade bracelet on Qingmo's left hand.

(→_→)!!
Qingmo seemed oblivious to the jealous look in her eyes, and instead of covering up the bracelet, she just kept waving it in front of the girl, as if to say:

You thought you were the only one in Brother Jinhuan's heart, but you didn't expect that I had one too, did you?

Are you angry? Are you angry?

Then Miss Lin went into the house without saying a word, and when she came out again, there was a peony hairpin in her hair...

……

Nangong Ye thought the two girls were really childish, and at the same time, he began to feel worried.

Judging from the conversation, Xie Jinhuan must have taken the elixir refined by Jiazi Lian, and it would take him at least half a month of seclusion to fully digest its effects.

It's not easy to overcome Yang poisoning by relying solely on soft-skin powder...

Why didn't that kid say hello...?

Can I fight while asleep...?

Under pressure from the Yang poison, Nangong Ye quietly bypassed the courtyard and came to the back window.

She found Xie Jinhuan lying on the bed with her eyes closed, with energy flowing around her. She climbed into the room, came to the bedside, and carefully examined her.

Meanwhile, the red-clad ghost standing to the side looked helpless, feeling that without her, the family would probably fall apart.

Xie Jinhuan lay on the pillow, his consciousness already in a state of confusion, but Xie Jinhuan's soul was weak, while the ghost was different.

As his divine sense invaded the body, Ye Hongshang quickly gained partial control, and then:

Huhu~
Nangong Ye was carefully observing when he noticed a sudden surge of icy energy emanating from Xie Jinhuan's left hand. Like rain after a long drought, he quickly grasped Xie Jinhuan's hand, his eyes wide with surprise.
Did he know I was there?
Even with my consciousness sealed, he still didn't forget to channel his energy to help suppress the Yang poison...

That takes incredible willpower...

Am I really that good...?

Although touched, Nangong Ye was also on tenterhooks. After all, her disciple was right outside the room. If someone were to come in to visit her along the way, she would have no choice but to hide in the closet and endure the ordeal.

Fortunately, the girls outside were probably too shy to stick to the man and didn't bother him; they just chatted amongst themselves.

Nangong Ye felt the coldness in his palms and sweat on his cheeks, but his eyes held a complex expression. Perhaps he felt that this boy was disturbing people's minds, so he turned his gaze elsewhere, but quietly suppressed the Yang poison with his fingers interlocked.

After waiting cautiously for half an hour, Nangong Ye realized that Gao Feng had passed and the aftershocks could be suppressed with the soft powder, so he didn't dare to stay any longer. He carefully wiped the sweat from Xie Jinhuan's palms with a handkerchief, wiped Xie Jinhuan's face, and then quietly left.

For the next few days, Nangong Ye's life became one of 'eating, sleeping, and sucking on Ah Huan,' which roughly went like this:

August 29th.

She secretly went to the Lin family again, and just like yesterday, sat in front of the bed and asked Xie Jinhuan to help suppress the Yang poison.

Today should be a bit easier. Ling'er is of noble status, so it's not appropriate for her to stay at the Lin family's residence. She has already returned to the Prince's Mansion.

As a disciple of the Dan Ding Sect, Qingmo went to visit the alchemy room and even drank the tea given to him by the Great Immortal Zisu. After that, he transformed into the 'Sunny and Cheerful Qingmo':
“Miss Zisu, you…”

"Haha~ I just thought Sister Linghu was a bit cold, so I wanted to cheer you up..."

……

Although Miss Lin was very worried and was wiping Xie Jinhuan's face by the bedside, she fell asleep because of Xie Jinhuan.

Holding hands with a man in front of her confidante, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty...

……

August 30th.

Miss Lin fell asleep next to Xie Jinhuan yesterday, and she was probably scolded by Mo Mo. She sat in the corridor with her arms crossed, looking a little suspicious, probably because she felt there was something unclean next to her...

……

September 1st.

The atmosphere in the capital was somber today. Emperor Qian issued an edict of self-reproach and detailed the whole story of the "He family's treason" case, as well as the rewards and punishments.

As a high-ranking official in the Great Qian Dynasty, she knew the outcome in advance, but she paid more attention to Xie Jinhuan's reward.

Because Xie Jinhuan was in 'seclusion', the eunuch from the palace went directly to the Prince's residence, where Princess Changning received the imperial edict on her behalf. The edict's contents were roughly as follows:

Xie Jinhuan, the halberd-bearer of the Danzhou Imperial Household Department, executed Taishu Dan at Huaijiang, solved the case of the mummified corpse in Wan'an County, beheaded Ye Shirong, the man of Lie'an, and thwarted the He family's plot to disrupt the country. His achievements were remarkable, and his ambition was awe-inspiring...

He is now promoted to Marquis of Danyang County, with a fief of one thousand households, and given the authority to suppress evil spirits. If any evil spirits cause trouble, he may execute them first and report later, acting as he sees fit. He is also granted a mansion, ten qing of land, and ten thousand strings of cash…

The Great Qian Dynasty had nine ranks of nobility, with the county marquis being the sixth rank, with a real fief of 350 households. The title was hereditary and could be passed down for four generations. It didn't sound high, but the next ranks were county duke, prefecture duke, state duke, prefecture king, and king of a different surname. In times of peace, the county marquis was the limit that a normal person could reach.

Moreover, the 'Demon Suppression Order' is quite powerful, allowing for swift action and subsequent approval. Simply put, it's backed by the imperial court, making it legal to investigate anyone. If Xie Jinhuan were malicious enough to claim she was a demon and demand a body search, her refusal to cooperate would be illegal...

However, Xie Jinhuan is a virtuous man and would certainly not abuse his power.

In addition, ten qing of land is roughly equivalent to a thousand mu, plus a large house and ten thousand guan, enough to support a hundred people... She knew that Xie Jinhuan's family had been destroyed and that he had now received the reward he deserved, so she was happy for him.

Xie Jinhuan will probably be very surprised when she wakes up...

……

September 2nd.

Zisu's pills are indeed powerful. After four or five days of seclusion, Xie Jinhuan's skin has become noticeably smoother, and his breathing has become significantly longer...

Yesterday, after receiving his reward, the virtuous and capable Princess specially arranged a celebratory banquet, inviting Fiji, Yang Dabiao, and others to the best restaurant on Chang Le Street. Coal Ball was overjoyed...

Also, she secretly came over for a peek that night and saw Miss Lin lying in front of Xie Jinhuan, like a timid bride, even secretly kissing him. Not wanting to peek, she left…

September 3rd.

Today is a very special day. More than 700 monks have been drawn from temples all over the Northwest to take up residence in a small, abandoned temple in Jingzhao Prefecture.

The monk Wuxin, along with dozens of his disciples and followers, moved into an old temple on the west side of the imperial city and renamed it 'Huguo Temple', to oversee Daxing County, west of the central axis of Luoyang.

Lu Wuzhen was then reassigned to oversee Wan'an County in the east, serving as the Director of the Imperial Observatory, and was appointed as Wu Zheng, a disciple of the Shuangsheng Ye Temple.

That is, the arrogant librarian at the academy.

This person is Ye Ci's youngest apprentice. His "Blind Sword Technique" is so powerful that everyone who sees him is afraid of him. Even Li Jing, who took the pill that boosted his cultivation, did not dare to fight him head-on.

After all, Li Jing might be pretending to be stupid, but Wu Zheng was truly blind, and even Wei Wuyi couldn't be sure who he would stab next!
Although his Taoist cultivation was not high, Wu Zheng had a powerful background, extensive connections, and knew how to play dumb. His role was to act as a peacemaker, using the names of Confucianism and Ye Sheng to reconcile the conflicts between Taoism and Buddhism.

On this day, the situation of cultivation in Jingzhao Prefecture also changed from undercurrents to open confrontation!

September 4th.

The sect leader convened another meeting. As a senior member, she sat in the council hall all morning, discussing the newly appointed Huguo Temple's efforts to make a name for itself by leading the Buddhist community in the Central Plains to investigate the problems of various sects within the Dan Ding Sect.

The Xuanhu Temple hadn't sent anyone to the mass grave to detect any ghosts for two months, and was directly reported to the Imperial Observatory. It was also revealed that Li Chimo was having an affair with a widowed gang leader in Dengzhou, and that he would spend the night there every few days.

Lu Wuzhen slammed his fist on the table in rare anger. If it weren't for the mediation of the other sect leaders, he could have slapped Li Chimo out of the council hall.

Then Lu Wuzhen solemnly warned all the sect leaders present:

"The Central Plains is no longer a place where the Dan Ding Sect can dominate; the most important thing for a sect is its 'reputation'."

"Whether you keep mistresses or have illegitimate children in private is none of my business."

"But if anyone can't keep the truth hidden and makes a scene, don't blame me for not showing any mercy..."

……

If it were in the past, she would have been even more ruthless than Lu Wuzhen, but now she is under immense pressure.

After all, the dignified head of Ziwei Mountain was secretly helping the blond-haired guy touch things twice...

Or perhaps, the seemingly cold and aloof beauty of the Daoist sect is actually the mistress of the Marquis of Danyang, and they're even together as master and disciple...

If word gets out, she'll have to sit at the same table as the witch doctor from now on...

Once Xie Jinhuan wakes up, we must keep our distance...

……

September 5th.

Princess Changning, such a virtuous helper, chose a house for Xie Jinhuan near the Prince's Mansion on Zheng'an Street, and even paid for furniture and servants for Xie Jinhuan from the Prince's Mansion...

She felt that Ling'er also had feelings for Xie Jinhuan. At noon, she went to the Lin family for her usual health regimen, only to find that Qingmo was a little anxious. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding Xie Jinhuan's hand, with a longing look in her eyes.

Left with no other choice, she could only put her apprentice to sleep as well. After taking advantage of him, she felt that this couldn't go on. She wanted to ask the Purple Perilla Immortal if there was a way to detoxify him.

But since she didn't recognize Zisu, she couldn't very well show herself to ask. She would have to wait until Xie Jinhuan woke up before discussing the matter.

In addition, something seems amiss in the palace.

Emperor Qian's health deteriorated rapidly, and he was bedridden. The Crown Prince handled state affairs in his stead, and many officials looked sorrowful...

……

The sixth day of the ninth lunar month.

Prince Dan came to the capital and visited his elder brother in the palace, perhaps for the last time.

As the second in line to the throne of the Great Qian Empire, it was highly taboo for the Emperor to stay in the capital when his health was failing. The Prince of Dan arrived in the morning and left at noon, only visiting the Prince's residence along the way. There, he pulled out his python robe and belt and beat the heir, making him howl in pain...

She arrived at the Lin residence as usual, only to find Qingmo arguing with Miss Lin:

"And you're talking about me? Miss Linghu was with me, and I fell asleep too..."

"I...I was careless yesterday. It seems like Dr. Lin always falls asleep."

"Humph……"

……

She felt deeply guilty and secretly absorbed the chilling air inside the room...

……

September 7th.

Several more corpses of people who died from the Yuan-stealing sorcery have appeared in Jingzhao Prefecture. It is unknown whether they were the work of the remnants of the He family or rogue sorcerers.

Because he was in territory under the jurisdiction of the Daoist sect, Lu Wuzhen was ridiculed by the bald monk, who asked if he needed help.

As the leader of the Dan Ding Sect, Lu Wuzhen used to have only the emperor above him, second only to the emperor and above all others. Now, however, he is being watched by the Buddhist sect, and everything he does is being taken too seriously. He is truly distressed.

But the imperial court wanted this effect precisely because it allowed Taoism and Buddhism to govern together. Since one entity couldn't control the capital prefecture, adding a competitor would naturally create pressure and motivate them to take initiative...

September 8th.

The weather in the capital was fine and sunny, and nothing out of the ordinary happened.

At noon, she absorbed the icy energy as usual, hoping Xie Jinhuan would wake up soon. After all, it was too immoral for her to secretly contact a man while separated from her disciple by a door.

But when she visited Xie Jinhuan again that evening, she was surprised to find:

Xie Jinhuan has disappeared!

Only Miss Lin remained lying in bed, fast asleep...

?

Nangong Ye stood on the roof of the Lin residence, his eyes filled with doubt:
What about people?

Does that mean if you close half of the gate, you can go and slay demons and monsters?

……

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