Minglong

Chapter 180 Golden Stamens Gathered with Dew, Autumn's Endures (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Night falls, at the Imperial Observatory.

Lu Wuzhen, dressed in a Taoist robe, entered the Qianyuan Underground Palace beneath the Bafang Tongming Pagoda. Behind him were the monk Wuxin, who was holding a Zen staff, and Fan Li. Although Cao Fo'er was the Grand Eunuch, he could only stand outside the door and wait when he arrived at this place.

The Qian Yuan Underground Palace is a special storehouse containing national treasures such as the Dragon Soaring Response Manual, various cultivation materials, and secret weapons. It has been guarded by Lu Wuzhen for the past few decades.

With the passing of Emperor Qian, the handover process to the new emperor has begun. The items hidden in the underground palace, as well as various top secrets that only the emperor is qualified to know, must naturally be handed over to the new emperor.

Lu Wuzhen walked along the central path of the underground palace toward the Qilin stone wall at the front. On both sides were stone platforms with Qilin boxes, swords, stone tablets and other items placed there.

Having served as crown prince for twenty years, this was the first time Zhao Jinghuan had ever known the amount of treasure stored by the imperial court, and he didn't even recognize some of the items.

As the current head of the Buddhist sect of the Great Qian Dynasty, Monk Wuxin studied in the capital during the founding of the Great Qian Dynasty and even met the founding emperor. He was a man of great knowledge and experience. He walked beside him and introduced the monk:

"This sword is named 'Xiang Wang Ling'. It was forged by various sects during the Witchcraft Rebellion to slay the Corpse Ancestor. It is extremely yang and righteous. It was used by Ye Sheng at the time and was returned to the imperial court after the war..."

Zhao Jinghuan passed through the underground palace and soon arrived in front of the Qilin mural.

Lu Wuzhen placed his palm on the stone wall and opened a stone door, inside which was a golden book.

The booklet is a secret national document, containing the empire's top secrets such as the Corpse Ancestor's Tomb, the Human Emperor's Cauldron, and the Qilin Cave. Among those present, only Lu Wuzhen knew the general details; neither Monk Wuxin nor Fan Li had actually seen it.

As the emperor, the Great Qian Emperor certainly needed to know these top secrets in order to understand why there were occasional unusual troop movements in various places.

Zhao Jinghuan entered the stone chamber alone, carefully examining the golden book. His gentle and refined eyes reflected the fine text and star charts on the book.

Lu Wuzhen stood at the doorway, looking at the heartless monk waiting in front of the Qilin mural:
"You are now the deputy supervisor, responsible for monitoring the demons and evil spirits of the Great Qian Dynasty. You are qualified to know these things. Why don't you take a look?"

The monk Wuxin turned his prayer beads and shook his head:
“These things are all burdens weighing on my shoulders. This humble monk obeys the imperial edict.”

This statement can also be considered a show of loyalty, since the emperor knows that he does not, and any unusual orders from the court may have deeper reasons, so there is no reason to obey them.

Lu Wuzhen didn't say anything, but waited quietly outside the door.

However, before the handover process was completed, the apprentice-granddaughter Jing Wu Niang arrived outside the underground palace.

Seeing this, the monk Wuxin, leaning on his staff, came to the door, his demeanor approachable.
"Is it something urgent?"

Jing Wu Niang had come to report to her grandmaster, but since important matters were being handled inside the underground palace, she couldn't very well enter and disturb them. She offered a respectful bow, and thus remained respectful.
"Just now, Marquis Xie Jinhuan of Danyang wiped out another wave of bandits in Songhe Bay. The leader seems to be He Man."

Zhao Jinghuan and He Man were cousins ​​and childhood friends. The monk Wuxin turned around and asked:
"Were there any civilian casualties?"

"More than twenty demon bandits were all killed, including one ghost cultivator. Xie Jinhuan must have been with a partner, chasing after He Man. A large number of signs of a battle were found on the riverbank, including He Man's Frost Eagle Claw, severed arm, and fragments of his head. Xie Jinhuan seems to have been ambushed by powerful figures and has disappeared without a trace..."

The monk Wuxin frowned slightly, leaning on his staff as he left the underground palace;

"I'll go take a look."

……
-
Meanwhile, Songhe Bay.

Officials from various departments rushed from the capital and surrounded the entire villa. The constables carried the scattered corpses into the courtyard for examination.

As for the underground cell where the drug lords were originally imprisoned, more than ten drug lords had long since disappeared, leaving only the iron chains hanging on the wall.

The Gu Poison Sect's specialty is its ability to escape. If a dozen or so sect experts could be trapped and killed without anyone watching, then the Gu Poison Sect wouldn't deserve to have survived to this day. Almost as soon as He Can and Zhang Chu left, many of the poison rats began to use their various supernatural abilities to escape.

By the time the authorities arrived, the entire villa had been turned into a dead house.

Because a considerable number of demons and bandits had been killed, Cao Huai'an, Monk Jingkong, Fiji, and others were all in the separate courtyard at this time.

Yang Dabiao felt a sense of pride seeing his brother crack another large criminal gang, and whispered to Fiji:

"Look, this is what it means to be 'uncorrupted by wealth and honor, and to remain true to one's original aspirations.' Jin Huan, when he was a commoner, spent his days risking his life to slay demons and monsters; now that he's a marquis, surrounded by mansions and beauties, he still risks his life to slay demons and monsters. If everyone in the Great Qian Dynasty were like this, where would demons and evil spirits find refuge..."

If we disregard Xie Jinhuan's motives and only look at his outward actions, he is indeed righteously evil, having ingrained the seven words "willing to sacrifice himself for the common people" into his very being.

Because there have been so many similar incidents, the celestial officials and high-ranking officials present have almost gotten used to it.

However, Xie Jinhuan had been sleeping for almost half a month, and Huguo Temple had just arrived. At this moment, a yellow-robed monk standing in front of him still had a hint of doubt in his brows:

"Young Master Xie's character and abilities have long been renowned far and wide. However, this group of demons is very well hidden. This humble monk is a little puzzled as to how Young Master Xie discovered them and even managed to corner two of their leaders?"

The monk's name is Fachen. He is the senior disciple of Monk Wuxin and currently serves as the deputy at Huguo Temple. He handles all the daily official business on behalf of the monk.

In response to inquiries, Cao Huai'an, the garrison commander of the Chilin Guard, stated:
“Master Fachen, you’ll get used to it. Young Master Xie’s pursuit of criminals is always so unpredictable. For the past few days, he’s only managed to find nothing at the Sifang Pavilion.”

County Commandant Fei Ji interjected, "Actually, it wasn't a complete miss. He Man was among them, but no one expected him to be a mole of the Underworld Cult..."

"Too."

……
-
While undercurrents were swirling in Jingzhao Prefecture, Danyang City, located on the north bank of the Huai River, remained relatively calm.

Late at night, classes had already ended at Danyang Academy. Only a few students could be seen studying late into the night in their dormitories, or refining elixirs and weapons. Li Jing, on the other hand, was playing chess with Old Man Mu in the bamboo forest behind the academy.

White lanterns were hung inside the Danwang Mansion. Danwang, dressed in mourning clothes, stood on the Danwang Pavilion, gazing towards Luojing with a sorrowful expression. In the study behind him, there was a long spear, a weapon that Xu Hunli had custom-made for Xie Jinhuan, but he had not yet had the chance to give it to him.

In the back alley of the princess's mansion, the old county magistrate Yang Ting sat in the courtyard, telling his grandson about his son's great achievements in the capital:

"Biao was furious. He shielded everyone behind him, drew his sword, and faced the demon head-on..."

"Wow, Daddy is so amazing..."

……

The sixth courtyard, not far away, has been uninhabited for nearly a month, but the landlady takes great care of it and arranges for servants to clean it regularly. The inner and outer courtyards remain spotless.

Xie Jinhuan knew that there might be spies from the Underworld God Cult in the Prince's mansion. To prevent the news from leaking out, he did not alert anyone in the mansion. He silently leaped over the white wall, and only breathed a sigh of relief after entering the main room.

"call……"

Nangong Ye was drenched in sweat and had reached his limit, but he felt somewhat relieved to have arrived outside Zihui Mountain, where the academy and the royal residence where Mu Yunling was stationed were nearby.

"Whose house is this...whose house is this?"

Because she always relied on soft-spoken girls to suppress the effects of the medicine, her voice was very gentle.

Xie Jinhuan, having traveled a long distance, was also drenched in sweat. He carried the ice block to the west bedroom and placed it on the bunk bed.

"This is the house I rented in Danyang. The alley is full of retainers of princes and officials..."

Before leaving Danyang, Qingmo and Wanyi tidied up the house. The bedding and pillows on the bed were neatly arranged and covered with a white cloth to prevent dust from settling.

Xie Jinhuan lifted the white cloth and helped the nearly dehydrated ice cube lean against the pillow, intending to use his icy energy to help him. However, his dantian was almost exhausted, so he could only take out the 'Book-Holding Qilin Pendant' to practice his qi, and then groped around the ice cube's waist:
"Did you bring the 'adding fuel to the fire' pill?"

Nangong Ye naturally brought the life-saving medicine with him.

But seeing Xie Jinhuan's heart pounding like thunder, sweat dripping from his chin, and the five bloody holes in his left arm, even if Nangong Ye had a heart of stone, how could he allow Xie Jinhuan to suffer the agony of being burned alive again? He pressed down on the miscellaneous items at his waist:
"You...you shouldn't eat anymore, you should rest..."

Xie Jinhuan sat down in front of him, panting heavily, his eyes filled with helplessness:

"You're almost gone, how can I rest? My Qi Sea is almost empty, I can hardly maintain my icy Qi. Take your medicine now, and I'll help you suppress the Yang poison later so you can rest..."

Nangong Ye gripped the medicine bottle tightly and did not let go.

Today's trip has truly been heartbreaking for her. Putting aside Xie Jinhuan's arduous journey and his efforts to deliver icy energy to her, the mere sight of him leaping into the mountains to rescue her fills her with lingering fear.

Although Xie Jinhuan wasn't killed, who can guarantee that a life-saving item can withstand a super-grade attack?
If they can't defend against it, Xie Jinhuan will truly die right there.

Exhausted and injured, how could she stand by and watch Xie Jinhuan endure the agony of being burned alive for a quarter of an hour before helping her suppress the Yang poison?

Xie Jinhuan actually had a hidden yin energy within him, just like in the carriage. He could suppress the yang poison by taking it, and Xie Jinhuan felt very comfortable.

Nangong Ye knew it was wrong, but it was better than continuing to suffer. She stared at the young man fumbling for the medicine bottle, her teeth clenched, tears welling in her eyes. With immense willpower, she managed to utter:
"You...you should use that, don't take poison."

?

Xie Jinhuan took a white cloth and wiped the sweat from his face:

"Which one?"

Seeing that the boy was asking a question he already knew the answer to, Nangong Ye's phoenix eyes darted away slightly, but he still replied: "You have already done enough for me. I can't let you suffer the pain of being burned alive in order to suppress the Yang poison. I will use Yin cold energy. You... you can do as you please. As long as you are more comfortable, that's all that matters."

As you please?

Xie Jinhuan looked at the resolute-eyed ice block, then swept her gaze over the voluptuous, graceful, and dramatically swaying figure:

"Are you sure? I'm not some shy scholar. If you dare to give it to me, I'll really take it and eat it."

Nangong Ye only meant to hug and touch, and at most kiss.

Hearing that Xie Jinhuan wanted to eat and take some home, she couldn't help but feel conflicted.

However, the reason she is currently suffering from Yang poison is due to her fighting with the demoness, and has nothing to do with Xie Jinhuan.

Xie Jinhuan was genuinely risking his life to save her, and she saw it all. Even if everyone condemned him, she couldn't let this battered young man continue to endure the scorching flames that he could barely withstand even under normal circumstances. Therefore, her eyes showed a hint of determination.
"You...you just need to keep the mark of virginity intact. I'll seal my consciousness, and when I wake up tomorrow, I'll act like nothing happened. You've suppressed the yang poison for me, so I won't question what you do..."

Xie Jinhuan found it a bit difficult, so he leaned against her and tried to kiss her cold, jade-like cheek.

boo~
Nangong Ye realized this boy was truly unceremonious. Pressed down by his heavy body, his mind was instantly thrown into turmoil. Feeling a kiss on his cheek, his eyes widened in panic:

"You...what do you do?"

Xie Jinhuan was fine with anything except kissing, and looked at him speechlessly. He sighed and continued to grope around his waist.

"Give me the 'adding fuel to the fire' pill. Don't worry, I can withstand the fire poison."

"..."

Nangong Ye knew Xie Jinhuan could handle it, but she couldn't let Xie Jinhuan suffer that searing pain for her again. After a moment of hesitation, she resigned herself and closed her eyes.
"You...you blindfold me, don't remove the virginity mark, or someone will find out. The rest is up to you, I'll pretend nothing happened when I wake up tomorrow."

Xie Jinhuan wasted no time, pulling out a handkerchief she always carried from the waist of her black dress and covering her tightly closed phoenix-shaped eyes:
"Okay. Your condition is quite serious, so focus on suppressing the yang toxin."

Nangong Ye lost his sight and could only hear breathing so close to his face. This only made him more anxious; he was afraid that when he woke up, everything would be gone. He added:

"The Azure Sword Manor has its own rules, and I can't do that, otherwise I won't be able to face my elders and relatives in the future."

"Don't worry, I won't do anything reckless. But can I continue like this in the future?"

"?"

Nangong Ye was afraid this boy wouldn't get enough to eat, and his tone was resolute:
"No. If we... if we had met a year earlier, perhaps..."

"You're not already engaged, are you?"

"No."

Nangong Ye's clothes rose and fell slightly:
"I am the next head of the Azure Sword Manor, and I must remain chaste and unmarried for life. Therefore, this is the only time we can be together. We must never be together again..."

"Then I'll just take the pills. That way, it won't put anyone in a difficult position. To be honest, taking pills will be faster..."

"no!"

Nangong Ye gripped the medicine bottle, his voice resolute:

"I'd rather break the rules and be ashamed to face anyone for the rest of my life than let you take poison to help me again. You...you have to hurry, I can't hold on much longer..."

To be honest, Xie Jinhuan was a little confused by Bing Tuozi's coy attitude.

To prevent him from suffering, Bing Tuozi was willing to give him anything, except to break the virginity mark, and to continue in the future...

There must be very important reasons behind this, such as being engaged or having to remain unmarried for life.

Xie Jinhuan thought for a moment, then looked at the blindfolded face and said:
"Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for you, and I won't do anything. Don't overthink things tomorrow, and don't you dare leave without saying goodbye or never see me again, or I'll plaster your portrait all over the entire Great Qian Dynasty."

"..."

Nangong Ye clenched her fists, her red lips moved slightly, hesitated for a moment, and then said something almost imperceptibly:

"I'm not leaving. We're in a hurry and need to help each other. I won't know anything after I sealed my consciousness, so you'd better not tell me anything tomorrow either..."

Xie Jinhuan, confirming that the ice block wasn't moving, nodded slightly and tried to gag it.

"Ugh?!"

Their lips met, and the bedroom fell silent, save for the sound of their breathing.

Nangong Ye leaned against the pillow with his eyes covered. The moment he felt the touch on his lips, his forced composure crumbled, and he drifted with the tide.

She had intended to shut down her consciousness, focus on dealing with the Yang poison, and not pay attention to what was about to happen.

But for some reason, she couldn't faint. She kept paying attention to the kiss, and after a while, she instinctively parted her red lips slightly. Two lines of clear tears rolled down her phoenix eyes under the black veil.

But the tears weren't from resentment or sorrow; rather, they reflected a feeling that fate had truly played a cruel trick on her, casting such a calamity upon Nangong Ye.

On the day they first met outside the East Market, she had already sensed her impending doom, but she couldn't stop herself from sinking deeper and deeper until today, when she couldn't even faint if she wanted to, and she didn't know how to get through this ordeal.

However, as long as the virginity mark is still there, she can pretend to faint. If she faints, it means she doesn't know anything and nothing has happened.

Although if she were to be accidentally exposed in the future, she might be condemned by everyone and despised by her disciples. If this boy knew her identity, he would probably be struck by lightning and might even resent, distance himself from, and despise her.

But she could no longer allow this child to suffer the agony of being burned alive for her sake.

As long as he's feeling better now, that's all that matters. I already owe him so much, and this is helping me too...

Just faint already, and everything will be over in the blink of an eye...

Why haven't you fainted yet...?

What...what is he doing?
……

Xie Jinhuan is straightforward and likes to take advantage of others openly. If he takes advantage of someone without their knowledge, wouldn't that be the same as taking advantage for nothing?
If Bing Tuozi really faints, he'll just give him a kiss and that'll be it. He'll handle the rest himself, and then he'll scare Bing Tuozi tomorrow.

As a result, the ice cube pretended to faint, and even awkwardly went along with it, which he couldn't stand, so he began to gradually explore the limits...

Nangong Ye, blindfolded, noticed a chill running through him halfway through, and his legs were being manipulated. He gritted his teeth and said:

"you……"

"Sorry, these stockings are really pretty. Didn't you seal your divine sense?"

"?"

Nangong Ye's cheeks flushed red, he bit his red lips, and showed a disgusted expression:
"I keep my word, I promised you, that's why I put it on. I was woken up by you."

"Oh, don't worry, I'll just look at your legs, I won't do anything."

"..."

Nangong Ye didn't believe it at all, but he didn't say anything. He lost all strength and seemed to fall into a coma again.

But divine sense still couldn't be sealed off; he could perceive every touch and reaction of the body. This kid was starting to push his luck again...

Nangong Ye was filled with shame and indignation, and almost fainted several times, but he was drawn to the boy's unspeakable probing until he became confused and disoriented...

"Hoo~ Hmm..."

Amidst soft breathing, the green gauze curtains quietly fell, gradually concealing the spring colors and snowy whiteness that filled the room.

Outside the room, moonlight spilled into the courtyard with its white walls and blue tiles.

The cool night breeze of September caressed the golden chrysanthemums that were quietly blooming outside the window. Their branches and leaves swayed in the wind, silently telling the story of the deep autumn, until the morning breeze gradually rose and a few drops of cold dew were hung on them...

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(End of this chapter)