Minglong

Chapter 185 Roaring Dragon
With the Wild Boar King serving as his loyal mount, Xie Jinhuan made a smooth journey to and from the Demon-Suppressing Mausoleum, enjoying the magnificent scenery of the 700-mile-long Zihui Mountain along the way.

The autumn chrysanthemums in the deep valley are a sight to behold.

To thank the wild boar king, he even gave the boar a name, 'Ada,' which came from the fact that the boar was impossible to tame and would bump into him whenever it saw him.

After returning to Danyang, Xie Jinhuan intended to leave quietly, but the news that Momo had come to the academy to repair his soft armor reached the ears of the Dan King.

Xie Jinhuan really liked the understanding landlady, but the two hadn't made much progress yet; only Naiduo had shown him her snow-white skin twice.

However, the King of Dan treated him as his future son-in-law, and the life-saving soft armor was a reward from the King of Dan. Naturally, he also regarded the King of Dan as an elder. When he saw that the King of Dan knew he had returned, he took the initiative to visit the King's mansion.

Around noon, Dan Wang prepared lunch in the teahouse, which was adorned with calligraphy and paintings.

For the first seven days of mourning for royalty, alcohol, meat, and entertainment were forbidden, and the meals were all vegetarian, but they were delicious and visually appealing.

Even in mourning clothes, the Prince of Dan, not wearing a python robe, still displayed a gentle and refined demeanor, speaking softly:

"The matter of the county magistrate's appointment and dismissal actually didn't reach Your Majesty's ears. Your Majesty probably didn't know the details three years ago either. This matter is entirely the fault of Li Gongpu and the He family. Both families were executed along with their entire families. You should calm down. The court is still a good court. The only ones at fault are one or two traitors..."

The King of Dan's words clearly indicated his concern that the Prince might harbor resentment towards the entire court because of past events, thus damaging their relationship.

But what happened back then had nothing to do with Dan Wang, and the old man didn't die, so Xie Jinhuan obviously wouldn't be petty.

They ate a simple meal, tea instead of wine, before Xie Jinhuan, who had to return to the capital to deal with the Underworld God Sect, took his leave.

Prince Dan personally saw him off, walking along the garden path, not forgetting to give him his instructions:

"These are turbulent times, and you've been very busy this month. I was thinking of having Ling'er take you around the capital, but apart from the few days you went into seclusion, I haven't seen you rest at all."

"Since the new emperor has not yet ascended the throne, you'll probably have to work hard for a while. Don't let anything go wrong before the coronation ceremony, or it will have a bad impact..."

Xie Jinhuan walked beside him, thought for a moment, and asked:
"Forgive my impertinence. Your Highness holds a high position and wields great power, and you are too close to the capital. I heard from the Princess that... well, it's about suspicion..."

Dan Wang understood, shook his head and smiled:
"I believe I have done nothing wrong to my elder brother and the court. There are some things that are truly beyond our control. As a subject, I cannot be suspicious of the court first. You don't need to worry about these matters."

"By the way, last time I asked Xu Hunli to make a weapon for you, but you made such a great contribution in the capital that you were awarded a prize right after it was finalized. So I added materials and asked Xu Hunli to modify it. He modified it for more than ten days until you went into seclusion at home before it was finally finalized. What do you think?"

As Dan Wang spoke, he turned around and beckoned, and Zhu Wenyuan walked over carrying a long spear.

The spear is nine feet long, with a jet-black shaft, but colorful patterns are faintly visible when held up to the light. The pale gold dragon head mouth connects to the one-and-a-half-foot silver blade, which is as smooth as a mirror. The ferrule is also pale gold. Putting aside the materials, the design alone is quite beautiful.

Xie Jinhuan accepted the spear with both hands. Just by looking at its quality, he knew it must have cost a fortune. He said with shame:

"The imperial court has already bestowed honors upon me, and I fear I am unworthy to accept this gift."

Dan Wang patted his shoulder, quite boldly:
"A good horse deserves a good saddle. Putting everything else aside, just the fact that you uncovered the He family and resolved the crisis in the country deserves a famous weapon from me."

"Although this spear cannot be considered a celestial weapon, it is not far off. Xu Hunli painstakingly forged it, and the spearhead was made of 'White Saint Refined Gold'."

"This item comes from the Western Rong Military Sacred Mountain. The White Tiger is the master of killing, and its spear has the effect of shocking the soul and intimidating the spirit. Even a martial artist who is not of the highest grade can 'break the evil spirit.' If you hold it to slay demons and eliminate evil, it will be like adding wings to a tiger."

The highest level of martial arts is called "Breaking Evil," which means that one can severely injure a vengeful spirit through martial arts techniques.

Before this, martial artists only dealt pure physical damage and had no way to harm ghosts, spirits, or other malevolent entities.

This spear can 'break evil spirits', which means that a martial artist above the highest level has the means to kill ghost cultivators, and can also 'inflict true damage with every shot' against normal opponents.

Dealing with a tough guy like He Hai, their defenses might not even be completely breached before their souls and spirits are already nearly scattered.

Therefore, this effect, though seemingly simple, is actually incredibly powerful before reaching the highest grade, and can also enhance the 'evil-repelling' effect after reaching the highest grade. It is definitely a renowned weapon of heirloom level.

Xie Jinhuan had already encountered ghost cultivators twice, and he was indeed tempted by this spear. He flicked his wrist and thrust it into the side.

Swoosh~~
The gun barrel vibrated slightly, its silver blade piercing the air with a sound like a dragon's roar.

Xie Jinhuan's eyes were full of admiration:
"What a gun!"

"Haha~"

Seeing Xie Jinhuan's skillful stance, Dan Wang smiled and said:

"If you like it, that's good. Don't feel unworthy of it. If you can use this spear to kill a hundred demons, I will feel that it is well worth the price."

Zhu Wenyuan shook her head and joked, "For Young Master Xie, this is at most a matter of a month or two."

"Indeed." Dan Wang inquired, "This spear has not yet been named. You have good writing skills; what name do you think would be suitable?"

Xie Jinhuan felt that this gun was truly valuable. He held it in his hand, examined it, and thought back briefly:

"I left my hometown to learn my craft three years ago, and now I have achieved some success. It can be said that I have been silent for three years, but when I do, I am astonishing everyone. In addition, the sound of this spear is like that of a dragon, so let's call it the Dragon's Roar."

"Roaring Dragon".

Dan Wang nodded: "A good name, it matches the imposing aura of this spear. Actually, I thought you were going to name it 'Silver Dragon'."

"Sigh, the term 'silver dragon' is ambiguous..."

"You knew all along? To be honest, if you weren't so upright, nine out of ten people would have the wrong idea about the name 'Silver Dragon Eight Forms'..."

Xie Jinhuan didn't think it was a dirty thought; he believed it was the meaning of the lewd dragon...
-
Meanwhile, at the Book and Sword Pavilion on Zihui Mountain.

After parting ways with the demoness, Nangong Ye was under immense pressure, as the antidote depended on luck, and there were only a dozen days left until the end of the month.

However, there is another matter to be dealt with before resolving this matter.

At this moment, Nangong Ye stood in the storage room behind the Book and Sword Pavilion and took out three wooden boxes containing lotus flowers that had bloomed from the Jiazi Lotus.

Zhang Guan followed beside him, still somewhat hesitant:
"The monk Mingwu of Fanyun Temple entered the first rank last year, and his cultivation surpasses Xie Jinhuan's by more than half a rank. He can be considered a prodigy of Buddhism. If he loses this battle, not only will Zihui Mountain have to give up a piece of land, but Qingmo's marriage will probably also be..."

Having worked with Xie Jinhuan so many times, Nangong Ye was very familiar with its strengths and weaknesses.

Even a swift and lightning-fast first-grade half-demon like He Man couldn't gain an advantage over Xie Jinhuan. How could the Zen Meditation Sect, which is good at defense but not offense, suppress Xie Jinhuan?
However, the Underworld God Sect has a top-tier cultivator who poses a significant threat. Xie Jinhuan's trip to the Brahma Cloud Temple to challenge them carries the risk of being ambushed and killed en route. Nangong Ye thought for a moment and gave him some advice:

"Xie Jinhuan has a good chance of winning, but he is too high-profile and is easily targeted by those with ulterior motives when he goes out. Inform Fanyun Temple to come to the Imperial Observatory at noon the day after tomorrow to discuss the matter of settling in Danyang."

"Okay. I'll go send the message right away."

……

After arranging the sect's trivial matters, Nangong Ye, fearing that Huang Mao would be impatient, went down the mountain alone and returned to Danyang. During this time, he kept watch everywhere to prevent being followed by the elusive demoness and having her hold something against him.

Nangong Ye was truly puzzled by the fact that the enchantress had come to his door today.

The Seven Star Nails is a sealing technique created by Master Qixia. There are about 720 acupoints on the human body. The method to undo the seal involves randomly selecting seven of them, and the order must be correct. There is no room for trial and error.

The Burning Immortal Gu can be forcibly untied with immortal herbs such as Rejuvenating Grass, but the Seven Star Nails are generally considered to be unsolvable; once locked, one cannot even abandon the physical body to possess another.

In this world, besides herself, only her master, Master Qixia, could undo the Seven Star Nails.

Bu Yuehua couldn't possibly untie the Seven Star Nails through her master's connection, so how were the Seven Star Nails untied?
Bu Yuehua is skilled in martial arts, and it's unknown which master she learned from. She must have a powerful master behind her. Could it be that she's asking her master for help...?

Nangong Ye pondered silently, but before he could figure out the reason, he had already returned to the vicinity of Qingquan Lane.

Xie Jinhuan had already turned back, riding on his horse and reaching out to pull Qingmo along. A long spear was hanging on the side of the horse, and because it was a brand new appearance, a black holster had been specially made to prevent unnecessary wear and tear.

Qingmo, dressed in a white top and black bottom horse-face skirt, glanced around, exuding a seductive charm.

"Can't you borrow another horse? The streets are packed with people."

"Then why don't you ride, and I'll lead the horse on foot?"

"Ugh……"

How could Qingmo, that silly girl, let her lover walk? She immediately leaped up, sat sideways behind him, and supported his waist. Seeing Xie Jinhuan looking around, she asked:

"What are you looking at?"

"Hehe, it's been a long time since I've been back, just dropping by to see you..."

……

Nangong Ye peeked out from the alley and saw the young boy and girl looking innocent and naive. A complex look appeared in his eyes, and he felt that he shouldn't be here.

But there's really no other way right now. If we want to detoxify and defeat the demoness before the end of the month, we have to ask this boy for help and also escort the two of them back.

After a moment of silence, Nangong Ye plucked a leaf and brought it to his lips:

"Duwuwu~~"

The faint melody drifted through the streets.

Xie Jinhuan was searching for Bing Tuozi's whereabouts. Hearing the tune, he knew Bing Tuozi was nearby. Seeing that the other party was too embarrassed to meet him directly, he didn't say much and spurred his horse forward.
"drive--"

"Hiss~~~~~"

The spirited horse raised its front hooves high, and then, like an arrow released from a bow, galloped away towards the outside of the city.

Linghu Qingmo, who had been sitting behind him and keeping a slight distance, stumbled unexpectedly and quickly grabbed the man's waist, then lightly punched his back with her small fist.

"You did this on purpose, didn't you?"

"Ah."

"Hey? Hurry up and say the safe word! Or I'll beat you up the whole way!"

Xie Jinhuan paid no attention to the minor domestic violence. Leaning on the "MoMo Brand Giant Backrest Pillow," he rode his spirited horse through the streets, occasionally catching glimpses of the black-clad female warrior accompanying him. He felt a sense of triumph and exhilaration...

Hoof-tapping hoof-tapping...

……

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.

There's one more chapter, currently being revised, you'll have to wait a few tens of minutes or so.
(End of this chapter)