Minglong

Chapter 186 Do I need to use a self-inflicted injury ruse?
As dusk fell, the three men and their horse returned to Luoyang.

Nangong Ye dared not show his face in front of his disciple and returned to the secret base first.

Xie Jinhuan took Momo with him because he was worried about being ambushed by a powerful expert on the way. Back in the inner city, it was closer to the Imperial Observatory and the National Protection Temple, so the chances of that man in black taking the risk were extremely low. He breathed a sigh of relief, first sent Momo back to the Prince's Mansion, and then went to the Lin family to check on Wanyi's condition.

As dusk fell, Zisu, who hadn't received any assignments, leaned back in a recliner outside the alchemy room, holding a book in her hands and reading it with great interest.

Coal balls squatted on the back of the recliner, tilting their heads to look at each other, chatting idly:

"When Xie Lang's boat capsized in Beihai and he was submerged in the water, Empress Guo lay on the deck. The two of them looked into each other's eyes and secretly fell in love. Where were you at that time?"

"Guji?"

The coal ball looked completely bewildered.

Xie Jinhuan thought Guo Ziyan was really good at making things up, so he didn't disturb him and went to Wanyi's boudoir.

Upon entering, he discovered that the room had been completely transformed. Not only were small items like lotion gone, but even the bedding set was brand new, making it look like the room of a celibate goddess.

Meanwhile, the voluptuous woman with glasses was kneeling on the bed, carefully spreading out the bedding, her round, full breasts swaying gently with her movements...

?

Xie Jinhuan had been worried that Wanyi would be frightened, but upon seeing Chunhua and Qiuyue, she completely forgot why she had come. She tiptoed over to her, pinching the hem of her skirt:

Call ~
Lin Wanyi was carefully making the bed, still thinking about her master, when she was suddenly caught off guard by her skirt being turned upside down, causing her to shudder slightly in surprise. She said, embarrassed and annoyed:

"Xie Jinhuan?!"

"It's alright, you go ahead with your work. I went to Danyang again last night and bought you a box of rouge. I'll try it out to see if it matches your skin tone..."

"what?"

Lin Wanyi was bewildered and twisted and turned, trying to break free:

"Where are you going to apply rouge? Get out of the way! If you keep doing this, I'll... Hey? No, no, no..."

Kiss kiss kiss...

Half an hour later.

Lin Wanyi lay panting on the pillow, utterly dejected, holding a rouge box in her hand, biting her red lips, and glancing at the big pig's trotter beside her:
(→_→)!
Xie Jinhuan leaned against the headboard, holding a black cloth bag in his hand, carefully examining it:

"This is the Jiazi Lotus? Master Bu is truly generous; I must thank him properly later..."

Lin Wanyi was caught by her master yesterday and was so embarrassed that she didn't want to see anyone all day. To prevent her master from finding out again next time he came to visit, she spent the whole day cleaning the house today, even wiping down the tables and chairs.

Well, all that effort was wasted when that big jerk came back!
Am I, your aunt, a doormat?
Lin Wanyi wanted to be angry, but Xie Jinhuan had rescued her Uncle Bu overnight and even got injured, so how could she complain? She even felt a little heartache.

After glancing at it for a moment, Lin Wanyi still propped herself up, leaned against the wall, and took her pulse to check her body:
"You're not allowed to come over at night anymore. I asked you to teach me the techniques, but you've never done anything productive. Master saw through it yesterday..."

Xie Jinhuan comforted him, "Alright, alright, I'll clean up later and make sure it's spotless. By the way, where is Master Bu? Since I'm here, as a junior, shouldn't I pay my respects?"

With her mentor backing her up, Lin Wanyi's eyes held a rather firm look:

"My master originally wanted to stay here overnight, but you scared her away. Who is my master? The strongest demoness in the Southern Frontier. Putting aside witchcraft and illusions, her martial arts skills alone could defeat two of you. If you dare to disobey me again, I..."

"I understand, you have connections. Before, you had one, now you have two..."

"Sigh~"

"What, you like being on top?"

"I didn't, hey you..."

……
-
On the other side, Huguo Temple.

dong dong dong~
The sound of a wooden fish being gently struck came from inside the Buddhist hall. Monk Wuxin sat cross-legged in front of the Buddha statue, explaining Buddhist scriptures to a few young monks.

Inside the outer corridor, the eldest disciple, Fa Chen, walked slowly, turning his prayer beads in his hand. Beside him were monks from Fanyun Temple who resided in the capital. At this moment, they spoke in hushed tones:

"Zihui Mountain is truly shameless, actually using the guise of seeking a son-in-law to have Xie Jinhuan handle sectarian disputes and prepare to fight our temple in a tournament. This is against all the rules..."

The monk Fachen appeared to be in his forties, with Buddhist prayer beads around his neck. He had a kind face and a gentle tone.

"The friendship between Xie Jinhuan and the disciple of Zihui Mountain is not a fabrication. If Zihui Mountain intends to facilitate a marriage, it's reasonable for them to entrust this young man with sect affairs as a test. Even in the martial arts world, it's not like Zihui Mountain will simply deny it if Xie Jinhuan truly loses..."

"Senior Brother Fachen, what are your chances of winning this battle?"

Monk Fachen turned his prayer beads and paused for a moment:
"All the skilled first-rank demonic cultivators have perished at Xie Jinhuan's hands. The chances of Fanyun Temple winning this battle are less than 10%."

"what?"

The monks of Fanyun Temple didn't believe it at all; how could a first-grade Buddhist monk have such a low chance of winning against a mid-stage second-grade martial artist? But they still trusted Monk Fachen's judgment.

"Then should I not accept this challenge?"

"Fanyun Temple entered Zihui Mountain under the guise of 'Taoism and Buddhism jointly suppressing demons and evil spirits,' but it didn't even dare to accept the challenge. Isn't it perfectly justifiable for Zihui Mountain to refuse?"

The monk from Fanyun Temple thought about it and agreed, scratching his bald head:
"Then what should we do?"

After a moment of serious thought, the monk Fachen turned and entered the Buddhist hall. Soon after, he returned with a wooden box in his hands, inside which was a vajra.

The vajra is entirely gold, inlaid with red gemstones, and carved with intricate patterns; its pointed tip resembles black jade.

Upon seeing this object, the monks of Fanyun Temple immediately became solemn, performed a Buddhist salute, and respectfully said:

"This is the vajra used by Bodhisattva Yu Nian?!"

Monk Fachen nodded:

"This item is indestructible. If you can even touch Xie Jinhuan, he will be severely injured and defeated. If you still can't win even with this item, then there's nothing we can do."

The Vajra Pestle, left behind by Bodhisattva Yu Nian, is a family heirloom of Tiantai Temple. Its effect is simple and clear—to suppress evil spirits and drive away demons. It is indestructible and can easily shatter anything except celestial artifacts, including weapons.

Because the Zen school excels at defense, their defensive capabilities are virtually invincible. With this item, one can become incredibly tough while still retaining the ability to kill with a single blow.

The only drawback of this item is that it is too short. Buddhist monks dare not use it, otherwise it might be snatched by an opponent, and they themselves would not be able to withstand it.

The monks of Fanyun Temple were somewhat hesitant to accept this valuable gift, and after thinking for a moment:

"For disciples to participate in the arena wielding magical artifacts, isn't that a bit...?"

“It’s more appropriate for Fanyun Temple to use the ancestral magic weapon of the Chan Meditation Sect than for Zihui Mountain to borrow martial arts aid. Besides, Zihui Mountain isn’t without magic weapons. As long as they can produce them, you can let them give them to Xie Jinhuan to use.”

The monks at Fanyun Temple found this reasonable and, without saying anything more, carefully accepted the box...
-
Moon on the branches.

Xie Jinhuan played around with Wanyi, and in the middle of it all, he taught her a move called "Dragon Soaring Through the Mountain"—which is probably what train bento boxes are all about...

Seeing that it was already completely dark, Wanyi was afraid that her master would come to check the room again and catch her red-handed, so she dared not play anymore. She told him to go back to the palace first and not to touch her in the next two nights to avoid being caught in an embarrassing situation.

Xie Jinhuan came to see Wanyi during the day, but because the Jiazi Lotus was too precious, he decided to return it as soon as possible and stay. He didn't stay long, and after helping Wanyi tidy up the house, he went to Fengyi River.

As night deepened, the two-story building standing on the riverbank had its second floor lit up, and the faint sound of splashing water could be heard.

Seeing that Bing Tuozi was taking a bath, Xie Jinhuan didn't go straight into the house. Instead, he went to the door and knocked on it as usual.
dong dong~
"Honghong?"

……

The second floor was noticeably quiet for a moment, and then a shadow appeared on the window.

Then came the sound of footsteps, 'thump thump thump~', and the second-floor window opened, revealing a face as cold as jade. She wore a loose white loungewear dress, and her beautiful phoenix eyes were calm and expressionless. This time, she didn't show the slight disdain he liked so much; she simply said indifferently:

"Why are you here again? I told you during the day that you're not allowed to come here unless it's absolutely necessary..."

Xie Jinhuan picked up the cloth bag in his hand:

"I have come to return the Jiazi Lotus."

"?"

Nangong Ye was slightly taken aback, staring at the cloth bag:

"Where did you get this Jiazi lotus?"

Xie Jinhuan couldn't really say it originated from witchcraft, he just gave a casual explanation:

"The way to contact Yang Sichen was obtained through sweet talk and a few magical artifacts. The source is clean and there's nothing wrong with it."

is it?

Nangong Ye didn't believe it at all, but he was indeed well aware of Xie Jinhuan's silver tongue, and after thinking for a moment, he said:

"You've ruined other women again?"

"What do you mean 'again'? I've always treated people with sincerity. When have I ever lied to a girl?"

Nangong Ye's lips moved slightly, but upon reflection, it was indeed her own soft heart that gave this boy the opportunity to both devour and stab her. After a moment's consideration, she disappeared through the window.
"come in."

Xie Jinhuan entered so easily, and sensed that Bing Tuozi seemed to have something on his mind, so he immediately leaped up and landed in the second-floor living room.

Nangong Ye sat on the floor beside a small table lit by a lamp, his eyes calm and still as he silently brewed tea.

Xie Jinhuan sat down opposite him, placed the items on the table, and glanced at them briefly:
"You have something on your mind?"

Nangong Ye is currently burdened with many worries!
After all, the duel with the demoness will be decided by the end of the month, but to cure the Yang poison, Huang Mao will have to suffer.

Surely you have to give that bitter, yellow-haired guy a little something in return?
Moreover, even after giving it to her, it still depends on luck. If she's unlucky, Xie Jinhuan will suffer for half a month and still won't be able to undo the Burning Immortal Gu. In the end, she'll lose both her wife and her army...

"Um... there's something going on at Qingming Sword Manor, I need to go back at the end of the month to deal with it, but the Yang poison hasn't been completely cured, so... so..."

Xie Jinhuan found it somewhat amusing: "I thought it was something serious. It's just detoxification. Anyway, I'm free tonight, so I'll help you with it. Why are you so embarrassed to ask..."

Nangong Ye hesitated to speak, fearing that Xie Jinhuan might use this as an excuse to advance his own agenda.

But Xie Jinhuan, sitting opposite him, didn't take the opportunity to make any unreasonable demands. He simply took out a pill that seemed to add fuel to the fire, popped it into his mouth, and glanced at the medicine bottle.
"Only six pills left. If I can't cure it today, I'll have to go back and refine them. I hope I'm lucky, otherwise, going back and forth hundreds of times will be a waste of time, even if I'm fine... phew..."

The heat is steaming.

Nangong Ye knelt with his knees bent, his expression as cold as ice, his brows seemingly devoid of any emotion, while inwardly he muttered to himself:

Don't be soft-hearted, don't be soft-hearted...

This kid is really pushing his luck; we really can't let him do anything so shameful anymore...

If all else fails, wait for him to speak first; that way, you'll be in control and suffer less bullying...

Xie Jinhuan remained motionless, only sweating profusely. After enduring for a quarter of an hour, he raised his hand to press against his back, transmitting the energy carrying extreme yang fire, and then took the antidote.

The Yang poison in Nangong Ye's body had subsided by more than half and was almost undetectable. He thought the poison was gone, so he tried to gather his Qi.

As a result, the Immortal-Burning Gu is inexhaustible. As long as a trace of ember remains, it will turn into a raging fire and quickly spread to the surrounding energy channels.

"Is it untied yet?"

"Not...not yet."

"Then try again."

Xie Jinhuan popped the pill into his mouth and continued to ignite his extreme yang fire. Sweat rolled down his chin, but he simply took a towel to wipe it away and stared blankly at the center of the living room.

"..."

Seeing the man's brain-damaged appearance, Nangong Ye felt a pang of heartache.

But her soft heart was gone; she could only clench her hands under her sleeves, look away, and secretly recall Xie Jinhuan's wicked behavior yesterday.

Teasing with words, being friendly to everyone, taking an inch and then pressing for a mile...

He wasn't this serious back then; he's just trying to fool me into being soft-hearted...

We absolutely cannot compromise. If he sees that being soft doesn't work, he'll definitely come and make demands on his own later...

...The living room was dimly lit, and the two faced each other in silence.

Seeing that Bing Tuozi wasn't rewarding him, Xie Jinhuan glanced at the ghost wife dancing in the living room.

Her dance moves were enchanting and a feast for the eyes!
Nangong Ye gradually became restless. After half an hour of this, with only two poison pills left, she saw the brat beside her still swallowing them without hesitation, like a merciless antidote machine, without making any unreasonable demands. She raised her hand and pressed down on him.
"Aren't you going to take a break?"

Xie Jinhuan paused, "It's better to have a short, sharp pain than a long, drawn-out one. We'll have to rest for a while, won't we? We still need to eat eventually."

Nangong Ye took a soft breath and said earnestly:
"I really can't anymore... Your self-inflicted suffering won't work."

"I didn't ask you to do anything."

Xie Jinhuan popped the pill into his mouth:

"I sincerely helped you detoxify, but you took it as a ploy. I'm truly heartbroken. If I wanted to take advantage of a girl, why would I resort to such self-inflicted suffering?"

Nangong Ye didn't believe it at all: "You... if you don't use the self-inflicted injury trick, what other methods do you have?"

Xie Jinhuan was a little indignant that his ability to be a gigolo was being questioned. He got up, found some paper and pen in the living room, and sat down opposite him.

?

Nangong Ye looked slightly puzzled:
"What are you going to write?"

"you guess."

Xie Jinhuan wiped the sweat from his hands, then used a pen to sketch on the paper. His technique was extremely fluent, and in just a few strokes, he sketched the outline of an ice queen.

The beauty's eyes carried a sense of pressure, as if high heels were pressing down on her chest; her nose was high and her lips were full, like looking in a mirror.

Shashasha~
The sound of the pen tip scratching the paper continued.

Nangong Ye saw the portrait and looked slightly surprised, then hesitated to speak.

After Xie Jinhuan finished drawing her, he wasn't done yet. He then sketched the outline of a young gentleman next to her, holding a leaf and playing a tune.

Then came the large tree where the two sat, and the maple trees covering the mountainside, the autumn moon over the mountains and rivers...

This is a scene of the two watching the emperor slay a demon at the imperial mausoleum from a mountaintop in Yunling County. However, the vegetation has changed, and the composition has become very romantic. You can even feel the wind blowing the skirts...

"?"

Nangong Ye was truly surprised that Xie Jinhuan not only knew how to play music, but also possessed such a talent for flirting. His eyes narrowed slightly with nervousness.
Why are you drawing these?

After Xie Jinhuan finished painting, he wrote in the blank space:

Autumn's chill is palpable as maple leaves turn red, and frost-covered forests are ablaze with the crimson hues of evening clouds.

The handwriting resembled a dragon rising from the land, exuding a soaring sword intent.

Just like the young swordsman in the painting, playing a tune, glancing at the woman beside him out of the corner of his eye, his eyes filled with love...

After Xie Jinhuan finished, he put down his pen, picked it up, glanced at it, and, quite satisfied, handed it to the person opposite him.

"give you."

"?"

Nangong Ye felt that this kid was practically her nemesis. Faced with this hot potato of a painting, she didn't know how to handle it. After a moment's thought, she said seriously:

"I do not want."

"Really not?"

"No."

"Then I'll redraw it."

Xie Jinhuan crumpled the white paper into a ball, preparing to redraw.

Wow~

Unexpectedly, the ice-cold figure opposite him suddenly brightened, then pounced like a mother leopard, pinning him to the floor, snatching the crumpled scroll, and glaring angrily:

Why did you rub it?!

Xie Jinhuan, pressed down by the voluptuous figure, slightly spread his hands:
"I thought you didn't like it, so I drew you another one. If you liked it, you should have said so earlier. You've already crumpled it up..."

"you……"

Nangong Ye held the crumpled paper, his eyelashes trembling slightly, wishing he could beat this brat:

"You've carried this fire-poison painting for so long, you've poured your heart and soul into it. If I don't want it, can't you take it back and keep it?"

"I'm keeping your portrait privately. Are you sure you don't have a problem with that?"

"..."

Nangong Ye had nothing to say.

After a moment of silence, she practically straddled him, unfolded the crumpled paper to check if it was torn, and the result was:

Hula~
Xie Jinhuan sprang up and picked up the ice block in one swift motion.

Nangong Ye's expression changed drastically, and he immediately tried to get down from the ground:
"what are you doing?"

Xie Jinhuan wrapped his arms around her legs, holding the ice cube in a train bento box position, his hands on her waist, preventing her from getting down:

"You should reciprocate my gift, right? Otherwise, it won't be meaningful."

Nangong Ye was taken aback, his eyes turning slightly cold:

"I don't want this, and you're not letting go..."

"Then tear it up."

"..."

Nangong Ye paused, glanced at the 'group photo' in his hand, and looked at it with disbelief:

"How dare you! A friend gave me this as a gift, and even if I don't want it, what kind of talk is it to tear it up on the spot?"

"Then I'll tear it."

"Thank you, Jinhuan!"

Nangong Ye's clothes fluttered, but he was somewhat helpless. He simply stretched his hand far away to prevent the brat from biting the scroll with his mouth.

The tug-of-war lasted only a moment before Xie Jinhuan arrived at the bedroom, which was draped with curtains and drapes. He pressed down on her, still with her legs bent.

Thump~
Nangong Ye's knees were pressed down onto his shoulders, his eyes filled with humiliation, and he wanted to push this brat away.

She suddenly discovered that Xie Jinhuan was a martial artist with superhuman foundation. His close-quarters combat ability was actually stronger than hers, a fragile Taoist at the peak of the first rank. If he really locked her up, she would have a hard time breaking free if she didn't want to trigger the Yang poison.

After a few shoves, Nangong Ye looked ashamed and indignant, but helpless. He could only punch his shoulder with his fist, then resignedly closed his eyes, looking sorrowful, and fell silent.

Seeing that the ice block had given up struggling, Xie Jinhuan was satisfied and let go of it, leaning against it.
"So? This wasn't a ploy, was it? You gave in after all the pleading and cajoling."

"you!"

Nangong Ye reacted, abruptly turning his head up, his phoenix eyes glaring at Xie Jinhuan, his cheeks flushed red, and after a long pause, he finally spoke:

"I made you do evil because I saw that you were suffering from internal heat; this was a ruse!"

Xie Jinhuan didn't refute, but leaned in and pulled Qiu up:
"Alright, so that's a ruse. You made me do evil. Go to sleep."

rustling~
? !
Nangong Ye realized he had been tricked and was clearly a bit confused!

What kind of methods is this kid using? I don't understand...

But words spoken cannot be taken back, so she could only grit her teeth and back down.
"Once we're cured, we can't continue like this. If you break your promise..."

"We'll see when the time comes. This poison depends on luck; it might take a year or two to cure."

"It must be solved before the end of the month!"

"what?"

Xie Jinhuan raised his head and looked at the stunning beauty:

"How can I guarantee anything when it's a gamble?"

If Nangong Ye cannot recover by the end of the month, it will truly be a double loss. Therefore, he said seriously:

"Try a few more times. If you still can't solve it, I... I won't be able to handle the affairs of my sect. As for you suffering, I... I'll suffer with you."

Xie Jinhuan nodded:
"I'll try my best. Actually, it's okay if you don't suffer with me."

Nangong Ye pursed his lips, remaining silent, and simply pulled the blanket up to cover his face, keeping quiet.

Xie Jinhuan found the little boy's expression somewhat amusing:

"Let's make a bet that you'll be able to hum it within fifteen minutes."

"If not, then what should be done?"

"Then I'll give it my all!"

"You?...You're shameless!"

"Hehehe~ It's too late for Lady Mu to regret it now..."

……
-
The next day.

As dawn broke, the autumn sun shone on the terrace.
Xie Jinhuan, dressed neatly, sat on the terrace and began to paint a picture of an ice queen.

Nangong Ye, dressed in a black dress, knelt gracefully not far away. Her face was unadorned, and her eyes gazed at the Fengyi River. Her profile exuded an aloof and independent air. After hesitating several times, she coldly said:

"You finished your medicine in a quarter of an hour yesterday, and I didn't stop you from doing anything wrong afterward. Aren't you going home now?"

Xie Jinhuan carefully sketched the portrait of the beauty and said softly:

"I crumpled up the painting yesterday, so I'll paint you a new one. Don't worry."

Nangong Ye's sharp edge had been largely worn down by this boy. He took a deep breath and remained silent.

Once a painting was finished, she took it and, to prevent it from being torn up again, casually placed it beside her.

Xie Jinhuan didn't linger any longer, and gave him a quick, light kiss on the cheek.
Bo~
Then it flew off the terrace and disappeared without a trace.

"!!"

Nangong Ye clenched his fists, stood alone for a long time to calm his mind, and then picked up the painting to examine it. He also took out the one he had crumpled up last night.

The one I painted this morning was clearly more carefully done, and the paper was cleaner, but the one from last night, which was all crumpled, seems to be more special...

Nangong Ye rubbed his forehead, stood up, and stumbled slightly as he went down the steps. After a moment, he took out the scroll, framed the two paintings, and ran to the bathroom.

When he reappeared, it was already noon, and his appearance had returned to that of the Ruthless Sword Immortal of the Dan Ding Sect, wearing a black and white Taoist robe and carrying a sword box.

After changing her clothes, she seemed to transform from Mu Yunhong back into Nangong Ye. Under this self-deception, her chaotic emotions were somewhat calmed down.

After glancing left and right on the terrace, he lightly touched the ground with his toes and took off, flying towards the Imperial Observatory to return the Jiazi Lotus...

---

Nine thousand words.

Sorry, refining sentence by sentence is a bit slow.
I missed the monthly pass event, and because I posted it late, I set the target too high. Just take a look, or...
(End of this chapter)