Minglong

Chapter 195 New and Old Grudges

"Gurgle, gurgle..."

The lump of coal, devoid of desires and wants, continued to tumble around in the outer room.

Xie Jinhuan tidied up the clothes and bed sheets neatly, opened the window to air out the smell, and even brewed a pot of good tea to prevent his sister-in-law from seeing anything she shouldn't when she came up later.

Before he could finish what he was doing, he heard heavy footsteps outside:
dong dong dong...

Murderous!
?

Seeing that things were not going well, Coal Ball quickly hid in the inner room and secretly observed.

Xie Jinhuan put down the teapot and was about to take a look when he found the door being pushed open.

wow~
Then the woman in black entered the house carrying her sword and pounced on him.

Call ~
Xie Jinhuan sensed that this wasn't someone eager to push him further, but she still opened her arms to catch him:
"Eh?"

thump!
Nangong Ye pressed Xie Jinhuan down onto the tea table, his eyebrows furrowed in anger.

When did you meet her? Why didn't you tell me?

The tone was as if the aloof female CEO had caught a blond guy cheating on her, and the other party was a business rival...

Xie Jinhuan knew about the rivalry between the two, so it was perfectly normal for Bing Tuozi to be furious after being caught. He explained:

"She said she's your senior sister and told me not to tell anyone, or I'd make an enemy of her..."

"She told you not to tell me, so you kept it from me?"

"How could I dare offend your senior sister? By the way, isn't she your senior sister? I just subtly asked her, but you wouldn't say..."

Even though Nangong Ye was extremely unwilling to acknowledge that demoness as his senior sister, he could only grit his teeth and nod at this moment:

"Yes."

Xie Jinhuan spread his hands: "Then there's really no way around it. The eldest brother is like a father, and the eldest sister is like a mother. If I offend your senior sister to death, how will we get along in the future?"

"She and I are just fellow disciples; we have no romantic feelings for each other..."

“I know that the Azure Sword Manor is in fierce competition, and only the most powerful person can become the manor leader. You and she are competing for this position. You two are from the same sect, and she told me not to meddle, so I didn't want to interfere either. I originally intended to pretend I didn't see her, but I never expected her to come looking for me. Luckily, Coal Ball reminded me just now, otherwise it would all be over…”

"Guji?"

The coal ball, peeking out from the doorway, looked somewhat bewildered.

Seeing Xie Jinhuan struggling to explain, Nangong Ye remained silent for a long time before finally letting go of her hand.

After all, this enchantress came to the door under the guise of a senior sister, and she actually knew her, instructing this boy not to reveal it.

Even if this kid is completely clueless about social etiquette, he should at least consider the future consequences. Pretending he never saw her would be understandable. The only problem is that he lured this vixen here!
"She was following you, didn't you notice?!"

"I……"

Xie Jinhuan swore on A Piao's innocence that no one was following him on his return. He had even tested her several times, and deep down he still didn't understand how Senior Sister Hua had managed to sneak over. He briefly recalled:
"You just got back, and Senior Sister Hua came. Could she have come with you?"

"?"

Nangong Ye was unaware that the demoness was at the confluence of the three rivers and was not on guard. Since they knew each other well, if the demoness had been plotting against him, she might have indeed followed him there.

Fortunately, Coal Ball was alert and noticed in advance. If the door had been broken down while she was pushing the watermelon, she could have simply thrown herself into the river and committed suicide...

Thinking of this, Nangong Ye still felt a lingering fear and wanted to get up:

"I'm leaving. Take care of yourself."

"?"

Xie Jinhuan reached out and hooked her arm around Bing Tuozi's small waist, making her continue to press down:

"You're not going to treat the poison?"

"I……"

Nangong Ye was almost caught in bed with another man, how could she dare to continue being Danyang Marquis's mistress here?
But how do we deal with the demoness at the end of the month if we don't cure her poison?

If you can't win, you'll lose everything—not only will you be wasting your resources, but you'll also lose the Phoenix Feather Grass...

This is like getting stuck on both ends...

Nangong Ye's expression was as cold as frost and snow, but he had nothing to say.

Xie Jinhuan knew what Bing Tuozi was worried about, and gently comforted him:

"Detoxification doesn't necessarily require doing bad things. Let's just lie here and do nothing."

As he spoke, he popped a pill into his mouth that was adding fuel to the fire.

And this medicine truly lives up to its name, it's like adding fuel to the fire!
Nangong Ye lay on top of him, looking at the brat whose forehead was sweating but whose expression remained normal, and wanted to harden his heart.

But if you want to get rid of the poison without paying a price, then you're owing true feelings...

Nangong Ye gritted his teeth for a long time, and finally said seriously:

“I promised you, and I won’t break my promise. You…you have Coal Ball keep watch outside so no one finds out.”

Xie Jinhuan saw that Bing Tuozi insisted on giving him the coal, so he naturally didn't say anything more. He got up, picked up the coal briquette, placed it on the windowsill outside as a watchman, and then closed the window.

Click~
Nangong Ye sat cross-legged on the couch, remaining silent. Surprisingly, the rascal was quite gentle, sitting down beside him to offer comfort.

"Don't overthink it. I'll definitely notice if someone comes. Just focus on getting better."

Nangong Ye had no other choice but to close his eyes and remain silent. He was then slowly pushed down onto the chessboard, his breathing becoming increasingly unsteady, his clothes coming undone... But after being tormented for a while, she suddenly remembered something and turned around to press Xie Jinhuan down:

"You promised me you wouldn't...you wouldn't do that today!"

Xie Jinhuan blinked: "Then you do it?"

"..."

Nangong Ye was silent for a moment, then crossed her arms to cover her ample bosom and knelt before the bed. Feeling somewhat humiliated by the way the man looked down at her, she took a handkerchief and covered her eyes.

"You are not allowed to touch my face."

"Then I'll do it myself..."

"Eh?!"

Nangong Ye quickly pressed the boy down, enduring his shame and indignation as he slowly rubbed against him. However, the boy lifted his chin, and even through the handkerchief, he could feel the smug look in his eyes as he admired his appearance...
-
The Jiangzhou Gang's headquarters were located in the southeast corner of the county town. Dozens of gang members stood outside the courtyard. Because they were an out-of-town gang, there were not many admirers gathered around.

The courtyard was quite quiet. Xu Guanfu, who was over sixty years old, sat on the ground on the terrace. He was dressed in a scholar's robe and had a refined and elegant demeanor like that of a scholar from the Jiangzhou water town. Judging from his appearance alone, it was hard to tell that he was the leader of the Jiangzhou gang.

The Jiangzhou Gang originated from a group of laborers and boatmen at major docks in the south. Although they were at the bottom of the hierarchy, they were numerous. Now, they have people in almost every dock and port along the southeast coast. Because they border the southern wilderness, they inevitably have secret dealings with each other.

The person who cooperated with the Jiangzhou Gang was the Black Yan Gang from Southern Xinjiang.

The Black Yan Gang started as pirates, but no matter how fast they made money by robbing, it couldn't compare to the stability of trade routes. Now they have gradually become the largest smugglers in the southern border region, smuggling salt, iron, medicinal herbs and other goods from the sea to the northern and southern dynasties.

At this moment, Liang Yue, the second-in-command of the Black Yan Gang, sat opposite and respectfully said:

"The Phoenix Tomb last appeared around 60 years ago, apparently obtained by a master from the Northern Zhou Dynasty. This year, the Southern Frontier is extremely hot, and wildfires frequently break out in Fire Phoenix Valley. The gang leader estimates that the opportunity has resurfaced..."

Although Xu Guanfu ranked seventh in the martial arts world, his talent was limited, and he had reached his limit. Without a great stroke of luck, he would never be able to reach a higher level in this lifetime.

The Black Yan Gang clearly intended to recruit Xu Guanfu as an accomplice in their search for the Phoenix Tomb.

However, the southern borderlands are treacherous, and Xu Guanfu has a family and business to support. If he rashly ventures there and something goes wrong, he could lose his core support base. At this point, his only response is:

"Even Chief Yan has no definite news. If I go there rashly and make a wasted trip, who will take care of my subordinates? We'll discuss this matter later."

Liang Yue's main purpose in coming here was to seize the Tiger Bone Vine; recruiting helpers was only a secondary task. Seeing this, he didn't say much and instead chatted about other gang affairs.

But before they could finish their conversation, Liu Wen, the hall master, came from the corridor and bowed respectfully beside the terrace.
"Boss, Gongsun Duan has been arrested by the imperial court."

Liang Yue frowned, his eyes wary.

"Is the Great Qian Dynasty arresting people at the confluence of the three rivers?"

Xu Guanfu was also slightly puzzled. After all, the Sanjiang Estuary was a gathering of martial arts heroes. Although it was a grand affair, its nature was similar to Wei Wuyi's birthday banquet or dinner party.

The government officials are coming to arrest people; isn't that just causing trouble? If Wei Wuyi can't handle this, his reputation in the martial arts world will plummet, and he'll become known as 'Wei the Boneless'.

"Who made the arrest? What was Snow Eagle Ridge's reaction?"

"It's Xie Jinhuan, who's currently making waves in the capital. Li Gongpu and He Guozhang both fell into his hands. He took the 'Demon Suppression Order,' claiming that Gongsun Duan was a remnant of the demonic path, and directly severed his qi meridians and took him away. Xueyingling didn't say anything after they found out, and even had people keep an eye on the situation inside and outside the county, as if they wanted to suppress the matter."

Xu Guanfu frowned:
"It's true that Snow Eagle Ridge shouldn't interfere when a celestial official seeks out a demonic cultivator, but Gongsun Duan isn't a demonic cultivator. Xie Jinhuan arrested him right in front of you?"

Liu Wen nodded: "He crippled Gongsun Duan in front of everyone and even reminded me not to stir up trouble. Judging from his attitude, if I dared to spread the news secretly, he would dare to arrest me as well."

Liang Yue came from the southern border and didn't know much about Xie Jinhuan. Hearing this, he couldn't believe his eyes:
"Are the imperial court's lackeys this arrogant? Don't they even consider the Jiangzhou gang human?"

Xu Guanfu's expression also darkened, and he replied:

"This kid is backed by an old immortal from the Hidden Immortal Sect, and has a close relationship with the Pill King. He has been granted the title of Marquis of Danyang County by the imperial court. Not to mention the Jiangzhou Gang, if he were to contradict Wei Wuyi to his face, Wei Wuyi would not be able to teach him a lesson. Let's remember this for now and talk about it later."

"Yes."

……
-
The other side.

At midnight, a merchant ship sails on the river. There are no lights or fires on board, and several sailors patrol the deck.

Inside the cabin below, He Can squatted down in front of an elderly man and solemnly asked:
"Sir, you seem to have some skill. Could you please help me predict the fortune of this trip?"

The old man was the geomancer who had been kidnapped from the outskirts of Beijing. At this moment, his hands were bound and his energy channels were locked, and his face was full of worry.
"Your eyes are upturned at the corners, which hides auspiciousness, and your full lower eyelids indicate good fortune. This is a sign of longevity. Therefore, your journey will be more auspicious than inauspicious, while ours will be more inauspicious than auspicious."

"Sir, you are indeed a master. It is a great waste that you were captured by the evil Taoist and used as a human sacrifice."

After speaking, He Can looked at the black-robed monks meditating in the cabin:

"Did you hear that? The fortune teller said I have more good fortune than bad, and you have more bad fortune than good. You don't have to believe me, but you have to believe in fate. How can you, with just a dozen or so people, break into the Corpse Ancestor's Tomb?"

The black-robed monk sat in meditation with his eyes closed. When asked, he did not speak, but simply took out a golden ritual implement from his sleeve.

The fortune teller glanced at him briefly, and his pupils contracted slightly:
"The Vajra Pestle? How could you demonic cultivators possess a sacred Buddhist artifact?!"

He Can was also quite surprised: "I was wondering how you dared to dig up the Corpse Ancestor. But how could Wuxin Monk not have noticed that this thing was missing? Wouldn't this alert the enemy?"

The black-robed monk closed his eyes, focused his mind, and continued meditating.
"It's precisely because we didn't alert them that Buddhism became the target of everyone's criticism. Whether we can dig or not is not important. As long as I strike with my chisel, Monk Wuxin will be no different from Sikong Shitang."

He Can knelt down in front of him and carefully examined the man in black:

"You dare to compare yourself to the Corpse Ancestor? Even if Sikong Shitang raises a tiger that will cause trouble, the Corpse Ancestor doesn't even let his fellow disciples and masters fight. Otherwise, why would it be called the 'Witchcraft Rebellion' instead of the 'Demon Path Rebellion'?"
"Look at you all. You refine your own people right away, and pretend you didn't see Xie Jinhuan. What kind of skill is it to capture me? If you captured Xie Jinhuan and used him as a vessel for the Corpse Ancestor, wouldn't you be the 'Human Emperor Cavalry Ancestor,' invincible..."

The man in black found He Can a bit noisy and stopped paying attention to him...

……
-
At a normal writing speed of 800 words per hour, I still have to delete one-fifth of the nonsense after finishing. If I get stuck even a little bit, I just explode. I've been writing from 4 a.m. yesterday to 2 a.m. this morning. I want to write more, but the longer I stay up, the less I can write. I really can't take it anymore. I'll go to sleep first. There's one more chapter that everyone might not be able to see until the afternoon or 2!

　I recommend a book; you might find it interesting.

(End of this chapter)