Minglong

Chapter 207 Is the golden scale a thing in the pool?

"Chirp chirp..."

The faint chirping of insects came from the bushes outside the courtyard.

Under the old osmanthus tree, Nangong Ye sat obediently by the chessboard, his beautiful phoenix eyes filled with confusion. He couldn't understand why his master, whom he had only seen in paintings, had suddenly returned and was with Xie Jinhuan...

Could it be that Xie Jinhuan's master from the Hidden Immortal Sect is actually my master...?

Then Xie Jinhuan and I would be senior and junior siblings, and Qingmo would be the one who rebels against the Heavenly Gang...

bah bah...

Bu Yuehua placed her hands on her waist, her full buttocks resting on the stone bench, her posture quite demure. Having waited a long time for her ancestor to return, she whispered:

"Sister Nangong, is there something going on between you and Xie Jinhuan...?"

Nangong Ye shuddered, revealing a sharp edge that seemed to freeze a thousand miles in the air:
"What do you mean?"

Bu Yuehua leaned her arm against the chessboard, her eyes crinkling as if she were chatting with her sister.
“What Master Qixia said makes sense. No matter how strong you are, you are only at the peak of the first rank. Xie Jinhuan is almost the strongest martial artist below the super rank. If anyone is going to protect you, it will be him as your bodyguard. I thought you were afraid that he would act recklessly because you kept your identity a secret. But in the situation just now, it would be really unreasonable for you not to speak up for him.”

Nangong Ye knew it was rash of her to refuse to pay her respects earlier, but she really had no choice. She thought about her response and said:

"I have my own plans, which I cannot reveal to outsiders. You'd better keep your mouth shut, otherwise, even you were no match for me before, and now that my master has emerged from seclusion..."

Bu Yuehua was indeed wary of the immense power and influence of Zihui Mountain, but she wasn't stupid either. She could tell that there was definitely something wrong with Nangong Ye and Xie Jinhuan, but she didn't yet understand the extent of the problem. After thinking for a moment, she said softly:

"Why would I spread rumors and ruin your plans? But we originally agreed that I would fight in the tournament and you would cover my identity, and if I won, you would get 20% of the winnings. Now I can't win anymore. I'm afraid we'll have to reconsider this matter..."

?

Nangong Ye's eyes turned cold: "I've already kept the competition at Sanjiang Estuary a secret and allowed you to participate. If you don't win, that's your own problem..."

Bu Yuehua slightly raised her hand: "That happened yesterday. Should I keep it a secret from you from now on?"

"?"

Nangong Ye realized he was being blackmailed, and if he gave in, he might be taken advantage of for life. He wasn't about to back down, so he raised his hand directly:

"If you are confident that you can leave Zihui Mountain today, you can tell Xie Jinhuan the truth."

Bu Yuehua sighed and remained silent.

Nangong Ye knew the demoness dared not speak now, but that might not be the case after they descended the mountain. Her yang poison hadn't been cured, and she was no match for the demoness. They had just been called good sisters; she couldn't very well ask her newly met master to teach this demoness a lesson again. As she pondered this, she heard a voice:
shuh~
A large, jet-black lump of coal landed on the roof, and I curiously examined it.
"Guji?"

Then Xie Jinhuan, dressed in white robes, emerged from the edge of the cliff, leaped down in front of the two, and looked around:

Where is Senior Qixia?

Nangong Ye sat up a little straighter, his gaze serious:

"Xie Jinhuan, this is Zihui Mountain, don't be so startled. That senior just said he had some business to attend to and asked us to wait..."

Xie Jinhuan knew that the white-haired Taoist nun could go mad at any moment, so he dared not let her run around:
"Where did she go?"

"Don't worry, the elders on the mountain know what they're doing..."

What sense of propriety does she have?

Just now, I almost performed a blood sacrifice on the demon bandits!

But the White-Haired Fairy appeared and disappeared without a trace, and even took the Ghost Bride away with her. No one could do anything about it unless she came out herself.

Xie Jinhuan looked around and could only try to send the coal ball into the sky to try and find someone. Then her gaze fell on the two sisters sitting on either side of the chessboard.

As always, Bing Tuozi was as cold as an iceberg. She was tall and slender, with a powerful physique that could crush a child. She was like a lone female knight-errant, detached from the world and indifferent to everyone.

Senior Sister Hua is elegant and virtuous, with her hair styled in a bun at the back of her head, secured with a butterfly hair clip adorned with purple and blue petals. She exudes a sexy and mature charm, and her figure is soft and juicy. She is like a conservative, reserved, gentle, and considerate master's wife, chaste to the outside world, but obedient to her family at home, giving people a natural sense of closeness...

In comparison, Senior Sister Hua certainly has more of a sect leader's demeanor...

Xie Jinhuan hesitated for a moment, then looked at the mature-looking man in the carriage:
"Senior Sister Hua, are you Sect Leader Nangong?"

"?"

Nangong Ye's heart skipped a beat.

Bu Yuehua blinked her peach blossom eyes, looking slightly bewildered.
Do I look like it?

Xie Jinhuan hadn't seen clearly while floating in the sky, but he did notice something was wrong. He gestured towards the courtyard:
"You came looking for me, fine, but why did you end up here? This is the back of Zihui Mountain, which is supposed to be a forbidden area. Didn't anyone from Zihui Mountain stop you? And why did Senior Qixia suddenly send me away..."

it's over...

Nangong Ye sensed something was wrong, but maintained her icy, aloof demeanor and interjected to explain:

"We followed the direction and found no one here, so we stopped here. We didn't find Ziwei Mountain. "Senior Qixia sent you away because the master on the mountain has his own plans. He just told us some things concerning Qingming Sword Manor, which he can't reveal to you..."

He glanced at the enchantress next door as he spoke:
"Right?"

Bu Yuehua, with her graceful demeanor like a gentle and demure teacher's wife, turned her gaze to the night view outside the mountains, as if she hadn't heard anything.

After all, Nangong Ye didn't even consult with her, so why should she help cover for him?

Xie Jinhuan looked at the ice block upon seeing this:
"Miss Mu, are you hiding something from me?"

Nangong Ye tensed up, and seeing Xie Jinhuan looking at him suspiciously, he quickly added:
“I didn’t mean to hide it from you. It’s just that it concerns the inheritance of the Qingming Sword Manor, and it’s not good for you to know, um… Senior Qixia thinks I’m more suitable to be the manor lord, and Senior Sister Hua isn’t happy about it and doesn’t want to talk to me. But in my heart, I feel that Senior Sister Hua has higher cultivation and is more suitable to be the manor lord in every way…”

Seeing that Nangong Ye's tone had softened, Bu Yuehua turned back to continue helping:

"Sigh~ What Master Qixia said actually makes sense. I'm sure I'll continue to work hard in my cultivation from now on. These are all matters within the sect, so it's normal that Junior Sister Mu didn't tell you. Don't be suspicious."

With the two fellow disciples speaking in unison, Xie Jinhuan, though still somewhat suspicious, dared not let his imagination run wild. He thought to himself that he could ask the ghost wife about it; she was there at the time and should know the situation perfectly well…

"Well... you're all from the same sect, and your goal is to help Qingming Sword Manor reach new heights. Competition is one thing, but in private you're all sisters, so let's keep things harmonious..."

"That's natural."

Bu Yuehua smiled gently, but out of the corner of her eye she glanced at Nangong Ye next door, sensing that this matter was probably not simple.

After all, what was Nangong Ye's personality like before? He would chase after her and beat her up for no reason. When had he ever said a single kind word to her?
Now, in order to conceal her identity as a 'protector,' she's so quick to submit to her even with the slightest trick. If the truth behind this is uncovered, she could probably live off it for a lifetime...

Nangong Ye knew that having the demoness act as a cover would definitely lead to her being manipulated, but she had no choice. Fearing that her master's return would expose the deception, she urged:
"Senior Qixia told us to wait here, but she didn't mention you. You go outside and wait, and we'll come find you when we're done."

"Oh……"

Seeing Bing Tuozi get up and push him, Xie Jinhuan didn't want to stand there asking questions any longer, so he followed the mountain path to a pavilion outside where he could overlook the peaks and waited.

As it turned out, the wait was quite long, about 15 minutes later, before any movement came from behind.

Call ~
Turning around, one could see the white-haired aunt, with an ethereal and otherworldly air, landing outside the pavilion. Her magnificent robes trembled slightly, her demeanor ethereal and otherworldly, carrying a touch of elder-like kindness.
"Awaited."

Seeing that the White-Haired Fairy wasn't covered in blood, Xie Jinhuan felt a great weight lifted from his shoulders and stepped forward, bowing respectfully.

"Are you preparing to return, senior?"

Master Qixia shook his head and went straight to the point:

"You performed well in guarding the tomb in the mountains today, and I should reward you. However, since you have not yet come out of seclusion and there is nothing of interest in the sect, I will try to open the dragon vein for you and see if you have the opportunity."

Opening the dragon vein...

Xie Jinhuan had only ever had his dragon tendons grabbed by Mo Mo Wanyi's ice-cold body, so he seemed a little confused by these words:
"It's opening the dragon's spine? I've done that before..."

Opening the Dragon Spine is an essential stage for cultivators. Its purpose is to unblock the meridians and achieve 'straight bones and supple tendons'. It belongs to the seventh to ninth grade stage and is performed by all schools of cultivation.

This was not what Master Qixia intended to open. He immediately walked into the stone pavilion, stood before Xie Jinhuan, and earnestly explained:
“Dragon vein is not the dragon spine. Ancient books say, ‘The vein is the residence of blood.’ The vein means blood. ‘Dragon vein’ is special. It’s a name I gave myself. I’ve never seen anyone else with this in my years of cultivation.”

Xie Jinhuan blinked, not quite understanding.

Master Qixia looked around and found the place inconvenient, so he led Xie Jinhuan and used the Ten Thousand Mile Divine Travel Spell to arrive at a mountain peak among the peaks in a short while.

Xie Jinhuan thought the white-haired Taoist nun was about to cast a spell, but instead, she saw that the face that was originally full of spiritual energy suddenly change its aura, showing a sense of majesty, and then a golden light appeared in her bright black eyes.

Golden eyes and dark pupils, like those of a dragon!
The moment the strange phenomenon appeared, a powerful pressure enveloped the mountaintop, causing thousands of birds to take flight in fright, and from a distance it looked like a black cloud rising from the mountains.
"Gah—Gah—"

But Xie Jinhuan met the pair of dragon eyes directly, without fear or trembling. Instead, he felt a sense of familiarity, as if he had looked at them like that somewhere before.
"Senior, your eyes..."

Master Qixia revealed his power and was surprised to find that this boy was not afraid. He was genuinely surprised and his mind stirred slightly.

Then, an inaudible yet undeniably real roar of a dragon from the azure sea echoed deep within his mind:

"howl--"

Xie Jinhuan could sense the enormous figure, thousands of miles long, just from the sound. It was like a towering mountain that spanned the heavens and the earth, standing just inches away. The oppressive force of Mount Tai pressing down on him was so strong that he felt like an insect or ant, facing a god descending to earth!

Xie Jinhuan felt that this oppressive aura was even stronger than Wei Wuyi's dragon-like imposing presence, but he didn't feel any discomfort. He immediately asked:

"Senior, this is..."

Master Qixia maintained his ethereal, otherworldly demeanor, one hand behind his back, and carefully examined Xie Jinhuan:
"This can be called 'Dragon's Might,' a kind of aura that can be cultivated through special talents and hard work. It can frighten away ghosts and gods, and those with low cultivation levels cannot even stand firmly."

"To cultivate this kind of spirit, one must first have a 'starter,' and then go through countless hardships and dangers, and cross hundreds of steep bridges, before it is possible to 'transform from a dragon into a dragon.'"

"If not, even if you cultivate to become a Human Emperor, that is the might of a Human Emperor, not the might of a Dragon."

Xie Jinhuan roughly understood the meaning—to master this skill, one must first have golden scales. Even a catfish, after mastering it to the end, becomes a powerful beast...

(End of this chapter)