Minglong

Chapter 220 Like Falling into an Ice Cellar

Nangong Ye returned to her secret base in Fengyi River, washed away the frost and grime, changed back into her black and white Taoist robe, put on a jade crown, carried a sword box on her back, and transformed once again into a female sword immortal who was untouched by worldly affairs. She then went alone to the Imperial Observatory.

The death of Emperor Qian, the incident involving the Crown Prince, and the change of heir apparent are all major events that could shake the foundations of the country in any dynasty. Although the Imperial Observatory is not involved in politics, as the party primarily responsible, it is currently in a state of utter chaos. People can be seen running around everywhere outside the Eight Directions Bright Pagoda, and occasionally the leader of the Dan Ding Sect can be seen arriving from other places.

Nangong Ye didn't want to cause a commotion, so he quietly entered the Eight Directions Bright Pagoda through a side door and arrived at the Star Gazing Platform on the top floor. He could see the sect leader, Lu Wuzhen, standing alone, gazing up at the blue sky, seemingly lost in thought.

"Senior Brother Lu."

Lu Wuzhen withdrew his gaze, his expression becoming gentle:

"Has Senior Qixia re-entered the pass?"

"I was not present when Xie Jinhuan escorted my master to the deep mountains."

Nangong Ye still had some doubts about the specific relationship between Xie Jinhuan and her master. She had asked about it the day before yesterday, but her master was tight-lipped and wouldn't say. Since she was using an alias, she couldn't very well ask Xie Jinhuan directly. So, she asked now:

"Senior Brother Lu, do you know what the connection is between Xie Jinhuan, my master, and Ye Sheng?"

Lu Wuzhen had been troubled by this for a month or so, but since the elders hadn't informed him, he had no way of knowing. He simply said:
"Xie Jinhuan must be a protector arranged by some hidden immortal elder. His 'Blind Sword Technique' is superb, and he must have some connection with Ye Sheng. You will know the details later."

Nangong Ye didn't know who Qixia Zhenren's comrades-in-arms were back then, so he didn't ask further and instead got down to business:
"Xie Jinhuan has recently been seeking some opportunities and needs to borrow the Yin-Yang Ruler. I wonder if Senior Brother Lu would be able to do so?"

As the leader of the Dan Ding Sect, Lu Wuzhen couldn't possibly be unaware of the opportunities that existed in the world. Just from hearing about borrowing the Yin-Yang Ruler, he knew that Lu Wuzhen wanted to seek out the Five Divine Gifts. After a moment's thought, he responded:

"The Yin-Yang Ruler can indeed help cultivators avoid the erosion of the power of heaven and earth, but there is more than one magic weapon in the world with this effect. Moreover, the Divination Sect is good at observing stars and qi, and can roughly calculate when rare and precious materials will appear. No matter how early you go, you may run into people. If you take the Yin-Yang Ruler there, those people may give up the hard-to-find opportunity and turn around to snatch the immortal artifact that is right in front of them."

Nangong Ye knew that carrying such a treasure was risky, but her master said that Xie Jinhuan could find the opportunity directly. As long as they entered in advance with the Yin-Yang Ruler, they could finish in a day or two at most and leave.

Without the protection of a celestial artifact, they would have to wait until after the 29th day of the lunar calendar. By then, when the news spread, Fire Phoenix Valley would probably be even more bustling than the Three Rivers Estuary. With their level of cultivation, even if they managed to get one, it would be difficult for them to leave Southern Xinjiang alive.

"Hmm... Xie Jinhuan is confident that even if I die for my cause, I will bring back the Yin-Yang Ruler."

"There's no need to say that. The Yin-Yang Ruler is a treasure passed down through the Dan Ding Sect. If it falls into your hands, Master Qixia should be able to retrieve it. However, if you lose your life, you'll lose everything. Junior Sister Nangong, please remember to be careful."

As Lu Wuzhen spoke, he pulled out a black and white ruler from his sleeve and handed it to Nangong Ye:
"Furthermore, this item won't be of much use to you, but without it, the Dan Ding Sect won't be able to control the various sects and schools. The current situation in the court and the country is unstable and could change at any time. You need to go and return quickly, preferably within ten days."

Ten days…

Nangong Ye felt this was quite difficult, so he decided to set off immediately, fly there without stopping, and head back as soon as he could get the goods. Only then would he have a chance of not exceeding the time limit.

However, the Pill King has not yet ascended the throne, and the situation is indeed unstable. Lu Wuzhen has already taken a great risk by borrowing the immortal artifact at this critical moment. Nangong Ye nodded in agreement and accepted the Yin-Yang Ruler.

……

After Nangong Ye took his leave, Lu Wuzhen turned around, looked at the vast city outside, sighed softly, and felt a touch of sorrow in her eyes.

Xie Jinhuan's performance at the Sanjiang Estuary was outstanding. If the Buddhist sect hadn't encountered any trouble, Wei Wuyi would have ended up with nothing.

However, Fa Chen was blinded by greed and dug up the ancestral tomb. With Lu Wuzhen in charge of the capital, the late emperor's family suffered a major problem right under their noses. Even if they tried to make amends afterward, they could not avoid the responsibility.

Therefore, after the Prince of Dan ascends the throne, the court officials, in order to ensure the emperor's safety, will likely summon Wei Wuyi, so that the three of them can check and balance each other and jointly guard the capital.

At the founding of the nation, many elders arranged for Lu Wuzhen and three others to study together in the capital, with the aim of enabling them to work together to govern the country and avoid internal strife that would damage their own vitality.

Now, it can be said that they have broken through and established anew, following the wishes of the older generation. However, Lu Wuzhen understands that one person who acts arbitrarily cannot shoulder the responsibility of the entire righteous path, and others may not understand this.

In the cultivation path, there are too many wolves and not enough meat, and each subordinate sect has its own interests, so internal strife is inevitable.

It's hard to say what will happen if three tigers are allowed on one mountain in the future.

Lu Wuzhen now even hopes that Xie Jinhuan's cultivation will advance faster, and that he can ascend to the position of sect leader and ancestor in just a few years, just like Qixia Zhenren.

Given Xie Jinhuan's 'righteous yet wicked' personality, his record of chasing demons like a god, his unparalleled skills in the same realm, and his relationship with the Pill King that was like that of father-in-law and son-in-law, he didn't believe that the Great Qian Dynasty could have any problems.

Even if there are problems, at most it's just 'replacing Zhao with Xie and taking three thousand concubines.' As long as the Great Qian Dynasty isn't destroyed by the evil Taoists and there are countless corpses floating for miles, it's not a problem for the righteous path.

But Xie Jinhuan is too young. By the time he takes on the mantle of righteousness, the world will have already changed beyond recognition.

Lu Wuzhen sighed softly, gazing at the sky in silence for a long time…
-
Inner city streets.

After sending Momo back to the Prince's Mansion, Xie Jinhuan went to the Lin family alone. He glanced at the north along the way, and there was a hint of sorrow in his eyes.

Now that the Prince Dan, who values ​​him highly, is about to become emperor, with all his beautiful wives and concubines in the capital, if he were to stop now, he would not be surprised if he could live a life of revelry and wealth.

But Lao Deng has not yet repaid the favors he owed to the Northern Zhou and Empress Dowager Guo, and he will never be able to repay them...

If the Northern and Southern Dynasties were to go to war in the future, he would be caught in the middle, stuck on both sides, and would be in a terrible predicament...

Lost in these random thoughts, the gates of the Lin residence came into view, where guard Jia Zheng was chatting idly with several other guards.

"Speaking of which, when Young Master Xie uttered 'Open for me!', a muffled thud was heard, and his spine instantly exploded, transforming into a hundred-foot-long dragon that swirled around his body..."

"Wow, Young Master Xie is still alive after having his spine opened?"

"What do you know about the path of cultivation..."

Although Xie Jinhuan didn't open his spine, he forced open the second barrier, and the result was similar. He still feels a bit sore from head to toe.

Since he was there to steal the young lady, Xie Jinhuan didn't go through the main gate. Instead, he went to the outer courtyard's alchemy room, where he saw that the room was brightly lit and a tall brass alchemy furnace was emitting a misty white fog, turning the ground into a fairyland of clouds.

A lump of coal, appearing out of nowhere, with only its head peeking out, blazes with the magic of nature in the fog.

Lin Zisu, dressed in a fitted white dress, sat on a small stool in front of the alchemy furnace, holding a book in her hands and studying it intently. Her waistline was beginning to show a budding curve, and she might one day rival her aunt in beauty...

Xie Jinhuan blinked, quietly moved behind, wanting to see if the Great Immortal Zisu was once again appreciating the secret history of Empress Guo. Instead, he saw a piece of paper with the following written on it:

Hua Ruyue stood at the mouth of the three rivers, gazing at Xie Lang, who stood like a white dragon at the pinnacle of martial arts, his eyes like autumn waves, feeling seven parts admiration, yet also three parts sadness at the separation between the mortal and the immortal...

?

Xie Jinhuan was taken aback, turning his head to look at the book title—Xie Lang's Three Plays with Hua Ruyue…

I go……

What kind of tentacle monster is this? It's only been two or three days and it's already published a book...

Is the update speed really that alarming...?

Xie Jinhuan read it for a while and found that it was written quite well, so he couldn't help but admire it:
"Who wrote this?"

"Um...eh?"

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Lin Zisu froze, her focused expression snapping. She quickly stood up and hid the miscellaneous books behind her back.
"Xie Lang~ You're back? Are you alright?"

He then turned behind him and examined his spine with his fingers.

Xie Jinhuan felt a sense of unease, as if his legs might be broken, whenever Zisu called him "Xie Lang." He shook his head and smiled.
"It's just nonsense in the book. How could I possibly explode my spine?"

Lin Zisu had a strong desire for martial arts, but unfortunately, her talent was misplaced. Hearing about Xie Jinhuan's amazing performance at the Three Rivers Estuary, she'd been so excited she couldn't sleep for days. She was just rubbing her lower back when she looked towards the door again.

"Didn't the Flower Heroine come back with you? She's a true heroine, making it into the top three! I really want to meet her..."

Senior Sister Hua came back with him, but she definitely won't go to the Lin family, Xie Jinhuan said helplessly.

"They're just friends from the martial arts world, how could they possibly follow me around like a shadow? What kind of pill is this? It looks familiar."

Lin Zisu was a little disappointed, but she didn't believe that any female knight-errant would be able to walk away upon seeing Xie Lang. He hadn't come now, but wouldn't he have to obediently go to her aunt's house to serve tea later? Hearing the question, Lin Zisu looked towards the alchemy furnace:

"It's the Vitality Pill, made for Her Highness the Princess."

"is it?"

Xie Jinhuan was quite surprised and wanted to ask the princess where the Jiazi Lotus came from.

But upon closer reflection, the landlady was about to become a 'princess,' and Dan Wang was a doting father; getting a Jiazi Lotus would be a piece of cake for him. He then laughed and said:

"Miss Zisu has now become a proper alchemist. People will definitely be coming to you to refine pills in the future."

"Hee~"

Lin Zisu looked slightly pleased, then thought for a moment and said, "By the way, the 'adding fuel to the fire' pills I made last time were too troublesome to use. I've made a new medicine these past few days that can cure any ailment!"

As he spoke, he took out a small medicine bottle from his pocket:

"Oh, it feels like falling into an ice cellar!"

"Oh?"

Although Xie Jinhuan found the chiseling of the lumps exhilarating, the intense heat was unbearable, and he was sweating profusely. By the end of the session, he was more dehydrated than a block of ice. Upon discovering that the Purple Perilla Immortal had a new product, his eyes lit up, and he picked it up to examine it closely:
"Can this medicine directly cure the Burning Immortal Gu?"

Lin Zisu nodded confidently:
"Yes, this medicine originates from Yin Yang Strange Qi Powder, which can transform all the cultivator's qi into pure yin in a short period of time. The Burning Immortal Gu relies on the yang qi to survive, and once it loses its reliance, it can be eradicated on the spot."

"So……"

"The price is a severe imbalance of yin and yang. Men will suffer damage to their reproductive health, and women who suffer from it... well... will miss their husbands terribly!"

?

Xie Jinhuan understood the meaning—if a woman ate it, she would want to replenish her yin with yang energy…

That means there are no side effects...

……

(End of this chapter)