Minglong

Chapter 237 Valkyrie (Revised)

The setting sun cast its rays upon the vast land, blending seamlessly with the flames and bloodshed.

Tens of thousands of demons, accompanied by puppets and towering ghostly mist, transformed the wilderness into a hell of demons, their wails and howls overwhelming, like a death warrant for the mortal realm:

"Roar!!"

"what--"

……

A divine being with a full head of crimson hair fluttering in the air stood before the surging sharpness of the sea. His golden armor and nine-foot-long golden spear, gleaming in the setting sun, became the only light in the blood-fire inferno.

After glancing back at his hastily retreating allies, the golden-armored god, with his full head of red hair, charged alone towards the cataclysmic disaster. The spear in his hand brought a sharp whistling sound that tore through the sky, and wherever it passed, broken blades were like butterflies and severed limbs were like leaves!
Countless demons and evil spirits were torn to pieces amidst the clanging of clashing blades, their mangled limbs falling into the river of blood with a muffled, drum-like sound.

Clad in golden armor, he was like an unyielding god. The ghost messengers from all directions and the demon generals from the north and south were all reduced to lonely ghosts under the spear's edge. The Bloodfire Purgatory was also torn open by the golden light, and the dawn of a new day broke out in the Bloodfire Purgatory.

But human strength has its limits, while demons and monsters are endless!

The golden-armored god had lost count of how long he had been fighting in the tidal wave. Isolated and helpless, he could see no glimmer of hope, only that his strength was slowly draining away, his breathing was getting heavier, and the spear he was wielding began to tremble. But the tidal wave before him still seemed endless.

Before she ran out of ammunition and food, she finally noticed someone approaching from behind. It was a cultivator with five weapons hanging on his back, whose imposing presence was no less than hers, the number one warrior in the Northern Territory, who was known as the 'Warrior Goddess'.

But seeing the inescapable scene of certain defeat, resembling a hellish inferno, the newcomer merely uttered a distant remark:

"Fellow Daoist, hold on a little longer. I, Shang, will go and help Ye Ci surround and kill the Corpse Ancestor."

He turned and left immediately after saying that.

Seeing this, the golden-armored deity did not retreat, but instead rampaged through the ghost tide like a killing machine, trying to buy his allies even a moment more time.

But after she broke through the entire Blood Plains, she discovered that the Corpse Ancestor, who had transformed into countless forms, was actually hiding here, trying to use a feint to break out of the Dragon Cloud Valley behind her, as well as the inescapable net laid out by the entire righteous path.

Faced with certain death, the golden-armored god did not retreat. Instead, he dragged his red hair and used his mortal body to fight against the only seventh realm after the Martial Ancestor!
Although she barely withstood the Demon Blade's strike, before her mangled body crashed to the ground, a streak of light lit up the sky, accompanied by a roar that struck fear into the hearts of both righteous and evil:

"Wow! So the true form was hidden here all along, Purple Palace Constellations, Myriad Spirit Cave..."

Then the sky was covered by the red umbrella of the dragon, and the short Taoist nun dragged the lightning to tear the sky apart, and a boundless lightning array descended to lock the entire blood plain.

A white-robed scholar holding a royal decree, a jade-faced monk displaying a golden body, an old sorcerer holding a soul-summoning banner, a yellow-robed Taoist priest holding a five-element seal, and so on, attacked from all directions, turning the entire Blood Plain into a bizarre and grotesque place.

Shang Lianbi, who left first, only arrived late, having already gained the upper hand.

The golden-armored figure stood amidst the pool of blood, spear in hand. Seeing Sikong Shitang binding souls and spirits, the Corpse Ancestor, barely thirty years old, ceased his attack and uttered those words:

"A kind heart cannot lead an army, and sentimentality cannot accomplish anything; my master is truly not deceiving me."

Sikong Shitang's Dao heart shattered, and he sat alone on the ground, looking like an old man who had lost his son in his old age.

However, that demon god who nearly destroyed the entire world eventually disappeared completely under the bright sun.

Seeing this, the golden-armored deity relaxed, closed his eyes peacefully, and collapsed with his broken body, accompanied by the last soft thud of a weapon falling to the ground.

thump--

But when she opened her eyes again, she found the battlefield as silent as a graveyard.

A Taoist nun, no taller than a scallion, lay on the ground with a demonic dagger stuck in her chest; around her were the mutilated monks Yu Nian and Huang Lin Zhenren, while the bloodstained head of the white-robed scholar was held in someone's hand.

The man was dressed in a black robe, with five immortal weapons hanging on his back. He stood in the sky like a god descending to earth!

……

The golden-armored deity suddenly awoke, flipping himself off the exquisitely crafted phoenix bed and gazing at the vast city outside the Heavenly Pavilion.

A gentle night breeze drifted into the room, while outside, the bustling city, filled with the sounds of daily life, continued its peaceful and prosperous scene.

But there was no joy on her face at the relief of escaping a close call. She glanced at the golden-armored figure standing in the hall, rubbed her temples, and let out a long sigh:
"call……"

stomping on...

Perhaps hearing the commotion, footsteps were heard outside the bedchamber.

Then the female official Hongdou appeared outside the screen, kneeling and bowing her head:
"Is the Empress Dowager having another nightmare?"

Empress Dowager Guo hesitated for a moment before regaining her usual dignified and composed demeanor, her tone even:

"It's nothing, just an old ailment. Any leads on the trouble in Lizhou?"

"Shen Cang from the Ministry of Justice has led a team to investigate, accompanied by that young constable named Jiang Xian. We should have results soon."

Empress Dowager Guo rose from her phoenix bed and walked alone to the terrace outside the palace. Because she was wearing a loose, light gold nightgown and was much taller than ordinary people, the breeze outlined her curves dramatically on the silky dress, making her look like a celestial goddess from behind.
"The Southern Dynasty's envoy arrived today, but Xie Jinhuan is not among them. Do you have any clues about his whereabouts?"

"Hmm... not yet. I heard from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices that Xie Jinhuan seems to have gone to the Southern Frontier. It's uncertain whether he will come."

"This kid will definitely come; have your men keep a close eye on him."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

……

After giving her instructions, Empress Dowager Guo stood alone atop the Tongtian Pavilion, overlooking the vast city.

Although her silhouette resembled that of a celestial empress, she was not a true god, and human strength had its limits. She could not suppress the turbulent undercurrents beneath the surface of human affairs. It was unknown when her "divine assistance" would allow her to reach this point...
-
Meanwhile, in Lizhou.

A cold wind, carrying swirling snowflakes, blanketed the small county town in southern Lizhou.
Two fine horses came from the south and entered the city gate at midnight. Big Coal, who had slept the whole way, peeked out from under his cloak and looked towards the still-open hot pot restaurant:
"Goojigji?"

Xie Jinhuan, mounted on his horse, took out a map from his robes and used the lanterns of the taverns along the street to check the route, exhaling white mist from his mouth:

"We're still over a thousand li away from Yanjing. I guess we won't be able to catch up with the envoy. Let's rest in the county town for the night and continue our journey tomorrow."

Bu Yuehua followed beside him, completely wrapped up. Due to her injured soul, she had been dozing off most of the way. She didn't say anything at this moment, just followed behind, watching Xie Jinhuan inquire about accommodations. Linchuan County was located in the central part of Lizhou, situated at a major transportation hub, and was home to countless merchants from the Southern Dynasties and the Western Regions.

Xie Jinhuan originally wanted to find a place to stay anywhere, but because of the heavy snow making travel difficult, caravans were all waiting in the city, and inns were almost all full. Brothels still had some rooms left, but if he brought his own beauty to stay, even if the brothel agreed, Fairy Bu probably wouldn't agree.

After searching along the street for a while, the two found a group of people on the side of the street. Because there were too many people, they had set up camp on the side of the street. The group was full of people from the Western Regions who were wrapped in thick sheepskins. They were all quite skilled and were protecting more than a dozen carts of goods.

Among them was a man wearing a white fox fur coat and with a head full of small braids, who was inspecting the stables and speaking in a dialect:

"Kushka, Yazatasim..."

Bu Yuehua glanced at the caravan and figured they were easy prey, but she wasn't a notorious bandit from the southern border and didn't have any wicked intentions. She simply asked out of curiosity:

"Where did this caravan come from?"

Xie Jinhuan glanced at them briefly: "The flags belong to the envoys from the Western Regions' Shajie Kingdom. That place is famous for its glass and beautiful women. It sounds like these people are heading to the capital to celebrate the young emperor's birthday. They should have their men guard the carriage well. The people from the Central Plains are all wolves with ill intentions..."

"?"

The man in the fox fur coat who was speaking seemed to be quite skilled. Hearing the voice, he turned around and glanced at the two people passing by.

Bu Yuehua was also slightly taken aback. After taking a few steps, she asked curiously:
"You also understand the dialects of the Western Regions?"

Xie Jinhuan had been rolling around since he was three years old, and the red-haired, blue-eyed Hu woman with breasts bigger than her head was one of the women he dreamed of marrying. It would be ridiculous if he couldn't communicate, so he responded humbly at this moment.
“When my father was a county magistrate, he often caught pickpockets and undocumented immigrants from the Western Regions. He learned a few things from them, but he didn’t know much.”

"Oh……"

Bu Yuehua thought Xie Jinhuan's interests were really wide-ranging, and after thinking for a moment, she asked:

"How do you say my name in a Western Region dialect?"

Xie Jinhuan considered for a moment: "Aygul, in the Western Regions it means moon flower, so you can interpret it as a flower like the moon."

“Ayiguli…”

Bu Yuehua nodded slightly, finding the name quite pleasant. However, Xie Jinhuan was a junior, and their conversation about such things might easily turn into a romantic chat. Therefore, she abandoned the idea of ​​pressing Xie Jinhuan for his name and glanced back at the Western Regions team.
"Isn't Emperor Zhou about to turn twenty? Is this his coming-of-age ceremony?"

When the emperor undergoes the coming-of-age ceremony, it signifies his formal transition into the monarchy. Regents, empress dowagers, and other powerful figures must return the imperial seal within three days. Historically, emperors typically began ruling in their own right at the age of fourteen or fifteen, and it was extremely rare for them to wait until they were twenty.

Although Xie Jinhuan didn't actively seek information about the Northern Zhou, he knew that the young emperor Xiao Yang was about the same age as him. When he was six, he secretly sighed, "Look at those local natives, they're already emperors at six, wielding power over the world when awake, and resting on their wet nurse's lap when drunk, reading memorials while being suckled. Meanwhile, I still have to go to kindergarten..."

Therefore, Emperor Zhou Shao is estimated to be twenty years old this year, but given the current situation in Northern Zhou, Empress Dowager Guo is unlikely to relinquish power. This matter could easily escalate into the 'Shenlong Coup'...

I remember the 'Divine Dragon Coup,' in which the Crown Prince led his court officials to kill the Empress's male favorites, forcing her to abdicate. These were Empress Dowager Guo's male favorites...

Oh my god...

Xie Jinhuan sensed that this trip to Yanjing might not go as smoothly as he had anticipated, but since he was already there, he had to face whatever problems might arise. He simply said:

"You'll understand when you get to Yanjing..."

The two chatted idly for so long that they practically circled the entire Linchuan County before finally finding a small inn in a corner of the town. Even Coal Ball shook his head at the sight of the place. Moreover, despite the innkeeper's hints, there was only one room left, so the lone man and woman had to make do with sleeping in one room.

Xie Jinhuan didn't mind. After arriving on the second floor of the inn, he used rags to seal up the drafty windows and made a bird's nest for Coal Ball with a straw hat.

Bu Yuehua followed her into the room, took off her white cloak, revealing a stunningly figure-hugging azure dress and a serene and elegant mature face. In her peach blossom eyes, there was a hint of awkwardness, like that of a female elder and a vigorous young man in a hotel room.

As Wanyi's master, she had always been careful to maintain proper boundaries. Apart from being hugged twice in Fire Phoenix Valley, there were no other special issues between them.

But the problem is, when a lone man and woman sleep together, things can easily go wrong. Even that ice-cold Nangong Ye could pull off something so outrageous, she didn't think that as a witch, her Daoist heart could be more resolute than that of a seductive nun if something really happened. Thinking about this, she said:
"Why don't you go to sleep first? I'll stay here and keep watch, and we can switch shifts later in the night."

Xie Jinhuan sealed the drafty window, then turned to look at the dignified and serene 'Little Master's Wife'. Although he didn't particularly respect etiquette, knowing her status and still trying to flirt with her was really inappropriate. He thought for a moment:
"Before I left, the imperial court showed me the Martial Arts Manual. Senior Sister Hua is also a martial artist, so how about I teach you a bit while I'm at it?"

Bu Yuehua had asked Wanyi to find the martial arts manual hidden in the Imperial Observatory, in preparation for reaching the highest level. But that brat Wanyi, preoccupied with sleeping with men, hadn't memorized anything in all this time. Seeing Xie Jinhuan speak up, she was naturally delighted.

"Is it alright if this gets out?"

Xie Jinhuan taught him directly, simply because he didn't want to delay Wanyi's time as the middleman for obtaining the supplements. His response to this was:
"As long as Senior Sister Hua keeps it a secret and doesn't reveal it, that's fine."

"I'm just learning it myself, how could I possibly reveal it to outsiders?"

Bu Yuehua sat down at the round table and briefly examined Xie Jinhuan's body:

"You're going to teach now?"

Xie Jinhuan sat down in front of him, pondering for a moment:

"Hmm... The Martial Arts Divine Scripture is too complex, compiling all the valuable aspects of ancient techniques for people to comprehend. It cannot be verbally explained or demonstrated. We must rely on the 'Dream Transmission' method, a secret technique passed down by the Hidden Immortal Sect, which is..."

Bu Yuehua wasn't stupid; upon hearing the word 'in a dream,' she couldn't help but look towards the bed:
"Sleep together? Jin Huan, you're Mu Shimei's lover, you can't just do that because you're alone together..."

"Eh!"

Xie Jinhuan quickly raised her hand: "Senior Sister Hua, don't overthink it. I really can't teach you in any other way. I'll just use a secret method to enter your dream together so you can see for yourself. We don't need to lie on the bed; we can just sit here."

"..."

Seeing that Xie Jinhuan's expression was upright and without any evil intentions, Bu Yuehua nodded slightly.

"Then give it a try."

Xie Jinhuan didn't say much at the time. He sat down in the chair, secretly calling for his ghost wife's help, and then pretended to be serious:

"Senior Sister Hua needs to take off her hair clip first. This thing has too much yang energy and can't hypnotize people."

"Oh……"

"The sky is spirited and the earth is spirited..."

(End of this chapter)