Minglong

Chapter 301 Moral Failure
With two people and a bird with him, Nangong Ye's speed was naturally slow. By the time he returned to the Danyang Marquis's residence near the imperial city, it was already afternoon.

Because Momo and the others were busy in the palace, there was no one around in the mansion.

Nangong Ye landed in front of the two-story main house in the back courtyard. Seeing that Xie Jinhuan was still asleep with her eyes closed, he quietly took her to the bedroom on the second floor.

Jiang Xian helped carry the coal briquettes, her face filled with a bewildered expression, as if asking, "Who am I? Where am I? What am I supposed to do?" She looked around at the elegant mansions, and when she passed "Jinhuan Pavilion" and saw the enormous red round bed inside, her eyes widened in disbelief.
"Such a big bed? Is this where Young Master Xie sleeps?"

Nangong Ye's icy expression stiffened slightly. He was embarrassed to say that this was the pleasure house where the Marquis of Danyang tormented his mistresses, and simply said:
"It's a place for practicing martial arts; no one lives there normally."

As she spoke, she helped Xie Jinhuan to the well-furnished master bedroom and helped her lie down on the bed. She wanted to help her take off her outer robe, but found that Xie Jinhuan was not wearing anything under the robe. As her mother-in-law and the Daoist Ice Fairy, she couldn't let Jiang Xian go out and help her take off her clothes by herself. She could only make do by covering herself with the quilt first.

Standing behind, Jiang Xian saw Nangong Ye leaning over the bed. His black and white Taoist robe revealed his plump, peach-like buttocks. She muttered to herself, "His legs are so long, and his butt is so big..." Perhaps not wanting to show her envy, she began to examine the neckless lump of coal.

"Guji?"

The coal ball's bewilderment likely meant—"Why are you looking at me like that?"

After covering himself with the blankets, Nangong Ye straightened up and placed the two weapons on the dressing table by the bedside:

"I returned in a hurry, and there's no one at home. Miss Jiang, why don't you rest in the guest room for a while, and I'll go and call someone over?"

Jiang Xian revealed a sweet smile:
"I'm used to wandering the martial world alone, so Miss Nangong doesn't need to take care of me. Let Young Master Xie rest here. I'll wander around a bit. Miss Nangong, go ahead and attend to your business. I think Luojing is quite chaotic, with patrolling constables everywhere."

Nangong Ye really wanted to check on the emperor's condition, so he didn't linger any longer.
“The coal ball is familiar with this place and is quite clever. If Miss Jiang needs anything, you can tell it. I’ll be back in a bit.”

Jiang Xian watched with a smile, and only after the tall figure carrying the sword box disappeared out the window did she take a deep breath, put her hands on her hips, furrow her brows, and mutter softly:
"Send Xie Jinhuan back to the capital and find a secluded place to sleep... How am I supposed to sleep here?"

"Guji?"

Coal Ball was taken aback by what he heard, looked at the large bed next to him, and tilted his head to indicate.

Jiang Xian thought this big lump of coal was a bit too clever. She placed it outside the window and closed the doors and windows before taking out her diary to examine it. She found no clues, but considering the previous sentence, "Don't sleep with Xie Jinhuan!", it probably didn't mean she was to sleep with Xie Jinhuan...

Why did you push me into someone's arms last night if you wouldn't let me sleep?
Could it be that this old devil has changed his mind and wants to match me up with that young hero, implying that I should make it a fait accompli...?

Why should I listen to you?

Jiang Xian's eyes were blank, and she didn't know what the instructions meant. She didn't want to listen, but if she didn't, she probably wouldn't be able to rejoin the team. Moreover, after waking up, the spawn point would be forcibly reset, and she couldn't predict what would happen when she woke up. What if she was lying naked in a man's arms, having already become a woman instead of a girl? Wouldn't she be furious?

To prevent any uncontrollable situation, Jiang Xian thought for a moment and simply chose a compromise strategy. She turned around and walked to the bed, gently moved Xie Jinhuan to the innermost part, and then lay down fully clothed on the outermost part, closing her eyes and trying to go to sleep early so she could be reborn in the Pure Land.

But to her surprise, Xie Jinhuan, who was almost unconscious from the exhaustion, had not woken up on the way here or even when she was being manipulated. At this moment, the bed sank slightly, and a woman lying next to her actually reacted, raising her right hand and spreading it out, as if she wanted to use it as a pillow for her.

?

Jiang Xian blinked, thinking that this young hero Xie was really considerate. Even while unconscious, he was afraid of neglecting the people around him. But she obviously wouldn't move closer, and simply pretended not to see him and closed her eyes again.

Slurp~
Then there was a commotion nearby. Xie Jinhuan, who had his arms outstretched, realized that she wasn't coming closer, so he moved away on his own, as if he wanted to hug her.

Jiang Xian's heart tightened, and she quickly hid away. Then:

Thump~
"Ouch~ Hiss..."

Xie Jinhuan, who was groping the beauty, was startled awake and quickly looked around. He found no one beside him, but a little girl with braids suddenly jumped up outside the bed. She quickly patted her clothes, and when she found that he was awake, she stood there awkwardly.

"Uh... Miss Jiang?"

"It's okay, it's okay, I just slipped. You can go back to sleep. Sorry to disturb you..."

"My foot slipped..."

Xie Jinhuan thought it might be a bit difficult to fall on flat ground, but after a quick look around, he didn't find anything unusual. In addition, his whole body felt like it was falling apart, so he closed his eyes again.

Jiang Xian's face flushed red. She pretended to casually look at the vases and calligraphy and paintings. After Xie Jinhuan fell into a deep sleep, she quietly lay down on the outermost side.

This time, she moved very gently, half of her body lying on the edge of the bed, so as not to disturb Xie Jinhuan, who had an innate tendency to hug her as soon as she got into bed. After closing her eyes for a moment, her consciousness slowly faded into darkness...
-
The red sun gradually set behind the city walls.

Outside the Wutong Palace, several imperial physicians waited quietly.

Because the treatment process was quite difficult, Empress Xu and the others moved to a side hall to wait in order to avoid being disturbed.

Although Zhao Ling was worried about her father's condition, the country could not be without a ruler for a day. Since Empress Xu was not good at handling state affairs, she and Crown Prince Zhao De discussed matters with the ministers on behalf of their father in the Linde Hall.

Although this incident caused quite a stir, it originated in the cultivation path and had little to do with the imperial court. Therefore, the people who came were from the Imperial Observatory, the National Protection Temple, and the Red Scale Guard.

At this moment, Monk Wuxin and Lu Wuzhen were seated at the head of the table on the right, followed by Mu Yunling, Li Chimo, Monk Mingxin, and others. The three generations of the Queyue Manor sat side by side on the left, with Linghu Qingmo beside them.

Normally, Gu Poison Sect cultivators are not allowed to participate in such meetings, but Bu Yuehua has been following Xie Jinhuan around ever since the Three Rivers Estuary, practically wearing the words "Xie Jinhuan's secret lover" on her face. Yesterday, she did indeed help out with her Gu Poison Sect knowledge.

Now that it has been discovered that he has a master-disciple relationship with Lin Wanyi, it would be unreasonable to exclude Queyue Manor. Therefore, although Lu Wuzhen did not understand what kind of love triangle relationship Bu Yuehua, Lin Wanyi and Xie Jinhuan had, he still invited them over.

The Gu Poison Sect was exiled to the Southern Frontier a century ago, and ever since then, it has been caught in a dilemma, being regarded as evil by the righteous path and righteous by the evil path. Bu Yuehua naturally wanted to return to the Central Plains. Now that she was being treated with such courtesy by the leaders of the Daoist and Buddhist sects, she certainly had to seize the opportunity. She said politely:

"The Gu Poison Sect does indeed have some wicked individuals, but no sect or school can avoid having a few who betray their masters and ancestors. I don't know about other sects, but my Crescent Moon Manor, since my father's time, has always been committed to the righteous path. The two sect leaders must have heard about our past deeds..."

Zhao De, as the Crown Prince Regent, sat in the first seat, but fearing a beating from his sister, he was merely trying to maintain a composed and reserved demeanor.

Zhao Ling, dressed in a gorgeous palace gown, smiled and replied:
"The reputation of Crescent Moon Manor is indeed excellent. Master Bu wants to open a branch within the pass. My father has always been eager to find talented people, so he shouldn't have any objections. It all depends on the opinions of the two leaders of Taoism and Buddhism..."

These words clearly contained an element of flattery, after all, the reputation and standing of various sects are not built in a day or two, and the disciples of Crescent Moon Manor are not significantly different from those of other sects.

However, Lu Wuzhen didn't say anything about it, only saying:
"The Crescent Moon Manor wants to open a branch in the pass to contribute to the righteous path, and the imperial court will naturally not object. However, the stance of a sect does not depend on a single sect. Before Master Bu takes over as the sect leader, he cannot represent the entire Gu Poison Sect. If other sects want to enter the pass, their sect leaders must come to the capital in person to discuss with the person in charge."

Seeing that Lu Wuzhen did not object, Bu Yuehua knew that the matter was settled and nodded her thanks.

After Lu Wuzhen finished speaking, he continued:
"Wei Wuyi's betrayal has had a very negative impact. Without a leader, the martial arts world may descend into chaos. The most urgent task now is to find someone to take over the responsibility and summon the leaders from various regions to stabilize morale..."

The Great Qian Dynasty had three leaders. The martial arts leaders did not have the same ruling power as the Taoist and Buddhist leaders who worshipped a patriarch. They could only issue orders as the leaders of the martial arts alliance. However, even with their low level of control, they were still recognized leaders in the martial arts world. They could guide the general direction and set an example, and incidentally, they also served as a target for the crude and uncouth martial artists who were all exceptionally brave.

Without such a figure, the various martial arts factions would act independently, and even if they didn't cause trouble for the imperial court, they would fall into internal strife and fight each other until a new generation of leaders emerged, making the situation completely uncontrollable.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ling inquired:

"Is Xie Jinhuan qualified to succeed as sect leader?"

Linghu Qingmo and Lin Wanyi's eyes lit up when they heard this. After all, Xie Jinhuan had become one of the three giants of the Great Qian Dynasty, so they would be the wives of the sect leader.

Lu Wuzhen had actually been optimistic about Xie Jinhuan for a long time, not to mention that Xie Jinhuan had impersonated Ye Sheng yesterday and risked his life to help him out of a predicament. But after a little consideration, he still said:
"Xie Jinhuan's reputation, character, talent, and resume are impeccable, but his strength is slightly lacking, and he has not established his own school of thought, so he is not yet qualified for this position."

After listening for a while, Zhao De couldn't help but interject:

"Strength is one thing, Brother Xie's rate of advancement is like a top-tier rough man traveling with a beautiful widow, but why do you still need to establish a sect?"

"...?"

There was a moment of silence in the Linde Hall as people pondered silently.

Lin Zisu blinked her big eyes and moved closer to Lin Wanyi:
"Auntie, does this mean traveling a thousand miles a day?"

"Shh~"

Lin Wanyi quickly held down her clever and mischievous daughter.

Lu Wuzhen, being an upright person after all, understood the deeper meaning of the Crown Prince's words after hearing Zisu's explanation. His expression became somewhat shrewd, but he pretended not to understand and continued to explain the reason:
"Whether it's the sect leader or the alliance leader, they all have the responsibility to supervise the sects below them. Without subordinates, nothing can be done. For example, if the sect leader of Ziwei Mountain has a flawed personal character, as the sect leader, I should supervise and correct him. However, it would be making a mountain out of a molehill to go there personally, sending the Imperial Observatory would be an abuse of power, and sending a servant to reprimand him would be even more improper. In this situation, the only option is for the sect leader's wife, direct disciple, or deputy to step forward and remind him..."

Lu Wuzhen's words were clearly directed at Zihui Mountain, and he was reprimanding Li Chimo, who was sitting next to him. He did not actually mean to criticize Zihui Mountain.

But the leader of Zihui Mountain was feeling guilty!
Call ~
Before the words were finished, a figure landed outside the Linde Hall. Dressed in a Taoist robe and carrying a sword box, he exuded an unparalleled aura, but his face was pale. He stared at the many righteous leaders inside the hall, speechless.

?

Bu Yuehua was listening attentively when she noticed her bedmate had arrived. She understood why her sister was trembling like a lackey, and considering the formality of the occasion, she finally spoke:

"Sect Leader Lu was just giving an example; he didn't mention Sect Leader Nangong."

Lu Wuzhen smiled upon seeing this:

"Junior Sister Nangong, please enter the hall and take your seat. Is Xie Jinhuan alright?"

When Nangong Ye heard his sect leader say that "the leader of Zihui Mountain has a flawed personal morality," he thought that the truth had been revealed. However, upon realizing that this was not the case, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"He is now fully recovered and resting at home..."

"That's good……"

……

(End of this chapter)