Minglong

Chapter 303 What are you doing standing here?
Imperial City.

The gates of Penglai Palace opened wide, and the lights inside were lit again. The imperial physicians came out carrying various medical supplies.

Zhao Ling and Zhao De entered one after the other, followed by words of surprise and delight:

"Father?"

"I am unharmed. Is the Empress alright?"

"She's doing well and has been taken back to her palace to rest..."

"De'er, how come you're all safe and sound?"

"Um...does the child need something?"

"No, it's alright, it's good that you're alright..."

……

Outside the hall, Linghu Qingmo and Lin Zisu also breathed a sigh of relief, while the nearby imperial physicians whispered their praises:

"As expected of a descendant of the Lin family, this medicine is truly miraculous..."

"yes……"

Although Lin Zisu felt honored, she also understood just how much she couldn't die from her "can't-die-powder," and worried that it might leave a psychological scar on the Emperor. At this moment, she was quite humble:

"You flatter me, seniors. This time, it was all thanks to your collective wisdom. My prescription only played a supporting role..."

"Sigh, I'm being modest..."

……

Inside the side hall, Lu Wuzhen felt relieved and led his subordinates away from the inner palace, sighing along the way:
"After this battle, Lin Zisu can be considered to have completed her apprenticeship. The arts of medicine and the arts of Gu poison are interconnected, so the Gu poison sect has essentially gained a successor for free..."

Nangong Ye also thought the demoness was lucky, picking up opportunities, materials, successors, and Daoist partners everywhere she went, practically being fed by the heavens. But there was no use in envying such things, so he simply said:
“Bu Yuehua is devoted to the righteous path, so she won’t lead any of the promising talents of our Great Qian astray. The Gu Poison Sect is skilled in medicine, so it’s suitable for her to teach them. If the Gu Poison Sect becomes stubborn and clashes with the righteous path in the future, then we can simply create a new ‘Cordyceps Sect.’ They certainly wouldn’t mind that…”

Lu Wuzhen nodded slightly: "Sikong Shitang should have already passed away, and Sikong Tianyuan has even changed his name. It's unlikely he's still on our side. If we really end up fighting each other in the future, this could be a way to divide us. However, we still need to investigate this matter first. Also, Xie Jinhuan's cultivation has advanced too quickly. Anyone with eyes can see what methods he used. As his mother-in-law, you still need to set a good example and supervise him to prevent him from going astray. This young man is upright and decisive, but he's a bit sentimental..."

Li Chimo, who had been feigning death with his whisk draped over his arm, finally spoke up:

"Isn't being sentimental a good thing?"

Because he was surrounded by members of the sect, Lu Wuzhen didn't stand on ceremony and frowned as he said:

"Your affair is nothing compared to Xie Jinhuan's?"

Li Chimo was quite skilled, on par with Lü Yan, but after being slapped and reprimanded, he certainly didn't dare to talk back, appearing somewhat aggrieved.

"I didn't abandon my wife and children, and Xie Jinhuan has more than one Daoist partner. If those bald monks in Buddhism hadn't pointed me out, this wouldn't be a big deal..."

"Xie Jinhuan is a martial artist, how can he be the same as you? The teachings of the Dan Ding Sect clearly state 'follow the will of Heaven and respond to the people, let true feelings come naturally.' You have developed feelings for the sect leader, you should face your true feelings. If you keep it hidden, how can you not have resentment in your heart? If you don't resolve your inner knot, how can you talk about cultivation?"

Lu Wuzhen was cursing Li Chimo, but Nangong Ye, who was standing next to him, felt like he was sitting on pins and needles because of the sharp edge on his back!

Although he felt that his senior brother's words made a lot of sense, Nangong Ye dared not bring it up directly. What if the sect leader died of anger on the spot...?

"Senior Brother Lu, please calm down. Senior Brother Li will surely handle this matter well. Senior Brother Lu just mentioned the potential danger, meaning that Xie Jinhuan shouldn't have been so sentimental?"

Lu Wuzhen shook his head:
The patriarch said, "The highest state is to forget emotions." This does not mean being indifferent or heartless, but rather to face the true nature of all things and not be bound by selfish desires, joys, or sorrows. In other words, it means "to restrain desires and preserve truth, and not to fall into attachments."

"Being too sentimental or too indifferent is not suitable for spiritual practice. Those who are sentimental are prone to developing obsessions and inner demons when faced with matters of right and wrong and personal feelings; those who are indifferent may be more suitable for spiritual practice, but in the end, they are no longer like human beings."

"To become a pillar of the righteous path, one must understand the laws of the world and be 'feeling affection but not bound by it.' For example, Wei Wuyi is not righteous, so no matter how much we regret it, we cannot keep him; I am incompetent, so no matter how much we value me, we cannot protect me; emperors cannot secure the country, so even relatives must be replaced; the court is corrupt and incompetent, so even if one has enjoyed a salary for half a lifetime, it should be destroyed and rebuilt."

"If we don't do this, and instead try our best to protect our relatives and friends for personal reasons, then the people we protect will all be incompetent people who have not been tempered by blood and fire. If something happens to us, can these people be of great use?"
“If Xie Jinhuan were just an ordinary martial artist, I would only praise him for being loyal and righteous. But this young man is too capable. He has the opportunity to succeed Ye Sheng in the future. If he really reaches that position, being too attached to personal feelings would be heartless towards the common people, which would be a great contradiction.”

Nangong Ye nodded slightly, seemingly lost in thought, and said:

"Xie Jinhuan is indeed sentimental, but he also understands right and wrong. He probably won't... he won't..."

As they were talking, Nangong Ye suddenly paused and stopped walking.

Lu Wuzhen stopped and looked at Nangong Ye, and Li Chimo also turned around:

"Junior Sister Nangong?"

"..."

Nangong Ye sensed that a certain enchantress was enduring a barrage of verbal attacks, and he was completely numb. It took him an immense amount of willpower to maintain a composed demeanor.
"I just remembered that there are still some pills being refined at home. I need to go back and check on them, or they'll burn..."

ha?
Lu Wuzhen thought that as the sect leader, he should at least have a servant boy to watch over the alchemy furnace. However, since the event was about to end anyway, he nodded and said:
"Then Junior Sister Nangong should go back first. Xie Jinhuan is injured, and Qingmo is too straightforward to serve others. As an elder, you should take better care of her."

"Yes." Nangong Ye was afraid of 'spitting out' the next thing he was going to, so he didn't dare to stay any longer. He bowed and then, carrying the sword box on his back, flew up and headed out of the palace.

The Princess's residence was just outside the imperial city, and the Marquis of Danyang's residence was not far away on the same street. It was late at night and the street was dark. All that could be seen were the idle coal balls, jumping around on the rooftops. When they saw her return, they flew over and complained, "Coo coo chirp chirp..."

Nangong Ye was unaware that Coal Ball had been locked outside the window after she left. He simply took out some snacks, fed it a few bites, and then quickly arrived at the front of the main house in the back courtyard.

The main house was dark, and the bedroom door on the second floor was closed, but there was obvious movement coming from the bathroom at the back:
"Awooooo~~..."

"You pervert, go easy on her, she's not a walking pharmacy..."

"Wanyi, lie on top of me..."

"Eh~ I don't..."

……

???

Nangong Ye, already burning with rage, was struck dumb by the sound, staring incredulously at the dimly lit bathroom door, thinking to himself:

What is that witch doing?
Is that Wan-yi next to her?

My goodness, you're actually with your apprentice! This is completely upside down...

As expected of a witch cult...

……

Nangong Ye originally wanted to have the demoness under his thumb, but after witnessing this scene, he felt that he was probably doomed to lose. No matter how thick-skinned she was, she couldn't possibly be this outrageous!
Hearing this unbearable noise, Nangong Ye wanted to turn around and leave, but she didn't even dare to think about the scene. She really didn't know how the demoness dared to do such a thing. In order to find out what was going on, she quietly walked to the door and peeked into the bathroom through the crack in the door.

As a result, the blond-haired man who couldn't even stand steadily during the day was now standing on the edge of the bath where the water was waist-deep. The fair-skinned enchantress lay on the shore, biting a strand of her hair, tilting her head back, her face flushed, groaning in a daze, and surging waves in front of her.

Da Wanyi sat beside him, one hand supporting her on the shore, her legs crossed. Her elegant posture exuded the charm of a mature woman. Perhaps she was too shy to lean forward and climb on top of him, but she only slightly leaned forward to meet the man's lips...

But that wasn't enough for Xie Jinhuan; he also pinched the air next to him with his left hand, as if someone was sitting there...

? !
Nangong Ye glanced at it briefly before quickly looking away, gritting his teeth and spitting inwardly, wanting to leave this troublesome place as soon as possible.

But the demoness was suppressed by the demon-subduing pestle, and she felt the same way. Her legs wouldn't obey her commands, and her breathing became increasingly erratic. She could only silently recite a calming mantra, thinking to herself:
Don't overthink it...

Whether she's a witch or not, at least we know each other. Doctor Lin is a junior; how could I possibly embarrass myself by getting involved...

Go, go, go...

……

But as soon as she recited the calming mantra, there was a reaction in the room.

Lin Wanyi, whose face was initially flushed, noticed halfway through that the manor lord had suddenly turned into a dead fish, looking around in confusion, and couldn't help but ask:
"What? Did I interrupt your fun?"

"No, it's just... ah—!"

Xie Jinhuan, having been ill for a long time, has become quite knowledgeable about medicine, and he immediately began to exert great effort to create miracles!

Lin Wanyi was a little surprised to see that the moon had been flattened. She was about to say that this big pig's trotter had no sense of restraint, but when she noticed that the manor lord had caught a rage again, she changed her expression to one of astonishment:
"Wow~ that's quite strenuous, no wonder you're a practitioner of both witchcraft and martial arts..."

……

And outside the door.

Nangong Ye couldn't withstand the shock to her soul and wanted to knock on the door to scare the three of them, but she was worried that the unruly blond-haired man would drag her inside. Just as she was struggling with this dilemma, she suddenly felt someone pat her on the butt.

slap~
Caught off guard, Nangong Ye was startled and quickly turned around, only to find a white-haired figure standing behind her, sizing her up, wearing a golden armor...

"what--!"

A scream that seemed to shatter gold and split rocks rang out from outside the door, and the noise inside the bathroom abruptly ceased.

Nangong Ye recognized the person and was so frightened that he almost jumped out of his skin. He immediately stood at attention, his face ashen and his eyes filled with terror.
"Master? You...you..."

Qixia Zhenren had just suppressed her demonic nature and awakened when she discovered she had lost her memory. Xie Jinhuan rubbed her a few times, and she even insisted on competing with herself, running to Xie Jinhuan's bed to sleep. She felt really embarrassed. She originally wanted to say goodbye to Sister Apiao and leave, but she never expected to see her eldest disciple standing there with his butt sticking out, eavesdropping.

Although she couldn't see inside, given her level of cultivation, she could tell from the sounds that it was a scene designed to disturb one's spiritual mind. She didn't even look inside, simply adopting a superior stance with one hand behind her back.
"I just came to take a look, what are you doing standing here?"

"..."

Nangong Ye didn't know why he was standing there either. His face flushed red, and he remained silent, feeling as if the sky had fallen...

(End of this chapter)