Minglong

Chapter 357 Flirting Makes Him Crinkle
Outside the window, clouds and rain formed a curtain. A man and a woman stood side by side at the table, chatting about various anecdotes and stories from the literary world.

Ye Yunchi was initially a bit reserved due to the various incidents at the inn, but after chatting for a while, he understood what the professional qualities of a top-notch male escort meant.

Although she was in the same room as a man, the white-clad gentleman beside her was at a comfortable distance, and his words occasionally carried a hint of teasing that made her blush, but it only felt witty and not abrupt.

That's fine. Ye Yunchi considers himself well-read, but Xie Jinhuan can answer questions fluently. Whether it's orthodox Confucian classics or obscure miscellaneous books, he can say a few words about them. His research may not be very deep, but he is definitely not pretending to know nothing.

That was fine, but halfway through his story, Xie Jinhuan, caught up in the moment, picked up a paintbrush and said he would paint a portrait of her as a beauty.

Ye Yunchi was unaware of Xie Jinhuan's painting skills, but out of curiosity, she sat upright in front of the screen, adopting the demeanor of a dignified and virtuous scholar, and let Xie Jinhuan begin to paint.

But Xie Jinhuan was not content with just painting something proper. He stepped forward and began to instruct on the poses, such as leaning back in a chair, crossing his legs, and striking a pose that exuded the alluring air of a refined lady casually appraising a male concubine...

?

Ye Yunchi was slightly bewildered after being manipulated like this:

"Sitting improperly and striking poses is probably not appropriate."

Xie Jinhuan said helplessly, "It's just sitting more naturally, how can you call it posing? Besides, painting in private isn't something to be passed down to future generations for admiration. Don't move, I'm starting..."

"..."

Ye Yunchi blinked. Although he felt that this posture was a bit unrefined, he couldn't say anything more. He could only maintain his pose and watch Xie Jinhuan write with great speed.

Since he couldn't go up and check on the progress, Ye Yunchi thought for a moment and asked:

"You are only twenty years old, yet you are so talented in both literature and martial arts. It would be a real pity if you did not become a disciple of a Confucian school."

The difference between Confucianism and martial arts lies in their respective schools of thought. Learning both literary and martial arts doesn't make one a Confucian disciple. Xie Jinhuan picked up his brush, sketching a scholarly air about him, and responded with a smile:
"Warriors seek to establish themselves in the world, Confucians seek to govern it. I am but a commoner, and all I ever sought was to gain a foothold in this world. I have nowhere to learn the skills of governing the country, and I have never met a proper teacher. Even if I wanted to become a disciple now, I'm afraid there would be few who would dare to accept me."

Ye Yunchi knew that with Xie Jinhuan's current abilities, even the head of the Hualin Li family would be embarrassed to call himself his teacher.

But in the eyes of scholars, all other pursuits are inferior, only studying is noble. Ye Yunchi felt that Xie Jinhuan, with such talent, was wasting his potential by not focusing on writing books and becoming a Confucian sage. He suggested:

"How about I teach you? I've studied diligently for decades, and although my writing skills aren't as top-notch as yours, I do have some knowledge of teaching, educating, and governing the country..."

Xie Jinhuan blinked, somewhat amused:
"Senior Ye wants to be my teacher?"

"A bit overestimating yourself, huh?"

"No, it's not that. Senior Ye looks quite elegant... in the prime of his life. It doesn't feel right for him to be my teacher. If he really wants to teach me, there's no need for me to become his apprentice. He can just teach me as he sees fit..."

"..."

Ye Yunchi felt that teaching men required a proper role; she should either be a teacher or a wife and mother. Otherwise, what kind of behavior would it be to point fingers at men all day long?

However, Xie Jinhuan already had a legal wife, and Ye Yunchi, being of unyielding integrity, could not possibly become a concubine. Therefore, she could only rely on her age to see if she could take on a disciple.

Seeing that Xie Jinhuan did not accept the suggestion, Ye Yunchi could not back down and changed the subject to continue talking about calligraphy, painting and poetry. They painted a painting from noon until the afternoon before Xie Jinhuan put down the brush and picked up the paper to appreciate it.

"Okay?"

"Hmm. It was just a quick sketch, please don't mind it, Senior Ye."

Upon seeing this, Ye Yunchi got up and went to the drawing table to examine it. He found that the lines on the paper were extremely fine, and all the scenes in the room were reproduced perfectly.

The beauties on paper not only look exactly alike, but the brushstrokes are also extremely intricate. With their legs crossed, you can clearly see the subtle folds in their skirts, which accentuate the amazing dynamism of their hips and legs.

Leaning back in the chair causes the breasts to rest on the arm, and the indentation created by the touch of the body reveals an unparalleled plumpness and fleshiness, even allowing one to feel the texture of the fabric.

The eyebrows and eyes are vividly portrayed, and one can even sense the hidden chastity and tranquility within them. The entire painting is a perfect blend of spirit and form, almost as if it has frozen the moment on the paper...

?

Ye Yunchi paused for a moment, then his gaze turned serious. He examined her carefully from head to toe, even taking out a magnifying glass to check the details. He found even the texture of the black stocking peeking out from her left ankle was clearly visible. He said incredulously:

"So detailed! What kind of painting technique did you use?"

Xie Jinhuan knew that painters in the world focused on freehand brushwork, and when painting portraits, they captured the spirit rather than the appearance. Simply painting a likeness was not considered high-end and was mostly used in erotic albums.

He drew inspiration from famous works such as "Yangchun Yan" and honed his skills to the extreme. His eyes were like rulers and his painting skills were like human cameras. He strived to capture the most beautiful details of the girls on paper. As a result, his painting style was indeed very different from that of mainstream painters.

In this painting, he has actually restrained himself somewhat. If he were to paint more freely, he could vividly depict Sister Naigua's wasp waist, plump hips, and abundant juices, guaranteeing that even girls would blush upon seeing it.

Seeing that Senior Sister Ye was gazing intently at the painting, her eyes sparkling, Xie Jinhuan smiled and said:
"It's just a method I figured out myself, not exactly highbrow. Do you like it or not?"

"Like it~"

Ye Yunchi has traveled the world for decades, and he never dared to dream of such a talented and like-minded young man in the past.

As I gently bit my lower lip and carefully examined the painting, a sense of loss even welled up in my heart, a feeling of 'I was born before you were born'...

Xie Jinhuan thought that Senior Sister Naigua was really easy to manipulate. Seeing that the atmosphere was right, he wanted to use the same trick again to get Senior Sister Naigua to give him a reward. If she didn't give him one, it meant she didn't like him enough, and he would crumple up the painting.

But before he could even muster the courage to speak, he heard a noise outside the door:

stomping on...

To avoid being misunderstood, Ye Yunchi didn't close the door, thinking that the first wife had come to catch the vixen again, so he quickly hid the scroll.

Xie Jinhuan quickly stood up straight, glancing around to see who was so inconsiderate as to disturb his enjoyment at this time.

Soon enough, a servant boy ran to the door and respectfully said:

"Thank you, Master Xie. Sect Leader Ye, the young master says that an opportunity is about to appear. Please come to the Mountain and Sea Pavilion."

"Ok?"

Ye Yunchi was taken aback, quickly shaking off the distracting thoughts of being flirted with by the male model, and turned to look out the window:

"Have it?"

Rumble…

Outside Yanbo City, the thunderclouds remained, but they were noticeably more violent than in the previous days. The deafening thunderclaps seemed to explode from the rooftops, and the overwhelming power of the heavens instinctively instilled a sense of fear in people.

The originally chaotic forces of heaven and earth began to slowly migrate, seemingly attracted by certain places, but the specific direction was still unclear.

Ye Hongshang also appeared at this moment, slightly sensing the energy of heaven and earth:
"It seems like it'll be out soon. Let's take care of business first, and we can flirt with the girl later."

Xie Jinhuan felt that this opportunity had come at a bad time, wasting most of his time drawing, but he couldn't delay his business, so he turned around and left.

Ye Yunchi, fearing that their constant comings and goings together would officially declare her as his mistress, did not follow them.

"You go ahead first, I'll pack my things and come right away, so as not to cause any misunderstandings."

"Alright, Senior Ye, please come soon..."

……
-
Shanhai Tower.

As the celestial phenomena became unusual, many Xuanmen masters skilled in observing qi had already arrived at Shanhai Tower ahead of time. They did not leave the city to search directly, not because their cultivation was insufficient, but because Yanbo City would decide which opportunity to seek. Going to the wrong place rashly would be tantamount to trying to fill a basket with water.

Since most cultivators came for the opportunity, the previously peaceful atmosphere became tense when things actually started to escalate. Most cultivators gathered in small groups, chatting quietly.
"We came out a bit early this time; I thought we'd have to wait until after Qingming Festival..."

"It's normal if it's a few days earlier or later, but we never know where it might go wrong..."

"I am skilled in water magic, and the best place for me to create magic is at the bottom of the sea..."

"Why would Daoist Lü Yan still want to rob someone after emerging from the seabed? Normally, people wouldn't go to such extremes..."

"Has Xie Jinhuan already gone out?"

"I don't know..."

……

Behind the Shanhai Tower, the atmosphere was equally unfavorable.

Shang Mingzhen twirled two spheres in his hands, observing the celestial phenomena through the window: "The Sea Sacrifice Platform, Dragon Ridge, and Broken Claw Gorge—you two choose one. I'll announce it, and the rest is up to fate. If you can't kill them, don't ask me for any opportunities later."

Mo Yuan and Fang Qingxuan stood behind him, also observing the celestial phenomena.

Mo Yuan's main purpose in coming here was to deal with Xie Jinhuan, but he also needed the Azure Dragon's blessing, while Fang Qingxuan came directly for the opportunity.

Their original plan was to deal with Xie Jinhuan, take the opportunity given to the free agent, then give one to Fang Qingxuan from Yanbo City, and keep the other one for themselves.

However, Shang Mingzhen was clearly unhappy about the sudden deaths of Gu Xuanzun and Long Boyuan. His meaning was simple: let them choose a suitable place to start, and then try to deal with Xie Jinhuan. If they succeeded, things would proceed as usual; if they failed, they should get lost and not mention any more opportunities.

Mo Yuan had given away the thugs from Yanbo City for nothing, so he couldn't say anything about it, but Fang Qingxuan was implicated and responded:

“If Xie Jinhuan leaves the city a moment later, he might not be able to seize the opportunity. We either chase after him or we chase after the opportunity; we can only have one…”

Shang Mingzhen responded, "Seizing opportunities requires both strength and luck. If you have any objections, you don't have to participate."

Mo Yuan slightly raised his hand to prevent disputes between friendly forces:
"Now is not the time for internal strife. We can let the opportunity slip away, but we absolutely cannot let Xie Jinhuan go. The most important thing is to figure out how to deal with this kid..."

Because Xie Jinhuan suddenly stepped into the open and even took the initiative to appear late, Mo Yuan and the others were quite passive even though they had the home advantage.

After all, if they block the city gate, Xie Jinhuan will definitely dart around and say, "Hey~ I came out, I came back in, hit me, you idiot!" Even if Yanbo City is truly blind, it's impossible for them to turn a blind eye to the great demon right at their doorstep.

Crouching in the mountains and fields, Xie Jinhuan disappeared into the sea as soon as he left the city, making him almost impossible to track.

As for taking the opportunity and waiting for the rabbit to run into the tree stump, Xie Jinhuan will indeed come, but Lu Yan and other ancestors will also come after smelling the scent, and they will be ganged up on.

The safest approach right now is to wait for Xie Jinhuan to finish clearing the map before jumping out to fight the last team. However, Xie Jinhuan is elusive and might sneak back to the city after grabbing the loot, leaving them helpless.

Faced with this situation, Shang Mingzhen thought for a moment:
"Then let's give Dragon Ridge the opportunity. This place is the farthest from Yanbo City, and to return to Yanbo City, we must pass the main peak."

"The power of heaven and earth is beyond our control when such an opportunity arises. If you want to return, you must either cross the mountain or traverse the Snake King Cave. You will be in one of these places, where all those coming and going can be seen at a glance."

"However, be careful of other roadblocks. This place is a well-known dangerous spot, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and it has all the advantages of terrain. Every time an opportunity arises, someone is lying in ambush there."

Even if a cultivator manages to seize an opportunity, they will be hunted down by wolves even if they flee to the Great Qian Dynasty. Therefore, the safest option after succeeding is to return to Yanbo City. No fighting is allowed inside the city, and once you enter, no one will dare to steal from you. Then you can wait for order to be restored before leaving.

Mo Yuan considered it briefly and felt that Xie Jinhuan was indeed not easy to escape from in Dragon Ridge, but he could no longer easily escape by water, which meant that one of them would die if he went out.

But there was no better solution at the moment, and Mo Yuan nodded after thinking about it:

"Okay, go ahead and announce it. I'll contact people to prepare in advance."

……
-
Outside the Mountain and Sea Tower, crowds thronged, while patriarchs from all sides awaited news inside.

Xie Jinhuan, with two weapons at his waist, entered the building and found not only a sect leader of the highest rank, but also cultivators of the first, second, and third ranks discussing how to seize the opportunity. He couldn't help but inquire:

"These people were involved too?"

Ye Hongshang, having previously robbed and plundered with the White-Haired Fairy, was experienced and walked up to her with his arms crossed, responding:

"The spiritual energy of heaven and earth contained in the divinely bestowed opportunity is too strong. Cultivators can only sense that it is nearby, but the vast heavenly might is in all directions, making it impossible to pinpoint its exact location. Therefore, as long as one is lucky enough to stumble upon it and secretly refine the opportunity without being discovered, even a third-grade cultivator can disappear without a trace. However, with my sister here, this situation is impossible."

Xie Jinhuan nodded slightly. It wasn't appropriate to embrace his wife, who couldn't see him, in public. He simply looked straight ahead and went upstairs.

The second floor was filled with heroes. Old man Lü Yan frowned as he looked at the Holy Maiden of the Northern Underworld Sect, clearly realizing that there was a big problem with the divination last time.

Empress Dowager Guo obviously ignored it, simply sitting in her chair drinking tea and observing the situation inside the building.

When the flamboyant Madam Han noticed him approaching, she held up her jade pipe and looked at him, blowing out white smoke.

Although his eyes and demeanor were very seductive, Xie Jinhuan knew that Baihualin followed the path of ruthlessness. In the eyes of these wicked women, he was nothing more than a potent medicinal residue, and he had no intention of being tempted.

Ye Hongshang glanced at him briefly, perhaps finding his appearance rather irritating, and conjured a golden dragon-patterned pipe out of thin air. He held it between his red lips, took a puff, and then blew pink smoke towards Xie Jinhuan's face.

Although the illusion is fake, the ghost's illusion is real.

Xie Jinhuan clearly smelled the unique, alluring female fragrance of the ghosts. Seven or eight large white moons appeared before her eyes. She could distinguish the wings of Mo Mo, Wan Yi, and others by their size and petals, but she had never seen Zi Su, Sister Guo, and the others before. Therefore, they were wearing cool, semi-transparent gauze clothes to cover their key areas...

?

Xie Jinhuan stumbled slightly, quickly calmed himself, and signaled to the ghost not to bother him in public.

Meanwhile, in the distance, Madam Han noticed a flirtatious glance that made the righteous Xie Jinhuan lose his composure and his eyes become vacant. She immediately wanted to step forward and take advantage of the situation.

However, Empress Dowager Guo wasn't just there to stand around. As a double-officially recognized mistress, she noticed that Xie Jinhuan had been tricked into making a crooked mouth by a single glance from the Hundred Flowers Forest Sect Leader. She frowned slightly, rose, bowed slightly, and whispered:
"What's wrong with you? Are you possessed?"

Her voice was ethereal, like that of a goddess, but her tone clearly carried a hint of reproach for the man looking at other women.

Xie Jinhuan was completely bewildered by the ghost, and when he noticed Sister Guo approaching, he bowed respectfully.
"No, I was just thinking about something. What's the situation now?"

Empress Dowager Guo was being held and danced with yesterday, so their relationship has naturally become much closer. However, she is now dressed as a large-breasted witch adorned with silver ornaments, so she cannot get too close. She can only walk beside her and whisper:
"It hasn't been announced yet. They're probably still discussing where to give the opportunity. Don't be greedy this time. If you take more than you need, it'll be considered robbing Yanbo City's property, and they won't need a reason to punish you."

"clear."

……

Meanwhile, at the gate.

Ye Yunchi arrived late into the hall and saw the top male model who had just been serving her now walking and chatting with the Holy Maiden of the Northern Underworld Sect. The look in his eyes under the veil was a little strange.

She had heard in the morning that the Holy Maiden of the Northern Underworld Sect, who devoted her life to serving the gods and never interacting with men, was apparently Xie Jinhuan's mistress. She was somewhat skeptical at first, but now it seemed that this Holy Maiden was even more proactive than the women of the Hundred Flowers Forest...

What god are they serving? A male god, perhaps?
Although worried that Xie Jinhuan might be deceived by other women, Ye Yunchi wasn't a mistress, and couldn't very well go up and pull her hair like the legal wife. Therefore, she pretended not to see anything and walked up to Madam Han:
Did you bring the sword?

Madam Han was quite displeased that the roast chicken from the Northern Underworld Sect had been snatched away first. Only when she noticed Ye Yunchi approaching did she softly tease him:
"I knew no one could withstand the mimosa smoke of Hundred Flowers Forest. I never imagined that the one who saved the beauty last time was actually Young Master Xie. What is the relationship between Junior Sister Ye and him?"

Ye Yunchi never believed he had any connection with Hundred Flowers Forest, and responded calmly:
"We met by chance, with no prior connection."

Lady Han exhaled white smoke, which fluttered the thin veil of her hat.

"The sword is the private property of the sect. If you don't acknowledge your ancestry and return to the sect, it will never be given to you, even if a man is there to back you up."

Ye Yunchi looked slightly displeased: "Do I need him to back me up?"

Madam Han shook her head secretly, and said earnestly:
“My Hundred Flowers Forest is called the Hehuan Sect, and we know best what kind of men and women in the world are like. You are already bewitched, but you don’t even know it yet.”

Ye Yunchi, too lazy to pay any more attention to this nonsense, warned:

"I don't want to lay a hand on you, but I must get that sword back. Don't be stubborn."

Madam Han continued, her words utterly nonsensical:

"Xie Jinhuan isn't entirely righteous either. Just now, one flirtatious glance from me made him lose his breath and look away, which shows he's very lustful. As your senior sister, I still have to remind you to be careful and not repeat the same mistake..."

? ?
Ye Yunchi didn't believe it at all:
"He can withstand even aphrodisiac smoke, how could you break his composure with just a glance? Do you even know what his mother-in-law looks like?"

Madam Han puffed on her white jade pipe, her eyes somewhat vacant:
"His mother-in-law is the most beautiful woman in the Taoist sect. What does that have to do with him? Does he dare to sleep with women of all ages?"

Ye Yunchi was simply advising Madam Han against blind narcissism. Upon hearing this, he felt that Nangong Ye's appearance had nothing to do with Xie Jinhuan, and responded accordingly:

"Like teacher, like student. His fiancée is also an absolute beauty. How could she be attracted to you?"

"Anyway, I can see for myself. This woman is like fine wine; she needs time to develop her flavor. If he preferred young, unripe men, why would he be so close to you?"

"I'm here to ask for my sword, not to talk to you about these things."

"Don't push me too hard. I'm a woman, so it doesn't matter, but how can a man stand it? If you really can't let go of desires, you'll have to change your personality in the future, lest you become as stubborn as your mother..."

Am I pushing too hard?
Ye Yunchi felt that there was no point in talking to each other, and seeing that Madam Han had not brought her sword with her, he was too lazy to waste any more words and turned to walk away...
-
I had to send a car to pick someone up, but the more I rushed, the slower I got. I've only written a little over 5,000 words so far, and I've already combined them into one page or 3!

By the way, let me call out a name:
I recommend a new book called "I Have Absolutely No Other Thoughts About My Wife," you might want to check it out if you're interested!

　I recommend a new book, "I Have Absolutely No Other Thoughts About My Wife," you might want to check it out if you're interested.
　　

(End of this chapter)