Minglong

Chapter 388 The Contest Between Immortals and Ascension

"Clang clang~~"

"The moon passes through the courtyard, casting heavy shadows of flowers; the jade water clock drips its last sound; alone, I play the flute..."

The sound of wind instruments wafts across the lake, and the melodious voices of Duoduo drift on the spring breeze to the window.

Ye Yunchi changed into a long-sleeved ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), her hair styled in an elegant updo, a single flower hairpin tucked into her hair bun. Standing alone by the window, she resembled a well-dressed scholarly lady, but her eyes held a hint of inner turmoil, as she thought to herself:
This looks like a family dinner, but the people at the table are either Xie Jinhuan's rumored lovers or his mother-in-law's maids...

If I go to the banquet too, wouldn't that be like officially announcing my relationship with my mistress...?

But since we've already been assigned to this place, we can't just be absent...

……

Ye Yunchi was no young girl; she knew her own heart perfectly well. If she liked someone, she liked them, and there was no point in deceiving herself. But how could a dignified Confucian woman become a concubine for a young swordsman?

She taught many students, and with anonymous senior sisters like Mrs. Han supervising her, if she really did something like this, she wouldn't need to show her face in public anymore.

But becoming the first wife was almost impossible. There were so many young ladies in the manor, all either stunning beauties with extraordinary backgrounds or legitimately of similar age. No matter how you looked at it, she couldn't possibly be ranked first...

Is it truly a case of being destined to meet but not to be together...?

Ye Yunchi pondered silently, truly unsure how to resolve this situation. After a moment's thought, he pulled out the 'Sudden Enlightenment Pill' from his sleeve.

Although she didn't believe in elixirs that could enlighten a fool trapped in the throes of love, Zisu's talent was no less than Xie Jinhuan's, so it was possible that it might actually work...

After deliberating for a long time, Ye Yunchi finally broke the wax seal on the pill and put it in his mouth to experience it.

And you know what?!

The pill melted instantly upon entering the mouth, initially without any noticeable effects. However, after a short while, a sense of panic and weakness began to set in, and the initial fighting spirit was extinguished by a feeling of exhaustion, making one somewhat timid and fearful. Yet, the mind remained clear, and the only thought was to accept the situation and stay put...

?

Ye Yunchi frowned slightly, finding the pill rather strange, and felt no sense of enlightenment. He then pondered the predicament he faced once more:

It's already a great fortune that I've met such a handsome and talented young man like Xie Jinhuan at this age. How could I be as pretentious as an immature girl and make him angry...?

Everything has a first-come, first-served order; arguing with Miss Linghu or Doctor Lin won't get you in the right...

So be it, I'll be the mistress. She's the legitimate wife, and it's already a favor that she's accepted me. How could I possibly push my luck any further...

What a coward!

You can't live without a man, right?
Ye Yunchi was baffled, never expecting that a dignified fifth-realm martial artist could come up with such a spineless idea.

If you're already comforting yourself like this before even entering the house, what will you do once you're inside, becoming a bedchamber maid?

If this is what enlightenment is all about, then it's better not to be enlightened at all...

But these are all the truths. They were the ones who arrived first. They understand the situation but refuse to admit it. Isn't that just being unreasonable?
"Ugh……"

Ye Yunchi found his mind in turmoil again, even worse than if he had taken the Seven Emotions Pill. He rubbed his temples, trying to pull himself together and not be so pathetic, lest he turn what should have been a calm and composed situation into a chaotic and disorganized mess...

Just as she was thinking this, a sound suddenly came from outside the room:

dong dong~
"Senior Ye?"

?

Ye Yunchi noticed Xie Jinhuan's arrival and immediately stood up straight, his eyes still a little nervous. After calming his breathing slightly, he slowly walked to the door and opened it.

"I just finished getting ready and was about to head over..."

Outside the door, Xie Jinhuan waited quietly. He had intended to lead the way for Senior Sister Naigua, but as soon as the door opened, his eyes revealed a hint of surprise.

Today, Wanyi helped entertain the guests. In addition to bringing Senior Sister Ye here to stay, she also thoughtfully prepared a change of clothes. The clothes were chosen by Zisu, whose taste is truly excellent.

At this moment, Senior Sister Ye was wearing a long-sleeved ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress). The dress was as blue as the sky after rain, and the hem was decorated with a few bamboo leaves. The waist was tied with a matching belt with small tassels hanging at the end. She was both refined and lively. Her heavy breasts added a touch of tension and texture to the whole outfit.

Her makeup was also very fitting; her long, dark hair was styled in a bun at the back of her head, with a jade hairpin inserted at an angle. The hairpin's head was carved with a half-open magnolia, and the warm, lustrous jade complemented her scholarly temperament.

Her cheeks were an extremely clear porcelain white with a faint blush, as delicate as a peeled lychee. Beneath her willow-leaf eyebrows were a pair of almond-shaped eyes, clear yet not sharp, exuding gentleness and tranquility, perfectly embodying the image of a "lady of a prominent family".

Such a captivating appearance is enough to move any man, yet it doesn't arouse any evil thoughts in him. All one can sense is her dignity, composure, and the hidden chastity between her brows, like a naturally beautiful, yet scholarly lady who has been virtuous since childhood and is afraid to talk about sex.

If such a virtuous and beautiful woman were to kneel before him like Duoduo, her red lips slightly parted, shyly enduring humiliation yet striving for it, Ah Huan wouldn't be able to bear it. She'd probably have to nod in agreement to become his first wife...

As Ye Yunchi was speaking, he noticed Xie Jinhuan looking him up and down, his gaze changing. Feeling slightly embarrassed, he looked down at himself.

"Don't the clothes fit?"

"how come."

Xie Jinhuan thought Naigua's temperament was truly exceptional. He stepped forward, wrapped his arms around her waist, and hesitated for a moment:

"Hmm... Her hair is loosely tied up, her makeup is light and delicate. She is shrouded in a light mist, like drifting catkins and gossamer threads. It's better not to see her than to meet her, better to be indifferent than to have feelings..."

?

Ye Yunchi had been forcibly kissed before, and upon seeing this, he shrank back as if to dodge, but upon hearing the clear voice, he paused, listened quietly, and then asked:

"It's better not to meet than to meet, better to be indifferent than to have feelings... What does that mean?"

Xie Jinhuan smiled and said, "It's just that such a beautiful girl is unattainable, and even if you have feelings for her, it's all unrequited love. It's better to live a carefree life without ever seeing her or having any feelings for her."

"Oh……"

Ye Yunchi blinked, realizing that these words truly applied to her. Such a desirable young man, yet he was already married. She was caught in a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat, and could only silently agonize in the room. It was indeed better if they had never met in the first place…

No, Xie Jinhuan said this to me; it probably meant that he was expressing his unrequited love and asking for a response...

Ye Yunchi looked at the person in front of him, pondered for a moment, and replied:

"I'm not a heartless person, but marriage is a matter of proper conduct, requiring the involvement of matchmakers and witnesses. You already have a fiancée... Waaah?!"

Xie Jinhuan lowered his head to stop Lady Zhenlie from speaking, and placed his hand on the breast melon on his own, while his right hand hugged the full moon behind her waist, lifting her up by the heels.

Caught off guard, Ye Yunchi tried to push away this abrupt and rude lecher, but her underwear had already been thoroughly touched, and she was no match for him. In just a moment, she was stunned by the kiss, and under the influence of the 'Sudden Enlightenment Pill,' some strange thoughts began to emerge:
What can I do now that things have come to this...?

Being a good wife and mother doesn't necessarily mean being the first wife. At worst, I can just raise my own child and move out...

Wouldn't that make her a mistress? Even worse than a concubine...

Ye Yunchi, Ye Yunchi, how could you be so love-struck...

……

Ye Yunchi was given a good taste of rouge for a while. Although she had an urge to go with the flow, her backbone brought her back to her senses. Worried that she might succumb to temptation and actually make it happen, she leaned back forcefully to avoid touching her cheek.

"Don't do this... Aren't you going to a banquet? I'll go first..."

As she spoke, she pushed the hand away from her waist, turned and ran towards Yan Ting, straightening her crumpled clothes as she went, constantly looking back as if afraid that this lecherous man would catch up with her...
-
On the other side, there is Zihui Mountain.

The seven-hundred-mile-long Zihui Mountain was shrouded in a silvery moon. The old Taoist priest Zhang Guan and his apprentice A Cai sat on small stools outside the Ancestral Hall, recounting strange tales about the rules of Zihui Mountain:

"When hiking in the mountains at night, you can't mention winter melon..."

"why?"

“I remember when my senior brother first came up the mountain, he was growing vegetables in the back hill and had a short-legged mongrel dog named Dwarf. One night, the dog ran away and disappeared, so he called out ‘Dwarf! Dwarf!’ from halfway up the mountain, and the whole main peak could hear it…”

"and then?"

"Then I was haunted by a winter melon spirit and had nightmares for half a month, dreaming that I had turned into a short winter melon. Finally, Master Qixia came forward to perform a ritual to exorcise the evil spirit, and I recovered..."

"Wow~ Grandmaster is really amazing..."

……

Then, on the mountain behind, next to the small courtyard where Master Qixia lived in his childhood.

As the former residence of the sect's founder, the courtyard is naturally a forbidden area of ​​the sect. No disciples will enter or leave when Nangong Ye is not present.

As the moon rose above the branches, Empress Dowager Guo, dressed in a gauze skirt worn by a foreign woman, walked along the mountain path beside the small courtyard. In her left hand, she held the history of the sect and flipped through it, her brows furrowing slightly as she shook her head repeatedly. Her right hand emitted a faint, flowing light that nourished the trees along the roadside.

The Zihui Mountain Sect has a history of six hundred years, recording various deeds from the first sect leader to Nangong Ye, such as slaying demons and monsters, establishing merits, and the sayings of the patriarch.

Because they were all compiled and edited by the elders of the internal affairs department, the sect leader was inevitably embellished to some extent. For example, the records of Qixia Zhenren were all positive images of him, such as being hardworking in farming and gathering herbs, being fearless in the face of death when going out to do righteous deeds, and being happy to help fellow Daoists.

However, Empress Dowager Guo, as a former comrade-in-arms, knew far more details than the disciples of Zihui Mountain. For example:

The story of Qixia Zhenren and Huanglin Zhenren discussing the Dao at Mangshan is said to be a debate about the Great Dao and a division between sects.

In reality, Huang Lin Zhenren found an ancient Taoist's grotto in Mangshan during the Northern Zhou Dynasty, a place believed to be a place of life and death. Qixia Zhenren, drawn by the scent, came to investigate. Huang Lin Zhenren claimed it was the tomb of his ancestor from the Divination School, while Qixia Zhenren argued that the Taoist sect hadn't yet split up at that time. The two then got into a fight over the ownership of the inheritance.

There are also records in the sect's history that Master Qixia killed the demonic Taoist who begged for mercy, saying something like "It's my fortune to have him, it's your fate to lose him," which sounds quite mystical. But in reality, Master Qixia was standing with his hands on his hips, laughing loudly.
"Hahaha~ You're really confused. Even if I kill you, the stuff will still be mine..."

Besides these, Empress Dowager Guo also knew many secrets that outsiders did not know, such as the sore spot of the Qixia Master.

Qixia Zhenren is not bad-looking, with a youthful face and large breasts, but she dreams of becoming a great fairy like her or Nangong Ye. For this reason, she pays great attention to her appearance. When she appears in public, she always stands on a rooftop or mountaintop. If she can fly, she will not stand on the ground, so as not to look up at her opponent.

The layout of Zihui Mountain is also quite particular. The roadsides on the main peak are planted with low-growing flowers and trees, which are no more than waist-high to the Qixia Immortal. This way, walking among them will not make one appear short. However, if tall flowers and trees such as bird of paradise were planted, even a slender old demon would be invisible, which would greatly affect the image of a fairy.

What Empress Dowager Guo is doing now is transforming the flowers and trees of Zihui Mountain, allowing the plants that originally couldn't grow very tall to break through their limits within one or two months and grow to the height of Qixia Zhenren's eyebrows. She has also planted a lot of scallions.

That way, when Master Qixia returns next time, all that will be left of his head will be floating around. He'll have to stand on tiptoe to see outside, and he might even run into scallions taller than himself, constantly reminding him:

"You're so short, you're not even as tall as an onion..."

Although this move doesn't have much actual killing power, it will cause a huge psychological blow. Old Demon Mo will definitely be furious when he gets away with it.

To maximize her chances of defeating her opponents, Empress Dowager Guo practically overhauled all the vegetation on the main peak, working from noon until nightfall without finishing. Just as she was enjoying herself, she suddenly noticed a noise behind her:
Call ~
Then a figure in white robes landed in the courtyard. After checking the portrait of Qixia Zhenren in the house and confirming that there was no mustache, he looked in this direction:

"Sister Guo, you're still here?"

Empress Dowager Guo stopped what she was doing and casually flipped through a book, looking just like an empress reading memorials in the imperial garden.
"Just wandering around. Why aren't you at home with your sweetheart? What are you doing here?"

"Sister Guo has come from afar, so I should do my best to be a good host. It would be inappropriate if you didn't show up."

Xie Jinhuan approached and looked around, wanting to see what Sister Guo was up to.

However, Empress Dowager Guo was only modifying the flowers, not forcing them to grow faster. They would grow taller in a month or two, and there was no sign of anything unusual at the moment. Therefore, Xie Jinhuan did not discover the 'Heart-Slaying Formation' that Xian Deng had secretly set up on the mountaintop.

Empress Dowager Guo was merely striking at her opponent and didn't want Xie Jinhuan to know about these childish actions, so she turned around and said:
"Let's go, there's nothing much to see on Zihui Mountain, your dancing is much more interesting."

Xie Jinhuan didn't see anything wrong, and without further delay, they rose up together on the wind:

"That's perfect. I'll dance for Sister Guo when we're drinking later."

"Row……"

……

(End of this chapter)