Minglong

Chapter 451 Silly Momo

"drive--"

Hoof-tapping hoof-tapping...

As the night deepened and most people were sound asleep, young men in fine clothes and riding spirited horses still sped past on the streets of the inner city.

Xie Jinhuan stood atop the Golden Tower with one hand behind his back, surveying the city where he had lived for sixteen years. He suddenly realized that in the martial arts world, he was now virtually invincible across a vast territory, with only Ye Sheng above him.

As for the Valkyrie?
Ha~ That's a patron, he should be riding on his head all the time...

But where did they go...?

Xie Jinhuan had searched all the restaurants that Meiqiu liked, as well as the bookstores, clothing stores, and even jewelry shops that Zisu liked. She had met many Hu girls with breasts bigger than their heads, including a blonde beauty, but she hadn't seen Sister Guo or Zisu.

He certainly didn't need to worry about their safety, but having come up empty-handed, he couldn't very well slink back. After a moment's consideration, he could only look to his left and right:

"daughter in law?"

Ever since the ghost wife gained a real form, she has been appearing and disappearing unpredictably, making it impossible for Xie Jinhuan to tell whether she is actually around.

But he had many wings, yet the ghost only had eyes for him.

Unless something else happens, how could he not be by my side?

As the call rang out, a mature female voice came from behind:
"Hmm~"

Then a woman in a red dress appeared beside her, arms crossed, surveying the street:
"We could have Wanyi possess Zisu and ask where she is, but that would be too much of a fuss."

Xie Jinhuan sighed softly when he saw that the ghost had disappeared without a trace.
"Then let's look around some more, consider it a shopping trip together. Aren't you in a hurry to go back and cultivate?"

"Am I in a hurry?"

Ye Hongshang looked down at him with a haughty gaze, as if looking at a brat who didn't know his place:

"I didn't feel anything, it was just a reward for you. You really think you're so great that you can bully girls so much you can't stop?"

?

Upon hearing this, Xie Jinhuan was no less shocked than the White-Haired Fairy upon hearing "No Green Onion," and he slightly frowned before embracing his ghost wife.

"Stubborn, huh? Aren't you afraid of what you've been hiding from these past few days? How about I go buy you a dress like Milk Melon's later, and we'll have a one-on-one fight while you wear it?"

Ye Hongshang seemed to have forgotten how difficult their wedding night had been, shrugging slightly without any fear:

"Okay, how about we make a bet?"

"What are you gambling?"

"Before the flowers bloom, you call out 'Mother'; when the flowers bloom, I'll turn the tables and call you... Hmm?"

?

Xie Jinhuan thought to himself, regardless of winning or losing, wasn't he just getting complacent from winning so much?

"Okay, it's a deal. You're not allowed to cheat. I'm going to buy clothes now."

"Aren't you going to see Sister Guo anymore?"

"Sister Guo and Zisu might be buying clothes too. I forgot that Zisu likes clothes too. I'll buy a few for Bingtuozi and the others while I'm at it..."

As Xie Jinhuan spoke, he sped towards the inner city streets, praying in his heart that the shops would not close, otherwise the ghost would continue to be stubborn all night.

Fortunately, the lights on Changle Street stayed on all night, and the shops were usually open until dawn. Caiyi Pavilion, located on Changle Street, was indeed open.

Xie Jinhuan glanced around and saw that Sister Guo and Zisu were not among them. The person on duty was a still charming woman, and there were no other guests.

He intended to go in, buy the items, and leave, but upon reaching the door, he hesitated.

After all, his reputation as a righteous hero is quite high now. If he were to sneak around buying underwear late at night and get recognized, the news would probably reach Northern Zhou by tomorrow, and that old man Lü Yan would jump up and laugh at him!
Perhaps it was his hesitant demeanor at the door that made him seem a bit shy, but he was dressed as a handsome young man in his early twenties. When the proprietress noticed him, she smiled and said:

"What are you shy about? Come here, Auntie has something to say to you..."

Ah?
Xie Jinhuan blinked, thinking that if he went in, it wouldn't be easy for him to get out!

Fortunately, the ghost was possessive of its food. Seeing that the middle-aged woman outside dared to flirt with her little one, it appeared from the side of the door and entered the shop, whereupon the following conversation ensued:

"Oh dear, I thought this young master came alone, but I didn't expect the young lady to be here as well. The young lady is quite beautiful, and is that her lover outside?"

"It is my son."

"Dog... Ah? Hehe~ Madam is so young, I really didn't realize it. What does Madam want to buy?"

"The kind of balsam-like garment that changes color and blooms..."

"Uh……"

……

Xie Jinhuan stood outside the door with a very strange expression, but since A Piao had said so much, he dared not go in. He simply put his arms behind his back to keep watch, so as not to be overheard by bystanders.

However, just as he was waiting, Xie Jinhuan's ears twitched slightly, and he suddenly heard some noises coming from afar:
"They're over there, hurry and chase them..."

"Get out of the way..."

Clang, clang...

The sound of clutter being overturned...

Xie Jinhuan frowned, glanced back, and saw that A Piao was still carefully choosing clothes. He then walked along the eaves and arrived at the exit of a small street a moment later.

The street is a night market street, with lanterns hanging above and connecting the eaves on both sides, and many stalls below. Even late at night, there are still many night owls enjoying themselves there.

At this moment, at the other end of the street, more than ten Crimson Guards dressed in red robes could be seen chasing each other from the street and rooftops.

A figure draped in a black and green cloak, with an almost ghostly gait, darted through the streets, scrambling and stumbling about. Judging from its appearance and demeanor, it was an injured poisonous rat, but it was unclear which faction in the Southern Frontier it belonged to.

Perhaps because the street was too bright to hide, the fleeing figure tried to slip into a dark alley halfway through, but ran into pursuers as soon as he entered, so he changed course and rushed to the street corner at full speed.

Seeing this, Xie Jinhuan blocked the street corner, crossed his arms and struck a pose, preparing to wait for the man to recognize him, be terrified, and then make him submit to the law.

But to his utter surprise, the poisonous rats seemed to have poor eyesight. The fleeing man, knowing he was cornered, saw a clueless young man blocking his path and, seized by a sudden rage, pulled a dagger from his sleeve, grabbed Xie Jinhuan by the collar, and held the dagger to his neck, shouting angrily down the street behind him:
"Don't come any closer! This knife is coated with deadly poison; contact with it will kill you instantly..."

? ?
Xie Jinhuan was stunned, secretly pondering:
Where did this little punk come from?
Can't you recognize me in this 'white robe, two weapons at my waist, cold and extraordinary, incomparably handsome' look?

The poison rat who took the hostage was probably too flustered and didn't notice who was being held hostage. The Crimson Guards behind him, on the other hand, clearly had eyes and knew that the leader was someone they knew.

Seeing civilians being held hostage, the tall and burly Yang Dabiao immediately drew his knife and leaped forward:

"You audacious thief! Release him at once... Heh?! You... you certainly know how to pick your targets!"

He quickly stepped back a great distance, probably afraid of getting blood on himself.

The remaining Crimson Guards, upon recognizing the white robe, also stumbled slightly.

Then, a female Red Scale Guard rushed out from the dark alley, sword in hand, intending to question her subordinates about why they were standing there in a daze.

Upon seeing the hostage, the woman's pretty face stiffened, and she quickly retreated into the alley.

Mo Mo?

Xie Jinhuan was genuinely surprised to run into Qingmo, who had just gone back to her room to sleep. However, it wasn't appropriate to call out to her in public, so she first turned to look to her side.

"Master Zhang, you've also practiced the Crescent Moon Manor's martial arts. Are your eyes not working well?"

Behind him, Zhang Zhiming, the incense master of Chilong Cave, who had been glaring fiercely at the Crimson Scale Guard, froze slightly upon hearing the familiar voice.

Zhang Zhiming is a member of the Wumeng Beijing office. He was scared away by Xie Jinhuan during a meeting in the past. Later, he and Bu Hanying were captured and taken to the outskirts of the city. It was Xie Jinhuan who rescued them. The two did not have direct contact, but they did know each other well.

Upon discovering that he, a dignified fourth-rank poison rat, was holding a dagger to the neck of a mere fifth-realm old demon, Zhang Zhiming's face turned green. After a long moment of stunned silence, he slid to his knees with a thud, his expression a mixture of bewilderment and grievance.

"Lord Xie, I am innocent! What does the crime committed by Elder Sikong have to do with me? I'm just a errand boy, selling fake medicine on the side, making a few dozen taels of silver a month. Do you really need to personally come and suppress me? Am I worthy?"

Xie Jinhuan knew this person was probably an unofficial henchman; after all, the Underworld Cult had arrested this man along with the wizards last time. Even if there was some connection, he wasn't an important figure. He immediately waved his hand:

"Go back to the yamen with the Crimson Guard and explain yourself. If you are indeed not involved, the court will handle the matter impartially. You'll only have to spend a few years in the prison. What's the use of running away? Luckily, you met me today. If it were any other celestial official, you would already be dead."

Zhang Zhiming really didn't expect to be captured by Xie Laomo himself. He felt that he would be letting down the team if he didn't die.

However, since the other party handled the matter fairly, he naturally wouldn't seek death. He cupped his hands in thanks for sparing his life, then got up and went to Yang Dabiao to hand over his weapons and medicine bottles.

Yang Dabiao, being perceptive, didn't disturb Lord Linghu's private time and led the suspects away.

After the constables left, Xie Jinhuan turned around and went to a dark alley on the side of the street. He looked up and saw the female constable in red with a sword at her waist, kicking pebbles with her toes and looking a little nervous.

Upon seeing him enter the alley, Linghu Qingmo whispered:

"Why did you come here too?"

Xie Jinhuan approached the workaholic Momo, glanced at her briefly, and noticed that the hem of her red dress was stained with a lot of dirt, probably from the pesticide residue left at the site where they were clearing out poisonous rats. His eyes held a hint of helplessness.

"If you want to go out to investigate a case, you should give me a heads-up. We agreed to go back to your room to rest, so why did you sneak out? What if something happens to you?"

Linghu Qingmo looked as if she had been caught doing something wrong by her boyfriend, her eyes darting left and right:
“I couldn’t sleep at night, so I came to check on you. I know my limits; if I told you, you definitely wouldn’t be able to sleep peacefully either…”

Xie Jinhuan looked at this and sighed with emotion.

After all, Qingmo's eagerness to help others was exactly the same as his behavior last year. He didn't rest and went to catch thieves, and that's what Momo said about him too.

However, he did this last year to cover up his crime of digging up the Demon-Suppressing Tomb, while Qingmo is genuinely adhering to the righteous path.

Xie Jinhuan felt somewhat ashamed of himself, but he couldn't bear to blame her. Seeing that Mo Mo looked like she had done something wrong, he half-squatted down, hugged her thigh, and carried her on his back, walking deeper into the alley.

Linghu Qingmo was taken aback upon seeing this and asked in confusion:
"I'm not injured, why are you carrying me?"

"I feel sorry for my wife. You should lie still and not move around."

Linghu Qingmo blushed, looked around to make sure no one was nearby, and then lightly punched his shoulder:
"Who's your wife? I haven't married you yet..."

slap~
Xie Jinhuan casually patted the hem of her skirt, only to be immediately jolted by an electric shock, and heard in her ear:

"Try hitting me again?"

clap clap clap...

Waves ripple, full of elasticity...

Linghu Qingmo's face flushed red, and he immediately performed a rear-naked choke, whispering in her ear:
"If you hit me again, believe me, I won't let you go back today! Wanyi and Ling'er have waited all night for nothing, they'll definitely scratch you to death tomorrow..."

Xie Jinhuan had already greeted them upon coming out, so he naturally felt secure and fearless.
"Then let's not go back. Miss Momo has been running around outside, how could I have the nerve to go home and rest? Let's patrol the streets like this today, let the whole capital know that I'm carrying Miss Momo around, and see if you'll still be embarrassed to sneak out alone in the future..."

Upon hearing this, Linghu Qingmo naturally panicked and tried to get down, but Xie Jinhuan wouldn't let her go. Seeing that they had walked out of the alley and onto the street, she quickly covered her face with her sleeve.

"Are you crazy? Put me down right now..."

But looking up, one sees that the place is a pedestrian street near the imperial city, with green plants and flowers on the street and the Fengyi River surrounding the imperial city. There are no pedestrians on the street in the middle of the night.

Linghu Qingmo finally breathed a sigh of relief and gently nudged his shoulder:

"Forget it, let's go back. It's too late. I'll go back to sleep, okay?"

"Sleep together?"

"what?"

Linghu Qingmo quickly shook his head:

"I won't... Don't we have Wanyi and Ling'er?"

"I won't go back unless you sleep with me."

"You lecherous scoundrel, if you don't want to go back, then don't... Hey? Where are you going? Are you heading to the palace?"

"Let me take you somewhere..."

……

(End of this chapter)