The world of martial arts, the immortal swordsman in the mortal realm.

Chapter 156, 171: The vixen wants to poison your bedsheets! A little phoenix's confession?
Dugu Feng flew down to the ground floor of the main house and sensed Lu Chen's undisguised familiar aura. Looking up, she saw him standing on the windowsill upstairs, smiling at her.

Seeing that Lu Chen was safe and sound, Dugu Feng breathed a sigh of relief, returned a smile, and stepped into the building.

As she climbed the stairs, she slowed her pace and carefully tidied her clothes and hair, which had been disheveled during her fight with Wan Yaonu. Then, she walked lightly upstairs and found Lu Chen already waiting for her in the small living room on the second floor.

"Brother Lu..."

"Drink a glass of water first."

Dugu Feng took the water glass from Lu Chen, sat down, and took a small sip.

Mmm, chilled honey water, and it's that special kind of honey, sweet and refreshing, exceptionally delicious.

"Thank you."

She smiled faintly, then said solemnly:
"Brother Lu, I just ran into the Yin Gui demoness Wanwan."

"I know."

Lu Chen nodded and asked:

What was she doing when you saw her?

"This one……"

Dugu Feng's expression was strange:
"She seems to be... trying to steal your sheets?"

Stealing bed sheets?
She just happened to hang the sheets up to dry, right?
"Perhaps they're going to poison me?"

Dugu Feng guessed again:
"You defeated Qu Ao in a head-on battle tonight. Perhaps the Yin Gui Sect felt that it would be difficult to retaliate with force, so Wanwan sneaked in. Maybe she wanted to poison the sheets you were drying?"

This conjecture...

That makes some sense!
Lu Chen laughed inwardly, barely managing to suppress his smile, and said nonchalantly:

"It's alright, I'm immune to all poisons."

Dugu Feng nodded in agreement:
"Indeed, with Brother Lu's physique, even the Yin Gui Sect probably couldn't find a poison that would be effective against him."

As he spoke, he took another small sip of chilled honey water.

Now her lips were truly coated with honey, becoming glossy, rosy, and incredibly delicate.

"After I left tonight, who came looking for me?"

"Shen Luoyan, the clever strategist of Wagang, came. Also present were Changsun Wuji, Li Shimin's brother-in-law; Ouyang Xiyi, Wang Shichong's advisor; Liu Heita, Dou Jiande's general; Xing Mofei, a general under Fu Qian, the young prince of Tuyuhun; and Tuli, the young Khan of the Turks. Hmm, the Song dynasty didn't send anyone. Also..."

Dugu Feng pursed her lips, glanced at Lu Chen, and whispered:
"And two of my elders..."

Lu Chen smiled and said:
"Thank you for your trouble, Feng'er."

"It's no trouble at all. By the way, some of them even left invitations, saying they want to host a banquet for Brother Lu..."

Dugu Feng took out three invitations and handed them to Lu Chen. They were left by Shen Luoyan, Changsun Wuji, and Ouyang Xiyi, respectively.

The two elders of the Dugu family did not leave invitations; they instructed Dugu Feng to take Lu Chen directly to the Dugu family.

Of course, Dugu Feng did not intend to pass these words on to Lu Chen.

She knew that Lu Chen had never been interested in the power struggles among aristocratic families.

Lu Chen took the three invitations, glanced at them casually, and then put them aside.

The Wagang Army is currently doing well, but Li Mi's harshness and ingratitude, as well as his killing of Zhai Rang, who had taken him in, have already caused many former Wagang generals to harbor resentment.

If Li Mi continues his winning streak and maintains this momentum of seemingly conquering the world and everyone becoming a founding hero, then he can continue. But if he suffers just one defeat, breaking his invincible record, the Wagang Army will immediately collapse.

Wang Shichong was good at political maneuvering, but lacked real strength. He could fight against the Dugu clan and Emperor Tai, but he couldn't defeat Li Shimin.

There's no need to attend either of these banquets.

As for Li Shimin's banquet...

With the support of Ning Daoqi and Cihang Jingzhai, Li Shimin had no need for Lu Chen to add fuel to the fire.

It is said that when Li Shimin finds out that he has stolen the He Shi Bi jade, one wonders if he will bring his elite Qin Prince's mansion to besiege him.

Lu Chen was actually looking forward to Li Shimin's choice.

Seeing that Lu Chen seemed completely unconcerned about the three invitations, Dugu Feng smiled as expected. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Lu Chen say:

"Feng'er, do you know what I did after I left Manqing Courtyard?"

Dugu Feng blinked curiously:

"what?"

"I went to Jing Nian Zen Temple."

Lu Chen spoke calmly:

"They stole the He Shi Bi jade."

"So Brother Lu went to... ah?"

Dugu Feng's eyes widened slowly, her small mouth slightly open, her face blank.

After a long while, she suddenly stood up and asked incredulously:
"Brother Lu, you, you, you really went to Jingnian Temple and stole the He Shi Bi jade?"

"Correct."

Lu Chen nodded, got up and went to the window, taking the He Shi Bi jade from the lead box on the windowsill:

"Look, this is the He Shi Bi jade."

Dugu Feng was truly stunned.

The first thing she saw when she arrived was the square lead box on the windowsill—it was the one she had accompanied Lu Chen to the blacksmith street in Nanshi to order. Seeing how casually it was placed, she assumed it contained only some odds and ends, but she never expected…

Looking at the three-inch square piece of "gold-inlaid jade" with five intertwined dragons, Dugu Feng was quite bewildered.

"This, this is really the He Shi Bi jade?"

Brother Lu, you're not joking about a counterfeit, are you?

"of course it's true."

Lu Chen smiled:
"After obtaining it, I even had a fight with the monks of Jingnian Temple. I didn't disguise myself, so the monks should soon find out who stole the He Shi Bi."

He looked at Lonely Phoenix and said:

"Jingnian Temple and Shi Feixuan will probably cause me trouble. The Dugu clan also seems to be interested in the He Shi Bi jade?"

Dugu Feng pursed her lips, looked up at Lu Chen, her eyes resolute:
“I will persuade Grandma not to get involved in the dispute over the He Shi Bi. As long as I can convince Grandma, none of my uncles and brothers will have the ability to take the He Shi Bi from you—they might not even have the guts.”

"So best."

Lu Chen has now refined most of the He Shi Bi's power, greatly increasing his mental cultivation and giving him the ability to interfere with spiritual perception and Qi sensing.

After undergoing "acupoint alteration and meridian transformation," the output of meridians and acupoints has increased dramatically. Furthermore, the meridians and acupoints throughout the body have been refined, allowing for complete control over all acupoints and enabling unpredictable changes in the application of force.

The muscles and bones of the arms, shoulders and neck have been trained, the power of unarmed kung fu has increased by 70%, and physical strength and power have been greatly improved.

He also acquired the "Seven Turns of the Raging Waves," a technique even more profound and powerful than "Shifting Stars," which allows him to counterattack by borrowing the opponent's strength.

There's also the unpredictable teleportation of "Sword Two: Splitting Light and Shadow," and aerial combat capabilities even stronger than Qu Ao's. To be honest, he's truly unafraid of being surrounded now.

The only person in the Dugu clan whose martial arts skills were comparable to his was Old Lady You. However, if Old Lady You fought for a little longer, she would easily have an asthma attack, and he would be the first to give up.

Therefore, even if all the experts from the Dugu Clan in Luoyang attacked, he was not afraid at all.

He only told Dugu Feng about the He Shi Bi because he didn't want her to be caught in the middle.

“Brother Lu, once the news of the He Shi Bi spreads, all the feudal lords and hegemons who covet it will likely be tempted. The Yin Gui faction already has a grudge against you and also has feudal forces that secretly support you, so they will definitely participate in the struggle for the He Shi Bi. Even the Tiele and Turks will probably be eager to make a move.”

Dugu Feng looked worried:
“I know Brother Lu is a peerless martial artist and possesses an indestructible body, but if they gang up on us…”

Lu Chen smiled:
"There is only one He Shi Bi jade. However, there are many forces that want to compete for it. Moreover, these forces have grudges against each other, and are even competitors or enemies, so it is impossible for them to join forces. Even if they temporarily join forces, they will only have their own ulterior motives, hoping that others will do the work so that they can benefit themselves. If everyone thinks like this, nothing can be accomplished."

He looked at Dugu Feng, his tone filled with powerful confidence:
"With my current strength, no one is willing to easily make an enemy of me. Even if they come to compete for it, most will only stop short of killing me and dare not make a mortal enemy of me. Otherwise, if they fail to kill me, the feudal lords who have a mortal enemy of me... will be wiped out."

What is the most terrifying place in the sinking land?
His ability to assassinate the king and break through the army lies in his skill.

If any lord offends him, and Lu Chen goes to cause trouble during a decisive battle with the enemy, helping the enemy to kill generals and break through the enemy's formation at a key position, which lord can tolerate that?

Even the Tang dynasty couldn't stand it!

Today, he defeated Qu Ao head-on and broke through the encirclement of the four guardian Vajras of Jingnian Temple and more than two hundred martial monks. With such strength, which force is confident that after offending him to death, they can completely eliminate him and prevent future troubles?

Therefore, the more powerful and established a feudal lord was, the less they dared to offend Lu Chen to the death.

Ironically, those most interested in the He Shi Bi jade were precisely the feudal lords.

People like Evil King Shi Zhixuan, who currently does not support any faction, and many demonic masters who only care about the "Evil Emperor's Relic," would not have any interest in the He Shi Bi.

The Yin Gui Sect was interested in the He Shi Bi for two reasons: first, they wanted to disrupt their arch-enemy Cihang Jingzhai's "talent show," and second, they had the support of Lin Shihong—an elder of the Yin Gui Sect and a direct disciple of Bi Shouxuan, who practiced dual cultivation of Yin and Yang.

But Lu Chen is now confident that he can confront Empress Yin head-on.

Even if he couldn't defeat Empress Yin, Empress Yin definitely couldn't do anything to him.

Unafraid of being besieged, capable of fighting the treacherous queen.

Then what does he have to fear?
He wasn't afraid even if Ning Daoqi came.

The old Taoist priest never committed murder in his life. Fighting Lu Chen, who was even more skilled at "using war to sustain war" than the Twin Dragons, would only make Lu Chen stronger and stronger.

"Brother Lu."

Sensing Lu Chen's powerful confidence, Dugu Feng's eyes sparkled as she stared intently at him.
"If anyone comes to attack you, Feng'er will fight alongside you."

Lu Chen shook his head:

"There's no need. After all, you're not a wandering martial artist, but rather a member of the Dugu Clan..."

"Brother Lu!"

Dugu Feng gazed at Lu Chen, her tone gentle yet firm:
"Feng'er said that she would go through fire and water or be shattered to pieces if you called upon her. Other forces may not dare to become your mortal enemies this time, but Qu Ao escaped with the help of the Yin Gui Sect today, which shows that the two families have long been in cahoots."

"The Yin Gui Sect already has a grudge against you because of Bian Bufu's death. Qu Ao was defeated by you in public and lost face, so he will hate you to the bone. These two factions will definitely join forces to besiege you... Therefore, I will also fight alongside you."

Lu Chen looked at her for a moment, then finally nodded slightly.

"Alright."

A bright smile immediately appeared on Dugu Feng's pretty face, which was as cold as an ice doll.

Then he said:

“The Yin Gui Sect already knows where you live. Once news of your theft of the He Shi Bi spreads, the Yin Gui Sect will definitely publicize your residence to lure other factions to attack you first, so they can reap the benefits. Therefore, starting tonight, I will stay here with you.”

Lu Chen pondered for a moment, then said:

"There's something I need to tell you."

Dugu Feng asked curiously:

"what?"

Lu Chen is no longer the virgin boy who was single in both his previous lives.

Although he still has some mild social anxiety, is not very good at socializing, is sometimes too rigid, and is not good at understanding other people's feelings, his intuition has become stronger, and he can vaguely sense some emotions.

As for some of his personal matters, Dugu Feng had never asked him about them before, and he didn't feel comfortable bringing them up on his own initiative.

What if you misunderstand and they only have pure camaraderie with you? Wouldn't it be embarrassing to have been presumptuous?

Therefore, he will not rashly bring it up unless he is truly certain of the other person's feelings and the other person asks.

but now……

Dugu Feng had already lent a hand to him, facing the combined attack of the three elders of the Yin Gui Sect, including Wen Caiting, and was even injured in the process. Manqing Courtyard also came to his aid, fighting against three of Qu Ao's disciples single-handedly.

This time, even knowing that he might be besieged because of the He Shi Bi jade, a priceless treasure, he still fought alongside him, and even emphasized the oath to "go through fire and water, and be shattered to pieces"...

Lu Chen looked at Dugu Feng and said:

"Does Feng'er know that I am already married?"

"Huh? You got married?" Dugu Feng was stunned.

Lu Chen nodded and said:
"Yes, he has one wife and one concubine at home."

Although Huang Rong verbally referred to Li Mochou as a "bedroom maid," it was merely a joke.

The night Huang Rong truly made Li Mochou one of their own, Li Mochou's job was like that of a maid, but it was something Huang Rong had arranged for her long ago, simply giving her a chance to shine.

Normally, Huang Rong would never put on airs as the mistress of the house, and would treat Li Mochou like a maidservant.

Dugu Feng was in a state of utter confusion when she heard Lu Chen say that he had a wife and a concubine, and her eyes immediately lit up:
"Brother Lu will also take concubines, huh!"

Lu Chen looked at Dugu Feng with a strange expression and reminded her:
"Feng'er, you are the eldest daughter of the Dugu clan."

"Hehe, I am the eldest daughter of the Dugu family, but I have done a lot for the Dugu family. I can even say without any modesty that the Dugu family's reputation is largely due to my grandmother and me. Everyone knows that the Dugu family has Old Madam You and Dugu Feng. Are the names of other people as well-known as my grandmother and me?"

Dugu Feng smiled and spoke, then suddenly reached out and grasped Lu Chen's hands, winking at him:
“Brother Lu, I have decided to dedicate myself to martial arts and never marry. Apart from my grandmother, no one in my family can beat me or control me.”

She didn't dare to confess her feelings to Lu Chen, fearing he would reject her.

Although she didn't say it explicitly, her attitude clearly revealed her feelings.

Since that was the case, she decided to go all out.

Lu Chen lowered his eyes and looked at Dugu Feng's hands, which were holding his own.

Her hands were small and delicate, with long, slender fingers, fair and translucent skin, and well-proportioned flesh.

Because of her profound internal strength, her palms did not have calluses from years of holding a sword; her skin was cool, soft, and tender.

Lu Chen did not withdraw his hand, but looked up at Dugu Feng again and said something that seemed unrelated to the previous topic:
Did you bring a change of clothes?

Dugu Feng was delighted upon hearing this:
"I'll go get it right away."

After saying that, she gently squeezed Lu Chen's hand, then suddenly stood up and went downstairs with the light and cheerful steps of a little girl.

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(End of this chapter)