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

Chapter 164, Page 179: Phoenix Flowers Bloom, The Enchantress's Gift [8K Long Chapter]

Having just bathed, Dugu Feng casually tied her long hair up with an ebony hairpin, her snow-white skin contrasting sharply with her black hair, glistening with moisture, making her appear even more delicate and alluring.

But what's even more eye-catching is her attire at this moment.

She wore a floor-length, gossamer-thin gauze overcoat, and underneath she wore only a bright red embroidered gold carp bodice, which made her slender figure appear even more voluptuous and her chest proudly displayed. The upper edge of the bodice also revealed a small patch of crystal-clear pink curves.

She wore a pomegranate-colored skirt, the hem of which reached her ankles, but the waistband only reached her hips.

Thus, a large expanse of blank space appeared between the strapless top and the waistband of the dress, revealing to Lu Chen her incredibly slender waist, her snow-white and flat abdomen, her clear and soft V-line, and even her delicate and petite navel.

Dugu Feng walked lightly toward Lu Chen.

A faint blush floated on her pretty, doll-like face, but her eyes were bright and sparkling as she looked at Lu Chen without any attempt to dodge.

As a swordswoman specializing in the way of the sword, with a sharp and fierce edge, having already expressed her feelings, she naturally had to uphold the way of the swordswoman, forging ahead bravely without ever retreating.

It's already late tonight.

After confessing her feelings the night before, this was how it should have been. Unfortunately, Lu Chen said he would teach her new martial arts, so she enthusiastically became engrossed in practicing them.

And last night's defeat of Yin Hou and the killing of Qu Ao are also things to celebrate.

After that, she obtained the Sword Spirit Mark, which should have been a cause for celebration. However, she couldn't wait to experience how the Sword Spirit Mark could enhance her swordsmanship, and she became engrossed in cultivation once again.

So while she was taking a bath, she repeatedly reminded herself that she must not be obsessed with martial arts tonight.

In any case, we must take the initiative.

At this moment, she made up her mind, changed into this charming and alluring outfit, and came to Lu Chen.

"What do you think of Feng'er's outfit, Brother Lu?"

She stood gracefully before the couch, smiling sweetly at Lu Chen, who was sitting cross-legged on it. The sword spirit mark between her brows, resembling a cluster of flames, seemed to flicker and radiate light as she smiled, illuminating her beautiful face.

"Quite good looking."

Lu Chen truthfully expressed his feelings at that moment.

Dugu Feng smiled charmingly, raised her hand and pulled out the hairpin, her jet-black, straight hair cascading down like a waterfall.

She kicked off her shoes, revealing her slender, delicate feet with graceful arches and exquisite toes. She climbed onto the bed, placed her hands on Lu Chen's shoulders, and straddled his lap.

Although her movements were graceful and poised, displaying her usual dashing and decisive swordsman's demeanor, Lu Chen still keenly noticed that when she sat down, her delicate body trembled slightly, and her skin was also somewhat tense, clearly indicating that she was still a little nervous.

When she put her arm around his shoulder and sat face-to-face on his lap, Lu Chen discovered that there was nothing under her pomegranate skirt; she wasn't wearing any underwear.

At this moment, Dugu Fengjing gazed into his eyes with bright, clear eyes, and softly said in a slightly trembling, sweet voice:
"Feng'er is now yours in life and in death; she will follow you through thick and thin. Brother Lu, what are you hesitating about?"

Lu Chen met her bright eyes, which, though slightly tense, showed no sign of retreating or dodging, for a moment. Suddenly, he smiled freely, wrapped his arms around her slender waist, and gently caressed her delicate, alabaster skin with his fingertips before capturing her sweet, soft lips with his own.

During a kiss.

A slight rustling sound of clothes rubbing together could be heard.

As Dugu Feng's already meager clothing came off one by one, her petite, exquisite, and curvaceous snow-white body was gradually revealed...

……

I do not know how long it has been.

Dugu Fengxiang was drenched in sweat and lay dizzy on her side, curled up in Lu Chen's arms with her back to him. Her skin was flushed with a beautiful rose-red color, and her round, full, perky, and bouncy buttocks were still pressed tightly against his lower abdomen, unwilling to be separated from him.

Lu Chen gently embraced her soft, boneless, and tender body, and lightly kissed the back of her neck.

With just this one kiss, Dugu Feng's delicate body trembled again, and her eyelashes, which were covered with tiny teardrops, suddenly trembled, her eyes glazed over as if she had completely lost her senses.

As it turns out, the ability to endure a battle is not absolutely related to skill level.

Even if Dugu Feng's martial arts skills were enough to easily defeat the Five Greats in the Legend of the Condor Heroes world, she would still be extremely vulnerable in front of Lu Chen if she didn't cultivate her body.

She was a delicate beauty, like an ice doll, and as everyone knows, ice melts into water.

Therefore, Dugu Feng is essentially still a fragile little thing made of water.

Of course, she was ultimately highly skilled and recovered quickly. Even though she didn't perform well when she first experienced such things, she gradually adapted and, relying on her recovery ability, managed to give Lu Chen a good time all by herself.

The price she paid was that she was now barely breathing and unable to move.

There are no maids or servants here; you have to handle all the aftermath yourself.

Lu Chen held her and comforted her for a while. After she calmed down a bit, he picked up her curvaceous and exquisite body and placed her on the soft couch next to him where she was resting. He changed the sheets and blankets, which were so wet that they were impossible to sleep on, and brought hot water to wash her. Only then did he carry her back to the couch.

Dugu Feng was dizzy and disoriented, completely at Lu Chen's mercy.

After an unknown amount of time, she seemed to come back to her senses and exhaled, murmuring as if possessed:
"Next time I have to go with my sisters..."

As soon as she finished speaking, her pretty face flushed red with embarrassment, and she buried her head in Lu Chen's arms like an ostrich, remaining motionless.

Lu Chen chuckled softly, his hand gently caressing her slender waist and full hips. He didn't laugh at her, but simply said:

"I'll teach you a technique so we can practice together in the future."

Upon hearing this, Dugu Feng immediately perked up and looked up at him with her pretty face:
"What technique?"

"This skill is called the Lesser Formless Skill, which can change the attribute of true qi. This skill does not conflict with your own skill, so you can practice it concurrently. There is no need to study it too deeply; just practice it until you can change the attribute of true qi."

In a low-level martial arts world, the Lesser Formless Skill can be considered a top-tier divine skill, but in the Twin Dragons world, it is quite far from being a top-tier skill.

However, its ability to change the nature of true qi still has practical value, and its essence of "small and formless" is also quite commendable. If one can study the "War God's Manual" and further elevate this essence, it may be very promising.

Dugu Feng knew that Lu Chen wouldn't teach her this technique for no reason; there must be a profound reason behind it. So she nodded repeatedly and listened carefully as he taught her the incantation.

After memorizing the incantation and receiving further explanation from Lu Chen, Dugu Feng quickly grasped the essence of the technique and began to try cultivating it.

Even if it's just a low-level martial arts technique, it's not something that can be mastered in a short time to be able to freely convert the nature of true qi.

After cultivating for a while, Dugu Feng reached the threshold and felt a wave of weariness wash over her. She nestled in Lu Chen's arms and fell into a deep sleep.

Lu Chen closed his eyes and resumed his tireless cultivation.

With the rapid increase in his "Heart Sword" cultivation, he is now able to multitask, simultaneously visualizing the strengthening of the Heart Sword and refining his true energy or tempering the sword body.

Furthermore, the alteration of acupoints and meridians dramatically increased his cultivation efficiency; with each cycle of his true energy, it grew stronger, making his efficiency several times greater than before. The same applied to tempering his sword body.

Given the current efficiency of cultivation, even if one cultivates alone, it would only take a year at most to successfully temper all the muscles and bones in one's body.

If the "pure yin to yang dual cultivation method" is used for dual cultivation, the tempering time will be even shorter.

"With the whole body's muscles and bones fully trained, even if my power is still insufficient, I should be able to take on the three grandmasters one-on-one."

"Strengthening muscles and bones" will lead to faster results.

However, in terms of skill level, even with the current surge in the efficiency of true qi cultivation, a mere year or six months is not enough to catch up with the lifelong accumulation of grandmasters.

Even catching up with Zhu Yuyan wouldn't be enough.

Unless you can eat the "Evil Emperor's Relic".

……

After midnight.

As Lu Chen was meditating on the essence of the Heavenly Demon Great Art with his eyes closed, a subtle feeling suddenly arose in his heart.

An aura seemingly originating from the same source as the Heavenly Demon Art appeared nearby.

Opening his eyes, he saw that Dugu Feng was still sleeping soundly, so he gently got up, put on his clothes, and went to the backyard.

In the backyard, by the riverbank, next to the still-ruins-like waterside pavilion, a small boat was moored.

Wanwan, dressed in white and barefoot, sat at the bow of the boat, her long hair fluttering in the wind, her snow-white bare feet lightly paddling the water, smiling as she looked at Lu Chen:

"Brother Lu, Wan'er has come to apologize to you with gifts on her master's orders!"

Inside the cabin, there were boxes of all sizes, which looked like gifts had indeed been sent to him.

"Others give gifts during the day, but you do it in the middle of the night..."

Lu Chen shook his head and said:

"It seems you yourselves know that the path of the Yin Gui Sect can never be walked in the sunlight."

Wanwan pouted, her tone wistful:
"Wan'er has come to deliver a gift, Brother Lu, can't you say something a little nicer?"

Lu Chen looked completely calm:
"I always speak my mind."

"..."

"What gifts did they give me?"

Lu Chen was still a little curious about the gifts sent by the Yin Gui Sect.

With a flick of her long sleeves, Wanwan sent boxes of all sizes flying ashore, where they were neatly stacked in front of Lu Chen.

"Gold and silver jewelry, jade artifacts, calligraphy and paintings by famous artists, silk brocade... we have everything. Oh, and we also have your favorite old sword techniques and outdated mental techniques that you like to collect."

Lu Chen opened the boxes with great interest, and as Wanwan had said, they contained everything imaginable. The total value was estimated to exceed the heavy gifts Wang Shichong had given him today, demonstrating that the Yin Gui Sect was also financially powerful and had astonishing potential.

Just then, Wanwan said:

"Qu Ao's three disciples, Chang Shumou, Hua Lingzi, and Geng Gehu'er, are making a fuss about seeking revenge on you."

Lu Chen didn't take it seriously:

"If they want to avenge their master, don't stop them. Let them come to me."

It's all free anyway.

As he spoke, he opened the last large box, only to find that this exquisitely crafted rosewood box was completely empty inside, with only a layer of red silk lining the bottom.

Lu Chen looked at the empty box, then at Wanwan:
"What's the significance of this empty box?"

"Good question. This empty box has quite a story behind it!"

Wanwan smiled mysteriously, lifted her feet out of the water, and droplets of water flowed down her crystal-clear, silky skin, dripping from her snow-white toes. In the blink of an eye, her bare feet were completely dry.

Then, with a light leap, she floated down like a cloud, gently landing inside the box. She hugged her knees, curled her graceful body, and lay down on her side, smiling as she said:

"Look, these are the gifts in this box."

Lu Chen chuckled to himself:

"Stop joking. No matter how generous the Empress is, she would never be willing to give you to me."

Wanwan blinked:
"This is a gift that Wan'er prepared for you herself. Do you like it?"

Ha, I didn't know you were all talk and no action, but actually stingy?
Typical of someone who talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk.

Lu Chen shook his head and said:

"I have received the gift. It is getting late, so I will not keep you any longer."

Wanwan said shyly, "It's a gift too."

"You?" Lu Chen thought for a moment, then raised his right hand, his index and middle fingers forming a sword-like gesture: "Dare you let me stab you?"

Wanwan stared in shock, her eyes wide:
"Huh? Before, you were just using your inner energy to hurt her meridians, but this time you're going to use your sword energy to kill Wan'er?"

Lu Chen chuckled: "If you don't dare, then forget it."

Wanwan gave a soft hum, shifted around in the box, changed her posture, puffed out her chest, and tilted her jade-like neck back:
"Stab!"

From the first time Lu Chen helped her heal her injuries, when she allowed his true energy to enter her meridians and acupoints, she developed a strange trust in Lu Chen.

She no longer believes that Lu Chen would kill her.

If he wanted to kill her, the two times he healed her wounds were enough to kill her several times over.

Lu Chen didn't stand on ceremony. He activated his Heart Sword, released his spiritual power, and gently touched Wanwan's brow with his sword finger.

As expected, no mark was left between the eyebrows.

Although Wanwan's swordsmanship was superb, she was not a specialist in swordsmanship. Even if her martial arts were comparable to Shi Feixuan's, her swordsmanship cultivation was not enough to leave a sword spirit mark.

If even Wanwan is no good, then Huang Rong and Li Mochou are even less suitable.

Fortunately, the path to immortality is not limited to the sword spirit mark.

As a transmigrator capable of traversing the heavens, Lu Chen is confident in finding other paths to immortality.

Wanwan felt a slight pain between her brows, remembering the red mark on Shi Feixuan's brow. She quickly got up and jumped out of the large chest, rummaged through a small chest, and found a bronze mirror about a foot in diameter with dragon and phoenix patterns carved on the frame and precious gems inlaid on the back. Looking at herself in the mirror, she frowned and said:
"How not?"

Judging from her tone, she seemed a little dissatisfied.

Lu Chen shook his head:

"Your swordsmanship is not skilled enough."

"One must have sufficient swordsmanship skills to leave a mark?"

"good."

"What's the use of those marks?"

"You don't even know the function of the imprint, so what were you complaining about just now?"

"She just doesn't want to be outdone by Shi Feixuan."

"What's the point of comparing them?"

Lu Chen felt that a witch was indeed a witch; her thinking was truly different from ordinary people.

"Okay, is everything alright now? If everything's alright, then go back."

"Are you in such a hurry to send Wan'er away?"

Wanwan's eyes were filled with sorrow and grief.
"They've entrusted their lives to you three times, and you still can't earn a shred of sincerity in return?"

Lu Chen thought about it and realized that it was true.

During the two previous treatments and the recent finger strike, whenever he suddenly harbored murderous intent, Wanwan would have been doomed.

As a Yin Gui demoness, it is truly commendable that she could place such trust in him.

So Lu Chen also became serious and asked:

"So, what exactly do you want?"

The third time!

Every single time, we had to entrust our lives to him first in order to get a chance!

So this time, we must seize the opportunity and make that suggestion!

Wan Yaonu cheered herself up, telling herself that she must be frank and never back down again when the words were on the tip of her tongue!
however.

When she opened her mouth, the words she uttered involuntarily took on a different meaning:

"Brother Lu, I need your help with my cultivation! Well, it's the Yin Gui Sect's tradition, like a cultivation furnace or something..."

"..."

Lu Chen looked puzzled:
Before you cultivate the Heavenly Demon Great Art and advance to the eighteenth level, don't you need to maintain your virginity and preserve your primordial yin essence?

What kind of furnace or cauldron do we need?

Looking at Lu Chen's strange gaze.

Thinking about the nonsense he had just said.

Even with Wan Yao Nu's thick skin, she couldn't help but blush slightly. It wasn't an act; she was genuinely blushing.

But since the words have already been spoken, you can't just turn around and run away, and let all your efforts go to waste, right?
Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Lu Chen with a mixture of shyness and timidity:

"Brother Lu, can you help Wan'er?"

Lu Chen shook his head decisively:

"You want me to be your furnace? Of course not."

Wanwan said softly:
"However, this matter is also beneficial to Brother Lu. It would be mutually beneficial for both of us to work together."

"What good would it do me to be your furnace?"

"The benefit is..."

Wanwan originally wanted to say that your skills could also improve rapidly along with mine, but the words that came out were instead a seductive, ambiguous statement:
"The benefit is Wan'er..."

"..."

Lu Chen stared at this enchantress who claimed to be invincible, speechless for a long time before finally saying:

"Let's go, don't send it."

With a flick of his sleeve, he created a gust of wind that landed on Wanwan, carrying her towards the small boat.

Wanwan stretched out her hand, as if to plead for her return:
"No, Brother Lu, we can discuss this further..."

Lu Chen said calmly, "There's no room for discussion."

The enchanting maiden landed back on the small boat, pouted, and then smiled sweetly:
"Brother Lu, keep the box safe, you never know when you might open it and find Wan'er!"

I opened the box and there you were?

Wouldn't that turn into a ghost story?

Lu Chen shook his head with amusement, said nothing more, and watched Wanwan's small boat drift downstream and disappear into the night.

……

Wanwan sat at the bow of the boat, her chin resting on her hand, her delicate brows slightly furrowed, as she began to seriously ponder a question:
Should we put in the hard work to study swordsmanship?

The Heavenly Demon Great Art is a fundamental skill and does not conflict with the way of the sword. Otherwise, why would her master create a "Heart-Searching Sword Technique"?
The fundamental technique of Yi Jian master Fu Cailin is also the "Nine Profound Great Technique".

In fact, even the "Cihang Sword Manual" of Cihang Jingzhai, its true core secret is the method of "Dao Embryo", and the "Other Shore Sword Manual" is nothing more than a technique for protecting the Dao.

Therefore, cultivating the Heavenly Demon Technique and practicing swordsmanship is perfectly fine.

Previously, the main weapons practiced by the Yin Gui Sect were the Heavenly Demon Ribbon and the Heavenly Demon Double Slash. Wanwan had not seriously studied swordsmanship. Apart from the Heart Searching Sword Technique created by her master, she had only practiced swordsmanship for a few days under Lu Chen's guidance at Peach Blossom Manor in Xiangyang.

Speaking of which, she has quite a talent for swordsmanship, which even Lu Chen greatly admires.

With just a few days of guidance from Lu Chen, her swordsmanship improved by leaps and bounds, making her even more skilled than her martial uncle Wen Caiting, who specialized in swordsmanship.

"So I am also a sword genius... The reason why the Yin Gui Sect does not practice swordsmanship is because it does not have a sword technique comparable to the 'Other Shore Sword Art', nor has it produced a sword genius who can create his own peerless sword technique. If it comes to swords, it cannot defeat Cihang Jingzhai..."

After pondering for a while, Wanwan finally made up her mind to seriously study swordsmanship.

Anyway, she has already mastered the Heavenly Demon Ribbon and Heavenly Demon Double Slash to perfection. Now she only lacks the Heavenly Demon Great Art and has enough time and energy to study the way of the sword.

Besides, I can always ask Lu Chen for advice.

Judging from the few days they spent together at Peach Blossom Manor in Xiangyang, Lu Chen is quite eager to teach others about swordsmanship.

……

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Dugu Feng opened her eyes, looked at Lu Chen beside her, and recalled the scene that had made her dizzy and confused the night before. Her body felt slightly hot again.

Seeing that Lu Chen seemed to be sleeping soundly, she quietly kissed him on the cheek before getting up and putting on her clothes.

Just as she fastened the strapless top, a large hand reached around from behind her waist, its warm palm resting on her lower abdomen.

Dugu Feng shuddered, her body went limp, and she leaned back into Lu Chen's arms.

Lu Chen's large hand caressed her soft, flat abdomen for a while, then slowly moved upwards along her smooth, jade-like skin, taking control of her exceptionally full, round, and delicate breasts that were difficult to grasp with one hand.

A faint blush rose on Dugu Feng's cheeks, and she let out a soft, charming moan. She tightly gripped his mischievous hand and whispered:

"Now is the time to practice."

Lu Chen smiled and stopped teasing her. He released her, sat up with a swift motion, and quickly put on his clothes.

Dugu Feng looked slightly embarrassed and put on her martial arts outfit with her back to him.

After dressing and washing up, the two went to the courtyard to practice their skills.

The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is, of course, to practice my "old man's fist" (a type of martial art).

Even though Lu Chen had already undergone the transformation of the He Shi Bi jade, the third version of the Old Man's Fist was still useful to him.

Of course, the effect is much weaker than before, so I feel like I need to find a way to upgrade it.

Dugu Feng had only recently begun practicing the Old Man's Fist, and this third version of the Old Man's Fist was proving very effective for her.

After practicing for a while, Lu Chen suddenly spoke:
"Old Man's Fist also has the effects of healing injuries, curing diseases, and prolonging life. Feng'er, go home later and pass this skill on to Old Madam You. She can practice it a few times a day, and it might even be effective for her old ailments."

Dugu Feng smiled brightly and nodded in response:

"Then I'll thank you on behalf of Grandma!"

Lu Chen smiled and said again:

"On the way back, I'll go to the warehouse and pick out some valuable gifts to take home."

Dugu Feng was somewhat displeased:
"Why? The Old Man's Fist is a divine auxiliary skill. With this technique, our family will never lack martial arts geniuses with exceptional talent for generations to come..."

One's comprehension, however, cannot be changed.

Even if one lacks comprehension, as long as one has good aptitude, it is still possible to produce one or two ordinary grandmasters each generation who are sufficient to support the family business.

If a genius with exceptional comprehension is fortunate enough to emerge, then with the Old Man's Fist technique, they might have a chance to soar to great heights.

Anyway, Dugu Feng felt that an old man's fist technique was enough, so why bother with expensive gifts?

The gifts that came to her home yesterday were far less valuable than those sent by Wang Shichong, which made Xiao Feng'er lose face and she is still quite annoyed.

Seeing Dugu Feng's slightly pouting lips and unwilling expression, Lu Chen said with a smile:

"They are just external possessions, there's no need to worry about them."

His return gift to the Dugu clan was also a way of showing his attitude: you gave me a gift yesterday, and I'm returning the favor with an even more substantial gift today, along with a miraculous skill that can be passed down through generations and protect the clan. I've done my part. As for those power struggles and profit-making matters, don't expect me to help.

Dugu Feng quickly understood what he meant.

She didn't find Lu Chen cold-hearted at all.

Lu Chen's friendship with her began with martial arts; he never coveted anything from the Dugu Clan.

He never cared about wealth, honor, or high office.

Dugu Feng was even more delighted by this, because it proved that his feelings for her were clean and pure, without any worldly impurities such as power and wealth.

"Alright then, I'll pick out some gifts to take back with me."

After finishing her morning training and having breakfast, Dugu Feng went to the storeroom to select gifts and discovered that overnight, the storeroom had been filled with many more gold, silver, and other valuable items.

"How did so many valuables appear?"

“Last night, Wanwan from the Yin Gui Sect came to apologize with gifts. I saw you were sleeping too soundly, so I didn’t wake you. These extra gifts are all from the Yin Gui Sect.”

"Sending gifts in the dead of night, the Yin Gui Sect is really something..."

Dugu Feng curled her lips and opened another large box, only to find that the sandalwood box was empty, with nothing inside.

She didn't find it strange, assuming that Lu Chen had taken the contents out and put them in another room, and continued picking and choosing among the other boxes.

Finally, at Lu Chen's suggestion, they selected a gift that was almost twice as valuable as the one given by the Dugu Clan yesterday.

With so many gifts, it was impossible for her to take them all back by herself.

After hiring a team of porters, Dugu Feng took the gifts and went home.

She didn't return until evening.

When she returned, her expression was somewhat solemn. She pulled Lu Chen into the room and whispered:
“My family received news that Wang Shichong is preparing to stage a coup and force Emperor Tai to abdicate. Emperor Tai’s only military force is the Imperial Guards commanded by my father, which is far from being a match for Wang Shichong. So my father and his men are planning to assassinate Wang Shichong. This time, for Emperor Tai and the family, Grandma is also going to take action.”

Lu Chen raised an eyebrow:
Are you going to make a move too?

Dugu Feng sighed softly:
"There's nothing I can do; I am, after all, a daughter of the Dugu family."

He smiled again:
"However, I have already done a lot for my family in the past. After doing this for my family again, regardless of the success or failure, I will never get involved in this kind of power struggle again."

In fact, her father, Dugu Feng, the head of the Dugu clan, wanted her to ask Lu Chen for help, but she resolutely refused.

As a daughter of the Dugu family, she has an inescapable duty to attend to important family matters. However, Lu Chen only has a personal relationship with her and has nothing to do with the Dugu family. Today, she returned a generous gift to the Dugu family. Why should Lu Chen be involved?

Of course, she didn't say this to Lu Chen, but just smiled and said:

"Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling are working for Wang Shichong. This assassination attempt will definitely run into them. I won't hold back then."

Lu Chen smiled:
"Each serves their own master and relies on their own abilities. Those two lads are masters at surviving against all odds; you might not be able to do anything to them."

At this point, he suddenly remembered something:
"Will Li Mi join forces with your family this time?"

Although Li Mi was also a rebel who openly coveted Luoyang, he was still outside of Luoyang. In dealing with Wang Shichong, who was in Luoyang, the rebels and the Sui royalists were able to reach a tacit understanding and even cooperate.

"I don't know that."

Dugu Feng shook her head:

"Father only told me to follow Grandma, he didn't tell me the specific plans. If my family joins forces with Li Mi..."

"It's okay, just do your own thing."

Lu Chen said indifferently:

"Anyway, I just want to teach Li Mi a lesson on the battlefield."

Although Li Mi was extremely skilled in martial arts, he was not a martial arts practitioner.

His greatest pride was his undefeated record on the battlefield, and his illustrious reputation was forged on the battlefield.

Therefore, Lu Chen was going to strike Li Mi hard in the place where he was most proud.

Furthermore, in the original timeline, Li Mi was defeated but did not die. After the decisive battle, he struggled for a while and later fled to Guanzhong to join the Tang Dynasty. If Lu Chen had intervened, Li Mi would not have had the chance to survive.

"The exact time of the assassination has not yet been set, or it may have been set, but to avoid leaks, only my father knows."

Dugu Feng wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her full, firm breasts against his body, a hint of allure in her eyes, her voice becoming soft and gentle:
"So I'm going home tomorrow to stay, ready to be called upon at any time. I don't know how many days I'll be gone. Tonight... I'm going to take good care of you."

She tiptoed and gently kissed him on the lips, a blush rising on her pretty face, her eyes sparkling with shyness, yet her words exuded the dashing spirit of a swordsman:

"After I got home today, I found a picture book that my daughter needs to learn before she gets married, and I also found a copy of the 'Su Nu Jing' (Classic of Plain Girls)... I've memorized all the key points in it, and I'm sure I'll make sure you have a good time tonight."

Lu Chen smiled faintly:
"Then I really must experience it properly."

As he spoke, he picked her up horizontally in his arms:
"Go take a shower first."

"Feng'er had already taken a bath and changed her clothes before she came back."

"I have not."

"Feng'er is just right to serve you..."

in the bathroom.

Water vapor swirls around.

Lu Chen lay comfortably in the large bathtub, his head resting on Dugu Feng's round, firm, and fleshy white thighs.

Dugu Feng, dressed only in a light gauze blouse, massaged his shoulders and arms. Every time she bent down, her soft, smooth breasts would gently brush against Lu Chen's cheeks.

With a gentle caress and light touch, Dugu Feng gradually became aroused, and seemingly intentionally or unintentionally, she brought the delicate rose bead to Lu Chen's lips.

Lu Chen understood and gently held it in his mouth. Dugu Feng's delicate body trembled, and a faint rose blush appeared on her fair skin...

A beautiful night.

The next morning, Dugu Feng went home again. Afterwards, the team of craftsmen who had rebuilt the waterside pavilion before, led by their foreman, came again to rebuild the pavilion, dragging cartloads of precious timber.

This time, Lu Chen believed that no one would come to cause trouble or damage his newly renovated house again.

After he made an example of Li Mi to warn the world, he established "return points" in various places. As long as the houses were marked with the name "Lu Chen Residence," no one would dare to vandalize them, even if they were uninhabited for a long time.

Three days later, the waterside pavilion was rebuilt.

Seven days later, news spread throughout Luoyang: Wang Shichong had been assassinated.

Upon hearing this news, Lu Chen was puzzled, thinking that he, like a big butterfly, had accidentally knocked Wang Shichong out of the picture.

But by the afternoon, the news had changed:

Wang Shichong was assassinated, but he was only wounded and did not die. Not only did he survive, he also met with representatives of various forces. The morale of Wang Shichong's subordinates was greatly restored, and the neutral forces continued to observe the situation without overwhelmingly siding with Emperor Huangtai and the Dugu Clan.

Later, news came that Wang Shichong had besieged the capital, officially breaking off relations with Emperor Taizong.

evening.

Dugu Feng returned to her small residence and had drinks and dinner with Lu Chen in the waterside pavilion, where they casually discussed the assassination attempt.

"As expected, my family has joined forces with Li Mifang. The main force behind this assassination was none other than Chao Gongcuo! However, Xu Ziling impersonated Wang Shichong and used himself as bait to attract all of Chao Gongcuo's attention. The rest of us were stopped by Wang Shichong's skilled men."

"Once Chao Gongcuo landed a punch on Xu Ziling, we retreated. But this was just a trap. Wang Shichong, disguised as a follower, thought the assassins had all retreated and gave orders, thus revealing his identity. He was then punched in a vital spot by Li Mi, who was pretending to be a corpse..."

Just as Lu Chen was enjoying the conversation, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling arrived in a small boat.

Upon seeing Dugu Feng, Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling felt slightly awkward, after all, the two sides had just fought a battle the night before.

However, the two sides were acquaintances and had even fought together against the Yin Gui Sect. Last night's battle was fought on their respective sides, and there was no personal grudge between them. Kou Zhong quickly laughed heartily, greeted Lu Chen and Dugu Feng, and Xu Ziling also smiled and bowed.

Dugu Feng, of course, didn't take Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling's actions in stopping them from assassinating Wang Shichong last night to heart. She smiled and nodded at them, then asked them curiously:
"Wasn't Wang Shichong hit in a vital spot by Li Mi? How did he survive?"

Kou Zhong laughed:

"The longevity energy that Xiaoling and I possess has miraculous effects on healing injuries. Although Li Mi's punch was heavy, Wang Shichong did not die on the spot. Xiaoling and I kept him alive in time, and then healed him all night, finally bringing him back to life."

"So that's how it is!" Dugu Feng sighed in realization, "Wang Shichong is really lucky to have the two of you working for him."

Xu Ziling said, "We are not working for Wang Shichong, but only to use his strength to defeat Li Mi."

Lu Chen asked:

"So you've come here now to tell me that Wang Shichong is preparing to send troops to fight Li Mi?"

Kou Zhong laughed:

"Brother Lu, your predictions are spot on! This time, Yang Gongqing will be the commander-in-chief, Wang Xuanshu the deputy commander, and I've been given the role of strategist. What's even better is that both Commander Yang and Young Master Xuanshu think highly of me. This time, I'm going to really show my skills!"

Lu Chen nodded and said:
“Very well. I will go with you. I don’t care about anything else, I will only fight Li Mi.”

Kou Zhong was overjoyed:

"With Brother Lu leading the charge, victory is assured!"

[This chapter is 8.7K words long, combined with two other chapters. It's the last few days of July, please vote with your monthly tickets!]

(End of this chapter)