Chapter 223: A Soft Cry (An extra chapter for Hall Master Han Da de 123)

Yu Liancheng gave the order, and soon a table of exquisite wine and dishes was prepared in the living room.

A maid poured wine for Yan Nantian, but Yan Nantian found the wine cup too small, so he had someone fetch a bowl, poured a large half-bowl, tilted his head back, and gulped the entire bowl of wine into his stomach, loudly praising, "Good wine."

Yu Liancheng said, "Since it is good wine, drink a little more."

In his past life, Yu Liancheng did not like drinking, especially at gatherings, clinking glasses and calling brothers with a group of people he barely knew; that feeling was truly not very pleasant.

But after crossing over, he gradually grew to like the feeling of drinking.

Mellow wine and beautiful women, wielding a sword in the Edo—just hearing these eight characters is enough to make one intoxicated.

Solitary drinking is tasteless; drinking with different people brings different feelings.

Drinking with a great hero like Yan Nantian, moved by his heroic spirit, one could not help but drink a few more cups.

Both were martial arts experts, and sitting at the same table, they naturally discussed profound martial arts, especially sword techniques.

The paths Yu Liancheng and Yan Nantian took were very similar; both relied on force to suppress others, overbearing and peerless.

They could gain inspiration from each other.

The two chatted for a while about sword techniques, and after Yan Nantian heartily drank a bowl of wine, he changed the subject and actually recounted the techniques and mysteries of the Wedding Dress Divine Skill one by one.

Yu Liancheng's eyes flickered as he listened intently.

He had long wanted to get his hands on this Wedding Dress Divine Skill, even planning to trade it for the secret of Xiaoyuer and the favor of dealing with Jiang Biehe.

Yet he had not expected Yan Nantian to be so incredibly magnanimous.

Not only did he recount the mental cultivation method of the Wedding Dress Divine Skill, but he also shared his own insights and experiences in practicing it, simple and straightforward, yet thought-provoking.

If Yu Liancheng were to practice the Wedding Dress Divine Skill, this would save him months of bitter effort.

The two drank wine, ate dishes, and discussed the subtleties of martial arts, not noticing the passage of time.

Yu Liancheng sighed in admiration for the "Wedding Dress Divine Skill."

Yan Nantian was equally shaken, finding it inconceivable.

It was only because the martial arts Yu Liancheng was involved with were truly too numerous, each one profound and vast, and each one a top-tier martial art in the world.

Yan Nantian could not help but say, "The martial arts you have learned are too messy; why not specialize in a few? Breadth is not as good as depth."

Yu Liancheng smiled and said, "In fact, everything I have learned is based on hard-body techniques and sword arts. As for the others, most are just practiced casually, without much thought."

"Practiced casually?" Yan Nantian was stunned.

"Indeed, practiced casually." Yu Liancheng nodded.

Yan Nantian was silent for a long while, then took another sip of wine and placed the wine bowl heavily on the table with a "bang."

Yu Liancheng wore a smile; whenever he discussed his martial arts talent in front of others, especially when facing a supreme expert like Yan Nantian, he would feel an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

After a moment, Yan Nantian added, "In fact, with your martial arts, you don't even need the Wedding Dress Divine Skill to assist you; you are already almost invincible in the world. And if you were to practice the Wedding Dress Divine Skill, you would instead waste a lot of time."

The Wedding Dress True Qi cultivated by the Wedding Dress Divine Skill is extremely yang and rigid, as fierce as flames. After completion, it is not only difficult for oneself to use, but one must also suffer its torment day and night. One can only transfer the Wedding Dress True Qi to others, but to successfully practice the Wedding Dress Divine Skill, one must spend twenty years of bitter effort.

Yu Liancheng said, "Great Hero Yannantian, do you think there are any shortcomings in my martial arts?"

"Your sword techniques, light-body techniques, and others are not inferior to mine, and perhaps even a step better." Yan Nantian frowned and pondered, "If there is a shortcoming, it is Internal Force. Although it can be considered pure and vigorous, if you were to encounter me, or that Palace Master Lianxing, you would inevitably suffer."

"That is exactly so; I am still a step behind in internal cultivation methods." Yu Liancheng nodded slightly: "Now I have collected the four great peerless arts of the current age—Wedding Dress Divine Skill, Five Ultimates Divine Art, Mingyu Kung, and Fossil Divine Skill—and I intend to use them to create an unprecedented, peerless internal cultivation method. And this method is what suits me best."

Yan Nantian frowned: "I fear this is not simple."

That was an understatement; for others, just practicing one of those four divine skills would take a lifetime of effort, yet Yu Liancheng wanted to melt them into one furnace and create a new peerless art.

Yu Liancheng raised his eyebrows and smiled: "If it were too simple, I wouldn't bother doing it."

Yan Nantian scrutinized Yu Liancheng for a long time, then clapped his hands in praise: "Good ambition. The waves of the Changjiang River push the waves ahead; I am old, and my ambition is gone."

Back then, his temperament was strong and stubborn, always believing that what others could not do, he certainly could. Therefore, he was determined to conquer the "Wedding Dress Divine Skill" with his own power, rather than abandoning it and starting over. It is a pity that before he could conquer it, he entered the Villain's Valley.

If he had to choose again, he did not know if he would still make that decision back then.

"By the way, what is the secret you wanted to tell me?" Yan Nantian asked.

Yu Liancheng said, "Has Great Hero Yannantian heard that the Yihua Palace successor, Hua Wuque, is determined to kill Xiaoyuer no matter what?"

Yan Nantian nodded: "Naturally, I know."

Yu Liancheng said, "Do you know why?"

"It is precisely because Yao Yue and Lianxing want to cut the weeds and eliminate the roots."

Yan Nantian sneered, but then frowned: "No, with their martial arts, why would they need that boy surnamed Hua to do it? Furthermore, they had such an opportunity back then; why wait until today and insist on having Hua Wuque do it?"

Beside the hall stood a screen carved with landscapes.

Xiaoxiannv Zhang Jing was hiding behind the screen, eavesdropping on their conversation.

In fact, she had been hiding there from the very beginning. It was just that when Yan Nantian was explaining the Wedding Dress Divine Skill, she had quietly left. Not long after, she had snuck back over.

This, of course, could not escape the senses of Yu Liancheng and Yan Nantian, but neither of them paid any attention to it.

And Xiaoxiannv was ice-cold and clever; naturally, she knew she could not hide from the two great experts, so this was just for show.

In reality, even if Xiaoxiannv had stayed there earlier and heard the secret of the "Wedding Dress Divine Skill," Yan Nantian would never have been moved in the slightest.

"There is, of course, a secret in this, and this secret is..."

Xiaoxiannv could not help but prick up her ears to listen; she was also very curious about this matter.

But just at this moment, Yu Liancheng's voice suddenly disappeared.

Xiaoxiannv's eyebrows furrowed, and she could not help but poke her little head out to take a look.

She saw Yu Liancheng's lips moving, but there was not a sound, while there seemed to be joy on Yan Nantian's face.

"This guy Yu Liancheng, could he be using some Voice Transmission technique?"

She felt a little stifled, and her heart felt as if it were being scratched by a cat's claws.

"Hahaha, so that's it, so that's it." After a moment, Yan Nantian's loud laughter suddenly rang out, shaking one's Qi and Blood until it boiled, and the whole house seemed to be trembling.

But in this laughter, there was an indescribable sense of joy and relief, as if he had encountered a great happy event.

"I have seen the portrait of that Hua Wuque, and I have heard of his conduct; I was wondering how they could be so similar—so that's it, so that's it, hahaha."

Yan Nantian laughed heartily for a while before restraining his smile, his tiger-like eyes looking toward Yu Liancheng.

"I was ambushed by Li Dazui and the others back then, suffering heavy injuries and becoming a living corpse. Although Doctor Wan could cure me, it would have taken at least another year or two. But one day, he discovered a note left in the medicine room; the content of the note benefited him greatly, and it was precisely because of this that I was able to be cured ahead of time. If I am not mistaken, this note was left by you."

Yu Liancheng said, "How did you know?"

Yan Nantian said, "There are many experts in Villain's Valley, and the Five Great Villains also have some ability. There are not many people who can enter and exit Villain's Valley without anyone noticing, let alone someone who is also skilled in medicine."

Yu Liancheng shrugged and said, "Alright, that person is indeed me."

Yan Nantian looked at him deeply, then suddenly rose to his full height: "I should go."

Yu Liancheng was startled: "Yannantian, you are leaving a bit too hastily; I have yet to properly host you."

"No need. If you have any matters to find me for in the future, I will naturally help you. I owe you a favor, and I also think highly of you. But my sworn brother was harmed by Yao Yue and Lianxing, yet you are close to them. Therefore..."

Having said this much, there was no need to say more: "I am leaving."

After speaking, Yan Nantian strode out toward the door with long, swift steps.

"This guy." Watching Yan Nantian's departing back, Yu Liancheng could not help but shake his head.

"Yannantian, wait for me." Xiaoxiannv emerged from behind the screen and chased after Yan Nantian.

But suddenly, a blur passed before her eyes, and Yu Liancheng, wearing a smile, had blocked her path.

Xiaoxiannv looked coldly at Yu Liancheng, her pretty face stiff as if covered in frost, saying not a word.

Yu Liancheng also looked at Zhang Jing, saying in an incredulous tone, "A fairy has actually descended to the mortal world today, coming to my humble courtyard; could I be dreaming?"

Xiaoxiannv's pretty face seemed to be thawing, but immediately she put on a cold face again, fiercely saying, "Move aside."

Yu Liancheng shook his head: "For a scoundrel like me, having encountered a fairy who has descended to the mortal world, if I were to obediently move aside, I would simply deserve to be struck by lightning."

"You really won't move?" Xiaoxiannv bit her lip, appearing even colder than before.

Yu Liancheng did not speak, only smiling and shaking his head.

"Fine, if you truly have the ability, then don't move an inch."

Having said that, Xiaoxiannv's figure darted backward, her slender hand flicked toward her waist, and a long whip with a unique design appeared in her hand. Before the whip even moved, an aura of grim slaughter already filled the entire room.

——Nine Appearances Divine Dragon Ghost Sorrow.

Crack!

Xiaoxiannv flicked her hand, and a streak of Jinguang, like a roaring, angry dragon, lashed directly toward Yu Liancheng, the sound of the wind whistling incessantly.

Her martial arts had already greatly advanced, and this Nine Appearances Divine Dragon Ghost Sorrow was, furthermore, a divine weapon of the current age.

If this whip struck a person, it could immediately cause their tendons and bones to shatter, sending them flying backward like a Broken rag doll.

Yet Yu Liancheng did not dodge.

His face still carried a smile, a smile that was like the seawater of a scorching summer, warm and full of vitality.

Just as the whip was about to strike Yu Liancheng, Xiaoxiannv let out a soft cry and flicked her wrist again, but the whip still grazed past Yu Liancheng's waist. Not only did it shatter the clothing at his waist, but it also left a wound, with fresh blood flowing out incessantly.

Xiaoxiannv stamped her foot, hurriedly walked over, and said with a mix of annoyance and urgency, "Yu Liancheng, you bastard, why didn't you dodge? It's not like you don't know light-body techniques."

Yu Liancheng laughed, "Who told me to make Xiaoxiannv angry? As long as you can vent your anger, what does taking a few lashes of the whip matter?"

"Still talking such nonsense." Xiaoxiannv pulled Yu Liancheng toward the inner room: "Where do you keep your medicine? Why don't you hurry up and bandage this."

Watching the two figures gradually disappear, Yan Nantian, standing at the doorway, sighed softly.

Yu Liancheng's hard-body cultivation was definitely not inferior to his own, and Xiaoxiannv had not truly used lethal force; at most, it was just a bit of grazed skin, so how could it possibly cause such an injury?

And Xiaoxiannv had spent a long time with Yu Liancheng; she was icy-cold and intelligent, so how could she not see it?

Was it intentionally not seeing it? Or was she blinded by love?

To Yan Nantian, there was not much difference between the two.

If Xiaoxiannv were determined to leave, he would naturally spare no cost to take her away.

But now...

Yan Nantian shook his head again, turned around, and strode away.

……

Pharmacy.

Xiaoxiannv was bandaging the wound for Yu Liancheng.

Yu Liancheng had already taken off his upper garment, revealing a perfect upper body; one could see the smooth lines and sturdy muscles, which seemed capable of erupting with earth-shattering power at any moment.

Xiaoxiannv was wrapping gauze around him. This was the first time she had been this close to a man, and it felt as if a scorching heat was radiating from Yu Liancheng's body, making her head feel dizzy.

"Actually, you can tell that this wound was intentional on my part," Yu Liancheng suddenly said.

Xiaoxiannv bit her lip and said, "It was this young lady giving you a way out; you still don't thank me."

Yu Liancheng laughed, "I am truly very grateful; I knew Xiaoxiannv was the kindest at heart."

"But you are still a heartless scoundrel..." Xiaoxiannv wrapped the gauze around Yu Liancheng's waist a few times, tied a knot, and then glared at Yu Liancheng hatefully: "But don't think I'll forgive you just like that."

"Then what do you want?"

"I want to bite you to death first." Her words were indeed not false; her pearly teeth had already bitten onto Yu Liancheng's ear, and she did not bite lightly.

Yu Liancheng rubbed his ear: "Are you a dog? You bit so hard."

Xiaoxiannv's face flushed red, and she stiffened her face again, saying, "For you to do such a thing, me not biting off this ear of yours is already being very polite to you."

Yu Liancheng said, "Then do you know that I have always been one to return an eye for an eye? You bit me, so naturally, I have to bite back."

He leaned his body forward and brought his head close.

Xiaoxiannv was just about to say something, but with a soft "Yingning" sound, she could say nothing more, and her delicate body went soft.

After a long while, Xiaoxiannv was panting, her face flushed with a rosy glow.

Yu Liancheng stroked her long hair and said, "By the way, I plan to build a Demon-Exterminating Hall; are you interested?"

……

PS: Begging for monthly votes.