[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-roaring-dragon":3,"chapter-the-roaring-dragon-the-roaring-dragon-chapter-107":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Roaring Dragon",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2281963,4463,"Chapter 107: The Petite Beauty","the-roaring-dragon-chapter-107",107,"\u003Cp>Lin Mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the window, faint insect chirps drifted in; the vast estate had long fallen silent, save for the faint glow of lantern light in the young lady’s chambers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the room, Lin Wanyi sat by the table, cheeks cupped in her hands; the lenses of her gold-threaded spectacles reflected the flickering candlelight, her eyes vacant and distant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the round table lay four dishes and a white porcelain jar, each covered with a lid, beside which stood a blue-and-white wine bottle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after waiting half the night, the food had long lost its warmth, as cold as her heart, left exposed for hours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You promised to come early tonight—how many watches have passed already…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You big lummox, I was worried you’d be hungry, so I secretly stir-fried a few little dishes…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Are you keeping company with Miss Linghu…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who else could you possibly be keeping company with…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe I should bar the door, keep you out…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After endless, silent longing, faint sounds finally came from outside the room:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Squeak~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door opened, and a white-robed young master poked half his body in; seeing the scene inside, he paused, his stern face clearly tinged with guilt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why did you still prepare food? I’m sorry—I was investigating a case earlier, so I came late…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Wanyi sat up straight, turning her gaze away, her voice cool and detached:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know—you’re a busy man. My place isn’t important anyway; you can come when you have time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her words carried clear discontent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jin had just killed Zhou Ming’an, helped Li Gongpu clean his house, then negotiated a deal with Bu Hanying—hundreds of taels changing hands in minutes, he’d been swamped; being late was unavoidable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, glancing at her, he saw Lin the beauty had changed into a dark green autumn dress, slightly more modest than yesterday, yet her demeanor had grown even more refined and gentle, the gold-threaded spectacles lending her the air of a fully bloomed, exquisite peony—clearly dressed with care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what surprised him most was the food on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jin remembered the last time he’d seen food waiting on the table—it had been before he left Jingcheng at sixteen, still studying at the academy, still fond of wandering; though his father was busy with official duties, he always waited for him at dinner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That feeling of home—when you had it, you thought it ordinary, nothing special.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But once lost, seeing it again felt like a hammer strike to the chest, as if centuries had passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Wanyi waited for the man to offer sweet words of apology, but when she saw Xie Jin was silent, she turned back—and found him smiling, yet saying nothing. He walked to the table, then turned and took her towel to wipe his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Xie Jin’s odd reaction—as if genuinely surprised she’d prepared food—she couldn’t stay angry. She rose to her feet:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was afraid you’d be hungry, so I made a couple of small dishes—they’ve gone cold. Let me reheat them for you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need. It’s so late, no point. I’m a wandering swordsman—I don’t care if food’s hot or cold.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jin pressed her shoulders down, making her sit, then sat opposite, lifting the lids off the dishes: four small dishes—stir-fried greens with pork, cold-sliced bamboo shoots, spicy-sour celery, vinegar-braised fish—and a porcelain jar of white rice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the knife work, all the dishes were clearly made by the spectacled girl herself, carefully arranged in red-and-green patterns; had they been warm, they’d have been perfect in color, aroma, and taste.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re an excellent cook—I never realized…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Wanyi sat beside him, watching him examine each dish, growing self-conscious; she picked up the stir-fried pork and vinegar-braised fish:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’re cold now, taste bad. Let me reheat them—it’s just a few steps. You eat the cold dishes first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this, she hurried out the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jin watched her swaying figure, and for the first time, his gaze didn’t drift to her hips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the petite, spectacled girl left, he shook his head and smiled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This silly girl… is so virtuous…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ye Hongshang appeared soundlessly, sitting across from him:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh~ You came for the girl’s body, but now she’s fallen for you—so you’re embarrassed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How can you say I came for her body? I came to teach her cultivation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jin corrected him seriously, though inwardly he felt awkward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, Lin Wanyi was a proper lady of the upper class, barely connected to the Witch Cult—hardly even a cultivator of the dark path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was different. With his current “practice makes perfect” bandit ways, he dared not imagine what he’d done in the past three years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The matter of Zhenyao Ling isn’t settled yet—if the tomb truly explodes in ten days and brings some earth-shaking change, who knows what’ll happen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But luckily, Li Gongpu has funded him with a massive sum; tomorrow he’ll meet the seller of the Jiazi Lotus. Once he gets it, maintaining his current peaceful life and righteous image won’t be hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After pondering this for a moment, the door opened again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Wanyi carried two steaming dishes to the table; the plates were hot, so she pinched her earlobe:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Try them—if they don’t suit your taste, tell me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How could they not taste good?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jin pulled her sleeve to sit beside her, chatting casually:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You worked hard. Today you went to inquire about medicinal herbs?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Wanyi uncorked the wine bottle and poured him a cup:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I checked—it’s no problem with the herbs, just the final payment…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry—I’ll gather it within five days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Wanyi picked up her cup, puzzled: “Where will you get that much silver?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jin clinked his cup against hers and smiled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t you know my abilities? Tomorrow, Princess Changning arrives—I can borrow enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Princess…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Wanyi’s gaze turned strange; she covered her face with her sleeve and drained the cup, then pursed her lips:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Going to serve the princess again? You… you’re a righteous hero…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jin found it amusing:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m the princess’s spear-bearer—when she arrives, if I don’t serve her, won’t I be a ghost soldier? But don’t worry—I sell my skills, not my body.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pfft~ Who knows if you want to sell it or not…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Wanyi felt these topics only made her uncomfortable, so she changed the subject:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm… You’re close to Miss Linghu—have you talked about the Nangong Sect Master?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. She said the Nangong Immortal will return after Mid-Autumn—should be soon. Why do you ask?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Wanyi had been given the daunting task of persuading Nangong Ye to surrender, and she was deeply troubled over how to handle it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a private grudge between two Sect Masters; right now, “whoever backs down is a granddaughter”—if it got out, it’d be impossible to retract. Xie Jin didn’t even know Nangong Ye; she couldn’t speak plainly, so she merely said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just curious. Nangong the Sword Immortal is deeply accomplished and renowned for righteousness—you two should get along. If you meet him, be sure to flatter him well. Hmm… if Nangong Master returns, tell me—I’m quite admiring of him too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright. If I get the chance to meet him, I’ll introduce you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jin scooped up rice with his bowl, devouring it in huge mouthfuls; with his warrior’s monstrous appetite, he finished all four dishes and the rice, leaving the plates spotless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Wanyi had initially worried he’d dislike her cooking, but seeing he didn’t mind her dishes, she felt quietly delighted; after eating, she moved to clear the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Xie Jin, after a day of fighting and killing, was overjoyed to get even a simple home-cooked meal—he wouldn’t act like a master. He took the dishes and slipped quietly to the empty Lin Mansion kitchen, cleaned everything, then returned to the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Wanyi, afraid her parents would find out, didn’t follow him; instead, she busied herself near the bed, perhaps feeling last night’s embrace had been too intimate—she even laid out a makeshift bedding on the floor beside the bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Xie Jin sneak back in, Lin Wanyi sat on the edge of the bed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tonight, you’re not allowed to climb into bed—or else… I’ll curse you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes held a third threat, sweetly fierce!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jin had a fondness for beauty, but Lin Wanyi’s effort—cooking, preparing wine, waiting half the night—was far more comforting than just touching her. He sat cross-legged on the floor bedding:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine. If I misbehave, just curse me with a love spell—I’ll suffer a thousand ants gnawing my heart!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A love curse meant surrendering her body on the spot—Lin Wanyi wasn’t that foolish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing she’d have to lie down to enter the dream, she kicked off her shoes, lay on the pillow, gazed at the back of the cross-legged figure beside the bed, and closed her eyes to wait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the familiar dizziness returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the bed vanished—and she plummeted downward…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>WHOOSH~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of waves rose beside her, accompanied by rolling thunder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Wanyi’s consciousness cleared, and she felt her body violently rocked, as if seated on a boat; opening her eyes, she saw not endless abysses or stone steles, but an endless ocean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above, storm clouds gathered thickly; the sea surface glowed a dark, slate-black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Waves taller than men surged from the horizon, turning broken planks floating on the water into mere wood chips in a torrent, violently tossed, nearly impossible to sit upon; seawater drenched her, icy and bone-chilling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thrown suddenly into this lifeless, perilous realm, her face paled; she clung desperately to the edge of the floating plank, frantically scanning:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xie Jin? Xie Jin?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the broken plank, she was utterly alone—as if the entire world had forgotten and abandoned her in this dead sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She struggled to keep her balance, barely avoiding being swept off the plank; after scanning, she noticed movement beneath the water beside the wood:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gurgle… gurgle…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She leaned over the plank’s edge—and saw Xie Jin submerged, flailing wildly, bubbles bursting from his mouth, trying to rise, yet sinking deeper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In panic, Lin Wanyi leaned forward, grabbed Xie Jin’s arm, and pulled upward with all her strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Splash~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jin burst out of the freezing, biting seawater, rolled over, and landed on the bamboo raft.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fuck, cough cough...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Wanyi couldn’t sit still; she clung to Xie Jin, eyes wide with fear and confusion as she scanned the surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s going on? Where are we?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jin had nearly drowned, and he was just as bewildered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as the spellcaster, he couldn’t show confusion—he gripped the gaps in the wooden plank to steady himself:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I just used this kind of spiritual technique for the first time; I’m not yet skilled at controlling the dream. What you think about during the day appears in your dreams. This situation… hmm… maybe it’s because I drank too much earlier and needed to relieve myself…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh? You… you didn’t wet the bed, did you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How could I? I’m not a little kid.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Wanyi clung tightly to Xie Jin, watching the towering waves around her. Even though she knew this was a dream, her heart pounded with terror—she felt she would die in the next second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, Xie Jin was right beside her. If she were alone in this storm-tossed, endless ocean, she didn’t know how desperate she’d become…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment’s pause, realizing she wouldn’t fall, Lin Wanyi grew slightly calmer. She looked around, then up at the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above the dark, oppressive sky, thousands of lightning serpents writhed together, forming a shifting thunder-pattern, nearly identical to the star chart she’d seen last night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the saying goes: first time awkward, second time familiar. This time, without Xie Jin’s guidance, Lin Wanyi turned slightly and leaned against him, memorizing the thunder-pattern above, silently repeating to herself:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Got it, got it… Hey? Why did I lose it…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jin lay on the floating, bobbing broken plank, one arm wrapped around the plump, curvaceous glasses-wearer. At first, his thoughts wandered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, Lin Wanyi, afraid of falling, had pressed herself into his armpit. His arm encircled her upper body, and the soft, full pressure against his skin inevitably stirred memories of that half-hour on the boat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sea churned with monstrous waves; the narrow plank could easily capsize in the storm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jin could barely maintain his own balance, let alone carry someone. He couldn’t move or fidget—only focused on staying steady so Lin Wanyi could memorize the technique, while he continued studying his own “Alternate Candle Pouring.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after a few moments of study, Xie Jin frowned inwardly, then turned his head to scan the storm-tossed waves and the broken plank beneath him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Wanyi had been earnestly seeking that moment of enlightenment. Seeing Xie Jin turn his head, she looked up and asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s wrong?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jin thought for a moment, then shook his head with a smile:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Could we be back in bed again?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh? This is your broken dream—you go down!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What if I drown if I go down?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t care—you’re doing this on purpose!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How could I possibly do this on purpose? Focus on memorizing the technique. Don’t let your mind wander.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2208,"2026-06-20T01:38:11.747Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","dbfa8a0210b0390c45c9f560055556e9cb718510eb9e830ed6774672b2b2f739","the-roaring-dragon-chapter-108","the-roaring-dragon-chapter-106",252,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-roaring-dragon-cover.jpg"]