Chapter 182: Golden Pollen Condenses Dew, Autumn Feelings Endure (Requesting Monthly Tickets)

Night fell at the Imperial Astronomical Bureau.

Lu Wu Zhen, clad in a Daoist robe, entered the Qianyuan Underground Palace beneath the Eight-Directions Bright Tower; behind him followed the Monk Wuxin leaning on his staff, Fan Li, and Cao Fuer, who, though a high-ranking Grand Eunuch of the Inner Court, could only wait outside the gate in this place.

The Qianyuan Underground Palace was a special vault storing national treasures such as the Long Xiang Fuying Decree, various cultivation materials and treasures, and secret famous weapons, all guarded by Lu Wu Zhen for the past few decades.

With the passing of the Qian Emperor, the transition of the new monarch had begun; naturally, the treasures stored in the underground palace, along with various top secrets known only to the Emperor, had to be handed over to the new ruler.

Lu Wu Zhen walked along the central path of the underground palace toward the Qilin stone wall at the very front; on both sides stood stone platforms holding the Qilin Box, swords and blades, stone tablets, and other items.

Zhao Jinghuan, having been Crown Prince for twenty years, was learning for the first time the sheer quantity of treasures stored by the imperial court; there were even some objects he did not recognize.

As the current Zhang Sect of the Great Qian Buddhist Order, Monk Wuxin had studied in Jingcheng when the Great Qian was founded, had even met the Taizu Emperor, and was well-traveled and knowledgeable; now walking beside him, he introduced:

"This blade is named 'Xiang Wang Ling'. It was a weapon forged jointly by all sects to slay the Corpse Ancestor during the Gu Du Pai rebellion; it is supremely yang and righteous. It was once used by Saint Ye, and returned to the imperial court after the war..."

Zhao Jinghuan passed through the underground palace and soon arrived before the Qilin mural.

Lu Wu Zhen placed his palm on the stone wall, opening a stone door; inside lay a golden book.

The book was a secret imperial classic recording the Empire's top secrets such as the Corpse Ancestor's Tomb, the Human Emperor Cauldron, and the Qilin Cave; of those present, only Lu Wu Zhen knew the general situation; Monk Wuxin and Fan Li had actually never seen it.

As the Great Qian Emperor, one certainly had to know these top secrets to clearly understand why abnormal troop movements occasionally occurred in various regions.

Zhao Jinghuan entered the stone chamber alone, flipping through the golden book to examine it carefully; his gentle and refined eyes reflected the intricate text and star charts upon the book.

Lu Wu Zhen stood at the door, looking toward Monk Wuxin waiting before the Qilin mural:

"You are now the Deputy Director, bearing the responsibility of monitoring demons and evil in the Great Qian; you have the qualification to know these things. Won't you take a look?"

Monk Wuxin spun his prayer beads and shook his head:

"These things are burdens weighing on the shoulders; this humble monk obeys the Imperial Decree."

These words also served as a pledge of loyalty; after all, if the Emperor knew what he did not, any abnormal order from the imperial court might stem from deeper reasons, which must be obeyed without question.

Lu Wu Zhen said nothing more, simply waiting quietly outside the door.

However, before the handover process concluded, his junior granddaughter Jing Wuniang arrived outside the underground palace.

Seeing this, Monk Wuxin leaned on his staff and approached the door with a kindly demeanor:

"Is there an urgent matter?"

Jing Wuniang had come to report to her Grandmaster, but since official business was being conducted inside the underground palace, she dared not enter to disturb; she respectfully bowed:

"Just now, Marquis of Danyang Xie Jinhuan eliminated another wave of demon bandits at Songhe Bay; the leader seemed to be He Man."

Zhao Jinghuan and He Man were cousins and childhood friends; Monk Wuxin turned to look back and asked:

"Were there any civilian casualties?"

"Over twenty demon bandits were all slain, including one ghost cultivator. Xie Jinhuan must have been with a partner, pursuing He Man; large traces of battle were found along the riverbank, including the Cold Eagle Claws used by He Man, a severed arm, and fragments of his skull. Xie Jinhuan seemed to have been ambushed by a powerful foe and has vanished..."

Monk Wuxin's white eyebrows furrowed slightly; leaning on his staff, he left the underground palace;

"This old monk will go and see."

——

Meanwhile, at Songhe Bay.

Personnel from various offices had rushed in from the capital, surrounding the entire villa; constables carried the scattered corpses into the courtyard for examination.

As for the underground prison originally holding the poison masters, more than a dozen poison masters had long vanished, leaving only iron chains hanging on the wall.

The specialty of the Gu Du Pai was their skill in escaping; if a dozen sect experts could be trapped to death without guards, the Gu Du Pai would not deserve to survive to this day; almost as soon as He Can and Zhang Chu left, numerous poison rats had begun displaying their supernatural abilities to break free.

By the time the government office arrived, the entire villa had turned into a death house.

Because the number of demon bandits slain was somewhat large, Cao Huaian, Monk Jingkong, Feiji, and others were all within the villa at this moment.

Yang Dabiao, seeing his own brother solve another major criminal gang case, felt a sense of shared honor and whispered to Feiji:

"Look, this is what 'wealth cannot corrupt, and the original heart remains unchanged' means. Jinhuan, once a commoner in plain clothes, spent his days slaying demons and risking his life; now ennobled as a Marquis, living in a grand mansion with beauties by his side, he still slays demons and risks his life. If every cultivator in the Great Qian were like this, where would demons and evil find shelter..."

If one disregarded Xie Jinhuan's motives and looked only at his outward actions, he was indeed so righteous it seemed sinister, having integrated the seven characters "sacrificing oneself for the common people" into his very bones.

Because such incidents were so numerous, the immortal officials and high-ranking officials present had almost grown accustomed to it.

However, Xie Jinhuan had been sleeping for nearly half a month, and the Huguo Temple had just arrived; the yellow-robed monk standing at the front still wore a trace of confusion between his brows:

"Young Master Xie's character and abilities have long spread far and wide, but this wave of demon bandits hid very deeply; this humble monk cannot quite figure out how Young Master Xie discovered them and managed to block both leaders perfectly."

The monk's name was 'Fa Chen'; he was the eldest disciple under Monk Wuxin, currently serving as deputy at Huguo Temple, handling daily official matters on his master's behalf.

Facing the inquiry, Cao Huaian, the Zhenfu Shi of the Red Lynx Guard, responded:

"Master Fa Chen should get used to it; Young Master Xie's past pursuits of fugitives have always been this unexpected; for several days, only the Sifang Guan yielded nothing."

County Commandant Feiji interjected: "Actually, it wasn't entirely fruitless; He Man was among them at the time, it's just no one expected him to be a secret agent of the Mingshen Sect..."

"Indeed."

——

While undercurrents surged in the Jingzhao Prefecture, Danyang City, located on the north bank of the Huai River, remained relatively calm.

Late at night, classes at the Danyang Academy had ended; only a few 'study kings' could be seen burning the midnight oil in the dormitories, studying hard or refining pills and forging artifacts; Li Jing, meanwhile, was playing chess with Old Mu in the bamboo grove behind the academy.

White lanterns hung inside the Danyang Wang Fu; the Danyang Wang, dressed in mourning hemp, stood atop the Danyang Pavilion, gazing toward Luoyang, his face full of sorrow; inside the study behind him lay a long spear, a weapon custom-made by Xu Hunli for Xie Jinhuan, which simply had not yet had the chance to be delivered.

In the back alley of the Princess Manor, old County Commandant Yang Ting sat in the courtyard, telling his grandson of his son's great achievements in the capital:

"Dabiao, in a rage, shielded everyone behind him, raised his blade, and faced the demon directly..."

"Wow, Father is so amazing..."

The sixth courtyard not far away, though uninhabited for nearly a month, was cared for very diligently by the landlady, who arranged for servants to clean regularly; now, both the inner and outer courtyards remained spotless.

Knowing that the Wang Fu might have spies from the Mingshen Sect, and to prevent information leaks, Xie Jinhuan did not alert the Wang Fu personnel; silently, he leaped over the white wall; only after entering the main room did he breathe a sigh of relief:

"Haa..."

Nangong Ye was drenched in sweat, having reached his absolute limit, but upon arriving outside Mount Zihui, where the Academy and Wang Fu commanded by Mu Yunling were nearby, he felt slightly reassured:

"This... whose house is this?"

Because she had been relying on the soft girl's suppression to control the medicine's effect, her voice was extremely gentle and soft.

Xie Jinhuan, having traveled a long distance, was also drenched in sweat like rain; now carrying Seeing Bing Tuozi, he arrived at the bedroom on the west side and placed her on the bed frame:

"This is the house I rented in Danyang; the alley is inhabited by guests of the Wang Fu and officials from the government office..."

Before leaving Danyang, Linghu Qingmo and Wanyi had tidied the house; now the bedding and pillows on the bed were arranged neatly, and a layer of Bai Bu covered them to prevent dust.

Xie Jinhuan lifted the Bai Bu, helped the nearly dehydrated Seeing Bing Tuozi lean against the pillow, and intended to use his icy qi mechanism to assist, but his Qi Sea was almost exhausted; he could only take out the 'Xian Shu Qilin Pendant' to cultivate qi, then searched around Seeing Bing Tuozi's waist:

"Fire-Adding Oil Pill, did you bring it?"

As a life-saving medicine, Nangong Ye naturally carried it.

But seeing Xie Jinhuan's heart beating like thunder, sweat dripping continuously from his chin, and the five bloody holes on his left arm caused by being grabbed, Nangong Ye, even with a heart of iron and stone, could not let Xie Jinhuan suffer the torment of burning flames again; she pressed down on the miscellaneous items at her waist:

"You... you shouldn't take it; you should rest a bit..."

Xie Jinhuan sat in front, breathing heavily, his eyes helpless:

"You are almost gone; how can I rest? My Qi Sea is empty; I can hardly maintain the icy qi mechanism. Take the medicine now, and later I will help suppress the Yang poison before resting..."

Nangong Ye grabbed the medicine bottle and did not let go.

This outing today truly made her heart feel like it was being cut by a knife; setting aside the fact that Xie Jinhuan gritted his teeth and rushed all the way without forgetting to transmit icy qi to her, just the act of leaping through the mountains and forests to rescue her made her full of fear at this moment.

Although Xie Jinhuan was not beaten to death, who could guarantee that the life-saving item could withstand a strike from a Super Grade expert?

If it couldn't be defended against, Xie Jinhuan would truly have died right there.

Now both were exhausted and injured; how could she stand by and watch Xie Jinhuan endure the torment of burning flames for a quarter of an hour, and then help her suppress the Yang poison?

Actually, Xie Jinhuan's body still hid a surge of extreme Yin qi; just like on the carriage, obtaining it could suppress the Yang poison, and Xie Jinhuan would feel very comfortable.

Nangong Ye knew that doing so was wrong, but it was better than continuing to have her heart cut by a knife; looking at the young man searching for the medicine bottle, she bit her silver teeth in secret, tears even glistening in her eyes; with unknown willpower, she uttered a sentence:

"You... you use that one; don't take the poison."

?

Xie Jinhuan held the Bai Bu and wiped the sweat from his face:

"Which one?"

Seeing this young man asking a question he already knew the answer to, Nangong Ye's phoenix eyes showed a slight evasion, but she still replied:

"You have already done enough for me; I cannot let you endure the torment of burning flames again just to suppress the Yang poison. I will use my Yin cold qi; you... you may do as you please; as long as you feel more comfortable, that is enough."

Do as you please?

Xie Jinhuan looked at the Seeing Bing Tuozi with determined eyes, then swept his gaze over her plump and graceful figure, with its dramatic curves:

"Are you sure? I am not a shy young scholar; if you dare to give, I will truly eat and take."

Nangong Ye's meaning was only to let him hug and touch, at most kiss once.

Hearing Xie Jinhuan want to eat and take, her heart couldn't help but become conflicted.

But now she was poisoned by Yang poison; it was because she quarreled with the demoness, having nothing to do with Xie Jinhuan.

Xie Jinhuan was genuinely risking his life to save her; she saw it all clearly; even if condemned by a thousand people, she could not let this young man covered in wounds continue to endure that kind of burning torment, which even under normal circumstances was almost unbearable; for this reason, her eyes showed a trace of determination:

"You... you just must not remove the Guardian Sand. I will seal my divine sense; when I wake up tomorrow, I will pretend nothing happened; you are doing this to suppress the Yang poison for me; I will not ask about anything you do..."

Xie Jinhuan felt it was somewhat difficult; he leaned against her and tried to kiss her cheek, which was as cold as jade.

Pop~

Nangong Ye discovered this young man was truly not polite; pressed down by his heavy body, her mind was instantly stirred up with surging waves; sensing her cheek being kissed, her eyes panicked:

"You... what are you doing?"

Xie Jinhuan heard that anything was allowed, yet she wouldn't even let him kiss; his eyes were somewhat speechless; he sighed and continued searching around her waist:

"Give me the Fire-Adding Oil Pill; rest assured, I can withstand the Fire poison."

"..."

Nangong Ye knew Xie Jinhuan could withstand it, but she could not let Xie Jinhuan endure that kind of heart-burning pain for her again; after a moment of conflict, she resignedly closed her eyes:

"You... you cover my eyes; do not remove the Guardian Sand, or people will discover it. The rest, you do as you please; when I wake up tomorrow, I will pretend nothing ever happened."

Xie Jinhuan did not delay; he pulled out the handkerchief he had always carried from the waist of the black skirt and covered the tightly closed beautiful phoenix eyes:

"Fine. Your condition is more serious; focus on suppressing the Yang poison."

Nangong Ye lost her vision and could only hear the breathing close at hand; her heart became even more nervous instead, afraid that when she woke up, nothing would remain; she added:

"The Qingming Sword Manor has a family rule; I cannot do that, or I will not be able to face elders and relatives in the future."

"Rest assured, I won't go wild. By the way, can I continue doing this in the future?"

"?"

Nangong Ye feared this young man would not get enough; her tone was firm:

"No. If we... if we had met a year earlier, perhaps..."

"You are not already promised to someone, are you?"

"No."

Nangong Ye's collar rose and fell slightly:

"I am the next Manor Master of the Qingming Sword Manor; I must remain pure and never marry; therefore, this can only happen once; in the future, we absolutely cannot..."

"Then I will still take the pill; this way no one is put in a difficult position; to be honest, taking the pill is even faster..."

"No!"

Nangong Ye grabbed the medicine bottle, her voice very firm:

"I would rather break the rules and be ashamed to see people for the rest of my life than let you take poison to help me again. You... you hurry up; I cannot hold on much longer..."

To be honest, Xie Jinhuan was somewhat confused by the Seeing Bing Tuozi's attitude of pretending to refuse while actually welcoming.

Seeing Bing Tuozi, in order to spare him from suffering, was clearly willing to give anything, but she could not let the guardian sand on her arm be broken, nor could she continue afterward...

There must be a very important reason behind this, such as a betrothal contract or the requirement to remain unmarried for life.

Xie Jinhuan thought for a moment, then looked at the face covered by blindfolds and said:

"Rest assured, I will not make things difficult for you or do anything improper. Do not overthink things tomorrow, and you are strictly forbidden from leaving without a word or vowing never to see me again; otherwise, I will plaster your portrait all over Great Qian."

"..."

Nangong Ye clenched both fists, her red lips moved, and after a moment of hesitation, she said faintly:

"I will not leave. We are currently making an emergency exception and helping each other. After I seal my divine sense, I will know nothing, so you had better not tell me anything tomorrow either..."

Xie Jinhuan, having confirmed that Seeing Bing Tuozi would not run, nodded slightly and attempted to cover her mouth.

"Mm?!"

Their lips met, and the bedroom fell silent, leaving only the sound of heavy breathing.

Nangong Ye leaned against the pillow with her eyes covered; the instant she felt the touch on her lips, the mind she had forced to hold together was shattered, turning into drifting with the current.

She had intended to seal her divine sense, focus solely on treating the Yang poison, and pay no attention to what was about to happen.

But for some reason, she could not faint; she kept noticing the grinding of lips and tongue, and moments later, her red lips instinctively parted slightly, while two rows of clear tears silently rolled down from her phoenix eyes beneath the black gauze.

Yet these tears were not of grievance or resentment, but rather a feeling that Heaven truly played tricks on people, having set such a tribulation for her, Nangong Ye.

On the day they first met outside the Eastern Market, she had already sensed this tribulation, yet she could not stop herself from sinking deeper and deeper until today, when she could not even faint, not knowing how to survive this tribulation.

However, as long as the guardian sand remained, she could pretend to faint; if she fainted, then she would know nothing, and nothing would have happened.

Although if it were accidentally exposed later, she might be pointed at by a thousand fingers, despised by her disciple, and this child, knowing her identity, would likely be struck as if by lightning, even resenting, distancing himself from, and despising her.

But she absolutely could not, for her own sake, let this child endure the agony of flames burning his body with a clear conscience.

As long as he feels a little comfortable now, it is fine; she already owes him too much, and this is also helping her...

Hurry up and faint; close your eyes and open them, and everything will be over...

Why haven't you fainted yet...

What... what is he doing?

Xie Jinhuan had a straightforward personality and liked to take advantage face-to-face; taking advantage while the other party was unaware would not be taking advantage for free, would it?

If Seeing Bing Tuozi truly fainted, he would just kiss her once and be done; the rest would resolve itself, and then he would scare Seeing Bing Tuozi tomorrow.

But Seeing Bing Tuozi was pretending to faint and even responding awkwardly, so he could not hold back and began to probe the boundaries step by step...

Nangong Ye, with her eyes covered, suddenly felt a chill in the middle of the night; her legs were being manipulated, and she gritted her teeth, saying:

"You..."

"Sorry, these silk stockings look really good. Didn't you seal your divine sense?"

"?"

Nangong Ye's face flushed red; she bit her red lips and showed a look of disgust:

"I keep my word; I promised you, so I put them on. I was woken up by you."

"Oh, rest assured, I'm just looking at the legs; I won't do anything."

"..."

Nangong Ye did not believe him in the slightest, but she said nothing; her entire body lost its strength, as if she had fallen into a coma again.

Yet her divine sense still could not be sealed; she could perceive every touch and reaction of her limbs, and this boy was starting to push his luck again...

Nangong Ye was filled with shame and anger; she tried to faint several times, but her mind was dragged away by this boy's unspeakable probes until she became confused and lost her senses...

"Hah~ Mm..."

Amidst soft breathing, the green gauze curtains quietly fell, gradually covering the full spring scenery and snow-white skin in the room.

Outside the room, moonlight spilled into the courtyard with white walls and green tiles.

The slightly cool night breeze of September blew against the golden chrysanthemums blooming quietly outside the window; branches and leaves swayed in the wind, silently telling of deep autumn, until the morning breeze gradually rose, hanging a few drops of cold dew...

———

Requesting monthly tickets or 2!

(End of this chapter)