Chapter 186: How Did You Solve It?

Qingquan Lane.

Dawn was breaking; gradually, the side street grew noisy with:

"Buns..."

"Coal for sale..."

Many constables had already gone out for their morning shift, sitting at the mutton soup stall at the lane's entrance, chatting about recent official duties:

"Young Master Xie is truly formidable; he fought all the way from Danyang to Jingcheng without stopping. I heard he wiped out another wave of demon bandits last night..."

"Yang Dabiao has latched onto a big thigh; from now on, he'll at least have a seventh-rank official position as a baseline..."

"Seventh rank? Right now, he's just Young Master Xie's watchdog; later on, he might even join the ranks of immortals. This is called 'one man attains the Dao, and his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven'..."

"Doesn't that count as using connections?"

"If someone can use connections, it's because they have the ability. As for us, it would be enough if we could use Yang Dabiao's connections in the future..."

Inside the Princess's Manor, autumn chrysanthemums swayed gently in the morning breeze; cold dew condensed and trickled slowly down the petals, leaving a trail of water.

Nangong Ye, dressed in a plain black skirt, stood alone on the terrace of Wu Wei Pavilion. Through the thin gauze of her veil hat, she gazed at the golden peak of Mount Zihui in the distance. Her entire demeanor was like a glacier; her eyes held not a trace of desire, making her look like an Bingshan Sword Immortal hidden among the common folk, secretly contemplating the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth.

But as long as one does not comprehend the mortal world, one cannot avoid being disturbed by it. Even though she had chanted the Calming Heart Mantra a thousand times, certain images that disturb the Dao heart still echoed in her mind...

Nangong Ye took a deep breath, suppressing the myriad chaotic thoughts in her heart, feeling that she shouldn't have been soft-hearted yesterday.

She even said she would preserve her palace sand, but the result was...

But the situation yesterday was such; this youth truly risked his life to save her...

This youth was just afflicted by fire poison and wanted to distract himself with high spirits...

The matter is in the past; from now on, treat it as if it never happened, as if just stung by a bee...

While she was lost in such thoughts, a commotion came from the building outside the tower:

"Ah—?!"

"Shh shh shh~ You scared me; I thought someone was attacking. What's wrong?"

"I... sorry, I forgot I slept here last night. I'll go to the Academy to fix your soft armor for you; you rest a bit longer..."

Nangong Ye quickly gathered her scattered thoughts and shifted her gaze toward the house.

Moments later, a Miss wearing a horse-face skirt, her face flushed red, clutched the soft armor and rushed out, running toward Wencheng Street.

The young, handsome young hero saw her off from behind. Only when the Miss reached the main street did he buy some breakfast at a stall, then enter Courtyard Number Five, looking around left and right:

"Honghong?"

Nangong Ye's heart was filled with myriad chaotic thoughts; she really didn't want to see this youth again, but that was obviously impossible. After pondering for a moment, she moved her body slightly and landed in the courtyard.

Hush~

Xie Jinhuan carried an oil-paper package containing steaming hot sugar-heart white buns, searching the yard full of fallen leaves.

Hearing the sound of wind breaking, he turned his head, only to find a plump figure descending from the sky, pressing him against the wall by his chest.

Thump—

Looking up, he saw the black-clad swordswoman pressing his chest with one arm; the black gauze of her veil hat fluttered in the wind, her collar rose and fell slightly, and the entire composition was like an ink wash painting, cold as an emotionless, desireless ice lump.

Xie Jinhuan had indeed been somewhat 'Jin Huan' yesterday, so being pressed down now was no surprise; he picked up the bun in his hand:

"Have you had breakfast?"

After a moment of silence, Nangong Ye emphasized with an ethereal tone devoid of any desire:

"Yesterday, we helped each other. I keep my word; whatever evil you did yesterday, I won't mention it. But once dawn breaks, neither of us should keep it in mind. If you dare mention it again..."

"I didn't mention it; you're the one speaking. Eat something first; I seem to have never seen you eat."

In recent months, Nangong Ye had been taking the Grain-Avoiding Pill to break through to the Super Grade; her body was internally and externally spotless, otherwise she definitely wouldn't have indulged this youth's evil deeds yesterday!

Seeing that this youth was not afraid of her at all, Nangong Ye couldn't really beat him up. Finally, she withdrew her hand, adopting the sword immortal stance with one hand behind her back, tilting her veil hat away:

"I've already eaten. I'm preparing to visit a senior on Mount Zihui later. You stay near Wang Fu and don't run around. At noon, I'll take you back to Jingcheng."

Xie Jinhuan also planned to go to Mount Zihui, but he certainly wouldn't want to go with the Ice Lump:

"Fine. My Qi Sea has basically recovered; I can ensure my own safety. You be careful wherever you go, and come back early."

While speaking, Xie Jinhuan took a bite of the sugar-heart bun; it was white and soft. One bite filled his mouth with sweet, sticky syrup that even overflowed a bit; it tasted strangely good...

"..."

Nangong Ye glanced at the sugar-heart bun out of the corner of her eye, not knowing what scene from last night she recalled, and her sleeve moved slightly.

Swish~

Xie Jinhuan took a bite into empty air, looking blankly at his empty hands:

"Shall I go buy you a few more?"

Nangong Ye's cheeks burned hot; after taking a deep breath, she warned:

"There's mutton soup and sesame cakes at the lane entrance. You are not allowed to eat such things in the future!"

"Why?"

"Sweets easily ruin teeth."

"?"

Xie Jinhuan actually didn't particularly love sugar-heart buns; he just saw them on the street earlier and thought they looked a bit like Bing Tuozi's Jianbing Shenjun, so he bought one to try. Seeing this, he nodded:

"Makes sense; I'll listen to you."

Nangong Ye found it truly difficult to stabilize her Dao heart; she leaped into the alley and vanished in an instant.

Xie Jinhuan came to the alley to see her off, found the Ice Lump was gone, turned around, and wanted to quickly run to the Demon-Suppressing Mausoleum to ask the Bai Mao High Priestess to add the Jin Guang Mantra.

As a result, this turn revealed a red-clad ghost, sticking out a tiny pink tongue and leaning right in front of him:

"Lue lue lue~"

"?"

Xie Jinhuan shivered in fright, yet this time his reaction was astonishingly swift; with a speed that left no time to cover one's ears, he lunged forward:

Smack~

Ye Hongshang was an illusion; without allowing Xie Jinhuan to create the sensation of a kiss, a sneak attack was actually impossible.

Yet even now, the ghostly face stiffened, shrank back, and her soul-stealing, heart-snatching eyes were filled with coldness, like an erupting volcano about to explode!

Xie Jinhuan, not expecting the sneak attack to succeed, grabbed the wrist adorned with a large wife's bracelet:

"Sorry, sorry, I couldn't help myself."

Ye Hongshang pulled her hand away, hummed lightly, and walked out of the alley carrying her red umbrella:

"Why would sister get jealous? But last night you didn't speak to me, so sister is angry; for three months you won't be able to touch me."

?

Did I even bring up the matter of jealousy?!

Xie Jinhuan thought the ghost was truly straightforward and walked briskly beside her:

"Yesterday was a case of acting out of necessity; I was poisoned by fire toxin and actually wasn't very comfortable either, I was just focused on detoxifying..."

Ye Hongshang raised her left hand, revealing a crystal ball containing a self-satisfied, sinister smile:

"You've almost forgotten your own surname; how can you still be 'Jinhuan'?"

Xie Jinhuan glanced slightly, realized he was indeed a bit deserving of a beating, and changed the subject:

"Why are you writing all this down? You don't even show it to me..."

"Sister is writing it down as evidence; later, when I recover my true form, if I can't win an argument at home, I'll help them recall past happy experiences; guaranteed, one look and they won't make a sound..."

?

Xie Jinhuan thought such a ghost-wife was so unscrupulous that having three wives and four concubines would surely beat him to death later, but that was a matter for the future; for now, he chatted casually as they flew toward the city gates...

——

On the other side.

Beneath the morning light, the scenery of Mount Zihui was like a painting.

In a courtyard built on the cliffside behind the main peak, an old hundred-year osmanthus tree swayed in the mountain wind, emitting a faint fragrance of osmanthus.

Nangong Xianzi, carrying her sword, walked alone into the main hall of the three-room courtyard and gazed at the portrait hanging in the central hall.

The portrait depicted a spiritual, ethereal female Daoist in a green robe, with a magical sword on her back and an umbrella hanging at her waist; her lively eyes seemed alive, gazing at the endless mountains beyond the door, as if watching every move of her descendants from some unseen realm.

On the writing desk in the side room lay the brush, ink, and inkstone used by True Person Qixia in years past, wiped clean; seven small characters were still visible on the table:

This young lady wants to become a Fairy!

These seven somewhat childish characters were not the mischief of a Daoist novice, but the motto carved by True Person Qixia during her studies.

True Person Qixia entered Mount Zihui in the final years of the previous dynasty; at that time, the world was in turmoil, demons and evil spirits rose everywhere, and sectarian feuds were uncontrollable, leaving the five-hundred-year-old Mount Zihui with merely over a hundred disciples.

True Person Qixia lived in this secluded courtyard; her talent was not particularly good, and her cultivation goal differed from her fellow disciples who aspired to bring peace to the world; she simply wanted to become a fairy who could fly high and low and remain forever young; it was said she only came to seek a master because she had been poisoned by reading tales of immortals and strange phenomena.

Yet, by sheer coincidence, all those with lofty ambitions ultimately fell upon the thorny path of cultivation; only True Person Qixia, whose goal was not entirely upright, truly achieved 'a Dao-heart as iron,' with a clear aim and tireless effort, climbing to the position of inner-door direct disciple despite her unremarkable talent.

Discovering Mount Zihui's resources were scarce, she descended the mountain alone and began a long journey, traveling from Danzhou all the way to the Southern Border, slaying demons and monsters along the way, seizing treasures by force, and coaxing fellow Daoists to open their hearts, enduring countless hardships...

And when several years later, the Corpse Ancestor emerged from seclusion and the Wu Sect's chaos erupted, True Person Qixia returned to the mountain, truly becoming the 'Fairy' in the eyes of the world. Not only was her Dao profound, but she also carried a host of magical treasures snatched from who-knows-where, and her ability to track demons and evil spirits was no less than Xie Jinhuan's today.

Moreover, while Xie Jinhuan at least left behind shattered corpses when slaying demons, True Person Qixia traveled a thousand li alone, grinding bones to dust and leaving not even a scrap; for the demons and evil spirits she killed, the righteous heroes could only confirm her achievements through the magical artifacts she carried.

Such a fierce and swift manner won the entire righteous path's deep appreciation; ultimately, alongside the Twin Saints Ye Ci, the Bodhisattva Yu Nian, the Three Immortals of the Northern Border, and others, she became the greatest hero in quelling the great calamity of the common people; the imperial court bestowed upon her the title 'True Person Dongxuan Canmiao,' placing her alongside the 'Bodhisattva Guangdu Cihang' as an officially sanctioned immortal and Buddha.

Nangong Xianzi had never seen True Person Qixia in person, but as a direct disciple, she had always regarded this restorer of Mount Zihui as her role model.

Coming here at this very moment, she wished to recall her teacher's deeds and stabilize her own Dao-heart.

True Person Qixia's ambition was to become a universally respected Fairy; her original intention was not entirely upright, and her life's actions held some questionable points, yet no one could question her contribution to the people of the world, and she ultimately achieved her goal.

And her ambition was 'to cultivate for the sake of the common people'; even if, as she cultivated, she formed an inexplicable bond with a junior, leaving her Dao-heart and body unclean, as long as she had no regrets toward the common people, then she should also have no regrets toward her teacher's teachings... right...

Nangong Xianzi gazed at her master's portrait on the wall, her heart in turmoil, even feeling somewhat afraid to face those eyes in the painting.

After all, if her teacher knew the mistakes she had made, she would likely be ashamed to be associated with her and would expel her from Mount Zihui on the spot.

And just as Nangong Xianzi's mind was filled with myriad thoughts, a disturbance suddenly arose outside the main gate:

"Sister Nangong has something on her mind?"

The voice was light, mature, and gentle, like a master's wife visiting her disciple, giving one a feeling of being bathed in spring breeze.

But upon hearing this familiar voice, Nangong Xianzi's back radiated a hint of deadly solemnity; by the time she turned around, she had already regained her usual ice-mountain appearance of a pure Dao-heart, gazing at the courtyard:

"You still dare to come to Mount Zihui?"

Beneath the lush, hundred-year-old osmanthus tree stood a stone chess platform.

Bu Yuehua, cloaked in black with a green gauze veil covering her face, revealing only a pair of peach-blossom eyes, rested her round, perky, beautiful hips on a stone bench, her posture remarkably graceful:

"You are like a dragon that shows its head but never its tail; if I don't come here, where else can I find you? Come, let's chat?"

Nangong Xianzi's aura froze a thousand li, yet deep inside she was actually somewhat panicked.

After all, if this demoness discovered the absurdity of last night, she could eat her alive for the rest of her life!

But judging by her expression, she probably hadn't discovered it...

Nangong Xianzi carried her sword to the side of the chess platform and gazed at the distant mountains:

"I have nothing to chat about with you."

Bu Yuehua did not engage in subtle wordplay; with a slight lift of her left hand, a streak of light darted out from beneath her cloak.

Whoosh~

The streak of light was as fast as a flying fire meteor, invisible to ordinary eyes, but Nangong Xianzi merely shifted her thought, and an invisible wall seemed to appear beside her.

A three-inch flying dagger pinned against an invisible wall, trembling violently, yet unable to advance a single inch further, before falling to the ground.

Click~

Then both fell silent, leaving only the faint sound of autumn wind sweeping through osmanthus leaves:

Rustle rustle rustle~

Bu Yuehua sat up straighter, her peach-blossom eyes examining the ice block as steady as a mountain, her expression surprised:

"How did you unravel the Immortal-Burning Gu?"

Nangong Ye had not fully deciphered it, but after being treated by the yellow-haired man for over half an hour, the Yang poison was suppressed to less than half a percent, allowing him to make a few moves without issue.

At this moment, Nangong Ye's eyes were also filled with surprise:

"How did you unravel the Seven-Star Nails?"

"..."

Both fell silent again.

Bu Yuehua felt the development of events was somewhat unexpected; she thought for a moment, stood up, placed her hands on her waist, and the deep blue skirt hem beneath her cloak rippled like water waves:

"A mere Seven-Star Nail cannot stump this Sect Master. Since the Blood Alliance has been dissolved, let us consider past matters settled and discuss the Phoenix Feather Grass and the Zhu Que Tomb..."

Settled?

Because of the Immortal-Burning Gu, the suffering Nangong Ye endured was beyond this demoness's imagination; not tying her up on the spot and dragging her before Xie Jinhuan for equal retribution was only because she was a righteous person who could not commit such heinous acts.

Seeing the other party casually say "settled" and wanting to sweep the matter under the rug, she certainly did not wish to agree.

But the problem now was that she had not fully unraveled the Immortal-Burning Gu; if she struck three or five times, she would be exposed.

This demoness was currently at full strength, capable of stepping into Super Rank at any moment; dealing with her would be like playing; if she truly discovered the problem, it would no longer be a matter of talking at a table.

Beating her on the spot and taking the Phoenix Feather Grass would spread through the Jianghu as her being inferior in skill!

Forced by the uneven balance of power, Nangong Ye reined in her aura and sat beside the chess platform:

"This past year, due to your hidden schemes, I suffered many setbacks; I will settle this score with you. However, one thing is one thing; if you wish to discuss the Phoenix Feather Grass, I will talk with you."

Bu Yuehua had stood up prepared for battle; discovering Nangong Ye would not strike, she sighed in relief and sat down opposite:

"I paid a heavy price to unravel the Seven-Star Nails, but since you have already unraveled the Immortal-Burning Gu, I will not seek retribution from you.

"I will find another Phoenix Feather Grass for you as compensation. Recently, I have uncovered some secrets of the Zhu Que Tomb, which I can share with you, and then we can go together to seize the opportunity."

Nangong Ye's brow furrowed slightly: "You think I would trust you again?"

Bu Yuehua lifted her hood; the purple-blue butterfly hairpin behind her bun shimmered with a gem-like glow under the autumn sun:

"Beautiful, isn't it? This is Jin Shi; part of it was used to cast the 'Command of the King.' It is the most Yang material in the human world; carrying it, I need no longer fear the Yin cold air corrupting my lungs on the night of the new moon."

"Did you obtain it within the Zhu Que Tomb?"

"Yes. However, I dared not go deep, finding only a small piece; there must surely be a great opportunity hidden within."

While Bu Yuehua spoke, she produced a stone the size of a fingernail and pushed it before Nangong Ye.

Nangong Ye picked up the mineral to inspect it, confirmed it was genuine, thought for a moment, and gave her reply:

"According to our previous agreement, the Phoenix Feather Grass shall be decided by our cultivation levels; the treasures of the Zhu Que Tomb shall be split equally between us. As for the information, I will give you three vials of Green Spirit Pills."

Bu Yuehua sighed lightly: "Then there is nothing to discuss. I will go find Master Sikong and the others; I can still seize the opportunity within the Zhu Que Tomb."

"If you can control these people, why seek me? Beware that after discovering the treasure, you may not get the item yourself and instead become someone's concubine."

"Hehe~ This does not concern Sister Nangong."

Bu Yuehua stood up, spinning a slender long knife in her right hand:

"Since the Blood Alliance has been dissolved, if you insist on deciding by cultivation levels, I have no objection to fighting you. The winner takes the Phoenix Feather Grass, and we will have no further ties; thereafter, do not even think about the things in the Zhu Que Tomb."

"..."

Nangong Ye could not win a fight right now!

She fell silent for a moment in response:

"Zihui Mountain is a sacred place; if you break it, you cannot afford to pay. You also have not brought the immortal grass. At the end of this month, outside Zhenan Pass, bring the Phoenix Feather Grass, and we shall fight to decide the winner."

"Oh?"

Bu Yuehua blinked her peach-red eyes and reminded:

"By the end of the month, I may have already found an opportunity to enter Super Rank; are you preparing to let me celebrate two joys at once?"

"What opportunity are you seeking?"

"Can I tell you that?"

"..."

As long as Nangong Ye unraveled the Immortal-Burning Gu, she could step into Super Rank without relying on the Phoenix Feather Grass; after a brief consideration, she raised her hand to dismiss the guest:

"If you can win then, it is your skill; this Daoist is willing to accept the gamble and admit defeat. Please return."

Bu Yuehua said no more, turned, and walked gracefully toward the mountain's exterior; the waist and hips beneath her black cloak swayed with a moderate yet naturally seductive amplitude...

Nangong Ye, her face like cold jade, watched her departure, unaware of what she was thinking.

However, Bu Yuehua had not gone far when she turned back, glancing at her own waist and hips:

"Why are you looking at my butt? Have you changed your taste?"

?

Nangong Ye turned her veil hat toward the endless mountains, her voice clear and cold:

"Whore."

"White Tiger."

Slap—

Nangong Ye slapped the chess platform, displaying killing intent that soared to the heavens.

Bu Yuehua's eyebrows and eyes curved; her figure bowed elegantly, and then she disappeared leisurely along the mountain path...

……

———

To be honest, even after Aguan finishes a polished draft, it takes three or four hours, which is slower than others writing two chapters!

Yesterday was eight thousand words, today nine thousand; I've made up for some of the leave taken the day before. Aguan did her best!

(End of this chapter)