Chapter 194: First Encounter Beneath the Moon (Begging for Monthly Tickets)

The night of the seventeenth of September.

A full moon hung in the sky. The yellow-earth land at the wedge between the two rivers had become a sea of lanterns; ats of large and small boats drifted along the riverbanks like fireflies, and the din could faintly be heard from the opposite shore.

A large ferry was moored at the riverbank. Since another round trip would mean missing the time of the Heroes' Assembly, it did not set sail again, but served instead as a temporary passenger and sightseeing vessel, providing lodging for the wandering martial folk who had nowhere else to stay.

In a room on the third floor of the big ship, Nangong Ye sat cross-legged with his back to the silver moon outside the window, eyes closed and spirit gathered, like an unmelting Bingshan.

Meiqiu crouched alone at the window, gazing at the row upon row of barbecue stalls along the riverbank, yet not the slightest appetite stirred in her — like a Sword Immortal bird who had already seen through the mortal world.

On the bed, Xie Jinhuan lay flat on his back, proper and upright. For three days now, he had been using heavenly materials and earthly treasures to forge his body.

Although the Vigorous Dragon Tiger Pill's effect on elevating realm was not obvious, it could solidify the foundation and raise the upper limit. With the pill containing a stalk of Sixty-Year Lotus now digested, his speed had already become slightly greater than that of the half-demon He Man, and other aspects had improved as well.

The Transformation-Shedding Pill, on the other hand, was an external pill of the Danding Sect, specializing in expanding the qi channels and qi sea to elevate realm. After fully absorbing it, most of the qi sea had condensed into jade liquid, with a small portion still in mist form.

Because the 'Spirit Qi realm' was artificially divided into Third, Second, and First Rank, it was actually very difficult to judge the boundary precisely through bodily condition alone. But Xie Jinhuan felt within himself that he had just stepped onto the threshold of Rank 1.

With his current inhuman body, plus a set of martial skills specialized in killing martial artists, and combat experience fused into his subconscious, this level of cultivation — if he truly did encounter a Rank 1 peak martial artist — he had the confidence to win, though admittedly it was not entirely safe.

After all, he had his opportunities, and so did other prodigies. Among those who had come to Sanjiangkou to seize opportunities this time, there was no lack of monsters who had maxed out every aspect.

If he could raise himself a little more, to 0.75 Rank, he would be confident that below Transcendent Rank he was invincible. But for this bit of improvement, he truly had no resources left to throw at it.

As the surging qi and blood within his body gradually steadied, Xie Jinhuan's consciousness awoke. He opened his eyes soundlessly, saw the pitch-black room, and was blank for a moment. Then, spotting the Seeing Bing Tuozi seated at the window, he let out a breath of relief:

"Yun Hong?"

"……"

Nangong Ye had been in quiet cultivation for three days, and her heart had already been like still water. But when the man's voice reached her, a thousand waves instantly rose in her heart, and her whole body tensed.

The moment this fellow woke up, the detoxification would begin…

Nangong Ye was a little afraid to open her eyes and respond, but if she didn't detoxify him, she wouldn't be able to defeat the witch of the Wu Sect. After a slight hesitation, she turned her head as if nothing were the matter:

"How is it?"

"Feeling great."

Xie Jinhuan flipped over and stood up, feeling his body as light as a swallow, while within it was contained inexhaustible explosive power — the stubbornness of a donkey, enough to easily chisel the Seeing Bing Tuozi in front of him into begging for mercy.

Xie Jinhuan first loosened up his joints and bones, then stepped forward. Seeing that Meiqiu was staring at the brightly lit land outside the window and had not run off to beg for food, he was surprised:

"Heh~ why so well-behaved today?"

"Gu Ji ji…"

Meiqiu did not turn her head. Her voice carried three parts of detachment, the meaning presumably being — Bird-bird has likely attained enlightenment! All things have spirit, yet sentient beings only know to slaughter one another; the bird is the blade, the fish is the meat…

?

Xie Jinhuan, thinking Meiqiu was still angry at him, picked her up and rubbed her, then looked out the window:

"We've arrived? What a lively scene. I've grown this big and never seen anything like this."

Nangong Ye, seeing this fellow's waist and belly right up against her face, leaned back slightly:

"I need to pay a visit to a few seniors. You can go wander around the county town first, and come back early."

Xie Jinhuan looked down and caught the look of distaste and avoidance in her eyes. Propping himself up with both hands behind him, he found it rather amusing:

"What are you dodging? It's not like I haven't touched you before."

"?!"

Nangong Ye had indeed touched his abs before, but that was when she had been dazed from being tormented — an unconscious act. Now her lips moved slightly, then she turned her head to look elsewhere, declining to respond.

Xie Jinhuan, seeing this, lowered his head and gave a peck on the Seeing Bing Tuozi's side profile.

Smack~

Nangong Ye closed her eyes, gritting her teeth secretly, but in the end said nothing. The result:

Smack smack smack~

"You!?"

"Alright, alright, I'm going out."

Xie Jinhuan rose and began packing his things, looking toward Meiqiu:

"Let's go, I'll take you to get something to eat."

"Gu Ji…"

Meiqiu had already lost all worldly desires. She turned her head, flew onto the bed, and dropped off to sleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

Xie Jinhuan was slightly puzzled, but said nothing more. After washing up and tidying his attire, he turned and went out the door.

Click~

Nangong Ye maintained her turned-head, thousand-mile-distant posture the whole time. Only when the door closed did she secretly let out a breath, rise, fasten her veiled hat, and leave the room…

——

The moon was bright and the stars were sparse; inside Jiang'an County, the hubbub of voices rose to the heavens.

Xie Jinhuan walked down the street in the center of the county town, and finally understood the phrase 'a sea of bobbing heads.'

At this moment the streets were ablaze with lanterns, yet all one could see moving were conical hats, veiled hats, and bare skulls. Traffic was nearly paralyzed; horses and carriages could no longer enter the county town.

Xie Jinhuan had read books as a child and once fantasized about a grand gathering of the jianghu, but he truly had not expected such a scale. Moreover, it wasn't all fighting and killing — it was more like a temple fair. Along the roadside, many wandering martial folk had set up stalls:

"Fortune-telling, qi-reading, bone-examination — lineage from the Northern Zhou's Huang Lin Abbey…"

"Blades and swords from Longyun Valley — the Valley Master is right at Fengbo Tower. If they're fake, I'll throw in a death to boot…"

"The Jianghu Records just printed by Danyang Academy — a must-have for young heroes just entering the jianghu. Young hero, want a copy? It has portraits of beauties from all over…"

……

Xie Jinhuan's steps halted. He took out thirty copper coins and bought a booklet. On the cover was a female knight holding a long sword upside down, ethereal and floating — features clear and beautiful, the artwork exquisite, the figure also commendable. But the name inscribed below was 'Nangong Ye.'

His dream wife looks like this?

Xie Jinhuan frowned slightly, feeling this was a hundred times worse than the Seeing Bing Tuozi — only the cold, aloof bearing bore some slight resemblance. He casually flipped through other beauties and saw that inside there was also Nangong Xianzi, Bu Yuehua — styled as a witch of the Gu Du Pai draped in a cloak with a small medicine bottle at her waist…

You can't even see her face here either…

Xie Jinhuan flipped through the portraits of big shots like Wei Wu Yi, Duan Yuechou of the Fengshan Society, Yang Qing of the Jingzhou Gang, and Shen Jinyu of the Blood Rain Tower, feeling they looked the part.

But when he flipped to Lu Wu Zhen, he tossed the book aside immediately.

After all, Lu Wu Zhen looked to be in his forties, while the book depicted a centenarian; apart from the stereotypical image of an immortal with wind-like grace and Dao-like bone, there was not a single resemblance.

Because the county town was indeed bustling, Ye Hongshang also appeared; with people packed so tight there was no space for a model, she turned into a one-foot-tall little sprite, sat on his shoulder, yet still carried the red umbrella and wore high heels, looking around:

"There are quite a few swordswomen. Should sister help you pick one out?"

Xie Jinhuan saw the one-foot-tall carriage, paused slightly in surprise, raised his hand to touch it, and only withdrew it after the ghost wife slapped his finger:

"You're generous now. If I really flirt, you'll definitely get jealous again."

"Heh~ It's just one more pair of chopsticks in the house. How could sister quarrel with a little sister who just arrived..."

Xie Jinhuan had nothing else to do anyway, so he strolled all over the street.

Ye Hongshang transformed into the 'Ghost-Drone Radar', scanning the various crowds on both sides of the street.

Because the county town itself was not large in scale, as they gradually approached the Fenglou Tower where Super Rank big shots resided, the little ghost wife on his shoulder raised her eyes and looked toward the roadside inn:

"There. That Miss is quite special. She is beautiful, seems to have a treasure concealing her aura, her yang energy is very heavy, and her true background cannot be seen..."

Xie Jinhuan turned his gaze and saw the inn's main hall, packed with people, where a storyteller was performing.

At a table inside the window sat a swordswoman wearing a veil hat, dressed in a dark blue skirt, draped in a beige cloak to block wind and sand, with a sword on her back. Although her face was unseen, her temperament was quite graceful; sitting there, she was like peach blossoms releasing a subtle fragrance, gorgeous but not vulgar, seductive but not demonic.

Hearing the heavy yang energy, Xie Jinhuan asked:

"Did this Miss also fall victim to the Immortal-Burning Gu?"

"No, she is just carrying a supreme yang treasure that conceals all aura; nothing else can be seen."

Xie Jinhuan pondered slightly and shook his head: "Sanjiangkou is full of hidden tigers and dragons; one hand cannot count all the Super Ranks. If you can't see her background, approaching her randomly is likely to cause trouble."

Ye Hongshang twirled her small umbrella, urging him like a succubus in his ear:

"This Miss is indeed beautiful. Asking won't get you beaten. Isn't your ability great? If you can get this Miss's name today, sister will step on you again; this time I'll definitely pull the bowstring loose."

"..."

Xie Jinhuan had no resistance to the ghost's beauty trap; since wandering around was pointless anyway, he hesitated slightly but still listened to the ghost's nonsense, turned, and entered the inn.

The inn was already filled with people; the storyteller was recounting the past of the Jingzhou Canal Gang's rise:

"It is said that Yang Qing, at twenty, defeated Du Mushan in a single battle to become famous, becoming the head of the Jingzhou Gang. In merely twenty short years, he had already ranked among the Seven Martial Heroes..."

"Du Mushan, did he eventually become Li Gongpu's dog?"

"Yes. Li Gongpu's family was exterminated by Guo Empress Dowager's lover, and Du Mushan's whereabouts are unknown..."

Xie Jinhuan entered the main hall wearing a bamboo hat, paid no attention to this anecdote, glanced left and right, and arrived beside the veil-hat swordswoman who occupied the only empty seat:

"It's full. May I borrow a seat?"

The woman lifted her veil hat slightly, looked at him, bowed very gracefully, and then continued to gaze at the storyteller.

Xie Jinhuan sat beside her, listened for a moment, and struck up a conversation:

"Du Mushan is also a pity. Twenty years ago he was a local hero, yet in his old age he became a servant to a court jester. I once saw him in person; I never thought such an old man had ever fought Yang Qing."

The veil-hat woman seemed not to hear.

Xie Jinhuan's attempt to chat hit a cold butt again; his expression became awkward. However, to make the ghost convinced and untie the bowstring, he pondered slightly, glanced at the woman's appearance with his peripheral vision, and said: "Miss, you do not seem to be a swordsman."

?

The veil hat of the woman moved, and her gaze turned toward him:

"Why does the young hero say this?"

Her voice was light, mature, and gentle, sounding very much like a dignified and quiet young married woman, giving a feeling like a spring breeze.

Xie Jinhuan felt this Miss must be extraordinary and said with a smile:

"Miss, your sword is too new; it was produced by the Fengshan Society and was likely purchased temporarily at the weapon shop at the county gate. Furthermore, above the Martial Dao, every sect has many rules. Carrying a sword on the back is for quick drawing. Look at that swordswoman..."

Xie Jinhuan slightly raised his chin, indicating a heroic swordswoman sitting opposite.

The veil-hat woman glanced over and saw that the swordswoman also carried a sword on her back, but her left shoulder faced the wall, with the sword hilt facing outward.

Xie Jinhuan continued: "Sitting this way, if an opponent attacks from anywhere in the hall, the sword is out with a raised hand. The left side is a wall with no one, so the defensive blind spot is placed there. But Miss, your right shoulder faces the wall and the window. Think about it: if I attack from the hall to ambush you, how awkward would it be for you to draw your sword and counter?"

"..."

The veil-hat woman knew how to use a sword; sitting here was because she mainly used a blade, which was hidden under the cloak, hung on her left waist. When trouble arose, the blade would be out with a raised hand, and leaning against the corner was safer. But drawing a sword from behind to attack an enemy on the left was indeed quite awkward.

And if she sat in Xie Jinhuan's position, drawing the sword would indeed be smoother, but pulling the blade with the right hand would first require chopping the table, causing some obstruction.

"The young hero has excellent eyesight."

"I wouldn't say I have excellent eyesight. Miss surely knows these things too; you just picked up a weapon casually and didn't intend to use it for defense."

As Xie Jinhuan spoke, he looked at the veil-hat woman's sitting posture:

"Miss, your hands are folded on your waist, your demeanor very graceful. But this posture is also suitable for pulling something from the waist, such as hidden weapons. With a flick of the hand, they are out with no prior sign, and the sleeves block the opponent's line of sight. So I guess Miss can use hidden weapons. Of course, being born into a wealthy family and cultivated in demeanor since childhood, you might simply prefer this more dignified posture."

The veil-hat woman examined Xie Jinhuan carefully, and finally fixed her gaze on the weapon wrapped in black cloth at his waist:

"Young Master, you hang your weapon on your left waist; sitting this way seems incorrect too."

Xie Jinhuan spread his hands slightly and smiled: "This is the only table left. If I don't sit here, I must face the window with my back to the hall. Although I would be closer to Miss, the hall is full of people, and having my back to them makes me uneasy. Besides, blocking your flying knives would be smoother this way, especially those flying from under the table."

"..."

The veil blocked the woman's face; although her expression was unseen, she must have smiled:

"Young Master is an expert, and quite witty."

Xie Jinhuan was indeed afraid this swordswoman would throw a flying knife at him. His left hand appeared to rest on the table but was ready to grab the Tiangang Mace at any moment. At this distance, there was no time to draw the mace; he could only block with the scabbard. Speaking of it, this was also flirting while risking danger.

"Traveling the Jianghu is like this: one must not have the heart to harm others, but one must not lack the heart to guard against them. Having spoken for so long, I still do not know Miss's identity. May I ask which sect or school Miss comes from?"

The veil-hat woman fell silent for a moment, then nodded in response:

"I do not change my name when walking, nor my surname when sitting. Hua Ruyue of the Qingming Sword Manor."

"Clouds desire clothes, flowers... hmm?!"

Xie Jinhuan still wanted to compose a poem, but upon realizing the situation, his expression froze; he glanced at the female knight across from him, words caught in his throat.

Seeing the handsome young knight's strange expression, Bu Yuehua blinked her eyes:

"Has the young knight heard my story?"

Xie Jinhuan felt there must be a grand story behind this!

He strongly suspected whether this woman's identity was true; if it was, then Seeing Bing Tuozi's identity was rather suspicious.

After all, the Qingming Sword Manor truly produced only a few sword seeds, three to five per generation; how could they appear so frequently, and both be peerless beauties of the mortal world...

However, Seeing Bing Tuozi also used a treasure to conceal her aura, and the two looked quite similar...

Although this female knight seemed not to rely on the sword on her back and didn't look much like a professional swordsman, one couldn't be certain she wouldn't use a sword; perhaps her sitting this way had another purpose, guarding against opponents outside the window...

If both were real...

then what kind of female sword immortal must the master of the Qingming Sword Manor be...

"Hmm..."

To confirm the truth, Xie Jinhuan hesitated for a long while before asking:

"I once wandered the Jianghu and met a female knight named Mu Mu Yun Hong; Miss, have you heard of her?"

?

Bu Yuehua sat up straighter, carefully examining the young knight before her:

"Of course I have heard of her; she is about your height, wears a black dress, and carries a sword with a green scabbard on her back."

Seeing that this woman knew Seeing Bing Tuozi, Xie Jinhuan was truly shocked in his heart:

"Is that so? What a coincidence. May I ask, Miss, what is your relationship with that female knight..."

"I am her senior sister."

"..."

It was over; he had flirted with his future sister-in-law...

Xie Jinhuan felt quite awkward in his heart and clasped his hands in a bow:

"So it is Sister Hua; I was disrespectful just now."

Bu Yuehua nodded and returned the bow: "Does the young knight bear the surname Xie?"

?

Xie Jinhuan hadn't expected that after chatting for just a few sentences, he had learned nothing, while this female knight had completely uncovered his secrets.

Could it be that this female knight brings me bad luck, and I have encountered a calamity...

"Uh... how did the Miss see through it?"

"Your appearance, your martial arts; in the Great Qian Jianghu, a man as outstanding as Young Knight Xie is rarely seen."

"Sigh, Miss, you flatter me. That is to say..."

"Where is Mu Yun Hong?"

"..."

Xie Jinhuan had thoroughly ruined her junior sister; without discussing it with Seeing Bing Tuozi first, how could he dare to bring her back directly? He said shamefacedly:

"Female Knight Mu is also in Sanjiangkou, but as for the exact location, I am not clear."

Bu Yuehua had seen people from Mount Zihui yesterday; it was not strange for their arch-enemies to be here.

And for the arch-enemy to know Xie Jinhuan was also reasonable, after all, Xie Jinhuan was a rising star of the righteous path, rose in Danyang, and had an unclear relationship with the arch-enemy's disciple...

But she did not understand why Nangong Ye would use the pseudonym they used when they first met...

Could there be something hidden behind this...

Thinking of this, Bu Yuehua grew three parts suspicious and said softly:

"I came on this journey without Mu Yun Hong's knowledge; do not tell her about this matter. If you meet me in public later, pretend not to know me."

Xie Jinhuan was somewhat puzzled: "Why?"

Bu Yuehua explained softly: "The Qingming Sword Manor has a rule: the master passes the inheritance only to the most capable disciple. Myself and Mu Yun Hong are usually sisters, but in such matters, we must compete against each other. I do not know where she is, and she does not know where I am. If you happened to encounter me and reported it to her, you would make an enemy of me."

Xie Jinhuan understood the meaning—the female rivalry of the Qingming Sword Manor sisters!

Then this flirtation had become somewhat complicated; he clearly could not offend his future sister-in-law...

If the two fought, no matter whom he sided with, this marriage would face enormous resistance in the future...

Xie Jinhuan sensed the situation was not quite right, stood up, and said:

"In that case, I will pretend I never met Miss Hua and leave first."

Bu Yuehua did not try to stop her obedient disciple's husband, merely nodding slightly:

"Farewell."

Xie Jinhuan ran off quickly...

——

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(End of this chapter)