[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-roaring-dragon":3,"chapter-the-roaring-dragon-the-roaring-dragon-chapter-197":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},2282053,4463,"Chapter 197: New Grievances, Old Grudges","the-roaring-dragon-chapter-197",197,"\u003Cp>“Gukji, gukji...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The desireless Meiqiu continued flipping somersaults in the outer room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan neatly folded his clothes and bed linens, opened the window to air out the room, and even brewed a pot of fine tea, so his sister-in-law wouldn’t notice anything she shouldn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before he finished, he heard heavy footsteps outside:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud. Thud. Thud...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Full of killing intent!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing trouble brewing, Meiqiu quickly hid in the inner room, watching secretly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan set down the teapot and was about to look around when the door was flung open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black-clad female martial artist strode in, sword in hand, and lunged straight at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hss~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan felt this wasn’t about her impatiently pushing him again, but still opened his arms to catch her:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nangong Ye pinned Xie Jinhuan onto the tea couch, her eyebrows drawn sharp:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When did you meet her? Why didn’t you tell me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her tone was like a cold ice queen catching her lover cheating—with the mistress being his business rival...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan knew they were in female rivalry; the ice block being caught red-handed was only natural. He explained:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She said she’s your senior sister, and told me not to reveal it, or she’d make an enemy of me...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She told you not to tell, so you hid it from me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She’s your senior sister—how would I dare offend her? By the way, is she really your senior sister? I tried hinting earlier, and you didn’t answer...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nangong Ye, though utterly unwilling to acknowledge that witch as her senior sister, could only grit her teeth and nod:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan spread his hands: “Then there’s nothing I can do. Elder brother as father, elder sister as mother—if I offend your senior sister to death, how will I ever get along with you again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She and I are only fellow disciples, with no bond...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know. Qingming Sword Manor competes fiercely—only the strongest becomes master. You and her are vying for it. She told me not to interfere, so I didn’t. I planned to pretend I never saw her. I never expected her to track you down. Luckily, Meiqiu warned me, or it would’ve been over...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gukji?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meiqiu, peeking from the doorway, looked confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Xie Jinhuan struggle to explain, Nangong Ye fell silent for a long while, then finally released her grip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the witch had come claiming to be her senior sister, and she truly knew her—and had warned this boy not to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if this boy was clueless about social niceties, he had to consider future consequences. Pretending he never saw her was understandable. The only problem? He’d drawn the witch here!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She followed you, and you didn’t notice?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan swore by A Piao that no one had followed him back—he’d checked several times. He himself didn’t understand how Sister Hua had found him. He recalled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’d just returned when Sister Hua showed up. Could she have followed you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nangong Ye hadn’t known the witch was at Sanjiangkou, hadn’t been cautious. They knew each other well—if the witch had planned it, she could easily have trailed her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, Meiqiu was alert and spotted her early. If the witch had burst in while he was pushing the melon, she could’ve just thrown herself into the river...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, Nangong Ye felt a chill of dread and rose to leave:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m leaving. Watch your safety.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan reached out and hooked his arm around the ice block’s slender waist, keeping her pressed down:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aren’t you going to detoxify?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’d nearly been caught in flagrante delicto—how could she stay here as a concubine to the Marquis of Danyang?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if she didn’t detoxify, how would she deal with the witch by month’s end?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she lost, she’d lose everything—give herself away for free, and still lose the Phoenix Feather Grass...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a dead end...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nangong Ye’s expression was as cold as frost and snow, yet she had no reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan knew what the ice block feared. He soothed gently:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Detoxifying doesn’t require doing anything improper. We’ll just lie here—nothing else.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, he swallowed a Pill of Added Fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the pill lived up to its name—it was pure added fire!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nangong Ye, lying atop him, watched the brat’s forehead sweat yet face calm. She wanted to harden her heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if she wanted detoxification without giving anything, the debt would be true feeling...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After long gritting her teeth, Nangong Ye finally said seriously:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I promised you—I won’t break my word. You... have Meiqiu stand guard outside. Don’t let anyone see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the ice block insisted, Xie Jinhuan said nothing more. He rose, picked up Meiqiu, placed her on the windowsill as lookout, then shut the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nangong Ye sat cross-legged on the couch, silent. But the brat was surprisingly gentle, sitting before her, soothing:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t overthink. If anyone comes, I’ll know. Just focus on detoxifying.” Nangong Ye had no other choice. She closed her eyes and said nothing, then was gently pressed back onto the chess couch, her breathing growing uneven, her robe loosening...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after being tormented for a while, she suddenly remembered something and flipped him over, pinning him down:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You promised me—today you won’t... won’t do that!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan blinked: “Then you do it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nangong Ye paused, crossed her arms over her full chest, knelt before him on the couch. Finding his gaze from above humiliating, she took a handkerchief and covered her eyes:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t touch my face.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then I’ll just do it myself...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nangong Ye quickly pinned him down, gritting her teeth as she slowly moved, only to have him lift her chin—through the handkerchief, she could still feel his smug, appreciative gaze...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Jiangzhou Gang’s headquarters stood in the southeast corner of the county. Dozens of gang members stood outside the compound; as an outsider group, few admirers gathered nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep within the compound, Xu Guan, over sixty, sat cross-legged on the terrace, dressed in a scholar’s robe, radiating the refined elegance of Jiangzhou’s water towns. From appearance alone, one would never guess he was Jiangzhou Gang’s leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiangzhou Gang originated as a guild of dock laborers and boatmen from southern ports—lowly but numerous. Now, its influence stretched across the southeast coast, with agents at nearly every port. Due to its proximity to the Southern Wilderness, it inevitably engaged in clandestine dealings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiangzhou Gang’s partner was the Black Yen Gang of the Southern Wilderness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Black Yen Gang began as pirates, but faster profits from robbery couldn’t match steady trade routes. Now, it had become the Southern Wilderness’s largest smuggler, trafficking salt, iron, medicine, and more via sea routes to both northern and southern dynasties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Black Yen Gang’s Second-in-Command, Liang Yue, sat across from Xu Guan and spoke respectfully:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Phoenix Tomb last appeared sixty years ago—apparently, a northern Zhou expert obtained it. This year, the Southern Wilderness has been scorching hot; wildfires frequently rage through Phoenix Valley. The boss suspects the opportunity has surfaced again...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Xu Guan ranked seventh among martial artists, his talent had reached its limit. Without a divine opportunity, he could never ascend further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Black Yen Gang clearly wanted Xu Guan as an ally to seek the Phoenix Tomb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Southern Wilderness was perilous. Xu Guan had a family and business—he couldn’t risk wandering off, or his base might collapse. He replied:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If the Yen Boss has no concrete information, how can I go blindly? If I waste my time, who will manage my branches? Let’s discuss this later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liang Yue’s main goal was securing Tiger Bone Vine; recruiting allies was secondary. Seeing this, he said no more and shifted to other gang matters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But mid-conversation, the branch chief Liu Wen entered the corridor and bowed at the terrace:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boss, Gong Sun Duan was arrested by the imperial court.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liang Yue frowned, eyes wary:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Great Qian court arrested someone at Sanjiangkou?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Guan also looked puzzled. Sanjiangkou was a martial gathering—grand in scale, but essentially like Wei Wuyi hosting a birthday banquet and inviting friends for dinner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the government office to arrest someone there? That was a direct slap in the face. If Wei Wuyi couldn’t handle it, his martial prestige would plummet—he’d become “Wei Wu Gu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who arrested him? What’s Snow Eagle Ridge’s reaction?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It was Xie Jinhuan, the rising star from the capital. Li Gongpu and He Guozhang both fell to him. He wielded the ‘Demon Subjugation Edict,’ claimed Gong Sun Duan was a remnant of a demonic sect, broke his meridians, and dragged him away. Snow Eagle Ridge heard and said nothing—instead, they warned people to keep quiet about the incident. They clearly want to bury it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Guan’s brow furrowed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Immortal Officials hunt demons—Snow Eagle Ridge can’t interfere. But Gong Sun Duan isn’t a demon. Did Xie Jinhuan arrest him right before your eyes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Wen nodded: “He crippled Gong Sun Duan right in front of me, and warned me not to stir up trouble. His demeanor—I’d dare spread rumors, he’d arrest me too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liang Yue, from the Southern Wilderness, didn’t know Xie Jinhuan well. He found it unbelievable:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Court hounds this arrogant? Jiangzhou Gang isn’t even human to them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Guan’s expression darkened further:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This boy is backed by the ancient elder of the Hidden Immortal Sect, close to the Alchemy King, and has been granted the title Marquis of Danyang. Even if he openly defied Wei Wuyi, Wei Wuyi couldn’t retaliate. Note this for now—we’ll deal with it later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Understood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At midnight, a merchant vessel sailed upon the river, its decks dark and unlit, with several sailors patrolling the deck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below, in the cabin, He Can crouched before an elderly man and asked solemnly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sir, you seem to possess some skill—could you divine the fortune of this journey?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man was the Yin-Yang Master abducted from the outskirts of Jingcheng; now his hands were bound, his meridians sealed, his face etched with sorrow:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your eye corners rise sharply, concealing auspicious energy; your cheekbones are full, hiding fortune and blessing—you have the countenance of longevity. Thus, your journey holds more fortune than misfortune; ours holds more misfortune than fortune.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sir is truly a master. To be seized by heretical Daoists and used as a human sacrifice is truly a waste of heaven’s gift.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having spoken, He Can glanced at the black-robed monk seated in meditation within the cabin:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you hear that? Even the fortune-teller says my fortune outweighs my misfortune, while yours is the opposite. You may doubt me, but you must believe fate. With only a dozen of you, how will you break into the Tomb of the Corpse Ancestor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black-robed monk sat with closed eyes in meditation; hearing the question, he said nothing, only withdrew a golden artifact from his sleeve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Yin-Yang Master gave it a brief glance, and his pupils shrank slightly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A Vajra Exorcism Club? How could heretical Daoists possess a sacred Buddhist relic?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Can was also surprised: “I knew you’d dare dig up the Corpse Ancestor—but if this item went missing, wouldn’t Wu Xin Monk notice? Isn’t that just alerting the enemy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black-robed monk remained seated, eyes closed, meditating:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s precisely because we didn’t alert them that the Buddhist sect will become the target of all. Whether we break open the tomb or not is irrelevant—once I strike with this chisel, Wu Xin Monk will be no different from Sikong Shitang.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Can moved closer, crouched before the black-robed man, and studied him closely:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you even compare yourself to the Corpse Ancestor? Even if Sikong Shitang nurtured a tiger to his own ruin, the Corpse Ancestor never turned on his own sect elders—so why is it called the ‘Wu Sect Rebellion,’ not the ‘Heretical Daoist Rebellion’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Look at your own kind—you immediately devour your own. Xie Jin pretends not to see. What’s the point of capturing me? If you captured Xie Jin to serve as the Corpse Ancestor’s vessel, you’d be ‘The Emperor Riding the Martial Ancestor’—truly invincible…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black-robed man found He Can annoying and ignored him…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aguan normally writes at eight hundred words per hour, and even after finishing, he must delete a fifth of the fluff; if he hits a block, he explodes in frustration. From four a.m. yesterday to two a.m. today, he tried to write more, but the longer he stayed up, the less he could produce—he simply can’t stay awake any longer. He’ll sleep now. The next chapter may not appear until afternoon, or2!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2112,"2026-06-20T01:38:11.747Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","d8e5f0740070f80b5118cc61ad546d5a66825293090daf4e19023c133c8c20e0","the-roaring-dragon-chapter-198","the-roaring-dragon-chapter-196",252,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-roaring-dragon-cover.jpg"]