Chapter 209: Some Rejoice, Some Mourn

As the moon rose and the sun set, the surging river water had long calmed, yet the clamor along the banks continued unabated; even a dense autumn rain in the evening failed to dampen the enthusiasm of the busybodies.

Lying in the room, raindrops struck the window, making a faint tapping sound, while distant, indistinct chatter could be heard:

"Truly impressive..."

"Even Wu Zu Ye Sheng back in the day probably wasn't much better..."

"Hua Ruyue is definitely Xie Jinhuan's mistress; not only did she forfeit to let the man compete, but she was also the second one to rush up and help him..."

"Who was that first black-clad heroine? I couldn't see her face clearly with the veil hat, but her figure and temperament are no match for Heroine Hua..."

"Who else could it be? Her lover, of course. For a figure like Young Hero Xie, there are plenty of older sisters eager to spoil him..."

"Xie Lang~ Xie Lang..."

Xie Jinhuan had over-exerted his body to the point of collapse; he had blacked out before even hitting the ground. When his consciousness returned, he found himself in an elegant room lit by incense. The room was silent, but outside the mansion, it seemed as if hundreds or even thousands of people had gathered, and he had no idea where or when he was.

"Goo-jee?"

Perhaps noticing he had woken, the pitch-black coal ball, Meiqiu, landed beside the pillow, poked her head out to inspect, and still held in her beak a withered vine she had idly torn apart, leaving only a small fragment...

"Holy crap—?!"

A sharp burst of noise erupted from the room!

Xie Jinhuan, as if waking from a near-death illness, sat up abruptly, caught the rascal servant, carefully picked up the withered vine to examine it, and discovered it was just some broken grass vine picked up from who knows where...

Seeing she had scared Xie Jinhuan awake, Meiqiu shook her head and wagged her tail, holding his sleeve in her beak to signal it was time to go eat.

Xie Jinhuan, nearly scared to death, realized it was just Meiqiu messing around, secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and flopped back down:

"Where is Bing Tuozi?"

"Goo-jee-jee..."

Meiqiu waved her limbs wildly, saying who knows what, then hopped and skipped out the door, apparently going to fetch someone.

After Xie Jinhuan recovered slightly and his mind fully cleared, he carefully checked his internal state, discovering that while his bone and tendon injuries still existed, his internal wounds had mostly healed, likely due to consuming some priceless immortal pill.

Realizing his foundation was unharmed and only required some rest, Xie Jinhuan breathed another sigh of relief, looked around, and saw Zhenglun Sword, Tiangang Mace, and Minglong Spear placed on the table; he called out:

"Wife?"

"Mmm-hmm~"

A response came from the inner side of the bed.

Xie Jinhuan turned his gaze and saw the ghostly figure, whose allure burned into the bones, lying on her side inside the bed, propping her cheek with her hand, a autumn quilt draped under her arm; her fragrant shoulders and jade arms looked as if carved from Bai Yu, and a patch of Bai Huahua lay before her, though partially covered by the quilt...

?!

Xie Jinhuan instinctively lifted the quilt to look inside, but was held down and prevented from doing so; he could only ask:

"Where is this? Did anything else happen in the end?"

"The county town, the Mount Zihui base."

Ye Hongshang twirled a strand of beautiful hair between her fingertips and briefly recounted the events after the arena match ended.

After he punched Wei Yin and sent him flying, the outcome of the match was naturally decided; Zhang Guan of Mount Zihui had disciples send him to the lodging in the county town to recover, while the victor's spoils were handed over to Zhang Guan of Mount Zihui, who would later help deliver them to Jingcheng.

By the time the arena match ended, the various sects and wanderers who had come did not disperse immediately; the Seven Heroes of Martial Arts went to Fengbo Tower to hold a meeting, but with the variable of Xie Jinhuan appearing on his side, the result of the discussion was likely not ideal.

Wei Wu Yi had set up such a grand stage, obviously not just to give benefits to the younger generation.

Wei Wu Yi's original intention was presumably to let Wei Yin make a name for himself, allowing the imperial court and the entire Great Qian to see the potential of Xueying Ridge for the next hundred years.

Wei Wu Yi had cultivated a disciple capable of reaching the pinnacle of martial arts; the Daoist sect had encountered a setback; if Wei Wu Yi was not made the Supervisor, it would be unreasonable, after all, the imperial court could not simply expect the disciple's future loyalty while giving the master no benefits at all.

But this dark horse burst forth, snatching all the spotlight; the future leader of martial arts would definitely have nothing to do with Wei Yin, so this calculation naturally came to nothing.

Seeing that Wei Wu Yi's chances of becoming the decision-maker were low, the Seven Heroes of Martial Arts obviously would not offer flattery or pledge loyalty in advance.

Of course, this was merely the surface-level motive and result; what 'great chess game' lay hidden behind it was difficult to figure out based solely on appearances at present.

After waiting for the Dragon Head Meeting to conclude, the Geda Sect members dispersed one by one, but the martial arts wanderers did not leave; many rushed to block the entrance outside the Mount Zihui base, half of whom were meddlesome heroines.

Xie Jinhuan, just from hearing the commotion, felt he could now go out and choose concubines at will, but with the ghost wife present, it was not good to be too greedy.

After Ye Hongshang roughly finished recounting the events, she glanced slightly at Xie Jinhuan, suddenly raised an eyebrow:

"You performed well today; should sister reward you?"

Xie Jinhuan had exactly this in mind, turned his body:

"What reward?"

Ye Hongshang flopped onto the pillow, displaying an expression of 'take me as you please,' and pouted:

"Suck~"

?

Xie Jinhuan did not expect the ghost wife to be so sensible; without further ceremony, he rolled over, supporting himself with both hands on either side of her flower-like beautiful face:

"I'm really going to kiss you."

Ye Hongshang made an "Mmm-hmm~" sound, then closed her eyes and slightly lifted her cheek to wait.

Xie Jinhuan felt the ghost wife wouldn't be this cheap to him; he cautiously leaned in to test, and unexpectedly discovered her lips truly had a soft, moist texture, fragrant as orchids and sweet as honey...

Heh?

Xie Jinhuan's eyes lit up; he immediately stopped holding back...

Tap, tap, tap...

The street was filled with constant clamor, while inside the mansion it was quite quiet.

After Nangong Ye arranged the disciples' trivial matters, instructing everyone not to approach and not to reveal any news, she quietly carried a pot of nourishing soup she had personally stewed and walked softly toward the guest room, while Meiqiu ran off to a one-on-one duel with Ah Cai.

Outside the eaves, autumn rain fell in a flurry; inside the guest room, not a crow cawed.

Nangong Ye arrived at the door, thinking of Xie Jinhuan's desperate struggle today and his battered appearance, her heart inevitably felt a bit of pity; she had expected that at this moment, the child would be lying weakly on the pillow, rising feebly upon seeing her to reveal a warm, praise-seeking smile.

But the moment his shoulder pushed open the door, he saw a shirtless, well-built man, both hands braced on either side of a pillow, facing the empty air below…

"???"

Nangong Ye's footsteps halted abruptly, her ice-mountain beautiful eyes widened a few degrees, thinking Bu Yuehua was on the bed, but on closer look—there was no one on the bed either!

"Xie Jinhuan?!" "Uh…"

The man on the bed stiffened, then smoothly switched to push-ups, rising and falling on the mattress:

"I'm just stretching my limbs, I zoned out for a moment just now…"

"Is that so?"

Nangong Ye wasn't some inexperienced little girl; Xie Jinhuan's posture just now was clearly that of a man pinning down a Miss for a kiss!

Could it be that this boy, having tasted the sweetness, was waiting for her to come over…

Thinking of this, Nangong Ye was almost afraid to enter the room, but seeing Xie Jinhuan earnestly doing push-ups for rehabilitation, she still walked in and closed the door with her foot:

"Lie down properly. You've pulled muscles all over and you're still messing around here—doesn't your arm hurt?"

Honestly, Xie Jinhuan's arms were nearly cramping, but a man may fall, his bearing must not fall; he had to explain what madness had come over him just now. Seeing Bing Tuozi approach, he dropped his pose:

"A mere internal injury, nothing serious. Where did you go just now?"

Nangong Ye couldn't very well say she was the big boss here, so she simply picked up the restorative soup and blew on it with a spoon:

"Went to chat with a senior from Mount Zihui. You rest here tonight; tomorrow morning Mount Zihui will help arrange a boat, and I'll send you back to Jingcheng."

Saying so, she brought the spoon to Xie Jinhuan's lips, wanting the boy to nourish his body. Her bearing was like a classmate's mother, yet also like an ice-mountain wife…

Xie Jinhuan's heart stirred greatly, but fearing outsiders might notice, he first took it and drank a mouthful, then asked:

"What about Senior Sister Hua?"

"She can't sit still, went out to look around."

After feeding him a mouthful, Nangong Ye was still a little puzzled:

"What was that 'Dragon Soul Hidden Vein…' you said today? What kind of divine ability?"

"Just a little opportunity True Person Qixia gave me. The words were all made up on the spot—actually, it works the same without the incantation."

Xie Jinhuan casually explained, then looked out the window:

"No one will disturb us here, right?"

Nangong Ye blinked, slightly wary:

"You're resting. Normally no one comes by, but if someone does visit…"

Seeing no one coming, Xie Jinhuan was naturally at ease. He took the soup bowl, downed it in one go—"Gulp gulp gulp~"—then set the bowl down and pulled Bing Tuozi toward him.

Nangong Ye knew this would happen, her gaze turning cold:

"What are you doing? You're injured!"

Seeing this, Xie Jinhuan first restrained himself, leaned against the headboard, and picked up a Fire-Adding Oil Pill.

"Eh?"

Nangong Ye had meant to keep him at arm's length, but seeing this boy risk his life, she immediately pressed down the hand holding the 'Immediate Boulder-Breaking Pill':

"Are you mad? Can your body take it right now?"

"You have important matters at month's end, and this poison hasn't been cured yet. What would it look like if I lie around until month's end? Don't worry, I can handle it…"

"Handle what exactly?"

Although Nangong Ye had agreed with the enchantress to wait until they obtained the opportunity at Zhu Que's Tomb before dueling one-on-one, going to Zhu Que's Tomb also required detoxifying first. If she let the enchantress act, she'd surely be controlled to death—she could only count on this boy.

But Xie Jinhuan was injured like this; no matter how many spiritual pills he took, he'd need two days of rest. How could he tough out the fire poison again?

Nangong Ye had wanted to firmly stop him, but Xie Jinhuan had indeed performed amazingly today, and not praising him at all afterward would inevitably crush a young man's confidence. After a moment's hesitation, she took the pill and put it away, sat down in front of him without a word, a touch of mild disdain showing between her brows.

Seeing that look, Xie Jinhuan understood she was letting him take whatever he wanted. Satisfied, he pulled her into his arms, lowered his head to taste her rouge, and slipped his hand into the collar of her black skirt…

"Mm~?"

Nangong Ye found this boy a bit too bold and tried to push his hand away, but the brat went looking for medicine again. She could only close her eyes and silently endure. A moment later, she unconsciously raised her hand and rested it on the man's shoulder; her sleeve slid down, revealing an ink-wash bracelet that glittered under the lamplight.

Rustle rustle…

——

Splash splash…

Rainwater slid down the tiles, forming a curtain of rain that struck the blue bricks of the old street.

Couriers from north and south gathered in teahouses and taverns, discussing today's battle. There were also sect masters and gang leaders leading their teams back to base, and from time to time the sound of large groups of hooves passed along the street:

Clip-clop, clip-clop…

A horse carriage passed through the county street, surrounded by several dozen finely-dressed, spirited Jiangzhou gang disciples.

In the carriage, Black Yama Gang's Liang Yue sat by the window, bare-chested, his chest and abdomen wounds already bandaged, his brow full of worry:

"Given Xie Jinhuan's skill, what he could destroy in the future is far more than just the Black Yama Gang. This boy hates evil as his sworn enemy—if he discovers Gang Leader Xu has dealings with the Southern Frontier, he'll certainly press the advantage without mercy in the future…"

After his defeat, Liang Yue hadn't fled but hidden at the Jiangzhou Gang's base. After all, this was Daqian's territory; with his identity exposed and injured, if he dared step out of Sanjiangkou, nine times out of ten he'd be beaten half to death by both the orthodox and unorthodox factions combined. If he didn't stick with the Jiangzhou Gang, he wouldn't make it back to the Southern Frontier alive.

Xu Guanfu could shelter Liang Yue because the two families had business dealings. Through sea routes, he traded Jiangzhou's low-priced daily goods for the Southern Frontier's low-priced medicinal materials—the two gangs secretly smuggled together without paying taxes, and the profits were a hundred times higher than running ships in Daqian.

The Black Yama Gang started as sea bandits and already had a terrible reputation. Now Xie Jinhuan had dropped harsh words about taking down the Black Yama Gang, and given the strength he'd shown, that was only a year or two away.

Once the Black Yama Gang fell, the partners behind them would naturally surface.

In terms of background, Xie Jinhuan held the imperial court's sword of authority; in martial skill, Xie Jinhuan was like a monster. Xu Guanfu ranked last among the Seven Heroes of the Martial Dao…

If Xie Jinhuan got hold of leverage, wouldn't he crush Xu Guanfu like a soft persimmon, confiscate his ill-gotten gains on the side—would that befit his chivalrous reputation?

Xu Guanfu had no grudge against Xie Jinhuan, but the situation was already written plain: even running a gang in Daqian, he wouldn't dare play dirty against someone the imperial court valued like Xie Jinhuan. At this moment he could only knit his brows and think.

Liang Yue spoke for a while, then said:

"Any problem in the world is mostly because one's cultivation isn't high enough. If Gang Leader Xu could advance further, even if Xie Jinhuan wanted to press his advantage without mercy, he'd still have to fear 'when a common man is enraged, blood splashes five paces.' Strange omens have been frequent in Fire Phoenix Valley; the great opportunity at Phoenix Tomb will surely manifest this year. With Gang Leader Xu's current cultivation, you should understand how great the benefit would be if you obtained it…"

Xu Guanfu naturally understood. Setting aside the divine effects attached to the Five Directions' Divine Bestowal, the mere nurturing of his physique could let him break through his foundation bottleneck and continue cultivating upward.

But the blessings of the Five Directions are not eternal; their power only wanes, never grows. The more they are used, the greater the depletion. Take the Northern Black Tortoise's life-extension, for instance: if a cultivator truly exceeds their lifespan limit and their cultivation is too high, the depletion from extending life far outpaces that from nourishing the body.

This is why Beiming Lake has become the "Immortal Graveyard." Whenever it appears, ancient Wang Ba who cling to life by such means must surface to fight for it, with most perishing there in martyrdom. For nearly two jiazi, the conflict has been muted because the Wu Sect's turmoil nearly wiped out the elder generation. The newly ascended are young, their own lifespans not yet at their limits, so they have no desire to engage in deadly battles there.

The opportunity at Phoenix Tomb is considered relatively low in difficulty. After all, "Nirvana Rebirth" sounds formidable, but if someone can kill you, would they be foolish enough not to snatch this opportunity right then?

Because of this, the divine effect has historically been activated only a few times. With minimal power depletion, the stockpile remains substantial, giving lower-realm cultivators a chance to obtain it.

Yet a large stockpile does not mean its efficacy is inferior to the others. If the news is true, anyone could meet their end.

If Xu Guanfu rashly breaks seclusion to seek treasure and gets caught by Master Sikong, he might well become one of the "Seven Heroes Puppets," to be admired and played with by Master Sikong day and night...

But if Xie Jinhuan grows stronger in a few years and truly seeks trouble, his cultivation is insufficient; he wouldn't even qualify to spill blood within five paces, leaving him at the mercy of others...

After pondering for a long while, Xu Guanfu asked:

"Are you certain the news is true?"

Liang Yue nodded: "Nine times out of ten, it is. The Sect Leader discovered it by chance, and the commotion has not yet spread. With Sect Leader Xu's cultivation, he should be able to advance early; securing it won't be difficult."

Xu Guanfu fell silent for an instant, nodded lightly, and said nothing more.

Gulu gulu...

The horse caravan followed the carriage, left Jiang'an Town, boarded a ship at the port, and sailed south.

Meanwhile, atop the city wall, Bu Yuehua stood in the rain wearing a veil hat, observing the Jiangzhou Sect's movements through a long-distance telescope. She noticed Liang Yue hidden within the caravan, constantly whispering to the leader. Frowning slightly, she pondered for a moment, then turned and headed toward the Mount Zihui encampment...

——

Ah Guan's typing speed is truly eight hundred characters per hour. Yesterday I posted today's update, so today I must write today's and also tomorrow's. The word count is a bit low; sorry or2!

(End of Chapter)