Chapter 213

Eastern Palace.

Cao Fo'er, holding a whisk in her arms, pushed open the great door of the sleeping hall.

The Alchemy King led his team inside; two imperial physicians could be seen taking pulses by the bed. Crown Prince Zhao Jinghuan, dressed in mourning clothes, sat dazed before the bed, holding a wooden carved tiger in his hand, his eyes empty, showing no reaction whatsoever to the people entering.

The Alchemy King and the Qian Emperor were born of the same mother; twenty years ago, he should have died in a coup, but it was the Qian Emperor's desperate gamble that gave him his present status.

He had thought that after experiencing a great calamity of blood and fire, life would improve, and he could peacefully live out his days as a leisurely prince, but he never expected that the root of all misfortunes had been buried when the two brothers were still imperial princes, evolving until today, where the elder brother's entire family is reduced to this simple-minded orphan.

The Alchemy King approached, calling out several times; seeing the Crown Prince did not respond, he turned to ask:

"No spiritual elixir or miraculous medicine can cure him?"

Behind the Alchemy King were Wang Fei Xu Tong, Princess Changning, and advisors such as Huangfu Qi and Ji Shiqing; the heir apparent had been hung up and placed under house arrest, so he was not among them.

Ji Shiqing, who had traveled to the Southern Border in past years and always served as the Wang Fu's consultant on demons and monsters, responded at this moment:

"Spiritual elixirs and miraculous medicines can only heal the body; with a soul and a spirit missing, neither the Resurrection Grass nor the Human Origin Pill will work; one can only try to retrieve the lost soul and spirit."

Huangfu Qi shook his head: "I asked Mr. Xu; even if the soul and spirit are retrieved, it is very difficult for anyone in Great Qian to 'restore the broken mirror,' returning the Crown Prince to his former state."

Wang Fei Xu Tong was from the Xu family of Jiangzhou; her eldest uncle was the great Confucian scholar Xu Tong of Jiangzhou. Huangfu Qi was a guest of the Xu family who came along at the time of the wedding; in recent years, he has served as Mr. at the Wang Fu, teaching the Princess and the heir apparent to read.

Seeing that everyone was helpless, the Alchemy King could only sigh, instruct Cao Fo'er to take good care of the Crown Prince, lead his team out of the great hall, walk a distance, then turn back:

"Ling'er."

A trace of solemnity also appeared between Princess Changning's eyebrows; hearing the voice, she came forward:

"Does Father have an order?"

The Alchemy King dismissed those around him, clasped his hands behind his back, pondered for a moment, then sighed lightly:

"You have been wise since childhood; you should understand the current situation. Since matters have come to this, Father can only accept this bitter task. Internal troubles within the court are manageable; by peeling back the layers, they can eventually be cleared, but external threats truly make it difficult for Father to rest easy..."

Princess Changning thought for a moment: "Northern Zhou is not a dictatorship; the young emperor of Northern Zhou is already sixteen, and many court officials want Empress Dowager Gu to return power. There are also rumors in the common folk about a witchess disrupting the nation. Empress Dowager Gu must have concerns as well; otherwise, given her character, Northern Zhou would have attacked on the very day the late emperor passed away.

"Moreover, our Great Qian is merely unstable in the current situation, not lacking in national strength. If war truly breaks out, it might not be a bad thing. If Father can decisively defeat Northern Zhou and recover the Western Regions, the internal troubles will be resolved effortlessly."

If the Alchemy King could expand the territory, it would be no surprise that the court and the country would turn their hearts to him, but Northern Zhou is not a soft persimmon; if he suffers defeat on the battlefield, the title of 'Last Emperor of Qian' might fall upon him. At this moment, he sighed lightly:

"The hidden agents and secret spies buried in Yanjing hold positions too low to accurately grasp Northern Zhou's intentions in recent years. In a few days, Father plans to send a team of envoys, bringing students to visit the Yanjing Academy, and will have Xie Jinhuan accompany them.

"Xie Jinhuan is learned, possesses extraordinary insight, and has a great reputation; in the past, he could access many nobles of Northern Zhou. Paying close attention might yield some results..."

Princess Changning knew that Xie Jinhuan possessed the 'Heart Eye' divine ability, allowing him to see through clothes to the undergarments, and that he pursued criminals like a god. As long as he could access the top echelons of Northern Zhou, it was indeed possible to spot some clues. She pondered slightly:

"Perhaps I should lead the team then? My meaning is Father's meaning; it would be more convenient to discuss strategies with Xie Jinhuan in private."

The Alchemy King looked back, speaking in a low voice:

"That is exactly what Father means. It is widely rumored in the marketplaces that Xie Jinhuan is Empress Dowager Gu's lover; although this claim cannot be taken seriously, what kind of skill does Empress Dowager Gu possess? If she truly sees such a talented person, she will inevitably be moved and try to win him over.

"Xie Jinhuan is good in every way, except that he values emotions too much. If he falls for a beauty trap and falls in love with a Northern Zhou princess or princess, he will be in a dilemma thereafter, equivalent to cutting off one of Father's arms.

"You will be the Great Princess of Great Qian in the future; your beauty is not inferior to any woman in the world. Stay by his side and pay close attention; do not let Xie Jinhuan fall into a trap set by women with ulterior motives, so Father can rest a bit easier."

Princess Changning felt her father's judgment of people was quite accurate and nodded:

"Daughter understands. I will bring Linghu Qingmo along then; I guarantee Xie Jinhuan will have no time to attend to Northern Border women."

"Sigh, that girl Qingmo, I can't count on her; the daughter of Imperial Physician Lin is better at guarding her food than she is..."

"Uh... that's true..."

——

Midnight, Fengyi River.

Xie Jinhuan sat by the small table as usual, holding the black-and-white law ruler and examining it carefully.

Nangong Ye, dressed in a black skirt, sat opposite him, holding a pair of red-soled high heels in one hand, her phoenix eyes looking quite strange:

"Do you think I am short?"

Xie Jinhuan put down the Yin-Yang Ruler and smiled, saying:

"You are the same height as me; how could I think you are short? These are shoes specially custom-made for you; try them on."

Nangong Ye felt these shoes were simply bizarre in shape, but upon closer inspection, there was nothing shameful about them. She turned and sat on the ground, lifting her skirt hem to reveal her long legs clad in black stockings.

The rascal opposite, however, was very enthusiastic; he stood up, came to the front, squatted halfway, held her ankle, helped her take off her shoes, and then put the high heels on her.

Nangong Ye leaned on the small table with one hand, seeing Xie Jinhuan holding her calf and admiring it back and forth. A hint of disdain appeared between her eyebrows, but since they had agreed she would let him do as he pleased for an hour, she did not pull away, only directing her gaze elsewhere:

"These shoes are only good-looking; they are impossible to actually wear."

"Good-looking is enough; anyway, once you enter Super Rank, you fly everywhere, so you don't need to walk."

"Sigh..."

Nangong Ye didn't know what to say; after all, those who enter Super Rank do not float in the sky all the time. Moreover, she was a proper woman of the Dao Sect; outside she wore the solemn black-and-white Daoist robe, but underneath were garter stockings and high heels meant to please men. If anyone saw this, wouldn't Mount Zihui be mistaken for a brothel...

Only a witchess of the Gu Du Pai should dress like this...

Xie Jinhuan carefully appraised it for a moment and inevitably wanted to try the driving experience. He immediately took out the car key:

"Shall I help you detoxify?"

Nangong Ye's eyes shifted slightly; she didn't say anything. Unexpectedly, the rascal didn't take the medicine himself but poured out a pill for her to take. She shrank back slightly:

"What is this?"

"The Pill of Falling into an Ice Cellar. It can temporarily turn the entire body's qi mechanism into pure yin. There are no side effects; the medicine works and the disease is cured."

"?"

Nangong Ye blinked her eyes, half believing and half doubting:

"Are you sure?"

"Medicine refined by Zisu; the efficacy has never been wrong."

"..."

Nangong Ye knew the strength of Immortal Zisu; if he said the medicine cures the disease instantly, it cures it instantly, but the side effects were unpredictable even to gods. The former 'Soft Girl Powder' and 'Immediate Digging Pill' had tortured her terribly, leaving her with lingering fear:

"After swallowing it, will nothing abnormal happen?" Xie Jinhuan knew there would be, but given his relationship with Bing Tuozi, it made little difference:

"It just requires us to practice together to disperse the medicinal force; nothing else."

Nangong Ye was somewhat skeptical, but she had already given everything to Xie Jinhuan; even if she found it hard to accept, how much harder could it possibly be? Right then, she lightly parted her red lips and caught the small pill the man handed her.

The pill melted the moment it touched her tongue, then transformed into a thread of cold current that surged down her throat into her lungs, feeling as though she had swallowed ten-thousand-year-old ice.

Afterwards, endless chill spread from her lungs to her four limbs and hundred bones; wherever the cold qi passed, her entire body's energy continuously mutated into pure yin, affecting even her physique and mental state, creating an urgent desire to expel this yin-cold qi and obtain yang energy to balance her body...

Hoo-hoo~

Energy flowed within the living room.

Xie Jinhuan sat nearby watching; he had originally thought to let Bing Tuozi take the initiative and throw herself into his arms, but he quickly realized that anything produced by Zisu was nothing but ruthless goods!

As the medicinal effect spread, the Great Bing Tuozi sitting before him completely turned into an extreme-cold ice mountain; even two feet away, one could feel a wave of chill, while those sharp eyes, usually calm and waveless, defied the norm and revealed a hint of possessiveness.

The look in her eyes was as if Meiqiu had spotted mushrooms stewed with flying dragons, or as if Ah Huan had been forcibly rubbed against by the big white moon, desperate to use every ounce of strength to find joy right then and there...

"Eh?"

Xie Jinhuan realized this seemed not merely about wanting a man; he sat up straighter:

"Heroine Mu, calm down... eh eh eh?"

Thump—

Nangong Ye's soul trembled under the yin-cold that penetrated to her very bones, while Xie Jinhuan, brimming with yang energy, was obviously a huge furnace!

Because they had already consummated their marriage, Nangong Ye hesitated not even for an instant; like a female leopard, she leaped out and pinned the man to the floor, her red-soled high heels, under the lamp's glow, emitting a soul-stealing, charm-snatching hue...

Rip—

Pop pop pop...

??

Xie Jinhuan had originally intended to be polite, but he never expected Bing Tuozi, like a domineering queen, to directly tear his clothes; finding him still hesitating, she immediately unleashed tiny sparks of electricity from both hands.

Zzzzt~

"Hey?!"

Xie Jinhuan immediately stopped resisting and raised his hand to help undo his belt, only to find Bing Tuozi had prepared quite thoroughly; she pulled open the black skirt, revealing a black sheer bra and black silk garter stockings—a heavy visual impact that left one slightly breathless, followed by an unrelenting, world-class car violently crushing a small child...

The floorboards felt like they were shaking!

"Whoa! Heroine Mu, take it easy..."

Xie Jinhuan nearly took flight on the spot; seeing Bing Tuozi fully engaged in joy, he couldn't resist and could only enjoy it, then was relentlessly crushed back and forth by the extremely resilient Bing Tuozi until dawn...

——

The next morning, a line of wild geese formed a human-character formation, sweeping toward the southern sky.

Inside the riverside pavilion, battle scars covered the ground.

Nangong Ye had regained her ice-mountain expression, but her cheeks were like they had been burned by fire; she was wiping the floor, tables, and corridor pillars with a rough cloth...

Scrape scrape scrape...

Xie Jinhuan hung his weapon back on his waist, supported himself against the wall with one hand, and rubbed his aching lower back:

"Heroine Mu has impressive martial arts; once my injuries recover, let us properly contest who is superior..."

Last night, to disperse the medicine, Nangong Ye truly showed no mercy to the small child; relying on the joint cultivation technique and the moves she had learned in recent days, she forcibly drained yang energy, not knowing how many times she had ravaged him; now even her legs trembled, let alone Xie Jinhuan, whose muscles were damaged.

Thinking of her own appearance as a lustful, unsatisfied mad demoness, Nangong Ye was so ashamed she wished to throw herself into the river!

But the last spark of fire within her body had indeed been extinguished; relying on years of accumulation, and even without relying on breakthrough pills, she had touched the opportunity to break through; if all went smoothly, within a month or so she could naturally enter the Fourth Realm 'Tianji'.

For this reason, Nangong Ye was in a fairly good mood; she did not blame Xie Jinhuan for recklessly giving her medicine, but coldly stated:

"Last night I was poisoned by medicine. Now the yang poison is resolved; our mutual assistance ends here. Last night was the final time; you must not have any improper thoughts in the future."

How could Xie Jinhuan have no improper thoughts? However, he did not make things difficult for Bing Tuozi; he came forward to help wipe away the frost and jade dew covering the floor:

"I worked hard for so long just to help you resolve the yang poison; since we used the joint cultivation method, you must at least help me reach Super Rank first? This would also benefit your cultivation..."

"..."

Nangong Ye actually knew long ago that this youth would not let such a sinful fate end here; given Xie Jinhuan's strength, entering Super Rank would not take long. After a brief silence, she gritted her teeth and replied:

"I can aid your cultivation, but it depends on my will. If I help you, then you may take; if I do not help, you cannot force it. Otherwise..."

Xie Jinhuan nodded and added:

"By the way, there was also last time; you said you would let me do as I pleased with you wearing shoes for one hour..."

"?"

Nangong Ye turned her head, her eyes slightly cold:

"Last night I wasn't wearing shoes for you to... to commit evil?"

Xie Jinhuan spread his hands: "Heroine Mu, be reasonable! Yesterday you shocked and kissed me, recklessly bullied me, and even rode on my head..."

"Shut up!"

Nangong Ye's face instantly flushed red; she dared not recall her actions after completely letting go last night. Seeing Xie Jinhuan deny responsibility, and knowing last night was indeed her initiative, she gritted her teeth and conceded:

"I keep my word; one hour is one hour. This trip to the Southern Border must be swift, with no time for rest midway; we will discuss this matter upon our return. You go back and pack first; we shall depart shortly."

Xie Jinhuan felt somewhat anxious, but seizing opportunities never waits; right then, he patted the full moon at his waist:

"Then I'll go back to say goodbye, and we'll meet at the Zhu Que Gate later."

Clap clap~

Nangong Ye straightened her waist, her eyes slightly cold, but seeing this youth run off like the wind, she ultimately said nothing and continued tidying up the chaotic living room...

(End of this chapter)