Chapter 213: Southward Flying Geese

Donggong.

Cao Fuer clasped his dust whisk and pushed open the palace door.

The Dan Wang led his party inside, where two imperial physicians were palpating the pulse beside the bed; Crown Prince Zhao Jinghuan, clad in mourning robes, sat motionless before the bed, clutching a wooden tiger carving, his eyes vacant, showing no reaction to the intruders.

The Dan Wang and the Qian Emperor were born of the same mother; twenty years ago, he should have died in the coup, but the Qian Emperor took a desperate gamble, securing him his present status.

He had thought that after enduring such a bloody catastrophe, life would improve, and he could live out his days as a carefree prince—but he never imagined the roots of all misfortune had been planted during their days as princes, culminating now in this single foolish orphan, the last survivor of his elder brother’s entire household.

The Dan Wang stepped closer and called out several times; seeing the Crown Prince did not respond, he turned and asked:

“No divine elixir can cure him?”

Behind the Dan Wang stood Princess Xu, Princess Changning, and advisors such as Huangfu Qi and Ji Shiqing; the heir apparent, confined and suspended, was not among them.

Ji Shiqing, who had once traversed the southern frontier as the princely mansion’s demon consultant, now replied:

“Elixirs can heal the body, but if a soul or spirit is missing, even Yanghuan Grass or Renyuan Pills are useless—only by recovering the lost soul can he be restored.”

Huangfu Qi shook his head: “I asked Master Xu—even if the soul is recovered, very few in Great Qian can ‘repair a broken mirror’ and restore the Crown Prince to his former self.”

Princess Xu hailed from the Xu family of Jiangzhou; her elder uncle was the renowned Confucian Xu Tong. Huangfu Qi was originally a retainer who accompanied her upon marriage and has served for years as a tutor in the princely mansion, instructing both the Princess and the Heir in their studies.

Seeing everyone powerless, the Dan Wang could only sigh, instructing Cao Fuer to care for the Crown Prince well, then led his party out of the hall. After walking a short distance, he turned back:

“Ling’er.”

Princess Changning’s brow was also heavy with concern; she stepped forward at the call:

“Father has an order?”

The Dan Wang dismissed his attendants, clasped his hands behind his back, paused in thought, then sighed softly:

“You’ve been clever since childhood—you should understand the current situation. Now that matters have reached this point, I must take on this bitter duty. Internal troubles can still be slowly untangled and purged, but external threats… truly leave me no peace…”

Princess Changning considered: “Beizhou isn’t a monolith—their young emperor is already sixteen, and many courtiers wish for Empress Guo to return power to him. There are even rumors among the people of witch women destabilizing the state. Empress Guo must be wary too; otherwise, with her nature, Beizhou would have invaded the day the late emperor died.”

“Moreover, our Great Qian is merely unstable in timing, not lacking in strength. If war truly breaks out, it may not be a bad thing. If Father can crush Beizhou and reclaim the Western Regions, our internal troubles will vanish.”

If the Dan Wang could expand territory, he would surely win the loyalty of court and realm—but Beizhou is no soft target. Should he suffer defeat on the battlefield, the title “Last Emperor of Qian” might well fall upon him. He sighed lightly:

“The secret agents embedded in Yanjing hold too low a rank to accurately discern Beizhou’s recent intentions. In a few days, I plan to dispatch a delegation of envoys and students to visit the Yanjing Academy, with Xie Jin accompanying them.”

“Xie Jin is deeply learned, possesses extraordinary insight, and is widely known—he can easily gain access to many Beizhou nobles. Keep a sharp eye; perhaps we’ll gain some useful intelligence…”

Princess Changning knew Xie Jin possessed the “Heart’s Eye” ability—he could see through clothing to glimpse undergarments, and hunted down killers like a god. If he could reach Beizhou’s upper echelons, he might indeed uncover traces. She pondered briefly:

“What if I lead the delegation instead? My will is your will—and it would be easier to privately strategize with Xie Jin.”

The Dan Wang glanced back and whispered:

“That’s exactly my thought. Rumors abound that Xie Jin is Empress Guo’s lover—though the claim is baseless, what a woman Empress Guo is! If she encounters such talent, she won’t resist the urge to recruit him.”

“Xie Jin is excellent in every way, but he’s sentimental. If he falls for a Beizhou princess or noblewoman, he’ll be torn between loyalties—effectively severing one of my arms.”

“You will one day be the Princess of Great Qian, and your beauty rivals any woman alive. Stay close to him, watch carefully—don’t let him be ensnared by scheming women. That way, I’ll rest easier.”

Princess Changning thought her father saw people clearly, and nodded:

“Daughter understands. I’ll bring Qingmo along—guaranteeing Xie Jin won’t have time to pay attention to northern women.”

“Sigh… Qingmo’s useless. Lin the physician’s daughter knows how to guard her food better than her.”

“Uh… yes… indeed…”

…

—

Midnight, Fengyi River.

Xie Jin sat as usual beside a small table, carefully examining the Yin-Yang Ruler in his hand.

Nan Gongye sat opposite, clad in a black dress, one hand holding a red-heeled shoe, her phoenix eyes strangely intent:

“Do you think I’m short?”

Xie Jin set down the Yin-Yang Ruler and smiled gently:

“You’re the same height as me—how could I think you short? These shoes were custom-made for you. Try them on.”

Nan Gongye thought the shoes bizarrely shaped, yet upon closer inspection, they weren’t indecent. She turned, sat cross-legged on the floor, lifted her dress, revealing long legs sheathed in black silk stockings.

But the rascal across from her, ever eager, rose and knelt before her, grasped her ankle, helped remove her shoes, then slipped the high heels onto her feet.

Nan Gongye leaned one hand on the table, watching Xie Jin cradle her calf, admiring it back and forth. A flicker of disdain crossed her brow, but she had promised to let him do as he pleased for an hour—so she didn’t pull away, only turned her gaze elsewhere:

“These shoes are pretty, but utterly unwearable.”

“Pretty is enough. After all, once you reach the Supergrade, you fly everywhere—you won’t need to walk.”

“Sigh…”

Nan Gongye didn’t know what to say. After all, Supergrade didn’t mean floating in the sky forever—and she was a Daoist woman, wearing solemn black-and-white robes outside, yet beneath them, these garter stockings and high heels meant to please men—if anyone saw, Zihui Mountain would be mistaken for a brothel…

Only a member of the poison sect should dress like this…

Xie Jin admired them for a moment, then felt compelled to test the riding experience. He pulled out the car key:

“Shall I help you detoxify?”

Nan Gongye’s eyes flickered, but she said nothing. To her surprise, the rascal didn’t take the pill himself—he poured one out for her. She drew back slightly:

“What is this?”

“Ruizhui Bingjiao Pill. It temporarily converts all your qi into pure yin, no side effects, instantly cures the ailment.”

“?”

Nan Gongye blinked, half-skeptical:

“You’re sure?”

“Zi Su brewed it. The efficacy has never failed.”

“...”

Nan Gongye knew Zi Su the Immortal’s power—what he said was cure, it was cure. But the side effects? Even immortals couldn’t predict them. The Soft Girl Powder, the Horse-Drilling Pill—they had tormented her terribly. She still trembled at the memory:

“After swallowing it, won’t anything strange happen?” Xie Jin knew it would—but given his relationship with Bing Tuozi, it was as good as nothing:

“Just need us to practice a little dispersing technique together. Nothing else.”

Nan Gongye doubted it, but she had given him everything already—how much more could she refuse? She parted her crimson lips and took the pill he offered.

The pill dissolved instantly, then became a thread of icy flow, surging down her throat into her lungs and organs—like swallowing a ten-thousand-year block of ice.

Then boundless cold spread from her core to every limb and vein. Where the chill passed, her entire qi transformed into pure yin, affecting even her physical form and spirit, urgently craving to expel this yin cold and regain yang balance…

Huhuh~

The parlor’s qi swirled.

Xie Jin sat beside, watching. He had hoped Bing Tuozi would willingly throw herself into his arms—but quickly realized: Zi Su’s concoctions were never mild!

As the medicine took effect, the ice mountain before him became a frozen peak—two feet away, the cold still bit. Her usually calm, piercing eyes now betrayed a rare hunger.

Her gaze was like Meiqiu spotting a mushroom-stewed flying dragon—or Ah Huan being pressed against the bright white moon—she wanted to use every ounce of strength to fully enjoy…

“Huh?”

Xie Jin realized this was more than just wanting a man. He sat up straighter:

“Mujie, calm down… hey hey hey?”

Thud—

The bone-deep yin cold shook Nan Gongye’s soul, and Xie Jin, brimming with yang energy, was clearly a blazing furnace!

Since they had consummated their union, Nan Gongye hesitated not a moment—like a she-leopard, she lunged, pinning him to the floor. The red-heeled shoes, lit by the lantern, glowed with a soul-stealing luster…

Riiip—

Pop pop pop…

??

Xie Jin had planned to be polite—but Bing Tuozi acted like a domineering queen, tearing his clothes open. Seeing him hesitate, she instantly unleashed tiny sparks from her palms.

Ziiit~

“Hey?!”

Xie Jin stopped resisting immediately, raised his hands to unfasten his belt—only to find she had prepared thoroughly. She yanked open her black dress, revealing a sheer black lace bra and black silk stockings—visually overwhelming, almost suffocating—then mercilessly crushed him like a giant cart rolling over a child…

The floorboards trembled!

“Damn! Mujie, take it easy…”

Xie Jin nearly flew off the ground. Seeing Bing Tuozi fully unleashed, he couldn’t resist—only surrendered, and was relentlessly ground back and forth until dawn…

—

At dawn the next day, a line of wild geese flew southward in a V-formation.

Inside the riverside pavilion, the floor was littered with signs of battle.

Nan Gongye had resumed her icy demeanor, but her cheeks burned red as she scrubbed the floor, table, and pillars with a hemp cloth.

Scritch scritch scritch…

Xie Jin hung his weapons back on his waist, leaned against the wall, and rubbed his aching lower back:

“Mujie, your martial skill is formidable. When I recover, let’s settle our score properly…”

Last night, Nan Gongye had spared no mercy—she had drained his yang qi relentlessly through their practice and newly learned techniques, leaving him battered. Her legs still trembled, let alone his torn muscles.

Thinking of her own ravenous, unhinged witch-like state, Nan Gongye wanted to drown herself in shame.

But the last ember of fire within her had been extinguished. Relying on years of cultivation, she had touched the threshold of breakthrough—even without a breakthrough pill—and within a month, she might naturally ascend to the Fourth Realm: “Heavenly Mechanism.”

Thus, her mood was surprisingly good. She didn’t scold Xie Jin for giving her that pill—only coldly stated:

“Last night, I was drugged. The yang poison is gone. Our mutual aid ends here. Last night was the last time. Never again harbor improper thoughts.”

Xie Jin naturally had improper thoughts—but he didn’t press her. He stepped forward to help wipe away the morning’s dew and frost:

“I’ve worked hard for so long to free you from the yang poison. Since we used the joint practice method, you must at least help me reach the Supergrade first—it’ll benefit your own cultivation too…”

「……」

Nan Gong Ye had long known this boy would never let such a cursed bond end here; with Xie Jin's strength, reaching the transcendent rank would take no long. After a brief silence, he gritted his teeth and replied:

「I can assist your cultivation, but only on my terms—I help, then you may take it; if I don't, you dare not force it. Otherwise…」

Xie Jin nodded, then added:

「By the way, last time you said you'd let me do as I pleased while wearing shoes for an hour…」

「?」

Nan Gong Ye turned his head, eyes slightly cold:

「Didn't I let you… let you act out last night while barefoot?」

Xie Jin spread his hands. 「Miss Mu, use some reason! Yesterday you shocked me, kissed me, and abused me at will—you even rode on my head…」

「Shut up!」

Nan Gong Ye's face flushed crimson; she dared not recall her actions from last night's complete loss of restraint. Seeing Xie Jin deny it, and knowing full well she had been the one to initiate it, she gritted her teeth and conceded:

「I keep my word—one hour, one hour. We must hurry to the Southern Frontier and return swiftly; no time for rest en route. We'll settle this after we come back. Go pack now—we're leaving soon.」

Xie Jin felt a bit rushed, but seizing opportunities never waits; he patted the crescent moon at his waist:

「I'll go say goodbye, then meet you at the Vermilion Bird Gate.」

Papatap~

Nan Gong Ye straightened up, eyes slightly chilled, but seeing the boy sprint off like the wind, she said nothing further and continued tidying the messy parlor…

(End of Chapter)