[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-roaring-dragon":3,"chapter-the-roaring-dragon-the-roaring-dragon-chapter-22":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},2281878,4463,"Chapter 22: Possession?","the-roaring-dragon-chapter-22",22,"\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan returned alone to Qingquan Alley, carrying a small package containing snacks he’d bought on the way for Meiqiu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to the unexpected wealth he’d taken from Fu Dongping, he didn’t need to worry about food or clothing for the foreseeable future, and had even bought himself a new robe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After returning home, Xie Jinhuan leapt over the white wall, intending to check whether Lin Wanyi had purged the poison—but after taking a few steps, he sensed something was off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The house was eerily quiet, like an abandoned place, and the main room’s door stood wide open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan frowned, hand resting on his Tian Gang Club, and crept silently to the main room’s entrance—everything was in place, but Lin Wanyi was gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The personal maid who’d been staying by her bedside now crouched with her back to him, forehead pressed against the wall, showing no sign of rising to greet him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Meiqiu?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gur!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meiqiu muttered, still not turning around—she hadn’t eaten all day and was sulking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Xie Jinhuan knew Lin Wanyi hadn’t fed her; he picked up the box of dried meat and shook it:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gobble-gobble~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gurji?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meiqiu spun her head a full 180 degrees, eyes wide with shock—as if to say: Do you think I’m a street chicken? Just starve me to death!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan had no choice but to place the dried meat on the table and let Meiqiu eat on her own, then stepped outside to survey the surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d assumed Lin Wanyi had grown impatient and gone home—but soon noticed the bathroom door was tightly shut, with faint energy flows audible inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan approached the bathroom door, listened closely, and called out:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Miss Lin?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A voice immediately replied from within:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan didn’t think twice—he pushed open the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creak~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes landed on a skirt hanging from a clothes rack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stunningly beautiful Lin Wanyi soaked in the bathtub, her long black hair cascading down her back…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan, caught utterly off guard, thought he’d wandered into the wrong room; he slammed the door shut, glanced around, confirmed it was his own house, then pushed it open again—yes, it was truly Lin Wanyi. His expression was utterly bewildered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Miss Lin, what’s the meaning of this? You call me in while bathing? I warn you—I won’t marry you just because I saw you, and I didn’t mean to look—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph~ Your skin’s thick, isn’t it? Last night you practically shoved your hand down your chest—today you’re playing the upright gentleman?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last night?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan remembered he hadn’t glanced at Lin Wanyi’s chest last night—then suddenly it struck him, his eyes widening:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ye Hongshang? You’ve taken over her body?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s ‘possession’? It’s just a ghost riding a body. If you don’t come in, I’m coming out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan was skeptical, but even if Ye Hongshang had possessed her, using Lin Wanyi’s body, she couldn’t have much power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d thought it was some witch cult seductress luring the young hero—but now that he realized it was Ye Hongshang causing trouble, he sighed and shut the door:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Put your clothes on first! Even if you’re a ghost, why are you still bathing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m covering my chest—you can’t see anything…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Splash~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they chatted, water splashed and rustling sounds came from inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan waited by the door until the voice called out again: “All done.” He then pushed the door open and looked inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creak~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The breathtaking beauty inside still soaked in the bathtub.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, she’d sunk lower, a white towel draped over her neck—but her pale bare feet were propped up on the far edge of the tub, seated with regal authority, her intellectual poise blending with the posture of a female CEO receiving a male concubine in her bath…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh my…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan, seeing this, hesitated to step closer:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you doing? Is she alright?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ye Hongshang leaned back against the tub, idly splashing water:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m checking her cultivation method. Her sect’s technique has been tampered with—yin and yang are unbalanced, making her vulnerable to dark influences. That’s why I could slip in so easily.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tampered with?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan frowned: “So someone plotted against her?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ye Hongshang shook her head: “Lin Wanyi’s too young to be worth such a scheme. More likely, ‘the top beam is crooked, so the bottom beam is crooked’—the technique’s been flawed since her ancestral master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan didn’t know where Lin Wanyi had learned such a strange method, and since she refused his help, he couldn’t force himself into her affairs—he thought a moment and asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is she in immediate danger?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not right now, but she has zero resistance to dark influences—she’s easy prey for malevolent spirits.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan desperately needed pills to boost his strength; as long as Lin Wanyi was safe for now and could help him through this crisis, everything else could wait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing the serious matter, Ye Hongshang suddenly asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xie Jinhuan, what was your first impression of me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan found the question absurd, and thought back slightly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I nearly died of fright.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anything else?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What a huge carriage!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ye Hongshang looked puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan couldn’t explain how shocking a sixteen-foot demoness had been to him—he waved his hand:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop your tricks. Can’t you ask questions when I’m asleep?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You can’t touch me when I’m asleep.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she spoke, Ye Hongshang slightly lifted her chest, causing the white towel draped over her to rise into a perfect inverted bowl curve:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wanna feel? I’ll keep it secret.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan never denied he appreciated beauty—but if he was going to touch a girl, it should be Lin Wanyi offering herself willingly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of deal is this—ghost driver taking the wheel?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is Lin Wanyi’s body. If you want me to touch you, you take over yourself—I won’t hold back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph~ I’m much bigger than this girl—you might not be able to handle it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan could tell Lin Wanyi had ample assets—so if Ye Hongshang was bigger still, she must be truly sixteen feet tall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was about to probe further when the sound of wheels rolled in from outside the courtyard:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gulu gulu…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The noise drew nearer, then stopped at the gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan frowned, thinking Yang Dabiao had returned—but soon came a knock, followed by a sweet girl’s voice:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Auntie~ Auntie~?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing “Poison Hand Medic’s” voice, Xie Jinhuan’s heart jolted—he turned to the stunning beauty in the tub:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Quick, quick! Her daughter’s here! Get out of her body! Don’t let her find out—I didn’t get any advantage, and if she thinks I’m a lecher and curses me, I’ll dump you in the latrine!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ye Hongshang looked disappointed but leaned back against the tub, assuming the posture of a fainting woman…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Qingquan Alley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A carriage bearing the wooden sign “Lin” had stopped outside the gate. Jia Zheng, the guard, had been awed by Xie Jinhuan’s performance at noon and now spoke respectfully in a low voice:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Miss, Master Xie isn’t ordinary—be courteous when you meet him, and whatever you do, don’t poison him…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Zisu, having heard her aunt was poisoned, had rushed from the Academy—now dressed in a water-blue official robe with white pants and shoes, clean and full of vitality:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know what’s at stake—if I scare Master Xie away, Auntie will weep every day and sink into despair…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shh~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two waited a moment—then footsteps echoed from within the courtyard:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap tap…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The main gate opened, revealing a noble-looking young man in a white robe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Zisu, being a young lady, felt shy about arriving unannounced and immediately bowed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Greetings, Master Xie.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan, seeing Poison Hand Medic, forced a smile:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Miss Zisu? What brings you here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard my aunt was poisoned—I came to check on her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Lin Zisu spoke, she glanced into the courtyard:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is Auntie inside?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan didn’t know whether the Night Demon Lord had withdrawn his power; he couldn’t claim he’d never seen Lin Wanyi, so he said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Things are fine, but I expended a lot of energy detoxifying this morning, and now I’m resting. I just went with the government office men to Sanhe Pavilion to handle a case, and I’ve only just returned.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really?” Lin Zisu, concerned for her aunt’s safety, stepped forward: “Aunt is in that room—I’ll go check on her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan’s expression froze; he hesitated whether to stop her, when a sound came from the back courtyard:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zisu? What are you doing here?! You... don’t come in!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Splash—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of water and the panicked tone carried a distinct air of “hiding silver where it’s clearly visible”; all three by the door fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jinhuan recognized the voice as “Aunt Lin Wanyi,” and secretly exhaled in relief, though a flicker of embarrassment showed in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Zisu’s bright eyes widened noticeably; she pulled back the foot already across the threshold, opened her mouth to speak, closed it, opened it again, then finally cleared her throat and pretended she hadn’t heard:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard Young Master Xie just slew a demon creature—were you injured?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No serious harm, Miss Zisu, please come in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need—if I go in and actually see something... cough~ This spot is fine...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1546,"2026-06-20T01:38:11.747Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","af90df38505405771a1ff03755b67dc1d599b1a3f640a9ae6569b3e7fae393ed","the-roaring-dragon-chapter-23","the-roaring-dragon-chapter-21",252,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-roaring-dragon-cover.jpg"]