[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-roaring-dragon":3,"chapter-the-roaring-dragon-the-roaring-dragon-chapter-56":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},2281912,4463,"Chapter 56: Well-Deserved Reputation","the-roaring-dragon-chapter-56",56,"\u003Cp>The silver moon hangs in the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The princess's grand boat drifted on the river outside the Peony Pool, its two-deck cabin decorated with colorful lanterns, teeming with dazzling courtesans who drew countless scholars and onlookers along the shore to crane their necks and stare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the scene inside the cabin was far from pleasing to the eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dang dang dang~——”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord~ Are you blushing now~…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You little minx, looking for a beating, are you…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump thump thump…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the cabin’s main hall, young ladies were roughhousing everywhere—some jumping up to play the pipa, others pulling at clothes and lifting skirts, even one who lost a game of truth or dare and ran upstairs to grope Xie Jin’s member.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These crazy girls…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, Meiqiu is well-behaved…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jin, pressing down on Meiqiu who was already trying to bite, sat beside a tea alcove on the second floor; outside the window lay brilliant lanterns and the full moon, while beside him sat two stunning beauties—opposite in temperament, yet equally breathtaking in beauty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Linghu Qingmo had long grown accustomed to this scene; now she sat properly, holding a white crane fan to shield her neckline, lest Xie Jin catch a glimpse of her cleavage from the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Princess Changning sat in the center, her gaze filled with fierce determination as she stared across the table:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wang He, you’ve beaten me three times in a row. If you can still stand and walk out of this boat tonight, I vow to quit drinking forever and hang up my cups.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Across the table sat three young ladies from prominent clans; the one in the center was Wang He, a famed scholar of Chongwen Academy and the undisputed gambling champion of Danyang, hailed as one of the “Twin Wonders of the Imperial Academy,” the other being the “Poisonous Hand Medic” of the Dan Hospital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the Martial Preparation Academy—a temple of engineers and martial students—the flower of the academy was a sissy, not worth mentioning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Benefiting from her plump, rosy figure, Wang He’s bosom was indeed ample, and her aura carried the weight of a senior sister; seated in the center, she showed not an ounce of fear:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At the wine table, there are no ranks. Outside, I’d address you as Princess, but here, you’re forever my defeated opponent. Why did you bring a handsome young lord to drink with us? Trying to distract me with a beauty ploy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jin felt as if he’d wandered into a spider demon’s lair, but for the sake of the Martial Dao Divine Scripture, he endured it, bowing respectfully:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am Xie Jin, honored to meet you three ladies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing his self-introduction, the three girls froze, then burst into chatter:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re the young lord who’s been slaying demons all over town these past days? My apologies, my apologies…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Old Li says your calligraphy is exceptional—graceful veins, sturdy bones, truly masterful. You even wrote a love letter to Linghu last night…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then Qingmo should’ve sat right beside you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Linghu Qingmo, raised in a Daoist sect, could no longer bear it; she raised her hand to interrupt:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you keep this up, you’ll scare him off. It’s getting late—let’s begin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang He, perhaps fearing she’d frighten away the handsome companion she’d summoned, slightly tempered herself, then picked up the dice cup and placed it in the center of the table:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How shall we play today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Princess Changning fanned herself, her eyes brimming with pride:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Same as always—highest roll wins. Each of you bets, capped at five cups. Re-roll if you lose, and either side may drink for the other.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang He carried herself like a martial sage of the Jianghu, her eyes calm with the poise of a true master; she gestured gracefully:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Princess, you go first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Princess Changning had long resented Wang He and, eager to reclaim her dignity, wasted no time—she snatched the dice cup and began shaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump thump thump~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her right hand moved so swiftly that the golden peacock bodice on her chest rippled like waves…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jin sat right beside her, taller, and caught glimpses of the faint trembling of pale, soft flesh and deep valleys—but with so many eyes watching, he dared not stare, instead silently invoking a succubus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump thump thump~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Plop~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the custom dice cup clacked onto the table; Princess Changning covered it with her hand, lifting a sliver to peer inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jin and Linghu Qingmo both leaned forward; even Meiqiu poked her head over the table’s edge like a curious pup:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three, three, five.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A middling roll.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Princess Changning covered the cup again, lifting her chin slightly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your turn.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang He said nothing, swept the dice cup across the table, gathered the dice inside, tossed them upward, then slammed her palm down:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump thump thump~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dice cup spun in a flash, motion fluid and seamless—not a single die fell out!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Impressive skill…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jin silently marveled, then subtly extended his hand to Princess Changning’s knee, preparing to signal the number as they’d planned last night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Linghu Qingmo knew nothing of her friend hiring a supernatural cheat; seeing Xie Jin dare to touch the Princess’s leg, her eyes turned icy, and she swiftly slapped his hand away—clearly meaning: Are you drunk? I’m right here—do you think you can grope the Princess?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do you think I want to touch her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jin reached again, only to be pinched by Qingmo; he gritted his teeth and shifted his hand to the side of the landlady’s hip, brushing three times with four fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not bad—firm, soft, and bouncy…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Princess Changning, touched, sat up slightly, cheeks faintly flushed—but with the enemy before her, she kept her focus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Wang He’s roll was higher, Princess Changning dared not reveal her dice; she snatched her cup and drained it:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I re-roll.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump thump thump~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Plop—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump thump thump~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Plop—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After downing three cups in succession, Princess Changning finally rolled five, five, four.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang He hadn’t seen Xie Jin’s little trick, but seeing her former loser suddenly radiate such confidence—as if she knew her roll—she instantly sensed foul play.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Wang He said nothing; she lifted her cup and drank it dry:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I re-roll too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rustle rustle…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dice cup fell again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jin had been waiting for his ghost bride to report the roll, but never expected to hear this dire news straight into his ear:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn—hit a brick wall. You’re on your own now. Three sixes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jin’s heart jolted; he stared at the plump, pale Miss Wang, his gaze like a firefly facing the full moon!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, he’d already tried yesterday—controlling dice through the special cup was nearly impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Wang He had just rolled precisely one point higher, then three sixes—her technique was perfected, knowing both her opponent’s roll and controlling her own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this situation, even if he used X-ray vision, it’d be futile—they couldn’t control the dice, only keep drinking and re-rolling; the best outcome would be a tie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder she dares call herself “Chongwen Academy’s Biggest Boobs”—this time, he’d met a true Buddha…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang He gave Xie Jin a teasing, flirtatious glance, then turned to Princess Changning:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I bet five cups. Do you re-roll or reveal?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Princess Changning, sensing Wang He’s overwhelming aura, realized the situation was dire; seeing Xie Jin no longer touched her, she nudged him with her elbow—clearly meaning: You deadbeat, hurry up and do something!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Xie Jin, facing certain defeat, had no move left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Jianghu terms, Wang He’s move meant:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young man, martial skill must be earned through hard training. Sister’s technique took twenty years. Your cheap trick? How can you compete?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if he lost this drinking match, the Martial Dao Divine Scripture would slip from his grasp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He owed Wanyi nine thousand taels—he couldn’t pay, and who knew what kind of flesh payment she’d demand…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jin, poked twice by the elbow, silently racked his brain; after a moment, he smiled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Miss Wang, your skill is superb—I yield. I’ll drink the five cups for the Princess.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Princess Changning had been puzzled, but when Wang He lifted the cup to reveal “six-six-six,” she understood at once—how many times Wang He had let her win in the past; her eyes widened in disbelief:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You sneaky Wang He! You’ve been holding back all along—no wonder you always lost by just a hair!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang He and her companions slapped hands, clearly proud:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now, across the entire Chongming River, only Princess Changning dares play with me. If I win too hard and scare her off too, I’ll be stuck playing against myself like Master Mu!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Glug glug glug~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jin drained the five cups, saw the landlady’s spirit shattered, raised a hand to soothe her, then suggested:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rolling dice with open faces is boring—how about we change the game?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang He showed no fear: “What game do you propose? No fighting—don’t bully girls!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jin explained patiently:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s play a guessing game. In groups of three, pick one person to blindfold; the opposing side writes a riddle on paper, and your two teammates give hints—but can’t say it outright. The blindfolded person must guess what’s written. Wrong guess, drink up.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girls clearly had never played this game before, and Wang He was suddenly intrigued:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Princess Changning realized victory would be hard, but she still had full faith in Xie Jin’s abilities. She pulled a silk handkerchief from her collar and tied it tightly over Xie Jin’s eyes:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We’ll go first. You write the riddle.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jin’s eyes were bound by the handkerchief carrying a faint milky scent. He blinked in surprise—the cloth didn’t block all the light—so he turned his back and waited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After understanding the rules, the three girls huddled together, whispered, then had a maid bring paper. Wang He scribbled two large characters with bold strokes and showed them to Princess Changning and Linghu Qingmo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Linghu Qingmo had only been curious, but when she saw what was written, her face flushed red. She thought these crazy young ladies were outrageous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Princess Changning, composed and dignified, didn’t blush upon seeing the characters. She gave a serious hint:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Two characters. A woman’s intimate...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dudou.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Jin answered instantly!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hss...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All five girls froze, eyes wide with disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the hidden ghost bride murmured:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh? Impressive...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang He picked up the paper, skeptical:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Young Master Xie, did you use some divine technique?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Princess Changning thought the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Xie Jin didn’t survive in this world solely by relying on the ghost bride. This time, he truly hadn’t used any technique—he simply understood the mindset of these crazy young ladies!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cheating in a game like this is pointless. Wang Miss, drink up.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang He, half-skeptical, lifted her cup and drained it. Realizing she’d met a master, she glanced at Linghu Qingmo and raised the difficulty:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Only one person can hint now. You two take turns. Linghu Miss, it’s your turn.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Linghu Qingmo sensed trouble. She warned seriously:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t write anything inappropriate.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hehe~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang He had to drink if she lost—how could she possibly avoid writing something outrageous?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After whispering among themselves, the three girls wrote another mysterious riddle on the paper...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1873,"2026-06-20T01:38:11.747Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","7487ae0823f158c1b786d6cafa01c833ffc5d7b96b77ca3a7dc6537959b75b4c","the-roaring-dragon-chapter-57","the-roaring-dragon-chapter-55",252,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-roaring-dragon-cover.jpg"]