Chapter 57: The Return of Demonic Qi?

Soon, Wang He revealed another sheet of paper in her hand.

Linghu Qingmo saw the atrocious handwriting on the paper, drew a sharp breath, her face flushing red, wishing she could just leave the table.

Princess Changning wanted to speak and warn her, but couldn’t break the rules, so she urged:

“Hurry up—you’re both girls, what are you being so shy about?”

Isn’t Xie Jinhuan a man?

Under the gaze of everyone, Linghu Qingmo had no choice but to grit her teeth and offer a polite hint:

“Um, a kind of seafood…”

“Abalone.”

Xie Jinhuan would never let Meiqiu suffer!

Both Linghu Qingmo and Princess Changning froze in shock.

Wang He was utterly stunned, staring at Xie Jinhuan’s back, her eyes as if a tiny ant had glimpsed the celestial gods!

Linghu Qingmo exclaimed in disbelief:

“Xie Jinhuan, you really didn’t cheat?”

Did he even need to cheat?

I could close my eyes and know what these little vixens would write…

Xie Jinhuan’s demeanor was that of an ancient patriarch who had weathered the world’s storms:

“I began diligent study at age three, learning all manner of things. Miss Wang, you’d better raise the difficulty—if not, you won’t walk out this door standing today.”

Princess Changning suspected Xie Jinhuan had used some secret technique to cheat, yet her inner delight was beyond words; she shifted her plump hips to sit beside him, like a beloved concubine, fanning her loyal retainer with a silk fan:

“Keep going, keep going—little Wang He dares to challenge me?”

The three girls across from them clearly felt the pressure.

Since being crowned “Gambling Saint,” Wang He had never faced such a formidable opponent; she once again brainstormed with the girls before revealing another sheet.

Princess Changning glanced at it, thought the question too difficult for a warrior, and frowned:

“Ask about something on the boat—otherwise, with the scholarly depth of Chongwen Academy, how could he possibly answer?”

Xie Jinhuan raised his hand slightly: “No need, next question can be about something on the boat—I’ll try this one first.”

Seeing this, Princess Changning could only prompt:

“Who authored the ‘Former Qi Discourses’?”

This question was indeed challenging.

Xie Jinhuan thought carefully for a moment before answering:

“Tong Rongsheng, third-place scholar in the imperial examination of Zheng’an Seventh Year, but his official career was rocky—he spent his life as a proofreader in the Secretariat, having presented six strategies to Emperor Taizu: ‘On National Wealth,’ ‘On Enlightening the People’… detailing the causes and consequences of the Former Qi dynasty’s rise, decline, and ultimate collapse…”

The room fell silent.

Princess Changning watched Xie Jinhuan speak fluently; initially skeptical, she soon became awestruck.

After all, the paper only bore a name—no matter how powerful his secret technique, he couldn’t possibly know the subsequent content; this was pure, genuine knowledge.

Elegant bearing, handsome features, skilled in calligraphy and painting, able to play music and dance, drink and chat, relaxed and fun-loving, yet also well-versed in ancient and modern lore…

Isn’t this a courtesan of the brothel?

No wonder those young nobles squandered their fortunes to shower silver on courtesans…

At this quality, I’d throw silver too…

…

Linghu Qingmo wasn’t particularly surprised—Xie Jinhuan had read the ‘Classic of Plant Spirits’; how could he not know this required text for imperial students?

But the three girls across, seeing that Xie Jinhuan—a formidable warrior—could answer policy questions with ease, lost all trace of playfulness!

Wang He stared for a moment, then exclaimed in disbelief:

“Sir, you’re so learned?!”

Xie Jinhuan waved his hand, humbly replying:

“I vowed at age three to outshine all local talents—I’ve tried learning everything since childhood, but my abilities are limited; I’ve only grasped the surface of everything, becoming mediocre in all. I know the general sources, but I couldn’t recite the ‘Six Strategies of Former Qi’ if my life depended on it.”

“Still, that’s impressive—Xie Sir, you’re unmatched among your peers in martial skill.”

Wang He felt she’d met her match, and her competitive spirit stirred.

But the next questions must concern things on the boat—facing a jack-of-all-trades like Xie Jinhuan, they were at a severe disadvantage.

After deliberating, Wang He and the others decided to strike hard at their opponent’s weakness: Meiqiu.

Linghu Qingmo knew she was the team’s weak link and grew extremely nervous.

To her surprise, the handwriting on this paper was somewhat normal; she studied it closely, baffled:

“Did you write this wrong? How could there be such a thing on a boat?!”

Wang He nodded firmly:

“It’s definitely on the boat—ask Princess Changning if you don’t believe me.”

Princess Changning’s expression turned strange, but she said nothing.

Linghu Qingmo didn’t believe it for a second, but still earnestly prompted:

“A fierce beast…”

“Gūjī!”

Meiqiu, who had been idle, poked her head up from under the table, as if asking: Who called me? Who called me?

Xie Jinhuan pinned down his mischievous maid and still answered without hesitation:

“White Tiger!”

“Sssss…”

All the girls drew a sharp breath!

Linghu Qingmo was stunned, unable to comprehend:

“You dare say you didn’t cheat?! There’s no tiger on the boat—how could you possibly guess that?!”

“I… sss—”

Before Xie Jinhuan could speak, he felt someone twist his lower back!

Princess Changning’s face flushed crimson, tinged with shame and fury, yet her bearing remained regal; her eyes narrowed, her voice cool and commanding:

“Xie Jinhuan, explain clearly—what do you mean by ‘White Tiger,’ and how did you deduce it? If you cheated, I’ll have your eyes gouged out—I won’t plead for you!”

Xie Jinhuan had deduced it from “hairless girl,” but obviously couldn’t say that; now with his back twisted, he explained calmly:

“The White Tiger is the Divine Guardian of War, the western protector. ‘White’ refers to the element Metal in the Five Phases—not the color white.

“This pleasure boat is exquisitely crafted; if the roof ridge bears a demonic-quelling Qilin, the four corners likely bear the Four Divine Guardians, probably painted beneath the eaves to ward off evil spirits.

“This is Princess Changning’s boat, and I heard Miss Wang say you’d surely know—so I guessed it must be the White Tiger.”

“….”

Princess Changning silently released her grip and, with great apology, rubbed the sore spot on his back.

Linghu Qingmo found this reasoning persuasive; after thinking, she asked:

“Then why White Tiger, and not Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, or Black Tortoise?”

“You said ‘fierce beast.’ Among the Four Symbols, only the White Tiger qualifies as a beast—the others are divine creatures.”

“Oh…”

After delivering his utterly serious nonsense, Xie Jinhuan turned to Wang He and the others:

“Miss Wang, was this your intended question?”

Wang He hadn’t intended this—she’d thought of it while bathing with the princess.

But since Xie Jinhuan’s reasoning was so sound, she couldn’t twist it into something absurd; she merely replied:

“Sir, truly learned and talented—I am in awe.”

“Flattery…”

“Keep going, keep going—your turn to pose a question, Wang He, guess now…”

…

The five girls and one boy laughed and chattered, growing ever more delighted, even forgetting Meiqiu entirely.

But just as the tide turned and it was their turn to pose questions for Wang He to guess, the ghostly bride, who had been watching silently, whispered in his ear:

“Something’s amiss outside—go take a look.”

Xie Jinhuan paused mid-pour, hearing the sound of gongs and drums drifting across the river; he set down the wine jug, leaned close to Meiqiu’s ear:

“I’m going to relieve myself—coming?”

?

Linghu Qingmo, deep in thought over the next question, heard this and wanted to electrocute this lecher; her bright, watery eyes narrowed slightly, as if to say:

Are you drunk again?

Even if I went, would I go to the toilet with you?

I haven’t even slapped you yet for touching Ling’er…

Xie Jinhuan merely teased Meiqiu a little, said nothing more, rose, and left the room, stepping onto the second-floor viewing railing to look out.

What met his eyes was a massive treasure ship slowly leaving the riverbank, heading toward the river’s center.

The pleasure boat was close to the riverbank; the treasure ship had to pass nearby, less than a hundred meters away—figures moved on deck, muffled shouts drifting over:

“Whoa—!”

“Another one!”

……

Xie Jinhuan had noticed the treasure ship upon arrival; it was chartered by several gambling house proprietors who, taking advantage of the Mid-Autumn Festival, had come here to make money, and rumors said there were “boosting” performances onboard.

He had come out with Princess Changning, so he couldn’t just rush over to gawk; now he glanced around and asked:

“Something wrong with this ship?”

As he spoke, a red-clad ghost, shouldering a red umbrella, appeared at his side:

“Yes.”

Because it was Mid-Autumn, Ye Hongshang had followed local custom and manifested a bright red hezi dress, over which she wore a wide-sleeved gauze robe; above her embroidered chestpiece, adorned with golden Meiqiu, were two full, soft mounds rivaling Wang He’s in size, white and gleaming like twin silver moons…

!

Xie Jinhuan blinked, carefully admiring his ghostly bride:

“This ship’s huge—what exactly is wrong with it?”

Ye Hongshang covered her neckline with her sleeve and glanced around:

“The ‘qi’ is off—it’s converging inward. There’s either an array inside, or someone is performing a ritual, and it’s not orthodox.”

Ordinary cultivators gather spiritual energy from heaven and earth, but this ‘qi’ is invisible and intangible—people know it exists, yet cannot see or touch it.

Xie Jinhuan clearly had no ability to perceive qi; he glanced a few times:

“Should I go up and check?”

Ye Hongshang turned her gaze toward the room filled with singing girls:

“In another sip or two, you can touch freely—can you really leave?”

“These girls? Who touches whom is uncertain. They drink with guests to survive—I’m not a nightclub male model.”

Xie Jinhuan flipped over the railing and leapt down:

Tap-tap-tap…

His feet touched the emerald waves, sending out ripples; under the moonlight, a white rainbow flashed into view…

——

On the other side, Danwang Pavilion.

Brilliant fireworks rose outside the window, casting the study in flickering light and shadow.

The Danwang had been worn thin by the chaotic cases of recent days; even on Mid-Autumn, he had no time to return to the inner palace to accompany his princess. Now, poring over case files, he frowned and asked:

“I heard Ling’er held a private banquet last night for Xie Jinhuan—just the two of them?”

Zhu Wenyuan stood beside the table, calm and composed:

“They only drank at Wuwei Pavilion. After the Chilin Guard incident, they dispersed.”

“How long did they stay together?”

“About an hour.”

“…”

The Danwang took a quiet breath; an hour was long enough to conceive a grandchild.

What name should he pick…?

Xie Xiaodeng…

The Danwang was about to give some advice when suddenly, noise came from above:

Thump-thump-thump~

“Master Zhu! Master Zhu…”

Danwang Pavilion stood seven stories tall; inside, besides the Military Affairs Office and Armory, there was an observatory on the top floor.

The observatory housed the Eight-Direction Illumination Array, whose principle matched the Demon-Sensing Disc—it could detect hidden demons by tracking changes in the five-element qi around Danyang.

But the array could only sense disturbances of significant scale; minor fluctuations didn’t spread far enough to be captured. The last time it reacted was the night the demonic aura erupted from Zihui Mountain.

Zhu Wenyuan heard the panicked cry from the observatory guard and felt dread; he hurried to the stairs:

“What is it?”

A young Daoist sprinted down, face ashen:

“A towering blood-demon aura has erupted downstream of Huaijiang—its scale rivals that of Zihui Mountain. Location unknown.”

Zhu Wenyuan’s heart lurched—he suspected the powerful demon from Zihui Mountain had resurfaced.

Though he had not sensed blood-demon qi rising from the southeast, the range of his magical artifact far exceeded that of ordinary people; Danwang Pavilion could even detect demonic qi in Luojing.

According to estimates by the city’s top experts, the erupting demonic aura from Zihui Mountain likely came from a Super-Class Great Demon.

Such a demon was beyond the reach of ordinary cultivators, and the destruction it caused could overwhelm Danzhou.

The Danwang had also heard the report; he knew the situation was grave and ordered:

“Issue my decree: summon all guest masters of the Wang Fu, and all masters from Zihui Mountain and Danyang Academy, to converge downstream and exterminate this demon!”

“Yes!”

The young Daoist dashed back upstairs; the top floor immediately rang with a deep bell:

Dong—dong—

Soon after, figures emerged from Danyang Academy and even from Zihui Mountain beyond the city, arriving at Danwang Pavilion’s entrance, then racing downstream.

Among them, even an elderly man in Confucian robes walked through the air…

———

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(End of Chapter)