Chapter 107

Ah Zhu Ren Yingying smiled and said, "Many thanks for the praise, Jiangzhang Sect — this little girl is fully worthy of it!"

Jiang Sishui smiled, then said, "But regarding your Disguise Art, there's one question I've never been able to figure out."

"What question?"

"It's just…"

Seeming to find it hard to voice, Jiang Sishui gestured with both hands in front of his chest: "How do you hide this thing?"

Seeing Jiang Sishui's gesture, Ah Zhu's gently smiling, dimpled face instantly flushed a deep crimson; in embarrassment and annoyance, she raised her riding crop and went to strike.

Jiang Sishui let out a hearty laugh and spurred his horse forward ahead of time.

The long wind howled; the maiden's black hair swept across his face like dark clouds, tickling Jiang Sishui's heart.

He could not help himself and kissed Wang Yuyan on the side of her cheek.

Wang Yuyan's delicate frame stiffened; realizing she had been kissed, her fairy-like face flushed crimson like fiery clouds, burning so hot it nearly caught fire.

But she did not resist, nor did she scold him — she only lowered her lovely head shyly, saying nothing, yet her body leaned back a little further, resting against Jiang Sishui's chest.

With such a clear attitude, how could Jiang Sishui fail to understand?

A surge of intense joy welled up in his heart, and he immediately held Wang Yuyan a little tighter.

Were it not for the other four women present, he would certainly have pressed his advantage and pressed on while the iron was hot.

At this moment, Wang Yuyan's heart was equally unsettled.

Thinking that her seven years of pining for her cousin had not been as happy as seven days with Jiang Sishui, she felt her past self had not been worth it.

Now that she had transferred her affections and followed the man before her, she need no longer endure the torment of longing, and in the future might even have a chance at immortality and ascending to become an immortal.

Counting it all up, Heaven had truly been kind to her.

The one flaw was that this man was simply too fickle-hearted — unable to devote himself wholly to loving only her.

But then again, if he were not fickle, she would hardly have had the chance either.

Huang Rong, Yan Lingji, Bai Feifei, Bai Axiu… each of them had a greater chance than she did.

At this thought, Wang Yuyan felt a sense of release.

118 — The Death of Zhen Zhibing, The Ten-Thousand-Li Road to Find His Wife

Ever since obtaining the "Overlord Recipe," Xiao Longnu had been living a wonderful life of "zero-yuan shopping."

Delicacies from the four seas and twenty-eight provinces, even from beyond the Central Domain, were like concubines waiting for the Emperor to flip their name tiles — hers to enjoy at will.

For a time, the Jade Bee Nectar she had drunk for over ten years no longer tasted sweet, and the dishes Sun Nu cooked no longer smelled appetizing.

Only now did Xiao Longnu realize that the world outside really was so rich and colorful, completely unlike the Ancient Tomb.

However, last time she was caught eating by Sun Nu, who asked where the food had come from; Xiao Longnu did want to explain, but unfortunately could not.

So she invited Sun Nu to taste it, and conjured several plates of dishes out of thin air right before Sun Nu's eyes.

This frightened Sun Nu out of her wits, and she insisted Miss had been possessed by a demon.

To clear up the misunderstanding, Xiao Longnu had no choice but to volunteer some past events, barely managing to calm Sun Nu down.

But the feat of "fetching objects through the air" was simply too astonishing — it had already exceeded the limits of Sun Nu's understanding — so she remained half-believing, half-doubting, and kept probing from the side, asking Xiao Longnu for the truth.

The truth Xiao Longnu could not speak, and lying she did not know how to do, so she simply stopped explaining and let Sun Nu guess on her own.

At the same time, to avoid Sun Nu's endless questions, Xiao Longnu had no choice but to slip quietly away to the back mountain.

Two slightly translucent, fair-jade-like hands held a roasted chicken drumstick "liberated" from the imperial kitchen of the palace; Xiao Longnu nibbled at it in small bites, elegant yet still cute, though the grease around her lips added a touch of worldly charm.

Not only that, at her feet were also eight delicacies: shark fin, Eight Immortals Platter, Bright Shrimp Roast, Soup-Bathed Embroidered Balls, and so on.

Xiao Longnu, all in white, ethereal and otherworldly, sat amid the pile of delicacies, her face full of happiness and contentment.

Suddenly, her gaze turned cold.

That feeling of being watched had come again!

Before, she had felt nothing of the sort, but after reading the diary, being watched by that gaze again made her feel an inexpressible nausea and disgust.

She turned to look, and saw a Daoist sneaking furtively behind a tree, secretly watching her.

It was that man — Zhen Zhibing!

The foul Daoist who, according to the diary, defiled her innocence in "The Return of the Condor Heroes"!

Xiao Longnu recognized him at a glance.

But at this moment Zhen Zhibing was still staring foolishly at Xiao Longnu, unaware that she had spotted him and was already flying toward him.

Because in his eyes, Xiao Longnu was a fairy who did not partake of mortal fare; now that the fairy had descended to the mortal world and begun eating meat and drinking soup, it did not ruin her original image at all — instead it added a touch of adorable charm.

This left Zhen Zhibing completely dumbfounded.

Lost in the fairy's charm, unable to extricate himself.

Suddenly, a streak of white flashed across his vision, rapidly enlarging in his pupils, and Zhen Zhibing's eyes revealed a trace of infatuation.

The white silk hung in the air, truly as if a celestial maiden of the Nine Heavens had descended from the immortal palace to the mortal world.

The jingle of bells rang, as if celestial music accompanied her, purifying the dust of the mortal realm.

But the next instant, Zhen Zhibing was jolted awake from his fantasy.

Because a sharp pain shot through his chest, ruthlessly dragging him back to cruel reality.

Zhen Zhibing slowly lowered his head to look at his chest, his eyes full of disbelief.

Although there was not the slightest wound there, he knew his heart had been shattered!

I'm dead? Am I about to die?

I'll never see her again?

In an instant, a tremendous panic surged up in his heart, and Zhen Zhibing was completely dumbfounded.

Then, fresh blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

Summoning his last strength, Zhen Zhibing raised his head to take one look.

In his blurred vision, a figure in white drifted away into the distance, until it could no longer be seen.

"Long…々「 …"

Zhen Zhibing reached out, as if wanting to hold the other back, but the next moment, he crashed heavily to the ground.

His pupils were unfocused; he had already breathed his last.

……

【Today I killed a sanctimonious hypocrite — the Shaolin Temple's Wondrous Monk Wuhua】

The very first line of the diary startled quite a few people.

Wondrous Monk Wuhua, one of the most outstanding disciples of the younger generation of Shaolin Temple — in fact, speaking comprehensively, dropping the "one of" would not be amiss.

No other reason than this: he was fair of face, dazzlingly brilliant, not only superb in poetry, ci, calligraphy, painting, and the way of tea, but also deeply versed in Buddhist doctrine, with extraordinary martial talent, and at such a young age had already reached the Yishida Sect.

Because of his seven-fold mastery, he was also called the "Wondrous Monk of Seven Absolutes."

Buddhism flourishes today, and Shaolin is the Mount Tai and Big Dipper of the Wu Lin, so such a young Fomen luminary naturally drew competing adulation.

Even some noble houses of the jianghu considered it an honor to be able to invite him to visit.

And now, this "Wondrous Monk of Seven Absolutes" had actually been slaughtered by Jiang Sishui!

And according to his words, Wuhua was also a sanctimonious hypocrite!

This was utterly at odds with the "Wondrous Monk of Seven Absolutes'" former image.

Then there must be some secret unknown to others hidden within.

For a time, many women who had heard of Wuhua perked up.

【Wuhua is also a character from "The Legend of Chu Liuxiang"; this person… well, forget it, let me start with his background】

【Wuhua's father was an Eastern Wokou warrior named Tianfeng Shishilang; his mother was the great desert she-demon Stone Guanyin】

【In the story, Stone Guanyin's original name was Li Qi, born into a Mount Huangshan noble house; later her family met with great catastrophe, and she became the sole orphan of her clan】

【Li Qi escaped death, but could not gain a foothold in the Central Plains, so she crossed east to Fusang, and there met Tianfeng Shishilang, who was deeply devoted to her】

【The two were wed, and Li Qi bore her husband two children】

【Tianfeng Shishilang did not teach Li Qi martial arts, but Li Qi had another extraordinary encounter, and after mastering a set of Powerful martial arts, she abandoned her husband and children, returned to the Central Lands, slew her enemies with her own hands, and avenged the Mie Sect grudge】

【However, after avenging the blood-deep hatred, Li Qi vanished from the jianghu without a trace】

【And Tianfeng Shishilang, at this very point in time, with a heart full of grief, brought his two children to the Central Lands】

【He searched bitterly for a year, but never caught the slightest trace of his wife; at last in despair, he even conceived thoughts of death】

Abandon husband and children? Travel ten thousand li in search of a wife?

The women, upon hearing of Tianfeng Shishilang and Stone Guanyin's past, immediately felt a wave of novelty.

Usually it is the man who runs off while the woman toils to seek her husband with the children — now it was the reverse.

Zhezhou.