Chapter 202 Gradual Fall, Naturally Romantic
Lady Wen wiped the longsword and put it back into her sleeve.
Li Xian was deeply surprised, and couldn't help but recall the many scenes of binding her in silken clothes and bathing together in yin and yang. He had helped his wife take off her clothes, loosened her waistband, and tied up her long hair... wanting to be intimate, but he never saw the soft sword.
I don't know where it's hidden under my clothes.
Xiong Langjun, ugly in appearance, fell to the ground. When Lady Wen heard the question, she pondered for a moment, and said that Li Xian was indeed qualified to know, "The Dragon Appreciation Banquet and the Dragon Slaying Banquet are banquets concerning dragons."
"A dragon's feast?" Li Xian asked, puzzled. "Are there really dragons in the world?"
“Of course there are,” Madam Wen said. “The Great Wu territory is vast, and there are hundreds of known traces of dragons.”
"Your progress with the Sunset Blood Sword is quite good. You will also have the honor of witnessing this grand dragon-appreciation banquet."
At this point, Madam Wen frowned slightly, and suddenly struck Xiong Langjun with her palm. Her inner energy penetrated the ground, and with a loud boom, the snow and sand flew up.
Xiong Langjun's clothes were torn to shreds, but his limbs were not broken or mangled. As the smoke cleared, a hole appeared in the ground, leading to a distant place, where he had fled.
Madam Wen pondered, "Earth-Melting Technique?"
It turned out that Xiong Langjun's heart had been pierced, but he did not die immediately. He knew he was no match for the lady, so he pondered how to escape.
Throughout his decades-long life in the martial world, he encountered numerous fortuitous events and obtained the recipe for the [Earth-Soaring Soup]. Over the years, he has diligently sought it out, consuming seven or eight corresponding essences. He is about to comprehend the 'Earth-Soaring Technique'.
Unfortunately, something went wrong somewhere. The Earth-Soaring Technique turned into the Earth-Melting Technique. This technique was rather useless; when used, the body merged into the soil, just like sinking into water.
But the soil is coarse, and while he blends into the land, his influence remains superficial. He's truly a double-edged sword.
But now that he had obtained this precious technique, he naturally had to study it diligently. Xiong Langjun devoted himself to its study. Although the technique itself was rather mediocre, when combined with martial arts techniques, it could produce remarkable effects.
He mastered the "Earth-Breaking Skill," a martial art from the "Nine Dou School." It skillfully utilizes digging to create holes. This involves channeling internal energy into the ground and applying a certain vibrational force to quickly excavate a pit.
Xiong Langjun combined his special techniques with martial arts, feigning death by lying on the ground, then using his magic to merge with the earth, and finally using the Earth-Breaking Technique to escape. This allowed him to feign death and escape underground.
It was the first time in his life that he had used it, and it actually saved his life.
They had already fled far away in the short time it took to talk. Li Xian asked, "Madam, should we pursue them?"
“Spare his life,” said Madam Wen.
Li Xian thought to himself, "With Madam's temperament, how could she let this go so easily? It seems this young master Xiong is indeed quite formidable, managing to escape from Madam's grasp. But... Madam's tracking methods are truly miraculous. She could find Qiu Yue's buried corpse. How could this young master Xiong... have escaped?"
"Young Master Xiong's martial arts skills are indeed formidable. However, the fact that Madam could not catch him may have nothing to do with his martial arts skills."
...
...
It was evening.
All the guards had come down the mountain and gathered in the open space in front of it. Ding Hu muttered, "How strange, why haven't the ladies come down the mountain yet?"
Gazing into the distance.
As the sun sets in the west, it is getting late.
The most enjoyable part of hunting in the mountains was counting the spoils of war. In previous years, the lady would always review the spoils, whether they were plentiful or scarce.
Suddenly, the sound of galloping hooves filled the air, and Li Xian spurred his horse out of the forest, with Madam Wen close behind. The two whispered to each other, their expressions intimate. Madam Wen nodded frequently, her coldness softening, replaced by a hint of playful reproach.
A short while later, Li Xian rode over on horseback and said to Ding Hu, "Brothers, you've all worked hard. I just spoke with the lady. It's getting late, and counting the spoils will take time. How about this..."
"Bring the game back to the manor and register it with Uncle Xiang. Tonight, Madam grants you a night off and has ordered the kitchen to prepare a feast of a hundred animals at the manor. Brothers, eat and drink to your hearts' content."
The guards cheered and returned to the manor with the captured beast.
Before long, only Li Xian and Madam Wen remained. Madam Wen laughed and said, "After three days of hunting, it's time to see who won and who lost." She untied the meat bag and poured out the spoils of the beasts.
Tiger, bear, deer...
There were dozens of each, a dazzling array. Among them, bears were the most numerous, including scaled bears, stone-breaking bears, and fierce golden bears... all two zhang tall, with strong bodies and abundant fur.
"Little Fairy, come here." Madam Wen walked to the side of the Scaled Bear, and Li Xian handed her the Sinking River Sword.
The sword's edge is so sharp that a single, gentle slash can pierce armor and tear through skin.
Beneath the bear skin lay human bodies.
The scaled bear was about two zhang tall, and there were three human bodies inside its skin. However, none of them were complete; their joints had been twisted and stitched together, resulting in bizarre shapes that fit the bear's clothing perfectly.
Madam Wen said, "This Young Master Xiong and that Immortal in the Altar are of the same ilk. He is the Immortal in the Altar's senior master."
"He enjoys capturing living people and soaking them in special medicinal baths. Then he twists their joints and dislocates their bones. He then uses mind-control techniques to manipulate them. He hides deep in the mountains and raises many 'bear cubs' to set up a bear cub formation, so as to add more bargaining chips to the future dragon-slaying feast."
"As luck would have it, I stumbled upon it. The losses were enormous, and all our efforts were in vain."
"When you travel the world in the future, try to avoid people like this. Such evil and heretical people are unlikely to achieve great things, but they are always disgusting."
“They are all people of ‘blood pools and flesh forests.’ Most of the strange bears we hunted today look like this. Let’s burn them all.”
Li Xian carried all the strange bears to one place. He piled up firewood and hay, then used the Sunset Blood Sword to light the firewood with two sword beams.
Flames shot into the sky.
Madam Wen asked with a smile, "Who won this competition?"
The remaining tigers and deer were almost equal in number. Li Xian counted them all and laughed heartily, "Madam, I won."
Madam Wen raised an eyebrow: "What nonsense are you spouting? The number of tigers and deer is similar. You have two more tigers than me, but I have four more deer. The numbers cancel each other out, so how can you say you've won?"
Li Xian said, "Has Madam forgotten that we ate that colorful little deer?"
Upon hearing this, the lady shook her head and chuckled, saying, "You rascal... in that case, you really have won. Just tell me what reward you want."
"Young man, think it over carefully first, and then tell Madam when we get back to the manor," Li Xian said.
"Alright." Madam Wen nodded.
...
...
In Yihezhuang.
The spacious open area is furnished with tables and chairs. The kitchen showcases culinary skills, transforming wild game and game into delicious dishes.
The guards enjoyed the meal to their hearts' content.
Deep within the inner courtyard, Madam Wen asked again, "Have you decided what kind of reward you desire?"
Li Xian knew that his wife's family was incredibly wealthy, possessing countless martial arts techniques, riches, treasures, rare medicines, and magical artifacts. Acquiring even one of these would be immensely beneficial. He desired a lightness skill to fill any gaps in his martial arts repertoire, or a superior or intermediate level martial art to broaden his horizons. Choosing either one would be highly useful.
On the way back to the manor, he pondered carefully. He felt it wasn't right, and thought to himself, "If I want martial arts manuals, rare treasures, or money… how do I strike the right balance? If I reward too much, my wife will be displeased, and I won't get the treasures; instead, I'll be rebuked. If I reward too little, it will be quite boring. Perhaps…"
Li Xian said, "Madam, will you definitely grant me what I ask for?"
Madam Wen crossed her legs, her slender waist swaying, and asked with great interest, "Of course, what are you planning this time?"
“I want…” Li Xian smiled and said, “I want a lot. On the way here, I almost mentioned martial arts manuals and rare treasures. But now that I’m sitting in front of you, Madam, there’s only one thing I want.”
He was born with the ability to tell lies as truth and truth as lies. Li Xian prided himself on being honest, but deep down he was a charming and unrestrained womanizer. Sweet words to please women came naturally to him, spoken with sincerity and genuine emotion. If it weren't for this extraordinary talent, even with his exceptional intelligence, how could he have managed to win over his wife and cultivate feelings for her step by step?
Madam Wen's pretty face flushed slightly, a feeling of delight washing over her, and she asked in a low voice, "Tell me about it."
"I want to hold my wife in my arms," Li Xian said sincerely.
Madam Wen felt as sweet as honey in her heart. Seeing that Li Xian's expression was sincere and not feigned, she said, "We have bathed together many times, what is an embrace compared to that? I want to reward you, this is a rare opportunity, think it over again."
Li Xian said, "But... Madam..."
"At this moment, I have only this one thought. It would be too much to ask me to think of any other reward. I think about this and that, but I only have this one wish."
Madam Wen's joy deepened. She was shrewd and ruthless in matters of feng shui and the ways of the martial world, but who had ever dared to speak sweet words to her? Even sweet words have their merits and demerits. The most precious ones are those that truly touch the heart and stir the soul.
She scolded, "You little rascal, you're getting more and more outrageous. Fine, do you think I won't grant you this one wish?"
Her pretty face flushed slightly, but she was very composed, and no outsider would have noticed. She said, "Come on then."
But then I felt myself being swept into a warm embrace, a broad and generous chest. The warmth of her body felt like a love potion, captivating my soul. I was intoxicated, and couldn't help but fall deeply in love.
Li Xian also leaned against Xiang Yu, the fragrant breeze tickling his nose.
Madam Wen asked, "Are you satisfied now?" Li Xian replied, "Madam, I'm going to push my luck."
Madam Wen said coquettishly, "Of course not." She turned away from him, feeling quite reluctant to part with him.
Li Xiancan still possessed a fragrant scent. His prediction was correct; the so-called reward was merely something Madam Wen casually mentioned to incite his fighting spirit. If Li Xiancan were to ask for it, she might not refuse.
Mid-level martial arts techniques, rare treasures and exotic items... how precious they are! The lady is wealthy, but she would never give them away lightly. If Li Xian were to ask for such things, he would be left with nothing. On the contrary, it made the lady think: "This boy is greedy. Even if he is loyal to me, his heart is not pure, and he is scheming for profit."
She puts herself in others' shoes; she would definitely think that way.
Even if she doesn't ask for it, she has reason to be unhappy.
The winter hunt is over.
For the rest of his days, there was nothing of great importance to do. In his spare time, Li Xian would stroll around the manor and visit various places in Qingning County.
Although they did not receive a reward, the lady's attitude had clearly changed.
Early December.
From that day onward, Li Xian's first and second levels of the Sunset Blood Sword were nearing their peak. Without restraint, they would soon reach their ultimate form.
Li Xian, fearing his wife's suspicion, never used this sword technique again except when the two swords were combined. He privately focused all his energy on the [Vast Leg].
The leg techniques are ethereal, and the martial arts techniques gradually reveal themselves. As the legs are unleashed, clouds and mist swirl around, obscuring the view.
His leg strength gradually increased. Combining the Vast Expanse Leg and the Gentle Breeze Leg, his running speed became incredibly fast.
[Vast Legs]
[Proficiency: 1096/3000 Minor Mastery]
The Qi Lake is forty-four feet long.
Li Xian actually liked this kind of life. "There is progress in peace, without wind or waves. As long as I can win over my wife, I can solve a lot of troubles."
But then he saw the tall, ancient tree in the village. Li Xian's heart trembled; he still wanted to stand tall and independent, not to depend on others.
Only by becoming stronger!
Kindness can be repaid, and grudges can be avenged.
That day.
Li Xian helped his wife into seclusion and received the money he was raising at the end of the month. Just as he was about to leave the manor, he suddenly heard a commotion: "Boy, boy... come here."
In the dense grass, the Black Tai Sui sat atop a toad's head. Li Xian strode over, grabbed it, and asked, "Why are you out again?"
Black Tai Sui grumbled, "Ouch, be gentle, be gentle! Why are you hitting me so hard! I was just curious about your progress. How are things going between you two?"
"You're quite the gossip," Li Xian said with a smile.
"Tell me quickly, tell me quickly. Did you manage to take down that wicked woman?" Black Tai Sui asked curiously.
Before Li Xian could answer, Hei Tai Sui continued, "You rascal, you're too shy and too honest. You're clearly not making any progress. To deal with this kind of woman, you have to go straight for the kill and be bold enough to draw your sword. Make her torn between love and hate, unable to let go, feeling like she's living or dying. You... keep it up!"
Li Xian's lips twitched. "You seem to know a lot. What exactly are you?"
"Speaking of this, we must start from the distant Great Yu Dynasty," said Hei Tai Sui. "If you'd like to hear it, I'll tell you the story slowly. Last time, there was a notorious thief, quite famous in the martial arts world. He came to steal something..."
"He chatted with me for a while. It felt... like the most enjoyable time of my life. I told him about Blackie's glorious past."
"He was listening intently. But... that wicked woman found out. Good heavens, she cut out his tongue, broke his bones, and severed his tendons. Ouch, that was awful... Now I'm with you too..."
Li Xian knew that Hei Tai Sui was spouting nonsense, and it was best to listen but not to believe him. However, thinking of the remaining slaves of Xianwu Pavilion, he said to be on the safe side, "Stop! I don't want to hear it anymore." He ran back to Yunxiang Pavilion and locked Hei Tai Sui up again.
(End of this chapter)
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