Chapter 169 The noble lady disappears, and the dragon is rewarded.
Li Xian was worried about his empty purse and how to pay his wife's fine. His wife appeared gentle and charming, but in reality, she was extremely ruthless.
If I can pay the fine, I'd be happy to give it a try.
However, we still need to be more vigilant to avoid being used as pawns. Li Xian asked, "Sister Lin, you just said that although you are strong, you dare not face the Flower Cage Sect directly. Why is that? Is there someone stronger among them?"
Lin Aoshan blushed and said, "This rabble does have some capable members, but that's about it. In terms of martial arts skills and cultivation, I could crush them with a single finger. But...but..."
But I was too embarrassed to say it.
"But what?" Li Xian pressed.
Lin Aoshan said, "Don't you know? The Flower Cage Sect specializes in kidnapping women. Their kung fu is extremely despicable, and they have many strange skills that specifically target women. If I face them alone, I will inevitably fall into their dangerous traps. In the end, instead of being able to wipe them out, I will fall into their hands."
"The Flower Cage Sect is roaming around, and I don't know where they'll take me. Wouldn't that be terrible? I don't have the guts to fight them all by myself."
When Li Xian first heard of the "Flower Cage Sect," he thought the world of martial arts was vast and full of wonders. There were countless strange sects and factions. After considering it carefully for a moment, he felt he could help.
After a brief discussion, Lin Aoshan was overjoyed, feeling that her special trip had been worthwhile. The two made a pinky promise that neither would go back on their word.
Li Xian was thinking about the "three thousand taels," while Lin Aoshan was thinking about the "merit."
They hit it off immediately.
After eating and drinking her fill, Lin Aoshan left the Martial Arts Hall. Returning to the Lin family mansion, she found it deserted and desolate. Uncomfortable with her surroundings, she decided to open an inn.
But for the esteemed young patriarch of the Lin family, this was hardly a humiliation. So he returned to the Martial Guard Hall and stayed there temporarily.
Li Xian had a guest room vacated, next to Luo Xia's. Both women, seeing it was late, felt sticky and wanted to bathe. Lin Aoshan, having ridden her horse, was soaked in sweat, while Luo Xia practiced her marksmanship and drilled her servants. Their physical exertion was immense.
But the bathroom is big enough to accommodate them.
Li Xian then rode back to the manor. He practiced martial arts in the courtyard. Around midnight, the lady summoned Qiu Yue to the inner courtyard to bathe in the sweet rain together.
The moon is full and round today, its light spilling out, creating a beautiful scene.
Inside the bathhouse, there is also an open-air bathing spring. Medicinal water is poured into the spring, creating a misty, ethereal atmosphere, like a fairyland. One can enjoy the pleasure of bathing together while admiring the starry sky.
[Sharing the sweet rain with you, the skill proficiency of the Sunset Blood Sword increases by 398]
At the second quarter of the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), dark clouds obscured the moon. After bathing together, Li Xian wiped away the dew, let her long hair down, and simply tied it up with a strip of cloth.
His hands were wrapped in white cloth, and his palms bore many sword scars. Although the lady was incomparably beautiful, a rare beauty, bathing with her brought more suffering than pleasure.
While bathing together, the lady sometimes said, "You are like a piece of wood. Do you think I am not beautiful? Since you are so useless, I will cut you off."
At other times he would say, "How dare you harbor ill intentions? You have some nerve."
He has something to say on both sides, and it's difficult to please either side. The lady not only needs Li Xian's loyalty, but also needs to control his desires and thoughts.
Li Xian strolled leisurely through the manor, his heart open and easygoing. He discerned the lady's intentions and knew he would carefully cooperate. He walked to the lakeside, where a gust of wind blew away the dark clouds that had obscured the moon. Li Xian, holding a pebble, skipped stones across the lake, enjoying himself.
"Although he is difficult to please, he has been very beneficial to me. My progress in the Sunset Blood Sword technique has been rapid, and I have benefited in terms of physique, internal energy, and so on. In these few baths together, I feel my vitality surging and I am full of energy."
"Moreover, as long as I make steady progress and never stop, there will always be a day when I can retaliate. There will always be a day when I can subdue the lady. There are countless beauties in this world, but only those with sufficient strength can appreciate and enjoy them. Until then, I can lie low and make progress."
"The lady will be going into seclusion tomorrow, supposedly to prepare for... a dragon-appreciation banquet. What is this dragon-appreciation banquet? Could it be that there really are dragons in the world? To appreciate dragons and feast? That would be quite an elegant pastime."
"The lady said that if I can reach the second level of the Sunset Blood Sword and achieve minor mastery, she will take me with her. I have already mastered the second level, and minor mastery is within my reach. It should be good to broaden my horizons."
Li Xian remained calm, plucked a blade of grass from the lakeside, and, humming a little tune, returned to her courtyard with it in her mouth.
Knowing both the advantages and disadvantages, and experiencing both, one can maintain a calm and composed mindset. He has enjoyed all the good things and endured all the bad. His heart is as firm as iron, and his steps are steady.
...
...
The next day.
In the Martial Arts Hall, Luo Xia was training the constables, while Lin Aoshan watched from under a tree, legs crossed. She nodded occasionally, sensing that Luo Xia was acting mysteriously, but decided not to press the matter.
Lin Aoshan was taken aback. Seeing Li Xian return, she couldn't help but think to herself that this Wu Weilang was indeed a man of exceptionally good looks.
"Sister Lin, please tell me the details of the Flower Cage Gate!" Li Xian got straight to the point.
"Great!" Lin Aoshan laughed. Li Xian, Lin Aoshan, and Luo Xia went inside to discuss.
Lin Aoshan said, "Actually, I don't know the exact location of the Flower Cage Sect right now. I only vaguely know that their general location is around Qingning County."
Li Xian asked, "Did the Flower Cage Gate escape all the way from Huaiyin Prefecture?"
Lin Aoshan said, "That's right. I originally led a dozen or so patrol officers to be stationed around Liuli Mountain. Liuli Mountain is a famous scenic mountain in the Nanyu Road area, and the scenery is quite beautiful... cough cough, I'm getting off topic."
Lin Aoshan took a sip of water and vividly described, "I stayed nearby for a long time but didn't see a single person. So I dismissed the servants and returned to the prefectural city alone."
"On the way, we passed a Flying Cloud Plank Road and unfortunately encountered a group of thugs from the Flower Cage Sect."
"This lady is naturally beautiful. If I were to confront them, it wouldn't be me causing them trouble, but rather they would be forced to join forces to capture me. I dare not approach rashly, but only dare to eavesdrop from a distance. The person they were talking about when they went there was quite cunning."
The man said, "We are now surrounded on all sides, and everywhere is extremely dangerous. But I have a place where I can find peace, return to my old trade, and observe the situation."
Another person asked, "Where is it?"
The man said, “I was looking for places of turmoil and found out about Qingning County, a poor and remote place. The military officer there claimed to be acting on behalf of Heaven to punish the officials and had beheaded the local magistrate. This place is a chaotic mix of people, and if we flee here, we can recuperate, observe the situation, and then decide where to go next. Wouldn’t that be ideal?”
When Lin Aoshan spoke, she deliberately lowered her voice and imitated the other person's tone.
Li Xian thought to himself, "That Flower Cage Gate was easy to scheme against, but although I killed the county magistrate, Qingning County is not in chaos." He asked, "After that, you stopped following them?"
Lin Aoshan nodded: "If I continue to follow them, I will inevitably be exposed. They are all sorts of people, and they have all kinds of methods. I would like to make a contribution, but it is not worth risking my life."
Luo Xia laughed and said, "You're quite cautious."
“Of course,” Lin Aoshan replied, then looked at Li Xian and asked, “I’ve already explained the details. The Flower Cage Sect is located nearby. What are your thoughts?”
After pondering for a moment, Li Xian said, "The most urgent task is to lure this sect out. Once they come to Qingning to 'resum their old ways,' they will definitely rob women in the surrounding area."
"Until we find out his exact location, Luo Xia, you continue training the constables. Sister Lin, you come with me to investigate. Let's get a clear picture of him first before proceeding with anything else."
Lin Aoshan said, "That makes sense..." Then she paused, frowned, and said, "Wait a minute, how can I, a dignified Xuanhou of the Sky Patrol Division, take orders from you, a mere military officer?"
"Then please give your instructions," Li Xian said with a smile.
Lin Aoshan pondered for a moment: "Luo Xia, you continue training the constables, ready to be called upon at any time. Li Xian, you come with me to search the city and see if any women have gone missing."
He paused, then added, "First, we need to understand their situation thoroughly before seeking anything else. We must strike decisively and seize their lifeline!"
Li Xian and Luo Xia smiled and said, "Okay."
...
...
At noon that day.
Li Xian dressed in plain clothes, slightly disguised, concealing the red mole between his eyebrows. He guessed that even though the Flower Cage Sect had miscalculated by thinking of hiding in the chaotic area, their strategy was still correct. There must be some shrewd and clear-headed individuals among the crowd, and he and his men, stationed around Qingning, would surely keep an eye on Wu Wei's appearance and movements.
With everything prepared, we sneak out to investigate. Lin Aoshan said, "Although the Flower Cage Sect is despicable, this sect has good judgment."
“The women they abduct must be beautiful as flowers. Moreover, they must come from good families. If an ordinary farmer offered himself to them, they might not even look at him.”
Li Xian laughed and said, "Still being a snob?"
Lin Aoshan said, "Now that you mention it, it's true."
"You say he waits and abducts women, what is his intention? Is it lust?" Li Xian asked.
Lin Aoshan stroked her chin and said, "Beauty is only one aspect; money is also a factor. Alas, there are many strange people in this world, and their motives are hard to define."
Li Xian understood. Zeng Tai'an of Fulai Village had a penchant for exotic birds and beasts. He immediately stopped asking questions and began searching for clues.
Based on their nature, the investigation should begin with their clans. If any clan women have gone missing, it must be the Flower Cage Sect. There are four prominent clans in Qingning County: the Lin, Luo, Zhao, and Wang families.
Li Xian went to the Wang family first. But just before she arrived, she stopped and pulled Lin Aoshan away.
Lin Aoshan asked, "What are you doing?"
Li Xian said, "This is inappropriate. Going directly to their door is highly inappropriate."
"Hmph, so paranoid," Lin Aoshan said. "We're disguised, do you think we're afraid of being recognized by passersby?"
"I'm not afraid of passersby noticing, but I'm afraid of my servants noticing," Li Xian said.
"What do you mean?" Lin Aoshan asked.
Li Xian pulled her into the alleyway, pointed to the Wang family mansion, and asked, "If the Flower Cage Sect takes a fancy to a woman from the Wang family, will they brazenly storm into the mansion and forcibly abduct her, or will they use underhanded tactics to secretly capture her?"
"The latter, of course," Lin Aoshan thought for a moment.
“If it is the latter, then the Flower Cage Sect is very likely to have placed servants in various families,” Li Xian said. “Firstly, to investigate whether there are any beautiful women. Secondly, to keep track of their movements.”
"If we go to their door to inquire, we will surely be seen by their servants and spies. If we do that, we will alert them, and then... will you still be able to find that flower-framed door?"
"Ah!" Lin Aoshan exclaimed in surprise, patting her chest and saying with relief, "I really didn't expect that. Brother Li, you're so clever..."
Lin Aoshan, a woman of high seniority in the clan, was about to praise Li Xian's intelligence when she unconsciously adopted a "grandmother" demeanor and changed the subject: "Hmm... Keep up the good work, but don't get too cocky. I was just testing you on purpose. Not bad, not bad, you passed the test."
"What do we do now?" Lin Aoshan asked.
"Let's play it safe," Li Xian said. "We'll wait until nightfall, then we'll disguise ourselves as thieves and break into the manor. After some questioning, we'll find out if any of our clanswomen are missing."
"In this way, it will definitely not attract the attention of the Flower Cage Gate."
"besides…"
Li Xian was penniless and so poor that he dreamed of stealing something.
(End of this chapter)
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