Originally, he had intended to keep all the suspicious ghost clothes and investigate them himself, but Lingwen's casual remark had given him a shocking flaw. Xie Lian, realizing what was happening, played along, continuing his deception. In the end, he had completely destroyed Lingwen.
Ling Wen stood frozen. Xie Lian said, "Of course, you can deny it, but knowing whether it's true or not is easy. I'll just take that dress to the Divine Martial Hall right now, make it transform before the Emperor's eyes, and then ask you if you can tell what it's become. Then the truth will be revealed."
The Brocade-Robed Immortal, having previously sucked the blood of over five hundred people while wandering the mortal world, is a sinister creature imbued with a profoundly sinister aura. If Lingwen had merely trespassed into the Divine Martial Hall and stolen the brocade robe, before using it to harm anyone, his crime wouldn't be considered unforgivable. However, Lingwen was ordained before ascending to heaven. The earliest legend of the Brocade-Robed Immortal circulated was far later than Lingwen's ordination.
That is to say, Lingwen became a brocade-robed fairy after entering the heaven to serve as a priest!
A priest who was supposed to protect the safety of mortals, but instead lured and killed a mortal, deserves a thorough investigation and prosecution, let alone the fact that the mortal being lured and killed is a future priest. I'm afraid this matter won't be easily resolved. Lingwen sighed and said, "Your Highness, you really are..."
After a pause, she said, "Perhaps it's just my bad luck that this happened to you. Although there are only two of us in Lingwen Hall today, you and I have known each other for hundreds of years. However, I think that if I ask you to turn a blind eye for the sake of our long-standing friendship, you will probably not agree. Then you will probably persuade me to go to Shenwu Hall to apologize, right?"
Xie Lian sighed as well. He and Lingwen had known each other for centuries, often dealing with each other on official business. While they had never been close friends, they still had a good relationship. Even when he had just ascended for the third time and everyone mocked him as a shabby immortal, Lingwen had never neglected him in the slightest; on the contrary, he had shown considerable care. It just so happened that the task of the Jinyixian Immortal fell upon him, and he finally got to the bottom of it. Reporting it was wrong, but not reporting it was even more impossible.
Xie Lian said sincerely, "I'm just unlucky."
Ling Wen crossed his arms and shook his head, saying, "Your Highness, you are a person... sometimes you are very smart, sometimes you are not very smart; sometimes you are very soft-hearted, and sometimes you are very hard-hearted."
After a pause, she said, "Where is that dress now?"
Xie Lian said, “It’s in my hands. I’ll personally deliver it to the Divine Martial Hall later.”
Lingwen nodded, seemingly at a loss for words. Xie Lian continued, "So, can you tell me why the Jinyixian magic doesn't work on Langying?"
Ling Wen said, "I can probably guess. However, if Your Highness wants to know the answer, can you first agree to a request of mine?"
Xie Lian said, “You speak.”
Ling Wen said, "Can you let me see it, Jin Yi Xian?"
Xie Lian was stunned. Ling Wen said, "Just give me a day. After all, if I go to the Divine Martial Hall and apologize, I might not get the chance to see it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to do anything. It's just that when you said yesterday that he had revealed himself, I was genuinely surprised."
She shook her head, her eyes slightly unfocused, and said, "...After all these years, I've never seen Bai Jin appear."
Xie Lian asked, “So that young soldier’s name is Bai Jin?”
Lingwen seemed to come back to his senses and said, "Oh. Yes, but usually people call him Xiaobai."
Xie Lian said, "Xiaobai? That sounds..." It sounds a bit like calling a dog, and a bit like calling an idiot. Ling Wen smiled and said, "That's exactly what you're thinking. I gave him the name Baijin. No one else calls him that, so few people know it. But he'd be very happy if you called him that."
In the legend of the Jinyixian, the way the young man's beloved woman treated him was nothing short of cruel and horrifying, either driven by deep hatred or simply cold-blooded. However, when Lingwen mentioned the young man, his tone was remarkably gentle, without any tenderness or hatred. He simply said, "Is it alright? If you're afraid I'll escape, why not use Ruo Xie to lock me up? I'm not a Martial God, I can't escape."
For some reason, Xie Lian felt that he should trust Ling Wen. After a moment's hesitation, he slowly nodded and said, "Okay."
The two pretended nothing had happened and left Lingwen Hall. As they walked along the streets of Xianjing, they greeted the other priests passing by as usual. Lingwen's expression remained normal, and it was completely invisible that her hands were locked in her sleeves by Ruo Xie. They hadn't walked far when they ran into Pei Ming, who was returning from patrol. The two greeted each other and stood by the roadside, chatting casually. Pei Ming stared at Xie Lian, who became slightly wary and asked, "General Pei, why are you looking at me like that?"
Pei Ming stroked his chin and said sincerely, "To be honest, Your Highness, I'm terrified just seeing you. I always feel like something bad will happen if anyone stands next to you. So when I saw you walking with Lingwen, my heartbeat quickened again. Lingwen, you must be careful recently."
Lingwen laughed, "How could that be? General Pei, stop joking." Xie Lian didn't know whether to laugh or cry. In a sense, Pei Ming's perception was quite accurate.
Back at Puqi Monastery, they spotted Lang Ying leaning against an old tree in front of the temple, his left hand carelessly twirling a broom. A pile of swept golden leaves lay at his feet. Xie Lian squinted his eyes for a moment, then deliberately stepped closer, making his footsteps heavier. Lang Ying didn't turn back, but she must have sensed their presence, shifting her stance perfectly naturally and continuing to sweep. Turning around, she seemed to see Xie Lian and Ling Wen slowly approaching. Xie Lian coughed softly and said, "Sweeping again."
Lang Ying nodded. Seeing him like this, Xie Lian couldn't help but touch his head, acting like an elder, and praised him, "Good boy."
Lang Ying accepted it calmly. Ling Wen looked at them without commenting. Xie Lian led her to open the door of Puqi Monastery and said, "It's right here..."
Unexpectedly, upon opening the door, they saw a figure squatting in front of the donation box, furtively stuffing gold bars into it. Xie Lian hurried over to drag him away, saying, "Qiying, stop stuffing it. That's enough! I haven't even gotten the ones you stuffed in last time out yet; they're stuck."
Lingwen nodded and said, "Hello, Your Highness Qiying."
Quan Yizhen also said to her: "Hello."
In the center of the Puqi Monastery stood a wooden shelf, upon which hung a simple linen garment. Of course, this was only what Xie Lian saw. Lingwen approached and stared at it for a moment. The garment showed no sign of reaction. She tilted her head and said, "Your Highnesses, I would like to see it here in private. Is that possible?"
Xie Lian said, “Okay.”
Ruo Xie tied Ling Wen's hands. Since she wasn't a martial god, she wouldn't cause any trouble. Xie Lian felt relieved. He placed his hand on Quan Yizhen's shoulder and said, "Get out."
Having solved one problem at least, Xie Lian felt a little relieved. Just then, the neighbors brought over some fruits and vegetables, so he took them to the kitchen and prepared to cook. He was truly indomitable. Over the past few days, Quan Yizhen seemed to have treated his Puqi Temple as a farmhouse, jumping around, sometimes climbing trees, sometimes stealing melons, sometimes catching fish, and sometimes catching frogs. Before Xie Lian knew it, he sneaked into the kitchen and stole a sweet potato. He found nothing, and when he turned around, he saw Quan Yizhen slipping out with the sweet potato in his mouth. He was as anxious as a fish that had escaped a net, and hurriedly said, "It's not ready yet, don't eat it!"
However, it was precisely because it wasn't ready that they had to eat it quickly. Once it was ready, they wouldn't be able to eat it. Xie Lian shook his head, then saw Lang Ying approaching. He narrowed his eyes and said, "Lang Ying, are you free? Come and help me cut some vegetables."
Lang Ying had been about to grab the sweet potatoes Quan Yizhen had stolen, but upon hearing Xie Lian's words, she rushed over to help without a word. She grabbed the knife from the chopping board, pressed down on the cabbage, and meticulously cut each slicing. Xie Lian glanced at him, then turned away, washing the rice as he casually said, "Lang Ying, you've seen a lot of the ghosts and monsters that have come to our Puqi Temple, haven't you?"
Each one of them was strange and bizarre. Lang Ying said behind him, "Hmm."
Xie Lian said, “Well, let me ask you a question: If you were to choose, which of these gods and ghosts do you think is the most handsome?”
Lang Ying was chopping vegetables, seemingly lost in thought. Xie Lian raised an eyebrow and said, "Go ahead. Just tell me what's really on your mind."
So Lang Ying replied, "You."
Xie Lian smiled and said, “Except me.”
Lang Ying said, "The one in red clothes."
Xie Lian was trying so hard to hold back his laughter that he almost got hurt.
He said seriously, "Yeah, I think so too."
After a pause, Xie Lian asked again, "Who do you think is the most powerful?"
Lang Ying still answered: "The one in red clothes."
Xie Lian quickly asked, "Who is the richest?"
"The one in red."
“Which one do you admire most?”
"The one in red."
"Which one is the dumbest?"
"The one in green."
These questions were so closely linked, yet he surprisingly changed his tone so quickly, demonstrating his quick thinking and shrewd reactions. Xie Lian said, "Well, it seems you quite like the guy in red. His name is Huacheng. Remember that. So, you think he's a good guy, right?"
Unconsciously, Lang Ying's knife seemed to have become several times faster, and he said, "Very good."
Xie Lian asked, “Then, if you have time, do you think we should invite him to visit us again?”
Lang Ying said, "Yes. Of course. It's necessary."
Xie Lian said, “I thought so too. However, his subordinates said he’s been very busy lately, probably busy with something very serious. I think it’s best not to disturb him.”
After this, the "crackling" sound of Lang Ying chopping vegetables suddenly intensified. Xie Lian held onto the stove, his stomach cramped as he tried to hold back his laughter. Quan Yizhen suddenly poked his head in from the window, took a bite of the sweet potato, glanced at it, and said to Lang Ying, "You've chopped it up so finely, it won't taste good."
Lang Ying asked, "Hmm? What did you say?"
Xie Lian looked back and saw that it wasn't just broken, it was practically shattered into pieces. He coughed lightly and said, "Oh, really, your knife skills are terrible."
“…”
After dumping a slew of ingredients into the pot, Xie Lian clapped his hands and decided to let them simmer for an hour. He left the kitchen, glanced at Ling Wen, and since Ling Wen was still staying within the temple, he continued to work. He dug out a slightly larger wooden sign from the firewood pile and borrowed a brush and ink from the village chief's house. He sat by the door, sign in one hand, pen in the other, lost in thought. Lang Ying also approached. Xie Lian looked up and said gently, "Lang Ying, can you read? Can you write?"
Lang Ying said, "Yes."
Xie Lian asked, “How about your handwriting?”
Lang Ying said, "Normally."
Xie Lian said, “It’s okay, as long as you can see clearly. Please do me another favor.”
He handed the wooden sign and pen to Lang Ying and said with a smile, "There has never been a plaque in our temple. Why don't you write one for me?"
“…”
At Xie Lian's urging, Lang Ying picked up the pen. The tiny pen felt as heavy as a thousand pounds in his hand, and he couldn't even move it.
After a long while, he seemed to admit defeat, put down the pen and the wooden board, and a helpless voice came from behind the bandage: "...Brother, I was wrong."
This voice wasn't Lang Ying's at all; it was clearly Hua Cheng's, though clearer than usual, a young man's. Xie Lian leaned against the wall, his arms folded. Seeing him finally surrender after struggling for so long, he couldn't help but burst out laughing. "San Lang is really busy!"
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