Chapter 14: If there are good days to be had, one must go and live them

Chapter 14: If there are good days to be had, one must live them

Ning Xuan tucked the "Ghost Shadow Macaque Blood" and the "Mysterious Buddha Statue" into his pockets, considering them his gains for the trip.

However, his true harvest was a comprehensive understanding of "Heavenly Demon Record Talisman Refining" and "Demons."

Whether it was the "Heavenly Demon's Arrival" and "Heavenly Demon's Already Arrived" mentioned in the [Heavenly Demon Record], the "Earthlings" spoken of by the Ghost Shadow Macaque, or the Black Bear Demon’s claim that "this is also Black Wind Mountain," all of it allowed Ning Xuan to naturally deduce a terrifying fact.

That is... everything might have only just begun.

Many demons had already appeared.

But this was not the end; it was the beginning.

The environment in which he had lived for sixteen years was about to become increasingly unfamiliar.

A wave of intense exhaustion and tension washed over him, and the wound on his lower back began to throb with a stinging pain. He couldn't wait to lie in the arms of his maidservants, one on the left and one on the right, and take a nap amidst their sweet, cooing voices of "Young Master, Young Master."

Still, he glanced in the direction of the fighting.

The yellow-robed Taoist stood upon a pure golden luster, riding the wind in the void, suspended in mid-air. With eyes tightly shut and a solemn expression, he formed hand seals. Five invisible golden snakes emerged from the ground, each tightly binding the limbs and neck of the black bear demon from earlier.

However, they only bound it.

There was no lethal force.

The black bear had a powerful constitution, yet it remained tightly restrained, unable to move, and could only shout, "Save me, save me!!"

Han Ba and the others gripped their repeating crossbows, their expressions grave as they fired at the bear demon from a distance.

Beads of sweat rolled down their foreheads.

The black bear demon struggled more and more violently.

The yellow-robed Taoist’s figure trembled, but he did not open his eyes. He chanted under his breath, his entire being exuding an increasingly detached, transcendent, and calm aura.

The two young acolytes beside him stood with tense bodies, gripping their long swords and guarding the perimeter, clearly on high alert for other demons.

The chains clattered incessantly, but as the bear demon sustained more injuries, it slowly stopped struggling and collapsed into a pool of blood.

'Is this supernatural power?'

For the first time, Ning Xuan realized his world possessed such power.

And it seemed highly likely that his old man possessed this power too.

He grew increasingly curious: why didn't his father teach him?

He was his father’s own flesh and blood, after all.

Though he pondered this, there was nothing left to stay for.

He turned and dashed away into the distance.

He couldn't wait any longer.

Familiar with the route, he washed up briefly in a mountain spring, changed back into his clothes, arrived at Xinghe County, and boarded the carriage waiting at the county gate.

Seeing him return safely, Xiao Jie finally let out a sigh of relief.

"Young Master, you worried me to death."

Xiao Jie patted her chest.

Ning Xuan said, "Return to the manor."

That night.

Under the peach tree in the Ning manor’s backyard, inside a wooden tub, Ning Xuan wore only a pair of white undergarments, bathing in warm water that was neither too hot nor too cold.

He stretched his arms out, with a maidservant on each side gripping them, gently kneading his tense muscles to relieve the fatigue of the day.

He leaned his head back, but instead of pressing it against the hard edge of the tub, which would have been painful, he rested it entirely against a pair of fair, long legs.

Through the silk fabric, he smelled the fragrance emanating from the owner of those legs. He could tell it was the new "Peach Blossom Dew" from "Die Ji," but it was notably not the "Rose Dew" that would trigger memories of that severed corpse.

A peach blossom drifted lazily from the tree, landing on the steaming water and sending ripples outward.

Another landed on the temple of the owner of the long legs, who sat on a high stool.

Ning Xuan raised his hand to pluck the flower for her.

Just then, a sturdy maidservant brought over hot water and said respectfully, "Young Master, adding water."

"Add it."

Granted permission, the maidservant slowly poured the hot water into the wooden tub.

However, the tub was already full, and the water began to overflow, soaking the skirts of the maidservants nearby.

The silk skirt covering the waist and hips of the long-legged woman also became wet, revealing everything underneath.

She suddenly twisted her body and giggled.

Her laugh was soft and sweet, very pleasant to the ear.

Ning Xuan felt as if he had fallen into a stormy sea, experiencing an indescribable sensation. He laughed, "You always find new ways to play with me."

The owner of the legs was Xiao Jie.

Xiao Jie giggled and whispered, "I told you during the day."

Ning Xuan said, "I remember."

Xiao Jie leaned in close, bit his ear, and said, "Tomorrow, I will make sure Young Master cannot get out of bed."

When she was waiting anxiously in the carriage today, she had made up her mind: she would never let the Young Master go out to take risks again. She would go all out, a desperate gamble.

The maidservants kneading Ning Xuan’s hands were fuming with silent anger.

In their eyes, that seductive vixen was so pretentious, seducing the Young Master—it was a disgrace to the Ning family’s reputation and truly disgusting.

But no matter how much they loathed Xiao Jie, they had to admit that this vixen was truly seductive—so seductive that she could likely seduce any man with ease. A single glance or smile from her could make a man’s heart race wildly, a memory to last a lifetime.

The night deepened.

Ning Xuan finally found relaxation in Xiao Jie.

This relaxation pulled him back from the nightmares and slaughter he had just experienced.

He was still himself, a vulgar young master, and by no means that ruthless, cunning monster obsessed with how to kill his enemies.

He comfortably held the petite Xiao Jie and drifted into a dream.

At the approach of dawn, Ning Xuan suddenly felt something unusual. He opened his eyes to see that Xiao Jie had risen at some point.

Not only was she up, but she was also swiftly using silk ribbons to tie his limbs.

The other ends of the ribbons were tied to the bedposts with dead knots—very secure, certainly not something the pampered Ning Xuan could break free from.

Ning Xuan’s eyes opening startled Xiao Jie.

Her eyes darted, and she crawled over, whispering softly, "Young Master, let’s play something even more fun. This servant will definitely make you happy."

Ning Xuan said, "I’m not going out today."

Xiao Jie’s eyes lit up. "Really?"

Ning Xuan said, "Really."

The matter was resolved, he was injured, and the yellow-robed Taoist and Han Ba were still handling things in the wild; naturally, he wouldn't be going out anytime soon.

Xiao Jie glanced at the silk ribbons binding his hands and feet, suddenly raised her hands to untie them swiftly, and then, like a deflated ball, "plopped" back into Ning Xuan’s arms.

She had tied him up because she was worried he would go out again.

And once tied, she would have had to exhaust all her efforts to appease the Young Master’s anger.

But since he wasn't going out, that was that.

Ning Xuan said, "Didn't you say you wanted to play something even more fun?"

Xiao Jie said, "This servant is so tired."

Having said that, she truly fell asleep instantly, like a weak, harmless little bird that anyone could crush, sleeping in Ning Xuan’s arms.

Any man holding such a woman would feel a sense of accomplishment.

Especially since such a woman knew her place and was full of tricks; if there really were fox spirits in this world, they would have to be three parts inferior to her.

Ning Xuan slept until the hour of Si (9-11 AM).

Xiao Jie, however, had aching legs and an aching waist.

She looked in astonishment as she repeatedly kneaded the Young Master’s thighs, feeling that resilient strength, and gave a wry smile.

Ning Xuan reminded her, "I’ve already added to your pay; it’s fifteen taels more every month. That’s not a small amount."

Xiao Jie said, "This servant was just curious if the Young Master had some kind of fortuitous encounter?"

But as soon as she said it, she hurriedly covered her mouth, spat a few times, and said, "This servant is not curious."

The reason she had spoken out of turn was that the Young Master had been too powerful last night.

Powerful like a giant bear.

It had worn her out.

She had slept until now, yet the more she slept, the more her body ached.

Ning Xuan, on the other hand, stretched his body, feeling refreshed.

Xiao Jie took a deep breath, endured the pain in her body, bared her teeth, and hissed as she got up to dress him and comb his hair.

Once outside and having finished breakfast, he waved his wide sleeves and ran out, shouting as he went, "Where is my Golden-Winged Thunder Duke? Where is the Golden-Winged Thunder Duke?! Golden-Winged Thunder Duke!!"

Before long, a house guard carefully brought over a large iron cage.

Inside the cage was a high-spirited rooster; the edges of its wing feathers shimmered with gold, its tail feathers were short and hard as iron, and its comb stood tall like a flame.

"Young Master, it’s here, it’s here." The guard smiled obsequiously.

Ning Xuan waved his hand and said, "March! Today, I must take my Golden-Winged Thunder Duke and leave not a single feather of the enemy standing!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

A group of lackeys hurriedly echoed him, then rushed out in a flurry, following the Young Master.

Come to think of it, the Young Master hadn't been cockfighting for nearly a month.

(End of chapter)