Roaring Dragon-Chapter 109: Miss, Have You Heard My Story Before?

Sha sha sha~

Rain pattered softly outside the shop. Inside the old music store, filled with instruments, the only sound was the faint clink of the shopkeeper tuning a zither.

Nangong Ye was inspecting a bamboo flute, seemingly unbothered by the idle visitor who had suddenly appeared. After all, she’d made a name for herself in her teenage years—whether as a sect master or traveling incognito through the martial world, she’d encountered more than her fair share of rude men trying to strike up a conversation. She never paid them any mind.

Usually, those who met her cold shoulder would take the hint and leave. If anyone dared to push further, she wouldn’t hesitate to offer them two strokes of her sword.

But this white-robed young master who boldly came up to her today... was a little different. Not only was his skin thick, he actually had more skill than most.

Xie Jinhuan, having just been ignored, felt a bit awkward. He’d been planning to back off, but his ghost bride had been studying this black-clad swordswoman too and now whispered in his ear:

“Judging from her breath control and inner flow, this woman has an excess of yang energy—looks like she’s been afflicted by some kind of yang toxin.”

Oh?

Xie Jinhuan blinked, then circled to the other side of the shop and lowered his voice.

“Miss, you don’t look well. Are you... poisoned?”

“?”

Nangong Ye’s eyes narrowed beneath her gauze veil. She set down the flute and stepped closer, giving him a closer look.

“How did you know?”

Her voice was clear and frosty, like an eternal glacier, carrying a faint pressure.

Just from that one sentence, Xie Jinhuan could tell: this woman was a high-performance racecar. Not only was she fuel-hungry, but most people couldn’t even drive her.

Still, he answered # Nоvеlight # calmly.

“My master taught me some arts of qi-sight. Your excess yang suggests you’ve been afflicted by a highly yang-based toxin.”

Nangong Ye appeared calm, but her eyes betrayed a flicker of surprise.

“You can detoxify it?”

Xie Jinhuan smiled. “My master taught me a few things. But since we’ve just met and I don’t even know your name, I wouldn’t presume to speak too freely.”

Nangong Ye, long seasoned in the martial world, immediately recognized that this young man was trying to flirt with her.

A third-rank junior trying to flirt with a pseudo-transcendent-level sect master—now that was a case of ignorance being bliss.

Yet somehow, his approach hit the right mark.

She had been stuck at a threshold. If she could find a method to cleanse the toxin, she could immediately break through and subdue that demonic woman from the Wumeng Sect. With a viable path in front of her, how could she not listen?

After a moment of thought, she gave a small nod and a polite bow.

“Mu Yunhong, of Qingming Sword Manor. A pleasure.”

Qingming Sword Manor...

A small southern sword sect, producing only a few disciples each generation...

Still, they were said to be powerful. One disciple even held a position at the Astronomical Bureau. That explained the high-grade artifact that concealed her presence...

Xie Jinhuan gave her a thoughtful look, then smiled.

“A fine name. ‘Bleak autumn, crimson leaves. The forest dyed by frost, and Mu Yunhong beneath the clouds’—from a short poem by Su Boyu, a music scholar of the former dynasty. He composed it while traveling through Maple Lake in Jiangzhou. You seem to have a fondness for music.”

?

Nangong Ye quietly took a breath. This young man’s way of flirting... was absurdly poetic.

If her Dao heart wasn’t strong, she might’ve already started chatting away.

Even though she kept her distance, within just a few exchanges, he’d already coaxed out her name, her interests, even her affliction...

If it were any other swordswoman, she’d probably already be halfway to marrying him.

Had she misread her horoscope today and walked straight into a trial of fate?

In Daoist terms, when one meets either fate or disaster, the best course is to sever ties immediately.

But fate or disaster—it made no difference. Once encountered, escape was impossible.

And she did need a way to detoxify the poison. So she replied calmly:

“You’re well-versed, young master. I imagine your master must be quite extraordinary. Might I ask his name?”

“My teacher lives in seclusion. His name is best left unspoken. But I do know a little about curing such poisons.”

As he spoke, Xie Jinhuan let his internal energy flow, causing a nearby curtain to shift ever so slightly.

Nangong Ye initially thought this low-ranked young man was putting on a show.

But almost immediately, she felt it: cold qi was radiating from his fair palm.

She had been afflicted with Burning Immortal Gu. Though it hadn’t yet erupted, her body constantly felt overheated.

But when that chill touched her, it felt like a cool breeze in midsummer—or like a thick cotton coat in the dead of winter.

Her eyes filled with surprise, and she asked:

“You’re a martial cultivator... but you’re radiating cold qi? What technique is this?”

“Reverse Dragon Splits the Sea. A mixed school technique I came up with myself.”

“Reverse Dragon...”

Nangong Ye thought the name and the effect matched quite well.

And since the cold qi was truly comfortable, she figured it’d be a waste not to use it. She lifted her long arm and hovered it an inch from Xie Jinhuan’s, drawing the energy into herself.

But she’d clearly overestimated his endurance!

Nangong Ye was on the verge of breaking through to transcendent level. Her internal channels were vast rivers compared to his tiny streams. Even without trying hard, the suction force on Xie Jinhuan’s palm was immense—like an F1 supercar flooring it while dragging a child behind it.

“Eyyyaaaahhh~...”

Xie Jinhuan had only intended to flex and flirt a little. But as his arm throbbed in pain, his cool façade shattered and he quickly raised a hand.

“Whoa whoa whoa—slow down! What’s the rush?!”

Nangong Ye had already been restraining herself. But at her current level, absorbing Xie Jinhuan’s paltry qi was like rolling a tank over a toddler.

Realizing he couldn’t handle it, she withdrew her pressure and let him pace himself. Then she asked:

“This method eases the symptoms, but it can’t cure the poison. Is this what you meant by a solution?”

Xie Jinhuan, relieved that she’d stopped sucking him dry, asked,

“What exactly did you get poisoned by?”

Nangong Ye thought for a moment.

“Mid-year, I was in the Huzhou region. Ran into some cultists from Missing Moon Manor... and accidentally got hit with Burning Immortal Gu. Are you familiar?”

“Burning Immortal Gu...”

Xie Jinhuan frowned. That was serious. He explained:

“That’s Missing Moon Manor’s signature technique. It uses extreme yang qi as a trigger. If the victim’s own qi is also yang-based, trying to suppress the poison only fuels it. There's basically no known cure. The only way is to use their own sect’s special yin-based energy.”

Nangong Ye was surprised this kid knew so much. She gave a small nod.

“You’re quite learned.”

Xie Jinhuan had studied a little of everything since childhood. Naturally, he knew about that technique. And if someone used Burning Immortal Gu, it meant they were going for the kill.

He asked carefully:

“Do you and Missing Moon Manor have a grudge?”

Nangong Ye answered without hesitation:

“A blood feud.”

“...”

Xie Jinhuan realized this flirtation might be turning into a full-on electric shock.

Especially since Wan Yi—was from Missing Moon Manor. If he kept this up, he'd get whacked from both sides!

But then again, her grudge was with the sect. Wan Yi was just a minor plant. No big deal.

And Qingming Sword Manor was a righteous sect. If he could build some rapport, maybe he could help Wan Yi down the line. So he said:

“Well... technically, there are three ways to cure Burning Immortal Gu.”

“Oh?”

Nangong Ye’s frosty eyes lit up slightly. She looked at his profile.

“What are the three?”

Even with the curtain between them, Xie Jinhuan could feel the weight of her stare. It felt like she was stepping on his chest in stilettos and interrogating him.

“The first: ‘Only he who ties the bell can untie it.’ That is, the one who poisoned you must use yin qi to cleanse it.

“Second: ‘Abandon all skill and rebuild from scratch—purge the marrow and change the blood.’ But this only works if the poison isn’t deeply rooted. And the price is steep.

“As for the third... well, it’s the... yin-yang...”

Nangong Ye was listening intently and noticed him trailing off. She frowned.

“Yin-yang what?”

Ghost wife’s ideas again. What else could yin-yang mean?

Xie Jinhuan knew if he said it plainly, he might get chopped to pieces. Still, he tried to soften the blow.

“Some... unspeakable methods.”

But Nangong Ye wasn’t stupid.

“You mean... union of yin and yang? How exactly does that help?”

Since she guessed it, Xie Jinhuan stopped hiding it.

“Burning Immortal Gu is pure yang. It needs pure yin cold to balance. If you can... extract yin energy from a Missing Moon disciple and absorb it, it’ll suppress the poison. A weak disciple might not fully cleanse it, but it could prevent flare-ups for life.”

Nangong Ye considered it but shook her head.

“Men in their sect struggle with yin techniques—too yang by nature. Most end up doing chores. Women progress faster, but their yin qi pools in sensitive areas. To extract it would require dual cultivation. If I were a man, it might work. But as a woman... it’s not viable.”

“Not necessarily.”

Xie Jinhuan raised a hand and explained, ghost-wife style:

“You just need a... ‘middleman’—someone to absorb the yin energy first and transfer it to you. That’ll suppress the yang poison.”

“...”

Nangong Ye blinked, then realized what he meant—find a double-headed dragon to connect her and a cultist girl?!

Utter nonsense.

There was no way she’d do something so lewd and disgraceful.

Still, she saw that he was just brainstorming. So she didn’t get angry.

“I’ll pass. At worst, I’ll give up the Phoenix Feather Grass to the demon woman. But I’m not doing something that outrageous.”

Out of courtesy, she added,

“I live at Suyun Studio, by the Fengyi River. You’ve shared so much, yet haven’t given your name.”

“Xie Jinhuan, of Fengling Valley.”

“?”

Xie Jinhuan was about to continue when he noticed the woman’s chest visibly rise under her robes—clearly, she’d just taken a deep breath.

He blinked.

“Miss... have you heard of me before?”

Nangong Ye really wanted to write his whole damn biography across his face.

She had come to the capital with high hopes after hearing of his deeds in Danyang. She’d even considered matchmaking him with Linghu Qingmo.

But now that she’d met him, this guy—this so-called righteous prodigy who risked everything for the people—turned out to be...

A flirt. A really skilled flirt. His words shot straight into a woman’s heart. No doubt he had a harem of confidantes.

How could someone like him be trusted to marry her beloved disciple?

Still... he had done heroic deeds. She couldn’t just dismiss him because of one encounter.

Men flirting with women wasn’t unusual. And he didn’t know who she really was. If he had known, and still flirted... well, that would’ve been blasphemy.

So she had to keep observing.

Now that he knew her name and affliction, if she revealed her identity, he’d probably start acting fake.

And the Burning Immortal Gu? That secret needed to stay buried.

With that in mind, Nangong Ye said:

“Sir Xie’s name is well-known in Danyang. How could I not know? I have other matters to attend to. If fate allows, we’ll meet again.”

With that, she stepped into the rain and vanished into the mist.

Xie Jinhuan watched her leave, sword on her back, thinking that she truly was... one of a kind.

Mu Yunhong...

Could she be Mu Yunling’s daughter?

No, by generation she’d be an older or younger sister. Judging by her voice, she couldn’t be older than her early twenties.

...

Back in the shop, the old man tuning his strings finally looked up and chuckled.

“You’ve got some serious flower-picking skills, young man. Practiced long?” 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

“Heh, about sixteen years.”

Xie Jinhuan replied with a grin, then stepped out with his umbrella, heading for the East Market, to wait for Yang Sichen—and the sucker of a patriarch he was about to scam out of a Sixty-Year Lotus.

Just thinking about it made him a little nervous...