Roaring Dragon-Chapter 128: The All-Capable Little Zisu

Li Gongpu’s residence.

Though it was already the latter half of the night, the main courtyard still glowed with lamplight.

Li Gongpu sat alone in a barren room, no longer caring for the antique paintings and calligraphy he had treasured for years.

His retainer, Du Mushan, stood beside the luohan couch, brows furrowed as he asked gravely:

“Lord Li, are you certain... His Majesty—?”

Li Gongpu let out a quiet sigh. “Today, in the Linde Hall, I personally witnessed His Majesty coughing up blood. And the look in the Crown Prince’s eyes... sigh. If things worsen, he might not make it through this winter.”

“Why hasn’t any rumor spread in the capital?”

“It’s a turbulent time—how could a matter like this be allowed to stir up public unrest?”

Li Gongpu had meant to appreciate the imperial scroll gifted to him, only to find it had been swiped by that so-called ‘Thief Saint’. Who knows whose hands it had ended up in, being trifled with like some tawdry toy. Aggrieved, he withdrew his gaze and continued bitterly:

“His Majesty always spoke candidly with me, yet he concealed this. It means... he’s worried even I might make a reckless move. But this dangerous step—I must take it.”

Du Mushan felt this step might very well bring the Li household to the brink of confiscation.

Although they had already been looted once by the mysterious ‘Thief Saint’, at least their heads remained on their necks.

Next time, they wouldn’t even be left with the maids!

Du Mushan rubbed his fingers thoughtfully. “Aside from books, calligraphy, military strategy—does the Crown Prince even have any other hobbies?”

Li Gongpu shook his head.

“No man is without hobbies. But the Crown Prince’s position is too delicate. He dares not show interest, lest His Majesty disapprove.

“I remember when he was four, Ruizhou sent a tribute gift—a ‘Violet Thunder Sparrow’. He adored it, but His Majesty thought it would distract him, so it was never granted.

“These past years, the Crown Prince’s paintings are mostly birds and flowers. Last year, Zhao De, the heir, somehow got a parrot that cursed like a sailor. Took it to the Crown Prince to show off. He played with it for two days. When His Majesty found out, he scolded him...”

Du Mushan nodded, deep in thought. “So His Highness... likes ornamental birds?”

Li Gongpu confirmed, “Very much so. Just dares not keep one.”

“Then shall I try to find such a bird? That hawk Xie Jinhuan has is quite spiritual, though I doubt he’d sell...”

Li Gongpu waved his hand. “That fat bird—I saw it today. Good plumage, but far too clumsy. Hardly refined. If we’re to move the Crown Prince’s heart, we need that ‘Violet Thunder Sparrow’ he never got his hands on when he was four.

“People are like that—the harder something is to get, the more they desire it. Especially someone who’s repressed his nature since childhood. If he ever has the chance to regain it... even the most rational man will lose his mind.”

Du Mushan couldn’t help but admire Lord Li’s skill in flattery. After a pause, he said:

“But the Violet Thunder Sparrow is a rare tribute beast. It won’t be found on the market. So we...”

“Abbot Li Chimo of the Blackfox Monastery—we’re distantly related, five hundred years back. He’s fond of birds and flowers too. He owns one.”

The Blackfox Monastery was one of the three giants of the Danding Daoist Sect. Du Mushan grimaced.

“Daoist Li likely won’t be moved by worldly silver...”

“Let him name his price. Taking a loss now is fine. When the Crown Prince ascends, we’ll earn it back a hundredfold.”

“...Understood.”

—— 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Imperial City.

Well past midnight, the Emperor should’ve been long asleep, yet a faint glow still burned in one palace hall.

Cao Fo’er stood beneath the imperial platform, holding a lantern in his hand. Normally his plump face wore a constant smile, but tonight, there was a trace of worry.

The aging Emperor of Qian wore his dragon robe, an ornate red-jade-inlaid sword in hand, and reminisced aloud:

“Back then, that second son of mine, full of himself, draped a dragon robe over his shoulders at night and came here to play Emperor.

“There was me, you, Ye Shirong, Xu Pingzhi... barely a dozen of us, all disguised as eunuchs sneaking in. It was damned risky.

“You got stabbed seven times holding someone and refusing to let go. Ye Shirong got a spear through the gut and still pushed back the attacker...

“I chased my second son around this hall with this sword. Lopped his head off after a full circle. Sat right here on these steps to rest.

“Then Lu Wuzhen ‘arrived upon hearing the commotion’. One palm. All those traitors—gone.”

Cao Fo’er stood quietly, eyes filled with emotion.

“Imperial succession is a family affair. Lu Wuzhen only showed himself after making the final move—it was prudent.”

The Emperor studied the sword in his hand and said quietly:

“Ye Shirong guarded me with his life. I never wronged him. Why do you think he defected to the demon cult?”

Cao Fo’er had only just heard of this and was visibly surprised. After a pause, he speculated:

“Perhaps his injuries shattered his foundation. In desperation, he turned to crooked ways.”

The Emperor hoped that was true—but things were never that simple.

“Ye Shirong knew many people. If the demon cult recruited him, he would’ve moved in secret for years.

“That mole they buried in the capital may well have entered through Ye Shirong’s path.

“I won’t live many more years. Before Jinghuan takes the throne, we must root this person out.”

Cao Fo’er thought aloud:

“He’s likely hidden deep. High rank, spotless reputation—no one in court would suspect.

“The Astronomical Bureau, the Chilin Guard, even the Dan Prince are investigating. But up to today—not a single clue.”

The Emperor stood and tossed Ye Shirong’s imperial sword to Cao Fo’er.

“If they can’t find him, then let someone who can. Send word to Princess Changning—if Xie Jinhuan exposes the man behind Ye Shirong, I’ll make him a Marquis.”

Cao Fo’er followed behind and mused:

“With Xie Jinhuan’s skills, rooting out the man won’t be difficult. He’s bound to achieve great merit. If we start at Marquis... by next year, we’ll have to grant him the Nine Bestowments.”

The Nine Bestowments...

The Emperor considered this, then revised his command:

“If he finds the mastermind—Viscount. If he eliminates him—Earl.”

Cao Fo’er agreed this was more appropriate and said no more as he escorted the Emperor to his chambers.

Halfway there, the Emperor glanced back at the dragon throne and said to his lifelong companion:

“That throne... it’s not comfortable at all. If my second son hadn’t forced my hand, I never wanted this mess.”

“If it was comfortable, Your Majesty, rulers wouldn’t call themselves ‘the lonely one.’ But you’ve done well.”

“Hah. You’re starting to sound like Li Gongpu now...”

——

The next morning.

Autumn rain drizzled lightly outside the window as Xie Jinhuan stirred from sleep.

He drew a deep breath—only to be overwhelmed by an intoxicatingly sweet feminine scent.

That single breath seemed to awaken every sore muscle from last night’s... icy-smashing-pressure session.

He turned his head to see the stunning bespectacled lady curled beside him, fully dressed, sleeping soundly with fluttering lashes—clearly lost in some lovely dream.

It had indeed been an intense night. Xie Jinhuan had just barely managed to crawl back, run into Little Zisu, gotten a “Dominant Overflow Pill,” then collapsed with Wan Yi wiping his face... and somehow fell asleep.

Seeing how soundly Wan Yi slept, Xie didn’t disturb her. He quietly got up, dressed in the robes she’d laid out, strapped on the Tiangang Mace and Zhenglun Sword, and even leaned down to kiss the big milk kitten on the cheek.

“Whew~...”

To his surprise, Wan Yi had learned fast—sleepily parting her lips and letting him in...

?

Well, how could Xie Jinhuan let that go? He took a deeper taste of the cherry balm, gave a good squeeze-squeeze, and only then left, slipping quietly into the soft autumn rain.

——

Soon after, outside the Lin residence.

“Steamed buns, wontons...”

“Hey, did you hear? Hero Xie Jinhuan chopped up Ye Shirong yesterday—completely shredded!”

“Why’d he kill Ye Shirong?”

“Turns out Ye Shirong was the ‘Thief Saint’ who looted the Li residence. They found thirty-something kidnapped male concubines under the house—stolen from the Li estate!”

“Whoaaa—!”

...???

Xie Jinhuan sat at the wonton stall, completely dumbfounded by the wild gossip.

But that’s how street rumors worked—he didn’t take it seriously.

After a few bowls of ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) chicken broth wontons, his stomach was still half empty. Meanwhile, a carriage had arrived at the Lin residence gate. Guard Jia Zheng waited at the front.

Madam Lin soon appeared, holding the delicate Little Zisu’s hand, instructing her along the way:

“Be careful shopping with Miss Wang and the others. And you’re no child anymore. Watch out for those crafty young noblemen...”

“Grandma, you’re overthinking it. Any man who knows my name stays far away; I just give them a look and they’re wondering if I poisoned them. If I smile mysteriously? Oh, they turn tail and run, afraid I’ll ruin their reputation in public.”

“Sigh, you’ve grown into a beauty just like your aunt. There’ll always be a few brave fools...”

Hearing that, Xie Jinhuan stood up and straightened his collar.

He’d once asked why Zisu called Wan Yi ‘aunt’ but addressed Madam Lin as ‘grandma’.

Turns out Zisu was the daughter of an old friend of Lord Lin. She showed terrifying talent in medicinal compounding at age three or four. Since Lord Lin had no heirs, he adopted her as his successor.

Originally, the plan was to have Wan Yi marry young and help raise her, but that never happened—so the “aunt” was more like “god-aunt.” No blood relation. In the end, Wan Yi ended up married to him instead...

Xie Jinhuan waited under an umbrella as the carriage arrived. He casually approached, calling out:

“Jia Zheng, heading out?”

“Huh? Young Master Xie?!”

Jia Zheng scrambled off the carriage and bowed.

Lin Zisu peeked out the window with her bright, lively eyes.

“You here to see Auntie?”

“Yeah.”

Xie Jinhuan acted like he’d just come from the Prince’s mansion, standing beside the carriage.

“I’ve got a friend from Jianghu. He’s not feeling well. I came for a consultation.”

Jia Zheng frowned. “Oh no, then go straight to the master or madam—not the young lady...”

“Ahem!”

Lin Zisu coughed, warning him not to ruin her chance at practicing medicine. She then turned to Jinhuan with a sly smile.

“What kind of illness? Auntie’s good with women and children stuff. She might not be able to treat rare conditions.”

Xie Jinhuan had come specifically to consult Zisu the Great, so he leaned in at the window.

“Do you know anything about the Burning Immortal Gu from Missing Moon Manor?”

“Burning Immortal Gu?”

Zisu came from a family of healers and was a prodigy herself. She’d heard of this notorious Gu poison known for its potency in the cultivation world. She leaned out thoughtfully.

“It’s a special toxin. It uses the victim’s qi flow as a catalyst—grows stronger the stronger they are. Only the one who implanted it can safely remove it. But... I happen to have something called Yin-Yang Freak Powder. It might temporarily suppress the poison.”

Yin-Yang Freak Powder...

Xie Jinhuan blinked. “...What exactly is that?”

Zisu rummaged through the carriage, pulled out a small box, and opened it to reveal two rows of tiny porcelain bottles. She picked one out.

“If you take this, your internal qi will misalign—yin and yang will scramble. Normal cultivators would choke on their own breath.

“But if the person has pure yang qi and is infected with Burning Immortal Gu—which is yang-type poison—then their yang qi will weaken, so will the poison. The resulting yin qi will counteract the toxin.”

“The downside: serious qi depletion. They’ll lose half to a full realm. And it’ll only last about an hour. Not a cure.”

So it literally caused yin-yang chaos...

Xie Jinhuan studied the bottle carefully. This might be what the Ice Block needed urgently. His gaze wandered to the box—Eternal Smile Powder, Stuffed-Full Pill, Stuck-Together Elixir...

All of them infamous!

He picked one up seriously. “This ‘Stuck-Together Elixir’ is...?”

Zisu blinked mischievously and egged him on:

“It makes you hug whoever’s nearby and refuse to let go. Very powerful. Want to try it?”

Xie Jinhuan was always curious about her bizarre concoctions. He put it back into the box.

“These—would you sell them?”

Zisu waved it off boldly. “No one dares eat this stuff. I only show them off to my classmates in the Imperial Apothecary. If you want it, take it.”

Xie Jinhuan, ever too proud to mooch from the Medicine Fairy herself, pulled out a silver note donated by Ye Shirong and pressed it into her hand as pocket money.