Roaring Dragon-Chapter 83: Love Tribulation!

After wrapping up the aftermath of the antique street incident, Xie Jinhuan returned to the county yamen with Yang Dabiao and the others.

In honor of their long-overdue reunion—and because Jinhuan had just pulled off a massive win—Fei Ji arranged a celebratory banquet on Buzheng Street. Officially a “welcome-home feast,” it also served as a victory party.

From the moment Jinhuan could remember, Fei Ji had been his father’s best friend and colleague—often dragging little Jinhuan along on his rounds. Everything he knew about human anatomy, the reason he didn’t break into the eighth martial rank until sixteen, and his uncanny ability to identify fighting stances at a glance... all thanks to Fei Ji’s full-throttle teaching.

They’d known each other for over a decade. Jinhuan truly saw Fei Ji as family. He would’ve loved to catch up properly—but with so many officials and yamen runners around, and with Magistrate Wu getting drunk and sobbing that he wanted to kneel and thank him, it just wasn’t the time.

Once the party ended, Xie Jinhuan returned to the Prince’s Mansion to rest.

—

Now, in a guest room at the mansion, Jinhuan lay on a soft couch. His white robe hung open, the Ice-Scale Armor draped over the chair behind him. A scar, scabbed over and halfway healed, marked his clearly defined chest.

Linghu Qingmo sat beside the couch, gently dabbing the wound with a cotton ball.

“Still hurt?” she asked softly.

“Just a scratch. Barely feel it.”

“That’s good...”

Linghu Qingmo, recalling his fluid, merciless takedown of the demon cultivator last night, couldn’t help but ask, curious:

“Where exactly did you train before this? Your combat instincts are way too seasoned for someone unknown in the martial world.”

Jinhuan had no idea where he’d been the last three years. He could only offer the same vague explanation he always gave:

“My sect has a rule—once you board the boat, you forget the people on shore. And once you leave, you don’t speak of what happened aboard.”

“...Huh?”

As a proper Daoist disciple herself, Linghu Qingmo frowned. “Since when does the Hidden Immortal Sect say that?”

“They do now.”

“Oh... well, I won’t pry.”

She kept delicately tending to his injury.

Jinhuan smiled. Man, Mo Mo’s easy to fool. He exhaled slowly and said with a touch of sentiment:

“Looking back now, it all feels like a different lifetime.

“When I was still in the capital, I was just a young master from an average household. Not poor, not rich. Nothing particularly special. My greatest dream was to travel freely—visit the Northern Sea by day, sleep beneath the Southern Mountains by night. And maybe, if fate allowed it, find a companion to walk the immortal path with...”

He trailed off, then added with a self-deprecating chuckle:

“Too greedy, really. Tried to learn everything, ended up good at nothing. Couldn’t even dream of cultivation, let alone meet someone like you, Miss Linghu...”

...?

Linghu Qingmo had been listening, swept up in his nostalgia—until she caught the turn in tone. Wait a sec.

Was he... flirting with her?

She straightened up slightly, suspicious. “What about Doctor Lin? Isn’t she your old flame? You don’t count her as an ‘immortal beauty’?”

Well, yeah, of course she counts...

But Jinhuan couldn’t exactly admit he knew Lin Wanyi from before, so he sidestepped:

“Ah, before I left the mountain, my master once drew a divination for me. Said I’d suffer a love tribulation—torn between two women, and no matter what choice I made, it’d be wrong...”

Before he could finish, the ever-present ghost-wife piped up in his mind:

“Ohhh~ and what about me, darling?”

Shit...

Jinhuan blinked rapidly, then pressed on with a straight face:

“Of course, Master also said my fate might involve three, or four, or even five women. I’m just... too dazzling, I guess.”

Huh?!

What kind of walking red flag nonsense is that?!

Linghu Qingmo stared at him, eyes narrowing in disbelief. She scanned him top to bottom, mentally confirming he hadn’t been possessed. “So what happens when you do meet them? All of them?”

Jinhuan felt his composure cracking. But since the nonsense was already out, he had no choice but to commit:

“Master said—cultivation isn’t a path of heartlessness. If fate brings you to someone, then the right thing is to treat each one with sincerity. That’s fate. If you hesitate and retreat, that’s when it becomes a tribulation. So... I guess I should just follow my heart.”

Linghu Qingmo actually mulled this over seriously for a moment, then nodded.

“Your master makes a fair point. We cultivators exist to defend the Dao and destroy evil. As long as you remain righteous, willing to lay down your life for the greater good—what harm is there in taking multiple Dao companions?

“The emperor has three palaces and six courts full of women. You could marry a hundred and still be better than some bald monk who never lifted a finger for the common folk.”

This woman... speaks my language.

Moved, Jinhuan reached for the hand that was still gently applying medicine.

“Mo Mo, you truly understand me—”

ZAP—

Linghu Qingmo wasn’t like Lin Wanyi, the polite and repressed type. The moment Jinhuan crossed the line, her palm crackled with lightning and shocked him straight in the chest.

“You’re grabbing my hand why, exactly? Sounds like this ‘love tribulation’ is just something you brought on yourself!”

But then she remembered their earlier wager—three chances where she wasn’t allowed to get mad.

She clamped down on her temper and forced herself to sound civil.

“I’m not mad! But that’s one strike down—you’ve only got two chances left!”

What?!

Jinhuan, still recovering from the jolt, immediately objected:

“Hold up! You already shocked me! That totally counts as getting mad—I still have all three!”

“The rule is, I have to be told not to get mad. If you didn’t say the safe word, then it doesn’t count. No take-backs!”

Qingmo wanted to argue, but honestly... she’d acted too fast. It wasn’t Jinhuan being unreasonable.

Trying to recover ground, she said:

“Besides, we bet on you catching both culprits. You only caught one, so technically I didn’t lose...”

Jinhuan wasn’t looking to bully her. He thought for a moment and suggested:

“How about this—we both win. I still get three ‘don’t get mad’ tokens, and you get three ‘stop’ tokens. Fair?”

...Huh?

Linghu Qingmo frowned. That did sound fair.

As long as she didn’t waste her tokens early, she could use them to counter his advances any time. It was basically risk-free.

And since they had bet on it, she couldn’t just go back on her word.

“Fine. But if I say ‘stop,’ you have to completely stop. No exceptions.”

“Agreed. Starting now.”

As he spoke, Jinhuan was already plotting how to trick her into using her tokens... then go all-out with the “don’t get mad” tactic.

Just then, voices echoed from outside the courtyard:

“Xie—huh? Yang Dabiao, where are you going?!”

“Whoa! Didn’t see the heir there—sorry!”

“I’m wearing bright red! How could you not see me? Anyway, is Xie Jinhuan here? The show’s about to start at the Golden Pavilion...”

“He just undressed, and Lady Linghu is currently—”

“Ah! Sorry! Never mind! I didn’t mean to interrupt—”

...

Linghu Qingmo nearly burst into flames. She stormed to the door.

“Yang Dabiao! Stop making up nonsense!”

Jinhuan threw on his robe in a flash and came to the door, Meiqiu perched on his shoulder.

And there stood Prince Zhao De, bright as a phoenix in a scarlet robe, holding a fan inscribed with two bold characters: “Victory Assured.”

He looked like a flamingo demon in the middle of the courtyard. Practically impossible to miss.

Jinhuan blinked. “Your Highness, this outfit is... eye-catching.”

“I’m going to the Golden Pavilion to win money. Gotta dress festive.”

Zhao De strolled forward, fanning himself, beaming.

“Your skills, Xie brother, now that’s eye-catching. If I hadn’t heard from Laifu this afternoon, I wouldn’t have known you went out slaying demons again last night.”

“Just happened to run into one on a late walk—”

“Ah, ah—!”

Zhao De cut him off, waving a finger.

“Modesty is good, but if no one takes rewards for their heroics, who’s going to keep risking their lives to kill demons?”

I didn’t say no to the reward, though...

Jinhuan, sensing Zhao De knew how to pull a Zigong redeems a man-style move, nodded along.

“Your Highness is absolutely right.”

Zhao De grinned, pleased. He clapped his hands.

“Laifu! Book a table at the Zijing Pavilion—Eight Immortals Banquet. Tonight we feast in Xie brother’s honor. Put it on the mansion’s tab!”

What the hell...

Jinhuan opened his mouth to protest but had no words left.

Linghu Qingmo also wanted to stop Zhao De from bleeding the royal budget dry, but Laifu, for once, didn’t move.

He whispered:

“Your Highness... Changle Street sent word today. The Chilin Guard is conducting an inspection tonight. Not much entertainment will be open.”

Normally, entertainment venues shut down during inspections. To avoid embarrassing high-profile patrons, people like the Prince’s son got early notice.

Zhao De frowned.

“They just did an inspection two weeks ago! Who’s the genius behind this brilliant timing?”

“It’s Han Jingchuan from the Wangjing Command Post. He’s leading it himself. Likely some major case...”

...?

Jinhuan, who’d been listening casually, suddenly sharpened his gaze.

Han Jingchuan’s whereabouts? This might be his chance.

Golden Pavilion and Changle Street were only two blocks apart—prime real estate near the imperial core, easy to move between...

Playing escort to the heir was the perfect alibi.

The only issue was the crowd. Too many people. He’d just made headlines. Disappearing for even fifteen minutes would be suspicious.

As he mulled it over, the ghost-wife whispered in his ear:

“Your chest still has a wound. Say it split open and excuse yourself. I’ll cover for you for fifteen minutes. Kill and run. No opportunity? Just come back.”

Jinhuan nodded slightly, pressing a hand to his chest.

Linghu Qingmo noticed and immediately stepped in.

“Did your wound flare up again? Want to rest?”

He lifted his arm slightly. “Got a bit heated sparring this morning. Just pulled it a little. It’s fine.”

She was clearly worried, but surrounded by people, she couldn’t strip him down to check. So she silently supported his arm, looking like someone helping a wounded soldier.

—

Elsewhere—The Lin Residence frёewebnoѵēl.com

As the sun set, a carriage stopped in front of the white-stone street.

Lady Lin stood proudly on the steps beneath the stone lions, her face glowing.

“My precious girl’s home! Tired from the trip?”

Lin Wanyi stepped down with her maid Qinwen and offered a polite bow.

“Mother, why are you outside? I wasn’t gone that long.”

Lady Lin took her daughter’s arm with a light hum.

“Girls grow up and drift away. If I don’t look at you while I can, I won’t get the chance later. Heard you met someone in Danyang? A Mister Xie?”

“...Huh?”

Lin Wanyi froze. Her expression turned cautious.

“You know about that?”

“I’m not deaf, you know.”

Lady Lin sighed.

“He’s impressive. Your father said all the officials were talking about him today—slayed a demon, solved a huge case in one night...”

Wanyi had already heard about Jinhuan’s legendary performance. Knowing his two-faced dragon nature, she wasn’t surprised.

Seeing her mother fawning, she smiled faintly.

“He’s efficient, sure. But we’re not close. I just helped refine some Dragonblood Pills...”

Lady Lin’s brow creased, clearly unconvinced.

“Not close? Then what’s with the poem he wrote for you—‘Only one bowl in heaven’? Why’d you get all snippy when that Zihui girl showed up? Why’d you fight over who bandaged him? Why were you asleep in his bed?!”

WHAT?!

Lin Wanyi tripped on the threshold and nearly faceplanted, cheeks burning.

“Mother! How do you even know that?! Did you plant spies in the clinic?!”

She glared at her maid.

(←_←) Qinwen shrank back innocently.

Lady Lin gently turned her daughter’s face back.

“Trying to hide from me? If not for Zhang Zihu at the clinic writing to your father, I wouldn’t know you’d landed such a gem.”

Wanyi flushed, flustered.

“It’s not like that! We’re just friends! Those rumors are nonsense. If you start believing them, I’ll be ruined!”

Lady Lin clearly didn’t buy it. “Then what’re you back for?”

To sleep in the same house as Xie Jinhuan!

But she couldn’t say that.

So she sighed. “I just missed home...”

“...”

Lady Lin had clearly expected something more romantic. She let go of her daughter’s arm, disappointed.

“Where’s Zisu?”

“She’s still studying. Should be a few days.”

“Fine. I’m off to shop with Lady Wang. Wash up and eat something.”

“Uh... okay...”