Chapter 385: Gathering to Hunt in Jiangnan

Chapter 385: Hunting South of the River

Tang Wanzhuang stared straight ahead, not really looking at anyone... her mind had already entered the Celestial Book Illusion.

She was eagerly awaiting Zhao Changhe in the illusion to stick out his tongue—that felt so good.

But how could the figure she conjured up ever stick out its tongue? From start to finish, the one sticking out his tongue was the real man right before her.

Zhao Changhe had no idea about this; he only felt that this woman, who called herself his master and tried to refuse, was actually more yielding, as if she were deliberately giving him a speed boost—she was too good at it.

So he didn’t hold back and kissed her thoroughly, his hands starting to wander a little.

At first, he only touched her furtively, but when he found she seemed unresponsive, he grew bolder and began to caress.

Baoqin stood at the doorway, her eyes bulging, frozen like stone.

Miss, you said you wouldn’t go inside—does that mean you plan to do it out in the courtyard, under the open sky?

At this moment, Tang Wanzhuang had no idea what was happening. She truly felt a powerful surge of revival and nourishment in her meridians—a sign that Zhao Changhe’s Revitalization Art had indeed improved.

From merely using a superficial trace of the Revitalization Art passively, he had begun to understand medical theory and pharmacology. His comprehension of a healing skill was naturally progressing, no doubt about it. The Revitalization Art was gradually gaining the initiative and specificity to repair meridians, still extremely weak and insufficient, but the feeling was undeniably different.

Her lung meridian, long untreated, was like parched land finally receiving sweet rain. The comfort seeping from her very bones made Tang Wanzhuang moan involuntarily.

Zhao Changhe froze in fright, paused for a second, and when nothing happened, he reached out his lecherous claws again.

Wanzhuang had a good figure—usually hidden by her flowing sleeves, but in truth, she was quite ample...

Tang Wanzhuang opened her eyes.

The next moment, Zhao Changhe felt the world spin, and with a splash, he tumbled into the pond by the rockery.

Tang Wanzhuang leaned against the railing and cursed: "You lecher, go die!"

Baoqin wore an expression of unbearable pain. At that moment, she fully agreed with Zhao Changhe’s cry as he floundered in the water: "This is entrapment!"

Though she’d never heard the term, she grasped the gist—her miss was clearly fishing for a catch.

Tang Wanzhuang huffed and returned to her room. Baoqin heard her mutter: "Using healing as an excuse to take liberties—no good!"

Baoqin couldn’t help but speak the truth: "Miss, you were the one who seduced him."

"When did he buy you off? Traitor!"

With a splash, another little maid joined him in the pond.

Two heads emerged from the water, exchanging glances at their drenched faces, expressionless.

Inside the room, Tang Wanzhuang clutched her chest, panting heavily. After a long moment, she suddenly realized... everything she’d seen in the illusion was real?

She had actually been eagerly waiting for him to stick out his tongue... and had writhed under his touch.

Life was no longer livable...

Tang Wanzhuang buried her head in the blanket, covering it with a pillow, playing dead.

But her injuries were indeed improving... What would she do tomorrow?

...

The next morning.

Ying Wu arrived in Xiangyang, travel-worn, wanting to discuss with Zhao Changhe the follow-up on the Maitreya secret realm.

The convoy of money and grain was already on the road—a gesture of full sincerity.

Yet, faced with this lifesaving aid, the two top leaders of Xiangyang didn’t even have the courtesy to come out of the city to greet him. The one handling the reception was still Li Si’an.

Ying Wu said, exasperated: "That guy hasn’t gotten cocky just because he made the Human Roll, has he?"

Li Si’an tucked his hands into his sleeves: "Making the Human Roll might not make you cocky, but making the Earth Roll—that’s enough to send you floating on clouds."

"?" Ying Wu was puzzled: "When did he make the Earth Roll?"

"Maybe not yet, but it feels close."

"Far from it," Ying Wu judged. "His meridians are still worse than those of an average martial artist. If that hard limitation isn’t resolved, the First Secret Repository is his limit; he won’t touch the Second."

"Mm-hmm."

As they spoke, the two stepped into the main hall of the prefectural office.

The next moment, Ying Wu changed his tune: "Indeed, it feels close."

What met his eyes was Tang Wanzhuang seated high in the master’s chair, her face cold as frost, lecturing from a medical text.

Zhao Changhe sat below, looking docile, copying notes and taking dictation.

It all seemed proper, serious, and above reproach.

But Ying Wu saw at once that Tang Wanzhuang’s complexion had taken on a healthy glow, a stark contrast to the pale, frail, wind-blown look she’d had before.

An ordinary person might not grasp what this meant, but Ying Wu was no ordinary man—a Heaven Roll expert at the Third Secret Repository. This was the result of dual cultivation nourishment, and it reeked of Maitreya’s Extreme Bliss Technique, written all over her face, impossible to hide.

Would she make the Earth Roll soon? Ying Wu wasn’t skilled in the art of reading women, so he couldn’t tell, but he thought to himself: maybe she’s already made it...

Because of this, she couldn’t bear to walk out together to greet a distant guest, afraid someone might notice the glances between them, so she was putting on this lecture to cover it up. This blatant attempt at concealment—and you call yourself the deep-minded First Seat? Really?

"Ah, Fifth Elder has arrived?" Zhao Changhe, as if saved, put down his brush: "Please, have a seat..."

Tang Wanzhuang also gracefully bowed: "An honored guest graces us—I failed to welcome you from afar... Fifth Elder, please sit."

Then she glanced calmly at Zhao Changhe: "Since the honored guest is here, today’s lesson ends here. Remember to recite it day and night, and practice diligently..."

Ying Wu found it amusing: the way you play the master is far too obvious... But he didn’t show it, instead chuckling in his usual merchant-like manner and cupping his hands: "First Seat, your complexion is much better than when we last met. I’ve brought some Lung-Soothing Powder—it won’t do much for your condition, but it might ease it a little..."

Tang Wanzhuang said: "Fifth Elder is thoughtful."

Then there was no next line. Ying Wu was just surprised when Zhao Changhe took over: "Let her rest. Fifth Elder, shall we take a walk?"

Ying Wu glanced at Tang Wanzhuang; she made no sign, as if she had completely handed over all Xiangyang affairs to Zhao Changhe, never to interfere. He found it remarkable. This wasn’t just a good relationship—it was the heat of a passionate affair...

He naturally didn’t care who was in charge; in fact, Zhao Changhe handling things suited his needs better. Who had the patience to chatter with a woman? So he made a gesture of invitation, and the two left the hall together, entering the rear garden.

Tang Wanzhuang maintained her cool demeanor, but her shoulders sagged slightly. So exhausting...

Nothing had really happened, yet she felt so tired—all his fault.

"Honestly, the news from Kunlun caught me off guard," Ying Wu said as they walked side by side in the garden. "Chen Yi had been in Kunlun for years, and though he knew there were many small secret realms, he never found a single one. You’ve been there no time at all and found two... and got the Dragon-Elephant Blood Ginseng you needed, plus picked up a girl—I hear she’s the Winged Fire Serpent? Impressive..."

If Ying Wu knew she was actually the Vermilion Bird, who knows what he’d think? Fortunately, his information only mentioned the Winged Fire Serpent. Zhao Changhe himself had no idea and was still being modest: "Just luck... Actually, there’s a bigger secret realm in Kunlun that I’ve already explored."

Ying Wu twitched his mouth: "I guessed there was a bigger one—it must be inside Yuxu Peak... But knowing about it is one thing; this ‘explored’... I wouldn’t dare go in myself!"

"Ah, that was luck too." Zhao Changhe asked: "There’s something I’ve wanted to ask you for a while, Fifth Elder. Before, I felt our relationship wasn’t close enough... Now that we’re so intimate, I think I should ask: when you obtain a secret realm, how do you put it to use? Can you stitch them together? And how do you establish ownership?"

Ying Wu answered all his confusion with a single simple sentence: "There is a technique related to space."

Zhao Changhe’s heart stirred—this was high-level stuff: "This technique, I..."

"Don’t even think about it." Ying Wu gave a wry smile: "Do I look like a fool? Save it—go see Wang Daozhong."

Zhao Changhe: "..."

"I’ll find a way to talk to Yuxu about the Yuxu secret realm... I came here to deliver money and grain, not to discuss that topic." Ying Wu sighed: "As for Maitreya, don’t just focus on romance. Do you have any plan for a counterattack?"

Zhao Changhe said: "I received a carrier pigeon message this morning."

"From whom?"

"Tang Buqi," said Zhao Changhe. "For this counteroffensive, the supreme commander is neither me nor Wanzhuang, but Tang Buqi. Xiangyang only needs to stabilize and, at the right time, coordinate the deployment of troops."

Ying Wu said, speechless, "So you're just in charge of romance, doing nothing else?"

"...I am healing, ensuring the combat power of a third-ranked on the Earth List."

"Since I am here, she can just go sleep."

"Fifth Master, you can bully Maitreya, but can you bully Heaven?"

Ying Wu narrowed his eyes. "It really appeared? I heard reports but thought it was a mistake... because they almost never show themselves before the eyes of the world."

"It appeared."

"Was it the one who struck and repelled Tang Wanzhuang?"

"Mm..." Zhao Changhe asked, "Fifth Master, you seem quite familiar with them. Have you ever fought them?"

Ying Wu looked up and thought for a long time, as if lost in some memory. After a long while, he said, "Back then, my brothers fell one by one, wasn't it because of this? What do you think, have I fought them?"

Zhao Changhe said, "Since Fifth Master survived their hands, it shows they aren't truly invincible, are they?"

"Indeed, they can be challenged... Of course, they are not all of the same level; some are strong, some weak." Ying Wu said slowly. "For instance, if this person only managed to injure Tang Wanzhuang, then it's not impossible to fight."

"If this demon god is left to Fifth Master, then what about Maitreya? Besides, you said yourself, there may not be only one demon god."

Ying Wu said, "How do you plan to arrange things?"

"If you strike a snake but don't kill it, you'll suffer its harm—Fifth Master surely understands this better than I do... This time, we must ensure a single fatal blow; it's not a time for going through the motions." Zhao Changhe said calmly. "I not only need to restore Wanzhuang's combat power, but also need to go to Hongnong. I want you, Fifth Master Ying, the Yang of Hongnong, the Cui of Qinghe, the Four Symbols Sect, the Demon-Suppressing Bureau... to gather from all directions and hunt together in Jiangnan."