Chapter 60: Dragon Qi Stolen, People’s Hearts Lacking

In the midst of the lake and mountain scenery, Ning Xuan had his arms around a woman on each side. Madam Jie, who was usually full of charm, now appeared dignified, arranging activities, letting the musicians and dancers perform one program after another. She also selected some pure and talented ladies to play a game called “winding stream party” with the three Juren of the Ning family.

A light, double-eared pot, half-filled with wine, floated down from the upper reaches. Whoever it landed in front of had to recite a poem. If they couldn’t, they had to drink all the wine.

Liu Shirong was with Ning Xuan, talking and laughing.

As long as the matter of “Shanmo Sect, Hunchbacked Mountain Duke” was not mentioned, this young master of the Fugui Merchant Guild was still a normal person.

Ning Xuan carefully held the two “paper beauties” that would break with a little force. The wine did not make him drunk, but he was drunk on himself. Now that his constitution was getting stronger, he naturally couldn’t play with these “paper beauties.” He could only enjoy the relaxed and comfortable feeling at this time, while looking at the busy Madam Jie from a distance.

At this time, Madam Jie’s hair was neatly combed, with a hairpin inserted on the side. Her eyebrows were drawn with a dark green pigment to look like distant mountains, and a plum blossom made of red gold foil was pasted on her forehead. Her vermilion skirt covered the tips of her embroidered shoes, and when she walked, she often covered her face with a fan. It was difficult to even get a glimpse of her face.

Ning Xuan looked at Madam Jie and suddenly felt that the two pure ladies on his left and right were not fragrant anymore.

His own little concubine was more charming.

Tonight, they would stay in the mountains and not return. When they were in the tent, they would enjoy the pleasure of husband and wife with Madam Jie again.

As he was drinking fine wine, a familiar Juren from his own family came to toast him, reciting, “General Ning is above. This humble student has been cultivated by the clan and blessed by the family. Today, I am going to the capital to take the examination. Although my body is humble, I dare not forget the virtue of my ancestors, which is like a mountain.

I wish to borrow this fine wine to express my ambition: if I can succeed in the imperial examination next year, I will definitely bring glory to my family with a pure heart and a clear name; even if my articles are not appreciated, I will still strive as before and not fail the family’s teachings. I only wish for the blessing of my ancestors, so that this scholar’s pen can surge with wind and clouds, and I can repay the deep kindness with a leap over the dragon gate!”

Ning Xuan looked at this Juren and said, “Ning Guangcheng, when you were bullied on the street as a child, it was I who helped you get back at them. Why, after not seeing you for a while, you are calling me General Ning from a distance?”

The Juren smiled and said, “This scholar has never been a stranger, but the country has its laws, and the family has its rules. If we don’t call you General, then we are disrupting the order of seniority.”

Ning Xuan raised his glass.

The two of them clinked their glasses and drank them all.

Ning Xuan patted his shoulder and said, “Next year’s spring examination, don’t worry. I will definitely find a way to send you to the capital safely.”

The Juren named Ning Guangcheng said, “I was born a Ning family member, and I will die a Ning family ghost. This scholar will follow the General’s arrangements.”

Soon, the other two Juren also came up to toast.

These Ning family scholars had all been born in the Ning family since they were young, and they were all familiar with Ning Xuan. After becoming Juren, they had also been sought out by Old Master Ning for a talk, and they naturally knew the heavy burden on their shoulders. They also knew that only if they passed the metropolitan examination and became Gongsheng, and then achieved good results in the palace examination, could they truly save the Ning family’s life and truly establish themselves in this world.

A few days later…

In another place with green mountains and clear waters, Ning Xuan was snuggling with Madam Jie, watching the sunset and enjoying a leisurely time. Suddenly, a golden light surged from his side, and a human-shaped silhouette appeared.

The wide, dark green five-python robe fluttered fiercely, and a face was cold and beautiful.

If it weren’t for Ning Xuan knowing what kind of personality was hidden under this cold and beautiful appearance, he would have really been frightened.

Even so, he still called out, “Immortal Aunt, you are finally willing to come back.”

Immortal Aunt Yaozhen glanced at Madam Jie.

Ning Xuan said, “If you have something to say, just say it. My Madam Jie is very sensible, more sensible than you.”

Immortal Aunt Yaozhen raised her head proudly, spread her hands, and put them behind her back, making the dark green five pythons on the material of her dark robe even more clearly visible.

Madam Jie smiled gracefully, “I found a good spring before, and picked some fragrant branches to make tea. It should be ready soon. I’ll go and see.”

As she spoke, she got up gracefully, bowed respectfully to Immortal Aunt Yaozhen, and then went far away.

Immortal Aunt Yaozhen said, “Your Madam Jie is also more sensible than you.”

Ning Xuan was happy.

The Immortal Aunt still loved to talk back so much.

However, as a “military supervisor” of the Son of Heaven’s faction, to be able to get along so well, and even be a little naive, he was already quite satisfied.

He asked, “Weren’t you always acting as a foreign aid? Why did you suddenly come back?”

Immortal Aunt Yaozhen said, “You have left your fiefdom three or five times, and I have concealed it for you.”

Ning Xuan said, “Thank you.”

Immortal Aunt Yaozhen said, “Why did you leave your fiefdom?”

Ning Xuan squinted and looked at this woman who could not hide her thoughts.

The eager eyes were like a trap, just waiting for him to lie, and then jump out, shout “General,” and then tell him “don’t hide it, I actually know what you did.”

Of course, Ning Xuan would not give her this opportunity. He asked himself that he had been very clean every time he made a move, and he did not know where he had slipped up. However, he was not nervous at all, but just smiled helplessly and said, “As expected of the Son of Heaven’s walker, you know everything.”

“Of course.”

Immortal Aunt Yaozhen was tit-for-tat.

The air suddenly became quiet.

Ning Xuan closed his eyes and embraced the sunset at this time.

When Immortal Aunt Yaozhen saw that he did not take the initiative to ask, her snow-white little face was a little angry, and it turned red. She said directly, “Did you attack Huang Cihe? Did you kill all the Flying Eagle Tower that he had subdued, and a quasi-first-grade Taoist boy? And you killed them all?”

Ning Xuan was silent for a moment.

Immortal Aunt Yaozhen said, “This is also good. In this way, you don’t have to be in a dilemma between His Majesty and Great General Qin.”

Seeing that Ning Xuan was still silent, Immortal Aunt Yaozhen’s tone actually softened a little, and she said with a bit of comfort, “Previously, you requested to cut a piece of land and rejected Qin Yi’er, which was for the sake of the Ning family and did not want to get involved in the dispute. Now that Huang Cihe has helped you make a choice, you don’t have to have a headache anymore.”

Ning Xuan sighed again.

Immortal Aunt Yaozhen thought for a moment, and actually stroked her python robe, bent her body, and sat down beside him. Then she said, “Great General Qin recently submitted a memorial, saying that the demons in the Frozen Hell are rampant, and he is willing to send all the dead soldiers, personal guards, and internal guards in his mansion to be at His Majesty’s disposal to pacify the four directions.

At the same time, he also said that he was getting old and had a slight illness, and begged to retire and recuperate in his mansion, so he would not go on an expedition in person.

Great General Qin also attached one or two requests in his memorial, one of which was to ask His Majesty to order General An Yuan Ning and that Huang Cihe to abandon their old grudges and go to the demon disaster together.”

Ning Xuan never got angry with dead people.

Huang Cihe was already as miserable as he could be.

He was killed by him, and his skin was probably taken by the demons.

So he nodded and said, “In the face of a national disaster, personal grievances should be put aside. Everything should be based on the overall situation. I am willing to abandon all previous grudges with Prefect Huang.”

After speaking, his thoughts turned again.

Previously, he had thought that it might be the demons’ plan to secretly seize the identity of a prefect. But now, seeing this memorial from Great General Qin, he was certain that Great General Qin had a relationship with those demons.

Immortal Aunt Yaozhen was right about at least one thing, that is, he really didn’t need to be in a dilemma between the Great General and His Majesty.

He needed the grace of the Son of Heaven to let His Majesty choose one from the Ning family’s scholars and give him the qualification to be an official.

In addition, His Majesty was newly enthroned, and he was a His Majesty who wanted to make a career.

And the Great General had a problem.

Since the Great General had a problem, then everything he did was worthy of suspicion.

After thinking for a moment, he said, “It is of course a good thing that Great General Qin can set such an example and send all his elite troops to serve His Majesty. But those elite troops have followed the Great General for a long time after all. If His Majesty wants to use them, he must be careful.”

When Immortal Aunt Yaozhen heard this, a pleasant red appeared on her cold and beautiful little face. Her gaze towards Ning Xuan also softened a lot.

“Ping’an Prefecture is still yours. Not only Ping’an Prefecture, but also more prefectures that His Majesty wants to hand over to you. You are not allowed to refuse this time.”

The more Immortal Aunt Yaozhen spoke, the more excited she became, “The Flying Eagle Tower is real and fake. It may not be a trap against you. It is really not easy for you to step into it and break the situation, and retreat completely…

Your first-grade martial artist strength should be completely exposed. This also leaves you with no way out, and His Majesty does not need to hide you anymore.

Your rating book has been changed again, from unranked to a first-grade martial artist of the nature attribute, which is very rare.

After all, although there are many martial artists, those who can condense the incense fire of demons are really rare. At least among the new generation of generals, you are the only one.”

Ning Xuan was stunned for a moment.

But on second thought, it was not so strange.

It was almost impossible to find a nature-attribute general.

Because a spirit-type general needed to absorb incense fire to exert his own power.

And incense fire required killing demons, obtaining the incense fire Bodhisattva statue of the demons, and then using the incense-stealing technique and the incense-condensing technique to obtain it.

But a nature-attribute general without power was just a mortal. How could he kill demons, obtain the incense fire Bodhisattva statue, and thus show the potential of a general?

Ning Xuan thought for a moment and said, “Then is it possible that I am not only a first-grade martial artist of the nature attribute, but also a first-grade martial artist of the life attribute?”

Immortal Aunt Yaozhen was stunned for a moment.

Ning Xuan was already a “dual second-grade martial artist.” Exposing “dual first-grade” could bring benefits, avoid trouble, and get attention and resource tilt.

He had his own ideas about the power he could show and the power he needed to hide. It was probably enough to “hide seven and show three,” which could both avoid trouble and deal with accidents and risks.

At this time, Ning Xuan did not waste any more words. He got up, controlled his constitution to be about five or six points, and threw a punch of “Swallow’s Union” forward.

A long and thin buzzing sound was heard in the air.

The buzzing sound dragged the fist and landed on the mountain wall not far away.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

Boom!

A few consecutive sounds caused the hard mountain wall to directly explode into a huge pit.

Dust rolled, and stone chips flew, almost piercing through.

Ning Xuan stood in front of Immortal Aunt Yaozhen, and the flying stone chips hit his body, making a “ding ding ding ding” sound of metal and stone, and then bounced off.

Immortal Aunt Yaozhen was stunned.

She only knew that Ning Xuan’s power was not bad, but after Ning Xuan ate the pill of the “nature-attribute demon,” she had regarded Ning Xuan as a nature-attribute martial artist.

She had never thought that Ning Xuan’s physical strength could be improved again.

This… was much stronger than when she first saw Ning Xuan, and it was definitely in the category of a first-grade martial artist of the constitution type.

“But you didn’t eat the demon pill, you…” Immortal Aunt Yaozhen stammered a little.

Ning Xuan said, “I trained it myself.”

Immortal Aunt Yaozhen’s beautiful eyes were wide open, and she said in a daze, “Oh~~ so you have been cultivating all these days?”

Ning Xuan nodded, and then said seriously, “Immortal Aunt, there is one more thing. I don’t know if I should say it or not.”

Immortal Aunt Yaozhen was filled with respect.

The young general in front of her not only knew how to endure and seek completeness, knew how to plan and lay out, knew how to advance and retreat, but also knew how to strive hard and sweat.

What a hardworking, amazing, and peerless soul was hidden in his dandy and unrestrained skin.

She took a deep breath and said with a trembling voice, “Dual first-grade… unprecedented…”

Ning Xuan’s heart also trembled.

Was the unprecedented dual first-grade too high-profile?

He was a little nervous.

He hoped that he could become a dual third-grade as soon as possible.

“Hiding seven and showing three” was still too radical. In this dangerous world, he had to “hide nine and show one.”

“General, please speak.” Immortal Aunt Yaozhen’s tone had become respectful. She had been convinced by the personality and talent of the young man in front of her.

She understood him.

No one understood him better than her.

Ning Xuan sighed softly and showed a bit of embarrassment.

Immortal Aunt Yaozhen encouraged, “General, please speak.”

Ning Xuan then told the whole story of the “destruction of the Flying Eagle Tower,” and then said, “The “Divine Eagle Covering the Sky Art” and the “Lingyan Small Group Art” are the cultivation methods of the Hehuan Sect from a hundred years ago. They are cultivation methods that require at least a first-grade martial artist, or even a second-grade martial artist, to cultivate.

If one can cultivate it, it will be of great benefit to one’s strength. In this way, one can guard one’s territory and also protect the common people.

But this Hehuan method is after all an evil cultivation method. I actually detest it in my heart, but now I have encountered a bottleneck. In order to become stronger, I have no choice but to propose it…”

Immortal Aunt Yaozhen pondered and said, “The cultivation method of a sect from a hundred years ago? I have heard of these.

There were actually some hidden in the imperial palace, but they were all incomplete copies. It is said that they were burned in a heavenly fire decades ago.

Later, some people practiced according to those incomplete copies, but they all had no effect, so it was left at that. Is the General sure that this cultivation method is effective?”

Ning Xuan nodded and said, “Yes.”

Immortal Aunt Yaozhen said seriously, “Since it is to become stronger, the General does not need to be embarrassed. I will definitely report it to the Son of Heaven and see if I can choose a partner for the General. In this way… it can be considered to be the best of both worlds, and our dynasty will gain two great generals.”

Ning Xuan sighed, “It is after all an evil cultivation method.”

Immortal Aunt Yaozhen said, “General, you are wrong. There is no good or evil in cultivation methods. A good cultivation method is one that can subdue demons and eliminate evil.”

Ning Xuan was thoughtful, as if he was having a mental struggle. After a long time, he nodded.

When Immortal Aunt Yaozhen saw that he had thought it through, she was also very happy.

Although the pair of partners had not seen each other for a long time, they were talking very happily at this time.

Madam Jie took the tea and came from a distance, and placed the teacups on the wooden stumps in front of the two of them.

Just as they were about to drink tea, a cold wind suddenly surged from under the ground.

The mountain forest was instantly covered with dark clouds.

It was about to rain.

Fortunately, when everyone came here, they had passed by a ruined temple.

The temple had been abandoned for a long time, and all the objects inside had been moved away. Even the surface of the Buddha statue sitting in the shrine had been peeled off, and it was now full of pits.

Everyone hurriedly moved.

However, they had only moved halfway when the mountain rain began to fall through the forest, hurriedly and urgently.

When everyone felt that the temple was ruined, they were all soaked a lot.

The accompanying servants and maids hurriedly tidied up the ruined temple, and soon, clean stone benches were revealed.

A Ning family Juren stood in front of the door, looking at the misty rain and said, “The wet green drips on the empty steps, and the misty haze swallows the distant trees. It is also a first-class good artistic conception.”

Although it was late summer, it was in the deep mountains. Madam Jie quickly ordered people to light a bonfire to avoid catching a cold.

A group of people gathered around the bonfire and took out the food they had brought.

A moment later, a pure lady began to play the pipa, and the continuous and ethereal music, accompanied by the sound of the rain in the mountains, was indeed quite interesting. A Ning family Juren next to her clapped his hands and beat the ground, and sang along with the sound. The atmosphere became more and more lively.

Following the General, they were not afraid, especially since there was an immortal aunt who could come and go freely and use earth-遁 (dì dùn – earth escape) next to them.

Ning Xuan and his party spent the night in the ruined temple.

He sat on a beast skin mat, and Madam Jie snuggled up to him like a small bird.

Immortal Aunt Yaozhen was meditating cross-legged not far away, with her whisk hanging on the side.

This was also a rare experience.

The next morning, the chirping of the mountain sparrows sounded on the roof of the ruined temple, and the golden sunlight shone through the holes and slanted into the temple.

The maids and servants woke up and began to prepare to boil some hot water.

And at this time, a sudden and extremely sharp scream broke the tranquility of the morning.

In the corner of the temple, a prostitute was drooling, her eyes were wide open, and she was staring blankly at the distance, making a strange “hehe, hehe” laugh.

Besides the prostitute, there was actually a Ning family Juren.

The Juren’s eyes were wide open, his mouth was open, and he was staring blankly at the distance, motionless.

Everyone was stunned. Everything had been fine from last night until now. No one knew when this strange scene had happened…

Ning Xuan glanced at the Ning family Juren who had become an idiot, and his cold eyes swept around, but he found nothing.

The eaves of the temple were casting a shadow, and the residual rain from last night was still dripping intermittently.

Each drop was like the drool of an evil ghost falling on people’s hearts.

Star River County, the old residence of the Ning family.

A violent cough came from inside.

At the beginning of the year, he still looked elegant, and last night he was still full of spirit. In an instant, Old Master Ning seemed to have aged a lot, and his hair was all white.

In the county, there were hurried footsteps, and outside there were miserable screams, accompanied by a few unbelievable shouts.

“Something has happened, something has happened!”

“That Old Third Zhang at the head of the county became an idiot overnight.”

“Widow Zhao too.”

“Madam Xu also had an accident!”

“Which Madam Xu?”

“It’s Madam Xu who often does good deeds. She… she also became an idiot.”

More and more voices gathered into a stream.

Ning Taiyi coughed more and more.

The first madam was gently patting his back.

Ning Taiyi waved his hand and ordered, “Let people go to the place, cough… cough… deal with it. Settle down the people who have had an accident, and their relatives and descendants.”

The first madam asked, “What’s going on, Old Master?”

Ning Taiyi closed his eyes for a long time, shook his head, and said, “You take some money and go and see if there are any lonely and helpless people left behind. If there are, give them some silver to help them get by, and then see if there is any suitable work for them.”

The first madam got up and said, “Old Master, our Xuan’er has made a name for himself. You… you can hand over everything to him.”

The first madam obviously did not understand anything.

She knew neither the general nor the prefect.

Ning Taiyi did not refute, but just smiled and nodded, and said gently, “I know. Thank you for your hard work, madam.”

The first madam then left.

Ning Taiyi looked at the distance, sighed in his heart, and murmured to himself, “If the sky is stolen, there will be a lack. The dragon qi is stolen, and the people’s hearts are lacking. This is a rain of losing one’s mind… and also a natural disaster to warn us.”

The prefect was the one who gathered the dragon qi.

At this moment, he truly felt the warning from the heavens and the earth, and thus his vitality was greatly injured. This was the punishment given by the heavens and the earth, and it was also the first punishment. The punishment in the future would probably be even heavier.

At the same time, he also felt the place where the “dragon qi was stolen.”

“Shanyang Prefecture, isn’t that the place where Huang Cihe just took office?”

At the same time, the other three prefectures around Shanyang Prefecture all had a rain of losing one’s mind, and the prefects were all punished.

It was as if the heavens and the earth were blaming them for not fulfilling their duty of guarding, and letting the things in their homes be stolen.

This was implication.

The three prefectures were Liuyun Prefecture, Shanyin Prefecture, and Ping’an Prefecture…

The prefects of these three prefectures were now all weak, and at the same time, they began to cast their eyes on Shanyang.

Then, the prefects of these three prefectures, together with Ning Taiyi, made the same decision: report to the prefect of Hanzhou, the great general of Hanzhou, and the Son of Heaven’s walker who was still in their jurisdiction.

This kind of behavior of quietly stealing dragon qi was no longer something they could solve. Let the people above send people to deal with it. They would act as guides in the local area and provide some necessary assistance…

Ning Taiyi was not in a hurry to send it. He had to wait for his son and ask him if he wanted to add something like “being ill and not suitable for duty.”