Chapter 71: The Wind Rises in the Western Regions

The vast sea was like white frost, and the wind and sand blew like silver snow. Even the desolate road beside it was rugged and difficult to walk.

Madam Zhao and the others from the Qin family did not dare to take the official road, for fear that the tyrannical Lu Xuezhi would send her personal guards to chase and kill them.

The group of people muttered and cursed, and sighed as they hurried forward. During this period, someone even suggested that they should go back and find General Ning again, but Madam Zhao rejected it.

At this time, she was looking at the road in the distance.

But Qin Yi’er beside her said unhappily, “Isn’t it because that surnamed Ning is weak and can’t protect us? He doesn’t even dare to stand up for us.”

Madam Zhao did not answer, but just urged everyone not to stop and to continue on their way.

Midnight…

The desert in late autumn was freezing cold.

Everyone walked without stopping for a moment.

Strangely, this path, which should have been full of dangers and even had demons, was completely calm.

Finally, a Qin family girl panted and said, “Mother, I can’t walk anymore. We’ve walked for dozens of li, right? Let’s rest for a while…”

Qin Yi’er no longer concealed it. She vented all her anger on the young general in her impression, and she directly cursed, “Damn Ning Xuan.”

Hearing this, Madam Zhao began to look at the surrounding terrain. She wanted to see if it was safe here.

Suddenly, Qin Jin’er exclaimed.

Madam Zhao hurriedly followed the sound and looked, only to see a giant shadow as burly as a small mountain standing on a sand dune not far away.

She could never forget that familiar figure.

“Hus… husband?”

She asked tentatively.

But almost at the moment she asked, she was sure, and her voice became excited and complicated.

Originally, she felt that Qin Shan Jun was not right, and that Qin Shan Jun’s previous wives were all harmed by him, so she had a rebellious heart. But now that she had come this way, she understood Qin Shan Jun’s true intentions.

To alienate her, to imprison her, sometimes was not to harm, but to protect.

The resentment in her heart had been resolved a lot when she walked out of the water prison.

She recalled some of the beautiful times in her girlhood. At that time, Qin Shan Jun appeared out of nowhere, protected the “Spider Hall” she had just taken over, and helped her solve many troubles. If not for this… she would have long since disappeared in the Jianghu, and even become an enemy’s slave.

After that, she was the one who pursued Qin Shan Jun.

However, after Qin Shan Jun married her, he suddenly became cold and strange, and her thoughts slowly changed.

“Husband!!”

Madam Zhao shouted excitedly again.

Qin Shan Jun looked at her, his expression softened, and he said, “Zhi’er, you have worked hard.”

The burly man stood with his back to the moonlight, and he swept his gaze over his clansmen below.

More and more people also saw Qin Shan Jun clearly.

One by one, they excitedly shouted “General,” “Family Head,” “Dad,” “Big Uncle,” and so on.

Qin Shan Jun nodded slightly, and then clapped his hands.

Behind him, the sound of “thud, thud, thud, thud” was heard.

A team of cavalry riding camels and holding scimitars appeared behind him.

These cavalry were all carrying corpses.

The cavalry threw the corpses on the ground, along with sets of new clothes.

Qin Shan Jun said in a muffled voice, “Change your clothes for the dead, and then follow me. I will take you to a new place and start a new life. The new life may not be as glorious and luxurious as the past, but it is better to be at ease.”

A Qin family member asked curiously, “Family Head, how did you know we were here?”

Qin Shan Jun narrowed his eyes and glanced at him. The Qin family member was so scared that he immediately shut up.

“Hurry up.”

Qin Shan Jun urged again.

His eyes flashed with a cold light, and no one dared to talk nonsense anymore.

He looked to the east again, and said to himself: Although I was prepared for my family to be executed, it is always a good thing to be able to welcome them back alive. This time, I owe you a favor… Junior Sister.

Lu Xuezhi’s soul-snatching long legs were taut, and she cultivated with Ning Xuan. They gradually went further and further on the Nine Heavens Cloud. When they reached their limit, the two of them endured and separated, and went to the courtyard to digest their qi and blood.

After they calmed down, both of them let out a long breath of turbid air, and felt that they had improved.

Then, Ning Xuan happily completed the husband and wife business.

The frost and arrogance of the day melted at this moment, and turned into a blazing volcano. This body like a ghost and a flame not only had the strangling power of a python, but also the wild and fierce power of a lion.

Compared to the small bird leaning on a person, a thousand-year-old, everything revolved around him, and at most wanted to cheat him of a little money, Xiao Jie, Lu Xuezhi was really a terrifying rouge wild horse.

She was unruly, powerful, had her own ideas, and was by no means centered on him.

Such a beautiful woman, it was hard for any man not to be greedy.

However, no matter what, the intensity of the night had passed.

On the bed, the two of them each held half of the autumn quilt, and each lay on one side, like the cooling of lava after a volcanic eruption.

The next morning…

Before the sky was bright, Lu Xuezhi had changed into a martial arts uniform and went to the courtyard to practice martial arts.

The martial arts uniform was snow-white, not the usual scarlet.

The snow-white martial arts uniform clung to the vibrant body, and just looking at it was pleasing to the eye.

Ning Xuan glanced outside.

It was raining.

Autumn rain.

The desolate west wind rolled with the desolate autumn rain.

The flowers and leaves withered, like the impermanent fate of a wandering person.

Lu Xuezhi did not hold an umbrella, and did not stop. She was still practicing. The desolate autumn rain not only fell on the eaves, but also on her body, and was shaken away by her power, turning into a hazy water mist.

She dragged her ankles as if they were a thousand jin, and in a sluggish posture, she was cultivating something like pushing a millstone.

Ning Xuan liked beautiful scenery.

When Lu Xuezhi did not speak and did not do anything, she was a beautiful scenery.

Sometimes, Ning Xuan was very curious, why would a beautiful woman have such an annoying mouth?

If this mouth did not say the three words “join,” it would be great.

Early morning…

A fast horse came from the south, and entered when the south city gate of Hanzhou City was opened. It then came to the mansion and respectfully handed a family letter to Ning Xuan.

Ning Xuan opened it and looked, and was a little helpless.

The letter was written to him by his father and mother together.

His mother said that she hoped that he would have the opportunity to bring his daughter-in-law back to see her, and also urged him to have a son soon. His mother said that although slaying demons and eliminating evil was important, inheriting the family line was not a small matter. She asked him to discuss it with his daughter-in-law as soon as possible, and plan when he could bring her a grandson or granddaughter. She could help take care of them.

His father said that he had started to repair the family tree. Before he went to Wangyue Prefecture, he was actually a person from the imperial capital. Although there were no relatives there, he still remembered some of his elders. Now that his branch had not only produced a prefect, but also a general, he was qualified to open a family tree.

His father also specially emphasized that he would write Lu Xuezhi into the family tree, and write her next to him as his wife.

It could be seen that his father felt that having Lu Xuezhi in the family tree was a kind of glory for the ancestors.

At noon…

Immortal Aunt Yaozhen and Chaoyinzi brought the news from the imperial capital, and His Majesty’s decree.

The general content was that General Ning Xuan and General Lu Xuezhi were regarded as one, and they would jointly inspect the sixteen prefectures including Hanzhou City. The tiger tally was divided into two, and it would take effect when they were combined, and they would jointly control the sixteen prefectures.

The “inspection” of the two generals was aimed at some special demons.

Ordinary demons, there were naturally Heavenly Masters, Taoist boys, and the army to deal with them.

It was really the family, the country, and the Zixia Temple that were all trying to match him with Lu Xuezhi.

In the blink of an eye, another two days passed.

Ning Xuan was surprised to find that his constitution had improved again.

It had changed from 10.1 to 10.2.

Before, it was 0.1 in five days, and now it was three days.

A dual second-grade martial artist, every time he worked hard to climb on the Nine Heavens Cloud, his heart was pure and his intentions were clean. He used the power of yin and yang to get qi and blood, and then digested it. This kind of hard work finally had a good sign of growth.

Lu Xuezhi did not have a panel, and could not see the progress as clearly as he did, but now, she also obviously felt the improvement of her strength.

Her gaze towards Ning Xuan also softened a lot.

Finally, she decided to play a little trick, a little scheme. Although she was very disdainful of using this woman’s way to persuade a man, but for this husband who could both make her progress and satisfy her, she still, on the Nine Heavens Cloud, with a thick face, coquettishly shouted, “Good man, good husband~~~”

Ning Xuan was horrified.

Lu Xuezhi looked at his appearance and frowned, “Don’t you men like this kind of gentle and virtuous wife the most? I can do it too.”

Ning Xuan said warily, “What do you want to do?”

Lu Xuezhi said, “Good husband, join my force. It’s good for you, and it won’t harm you. Why are you so fussy? If others want to join, I won’t agree.”

Before, she had only talked about the force, and nothing else. And now… with the supplement of information, Ning Xuan understood a lot of things in a second.

Lu Xuezhi’s force should be a real martial arts sect. Her strength did not come from self-taught martial arts inheritance, but from the guidance of a master. This master was very likely related to the sects of a hundred years ago.

Before, Lu Xuezhi had mentioned Xiao Jie, and also mentioned that she could tolerate Xiao Jie. The reason why she specially said this was not for him to hear, but because she had a feeling.

Why?

Xiao Jie was essentially a descendant of the Hehuan Sect.

She was from the same source as her.

She could naturally tolerate her.

Let’s mention Madam Zhao Zhi again.

Zhao Zhi’s “Spider Hall” was very likely also a descendant of a sect. The reason why Lu Xuezhi drove Zhao Zhi away was the same.

Even if we think more boldly.

Qin Shan Jun was an old-line general. When he rose, the sects were just at the end of their decline. In other words, Qin Shan Jun and those sects must have had some intersection.

Then, did Qin Shan Jun and his wife know each other?

Now, he, as a martial artist who was a dual cultivator of life and nature, was a unique scorpion poop. In addition, he was young, so Lu Xuezhi took the initiative to come here to marry him, and hoped to pull him into the martial arts sect she inherited.

If we think a layer deeper according to this logic.

In the note that Qin Shan Jun had left for him, he had mentioned that “the historical archives stored in the imperial palace were burned down by a heavenly fire.” Qin Shan Jun was referring to the Zixia Temple.

Then, was the relationship between the old-line generals and the Son of Heaven really the traditional relationship of “emperor and vassal king”?

The Son of Heaven established the “Twelve Divine Generals” plan. Was it really to deal with the old-line generals?

The above lacked evidence, so let’s put it aside for now…

But speaking of which, as a martial artist, it was naturally good for him to join a martial arts sect.

And the purpose of this sect… he could roughly guess one or two.

Qin Shan Jun colluded with the demons. It seemed that he was causing chaos in the country, but in fact… it was to use a tiger to swallow a wolf, to deal with the Taiyin Ghost Cultivators’ “Frozen Hell.”

Then, the purpose of this sect was to deal with the Taiyin Ghost Cultivators.

This was a battle between two behemoths.

If he could quietly join, it would be fine.

But, he felt that there was a problem with the current situation.

The combination of two generals, and then they had to aspire to be a divine general, was too ostentatious.

And Lu Xuezhi was really not a low-key woman.

If he was not wrong in his guess above.

Lu Xuezhi should not have let Madam Zhao and others go at this time.

Even if she used “hating evil as if it were her enemy” as a cover, but… did she really think others were stupid?

If she was not found out at this time, but if there was a little bit of a match in the future, then wouldn’t she be like Qin Shan Jun’s “self-explosion”?

However, she still let them go.

Because she had a fiery temper, and she couldn’t wait from five to six, and she couldn’t help it.

She was too anxious.

Let’s say another thing. Lu Xuezhi actually shouldn’t have mentioned that “she could tolerate Xiao Jie.”

This was simply being outspoken and unable to keep a secret.

A single leaf can tell the coming of autumn…

Details, they reflect character.

Under Lu Xuezhi’s appearance of a powerful female general, what was hidden was actually a frank, impetuous, and fiery girl, not enough to be a strategist.

If Lu Xuezhi was an “old schemer,” a “divine teammate,” Ning Xuan might have agreed to join, but now he felt that he could not agree for the time being.

If he agreed, Lu Xuezhi would act more and more unscrupulously, and there would be problems, and it would lead to a devastating disaster.

The devastating disaster would not be for the big forces, but for him, for Lu Xuezhi, and for the entire Ning family.

Many thoughts flashed through his mind…

He decided to still not answer this question.

Lu Xuezhi still wanted to say more.

Suddenly, she felt something, and her pretty face froze in the dark in astonishment. Then she let out an angry cry, “What are you doing? Why are you coming out now? It’s all over the place…”

Ning Xuan said apologetically, “I was talking to you and got distracted.”

With this interruption, the previous question was also brought over.

Lu Xuezhi sat with her legs together in the dark, and used her power to expel the dirty things from her body. Then she thought for a moment and said, “Then you recover quickly. You can’t fall behind in your cultivation. We’ll do it again later.”

Three days later…

Ning Xuan’s constitution had changed from 10.2 to 10.3.

This made him have to sigh that “ancient martial arts” were really good.

If he continued at this speed, in less than a year, his constitution could reach 20. Although 20 was definitely a bottleneck, once he broke through, he would be a third-grade martial artist.

These few days…

The personal guards in the mansion began to suggest choosing another mansion, which would be a “dual general’s residence” for the two generals.

And the manager who had come with Lu Xuezhi from the Jiedushi’s residence suggested that they could move into the already empty Great General Qin’s residence, and after a little renovation, it could be used.

However, both Ning Xuan and Lu Xuezhi refused.

It was not that they did not love to enjoy.

It was just that, just as the brothel girls were like paper to Ning Xuan, an ordinary house, no matter how big, was meaningless. As for strange flowers and rare beasts, if they had no value in refining pills, they were not attractive at all.

Take Great General Qin for example. Great General Qin himself would not run around in that residence. In the huge residence, that Qin Shan Jun would only use a cultivation secret room. The rest… were for the clansmen to enjoy and show off.

Ning Xuan and Lu Xuezhi discussed it and simply opened the Great General Qin’s residence to the public, turning it into a place for people to play. But the two of them demolished the secret room, and brought back all the top-quality steel in it, and made their own cultivation room and bedroom more solid and spacious.

The residence…

It was for the clansmen to live in, and it was a face that matched their status.

The cultivation room…

It was for their own use, and it was a foundation that they knew well.

Ning Xuan and Lu Xuezhi had not yet had any descendants. In addition, the situation was turbulent, and they did not know where they would be shaken to in the end. They were not stable, so they naturally did not want to build a residence at this time.

After a series of affairs were completed, more than half a month had passed.

Ning Xuan’s constitution had changed from “10.3” to “11.”

This speed was simply taking off.

The days also seemed to have become ordinary.

There were occasional demons that could not be solved in the surrounding area.

Ning Xuan and Lu Xuezhi also acted together. Neither of them rode a horse, but they were much faster than a horse. They crossed mountains and ridges, and crossed in a straight line. Then they used a “devastating” thunderous momentum to quickly solve the demons. It could almost be said that “if they arrived in the morning, they would solve it in the morning, and if they arrived at night, they would definitely not leave it until the next day.”

And, Lu Xuezhi no longer asked “join?” and so on.

On this day, autumn had turned to winter, and a small snow fell from the sky.

Ning Xuan and Lu were waiting for lunch in the mansion.

Both of them were very satisfied with each other, because the speed of their cultivation improvement recently was not slow, and even exceeded their original expectations to a certain extent.

As they got along, Lu Xuezhi was finally a little bit kneaded into “Ning Xuan’s shape.”

For example, in the past, she never liked to eat seriously.

Because she felt that eating was just to supplement qi and blood, and to restore qi and blood. And the qi and blood she obtained should be consumed through cultivation.

But now, she was willing to wait for lunch with Ning Xuan.

Ning Xuan sat on a rattan chair in a courtyard. He leaned back in a comfortable posture, with wine beside him, and his hands welcomed the falling snow.

Watching the first snow in winter, and waiting for a pot of steaming hot whole lamb soup, this was already a happy and fortunate thing.

How many such fortunate things could one have in life?

Although Lu Xuezhi was waiting for lunch with him, her cultivation had not fallen behind.

The girl was still squatting in a horse stance, and was cultivating with the secret training method that Ning Xuan could not understand.

Of course, if a Heavenly Master came to the door at this time, saying that he had encountered a demon that he could not defeat, and requested the general’s support, the two of them would get up and go to support.

This was the daily routine of the two of them.

And it had been seven days since the last time someone knocked on the door.

Seven days, no one came to the door, which was a good thing.

This also showed that the Heavenly Masters were getting stronger.

The eradication of demons would bring dragon qi, and dragon qi would strengthen the Heavenly Masters.

Ning Xuan took a deep breath. He could already smell the fragrance of lamb from a distance. The pure fragrance also had a hint of the spicy fragrance of white pepper. He was about to get up and eat.

And at this time, his expression became strange.

A visitor had come to the mansion.

Lu Xuezhi also looked at Ning Xuan strangely and smiled. She didn’t need to speak, but Ning Xuan knew what she was thinking.

She was saying: Your meal, you can’t eat it well, because trouble has come.

But the two of them listened again.

It turned out that it was not someone who came to ask for help, but someone who came to deliver intelligence.

Ning Xuan had once asked the Jixiang Merchant Guild to bring back some news about the Shanmo Sect when they went to the Western Regions. Now… the Jixiang Merchant Guild had really brought it back, and with a mind to contribute to the sect, they had come to Hanzhou and delivered the deeds of the Shanmo Sect to Ning Xuan.

Ning Xuan had someone take these people from the merchant guild to rest, and he took Lu Xuezhi to eat lamb soup.

After he finished eating, he began to read the information about the Shanmo Sect.

All in all, between the pages of the book, he saw two words: evil sect.

He looked again, and saw two more words: demon.

He put down the book.

Before he could speak, Lu Xuezhi suddenly said, “We should go to the Western Regions once. This Shanmo Sect has already extended its hand. My Suizhou Dao, especially Hanzhou, is the first to bear the brunt. We can’t just sit by and do nothing.”

At this time, a golden light surged from the ground, and a middle-aged female Heavenly Master with wrinkles on her forehead and crow’s feet in her eyes suddenly appeared, and then suddenly spoke.

Chaoyinzi advised, “General, it is not advisable to travel far for matters outside the country.”