My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion

Chapter 1233: Chapter 669: A Heaven-Sent Opportunity (Double Length)_2

Min Ning walked to the railing, took a deep breath, and seemed to disperse some of the knots in his chest, but his gaze remained sharp.

Qin Qingluo arrived shortly after and instructed the maid standing by, "Bring the Nanling Spring I have treasured, and brew it."

Soon, a small red clay stove, drinking utensils, and a sealed jar of wine were brought to them by the maid.

As the clay seal was opened, a rich and pure aroma of wine instantly spread, carrying the fragrance of mountain flowers and fruits, and eased the tension remaining in the pavilion.

The maid skillfully warmed the wine and distributed the cups.

Qin Qingluo picked up a cup of warm wine, the amber liquid gently swaying in the jade cup, she looked at Min Ning, the corner of her lips carrying a hint of a smile, "It’s been many years, I wonder if Yue Chi’s drinking capacity is still as it was back in the capital?"

Her words carried the casualness of a reunion with an old acquaintance.

Min Ning also lifted his cup, feeling the warmth of the porcelain edge with his fingertips, meeting Qin Qingluo’s gaze, he said, "The Prince jokes. Roaming the Jianghu, rolling through wind, frost, rain, and snow, my drinking capacity has only increased, but you, Prince, governing one region, attending to countless affairs, can you still handle a thousand cups without drunkenness as in the past?"

Upon hearing this, a sharp light flashed in Qin Qingluo’s serpent eyes, then she laughed softly, "Under my rule, the restless are subdued, so there’s no need to constantly drown sorrows in wine. However, since reunions with old friends happen, today is just right to test..."

"Since the Prince is interested, Min Ning will accompany," Min Ning responded without backing down, also raising her cup.

The two jade cups gently touched mid-air, producing a clear, crisp sound.

The two women said no more, raising their heads to drink the warm wine down their throats. The spicy, mellow wine liquid slid down their throats, bringing a sense of warmth. They placed their cups down, and the maid immediately filled them up again.

Qin Qingluo rubbed her fingertip against the warm cup edge,

"The Jianghu road is vast, with dangerous waves. I’ve heard Heroine Min has traversed both north and south over the years, witnessing plenty of wonders and strange events?"

"Certainly."

"Tell me about them, open the eyes of someone who is confined to one corner."

Min Ning swallowed the mellow wine, her phoenix eyes gazing at the distant, layered mountains, "Indeed, there are many wonders and strange events. The sandstorms of the Northern Border can strip a layer of skin, the misty rain of Jiangnan can soak the muscles. The most interesting was deep in the Sichuan mountains, encountering an Evil Flood Dragon that had taken form."

"Oh?" Qin Qingluo lifted her brows with interest, "An Evil Flood Dragon? This creature is fierce, commands clouds and rain, overturns rivers and seas, how did Yue Chi deal with it?"

"How to deal with it?" Min Ning unconsciously flicked her finger on the sword hilt, producing a subtle clanging sound, "When paths cross, nothing but one sword. That evil creature occupied the mountains and lakes, creating chaos, becoming a scourge of the land. I searched for it for seven days, finally intercepting it on a rainy night, upstream where it was to turn into a dragon."

Qin Qingluo put down the cup, her eyes swept over Min Ning’s Wind Cloud Sword at her waist, seemingly asking casually, "Is it the Evil Flood Dragon from my Southern Border Northwest?"

"Exactly," her tone was bland, yet carried a metallic resonance, "The storm was ominous, the turbid waves immense. That creature hid underwater, stirring poisonous miasma, ready to attack. I fought it in the thunderstorm for half the night, the Sword Qi shattered the reeds spanning hundreds of feet, and then..."

Min Ning paused, lifted her cup to take another sip, a sharp light flashed in her eyes, "Caught it as it thought I had fled defeated, eager to seize a good time to transform a dragon, and struck with a sword through its skull!"

"Good!" Qin Qingluo couldn’t help but praise, genuine admiration in her eyes despite being a Prince, she had a knight’s spirit, "A decisive strike to the skull! Such fierce creatures should indeed be dealt with swiftly! Eliminating the harm for the people, refreshing the heart! Come, I toast the female knight for this strike!"

Min Ning did not act pretentious, raised her cup to clink, "The Prince is too generous in praise. It was merely a case of crossing paths and drawing a sword."

They drank again, the maid silently refilled their cups.

After three rounds of drinks, the atmosphere seemed to have genuinely eased.

Qin Qingluo began asking about Min Ning’s experiences in the Jianghu over the years, and Min Ning picked out some interesting or thrilling stories to narrate.

The two laughed and talked, their words still tinged with their own sharpness and probing, yet implicitly carried a sense of old friends reuniting.

One depicted the Southern Border scenery under the Prince’s rule, the other portrayed tales of Jianghu from everywhere, yet they had a pleasant conversation.

And Chen Yi...

At this moment, he faded his own existence.

Chen Yi picked up the cup of wine poured by the maid, sipping it slowly, seemingly casually gazing at the scenery outside, but his ears were perked, capturing every word exchanged between the two women.

Apart from him, there aren’t many real conflicts between the two women; they can actually enjoy a pleasant talk.

Now he feared that making a single stirring would draw their attention, igniting the hard-earned eased atmosphere into roaring flames again.

And he only hoped that this feast would last as long as possible, until everyone forgot about submitting the bride price...

As the intoxication grew stronger, once people became drunk, there were many daring and able topics they could discuss, with fewer constraints, more uninhibited.

The topic somehow circled back to the Southern Border Northwest Evil Flood Dragon.

Min Ning held the cup, smiling widely, "Speaking of which, slaying the dragon is certainly thrilling, but the thrill isn’t just in slaying the dragon."

"Oh? What brings maximum thrill?"

Min Ning consumed the wine in her cup, "The greatest thrill lies in, after slaying the dragon, happened to meet one’s beloved!"

Saying this, she grabbed Chen Yi’s shoulder, pulling him close by her side.

All the while, Chen Yi was slightly unprepared for this sudden action, immediately noticing Qin Qingluo’s serpent eyes briefly narrowed.

Min Ning was straightforward in character.

But this scene, in the eyes of the Princess, meant her husband was suddenly pulled into an embrace by Min Ning, intimately affectionate, for a Vassal King, it’s indeed a bit...

Qin Qingluo was not infuriated, she only said, "That’s certainly wonderful, I’ve also been drinking through the night these days with my beloved here."

Silently, Chen Yi felt Min Ning’s grip on his shoulder tighten a bit further.

Both women had fiery temperaments, not adept at expressing their feelings. At this moment, heavily intoxicated, each mentioning "beloved," not only did it fail to bring Chen Yi joy, but instead made his back a bit chilly.

Min Ning carelessly asked, "Do you often drink here with Chen Zunming, Prince?"

Though asking Qin Qingluo, she turned her head, looking directly at Chen Yi.

Chen Yi was pondering how to respond, not having opened his mouth yet, he heard Qin Qingluo say, "Ha, he can’t handle his drink, easily gets drunk, I wonder if you know Min Yuechi."

Min Ning’s eyes narrowed, then she slowly said, "These years I’ve not been by his side, thinking he’s changed, unexpectedly, he’s still just as he was a few years ago. Back then, we occasionally drank together, once climbed a tower even higher than here."

The speaker meant no harm, but the listener took it to heart, this talk in Qin Qingluo’s ears, naturally carried a different meaning.

This is saying, regardless of time and change, Chen Yi’s heart always belongs to her, Min Ning, isn’t it?

"Oh, back then did he happen to kiss you?"

"I won’t hide from the Prince, of course he did." Min Ning lifted her gaze, eyes involuntarily sharp.

"Not bad, but I kissed him." Qin Qingluo seemed to speak true words in her drinking state, "He wanted more, but I didn’t give."

Min Ning paused upon hearing that, she wanted to retort, "Does he even care about you, when he had me," but considering the friendship they shared, such words were inappropriate.

Yet to swallow resentment...

Since practicing martial arts, the only ones she could swallow resentment for, apart from her elder family members, were Chen Yi.

Min Ning paused, curled a smile, "Then it must have been useful for him, this person lacks nothing but lust, speaking of which, I encountered him not long after arriving at the Southern Border, it was supposed to be a fleeting reunion, but unexpectedly, he was determined to come along again."

With this statement, Chen Yi slowly widened his eyes.

"...When?"

The Princess’s impressions showed, since Chen Yi entered the Prince of Annan’s Mansion, he hasn’t left her control, every movement she had a grasp on.

"Perhaps...tens of days ago or several tens of days ago, in any case, not exceeding a month."

That would be...after the assassination in the Ancestral Temple, between entering the Prince Mansion...

At that time he was to enter her Qin Family’s gate...yet dared to be with Min Ning...acting recklessly?

Listening on, Qin Qingluo’s deep serpent pupils contracted, slowly sweeping towards Chen Yi,

"Oh?

That indeed would be a...heavenly moment."