Chapter 35: Chapter 35: Old Friends and Hidden Currents
Chapter 35: Old Friends and Hidden Currents
Thinking back to the strange feeling she had experienced while changing clothes, Lin Shuying couldn’t help but blame herself inwardly. How could I be so wanton now? Ever since meeting Da Niu, she kept thinking about that sort of thing.
Da Niu didn’t have such delicate thoughts. He simply moved closer and closer, leaning against the counter just like Lin Shuying.
Feeling the man’s passionate breath beside her, Lin Shuying’s heart fluttered.
With the weather warming up, some girls on the street were becoming increasingly bold in their clothing choices, influenced by the increasingly open-minded traditional style. Although Da Niu occasionally glanced at them, he naturally didn’t care about these ordinary women. After all, he had already had intimate relations with Nangong Muyun.
But Lin Shuying beside him was different. The heroine’s innate heroic spirit and dashing demeanor made him—who was cultivating the Overlord Manual—involuntarily feel a desire to conquer her.
Looking at the beautiful woman beside him, shy yet radiant with spring-like charm, Da Niu was overjoyed. He thought to himself, Could it be that this Overlord Manual is really as Master said—that ordinary women cannot resist it?
Thinking of this, Da Niu couldn’t help but come up with a plan. He slowly reached down, and with a soft cry from Lin Shuying, his hand instantly touched her shapely buttocks.
The smooth, rounded touch—unlike that of Nangong Muyun—made Da Niu’s heart flutter for a moment. Meanwhile, Lin Shuying stood there as if bewitched, letting Da Niu’s hand slowly knead her upturned buttocks.
Qin Luo, separated only by a curtain, heard Lin Shuying’s soft cry clearly. Having reached the fifth level, he could clearly hear her breathy moans filled with desire. Seemingly having guessed what was going on, Qin Luo couldn’t help but ask, "What’s wrong?"
Lin Shuying’s performance further solidified Da Niu’s resolve. Just as he was about to take the next step, Qin Luo’s voice interrupted him. He could only reply with a mischievous smile, "It’s nothing, just a little bug."
This answer was a bit too casual. Qin Luo knew that there were too many villains who had died at Lin Shuying’s hands to count, so how could she be scared by insects? However, he couldn’t expose her, so he could only secretly release his divine sense.
This move was somewhat risky. Qin Luo already knew that Da Niu had reached the sixth level of Great Perfection. As long as he was willing to sense it, he could naturally detect the divine sense. However, Da Niu seemed to only like practicing the Overlord Manual and had no interest in other methods. Qin Luo deliberately tested him and finally felt relieved after finding that Da Niu was not acting strangely.
Since the silk shop was wide open, Da Niu didn’t do anything too outrageous. He simply rubbed his hand against Lin Shuying’s slender waist and shapely buttocks before quietly withdrawing it. Then, as if nothing had happened, he took out the Poria cocos cake from the oil paper and began to eat it heartily, oblivious to everyone else.
Qin Luo finally realized that the Overlord’s Manual was indeed incredibly mysterious. Otherwise, given Lin Shuying’s personality, she would never have allowed him to be so frivolous.
If he’s already this domineering at only the sixth rank, what will he be like when he advances to the next level...?
Qin Luo shook his head, not daring to think about it too much—because Xiao Qing’s stunningly beautiful face came to mind.
Lin Shuying, though relieved, kept her legs tightly together. She could clearly feel a warm current flowing out from between her legs after being touched by Da Niu, running down her thighs.
"Alright!" The shopkeeper scurried out, then looked at Da Niu beside Lin Shuying and said, "This young master..."
The way he was addressed as "Young Master" stirred a strange feeling in Da Niu’s heart. Before, in Lotus Village, everyone had called him nothing more than a jinx, a bastard, a good-for-nothing, and other derogatory terms. Now, after coming down the mountain, he was first called "Sir" by Lin Shuying, and then "Young Master" by the shopkeeper. The slow-witted Da Niu finally began to feel that he was different.
"I don’t need to..." Da Niu waved his hand and said.
"Consider it a gift from your senior brother. It’s not expensive, don’t worry," Qin Luo winked at Lin Shuying and smiled.
"Yes, yes, only ten coins, right, shopkeeper?" Lin Shuying immediately understood and looked at the shopkeeper.
The observant shopkeeper immediately understood what the two meant and then smiled and said, "Yes, yes, buy one get one free."
The shopkeeper was overjoyed to secretly accept the silver note handed to him by Lin Shuying. He quickly pulled Da Niu inside.
Seeing Lin Shuying’s shy yet guilty expression, Qin Luo couldn’t help but sigh slightly. He thought that he should find an opportunity to talk to her about the Overlord’s Manual, so that this confidante wouldn’t have any lingering resentment.
It would take two days to sew a set of clothes. The shopkeeper had already inquired about the three people’s temporary residence from Qin Luo and agreed to deliver the clothes to them personally.
When the three returned to Tianjiu Lane, it was already evening. Seeing that Nangong Muyun still hadn’t returned, Qin Luo couldn’t help but feel a little puzzled. Da Niu said that she was looking for some old friends, but Qin Luo had never heard of his mother having any old friends in the capital since he was a child.
Da Niu brought all sorts of snacks, and the three of them sat at the stone table in the courtyard, drinking and waiting for Nangong Muyun to return.
In the imperial city, as night gradually fell, two figures could be vaguely seen slowly approaching.
Half a moment later, two figures stood facing each other on the observatory.
Wearing a nine-phoenix jade crown and a long dress with coiled dragons, Empress Jiang Qingyu—who was once the mother of the world—now had a cold expression. An aura of looking down on the world quietly emanated from her, making the surrounding temperature seem to drop a few degrees.
Opposite her stood Nangong Muyun, the Palace Master of White Cloud Palace. Although she was dressed in a plain white dress, her calm demeanor was no less than that of the Empress.
The wide dragon robe completely concealed Jiang Qingyu’s exquisite figure. Looking at the old friend in front of her, her expression was somewhat complicated.
"Is it Song Hongdao?" Jiang Qingyu’s voice unconsciously carried an air of authority.
"Uncertain..." Nangong Muyun shook her head and said, "There is no evidence."
"Isn’t Qin Luo’s attack evidence?" Jiang Qingyu waved her hand, and the torches on the city wall immediately ignited.
"That’s why I came down the mountain." Nangong Muyun sighed and said, "Qin Luo was attacked twice—once in Suyang and once in Gudong. Both times it seemed like a well-planned attack, but each time it helped Qin Luo improve his cultivation significantly."
"Perhaps it’s because after all these years, his conscience is bothering him, and he’s come to atone for his sins." Jiang Qingyu sneered, recalling that Xiao Qing had also been involved.
"That’s possible." Nangong Muyun nodded.
"Bai Feizhang." Jiang Qingyu blurted out this name for no reason.
Nangong Muyun naturally knew what she meant. Although Song Hongdao was cautious, his subordinates were bound to slip up. Just like Jiang Qingyu thought, her grand descent down the mountain served two purposes: first, to give Song Hongdao a warning, and second, to find out exactly how many people were involved.
"It looks like a major battle is about to begin," Jiang Qingyu said, looking at the empty palace.
"I live for this very reason." Nangong Muyun said with a firm expression, "I must."
Upon hearing that familiar name, Jiang Qingyu couldn’t help but pause slightly. Due to her identity, she had been unable to participate in the battle to slay the demons, and not being able to see Qin Zheng one last time was the only regret of this Empress of Ningguo’s life.
"The sounds of autumn and the rain of spring..." Jiang Qingyu’s eyes softened as she murmured, "Do they resemble each other?"
Thinking of Qin Luo, Nangong Muyun couldn’t help but smile slightly and said, "He’s even better than his father."
"Heh, I can’t wait to see his child." Jiang Qingyu withdrew her gaze.
"It’s his child," Nangong Muyun said.
As she watched her former rival slowly disappear, an image of a spirited young man immediately came to mind.
"So what if she’s a princess! I’m the one who kisses her!"
Thinking of the boy who was still laughing heartily despite being surrounded by the Imperial Guards, Jiang Qingyu couldn’t help but sigh: If only he hadn’t been born into the deep palace.
As Jiang Qingyu walked alone through the palace, her lips curled into a slight smile, and a voice—both dignified and gentle—slowly rang out as she followed the wide, gently sloping stone steps.
I gaze at the mountains in silence.
I observe water without leaving a trace.
I gaze at the vast sky but see no moon.
I look at the blue sky and see no clouds.
I see that all living beings bow their heads in submission.
I observe that even sages address their subjects.
