This Demon of a Husband

"This time, you actually didn't use my handkerchief to blow your nose. That's almost touching!" A crisp, pleasant voice drifted over.

Lin Xuankong halted, surprise flashing into his eyes. He spun around and strode to the Old Willow Tree, staring intently at the bright, delicate Li Xiaolan before him. "You're back!"

Seeing how delighted he was, Li Xiaolan could not help feeling moved as well, and a trace of gentleness rose in her eyes.

She blinked her luminous eyes and smiled. "I always keep my word. I said I'd be back within fifteen days, so how could I not return? Besides, I could barely eat properly out there. If not for a few unexpected incidents, I would've come back long ago!"

Lin Xuankong smiled. "It's good that you're back!"

Li Xiaolan rubbed her little belly with her slender, fair hands. "I really want chive dumplings. Ah, I'm starving to death!"

Lin Xuankong shook his head speechlessly. What a little glutton!

In the outer room of the Wooden Building,

Lin Xuankong placed the stewed pork knuckle, braised prawns, braised tenderloin, and chive dumplings he had bought on the table.

Li Xiaolan was rather surprised to see such a lavish lunch.

However, her attention soon landed on the chive dumplings. After eating several, she moved on to the stewed pork knuckle. It was not until she started on the braised prawns that the little glutton noticed Lin Xuankong had not eaten at all and had been watching from the side!

This was a little awkward. Her face suddenly flushed red as she secretly glanced at Lin Xuankong and thought to herself:

Over these days of hunting demons outside the city, she had kept thinking of this fellow for no reason. Perhaps because he was the husband who had properly married her?

Or perhaps because he was unlike those people at Huang Mansion, never droning on all day about the three obediences and four virtues! Or perhaps because he spent every day practicing martial arts, looking like a foolish martial arts fanatic.

After thinking for a while, she decided to make conversation and ease the awkward atmosphere. "When I came back, I ran into the Eldest Young Lady. She said a lot had happened on the west side of the city lately. Tell me about it."

Lin Xuankong smiled. "It wasn't just the west side of the city."

He briefly told her about Ma Xiong trying to ambush and kill him, Granny Wang harming Little Tiger, and his own advancement to the second layer.

"You advanced to the second layer?" Li Xiaolan opened her little mouth in disbelief. The prawn she had just put into her mouth nearly fell out. "You... you said you've already reached Mortal Transformation Layer Two? Your cultivation speed..."

Lin Xuankong was somewhat surprised. The Young Lady's talent was so good; surely her cultivation speed at Mortal Transformation Layer One had not been slower than his. Why was she so shocked?

He could not help asking, "What's wrong with my cultivation speed?"

Li Xiaolan froze, her eyes darting about a few times. "Uh, well, your cultivation speed is all right!"

She hooked her little toes against her beautiful embroidered shoes and continued:

"Actually, your cultivation speed is all right, but when you advanced from the first layer to the second, didn't you encounter a bottleneck?"

"What bottleneck? There's a bottleneck when advancing from the first layer to the second?"

Lin Xuankong was taken aback.

Looking at Lin Xuankong's expression, Li Xiaolan suddenly found the prawn in her mouth completely tasteless!

Listen to what he was saying. A bottleneck? What bottleneck?

Who cultivated martial arts without encountering bottlenecks?

If there were no bottlenecks, how could so many people be stuck at a certain realm for years without making a breakthrough?

Take Zhang Wu and Granny Wang, whom he had mentioned. One had been stuck for years, while the other had been stuck for decades!

Yet this husband of hers was actually asking what a bottleneck was!

Ah~~~~ Looking at that foolish martial arts fanatic expression on his face,

Why did she suddenly have the urge to poke him to death with one finger!

The main reason she had gone out to hunt demons this time was to earn silver taels to buy cultivation resources. The other reason was that her cultivation progress had been slow lately and she had reached a bottleneck, which was why she had decided to make the trip!

Fortunately, after a fierce battle with a demon and tempering herself between life and death, she had finally broken through that bottleneck and could continue improving. Yet this monstrous husband of hers was not only outrageously fast at cultivating—he had not even encountered a cultivation bottleneck when advancing from the first layer to the second!

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Lin Xuankong asked.

I don't want to talk to you!

Li Xiaolan was so furious her eyes nearly popped, so she ate seven or eight braised prawns to vent her anger.

However, when she thought of how worried Lin Xuankong had been these past days, coupled with the comfort brought by the braised prawns, some guilt rose in her heart. "It would've been better if I hadn't gone out to hunt demons these past days. Then you wouldn't have faced so many dangers!"

Lin Xuankong shook his head. "You were only trying to earn more silver taels. But don't take such risks in the future. I got over three hundred silver taels from Granny Wang and Ma Xiong. That should be enough for a while!"

Hearing this, Li Xiaolan felt struck again.

She had worked herself to the bone to injure an Evil Goat Demon and obtain an Evil Goat Horn, which could sell for around two hundred silver taels. She had been so happy about it, only for him to earn more than three hundred silver taels while staying home!

A horse does not grow fat without night grass; a man does not grow rich without windfall wealth?

Murder and arson bring golden belts?

Li Xiaolan thought it over and felt that she absolutely had to change her approach to making money in the future!

Very soon,

Li Xiaolan declared with a face full of righteous indignation, "That Zhang Wu actually wanted to harm my husband. I'll take his life tonight!"

Upon hearing her say this, Lin Xuankong decisively shook his head.

A chill surfaced in his eyes. "Zhang Wu made me worry for two months and committed countless evil deeds. How can we kill him so casually? At the very least, we have to make him worry for two months!"

Li Xiaolan thought about it. "That works too. Just remember to confiscate his household when you deal with him!"

Confiscate his household?

Lin Xuankong could not help looking at Li Xiaolan.

Then the two exchanged a glance and smiled.

Lin Xuankong said, "Tell me about your trip out to hunt demons. How did you get delayed for several days? Did you encounter any danger?"

Li Xiaolan gave a soft acknowledgment and began speaking as she ate prawns.

It turned out that because Li Xiaolan had not been able to borrow the Evil Warding Armor, she had no choice but to find a low-rank demon outside the city to hunt.

Outside the city, in Liyang Town, she had encountered an Evil Goat Demon that had been plaguing the townsfolk. After lying in ambush for several days, she had prepared to slaughter the Evil Goat.

The battle had initially gone smoothly, and she had already knocked off one Evil Goat Horn. Unfortunately, the Evil Goat had been extremely cunning and escaped using a Demonic Technique. That had not mattered much; one Evil Goat Horn alone was worth around two hundred silver taels!

Unexpectedly, on her return journey, she encountered several thousand Liao People Tribe members controlled by a High-rank Evil Goat. She was blocked midway for days and fell into danger. Fortunately, she encountered a team of Huang Family Martial Cultivators led by the Eldest Young Lady, and only then did she escape safely.

"The Eldest Young Lady has always treated me very well since I was little. She taught me martial arts, how to read, and the principles of being a person. And if she hadn't protected me, I'm afraid I would have long since been... Now she's saved my life again!" Li Xiaolan said emotionally.

Lin Xuankong smiled. "When you have the chance in the future, just repay her properly."

Li Xiaolan nodded. She seemed to recall something, and suddenly frowned.

"Sister Rongshang has run into quite a few troubles lately!

"That old demoness, the Huang Family Matriarch, failed to break through her bottleneck some days ago and suffered severe damage to her vital energy.

"The Huang Family Head took the old demoness to Liang City for treatment. They probably won't return for several years. Although the Huang Family has many Martial Cultivators, Sister Rongshang is the only one who can hold up the banner now.

"I heard from Sister Rongshang that, under instructions from his prefectural governor cousin, the Black Tiger Gang leader has formed an alliance with the Spirit Snake Gang, the Guo Family, and the Feng Family. They have taken control of the transportation and sale of medicinal herbs in Great Marsh Prefecture! The Black Tiger Gang and those other families have never gotten along with the Huang Family and the Yin Talisman Sect. The Huang Family and Yin Talisman Sect will probably suffer heavy suppression in the future!

"Actually, it's not just the Huang Family and Yin Talisman Sect that will have a hard time. Without medicinal herbs, both your cultivation and mine will be affected!"

Lin Xuankong could not help furrowing his brow upon hearing this.

Little Tiger had mentioned this matter too, but this sort of open and covert struggle involving major gangs and great Lineages was not something he could influence at present!

"Don't think about these troubling matters for now. Since you're back, eat your fill and get some proper rest!" Lin Xuankong said.

Li Xiaolan patted the prawn shells from her hands.

"I just broke through my bottleneck, so of course I need to cultivate properly. Who has time to rest!"

After saying that, she looked at Lin Xuankong. Her husband cultivated so quickly; if a shortage of medicinal herbs delayed his cultivation, that would be far too regrettable. The Black Tiger Gang and Spirit Snake Gang were truly hateful in their actions!

And she had to hurry up and cultivate too. Wouldn't it be terribly humiliating if her husband surpassed her someday? Work hard, Li Xiaolan! Born beautiful and blessed with heaven-sent talent, I definitely won't be surpassed by him. Hmph!