Lingyan Small Group Skill, Divine Eagle Overturning Heaven (A 6,000-Word Special)

Lingyan Small Group Skill, Divine Eagle Overturning Heaven (A 6,000-Word Special)

Ning Xuan was toying with a piece of green jade.

A wisp of coolness drifted from the jade, and it really could calm the mind.

Though the jade couldn't control Demon-Plague Warriors, it was certainly no ordinary object.

The young master of Flying Eagle Tower had really paid a price to make him believe that "this jade can control Demon-Plague Warriors."

He casually tossed the jade aside, because Xiao Jie had arrived.

As soon as she entered, Xiao Jie flew into her beloved's arms like a swallow returning to the forest. Then she found her place on his firm thigh, shifting her soft, pliant bottom until she was sitting obediently.

Once she was settled, Ning Xuan asked, "May I ask your name, miss?"

Xiao Jie froze for a moment. Before coming, she had heard the maids say that "the general was just entertaining some guests."

But it was rare for the general to seek her out immediately after receiving guests.

She glanced around.

The room was a quiet study, much like Ning Xuan's private library.

Then she felt at her waist. As usual, his hand was wrapped around it.

Xiao Jie suddenly understood. Biting her lip, she stared blankly into the distance and asked in a low, distant voice, "If this servant lied, would you kill me, General?"

Ning Xuan answered plainly, "I just killed the man from Flying Eagle Tower."

Xiao Jie was stunned. Her stiff waist softened, and the blankness in her eyes gave way to a gentle sparkle.

She said, "My real name is Bai Yufei. When I fled for my life back then, I was in a sorry state. After many twists and turns, I came to Wangyue Prefecture. As luck would have it, I found work copying scriptures, so I made up a false name and scraped by.

"Who doesn't want a peaceful life?

"But the day I met you, Young Master, I saw your noble bearing, and my heart began to flutter.

"I thought, rather than be defiled by some old man with one foot in the grave, I might as well follow you, such a handsome young man.

"Even if you got tired of me and gave me away, at least my first time would have been with a man I liked."

As she spoke, she suddenly giggled. "Later, I'd count my money by day and think about running away, but at night, nestled in your warm blankets, I couldn't bear to leave. I'd talk about seeing the sights far away, but really, I was just figuring out how to bundle up my things and flee. But I simply couldn't bear to part with you. Every time we were together, I'd think how wonderful it would be if we could stay like that forever.

"Who could've known you'd get to where you are now? It's nice to have a big tree to shelter under, so I'm not leaving. My heart is tied to you, one way or another.

"All right, I've said everything I needed to. Kill me or punish me as you please. I'm yours in life, and yours as a ghost in death."

She closed her eyes and lifted her snowy-white neck, offering herself up to whatever fate awaited her.

After hearing her explanation, Ning Xuan felt quite pleased.

He asked, "Why was Flying Eagle Tower chasing you? And what made you flee back then?"

Xiao Jie said, "My family and Flying Eagle Tower—or rather, the Ma Family—really do have a connection. My mother said that a very, very long time ago, our families belonged to the same sect, called the Hehuan Sect.

"Later, the sect declined and disputes arose, so it split in two.

"My family's elders left with a technique called Lingyan Small Group Skill, while the Ma Family kept a technique called Divine Eagle Overturning Heaven Skill.

"My great-grandmother said our family used to be very powerful, and the Hehuan Sect was powerful too. My grandmother said the same, but when she got old, she wasn't so sure anymore. She said she might have remembered wrong. My mother said my great-grandmother was making it up, and that Lingyan Small Group Skill was just a movement technique and a way to please men.

"But even so, Lingyan Small Group Skill was our family's secret art, so she still made me practice it from childhood.

"Thanks to this skill, my mother and I would sometimes steal from rich, heartless families to get by. Little by little, people started calling us thieves.

"Then the Ma Family came looking for us.

"The Ma Family was the opposite of ours. Their Divine Eagle Overturning Heaven Skill was powerful and forceful, and unlike our single-generation lineage, they opened their doors to disciples and quickly grew in strength. By then, they hadn't declined at all. In fact, they had established a faction called Flying Eagle Tower.

"The Ma Family found us and said that the Hehuan Sect had been powerful because of the Great Way of Union. Only when women who practiced Lingyan Small Group Skill dual-cultivated with men who practiced Divine Eagle Overturning Heaven Skill could they help each other advance and restore the sect's former glory.

"Back then, I was still young, and I was a little tempted.

"But after my mother and I went to Flying Eagle Tower, we were imprisoned.

"Luckily, Lingyan Small Group Skill also let us shrink our bones. My mother and I found a chance to escape in secret, and afterward, Flying Eagle Tower began hunting us down. My mother died, and I eventually made my way to Wangyue Prefecture. That's my whole story."

Xiao Jie looked downcast. Then she said, "As for Lingyan Small Group Skill, I've been using it on you for a long time, Young Master. My limber body and light steps like a swallow are all thanks to practicing it since I was little.

"But the Great Way of Union is really just a fabrication. I practiced this skill for a long time and never saw any other miraculous effects. Besides, if this Great Way of Union really existed, why would Flying Eagle Tower have imprisoned us?"

Ning Xuan held Xiao Jie in his arms and said nothing, offering her silent comfort.

Xiao Jie nestled quietly against her beloved. No matter how difficult the past had been, she had finally found a home.

The darkness had passed. In the first light of dawn, the frightened fledgling had found a new home and no longer needed to live in fear.

Then Ning Xuan suddenly asked, "Can you still shrink your bones?"

Xiao Jie nodded firmly. "I can."

Then she added, "Because of me, I've caused you a lot of trouble, Young Master. Tonight, I'll definitely show you some new tricks."

Ning Xuan said, "You can do that now, too."

Xiao Jie's cheeks flushed. She balled up a weak little fist and lightly tapped Ning Xuan's chest, then secretly got up and peeked out the window. Seeing no one outside, she leaped into his arms and began using her new skill.

This time, she would unleash all of Lingyan Small Group Skill to reclaim her place as Lady Jie.

"Being moved" and "being useful" had always been two different things.

Ning Xuan carefully sensed the little concubine in his arms.

It was a feeling of boundless joy, a pleasure that filled both body and soul.

He couldn't help but sigh with emotion. "You were only testing the waters before, and never used your full strength, right?"

Xiao Jie whimpered as she answered, "Wasn't I worried you'd get suspicious, Young Master? So I used no more than forty percent of my strength."

Ning Xuan suddenly realized he'd been wrong.

He'd previously thought that even all the courtesans of Chenxiang Pavilion together couldn't compare to Xiao Jie, but that wasn't the case at all.

All those courtesans together might not even measure up to one of Xiao Jie's fingers.

As time passed, Ning Xuan suddenly felt something strange.

The "stagnant" blood and qi inside him began to stir.

It seemed Xiao Jie wasn't simply sharing pleasure with him. She was engaged in some mysterious cultivation that went beyond physical delight.

Her movements could faintly stir his blood and qi, giving the "stagnation" a mysterious sensation of "clearing the blockage." It was as if an ocean that had once been utterly still had suddenly gained a tiny bit of strength, and that strength began to raise waves.

The waves could grow mighty enough to drown continents and destroy forests, but a river or even a small pond couldn't do the same.

In other words, one's blood and qi had to reach a certain level of strength—or, more directly, one's physique had to reach around 10—for one to notice it.

But Xiao Jie's strength was too small, so even though she was giving it her all, she still couldn't bring about much improvement.

Even so, it was enough.

Ning Xuan had tried many ways to "invigorate his blood," but every attempt had failed.

Yet something that had failed so many times had finally turned around because of one night of passion with his own concubine.

Suddenly, an absurd thought came to him.

Could the Hehuan Sect's story actually be true?

His pupils narrowed slightly.

A second thought naturally followed.

If it's true, then a hundred years ago, this land was also full of powerful experts. Why did they decline? Was it because there were fewer demons, and even none at all for several decades?

Without powerful demons, there was less Dragon Qi to obtain. Without demons, there were no Demon Cores either.

Then a third thought popped into his mind.

When it did, Ning Xuan sprang to his feet.

Xiao Jie, however, was completely spent.

She had just exerted herself to the utmost, and it had taken a heavy toll.

"Beloved," she gritted out, "I can still..."

Ning Xuan quickly pulled on his clothes and said, "I just thought of something I have to do."

Xiao Jie asked in surprise, "You don't actually think the dual-cultivation method in Divine Eagle Overturning Heaven Skill is real, do you?"

Ning Xuan stroked her cheek. "As expected of Lady Jie. You can always tell what I'm thinking."

Xiao Jie smiled.

She knew her position was secure again.

The matter of hiding the truth from him and causing him trouble had been put behind them.

"Be careful," she said, earnestly admonishing her husband like a virtuous wife sending him out the door.

Then she watched Ning Xuan leave.

The young man stepped out wearing a spacious black robe.

She called after him, "Beloved, be careful!"

Ning Xuan rarely went out of his way to leave home.

Because once he left, it meant he had to take the initiative and do something.

Recently, he'd been very lazy.

He'd been waiting for Liu Shirong.

He wanted to use the merchant guild that traveled far and wide to learn about demons in other places.

Immortal Aunt Yaozhen could do this as well, and might even be able to provide more information. But Ning Xuan didn't entirely trust someone whose loyalties lay wholly with the "Son of Heaven's faction."

At the very least, he needed a second source of information, so Immortal Aunt Yaozhen couldn't "blind him with a single leaf."

He hadn't gone to see his elder brother because his brother had plenty to do as well.

His brother had to maintain the Ning Family's rule over all of Wangyue Prefecture. You could say that everything Ning Xuan didn't do was done by his brother. Otherwise, even as General Anyuan, the other factions weren't familiar with him, and if they couldn't sit at the same table, he couldn't make proper use of them.

But he'd never liked political maneuvering. His elder brother understood him and was familiar with that whole business, so he'd taken everything upon himself without a word.

Nowadays, everyone in Wangyue Prefecture knew that General Anyuan stood high above them. But no matter how high and mighty he seemed, he was just a symbol. The person they could actually interact with was Celestial Master Ugly Slave. As long as Ugly Slave was there, Wangyue Prefecture hadn't changed hands, and as long as Ugly Slave was there, Wangyue Prefecture would remain peaceful and stable.

Meanwhile, his elder brother was still discussing the Ning Family's future with their father. It wasn't that they were going around him; the discussions involved too many trivial details and arrangements, and his brother didn't want to distract a Martial Way prodigy like him with such small matters.

On top of that, his brother knew that Celestial Master Yaozhen had gone to provide reinforcements, so he would sometimes stand guard around General Anyuan's residence. Just as he had when they were children, he silently and quietly watched over Ning Xuan, afraid that a gap might appear in the residence's defenses.

With an elder brother like that, every day began with a mountain of work. How could Ning Xuan possibly burden him with more tasks?

As he was thinking, golden light bubbled up from the ground beside him, along with two figures.

Ugly Slave, wearing a ghost mask, appeared with an unconscious young man in his grasp.

The young man was Qiao Ying, who had left earlier—or, rather, Ma Yingxiao, the master of Flying Eagle Tower.

Ning Xuan had let him leave, but that didn't mean he could actually get away.

Ugly Slave gave Ning Xuan a bow and was about to leave.

Ning Xuan gave Ma Yingxiao another kick, knocking him out even more thoroughly, then asked, "Elder Brother, do you know if a group of human experts appeared sometime in the past hundred years or so?"

Ugly Slave had clearly given the matter some thought already. He said, "There should have been. The great generals are all survivors from that era, and then came a gap of several decades. Not a single great general appeared during that time."

Ning Xuan asked, "What about the history of that period? Father... did Father ever tell you about it?"

Ugly Slave looked at him in astonishment, complicated emotions flickering in his eyes.

He wasn't a fool.

After everything that had happened, their day-to-day interactions, and these slips of the tongue that had become all too familiar, he'd already begun to suspect the truth.

Ning Xuan smiled, dropped the pretense, and simply called out again, "Elder Brother."

Ugly Slave froze. Behind the mask, his face broke into an instinctive smile.

But immediately afterward, he stubbornly shook his head and said solemnly, "If I were your elder brother, Mister Taiyi would have committed a grave crime. No one is allowed to use Dragon Qi to nurture the younger generation of their family unless His Majesty permits it. So I'm not your elder brother."

"In my heart, you are."

Ugly Slave fell silent.

His eyes reddened behind the ghost mask. He looked at the sincerity in the young man's expression and realized Ning Xuan knew his identity completely. He hesitated briefly, then nodded firmly.

Ning Xuan patted him on the shoulder. "Elder Brother, let's protect the Ning Family together."

Ugly Slave stubbornly replied, "I said you're not allowed to call me that."

Ning Xuan smiled. "I know, Elder Brother."

Ugly Slave smiled too, laughing until tears fell. He removed his mask, revealing his ruined face, rubbed his eyes, and met Ning Xuan's gaze. Then they both burst into laughter.

A moment later, Ugly Slave put his mask back on and said, "Mister Taiyi doesn't know either. When he was in the Imperial Capital, he was a trusted aide of the late emperor. If even he doesn't know, then that history really was erased."

Ning Xuan asked, "What about the archives and records?"

Ugly Slave said, "The imperial palace was struck by lightning, and a fire burned everything to ashes."

Ning Xuan said, "But I've discovered a place that may contain the legacy of powerful experts who lived in recent times."

"Flying Eagle Tower?"

Ning Xuan said, "There are no sweet plums by the roadside without a reason; there may be something suspicious here, but it's still worth investigating."

Ugly Slave said, "Flying Eagle Tower is nothing. I'm only worried that the Qin Family's Third Miss will meddle. After all, you rejected her, and her fiancé is still that Scholar Huang. Our grudge with him hasn't ended yet. Now we've nearly added 'the enmity of stealing his wife' to it. I'm afraid that'll be one more score to settle."

Naturally, Ning Xuan didn't say something like, "It was the General's residence that arranged for Qin Yi'er to come over."

With Qin Yi'er's skill at playing innocent, it wouldn't be surprising if she turned the truth upside down.

After thinking it over, he began to recount Lingyan Small Group Skill, Divine Eagle Overturning Heaven Skill, the Hehuan Sect, and Xiao Jie's story in detail.

There was no need to hide this from his own elder brother.

They could share information to avoid any problems.

Ugly Slave's eyes filled with thought. Then he clenched his fist and declared, "Then we definitely have to go. We must get Divine Eagle Overturning Heaven Skill!"

His voice rang with fighting spirit. "Scholar Huang couldn't kill us when we were at a disadvantage. How could he succeed now? They only know you're a martial artist below the ranks, but they don't know you're hiding your strength and are a First-Rank martial artist. That'll be a wonderful surprise for them."

Ning Xuan: ...

His lips moved. He wanted to tell his elder brother that he was actually Second-Rank now.

But in the end, he didn't say it.

Rising from unranked to First Rank in such a short time could still be explained as genius, as monstrous talent. But if he'd reached Second Rank, that would be hard to explain.

It was too unbelievable. He couldn't tell him.

Ning Xuan thought for a moment, then leaned closer and lowered his voice. "Elder Brother, listen to me. I have a plan."

Three days later, around noon, a downpour swept across the land and washed the world clean.

Immortal Aunt Yaozhen's endless nagging sounded in Ning Xuan's ear again.

"General Ning, you're a general appointed to Wangyue Prefecture. In principle, you aren't allowed to leave your fief without an imperial decree or special circumstances."

The Tiger Tally had made Ning Xuan the legitimate general of an entire region. It allowed him to have his partner use the region's Dragon Fire to refine pills and cultivate resources. It also let him command all the Prefects, both the official ones and the ones operating in secret.

But the Tiger Tally was also a restriction.

The moment he left his fief, his partner would know at once.

But that only meant they knew he had left; they couldn't possibly keep track of his movements in real time.

"Ning Xuan, I've been covering for you for three days. I haven't said a word. Y-you should go back!"

Ning Xuan replied, "Yaozhen, I only went out to clear my head, letting my horse roam wherever it pleased while I worked through the inner demon stirred up by that Demon Core. That way, I can serve His Majesty even better."

"Why is the General so glib again? Ah! Never mind, I have to go."

Immortal Aunt Yaozhen had clearly run into an emergency.

At last, the muttering in Ning Xuan's ear stopped.

The sound of heavy rain beating against a bamboo hat and straw rain cape filled the air.

The fine steed lifted its head and charged through the curtain of rain.

"How much farther?" he asked calmly, speaking to the young tower lord riding half a horse-length ahead.

The young tower lord gave a bitter smile. "Rest assured, General. I still want to live. I won't take you on some wild detour. But once you reach Flying Eagle Tower, what exactly do you plan to do?"

Ning Xuan opened his mouth and made up a story on the spot. "I intend to join Flying Eagle Tower and learn the Divine Eagle Overturning Heaven Skill, then confirm whether the rumored Path of Dual Cultivation from years ago is real. If it is, I'll surely join forces with the young tower lord and help Flying Eagle Tower flourish."

The young tower lord said, "Though my tower has Attendants, none of them have reached General Ning's level. Others may not manage it, but General Ning might. I only hope you're sincere."

Ning Xuan nodded, continuing to put the other man at ease. "Our two families have no conflict. Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, there's nothing more to it. After this is over, move to Wangyue Prefecture."

As they spoke, the two swift horses had already passed through the woods and arrived at a strange stretch of land.

It was an inland lake hidden among the trees. In its waters sat a middling-sized island, where a tall tower and rows of stone houses stood.

The tower rose nine stories, about ten zhang high, while the stone houses were each around one zhang tall.

The only route to the lake was a narrow bamboo raft bridge, secured with chains.

The rain was pouring down, and the lake's surface rippled in circles. The rafts bobbed up and down with the clear water.

Two watchtowers stood at the bridgehead, each with a simple wooden hut. Shadowy figures inside could be seen peering out.

The young tower lord said, "General, it's just ahead."

With that, he tugged the reins and tried to urge his horse into a quick gallop.

But he didn't succeed.

Ning Xuan had somehow appeared beside him.

He did nothing but release the faintest trace of bloodlust. The steed, which had been poised to charge, abruptly fell still. Its legs trembled, then it dropped to its knees.

The young tower lord was thrown from his horse. He flipped in midair and landed on his feet, but didn't dare move. Looking at Ning Xuan in surprise, he asked, "General, what do you mean by this?"

Ning Xuan said, "One copy of the Divine Eagle Overturning Heaven Skill in exchange for your life and a chance for Flying Eagle Tower to rise again. That's a cheap deal, isn't it?"

The young tower lord nodded repeatedly. "It is."

Ning Xuan asked, "You're your father's only son, aren't you?"

The young tower lord smiled bitterly. "No."

Then he added, "If I were, I wouldn't have volunteered to earn merit by taking the risk of bringing an Attendant to your residence and trying to snatch food from a tiger's mouth."

Ning Xuan sighed. "Sometimes, it's really not easy for people to just stay alive."

The young tower lord sighed too, then replied, "You're right, General."

They were both clever men. The young tower lord already knew what he had to do.

He took a deep breath, stepped to the near side of the bamboo raft bridge, then called across with a burst of energy, beginning a conversation.

Soon, people began emerging from the nine-story tower and the stone houses.

As they spoke, those inside understood what was being asked of them. One by one, they looked toward Ning Xuan, their faces tense and conflicted.

Ning Xuan removed his bamboo hat. His wet black hair fell back, revealing his youthful face.

Just then, an old man pushed through the crowd. His voice rang out as he cupped his hands and called, "This old man, Ma Changfeng, Master of Flying Eagle Tower, pays his respects to the General. You've come a long way, and now you've been caught in this downpour. Please come into the tower and allow this old man to prepare a simple meal and welcome you. We can discuss the rest over dinner."

Ning Xuan called back, "Master Ma, do you know what the saying 'when immortals fight, mortals suffer' means?"

Ma Changfeng's expression didn't change. Smiling, he said, "Of course I do. But Flying Eagle Tower is merely a martial faction in the mortal world. How could we get caught up in a fight between immortals? Hahaha! You're worrying too much, General. Please, come into the tower at once."

Ma Yingxiao stood frozen. "Father! General Ning is being sincere!"

Ma Changfeng barked, "You unfilial son! What nonsense are you spouting?"

Ning Xuan narrowed his eyes. He'd given them a chance, but they didn't want it. Their refusal was firm, leaving no room for negotiation.

He wasted no more words and got straight to the point. "Since Master Ma believes I can't take the Divine Eagle Overturning Heaven Skill, why not send someone out to test me?"

Then he pointed at the bamboo raft bridge, bobbing on the water. "We'll test each other right here."

Ma Changfeng asked, "How?"

Ning Xuan replied, "Three matches. If you lose all three, hand over the Divine Eagle Overturning Heaven Skill."

Ma Changfeng said, "Fine."