Gradual Fall, Born a Romantic

Madam Wen wiped the longsword and put it back into her sleeve.

Li Xian was deeply surprised, and couldn't help but recall the many scenes of binding her in silken clothes and bathing together in Yin and Yang. He had helped his wife take off her clothes, loosened her waistband, and tied up her long hair... He wanted to be intimate with her, but he never saw the soft sword.

It's hidden somewhere under his clothes, I don't know.

Bear Lord, ugly in appearance, collapsed to the ground. Upon hearing the question, Madam Wen pondered for a moment, then, believing Li Xian was indeed qualified to know, said, "The Dragon-Appreciation Banquet and the Dragon-Slaying Banquet are feasts concerning dragons."

"A dragon's feast?" Li Xian asked, puzzled. "Are there really dragons in the world?"

"Of course," Madam Wen said. "The Great Wu territory is vast, and there are hundreds of known traces of dragons."

"Your progress with the Waning Sun Blood-Draining Sword is quite good; you will also have the honor of witnessing this Dragon-Appreciation Grand Banquet."

At this point, Madam Wen frowned slightly, and suddenly struck Bear Lord with her palm. Her Inner Qi penetrated the ground, and with a loud boom, the snow and sand flew up.

Bear Lord's clothes were torn to pieces, but his limbs were not broken or mangled. As the smoke cleared, a hole was found in the ground, leading to a distant place, where he had fled.

Madam Wen pondered, "The Earth-Fusing Technique?"

It turned out that Bear Lord's heart had been pierced, but he did not die immediately. He knew he was no match for the lady, so he thought about how to escape.

Throughout his decades-long life in the Jianghu, he encountered a series of extraordinary events and obtained the recipe for the [Earth-Transcending Soup]. Over the years, he has diligently sought it out and consumed seven or eight corresponding Essence Treasure. He is about to comprehend the ' Earth-Transcending Technique '.

Unfortunately, something went wrong somewhere. The Earth-Transcending Technique turned into the Earth-Fusing Technique. This technique was quite useless; when Art Path, the body merged into the soil, just like sinking into water.

But the soil is coarse, and although he blends into the land, his influence remains superficial. It's truly a double-edged sword.

But now that he had obtained this precious technique, he should study it carefully. Bear Lord devoted himself to its study. Although the technique itself was rather useless, when combined with martial arts techniques, it could have miraculous effects.

He mastered the "Ground-Breaking Art," a martial art of the "Nine-Dipper Sect." It is adept at digging holes in the ground by channeling Inner Qi into the earth and applying a certain kind of shock force to quickly dig out a pit.

Bear Lord combined his magical techniques with martial arts, feigning death by lying on the ground, then using his Art Path to merge with the earth, and finally using the Ground-Breaking Art to escape. This allowed him to achieve the ability to feign death and Earth-Burrowing.

It was the first time in his life that he had used it, and it actually saved his life.

They had already fled far away in the short time they had been talking. Li Xian asked, "Madam, should we pursue them?"

"Spare his life," Madam Wen said.

Li Xian thought to himself, "With your temperament, Madam wouldn't let this go easily. It seems this Bear Lord is indeed quite formidable, managing to escape from Madam's grasp. But... Madam's tracking skills are truly miraculous. She could find Qiuyue's buried corpse. How could this Bear Lord... have escaped?"

"Bear Lord's Martial Dao skills are indeed formidable. However, the fact that Madam couldn't catch him might not be related to his Martial Dao prowess."

It was dusk.

All the Guard had already come down the mountain and gathered in the open space in front of it. Ding Hu muttered, "How strange, why haven't the ladies come down the mountain yet?"

Gazing into the distance.

As the sun sets in the west, it is getting late.

The most enjoyable part of hunting in the mountains was counting the spoils of war. In previous years Guard lady would always review the spoils, whether they were plentiful or scarce.

Suddenly, the sound of galloping hooves was heard, Li Xian spurred his horse out of the forest, with Madam Wen following closely behind. The two whispered to each other, their expressions intimate. Madam Wen nodded frequently, her coldness gone, replaced by a hint of coquettishness.

A short while later, Li Xian rode over on horseback and said to Ding Hu, "Brothers, you've all worked hard. I just spoke with the lady. It's getting late, and counting the spoils will take time. How about this..."

"Bring the game back to the estate and register it with Uncle Xiang. Tonight, Madam grants you a night off and has ordered the kitchen to prepare Hundred-Beast Feast at the estate. Brothers, eat and drink to your hearts' content."

The Guard cheered and returned to the village with the captured beast.

Before long, only Li Xian and Madam Wen remained. Madam Wen laughed and said, "After three days of hunting, it's time to see who won and who lost." She Meat-Shrinking Bag and poured out the spoils of the beasts.

Tiger, bear, deer...

There were dozens of each, a dazzling array. Among them, bears were the most numerous, including Scale-Armored Bear, Stone-Breaking Bear, and Ferocious Gold Bear... all two zhang tall, with strong bodies and abundant fur.

"Xiao Xian, come here." Madam Wen walked to the side of the Scale-Armored Bear, and Li Xian handed her the River-Sinking Sword.

The sword's edge is so sharp that a single, gentle slash can pierce armor and tear through skin.

Beneath the bear skin lay human bodies.

The Scale-Armored Bear was about two zhang tall, and there were three human bodies inside its skin. However, none of them were complete; their joints had been twisted and stitched together, resulting in bizarre shapes that fit the bear's clothing perfectly.

Madam Wen said, "This Bear Lord and that Jar Immortal are of the same ilk. He is the Jar Immortal's senior master."

"He enjoys capturing living people, soaking them in special medicinal baths, then twisting their joints and dislocating their bones. He then uses mind-controlling techniques to manipulate them. He hides deep in the mountains, raising many 'bear cubs' to set up Bearling Formation formation,' adding to his bargaining chips for the future Dragon-Slaying Banquet."

"What a coincidence, I stumbled upon it. The losses were enormous, and all our efforts were in vain."

"When you travel the Jianghu in the future, if you encounter people like this, try to avoid them. These kinds of Outer Dao people are unlikely to achieve great things, but they are always extremely disgusting."

"They're all ' Blood Pool and Flesh Grove,' and most of the strange bears we hunted today look like this. Let's burn them all."

Li Xian carried all the strange bears to one place, piled them with firewood and hay, and used the Waning Sun Blood-Draining Sword to light the firewood with two Sword-Ray.

Flames shot into the sky.

Madam Wen asked with a smile, "Who won this competition?"

The remaining tigers and deer were roughly equal in number. Li Xian counted them all and laughed heartily, "Madam, I won!"

Madam Wen raised an eyebrow. "What nonsense are you spouting? The number of tigers and deer is similar. You have two more tigers than me, but I have four more deer. The numbers cancel each other out, so how can you say you've won?"

Li Xian said, "Has Madam forgotten that we ate that colorful little deer?"

Upon hearing this, the lady shook her head and chuckled, saying, "You rascal... in that case, you really have won. Just tell me what reward you want."

"Think it over carefully, young man, and tell Madam when we get back to the Manor," Li Xian said.

"Yes." Madam Wen nodded.

One Accord Manor.

The spacious open area is furnished with tables, chairs, and desks. The kitchen showcases culinary skills, transforming wild game and game into delicious dishes.

The Guard enjoyed the meal to their hearts' content.

Deep within the Inner Court, Madam Wen asked again, "Have you decided what kind of reward you desire?"

Li Xian knew that his wife's family was incredibly wealthy, possessing countless martial arts skills, riches, treasures, rare medicines, and magical artifacts. Acquiring even one of these would be immensely beneficial. He desired a lightness skill to compensate for any deficiencies in his martial arts, or Higher Vehicle or Middle Vehicle martial art to broaden his horizons. Either choice would be highly useful.

On the way back to the manor, he pondered carefully. Then he felt it wasn't right, and thought to himself, "If I want martial arts manuals, rare treasures, or money... but how do I strike the right balance? If I reward too much, I'll displease my wife, and instead of getting the treasures, I'll be scolded. If I reward too little, it'll be quite boring. Perhaps..."

Li Xian said, "Madam, will you grant me what I request?"

Madam Wen crossed her legs, her slender waist swaying, and asked with great interest, "Of course, what are you planning this time?"

"I want..." Li Xian smiled, "I want many things. On the way here, I almost mentioned martial arts manuals and rare treasures. But now, sitting in front of you, Madam, I only want one thing."

He was born with the ability to tell lies as truth and truth as lies. Li Xian prided himself on being honest, but deep down he was a charming and unrestrained womanizer. Sweet words to please women came naturally to him, spoken with True Intention and genuine emotion. If it weren't for this extraordinary talent, even with his exceptional intelligence, how could he have managed to win over his wife and cultivate feelings for her step by step?

Madam Wen's pretty face flushed slightly, a feeling of delight washing over her, and she asked softly, "Tell me about it."

"I want to hold my wife in my arms," Li Xian said sincerely.

Madam Wen felt as sweet as honey in her heart. Seeing that Li Xian's expression was sincere and not feigned, she said, "We have bathed together many times, what is an embrace compared to that? I want to reward you; this is a rare opportunity, think it over again."

Li Xian said, "But... Madam..."

"At this moment, I have only one thought in my mind. Asking me to think of any other reward would be asking too much. I think about this and that, but I only have this one wish."

Madam Wen's joy deepened. She was experienced and ruthless in Feng Shui Geomancy and the ways of the Jianghu, but who had ever dared to speak sweet words to her? Even sweet words have their merits and demerits. The most precious ones are those that truly touch the heart and stir the soul.

She scolded playfully, "You little rascal, you're getting more and more outrageous. Fine, do you think I won't grant you this one wish?"

Her pretty face flushed slightly, but she was very composed, and no outsider would have noticed. She said, "Come on then."

But then I felt myself being swept into a warm embrace, a broad and generous chest, a body temperature that felt like a love potion that haunted my dreams. I was intoxicated and couldn't help but fall deeply in love.

Li Xian also leaned against Xiangyu, the fragrant breeze tickling their noses.

Madam Wen asked, "Are you satisfied now?" Li Xian replied, "Madam, I'm going to push my luck."

Madam Wen playfully scolded, "Of course not." She turned away from him, feeling a pang of reluctance.

Li Xian still possessed a fragrant scent. His prediction was correct; the so-called reward was merely something Madam Wen casually mentioned to provoke his fighting spirit. If Li Xian were to ask for it, she might not refuse.

Middle Vehicle martial arts techniques, Precious Extraordinary Treasures... how precious they are! The lady is wealthy, yet she would never give them away lightly. If Li Xian were to ask for such things, he would surely be left with nothing. Instead, it would make the lady think, "This boy is greedy; even if he is loyal to me, his heart is not pure, and he harbors calculations for personal gain."

She puts herself in others' shoes; she would definitely think that way.

Even if she doesn't ask for it, she has reason to be unhappy.

The Winter Hunt is over.

For the rest of his days, there was nothing of great importance to do. In his spare time, Li Xian would stroll around the manor and visit various places in Qingning County.

Although he did not receive a reward, the lady's attitude had clearly changed.

Early December.

From that day onward, Li Xian's first and second levels of the Waning Sun Blood-Draining Sword were already close to reaching their Peak Mastery. Without restraint, they would soon reach their Peak Mastery.

Li Xian, fearing his wife's suspicion, never used this Swordsmanship again except when the Twin Swords in Harmony. He privately focused all his energy on the [Vastmist Leg].

The Leg Technique are ethereal, and the martial arts techniques gradually reveal themselves. When the kicks are executed, clouds and mist swirl around, confusing the eyes.

His leg strength gradually increased. Combining the Vastmist Leg and the Clearwind Leg, his running speed became incredibly fast.

[Vastmist Leg]

[Proficiency: 1096/3000 Minor Accomplishment]

The Qi Lake is forty-four zhang in length.

Li Xian actually liked this kind of life, "It's peaceful with progress, calm and uneventful. As long as I win over my wife, I can solve a lot of troubles."

But upon seeing the towering, ancient tree in the village, Li Xian's heart trembled. He still aspired to stand tall and upright, independent of others.

Only by becoming stronger!

Kindness can be repaid, and grudges can be avenged.

That day.

Li Xian helped his wife into seclusion and received the money he had collected at the end of the month. Just as he was about to leave the manor, he suddenly heard a commotion. "Boy, boy... come here."

In the dense grass, the Black Taisui sat atop a toad's head. Li Xian strode over, grabbed it, and asked, "Why are you out again?"

Black Taisui grumbled, "Ouch, be gentle, be gentle! Why are you hitting me so hard! I was just curious about your progress. How are things going between you two?"

"You're quite the gossip," Li Xian said with a smile.

"Tell me quickly, tell me quickly. Did you catch that wicked woman?" Black Taisui asked curiously.

Before Li Xian could answer, Black Taisui continued, "You rascal, you're too shy and too honest. You're clearly not making any progress. To deal with this kind of woman, you have to be direct and daring. Make her torn between love and hate, unable to resist, feeling like she's living or dying. You... keep it up!"

Li Xian's lips twitched. "You seem to know a lot. Just who are you?"

"Speaking of this, we must start from the distant Great Yu," said Black Taisui. "If you'd like to hear it, I'll tell you the story slowly. Last time, there was a notorious thief, quite famous in the Jianghu, who came to steal something..."

"He chatted with me for a while. The feeling... I've never felt so good in my life. I told him about Blackie's glorious past."

"He was listening intently. But... that wicked woman found out. Good heavens, she cut out his tongue, broke his bones, and severed his tendons. Ouch, that was awful... Now I'm with you too..."

Li Xian knew that Black Taisui was spouting nonsense, and that it was best to listen but not to believe him. However, thinking of the remaining slaves of the Idle Martial Pavilion, he decided to be on the safe side and said, "Stop! I don't want to hear it anymore." He ran back to the Fragrant Essence Pavilion and locked Black Taisui up again.