The sect leader's wife

Ye Jingtang focused intently, carefully sensing every movement. After practicing the sequence just twice, he experienced a rather profound sensation.

The restless blood and energy that had previously had nowhere to go seemed to follow the guidance of the movements, gathering into a current of "qi" that flowed toward his right hand.

Although the movements looked little different from an ordinary wave of his hand, with only the method of exerting force changed, it felt as though he had never known how to walk before and had suddenly learned, entering an entirely different realm.

Put simply, his previous martial training had cultivated "form," while what he practiced now cultivated "spirit."

On his third repetition, Ye Jingtang understood the purpose of these movements without even studying them closely. Once the feeling came, he thrust a palm straight at the wall beside him.

Thump-

A muffled sound arose inside the room, barely audible yet immensely heavy, like a thousand-pound iron hammer wrapped in cotton striking the wall: no sound, only force.

The old house trembled slightly, and a few more old tiles fell from the hole in the roof. Nothing else changed.

Ye Jingtang withdrew his hand from the earthen wall. The wall remained completely intact, without even a flake of plaster missing, but when he poked it with a finger, it felt as though he were sinking into soft sand.

Rustle, rustle...

Sand and earth slipped away, revealing a distinct palm print more than two inches deep!

"What an impressive technique..."

Ye Jingtang looked at his palm in astonishment. In all his years, this was the first time he had discovered that his martial skills were so formidable.

If a single move Luo Ning casually taught him could make him this powerful, wouldn't he soar straight into the heavens if he dug up the supreme manual, the Dragon-Mingling Diagram, buried in the imperial harem and made it his own?

At that thought, Ye Jingtang instinctively glanced out the window toward the Imperial City, a gleam of eagerness flashing in his eyes.

Across from him, Luo Ning's red lips parted slightly, her alluring peach-blossom eyes almost round with shock. She stared blankly at Ye Jingtang for a long while before finally recovering enough to ask in disbelief:

"You... why do you know the Cloud-Adhering Fourteen Hands?"

"Hm?"

Ye Jingtang set aside his thoughts and looked at Luo Ning, baffled:

"Didn't you just teach me?"

"You realize I only just taught you? How could you learn it the moment I taught you?"

Ye Jingtang raised his hand and waved it. "Such simple moves-wouldn't someone have to be an idiot not to learn them after being taught?"

Sim... ple...

An idiot...

Luo Ning stared wide-eyed, clearly stunned by his words.

An ordinary person needed three years just to learn the basics of the Cloud-Adhering Fourteen Hands.

Although this young man already had a solid foundation and tremendous internal strength, grasping every intricacy of circulating qi in three attempts and making it his own was simply beyond belief.

And he even declared, with perfect confidence, that anyone who couldn't learn it was an idiot.

By that reasoning, everyone in the world apart from the One Immortal, Two Saints, Eight Chiefs was a fool!

Luo Ning's delicate lips parted. She wanted to challenge Ye Jingtang, but she had just taught him those moves herself and had never passed them on to outsiders before. How could he possibly have learned them beforehand?

Could this young man's talent truly be extraordinary to such an unbelievable degree...?

Ye Jingtang noticed the young married woman's shock and figured he really had learned a little quickly. He lowered his hand and smiled.

"I learned quickly because you taught me well, Heroine Luo. Your explanations were thorough. Hmm... why don't you try again? I don't believe I could learn such advanced moves after seeing them only once."

Luo Ning didn't believe it either and raised her hand to try, but immediately caught herself-this brat wanted to get more out of her for free!

Luo Ning swiftly withdrew her hand, tucked it behind her back, and assumed the aloof bearing of an icy beauty and accomplished master:

"If you want to learn martial arts, you should know the rules. First, take a master and serve them dutifully for three years. Only once your master sees your sincerity and finds your character and understanding satisfactory will they consider teaching you real skills. Do you already have a master?"

Ye Jingtang understood what she meant-she wanted to take him as her disciple. He said nothing, his gaze drifting toward Heroine Luo's generously sized little melons.

"..."

Only then did Luo Ning remember that he had just pinned her down and fondled her. Taking him as a disciple might be rather inappropriate. She gave a light cough.

"I have some connections in the martial world. Apart from those three old immortals on the mountain, I'm acquainted with everyone else. Your talent is good. If you're interested, I can guide you and introduce you to a master. Provided you sincerely follow me and regard me as... as..."

Nothing seemed right...

Ye Jingtang recognized just how grand a claim she was making and asked in surprise:

"You know all the Eight Great Beauties?"

"I do. They all have to show me some courtesy."

Ye Jingtang's eyes were full of doubt. "Then why were you beaten into scurrying away with your hands over your head in Capital City, relying on me to cover for you?"

Sensing Ye Jingtang's disdain, Luo Ning narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Do you think just anyone would dare come to Capital City and make trouble for the Black Bureau? I merely didn't wish to slaughter innocents earlier. Otherwise, I could have killed you and those two young constables without even alerting anyone on the street. If you refuse to follow me, you can learn only that one move. Then we're even, and neither of us owes the other anything."

Ye Jingtang didn't press the matter. He jumped up to patch the leaking roof and asked casually:

"Heroine Luo, are you really married?"

"Hm?" Luo Ning froze, then looked coldly at Ye Jingtang. "What do you mean?"

"Your reactions earlier were so inexperienced. You didn't even know how to be intimate. You didn't seem like a married woman..."

?!

Luo Ning immediately flushed with anger and embarrassment and reached to draw her sword.

Just then, however, faint footsteps sounded outside the courtyard again.

Tap, tap...

Both started, thinking the officers had returned. Their reactions were remarkably synchronized-the breathtaking heroine fell back onto the bed, assuming the position a wife ought to be in, while Ye Jingtang pounced on her and began arranging himself.

Before either could speak, a woman's hushed call came from outside:

"Master's wife?"

!!!

A thunderbolt from a clear sky!

Ye Jingtang had just been about to say something flirtatious. The words nearly choked him to death.

Luo Ning had already prepared to cooperate, but the voice frightened her into a violent shudder. She planted her foot against Ye Jingtang and kicked the overeager man off the bed.

Thud-

A dull impact sounded inside the room.

At almost the same instant, the door was slammed open.

A figure wearing a bamboo hat and straw rain cape charged into the room, which contained little more than four bare walls.

The newcomer wasn't tall, probably reaching only Ye Jingtang's shoulder. A saber with a red tassel hung beneath the rain cape, and the face under the bamboo hat was exquisitely delicate. She was a girl of sixteen.

The girl moved with exceptional agility. The instant she burst inside, she saw the tall, powerfully built Ye Jingtang roll across the floor and rise.

Meanwhile, her master's wife was pale-faced and cowering fearfully against the wall, her eyes filled with panic. Who knew what humiliation she had suffered!

"Villain!"

The sight sent the girl into a fury. She immediately drew the saber at her waist and lunged at Ye Jingtang.

"Die!"

Ye Jingtang was a little dazed. He instinctively drew his saber to block, only to discover that this girl was quite fierce. Her blow sent him staggering, and she immediately attacked again.

Even if Ye Jingtang could fend her off, he couldn't actually fight her. Seeing that Luo Ning was too stunned to intervene, he hurriedly called out:

"Wait, heroine! We're on the same side!"

The girl paused, glancing at her master's wife from the corner of her eye.

Huddled in the corner, Luo Ning was trembling all over. Coming to her senses, she hastily said:

"Yunli, stop. This little scoundrel... no, this young hero is a good man."

Half-convinced, the girl looked coldly at Ye Jingtang.

"Who are you? Why are you here?"

"I..."

Ye Jingtang was about to explain, but immediately realized something was wrong with that question. He spread his hands slightly.

"Miss Yun, this is my home! Why do you think I'm here?"

Zhe Yunli froze. "My surname is Zhe, not Yun! I found this place first and stayed here for half a month. How is it your home? When I came yesterday, you'd taken over my nest like a cuckoo. I haven't even dealt with you for that yet..."

Ye Jingtang took the rental agreement written by the landlady from his sleeve.

"Did you pay? Show me your lease."

"..."

Naturally, Zhe Yunli had none. Knowing she was in the wrong, she changed the subject and examined Ye Jingtang's attire.

"Aren't you a scholar?"

"Who said I was a scholar?"

"Master's wife did... fine."

Zhe Yunli finally realized that they were the intruders trespassing in someone else's home. She sheathed her saber and ran over to the bed.

"Are you all right?"

As she spoke, she removed her bamboo hat, revealing long hair tied up in a man's style.

Her oval face was exquisitely delicate, her willow-leaf brows and red lips carrying a distinctive heroic spirit. In beauty, she was no less lovely than the stunning woman before her, but she had yet to fully mature and lacked that intoxicating allure of mellow wine.

Hearing Zhe Yunli address Luo Ning as her master's wife, and seeing that the two bore no resemblance, Ye Jingtang inexplicably felt a quiet sense of relief.

Clearly feeling guilty, Luo Ning huddled under the quilt and put on a feeble air.

"I'm fine. Don't worry."

"Why does your face keep turning red and then white?"

"It's from expelling the poison earlier. My cultivation is profound, so I'm already fine. My qi is just a little unsettled."

"Oh... why is there a white chicken here?"

Zhe Yunli glanced at Niao Niao, who was watching from the sidelines, then looked at Ye Jingtang.

"Is it yours?"

"Chirp?"

Niao Niao was very displeased.

"Looks like it is. I'll make some chicken soup for Master's wife." As she spoke, the girl reached to catch the chicken.

Before Ye Jingtang could move, Luo Ning hurriedly shielded Niao Niao, who had "spoken up" for her earlier, behind her.

"You can't eat this bird. Hmm... all living things have spirits. I like this bird."

At that, Zhe Yunli spared Niao Niao and went to examine Luo Ning. As she pulled at the quilt, however, she turned back toward Ye Jingtang.

"Do you have any dry provisions? Master's wife didn't eat this afternoon. Things were tense when I came back, and I forgot to bring any."

Ye Jingtang looked at the two uninvited guests, one grown and one young, neither willing to leave. After a brief silence, he called Niao Niao over, turned, and went out...

The sky had gone completely dark.

The doors and windows of the main room were tightly shut, but they couldn't keep the breeze from slipping through the cracks. The straw rain cape covering the hole in the roof occasionally shed a crystalline raindrop with a crisp plink.

An oil lamp stood at the head of the bed, casting two shadows onto the wall.

Luo Ning hugged a pillow and lay facedown on the bed, her teal skirt lowered to the curve of her buttocks. Her waist and back, white as mutton-fat jade, lay exposed in the lamplight, like flawless precious jade that even a fortune could not buy.

Zhe Yunli kneaded and massaged her back with both hands, regulating her blood and qi, while sighing aloud:

"It's all Master's fault. Our Sky-Pacifying Sect has so many experts, but she wouldn't give me even one. If just one of the Four Protectors had come, we wouldn't have been chased around like this..."

Somewhat distracted, Luo Ning said gently, "Your master isn't heartless. Capital City is full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons. There are a hundred thousand imperial guards outside and countless experts hidden within the palace. Even your master couldn't be certain of rescuing anyone if she came herself. How could she send her disciples into danger? We owe Hero Qiu a debt, but sneaking here on our own already means disregarding the greater situation..."

The Sky-Pacifying Sect was one of the foremost powers in the martial world. Its leader, the Sky-Pacifying Sect Master, ranked first among the Eight Great Beauties and was also the most formidable "rebel chief" openly known in Great Wei.

But compared with the rulers of the entire realm, the Sky-Pacifying Sect was still far too weak.

Zhe Yunli knew her master's wife was telling the truth, but remained unhappy.

"Hero Qiu was captured by the authorities while covering my escape. He could be executed at any moment. How could I possibly stand by and do nothing? It's her fault. Never mind refusing to rescue him-she won't even teach me all her real skills, or teach you either..."

"Martial training depends on talent. Your master is a heaven-blessed genius seen only once in a century. Even Fengguancheng said that if he departed this mortal world, your master might inherit the title of Martial Immortal. Even if someone like her taught us her skills, could either of us learn them? I once wanted to learn, and your master taught me the Peacock-Opening Sword, saying it was an ordinary sword technique she'd devised on a whim. Yet I couldn't even grasp the basics after half a month. You have no idea how disdainfully she looked at me. Ah..."

At this point, Luo Ning turned toward the night rain outside the window, looking thoughtful. Perhaps she was remembering Ye Jingtang's expression earlier-that look of disbelief that there could actually be fools who couldn't learn it.

Zhe Yunli secretly giggled. Noticing that her master's wife had gone quiet, she blinked and looked back toward the window.

"Why do you keep looking at the window?"

I'm afraid that little scoundrel will peek...

Luo Ning withdrew her gaze and said softly:

"The room lets drafts in from every side. Naturally, I have to be careful when I take my clothes off."

Zhe Yunli smiled sweetly. "Don't worry. That fellow's skills are mediocre. One slash from me sent him staggering. He wouldn't have the nerve to peek."

Having been fondled for a full quarter of an hour earlier, Luo Ning certainly didn't believe that little scoundrel lacked the nerve to be lecherous. But she dared not mention any of that, so she merely smiled.

"Don't underestimate that little scoundrel. I tested him today, and his talent really is exceptional. He'll probably amount to something great in the future."

Zhe Yunli paused and asked, "Really? How does he compare with me?"

"There's quite a gap."

"Hehe~ Of course. Even Master said that as long as I study diligently and train hard, I can become a Grandmaster before twenty-five..."

"..."

Luo Ning opened her mouth, but couldn't bring herself to discourage the girl who was so dear to her, and said nothing more.

After applying the medicine, Zhe Yunli carefully examined her master's wife from head to toe for other injuries. But as soon as she lifted the quilt and felt around, she suddenly froze.

"Master's wife..."

"Hm?"

With a strange expression, Zhe Yunli touched Luo Ning's leg.

"Why are your trousers damp?"

?!

Luo Ning's face instantly turned scarlet, and she hurriedly pulled the quilt back over herself.

"I worked up a sweat expelling the poison earlier. How could I be dry?"

"I thought you'd wet the bed... ow~"

Before Zhe Yunli could finish laughing, she received a knock on the head...