The lotus seeds were nearly ripe

Is Li Miaozhen back? Or is it the innkeeper knocking on the door?

The princess hurriedly wiped away her tears, cleared her throat, and tried to keep her voice calm. "Who is it?"

A familiar, deep voice came from outside the door, lowered to a whisper, "It's me, open the door."

The princess suddenly stood up, her ordinary face brimming with uncontrollable surprise and excitement. Her beautiful eyes brightened, but she quickly sat back down, turned her back, and said:

"Who are you? I don't know you. Why should I open the door for you?"

"I'm the wild man by your Daming Lake." Xu Qi'an knocked on the door.

The princess spat, her eyebrows furrowing, and scolded, "I don't know you. Don't bother me again. Otherwise, I'll call the shopkeeper to kick you out."

She immediately recalled the play she had watched that morning. The scholar hadn't won the young lady's heart from the start. There was a scene where the rich girl said, "If you truly love me, wait outside the courtyard until midnight. When I open the window and see you, I will believe you."

The scholar waited until midnight, and the rich girl came to believe that he was sincere towards her.

The princess tentatively said, "If you are sincere, stand at the door until midnight, and I will believe you."

After saying that, she looked forward to Xu Qi'an's reaction.

Of course, the princess denied having any romantic entanglement with him. She said that he had promised to take care of her, and that although he was a lecherous man, he was also a true hero.

So I believed him.

Her relationship with Xu Qi'an was completely innocent; they weren't like a couple who secretly pledged their lives to each other in a drama.

In the past few days, she has repeatedly emphasized that their relationship is one of unwavering commitment, like that of heroes in the martial arts world, and is absolutely not a private affair between a man and a woman.

Only in this way could she convince herself to be with Xu Qi'an and accept his gifts. After all, she was a woman who had been married before, and her husband in name only had just died. How could she elope with another man?

"Neuropathy!"

The person outside the door cursed without hesitation, saying irritably, "Are you going to open the door or not?"

The princess said defiantly, "I won't open it."

He said, "Since you like staying at the inn, then stay. I'll come over regularly to pay your room bill. I won't bother you any longer, goodbye."

The princess's shoulders twitched, and she instinctively wanted to turn around, but she held back.

She remained silent for a moment, and when she realized there was no sound outside the door, she finally couldn't help but turn around to look, only to find the door empty.

The princess felt a chill in her heart, and an indescribable fear suddenly welled up inside her. She got up and walked quickly to the door, opened it, and looked around. The corridor was empty.

The princess was in a great hurry. She ran through the long corridor, lifted her skirt, went down the stairs, and chased after him out of the inn.

Then, she saw a man with gentle features and an unremarkable appearance standing on the street outside the inn.

He smiled at me as I chased after him and said, "Let's go!"

For some reason, upon seeing him, the princess shed all her reserve, let go of all her grievances and anger, and chose to go with him.

Xu Qi'an bought a house in a location not far from, but not close to, the Xu Residence. It was a small courtyard house, facing south, with two wing rooms on the east and west sides.

"This house is a property I purchased under a false name. No one will find out. No one recognizes me now, so you can live here without worry."

Xu Qi'an took out his key, opened the courtyard gate, and said, "From now on, you'll live here alone. Due to your sensitive status, we can't hire maids or old women for you."

"So you'll have to learn to do many things yourself, like washing clothes, cooking, and sweeping the yard. Of course, I'll leave you some money; if you find these chores too tiring, you can hire someone to do them. But try to do them yourself as much as possible."

"The inner city is very safe. Needless to say, it's safe during the day, and at night there are Nightwatchers and Imperial Saber Guard patrolling. You can stay here with peace of mind."

The princess took the key he offered, held it in her small hand, and did not respond.

Xu Qi'an looked at her, hesitated for a moment, and said, "How about I come and stay here every two days?"

The princess was startled, clutched her chest, and stumbled back a few steps.

"I didn't mean I wanted to sleep with you," Xu Qi'an's lips twitched slightly as he explained, "I can stay in the east wing or the west wing."

Upon hearing this, the princess fell silent.

She neither agreed nor refused. "You bought this house. If you insist on living with me, there's nothing I, a weak woman, can do."

The princess entered the house and looked around. She found that pots, pans, bedding, furniture, and everything else were all there and new.

There were even a few clothes in the closet that were neither new nor old.

"Whose clothes are these?" she asked, her voice tinged with a hint of coquettishness as she was in a good mood.

"It belongs to my aunt. I figured you two are about the same size, so it should fit you," Xu Qi'an's voice came from outside.

"You're making me wear someone else's old clothes?" the princess asked incredulously.

Xu Qi'an walked over, leaned against the door, crossed his arms, and teased, "There are some fine silks in the cabinet under the bed; you can make yourself a few clothes."

The princess was speechless, her eyebrows drooping. "I can't."

You still have a lot to learn. A canary that wants to fly free again must learn to be independent. Xu Qi'an hardened his heart, ignoring her disappointed mood, and waved his hand:

Go fetch a bucket of water from the well; let me see how strong you are.

The princess followed him out of the house with great interest, went to the well, and tried to draw water, but quickly shook her head. "It's too heavy, I can't lift it."

Xu Qi'an replaced it with a small wooden bucket for her. A bucket of water was equivalent to half a washbasin, and Xu Lingyin could lift it with that weight.

As expected, the princess did indeed lift it up.

"Ah, the bucket fell into the well." The princess's hand slipped, and the bucket and rope fell into the well. She glanced at Xu Qi'an innocently.

Why do you look at me like a victim?

How was I supposed to know it would fall into the well?

This shows that you are not aware of the mistake you made, or that you are trying to use innocent eyes to whine and gain my forgiveness and tolerance.

"I... I wasn't being coquettish!" the princess denied, stamping her foot. "Then what are we going to do?"

"At this moment, you need a man." Xu Qi'an opened his palm, circulated his energy, and sucked the wooden barrel up.

"I need a man." The princess retorted angrily, "I am a widow now, I have no man."

This topic wasn't suitable for further discussion, at least not for them, so Xu Qi'an changed the subject, saying, "You can read the books in the study in your spare time to pass the time."

Before the princess could refuse, Xu Qi'an added, "Don't worry, they're just light reading material."

The princess nodded slightly. "Then I'm interested."

There was no rush to read, so she brought a large wooden basin from the house, drew water from the well herself, and then took out Aunt Xu Ningyan's clothes and threw them all into the basin.

Clumsy starching of clothes.

Xu Qi'an sat on the edge of the well, a blade of grass between his teeth, watching the former Princess of Zhenbei, the most beautiful woman in Great Feng, sitting on a small stool, diligently washing clothes.

She rolled up her sleeves, revealing two sections of her fair and delicate arms. Her Bodhi seed bracelet concealed her stunningly beautiful face, but the charm she exuded unintentionally was always captivating.

Her beauty is by no means limited to her appearance.

"When do you plan to leave the capital?" Mu Nanzhi asked casually.

"How did you know I was leaving the capital?" Xu Qi'an asked in return.

"Although I haven't spent much time with him, I know a bit about his character. He's arrogant and conceited, and he'll never tolerate you. The reason he hasn't retaliated yet is simply because the time isn't right. If you think he'll let it go, you'll suffer a terrible fate."

Mu Nanzhi flicked her hair and snorted twice, "And he's lecherous too. When I first entered the palace, he was stunned when he saw me. That's when I knew that even the emperor was no different from an ordinary mortal."

"Your beauty is too stunning, Your Highness. Not only does the Emperor want to possess your beauty, but the Rain God also wants to possess your beauty, "Xu Qi'an retorted.

"When you leave the capital, can you take me with you?" she asked tentatively.

"No, I won't bring it," Xu Qi'an said irritably.

Mu Nanzhi said "Oh," and continued washing clothes with her head down. Xu Qi'an looked up, staring blankly at the blue sky, and then got splashed in the face with dirty water mixed with foam.

The instigator burst into laughter.

Xu Qi'an glared at her fiercely, but she wasn't afraid. She put her hands on her hips and defiantly raised her chin.

Before they knew it, dusk had fallen. Xu Qi'an and the princess worked together to prepare a meal, which was barely edible.

After dinner, he tentatively asked, "It's curfew, so I... um, I won't leave tonight?"

The princess did not answer and instead began clearing away the dishes.

"Hello?" Xu Qi'an called out.

"Stay or leave, it's up to you. Why are you asking me? I'm just a weak woman, do you think I can drive you away?" she replied fiercely.

It fully demonstrates a helpless attitude.

Jianzhou is a mountain villa nestled against the mountains and beside the water, with pavilions, waterside terraces, and flowing streams.

The pavilion is exquisitely constructed, adorned with artificial hills, gardens, and green trees, creating a beautiful scene.

Inside the villa's courtyard, there is a pool of water emitting cold air, and in the pool grows a nine-colored flower bud, in shades of red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple, gold, and white.

In the darkness of night, Master Jinlian strolled to the edge of the pond. His Daoist robe was faded from washing, and his gray hair was disheveled. His gaze was gentle and bright as he silently stared at the flower buds in the pond.

This mountain villa belonged to a wealthy merchant in Jianzhou. Many years ago, the merchant fell into misfortune and was chased by bandits, but was rescued by a Daoist priest from the Dizong sect.

To express his gratitude, he presented the manor to the Daoist priest.

Later, this mountain villa became a secret stronghold of the Earth Sect's benevolent faction and also the headquarters of the Heaven and Earth Society.

There are thirty-six Daoist priests in the manor. Besides Jinlian, there is also a Daoist priest named Bailian, who is a fourth-rank expert.

The other disciples had varying levels of cultivation.

Master Jinlian led her disciples to this place after their escape. They had been secretly developing their skills, changing out of their Daoist robes and picking up hoes. On the surface, they were servants in the manor, but in reality, they were Daoist priests who endured humiliation and hardship.

Master Jinlian had carefully considered choosing this location as her base. Jianzhou is the sacred land of Great Feng Martial Dao in Dafeng, and it is also the only continent with a "Martial Arts Alliance Leader".

The other twelve continents have numerous gangs, but they are like a heap of loose sand. However, the entire martial arts world of Jianzhou is a unified whole.

The martial arts alliance rules the Jianghu of Jianzhou.

This is an organization that even local officials treat with utmost respect, and even the imperial court must acknowledge its status. Of course, the Martial Arts Alliance is not an Evil Dao organization that defies the law by force.

On the contrary, the existence of the Martial Alliance greatly improved the order of the martial arts world in Jianzhou, truly making martial arts affairs remain within the martial arts world.

Master Jinlian chose this location as her base because the area has a well-established order and a sufficiently powerful martial arts organization to effectively curb the infiltration of the Earth Sect and the Demonic Path.

Suddenly, the pool water boiled, bubbles bubbled, and a chill rose like smoke.

The nine-colored flower bud suddenly came to life, with red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple, gold, and white lighting up in turn, the glow rising and falling like breathing.

After the rosy light rose and fell dozens of times, the flower bud trembled and shot up a beam of light hundreds of feet high, illuminating the night. Dozens of miles away, anyone who looked up could see this magnificent rosy light.

"Every time the Nine-Colored Golden Lotus is nearing maturity, it emits a radiant glow that cannot be concealed."

At this moment, a graceful woman dressed in a plain long dress, dressed as a young married woman, came gracefully and stood side by side with Daoist Jinlian, gazing at the slowly dissipating glow in the night sky.

"Black Lotus must have noticed; it can't be hidden from her. Sect Master, have you found a suitable helper?" the young woman asked worriedly.

Master Jinlian smiled and countered, "Who do you think would be a suitable helper?"

The young woman, whose Daoist name was White Lotus, said softly, "Naturally, it is Luo Yuheng, the leader of the Human Sect."

Jinlian shook her head. "She fears the Black Lotus's karmic fire and won't be his enemy. The Nine-Colored Golden Lotus isn't enough to make her risk her life, and I can't offer her a reward that will tempt her at the moment."

"Unless I send Xu Qi'an to her bed," Jinlian Daoist thought to herself. However, Luo Yuheng was very particular about choosing a dao companion and couldn't make up her mind yet, probably still observing Xu Qi'an.

The young woman, Bai Lian, thought for a moment. Seeing that the sect leader's expression was calm and he seemed quite confident, she raised her eyebrows:

"Do you perhaps intend to mobilize members of the Heaven and Earth Society? But didn't you say that you wouldn't expose their identities until they've grown up and you're confident enough to eliminate the Black Lotus?"

"Their growth has exceeded my expectations," Master Jinlian explained.

"Who are they?" Bai Lian blinked her bright eyes, a hint of curiosity in them.

"You'll know when they arrive in Jianzhou," Master Jinlian said, keeping them in suspense.

In a remote, sacred mountain, there stands an ancient Daoist temple.

In the quiet room, an oil lamp sat on the table, and shadowy figures sat cross-legged on futons around the candlelight, their faces half-stained orange and half-hidden in shadow.

The candlelight cast their shadows on the wall, which distorted as the flames flickered, resembling menacing ghosts.

The nine-colored lotus seeds are almost ripe.

A deep voice came from the void and echoed in the quiet room.

The shadowy figures by the candlelight whispered among themselves, "Kill Jinlian and the others, and reclaim the Nine-Colored Lotus Seeds."

"Catch Bai Lian back and take turns absorbing her essence."

"I've been lusting after Bai Lian's body for many years."

"It's been so long since I've gone on a killing spree; I can't wait to drink human blood."

"The Martial Arts Alliance in Jianzhou is a nuisance, but that's what makes it interesting, hehehe."

The words spoken were disturbing and the tone was sinister, as if demons were having a gathering.

A deep voice echoed from the void once more, "It could also be a trap. That mysterious expert from Chuzhou is Jinlian's companion, waiting for me to walk right into his trap."

The whispers vanished instantly, and the shadowy figures gathered around the candlelight seemed to have become wary, their arrogance subsiding.

The deep voice continued, "Spread the word. The Nine Provinces Martial Arts Alliance will be interested. The Nine-Colored Golden Lotus won't mature for another half month; martial arts masters from other provinces will likely also be interested."

At this point, the deep voice chuckled eerily, "This includes the emperor of the Great Feng Dynasty."

In the east wing, after blowing out the candles, Xu Qi'an lay on the bed, preparing to fall asleep.

Suddenly, a familiar feeling of palpitation returned; someone was sending a message through the fragments.

He immediately sat up, relit the candle, sat at the table, took out the fragment of the Earth Book, and examined the contents of the message:

[Nine: Everyone, in another half month, the nine-colored lotus seeds will be ripe. Are you ready?]

P. S.: This chapter was written slowly.