Demoness, where are you Fleeing to?
Chapter 123 - 120: Shuraba Second Bomb (Seeking Subscriptions Seek Monthly Tickets) _1

Chapter 123: Chapter 120: Shuraba Second Bomb (Seeking Subscriptions Seek Monthly Tickets) _1

Zhang Yue and the others had taken advantage of the break at noon to sneak a visit, so they couldn’t stay long. After the three of them had lunch at Earl Chengyi’s mansion, they hurriedly excused themselves and left.

Meanwhile, Li Xuan continued his obsession with martial arts, immersing himself in training; after eating, he invited Leng Yurou from her mother’s room to spar with him.

Mrs. Liu, fearing that he might face danger and suffer due to his weakness in martial arts, surprisingly didn’t interfere or stop him.

His elder brother, Li Yan, seemingly itching for a fight due to boredom, kept lurking around Li Xuan, occasionally dropping hints (essentially outright requests) - suggesting clearly, ’Come on, invite me, let me spar with you.’

Li Xuan chose to ignore him, as he was adamant that he would not engage in a fight with Li Yan in the coming months, even if it killed him.

Even if Leng Yurou wasn’t available, there were more than a dozen experienced martial masters within the Earl Chengyi’s mansion, each with their unique martial arts techniques and characteristics. He wasn’t a masochist- why would he invite Li Yan just to suffer?

In the evening, Li Chengji, who had returned to the mansion, handed a thin scroll to Li Xuan.

If it weren’t for the four characters ’Shen Kui Lei Yin’ written on the scroll, and Li Chengji’s ecstatic expression, Li Xuan might have mistaken it for an adult-only booklet.

"Shen Kui Lei Yin is a thunder sound technique imitating the divine skills of the ancient mythical beast, Kui Niu, best suited for those cultivating in the Thunder Style. If you succeed in learning this secret technique and combine it with Great Rectitude, even cultivators of the sixth house level won’t be able to withstand your roar," Li Chengji advised earnestly.

"I am giving you three days. Learn it. I have spent a great deal of effort obtaining this secret technique, and it has been promised to be returned in three days."

This demand was not high. It was a secret technique, not a cultivation technique or martial secret. It was merely a method for cultivating and emitting sound; thus, it was relatively easy to practice.

However, what Li Chengji did not foresee was that due to this booklet he gave Li Xuan, the entire Earl’s mansion would soon suffer.

After practicing for a day, Li Xuan felt that he had grasped the basics and proceeded to the ’field testing’ stage.

His method of field testing involved randomly selecting a person, then - like the scholars discussing their cases - confusing them with Great Rectitude before asking about their secrets.

"Hey! Li Dalu, who are you secretly in love with?"

"Hey! Tao, do you like Li Dalu?"

"Hey! Yu, where have you hidden your private savings?"

"Hey! Housekeeper, who is your lover?"

This made Li Xuan, with his successful ’Shen Kui Lei Yin’ technique, the bane of the entire Earl’s mansion within just a day. Everybody avoided him like the plague, utterly sick of him.

Feeling high on his success, Li Xuan also decided to treat Li Yan as an experiment.

"Hey! Li Yan, have you ever knelt on a washboard?"

Li Yan was stunned and almost spit out the truth. When he came back to his senses, he chased after Li Xuan for a solid quarter of an hour. If it wasn’t for Leng Yurou stepping in intentionally to protect him, Li Xuan would have been beaten black and blue.

Li Xuan was also traumatized, hiding in Mrs. Liu’s room for a good half an hour before he finally managed to sneak out with his heart pounding.

※※※※

Time quickly passed as Li Xuan dedicated himself to martial arts training, and practicing his roar.

The day of the grand celebration at the headquarters quickly arrived. Li Xuan, dressed in a brand-new robe, was forcibly held down by his mother Liu for a thorough grooming before being paraded out of Earl Chengyi’s mansion.

Li Xuan looked listless and lacked the slightest enthusiasm.

Upon looking at himself in the mirror, he realized that he had been primped and primed to resemble the heartthrobs of his previous life, which he loathed. He felt that his demeanor was more suited for a macho style.

Furthermore, Li Xuan didn’t have the slightest anticipation for the grand celebration at the headquarters.

He would rather spend that time learning martial arts. By this point, his ’Shen Kui Lei Yin’ had shown signs of mastery; he had also mastered the method of combining this thunder sound technique with Great Rectitude.

This brought him some unexpected gains and an epiphany in the Shi of the sword under Thunder Style.

He was working hard to dig deeper, seeking to elevate his sword technique by another level within these few days.

His spirits were slightly lifted upon arriving at the headquarters and seeing his acquaintances: his fellow confidantes Peng Fulai and Zhang Yue, as well as Jiang Hanyun and Yue Qianqian.

"Why are you guys dressed like this?" Li Xuan eyed his two brothers dismissively, "You’re both rugged men, why pretend to be cultured?"

"Aren’t you the same?" Peng Fulai retorted with a comeback, "Look at you in your moon-white scholarly attire, so grand and imposing. If anyone else saw you, they’d think you’re a pretty-faced scholar."

"Why should I pretend to be anything other than a scholar, which is what I am?"

Li Xuan opened his folding fan with a ’swoosh’ and waved it gently in front of his chest. On it was a line of words written by a scholar from his household: ’Benevolent without cost, diligent without complaint, desirous without greed, mighty without arrogance, powerful without fury’.

Although the scholar had not achieved anything significant in terms of his career, his calligraphy was outstanding – strong and vigorous – adding charm to Li Xuan’s demeanor.

"Believe it or not, I will go and attempt to attain the qualification of a scholar next month?"

Peng Fulai suddenly remembered that Li Xuan had displayed the true righteous aura of Confucianism, making Peng Fulai feel defeated and speechless.

"Naturally it’s for the sake of Miss Xue." Zhang Yue, while glancing around, adjusted the small red flower on his hat. "Rumor has it that Miss Xue will be present today. You might not know this, but ever since she came to Nanjing, she has not ventured out of her house. Today is Miss Xue’s first public appearance, apart from the Duke Xuguo’s garden party."

Peng Fulai also adjusted his appearance. "Currently, everyone in Nanjing is eager to win the beauty’s heart. Even my father urged me to try my best, saying that if I could marry her, I wouldn’t need to strive for another hundred years. He even promised to leave 90% of our family’s fortune to me."

Jiang Hanyun, who overheard this conversation from afar, looked at Li Xuan with complex emotions. She thought to herself that the winner had already emerged and he was right there!

While she was lost in thought, Li Xuan had already walked over and bowed to her, "I pay my respects to you, my superior."

"There’s no need for that." Shaking her hand, Jiang Hanyun pointed at her royal robe, "In informal settings like this, there’s no need for formalities."

Li Xuan had never seen Jiang Hanyun dressed this way before. A sense of awe filled his eyes. In her current attire, Jiang Hanyun appeared even more charming than when she was dressed in her usual silver armor. Especially with her excellent body shape – elegant and captivating as she moved.

Li Xuan thought to himself that his superior looked as attractive as Xue Yunrou. She only lagged behind due to her lack of attention to dressing and ornaments.

Jiang Hanyun, unaware of his admiration, casually walked forward, "Are you feeling better? I was worried for you when I saw you in Chenghuang Temple. But that bastard said that Master Chenghuang healed you, so you must be back to normal."

In her words, the "bastard" naturally referred to Tingtian Ao. She still resented the humiliation she had experienced last time. If it hadn’t been in front of the statue of Master Chenghuang that night, she might have directly attacked Tingtian Ao.

"I’m almost fully recovered. I should be able to return to Zhuque Hall for work in a few days." Li Xuan lifted his head slightly, displaying an uplifting attitude. "I heard that my comrades have been having a hard time these days, while I’ve been idly resting at home. Recently, I’ve made some progress in martial law, and I am longing to test my skills on those demons and monsters."

As the two of them spoke shoulder to shoulder, they failed to notice the unusual atmosphere building up behind them.

At that time, almost everyone was drawn to a graceful and slender girl in a red dress who was approaching like a tender willow in the wind. The front courtyard of the Marquis Zhen Dong’s residence was becoming increasingly quiet.

Zhang Yue caught a glance and was instantly enchanted. "Could this be Xue Yunrou?"

He had long admired Xue Yunrou’s fame, but this was his first time seeing her in person.

"Who else could it be? Such grace, such slender waist, such steps, such beauty, incomparably lush, comparable to the peach blossom."

Peng Fulai put away his fan, feeling ashamed of his appearance and completely dispelling his unrealistic thoughts. "I just wonder who the beauty that causes the sensation in both the capital cities will eventually be drawn to?"

Then he saw Xue Yunrou confidently making her way towards Li Xuan and Jiang Hanyun, fearlessly intruding into their conversation and tugging playfully at a corner of Li Xuan’s garment.

Her beautiful smile radiated like a blooming flower. Purposely or not, she managed to slightly distance Jiang Hanyun from them: "Cousin, Xuan, what are you two discussing?"

Xuan... Xuan –

Li Xuan was immediately petrified, unable to move.

The people who witnessed this scene from the side were also ’shocked,’ creating a sound similar to the rush of waves.

Yue Qianqian, who was dutifully following Jiang Hanyun, had dropped her jaw so far it could fit a duck egg, looking incredulously at Xue Yunrou, who was behaving so intimately with Li Xuan.

Peng Fulai was similarly dumbstruck. Then he felt a sharp pain on his cheek: "Ouch! What are you doing, Zhang Yue?"

Zhang Yue was jerked out of his stupor as he retracted his hand: "I was doubting whether I was dreaming. Now, I am sure that my youth has not even begun, and it can’t be regained."

Li Xuan didn’t spare a thought for the commotion around him. Seeing the indifferent look in Jiang Hanyun’s eyes, he couldn’t help feeling a bit worried. He tried hard to pull his garment from Xue Yunrou’s grip, but to no avail.

Despite her delicate hands, Xue Yunrou held his garment with strength comparable to that of steel, unshakeable and immovable.

Only then did Li Xuan remember that Xue Yunrou was a cultivator at the sixth level, far surpassing him.

Wait! When they were in the Nether Realm, she didn’t have this much strength. Did she progress so much in just a few days?

Xue Yunrou sensed Li Xuan’s struggle and her eyes hardened slightly. She realized that she shouldn’t let her guard down. If Li Xuan didn’t harbor any thoughts about Jiang Hanyun, why would he care about her cousin’s gaze?

So her smile became even more radiant, but she firmly held onto his clothes. However, her voice revealed a hint of grievance: "Stop pulling. If you tear the sleeve, it will look ugly."