The Husband Was Once The Long Aotian

Xie Gutang was stunned hearing this, but Jian Xingzhi had already turned around and left.

Qin Wanwan saw the two coming out one after the other and quickly stepped forward, her expression excited: “Master, you’re so amazing! First place!”

“Haven’t I said I’ll win the first place?”

Jian Xingzhi tugged at his jacket, suppressing his small sense of pride: “Let’s head back.”

After speaking, Jian Xingzhi walked ahead. Qin Wanwan turned back and noticed Xie Gutang frowning and following behind, looking somewhat puzzled: “What’s wrong, Daoist Monarch Xie? You don’t look very happy.”

“Not really,” Xie Gutang shook his head, “I’m just a little confused.”

“What are you confused about?”

“Just now, the Senior told me,” Xie Gutang said seriously, “Fellow Daoist Qin’s real name is Gu Beicheng, and now I’m not quite sure how to address Miss.”

Jian Xingzhi, who was walking ahead, overheard their conversation, suddenly felt a bit guilty. For some reason, he had the illusion that he had secretly bullied his classmate and was found out by the teacher.

He glanced back at the two of them, and saw Qin Wanwan smiling as she shook her head and said, “Daoist Monarch Xie, no need to worry. Gu Beicheng is the name that belongs only to Master. You can just call me Qin Wan.”

Hearing this, Jian Xingzhi felt relieved.

His disciple truly knew how to distinguish between relatives and strangers. She only gave Xie Gutang a fake name, but Gu Beicheng was indeed a name that belonged solely to him!

He immediately set aside his anger towards Xie Gutang, placing his hands behind his back and strolling leisurely ahead.

The three of them returned to the small courtyard together. Not long after entering the courtyard, they saw the servants walking in while carrying a wedding robe, hair crown and boots. Qin Wanwan looked curiously and asked, “What is this?”

“Tonight, please have Young Master Jian change into the wedding attire. After that, at the hour of the Yu, the City Lord will send someone to escort the bride.”

[T/N: The hour of Yu (酉) corresponds to the time between 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM in the traditional Chinese timekeeping system.]

The servant respectfully finished speaking, they placed the wedding attire on the table, and bowed as they withdrew. Qin Wanwan raised her hand to touch the wedding robe, somewhat curious: “What is this for? You need to get married before sleeping with him?”

As she spoke, Qin Wanwan couldn’t help but lament, “How delightful.”

Jian Xingzhi said nothing, but he reached out to tug at the wedding robe on the table, revealing a look of disdain.

Qin Wanwan glanced outside the door and noticed that Nan Feng hadn’t returned yet. She sensed Nan Feng’s location in her consciousness and realized that Nan Feng seemed to be still in the mansion. After calming herself, she became a little worried: “Why hasn’t Nan Feng come back yet?”

“What did you tell him to do?” Jian Xingzhi raised his eyes before frowning.

Qin Wanwan replied honestly, “I asked him to find out which young masters attended the City Lord the previous time, but he hasn’t come back since he left.”

“Does it take so long to find out these insignificant things?”

Xie Gutang frowned, and Qin Wanwan, feeling uneasy, said, “I’ll go look for him.”

“Wait,” Seeing Qin Wanwan leaving, Jian Xingzhi immediately recalled the task. He cleared his throat and nodded at Xie Gutang as he said, “You go too.”

“Me?”

Xie Gutang was taken aback for a moment. Jian Xingzhi nodded and said earnestly, “Her cultivation level is so low. If you don’t protect her, what will happen to her if something goes wrong?”

“Then why don’t all of us go together…”

Xie Gutang hesitated and looked at Qin Wanwan. Jian Xingzhi waved his hand, “I still need to bathe and change clothes. You two go ahead.”

“Master,” Qin Wanwan saw that Jian Xingzhi was so concerned about the wedding in the evening, and she asked with a hint of suspicion in her voice, “You are not really planning to serve the City Lord in bed, are you?”

“Get out of here!”

Jian Xingzhi reached out and grabbed a banana from the table before throwing it at her. Qin Wanwan caught it with one hand, stuck out her tongue playfully, and turned to Xie Gutang, saying, “Daoist Monarch Xie, let’s go.”

Seeing that Qin Wanwan didn’t mind, Xie Gutang stood up and left with her.

Qin Wanwan sensed Nan Feng’s location, and squeezed the banana. The seal on the banana began to glow. She then heard Jian Xingzhi’s voice by her ear: “Beicheng, Master is giving you support. Make sure to seize the opportunity.”

Qin Wanwan was perplexed: “What did you say?”

Xie Gutang looked over: “Miss Qin?”

Qin Wanwan smiled awkwardly: “Nothing.”

As she spoke, she glanced at the banana in her hand and understood Jian Xingzhi’s intention upon seeing the seal. She and Xie Gutang headed toward Nan Feng’s location while listening to Jian Xingzhi’s instructions: “Spend half an hour alone with Xie Gutang, enjoy the flowers and birds, and be ready to help Nan Feng if anything happens.”

Jian Xingzhi said this lightly but added a warning: “But remember, Master is always the most important!”

Qin Wanwan immediately understood what Jian Xingzhi intended. This was likely Jian Xingzhi’s task, requiring her to spend half an hour alone with Xie Gutang.

She rolled her eyes and stuffed the banana into her sleeve.

Nan Feng’s last location was in the garden. Qin Wanwan and Xie Gutang walked along the way. Xie Gutang remained quiet. If Qin Wanwan didn’t speak, he wouldn’t speak either. Noticing the awkward atmosphere, Qin Wanwan coughed lightly: “Daoist Monarch Xie doesn’t seem to like to talk much?”

“Not really.”

Xie Gutang smiled and said, “It’s just that my words weren’t well-received, so I stopped talking much.”

“There are people who dislike Daoist Monarch Xie?”

Qin Wanwan was surprised. Xie Gutang thought for a moment and replied: “When I was younger, I was too respectful towards my elders and too strict with my junior brothers and sisters. Always preaching lofty ideals and principles, which people didn’t like. At that time, I was sensitive and noticed their discomfort and stopped saying things, realizing that others didn’t like it. Now I’ve come to understand and have gotten used to it.”

“Even Daoist Monarch Xie has moments like that.” Qin Wanwan heard this, suddenly feeling closer to Xie Gutang. For a moment, she recalled the sensitive and indifferent look of her older brother and couldn’t help but feel a twinge of nostalgia. “I felt the same way when I was younger, thinking others didn’t like me. I was also afraid of saying the wrong thing, so I just kept quiet. Thankfully, I later met many kind people who accepted me unconditionally and praised me,” she continued, her thoughts drifting to her parents, which brought her mood down a bit. “Now I realize it doesn’t matter much what I say; most people won’t dwell on your words. They don’t have the time to like or dislike you too much, so you shouldn’t take others to heart either.”

“Miss Qin is generous,” Xie Gutang shook his head, “It’s impossible for someone to dislike you.”

As the two continued their conversation, they arrived at a rockery in the garden. Qin Wanwan sensed for a moment, confirming that Nan Feng was right there. An uneasy feeling began to surface in her heart.

Xie Gutang saw her worried expression and turned to ask, “What’s wrong?”

“Nan Feng is here, but…” Qin Wanwan looked up at the rockery, “What is he doing here?”

Xie Gutang’s expression remained calm as he walked directly toward the rockery, saying, “Let’s go in and take a look.”

The two entered the rockery together. Inside, the paths were narrow. Qin Wanwan followed closely behind Xie Gutang, who held his sword out to probe ahead. He advised her, “If you feel scared, you can hold onto my sleeve.”

“Yes.”

In fact, she was not that scared, but when Qin Wanwan heard what he said, she felt a sense of secret delight at being looked after. She raised her hand and grabbed the corner of Xie Gutang’s sleeve and followed him as they moved forward.

Jian Xingzhi was scrubbing himself in the bathtub when he overheard the two talking. He rolled his eyes, feeling a bit guilty.

Using the seal on the banana, he sensed the surrounding of the two people and vaguely felt that something was wrong.

He closed his eyes and used his Divine Sense through the spell to carefully observe the flow of spiritual energy within the rockery. It seemed that there was hardly any spiritual energy here…

No.

Jian Xingzhi suddenly realized that it wasn’t just a lack of spiritual energy—there was actually no spiritual energy at all!

He quickly expanded the range of his Divine Sense, looking down from above. To his shock, he discovered that the entire rockery was like a hollow space. Around it, spiritual energy flowed freely, and the closer one got to the rockery, the denser the energy became. Yet within the rockery itself, the spiritual energy seemed to have vanished completely.

Jian Xingzhi immediately exclaimed: “Beicheng, retreat!”

However, in that instant, the magic formation beneath Xie Gutang’s feet glowed brightly, and he suddenly fell into the array. Qin Wanwan, still holding onto his sleeve, immediately fell in after him!

Jian Xingzhi noticed it and shouted: “Hold on to the banana!”

As he said that, he got up from the bathtub without hesitation, grabbed the wedding robe and put it on. Then grabbing his sword, he rushed out.

Qin Wanwan and Xie Gutang fell together. While falling, Xie Gutang raised his hand and hugged the screaming Qin Wanwan, steadying her as they landed. He anxiously asked, “Are you okay?”

Just as he finished speaking, Nan Feng’s voice sounded nearby: “Master! Daoist Monarch Xie!”

Qin Wanwan turned her head to see Nan Feng running swiftly toward her from a distance. It was then that she noticed they were in a massive cavern, the ceiling shrouded in darkness, surrounded by piles of white bones.

The piles of bones towered like mountains. Nan Feng climbed over one small hill after another and collapsed at Qin Wanwan’s feet. Grabbing her skirt, he cried, “Master, you came to save me! Nan Feng is so scared!”

“What happened?”

Having spent a long time with Nan Feng, Xie Gutang reached out to help him up. Qin Wanwan furrowed her brows and asked, “Weren’t you supposed to be gathering information? How did you end up here?”

“I was indeed gathering information,” Nan Feng explained earnestly. “I went to the back courtyard and noticed that usually there were many people, but today everyone was absent. So, I looked for the familiar young master’s room. I sensed someone inside, and after searching for a while, I found that young master in the room.”

Using her Divine Sense, Qin Wanwan could see bloodlines connecting upward, but she couldn’t tell what they were linked to.

A man similar to Lin Yanzhi every month, the person who transfused blood in the coffin in her dream, and the magic formation that extracted immense energy.

Qin Wanwan closed her eyes and filtered all the information one by one.

“At that time, City Lord Hua Rong was just a child rescued and raised by the Divine Lord Mingjing for a hundred years. He was merely at the Nascent Soul stage. After that battle, he immediately entered the Tribulation period and became the Lord of Guicheng.”

“What is City Lord Hua Rong’s spiritual beast?”

“Riddle Hide.”

While Qin Wanwan was pondering on the information, Jian Xingzhi also arrived at the rockery. After entering the rockery, he raised his sword and swung it directly. The blade struck the walls of the rockery and bounced back without causing any disturbance to the structure.

He observed for a moment, raised his hand and made a formation on the ground before inserting his sword into the formation. In an instant, a bright light erupted. Jian Xingzhi swung his sword once again and the entire outer shell of the rockery shattered, revealing the appearance of a temple.

Spiritual energy rushed wildly into the temple. Jian Xingzhi looked around and could clearly see the energy converging toward a specific spot.

The spiritual energy was exceptionally overwhelming and extraordinary, and he could vaguely see black mist swirling around, making it clear that this was far from a naturally blessed land.

With the sword in hand, Jian Xingzhi walked over to where the spiritual energy was converging and looked down. He saw a surge of blood-red energy, with countless bloodlines converging at that spot, densely packed like intertwining threads.

Jian Xingzhi looked down and suddenly heard the sound of the Three Pure Deities bells ringing behind him. accompanied by the loud and mournful notes of a suona from not far away. He raised his sword and turned to see a coffin being carried toward him, swaying lightly. The maids were wearing pink long skirts, scattering paper money, holding green underworld lanterns, and slowly approached the entrance of the rockery.

[T/N: Three Pure Deities bells or Sanqing bells are traditional Chinese bells associated with Taoist rituals, often used in ceremonies to invoke deities or mark significant moments. The Three Pure Deities refers to the three main deities in Taoism: the Jade Pure One, the Supreme Pure One, and the Grand Pure One.]

The maids had no faces, except for Cuilu at the front, who had her usual calm expression.

Cuilu bowed respectfully and said: “Daoist Monarch Jian, please enter the coffin.”

Jian Xingzhi remained silent. He looked up and saw that the entire sky of the city was surrounded by a surging aura of blood.

He let out a sneer and plunged his sword into the formation beneath his feet.

When Jian Xingzhi found the rockery, Qin Wanwan was still contemplating all the clues with her eyes closed. The resemblance between Jian Xingzhi and Lin Yanzhi kept appearing in her mind. Suddenly, she realized something, and abruptly opened her eyes, turning to Nan Feng she asked: “Did you see a young master named Song Shi in the back courtyard today?”

Nan Feng was puzzled.

“Song Shi?” He showed a bewildered expression, “Didn’t he die a long time ago?”

Qin Wanwan reacted instantly.

When a person goes to such lengths to obtain so much power, to set up a spiritual energy gathering array, to summon the fragments of the White Dragon Jade, and to find a perfect body, the purpose is often related to—

He may be trying to resurrect someone.

He had searched for so long, trying a new body each month without success. Now, seeing Jian Xingzhi, someone as similar to Lin Yanzhi, it became clear that within the temple, the true intention of that Song Shi might be to ensure Jian Xingzhi would seek Cuilu out to voluntarily participate in the Flower Gathering Banquet.

With so many people present, even if the crafting was chaotic, it should at least be passing. Even if Shen Zhiming and his group were truly illiterate in arithmetic, Xie Gutang shouldn’t be scoring negative points. Jian Xingzhi, with even just one point, could still take first place—it’s simply ridiculous.

To say there was no favoritism is absurd; from the very beginning, Hua Rong wanted no one but Jian Xingzhi!

Just as she realized this, the entire ground suddenly shook violently. Xie Gutang quickly supported Qin Wanwan, feeling as if a formation had abruptly descended from the sky and spread across the ground.

Jian Xingzhi’s voice came from above: “Xie Gutang, take her away immediately. Wait for me outside Guicheng. If I don’t return in one day, you must leave immediately.”

“Jian Xingzhi, Hua Rong is setting a trap for you!”

Qin Wanwan immediately spoke up, “Don’t be impulsive. We’ll leave together.”

Jian Xingzhi did not respond at first. After a moment, he said calmly: “Master couldn’t provide for you properly, but you are still so filial. Don’t worry, I will retrieve the White Dragon Jade for you.” As he spoke, he drew his sword and turned to Cuilu while adding, “And along the way, I’ll take care of all of them.”

Jian Xingzhi’s voice fell, leaving Qin Wanwan in a daze, unable to say anything.

Xie Gutang glanced at the array on the ground and quickly informed Qin Wanwan, “Miss Qin, this formation set up by the senior can combine with my Sword Intent. It might be able to open a passage here.”

Qin Wanwan remained silent as she lifted her gaze towards the direction where the spiritual energy was converging.

At that moment, Jian Xingzhi’s arrogant look in the past few days flashed through her mind one by one, culminating in his last words: “If I’m not back in a day, you all leave immediately.”

Is he unaware of the danger?

He was fully aware, but he still chose to leave her in a safe place and go alone.

Although he claimed he was going to fetch the White Dragon Jade for her, his true intention was to draw the attention of the high-ranking figures like Cuilu, making it easier for them to escape.

Perhaps he couldn’t be considered a good person; he was domineering and ruthless, using his sword to intimidate others, causing her to fall into this predicament, and even beating her.

However, it was also undeniable that he was a good master.

“I won’t leave.”

Qin Wanwan took a deep breath as she sat down cross-legged on the ground, she lifted her hand to cut open the center of her palm and lay down the Spiritual Energy Gathering spell formation of Jishan Mountain on the ground. It wasn’t the first time she had waited for him anyway, she didn’t owe anyone, and this time was no different.

Xie Gutang was surprised: “Miss Qin?”

“Take this banana.”

Qin Wanwan raised her hand and handed the communication array infused banana to Xie Gutang. He was momentarily stunned as she calmly instructed him, “You can use this banana to sense my Master’s location. First, take Nan Feng outside, then find the people who participated in today’s Flower Gathering Banquet. Tell them that Jian Xingzhi was captured by Hua Rong to summon the White Dragon Jade. You need their assistance to rescue Jian Xingzhi.”

These individuals were all after the White Dragon Jade, each possessing exceptional skills. Even if they couldn’t rescue Jian Xingzhi, they would be able to hold Hua Rong off.

“What about you?” Xie Gutang asked as he looked at the formation beneath her. Although he had never seen an array like this before, he could vaguely sense this array was the kind that transcended this small world.

“I will stay here,” Qin Wanwan said as she coldly gazed towards the direction of the flowing spiritual energy, “to form my Nascent Soul.”

 

[Small Theater – 1]

Qin Wanwan: “Didn’t I say it before, how could anyone come in first without giving any leeway?”

[Small Theater – 2]

Qin Wanwan: “Gu Beicheng is the name exclusive for my master.”

Jian Xingzhi: “I know I am special in the heart of my disciple.”

Qin Wanwan: “Indeed, you are quite special. After all these years, you’re the only man who can make me angry.”

[Small Theater – 3]

Qin Wanwan: “Daoist Monarch Xie, take this banana and contact my Master.”

Xie Gutang: “Is your Master a monkey?”