Chapter 5: The Qin Yan Sect (Part 1)

The younger sister-in-law let out a cold snort and ignored him. Over the past month, she had discovered that the best way to deal with Tang Xuan was to remain silent! Or simply kick him or stab him; it was more effective than anything else! If you engage with him, he would take advantage of the situation, say a few words, and soon start to get handsy. Fortunately, she possessed martial skills; otherwise, someone else would have been humiliated by him dozens of times already.

As the two approached the summit, Tang Xuan saw a large expanse of houses, with green bricks and red tiles, green walls and copper doors, exuding a solemn grandeur. However, it was strangely quiet. Tang Xuan quietly asked, "Little sister, does your sect usually have such a gloomy atmosphere?" His sister-in-law shot him a glare and angrily replied, "What do you mean by gloomy? Why do you speak so unpleasantly?" After saying this, one person quickly moved ahead, leaving Tang Xuan to follow slowly.

A group of people walked around the corner of the imperial city, and the younger sister-in-law quickly darted out with Tang Xuan, who was, of course, gently kicked down by her. The two had already changed into commoners' clothing in the carriage, and Tang Xuan and the younger sister-in-law found a nearby market, hired a carriage again, and headed south.

The consort smiled faintly and said, "Your Majesty, please think of a way to allow me to return to my sect without being reprimanded by my master". Tang Xuan lowered his voice and said, "This is quite simple. I will send the Imperial Guard to capture everyone in your sect, and then you can risk your life to save them all. In this way, not only will you avoid reprimand, but you will also be praised by your sect"

The consort smiled gently and said, "Your Majesty, you are joking again! Please help her! Your Majesty?" The consort tenderly leaned against Tang Xuan's face, her breath fragrant like orchids, her smile radiant. Tang Xuan could hardly maintain his composure; he felt as if he were floating like an immortal, his blood surging in his head, nearly causing both nosebleed and drool to flow simultaneously.

Tang Xuan, under the guidance of the old eunuch, hummed a little tune of "Eighteen Touches" as he made his way to the Yu Ling Palace. The beautiful concubines came out in a group to kneel and welcome him inside. After he finished bathing and the servants had all left, Tang Xuan finally saw his sister-in-law, who was leaning against a pillar, sulking with her delicate pink lips pouted high.

Ah! Tang Xuan suddenly felt a surge of power throughout his body and thought to himself, could it be that after returning, I should procure some potent medicine and materials to set up a formation right here? In fact, Tang Xuan had already made plans in his heart: "If the elders of my little aunt's sect do not allow her to assassinate me, it proves that they want me to live, and thus they will not harm me. This trip will at most be a close call; my little aunt is quite skilled, being able to infiltrate the palace alone, and her elders must be even more formidable. Perhaps I might even invite a few experts to assist me on this occasion."

The consort spoke softly: "Your Majesty, my younger sister's attempt on your life last time was actually a secret escape. The elders in our sect are unaware, so... she dared not return, fearing reprimand from her master"

Don't move! As the sister-in-law approached the entrance of a house, a sword suddenly slashed in, resting against her neck! Tang Xuan was startled and hurriedly stepped back, but felt a sharp pain on his head, and before he knew it, he lost consciousness.

After traveling for about fifteen minutes, the carriage stopped at the foot of a mountain. The mountain path was difficult to traverse, and the carriage could not proceed. Tang Xuan and his sister-in-law had no choice but to walk up. Fortunately, Tang Xuan's health had improved significantly over the past month. Otherwise, he would have been exhausted. Tang Xuan inwardly cursed, wondering why sects and schools always preferred to build their establishments on mountains. Did they think it made them more mysterious, or was there some secret they were hiding?

The consort nodded gently and said, "Your Majesty, please be careful; I will be waiting for your return"

The beloved consort, upon hearing this, blushed even more intensely and said in a delicate voice: "Your Majesty, how could you think of this? It is utterly embarrassing! My younger sister wishes to return to her family."

"Get lost!" The younger sister-in-law glared with her almond-shaped eyes, causing Tang Xuan to stop in his tracks. He awkwardly rubbed his hands together and said with a lecherous grin, "You have quite the temper, little sister-in-law! Who made you angry? Tell me, and I will take care of it for you!"

The younger sister-in-law found his smile annoying, so she snorted and said, "With my sword in hand, if you dare to make any sudden moves, I will stab you a few times! Let's go, what are we waiting for?"

The younger sister-in-law turned her face away and coldly said, "It’s none of your business! You’d better get lost!" Tang Xuan found it uninteresting and withdrew gracefully, thinking to himself, "The enemy advances, I retreat; my current withdrawal is for a better attack later!"

Tang Xuan let out a sound of realization and said, "So it turns out that the elders of my little sister's sect are quite understanding. I admire that, truly!" He took a moment to glance at his younger sister-in-law, noticing her grip on the treasured sword and her displeased expression. Fearing that she might strike him with it, he continued, "No wonder she could teach such a disciple as my little sister, one who surpasses her master! I am humbled, truly humbled!"

Ah? Are you going back, little sister?" Tang Xuan paused for a moment and said, "Little sister, isn't the palace so much fun? Why are you in such a hurry to return to the help? Here, you have your sister, and... and me... If you leave, I won't be used to it!

Tang Xuan approached with a smile, opened his arms, and said with concern: "Little auntie? Who upset you today? Why are you not happy? Come, let me comfort you!"

Tang Xuan smiled and said: "Of course! My abilities are not unknown to you, little sister! However, you will have to endure a bit and share a sedan chair with me; this will make it much easier to sneak out of the palace!"

Tang Xuan walked to the door and instructed the servant to summon the old eunuch and arrange a sedan chair, stating that he wanted to take a stroll outside the palace. Initially, he intended to be discreet, but then he considered the numerous spies of various princes within the palace. The more he tried to conceal his departure, the more it would arouse their suspicion; it would be better to leave the palace openly. Once outside, he could find an opportunity to make a clean escape. Tang Xuan called the old eunuch over, carefully gave his instructions, and then sat in the sedan chair with his sister-in-law, leaving the palace.

After Tang Xuan finished his thoughts, he stood up and gave his sister-in-law a flirtatious glance, smiling as he said, "Sister-in-law, would you like me to escort you home?" The sister-in-law, with a stern expression, replied, "You can escort me home, but you must not speak carelessly in front of the elders of the sect. If I end up being scolded by them, just wait and see how I deal with you"

Tang Xuan knew that he was soft-hearted and could not resist the repeated pleas of a beautiful woman. He wiped his mouth and said with a serious expression: "Why don't I send the little sister back? There are some matters that I should clarify directly with her master. By the way, I will plead for her; for the sake of the little sister, it is worth taking a risk, don't you think?"

Tang Xuan sat back beside the consort, took her jade-like arm, and began to caress it, occasionally throwing a flirtatious glance at his younger sister-in-law, which elicited a wave of disgust from her. The consort, feeling shy from his touch, blushed and scolded softly, "Your Majesty, why are you so free today?" Tang Xuan chuckled softly, "As soon as I thought of my beloved consort feeling lonely, I hurried over. My beloved, what is wrong with your younger sister? She seems unhappy, doesn't she?"