“The curtain hangs low over the small pavilion, the frost is white, and the jade is exquisite all night.” The handsome man gently played with the fair and tender hands of the girl in his arms, and a gentle smile appeared on his lips as he looked at her shy appearance with her head lowered like a butterfly.

Ling Shuanghua didn’t speak. She leaned on Nie Yun’s shoulder, recalling the smiling eyes of everyone in the mansion as they looked at her and Nie Yun this morning, and the repeated calls of “son-in-law.” She felt her whole face burning up.

“I only now understand what that sentence meant…” Nie Yun lifted the girl’s chin and looked into her eyes.

A hint of doubt flashed in Ling Shuanghua’s beautiful eyes, and she asked hesitantly, “Wh…what did you say?”

Looking at the blushing girl, Nie Yun said softly, “Tea is the master of flowers, and wine is the matchmaker of lust.”

Ling Shuanghua blushed even more upon hearing this and quickly covered his mouth with her small hand, saying, “Hmm… don’t say it.”

Nie Yun smiled, then suddenly opened his lips. The girl felt a warm, wet touch on her palm; it was Nie Yun sticking out his tongue and licking her.

“Ah!” Ling Shuanghua quickly withdrew her hand and lowered her head, not daring to look at him.

She was actually surprised by her own bold behavior last night, and she never expected that she, who was usually so well-behaved, would actually take the initiative to seduce a man. Now that she thought about it, she wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

“What are you thinking about?” Nie Yun gently tucked her loose hair behind her ear and asked softly.

Ling Shuanghua raised her head and looked timidly at Nie Yun, “You…you think that last night I…I treated you like that…”

Knowing the girl’s worries, Nie Yun smiled and leaned in to kiss her.

Ling Shuanghua shuddered, but quickly became intoxicated by Nie Yun’s gentle and sweet kiss.

Nie Yun gently pried open the girl’s jaw and sucked her small, fragrant tongue into his mouth, savoring it as if it were a delicious treat.

Then it pushed back and forth, sweeping through every corner of her little mouth, even reaching the back of her tongue to tease and lick it.

Ling Shuanghua was teased by Nie Yun’s superb tongue skills, and kept moaning softly. The blush on her face slowly spread, and finally even her snow-white neck was tinged with a delicate pink.

Nie Yun only released her mouth when he felt the girl was out of breath.

Ling Shuanghua closed her eyes, her whole body limp and leaning against Nie Yun, her chest heaving and her breath coming in rapid gasps.

Nie Yun gently stroked her smooth hair and said softly, “Shuanghua, there’s a saying in my hometown: ‘Drink my wine, and you’ll walk with me for life.’ You, the most beautiful woman in Jingzhou, will be with me for the rest of your life!”

Upon hearing this, Ling Shuanghua looked up abruptly, her face filled with delighted surprise. “Young Master Nie, you mean…”

Before she could finish speaking, Nie Yun covered her mouth with his index finger, shook his head and laughed, “Still calling me Young Master Nie?”

The girl’s eyes were like water, her pretty face slightly flushed, and she whispered, “Brother Yun…”

Nie Yun smiled and pulled her into his arms, thinking to himself, “Now that I have the beauty, it’s time to settle things with Lian Cheng Jue.”

* * *

The next morning, someone discovered that several lines of large characters were painted in red on the city wall next to the south gate of Jiangling: Emperor Liang Yuan, Great Treasure.

There are several numbers next to it, which are the Liancheng Sword Manual that many people have been searching for.

In the following days, people from all walks of life flocked to the scene, and they quickly deduced that the treasure was located in Tianning Temple, southwest of Jiangling City.

At first, people were able to restrain themselves and just lingered outside Tianning Temple.

If even one person enters Tianning Temple, they will be besieged by the others.

Everyone kept an eye on each other and was wary of one another. No one was willing to give up, nor was anyone willing to be the first to stick their neck out.

But as time went on, the crowd grew larger and larger, and the situation became increasingly blatant. Some people called on their friends or found allies to agree to take the treasure together and split it equally afterward. After forming a group, they naturally became much bolder, and the fragile balance was soon broken.

On the seventh day, the crowd rushed into Tianning Temple, ransacking the place. They still found nothing.

Later, someone accidentally cut the Buddha statue in the main hall with a knife and discovered that the Buddha statue was actually made of gold.

Everyone went crazy and rushed forward. When the hidden door behind the Buddha statue was opened, everyone present lost their minds and started grabbing the items.

Once the fight begins, a struggle is inevitable, and once it starts, it’s impossible to stop. The fight escalates, with some suddenly lunging at the golden Buddha, biting it fiercely, while others ram it with their heads.

Many others stuffed the scattered jewelry into their mouths, chewing it noisily, and some even swallowed it whole.

Wan Zhenshan and his son, Yan Daping, Wei Changfa, the Four Wonders of the South “Falling Flowers and Flowing Water”… these masters of the martial arts world transformed into wild beasts, fighting, biting, and tearing wildly.

However, they were unaware that the jewels had been coated with a deadly poison. So, before long, all of them lay on the ground, their faces turning blue and blood flowing from their orifices.

Meanwhile, in the remote countryside, the simple-minded Yu Yun and the kind-hearted Qi Fang were still wondering why Qi Changfa had suddenly left without saying goodbye…

* * *

“Brother Yun, how can gold and silver treasures have such great magic?” Ling Shuanghua still felt lingering fear when she thought about what happened a few days ago.

“Hehe, money has always been a powerful motivator. Who wouldn’t want to live a comfortable life with money?” Nie Yun said lazily, lying on the grass with his hands behind his head and his legs crossed.

“But you don’t need to worry.” He sat up and hugged Ling Shuanghua, saying affectionately, “In my eyes, you are my treasure, a priceless gem worth protecting with my life.”

Ling Shuanghua was deeply moved and a sweet smile appeared on her face. She rested her head on Nie Yun’s chest and murmured, “Brother Yun, meeting you is truly the greatest blessing of my life.”

Nie Yun gently kissed the girl’s hair, smiling faintly without saying a word.

Ling Shuanghua, of course, had no idea that the words on the city wall were written by the gentle-looking man in front of her.

“Cough cough…” A cough suddenly rang out, and Ling Shuanghua jumped away from Nie Yun’s arms like a startled rabbit, turning her head to look at the white-clad girl with a slightly flushed face not far away.

The girl had black hair and snow-white skin, full cheeks, a pretty face, and a slender figure. She was a beauty who was no less than Ling Shuanghua.

“Sister Ling, it’s the luckiest thing in my life to meet you here!” The girl exaggeratedly imitated Ling Shuanghua’s words, her big eyes filled with a mischievous smile.

Ling Shuanghua let out a soft moan of embarrassment and quickly turned and ran towards her room.

Nie Yun looked at that charming figure from behind, shook his head with a smile, and turned to look at the person who had come in with a helpless expression, saying, “Miss Shui, this habit is not good!”

The girl’s heart skipped a beat as she looked at Nie Yun’s handsome face. She quickly said, “…My father invites you over.” With that, she turned and left, her graceful figure disappearing from the corner in the blink of an eye.

Nie Yun stroked his chin and murmured, “The Bell and Sword Duo, hehe… another NTR storyline that I love, I like it!”

The girl ran quite a distance before stopping, leaning against the wall, panting heavily. Her high, firm breasts heaved violently, and two rosy blushes appeared on her fair face, making her already pretty features even more radiant.

“How strange! Why does my heart beat so fast whenever I see him?” The girl placed her delicate, fair hand on her chest, feeling her pounding heart. “I’ve never felt this way even when I see my cousin!”

Just then, a tall, thin man ran over from a distance and, upon seeing the girl, quickly called out, “Cousin!”

Upon hearing this, the girl looked up at the man and smiled, “Cousin!”

The man approached the girl and asked, “Cousin, where have you been? I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

“Father asked me to invite Sect Leader Nie,” the girl replied without much thought.

The man frowned upon hearing this and said, “Cousin, I see that Nie Yun is always leering at you; he’s definitely up to no good. You’d better stay away from him!”

The girl looked at her cousin helplessly. She really couldn’t understand why he had such a big prejudice against Nie Yun.

She sighed inwardly and changed the subject, saying, “I understand, let’s go back quickly.”

She left without waiting for the man’s reply.

The man’s face turned grim as he watched the girl’s retreating figure.

******

“Sect Leader Nie…cough cough…thank you so much for saving me this time, otherwise I would have gone to see the King of Hell with my three sworn brothers!”

A middle-aged man with white hair and beard, looking haggard, leaned against the headboard and said gratefully to Nie Yun.

Nie Yun laughed and said, “Hero Shui, you don’t need to be so polite. It’s just a pity that I’m in two places at once and can only save a few people.”

Indeed, that cunning fellow Nie Yun also went to Tianning Temple that day and rescued Shui Dai, the “Cold Moon Sword” who was on the verge of death from poisoning. As for his purpose, it was, of course, because of his beloved daughter, Shui Sheng…

Cough cough, saving lives!

Of course, in order not to seem too abrupt, he also saved a few other people, but only Shui Dai was taken back to the Ling Mansion by him.

There was nothing they could do; he was too deeply poisoned and remained unconscious. And so, the “Bell and Sword Duo,” who had been waiting in the city for their father’s return from retrieving the treasure, also moved into the Ling residence.

At this moment, Wang Xiaofeng suddenly said, “Sect Leader Nie is indeed very capable. He was able to find my uncle among so many people in one go. He has truly discerning eyes!”

Nie Yun looked at him with a half-smile and replied in a neither soft nor hard tone, “Hero Shui is blessed by the gods. What? You think that my saving him will ruin your dream of getting both the man and the money? Even if you and Miss Shui are in love, aren’t you family yet?”

Upon hearing this, Shui Sheng felt a sudden pang in her heart.

She always thought she loved Wang Xiaofeng. They grew up together as childhood sweethearts and made a name for themselves as the “Twin Heroes of Bell and Sword” in the martial arts world. Everyone around them thought they were a couple, and even she herself never thought she would marry someone else.

But for some reason, when she heard Nie Yun say that she and Wang Xiaofeng were in love, she suddenly felt very uncomfortable. Even if it was true, she didn’t want Nie Yun to know, and she didn’t want to hear him say it.

“You…” Wang Xiaofeng’s face turned ashen from the retort. “What nonsense are you spouting? Besides, you went to Tianning Temple that day, wasn’t it to steal the treasure?”

Nie Yun rolled his eyes, ignored him, and turned to Shui Dai with a smile: “Hero Shui, you have just woken up and the poison in your body has not been cleared yet. You should rest well. If you need anything, just ask.”

Wang Xiaofeng, who was standing nearby, couldn’t help but say, “Hmph! What a big mouth! Does he really think he’s the son-in-law of the Ling family?” The servant who was serving Shui Dai couldn’t help but speak up, “Young Master Nie and my young lady are already engaged. Now that the master has passed away, Young Master Nie can naturally make the decision.”

Wang Xiaofeng was filled with jealousy and resentment. Everyone in Jingzhou knew of Ling Shuanghua’s beauty, but he never expected that an outsider like Nie Yun would win her heart.

Shui Dai also looked embarrassed and scolded Wang Xiaofeng, “Feng’er, don’t be rude.”

Then he said to Nie Yun, “Sect Leader Nie, my nephew is young and ignorant, you…” Shui Dai paused here, because he suddenly remembered that the Sect Leader of Huashan was even a year or two younger than Wang Xiaofeng.

Nie Yun shook his head and said, “Not at all. I was rash for a moment and shouldn’t have been angry with Brother Wang. To be honest, Master Shui, I did have another purpose when I went to Tianning Temple that day, because I suspected that the murderer of my father-in-law would appear there.”

“Oh? I wonder who killed Lord Ling?” Shui Dai was also a little puzzled.

Even he, a usually forthright and righteous hero, couldn’t resist the temptation of the treasure. He absolutely didn’t believe that Nie Yun was just going to watch the excitement.

Nie Yun sighed, “It was Ding Dian who erected the tombstone for ‘Iron-Boned Ink Master’ Mei Niansheng. He obtained the Liancheng Sword Manual from Mr. Mei, which is the number written on the city wall a few days ago. So I guessed that he would also go to Sky Temple that day, and that’s why I waited there in advance. I saw Shui Da Kuai and your sworn brothers that day… introduced themselves, so I recognized some of them.”

Upon hearing Lao Yan’s red face, Shui Dai, along with Lu Tianshu, Hua Tiegan, and Liu Chengfeng, immediately announced the names of the “Four Wonders of the South” upon arriving at the scene, intending to intimidate everyone.

Looking back now, it was incredibly stupid, because in the midst of the chaos, they were immediately surrounded and attacked by the crowd.

Nie Yun continued, “As for the treasure, I didn’t care, so I didn’t go in at all. Who could have imagined that so many fellow martial artists would be so obsessed with this treasure, ultimately leading to such a tragedy…”

At this point, Nie Yun shook his head and sighed again, perfectly portraying the image of a compassionate and indifferent-to-money sage.

Shui Dai recalled the bloody and terrifying scene from that day.

Seeing the crazy behavior of his sworn brothers, he was filled with regret and sighed, “We never thought that at our age, we would be less insightful than Sect Leader Nie. We’re getting more and more confused as we get older!”

Shui Sheng looked at Nie Yun, her eyes unconsciously revealing admiration—no matter when, loyalty and righteousness are excellent qualities, and if one is also incorruptible by wealth and status, then it is even more precious.

The servant next to him also looked at Nie Yun with reverence, while only Wang Xiaofeng had a gloomy face in the whole room.

Nie Yun took Shui Dai’s pulse and said, “Hero Shui, this poison will probably take some time to be completely eliminated. You must rest and recuperate these next few days. Do not circulate your qi or get angry. You can walk lightly, but you cannot do strenuous exercise. Otherwise, the poison may take effect, and then even a god could not save you!”

Shui Dai nodded gratefully and said, “Then I’ll have to trouble Sect Leader Nie. I dare not thank you enough for saving my life. If you ever need my help in the future, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Ah, we’re all fellow martial artists. You’re too kind, Master Shui.” After exchanging a few polite words, Nie Yun got up to take his leave.

Shui Dai said to her daughter, “Sheng’er, see Master Nie off for me.”

Just as Shui Sheng was about to agree, Wang Xiaofeng suddenly said, “Cousin, Uncle still needs your care here, so let me go see Master Nie off.”

Without waiting for Shui Sheng’s reply, he gestured to Nie Yun and said, “Sect Leader Nie, please.”

“It’s alright.” Nie Yun smiled and nodded at Shui Sheng, successfully making the girl blush again, before walking outside.

Wang Xiaofeng looked at Shui Sheng, who was staring straight at Nie Yun’s back, and felt even more resentful. He quickly took a few steps to catch up with her.

The two walked out of the courtyard one after the other. Nie Yun cupped his hands to Wang Xiaofeng and said, “Thank you for seeing me off, Brother Wang. Please stay a while.”

Wang Xiaofeng did not return the greeting, but instead said to Nie Yun in a stern voice, “You surnamed Nie, now that you already have Miss Ling, stop bothering my cousin all day long, or don’t blame me for being impolite to you.”

Nie Yun, who had always had a smooth life since he came into this world, had never been threatened like this before. He was furious and raised his eyebrows, ready to teach this arrogant fellow a lesson. Suddenly, his eyes lit up and he smiled, “Brother Wang, what makes you say that? I have never done anything inappropriate to Miss Shui. Aren’t you being a bit too worried?”

Wang Xiaofeng said, “Just because you don’t have it now doesn’t mean you won’t have it in the future, and it certainly doesn’t mean you don’t have it in your heart. Do you think I can’t see through your tricks? Let me tell you, even if you save my uncle, don’t even think about making a move on my cousin!”

Nie Yun shook his head and sighed, “Brother Wang, let’s not even talk about whether I have feelings for Miss Shui. You grew up with her, don’t you understand Miss Shui’s character? Do you really think of Miss Shui as a fickle and promiscuous person?”

Wang Xiaofeng sneered, “Hmph, I doubt she’d dare!”

Nie Yun then said, “Since that’s the case, why bother Brother Wang with your troubles? Instead of competing with me for her affections, you should spend more time with Miss Shui, listen to her heart, and comfort her. Hero Shui escaped death, and she must be quite shaken. This is the time when she needs your care and love.”

Wang Xiaofeng said impatiently, “My cousin and I are none of your business. Remember what I said, stay away from her from now on!”

Nie Yun shook his head and said, “Brother Wang, you are so petty, narrow-minded and jealous. You have truly let down Miss Shui’s deep affection for you!”

Wang Xiaofeng frowned and said sarcastically, “Oh ho! So concerned about my cousin and you still dare to say you have no feelings for her? What a hypocrite!”

Nie Yun’s ears twitched slightly, and a smile appeared on his lips. He said, “Everyone has an appreciation for beauty. Miss Shui is elegant and pure, and I only admire her; I have no desire for her. Besides, even if she marries you in the future, wouldn’t others still praise her? It’s your good fortune to have such a girl devoted to you; you should cherish her!”

“Pah!” Wang Xiaofeng spat fiercely and cursed at Nie Yun, “You think you have any designs on me? Dream on!”

Nie Yun was not annoyed. He shook his head and said, “I have said all I need to say. Take care of yourself. Farewell.” After saying that, he turned and left.

“Hmph! You’re smart to know what’s good for you!” Wang Xiaofeng sneered as he watched Nie Yun’s retreating figure.

A gentle breeze swept by, scattering the distant footsteps in the courtyard.