Roaring Dragon-Chapter 72: Preaching in Dreams

Outside the Princess’s Mansion.

Yang Dabiao and the others were suited up and ready, waiting outside a mutton soup stall. Meiqiu squatted nearby, begging for handouts like a fat monk reincarnated.

When Linghu Qingmo heard that Xie Jinhuan was heading to the capital, she couldn't sit still. She ditched her bestie, packed up early, and was already waiting in the travel party.

Lin Wanyi stood alone in the courtyard, carefully wiping down the tables and benches. Every now and then, she glanced toward the gate to see if Xie Jinhuan had returned.

After what felt like an eternity, a shadow vaulted over the courtyard wall and landed on the roof of the main building—Xie Jinhuan, with an article of clothing in his arms.

Whoosh—

Lin Wanyi rushed forward. Seeing the waist token in his hand, her brows lifted in surprise. “The Dan Prince gave you a title? What’s the post?”

Xie Jinhuan placed the clothes on the table.

“Edged Halberd Officer of the Imperial Matchmaker’s Bureau, bodyguard to the Princess.”

Lin Wanyi picked up the token, frowning slightly.

“Her Highness’s martial skills are nothing to sneeze at. She needs you for protection? Sounds like the Dan Prince is matchmaking. With this badge, you could walk straight into the Dan Pavilion and no one would dare stop you from reading the Martial Canon of the Way...”

Xie Jinhuan sank into the chair with a sigh.

“I actually asked about the Martial Canon just now...”

“And?” Lin Wanyi’s eyes lit up. “Did they give it to you?”

“They did, technically. But...”

Xie detailed the whole issue—the scroll only contained the first layer, was incomprehensible without first-rank cultivation, couldn’t be learned without that power, and definitely couldn’t be copied.

Lin Wanyi, who’d spent years stewing over this since joining Missing Moon Villa, looked like she'd been struck by lightning.

“You sure? You better not be messing with me...”

“Why would I mess with you?”

Xie Jinhuan settled back onto the arhat couch and spoke gently:

“The Princess's jade pendant—you wouldn’t dare hand it over to the Wu Cult either, right? We’d both be dead. The only real way to get our hands on this Canon is to hit first rank ourselves. With my pace, I’ll be there in under three years. As for you...”

Lin Wanyi knew herself well. Hitting first rank within three years? Unless she turned into one of those demonic flower-squeezing vixens, using the Wu Cult’s dual cultivation secrets and sucking Xie Jinhuan dry like a living tonic—sure, she might make it. But he’d end up a dried husk. And the plan would still fail.

Staring down a dead end, Lin Wanyi couldn’t help but feel wronged.

“So you’re saying, there’s no way you can give me the full Canon in three years. And no one else can teach it to me either?”

That was the gist of it.

But if he crushed all of her hopes now, Lin Wanyi might cut off his funding entirely.

He still needed Dragonblood Pills, Revitalizing Tiger Elixirs, and other divine-grade supplements. He couldn’t afford to lose this gorgeous sugar mama.

Thankfully, he still had a secret weapon up his sleeve—an ancient red-robed ghost-wife.

Just as Xie Jinhuan was deep in thought, the ghost in question materialized behind him and plopped herself down next to Lin Wanyi.

“I’ve looked at the Canon,” said Ye Hongshang, brushing her sleeve lightly. “I can help you teach her. But it’s going to be a pain in the ass. If she wants to remember it, it’ll take time.”

...

Lin Wanyi was still waiting on Xie Jinhuan’s reply when she noticed him zoning out, his gaze fixed somewhere beside her. Suspicious, she turned to look.

“What are you staring at?”

“Nothing. Just thinking.”

Xie Jinhuan snapped out of it and, after a beat, said in a meaningful tone:

“There is a way to transmit this technique. My old master taught me a secret method. I think it could work here.”

Lin Wanyi’s eyes lit up and she leaned in.

“What kind of secret method?”

Listening to his ghost-wife's whispering, Xie Jinhuan explained seriously:

“It’s something like ‘Preaching in Dreams.’ Basically, I pass the technique to you while you’re dreaming.”

“I thought you couldn’t even understand it?”

“Er... I don’t get what it means, but I do remember what it said. I can still pass it on. But the Martial Canon is incredibly advanced. It’ll be hard for you to retain, might take a while. Plus, without first-rank cultivation, even if you memorize it, you won’t be able to learn it. And you definitely can’t teach it to anyone else.”

Lin Wanyi had never heard of “Preaching in Dreams” before, but her master was a high-ranking Daoist. As long as she remembered it, there would be ways to crack it later...

However...

Something started to feel off.

“Wait—Preaching in Dreams? Doesn’t that mean I have to sleep with you?”

“?”

Xie Jinhuan froze. That hadn’t even crossed his mind—until he caught the side-eye from his ghost-wife.

Ye Hongshang replied flatly,

“Let her sleep next to you, that’s enough. You don’t actually matter.”

How can I not matter?

If I’m not there, this turns into a damn yuri novel...

Xie Jinhuan coughed and said seriously,

“Pretty much. But just the same room is fine—we don’t have to share a blanket.”

“...”

Lin Wanyi hesitated. Two unmarried people in the same room? That’s just asking for trouble.

Especially since this little punk had already dared to kiss and grope her—next time he might just hump her in his sleep... fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

Still, she didn’t have another way to get the Canon. After a moment’s thought:

“When... when are you planning to start transmitting the technique?”

Xie Jinhuan still had urgent business in the capital—demonic cases couldn’t wait. He asked:

“There’s only the first layer right now. Are you in a hurry? If not, maybe wait a month or two...”

Lin Wanyi had been chasing after this for years. Even just the first layer would let her report progress. And she’d have to sleep next to him eventually anyway—might as well get it over with.

“Hmph... up to you. But whenever you give me the technique is when I’ll place that medicinal order for you in the Southern Border. Also—Zisu’s pills? I’ve confiscated them all. You won’t get a single one from her.”

“?”

Are you trying to kill me?!

Xie Jinhuan desperately needed Zisu’s medicine stash. Hearing this made him panic.

“I still need to go to the capital for the investigation! Demon cases can’t wait. How about you head home {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} for a while? It’s not far. I’ll work during the day and sneak over to transmit the technique at night. Win-win.”

Beyond Huai River was the Jingzhao Prefecture. A straight shot down the Grand Canal and they'd reach the capital in half a day.

Lin Wanyi considered, then nodded.

“Fine... You go first. I’ll swing by home to say a few words. Come to the Lin Residence on Changle Street tomorrow night. And make sure you sneak in this time—don’t stir up more rumors about us.”

“Deal. You go pack. Leave the door open for me tomorrow night. I’ll slip in real quiet.”

“?”

Lin Wanyi found that phrasing weirdly suggestive—but didn’t comment.

—

That Night, Jingzhao Prefecture

“Hyah!”

Clip-clop, clip-clop...

Five steeds galloped down the main road. Three yamen officers followed closely behind. At the lead rode Xie Jinhuan and Mo Mo, with Meiqiu perched on the saddle, homesick and sulking.

As the sun dipped below the mountains, the towering capital city came into view, surrounded by rivers on three sides.

Xie Jinhuan had lived in Luojing for sixteen years—should’ve been numb to the capital’s splendor. But the sight of this two-million-strong metropolis still took his breath away.

As night fell, a thousand streets lit up like fireflies. Carriages and noble youths paraded through the city. Towering mansions stretched to the horizon, with skybridges and flying corridors crisscrossing above. From a distance, it looked like a divine palace descended from the heavens.

Yang Dabiao, who had once served in the capital, grew sentimental. He turned and warned his men:

“This ain’t Danyang. Toss a stone out here, and you’ll hit two seventh-rank officials. When we’re in the city—no funny business. Anyone screws up, I’ll skin you alive.”

“Yes, sir...”

Linghu Qingmo saw they were getting close and asked:

“Xie Jinhuan, do we head to the magistrate’s office first, or visit the prince’s heir?”

The “heir” she meant was Zhao De, the Dan Prince’s son. He had quite a reputation in Danyang. There were even rumors the boy was actually Steward Hou’s bastard...

The gossip was so outrageous that the Dan Prince, afraid he’d kill the boy in a rage, had shipped him off to the capital two years ago.

Xie Jinhuan had left before any of that drama. All he knew was that they’d be staying at the prince’s mansion for a bit. After thinking it over, he said:

“Still early. Let’s go to the magistrate’s office first.”

“Got it.”

—

Buzheng Street, Wanan County Office

County Magistrate Wu Yuanhua sat by the tea table, flipping through the case files sent from Danzhou. His brows furrowed in concern.

“Everyone says girls change at eighteen, but boys change too. Last time I saw Xie Jinhuan, he was just a bright, charming teen. Who’d have thought, in just a few years, he’d grow into this...”

Across the tea hall sat two others.

One wore simple yellow monk robes, barefoot with a string of brown beads around his neck. Among officials, he was called a Celestial Officer. His formal title: Doctor of Astronomy.

The Astronomical Bureau only had 36 Celestial Officers and about 70 astronomy students. Numbers were low, but even the weakest among them was fourth rank. The strongest? Lu Wuzhen, head of the Danding Sect.

The other man wore the red robes of the Chilin Guard, silver badge at his waist, gauze cap on his head. A Centurion by rank, named Lu Qian—direct subordinate to Han Jingchuan, once partnered with Zhou He.

Usually, when the Chilin Guard showed up, it meant someone's household was about to be purged. When a Celestial Officer joined the party, not even souls would remain. For both to appear together? That was rare.

Clearly, the magistrate was in deep trouble.

Wu Yuanhua set the file down, worry written all over his face.

“Since spring, there’ve been several similar cases. No clues. Not even a trace of the culprit.

“Meanwhile, the Danyang demon case? Solved in two weeks. All suspects executed.

“When the Emperor heard, he was first pleased—then furious. He ordered Prefect Chen to crack the ‘Dry Corpse Case’ within a month, or pack up and retire.

“If Chen loses his position, I might get reassigned to Lingnan to babysit monsters...”

The monk’s Dharma name was Jingguan, from Tiantai Temple—the top Buddhist sect in Daqian. With a kindly face and soft voice, he offered comfort:

“One must take the long view. The Southern Border may be overrun with monsters, but it also has great mountains and rivers. After years of toil here in the capital, to retire and enjoy nature... isn’t that a blessing?”

“...”

Wu Yuanhua twitched. He really wanted to curse this bald bastard. Easy for you to say!

You’re a walking Buddha. Monsters don’t dare bite you. Us mortals? One chomp and we’re crispy snacks. You think we’ll get to see scenic views on the way out?

Just then, a yamen runner rushed to the door and bowed.

“My lord, the group from Danyang has arrived. Young Master Xie has returned.”

“Oh?!”

Wu Yuanhua had been green with envy over Danyang’s rapid case closure thanks to Xie Jinhuan. Now, he was ecstatic.

“Send Jinhuan directly to the morgue. The other two officials are here too—we can all review the case together.”

“Yes, sir.”