Ex-Wife is a Big Villainess
Chapter 157 - 109: The Secret of Huailan Lake_2

Chapter 157: Chapter 109: The Secret of Huailan Lake_2

Two maids hurriedly entered the room to clean up.

Following them, Nalan Xie frowned and casually sat at the table, picked up an orange, and while peeling it, he smirked, "Calling yourself a fool, yet taking it out on others."

"What right do you have to speak about me!?"

Qin Shier pointed at Nalan Xie, her delicate face as cold as the harsh winter, radiating an intense killing intent.

Nalan Xie tossed a segment of the orange into his mouth, his lips curling into a barely visible cold sneer, mockingly and disdainfully, "Of course I have no right to say anything. After all, you are the canary that is meant to fly out of the cage one day and turn into a phoenix."

Just as Qin Shier was about to explode with rage, a familiar figure appeared at the door.

It was the old man with a tiger face.

The woman’s complexion changed dramatically. She knelt on the ground and bowed, "Miss Shier has seen the master."

The old man with the tiger face waved for the maids cleaning the room to leave, then walked to the window to gaze at the courtyard scenery and said indifferently, "There’s nothing wrong with wanting to fly out of the cage. Having a goal incites one to work diligently."

The color drained from Qin Shier’s face, "Master, please don’t listen to his nonsense. Shier swears loyalty to follow you till death."

Nalan Xie wore a face filled with schadenfreude.

The old man with the tiger face looked at Nalan Xie, "Are you sneering at her misfortune or at this old man’s?"

"Truthfully, both."

Nalan Xie rubbed his cheek helplessly and said, "I warned you not to let Jiang Mo touch this demon energy case, but you wouldn’t listen. Now look, the Xichu Pavilion is the first place that they want to investigate. Let’s see what you’re going to do."

The old man with the tiger face said softly, "One person’s wisdom can fool the masses, yet the world indulges in displaying strengths to highlight others’ shortcomings."

Nalan Xie gave a thumbs up, "Well said, I am indeed the fool with cunning little tricks. So, may I ask, wise Master Hu, what will you do next to deal with that equally cunning Master Jiang?"

"Let him investigate," said Master Hu.

Master Hu turned around, looked at the maid’s body still lying on the ground, and quietly said, "If we don’t let him into the game, how can he possibly understand the situation? Only when he fully grasps the situation will he become smarter. Once he’s smarter, he will obediently work for us. Of course, incentives must also be provided."

Nalan Xie looked at the kneeling, seductive woman and laughed, "The problem is, Master Jiang is not satisfied with your ’sweetener’. I suspect Miss Shier has body odor, which might have disgusted him."

Qin Shier clenched her hands tightly, the veins on the backs of her hands standing out.

If Master Hu wasn’t here, she would have definitely taught this foul-mouthed man a lesson.

Master Hu said indifferently, "No normal man disdains lust; it all depends on whether he can control his desires. The more someone can control themselves, the harder they are to tame, and the rarer they become. If Jiang Mo were easily seduced by Shier, I would be uneasy about letting him investigate the case."

"It seems I’m looked down upon by you. After all, when I see a beautiful girl, my first thought is to throw her onto a bed, as my self-control is quite poor," Nalan Xie admitted, placing the orange peel on his head and leaning on the table self-mockingly.

Just then, he remembered something and looked up to ask, "I heard that He Lianlan was saved? Who did it?"

"Who do you think did it?" Master Hu responded.

Nalan Xie said, "Silver Moon Tower? After all, they are the only ones who care about that girl. No one else would rescue just one person."

Master Hu grunted in response.

Nalan Xie frowned, "He Lianlan is a rare one with the Innate Profound Yin Physique, having lost her like this, won’t it have an impact?"

Master Hu picked a round stool to sit by the window, casually smoothing his clothes, and spoke blandly, "Having missed the time to consume the Netherworld Demon Qi, she is now useless. Even if Jiang Yi snatched her away, she’s only asking for trouble."

Nalan Xie was puzzled, "Jiang Yi involves herself with resurrection experiments too?"

Perhaps in a surprisingly good mood, Master Hu was more talkative than usual. Facing Nalan Xie’s curiosity, he did not maintain his usual silence but revealed, "Back then, Jiang Yi for some unknown reason practiced the ’Heavenly Demon Technique’ which led her to become demonically possessed. Her meridians were completely severed, her cultivation destroyed, and she nearly lost her life.

Luckily, she survived, but it left some chronic conditions that needed the Mysterious Yin Qi to suppress the disease inside her body. If not, this woman would have faced dire consequences."

Heavenly Demon Technique?

Not only was Nalan Xie shocked, even Qin Shier, hearing this for the first time, was astounded.

The Heavenly Demon Technique was the cultivation technique practiced by the Demon Queen of the previous dynasty, the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon.

This demon fox was extremely proficient in the art of enchantment, disrupting the imperial order, setting up wine pools and meat forests, employing scorching tortures, burning books, burying scholars, killing the virtuous and good, and more. It caused estrangement between the monarch and his ministers, public outrage to boil over, and foreign states to cease tribute, ultimately leading to the dynasty’s downfall.

When the founding Emperor of Dazhou led his army into the Capital, the first thing he did was to parade the nine-tailed demon fox before the generals and masses at Stars-Plucking Deer Platform, where he beheaded it.

And she was recorded as the last demon to be executed in the era when demon energy was depleted.

The Enchantment Technique of the demons she cultivated, "Heavenly Demon Technique," was also ultimately lost, otherwise, it could be ranked among the other four great mythical books.

Unexpectedly, it had been obtained by Jiang Yi.

But that woman did indeed like collecting treasures of the world, otherwise, Zhuge Xuanji would not have joked that "he who marries Jiang Yi acquires a treasury of the world."

Hu’s gaze wandered, his voice cold as he said, "This time, let that woman Jiang Yi suffer a bit; consider it a lesson for her. Don’t think just because she relies on the shadow of her sister, she can really act like a local emperor."

Nalan Xie felt a chill down his spine.

The laziness of his sitting posture improved slightly.

After all, he was well aware of Jiang Yi’s background, but this old man dared to move against Jiang Yi, he couldn’t even imagine what sort of major figure this was.

Hu fell silent for a moment, then said softly, "Over these next few days, try your best to cooperate with Jiang Mo’s investigation, even if it means letting him uncover some secretive matters. A single leaf, even if it stirs in the sea, cannot make much disturbance. If he wants to clatter like an egg against a rock, let him see clearly that this place is not just a stone, but an iceberg."

No matter whether the demon energy is on him or on the other two, as long as Jiang Mo realizes what kind of enemy he is facing, he will eventually "find" the demon energy."

If he becomes overzealous and insists on showing his strength, cool him down a bit, like by letting him first see the corpse of one of his brothers... Young people need to see blood to grow."

Nalan Xie’s smile was resplendent, "Hearing you say that, I’m relieved. Fine, I won’t disturb you anymore. I’m going to join my brother Jiang in the fight, against you villains."

As he walked by Qin Shier, Nalan Xie bent down to blow a strand of hair from the woman’s temple, smiling and saying, "Next time remember to thank me first, otherwise I might not help you in the future."

Qin Shier glared fiercely at the man.

After Nalan Xie left the room, Qin Shier said, blaming herself, "I’m sorry, Master, Shier is incompetent and couldn’t get Jiang Mo to take the bait."

"If you only think of fishing, you naturally have to be prepared for failure."

Hu waved his hand signaling her to rise, "You don’t have to worry about Jiang Mo anymore. Without an accident, a major event will soon take place in the Capital. You should go into seclusion and train, and there will be a place for your abilities at that time."

"Yes, Shier will go into seclusion now," Qin Shier nodded respectfully.

Hu’s gaze became complex as he looked at the woman naturally rebellious from birth, speaking softly, "Qin Shier, when one lacks certain capabilities, one must learn to listen. By listening, you might get the chance to soar onto a branch and transform. Understand?"

Qin Shier shuddered, kneeling again, "Hu Ye, Shier truly has no double intentions!"

Hu snorted with laughter.

He looked towards Huailan Lake in the distance, pointing to the lake and saying, "Since ancient times, how many women who thought themselves extraordinary wanted to dance in the skies, but in the end, aside from Jiang Wan, who succeeded? Do you know why Wuchan Temple holds the Buddha Bathing Festival at Huailan Lake every so often?"

Qin Shier tentatively replied, "Shier thought, they nominally provide the people an opportunity for blessings and prayers, but actually, they advertise themselves and thus increase the temple’s incense offerings."

Hu said, "No one is unaffected by the worldly struggles for fame and gain, not even those who have left home. But given Wuchan Temple’s status, there’s no need to engage in such meager profit actions."

"Then their aim is..."

Qin Shier was puzzled.

Hu remained silent for a long while, then said lightly:

"That place suppresses the disobedient. More than two hundred years ago, a woman who was disobedient was suppressed there. Over half a year ago, another woman, also because she was disobedient, was similarly suppressed under that stretch of Huailan Lake."

"While desiring to soar to the heavens for freedom, and also seeking true love in this mortal world, where is there ever a perfect solution?"

Qin Shier was startled.

Hu stared at her, smiling as he spoke, "Of course, you needn’t worry about being suppressed there one day. They are suppressed because they can’t be killed. You, however, do not qualify."

Turning around, Hu once again fixed his gaze on the lake.

Ye Zhuchan, you qualify.