Chapter 192: The Alluring Taoist Temple

Chapter 192: The Alluring Taoist Temple

"Commoner? Ning Xiaochuan, you’ve always been a thorough commoner—neither an immortal nor a sage. You were once a physician, and now you’re a Heart Nurturer. Isn’t judging by appearance a perfectly normal thing?"

Standing amidst the withered leaves, Ning Xiaochuan took a deep breath, inhaling the faint scent of decaying foliage. Suppressing the alluring sensations in his heart, he turned and walked back into the Taoist temple.

But the moment he reached the wooden door, he saw Yu Ningsheng standing just beyond the threshold, her starry eyes fixed on him.

Their gazes met.

Already unsettled, Ning Xiaochuan was startled. He forced a smile and said, "Miss Yu, you’re awake?"

"Why did I faint?" Her voice was soft and melodious, her shimmering eyes locked onto him.

Her gaze seemed capable of dripping with tenderness.

Ning Xiaochuan had already prepared his explanation. "Do you remember the elderly man who drove the carriage?"

Yu Ningsheng nodded.

"That old man was a Demonic Martial Artist. He coveted your beauty and, catching you off guard, used his Martial Arts Divine Abilities to knock you unconscious. It took all my strength to rescue you from him. We’ve now fled White Dragon City."

Naturally, he couldn’t reveal Tianchenzi’s identity, so deceiving Yu Ningsheng was his only option. Tianchenzi had knocked her out precisely to prevent her from overhearing his conversation with Ning Xiaochuan.

Yu Ningsheng asked, "Was it really just that old man who coveted me?"

Ning Xiaochuan wasn’t skilled at lying. He coughed twice. "Of course. There was no one else. Don’t you trust me?"

"I know your character well, Young Master Ning. But then why did you take liberties with me?"

"Ah, did I?"

"If not, why did you remove my veil?" Yu Ningsheng sighed faintly.

A woman’s intuition was razor-sharp.

Her veil had been retied by Ning Xiaochuan, and traces of sweat still lingered on it. With just a light sniff, she had detected it.

Who knew what she was thinking of him now? Perhaps she even believed he had gone further in his impropriety.

"My reputation..."

Ning Xiaochuan had never felt so embarrassed in his life. He was about to confess everything truthfully when— Yu Ningsheng untied her veil herself, revealing her breathtakingly elegant face. Her enchanting eyes, like two black pearls, exuded a serene grace.

The morning sun rose on the horizon, its gentle rays casting a soft jade-like glow over her delicate skin.

Ning Xiaochuan held his breath again, his heart betraying him with a traitorous acceleration.

"For you." Yu Ningsheng handed him the veil embroidered with an orchid, pressing her lips lightly as she gazed at him.

Ning Xiaochuan felt awkward but managed a smile. "Actually, about this matter..."

"I believe you."

He fell silent, accepting the veil. "Thank you. There’s one thing I’ve always been curious about—how did you cultivate such formidable martial skills?"

When Ning Xiaochuan first met Yu Ningsheng, he was stunned by her celestial beauty, mistaking her for a Celestial Sword Immortal descended to the mortal world. After several encounters, he grew even more curious—how could a brothel woman possess such formidable martial prowess?

Yu Ningsheng said, "My master is the Tower Owner of Jade Viewing Tower. As for who she truly is, I cannot tell you yet."

Could the Tower Owner of Jade Viewing Tower have another identity?

Ning Xiaochuan didn’t press further and instead asked, "Since your master is the Tower Owner, surely no one in Jade Viewing Tower dares to bully you. Why do you despise it so much? And why are you so determined to enter Emperor's Martial Palace?"

Yu Ningsheng pursed her lips lightly. "If a woman resigns herself to staying in a brothel, she truly becomes nothing more than a prostitute selling her body. Those were my master’s words, and I’ve never forgotten them."

"I’ve never looked down on you," Ning Xiaochuan said.

Yu Ningsheng shook her head with a bitter smile. "Women are always young once, adored and pursued. But they also grow old. Have you seen Ninth Lady of Heavenly Annihilation Dao? In her youth, she was a beauty renowned across the land. Yet now, she’s aged and ugly. If not for her own formidable strength, men would have long scorned and mocked her. If I don’t leave Jade Viewing Tower, in fifty or a hundred years, I’ll become an old, ugly woman, still subjected to ridicule. Can you honestly say you don’t judge by appearance?"

"Cough…"

Ning Xiaochuan had pondered this question earlier, and now, faced with it directly, he struggled to answer. "At the very least, I wouldn’t mock someone for their looks."

Yu Ningsheng let out a soft laugh, then grew solemn again. "Ning Xiaochuan, if our statuses weren’t so different… would you marry me?"

In the past, Ning Xiaochuan would’ve bluntly replied, "We have no emotional foundation," or something similar. But now… the girl had laid her feelings bare. A woman as beautiful as a fairy—if he missed this chance, she might one day belong to another man.

Opportunities like this don’t come twice. Could he really refuse?

Yet, for some reason, the image of Yu Qianqian flashed through his mind at that very moment.

For the first time today, Ning Xiaochuan realized a flaw in his own character—was he truly this slow when it came to matters of the heart?

"Is the question that difficult to answer?"

Yu Ningsheng’s eyes dimmed with sorrow. She gave a self-deprecating smile. "I understand. You still think my origins are too lowly."

With that, she transformed into a white shadow and flew out of the Taoist temple.

"Miss Yu, wait!" Ning Xiaochuan activated Rainbow Teleportation, landing atop the temple’s wall, then unfurled his Wings of Rage to pursue her.

But Yu Ningsheng had already alighted on the mountainside, vanishing into the forest.

Boom!

A dark green figure shot out from behind a tree outside the temple, striking at Ning Xiaochuan with a palm strike.

Sensing danger, Ning Xiaochuan halted and countered with his own palm. A tremendous force surged through his arm, sending him staggering back into the temple grounds.

"Hehe, Ning Xiaochuan, I never took you for a beast."

The woman in the dark green dress landed lightly on the courtyard wall, her figure alluring and a teasing smile playing on her lips. It was she who had intercepted Ning Xiaochuan just as he was about to chase after Yu Ningsheng.

A green three-headed bird perched on her shoulder, all six eyes fixed on Ning Xiaochuan, its cawing voice as grating as a crow’s.

Ning Xiaochuan said, "I am not a beast."

"If you’re not a beast, then why did a beauty like Ningsheng run away from you? Hehe, then you must have done something even worse than a beast."

Ning Xiaochuan asked, "Ruthless Ghost Envoy, how did you find me here?"

The seductive woman in dark green was none other than the Ruthless Ghost Envoy he had encountered in White Dragon City.

"Little Three led me to you," she replied, her fingers gently stroking the feathers of the three-headed bird, her smile bewitching.

"I advise you to step aside before you regret it."

Ning Xiaochuan channeled his Martial Arts Profound Qi into his legs, causing his bones to shimmer with seven-colored light. He activated his movement technique and dashed in the direction Yu Ningsheng had fled.

Yet the Ruthless Ghost Envoy intercepted him again, summoning rippling waves that surged into a lake before her. The water churned violently, crashing toward Ning Xiaochuan with overwhelming force.

As a cultivator of the Transcendence Realm and a ruthless subordinate of the Demon Sect Saintess, her power was formidable, forcing Ning Xiaochuan into retreat.

"Break!"

Ning Xiaochuan condensed a massive battle sword and slashed through the waves, charging forward.

"Swish!"

But the Ruthless Ghost Envoy clung to him like a persistent shadow, blocking his path once more. Her Martial Arts Profound Qi erupted, transforming into an endless sea that engulfed him—real seawater conjured through her Martial Arts Divine Abilities.

"Ning Xiaochuan, don’t resist. Though your talent is remarkable, you’re still a rising star. You can’t defeat me." Her lips curled slightly as her palm pressed against his chest, her fingers sheathed in Profound Qi, sharper than five blades.

Ning Xiaochuan stared into her eyes at close range, unafraid of her killing intent, and sneered, "My stance remains unchanged. If the Demon Sect Saintess wishes to see me, she must come herself. You—what are you doing?"

Her fingers softened, gently caressing his chest as her voluptuous body pressed against him.

She leaned fully into his embrace, whispering with a sultry laugh, "How could I bear to hand over such a handsome young master like you to the Saintess?"

Her rosy lips brushed his ear, warm breath tingling against his skin. Her dark green robe slipped away, revealing flawless, snow-white skin as her perfect form pinned him down.

Her slender waist, so delicate it could be encircled with one hand, undulated like a serpent’s.

There was no denying it—the Ruthless Ghost Envoy was a stunning beauty, a peerless temptress. The twin jade peaks of her chest swayed before his eyes, utterly mesmerizing.

Ning Xiaochuan lay flat on the ground, struggling to maintain control. "If you’re after the Northern Abyss Divine Art from me, I suggest you abandon that thought now."

The Ruthless Ghost Envoy's seductive smile froze for a moment, but she immediately pressed herself fully against Ning Xiaochuan. "Really? Would you truly be willing?" She untied his waistband, slipping a soft yet icy jade-like hand beneath his robe. Her fingers traced his chest, waist, and descended further, grasping the already rigid and thick member below. "Heh, men are all the same—hypocrites who pretend to be saints while their bodies turn into beasts."

Ning Xiaochuan didn't argue. It was only natural for his body to react this way. If he remained unaffected under such temptation, he would have to consult the "Heart-Nurturing Manual" sooner rather than later and refine the "Tiger Whip Yang-Enhancing Pill" to cure whatever ailment plagued him.