Poison Genius Consort

After the Honored Elders treated Long Feiye’s wounds, his complexion looked markedly better. He was well enough to get some air outside, but had to maintain his “bedridden” image. There were many attendants at Nine Xuan Hall selected from Celestial Mountain’s various disciples. Many of them were brought here to be servants when they were only 10 years old. The sword sect master would give them pointers for their sword arts, but that was it. He didn’t really pass down any skills or techniques to them.

Although there were spies about, Long Feiye didn’t do any investigations. For one thing, he didn’t want to startle the snake in the grass. For another, there was no need. For a third, he could meet a plot with a plot and beat the schemers at their own game. He Yilian was an excellent example. The old fox behind the scenes had raised people who wouldn’t betray their master easily.

Long Feiye did nothing on the surface, but he had made arrangements for everything already ahead of time. His methods would always take others by surprise. Currently, he was leaning lazily on his bed with his hand over his heart, the place where he’d slipped in Han Yunxi’s letter between his robes. Afraid that he’d be bored, the sword sect master had come in to keep him company.

In truth, Long Feiye had a rather flat personality. If there was nothing to say, he could spend days without speaking a single word. The sword sect master had watched him grow up and understand his temperament, so it truth--it was he who was bored and finding Long Feiye as a distraction. There were some people who couldn’t afford to be left listless, lest it hurt their hearts in the long run.

Long Feiye was about to take out Han Yunxi’s letter until he saw the sword sect master walking inside. He shifted his hand and pretended to sleep, even when the old man had already stopped to sit by his bed. His master coughed a few times, then said, “There’s still been no news on the medicine you asked for last time. However, this old man has gotten my hands on a single pill recently…”

Before he could finish, Long Feiye’s eyes flew open. Last time, he had asked his master his plans for treating Duanmu Yao’s internal injury and mentioned Gu Beiyue. The sword sect master had mentioned a “Returning Dragon Pill,” but he still hadn’t found it yet. 

“How is that other pill?” Long Feiye asked seriously.

“Heheh, weren’t you sleeping? This Gu Beiyue…” the sword sect master’s expression turned equivocal. “Good thing he’s not a girl. Seeing you so anxious for his sake would definitely make Han Yunxi short with you…”

Faced with such a question, Long Feiye couldn’t do anything besides giving the sword sect master a disdainful look. What else could there be? He looked at his master one more time, then laid back down to continue “sleeping.”

“Your wings are growing tougher and tougher!” the sword sect master chuckled. “Just then, I received a pill called Phoenix Breath. You can let that gentleman eat it first and treat himself. It should recover about 30 percent of his martial arts without problems within a short amount of time.”

Hearing this, Long Feiye’s eyes grew as bright as snow. He immediately rose to his feet and said, “Alright, I’ll write a letter right now.”

Seeing him in such a rush, the sword sect master couldn’t help but remind him, “Feiye, think it over clearly. Once that person recovers, his martial arts skills might surpass both you and I. People have different hearts, it’s hard to tell what’s going on in his mind. Moreover, this man is part of West Qin’s most loyal vassals. You and him are like fire and water; you can’t mix.”

But Long Feiye had already finished his letter. Like his speaking habits, the missive was short and brief, only a few words long. He looked at his master then, hesitant.

“Think it over some more,” the sword sect master coaxed. 

Long Feiye thought it over a long time before extending his hand towards his master. Although he hadn’t said a word, the sword sect master understood his choice and gave him the pill.

The sword sect master had a serious expression on his face after the letter was delivered. Long Feiye, on the other hand, acted as if nothing had happened. He found a shadow guard and asked him for updates on Tang Li’s side.

“Your Highness, the Tang Clan head said for you not to worry, he’ll definitely take the arms trade routes within a year,” the shadow guard replied.

Angry, Long Feiye replied, “Your lordship has asked him five times, but he always answers the same way. What does he mean by that? The rumors outside say that the Tang Clan’s going to supply goods to the Ning Clan troops. What’s going on?”

The shadow guard reported Long Feiye’s words to the Tang Clan. A few days later, Long Feiye received a letter about 20 pages long detailing Tang Li’s activities from his honeymoon trip to the present. It told about all the ways he’d used to coax Ning Jing into being happy, his romantic gestures to touch her heart, and all the misunderstandings he’d caused so she would eat vinegar and get jealous. He had allowed more slack between them so he could keep a better hold on her afterwards, and even added a line at the end that Long Feiye could find him for pointers anytime if he couldn’t win over Han Yunxi. Within a year, Tang Li claimed, he could not only help Long Feiye conquer Han Yunxi, but have him holding two or three children in his arms by the end.

Long Feiye’s expression upon finishing the letter was absolutely indescribable!

--

Currently, Tang Li was lying on the tatami mats in Lady Tang’s room and rolling on the ground in laughter. “Hahaha! Mother, do you think my big bro’s going to dash down Celestial Mountain and destroy me?”

Lady Tang was beside herself with delight. “No no, he’ll come down to castrate you instead!”

Tang Li looked up with a hurt expression. “Are you really my mother?”

“Will Ning Jing really come?” Lady Tang asked instead. 

“I guarantee it!” Tang Li was confident. 

“The Ning Clan still hasn’t discovered that the Pear Blossom Rain Needle’s been all used up. This is really…” Lady Tang was bewildered by it all.

“Maybe they don’t know how to use it. Heheh, let them take their time puzzling over it,” Tang Li chuckled.

“Sigh…” Lady Tang suddenly heard the servant girl’s secret whistle and grew alert. “She’s coming, quick!”

Today, Tang Li and Lady Tang were putting on a show for self-injury for Ning Jing’s benefit. After he and Ning Jing returned from their honeymoon, their days resumed its normal pace. Tang Li began to oversee various creation and design processes for the Tang Clan assassination weapons, while Ning Jing used letters to control her various industries at long distance. Her biggest piece of business came from the arms trade routes. Both of them were busy with their own tasks, but it was always Tang Li who provoked things when they were together. They fought and made a fuss until Tang Li coaxed Ning Jing into a good mood again. Sometimes Ning Jing refused to smile no matter what Tang Li did, so he even broke the rules to take her to see Tang Clan’s secret weapons creating shop. 

In any case, Tang Li became a vivid example of a “slave husband.” To everyone else in the Tang Clan, he was unrivalled when it came to spoiling his wife. It was unclear what Ning Jing thought of such a title. Perhaps she really thought that Tang Li had fallen in love with her. A few days ago, she pretended to be in a bad mood and refused to say why no matter how Tang Li asked. In the end, he grew angry. She finally admitted that her arms trade routes business was going badly recently, because they didn’t have enough new weapons, so their rival snatched up multiple big orders. 

Tang Li stuck close and said, “Jing’er, what are you afraid of? You have me! The Tang Clan has a few types of assassination weapons that are perfect for the battlefield. I can just give them to you for free. When you spread this news later, I guarantee you’ll win back all the business you lost!”

The day after Tang Li’s boast, Ning Jing really did spread the news, causing a sensation throughout Cloud Realm Continent. After all, anyone who could get their hands on the Tang Clan weapons would definitely improve their army’s fighting prowess on the battlefield. Ning Cheng was probably the happiest one to hear the news, because no matter how Ning Jing sold her weapons, they’d end up in his hands by the end. 

Right after spreading word, Ning Jing went to ask Tang Li for specific details of weapon quantity and types. But Tang Li only hummed and hawed, leaving her greatly displeased. She was only feigning displeasure before to cause Tang Li trouble, but she didn’t know if she was truly furious this time or just playing pretend again. This morning she’d gone to ask Tang Li for more details, who pledged that he’d give her an answer by this afternoon. But it was already sunset and he still hadn’t returned.

Ning Jing went looking for him all over the place before finally heading for Lady Tang’s, her least favorite place. As her footsteps approached, Tang Li tossed a whip to Lady Tang and said, “Mother, it’ll be fine, so use force.”

Naturally, Tang Li had to delay his agreement with Ning Jing by using extreme methods like these. Lady Tang had agreed to be part of the play, but she couldn't bear to hurt her son once the whip was in her hands. “Son ah, can we just lightly smack you around a bit?” 

“Do you take Ning Jing to be blind? Unless you whip me to death, how will she believe us?” Tang Li said seriously. “Mother, if you can’t steel your heart, then I’ll quit being Tang Clan head if I fail to get her arms trade routes within a year!”

“Then...then you go find your father! Have him beat you up!” Lady Tang grew anxious.

“She’ll only believe it if you’re the one to hit me!” Tang Li said before wresting the whip out of her hands and lashing himself instead. Each strike cut through his skin, leaving a horrific gashes in its wake. Actually, as a practitioner of martial arts, a few lashes like this only left surface cuts. He could take the injuries. 

After whipping his legs a few times, he lashed at his back again until he was bleeding all over, then handed the whip back to his mother. By now, Lady Tang was brimming with tears, but Tang Li actually smiled and said, “Mother, she’s almost here! Hurry up, don’t mess this up! That little slut, I’ll get her for sure!”

Lady Tang looked at her son’s wound-riddled body, then the happy smile on his face, and suddenly felt uneasy in her heart. The brilliance shining from his eyes was all too similar to his father in his youth. It was the kind of sparkle that only showed up when you liked someone else. Lady Tang only hoped that she was seeing things. She gripped the whip and quickly got into character. As she cried, she scolded Tang Li. “You unfilial thing! Wastrel! It’s all my fault for indulging you too much, that’s why you’re so spoiled now!”

“Tang Li, ah, Tang Li. Don’t you know it was our ancestors who passed on the rules that Tang Clan weapons can’t be passed on to outsiders? It’s the very basis of our Tang Clan. Do you know how much trouble you’ll earn the Tang Clan with your terrible idea?”

“This old mother’s telling you now, it’s impossible! Absolutely impossible!”

--

Ning Jing stood by the doorway with arms crossed, listening to the conversation indoors. Her sharp, incisive eyes were currently examining the wounds on Tang Li’s body. 

“Mother, I have to do what I promised Ning Jing! Even if you whip me to death today, I won’t change my mind! I’m the Tang Clan head, not father!” Tang Li raged.

At these words, Lady Tang lashed out viciously at him, breaking another strip of skin. “Unfilial son! You unfilial thing! Even if this old mother kills you today, I won’t let you break the rules of our ancestors!” As she spoke, she whipped him again.

But Ning Jing simply stood there without moving. Lady Tang’s heart was already bleeding from her efforts, but she had no choice but to keep on going.

Would Ning Jing fall for their act?