Chapter 43 Tendon of the Purple-Gold Divine Dragon

The carriage rolled slowly down the street, coming to a halt well in advance whenever it encountered pedestrians to let them pass. Li Xuan had always believed in keeping a low profile; even with his elevated status, arrogance was unacceptable. The foundation of the imperial court's prosperity lay in cherishing its people as if they were its own children.

Inside the carriage, the atmosphere was somewhat heavy, and master and servant remained silent.

Li Xuan licked his lips, swallowed, and asked, "Why aren't you saying anything?"

For a long time, there was no reply from Old Hei. Instead, the large man simply rested his head in his hand and stared blankly at the passersby.

Li Xuan chuckled, patted Old Hei's dragon-like, muscular arm, and said, "Regarding what just happened, not only was I not in the wrong, but I even did everything in my power to be benevolent!"

The Tang family enforced strict family rules. If Li Xuan had not dealt with Tang Yong, he might truly have been subjected to having his tongue cut out, his eyes gouged, and the horrific torture of the human swine.

Old Hei touched his cheek and said, "Old Hei is just a rough man who speaks his mind. Li Xuan... oh no, Young Master..."

Li Xuan's expression darkened, and he reprimanded, "If you call me 'Young Master' again, don't follow me anymore. You and I are brothers who have shared life and death. Do you really want to turn me into a solitary wretch, suffering the cold reality of human indifference?"

Old Hei's blood boiled. The dragon-like sinews on his arms bulged high, and his clenched fists emitted a series of sharp cracks.

Li Xuan continued, "Although I am a matrilocal son-in-law of the Tang family, and even though Tang Ruoxian and I have never truly shared a marriage, I am still half-master here. For my sake if not for yours, I was merely finding a way to exonerate Tang Yong."

Old Hei gave himself a fierce slap across the face and cursed, "What an insensible fool I am, actually daring to anger Brother Li Xuan!"

Old Hei made as to deliver a few more heavy blows, but Li Xuan grabbed his wrist tightly and said, "The so-called wealth and glory are accompanied by undercurrents. A single word can determine the fate of a third-rate family. So you needn't reproach yourself; just follow my lead and learn from now on."

Despite these words, Old Hei had grown up in the Green Leaf Tribe with simple, honest folkways, and goodness knows how many years it would take for him truly to mature.

"Old Hei, someone is coming. Go and purchase some cloth and other supplies, and return in one hour!"

Li Xuan's expression hardened, a strange glint flashing in his eyes.

Old Hei clasped his fists, vaulted out of the carriage, and vanished into the crowd.

At that moment, a voice as shrill as a woman's sounded: "This old slave pays respects to Young Master Li Xuan!"

Old Liu knelt on one knee right in the middle of the street, his expression solemn and filled with reverence.

Li Xuan smiled faintly, leaped down from the carriage immediately, and helped Old Liu up with both hands, saying, "You flatter this junior too much!"

Upon hearing this, Old Liu looked terrified, breaking out in a nervous sweat.

Li Xuan continued, "You are getting on in years. Unless the Grand Princess or members of the imperial court are present, there is no need for such rigid formalities between us. You know my character well enough by now, don't you? I take things as they come; dramatic ups and downs are common. I have cultivated a state of mind as tranquil as an ancient well, remaining utterly serene even in the face of the greatest wealth."

Old Liu chuckled, though he maintained the rigid solemnity of palace protocol. "Young Master Li Xuan has been favored by the late Emperor and bestowed with a marriage decree. If..."

The implication behind Old Liu's words could not have been more obvious.

Throughout history, when empresses held power, there was never more than one supreme ruler.

Gong Jinglin was exceptionally talented, possessing both virtue and ability, but she was a woman after all. The future ruler of the imperial court would ultimately have to rest on Li Xuan's shoulders.

Supporting Old Liu, Li Xuan said, "It is inconvenient to speak here. Let us talk in detail inside the carriage!"

Li Xuan, upholding the principle of respecting the elderly and cherishing the young, helped Old Liu into the carriage and then wove a trace of source energy to completely seal them off from the outside world.

"Young Master Li Xuan is neither impetuous nor rash, remaining modest and valuing principles—truly a rare quality. You genuinely possess the bearing of a true dragon."

Old Liu offered a continuous stream of flattery that made Li Xuan quite embarrassed. He quickly changed the subject, asking, "Old Liu, instead of attending the Grand Princess in the palace, you've come to find me. Could something be wrong with Mo'er or the late Emperor?"

Old Liu smiled faintly, shook his head, and replied, "Under Young Master Li Xuan's treatment, Prince Mo's relapse frequency has been greatly delayed. Nourished by the imperial Qi of the 'Ancient Scroll,' the late Emperor is also full of vigor and frequently thinks of you, his prospective son-in-law."

With Old Liu bringing it up again, Li Xuan flushed red and asked, "Does the Grand Princess have some instructions?"

Old Liu felt a twinge of exasperation, gently tapping Li Xuan on the forehead and scolding in his shrill voice, "You, are you truly going to fail the Grand Princess's deep devotion? Her Highness is thinking of you and hopes you will end these trivial matters soon and come to the palace to accompany her."

Palace chambers had been lonely since ancient times. Thousands of beauties vied for favor, and the struggle for power was fought with hidden blades.

Now that the Grand Princess held immense power and absolute authority, she naturally desired her future husband by her side.

Li Xuan was momentarily at a loss for words. With a mere imperial edict bestowing a marriage, had the Grand Princess genuinely fallen in love with him and insisted he enter the palace to accompany her?

Li Xuan found it hard to believe his own ears. The Grand Princess had grown up in the deep palace, yet she still possessed the passionate, ardent heart of a young maiden.

Old Liu gave Li Xuan a sidelong glance, retrieved a nanmu wood box from his qi reservoir, and said, "The Grand Princess commanded this old slave to give this to you!"

The moment Li Xuan laid eyes on the box, his eyes lit up. He hurriedly opened it and said in shock, "Purple Gold Divine Dragon Tendon?"

Old Liu smiled and nodded. "There are still matters in the palace, so this old slave will take his leave. Remember to enter the palace and accompany Her Highness the Grand Princess."

Li Xuan watched Old Liu depart with a whirlwind of thoughts. Gong Jinglin was truly quick-witted and exceptionally intelligent; knowing he was forging the series Zhuge crossbows, she had sent the Purple Gold Divine Dragon Tendon precisely when he needed it most, instantly resolving his most urgent crisis.

Yet, viewed from another perspective, Gong Jinglin's scheming ran deep.

By now, the Li family was protected by both the Tang family and the imperial court; all secrets were no longer secrets—they simply hadn't exposed them yet, waiting for the crucial moment.

Li Xuan could not help but ponder how to deal with Gong Jinglin. Even his crafting of the series Zhuge crossbows, which could be considered a top-secret endeavor, was crystal clear to her. On the surface, she appeared peerlessly beautiful and touching, but in reality, her desire for power was immense.

At that moment, Old Hei returned as promised. Climbing into the carriage, he began chattering endlessly. When he saw the fierce, murderous aura radiating from the nanmu box, faintly accompanied by the sound of a dragon's roar, he cried out in astonishment, "When did Brother Li Xuan acquire such a treasure?"

Li Xuan replied leisurely, "Just after you left, Old Liu personally brought the Purple Gold Divine Dragon Tendon!"

"The Purple Gold Divine Dragon Tendon!?"

Old Hei widened his eyes, smacked his lips, and slapped his thigh. "With this dragon tendon as the bowstring, the power of the series Zhuge crossbow will definitely be rare in this world!"

Li Xuan tilted his head and said, "Indeed!"

The value of the Purple Gold Divine Dragon Tendon was no less than that of the Obsidian Black Thunder. The perfect combination of these two supreme treasures would unleash formidable might.

To take, one must first give; how could Li Xuan fail to understand such a simple principle of returning a favor?

Gong Jinglin had already sent her dowry to the Li family, and as a return gift, the Li family naturally could not be stingy. This series Zhuge crossbow would be the imperial court's finest betrothal gift.

"Sister-in-law is truly generous, holding nothing back from you, her husband."

Old Hei was filled with envy, jealousy, and frustration, blaming his parents for not making him irresistible to everyone.

"Let's set off!"

What worried Li Xuan most was whether the members of the Green Leaf Tribe had contracted chronic illnesses from refining the Obsidian Black Thunder. If so, he would become a perpetual sinner against the tribe.

Li Xuan and Old Hei set out from the city, winding their way along mountain roads. After a day's journey, the vibrant oasis of the Green Leaf Tribe came into view.

Old Hei felt a nameless surge of excitement, wondering whether Yuezhi was gazing at the night sky at that very moment, sharing the bright moonlight with him across a thousand miles.

Li Xuan teased, "So anxious? Careful not to rush and burn your mouth. To ease your lovesickness, should I adopt Yuezhi as my sister so you won't have to..."

Li Xuan's pupils suddenly contracted. He saw a woman bent over, retching with difficulty.

Old Hei rushed forward, supported Ning萱 (Ning Xuan), and asked, "Sister, what's wrong with you?"

Li Xuan's heart sank. The premonition had come true; the Obsidian Black Thunder possessed powerful radiation, and vomiting was merely an early symptom.

Li Xuan personally checked Ning Xuan's pulse. His expression shifted unpredictably, confirming his worst suspicions.

After vomiting, Ning Xuan coughed violently. The radioactive material accumulated in her body had already reached a certain concentration.

Noticing Li Xuan's expression, Old Hei blurted out, "Sister Ning Xuan, could you be with child? I'm so happy for old Zhu..."

However, Old Hei immediately froze. Old Zhu had been away with him for a whole year and had died upon their return. Even with a pig's brain, one could figure out that Ning Xuan couldn't be experiencing morning sickness, unless...

"Impossible... impossible..."

Old Hei shook his head, gazing at Ning Xuan with a puzzled expression. Adultery was something that could never happen among the members of the Green Leaf Tribe.

Ning Xuan's brows flushed red with anxiety, and she chided reproachfully, "Big Brother Old Hei, what are you talking about?"

Ning Xuan's face was as pale as paper, but a smile hung on her lips as she looked at the infant still in swaddling clothes. "Young Master Li Xuan, you're here too. Don't listen to that charcoal-burner Old Hei's nonsense. Come, I'll make you some brine tofu!"

However, Li Xuan immediately said, "Old Hei, brew the medicine! Follow the formula: ten bowls of water boiled down to one!"

With a flash of movement, Li Xuan tapped a finger against Ning Xuan's waist and said, "Sister-in-law, offense taken!"

channeling his source energy into Ning Xuan's body, a ripple of water energy swept through, slowly approaching the radioactive material of the Obsidian Black Thunder. Suddenly, thunder rumbled within, but it was suppressed by the following waves of water energy.

That radiation erupted with astonishing might, clashing violently within the water ripples.

Li Xuan did not dare to breathe a single heavy breath, terrified that Ning Xuan might not withstand the impact of his source energy and injure her body. He could only proceed meticulously, acting out of urgent necessity to extract the Obsidian Black Thunder radiation bit by bit from her body using his water-type source energy.

After a full two hours of channeling his energy, Li Xuan was left pale-faced with exhaustion. He instructed Old Hei to have Ning Xuan drink the herbal concoction.

Old Hei gazed intently at Li Xuan, who then stated, "No more mining of the Obsidian Black Thunder!"

Ning Xuan felt anxious, and Old Hei cried out in shock, "Why?"