Roaring Dragon-Chapter 71: Armor and Martial Codex

Moments later, inside the Dan Prince’s estate.

Xie Jinhuan followed Steward Hou through the winding corridors, making his way toward the central structure—the Prince's personal tower.

Steward Hou was as eccentric as ever. Though he only came up to Xie Jinhuan’s chin, his sharp, monkey-like features were so striking they made even Xie look plain by comparison. As they walked, Hou sighed dramatically:

"One generation replaces the last. Twenty years ago, I nursed His Highness into power with my bare hands. Now that I’m getting old, the road ahead... it’s up to you."

Xie Jinhuan glanced at him, a little puzzled.

"But His Highness is already a Yi Zi Bing Jian Wang—a prince equal in rank to the emperor. Where else is there to go?"

Steward Hou fanned himself with a sly grin.

"One more step beyond prince... and naturally, it’s—"

“Hey hey hey!”

Xie Jinhuan had twenty days left to live if things went south; he had no intention of dying early from political conspiracy talk and quickly cut him off.

As they walked and bantered, the seven-story Dan Prince Pavilion appeared in view.

The Prince, having heard that Xie Jinhuan had returned, breathed a sigh of relief and came out to greet him in person, accompanied by Steward Zhu Wenyuan. As soon as he saw Xie approach, his eyes lit up with that “uncle meeting a war hero nephew” expression and hurried down the steps.

“Jinhuan! You’re injured—why would you head out alone? Even if you wanted to slay demons, you should’ve taken guards!”

Faced with this level of welcome, Xie Jinhuan stepped forward and bowed.

“Your Highness overpraises a humble commoner. I truly didn’t expect you to visit yesterday. I'm ashamed to have made you come for nothing...”

“It’s fine, I’m just glad you’re safe.”

The Dan Prince had met many talented young men in his life, but none like Xie Jinhuan—charismatic, capable, with a fierce moral core. He truly wished he could marry his daughter off to him right then and there. But his daughter said it was too fast, so as a father, he couldn't force it... though his gaze was definitely “future son-in-law”-flavored.

“I hear you plan to head to the capital for an investigation? That’s concerning. Your body is your foundation. No matter how useful you are, the court shouldn't burn you out. Rest a few days here at the estate, and you and I can have a good chat—about calligraphy.”

Xie could feel the sincerity behind the words, but some matters couldn't wait. He tactfully refused:

“The Nether God Cult has caused hundreds of deaths in a single stroke. Before I left the mountain, my master taught me quite a bit. The sooner I go, the sooner I may uncover clues and prevent further tragedy. I can move freely now, and traveling with the constables means I’ll be well looked after. No need to worry, Your Highness.”

Everyone in Danyang had seen how brutally efficient Xie was at dealing with evil. The Dan Prince wanted him to rest, but it was clearly a time of crisis. After a long sigh, he said:

“I’d originally planned for you to stay here a few days and head to the capital with my daughter when she goes to pay birthday respects to the Empress.

“But the capital is full of monsters and schemers. It won’t be a short trip...”

Hearing that, Xie Jinhuan’s interest stirred. He needed to find allies, recover his family’s assets—and this sounded like a major case.

“Do you have a specific mission in mind, Your Highness?”

“Not exactly.”

The Prince placed his hands behind his back and led him through the garden.

“According to the records, the Demonification Pill contains traces of a person’s soul. If it isn’t taken quickly, its power fades.

“Taishu Dan refined it here in Danyang. That means the recipient must be nearby.

“Considering how these cultists always seem one step ahead—and know everything about the Prince’s estate and the Li family—I suspect this ‘recipient’ is someone in the capital... and someone in a high position.”

Xie Jinhuan nodded. The Nether God Cult elder clearly wasn’t just some random heretic. He asked:

“Do you have someone specific in mind?”

The Prince hesitated.

“It could be anyone.”

Xie understood. That list included the emperor... and people ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ like Lu Wuzhen.

Yeah, this was definitely a big job.

The Prince continued walking.

“The Nether God Cult planted such a deep mole in the capital—clearly they’re planning something huge.

“I want that person unmasked. But the capital’s court is a tangled web. Everyone looks suspicious, and we have no thread to follow.

“You’re young, but your abilities are outstanding. You might find something others have missed. That’s why I’m sending you with my daughter to the capital—spend some time there.

“If you find something, all the better. If not, just accompany her, meet a few nobles, make connections—it’ll help you down the line.”

Xie Jinhuan had been ambushed three years ago—definitely linked to the Nether God Cult. He already planned to dismantle them. So he said:

“They’ve committed countless crimes. Even if you hadn’t asked, I’d hunt them down.”

“Heh...”

The Dan Prince smiled, clearly pleased.

“Ling’er’s sharp. I trust her. I’ve assigned this matter to her. You two should coordinate.

“To ease your movements, I’m officially granting you the rank of Commandant of the Princess's Household. If you uncover the traitor, I’ll promote you to Regional Marshal of Dan Province.”

The “Commandant of the Princess's Household” was basically the personal elite bodyguard to the Prince’s daughter—akin to the Captain of the Golden Guards in the capital.

And since said princess happened to be his landlady, this was obviously matchmaking disguised as an appointment.

Xie Jinhuan did need some kind of official title to move freely in the capital, and the Prince clearly knew how to win favor. He bowed.

“I thank Your Highness for your generosity.”

“Good, good.”

The Prince, satisfied, waved his hand.

“I have official duties to tend to. Old Hou, take Young Master Xie to the Wen Shu Pavilion to rest.” frёewebnoѵēl.com

“Right away!”

...

A short time later, Xie Jinhuan arrived at a garden-side tower.

The tower was the Prince’s usual place for writing and calligraphy. The walls were lined with paintings and inscriptions—all by the Prince himself.

Xie Jinhuan scanned them, but out of respect, refrained from commenting on the quality. He made his way into a private room behind a peacock screen.

On a lacquered table rested a tray bearing a princely token and a folded garment—shimmering like metal, but light and flexible like silk.

Do Duo, the same palace maid as before, knelt gracefully beside him, her snowy-white curves nearly brushing his face. Her big eyes sparkled with admiration.

“Young Master Xie~ Her Highness will be here soon. Would you like a drink today?”

Xie Jinhuan, aware he was in the Prince’s residence, stared straight ahead.

“I’m injured—better not drink today.”

“Oh~ It must hurt a lot, right?”

Do Duo stood and knelt behind him, hands starting to massage his shoulders.

“I’ll help you relax a bit.”

Xie Jinhuan straightened his back slightly, glancing around.

“Miss Do Duo, this seems... inappropriate?”

“What’s inappropriate about it?”

She leaned forward, chin nearly on his shoulder, her soft pillows brushing his back.

“You’re not disgusted by me, are you? I’ve only ever done this for the Princess—I’ve never touched another man.”

Heh?

Xie Jinhuan hadn’t expected to be teased for once. But with other maids around, he didn’t dare get carried away.

“Of course not. But if Her Highness walks in and sees me getting a massage, she might think I’m the one flirting with the maid—and have me dragged out and executed.”

Right then, footsteps echoed outside the sliding door.

Tap-tap-tap...

Xie Jinhuan gestured for Do Duo to stop.

But she calmly adjusted her posture, pretending to just be dutifully massaging.

Swish—

The door slid open.

Princess Changning entered, wearing a pale gold palace dress. Elegant and poised as ever, her aura screamed “regal big sister.”

“Your Highness.”

Xie Jinhuan tried to rise, but Do Duo kept his shoulders pinned with her kneading. He could only sit there awkwardly.

Fortunately, the Princess didn’t mind. She sat down in front of the peacock screen.

“Let her continue. You’ve done this city a great service, defeating powerful foes and protecting Danyang. You deserve a little comfort.”

“Uh... thank you, Your Highness.”

He accepted the massage. Truth be told—her hands were amazing.

The Princess eyed his complexion carefully.

“How are your injuries?”

He’d taken a spear to the chest, but the wound wasn’t deep. Most of the damage came from overdrawing his power with the Dao Surge Pill.

After two days of top-grade healing at the medical hall, he was mostly just sore.

And now, with Do Duo’s hands at work, even that was fading fast.

“Mostly fine. I should be back to normal in a couple days.”

“Good.”

She gestured toward the table.

“This was personally gifted by my father. It’s the Ice-Scale Armor, crafted by Xu Hunli. It can resist all attacks below first-rank and offers decent protection against elemental magic.”

She continued.

“He also commissioned a custom spear for you. But since it needs to match your technique and cultivation, you’ll need to specify the details—it’ll take some time to finish.”

Xu Hunli was the head of the Armory Institute. His work wasn’t just good—it was top-tier in the empire.

Xie Jinhuan picked up the soft armor. It looked more like a tight, sleeveless undershirt—designed to protect the torso only.

He’d never worn real soft armor before, only enchanted cloth.

Curious, he channeled sword intent into it—and watched it instantly harden, becoming rigid as iron. When the flow ceased, it returned to silky softness.

His eyes lit up. This was a life-saving treasure.

His technique, Panlong Crush, already ignored blunt force. With this, he could negate piercing damage too. That made him practically immune to physical attacks—almost super-tier ready.

But such lavish gifts made it hard to ask for more.

He put the armor down and said tactfully:

“This is too generous. I was just interested in the Longxiang Fuying Formula from the Dan Prince Pavilion. If I could read it...”

Princess Changning replied without hesitation:

“My father’s rewards are yours. As for the formula, I can lend it to you—but you won’t be able to understand it yet.”

“If I can just see it, I’ll be satisfied. If it’s not convenient, I can wait.”

She didn’t mind. Raising a brow slightly, she gave Do Duo a signal.

The maid covered his eyes with her hands.

“Huh?”

He heard a rustle. Judging by the sound, the landlady had just reached into her cleavage to fish something out...

...?

He played dumb. After a moment, the hand lifted away.

Princess Changning, still poised, held out a creamy-white jade token.

“Here.”

He eyed the “milk-scented” token a bit reluctantly.

“What’s this?”

“The Martial Dao Codex.”

“Really?”

He took the warm token and channeled his qi.

Immediately, it responded—forming a faint image of a human body and flowing meridians. It was likely the core diagram of the martial path.

But the details were too fine—his cultivation was too low to grasp it.

The Princess, anticipating this, explained:

“The Martial Ancestor left this divine path for future generations. It starts at super-tier. Techniques below that—rank nine to one—weren’t even worth recording to him.

“You’re only just entering the Divine Qi stage. Your spiritual sense is like a flickering candle—you can’t comprehend the pathways yet.”

He gave it a try, realized it was hopeless, and asked:

“Wait... super-tier is the starting point?”

She nodded.

“In ancient times, martial arts had seven stages: Tempering, Flexing, Divine Qi, Demonbreaking, Dragon Soar, Resonance, and Silent Abyss.

“But as spiritual energy faded, few could reach the upper four.

“To keep people from despairing, the major sects reclassified them—calling the fourth stage ‘Super-Tier’ and splitting the first three into nine ranks.

“The Longxiang Fuying Formula is a compilation of ancient knowledge by the Martial Ancestor. It’s not a manual to follow—it’s a foundation for future generations to forge their own path.”

Xie Jinhuan nodded thoughtfully. It was more than he’d expected.

Unless he reached first-rank, he wouldn’t even be able to study the Codex.

And if he wanted to teach it to Lin Wanyi, she’d have to reach first-rank too. Otherwise, even if he taught it personally, she couldn’t learn it.

“I understand. Once I reach first-rank, I’ll seek your guidance again.”

“With your talent, that won’t take long.”

The Princess paused, then added:

“My father has already instructed me. I’ll enter the capital in two days under the pretense of celebrating the Empress’s birthday. I still need to prepare. As my personal guard, shouldn’t you come with me?”

He only had twenty-one days—couldn’t afford to waste two or three.

“There's a case in the capital. I’ll go first and try to wrap it up in two days. That way, when Your Highness arrives, I can accompany you properly without distractions.”

“You really don’t rest, huh? Fine. Once I’m in the capital, I’ll make sure you’re properly rewarded...”