Roaring Dragon-Chapter 22: Possession?

Xie Jinhuan returned alone to Qingquan Alley, carrying a small bundle — some snacks he had picked up for Meiqiu along the way.

Thanks to the unexpected fortune he’d gotten off Fu Dongping, he didn’t have to worry about food or clothes for a while. He even bought himself a new outfit.

When he got back to the house, Xie Jinhuan vaulted over the white wall, intending to check if Lin Wanyi had finished detoxifying, but after a few steps, he immediately sensed something off.

The house was too quiet, like no one was there. The main house door was even left open.

Frowning, Xie Jinhuan placed his hand on his Tiangang Mace and crept to the main entrance. Everything inside was in place — except Lin Wanyi was gone.

The maid who had been left to keep her company was now crouched in a corner, back facing him, forehead pressed against the wall, showing no sign of getting up to greet him.

"Meiqiu?"

"Goo!"

Meiqiu mumbled, refusing to turn around. It seemed like she hadn’t eaten for a while and was ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) sulking.

Seeing this, Xie Jinhuan immediately understood: Lin Wanyi hadn’t fed her.

He grabbed the box of meat jerky and shook it:

"Cluck cluck cluck~"

"Goo-gee?!"

Meiqiu whipped around 180 degrees, her big round eyes full of disbelief — like she was thinking: You think I'm a chicken?! You’re just gonna starve me to death?!

With no choice, Xie Jinhuan placed the jerky on the table for Meiqiu to eat on her own, then stepped outside to look around.

He thought maybe Lin Wanyi had grown impatient and gone home already, but he soon noticed the bathroom door was tightly shut, with faint traces of movement and aura inside.

Xie Jinhuan walked up to the door and called softly:

"Miss Lin?"

A response came immediately from inside:

"Come in."

Without thinking much, Xie Jinhuan pushed the door open.

Creak—

What he saw made him freeze.

A dress was hanging from a clothes rod.

And there, soaking in the bath barrel, was the stunning Lin Wanyi — black hair cascading down her back...

Click—

Xie Jinhuan instinctively slammed the door shut, glanced left and right to make sure he was at his own house, then cautiously opened the door a crack again — it was still Lin Wanyi inside.

His face twisted in disbelief:

"Miss Lin, what are you doing? You called me in while you’re bathing? Let me be clear — even if I look, I won’t marry you out of guilt, and it’s not on purpose..."

"Heh~ so thick-skinned. Last night you practically shoved your hand into my chest, and now you’re playing the gentleman?"

Last night?

Xie Jinhuan wracked his brain — he definitely hadn’t snuck any peeks last night.

Just as he was confused, a shocking realization hit him:

"Ye Hongshang?! You possessed her?!"

"It’s not possession, just ghostly possession. If you don't come in, I'll get out myself."

Still half-suspicious, Xie Jinhuan thought: even if the demoness took over Lin Wanyi’s body, she shouldn’t have much power.

Originally, he thought it might be one of those "seductive witch tempts young hero" scenarios. Finding out it was Ye Hongshang messing around made him speechless. He quickly shut the door:

"At least put some clothes on first! I don't care if you’re a ghost or whatever, but why the hell are you taking a bath?"

"I’m covering my chest. You can't see anything..."

Splash—

While they chatted, he heard water splashing and rustling from inside.

He waited until another voice came:

"All done."

Only then did Xie Jinhuan cautiously push the door open.

Creak—

Looking up, he saw the beauty still soaking in the bath barrel.

This time she had sunk deeper into the water, with a white towel draped across her chest.

Her pale feet rested lazily on the other side of the tub, her sitting posture bold and commanding — paired with Lin Wanyi’s natural poise, she looked just like a cold beauty CEO interviewing boy-toys in her private spa.

Damn...

Seeing the sight, Xie Jinhuan didn’t even dare approach:

"What nonsense are you up to now? Is she alright?"

Ye Hongshang leaned lazily against the tub, flicking water with her fingers:

"I’m checking her cultivation method. It looks like someone tampered with it, causing her yin and yang to become unbalanced, making her extremely vulnerable to demonic influence.

That's how I easily got inside."

"Tampered with?"

Xie Jinhuan frowned. "You mean someone’s scheming against her?"

Ye Hongshang shook her head:

"Lin Wanyi is too young. Nobody would go to such trouble. It’s more likely that the problem came from her grandmaster’s generation — bad foundation from the top."

Xie Jinhuan didn’t know where Lin Wanyi had learned her shady cultivation technique.

Since she didn't want him meddling, he wasn’t going to force it. He thought for a moment:

"So she’s not in immediate danger?"

"For now, no. But she has no resistance to demonic forces. She could easily get corrupted."

"Good enough."

Xie Jinhuan urgently needed pills to boost his strength. As long as Lin Wanyi could hold on for a while, everything else could wait.

Ye Hongshang, having finished her report, suddenly asked:

"Xie Jinhuan, what did you think when you first saw me?"

Xie Jinhuan felt this was an odd question. He thought back:

"Almost scared me to death."

"Anything else?"

"Uh... what a huge rack!"

"...Huh?"

Ye Hongshang looked confused.

Xie Jinhuan didn’t dare explain just how shocking it was to see a sixteen-foot-tall demoness with enormous assets, so he waved it off:

"Save your tricks. Can’t you ask these stupid questions at night?"

"You can’t touch me at night."

Ye Hongshang shifted slightly, causing the towel over her chest to strain and reveal breathtaking curves:

"Want to touch? I’ll keep it secret."

"...?"

Xie Jinhuan wasn’t ashamed to admit he liked beautiful women.

But if he was going to touch someone, it should be Lin Wanyi herself — not a ghost using her body!

"That’s her body. If you want me to touch you, come over in your real body — I won't hold back."

"Heh~ I’m way bigger than this girl. You sure you can handle it?"

Xie Jinhuan, who had already noticed Lin Wanyi’s formidable figure, figured if Ye Hongshang was claiming to be even bigger, she must be talking about her full sixteen-foot size.

He was about to joke about it, but suddenly heard the rumbling of wagon wheels outside:

Clatter clatter...

The sound came closer and stopped right outside the gate.

Xie Jinhuan frowned. He thought maybe Yang Dabiao and the others had come again, but then he heard knocking and a sweet, youthful voice:

"Auntie~ Auntie~?"

"...?"

Hearing the familiar voice of the "Poison-Handed Medicine Girl," Xie Jinhuan's heart jumped.

He turned to look at the beauty still soaking in the tub:

"Hurry up! That girl’s here! Don’t get me in trouble! If she thinks I took advantage of her aunt, and poisons me out of spite, I’ll throw you in the latrine!"

Ye Hongshang looked annoyed but obediently sank into the water, pretending to be unconscious...

...

In Qingquan Alley.

A carriage with a wooden plaque marked ‘Lin’ stopped outside the courtyard.

The bodyguard Jia Zheng, still impressed by Xie Jinhuan's earlier heroics, whispered respectfully:

"Miss, Young Master Xie isn’t an ordinary person. Please be polite later. Don't poison him."

Lin Zisu had rushed over from the academy upon hearing her aunt was in trouble.

Wearing a water-blue uniform skirt, white trousers, and white shoes, she looked clean, spirited, and bright:

"I know, I know. If I scare him off, Auntie will cry her eyes out for sure..."

"Shhh~"

As they waited, footsteps sounded from inside:

Tap tap...

Then the door swung open, and a handsome white-robed young man appeared.

Though brave enough to rush over, Lin Zisu was still a bit shy about visiting uninvited. She quickly bowed:

"Greetings, Young Master Xie."

Seeing the Poison-Handed Medicine Girl, Xie Jinhuan forced a polite smile:

"Miss Zisu? What brings you here?"

"I heard my aunt was poisoned. I came to check on her."

As she spoke, Lin Zisu peered into the courtyard:

"My aunt’s inside?"

"Uh..."

Xie Jinhuan wasn’t sure if the demoness had hidden herself properly yet. He couldn’t just say he hadn’t seen Lin Wanyi, so he answered:

"She's recovering well. Detoxifying this morning drained her strength, so she’s resting.

I just got back from handling a case with the constables."

"Is that so?" Lin Zisu, worried about her aunt, started walking toward the house:

"Which room is she in? I’ll go take a look."

Xie Jinhuan froze, hesitating whether to stop her — when from the back courtyard came a frantic voice:

"Zisu?! You’re here? D-Don’t come in yet!"

Splash—

The sound of frantic water splashing combined with the panicked voice made it all the more suspicious.

The three people at the door fell silent.

Xie Jinhuan, recognizing that it was the real Lin Wanyi speaking, quietly breathed a sigh of relief — though his face showed a trace of awkwardness.

Lin Zisu's bright eyes widened slightly.

She retracted her foot that had just crossed the threshold, hesitated, then coughed lightly:

"I heard Young Master Xie fought a demon just now. Are you hurt?"

"No big deal. Please, Miss Zisu, come in."

"No need... If I go in and see something... awkward... um, I’ll just stay here..."

"Uh..."