My Gentle and Pure Sect Leader Husband - Chapter 73

The Luocha Sect’s Leader looked down from his seat, where the three Guardian Elders were positioned below—they were Guzhu, Kusong, and Hanmei who had died in the Central Plains.

The Guardian Elders weren’t always the same three people. Since Yu Luocha had established the sect, Kusong and Hanmei had been replaced three or four times due to deaths, but Guzhu, the head elder, had always remained the same person.

The frustration of lying low for over a decade, subordinate to someone much younger than himself, was enough to transform him into a decrepit old man who was no longer willing to restrain himself and wait.

Guzhu had met Yu Luocha early enough to be one of the few people in the Luocha Sect who had seen the Sect Leader’s true form.

“What exactly happened? How did that Central Plains princess know about the Luocha Sect?!” Guzhu’s face looked extremely unpleasant. “And what about Granny Gu who was sent to the Central Plains to intercept and kill the princess of the marriage alliance? Has there still been no news from her?”

The person who had just replaced Elder Hanmei was a beautiful woman.

Yet there wasn’t a trace of seductive charm about her. True to her title of Hanmei, her skin was as white as snow-covered plum blossoms, and she had the gentle composure of a delicate flower by the water. When she remained silent, her eyes seemed to hold back words, giving off a fragile impression like flower petals trembling in cold wind.

She was a woman who possessed the superficial beauty of plum blossoms without their unyielding backbone. Unlike the cold, aloof qualities one might expect, she indeed made it easier for people to lower their guard.

“Granny Gu has surely died. After all, the Sect Leader personally went to the capital to propose marriage. If she had encountered the Sect Leader while trying to capture the princess, how could she have survived?” Hanmei raised her hand to cover a smile, taking out a folded drawing paper from her sleeve. “Rather than worrying about this, Great Elder, why not pay attention to this instead?”

Guzhu sneered. “I know you had a grudge against Granny Gu, but our sect is at a critical moment now. I’ll let it pass this time, but if you dare to cause trouble again, just as I could promote you to the Elder position, I can also return you to your original form.”

This woman wasn’t highly skilled in martial arts, but she had exceptional talent for bewitching people. Though not particularly wise or strategic, her methods were ruthless and deadly regardless of means. After being disciplined, she became a reliable and useful blade.

Taking the drawing paper Hanmei handed over, Guzhu unfolded it to see a portrait of a woman with striking eyes, elegant and dignified—truly the epitome of a proper princess in the eyes of the world.

“Princess Qu Ya?” Guzhu immediately recognized who was depicted in the portrait.

“The Sect Leader wouldn’t have sought to marry a Central Plains royal princess without reason. Great Elder must have heard the rumors circulating in the capital. Combined with those rumors, this humble one has some conjectures about this princess.”

No matter what plans this woman discussed, her demeanor and tone always remained gentle and pure.

“The Sect Leader must have been seriously injured during the gold needle sealing acupoints technique and was saved by the princess. As a man, naturally he would develop feelings for an extremely beautiful woman after spending days and nights together. Once the Sect Leader fell in love, he wouldn’t allow this woman to marry anyone else, which is why he was willing to utilize the long-hidden Loulan forces to propose marriage to the princess.”

Guzhu’s expression changed slightly as Hanmei spoke; he had already thought of something.

“But no matter how skilled this princess’s medical techniques may be, she could only treat the Sect Leader’s external injuries. For the Sect Leader to have taken such a risk by having his internal energy completely sealed to use this method, there must have been some complication with his cultivation technique.” Hanmei said softly, “Therefore, this humble one suspects that the Sect Leader will not remain by this princess’s side for long, and the fact that the princess immediately departed for Loulan after the marriage was settled confirms my suspicions.”

“It was also thanks to the Sect Leader bringing Loulan back into the world’s view that this humble one found a breakthrough, gaining insight into Loulan City, which had previously been impenetrable to our spies.”

Thinking of the Western Regions man who held power in Loulan but had submitted to a woman, Hanmei’s eyes curved upward slightly, finally revealing a touch of alluring charm.

Guzhu was certainly aware of Hanmei’s recent activities, and a glint flashed in his eyes.

In the Luocha Sect, as long as one survived and achieved their goals, they were considered capable. Men and women each had their methods, with no distinction between high and low—the strong ruled.

“You’ve received news about the Sect Leader?”

“Loulan has been fortified into an impregnable fortress, and no one dares reveal the true identity or whereabouts of their High Priest. However, men are always more talkative in bed.” Hanmei laughed softly. “He didn’t dare provide a portrait of the Sect Leader, but he drew the princess’s likeness for me and also told me about something seemingly insignificant that we can exploit.”

“The Sect Leader only appeared at the wedding ceremony with the princess, and no one has seen him since the following day,” she said meaningfully. “And the information that the Loulan High Priest is the Luocha Sect Leader was discovered by this princess from within Loulan. As we know, Loulan being under Luocha’s protection is not a well-kept secret.”

Guzhu also smiled. “…So, why can’t the real Sect Leader be with us here?”

Guzhu emphasized the word “real” slightly.

“The task of welcoming this Sect Leader’s Wife back to the sect will be entrusted to you.” A hint of malice flashed in Guzhu’s eyes. “That useless boy offended someone of unknown identity for the sake of male beauty and is now seriously injured and unconscious. This Sect Leader’s Wife has appeared at a very opportune time.”

A genuine widow would make a more legitimate target to inherit the Luocha Sect than a young leader who had never received the Sect Leader’s teachings since childhood.

“By the way, have you found that assassin who claimed to be the Crown Prince of the King of Taiping?”

“They’re on the southern back mountain, three little mice making trouble, but they can’t do much.”

“No rush to deal with them.” Guzhu raised his hand to stroke his completely white beard, narrowing his eyes. “They’ll be perfect for testing this Sect Leader’s Wife’s capabilities.”

……

Meanwhile, in Loulan City, Agha sneezed heavily.

The dark-skinned fox who usually indulged in all pleasures except for respectable men and women put down the Loulan internal affairs documents and stretched his back.

Exhausting.

Oh right, calculating the time, the Luocha Sect should have sent people out by now, right?

Hmm, I should add some insurance to Ah Yu’s new identity… I’ll write a letter to Mei’er; the eagle flies faster than sand ships.

Agha lazily yawned, pulled out a piece of paper, and began writing a string of ambiguous, flirtatious sentiments.

****

The Luocha Sect sent a giant sand ship to receive Yan Hongyin, pulled by wolf packs and flying eagles across the smooth sandy terrain, traveling a thousand miles in a day was no exaggeration.

But those who came with orders to receive the Sect Leader’s Wife were all dumbfounded when they saw the handsome male companion by her side.

——No one would have thought that any woman would dare to openly bring a male companion right after marrying the Luocha Sect Leader.

Yet the woman before them had done exactly that, and had done so conspicuously, without any intention to conceal it.

“Aren’t we departing yet?” Though not wearing excessive adornments, the princess with an unmistakable aura spoke coldly, with undisguised displeasure on her face.

The man in blue clothing beside her, holding a jade flute, immediately leaned closer to the princess and laughed softly. “Your Majesty, please don’t be angry. The journey is tedious; would you like Di’er to play a tune to cheer you up?”

The princess’s expression softened slightly, and as she reclined on the noble couch, she pulled the male companion to sit close beside her. Casually holding his hand and caressing it gently, she said indifferently, “Di’er is always so considerate and pleasing. How could I bear to let others enjoy your effort? It would be too taxing for you.”

The man smiled even more sweetly, and with the princess’s tacit permission, reached out to massage her body as she closed her eyes to rest.

The Luocha Sect members watching all had subtle expressions and hardly dared to speak.

Their gazes swept over the two teams of guards the princess had brought aboard the sand ship. In silence, they exchanged glances, and finally, the leader made a decision, gesturing with his eyes for the maidservants to attend to them well before turning to go steer the ship.

Their orders were simply to respectfully welcome the Madam back to the sect. As for how many people would return with her or who accompanied her, that wasn’t something for minor characters like them to worry about.

……

Several days later

After entering Luocha Sect territory, the sand ship stopped. Yan Hongyin and Yu Luocha were ceremoniously welcomed onto a carriage, seemingly with the intention of inspecting the Luocha Sect.

Yu Luocha snorted with laughter. “They want to let all the sect members know that a valuable person has arrived.”

In his hand, he toyed with a jade badge carved with Sanskrit and deities, repeatedly poking Yan Hongyin’s hand with it. “Does Ah Yin want to add more stakes to make this game more interesting?”

Yan Hongyin unceremoniously tucked the Luocha badge into her robe, her gaze constantly falling on the houses and scenery on both sides, as well as the people with various expressions.

The Luocha Sect was somewhat similar to Loulan City. The people here came from different places, with more Central Plains faces.

Not everyone gathered here was engaged in bloody occupations. Many had formed families, built houses, cultivated land at the foot of the Kunlun Mountains, and even started businesses.

Yan Hongyin even spotted a familiar pawnshop, clearly one of Yu Luocha’s bases in Lin’an Prefecture.

“What are you looking at so intently?” Yu Luocha was deeply immersed in playing his new identity, his face constantly wearing an expression of tender affection and subservience. Those eyes, changed in color, also contained much less flamboyance.

“I’m looking at this Luocha Sect, which is indeed temptingly prosperous.” Yan Hongyin withdrew her gaze and turned to Yu Luocha, raising her hand to touch the corner of his eye. “Are your eyes still uncomfortable?”

Yu Luocha’s original eye color was too uncommon. Although information leakage from Loulan residents was rare, for the sake of a complete performance, Yan Hongyin and Wang Lianhua had devised a method to temporarily change Yu Luocha’s eye color. However, the medicine dropped into his eyes to form a film was inevitably uncomfortable.

“It’s fine; it will be gone after we finish this performance.” Yu Luocha performed the role of a favored lover to perfection, somehow managing to display a certain bearing in his demeanor that seemed distinctly like that of a Central Plains gentleman, though it wasn’t clear where he had learned it. “The sect is wealthy? How can you tell?”

They spoke in extremely low voices, so low that even someone with high martial arts skills could not hear them from a distance.

“Look there,” Yan Hongyin’s fingertip pointed toward a woman selling steamed buns on the street, causing the woman who had been glancing this way to stiffen her back. “The famous Human Meat Bun Xi Shi, with a bounty of fifty taels of gold.”

“And that one,” her fingertip moved to the seemingly honest general goods merchant next to the bun stall, “the murderer in several sexual assault and homicide cases in Lin’an Prefecture. All victims were young masters from good families. By now, the bounty has rolled up to three hundred taels of gold.”

“That one, two hundred taels.”

“This one, five hundred taels.”

“The one who just walked by, four hundred taels, with a rich merchant adding a thousand mu of good farmland.”

“Oh, and this one coming toward the carriage.” Yan Hongyin’s tone was somewhat admiring. “This one is worth the most, a full thousand taels of gold.”

Yu Luocha: “……”

“Although I’ve seen many situations, this scene of bounties walking everywhere is a first for me.” Yan Hongyin raised her hand in appreciation, giving the Luocha Sect Leader sitting beside her a look of awe. “So this is the Western Regions Luocha Sect… truly extraordinary.”

Yu Luocha knew that those who sought refuge in the Luocha Sect were not good people, but he was genuinely speechless at Yan Hongyin’s method of evaluation. He said woodenly, “Small silver and money… Wife remembers quite in detail.”

Yan Hongyin swept a glance at him and said calmly, “Doctor Yan always needs money when traveling, and Yan Hong Hall used to support many people, so additional income is necessary.”

Additional income meaning using her Jinyiwei identity to collect valuable bounties, and then using Yan Hongyin’s identity to cash in on those bounties?

After a good while, Yu Luocha quietly asked, “May I ask Wife, what is the value of the bounty on the Luocha Sect Leader?”