Chapter 156: Shizun’s great riding skills

Chu Wanning looked at her up and down. Before in Xuanyuan Pavilion, he felt that this person had a state of disposition of topping nations. At this moment, he looked up close, and she was even more beautiful like a lotus flower, blooming under the bright sunshine reflecting the sun, and her ebony hair seemed to shine brightly. The area surrounding her had this glowing aura. She was indeed stunning on earth, no wonder Nangong Si liked her. As he thought of this, he could not help but stealthily glance at Mo Ran, wondering how he would react. Unexpectedly, he glanced, but his eyes met Mo Ran’s. Mo Ran didn’t look at Song Qiutong at all. It was as if Nangong Si was standing next to thin air. He was staring at him instead. Mo Ran smiled gently when their gazes met. Chu Wanning was stunned by his gaze, but he was still pretending to be calm. He exchanged a glance with Mo Ran for a moment before turning his gaze away indifferently. “Xiaoyue courtyard is filled with many demonic wolves. The most valiant one is Naobaijin. I also like it the most.” Nangong Si led the crowd to the center of the empty meadow, took out the jade flute that was carried around his waist, and blew three urgent whistles. After a moment of silence, in the distance, a gust of wind blew from all directions in the distant forest, and a snow-white figure leapt out of the forest like lightning. Almost only in the blink of an eye, a demon wolf with gleaming hair and golden claws leaped into the air, it’s body drawn in a smooth arc. It uttered a howl of “Awoo-”, which reflected the cold and desolate winter sky. And then leaned back down and stopped firmly in front of Nangong Si. “Awooo!” Nangong Si stepped forward and stroked its fluffy neck, turned his head and smiled, “Chu-Zongshi, look, it has already grown so big. When you left, it was still a little kid.” “The year I left, he was already as tall as a grown man.” Chu Wanning said indifferently. “Haha, is it? I always thought it was small and a cub.” “...” “Chu-Zongshi, come ride and see.” As Nangong Si spoke, he blew his flute again, summoning the two snow-white demon wolves from the woods, “Mo-zongshi, are you here to ride as well?” The three of them jumped onto the back of the demon wolf. Nangong Si said, “Grasp the rope or neck hair, and clamp the legs. It’s almost the same as riding a horse.” After he finished speaking, he lowered his head and said to Song Qiutong, “Qiutong, ride with me. I’ll take you with me.” Chu Wanning originally thought that he would not be able to do it, but stepping onto the back of the demon wolf and trying to walk a few steps, he found it easy. Even more so because the demon wolf was very spiritual and could clearly understand the rider’s mind, it was better and easier than controlling ordinary horses. Nangong Si laughed, “How about it? Run a lap?” “Can I go anywhere here?” “Anywhere is fine. Feel free to run around the forest garden at the back of the mountain or the Xiaoyue courtyard.” Mo Ran smiled and said, “Is this going to be a game?” “Give it a try.” Chu Wanning glanced at Nangong Si who was riding Song Qiutong on the demon wolf, thinking that this was an opportunity to enhance the feelings of the couple, and he readily agreed. Nangong Si smiled and removed a spirit stone bracelet from his wrist, and said: “In this case, we will first run to Ganquan Lake to the north of Lin Yuan and catch the five Groupers in it. The first person to return here will win. How about this chain as a prize for the winner?” [TL/N: Groupers are a type of fish.] “Seven-star spirit stone chain, Young Master Nangong is too lavish.” “It’s hard to buy it with a thousand taels of gold, I’m happy.” Nangong Si tightened his grip on the rope, then lowered his head to say to Song Qiutong, “Sit firmly, don’t fall. If you want to run fast, just tell me.” Mo Ran glanced at Song Qiutong, smiled and said, “I’m afraid that Young Master Nangong’s chain can be taken out in advance.” “Ha, belittling me. I grew up on a wolf’s back. Not to mention bringing one more person, even if I brought one more, it would be a trivial thing. Let’s go. I’ll count to three and two, then start.” “Three, two — one!” As soon as the voice faded, three snow-white figures shot out like feather arrows piercing through the forest. They stepped into the grassland in Xiaosha, and instantly jumped to the hunting court at the end, disappearing into the depths of the dense forest. Chu Wanning slowed down at the beginning and followed behind Nangong Si and Song Qiutong, but then Song Qiutong’s screams came rushing towards him from time to time. After listening to it for a long time, his ears were tired, and he couldn’t bear the girl’s cries. He couldn’t help but speed up and surpass them. With the sudden cry of “Zongshi, slow down!” behind him, Chu Wanning gradually felt some pleasure in riding a demon wolf. This kind of beast was so intelligent that he only needed to move his fingertips a little and Naobaijin could understand his intentions and react immediately. It was no wonder that Nangong Si used to care so much for these animals. The winter wind came, but he didn’t feel the cold. Chu Wanning raised his head and looked at the scattered and mottled sunlight that fell in front of him. It was a continuous, self-sufficient, and unending stream of sunlight that flowed like a torrent, rolling far away in the distance, he couldn’t help but laugh. He felt that this rush was a joyous one, so he urged his onyx blonde wolf’s feet to run wildly, his wolf claws stepped on the thick coniferous forest and raised the billowing clouds of dust. Behind him, Mo Ran, who was riding the black clawed demon wolf, followed closely from the beginning to the end. In that split-second, a sense of inexplicable comfort and relief arose in Chu Wanning’s heart. Suddenly, he felt not so sure that he finally had the power to move forward arbitrarily. It seemed that no matter where he went, there would be such footsteps behind him. Such a person would reverberate continuously and never separate. Chu Wanning arrived at Ganquan Lake almost at the same time as Mo Ran, where it was full of the blue waves. The lake was as clear as a calabash, rich in water and spirit energy, nourished by the spirit flow on both sides of the lake, the trees and flowers were not affected by the four seasons, the orange trees in the winter were still lush with leaves, countless golden fruits were hidden behind the dark green leaves, the wind was filled with a sweet citrus fragrance. He landed firmly on the ground. Chu Wanning looked around and said, “It’s quite a nice place with a lot of beautiful landscapes.” Mo Ran holding onto the black clawed demon wolf, walked over, and asked with a smile: “Shizun likes it? Then when we go back we can plant a lot of fruit trees at Sisheng peak, keep it nourished with spiritual energy all year round, and pick it whenever you want to eat.” Chu Wanning gave a “hmph” which was non-committal and walked to the lakeside, raising his hand to call Tianwen. Seeing that something was wrong, Mo Ran stopped him and asked, “What are you doing?” “Catching the fish.” “... Shizun shouldn’t be thinking of using Wind and wringing all the fish out of the lake, right?” “What are you thinking about?” Chu Wanning glared at him and tossed the golden vine into the lake with his hands and then said lightly towards the lake, “Are any of you tired of living? Those who wish to take the bait.” After saying this three times, Chu Wanning retracted Tianwen. On its golden leaves, there were actually some chubby fishes that looked up to the sky with their white eyes and spit bubbles. Chu Wanning took a look and asked Mo Ran, “Did he say he wanted the Grouper?” “Yes.” “...Do you know what the Grouper looks like?” After Chu Wanning finished speaking, he felt that asking this question would be a bit of a detour, so he simply picked up the whole Tianwen and lifted up all the fishes for Mo Ran to see, “Are there any in these?” “... it’s better if I capture it for Shizun.” After that, Mo Ran caught ten fish and placed them in the Cosmic Bag by the two demon wolves’ necks. Chu Wanning took the few fish that “don’t want to live” that he had just caught, and put them back in the water lightly and said, “Life is too short, so I’ll have to trouble you all to endure a little longer.” Hearing such a sentence, Mo Ran felt that this man was both funny and cute. He put down the last Grouper and turned around to see Chu Wanning walking towards the shore from the edge of the Frost Jade Pool. The lake water was flowing behind him, immersing his white figure in gentleness and haziness. Suddenly, he had a strong desire in his heart, he wanted to walk over in stride, hold Chu Wanning in his arms, want to be intimate with him, want to touch him gently, and crush him, want to pull him into the orange grove, press him against the tree, lift his legs and invade him indefinitely and brutally. He watched as Chu Wanning got closer and closer to him. He was surprised to find that his desire was so contradictory and so strong that the softest and toughest kind of karma could even be born from a monarch. Love, love. Isn’t that what it looks like? Hard heat is the fiery fierce blade that cuts you open. Gentleness is the tenderness that envelops you. “Nangong Si is truly...” Chu Wanning, however, did not notice the uncertainty in Mo Ran’s eyes. He walked up to him and checked the Cosmic Bag on Naobaijin’s neck, “He brought a girl with him, running so slowly.” “Maybe he’s doing something else.” Mo Ran felt his head burning. His wolf-like eyes were fixed on the bare white neck of Chu Wanning when he lowered his head. His abdomen was burning as he murmured in such a deep voice without thinking. Chu Wanning was stunned, “Doing what?” “...” Mo Ran finally reacted and felt like he had misspoken. He coughed dryly hoping that he didn’t go too far, “It’s nothing.” Chu Wanning, on the other hand, thought about it. His eyes widened suddenly as he squinted them dangerously, and angrily said, “What are you thinking about?! Get on the horse and go back!” Mo Ran moved his lips, wanting to say, “It’s not a horse, it’s a wolf.” But looking at Chu Wanning’s sullen face and flushed ears, he swallowed his words. He watched with some regret as Chu Wanning swiftly rode on Naobaijin, riding with unparalleled grace and beauty. He could not help but crave for more, he thought, if only Chu Wanning were his man, he would have been too weak to get on the horse or the wolf’s back, so he could only get into his arms. Then he was shocked and guilty at the thought immediately, and he shook his head subconsciously. This action happened to be seen by Chu Wanning. He asked, “What’s the matter? Why did you shake your head? Did I say something wrong?” “No, no. Shizun taught me the correct. I was thinking too much.” However, he was not thinking about the ridiculous things that had happened between Nangong Si and Song Qiutong. The person I am thinking of is you… Then, he thought, “Sigh, if only I could break the legs of that Naobaijin. That way, even if Chu Wanning had no wolf to ride, and maybe he would appreciate his face, and might be willing to ride that black clawed wolf of his.” He really wanted to hug him again, like a person on the verge of death due to thirst, missing the sweet dew that he had once defiled by himself… While Mo Ran was still indulged in these lingering thoughts, he followed Chu Wanning back to the Xiaoyue Courtyard where he saw Song Qiutong and Nangong Si already waiting. Song Qiutong was sitting on the ground, her jade-like ankles stretched out with blood stains on them. It turned out that she was only halfway through running and had forgotten that Nangong Si had warned her to tighten her leg. Therefore, her skin was cut through by the thorns. Even though it was only a minor injury, Nangong Si still wouldn’t let her go and brought her back to bandage it early. Mo Ran glanced at her legs and feet. They could be considered beautiful, but compared to Chu Wanning, they were far behind nothing. It was a shame that he still liked Song Qiutong’s feet in his previous life. Really blind. Right now, he felt that everything about Chu Wanning was perfect, whether he was looking horizontally or looking vertically, even his always cold and emotionless eyes that felt proud and reserved, that was his temperament, Chu Wanning should be like that. He was so pretty, so very pretty. Especially when he saw him glaring, scolding, or rolling his eyes at him, he felt overjoyed. “I am willing to admit defeat in the bet.” Nangong Si was very exasperated. He casually handed over the gold chain to Chu Wanning at his own will, “Here, this is for Zongshi.” Chu Wanning looked at the chain and said, “Seven star spirit stones are good for nourishing the spiritual cores, I really need it, thank you very much.” Hearing this, Mo Ran did not feel good and inexplicably muttered, “Next time, I’ll buy you a better one.” “What?” Chu Wanning did not hear him clearly and turned back to look at him. Mo Ran saw his pair of phoenix eyes that were so close to him, and the clear reflection of his face in his eyes. The distance between them made the astringent feeling in his heart slightly fade. Mo Ran said with a smile, “I said, the next time I see something more suitable for Shizun, I will buy it for Shizun.” “Alright.” Chu Wanning agreed without hesitation, which made Mo Ran even more happy. He even went so far as to look at Nangong Si, who didn’t care about this at all. He was still competing with him, triumphantly wanting to let him know, Shizun would politely thank you for taking your things, but not mine for taking mine. Look, he wasn’t even distancing himself from me. Chu Wanning said: “Just remember to ask the boss to give you the bill, and I’ll give you the money at that time.” Mo Ran: “......” Ten freshwater Groupers were taken out of the Cosmic bag. Nangong Si took them to the hunting cabin on the side of Xiaoyue courtyard. There was a gray-black furnace outside, and pots and pans were all available, but the cabin looked old and mottled, which didn’t seem like it was built at the same time as the magnificent pasture. Chu Wanning’s fingertips brushed over the fence, stopping in front of a bundle of rope tied to the fence. The ropes had experienced countless winds and rain, and they no longer looked as gorgeous as it did before. Nangong Si took the seasoning and came out of the wooden house. Seeing Chu Wanning looking at the rope, he smiled and said, “That was the year the Zongshi left, the ones I tied here, they are all almost all gone.” Chu Wanning did not say anything. He just sighed gently and sat down on the low stool made of wooden stakes. When he was serving the Rufeng Sect, Nangong Si was still just a child. He often brought him to the Xiaoyue courtyard to walk around, leaving behind this hunting room. The fire soon started, the grouper was grilled on the branches of the fruit trees, and the plump fish fat dripped from under the charred and crispy flesh, exuding a rich smell of meat. Nangong Si gave six pieces to the demon wolves squatting next to the wooden fence, while the other four were sprinkled with salt to be distributed among the people. After only a few bites, Song Qiutong handed the grilled fish to Nangong Si, who had already quickly finished gnawing on the whole fat fish. She said, “I won’t eat it anymore, let the Young Master share some for me.” Chu Wanning glanced at their direction and saw that Nangong Si had taken the grilled fish, and happily ate the second one. He thought to himself that this Song Qiutong seemed to be well-behaved and gentle, a very considerate person, unlike all the rumours. The woman who walked out of the wall of rumours was completely different, and the rumours really couldn’t be taken seriously. While he was deep in thought, a lotus leaf was handed to him. The top part of the fish was carefully divided into fine parts, and the main fishbones had been removed. The white and tender meat was exuding heat and burnt fragrance. Chu Wanning was taken aback for a moment. He turned his head and saw Mo Ran putting away his silver short dagger. He smiled and said, “Shizun, let’s eat this.” “Where did you get the lotus leaves?” “Just now, when I was catching fish by the lake, I picked them along the way.” Mo Ran passed the fish meat to him, “Eat while it’s hot. It won’t taste good when it’s cold.” Chu Wanning took the lotus leaf, his heart rippled as he said, “Thank you.” He really did not like fish bones, so the treated Grouper melted immediately in his mouth. Chu Wanning ate them piece by piece, without feeling tired. After he finished eating all of them, the tea that was hung over the fire had also boiled up. Song Qiutong got up and took off the iron kettle, pouring a cup for everyone and served it to them with both hands. “Chu-zongshi, please have a cup of tea.” Her slender jade hand was holding a small white porcelain cup, her arms were like a bright moon, and there was a bit of cinnabar between her wrists. Chu Wanning suddenly recalled that back at the “Xuanyuan Pavilion” auction, the pavilion owner said that she had a piece of palace sand lit up on her wrist by the Coldscale Sacred Hand. Presumably, it was this one. Since the palace sand was there, Song Qiutong and Ye Wangxi’s matter of having an affair was even more nonsense. Having thought so, Chu Wanning finally heaved a sigh of relief in his heart. Nangong Si was a pure and unintentional person, like a wild horse on the prairie, like a lone wolf walking on its own, with a simple and vigorous blade and axe. Chu Wanning did not hate such a person, so he did not wish for Nangong Si to be unsuccessful. Song Qiutong’s tea was served to Mo Ran, who accepted it but did not drink it. He placed it aside and smiled and said, “Miss Song, I have something for you.”