When it came to Nangong Liu Yun’s question, Jiang Xuan didn’t dare to blurt out the truth.
If it turned out he was just putting on an act to seem like a world-class expert, wouldn’t that imply he was intentionally captured by some nefarious woman?
And the more he tried to explain, the more confusing it would get.
Besides, he only ran away on purpose! He wasn’t actually captured.
Of course, he wouldn’t dare tell the whole truth about running away; he had to pin the blame on Leng Wu Shuang instead.
On the surface, Jiang Xuan gazed longingly at Nangong Liu Yun.
“Where do you get the idea I’m some top-notch expert? Those were just jokes! I sincerely believed my wife would come to rescue me!”
As soon as he finished speaking, Nangong Liu Yun pinched his face, cutting him off.
“So what would you have done if I hadn’t shown up, dear husband?”
“Of course, I would fight to the d*ath! Even if that vile woman got my body, she could never have my heart!”
Nangong Liu Yun: “……”
“Darling, those words… I’m at a loss for how to rebut you.
But wait a minute, you just told me to leave quickly, so you’re kind of shielding that empress, aren’t you?
Looking at it this way, it seems like your body hasn’t been taken, but your heart has already been stolen, right?”
Jiang Xuan: “!!!!”
As Nangong Liu Yun spoke, her tone began to turn rather ominous.
Sensing the shift, Jiang Xuan hurried to explain:
“Ah… you’ve misunderstood me, my dear! It’s just that you made such a ruckus, and on top of that, you were holding me in the air.
It was all too flashy; I was worried it might reflect poorly on you since you were trying to conceal your looks.
Everyone in the Imperial City knows I’m your fiancé, and I didn’t want to hear any gossip that might slander you.”
“Oh? So does that mean your body and heart are always mine?”
“Well… of course!”
No sooner had he said that than Nangong Liu Yun took his hand and smiled like a blooming flower.
“Got it! Now, dear husband, prove it to me!
I previously said that when I returned, if I found you had left Nangong Mansion, I would punish you by keeping you bedridden for three months!
Just now, you promised me; I only refrained from destroying the entire Tianxiang Pavilion out of kindness for your earnest plea.
Oh, and I’m now aware that you first met that empress at Tianxiang Pavilion, right?
You better clear everything up with me later, otherwise I might just extend your punishment!”
Jiang Xuan: “!!!!!!!!!!”
“Wait, my dear, I think the punishment should be shortened. I’ve actually been very obedient in Nangong Mansion; that vile woman was just too strong and kidnapped me!
I left Nangong Mansion passively; it can’t all be laid at my door!
Oh, and you can’t blame Xian Wan; she did her best to protect me!”
After he said this, Nangong Liu Yun replied slowly:
“The main reason Xian Wan didn’t protect you well is that she’s too weak. So when Mother and I returned, she took Xian Wan away from Great Jiang Imperial City to train up.
Now in Nangong Mansion, apart from the guards, it’s just the two of us. Conveniently, there’s also an underground secret room in Xian Wan’s little courtyard.
Let’s go there, and once the punishment time is up, I’ll let you leave.
As for whether the punishment time will be shortened, that depends on your performance!”
Jiang Xuan: “……”
At this point, Nangong Liu Yun held Jiang Xuan’s hand and dragged him toward the underground secret room.
Just as Jiang Xuan lamented about the harsh days ahead, the system in his mind suddenly chimed in:
“Ding! Detected target’s favorability has reached 10,000 and has engaged with the host. Would you like to use the copying spiritual root function?”
“Use it!”
“Ding, congratulations to the host for successful copying. Acquired flawless fairy spiritual root x1, please check. The current target can no longer be copied.
Due to this function violating the rules of heaven, the system has concealed the heavenly secrets of the successfully copied spiritual root, so you don’t need to worry about exposure.”
As the mechanical voice of the system echoed, Jiang Xuan immediately felt a spiritual root within his dantian.
Suddenly, he sensed that the surrounding spiritual energy was flocking toward him, greatly boosting his affinity—by over a thousand times!
As Jiang Xuan noticed the change in his body, he internally exclaimed:
“Whoa, is this the spiritual root of a legendary prodigy? This is amazing!
If I seriously cultivate for a bit, I’ll break through the little Martial Apprentice stage in no time.
It seems I’ve underestimated the system; after the upgrade, this hidden function really does pack a punch.
Heh, with the cultivation talent of my fiancée, even if I started late, after a year or two of training, I should at least have some self-defense.
Wait, maybe I won’t need to wait that long. If I have the chance to copy a few top-tier spiritual roots, wouldn’t I be invincible?
Hold on, this useless system can actually conceal heavenly secrets? Wow, looks like it’s been hiding its capabilities from me all this time; that’s a bit too much!
I was sincerely good to the system, and now it thinks I’m just a big sucker?”
While Jiang Xuan was still immersed in his visions of a bright future and getting ready to have a little chat with his system, Nangong Liu Yun yanked him back to reality.
At that moment, she pressed him down.
“Husband, you seem a bit distracted. I’m right here beside you; are you thinking about other women?
Let me guess, are you thinking about your childhood sweetheart or that empress who’s always on your mind?”
Jiang Xuan: “!!!!!!!”
“No… dear, you misunderstood… I just thought you looked too stunning… and got a bit lost in thought.”
“Oh? If that’s the case, can you tell me how you met that empress at Tianxiang Pavilion?
Or should I ask… why would a young master from a prominent family go to a place like Tianxiang Pavilion?
Think carefully before answering; if your reply doesn’t satisfy me, I might just have to vent some of my anger on you.”
Jiang Xuan: “!!!!!!!”
Faced with Nangong Liu Yun’s probing questions, Jiang Xuan knew he couldn’t lay everything out on the table; a lot of things just couldn’t be explained clearly.
In that case, he’d have to mix half-truths with some lies.
After pondering for a moment, as if gathering his emotions, Jiang Xuan finally spoke:
“Yes, I did meet that bad woman at Tianxiang Pavilion, and the reason I went there was to earn some spirit stones.”
No sooner had he said that than Nangong Liu Yun’s eyes narrowed slightly, and her voice turned icy.
“I’ve heard of what kind of place Tianxiang Pavilion is.
Husband, are you trying to say you went there to work as a courtesan to earn spirit stones?”
Jiang Xuan: “????????”
