Chapter 141: Seeking a Husband (1)

Since our paths and principles are fundamentally different, there is no need for further discussion. Moreover, Kong Sheng is an imperial official while Nangong Wang and Nie Chuchen are outlaws. Officials and bandits cannot coexist, and there was truly no reason for further association.

Nangong Wang stood up and returned the bow with a calm gaze. Out of respect for the Supreme Qing Grand Master Sima Chengzhen, he could not harm Kong Sheng’s life under any circumstances; otherwise, he would have no way to answer to his master, Fan Yuncong.

Nangong Wang was about to order the return of Kong Sheng's luggage and official decree to send him down the mountain when Nie Chuchen’s eyes rolled, and she let out a delicate giggle. "Junior Brother, why the rush to go down the mountain? You are Master Sima’s disciple and share deep ties with my master. As fellow apprentices, we should reunite and drink together for a day or two before leaving! If you are worried about your three attendants, I can send men down to inform them and invite them up to rest for a couple of days as well."

Kong Sheng’s heart skipped a beat. *What is this young woman up to?* he thought. *Could it be she still hasn't given up and wants to seize my Windchaser steed? Yes, that must be it.*

If she wanted anything else, as long as Kong Sheng possessed it, he would not be stingy. But Windchaser held a very high place in his heart, and it had saved his life not long ago. He would never part with it no matter what.

Nangong Wang glanced at Nie Chuchen as if he were not surprised, though he feigned a confused tone. "Junior Sister, since Junior Brother Kong is in a rush to travel, why must we force him to stay? We are all of one family as fellow disciples, and there will be plenty of time in the future..."

Nie Chuchen arched her delicate eyebrows, completely ignoring Nangong Wang. She clapped her hands, directly cutting him off. "Men, quickly prepare a guest room and attend to my Junior Brother Kong so he can rest!"

Nangong Wang’s face was openly disregarded by Nie Chuchen, leaving him extremely displeased inwardly, though he kept his expression perfectly composed, smiling with graceful and elegant detachment.

Meng Zan stepped forward and laughed maliciously. "Come along, let's escort Young Master Kong to his guest room for a rest!"

Meng Zan assumed he understood the grand chieftain's true intent. Although Nie Chuchen and Kong Sheng had inexplicably recognized each other as fellow apprentices along the way, such a far-fetched "sect connection" was completely worthless compared to that legendary steed.

Nie Chuchen’s insistence on keeping Kong Sheng was undoubtedly still motivated by her desire for his prized horse. Not only Meng Zan, but practically all the other bandit leaders thought the same way.

Kong Sheng stood motionless, his expression turning slightly grim. He looked at Nie Chuchen, who was dressed in crimson as vibrant as fire, and was about to speak when Meng Zan impatiently urged him, "Young Master Kong, our grand chieftain has given the order. Off to rest you go!"

With that, Meng Zan reached out roughly, attempting to shove Kong Sheng.

Kong Sheng flew into a rage. He held an extremely poor impression of Nie Chuchen’s subordinate and, seeing the man dare to push him, seized the opportunity to retaliate—serving also as a test for Nie Chuchen.

"Audacious!" Kong Sheng’s face darkened as he suddenly twisted his wrist, grabbed Meng Zan’s arm, and jerked it with all his might.

Meng Zan let out a miserable yelp as Kong Sheng’s formidable strength threw him off balance. With a follow-through push, Meng Zan stumbled sideways and nearly fell flat on his face.

Kong Sheng possessed explosive power. Although Meng Zan was sturdy and fierce, he had no room to resist the impact of Kong Sheng's absolute strength.

The surrounding minor bandit leaders showed angry expressions, abruptly rising to their feet and gripping the hilts of the sabers at their waists. At that moment, had Nie Chuchen given a single command, they would have drawn their blades against him without hesitation.

Meng Zan grimaced as he struggled back to his feet, casting a fearful glance at Kong Sheng.

Ignoring the hostile glares of the bandits, Kong Sheng walked forward step by step, his gaze calm and his strides steady, exuding an imposing aura with every movement.

"You... what do you want?!" Meng Zan instinctively retreated step by step, his fear intensifying as his face flushed as red as a bolt of crimson silk.

A sudden, intense premonition gripped him: despite Kong Sheng’s scholarly and gentle appearance, he was actually a ferocious beast. If he dared to cross the line again and test Kong Sheng’s bottom line, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Nangong Wang stood quietly to one side, watching with cold detachment to see how Nie Chuchen would resolve the situation.

At that moment, Nie Chuchen did not get angry; instead, she laughed, her crisp, melodious laughter lingering in the air. "Junior Brother, my men are boorish and rude, so please don't take offense. Keeping you here as a guest for a day or two is merely your senior sister showing goodwill—surely you aren't going to spurn my hospitality?"

"Come along, let your senior sister personally lead you to your guest room to rest." A radiant smile bloomed across Nie Chuchen’s lovely face. Swaying gracefully, she stepped forward and, completely disregarding the boundaries between men and women, reached out to take Kong Sheng by the hand, pulling him along as she walked.

Kong Sheng was stunned, failing to react for a moment. In a daze, he was led away by the hand. This scene left the bandits in the hall dumbfounded, while Nangong Wang wore a mysterious, unfathomable smile, shaking his head in silence.

The Chemenshan stronghold was divided into a front camp and a back residential area.

To the east of the Loyalty Gathering Hall was a long corridor with a roof of mixed straw and mud and a floor made of jointed willow planks. At the end of the corridor was an arched doorway, behind which lay a serene little courtyard—the private quarters of the grand chieftain, Nie Chuchen.

As for the other bandit leaders and subordinates, they lived in the front camp, housed in rows of simple, mostly thatched cottages arranged opposite the courtyard where the Loyalty Gathering Hall stood.

The corridor had a simple wooden structure, and the railings on both sides lacked any intricate carvings or designs, falling far short of the mansions of high officials. However, for a stronghold gathered by outlaws, having buildings zoned and constructed with clear functional tiers was quite remarkable.

This perhaps indicated, from one perspective, that Nie Chuchen possessed a meticulous mind beneath her rough exterior.

Upon leaving the Loyalty Gathering Hall, Nie Chuchen released Kong Sheng’s hand and walked ahead with poised elegance. Kong Sheng hesitated briefly before following.

Realizing that Kong Sheng’s piercing gaze kept sweeping up and down her slender, graceful figure, Nie Chuchen paused with a smile, turned around, unslung the exquisite long bow from her back, and handed it directly to him. "What is it, Junior Sister—ah, Junior Brother, do you like your senior sister’s bow?"

Kong Sheng took a deep breath, accepted the bow, and examined it closely. This bow differed from standard military longbows; the arc of the bow back was slightly wider, and it was wrapped in layers of golden thread. In the exact center, the characters "Piercing the Clouds" were carved in flying, dragon-like ancient seal script.

After inspecting it, Kong Sheng smiled and handed the bow back to Nie Chuchen. "This is truly a magnificent bow—exquisitely crafted with extraordinary materials. It must be the work of a master artisan."

Nie Chuchen chuckled, saying with proud arrogance, "That's right. This bow is called the Cloud-Piercer. My master used a century-old green bamboo from Tiantai Mountain as the material, inviting the northwest artisan Xue Teng half a year to craft it. The bowstring is made from the tendons of a snow-mountain yak, soaked in the hundred-year-old freezing springs at the peak of the snow mountain for several months. My master passed this bow to me and taught me the Cloud-Piercing Archery Technique. With this bow, your senior sister has roamed the pugilistic world and has yet to meet an opponent."

Kong Sheng wore a full smile, offering verbal agreement while muttering inwardly: *How old is this young woman, yet she dares to boast of roaming the martial world without meeting a match? Your archery is certainly exceptional, but claiming to be invincible under heaven is sheer arrogance. There are mountains beyond mountains and people beyond people; nowadays, anyone who calls themselves invincible is either a megalomaniac or insane.*

"What, you don't believe me?" Nie Chuchen widened her delicate eyebrows.

Nie Chuchen was extremely confident in her archery. Fan Yuncong enjoyed the martial reputation of "the premier archer under heaven," and as the sole successor of Fan Yuncong’s Cloud-Piercing archery, Nie Chuchen naturally possessed an exceptionally high standard and pride.

Kong Sheng smiled faintly. "Senior Sister Nie’s archery is brilliant, and your junior brother admires it."

Nie Chuchen’s eyes rolled. "Tell me, Junior Brother, you seem rather fond of bow and arrow. How about I trade this bow for your white horse?"

Kong Sheng paused slightly, then shook his head. "This bow is Senior Sister’s cherished possession, and I dare not rob someone of what they love. A mere white horse cannot compare to Senior Sister’s precious bow."

Although Kong Sheng had developed a strong interest in long-range weaponry like the bow and arrow and intended to learn to use them, no matter how good the Cloud-Piercer bow was, it could not replace Windchaser's place in his heart. Not having a bow would not affect much, but without this prized steed, how could he gallop across the battlefield in the future?

Nie Chuchen curled her lip. "If you're reluctant to part with it, just say so. Why resort to affectations? Fine, your senior sister doesn't really want your horse. Just follow me!"

Without further ado, Nie Chuchen led Kong Sheng across the arched doorway straight to the main room of the back courtyard. At the threshold, Kong Sheng hesitated and stopped, recognizing at a glance that this was clearly Nie Chuchen’s boudoir.

Although she was the grand chieftain of the Chemenshan stronghold, she was still an unmarried young woman. While the moral codes governing men and women in this era were not as rigid as in later generations, a man still should not casually step into a woman's bedchamber.

Nie Chuchen’s gaze was cool, a slight blush tinting her charming face. Feigning ignorance, she said simply, "Come in!"

Since she didn't mind, Kong Sheng, a man of modern times, naturally wouldn't be overly bound by rigid etiquette. Knowing that Nie Chuchen must have a profound purpose in bringing him here, and since matters had reached this point, he could only wait and see what scheme she was up to.