Chapter 104: Skandha Tomb (1/2)

“Is there something on my face?” Lu Yun was still a bit woozy and stared dumbly at Qing Han while the young man rubbed at his cheek.

“Don’t move!” Qing Han tried again. The mark had faded somewhat, but not completely, making the disguised girl’s face turn flaming red. Her true form had been disguised by the starstone and she hadn’t put on any lipstick, so that mark must be a result of her... sucking Lu Yun’s face!

A hickey, as modern day people would call it!

Of course, Qing Han didn’t know what a hickey was, but memories of prior night’s madness slowly came back to him. Fortunately, Lu Yun’s relatively low cultivation of the golden core realm made him a lightweight when it came to wine brewed for immortals; he believed the events of last night were a dream.

I’m never drinking with him again! If I do, I have to secretly nullify the wine’s potency. A bit of energy floated to the tip of Qing Han’s finger as he finally removed the mark completely.

“Seriously, what’s on my face?” Lu Yun blearily touched his cheek; it was cool to the touch and felt good. He blinked as his head slowly cleared up into full wakefulness. “By the way, why’s your skin so dark again?” He frowned at his friend. “Is your ailment acting up?”

“Ah, this is how I look right after I wake up,” Qing Han lied. “I’ll be fine after a while… I’m not fully recovered yet.” He’d morphed back into male form with the starstone and had opted for his old appearance in a frantic moment of habit.

“Really?” Lu Yun considered Qing Han’s face closely, unconvinced.

Thud!

Qing Han kicked the governor away again. “What’s a man staring at me for?!” He shot to his feet and shook his clothes, which reeked of alcohol. “Arrange a room for me, I need to take a bath and get changed!”

Lu Yun propped himself up and awkwardly rubbed his butt.

……

Main hall, the governor’s manor.

“Reporting to Your Excellency the Governor, the Skandha Range has been razed and the willow tree and various otherkind dealt with. Please pronounce your judgement!”

Yuchi Hanxing took off her black helmet, freeing her long silver hair to cascade down to her waist like a waterfall. Silver hair framed coolly angled features, and silver brows arched over silver eyes. She was the perfect picture of a wintry beauty, but the heavy black armor had covered up her grace.

“You’re a woman??” Lu Yun looked at her in disbelief, confusion flashing across his eyes.

“Dusk Province sits in the northern reaches of Nephrite Major. Its heavenly laws are influenced by the North Sea, which is defined by water and the yin attribute. That’s why there are more female cultivators in this region. There’s actually more of a gender balance now. Before the unrest from the tomb, the governor and city lords were all women.” Off to the side, Qing Han explained before turning to Lu Yun in shock. “You ordered the Dusk Phalanx to destroy the Skandha Range?!”

“Eh… so that’s why.” Realization dawned on Lu Yun. No wonder his envoys were all women.

Considering the environment in Dusk Province, it was indeed easier for female cultivators to progress here.

“Left unchecked, the Skandha Range would only be more trouble,” he continued. “I’d rather eliminate them now than wait for them to gather and attack me.”

“True,” Qing Han agreed.

Skandha Range had plagued the Dusk Province for a long time. Past governors had wanted to deal with it, but to no avail. Over time, the willow tree spirit became known as the Dusk Lord.