Roaring Dragon-Chapter 53: Let’s Get Wild!

The silver moon hung high in the sky, and the laughter within Wuwei Pavilion showed no signs of stopping.

Several maids stood in the garden below, exchanging hushed whispers as occasional bursts of bell-like laughter drifted down from above.

“What in the world is Young Master Xie doing up there? Her Highness is laughing so much.”

“Probably telling dirty jokes. Didn’t you hear how he’s whispering? Doesn’t want us to hear a thing...”

“I really want to sneak a peek.”

“Don’t be stupid. If you see something you shouldn’t, Her Highness might marry you off to Steward Hou.”

...

Meanwhile, across the street inside a civilian residence—

Xie Jinhuan silently vaulted the outer wall, breathed a quiet sigh of relief after confirming he hadn’t been spotted, then sent Meiqiu off to sleep in the house while he tidied his robe and slipped over the backyard wall, landing soundlessly on the pavilion’s balcony.

Inside, lights were blazing.

From beyond the sliding door, the unmistakable voice of Princess Changning came through—deep and teasing, tinged with laughter and just a bit of bashful joy.

What the hell is Ghost-Wife doing in there?

Xie Jinhuan stood on the balcony, totally lost.

As long as the princess hadn’t noticed anything off, though, all was well.

Just then, Ye Hongshang’s voice reached his ear:

“Come in.”

Xie Jinhuan didn’t speak. He quietly slid open the door and peered inside.

Shff—

The scent of wine hit him immediately. Two empty flasks lay on the carpet—both near the princess. His own seat hadn’t been touched.

Princess Changning, dressed in her lounge robes, was still reclining elegantly against a soft cushion before the peacock screen. One hand supported her cheek, and she was smiling at thin air with a playful giggle.

“Hehe~...”

Xie Jinhuan tiptoed to his seat across from her. Ye Hongshang’s voice chimed in again:

“The wine’s finished. Just scatter the other stuff however.”

Xie Jinhuan downed a full flask in one go—it stung enough to make his scalp tingle, but he gritted his teeth and bore it. Then he casually scattered the wine set and dice around the table.

The princess continued gazing in his direction. After a while, she seemed a bit dizzy, closed her eyes, and massaged her temples.

“You wicked rascal, you made me laugh so hard I’ve got a headache~”

Xie Jinhuan knew the illusion had lifted cleanly. He assumed the air of someone tipsy and jovial.

“As long as Your Highness is happy. It’s getting late—shall I call the maids to escort you back to your chambers?”

“Eh~?”

Princess Changning blinked a few times, the dizziness fading. She looked up with bright eyes.

“It’s not even midnight—how can you end the party already? Wait, why’d you suddenly go all proper again?”

Huh?

Was I improper before...?

Xie Jinhuan had no idea what Ghost-Wife had been doing in his absence. He went along with it.

“I was afraid the maids might come up and see. But if Your Highness isn’t satisfied, I’m more than happy to continue.”

The princess nodded slightly and scrutinized him more carefully, arching an eyebrow.

“I liked your flirty vibe earlier. Bring that back.”

Flirty vibe?!

Xie Jinhuan was dumbfounded.

Ye Hongshang appeared near the screen, arms crossed and visibly annoyed.

“You kill three people and it takes you half an hour? What, you get lost on the way back? I’ve been stalling this whole time—now hurry up and get wild before you blow your cover.”

Get wild?!

Xie Jinhuan had been sneaking through alleys, dodging patrols, scouting blind spots—half an hour was already record speed.

He knew Ghost-Wife had been working hard to buy time, but now what was he supposed to do—just start “getting wild” on command?

Princess Changning noticed his hesitation and frowned.

“You were so relaxed earlier, not treating my status like a big deal. What’s with the sudden stiffness? It’s like you’re a whole different person now.”

Because it literally was a different person!

Xie Jinhuan felt his righteous swordsman persona crumbling. Not wanting to screw things up, he quietly turned to Ghost-Wife for help.

Ye Hongshang, clearly not the type to just stand by, started giving a live demonstration.

Xie Jinhuan looked up to see the stunning succubus in crimson—the very picture of sultry temptation. Her gauzy outfit now exposed her waist, a sheer veil half-covered her face. She twisted her hips, arms sliding over her chest, moving with hypnotic rhythm—

Holy—!

You mean I was doing THAT earlier?!

What am I, a strip-show dancer now?!

Xie Jinhuan had to admit, Ghost-Wife’s moves were mesmerizing. He made a mental note to get a private encore later.

But right now? No clue how to replicate it.

The princess was watching expectantly.

To keep up the act and avoid suspicion from the landlady of the house, Xie Jinhuan started winging it:

“That was just for fun. Wouldn’t do to overdo it. How ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) about I play you a tune instead?”

“Oh?”

The princess looked intrigued. “You can play, too? How many tricks do you have up your sleeve?”

More than you’d believe.

Xie Jinhuan said nothing further. He stepped out, fetched Duoduo’s pipa, and sat down to tune it.

“I’ve trained since childhood—know a bit of everything. This pipa’s made for feminine grace: crisp and delicate like flowing water. But when a man plays the pipa, he should summon the aura of the Four Heavenly Kings.”

Strum, strum—

He swept across the strings. The melody began soft but gradually sharpened, each note humming with hidden danger. His gaze turned piercing.

Princess Changning was visibly startled. There was real skill there.

“Impressive, impressive. With depth like this, it’s a waste not to make you a personal favorite.”

“You flatter me, Your Highness.”

Xie Jinhuan had refined these skills since childhood. While his goal was to crush the local elite, his methods were straight out of How to Be the Ideal Boytoy.

But this wasn’t the time for killing intent. He changed styles, fingers dancing lightly:

Ting ting—ting ting tong...

The pipa now whispered like soft conversation—gentle, yet tinged with sorrow.

The princess listened intently, then raised her brows:

“That’s Su Boyu’s Pipa Lament, isn’t it? Beautiful, but too refined. Boring. Got anything spicier?”

Spicier?

Xie Jinhuan, seeing no choice but to commit to the “get wild” bit, picked up the tempo:

Strum strum strum—STRUM!

A lively beat took over, rhythmic and bold.

The princess tilted her head. “What’s this one?”

Xie Jinhuan gave a smug little smirk.

“Great Qian Electro Sound. Like it?”

“Wha—?!”

The sparkle in his eyes gave her a little jolt. She leaned closer, listening with wide-eyed curiosity.

She still sensed something was off compared to earlier, but this new, nerdy kind of wildness? Way more interesting than the flamboyant flirt.

“Not bad! Never heard this kind of tune before. But what’s ‘electro sound’ supposed to mean?”

Well... you need electricity for that.

Feeling that the pipa wasn’t wild enough, Xie Jinhuan had a flash of inspiration. He channeled his qi into his fingertips—blue-white arcs crackled as they danced along the strings.

Zzzt—zing—bzzzt!

Suddenly the music came alive—sound and light, flickering in sync.

The princess stared, amazed.

“You’re an absolute freak of nature. If the academy’s music scholars saw this, they’d cough up blood on the spot and shout, ‘What a disgrace to the classics!’”

“It’s just for fun. Who would dare perform like this in public?”

Still cradling his “electro pipa,” Xie Jinhuan judged the mood to be just right—but they lacked a dance partner. So, he set his sights on the nation’s beloved little princess.

“How about I teach Your Highness to dance?”

She hesitated. “The dance from earlier?”

“That one’s dull. I’ll teach you something more... elegant.”

Xie Jinhuan stood, pipa in hand, keeping rhythm as he began teaching:

Strum strum strum...

“Alright, follow the beat—tiptoe, spin twice, lift your hips and sway—yeah, looser, don’t be shy...”

“Ugh...”

Princess Changning wasn’t shy about goofing off with noble ladies, but she’d never seen anything like this. She tried a few moves, immediately flushed red.

“You’re such a flirt~ what even is this nonsense?”

Hey, you’re the one who told me to get flirty!

Xie Jinhuan knew his righteous swordsman image was in shambles. Since he couldn’t fix it, he might as well lean in—eyes bold, tone easy.

“Learned it from my master up on the mountain. Don’t worry, no one else is here. Just follow me—yes, smart girl, now bigger hip movement... that’s it...”

The princess’s domineering aura took a hit—her cheeks red, her moves tentative—but something in Xie Jinhuan’s tone, sincere without being fawning, helped her loosen up.

Little by little, she started dancing for real.

Off to the side, Ye Hongshang crossed her arms and watched, surprise flashing in her eyes.

Oh ho~ So he really can get wild. With charm like that, no way he didn’t have some lovely sisters in the past...

Looking at that smirk, who’s the real succubus here—him or me?

But Ghost-Wife wasn’t one to be outdone. Hearing the beat, she joined in—limbs flowing like a boneless serpent, moves big and bold, her eyes as entrancing as moonlight over wine.

Holy—!

Xie Jinhuan’s eyes lit up. If he weren’t afraid of breaking character, he’d give her a standing ovation.

But just as the trio reached peak groove, hurried footsteps echoed from the back alley—along with Yang Dabiao’s booming shout:

“Jinhuan? Jinhuan?!”

The music stopped.

Xie Jinhuan immediately knew the tavern business had been discovered. He opened the sliding door and glanced toward the back of the estate.

“Brother Yang?”

“Eh? You’re still drinking up here?”

“Yeah...”

“Who was playing the pipa just now? The window was flickering like a thunderstorm in there!”

“Uh...”

Princess Changning, now covered again in formal sleeves, stepped onto the balcony, her tone less amused:

“Something urgent?”

Yang Dabiao had just climbed over the wall—seeing the princess, he hurriedly bowed from afar.

“Your Highness, a major case just occurred in East Street. Zhou He of the Chilin Guard and his two subordinates were killed—throats slit in a single strike.”

Princess Changning frowned and instinctively glanced at Xie Jinhuan.

But he’d been with her the whole time—from dusk until now—drinking, chatting, and getting wild. Motive, sure, but no opportunity.

She asked coolly:

“When did they die?”

“No more than half an hour ago.”

“Any leads?”

“Not yet. The killer’s highly skilled, likely left-handed, and uses a blade. I couldn’t figure much out—wanted Jinhuan to come take a look.”

The Chilin Guard were the emperor’s watchdogs. Zhou He had come to Danyang to help investigate the Li family. Now he was dead—this could be twisted into treason.

Princess Changning understood this was a ticking time bomb. Whoever got involved would be the first to suffer.

She snapped, “Does the yamen have no one? Why is everything left to Xie Jinhuan, an outsider? Go fetch Lord Tie.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

Yang Dabiao dared not protest. He vaulted off the wall and vanished.

The mood was ruined. The princess sighed.

“I heard you spent all night at the yamen yesterday. Go rest up. Tomorrow at the Peony Pool, if you make me lose, not only will I take your martial arts manual—I’ll make you perform here every day for entertainment.”

Xie Jinhuan didn’t mind entertaining the landlady, but he still had to protect his swordsman reputation. He whispered:

“That was just playing around. Let’s keep it between us—no need for people to laugh behind my back.”

“Relax. I’m not clueless. If word gets out, I’ll be stuck in a line behind rich noble ladies just to see you.”

“...?”

There goes my image.

Xie Jinhuan bowed and slipped back into his courtyard.

Princess Changning watched from the balcony. After he disappeared under the eaves, she peeked once more and muttered:

Knows so much... no wonder Qingmo follows him around like a lost puppy.

After a moment to compose herself, she massaged her temples and walked back inside.

“Duoduo, what wine did you serve tonight?”

“Apricot Blossom Spring. Why? Was something wrong?”

“The kick felt stronger than usual.”

“Maybe it’s not the wine... maybe it’s the drinker. If I were alone with Young Master Xie, I’d probably pass out after three cups.”

“Hmph~ little flirt...”