FRGNM -Chapter 61 Snow Jade

With a calm smile, Huangfu Xuan extended his hand, and the jade stone resting on his shoulder fell to the ground. He casually loosened his clothing, revealing fair skin—not the muscular chest of Luo Mingyu, but a slightly lean yet solid torso. Even so, the pinkish hue of his nipples made Ling Ruoxi nearly spray blood from her nose.

“Sorry, I’m late,” Huangfu Xuan said softly, bowing his head with a gentle smile.

A nearby eunuch stared at him in alarm. “Prince Huangfu Xuan, what are you doing? Carrying such a massive stone—can your body handle it?”

“Doing what? You’ll see soon enough,” Huangfu Xuan replied, ignoring the question. He then bowed toward Nangong Qin. “Your Majesty, I searched for this jade for three days. I thought you would like it.”

“Hmm? What’s special about this jade?” Nangong Qin squinted, inspecting the strange stone but could see nothing unusual.

Ling Ruoxi rested her chin on her hand, frowning slightly as she studied the jade. Could it be…?

Sensing her curiosity, Huangfu Xuan smiled faintly. “Miss Ruoxi, come take a look. As a medicinal doctor, you can heal me, and perhaps you’ll recognize what this is.”

“All right, I’m coming!” Ling Ruoxi hurriedly lifted her skirt and started to run. But her shoulder sank under the weight of Luo Mingyu’s hand, and he looked at her with an almost pitiful expression.

What was that gaze! Goosebumps rose all over her body. Ling Ruoxi patted Luo Mingyu’s cheek. “Behave, I’m coming to take a look.” She freed herself from his grip and ran toward Huangfu Xuan.

The despondent man watched helplessly. How could he get her attention back on him? He, the esteemed Young Master of Qiongyu Island, had never failed to captivate a woman—but with this woman, nothing worked. Instead, he was being snubbed and publicly sidelined! His heart ached, and he could only watch in frustration.

Ling Ruoxi reached out and touched the jade. Her eyes lit up, inhaling sharply. “Could this be the legendary Snow Jade?”

“Snow Jade!” At the mention of the words, everyone—including Huangfu Yuan—gasped. Such a massive stone, yet it could indeed be Snow Jade! Its enormous size implied a colossal effort to form.

“Snow Jade? What’s that?” the young girls nearby asked, puzzled by the stone’s significance.

Ling Ruoxi smiled faintly, resting her chin on her hand. “Snow Jade is the most perfect type of jade, born from the gathering of heaven and earth’s spiritual energy, extremely rare. Snow Jade formed within snow contains centuries of cold energy. When combined with a practitioner’s Dou Qi, the icy energy accelerates Dou Qi cultivation a hundredfold! Finding something so precious… congratulations!”

She clasped her hands, looking at Huangfu Xuan. She had assumed he came to confront Huangfu Yuan, but he came for this. Then why leave that letter? Strange.

Huangfu Xuan merely pursed his lips. Ling Ruoxi hesitated to ask further.

“Everyone, watch closely.” Huangfu Xuan nodded and placed his hand on the jade. “True Snow Jade is rare and nearly impossible to obtain. The real Snow Jade lies inside this outer stone. I’ll present it to His Majesty as a gift.”

Bang! He struck the jade with a powerful punch. His expression remained calm, but his right hand split under the impact, blood splattering over the stone.

Some of the timid girls screamed in shock, bewildered at why he would do such a thing.

Ling Ruoxi nodded in understanding. “To release a spiritual jade, the outer stone must absorb blood, allowing the Snow Jade inside to emerge. But… is it worth it? Your body just healed, and now…”

“It’s nothing. For the friendship between Dongling and Beining, a bit of blood is trivial. Your Majesty, right?” Huangfu Xuan said, his smile now carrying a hint of coldness, as he struck the jade again, bones almost visible through his flesh.

On the third strike, the outer jade cracked and shattered, revealing the Snow Jade inside. Its blood-red glow pulsed in the air, absorbing Huangfu Xuan’s blood without any Dou Qi, seemingly born anew from the heavens.

“This…” Nangong Qin was stunned, especially by Huangfu Xuan’s smile, which sent shivers down his spine.

Watching coldly, Nangong Mo furrowed his brow. “From my understanding, once Snow Jade absorbs someone’s blood, it will recognize them as its master. This jade is yours, not Beining’s. Do you realize my father is elderly—his body could not withstand such cold? What is the meaning of this gift?”

“What!” Recognizing a master? Huangfu Xuan frowned, gripping the floating Snow Jade. “Impossible. It’s still absorbing blood—it hasn’t recognized a master yet. Once it turns white, it will choose its owner and release cold energy according to their constitution. If it can’t do that, it’s not truly the king of jade!”

Step by step, he approached Nangong Qin and bowed, placing the Snow Jade in his hands. “Your Majesty, this is a token of my respect. Please accept it.”

“….” Nangong Qin grasped the Snow Jade, unsure what to say. He understood Huangfu Xuan’s intentions but… “Very well. I will accept it. However…”

He smiled, announcing: “Since everyone is attending the hunting conference, I’ll place a bet. Whoever comes first will be awarded the Snow Jade, male or female. Give it your best!”

“Oh my! Such a grand prize—Snow Jade!”

“This is unbelievable… the emperor is giving this away?”

“I must be dreaming!”

“I’ll claim the Snow Jade—I must hunt the strongest beast here!”

Excitement spread among the Dou Qi warriors, their eyes shining as if they wanted to pocket the Snow Jade immediately.

Ling Ruoxi frowned. Though the Snow Jade was precious, such excitement was excessive. On Glazed Island, countless rare treasures were available, and while Snow Jade was rare, it wasn’t unique. Without Dou Qi, it was useless to her; treasures for others were junk to her.

“Extend your hand,” Ling Ruoxi said irritably. She took out a handkerchief to clean Huangfu Xuan’s wound and dress it.

“Thank you, Miss Ruoxi,” Huangfu Xuan said with a gentle smile, admiring her beauty. He had promised that if his chronic ailment could be cured, he would marry her—and now was the time. He revealed a hidden flower from his sleeve, holding Ling Ruoxi’s hand. “Since the moment I met you, I have thought of you constantly. I care not for your past or anything else. I only hope you will accept me. I vow to protect you with my life. Will you be with me?”

A gentle breeze stirred, lifting leaves from the ground. Ling Ruoxi’s hair danced in the wind. She nearly dropped her jaw, disbelief etched across her face. As she instinctively stepped back, Huangfu Xuan gripped her wrist, preventing escape.

“I will care for you and your children. Miss Ruoxi, you have appeared in my dreams countless times. Yizhui and Yimeng call me their father. I promised that if you healed me, I would marry you and follow you forever. Now, it’s time to fulfill that promise.”

Just as he moved to place the flower in her hair—

Bang!

A moon-white figure appeared, intercepting Ling Ruoxi and pulling her behind him. A punch was thrown.

At that moment, Luo Mingyu forgot about Dou Qi. With a mere swing, he could have annihilated the man before him. Anger compelled him to act personally. The punch struck Huangfu Xuan’s cheek.

“Even the little prince of Dongling dares to snatch my woman?” Luo Mingyu’s face darkened, holding Ling Ruoxi protectively.

Onlookers closed in, smirking. Luo Mingyu had declared Ling Ruoxi as his, so Huangfu Xuan had clearly brought trouble upon himself, trying to compete with the Young Master of Qiongyu Island.

“Luo Mingyu! What are you doing?” Ling Ruoxi panicked, pushing him back and rushing to support Huangfu Xuan. Seeing his swollen cheek, she worriedly asked, “Does it hurt, Huangfu Xuan?”

“No, it doesn’t,” he said calmly, gazing at Luo Mingyu. “Ruoxi doesn’t love you at all. Don’t use your status to force her. If you’re capable, let’s compare!”

“Hmph, ignorant!” Luo Mingyu’s Dou Qi flared violently. Six years of aura fully erupted. He stepped forward, coldly staring at the men behind Huangfu Xuan. “Come here!”

“Luo Mingyu! Stop this nonsense!” Ling Ruoxi was nearly losing her mind, clutching her hair. She had no idea why these two men were fighting over her!