Chapter 108: Cannot Be Washed Clean Anymore

Chapter 108: Can't Wash It Off

No wonder Ruyan had that strange look in her eyes—in people's minds, Zhao Changhe had a secret crush on Yue Hongling. Even the woman he took as his "mountain stronghold wife" looked like her, and yet she still dumped him. It was a tale that broke hearts and drew tears from all who heard.

Countless people across the land were waiting to see the spectacle when he finally met the real Yue Hongling!

Zhao Changhe never expected Yue Hongling to be in Yangzhou—what a coincidence... Though there was truly none of that imagined relationship between them, it had been a long time since they'd met, and having an old friend here was indeed a pleasant surprise. He wondered how she was doing now...

She roamed the land righting wrongs, and if she'd stopped here, it must be because she'd seen too many injustices in this place...

Yangzhou was so vast—where would he even find her...

Seeing him instantly lost in thought, Ruyan was convinced that his crush on Yue Hongling was all but confirmed. Having chatted for so long, she'd forgotten the terror of possibly being killed and began dancing on the edge of self-destruction again: "If you truly like Yue Hongling, sir, I could dress up as her..."

Zhao Changhe was startled. Damn it, if Yue Hongling found out, how would I die? He immediately waved his hand: "Forget it, I've already had my fill of fakes."

Ruyan covered her mouth and laughed. Not only had he had his fill, but she'd also run away—we all understand: "So, sir, are you going to find the real one? But we don't know where she lives, only that she's been seen nearby."

Zhao Changhe blurted out: "What was she doing here?"

Ruyan said: "She killed an official."

Zhao Changhe: "?"

Ruyan sighed softly: "Forcibly conscripting laborers to dredge the river, and taking people's wives and daughters as payment for the labor..."

Her voice grew quieter: "If only I had met a female chivalrous hero like Yue back then... how could things have come to this..."

Zhao Changhe pressed his lips together and said nothing.

It was always that first glance he'd seen of her.

She, too, was one who knew no bounds... always reminding him of the kind of person he wanted to become.

Ruyan said: "Anyway, since Yue killed an official, she's either already left, or even if she entered the city, she wouldn't let anyone know where she's staying. If you want to find her, sir, you might as well go out into the street and shout, 'Zhao Changhe is here, please come see me, Miss Yue.'"

"Are you just hoping to watch the show?"

Ruyan covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

Zhao Changhe couldn't save face anymore. No matter how much he wanted to know about Yue Hongling's recent situation, he had to change the subject: "I say, why are we talking about this? Aren't we off-topic? I originally wanted you to tell me a story."

"But you asked about Young Master Wan's current cultivation, sir—that, Ruyan truly doesn't know."

Zhao Changhe nodded, lost in thought.

Actually, the reference value of the Hidden Dragon Ranking was a bit hollow... It judged your potential based on a single dazzling feat, but improvements in strength were invisible. For instance, when he ranked eighty-eighth, he was at the third level of the Mystic Gate, and everyone knew it. But a few days later, when he advanced to the fourth level at the Cui family's, no one knew. In reality, his combat power now was much stronger than back then—not only had his cultivation improved, but his meridian resilience had also been strengthened, and with the might of the Dragon Sparrow, he was even stronger.

Han Wubing was at the fifth level of the Mystic Gate, and on the Hidden Dragon Ranking at that level, far surpassing ordinary peers, yet he wasn't that much stronger than Zhao Changhe. If anyone tried to estimate his strength based on his past performance, they'd probably die a very ugly death.

And Wan Dongliu had been ranked seventieth on the Hidden Dragon Ranking for at least a year. Before Zhao Changhe had crossed over, Wan was already seventieth. Could his performance back then still count now?

Not everyone wanted to show off and compete for rankings. There were also those who kept a low profile and played the pig to eat the tiger, and there should be quite a few. Of course, some might also regress—that wasn't unusual.

Anyway, this topic wasn't suitable for pressing further; it would easily arouse suspicion. What did he want to do?

Zhao Changhe could only continue with other questions: "You heard what Brother Wan said at the table earlier. The Maitreya Sect and I have quite a connection—the enemy of my enemy, after all. It's just a pity I haven't had a proper meeting with the Buddhas of the Maitreya Sect. If I want to pay my respects, where should I go?"

A flicker of panic passed through Ruyan's eyes, and she lowered her head: "Ruyan does not know."

The Maitreya Sect was no longer in its early stage of spreading kindness and righteousness; the Demon Suppression Division had already openly labeled them as rebels. Wan Dongliu and Zhao Changhe could talk about them freely, but she dared not reveal herself as a Maitreya follower.

Zhao Changhe could see her fear and laughed: "I believe in Buddha and want to worship Maitreya. Which temple in Yangzhou can I go to for that?"

Ruyan said softly: "If we worship Buddha, we usually go to White Lotus Temple, ten li outside the city."

Zhao Changhe was taken aback: "None in the city?"

"The authorities forbid it," Ruyan said quietly. "Even the temples outside the city cannot openly enshrine Maitreya."

Zhao Changhe nodded. No matter how rotten the court was in other aspects, at least the Demon Suppression Division under Tang Wanzhuang's leadership hadn't rotted yet. It was still somewhat difficult for demonic sects to swagger about openly.

But as things stood now, the Maitreya Sect was infiltrating everywhere. Even the young master of the Canal Guild, a major faction that must have ties with the authorities, was already one of them. How much longer could Tang Wanzhuang's efforts hold?

A million canal workers... if something went wrong...

The thought sent chills down his spine.

The more he understood, the more he realized how tangled the situation was. Zhao Changhe increasingly wanted to find Yue Hongling and discuss with her what should be done. He always felt that when Yue Hongling was around, he had a backbone—even Tang Wanzhuang didn't give him that feeling... yet Yue Hongling was actually younger than him...

"Alright." Zhao Changhe took out a silver ingot and placed it in Ruyan's hand: "It's almost dawn... You've served me well tonight. Remember to tell your madam how many positions we used—don't say we just talked all night. I'm afraid you'll get beaten. Go on."

Ruyan was stunned for a moment, her expression first strange, then slowly turning into gratitude.

Not only had he not blamed her for not serving him properly, but he'd even given her a tip, and he was worried she might get beaten for not doing her job well...

...

Early morning, ten li east of the city, White Lotus Temple.

Yue Hongling lurked on the rafters, her gaze icy as she watched the scene in the hall.

Villagers in tattered clothes, who could barely afford to feed themselves, were offering their last rations to this temple, then leaving with gratitude and reverence.

Last night, she had seen some girls, as if brainwashed, performing certain rituals. She knew what would happen next. But it seemed they were waiting for some specific day, and the "ceremony" she imagined hadn't taken place last night, so Yue Hongling held back for now, planning to learn more about the Maitreya Sect's methods.

She had spent most of her time in the north and only came south this year. Like Zhao Changhe, she had never heard of the Maitreya Sect before. When she first encountered them in the south, she thought they were some kind of merciful Buddha. But after careful observation over time, she increasingly felt they were worse than many bandits.

Just a few days ago, some "Buddha" had even tried to trick her into joining the sect as a heavenly maiden. Now his head was severed by her sword. From that point on, Yue Hongling's southern martial arts journey had essentially been locked onto the Maitreya Sect.

So far, she only knew part of the story, not the whole. This White Lotus Temple was a recent discovery, and she planned to observe a bit more.

Yue Hongling was spirited and straightforward, easily giving the impression of a brash and impetuous person, but in reality, she was more meticulous than most.

This was also very Zhao Changhe-like. The two could always see reflections of themselves in each other.

As she observed, someone hurried into the hall and said in a low voice to the abbot: "Zhao Changhe stayed at Xiaoxiang Pavilion last night. The top courtesan Ruyan accompanied him."

Yue Hongling pricked up her ears.

"Oh? Any discoveries?"

"The people below said that Zhao Changhe seemed to finish in just a few breaths."

Yue Hongling: "..."

The abbot laughed: "Isn't that good? Many who join our sect come to solve such troubles. We have ways to make him last as long as he wants."

"But later, Ruyan said that Zhao Changhe played with her all night in various positions, and he was quite vigorous."

"Oh? Then why did his vigor return?"

"Ruyan guessed that when they chatted and mentioned Yue Hongling, he got particularly excited."

Yue Hongling: "..."

The abbot thought for a long moment, then laughed: "Have the Picking Flower Heavenly Maiden dress up as Yue Hongling and replace Ruyan to accompany him tonight. It seems this Zhao Changhe is easier to win over than we imagined."