Chapter 112: So You Two Were Simply A Couple All Along

Chapter 112: So You Two Were a Couple All Along

In that moment of embarrassment, he wanted to say "never liked you" to wash it away, but his words got stuck halfway. He'd rather take a beating than finish the sentence—did that mean... he actually did like her?

He didn't know.

Yue Hongling, however, had a feeling that what he'd said earlier might have been true.

When did the urge to hold Sister Yue begin?

It started the moment I sat behind you on your horse.

Then why didn't you take advantage when you were injured?

Because I respected you.

That spontaneous cause and effect—could it be a lie made up for the Heavenly Maiden?

There was a good chance it was true... That damn bandit, even when he was still an honest man, wasn't really honest.

No matter. As long as he said it was false, she'd pretend not to know, and they'd go on as before—like teacher, like sister, like friends.

But it was so hard.

Looking at the silence between them now, she felt something lingering in the air, something she couldn't quite grasp or name.

Zhao Changhe let out a long sigh, then suddenly gave a self-deprecating laugh. He sat back down in his chair and poured himself a drink. "Hey, I just thought of something. Maybe my act of being a lecher wasn't entirely an act. Maybe deep down I'm just a pervert who wanted to take advantage of the Heavenly Maiden."

In truth, he was starting to suspect that his choice of approach might have been because she really did remind him of Yue Hongling. After all, he didn't have to play the desperate lecher to get information—there were other ways. Maybe it was about satisfying some hidden desire...

But saying it out loud so openly should make Yue Hongling think otherwise. Poor native—how could she understand the value of cosplay?

As expected, Yue Hongling didn't overthink it. She casually sat down beside him, snatched the drink he'd just poured, and downed it. Snorting, she said, "So what if you're a lecher? It's no big deal for a man. Just don't go down the wrong path."

Zhao Changhe asked, "Like the Maitreya Sect?"

Yue Hongling nodded. "So you do know what they're about... And it looks like you're already dealing with them. I was right to come find you."

"You're here to deal with the Maitreya Sect too?" Zhao Changhe laughed. "What a coincidence. I heard you were around Yangzhou and wanted to find you, but I didn't know how. Then you showed up."

"Why did you want to find me?"

"I felt like Yangzhou was full of strange undercurrents, as if some weird atmosphere was making everyone act. From the first person I met, Wan Dongliu, all the way to us now."

Yue Hongling thought to herself, *He's reading my mind. I felt the same strange vibe here and wanted to find him to talk it over. Two heads are better than one.*

They accidentally locked eyes, then both quickly looked away.

Yue Hongling stared at the wine in her cup, wondering what was wrong. It was just an ordinary sentence—why did it feel so awkward?

Was it because of that hug just now?

She forced herself to change the subject. "What about Wan Dongliu?"

"That guy gives me a strange feeling. He seems like he's with the Maitreya Sect, but also like he has his own agenda. Either way, the Cao Gang is the key. If something goes wrong with them, the whole world will fall into chaos." Zhao Changhe said, "My target is the Maitreya Sect because they're more obvious, but deep down, I'm more worried about the hidden Wan Dongliu."

Yue Hongling mused, "So, no matter what the Maitreya Sect is plotting, as long as the Cao Gang doesn't side with them, things won't get too bad?"

"Pretty much."

"Alright. Wan Dongliu, as a local big shot, often hosts banquets for young talents visiting Yangzhou. It's just courtesy. He invited me once before, and I declined. If he invites me again, I'll go and check him out."

Zhao Changhe remembered Wan Dongliu inviting him and today inviting Tang Buqi. He figured there would be more such banquets, so he nodded. "He might invite me too..."

He paused, a strange look on his face. "Maybe he'll invite us both. A lot of people want to see my reaction when I meet the real Yue Hongling. Damn it..."

Yue Hongling hesitated. "Should we discuss how we should act in front of others?"

This was actually quite interesting. They had no real relationship, so normally they could just meet naturally and clear up any misunderstandings. But because of the Maitreya Sect incident, they had to keep up the pretense, or their cover would be blown.

Zhao Changhe said, "So... should I really pursue you?"

Yue Hongling's heart inexplicably skipped a beat. She turned her head away and said, "I'll reject you, and that'll be the end of it, right?"

Zhao Changhe sighed helplessly. "Right."

Yue Hongling was silent for a moment, then said quietly, "That's not fair to you... You never wanted to pursue Yue Hongling, but you've ended up with a bad reputation and become a laughingstock. The truth is, you were covering for me about the 'captured wife' thing to protect my reputation..."

Zhao Changhe interrupted, "I did it willingly."

The silence stretched again. Yue Hongling looked away once more, bent down, and dragged out the other "Yue Hongling" from under the bed. "Let's leave the rest for later. We can start by figuring out the Maitreya Sect from her."

The subject change was so abrupt that Zhao Changhe's scattered thoughts snapped back to the main issue. "You didn't kill her?"

Yue Hongling shot him a glance. "Why would I kill her? I was just looking for someone to interrogate, and she delivered herself—a high-ranking member, no less."

Zhao Changhe studied the disguised Heavenly Maiden. She did look a bit like Yue Hongling, but a fake was a fake. It might fool someone who didn't know her, but not someone familiar.

Honestly, how could they have thought they could impersonate her so perfectly? It made him lose all face in front of Yue Hongling.

Yue Hongling had already woken the knocked-out Heavenly Maiden. The woman opened her eyes, took one look at her situation, and felt like crying. "I never expected Zhao Changhe and Yue Hongling to be a couple all along. Even the Buddha was fooled by you..."

Yue Hongling: "?"

Zhao Changhe: "..."

Yue Hongling didn't bother arguing. She pressed her sword against the woman's neck and said coldly, "I'll ask you once. What level is Fayuan?"

This was why she had been observing and hesitant to act. Without knowing the opponent's strength, attacking blindly would be suicide.

But the cultist's fanaticism exceeded her expectations. The Heavenly Maiden closed her eyes stubbornly, refusing to answer even at the cost of her life.

Then Zhao Changhe crouched beside her with a grin. "You don't actually think that dying for the sect will send you to the Pure Land, do you? Into the 'Vacuum Hometown'?"

At the words "Vacuum Hometown," the Heavenly Maiden's expression shifted slightly. She realized that Zhao Changhe, who had been pretending to know nothing and asking for Buddhist teachings, actually knew more than Yue Hongling. That term was specific to the White Lotus Sect, which they had adopted. Even scholars of the previous era might not recognize such obscure knowledge, yet Zhao Changhe seemed well aware of it.

"Whether dying like that gets you into the Vacuum Hometown or whether the Eternal Mother will reward you, I can't say." Zhao Changhe took out a pair of scissors and waved them near her face. "But guess what? If I carve you up, strip you naked, and hang you upside down on the Twenty-Four Bridges, with 'Maitreya Sect Heavenly Maiden' written all over you, do you think Maitreya and the Eternal Mother will still reward your loyalty?"

Yue Hongling pursed her lips. *You're quite something, aren't you?*

The Heavenly Maiden opened her eyes, finally showing some panic. "The Buddha will know it's not my fault!"

"Do you even believe that yourself?" Zhao Changhe laughed. "Let's make a bet. When that happens, as long as I repent, Maitreya will still welcome me with open arms. But you—a Heavenly Maiden who made Maitreya lose face—you'll be cast into the animal realm, with no way back."

The Heavenly Maiden bit her lower lip and said nothing.

Zhao Changhe continued, "The truth is, even Sister Yue and I could still join the Maitreya Sect. But the way you guys tried to recruit me was too crude—you underestimated me. If you had approached me properly, told me how powerful the Maitreya Sect is, someone like me who weighs the pros and cons might have actually joined. After all, we have no real enmity. In fact, we have quite a connection, don't we?"

Whether the Heavenly Maiden believed him or not, this was a perfect way out—a way for her to live and talk about the Maitreya Sect openly. Yue Hongling admired his tactic and watched the disguised woman, wondering what she would choose.

The Heavenly Maiden hesitated for a long time before whispering, "Do you really still have a chance of joining?"

Zhao Changhe said, "Of course. Aside from your stupid attempt to trick me, what grudge do we have?"

Finally, the Heavenly Maiden spoke. "Maitreya tested Fayuan Buddha. He's said to be at the Human Roll level now, but he's afraid of the Chaos World Book reporting his true strength, so he didn't fight openly. In others' eyes, even the early Zhang Banfo was only at the sixth or seventh level of Xuan Pass."

"That impressive? How many hidden experts does your Maitreya Sect have?"

The Heavenly Maiden's eyes gleamed with fanaticism again. "Countless."

Zhao Changhe nodded, not indicating whether he believed her or not. Then he asked, "Since Master Fayuan is so strong, why do you need me? Killing the Yangzhou prefect would be easy for him, wouldn't it?"

Yue Hongling realized she didn't need to say anything more.

Once the first question was answered, the rest would flow like water from a broken bamboo tube—no more secrets.