Chapter 146: Seeing The Essence Through The Mist

Chapter 146: Seeing the Essence Through the Mist

It was said that the afternoon would be spent delving deeper into the secrets of the Blood Fiend, but Zhao Changhe did not go to the Jingxin Nunnery to check on Lu Shaoxiong, nor did he visit the new Third Young Master Gu. Instead, he went once more to the Tiger Hill Sword Pool.

Watching Zhao Changhe pace and observe along the pool’s edge, Sisi found it utterly incomprehensible.

Anyone analyzing the situation would think the Tiger Hill Sword Pool was a red herring. The true source of the baleful aura must lie elsewhere—the young masters of the Lu and Gu families had been tainted, so one should seek out places they had both visited.

At this very moment, Tang Buqi was doing just that with the Gusu Demon-Suppression Bureau, and Sisi felt it was one of the few sensible things the young master Tang had ever done.

Yet Zhao Changhe, who had always given the impression of reliability, was now acting as if he had nothing better to do, circling endlessly around the misleading Tiger Hill Sword Pool. After half an afternoon, he had found nothing, and he was still grinning cheerfully.

Anyone unaware might think he had simply brought his maid on a spring outing.

True, the surroundings were scenic, and the poolside was cool and pleasant—comfortable enough. But Sisi was a diligent girl; she hadn’t sacrificed so much just for comfort.

“Master,” she said, watching Zhao Changhe crouch under a tree shade, observing ants. She finally couldn’t hold back: “Master, shouldn’t we be investigating the case like Young Master Tang and the others?”

“Huh? Since they’re checking which places the Lu and Gu young masters visited together, we can just ask them later. Why should I do the same thing?”

Sisi opened her mouth, but found no retort. After a long pause, she said, “Still, that doesn’t mean we should be watching ants here.”

“Don’t underestimate ants. When it comes to danger, they’re sharper than humans.”

Sisi rolled her eyes in exasperation.

That might hold true for ordinary people, but you’ve already broken through the fifth level of the Mystic Gate. Swinging a forty- or fifty-jin blade with one hand is child’s play. You’re no ordinary person. Your five senses should already surpass any animal in nature. What’s the point of watching ants? You might as well close your eyes and sense things yourself.

“You think it’s meaningless?” Zhao Changhe chuckled. “But did you notice—”

As he spoke, he tossed a piece of leftover dessert from lunch.

A few ants quickly crawled onto it.

“—did you notice how few ants there are here?”

Sisi was taken aback. “Could the baleful aura really be here? Then why can’t anyone sense it at all?”

“If the baleful aura caused the ants to disappear, they’d be completely gone, not just a few,” Zhao Changhe said. “According to common sense, what does it usually mean when you see ants moving their nests?”

Sisi replied, “It means heavy rain is coming, likely to flood their burrows.”

“But there’s no sign of rain these days, and these ants seem to have been migrating for a long time, leaving only a few behind. Could it be that they sense something else about to flood their nests and have been moving early?”

Sisi’s expression shifted.

Though extrapolating from the scarcity of ants to such conclusions seemed a bit far-fetched, in times like these, even trivial details could be clues. If this reasoning held, even if it didn’t prove the Sword Pool harbored baleful aura, it suggested something was about to happen—perhaps the pool’s water would overflow.

“Master… did you really guess that from watching ants?”

“Well, actually, I suspected something was off with the Sword Pool and came looking for evidence to support my guess. Do these ants count?”

“…Barely. The evidence isn’t very solid.”

“But I’m not closing a case for the authorities. I don’t need ironclad proof—just enough to verify my suspicions.”

“So what exactly are you suspicious about?”

“Hmm… Let’s put it this way: whether there’s a baleful treasure in Gusu has always been an unknown. Young Master Lu’s madness doesn’t prove its existence—I could go mad too, so what would that prove? Searching for the source of the baleful aura is a secondary concern.”

Sisi’s eyes widened in shock. “Then what’s the main concern?”

“The main concern is that since the Yangzhou Maitreya Sect was crushed, it will inevitably provoke some action from their leader, Maitreya. In the Jiangnan region, where the Maitreya Sect is widespread, only Gusu remains untouched. If I were Maitreya, I’d likely target Gusu first. Coincidentally, he was also searching for the baleful treasure, and now the clues point to Gusu, so his attention will naturally fall here. Combining these two factors, whether or not Maitreya himself has come to Gusu, an attack on Gusu is inevitable, and the Tang family will bear the brunt.”

Zhao Changhe spoke leisurely: “So the baleful aura may not exist, but trouble for the Tang family certainly will. That’s the main issue. The role this suspected baleful artifact plays in all this, and how it affects the situation—that’s what I need to analyze. It might help break this deadlock. Actually chasing after the source of the baleful aura would be letting ourselves be led by the nose. It might not even exist, and we’d be searching for nothing…”

Sisi: “…”

Their starting points were completely different. No wonder she had felt Zhao Changhe’s attitude was odd—he didn’t seem like someone eager to find a treasure, but more like a detective solving a case. She had thought it was normal, since solving the case might lead to clues about the treasure, but in reality, that wasn’t it at all.

What she didn’t know was that Zhao Changhe had brought her along precisely because he knew she wasn’t part of the Maitreya Sect and might be a useful ally.

As for her possibly seeking the same baleful treasure and conflicting with him—that was truly a secondary concern.

Sisi pondered for a long time, then suddenly asked, “Master, I’ve heard that you cultivate the Blood Fiend Art. Now that you’re at the fifth level, further progress is limited by the human body’s limited blood and qi. Is that true?”

“Not that exaggerated. Pure energy intake isn’t enough anymore, but I do need to nurture the baleful aura. However, nurturing it doesn’t necessarily require treasures—killing works too. The Blood God Sect relies on that method. How many treasures do they have?”

“…So if there were a treasure to nurture the baleful aura, you’d be eager for it?”

“Yes.”

“Then why can you stay so calm, as if the thing you desire doesn’t exist?”

Zhao Changhe thought for a moment, then laughed. “Treasures are important, but brotherhood in the martial world matters more.”

“Brotherhood?” Sisi asked curiously. “Because Young Master Tang is your friend?”

“Yes.” Zhao Changhe glanced at the sky, watching the sun slant westward, and turned to descend the mountain. “Last night when we drank, wasn’t Tang Buqi already my friend?”

Sisi followed, muttering, “Men are strange. Just one drink.”

“And I gave you to him, didn’t I?”

“…”

Zhao Changhe chuckled. “There’s another reason…”

Sisi immediately perked up. “Could it be Tang Wanzhuang? Master, do you really have a connection with her?”

“Where did that come from? She didn’t even give me a glance. Do you think I’m a simp?” Zhao Changhe said leisurely. “It’s because I don’t want this beautiful Gusu to become the ‘Pure Land’ of the Maitreya Sect. Since we’ve learned martial arts, there are things we ought to do.”

“Isn’t learning martial arts supposed to make our own lives better?”

“See that sunset glow?”

“Huh?”

“That glow isn’t just Yue Hongling’s—it’s mine too, Zhao Changhe’s.”

…

Leaving Tiger Hill Sword Pool, they had just returned to the guest courtyard for dinner when a figure flashed by. Ji Chengkong appeared at the door: “This Tang family’s security is much looser than the Lu family’s. Getting in was easier than taking a piss. And I thought the Tangs were supposed to be capable.”

Zhao Changhe said, “The Lu family’s defenses are tight?”

“Very tight. So strict I thought I was at the Demon-Suppression Bureau. But though they’re strict, their skill is poor, so I still managed to scope things out.” Ji Chengkong acted as if they were old friends, sitting down at the table uninvited. “Got any wine? I’ve been lurking all day, parched.”

Sisi demurely poured him a cup of tea.

Ji Chengkong glanced at her again. Her figure and bearing did resemble the person he was looking for, though her face was unfamiliar. But that person was a master of disguise… However, figures like hers were common—even Yue Hongling had a similar build. Using that as a reason to check for disguise would offend Zhao Changhe to death, and it wasn’t worth it.

He didn’t dwell on it and said directly, “From my investigation, the Lu family has a forbidden area a hundred times stricter than the Tang family’s so-called Sword Pool forbidden ground. No token or password works—only a direct Lu family member can enter. Strange, isn’t it? A small, broken family, yet they act more mysterious than anyone.”

Zhao Changhe smiled. “With a Mystic Gate ninth-level expert in the family, someone already peering into the Secret Realm, they’re not exactly a small, broken family.”

“Anyone not on the Human Ranking is trash,” Ji Chengkong said, pointing at his own nose. “I’m at Mystic Gate sixth level myself. You were only at fourth level back then, yet I couldn’t dodge your punch. That shows the gap between those on the Hidden Dragon Ranking and those like me.”

“Brother Ji’s strength lies not in combat. As you said, if you swapped your hand for a dagger or a poison needle while stealing, I wouldn’t dare say I’d survive your attack.”

Ji Chengkong looked somewhat pleased. “True enough. Everyone has their strengths. Anyway, this reconnaissance yielded nothing useful and no fun. I’ve already taken your deposit, which is enough. I have no face to ask for more. I’ll take my leave.”

“Hey, Brother Ji, wait.” Zhao Changhe chased after him. “There’s something I’d like to ask you…”

Sisi’s body tensed instantly.