Chapter 159: Gu...

Chapter 159: Gu…

Seeing Zhao Changhe’s utterly dumbfounded expression, Sisi couldn’t help feeling a little smug, but she put on a stern face and said, “What are you staring at? Feeling like you’ve hit the jackpot, are you? You’re so obsessed with the Dragon Spar that you never stopped to think this face might be fake too?”

“Uh…” Zhao Changhe’s mind raced, and he straightened his expression. “Real or fake, it doesn’t matter. Even if you were still that ordinary little maid from before, it wouldn’t change a thing for me.”

“Oh?”

“I’d still tease you the same way. Now that you look like this, it’s just a bit more fun.”

Sisi was caught between laughter and tears: “Hey!”

“Aren’t you just upset about Tang Wanzhuang and want to compete with her? What’s there to compare?” Zhao Changhe said. “What I said earlier wasn’t just empty words. There’s really nothing between her and me. On the other hand, I’ve fought side by side with you and even been skin to skin. Why compare yourself to her?”

“What I’m comparing is why I have to be teased by you while she gets to hold herself aloof! Is it because she’s of higher status? I’m of even higher status, believe it or not!”

Zhao Changhe said, “I believe it. Some little princess from a foreign tribe, here to steal martial arts from all the Central Plains schools, right? First, you join the Thieves’ Sect to learn the basics of thievery, then you go to Maitreya’s sect to pick up the art of bewitchment. The steps are pretty clear.”

Sisi snorted coldly. “Still got that detective itch, haven’t you?”

“So, did I guess right?”

“Dead right.” Sisi put on a stern face. “Want to haul me back to the Demon Suppression Bureau? That spy jade token of yours seems pretty high-ranking.”

Zhao Changhe said nonchalantly, “Like the token? I’ll give it to you.”

Sisi: “…”

Zhao Changhe drawled lazily, “Don’t talk about stealing martial arts. My girlfriend is a rebel, and what have I said? Do you really think I’m working for the court just because I got a jade token? Besides, even from the court’s perspective, you’re not from the same tribe as Chi Li, are you? Your clothing style is different. Who knows, maybe we could even form an alliance and catch Chi Li in a pincer attack. Why would I arrest you?”

Sisi chuckled softly. “Then your wishful thinking is wasted. Chi Li and I are allies. What we want is your Central Plains land.”

Zhao Changhe tilted his head and studied her for a moment, then shook his head. “No. You have nothing to do with them, and your goal isn’t the land. If it were, you wouldn’t be hanging around the martial world stealing things and learning techniques. That’s not how it works, unless you’re an idiot like Murong Fu, which makes no sense at all.”

“Hey… what if, just saying, I really was in cahoots with Chi Li? What would you do?”

Zhao Changhe said matter-of-factly, “I’d catch you and train you in private.”

Sisi gritted her teeth, turned around, and went to find bandages. “Let’s see who’s training who now!”

Watching her jingle as she moved, Zhao Changhe found it amusing. “Sisi…”

“What!”

“Stop hiding things. There might be some misunderstanding between us. If you keep not telling the truth and let me guess blindly, and I take it seriously, will you blame me for being frivolous later? Why don’t we be open and honest? Tell me what you’re after, even to the point of… well, sharing breath… If you explain clearly, maybe I can help you.”

Sisi stared at him for a long moment, her eyes flickering with hesitation. In the end, she didn’t wrap the bandage around him. She just sighed softly. “I’ve sworn a heavy oath. I can’t say a single word about that matter. So guess whatever you want, and think of me however you will. As long as you let me participate in the Sword Emperor’s Tomb, I’ll leave the Central Plains afterward. You might never see me again in this life. Why bother asking too much?”

Zhao Changhe pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, “You came to Suzhou and hid in the Tang family as a maid because, while lurking in the White Lotus Temple to steal techniques, you heard about a baleful treasure in Suzhou and suspected it was the Tiger Hill Sword Pool, right?”

Sisi casually sat down on the edge of the bed. “Yeah, and you took advantage of me again, didn’t you?”

“So when you came here, you were after the baleful treasure, not the Sword Emperor’s Tomb, right? It was only later, when you learned about the tomb, that you thought it was more important.” Zhao Changhe said, “That baleful treasure is now lying by the head of the bed. Why don’t you take a look?”

Sisi glanced at the bead by the bed, hesitating. “You’re the one who practices with it. It’s more important to you. Since I’m tagging along with you into the imperial tomb, I won’t fight you for these things and cause trouble.”

“Is that why you haven’t looked at the Dragon Spar or the gold leaf?”

Sisi was silent.

Zhao Changhe scoffed. “Your skills in tomb raiding, geomancy, and knowledge of the ancient era couldn’t have been learned in a short time at the Thieves’ Sect. At most, they just enriched and perfected your knowledge system. As for the Sword Emperor’s Tomb, I suspect no one knows it better than you. Who’s really tagging along with whom is still up in the air. Come on, stop talking about who’s whose burden. Since we’re teaming up to get treasures, if you need something, take a look. If you want it, take it. If not, I’ll keep it. It’s that simple. That’s the default rule in our Zhao clan.”

Sisi gave him a deep look, finally reached out, and took the blood-red bead. She examined it carefully for a moment, then probed it with her true qi.

Her brow furrowed more and more tightly, and she muttered to herself, “How strange. Where did Maitreya get this?”

Zhao Changhe said, “This is probably the real so-called baleful treasure. What Maitreya was looking for in Jinling was this thing. Looks like it’s already been found. Fayuan’s claim that the thing might be in Suzhou was just a misdirection caused by the mess here… What’s wrong?”

“This isn’t a natural treasure. It’s a sacrificial refinement method from ancient demonic paths. I don’t know the specifics, but I know it’s not meant for nurturing baleful qi… Well, if you carry it around for a long time, the intense bloodthirsty baleful energy inside might help you cultivate baleful qi to some extent, but not much. More likely, it could affect your temperament, making you increasingly violent.” Sisi said, “You’re not allowed to use this. I don’t want to see a bad-tempered Zhao Changhe.”

“No wonder Tang Wanzhuang said I might be disappointed… Maitreye didn’t seem too upset about losing it.” Zhao Changhe asked curiously, “So what’s the main use of this thing?”

Sisi thought for a moment and said uncertainly, “It feels like it’s part of a set, not just one bead. It’d be easier to judge the real purpose if it were a complete set. Hard to say now… Anyway, don’t use it.”

Zhao Changhe said, “Then what did you originally want the baleful treasure for? Would it be useful to you?”

“Not really. I originally wanted it to refine gu… the power of bones and flesh, like you! Anyway, it’s useless to me. Not what I was looking for.”

Zhao Changhe looked her up and down for a long time, unsure if he caught the shift in her words. He just said, “Alright, leave the thing there. When I’m healed, I’ll study it. If it’s no good, I’ll keep it until I collect the whole set.”

Sisi looked at him strangely. “You’re really going to keep it for a set? You don’t even know how many beads are in the set, or what effect they’ll have when collected. Do you have nothing better to do?”

Zhao Changhe tossed the bead lazily in his hand and said quietly, “I have a feeling that someone should be coming to explain things to me soon. I’ve encountered too many things that need explaining. She can’t just watch the show and say nothing. Otherwise, she’s not a very good director.”

Sisi was stunned and confused.

Zhao Changhe’s gaze fell on her red lips again, and he asked cautiously, “How about… we share breath again? Or give me a shoulder rub?”

“Get lost!” Sisi kicked him in the waist and stormed off angrily.

So even with her original appearance, there was no difference in how she was treated compared to when she was the little maid.

What kind of jerk was this guy!

Zhao Changhe watched her lovely back as she left. Her top was a bit short, revealing a sliver of pale skin at her waist, extremely alluring. Watching her, he felt an inexplicable twinge of jealousy, thinking she shouldn’t be showing that to others. Then he tapped his head, realizing he might not be entirely normal himself.

Not to mention that he and Sisi had no real relationship at all, but even this kind of awareness wasn’t something a modern person should have. How many girls on the streets of modern times showed off their midriffs? Who cared?

Zhao Changhe leaned back against the headboard, lost in thought. He silently mused that, probably after a while longer, his memories of the modern world would fade even more, and the thoughts of this world would completely take over.

The only thing that still connected him to his identity as a time traveler was the blind woman.

She hadn’t appeared in his dreams for a long time, as if the link to the modern world was fading.

In any case, today he was exhausted from injuries and fatigue, too tired to think too much. Amid the comings and goings of the latter part of the day, with such a stunningly beautiful Sisi standing before him, he had somehow felt a bit like a sage, not wanting to talk much. His replies had been somewhat perfunctory. He wondered if Sisi had noticed.

In the hazy state between sleep and wakefulness, Zhao Changhe suddenly had a strong premonition that the blind woman would appear today.