Chapter 191: Meeting For The First Time Back Then

Chapter 191: First Encounter Back Then

Zhao Changhe was dumbfounded, and after a long pause, he finally blurted out, "So your name is Wang Daozhong too..."

As soon as he said this, not only was Wang Daozhong left with his mouth half-open, but even the surrounding Taoists turned their heads, shoulders shaking as they stifled laughter. Some of the younger acolytes farther away couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.

Zhuque, hiding behind Zhao Changhe, couldn't help but twitch with amusement beneath her mask.

It was as if a breeze had swept through the temple. Wang Daozhong had clearly intended to use the Four Symbols Sect as a pretext to stir up trouble, but with this atmosphere, his entire Earth Ranking presence had evaporated. Even he found himself caught between laughter and frustration: "You really are called Wang Daozhong? From the Langya Wang clan? Which branch? I don't recall the Wangs having any offshoot in Zhao territory."

"Uh..." Zhao Changhe finally cleared his throat twice. "Well... ahem. It seems I misunderstood earlier. The part about fighting the Hu man—you definitely had a share in that! A big share! All thanks to your reputation, Senior—you scared off the Hu without even lifting a finger. I'm in awe!"

Wang Daozhong's mouth twitched, his face expressionless.

If you thought about it, He Lei could barely be considered scared off by his name. Should he be proud of that?

Outsiders unaware of the truth would all think that Wang Daozhong had come to the aid of his neighbors and driven back the Hu. Amid this great war, many might cast admiring glances his way, singing praises across the land.

But why did it feel so off? Should he even thank this Zhao Changhe?

The hatred from He Lei had now landed squarely on him. Who knew if that rough Hu would come to his senses after returning home, but in the short term, he’d surely see the Wang family—especially Wang Daozhong—as his mortal enemy. This had also inadvertently tied the Wangs more deeply to the Great Xia.

The Wang family had been thrust onto a hot stove.

Wang Daozhong had no idea if this bastard had thought that far ahead before using his name, but in any case, it wasn’t easy to vent his anger publicly. He couldn’t even decide if he should be angry—after all, he couldn’t very well say he didn’t want to fight the Hu at all.

Zhao Changhe had considered it, and even more maliciously. He’d even hoped the Chaos Chronicle would help by flashing a line about Guichen and Wang Daozhong jointly besieging He Lei, making it impossible for the Langya Wangs to wipe the shit off their pants. But the Chaos Chronicle didn’t cooperate.

Damn book!

The two stared at each other. In the end, Wang Daozhong chose to take aim at the Four Symbols Sect: "If I’m not mistaken, that mask and crimson sacrificial robe belong to the Four Symbols Sect’s Yihuo Serpent? What do you mean by protecting her, Young Master Zhao?"

Zhao Changhe sighed. "Senior, why are you like that vulgar fellow Xuan Chong, judging someone by their mask and clothes? It’s not like you can’t make this set for fun. To be honest, everyone knows I, Little Zhao, have no other hobbies—I’m just into this. Back then at Beimang..."

Getting someone to play Yue Hongling, right?

Everyone, including Wang Daozhong, had that thought pop into their heads.

Quite the hobby you’ve got there, huh?

Wang Daozhong didn’t believe it for a second. He mulled over whether to lift the woman’s mask with a strike, but with Guichen standing right there watching like a hawk, it wasn’t convenient for him to act.

Besides, he knew Zhao Changhe was offering a way out, and it was best to take it.

Given the current situation, the Wang family wasn’t exactly eager to pick a fight with the Four Symbols Sect for no reason. If they ended up clashing with them over something so trivial, onlookers would laugh their heads off. A family that was testing whether the realm should split into independent states—before doing anything at all—suddenly repelling northern barbarians and exterminating demonic cults, becoming even more loyal to the Great Xia than Tang Wanzhuang...

What a mess...

Wang Daozhong gave Zhao Changhe a long, hard look, focusing on the Longque blade on his back, and said with pointed meaning, "No wonder you’re worthy of wielding that blade. Meeting you is better than hearing your name."

Zhao Changhe smiled warmly. "This is a fake blade. But the young lady of the family that owns the real one is on her way here. Senior, aren’t you afraid that what happened to the Taiyi Sect might happen to her? I suggest you go meet her. If something goes wrong, life won’t be easy for the Wang girl after she marries into that family."

Wang Daozhong said nothing. He stared at Zhao Changhe for a long, long time, then suddenly vanished.

Zhao Changhe let out a sigh of relief.

Zhuque, standing behind him, keenly noticed that the back of his clothes was slightly damp.

Whether it was from the pressure of drawing his bow against He Lei earlier, or the tension of standing before an Earth Ranking figure to shield her.

But he hadn’t moved an inch.

Guichen stepped forward and bowed: "The Taiyi Sect thanks you, Young Master, and this... young lady, for your help. If there’s ever anything we can do, just say the word."

Zhuque shifted her gaze from Zhao Changhe’s back and stepped aside, refusing the gesture. "I didn’t help at all. Don’t try to claim ties, you old Taoist."

Guichen looked at her mask, smiled faintly, and said nothing more.

The Taiyi Sect was a righteous sect, and their conflicts with the Four Symbols Sect were not few. Though no blood feuds had arisen, Guichen knew the Four Symbols Sect better than most.

That sacrificial robe wasn’t of the Twenty-Eight Mansions’ rank.

Zhuque Venerable, what are you up to?

Zhao Changhe said, "No need for formalities here. After this business with the Hu, I’m really worried about Yangyang. Whether the Wangs go to meet her or not, I need to figure things out. Reverend, you have many people here—can you send some to check on the Cui family’s route?"

"Of course."

Zhuque suddenly remembered something, her heart skipping a beat. By now, Chichi should be on her way to meet Cui Yuanyang, shouldn’t she? Would she really kill her?

She grew anxious and said quickly, "By the time you investigate the Cui family’s movements, it’ll be too late. Why not come with me to the city, to our sect’s outpost, and ask? They’ll likely know."

Zhao Changhe was delighted. "Then I’m in your debt."

The two sped down the mountain. As he flew along, Zhao Changhe recalled something: "You’re a subordinate of Zhuque Venerable, sent to ask me questions. That means Zhuque Venerable is in the city?"

Zhuque said, "So what if she is? Since she’s asking you questions, she won’t kill you for no reason."

"And if my answers displease her greatly?"

"Then she just won’t recruit you into the sect. What else? As you said, aside from your entanglement with the Saintess, you’ve done nothing against our sect. Outsiders may call us a demonic cult, but we don’t go around killing people without reason."

"That’s true, but the gap in rank is too big. Meeting her always makes me nervous. What if she doesn’t play by the rules..."

Zhuque was silent for a moment, then said oddly, "He Lei and Wang Daozhong are both on the Earth Ranking. You dared to strike at He Lei and face off against Wang Daozhong. Zhuque Venerable may rank higher than them, but she’s not a monster with three heads and six arms. Why are you afraid of her?"

"That’s not it. I was scared just now too—I was drenched in cold sweat."

"That’s just pressure. If a Xuan Pass Fifth Layer cultivator facing the Earth Ranking didn’t feel pressure, you wouldn’t be human. But that’s not fear. The way you talk about Zhuque Venerable—you’re afraid even to meet her."

"Well... maybe." Zhao Changhe thought for a moment and replied, "A few images that left a deep mark on my soul when I first entered the martial world—they’ll probably be hard to erase for a long time."

"Which ones?"

"Yue Hongling, bold and righteous; Tang Wanzhuang, propping up the empire with a frail body; and... the massacre of a family, the demonic flames of Zhuque. In a way, Zhuque is the epitome of a top-tier powerhouse in my mind, more tangible than Xia Longyuan."

Zhuque’s expression under her mask was very strange. After a long pause, she said, "So you’re that afraid of her."

"Yeah." Zhao Changhe didn’t deny it, admitting frankly, "I really am afraid of her. She’s the person I fear most right now."

"Then why do you think she’s beautiful?" Zhuque finally seized the chance to ask.

"That’s a kind of beauty, isn’t it?" Zhao Changhe laughed self-deprecatingly. "It has nothing to do with the face under the mask... Under that blazing firelight, the eerie mask, the sensual lips, the severed head in her hand, the dripping blood... That’s another side of this martial world—eerie, cruel, powerful, inspiring fear, yet you have to admit, it’s truly beautiful. Maybe I’m just sick in the head."

Zhuque thought to herself, You just learned that from Tang Wanzhuang, didn’t you? Since when did you become such a cultured man?

Then Zhao Changhe added, "You’d better not tell Zhuque any of this. If she didn’t ask, don’t say it. If she insists you recount all your exchanges with me, that’s fine, right?"

"No problem." Zhuque said with a hint of mockery, "If you did tell her, aren’t you afraid she’d take it as a confession of admiration?"

"No." This time, Zhao Changhe gave her a strange look and shook his head. "Zhuque Venerable’s character isn’t so vulgar. This has nothing to do with man and woman—she’d understand that."

The Zhuque in your mind has quite the high standards... Zhuque found it amusing and asked, "Then why tell me not to say it?"

"Embarrassment. And if she thinks I’m afraid of her, she might try to manipulate me, causing more trouble."

"..." Zhuque was at a loss between laughter and tears. She wanted to say, Don’t overthink it. Even if you hadn’t said those words, I, as the real Zhuque, would still manipulate you when we meet. A mere Xuan Pass Fifth Layer brat—did you really expect me to treat you as an equal?

But Zhao Changhe laughed heartily and quickened his pace. "But I think she’ll probably try to manipulate me anyway. She’s proud enough to look down her nose at everyone. Whether I say this or not, it doesn’t make much difference. I’d like to see, when she really stands before me, whether I’ll still feel that same palpitation."

"And if you do? Kneel?"

"If I do, then one day, I’ll break it with my own hands!"