Chapter 25: Xia Chichi

Chapter 25 Xia Chichi

Zhao Changhe had to admit he had never thought about it, always assuming they could go to the Four Symbols Sect together, but as for Luo Qi’s personal thoughts, he truly had never considered them.

Even less had he considered that this thing was her goal in coming to Beimang, or even a childhood wish.

Then why the hell didn’t you say so earlier? If you had, would I have fought you for it?

Luo Qi said, “What you call sharing—you thought we could go to the Four Symbols Sect together, didn’t you?”

Zhao Changhe hummed in agreement.

“So I said you’re naive. You think it’s shared, but would Vermilion Bird think so? Besides, the marrow-cleansing effect of this thing can only be bestowed on one person—that’s what Vermilion Bird calls the destined one. She’s telling the truth. If the Azure Dragon Seal recognizes you and grants you a great fortune, she won’t just take you into the sect; she’ll make you the Saint Son of the Azure Dragon aspect, the successor to the Azure Dragon Guardian. Remember, the Four Symbols Sect is a cult, not a school. They follow many ancient prophecies and so-called divine will.”

Zhao Changhe asked in surprise, “How do you know so much?”

Luo Qi said wearily, “Don’t ask how I know. Anyway, now you understand—the Azure Dragon Seal only recognizes one person. Can you still say we share it? You’ve always said you desperately need it, always muttered about what you’d do if you got it… Am I supposed to just watch as a brother and bless you, without even being allowed to want it? Are my wishes, my future, really so insignificant?”

Zhao Changhe finally laughed. “Why couldn’t you say it? You didn’t say a word, and then you blame me for not considering you. Sure enough, women—so damn twisted.”

Luo Qi fumed, “What does this have to do with being a woman! Now that I’ve said it, would you even give it to me?”

“Why not? Judge by deeds, not intentions. No matter what malice you harbored, you never acted on it; you even threw away the dagger… Your childhood wish—didn’t you already give it up, watching helplessly as I took it?”

Luo Qi’s eyes went wide.

Yeah, I already gave up. I already let you have it.

Then what the hell were we arguing about just now?

Because you were questioning me in agony, weren’t you? Sure enough, men—so damn stupid!

Zhao Changhe suddenly bent down, scooped up the Azure Dragon Seal from the ground, and casually tossed it into Luo Qi’s arms. “Since you want it, it’s yours.”

Luo Qi caught the seal off guard and panicked. “Are you crazy! My situation is different—if it touches my hand, it will really transfer the power!”

“Isn’t that great? It means you’re the destined one, the future you want.”

“I already gave it to you!”

“You’re allowed to give it to me, but I’m not allowed to give it to you?”

“You’re insane!”

The Azure Dragon Seal began to glow. Luo Qi seemed to want to throw it away, but it stuck to her hand like glue, impossible to shake off. She stomped her feet in desperation.

Zhao Changhe watched this wondrous scene with interest, stroking his chin. “Stop going in circles. If it’s given to you, take it. Let’s talk about something else… I still don’t believe you wanted to kill me just for this reason. You warned me early on not to trust you. I feel like you’ve struggled with wanting to kill me before…”

Luo Qi bit her lower lip and said nothing.

Zhao Changhe smiled brightly. “So what other reasons are there? Spit them out… For instance, what’s the relationship between Lord Luo and you?”

Luo Qi stared blankly at Zhao Changhe. He was beaming, utterly unconcerned that she was absorbing the Azure Dragon Seal’s power.

He was even staying here to ask for the story, as if guarding her during the process. Luo Qi was finally certain—he truly didn’t care about this treasure. In his heart, she, Luo Qi, was more important than Yue Hongling, more important than any treasure, more important than his own marrow cleansing, more important than breaking free from the Blood Fiend Art’s influence.

What had she been agonizing over all these days?

Who said you couldn’t trust anyone in this jianghu… Mother, you were wrong…

She gazed at Zhao Changhe’s smiling face. The complex, unreadable look in her eyes over the past few days gradually shifted, like the soft light rippling on the pool outside.

“It’s not what you think. Lord Luo isn’t my biological father. It’s not that cliché story of you killing my brother.” Luo Qi suddenly smiled, speaking lightly. “I have no fondness for the Luo father and son either—I even hate them. So it has nothing to do with that.”

Zhao Changhe said, “So… you’re not a homeborn servant, and your surname isn’t Luo, is it?”

Luo Qi smiled faintly. “Maybe you’ve guessed it. You seem rough, but you’re actually sharp as a mirror inside… No—” Her face suddenly stiffened. “You’re clearly an idiot.”

Zhao Changhe’s face went blank. “Yes, yes, I’m a fool.”

Luo Qi shot him a glare, then took a moment to find the right mood again. She said softly, “You should have guessed—my surname should be Xia.”

Xia, the imperial surname of the dynasty.

The Great Xia was not an ancient empire; it had been founded only a few decades ago. Its founder was the old emperor the bandits spoke of, a name on the Chaos List.

Heaven List number one, the world’s foremost man, Xia Longyuan.

Xia Longyuan rose from the jianghu, arrogant and invincible. After unifying the world with absolute force, he ignored all rites and directly named the dynasty after his own surname—Great Xia.

Once, he was a brilliant and mighty sovereign, shaking the divine land, driving the demonic cults into hiding, and forcing the foreign tribes to flee to the wastelands. But now, he was old and decrepit, making blunder after blunder, plunging the world into chaos.

Xia Longyuan had no close kin, no collateral branches to inherit the throne. If he had no son, once he died, chaos in the realm would be inevitable.

The Chaos List hadn’t changed. Perhaps no one had challenged his record, so it was uncertain whether he was still number one now.

That didn’t matter. What mattered was that Luo Qi’s surname was Xia.

Against the backdrop of “the Luo family is connected to the imperial house” and “Luo Zhenwu is suspected to be the emperor’s illegitimate son,” Luo Qi’s claim of the surname Xia almost admitted that the illegitimate child was actually her, not Luo Zhenwu.

The confusion in Zhao Changhe’s mind suddenly cleared.

The way Lord Luo and Luo Zhenwu interacted like father and son—they were father and son after all.

The Four Symbols Sect didn’t choose to assassinate Luo Zhenwu but instead massacred the family—they weren’t entirely sure if Luo Zhenwu was the real target, so they killed everyone to be safe. Conversely, it made no sense to leave a prince as an outer disciple, so Zhao Changhe and Luo Qi, who were mixed in with the outer disciples, were less suspicious and were simply taken away.

It was that simple.

Since she had revealed such a major secret, there was nothing left unspeakable. Luo Qi said lightly, “The rumors outside are wrong. It wasn’t that Lord Luo offered his wife to the emperor. It was that day the emperor stayed at Luo Manor, and the former saintess of the Four Symbols Sect went to assassinate him.”

“Your mother? She was caught?”

“It wasn’t that kind of erotic tale you men enjoy… It was more like a legendary story of a hero winning over a female assassin. My mother was fooled by him. Not only did she abandon the assassination, but she willingly went to bed with him.”

Actually, men enjoy that kind of story too—maybe even more—as long as they’re the protagonist. But Zhao Changhe couldn’t joke now, since the heroine was Luo Qi’s mother.

Still, it was one thing for a story to have a hero win over a female assassin, but for it to happen in reality? How did he manage it? That was too impressive…

“It wasn’t that he was eloquent or irresistibly charming. It was purely because he knew some ancient secrets of the Azure Dragon, which was the faith of the Four Symbols Sect. At the time, my mother thought he was a heaven-sent saint son and truly intended to assist him.”

“I see. That makes sense—faith is like that…”

“But in truth, his Azure Dragon power was acquired by chance and had nothing to do with the Four Symbols Sect’s faith or doctrines. He didn’t see the sect as kindred spirits. He swore to my mother that he would cooperate with the holy sect, tricked her into giving herself to him, and then—who knows if he planned to kill her once he got bored… But then he found out she was pregnant.” Luo Qi gave a mocking smile. “He had few offspring, so he hesitated. He just told my mother he’d been away from the capital too long and needed to return first, promising to come for her later.”

Zhao Changhe couldn’t help saying, “If being deceived before was understandable, this time she was truly a foolish woman in love. How could she believe that?”

“She thought pregnancy was a guarantee… But she waited and waited. I was already born, and the emperor still hadn’t sent word. She named me ‘Chichi’—‘delayed’… She really was a foolish woman.”

Xia Chichi—that was Luo Qi’s real name. Zhao Changhe found it a bit unfamiliar and thought Luo Qi sounded better.

Luo Qi seemed to read his mind and smiled. “I’m not the seventh child. ‘Qi’ is just a homophone for ‘chi.’ If you’re used to Luo Qi, then Luo Qi it is.”

Zhao Changhe nodded. “And then?”

“She had complications giving birth to me. Later, she tried to recover and go to the capital, but she was too agitated, went into qi deviation, and was half-crippled. She didn’t live many more years before dying in regret.” Luo Qi gritted her teeth. “This Xia dynasty—whoever wants to protect it can. Even if I bear the surname Xia, I think the thing most deserving of destruction in this world is the Xia family!”