Chapter 315: Demoness of a Chaotic World

Chapter 315: The Vixen of Chaos

Zhao Changhe shot out through the window in a frenzy, and what met his eyes was a dazzling flash of sword light.

Behind Chi Chi, who twisted mid-air to strike, a phantom like a tiger pouncing seemed to appear, a Dharma image flickering in and out of view; while on the sword blade itself, an icy chill lingered, seeming to coalesce into the shape of an ice dragon, which then shattered against the Poison Spider's parry, scattering in fragments.

A true convergence of dragon and tiger—it was really cool. Just in terms of visual effect, Chi Chi was the most impressive among all his women.

"Clang!" As the two swords clashed, with the hunter turned prey, the Poison Spider's mind wavered. In a hasty parry, how could she withstand Chi Chi's long-prepared sword of the innate realm?

With that single blow, the Poison Spider's qi and blood were destabilized, even her poison mist became chaotic, and she used the force to retreat swiftly.

Previously, it was Xia Chi Chi who retreated in difficulty after receiving one of her strikes, fleeing all the way. In just one night, the tables had turned; now it was she who retreated after receiving a blow.

Still, she was at least a strong figure on the Human Roll, and not low-ranked at that. A weaker one might have been killed in a single strike. But the Poison Spider was indeed not that weak; this blow only cost her the initiative, forcing her to retreat in disarray, without even injuring her.

Of course, if it continued, she would be in grave danger. In a duel of experts, a single thread of difference is all it takes; once at a disadvantage, it's hard to recover, especially since her lightness skill couldn't outrun Chi Chi's.

"I thought the Four Symbols Sect had some young master; it turns out it's the Four Symbols Saintess here," the Poison Spider said gravely, fighting while retreating. "Our two sects have no enmity. The Saintess killed a subordinate under my protection, which should count as a completed deed. Why be relentless?"

Xia Chi Chi advanced rapidly, laughing as she did: "When you coated yourself in poison and secretly harmed me, I hadn't offended you, had I? When you tricked me into seeking Tian Lingzi, hiding some scheme, I hadn't offended you then either, had I? And just now, you ambushed me from behind to assassinate me—no enmity?"

"Correct," the Poison Spider actually said. "This is how things are done in Kunlun; everyone acts this way. What enmity is there? True enmity lies only in strength. You won't be able to take me down anytime soon. This is my territory; with one whistle, my subordinates will gather, and even the Saintess won't fare well. Why not call it quits?"

Xia Chi Chi smiled. "That does make some sense."

But inwardly, she was puzzled. The Poison Spider's words were true; even though she had the upper hand, if she called for help and her subordinates surrounded them, it would be Chi Chi who would have to flee. Why didn't she call? Was she afraid of ruining some plan?

The Poison Spider said, "In Kunlun, fists speak. Now that the Saintess's fists are stronger, I admit defeat. I and Tian Lingzi have discovered a secret realm, and I'm willing to share it with the Saintess, to turn conflict into harmony. What do you say, Saintess?"

If it were purely Xia Chi Chi's own idea, sharing would be nonsense—she wasn't here for a secret realm. But she thought of Zhao Changhe; he seemed to be looking for something...

Just as she hesitated, she suddenly saw behind the Poison Spider, a silent blade—Dragon Sparrow—without sound, without shadow, falling as quietly as snow, approaching rapidly.

The Poison Spider seemed completely unaware of this silent strike.

Xia Chi Chi acted as if she knew nothing, continuing to press with her sword, saying, "Tell me about it. What's in this secret realm? Did you get your gourds from there?"

"Correct, the gourds are just peripheral things. There's more core stuff inside..." The Poison Spider was mid-sentence when a strong sense of danger surged within her. She twisted her body sharply and turned her head, and a broadsword grazed past her neck, leaving a deep gash.

The Poison Spider's left hand was holding a fine needle, originally intended to ambush Xia Chi Chi when she let her guard down. Now she flung it backward, trying to force the attacker back and slip away.

But the old rogue Zhao Changhe neither dodged nor avoided, letting the needle strike his chest.

With a crisp "ding," the needle was blocked solidly by the gold foil, offering no hindrance at all. His broadsword dragged in a slash, already reaching her neck again.

On the other side, Xia Chi Chi coordinated flawlessly, her sword light forming a net, sealing off all the Poison Spider's escape routes.

In the Poison Spider's eyes, that slash seemed to freeze the very space in that moment—wind stopped, snow halted, tree branches stilled.

No self in the mortal world; hell is thus.

"Clang!" The Poison Spider desperately parried with her sword at her neck. Her sword was also a fine blade, and it didn't break, but the terrifying force sent her tumbling sideways.

Xia Chi Chi's sword was already waiting there. The Poison Spider could no longer evade; the ice blade swept past, piercing cleanly through her chest.

"Damn couple..." The Poison Spider spat out a cloud of blood mist. "In the nine springs below, I'll be waiting for you!"

Xia Chi Chi was prepared. Her left palm pushed forward, and a tiger phantom roared out, forming a violent wall of qi that precisely washed away the blood mist.

The Poison Spider's eyes dimmed. A green gas began to seep from her body, and gradually, she withered, clearly an old woman over fifty.

Xia Chi Chi instinctively wiped her hand on her trouser leg. Damn, she had been touching her for days... Was that fake flesh?

Zhao Changhe peered over. "This is ranked fifty-eighth on the Human Roll? So much weaker than Hu Lie. He's only fifty-first, not much higher."

Xia Chi Chi shot him a glance. "Hu Lie? Who did you fight with?"

Zhao Changhe shut up.

"Yue Hongling is stronger than me, isn't she?" Xia Chi Chi ground her teeth. "Hu Lie is so much stronger, and you still won, didn't you?"

"No, no," Zhao Changhe said with a placating smile. "I remember now. Hu Lie is at least a Secret Realm expert. This one hasn't even broken through to Secret Realm. I don't know how she's ranked so high..."

"Poison relies on catching people off guard. If you don't know who she is, things like blood mist and green gas can slip in silently, and it's easy to fall for them. She probably earned her rank by ambushing stronger opponents and winning. Once you know she's the Poison Spider, her threat is halved." Xia Chi Chi said dismissively. "So personal cultivation is the most important. These underhanded tricks are useless once you're prepared..."

As she spoke, her face suddenly turned pale.

She had been poisoned again, and she didn't even know when.

Zhao Changhe examined himself internally and also found the poison seeping in. He put away his contempt for the Poison Spider. This was truly hard to guard against. When had it happened?

Ranked fifty-eighth on the Human Roll—she certainly had her ways.

No matter. A kiss would fix it...

Wait... When Hu Lie was ambushed, the Chaos Chronicle didn't announce it because Hu Lie didn't die. The Poison Spider was ranked fifty-eighth—why wasn't there an announcement?

Zhao Changhe was holding Xia Chi Chi, about to kiss her, when he suddenly realized. He spun around with her in his arms, and another fine needle grazed past his ribs, just tearing his clothes without piercing the skin.

At the same time, the seemingly dead Poison Spider suddenly sprang up, and with a few leaps and bounds, vanished from sight.

The young couple tried to pursue, but the poison hindered them, and they couldn't catch up, watching helplessly as she disappeared into the alleys.

"Still looking down on someone ranked fifty-eighth on the Human Roll!" Xia Chi Chi punched him in anger.

Zhao Changhe smiled placatingly without answering. Blame me? You stabbed her. Not finishing her off was a shared mistake.

Forget it. His wife was throwing a tantrum; he'd let it slide.

But come to think of it, a sword through the heart, the body shriveled and breathless—she looked dead. It was hard to suspect she wasn't. This probably had to do with her poison training. This was something worth studying if he got the chance.

Just as he was thinking this, from afar came a very short, sharp scream from the Poison Spider, as if she had fallen into someone else's hands.

A chill ran down Zhao Changhe's spine. He no longer had the mind for kissing. He quickly activated the Return Spring Technique to purge the poison from Xia Chi Chi. "You should probably be done with your business. It's best to leave. This place is eerie; showing even a hint of weakness could get you killed silently. I don't know what happened to the Poison Spider..."

Xia Chi Chi shook her head. "We have no enemies here. Whoever dealt with the Poison Spider wasn't targeting us; they were probably after the secret realm. Don't you want to see what happens next?"

Zhao Changhe said, "What scheme are you cooking up now?"

"By now, Tian Lingzi has no idea the Poison Spider has fallen. He'll continue his plan. We should go back to the tavern and wait for an opportunity... If the secret realm has something you want, fine. If not, what does it matter if we give it to whoever killed the Poison Spider? Tian Lingzi tried to set me up—how can I feel satisfied without stabbing him in the back!"

Zhao Changhe twitched his mouth. Truly a vixen of chaos.

But somehow, she suited his taste perfectly.

He thought about it. He hadn't revealed his identity as Wang Daozhong, and the other party knew nothing. The show was still worth watching.

Zhao Changhe hurried back to the tavern. As soon as he entered, he heard Tian Lingzi sighing. "Since Chief Qian doesn't believe we didn't steal anything, why not come with me to the secret realm and see for yourself?"

Chief Qian was dumbfounded. He had thought of countless ways to pick a fight with Tian Lingzi, just waiting to flip the table, and now this?

Tian Lingzi smiled leisurely. "What do you think? The secret realm isn't something my sect can monopolize. I was originally planning to cooperate with the Thieves' Gate to develop it... Does Chief Qian want in?"

Chief Qian slammed the table. "Are you serious?"

Tian Lingzi smiled faintly. "Honest as the day is long."