Chapter 418: The Contented Sanniang

Chapter 418: The Contented Third Lady

In truth, this mask was quite proper.

As everyone knows, the head of the Black Tortoise is not a turtle's head—it is a dragon's visage. This mask abstracted and simplified it, with a dragon face set against a background of tortoise-shell patterns, the dragon's expression severe, even cold.

If a follower of the Four Symbols Sect saw it, they might tremble in fear, knowing this was a peerless demon lord whose defense was as firm as rock and whose outbursts were fierce and unmatched.

But when one already knew, by preconception, that this was Third Lady, no matter how you looked at it, it was just a turtle with a head on top. Zhao Changhe desperately wanted to pick up a brush and turn that dragon head into a grinning Squirtle—that would better fit the persona.

"What's that look on your face?" Third Lady waved a hand before him. "Oh no, don't tell me you're getting aroused just by seeing a mask? A first-rate delicate flower."

Zhao Changhe snapped back to reality and said irritably, "Getting aroused by your turtle face? I'd sooner get aroused by that punch you threw earlier—it was too cool. Hey, everyone's drinking to celebrate, why are you here?"

"With that tone, are we that familiar?"

"You're the one throwing around 'delicate flower' and 'aroused'—are we that familiar?"

"Not familiar? Then who was it that helped you get together with Wing Fire Serpent? And who gave you that Room Fire Pig mask?" Third Lady crossed her arms and snorted. "Are you still going to be Room Fire Pig or not?"

A killing blow. Zhao Changhe could only force a smile. "I am, I am."

"Room Fire Pig is this Venerable One's subordinate, blowing... oh, directly under my command. When you see me, why don't you kneel?"

Zhao Changhe ground his teeth.

"Oh, that little glare." Third Lady reached out a hand. "Either give me back the Room Fire Pig mask. Then see what excuse you'll have to get close to Snake Snake."

Zhao Changhe was completely deflated. He smiled apologetically. "Good Third Lady, I haven't offended you, have I...?"

Got him!

Third Lady was immensely pleased. She put her hands on her hips and said, "Call me Venerable One!"

"Venerable One."

"I came here with no particular purpose. Since that stupid bird isn't around, report to me quickly on the specifics of your dual cultivation with Wing Fire Serpent."

Zhao Changhe: "?"

Third Lady said with a straight face, "What's wrong? As your superior, can't I understand the specific circumstances of my subordinates' dual cultivation? What if you lose control and mess it up? This is being responsible for my subordinates. Where else can you find a boss as good as me?"

"No, what can you possibly grasp? You're a vir—"

"Hm?"

"Nothing. We didn't dual cultivate at all!"

"Then tell me, how did she behave? How did she moan? Where was she sensitive when touched?"

Zhao Changhe's face twitched. "Third Lady..."

"Call me Venerable One!"

"Fine, Third Lady..." Zhao Changhe cautiously probed, "You're not feeling spring fever, are you?"

Third Lady grabbed him by the collar. "What the hell do you know! I helped you get together with Wing Fire Serpent, and when that stupid bird found out, she tricked me into coming to the capital and beat me up. Do you think it was easy for me? If I can't see it with my own eyes, can't I at least hear about it?"

"Why did the Vermilion Bird beat you? Qing'er was sent to me by her own accord, and later going to the Yang family was her own arrangement. I didn't see her opposing it much..."

"Heh, Qing'er..." Third Lady burst out laughing. "Say that again, I want to hear it... Hmm, what does she call you?"

Zhao Changhe blinked. "Hey, you're not jealous of her being a general's daughter, are you? Miss Yuan of the bandit brotherhood..."

Third Lady ground her teeth. "Zhao Changhe, do you want to die?"

She raised a delicate fist, pretending to strike.

Zhao Changhe had no doubt that this punch would blow him to bits. Just as he was about to curl up in defense, flames flared beside him, and a fragrant breeze swept by.

Vermilion Bird stood coldly before Third Lady, her words seeming to squeeze through clenched teeth. "What are you doing here?"

Third Lady stepped back half a pace, her eyes darting around. "What's it to you? Room Fire Pig is my subordinate. My subordinate is injured—can't I come to check on him? Oh, right, Piggy, here's a pill..."

Vermilion Bird snatched the pill away. "Still calling him Piggy? You're a Venerable One too. Disgusting, aren't you?"

"What I call him is my business." Third Lady said this but still slunk away after having the pill snatched. "Hey, why aren't you at the banquet? Weren't you having a great time glaring at Tang Wanzhuang?"

Vermilion Bird was not having a great time at all. Glaring at Tang Wanzhuang as the Vermilion Bird had lost its thrill. She couldn't reveal her jealousy and start a fight—what was there to fight about as the Vermilion Bird? Next time she returned to the capital, she'd use Huangfu Qing's identity to tear into her instead.

Let my man fight for you—what face do you have? Pfft.

And then there was Cui Wenjing at the banquet. Seeing him made her feel utterly uncomfortable. Who could understand this feeling?

And then there was Ying Wu. Though nothing was left between them, she had just scolded him wrongly, and it seemed quite embarrassing...

She wanted to slip away from the banquet and go to her man, but she found she couldn't.

Huangfu Qing could not appear in this place. She couldn't take off her mask and get intimate with him. Before him, she could only remain the Vermilion Bird Venerable One. As the Vermilion Bird, how could she speak to him? Praise him loftily for a job well done? Give him a few pills from the Holy Sect as consolation?

Hmm, maybe that would work.

Thinking this, Vermilion Bird felt as if needles were pricking her beneath her seat. She really couldn't sit still at that banquet anymore. She found any excuse and slipped out.

From start to finish, she never realized that in her observation of the banquet, she hadn't even noticed her good sister was absent...

She was too used to that lazy dead tortoise being absent anyway. On ordinary days, she was always nowhere to be found.

But when she stealthily reached the man's room and listened, Vermilion Bird was so angry she almost burst into flames from her hair. What are you doing, Tortoise!

She took a deep breath, maintaining the cold and brutal image of the Vermilion Bird Venerable One in Zhao Changhe's mind, and said coldly, "His matter with Wing Fire Serpent was specially permitted by me. What favor are you trying to sell?"

If she hadn't said that, it might have been fine. But once she did, Tortoise's belly nearly split from laughter. She almost rolled on the ground. "Ha... hahahaha..."

Vermilion Bird's heart skipped a beat.

No matter how many others guessed that Huangfu Qing was the Vermilion Bird, none had revealed it, and Vermilion Bird didn't know they had guessed.

There was only one person in the world who knew from beginning to end that Huangfu Qing was the Vermilion Bird—and it was an open secret.

"Specially permitted by me..." Saying this in front of Third Lady, Vermilion Bird's face burned. She felt like a complete clown.

Vermilion Bird was furious and, worried that Third Lady might let something slip, lunged at her viciously. "What are you laughing at? Today, I'll show you who calls the shots in the Four Symbols Sect!"

"Bang, slap, crack..." They started fighting.

Third Lady naturally wouldn't expose anything. Instead, feeling guilty for almost slipping up, she smiled apologetically, parried the blows, and leaped out the window.

Vermilion Bird charged out fiercely. "Don't run!"

Zhao Changhe watched the battle between Vermilion Bird and Black Tortoise as they fought their way out the window, feeling like he was watching some surreal drama. He had no idea what those two were up to.

Where's my medicine?

Aren't you two, nominally, here to check on a patient? Where's my medicine?

The tortoise and the stupid bird fought all the way to the foot of Mount Kuaiji before stopping, panting.

Third Lady grinned. "You beat me in the capital, and now you're beating me here. Still want to fight?"

The fierce Vermilion Bird softened immediately. "Third Lady... please don't let it slip. If you do, I won't be able to live with the shame..."

"Qing'er~" Third Lady was delighted and reached out to lift Vermilion Bird's chin. "Smile for me..."

Vermilion Bird swallowed her pride. "He didn't really call me Qing'er much. We both found it disgusting..."

"Fine, Qing'er..." Third Lady turned her back. "Come, give me a shoulder rub."

Her hips swayed, overly plump and alluring. Vermilion Bird couldn't help herself and kicked her right in the backside. "If you hadn't set me up, I wouldn't have fallen for a man several years younger than me. And now you're getting cocky!"

Third Lady, caught off guard, was sent flying as if riding clouds and mist by the kick, and she cried out, "Stupid bird, just you wait!"

Vermilion Bird stamped her foot and cursed back, "You're the one who should wait! Think you can have fun at others' expense? As if I couldn't do the same!"