Chapter 446: Cooperation Between the True and False Yue Hongling

Chapter 446: The Collaboration of the Real and Fake Yue Hongling

Sisi picked up the wine pot and poured for Zhao Changhe, saying leisurely, "Deep in the forest, heavy with mist, the air is cold and the sky is chill. I recall you always drink straight from a gourd, never warming it? Here, follow the local customs."

Zhao Changhe seemed to speak with double meaning: "Actually, burning liquor isn't so bad either."

His words seemed to respond to her earlier remark about "not cherishing oneself," something Sisi had once found quite galling.

Sisi seemed to understand, blinked, and let out a "ha" of laughter, sighing, "Burning liquor is not the norm; most of the time it's sealed in the flask, unseen. Neither hot nor cold, drink it or not as you please."

Zhao Changhe drank in silence.

Sisi said, "Hey, aren't you afraid I might poison you?"

Zhao Changhe replied, "Didn't you say the Langya Wang clan has many ways to cure poison?"

Sisi's eyes shimmered, and she chuckled lightly, "You and I have no real bond. As a clan's holy maiden, I'd betray a Xia man without blinking. Don't trust me too much, then blame me if I trick you."

Zhao Changhe didn't take the bait, instead shifting the topic: "At any rate, Lei Ao wants to kill Wang Daozhong, that's certain. Whatever grudges you have with him, now I'm the one after him. You can tell me his situation, can't you?"

"He wants to kill Wang Daozhong—what does that have to do with you, Zhao Changhe?"

"..."

That was a fair point. Strictly speaking, Lei Ao had never wronged Zhao Changhe... He didn't even know you were Zhao Changhe.

Sisi said leisurely, "You probably don't know... Lei Ao isn't just some local strongman of the Black Miao tribe in the market town. He's the current chieftain's son."

Zhao Changhe frowned slightly.

Lei Ao had said this matter was too big for him to decide, and told him to go to the Cangshan village to ask the chieftain. But he himself was the chieftain's son—even Li Si'an probably didn't know that. Now it seemed sending him to Cangshan was just a ruse, to kill "Wang Daozhong" secretly on the road there and blame it on Xia infighting, since many had seen Wang Daozhong fight Shi Wuding...

Thinking this over, Zhao Changhe felt a bit speechless: "He wants to frame Shi Wuding, you want to frame him—you all think Old Wang is a pushover. Haven't you considered you might not kill him?"

Sisi snorted, "The abilities of Miaojiang are quite different from those of the Central Plains... Unless someone is on the Heavenly Ranking, or like my master... at the top of the Earthly Ranking, we wouldn't dare presume. But ordinary Earthly or Human Ranking experts might not necessarily handle the endless strange arts here. You're a bit odd—if it had been the real Wang Daozhong in that killing trap earlier, he might have already fallen. Even if not, he'd be struggling against poison and curses, and with my snake formation trapping him, he'd have no way out."

Honestly, based on Zhao Changhe's knowledge of Wang Daozhong's level, he might really have fallen. Old Wang was strong, but not overwhelmingly so. Without a treasure like the Qinghe Mirror on him, he'd probably have no defense against such unpredictable strange arts. Unless his brother Wang Daoning came, he might be immune...

Sisi continued snorting, "Back then, I swore I couldn't reveal secret arts in the Central Plains, or you'd have bullied me? You were just a little waste at the fourth or fifth level of the Xuan Pass..."

Zhao Changhe said sternly, "Can we get to the point?"

Sisi sipped her wine, glared at him with displeasure, but seemed unwilling to argue. She lazily leaned back in her soft chair, propped her head on her hand as if dozing, and fell silent.

Zhao Changhe watched her petulant display helplessly. What could he say? It was fine for her to act spoiled, but could she cover that exposed waist? Lying sideways like that, hand propped up, pulling her clothes—did she know what that meant? It wasn't just showing her waist anymore; if she pulled a bit higher, you'd almost see the lower curve...

Seeing Zhao Changhe say nothing for a while, Sisi found it a bit strange and glanced at him. But he happened to be looking down, drinking, not looking at her.

Sisi grew even more annoyed and deliberately cooed, "Do I need to pretend to be Yue Hongling to look better?"

Zhao Changhe said helplessly, "Stop flirting with me. It's not sincere, so why bother?"

Sisi let out a "ha": "How do you know I'm not sincere?"

Zhao Changhe replied, "I still have some self-awareness... And honestly, with Hongling missing and the southwest in a fog, I'm not in the mood. I just want to get down to business. From what you've said, you and Lei Ao aren't on good terms either. Why don't we cooperate properly on the real matter? You're always reliable when you're serious."

Sisi pouted, "A year apart, and you've become so dull... Men should be a bit bad—more fun."

Zhao Changhe didn't respond.

What Four Symbols Sect enchantress? From the Little Tiger to the Winged Fire Serpent, none were true vixens—this one was the real deal. Her seductive tone, bold words, subtle flashes of skin, and those peach-blossom eyes that made hearts race—every bit of her exuded bone-deep allure. An ordinary man would want to pin her down and ravish her.

But Zhao Changhe knew well: this snake was venomous. If he thought he could easily subdue her, she'd turn on him in an instant, and he'd die without knowing how.

Luckily, he had restraint now.

Seeing he wouldn't play along with their mutual teasing, Sisi grew bored and finally said lazily, "The various tribes in the southwest have been in turmoil lately, mostly arguing over one issue: whether to rebel. Some think the Xia people's oppression is unbearable—layer upon layer of exploitation without end. Besides, they say the Central Plains are already in flames everywhere, and Xia Longyuan can't control things from so far away. If not now, when?"

Zhao Changhe nodded: "Arguing, some think—meaning others don't."

"Of course." Sisi said leisurely, "Miaojiang isn't like the grasslands... The roads are so inconvenient. Even if you rebel, can you fight your way out? In the end, it's still self-rule. But isn't it already self-rule now? What's the difference?"

Zhao Changhe said, "You mean the Pacification Commissioner?"

"The Pacification Commissioner's office can't do much. They don't even have the power to collect taxes—they use the term 'tribute.' Tribute is voluntary from the tribes, not a regulation. Powerful chieftains and clan heads can completely ignore the commissioner's office. So why has it become so oppressive? Is it really the commissioner's fault, or are some chieftains using it as an excuse to plunder on their own?"

"Ah..." Zhao Changhe leaned back.

He hadn't thought of that angle before. On reflection, it made sense. How could the Pacification Commissioner truly oppress all the powerful chieftains? And why would the chieftains necessarily represent their tribes' interests? Class was the naked truth.

The so-called oppression by the commissioner was more likely a collusion between chieftains and the commissioner, exploiting the people. The blame fell entirely on the commissioner, making people hostile at the sight of any Xia.

If this theory held, then Lei Ao's claim that his good goods were all skimmed off and only inferior ones were left for trade was also false. In such exploitation, the biggest beneficiary was Lei Ao himself.

Li Si'an's expression at the time—whether he believed Lei Ao's story or not—he'd seen plenty. He was probably skeptical, but Shi Wuding's interruption cut the conversation short.

Seeing he understood, Sisi smiled and continued, "By extension, those who want to rebel—are they truly unable to bear the oppression? No. They're using this excuse to unite the tribes and claim kingship..."

Zhao Changhe's expression turned serious: "Is there anyone strong enough to claim kingship?"

"Personal strength, we're not sure." Sisi said, "By now, you should know that the criteria of Xuan Pass levels and Secret Treasury stages, as judged by the Chaos Ranking, don't mean much here. They're only a reference. This means strength in Miaojiang can be hidden, making it hard to know who is truly powerful."

Zhao Changhe said, "Without a true strongman to rally the call, can such unification be achieved?"

Sisi looked at him strangely: "I heard Batu wasn't that strong, yet he united the southern desert. In such matters, while a strongman is important, the collective strength of the tribe is even more crucial. You should know that better than most."

"You mean there's a sufficiently powerful tribal force?"

"Not originally that strong, but with the entire Bashan Sword Lodge joining, that changes things." Sisi smiled. "When Shi Wuding challenged you at Lei Ao's door, didn't you wonder how Shi Wuding knew Wang Daozhong was in that caravan?"

Zhao Changhe's face turned very ugly.

So that was it. Li Si'an had walked right into the rebel king's lair and was discussing with the rebel king why his goods were inferior...

Theoretically, he shouldn't be in danger. Even if a rebellion started, Lei Ao would still need foreign trade, and a long-term partner like Li Si'an would be worth keeping. But that was just theory. If Li Si'an saw through Lei Ao's game, Lei Ao would definitely silence him.

He hoped Li Si'an was smart enough, whether he saw through it or not, to keep his mouth shut, play along with business, and stay out of other matters.

"I've got the general picture. One last question..." Zhao Changhe said seriously, "Where is Yue Hongling?"

Sisi's smile turned amused: "Have you been holding back that question for a long time, afraid to ask directly? You waited until the serious talk seemed to involve her before asking openly."

"Um..."

"Heh... You overthink it. Whatever woman you chase—Yue Hongling or Tang Wanzhuang—what does that have to do with me, Xiang Simeng?" Sisi said leisurely. "But at least you still care a little about my feelings, so you pass. You guessed right—the one who assassinated the Pacification Commissioner earlier was me. I was helping Sister Yue lay a false trail, making Shi Wuding think Yue Hongling must be nearby, searching blindly. In reality, Sister Yue is already in Dali. If nothing goes wrong, news of the commissioner's assassination should arrive in a day or two..."

Zhao Changhe blinked.

These two women had actually teamed up... And it was Yue Hongling who let Sisi impersonate her. Where was the Yue Hongling who was so furious when Sisi pretended to be her back then?

And Sisi even called Yue Hongling "Sister Yue"... How fast the world changes...