Chapter 637: I Like Vermilion Bird Venerable

Chapter 637: I Like the Vermilion Bird Venerable

Huangfu Qing’s expression was conflicted: “H-how could such a choice be necessary? The Venerable has no conflict with you…”

Zhao Changhe found her look inexplicably adorable and couldn’t help laughing: “How could there be no conflict? Don’t you know that from the moment we met, the Venerable’s purpose was for you to win me over?”

Huangfu Qing said, “That was still to win you over, not to spy on you! What are you thinking?”

“Needing to win me over means our interests aren’t aligned; we’re merely collaborators…” Zhao Changhe sighed. “Qing’er, I’m called the Chamber Fire Pig, but neither Venerable has ever truly seen me as a subordinate. This identity is just a pretext for cooperation—they’ve known from the start that I don’t believe in the faith.”

Huangfu Qing fell silent. Zhao Changhe was telling the truth. Both sides knew the reality of this “Chamber Fire Pig” business. The Dark Warrior wouldn’t treat him as a “direct subordinate,” and she, the Vermilion Bird, wouldn’t consider him high-ranking within the sect. But there was no need to bring it up in daily banter—everyone just played along with pleasantries…

Now, was it time to face it?

“They won’t consult me on important sect affairs. For instance, this time you’re definitely going to establish a sect leader. Will I be invited to that ceremony? Absolutely not. They won’t even think of me. Theoretically, it has nothing to do with me. Right?”

Huangfu Qing sighed. “Right… In practice, they’ve never considered you part of the Holy Sect. If you feel untrusted, I can talk to the Venerable for you? It wouldn’t be hard to get you into such a ceremony…”

Zhao Changhe gave a wry smile: “Do I care about attending the ceremony? The point is that the Venerable and I are not of one mind—there are bound to be conflicts on certain matters.”

Huangfu Qing ventured, “Is it about the things here? I don’t see you as someone greedy for treasures, so why are you so concerned this time… If it really matters, I’ll speak with the Venerable. I don’t think she’s stingy—she might give you everything…”

Zhao Changhe laughed: “I only want a handful of sand and to use the furnace… Strictly speaking, that handful of sand might not even be for me. If I truly stopped caring, the Venerable would be the one panicking.”

Huangfu Qing didn’t grasp the implication, but the surface meaning was clear: Zhao Changhe wasn’t fighting over possessions; he simply felt the need to clarify their relationship openly.

She thought it over and understood why Zhao Changhe wanted to sort out their relations at this juncture. After all, this was a matter of founding a nation—a crucial political issue of whose opinion would prevail couldn’t be glossed over with vague jokes. Zhao Changhe was willing to help his woman Xia Chichi, but that didn’t mean he was willing to work for the Four Symbols Sect.

Suppose the Four Symbols Sect wanted to hold some sacrificial ritual involving slaughter to welcome the gods—how would Zhao Changhe handle that?

Before it happened, these things had to be clarified. Ambiguity now would only plant landmines for the future.

If the dispute over things was a pretext, it wasn’t about the things themselves. The significance lay in who had the right to dispose and allocate them. He could give them up, but they couldn’t be allocated by someone else—at the very least, it had to be a negotiated distribution.

Huangfu Qing had to admit that even though she was his woman, she wouldn’t prioritize his opinions.

I am the Vermilion Bird, representing the interests of the Four Symbols Sect. Not only can I not prioritize your interests, but if I found that girl Chichi showing such a tendency, I’d beat her—this is one reason I’ve blocked her feelings. Why must a saintess be pure? Because once she has a man, she’s likely to favor him over the sect. I can’t say this directly to Chichi, so I have to talk about doctrine and human nature, but everyone who knows, knows.

Only when Zhao Changhe himself came to represent the interests of the Four Symbols Sect could there be no more divergence between them.

But Huangfu Qing’s identity itself was the “intermediary” between Zhao Changhe and the Vermilion Bird… Thinking of this, she sighed softly: “Changhe, don’t put me in a difficult position, okay… I’m also one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions of the Four Symbols Sect. What you’re asking is practically inciting me to betray the sect.”

Zhao Changhe said, “It’s not that serious. There isn’t a severe conflict between me and the Four Symbols Sect; it’s not impossible to reach an agreement.”

Huangfu Qing said, “True, of course an agreement can be reached. I once asked you if you wanted the Vermilion Bird Venerable to kneel before you. I hope you can inherit the Night Emperor’s legacy, and then even the sect leader would kneel to you. The Venerable herself hasn’t been without hidden expectations—the Night Emperor’s sword blank is in your hands, isn’t it? She hasn’t demanded it back but lets you forge it. The meaning is clear.”

Zhao Changhe said, “In her expectation, is the greater weight on the return of the Night Emperor, or on my success?”

Huangfu Qing was silent; she couldn’t tell.

Originally she felt there was no need to distinguish, but asked like this, there did seem to be a difference.

Zhao Changhe said, “If I truly had no connection to the Night Emperor, would it be impossible for our interests to align?”

Huangfu Qing had to admit: “Yes.”

Saying this felt like the prelude to “let’s break up,” and Huangfu Qing sighed inwardly.

Zhao Changhe broke into a bright smile: “Alright, alright. Since you’re troubled, how could I force you to take a stand… I’ll think this over and try to reach an agreement with the Venerable.”

Huangfu Qing breathed a huge sigh of relief. Though she stood with the Four Symbols Sect’s interests, she truly didn’t want to fall out with Zhao Changhe—whether for personal feelings or the current situation, she really didn’t want to lose him. She had thought he would press for an answer, but somehow he suddenly relented.

“You… why did you suddenly give in?”

“Because I can’t bear to force you. Why put my Qing’er in a dilemma between loyalty and love? This is between me and the Venerable; I’ll find a way myself.” Zhao Changhe sat down on the ground, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her cheek. “Even if you want to side with her, I won’t blame you… Your loyalty to the Holy Sect is a great virtue; how could I resent you for it?”

This was true. If the Vermilion Bird was determined to be the Vermilion Bird, Zhao Changhe wouldn’t blame her. Everyone has their own convictions; no one lives for a man. Setting aside positions, Zhao Changhe respected the Vermilion Bird’s persistence—in a way, she was like Tang Wanzhuang.

Huangfu Qing’s heart softened, and she leaned gently against his shoulder, speaking softly: “I know in your heart, the Venerable’s persistence is foolish, especially since you’ve slain gods yourself—so deities hold no special meaning… But Changhe, childhood faith is hard to shake. If it were so easily swayed, the Venerable wouldn’t have come this far. And… the Four Symbols Sect is what it is today because the Venerable poured immense effort into it. If you told her that everything she’s fought for in this life isn’t worth holding onto, how would she feel?”

“You feel the same?”

“…Yes, I feel the same.” Huangfu Qing finally said, “Changhe, if I ask you, for my sake, to yield a little more to the Venerable and try not to have major conflicts with her, would you be willing?”

Zhao Changhe didn’t hesitate: “Of course I’m willing.”

Of course he was willing—that was already the case. If it weren’t for you being the Vermilion Bird, I might have been at odds with her already, and I wouldn’t be making these veiled hints… He thought for a moment and added, “As long as it’s not a matter of principle, I’m willing to follow her instructions for you—it’s not that much of a hardship. Like with the things here, if she insists on allocating them, I’ll defer to her and not butt heads.”

Huangfu Qing smiled: “Mm…”

She wouldn’t challenge your principles…

Zhao Changhe’s willingness to say this made Huangfu Qing very happy. She actively kissed his cheek: “How should I reward you?”

Zhao Changhe’s heart stirred, and he lowered his voice: “Hey, since you want me to yield to her, how about you let me have some fun in private?”

Huangfu Qing was taken aback: “What kind of fun?”

Zhao Changhe whispered in her ear: “Put on a mask like hers and serve me once? Let me feel like I’m defiling the Vermilion Bird—it’ll soothe my pride a bit.”

Huangfu Qing’s expression turned very strange.

“It’s just a fake, a bit of kink.” Zhao Changhe urged, “As long as you don’t tell her, she’ll never know… It’s just a little private fun between husband and wife—can’t we do that?”

Huangfu Qing said indignantly, “What intentions do you have toward the Venerable?”

Zhao Changhe said, “Haven’t I told you how beautiful the Vermilion Bird is to me?”

He lowered his voice again, kissing and murmuring by her ear: “To be honest, I want the Vermilion Bird Venerable—I want her badly… That’s the deepest hidden desire in my heart…”

Huangfu Qing didn’t know how to feel—annoyed, amused, and a little smug.

The little man actually likes my true self, huh? Little pervert, I knew you were up to no good.

Her ear tingled from his kisses, and her heart felt numb.

After a long while, she panted and said, “You only know how to torment me. If you’ve got the guts, go do it to the Venerable herself…”

“First give me some interest…” Zhao Changhe suddenly reached out, grabbed a lump of special soft red metal from the secret room’s materials, and casually kneaded and pulled it into a shape resembling a half-face mask of the Vermilion Bird: “Not very similar, but roughly the shape?”

Not very similar was better—if it were exactly the same, she wouldn’t dare wear it in front of him; one look and she’d be exposed.

Now she didn’t know if she dared…

While Huangfu Qing was hesitating, Zhao Changhe had already placed the mask over her face: “This is soft gold used for smelting stars, and it’s fire-attuned. The starry meaning doesn’t disgrace the Venerable—try it?”

Huangfu Qing helplessly let him cover her with the mask, not caring about soft gold or fire-attunement, nervously watching his expression—please don’t recognize me…

Fortunately, the mask was indeed different. Zhao Changhe didn’t seem to think about it at all, clapping happily: “It has a bit of the feel… only the eyes lack the Venerable’s sharpness.”

Huangfu Qing didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, shot him a glare, and then said seductively, “Then… watch closely—this is the Vermilion Bird Venerable serving Your Majesty…”

With that, she slowly lowered her head and brought her red lips to his.

Zhao Changhe took a deep breath, leaned back in a tactical retreat, and stroked her hair, unable to utter a word.