Chapter 651: Time to Get to Serious Business

Chapter 651: Time to Get to Business

Zhuque had never imagined that she would one day share a husband with other women, much less compete with them on the same stage. Had anyone suggested such a thing to her a few years ago, she would have likely torn them in half alive.

Yet if there had to be one, and the choice were hers to make, then perhaps Sanniang was the only one she could ever accept.

For ever since Chichi’s mother had passed away, Sanniang had been Zhuque’s best and only friend.

When Zhuque made her debut, she herself was but an underage girl. Back then, Sanniang was worldly and wise, highly skilled in martial arts, possesses a bold, bandit-like charisma, and was a woman with a past. She looked upon all matters with a cold eye, disdaining to contend, which perfectly suited Zhuque’s taste.

At that time, the older generation leading the Four Symbols Cult was thoroughly incompetent. The primary reason was that the congregation was essentially a refuse sanctuary where the remnants of the previously overthrown dynasty gathered. Imagining the quality of the Southern Ming dynasty would give a rough idea of the caliber of the Cult's previous generation. Even Chichi’s mother, the princess of the former dynasty, possessed a capability and intelligence that could only be considered slightly above average, yet she was already a pillar within the Cult.

Zhuque was the most exceptional. Huangfu Yongxian was an old general of the former dynasty, but his martial family, which had guarded the frontiers for generations, was very different from those people. By then, he had already surrendered to the Great Xia, maintaining no entanglements with others and completely disagreeing with the doctrines of the Four Symbols Cult. However, a few years later, finally sensing that Xia Longyuan was not quite up to the mark either, he turned a blind eye and watched his young daughter be "coaxed into the Cult," pretending ignorance to secure a retreat.

As one could well imagine, the induction of a fierce daughter from a martial family like Huangfu Qing brought a level of upbringing and natural talent that stood out like a crane among chickens within the Four Symbols Cult, and burdens were soon heaped upon her in various ways. As the useless older generation gradually perished in martial underworld struggles or imperial purges, and the White Tiger Holy Maiden, upon whom great hopes had been pinned, died at the Luo Family Manor, the burden upon the young Zhuque’s shoulders grew heavier by the day, bringing immense pressure all at once.

Sanniang’s joining provided Zhuque with a shot of adrenaline. One was enterprising, the other defensive; one handled warfare, the other internal affairs. Neither possessed selfish motives, making them a perfect pair, a brilliant double star. The Four Symbols Cult hacked through thorns for over a decade to rise as the world's top demonic sect; that was not the achievement of Zhuque alone. Though Sanniang appeared to have no glorious exploits, her value was immeasurable.

To say she was indolent was, most of the time, not entirely true. She simply disliked clinging to the strife of power, minding her own business. The single task of raising funds alone was worth ten Zhuques. Moreover, Sanniang’s martial power, though hidden and unrevealed, was actually higher than Zhuque’s. Once she turned serious, every instance was earth-shattering and struck terror into the enemy, resolving countless crises for the Cult.

Over all these years, journeying from a young girl to a woman in her thirties, whenever Zhuque found herself unable to support the weight alone or beset by doubts hard to resolve, the first person to flash through her mind was invariably Sanniang, whom she relied upon as the indispensable pillar of her heart. The word "stable" was most appropriate to describe Xuanwu in Zhuque's mind.

Heaven only knew how this indispensable pillar had come to look like this day by day... When Zhuque beat Sanniang this morning, she was truly gnashing her teeth, unsure whether she was angrier at Sanniang's cooperation with the man to subdue her, or angrier at her stealing the man.

Now it was done, and they all shared a husband. Zhuque found herself emotionally more accepting of this outcome than anticipated. It was certainly more respectable than being with Chichi, and far higher in acceptability than being with Tang Wanzhuang... At the same time, she understood where Sanniang’s pleasure lay.

Watching the usually nonchalant, smiling Sanniang being driven to soft, winding moans by a man was truly amusing...

Zhuque could not resist reaching out to caress a trembling place on Sanniang.

Knowing full well this might trigger bad consequences... she just could not resist. Sure enough, the man misunderstood that she was sending a signal, and the next moment, Zhuque and Xuanwu were stacked together.

The good sisters who had shared life and death for over a decade faced each other up and down, each biting her lower lip, turning their heads away at the same time.

...

"Venerables, are you at ease?" After an unknown passage of time, Xia Chichi paced with small square steps, hands behind her back, slowly walking up to the high platform.

That posture still retained a template of keeping her center of gravity backward, ready to run at any moment. Clearly, the one least willing to be with her master now had instead become Xia Chichi.

That was not only her master but also her queen mother... The master had never been openly acknowledged, yet possessed the substance; the queen mother was not real, yet possessed the title. No matter how clever the young enchantress was, under this double accumulation of attributes, she ultimately harbored some inhibitions. Furthermore, this wretched master and queen mother had stolen her man.

Once the thrill of serving tea passed, the more she thought about it, the angrier she became.

Fortunately, the battle at this moment had long ended, and even the indescribable oral service of the Left and Right Venerables had concluded. Zhao Changhe was currently discussing proper business with the two Venerables. Seeing Xia Chichi approach, the three of them showed neither flush nor heartbeat, all saying, "Chichi, finished the ceremony?"

Xia Chichi took half a step back, vigilantly adopting a defensive stance.

"Cough, what's with that expression..." Zhao Changhe said helplessly, "We are all dressed properly and solemnly..."

"Is it not easy to strip? You are so skillful at it."

"...I am not an iron ox."

Xia Chichi was expressionless. "Is that so? Then I must inform you all of a shocking piece of news—I have not only finished the Four Symbols ceremony, I have even completed the morning court assembly."

"..." The three looked at each other, almost burying their heads into their chests.

Zhao Changhe decisively refrained from arguing, speaking directly to the main topic: "We were discussing that for Qing'er to break into the Grandmaster Realm, relying on this kind of indirect cultivation is still a bit lacking. It would be best to go to the extreme south and see it with her own eyes. But now, great affairs are just beginning with a mountain of troublesome matters, and we are considering whether Qing'er can be spared... The deterrence brought by a Grandmaster Realm is not comparable to the present. Delaying some matters for this is well worth it. You can weigh which is more important..."

Xia Chichi said, "No."

Zhuque wondered, "Why? The initial control of the inner palace is finished, and the reform of Cult affairs is also completed. I feel there isn't much left for me to do now. Compared to other things, breaking into the Grandmaster Realm is still more important, right?"

"Because the ones who need to leave are Changhe and Martial Aunt," Xia Chichi sighed. "These past few days, Changhe has been forging blades and swords, and controlling the Ancestral Temple Secret Realm. These are all vital matters. To put it bluntly, even if we rely on your dragon-sparrow bond to stabilize our relationship with Tang Wanzhuang, it is a tremendous merit, considered the most important business rather than mere play. Therefore, Minister Tang and I... oh, Tang Wanzhuang, neither of us came to disturb you, and we were glad to see it succeed."

Zhao Changhe: "..."

Zhuque blinked her eyes. Hearing these words, how is it that you and Tang Wanzhuang are in the same camp now?

Well, for an emperor... indeed.

One could only say that a person's stance changes truly fast... Zhuque had no doubt that it would not be surprising if this emperor were to deal with the "Four Symbols old ministers" one day in the future... However, for their current situation, it was unlikely to evolve that way, because in essence, the holder of highest power was Zhao Changhe, whether for the internals of the Four Symbols or for Tang Wanzhuang.

Xia Chichi did not know what was turning in her master's mind, continuing to introduce the situation: "In reality, we are beset by storms from the outside. The situation of the northern barbarians has always been the greatest gloom in the hearts of Tang Wanzhuang and me. Martial Aunt has been at the Yellow Sand Station for a long time and knows the matters beyond the border best. I still hope she can go over to preside over things."

Sanniang: "Uh... isn't this reliant on Batu and Uncle Huangfu? What help can I give?"

"General Huangfu’s rear is unstable. Two days ago, troops from Shanxi actually came to the capital and were beaten back by Shaozong. The current situation is even more severe than when the Shanxi merchants privately sold grain and fodder back then. And looking further west, Li Gongsi died there; what is the Li family's reaction? The barbarians previously broke through the Guanzhong region to plunder; can they take a detour and march straight in later? These matters not only require news of Mobei from the Yellow Sand Station, but I also hope Martial Aunt can contact Ying Wu, who has foundations in the northwest."

Sanniang fell silent.

Xia Chichi sighed. "Two points can offer slight peace of mind. First, Boge is injured, and his relationship with Temur was instigated by the Chronicle of Chosen Ones, so they are not very peaceful either. Second, it is currently the heavy snow of winter, unsuitable for moving troops. But this cannot be taken as a direct conclusion; we must guard against surprise forces... No movement these few days does not mean there is truly no movement; it could be a delay in intelligence. After all, though we have looked chaotic for so long, the actual time has been short, so it is normal not to have received intelligence... In the worst-case scenario, they have already moved, and perhaps Batu’s head is already gone."

Zhao Changhe: "..."

"In addition, let alone General Huangfu’s rear being unstable, we are the same. The Cui family in the south is silent to an unsettling degree, failing to submit even a single memorial to this day. What should we do after the Wang family retreats in defeat to Langya? Further south..."

"Stop, stop, stop..." Zhao Changhe pinched his head. "I understand. I indeed ought to make a trip to the Cui family's side."

Xia Chichi said, "If Martial Aunt and Changhe both leave, then the strong expert guarding the capital is left only as Tang Wanzhuang, which is not enough. First, people like Lu Jianzhang are not completely reliable. Second, the unknown god or demon previously shot back by Changhe's arrow might stage a comeback. Venerable Zhuque's prestigious reputation is well-established, and she is currently closest to the Grandmaster Realm, making her our stabilizing anchor; she cannot leave for now. If the Venerable feels idle, what she should do is investigate the exact nature of that god or demon, and where it is hiding."

The three of them put their hands in their sleeves, looking Xia Chichi up and down. It was hard to imagine this was a pure entity who had her man stolen by her master and still smiled while accepting punishment. Yet at this moment, the words Xia Chichi spoke before deciding to take over the rivers and mountains suddenly rose in their hearts.

—I will not only do it, but I will also repay his debts for him.

She might truly be the person best suited for this position, a hundred times more suited than Zhao Changhe himself.

What Zhao Changhe thought of at this moment, however, was that dragon throne card drawn during the gacha selection. It was a position card, meaning the starting location of time travel was related to the throne. He had originally thought it was because Chichi possessed Xia Longyuan's bloodline, causing many things after his debut to revolve around this seat, but now he realized this card seemed to refer to Xia Chichi herself.

If that were the case, could the blind woman who sent him to Chichi’s side truly see the future?

Xia Chichi was saying, "If you are to go out, go find Tang Wanzhuang before leaving. She is not merely an object for you to pluck the heart of, but the Great Wall of this empire."