Chapter 745: Public Reputation Will Become Unfortunate

Chapter 745: The Reputation Is Bound to Suffer

"You absolute pighead."

Inside the secret chamber, Huangfu Qing radiated a contented pink hue, leaning against the pighead’s chest like a nesting bird. She had been nudged and buffeted until she was entirely spent, yet she was exceptionally satisfied.

Previously in the capital, she had either been stuck with that dead turtle or with that rebellious scoundrel. It had been so long since she last had him all to herself. To think that the very first thing she did upon arriving in Chang'an was to share such an intimate, loving moment—it felt truly wonderful.

Supposedly, it was Tang Wanzhuang who suggested she come here, right? How sensible! She would reward her later by drawing a pig on her door, so she could stare at it whenever she missed him.

Oh, wait... thinking back to the old days, when that fellow lived right across from her, hadn't there been similar scenes? It was so long ago that she couldn't remember clearly... Later, when the Tang family relocated to the capital en masse, their numbers grew too large for that courtyard across the street to accommodate them, so they moved out. When that house across the street was resold, the price had even doubled. A massive profit.

Compared to their relationship today, it was like a yellowed, ancient painting—a relic well worth reminiscing over.

In truth, her eagerness to make love wasn't purely because she was starved for it. Rather, after thoroughly breaking through to the Imperial Realm, she hoped to share her insights with her lover through dual cultivation. Huangfu Qing could see that Zhao Changhe's current state was stuck right on the edge of the Imperial Realm, with only a thin layer of window paper left to pierce. From the perspective of "Governing This River of Stars," her own intent of the Southern Vermilion Bird served as a heavily overlapping reference for him. If things went well, it might even directly assist him in breaking through.

That Jiu You from earlier had been so terrifying. Even with three people besieging her, they hadn't been able to make her feel the slightest bit spent. It felt as though the opponent had retreated simply because she didn't particularly want to fight. If they had really kept fighting, it felt highly likely that their side wouldn't have been able to win... Just what level was that? The second layer of the Imperial Realm, early stage? Probably something like that.

Given the current situation, it would naturally be much better if Zhao Changhe could break through in a timely manner. At the very least, they should stand a chance of winning if they teamed up against her.

In the end, counting on a single session of dual cultivation to break through was clearly a bit of a fantasy; he still hadn't succeeded. On the contrary, Zhao Changhe had instead infused her with a massive amount of concepts—things like the wind, Qi pathways, karma, life and death... Of course, it wasn't as if everything infused was useful. If it didn't align with one's own Dao, it simply didn't align. At most, it served as a reference. However, the intent of Yin fire and life and death within it brought immense benefit to the Vermilion Bird.

It was precisely by comprehending this very layer that she had broken through to the Imperial Realm! Now that Zhao Changhe was interpreting it from another angle, the confirmation it provided her was profound. If the first layer of the Imperial Realm was to be perfected, it would mostly involve thoroughly mastering these perspectives of life and death in every aspect. At that point, she should be able to attempt the second layer. Of course, it was still early, but what Zhao Changhe gave her was precisely the catalyst she lacked most.

Huangfu Qing felt a bit speechless inside. I came to help you, so how is it that without a word, I was the one filled to the brim by you first—in every sense of the word...

Truly a dead pighead.

The pighead also seemed to be contemplating something. After a long while, he finally beamed a smile: "You came at the perfect time. I always feel that the nature of your power is precisely the kind that can cause the greatest restraint or counteraction against Jiu You. Now that I've shared your intent, the next time we fight, I might be able to make it look a bit better."

Huangfu Qing said: "What's the use of making it look a bit better? If you can't break through, there's no fundamental change. Yu Xu won't follow you around to protect you every single day. Are you just not going to step outside from now on?"

Zhao Changhe broke into a laugh: "Jiu You doesn't even know who I am. To this day, she thinks I'm a Buddhist disciple named Qin Jiu. I can just change into a different set of clothes and a different face to walk out. Where is she going to find me?"

Huangfu Qing: "...That's true."

"On the contrary, it's you. Since you've shown your face in Chang'an, as long as the lords of Chang'an aren't stupid, they will be searching the entire city right now for 'Venerable Vermilion Bird of the False Court's Demonic Cult.' What are your plans now? Are you going to use a disguise too?"

"Disguising myself probably won't be of much use. The auras of Jiu You and me have a sense of mutual attraction. As long as we're nearby, we can probably sense each other... Speaking of which, it's strange. With Jiu You's abilities, how could she fail to sense your blood-fiend energy? How did you hide it?"

That was something to ask the Blind Girl... Zhao Changhe felt that the Blind Girl had never been as cautious as she was this time. It seemed she was particularly concerned about Jiu You. It was true that Jiu You was incredibly strong; her abilities just now had merely revealed the tip of the iceberg. First, she had underestimated the enemy out of carelessness, and later, it seemed she didn't want to cause too much of a stir, which was why she temporarily retreated. If she exerted her full strength, there was no telling how horrifying it would be... But Zhao Changhe felt that the Blind Girl's concern might not entirely be due to strength. What was up with that appearance...

And she was particularly silent, not saying a single word to this day. You were quite eager to cuckold Hongling while she was enjoying her intimacy, so how come you don't utter a sound now that it's the Vermilion Bird's turn? Is it because Hongling is easy to bully? Obviously, it was just because she didn't want to talk more about Jiu You.

Zhao Changhe thought for a moment: "Right now, we don't know if she can scan and detect your aura everywhere with her divine sense. If she can achieve that, it won't matter where you hide. Instead, it might even expose this base of ours."

Huangfu Qing said: "Then what should we do? Should I just turn around and leave Chang'an? This seat certainly won't agree to that."

Zhao Changhe grinned: "Of course there's no need for that. As the Mother of the Great Han Nation, the Venerable..."

"What Mother of the Nation!" Huangfu Qing pinched him viciously: "It's the Empress Dowager, and this hasn't even been made public to the outside world yet!"

"Whether it's public or not doesn't really matter now. The Four Symbols Cult doesn't operate in the shadows like it did in the early years. Just state openly that Huangfu Qing is the Vermilion Bird and stop wearing the mask from now on. What can anyone do to you? We can wear the mask in bed, for a bit more flavor..."

"Get lost." Huangfu Qing said angrily: "When I used Huangfu Qing's identity in the Kunlun Mountains, Yu Xu knew we were together. If it's revealed that I am the Vermilion Bird, wouldn't Yu Xu then know that we are engaged in a master-disciple dispute over a husband..."

Zhao Changhe fell silent, then pointed out: "Huangfu Qing's identity is the Empress Dowager, which the whole world knows. They already knew it was mother and daughter... Ouch..."

Furious, Huangfu Qing kicked him straight off the bed: "I see that if the Great Han fails to conquer the various regions, the primary reason will be that its reputation was ruined by you! What a filthy Han!"

Zhao Changhe held his hands in his sleeves and hovered by the bedside, honestly keeping his mouth shut.

Huangfu Qing looked at his hovering figure with a hint of admiration, keeping a sullen face while remaining silent.

"Ahem." Zhao Changhe cleared his throat: "What I wanted to say is, you can act as the representative of the Great Han and openly go on a diplomatic mission. Operating under an official identity, even if they want to harm you, it will be very difficult to do so publicly in front of everyone. Even if they want to kill you, it won't be easy to cause a commotion by blockading the whole city. That way, it's actually safer. Of course, still don't take off the mask. There's no precedent for an Empress Dowager going on a diplomatic mission, so let's just count it as the Venerable of the National Cult going on a mission. Along the way, we can also frame Yu Xu, making people believe he is already entangled with us."

Huangfu Qing's eyes lit up: "That actually makes sense. In that case, I will leave the city right now, and enter the city in a grand and spectacular manner under the guise of an official diplomatic mission."

"Find a reason for the mission."

"Whatever works." Huangfu Qing waved her delicate hand: "How about seeking the hand of the Li family's young lady on behalf of our Prince of Zhao? The implication being, if you don't send your daughter for our Prince of Zhao to play with, we will beat you up."

With the logic of you women, that's really the only kind of reason you can come up with... Zhao Changhe rolled his eyes. A proper diplomatic proposal for marriage, regardless of whether the other party agreed or not, did indeed count as a reason. But anyone thinking with their rear end would know what the result would be once the second half of that sentence came out—this was fundamentally just coming to stir up trouble.

It didn't matter anymore; stirring up trouble was exactly the goal. A genuine marriage alliance would be the real hassle. Who on earth would enter a marriage alliance with a faction that colluded with the Hu barbarians? The very foundation of their standing would be lost.

...

Huangfu Qing put on her clothes and left the city, taking along a few cult members to act as her retinue. For a formal diplomatic mission, someone had to deliver the state credentials first.

Zhao Changhe did not disguise himself as anyone else, still playing the role of Qin Jiu, and also quietly left the secret ground of the Four Symbols Cult under the cover of night.

The one he wanted to see this time was Li Ba of the gambling den.

Sure enough, upon entering the gambling den, it was still bustling inside, with many people gambling through the night. And Li Ba wasn't asleep either, still watching over the floor.

Seeing "Qin Jiu" walk in, Li Ba's eyes lit up, and she greeted him with a beaming smile: "Hasn't this young master gone out to play with Young Master Dai?"

Zhao Changhe smiled and said: "He plays his way, and I play mine."

Li Ba's eyes flickered with a light ripple as she chuckled softly: "Then what does the young master want to play with? Could it be me?"

Zhao Changhe said: "Look at how similar our names are. Don't Li Ba and Qin Jiu sound like brother and sister?"

"Sister and brother, more like." Li Ba laughed heartily: "But there aren't many literate people in this world to begin with. It's all too common for everyone to name their children using numbers. If that were the case, we would have far too many brothers and sisters."

"Indeed." Zhao Changhe also laughed heartily: "I roam the rivers and lakes, and I've met many similar brothers. Chen Yi, Yuan San, Li Si, Sha Qi..."

The smile vanished from Li Ba's face.

Zhao Changhe smiled: "Add to that you and me, Eight and Nine. You see, except for Two and Six which don't sound very pleasant, aren't we still missing a Five? Does Eighth Sister know where Five is?"

Li Ba said calmly: "Merely a coincidence. Why must there be a Five?"

Zhao Changhe said: "I just feel that since Chang'an is so lively, it ought to be a bit more complete."

Li Ba sized him up from head to toe for a good long while, then suddenly said: "It can't be complete. He cannot come here, and he also has other important matters to attend to."

Zhao Changhe said: "He can't come here because he killed Li Gongsi?"

Li Ba smiled radiantly: "Since the young master already knows everything, why even ask?"

"Naturally, I want to ask, what are his other important matters?"

"Roaming the Hexi Corridor, cutting off the Guanlong road." Li Ba smiled very brilliantly: "He was a horse bandit to begin with, wasn't he?"

Zhao Changhe said: "Then how do you still dare to use such a distinctive name here? Do you value your life so little?"

"I am originally a member of a collateral branch of the Li family, and this was my name to begin with. You are the foolish one. I already told you, the world is full of people named after numbers. Who would just look at it and assume it's Ying Wu?" Li Ba looked at him as if looking at an idiot: "You just happened to blind-luck your way into a dead rat. If I were actually a loyal member of the Li family, I would have you arrested right now."

Zhao Changhe smiled: "It wasn't exactly blind luck either. Eighth Sister's fishing for information from Young Master Dai was far too obvious. You have the exact look of an intelligence collector."

Li Ba knew that her actions were indeed easy to decipher in the eyes of someone attentive, so she didn't bother to argue with him further about it. She lowered her voice and said: "If you are one of Zhao Changhe's people, then please pass on the message that Fifth Brother and the Prince of Zhao have always been allies. This relationship has never changed. The reason it's a bit awkward right now is because it involves the killing of Xia Chichi's father... It is said that the Vermilion Bird also participated in that battle, but everyone's relationship is different. The Vermilion Bird is Xia Chichi's master, so they can handle it among themselves behind closed doors. But for us outsiders, it's a bit awkward."

Zhao Changhe nodded: "Understood."

Li Ba said: "Fifth Brother's meaning is, if the Great Han side doesn't mind this point, then everyone is still allies. Fifth Brother himself is not involved in politics anyway; whoever unifies the world matters little to him. He is just a horse bandit. Opening a gambling den is merely for collecting information on secret realms, and has nothing to do with anything else. If there is a preference, he naturally inclines toward the Great Han. To put it bluntly, his attitude toward the Prince of Zhao has been an investment from the very beginning. Replacing the Xia with the Zhao is precisely what he wishes to see, and right now it seems to be close to that... Not to mention he has now killed Li Gongsi, becoming mortal enemies with the Li family, making him a natural ally to the Great Han."

Zhao Changhe said: "This is precisely why I came here to speak frankly this time. There is no need for everyone's relationship to be too cloaked in secrecy. Eighth Sister can absolutely pass the word to Fifth Master that the Great Han holds no grudge over past events, and everyone remains allies."

As he spoke, he drew out a jade medallion from the Demon Suppression Bureau to verify his identity.

Li Ba exhaled a sigh of relief, her face breaking into a hearty smile once more: "That is good then. In fact, in our current state, everyone is already naturally cooperating without even communicating. Don't just look at how prosperous Chang'an is right now; a huge part of that factor relies on the Silk Road. Now that it is being intercepted by Fifth Brother's roaming forces, Chang'an is also nursing a massive headache. Currently, the biggest dispute in the Chang'an court is whether to march east past Hangu Pass first, or to march west out of Yumen Pass first to wipe out the horse bandits before discussing the Central Plains."

Zhao Changhe smiled: "So that's how it is. Horse bandits aren't so easy to wipe out, are they? They are truly elusive, and the Li family's dominance hasn't reached that level yet."

"But correspondingly, horse bandits are just horse bandits; they can only be used to harass trade routes and do not possess much capability to capture cities and seize land. Therefore, relying on a pincer attack from both sides is impossible." Li Ba said: "Fifth Master's meaning is, if the Great Han wishes to fight a war of attrition against Guanlong, it might turn out to be more advantageous."

Zhao Changhe pondered for a moment, then shook his head: "We can put those matters aside for now. My purpose in coming here was to see if Eighth Sister has any noteworthy news, particularly whether Fifth Master himself is here... Since he isn't, then let us ask about the unusual circumstances within Chang'an instead."

"There is only one special circumstance." Li Ba said solemnly, "Do not think the Li family lacks high-end martial power—they are actually very strong... A few days ago, they welcomed back a 'Miss' from somewhere, and judging by her demeanor, she is no mere miss; one might call her an ancestor, and the entire Li family bows in submission. As for this miss's strength... well, the moment I saw her, my scalp crawled."

"Welcomed back from outside?"

"Yes, as I said, I am a distant relative of the Li family's collateral branch. In all these years, I have never seen this cousin before. Out of nowhere, she became the Li family's miss."

Zhao Changhe's mind immediately conjured the figure of Jiuyou. Could it be her?

If it were her, with her ability to control minds or even awaken ancestors from the underworld, she could certainly become the Li family's miss at any time, or even their ancestor.

So the Li family's various gambles were not necessarily walking a tightrope; they had their own foundation. Or rather, the Li family was merely Jiuyou's worldly agent.

Uh, wait... Zhao Changhe asked cautiously, "Does the Li family have any other misses? Unmarried ones?"

Li Ba shook his head. "As for the direct line, all are married. The only one not yet wed is precisely this one."

Zhao Changhe's expression turned very strange.

Huangfu Qing had mentioned it casually, clearly not giving much thought to how many unmarried daughters the family had. If this was the direction things were heading, was she helping him seek Jiuyou's hand in marriage from the Li family?

What a mess.

But it was clearly too late to stop. While he was liaising with Li Ba in the gambling den, the sky had begun to lighten, and a swift horse arrived directly in Chang'an: "I am an envoy of the Great Han, bearing a state letter by order!"

Chang'an was shaken.

Li Boping, the head of the Li family, personally received the envoy in the great hall. He opened the state letter, glanced at it, and his face turned green.

The state letter clearly stated: "...We hereby dispatch the Vermilion Bird Venerable of the Four Symbols Sect to Chang'an, arriving shortly. We seek to marry the Li family's miss, to form a marital alliance and cease hostilities, and to jointly plan resistance against the Hu."

Li Boping was dumbfounded.

Once this state letter spread, the Great Han would reap all the glory. Soon the world would know how magnanimous the Great Han was—suspending internal strife to unite against a common foe. They would win over people's hearts while putting the Li family on the fire. The Great Han was willing to cease hostilities and unite externally; what about them? Were they still colluding with the Hu? There were still plenty of Hu in Chang'an, weren't there? How would they respond?

Most infuriatingly, Li Boping would bet that the Great Han's state letter was not sincere at all. If the Vermilion Bird really came, she would surely make exorbitant demands, forcing him to refuse, thereby firmly branding them with the labels of "refusing cooperation" and "willingly being the Hu's lackeys."

Look at the seal on the state letter—it might even have been hastily carved from a radish on the spot. But as long as the Vermilion Bird arrived, her presence was evidence; questioning the letter's authenticity was pointless.

Even so, if they actually had a miss in the family, marrying her off as a sacrifice wouldn't be a big deal. They could gloss over public opinion and be done with it. Who cared about fighting or not?

But the problem was—was that person in their family a miss?

She was an ancestor, for heaven's sake!

You want to screw my ancestor?

Li Boping rushed to the family's rear residence and reported to Jiuyou, drenched in sweat.

Jiuyou's snow-white face turned livid.

In the void, a blind woman rolled with laughter on the clouds: "You've finally met your match. Has no one ever warned you not to get close to Zhao Changhe? Your reputation will suffer."

Jiuyou did not hear the blind woman's taunt, so naturally she could not respond. Yet when the blind woman said this, she forgot that the one closest to Zhao Changhe was herself—more enduring and intimate than anyone else in the world.

But that was later. At that moment, Zhao Changhe, still conversing with Li Ba, did not know that the envoy bearing the state letter was already on the way. He continued probing for information: "Aside from the peculiar matter of the Li family's miss, is there anything else?"

Li Ba thought for a moment. "A few days ago, the Hu launched a surprise attack on the capital with a forced march, but they were ambushed and annihilated. After that, they lay low for a while. The Li family took this opportunity to support Buddhism and Taoism, shaking off Hu control. But recently, the Hu have become arrogant again. If I'm not mistaken, Bo'e has secretly entered Chang'an, giving the Hu here a backbone. If you have any plans to assassinate Hu generals, I suggest you shelve them. If your assassination attempt runs into Bo'e, it won't be a joke."

At dawn, Yue Fenghua knocked on his disciple's guesthouse door: "Hongling, there's news about the Hu."

"Creak~" The courtyard door swung open. Yue Hongling, who had been meditating all night, looked refreshed at the rising sun and smiled, "Where?"

"Right on Vermilion Bird Avenue, at the Court of State Ceremonial."

Yue Hongling smiled faintly. Did she need to be told that there were Hu at the Court of State Ceremonial?

Coming to say such nonsense could only mean two things: either the Hu there had withdrawn after a night of preparation, or they had set a net with every exit covered, waiting for her to walk into it.

"Understood." Yue Hongling strode away. "Master, don't get involved in this. I'll go see for myself."

Just as she entered Chang'an city, she immediately heard about the Great Han's envoy.

Yue Hongling paused, standing by the roadside to watch. Soon she saw the Vermilion Bird, wearing a firebird mask and a fiery red ritual robe, riding into the city with several attendants.

This was Yue Hongling's first time seeing the Vermilion Bird.

As if sensing someone watching her, Huangfu Qing turned her head. The gazes of the two red-clad rivals met at the street corner, like a flash of lightning, each complex and silent.