Chapter 90: Chichi's Mission

Chapter 90: Chichi's Mission

As the blind man had said, though Zhao Changhe now seemed to roam the jianghu with ease, a part of him remained detached; the mindset of a modern college student had never truly faded from his subconscious.

For instance, he stubbornly insisted that he and Xia Chichi were in a romantic relationship, even though neither had ever explicitly said so. To him, it was simply a fact.

Thus, in his heart, his girlfriend had always been Xia Chichi. Toward Yue Hongling or Cui Yuanyang, he had never entertained any such thoughts. Only when facing Xia Chichi did he let himself go, thinking, *This is my girlfriend. I can kiss her, touch her.*

Perhaps even *that*.

Sensing that Xia Chichi had not forgotten their old feelings despite her role as the Saintess and their half-year separation, Zhao Changhe’s heart brimmed with indescribable joy. He only wanted to hold her tightly, to pour out all the passion of their long-awaited reunion.

Both lost in a haze of desire, the atmosphere grew steadily warmer.

*Bang!* The door burst open, and Han Wubing charged in, his broken sword in hand. "I heard the sound of blades! I came to help—uh... never mind. Carry on."

Han Wubing backed away step by step, only to see the enchantress leap out through the window, vanishing into the distance. Her voice, gritting through clenched teeth, drifted back: "What a fine traitor, hiding a helper! I’ll leave your head on your shoulders for now—I’ll come for it another day!"

Her voice faded, and she was gone.

*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!* Several high-ranking members of the Four Symbols Sect flew over from afar. "Saintess, were you harmed? Shall we—"

"No!" Xia Chichi’s face was flushed, appearing "furious." "That traitor’s life is mine! None of you dare act without my order!"

"...Yes." The group exchanged glances, inwardly relieved. It seemed the speculation about whether the Saintess still harbored old feelings could be put to rest. She was gnashing her teeth in hatred, and the anger in her eyes didn’t seem feigned.

And no wonder—she had witnessed him embracing Cui Yuanyang. Served him right.

Still, Zhao Changhe and Han Wubing were quite formidable. Even in poor condition, they had managed to drive back the Saintess together. Their strength would need to be reassessed...

Over by the door, Han Wubing cautiously retreated. He found her words oddly strange. Had they really been fighting just now? With their mouths? Was he so exhausted that his eyes were playing tricks on him?

At least one thing was certain: she was indeed a seductress, not a man in women’s clothing. Well, that was fine.

Han Wubing took a deep breath. "Uh, Brother Zhao, I won’t disturb your rest. If that enchantress tries to ambush you again, just call me..."

Zhao Changhe wanted nothing more than to strangle him on the spot. Listlessly, he said, "It’s fine... I should thank you for scaring her off."

Han Wubing felt the words were practically squeezed through gritted teeth. Awkwardly, he retreated back into his room.

Zhao Changhe hunched over and slumped onto the edge of the bed, landing heavily.

Though spoken through clenched teeth, there was some truth to his words. In the heat of passion, he had lost all reason. Now, calmer, he realized that Xia Chichi’s current situation was hardly suited for a secret tryst. If some elder of the demonic sect had come by and seen them, it would have been disastrous.

From her parting words, she must have sensed someone approaching. Han Wubing’s interruption had, in fact, been a help—and he had acted out of genuine concern. Still, Zhao Changhe couldn’t help wanting to punch him.

*Lixia Day, just you wait!*

...

"Saintess, after days of research, we’ve made progress on the sword-sacrifice matter."

Back at the civilian house the Four Symbols Sect had rented, Xia Chichi sat in the seat of honor, listening with a distracted air. "Mm, go on."

An elder reported, "According to the sect’s historical records, the true ancient sword reveals itself in accordance with the seasons. After multiple explorations, we’ve pinpointed Lixia—this much is already clear."

Xia Chichi nodded. "Yes, that’s why we came here."

"Then a proper ritual is needed for the sword to acknowledge us and appear. But the closest we ever came, the sword broke free at the last moment, killed someone, and fled. It had acknowledged us before, then suddenly turned hostile. The reason has always eluded us. Without understanding it, any number of attempts will end in failure."

Xia Chichi asked, "So, have you found new clues this time?"

The elder said, "We’ve investigated all the records of those who died by the sword’s qi over the centuries. Finally, we found a common trait."

"Oh?"

"It seems to have killed only the faithless and the perfidious—those who broke their vows or betrayed their word."

Xia Chichi sat up straight, suddenly serious. "Is that true?"

"Yes." The elder looked somewhat embarrassed.

The Four Symbols Sect was a demonic sect. No matter how they claimed to be sacred and orthodox, their deeds were dark and wicked. In such an environment, who could claim to be full of loyalty and honor? Even those who prided themselves on keeping their promises among the demonic followers dared not be too confident. What if the sword didn’t recognize them? Who would risk their head on a gamble?

Even Xia Chichi felt a bit awkward. As for being faithless, she was confident she was not—she had only ever loved one man. Even if the sect forbade it, her feelings ran deep, hidden but unchanged. She had just kissed him, after all.

But as for breaking vows or betraying trust—well, she had done that. Half a year as a demonic sect enchantress—who hadn’t deceived people? Promises to demonic cultists were no different from flatulence.

At that moment, what rose in Xia Chichi’s mind was the scene she had witnessed from the treetop: those two fools smiling at each other. They were truly loyal and true to their word, beyond reproach.

The awkward part was that the one she loved—whether he counted as faithless or not was debatable. Who knew how the ancient sword would judge? If he were sent to retrieve it and got himself killed, there would be no one to blame.

Oh, why was she thinking about that? The Four Symbols Sect’s affairs would never involve them anyway. What was the point?

Another elder sighed. "Our brothers in the sect are, of course, all loyal and true. But first, we’re not sure if the sword hates anything else, and second, we can’t gamble everyone’s lives on how the sword might think. So what are we to do?"

Xia Chichi almost laughed out loud. *Good, truly shameless. As expected of my Azure Dragon Protector.* But she kept a straight face and said, "Exactly. Any ideas?"

Someone hesitated. "From past experience, the one performing the ritual doesn’t necessarily need to meet the sword’s requirements. It’s the one who finally takes the sword that matters. I suggest we still hold the ritual, but trick an outsider into taking the sword. If he dies, we try again next year. If he succeeds, we take it and leave."

Everyone nodded. "Elder Qian speaks wisely."

*Yes, the brothers in the sect are indeed loyal and true.* Xia Chichi found it increasingly amusing. Lazily, she said, "So who do you think is suitable?"

"Han Wubing. Among those currently by the lake, there is no second choice."

Even though she herself thought Zhao Changhe might not be suitable and certainly wouldn’t trick him into coming to his death, Xia Chichi still felt displeased. Why was there no second choice? Wasn’t her Changhe good enough?

She couldn’t help asking, "What about Zhao Changhe? He traveled a thousand li for a promise—he is a man of his word."

Elder Qian glanced at her, then looked away.

His expression clearly said, *You’re asking me? Do you really need to ask why you want his head?*

Xia Chichi, cast as the scorned woman, ground her teeth. After a long pause, she forced a smile. "Han Wubing won’t be easy to fool. Try him first, but also look for other candidates. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket."

The group acknowledged, "Yes."

"Also, I’ve noticed the Town Demon Division has been reinforcing its presence lately. Even a ranked expert has come to a mere brothel. I wonder why." Xia Chichi’s expression grew serious. "If the imperial court wants this sword, we should abandon the mission for now."

"Surely not? If the court wanted it, why act so secretly? Besides, unlike us, they have no divine guidance. They wouldn’t find the right path. Otherwise, they would have taken it long ago, instead of letting people come and go freely at the Ancient Sword Lake."

"Don’t be careless. Stay vigilant. This is my first major mission—failure is not an option!"