Chaotic World Book-Chapter 249 - 244 This is the First Meeting

Jin Jiu left with a coy croupier who was barely keeping her giggles in check, bolting out the door and even pulling it closed behind him—it was as if he wished them a peaceful time.

Zhao Changhe could only helplessly watch the irate Miss Piggy, who was still standing with her hands on her hips, glaring fiercely. He had no idea what she was so angry about.

"What are you glaring at me for?" Zhao Changhe finally said. "I am soaking wet here. I really need a bath. You coming with or not?"

No sooner had he spoken than he pursed his lips, feeling that with her current status, it wasn’t quite right to tease her...

Vermilion Bird, however, was not concerned with his flirtations. Instead, she said, "What’s the matter, disappointed I walked in? Do you really wish for that slut, only three spots covered with gauze, to keep you company?"

Zhao Changhe candidly replied, "Yeah, if you’re not willing, can’t I find a woman instead?"

Vermilion Bird crossed her arms and scoffed coldly. "Is that all that’s left in your head? And yet, you think you can dominate the world with such thoughts? Deserving, are you?"

"Hey, I told you Vermilion Bird Venerables before, if your Sect venerates the Four Symbols, why defy the dual principles? Your Venerables might think I am not qualified to discuss this with her, but that’s still what I think. I was even wondering, with the Emperor screwing up, could it be because he stopped touching women? Look at when he was all lovey-dovey with the Empress, birthing the Crown Prince—back then he was the top of the world. Now, look at the mess his abstinence has turned him into—what a case in point, don’t you think?"

"What twisted logic. Xia Longyuan is definitely compromised due to a covert struggle with some mysterious being..."

Zhao Changhe looked at her sideways: "You understand a lot, don’t you? Even professional intelligence organizations don’t get it, but you do."

Vermilion Bird spoke through gritted teeth. "This is not the place for discussion. You never know who might be eavesdropping, so cut the nonsense. Why on earth did you stir up trouble and choose to stay here?"

Zhao Changhe answered nonchalantly, "Because, in fact, this place is safer, even a bit more secure than the Huangfu Family."

Vermilion Bird asked with curiosity, "Why?" freēwēbnovel.com

"Take, for example, the Empress’s summons to the inner palace just now. That imperial command was rather abrupt. I’m now quite suspicious that the Imperial Concubine wants me dead. Why would I walk right into the trap by going to the Huangfu house?"

I knew it... Vermilion Bird sneered coldly: "Why would the Imperial Concubine want to kill you? What’s her motive?"

"Eh? Isn’t that obvious? I even suspect she killed the Crown Prince, so her wanting me dead is hardly surprising."

"Uh-huh, sure, sure."

"When I first entered the Capital, I approached Huangfu Shaozong’s doorstep, aiming for military connections. At the time, I had no idea about his ties to an Imperial Concubine. If I had known, I obviously wouldn’t have stayed there, looking like I was acknowledge her as my ’mom.’ Plus, considering Tang Wanju’s reputation as a loyal and upright Court leader, seeing him and the Imperial Concubine locked in a struggle, she’s clearly a treacherous one. So what if she’s out for my blood..."

"Just die already!" Vermilion Bird was furious, but she restrained from tearing into him right there, instead angrily grabbing his collar, "I have a place here too. Just stay at my place and be done with it. Why make it like you’re a homeless dog that can’t stay here or there. Is it really necessary?"

Zhao Changhe blinked innocently, "I didn’t know where you were before."

"Well, now you do!" Vermilion Bird dragged him away. "Come with me!"

"Wait, I haven’t bathed yet..."

"I bet you just want that pretty croupier!"

Her voice faded into the distance, full of curses. Jin Jiu came out from another room, cupping his chin, an odd look on his face: "That was the Winged Fire Snake, wasn’t it?"

"Looking at the robe, it’s just a level below Vermilion Bird’s. Definitely not the Vermilion Bird itself."

"That’s a relief. If someone told me that was Vermilion Bird manhandling a little man by the collar and ear, I’d rather have the epoch start over now."

"Is it really that preposterous..."

"You don’t know shit! When Master Five tried to pursue Vermilion Bird, she furiously attacked. Master Five actually almost lost, I got caught in the crossfire that time, and my arm still carries burn scars."

"Uh, we never heard about that..."

"No shit, Master Five’s reputation was dragged through the mud, do you think that’s something he’d openly talk about?"

"But you’re talking about it now..."

"Things are different now. Master Five has severed his feelings long ago. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have broken through the Third Layer Secret Treasure and neared the realm of Heaven and Man. At this point, we can joke about it, and he wouldn’t mind. In any case, we now have no connection to the Four Symbols Sect, not even as foes, just strangers."

"That makes sense. So, someone guessed that Huangfu Qing, the Imperial Concubine, could be Vermilion Bird..."

"That’s a guess only an idiot would make. Given Vermilion Bird’s pride and fury, she wouldn’t stoop to getting near men like her elder sister of the White Tiger did." Jin Jiu spoke more uncertainly as he went on, "But hard to say, if it’s not about getting close to men, but about something else... Vermilion Bird, that fanatic of the Demon Path, doesn’t think like most. She probably only cares about the reputation of ’Vermilion Bird’ and couldn’t care less about whatever face ’Huangfu Qing’ loses. Any identity other than ’Vermilion Bird,’ she could simply trample all over."

His subordinate was speechless as Jin Jiu seemed to have said everything to say nothing at all: "So, how do we report this incident?"

"This is exclusive intel: Zhao Changhe and Four Symbols Sect’s Winged Fire Snake caught in a heated love affair, playing pigs together, suspecting Vermilion Bird Venerable has had the Winged Fire Snake stand in for the White Tiger Saintess. The implication is a reconciliation between the Four Symbols Sect and Zhao Changhe, potentially making him an important ally in the future. Hmm... This must be passed on to Master Five; he’ll be very interested."

"Why would Master Five be interested in this kind of thing?"

"He’d be interested in why Vermilion Bird made such a choice."

...

In the Capital’s Inner Lake, Seven-Mile Cove is lined with scenic pavilions and towers, a place where nobles and officials escape the summer heat and enjoy the scenery.

Within one of the houses, whose owner was unknown to Zhao Changhe, whether an official or a wealthy merchant, he was dragged inside and felt traces of the Four Symbols Sect’s Cultivation Technique trembling through the place. The surrounding servants and subordinates all turned out to be elite guards.

But he had no chance to observe closely; he was quickly hauled by Vermilion Bird to a courtyard by the lake. The room faced the water, and through the window, the sight of the rain hitting the lake’s surface was exceedingly beautiful.

Inside, a tub of hot water had been prepared at some unknown time, its steam rising, while a group of maids stared curiously at Zhao Changhe.

Vermilion Bird flopped her hand lazily, "All of you, leave."

"Yes," the maids covered their mouths with light laughter and left, still giggling.

This template differed from the maids at the Cui Family or Tang family’s places, somewhat... bewitching.

It seemed this was a location the Four Symbols Sect could reveal to their allies, ostensibly unrelated to the Huangfu Family, probably belonging to the pig-faced lady herself.

Thinking about it, it was normal; with the Imperial Concubine’s status added to that of the Marquis’s family, it was all too easy for her to wield influence in the Capital... Zhao Changhe now felt their Four Symbols Sect’s official forces were probably already formed covertly, and their momentum far outpaced the Maitreya Sect’s. They were simply waiting for Xia Longyuan to die and then they would sweep over the world.

Speaking of which, did Vermilion Bird let such an important sister-like figure from the Sect get close to him? Could he have gotten that wrong? Was it just because of her status as Imperial Concubine that she thought this sister couldn’t possibly have anything happen with him?

While mulling over this, Vermilion Bird crossed her arms and said coldly, "What are you pondering with your chin in your hand? That look of yours as if solving cases every day is really annoying."

Zhao Changhe responded helplessly, "Using one’s brain is a good thing, Piggy sis."

Underneath the Vermilion Bird mask, her brows knitted, "What did you just call me?"

"That’s just friendliness..."

"Quit that nonsense," Vermilion Bird snapped, "This is the place where you can speak your mind. There’s no need to pretend here. Your true opinions about the Empress and the Imperial Concubine, give them to me straight. Analyze them seriously, and let me hear."

Zhao Changhe offered a smile in compensation. "From the moment I met her at the Huangfu Family, I thought the Imperial Concubine was so pretty, I was so distracted by her that my mind wandered off..."

A smile curled at the corners of Vermilion Bird’s mouth, "And what then? Do you still think the Imperial Concubine wants to kill you?"

"The Empress wanting to kill me is a done deal, no matter if the old eunuch belonged to her or not. I’ve burned bridges with the Wang Family; that much is certain, without need for any other consideration. I just need to recognize one fact—the enemies of the Empress must surely be my friends, hence the Imperial Concubine is my ally."

Vermilion Bird privately thought that might not necessarily be the case. Had it been two months earlier, she truly would have killed him. Who said an enemy’s enemy was a friend? She had no love quarrel with the Empress; what did her enemies matter to her? Was he saying she couldn’t kill on a whim?

But the fact that Zhao Changhe could say such things now did quite please her. "Then who do you think the eunuch belongs to?"

"He’s the Empress’s man, because if others could speculate that it might be a setup by the Imperial Concubine against the Empress, then her directly sending someone would remove any suspicion, exploiting others’ psychology. I’ve just learned a way of thinking—not everything needs to be overcomplicated. The more complex you make it, the more likely you are to err. The simplest explanation is often the correct one."

Vermilion Bird looked at him askance, "Keep telling tales, go on."

Zhao Changhe too glanced sideways, at a loss for what to say. I don’t even dare to flirt with you now, what do you want me to say?

Each had a sudden clarity of heart.

Vermilion Bird knew that when she entered the Huangfu Family, she initially did not know Zhao Changhe was inside. She didn’t alter her voice or her scent—truth be told, even if she had known, it would be quite odd to just change her vocal tones in front of her own brother. In the eyes of someone like Zhao Changhe, with a rough exterior but a meticulous heart, the Winged Fire Snake and the pig-face mask were totally ineffective. She was certain he must have figured it out by now.

Whatever reason he had concocted for believing in the Imperial Concubine was bogus; his only real reason was that he knew it was her, and so he trusted her unconditionally.

For some unspecified reason, having her identity revealed made Vermilion Bird feel a faint sense of shame, which was why she felt inexplicably angry just before. His analysis, which seemed so capable, was irritating.

That meant her own identity had been analyzed completely. Now, to get the Winged Fire Snake "killed off" would be quite difficult. After all, the Imperial Concubine couldn’t die.

She truly didn’t know how to bring things to a close.

And she wondered whether Vermilion Bird’s identity could still be kept secret... Imperial Concubine, Winged Fire Snake, Huangfu Qing—Mess them up however you like, just as long as Vermilion Bird isn’t exposed.

With this thought, she softened her tone a bit, "There’s no need to make such an effort to act. No one else is here."

Finally, Zhao Changhe said, "Then... about the bet we made last month, can it be honored?"

Vermilion Bird gazed at him steadily for a while, then finally, slowly, she began to remove the pig-face mask.

This might be the first true meeting between Vermilion Bird and Zhao Changhe.

Zhao Changhe’s heart skipped a beat, quite beyond his control.

Why would Tang Wanzhuang scold him for always looking at the Imperial Concubine, as if facing a formidable enemy?

Because she truly was that beautiful.

When the viciousness faded from her brow, leaving only the flame-like ferocity, her valiant figure was similar to Yue Hongling.

She was the spirited daughter of a Marquis, a favored Imperial Concubine, a Sect leader, exuding a calm dignity and authority, and with a hint of an older sister’s amusement toward a younger brother, like Tang Wanzhuang.

There was also a hint of coquettish charm, like adding Chichi to the mix, still that subtly obedient Chichi from behind the scenes on the day that marked the beginning of summer.

Perhaps that wasn’t enough... There was also a touch of mystery and the air of divinity, a sense of detachment as if viewing from above, like that blind woman.

Zhao Changhe found it incredibly hard to tear his gaze away. He could hardly imagine how such diverse temperaments could blend so perfectly in one person. Could she truly be only one of the Twenty-Eight Constellations?

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