Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 145: This Game

Dragon Bird had not managed to smack her, but seeing Sisi in such a sorry state seemed to satisfy it, so it went back to lying flat.

You brought that upon yourself for what you said about me earlier.

Zhao Changhe had instinctively tried saving Sisi. But now, he could only stare in stunned silence at Dragon Bird that lay back down and then at Sisi, who was upside down in the water.

That feeling just now... Hmm...

Plop!

Sisi’s head popped out of the water, and she glared at Zhao Changhe.

Zhao Changhe assessed her face, but even after being submerged in water, there were no signs of her disguise coming off. Her disguise technique really is impressive. However, her summer clothes aren’t as good at concealing her. Now that she’s in the water, I can basically see everything. Her little dudou is quite cute, and that fresh and tender skin...mmm.... Those undulating waves make for quite a sight.

Seeing her glaring at him, Zhao Changhe could not help but feel amused. Why had she not been this fierce when they were kissing? Was it because they had been somewhere else?

“Why are you glaring at me? I just saved you, you know? Would you really have rather gotten hit by Dragon Bird?”

Sisi gritted her teeth and said, “I would rather have taken a hit from Dragon Bird than have to have gone through what happened just now.”

“...Your words are like a feast for my ears,” replied Zhao Changhe with a smile.

Anyway, he still believed that this girl was very open-minded, and this look of hers was all an act. Given their situation, where they were both in a bathtub together, any man would feel a bit tempted. He felt no need to restrain himself, so he simply pulled her into his embrace. “Since we’re already enjoying a bath together, why not cuddle a bit?”

In the cramped bathtub with no escape, Sisi was firmly embraced by Zhao Changhe. She felt resigned as she gritted her teeth, her mind racing.

In the original script that she had in mind after having assumed the identity of an innocent and virtuous maid, she should have adjusted her behavior when Tang Buqi gave her to him. She had planned to ingratiate herself with her new master and resist his advances while secretly tempting him, leaving him itching for more but unable to have what he wanted. Then, she would seize opportunities to coax him.

However, thanks to the saber, the script had fast-forwarded to them frolicking in the water together. In this situation, any master would have pulled her into his arms. How many gentlemen would actually throw her out? She wondered how she should behave appropriately in such a predicament.

Finally, Sisi made up her mind. She relaxed her tense body, and leaned gently against his chest, whispering softly, “I am already yours, and it is but my duty to serve you...”

Unexpectedly, Zhao Changhe, who had remained indifferent earlier, responded with a thoughtful “Hmm...”

Tha coquettish tone, that shy and soft demeanor, and then the direct switch from “following my master’s orders” to “I am yours...” Zhao Changhe dared to say that very few could have resisted her charm at this moment.

Sisi sensed the change in him and chuckled softly, “But I have only been with you for less than half a day... I have always known that you are a hero. Not long after you started to tread the path of martial arts, you already managed to achieve a high rank among the Hidden Dragons. Are you really going to devour a maid you just met? The heroic master in my heart would not do such a thing...”

Zhao Changhe smiled and said, “Oh? And what would he do?”

Sisi, with a look of mock annoyance, glanced at him and said softly, “He would at least wait until we were a bit more familiar with each other. That way, it would be much more romantic... I will be yours sooner or later, so there’s no need to rush...”

Seeing that Zhao Changhe seemed about to say something, Sisi placed her index finger on his lips, leaned closer to his face, and then gently nibbled on his earlobe. Then, she softly said, “Shall I bathe you, master...?”

As she spoke, her delicate hands began to slowly rub his body, this time truly washing away the dirt on him.

Zhao Changhe’s whole body softened and he melted against the edge of the tub and stopped talking.

Even though he knew that this was all an act, he could not help but entertain the thought, If there were really such a maid, any man would desire her... But alas, this is all an act.

Just listening to her following words emphasized the insincerity of it all.

“Master...”

“Hm?”

“Why does that Dragon Bird attack people on its own? Are there really such sentient saber in this world?”

“Yes, there are, there are many more,” said Zhao Changhe. Giving Dragon Bird some credit, he continued, “Of course, ones as powerful as Dragon Bird are rare.”

Dragon Bird: “...”

“Then...” Sisi continued rubbing his body as she whispered softly into his ear. “Is it because of Dragon Bird that you have become so skilled in martial arts in such a short time, master?”

Zhao Changhe sighed.

I see now. The reason she approached me and she even tried to control before, was probably that she found my progress unbelievable... She probably even saw me practicing the Maitreya Cult’s cultivation technique that night from afar outside the window. At that time, she probably found me even more unbelievable, considering it was a cultivation technique that I had just obtained from the Maitreya Cult’s secret passage that very day, yet I had somehow already mastered it. After all, such a feat is not something that an ordinary person could achieve just by reading a secret manual. She likely believes that I am hiding a great secret.

Perhaps she could not see the golden foil from a distance and could only make blind guesses. Initially, she may have thought that it was the best time to see if she could control me as I was merely a newbie to the Pure Bliss Art. She probably thought that if she managed to place me under her control, then she would be able to uncover all of my secrets. But in the end, her plans were thwarted. Now, she was throwing out all sorts of guesses. Right now, she might actually think that Dragon Bird is the reason for everything.

However, regardless of whether it’s the Maitreya Cult or the Tang Clan, she probably came with her own agenda that was completely unrelated to me. It just so happened that she ran into me on both occasions.

In addition, it’s quite obvious that she doesn’t actually have much information. Even Tang Buqi would have recognized Dragon Bird if I directly said its name, but she did not. She has no idea what Dragon Bird means or how much power it possesses.

She definitely doesn’t have a great background... Why is she so desperate? Initially, I thought that she’s related to the Thieves Guild, but her lack of knowledge fails to match that assumption.

Maybe... I should find an opportunity to ask Ji Chengkong. I might be able to gain some insight from him.

Even with these thoughts swirling in his mind, his expression only showed a little detachment from whatever was in front of him. A few moments later, Sisi heard him say, “Dragon Bird indeed is very important to me. But...”

Sisi listened intently, expecting him to take advantage of the situation to touch her inappropriately. She had prepared to endure it, but to her surprise, he did not make any inappropriate advances. Instead, he sighed and said, “Sisi, you practice martial arts too, right?”

Sisi knew that she could not hide this fact, so she answered, “I have indeed practiced a little.”

“If you’ve practiced martial arts, then you should know that there’s only one path that suits you best... You may have noticed this morning when I was practicing with my saber, I used to utilize many different saber and sword intents., but I gradually abandoned them and only kept the parts that suited me best. Tang Buqi’s Azure Waves Sword may also be a valuable sword, but I would find it cumbersome if he offered it to me. The same principle applies to Dragon Bird... So your enthusiasm for a broad saber such as Dragon Bird is meaningless. Why don’t you tell me what you’ve practiced, and I can offer you some advice.”

Sisi could not help but lean her head back a bit and look up into his eyes.

Zhao Changhe’s gaze was very serious.

Sisi pursed her lips, then sniffed and turned her head slightly. “We poor maids don’t have the luxury to choose from various saber and sword intents like you, master. So, whenever we see something nice, we can’t help but want to ask about it...”

This was her way of avoiding the topic of what she had been practicing. Zhao Changhe looked at her steadily for a moment, knowing that it was not yet time for them to reveal everything, so he did not press further. Instead, he said, “I still need to explore the secrets of vicious blood qi this afternoon. Will you accompany me?”

After a moment of hesitation, Sisi gritted her teeth and said, “If you could explain why you suspect that there might be more people who are tainted by vicious blood qi, then I could be of more help...”

“There’s no need for that,” Zhao Changhe interrupted her. He got out of the tub. “That is merely a speculation of mine. I would rather not say too much for fear of being slapped in the face in the case that I’m wrong. Right now, I’m just waiting for Ji Chengkong’s response. Once I have made my final judgment, I’ll tell you everything. As for this matter of you trying to tease things out of me... You’re my maid. If there’s anything important, we can discuss it openly. There’s no need for us to play mind games over trivial matters like these.”

Sisi stared blankly at his back as he dressed himself, biting her lower lip before falling silent.