135: Chapter 131: Only 0 Times and Countless Times 135: Chapter 131: Only 0 Times and Countless Times “Why thirty-eight?

Huh?

Why thirty-eight?”

Inside the Xiao Xiang Inn, Zhao Changhe, who had just been outside brimming with swagger, sat down and only had complaints left: “Does this damned book have a grudge against me?

The eighty-eight it gave before, although hiding a hint of ‘goodbye’, I could interpret it as ‘getting rich is pretty good,’ right?

Now what is this, a women’s friend?

It’s too much bullying!”

Yue Hongling sat beside him with an expressionless face, applying medicine to the wound at his chest center.

Seeing him chatter nonstop, she couldn’t help but punch him.

Zhao Changhe clutched his head: “I’m injured, and you still hit me.”

“What a coincidence, I’m injured too,” Yue Hongling said expressionlessly.

“Tell me, how come your vital acupoint was stabbed yet it feels like it was stabbed in a normal place?

Is it the same routine as when Heavenly Girl Nianghua mysteriously relieved my acupoint blockage?”

Zhao Changhe’s eyes rolled around, and he stopped talking.

“So, you’ve hooked up with her early on.

Go die, you!” Yue Hongling increased the force with which she wrapped the bandage, causing Zhao Changhe to scream in pain.

“I really have nothing to do with her!

This is a misunderstanding…”

“Then who are you involved with?

Tang Buqi’s aunt?

You call him nephew so affectionately!”

Zhao Changhe: “???”

Yue Hongling seemed to realize she had misspoken.

How could she have blurted that out…

She turned her head away angrily: “What was that sentence you whispered?

I was too far to hear clearly, say it now for me to hear.”

Zhao Changhe looked around, then lowered his voice again: “He should be a member of the Four Symbols Sect, and a high-ranking one, the ‘Mangrove Earthworm’ among the Southern Seven Constellations of the Twenty-Eight Constellations.

I don’t know if his father is aware of this…”

Yue Hongling was stunned for a moment, her eyes widening: “So, he’s not from the Maitreya Sect but rather a high-ranking member of the Four Symbols Sect?

After all this talking, he’s still a rebel from the Demon Sect?

Then the Cao Gang…”

“Right…

The Four Symbols Sect’s scheming runs much deeper than the Maitreya Sect’s.

Even if we let the Maitreya Sect kick up a huge fuss first, it feels like they’re just playing the role of a harbinger for a king.”

“Why didn’t you expose him?”

Zhao Changhe coughed twice and fell silent.

Yue Hongling understood, looking at him sideways: “It seems like Xia Chichi wants to rebel, and you support her, right?

Are you also planning to get a mask to play tomorrow?”

Zhao Changhe gave a forced smile: “That won’t be necessary.”

Letting Chichi wear a mask and play games with me could be fine…

Yue Hongling sneered: “No wonder Wan Dongliu framed foreigners; out of so many targets he could kill, he specifically chose you, the tough nut to crack…

He probably thought this is a traitor under his command, and still unclearly involved with the Holy Daughter, which killing would be a good thing, right?”

“Cough…”

“So, you feel like it was a misunderstanding, and you couldn’t bring yourself to kill him in revenge?”

“Well, it should really be considered a misunderstanding.

After all, I wasn’t harmed.

And…” Zhao Changhe sighed: “Even if I had killed him, we wouldn’t have been able to leave Yangzhou, and given the way he was slashed, he’d need to lie in bed for months.

That would let out the anger and would be enough.”

Yue Hongling was lost in thought for a while; some details also came together for her.

Wan Dongliu previously clearly wanted to kill Zhao Changhe, but the stab at the chest center he delivered recently held back because Zhao Changhe deliberately lowered his voice when speaking his secret, making Wan Dongliu realize he might have misunderstood Zhao Changhe’s relationship with the Four Symbols Sect, hence he held back, and afterwards, he even stopped others from attacking, realizing he had tried to assassinate the wrong person and deserved to be slashed.

These two seemingly rough men from the Worldly Society were sharper in their thoughts than many scholars.

The very individuals who had just sliced each other open might internally have more understanding between them than even Wan Dongliu’s closest subordinates, turning out to be the real “insiders.”

Initially thinking that staying in the Xiao Xiang Inn might be dangerous, she now felt certain it was as safe as Taishan.

The world is indeed becoming chaotic, with heroes emerging everywhere.

She pondered in a trance for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

Isn’t it quite good?

This is the exciting Worldly Society.

Yue Hongling no longer spoke with barbs in her words, seriously saying: “Changhe, you’ve secretly learned our sword and saber intents.

I don’t understand how you could learn so quickly; it can’t just be from watching.

Someone must have demonstrated slowly and in detail to you, and you must have exceptional talent yourself; both are indispensable.

I believe you have extraordinary talent, but who taught you?”

Zhao Changhe could tell Yue Hongling anything, but he subconsciously felt he couldn’t speak carelessly about the Heavenly Book, so he said: “Just consider me a prodigious genius.”

Yue Hongling didn’t take issue, merely saying, “No matter how you learned it, I don’t recommend learning everything.

Trying to grasp too much can lead to mastering none, and it’s better to deeply engage in just a few areas.

Also, not all Magic Skills are suited for you.

You can, at most, integrate their good points into your own Saber Technique but don’t confuse the fundamental with the secondary.”

Zhao Changhe nodded, “Indeed, for instance, Chi Li’s Sword Intent feels very unsuitable for me, no matter how I use it—it’s awkward.

Without the corresponding Cultivation Technique, Spring Water Sword Intent is also insufficient, of negligible importance.

I plan to slowly discard it, at most adopting its essence of gentleness.

What truly suits my incorporation into Saber Technique is actually yours, and I’ve comprehended it the most.

Back when we were in the stronghold, you instructed me about a lot…”

Yue Hongling slightly tilted her head, “Now I can teach you properly.”

“Don’t.”

“Hmm?”

“Even if it’s yours, I just want to refer to a bit of Sword Intent; that’s enough for me.

My path is ultimately the wildest of swords.

Learning too much instead affects my own way.”

Yue Hongling stared at him, a slight smile on her face, “I await your sword.”

He had his own firm determination, no longer needing to be constantly instructed like a novice.

Yue Hongling stretched lazily, preparing to leave, “Alright, take good care of your injuries.

I’m just next door, call me if you need anything.”

“Yue Sister.” Zhao Changhe hesitated momentarily in calling her back.

Yue Hongling turned around to look but saw Zhao Changhe hesitated for a long while before awkwardly saying, “Dual Cultivation can hasten recovery, including that minor injury on your shoulder.

If you also know the Dual Cultivation Technique and we work together, it won’t take long to heal.”

Yue Hongling widened her eyes, “Isn’t that the operation of Inner Strength?

It works on external injuries too?”

“It should be possible, at least it’s effective in healing and blood production in human physiology.”

Yue Hongling hesitated a bit.

Based on her previous experience, that kind of Dual Cultivation didn’t seem…

But that was still Dual Cultivation, especially when one also operated it, intermingling back and forth, was it truly something normal friends could continuously engage in?

“I’ve seen you stuck at the Mystical Gate Eighth Layer for over half a year.

Why the Nine Layer Heaven is such a hurdle, I don’t know the reason.

But feeling your True Qi before, the lack of Pure Yin is definitely one of the hindrances.

It might not be the main one; after all, people like Tang Wanjuang were able to break through, some Sects need to preserve the Pure Yin and Pure Yang, but perhaps they have other Secret Techniques.

You’re just a common Martial Artist, so it must be a factor, why not try to resolve it?”

Yue Hongling chuckled slightly, “You’re advising me now?”

“Does it make sense?”

“…It does.”

“As long as it makes sense,” Zhao Changhe said earnestly, “Where do the formalities of the Worldly Society matter that much when we know the cultivation is legitimate?

Brisk and forthright Yue Hongling, would you really fear a mere name?”

Yue Hongling slapped the table, “What’s there to fear?

Let’s hear the mantra!”

“…,” he thought to himself that sometimes she really seemed like a younger sister, despite being younger himself.

Ultimately, she was still a young girl younger than himself.

…

In Wan Dongliu’s room, Tang Buqi was “visiting.”

It was called a visit, but his expression was as foul as if he had swallowed numerous rotten eggs, “Brother Wan, don’t say that I’m heartless to come here and question you now…

Was what Zhao Changhe said earlier true or false?”

“It’s true.” Wan Dongliu lay there stiff as a corpse, yet his expression was very calm.

As long as his affiliation with the Four Symbols Sect didn’t get out, what Zhao Changhe had exposed was insignificant.

Tang Buqi angrily said, “You’ve really plotted us all in your scheme.

Wanting to deal with the Maitreya Sect and the barbarians isn’t necessarily bad, but why couldn’t you say it outright?”

“…Should I also tell you when I plan to assassinate the Magistrate and how Cao Gang intends to monopolize Yangzhou?” Wan Dongliu smirked, “Well, it’s not that I couldn’t discuss it, and perhaps it really could involve an alignment of interests with Young Master Tang, but the lady wouldn’t like these affairs, and Young Master Tang would probably disagree.

Why waste the effort?

Inadvertently leaking my strategies would thwart all my efforts.”

Tang Buqi scowled, “Indeed I wouldn’t agree…

and now I know.”

“Then know it,” Wan Dongliu continued to smile calmly, “The situation is already such, Yangzhou cannot endure further shaking.

If Cao Gang makes a move, even this superficial prosperity will vanish…

Why do you think Zhao Changhe spared my life?

Besides, under what pretext would you oppose me, the true culprit behind the Magistrate’s assassination?

I suspect the people would praise Wan for being a righteous man, turning Young Master Tang into the villain.

Why bother?”

Tang Buqi’s face looked extremely grave, always feeling he wasn’t merely the villain being played on stage but rather a buffoon.

Wan Dongliu leisurely said, “In this matter, what surprised me most was Zhao Changhe’s relationship with your Tang family and the Demon Suppression Department, seemingly very close…

Maybe Young Master Tang has no guard up, thinking that since he’s an associate, you can act together.

But what about Gong Chaoqun?

Because of Young Master Tang’s face?

I think it’s not that significant.”

Tang Buqi: “…”

Wan Dongliu thought this fellow was rather cute and couldn’t help but laugh, “I think, instead of questioning me here, Young Master Tang, you’d better go and ask Zhao Changhe to clarify this matter.

That seems to be more urgent.”