Chapter 653: Chapter 637: I Like the Vermilion Bird Venerable

Huangfu Qing’s expression was conflicted. “Why… why would there be a need to make such a choice? The Venerable and you have no conflict…”

Zhao Changhe saw her cute, inexplicable demeanor and couldn’t help but laugh. “How could there be no conflict? Don’t you know that ever since you and I met, the Venerable’s intention has been to win me over through you?”

Huangfu Qing said, “But that’s to win you over, not to monitor you! What are you thinking?”

“To win someone over implies that our interests are not the same, but merely those of collaborators…” Zhao Changhe sighed. “Qing’er, when I say I’m a Room Fire Pig, in fact, both Venerables have never truly seen me as a subordinate. My identity is just a pretext for cooperation. From the beginning to the end, they knew I didn’t follow the faith.”

Huangfu Qing fell silent. Zhao Changhe was telling the truth. Both sides knew what the situation with this Room Fire Pig was. Xuanwu wouldn’t treat him as a “direct subordinate,” nor would Vermilion Bird consider him a high-level member of the Sect. Normally, there was no need to address this matter—it was enough for everyone to get along and joke around…

But now, was it time to face it?

“They wouldn’t consult me on important Sect affairs, for instance, the upcoming appointment of the Sect Hierarch. Would they invite me to the ceremony? Absolutely not. It would never cross their minds, because in theory, it’s unrelated to me. Right?”

Huangfu Qing sighed, “That’s right… they really don’t see you as one of the Holy Sect. If you’re feeling untrusted, should I talk to the Venerable for you? It wouldn’t be difficult to participate in such a ceremony if you really wanted to…”

Zhao Changhe smiled wryly. “Is it about attending the ceremony? The crux of the matter is that my heart is not with the Venerable’s, and in some issues, there are bound to be conflicts.”

Huangfu Qing tried, “Is it just for the things here? You’re not one to covet treasures. Why do you care so much this time… If you really care that much, I’ll speak with the Venerable. I don’t think they’re stingy. Giving it all to you wouldn’t be a problem…”

Zhao Changhe laughed. “I only need a handful of sand and to use the furnace… Strictly speaking, this handful of sand might not even be for me. I truly don’t care; the one in a hurry is probably the Venerable.”

Huangfu Qing didn’t understand the underlying meaning, but the explicit intent was clear. Zhao Changhe wasn’t after the items; rather, he believed it was time to lay out the relationship between them clearly.

Thinking it over, she understood why Zhao Changhe wanted to sort out everyone’s relationship at this juncture. After all, it was a matter of founding a nation. Who would take precedence in such a critical political issue couldn’t be dismissed with a laugh. Zhao Changhe was willing to help his own woman, Xia Chichi, but that didn’t mean he was willing to work for the Four Symbols Sect.

Suppose the Four Symbols Sect decided to carry out a sacrificial ceremony welcoming the divine by slaughter—what would Zhao Changhe do?

Before anything happened, these things had to be clarified. Letting them remain ambiguous would only leave problems for the future.

If the argument over who determines how to deal with these treasures isn’t about the treasures themselves, it meant that the right to handle and distribute them matters. I might not want them, but they shouldn’t be distributed by you alone; at the very least, we should negotiate the distribution.

Huangfu Qing had to admit that even though she was his woman, she wouldn’t prioritize his opinions either.

I am Vermilion Bird, representing the interests of the Four Symbols Sect. Not only is it impossible to prioritize your interests, but if I ever discovered that Chichi dared to show such a tendency, I would punish her—that was one of the reasons I obstructed Chichi’s affections. The necessity for the Holy Daughter to remain pure is because a woman with a man becomes too easily swayed. These things can’t be said directly to Chichi; one has to invoke doctrine and human nature, but those who understand, understand.

Only when Zhao Changhe himself represents the interests of the Four Symbols Sect would there be no further divergence of opinion.

However, Huangfu Qing’s role was already that of a “middleman” between Zhao Changhe and Vermilion Bird… As Huangfu Qing thought this, she sighed softly, “Changhe, don’t make this hard for me, okay… I’m one of the Twenty-Eight Constellations of the Four Symbols Sect, after all. What you’re asking me is tantamount to inciting me to betray the Sect.”

Zhao Changhe said, “Why go to such extremes? The conflicts between me and the Four Symbols Sect are not that grave, and consensus can be reached.”

Huangfu Qing replied, “Indeed, of course a consensus can be reached. I once asked you if you wanted Vermilion Bird Venerable to kneel before you. I look forward to you continuing Emperor Ye’s legacy, and when the time comes, even the Sect Hierarch will kneel before you. The Venerable also harbors a faint expectancy. The Night Emperor Sword Blade is in your hands, isn’t it? The Venerable has not demanded it back but has allowed you to forge it. This gesture is quite revealing.”

Zhao Changhe asked, “In her expectations, is she more eager for Emperor Ye’s return or for my own success?”

Huangfu Qing fell silent, unable to distinguish.

She had thought there was no need to distinguish, but the question made it seem like there was.

Zhao Changhe said, “If I truly had no relation to Emperor Ye, would it become impossible for our interests to ever align again?”

Huangfu Qing had to concede, “Yes.”

This conversation seemed to be a prelude to ‘let’s break up,’ and Huangfu Qing inwardly sighed.

Zhao Changhe then beamed with a smile, “Alright, alright. Since it’s difficult for you, how could I possibly force you to make such a stance… I’ll ponder this matter further, striving to reach a consensus with the Venerable.”

Huangfu Qing breathed a sigh of relief. Though she stood on the side of Four Symbols Sect’s interests, she truly did not want to fall out with Zhao Changhe, whether for personal feelings or the current situation. It was not desirable to be without Zhao Changhe. She had thought Zhao Changhe was pressuring her to make a statement, but somehow, he had unexpectedly softened his stance.

“You… Why did you suddenly give in?”

“Because I couldn’t bear to pressure you, why should I place my Qing’er in such a difficult position between loyalty and emotion?” Zhao Changhe sat down on the ground, reached out to embrace her, and planted a kiss on her cheek. “Actually, even if you were biased towards her, I wouldn’t blame you… Being loyal to the Holy Sect is a great virtue, how could I resent you for that?”

He spoke the truth. If Vermilion Bird was determined to remain Vermilion Bird, Zhao Changhe really wouldn’t blame her. Everyone has their beliefs, and no one lives solely for a man. Aside from taking sides, he respected Vermilion Bird’s perseverance; in a way, she and Tang Wanju were similar.

Huangfu Qing’s heart softened as she leaned on his shoulder and whispered, “I know that, in your heart, Venerable’s stubbornness seems foolish, especially since you’ve slain the Divine yourself, leaving even less significance to such beings… But Changhe, the beliefs we hold from youth aren’t easily swayed. If it were so, the Venerable wouldn’t have made it this far. Moreover… the Four Symbols Sect has come a long way, and the Venerable has put a great deal of effort into it. If we tell her that everything she’s fought for in her life isn’t worth defending, what would she feel?”

“Are you the same?” he asked.

“…Yes, I am the same,” Huangfu Qing finally said. “Changhe, if I asked you, for my sake, to give in to the Venerable a bit more, to try your best to avoid major conflicts with her, would you do that?”

Zhao Changhe answered without hesitation, “Of course, I would.”

Of course, he would. In fact, that’s what he was already doing. If it wasn’t for the fact that you are Vermilion Bird, I might already be in direct opposition to Vermilion Bird, unable to make these indirect jabs… He thought about it and added, “As long as it’s not a matter of principle, I’m willing to yield to her, even follow some of her orders for your sake. That doesn’t trouble me at all. Just like with these items here, if she insists on distributing them, I’ll let her have her way and won’t resist.”

Huangfu Qing smiled: “Mm…”

She won’t challenge your bottom line…

Zhao Changhe’s willingness to say so delighted Huangfu Qing, and she took the initiative to kiss his face: “How should I reward you?”

Zhao Changhe felt a ripple in his heart and murmured softly, “Hey, since I’m supposed to let her have her way, how about you thrill me in private?”

Huangfu Qing paused: “What do you mean by thrill?”

Whispering into her ear, Zhao Changhe said, “How about you wear a mask like hers and tend to me? It would make me feel as if I am desecrating Vermilion Bird, which would quite please me.”

Huangfu Qing’s expression became quite peculiar.

“It’s all fake anyway, just for fun.” Zhao Changhe coaxed. “As long as you don’t tell her, she’ll never know… It’s just our little secret between husband and wife, can’t we have that?”

Huangfu Qing retorted in annoyance, “What exactly do you feel towards the Venerable?”

Zhao Changhe replied, “Haven’t I told you how beautiful Vermilion Bird is in my eyes?”

He lowered his voice again, whispering and kissing near her ear, “To tell the truth, I desire the Vermilion Bird Venerable, very much… That desire is hidden deeply within my heart…”

Huangfu Qing didn’t know quite how to feel, torn between being upset, amused, and slightly flattered.

The little man actually likes my true self, what a little imp, I knew you were up to no good.

Her ears tickled from his kisses, sending a tingling sensation through her heart.

After a while, she caught her breath and said, “All you do is corrupt me. If you’re so capable, try doing it to the Venerable…”

“First, give me a little interest…” Zhao Changhe suddenly reached out and grabbed a ball of special, soft red metal from among the secret chamber’s materials. He casually kneaded and pulled it into something resembling half of Vermilion Bird’s facial mask. “It’s not exactly like it, just an approximation?”

It’s better that it’s not too similar, for if it were, I couldn’t dare to wear it in front of you. If I did, everything would be given away.

I don’t know if I dare now…

As Huangfu Qing hesitated, Zhao Changhe already placed the mask over her face: “This is Soft Gold used for smelting stars, and it belongs to Fire. The Star Intent isn’t dishonored by the Venerable, why not give it a try?”

Huangfu Qing reluctantly donned the mask, too preoccupied to care about the Soft Gold or its relation to Fire, and she carefully observed his reactions, hoping he wouldn’t recognize her…

Fortunately, the mask was indeed different, and Zhao Changhe seemed to not even consider the possibility, looking pleased as he said, “Now it has some flair… only the eyes lack the Venerable’s sharpness.”

Huangfu Qing didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry, casting him a sidelong glance, she then cooed seductively: “Then… watch closely, this is the Vermilion Bird Venerable serving Your Majesty…”

As she spoke, she slowly bowed her head and brought her lips closer.

Zhao Changhe took a deep breath, leaned back strategically, and, touching her hair, found himself at a loss for words.