Chapter 614: Chapter 598: Long-Awaited Wish Fulfilled
San Niang’s heartfelt scenario of her lover tenderly feeding her medication had shifted to a stern-faced niece administering bitter pills, which might have been sweet despite their bitterness, but now were unbearably bitter, as bitter as sugared beans.
After scowling and drinking it, the previously forced “good complexion” collapsed completely, and as the effects of the medicine took hold, she soon drifted into a deep sleep.
Xia Chichi slightly tapped into the Rejuvenation Technique to sense the effectiveness of the medicine. Observing its ability to regenerate blood and flesh, she nodded and sat beside Zhao Changhe, “It looks like she’s truly saved. The medicine you formulated is potent, Doctor Zhao. Was Tang Wanju cured by these skills of yours?”
Zhao Changhe twitched the corner of his mouth, wondering why the conversation had shifted to Tang Wanju again.
Chichi, clutching his collar, grinding her teeth spoke, “You meddle with my wife and you try to handle my master too? You think you can just fleece me because I’m the only sheep around?”
Zhao Changhe couldn’t help but laugh, whispering in her ear, “I’m meddling with you too.”
Chichi sighed, “Indeed, fleeced bald.”
Zhao Changhe nodded solemnly, “I know it’s bald.”
Chichi glared, kicking him, “You’re going to get it!”
Despite the kick, Zhao held her close, still smiling without a word.
Though Chichi seemed irritable, her mood was actually quite good and so was Zhao’s. After ensuring San Niang had survived, both equipped with the Azure Dragon Technique, Rejuvenation Technique, and a ring of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, they weren’t worried about subsequent treatments. Finally, they could relax the tight strings of their burden.
They finally achieved something significant. Drifting at sea for over two months, everyone sought something—Chichi’s Azure Dragon’s Exploration, Zhao’s quest for the Heavenly Book, San Niang’s parental vendetta; all managed through immense hardships and reciprocal injuries, and at last, they all reached their goals, surviving well. The contentment and relief felt at this moment was more palpable than burning textbooks after graduation.
If not for the uncertainty around San Niang’s fate earlier, they would probably be openly celebrating right now.
It seemed like it was possible now.
However, as Zhao held Chichi, he felt her mood wasn’t elevated.
Chichi, when she’s out, fits the mold of a cold-hearted swordsman—a demeanor shaped by Bing Po’s icy essence and the White Tiger’s stern influence, appearing stern and reticent to outsiders. Indeed, she wasn’t cold-hearted; under the current circumstances, she would’ve normally cozied up, playfully seeking affection… with her master peacefully watching by her side in the eyes of the little demoness, it was infuriating. If she dares, let her go complain to Vermilion Bird!
Yet now, the little demoness simply rested quietly in his arms, smiling but somewhat absent-minded, barely jesting at all.
Could it be she was waiting for San Niang to awake before taking action?
Zhao tentatively asked, “What are you thinking about?”
Lost in thought, Chichi said, “I’m thinking about master and her father. Hai Pinglan once pursued her mercilessly, disregarding father-daughter bonds, which is harsher than abandoning me, but still comprehensible due to the circumstances. The continued lack of contact wasn’t from heartlessness but rather an attempt to extricate master from the divine wars; at that moment, he was a father.”
Zhao understood her point, adding, “Just like old Xia didn’t care about exposing himself and intervened to save you, later beating Hai Pinglan for endangering you—that too, was a father’s act.”
“No, he’s not the same as Hai Pinglan,” Chichi said softly. “His rescue was because he knew that once I could break the statue, the Sea Emperor would intervene regardless, so exposure wasn’t his main concern. Indeed, when he intervened during the battle at Cui’s kingdom, the Sea Emperor was already aware of his prying. And beating Hai Pinglan… well, that sounds good, but why didn’t he act when I was held captive?”
Zhao paused, silent.
Ultimately, he was an outsider, unable to feel as profoundly as the person involved. As Chichi put it—clearly, you knew Hai Pinglan held Chichi hostage, so why didn’t you act sooner? It was no different from using Chichi as bait to decipher the statue, sending her out to sea to find the island. Perhaps in his mind, watching over her meant she wouldn’t come to harm, reassuring her: it’s okay, if someone bullies you, I’ll deal with them. That’s how old Xia thought… Spelling it out, the outcome might seem alright, but Chichi is a person, not an object… after all, using your daughter as bait, placing her in the most perilous, central vortex of the divine war—how might Chichi have felt?
Hai Pinglan chose to be misunderstood by his daughter rather than explaining himself, just to keep her away from the perilous divine wars—even knowing she was already among the top contenders in the Earth List and not intending to leverage that support, given the vast gap with the Sea Emperor.
The comparison was clear cut.
San Niang and Chichi weren’t very close, having rarely intersected due to being mostly apart, coming together now due to loyalty within their teaching from the far Northern Border to the East Sea, venturing into danger. Emotionally speaking, old Xia as a father was inferior even to this master whom he barely knew.
But the complexity with old Xia lay in his belief that he was bonded to his daughter—at least holding a notion of… she’s mine to command, but not for others to bully. The urgency when he intervened to save Chichi hinted not at his plan being disrupted but at an instinctive concern: “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
It showed that, subconsciously, his daughter’s safety was more crucial than any plan, suggesting he wasn’t entirely devoid of humanity.
Should Chichi then feel grateful?
No wonder Chichi’s mood was low; it was indeed a dilemma—feeling loved, almost superficially so, and meanwhile, if deemed heartless, he might feel wronged.
Zhao Changhe thought for a moment and then said, “After all these years, you haven’t considered him your father. Just continue not meeting him as before. We don’t need anything from him.”
Chichi Xia “Mmm-hmm’ed” and sighed, “It’s me who had expectations I shouldn’t have had.”
She paused and then said, “He also returned injured this time. We don’t know to what extent such a Divine Descent being thwarted affects the original body. The Chaotic World Book clearly points out ‘all parties suffer,’ and the reactions of the powerful individuals are unpredictable. I was hesitant about whether to take advantage of the situation to continue to oppose him or instead to help him; now I’ve decided to just watch indifferently and not intervene.”
Zhao Changhe nodded, agreeing that Chichi not intervening was the right call. After all, Vermilion Bird was a rebel, and San Niang, once healed, would probably get involved. Let them handle it; there was no need for Chichi.
But Zhao himself thought of something else. Old Xia, not to mention anything else, had handled the Sinicization versus Barbarization debate quite firmly. The Great Shaman and Golden Horde Khan Tie Muer, ranking second and third on the Heavenly List, were originally suppressed by Xia Longyuan and dared not act rashly. With the Divine severely injured now, these two were neither injured nor ill, and if they took the opportunity to move south, Ba Tu definitely couldn’t hold them back.
With Old Xia injured, where previously Tie Muer did not dare to personally attempt to seize Yanmen Pass first, this time it might not be the same… When such a powerful figure made the first assault, penetrating the defenses would be inevitable.
He felt he must put forth some effort himself. As Old Xia himself said, if it were people from Xia doing it, it wouldn’t matter, but if the barbarians were moving south, they should get lost.
Thinking this, he then smiled and said, “I’ve got a plan that serves both purposes. How about you join me in repelling the barbarians? It’s kind of helping him but not entirely, and you wouldn’t be involved in opposing him. If Vermilion Bird calls you, you’d also have a reason for not being able to get away.”
This was exactly what Chichi Xia was struggling with. Upon hearing this, she was overjoyed. “Great idea!”
She rubbed her hands together excitedly, almost wanting to stand up and pace, “You and Yue Hongling used to roam the Northern Border, and now it’s my turn, my turn!”
However, she was held in place by Zhao Changhe’s embrace, her heart brimming with exuberance, she bit her lower lip and looked up, “Hey…”
Zhao Changhe saw her excited look and chuckled, “What?”
“With the sea now tranquil and our grand mission accomplished, your master’s injuries are not serious anymore… It’s like all barriers have disappeared, and the mind is free. You… don’t you want to do something to celebrate?”
I do, but earlier you weren’t in the mood… Zhao Changhe spoke with justified seriousness: “Am I the type to rush into doing that sort of thing?”
Chichi Xia softly kissed his cheeks, especially lightly licking over his scar, “You aren’t, but I sure can, right…”
Oof… when the demoness gets seductive, it’s lethal… Zhao Changhe initially didn’t have many thoughts, but that action made him passionately resolute.
Chichi Xia, seeming to perceive this, laughed mischievously as she grabbed hold of him, kissing his neck and whispering, “My name is Chichi, and I don’t like to delay in anything. Even master rode ahead of me; I should have been first…”
Zhao Changhe leaned back, “Aren’t you afraid the Vermilion Bird Venerable will find out?”
“I used to be a bit scared, but now with Xuanwu Venerable siding with me, what do I have to fear? Let her try to defeat me…” Chichi Xia gripped him hard, “Are you getting soft?”
Unable to restrain himself any longer, Zhao Changhe scooped her up horizontally and kissed her deeply, “Right now, I wouldn’t back down even if I had to face her alone, afraid of what?”
Chichi Xia wrapped her arms around his neck, closed her eyes, and responded to his kisses, murmuring to herself, “Have you… been wanting this for a long time? Pretending before never satisfied…”
It really had been a long time, after having played so many times, who could restrain themselves…
But in that moment, Zhao Changhe thought not of these episodes…
His mind flashed back to the pond in the back hills of Beimang, the breathtaking sight he saw when Luo Qi entered the pond under the moonlight.
And inside the Shuilian Cave when they became lovers, knowing they’d soon be apart, that desperate kiss pressed against the wall,
“From that moment, you should have been mine…”
San Niang, half-asleep and confused, vaguely heard a beautiful warble of an oriole, melodious and plaintive.
With her eyes half-closed, she saw the Room Fire Pig wrestling with the White Tiger.
The seemingly delicate body under his powerful dominance looked irresistibly compelling…
San Niang’s eyes went wide, inwardly saying that the usual self-praising tending and diligent ‘little pig’, could this be self-deception? From his perspective, it clearly looked like the Room Fire Pig taking liberties with a superior.
Uh, no…
San Niang fully awakened with a jolt, “Chichi Xia, what are you doing!”