Huh?

"This is... a fragment of the Mountains and Rivers State Diagram..."

Inside the girl's body, the Sword Spirit spoke, her tone carrying little fluctuation.

"A fragment of the Mountains and Rivers State Diagram?"

"Mm. But unless you gather all the pieces, this thing is just for show—good for nothing but putting up a front."

"So it's useless?"

"How could it be useless? Even a single broken piece can sell for a high price, especially to collectors. Besides, Xueli, this Mountains and Rivers State Diagram carries the Chilling Qi of Jiang Lin's Natal Flying Sword. That means it's very likely something he lost—after all, the Mountains and Rivers State Diagram is like a living thing and can't be stored in a Spatial Item."

"Jiang Lin... Jiang Yida!"

Hearing that name, the girl clenched her delicate fists.

"Wait, Xueli! Someone's approaching! It seems to be someone from the Dugu Demonic Sect!"

"Then, Elder Sister Sword Spirit, do we fight?"

"No rush. First, we need to find the main body of my sword. If we run into them in the Final Circle, I'll make sure they have No Return!"

"Mm, I'll listen to Elder Sister Sword Spirit."

Tucking the Mountains and Rivers State Diagram into her bosom, the girl cast a deep glance ahead, bit her red lips with her Pearly Teeth, and fled in another direction.

But before she had flown even a hundred meters, her slender figure halted.

"Xueli?"

"Elder Sister Sword Spirit, I'm sorry. I want to take some time... This is the best chance to cut ties with him once and for all. Can Elder Sister Sword Spirit help Xueli sense where that Flower-Picking Thief is?"

"I understand." The Sword Spirit inside her let out a soft sigh. After a moment, she replied, "Head north. That Mountain Cave shows signs of Spiritual Power fluctuations."

Walking back along the path he'd come, Jiang Lin felt deeply troubled. How could the Mountains and Rivers State Diagram he'd fought so hard to snatch just vanish into thin air?

Sure, he didn't really need the thing, but still—it was a pile of shiny spirit stones...

Jiang Lin decided to find Chen Jia first and search together. After all, two pairs of eyes were better than one, and if they ran into any cultivators, Chen Jia could carry him to safety.

"Strange. Where did Chen Jia go to patrol?"

Following the route Chen Jia had taken, Jiang Lin didn't dare call out. He could only gather Spiritual Power in his eyes and scan constantly—like a night-vision scope...

Gradually, without quite knowing how, Jiang Lin found himself by a waterfall. Just as he thought about taking a drink, his glowing 24K titanium-alloy eyes suddenly lit up!

"Brother Chen!?"

Under the moonlight, Jiang Lin saw Chen Jia's slender hand scooping clear spring water to pour over her skin. Her delicate, graceful back gave off a harmonious beauty of water and woman, nature and maiden.

Though due to the depth of the pool, Jiang Lin could only see Chen Jia's upper body, looking at her chest—which wasn't even as big as Fang Chaoqun's Pectoral Muscles—he couldn't help but sigh regretfully:

"Sure enough, Brother Chen is a real man. I was foolish to think he might be using chest bindings."

"Brother Chen, why are you bathing here? Hurry up—our Mountains and Rivers State Diagram is gone! That's a pile of shiny spirit stones!"

Without any restraint, Jiang Lin walked up and spoke.

"Ah..."

Hearing a man's voice, Chen Jia let out a startled scream, wrapped her arms around her chest, and sank into the pool, leaving only half her head above water.

"Oh, Brother Chen, keep your voice down. What if you attract someone? And why are you shy? We're both grown men—we can scrub each other's backs another day."

Jiang Lin walked casually to the waterfall's edge and drank from the cascading water.

Still hugging herself tightly in the pool, Chen Jia steadied her nerves. Seeing it was Jiang Lin, she slowly stood up. Fist intent flowed unceasingly through her body as she stepped through the pool toward the still-drinking Jiang Lin in a boxing stance. With each step, her fist intent grew stronger, and her Killing Intent thickened.

"I said, Brother Chen, stop washing. Hurry up and help me find the Mountains and Rivers State Diagram so we can sell it. After all, for villains like us, we can't keep anything good."

Satisfied, Jiang Lin let out a burp.

"Brother Chen, did you hear me?"

"I heard you!" A crisp voice like silver bells came from behind Jiang Lin, but the Killing Intent in it was thick and heavy.

"Brother Chen! Not good! There's a woman!"

Jiang Lin spun around, and the moment he turned, a fist slammed directly into his forehead. Jiang Lin flew off like a cartoon wolf, embedding himself into the cliff face behind the waterfall—stuck so deep he couldn't be pried loose.

"Shua..."

Waking up again, Jiang Lin felt a cool sensation on his face. Blinking groggily, he saw Chen Jia, hair slightly damp, looking even more beautiful than a woman.

"Brother Chen... what just happened?"

Sitting up, Jiang Lin felt his head throbbing. He remembered hearing a woman's voice, and then getting knocked out by a sneak punch.

"Nothing. A Female Martial Warrior ambushed you when you came to find me. You got knocked out, and I saved you."

Chen Jia stood to the side, turning her head away.

"I see. And that warrior?"

"I beat him and chased him off."

"Thank you, Brother Chen, for saving my life again. I owe you a favor." Jiang Lin stood up, still a bit dizzy. "But Brother Chen, our Mountains and Rivers State Diagram is missing—we need to go find it."

"If it's gone, it's gone. I don't really care anyway..."

"..."

For some reason, Jiang Lin felt that after taking a bath, Chen Jia had become a lot more tsundere, and seemed a bit angry too—though the way he was angry made him look even more like a girl.

Ah... it really was a pity. If Brother Chen were a girl, how wonderful would that be? She'd definitely make the top ten of the Peerless Beauties List!

Just as Jiang Lin was thinking about persuading Chen Jia again, suddenly, the system's voice rang out once more:

"Notoriety Points from protagonist Chen Jia +40+30+40+30..."

Protagonist? Chen Jia?!

Who the hell is Chen Jia?

Could it be that woman, the Pure Martial Warrior who ambushed me?

Chen Jia... Chen Jia?

Both surnamed Chen, and it's a homophone! Could it be?!

Suddenly, Jiang Lin had a bold idea!

Jiang Lin grabbed Chen Jia's soft shoulders and turned him around to face him, their eyes locking.

"What are you—"

Chen Jia was about to throw a punch, but seeing his serious gaze and remembering that he'd seen her bathing, her cheeks flushed slightly. For a moment, she just wanted to pound his chest with her little fists...

"Chen Jia... there's something I want to ask you. Please don't lie to me..."

"What... what do you want to ask me..." Chen Jia swallowed hard, her heartbeat racing faster and faster, like a lively fawn about to leap out of her throat.

Could it be that this guy had already discovered that she was...

"Brother Chen!"

"Yes!"

Hearing Jiang Lin call her name so seriously, Chen Jia's body trembled with guilt.

"Brother Chen, do you have an elder sister or a younger sister?"

"Huh?"

[Thanks to "Wind and Rain" for 588 book coins, "Wolf and Sheep" for 399 book coins, "October" for 100 book coins, "Tears of a Shooting Star" for 100 book coins, and "Awakened Corpse" for 100 book coins and above, for your generous tips~~~(?ō?ō)?]