What?

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

The Sword Spirit spoke from inside the girl, her emotions seemingly undisturbed.

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

"Mm. But unless you gather all of something like this, it's only beautiful to look at and useless in practice. At most, you can use it to put on a show."

"Then it isn't useful at all?"

"How could it be useless? Even a single broken piece can be sold for a very high price, especially to collectors.

"Besides, Xueli, this Mountains and Rivers State Diagram carries the Chilling Qi of Jiang Lin's Natal Flying Sword. In other words, it's very likely that he lost it. After all, the Mountains and Rivers State Diagram is like a living creature and can't be put into 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, should we fight them?"

"There's no rush. Finding my Sword Body is more important. If we run into them in the final circle, we'll make sure they never return!"

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

After putting the Mountains and Rivers State Diagram into her robe, the girl took a deep look ahead. She lightly bit her red lips, then fled in another direction.

However, before the girl had flown even a hundred meters, her slender figure came to a halt.

"Xueli?"

"Elder Sister Sword Spirit, I'm sorry. I want to delay things for a little while... This is the best chance to cut all ties with him. Can you help Xueli sense where that Flower-Picking Thief is?"

"I understand." The Sword Spirit inside the girl let out a faint sigh. A moment later, she replied, "Go north. There seem to be Spiritual Power fluctuations in that cave."

Walking back along the route he had taken, Jiang Lin felt utterly dejected. How could the Mountains and Rivers State Diagram he had gone to so much trouble to snatch simply disappear?

Although he didn't need the thing himself, it was still a pile of gleaming spirit stones...

Jiang Lin planned to find Brother Chen first, then search together with him. It was always better to have another person watching one's back. If they encountered some cultivators or the like, Brother Chen could still carry him away to escape.

"How strange. Where did Brother Chen go on patrol?"

Following the route Brother Chen had taken, Jiang Lin didn't dare call out. He could only gather Spiritual Power in his eyes and search nonstop, turning them into something like night-vision goggles...

Gradually, Jiang Lin didn't even know how he had found his way to the edge of a waterfall. Just as he was thinking of drinking a few mouthfuls of water, his glowing 24K titanium-alloy eyes suddenly lit up!

"Brother Chen!?"

Under the moonlight, Jiang Lin saw Brother Chen raise his slender hands and pour clear spring water over his skin. His delicate, exquisite back created a beautiful harmony of water and beauty, nature and maiden.

Although the depth of the pool meant Jiang Lin could see only Brother Chen's upper body, when he looked at Brother Chen's chest—which still wasn't as large as Fang Chaoqun's chest—he couldn't help sighing regretfully:

"As expected, Brother Chen really is a man. What a waste—I even thought Brother Chen had used some kind of chest-binding cloth."

"Brother Chen, why are you bathing here? Hurry up, the Mountains and Rivers State Diagram belonging to the two of us is gone! That was a whole pile of gleaming spirit stones!"

Jiang Lin walked forward and said this without the slightest scruple.

"Ah..."

Hearing a man's voice, Brother Chen screamed. He hugged his chest with both hands and sank into the pool, leaving only half his head above the water.

"Hey, Brother Chen, keep your voice down. What if you attract someone else? And what are you embarrassed about, Brother Chen? We're all grown men here. We can scrub each other's backs another day."

Jiang Lin walked to the edge of the waterfall as though nothing had happened and drank from the spring water cascading down.

Still hugging himself tightly in the pool, Brother Chen steadied his mind. After seeing that it was Jiang Lin, he slowly rose to his feet. His Fist Intent circulated smoothly throughout his body. With the posture of a walking fist, he advanced step by step through the pool toward Jiang Lin, who was still drinking water. With every step, Brother Chen's Fist Intent grew stronger, and his Killing Intent grew denser.

"I say, Brother Chen, stop washing and hurry up and come look for the Mountains and Rivers State Diagram with me. Then we'll sell it right away. After all, villains like us can't hold on to good things—"

Jiang Lin burped in satisfaction.

"Brother Chen, did you hear me?"

"I heard you!" A clear voice like a silver bell came from behind Jiang Lin, except that the voice carried an extremely dense Killing Intent.

"Brother Chen! This is bad! There's a woman!"

Jiang Lin hurriedly turned around. The instant he did, a fist slammed directly into his forehead. Jiang Lin flew away like the Big Bad Wolf from the cartoons and became embedded in the cliff behind the waterfall, the kind that couldn't be pried out no matter what.

"Whoosh..."

Jiang Lin, who had fainted again, felt a cool sensation on his face. He groggily opened his eyes and saw Brother Chen, whose hair was slightly damp and who looked even more beautiful than a woman.

"Brother Chen... what happened just now?"

Sitting up, Jiang Lin felt a dull ache in his head. He remembered seeming to hear a woman's voice, after which he had been knocked out by a sneak attack.

"Nothing much. When you came looking for me, a Female Martial Warrior ambushed you. You were knocked unconscious, and I saved you."

Brother Chen stood to one side and turned his head away.

"I see. Where's that Martial Warrior?"

"I drove her away."

"Thank you for saving my life again, Brother Chen. I owe you a favor." Jiang Lin stood up, feeling dizzy. "But Brother Chen, our Mountains and Rivers State Diagram is gone. We have to hurry and look for it."

"If it's gone, then it's gone. It's not like I care..."

"..."

For some reason, Jiang Lin felt that Brother Chen had become much more Tsundere after taking a bath. He even seemed a little angry, though the way he looked when angry was even more like a girl.

Sigh... It really is 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 of trying to persuade Brother Chen again, the system's voice suddenly rang out once more:

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

The protagonist? Chen Jia?!

Who was Chen Jia?

Could she be that Female Martial Warrior who had ambushed him?

Chen Jia... Chen Jia?

They were both surnamed Chen, and their names were homophones! Could it be?!

All of a sudden, Jiang Lin had a bold idea!

Jiang Lin suddenly seized Chen Jia's soft shoulders and turned her around to face him. Their four eyes met.

"What are you—"

Chen Jia had originally wanted to punch him, but when she saw his serious gaze and remembered that he had seen her bathing, her cheeks flushed faintly. For a moment, she wanted even more to hammer his chest with her tiny fists...

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

"You... what do you want to ask me..." Chen Jia swallowed, her heartbeat growing faster and faster, like a lively little deer about to leap out of her throat.

Could this fellow have already discovered that I am...

"Brother Chen!"

"Here!"

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

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

"Huh?"