Xia Chichi

Zhao Changhe had to admit that he really had never considered it. He had always assumed they could join the Four Symbols Cult together. As for Luo Qi's own wishes, he truly had never thought about them.

Still less had he imagined that this thing was her reason for coming to North Mang, or even some wish she had cherished since childhood.

Then why the fuck didn't you say so earlier? Would I have fought you for it if you had?

Luo Qi said, "When you talk about sharing it, you mean we could join the Four Symbols Cult together, right?"

Zhao Changhe grunted an assent.

"That's why I called you naive. You think it can be shared, but would Vermilion Bird agree? Besides, its power to cleanse the sinews and marrow can only be poured into one person-the fated recipient Vermilion Bird spoke of. She was telling the truth about that. If the Azure Dragon Seal acknowledges you and grants you a tremendous blessing, she won't just admit you into the cult. She'll make you the holy son of the azure dragon aspect, the successor to the Azure Dragon Guardian. Remember, the Four Symbols Cult is a religious cult, not a martial sect. They believe in all sorts of ancient precepts, and what they call the will of heaven."

Zhao Changhe asked in surprise, "How do you know so much?"

Luo Qi said wearily, "Never mind how I know. Now you understand: the Azure Dragon Seal will acknowledge only one person. Can you still say you'll share it with me? You kept saying how badly you needed it, kept going on about what you could do once you got it... Was I supposed to just watch and wish you well as your brother, without even being allowed to say I wanted it... Do my wishes and my future really not matter at all?"

At last, Zhao Changhe smiled. "Why couldn't you say so? You didn't say a single word, then blamed me for not considering it. Women, honestly. So fucking twisted up inside."

Luo Qi snapped, "What does being a woman have to do with it? Now that I've told you, would you actually give it to me?"

"Why wouldn't I? Judge deeds, not thoughts. Whatever malice you harbored, you never acted on it. You even threw away the dagger... Hadn't you already abandoned your childhood wish and stood there watching as you let me have it?"

Luo Qi's eyes went blank.

Yes. I'd already given up. I'd already let you have it.

Then what on earth were we arguing about just now?

Wasn't it because you were questioning me like it was tearing you apart? Men, honestly. Such fucking idiots!

Zhao Changhe suddenly bent down and flicked the Azure Dragon Seal off the ground, casually tossing it into Luo Qi's arms. "Since you want it, it's yours."

Caught off guard, Luo Qi caught the Azure Dragon Seal and cried out in alarm, "Are you crazy? It's different for me! The moment it touches my hand, it really will transmit its power!"

"Isn't that a good thing? It means you're the fated recipient. Isn't that the future you wanted?"

"I already fucking gave it to you!"

"You're allowed to give it to me, but I'm not allowed to give it to you?"

"You're sick!"

The Azure Dragon Seal had already begun to glow. Luo Qi seemed to want to throw it away, only to discover that it was stuck to her hand. She could not shake it loose, and stamped her feet in panic.

Zhao Changhe watched this wondrous sight with interest, rubbing his chin. "Stop going around in circles. I'm giving it to you, so take it. Let's talk about something else... I still don't believe that was your only reason for wanting to kill me. You warned me long ago not to trust you. I've always felt you'd struggled with wanting to kill me before this..."

Luo Qi bit her lower lip and said nothing.

Zhao Changhe's smile was brilliant. "So tell me whatever other reasons there were, too... For instance, what exactly is your relationship with Master Luo?"

Luo Qi stared at Zhao Changhe in a daze. His smile was bright as sunshine, and he showed not the slightest concern that she was absorbing the Azure Dragon Seal.

Even his staying here to ask about her story carried the air of standing guard over her. Luo Qi was now utterly certain that he truly did not care about this treasure. In his heart, she, Luo Qi, mattered not only more than Yue Hongling, but more than any treasure, more than cleansing his own sinews and marrow, and more than freeing himself from the Blood Baleful Art's influence.

What had I been tying myself in knots over all these days?

Who said you couldn't trust anyone in this world of martial artists... Mother, you were wrong...

She gazed blankly at Zhao Changhe's smiling face. The tangled, unreadable emotions that had lingered in her eyes these past days slowly changed, becoming like the soft light on the pool outside, shimmering in gentle ripples.

"It's not what you think. Master Luo isn't my birth father. This isn't some melodramatic business about you killing my older brother." Luo Qi suddenly smiled, speaking lightly. "I have no fondness for either of the Luos. I even hate them, so this has nothing to do with that."

Zhao Changhe said, "So... you weren't actually a servant born into their household, and your surname isn't Luo either, is it?"

Luo Qi smiled faintly. "Perhaps you've guessed it. You look rough, but there's a clear mirror hidden in your heart... No..." Her face suddenly stiffened. "You're obviously an idiot."

Zhao Changhe said expressionlessly, "Yes, yes, yes. I'm a fucking idiot."

Luo Qi gave him an exasperated glare. Only after a long pause did she recover the mood to return to the subject, saying softly, "You must have guessed. My surname should have been Xia."

Xia, the surname of the reigning dynasty.

Great Xia was not an empire with a long history. It had been founded only a few decades ago, and its founder was the old emperor the bandits spoke of, whose name appeared in the Book of Troubled Times.

First on the Heaven Ranking, the foremost man under heaven: Xia Longyuan.

Xia Longyuan had risen from the martial world, arrogant and invincible. After unifying the realm through overwhelming martial might, he had disregarded ritual conventions and named the country directly after his own surname: Great Xia.

He, too, had once been a wise and mighty sovereign whose power shook the Divine Land, driving the Demon Cult into hiding and forcing foreign tribes to flee far into the wastelands. But now he was old and decrepit, making one blunder after another until chaos spread throughout the realm.

Xia Longyuan had no relatives, nor any collateral branch of the family that could inherit the throne. If he had no son, then the moment he died, turmoil across the realm would be inevitable.

The Chaos Era Ranking had not changed, though no one knew whether that was merely because no challenger had achieved a victory over him. Otherwise, whether he still deserved first place was an open question.

None of that mattered now... What mattered was that Luo Qi's surname was Xia.

Against the backdrop of "the Luo Family has ties to the Imperial Family" and "Luo Zhenwu may be the emperor's illegitimate son," Luo Qi saying her surname was Xia was virtually an admission that the illegitimate child was actually her, not Luo Zhenwu.

The questions that had once troubled Zhao Changhe suddenly became clear.

Master Luo and Luo Zhenwu had spoken to each other like father and son-because they were father and son.

The Four Symbols Cult had wiped out the household rather than choosing to assassinate Luo Zhenwu-the cult could not be completely certain that Luo Zhenwu was the real target either, so they had simply killed everyone. Conversely, no matter how they looked at it, a prince would hardly have been dumped among the outer disciples. Thus, Zhao Changhe and Luo Qi, who had mingled among them, had drawn little suspicion, and taking them away had been no great concern.

It was that simple.

Having revealed such an enormous secret, there was nothing left she could not say. Luo Qi spoke easily. "The rumors outside are wrong. Master Luo didn't offer his wife to entertain the emperor. That day, while the emperor was staying at Luo Family Manor, the Four Symbols Cult's former holy maiden came to assassinate him."

"She was your mother? Was she captured?"

"It wasn't the sort of pornographic taming story you men love... It was more like a tale of a hero winning over a female assassin. My mother was deceived by him. Not only did she abandon the assassination, she willingly went to bed with him."

Actually, men loved that sort of story just as much, perhaps even more-provided they were the protagonist, of course. But Zhao Changhe could hardly crack jokes now. The heroine was Luo Qi's mother, after all.

Still, winning over a female assassin was one thing in a story. To actually manage it in real life-how had he done that? That was fucking incredible...

"It wasn't really that he was silver-tongued or irresistibly charming. It was simply because he possessed certain secrets of the ancient Azure Dragon, which is what the Four Symbols Cult worships. At the time, my mother thought he was a holy son sent down by heaven, and genuinely intended to support him."

"I see. That makes sense, then. Faith is like that..."

"But in truth, he had acquired his Azure Dragon arts by chance. They had nothing whatsoever to do with the Four Symbols Cult's beliefs or doctrine, and he didn't consider the cult his ally. He solemnly swore to my mother that he would cooperate with the Holy Cult, then deceived her into giving him her body. Who knows whether he originally intended to kill her once he tired of her... But then he discovered she was pregnant." Luo Qi smiled mockingly. "He had few offspring, so that made him hesitate. He merely told my mother that he had been away from the capital for too long and had to return first, and that he would come for her after a while."

Zhao Changhe could not help saying, "If being deceived before was understandable, this time she really was a fool in love. How could she believe something like that?"

"She thought being pregnant was a guarantee... But she waited and waited. Even after I was born, there was still no word from the emperor. She named me 'Chichi'-'ever delayed'... She really was a foolish woman."

Xia Chichi. That was Luo Qi's real name. Zhao Changhe could not quite get used to it at first, and thought it did not sound as nice as Luo Qi.

Luo Qi seemed to read his thoughts. She smiled and said, "I'm not the seventh child. 'Qi' came from its similar sound to 'Chi.' If you're used to Luo Qi, then Luo Qi it is."

Zhao Changhe nodded. "What happened then?"

"Giving birth to me damaged her health. Later, she tried to force herself to recover so she could go to the capital, but her anxious impatience drove her cultivation astray and left her half-crippled. She lived only a few more years before passing away in regret." Luo Qi gritted her teeth. "Whoever wants to protect this realm of the Xia family can go ahead. Even if my surname is Xia, I still think the thing in this world that most deserves to be destroyed is the Xia family!"