Chaotic World Book-Chapter 472 - 459: Do You Want to Conquer Me?

Sisi’s peachy eyes stared unblinkingly into Zhao Changhe’s eyes, where both their gazes were deep and unfathomable, like a thousand-foot abyss, neither revealing their emotions.

But the surrounding noise seemed to become very distant, even Yue Hongling, who was watching the drama with interest and propping her chin up, appeared a bit blurry and unclear.

Sisi heard her own voice, dreamlike and distant, "Old Ye~ after such hard work, what reward do you want?"

After speaking, it was as if she finally came to her senses, quickly glancing at Yue Hongling and subconsciously retracting her little feet under the small stool.

How could such a small stool accommodate her feet? The result of squeezing them in was a cry of "Ouch" as she nearly toppled forward.

Zhao Changhe subtly extended his hand to support her shoulder, "The wound on my arm is not a big deal, the Holy Daughter need not be so concerned."

To the naked eye, it really looked as though Sisi had leaned forward to examine his arm...

Sisi took a deep breath, finally settled herself, and said indifferently, "I will reward you later."

Zhao Changhe smiled slightly, "Good."

Lei Zhentang had been pondering for a long time, full of ire and wanting to disrupt the fifth seat of the Spirit Clan amidst the overarching situation, but he ultimately held back, deciding to put it aside for later, "Ladies and gentlemen, the selection of the five clans’ joint council is an important juncture for the Miao Region. It’s getting late, and with many injured present, now is not the time for idle chatter. You may as well rest in Dali for the night, and we can discuss the specifics tomorrow."

Lacking even the pretense of hospitality to offer drinks, it was clear how much he was chafed inside, full of thoughts to delay the issue until the small meeting the next day to figure out how to handle a minor clan like Sisi or perhaps make a last move tonight.

Everyone could see his thoughts, yet no one called him out, each dispersing with their own schemes in mind.

Before leaving, Pan Wan hugged Sisi and threw Zhao Changhe a seductive, enchanting look, "Protector Sisi, take good care of me in the future."

Sisi stood in front of Zhao Changhe, subconsciously on tiptoe to block that gaze, almost jumping up.

Pan Wan laughed silently, unable to resist pinching Sisi’s face, "You look like a little fox, but actually..."

Sisi bared her teeth.

"...hmm, a little fox indeed," said Pan Wan before leaving, but not without a parting reminder, "He deliberately left us hanging for the night, and it seems he may cause trouble tonight. You guys are few, be careful."

After Pan Wan left, the White Clan leader came over and performed a ceremony that Zhao Changhe couldn’t understand, "Protector Sisi is a fine warrior, we should stay in touch more often."

Sisi hurriedly transmitted, "Blade Clan Leader Dao Qingfeng."

Do you have a sister named Dao Baifeng... Zhao Changhe mumbled to himself, and also offered his respects, "The Blade Clan Leader has been a great help, thank you."

Dao Qingfeng’s expression was somewhat odd as his gaze shifted between Sisi and Zhao Changhe, thinking to himself that something felt off about their postures. Who exactly is the Holy Daughter and who is the protector? Why do I feel like one is a maid and the other is a master?

"We help each other out, who helped more is hard to say," he thought to himself, sneaking a glance at Lei Zhentang and scoffing, "As long as they don’t come to power, all’s well... be cautious tonight."

With both clan leaders advising extra caution for the night, what Lei Zhentang intended to do was practically common knowledge.

Sisi didn’t care in the slightest, her smile blossoming, "Got it. We’ll head back to our camp now."

As the crowd dispersed, Lei Zhentang quietly dispatched men to ambush the inevitable route from Dali back to Xizhou, lying in wait the entire night without so much as a glimpse of the Spirit Clan’s men and women. It was unclear where they had claimed to "return to camp."

What’s more aggravating is that the entire group seemed to have vanished from Dali City, as if they had disappeared into thin air.

Sisi wasn’t the naive little Holy Daughter from a minor clan, inexperienced and new to the Worldly Society as she might appear on the surface. She was a little fox who dared venture alone to the Central Plains and cause storms in Jiangnan at a young age. Yue Hongling and Zhao Changhe, even more accustomed to the Worldly Society, wouldn’t easily reveal their tracks and get ambushed, would they?

While they said "we’ll head back to our camp" out loud, in reality, as soon as they left, they blended into Dao Qingfeng’s large group, took a detour around the southern part of Erhai, and arrived at Fengyi Town, where the White Clan held sway...

While Lei Zhentang was frantically searching for them on one side, Zhao Changhe was already lying in a guest house treasured and well-regarded by the White Clan, with Sisi’s few trusted girls chattering and fussing over treating his injuries.

"Cough." A dry cough came from outside. Sisi walked in with her hands behind her back, swaggering, "How is the injury?"

The Spirit Clan’s young girls even dared to ask boldly, "Holy Daughter, you let another man into your tent the day before last."

What the heck?

Sisi glared furiously, "What business is it of yours! Out, out!"

The girls, thinking they were quite insightful, happily left, and before they were out the door, they all cast a coquettish glance at Zhao Changhe. The message was clear: the Holy Daughter is no saint; she has men, Protector Sisi, you might as well come to us...

Once the door closed, the two of them faced each other, and suddenly burst into laughter together.

Zhao Changhe chuckled, "They actually dare to compete with the Holy Daughter for a man? Seems like you haven’t established your prestige well enough."

Sisi hummed, "Are you feeling proud of yourself? Are you planning to sneak into someone’s fragrant tent tonight? I bet they wouldn’t refuse."

"Let’s not, being bound by a Gu Technique and dragged back is something I can’t withstand; that stuff is toxic."

Sisi stared at him for a long time, then smiled sweetly, "So even Protector Sisi doesn’t dare to ask the Holy Daughter for a reward, right..."

Zhao Changhe said, "Rewards are meant to be spoken of... of course, if the Holy Daughter insists on offering a reward, then don’t call me Protector Sisi, just use my name."

Sisi: "..."

Zhao Changhe looked to the sky.

Finally, Sisi sighed, moved closer, and sat down on a stool next to him, starting to apply medicine to his arm, "So you really do want to play the lord... or is it because you wanted to create such a bond that you sought to benefit my Spirit Clan?"

The scent of incense lingered at the tip of his nose; Sisi, usually so variable in demeanor and full of charming words, now had a sincere expression as she carefully applied the medicine and wrapped his arm, her eyes a bit distracted, looking somewhat melancholic and wistful.

This moment reminded Zhao Changhe of Tang Wanju.

Sure enough, once people shoulder burdens, they begin to share certain similarities.

Zhao Changhe said, "I consider you a friend, so of course I think of your clan... it’s not all utilitarian. If we were to talk about motives, my own experiences in the sword trials of the various clans are even more significant. I really enjoyed the fight... mmm, it’s more like I made use of the Spirit Clan’s identity, we’re even."

In a low voice, Sisi said, "You really consider me a friend? The very first night I met you, I cast a Gu on you..."

Zhao Changhe replied, "Wasn’t that just a prank?"

Sisi didn’t mention how he had grasped her wrist that night, blocking her qi and blood as if he were on guard against an enemy... those words now seemed meaningless. Any unclear relationship they might have had should have vanished by this point, moving into a new phase.

To speak of non-utilitarian purposes did exist, of course; perhaps Zhao Changhe hadn’t thought it all through in the moment—If once Tang Wanju had intended to establish a transactional relationship with Sisi, planting a seed for later use, now was the moment for that seed to fully sprout and serve its purpose.

Miao Region had rebelled, a direction even the White Clan and Yao Clan hadn’t firmly opposed; it could be considered a done deal.

However, among the council of rebels, one of their own had now intervened, keeping everything within controllable limits. The stance of the White Clan and the Yao Clan could still be pursued.

The question was... would Sisi recognize this own person?

"I told you before, rebelling now is not in our clan’s interest. There are very few core clan members that have ventured out. We’re in the foundation-building stage of gathering power. Getting involved in such major events now would only get us crushed by the torrent and force us back to the Secret Realm..." After finishing the bandaging, Sisi patted it contently twice, "But your actions now provide me with an opportunity to strengthen..."

Zhao Changhe wondered, "What kind of strengthening? Can different tribes actually merge into one?"

"It’s possible. For instance, in many mountainous villages, it’s really hard to say to which clan they belong. There are also those whose clans have been wiped out, left without refuge, who may have intermarried and thus integrated into new clans. We haven’t even finished dealing with such cases. And finally..." Sisi smiled, "If the Southwest completely turns against Xia, what should be done with the Xia people who have lived here? Kill them, drive them out, or could they simply hide their surnames and join somewhere else?"

Zhao Changhe nodded, "Looking at the current situation, the Ba Mountain Sword House has actually joined forces with the Black Miao, although the internal reasons are unclear... Anyway, they can absorb Xia people, and so can you. There are actually quite a few Xia people here; securing the fifth seat’s status and deliberately absorbing them could swiftly enhance your power, like a snowball effect, turning you into a true fifth force."

Sisi said thoughtfully, "Due to absorbing a large number of Xia people, this would become a pro-Xia force. This is the trend of the times, and a leader must flow with this direction. There’s no need for you to speak of friendship, no need for Tang Wanju to establish any relations, and no need for some to constantly think about conquering me, turning me into their maidservant."

Zhao Changhe felt a bit awkward, "I really didn’t mean it; it was just a twist of words..."

"Is that so?" Sisi had barely managed a normal conversation for the duration of a cup of tea when she reverted to her old ways, her voice becoming coquettish, "Since you don’t wish to conquer me, perhaps you still want a reward?"

Zhao Changhe kept his face taut, his eyes instinctively falling onto her bare feet.

She did not deliberately hide them. Rather, they were casually extended in front of him, as if they were within reach.

Under the moonlight, her pink toenails seemed to glow with a pearl-like soft light.

Zhao Changhe couldn’t help but ask, "Why are your feet so crystal clear and not even a tad calloused despite always going barefoot?"

"Giggle... I have Gu magic protecting me, you see..." Sisi bit her lower lip, her body slowly reclining back, her feet seeming to rest helplessly upon Zhao Changhe’s leg.

Zhao Changhe: "..."

What the hell, who can tell if there’s any Gu technique in this?

With a sultry tone, Sisi said, "As for what kind of Gu... perhaps the lord would like to touch and research it personally?"

Zhao Changhe didn’t have to struggle internally... before he could respond, "Bang!" the door swung open, and Yue Hongling entered leisurely, "I suppose it’s better for this protector to do the inspection. It doesn’t seem quite proper for the Holy Daughter’s feet to be touched by a man and have word of it spread."

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