Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 156: The Maid and the Bureau Chief

Gusu was still in chaos. Tang Wanzhuang took charge of dealing with the affairs involving the Maitreya Cult within the city, launching a purge of forces that were related to either the Maitreya Cult or the Lu Clan.

During this time, the Tang Clan was in mourning. The rounds of sword qi that had been unleashed by the vicious sword had claimed many lives, with further casualties from the stampede that had ensued due to panic. The earlier conflict with the Lu Clan had also resulted in some casualties. While the worst was over for the Tang Clan, nearly every household within the clan had suffered deaths, and the decline of the clan’s power was undeniable.

Even Tang Wangsheng himself had suffered serious injuries amid the turmoil and now had to recuperate. During this, Tang Buqi took over the reins, attempting to unravel the tangled mess within the clan.

Zhao Changhe lay in the guest house, wrapped up tightly in bandages. He looked every bit as miserable as Wan Dongliu had when they had last met. His eyes wandered around dizzily as he lay on the bed. At the moment, he could not even turn his head.

“Sisi, did you really have to wrap the bandages this tightly? I feel like you did this on purpose...”

Sisi lounged lazily on a nearby recliner, flipping through a book on the history of the Great Xia Empire as if cramming for knowledge. Upon hearing his question, she lazily replied, “Just enjoy what you get. With the entire Tang Clan in chaos, who else has the time to attend to you other than a pitiful little maid like me?”

“You’re not a maid of the Tang Clan, you’re my maid..”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” she responded cursorily. Her beautiful eyes suddenly sparkled mischievously as she cooed, “Then, Master, when you were changing clothes and applying medicine earlier, what was with that golden foil that you were clutching onto so tightly? Can’t you let your loyal little maid here take a peek?”

“Loyal? You’ve bound me so tightly that it’s poking me now! It hurts, you know?”

“Well, if it’s so important to you, then shouldn’t it stick to your body?” Sisi said charmingly. “Of course, if you are willing to tell the truth, what sticks to your body might not just be the golden foil, but something else entirely...”

Zhao Changhe cleared his throat with a gulp, then said, “The truth is, it’s a breastplate that I prepared in advance. Did you not see how useful it was? That stupid Maitreya thought he was being smart, little did he know that I already accounted for such a scenario much earlier...”

Sisi rolled her eyes and no longer bothered arguing with him.

What kind of breastplate could withstand the strike of someone who was fifth on the Ranking of Earth so easily? And even if it really was just a breastplate, it would still be considered an incredible treasure.

But then again, it was only because Zhao Changhe had been gripping the golden foil so tightly that it had caught her attention. She had glanced at it several times, but she could not notice anything unusual about it. It looked just like an ordinary golden foil. Maybe it was indeed a special item that was simply supposed to be placed over the heart and serve as a breastplate. That explanation did make sense, after all.

Regardless of whether it was a treasure or not, Sisi had no intention of openly snatching it from him. In fact, it was because of how tightly he held on to it that caused her to feel annoyed enough to wrap him up so tightly with the bandages.

The obviously powerful Dragon Bird is lying just right beside your bed, and I don’t even have any plans of snatching that away, much less a measly golden foil... Ridiculous.

Being wrapped up so tightly that he could not move felt really uncomfortable for an active and restless person like Zhao Changhe. After lying still for only a short while, he began fidgeting around again. “Hey, Sisi...”

“What is it now?”

“Since we’re so close now, why don’t you wash off your disguise and let me see your true face?”

“We’re not close. Who said we’re close? Who are you, and why would I get close to you?”

“...I’ve heard that leaving that kind of stuff on your face for too long damages the skin.”

“Exactly, that’s why my real face is so ugly and pockmarked, so I’d rather not show it to you.”

Zhao Changhe persisted, “Well, you also shouldn’t keep flipping through those history books, there’s no record of Dragon Bird on any of those.”

Sisi continued speed-reading through the books, “Who told you that I was looking for Dragon Bird? Can’t I just read history because I want to?”

“Then do you want to know the origins of Dragon Bird?”

Dragon Bird: “...”

Sisi finally closed the book in her hand and a smile returned to her face. “Master, are you really willing to tell me?”

Zhao Changhe cleared his throat and said, “I’ve got three conditions...”

Sisi shifted herself closer to the bed, her fingers hovering over his soft waist. She then said through gritted teeth, “Three conditions? You really think I’m easy to bully, don’t you?”

“Hold on, let me finish talking. You only need to complete one of the three conditions, then I’ll tell you.”

Sisi pursed her lips, feeling as though she could accept this. She paused her pinching motion and said in a sweet voice, “Then please continue, master.”

“First, let me see your true face.”

Sisi grunted. “What’s the second one?”

“Second, take off this bandage that you’ve wrapped around me as if we’re in an S&M film and wrap it around me normally. It’s really uncomfortable.”

“What’s ice and em? Forget it, I don’t need you to explain your dialect to me. I’m not going to untie you anyway,” Sisi smiled and said. “What’s the third one?”

In fact, Zhao Changhe did not have a third condition in mind. He just wanted to either see her true appearance or have her remove the bandages, but now he was caught off guard. Seeing Sisi’s mischievous smile made him lose his temper. He suddenly blurted out, “Third, give me a kiss. After all, it’s not like we haven’t kissed before.”

Sisi’s eyes widened.

In the next moment, a man’s screams of agony came from the guest house. It was unclear which part of him hurt, but it sounded extremely miserable.

Tang Wanzhuang, who had just entered the guest courtyard, slowed her pace.

Right beside the bed in the guest house, Sisi had her hand extended, pinching Zhao Changhe’s waist. Her upper body leaned toward him, her cherry lips nearly brushing against his cheek, slowly moving closer to his lips.

Zhao Changhe: 凸

Sisi seemed to be aware of it. She giggled softly as she whispered in a seductive voice, “You truly are worthy of being my master. Even when you’re so injured, you’re still so lively.”

Lips nearly touching, breaths mingling.

She then suddenly exerted more force in her fingers that were pinching his waist.

Zhao Changhe’s face turned purple with embarrassment, unsure of how to feel at the moment.

“You’re not going to continue pretending anymore, eh?” Sisi said charmingly. “Well, you’re right, that fake celestial maiden was me. What’s wrong? Are you happy to have taken advantage of me? Do you perhaps think that I’m actually promiscuous?”

“No, no... Ooh... Yes, yes, ow!”

“I wanted to uncover your secrets, perhaps even use them for my own benefit... It was just a petty scheme. I’m not constrained by so many rules like you guys...” Sisi bit her lower lip. “Actually, that was my first kiss. Do you think that I just kiss people randomly?”

“No, no... I know you’re inexperienced. You couldn’t even play Yue Hongling’s role properly.”

“So you do know...”

“...”

“I know that you’re actually smart... But do you not realize that you’re in the palm of my hand right now? Whether you live or die is up to me,” Sisi whispered softly. “Tell me your secrets, including everything about Dragon Bird. Considering that we escaped death together, I won’t torture that information out of you. Isn’t that great?”

Zhao Changhe said honestly, “If this is how you plan to torture me, with your soft breasts pressed against me, then please torture me some more. Ouch~”

Knock, knock, knock.

Knocking sounds came from the door and interrupted them.

Tang Wanzhuang was very moral and did not eavesdrop on purpose. However, it was quite hard not to hear the ooh’s and ow’s coming from inside. Unable to bear it any longer, she finally knocked on the door.

Sisi sprang up as if she had springs attached to her waist and she quickly tidied herself up to immediately look just like a well-behaved maid.

Zhao Changhe cleared his throat and said, “The door isn’t locked. Come in.”

As the door opened, Tang Wanzhuang stood there quietly, casting her gaze at Sisi, who was right beside the bed, and then at Zhao Changhe, who looked like a dumpling. She did not say anything for a few moments, then commented, “If you want to recuperate faster... It’s best not to be too indulgent ...”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

Sisi: “...”

“Ahem,” Zhao Changhe cleared his throat again, feeling very helpless. “You’ve got a lot of things on your plate at the moment. You still have the time to visit me?”

“I’ve already settled most of it. As for the rest, Weiyang and the others will be here soon, they can handle it...” Tang Wanzhuang said softly. “Also, those other matters... are not as important as you.”

“Huh? How can that be?” said Zhao Changhe. “I’m not important at all.”

Tang Wanzhuang said, “At least this time, you are the benefactor of the Tang Clan.”

“I simply did what I did for my friend Tang Buqi, as well as for the people of Gusu. What I did has nothing to do with saving the Tang Clan,” said Zhao Changhe. “If you came here to thank me for helping protect the masses, I won’t be falsely modest. After all, I do good deeds to receive praise and rightfully demand a reward.”

Tang Wanzhuang chuckled, feeling quite amused. “Oh? And what reward do you want? Assurance that you and your maid will be allowed entry to the tomb of the Sword Emperor? Or do you want the treasure of vicious qi that Maitreya threw into the sword pond?”

Sisi could not help but feel that according to how Zhao Changhe had just spoken with her, his reply to Tang Wanzhuang would definitely be something like “I want you.” But to her surprise, Zhao Changhe suddenly became so serious that it felt as if he had been replaced by an entirely different person, and he answered, “I want both, and I also want you to promise me one thing.”

“What is it?”

“The tomb of the Sword Emperor should have already rejoined the main world. Please seal it off immediately. I know that you will definitely want to investigate it, and I won’t stop you. When the time comes, I just want you to take me and Sisi with you, but afterward, refrain from further exploration in the future. On the contrary, you must do whatever you can to seal it off again.”

Sisi was stunned momentarily, but Tang Wanzhuang smiled slightly and asked, “Why is that? Don’t you know that thoroughly exploring such ancient sites may bring the greatest benefits to you...”

Zhao Changhe continued seriously, “I don’t trust either the Demon Suppression Bureau or the Tang Clan. If they continue blindly exploring the tomb, they may trigger a major catastrophe such as the revival of the Sword Emperor. If that really happens, then we’ll all die. Besides...”

He paused, and then his words became more incisive, “Are you really sure that Gusu will still be under your control in the future and not Maitreya’s? Looking at the current situation, even Xia Longyuan would not dare make such claims.”

Sisi finally nodded, thinking to herself that Zhao Changhe really was smart and rational when he wanted to.

Tang Wanzhuang, however, smiled gently as moved forward and sat on the edge of Zhao Changhe’s bed. “I have already begun making preparations for this. We can go and take a look at the tomb together once you’ve recovered.”

As she spoke, her delicate hands brushed over the bandages on his body, loosening them slightly. “Who bound you this tightly? It isn’t beneficial to your recovery. I have some specially made ointment for external injuries here. Have your maid apply it to every part of your body, its effect—”

Before she could finish speaking, Sisi stood behind her with her hands on her hips and her eyebrow raised. “I only know how to wrap someone like a dumpling using bandages! Lady First Seat, you appear to have such delicate hands. You’re also skilled at treatment, right? Then please apply the ointment on him yourself and let this little maid see how much the person who is constantly expressing gratitude to their benefactor is willing to do. Those things you said earlier weren’t just empty words, were they?”