Chapter 129: I’d Like Him to Taste the Bitterness of Defeat

Chapter 129: I’d Like Him to Taste the Bitterness of Defeat

Zhao Changhe felt that he was quite strange. He had been quite lustful earlier, and after being kissed by the imposter, he really wanted to kiss the real one as well.

But after embracing her like this, all of those thoughts gradually disappeared. Despite her being soft and fragrant, he could not muster up any impure thoughts. Instead, he only felt an increasing sense of peace.

Perhaps he was just too exhausted.

Only Yue Hongling had ever been able to make him feel this sense of dependence and comfort.

Yue Hongling also felt strangely at ease. She was surprised to find that she did not feel any discomfort despite being held like this. She felt like she couldn’t break free, either. She could not figure out if it was because of the pain in her shoulder or if it was a mixture of rejection and attraction.

Regardless, she felt very much at peace with him embracing her like this. It was just like when she felt an inexplicable sense of security in her heart as he walked in front of her in that secret passage.

Perhaps it was the result of all of her adventures and hardships finally catching up to her?

She had no idea. However, she did know that being held quietly in his embrace felt genuinely peaceful.

In the distance, a rooster crowed, and the eastern sky was dyed in the golden glow of the rising sun.

Dawn had arrived.

The man and woman who had been standing silently in each other’s embrace inside the room finally began to separate.

Yue Hongling turned around and gently pushed away from Zhao Changhe’s chest.

She looked into his eyes.

His gaze seemed to have just returned from a distant place, as if he had just regained his clarity of mind. Yue Hongling had not felt any sort of lustful passion from him the entire time, and she wondered if he saw the situation as him holding onto the heroine he admired, or holding onto the stubborn dream of his younger self.

Then, it was as if he suddenly had some regrets and moved his mouth toward her in an attempt to kiss her.

Yue Hongling gave him a teasing smile and quickly pressed her hand to his mouth, saying, “You said just a hug.”

Zhao Changhe felt a tinge of regret.

Yue Hongling finally laughed out loud, saying “You’re such a child.”

Zhao Changhe pursed his lips and playfully pecked the hand that was covering his mouth. Yue Hongling recoiled as if shocked, shooting him a stern look.

Zhao Changhe did not press on any further. However, he seemed to have been refreshed and gained some clarity. He calmly turned around, sat at the table, and poured tea. “You keep calling me a child... Well, I suddenly remembered something we discussed a long time ago.”

Yue Hongling’s mouth twitched. She wiped her hand on her pant leg and then sat down beside him. She casually grabbed the tea he had just poured and took a sip. “What was it?”

“When we meet again in the jianghu, what should I call you?”

“Aren’t you already calling me Miss Yue? Or maybe ‘big sister’ when we’re not in public? Even that celestial maiden has heard it, right?”

Zhao Changhe glanced at her and said with a smile, “Yes, but if I were to answer that question again right now, I’d choose a different answer.”

“Oh? And what would your answer be?”

Yue Hongling could not be bothered to address his last statement and directly said, “I suppose there’s more to it than that, right?”

“You’re right. It’s because if I wait two more days, he’ll achieve everything, and I want to give him a little setback. Although it might not have much to do with me personally, I’m still unhappy and I want to tell him that not everyone is oblivious to what he’s been doing. At the very least, I’d like him to taste the bitterness of defeat.”

*

It was already morning, but Yangzhou still very much had a chaotic atmosphere. The pedestrians hurriedly walked to wherever they were headed, all keeping their heads down, afraid of being mistaken for followers of the Maitreya Cult. Small street vendors also temporarily closed their stalls, leaving the streets largely deserted.

However, the atmosphere was still quite lively around the Bright Moon Tower as this area was under the Cao Gang.

The young gang leader of the Cao Gang, Wan Dongliu, actively cooperated with the Demon Suppression Bureau to capture the members of the demonic cult, leading to the expulsion of a large number of members of the Cao Gang, including some high-ranking figures. This cooperation greatly pleased the Demon Suppression Bureau. Their operation was made much easier with the help of this local snake.

As a result, the businesses of the Cao Gang were not disturbed by the authorities, and many workers could be seen in nearby shops eating porridge and steamed buns.

Wan Dongliu sat leisurely on the top floor of Bright Moon Tower, eating breakfast and entertaining Daoist Priest Xuan Chong, who had been staying with him, as well as Tang Buqi, who had just joined them for breakfast.

The three of them chatted about the assassination of the magistrate, the Maitreya Cult, and the northern barbarians. They also talked about Zhao Changhe’s embarrassment at last night’s banquet. It was as if the turmoil in Yangzhou had nothing to do with them.

Tang Buqi, in particular, angrily denounced the Maitreya Cult and the northern barbarians, claiming that they were murderers who did not respect their Tang Clan.

“You didn’t see it. Thanks to my intervention, Zhao Changhe was able to keep his life, otherwise Fa Yuan’s saber last night...”

“Then you two are now even. He did save you from Batu, no?”

“Batu? Even without his help, I would not have been in any actual trouble. My Tang Clan has many secret arts, what does he know?”

“...Indeed, indeed, brother Tang, you’re a great talent.”

“Huh?” Xuan Chong suddenly pointed to the end of the street and chuckled. “Speak of the devil.”

Wan Dongliu turned his head to look. In the early morning mist, a burly man carrying a huge saber gradually emerged. Wherever he went, the vendors fell silent, pedestrians held their tongues, and even those eating porridge made sure they didn’t chew with their mouths open. His imposing presence was truly astonishing.

Where was the embarrassment from last night’s banquet that they were just talking about?

Tang Buqi, who had been boasting just now, immediately shut up. Zhao Changhe seemed even more powerful now, and he felt that if he were to try attacking him again, he might just end up being sliced in half by Zhao Changhe’s saber.

“It looks like he’s had a breakthrough.” Xuan Chong sighed. “With the bloodthirsty aura he’s emitting, the nickname that the Maitreya Cult gave him is truly fitting. Isn’t he the very living definition of an asura?”

Wan Dongliu was a little distracted and responded casually, “Yes, indeed.”

Tang Buqi looked around. “It looks like Yue Hongling isn’t with him. I recall seeing them leave together last night.”

The two exchanged a glance, but Tang Buqi acted as if he had not said anything and continued, “I wonder where Zhao Changhe is going so early in the morning. Is he just passing by? Should we invite him up here?”

Just as he said that, they saw Zhao Changhe stop right beneath the Bright Moon Tower. He looked up at Wan Dongliu and the others, laughed loudly, and then his voice boomed.

“I, Zhao Changhe of Beimang, challenge the 70th Hidden Dragon Wan Dongliu! Brother Wan, please graciously give me your guidance!”

Wan Dongliu’s expression changed slightly, and the long street fell silent.Yôur favorite stories at novelhall.com