Chaotic World Book
Chapter 176 - 172: Red Sleeves Adding Fragrance

Chapter 176: Chapter 172: Red Sleeves Adding Fragrance

Zhao Changhe, however, didn’t immediately sidle over to beg for Guqin lessons. Instead, he went into his guest room and began to rub down his body with a towel, as if the flirtatious remarks from earlier had never happened.

By doing so, he conveniently spared Tang Wanju from an awkward response; there was no need for her to react.

Tang Wanju suddenly wondered whether this guy had found some master of romance to take lessons from, considering his skillful move...

Then, there he was, wiping down his bare arms, completely oblivious to the fact that she was standing at the door watching. It was unclear whether his shamelessness was simply exhibitionism or yet another form of teasing...

In reality, Zhao Changhe just felt too hot to bother with modesty, and since he hadn’t invited her into his room, he figured she could choose to look away or not.

Tang Wanju stood at the door, expressionless, caught between entering and leaving, and her good mood from the morning was almost gone.

Zhao Changhe casually asked, "Is it because my cultivation is still lacking? Logically speaking, reaching the Mystical Gate Fourth Layer of Inner cultivation should make me impervious to hot and cold, right? I won’t mention winter since my cultivation was inadequate, but by springtime, I had already become resistant to the cold. Now in the summer, I seem even more prone to feeling hot; I break out in a sweat at the slightest exertion, which is worse than before."

Tang Wanju replied, "It has to do with the nature of your cultivation. The Blood Evil Skill will of course make you feel hot and agitated, therefore it needs to be balanced. The Six Harmonies Divine Skill would suffice, but your cultivation in the Six Harmonies Divine Skill hasn’t kept up with your Blood Evil Skill and is being suppressed."

"So I need to slow down and calm down? It felt quite effective yesterday."

"Yes."

"But after calming down, I feel too much like a sage; as if I’ve aged by decades, nothing disturbs me. I understand the benefits of this state, but it feels off; I’m only twenty-years-old."

Tang Wanju finally cracked a smile, "You really think a mere tune could have such a powerful effect? That would be Immortal Technique, not something I can do. It’s just that you’re usually too wound up, and feeling relaxed for a change after such a tune felt particularly pronounced. If you continue, the effect won’t be as miraculous, but it can still help you focus and stay calm, and at least you won’t feel too hot."

Zhao Changhe glanced at her, "You’re not using any cultivation techniques and still don’t feel the heat?"

Tang Wanju said, "Aside from during intense battles, I haven’t sweated for many years now... a still mind naturally..."

Before she could finish, Zhao Changhe interrupted, "Hmm, skin as cold as ice, bones as pure as jade, naturally cool and sweat-free. I, the rough man, am far inferior."

Tang Wanju was left speechless, her eyes wide.

Are you teasing me again?

Zhao Changhe laughed, Yes, that expression, that’s when you’re lively and human.

Like a fairy from a painting who stepped out, vivaciously bringing it to life.

Why so serious all the time?

Tang Wanju took a deep breath, "When have you ever had this attitude toward me before? It seems like you’re just dwelling on the drug from last night that didn’t work as expected, as if trying to make up for it."

Zhao Changhe earnestly answered, "That’s not the case; using drugs is simply too lowbrow for my taste, and yesterday I really was quite philosophical."

He thought for a moment and sighed, "Maybe it’s because these last few days I’ve gotten used to teasing Sisi, and without her around, I’ve transferred it to you. It’s nothing serious; I’ve trash-talked about you so much behind your back, to be all proper in person would be hypocritical."

Tang Wanju said, "So, this is your true attitude toward me? Were you just restraining yourself before?"

"Perhaps," he replied, "I’m not entirely sure myself, but it feels more natural right now. Before, when I’d talk to you, it felt like I was running in circles in my mind before speaking, quite unnatural."

Tang Wanju suddenly laughed, "Had you been like this before, Sisi might not have resorted to such tricks in the end."

Zhao Changhe froze, thoughtful.

Maybe she had resented his dual attitudes towards her, feeling underestimated, while paying too much respect to Tang Wanju. Indeed, that last rebellious act was likely a result of such resentment, as if to say, ’Let’s see how you handle a little excitement!’

"She’s only sixteen and a half, not even seventeen yet. Just a rebellious teenager from an Alien Clan with different customs than Central Earth," Tang Wanju said. "I actually think she’s got a bit of a crush on you; you don’t need to be too bothered about it."

Crap, Sisi’s figure is that good and she’s not even seventeen?

Zhao Changhe hadn’t expected this at all, and was surprised yet again, "And you’re speaking on her behalf?"

"Because she really didn’t mean any harm to you. Even that last resort, in her eyes, was meant as a favor to you... I can get angry with her, but there’s really no need for you to do so," Tang Wanzhuang said leisurely. "Of course, if you were upset on my behalf, I’d be quite pleased."

This time it was Zhao Changhe’s turn to have eyes wide, "Are you teasing me?"

Tang Wanju calmly spoke, "If you take your amusement from me, why can’t I have my fun with you? You said earlier that you used to think several times before speaking to me, don’t you think I do the same? A big child like you always causes me to be cautiously concerned. Sometimes I wonder whether I should treat you as I do an unworthy one, overturning everything and giving you a good beating when I’m unhappy..."

Zhao Changhe stared at her for a long moment, then suddenly burst into laughter.

Tang Wanzhuang also laughed. Her smile was truly breathtakingly beautiful.

Zhao Changhe suddenly felt that if the atmosphere had been like this yesterday, calling out "Sister" would have been absolutely without any psychological barrier.

It seemed as if the intangible and insubstantial barriers between the two had suddenly broken, and their relationship had shifted from strictly official to cautiously keeping a distance to starting to possess a hint of personal friendship.

How did this transformation begin... from discussing Sisi? Or from when he said he wanted to see her bashful demeanor?

It was inexplicably puzzling... Scratching his head.

Seeing his silly, bear-like scratching, Tang Wanzhuang wanted to laugh even more: "Stop being silly. Today, you don’t have the leisure to play the piano and touch my hands—you’ve promised Sisi to organize her swordsmanship techniques. Get them sorted for her; she’s going to leave in a couple of days."

"Oh, right..." Zhao Changhe knew this was serious business. With nothing else to do at the moment, he immediately sat down in front of the window, spread out the ink and paper, and began to write down the essentials of swordsmanship.

Tang Wanzhuang was extremely surprised as she stood by and watched. She believed that one could comprehend a good deal of essentials from the sword seal, but that was not something transmitted through words, it was the "intent" you experienced. To translate that into words and retell it—that was the ability of a grandmaster!

Yet Zhao Changhe, after only pondering it for one night, could really write it out, as if the Sword Emperor himself had dictated it to him...

It was true, it had been dictated to him. The Heavenly Book had materialized it in the form of the Sword Emperor’s narrations, and Zhao Changhe recalled it repeatedly until he memorized it.

Tang Wanzhuang was also a swordsmanship grandmaster. With just one look, she knew this was the real deal, absolutely not some blindly concocted nonsense. Even if some grandmasters were to try to express their understanding of it, they might not be able to articulate it as precisely as he had.

How on earth did he manage that...

But as a swordsmanship grandmaster herself, when faced with techniques from the Sword Emperor, her mind really couldn’t wander elsewhere; she quickly became engrossed in the Sword Intent and totally spellbound.

This Sword Manual was only of introductory level, yet the sword principles it contained were already quite profound.

Looking at it from here, the basic principles from ancient to modern times still agree; people nowadays indeed haven’t strayed from the right path. But why is it that the higher one goes, the more despairing the gap appears?

Zhao Changhe had been writing for a while and ran out of ink. Annoyed, he was about to grind more when Tang Wanzhuang, noticing he had stopped writing, quickly realized the reason and instinctively reached out to grind the ink herself, her eyes still occupied with pondering the manuscript.

The way she acted—as if to say, "You write, I want to watch, I’ll take care of this trivial matter"—could not have been more vivid without needing words.

Zhao Changhe glanced up at her without saying anything and continued to dip his brush in the ink and write, feeling incredibly strange inside.

This companionable atmosphere...

It was truly fragrant, the aroma of the ink, and with her standing so gracefully beside him, she too was a scent unto herself.

His mood was odd... yet also terribly embarrassing, because his brush calligraphy was too ugly. It was so embarrassing he blushed, utterly unbecoming of such an extraordinary beauty adding charm as she did.

Zhao Changhe had only been forced by his parents to join a calligraphy class when he was very young, learning how to hold and move the brush. But having given up tearfully after not studying more than two months, it amounted to nothing—wasting both his time and his parents’ tuition.

Since crossing over to this time, he had only taken up the brush once, which was when he transcribed the Blood Evil Skill for the Heavenly Book to examine, writing thousands of words to barely familiarize himself with it. What was somewhat better than his peers was that now his control over his strength was quite precise, so at least he didn’t write in the twisted and erratic manner of earthworms. Although it somewhat resembled proper characters, that was about all.

As he continued to write, he couldn’t help but mutter, "Does it look very bad?"

Tang Wanzhuang, returning from her absorption in the sword techniques, hadn’t previously paid attention to his handwriting. Prompted by his question and observing it, she found it amusing: "Well, it’s decent. You can tell you’ve learned the basic techniques, just a bit rusty... Yes, you definitely should’ve learned. Zhao Mansion is a nice place."

Zhao Changhe: "..."

Tang Wanzhuang, smiling, actually started praising his handwriting: "Actually, it’s not bad. Haven’t you noticed? Your initial strokes are clumsy, but as you continue, they become more bold and vigorous, sharp and revealing. You’ve even managed to create a style of your own... though the structure is imbalanced, the composition unsightly, and it looks strange... perhaps this can be called the Zhao Mansion Style?"

"... Can we not mention Zhao Mansion? And are you complimenting or insulting me here?"

"Of course, I’m complimenting," Tang Wanzhuang said with a smile: "Do you think I expect you to become a famous calligrapher?"

Zhao Changhe said speechlessly, "So you’re just happy as long as it looks like a word?"

"It’s because you still care if it looks good or not, which shows you still have the heart to learn."

"I always feel like you’re playing some sort of nurturing game, including coaxing me to play the piano under the pretext of calming my mind."

"It’s killing two birds with one stone. Playing the piano does indeed help calm the mind, which is beneficial for your current state. However, what is a nurturing game?" Tang Wanzhuang said, "Actually, since only you and I are here, it’s okay to speak frankly. I genuinely hope to cultivate you in the direction of a prince. How can that be called a game? That term is too frivolous for this context. This is a very serious matter."

"The difference between a nurturing game and standard cultivation is that a nurturing game means raising a child to become the kind of companion you want... Ah, damn..."

With a "crack," the hard ink stick turned to powder in the inkstone, and Zhao Changhe’s face was splattered with ink. Tang Wanzhuang, huffy, left with a swish of her sleeve.