Chaotic World Book
Chapter 319 - 312 The Value in Everyone’s Heart

Chapter 319: Chapter 312 The Value in Everyone’s Heart

The young couple exchanged glances, sharing a slight smile before ascending the stairs.

Upon reaching the top, they were momentarily dumbstruck.

Instead of the small attic they had imagined, it was a rather large hall, filled with burly men wielding swords and knives, staring intently at the staircase entrance.

The Taoist who had peeked earlier had retreated and stood beside another Taoist at the main seat, seemingly an apprentice.

The entire setting resembled the headquarters of a clan, and it seemed they had intruded right in the middle of a meeting.

Xia Chichi couldn’t help but blink amusingly—her luck was truly astonishing. It was merely her guess that these sundry shops, overflowing with goods, belonged to the Yukun Gang. To randomly pick one and walk into the gang’s headquarters, and during a meeting no less, was quite the stroke of luck. There was no need for Heavenly Spirit to go searching; the Taoist seated in the main seat was likely him.

She had never before noticed this sort of dumb luck in herself—could it be because of spending time with her dear Zhao Changhe? His fortunes had always been extraordinary.

The couple was both skilled and daring, their expressions unchanged as they fist-saluted and performed the Worldly Society’s customary greeting, "We apologize for the intrusion. It seems we have come at an inconvenient time..."

The Taoist at the main seat shook his head, "If the two of you are simply here to buy gourds, there is no talk of an inconvenient time. When can we not do business? However, if you have business with our Yukun Gang... please speak your minds."

Xia Chichi inquired, "Are you Daoist Heavenly Spirit?"

"Indeed," Heavenly Spirit affirmed. "I have opened my doors for business and have nothing to hide."

Xia Chichi smiled, "It seems you are more interesting than those who are secretive..."

"And what about you?" Heavenly Spirit asked.

Xia Chichi fell silent.

Couldn’t he have followed up with something like the Poisonous Spider? Does he know how to hold a conversation?

But when it came down to it, it was entirely normal for others to be wary of them. Zhao Changhe quickly picked up the conversation to redeem his wife’s dignity, "We indeed came to buy gourds. From the way the Daoist spoke just now, does your clan have the gourds we need?"

"Light and unbreakable, impervious to blade or sword, and not prone to rusting or aging—indeed, we have such gourds. They were once ’acquired’ from a certain Secret Realm, relics from Ancient Times," Heavenly Spirit explained. "Although their practical value is mediocre, anything from Ancient Times is valuable. What price are you willing to offer?"

"We would like the Daoist to set a price and see if we can afford it."

Heavenly Spirit laughed, "We could have negotiated, but ever since you mentioned chasing spiders, the price has changed. So, young lady, don’t reveal your bottom line so carelessly in the future."

Xia Chichi also laughed. In this city where deception reigns and no one speaks the truth, this Daoist’s demeanor was refreshingly straightforward, even if it might just be a facade, it was still quite pleasant.

Her mentioning spiders wasn’t to negotiate for a gourd—it was for her husband’s sake. He had to find the Thief Sect, and how could they meet if she didn’t drop a bombshell? It’s not like they could skirt around the issue for days on end...

Chichi casually said, "I haven’t revealed any bottom line, just directly given the Daoist a piece of information. But with so many ears around, I would rather not speak."

"Caution is necessary," Heavenly Spirit said impassively. "You have yet to earn the trust required for a private meeting with me."

Zhao Changhe smiled, "My wife and I are friends with someone in your clan, would that suffice?"

Heavenly Spirit looked intrigued, "Who?"

"He goes by the surname Ji," Zhao Changhe replied. "If he is here, perhaps he could meet with me privately."

Heavenly Spirit paused, then burst into laughter, "I see, you’ve come for the Thief Sect... But whether you are truly Ji Chengkong’s friend or his enemy, you’ve come to the wrong place. Asking me is pointless. We merely cooperate with the Thief Sect as one of their avenues for disposing of stolen goods; we are not members of the sect, and do not know the whereabouts of their core disciples."

Zhao Changhe wasn’t too surprised and continued smiling, "But the Daoist at least has means of communication with the Thief Sect."

"That is true. Do you have a message you wish me to relay?"

"Indeed... kindly inform them that Zhao Changhe seeks an audience with the Thief Saint."

A sudden hush fell over the hall, followed by a collective stir and a swell of whispers.

Hidden Dragon, the first Zhao Changhe!

From the outset, this fellow’s scarred and sword-bearing figure seemed very much like the Zhao Changhe spoken of in rumors, it’s just that imposters had grown increasingly common in recent days, leaving everyone uncertain.

And indeed, it was him, even daring to so casually reveal his true name! No one suspected a fake, for should the Thief Saint test and expose him as counterfeit, the death awaiting would be terribly unsightly; the likelihood was that he truly was the real deal.

A person’s reputation is like a tree’s shadow; if an ordinary person carelessly exposes their identity they would be regarded as a fool, but if that person is Zhao Changhe, the reaction in people’s hearts is: indeed, a hero fears nothing.

The renown of this fellow wasn’t just talk; within a year, he went from a commoner with no Martial Arts experience to the top Hidden Dragon, a terrifying potential the likes of which may be unparalleled by any to come, and certainly unmatched by any predecessors. Moreover, being the top Hidden Dragon basically meant being on the cusp of the Human List, and unless struck down by an unfortunate accident, there was no precedent of a top Hidden Dragon failing to make the list. Back when Yue Hongling was second, wherever she went she was regarded as a distinguished figure; now Zhao Changhe was held in the same regard, if not higher.

For he had nearly single-handedly changed the grassland’s landscape, penetrated deep behind enemy lines, traveled thousands of miles unimpeded, and achieved hundreds of battle victories. To this day, the northern and southern tribes of the barbarians remain divided and embroiled in ceaseless infighting, securing at least a few years of peace for the Central Plains.

Such stirring and epic feats, compared to the minor squabbles of the Worldly Society, truly existed on another level. Even villains couldn’t help but give a thumbs-up, with many within Kunlun back in the day raising their glasses in a sigh, remarking, "Long have I withdrawn from the world, only to find that such a person has emerged."

Even the originally rather crude title "Bloodthirsty Shura" started to carry an air of formidable Evil Qi, with the man truly igniting the moniker.

Who knows, this fellow had another reason for exposing his identity—the Thief Sect had profound origins, and he wasn’t afraid of leaking his identity. "Since you all think Zhao Changhe is so unreservedly bold, then no one will expect that I could be impersonating Wang Daozhong... Then, with a swipe over the face, Zhao Changhe will vanish, and no one will find him."

But the prerequisite was still to secure the Storage Ring and stash the Dragon Sparrow within; otherwise, upon confrontation with others, it would still be too easy to give things away.

Heavenly Spirit was extremely cautious, "So it is Young Master Zhao himself in person... then, might this young lady be the Sunset Divine Sword?"

Xia Chichi instantly soured, her expression unpleasant, "I don’t wear red; day by day, I look like someone crazed to get married, so shabbily dressed."

Zhao Changhe:

"..." Xia Chichi never expected that far away, the observing Vermilion Bird would be pierced with arrows for no reason, grinding its teeth to bits.

Heavenly Spirit couldn’t help but chuckle, "This Taoist misspoke. Hm... you all step back. Since it is Young Master Zhao in person, he’s not here to assassinate."

Surprisingly, the subordinates all seemed to agree, getting up and bowing one after another to leave, some lingering with their gaze fixed on Zhao Changhe as they passed by. The flower-like Xia Chichi was ignored, as if they were a group of starstruck fans.

Whether good or evil, the esteem Martial Artists held for a true hero was evident.

Actually, Zhao Changhe felt much of his combat record was indeed assassinations... uh...

Heavenly Spirit then ordered his Apprentice to notify the Thief Sect, before smiling, "Young Master Zhao seeks the Thief Sect, and this Taoist has already sent the unworthy disciple to relay the message. Now, shall we discuss our own business? The young lady spoke of a spider; can you now disclose what that means?"

Xia Chichi asked, "Do you have a grudge with the Poison Spider?"

Heavenly Spirit smiled, "Lately, we’ve had conflicts with the Money Gang. Just now, we were discussing the attitudes of other nearby gangs. The Poison Spider is one of the key forces we’re focusing on, not knowing their inclinations. So when the young lady mentioned these two words, we halted the meeting."

"Then the news I bring you is, she wants to kill you," Xia Chichi said with a smile. "Can this information be exchanged for a gourd?"

Heavenly Spirit shook his head, "Just for a gourd, there wouldn’t be any issue giving it to the two of you, as it isn’t worth haggling. But this isn’t child’s play; how can you prove it?"

Expecting that this slightly sinister young lady would retort with "Believe it or leave it," it was surprising that Xia Chichi took it seriously, "What is the nature of your conflict with the Money Gang?"

Heavenly Spirit replied, "At noon tomorrow, we and the Money Gang will sit down for a wine talk. As everyone knows, there is never a feast without purpose; we must consider every aspect thoroughly."

Xia Chichi then laughed, "That’s simple. If I help you ward off the Poison Spider tomorrow, you give me the gourd. If we can cooperate and kill her, you reveal the location of the Secret Realm where the gourd is."

Heavenly Spirit found it unbelievable, "Such a trifling gourd truly has no worth, your fixation on it really baffles this Taoist."

"Is it so hard to comprehend?" Xia Chichi lightly smiled, "There are some in the Worldly Society who, if you offer a drink, might just kill someone for you. Each person has a different sense of value, that’s all there is to it. To you, the gourd is merely a plaything to be admired, but for me, it is a unique keepsake."

Zhao Changhe had remained silent all this while, initially thinking Chichi was making a mountain out of a molehill. But considering that she had already made an enemy of the Poison Spider, collaborating with Heavenly Spirit to nip the problem in the bud wasn’t a bad idea, so he didn’t say anything. Or perhaps Chichi was more interested in the Secret Realm that might lie behind the gourd?

Yet the answer he received was of this nature.

Turning to look at Chichi’s profile, that smile might seem wicked to others but, in Zhao Changhe’s eyes, it was as exquisitely pure as the jade of Kunlun.