Chapter Twenty-Seven: Huh?

“This is... a fragment of the Landscape and Nation Scroll...”
Within the girl's body, the Sword Spirit spoke, her tone unruffled.
“A fragment of the Landscape and Nation Scroll?”
“Yes, but unless you gather the entire piece, it’s all for show and no substance—at most, it makes for fine decoration.”
“So it’s not really useful then?”
“How could it be useless? Even a single broken piece can fetch a high price, especially among collectors.
Besides, Shirley, this scroll carries the chill of Jiang Lin’s life-bound flying sword, which means it’s likely he lost it—after all, the Landscape and Nation Scroll is like a living thing and can’t be stored in a spatial item.”
“Jiang Lin... Jiang Yida!”
Upon hearing the name, the girl clenched her delicate fist.
“Wait, Shirley! Someone’s approaching! It looks like someone from the Solitary Demon Sect!”
“Sword Spirit Sister, should we fight them?”
“No rush. First, we must find the true body of my sword. If we encounter them in the final showdown, we’ll make sure they never return!”
“Alright, I’ll listen to you, Sword Spirit Sister.”
Placing the scroll fragment close to her chest, the girl cast a deep glance ahead, lightly biting her red lips before slipping away in another direction.

Yet, scarcely a hundred meters after she darted off, her slender figure came to a halt.
“Shirley?”
“Sword Spirit Sister, I’m sorry, but I want to take a little detour... Now’s the best chance to cut ties with him once and for all. Could you help me sense that scoundrel’s whereabouts?”
“Understood.” The Sword Spirit within her sighed softly, and after a moment, replied, “Head north. There’s a trace of spiritual energy fluctuation in that cave.”

...

Retracing his steps along the path, Jiang Lin was filled with melancholy. How could the Landscape and Nation Scroll he had so painstakingly snatched away just vanish like that?
He didn’t particularly need it, but it was still worth a fortune in spirit stones...
Jiang Lin decided to look for Chen Jia first, and search together. After all, it was safer with a companion—if they ran into any cultivators, Chen Jia could help him escape.
“That’s odd. Where did Chen Jia go off patrolling?”
Following Chen Jia’s path, Jiang Lin dared not call out, so he gathered spiritual power in his eyes, scanning the darkness as if with night vision...

Gradually, Jiang Lin found himself beside a waterfall. Just as he considered taking a drink, his dazzling 24K titanium-alloy eyes suddenly lit up!
“Brother Chen!?”
Under the moonlight, Jiang Lin saw Chen Jia raising delicate hands, pouring clear spring water over her skin. Her slender, graceful back was the very picture of harmony between water and beauty, nature and maiden.

Due to the pool’s depth, Jiang Lin could only see Chen Jia’s upper body. Looking at her chest, which was flatter than an armored skirt, Jiang Lin couldn’t help but sigh with regret:
“So Brother Chen really is a man. And I thought he was wearing some kind of chest binder.”

“Brother Chen, why are you bathing here? Hurry up, our Landscape and Nation Scroll is gone! That’s a pile of spirit stones!”
Without a trace of embarrassment, Jiang Lin stepped forward and called out.

“Ah...”
Hearing a man’s voice, Chen Jia let out a startled cry, wrapped her arms around her chest, and slipped underwater, only half her head showing above the surface.

“Oh, come on, Brother Chen, keep your voice down. What if someone hears us? And why are you being shy? We’re all men here—let’s have a bath together some other day.”
Jiang Lin strolled nonchalantly to the waterfall, drinking from the falling spring.

Still hugging herself tightly in the pool, Chen Jia steadied her breath. Realizing it was Jiang Lin, she slowly stood up, letting the force of her fist energy circulate through her body. Taking a boxer’s stance, she stepped closer to Jiang Lin, who was still drinking. With each step, her aura grew sharper and more murderous.

“I’m telling you, Brother Chen, stop bathing. Let’s go find the scroll and sell it quick. We’re villains—good things never stay with us for long,”
Jiang Lin burped contentedly.

“Brother Chen, did you hear me?”
“I heard you!”
A crisp, silvery voice rang out behind Jiang Lin, but it was laced with killing intent.

“Brother Chen! Bad news! There’s a woman!”
Jiang Lin spun around, but at that instant, a fist slammed squarely into his forehead. He flew like a cartoon wolf, embedded deep in the cliff behind the waterfall, stuck fast.

...

“Shhhh...”
Groggily regaining consciousness, Jiang Lin felt a cool sensation on his face. As he opened his eyes, he saw Chen Jia, hair still damp, looking even more beautiful than a woman.

“Brother Chen... what just happened?”
Sitting up, Jiang Lin felt his head pounding. He remembered hearing a woman’s voice, then being knocked out by a sneak attack.

“It’s nothing. When you came looking for me, a female martial artist ambushed you. You were knocked out, so I saved you.”
Chen Jia turned away, avoiding his gaze.

“I see. Where is that martial artist now?”
“I drove her off.”

“Thank you, Brother Chen, for saving me again. I owe you one.” Jiang Lin stood up, a little dizzy. “But Brother Chen, our Landscape and Nation Scroll is missing. We need to find it quickly.”

“If it’s gone, it’s gone. I don’t really care...”

...

For some reason, Jiang Lin felt that after this bath, Chen Jia had become far more haughty, almost angry, and her mannerisms even more feminine.
What a pity... If only Brother Chen were a girl—she’d definitely rank in the top ten beauties!

Just as Jiang Lin was about to persuade Chen Jia again, the system’s voice sounded in his mind:
“Infamy from protagonist Chen Jia: +40 +30 +40 +30...”

Protagonist? Chen Jia?!

Who is that?
Could it be that female martial artist who ambushed me?
Chen Jia... Chen Jia?
Both surnamed Chen, and their names sound alike! Could it be...?

Suddenly, a bold idea struck Jiang Lin!

He grabbed Chen Jia’s soft shoulders, turning her to face him. Their eyes met and locked.

“What are you—”
Chen Jia almost punched him, but seeing the seriousness in his gaze, and recalling he had seen her bathing, her cheeks flushed pink. In that moment, she felt more like pounding his chest with her little fists...

“Chen Jia... There’s something I must ask you. Please, don’t lie to me...”
“What... what do you want to ask?” Chen Jia swallowed nervously. Her heart raced like a little deer about to leap from her throat.

Could he have discovered...

“Brother Chen!”
“Here!”
Hearing Jiang Lin call her name so earnestly, Chen Jia felt a guilty shiver run through her.

“Brother Chen, do you have a sister? Or perhaps a younger sister?”

“Huh?”

...

...

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