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Translator: Fate
Translation Checker: Silavin
The atmosphere in the grand hall was somewhat awkward, and the sisters who were at each other’s throats earlier simultaneously glanced at each other to find nervousness and uneasiness hidden in the depths of their eyes.
Neither was ready at all for Gu Changge’s surprise visit, and they didn’t know how long had the man been here or if he had heard their conversation. However, at this point, they could only bite the bullet and entertain him no matter what.
Ji Qingxuan beamed and affectionately wrapped her arms around Gu Changge’s as she explained, “She’s the sister I’ve told you about, Ji Qingxuan, the prodigal damsel of the Hidden Ji Family. I was very shocked too, when I first saw Qingxuan. We looked practically identical, but we can easily recognize each other.”
“I remember now,” said Gu Changge as he nodded somewhat thoughtfully. “We’ve had an encounter in the Vermilion Bird Empire, haven’t we?”
“Greetings, Young Master Changge,” greeted Su Qingge, who had regained her senses at this point, with spot-on deference.
No matter how bad her conflict with Ji Qingxuan was earlier, the primary thing at this moment was to conceal everything in the depths so as not to blow their cover.
The best case would be that Gu Changge suspected nothing.
“At ease.” Gu Changge nodded and withdrew his gaze from sizing up Su Qingge.
At that, he mentioned with an ambiguous smile as though he recalled something. “I thought something happened when I heard a huge commotion outside.”
The Su-Ji sister’s hearts skipped a beat at once as cold sweat gathered on their palms.
That said, Ji Qingxuan reacted speedily and explained with her signature benign look, “Oh, that. That was nothing. I was just sparing with Qingxuan. She believed she was much stronger than me, but I wasn’t convinced, so we battled it out to settle the argument once and for all. That was just before you arrived…”
“You can ask Qingxuan if you don’t believe me.” She pointed towards Su Qingge, signalling for her to speak up. “She’s really something. She shocked me real good; I nearly lost to her.”
“Yes, we were sparring. We didn’t think it’d alert you.” Su Qingge knew exactly where her sister was going with this. However, she had no choice but to go along with it. Still, given the situation they were currently in, how far-fetched the explanation was, and knowing Gu Changge, he would most likely not believe it.
“Is that so? Looks like you sisters are very competitive with each other.” Gu Changge’s ambiguous smile deepened after hearing the explanation, but he didn’t ask any more questions.
Just as the sisters suspected, the man had arrived some time ago. Not only did he witness the sisters turn against each other, but he even discovered Ji Qingxuan and Su Qingge’s latest trump cards, and it left him at somewhat of a loss for how to react. Of course, he had no plans to expose the two when Su Qingge was now the true Successor of Demonic Arts.
Once he revealed that the sisters had switched identities, it would also mean that Su Qingge’s alias as the Successor of Demonic Arts would be exposed, and it wouldn’t do any good for him. In fact, it would bring him a lot of trouble. Hence, what he needed to do now was to play dumb.
“Qingxuan indeed has a competitive spirit…” Ji Qingxuan breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that Gu Changge dropped the matter.
However, for some reason, the sisters had a feeling that Gu Changge would just barely believe whatever they had said. The sensation weirded them out, for it felt as though Gu Changge had already known about the switch but just deliberately kept quiet about it.
But, of course, they wouldn’t say anything until he brought it up. His thoughts weren’t something they could assume.
Followingly, Ji Qingxuan blinked and asked, “Have you come for some kind of business, Young Master Gu?”
Given the man’s current status, the Chaos Star Territory wasn’t worth his attention at all.
“Am I only allowed to come for business? Can’t I visit you?” he countered with a plain smile, looking as though he was amused by her question.
The young woman blushed, having guessed the possibility, and chirped, “I’m really happy that you’d think to visit me. I was beginning to think you had forgotten about me.”
“What are you talking about? How can I forget about you?” Gu Changge smiled warmly.
“You’re the best, Young Master!” Ji Qingxuan wrapped her arms even more tightly around Gu Changge’s with delight, not wanting to let go at all.
At that, she covertly glanced at Su Qingge with a hint of triumph and provocation.
Seeing so, Su Qingge drooped her eyelids while her heart inexplicably sank. There was no one but herself to be blamed for this. She knew this was the consequence of her decisions, which she had insisted upon.
Now, despite the fact that she, the real Su Qingge, was standing in front of Gu Changge, she could only behave like some stranger while her sister justifiably enjoyed the coddling that was supposedly hers.
In fact, at that moment, she thought it was pretty normal for Ji Qingxuan to want to kill her. Even she was feeling the same.
Subsequently, Gu Changge and Ji Qingxuan talked about many things, like the changes that happened in Chaos Star Territory and the rare treasures she had confiscated. Meanwhile, Su Qingge stood aside like an outsider, looking devolved from them.
The feeling that what was supposedly hers was taken away by her sister made her inexplicably upset.
[You better not do anything stupid, Su Qingge. You’re the Successor of Demonic Arts, while Gu Changge is the strongest and the leader of the younger generation. Do you think you still have a place next to him once your identity is exposed? Have you forgotten what he said to you back then? He will personally kill you. How things are now is the best solution.] Advised the other soul living inside of her with impassiveness and ridicule.
Su Qingge smiled self-deprecatingly in response and gradually calmed down after taking a gander at the two who were having a good chat.
She was destined to live in the shadows while Gu Changge would be the centre of attention wherever he went and have an unimaginably bright future. They were destined to be worlds apart.
Followingly, the whole of Chaos City stirred because of Gu Changge’s arrival.
The city was filled with all kinds of people. Most could only flee from their homes and reside here when they were being hunted down by their enemies.
Though everyone knew the ruler of Chaos City was the Chaos Queen, Ji Qingxuan, everyone was also aware that she was just the ruler on the surface. The actual ruler of the massive Chaos Star Territory was Gu Changge.
Now, after knowing the man himself had arrived, all of them were shaken and astonished. After all, various news of Gu Changge had been surging across the Upper Realm like a storm lately. Hence, everyone wanted to catch a glimpse of this man. However, the rules and security in Chaos City were tight. Even many higher-ups dared not enter the inner city before receiving permission.
Because of this, Ji Qingxuan deliberately ordered a massive welcoming banquet, allowing many subsidiary forces of Chaos City to attend and present a significant amount of welcome gifts.
“It sure is lively in the Upper Realm lately.” A chuckle escaped Gu Changge as he sat at the head of the table in the banquet.
Baffled, Ji Qingxuan couldn’t help asking when she heard his exclamation as she served him some food. “Why would you suddenly say that, Young Master?”
Su Qingge, who was enjoying some liquor by herself, too, stopped whatever she was doing and looked towards the man.
“Something just suddenly came to me. Many powerful Forces have their members come to me lately, wanting me to keep an eye out for the Successor of Demonic Arts,” replied Gu Changge casually with a plain smile.
“The Successor of Demonic Arts?” Ji Qingxuan’s countenance shifted slightly in response.
She was aware that this person had managed to slip away from Gu Changge many times, and his powers were unfathomable.
Indeed, news of the Successor of Demonic Arts’ reemergence had been circulating wildly lately. Even the Successor of War Immortal Manor nearly died at the hands of the Successor of Demonic Arts.
Everyone else’s countenance changed while Su Qingge, who was picking up her food, froze, looking a little unnatural. But she recovered in two shakes, and nobody caught her peculiar change.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she involuntarily perked her ears up, for she never expected Gu Changge to suddenly mention the Successor of the Demonic Arts.
The man was now arguably one of the top figures of the Upper Realm in terms of power and influence. It wouldn’t be surprising for the Forces of the Upper Realm to discuss a plan of attack towards the Successor of Demonic Arts with him.
[This is a good thing for me. I can prepare for what is to come by picking up hints in their conversation.] Su Qingge thought as she reassured herself.
“Yes, the Successor of Demonic Arts. I thought he had vanished after escaping my grasp a few times, but who’d have thought he popped up again recently,” bemoaned Gu Changge as he shook his head after taking a sip of his liquor.
“The Successor of Demonic Arts might be powerful, but I’m sure he’s no match for you!” Ji Qingxuan snorted, having nothing but admiration for Gu Changge.
“He’s really good at hiding,” Gu Changge said casually while shaking his head as though he was talking about something insignificant. “But word has it that he had slipped up this time. The Successor of War Immortal Manor survived the fight and seemed to also have caught a glimpse of the Successor of Demonic Arts’ face.”
Of course, he was just bullshitting. How would he know anything that went on in War Immortal Manor when the two were not exactly at each other’s throats but weren’t on any friendly terms either. He merely said so to see Su Qingge’s reaction.
If she had indeed accidentally revealed her face, then he would have to order Bai Lian’er to do whatever it took to silence the Successor of War Immortal Manor. There was no way he would allow such an accident to roam freely.
“Slip up? Then the War Immortal Manor will be able to locate the real Successor of Demonic Arts very quickly, won’t they?” Ji Qingxuan exclaimed with slight surprise, never expecting the Successor of Demonic arts would accidentally reveal his face during his assassination attempt. [That means, everyone will soon know who the Successor of Demonic Arts is, won’t they!?]
Su Qingge’s heart skipped a beat as her brows furrowed slightly, looking somewhat upset.
[It is indeed on me for failing to kill the Successor of War Immortal Manor, but I never exposed my face at all. How could he have known what I look like?] She wondered.
[Could it be that the War Immortal Manor has some kind of secret technique that allows them to replay the scene? But I’ve been extremely careful all this while and even carried a supreme treasure that can deceive destiny and fate. So what in the world went wrong?] The young woman never doubted Gu Changge’s words even for a second.
[Maybe the man has some kind of divine talent that can take a glimpse of your face. It is indeed on you for failing to kill him. His golden cross pupils do have unfathomable and mysterious powers.] The other soul residing within her sighed, seemingly somewhat frustrated as well.
Su Qingge had recovered her composure at this point, and she mused, [What am I to do now? Run away? Hide somewhere, or change my appearance?]
She knew this day would come sooner or later, but she didn’t think it would be this soon. That said, she wasn’t freaked out. Instead, she began devising a plan.
[Looks like we can only improvise for now,] answered the soul. [If all else fails, seek refuge with the one on Devil Mountain. She will take you in.]
To that, Su Qingge nodded plainly.
Later, during the middle of the banquet, Gu Changge asked Ji Qingxuan with interest as though he had recalled something, “Have you given any more thought to the Ji Family issue I told you about?”
After taking a second to realise what Gu Changge was talking about, a thrill enveloped her face as ill-conceived ambition surged beneath her eyes, and she said nearly instantly, “My sister and I are naturally more than happy if you’re willing to help us.”
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