Peach-Orange! – Chapter 434 – The Dragon King’s Scheme

Hearing Xiao Ming’s somewhat flippant tone, Song Liyin frowned in displeasure. “I don’t like strangers calling me by name. Besides, whether the Young Miss returns or not has nothing to do with you.”

“Right, right, Head Maid. Since you, her personal maid, are alone in Jiuzhou, I assume visiting me is the Young Miss’s idea?”

Xiao Ming shrugged helplessly. Seeing the Head Maid refuse the cup of instant noodles offered by his subordinate, he gestured for it to be handed to him instead.

Having studied abroad at an elite high school, he had met both the Head Maid and the Young Miss and was well aware of their temperaments.

Even as the Head Maid glared at him with disdain, Xiao Ming remained unruffled. He said calmly, “So, Head Maid, what brings you here?”

The Head Maid cut straight to the point. “You’re aware that War Hero Su Dingtian left a descendant in the country, right? Her name is Su Tao.”

Xiao Ming took a bite of noodles. “I know. What about her?”

The Head Maid raised an eyebrow. “And yet, you’re still leisurely eating noodles here—”

“Hold on.” Xiao Ming raised his fork, waving it. “I know what you’re getting at. Trying to provoke the Temple of Asura and the War Hero’s faction? Since you sought me out in Jiuzhou, it means the Young Miss is also returning.

“But her influence is mostly overseas, right? You want to borrow my people first. Don’t think I’m easily fooled. Sure, Su Dingtian and I have a feud, but that’s our business. We don’t need your interference.”

The Head Maid gave him a look as if he were an idiot.

“Are you really this arrogant?”

“Huh?”

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“The Young Miss has countless allies at her beck and call. Do you really think she’d lack your measly forces?”

“Then why are you really here?”

Xiao Ming could never quite figure out the Head Maid or the supremely arrogant, unpredictable Young Miss.

That they’d returned and sought him out over Su Tao’s affairs baffled him.

The Head Maid, Song Liyin, replied coolly, “Two reasons. First, to inform you that Su Dingtian will return soon, though the exact reason is unclear. As his sworn enemy….”

She deliberately left the implication hanging before continuing, “Second, I want to borrow some ancient martial artists from you.”

At the term “ancient martial artists,” Xiao Ming finally set down his noodles, his expression turning serious. “Ancient martial artists?”

“Correct.” The Head Maid nodded lightly. “While every major family has plenty of them, most rely on drugs to boost their abilities. Their physiques are merely better than average, hardly useful.

“Ordinary fighters are easy to find, but truly skilled ancient martial artists are rare. I could borrow the Young Miss’s name to recruit some, but favors….”

She shook her head in resignation.

She wasn’t afraid of owing favors. She feared that families would see such connections as opportunities to climb the social ladder, swarming her with endless nuisances.

And as for ancient martial artists….

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“Your Temple of Asura members might be a bit dim, but they’re far more capable than those drug-dependent house-trained martial artists.”

Xiao Ming’s eye twitched. “Thanks for the compliment, but I refuse.”

Song Liyin frowned.

Xiao Ming continued flatly, “Let’s be real, you’re trying to drag me into your mess. Regardless of my feud with Su Dingtian, I’ve kept his daughter out of it so far.

“If I lend you people, the Temple of Asura gets involved. When Su Dingtian returns, his first targets will be his old enemies. I’d rather not be covered in shit.”

He set down his noodles and lit a cigarette with practiced ease. “Besides, my three-year pact isn’t up yet. I won’t act until then.”

Song Liyin’s lips twitched. “You really are delusional. Even Su Dingtian is nothing before the Young Miss. If you joined her faction, he couldn’t touch you domestically.”

“Still trying to use me as a pawn.”

“I know you have issues with Su Tao. This is a mutually beneficial opportunity.”

“Still no.”

Xiao Ming snorted. “That Ye Liang and Chu Lingfeng are dead. I’ve met them. I felt that they were like me. That inexplicable sense… I doubt you’d understand.

“Even the Young Miss isn’t immune to risks.

“If I wait out my three years, even ten Su Taos won’t matter. I can act freely here while Su Dingtian and Su Tao can’t touch me. Why take the risk with you?

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If that’s all, you can leave now.”

“Tch.” Song Liyin stood, her eyes full of contempt. “You’ve really regressed.”

With that, she turned to leave.

But just before exiting, she heard Xiao Ming’s emotionless voice:

“Special Envoy Qiu is quite sharp. Wasting him on construction is a shame. Maybe he’s better suited for urban intelligence work.”

Song Liyin paused at the door, then stepped outside.

There, she found Special Envoy Qiu waiting. He bowed slightly. “Understood, Miss Maid. As of now, I am your bodyguard, no longer under the Dragon King or the Temple of Asura. I can bring you four genuine ancient martial artists.”

Four authentic ancient martial artists.

Plus this clever Special Envoy.

This trip had proven more fruitful than expected.

That Xiao Ming… Cowardly, yes, but not entirely useless. A cut above Chu Lingfeng, at least.

Now that she had some manpower, but according to the plan….

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The Head Maid sighed deeply. “Young Miss… What exactly are you thinking?”

—

Time passed swiftly until April.

With safety confirmed and the World Will inactive, Chi Xiaocheng and Su Tao returned to their apartment.

Leaving Si Chen’s luxurious villa meant forfeiting its amenities, but nothing compared to the comfort of home.

Their first order of business?

Retrieving their two cats from Fang Ning.

Xiao Ran was fine.

But King, proud and hardened by days of “wild survival,” was furious.

The moment they got home, she perched on Chi Xiaocheng’s shoulder and unleashed a flurry of cat punches in protest.

It took considerable effort to placate the disgruntled feline.

Yet another issue awaited them upon returning….