Huh?

"This is a fragment of the… Cosmos Matrix map…" the sword spirit said inside the girl, its emotions not seeming to fluctuate much.

"A fragment of the Cosmos Matrix map?"

"Well, this kind of thing is only moderately useful if you don't get it all together, and at best, it's used for window dressing."

"So there's not much use for it?"

"How could it be useless? Even a single broken piece could fetch a very high price, especially from those collectors.

"And Xueli, this Cosmos Matrix map has the cold aura of Jiang Lin's life-bound flying sword on it, which means he probably dropped it; after all, the Cosmos Matrix map is like a living thing that can't be put into a square-inch object."

"Jiang Lin… Jiang Yida!"

At the name, the girl clenched her beautiful hands into fists.

"Wait, Xueli! Someone is approaching! It seems to be someone from the Loner Demon Sect!"

"Then, Sister Sword Spirit, should we engage in battle?"

"There's no rush. It's important to find my sword body first. Then, if we meet them in the final round, I'll make sure they never come back!"

"Well, I'll listen to Sister Sword Spirit."

Placing the Cosmos Matrix map in her arms, the girl gave a deep look ahead, her white teeth biting lightly on her red lip as she rushed in another direction.

But when the girl flew for not even 100 meters, her slender form came to a halt.

"Xueli?"

"Sister Sword Spirit, I'm sorry. I want to delay things a little… Now is the best chance to cut off from him. Can Sister Sword Spirit help Xueli sense the location of that flower thief?"

"I understand." The sword spirit inside the girl sighed lightly, and a moment later, the sword spirit responded, "Go north; there are signs of spirit energy fluctuations in that cave."

***

As Jiang Lin walked along the way he had come, he was despondent. How could the Cosmos Matrix map that he had managed to snatch up be gone?

Although it wasn't something he needed, it was still worth lots of spirit stones…

Jiang Lin planned to look for Chen Jia first, and then look for it with him. After all, they could look after each other, and in case he encountered any cultivators or something, Chen Jia could still help him escape.

"Strange. Where did Chen Jia run off to patrol?"

Due to the route taken by Chen Jia, Jiang Lin didn't dare shout, so he had to keep searching with his spirit energy gathered in his eyes; it was equivalent to a night vision device.

Gradually, Jiang Lin didn't know how he had found his way to the edge of a waterfall, and just as Jiang Lin was thinking of going for a few sips of water, Jiang Lin's glowing eyes suddenly caught something!

"Brother Chen!?"

Under the moonlight, Jiang Lin saw Chen Jia's slender hand brushing up the clear spring water, and pouring it onto his skin.

The slender and luscious back gave a beautiful sense of harmony between water and beauty and nature and maidenhood.

Jiang Lin, who had no scruples at all, walked up, and said, "Brother Chen, why are you bathing here? Hurry up. The two of us have lost our Cosmos Matrix map. That's a whole lot of spirit stones!"

"Ah…"

Hearing a man's voice, Chen Jia screamed involuntarily, diving into the pool with his hands on his chest, showing half of his head above the water.

"Aiya, Brother Chen, you keep your voice down. What if someone is attracted to you, and Brother Chen, what are you shy about? We are all men. Let's shower together someday."

Jiang Lin walked to the edge of the waterfall as if nothing had happened, and drank from the spring that came from the waterfall.

Chen Jia, who was still holding himself tightly in the pool, settled down and slowly stood up after seeing that it was Jiang Lin. His fist intent kept flowing freely through his body, and he was taking a walking fist stance in the pool, and walking step by step towards Jiang Lin, who was still drinking water. With each step, Chen Jia's fist intent became more intense, and his killing intent became thicker.

"Say, Brother Chen, stop bathing. Hurry up and go with me to find the Cosmos Matrix map, then hurry up and sell it. After all, villainous characters like us can't hold onto good things."

Satisfied, Jiang Lin burped.

"Brother Chen, did you hear that?"

"I hear you!" A clear, bell-like voice came from behind Jiang Lin, but the killing intent in the voice was thick.

"Brother Chen! No good! There's a woman!"

Jiang Lin hurriedly turned around, and just at the moment, a fist slammed into Jiang Lin's head, and Jiang Lin flew out like Wolffy, set deeply into the cliff of the waterfall, so deep that he couldn't be dug out.

***

Swish…

Jiang Lin, who had fainted again, felt a coolness on his face, and opened his eyes wearily to see Chen Jia, whose hair was slightly damp, and who looked more beautiful than a woman.

"Brother Chen… What just happened?"

Sitting up, Jiang Lin felt a headache, remembering that he thought he heard a woman's voice, and then he was knocked out by a sneaky punch.

"Nothing, except that a female martial artist sneaked up on you when you came to see me, and you were knocked unconscious, and I saved you."

Chen Jia stood aside and turned his head.

"So, where's the martial artist?"

"I fought her off."

"Thank you, Brother Chen, for saving my life once again. I owe Brother Chen a favor." Jiang Lin stood up with some dizziness. "But Brother Chen, we've lost our Cosmos Matrix map. We have to find it quickly."

"So what if it's gone, I don't care anyway…"

"…"

For some reason, Jiang Lin felt that Chen Jia was much more arrogant after taking a bath, and seemed to be a bit angry, but his angry look was even more girly.

'Sigh… It's a pity indeed. If Brother Chen were a girl, then how good would it be? He'd be in the top 10 of the beauty roll!'

And just as Jiang Lin was thinking of persuading Chen Jia again, the system's voice suddenly sounded again.

"+40 +30 +40 +30 Infamy from protagonist Chen Jia…"

'Protagonist? Chen Jia?!

'Who's Chen Jia?

'Could it be the female pure martial artist who snuck up on me?

'Chen Jia… Chen Jia?

'Both surnamed Chen, and it's a homonym! Could it be?!'

All of a sudden, Jiang Lin had a daring idea!

Jiang Lin grabbed Chen Jia by the shoulders at once, and turned Chen Jia around to face him, their eyes staring at each other.

"What are you doing…"

Chen Jia wanted to give him a punch, but seeing the serious look in his eyes as well as remembering that he saw her bathing, Chen Jia's face was slightly red. At that moment, she wanted to hammer his chest with her fist…

"Chen Jia… I have something I want to ask you. Please don't lie to me…"

"What do you… want to ask me…" Chen Jia swallowed, and her heartbeat was getting faster and faster as if a living deer was about to jump out of her throat.

'Could this guy already have noticed that I'm…'

"Brother Chen!"

"Yes!"

Hearing Jiang Lin call her name seriously, Chen Jia trembled from the guilt.

"Brother Chen, do you have a sister or a younger sister?"

"Huh?"