Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 210: Profound Ice Marine Clay

Zhao Changhe felt that this guy was just going along with the flow and trying to gain some goodwill in vain...

Cui Yuanyang had been dissuaded from fighting, and there was no longer any pressure to look for ways to get the stipulated prize as Wang Zhaoling had already stated that he would have a chat with Zhao Changhe. That meant that the supposed prize was no longer a prize, but would be a part of the marriage negotiations with the Cui Clan. If they pretended that nothing happened afterward, the rabbit would bite.

Xia Chichi also understood this, so she no longer insisted on continuing with the competition. Otherwise, with her not having been seriously injured, it truly would not have been difficult for her to win more matches.

Regardless of whether it was based on the number of victories or the pressure from the Cui Clan, the treasure would have been handed over in the first place.

Of course, there was nothing that could be done if the Wang Clan went and acted dishonestly. They could make up any number of excuses, so there really was no guarantee that the treasure would be handed over. Wang Zhaoling’s willingness to give it to Zhao Changhe directly could indeed be considered a show of magnanimity and thus could be seen as building goodwill.

In fact, even telling him about the impending enmity fell under the category of building goodwill pointlessly.

Zhao Changhe had already clearly stated his aversion to supporting the Wang Clan’s actions, and he even refused to participate in the competition that had been specially made to be enticing to him, preferring to rely on others to try and get the prize for him. Given his sensitive status, he basically fell into the category of people that had to be eliminated if they could not be brought to one’s side.

Of course, it would not be good for the Wang Clan if he died inside their residence. But if he were to be assassinated later for no reason, even his backside could guess that it was the Wang Clan’s doing. There was truly no need for Wang Zhaoling to tell him about this...

This was also why Wang Zhaoling could speak of it directly—because it did not make a difference whether he said it or not. But being willing to say it could indeed be considered a gesture of goodwill, as it at least warned him to be careful when he was finally back on the road.

This could only be regarded as a certain level of emotional intelligence. He clearly said that they would likely become enemies, but he said so in a friendly manner, rather than in a way where he would come to be disliked.

If everyone in the Wang Clan was like this, they would be much more troublesome to deal with than the Maitreya Cult... The Maitreya Cult is just too low-level compared to this.

In any case, since the treasure that would help him expand his meridians was guaranteed, Zhao Changhe would naturally not be polite nor hypocritical. It was extremely important to him; it would be absolutely idiotic of him to reject such a valuable opportunity. Xia Chichi and Cui Yuanyang were not supposed to participate in the martial arts competition organized by the Wang Clan, but they had still jumped out and did what they could for his sake. It was only because the Wang Clan came to be troubled by their actions that they ultimately gave it to him. How could he let their efforts down?

When Wang Zhaoling said earlier that it was not something like a pill, but rather a place, it was not a lie. The place he was referring to was a secret area within the Wang Clan, in an ice cave.

Upon entering the ice cave, Zhao Changhe saw a large mass of ice-blue mud-like substance. It was about ten zhang in diameter. It looked like ice but not ice, like snow but not snow. It did not feel cold; rather, it gave off a slightly moist and humid sensation.

Zhao Changhe felt like a combination of plasticine and ice cream... though, of course, the faint mysterious aura emanating from it reminded him that it was definitely not ice cream. It was a treasure.

It was the most fantastical thing that he had seen in this world aside from the Heavenly Tome, and it did not resemble anything from the world of martial arts.

“What is this treasure called?”

Wang Zhaoling said, “It has no name. There is no mention of it in ancient records either. My ancestors randomly named it Profound Ice Marine Clay. It must be preserved in the ice cave. Otherwise, its energy would gradually dissipate.”

“...Why does it sound like there’s a lot of it?”

“It’s actually quite rare. It’s buried deep in the depths of the sea, and it’s extremely difficult to find. My family has been the guardian of the Eastern Sea for centuries, and we’ve only found a dozen or so clusters like this one. It’s as if there was originally a mountain made of this type of material, which then broke down during the collapse of an era. It then scattered into the sea, and buried in the depths. But the ocean is so vast that even looking for a mountain scattered it would be no different from looking for a needle in a haystack.”

Zhao Changhe nodded and looked at it curiously.

A mountain of ice cream, huh? How did something like that even form?

Wang Zhaoling added, “I won’t hide it from you. Although this item is indeed considered a treasure, it’s a bit of a letdown for us.”

Zhao Changhe asked curiously, “Why is that? Even if its effects are minor, it should be better than nothing, right? As far as I know, every large family would have some people born with deficiencies who would need to improve their aptitude. Shouldn’t it be useful for such situations?”

Wang Zhaoling sighed and said, “Because it can only be used once. Its effects are absorbed and it becomes useless after that. It’s not some divine object. With such minor effects, there would need to be massive quantities of it to be useful for a group of people. It can’t be considered valuable to a large clan like ours when we only find one every ten years. And to use it to make a useless person slightly less useless? Our Wang Clan has not reached the point where we can squander resources like that.”

Indeed... Well, it was relatively insignificant for the Wang Clan, but for certain individuals in need, it was like long-awaited rainfall after a drought.

Wang Zhaoling said, “Why do people strive to climb higher? Why is it not enough for us to be a local tyrant at Langya, and so aim to also have influence across the seas? This is because no matter how powerful we are within our own commandery or even beyond, it cannot compare to being wealthy throughout the four seas. Your father... mmm, well, if you don't recognize him as such, it’s fine. Anyway, what I was trying to say was that if he wanted to find such a treasure that would help you transform your meridians, it would certainly be easy for him. The fact that it is not in his treasury right now just means that he has not gone looking for it on your behalf. Otherwise, with a single command, wouldn’t our Wang Clan have offered this up as well?”

Zhao Changhe said, “That’s true. But why are you telling me this?”

“My father already unlocked three great Profound Mysteries, but that is not the end of cultivation. To peer into the powers of the ancient era, neither the information nor resources can be provided by just a single region. Take this marine clay, for example. What if it isn’t only scattered in the seas, but also on land? What if most of it is actually on land? It’s a dream for us to find the source! The same goes for His Majesty. Why do you think he wanted to unify the world back then?”

Zhao Changhe only recalled the blind woman’s words: “Xia Longyuan does not seek the lands of the mortal world.”

During his campaign to unify the world, he had already become the strongest figure in the world. A sweeping conquest could only be for more centralized resources, rather than to become a wise and benevolent ruler for the whole world.

Zhao Changhe sighed, “He became the emperor but did not make any progress. Instead, something went wrong at some point. So why are you following in his footsteps?”

Wang Zhaoling said, “He may not be capable, but that does not mean others aren’t either. Why hold ourselves back?”

Zhao Changhe shook his head, recognizing that everyone had their own ambitions. There was nothing more to be said about this. So, he redirected the conversation to the treasure. “How do I use this?”

“You wrap your whole body in it. Don’t worry, you’ll still be able to breathe.”

“...”

Wang Zhaoling found his expression somewhat amusing, “Having Cui Yuanyang watching over you nearby should put your mind at ease, right?”

“...Do I need to take off my clothes?”

“No need,” he replied. He paused for a moment, then suddenly said, “Your martial arts understanding and insight are second to none. After trying this treasure out, if you have any insights or realizations, I hope that you’ll share them with me. Perhaps with your wisdom, you can discover things that we have not considered or found before.”

Zhao Changhe nodded and said, “Sure.”

It was a very strange experience, being able to chat so casually with someone who was destined to be an enemy, and using a treasure from them and agreeing to share insights and realizations. Strangely, he did not feel any urgency to try it out. He did not even feel the urge to touch it.

Was it because his mind was calm, or was it because he knew that its effects were mediocre, and so his expectations were low?

*

Cui Yuanyang squatted in front of the marine clay, blinking as she watched Zhao Changhe enveloped in the clay.

Before Zhao Changhe’s face was covered, he peeked his face out and spoke to her, which amused the little rabbit greatly. “Big Brother Zhao, you’re so cute.”

Zhao Changhe was speechless. “Is that really a word that can apply to me?”

Cui Yuanyang extended her finger and poked Zhao Changhe’s face twice, laughing happily as she said, “Is there any more of this mud? I want to cover myself up too.”

Wang Zhaoling’s face darkened. “Do you really think that this is just some mud? It’s really hard to get this stuff, you know? Whatever, you two can play around here. I’m going out.”

Cui Yuanyang waved. “Take care, remember to close the door behind you~”

Wang Zhaoling shook his head in exasperation and left.

As soon as the door closed, the ice cave turned dark. Cui Yuanyang looked a bit cold. She folded her arms and crouched nearby, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Zhao Changhe’s face. “You seem to get along quite well with him, even trusting him this much. Sitting here in this dark room, covered in mysterious mud, are you not afraid of something going wrong?”

Zhao Changhe clicked his tongue and said, “You were just being cute a moment ago.... Look at you now, you’re all suspicious again.”

“Hmph.” Cui Yuanyang poked his face again. “I don’t believe that you have no plans. Tell me.”

“I really don’t have any plans or schemes. It’s just easier to communicate with smart people. If he were a fool, it would be less safe for me.” Zhao Changhe smiled. “You’re my protective talisman while I’m here. I feel as safe as ever with you around.”

Cui Yuanyang continued to poke him, “So I’m the one protecting you now, right?”

“Right.”

Cui Yuanyang was quite pleased. “Is there anything else that you need me to do?”

“If you stop poking me, that would be great...” Zhao Changhe’s voice began to tremble. “This thing... is starting to take effect. I’ll need you to protect me while I concentrate on the changes inside me.”

Wang Zhaoling left the ice cave. After walking through a long corridor, he slowed his pace and stood still for a moment before suddenly saying, “Miss Xia, your lover is safe. There is no need for you to lurk around and observe. You might as well show yourself and go see him.”

A white figure flashed by, and Xia Chichi appeared before him, somewhat surprised. “You really impress us.”

“Us? There’s someone else with you? Venerable Vermillion Bird?” Wang Zhaoling smiled. “Actually, it’s quite easy to guess. Given the current situation, there is actually room for cooperation between our Wang Clan and your cult. With you coming all this way, I don’t believe that there is no intention from your side to explore the idea of an alliance.”

Xia Chichi smiled and said, “So your clan organized this martial arts conference not just to test the waters, nor just to win Zhao Changhe over... but also to negotiate with our Four Idols Cult?”

“That’s right. We’re making a bold move, weighing the world. Others will only focus on the matters that are easier to see. As for inviting those from demonic cults, it’s comparatively a minor matter, as it simply seems like a matter of course.” Wang Zhaoling sighed. “There are always many benefits to doing things in a grand manner.”

After a moment of silence, Xia Chichi said, “Actually... it’s not half bad for celebrating a birthday.”

Wang Zhaoling remained silent.

“As long as what you gave Changhe is truly useful, we will form this alliance.”