Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 272: Together with Yue Hongling

Clack, clack, clack!

The sound of steel striking flint echoed among the rocks, sparks scattering with every strike.

It was a very laborious task to start a fire, especially without any proper tinder and only some dry grass. Zhao Changhe never thought that he would one day criticize Xia Longyuan for something like this.

You’ve managed to establish such a large empire and rule over it for so many years, yet you haven’t even managed to produce a goddamn lighter?! You’re a disgrace to all transmigrators!

But upon further thought, he realized that a lighter would have probably been ruined in the water anyway, so perhaps the flint and steel were indeed a bit more reliable anyway. As that thought flashed through his mind, he continued striking.

Soon, he finally managed to start a fire. Zhao Changhe was ecstatic as he quickly placed some of the dry branches he gathered on top. Before long, a warm campfire formed among the stones.

The space was windless, allowing the fire to burn steadily. Zhao Changhe jumped up joyfully, laughing like a child.

Yue Hongling, naked, peeked her head out from behind a rock to look at him.

Zhao Changhe waved excitedly. “You can bring your wet clothes here to dry!”

She withdrew her head. “Don’t come over!”

“As if I want to,” Zhao Changhe muttered. He ignored her and sat back by the fire, cheerfully pulling out a pack of new clothes from his bag.

He had intended to dry a set for himself, but as he rummaged through his bag, he remembered that he had also bought a set of clothing for Yue Hongling. He hung them to dry as well. “You’re in luck. You don’t need to wear that flashy red outfit anymore.”

Yue Hongling was furious. “Zhao Changhe!”

Zhao Changhe looked up toward the sky.

Yue Hongling glared at him from behind the rocks, then suddenly smiled, “Yeah, I’m the stinky one. You’d better not kiss me ever again then.”

Zhao Changhe immediately shrank back. “Huh? You smell great! You smell amazing!”

“Hmph.” She withdrew her head.

It suddenly became quiet.

A deserted space, a tranquil coast; the warmth of a campfire, separated by some mere rocks.

She was naked and he knew it.

Just knowing this was enough to disturb their calm. If someone else were here, they would be able to hear both of their hearts thumping loudly.

Zhao Changhe lowered his head to treat his wounds, and he suddenly spoke after a while, “This probably isn’t a sea, but a large lake.”

Knowing that he was deliberately changing the subject, Yue Hongling responded with an “mm-hm,” then leaned against the rock and laughed to herself.

What is even going on in my head?

It was as if the self-reliant, independent woman who had been navigating the world alone had disappeared all of a sudden, and it was as if the one with rich experience in the jianghu was him, not her. It made her feel like Cui Yuanyang from back then, as if she knew nothing.

Actually, Yue Hongling knew that the reason why Zhao Changhe thought this was a lake was probably because the water was not salty, and their wounds when they had been soaked in it did not feel the sting of saltwater. In fact, not only was the water not salty, but it also seemed extremely pure, so pure that it lacked many elements.

This kind of water might not be very beneficial to drink, but it was not harmful either. At least it would quench their thirst, and it was great for cleaning wounds. This was what she had gotten from Zhao Changhe’s comment.

Neither of them said anything more. They silently tended to their wounds, reapplying medicine and bandaging them up, their fatigue gradually dissipating.

Zhao Changhe brought a portion of the fire closer to her, very careful to not peek over. “Yours.”

Yue Hongling looked at the fire he brought over. It was warm, just like him.

She bowed her head again and responded with an “mm.”

Zhao Changhe returned to his campfire again, tiredly stirring with it for a while, and unknowingly falling asleep as he leaned against the rock behind him.

He was very tired... too tired.

Yue Hongling silently took a peek at him, then also slowly closed her eyes.

*

Early the next morning, Yue Hongling opened her eyes.

Actually, she had no idea if it was morning or evening, as the sky was not visible here. It was still dark, making it impossible to tell the time.

The small fire next to her had also gone out at some point.

However, after adapting to the darkness and regaining much of her strength after a night’s rest, Yue Hongling could see much better. While she could still not see very far, she could see enough.

She first checked herself internally. After fighting and running with injuries, her condition was a mess, but thankfully, her external wounds had not gotten infected. Applying for medicine and having a good night’s rest had helped significantly, but her internal injuries were still quite troublesome.

Hu Lie was ranked forty-first on the Ranking of Man, so his strength was no joke. The saber qi that he had sent into her body had caused a great deal of trouble, severely damaging her meridians and nearly destroying her dantian.

The medicine that she had taken last night did not seem to have much effect on the internal injuries. She had managed to gather some true qi after resting, but it had almost entirely scattered and it didn’t seem like she could store it properly.

Yue Hongling sighed, stopped introspecting, and stood up.

Looking down at herself, she realized that her clothes were still out drying. There was no wind here, and it was not cold either, so she had not realized it right away.

Yue Hongling rubbed her head somewhat shamefully. To think that she had spent like this with a man nearby and had not felt any panic or embarrassment. She had even slept soundly... Perhaps it was due to exhaustion? But upon waking, why did she feel as if nothing had happened, not even remembering how she looked at the moment?

She cautiously peeked her head out again and looked toward the campfire.

Zhao Changhe’s campfire had dwindled to a small, flickering flame. He was still asleep, deeply slumped against the rock, his brow furrowed even in sleep. He was curled up, and he looked very uncomfortable.

The latter half of the previous day had been entirely sustained by him. His level of exhaustion far exceeded her own. She guessed that not only was he dealing with injuries and overexertion but that he could also be having to deal with the possibility of the vicious blood qi within him flaring up. The towering man had shrunk, now as vulnerable as a child.

Yue Hongling carefully moved out from behind the rock, quietly reaching out to grab the white clothing that he had bought for her and hung by the side. As soon as she managed to grab it, she swiftly pulled back behind the rock.

After a moment, Yue Hongling, dressed in white clothing, emerged from behind the rock and looked indignantly at the sleeping Zhao Changhe. Her face was even more flushed with embarrassment than when she was naked.

What kind of absurd clothes did he buy? There isn’t any fabric covering my right arm at all, it’s completely bare! Did he buy this because he wanted to see me in it?!

Yue Hongling clenched her fist, preparing to punch him. Her clenched fist stopped right beside his cheek, and she ultimately held herself back, letting out a soft harrumph.

When she turned her head, she noticed that the fire was about to die out. She leaped up and hurriedly used some of the nearby dried branches to feed the fire. Watching the small, trembling flam regain strength, she could not help but smile.

No wonder he laughed like a child yesterday; sometimes, happiness is just that simple.

She checked the supplies. There was still some dry food wrapped well in oil paper in her bag. Although it seemed to have been soaked a little, it was still fine overall.

She then took out some of the food and slowly ate it with some clean water, feeling even happier afterward.

After she finished eating, she went to the lakeside to wash herself thoroughly. On a whim, she jumped in and vigorously cleaned herself.

Yue Hongling did not know why she wanted to wash herself. She had already said that she was not dirty to begin with. Did she do it to make him believe that she was clean? Why did she need him to believe that? What was she even thinking?

Yue Hongling did not really know, but she washed herself nevertheless. Then, she put on the outfit again and returned to the campfire, running her fingers through her hair.

The time a woman spent washing and fussing about her looks was always long, but even after all that time, Zhao Changhe was still not awake. In fact, he seemed to have curled up even more, his brow furrowed even deeper, and he was even groaning a little.

Yue Hongling’s heart skipped a beat. She reached out and touched his forehead.

He had a fever, and it was severe. The saber qi wreaking havoc in his body had turned his internal organs into a mess. The vicious blood qi in his body responded in turn, roaring and surging like a tide.

—It turned out that he was not actually sleeping but rather unconscious.

Yue Hongling hurriedly took out a medicinal pill from her bag and stuffed it into his mouth, but he could not swallow it at all, and it fell out.

Despite her rich experience in the jianghu, Yue Hongling had always moved alone. She had never had to take care of a sick person. She really did not know how to make him swallow the pill, and she was momentarily stumped.

After thinking for a long time, she simply propped him up against her shoulder, chewed the medicinal pill herself, and then fed it to him mouth to mouth.

Just like the energy transfer yesterday, this is perfectly normal.

Oh, you still dare spit it out! Swallow it!

As the medicine took effect, the saber qi tormenting Zhao Changhe’s body eased a bit. At the same time, his meridians were nourished and maintained by the medicinal power of the pill, spreading a cool and refreshing feeling across his body. Gradually, he began to regain consciousness.

Before he even opened his eyes, he felt a strange softness in his mouth, and he felt another lip pressed against his.

Her arm that was wrapped around his neck felt even stranger to him.

Why does her arm feel so warm and smooth? Is she not wearing anything?

In fact, Yue Hongling could sense his awakening, and when she noticed it, she held him even tighter. At the same time, she mumbled vaguely, “Don’t move, let your big sister help you.”

She transferred the true qi accumulated overnight to him without reservation. “Circulate your energy, don’t think about anything else.”

Zhao Changhe did not say anything. He silently leaned in her arms, receiving her true qi and sorting out his meridians.

Amid the darkness, with only a warm campfire for light, a man was nestled in a lady’s arms, sharing a gentle kiss. It was a quiet and peaceful scene.