Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 295: Wait for Me

Just as the sun was rising, Yue Hongling lazily got up to wash, glancing over at the man sitting cross-legged on the bed, meditating and cultivating. She felt both exasperated and amused at the sight.

It was indeed hard to understand what was going on in the head of a man who, despite being injured, refused to rest properly and insisted on dragging his lover hundreds of li away to find a romantic spot for dual cultivation.

If she were to think on the bright side, Zhao Changhe’s trust and reliance on her were truly unparalleled. He did not care about his injuries, as if he felt that he had absolute safety as long as he had her by his side. She honestly wondered where he got such confidence.

However, this trip back to the place they used to stay did bring her a pleasant surprise. It was a very interesting feeling.

What’s the point of having a rigid man? I’d much rather have a man like this who’s always full of surprises. Life is much more interesting that way...

Looking down from the mountain, she saw that the bandits had actually gathered themselves in the training ground, diligently practicing martial arts. She found it quite remarkable. Yue Hongling did not believe that they were this diligent when they were released from jail. She believed that it was probably because of Zhao Changhe’s arrival that they suddenly became like this.

It was as if they had regained their spirit.

Perhaps Zhao Changhe’s year of making waves on the rankings had spurred them, these people who had the same origins and were of similar age. Now, their stronghold master was at the top of the Ranking of Hidden Dragons, famous throughout the lands, but what about them? And even so, they might not have been all that motivated before, but seeing Zhao Changhe in person, with the real Yue Hongling at his side, must have stirred their hearts.

Was it too late for them to start working hard now?

In fact, it was not too late at all... Of course, as long as they did not compare themselves to Zhao Changhe. He was a genius, incomparable to most in the world. If it was not for the restrictions brought about by his meridians, he might have already ascended the heavens by now. If their goals were set at reaching the level of Instructor Sun or Fang Buping, it was entirely achievable.

Moreover, if their stronghold mistress decided to give them some pointers when she was in a good mood, her guidance would definitely allow them to advance faster than Instructor Sun’s guidance back then.

When she thought of these things, Yue Hongling found herself chuckling a bit. She could not help but feel some surprise.

Such thoughts as staying in one place and supporting her husband while educating the “children” had never appeared in her mind in the past... Was she really going to assume the role of a stronghold mistress now?

Lost in thought, she was startled by footsteps behind her. Zhao Changhe’s familiar arms wrapped around her from behind. “What’s on your mind?”

Yue Hongling asked, “How are your injuries?”

“They’re pretty much all good now. There are still some that need more time to heal, but it is what it is. Vulture Beak’s true qi is truly formidable. It’s latched onto my body like a bone-eating parasite, and it’s extremely difficult to eliminate. This might be the most troublesome injury I’ve ever had. Without our dual cultivation, I might have been bedridden for a long time.”

Yue Hongling’s lips curled into a smile. “Even if you don’t count Vulture Beak as someone on the Ranking of Earth, he was still undeniably ranked first on the Ranking of Man. Even I would not dare to provoke him, yet you actually dared to face him head-on. You criticize Batu for being fearless out of ignorance, but you’re not much different.”

“That was the battle formation. Someone had to step up.”

“What if you died?”

“In moments such as that, you don’t really think about that stuff. Once people start having such thoughts, no one will step forward.”

Yue Hongling smiled slightly. “You’re a hero.”

“Well, how else could I become your man?”

After a moment of silence, Yue Hongling asked, “With things as they are now, have you considered forming a small faction?”

Zhao Changhe shook his head. “It’s a nice idea, but it’s impossible for me to stay here and be a leader. I’m not someone who can stay put.”

Yue Hongling seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, then she smiled and said, “If you leave after your injuries are all healed, I feel like they’ll lose their spirit again.”

Zhao Changhe shrugged. “I don’t need to be responsible for them... But as their former stronghold leader, I can point them in the right direction.”

“Do you plan to have them join the army? They won’t agree to that.”

“Don’t worry about it. If they need to remain bandits for now, so be it. We’ll see later.” Zhao Changhe then changed the topic. “Now that we’re back here, do you feel a sense of space-time having shifted?”

Yue Hongling nodded. “Yes, it’s quite interesting.”

“I’ve been thinking about something...” Zhao Changhe briefly recounted his conversation with Ying Five, then added, “Ying Five mentioned that the greatest difference between the ancient era and now is the completeness of the world. I did not get to really delve deep into this matter with him. I immediately shifted our discussion to our cooperation. We had only just met, and I didn’t want to show too much interest in front of him. But in fact, I was really interested in it.”

Yue Hongling’s eyes sparkled with interest. “You have so many thoughts swirling in your head. It doesn’t match your stinky bear looks.”

“You’re talking about Batu, right?”

“Haha, so funny.”

“Do you think Ying Five is after the enlightenment from the lost space-time, seeking a path to reach the same level as the ancient gods and demons through these spaces? Or is he simply trying to rejoin the spaces to allow the spirit qi[1] of heaven and earth to become richer, elevating everyone’s cultivation?”

Yue Hongling thought for a while. “Probably a bit of both. He seems to be working something grand, and he doesn’t seem to only be doing what he’s doing for one reason. He also wouldn’t be so selfless as to work so hard just to elevate everyone’s cultivation.”

“Mm... If reconnecting those spaces with the world does lead to richer spirit qi, it’s more likely to end up letting the ancient gods and demons awaken. Xia Longyuan might be avoiding dealing with these spaces because he doesn’t want a flood of ancient beings to awaken and cause trouble. I wonder if there’s a god or demon backing Ying Five...”

Zhao Changhe was organizing his thoughts when he suddenly wondered if this was what the blind woman wanted to achieve, something that Xia Longyuan opposed or refused to do.

Of course, the blind woman might not only be aiming for the completion of the world; she had at least one other goal: the completion of the Heavenly Tome.

Xia Longyuan was clearly aware of the Heavenly Tome’s existence, and he might even possess a page himself, yet he never showed any intention of completing the Heavenly Tome. Otherwise, he would have asked about it during their conversation.

This at least indicated that he was not interested in collecting all of the pages, whereas Zhao Changhe did feel a certain desire to do so.

This was likely why the blind woman was not too concerned about his dissatisfaction with her. She knew that he was doing exactly what she wanted to see, albeit at a slower pace.

Zhao Changhe knew this as well, but he could not avoid it. Only by following this path could he hope to uncover the secrets of space-time.

Yue Hongling said, “You seem to be keeping some things to yourself... Do you find it hard to talk about them?”

“Well... It’s actually more that I don’t know where to start. Also, I’m worried that involving you in these things, which might not originally concern you, could be dangerous. There are some things neither you nor I can handle right now.”

“So you act as if there’s a tiger chasing you, and that has been urging you onward relentlessly.”

“Yes.”

Yue Hongling smiled slightly, turned around, and gently caressed his cheek. “You know... You haven’t really considered me as family. Like me, your heart is that of a wanderer.”

“That’s not it... Why don’t you say it’s because men have to bear their burdens silently?”

“Well, whether you are a wanderer or not, I am one,” said Yue Hongling. “Before the decisive battle at Yanmen, I already told you that I wanted to leave for the southwest after the war. I stayed because of your injuries, but now that you’re almost healed, it’s time for me to go.”

Even though Zhao Changhe was mentally prepared, he still felt a deep reluctance and clung to her sleeve. He then pleaded, “Big sister...”

“Your big sister has already satisfied your ears. What more do you want?”

“...”

Yue Hongling glanced at the bustling training ground, knowing that her sudden departure was a bit abrupt. She should have at least waited until Zhao Changhe had fully recovered, but she was suddenly afraid.

She was afraid that if she stayed a bit longer, she might not be able to bear leaving his side. She might really end up taking on the responsibilities of managing a household and various other affairs.

“Alright, all good things must come to an end.” Yue Hongling gently stroked his cheek and gave him a soft kiss. “You said it yourself, there are some things that neither you nor I can handle right now. Let’s not be greedy for momentary comfort. We need to keep moving forward. When the day comes that you think I can handle whatever it is, I will be waiting for you to tell me. I, your big sister, will help you.”

Zhao Changhe said nothing, he just held her tightly and kissed her deeply.

Yue Hongling closed her eyes and reciprocated the kiss.

On the snowy mountaintop, the couple embraced and kissed passionately. Below, the people training stopped one by one, their expressions blank.

Boss Zhao isn’t human! Before, he at least had the decency to keep this kind of thing behind closed doors, away from us brothers. But now, he’s openly flaunting it!

Now that they realized that the woman he was with was the legendary Yue Hongling, the feelings they felt were especially indescribable.

But as they looked, they had to admit that they made a great couple, and it was indeed a beautiful sight.

Perhaps only a hero like Boss Zhao is worthy of taking such a formidable woman as his wife...

As these thoughts filled the minds of the bandits, Yue Hongling gently pushed Zhao Changhe away and whispered, “Then, until we meet again?”

“Yes, until we meet again.” Zhao Changhe took a deep breath. “I hope that the next time we meet, I will have broken through to the Profound Mysteries. Perhaps then, I will have something to tell you”

Yue Hongling smiled softly. “Mm, I’ll wait for you.”

After saying that, she turned and walked into the courtyard. She brought out her red horse, mounted it, and rode away.

The bandits were left with their mouths wide open.

Boss Zhao got dumped again!

1. This is a bit different from spiritual energy, which has already been coined in this novel. While spiritual energy, which can also be translated as mental energy, is a form of energy that affects the mind, spirit qi is more of just a pure form of energy used for cultivation and elevating one’s strength. ☜