Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 129: I’d Like Him to Taste the Bitterness of Defeat

Zhao Changhe felt that he was quite strange. He had been quite lustful earlier, and after being kissed by the imposter, he really wanted to kiss the real one as well.

But after embracing her like this, all of those thoughts gradually disappeared. Despite her being soft and fragrant, he could not muster up any impure thoughts. Instead, he only felt an increasing sense of peace.

Perhaps he was just too exhausted.

Only Yue Hongling had ever been able to make him feel this sense of dependence and comfort.

Yue Hongling also felt strangely at ease. She was surprised to find that she did not feel any discomfort despite being held like this. She felt like she couldn’t break free, either. She could not figure out if it was because of the pain in her shoulder or if it was a mixture of rejection and attraction.

Regardless, she felt very much at peace with him embracing her like this. It was just like when she felt an inexplicable sense of security in her heart as he walked in front of her in that secret passage.

Perhaps it was the result of all of her adventures and hardships finally catching up to her?

She had no idea. However, she did know that being held quietly in his embrace felt genuinely peaceful.

In the distance, a rooster crowed, and the eastern sky was dyed in the golden glow of the rising sun.

Dawn had arrived.

The man and woman who had been standing silently in each other’s embrace inside the room finally began to separate.

Yue Hongling turned around and gently pushed away from Zhao Changhe’s chest.

She looked into his eyes.

His gaze seemed to have just returned from a distant place, as if he had just regained his clarity of mind. Yue Hongling had not felt any sort of lustful passion from him the entire time, and she wondered if he saw the situation as him holding onto the heroine he admired, or holding onto the stubborn dream of his younger self.

Then, it was as if he suddenly had some regrets and moved his mouth toward her in an attempt to kiss her.

Yue Hongling gave him a teasing smile and quickly pressed her hand to his mouth, saying, “You said just a hug.”

Zhao Changhe felt a tinge of regret.

Yue Hongling finally laughed out loud, saying “You’re such a child.”

Zhao Changhe pursed his lips and playfully pecked the hand that was covering his mouth. Yue Hongling recoiled as if shocked, shooting him a stern look.

Zhao Changhe did not press on any further. However, he seemed to have been refreshed and gained some clarity. He calmly turned around, sat at the table, and poured tea. “You keep calling me a child... Well, I suddenly remembered something we discussed a long time ago.”

Yue Hongling’s mouth twitched. She wiped her hand on her pant leg and then sat down beside him. She casually grabbed the tea he had just poured and took a sip. “What was it?”

“When we meet again in the jianghu, what should I call you?”

“Aren’t you already calling me Miss Yue? Or maybe ‘big sister’ when we’re not in public? Even that celestial maiden has heard it, right?”

Zhao Changhe glanced at her and said with a smile, “Yes, but if I were to answer that question again right now, I’d choose a different answer.”

“Oh? And what would your answer be?”

“I hope that when we meet again in the future, I can call you ‘Hongling’ without hesitation.”

Yue Hongling’s heart skipped a beat, but she maintained a dismissive smile on her face. “Hey, did you suddenly gain confidence after making a breakthrough? Don’t forget, you’re still only at the fourth layer.”

“That isn’t the most important factor for you though, is it? Or is there a minimum requirement?” Zhao Changhe smiled. “Anyway, I would like to request you to protect me one more time, Miss Yue.”

Yue Hongling was stunned. “What are you going to do?”

Zhao Changhe took out a few pills that could improve his blood and qi. “I’ve already broken through to the fourth layer both internally and externally, and I have a stable dantian and vigorous true qi. Also, it is currently the best time of the day to circulate my blood and qi. My external cultivation has always been higher than my internal cultivation anyway, and now that my internal cultivation has reached the standard, I can finally continue to work on my external cultivation. I want to reach the fifth layer right now.”

Yue Hongling suddenly felt that he was the very definition of a madman.

After just experiencing such intense pain, most people would need some time to recover. Additionally, they had just finished their “dual cultivation,” which in most people’s minds would be considered the end of a cultivation session.

On the other hand, this guy’s mind was already racing toward another breakthrough, leaving her struggling to keep up with his thoughts.

He’s just like a wolf that is never full... No wonder he has been able to increase his cultivation so fast. But with how he had such a hard time dealing with the surging of the vicious blood earlier, would he have to go through that again during his breakthrough?

Zhao Changhe slowly swallowed the medicine that would boost his blood and qi, and said in a low voice, “Why so serious... Don’t worry, I have a lot of experience with the Vicious Blood Art. It has just erupted, so the vicious qi is much stabler now. It won’t happen again so soon. When my external cultivation broke through to the fourth layer, it was just after I chatted with Cui Wenjing. Back then, it was also just after my vicious blood erupted in the wild, and this time is more or less the same.”

Yue Hongling said, “Alright, I believe that you won’t go through what you just did, but I’m curious, why are you so eager to increase your cultivation? You’ve only been practicing martial arts for a little over half a year.”

“Do you mean in the long-term or the short-term?”

“Huh? What are you saying?”

“If you’re referring to why I want to improve my cultivation in the distant future, then it’s because I want to get to where you are sooner.”

Yue Hongling fell silent. The phrase “get to where you are” could be interpreted in any number of ways right now. She was not sure if he was referring to her as a person or her cultivation, but she did not want him to clarify.

She could not help but think of Cui Yuanyang.

When she thought of her, it brought an awkward feeling to her heart.

But then Zhao Changhe continued, “As for the short term...”

As he spoke, his muscles began to tense up, and the vicious blood within him gathered again. At the same time, vicious qi surged, instantly making it feel as if the room had transformed into a bloody battlefield.

“...I’m going to challenge someone soon. The fourth layer definitely won’t be enough, but the fifth layer should just about suffice.”

As he spoke, the vicious blood condensed, and he broke through to the fifth layer of the Profound Gate.

Yue Hongling felt as if she were witnessing a miracle unfold right before her eyes. Her heart could not help but swell with excitement. Such a scene truly ignited passion and fervor within martial artists, and she could not help but feel that he was really handsome and charming at that moment...

If they hadn’t been on such close terms, Yue Hongling would have wanted to challenge him herself.

Zhao Changhe looked within himself for a moment, then he beamed and said, “When I mentioned I needed you to protect me, I didn’t mean for this breakthrough, but for the upcoming challenge. Big sister Yue, you can just have some breakfast nearby or whatever. I just need you to ensure that there are no interruptions.”

Yue Hongling felt that she would be able to watch something interesting, so she did not ask whom he was going to challenge, but instead just, “Why now?”

Zhao Changhe stood up and said, “External and internal cultivation are not the same. While internal cultivation still requires accumulation even after breaking through, external cultivation yields immediate results. The Vicious Blood Art is particularly unique. Right after the breakthrough, the vicious qi is at its peak, making my combat prowess unparalleled. Plus, I just got to embrace you so my state of mind is perfect right now.”

Yue Hongling could not be bothered to address his last statement and directly said, “I suppose there’s more to it than that, right?”

“You’re right. It’s because if I wait two more days, he’ll achieve everything, and I want to give him a little setback. Although it might not have much to do with me personally, I’m still unhappy and I want to tell him that not everyone is oblivious to what he’s been doing. At the very least, I’d like him to taste the bitterness of defeat.”

*

It was already morning, but Yangzhou still very much had a chaotic atmosphere. The pedestrians hurriedly walked to wherever they were headed, all keeping their heads down, afraid of being mistaken for followers of the Maitreya Cult. Small street vendors also temporarily closed their stalls, leaving the streets largely deserted.

However, the atmosphere was still quite lively around the Bright Moon Tower as this area was under the Cao Gang.

The young gang leader of the Cao Gang, Wan Dongliu, actively cooperated with the Demon Suppression Bureau to capture the members of the demonic cult, leading to the expulsion of a large number of members of the Cao Gang, including some high-ranking figures. This cooperation greatly pleased the Demon Suppression Bureau. Their operation was made much easier with the help of this local snake.

As a result, the businesses of the Cao Gang were not disturbed by the authorities, and many workers could be seen in nearby shops eating porridge and steamed buns.

Wan Dongliu sat leisurely on the top floor of Bright Moon Tower, eating breakfast and entertaining Daoist Priest Xuan Chong, who had been staying with him, as well as Tang Buqi, who had just joined them for breakfast.

The three of them chatted about the assassination of the magistrate, the Maitreya Cult, and the northern barbarians. They also talked about Zhao Changhe’s embarrassment at last night’s banquet. It was as if the turmoil in Yangzhou had nothing to do with them.

Tang Buqi, in particular, angrily denounced the Maitreya Cult and the northern barbarians, claiming that they were murderers who did not respect their Tang Clan.

“You didn’t see it. Thanks to my intervention, Zhao Changhe was able to keep his life, otherwise Fa Yuan’s saber last night...”

“Then you two are now even. He did save you from Batu, no?”

“Batu? Even without his help, I would not have been in any actual trouble. My Tang Clan has many secret arts, what does he know?”

“...Indeed, indeed, brother Tang, you’re a great talent.”

“Huh?” Xuan Chong suddenly pointed to the end of the street and chuckled. “Speak of the devil.”

Wan Dongliu turned his head to look. In the early morning mist, a burly man carrying a huge saber gradually emerged. Wherever he went, the vendors fell silent, pedestrians held their tongues, and even those eating porridge made sure they didn’t chew with their mouths open. His imposing presence was truly astonishing.

Where was the embarrassment from last night’s banquet that they were just talking about?

Tang Buqi, who had been boasting just now, immediately shut up. Zhao Changhe seemed even more powerful now, and he felt that if he were to try attacking him again, he might just end up being sliced in half by Zhao Changhe’s saber.

“It looks like he’s had a breakthrough.” Xuan Chong sighed. “With the bloodthirsty aura he’s emitting, the nickname that the Maitreya Cult gave him is truly fitting. Isn’t he the very living definition of an asura?”

Wan Dongliu was a little distracted and responded casually, “Yes, indeed.”

Tang Buqi looked around. “It looks like Yue Hongling isn’t with him. I recall seeing them leave together last night.”

The two exchanged a glance, but Tang Buqi acted as if he had not said anything and continued, “I wonder where Zhao Changhe is going so early in the morning. Is he just passing by? Should we invite him up here?”

Just as he said that, they saw Zhao Changhe stop right beneath the Bright Moon Tower. He looked up at Wan Dongliu and the others, laughed loudly, and then his voice boomed.

“I, Zhao Changhe of Beimang, challenge the 70th Hidden Dragon Wan Dongliu! Brother Wan, please graciously give me your guidance!”

Wan Dongliu’s expression changed slightly, and the long street fell silent.