Tome of Troubled Times

C529: The Agreement for the Eastern Sea

This was the second time Zhao Changhe encountered a situation that required waiting for the right moment. The first time had been at the Spirit Tribe’s ancestral land, where he had also benefited and gained a clear understanding of this type of method.

In reality, what was referred to as the right moment was often linked to the right place. For the Spirit Tribe, it had to be at their ancestral land, the spiritual platform of their ancestral shaman. Similarly, Xia Chichi’s opportunity also required her to be at a specific location, though it was still unclear what made that particular location special.

Xia Chichi could venture out to sea whenever she pleased.

The Four Idols Cult had not yet fallen out with the Wang Clan and were still cooperating smoothly. Meanwhile, with Wan Tianxiong rampaging across the Jianghuai region, blocking the Tang Clan from advancing north, they had become a barrier for the Wang Clan in the south. Given the setback the Wang Clan faced in their attack on Puyang, the Sea Tribe would be foolish to start a conflict with the Four Idols Cult at this moment. If they were to turn against each other, now was certainly not the right time.

So Xia Chichi could do as she pleased overseas as long as she did not encounter some kind of unavoidable accident. There were no enemies. She could even officially visit the Sea Tribe if she wished.

The only uncertainty lay in whether causing a celestial phenomenon or triggering some unusual event would provoke a reaction from the Sea Tribe—whether they would turn hostile and try to seize control.

If something went wrong, being out there in the vast ocean, far from the mainland, meant no help would come.

As for Xia Chichi herself, she was not afraid of the danger. How could one cultivate if they feared even a potentially nonexistent risk? If that were the case, what was the point of cultivating?

But right now, she really did not want to go...

It had been so long since she last saw Zhao Changhe. They had finally reunited, yet they had barely exchanged a few words, and she had even ended up being made to watch him roll around with that shameless Fire Serpent of Yi, stark naked. They even argued, and in the end, she had to leave for the sea like a defeated dog.

Xia Chichi’s small foot twisted on the ground, and after a while, she muttered, “I’m now at least a powerful fighter at the second layer of the Profound Mysteries. With the Central Plains in turmoil, should I really be running off to sea when I could be a formidable asset to our holy cult?”

Huangfu Qing responded, “Of course you should go. This is an opportunity for you to reach the third layer of the Profound Mysteries. As for the matters here in the Central Plains, at least for now, they aren’t urgent for our holy cult. It’s not yet time for us to act in full force.”

“The third layer of the Profound Mysteries is still far off. I haven’t even reached the threshold. I’d probably still need a few more years of training,” Xia Chichi replied. “I need to report this to the venerable first and let her make the decision.”

Huangfu Qing really wanted to say “There’s no need for you to report anything. Just go already. You can train just as well overseas. Who says you must stay here on the mainland?”

By then, the Four Idols Cult would have three members on the Ranking of Heaven. Imagine what an explosive sight that would be!

Unfortunately, she could not say these words outright. Thus, she did some acting instead. Huangfu Qing sighed, “Then we’ll wait for the venerable’s decision... Anyway, how did Xia Longyuan suddenly help you break through? Tell me about it so I can report it to the venerable as well. Maybe it could benefit our holy cult.”

Xia Chichi, slumping like a defeated dog, mumbled, “He poked me on the forehead, and a lot of stuff suddenly appeared in my head... He lied to me, saying it was my mother’s teachings, but it was actually his own. I can’t exactly extract it from my head... Most of it’s fine, but things like My Fist and Tyrannical Saber—those names are awful. I’m a woman, for crying out loud...”

Zhao Changhe and Huangfu Qing exchanged glances, speechless at Xia Longyuan’s antics.

A palace maid knocked softly on the door and spoke in a low voice, “Madam.”

Huangfu Qing snapped out of her thoughts. “What is it?”

“Someone from the Purple Tenuity Palace sent a message to Tang Wanzhuang, ordering her to immediately arrest several officials, and instructed the young marquis to send troops to support Hebei.”

Zhao Changhe suddenly stood up, astonished and thrilled.

The so-called Purple Tenuity Palace should be where the fake Xia Longyuan resided. But such a sudden order in the middle of the night could only mean one thing—it came from the real one.

Could it be that scolding him earlier actually worked? He’s really starting to take action! Internal purging of officials related to Wang Clan, external orders for the imperial army to rush to Hebei... and most importantly, he’s actually willing to let Huangfu Shaozong lead troops!

Huangfu Shaozong was the hostage left in the capital by Huangfu Yongxian. Even under a different ruler, it was not likely they would allow him such freedom, much less with an army! This was truly the boldness of a ruler who trusted his subordinates. If he had acted like this earlier, how could the empire have fallen into such chaos?

Huangfu Qing could not believe it either. “How many troops is he letting Shaozong lead? And from which camp?”

“We don’t know yet...”

Huangfu Qing quickly got dressed. “I need to leave the palace immediately to see Shaozong.”

Once Huangfu Shaozong was off the leash, Huangfu Qing could manipulate him even more, and now she really did not have time to flirt with men or argue with her disciple.

Xia Chichi watched her, hesitating to speak. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

It had only just occurred to her. Did Huangfu Qing only now realize she’d been stark naked this whole time while we were talking?

No one can compete with this shameless vixen. Who else could be so utterly without shame? When I leave the palace and meet with the venerable, I’ll try to file a complaint—this witch is definitely tarnishing our holy cult’s reputation. We’re not a brothel, for goodness’ sake!

* * *

Huangfu Qing rushed off to the Marquis’s residence, while Xia Chichi planned to find Vermillion Bird. But when she glanced at Zhao Changhe, she saw that he seemed lost in thought all the way out of the palace, as if something was weighing on his mind.

So Xia Chichi decided not to follow after Huangfu Qing. Instead, she took Zhao Changhe’s hand and walked along the streets outside the palace.

This man had become increasingly entangled with various women, surrounded by a never-ending stream of beauties. Ultimately, though, Xia Chichi was not particularly bothered by it, considering she herself had been the one to tell him to be more indulgent, and anyway, she found it boring. Nowadays, even the venerable no longer seemed to care as much about her relationship with Zhao Changhe. For instance, now, she could openly hold his hand while walking through the streets of the capital, even though the venerable was nearby. This would have been unthinkable before, but now it seemed like Venerable Vermillion Bird no longer cared.

Zhao Changhe was getting stronger and stronger, and Xia Chichi was no longer weak either. The venerable had to take their relationship seriously now.

Strength was always the best pass. She had always hoped Zhao Changhe would become strong, precisely for a day like this. He had fulfilled that expectation perfectly, and he was now even stronger than her.

The capital, which she had once avoided, was now a place they could freely walk through, even after facing Xia Longyuan directly. When it came down to it, it was all just about self-imposed limitations.

But Zhao Changhe had been unusually silent since they arrived in the capital, as if the chaos in the world weighed heavily on him.

After quietly strolling together for a while, Xia Chichi finally broke the silence. “What’s on your mind?”

Zhao Changhe replied, “I was initially thinking about what I could do about the Sea Tribe... but I haven’t been able to come up with anything. I even considered going to Puyang to fight alongside Cui Yuanyong.”

“And now?”

“If the imperial army is supporting Hebei, I don’t need to get involved in that anymore. I can think about something else. For example...” Zhao Changhe hesitated. “Maybe I should also take a trip to the sea.”

Xia Chichi almost stumbled in surprise, both delighted and startled. “Really?”

Zhao Changhe’s eyes glinted with amusement as he turned to boop her nose. “I’m just a wanderer. I go wherever I’m needed. I’m genuinely curious about the situation overseas and would like to see it for myself. But I’m still hesitant...”

“Hesitant why?”

“I spent so much time away from the Central Plains in Miaojiang, and when I returned, everything had changed. If I leave again, this time for the sea, I’ll be far from the situation here. I’m worried that while I’m away, everything will fall apart... It makes me feel uneasy.”

Xia Chichi fell silent.

She did not really want to go out to sea at this time either, partly because of similar concerns. Of course, she was not worried about as many things as Zhao Changhe. As long as the Four Idols Cult was safe, she did not care much about the rest. But Zhao Changhe’s sense of responsibility was inexplicably heavy, and he always felt like he needed to do something.

Xia Chichi sighed. “You know, you don’t always have to burden yourself with everything. This world isn’t your responsibility.”

“It’s not that... It’s just hard to watch without doing anything, and yet, I don’t know what I can do.”

“You’ve already done a lot...” Xia Chichi paused, then added, “More than even the emperor.”

Zhao Changhe smiled but did not respond.

Xia Chichi thought for a moment before saying, “I haven’t decided whether or when to go to sea, and you haven’t either. How about this: there’s a large island about a thousand li away in the east called Seasky Island[1]. There’s a small nation on it, and it’s fairly prosperous. The Four Idols Cult’s Wood Flood Dragon of Jiao[2] has been stationed there for years, and it’s become a small base for us. If you’re interested in heading to sea, you could meet me there...”

Originally, Xia Chichi had not planned on going to sea, but as she spoke, she found herself feeling a sense of anticipation and suddenly smiled. “Who knows, maybe you and I, as husband and wife, can stir up a storm in the Eastern Sea?”

At the end of the street, a squad from the Demon Suppression Bureau rushed by, seemingly on their way to make arrests.

Tang Wanzhuang was at the rear of the group, and upon seeing them, she paused for a moment and stood there, as if she had something to say.

Xia Chichi smiled, not intending to confront Tang Wanzhuang directly. With a graceful tap of her foot on the ground, she instantly leaped onto a nearby rooftop and disappeared into the night like a wisp of smoke. “I’ll leave you to enjoy the two most beautiful flowers of the capital on the same day.”

1. Seasky Island (海天岛) doesn’t seem to reference any actual place in the real world. ☜

2. The Mansion of Jiao is a mansion under the Azure Dragon. It represents the Azure Dragon’s horns. ☜