Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 466: Return to the Jianghu

In recent days, not only had Zhao Changhe felt like he could not do much, but Yue Hongling had too.

Zhao Changhe fared slightly better. Though he didn’t have much expertise in the field, he still helped organize the martial artists, which aided the fledgling Spirit Tribe in recruiting and forming a militia. In other words, he was fulfilling his duty as a protector.

He also knew how to assign tasks, send people to search for Shi Wuding, organize the defenses, and even propose zoning plans for the new town and set up drainage systems. These efforts made him a key contributor to the creation of Taoyuan Town.

After all, he had once managed a mountain stronghold as its master, so when it came to work, he had a bit of structure. Plus, even if he had not personally handled things before, he had seen plenty of it—whether in Xiangyang or Kuaiji. He had observed enough construction and management work, and Tang Wanzhuang had even tried to teach him some of it.

Although he had not learned much from her, the knowledge left over from modern times in his head still proved fairly useful. Surprisingly, aside from Sisi, he had become the most capable person in the Spirit Tribe.

As for the former “stronghold mistress,” she realized that she was not good for much other than teaching and leading security patrols. If Zhao Changhe was responsible for organizing and managing tasks, she was more like an enforcer.

At first, she had been slightly unwilling to accept this, feeling like she could do more. But after seeing the overwhelming amount of complex work Sisi was handling—so much that it gave her a headache—Yue Hongling lost any desire to even try getting involved. She resigned herself to simply maintaining order.

Unexpectedly, Sisi, who usually seemed to know nothing but flirt and tease people, actually had some ability in managing people. Ultimately, she was a saintess who was in the process of leading her tribe out of a secret realm to establish themselves in the outside world. Sisi had gained experience in managing this kind of fledgling force, even though she had not brought many people with her.

Most people, when it came down to it, could not even manage ten people properly despite all their lofty talk. This was why aristocratic families had such an important role in society—these families were able to consistently produce competent people, the kind that were difficult to replace in the ancient society.

Fortunately, this mission to investigate Shi Wuding gave Yue Hongling a renewed sense of purpose, and she was in noticeably better spirits.

Everyone has their strengths!

“To be honest, seeing how you handle things has made me quite moved,” Yue Hongling said with a sigh to Zhao Changhe as they traveled toward the snowy mountains. “I feel like my perspective has broadened... Maybe it’ll even benefit my swordsmanship.”

“A few days ago, I saw you looking like you were holding something back, a bit lost in thought. I was worried you were questioning or doubting your path. Thankfully, that doesn’t really seem to be the case.”

“Ha, as if it would be so easy for me to waver in my own path!” Yue Hongling flicked her ponytail, full of energy. “You’d have to be pretty dumb to get shaken over something like that. Everyone’s doing righteous deeds—just because one approach works better doesn’t mean the other isn’t needed. Where’s the logic in that? Even a small town needs division of labor.”

“Ha... That’s good to hear,” Zhao Changhe said with a smile. “Then what was with that unconvinced look you had before?”

“If she can do it, I figured I should be able to do it too. But when I realized I couldn’t, I accepted it. The things I’m doing now, she can’t handle. Can you imagine her facing Shi Wuding? With her limited skills, she’d get slapped flat in no time...”

Zhao Changhe could not help but laugh, “There’s plenty she couldn’t do that you can, like those moves of yours last night.”

“Ugh!” Yue Hongling blushed.

Having spent more time together, living a regular life in the town, their relationship felt more and more like that of an old married couple. Once certain boundaries were crossed, it was hard to stop. Ever since trying a new position last time, Zhao Changhe had been convincing her to explore more, and Yue Hongling, with her flexible and strong body, found she could do quite a few new things, much to his delight... and to her own surprise, to her delight as well.

Sometimes, Yue Hongling could not even remember what her old self used to be like. She often felt that Sisi looked at her in the same way she used to look at Sisi—with a teasing, playful gaze.

Yue Hongling did not want to entertain Zhao Changhe’s jokes, though. What weighed on her mind more was the thought of running away. Living together, working together, sleeping together—this kind of life was starting to scare her.

She was afraid that if she got too used to it, she would not want to leave anymore.

Zhao Changhe said, “It’s strange... Why are you always comparing yourself to Sisi these days?”

“I’m not comparing myself to her! I’m not as shameless as her. She sits at the table, stretches her feet out in front of you, and wiggles her toes. Does she really think her toes are so cute and flexible? Who is she trying to tease? Whether or not we’re married, I’m your woman in front of her. Does she think I have no dignity?”

“...”

Yue Hongling stubbornly added, “Besides, a true swordsman would take such provocations and use them to see if they could inspire breakthroughs in their sword intent. Who knows, maybe I’ll break through to the second layer of Profound Mysteries thanks to this. This is my insight into the path of the sword—it has nothing to do with Xiang Simeng!”

Zhao Changhe did not argue with her. After all, she probably had gained some real insight. “Oh, do you have any insights to share? Teach me.”

“Sure. My sword intent has become broader, more grounded in the human experience.”

“I get the broader part, as you’re expanding your perspective, but what do you mean by more grounded?”

Yue Hongling swung her horsewhip and pointed toward the morning glow in the sky. “Before, my intent was focused on the jianghu—the rivers at sunset, the deserts and grasslands. Now I understand more—the vastness of life itself, the countless families living under the sky. Isn’t that going from the martial world to the human world?”

She turned to look at Zhao Changhe, riding alongside her, and smiled. “My intent is clear. The Sword Emperor’s techniques that you taught me have been helpful as well. Once my physical strength reaches the next level of cultivation, I’ll be at the second layer of the Profound Mysteries. Little brother, you’re still behind me—better keep up.”

“Hyah!” The heroine whipped her horse and charged toward the distant snow mountains.

Zhao Changhe followed behind, watching her ponytail fly in the wind, feeling a warmth in his heart.

Whether he could catch up to her strength did not seem all that important anymore.

As long as he was right beside her in the jianghu, forever chasing that pure beginning, looking at her back in that red dress....

* * *

While Yue Hongling sensed that she was on the verge of reaching the second layer of the Profound Mysteries, Zhao Changhe still felt he had a long way to go. But compared to the previous uncertainty, when he had no clue how to advance, now he could finally see a path forward.

Yue Hongling had made a great leap in her swordsmanship, and Zhao Changhe was not far behind either.

Playing the roles of Wang Daozhong and Si Laoye required different sword arts, facing different situations. Even when wielding a saber, Zhao Changhe had never been so versatile. Coupled with his daily dual cultivation and sword practice with Yue Hongling, his understanding and insight into swordsmanship had grown exponentially.

Zhao Changhe now felt that his mastery of the sword had reached a point of full integration. Even if he returned to the Central Plains and claimed to be a swordsman, no one would be able to deny it.

His goal in learning the sword was to break through the bottleneck in his saber arts. Just as Yue Hongling felt her sword intent had broadened and thus touched the door of the second layer of the Profound Mysteries, Zhao Changhe also felt that if he could overcome the bottleneck in his saber arts, the insight needed to reach the second layer of the Profound Mysteries would be within reach.

With his martial understanding and insight in place, the next step was to strengthen his body: resolving the lingering issues with his poor meridians and refining his Blood Asura Body with the help of Sharp Blade Grass and Heavenly Blood Jade. Once all of this was completed, he would be ready to attack the second layer of the Profound Mysteries.

It felt good to have a clear path ahead, to charge toward a distant yet visible goal. Even if it seemed far away, it did not matter.

This time, neither of them used disguises; they both returned to their original appearances as Zhao Changhe and Yue Hongling. Zhao Changhe carried the jubilant Dragon Bird on his back.

The trouble with the Sword Hut had nothing to do with the Spirit Tribe. It was a matter between martial artists from the Central Plains.

He wondered what kind of battles awaited them on this journey. Hopefully, the Bashan Sword Hut would serve as a way to test the sword that he had gained in recent days, to hone it within his saber arts, and allow the Dragon Bird to soar through the nine heavens.

In the distance, they could already see the mountain range, winding like a dragon, with the main peak standing tall and solitary, like a sword.

As they gazed upward, clouds and mist shrouded the summit, obscuring the view.

Though it was summer, the closer they got to the mountains, the colder the air became.

Whether or not there was still snow on the snow-capped peaks this time of year, Zhao Changhe could already feel the sword qi swirling through the mountains, colder than the snow itself.

“Whoa!” Both of them reined in their horses simultaneously, hiding them in the dense forest on the other side of the mountain, near a clear lake. With perfect synchronization, they leaped from their horses and swiftly made their way into the mountains.

If the past few days had been about transitioning from the jianghu into ordinary life, then at this moment, they were returning to the jianghu.

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