Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 38: New Year

Innocence was relative.

At the start, Zhao Changhe had not felt that he was an innocent boy at all. When he was made to stand outside the classroom as punishment, he did not comply. Looking back, however, he realized that his civilized personality had been replaced by an utterly bandit-like temperament. He uttered profanities whenever he spoke and heads fell to his saber like rain.

Compared to the way he was now, how could he not be considered innocent back then?

When Yue Hongling asked her question, Zhao Changhe could roughly figure out why she still stayed in this desolate place even today.

She was afraid and unsure if she had saved a demon back then, and so deliberately remained here to observe him.

As for the results...uh...how should I put this... The Zhao Changhe now differed from her initial impressions of him, but he was not a demon. On the contrary, he was able to restrain the mountain stronghold and did not harm innocents. I don’t have any idea what she thinks of this, but she should be at least a little relieved, I guess.

She feared losing face, in other words, and she had come to seek shelter here after being injured.

If I really lost all my morals, would I take the chance now to claim her as my stronghold mistress? Nah...forget it. I can’t even claim her. She can enter my room without a sound even though she’s hurt. She could take my head just as easily? There’s no way she’ll let me rough her up.

“I’d suggest that you don’t trust me. The entire stronghold knows that there’s nothing we lack today, except for a stronghold mistress.” Zhao Changhe casually placed the medicines and bandages by the window and lowered his gaze. “Can you apply it yourself? You travel the jianghu, so something this small shouldn’t be a problem for you. I’ll head outside and keep watch for you.”

The two lines Zhao Changhe said had completely different implications. Yue Hongling was a little speechless and did not know how to interpret what he said...

If only she knew what a tsundere was.

“I can apply it myself. Thank you.” She did not respond to what he had said about a stronghold mistress and grabbed the medicine. She looked at Zhao Changhe. Her expression was clear: “I’m about to apply the medicine, so can you please?”

Zhao Changhe strode out the entrance. He did not even peek with the Back Eye and walked far away.

She could even hear his commands outside. “There’s no need to set up any more traps here. Do it a little further from here at that plaza over there. It looks similar to our training grounds. No one will expect us to lay traps there. Once you guys are done we can call it a day. Tonight, we feast!”

Yue Hongling grinned and lowered her head, biting her lip. She lightly raised the clothes covering her abdomen.

There was a sword wound there. It looked gruesome.

She had actually already applied some basic treatment to the wound. The bloodstain was not from blood seeping out now, but from before.

She had medicines of her own which were of a better grade than what Zhao Changhe had, so she did not need to use his medicines. She only wanted to find a relatively safer location to begin recovering at ease. After all, she had not just suffered an external injury. There was also sword qi running rampant in her body. Things were not as simple as this though.

What she had to guard against was not her opponent. She had great respect for him. What she wanted to guard against were the outsiders who witnessed her battle. Who knew whether there was someone around who had sinister ideas? By herself, it would be difficult to defend against others’ schemes. At the very least, she needed someone trustworthy to watch out for her.

The kinds of people who would plot against her were not very strong, so Zhao Changhe’s strength would be enough to deal with them.

In other words, she really was here to seek shelter with Zhao Changhe. Just a few hours ago, she never thought that things would develop to this point.

Zhao Changhe’s response to Yue Hongling told her that she had not judged him wrongly.

“Are you done?” Zhao Changhe’s voice came from outside.

Yue Hongling carefully tied the bandage around her and let down her clothes. Thinking about how her skin was exposed while a man stood outside, she blushed slightly, but she quickly composed herself. “I’m done.”

Zhao Changhe went back inside. She looked delicate and powerless as she leaned against the window. He felt that this was not like Yue Hongling at all and found himself frowning. “I have a feeling your wound isn’t so simple. Do you have any internal injuries?”

“Yes. At this level, it’s rare to only receive external injuries.” Yue Hongling laughed. “But it’s not a huge problem. As long as I can safely rest here to recuperate for a few days, it shouldn’t be a big issue.”

“I’ve beaten everyone here in trivial Beimang. Just who can injure you here? If he’s that ridiculously strong, then wouldn’t he be able to crush my mountain stronghold in the blink of an eye?”

“If he did come to your mountain stronghold, he really would be able to wipe it out in the blink of an eye.”

“...So, where exactly is this divine sage from?”

“He’s the third Hidden Dragon, Cui Yuanyong from the Cui Clan of Qinghe.”

“So he’s the original second Hidden Dragon you sent to third place?”

“Correct.”

“So basically...he was unhappy about you stealing his rank and came to give you trouble? From Qinghe all the way to Beimang, he was constantly on the lookout for your whereabouts, and when he heard you appeared at Beimang, he came running here just to get you?”

“Correct.”

Zhao Changhe raised his head and looked at the sky. “But the Tome of Troubled Times didn’t change... I feel like this type of battle is different from the ones I’ve been fighting. Rankings can be determined by fights among people on the ranking. Since there was no change in the rankings, that must mean that even though you’re hurt, his injuries are far more serious. Am I correct?”

“Correct.” Yue Hongling suddenly laughed, having said her third “correct.” “Why do you ask? Are you trying to make yourself seem less like a boorish warrior?”

Zhao Changhe had a blank expression. “I’m thinking if it would be possible for me to take advantage of him being injured and kill him to take care of future problems.”

“Even though he’s injured, he will not be easy to deal with. What’s more, he has a girl by his side guarding him.” Yue Hongling sighed. “I also don’t want you to do such a thing. He challenged me fair and honorably on the street. He is a principled warrior. How could he find trouble for me in the future?”

“Didn’t you come running here because you’re worried that he might do something?”

“I’m not worried about him. He’s upright and conducts himself well... What’s with that look?”

Zhao Changhe’s expression was a little sour and his face was solemn. In response to her question, he forced out an answer. “It’s nothing. He’s a young master of an influential family that knows how to conduct himself. You Hidden Dragons are elegant and know how to appreciate each other, not like us mountain bandits that only know how to hit someone when they’re down.”

The acridity of his sour mood was about to spread beyond the mountain. Yue Hongling looked at him with a perplexed expression before finally saying, “But I’ve come to you for protection. Not him.”

Zhao Changhe’s expression brightened up a bit. Soon after, he felt that there was absolutely no reason for him to be this sour. Yue Hongling isn’t even that kind of person when she’s around me. Furthermore, aren’t warriors appreciating each other’s strengths and battling to their heart’s content a very wuxia thing? Isn’t this what I like? So what exactly am I so sour about...

He felt that he had lost some face and clumsily changed the topic of conversation. “Have you eaten? I don’t think being at the eighth layer of the Profound Gate means you don’t need food, right?”

“No.” Yue Hongling did not put on airs and smiled as she cupped her fists. “I’m indeed a little hungry. Stronghold Master Zhao, could I trouble you to get something for me to eat?”

Zhao Changhe appreciated her straightforwardness, but he did not know why he responded with, “So we meet again in the jianghu, and this is what you call me? Stronghold Master Zhao?”

Yue Hongling looked like she wanted to laugh. “Is this the jianghu? Isn’t this your nest?”

Zhao Changhe stared blankly for a moment. I thought you’d earnestly return with another question and ask what you should call me, but you actually responded like this. Turns out you’re a little crafty...

Sounds about right. After all, you’re younger than me. How could you possibly stick to that label of “valiant heroine” all the time?

Zhao Changhe broke out in laughter and did not argue with her. He strode out the door: “They’ve just left to buy food in the city. The good stuff hasn’t arrived yet. I’ll go and see what leftovers there are from lunch and bring you some of that. Don’t run around. There are traps all set up around the stronghold right now. If there’s no one to bring you around, it’ll be easy to trigger them.”

Seeing Zhao Changhe stride out the room, Yue Hongling heaved a sigh.

I don’t care whether heaven has a dao. I follow my own heavenly dao!

Her choice had been the correct one. Zhao Changhe had a dao in his heart. No ordinary bandit could compare to him.

What do I call you? How am I supposed to know?

She supported herself with the chair and stood up. She briefly felt the sword qi running amuck in her body and thought that her condition was still alright then carefully jumped through the window to the courtyard behind the building.

Since she still needed to eat, naturally, she also had other things she needed to do... For example, even heroines needed to pee.

How can I shamelessly ask where his toilet is? Of course I’ll go and settle it in the mountains.

However, the moment Yue Hongling exited the courtyard, she felt that there was something off about the ground she stepped on. Her heart thumped as she was about to leap into the air, but the stabbing pain in her abdomen from the sword qi made her hesitate and she plopped into a trap.

Yue Hongling was both frustrated and panicked. Zhao Changhe, are you crazy? Who lays a trap next to their courtyard wall? Aren’t you afraid of accidentally falling into it while training!?

Her qi would be tangled up for the next few moments. She could not jump out!

“There’s an intruder!”

“It’s behind the boss’ courtyard. Let’s go and take a look!

“For fuck’s sake, there’re still people who don’t have eyes and come to court death!”

“Hold on. Where did that come from? I think I heard it behind Boss’ hut!”

In just a short moment, groups of them came running from all directions.

Very soon, there were some who stuck their heads into the pit to take a look. Yue Hongling covered her face.

“Hey, it looks like a woman... Eh, from Boss’ hut...”

“Get out of the way!” Zhao Changhe rushed back, grabbed the ones who stuck out their heads, and threw them behind. “What’s there to see? Is it so strange for the stronghold master to hide a stronghold mistress? Piss off!”

Yue Hongling almost scratched off her face.

The bandits all felt a mix of sadness and indignation.

Should’ve known. This bastard had a record for this. First, he hid Luo Qi in his room, and now he’s doing it again with another woman. Why fuckin’ bother? You’re so powerful now. No one’s gonna take her away. What are you doing hiding her away!

Someone rushed to the pit and shouted, “Sister-in-law, the boss is a good man, but he likes concealing his women for some reason. It’s the new year, everyone’s here. We’re gonna have a feast by a bonfire soon, why don’t you come out and celebrate with us?”

What fucking sister-in-law!? What fucking celebration!?

Yue Hongling wanted to die.

She was simply too famous. There were even some places where people were selling portraits of her. In the jianghu, there were many people who recognised her—like Wang Dashan, who had immediately recognised her when she had bumped into Luo Qi’s group.

Her face was as sour as a human face could be. By tomorrow, will the rumor that I’ve entered a bandit’s nest of a mountain stronghold to become the stronghold mistress spread across the lands under heaven?