Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 551: A Sick Lady Three Commands the Great Shark Amidst the Angry Seas

Lady Three, whose body exuded explosive power in battle, now lay soft and cozy in Zhao Changhe’s arms. Despite the cold wind and rain, the warmth and softness of her body made it hard for him to let go. Likewise, Zhao Changhe’s body radiated warmth, and the wind and rain had left Lady Three, whose internal energy had not yet recovered, trembling. At this moment, she greedily clung to him, craving the warmth he provided.

Their bodies gradually heated up, and in the cramped space, their heavy breathing mingled with the sound of wind and rain, creating an indescribable intimacy.

Zhao Changhe almost regretted the kiss—not because it was inappropriate, but because the environment made it impossible to go any further, leaving him even more frustrated.

The setting was truly terrible. The ground was rough, covered in stones and sharp grass. Their backs leaned against jagged rocks, protruding with shells that scratched their skin. Above them was a stone slab covered in stinking sea creatures, freshly dug from the earth. The wind and rain continued to pour in from the sides, cold and irritating.

As they kissed in this small shelter, it was impossible to take things further. But if it hadn’t been for this harsh environment, would they have ended up huddling together for warmth in the first place?

Zhao Changhe noticed that Lady Three’s body was getting hotter. He pulled back slightly, and the moment they separated, cold wind rushed in, causing Lady Three to shiver and instinctively lean into him, reluctant to let go.

Something didn’t feel right. Zhao Changhe sent a pulse of his remaining internal energy into Lady Three’s body and confirmed his suspicion—she wasn’t just heating up from their kiss; she was running a fever.

He had been worried about this. Lady Three’s internal energy was still tangled, and her bones hadn’t fully healed. Throughout the day, she had been quite fragile, which is why he had insisted on her not wearing wet clothes. After they lit the fire and took medicine, he thought they were in the clear. But before fully recovering, the storm had undone all their progress.

Without hesitation, Zhao Changhe kissed her again, but this time, it wasn’t out of desire. He initiated a dual cultivation technique, transferring the small amount of internal energy he had recovered into Lady Three’s body. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Lady Three, still slightly dazed, mumbled, “Why isn’t your tongue moving? What are you blowing?”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

As he remained still, Lady Three took the initiative, deepening the kiss. Zhao Changhe couldn’t help but feel both amused and helpless, resisting the temptation while focusing on repairing her meridians and dantian.

Lady Three, slowly regaining clarity, began to sense the changes in her body and realized what was happening. She noticed the irony—he was the one saving her, and she was the one playing around.

Even though the situation was serious, Lady Three couldn’t help but want to laugh. She didn’t even know what she found amusing—was she really going to laugh about nearly being taken advantage of?

Imagine telling Vermillion Bird later, “I spent the night naked with your man, and all we did was kiss. Would you believe me?”

The thought made her burst into laughter, accidentally blowing all the air in her lungs into Zhao Changhe’s mouth.

Zhao Changhe: “?”

Lady Three ended up choking on her laughter, passing out with a faint smile still on her face.

Zhao Changhe shook his head, both exasperated and confused by this strange woman. With nothing else he could do, he held her tightly, shielding her from the wind and rain.

* * *

The next morning, the storm had lessened slightly but hadn’t stopped. The entire sea was shrouded in mist, making it impossible to tell what time it was.

Lady Three slowly opened her eyes, feeling warm all over, with no trace of cold. For a moment, she thought she had been rescued and brought back to the ship.

But upon closer inspection, she realized they were still in the same crude shelter, with Zhao Changhe wrapped around her, shielding her from every possible direction the wind and rain could penetrate.

Raising her head slightly, she saw Zhao Changhe staring out into the storm, lost in thought.

He hadn’t slept at all—he had stayed in that position, unmoving, the entire time, protecting her.

Lady Three’s heart trembled. The playful feelings she had last night were gone, replaced by a soft warmth that spread through her chest.

Zhao Changhe, with his weakened spirit, actually needed sleep and rest more than she did. Now, she could clearly see the exhaustion on his face.

Sensing her awake, Zhao Changhe blinked and looked down at her, his voice turning soft. “Are you feeling better?”

Lady Three checked her condition. Thanks to the dual cultivation and the medicine, her meridians had mostly recovered. Though her internal energy hadn’t fully returned, she felt much better. Once she regained her internal energy, the fever and cold were easily driven away.

Her spirit was so good now that she felt like she could kill another octopus.

As long as she had internal energy, she could endure the wind and rain for ten days without issue. Even Zhao Changhe, despite being out in the storm all night, would be fine.

Still, Lady Three softly replied, “I’m a bit weak...”

Zhao Changhe knew she was likely fine but couldn’t question her feelings. “Then rest a bit longer.”

Lady Three felt a twinge of guilt. He had curled himself up in an uncomfortable position to protect her, and he needed rest himself. Yet, she was reluctant to let go of this feeling of being cared for.

She sneaked a glance at Zhao Changhe’s face. He seemed lost in thought, still watching the misty sea.

Relieved, she asked softly, “What are you looking at?”

Zhao Changhe replied, “With weather like this, it’ll be even harder for anyone, friend or foe, to find us. My spirit hasn’t fully recovered, and your injuries are still healing. We need to be prepared to live here for a while. I’m thinking about how we can use the resources on this island to build some shelter... The lack of wood is frustrating. The stones are all irregular, so building a stone house isn’t realistic.”

Lady Three thought for a moment. “We can’t sustain long efforts, but short trips are possible. Maybe we should explore nearby islands to find wood. Otherwise, we won’t even have enough fuel for another fire.”

Zhao Changhe nodded. “That might be the only option. Should I go explore while you rest?”

Reluctant to part, Lady Three replied, “Be careful with your weakened spirit.”

As Zhao Changhe climbed out, he joked, “Don’t worry. I’m strong enough to fight a—”

Before he could finish, a giant shark leaped onto the shore, biting into the octopus carcass.

“Shit...” Zhao Changhe drew his sword, cursing. “Aren’t you supposed to be the sea expert? How did I miss this?”

Lady Three, embarrassed, replied, “I’ve never been stranded on an island before! It’s been years since I lived at sea—I forgot...”

The two of them, lacking survival experience, had overlooked the fact that leaving a dead octopus on the shore would attract predators.

The shark, noticing Zhao Changhe, lunged at him. He swung his sword, but his energy hadn’t fully returned, and he stumbled from dizziness.

Just as things looked grim, a slender, white hand reached out and lightly tapped the shark’s nose.

The shark froze, stunned by the unexpected strength of the delicate hand.

With a casual punch, Lady Three smashed the shark’s face, sending it thrashing back into the water.

In the next moment, Lady Three stepped barefoot onto the shark’s back, pulling Zhao Changhe up to stand beside her.

Using her internal energy, she directed the shark, forcing it to swim at high speed across the waves.

Zhao Changhe, now riding a shark through the stormy sea, felt exhilarated. He turned to Lady Three with a blank expression.

Who was the one pretending to be weak earlier, saying she felt “a bit tired” and snuggling up to him for warmth? With strength like this, she could have easily beaten him to a pulp!

Lady Three, looking majestic atop the shark, noticed Zhao Changhe’s stare and sheepishly grinned.

“Still feeling weak?” Zhao Changhe asked.

Lady Three smiled nervously. “A little dizzy...”

Zhao Changhe asked, “Can you multitask?”

Though the question seemed out of place, Lady Three knew exactly what he meant. Looking up at the sky, she bit her lip and whispered, “I can.”

In the next moment, Zhao Changhe grabbed her waist and kissed her fiercely.

Lady Three instinctively raised her fists to hit him but lost the strength to follow through. Her arms fell limply to her sides.

In the midst of the storm, the two kissed passionately atop the shark, while the latter swam teary-eyed, as if begging them to make sense. Where are you two even going?