Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 556: A Punch to Shatter the Sea

Lady Three could no longer maintain her idle posture. She stood up and walked to the window, gazing at the shimmering sea outside, remaining silent for a long time. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Avoidance has always been easier than confrontation, and Lady Three was lazy by nature. But deep down, she could not deceive herself. She did have a desire to uncover the truth.

A few months ago, before breaking through, she could say it was because she lacked the courage or was too weak.

But now, having reached the third layer and standing equal to him, what reason was there for her to fear him?

If there was any fear, it was only within her heart. Lady Three examined herself and knew she was not as strong as people imagined her to be.

Perhaps this was just how she truly was. Whenever she was faced with a difficult choice, she always felt troubled. She had always needed someone standing in front of her, making decisions. In the Four Idols Cult, that was Vermillion Bird.

But at home?

She felt an arm tighten around her waist. Zhao Changhe embraced her from behind, quietly watching the sea with her.

Lady Three found that she did not even think about evading or breaking free. Leaning into his embrace felt like that day under the stone slab amidst the wind and rain, peaceful and serene.

Zhao Changhe just held her, doing and saying nothing. They stood there for a long time until Lady Three finally whispered, “I’ll follow your advice.”

Just saying those simple words made her feel as if a heavy stone had been lifted from her heart. She felt physically and emotionally lighter.

She leaned softly against him, savoring the embrace without any desire behind it, feeling a bit reluctant to let go.

To continue walking alongside each other in the future...

If the day comes when I fight with your beloved Qing’er, whose side would you take?

Wait... Maybe I can openly bully the Fire Serpent of Yi now...

Lady Three blinked, and the once-heavy mood suddenly turned cheerful, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

* * *

With a terrifying demoness on board, the Java fleet naturally lost any interest in continuing their search for pirates. The scattered ships regrouped and set their course for Dongan Island, where they were scheduled to meet the allied forces.

The journey would take a full seven days.

During these seven days, the lady venerable did not step foot out of her cabin. She only had food and wine brought in, then closed the door—whatever she and her little pig were doing in there, no one knew.

They imagined it was likely indecent, but at night, they heard none of the strange noises they had expected... They assumed that the two were holding back from doing anything because they did not want to be overheard.

The sailors did not know whether their presence was a blessing or a curse for that pig—did they save him from being sucked dry, or did they simply prolong his suffering? Anyway, while the lady venerable never showed herself, the pig frequently came out, chatting with the crew, asking questions about the sea and different cultures, and learning various navigation and sailing skills, curious and eager to learn.

In just a couple of days, he could operate the ship, steer it, and judge wind and tides. He was a fast learner.

No wonder he had caught the venerable’s eye. He’s bright and eager to learn, and his sunny, cheerful demeanor, combined with that scar on his face, is quite appealing. A young lad like him is excellent. That scar is just perfect for the tastes of men who live on the sea.

And, boy, is he strong.

The ship’s rudder, which usually took two men straining with all their might to turn, was something he could manipulate effortlessly with one hand, shifting it back and forth as if it were a toy.

The sailors could not help but wonder whether this beast of a man could simply carry the venerable around the cabin while they... Well, just imagining it was enough to give them nosebleeds...

But this guy isn’t exactly normal either... He randomly dives into the sea and stays there for quite some time without surfacing.

The first time it happened, Captain Lai Qi thought that he was trying to end his life, so he sent someone down to save him. The man ended up being thrown back up, wearing a bewildered expression on his face as he reported, “He’s... punching fish. One punch, one dead fish.”

Lai Qi was baffled.

He is doing what now?

Feeling exasperated, Lai Qi asked, “Should we wait for him?”

“He said not to. He said that we should just continue our course and he’ll catch up later.”

“Ah, okay. Wait... How did he talk to you underwater?!”

“I don’t know... It was like I could just hear him somehow.”

Lai Qi shivered, sensing that not only was the Venerable strange, but the man she called Little Pig was also far from ordinary.

Besides the Sea God’s faith, there are also some Buddhist and Daoist beliefs that exist on the sea. Lai Qi had heard some of the stories... If the lady venerable resembled a lofty Buddha, then this man seemed like an Asura.

After two days of rest, and with Lady Three hugging his cute little yin spirit whenever she felt like it, Zhao Changhe’s soul and spirit had in fact improved. His mental exhaustion was almost entirely gone.

If they had stayed on the island longer, their daily routine would have been Lady Three resting indoors to heal her bones, and Zhao Changhe spending his time diving into the ocean to practice his martial arts.

Even on the ship, nothing had changed; Zhao Changhe could not stand being idle. Thus, once he had rested enough, it was time to practice his punches, especially now that Lady Three had transferred her knowledge directly to him. He had now truly received the Black Tortoise’s teachings. He had to put it into practice.

The Black Tortoise’s Fist was second to none in raw power.

When Zhao Changhe first heard about it, he never imagined that he would one day end up learning not Xia Longyuan’s My Fist, but the Black Tortoise’s Fist instead.

If you were to really think about it, the name Black Tortoise’s Fist sounded even worse than My Fist. After all, it was basically a bastardized animal scramble[1].

But no matter how silly it sounded, it did not take away from the fact that it was one of the most powerful and fierce fist arts under heaven. It was a punch meant to face the overwhelming force of nature itself under the crushing depths of the ocean.

Human power alone cannot oppose the sea directly. Instead, the forces of nature must be understood, felt, and fully internalized. Eventually, the power of the ocean can be turned into one’s own.

In this case, the result was that one’s qi would carry the power of the ocean.

When a punch capable of splitting the sea and breaking waves is thrown, what enemy could possibly withstand such might?

Seek the ultimate hardness within the softness of water!

Boom!

A spiral of vigorous qi shot through the water, extending for a hundred zhang, shattering a rock on the seafloor.

Zhao Changhe twisted around and shot upward, breaking the ocean’s surface. He turned to look around and noticed that the ship was already several li away.

He sprinted across the water, swiftly chasing after it and quickly catching up.

Captain Lai Qi and the crew turned to look back, mouths agape at the sight.

The punch Zhao Changhe threw underwater had an aftereffect. As he ascended, the spiral force beneath the surface continued rising, creating a violent column of water that shot high into the air.

The water column crashed back down, sending waves surging in all directions.

Zhao Changhe glanced back and saw a massive wave rolling toward him, threatening to swallow him whole.

He took a deep breath, then twisted his hips and threw another punch.

The stars in the sky above twinkled, and the Milky Way seemed to cascade downward. Behind him, an enormous blood-red silhouette loomed, mirroring his punching motion.

The huge fist collided with the wave. The dense vigorous qi clashed with the water, stopping the wave in mid-air.

Zhao Changhe unleashed his power again.

“Ha!”

Met with the powerful punch, the wave shattered into a fine mist.

Everyone on the ship stood with mouths agape, their minds blank.

What was that? Did he just punch a giant wave apart? Is he even human? If that punch hit a person, they’d probably explode.

It was Zhao Changhe’s third day practicing underwater. He had truly begun mastering the power of the Black Tortoise.

Lady Three, who rarely left the cabin, stood at the stern watching Zhao Changhe stride across the water toward the ship. Her eyes were filled with warmth and gentleness.

He really is a genius...

About ten zhang from the ship, Zhao Changhe tapped the water’s surface, leaping gracefully through the air like a great roc, landing firmly beside Lady Three. He grinned. “I think I’ve got it.”

Lady Three pursed her lips. “Not bad.”

She turned her eyes away, avoiding his muscular body and the water dripping down his strong frame.

Looking too much made her mouth feel dry.

So tempting...

Lady Three suddenly thought that while she could still bully him now, pinning his hands so he could not move, he would soon overpower her, pressing her down like a mountain. And she would not be able to move...

The thought made her heart race. To her embarrassment, Lady Three realized she might be wetter than his body.

Trying to maintain her composure, she said nonchalantly, “That wave was nothing. Breaking it isn’t that impressive. You’re just getting started, so don’t get cocky. Keep at it, and when you can punch away a real tsunami, then you’ve reached the end.”

Zhao Changhe smiled. He doubted Lady Three herself could do that, but he did not argue.

Even if Lady Three could not, perhaps the Night Emperor could. And that was not his end goal—he aimed to surpass even that.

1. Remember that tortoise/turtle is slang for “bastard.” The Tortoise Fist (王八拳) generally refers to a type of basic, instinctive fighting style that all four-limbed creatures, including humans, seem to naturally adopt when they get into a physical altercation. ☜