Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 586: Caught in the Act

Xia Chichi went off to copy the book, but the look she gave before leaving made Lady Three’s heart race with anxiety, feeling as if she were about to be exposed.

It was not until Xia Chichi’s figure disappeared from view that Lady Three suddenly realized something.

It seems that this obedient and dutiful girl is actually quite bold. She’s been deliberately using Iceheart, using its frosty sharpness as a substitute for the White Tiger’s edge, purely so that she could gain a glimpse into the water element.

In the past, Xia Chichi had not yet known that Vermillion Bird and Black Tortoise had already adjusted their expectations. Now, mastering two elements was enough to become the cult leader. According to tradition, becoming the cult leader required the mastery of all four elements. So, back when she had only just started making her way up the Ranking of Hidden Dragons, Xia Chichi had already begun to dabble in a third element. Naturally, this was difficult, and she likely had not succeeded, but at least she had laid the groundwork. This made her current endeavor to push water to nourish wood much easier.

This devious woman must have been planning to become the cult leader from the very beginning. All her obedience and compliance is nothing but a facade; beneath it, deep ambition and rebellion. If she truly ascends one day, Vermillion Bird and I might end up suffering greatly under her rule... As expected of Xia Longyuan’s daughter, the darkness and fierceness hidden inside her are far beyond those of ordinary people.

But so what if you’re full of ambition? At the end of the day, it’s not going to be cult business but family business that you’ll have to deal with. What are you going to do then?

Besides, do you really think that Vermillion Bird dropped the old standard of needing to master all four elements, deciding that two would be enough, for no reason? She’s supporting your ascent to cult leader purely out of guilt, and I was just too lazy to argue. She’s already gone that far—what more can you do to her?

Lady Three snuggled comfortably into her man’s embrace, took his wine gourd, and took a sip.

I heard this gourd used to belong to you, right, Xia Chichi? Your aunt-master will be borrowing it for now.

That said, even though her ambitions are only suited for some petty in-house drama, those ambitions inadvertently laid the groundwork for her to now build upon the idea of nourishing wood with water. I guess this is just karma. Who knows, in this holy land of the Azure Dragon, she might really rise to prominence, perhaps even break through to the third layer of the Profound Mysteries.

Lady Three was well aware of just how dense the wood element energy was in this place. Even though she herself did not utilize the wood element much, the pure energy that was present in this place was still incredibly beneficial for her cultivation. She knew that if she was not in a hurry to kill the Sea Emperor, and stayed here for a year or so, she could very well break through to a higher realm.

Even just a short time spent cultivating here would ensure that upon leaving, Wang Daoning would be no match for her.

This was indeed a land of profound opportunity, one that defied conventional logic.

Perhaps, when the time was right, she could return here to further her cultivation, though that all depended on the situation in the Central Plains. It depended on whether the situation would permit her to shirk her duties and hide out in this remote corner of the world. Furthermore, having now come to learn that a holy land like this existed, she wondered if there were three other holy lands that corresponded to the three idols of their holy cult. Could she and Vermillion Bird ascend to even greater heights? This might even become the future priority for the Four Idols Cult.

For once, Lady Three found herself full of thoughts about cult matters, during which the man she was leaning opened his eyes.

She was leaning against him, drinking, and before she could react, she was swept into his embrace.

Lady Three instinctively glanced toward the woods, struggling a bit. “Hey, your little white tiger is done meditating. Don’t be reckless... Mm~ Don’t lick my neck...”

Zhao Changhe hesitated and let her go. The thrill of sneaking around like this—it was something hard to put into words. He pondered for a moment, then whispered, “Lady Three, how about we just be honest with Chichi?”

Lady Three shivered slightly. “Be honest about what? I want to retain some dignity!”

Zhao Changhe wanted to say that it would be even more embarrassing if they were found out later. I really don’t think Xia Chichi would care that much. It’s just you two venerables that have kept on giving her a hard time...

Before he could say anything, Lady Three quickly changed the subject, “Anyway, why did you wake up so fast? Have you figured out how to leave this place?”

Zhao Changhe replied, “I understand the basic principle, but my cultivation isn’t quite there yet. I may not be able to allow us to leave just yet. I need a bit of time.”

Lady Three fell silent.

Zhao Changhe pulled her into his arms, helping her stand up. “Don’t look so anxious. Isn’t my Shelly supposed to be as steady as a mountain, lounging around all day?”

Lady Three shot back, irritated, “My parents died because of him! I have a deep grudge against him, while you don’t, so of course it’s easy for you to say such things.”

“They’re my parents, too,” said Zhao Changhe, pulling her into the dense forest. “Come with me.”

Confused, Lady Three followed him, watching as he knocked on various trees and examined their quality as if assessing wood. “What are you doing?”

“Here.” Zhao Changhe stopped in front of a massive tree, inspecting it closely. “Do you feel anything special?”

Lady Three was taken aback and then reached out to touch the trunk. Suddenly, she felt a surge of trepidation. The massive tree held a unique and intense power. She felt as if a roaring azure dragon had pierced through her spiritual platform, its soul-shaking roar sending chills down her spine.

“What... What is this?” Lady Three was stunned. Just touching it evoked such a reaction. What would happen if it was used as a weapon against someone?

“This is called Dragon Soul Wood. The roar of the dragon’s spirit devours the soul,” Zhao Changhe explained. “Its structure, however, isn’t as hard as steel... well, maybe comparable to ordinary weapons, but ultimately, it’s still wood, not exactly ideal for direct confrontation.” He studied the Dragon Soul Wood thoughtfully. “I’m not sure what kind of weapon it could be made into... Maybe a spear shaft?”

A spear shaft would be quite fitting, but as Lady Three observed the tree, another idea occurred to her. “What about making it into a bow? And arrows. Wouldn’t you prefer that?”

Zhao Changhe’s eyes lit up. “That’s a brilliant idea! My Shelly is so smart!”

Lady Three looked away, a slight blush dusting her cheeks. “I’m just thinking about what you like—you’re the one who likes bows. Do you even know how to use a spear?”

Zhao Changhe glanced around and then lowered his voice. “Do you really not know whether or not I’m good with a spear?”

“Get lost!” Lady Three snapped, kicking him hard. “In any case, you don’t even have any bowstrings. Figure that out yourself. I’m not helping you!”

“I can take the string from my old bow and just make do with that for now. Maybe I can find a proper replacement some other time...” Zhao Changhe said, grinning with excitement as he drew out Dragon Bird. He sliced off a section of the wood and began carving out a bow frame enthusiastically.

He had always loved archery. It was something he enjoyed even before transmigrating to this world, and ever since he arrived in this world, there had been several key moments when the bow had turned the tide of battle. However, as his cultivation progressed, the bow became less and less relevant. It long since stopped from being able to match the explosive force of a direct strike of his supported by true qi. A perfect example of this was how Lady Three and those of her level rarely required weapons in their duels; their fists and palms often outperformed blades.

But that did not mean weapons were useless. Zhao Changhe knew that his power was completely different when he was using Dragon Bird compared to when he was not. If using the saber could provide such a powerful boost, so could a bow—of course, as long as it was of the right caliber.

And this wood before him was the perfect material for the creation of such a divine weapon.

Seeing Zhao Changhe’s excitement, Lady Three’s heart softened. In moments like this, she could sense that, at heart, Zhao Changhe was still just a young man. He looked just like a child who had gotten his favorite toy.

She settled herself down beside him, taking a piece of wood and carving it into an arrow shaft, mumbling softly, “For the arrowheads, I have some forging materials. I can pick some out for you... Honestly, this is so frustrating. Forging and tempering should be the White Tiger and the Vermillion Bird’s jobs. Why does it fall on the Black Tortoise to do all this? The ancient Black Tortoise must’ve been an all-purpose workhorse—it’s so unlike the Black Tortoise at all...”

Watching her sit there, carving arrows while rambling on, Zhao Changhe could not help but think of a countryside couple sitting together in their courtyard, working on handicrafts. It was even more vivid than their time surviving on that remote island.

Lady Three seemed to get the same feeling. She looked up at him, their eyes meeting. The atmosphere was so thick with the saccharine sweetness that it felt like it could be smelled from miles away.

In the dense forest, from behind a tree, Xia Chichi’s little head peeked out.

Out on the beach, ten vines autonomously traced words into the sand—all ten at once. This was a sign that Xia Chichi had truly mastered Azure Dragon’s power over plant life; the vegetation had become sentient and obeyed her command.

But Xia Chichi was not using such a powerful ability to slack off. No, she was much too diligent for that.

It was to spy on them.

She had been secretly following them for quite some time... In the lush forest, her presence merged entirely with the surroundings, undetectable to anyone.

She had already sensed something suspicious between them. And now, having followed them, it was all confirmed—not only were they holding hands, but also talking like “My dear Turtle” and “Your parents are my parents.”

That was bad enough, but now they’re even acting like an old married couple. How long have they even been together?

Meanwhile, Zhao Changhe was saying to Lady Three, “Speaking of which, remember when you mentioned forging the Night Emperor’s sword blank? You taught me the forging techniques, but since I had no basic knowledge, I ended up barely understanding anything... Should I also copy down the books a few times to improve my understanding?”

“I was just messing with that little white tiger. You actually took it seriously?” Lady Three laughed playfully. “If you want to learn the basics, why don’t we go and forge some arrowheads together later? It’s hands-on practice that really matters...”

The mention of “hands-on” seemed to remind them of something else, and the look in their eyes as they gazed at each other grew more... suggestive.

Xia Chichi’s face turned red, then green, and the leaves atop her head grew even lusher, a vibrant green.

Messing with me, huh? Hands-on, huh? And what kind of “hands-on” experience are you planning on having?

Lady Three bit her lower lip. “We’ve hidden ourselves pretty deep. She definitely won’t be able to find us and show up unannounced. Just give me a kiss.”

Zhao Changhe, ever obliging, leaned in without hesitation.

A fragrant breeze swept by, and another delicate face appeared before him. Caught off guard, Zhao Changhe kissed Xia Chichi square on the cheek.

For a moment, silence fell over everything.

Lady Three held an arrow shaft in her hand, completely stunned, her mind going blank.

It’s over.