Tome of Troubled Times-Chapter 713: Reentering Miaojiang

It turned out that people’s perceptions of Zhao Changhe were slightly off from reality.

Even when no one was around to spy on them, the imagined indulgence of wild horseback escapades never came to fruition. It was simply not something he enjoyed or felt comfortable doing.

Instead, like any sensible person, he flew halfway to their destination before letting Snow-Treading Crow rest. They stopped at a small town, ate at an inn, and rented a room to share. There, they naturally attended to some matters of affection.

After all, Snow-Treading Crow was not a tireless flying machine—it could not just go anywhere without breaks. As a living being, it needed food and rest. And when the horse rested, there was not much else for its riders to do. At that point, indulging in activities they enjoyed was only natural.

What Zhao Changhe initially thought would just be a routine fulfillment of duty turned into something much more. When they were finally together, he realized that it was not just a sense of obligation driving him but his own deep longing. Any sense of emotional fatigue or complacency between them, like that of a couple grown too comfortable, was nowhere to be seen. Their emotions were still as fierce and impassioned as ever, as though they wanted to melt into one another.

It was the classic case of absence making the heart grow fonder. After months of dealing with endless chaos and suppressing their emotions, the release was inevitable, and their affection burned brightly in the quiet, remote inn.

And so Yue Hongling found herself in her greatest tragedy, utterly undone.

For half a year, she had roamed the land alone, braving countless battles without once collapsing in exhaustion. She had never felt as utterly drained as she did now. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed like a puddle, unable to lift so much as a finger.

It made her wonder who truly was her greatest adversary.

The cruelest part was that she could not even allow herself to pass out. During their dual cultivation, she sensed martial insights from him she had never encountered before. For someone who had spent her life pursuing the mysteries of martial arts, this discovery filled her with excitement and longing. Even while gasping and moaning, she gritted her teeth and focused on absorbing the knowledge Zhao Changhe inadvertently transmitted to her. The experience was a mix of utter helplessness and exhilaration she could not quite describe.

The dual cultivation between them had significant benefits. Beyond the physical and emotional closeness, it gave them an unparalleled understanding of each other’s abilities and cultivation progress. It allowed them to coordinate their efforts in future battles as if they were a single entity.

For instance, Yue Hongling’s ability to leave her Lingering Sunset Sword Qi in an opponent’s body for future tracking was a technique she had not known before. Zhao Changhe could not have anticipated it either, leading to occasional mismatched tactics. Similarly, Yue Hongling was aware that Zhao Changhe had learned the Shadow-Splitting Technique from the Heavenly Tome but could not have known for certain that he had mastered it.

Dual cultivation erased such gaps in their understanding of each other almost instantly. All the time they had not spent catching up could be condensed into this one act.

But it was not just about syncing their knowledge. Zhao Changhe’s insights and experiences also offered Yue Hongling valuable inspiration for her own martial path.

In the extreme east, he had witnessed the sun rise majestically from the horizon, ascend to its zenith, and scatter radiant hues across the sky. The Spirit Tribe’s secret realm had a similar scene, but that was an illusion, a fabricated reality. Here, it was genuine—the true sun, moon, and clouds of this world. For Yue Hongling, whose sword intent thrived on the imagery of sunrise and sunset, this was invaluable beyond measure.

In terms of cultivation, Zhao Changhe had now surpassed Yue Hongling. If their past dual cultivation sessions were about Yue Hongling imparting her strength to Zhao Changhe, the roles had now reversed. This time, he was the one giving back to her.

In just one session, Yue Hongling felt her cultivation progress significantly. Her sword intent underwent a subtle but meaningful transformation, a breakthrough that would have taken months of arduous effort under normal circumstances.

“You really are...” Yue Hongling murmured breathlessly, lying limp beneath him. Her arms draped around his neck as she felt the warmth of his breath against her skin. “Sometimes, I feel like just being near you is like touching fortune itself.”

“If you’ve felt that way all along,” Zhao Changhe chuckled, “why didn’t you stop running and stick to me like glue, treating me as your personal fountain of fortune?”

At this moment, Yue Hongling truly was clinging to him in every sense of the word. Her arms locked tightly around his neck, and her legs coiled around his waist like steel bands, refusing to let him move. Whether it was the lingering pleasure or the valuable insights she was still absorbing, she could not—or would not—let go.

Her raw physical strength was something else entirely. The power in her waist and legs was astonishing—an experience impossible to describe unless felt firsthand. It was no exaggeration to say that a less experienced or weaker man might have been crushed to death under her grip. Yue Hongling was a true martial artist, her body honed and tempered, unlike others who focused primarily on refining energy.

Her current Supreme Sword Body was nearing perfection, something Zhao Changhe could clearly sense through their connection. She was one step away from the fabled level of flying with her sword.

Her response, as always, was both fierce and unfiltered. “If I’d known, I’d have cut that thing of yours off and carried it around as my personal good luck talisman!”

Zhao Changhe could not help but burst into laughter.

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“Hmph,” Yue Hongling snorted, her body trembling slightly as she finally relaxed her legs, letting them drop loosely to either side, bouncing lightly on the bed.

After a pause, she said thoughtfully, “Our imageries seem to have a connection, don’t they? Have you noticed?”

Zhao Changhe nodded. It was not something he had noticed before, but as his own imagery evolved toward the Milky Way cascading into infinity, he began to sense the natural progression from Yue Hongling’s sunset imagery to his own. After the setting sun came the stars.

In their relationship, it was undeniable that Yue Hongling had been his guide, both emotionally and in martial pursuits. Even in their respective imagery, this connection held true. Yet, instead of finding it romantic, Zhao Changhe felt a faint sense of unease.

If all of this was part of the blind woman’s design, was it not... too precise? Too divine?

His ultimate pursuit extended beyond Yue Hongling’s sunsets and his own starry expanse. It encompassed the entirety of the cosmos, as reflected in the forging of his River of Stars. The sun and moon were but components of the heavens, subordinate to the infinite stars.

“What I must master... is the one who masters them,” he murmured to himself.

The more he thought about it, the more his unease grew. For all their progress, for all their connection, he could not shake the feeling that he was being steered toward a greater purpose he still did not fully understand.

Is every step I take still within the blind woman’s design?

Zhao Changhe silently broke the connection between their thoughts, pulled out the Heavenly Tome, and began to meticulously clean his sword.

Surely, this is not part of her plans, right?

Yue Hongling: “?”

The blind woman: “Zhao Changhe, you bastard—”

Ignoring the blind woman’s indignation, Zhao Changhe thought: If you’re upset, come and fight me.

* * *

The couple rested through the night, setting out at dawn. By late morning, they arrived in the skies above Dali. The weight of Saibei and the Li Clan’s looming threat pressed heavily on Zhao Changhe’s mind, leaving little room for leisurely sightseeing.

Though it was the last month of the lunar year, Dali’s climate was far from cold. Compared to the harsh winters of the north, or even the more temperate Central Plains, Dali felt almost warm. As they traveled, the changing attire of the locals painted a picture of a rapid seasonal shift, as if winter had seamlessly transformed into spring within mere days.

What struck Zhao Changhe the most was the stark contrast between past and present.

Not long ago, Dali’s chaos rivaled that of the Central Plains. Greed and power struggles reeked to high heaven. The region was fragmented by struggles between factions, corruption, and tribal conflicts. Ethnic tensions ran deep, and apart from a few bustling trade towns, the area surrounding Erhai was plagued by war and desolation.

Now, however, the view from above told a different story. Herds of cattle and sheep roamed freely across the grassy plains around Erhai, accompanied by the songs of shepherds. Fishing boats drifted lazily across the water, their crews harmonizing in tune with the waves.

Closer to the city, Dali itself bustled with life, its streets packed with people. Taoyuan Town, once a small settlement nestled in a mountain valley, had grown into the second most prosperous hub around the lake, second only to Dali. Its population had exploded, to the point where the town could no longer contain the crowds on its limited flat terrain.

The once-chaotic Miaojiang had now become a genuine paradise.

Yue Hongling gazed down at the peaceful scene, her heart filled with emotion. She whispered, “All that fighting... it wasn’t for nothing. It seems Sisi has done an excellent job.”

Zhao Changhe frowned, saying nothing.

Noticing his expression, Yue Hongling asked curiously, “What’s on your mind? Do you see any flaws?”

“No... there’s no flaw,” Zhao Changhe replied, his voice heavy. “I’m not sure if I’m overthinking this, but given the current age of gods and demons, where chaos is spreading everywhere, I find it hard to believe that Miaojiang would be spared. Especially when there are people out there who thrive on chaos.”

Yue Hongling stiffened, then nodded thoughtfully. “You might be right.”

Zhao Changhe continued, “What’s even stranger is that Sisi’s cultivation isn’t particularly strong. After Lei Zhentang’s death, Miaojiang didn’t even have a single expert on the Ranking of Heaven. By all logic, it’s one of the easiest places to target. Sure, its remoteness might make it less of an immediate priority, but there’s no way it would be overlooked entirely. The fact that it looks so peaceful now... can only mean one of two things: either the trouble hasn’t started yet, or it’s already unfolding under the surface.”