Tome of Troubled Times-Chapter 760 (1): Baoqin Gets into Trouble

Storage rings were rare. freēwēbnovel.com

Before this, aside from the one Zhao Changhe had obtained from the Black Tortoise Secret Realm, he had only seen one in Sisi’s possession. Sisi was part of the ancient lineage of the Spirit Tribe, where such artifacts from antiquity were relatively common. As for the members of Ying Five’s organization, although he had never seen them use one, they most certainly had them. Those who inherited the legacies of the Vermillion Bird and Black Tortoise were also likely to possess them. In general, these items were exceedingly rare, found only in the hands of those closely tied to ancient legacies.

Even Tang Wanzhuang had never owned one before. It was only recently that she received one from the imperial treasury, bestowed upon her by none other than Chichi herself. Its origins were unclear. It could have been something Xia Longyuan had acquired in his early years, or perhaps it was a tribute that had somehow found its way into the palace over time. Regardless, even within the imperial treasury, such items were scarce and could be counted among the rarest of treasures.

Because of this, Tang Wanzhuang had never considered the possibility of large-scale deployment of such a rare artifact. And if even she had not thought of it, then Timur most certainly hadn’t.

However, once the idea was broached, it became a problem worth attempting to solve. And if it could indeed be cracked, then the resulting strategic advantage in warfare would be beyond question.

But how could it be solved?

The rupture between the ancient and modern eras was primarily reflected in the discontinuity of cultivation knowledge. The powerful knew how to use techniques but often did not understand their underlying principles, while ordinary people were not even able to use the techniques. This had created a vast chasm in cultivation. However, this did not necessarily mean there was a technological gap. In terms of pure craftsmanship, the current era undoubtedly surpassed the past!

Many things remained impossible to forge only because of cultivation limitations. If those limitations were overcome—or, in some cases, if they did not even need to be overcome thanks to a few key insights—then why would modern craftsmanship fail to replicate what was once created in antiquity? Take, for example, the forging techniques passed down by the Black Tortoise. Was there anything inherently mystical about them? Not really. They were simply made more complex due to their integration with the Night Emperor’s unique understanding.

So, what was the core principle behind storage rings?

Clearly, it was space.

Space was an advanced and profoundly elusive law, and it was incredibly difficult to master. However, applying it to storage rings did not require absolute mastery or profound control, one only needed sufficient understanding. And who in the world had the deepest understanding of space?

At the top of the list was naturally Ying Five, followed by the Buddhist sects—after all, their teachings spoke of “a mustard seed containing Mount Sumeru[1].” Back in Xiangyang, when they had encountered a secret realm, even the monks had demonstrated the ability to disrupt space, preventing their opponents from linking it together. This showed that they had some grasp of spatial principles.

Without hesitation, Tang Wanzhuang stepped outside and ordered, “Summon Master Yuan Xing from Xichan Temple[2] and Young Master Sha Seven from the Leisure Gambling House.”

Zhao Changhe asked, “Yuan Xing is in the capital?”

“Yes, he arrived recently. Since Yuan Cheng has agreed to follow your directives, accepting taxation without claiming special privileges, the imperial court naturally has room to accommodate his presence. Her Majesty’s stance is that the Four Idols Cult has no fear of competition. After all, no one can truly challenge her.”

Zhao Changhe smirked. “...The benefits of being a state religion, huh.”

Tang Wanzhuang shot him a sidelong glance. “Hey, isn’t the Four Idols Cult worshiping you?”

“Oh... that’s right...” Zhao Changhe’s lips twitched. He still found it difficult to consider himself the Night Emperor. In his mind, the Night Emperor was someone else entirely.

But regardless of who the Night Emperor was, from the perspective of governance, allowing a single religious faction to dominate was never ideal. Even Xia Chichi, despite being a member of the Four Idols Cult herself and wielding imperial authority under the Azure Dragon’s banner, had begun fostering other factions to maintain balance. This was a strategy Wanzhuang had advised her on long ago. It seemed that Chichi had now fully set the empire on a proper trajectory. The involvement of the Buddhist sects signified that the empire was beginning to resemble the textbook model of a flourishing dynasty.

Another clear advantage of expanding one’s network of allies was the availability of talents across various domains, ensuring no particular field was lacking.

Before long, both Yuan Xing and Sha Seven arrived nearly simultaneously. Upon seeing Zhao Changhe, they clasped their hands in greeting and smiled, “We greet King Zhao.”

The two then turned to Tang Wanzhuang and saluted her as well. “Greetings, First Seat Tang.”

Tang Wanzhuang got straight to the point. “Let’s skip the pleasantries. I intend to assemble master craftsmen to research the forging of storage rings. Both of you have some understanding of spatial principles, so would you be able to contribute?”

Forging storage rings?

Both of them were momentarily stunned, but soon, the cogs in their brains started turning, and their eyes widened as they realized it might actually be feasible.

Many things seemed impossible simply because no one had ever considered them before. But once examined carefully, they often turned out to be far less difficult than expected.

Yuan Xing pondered for a moment before replying cautiously, “Had you asked me about this a few months ago, I would have been powerless to help. However, after our exploration of the secret realm in Xiangyang, we’ve gained considerable insights into this field. If we can inscribe a small spatial array onto the ring in advance, it may indeed be achievable.”

Sha Seven shrugged and said, “Fifth brother taught me some of this stuff, but unfortunately, I’m an idiot and couldn’t learn it.”

Zhao Changhe: “?”

“But I can provide the court with a batch of small-capacity storage rings. They can be used on a limited scale or as material for research and reverse engineering.”

“How small-capacity are we talking about? And what do you mean by ‘a batch’?”

“Well, the space inside only a few chi in diameter. These are low-grade products. As for the quantity... probably fewer than a hundred. Not that many, really.”

Zhao Changhe’s eyes widened.

Not that many? Sha Seven, you absolute idiot... This so-called “small batch” of yours is more than the combined number of rings owned by everyone on the Rankings of Heaven, Earth, and Man! Even if their capacity is limited, they’re enough to support small-scale logistical efficiency. Maybe not for transporting grain, but gold and silver? Absolutely. These could be deployed immediately!

Sha Seven clasped his hands together and said, “We deal in tunnels and burrows a lot. High-end items are rare, but these relatively lower-end ones are something we come across regularly, sometimes even in bulk. The reason our brotherhood’s raiders seem to appear and disappear like ghosts is partly due to this. We can plunder goods and carry them away without being weighed down. I’ve received my own share, of course, but if you’re talking about large-scale warfare, even emptying out our entire stockpile wouldn’t be enough. Not to mention, some of these rings are bound, damaged, or otherwise unusable. Research and development are still necessary.”

Tang Wanzhuang and Zhao Changhe exchanged looks, utterly stunned by this unexpected windfall.

Tang Wanzhuang, delighted, immediately said, “There’s no time to waste. Young Master Sha, please deliver a batch to the workshop. Master Yuan Xing, come with me. We need to finish this... a few days ago.”

Yue Hongling rose from her seat and said, “I’ll come as well. Having experienced the changes in the Kunlun space firsthand, I’ve gained some insights. Perhaps I can contribute, and it may also inspire my own sword intent.”

Zhao Changhe stood up as well, intending to join them.

The two women turned to him and exchanged a glance, amusement flickering in their eyes. “King Zhao, for all your diverse studies, this is one field where you clearly have no expertise. You’d best sit this one out. If you have nothing else to do, why not pay Her Majesty a visit in the palace?”

Zhao Changhe watched them leave, feeling somewhat speechless. He knew exactly what the two of them were implying, but he decided to let it go. Is this really necessary?

Still, in the back of his mind, he could not help but think that he actually did have some exposure to changes in space—in other words, the workings of space. The secret realm beneath the Imperial Ancestral Temple, left behind by Old Xia, was a prime example. But admittedly, he had only scratched the surface. When it came to storage rings, he really had no clue.

Well, well... Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west. Just you wait, I’ll head to the Imperial Ancestral Temple for some research, and when I come back, I’ll scare the hell out of you all.

On another note, Yue Hongling seemed to get along with everyone just fine. She wasn’t really at odds with any side. Perhaps it was because the rumors linking her to him had been around for so long that everyone had already processed it. Or maybe it was simply because her straightforward, righteous nature made it difficult for people to harbor any real hostility toward her. The only person who could verbally tear into everyone without hesitation was Baoqin, who stood firm atop the imperial capital like an immovable force.

As he thought about this, his gaze subconsciously drifted toward Baoqin.

To his surprise, she had not followed Tang Wanzhuang to the workshop. Instead, she sat at the table, propping her chin up with one hand, staring at him in a daze. When she noticed his glance, she looked startled, quickly lowering her eyes as if caught off guard.

It was only then that Zhao Changhe realized that, at this moment, the hall was empty. It was just him and Baoqin.

“Uh...” Baoqin, who was usually razor-sharp with her words, actually stammered, “Your... Your Highness, w-would you like some tea?”

She hurriedly poured tea, her hands fumbling so much that the cups clinked loudly against each other.

Despite the situation—a young man and a pretty young woman alone together—Zhao Changhe found that his thoughts did not wander in any improper direction. Instead, he simply chuckled. “Hey, why didn’t you go with your young miss?”

“There’s a guest in the house. How could the entire household leave? In the past, whenever the young miss, the master of the house, was entertaining guests but had to step out for some reason, I was always the one to stay behind and host whoever might be left behind.”

Zhao Changhe nearly blurted out “Aren’t you a master of the house as well?” but swallowed the words at the last moment. Saying something like that might touch a sore spot in the girl’s heart. That said, she and Tang Wanzhuang were inseparable, and when speaking on behalf of Tang Wanzhuang, her words carried weight. In a way, she really was a master of the house.

He simply smiled and said, “But I’m not really a guest here, am I?”

“Is that so?” Baoqin gave him a sidelong glance. “Have you married my young miss and I wasn’t informed?”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

Baoqin continued, “Even if we set that aside, do you even know where anything is in this house? You wouldn’t even be able to find the restroom without help. And yet you say you aren’t a guest?”

She was just stammering a moment ago, and now she’s back to her sharp-tongued self. Zhao Changhe was both exasperated and amused. Pretending to roll up his sleeves, he took a step forward as if about to give her a good smack.

Baoqin raised her chin stubbornly, refusing to back down.

Zhao Changhe looked down at her, her small, pouting lips, her slightly puffed-up chest... But what caught his attention the most were her eyes, carrying a mixture of grievance and something else he could not quite decipher.

1. In Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain cosmology, Mount Sumeru (or Mount Meru) is a giant mountain about 1 million km in height that stands at the center of the universe. Meanwhile, a mustard seed is considered the smallest of seeds (interestingly, this is in the Bible as well). The analogy refers to the idea that time and space are purely a mind construct and something of utterly titanic size can just as well be microscopic. ☜

2. Xichan Temple is a Buddhist temple located on the slope of Mount Yi, in Gulou District, Fuzhou, Fujian. ☜