Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 521: Take Care, My Lady

Inside Puyang City, Zhao Changhe sat by the bedside, placing his hand on Cui Wenjing’s wrist, closing his eyes as he channeled the Rejuvenation Art, slowly tending to Cui Wenjing’s injuries.

His father-in-law was badly hurt this time. His blood flow was chaotic, no longer circulating normally. Only his foundation as a Ranking of Heaven figure kept him alive. If it had been an ordinary martial artist, they would have been long dead after suffering such injuries.

When he held the Zhenhai Sword with his bare hands, sword qi entered his body, damaging his dantian. Finally, while weakened, he suffered internal injuries from the punch, leading to his unconscious state. With all these injuries combined, any other doctor would likely have declared, “I’ve done my best,” and Cui Wenjing would then have been pronounced to be beyond saving.

Fortunately, Zhao Changhe was the one by his side.

Zhao Changhe was highly skilled in matters of the blood. He managed to help restore order to the chaotic blood circulation, while the Rejuvenation Art worked to heal the damaged blood vessels. As for the internal injuries and the harm caused by the sword qi, those could be handled by other doctors, and the Cui Clan had plenty of effective medicines to assist in the slow recovery process.

These injuries did not affect Cui Wenjing’s soul, so with proper treatment, he was going to fully recover without lasting consequences. It was just difficult to estimate how long it would take.

Wang Daoning was likely in a similar state. In the short term, he certainly would not be able to cause any trouble—unless the Sea Tribe had some miraculous way to heal him instantly, which seemed unlikely.

Cui Wenjing’s children stood tensely nearby. Cui Yuanyang wanted to ask but did not dare interrupt, her little face flushed with worry.

She had never imagined that, with chaos breaking out across the world, the first to fall would be her father, who was among the strongest in the world. For a girl who had lived under her father’s protective wings all her life, it felt like the sky was collapsing—both in reality and in her worldview.

Even during the most perilous times when she fled with Zhao Changhe, Cui Yuanyang had not truly experienced this kind of deep anxiety. But now, in an instant, it felt as though her world had become filled with dark clouds.

She could only wonder if her big brother Zhao could really heal her father.

Zhao Changhe withdrew his hand from her father’s wrist.

The siblings spoke in unison, “Brother Zhao/Big brother Zhao...”

Zhao Changhe waved them off. “Keep it down. Don’t disturb your father’s rest. Let’s talk outside.”

His choice of words implied their father was not in immediate danger, which brought relief to the siblings. They obediently followed Zhao Changhe outside.

“Your father’s life is no longer in danger. The remaining work will involve gradually dealing with the sword qi, treating his internal organs, and repairing his dantian. These aren’t problems that can be resolved instantly. There is no such miraculous technique. Fortunately, the jianghu is familiar with these types of injuries. No matter how strong the Zhenhai Sword’s energy is, the Cui Clan should be able to handle it.”

Cui Yuanyong was overjoyed. “We should be able to manage that!”

Cui Yuanyang, who had been holding her breath, finally let out a sigh of relief, her small shoulders slumping slightly. “How long will it take for my dad to recover?”

Zhao Changhe pulled her into his arms, comforting her gently, “I can’t predict exactly how long it will take for him to fully recover, but if he gets proper care, he should wake up within three days. There’s no need to worry too much.”

Cui Yuanyong hesitated, wanting to ask something.

He wanted to ask if his father’s damaged dantian meant that even after recovering, he might lose his cultivation. He wanted Zhao Changhe’s opinion, but it did not seem like the right time to ask. Preserving his father’s life was the priority, and asking about anything else now felt selfish, so he held his tongue.

But Zhao Changhe seemed to understand his concern. He said, “In the Battle of Kuaiji, there was a war prize called the Transformative Lotus. It was not completely used up, but I’m not sure how it was distributed afterward. If the Cui Clan has it, use it right away—it will greatly help your father’s recovery. If you don’t have it, go ask Tang Wanzhuang.”

Cui Yuanyong’s expression darkened. “My father never mentioned it, and I don’t know if we have it. I’ll have someone return to Qinghe to check the treasury records.”

“Alright, you go check. Whether you find it or not, since I’m heading to the capital soon, I can ask Wanzhuang for some when I get there.”

“Thank you. I’ll go give the orders.” Cui Yuanyong hurriedly left.

Cui Yuanyang stayed quietly in Zhao Changhe’s arms. It was not until her brother had been gone for a while that she began to sob softly, “Big brother Zhao...”

Zhao Changhe understood why the young girl was crying—fear and uncertainty, the feeling of the sky collapsing. He gently wiped away her tears, speaking softly, “It’s alright now... Come on, it’s just an injury. Your big brother Zhao gets hurt like a beaten dog all the time.”

Cui Yuanyang pouted and said softly, “But my father is so old...”

“...What are you even talking about? Your father isn’t even old enough to qualify for normal retirement. And with his physique... I think if he breaks through to the next level, he might even achieve immortality. He’s only in his forties. How can you call him old?”

Cui Yuanyang was stunned. “Immortality?”

“Those gods and demons barely hanging on in various secret realms—many of them aren’t even that much stronger than your father. And look at how long they’ve lived. I reckon that as long as one successfully cultivates their yin spirit and has the right treasures to nurture it, they could live a very long life. And once you reach higher levels, who knows, maybe you could even achieve true immortality...”

Cui Yuanyang leaned back slightly, blinking as if deep in thought. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Zhao Changhe asked curiously, “What are you thinking about? Are you thinking of achieving immortality?”

Cui Yuanyang scratched her head and muttered something too soft to hear.

Zhao Changhe could never guess what was actually on her mind. She was worried about growing up, getting older, and losing her cuteness, fearing her big brother Zhao would not like her as much in the future. She was going to be eighteen in just a few months.[1]

What age was that old woman Xia Chichi when she first met Brother Zhao?

Feeling herself edging closer to becoming just like those “old women,” Cui Yuanyang was filled with a sense of urgency—like she was losing her advantage.

Now it seemed unclear whether immortality was achievable, but maybe she could try to slow down growing up...

But the atmosphere was not right, and that fleeting thought passed quickly. Cui Yuanyang’s mind was still occupied by her father’s condition. “I never imagined Wang Daoning could really injure dad this badly...”

Zhao Changhe was silent.

He had not seen the battle firsthand, but he could piece together about eighty percent of what had happened from the scene and the outcome.

For instance, Cui Wenjing’s chaotic blood flow—that clearly was not the result of a Wang Clan technique. Judging Wang Daoning himself, even with the fully restored Zhenhai Sword, he was probably only evenly matched with Cui Wenjing wielding the weakened Qinghe Sword. It was the Sea Tribe’s secret art that had truly affected Cui Wenjing.

But even after being affected, Cui Wenjing had still managed to severely wound Wang Daoning. And with Zhao Changhe arriving in time, Old Cui should not have ended up in his current state.

Xia Longyuan’s punch was the last straw that broke the camel’s back, worsening both the physical injuries and dealing a psychological blow.

Xia Longyuan’s punch had clearly been planned in advance. Judging from his actions, it seemed evident that he had allowed the Wang Clan to rebel just to draw out the Sea Tribe behind them. Otherwise, why would he have kept Empress Wang alive?

He was only concerned about the Sea Tribe. He was not trying to save Cui Wenjing, nor was he trying to save Zhao Changhe.

He was similar to the blind woman, who would only act for the Heavenly Tome.

How many times had Zhao Changhe faced life-threatening situations, and when had Xia Longyuan or the blind woman ever come to save him? Especially this time, when he had not even confronted the Sea Tribe yet—he had not made a move, and there was not a sense of imminent danger. Zhao Changhe knew well that Xia Longyuan’s punch had nothing to do with him. Had he not dodged, he would have been killed on the spot.

He had managed to dodge and stay alive, and that was fine. But Old Cui? If Zhao Changhe had not protected him, he would have been reduced to mangled flesh.

No matter how much Cui Wenjing’s staunch resistance stemmed from his own considerations, the fact remained that he was defending the Great Xia’s land. And Xia Longyuan only cared about drawing out the gods and demons. For a fleeting chance to catch a Sea Tribe deity, he was indifferent to collateral damage—even if it meant killing his own people.

At that moment, Cui Wenjing’s heart must have turned cold...

It was truly inhumane... No wonder there was not a single person in the world who spoke well of Xia Longyuan. Perhaps the only person who could have said a few good things about him was Zhao Changhe himself, but even that goodwill had been completely squandered this time.

He’s even worse than the blind woman. As cold as the blind woman is, at least she’s never harmed her own.

Of course, there was no need to burden Yangyang with these thoughts. There was no point in making her resent Xia Longyuan. After a long moment of thought, Zhao Changhe said, “Take good care of your father. I’m going to the capital, and I’ll be back soon.”

Cui Yuanyang thought he was only going to ask Tang Wanzhuang about the Transformative Lotus and couldn’t help tugging at his sleeve. “Couldn’t we just send someone to ask First Seat Tang? I... I’m scared when you’re not around...”

Zhao Changhe shook his head, speaking softly, “I have many things to discuss with Wanzhuang, and there are other matters I need to ask some people about...”

After a pause, he added, “Yesterday, because of the sudden downpour, Wang Zhaoling paused the siege, which meant the Blood God Cult’s surprise attack did not have the desired effect. Wang Zhaoling has only temporarily retreated—he has not been defeated. Once the Wang Clan processes the news of your father and Wang Daoning’s mutual injuries, they will surely launch another assault. For Qinghe, which is practically defenseless, we cannot afford to lose Puyang.”

Cui Yuanyang looked at him, not fully understanding.

Zhao Changhe spoke slowly, “Yangyang, not everyone in the Cui Clan is of one mind. Many may not understand your father’s unwavering stance this time, and with him down, their loyalty might waver. On the other hand, the Wang Clan will be united in purpose. In the short term, the person your brother can trust the most is none other than you. He... is under a lot of pressure.”

Cui Yuanyang stared at him in a daze for a while, then suddenly smiled. “Don’t worry, big brother Zhao. Yangyang isn’t the same as before. I’ve reached the eighth layer of the Profound Gate!”

Zhao Changhe looked at her smile, his eyes momentarily distant.

Cultivation aside... The little girl, once dressed in a bunny outfit, sitting in the corner hugging her knees, had finally gone forever, swept away by the troubled times.

If not for the rebellion of the Wang Clan, this trip to Qinghe would have been to discuss their marriage... but now, neither of them had the heart to bring it up.

“I know my Yangyang is a martial arts prodigy. If the Wang Clan stirs the raging storm, perhaps the one to turn the tide will be you.”

Cui Yuanyang: “...”

The raging storm was more than just the Wang Clan.

If saving a collapsing tide was possible, then who could hold up the crumbling edifice?

Zhao Changhe said nothing more. He hugged Cui Yuanyang gently, giving her a light kiss on her soft, rosy lips, and said tenderly, “Take care, my lady.”

With that, he turned and strode out, mounted Snow-Treading Crow, and rode off swiftly.

Cui Yuanyang stood there, lost in thought, watching his figure disappear.

1. The raws say 17, but based on the numbers in the previous chapters, this should be 18. ☜