Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 528: Manipulating the Stars, Shifting the Universe

Huangfu Qing had never imagined that her words would not only fail to leave Zhao Changhe stunned but would actually have an effect stronger than any aphrodisiac.

Even though she had already begged for a ceasefire, the flames of battle suddenly reignited, catching Huangfu Qing completely off guard and leaving her utterly bewildered.

Biting the pillow, she endured it, racking her brain for a while before finally realizing. “You, you, you... You actually got even more excited from that?!”

Zhao Changhe remained silent.

“Bastard!” Huangfu Qing struggled, “You call yourself a hero? Have some shame!”

Zhao Changhe pointed to himself, “I’m a member of a demonic cult, remember? And a pig for that matter.” n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Huangfu Qing rolled her eyes, though it was unclear whether it was due to his words or something else entirely.

For members of a demonic cult, such things were never really taken too seriously. Furthermore, in their case, they were even loosely connected. The problem was that Zhao Changhe had been acting more and more like a righteous hero lately, leading her to expect him to be more reserved, as well as making her think that she had him under control...

Only now did Huangfu Qing remember that he was no hero at all. He had even been originally labeled as a bandit!

Now she felt like she had spun herself into a cocoon... not only was she suffering greatly now, but it seemed she had also piqued his interest in Xia Chichi even more. Huangfu Qing almost wanted to slap herself.

Suddenly, the palace maids outside called out loudly, “The saintess has returned!”

The movements inside paused.

Xia Chichi craned her neck, looking towards the paper window, where the frozen scene was still cast in shadow.

Bang!

Xia Chichi angrily broke through the window and barged in, grabbing the adulterous pair. “I’m out here facing the greatest villain in the world, my life hanging by a thread, and you two are in here having fun?!”

You do know that the person you’re calling the “greatest villain in the world” is your own father, right? And honestly, even if he did have a moment of insanity and wanted to kill you, there would be no need to lure you into a secret realm. He could kill her whenever he wanted, even along with Zhao Changhe.

The great Venerable Vermillion Bird, who had been arrogant all her life, was certainly not about to lose her composure. She lazily brushed Xia Chichi’s hand away and casually ran her fingers through her own hair. The quilt that had been covering her body slipped off, revealing a scene of snowy white splendor.

Xia Chichi’s eyes widened. “Shameless!”

“What’s the matter? He and I are a couple. We can be intimate whenever we want. Since when is it up to some witch, demon, or ghost to object?” Huangfu Qing said lazily. “But barging in like this, Saintess, isn’t that a bit inappropriate...”

Xia Chichi had her own justification. “We’re in a dangerous place. We should be cautious in all matters at all times. You two were so loud that the entire palace could probably hear you. I even managed to get close to you without either of you noticing. If something happened, wouldn’t it ruin our cult’s plans? Fire Serpent of Yi, do you not realize your crime?”

Huangfu Qing was stunned for a moment. Who does she think she is, questioning my loyalty to the cult...? Well, whatever, I have an ace up my sleeve.

“I know what I’m doing. I’m well aware of my responsibilities,” Huangfu Qing said calmly. “I’m in charge of palace affairs, and the venerable already instructed you to listen to me. If you’re unhappy, feel free to report me to the venerable and have her punish me.”

“So you’re in charge of palace matters, are you? Do you know that if I wanted to, this entire palace could be mine?”

“I know,” Huangfu Qing replied sincerely. “But if that day comes, it would mean that you’ll have to call me Empress Mother.”

Xia Chichi was dumbfounded.

It was the first time Huangfu Qing had thoroughly defeated Xia Chichi in this particular role, and she was absolutely delighted. With the mask, I’m her master; without the mask, I’m her mother. I win from every angle.

She had completely forgotten that this identity was what had awakened a certain beast just moments ago.

Zhao Changhe took advantage of the battle of words between the two women to quietly put on his clothes. Hearing what Huangfu Qing said, he nearly lost his composure again, but he managed to subtly tug at Xia Chichi’s sleeve.

“Chichi...”

“What!” Xia Chichi snapped. “Have you not had enough and want to have your way with me now?”

“If I said I was doing it to get back at Old Xia, would you believe me?”

Xia Chichi’s mouth twitched. Actually... she did in fact believe it. After all, if they just wanted to do it, they could do it anytime; the fact that they’d jumped at it like this meant that there really was a reason like that behind it.

But now her own identity had become awkward. “So, you want to be my stepfather, huh?”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

“Not that you’d get the chance even if you wanted to.” Xia Chichi could not even be bothered to argue with Huangfu Qing anymore and sneered. “We had a falling out.”

Zhao Changhe was startled. “How... Oh, you mean after you got what you wanted, you turned your back on him? That’s expected.”

Xia Chichi sneered, “I wish. I didn’t even have a chance to put on a cold face before he did first and told me to leave.’”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

Xia Chichi fumed, “Do you know how that felt? I even thought he really did have some regrets. When he started teaching me, I even felt a bit of warmth... It would have been better if he hadn’t given me that illusion. It only made it worse!”

Huangfu Qing sighed, “It’s best not to try and figure out the mind of someone like that. Since you two have fallen out, I think it’s best to leave this place and avoid lingering under his watchful eyes. If he suddenly has some change of mind, we won’t be able to react in time.”

Xia Chichi sighed as well. “Is this what all those in power are like? It’s just like how I can’t figure out the venerable—temperamental and unpredictable.”

Huangfu Qing: “...I think you’re the one who’s temperamental. Why are you suddenly bringing up the venerable?”

Xia Chichi stared blankly at the oil lamp before suddenly saying, “He also told me to leave the Central Plains. He wants me to go overseas.”

Huangfu Qing was surprised. “Why overseas?”

“He said I am currently sharp and lacking tranquility; icy and lacking fluidity; ambitious yet lacking tolerance; fierce yet lacking authority. Therefore, my will leans toward that of the White Tiger too much, and too little toward that of the Azure Dragon. He advised me to head east to the place where the Azure Dragon grew to find my path to the third layer of the Profound Mysteries,” said Xia Chichi. “Regardless of what kind of person he is, his insight into martial arts is indeed remarkable.”

Huangfu Qing nodded in agreement. In fact, these words aligned with her own assessment. She had previously sent Xia Chichi on an overseas journey precisely for this reason. But as Xia Chichi’s master, it made sense for her to be so familiar with Xia Chichi’s cultivation. Xia Longyuan, however, had only met Xia Chichi once and never even seen her fight, yet he had made such a precise judgment... It was truly impressive.

But Xia Chichi has already been overseas once. She even just returned after deepening her understanding of the Azure Dragon, which was what allowed her to reach the threshold of the second layer of the Profound Mysteries. And now she’s being told to go again... Wait!

Huangfu Qing’s eyes widened. “What path did you say he told you to seek?”

“The third layer of the Profound Mysteries.” Xia Chichi said casually, “I just broke through to the second layer and even advanced a bit more...”

Huangfu Qing and Zhao Changhe both dropped their jaws, at a loss for words.

Wasn’t he only supposed to pass on some of your mother’s teachings?

Zhao Changhe recalled how difficult it had been for him to break through to the second layer of the Profound Mysteries... It had been a real test of endurance and will. Every single bit of his body had been remade, and the pain had nearly driven him mad. Even then, he had not fully succeeded, requiring the help of the spiritual platform of the Spirit Tribe’s ancestral shaman and the essence of the sun and moon to balance the two energies.

Meanwhile, just a few words had been shared between father and daughter, and she suddenly broke through...

Who’s really the one with cheat codes here?

Huangfu Qing studied Xia Chichi thoughtfully for a moment, not asking exactly how she had broken through, but instead saying, “The sea is vast... Do you know exactly where to go? Make sure you don’t end up in the Sea Emperor’s hands.”

“I don’t know if the Sea Emperor will be nearby, but I do know where to go...” Xia Chichi said dreamily. “He pointed to the seven mansions of the Azure Dragon on his celestial dome. With a casual flick of his hand, the mansions fell to the far east, with the central mansion stopping at the boundary between sea and sky. Then, I really saw the sea and sky in reality, as if I were standing on a reef looking at the distant Mansion of Xin[1]. I could even feel the wetness of the sea breeze... I’ve seen those islands and reefs before; I went there during my last voyage.”

Huangfu Qing’s expression grew solemn. “Manipulating the stars, shifting the universe... Is such a realm truly achievable?”

Xia Chichi replied, “Yes, the ancient texts mention it. I originally believed them to be just exaggerations... But seeing it with my own eyes, it was truly shocking. I believe it’s also assisted by the effects of the celestial dome in that secret realm, and that’s probably why he’s been holed up there.”

Zhao Changhe asked, “You said you’ve been there before and you didn’t find anything. Will you know how to find what you need this time?”

“I need to wait for the right time... when the Mansion of Xin aligns perfectly at the boundary between sea and sky. However, it’s not when the Azure Dragon enters the sea, but the opposite. The Azure Dragon rises from the sea, leaping from the depths from time to time until it fully ascends.”

1. This is one of the mansions of the Azure Dragon. It represents the Azure Dragon’s heart. ☜