Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 421: Buqi Still Awake

The blind woman disappeared, and Zhao Changhe opened his eyes. Outside the window, the moon shone brightly in the sparse starry sky.

It was still nighttime.

He had probably gone to sleep too early, falling asleep while the banquet was still going on. He had no idea what time it was now.

He assessed his physical condition. It still hurt, but he could basically get out of bed and walk around without much trouble. To be able to move so soon after taking such a powerful blow to the chest was a testament to how mystical the medicine from the Four Idols Cult had become.

Of course, it also had a lot to do with the progress he had made with his Blood Asura Body. Even though this physique did not primarily focus on defense, it had made his physique much tougher than a normal person’s. His vitality and blood qi were incredibly strong, which greatly boosted both his endurance and recovery.

I need to further improve my Blood Asura Body...

His repeated victories, often against opponents above his level, were thanks not only to his mastery of saber arts but also largely to the Blood Asura Body. After all, his strength far surpassed others at the same level, serving as the foundation of his combat ability.

From the latest battle, it seemed that the corpse demon’s invulnerability to weapons could be considered a special kind of physique. If, in the future, the world underwent a massive change and everyone developed some special physique, his current advantage would be lost.

In contrast, his weaknesses might become even more apparent—his meridians were ultimately still weaker than those of an average person. While he had overcome this issue enough to make it to the first layer of the Profound Mysteries, what about moving forward? It may no longer be sufficient.

The blind woman’s message was clear. No matter how the world’s situation changed, if he remained on the Ranking of Man, his impact would continue to be limited. What mattered most if he wanted to make a difference was improving his cultivation.

In fact, Zhao Changhe had only reached the first layer of the Profound Mysteries in the first month of the year and entered the Ranking of Man early in the second month. It had only been about a month and a half since then, so naturally, there was a part of him that subconsciously thought, “I just got here. Maybe I should pause for a bit.” But to the blind woman, this stage was no different from a small step in cultivation, with no need to stop...

Their perspectives were simply different.

Now that he had the Profound Mysteries part of the Vicious Blood Art, and he knew how to advance his Blood Asura Body, he could indeed push straight for the second layer of the Profound Mysteries. Even the intent of the stars in the sky, which was needed for the forging of the sword, was something he could explore during this stage.

If the current world and the previous era truly had a drastic disconnect, then the bridges connecting them were the various secret realms. Among them, tribes like the Ancient Spirit Tribe were likely to contain a wealth of things to explore for this stage of cultivation.

There were likely several such tribes, including the Sea Tribe, but the one he had the deepest connection with was the Ancient Spirit Tribe.

It seems like I really will have to pay them a visit.

But it feels like the world is about to undergo massive changes. Is this really the right time to go into a large secret realm, cutting myself off from the outside world for who knows how many months?

Zhao Changhe paced for a moment and walked to the window.

Suddenly, he paused. In the moonlight, he noticed a bottle of medicine and a bowl of herbal soup sitting on the table by the window.

He picked up the bowl, sniffed it, and took a small sip. The soup was still warm.

He immediately noted that the combination of herbs distinctly had Tang Wanzhuang’s style. His knowledge of medicine and herbs had all been taught by her, so he recognized her touch after just one sip.

A scene played out in his mind: Tang Wanzhuang, having finished her social obligations, hurriedly sneaked into her room to personally brew him medicine, which she then brought over under the cover of night, slipping in through the window.

Then, seeing him sleeping, she did not wake him, simply choosing to carefully place the medicine beside him before taking one last look and quietly leaving.

Just the thought of this made his heart soften.

After a moment’s reflection, Zhao Changhe drank the medicine in one go and stepped outside, planning to find Tang Wanzhuang for a chat.

Whether it was to discuss future plans or to talk about something more personal, he was not sure at the moment.

In fact, he could have imagined an even deeper scenario.

Tang Wanzhuang had not only brewed him medicine and brought it over, but had also stood in the room, gazing at him under the moonlight for a good half-hour, silently watching him sleep.

Before leaving, she even touched his face... only to pull her hand back, as if jolted by an electric shock, before finally fleeing through the window.

If Zhao Changhe knew about this, he would probably be walking on air right now.

As soon as he stepped out, however, he realized that he had no idea which residence Tang Wanzhuang was staying in.

He was currently in the former residence of the prefectural governor of Kuaiji, which had later become the headquarters of the Maitreya Cult. After Tang Buqi took over, it had undergone a thorough cleansing, so there were no servants in the estate. People like Ying Five, Cui Wenjing, and Yang Jingxiu were all staying in their own quarters, not needing any servants or guards. This made it hard to even find someone to ask for directions.

Zhao Changhe extended his senses and listened closely. There was still noise in the city. Tang Buqi was commanding the final cleanup, dealing with the remaining followers of the Maitreya Cult that were in the city, working late into the night,

Poor guy... Zhao Changhe felt a bit sorry for him, wondering if he had even had any time to rest.

He sighed, then his figure flashed, and he headed straight for the main residence.

Knowing Tang Buqi, he surely arranged for his aunt to stay in the main residence.

Zhao Changhe stealthily reached the main residence. There were still no servants in sight. The moonlight bathed the courtyard in a soft glow, reflecting off a stone table where some leftover tea had not been cleared away.

Since Tang Wanzhuang had come to Kuaiji for the decisive battle, Baoqin was obviously not here. Imagining her alone in the courtyard, sipping tea and sighing under the moon made Zhao Changhe’s heart itch even more. He gently knocked on the door.

She must be awake. After all, the medicinal soup was still warm, meaning she’d just returned.

The knock on the door was followed by the sound of rustling clothes from inside, and with a creak, the door slowly opened.

Zhao Changhe’s smile froze on his face.

Tang Buqi’s big, tired face appeared at the door, with dark circles under his eyes, looking exhausted. He asked helplessly, “What are you doing here in the middle of the night?”

Damn it, you actually used the main residence yourself? Who would have thought? With those thick eyebrows and big eyes, where’s your sense of filial piety?

Zhao Changhe cleared his throat awkwardly, “I was resting and passed out earlier. When I woke up, I found out that it was still night. Since you’re the commander here, I thought I’d come talk to you about some things. Uh, I figured that with your high level of cultivation, you don’t really need sleep. Did I disturb you?”

Tang Buqi sighed. “I had just gotten into bed to rest... but it’s fine, let’s chat.”

He led the way to the stone table and began making tea. “This was from earlier when Master Yuan Cheng visited for a chat. I didn’t even have the energy to clean it up.”

“Ahem.” Zhao Changhe sat down and pulled out his wine gourd. “Forget the tea, how about some wine?”

Tang Buqi laughed. “Right, I forgot you prefer wine.”

In fact, Zhao Changhe had grown to enjoy tea as well, but he did not want to waste time waiting for water to boil. He only planned to chat briefly and then leave.

He casually poured Tang Buqi some wine and sighed. “I never expected it, but you’ve become one of Great Xia’s renowned generals...”

Tang Buqi said, “I wouldn’t say renowned general. Honestly, fighting the Maitreya Cult does not really show much skill. If we ever clash with the Wang Clan, then we’ll see how well I measure up.”

“I feel like Wang Zhaoling wouldn’t stand a chance against you, at least not with your experience in large-scale battles.”

“The Wang Clan has plenty of experience fighting the northern barbarians.” Tang Buqi did not dwell on this and instead said, “To be honest, back then, I was afraid of dying. I was worried that wandering the jianghu alone would mean dying somewhere without anyone knowing... But now I’ve realized that commanding battles suits me more. After all, it’s rare for a general to need to charge into battle himself, and when it’s necessary, I’m not one to back down.”

“Is it because you’re always well-prepared and know what to expect that you’re confident?”

Tang Buqi smiled and nodded. “Something like that. Though deep down, I do still envy the carefree life in the jianghu... Haha, but maybe that life was never for me. That’s a stage meant for people like you.”

“Come on, aren’t you perfect for leaning on your horse by the bridge, with red-sleeved beauties waving from the balconies? That’s also a carefree jianghu life.”

Tang Buqi shot him a side-eye. “Is that why you’re always flirting with every woman you meet?”

Zhao Changhe took a sip of wine and said nothing.

Tang Buqi, exhausted, yawned and said, “I’m too tired to lecture you right now. But seriously, did you come here in the middle of the night just to talk about this nonsense? If you have something important to say, spit it out so I can go to sleep...”

I actually just wanted to ask where your aunt is staying. Can I ask that now, or will you pull your sword on me if I do?

Zhao Changhe was racking his brain for a new topic when Tang Wanzhuang’s voice came from outside the courtyard: “Why are you two still awake? Drinking in the middle of the night? Don’t you care about your health?”

He turned to see Tang Wanzhuang strolling over gracefully, bathed in the moonlight, looking as beautiful as a dream.

Tang Buqi was just about to complain, “It’s not that I don’t care about my health! I’ve been working all day, just got into bed, and then this guy shows up out of nowhere with a bunch of praise that doesn’t even make sense...”

But before he could say anything, Zhao Changhe cut in, “It’s just a minor injury. Thanks to someone’s carefully prepared medicine, I’m almost fully healed... I was feeling bored, so I decided to take a stroll and happened to find Buqi still awake, so we ended up chatting about old times, it’s been quite pleasant...”

Tang Buqi: “...”

Tang Wanzhuang’s eyes moved between the two men, a hint of amusement in her expression. “Buqi has worked hard today. Let him rest. Whatever you two brothers need to talk about, do it tomorrow. Come with me. I’ll check your injury.”

Tang Buqi blurted out, “No, I’m wide awake! Aunt, you shouldn’t be alone with him. Why don’t we all have a drink together?”

The pair of partners-in-crime glared at him and said in unison, “Since when do juniors interrupt their elders? Go to bed!”

Tang Buqi felt a deep sense of injustice. You two aren’t even pretending anymore, are you?