Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 165: Crouching Dragon Phoenix Chick

Zhao Changhe’s face turned as red as an eggplant from embarrassment.

Did you really think that you’re someone who can learn sword and saber intents with a glance? Making a fool of others is one thing, but this time you’ve made a fool of yourself!

Did you really learn those things on your own? It was really thanks to the golden foil that slowed down and demonstrated those scenes dozens or even hundreds of times so that you could imitate them!

Besides, being talented at martial arts doesn’t mean that your talent translates to music. Understanding how it’s done in your mind is one thing, but executing it yourself is a whole different matter.

“Um... I, I’ll come back another day? I, I need to go and finish telling my maid a story first...” Seeing that the string was broken and the guqin could no longer be played, Zhao Changhe found a poor excuse and fled as if his life depended on it.

Tang Wanzhuang watched him leave with a straight face, not taking her eyes off him until he turned the corner of the waterside pavilion and disappeared. Suddenly, she chuckled softly and murmured, “No wonder he gets along so well with Buqi, they’re both clearly big children.”

The maid was crying softly. “The string...”

“Come on, don’t cry, don’t cry. Tomorrow, I’ll help you teach him a lesson.”

“Young miss, are you really going to be with that stinky bear...”

“No, of course not. Zhao Changhe is a man that I can never have. Come on, don’t cry, your face is wet with tears now.”

The maid raised her head, tears welling in her eyes. “But, young miss, do you really want to have him?”

Tang Wanzhuang was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled softly. “You’re overthinking it. It’s not so much that I want to have him, it’s more like the Great Xia wants to have him, but it’s best... not to speak too soon.”

After saying that, she rose from her seat and prepared to leave.

The maid asked curiously, “Young miss, where are you going?”

“There are still many things left unfinished in Gusu...” Tang Wanzhuang sighed wearily. “He rushes around, never having peace of mind, and the same goes for me. You know, this fleeting half a day, where I listened to his story and he listened to my music...whether it was for him or for myself, I just can’t tell.”

*

Zhao Changhe returned to his guest house in a flash, but he paused at the door.

Sisi was sprawled out on his bed, sound asleep without a care in the world.

Zhao Changhe recalled the casual question he had asked in the morning. Perhaps she really didn’t have anywhere to sleep last night and actually just sat and meditated somewhere.

Judging from her beauty, she’s unlikely to be an ordinary person in the Ancient Spirit Tribe. She’s clearly well-nourished and she looks like she’s been spared manual labor. She thought she was Duan Yu, and she did not deny it when I called her a little princess before, so that might really be the case. But why would a little princess come out here to suffer?

Her lack of propriety is not just in terms of manners and modesty. Back at the White Lotus Temple, I forced her to kneel and she actually did it. That seems inconsistent with her identity as a little princess. What kind of princess would have so little dignity?

But no matter what, we’ve fought side by side and we’re basically friends now. It would be better to just let her tell me about her background in her own time.

Zhao Changhe stopped dwelling on such thoughts. He placed a thin blanket over her, then sat by the window to read.

The effect of that guqin was really good. I feel really calm even now. Before, I couldn’t even concentrate when reading and I could never finish a book...

Looking back, he had been doing more than just rushing around. What he had been doing was practically exhausting himself to death.

Take things slow... Haste makes waste.

The vicious blood qi entwined around his body and spirit gradually calmed and became like a tranquil lake. Zhao Changhe even felt that the next attack would be delayed significantly.

Sisi, who was lying in bed, opened her eyes and glanced at the thin blanket covering her. She looked at Zhao Changhe quietly reading by the window.

Initially filled with resentment, she found herself inexplicably calmed, and she just silently watched him read for a while without speaking.

“You up?” Zhao Changhe turned over a page of the book. “Did you read this book before going to sleep?”

Sisi peered over and saw that it was the beginner’s guide to couplets. She replied, “Yes, it’s about the culture of the Central Plains. I wanted to learn it before, but I felt that martial arts were more important and I did not have the time to explore it further. It was only after listening to your story that I found the interest to pick up this beginner’s guide for servants and maids.”

“How was it? Did you find couplets interesting?”

“They’re somewhat interesting, but they aren’t that meaningful,” Sisi lazily sat up, revealing her slim and beautiful figure. When she noticed that Zhao Changhe had not even glanced at her, she felt slightly annoyed and flirtatiously asked, “Hey, are you finding couplets more interesting than me?”

“I used to find them quite boring as well, but now that my mind has calmed down, I find them to be quite fascinating,” Zhao Changhe mused. “In the jianghu, there is wine but no poetry. It does feel like something’s missing... In the Great Xia, Tang Wanzhuang fills that gap.”

Sisi was shocked. “You actually have the gall to mention Tang Wanzhuang when talking to me?!”

Zhao Changhe chuckled helplessly. “I’m talking about the poetic and artistic representation that she embodies, not her as a person. You’re even less cultured than I am.”

“Of course, the beauty of a little foreign girl like me naturally can’t compare to the beauty of First Seat Tang, which is admired by the entire Jiangnan!” Sisi gritted her teeth. “This boring stuff like poetry and couplets, you can learn with just a glance. They’re nothing special!”

Zhao Changhe was astonished. “You can learn it with just a glance? Isn’t that like me thinking that playing the guqin is easy?”

Sisi retorted, “Isn’t it just finding antonyms and synonyms? What’s so difficult about that? Like you, Zhao Changhe, I heard that you killed a traitor named Wang Dashan. Don’t you feel that the two of you are a perfect match?”[1]

Zhao Changhe fell silent. “I also think that he and I match quite well in a couplet. Is my cultural level really at the same level as a foreigner?”

Sisi smirked and said, “See, isn’t it simple?”

“You’re indeed able to use ‘long river,’ but what about something more difficult? Like... the boatmen on a river?”

“Ham.”[2]

Zhao Changhe: “?”

“How about that? Isn’t it clever?” Sisi proudly stood with her hands on her hips. “Let me test you then, so that we can see if you’re as smart as me. Hmm... Let’s go with intelligent and wise, what are you going to pair it with?”

After a long silence, Zhao Changhe slowly replied, “Idiot?”

Sisi: “?”

They stared at each other, both with serious expressions.

Sisi finally realized that it was not as simple as she thought. Refuting defeat, she straightened her neck and said, “What’s the use of couplets anyway? Those people just give me a headache with their flowery language and complex expressions. In the end, it isn’t even as interesting as your Eight Books of the Heavenly Dragon. Come on, finish the story. It’s rare to see you with the free time to chat nonsense with me. If you don’t finish the story, some old hag might come and interrupt us again. It’s frustrating when a story constantly gets interrupted.”

“I’ve already been tortured enough by you guys. The story is just a story. There aren’t any hidden meanings behind it. I’m not some ‘brother immortal,’ and you’re not Jiumozhi. If you continue to listen with this train of thought, the original meaning of the story will be completely lost, and it won’t feel right even if I continue telling it to you.”

“Then at least finish telling me the part about the maid who can disguise herself?”

“Well, first, you have to agree that it isn’t about you. Otherwise, I really would rather not continue telling the story.”

“Okay, okay, it’s not about me,” Sisi assured, nudging his shoulder. “Come on, master, hurry up and continue.”

“Well then, it’s said that Duan Yu encountered a formidable man in the tavern...” Zhao Changhe finally resumed telling the story, although he had initially been hesitant. The love story between the maid who could disguise herself and a valiant and powerful man made Sisi feel like Zhao Changhe was really messing with her

And he’s even so shameless. He’s making it out as if the guy is some heroic and noble god of war. Anyone who listens to him would think that he’s boasting about himself. There’s even a Beggar’s Sect and Qiaofeng of the North? Why don’t you directly call it the mountain stronghold of Beimang?

Despite that, Sisi was surprisingly patient as he told the story, never interrupting him. She just rested her chin on her hands, her big eyes filled with admiration as she eagerly waited for the next part. But who knew what she was actually picturing in her head?

It was not until Zhao Changhe got to the part where Qiao Feng mistakenly killed A’Zhu and voided their alliance that Sisi’s expression changed. Her gaze toward Zhao Changhe seemed to be filled with a desire to strangle him to death.

Zhao Changhe sighed and stopped telling the story, then he said, “So, as I said, this isn’t some allegorical story that I just made up. I don’t have that kind of skill, and I also don’t have any reason to fabricate such an ending for you. This is just someone else’s story.”

“Is that why you don’t want to disguise yourself as someone else?”

“Well... There are certain factors, I suppose.”

Sisi thought for a long time and murmured to herself, “Regardless of whether it’s a story you made up or not, you do have a bit of resemblance to Qiao Feng in my eyes... But unfortunately, aside from being able to disguise myself, I have absolutely no resemblance to A’Zhu. If you want a maid who is understanding and compassionate like her, you’d better ask Tang Buqi for a replacement. Anyone would be more suitable than me.”

“Hey...”

Sisi smirked provocatively, “I never said that you were making it up. Do you dare to say that you don’t want a little maid like that? It’s just a pity that the one by your side isn’t someone like that.”

“You’re not done? Why do you keep thinking that they’re you?!” Zhao Changhe clenched his fist and threatened to hit her.

Sisi quickly put up a defensive stance.

Just as they were about to engage in a playful scuffle, Tang Wanzhuang’s sigh interrupted them from outside. “Apologies for disturbing you again, Mister Zhao, but I’m afraid our leisurely break is coming to an end.”

Zhao Changhe was startled. “What’s going on?”

“The guards from the Tang Clan stationed at the exit of the Sword Emperor’s tomb urgently reported tremors coming from below. It seems that something has happened,” Tang Wanzhuang explained, her tone tinged with helplessness and weariness. “It’s only been a day, and your injuries haven’t fully recovered yet. You’ve just started to find some peace of mind. I really don’t want you to be involved in another mess again so soon, but if I didn’t tell you...you’d probably be rather displeased, right?”

Sisi’s mood for playfulness vanished instantly, and her expression once again became solemn.

Zhao Changhe also felt that the world was deliberately urging him onward. He could not help but be a little suspicious of the blind woman. It seemed that there was no respite, no moment of leisure. Just as he started to enjoy the tranquility of storytelling, learning music, and teasing his maid, trouble came knocking in less than a day...

It made him wonder if his previous hectic life also bore the mark of orchestrated fate.

Was it pushing him to grow, regardless of the potential risks and exhaustion it might bring? If Tang Wanzhuang had not pointed it out, he may have never realized.

But dwelling on it would not change anything. In troubled times, there was hardly any leisure.

With this in mind, he chuckled lightly and said, “Why force action and stillness? When things come, just deal with them; when they’re done, take a break. Once I understand my issues, I’ll naturally address them. Besides, we’ll have to explore the tomb sooner or later. Let’s finish this task, and then you can teach me the guqin afterward.”

After saying that, he turned around and picked up Dragon Bird from next to the window, slung it over his shoulder, and strode out. “Let’s go. I might be like a bear attempting embroidery when I try playing the guqin, but now, it’s time to release the bear into the woods!”

1. The literal translations of Changhe and Dashan are long river and big mountain respectively. ☜

2. In Chinese, boatmen is written 水手, which possesses the characters for water and hand. On the other hand, ham is written 火腿, which possesses the characters for fire and thigh. ☜