Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 387: Examining the Body

First Seat Tang hid in the backyard, completely leaving the matters of Xiangyang to be handled by her lover. The Demon Suppression Bureau was replaced by a bunch of unsuppressed demons from the Blood God Cult, and even the commander of the army was simply the cult leader of the Blood God Cult. All of a sudden, Xiangyang came to resemble the headquarters of a demonic cult.

Da Zhou and the others observed for a few days in trepidation, but they were ultimately surprised to discover that nothing bad happened. In fact, things were visibly improving.

The military side was easier to manage since money and resources were provided. Xue Canghai obviously knew what he was doing and ruled with an iron fist, ensuring no mishaps. The atmosphere became solemn, and the training of the troops was in full swing. The troops looked like they were ready to march east at any moment.

In the city, there were also noticeable improvements in the law and order. For instance, just a few days ago, Tang Wanzhuang had been harassed by some hooligans while out strolling, but such incidents had ceased from happening.

Originally, the Demon Suppression Bureau was not responsible for public security, as it was a job left to the yamen. But during wartime, the Demon Suppression Bureau would typically take over as they were better equipped to deal with skilled troublemakers that regular officers could not handle.

As a result, whenever there was a robbery, theft, or disturbance, a group of eager cult members from the Blood God Cult would rush in and beat up the troublemakers. They would then expectantly ask their cult leader if they could kill the troublemakers, honestly making it quite difficult to tell who the real bandits were.

With this fierce group of cult members maintaining order, the city was surprisingly peaceful, and nobody dared to commit crimes.

Originally, Da Zhou and the others were worried that these people, after donning official uniforms, would start openly robbing. To their astonishment, however, they found that the cult members were actually very disciplined. The cult members acted as if they had been trained not to harm the people at all.

When asked privately, Zhao Changhe simply answered, “How am I supposed to know”?

Da Zhou: “...”

Da Zhou thought that it likely had something to do with the cult’s teachings, as cult members generally held their cult’s teachings and beliefs in greater regard than imperial laws. However, upon further inquiry, it turned out that the teachings only temporarily prohibited wanton killing, and there was no mention of not bullying people at all.

Driven by curiosity, Da Zhou quietly asked Instructor Sun.

Instructor Sun said, “In the short term, things should be just fine, but in the long term, I can’t say.”

“Why do you say so?”

“Because all their lives, they have been hiding from others’ discrimination. It is rare for them to be able to raise their heads proudly and do things that are praised and be thanked by others for it. Right now, they are enjoying the respect and fear in the eyes of the masses. They are getting addicted to it, and they don’t want to lose such high regard. But over time, without restraint, who knows if they will revert to their old ways.”

Da Zhou had a moment of enlightenment and quietly reported back to Zhao Changhe.

After pondering for a while, Zhao Changhe wrote down a new teaching. “Thou shalt not bully the weak, for it would disgrace the Blood God.”

Then, he handed it to Da Zhou. “Give this to Cult Leader Xue and have him figure out how to integrate it into the cult’s doctrine.”

Da Zhou took the writing, feeling a bit troubled.

Isn’t this a bit too casual? Would Cult Leader Xue even acknowledge this?

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Throughout the exchange, he forgot to greet the woman next to Zhao Changhe who was grinding ink. He instinctively assumed that she was Zhao Changhe’s concubine and felt it inappropriate to speak with her. It was not until he was far away that Dao Zhou suddenly stopped in place.

That was the bureau chief, wasn’t it? Why did I just completely forget to even greet her?

The bureau chief was gracefully staying by his side, grinding ink for him.

Fuck me...

Forget it, given the situation, it doesn’t matter who I pay my respects to. Perhaps the bureau chief would be even happier seeing me show respect to the “prince.”

Sure enough, Tang Wanzhuang did not care at all about whether Da Zhou greeted her. While grinding ink, she said, “I’m surprised by how useful the Blood God Cult is. I truly did not anticipate this.”

Zhao Changhe replied, “I didn’t expect it either. Earlier, when I was in the mountain stronghold, I thought they were useless and I actually abandoned them to venture out on my own.”

“Did you even try to lead them? The results may have been different if you had.”

“Well... I really didn’t. I just wanted to leave.”

Tang Wanzhuang seemed distracted, losing herself in thought.

Zhao Changhe asked curiously, “What are you thinking about?”

“I’m thinking about how if the Blood God Cult, which is inherently more demonic than the Four Idols Cult, has a chance to be led in a good direction, then perhaps the Four Idols Cult could also...”

“The Four Idols Cult is much more difficult to deal with,” Zhao Changhe said. “The key point with the Blood God Cult is that they believe I am the spokesperson of the Blood God, their saint. That is why they listen to me. In many ways, I really do resemble such a character, and even I feel that I can interpret the Blood God’s will better than they can. As for the Four Idols Cult...”

He hesitated here and did not continue speaking.

The problem with the Four Idols Cult was not whether he was the reincarnation or successor of the Night Emperor or not. It seemed as though that was no longer even an issue, as just his male allure was allowing him to get along with them.

Tang Wanzhuang suddenly increased the force with which she ground the ink, and the ink stick suddenly became much shorter. Zhao Changhe was startled by this, which made him think of a tragic future.

He quickly handed over the manuscript in his hand. “You don’t have to keep grinding ink anymore. I’ve finished writing.”

Tang Wanzhuang took it expressionlessly, glanced at it, and was somewhat impressed.

Zhao Changhe had been answering a question she had just posed him. She wanted to test his understanding and interpretation of a certain theory in the medical classics, as well as see his thoughts on prescriptions and drugs based on this theory. Zhao Changhe felt that he could not answer the question clearly with just words, so he used a pen to write his answer. She thought it was interesting, so she ground ink by his side to see what he would write.

Not even mentioning the content, just his handwriting had become much better than before. Every time she looked at his writing, it was like watching a child grow taller. After a few years, the child was already taller than their mother. Observing the progress of his handwriting gave her a similar feeling. Every time she saw it again, it had changed significantly. By now, it already carried hints of a renowned style.

In the beginning, it was wild and untamed, with a fierce and unrestrained style. Later, it became steadier, appearing more solid and profound. Now, it began to have an air of elegance, yet the previous rebelliousness and stability had not been completely lost. The combination of all these qualities gave it a very intriguing character.

This unique style of writing was based on his unique understanding of martial arts, making it difficult to imitate. It also reflected the change in his temperament, from being a newcomer to his current growth. From her initial attitude of feeling that he needed some support, looking down at him from above, to now being held close by him every day, a lot had changed.

Tang Wanzhuang pursed her lips.

Zhao Changhe asked, “How’s my answer? Master, please guide me.”

Only then did Tang Wanzhuang focus on the content. As she read, she sighed softly, “Your understanding is already sufficient... Although the prescription is still based on ancient formulas, lacking your own interpretation, this at least proves that you have memorized the prescriptions thoroughly. At this level, if you ever lose your martial arts, you could open a clinic in anonymity and not have to worry about making a living.”

Zhao Changhe laughed. “If I were to lose my martial arts, I would be dead. Why bother talking about that?”

Tang Wanzhuang also felt it was inauspicious, so she did not continue on the topic. She whispered, “How many days have you been learning medicine under me?”

Zhao Changhe counted and then answered, “Ten days.”

Yes, the two of them had been hiding in the mansion, not stepping out, for ten days.

“Only ten days.” Tang Wanzhuang sighed. “You really are a genius.”

Zhao Changhe looked at her without saying anything.

Is he really a genius?

While it’s true that understanding martial arts makes understanding medicine easier, and his vigorous soul grants him excellent memory, reaching such a level in just ten days is still incredible. He had spent these ten days studying tirelessly, day and night. Is he really a genius?

Tang Wanzhuang could see the look in his eyes. She tilted her head away slightly and did not want to say anything.

He had already clearly stated that he liked her.

Zhao Changhe said, “Everything in Xiangyang is settled, and your meridians have gotten much better lately, even better than before you were injured. I can leave with peace of mind.”

Tang Wanzhuang acknowledged with a simple, “Mm-hm.”

Zhao Changhe said, “I will leave for Hongnong early tomorrow morning. Should I go alone, or will you go with me?”

Tang Wanzhuang felt a slight stir in her heart.

Originally, she felt some melancholy about their parting, but that disappeared with his words, and she even felt a little happy instead.

She had forgotten that going together was an option. She realized that they could indeed go together. Everything in Xiangyang had been settled, and the new prefectural governor appointed by the imperial court would arrive together. After she gave them some instruction, there would be no reason for her to stay.

I can really go... We don’t have to be away from each other.

She was quite happy in her heart but kept a serious expression as she found an excuse for herself. “That’s right, I should go with you. The Yang Clan of Hongnong does not have the same relationship with you as the Cui Clan of Qinghe. The favor from Yang Qianyuan alone is not enough to decide the direction of their entire clan. Moreover, the Wang Clan will probably send someone too. You alone would find it difficult to deal with Wang Daozhong. With my presence, things will be much easier for you.”

Seeing her pretending to be tough, Zhao Changhe felt a tickle in his heart and could not help but tease her, “Master, you just tested my mastery of medicine. Now that I’ve passed, isn’t it time for treatment? It’s only when you’re in good condition that you can take Wang Daozhong on...”

“Ah?” Tang Wanzhuang looked around nervously and noticed that Baoqin was not there. She sighed with relief and hurried over to close the door. “Alright, let’s do the treatment. Why must you speak so loudly? Actually, even when I’m injured, I can still easily deal with Wang Daozhong...”

Seeing her standing there with her mouth slightly pouting, Zhao Changhe could not help but feel amused.

The treatment he had been giving her had been indeed very effective, so she had already come to accept this method of treatment.

In fact, the treatment no longer required exchanging energy through kisses. It had only been in the early stages, when he had yet to attain a high enough mastery of the Rejuvenation Art, that he required the help of dual cultivation to administer the treatment.

With the rapid progress in his medical skills and his increasingly adept mastery of the Rejuvenation Art, he no longer needed to rely on this method. His hands could now effectively use the Rejuvenation Art to soothe her severely damaged lung meridian.

Dual cultivation had always been an auxiliary method, not the fundamental one. The Rejuvenation Art was built upon the fundamental principles. Moreover, Tang Wanzhuang had temporarily stepped away from worldly affairs, allowing her to find peace, which was also essential to her recovery.

But with that said, both he and Tang Wanzhuang seemed to have grown accustomed to the treatment involving kissing to exchange energy. It felt wrong not to kiss during the treatment.

If you really want the best approach, how about we try some actual dual cultivation?

Zhao Changhe felt an itch in his heart but did not actually dare say this out loud, so he simply kissed her gently and murmured, “Master, did you forget the purpose of the test just now? It was to see if, once I passed, I could examine your body...”

Tang Wanzhuang froze for a moment and gritted her teeth. “No, no way, absolutely not! Even if you become a master of medicine or some divine doctor, don’t you even dare think of doing that!”

In the next moment, his palm wrapped around her from behind, pressing on her lung acupoints. His fingers acted as though they were acupuncture needles and accurately struck her acupoints. His mastery of medicine and the Rejuvenation Art now allowed him to mimic the acupuncture technique of others, providing an even stronger stimulation effect than before.

Tang Wanzhuang’s severely damaged lung meridian received revitalizing nourishment, and she was stimulated into a series of moans. She stubbornly tried to swallow them back into her stomach, leaving only the sound of whimpers, which still made her blush regardless.

She let out a mournful cry in her heart.

Yesterday, a little mouth, today, a jade back.

Since the rise of the Ming dynasty, where shall Zhao’s troops go next?[1]

1. This seems to be a reference to the position of king or prince of Zhao in ancient China. This was generally the position of the ruler of the Zhao State, and it was a position that existed across many dynasties, including the Ming dynasty (明朝). It’s possible that rather than referring to the Ming dynasty, the line here may just be referring to the next or upcoming dynasty/empire under Zhao Changhe, if it ever comes to be. The reason I say this is that Ming (明) can refer to the Ming dynasty, as well as the future, which it does in the word “tomorrow” (明天). ☜