Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 583: The Kind-Hearted Venerable

With everything settled, Zhao Changhe and Xia Chichi finally began to tend to their wounds.

Lady Three’s scolding had been right on target. Both of them were so badly injured, yet they had the leisure to watch other people’s family drama and even read the announcements of the Tome of Troubled Times. It seemed that gossiping was truly a human instinct, something regarded more important than tending to one’s injuries.

Zhao Changhe paid a painful price for his indulgence.

Thanks to the Blood Asura Body, which had assimilated the regenerative abilities of the Eternal Blood Demon Body, Zhao Changhe was only really vulnerable to injuries of the soul or internal damage; external wounds were not much of a concern for him. His bones had been fractured, his muscles torn from being crushed by the Sea Emperor, but he still saw it as a superficial injury that would heal itself over time. He thought he was tough enough to endure it.

But he had forgotten about one thing—his body wouldn’t just magically regenerate. The healing process was accelerated, but perfectly ordinary otherwise: blood would coagulate and his wounds would be covered in clots that would later scab. And this process had practically glued his clothes to his body. Trying to tear his clothes off now was no different from going through torture. The agony was unbearable.

Zhao Changhe cried out in pain as he tore his shirt off, nearly shedding tears from the pain. The simple removal of his shirt actually hurt worse than having his bones shattered.

Xia Chichi, on the other hand, had it even worse. At least Zhao Changhe, while watching the drama, had managed to score some dowry. Xia Chichi had gotten nothing out of it. The aftermath of the blow she had taken from Wang Daoning now surged through her body, and her eyes rolled back as she directly fainted.

Lady Three, who was quietly paying her respects at the grave, kept her gaze straight ahead. “I refuse to acknowledge her as fit to be our cult leader.”

Zhao Changhe grimaced as he shuffled over, lifting Xia Chichi and cradling her in his right arm. He glanced over at Lady Three, who still had her back turned, then quickly lowered his head and pressed his lips to Xia Chichi’s, discreetly feeding her a pill.

All of his original medicine had been used up back on that deserted island. The pill he was using now was from the dowry Hai Pinglan had given him. Zhao Changhe’s medical skills were decent, and he had quickly identified the uses of each type of medicine, deciding this pill was one that Chichi needed.

And he did this right next to Lady Three—if that was not a bold move, then what was?

Thankfully, Lady Three at least had her back turned and was not directly watching him...

He forgot, however, that while those at the third layer of the Profound Mysteries could not directly see behind them, if they expanded their senses on purpose, they essentially had a view as clear as his bird’s eye view.

Lady Three, expressionless, “watched” Zhao Changhe feed the pill to Xia Chichi via a kiss, clenching her fists so hard they cracked. “Couldn’t you have just used your hand?”

“Huh?” Zhao Changhe jumped, startled. “You can see...?”

“Is that the issue here?! I asked you why you couldn’t have just used your hand!”

“Uh... my right arm is holding her, and I can’t move my left arm.”

Lady Three: “...”

His reasoning was so... reasonable that she could not figure out how to vent her anger. Her head was practically steaming from frustration.

If it were Vermillion Bird here, would you dare to kiss Chichi right in front of her? Or am I just too much of a pushover? Lady Three held back her fury for a long while and finally managed to spit out, “Don’t you dare kiss me with the same lips you used to kiss her. Do you think I have no temper at all?”

“Ugh...” Xia Chichi groaned as she woke up.

Lady Three immediately shut her mouth.

Xia Chichi had no idea what the two were arguing about. In her grogginess, she caught the last few words, only really catching on that the venerable seemed angry. She pieced things together, guessing it was because Changhe was holding her, and the venerable was not pleased with it.

Xia Chichi offered a placating smile. “Venerable...”

Lady Three looked skyward. “How are your injuries?”

Xia Chichi did a quick internal scan. “Changhe’s medicine worked wonders. I’m already feeling much better...”

Lady Three’s fists cracked. Changhe’s medicine, huh?

“Mm. Since you’re feeling better, shouldn’t you get off that man?” Lady Three snapped her head around, her voice harsh. “Is this what Vermillion Bird taught you? As a saintess of our cult, should you really be lying in a man’s arms?”

Zhao Changhe covered his face, while Xia Chichi looked like she was about to cry.

She always knew Venerable Black Tortoise to be easygoing, seeing her as someone who rarely got involved in cult matters big or small. She had always thought her to be much more easy to deal with, so she was confused as to why the other party was acting so fierce now. Is that stupid rule really that important? Is it really so important for the saintess to not have any romantic entanglements?

She could only try to reason with Lady Three, “But Changhe isn’t an outsider. Venerable, you personally accepted him into the cult. He’s directly under you as the Fire Pig of Shi.”

Lady Three choked for a moment, then snapped angrily, “The saintess of our Four Idols Cult cannot be claimed by a pig! Do you have no respect for our hierarchy?!”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

You’re not wrong. I guess the Fire Pig of Shi can only indulge in the venerable, and with full effort too, right?

Xia Chichi, however, straightened up and hardened her stance, pushing herself to sit upright from Zhao Changhe’s embrace. She said earnestly, “Venerable, you shouldn’t insult your own subordinate.”

Lady Three: “...”

The two of them stared each other down, big eyes glaring at smaller ones, until Zhao Changhe finally raised a hand to mediate. “Um...”

Lady Three crossed her arms and cast him a glare. “Do you think you have any right to speak here?”

Zhao Changhe sighed. “I’d just like to ask something. What does the saintess need to do to become the Cult Leader? As one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions, I think I should be entitled to know matters of such importance to the cult.”

Lady Three held back for a long moment before reluctantly saying, “The original concept was that one must possess the inheritance of all four idols to become the cult leader.”

Zhao Changhe said, “Isn’t that unrealistic? If someone managed to do that, they wouldn’t just be the cult leader, they would be the Night Emperor. The Night Emperor is a god, while the cult leader should merely be representative of a god. Are you saying your cult leader must be equivalent to a god?”

“Which is why I said it was just a concept, something passed down from many generations ago.”

“No wonder the Four Idols Cult used to be so weak. Setting an impossible goal like that as the requirement. I mean, it’s just completely out of reach. Why not be a bit more realistic?”

Lady Three’s face was expressionless. “Are you asking for our cult’s doctrine or are you offering your unsolicited advice on it?”

Zhao Changhe gave a sheepish grin. “I’m simply praising the wisdom of the current generation of venerables for improving things...”

Lady Three suddenly realized that scolding Zhao Changhe while he played the role of an obedient subordinate was strangely satisfying. Looking at his sheepish grin, Lady Three’s mood, soured by her father’s passing and the complicated emotions surrounding Chichi, began to improve. She said, “Still, even if embodying all four idols is unrealistic, the cult leader must at least surpass the representatives of the four idols in some way. In order to command respect, they must possess abilities we do not have. Even if we set aside the doctrine, speaking purely of practical leadership, the minimum requirement is that the candidate must embody at least two of the four idols, right?”

Both Zhao Changhe and Xia Chichi nodded. “That’s fair.”

“Chichi has inherited both the Azure Dragon and the White Tiger, and we’re naturally ecstatic about it. But her comprehension is still shallow, thus only worthy of being the saintess for the time being. To become the cult leader, she must at least understand one of the idols’ power to the same level as Vermillion Bird or myself. Is that really too high of an expectation?”

Xia Chichi humbly replied, “No, that’s perfectly reasonable.”

Lady Three continued, “And have you reached that level?”

Xia Chichi answered honestly, “No, I haven’t.”

“Why do you think Vermillion Bird treats this trip with such great importance? Why do you think I traveled all the way from Huangsha to go out to sea? It wasn’t to find my father; it was to take care of you.” Lady Three sighed. “We want you to achieve a breakthrough during this opportunity, perhaps even surpass us... We’ve been anticipating a cult leader for a long time, Chichi. Don’t let us down.”

Xia Chichi hesitated, then cautiously asked, “If I become the cult leader... does that mean I wouldn’t be forbidden from marriage anymore? I didn’t see anything in the doctrine about how a cult leader should behave.”

Lady Three choked at her words, then snapped in anger, “Is that seriously all you care about?”

Xia Chichi shrank back.

Initially, it was not something she really cared all that much about. But being constantly bossed around by these two fierce women had given rise to her rebellious nature. Now, it really was all she cared about.

Lady Three scolded, “When you truly have the qualifications to be the cult leader, then you can do whatever you want! When you have the power to command everyone’s respect, I’ll kneel before you myself! You could write anything you wanted about the cult leader into the doctrine, and no one would dare say a word against it!”

With that, she stormed off, her sleeve flicking in frustration. “This place is the source of the Azure Dragon’s power. Focus on comprehending it well! No distractions! As for you, Fire Pig of Shi, come with me!”

The venerable was angry, but somehow Xia Chichi felt oddly reassured.

She watched Zhao Changhe get pulled away by his collar, helplessly trailing behind the venerable into the woods, and she clenched her fist in determination. Don’t worry, Changhe. I can already sense the power in this place. It won’t be long before I meet the requirements. When that day comes, I’ll marry you in a grand fashion and rescue you from the clutches of these fierce women!

There was no denying that this place was truly sacred. For one, the essence of rejuvenation grasped by the Azure Dragon in the surrounding flora was already healing her wounds, which otherwise would have needed a long recovery. And beyond that, Xia Chichi believed that Zhao Changhe’s Rejuvenation Art had the potential to flourish here.

She, too, had learned the Rejuvenation Art, taken from the abstract notes Zhao Changhe had copied down for Lady Three. Of all the members of the Four Idols Cult, she was the only one who could make any sense of it and grasp its essence. That was the privilege of the Azure Dragon Saintess. Xia Chichi closed her eyes, deciding to begin by understanding the principle of rejuvenation through the flora, gradually grasping the full extent of laws and principles held by the Azure Dragon. She was confident that this time, she would gain significant insights.

Despite the scolding, Xia Chichi knew deep down that Lady Three truly cared for her. She was genuinely invested in helping her improve, and Xia Chichi could not afford to let her down.

In the small forest...

Zhao Changhe was pinned against a tree by his collar, and the so-called kind-hearted venerable was violently shaking him. “I’ve protected her, taught her cultivation techniques, hoped for her growth, and supported her to become the cult leader. And yet, she has the audacity to ask me—right to my face—about being with her man, and I can’t even argue back. Can I kill that brat? She’s driving me crazy!”

Zhao Changhe was not sure who had it worse—him or Xia Chichi. At this point, he felt that even facing off against the Sea Emperor seemed much easier.