Tome of Troubled Times-Chapter 753 (1): Becoming a Bridge

Yue Hongling’s slight melancholy was not entirely due to her sect’s betrayal. Compared to Vermillion Bird, who had stirred up trouble and felt accomplished for it, Yue Hongling could not shake the feeling that she had not contributed much—at least not in the way a “local” should have. There was a lingering sense of inadequacy.

But she did not realize just how significant her role had been.

For one, she had forced Bo’e into the open in front of a crowd, making things much more difficult for the Li Clan moving forward. Furthermore, she had planted Wei Changming as a hidden piece on the board, though she had yet to grasp the full implications of that move.

Still, no matter how weighed down she felt, Yue Hongling was not one to dwell for long. With a little comfort from her lover, her mood lightened quickly. Soon enough, she was smiling as she dragged Zhao Changhe off to eat.

Just as the embassy staff finished preparing the meal, Huangfu Qing reappeared, having disappeared to who-knew-where moments ago. She smirked and teased, “You looked all moody before, and now your face is all red. What, was his kiss that good?”

Yue Hongling kept her head down, quietly eating.

Why are all the women around him like this? Sisi is already an absolute minx. And this one is a senior, a dignified leader, no less, so why is she just as bad... Oh, right. She’s a dignified leader of a demonic cult. Never mind.

Huangfu Qing was not even particularly jealous of Yue Hongling, though she was not sure why. Maybe it was because they had long since come to terms with their situation, or maybe it was because they both wore those same red outfits. When she looked at Yue Hongling, she felt like she was looking at a younger version of herself.

Back in her youth, she too had done good deeds, despite her darker choices later. She had charged into battle under her father’s command and galloped through the battlefield. No one had known, in those days, that she was Venerable Vermillion Bird of the Four Idols Cult. Back then, she had been happy.

So now, she found herself naturally fond of Yue Hongling. As for her useless disciple? What of it? Even though their cultivation paths were fundamentally opposed, she did not care. After all, Zhao Changhe was now the Night Emperor. If their paths clashed, well... if the Night Emperor had already conquered the opposition, did it still matter?

As she casually munched on a roujiamo[ref]A traditional Shaanxi street food that looks much like a Chinese hamburger—a soft, chewy bun lightly toasted and filled with braised pork.[ref], cheeks puffed full, she gestured grandly. “Hongling, you’ve already reached the Profound Control Realm at such a young age. You truly are impressive. Unlike some people in our cult who’ve had endless resources poured into them, gorged on every heavenly treasure, and even stirred up chaos overseas just to get their hands on the Azure Dragon’s destiny, yet after all that? Even now, I still don’t know if they’ve managed to break through to the third layer of the Profound Mysteries yet. Useless. Absolutely useless.”

Yue Hongling, ever the modest one, replied, “Xia Chi—uh, I mean, Her Majesty is the Empress. She doesn’t have time to focus on cultivation like we do. Her priorities are different from those of us wandering martial artists of the jianghu.”

“Don’t give me that excuse.” Huangfu Qing snorted. “The imperial palace has all the resources anyone could ask for. Not only that, but the cultivation techniques of the Four Idols have been fully integrated with ancient cultivation techniques, and the power of faith has only made them stronger. Other than a lack of true battlefield experience, her conditions are leagues better than before. If she still hasn’t broken through to the third layer of the Profound Mysteries by the time I get back, I swear I’ll break her damn legs myself!”

Zhao Changhe drawled, “And what if she has?”

Huangfu Qing’s eyes widened. “Her? As if.”

Yue Hongling could not help but laugh. This was exactly what it meant to want your disciple to improve, but also fear them surpassing you.

But in the grand scheme of the cult, Xia Chichi and Huangfu Qing represented entirely different branches. They were not master and disciple in the strictest sense—the official sense—so if this were any other organization, their factions might have already come to blows.

Thinking along those lines, Yue Hongling once again reflected on the contrasting yet complementary nature of her own martial path against Vermillion Bird’s. Maybe I should try sparring with Xia Chichi and Third Lady Yuan as well. There might be something to gain from that...

That thought prompted her to turn to Zhao Changhe. “What’s your take on the way our martial paths oppose yet complement each other? Since your breakthrough came from watching us, you must have some insight.”

Zhao Changhe mused, “It’s just like what I said before, linking the transition from sunset to starry night. The day and night are opposites, yet they are part of a single cycle. The ancient Night Emperor lacked the sun... Ah—cough, cough...”

The blind woman: “?”

Both Yue Hongling and Huangfu Qing shot him irritated looks.

Zhao Changhe coughed into his fist, hurriedly gulped down some soup to suppress his laughter, then continued, “Ahem... Anyway, ever since I forged River of Stars, I’ve been working toward that kind of unity. However, the concept was too vast, and I lacked a direct cultivation technique to reference. Up until now, I could only rely on River of Stars’ will to repeatedly verify and familiarize myself with it. But you two are both in the Profound Control Realm, and your wills are powerful and direct. The moment you fought together, it was like a revelation—it instantly connected everything for me. So, really, my breakthrough was the result of long-term accumulation, but your cooperation was the final key.”

Yue Hongling nodded. “I figured as much. What I meant was, since you have insight into how our paths intersect, do you have any suggestions for us?”

“Oh, definitely... Let’s start with the four idols side,” said Zhao Changhe. “I don’t actually think there was ever a Sun Emperor. The path of righteousness and light has always been embodied by those who uphold justice. There may not have been a single entity that represented it. Meanwhile, the Night Emperor was not necessarily about evil or darkness—that domain likely belonged to Jiuyou. So, the Night Emperor was not the true opposite of light; rather, she should have been striving to encompass both. But due to limited understanding, she never managed to do so. In fact, she might have even rejected it in the past.”

Huangfu Qing mused, “Indeed, the Night Emperor was never inherently evil, just impartial to the point of being inhumane.”

Zhao Changhe smirked. “So if she wanted to make progress, she had to shift her stance a little.”

As he said that, he slightly bent over and swayed his hips.

The blind woman: “...”

I should never have let him find out. He just won’t fucking stop.

Huangfu Qing, unaware that Zhao Changhe was secretly teasing the god she once revered, remained deep in thought. “Are you suggesting that incorporating Hongling’s sword intent into our cultivation techniques would make them stronger?”

“Yes. The so-called conflict between your paths isn’t a fundamental opposition between light and darkness as we previously assumed. It’s simply a result of limited understanding, which led to a skewed development of your cultivation techniques and an instinctive rejection of the other. But since there’s no true contradiction in essence, your martial paths can complement each other. A fusion would be a more complete and powerful way forward.” Zhao Changhe continued, “That said, modifying cultivation techniques at such a fundamental level isn’t something any of us can do right now, unless the Night Emperor comes back to life and takes action or we reach a level where we can do that ourselves. The best we can do for now is to work with derivative techniques and formations.”

Formations...

Huangfu Qing and Yue Hongling exchanged glances, both nodding.

Even with normal teamwork, their synergy already gave opponents the impression of a formation. If they actually used a proper battle formation, their combined strength would skyrocket.

And if they included Lady Three and Xia Chichi into an even greater formation, it might surpass the Four Idols Cult’s traditional Four Idols Formation. Conveniently, the original formation was designed for four people, and so it was previously incomplete due to a missing member. With Yue Hongling in the mix, they would not even have to change the number of participants, just modify the formation to fit her.

This was something they could implement immediately for a massive power boost. If they ended up clashing with the Dao Lord or Jiuyou again tonight, they might even test it in battle right away.

Huangfu Qing turned to Zhao Changhe and asked, “Hey, you just broke through to the Profound Control Realm. Shouldn’t you go into seclusion for a bit to consolidate your comprehension? Rushing into battle right after a breakthrough without fully understanding your own strength is reckless. You won’t have a clear grasp of your current abilities. No one trains like that. It’s like swallowing medicine without chewing.”

Yue Hongling nodded in agreement. “If you’re planning to infiltrate Louguantai tonight, you should stabilize your foundation first.”

The logic made sense, but he was confused as to why they were suddenly bringing this up. Curious, he asked, “But didn’t you break through to the Profound Control Realm just because of a conversation back then? I don’t recall you going into seclusion.”

Yue Hongling rolled her eyes. “Because at that time, I was already meditating. It wasn’t like I was running around fighting battles and bickering with people right after breaking through like you are. Have you even taken a moment to properly assess your cultivation? Do you even know what changes you’ve undergone? Go into seclusion. Big Sister Vermillion Bird and I will work on our formation.”

Zhao Changhe immediately caught onto their intent. The two of them had teamed up to get rid of him. They were clearly worried that if they all trained together, something awkward might happen.

“This is what you call burning the bridge after crossing it!” Zhao Changhe grabbed them both by the wrists. “I broke through by observing your synergy. Doesn’t that mean the best way to consolidate my understanding is for you two to help me? And as for your formation, don’t you need me as the central link? We might not be able to use the Four Idols Formation yet, but we can work on the sun, moon, and stars instead...”

“Hey, hey, hey...” The two women stumbled as Zhao Changhe dragged them into the adjacent bedroom.