Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 247: Walking in the Rain

Tang Wanzhuang treaded the water, gracefully making her way to the balcony.

Amidst the pouring rain, a faint mist enveloped her body, yet not even a single drop of water touched her. The mist scattered around her, resulting in her looking like a fairy moving on a cloud with ribbons fluttering behind her. Her beauty was beyond comparison.

Vermillion Bird could not help but feel irritated, yet she had to admit that the annoying woman before her really did look beautiful at the moment.

Think back to when we were teenagers, we were always like queen bees followed by a swarm of bees. I was hailed as the most beautiful in the capital, but weren’t there even more bees buzzing around you back then?

Do men just prefer to follow fairies?

Unfortunately, most of the men in our generation are worthless. Otherwise, why hasn’t any of them been able to take her to the bridal chambers?

One glance at the Rankings of Heaven and Earth made it clear that the men ranked around them were almost all middle-aged. It was hard to find anyone from their generation at all; there was hardly anyone among their peers who could match them. Both of them have secretly been competing against each other in various ways, such as who would be willing to start a relationship with a weaker party first, or find someone from the older generation only to be laughed at by the other for the rest of their lives.

After all these years of turmoil, both of them remained single. It was hard to tell how much of it was due to their own pride, and how much of it was because of their silent rivalry.

But for the sake of the bigger picture, she had to concede first. The fact that she had entered the palace to be the imperial noble consort, no matter how superficial, must have made Tang Wanzhuang laugh herself numb in secret...

As these thoughts raced through her mind, Tang Wanzhuang had already stepped onto the balcony, swiftly positioning herself between Huangfu Qing and Zhao Changhe, and urgently said, “Don’t think that just because she’s the imperial noble consort, she can just cooperate with anyone politically. This woman would never marry the emperor; she must have a hidden agenda! Come back with me!”

At this moment, Huangfu Qing simply was not sure what to feel.

However, there was a slight smile on her face. “Hah... Who are you to him? And who is he to you? What do you mean by telling him to come back with you?”

Facing Huangfu Qing, Tang Wanzhuang’s expression was very calm. “He is Buqi’s friend and a guest of mine.”

“You’re the inheritor of the Azure Waves Clear Ripples and the Water Treading Art,” Huangfu Qing continued. “It seems that your ambitions aren’t shallow. Are you aiming to perhaps become the imperial tutor? Or perhaps even the empress?”

Tang Wanzhuang’s face remained expressionless. “Whatever it may be, it’s much better than some people who, despite being married, still engage in intimate behavior with others. Huangfu Qing, have you no shame?”

“What’s there to be ashamed of?” Huangfu Qing said leisurely. “There’s no way you never suspected that I might be a witch of the Four Idols Cult. I just wonder, have you ever told him this?”

Tang Wanzhuang was stunned. She really had never told Zhao Changhe this.

This was because she always felt that if Zhao Changhe knew that Huangfu Qing was from the Four Idols Cult, he would get even closer to her, if anything, and she did not want to see that happen.

It was not out of jealousy. Instead, it was because she always felt that Huangfu Qing was shrouded in mystery and that she was dealing with matters that were too weighty. At the very least, they were matters that Zhao Changhe could not possibly handle the way he was now.

You’ve got some nerve to dare get so close to her, and it even looks like you dare to kiss her!

Seeing her seemingly admitting defeat, Huangfu Qing giggled happily, “The holy cult wants to recruit Zhao Changhe. While the saintess is unsuitable for a task such as this, there’s nothing stopping me from taking it on. Anyway, I’m already married, unlike some people who pretend to be pure all day. If you’ve got the guts, why don’t you make a move on him too?”

Zhao Changhe could not even muster a thought, let alone say anything.

Unable to compete with the shameless witch, Tang Wanzhuang simply ignored Huangfu Qing and glared at Zhao Changhe. “Does her identity excite you more? Do you want to die?”

Huangfu Qing sneered, “What, are you going to openly have a man stay at your place overnight? You used to care so much about reputation, but now that suddenly doesn’t matter anymore?”

Tang Wanzhuang said calmly, “Duty matters more than personal reputation.”

Zhao Changhe, who did not know what to say throughout the exchange, finally sighed and interrupted Huangfu Qing, who was about to make another sarcastic remark, “Alright... I’ll go with you.”

Huangfu Qing closed her mouth and watched Tang Wanzhuang relax completely. She could sense the radiance emanating from her as she smiled as if a burden had been lifted off of her shoulders.

Huangfu Qing crossed her arms and looked sideways. At this moment, she did not feel any displeasure about losing to Tang Wanzhuang in this round. Because despite their seemingly trivial conversation just now, they had already exchanged the necessary information, and even discussed some of their next plans. Zhao Changhe would likely leave during the night, and she would not be following him anymore. So why cling to him any further? It was simply not worth the time, as they had agreed upon earlier.

Anyway, he doesn’t have much of an inclination for romance. His attempt to move the conversation to serious matters really ruined the pleasant atmosphere. What a terribly boring man.

He probably still has some things to say to Tang Wanzhuang, but I don’t know what it will be.

Come to think of it, it seems that Tang Wanzhuang is the most confused and pitiful one. Despite being the chief of the Demon Suppression Bureau, she might not even have as much information as Zhao Changhe, and he just arrived in the capital.

She has been desperately trying to maintain this empire, yet the empire barely gives her anything back in return. It’s as if the whole world is antagonizing her.

Huangfu Qing could tell that Zhao Changhe held sympathy for Tang Wanzhuang.

Sympathy for a woman who is countless times stronger than him...

“Pah, she’s such a strong woman, why is she pretending to be weak? How shameless!” Huangfu Qing angrily kicked the bathtub in the room, then suddenly burst into laughter.

Zhao Changhe had been wanting to bathe since earlier, but ended up not being able to bathe anywhere.

Surely, he wouldn’t take a bath together with Tang Wanzhuang, would he?

*

Zhao Changhe had gone drinking and caused some trouble, made a name for himself in the capital, and visited a gambling den and lakeside hideout of a cult. Many things had happened, yet in reality, it had only been two or three hours since he left the banquet hosted by Huangfu Shaozong. It was not even midnight yet.

The rainy night streets were deserted. Tang Wanzhuang held an oil-paper umbrella, quietly accompanying Zhao Changhe on their walk home.

There was a good height difference between them, and so she looked a bit strained as she raised the umbrella to cover them. It looked quite adorable. Zhao Changhe glanced at her and reached out to take the umbrella from her hands.

Tang Wanzhuang hesitated for a moment, but she ultimately let him take it.

The impression of who was taking care of whom suddenly reversed. If there were bystanders at this moment, they would have to admit that this scene looked more proper, a picture-perfect moment even.

However, in reality, Tang Wanzhuang’s clothes were not wet and she did not actually need an umbrella.

They walked on the capital’s pavement stones with their differing strides. Each of their steps was incredibly clear in the night, and they gradually synced up, forming a rhythm similar to a heartbeat.

“Have you noticed...” Tang Wanzhuang suddenly spoke, breaking the silence between them.

“Hm?” Zhao Changhe seemed to have just woken up from some deep contemplation.

“Huangfu Qing took you back, right? While you’re still damp, she’s dry.”

“Can’t those at the ninth layer of the Profound Gate not do this?”

“They can, but my instincts are telling me that her cultivation is higher than that. Back then, she was so talented and outstanding. How could she possibly be stuck at such a level without making any progress all these years?” Tang Wanzhuang said and sighed. “But as the imperial noble consort, she has not engaged in combat for years. No one knows her true strength. Only by confronting her directly would I really be able to find out, but it is simply inappropriate... The imperial noble consort is still the imperial noble consort. As a subject, I was already out of line earlier when I acted out of anger.”

“Hm...”

“Speaking of which, I would also like to remind you that even the Tome of Troubled Times may not be entirely reliable. After all, it only reflects one’s achievements. There are many people without achievements who are still incredibly strong. When you encounter someone who is not on the rankings in the future, don’t act as arrogantly as you did in the restaurant today. Just because they aren’t on the rankings does not mean that they are weak.”

“Mm-hm. However, I believe that people without actual combat experience have limited strength. They’re the kind of people who can be challenged by even those with cultivation below theirs.”

“That is not necessarily the case,” Tang Wanzhuang whispered. “Anyway, speaking of Huangfu Qing... Regardless of her actual strength, it makes sense to assume that she is associated with the Four Idols Cult. Don’t trust the Four Idols Cult too much just because of your relationship with Xia Chichi. Xia Chichi is Xia Chichi, and the Four Idols Cult is the Four Idols Cult. Her personal relationship with you will not affect the cult’s inclinations. If Vermillion Bird wants to kill you, she won’t hesitate just because of Xia Chichi’s feelings for you.”

“I know.”

“Was there a reason you acted so arrogantly in the restaurant?”

“Yes, the bigger the disturbance I cause, the more Xia Longyuan is likely to notice. And if he notices, others will be less likely to act. What could have led to trouble when I came to the capital has simply disappeared just like that. Everything became simpler.”

“I’m afraid it’s more than that. You wanted His Majesty to meet with you, right? Unfortunately, it’s Empress Wang who summoned you.”

“Mm-hm...”

“Do you really dare to meet His Majesty? With your current attitude of calling him by name?”

“Well... I doubt he’d actually care. But now I’m even more afraid to see him. I learned some things at Anle Gambling House, and I feel that my previous assumptions were somewhat off. Now I think that it would be better not to rashly meet with him.”

Tang Wanzhuang did not ask him what he had learned in the gambling house, and just said, “It seems you understand His Majesty even better than I do.”

“Because you are his subject and I am not.”

“You have your own judgments. It seems I was too anxious. Did I disrupt your plans by pulling you away?”

“No, actually, I’ve already finished my business with the imperial noble consort. I’m glad that you were worried about me.”

Tang Wanzhuang fell silent.

The lanterns hanging from the buildings to their left and right swayed in the rain, casting long shadows of their figures on the long streets on this rainy night.

As they walked and talked, their tones were very calm. They chatted casually as if they were an old married couple taking a post-dinner stroll, and it all seemed so natural.

It was completely different from the interaction between Zhao Changhe and Huangfu Qing just now, and even different from the interactions between him and Tang Wanzhuang back in Gusu.

Zhao Changhe understood why there was such awkwardness between him and Huangfu Qing.

Besides lacking the sedimentation of time, they lacked sincerity and common interests.

“If you’re planning to leave, don’t go right away,” Tang Wanzhuang finally said. “Come and rest at my place first. I’ll arrange for some diversions for you by having it look like you’re leaving in different directions.”

“Afraid of the empress?”

“No...” Tang Wanzhuang’s voice was so soft that even she could barely hear it. “I’m afraid of His Majesty.”

Zhao Changhe suddenly felt that Tang Wanzhuang actually knew quite a lot. At the very least, he felt that she knew no less than the people in the gambling house. Unlike what Huangfu Qing said, it wasn’t that she was completely unaware.

She just did not want to know.