Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 553: The End of the Honeymoon

“Spread out and search carefully! Remain vigilant! If anything seems off, send a signal and retreat immediately,” the captain commanded sternly, his expression grave.

The so-called multinational pirate suppression force was still only halfway to its destination, and theirs was one of the smaller fleets in the coalition.

If there were people out here capable of injuring a shark, they were certainly no ordinary fishermen—whatever it was, it had to be a well-equipped force. Most likely, it was precisely what they had come to find: the Heavenly Origin Pirates.

The Heavenly Origin Pirates had been lying low for years, but recently, they had started dominating the Eastern Sea, causing endless headaches for the nations in the region. The reason for their sudden resurgence? They had reconnected with their princess, Lady Three.

Ironically, Lady Three’s name was not inspired by her position as the third leader or third-in-command. It was a name her mother had given her in memory of the Mounted Brigand Brotherhood—her given name was truly Lady Three[1].

Years ago, Lady Three had ventured out to sea as part of her own cultivation as the Black Tortoise, and during that time, she reconnected with Hai Qianfan, the acting leader of the Heavenly Origin Pirates. It was then that she discovered the crew had never disbanded after her departure. They had even kept her title as third leader, waiting for her return. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Interestingly, the pirate crew did not actually have a first or second leader.

Whatever emotions stirred in Lady Three’s heart at that moment were known only to her. But soon after, the pirate crew became an extension of the Four Idols Cult’s maritime trade, with Lady Three remaining largely hands-off, while her subordinate, the Water Pixiu of Bi[2], managed the dealings. With military support from the Four Idols Cult, access to the technology and equipment of the Great Xia Empire, stable trade routes, and numerous ties to high-ranking officials and generals in Penglai, the pirate crew became a formidable force. It was a far cry from its past as a mere band of outlaws. Within just a few years, they flourished.

Zhao Changhe’s earlier suspicions were also not unfounded. The Four Idols Cult was a demonic cult, after all, and pirates were hardly gentlemen. The brothels on Taiping Island were full of women kidnapped from other maritime nations, and the pirates were well-accustomed to killing and plundering. They were undoubtedly a black-hearted force, causing considerable trouble for neighboring nations.

The boasting Vermillion Bird had done before about their influence being extensive and their hidden forces being vast took this into account. Their maritime power was indeed formidable, and their wealth was considerable, albeit built on a foundation of blood.

Despite the nations’ efforts to eradicate pirates, the smaller nations were woefully underprepared. Their naval equipment was pitiful, their ships outdated, and their numbers meager. If they truly fought the Heavenly Origin Pirates, many of these small nations would be utterly wiped out. And to make matters worse, they were in the pirates’ territory, where the local currents, reefs, and hidden dangers were all too familiar to the pirates. Any so-called anti-pirate operations would be little more than suicide missions.

Had it not been for the Sea God’s decree, these smaller nations would never have joined this effort.

In truth, the entire coalition effort was a ruse orchestrated by the Sea God, intended to mislead the Heavenly Origin Pirates into misjudging the timing and trajectory of the suppression effort, so that when the Sea Tribe launched their surprise attack, the pirates would be caught completely off guard.

The plan had nearly succeeded—until, out of nowhere, a fleet belonging to the Tang Clan had appeared. Their ships were fiercer than even those of the Heavenly Origin Pirates, and aboard them was a certain troublesome “pig” who upended everything—turning the situation into utter chaos.

The Sea Tribe’s night raid had failed, and the Heavenly Origin Pirates had relocated their base. Now, the coalition’s main goal was simply to find out where they had gone...

Whether they would fight even if they found the pirates was still up in the air. As powerful as their faith in the Sea God was, such faith would not just magically make their fleet any stronger. The captain had no interest in being the first to find the pirates, but with clues pointing in this direction and the crew of devout Sea God followers watching him, there was no way he could simply say “alright, let’s turn back.”

The first night, they found nothing.

The blind woman, observing from afar, muttered to herself that they were useless. If they took any longer, the Four Idols Cult really might suffer total annihilation. And she could not even be sure whether those two would end up doing some “morning exercise.”

* * *

By daybreak, the weather had cleared, and Lady Three awoke feeling completely refreshed, her spirits high.

Compared to the rough conditions of the past two days, last night had been the best sleep she’d had in a long time. Even the pillow was quite comfortable!

Wait...

She blinked, realizing she was wrapped around a man, one of her legs draped over him, and her arms clinging tightly as if he were a giant teddy bear.

She lifted her head carefully, hoping he had not woken up.

Just last night, she had told him that she had recovered and that he would not get another chance. She had even ordered him to sleep on the floor. And now, seeing herself like this, Lady Three felt she had lost all face.

But things never go as hoped. Zhao Changhe had been awake for some time, and was looking down at the way she was tangled around him like an octopus.

Their eyes met.

Lady Three was about to say something to cover the awkwardness, but Zhao Changhe just reached out and patted her head, his voice gentle as he said, “Good morning.”

Whatever she was going to say vanished instantly. Instead, she rose naturally, stretched lazily, and gave him a smile over her shoulder. “Morning. How was your sleep?”

The awkwardness from before had dissipated, and in this moment, Lady Three exuded all the allure of a mature woman. As she stretched, her figure moved with fluid grace—full and overflowing, bouncing freely before him. Her gaze was captivating, with a trace of seductive charm that made Zhao Changhe’s throat tighten, forcing him to look down and speak softly, “It felt great... I think I miscalculated earlier. I probably don’t need ten or fifteen days to recover. With good rest, like last night, I’ll be able to recover much faster.”

Lady Three nodded in agreement.

It seemed that it probably would not even take ten days for both of them to recover. They both had incredible recovery abilities and with each passing day, their strength seemed to double. Even at that moment, they were strong enough to take on most threats.

Yet somehow, there was a trace of regret lingering in both of their hearts, unspoken and left unsaid.

Perhaps... It’s because the cabin we just finished building is going to be abandoned after we live in it for just a few days, right? Yes, that must be it.

Without saying a word, Zhao Changhe got up and fetched a ladle of coconut milk they had prepared the day before, handing it to Lady Three.

Lady Three leaned back against the headboard, finished her coconut milk, and handed the ladle back to Zhao Changhe. She casually tried to curl back onto the bed, muttering, “Go cultivate or something, I haven’t slept enough.”

The inclination to laze about was truly embedded in Lady Three’s very bones...

“Wait a moment,” Zhao Changhe pulled her back, reaching out without a second thought to wipe the coconut milk from the corner of her lips. He then smiled, “Your ribs need proper rest. I, on the other hand, can do some work. I’ll go catch some fish. If you’ve got nothing to do, maybe you could take care of getting us more fresh water. Need the crystal?”

Wiping away the milk like that had felt so natural that Lady Three did not even register anything strange until it was over. By the time she realized how improper it was, the conversation had already moved on to the crystal.

Is he taking advantage of how slow I can be?

Lady Three pouted but chose not to revisit the earlier topic, simply replying, “I don’t need that crystal for water control... Well, I could take it and study it a bit. I might find some other uses for it.”

Zhao Changhe handed it over. “Be careful about the Sea Emperor.”

Lady Three shook her head. “It won’t be spying on us. Do you think these gods and demons have nothing better to do than watch us survive on a deserted island?”

Zhao Changhe said, “I know someone even more bored than that. They watched me even when I... Well, let’s just say that they’ve seen everything.”

Lady Three: “?”

The blind woman: “?”

Lady Three did not understand what he was talking about, nor did she care enough to ask. Instead, she continued, “In any case, if the Sea Emperor intends to use this to strike at us again, it has not happened yet. Either he isn’t able to do so, or there’s something else holding it back. I want to deconstruct it and see if I can find anything meaningful for my cultivation through it. I might even gain a better understanding of the Sea Emperor’s power through it.”

She placed the crystal into her storage ring and then asked, “Since you’ve learned some water control techniques from Hua Zhenming, do you have any intention of taking it further?”

Internally, she was already planning to make him kneel in the manner of the Four Idols Cult’s rituals to formally beg the venerable for guidance.

To her dismay, Zhao Changhe replied, “I mainly wanted it as a reference, to get a feel for control and handling energy like one would in the Profound Mysteries Realm. I wasn’t planning to delve deeply into it. Water just doesn’t seem quite right for me, does it? On the other hand, what you mentioned before about striking out in the depths of the ocean or using my fists to fight the waves... Once I’ve recovered, I do think I want to try it. I think it’d really help me refine my control over my strength.”

Lady Three bit her lower lip, feeling a strange mix of emotions. Her thoughts suddenly turned back to the time she had mentioned teaching him about the art of forging. At that time, she had been worried that prolonged close teaching would inevitably lead to unwanted intimacy, so she had planned to simply give him the forging manuals to study on his own later.

Even the idea of having him throw punches underwater was initially just her way of deflecting. She was simply not interested in personally guiding him. She had hoped that he would just spend a year throwing punches and figure it out himself.

Yet now, there was this odd feeling of dissatisfaction at the thought of him not learning directly from her.

You’re willing to learn Tang Wanzhuang’s Spring Water Sword Intent, Yue Hongling’s Setting Sun Ravages the Sky, and even the Astral Resonance Art from Vermillion Bird, but when it comes to mine, you find it beneath you?

Lady Three leaned back against the headboard, glaring at Zhao Changhe for a long while before abruptly grabbing his collar.

Zhao Changhe blinked, confused. “Uh?”

In the next instant, the world spun around, and he found himself pinned firmly against the bed without having time to put up the slightest resistance.

Lady Three, her hair tousled from sleep, leaned close, her voice dripping with allure. “You don’t want to learn from me, huh?”

Zhao Changhe stared, dumbfounded. “Huh?”

It had been so long since he had seen her like this—the spirited proprietress of the inn back at Huangsha—and suddenly here she was again...

“The power of water is far more complex than you think. Just throwing punches underwater won’t cut it. As my disciple, you need to properly master water-controlling techniques or you’ll embarrass me.” She playfully lifted his chin. “Learn it well, and there will be rewards, piggy.”

With her lips hovering close to his, Zhao Changhe’s resolve crumbled. “Okay, I’ll learn from you.”

Lady Three smirked and pressed her forehead against his, initiating a spiritual exchange.

Their yin spirits met. Zhao Changhe’s small spiritual form curled up, watching helplessly as Lady Three’s powerful presence enveloped him, cradling him in her arms. “So cute...”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

Vast amounts of information about the secrets to controlling the element of water were transferred directly to him through the connection of their yin spirits. These secrets to controlling water flowed in along with knowledge of forging technique. It was all transmitted far more easily than any conventional teaching method.

However, the sudden influx of knowledge left Zhao Changhe dizzy and overwhelmed. With his spirit still weakened, he knew it would take quite some time to truly digest all of it.

“Be good now. Well, I guess this medicine might be a bit bitter... How about some candy to sweeten it then?”

The seductive whisper caressed his ear as her red lips brushed over his earlobe, his cheek, and then fiercely claimed his lips.

Zhao Changhe surrendered entirely, lying there without resistance.

If I knew there’d be a reward like this, I’d have learned anything you wanted to teach.

Nearby, the blind woman folded her arms, exasperated. She knew it—these two were ready to start their “morning exercises” at any time.

Fortunately, they’re already here...

Lady Three was feeling rather comfortable. This was the way it should be. A venerable teaching her little disciple, a piglet that perhaps, sometimes... tried to push boundaries. Nevertheless, this dynamic ultimately felt just right.

Just as she was fully immersed in the moment, her eyes suddenly narrowed, and her expression changed sharply. “A ship is approaching.”

With her senses fully restored, Venerable Black Tortoise’s alertness was far beyond what it had been just days ago. Zhao Changhe had not sensed a thing, but Lady Three had already felt the change in the water’s flow.

The two of them immediately sprang to their feet, got dressed, and rushed out of the little cabin, exchanging glances as they wondered whose ship it might be.

But as they stood there, they both turned back to look at the newly built little shelter. Instead of feeling the joy they should have at finding rescue from their deserted island, both let out a sigh of reluctance. Whoever was on that ship, it meant that their newly built little haven... was already about to be left behind.

1. What this is trying to say is that her name really is just 三娘, which literally translates to third lady. ☜

2. This is another one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions, and one of the mansions under the Black Tortoise. The pixiu is an auspicious mythical beast known for its appetite for gold, silver, and other treasures. ☜