Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 549: Women with Stories Are More Attractive

Zhao Changhe knew that Vermillion Bird and Tang Wanzhuang had fought numerous times over the years, but he had not realized it had started so early. It seemed like it had already started fourteen or fifteen years ago, when they were just in their early teens. Lady Three was slightly older, likely around sixteen or seventeen at the time.

He could not help but imagine what the three of them must have been like during their youth. He could not help but wish he could travel back in time just to catch a glimpse of them.

It was a beautiful scene to imagine, though in reality, the air must have been thick with tension and hostility.

What Zhao Changhe did not know was that this was also the first meeting between Huangfu Qing and Tang Wanzhuang. At that point, Tang Wanzhuang had not yet gone to the capital for her studies, and she had not met Huangfu Qing. In other words, Tang Wanzhuang actually met Vermillion Bird first.

Huangfu Qing had been sent to the Four Idols Cult from an early age by Huangfu Yongxian, raised and trained by them. The White Tiger Saintess of the Four Idols Cult was their princess, with deep familial ties. It was no wonder Xia Longyuan never fully trusted Huangfu Yongxian. The seeds of rebellion were indeed there—while Huangfu Yongxian was dutiful in defending his territories, it did not necessarily mean loyalty to the Xia dynasty.

The older generation of the Four Idols Cult, however, was not particularly capable. When the White Tiger Saintess ran into trouble at Luo Family Village, it took the cult two entire years to hear about it. By that time, Huangfu Qing had completed her training and stepped up to take over the mantle, beginning her role as the Vermillion Bird Saintess, overseeing affairs in Jiangnan and recruiting new followers.

It was during this time that the young Wan Dongliu got roped into the cult by the elder sister, becoming the Water Worm of Zhen. Actually, on that matter, Vermillion Bird was frustrated for a long time with Zhao Changhe for being an “older youth”—his worldview was already fully formed, making him difficult to convert. Ideally, recruits should be impressionable young men and women.

Upon arriving in Gusu, Huangfu Qing heard that the Tang Clan’s young lady was as soft and fluid as water and decided to pay her a visit, wanting to see if she was a potential recruit for the cult.

And so, they had their first encounter.

Back then, the young Tang Wanzhuang was enjoying herself at Taihu, composing poetry and playing the guqin, when she was suddenly approached by a woman wearing a vermillion bird mask. The woman, full of arrogance, declared that she had long heard of the young lady of the Tang Clan’s excellent water affinity and had come to see it for herself, even suggesting that they could become sisters in the future.

Tang Wanzhuang recognized the mask and knew it belonged to the Vermillion Bird Saintess of the Four Idols Cult. Although, at that time, the cult’s rebellious intentions had not yet come to light, it was still known as a demonic cult. Tang Wanzhuang, being from a prestigious family, had no desire to be associated with any demonic cult, let alone with someone so haughty.

Thus, a fight broke out on the lake between Tang Wanzhuang and Vermillion Bird. Meanwhile, a bandit-like girl, Lady Three, sat by the shore with a reed in her mouth, watching for a long time before scoffing, “Stop fighting. You two aren’t going to kill each other like this.”

At that time, the world was still relatively stable. Vermillion Bird had limited experience in the jianghu, and Tang Wanzhuang had only sparred with the talented youths of Jiangnan, youths no different from Tang Buqi. Despite their talent and top-tier martial arts, they could not compare to Lady Three, who had grown up clawing her way out of death countless times.

To Lady Three, it was like watching two soft, powerless fighters who could not hurt each other.

In truth, the two young girls, at that point, found themselves unable to overpower one another and began to feel a mutual sense of respect. But then an outsider came along to mock them. What they thought was an honorable contest suddenly looked like a clash of amateurs in the eyes of a bystander. How could they stand that? In perfect unison, they redirected their attacks toward Lady Three, challenging her instead. “Why don’t you try and see if we can really fight?”

Unfortunately for them, even together, they were no match for Lady Three. She effortlessly beat them both, with such ease that the Tome of Troubled Times was not even triggered.

And that was the first meeting of three of the top female masters of the Tome of Troubled Times, ending with a decisive victory for the young Shelly against two opponents.

Afterward, their paths diverged.

Huangfu Qing, rather than being angry after her defeat, was actually delighted. She realized that the dignified young woman who defeated her had a water affinity and a steadfastness that made her a perfect candidate for the Black Tortoise. She wasted no time in recruiting her. Lady Three, who was still new to the mainland, was then unwittingly coaxed by a charismatic cult member, joining the cult, passing the tests, and becoming the Black Tortoise Saintess.

Thus, Vermillion Bird and Black Tortoise became the twin stars of the Four Idols Cult, rising to prominence over the next decade as they expanded the cult’s influence and ascended the rankings of the Tome of the Troubled Times together, heralding the Four Idols Cult’s meteoric rise in the world.

Meanwhile, Tang Wanzhuang, feeling the sting of her defeat, chose to embark on a journey of training and study. The following year, during her time in the capital, she encountered Huangfu Qing.

No one quite understood why the normally calm and composed Tang Wanzhuang seemed so utterly at odds with Huangfu Qing. According to those who witnessed it, it was, in fact, Tang Wanzhuang who first provoked Huangfu Qing—a surprising and inexplicable act, which would remain one of the unsolved mysteries of the capital.

Of course, the reason was simple. Huangfu Qing reminded Tang Wanzhuang too much of the girl she encountered back at Taihu back then. Tang Wanzhuang wanted to test if they were one and the same.

But Tang Wanzhuang never got the answer. In the capital, Huangfu Qing had access to the martial arts of the Huangfu Clan, while Tang Wanzhuang could not risk a full-on confrontation. Without pushing Huangfu Qing to her limits, it was impossible to get a clear answer. Despite the ongoing rivalry, neither of them ever escalated things to a serious level, but their clashes became a notable spectacle in the capital.

Regardless, Tang Wanzhuang never truly let go of her suspicions about Huangfu Qing’s identity, especially later on, when the Tome of Troubled Times began to flash their names in alternation. Tang Wanzhuang, Vermillion Bird, and Black Tortoise all rose on the rankings, yet Huangfu Qing never appeared. To Tang Wanzhuang, it was an obvious clue.

Yet later, one became an imperial noble consort, the other a bureau chief. Political realities dictated their actions, and despite knowing the truth, neither could say anything without hard evidence. So even now, everything remained unsaid.

Now, Tang Wanzhuang did not bother saying anything. She watched coldly as Vermillion Bird put on her act—the distinguished Venerable Vermillion Bird, being played for a fool, thinking no one knew what was going on. Such a laughable farce would be hard to find even on stage. If it was not for the risk of drawing attention to herself, Tang Wanzhuang could have laughed for an hour straight every day at home.

The pressure that drove Tang Wanzhuang to force a breakthrough, ultimately injuring her foundation, was due in no small part to Lady Three. Rather than being purely a response to the impending chaos and her own impatience, Lady Three’s influence accounted for nearly half of it.

On the Tome of Troubled Times, Tang Wanzhuang’s ranking consistently managed to edge out Vermillion Bird’s, but no matter how hard she tried, Black Tortoise—seemingly unassuming and hidden—always ranked above her. Whenever Tang Wanzhuang thought of the woman who had taken her and Vermillion Bird down together during their first encounter, she could not help but feel immense psychological pressure.

It was like a massive shadow of a Black Tortoise—firmly rooted in the north, with its dragon’s head gazing down at her, exuding both majesty and derision—always loomed above her.

To this day, Tang Wanzhuang had no idea that the woman she saw as a heavy, overbearing figure was, in fact, a carefree Shelly who simply enjoyed her fun.

* * *

Zhao Changhe, unaware of most of these details, could only admire Vermillion Bird from Lady Three’s brief introduction. “Venerable Vermillion Bird really is magnanimous and bold. After fighting you, she immediately brought you into the cult as the Black Tortoise. I’ve heard the previous generation of the Four Idols Cult was rather unimpressive, but the way this generation has risen so fast—it really does seem to be largely thanks to Vermillion Bird.”

“You think that silly bird had some noble intention? She recruited me just so she could mess with me before I officially became a saintess. During that time, she was my superior and used every opportunity to make my life difficult. She even beat me up more than a few times.” Lady Three waved the wine gourd with a huff. “Once she caught up in her combat skills, she only got more arrogant, picking fights with me whenever she could. I’ve never met a woman so petty and vengeful! Let me tell you, you’d better warn your little saintess not to cross her, or I can already foresee a miserable future for her.”

Zhao Changhe sighed. “...Let’s talk about why you believe in the four idols then. It doesn’t seem to match your life experiences.”

Lady Three sipped her wine, snorting softly. “Why not? Haven’t the stars and the seas always been spoken of together?”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

Lady Three looked up at the starry sky, her voice soft. “Because I also wanted something to hold on to, something to believe in. Otherwise, I wouldn’t know what the meaning of my life was...”

Zhao Changhe’s heart skipped a beat. He thought to himself, Indeed... People form beliefs for different reasons, and Lady Three’s reasoning is one many people might share. Given her experiences, it makes sense—she’s witnessed so much of life’s hardships at such a young age.

What was her reason for continuing to live? Revenge for her mother? But her enemy might very well be her own father. Unlike in Chichi’s case, where she never met her father, Lady Three’s father had been part of her life. Though he was injured, he had played with her, raised her, and taught her martial arts. They could have been really close. In her heart, he might have even once held a lofty and admirable position.

She claimed she did not want to harm the pirates, that she came to the mainland alone to join the Mounted Brigand Brotherhood—but wasn’t that just running away? Running from the disillusionment that shattered her worldview.

In trying to escape her confusion, she ended up falling into the embrace of a cult—it was all too easy. With that mindset, once she found something to believe in, her devotion was bound to be fervent—so fervent that even Vermillion Bird, who had recruited her, might not have understood the faith as deeply as she did. In fact, when it came to the enigmatic Night Emperor, didn’t Vermillion Bird often consult Lady Three for her insights?

Lady Three, still gazing up at the stars, murmured, “If gods truly descend upon this world, then what would anything matter? Whether it’s the Great Xia or Penglai... What is a king, and what is an emperor? Who is truly the greatest in the land? When a god grows angry, all will be reduced to dust. I want to see the day when they realize that all their struggles have been in vain, and it’s all just a joke.”

Zhao Changhe stared at her profile for a long time before raising the water-filled jade lid and clinking it against the wine gourd. “Come, let’s drink.”

Lady Three snapped back to reality, looked at him, and smiled. “What, afraid I’m going to preach to you? That you’ll find it foolish?”

“No.” Zhao Changhe smiled back. “I just think a woman with a story is all the more captivating. The Lady Three I had in my mind has come to life.”

Lady Three’s gaze softened, yet a hint of mischief flashed as she gave him a friendly nudge. “Hey, tell me—do you think I’m prettier, or is your Qing’er prettier?”

Zhao Changhe answered without hesitation, “Of course, she’s prettier.”

“Hmm?” Lady Three’s expression darkened.

“She’s my wife, and you’re my superior. How could I say my superior is prettier than my wife? That would mean I have ulterior motives.”

Lady Three scowled. “And what about your ulterior motives? Who was lying on top of me earlier, doing all that licking and sucking?”

Zhao Changhe lowered his head, busying himself with adding wood to the fire.

Lady Three did not press him any further. Instead, she looked up at the starry sky once more, her voice wistful. “Aside from the descent of gods, there’s nothing in this world that holds true significance... Live in the moment, drink while you can, and find as much pleasure as possible—that’s what matters most, wouldn’t you agree?”

Zhao Changhe said, “No.”

“Oh?” Lady Three asked, intrigued. “Why not?”

Zhao Changhe answered seriously, “Because you aren’t just someone who seeks fun for the sake of it.”

“I am exactly that.”

“You knew that fighting the octopus was tough and that you might lose, but you still charged in for the sake of the pirates behind you. It’s clear that there are many things that hold meaning in your heart.”

Lady Three turned to look at him for a long moment before suddenly smiling. “And what about you? You could’ve easily left with the Tang Clan’s fleet, yet you fought so hard instead. What was that for? Was it for me?”

Zhao Changhe paused, lifting his gaze to the sky, lost in thought for a while. Finally, he nodded slowly and said, “Yes.”n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om