Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 507: True Bliss Should Be Like This

Zhao Changhe was still deeply puzzled. He flipped through the Atlas of Mountains and Rivers left by the ancient Black Tortoise, looking for any records of this area. Unfortunately, the Black Tortoise obviously had not documented anything related to the Spirit Tribe’s tombs, leaving him with nothing to go on.

He compared the records with those of other areas, but found no notable differences in how the Spirit Tribe was described. There was no indication of any link between the Spirit Tribe and the Night Emperor.

What exactly does the phrase “Vermillion Bird and White Tiger converge in the southwestern wilderness” mean? Is it referring to some celestial phenomenon?

If it truly did refer to some astronomical phenomenon, then it seemed that Zhao Changhe was out of luck—neither he nor anyone from the Spirit Tribe was particularly knowledgeable about astronomy. At best, he could roughly sketch the constellations of the four idols, and even that was thanks to what he got from Vermillion Bird. He had no idea how they moved or changed. As for the Spirit Tribe, their knowledge was limited to determining agricultural timing, which did not relate to such mystical matters at all.

He tried asking Sisi, “Do you know what this phrase means?”

“Huh?” Sisi looked at him with her mouth slightly open, confused.

“Can you read celestial phenomena?”

Sisi looked even more puzzled. “Huh?”

Zhao Changhe resisted the urge to put a sausage in her mouth. “...Never mind. I already knew you were as much of a cultural illiterate as I am.”

The two of them laughed at the same time, both recalling their time studying couplets at Tang Wanzhuang’s place—something that now felt surprisingly sweet.

Too bad that both of them were just as helpless when it came to something that required real scholarly knowledge.

Does this mean that we have to go ask the Four Idols Cult for help again? What a headache.

Zhao Changhe sighed and continued flipping through the book. As he read, he stumbled across something interesting.

The Atlas of Mountains and Rivers was not a comprehensive world map; it was divided into regions, and not in a way that neighboring areas could be put together like puzzle pieces. The ancient Black Tortoise had created the atlas in search of materials to forge the Night Emperor’s sword, so they did not bother recording mundane cities or insignificant plains. It only recorded areas with special significance, so it was essentially a collection of individual maps of specific, notable regions.

It was impossible to determine where else this place might lead to based on the boundaries of the map. However, what was intriguing was that the range marked as the Spirit Tribe’s territory seemed to perfectly coincide with the shape of the secret realm.

At the very least, the location of the burial ground was indeed at the westernmost part of the map, with a small setting sun drawn beside it.

It was as if the Black Tortoise had anticipated that this area would eventually take on the shape of this secret realm... But on what basis had they made that judgment?

“Hey, little illiterate...”

“Yeah, big illiterate?”

“Does the Spirit Tribe have its own map of the secret realm?”

“Yes, we do. It mainly marks the locations of various tribal villages, mineral resources, water sources, and so on. But just know that it isn’t really that accurate...”

“As long as there is one, that’s fine. Have someone bring it to me tomorrow morning, and I’ll have a look at it.” Zhao Changhe, feeling tired, put the book down and stretched his arms. “Damn, I’ve never studied this hard, not even for college entrance exams, and this is all in classical Chinese... Forget it, I’m taking a break for today. No more reading for me.”

Sisi was speechless.

He’s spouting strange things again. But come to think of it, although reading isn’t his strong suit, he actually looks quite good doing it. No wonder Tang Wanzhuang...

Zhao Changhe was busy justifying his laziness: “Ugh, it’s such a hassle. All that trouble to get a map delivered here...”

Sisi’s eyes sparkled, and she smiled lightly. “You could spend the night in the royal palace, lounging on the dragon bed. You’re the one who chose to play it simple, insisting on staying at the burial ground.”

“I’m not doing it for simplicity’s sake. I’m here for research.” Zhao Changhe gave her a sidelong glance. “You’re at it again, aren’t you?”

Sisi held her head high, muttering, “I don’t understand what you’re saying. Sisi is a proper maid of a respectable household.”

Somehow, the way she said it was even more endearing than when she flirted with him. Even though he knew full well that she could play any role and that this was likely just an act, Zhao Changhe could not help but almost let out a goofy smile.

He could not help but tease her, “Since when did you become someone else’s maid?”

“Huh?”

Zhao Changhe said, “Well, I’m not exactly the most proper person. So, whom did you become a ‘proper maid’ for?”

Sisi finally caught on and laughed softly. “What have you even done that’s improper? Is pressing me against a tree to kiss me really all that improper?”

As soon as she said this, the air suddenly became quiet.

Putting down the book and deciding to rest, waiting for tomorrow to compare the maps meant that it was time for bed. But there really was only one room and one bed here.

Sisi lowered her eyes and turned to leave. “Master, rest well. I’ll come back tomorrow.”

Just as she took a step, her wrist was grabbed.

Sisi turned her head to look at her wrist, feeling something strange in her heart.

Before these past two days, if Zhao Changhe had shown this kind of desire for her, it would have been exactly what she hoped for with all her flirtations.

But over the past two days, they had held hands while strolling in the mountains, cuddled while watching the stars, discussed internal and external affairs together, and studied ancient secrets... And now, if it were just about wanting her for her beauty, wanting her to serve him in bed... it suddenly felt strange.

It made the experiences of the past two days seem as if they were nothing but fleeting illusions.

But perhaps she was just overthinking things—after all, was it not all the same from an outsider’s perspective? And besides, they had already done everything... If she were truly asked whether she was willing, her answer would still be yes.

In the end, Sisi herself was not even sure what she was thinking, as there was no logic to it upon deeper consideration.

In a moment of distraction, she found herself already pulled into his embrace, and Zhao Changhe’s low murmur sounded in her ear, “Back in Gusu, you were fine sleeping on a table. But now that you’re a queen, you need a palace to rest?”

Sisi retorted in frustration, “Fine, fine, a little maid like me is only fit to sleep on a table!”

“But I can’t bear it,” Zhao Changhe whispered in her ear, his voice tender. “There’s a bed here, after all. How could I let my maid sleep on a table?”

Sisi’s mouth fell open for the fourth time, a serious thought echoing in her mind. Did this guy get possessed by someone else? He’s gotten really good at this.

All her previous tangled thoughts seemed to have been effortlessly unraveled by his simple words. She wondered just how many flowers he must have flitted through to instantly discern her feelings and dispel them so easily.

Zhao Changhe was so smooth that even when he picked her up and carried her towards the bed, it all felt perfectly natural, and by the time she realized it, she was already laid down on the bed...

“I-I haven’t bathed...” Sisi stammered, not even sure what she was nervous about, her words stumbling out, “I-I smell...”

Zhao Changhe leaned over the edge of the bed, gazing down at her anxious expression, unable to hold back his laughter. “Others may not know, but you should know—I like your natural aroma.”

“Ugh, I smell sweet, what aroma? I’m not Big Sis Yue...”

“Oh, you smell sweet? Let me check.” Zhao Changhe leaned closer, planting a light kiss on her lips.

Even though they had kissed in the woods before, Sisi still felt a surge of electricity, her hands nervously clutching the bedsheets as she closed her eyes tightly.

Zhao Changhe could not help but laugh at her reaction. “Hey, have you been possessed?”

Sisi angrily opened her eyes, “You’re the one who’s been possessed!”

“Where’s my playful Sisi?”

“Where’s my Zhao Changhe who pretends to be a gentleman?”

“Alright, alright.” Zhao Changhe lay down beside her, still clothed, and gently wrapped his arms around her. “I understand now. When I act like a gentleman, you’re playful and flirtatious.”

Huh? There actually seems to be some truth to that.

With a smile, Zhao Changhe said, “Alright, sleep.”

With that, he truly closed his eyes and remained motionless.

Sisi ground her teeth, a gnawing sound escaping. Oh, so this is how you want to play, huh?

She completely forgot about her earlier hesitation about whether or not to stay the night and share the bed. Her eyes began to dart mischievously again. In the flickering candlelight, she stealthily moved her little feet under the covers, rubbing them against his leg.

Zhao Changhe pretended not to notice.

Sisi bit her lower lip, her delicate hand stealthily reaching towards him.

She was completely unaware that as she discreetly worked on untying his belt, the arm he had wrapped around her slender waist was also subtly loosening her garments... His movements were as deft and fluid as a serene ripple across a clear lake.

Finally, her small hand managed to undo the belt, but just as she was about to slip it inside, her wrist was caught.

Sisi looked up, her gaze meeting Zhao Changhe’s eyes, which seemed to glimmer in the dim light. “Oh, what’s this proper little maid of a respectable household up to?”

Sisi smiled nervously. “I-I was helping my master change.”

“Maybe it’s me who should help you change instead.” Zhao Changhe flipped over, instantly reversing their positions.

Sisi’s breathing quickened; she knew what was about to happen.

Only at that moment did a hazy thought cross her mind—she had planned to have him learn the truth after he left, to see if he remembered that day, to keep him thinking of her... But now, if they really did this, would he not know at once whether it was her first time, revealing everything she had tried to keep concealed?

Even though she suspected that he might have already figured it out, as his gentleness over the past two days suggested, she still instinctively began to resist, “N-no, please, can we not...”

She was not even sure why she was resisting.

But in her resistance, she suddenly felt a chill on her body. My clothes! When did he remove them?

In the warm candlelight, it became clear that she was not even wearing any undergarments.

Zhao Changhe slowly lowered his head, pressing a kiss on her bare skin. “The Pure Bliss Art I used back then was all wrong... True bliss should be like this...”

Sisi’s tensed body instantly relaxed.

So, he knew all along... What’s the point of trying to hide then? Hah, it looks like I never truly did escape the palm of his hand. Just like now, everything has always been within his grasp.

Sisi breathed softly, slowly wrapping her arms around his head, and closed her eyes.

There had been no bliss back then, only pain. He had been as lifeless as a corpse, unresponsive, while she had been panicked, her mind filled only with solving the problem. How could there possibly be any joy in that?

But tonight was different, in this brand-new room—a room that felt like it had been specially built for this moment.

The candlelight was warm and tender, like that of a bridal chamber for a pair of newlyweds.