Chapter 706: Tianshan of the Western Regions

Zhao Changhe was not sure if he was growing old or growing young. Somehow, the act of caressing Yue Hongling’s face had turned into him leaning against her chest, being comforted like a child, and feeling entirely at peace.

Being near her always gave him a strange sense of security. He had spent so much time worrying about her wandering the world alone, and now, even though he was clearly stronger, leaning against her made him feel inexplicably safe.

Strange, her chest isn’t even bigger than Lady Three’s. They’re just... average.

If this was what aging felt like, it was peculiar. After all, here he was, resting in her warm embrace, and not a single improper thought crossed his mind.

To be honest, that had not always been the case. In the past, no matter how much he expressed his respect for Yue Hongling or how adamantly he claimed to have no dishonorable thoughts, there had always been a faint undercurrent of desire deep down. After all, he was a man. Any man would understand.

But now, there truly were no improper thoughts. She had just bathed, and still, not a single errant thought crossed his mind. Was he really losing his edge?

Or was this what people meant by growing into an old married couple? The left hand holding the right hand? Zhao Changhe fell into a perplexing spiral of self-reflection.

Yue Hongling, completely oblivious to the absurd thoughts running through his head, continued to hold him with maternal warmth. Her voice was soft as she said, “I’ve been wandering through various secret realms these past months. I haven’t kept up with the Tome of Troubled Times, so I didn’t see all the upheavals in the rankings. You’ve grown so strong... you must have endured a lot.”

The blind woman would have rolled her eyes if she were there. She would probably say, “Sure, was it Vermillion Bird’s sharp tongue, Xia Chichi’s chest, or Cui Yuanyang’s tender body that he’s endured? Well, regardless, he’s definitely endured a lot of those.”

But in truth, Zhao Changhe was undeniably exhausted. His burdens were not fabricated for show. Ever since Xia Longyuan had fallen, the weight on his shoulders had grown immensely. Even the blind woman had doubted whether he and the fragile new dynasty could withstand the pressures they faced. She had once said Xia Longyuan’s death had come far too early and thus even upset her plans.

Yet here he was, riding on Snow-Treading Crow, swinging his saber and loosing arrows, carving out a semblance of stability. Now, he was someone who could even dictate terms to an entire Buddhist sect—something unimaginable just a month ago.

But as impressive as his strength was, Zhao Changhe was not yet even twenty-three. In the modern world, this would be the age of a university graduate still searching for an internship. His responsibilities were colossal for someone so young. Having a big sister to lean on was not just nice, it was almost indispensable.

Leaning into Yue Hongling’s embrace, Zhao Changhe mumbled, “I didn’t endure much hardship... But you’ve been gone for half a year. You’ve reached the third layer of the Profound Mysteries, which must mean you’ve gone through countless battles, and yet no word of you has ever appeared in the Tome of Troubled Times. What were you doing in the Western Regions? Tell me a story.”

Yue Hongling chuckled. “Just now, it felt like you were deliberately taking over the conversation to keep me from telling those monks too much.”

“Of course, don’t let their honest faces fool you. It’s always wise to keep some things to ourselves. Especially personal stories about my dear Big Sister Yue. Why should they get to hear those...”

“You and your cheeky words,” Yue Hongling chuckled softly, her fingers tousling his hair. “But honestly, there’s nothing too scandalous or secretive about my time in the Western Regions, nothing like you might imagine.”

“What do you think I’m imagining?” Zhao Changhe shifted his head slightly, nestling it deeper against her chest, “With you here, why would I need to imagine anything...”

Yue Hongling, feeling a mix of affection and amusement, stroked his head and let him get more comfortable before she spoke. “Though I fought many battles in the Western Regions, I didn’t challenge anyone high up on the rankings—so it’s natural for my ranking to remain unchanged. The vast deserts of the Western Regions, with their endless sands and setting sun, really fostered my sword intent. I’ve gained a lot just from that alone. But my real progress came from the secret realms, where even if I did engage in battle, it would not be recorded by the Tome of Troubled Times.”

Zhao Changhe silently cursed the blind woman for her limitations. If a space had any kind of concealment or barrier, her vaunted “omniscience” crumbled. She could not see through secret realms, yet she always acted like she knew everything.

This was why when Yuan Cheng spoke of an omniscient Buddha, it was clearly a concept that did not exist. Not even the blind woman could achieve such status, so how could others?

Oddly enough, even though Zhao Changhe felt too drained to think of anything serious, just wanting to rest in his big sister’s embrace, when he heard her mention all this, he instinctively found himself wanting to know more. “So, did you end up fighting many barbarians in the Western Regions? I don’t recall seeing anyone from that region on the Rankings of Troubled Times. What’s their martial culture like?”

“The Western Regions are home to northern barbarian tribes as well, but those tribes do differ from the rest a fair bit. Think of it like the distinction between the Vulture Tribe and Batu’s Warring Lion Tribe. They’re both considered northern barbarians, but their customs vary greatly. While the Western Regions do have powerful figures, their presence on the Rankings of Troubled Times tends to be grouped with all the northern barbarians, so the Central Plains rarely pays them much attention.”

“What’s the situation over there?” Zhao Changhe’s curiosity got the better of his exhaustion.

Yue Hongling continued, “The Western Regions is a region bustling with trade, but it’s also very chaotic. Bandits, thieves, and assassins are everywhere. Tribes constantly vie for power with one another, and power shifts frequently with the rise and fall of war banners. Merchants have to pay hefty protection fees just to do business there, and even then, they’re often robbed or killed.”

“Of course,” Zhao Changhe agreed. “When a new war banner rises, no one honors the old protection fees.”

“Mm-hm. It’s a lot more violent there than the Central Plains. Perhaps only Saibei could compare...” Yue Hongling tilted her head and asked, “Would you call that a martial culture?”

“I would, even though they clearly aren’t like the heroes of the

jianghu

. The Mounted Brigand Brotherhood would love it there...”

“I didn’t encounter any of Ying Five’s people, but they definitely do have people there. It could very well even be their base of operations. Given that there’s always one strongest figure in any region hoarding most of the resources, it’s unlikely that the Western Regions don’t have a spot on the Ranking of Heaven. Ying Five is probably either posing as some king there or leading one of the larger bandit groups.”

Zhao Changhe whistled softly. “Never would’ve guessed...”

Normally, Ying Five did not seem to carry such demeanor. But putting all the pieces together, Yue Hongling’s deduction made sense.

Yue Hongling sighed softly, “The more I broaden my horizons, the more I see the injustices of the world. But how can I change everything with just a three-chi sword? These last six months made me realize that the path you chose is the right one—only the emperor’s sword can secure this land and help more people.”

Zhao Changhe nodded absentmindedly, though his thoughts were elsewhere. He was thinking about how it resembled the Silk Road he knew from the history of the modern world, albeit with its differences. This world lacked the same ethnic and religious diversity, with most groups categorized under the northern barbarian’s various tribes.

From what she described, two things stood out. First, there were likely nations farther west, beyond what she described. Second, trade along the Silk Road certainly existed, but much of the profit had been monopolized by the Li Clan, with little benefit flowing to the Central Plains.

This meant the Li Clan’s potential power was greater than he thought, surpassing even the fledgling maritime trade of the Wang Clan.

If he truly took an interest in national governance, there was much to be done here.

Xia Longyuan must have been playing games—if nothing else, could he not have learned from Emperor Wu of Han

[1]

?

Zhao Changhe suddenly asked, “Based on your description, aside from Ying Five, I feel like the headquarters of the Snow-Listening Pavilion might also be over there. But unlike Ying Five, their operations would definitely be far more secretive, so I doubt they’d openly claim territories or control resources.”

“Mm-hm. It was because I noticed signs of Snow-Listening Pavilion assassins conducting business there that I began trailing them, hoping to locate their base. That led me to Tianshan[2], but I think in our understanding, it’s part of the Kunlun Mountains? It’s nothing like the Valley of the Wicked we know—extremely far apart.”

“I figured as much.”

“Once I reached Tianshan, it was even more vast and desolate than the snowy mountains we’d seen before—a vast, unending expanse of snow, filled with strange occurrences...” Yue Hongling’s gaze grew distant as she recalled her journey. “And on my first day there, I saw you.”

1. Emperor Wu of Han is known for his strong and visionary leadership, which greatly expanded China’s territory and centralized power in the nation. ☜

2. You can find the location of this mountain range in the real world by searching Tianshan Mountain Range on Google Maps. ☜