Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 290: Let Me Teach You How to Marry My Daughter

Of course, Zhao Changhe did not dare actually say those words out loud to Cui Wenjing. If he did, he might really just end up getting beaten to death.

He cautiously sought advice by approaching the conversation from a different angle. “I noticed that Chi Li, Yue Hongling, and also brothers Cui Yuanyong and Situ Xiao all seemed to take a while to get past the eighth layer of the Profound Gate and into the ninth layer. Is there anything special about this threshold?”

Cui Wenjing said with a stern face, “Why don’t you go and ask your heroine? She went through it herself and would know better than me, no?”

Zhao Changhe smiled apologetically, “Uncle, you’re a grandmaster, someone at the pinnacle of martial arts. Why ask someone else when you’re right here in front of me?”

Cui Wenjing really felt reluctant to teach him anything. Their relationship was simply that awkward. If he were to teach Zhao Changhe, it would seem as if he were saying, “Come, let me teach you how to marry my daughter.”

However, considering Zhao Changhe’s shameless praise and his status as both a hero and a potential son-in-law, Cui Wenjing felt obligated to say something.

Although reluctant, he had no choice but to speak, “Naturally, the higher you climb, the harder it gets to take that one step higher. This is the case in almost everything. For example, ascending the Ranking of Hidden Dragons by dozens of positions when you’re in the two hundredth is easy, but just moving up one or two places once you’re in the top fifty is much more difficult...”

Zhao Changhe muttered, “It wasn’t that hard.”

Cui Wenjing’s eyes narrowed.

Zhao Changhe hurriedly clarified, “Uh, I mean, it wasn’t that hard for someone who got to the top of the rankings while lying down...”

Cui Wenjing clenched his fists, his eyes flashing with anger.

Zhao Changhe nearly ducked in reflex.

Cui Wenjing took a deep breath, maintaining a stoic expression. “The ninth layer of the Profound Gate is the pinnacle of human martial arts in the world. Reaching it involves more than just the cultivation of one’s body, it often requires external forces to reach. Simply put, the ninth layer is the highest achievement for internal and external cultivation. As a result, opening that ninth Profound Gate is very dangerous.”

Zhao Changhe perked up. “Tianling?”[1]

“Yes. Tianling is the intersection between man and heaven, the core pathway of the bridge between heaven and earth. In theory, according to the principles of cultivation, opening the Tianling Profound Gate not only signifies reaching the ninth layer of the Profound Gate but also involves the key to the door of the Profound Mysteries. Because of that, it carries a vastly different significance compared to the earlier layers of the Profound Gate.”

Zhao Changhe captured the key point. “In theory?”

Cui Wenjing, pleased with Zhao Changhe’s perceptiveness, looked at him with a complex expression before sighing. “Yes, because reaching this stage is extremely difficult. When breaking through to the ninth layer, it’s very common to fall into cultivation deviation, leading to chaos in your spiritual platform and possibly resulting in death. If that happens, you’re lucky if you even get to live as an idiot. Therefore, various cultivation techniques have adopted a compromise, dividing the function of finding the bridge to the Profound Mysteries and retaining only the aspect of increasing one’s power. This makes the breakthrough much easier, leaving the Profound Mysteries for later. This is the reason why there was an explosion in the number of people reaching the ninth layer of the Profound Gate. However, this also means that those who went through this path aren’t genuine ninth-layer cultivators. They’re merely halfway there.”

Zhao Changhe understood. “So the reason Yue Hongling and the others were stuck at that stage for so long was because they were not satisfied with that half-hearted approach. The ninth layer they reached was the true ninth layer. So, although they were stuck at the threshold to the ninth layer for a long time, it was relatively easy for them to unlock the Profound Mysteries soon after they did break through. In contrast, those who took the shortcut have a much more difficult time unlocking the Profound Mysteries, and that is what has led to so many people reaching the ninth layer but very few reaching the Profound Mysteries, to the point where there aren’t even enough to fill the Ranking of Man.”

Cui Wenjing nodded and said, “Exactly. The so-called chasm is actually man-made. Well, not that it matters all that much. After all, reaching the ninth layer of the Profound Gate is already the pinnacle for ordinary people. Pushing for the Profound Mysteries, which only one in a million achieves, is quite unnecessary to most.”

Zhao Changhe smiled faintly, remaining silent.

Cui Wenjing eyed him, knowing that he would never settle for some half-baked ninth layer. In fact, Zhao Changhe had already glimpsed the door to the Profound Mysteries, so achieving the genuine ninth layer was not too difficult. Regardless, it still required him to come across a certain opportunity.

After all, Tianling was still Tianling, it did not carry such divine connotations for nothing. It was not a door that could be forced open. Unlocking Tianling required some insight and natural progression; otherwise, it would be easy to develop inner demons and end up turning into an idiot.

As for how one was to find this insight and enlightenment... It could take years... or a lifetime. Of course, Cui Wenjing believed that such would not be the case for Zhao Changhe; otherwise, his renown as the strongest hidden dragon in history would be a joke.

He did not plan to go into detail on this topic, so he changed topics, “Have you already started seeking a special physique?”

Zhao Changhe smiled. “Uncle, your eyes are truly as bright as a torch. Do you have any advice for me?”

“Unlike conventional cultivation systems, special physiques involve characteristics of ancient gods and demons. Even people like me and Wang Daoning can’t say that we have fully figured it out. The one who understands this topic best, apart from His Majesty, might be Le Shentong. What I can tell you is that it is a bottomless pit; there’s no clear end in sight. No one can give you precise guidance on what to do next; it entirely depends on your own opportunities. If you aren’t careful, you might end up riddling your body with hidden problems and ailments.”

Zhao Changhe reflected on these words and realized that, indeed, it was good that Yue Hongling had wisely chosen not to blindly accept the Black Tortoise gemstone’s transformation with her not being fully comprehensive of the Innate Dao Body. Instead, she had made slight adjustments based on her own understanding, likely taking this into account. He realized that her martial arts insight was truly profound.

But in this aspect, I’ve got an incredible advantage. The guidance from the golden foil is definitely reliable.

Then he asked, “Uncle, have you heard of the Dragon Elephant Blood Ginseng?”

“Dragon Elephant Blood Ginseng...” Cui Wenjing frowned and thought for a moment, then shook his head and said. “I’ve heard of many kinds of blood ginseng, but I have never heard of one with the name Dragon Elephant. If you need it for your physique, I can help you keep an eye out for any information on it.”

Zhao Changhe was overjoyed. Having a powerful backer was indeed beneficial. If the Cui Clan really mobilized their forces to find something, his chances of finding it would increase significantly. Anyhow, he believed that this clearly named item should not be as elusive as those legendary treasures needed for transforming one’s meridians.

Seeing him as happy as a monkey at the sight of a banana tree, Cui Wenjing grumbled, “Don’t think that just finding some medicinal materials and soaking in them will be the end of it. Be prepared to spend a lifetime searching through various secret realms, researching and pondering on your next steps.”

Zhao Changhe smiled cheekily. “I understand...”

Cui Wenjing stared at him for a while, then suddenly fell silent. In fact, discussing cultivation was just a way to talk about personal matters. He hoped that Zhao Changhe would advance quickly so he could marry Yangyang. Otherwise, why would he bother teaching him at all? However, these things did not need to be spelled out too clearly. Otherwise, it would really be quite awkward for him.

After a long while, Cui Wenjing sighed and brought up something he had wanted to talk about openly for some time. “Do you really intend to become the crown prince now?”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“Hm? Then why did you fight so hard in this battle? It’s clear that the turning point of this battle was you, and no one can deny that.”

“...What’s that got to do with anything? Brother Yuanyong also fought with his life on the line, insisting on retreating. Is he also trying to be the crown prince?”

Cui Wenjing raised his hand, acting as if he was going to slap Zhao Changhe, who quickly covered his face.

Cui Wenjing glared at him for a while, then sighed. “Whatever your reasons, perhaps you did it unintentionally, but objectively, you have won the favor of Huangfu Yongxian and the recognition of Great Xia’s most elite army. Do you understand what that means?”

Zhao Changhe’s first thought was that it might make it easier to get close to Huangfu Yongxian’s daughter...

Then he realized that with his current status and reputation, bloodlines did not matter anymore. However, everyone was still thinking in terms of conventional politics, not realizing that Xia Longyuan was fundamentally a lunatic who did not care about such things.

As long as Xia Longyuan continued to play his game with the gods and Buddhas, the world would never be at peace, and everyone else could only try to mend things.

This was Tang Wanzhuang’s tragedy.

And now, it seemed to be his turn, as he was now caught in the same situation.

Seeing through his thoughts, Cui Wenjing said calmly, “In this world, the more conscientious a person is, the harder and more tiring their life is. Those who only care about themselves lead much easier lives. Do you... have any regrets?”

“What about you, uncle?” Zhao Changhe asked back. “When the spirit of the Qinghe Sword faded and left the Cui Clan, you spoke of it calmly, but did you ever feel any regret in your heart? Now, with brother Yuanyong defending the pass, his heroic spirit permeating Yanmen, perhaps the sword spirit could return, but we’d never really know for sure. Did you come all this way to help him because you blame him for not knowing when to advance or retreat and not caring about his family? Or maybe, deep down, you feel a little gratified? “

Cui Wenjing fell silent and stared at him steadily.

The two of them stared at each other for a long time before Cui Wenjing finally smiled slightly. “After not seeing you for over half a year, it seems you have not made much progress in other areas, but at least you don’t talk like a vulgar bandit anymore. On the other hand, Yuanyong has been becoming increasingly vulgar in his speech.”

Then, he turned to leave and said, “Have you noticed that Dragon Bird is getting more docile? I think the day it recognizes its master isn’t far off. You might want to start thinking about that first.”

The Dragon Bird of Great Xia, the emperor’s war blade.

There was only one kind of person that it would recognize as master.

Zhao Changhe looked at the door with a headache. Old Cui was not just talking about the saber; it was as if he wanted to drape him in a yellow robe.

No wonder they’re allying with the Wang Clan through marriage. There really are rebels everywhere... They claim to be loyalists yet even they have their hidden agendas.

Just as his headache was worsening, a knock came on the door. An unfamiliar male voice laughed outside and said, “Young Master Zhao, how is your injury? I’ve brought you some good medicine, different from the Cui Clan’s... I’ll sell it to you for just one coin.”

Eighth on the Ranking of Heaven, Ying Five. He was ranked one place higher than Old Cui.

If Old Cui was still focused on worldly matters, Ying Five definitely was not.

Zhao Changhe was very interested in him.

1. Just a reminder that Tianling (天灵) is the point on the top of one’s head. ☜