Chapter 295: Sister Is Waiting For You

Chapter 295: Sister Waits for You

The first rays of sunlight touched the sky.

Yue Hongling rose lazily, washing and dressing, then turned her head to glance at the man sitting cross-legged on the bed, absorbed in his cultivation. She found him both exasperating and amusing.

A man who was clearly injured yet refused to rest properly, insisting on dragging his lover hundreds of miles away to find a romantic spot for dual cultivation—who could understand that?

If she had to look on the bright side, Zhao Changhe’s trust and reliance on her were truly unparalleled. He didn’t care at all about his own injuries, as if having her, Yue Hongling, by his side meant absolute safety. Where did he get such confidence?

Still, revisiting this old haunt was a delightful surprise for Yue Hongling. The feeling was genuinely intriguing.

What fun was a rigid man? A man like this brought constant surprises.

Standing on the mountain and looking down, she saw that in the heavy snow, the bandits from the stronghold had all gathered in the training ground, diligently practicing their skills. It was a sight to behold. Yue Hongling didn’t believe these fellows had been this hardworking when they were first released from prison, but with Zhao Changhe’s arrival, the atmosphere had changed.

It was as if they had found a soul.

Perhaps Zhao Changhe’s rise to the top of the charts this year had spurred on those who came from the same background. They were all of similar origins, learning martial arts at about the same age. Now, their chieftain was the top of the Hidden Dragon List, famous across the land. What about the others? When they hadn’t seen Zhao Changhe, it wasn’t so stark, but when Zhao Changhe appeared before them with the real Yue Hongling, the impact on their hearts was easy to imagine.

Was it too late to start working hard now?

Actually, it wasn’t… Just don’t compare yourself to Zhao Changhe. That guy was a genius in his own right, unmatched by few in the world. If not for his meridian limitations, he might have soared to the heavens. If they set their sights on being a Sun Instructor or a Fang Buping, they had every chance.

Besides, the chieftain’s lady was happy to offer a few pointers, far more useful than what Instructor Sun had taught back then.

Thinking of this, Yue Hongling found it amusing, yet also a little startling.

This notion of staying in one place, “being a good wife and mother,” was something she had never entertained since she completed her training and set out on her own. Was she really thinking of herself as the chieftain’s lady now?

Just as she was lost in thought, footsteps sounded behind her, and Zhao Changhe’s familiar arms wrapped around her from behind: “What are you thinking about?”

Yue Hongling asked, “How’s your injury?”

“Basically no problem now. There are still some lingering roots that need more time to clear. The Vulture’s Fangs are indeed formidable; the residual true qi clings like a stubborn bone, extremely hard to remove. This might be the most troublesome injury I’ve ever had. If not for the dual cultivation technique, I’d probably be bedridden for quite a while.”

Yue Hongling curled her lip: “Even if you don’t consider the Vulture’s Fangs as Earth List material, that guy is undeniably the top of the Human List. I wouldn’t dare provoke him, yet you actually went for it. You called Batu reckless and fearless, but you’re not much better.”

“That was on the battlefield. Someone had to bear the burden.”

“What if you died?”

“At that moment, I never thought about it. Once you start thinking about such things, no one would do them.”

Yue Hongling smiled faintly: “You are a hero.”

“How else could I be your man?”

Yue Hongling was silent for a moment, then asked, “Since fate has brought us here, have you ever thought of building a small force?”

Zhao Changhe said, “Staying here to be a leader of some force is impossible. I can’t stay.”

Yue Hongling finally seemed relieved and laughed: “If you leave as soon as your injury heals in a few days, I feel their souls will be lost again.”

Zhao Changhe said, “I don’t owe them anything… but as their former chieftain, I can at least point them in a direction.”

“You want them to join the army? They won’t do it.”

“Leave that to me. For now, let them be bandits. We’ll see later.” Zhao Changhe changed the subject: “Coming back here, do you feel a sense of time shifting?”

Yue Hongling said, “Yes, it’s quite interesting.”

“I’ve been thinking about something…” Zhao Changhe briefly recounted his conversation with Ying Wu, then continued, “When Ying Wu said the greatest difference between past and present is that the world is incomplete, I didn’t continue discussing it with him. I just talked about cooperation directly. After all, we had just met, and I didn’t want to show too much interest in that topic in front of him, or it wouldn’t be cooperation anymore—I’d be the one eagerly chasing it. But honestly, I’m really very interested.”

Yue Hongling’s eyes sparkled, and she laughed, “You’ve got so many twists and turns in your belly, it doesn’t match that bear-like appearance at all.”

“The one you’re talking about is Batu…”

“Ha…”

“What do you think? Is Ying Wu pursuing the lost enlightenment of time and space, or is he trying to find the stairway to the ancient gods and demons through these spatial fragments? Or perhaps, once the space is complete, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth will become denser, and everyone’s cultivation could be elevated?”

Yue Hongling thought for a moment: “Probably a bit of everything. This is a grand undertaking; it won’t have just one meaning. And he can’t be selfless, doing it just to raise everyone’s cultivation.”

“Hmm… If it leads to denser spiritual energy and higher cultivation for everyone, it might also cause the gods and demons to awaken. That’s why Xia Longyuan lets the various secret realms be, not bothering to collect them. He doesn’t want a flood of ancient gods and demons awakening after the space is complete—it would be too troublesome. I wonder if there’s a god or demon behind Ying Wu…”

Zhao Changhe sorted through his thoughts, and suddenly wondered if this was also what the Blind Woman wanted to do, but Xia Longyuan refused.

Of course, the Blind Woman might not necessarily want the world to be complete, or at least not only that. She had at least one other goal: to collect the complete Heavenly Book.

Xia Longyuan must know of the Heavenly Book’s existence. There’s a possibility he even has a page of it himself, but he has no intention of collecting them all. Otherwise, he would have asked about it during their conversation back then.

At the very least, this proves he’s not a collector. But Zhao Changhe, on the other hand, has a bit of a collector’s itch.

That’s probably why the Blind Woman, knowing Zhao Changhe’s dissatisfaction with her, didn’t react much. Because what Zhao Changhe is doing is exactly what she wants to see, even if the progress is a bit slow.

But Zhao Changhe, knowing this, can’t help but do it. Only by following this path might he have a chance to glimpse the door of time and space.

Yue Hongling said, “You’re hiding something… Maybe you don’t want to talk about it?”

“Uh… it’s just that I don’t know where to start. Also, I’m worried that you weren’t involved in these matters before, and suddenly dragging you into it might not be good. Some things are beyond what you or I can bear right now.”

“So you feel like a tiger is chasing you from behind, and you have to keep running forward.”

“Yes.”

Yue Hongling smiled faintly, turned around, and gently stroked his cheek: “Actually… you don’t really see me as family either. You’re just like me—a wanderer at heart.”

“That’s not how it is… Why don’t you say it’s a man’s way to grit his teeth and bear things alone?”

“Alright, whether you are or not, I certainly am.” Yue Hongling said, “Before the decisive battle, I already told you that after it was over, I wanted to take my leave and head to the southwest. I only delayed because of your injury. Now that you’re mostly healed, it’s time for me to go.”

Zhao Changhe, though he had prepared himself, was still reluctant. He tugged at her sleeve and whined, “Sister…”

“I’ve already let you call me sister. What more do you want?”

“…”

Yue Hongling glanced at the bustling training ground below, knowing that leaving now was indeed a bit rushed. She should have at least waited until Zhao Changhe’s injury was completely healed… But she suddenly felt a little afraid.

Afraid of getting used to being his wife, managing the household and his affairs.

“Alright, all feasts must end.” Yue Hongling gently stroked his cheek and gave him a light kiss: “You said it yourself, some things are beyond what you or I can bear now. So let’s not cling to the moment. We must keep moving forward… When you think I’m ready to bear it, tell me. Sister will help you.”

Zhao Changhe said nothing, only pulled her tightly into his arms and lowered his head to kiss her.

Yue Hongling closed her eyes, yielding softly.

On the snow-covered mountaintop, the man and woman embraced in a deep kiss. Below, the practicing men stopped one by one, their faces expressionless.

Zhao Laoda was inhuman. Before, he at least knew to hide in the room away from his brothers, but now he was openly flaunting his love in public.

Especially now that everyone knew it was the real Yue Hongling, the feeling in their hearts was indescribable.

Yet, looking at the scene, they had to admit it was fitting and beautiful.

Perhaps only a hero like Zhao Laoda deserved such a wife.

Just as they were thinking this, Yue Hongling gently pushed Zhao Changhe away and said softly, “Well then, until we meet again?”

“Mm, until we meet again.” Zhao Changhe took a deep breath: “I hope next time we meet, I’ll have broken through the Secret Treasury. Then maybe I’ll have something to tell you.”

Yue Hongling smiled faintly: “Mm, I’ll wait for you.”

With that, she turned and walked into the courtyard, led out the Red Hare, and rode away.

The bandits’ mouths fell open.

Zhao Laoda had been dumped again!