Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 568: Mirage

While the men drank, Lady Three remained distant, lost in her thoughts, her mood never quite lifting.

Though he found Zhao Changhe to be someone he got along with surprisingly well, Hai Changkong also had too much weighing on him to fully enjoy the moment. The reality of it all was strangely disjointed—he had come aboard the Tang Clan’s ship mainly to determine Zhao Changhe and Lady Three’s purpose at sea, especially given they had brought a formidable fleet. It was unsettling not knowing their intentions. The irony was that amidst all the chaos, only now were they finally beginning to understand each other’s goals.

When he learned that Zhao Changhe was simply looking for an island, Hai Changkong could only shake his head with a wry smile. “Hai Qianfan really had the worst luck. All of this had nothing to do with you, yet here you are, turning everything upside down.”

“Who says it has nothing to do with me? Shel... I mean, Lady Three’s matters are my matters,” Zhao Changhe said with a grin.

Hai Changkong glanced at Lady Three, who still seemed lost in her own thoughts, apparently unaware of Zhao Changhe’s words. He clicked his tongue and shook his head. “Tell me about this island you’re looking for.”

Zhao Changhe gave a brief description. Nearby, Tang En showed interest. “If we can see the mansion of Xin[1] with our own eyes, then we’d practically be at the boundary between sea and sky, no?”

Zhao Changhe replied, “Theoretically, yes. But can we really reach the edge of the world by sailing east?”

Hai Changkong shook his head. “Sailing the ocean isn’t that simple. If you blindly sail in a straight line, you’ll end up trapped in unknown currents, not to mention the issues with supplies and so on... Throughout history, many have sought the edge of the world, but who has ever succeeded?”

“Uh...”

“The place you’re talking about does exist, but it’s not the real boundary between the sea and sky. In reality, it’s an island in the middle of the ocean. The sun, moon, and stars seem to be right in front of you, but it’s generally considered a mirage—a reflection of the true horizon far in the distance. Of course, followers of the Sea God see it as divine intervention.” Hai Changkong smiled. “And, to be fair, the Sea God may well be nearby. The mirage could in fact be caused by the Sea God’s power distorting reality.”

Zhao Changhe’s spirits lifted. “Where is this island?”

Hai Changkong stood up. “There are actually quite a number of people who know about the island. There are plenty of pirates who are familiar with it. Find a couple of experienced guides, and they’ll get you there.”

Tang En scowled, muttering, “That sly bastard Hua Zhenming told me he didn’t know.”

“Hua Zhenming probably had his eye on your ship, planning to keep you around, finish their business, and then slowly deal with you afterward... though they didn’t get the chance to put that plan into action.” Hai Changkong clasped his hands together in a formal gesture. “Have the customs changed back on the mainland?”

Zhao Changhe returned the gesture. “No, they haven’t.”

“Then I’ll be taking my leave for now.” Hai Changkong leaped back onto his small boat. “Perhaps, when we meet again, we can share more wine and cross blades once more.”

Tang En watched Hai Changkong’s figure grow smaller in the distance, nodding in approval. “Marshal Hai is quite the man.”

Zhao Changhe nodded in agreement. To be fair, even Hai Qianfan was quite the character—after all, not just anyone could roam the seas for years, becoming a pirate leader feared by nations. That required more than just backing. It was just a shame that his ambition turned into an obsession, leading to his swift demise with hardly a word spoken.

These men, all with the surname Hai, were adopted sons taken in by Hai Pinglan in his youth, trained in his martial arts. It spoke volumes about Hai Pinglan’s legacy. If nothing else, having personally trained two warriors to the level of the Ranking of Earth was an accomplishment that far outstripped any master among the Central Plains’ Ranking of Heaven.

Of course, the constant fighting at sea also played a role. While the Central Plains were just entering a time of unrest, the nations at sea had been battling one another for years. The ocean itself offered an abundance of unique resources, enough to sustain many. Unfortunately, these advantages were not yet fully realized by most.

For example, the pirates’ stash had evidently been confiscated by Hai Changkong. With the entire pirate crew reabsorbed by Penglai, who knew how many managed to escape to continue their lives as pirates? But as a unified force, they were unlikely to ever rise again. Zhao Changhe, despite his hopes, did not manage to acquire any of their valuable treasures. He did, however, secure some medicinal herbs, fresh water, and a group of experienced sailors to serve as guides.

An unexpected gain was a few cannons, though they were more akin to primitive stone cannons.

The pirates’ base had a few of these heavy weapons in their warehouse. They were cumbersome and inconvenient, which was why Hai Changkong had not taken them all. Zhao Changhe had them loaded onto the ship, and a few of the men squatted around the cannons, studying them.

“These things don’t seem that great. Their range is poor, their power low, their accuracy awful, the barrels fragile, and the reload time is too long. Your Highness, why are you so interested in them?”

“Old Tang, everything else aside, you can’t be criticizing the reload time. Your ballistae take even longer between shots.”

“But our shots are stronger and go farther,” Tang En replied confidently.

“Were they always that strong?”

Tang En paused, suddenly thoughtful.

Zhao Changhe finally stood up, heading towards the cabin. “In any case, this isn’t something you can figure out on your own. Leave it to the experts. Let’s set sail for that island where the boundary between sea and sky can be seen. There’s no need to go to Penglai.”

“Understood.”

“Pass a message to Wanzhuang and Buqi telling them to find some skilled craftsmen and invest some effort into improving this technology. Believe me, ballistae will eventually be replaced by these cannons.” As Zhao Changhe walked, he paused for a moment as if in deep thought. “Who knows, even half of us warriors may be replaced by them someday.”

In a world like this, Zhao Changhe dared to predict that only half of the martial artists would be rendered obsolete.

After all, those who had reached the Profound Control Realm had already transcended physical limitations and begun cultivating their souls, something beyond the capabilities of modern technology. Then there were also beings like the blind woman, whose abilities seemed to transcend space and time itself, a level of power that was beyond anything human technology could seemingly ever achieve.

“Hey, blind woman.”

“What?”

“Whoa, I was just casually calling to see if you’d answer, and you actually did!”

The blind woman let out a soft sigh.

“Well, since you’re here, tell me—how does an atomic bomb compare to you?”

“Ridiculous.” The blind woman’s tone was indifferent. “Instead of such nonsense, why don’t you explain your intentions behind guiding Hai Changkong to discuss his beliefs? What were you really after?”

Zhao Changhe feigned innocence. “Hai Changkong spoke on his own. What does that have to do with me?”

“Hmm...” The blind woman’s voice carried a note of calm amusement. “Some things shouldn’t be pried into casually... You used to be cautious. I think you’re starting to get a bit too cocky.”

Zhao Changhe did not argue. Whether he was being cocky or not was hard to say, but impatient, he certainly was. He could not help but admire the blind woman for how she had watched silently from the time of Xia Longyuan to now, patiently waiting for the right moment for decades.

Perhaps this was the confidence that came from being immortal. Unlike Hai Changkong, who—despite his heroic bearing—had lost the belief that he could progress further by the age of fifty, even abandoning the desire to return to the mainland. Humans were, after all, just human.

Zhao Changhe did not dwell on this and instead asked, “Do you have anything to say about the Sea Emperor?”

“No.” The blind woman’s tone was indifferent. “The world doesn’t revolve around you. There are plenty of other things worth watching.”

“Like the battle between Hai Pinglan and the Sea Emperor? Isn’t the Sea Emperor a bit slow? It seems like all he does is send a few constructs to handle things, never really doing anything himself. We killed a bunch of those lousy fishmen earlier, and he still hasn’t reacted.”

“Just wait and see. While no one takes you seriously yet, you can afford to be complacent for a few more days.” n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Even if you casually try to make me feel the pressure, I’m still going to see Shelly and let you down.”

The blind woman: “...”

“Was that why you had Lai Qi interrupt us earlier? You getting anxious?”

“...Not my problem.”

With that, the blind woman went silent, her heart oddly unsettled. She finally understood how all those people Zhao Changhe had interrogated must have felt over the past two years.

He often did not have concrete evidence, yet his intuition was uncannily sharp.

Meanwhile, Zhao Changhe had already opened the door and walked into the cabin.

Once the others went to move the cannons, Lady Three returned to the room early. She was leaning against the window, holding two of the crystals, lost in thought.

But from her distant gaze, it was unclear if she was focused on the crystals or daydreaming.

Zhao Changhe sat beside her.

“What are you thinking about?”

Lady Three came back to herself, smiling brightly. “Not much... I was just thinking that despite being a formidable expert at the third layer of the Profound Mysteries, I still feel like I can’t compare to Hai Changkong.”

“How so?”

“I once said that when the Night Emperor descends, Xia Longyuan and Hai Pinglan will realize that their so-called empires are just hollow dreams.” Lady Three leaned back in her chair, tossing the two crystals in her hand. “But now I’m thinking, why did I never consider showing them that truth myself?”

“So now you’re thinking about doing it?”

“Nope.” Lady Three stretched lazily. “When I think about it, it just feels exhausting. I’d rather just sleep.”

Seeing Zhao Changhe’s frustrated expression, the blind woman nearly laughed out loud.

So much for your attempt at guiding her—feeling hopeless, aren’t you?

And then she saw Zhao Changhe pull Lady Three into an embrace. “That’s why you’re my favorite. You’re always adorable with this carefree attitude of yours...”

With a flick of her sleeve, the blind woman left in exasperation.

1. One of the seven mansions of the Azure Dragon. ☜