Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 327: Sacrifice

“It’s nothing special. This is the Eternal Heart Flame. It’s extremely valuable to my understanding of various fire arts. If you can comprehend it, it will also help you suppress your inner fire[1] when you encounter obstacles in the future, preventing you from easily going mad in the future.” Huangfu Qing decided not to resist and leaned into his embrace. She then lazily added, “Opportunities like this are rare. Make the most of it and stop thinking about trivial things.”

Since understanding inner fire requires understanding emotions, then I’ll just let it be. Anyway, I’m the Fire Serpent of Yi right now, not Vermillion Bird. Why can’t I enjoy his affection and care for the Fire Serpent of Yi?

Zhao Changhe peered at the flame, realizing that this must be the source of the madness that had been brought out from within Huangfu Qing and the other madmen. It had the same aura as the aura they were emanating back then. The closer one was, the more they would be able to sense the fiery agitation within the flame. It was likely this agitation that influenced people, stimulating irritation and restlessness within them, resulting in them wanting to lash out.

Of course, holding the proud young lady significantly improved his mood, so he naturally would not feel irritable. But as for comprehending it, it felt like trying to solve a high-level math problem in university—although you could read the letters or the numbers, you might not understand a thing.[2]

This was something that could contribute considerably to breaking through to the third layer of the Profound Mysteries. It was mysterious and profound, and it was something that even Vermillion Bird struggled to understand. Obviously, it was far beyond Zhao Changhe, who was still pursuing greater strength and martial techniques.

After a long time, Zhao Changhe could only discern that it was similar to vicious blood but of a different nature. Beyond that, he could not grasp anything useful. Attempting to force an understanding was futile, so he asked, “How do we take this thing with us?”

Huangfu Qing could not help but let out a laugh. “You really do just want to take everything you see, huh... Well, this is probably not something you can take. It has no fuel source, and there’s no way to grab it. If it could so easily be taken away, I doubt Daoist Yuxu would have just left it here.”

“That might not necessarily be the case,” said Zhao Changhe. “Unless it has existed here since the beginning of time, it must have been moved here at some point.”

“Perhaps, but that’s beyond our capability; at least, it’s beyond mine right now,” said Huangfu Qing. “Don’t be obsessed with it. It’s not like all treasures need to be taken away. The opportunity to comprehend it is a blessing in itself. There’s no need to always go for more, especially when it’s beyond your means.“

Zhao Changhe smiled and said, “Your perspective is really high... Anyway, I came here looking for some things. You can go ahead and comprehend it while I look for the things I need.”

Huangfu Qing asked, “What are you looking for?”

“The first is Dragon Elephant Blood Ginseng. It should have grown in Kunlun in the ancient era. It was widespread but a bit rare. Anyway, it’s pretty much gone now, but I might at least be able to find some of it left in these ancient dimensional fragments in Kunlun. Of course, it might not be here, but I’d still rather try my luck. If it really isn’t here, then I’ll just keep searching elsewhere.”

“What else are you looking for?”

“The other thing I’m looking for is the essence of fire. I originally thought that this was it, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. However, I’m certain it’s here.” Zhao Changhe took out the sword pellet, attempting to find which way to go for the essence of fire. “Maybe it’s buried under this heart flame. It might even be that the heart flame exists because of the essence of fire.”

The sword pellet released a wisp of sword qi, which spiraled and pointed toward the area beneath the heart flame. Zhao Changhe was overjoyed. “It really is here!”

Huangfu Qing squinted at the sword pellet in his hand, noticing the dragon and tiger designs and the imposing sword intent on it, making it obvious to whom it belonged. She could not help but feel a bit sour as she spoke, “Who are you looking for this for?”

“Ah...” Zhao Changhe smiled sheepishly. “It’s for the Four Idols Cult, yes, the Four Idols Cult! As the Fire Pig of Shi, I should naturally do my share for the holy cult...”

Huangfu Qing ground her teeth.

That little bitch... she really still went and flirted with him behind my back. All this guy is thinking about is her even when she isn’t around, helping her look for things. You feel proud, don’t you? Just wait until I get back and teach you a lesson.

Regardless, Zhao Changhe was still helping the saintess of the cult, which in turn also benefited the cult. Because of that, she could not show her annoyance. Instead, she even had to act as if it was her own concern.

It was incredibly awkward.

“Then let’s dig down and see. The soil there is loose,” said Huangfu Qing. She subtly freed herself from his embrace and elbowed him in the ribs.

Zhao Changhe winced in pain, but he could not tell if she had done it on purpose. He could only assume it was an accident and resigned himself. He took out Dragon Bird and began digging the soil.

The soil was loose and easy to dig. After digging about three chi, it started to become harder, and an intense heat surged upward.

Zhao Changhe carefully used Dragon Bird to move the soil, uncovering a fiery red crystal core.

The heart flame above was not actually particularly hot. Apart from inciting inner agitation, it was similar to an ordinary flame. However, the crystal core radiated extreme heat, its fiery waves palpable from a distance.

It turned out that the surrounding scorched soil was a result of the heat emanating from this small crystal core.

Not to mention anything else, judging from the environment alone, the chances of finding the Dragon Elephant Blood Ginseng seemed slim.

Zhao Changhe, not dwelling on his own quest for the blood ginseng, turned to Huangfu Qing and asked, “Is this the essence of fire?”

“Mm-hm.” Huangfu Qing gazed at the crystal core with some excitement. She whispered, “It is the essence of fire. It can only be born from long-lasting, undying flames. So, it’s not that the crystal core created the heart flame, but rather the long-lasting existence of the heart flame that allowed this core to form underneath the ground.”

“Then that means that this crystal core isn’t unique.”

“Of course not... Items like it that would naturally condense after some time were not uncommon in the ancient era. But in the current era, there might be at most one or two of them.”

After all, in this era, it was almost impossible to find long-lasting, undying flames like this Eternal Heart Flame.

Zhao Changhe stroked his chin thoughtfully. “This is still quite strange to me. Why is the crystal core formed from the heart flame hotter than the heart flame itself?”

“That’s normal. The crystal core is purely concentrated heat, whereas the heart flame has other properties that the crystal core does not exhibit.”

“You seem to know quite a lot about this. Do you know how we can take it with us? It’s scorching hot.”

Huangfu Qing laughed silently, and then she waved her hand and stored the crystal core somewhere. “I’ll take it back to the saintess. You can trust me with it, right?”

“Of course.” Zhao Changhe felt speechless, though. “So you also have a storage treasure.”

Huangfu Qing smiled and said, “Is it really unusual for me, the imperial noble consort, to have some treasures?”

“Right...” If you were truly the imperial noble consort, I would never dare touch you. It’s precisely because you aren’t that I even dare touch you and find it exciting.

Naturally, Zhao Changhe did not say the last part out loud. Obtaining the essence of fire made it worth it to let Chichi take the risk of diverting Ye Wuzong. With the mission accomplished, he relaxed. The pain from his injuries and the fatigue from the blood loss finally overwhelmed him, and he could not be bothered to do anything else. He sat on the side and said, “I’m going to rest for a while. Don’t force yourself too hard while comprehending the heart flame. If something goes wrong, stop immediately.”

Huangfu Qing did not respond and continued to look at the heart flame. The atmosphere quieted down, and Zhao Changhe soon fell into a deep sleep.

When he fell asleep, Huangfu Qing seemed to sense something and turned her head. She walked softly to his side, staring at him for some time before sighing.

Her thoughts were a tangled mess. It was thus impossible for her to calmly comprehend the heart flame.

But who was it that caused such a lively and energetic person to become so exhausted and injured...

Perhaps if she repaid this debt, she could finally clear her mind and focus.

After pondering for a moment, Huangfu Qing quietly took the sword pellet from Zhao Changhe’s hand and brought it to her nose, sniffing it lightly

This sword pellet was made using an unconventional pill-refinement process. It also contains a lot of different medicinal ingredients.

Sword pellets aren’t typically made that way, but that does make it easier to absorb and refine later. The medicinal ingredients that the sword pellet is made of weren’t integrated perfectly. Many of its components didn’t get refined or ended up transforming into other substances. It seems like extracting some of them individually won’t affect the sword pellet at all.

This strong blood qi it’s exuding should be from the Dragon Elephant Blood Ginseng.

That thing doesn’t really have any value for refining the blade. In fact, it might even compromise its sharpness from the emphasis on strength.

The person who made the sword pellet likely tried forcing “dragon” intent into the pill, but it wasn’t suitable at all.

If I extract the Dragon Elephant Blood Ginseng he wants from this sword pellet, would that be enough to repay him?

As the foremost expert in the attribute of fire in the world, while Vermillion Bird might not be that knowledgeable about medicinal herbs, her skill in refinement was unmatched. She had never tried extracting a component from a finished treasure like the sword pellet, but she could certainly attempt it and she was fairly confident in being successful.

Huangfu Qing took out the essence of fire and placed it under the sword pellet to begin heating it up.

Zhao Changhe had been so determined to find the essence of fire for his wife, but it turned out to be the key to extracting the blood ginseng he needed. The mutual fulfillment made others feel sour.

Huangfu Qing pursed her lips and flipped her palm, covering the sword pellet with another flame before finally beginning the refinement process.

There was no guarantee of success, and it would likely require significant effort. However, she felt like she had to do it. Otherwise, how could she face him in the future without feeling awkward?

Time quietly slipped past, and it was unclear how long had passed outside.

Xia Chichi arrived in a flurry at the edge of the volcano, only to be greeted by the disgruntled Ye Wuzong, who seemed ready to leave.

“Uh, senior... Have you found Zhao Changhe?”

Ye Wuzong said expressionlessly, “No, and I don’t care to keep looking. I’m going back to sleep.”

Xia Chichi hurriedly asked, “Senior, do you have any clues on where he is? I can look for him instead.”

Ye Wuzong eyed her for a moment before saying, “Yes, there should be a fire-element expert here as well. Judging from the residual yin fire, it should be a woman. She disappeared with him into a secret realm and I couldn’t find the entrance to it. You might as well not bother. Instead, just head back to the city and find a reliable doctor. When they come out in three days, you can have her checked to see if she’s pregnant or not...”

Xia Chichi was dumbfounded.

Three days is far too short to confirm a pregnancy...

So I was actually right? He really ended up hiding with some other bitch in the secret realm for three days?

1. This is being referred to in the same vein as inner demons. I’m guessing that they are seen to be similar, if not the same, in this story. ☜

2. I’m feeling this so hard in uni right now. My math no longer has numbers, though. T_T ☜