Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 125: Pure Land of Bliss

After arriving at the entrance of the secret passage, Zhao Changhe realized why Fa Yuan and the others had not been able to make it into the passage.

It turned out to be a small door behind the large Buddha statue, only wide enough for one person to pass through, that led to a narrow path below. If they rushed in one by one, the Demon Suppression Bureau would have arrived before they could let even just a few people in. If that happened, their situation would have gone from bad to terrible.

Even if Fa Yuan tried to escape alone, once the Demon Suppression Bureau arrived and found him nowhere, they would have naturally realized that he had used a secret passage. It would then not take them much effort to find the exit, block it from the outside, and make his escape even more difficult.

It can only be said that the Demon Suppression Bureau had arrived too suddenly this time, leaving Fa Yuan no room to prepare.

At this moment, Zhao Changhe and Yue Hongling hesitated slightly. They were not sure what awaited them below, and there could be traps in the passage. Should they inform Gong Chaoqun first and wait at the entrance, or proceed cautiously?

However, they knew that Fa Yuan was seriously injured, and even Zhao Changhe was confident in defeating him. If they missed this opportunity to strike him while he was weak, complications could arise if Fa Yuan managed to recover rapidly using some secret method down inside the passage.

Neither of them were timid. They could see the determination in each other’s eyes when they looked at each other. They both nodded. Zhao Changhe did not dare to release the flower-picking celestial maiden right then, fearing that she might cause trouble later on, so he pressed on a few of her acupoints and locked her inside a nearby monk’s room.

The celestial maiden huddled inside the room, feeling aggrieved. She then said, “If you don’t trust me, then you might as well let me go with you... If you go in and die at Fa Yuan’s hands, and he comes out, I won’t have a way out either... Not even mentioning him, if you were to take a bit too long inside and those big soldiers outside were to see a woman paralyzed here, they would—”

Zhao Changhe interrupted her, “Cut it off. I’ll let you out when we’re back out.”

After saying that, he rushed ahead and entered the secret passage first.

Yue Hongling looked at the aggrieved celestial maiden, then pressed on a few more of her acupoints before following Zhao Changhe into the secret passage.

Based on how things go, I’ll settle things with you when I get back later.

The passage was very long and very dark. Yue Hongling had a high level of cultivation and could see ahead decently well despite the darkness. She watched as Zhao Changhe carefully bent slightly as he walked forward. He carried his saber in his right hand to avoid being caught off guard. At the same time, he was holding his bow in his left hand, while having his quiver at his waist. He looked like a particularly cautious hedgehog.

He always seems mature and experienced in many aspects, almost like a veteran, but sometimes... he’s still...

She hesitated for a moment, thinking about their journey. His larger build, which made him look like a big fluffy bear, gave her an inexplicable sense of security. She felt as if, as long as he was there in front of her, she did not need to do anything herself.

While she was lost in thought, Zhao Changhe suddenly stopped ahead of her.

The two of them were walking very close to each other, so as soon as he stopped, Yue Hongling unintentionally pressed up against his back. She quickly retreated, her face flushed.

Zhao Changhe: “...”

What was that soft touch on my back just now...

“Why did you suddenly stop?!” Yue Hongling, somewhat irritated, transmitted her voice to him. She suspected that he had done it on purpose, so she sounded pissed. “How about I lead the way?”

Zhao Changhe, who had not yet learned how to transmit his voice, could only whisper helplessly, “I heard a strange sound just now... But it’s gone now. I didn’t mean it.”

Yue Hongling cast a skeptical glance at him, and then said, “You’re not even capable of transmitting your voice. Just let me lead the way.”

Zhao Changhe sighed in resignation, “The passage is too narrow, how are you going to get to the front?”

“Turn sideways.”

“...”

Zhao Changhe pushed his back against the wall, pursed his lips, and signaled Yue Hongling to pass.

Yue Hongling looked awkwardly at the cramped space and could not help but regret her decision.

However, she had no choice but to carry it out, since she had let her mouth run already. She also turned sideways, then slowly moved step by step to squeeze past Zhao Changhe.

As they faced each other, their bodies came into direct contact while she was squeezing past.

Whatever sensation he had felt earlier was incomparable to this moment. This would have directly claimed the innocent Changhe’s life in the past.

Yue Hongling was in the same boat.

When had she ever been in such close proximity with a man? As they were facing each other, she could feel his breath on her forehead, and electric currents seemed to surge through her body. Unable to move away, she felt herself growing weak.

She was ashamed and angry and forcibly quickened her pace, swiftly moving past him. Once she was in front, she released a sigh of relief, resting her hands on her knees as she caught her breath. “Okay, you better not... You better not even think about anything weird like you did when you were sitting behind me on the back of my horse! If you dare to get too close, I’ll chop down your little brother!”

Zhao Changhe bowed his head and remained silent.

I did not have any weird thoughts when I was riding behind you... Oh, that’s what I said to you when I thought you were an impostor...

But now, it’s coming true.

Why do you think I’m bowing my head?

She smells so good...

Yue Hongling had only taken a few steps forward when she further regretted her stupid decision to move to the front.

This was because she could hear the sounds that Zhao Changhe had been hearing earlier. So he wasn’t spouting nonsense just now. He really did hear something ahead.

Strange, how could his senses be so sharp? It shouldn’t be possible. He’s only at the fourth layer of the Profound Gate. No, considering that internal energy has a greater impact on the senses, his senses should only be at the third layer, actually. Has he made some sort of breakthrough in his qi cultivation recently? No, even if he did, he should still only be at the fourth layer... Perhaps his internal energy has some unique aspects to it.

Yue Hongling did not dwell on Zhao Changhe’s situation too much for the time being. She slowed her pace cautiously and continued moving forward.

The sounds became louder and louder, and in addition to the sounds, there was now also a faint light.

It turned out that they had reached the end of the passage. The light had just been blocked by a curve in the tunnel. If not for the curving of the path, they would have seen it long ago. A small turn to the right and they could see a rather large hall ahead. The hall was illuminated by several luminous pearls. There were statues of Maitreya, Guanyin, and many angry-eyed Vajras all exuding an intense aura enshrined inside the hall.

Unlike the temple on the surface, this place was filled with silk and satin. The fragrance of flowers filled the hall, and the atmosphere was overwhelming. At this moment, there were numerous couples of men and women indulging themselves in amorous activities. The strange sounds they had heard before came from them.

Yue Hongling blushed but did not look at anything else. She specifically scanned the faces of the men present, but to her surprise, she could not find Fa Yuan among them.

Yue Hongling quickly realized that this hall was obviously closer to the temple. Fa Yuan had first escaped to the back mountain, then entered the secret passage from there. It would obviously take him much longer to reach this location compared to her and Zhao Changhe, who had come directly from the temple.

It seems that the people here who are engaged in their blissful rituals don’t even have any idea what’s happened on the surface!

Yue Hongling was quite dumbfounded when she thought of this, but she also felt extremely awkward.

If she were to take action now, she would be hitting the wrong target. If Fa Yuan sensed any disturbances here and chose to change his path, she might lose track of him entirely. The best plan was to wait here for Fa Yuan to arrive and launch a surprise attack when he attempted some kind of dual cultivation to heal up.

However, this plan also means that Zhao Changhe and I have to wait at this entrance, watching their erotic activities inside. Who knows how long we’ll have to watch these people?!

Yue Hongling had no desire to see the activities inside at all. When she scanned the men’s faces earlier, she avoided looking anywhere else. As soon as she finished, she immediately retreated and closed her eyes so that she wouldn’t see any more of their shameful actions.

“What’s going on?” Zhao Changhe leaned closer, concerned. “What’s going on ahead? Why are you moving back... Oh...”

He was taller than Yue Hongling, so she could not block his view. He could see what was ahead with just one glance.

He quickly realized what Yue Hongling was thinking of. In all honesty, while this scene was probably shocking to her, it was no big deal to him. After all, he had seen countless such scenes in... films.

However, there was a significant difference between back then and now. Namely, back then, he did not have a stunningly beautiful female martial artist in his arms.

With her eyes tightly closed, Yue Hongling gritted her teeth and said, “Zhao Changhe, if you dare to take advantage of this situation to try and hug me, I’ll... I’ll chop you to pieces!”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

Didn’t you notice that you were the one retreating into my arms? Hold on, don’t you feel that you are retreating into my arms now? Shouldn’t you be telling me to move away rather than not hug you?

She had asked him not to hold her, but she was currently nestling herself into his embrace. Her words and actions seemed to be in contradiction.

Eh, something’s not right... Zhao Changhe’s nose twitched. He could no help but notice the unusual scent in the air

The poison resistance effect of the Six Harmonies Art was constantly surging, eliminating the faint toxins in his body. He became certain that the invisible and intangible poison in the air was an aphrodisiac designed to stimulate lust.

This was not some cult ritual, but rather an aphrodisiac was being used to exploit and manipulate the captured or deceived women in this underground hall!

Even Yue Hongling, despite her internal energy and resilience, seemed to be gradually succumbing to the effects of the aphrodisiac. It appeared that the poison resistance ability of the Six Harmonies Art was actually more outstanding than Yue Hongling’s internal energy that crushed him. Zhao Changhe found himself growing more and more intrigued with the internal art he had acquired.

Yue Hongling’s breathing grew increasingly rapid, and her body began to sway as if torn between her rational mind and the effects of the aphrodisiac. Her body seemed to be subconsciously pursuing comfort.

Zhao Changhe could not help but notice the blush on her face and the rosy tint spreading to her snow-white neck. His heart began racing.

He knew that if he hugged her and kissed her at this time, she would yield willingly.

However...

Zhao Changhe maintained his clarity of mind. He lowered his head and gently pressed his finger on Yue Hongling’s back.

Yue Hongling’s whole body trembled at the touch of his finger, but then she suddenly felt a gentle yet immense surge of true qi course through her meridians, dispelling the poison affecting her.

In that moment, she regained her senses, fully aware of what had just happened. She silently guided the strand of true essence within her body to restore her disrupted qi.

At this moment, Fa Yuan’s weak and enraged shout came from the other passage that led to the hall, “Are you having fun? The temple has been destroyed yet you’re all still here enjoying yourselves?!”

With his body covered in blood, Fa Yuan stumbled into the hall, kicking aside a monk and pinning one of the women to the ground, ready to commit a vile act. “I need to recover! Once I’m back out, I’ll deal with Yue Hongling and she won’t have a chance to—”

Twang!

Before he could finish his sentence, an arrow pierced through his head. It entered his mouth and exited through the back of his head, leaving a gaping hole in his skull.

Fa Yuan, utterly taken by surprise, let out a meaningless “hehe” sound before collapsing to the ground. His last sight was directed toward the other passage where he saw Yue Hongling, who he had mentioned just now, nestled in the arms of a man. In that man’s hand was a bow with a bowstring still quivering. There was a cold murderous intent in the man’s eyes.

Even in his final moments, Fa Yuan could not comprehend why, in this dire situation, the one who saw through everything was not Yue Hongling, whom he was afraid of, but the man he had dismissed as a frivolous womanizer, Zhao Changhe.

If Fa Yuan had the chance to choose again, he would never make any celestial maiden try and seduce Zhao Changhe.