Chaotic World Book-Chapter 442 - 429: The Boundless Sea of Learning

Although they had never truly engaged in Dual Cultivation, the customary "treatment" of breathing into each other’s mouths was something they would subconsciously partake in.

It was of no use to Zhao Changhe’s injuries...

His chest had been cleaved by a knife, nearly severing his bones; relying on a few kisses rather than medication to heal was sheer fantasy. Dual Cultivation healing is mainly used to assist with internal injuries, far less effective for external wounds than the Rejuvenation Technique, not to mention the simplified version of kiss and cure.

But for Tang Wanju’s condition, it was somewhat useful, as her illness also belonged to a category of internal injuries.

This time, Zhao Changhe had tried to continue treating her, but after checking the state of her lungs, he felt a tinge of complexity in his heart.

Tang Wanju’s lung meridian, which was once riddled with countless holes, was visibly healing a great deal. Although not yet completely cured and might still cause a cough now and then, it certainly wouldn’t cause her to cough up blood like before.

It suddenly dawned on him that he hadn’t heard her coughing these past few days...

The Transformed Lotus and Bodhi Fruit provided by the second page of the Heavenly Book and the Mountain and River Atlas to treat the meridians were indeed highly effective, proving that the next step—using Soul Entangling Grass in combination with Yunyang Leaf for the soul—is guaranteed to work.

He was enveloped in a lazy satisfaction, as if he was slowly crafting a perfect work of art with his own hands.

Of course, complete repair was still out of reach because her root illness hadn’t been addressed. The meridians would still be eroded over time. Even if they were healed now, they could collapse again. But at the very least, her life could be extended by quite a few years—three to five years would not be a problem.

With three to five years as a buffer, the fear of her collapsing at any moment was significantly reduced...

He already had the Soul Entangling Grass, only lacking the Yunyang Leaf. Zhao Changhe couldn’t believe that he would fail to handle it in three to five years.

It seemed that the frail beauty who tugged at his heartstrings was about to become a thing of the past... He wondered what a vigorous Tang Wanju would be like in the future. Would she be the type to throw someone into a pond on a whim?

However, due to the root cause of the illness not being healed and the meridians not being fully recovered, he wouldn’t be able to see a full-of-life Tang Wanju just yet.

Her face still carried the unhealthy pallor of sickness, now slightly flushed due to emotion, but still not looking well. Her breathing was light, and her hand gently pushed his away as she whispered softly, "Alright... now, aside from kissing and touching, do you know anything else..."

The way she said it, it was almost like asking "Haven’t you eaten?"—Zhao Changhe really wanted to tell her that he was capable of doing other things.

Alas, he really couldn’t—his chest ached.

Helplessly, he could only puff himself up with righteousness and say, "Who says I don’t know anything else? Just now, I laid a web of influence within the boundaries of the Wang Family for the Imperial court."

Tang Wanju paused, then showed some surprise, "I intended to mention it to Daoist Gui Chen, but since it wasn’t my business, I refrained from being presumptuous. Are you so close with Daoist Gui Chen? Right, weren’t you the one who helped him repel He Lei before?"

Zhao Changhe scratched his head, having forgotten that he was indeed owed a favor by Gui Chen. When he mentioned this to Gui Chen earlier, he hadn’t thought about any debt of gratitude, feeling that both Gui Chen and his disciple Xuan Chong left a good impression on him, not the opportunistic type, so he simply spoke out...

Now reminded, he felt he should give it more thought, "Um, do you trust Gui Chen? Not afraid of being deceived?" frёewebηovel.cѳm

"Based on the Demon Suppression Department’s reports over the years, Gui Chen’s character is not an issue; he truly is a learned Daoist. However, he doesn’t have much affinity for the Imperial court, and it’s hard to say which side he’ll lean towards, so whether we can trust him requires deeper interaction... But having laid down such a connection, it will certainly hold value."

As Tang Wanju spoke, her expression held a hint of joy. Actually, whether the matter was useful or not, as long as Zhao Changhe took an action that "considered the interests of the Imperial court," she was very content.

She had suddenly forgotten that just a few hours ago, she was contemplating whether it would be better for him to wander the lands...

What would Bao Qin know? Why would I hope for him to wander? I want him to be the Emperor!

Tang Wanju cheerfully pulled Zhao Changhe’s hand and sat with him in the stone pavilion at the edge of the courtyard, her eyes smiling, "You’ve been more accustomed to Worldly Society thinking, relying on friendships or intuition for judgment. For such matters, you should read more intelligence reports in the future, building a multi-faceted understanding of people..."

Zhao Changhe looked at her with a strange expression.

Tang Wanju couldn’t continue speaking, and a bit annoyed, she asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

From inside the house, Bao Qin said, "He’s cursing you in his heart for being an endless nagging old woman."

Tang Wanju’s teeth gritted audibly.

Zhao Changhe was moved to tears. Bao Qin, you’ve spoken my mind~

But it seems someone’s behind is going to ’bloom’ tonight, so stubborn...

Come to think of it, though they were all Martial Artists, their worlds were entirely different. Considering Tang Wanju’s hope for a ’Prince’s upbringing,’ the amount she wanted to teach him was overwhelming. They could study a plethora of subjects for a decade. This was not sustainable. Falling in love while also being constantly taught—who can stand that tension...

This needed to be resolved...

Zhao Changhe’s thoughts whirled, and he said with a smile, "Why quarrel with Bao Qin? I wouldn’t think that way."

Tang Wanju’s face stiffened as she asked, "So will you listen or not?"

"I remember old Xia once said to me..."

Tang Wanju’s eyebrows raised, all ears.

"He mentioned he wanted to teach me something, but realized our ideals did not align, and learning his Martial Arts would result in emulating the tiger and inevitably turning out like a dog. Only the Six Harmonies Divine Skill, due to its versatility, could still be useful... In fact, because of my meridian problems, I haven’t used the Six Harmonies Divine Skill much, mainly as an auxiliary."

Tang Wanju’s eyes sparkled with anticipation, "He wanted to teach you..."

Zhao Changhe: "..."

Seeing his constipated expression, Tang Wanju couldn’t help but chuckle, "Alright, I know what you want to say."

Every person has their own traits; there’s no need to mold them into someone else... If Zhao Changhe had completely assimilated everything from Xia Longyuan, would he still be the Zhao Changhe of nowadays?

Even the world’s top martial arts shouldn’t be learned this way, let alone others.

Actually, the example Zhao Changhe originally wanted to bring up was Vermilion Bird. Just the other day, Vermilion Bird told him that his Star Intent should be pursued independently, without letting the Four Symbols Sect’s cultivation techniques lead him to preconceived notions that could obstruct his thinking. In this aspect, Vermilion Bird had a more open-minded approach. Of course, he reconsidered this example and switched to Xia Longyuan instead; otherwise, not only would it have been ineffective, but he would’ve also been beaten.

Nevertheless, he understood the sentiment Tang Wanju wanted to teach him; after all, managing a country truly wasn’t something to mess around with. Xia Longyuan’s current demeanor could lead many an aristocratic family to assume it’s due to his humble origins; such an idea was likely quite marketplaceable.

Tang Wanju thought for a moment, then with a half-smile tapped the table, "Fine, I won’t say much more about other things in the future, lest you silently grumble about me being a nagging old biddy."

"I have absolutely never grumbled!" Zhao Changhe immediately made it clear that his inner thoughts and his outward respect were on different sides.

Tang Wanju didn’t fuss over it and leisurely said, "The things you are already learning, you should continue, shouldn’t you? Medical skills, as well as cultural studies."

Zhao Changhe said, "Medical skills are useful, cultural studies... I am already very cultured."

"Do you think strumming a few tunes by chance makes you very cultured?" Tang Wanju said, "You boast you can come up with a few lines of poetry... Shall I test you then?"

Zhao Changhe thought the chance to show off his poetry skills to impress a lady had finally come and he sat up straight, "Go ahead and test me."

"The scholar says, ’Learning should never cease,’" Tang Wanju intoned, "What’s the next line?"

Zhao Changhe was dumbstruck.

Isn’t the script wrong?

It’s from Xunzi’s Encouraging Learning, of course, but we weren’t required to memorize it... What’s the next line again?

Oh, the next line is quite famous, now he remembers: "Blue, obtained from the indigo plant, yet bluer than indigo; ice, water makes it, yet colder than water."

Tang Wanju pressed, "And after that?"

Zhao Changhe was expressionless.

Tang Wanju crossed her arms.

Above, seemed to fly a crow, and a few seconds later, Zhao Changhe decisively surrendered, "I’ve forgotten the rest."

"I knew you really only remembered some famous lines, with superficial learning," Tang Wanju lightly tapped the table, "Go inside."

"What, what for?"

"Copy it ten times alongside Bao Qin, she’s been copying that piece too."

Zhao Changhe bolted.

Tang Wanju began chasing him, her skirt in hand, "Halt, rebellious disciple!"

The two chased each other out of the courtyard.

Bao Qin carefully came out from the house, holding paper and brush, having not copied a single word.

From outside, one could still faintly hear the scolding: "Mmm... rebellious... disciple..."

Bao Qin sat in the stone pavilion, hugging her knees, wondering why spring hadn’t passed yet...

Looking at the two of them, forget about Zhao Changhe not wanting to learn, even if he truly wanted to, it seemed like he wouldn’t be able to learn anything.

Suddenly, a turtle face peeked over the wall.

Bao Qin was startled and waved, "Guigui, who are you looking for?"

San Niang: "?"

Isn’t my mask fierce?

Aren’t I Xuanwu, a trusted Maid of the Demon Suppression Department? Do you really not recognize me?

Forget it, can’t be bothered to quibble with a little girl. San Niang, maintaining her cold tone, said indifferently, "Isn’t Zhao Changhe here? Where is he?"

Bao Qin cautiously said, "What do you need him for?"

"I’ve come to teach him a thing or two."

Bao Qin fell silent for a moment, then pointed outside, "Teaching, is it? That’s what it turns into when teaching."

San Niang didn’t need to look; her eyes had not seen Zhao Changhe, and while asking, she was already pricking up her ears to listen intently.

Before Bao Qin could finish her sentence, San Niang’s ears were already filled with the faint sound of panting.

Bao Qin was fortunate to witness how a Guigui could flee at lightning speed, faster than a rabbit.

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