Tome of Troubled Times-Chapter 740: Hongling’s Return to Her Hometown

While Zhao Changhe was subtly probing for information at the gambling house, Yue Hongling had already returned home in triumph.

She had left Luoxia Mountain Village at the age of fifteen. Now, at twenty-two—almost twenty-three, with the new year just days away—she was finally back.

After seven or eight years away, even someone as carefree as Yue Hongling could not help but feel a hint of unease as she approached her childhood home. The landscape, the trees, and the familiar paths all seemed somewhat foreign, as if time had reshaped them in her absence.

The closer she got to the village, the more unfamiliar it felt.

Once, Luoxia Mountain Village had been a humble mountain village with barely a dozen disciples. The buildings were old, made of simple bricks and tiles. Her master’s wife had always been frugal, managing the household like any large farming family.

Now, as she walked toward it, what she saw was an expansive mountain village stretching across dozens of acres, reaching all the way to the base of the mountain. The buildings were no longer plain; red brick and green tiles formed a sprawling complex. The air was filled with the sounds of training and cheers, a lively energy that had not existed before.

Street vendors had even set up shop outside, peddling their wares. Now and then, she spotted local officials or gentry paying visits, chatting warmly with the residents. It looked just like the grand sects she had encountered during her travels.

From a distance, she gazed at the familiar plaque above the entrance—Luoxia Mountain Village. If not for that plaque, she might not have recognized her own home.

She had considered sneaking in under the cover of night and meeting her master in private to ask about the changes. But as she stood here now, feeling her emotions surge, she suddenly dismissed the idea.

She had lived her life openly and fearlessly. Why should she return home in secrecy?

So she strode forward, unhesitating.

“Your Excellency, who might you be?” The young guards at the gate—a group of boys and girls—watched the red-clad woman approach. A name surfaced in their minds, but they did not dare to believe it. They hesitated, cautious.

Yue Hongling stopped in front of them and smiled. “Children come to meet me, yet know not who I am. With innocent smiles, they ask where I am from[1]. Today, they shall learn.”

It was the bystanders, not the village disciples, who first reacted with shock.

“Yue Hongling!”

“It’s her! I saw her in the Central Plains four years ago. It’s definitely her!”

“She’s even more beautiful than the legends say.... Who was spreading those rumors about her always being filthy and disheveled?”

Far away, in the imperial palace of the capital, Xia Chichi sneezed.

For a moment, silence fell over the scene. Then, the young disciples’ faces lit up with overwhelming joy.

“Second Senior Sister is back!”

The brief moment of stillness shattered into chaos. The disciples abandoned their post at the gate, rushing into the mountain village in a flurry of excited shouts, “Second Senior Sister is back!”

Yue Hongling had returned home.

News of Yue Hongling’s return spread like wildfire across Chang’an. While Zhao Changhe was still bantering with Dai Qingge in the gambling house, gamblers outside were already discussing it with excitement. Some were even talking about making a trip to Huashan just to see her in person. After all, she was a prodigy who had reached the Ranking of Earth at just twenty-two.

In recent years, the two most famous young martial artists had undoubtedly been Yue Hongling and Zhao Changhe. However, Zhao Changhe’s rise had been so meteoric that many people still found it hard to grasp; his name was constantly entangled with myths, gods, and demons, making him seem almost unreal. In contrast, Yue Hongling had been famous for much longer, and her achievements felt far more tangible and grounded.

More importantly, setting aside the newly emerged divine entities interfering with the world, if one focused purely on the original Guanlong factions, then with Li Gongsi dead and Yuan Cheng gone, Yue Hongling was very likely the strongest native-born warrior in the entire region.

That was an earth-shattering notion.

Luoxia Mountain Village’s growing renown was no coincidence. Nowadays, it was the dream of countless children to train there, and it was entirely because of Yue Hongling. Her popularity was not limited to the youth either—across the jianghu of Guanlong, the admiration held for her was boundless. The scale of the sensation caused by her return was inevitable.

But once the initial shock and excitement settled, another thought quickly came to people’s minds.

What’s the relationship between Yue Hongling and Zhao Changhe...

Rumor had it that Zhao Changhe had been infatuated with her since their first meeting in Beimang, nothing but a toad lusting after a swan. And what was even more infuriating to those of Guanlong was that, allegedly, after fighting side by side in the north last year, they actually ended up together. The Tome of Troubled Times even left a poetic remark at the time, something like “the long river reflects the sunset,” hinting deep ties between the two.

Now, the toad was King Zhao of the Great Han Empire, and anyone with even a bit of political awareness understood that this was not just some honorary title. Some even went as far as to say the fate of the Han rested entirely on his shoulders, that he was, for all intents and purposes, the Han Emperor in all but name.

So if Yue Hongling were to be a consort of the Han Emperor, what would her return home mean? How should people react to her now?

Her presence in Chang’an would be like dropping a massive boulder into an already turbulent lake, setting off waves that no one could predict.

Of course, rumors were just rumors. Before long, people started seeking out Cui Yuanyong, one of the few who had firsthand knowledge of events from Beimang to Yanmen, hoping for a more reliable answer.

And his response?

“Shut the hell up! Yue Hongling and my brother-in-law have nothing to do with each other! Stop spreading nonsense! Let me repeat myself, Zhao Changhe is my brother-in-law! Beimang? At Beimang, Yue Hongling was busy fighting me! What the hell would she have to do with Zhao Changhe?!”

Cui Yuanyong’s aggressive “palace drama” declarations spread to Guanlong, and strangely enough, they actually seemed to have a suppressing effect on the rumors.

After all, die-hard fans would never be eager to admit or accept their goddess had been “claimed” by anyone. And now that they had Cui Yuanyong’s endorsement, what more solid proof could they ask for?

Of course, to most of the aristocratic families of Guanlong, this supposed denial was nothing more than an act of refuting a rumor. After all, it only made sense that Cui Yuanyong would insist that his own sister was the rightful match and do everything in his power to distance Yue Hongling from Zhao Changhe.

What else is he supposed to say? Asking him is pointless. Does he think that just because he calls Zhao Changhe brother-in-law, Zhao Changhe won’t have ties with other women? If he really has the guts, he should try repeating that claim in front of Her Majesty and First Seat Tang. Better yet, he could say it in front of Venerable Vermillion Bird and see how well that goes.

As Yue Hongling strode into the main hall of Luoxia Mountain Village, her master, Yue Fenghua, was already waiting for him along with an unfamiliar middle-aged man in fine silk robes, someone who was clearly of wealth and status.

The welcoming scene she had imagined—her master coming out to greet her warmly—did not happen. Yue Hongling did not mind, though. She simply walked in confidently and knelt before him with all the etiquette of a disciple meeting their master after a long time.

“Your disciple greets you, Master.”

“Good, good, good!” Yue Fenghua stroked his beard, laughing heartily. “To see you return in such magnificent form, your master is truly gratified.”

Yue Hongling raised her head and studied him, a strange feeling creeping into her heart.

Magnificent form?

He isn’t telling me to rise? He’s not telling me to skip the ceremony? Don’t tell me he’s making me kneel to establish his authority...

She chose to believe that he was simply too overwhelmed with emotion to remember such formalities. Since he had not given her leave to stand, she remained kneeling, her expression calm as she responded.

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“Seeing you in such fine health is also a joy for your disciple. May I ask if your honorable wife is present? I would like to pay my respects to her.”

Yue Fenghua’s expression darkened slightly, and he let out a soft sigh. “She passed away two years ago due to illness.”

Yue Hongling pressed her lips together and remained silent.

Illness?

Her master’s wife had never been an exceptional martial artist. Her cultivation had only reached the fourth or fifth layer of the Profound Gate. But two years ago, she would have been at most forty-two or forty-three—the prime of life for a trained martial artist. The physical resilience of someone of her level far surpassed that of ordinary people. If she had died in battle, that would have been one thing, but in Chang’an, a city filled with the finest physicians, with their sect now thriving and wealthy, she had died of illness?

Just then, the middle-aged guest chuckled. “Brother Yue, you must be too overjoyed by this reunion and forgot to let your disciple rise and speak properly.”

Yue Fenghua suddenly seemed to snap out of a daze and laughed. “Ah, you’re right, you’re right. What a foolish oversight on my part. Hongling, rise quickly.”

Yue Hongling stood up smoothly and took the opportunity to ask, “And this gentleman is?”

To her surprise, Yue Fenghua also stood up before introducing him.

“This is Wei Changming, head of the Wei Clan, seventeenth on the Ranking of Man.”

“Ah,” Wei Changming coughed lightly, clasping his hands in greeting. “Being seventeenth on the Ranking of Man isn’t worth mentioning in front of Miss Yue. You’re the brightest star of Guanlong’s martial world.”

Yue Hongling had little interest in entertaining aristocrats. She responded with a distant nod and a polite but indifferent bow. “A pleasure.”

Yue Fenghua smiled. “Brother Wei holds no grudge against your youthful recklessness back then. He has chosen to let bygones be bygones. You should thank him for his magnanimity.”

Yue Hongling said calmly, “Mister Wei is indeed magnanimous. I truly admire such magnanimity. I never expected your relationship with my master to become so close that you would be a regular guest here.”

Wei Changming chuckled. “A man who can produce a disciple like you is naturally a chivalrous figure himself. It is an honor to associate with him. Now that Luoxia Mountain Village is thriving, it is a testament to Master Yue’s personal charisma. To be frank with you, my visit today was originally for a marriage discussion. I did not expect to have the fortune of witnessing your return, Miss Yue. It’s quite the pleasant surprise.”

“Oh? A marriage discussion?” Yue Hongling asked. “Is senior brother getting married?”

She was, of course, referring to Yue Baiyu, Yue Fenghua’s son and the rightful heir to Luoxia Mountain Village.

Wei Changming smiled. “Indeed, the proposal concerns your senior brother.”

“Congratulations,” Yue Hongling said lightly. Yet her smile carried a hint of mockery. “I assume it is with your esteemed daughter?”

Wei Changming shook his head. “No, no. If I were here for a marriage within my own family, I would not be acting as a matchmaker.”

“Then who is the intended bride?”

Instead of answering immediately, Wei Changming asked in return, “Before I answer that, may I ask you whether you plan to stay for a while? Or is this merely a brief visit?”

Yue Hongling let out a soft laugh. “I hadn’t quite decided. But since my senior brother’s wedding is approaching, it would only be proper for me to stay and have a drink at his celebration before leaving.”

Wei Changming nodded thoughtfully, then added, “In that case, may I ask one more thing... What exactly is the nature of your relationship with Zhao Changhe?”

Yue Hongling appeared nonchalant as she replied, “We were merely ordinary friends, but thanks to certain rumors, my reputation was dragged through the mud. Now, the nature of our relationship has changed. The next time I see him, I will make sure to choke him to death.”

Neither Yue Fenghua nor Wei Changming could quite decipher what she meant. Changed how? And why choking, of all things? But they simply assumed it was a casual remark. The two men exchanged glances, both looking somewhat skeptical.

Yue Fenghua then cautiously probed further. “Since that’s the case, would you be willing to assist your hometown in resisting the false dynasty?”

1. This line is an excerpt from On Returning Home (回乡偶书) by Tang dynasty poet He Zhizhang (贺知章). ☜