Tome of Troubled Times-Chapter 926 (2): The Place Where the Dream Began

Back on Earth, it was July, the middle of the scorching summer in China.

By the residential building of an urban village, a cluster of uncles and aunties gathered beneath the shade of a massive banyan tree, chatting away.

Students were on vacation, and with the boundless energy only youth could muster, they filled the streets in packs, scrambling for basketballs, rapping, dancing—sweating like mad and enjoying every second.

Under the shade of the banyan tree, a group of middle-aged aunties and uncles were gathered in gossip. Watching the kids play, an auntie grinned and said, “Hey, Old Zhao, how come your little He[1] isn’t on break yet?”

Old Zhao’s face clouded with unease. “I don’t know what’s going on. His phone’s been off for days. There shouldn’t have been any classes for a while now, but we haven’t heard anything from him. He’s never done this before...”

Someone chimed in, “Don’t tell me he got scammed into a pyramid scheme...”

“Pfft, you gotta stop jinxing people.”

“Hey, I’m just offering a possibility! Better to be mentally prepared than caught off guard...”

“Prepared my ass. That brat’s sharp as a tack. No way he’s falling for that. I’d bet he’s dating someone.”

Old Zhao’s expression eased a little. “We thought the same. He’s so tall and strong, and yet he’s never so much as held a girl’s hand. It’s shameful, really. If he’s going to die, it’ll probably be some girl who gets him killed.”

“Well, there’s your answer! I bet some vixen roped him into a pyramid scheme and love story combo...”

“Fuck off!” Old Zhao snapped, tossing his cigarette and grabbing the guy by the collar, his fist the size of a soup bowl already cocked back.

If anyone from the Heavenly Tome’s world had seen this, they would have recognized that the mountain bandits of Beimang actually had a proper legacy.

The auntie shrieked, “He’s starting a fight! He’s starting a fight!”

All the old folks under the tree jumped up in a panic. “Don’t be rash, now, Old Zhao! Talk it out, talk it out...”

“Who’d you say was getting roped into a pyramid scheme?!” Amid the chaos, someone shouted from down the street. It was Changhe’s mom, storming back from the market, bags of groceries in both hands. “You’re all full of shit! Maybe he’s bringing home a wife tonight. What do you lot even know?!”

The loud-mouthed auntie backed into the crowd, still flustered, and sneered, “With your family’s manners, what decent girl would ever come home with him? She’d have to be blind.”

Just as the words left her lips, the thump of a basketball hitting the pavement echoed down the street. A boy had slipped and fallen.

That sound—oddly resonant and almost magical—seemed to drain the noise from the street in an instant. Silence fell, save for the soft thudding of the basketball as it bounced away, untouched.

Under the banyan tree, everyone turned to look.

And there he was, the very topic of their gossip.

Zhao Changhe was returning, with a procession of young women in hanfu behind him.

The boys who had been playing ball stared slack-jawed, eyes wide. One by one, their mouths fell open, saliva practically dripping.

“Where’d these goddesses come from?” someone whispered. “None of the celebrities I’ve seen on TV can even hold a candle to them... and there’s so many of them here at once...”

“Did they all walk out of a book or something? I swear I’ve seen this before...”

Zhao Changhe turned his head, catching that comment with a chuckle. “That’s actually not that far off.”

“What book?”

“The Tome of Troubled Times.”

“?”

“Boss Zhao!” one of the braver boys called out, his voice cracking. “These girls... are they...?”

Zhao Changhe flashed a gleaming white smile. Under the sun, it was dazzling. “They’re your sisters-in-law.”

Thud...

A row of bodies collapsed in the summer heat.

The women, meanwhile, looked around with open curiosity. Everything around them was fascinating—strange clothes, strange roads, towering buildings, even the bouncy ball rolling down the street.

In this world without spirit qi, civilization had forged an entirely different path.

And from this world had emerged the man they called husband.

Zhao Changhe no longer paid the gawking boys any mind. He marched straight toward the banyan tree, wives in tow. The aunt who had been so loud-mouthed before was now backing away step by step, her heart pounding for reasons she could not explain.

She was under overwhelming pressure, and she felt as though a tiger had set its eyes on her.

Some of the more well-read old men found a line bubbling up from their memories: “A dragon’s gait, a tiger’s stride...”

This kid. He’s only been gone for a single term, yet he seems to have completely changed.

The old couple stood rooted in place, stunned. Their son really did look different. He looked a little more grown-up and a little more seasoned. Although he did not look visibly older, his aura had changed. He seemed to have matured and hardened.

Did he really wander into some pyramid scheme hideout and only just manage to escape? But if he did, then where’d he found the hotties?

At last, Zhao Changhe stood before them. He lowered his head and said quietly, “Mom, Dad, I’m home.”

No one could tell why those simple words trembled the way they did.

It’s only been a single term. It’s not like it’s your first time away from home. Aren’t you already in your second or third year of university? What’s with all the drama?

Only the women behind him understood that he was returning after thirty-three years of trials and storms.

Ye Wuming lowered her head.

“You’re home, that’s all that matters. Just remember to charge your phone next time. Haih, you’re always so scatterbrained...”

“Yeah... I will.”

The truth was, he had no idea where his phone even was. He would have to ask the damned blind woman about that later.

His mother, sharp as ever, noticed a certain lady among the curious faces. The lady’s head was down and her eyes were flicking around nervously. She asked softly, “And who’s this?”

“Your daughter-in-law... Hm, she’s a writer.”

Old Zhao asked, “Huh? Then what about these others...”

“They’re all your daughters-in-law.”

The women, who had just been peeking around in amusement, quickly straightened up and offered a respectful bow. “Greetings, Father, Mother.”

Zhao Changhe’s mom dropped the groceries she was carrying in shock, while his dad stood there slack-jawed. Under the banyan tree, the whole crowd stood frozen in place.

This is criminal. This is straight-up bigamy! Should we call the cops?

Just then, Ling Ruoyu peeked out from behind Ye Wuming.

Old Zhao’s face twitched. “Don’t tell me that little thing... She, she’s what, in eighth or ninth grade? Maybe tenth?”

“Oh, um...” Zhao Changhe awkwardly pulled Ling Ruoyu forward and plopped her in front of them. “Call them Grandpa and Grandma.”

“Wha... what?”

Zhao Changhe reached over and brought Xia Chichi forward as well. “And she’s carrying our child. She’s two months or so along.”

“Old Zhao! Old Zhao! Someone call for help! Old Zhao passed out from happiness!”

Dinner was obviously canceled. Mama Zhao had no idea how to cook for this many people. The whole extended family was marched to a restaurant instead, and even then, they had to book the biggest table just to squeeze everyone in.

During the meal, the two elders sat in a daze, their gazes drifting between Ling Ruoyu’s young face and Xia Chichi’s belly, struggling to piece together what on earth had happened this term.

These daughters-in-law are all stunning. There’s no questioning that. But why do they all seem just a little... off? They’re staring at a chandelier like it’s the most fascinating thing they’ve ever seen. It’s been several minutes and none of them have looked away.

“...So, Little He,” Old Zhao finally muttered under his breath, “we know your wives are all very pretty, but you do know this is illegal, right?”

He was not just hinting at bigamy. Judging by his tone, he seemed to even be worried Zhao Changhe had trafficked a group of mentally unwell women.

Zhao Changhe could only answer, “We’ll be going abroad. I’ll make arrangements for you both to join us later. You can even retire early.”

“You have the money for that?”

“I do...”

The old couple exchanged a glance. It honestly sounded like their son had just returned from committing a major crime. After a long silence, they finally asked, “What country? Not some kind of tropical area with no one around, right?”

Zhao Changhe burst out laughing. “Relax. I’ll explain everything in time.”

* * *

It took some coaxing and a lot of glossing over the truth to get his parents to finally rest at home. Once that was done, Zhao Changhe slipped out the door, half-exasperated, and grabbed Ye Wuming by the collar. “Where’s my phone?”

Ye Wuming leaned in to whisper, “It’s still in the fortune-telling shop. I paid rent for three years, you know. Why are you even thinking about that antique? It’s outdated as hell. I couldn’t even run games on it.”

Zhao Changhe’s fist clenched.

Ye Wuming smiled apologetically. “I’ll take you there, okay?”

“Don’t think that you can ditch us just like that.” A crowd of heads popped out from behind them. “We want to see where your story began, too.”

Truthfully, there was not much to see... the shop was tiny. With so many people squeezing in, it might not even fit them all. But just then, Zhao Changhe felt something stir in his chest—an urge, a nudge of fate. Somehow, he knew they had to go.

In the blink of an eye, the whole group teleported, reappearing right inside the fortune-telling shop.

The shop’s door was firmly shut, its dusty windows making it look like a failed business long since abandoned. The furnishings were all the same, but a thick layer of dust coated everything.

On the table lay a neatly folded set of clothes, a phone, and a keychain.

“Your husband’s legacy,” Ye Wuming said, gesturing with a smirk.

Zhao Changhe looked around. “How long’s it been since you came here?”

“After I brought you over, no one else mattered.”

“Can I take that as a romantic confession?”

Ye Wuming smiled faintly. “You may.”

Zhao Changhe grinned and pushed the door open. “Come on, let’s take a walk through Students’ Street. I told Jiuyou once that this place is where the human world feels most alive.”

Though it was the school holidays, Students’ Street was still lively. A few shops remained open, and some students who had not returned home wandered in groups of twos or threes. The surrounding area included high schools and technical colleges, so many of the locals still frequented the street.

Compared to the incessant stream of horses and carriages of ancient times, the quiet Students’ Street was still more bustling.

Rows of snacks, bright stalls, and strange trinkets dazzled the eyes of those unused to modern life.

By the roadside, a cosplayer stood holding a massive plastic broad saber, a gourd slung at his waist.

The group instinctively stopped walking, blinking in surprise. “There are people cosplaying as our husband even here? His build is way too scrawny though...”

“That’s not your husband. He’s copying a game character.”

“What’s a game character?”

“Um...” Ye Wuming struggled to come up with a simple, understandable explanation. She was still racking her brain when a sudden commotion down the street interrupted her thoughts.

Everyone turned to look. A group of delinquent teens had cornered a young girl in the alley. “Hey there, cutie. Are you out at a comic con all by yourself over summer break? Do you have a boyfriend?”

The girl shrank back against the wall, her voice trembling. “I-I’m here with a friend!”

“Oh yeah? Where are they, then? Did they run off the second they saw us? Pffft, it sounds like you’re better off without some dickless loser for a boyfriend. Why don’t you come hang out with us inste—”

Shing!

Ling Ruoyu drew her sword.

Zhao Changhe held her back.

Ling Ruoyu looked up in confusion at her father, then at her master. Isn’t this kind of thing you hate the most? Why are you stopping me now? Why are both of them just... staring? Their expressions were practically dazed.

But compared to them, Xia Chichi and Tang Wanzhuang looked even more stunned; they were completely frozen.

Following their gaze, they saw a small blond kid charge out from the crowd. He was younger than the delinquents, yet he shoved the leader aside and stood protectively in front of the girl. “Get lost.”

“Whoa, look at this little hero,” one of the teens laughed. “Have you even graduated middle school yet? Trying to play the knight in shining armor?”

The kid’s voice was cold and dead serious. “Get lost. Keep running your mouth, and I... I’m not sure I can hold myself back.”

The delinquents burst out laughing. “Oh man, this kid’s hilari—”

Before he could even finish the word “hilarious,” the blond kid’s uppercut slammed into the leader’s gut, sending him flying like a ragdoll into the wall behind, where he fell unconscious.

The kid took one step forward and the rest of the delinquents instinctively stepped back, their eyes wide with fear.

His gaze absolutely terrified them. It was as if he was an experienced killer.

Zhao Changhe finally asked Ye Wuming, “He’s alive?”

Ye Wuming replied, “Right before the end, I returned his soul to its origin... to the starting point of it all. To him, it was just a dream. I never imagined that he would use what he remembered from that dream to train himself here in this world without spirit qi and actually develop his martial arts to such a level... He truly is a prodigy.”

Xia Chichi was quiet for a long moment, then murmured, “Thank you. You didn’t have to go that far.”

Ye Wuming said nothing.

She had not wanted Xia Chichi to carry that wound in her heart.

Even back then, had she already cared that much about Zhao Changhe and how the women around him saw her?

Zhao Changhe lowered his voice and asked the two women beside him, “Do you... want to go see him?”

Tang Wanzhuang shook her head gently. There was no need for it.

Xia Chichi stared at the boy for a long, long while, eyes unfocused. Then she said softly, “He’s standing up for others now... That’s good. It means, at the very least, he’s learning to care about the people around him in his own world. Isn’t that right?”

“Mm-hm.”

“Then let’s go. Those punks aren’t even enough to keep him entertained.”

“Alright.” The group turned and slipped into a side alley. Just then, the blond kid glanced over his shoulder, some instinct tugging at him. But all he saw was a flicker of fluttering garments—ancient-style clothing disappearing around the corner.

He knocked another punk out with a punch, but his mind drifted. “Cosplay quality’s gotten real impressive these days... That fabric looked exactly like Tang Wanzhuang’s flowing sleeves. Wait, wasn’t that just a dream? How do I even remember what the fabric looked like? It’s like... I’ve actually seen it before... I wonder what happened in that dream afterward... The chaotic world I left behind... did that damn bastard of a son-in-law ever bring peace to it?”

Back in the alley, Zhao Changhe paused and muttered, “And just who’s the bastard of a son-in-law?”

The group chuckled.

Zhao Changhe broke into a wide grin and pulled them all into a warm embrace. “This is just perfect... I still have all of you here with me, at the place where the dream began.”

Now that the world knew peace, the Tome of Troubled Times could finally be closed.

[END]

1. This is referring to Zhao Changhe, it’s just a more familiar way of referring to him. ☜