Tome of Troubled Times-Chapter 724 (2): Hearts Bound, Interwoven Forever

Sisi could barely watch at this point.

The old witch doctor finally finished his work and let out a satisfied sigh. He said in a calm tone, clearly pleased with his performance, “The sacred envoy’s injuries have mostly been dealt with. His spirit and vitality are depleted, so he’ll need ample rest. We have plenty of medicines to replenish him... Our tribe has treasures unparalleled in enhancing blood and qi, and the Heavenly Blood Jade will work wonders here. The sacred envoy’s body is robust and can handle as much replenishment as we can offer. Of course, saintess, if you’re willing, the method of taking a maiden’s blood essence is always—”

“Absolutely not!” Sisi cut the old witch doctor off immediately.

“My apologies for overstepping.” The old witch doctor gathered his tools with a sly smile. “In that case, I’ll leave the task of caring for the sacred envoy, including cleaning his body, to you...”

Sisi kicked him out of the room.

And you’re not even going to call for a maid to do this? Do I look like a maid to you?

Sisi’s gaze fell upon Zhao Changhe’s battered, bare body. His skin was crisscrossed with scars, caked with blood, and covered in filth left by the poisonous creatures used during treatment. The stench was foul and unrelenting. Sisi bit her lip, staring at him for a long moment before sighing and yelling, “Bring me a basin of water!”

Soon, one of the cheeky maids brought in a basin and set it by the bed, preparing to start wiping him down.

Sisi snatched the cloth away. “This isn’t your job. Go away!”

The maid blinked in confusion. “Are you the maid, or am I?”

Sisi: “...”

“We’re scared, you know. Who knows if there’ll be some ancient ritual requiring a maiden’s essence? We’d all be doomed. But you, you’re not—”

“Get out!” Sisi roared, her patience finally over. “You can keep dreaming in your own room!”

She shooed the maids out, her indignation flaring as she slammed the door shut and locked it behind her.

Sitting back by the bed, she muttered a string of complaints under her breath while wringing out the cloth. Then, leaning over Zhao Changhe, she prepared to clean him.

But just as she extended her hand, she froze.

Zhao Changhe’s eyes were open, watching her steadily.

Her hand froze in mid-air, and their gazes locked. For some reason, she felt an unfamiliar awkwardness settle between them. Words failed her; she did not even know how to begin.

Zhao Changhe broke the silence with a small smile, “Kiss me.”

The awkwardness vanished instantly, replaced by a surge of irritation. “You’re filthy, and you stink. Why should I kiss you?”

Zhao Changhe smacked his lips in mock confusion. “My lips aren’t dirty. Where were you thinking of kissing me?”

Sisi: “...”

He tilted his head slightly, looking at her expectantly as if truly awaiting a kiss.

Flustered, Sisi hastily started wiping his chest, muttering furiously. “Can’t you just sleep? You’re much easier to deal with when you’re unconscious. Awake, you’re insufferable.”

Zhao Changhe grinned. “Got any more insults?”

Sisi stared at him in disbelief. “Have you become a masochist?”

His grin widened, breaking into a laugh.

Sisi, caught between anger and amusement, said, “If you’d been this irritating back then, do you think I would’ve even given you a second glance?”

Of course, she knew why Zhao Changhe was encouraging her to berate him. First, it was to ease the awkward tension of their long-overdue reunion. Second, it gave her a way to vent the pain of her enduring, unspoken longing.

It was thoughtful, even sweet. Yet, Sisi could not help thinking, If you’d been this good at understanding women back then, I might not have ended up falling for you.

Still, it was nice to see him so understanding now. At least her feelings would not end up as wasted effort, met with nothing but a cold, distant response of “conquest.”

But then Zhao Changhe said, “See? Isn’t this better? If you want to yell, yell. If you’ve got something to say, just say it. Why keep pretending to be some kind of seductive enchantress all the time? Who’s that for?”

Sisi shot back angrily, “I am an enchantress! Do you want me or not?”

Without missing a beat, Zhao Changhe replied, “I do, so are you willing to show me your feet?”

Sisi did not know whether to laugh or cry.

Zhao Changhe suddenly said, “Hey, Sisi...”

“What now?” she grumbled.

“That gu... Can we... not do that?”

Sisi’s heart skipped a beat.

From the Spirit Tribe’s long history of dealing with outsiders—or even just the Miaojiang tribes’ general experience with using gu—there was one undeniable truth: outsiders universally detested the idea of having an uncontrollable, foreign entity planted in their bodies. It did not matter whether the gu was harmful or beneficial. Outsiders all hated it.

That was exactly why Sisi had never dared to tell Zhao Changhe when she first placed the gu on him, even though it had served its purpose at the time.

People often accused Sisi of always acting and never speaking the truth. That was not entirely wrong. It was a habit born of her many dealings with outsiders, where honesty rarely led to good outcomes.

But now, she looked directly into Zhao Changhe’s eyes. He was smiling, his gaze sincere.

“Seriously, I’m sure you have better ones,” he said. “What’s with this one-sided pain-transferring garbage? Is that all I’m worth to you? If you want to share my pain, it should go both ways. I should know when you’re on your period, too.”

Sisi gaped. “How can you say something so disgusting with such a genuine expression on your face?”

Zhao Changhe just smiled and said nothing.

Muttering something even she couldn’t understand, Sisi finally huffed, “How could it be two-way? You’re always getting into fights. What if you suddenly doubled over in pain mid-battle because of me? I’d have killed you!”

“Then why not use a Heart-Bonding Gu or a Life-Bonding Gu?” Zhao Changhe asked, his tone casual. “Aren’t those pretty standard for those of the Spirit Tribe?”

“Right, sure. You think a maid can dare to share her fate with her master?” Sisi grumbled, then deliberately scrubbed one of his wounds a little harder. Both of them winced at the pain simultaneously.

Zhao Changhe was about to laugh when a thought struck him.

Sisi had not planted that gu in him just for “participation.” The deeper meaning was that she would never harm him because his pain was her pain.

Two hearts like interwoven silk, tangled with countless knots.

Looking at Sisi, who was now pouting and gently tending to his wounds, Zhao Changhe suddenly said, “I’ll take the Heart-Bonding Gu.”

Sisi froze for a moment.

The so-called Heart-Bonding Gu was essentially a test of love in the form of a deadly contract. If either party harbored false feelings, they would instantly die. If either party's feelings changed in the future... they would instantly die.

It was an extreme measure, one that was rarely used. The problem was not even Zhao Changhe having too many women, but the severity of the gu. By societal norms, whether it be in human society or the Spirit Tribe, a powerful individual having multiple partners was considered normal, regardless of gender. The Ancient Spirit Tribe, especially those capable of setting the rules for such gu, were at the top of the hierarchy and pragmatic enough not to create trouble for themselves. As long as genuine feelings existed, the gu would not conflict with this norm.

The real issue lay elsewhere. No one could guarantee that even the deepest love of today would not change tomorrow. Neither party dared to gamble their life on it.

Seeing Sisi hesitate, Zhao Changhe teased, “What’s this? Is the saintess planning to have a change of heart?”

Sisi flared up in anger. “Eat, eat, eat! That’s all you think about! Why don’t you eat yourself to death? Do you think this is something you can just casually take?”

“It’s just a bug,” Zhao Changhe said lightly. “Not like I haven’t eaten bugs before.”

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“You... Do you even understand what you’re saying?” Sisi snapped. “You’re just after my body! Can you guarantee that when I’m old, with white hair and a wrinkled face, you’ll still love me?”

Zhao Changhe’s voice softened. “If we can grow old together, that would be my greatest fortune.”

Sisi stared at him, stunned. She could not help but recall the snow from before and the maids’ teasing jokes.

Who said I’m a foolish saintess? What do they know... He’s the real fool.

“Do you even realize...” Sisi paused, lowering her gaze as she continued wiping him down, avoiding his eyes. Her voice dropped to a murmur. “With your reputation now, you wouldn’t even need to enslave my tribe. You just need to ask, and there would be plenty who’d happily serve you. Why go through all this trouble?”

“Because there are some who, when they see snowflakes, think of shared longing and shared snow, and feel that in this life, it’s enough to grow old together.”

“You were eavesdropping back then?!”

“Ah—don’t pinch me there! Ow, how are you not in pain?”

“I don’t have that kind of thing, so even if I chop it off, it won’t hurt!”

“Da—”

Taking advantage of Zhao Changhe opening his mouth mid-retort, Sisi flicked her delicate hand. A gu insect landed in his mouth and disappeared in an instant.

Zhao Changhe blinked.

Sisi’s face remained expressionless as she said, “Heart-Bonding Gu. It overwrites the previous one. Is Master satisfied now?”

Zhao Changhe smiled. “I’m not going to lie, it tastes like shit.”

The two sat in silence for a moment. Neither dropped dead.

Sisi allowed herself a small smile, but it was accompanied by a soft sigh. “Alright, I’ll be honest with you... It is a Heart-Bonding Gu, but it’s a weakened version. At most, if one of us changes our feelings, we’ll suffer a serious illness—not die. I can’t tie your life to something like this. You have too much responsibility now. You can’t be so impulsive.”

Zhao Changhe stared at her, his gaze steady, saying nothing.

“I’m happy,” Sisi said, her tone softer than he had ever heard it. Her head bowed, her voice quiet but sincere. “You might seem crazy sometimes, but your heart is clear... and that’s all I need to know.”

She bit her lip as she slowly stood up. With deliberate grace, she slipped off her robe, revealing her smooth, porcelain-like skin.

Zhao Changhe gaped. “What are you doing?”

Sisi gave him a sultry smile. “Didn’t you want to see my feet?”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

With a delicate motion, Sisi climbed onto the bed and embraced Zhao Changhe’s freshly cleaned body. She leaned close to his ear and whispered in a voice soft as silk, “Master, you’ve overexerted your spirit and you need nourishment... Sisi might not have her pure maiden blood essence anymore, but dual cultivation between heart-bound partners will be no less effective. For now, just lie still. Once your strength returns, however you want to play, I will gladly play along...”