Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 513: All Thanks to Wang Daozhong

“Nothing whatsoever.”

Zhao Changhe could not be bothered to waste words. Dragon Bird suddenly appeared in his hand, and he swung it down with full force.

Swish!

Di Muzhi’s sword flashed with a chilling light, parrying instantly as it thrust toward Zhao Changhe’s chest and side, countering the probing strike completely.

The surrounding guards quickly closed in, their longswords pointed at Zhao Changhe.

Li Shentong might be able to casually punch and send Di Muzhi along with his guards flying, but that was Li Shentong. When it came to Zhao Changhe, Di Muzhi was undoubtedly a formidable opponent.

Di Muzhi shouted in fury, “You were just in Jiangnan eradicating rebellious cults, and now you align yourself with rebels? First Seat Tang has treated you well!”

Zhao Changhe was almost speechless at this, caught between frustration and amusement. “I’m genuinely puzzled. Prefectural Governor Di, do you not understand the concept of a loyal official ridding the nation of traitors?”

“What nonsense!” Di Muzhi bellowed, seething with anger. “The imperial envoy is here. Why can’t we simply resolve this with a proper discussion? Even if you distrust Lord Lu, you and I could take it to the imperial court and let His Majesty decide! How can you side with rebels and draw your blade against your colleagues?”

Zhao Changhe had no patience for such nonsense. He replied lazily, “Don’t you know that I’m a bandit at heart? All these internal protocols of the bureaucracy—none of them makes sense to me, and I genuinely don’t care to understand. In my eyes, you’re simply a villain who oppresses the people. With you gone, the world would become a little more peaceful.”

“You!”

Zhao Changhe lifted his saber, preparing for another strike.

“Young Master Zhao...” Lu Shouyi suddenly spoke from behind. “Given your status, if you truly wished to kill him, there may indeed be some justification.”

Di Muzhi was dumbfounded. “Brother Lu...”

Lu Shouyi sighed. “Brother Di, have you truly never heard the rumors?”

Di Muzhi hesitated and suddenly remembered something. His expression turned complex.

Zhao Changhe was rumored to be the crown prince... This was not something everyone knew. Initially, only a very select few were even aware of this rumor. Later, with whispers and hints from the Cui Clan and the Tang Clan, more people started to hear about it, and Di Muzhi was among them. But the information remained unconfirmed, merely a vague implication.

Besides, Xia Longyuan had proven extraordinarily resilient. People kept claiming that he was dying, yet there he was, hanging on for all these years without any change. Naturally, the discussion about the crown prince had died down, and fewer and fewer people took it seriously.

Now, with Lu Shouyi’s reminder, Di Muzhi remembered the rumor. Judging by Lu Shouyi’s tone, he seems to be leaning toward believing it as well... Furthermore, considering the attitudes of the Cui, Yang, and Tang clans toward Zhao Changhe... he really might just be the crown prince!

If Zhao Changhe were the crown prince, then killing Di Muzhi would not be considered rebellion. It would be considered a covert inspection, rooting out corruption.

But as this thought settled, Di Muzhi found a newfound sense of calm. “So that’s how it is... This humble servant admits guilt before the crown prince... But should Your Highness not consider the bigger picture and prioritize dealing with the rebels? Regardless of my faults, I remain loyal to the Great Xia.”

Zhao Changhe replied, “Is loyalty all that matters?”

Before Di Muzhi could answer, Lu Shouyi spoke up first, “Indeed. In today’s Great Xia, nothing matters more than loyalty.”

Zhao Changhe looked at him coolly. “When you say that, whom do you speak for?”

“His Majesty,” Lu Shouyi replied calmly. “All of the issues within Shu Commandery are known to His Majesty. Li Sian’s report made everything abundantly clear... Yet His Majesty sent me here this time, ostensibly to investigate, but really to indicate support.”

“Because compared to the widespread disloyalty now, loyalty—or rather, identification with the Great Xia—is the most valuable trait?”

“Exactly.”

Di Muzhi revealed a smile, clasping his hands toward the heavens. “His Majesty is wise.”

“There is also a practical concern,” Lu Shouyi added. “Miaojiang is already in turmoil, and that is a given fact. The imperial court currently lacks the means to pacify it. Compared to letting Shu be further destabilized by the Divine Brilliance Sect and other bandits, it’s better for Prefectural Governor Di to atone for his crimes by securing the southwest. If the Miao people break through, and Shu falls into chaos, then even if the Divine Brilliance Sect aligns with the Black Hmong, a thousand miles of fertile land would no longer belong to the empire...”

Zhao Changhe shook his wrist and Dragon Bird hummed. “Don’t lecture me about considering the bigger picture. The bigger picture is something you carve out, not something you tolerate. If I cut down this scum and the Miao emerge, then I’ll just cut down Lei Zhentang as well!”

Clang!

Di Muzhi raised his sword to block.

“This will one day be Your Highness’s empire—please reconsider!” Lu Shouyi pleaded anxiously, but before he could continue, a golden light suddenly flashed across the sky.

* * *

While Zhao Changhe observed Di Muzhi’s forward encampment, atop Cangshan in Dali, the second assembly between the tribes of Miaojiang was in progress.

Lei Zhentang was down on his luck.

During the first assembly, he leveraged the people’s resentment, using the death of his son at the hands of the Xia as a pretext to rally the tribes together against the Great Xia. Even though tribes like the Bai and Yao did not agree, they were forced to go along with the tide of resentment. And once they killed Xia people, there would have been no turning back.

However, out of nowhere came that meddler Si Laoye, who saw through the lie about Lei Ao’s death. With his words, he manipulated the situation, and people like Dao Qingfeng took advantage of it to forcefully establish the Five-Tribe Council.

Originally, Lei Zhentang thought that as long as his side held three seats in the council, things would be fine. But Si Laoye managed to stir things up further, forcing a small tribe of just a few hundred members into the Five-Tribe Council through a trial of combat.

That, Lei Zhentang could have tolerated; as long as they were strong enough, any so-called council was just a farce. But just as talks at the smaller meeting broke down, Lei Zhentang was preparing to attack one side to assert dominance when Shi Wuding turned against him, and Wang Daozhong struck from behind. Lei Zhentang’s grand ambitions had not even begun, and he found himself grievously injured, bedridden for an entire month.

The Black Hmong were immediately forced to a standstill, left helplessly watching as the Spirit Tribe rallied the Xia people, gathering them in Taoyuan Town to form a massive force.

A promising situation had descended into complete chaos, and Lei Zhentang could barely foresee how things would unfold.

Damn it, the main culprit is that asshole Wang Daozhong!

Fortunately for him, Xiang Simeng had suddenly disappeared, and Taoyuan Town had fallen quiet.

Then, one day, news arrived that Di Muzhi was leading a massive army southward.

Although Lei Zhentang had yet to fully recover, he knew this was his last chance to unify Miaojiang.

The command of war had to be unified under one leader, and it was in this process that centralizing power was most easily achieved. There was no need to wait for war. Even during the meeting, the Spirit Tribe, now largely composed of Xia refugees, could be met with suspicion and exclusion from the other tribes, rendering Xiang Simeng and Si Laoye’s earlier efforts utterly in vain.

By dusk, the tribal leaders had gathered atop Cangshan.

“For this battle, your Spirit Tribe need not participate.” Lei Zhentang, brimming with spirit, sat proudly in the alliance leader’s seat and spoke to Sisi. “It’s not that the Black Hmong do not trust you, but just ask the other tribes, who would dare have your people among our ranks?”

Sisi looked around; even Pan Wan, Dao Qingfeng, and the others, who had previously been on good terms with her, now turned away, avoiding her gaze.

Harboring the Xia people was a double-edged sword. While it might have rapidly swelled her tribe’s power overnight, it also drew suspicion and exclusion from the other tribes. Under normal circumstances, it might have gone unspoken, but now, during a conflict with the Xia, it became glaringly obvious.

Sisi seemed unperturbed, her enchanting eyes glimmering as she smiled sweetly. “Then we shall simply stay in Taoyuan.”

Lei Zhentang sneered. “Stay in Taoyuan? That is the heart of our territory. What if you collaborate with the Xia people and stab us in the back?”

Sisi smiled. “So, what does Tribal Chief Lei intend?”

Standing behind Lei Zhentang was Lei Ao, who sneered and said, “Of course, we invite the saintess to remain as our guest here on Cangshan.”

Sisi glanced at him, her eyes filled with profound disdain. Suddenly, she nodded, smiling. “There is a guest who came from the Great Xia. His family is also rebelling against the Xia, and he came here seeking to coordinate a joint uprising. Someone on our side recognized him, and so we brought him into Taoyuan. Since you do not trust me, why don’t I introduce this guest to join us here at the meeting for a discussion?”

Everyone assumed she was making one last attempt to prove her importance. Pan Wan could not bear to be overly dismissive and said, “Then let us hear what this guest of yours has to say.”

Sisi snapped her fingers, and shortly thereafter, a few young Spirit Tribe members escorted a refined-looking middle-aged man up the mountain.

The figure approaching appeared rather disheveled as if he had been on the run for some time. Yet despite his bedraggled state, he still carried an air of authority—anyone could immediately recognize that he was a top-tier expert, accustomed to being in a position of power.

The newcomer reached the gathering, cupped his hands, and spoke loudly, “I am Wang Daozhong of Langya, greetings to all of...”

Before he could finish speaking, Lei Zhentang slammed the table and rose to his feet. “Wang Daozhong! You dare show your face before me? Prepare to die!”

With a thunderous blow, the table shattered into splinters. Lei Zhentang leaped like an eagle taking flight, lunging straight for Wang Daozhong.

Wang Daozhong’s eyes widened in shock—nightmarish memories of Kunlun flooded his mind.

How had he inexplicably managed to offend yet another figure on the Ranking of Earth?

Have I even met you before?

“No! I’ve never been to Miaojiang. If I’ve somehow offended you, it must have been Zhao Changhe!” By now, Wang Daozhong knew that when it came to such matters, blaming Zhao Changhe was his best option.

Unfortunately, Lei Zhentang was not the type to be easily convinced by words, and he struck out furiously.

Having been relentlessly pursued for days, Wang Daozhong had become as skittish as a startled bird. Realizing that reasoning would not work, he immediately retreated, slipping out from the Black Hmong’s encirclement and bolting down the mountain.

Lei Zhentang gave chase, roaring, “You bastard, don’t run!”

Wang Daozhong turned, clashing palms with Lei Zhentang with a resounding boom, his voice now tinged with anger, “Do you really think I, Wang Daozhong, am afraid of some Miao savage?”

During his recent days on the run, the internal injuries that had inexplicably plagued him had largely healed, and even Xue Canghai had become wary and given up the chase...

As long as he was not surrounded, how could the dignified Wang Daozhong truly fear some Miao savage?

The two fought their way down the mountain, their fierce energy tearing through the foliage of Cangshan, making for a truly intense battle akin to that between a dragon and tiger.

Soon, they reached the foot of the mountain, and the distant, mirror-like lake[1] came into view.

Now that they were on level ground and near the water, Wang Daozhong felt even more confident. The mountain had been the Miao’s home ground. They excelled in forest warfare, but on open land and by water, it was Wang Daozhong’s domain.

Suddenly, Wang Daozhong stopped, turning with a sinister smile. “You barbarians respect strength, but you won’t listen to reason until you’ve been beaten down!”

The Heavenly Sea-Suppressing Palm surged forth like a tidal wave, displaying an overwhelming, unstoppable might.

Lei Zhentang sneered as he responded, “You people of the Central Plains are always so conceited. You remain self-righteous yet ignorant of mystical arts!”

Suddenly, Wang Daozhong felt a sharp buzz in his head, as if a curse had taken hold of him. The force of his palm strike was diminished by several times.

Lei Zhentang’s palm met his at that exact moment.

Unexpectedly, their strikes remained evenly matched!

As it turned out, both had lost strength and their protective auras, and each was shaken to the core. Blood spurted from their mouths, and they flew back, each tumbling backward.

Lei Zhentang had also been struck by a curse at that very moment.

As Lei Zhentang was thrown backward, a deep shock gripped his heart—how could a curse take effect on him, the most renowned great shaman of Miaojiang, whose mastery far surpassed anyone else in the entire region?

He turned his head and saw Sisi suspended in mid-air, her eyes closed. Her hands were forming intricate seals, and she was casting an ancient and powerful curse that was unknown to him.

It’s a trap! The thought flashed through Lei Zhentang’s mind just as sword light burst forth from behind a tree nearby.

A sword thrust, strikingly similar to Shi Wuding’s, carried a chilling and destructive force aimed directly at Lei Zhentang’s back.

It was Han Wubing!

Indeed, it was a trap—a meticulous trap planned by Sisi...

Wang Daozhong himself was clueless, but how could Sisi not know of Lei Zhentang’s bitter hatred for Wang Daozhong? Only with Wang Daozhong’s appearance could Lei Zhentang be lured away from his tribe alone, and only Wang Daozhong’s strength was sufficient to withstand Lei Zhentang head-on.

Amid the fierce clash, Sisi unleashed the shamanic magic she had recently discovered in her ancestral land, while Han Wubing attacked with his sword. Whether they could succeed in killing a Ranking of Earth was uncertain, but at the very least, it should be enough to put Lei Zhentang out of commission for another month.

And by then, who would hold sway over Miaojiang?

Cursed, wounded, and flung into mid-air, Lei Zhentang had no chance to dodge Han Wubing’s soul-chasing strike.

“Roar!” With a furious bellow, Lei Zhentang took a direct hit to his back, yet he somehow managed to draw on some energy-draining curse, unleashing a desperate palm strike that repelled both Wang Daozhong and Han Wubing before stumbling back up the mountain.

The Black Hmong tribesmen surged forward, rallying to their chieftain.

At the same time, Sisi slipped through the chaotic ranks of the Black Hmong like the wind, a blood-stained dagger in hand as she departed.

The Black Hmong managed to recover their chief, but then noticed that Lei Ao, the young chief, was lying on his back clutching his throat.

“Young Chief! Young Chief!”

Pitifully, after pretending to be dead for a month, the moment he ceased pretending, he truly died.

Watching the chaos unfold, Wang Daozhong felt as if he was in some kind of weird dream induced by magic plants. He wanted to ask Han Wubing something, but Han Wubing paid him no attention. After assessing the situation and confirming there was no way to penetrate the Black Miao’s defenses to finish the job, he simply shook his head and departed.

Wang Daozhong stamped his foot in frustration and ran away as well.

A golden light flashed across the sky.

In the sixth month, Lei Zhentang gathered hundreds of tribes atop Cangshan, intending to unify Miaojiang and declare independence. Wang Daozhong, fleeing persecution, arrived and sought to ally with the Black Hmong, but Lei Zhentang, for reasons unknown, flew into a rage and attacked.

Wang Daozhong fought while retreating, with Lei Zhentang chased after him down the mountain. The Spirit Tribe’s Xiang Simeng secretly cast a strange curse, and Han Wubing took advantage of the chaos, launching a sneak attack to severely wound Lei Zhentang on the shore of Jinghu.

The Black Hmong risked their lives to rescue Lei Zhentang, and Xiang Simeng easily slew Lei Ao amidst the chaos. Wang Daozhong then took the opportunity to flee.

The Black Hmong’s attempt to unify Miaojiang was thwarted for the second time, Miaojiang once again plunged into turmoil—all thanks to Wang Daozhong.

Although Han Wubing’s sneak attack was remarkable, it was insufficient to affect his ranking.

Xiang Simeng, having unlocked the first layer of the Profound Mysteries, advances into the Ranking of Man. The previous substitute due to Frost Hawk’s death, who has yet to break through, is pushed out of the rankings.

The Ranking of Man has changed.

Rank 72: Spirit Tribe Saintess Xiang Simeng.

Recalling the times past behind curtains in Yangzhou... My thinness must be because of missing you; and my shyness, for you is shyness still.[2]

1. This is in reference to Jinghu/Mirror Lake (镜湖) in China. ☜

2. These are lines taken from a poem by Shi Dazu (史达祖), titled Immortal by the River, A Maiden’s Longing (临江仙·闺思). ☜