Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 517: Clouds Stir in All Directions

“Has he left?”

In the main hall of the Divine Brilliance Sect, Li Shentong stood with his hands behind his back, gazing silently at the statue of the sect’s founding ancestor. Outside, Situ Xiao, who was usually carefree and rowdy, dared not make a sound. He answered honestly, “As soon as you left, he left too. He didn’t even drink. It was as if he was standing on burning coals.”

“He gave you something. Did you return the gesture?”

Situ Xiao sighed with a bit of helplessness. “Yes, I did, but he didn’t even look at it. He just stuffed it into his pocket.”

Li Shentong was visibly stunned for a moment, then laughed aloud. “Interesting. But it doesn’t matter. What we give is ours to give. If he tosses it in the trash, that’s his business. The Divine Brilliance Sect owes nothing to no one.”

What Situ Xiao had given Zhao Changhe was the Divine Brilliance Sect’s core body cultivation manual. It was the very foundation of the sect.

He had clearly given it to repay the body cultivation technique that Zhao Changhe had casually gifted him. It was a way to settle debts. Whether Zhao Changhe could make use of the body cultivation technique was irrelevant—the value was in the gesture.

A secret art at the second layer of the Profound Mysteries was casually given away, and a sect’s foundational cultivation technique was handed over in return. Neither side seemed to care much about it.

“He talks about carrying a saber on his shoulder and a wine gourd on his waist to fit in with the jianghu... He has a heart for chivalry, but unfortunately, that’s not his path to walk. He stands at the very center of the storm, and he’s also someone with a strong sense of responsibility and deep loyalty. To live a carefree life in the jianghu is impossible for him.” Li Shentong chuckled. “But the image he described does suit you quite well.”

Situ Xiao was silent for a moment, then sighed. “Is that still even possible now?”

“Why not?”

“With my status...”

“The hell status are you talking about? The young lord of Shu?”

“Uh, that’s not what I meant. I mean, others might think... well, maybe not...”

He was already the young leader of the strongest sect, and becoming the young lord of Shu did not make any difference in the jianghu. Those who respected him would continue to do so, and those who wished to be his enemies would still oppose him.

The only difference was that the Great Xia officials, who were once friendly, had now become adversaries. But with chaos erupting all over the Great Xia, these officials were unlikely to be able to do much.

Thinking about this, Situ Xiao scratched his head. Despite everything that’s happened, rebelling doesn’t seem to have changed much at all?

Seeing his master’s attitude, it truly seemed that there was no difference. He neither fought in the war nor managed affairs—just like always, he was staying in the main hall, just as he had done in the past as the leader of the Divine Brilliance Sect.

Li Shentong suddenly asked, “Do you know why I tolerated that scoundrel Di Muzhi for so long?”

“Wasn’t it because of Snow Owl?”

“That was a reason, but not the reason. That was just one factor among many. And to be fair, that guy is formidable. I thought that a rat hiding in the gutter would be crushed like a bug once exposed to the sun, but it turns out it’s not that easy. In direct combat, I really could crush him like a bug, but if he wants to flee, I can’t even catch up, much less stop him. He’s not sixth on the Ranking of Heaven for nothing. The Tome of Troubled Times didn’t put him there without reason.”

“If someone like him were to attempt an assassination...”

Li Shentong sneered. “He wouldn’t dare. Even if he can escape ten or a hundred times, as long as I injure him once, I’ll be able to squeeze the life out of him. Someone who’s used to hiding in the shadows won’t willingly put himself at risk.”

Situ Xiao nodded and did not bother continuing to ask “what if he tries to assassinate me in the future?” If the figure ranked sixth on the Ranking of Heaven stooped to such tactics, losing all dignity just to drag his reputation through the mud, it may just end up as entertainment for others.

Instead, he was more interested in the other reasons his master had mentioned for tolerating Di Muzhi. “If Snow Owl is only one of the reasons, then what are the others?”

“Do you really want to know?”

Situ Xiao responded promptly, “Yes.”

“Well, first, both Yuxu and I suspect that it’s not that Xia Longyuan lacks the power to control the chaos, nor is it that he’s lazy or indifferent. It’s more like... he’s watching a show. There’s a high probability that Xia Longyuan actually wants this outcome.”

Situ Xiao was stunned. “Why? This is his own empire!”

“That is correct, and we don’t know the reason behind it, but it’s the only explanation that truly makes sense. Anything else is difficult to explain,” Li Shentong said calmly. “And if that’s the case, then he’s been waiting for me to rebel... So, should I play into his hands?”

Situ Xiao declared loudly, “Do it. What’s there to hesitate about?”

Li Shentong finally turned away from the statue of the ancestor and looked at his disciple. “Why?”

Situ Xiao said, “If our martial arts can’t protect those we love or cut off the heads of those we despise, then what’s the point of our training? If we think it’s the right thing to do, we should do it—what does it matter what that Xia emperor wants? It has nothing to do with us.”

A rare smile appeared on Li Shentong’s usually grim face, and he patted his disciple’s shoulder. “As for the second reason... You and I can kill the governor and throw every noble family in Shu into the Jinsha River. But then what? Do you know how to make life better for the people of Shu?”

Situ Xiao, who had just been full of bravado, opened his mouth, but it took him a long time to mutter, “Three-legged frogs are hard to find, but are capable officials really that rare? We protect the land and the people, so we just need to find competent people to handle the rest. We keep things under control, and if they step out of line, we can just deal with it, right?”

“Are you sure?”

“Most... most likely!”

“Alright, then you’re in charge of that.”

Situ Xiao: “???”

“Don’t say I set you up. I’ve got more important things to handle.”

“Like standing here looking at the ancestor’s statue?”

Li Shentong raised his hand, and Situ Xiao quickly shrunk down, clearly well-aware of the power behind it.

“Now that rebellions are breaking out everywhere, how many are true rebels and how many are just taking advantage of the chaos? How many are willing to ally with us, and how many want to establish their own territories? It’s easy to talk about rebellion, but how many troubles follow one after another? If you want to handle those matters instead, we can switch.”

Situ Xiao thought for a long time. “Let’s switch.”

“Alright, then you take charge, and I’ll be your support.” Li Shentong slowly left the main hall and sighed softly. “Zhao Changhe isn’t the only one who desires a chivalrous life but can’t have it.”

Situ Xiao’s eyelids twitched. What kind of master fights his own disciple for the job of handling these matters? Good thing I’m quick-witted.

In the sixth month, the Divine Brilliance Sect’s Elder Shi Tieshi led the sect’s forces to capture Chengdu.

Situ Xiao swept across Bashu, defeating almost two hundred bandits and rebel leaders with his sword and subduing over twenty local rebel forces. He established his dominance over the southwest, and Shu gradually found peace. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

As the Tome of Troubled Times did not record these “trivial” battles, no one knew how many injuries this man had sustained or how close he had come to death.

The one that did record these trivial battles was the Demon Suppression Bureau; a very detailed report of Situ Xiao’s deeds and their consequences was sent to the capital and landed on Tang Wanzhuang’s desk.

“Bashu no longer belongs to the Great Xia...” Tang Wanzhuang gently caressed the report. “But why do I feel a sense of relief rather than anger?”

Baoqin said, “You didn’t raise a coward, yet somehow, he ended up being one.”

With a loud splash, the window opened, and a young maid landed into the pond.

“Bureau chief, bureau chief, bad news!” A trusted member of the Demon Suppression Bureau came in to report. “Chaos has broken out in Jianghuai! Wan Tianxiong has rebelled!”

Tang Wanzhuang remained expressionless. “Oh.”

“Bureau chief, bureau chief! Wang Daoning’s forces have marched into Hebei, and the Cui and Wang clans are now at war in Puyang!”

Tang Wanzhuang gazed out the window at the peaceful scene outside. Just a few days ago, she had pleaded, in writing filled with heartbreak, for Xia Longyuan to apprehend the Wang Clan’s forces in the capital. Yet until now, everything remained calm as nothing had been done.

Suddenly, she felt dizzy, and she began to cough violently.

She looked at her hand and saw that it was stained with blood.

Zhao Changhe had barely managed to stabilize her condition, but in just a short while, it had rapidly worsened.

* * *

Zhao Changhe rode from Shu toward the Jinsha River. He planned to take a boat down the river to Wu Gorge. After all, no matter who he sought out first, the Blood God Cult was on the way out of Shu, so he might as well go there first.

The scent of war and chaos in the air made Zhao Changhe realize the significance of being the saint of the Blood God Cult, something he had not taken seriously in the past.

In times like these, a solid faction was far more valuable than individual martial prowess, even the prowess of someone at the second layer of the Profound Mysteries.

Sisi’s faction could also be considered a supporting force, but they were too far away to have any immediate impact. The Blood God Cult, though not remarkable in numbers, was an elite force in a key location, and after being honed through several battles, they resembled a disciplined army. They were still stationed in Xiangyang and held considerable sway.

Perhaps the Blood God Cult could be considered part of the Four Idols Cult. At this point, they were likely involved in the rebellion—or perhaps they were lying low, prepared to act when needed as a strategic piece. Regardless, it was not appropriate for Zhao Changhe to openly pull them away, as that would simply risk souring relations with the Four Idols Cult.

However, if Zhao Changhe did things that did not conflict with the Four Idols Cult’s stance, Vermillion Bird likely would not say anything. After all, he was the Fire Pig of Shi, and the current status of the Blood God Cult was largely his doing. Vermillion Bird had to at least acknowledge his authority to some extent when it came to utilizing the Blood God Cult.

The Four Idols Cult and the Wang Clan were currently allied. If Zhao Changhe used the Blood God Cult to fight against the Wang Clan, would that be a conflict of interest?

Unlikely.

No matter how solid an alliance seemed, once both parties started their own rebellions, it resulted in a conflict of interests, where they were both allies and rivals—history provided countless examples of this. Besides, Zhao Changhe was well aware that Vermillion Bird’s relationship with the Wang Clan was purely one of mutual exploitation, and it was destined to end in betrayal. As long as he coordinated it well, Vermillion Bird might even be secretly pleased.

It might not be appropriate for Wan Tianxiong to oppose the Wang Clan so early, as there was an unspoken protocol even in rebellion. But the Blood God Cult was perfect for this role, since Wang Daozhong knew that Zhao Changhe was the saint of the Blood God Cult. Vermillion Bird could easily shift all responsibility for any of the Blood God Cult’s actions onto “that rascal Zhao Changhe.”

Of course, coordinating all this would still be a headache. If the Cui and Wang clans fought, the Four Idols Cult would no doubt be happy to see it, but if Zhao Changhe wanted to help the Cui Clan, how could he reconcile all these interests...

It was a tangled mess.

For now, he could not be bothered to think too much about it. He decided to meet Xue Canghai first. After all, he already had something for Xue Canghai that was more timely than ever. If Xue Canghai dared disobey the saint, he would not get what Zhao Changhe had brought.

After days of riding, he finally arrived at the riverbank. Zhao Changhe anxiously looked out over the river but could not find a single boat in sight.

“Blind woman, what level does someone need to reach to be able to fly? Even those on the Ranking of Heaven don’t seem like they can truly fly. At most, they can hover or float in the air, or their movement arts allow them to glide a bit further. But none of that really counts as true flight.”

“You already know the answer, so why bother asking?”

“What I’m asking is at what level can you really do it... Surely this isn’t some kind of forbidden secret?”

“Can’t you use your brain? Since you know that the third layer of the Profound Mysteries allows one to hover, the next stage would obviously allow for flight.”

“The Profound Control Realm?”

“Profound Control inherently implies mastery over the elements, including the wind. You’re still a bit away from it, so keep working hard, little brother.”

Seeing a ferry finally appear in the distance, Zhao Changhe let out a breath of relief and did not respond to the blind woman.

Slowly but surely, the blind woman was adapting, like a frog in gradually warming water. She had gone from refusing to be a personal strategy guide, to keeping quiet or speaking in riddles, to now responding instinctively whenever Zhao Changhe called out for her... Things were progressing well.

The Profound Control Realm... Is it really that far away? Probably not.

The second layer of the Profound Mysteries already emphasized the control of vicious qi, which was, in essence, a form of control and mastery.

Each stage was a gradual progression in a sequence, each a different node along the same path.

All paths gradually led to mastery over heaven and earth.