Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 215: Aftermath

Cui Yuanyang did not know what it was that Zhao Changhe was still planning on staying here for. Either way, after everything that happened, it was nearly dawn, and no matter how brave she was, she did not dare to be seen spending the night at the inn with a man. Taking advantage of the faint light of dawn, she hurried back to the Wang Clan’s guest house.

Meanwhile, Zhao Changhe did not even check out of the room. He leisurely stayed inside, studying the golden foil.

There was no further movement from the golden foil for the time being. Based on the experience he had from the last time it supposedly unsealed itself, he knew that he would have to wait until the next day to see if anything happened. At this time, Zhao Changhe was reviewing the replay of the match between himself and Situ Xiao that took place back at the banquet hall of the Wang Clan.

This was very important to him. It was the most crucial leverage for him to catch up with others’ years of accumulated understanding and insights of martial arts within a short period of time. No one else in the world possessed such unique advantages.

Situ Xiao’s practice mainly focused on external arts, or in fantasy terms, body tempering. According to rumors, their Divine Brilliance Sect had obtained a complete ancient inheritance, which corresponded to the recent information he acquired regarding a Dao Body.

From this perspective, the inheritance that the Divine Brilliance Sect possessed might not actually be complete. If it were complete, they might truly have been able to break through the limits of this world, and their sect master, Li Shentong, would not only be ranked fifth on the Ranking of Heaven. Of course, there was also the possibility that the inheritance was complete, yet they lacked some auxiliary treasures that prevented them from fully tempering their body.

Regardless of what exactly was the case, this material he had on Situ Xiao was worth studying.

Situ Xiao claimed that his palm art was not particularly fierce... and he was not lying. A careful review revealed that although he tempered his body, although he used a heavy sword, and although he emphasized explosive power, Situ Xiao’s art was indeed not exactly fierce. It was more accurate to describe it as stable.

All of his techniques had a sense of stability, maintaining defensive positions and launching counterattacks in a timely manner. He would only unleash an explosive force right at the moment when he attacked as he aimed to defeat his enemy in one fell swoop.

If the Wang Clan’s palm arts were like surging waves, Situ Xiao’s style was like an immovable mountain.

What was interesting was that Situ Xiao also practiced the Drunken Fist. His stumbling and staggering postures, the immovable nature of his moves, and his casual and heroic temperament were all very intriguing.

His iron body was built upon using parts of his body to repeatedly strike hard objects, thereby strengthening it over time. In this manner, he was able to make those parts of his body so strong that he was not even fazed when he used his head to knock the gate wide open. Zhao Changhe seriously doubted whether ordinary swords and sabers would even be able to leave a mark on him. He could not help but wonder just how Situ Xiao’s master, Li Shentong, who was ranked fifth on the Ranking of Heaven, would compare. He wondered if even Dragon Bird would have difficulty leaving a mark on such a person.

This seemed like the prerequisite to standing against an entire army on one’s own.

Zhao Changhe contemplated Situ Xiao’s techniques. He first studied the essence of stability, then tried imitating the drunken movements, where his lower body would remain stable, while his upper body swayed like a willow, allowing him to evade attacks.

These were the aspects lacking in Zhao Changhe’s martial arts, and through continuous battles and reviews, he sought to improve himself and fill in the gaps.

In fact, even without the assistance of the Heavenly Tome, Zhao Changhe could truly be considered a genius. It was just that its assistance further sped up and improved his progress.

*

While plans and schemes took up the majority of the Wang Clan’s focus during the night, Zhao Changhe enjoyed the company of those dear to him, while Situ Xiao and the rest simply enjoyed each others’ company.

Most of them were peers with similar talents and understanding of martial arts. Even if there were differences in their practices, this only made them more suitable to act as each other’s sparring partners. It was rare for all of them to gather together in such a manner where they could drink and discuss martial arts with one another. For them, being granted such a great opportunity was exhilarating.

In the eyes of the outside world, this could be considered an event worthy of being recorded in the annals of martial arts history. In fact, the glory of this night would surely be widely spread, allowing people to truly take note of the names that had only briefly flashed above their heads in the Tome of Troubled Times and better understand just how powerful and excellent each of them was.

Wang Zhaoling was elegant and calm, his Heaven-Suppressing Sea Palm fierce and unmatched.

Xia Chichi was beautiful but aloof, just like her Iceheart, and her power was outstanding.

Cui Yuanyang was cute and adorable, yet her Qinghe Purple Qi was vast and majestic.

And that heavy sword that moved across the hall, colliding with a broad saber, shattering political schemes using the spirit of martial arts, leading to a night of martial fervor, laughter, and drinking...

No one knew where Zhao Changhe went afterward, but it was clear that he explicitly refused to participate in the martial arts competition arranged by the Wang Clan. Many sighed inwardly, feeling that the martial arts gathering was missing a special touch without him.

In any case, the events of the night spread far and wide, becoming a topic of discussion in the jianghu for a long time after.

The Wang Clan had also succeeded in their goals.

Not only did they form a secret agreement with the Four Idols Cult, but their previous arrogance was also mostly forgotten by many. Instead, they were praised for organizing such a grand event for the world of martial arts.

The impression of the Wang Clan as the leader of the martial arts community unknowingly took root in many people’s hearts, while they also managed to convey two messages.

First, the imperial court was losing importance.

Second, the Wang Clan—the family of the empress, who was most familiar with Xia Longyuan’s situation—daring to do such a thing essentially implied that Xia Longyuan’s status might be more serious than initially thought.

Not only did the momentum for the Wang Clan’s separatist movement begin to gather, but their actions also spurred the schemes of other ambitious individuals, causing the world to only become more chaotic.

It was a game where everyone, from the organizers to the participants to the spectators were delighted. The only casualty was the imperial court, with their damaged prestige.

*

A thousand li away in Jinling.

Tang Wanzhuang stood on the city wall, looking at Maitreya’s camp from afar, her eyes as calm as water.

“Bureau chief...” A subordinate from the Demon Suppression Bureau hurriedly came to report. “We’ve received news by carrier pigeon that the Langya Martial Arts Conference has concluded.”

“Oh? Who emerged victorious?”

“It was said that Situ Xiao and Zhao Changhe influenced the direction of the event, somehow turning it into a friendly exchange without rankings. The hidden dragons present all enjoyed themselves, and they were all able to properly display their various styles of martial arts,” the subordinate reported. “Those present at the event said that this was the most enjoyable martial arts gathering in recent years.”

Tang Wanzhuang revealed a hint of a smile for the first time in nearly a month, softly repeating, “Situ Xiao... Zhao Changhe...”

The subordinate was stunned for a moment. He scratched his head in confusion, then continued with the report, “Since there were no longer any rankings, the momentum that the Wang Clan intended to build up was somewhat diminished. After all, imposing rankings and giving out prizes would truly instill a sense of submission within the hidden dragons... The hidden dragons are unruly, and the situation turned out as expected. What was surprising was that Zhao Changhe did not participate in the martial arts competition, only enjoying a match between himself and Situ Xiao. He displayed extreme resistance to the plans of the Wang Clan.”

Tang Wanzhuang smiled and said, “It’s not that most hidden dragons are unruly... There are truly only a few who are unruly and are bold enough to act out, such as Zhao Changhe.”

“Hm, perhaps,” the subordinate said. “But the Wang Clan has basically achieved what they intended. They have already begun appointing and dismissing officials on their own. Magistrate Ma Zhang was dismissed under some pretext... Regardless of whether the pretext is true or false, how can they have the authority to appoint and dismiss officials? This is clearly an act of rebellion!”

Tang Wanzhuang’s smile faded as she sighed softly. “We should have known from the moment they began inviting people to the birthday banquet.”

“What do we do now?”

“What’s the point of asking me? I don’t have the authority to mobilize troops,” Tang Wanzhuang said calmly. “Neither Maitreya nor I are military leaders. We won’t be able to keep this stalemate going indefinitely. He will return to their main altar in a few days to oversee other matters, while I will return to the capital to address other issues as well.”

Her voice trailed off into a murmur, almost as if she was speaking to herself, “I should go and see His Majesty again... Just what on earth is he thinking...”

“No...” The subordinate hesitated. “If the Wang Clan is merely trying to seize some power, then it’s tolerable for the time being. But what if they actually raise an army and march south to work together with the Maitreya Cult...”

“Everyone has their own hidden agendas. How can they so easily form alliances? The Wang Clan only began scheming after the uprising of the Maitreya Cult. There has not been any communication between the two sides before. If they were to reach such an agreement, there would first have to be envoys going back and forth. The fact that the saintess of the Four Idols Cult attended their event suggests that she might be one such envoy, so it’s actually likely that the Wang Clan is aiming for an agreement with them rather than the Maitreya Cult.”

The subordinate thought for a while, then nodded. “Indeed. I was wondering why the Four Idols Cult would be willing to have one of theirs attend such an event...”

Tang Wanzhuang said calmly, “The Four Idols Cult and the Maitreya Cult are not on good terms. Once the Wang Clan and Four Idols Cult ally, common sense dictates that they would not even consider the Maitreya Cult. After all, the natures of the Four Idols Cult and the Maitreya Cult are incompatible, while the Wang Clan likely does not hold the Maitreya Cult in high regard.”

“Zhao Changhe’s unexpected victory over Fa Sheng disrupted the Maitreya Cult’s plan. With their plans having been disrupted, isn’t it possible for them to send envoys north to contact the Wang Clan for assistance? It is still possible for them to make some extravagant promises.”

Tang Wanzhuang gazed toward the north, her eyes a bit melancholic. After a long pause, she said, “They should have already set off.”

“Then should we intercept them?”

“It would be pointless. How are we supposed to look for a random passerby?” Tang Wanzhuang suddenly smiled. “Also, I don’t think that there is any need for us to intervene. The envoys of the Maitreya Cult are going to have it rough once more....”