Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 217: Ambush

This was a very ordinary group of monks. The Maitreya Cult did not have any special or distinctive attire, so it was hard to tell if these monks were actually associated with the cult. While Buddhism has indeed declined in this world, it was not unusual to see monks every now and then.

However, within the regions of Langya and Mount Tai, due to the Wang Clan actually being the one to carry out the extermination of Buddhism under Xia Longyuan’s orders, and the Taiyi Sect of Mount Tai being a Daoist Sect, there were not many Buddhist influences around.

Could these monks be the envoys of the Maitreya Cult?

“Logically speaking, with this area not being a part of the territory of the Maitreya Cult, they should not be so brazen, right? Couldn’t they have at least put on a simple disguise?” Situ Xiao whispered. “Or could it be that they believe that they should reveal their true identities as a sign of sincerity when arriving in Langya? Could they really be that old-fashioned?”

Zhao Changhe smiled and said, “It’s easy to check.”

He drank all the wine in his bowl in one gulp. Drunk and unsteady, he staggered out the door.

Situ Xiao’s mouth twitched. This was a move that he often used, and it was now being imitated by someone right before his eyes.

However, Zhao Changhe’s imitation of his drunken walk was quite interesting. Although he had not actually mastered the footwork, he had already touched upon its essence. Most people would think that the Drunken Steps was messy and lacked any form, but it was actually very methodical and required one to keep one’s lower body stable. And to Situ Xiao’s shock, Zhao Changhe had already captured some of those characteristics...

Just then, Zhao Changhe stumbled and staggered, accidentally falling behind the last monk in the line of monks.

Seeing that he was about to collide with him, the monk furrowed his brow, turned back, and reached out to help, saying, “Benefactor, please be careful...”

With just that move, Situ Xiao felt that they were not from the Maitreya Cult. The monk’s actions were firm and solid, like that of a martial monk who had been trained since childhood, and this did not match up with the style of the Maitreya Cult.

Zhao Changhe also felt the same way, but he refused to simply leave it at that. He pretended to be drunk to the point where he was unable to even hold himself up and fell into the monk’s arms. As he fell into the monk’s arms, he brushed his fingers on the acupuncture points on the monk’s arms.

The monk’s arm shook lightly as he moved to evade his fingers, while his other hand quickly reached out and rested on Zhao Changhe’s shoulder. “Benefactor, seeing as you’re using the Drunken Steps, could you be Situ Xiao? Our Huayan Temple has never offended the Divine Brilliance Sect.”

Situ Xiao’s jaw dropped.

Zhao Changhe was not the least bit embarrassed. After all, he was supposed to be drunk. He pretended not to understand what the monk was saying, “A life with wine~ So why not be drunk and merry~ No longer a drop to enjoy in the Nine Springs...”

Situ Xiao muttered, “What the fuck?”

The monk who was helping Zhao Changhe stand suddenly heard Zhao Changhe’s voice transmission. “Be careful of sneak attacks.”

The monk paused for a moment, subtly nodded, and replied with a voice transmission of his own. “Thank you for the reminder, benefactor.”

Zhao Changhe stumbled back to the inn, and the monks continued on their way.

Soon, they arrived outside the gate of the Wang Clan, where they addressed the guards. “Amitabha! I, Yuan Xing of Huayan Temple, have come to visit. Please notify Mister Wang Daozhong. Three years ago, this monk had a brief encounter with him.”

It seemed like even the orthodox Buddhist sects were reaching out to the Wang Clan, seemingly hoping to stand together against Xia Longyuan’s anti-Buddhist policies. Truly, the winds were changing in Langya, and ripples were spreading far and wide.

Meanwhile, Zhao Changhe grinned apologetically at the expressionless Situ Xiao. “Brother Situ, your reputation precedes you...”

Situ Xiao retorted irritably, “You made a mistake, which means that while your plan to intercept the envoys of the Maitreya Cult seems feasible, it’s actually presumptuous. They could easily change their appearance and sneak into the Wang Clan without your knowledge. Moreover, even if you did manage to intercept them, who’s to say that they would not have an expert on the Ranking of Man or a lot of other experts with them? Have you considered that?”

Zhao Changhe glanced at the scene where the guards of the Wang Clan were heading inside to report and answered evasively, “It would be one thing if it were the Four Idols Cult, given their different doctrines. But now that a proper Buddhist sect has arrived, what business could the Maitreya Cult have here? If I were acting as an envoy for the Maitreya Cult, I would no longer bother coming here at all. But if I did, I would disrupt the contact between the Wang Clan and any Buddhist sects trying to form ties with them, emulating Ban Chao’s actions.”[1]

Before he could finish speaking, the sound of bowstrings reverberated from the eaves of the buildings around the Wang Clan, and arrows rained down like locusts, heading straight for the monks of the Huayan Temple waiting in front of the gate.

The bows were military-grade, and the archers were well trained. If the monks from the Huayan Temple were not prepared, they were likely to suffer casualties from this.

Thanks to Zhao Changhe’s reminder, however, the monks were on guard. Suddenly, a golden bell-shaped barrier appeared, and the thousands of arrows merely clattered against it, unable to break through.

Zhao Changhe gasped. “That golden bell is even more amazing than the sturdiness brought about by your body tempering. It can actually protect such a wide area!”

Situ Xiao calmly remarked, “It’s exactly what I told you before about the protective qi barrier. It’s a strong defense, but it’s not at all sustainable.”

Sure enough, the golden bell soon disappeared, and the monks swiftly moved into a formation. Yuan Xing said angrily, “I see that this is how the Wang Clan treats its guests! We shall take our leave!”

On the Wang Clan’s side, the news of their arrival had not even been relayed to the higher-ups yet. The guards were momentarily at a loss, watching as the monks took up a formation before quickly retreating and heading out of the city.

Anyone in Yuan Xing’s position would feel that the Wang Clan had already made contact with their adversaries and had made a choice. If they did not leave now, they would likely only end up being detained here.

Situ Xiao finally understood what Zhao Changhe meant by “emulating Ban Chao’s actions,” and his gaze toward him changed.

It could be said that the envoys of the Maitreya Cult were remarkable figures, and they had approached this issue beautifully. But Zhao Changhe, who could anticipate even this, was even more of a monster. How was he able to guess even this?

The answer, unbeknownst to Situ Xiao, was that he hadn’t guessed it. How could anyone have guessed something like that? He had just heard a voice transmission from Vermillion Bird, warning of archers hidden nearby. Vermillion Bird thought that they were there to kill him, but with this information, Zhao Changhe quickly analyzed it and realized that they were more likely to be targeting the monks than him. That was why he had warned the monk.

And indeed, that was the case.

Strange...Chichi has already left, so why is Vermillion Bird still here?

Then, a steward of the Wang Clan ran out, “Master Yuan Xing! Master Yuan Xing! The second master invites you inside...”

His voice got stuck in his throat as when he looked outside, he found that the area outside the gate was empty with no monks in sight.

The ground was littered with arrows, testifying that something had happened.

A figure in gray suddenly appeared in front of the gate and said calmly, “I, Fa Qing of the Maitreya Cult, would like to request to see Mister Wang Daoning.”

Fa Qing, ranked seventieth on the Ranking of Man.

As Situ Xiao was right, someone on the Ranking of Man had indeed come from the Maitreya Cult’s side.

It wasn’t only him either, as he brought along a bunch of well-trained archers. At this moment, the archers would likely no longer take any more action, as it would be seen as provoking the Wang Clan. However, if someone were to move to assassinate Fa Qing, the archers could easily still make a move.

At this moment, Situ Xiao was a little curious about how Zhao Changhe planned to deal with this situation.

He even suspected that Wang Daoning should be aware of what had happened in front of their gate; otherwise, it would be too negligent of him as someone ranked tenth on the Ranking of Heaven... Wang Daoning himself was probably standing somewhere nearby, watching the situation unfold, conducting a test and a selection process.

Would Zhao Changhe still dare to make a move?

Zhao Changhe stood in front of the inn for a while, as if secretly communicating with someone.

“Your Four Idols Cult isn’t on good terms with the Maitreya Cult, right? Some time ago, Chichi killed the Northern Buddha of the Maitreya Cult inJiangbei. Fa Qing is here now, are you not going to move to kill him?”

“Not being on good terms does not mean that we are mortal enemies. Chichi killed the Northern Buddha because they encroached on our interests first. It does not mean that I would kill every member of the Maitreya Cult that I see. We’re both ultimately moving against the imperial court. Who knows if there might be opportunities for reconciliation and cooperation in the future? Are you trying to use me to please that Tang Wanzhuang of yours? Do you think I’m a fool?”

“The Maitreya Cult is vying with you for an alliance with the Wang Clan.”

“Our goals differ, so the conflict is not significant. It’s not comparable to the conflict between Yuan Xing and them.”

Zhao Changhe sighed and said, “Then it seems I’ll have to take this into my own hands.”

Vermillion Bird watched with interest from a distance, curious to see what Zhao Changhe was going to do next.

Suddenly, Zhao Changhe leaped onto the roof and headed straight toward the direction where the arrows had been shot from earlier.

There, a group of followers of the Maitreya Cult had gathered, waiting to see if Fa Qing, who stood before the gate of the Wang Clan, would be received. When they turned their heads, they saw a burly man wielding a broad saber charging toward them like a tiger pouncing into a herd of sheep.

He swung his saber swiftly and fiercely, sending a rush of wind their way.

Before the nearest follower of the Maitreya Cult had the time to react, his head was already sent flying and his blood sprayed everywhere.

“It’s Zhao Changhe! Form ranks!” The followers of the Maitreya Cult fell into a panic and attempted to form a defensive formation quickly. However, the broad saber was swung like a windmill, preventing them from forming up!

With a swift movement, Zhao Changhe cleaved another follower of the Maitreya Cult into two.

Meanwhile, Fa Qing flashed toward them, his expression grim as he aimed a palm strike at Zhao Changhe’s back. “I did not want any trouble, but since you came seeking death, then so be it!”

Whoosh!

A staff flew from afar, heading straight for Fa Qing’s head!

The biggest mistake that Fa Qing made was thinking that Yuan Xing had been fooled into leaving. In fact, the monk had received Zhao Changhe’s message and had not left at all. As Fa Qing approached the Wang Clan’s gate, Yuan Xing quietly led his group around and ambushed the followers of the Maitreya Cult.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

A group of monks appeared on the roof, diving into the fray.

Fa Qing slapped away Yuan Xing’s staff with a cold expression, “Yuan Xing, you aren’t even on the Ranking of Man, so what difference does it make even if you turn back? I’ll send you all to your deaths all the same!”

Before he finished speaking, another rush of wind came from behind him.

A heavy sword, which appeared both slow and fast, came slashing at him directly.

It was Situ Xiao.

All of a sudden, it had turned into an encirclement for someone on the Ranking of Man! Yuan Xing was one thing; being at the ninth layer of the Profound Gate, he could be considered to be wandering on the edge of the Ranking of Man. But Situ Xiao and Zhao Changhe were much more akin to newborn calves not afraid of tigers. Did they really have the strength to match up to someone like Fa Qing?

A smirk crept onto Vermillion Bird’s lips from afar as she found the situation intriguing too. She was curious as well.

1. Ban Chao was a famous Chinese diplomat in ancient China. ☜