Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 444: Fright in the Moonlit Night

Zhao Changhe had not gone far, and he had even left his horse, Snow-Treading Crow, with Li Sian’s caravan instead of taking it with him.

Along the shore of Erhai, he found a spot and dove into the water, enjoying a refreshing bath before anything else.

After all, he was about to meet Hongling, and it would be embarrassing to show up smelling bad.

Although people referred to Erhai as a sea[1], it was in fact a large freshwater lake. The water was exceptionally clear, making for a very comfortable bath. The only downside was the smell of cow dung lingering from the surrounding pastures, making Zhao wonder if he might end up leaving the water with some undesirable bits stuck to him.

Li Sian had promised that he could wash up properly once they reached a town, but that turned out to be impossible. In the end, he still had to bathe out in the open.

Hm?

Suddenly, Zhao Changhe felt a slight tremor from Dragon Bird through the storage ring on his finger. The sensation carried with it a distant memory he had not experienced in a long time: Danger! Someone’s after me!

Since acquiring Dragon Bird, it had only given such warnings a few times, the most critical instance being during Wan Dongliu’s assassination attempt. Since then, he had not encountered such ambushes. He usually faced most threats head-on, and his heightened senses were enough to detect ordinary threats without needing the ring’s warnings.

But now he was experiencing this rare sensation again. The threat seemed to come from beyond the range of his own senses, hinting that the enemy was likely an archer.

Zhao Changhe suddenly kicked off, propelling himself several chi through the water.

Just then, a bowstring twanged, and an arrow carrying a violent spiraling force barely missed him.

Splash!

Zhao Changhe sprang out of the water and dashed toward shore.

Moving in the water was too restrictive. If another arrow came, there was no guarantee he could dodge it. Getting back on solid ground would grant him many more options. Li Sian’s joking comment about fighting while butt-naked might actually come true.

Whoosh!

Just as he leaped out of the water, another arrow was already flying toward his chest.

Zhao Changhe drew Dragon Emperor from his ring and barely managed to deflect the arrow. However, his hand went numb from the impact, and he could not maintain his footing, causing him to fall back into the water.

A chill ran down Zhao Changhe’s spine. It was not that the enemy was a particularly formidable archer but rather that he had been weakened!

No wonder the other party dared to target someone posing as Wang Daozhong, who was on the Ranking of Earth.

Yet, upon examining himself internally, he found no signs of injury or poisoning.

The water isn’t poisonous, is it? Even if it is, it shouldn’t affect me with the lake being such a large body of water. This just doesn’t make any sense. What kind of poison could be so potent that it remains effective in such a large body of water?

Wait, could it be some witchcraft?

Whoosh!

Another arrow came flying, and Zhao Changhe deflected it again, urgently diving deeper. The arrows felt heavier and heavier, but it was actually because he was getting weaker. Soon, he would not be able to block them at all. He had to dive deeper, where the water resistance would hinder the arrows, and the enemy would not be able to aim effectively.

But just as he dove down, he sensed several figures approaching from beneath the water, wielding silent, icy Emei piercer[2].

Zhao Changhe twisted his body, dodging their encirclement like a fish darting through the water. At the same time, a mirror appeared in his hand, and he used it to examine himself.

The attackers nearly burst out laughing. In the middle of a tense escape, their target actually pulled out a mirror to check their reflection? Did he want to admire his looks before he died? Besides, in the deep water at night, there was no way he could even see his own reflection!

However, in Zhao Changhe’s eyes, the mirror revealed something—he could see his own forehead darkening, with strange, faint black qi emanating and coiling around him. His muscles and blood were visibly decaying and withering.

This mirror was a treasure of the Cui Clan, the Mirror of Qinghe. He had not expected to need its power this soon.

From what he saw in the mirror, it seemed that his initial thought of waterborne parasites or poison was wrong. Instead, this was some kind of spell curse. He had no idea how he had been inflicted with the curse, but it was clearly causing him to be weakened.

The mysteries of Miaojiang really are unpredictable and difficult to defend against. The root of this curse seems to be my heart... Hmm. At least my dantian and true qi aren’t restricted.

Suddenly, Zhao Changhe tilted his head, narrowly dodging an incoming piercer that grazed past his cheek. He swiftly caught the attacker’s wrist and twisted it sharply.

With the sound of bones dislocating, Zhao Changhe kicked the attacker in the stomach, propelling himself forward by several zhang. Simultaneously, he activated the Rejuvenation Art, using it to shield his heart and blood vessels.

The Rejuvenation Art was not just a healing technique. It was much more profound than just that. The Rejuvenation Art operated on the principles of life and vitality. This curse, whatever it relied on, could only weaken him to a limited extent. Under the power of the Rejuvenation Art, Zhao Changhe could feel his blood and qi recovering while the black qi was gradually being expelled.

Who said a berserker’s healing skill is useless? This is working pretty well. I can fight while healing, and my enemies don’t even know what’s happening.

The key was identifying the root of the problem. Without finding that, nothing would work. This mirror from the Cui Clan was turning out to be quite fascinating.

Several Emei piercers slipped through the water, approaching Zhao Changhe from all directions. Zhao Changhe suddenly extended his left hand, grabbed the piercer coming from his left, and yanked it sharply, pulling the attacker off balance and throwing him into the path of another oncoming attacker. At the same time, his right hand grabbed another enemy, and with his right knee, he threw a sharp kick right between the legs.[3]

The man let out a stifled scream as water rushed into his mouth, causing him to lose his fighting ability instantly.

Whoosh!

Another arrow shot down from above, piercing straight toward him.

Zhao Changhe grabbed the unfortunate soul in his right hand and lifted him as a shield. The arrow, already slowed by the water, was further blocked by the body, losing its threat entirely.

Zhao Changhe surged upward, his head breaking the surface of the water.

An archer, standing on a piece of floating wood, was aiming downward. Seeing Zhao Changhe suddenly emerge from the water startled him.

Swish!

Dragon Emperor swung, looking like a dragon rising from the depths.

A torrent of sword qi erupted with overwhelming force, and the archer’s body was riddled with holes, collapsing in a bloody heap.

From the distant forest, someone let out a startled exclamation and quickly let loose another arrow. The arrow hurtled toward Zhao Change like a meteor, hoping to strike in the brief moment before “Wang Daozhong” could gather his strength.

Zhao Changhe twisted in the air, but the arrow grazed his right shoulder, leaving a bloody wound. Without missing a beat, he landed on the floating wood, then launched himself toward the forest in pursuit.

When he reached the forest, it was empty save for the flurry of startled birds—no sign of the attacker remained.

Looking back at the lake, the surface was pitch black, the underwater attackers had disappeared without a trace. Zhao Changhe stood there, panting lightly, staring at the clear lake that now seemed like the gaping maw of a dark beast. He dared not dive back in to pursue them.

The shallow wound on his arm, where the arrow had grazed him, hurt far more than a severe injury would. Glancing down, he saw black blood oozing from it—the arrow had been coated in potent poison.

He activated the Rejuvenation Art again, struggling to purge the potent toxin. It was a challenge, as this poison was more potent than what his half-mastered Rejuvenation Art could easily handle. It was also far beyond the basic poison resistance he had gained from his Six Harmonies Art.

Zhao Changhe pulled out a fresh set of clothes from his ring, changed, and quietly slipped into the forest. He found a hiding spot behind some rocks and began to heal, waiting for dawn.

He no longer dared to roam the area carelessly in the dark.

Since returning from Saibei, it had been a long time since he had experienced such danger. In just a few short breaths, it felt as though he had walked through the gates of hell and back.

“Interesting,” Zhao Changhe muttered as he slowly drained the poisoned blood from his arm and applied medicine to the wound. Then, he chuckled.

The thrill of this moment rivaled that of charging into battle amidst thousands of troops. The vast world, filled with strange and powerful techniques, was not a place where flaunting being on the Ranking of Earth or Man would allow one to run rampant. No wonder Lei Ao had not shown the usual deference one might expect when hearing about “Wang Daozhong” from the Central Plains.

Was this assassination Lei Ao’s doing?

If it was, then why?

If not him, then who? Shi Wuding? But Shi Wuding himself didn’t make a move. It doesn’t seem like it would be him.

Zhao Changhe pondered for some time and then decided to return to Xizhou.

Whether or not this was Lei Ao’s doing did not matter. His departure from the town was merely a ruse to make Shi Wuding lose his trail. Since Yue Hongling was still here, why would he head to Cangshan?

It made more sense for him to return and find a spot to lay low. He could observe both Shi Wuding and Lei Ao while he was there to see if there was anything suspicious going on.

Just as he was thinking this, a sudden sense of danger surged within him.

Under the moonlight, an eerie, almost imperceptible flute began to play from some unknown direction, its wailing notes mournful, like cries of sorrow.

With the sound of the flute, rustling sounds emerged from his surroundings. Looking around, Zhao saw countless venomous snakes that had silently slithered close, their glowing green eyes fixed on him. Their forked tongues flicked rapidly, the scene under the moonlight incredibly chilling.

The hairs on Zhao Changhe’s neck stood on end. Just as he was about to leap into the air, he saw even more snakes hanging from above, like long vines dangling from the trees. The air was thick with toxic fumes. Without knowing exactly what kind of poison it was, making a blind charge would be reckless and stupid.

He halted his upward momentum and stayed on the ground.

A soft, silvery laugh rang out. “Oh my, the Wang Clan of Langya seems to have some tricks. How did you break the curse and expel the poison? I’m truly intrigued. Can you handle a little more snake venom?”

The scene was eerie and dangerous, but the seductive voice that accompanied it was like a whisper to the soul, enchanting and beguiling, as if a lover was gently urging him to do something fun.

Even a true Ranking of Earth expert like Wang Daozhong might find himself feeling dreadful at the strange situation.

But instead, Zhao Changhe rolled his eyes and leaned back against a rock, crossing his arms and closing his eyes as if to rest. “Snake venom is boring. It’s your snake-like waist I haven’t seen in a long time. When will you show it off again?”

His voice had dropped the imitation of Wang Daozhong and returned to its normal timbre.

The laughter stopped abruptly, replaced by a voice filled with shock and uncertainty. “How... How could it be you? How is your disguise this good?”

Zhao Changhe replied grumpily, “I’ll tell you if you tell me why you’re playing the role of Yue Hongling here in Miaojiang. Was it you who assassinated the pacification commissioner this evening?”

1. The name for Erhai (洱海) uses the character for sea (海). ☜

2. The raws state 分水刺, which directly translates to water-splitting thorns, but I believe that this is just referring to Emei Emei piercers (峨嵋刺), especially considering the region. These also appear in chapter 63, where they are actually named as such. ☜

3. oof ☜