Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 467: Night Investigation at the Sword Hut

The area was already at a high altitude, and climbing the mountain led them even higher. Zhao Changhe had often heard about altitude sickness in the modern world, where people who were not used to high altitudes would turn pale, struggle to breathe, and, in severe cases, even suffer serious consequences.

However, he felt nothing when he tried it himself...

The air was indeed thinner, which would actually make it harder for most martial artists than for ordinary people as their energy flow and blood circulation required more external energy intake, which this environment limited.

But for the couple who had unlocked the Profound Mysteries, their bodies had an internal circulation system, so this was not a problem for them.

Let alone thin air, even if they were submerged in deep water, they could hold their breath for an astonishing amount of time, long enough to leave countless in awe.

With Shi Wuding choosing such a high-altitude location for his sect’s new base, it should be quite disadvantageous for most of his disciples. Wouldn’t they need medicinal pills to cope?

Moreover, living here is extremely inconvenient. Even if training in the sword here might score them some style points, it doesn’t make sense to build the Sword Hut at the peak. How are they supposed to live?

Zhao Changhe had seen enough of the world to know that most so-called mountain strongholds were rarely at the summit. They usually chose to establish themselves about halfway up the mountain for practical reasons, with only important places like temples built at the summit. But the Sword Hut seemed to have entirely built their new base at an altitude of several thousand meters above sea level, which seemed utterly impractical.

Ever since discovering the changes at the Sword Hut in Bashan, Zhao Changhe had been feeling a sense of unease, a kind of anxiety gnawing at him. At first, he thought it was because Yue Hongling was in danger, but even after reuniting with her and confirming she was safe, that feeling had not gone away. The closer they got to this place, the stronger that feeling grew.

There’s definitely something wrong going on...

The two quietly made their way up the mountain. As expected, this newly established base had no serious fortifications, just some simple wooden huts hastily put together, surrounded by rocks and vegetation that made it easy to stay hidden and observe.

To their surprise, there was indeed snow on the ground. The higher they climbed, the thicker the snow became. The wind howled, and the temperature was bitterly cold. If ordinary people tried to climb in thin summer clothing like the couple was wearing, they would likely freeze to death.

“I asked Sisi,” Yue Hongling quietly transmitted her voice to him. “She said there shouldn’t be snow at this time of year, and if there was, it would only be a little on the peaks. But the snow here is already ankle-deep. This is not normal.”

So you secretly talked to Sisi too, huh? And here you were teasing me about sneaking to her place...

Zhao Changhe looked up at the sky. By the time they had arrived, it was already evening, and now that they were near the summit, it was nighttime. Snowflakes were starting to drift down. The area around them was quiet, with only a few faint lights from the scattered huts. It was the perfect setting for a snowy night of killing.

After observing for a while, they noticed what looked like a main hall with some lights still on. The hall was built against the rocks at the back of the mountain, with an open view in front, making it difficult to approach. The roof was thatched, so standing on top was not an option either.

The two exchanged a glance and, with perfect coordination, swiftly climbed onto the nearby rocks. They circled around to the back of the rocky outcrop. Yue Hongling leaped downward while Zhao Changhe, hanging upside down from the cliff, grabbed Yue Hongling’s ankle. Their combined height was just enough for Yue Hongling to hang upside down and peer through a crack in the thatched roof of the hall below.

Shi Wuding was not inside.

In the dim candlelight, a few people sat around a table drinking and speaking quietly.

“The sect master was too impulsive this time. Our perfectly fine cooperation with the Black Hmong suddenly collapsed. Things have really become a mess...”

“It doesn’t matter. We weren’t too reliant on the Black Hmong anyway. We’ve already gotten most of what we needed from them. It was obvious the Black Hmong were dragging things out and trying to use us. The sect master must’ve been thinking about turning on them for a while, and Wang Daozhong must have struck a nerve, causing him to act in advance. Now, the Black Hmong are too busy with their own problems to bother with us. We still have enough time.”

“True... but that Wang Daozhong really is insidious. I thought the Wang Clan of Langya were known for their grace and not resorting to underhanded tactics?”

“Did you seriously believe that? Without playing dirty, how did they get caught up in that mess in Hongnong?”

“Fair point.”

One of them sneered, “We’re actually already better off. I heard the Black Hmong are already sending people to Shu to ask around for Wang Daozhong’s birthdate and horoscope. They’re probably planning to use a powerful curse on him. If they manage to get him with it, it won’t matter where he is—he’ll die miserably, and not even Wang Daoning will be able to protect him.”

“Don’t they still need something like his blood or hair? Can you curse someone with just their name and birthdate?”

“Lei Ao once sent assassins after Wang Daozhong, and they supposedly managed to injure him slightly. They might have collected some of his blood, though I don’t know how useful it’ll be after being diluted in lake water... In any case, that’s the Black Hmong’s problem. I don’t know anything about curses, so what can I say? If it were up to the sect master, he’d much rather kill Wang Daozhong himself than rely on the Black Hmong’s witchcraft.”

Zhao Changhe could not see who was speaking, but he heard everything clearly, and he felt a mix of amusement and concern.

I wonder what kind of curse would take place if they tried to use my blood but paired it with Old Wang’s name and birthdate? It probably won’t work, but if it did, would we share the damage? Hopefully, with the preventive medicine I got from Sisi, I’ll be able to handle whatever happens. Let’s just hope Old Wang will be okay.

The gossip about Wang Daozhong soon passed, and the conversation shifted. “Enough about Wang Daozhong. What about Han Wubing?”

“He’s here.”

The room fell silent for a moment. After a long pause, someone finally said, “He’s already fought with Frost Hawk. He should know the full situation by now, yet he’s still willing to come?”

“Han Wubing is a man who keeps true to both grudges and favors. The sect master was his first teacher, the one who raised him. As long as the sect master shows that he’s willing to reconcile, Han Wubing will at least consider it.”

The room went silent again. Yue Hongling noticed that each person wore a conflicted expression, as if they were all wrestling with some difficult decision.

Yue Hongling quietly transmitted her voice to Zhao Changhe, “Something’s off. Based on what they’re saying, it seems that Shi Wuding might have lured Han Wubing here, intending to harm him. It looks like such an underhanded move is troubling the mid-level leaders of the Sword Hut, as it goes against their principles.”

Unable to remain calm any longer, Zhao Changhe asked, “How many people are inside?”

“Three.”

“Can you subdue them quickly? It seems we won’t hear anything specific by just eavesdropping. Merely listening in on their casual conversations won’t get us the details. We need to capture one and interrogate them.”

“...Be patient. From my observations, none of them are weak. We’re in their base, so we must be cautious.” Yue Hongling put some strength into the leg Zhao Changhe was holding, silently flipping back to her feet. She crouched behind the rocks and whispered, “They’re drinking. After enough drinks, one of them is bound to go relieve himself. We can take them down one by one.”

Zhao Changhe nodded, restraining his impatience. As expected, not too long later, the door of the hall opened, and someone walked out to relieve himself against a rock.

Before the man even had a chance to undo his belt, he felt a sharp pain in his neck and lost consciousness.

When he woke up, he was in the snowy forest, with a scar-faced man grabbing him tightly by the collar. His internal energy was sealed, preventing him from shouting for help. Zhao Changhe coldly asked, “What is your sect master planning to do to Han Wubing?”

The Sword Hut disciple fell silent. He recognized Zhao Changhe.

A little over a month ago, Han Wubing fought Frost Hawk. It was revealed by the Tome of Troubled Times that he had pursued Frost Hawk after hearing that he was an assassin from Snow-Listening Pavilion who was after Zhao Changhe.

Now, over a month later, Zhao Changhe had infiltrated their stronghold, perhaps with other matters at hand, but upon hearing about Han Wubing, he set everything aside to investigate.

This is the original spirit of swordsmanship, isn’t it? To pursue justice and loyalty.

A sense of melancholy rose in the Sword Hut disciple’s heart as he muttered softly, “This is the reason we learned the sword in the first place, isn’t it...?”

Zhao Changhe’s eyes flickered, staring at the man intently without speaking.

The disciple sighed. “Once Han Wubing comes here, it will already be too late... You’re not strong enough, and you’ll just die for nothing.”

There was a hint of genuine concern in his words.

“That’s none of your concern,” Zhao Changhe replied. “I just need to know what’s going on. If it means dying, so be it.”

The Sword Hut disciple nodded. “Yue Hongling found out about our sword slave practice, and you rescued her from the Black Hmong’s pursuit... I assume you already know about this.”

“Yes. And then?”

“Actually, the sect master began practicing the sword slave technique over ten years ago. Back then, he wasn’t as extreme as he is now. He hadn’t yet started using sword qi to forcibly replace a living person’s consciousness. Rather, he raised disciples from a young age and scattered them across the land. This is why there are Sword Hut disciples in so many factions throughout Bashu...”

The Sword Hut disciple observed Zhao Changhe’s expression carefully and spoke slowly, “Not all Sword Hut disciples of the previous generation had the ‘Wu’ prefix in their names. In fact, all those with the ‘Wu’ prefix are the personal disciples of our sect master.”

Zhao Changhe’s expression changed dramatically.

This means... Han Wubing has been a sword slave from the very beginning!

He was raised as part of Shi Wuding’s cultivation plot and set free to develop, only to eventually be reclaimed?

“Each sword slave has their own identity and self-perception,” the Sword Hut disciple continued. “Some become retainers for others, some even hold official positions in Bashu... Of course, there were many other roles that the sword slaves came to have, such as being made to feel betrayed and estranged from the sect.”

Zhao Changhe’s expression darkened.

“Only through these various individual experiences can the sword slaves generate a multitude of sword intents to nourish the sword master,” the disciple explained. “Unfortunately, despite all these years, the sect master has still been stuck at a bottleneck and unable to touch the gate to the Ranking of Heaven. So, he’s become more aggressive, moving from slowly raising young disciples to directly acquiring adult sword slaves.”

Zhao Changhe took a deep breath. “Then what does moving the entire sect to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain have to do with all this?”

“There’s a secret realm here. A few days ago, the sect master obtained a key to open it, though I’m not sure from where,” the disciple said, his voice tinged with confusion. “But we haven’t been able to locate the exact entrance. We don’t know if the sect master’s summoning of Han Wubing is related to this.”