Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 400: When Tang Wanzhuang Isn’t Lovestruck

In this situation, Tang Wanzhuang and the enraged Yang Jingxiu were more than enough to kill Wang Daozhong and Cai Wenque ten times over. Additionally, this was all taking place inside the Yang Clan’s territory, where a single shout could instantly call forth layers of encirclement, making it certain that these two were doomed.

But then, Wang Daozhong made a move that left Zhao Changhe feeling admiration for him.

He dodged Zhao Changhe’s strike, moving just close enough to the spot where Yang Jingxiu was attacking Cai Wenque, and suddenly thrust his sword—not at Yang Jingxiu but at Cai Wenque.

Cai Wenque was already struggling against Yang Jingxiu, hoping for Wang Daozhong’s help, but instead, the person who he believed to be his own ally suddenly stabbed him in the back. How could he possibly dodge it?

The long sword pierced straight into the back of his neck, making its way out through his throat.

At the same time, Tang Wanzhuang’s sword was already at Wang Daozhong’s neck.

Cai Wenque turned his head with difficulty to look at Wang Daozhong, his eyes wide open in shock. His throat made meaningless sounds before he fell to the ground with a thud. He died with his eyes wide open, filled with disbelief.

Wang Daozhong did not care at all about the sword against his neck. He pointed at Cai Wenque’s corpse and said angrily, “You treacherous scoundrel! How dare you try to mix in poison and try to contaminate my family’s treasure?! You dare try to sow discord between the Wang and Yang Clans?! You deserve to die!”

Yang Jingxiu put away his sword and stood silently, his gaze cold as he stared at Wang Daozhong without speaking.

Wang Daozhong cupped his hand and said, “Brother Yang, this was all the treacherous plot of this villain. You should recognize our clan’s Mysterious Radiant Sequestered Soil—it’s a true divine item. I have no idea how this scoundrel managed to concoct a vile poison that triggered such a reaction, causing such a malicious transformation. I hope that you can see the truth and not fall for the schemes of this villain.”

With him putting things this way, the situation became rather tricky.

Having Cai Wenque, someone seemingly unrelated to their family, carry out this step was supposed to keep the Wang Clan’s hands clean... On the surface, the Wang Clan had taken out an extremely valuable treasure for the Yang Clan with noble intentions. If they killed him without a valid reason that could convince the outside world, it would make the Yang Clan look bad in the eyes of the public.

It would also give the Wang Clan a pretext to launch a military campaign, and the question thus became whether Yang Jingxiu was willing to put his family on the front lines of an all-out war.

It was not necessarily about fearing the Wang Clan of Langya; rather, he was more worried about the enormous implications that may result from such rash actions. Yang Jingxiu felt that he needed time to consider and weigh his options. His face was filled with uncertainty.

This time, it would also be difficult for Zhao Changhe to use his previous trick of killing someone in front of a clan head, forcing the Yang Clan into action. The situation in the Central Plains was not like the one in Saibei, and Yang Jingxiu was not Batu. He might not be coerced into joining forces with him even if he were placed under pressure. In fact, if he provoked Yang Jingxiu, it was entirely possible for the Yang Clan to rebel independently. He would then gain nothing from the effort and might even have to face serious consequences.

As the atmosphere grew tense, Tang Wanzhuang smiled faintly, and it was as if the flowers of spring had bloomed. “Apologies, although the grand commandant is clearly the victim in this matter, this is a serious case that must be handled by the imperial court. Therefore,I cannot allow you to conduct a private trial here.”

With those words, she moved with lightning speed, striking Wang Daozhong’s acupoints and sealing his movements. “Sea-Dividing Marquis, you are a prime suspect for attempting to assassinate the grand commandant and seize another’s treasure. You are to be taken back to the Demon Suppression Bureau for a thorough investigation.”

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Wang Daozhong angrily shouted, “Tang Wanzhuang, you—”

Before he could continue, his throat acupoint was struck, cutting off any more words he had to say.

Tang Wanzhuang suddenly whistled, and before long, a report came from outside by a member of the Yang Clan. “Clan head, the Marquis of Wuping[1] is visiting.”

Yang Jingxiu and the immobilized Wang Daozhong both gasped in shock.

The Marquis of Wuping, Qin Dingjiang, was eighteenth on the Ranking of Earth. He was also the deputy chief of the Demon Suppression Bureau and chief officer of the major crimes department. Whenever Tang Wanzhuang was not in the capital, he was responsible for overseeing the operations of the Demon Suppression Bureau in the capital.

When did he get to Hongnong? How did he get here without anyone noticing?

Tang Wanzhuang spoke calmly, “Actually, I secretly ordered the Marquis of Wuping to come, but it was not to escort a suspect. I originally planned for the Marquis of Wuping to lie in wait outside the residence so that if anyone tried to escape after their plan failed, we would not be caught off guard. Given that this matter involves Ranking of Earth experts and the Demon Suppression Bureau is understaffed, I had to trouble the Marquis of Wuping to rush here from the capital. It was really hard for him to come from the capital. Fortunately, it was not in vain.”

Wang Daozhong: “...”

Of course, it wasn’t in vain. With a Ranking of Earth expert leading the escort, even an attempt to rescue the prisoner en route would be difficult... Unless, of course, Wang Daoning personally intervenes. But at this point, he doesn’t even know that the plan here has failed. By the time he finds out, I’ll already be in the capital.

If Wang Daozhong could speak, he would have definitely cursed.

His mind had been entirely focused on dealing with Zhao Changhe, forgetting that before Zhao Changhe’s rise, the person most feared by villains and rebels in the entire Great Xia, aside from Xia Longyuan, was someone else.

Not only did she see through the problem in time and stop Cai Wenque, but she also preemptively blocked any escape route if their plan failed. In fact, it could also be considered as calling for reinforcements. Once she was at a disadvantage, she would immediately call a Ranking of Earth helper.

When her mind was not completely occupied with romance, it could be said that from the moment she got involved, her opponent would no longer have any possibility of success.

Why was I so fixated on Zhao Changhe... Could it be that Zhao Changhe had just been here to distract me?

An elderly man entered slowly, cupping his hand in greeting to both Tang Wanzhuang and Yang Jingxiu, and then he cheerfully lifted Wang Daozhong. “Sea-Dividing Marquis, long time no see. Care to join this old man for a walk?”

Tang Wanzhuang smiled and said, “Now that this matter is settled, I must head south. Uncle Qin, I’ll have to trouble you to take care of the Demon Suppression Bureau while I’m away.”

Qin Dingjiang smiled and said, “No problem. There’s much to handle, and I shouldn’t stay away from the capital for too long, either. I’ll head back now. You be careful on your journey south.”

Tang Wanzhuang bowed slightly. “Thank you, Uncle Qin.”

As they watched Qin Dingjiang leave with Wang Daozhong in tow, Yang Jingxiu sighed softly. “I owe everything to your careful planning, First Seat Tang. I... thank you.”

Tang Wanzhuang smiled faintly. “It wasn’t all done by me alone. Yangyang’s help in gathering information was also incredibly crucial.”

Cui Yuanyang raised her hand, waving it energetically, and then she jumped up. “I was the one who put the mud together too!”

Tang Wanzhuang chuckled, “Yes, Yangyang is the best.”

Yang Jingxiu shook his head with a wry smile.

“And also...” Tang Wanzhuang turned her beautiful eyes to Zhao Changhe and said softly, “If the Wang Clan managed to solve the issue with their sword spirit, it’s possible that they did it in the way that Changhe told me.”

Yang Jingxiu asked, “I’d like to hear more.”

“Changhe mentioned that the Wang Clan may have been infiltrated by a mysterious group called the Sea Tribe, who might be able to control people silently and without a trace. If the Wang Clan resolved the issue with their sword spirit before anyone else, it might be related to this. With this information in mind, when I saw Wang Daozhong take out the Mysterious Radiant Sequestered Soil, I was able to guess what they were trying to do.”

Zhao Changhe cupped his hand toward Yang Jingxiu and said, “I’m ashamed, senior. Please don’t blame me for not telling you earlier... I had my suspicions about this matter for a while, but they were just suspicions, after all. Without any solid evidence, it would be hard to make you believe me. While it might be fine for me to tell Wanzhuang about these baseless theories, bringing them up to you, senior, would have made it look like I was sowing discord and acting in bad faith.”

Yang Jingxiu waved his hand. “That was the right decision. Young Master Zhao, you were nothing but prudent. It is I who should feel ashamed for harboring small-minded thoughts about Your Highness and First Seat Tang.”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

Why is he addressing me as Your Highness again...

Everyone exchanged pleasantries and felt at ease, all except for Huangfu Qing, who wore a stern expression and remained silent.

So these were the secrets you were discussing earlier, huh? And you didn’t tell me?!

Did you think that because the Four Idols Cult and the Wang Clan are allies, you shouldn’t reveal it to me? Who cares about the Wang Clan? You’re also part of the Four Idols Cult, and you did this to gain leverage over the Yang Clan for the cult, didn’t you? Have you forgotten that?

Your reward is gone.

Tang Wanzhuang’s gaze swept over Huangfu Qing, her eyes revealing a hint of understanding, but she said nothing.

Just now, that effortless suppression of the yin qi...

The yin qi, for the sake of concealment, was not strong on the surface. And Huangfu Qing was standing right next to the sword, so it would have been easy for her to stop it with a quick reaction. It truly did not require all that much skill. Most people present, including Wang Daozhong, probably had not noticed anything amiss. But if one were already suspicious that she might be Vermillion Bird, it seemed a bit questionable no matter how you looked at it.

Even if the yin qi was not that powerful, it still had to be strong enough to threaten the sword spirit. An ordinary person would need to resist it somehow, right? Yet she just casually crushed it like it was nothing.

Vermillion Bird’s fire was the perfect counter to such cold yin qi.

Of course, this was not conclusive proof, but it was enough for Tang Wanzhuang to make her judgment. You might argue that the Fire Serpent of Yi’s fire could do the same, but regardless of whether others believe that or not, I don’t buy it. Too many coincidences make it so that they are no longer just coincidences.

But what should I do about this? She’s genuinely been helping me... Damn, this is so strange...

Wait, did Zhao Changhe really manage to win over Vermillion Bird?!

While both women were lost in thought, Yang Jingxiu and Zhao Changhe were having a lively conversation.

“Your Highness, what is the origin of this Sea Tribe? Why have I never heard of them? Could it be referring to some small tribe living around the sea? But then they shouldn’t have such capabilities...”

“I suspect they are an ancient tribe. There might be some ancient secret realm beneath the sea where they’ve been hiding, and they may now be plotting something,” explained Zhao Changhe. “There are quite a few ancient beings like this, such as that figure you saw behind... well. The Sea Tribe may be one such force. As for the specifics, I don’t know much more than you. Even the idea that they can control others is just speculation, and it may not be the case at all.”

“Judging by the yin qi we saw just now, that speculation might be close to the truth.” Yang Jingxiu turned his head, his gaze icy as he stared at Doctor Lu, who was slumped on the floor nearby.

The doctor, who was merely at Profound Gate, had long been scared stiff in the midst of a battle between Ranking of Man and Ranking of Earth experts, and he had yet to recover since.

Zhao Changhe squatted beside him, flashing a grin. “Doctor, I imagine that you might not know all of the Wang Clan’s secrets, but as the most renowned doctor under them, you must be the one who knows the most about this marine clay. Could you explain it in detail?”

1. In the real world, this title was historically conferred upon Cao Cao. ☜