Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 510: The Army Arrives

Even though she knew that this day would inevitably come, Sisi still felt a surge of rage and the urge to kill someone.

She understood that their idyllic days had now come to an end, disrupted by the unfolding war. Peaceful days like the ones they had been enjoying could not resume until the war concluded, and that was likely to be far into the future.

Zhao Changhe had completed this phase of his cultivation. While there might still be some secrets hidden here, they were not meant to be uncovered at this stage. Perhaps, when he returned someday, during one of the following summer-autumn transitions, he would bring Vermillion Bird and White Tiger to see if they could unveil further mysteries.

“I will return,” Zhao Changhe said, lowering his head to kiss her forehead. “Don’t look so sad. There are just some things we’ve got to do first.”

Sisi pouted, muttering, “Why couldn’t Lei Zhentang just stay put and rest properly? He’s really set on stirring things up, huh? I swear, he’s just asking to die!”

Zhao Changhe could not help but laugh. The immediate threat was clearly Di Muzhi coming to suppress the rebellion, and Lei Zhentang was supposed to be on her side, yet she cursed Lei Zhentang. It seemed Sisi had already lumped Di Muzhi and Lei Zhentang together, but Zhao Changhe was not ready to make such assumptions.

In any case, whether they were allies or not, there would inevitably be a struggle for dominance in Miaojiang. Sisi would have to face the Black Hmong sooner or later. It was only natural that she would direct her frustration at Lei Zhentang.

Zhao Changhe stood up tall, stretching his limbs. “Come on, I need to head out and assess the situation. At the moment, I don’t even know who I should be fighting.”

Indeed, he still did not know who the immediate enemy was.

In theory, Di Muzhi’s deployment was in response to the anti-Xia sentiment in Miaojiang. Even though it had taken more than a month for him to act—an astonishing delay—his reasons were still legitimate. Zhao Changhe could not exactly argue against the Shu Commandery intervening on behalf of the Xia people.

It was also possible that agents like Li Sian from the Demon Suppression Bureau had reported the situation to the imperial court, and only then had the court issued an order, resulting in the Shu Commandery’s slow response.

However, Zhao Changhe could not just side with Di Muzhi to suppress Miaojiang. The rebellion in Miaojiang, though driven in part by the Black Hmong’s ambitions, was primarily rooted in the public’s resentment against Di Muzhi’s extortion and oppression. Otherwise, the other tribes—such as the White Hmong and the Yao—would not have cooperated with the Black Hmong, and any ambitions Lei Zhentang harbored would have been stifled.

Zhao Changhe was fully aware that the hypothetical adversary he had been preparing to confront during his cultivation was not Lei Zhentang but Di Muzhi.

Whether Di Muzhi had some grand scheme or was simply motivated by greed and malice, he was the kind of corrupt official that, in Zhao Changhe’s previous pursuit of justice, would have been the first to face his blade.

But Di Muzhi was not an ordinary corrupt official; he was first on the Ranking of Man.

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Perhaps the previous holders of that rank had only reached the first layer of the Profound Mysteries—such as Vulture Beak, who had advanced to the Ranking of Earth merely to fill a vacancy.

But it was also conceivable that such figures were only a step away from breaking through to the second layer of the Profound Mysteries, with the potential to do so at any moment. Given the time that had passed, Zhao Changhe had made rapid progress, but others would not have stayed stagnant. It was highly likely that Vulture Beak himself had now reached the second layer of the Profound Mysteries.

Likewise, Di Muzhi’s position on the Ranking of Man had not changed for many years. If he had reached the top since then, what about now?

To treat him as someone merely at the first layer of the Profound Mysteries would clearly be an underestimation. One had to assume he had reached the second layer, and maybe a good while back.

With Zhao Changhe’s previous level of power, attacking a corrupt official like that would have been utterly reckless, and he would have paid dearly for it.

But things were different now. Zhao Changhe had confidence in his current abilities.

After a moment of contemplation, he said, “Here’s what we’ll do. You mobilize and prepare your troops, and I’ll go meet Di Muzhi.”

Sisi was momentarily stunned before remembering that Zhao Changhe was not part of any Miaojiang tribe. He was someone from Xia—moreover, he held the token of an agent of the Demon Suppression Bureau, which gave him every right to meet with Di Muzhi for a conversation.

Sisi scratched her head. “After all this trouble, are you going to help Di Muzhi fight against us?”

Zhao Changhe responded with a smack on her butt. “Be good, wash up, and wait for me to deal with you in bed.”

As she blushed, the young maids who had brought the news turned their heads aside.

The position they had seen earlier was still vivid in their minds. They had seen how their queen had wiped her lips as she stood up... The timing of Di Muzhi and Lei Zhentang’s intrusion seemed particularly unfortunate.

* * *

Sisi did not bring out many people from the Spirit Tribe’s secret realm. She selected only a few young individuals eager to experience the excitement of the outside world, partly to balance the Xia population in Taoyuan Town.

In truth, she did not need to bring out support from the secret realm. The forces in Taoyuan Town alone had already become a significant power in Miaojiang.

Although they did not have the highest number of troops, every Xia citizen there was a skilled martial artist, making them an elite group. Moreover, the Spirit Tribe’s mastery of shamanic magic and gu arts was on par with the best among the tribes of Miaojiang, perhaps even surpassing them. With such a combination, Taoyuan Town had emerged as one of the most formidable factions around Dali.

Upon leaving the secret realm, Sisi immediately mustered her forces, marching to Dali to participate in the coalition’s council.

Meanwhile, Zhao Changhe rode north alone, navigating the narrow paths infested with miasma and venomous creatures, heading straight for Di Muzhi’s encampment in the north.

Di Muzhi’s army was now quite close to Miaojiang. Whether by intent or coincidence, it seemed his route avoided Emei, where the Divine Brilliance Sect resided, moving along a path further west. They were moving south along a river—the name of which evoked a sense of nostalgia in Zhao Changhe, making him want to reach for a cigarette.

The river was called the Litang River[1]. The river’s headwaters flowed from Litan in the northwest... But now they were already downstream, nearing Miaojiang.

As dusk fell, the army halted to let their horses rest and set up camp by the Litang River.

After two days of riding, Zhao Changhe arrived just as the troops were setting up camp. Observing from a distance for a while, he could not help but shake his head.

The soldiers were lax, and they took an inordinate amount of time to pitch their camp. They could not even compare to the troops in Jiangnan, let alone those of Yanmen. One of the apparent vanguard generals was leaning against a tree, drinking with a group of his men, shouting from time to time, “Hurry the hell up, you slackers! The prefectural governor’s main force will be arriving soon, and he’ll whip the lot of you if you’re not done!”

The soldiers were gaunt, wearing tattered clothing. Zhao Changhe saw one taking out rations to eat with water, and even from afar, he could tell the food was moldy.

There was a soldier using a saber to shave wooden stakes, and Zhao Changhe noticed keenly that the saber had nicks and signs of rust.

This army is going to war?

It looked more like they were marching to their deaths in Miaojiang. He doubted whether they could even get through the poisonous miasma ahead.

He had been watching from afar for quite some time before a scouting party finally noticed him and surrounded him. “Who goes there?!”

Zhao Changhe gazed at the emaciated scouts and sighed. “I am an agent of the Great Xia’s Demon Suppression Bureau, and I have urgent matters that require an audience with Prefectural Governor Di. Please relay my message.”

“The prefectural governor is still behind us. He’ll only join us once we’ve set up camp...”

The general by the tree noticed the commotion and shouted, “What’s going on over there?”

“General Di, there’s a man here claiming to be from the Demon Suppression Bureau.”

“From the Demon Suppression Bureau? Let me see your token.”

Zhao Changhe pulled out the jade token from a distance.

“Pfft...” The general could not quite make out the details of the token, but he immediately recognized its color, causing him to spit out a mouthful of wine and cough. “A jade token... An elite agent of the Demon Suppression Bureau!”

At his words, his deputy and the guards around him began shuffling to conceal items, even trying to usher the soldiers beside them away.

The general waved his hand nonchalantly. “What are you hiding all that for? Invite our Demon Suppression Bureau colleague over for a chat.”

Zhao Changhe urged his horse closer, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Those “soldiers” the guards were trying to hide were not soldiers at all—they were women.

Not only were they women, but they also had vacant stares, traces of blood on them, and an unmistakable look of terror as they stood by in forced servitude.

Zhao Changhe’s gaze passed over what they had not had time to hide...

It was the severed head of a Xia villager, the blood still fresh.

“Ah, what might be the esteemed name of this agent?” The general continued, seemingly unfazed by what Zhao Changhe had seen, rising with a grin to greet him. “Jade tokens are rare indeed—your authority is on par with our prefectural governor. Come, come, join us for a drink... The governor will arrive any moment now.”

“As an agent, my name is not to be disclosed,” Zhao Changhe said flatly, dismounting from his horse.

“Ah, of course, of course. I wasn’t thinking straight. Haha.” The general approached, ostensibly to lend a supporting hand, and discreetly passed a piece of gold into Zhao Changhe’s hand.

Zhao Changhe accepted it.

Seeing this, the general’s smile grew even wider, and he immediately pulled one of the women from his side, pushing her into Zhao Changhe’s arms. “See, we’re all comrades here...”

Zhao Changhe could feel the woman trembling in fear. One hand rested on the hilt of his saber, and beneath his seemingly calm gaze lay a chilling intent to kill.

In the distance, a cloud of dust rose. Di Muzhi’s main army had arrived.

Zhao Changhe slowly released his grip, choosing not to alert his prey for now. He let out a hearty laugh. “I have urgent business. I have no time to accompany you here, general. Once I’ve met with Prefectural Governor Di and completed my mission, I will gladly return to drink with you—to toast to the Yellow Springs.”

The general found the remark rather ominous, a little too similar to the vulgar threats of Situ Xiao, who spoke endlessly of the Yellow Springs. He waved his hand dismissively. “Since the prefectural governor has arrived, I must attend the banquet as well. Let’s go together.”

1. There’s a brand of cigarettes that sounds somewhat similar, but it’s Liqun (利群). ☜