Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 417: New Stage

The sun had not yet completely set, and many people were still eating dinner. Every household was looking up at the announcement of the Tome of Troubled Times, just like Zhao Changhe’s family would watch the evening news at the dinner table before he had transmigrated.

Hmm, it feels like it’s been many years since then.

The Tome of Troubled Times rarely featured such complex reports of multi-person battles. When it did mention a war, it was usually described in a grand, sweeping narrative and generally only for experts who were qualified to appear in the Ranking of Troubled Times. It was unusual to see so many appear at once and fight on multiple fronts simultaneously. Even the broadcaster had difficulty describing it all.

Within just a few short days, this had happened twice. The last one at the Yang Clan felt like a rehearsal, and the Tome of Troubled Times struggled to report the situation clearly. This time, it was even more outrageous—how was the Tome of Troubled Times supposed to report on this?

Even if the broadcast was vague, people would pick out the important points themselves.

Just counting casually, they looked at how many from the Ranking of Heaven and the Ranking of Earth were in the announcement. Ordinary people rarely see even one, and yet here, Maitreya and the entity backing him were surrounded by so many at once.

Just who did he offend?

Oh, he rebelled and provoked Xia Longyuan. This hunt was probably organized by the emperor then, and seeing as Cui Wenjing and Yang Jingxiu were involved, that makes sense.

But if it was organized by Xia Longyuan, what’s with Ying Five? No, forget about Ying Five, what about Black Tortoise and Vermillion Bird?

No, wait, it’s one thing for Black Tortoise and Vermillion Bird to show up, but Vermillion Bird teaming up with Tang Wanzhuang to fight Maitreya?

How many battles have the Four Idols Cult and the Demon Suppression Bureau fought over the years? Even with Tang Wanzhaung fighting Maitreya four times this year, that’s a pittance compared to over a dozen battles between Vermillion Bird and Tang Wanzhuang in previous years.

And now you’re telling me that they teamed up against Maitreya?

If there’s someone in charge of writing the announcements of the Tome of Troubled Times, could that person be blind?

But the Tome of Troubled Times has had strong credibility over the years. Even if people dispute the rankings, saying so-and-so can replace someone on the ranking or has higher potential, there has never been any mistake about what actually happened.

In other words, Vermillion Bird really did team up with Tang Wanzhuang... Then, has the Four Idols Cult been pacified?

It seems that the world order is about to change...

In fact, the most significant part of the announcement isn’t whether the government subdued the Four Idols Cult, but that the long-hidden power of the ancient gods and demons has finally begun to come to light.

“Zhao Changhe severed Maitreya’s head.” From the tone, it seems that the greatest merit actually went to someone on the Ranking of Man... Although it’s impressive, that isn’t the key point. The key is that this proves that even with so many from the Ranking of Heaven and Ranking of Earth joining forces, they did not win easily. The battle was so closely fought that someone from the Ranking of Man actually tipped the scales.

Most of the people in the current era were unaware that some gods and demons from the previous era were still alive. Most believed that they were just a legend. Now, not only did they come to confirm that these beings existed, but they were also made aware that they were incredibly powerful. Even with so many renowned experts besieging one of them, the battle was still hard-fought!

Could the being they fought be among the top-tier gods and demons from the ancient era? There shouldn’t be many of those, right? If there are, and they rampaged through the world, who could organize another hunt like this one?

Some people might prefer to speculate that the Tome of Troubled Times exaggerated things, deliberately highlighting Zhao Changhe. After all, with so many formidable figures involved, how did he alone earn such special mention?

“The bloom requires neither pale green nor deep red hues; it is, by nature, the finest of all flowers.”

Many had come to understand the meaning behind this line—it was saying that although Zhao Changhe did not have the overwhelming strength or repute of others, he still played the most crucial role.

Or, it could be said that he was the most outstanding of the younger generation.

However, not many were willing to believe in this. They would rather say that he just had good luck with women.

Back when he was on the Ranking of Hidden Dragons, there was some playful gossip. Now that he was on the Ranking of Man, the gossip continued.

He’s ranked 37? Does that mean he has three wives and four concubines?

Rumors of Xia Chichi and Yue Hongling were still swirling, and now that Zhao Changhe had completed his quest to make it onto the Ranking of Man, with Cui Wenjing present, how did the meeting go between the prospective father-in-law and son-in-law?

No one knew that Tang Buqi had arrived at the mountain, cautiously glancing back and forth between Cui Wenjing and Zhao Changhe.

In his eyes, Zhao Changhe’s “three wives” might even include his aunt...

And no one knew that behind her tortoise mask, Lady Three was playfully smiling as she glanced at Vermillion Bird.

* * *

Wang Zhaoling, leading his family’s forces south, had not gone more than a few hundred li when a scout reported ahead, “Young master, Yang Bugui entered Xuzhou with great fanfare.”

“Great fanfare, huh,” Wang Zhaoling repeated, gazing silently toward Xuzhou in the distance.

A power claiming control across multiple regions, this was simply not something that the imperial court would allow without resistance.

Xuzhou, the southern stronghold of Langya, would not be given to the Wang Clan to govern. Instead, it was governed by an old official loyal to the Yang Clan. This kind of interlocking, balancing power dynamic remained crucial to the stability of an empire.

For those in Langya to move south, they would have to pass through Xuzhou.

When Yang Bugui entered Xuzhou with great fanfare, it essentially conveyed the message: the road south for your mischief is blocked by the Yang Clan.

The Wang Clan was well aware of the Yang Clan’s birthday banquet. While they were rescuing Wang Daozhong, Wang Zhaoling led his forces south, already prepared for a confrontation with the Yang Clan.

He sighed. His relationship with Yang Bugui had been pretty good before, but that has since changed, and now they would inevitably meet on the battlefield.

“March on, we’ll arrive before nightfall...” Before he could finish his sentence, a rider came galloping from the west. “Young master, Cui Yuanyong has stationed troops in Puyang.”

This time, Wang Zhaoling’s expression changed.

If the Yang Clan’s betrayal had been anticipated, the Cui Clan’s sudden decision to place pressure on the western front was the worst-case scenario in their plans.

It did not matter how many troops Cui Yuanyong had brought. It was not even necessary to know.

The mere fact that they had shown such an attitude meant that the Wang Clan had to consider whether they still dared to push south!

Wang Zhaoling hesitated for a moment. Facing such a major decision for the first time, it was truly a test.

Just as he wavered, a golden light flashed in the sky, and the Tome of Troubled Times made its announcements to the world.

Wang Zhaoling looked up in a daze, then sighed long and deeply. “How quickly Maitreya was defeated... Tang Buqi, Zhao Changhe...”

He no longer hesitated. He turned his horse around and commanded, “Retreat!”

There was no need to hesitate anymore. He had thought that there would be a standoff for some time, with complex strategies for offense and defense. Supposedly, as long as the Wang Clan’s forces applied pressure on Jiangbei, the Tang Clan was sure to be in disarray. But then, Tang Buqi’s surprise attack had caught both Maitreya and the Wang Clan off guard.

What no one expected was for the battle to be over in just half an hour. Maitreya had been unable to hold out at all.

Who could hold out against so many figures from the Ranking of Heaven and the Ranking of Earth? It was practically bullying. Wang Zhaoling looked up once more at Cui Wenjing’s name, realizing that Cui Yuanyong’s entry into Puyang was not surprising at all. After all, with his own father on the frontlines, how could he allow others to stab them in the back?

Is the Cui Clan choosing to side with their son-in-law, abandoning their familial ties on our side?

Or is this merely because of the shadow of the gods and demons that Cui Wenjing regards with great importance?

Wang Zhaoling could not be bothered to think about it further. He would leave that for his father to ponder on. Right now, what occupied his mind most was Zhao Changhe’s judgment.

Among the younger generation, Zhao Changhe was indeed the most outstanding, whether back when he was on the Ranking of Hidden Dragons or now that he was on the Ranking of Man.

But what about them?

Wang Zhaoling, Cui Yuanyong, and Yang Bugui—three top clans, three former friends, three former firsts on the Ranking of Hidden Dragon. They now stood at opposing points of a triangle, facing each other in battle.

Yang Bugui, who just a few days ago was moved up to the top spot on the Ranking of Hidden Dragons, had now also effortlessly made his way onto the Ranking of Man.

Including Tang Buqi, who aged out of the ranking, on this day, none of them were on the Ranking of Hidden Dragons anymore.

It seemed to declare that the outstanding members of the younger generation of this era had now fully stepped onto the main stage.

Wang Zhaoling looked south and muttered to himself, “We may not have had many dazzling achievements when we were on the Ranking of Hidden Dragons, but that was simply because we had few opportunities to fight. Yet, now that the world is shifting... In the future, the most colorful among the flowers may not always be you, Zhao Changhe.”

* * *

No matter how much turmoil there was in the world or how many of Wang Zhaoling’s peers shared his sentiments, at this moment in Kuaiji, Tang Buqi was too busy cleaning up the aftermath in the city to even take a bathroom break. Cui Wenjing, Yang Jingxiu, and the others were celebrating their victory with a banquet, while Zhao Changhe was resting.

None of the others were injured; some were, at most, slightly over-exerted, like Tang Wanzhuang. Although some others such as Vermillion Bird and Black Tortoise had blood emerge at the corners of their mouths, those were just minor internal injuries that martial artists barely noticed.

There really were only two people who got injured. Ying Five had taken some explosive damage but quickly recovered with some medicine. He was now cheerfully going for drinks as if nothing had happened. And the other was the only one who could not move—the very same person officially declared the “most exceptional among the flowers” by the Tome of Troubled Times, Zhao Changhe.

It seemed like after every major battle, he always ended up lying in a room like a dead dog, unable to attend any victory banquets, not even able to drink a single sip of wine—truly living up to the image of a delicate flower.

At Yanment, it was unavoidable. He could not possibly defeat Vulture Beak without suffering any injuries. This time, he could have won without getting severe injuries, but he had to buy time and free himself from his battle against Fa Chi quickly to release Dragon Bird, so he ultimately took a direct hit from Fa Chi’s blade.

The golden foil he usually kept on his chest as a protective talisman had been stashed away in his storage ring this time, leaving him without any protection. The cut was brutal, nearly severing some of his ribs.

Last time, many had come to visit, bringing medicine. This time, no one bothered with him. Before, even Yue Hongling, who acted tough but had a soft heart, had helped with dual cultivation to heal him. But now, no one could help.

Not to mention that Tang Wanzhuang had not yet openly acknowledged her feelings. Even if she did, with so many people around, she could not just run in and shamelessly help him. She had her dignity.

So, there was no one left. He could not possibly expect Lady Three to help him. Zhao Changhe pitifully activated his Rejuvenation Art to heal himself—at least it was somewhat effective.

Just as he was thinking this, the window creaked open, and Lady Three, wearing her tortoise mask, jumped inside with a “thump.”

“...” Zhao Changhe’s mouth gaped, but his first reaction was not to wonder why Lady Three was there. Instead, he was thinking he needed to find a way to describe that mask.