Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 118: Twenty-Eight Mansions

There were only a few people present who understood that the speed of Zhao Changhe’s saber had, for some reason, managed to deceive everyone’s visual perception.

When fighters engaged in combat and their weapons clashed, there was always an anticipated point of contact. It was at that anticipated point of contact that the strength behind the weapons would be at their peak. It was like how people have an anticipated point where their foot would land when walking, and if they land too early or too late, they are likely to stumble. A more common example would be when walking down the stairs mindlessly and thinking that there is another step when there isn’t, and you end up stumbling.

Zhao Changhe’s saber had intersected with Batu’s saber just a very slight bit earlier than anticipated. At that moment, Batu’s strength had not yet reached its peak, but Zhao Changhe’s already had.

At that same time, while Zhao Changhe’s saber looked like it had engaged in a pure head-on collision, he had secretly incorporated a bit of power dissipation.

He had always solely used his Six Harmonies Art to enhance his Vicious Blood Art, allowing him to challenge opponents of higher cultivation levels. But in this collision, he had diverted a portion of this power to dissipate the other party’s power, adding a hint of softness to his extremely forceful strike.

It was as if Batu’s saber was a boat moving upstream, but then the stream suddenly turned into a torrent, following which a floating log came crashing straight into him. In the end, he was unable to hold his ground and was forced along the stream.

Moreover, despite the old and rusty appearance of Zhao Changhe’s saber, it had some hidden qualities that made it far superior to Batu’s saber. The swift and fierce saber qi that surged out of the saber pierced straight through Batu’s strength, causing him to involuntarily pull back.

Having wrongly judged the point of contact, the strength of the opponent, and the weapon, how could Batu, who had been in such a rush to prove his strength against Zhao Changhe, possibly win?

This battle had been extremely frustrating for him. He was absolutely certain that he possessed greater strength than Zhao Changhe, but he could not make use of it. He had been inexplicably swept away, causing him to feel like a young bride exposed in front of everyone. Even as he was being taken away by his companion, he remained confused and could not understand what had happened.

Even Yue Hongling did not know how Zhao Changhe had achieved the early point of contact, and how he had managed to use the combination of hardness and softness in his attack. It was all very mysterious to her.

In the crowd, Tang Buqi murmured to himself, “Could it be the Spring Water Sword Art? How is this possible...”

Those nearby who heard what he said gave him strange looks. They all thought it was incredibly unlikely for anyone to be able to use such a large saber to perform the Spring Water Sword Art. It was simply too hard to believe.

However, no matter how Tang Buqi looked at it, he felt that there really was some resemblance to the art, especially the early point of contact. It was as if the saber’s path had deceived everyone’s perception, appearing slightly slower than it actually was

Zhao Changhe’s saber slash did not involve any of the special effects of their martial art, only a slight sensation that made it feel similar to theirs. The path that his saber took was completely different from their sword techniques, and others would definitely not be able to tell. However, Tang Buqi was a hidden dragon himself and a core member of the Tang Clan. How could he not notice something was off?

Damn it, you keep calling me “eldest nephew.” I thought that you were just teasing me, but don’t tell me that there’s actually some truth to it??? If it’s even remotely true, then how dare you pursue Yue Hongling right in front of me? Did you think I wouldn’t get pissed?! [1]!

Meanwhile, Zhao Changhe surveyed the area and noticed that Wan Dongliu was whispering to his subordinates. Soon, more than half of the members of the Cao Gang that had been present in the hall silently left.

Zhao Changhe had a pretty good idea of what Wan Dongliu was planning. He had most likely made the ruthless decision of taking advantage of this time when Chi Li was injured to eliminate the foreign hidden dragons.

If that’s the case, then this guy seems to be... okay? Maybe I was a bit too suspicious of him before?

At this moment, Magistrate Qian suddenly spoke, “This is exactly as it should be! We must show off the might of the Great Xia! Dongliu, bring some people to protect the foreign market, and make sure that no one disturbs our guests. We should show that the Great Xia is magnanimous.”

Zhao Changhe clearly saw the flash of rage emerge in Wan Dongliu’s eyes, but he swiftly forced it down and replied in a low voice, “Understood.”

Magistrate Qian stood up from his seat with a smile, “I’m getting old, and I can’t keep up with you young martial artists. I shall be heading back to rest now. Everyone performed very well today. Good job, all of you.”

Seeing as he had not even stayed for dinner, it was almost certain that the magistrate had come here to support the foreigners. It was clear that he had no interest in socializing with the young local martial artists.

At this moment, even Yue Hongling’s eyes turned cold, secretly wondering to herself if she had another official to add to her list of corrupt officials to be killed.

However, Zhao Changhe gently shook his head at her, indicating not to rush things. Yue Hongling tilted her head in response and said nothing.

Zhao Changhe walked over and said in a soft voice, “I know your intention to challenge Chi Li. He is a person with immense potential who can’t be left unchecked. Otherwise, he may become a great threat to the Central Plains in the future, no less formidable than the Khagan of the Golden Horde[2] or the Great Shaman. However, I do not want to worry about things that far ahead. All I know is that I don’t want you to die, so please don’t blame me for being so meddlesome.”

Yue Hongling looked at him for a while and whispered, “You care about my life, how can I not appreciate that?”

“You are two years younger than him, so you have plenty of opportunities to surpass him,” Zhao Changhe silently handed her a bottle of recovery medicine. “I swear, every time I see you... You always end up injured...”

Hearing his concerned tone, Yue Hongling found herself somewhat amused.

Although she had suffered many injuries during her adventures in the jianghu, it was not as frequent as he made it sound. Over the past six months, she had actually only been injured twice. The first was when she faced Cui Yuanyong, the Third Hidden Dragon, and now when confronting Chi Li, the first in the ranking. These battles were genuine tests of skill against similarly strong opponents, so preventing injury was just a pipe dream.

What was ironic was that both times she was injured, Zhao Changhe ended up by her side, witnessing her in her weakest moments, as if it was destiny.

What Zhao Changhe had taken out just now was recovery medicine he had gotten from the Cui Clan, and it was actually better than what Yue Hongling had. She did not hesitate to accept it, and she even jokingly said, “Are you using Cui Yuanyang’s things to win me over?”

“Huh?” Zhao Changhe was dumbfounded. “No, no, you... Hey, wait, I haven’t gotten to ask you yet. Why didn’t you follow the script earlier?”

“I just didn’t want to,” Yue Hongling replied with a slight blush. She tilted her head and said, “I can’t just embarrass you in front of everybody. Anyway, I just mentioned my criteria for choosing a partner. I didn’t say that meeting those criteria means that you can immediately become my partner. There are many people who can meet those criteria...”

Zhao Changhe was speechless. “Even if you think so, others might not. At the very least, I’m pretty sure quite a few of them believe that you said what you said because you’re fine with me pursuing you...”

Yue Hongling thought for a while and suddenly laughed, “Well, I have no objection to that at all.”

Zhao Changhe was stunned.

Yue Hongling playfully walked upstairs with her hands behind her back, swaying as she climbed the stairs. “There are plenty of people who want to pursue me. That’s their choice. I can’t control what they do? Anyway, let’s go upstairs for dinner. We did come here to enjoy a banquet.”

Zhao Changhe scratched his head, wondering what she meant.

If you really have no objections, then I’ll really pursue you!

Just as he was about to follow her upstairs, Tang Buqi suddenly appeared right in front of him with a serious expression. “That move you used just now... did it carry the Spring Water Sword Intent? I also had a strange feeling when you blocked my sword that day...”

Zhao Changhe patted his shoulder and replied, “A gentleman does not focus on mere appearances but looks at the essence. There are many things that can give off a similar sensation as the Spring Water Sword Intent. Do you really think that such a move is unique to your clan?”

Tang Buqi said expressionlessly, “You’re right, I didn’t focus on mere appearances. It looked like your saber, but what it was is the Spring Water Sword Intent.”

Zhao Changhe blinked. Hm, looks like this guy isn’t that stupid...

Of course, stealing someone else’s sword techniques was a taboo in the jianghu. If he were to admit it, he would admit it to Tang Wanzhuang later on, not to this eldest nephew of his. Zhao Changhe rolled his eyes and said, “If you don’t believe me, just ask your aunt. Why are you making all these guesses here? I just saved you, and now you’re blocking my way like this?”

Tang Buqi hesitated for a moment and lowered his voice. “I want to invite you to join me in killing Chi Li and Batu. They should be staying in the foreigner district.”

Zhao Changhe was startled and then turned to look for Wan Dongliu, but he couldn’t find him. It looked like the man had already gone upstairs. After some thought, he shook his head and said, “They’re not fools. By now, they’ve probably already gone into hiding. With the magistrate covering for them, it’ll be challenging for brother Wan to find them. By the way, let me ask you something, you’ve been in Jiangnan for quite some time, right”

“Yes. What is it?”

“Are there any characters in Jiangnan or the Grasslands that wear masks while carrying out missions?”

“...People who wear masks while doing such things are generally associated with the Four Idols Sect, and they are usually of higher rank. Have you encountered them? Oh right, it’s not unusual for such people from the Four Idols Cult to be causing you trouble.”

Zhao Changhe recalled Vermillion Bird’s mask and nodded. “If it’s the Four Idols Cult, do you know who among them wears a blue mask?”

Tang Buqi thought for a moment before saying, “If they’re wearing a blue mask, then they should be related to water or something like that. For example, the Water Leopard of Ji or the Water Leech of Zhen. They should both have blue masks”

“The Twenty-Eight Mansions[3]?”

“Yup. Did you think that the Four Idols Cult only had the four idol saints? They also have people known as the Twenty-Eight Mansions. They are scattered throughout the world, but their identities are very secretive, and no one knows who they are.”

Zhao Changhe pondered for a long time and suddenly said, “Before I arrived just now, did brother Wan or Xuan Chong leave for any reason?”

“Who pays attention to those things? People randomly go out to relieve themselves, right? Why are you asking?”

Zhao Changhe chuckled and said, “It’s nothing, dear nephew. I’ve learned that apart from being a bit naive, you’re not too bad...”

1. What he says here is actually “My name is Tang Buqi (唐不器), not Tang Buqi (唐不气).” The latter sounds exactly the same as his name but means “not angry”. ☜

2. This is a reference to the Mongols. Khagan means khan of khans, and one bearer of this title was Genghis Khan himself. ☜

3. This refers to the Chinese constellations system, equivalent to the zodiac in Western astronomy. The Ji constellation, usually translated as the Winnowing Basket, is part of the Western Sagittarius. ☜