Chapter 376: Forty-Four is Too Low

Everyone knew that Zhao Changhe had only been practicing martial arts for less than a year and a half.

When he took the first spot on the Ranking of Hidden Dragons, it had only been a year since he began training, and that was already shocking enough. It had been enough for people to call him the strongest First Hidden Dragon in history.

Not only had he reached the eighth layer of the Profound Gate in just a year, but his feats in battle were also incredibly solid. Throughout the entire history of the current era, nobody had shown such monstrous potential, not even Xia Longyuan. Thus, his title as the strongest First Hidden Dragon was well-deserved.

But in the end, he was still only a hidden dragon, which only described his incredible potential. No matter how monstrous his potential might be, it was still possible for him to get stuck at the threshold of the Profound Mysteries his entire life.

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Everyone was firmly of the belief that Zhao Changhe would eventually enter the Ranking of Man, but they were not so confident when it came to whether or not he could break through to the Profound Mysteries.

For quite some time, the Tome of Troubled Times had not announced any changes to his ranking. While he had been mentioned in the announcement that concerned the happenings at Kunlun, the main character of that event was Xi Chichi, and he was just a supporting character. The tome basically declared that he had not even reached the ninth layer of the Profound Gate, let alone the Profound Mysteries.

It was then that people began to think that Zhao Changhe’s progress was finally slowing down and that the time had come for him to consolidate his achievements. But then, before even half a year had passed since those thoughts began to emerge, the Tome of Troubled Times appeared and declared a change in his rankings once again. Furthermore, in this announcement, his ranking soared with him directly entering the top fifty of the Ranking of Man!

Yue Hongling and Chi Li had been proud to have even managed to reach somewhere in the sixties when they first entered the Ranking of Man.

Xia Chichi made a stunning debut and ranked in the fifties.

But now, Zhao Changhe was the most abnormal out of them all, ranking in the forties as soon as he entered.

The Ranking of Man and the Ranking of Hidden Dragons were vastly different.

The Ranking of Hidden Dragons evaluated potential, emphasizing the current level of cultivation each time there was any change, aiming to highlight the cultivation speed of those who made it onto the ranking. It did not need to look heavily into the rankers’ strength. Even if Person A and Person B had never met, the Tome of Troubled Times could subjectively rank Person A higher based on age, cultivation speed, and battle achievements. It did not matter how many places they jumped forward.

The Ranking of Man, however, only ranked people based on strength. You replaced whoever you defeated. It no longer emphasized the cultivation that a person had achieved each time; if you won, you won, and your level of cultivation was no longer as important. There was no random replacement without battle, because only battles determined the ranking.

It was impossible to jump ranks like on the Ranking of Hidden Dragons! Others found it difficult to even move up a single rank at a time, yet Zhao Changhe directly jumped to forty-fourth.

People thus believed that with such an achievement, Zhao Changhe must have broken through to the Profound Mysteries.

Nobody knew when he had quietly broken through to the ninth layer of the Profound Gate, much less the Profound Mysteries, but they did know that it had only been less than half a year since they last had a verified declaration of his cultivation.

To Zhao Changhe, it might have felt like he had gotten stuck for much longer than before; to the world, it seemed like he was straight-up cheating.

Is it so easy to break through to the Profound Mysteries? And even if it was, you’ve only been training for a short time. It might be understandable if your cultivation increases, but techniques still need to be practiced to be mastered, no matter how talented or lucky you are! It feels as if you barely even had enough time to cultivate, so how are you able to use your techniques with such mastery in actual combat to the point where you can even kill an experienced master?!

Zhao Changhe had benefited immensely from the Heavenly Tome. The tome had analyzed each technique meticulously and in great detail, allowing for his mastery of them to be more refined than others. Even so, it was still not perfect, as both Cult Leader Xue and Instructor Sun had criticized him.

Regardless, his combat intuition and wisdom barely made up for this deficiency.

Those who had never seen him in person could not imagine how he did it. No matter how they tried, they could not figure it out, so they could only attribute it to a miracle, an unrepeatable miracle.

Frost Hawk sat in a sandstorm in the Western Regions, listening to the distant reed flute of the northern tribes, gazing at the sky.

Xiangyang... That’s so far away.

Wang Daozhong, you motherfucker, you clearly knew he’s in Xiangyang, yet you still “failed to stop him”? He’s not in the fucking Western Regions at all!

* * *

“Dad, dad!”

In Qinghe, Cui Yuanyang excitedly kicked open the ancestral hall’s door, “Big brother Zhao is on Ranking of Man!”

Cui Wenjing, sitting cross-legged in the room with the Qinghe Sword on his lap, was in the midst of comprehending something when the door was kicked open. He opened his eyes, his face dark as the bottom of a pot. “What do you think you’re doing? This is the ancestral hall!”

“Ah... I forgot, I forgot...” Cui Yuanyang chuckled apologetically. “I was just worrying about whether you were asleep, then I remembered that you should be trying to talk to the Qinghe Sword’s spirit, so you probably weren’t...”

“Quite filial, aren’t you? You were still worried that I might be asleep?”

“Of course, of course.”

Cui Wenjing, seeing her naive expression, felt his anger rising. “Yelling in the ancestral hall, three months of confinement!”

“Ah?” Cui Yuanyang’s face turned green. “Three months?! He’s in Xiangyang! He’s definitely there to help Tang Wanzhuang. At this rate, by the time I come out, the Tang Clan might already be holding a baby shower!”

Hearing this, Cui Wenjing also felt unsettled, but sending his daughter rushing south for a thousand li seemed particularly improper. His heart felt a mix of emotions.

His son was foul-mouthed, and his daughter’s mind was filled with the thoughts of a man.

Haah, just what sin did my Cui Clan commit to have to bear such fate...

He sighed softly. “Alright, but why are you in such a hurry? Even if he and Tang Wanzhuang, would you make it in time by rushing over now? Zhao Changhe is not a man without honor. Just wait for him to kick down our Cui Clan’s door and ask, ‘Where is Yuanyang? I’ve met the terms of the three-year agreement!’”

Cui Yuanyang’s eyes immediately sparkled as she imagined the scene in her mind.

Cui Wenjing glanced at her, thinking that such a scenario would actually disgrace the Cui Clan, yet the silly girl eagerly anticipated it...

It’s over. I can’t believe I could speak so crassly. Not only did I speak so crudely, I’m even the one who mentioned such a scenario taking place myself.

Feeling utterly helpless, Cui Wenjing waved his hand and said, “Ever since your brother returned from Yanmen, the Qinghe Sword’s spirit has shown signs of returning. It now seems clear what kind of person the Qinghe Sword hopes for its master to be. While you are somewhat compatible, you are not entirely suitable to be its master. Your opportunities lie elsewhere. Hey, what is with that dismissive look on your face?”

“Nothing, nothing...”

“If you plan to compete with others in the future, you require the capital to do so. Otherwise, with your foolish self, do you think you even stand a chance against Tang Wanzhuang? Dream on!” Cui Wenjing stood up. “I have a task for you.”

Cui Yuanyang instinctively straightened her back.

“Head to Hongnong as an envoy from our clan and deliver a letter to Yang Jingxiu,” Cui Wenjing said calmly. “It just so happens that Old Yang’s birthday is coming up, and that provides us with a legitimate reason to send somebody there.”

“Why should I go on a diplomatic mission like that?”

“...Well, Zhao Changhe might just be there. After all, the Yang Clan of Hongnong participated in the battle at Xiangyang.”

Cui Yuanyang jumped up, “I’ll go!”

Cui Wenjing sighed deeply.

Just how did that scoundrel make it onto the Ranking of Man so quickly? He even managed to get such a high ranking right away, too.

What are people going to think of our Cui Clan now? Everyone must be straining their necks trying to catch a glance at the events.

But right now, he’s with Tang Wanzhuang!

* * *

“Why only forty-four? So low!”

In the prefectural governor’s mansion, Li Sian presided over a thorough and ruthless sweep. This was no time for mercy. No one knew how deeply the Maitreya Cult had infiltrated or how many of the cult’s followers there were.

In fact, even a statue of Maitreya was found in the lady’s room.

The Demon Suppression Bureau was very familiar with tasks like this, so Zhao Changhe did not even bother intervening. He hid in a secret room at the braised duck store and recovered from his injuries.

While the mansion of the prefectural governor might seem safe, there was always a risk of being ambushed by Wang Daozhong. The duck store’s secret room was a much better choice to hide as outsiders were unaware of its location and existence.

His shoulder had been pierced by Yu Cixiu’s spear. He had not really felt the pain earlier, but after killing Lu Shiheng, the fatigue and weakness hit him hard. He could barely stand and desperately needed rest.

But while Da Zhou believed him to be resting, as soon as he made it into the secret room, he immediately gritted his teeth and muttered to himself, “Such a low ranking, and the title doesn’t even sound right. Are you intentionally trying to give me a hard time?”

The air was silent, and no one answered him.

Everyone knew that making it onto the Ranking of Man required actual victories to determine one’s place, but Zhao Changhe was no normal person, and this was his first time on the Ranking of Man.

“Why did you remove the ‘thirsty’ from ‘Bloodthirsty Asura’? The title I had before had such a nice ring to it. Meanwhile, Blood Asura Zhao Changhe just feels awkward.”

“Bloodthirsty is too crude... Not only is it crude, but it does not really suit you. You are not actually bloodthirsty; you just seem very bloodthirsty and are usually covered in blood.” The blind woman’s voice finally came, sounding annoyed. “I already told you that the tome is not under my control. The Heavenly Dao honestly reflects the world’s perception of you. Blood Asura fits you well... If you should be caring about anything, shouldn’t it be the fact that the concept of an asura contradicts your chivalrous ideals?”

Zhao Changhe folded his arms and said, “I feel like I’ve always been in a bloody battlefield.”[1]

The blind woman: “...”

Too lazy to argue with him about the title any further, she just said, “If you think forty-four is too low, then just climb higher. What’s the use of complaining to me?”

Zhao Changhe stroked his chin. “I guess you’re right. It doesn’t seem too difficult to climb up higher.”

“Stop bothering me for no reason. I’m not your personal guide, and I’m certainly not your complaints bin. I have many things to do.”

“But there actually is something important I wanted to ask you about,” said Zhao Changhe. “Who is the god or demon behind Maitreya?”

The blind woman fell silent.

“I know that if I were to ask you during normal times, you wouldn’t answer... But now, with them being so closely involved with Matreya, who I’ve confronted, can’t you tell me?”

“When did you confront Maitreya? He faced Tang Wanzhuang.”

“Are you kidding me? Wasn’t my battle with Maitreya considered a confrontation? If I intend to eliminate all threats, won’t I eventually have to face whoever’s backing him?”

“Actually, you could say that him facing Tang Wanzhuang was like facing you.”

“...”

“Tang Wanzhuang is here. You should focus on tending to your wounds first.”

The blind woman’s voice suddenly disappeared, and the next second, a gentle knock came from the door. Tang Wanzhuang asked softly, “Are you in a trance? If you are, I’ll come back later.”

Zhao Changhe blurted out, “No, please come in.”

1. The raws used “修罗场” here, and this refers to a scene of bloody slaughter, but it can also be literally translated to “Asura Field” since “修罗” refers to asura. ☜