Chapter 515: The World of Troubled Times

Humans tend to interpret things based on their literal meaning. Whether the names of Rankings of Heaven, Earth, and Man had a special significance or not, people would inevitably interpret them literally.

Most people understood the Ranking of Hidden Dragons to refer to emerging talents, while the Ranking of Man was for mortal masters. The Ranking of Heaven represented those who were beyond human, legendary figures in the clouds. And the Ranking of Earth fell somewhere in between—those on the path to the heavens.

No matter how much people’s perception of the Rankings of Heaven and Earth may be exaggerated, if Cui Wenjing and others knew that they were considered legends, they might not know whether to laugh or cry. But to the world, this was reality. Even Zhao Changhe, back when he was still naive, thought that Vermillion Bird was a god.

In other words, the top of the Ranking of Man represented the strongest “human.” Above that, one was no longer considered just a person.

Thus, reaching the top of the Ranking of Man granted one an absurdly high status in the

jianghu

.

At least, that used to be the case. However, due to the deaths of three of the figures on the Ranking of Earth in the past two years and the frequent changes at the top of the Ranking of Man, its once sacred aura had faded. Zhao Changhe’s rise to the top was not even as sensational as when he became First Hidden Dragon. After all, he kept climbing ranks so often that people had almost become numb to it, feeling like this day was inevitable.

“The Tome of Troubled Times just keeps inflating his reputation beyond measure!” Tang Buqi grumbled. “Every time, it praises him as either first-class or a flower-slayer. It might as well just call him the king of flowers!”

This was in the mansion in the capital. The Tang Clan had indeed moved out of Gusu, unwilling to live atop the powder keg that was the Sword Emperor’s tomb. Unfortunately, Tang Buqi still had to keep an eye on the situation in Jiangnan. His visit to the capital actually had another purpose.

Xuan Chong, who was a guest at Tang Buqi’s residence, listened to his complaints and smiled, shaking his head without expressing any agreement.

In fact, the Tome of Troubled Times had similarly high praise for Yue Hongling and Han Wubing before. Zhao Changhe received the highest acclaim simply because he truly kept coming in first. There was nothing else to say about it. Xuan Chong remained calm, unconcerned by it.

In fact, comparing him to flowers every time almost seemed to have a subtly malicious undertone.

To Xuan Chong, however, there was a more pressing issue at hand—one that Tang Buqi had yet to mention. So Xuan Chong brought it up himself. “Who could have expected Li Shentong to actually rebel... And this time, Zhao Changhe is on the rebels’ side? There’s such a serious matter to consider, yet you’re fixated on

that

instead?”

Tang Buqi was silent for a moment before speaking slowly, “My aunt hasn’t commented on it, so what stance could I possibly take?”

“First Seat Tang hasn’t said anything?”

“What could she say? Li Sian’s report clearly states that the people of Shu have suffered under Di Muzhi for too long, and even the Miaojiang uprising could be considered the result of Di Muzhi pushing them too far. My aunt had a premonition back then—Zhao Changhe wouldn’t be able to endure it. No authority can sway him.”

“...”

“To be fair, he’s always said he’s more inclined toward the rebels, and he has never hidden that. Despite that, he’s put up with it, fighting against the northern barbarians and the cultists. We can’t really expect more from him.” Tang Buqi sighed. “My aunt was just seeing her dream within reach, only for it to suddenly vanish. Who knows how it’ll all be cleaned up in the future.”

Xuan Chong’s lips twitched. Cleaned up? The way Tang Buqi phrased it made it sound as if First Seat Tang had been completely taken advantage of...

Tang Buqi took a sip of his wine and sighed. “I think she doesn’t even have the heart to focus on the southwest anymore. This Great Xia, while patched up here and there, is suddenly leaking all over the place. It’s already beyond saving.”

Xuan Chong understood what he meant. This time, Tang Buqi’s visit to the capital was for precisely that reason.

Imperial Noble Consort Huangfu Qing and Empress Wang collaborated for the first time to push forward a significant reform: abolishing the grain transport by canal and shifting to maritime transport.

This was the most important aspect of the collaboration between the Four Idols Cult and the Wang Clan. After a year of secret planning and countless backroom deals, they had finally managed to bring the matter to the imperial court.

The livelihoods of a million canal workers were at stake, and the reaction of the Cao Gang[1] was almost certain.

The Cao Gang was not a simple group. It was connected to countless official forces along the transport route. Essentially, this meant that not only the Canal Gang but also numerous officials would rise in opposition. Their reaction would shake the very foundation of Great Xia’s rule.

But there were a few subtleties to this matter.

First, in the long run, maritime transport was beneficial and inevitably needed to be implemented. There had always been visionary officials advocating for overseas exploration. If this reform had taken place during the peak of the Great Xia, and if they had coordinated well with the canal transport system, it might not have harmed the canal’s interests. The two transport systems could have coexisted peacefully.

Unfortunately, during these troubled times, it was being forcefully pushed through. Huangfu Qing had even intentionally made things difficult, so an ideal outcome was out of the question.

Secondly, the reform was beneficial for the Tang Clan. As a coastal aristocratic family, the Tang Clan actually supported it.

Now, Tang Wanzhuang had a major headache. Outside, she was constantly butting heads with Huangfu Qing, almost to the point of brawling. Meanwhile, at home, her family—from the elders to the rest—were all covertly urging her to agree. Tang Wanzhuang felt like her head was about to explode, and lately, she did not even want to leave the house.

Tang Buqi had come to the capital because the Tang Clan was in an uproar. As an important figure stationed in the southeast, he naturally had to participate in the family meetings. Besides, Wan Dongliu of the Cao Gang was his friend, which made his feelings even more complicated.

Of course, Tang Buqi had no idea that Wan Dongliu, as the Water Worm of Zhen, had already intended to rebel as per the Four Idols Cult’s plan. This move was simply to force his father, Wan Tianxiong, to make up his mind.

Tang Buqi was similarly unaware that it was Zhao Changhe who suggested this plan to Huangfu Qing. Otherwise, his worldview might have collapsed completely.

“Venerable, was this plan really Zhao Changhe’s idea?” Xia Chichi asked the masked Vermillion Bird in disbelief. They were in the Four Idols Cult’s capital villa, where Zhao Changhe had once stayed. “Such a scheme to throw the nation into turmoil—how could it have come from him?”

Vermillion Bird, in a very good mood, had her legs crossed and was lazily reclining on a soft couch. “Oh? You seem to know him very well now, huh? You know, he’s our Four Idols Cult’s Fire Pig of Shi. Isn’t it natural for him to offer his strategies to our holy cult?”

Xia Chichi mumbled, “He wasn’t the Fire Pig of Shi back then... it was that seductive imperial noble consort who turned him into one.”

The aforementioned seductive imperial noble consort’s good mood dissipated right then and there. She eyed her disciple from head to toe, wondering whether to assign her another book to copy out.

However, she could not help but be amazed. Xia Chichi’s talent was truly remarkable... Even back when she could simultaneously resonate with both the Azure Dragon and White Tiger, it was clear that her talent was superior to that of Vermillion Bird and Lady Three. Vermillion Bird had not expected that after sending her to hone her skills overseas, she would actually return on the verge of reaching the second layer of the Profound Mysteries.

And she’s only how old?

But her astonishment did not last long before being overshadowed by a report from the Tome of Troubled Times. Zhao Changhe had already reached the second layer, surpassing even Chichi.

Damn, that idiot is the real miracle. Although he’s a little older than Chichi, how long has he even been cultivating?

Vermillion Bird felt that this exceeded her understanding of martial arts entirely. If it were anyone else, she would have captured them and dissected them by now...

However, since it was Zhao Changhe, her feelings instead turned into admiration for her man.

Then, she glanced at her own disciple, and suddenly, everything about her seemed irritating.

Xia Chichi, meanwhile, continued to express her understanding of Zhao Changhe. “Changhe must have had more in mind than just rebellion when proposing this plan. There has to be something else. He probably thought that this was a beneficial direction that could be coordinated with the Cao Gang... but in the current circumstances, it just so happens that it can be used to force Wan Tianxiong to rebel.”

Vermillion Bird gave her a sidelong glance and said after a long pause, “Yes, you’re right about everything.”

Xia Chichi sensed that something was off with the atmosphere and thus decided to stay quiet.

Vermillion Bird did not know how to catch her in the wrong. She could not exactly criticize her for stepping with her left foot first, so she simply said, “You’ve just returned from your trip overseas—why ask so much? Tell me what you’ve discovered during your time away.”

“There really are people living overseas, but they’re not of different races or civilizations as we imagined. Instead, they’re Xia people who fled the wars long ago to make a living... They also worship some sea god, but it’s difficult to determine whether such a deity truly exists or if it’s just a spontaneous belief formed by coastal residents out of fear and reverence of the ocean.”

If Zhao Changhe heard this, it would further solidify his worldview that this was a proper

xuanhuan

world inspired by Chinese culture and history, rather than a complete Earth-like world with Westerners and all.

This discovery might be meaningful for Zhao Changhe, but it was of no use to the Four Idols Cult. Xia Chichi’s voyage served two purposes: to hone her will as the Azure Dragon and to investigate the so-called Sea Tribe, in preparation for the inevitable clash with Wang Clan. Yet while she had succeeded in the first goal, she had found nothing for the second.

Of course, Xia Chichi had not traveled very far. Four Idols Cult would never let their saintess embark on voyages that might take months or even a year—what if something happened? They were prepared for a lack of findings.

Given the importance of the current situation, Vermillion Bird temporarily let go of her desire to find fault in Xia Chichi. She frowned for a while before murmuring to herself, “Knowing oneself and the enemy is paramount... I’m not afraid of Wang Daoning, but that sinister aura back then. If we don’t get to the bottom of the matter with the Sea Tribe, we cannot rashly turn against the Wang Clan.”

Xia Chichi snickered. “Wang Daozhong is now a loyal servant of the Great Xia. He pushed back He Lei, defeated Maitreya, went to jail for false accusations, and then traveled across the country to suppress the Miao rebellion. It’s almost enough to move me to tears... Venerable, do you think the Wang Clan might just follow this path and not rebel after all?”

Although Vermillion Bird knew that she was joking, she answered seriously, “There is no turning back for the Wang Clan. The Tome of Troubled Times clearly stated Wang Daozhong’s desire to ally with the Black Hmong, turning all of his supposedly loyal acts into a joke. Anyone with half a brain now knows why Wang Daozhong went to the southwest. Previously, the Wang Clan’s rebellious intentions were evident, but since they didn’t take action, the imperial court could feign ignorance. But now, that is no longer possible. Tang Wanzhuang had a secret meeting with Xia Longyuan last night, arguing that they must take the offensive and uproot the Wang Clan’s influence in the court.”

“The imperial noble consort knows all this? Then what... What did Xia Longyuan say?”

Vermillion Bird replied with a stern face, “I don’t know.”

Xia Chichi pursed her lips and muttered, “As expected from the Tome of Troubled Times... In other words, whether the abolition of canal transport succeeds, and whether the Cao Gang rebels, the Wang Clan will inevitably rebel. Meanwhile, Li Shentong has captured Shu, Xiang Simeng is overseeing Miaojiang, and Wan Tianxiong rises from Jianghuai[2]. The chaos caused by Maitreya in Jiangnan has not even been resolved yet, and now flames of unrest are breaking out all across the land. Tang Wanzhuang can no longer patch things up... This is truly the beginning of troubled times.”

There was a hint of regret in her tone.

Vermillion Bird cast her a glance, also feeling a bit conflicted.

If Chichi were the true princess, these emotions would be beyond words.

Suddenly, she was very curious—

When Zhao Changhe takes his first step out of the closed-off Bashu and sees the entire world in such turmoil, what would he feel?

“What would he think?” Xia Chichi murmured.

Vermillion Bird sighed. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

Xia Chichi looked up at her in surprise, only to see Vermillion Bird smile faintly. “If you want to see him, just wait here. If I’m not mistaken, he will definitely be coming to the capital next.”

1. I’m fairly certain I made a note/reference about this before, but I’ll just reiterate here that the Cao Gang could have been more literally translated to something like “water transport of grain gang,” and they largely operate along the Grand Canal. ☜

2. Jianghuai refers to the Jiangsu and Anhui provinces, as well as the Yangtze and the Huai rivers. ☜