Chapter 734 (1): Is Your Heart Still True

The Qiao Clan was the same Shanxi merchant clan that Zhao Changhe and Yue Hongling had encountered in the north long ago. At the time, they had been preoccupied with other matters and had let the clan be, eventually almost forgetting about them.

However, Lady Three knew about their dealings, and anything she knew inevitably reached Vermillion Bird. Naturally, Vermillion Bird made the Qiao Clan her first target in her latest operation. Since the Rankings of Troubled Times no longer updated automatically, it had become harder to learn of battles through shifts in the rankings. Still, the

jianghu

had its own ways of spreading news, and an event of this scale was impossible to keep under wraps.

While Vermillion Bird’s victory sounded like another instance of her wreaking havoc in her usual dazzling fashion, Zhao Changhe frowned as he listened. “She took out a Jin merchant clan—why would that lead to a Profound Control Realm manifestation and flames blazing across the southern skies?”

A thought struck him:

Even if the rankings don’t report it, the blind woman must have seen what happened. Maybe I should try buttering her up to quietly feed me updates on distant events...

Li Shentong noticed Zhao Changhe’s furrowed brow and could not help but find it amusing.

That’s the Profound Control Realm! She’s at my level, possibly even stronger than me. The way you’re worrying, anyone would think she’s some rookie girl on her first adventure, with her overly anxious father fretting from afar.

With a slow smile, Li Shentong said, “If her manifestation emerged, it likely means a demon god was present. Yet the world only talks about the fall of the Qiao Clan, which means Vermillion Bird won. What are you so worried about?”

“I’m worried about her getting hurt. How the hell does fighting a merchant family lead to running into Profound Control Realm enemies?”

“In today’s world, it’s hardly surprising for some not-quite-dead demon god to pop up. If not, you wouldn’t have sent Vermillion Bird to handle the matter. You could’ve sent any one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions. You had Vermillion Bird go because you anticipated complications.”

“...That’s true, I guess.”

Li Shentong chuckled, pouring a bowl of wine for both Zhao Changhe and Yue Hongling. “Vermillion Bird has roamed the

jianghu

for over a decade. Her experience in both combat and survival far exceeds yours. Instead of fretting over her, perhaps you should worry about yourself. For instance, coming here—have you considered the possibility of me turning on you? This is our territory, after all. No matter how strong you are, you’ve ventured deep into enemy grounds. Do you not feel even the slightest bit of danger?”

“That’s why I came as a friend of Situ Xiao,” Zhao Changhe replied with a grin. “Sect Master Li, as an elder of the

jianghu

, surely you wouldn’t want to tarnish your reputation.”

Li Shentong burst into hearty laughter. “Even if you’d come as an envoy, we wouldn’t have harmed you. Between the two of us, I am not the one famous for disregarding these rules.”

“...”

Sipping his wine with a faint smile, Li Shentong said, “You want to talk about matters of the

jianghu

? Fine, let’s talk. What’s on your mind?”

Zhao Changhe’s expression grew serious. “Did you know that Snow Owl has broken through to the Profound Control Realm?”

Li Shentong paused before shaking his head. “I wasn’t aware, but it’s not surprising.”

“If I recall correctly, before you rose to power, your greatest concern was him lurking in the shadows. Originally, the Bashan region was his stronghold, where he operated covertly. Many of Bashu’s aristocratic families and officials were deeply infiltrated by the Bashan Sword Hut. He even served as Di Muzhi’s aide, positioning himself to control Bashu more thoroughly than you do now. The widespread purge you carried out—I believe much of it was aimed at rooting out the Snow-Listening Pavilion.”

Li Shentong mused silently,

He really did bring up a matter of the jianghu—and not a trivial one at that.

Of course, the topic he brought up was fundamentally tied to the control of Bashu. The two were inseparable.

Leaning back in his chair, Zhao Changhe sipped his wine leisurely. “The

jianghu

has always been a fragment of the broader realm, inseparable from it, Sect Master Li. Just as when you raised your arm, the Divine Brilliance Sect became a righteous army. Sects, clans, and violent organizations can transition seamlessly into political entities. It all depends on their strength.”

Li Shentong nodded. “True. I once believed that the

jianghu

and the affairs of the realm were separate. Now, I understand they are one and the same, distinguished only by power.”

He tapped his fingers lightly on the table before continuing. “Some of the killings were indeed aimed at eradicating the Snow-Listening Pavilion. But not all of them were by our hand. As Situ Xiao probably told you, a significant portion were killed by others, not us. And those we did execute were vile scum whose crimes warranted death.”

Zhao Changhe asked, “So, has the Snow-Listening Pavilion been completely uprooted?”

Li Shentong shook his head. “That would be impossible. I’m not even sure how many of their agents remain embedded within our administration. The main issue, as you know, lies in their sword slave technique. The affected individuals don’t even know they are sword slaves. The depth of their concealment makes it nearly impossible to root them out. And I won’t hide this from you: it’s a significant threat to Bashu. Especially now that Snow Owl has broken through to the Profound Control Realm. With him in the shadows, we have no idea what his intentions might be.”

Zhao Changhe leaned forward slightly. “What if I could help you root them out?”

Li Shentong paused, narrowing his eyes at Zhao Changhe but saying nothing.

Situ Xiao interjected at just the right moment. “Wait, you’re offering to clear out our hidden threats? Doesn’t that count as aiding the enemy?”

𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Zhao Changhe laughed. “Privately, it’s helping my friends. Publicly, it’s ensuring the stability of Bashu. How is it aiding an enemy? And what enemy is there, really?”

Situ Xiao pursed his lips and glanced at his master, deciding to hold his tongue.

Li Shentong finally spoke, “So, you’re saying you don’t want anything in return?”

Zhao Changhe nodded. “That’s what I’m saying.”

Master and disciple exchanged a glance, and then both of them turned their eyes to Yue Hongling. She continued eating her meat and drinking her wine without a word, as if Zhao Changhe’s offer was entirely natural.

After a moment of silence, Li Shentong finally said, “Perhaps you have your own reasons to deal with Snow Owl... But regardless, favors shouldn’t come without merit. I, Li Shentong, don’t accept gifts without earning them. King Zhao, name your request.”

Zhao Changhe smiled. “Since you insist, I will.”

Li Shentong nodded, already preparing himself for the inevitable request to mobilize troops into Hanzhong. After all, Zhao Changhe’s visit to Bashu made it clear to anyone with half a brain that forming an alliance to strike against Guanlong was his primary objective.[1]

In truth, this was something Zhao Changhe would not even need to request. Any leader unwilling to settle for mere regional power would have to consider expanding outward. Bashu, nestled within a basin surrounded by mountains, was an ideal place to hold out for a time. But if it remained content with isolation while the Central Plains unified, the imbalance of resources would eventually spell its doom. A kingdom relying on one mine could never outlast an empire with ten—it would be a dead end.

If Bashu ever looked outward for expansion, there would typically be two routes it could take, either through Jingxiang or Hanzhong. From a geopolitical standpoint, Hanzhong was often the more critical choice. Securing Guanlong mirrored the strategies of many historical powers; Qin and Han both took this path. Li Shentong had already attempted to move on Hanzhong once before but failed to take it, withdrawing temporarily to focus on the alliance against Xia Longyuan.

Now, with his deep resentment toward Li Gongsi for inviting foreign enemies into the Central Plains, Li Shentong naturally harbored a desire to march on Hanzhong again. He was merely waiting for the right moment.

In other words, even if Zhao Changhe did not propose an alliance against the Li Clan, Li Shentong was going to attack anyway. Of course, he would weigh his options carefully, with the most likely scenario being a decision to wait for the Han court to engage the Li Clan before swooping in to claim the spoils. However, since Zhao Changhe was bringing up cooperation, aligning their efforts would also make sense and was not something Li Shentong could reasonably reject.

Zhao Changhe took a sip of his wine and spoke slowly, “On my way here, I noticed that the people of Bashu seemed to have been given food, money, and clothing to get through the winter. A commendable act by Sect Master Li, and one I deeply respect. But I’m not sure if they’ve been given land. If they have, then there’s no issue. If they haven’t, I hope Sect Master Li will distribute some and establish clear rules. Don’t let this new regime fall into the same patterns as the old. Otherwise, everything you and I have done will be for nothing.”

Li Shentong stared at him in surprise. “That’s your request?”

“It is,” Zhao Changhe replied. “I’ll admit there’s a bit of personal interest involved. The Han court has been addressing the issue of land consolidation by aristocrats with more moderate measures, but the loose ends are incredibly difficult to resolve. Passing through Bashu, I saw firsthand that breaking the system and rebuilding it from the ground up is far more effective. With Lu Jianzhang and others self-destructing recently, there’s a chance to attempt something similar in the capital. Old Cui has been cooperating as well, so this is actually the ideal time. If Bashu can implement reforms successfully, its experience could serve as a model for the Central Plains, making Xia Chichi’s and Wanzhuang’s jobs much easier.”

You call that personal interest?!

Li Shentong fell silent for a long moment before slowly saying, “We’ve distributed some land, but things here are complex. Much of the work falls on the shoulders of local officials, and it’s all too easy for some to deceive their superiors and exploit the system. I’ve heard complaints that implementation has been less than satisfactory in many areas.”

Zhao Changhe said, “Then I believe that you should establish a system of oversight and inspections. Would you like me to help organize some of the former Demon Suppression Bureau personnel? They’re experienced in this sort of work and adept at bureaucratic matters. Unlike your people, who are relatively new to administration, they’re less likely to be fooled.”

Li Shentong regarded him with a peculiar expression for a long time. “Are you treating this place as the Great Han’s Shu Commandery?”

“I treat it as nothing but what it is. Bashu belongs to its people,” Zhao Changhe said firmly. “The real question is this: for what purpose did you raise your banner? And today, does that purpose still hold?”

1. Hanzhong (汉中) lies geographically south of the Guanlong region (关陇), which similar to Bashu is a combination of two regions, namely Guanzhong (关中) and Longyou (陇右). Hanzhong specifically lies at the south of the Guanzhong Basin, also known as the Guanzhong Plain. ☜