Tome of Troubled Times

Half a month swiftly passed.

Zhao Changhe sat by a stream. He drank water while feeding his horse, looking down at his reflection in the stream.

His beard had grown coarse once more, and the warrior uniform given to him by the Cui Clan now had several holes in it. Additionally, his once-shiny black hair had now become a dirty gray. When he had left the Cui Clan, he had left a dashing young man on a majestic horse, and others who saw him would immediately think he was some respected young master. Not much time had even passed, yet his appearance had already returned to that of a barbaric brute.

He had much less fighting to do over the past month after he managed to shake off his pursuers. Moreover, the encounters were far less intense and strenuous than when he had been escorting Cui Yuanyang.

But this time, he had to travel much farther, which inevitably meant that the battles kept piling up. Furthermore, he was constantly wary of being discovered. He could not afford to engage in guerilla warfare as readily as he used to; this time, he had to do his best to kill the enemies he faced to the last man. Unfortunately, it was easier said than done. From time to time, his enemies greatly outnumbered him, making it ridiculously difficult to make sure that none of them got away.

This world really is stupid. They always say “a thousand li apart” or “a distance of a thousand li” when things are far apart, but when the hell is it ever an actual thousand li?! Going by the actual calculations, the trip to take Cui Yuanyang home wasn’t more than five hundred li. On the other hand, this trip to the Ancient Sword Lake is at least two thousand, basically a road trip from Hebei to Jiangbei. And that’s just the straight road...thanks to all these freakin’ detours, it’s a lot farther.

Fortunately, I have plenty of time. Otherwise, it would be really embarrassing if I ended up getting there late just because of this stupid reason.

When I meet Han Wubing, I seriously have to ask him who the fuck told him that two thousand li can be called a thousand li.

He traversed a distance of a thousand li—well, two thousand li—while braving the wind and rain, while also being hunted down and intercepted all throughout his journey, just to fulfill a martial arts agreement. Zhao Changhe had no idea what others would think of him for doing such a thing. Maybe they’d think he was an idiot? As for the man himself, he actually found the journey quite enjoyable.

As he picked up his jug and drank by the stream, his mind unconsciously wandered to Yue Hongling. She was probably the only one who would tell him that his actions were “as one should.” There was absolutely no way that Chichi and Yangyang would say the same.

In fact, perhaps finding this journey even more enjoyable than him was Dragon Bird.

When Cui Wenjing had made it so that the murderous aura of Dragon Bird no longer leaked out, he had also made it so that it no longer looked as shiny and sharp, even making it a bit rusty, which caused it to look rather unsightly. But after being handed over to Zhao Changhe, and after Dragon Bird experienced these days of battle and bloodshed, the rust on its blade began to turn dark red.

What were originally stains of rust on the saber condensed into dark patterns that resembled the wings of a Vermillion Bird wrapped around the entire blade. The blade was initially low-key, unsightly even, but with these patterns, its aura turned vicious and even ancient, as if it was imprinted with the patina of countless years and wars.

Zhao Changhe was quite dumbfounded by these changes, but he had no intention of covering it up. Divine artifacts had souls, and even though they were not necessarily alive, they still had to be respected.

After these days of wielding Dragon Bird, I’ve become a lot more familiar with it, and I’ve become a lot better at using it.

Everyone thinks that such a massive saber must be slow, and even has to be wielded with both hands, just like I did in that dream. Well...

Zhao Changhe held the saber in one hand and swung it casually at his chin. Snow-Treading Crow’s eyes widened in horror when it saw this.

However, nothing horrific actually transpired. A few tufts of beard fell off, and his chin became cleanly shaven. It was an exceptional display of his control over Dragon Bird.

“The saber is sharp, the sword lake in sight.” Zhao Changhe patted Snow-Treading Crow’s head. “The closer I get, the more likely that there will be others who block me. Are you afraid?”

Snow-Treading Crow snorted with disdain.

“Hyah!” Zhao Changhe got on his horse and said, “Let’s go, this is the last leg!”

*

By the Ancient Sword Lake.

Clink!

The tip of the sword broke. Han Wubing covered the wound on his shoulder and retreated a few steps, still grasping the broken sword.

Though he was surrounded by countless enemies, his gaze remained steady.

“Others have said that your name describes you poorly... I can’t help but agree. Han Wubing, I think you are indeed sick[1],” someone said incredulously. “Sacrificing blood for an old friend, slaying all of your enemies, and then walking away, how romantic. We saw the Tome of Troubled Times and made our way here. Honestly, we didn’t expect to still be able to catch you here. So what are you doing? Are you really just going to stay here? Why?”

Another person laughed and said, “He may have thought that he would have no other enemies after killing those from Sword Hut.”

“Fresh 66th Hidden Dragon, I honestly didn’t think that you were this stupid. Hahaha...” Everyone was laughing. “You received so much bounty from both the orthodox and unorthodox sides, and you’ve killed so many people. Did you really think that you have no other enemies?!”

Han Wubing finally spoke. “I’m waiting for someone.”

“Were you waiting for us? Hahaha...”

“I simply killed some insects. I did not expect for the Tome of Troubled Times to even record such a thing... In the end, it attracted others. It really was something I did not expect,” Han Wubing said slowly. “But that was my miscalculation. It has nothing to do with the person I made an appointment with. Anyway, since I made an appointment with him, I have to wait.”

Everyone’s smiles slowly disappeared as their jaws dropped. “This is all just because you made an appointment with someone? Are you seriously just waiting here for someone?”

“Indeed.”

“What if you end up dying here?”

“Then so be it.”

“What if the person you made an appointment with doesn’t come at all? Will you regret it?”

“Then it would be him who broke the promise, not me. Why would I regret it?”

The way those surrounding him looked at him changed. Some looked at him with even greater disdain, while others looked at him with appreciation.

But whether it was disdain or appreciation, enemies were enemies, and they would not hold back just because of this smidge of appreciation that they felt for a respectable character.

The atmosphere turned chilly yet again.

*

Less than ten li away, on a trail everyone had to take to reach Ancient Sword Lake, several people were sitting on the edge of a bamboo forest, chatting amongst themselves.

The sound of horse hooves came closer and closer, and all of their expressions changed slightly. They all drew their long sabers and stood up.

From the distance, where the smoke and dust rose, Zhao Changhe came on horseback wearing ragged clothes and fresh blood stains all over his body.

Seeing the people blocking his path, Zhao Changhe was stunned for a moment before he reined in his horse and looked away.

The person in front of him sighed. “You’re really here...”

“Mm-hm.”

“Why did you come?”

“I have an appointment with someone.”

There was silence for a few seconds, and then the other party yelled, “Are you fucking stupid? Just because of that, how many life-and-death battles have you fought along the way? Look at all the blood all over you. You can barely even catch your breath. Do you really see yourself as some kind of god? You think you’re some kind of hero and we’re just random obstacles?”

Zhao Changhe dismounted silently. He patted Snow-Treading Crow, and it cleverly scurried into the bamboo forest.

Zhao Changhe stood quietly with his saber behind his back and sighed: “You should know my—”

“Know what? I know shit! I know you are a smart person, but how did that turn out? What’s the use of spreading a little smoke? We’re blocking your way to Ancient Sword Lake just like others did when you escorted Cui Yuanyang all the way home! If you weren’t so damn stubborn, you wouldn’t have to fight so much. Don’t you understand such a simple thing?!”

Zhao Changhe said, “It’s because someone with a status like Cult Leader Xue would not be stupid enough to sit around and wait for more than half a month. Those who would be made to do such a thing are definitely those without status, so I would definitely be able to handle them.”

The other man’s eye twitched. “Are you insulting me again?”

Zhao Changhe let out another sigh. “It’s just that I really did not want to bump into you on such an occasion.”

“Oh, now you’re even using honorifics!”

“I don’t want to fucking fight with you! Can’t you go hide and save your own life?!”

Instructor Sun: “...”

The other members of the Blood God Cult present were also dripping with cold sweat.

Zhao Changhe scanned the cultists opposite him and asked curiously, “Why are you the one leading this group here?”

Sun Hengchuan said, “Actually, my boss, Protector Ding, is supposed to be leading this group. But as soon as we arrived, Saintess Xia sent him away on whatever odd jobs, so I pretty much ended up becoming the leader here.”

“Oh, then you really can’t beat me. Anyway, if you’re the one leading this team, then I really don’t want to fight. Let’s just talk things through. How about you just let me through?”

Sun Hengchuan laughed angrily. “You think I don’t know how strong you are? Do you seriously think you can beat me? You must be jo—”

Before he could finish speaking, his eyes bulged out of their sockets.

Zhao Changhe held a four-chi broad saber in one hand and pointed it horizontally to the right.

One person and one saber blocked the entire road.

Coupled with the wet blood covering him, his aura was as straight as that of a dragon or a tiger. It was a breathtaking sight with just him standing there.

Sun Hengchuan was stunned. Is that a saber or a door panel? How can he hold that thing in one hand?!

“I’m at the fourth layer, not the third layer as the Tome of Troubled Times reported a while back. My saber is also different from what you think. It’s not the one I used before, and I also don’t use it like before. I walk a different road now,” Zhao Changhe said slowly. “You said that you’re also at the fourth layer. I’m not boasting, but so far, no opponent of the same level has managed to survive a third swing of my saber, so I sincerely suggest you not to try.”

Sun Hengchuan: “...”

Finally, a member of the Blood God Cult next to him seemed to have become impatient. “You’re so tired that you can’t even catch your breath. You’ve long since run out of rations, but here you are still acting all tough. I can squash you myself if I want to!”

Right after he said that, he swung his saber diagonally, striking at Zhao Changhe’s left shoulder.

Zhao Changhe coldly watched the other party charge at him. It was only when the saber was about to hit him that he suddenly moved.

Zhao Changhe swiftly grabbed onto the cultist’s wrist tightly. Then, in the next moment, Dragon Bird came whistling through the air and stopped right on the other party’s neck.

Everyone from the Blood God Cult was silent.

This power, this speed, this control...

It was the Blood God Saber, no question about that, but at the same time...it seemed entirely foreign to them.

The look in Sun Hengchuan’s eyes also became very complicated. No matter how many times he read the Tome of Troubled Times, no matter how outrageous the rumors got, he had always seen Zhao Changhe as the young man he had taught himself. He could never believe these exaggerated rumors. Deep down in his heart, he still thought that he could capture this young man alive, and then go back to plead for mercy, asking the leader to let him off...

To this moment, this had been the impression in his heart.

But in actuality, Zhao Changhe was a rising star who had experienced hundreds of battles. He had reaped countless lives with his saber. His reputation on the Ranking of Hidden Dragons had never been undeserved. Among those at the same level, he could do things that others could not. That was precisely what made him worthy of becoming recognized as a hidden dragon...

Sun Hengchuan felt like a father whose child had grown up enough to beat him up. However, he could not help but feel that it was also a very honorable matter. The feeling was indeed extremely ambiguous.

Zhao Changhe let go of the saber and pushed the cult member back. “I have no enmity with the Blood God Cult. In fact, I am even indebted to them for taking me in. The so-called grievances between me and the Blood God Cult are nothing more than an injustice caused by one person to another. Even if my teacher were not here, I would not have been willing to kill other members of the Blood God Cult. I hope that you can convey this to Cult Leader Xue. Farewell.”

As his voice was growing faint in their ears, he had already jumped over all of their heads. Snow-Treading Crow scurried out from the bamboo forest, and Zhao Changhe landed right on his horse. In the blink of an eye, man and horse were gone, leaving behind only dust and smoke.

*

On the bank of the sword lake, Han Wubing’s broken sword was covered in blood.

People were injured, and swords were broken. Despite being outnumbered, he still killed many people with his sword. The besieging enemies were a little frightened, but for that precise reason, they knew they could never let someone like him escape.

His sword was so fast that almost nobody could defeat him alone.

If they did not take advantage of the moment when he was exhausted to surround and kill him, they knew that he would become their greatest nightmare in the future.

Clang!

A heavy saber came at him. Han Wubing was exhausted and could not move away in time, so he had no choice but to block it with his sword.

The long sword that was already missing its tip lost another good chunk. This time, only the length of a dagger was left...

“Han Wubing, you are indeed very strong... but that’s all there is for now. Go and wait for the person you want to meet.” The man with the saber laughed ferociously and swung his sword again.

Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves came from afar. A moment or two after, a horse’s neigh sounded right by them, and the neigh was like the roar of a dragon.

The saber wielder was stunned for a moment, then turned around to see a man leaping from a horse with a saber drawn, charging toward their formation.

Whenever the broad saber in his hand rose, the weapon of the one in front of him would fly away, armor would be cleaved apart, and blood would spurt out. A swordsman subconsciously glanced at his opponent’s heavy saber and suddenly thought, Is that still a fucking saber?

The besiegers were in chaos. “Who is it?! Why are you causing trouble?!”

“I fought through wind, frost, snow, and rain, and I rode a thousand li, just for a promise. Damn it, and you guys are fucking killing him right when I got here! Has all my work this month been in vain? Piss off!”

Han Wubing, who was covered in blood and holding a broken sword, looked at Zhao Changhe, who was similarly covered in blood, and a huge smile suddenly bloomed on his face.

Zhao Changhe looked back, and the first thing he said was, “Who the hell told you that you can say ‘a thousand li’ to mean two thousand li?!”

Han Wubing pointed at him, a large smile on his face. “Hah! Didn’t you just say so yourself?!”

Zhao Changhe: “Fuck!”

Xia Chichi was standing quietly on the treetops in the distance. As her clothes fluttered with the wind, a small smile formed on her lips.

“You fools.”

1. Han Wubing’s given name is Wubing(无病), and the characters literally mean “not sick.” ☜

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