Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 474: A Strange Fate

After treating Han Wubing, Zhao Changhe sat down, a bit tired, and started meditating.

The room fell into a brief silence.

Yue Hongling turned her head away, realizing it was her own thoughts that had wandered, not his.

Ugh... He’s corrupted me.

Soon, the village leader personally brought in roasted meat and fruit wine. Since Zhao Changhe had mentioned that they were not to be disturbed, the leader did not say a word. He simply set down the food, bowed, and then left.

Zhao Changhe opened his eyes and exchanged a look with Yue Hongling. For the first time, they both felt a little guilty about eating. It felt wrong to accept the food without giving anything in return, but since they were pretending to be envoys, they could not exactly offer to pay either.

Yue Hongling shook her head and checked the roast meat. “Let’s just eat. We can repay them in the future if we have the chance.”

“Right,” Zhao Changhe said quietly. “Judging by the situation, things seem pretty bad for the Ancient Spirit Tribe... It seems like those they deem to come from the so-called forbidden land treat them like slaves?”

Yue Hongling responded, “That’s why Sisi wanted to leave and seek a way out. When I first met her, she was totally uninhibited, willing to do anything. She even dared to steal from the Thief Saint. When she pretended to be the celestial maiden of the Maitreya Cult, she’d kneel the moment you pushed her down. She was really willing to put everything aside—conscience, dignity, none of it mattered to her.”

Zhao Changhe asked curiously, “How did you suddenly know about the Thief Saint? I don’t think I ever mentioned that he was the senior I was referring to.”

“Sisi told me herself. She said she felt guilty toward her master. I didn’t know who that was at first, but after seeing the Thief Saint earlier, I figured it out. Do you think I’m stupid?” Yue Hongling replied, irritated. “Also, what was the point of keeping it from me?”

“That’s an internal matter of their sect. It was essentially a family scandal. It’s not something that should be casually spread around.”

“You’re always calling me your wife, yet do you actually treat me like one? Am I an outsider to you?”

Zhao Changhe raised his hands in surrender.

Yue Hongling huffed, “So, she schemed against you, but still didn’t want to hurt you? That’s not easy... seems like she really likes you, huh?”

Zhao Changhe finally realized why Yue Hongling had been acting a bit off. It seemed that she was jealous. Wanting to avoid any more trouble, he kept his head down and focused on eating the meat in silence.

Han Wubing quietly ate his roasted meat too, casting a glance at Zhao Changhe.

See? Even someone as straightforward as Yue Hongling can’t help but feel a little jealous... This is why people say that dealing with multiple women at once is a headache. How can a martial artist stay focused on their path with so many distractions? It just makes no sense.

But then again, Zhao Changhe has been improving incredibly fast. From the way he fought earlier, especially that strike he unleashed on Frost Hawk, I probably wouldn’t have stood a chance against him even at my peak.

It’s truly baffling.

Yue Hongling said, “Are you planning to help the Ancient Spirit Tribe with this forbidden land issue?”

Zhao Changhe pondered, “I can’t speak of solving it without knowing the opponent’s strength, but we do need to get a clearer picture of the situation... Whatever the disputes between the two sides, we actually have many things we need help with from the Ancient Spirit Tribe. If we can negotiate this as a trade, it could be a good approach.”

Yue Hongling did not bring up whether Zhao Changhe was trying to help Sisi specifically and said seriously, “Their strength might be formidable. Just look at Sisi; even though her mastery of martial arts is average, she has all kinds of bizarre tricks. She’s still young, so who knows how many powerful sorcerers and witches her tribe might have? A force like the Ancient Spirit Tribe could easily rival Lei Zhentang’s Black Hmong Tribe in Miaojiang, maybe even surpass it, yet they’re being pressed hard by this so-called forbidden land.”

Zhao Changhe nodded slightly. “Exactly, the Ancient Spirit Tribe should be stronger than the Black Hmong. This forbidden land... if it’s anything like what I think it is, it could house an ancient god or demon, or at least an entity on the level of that corpse demon we encountered in the Maitreya Secret Realm. Speaking of which, the corpse demon had some connection to gu arts... Oh, crap, I’m actually carrying that demon’s remnant soul! I totally forgot!”

Yue Hongling shot him an exasperated look.

Zhao Changhe pulled out a cloth bag from somewhere and extended his spiritual sense into it.

Inside was a dark, sluggish mass of insects, seemingly in a deep sleep.

This should be the gu harboring the remnant soul of the corpse demon. Since its soul had been violently searched by the Vermillion Bird and Black Tortoise, its soul sea was in chaos. A weaker being would have died or become an idiot by now, yet the corpse demon had managed to survive, though it had fallen into a deep slumber. Without disturbance, it might continue sleeping indefinitely.

Ever since reaching Bashan, Zhao Changhe had encountered so many incidents that he had completely forgotten about this matter. The initial reason he had considered coming to Miaojiang was this gu’s potential connection to the region. Tang Wanzhuang had given him the bag for this purpose.

Now seemed like the perfect time to make use of it.

Zhao Changhe focused his mind and roused the gu.

A commanding voice emanated from the gu. “Who dares disturb my slumber...”

“Cut the crap,” Zhao Changhe retorted. “You’re a defeated general putting on an act. Did you think a new Maitreya found you?”

“...”

The corpse demon seemed to become more alert, recognizing Zhao Changhe as the weakest one from the Ranking of Man during the siege. It sneered and said, “So, it’s you. Vermilion Bird and Black Tortoise can destroy my soul, so I fear them, but who do you think you are to yell at me?”

Zhao Changhe’s thoughts stirred, and in an instant, Dragon Bird rose inside his storage ring, directing its presence at the gu.

The corpse demon’s soul shuddered. “A man-grade saber spirit!”

Man? Dragon Bird isn’t human... Oh wait, it should be referring to the rankings of man, earth, and heaven?

Dragon Bird flared up in anger. “Man-grade? What do you mean, man-grade?! Can a mere man-grade saber spirit transmit such a clear will? You must’ve been soul-searched until you were reduced to an idiot!”

“E, earth-grade?”

the corpse demon muttered, unsure. “But the power doesn’t seem to be enough...”

Clang!

Dragon Bird swung down, and Zhao Changhe, sweating profusely, quickly issued a command, barely managing to pull the rampaging loli off to the side. “Forget this idiot’s judgment. In my heart, you’re heaven-grade. No, I wouldn’t trade you even for ten heaven-grade weapons!”

Dragon Bird settled down, lifting itself slightly above the gu. “Am I able to destroy your soul?”

“Yes, yes...”

“When my master asks you something, answer directly, no nonsense!”

The gu fell silent.

Zhao Changhe also fell silent, feeling a bit strange being addressed as master. But with that title being thrown around, Zhao thought, Don’t worry, I won’t ever abandon you, no matter how much I train in the sword.

After a long while, Zhao Changhe finally asked, “Where did you learn your gu arts?”

This time, the corpse demon answered obediently, “I’m from the Spirit Tribe, of course I’d know gu arts.”

So it really is from the Spirit Tribe. Zhao Changhe had anticipated this and asked, “With just that simple corpse-controlling gu art, how can you even claim to be from the Spirit Tribe?”

The corpse demon replied, “Even a skilled housewife cannot cook without rice. Gu arts require raising gu. I was trapped in that wretched temple’s backyard for so long, never able to leave. Where was I supposed to get gu? It was hard enough tricking Maitreya into getting me the Corpse-Controlling Gu, which I most urgently needed...”

“Most urgently needed?”

“Of course! Even a fool could see I wanted to take over his body. How else could I accomplish that without Corpse-Controlling Gu? Wouldn’t it be what I urgently needed then? Despite that, he still went through great lengths to help me find the tool I’d use to seize his body.”

Zhao Changhe was silent for a moment, then slowly said, “So the Spirit Tribe was at odds with the Central Plains’ Buddhist and Daoist factions at the time? Is that why you were imprisoned as a demon?”

“There was some conflict, sure. Different tribes and groups are never fully harmonious, but to say we were enemies would be an exaggeration. I was captured purely because of my own actions. I used gu to control people for personal gain. I even tried to steal their Transformative Lotus, which is why they got involved... It had little to do with the Spirit Tribe itself. Of course, after I was captured, the Spirit Tribe likely caused trouble for those bald donkeys, but soon after, disaster struck. There was probably nobody who could save me. It was just fate...”

“Would the Spirit Tribe have even bothered to try and save you? Were you of high status in the Spirit Tribe?”

The corpse demon sounded a bit proud. “Of course, I was the Spirit Tribe’s sacred beast protector. Not only was I of high status, but I was also the only one who knew how to command the Sacred Beast Blood Ao. Without me, the Spirit Tribe would certainly be in trouble and would need to rescue me.”

Blood Ao... Why does that sound so familiar...

Zhao Changhe paused for a long moment before saying, “Looks like they didn’t need to rescue you anymore. The Blood Ao was stolen... and killed.”

“?” The gu, now possessed by the corpse demon, widened its tiny eyes. “Was it Lie who did it? I thought so. I sensed that slave’s aura on you! You’re his successor, aren’t you?”

Zhao Changhe suddenly felt a strange sense of destiny.

So, all along, the ones that Lie cursed as watchdogs were the Ancient Spirit Tribe? The group of people he had cut down were actually the ancestors of the Spirit Tribe... I wonder if Sisi’s ancestors were among them.

Lie was born a slave... Judging by the events, it seemed likely that he was once a slave of the Ancient Spirit Tribe. That explains why his name was so different from others in the Central Plains.

No wonder the Blood God Cult practiced flesh and blood arts and had a particular interest in witchcraft. I mean, it was even based in Wushan[1]. Sisi also showed interest in the treasures of vicious qi, and she knows more about them than most. Her tribe must have preserved knowledge of arts related to vicious qi, even if they haven’t fully mastered them.

It’s quite possible that the Ancient Spirit Tribe’s martial arts deteriorated because a group of their top warriors were slaughtered by Lie, which caused a break in their martial arts tradition, leaving only their witchcraft and gu arts to be passed down.

This whole connection was fascinating, though it was unfortunate that Cult Leader Xue had never interacted with the Spirit Tribe in his lifetime. But that did not matter, as their saint had now come to visit the Spirit Tribe.

The corpse demon was ranting, “So you’re Lie’s successor and you’ve come to harass me? Damn it, you already killed Blood Ao! Why are you still after me? To control Blood Ao’s corpse?!”

Zhao Changhe’s expression was odd. “What if the Spirit Tribe is currently being bullied by someone else?”

The corpse demon was furious: “Who else dares to bully our Spirit Tribe besides that slave’s lineage?! I’ll fight them to the death!”

Dragon Bird pressed down on the restless gu.

The corpse demon fell silent.

Zhao Changhe turned to Yue Hongling, who had been watching his mental exchange with confusion. He sighed, “I think I’ve found a really powerful helper, though it’s a bit dim-witted at the moment.”

1. Wushan (巫山) can be literally translated as “witch mountain.” ☜