Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 354: Stormy Wushan

“Up so early, young man?”

Zhao Changhe was training as usual in the courtyard when the kind, old farmer brought him a bowl of hot soup.

The old man sighed. “It’s almost the Lunar New Year, yet you’re still traveling. It seems that times are indeed tough for everyone...”

Zhao Changhe was taken aback.

Having just come from Kunlun, where massive snow still came floating down from the sky, he thought that it was still deep winter, but it turned out the New Year was actually approaching. Time really does fly by...

Although he had not felt the time in Kunlun to be that long, it had actually already been a month.

He remembered that when the Tome of Troubled Times made an announcement on Xia Chichi, it was still early in the twelfth month. He was not sure which day it was exactly, but it was likely still in the first half of the month.

Since then, in the chaos and confusion, another half month had slipped by...

It was almost the New Year, but there was no festive atmosphere to experience. He had just been messing around with a bunch of fools in the Valley of the Wicked. The saddest part was that, at this rate, he would still be on the road on New Year’s Day. In the year and a quarter since he had transmigrated, he had spent seven or eight months on the road. For instance, the journey from Beimang to Kunlun alone had taken nearly a month.

No wonder ancient poets wrote so many poems about the hardships of travel—it truly was a pain.

Zhao Changhe sighed in turn. “That’s just how it is. I’ve only celebrated the New Year once in this world.”

The old man looked at him sympathetically, not sure how to interpret his words.

Zhao Changhe did not elaborate. He thanked the old man for the hot soup and meal, and rode out of the small town.

It was early in the morning, and as he slowly traveled through the morning mist, he thought about how he was another year older. He was twenty when he transmigrated, and he was now about to turn twenty-two.

Even at twenty, calling himself a young man felt like a bit of a stretch. Vermillion Bird seemed to consider him an over-aged rebellious young man. Now, that seemed to really be the case. In many ways, those of this age were considered the backbone of the jianghu. The Tome of Troubled Times had even set the cutoff age for the Ranking of Hidden Dragons to be at twenty-five, which actually seemed a bit high.

Time really flies by. Wanzhuang is probably nearing thirty by now.

Uh, wait... What about Yangyang? Is she of age yet? Will she be considered to be of age by the New Year or her birthday? When is her birthday, anyway?

If he counted from the day that he made the three-year agreement, not even a year had passed. The agreement had been made in the third lunar month. Thinking about it now, he realized that he was indeed quite remarkable. Most of all, his luck seemed almost unbelievable, almost as if he was some kind of chosen one.

The progression through the seventh to the ninth layers of the Profound Gate was supposed to be arduously slow and difficult. In fact, even going from the sixth to the seventh layer was considered a significant hurdle.

He initially thought that it would take him a long time to advance, but then Xia Longyuan gave him a fruit, allowing him to break through immediately.

He then thought that it would take a long time to go from the seventh to eighth layer, but then he and Yue Hongling dual cultivated in the Black Tortoise Secret Realm, allowing him to break through once again.

The hurdle from the eighth to the ninth layer was supposed to be tougher still. Based on the experiences of Yue Hongling, Cui Yuanyong, and Chi Li, they had all been stuck at this stage for over a year and a half. He thought that even if he were a genius, it would take him months. But then a single Dragon Elephant Blood Ginseng pushed him past that hurdle instantly, all the way to the threshold of the Profound Mysteries.

He had been seeking the path to the Profound Mysteries since reaching the eighth layer of the Profound Gate, witnessing Yue Hongling’s breakthrough process and receiving her guidance in exploring spiritual power. In his perception, he has been exploring the path to the Profound Mysteries for several months, facing numerous obstacles and near misses, which made it appear to be the biggest hurdle he has ever faced.

But in the eyes of others, they would probably curse him for complaining. After all, had he not just broken through to the ninth layer recently?

Even Yuxu could not help but ask him why he was in such a hurry and if there was something pressing him from behind.

Yes, there is...

Having witnessed the power of gods and demons firsthand, he knew that no matter how gallant and heroic he might seem to those of the jianghu, he was nothing more than an ant in the eyes of others.

When will I reach that level?

*

Traveling south from Kunlun for several days, he indeed spent the New Year on the road, hearing not even a hint of firecrackers.

Along the way, he saw numerous towering mountains to the south.

Zhao Changhe knew that beyond these mountains lay the fertile lands of the Shu Territory[1].

Bashan[2] Sword Hut was not far from where he was. Yue Hongling had mentioned wanting to visit the Sword Hut to learn their sword arts before heading further southwest to explore the mysteries of the Miaojiang’s Gu.

Zhao Changhe had once suggested to Yue Hongling that perhaps fate would bring them together again in this vast world—that was because Bashan and Wushan were very close, as they were part of the same mountain range. In many poems, the two were even used interchangeably.[3]

He had long planned to visit Wushan to find Cult Leader Xue, which could lead to an “accidental” meeting with Yue Hongling in Bashan, perhaps allowing them to try out that position he had been asking for.

However, after spending so much time in Kunlun, it was clear that by the time he reached Bashan, Yue Hongling would likely have already left.

Bashan Sword Hut was where Han Wubing came from, though he had fallen out with them. Zhao Changhe was interested in visiting it, but now was not the right time. It was better for him to focus on the matters with the Blood God Cult first.

In Chinese culture, Wushan is often associated with clouds and rain, evoking romantic encounters. But in this world, it did not have such a reputation. Although there were ancient records and stories about the Goddess of Wushan[4], she was not considered an ancient god or demon, so no one cared much.

People were more concerned with the concept of “Wu” as in witchcraft.[5]

For example, the Blood God Cult, which practiced techniques involving blood and qi, conducted various sacrificial rituals involving blood and flesh, and even performed brutal rites like skinning people. This was likely because they had obtained an ancient demon’s formation disk. They were cruel, bloodthirsty, and evil, causing them to be out of place in civilized society, making them out to be a more typical demonic cult compared to the Four Idols Cult.

When Zhao Changhe first joined the Blood God Cult, he was just an outsider bandit, and he had made it quite far since back then. If he were to join the cult now, he would find it unbearable.

For a long time, the world saw Zhao Changhe, who was rumored to be from the Blood God Cult, as a fearsome and vicious demon. His nickname, Bloodthirsty Asura, originated from this reputation. At that time, people could not believe that Zhao Changhe could be a chivalrous hero—it simply did not fit with his background.

It was no wonder that the cult was so fond of this place named “Wu,” as they had transformed what was once a gentle and beautiful place into a den of demons.

Fortunately, their cultivation was mediocre, making it difficult for them to wreak havoc in the jianghu.

Even their cult leader, who was the strongest among them, was only at the ninth layer of the Profound Gate, having been stuck at the threshold of the Profound Mysteries his entire life. Still well in his prime at over forty years old, with decades of experience and well-honed techniques, he was defeated by a mere twenty-year-old girl at the eighth layer of the Profound Gate, resulting in him being reduced to a laughingstock.

With that being the case for the leader, there was naturally nothing special when it came to the abilities of the other high-level experts of the cult.

For instance, those who practiced the Vicious Blood Art either ended up being tortured by the vicious blood qi to the point of near-death, causing them to give up or have to rely on Blood Settling Pills to suppress the qi, which would then dulled the effects of the cultivation technique, rendering their efforts futile. Once the Vicious Blood Art lost the boost from vicious blood qi, the body tempered through the cultivation technique was not even as good as any other random body tempering technique.

Then there were those who claimed to have advanced to the Blood God Art, which Zhao Changhe once dreamed of obtaining and practicing.

In reality, this cultivation technique turned out no better than relying on Blood Settling Pills. While it avoided a dependency on pills, it similarly suppressed vicious blood qi, preventing the full potential of the path from being realized.

Xue Canghai’s defeat could largely be attributed to this. Otherwise, in terms of technique and understanding of martial arts, Yue Hongling would not have stood a chance. It was because his cultivation technique was flawed that Yue Hongling found a way to defeat him.

Such a cult, no matter how evil, could not stir much trouble. Whenever they tried, they would be hunted down and suppressed by Tang Wanzhuang’s Demon Suppression Bureau and various righteous martial artists seeking fame. Moreover, they were even attacked by the Four Idols Cult—or more precisely, Vermillion Bird single-handedly stormed into their headquarters, silencing the entire cult and forcing them into submission, completely shattering their morale.

As for the reason Vermillion Bird even bothered to do that? As Black Tortoise was busy and no longer really working for the cult, they were short on manpower and needed some people for grunt work.

In other words, the Blood God Cult’s notorious deeds were mostly done during its earlier years. In recent years, the declining Blood God Cult had not committed many atrocities—not for lack of trying, but for lack of capability. Attacking the Luo Family Village was their most impressive operation in years.

At the moment, the Blood God Cult was facing another headache—the Maitreya Cult, having failed in their eastward expansion at Gusu, had begun advancing westward to Jingxiang[6]. The Maitreya Cult sent an envoy to Wushan, seeking the Blood God Cult’s cooperation in rebellion.

Xue Canghai was torn. He certainly wanted to rebel, believing that the atmosphere of widespread slaughter could help him unlock the Profound Mysteries and gain independence from the Four Idols Cult.

However, he knew that the Maitreya Cult was not a reliable ally. Despite their initial momentum, over the past six months, they had been resisted by southern aristocratic families led by the Tang Clan, facing constant attacks and struggling to gain a foothold. There was no sign of them being able to sweep through the south.

Should he take the gamble?

As Xue Canghai was negotiating with the envoy of the Maitreya Cult, Zhao Changhe, after half a month’s journey, arrived at Wushan on Snow-Treading Crow, trotting through the spring rain.

1. Shu Territory is actually just Sichuan. Sichuan was known as Ba and Shu territory during the Zhou dynasty. ☜

2. This is in reference to the Daba Mountains/Dabashan in Central China that cuts through four provinces: Sichuan, Chongqing, Shaanxi, and Hubei. ☜

3. In the real world, Dabashan is joined to Wushan at its southeast. ☜

4. This references Yaoji, feel free to read up on her on Wikipedia by simply searching her name. ☜

5. The character 巫 refers to witchcraft/shamanism and their practitioners, so the literal meaning of the name Wushan is “witch/shaman mountain.” ☜

6. This is the ancient designation of a region during the Eastern-Han Dynasty. It covers the region of Jing Province and a bit more. ☜