Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 355: Returning in Glory

As Zhao Changhe climbed the steps, he looked around with great interest at the scenery of Wushan.

The transition from winter to spring, coupled with the change in geography, made it feel like the majestic and towering mountains of Kunlun had given way to verdant landscapes. The ice and snow were gone, replaced by lush greenery and the fresh scent of spring rain. The chirping of birds and the blooming of flowers made it feel like he had entered another secret realm.

It was a fascinating experience.

Unfortunately, his literary knowledge was inconsistent. Occasionally, he could come up with some brilliant lines, but when faced with such poetic scenery, he could only recall a few famous lines, but those did not quite fit the mood.

No body of water can compare to the vast sea, and no clouds can compare with the clouds of Wushan[1] But Cult Leader Xue resides here, so would that really be appropriate?

Or perhaps, Wushan is high, Wushan is low, in the evening rain, the lover does not return, and the room left empty[2].

Cult Leader Xue would probably hit him if he heard that, wondering who was being left alone in an empty room.

Come to think of it, the entire Blood God Cult seems disinterested in women. They seem like they’re only obsessed with blood and killing... What a bizarre cult.

In reality, not many people knew that the Blood God Cult was based in Wushan. Otherwise, they might have been wiped out long ago. Zhao Changhe had learned their location from Wan Dongliu of the Four Idols Cult. On the surface, there was only a mountain stronghold on Wushan, where bandits gathered to act as rulers of the mountain, robbing and plundering. The cult operated in secrecy, hidden in an underground secret realm within the mountain, much like the setup in Beimang.

With Maitreya causing chaos in the south, the officials of the Great Xia did not have the time to deal with mountain bandits.

But compared to Beimang, this mountain stronghold was quite a bit better. It was, after all, not just set up in a single location. The mountain stronghold stretched from the mountainside to the peak, with numerous large and small fortresses scattered about and even some other defensive structures.

“Stop, what are you doing here?”

As he reached the entrance of a fortress, a group of bandits, unable to tolerate his approach any longer, surrounded him and glared at him nervously. “This isn’t a place for sightseeing... We’ve been putting up with you for a while...”

Zhao Changhe almost burst out laughing. “Why have you been putting up with me?”

One of them hesitated, then said softly, “Aren’t you... Zhao Changhe?”

At this moment, Zhao Changhe’s Dragon Bird was stored in his ring, causing him to be missing a signature identifier, but his distinctive scarred face was left uncovered. He was openly presenting himself as Zhao Changhe, not passing himself off as Wang Daozhong.

Zhao Changhe smiled, “Why do you seem to be unsure? Is it just because I’m not carrying my saber?”

“Nowadays, everyone imitating Zhao Changhe carries a broad saber. How could the real Zhao Changhe not have one? I told you all it wasn’t him!” one of them complained to his companions. “Letting someone who might not even be Zhao Changhe get this close to the gate without stopping him—what a joke!”

Zhao Changhe laughed, “So if the real Zhao Changhe came, you wouldn’t stop him?”

The bandits all replied, “Of course! Boss Zhao is one of our own. If he comes, we would welcome him home.”

What nonsense... Zhao Changhe felt both amused and exasperated. “Weren’t you guys supposed to be hunting me down? How did I suddenly turn into someone you would welcome home?”

“The kill order was forgotten long ago. Who would still take that seriously?”

One of the bandits cautiously asked, “Are you really him? Stop pretending if you’re not. We’ve already called out some of the brothers from Beimang to come and verify if you really are Boss Zhao!”

As they spoke, a man hurriedly came from inside. “I heard you spotted someone that looks like our boss? Shit, it really is you, boss! You’re finally here! We missed you!”

Zhao Changhe took a look at who it was and could not help but laugh. It was one of his men from Beimang, for whom he had asked Black Tortoise to send a recommendation letter. As he expected, Xue Canghai had reluctantly given them minor leadership positions, and this man, Liuzi, had been made the leader at the mountain stronghold at the base of the mountain.

Liuzi pushed through the crowd and quickly embraced Zhao Changhe, then turned to the others and puffed out his chest. “Who said he’s not our boss? If this isn’t our boss, then is he your father?”

Everyone was stunned.

You aren’t even the big boss here, so why are you acting like you are?

But no one dared to protest. Instead, admiration appeared on everyone’s faces, and they all bowed respectfully. “So it really is Boss Zhao...”

“Greetings, Brother Zhao!”

“Hello, Boss Zhao!”

“Boss Zhao, you’re our idol!”

“Welcome, Boss Zhao. Come inside and rest. Should we inform the cult leader of your arrival? Would you like us to show you around?”

Seeing the genuine excitement on their faces, Zhao Changhe was amused. Maybe I should start a fan club?

He had expected that he would not be treated as a traitor if he did openly come to the Blood God Cult, especially given his current strength and connections. Forget about the underlings, even Cult Leader Xue would have to handle him with care. Not long ago, he and the saintess of the Four Idols Cult had even killed Tarantula and Tian Lingzi, as had been reported by the Tome of Troubled Times. With that being the case, even if Cult Leader Xue wanted to kill him, he would have to first consider whether he could.

But he had not expected the cult members to treat him like one of their own, and regard him with such pride... It was truly as if they did not consider him to be a defector from the Blood God Cult but as someone returning in glory.

Had he known this, he might not have needed to waste a favor with Lady Three to infiltrate the cult.

“Move aside! I will naturally be the one to show the boss around. You think it’s your turn to do it?” Liuzi scolded the others with his hands on his hips, and then he turned to Zhao Changhe with a smile. “Boss, Wushan is beautiful and it has many scenic spots. Would you like me to show you around?”

Zhao Changhe laughed. “You seem to have settled in well.”

“Yup. The rules are pretty much the same in all the green forests. Instructor Sun has a decent position here and takes care of everyone.” Liuzi happily led the way. “The climate here is fantastic. The brothers can’t believe we were stuck in the icy cold of Beimang.”

Zhao Changhe waved off the other eager followers and followed Liuzi into the fortress. “Instructor Sun didn’t face any trouble?”

“I heard he had a tough time for a while. Some people in the cult were trying to push him away. But then the cult leader said that as long as his responsibilities did not lie in the spreading of the cult’s doctrine, he was only responsible for training people.”

“I see. I was worried that the Blood God Cult would unjustly punish Old Sun. That would have changed our relationship considerably...”

Liuzi laughed. “No way. They didn’t do anything to him, and even though he was pushed to the side for a while, that was really just for a while. Many people’s attitudes changed, and some even secretly looked for him to ask him one thing or another. I heard even an elder protector went to him for guidance, and that protector’s cultivation is much higher than Instructor Sun’s... Instructor Sun is now seen as a reclusive expert, like an old man selling wontons.”

Zhao Changhe chuckled, “Everyone’s story involves selling wontons. Why not sweeping monks?”

Liuzi: “Huh?”

“Never mind, go on.”

“The cult leader also respects Instructor Sun. He even permitted him to access many of the cult’s core manuals and the sacred artifact. As a result, Instructor Sun’s cultivation has improved significantly over the past year and he’s broken through to the sixth layer of the Profound Gate. He’s no longer just a regular instructor. He’s been promoted to a protector of the cult. Now, no one dares to marginalize him.”

Zhao Changhe sighed inwardly.

Not every instructor under an elder in the Blood God Cult is as good as Old Sun... Old Sun was not only responsible but also had incredibly solid fundamentals. I used to think that this was standard, but after so long in the jianghu, I’ve come to realize that most martial artists are quite average in this regard and don’t really pay much attention to the fundamentals.

Instructor Sun had simply lacked proper opportunities and resources for advancement. If he had sufficient resources, he would not have only reached the fourth layer of the Profound Gate in his thirties.

There were actually many hidden talents in the world, but they often went unnoticed. This was true in every faction. Most people did not ever get the chance to find a master and learn proper techniques.

As they talked, they made their way up the mountain, with someone having already gone ahead to report to the main base of the cult.

Xue Canghai was discussing matters with an envoy from the Maitreya Cult when a guard outside peeked in, making faces but not speaking. Annoyed, Xue Canghai got up, walked over, and slapped the guard. “Who taught you to act like a rat?”

The guard, feeling aggrieved, held his cheek and whispered, “Zhao Changhe has come to the mountain.”

Xue Canghai’s heart skipped a beat, realizing that he had wrongly hit the guard. The guard had been well-intentioned and smart—if the envoy from the Maitreya Cult had overheard, it would have been difficult to handle what came next.

Moreover, Zhao Changhe had the habit of killing other envoys in front of their hosts. He had done it twice already, once in front of the Wang Clan and once in front of Batu’s army, with one of the victims being from the Maitreya Cult.

Thinking quickly, Xue Canghai turned to the envoy with a smile. “I have some urgent personal matters to attend to. You can head back to your accommodation and rest for now. We can continue our discussion later.”

After saying that, he signaled to the guard to ensure that the envoy did not see Zhao Changhe, then hurriedly left the meeting hall, rushing down the mountain.

Halfway down, he looked down and saw the mountain stronghold in an uproar, with a crowd of Blood God Cult followers surrounding Zhao Changhe like they were welcoming a celebrity. Zhao Changhe, smiling and waving, looked like he was reveling in the attention.

A group of recent arrivals from Beimang surrounded him, chatting and laughing as they made their way up the mountain, gathering followers from each of the fortresses they passed. The procession made it look as if Zhao Changhe was the actual cult leader.

Did he come here to show off? Xue Canghai ground his teeth in frustration.

As he pondered Zhao Changhe’s true intentions, another figure rapidly approached from the other side of the mountain. In no time, they arrived before Zhao Changhe.

Zhao Changhe halted.

Amidst the silent, expectant crowd of bandits, Zhao Changhe dropped to one knee and offered a deep bow. “I’m very happy to see you in good health, Instructor Sun. It seems that you’ve made great progress in your cultivation as well.”

Everyone fell silent. Even Instructor Sun, who had rushed over to see his student, was stunned by the gesture, forgetting to help Zhao Changhe up.

When I blocked you at the Ancient Sword Lake, you didn’t show me such respect.

Xue Canghai, who was watching from afar, felt relieved. This display suggested that Zhao Changhe at least did not come here to cause trouble.

Just as he thought this, Zhao Changhe looked up toward the top of the mountain where Xue Canghai stood, as if he had known he was there all along. Xue Canghai’s heart skipped a beat again. Such heightened senses, he’s at least at the door of the Profound Mysteries!

Zhao Changhe stood up and spoke calmly, his voice echoing across the mountains. “Cult Leader Xue, I trust you have been well. I, Zhao Changhe, an outsider bandit, am here to pay my respects.”

1. This is a famous saying by Tang Dynasty poet Yuan Zhen (元稹). ☜

2. This is a line from the poem “Everlasting Longing” (长相思) by Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi (白居易) ☜