Tome of Troubled Times-Chapter 735 (2): The Beginning of Heavenly Sight and Earthly Hearing
Chapter 735 (2): The Beginning of Heavenly Sight and Earthly Hearing
The words Zhao Changhe had spoken at the banquet had shaken many. Whether or not Bashu and the new Han court would truly become allies because of his ideas, there were those who could not risk it happening.
He was digging at the roots of everything they stood on.
Land redistribution, education for all... This is the work of demons!
If these ideas truly took hold, it would not just sound the death knell for the aristocracy; it could dismantle the foundations of small martial sects and even the local bureaucratic class. Legacy and monopolies would be shattered, replaced with open competition.
Even Li Shentong’s massacre of the aristocratic families had not gone this far. Yet with just a few words, Zhao Changhe threatened to uproot Bashu itself.
Even within the Divine Brilliance Sect, not everyone supported these ideas.
After all, their sect was one of the most prominent forces in the monopolization of martial arts. If cultivation knowledge was freely distributed, what place would they hold in this new order?
Everyone had assumed Li Shentong would reject the proposal outright. Yet, from his reaction, he seemed... enticed. Whether he would truly implement such changes, nobody knew, but the fact that he had even wavered was enough cause for alarm.
Regardless, Li Shentong believed that if Zhao Changhe spread these ideas around to force him into action, it meant he could not be trusted. In this case, what stopped them from spreading them first? Doing so would not harm their sect leader.
As these thoughts swirled in their minds, they reached the forest’s edge—only to freeze in their tracks.
A lone figure sat atop a rock, bathed in the moonlight, smiling at them.
They instinctively ground to a halt, their feet skidding across the cold earth. Their hearts pounded as realization dawned.
“Zhao... Zhao Changhe!”
Seeing Zhao Changhe waiting for them in the moonlit forest was no different from stumbling upon a tiger on a dark mountain trail. The sheer presence he exuded sent a chill straight to their bones.
Zhao Changhe hopped down from the rock. “Gentlemen, winter nights are bitterly cold, and the night dew is heavy. Why not rest at home? What could possibly drive you to the outskirts of the city, wandering through these forests, blasted by the northwestern wind?”
He had not even drawn his saber, yet the men before him were already trembling, their legs weak beneath them. Fear gripped them so completely that their instincts took over—they roared in unison, drawing their weapons and charging at him in blind desperation.
With his current level of mastery of vicious blood, Zhao Changhe no longer needed to deliberately summon it. It was ever-present, woven into the very air around him.
Yet how much of this reaction was due to his aura, and how much was due to sheer terror others felt?
The legend of the Godslayer Zhao Changhe had grown too large. The cauldron he had planted at Chengdu’s gate remained unmoved, a testament to his strength. His name alone had become something that could drive people to madness.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
A series of crisp clangs rang out as multiple blades struck various parts of Zhao Changhe’s body.
He tilted his head slightly, then casually pinched a blade pressed against his neck between two fingers. With a grin, he remarked, “Shouldn’t members of the Divine Brilliance Sect be a bit stronger than this? The explosive force of your Wind and Lightning Palm still serves me well to this day. Looks like you all haven’t quite mastered it.”
Wait... Who here is actually from the Divine Brilliance Sect? Our blades clearly landed on him, yet we weren’t even able to leave a mark on his body.
Before anyone could react, Zhao Changhe moved. Another series of clangs filled the air as every sword and saber in their hands was suddenly wrenched away. In one fluid motion, he twisted them all together into a tangled mass of metal and casually tossed the ruined weapons to the ground.
“Come on. Back to the city. We’ll sort this out in front of Sect Master Li.”
Before he even finished speaking, Li Shentong’s sigh echoed through the forest. “Remind me again, who’s the real sect master of the Divine Brilliance Sect?”
Zhao Changhe laughed. “I’m not quite there yet. Would Sect Master Li care to provide me with some guidance?”
Emerging from the woods, Li Shentong’s gaze was calm yet piercing. “What you did just now—you altered the composition of your muscles at the moment the blades struck, dispersing the impact. It’s effective but inefficient. And if you misjudge the strike point, you risk failure.”
Zhao Changhe nodded and said, “That’s true. But for now, it’s the best I can do.”
Li Shentong gave an approving nod. “There’s room for improvement.”
Without further comment, his cold gaze shifted to the captured sect members. “I expected something like this from the Snow-Listening Pavilion... but to think it would come from my own sect.”
“Sect master!” One of the men shouted, “He’s uprooting our foundation as well! His words are deceitful! How can you believe him?”
Li Shentong’s eyes darkened, disappointment etched deep within them. “If you had concerns, you could have brought them to me directly. Acting on your own, sabotaging relationships between factions, do you understand the consequences of your actions? And more importantly... Have you forgotten why we took up arms?”
Is your heart still the same?
Li Shentong still questioned himself. So the men standing beside him, those who had fought at his side—had their convictions truly remained the same?
People changed.
Even for Li Shentong, the question had to be asked again and again... and even when he asked himself, he was not certain of the answer.
But even now, despite his disappointment, he felt no inclination to administer a severe punishment. If anything, the real offense here was acting without orders and disrupting diplomatic relations.
“Return to the sect. You’ll spend ten—”
Before he could finish his sentence, the sound of rushing wind filled the air.
Yue Hongling descended from the night sky, holding a thick rope in her hand. Strung along the end of the rope were five or six men, all bound tightly together like a cluster of fish, dangling helplessly as she touched down lightly before Zhao Changhe.
Casually, she dumped the captives onto the ground in front of them. Smirking, she said, “These ones tried to run. Chasing them down was a bit annoying... but mission accomplished.”
No matter how fast they fled, against opponents who could fly, trying to escape was only a matter of prolonging the inevitable.
The members of the Divine Brilliance Sect, who had been ready to defend themselves, suddenly turned ashen. Even Li Shentong’s face darkened, his expression grim as iron.
The captured men were not from their sect. Though he had no idea who each of them was, it did not take a genius to deduce their background—household guards sent by certain high-ranking officials of Bashu. And among those who had been present at the banquet last night, only the most powerful would dare make such a move.
The Divine Brilliance Sect had always known that Bashu was riddled with infiltrators from the Snow-Listening Pavilion. Now, the nature of these captives made their affiliations unmistakably clear.
“The enemy’s plan... and you joined in? Feeling clever now?” Li Shentong’s previous decree of “ten days in the celestial prison” was immediately revised. “Ten years of imprisonment, and there shall be venomous insects devouring you day and night. You shall be given no opportunity for pardon.”
He bent down, gripping one of the house guards by the throat with one hand and lifting him effortlessly off the ground. His voice was ice-cold as he said, “Take me to your master. Hesitate even for a breath, and you’ll lose a finger. And then...”
Zhao Changhe and Yue Hongling sat back, hands folded, as if none of this had anything to do with them.
They had heard plenty last night about how much of the killing had not been done by Li Shentong and his people. But at least half of that had been Situ Xiao sugarcoating things for his master’s sake. Now, with this situation unraveling, the truth was about to come spilling out—without Zhao Changhe needing to use his Qi Observation Technique.
With Li Shentong in a towering rage, there was no telling what he would do next.
* * *
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No matter what wrath Li Shentong unleashed that night, one thing was certain—Zhao Changhe’s sincerity had been proven beyond all doubt.
The couple slept soundly in their warm guest quarters, undisturbed. By the time morning arrived, Situ Xiao was already outside knocking on their door. “Are you still not awake?”
Still groggy, they washed up quickly and stepped outside. Situ Xiao had already set up breakfast in the courtyard. Not waiting for them, he was busy slurping down a bowl of dandan noodles, his enjoyment evident.
“You two sure slept well,” he grumbled between bites. “I couldn’t get a damn wink of sleep thanks to you.”
Zhao Changhe sat down with a grin. “So? How many did you kill?”
Situ Xiao hesitated before finally holding up a single finger. “Less than a hundred.”
“Less than a hundred?” Zhao Changhe raised an eyebrow. “That’s way fewer than I expected. You’ve been pretty restrained.”
“I meant a hundred families.”
“Pfft—” Zhao Changhe had just taken a bite when he nearly choked, spluttering noodles everywhere. He sucked in a sharp breath.
That’s just in one night?!
Situ Xiao remained deadpan. “Harsh times call for harsh measures. Your capital isn’t much more merciful. And that’s with the supposedly refined Tang Wanzhuang running the show... Damn those bastards. Hiding in our ranks as spies—did they really think we wouldn’t retaliate?”
“No, no...” Zhao Changhe coughed, still recovering from nearly choking. “Forget all that for a second—why the hell is even breakfast this spicy?! Last night’s banquet was one thing, but breakfast?!”
Situ Xiao scoffed. “What kind of misunderstanding do you have about Bashu?”
“Can I get some steamed buns? You can’t possibly make those this spicy, right? If I remember correctly, steamed buns were introduced by the Marquis of Wu, so that’s from Bashu, too.”
Situ Xiao waved for someone to fetch some steamed buns, muttering, “Can’t even handle some spice yet calls himself a hero. Look at Miss Yue, she’s eating just fine.”
Yue Hongling simply smiled, saying nothing.
“I can eat spicy food! I just don’t want it first thing in the morning! Can’t we start the day with something mild?” Zhao Changhe grumbled. “Besides, I never claimed to be a hero.”
“Well, my master was at our ancestral hall this morning, muttering ‘hero, hero’ under his breath the whole time.”
“...”
Situ Xiao sighed, lowering his voice as he continued, “Your words last night shook him deeply. At first, when they weren’t sure whether you were sincere, it was easier to dismiss. But once they realized you were, I swear, my master looked like he aged overnight.”
Zhao Changhe frowned. “Is it really that serious?”
“It is.” Situ Xiao’s tone was unusually solemn. “He believed he was fighting for the people, but looking back... some things aren’t so easily justified. And then you came along, swinging a giant club at his worldview, making him feel like he was just some club himself.”
“You’re the club,” a suddenly voice came from the doorway.
Li Shentong strode in, his expression deadpan. “How the hell did I end up raising such a two-faced bastard like you?”
Situ Xiao kept his head down, quietly slurping his noodles.
Li Shentong stepped forward and personally set down a tray of steamed buns on the table, his attempt at a polite smile coming out looking worse than a grimace. “Apologies for the poor hospitality, King Zhao.”
Zhao Changhe happily grabbed a steamed bun and took a hearty bite before casually remarking, “Not to pry, Sect Master Li, but I have some skill in Qi Observation. Would you like me to sweep the city and root out any remaining sword slaves?”
Li Shentong did not hesitate to answer, “Then I won’t be too polite, King Zhao. Please do. In return, when the Han wages war against Guanlong, Bashu will coordinate an invasion of Hanzhong. The campaign will be led by my brother-in-arms, Elder Shi, with Situ Xiao assisting. As for myself, I will accompany you to the north.”
Situ Xiao opened his mouth, staring at Zhao Changhe with puppy-dog eyes, pleading for him to take him with them.
But Li Shentong shut that down immediately. “Forget it. You’re not going north. If you did, you’d just end up serving as an officer under Huangfu Yongxian. There’s simply no way you’d be involved in a battle between those at the Profound Control Realm. You’re simply not strong enough. Hmph, you and Zhao Changhe are the same age, yet look how far he’s come, and look at where you are. Tell me, what dog ate your talent and shat it out?”
Situ Xiao gritted his teeth but swallowed his retort. And what about you, old man? You’re only a bit stronger than Zhao Changhe at your age, so which dog shat out YOUR talent?!
Zhao Changhe coughed awkwardly. “Brother Situ has fought under General Huangfu before. Sending him to Yanmen wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
“Then Yanmen it is.” Li Shentong did not argue the point, instead shifting the conversation. “Yesterday, you said the gods and demons of Kunlun have little interest in worldly conquest. That’s not entirely true. Since I’ve chosen to support you, I might as well share some information. Consider it a favor in return.”
