Tome of Troubled Times-Chapter 742 (2): Subduing the Underworld

Yet Yuxu’s expression remained calm, as still as an ancient well. He raised a single palm in return and returned the same respectful salute. As the golden radiance entered one chi within his aura, it was as if it had plunged into an invisible quagmire. Its momentum slowed dramatically, unable to advance any further. Then, it began to rotate—gradually forming what looked like a Taiji diagram.

Without even rising from his seat, Yuxu flicked his hand, and the now-Taiji-shaped golden light rebounded back toward its source. As it retraced its original trajectory, it expanded in size. By the time it reached Kong Shi's forehead, it had become as vast and crushing as Mount Tai itself.

A faint golden glow flickered around Kong Shi, and when the seemingly overwhelming force struck his forehead, it dissipated without leaving so much as a scratch.

The mighty Golden Bell Barrier can actually be this strong?

Dai Qingge stood dumbstruck, jaw nearly unhinged. If that attack had landed on me, I’d be a pile of flesh on the ground. But against that Golden Bell Barrier, it was as if it were nothing more than a fart. It couldn’t even lift the hem of his robes!

Zhao Changhe chuckled under his breath. “So, Young Master Dai, which school's techniques interest you more?”

Dai Qingge hesitated for a moment before finally realizing. This duel was not just about the fight; it was also a demonstration, showcasing their martial arts to the world.

He found himself conflicted. Yuxu’s style was elegant and commanding, but Kong Shi's techniques... well, they could keep him alive.

After a moment of indecision, he turned the question back. “Brother Qin, what about you?”

Zhao Changhe grinned, baring his teeth. “Looking good lasts a lifetime. Who the hell wants to be a punching bag?”

Dai Qingge found the reasoning impeccable, nodding enthusiastically like a pecking chick. Only the heavens knew how many times this so-called Brother Qin, who claimed that “looking good lasts a lifetime,” had secretly coveted the Golden Bell Barrier for improving his own defense...

While the two exchanged a few words, the battle in the arena had already cycled through several rounds of offensive and defensive exchanges. Yet the overall structure remained the same—it was still a prolonged contest of ranged attacks.

Yuxu was no fool. His declaration of allowing his opponent one move would have put him at a disadvantage in close combat, but in long-range exchanges, striking first hardly made a difference. Meanwhile, Kong Shi continuously sought to close the distance and ascend the platform, only to be continuously repelled, unable to advance even a step.

Kong Shi showed no urgency. If the battle remained a pure contest of energy clashes, that alone would be enough for him as in the eyes of the spectators, it would mean that he and Yuxu were evenly matched. That was all he needed to make his name resound across Chang’an.

Yuxu was clearly aware of this ploy. Gradually, Zhao Changhe began to notice that the energy dissipated by Kong Shi's counterattacks had not actually vanished but still lingered in the air around Yuxu. As the fight continued, Yuxu subtly gathered these scattered energies and incorporated them into his own techniques.

Around Kong Shi, a new Taiji vortex was forming—one as vast as a cliff and as indomitable as a millstone, slowly rotating.

No one outside could fully grasp how it felt to be inside that vortex, but Zhao Changhe understood it clearly. If a weaker opponent were caught in there, they would have been ground into paste by now.

This kind of soft force was fascinating—completely opposite to the sheer brutality Zhao Changhe preferred in combat. But it was undeniably effective.

To the bystanders, it appeared as though Kong Shi was spinning faster and faster within the vortex, unable to steady himself. In truth, he was methodically neutralizing the spiral’s force. Though he was caught in the rotation, he was sustaining no real harm and was merely biding his time for a counterattack.

But before he could make his move, Yuxu struck once more.

This palm strike appeared weightless and deceptively soft.

In reality, it seamlessly followed the momentum of Kong Shi's rotation, adding a subtle pull in the same direction. The sheer inertia was enough to send Kong Shi hurtling from his position, spinning straight into the crowd.

The moment he crashed into the onlookers, his humiliation would be complete—the fight would be decisively lost. And Yuxu, from start to finish, would have won with absolute composure, his title as the strongest in the divine land utterly undisputed.

By sheer coincidence—or perhaps not—Kong Shi's trajectory sent him spinning directly toward where Zhao Changhe and Dai Qingge stood.

At that moment, Zhao Changhe caught a fleeting glimpse of Kong Shi's expression amid the whirling motion.

A flash of amusement. And beneath it, murderous intent.

Zhao Changhe’s heart clenched. Not good.

If Kong Shi had only been using the Buddhist techniques he had displayed thus far, then yes, he would have been powerless to resist this final spin and would have crashed helplessly into the crowd. But what if Kong Shi was actually Papiyas? What if he had been concealing his demonic arts all along? And those demonic arts were especially adept at deception. If Kong Shi—or rather, Papiyas—were to activate his demonic arts the moment he hit the crowd, he would end up slaughtering the gathered spectators. On the surface, however, it would appear as if Yuxu had miscalculated—his energy flaring out of control, causing collateral damage to innocent onlookers. And in that instant, it would be Yuxu’s reputation that would be utterly destroyed.

He never needed to defeat Yuxu; he only needed to make him lose face.

Just as this thought flashed through Zhao Changhe’s mind, Kong Shi had already spun into the crowd. The onlookers were just beginning to scatter to the sides when the once gentle, flowing Taiji energy suddenly fragmented into countless razor-sharp edges, like wind blades slashing outward in all directions.

Up on the platform, Yuxu’s expression changed drastically. At this distance, who could possibly intervene in time?

Yet, just then, the attendant standing beside Young Master Dai Qingge slowly extended a single finger and tapped the air at the very origin of the wind blades.

The moment the energy transformed into cutting gusts, it was no longer Yuxu’s qi, nor was it Kong Shi's power of Dharma. It had become wind, a force of nature.

Wind could slice like a blade, or it could be as refreshing as a gentle breeze. It all depended on how it was controlled to be.

Revealing his presence was secondary. The lives of the surrounding bystanders mattered far more to him.

The gathered crowd had no idea what had just transpired. All they felt was a sudden breeze brushing against their faces. In the chill of winter, it was a sharp gust of cold air, but nothing more. There was neither harm nor danger that reached them.

On the other hand, Kong Shi did have a very good idea of what had transpired.

He knew someone had interfered. But with so many eyes upon him, he could not very well lash out at whoever had sabotaged his plan. His mind shifted gears instantly, and he decided to feign a loss of control—stumbling and lurching directly toward Zhao Changhe.

If he could crash into this meddlesome bastard and seriously injure or even kill him, that would be two birds with one stone. It would teach him a lesson about interfering in matters beyond his concern, and at the same time, it would still leave Yuxu shouldering the blame for “misdirected energy harming civilians.”

“Master, there are too many people here. It's best if you spin your way back.”

As the voice broke the silence, a large hand clamped down onto Kong Shi's shoulder. And just as he was already spinning, it redirected him.

But this was not some elegant, Profound Control-level manipulation of wind. This was Zhao Changhe’s own Blood Asura Body strength—an earth-shattering force of sheer brutality.

Kong Shi had been expecting a scholar-warrior who dabbled in graceful wind techniques. He had not expected a rampaging hurricane beast. Caught completely off guard, he was forcibly spun back in the opposite direction, whirling like a helpless top until he was sent straight back to where he started.

As he spun, his frantic gaze momentarily locked onto Zhao Changhe’s disguised face—just as that face turned toward a nearby young noble and spoke with a carefree grin, “This golden spinning monk-top is quite amusing. Young Master Dai, you should consider mass-producing them. I bet they’d sell like crazy.”

Laughter erupted from the crowd.

Kong Shi barely managed to halt his spinning momentum, nearly coughing up blood from sheer rage.

If he had not revealed his demonic arts, then technically, losing this match would not have been a big deal. The goal had never been victory. As long as he proved he could contend with Yuxu for an extended period and forced Yuxu into a situation where innocent civilians were harmed, that would have been enough to shift public perception in Buddhism’s favor.

But now?

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Not only had he failed to cause harm, but the hard-earned prestige from “going toe-to-toe with Yuxu” had been utterly erased in an instant. By tomorrow, the only thing the people of Chang’an would remember was not a mighty monk who stood against Yuxu but a golden spinning top.

This battle was nothing short of a crushing defeat, and the most baffling part was that it was not even at the hands of Yuxu but rather some random, nondescript face in the crowd.

Kong Shi took a deep breath, calming himself before speaking with deliberate composure. “Daoist Yuxu, your cultivation is indeed profound, worthy of being called the foremost of the divine land. I have learned much today. And as for this gentleman...”

He gestured toward Zhao Changhe and asked, “May I ask which master of the Rankings of Troubled Times you are?”

Yuxu stepped in at the perfect moment, his tone even and measured, “This young brother merely observed the flow of the wind and used its momentum to shift force. That does not necessarily mean he is a master on the Rankings of Troubled Times, though his potential is certainly noteworthy.”

Zhao Changhe met Yuxu’s gaze. In that brief moment, understanding passed between them.

Then, Yuxu turned to Dai Qingge with a kind and amicable smile. “This young man looks somewhat familiar. Could he be a young master of the Dai Clan of Jingzhao? Is he your brother, Young Master Dai?”

Dai Qingge, positively brimming with pride, puffed out his chest and laughed. “This is my esteemed guest and sworn brother, Qin Jiu!”

Yuxu paused for a fraction of a second before smiling with quiet amusement. “Qin Jiu... A fine name... One that could subdue the underworld[1].”

Zhao Changhe’s mouth opened slightly in shock, his mind completely blank for a second.

Subdue the underworld? Who? Me? No, no, no, I didn’t, I haven’t, stop making things up!

For the first time, Yuxu rose from his seat atop the platform. Pressing his palms together in a respectful Buddhist gesture, he addressed Kong Shi and the other monks. “If the esteemed masters have no pressing matters, perhaps you would care to stay and share a simple meal at the temple?”

“No need.” Kong Shi returned the gesture with composed dignity. His gaze lingered briefly on Zhao Changhe before he said, “Our cultivation is insufficient, and we have made a poor showing today. We shall return to our temple for further self-reflection.”

With that, he led his group away.

In truth, as long as the city was not flooded with golden monk-tops by tomorrow, this outing would not be a complete loss. After all, the Golden Bell Barrier's capabilities had been displayed to great effect.

Yuxu watched their retreating figures before turning back to Dai Qingge with a genial expression. “Young Master Dai, why not bring this sworn brother of yours into the temple for a chat over a cup of tea?”

If Yue Hongling were to hear about what had just transpired, she would likely be left utterly speechless.

This, this is was what it meant to have a powerful destiny! This is just absurd!

She had only just lightly stepped into the fray, and yet Zhao Changhe had already found himself swept into the heart of a major conflict and ended up straight at the very core of his mission: a direct meeting with Yuxu.

1. Note that the name used here is the “Jiu” in Jiuyou. Additionally, the surname Qin (秦) in the alias sounds the same as the word for subduing/capturing (擒) ☜