Tome of Troubled Times-Chapter 788 (2): Further Exploration of Karma

Li Shentong had been in a coma, and Zhao Changhe himself had been too exhausted to do anything, so he had left Li Shentong in the care of the members of the Blood God Cult, who had dressed his wounds and applied some medicine. But when he stepped out to ask about Li Shentong’s condition, Xue Canghai informed him that he was already gone.

“Gone?” Zhao Changhe was surprised. “How is that possible? His injuries were so severe...”

“Situ Xiao came and took his master away. He said that he was taking him back to their sect’s secret realm, where they have better resources for treating such injuries. Besides, the Spirit Tribe is nearby, and they have access to treasures of blood and qi that are more suited for his condition.”

“That makes sense, but can someone explain to me how Situ Xiao managed to get here overnight? Can he fly now?”

Xue Canghai stared at him for a long moment before sighing in resignation. “My dear saint, you’ve been in your bridal cha—I mean, in the secret realm for close to three days now.”

Zhao Changhe: “......”

He had only studied the Heavenly Tome for an hour or so, which meant he must have been asleep for two and a half days beforehand.

The members of the Blood God Cult were deeply impressed. Zhao Changhe’s feats of slaying gods and demons were one thing, but this was a different kind of legendary achievement. A single session lasting two and a half days? What kind of power was this? While the core members of the Blood God Cult were similar to the Divine Brilliance Sect in that women were not really on their list of priorities, that did not mean they could not admire a man’s prowess, right?

“Ahem.” Xue Canghai cleared his throat twice, struggling to keep his expression serious. “Anyway, back to business. Saint, you previously sent word to the Grasslands, summoning them to the Sacred Mountain. So far, several small tribes from the Modong have already arrived to pay homage. Oh, those are the same tribes we encountered along the march, the ones obscured by that illusion. Their elites were shattered by our Divine Punishment, so there’s no way they wouldn’t come.”

Zhao Changhe thickened his skin and smoothly redirected the topic. “We’ll deal with that in a bit. First, did Situ Xiao leave any messages before he left?”

“He only said that you should make time to visit Bashu. If you can’t go yourself, send someone reliable like Tang Wanzhuang to take charge.” Xue Canghai’s expression darkened slightly. “It's clear that he still doesn’t trust Four Idols Cult or our Blood God Cult to manage Bashu properly.”

Zhao Changhe was not particularly bothered by this. “What I really want to know is whether they have any gods or demons lurking behind the scenes, ones that might need our help dealing with. Given Li Shentong’s condition, I’m worried something might happen to them.”

“Since he didn’t mention anything, then there probably isn’t one,” Xue Canghai replied. “Not every legacy has some undying god or demon lurking in the shadows. Take the Four Idols Cult, for example. They claimed to have the Night Emperor, but judging by recent events, he’s long dead and buried.”

That's quite the example. Since Blindie didn't come and slap him, it can only mean that she's in a particularly good mood. But the logic isn't wrong. Just because a sect has a strong legacy doesn't necessarily mean there's some ancient god or demon slumbering behind the scenes. Plenty of them have perished for good.

The best example is Old Xia. While Blindie had some connection to him, his inheritance didn’t come from her. The fortuitous encounters that shaped his rise were likely all remnants of unclaimed legacies. Considering the Divine Brilliance Sect’s focus on body cultivation, their original founder had a much higher chance of having died in some world-shattering calamity compared to those who emphasized soul cultivation.

Of course, whether or not that founder would someday revive, like Lie, is something no one can know for sure.

The fact that the Sword Emperor was still lying in his tomb to this day was also tied to the difference in cultivation between body cultivation and other paths. In this recent time when gods and demons were awakening, he had failed to seize the moment, likely because his focus had always been on forging his sword body. He was nothing like the blind woman, who could even abandon her physical form altogether, using the Heavenly Tome itself as a vessel without hesitation.

Zhao Changhe had a feeling that Yue Hongling was going to leave once more. But this time, it was not the same as before, when she simply yearned to roam the world. Now, she had a specific destination in mind—the Sword Emperor’s tomb.

Given her current level of cultivation, she might not even need Zhao Changhe to accompany her. He would have to see how everyone’s schedules lined up and make arrangements. Regardless, this matter needed to be dealt with sooner rather than later; leaving a ticking time bomb buried there forever was not an option.

Since the Divine Brilliance Sect had assured him that there were no lurking gods or demons to deal with on their end, Zhao Changhe set aside his concerns. Once he wrapped things up here, he could pay them a visit at his convenience. Returning to the previous topic, he asked, “You said that the tribes of Mobei have already come to kneel. What about those of the other regions?”

“There have been delegations from other areas as well, but their sincerity is lacking,” Xue Canghai replied. “For example, the tribes of Mobei brought offerings such as cattle, sheep, and treasures, but the others? They just sent an envoy to declare their submission. What good is that? We’re all men of the jianghu here. Do they take us for fools?”

“They're probably still assuming that we can’t exert control over them.” Zhao Changhe thought for a moment. “Any word from Venerable Vermillion Bird these past few days?”

“...You still call her Venerable Vermillion Bird?”

“I’m doing it for your sake so that you don’t slip up and get yourself beaten.”

“...Fair enough. Much appreciated then.” Xue Canghai folded his arms and reported, “There's no news from her yet. But General Huangfu sent an envoy to inform us that they’ve already trounced the royal court and captured its members en masse. Right now, they’re sweeping the land, scouring every corner, mainly looking for the Vulture Tribe and other major tribes. He’s already wiped out two entire tribes, but so far, the Vulture Tribe’s whereabouts remain unknown. I have to say, Huangfu Yongxian is ruthless. The way he’s burning everything down, the Grasslands won’t be able to recover for at least twenty or thirty years.”

“Why do you sound almost envious?” One of Zhao Changhe's eyebrows rose as he asked curiously, “Aren’t you afraid of being possessed by Lie?”

“To be honest, the moment the Blood God reemerged, I was terrified. I knew that if he wanted to seize my body, he could have done so effortlessly. I was practically a vessel prepared just for him... That kind of realization is horrifying. But at the same time, I can’t bring myself to just give up, like Old Sun has. I’ve already cultivated this path all the way to the Profound Mysteries Realm, and abandoning it now...”

Zhao Changhe understood Xue Canghai’s internal struggle all too well. He himself had long known that vicious blood qi carried inherent risks, yet at the time, he had no choice but to continue cultivating it. In the end, he had been fortunate that his mastery of it was relatively shallow, making it easier for him to switch paths when necessary. But Xue Canghai had delved far deeper, reaching a stage where turning back was practically impossible. His only choice now was to see it through to the end.

“I don’t think Lie is all that focused on this,” Zhao Changhe mused after some thought. “Keep cultivating as you have for now. After my next encounter with him, I’ll reassess the situation.”

"Alright." Xue Canghai chuckled. "To put it bluntly, we’re all following your lead now... Wherever you point, that’s where we go."

"I already know where the Vulture Tribe went." Zhao Changhe patted him on the shoulder. "Rest up. I’ll be back soon."

Xue Canghai: "?"

Before he could even ask, Zhao Changhe had already vanished.

His movement art had become increasingly bizarre. Xue Canghai rubbed his eyes for a long time, yet he still could not track Zhao Changhe’s movement. He had absolutely no idea how Zhao Changhe had disappeared or where he was heading.

Wind control, light control, divine descent... Ye Wuzong's movement art, Snow Owl’s movement art... The more he learned, the more his understanding deepened, and the more seamlessly he wove different concepts and techniques together. Now, his movement was entirely at his command, an art of its own. Even Jiuyou had failed to catch that fleeting moment when he slipped away, let alone Xue Canghai.

Zhao Changhe now understood Xia Longyuan more than ever. Back when he had not yet created his own martial arts, he would often think about what kind of grand name he would give his techniques when he finally did. But once he had them, he simply could not be bothered. If he had no intention of passing them down, there was no need to name them at all.

He was headed northwest... Now that he had conquered the Sacred Mountain and comprehended its mysteries, he could fully perceive the flow of the power of faith across the Grasslands. He could sense where faith still clung stubbornly to the tngri, where it was beginning to wane, and even where it had already begun transferring to himself.

Some of it had originally belonged to him, specifically the faith from Vermillion Bird’s army, which was clearly the faith toward the Night Emperor of the Four Idols Cult.

The funny thing was that the venerable herself did not have faith in him at all.

Why would she have faith in him? She was out here fighting tooth and nail, and the moment she left, he just turned around and went straight into the bridal chamber.

Couldn't they have at least waited until I was farther away?! How infuriating!

Huangfu Qing sat in her military tent, fuming as she spread a map before her. She was so frustrated that she did not even have the energy to curse her man at the moment. Her delicate brow was tightly furrowed while Huangfu Shaozong and the other generals sat silently to the side, their expressions awkward.

Without Zhao Changhe’s guidance, they had spent three days sweeping the land and had not found a single tribe. Sisi’s birdmasters were of no use here either. Whether the northern barbarians had simply migrated or they were hidden behind another illusion, they had no way of knowing.

The situation was growing even more awkward, and morale had plummeted.

They had conquered Langjuxu, yet from top to bottom, a sense of weariness and complacency had set in. They had not even had time for a proper victory celebration before being sent out to eradicate the remnants. If they had actually found anyone, that would have been one thing. But after three days of nothing, frustration was inevitable. Now, with Huangfu Qing summoning her generals to discuss the next course of action, not a single person in the tent responded.

Huangfu Qing's brow furrowed. She swept a cold gaze across the tent, her phoenix eyes filled with suppressed fury. “What’s wrong? Have you all lost your tongues? When we were marching, I recall quite a few of you had plenty to say, each one eager to play strategist for me. Now, suddenly, you’ve all gone mute?”

“Ah... well...” The generals forced awkward smiles. “Back then, we were young and ignorant. Now that we’ve seen how the Supreme Commander's strategies are flawless, how could we possibly dare overstep?”

“Spare me the flattery.” Huangfu Qing’s eyes landed on her younger brother. “And you? Have you lost your tongue, too?”

Huangfu Shaozong could only say, “Father’s envoy reported that they haven’t been able to locate the Vulture Tribe either... My guess is, given their name, they must excel in mobility and reconnaissance.”

“A vulture’s more defining trait is feeding on the dead.” Huangfu Qing sneered. “We’re not just looking for the Vulture Tribe. If we find Vulture Beak, there’s a good chance we’ll find Timur. Vulture Beak wants to find Timur even more than we do, and he’s far more knowledgeable of both Timur and the region. If I’m right, the two have likely already made contact.”

No one refuted her logic. In fact, they all agreed with her assessment. But what could they do? It was not as if they had not tried finding them. They had even dragged out high-ranking shamans from the Divine Temple to aid in the search, yet even they had failed. If those with deep spiritual knowledge could not locate them, what more could they do?

Huangfu Qing cast a sidelong glance at the shamans seated motionlessly in the tent, her lips curling into a cold smile. Were they really unable to find anything, or were they simply refusing to cooperate? It was hard to say.

But if she could find them without their help and deliver a decisive extermination strike, then the entirety of the Grasslands would fall in line—militarily, politically, and spiritually.

Unfortunately, she had to admit that she could not achieve this alone, and most definitely not in such a short time. Mobei was simply too vast. Batu’s guides had indeed been familiar with the paths leading to the Sacred Mountain and the royal court. But beyond that, how much could they possibly know? As for her previous seemingly divine instincts, well... that was literally divine intervention, as she had Zhao Changhe.

“Tsk.” Huangfu Qing clicked her tongue in frustration. “Was he really that desperate? The moment he had a break, he just had to run off to his damned bridal chamber... If he had just helped me finish this, couldn’t I have accompanied him? If he had the guts, he should come here right now. I’ll stay right in the command tent and—”

Just as she was muttering to herself, the sight before her eyes blurred, and in the next instant, Zhao Changhe was standing inside the tent.

Huangfu Qing: “...”