Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 115: A Brimming Hall With Three Thousand Guests

Everyone was looking at the foreigners who had just barged in.

Two individuals led the group, one tall and one short. The taller one stood at an imposing nine chi tall, with an exposed upper body revealing bulging muscles. His biceps were so massive that they could rival an average person’s thigh. He carried an unusually large saber on his back, and he basically looked like a larger version of Zhao Changhe.

Zhao Changhe craned his neck to size up the man, realizing that he would barely reach the man’s chest. However, the size of the tall man’s saber did not seem to surpass that of Dragon Bird, so the proportions did not make him appear as extraordinary... He could not help but sense Dragon Bird feeling quite proud of itself and eager for a fight. Its saber qi was nearly surging out.

Damn, just because you’re a bit bigger, you’re acting all proud and haughty...

The shorter man was only shorter in comparison to the giant beside him. In reality, though, he stood at over seven chi tall, which was a fair bit taller than the average person. He had a certain air of sophistication about him.

Hearing Wan Dongliu’s questioning tone, he replied with a polite smile, “We heard that in the Central Plains, martial arts are flourishing, and although we are here to do business, we also admire your prowess. We heard that the young master of the Wan Clan has invited renowned heroes of Yangzhou to gather at the Bright Moon Tower. We felt that it would be a grand event and we were eager to come and take a look. Could it be that the heroes of Yangzhou are afraid of us merchants?”

Wan Dongliu sneered and said, “We are friends gathering for a drink. We did not gather here to compare our martial arts! You come and disturb our gathering, and you still want to do business in Yangzhou!”

Suddenly, he drew his sword and called out, “Members of the Cao Gang, here...”

The shorter man chuckled, interrupting him, “See, this is exactly what we were talking about. The hidden dragons of the central plains truly do have an undeserved reputation. Despite there being so many heroes listed on the Ranking of Hidden Dragons present here, none of them dare to engage in a one-on-one fight and instead plan to gang up on us. How can they still have the gall to boast of their martial prowess? It’s ridiculous, truly ridiculous!”

Wan Dongliu was about to respond when he suddenly heard the voice of Magistrate Qian come from behind him. “Dongliu, what he said is not entirely wrong. There’s no harm in a friendly contest to demonstrate the might of the Great Xia Empire.”

Wan Dongliu frowned, and Xuan Chong, Tang Buqi, and the others shared his concern.

This is too risky. Who knows what level the opponents are at? What if there’s someone from the Ranking of Heaven or Ranking of Earth mixed in among them? Are we supposed to just entertain them?

But then, the man on the other side laughed and said, “We, the heroes of the Grasslands[1], do not play any of those fancy tricks of yours. Hidden dragons will only face hidden dragons.”

The nine-chi-tall man next to him shouted thunderously, “Batu is here, who dares to fight me?!”

Whispers and murmurs filled the air among the bystanders.

The Tome of Troubled Times enveloped the world, so the Ranking of Hidden Dragons was naturally not limited to the characters of the Central Plains. This individual appeared to be a genuine hidden dragon—the 99th Hidden Dragon, known as Batu the Wild Lion.

Tang Buqi could not contain himself any longer and exclaimed, “I’ll take you on!”

The 120th hidden dragon had been looking for someone stronger to hone his skills. When he challenged Zhao Changhe, it was partially for that reason. Batu, who was the 99th hidden dragon, was a much more suitable match than Zhao Changhe. He still could not help feeling angry every time he looked at Zhao Changhe. There was no better time to fight than now!

Swish, swish, swish!

As soon as he went forward, Tang Buqi unleashed a famous move from the Spring Water Sword Art called Infinite Parting Sorrow.

One sword turned into three, and the three turned into infinity. In an instant, Batu was surrounded by countless glimmering sword lights.

The spectators nodded slightly, feeling that this would be an intense battle. After all, the Ranking of Hidden Dragons was not an absolute indicator of strength, it could only be used as a reference. The gap between the ranks 99 and 120 was actually quite small, and the Tang Clan’s Spring Water Sword Art was not to be underestimated...

However, Zhao Changhe shook his head slightly, not holding high hopes at all.

While Tang Buqi did have decent strength, he lacked the experience of life-and-death battles. The day the young man challenged him, he could not even impose a hint of pressure. On the other hand, the tall man Tang Buqi was facing was a completely different story...

Before Zhao Changhe could finish his thoughts, a furious shout reverberated as Batu drew his saber and swung it fiercely.

Tang Buqi’s sword lights were already nearing Batu’s throat. However, Batu’s slash did not discriminate, nor did it care which of the sword lights was real. He confronted Tang Buqi directly with the intent of exchanging blow for blow!

Though clearly possessing superior swordsmanship and having the initial advantage, Tang Buqi was forced to evade, dodging to his right

However, Batu’s seemingly heavy downward slash effortlessly turned into a horizontal slash, chasing directly after Tang Buqi!

Caught off guard, Tang Buqi had no choice but to block the attack by holding his sword vertically. However, did his longsword really have any chance of blocking such a saber?

Clang!

Fortunately, Tang Buqi was at least using a treasured sword of the Tang Clan. It bent, but it did not break. He narrowly pulled his sword back and retreated.

Batu took another step forward, relentlessly pursuing Tang Buqi.

“Stop!”

A cold light shot directly toward Batu’s face. Daoist Priest Xuan Chong was afraid that Tang Buqi was really going to be cut in half, so he took action urgently.

Clang!

A dark red scimitar suddenly appeared in the path of Xuan Chong’s sword path, mysteriously diverting his sword away. Xuan Chong could not withstand the peculiar dragging force of the scimitar and staggered back two steps before he could finally regain his footing. He turned around in shock and exclaimed, “Spirit Fox Blade! You’re Fox Spirit Chi Li!”

It was the very man who had used words to provoke a one-on-one battle. He nodded with a smile. “Indeed, that’s me.”

The entire place was in an uproar.

It was Chi Li. First on the Ranking of Hidden Dragons!

Moreover, he had reached first place at the age of twenty and had been holding the position firmly for two years. He was still only twenty-two years old!

There was nothing wrong with hidden dragons facing hidden dragons, but him being first on the Ranking of Hidden Dragons completely changed things!

Amidst the shock and awe, Chi Li turned his head and glanced at Tang Buqi.

When Xuan Chong attempted to save Tang Buqi, Chi Li had stopped him. However, Tang Buqi had not been sliced in two by Batu’s slash. A scar-faced man was now in front of Tang Buqi, seemingly protecting him. He was carrying a saber even larger than Batu’s, but he had not even drawn his saber yet.

Batu seemed somewhat wary of the scar-faced man, and he had halted his pursuit.

Is the scarface Zhao Changhe? I missed what happened just now, so I have no idea how he managed to save Tang Buqi from Batu. He even managed to make Batu feel wary...

Right after Chi Li had this thought, he watched as Tang Buqi, feeling both embarrassed and angry, pointed at Batu and said, “Based on your strength and speed, you should already be at the fifth layer of the Profound Gate. You aren’t at the fourth layer like you were when you were ranked 99th on the Ranking of Hidden Dragons! This was an unfair victory!”

Batu looked at him as if he was a complete moron. “Just because the Tome of Troubled Times said that I was at the fourth layer of the Profound Gate eight months ago doesn’t mean that I still have to be at the fourth layer now. If I hadn’t made any progress in eight months, then how would I be worthy of being called a hidden dragon? If anything, I think my progress is pretty slow!”

Tang Buqi, whose strength was overwhelmingly inferior and now even had his intelligence mocked, felt so ashamed and angry that he wanted to dig a hole and hide inside.

Chi Li chuckled lightly and looked at Xuan Chong, “Daoist priest, it seems that the outcome of their battle has been decided. Shall we continue?”

Xuan Chong frowned.

He knew that he was no match for Chi Li.

First Hidden Dragon... These three words could leave those of the same generation breathless.

Chi Li glanced at Zhao Changhe, but his gaze showed no intention of fighting against someone who was ranked in the 80s. He then looked at Wan Dongliu. “Mister Wan, would you like to have a match?”

Wan Dongliu said indifferently, “I am no match for the First Hidden Dragon.”

Chi Li looked up to the sky and laughed, “This is exactly why I said that the hidden dragons of the Central Plains have an undeserved reputation. Your heroes truly are nothing special! Batu, let’s go.”

The bystanders all fell silent, and everyone glared at Chi Li with fiery eyes, clenching their fists tightly.

However, within this silence, they heard the sound of hooves approaching rapidly on the blue stone tiles. Chi Li’s laughter gradually stopped, and his gaze held some surprise.

In actuality, his laughter was not mere laughter—it was intended on and fully capable of sowing shadows in these people’s hearts. And yet, the mere sound of this horse’s hooves had prevented him from doing that. Could it be some renowned master from the Ranking of Man?

The sound of horse hooves ceased, and a clear and melodious female voice sounded from outside the door, “Who said that the hidden dragons of the Central Plains have an undeserved reputation?”

Following these words, a woman in a red dress strode in through the door. Her sword qi was already surging into the sky before she even made it through the door.

Her stunning beauty eclipsed the bright moon, causing all of the beauties in the building to feel ashamed.

Her captivating eyes swept over Chi Li, and the first person they landed on was actually Zhao Changhe, who gave her a faint smile in response.

The newcomer then politely greeted Wan Dongliu, “Pardon me for barging in, Young Gang Leader Wan. I came here to ask you for a drink.”

Wan Dongliu laughed loudly, “My best wine is waiting for you!”

Chi Li looked at the newcomer with a somewhat solemn expression. He did not expect that the person who put such pressure on him was actually a brave and beautiful woman. The guest list he had seen did not include this person.

He spoke slowly, “May I know who you are?”

The newcomer finally glanced at him and replied indifferently: “I am Yue Hongling of the Central Plains!”

1. This is a reference to Mongolia. ☜