Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 282: The First Light of Dawn

Inside the tent, Batu faced the treacherous couple with a stern face.

At the moment, Batu felt like an utter fool.

He truly could not comprehend how, even though he had taken precautions, Zhao Changhe and Yue Hongling could still so easily decapitate the envoy while surrounded by countless of his troops. Their capabilities aside, their sheer boldness was unparalleled. And there were two of them.

Not only had they managed to kill the envoy, but they also pinned it all on him perfectly. If the delegation that came with the envoy escaped and reported back, even if he killed Zhao Changhe, who would believe his explanation that Zhao Changhe had acted alone? At the very least, it was impossible for the khagan to believe it.

With no other choice, he had to order the killing of everyone that came with the envoy. Naturally, issuing such an order in front of the entire army meant that there was no turning back.

At this moment, even if Zhao Changhe stretched out his neck for him to chop, Batu would not dare to touch him, no matter how angry he was. With things as they were, if he did not draw on the support of Great Xia, he would not have any place to die, much less live.

Regardless, it seemed that they did not trust him anymore.

Just after entering the tent, Yue Hongling pressed a finger to one of his acupoints, causing excruciating pain and itchiness throughout his body. “This is my unique Sunset Glow Flickering Finger; consider it a lesson. From now on, as long as my true qi can reach you, I can make you explode at any time, leaving you without even an intact corpse. I don’t know if Timur can undo it, but even if your uncle came back to life, he probably would not be able to.”

Batu, drenched in cold sweat from the, said, “Is this really necessary? At this point, do you think I still dare make any moves against you? I already have no other choice but to follow you to the end.”

Yue Hongling said coldly, “Barbarians have no integrity; don’t blame me for being ruthless.”

Zhao Changhe sat nearby, pouring himself a drink, thoroughly enjoying his wife’s performance. The more he watched, the more pleased he felt.

Yue Hongling had traveled the world on her own for many years, and this had allowed her to learn to be ruthless and never hesitate. She would never show mercy easily.

Hehe, how did I win over such a wonderful woman? I must really be incredibly handsome.

Batu could only accept his fate, enduring the torturous pain for half an hour before it finally began to subside. He then meekly poured drinks for them, as if nothing had even happened.

Zhao Changhe thought to himself that Batu was indeed quite a character. How did I ever come to think that this guy was just a big, dumb brute?

Finally, Zhao Changhe sighed and said, “Brother Batu, why the long face? If Hongling had not saved you, you would have died under He Shan’s spear. But then you just so happened to turn on us and cozy up to the envoy sent by Timur while also placing us under tight watch. Are you upset that we did not willingly stretch our necks out for you and we ruined your grand plan to become some Lion King?”

Batu replied sullenly, “Alright, you know why I’m upset. We’re not friends; we each have our own plans. Now that you succeeded, that’s all there is to it. I have to admit, Zhao Changhe, you’re a real man. Your courage, boldness, and martial skills are truly impressive. Now that I’ve fallen into your trap, just tell me what you want me to do.”

“Before that, let’s clarify one thing.”

“What is it?”

“Who’s fucking whose mother?”

Batu’s face blushed red. After a moment, he turned to Yue Hongling and shouted, “Mom!”

Yue Hongling had just taken a sip of wine and ended up spitting it out, nearly choking.

Zhao Changhe was also astonished, “Brother Batu, I never realized you were such a quick-witted person.”

Batu, expressionless, replied, “You’re too kind, too kind. I’m far from being as clever as you.”

“Why do you look like you’ve been cheated?” Zhao Changhe leaned back in his chair and sipped on his wine leisurely. “I’m helping you take the right path. Timur’s intention to swallow your tribe is practically written on his face. Do you really think a few promises can make you take over your uncle’s status and rest easy? Are you still dreaming? Even your uncle was just a servant to him back then, and you think you can surpass him? I’d love to see how your royal days go after you become whatever king.”

Batu secretly thought that with Hu Lie as his backup, it really was possible for him to achieve a status even higher than his uncle’s. He believed that it was entirely possible for him to develop his forces into an independent but still cooperative entity.

However, he did not voice this thought. Instead, he said, “It’s not easy to make the decision to oppose the khagan. It would be much better if we could coexist peacefully. Especially after tonight, I’ve realized that if Yue Hongling is determined to assassinate me, I might not survive. So, what about if the khagan were to personally come to kill me? I didn’t realize that the gap was so massive before, but today, the two of you practically opened my eyes, so now I’m even more worried.”

“So, you really were fearless out of ignorance before.”

“Not entirely. The khagan and your emperor are wary of each other. At Yanmen, he’s only been in the rear command tent, he never personally took action. And why would he involve himself in tribal disputes? Besides, I have some connections in the temple. As long as things don’t get too ugly, the khagan would not lower himself to personally assassinate someone like me. He still has his pride.”

“Fair point,” Zhao Changhe thought to himself. Xia Longyuan is the same, whoever says that he’d personally go out to kill a warrior at the seventh layer of the Profound Gate would probably be the first to receive a slap from him.

Batu sighed. “But if it comes to a complete falling out and a power struggle, then it’s a different story. The khagan would no longer have such scruples or reservations. Taking my head would be child’s play for him. Your emperor would not come to my aid, would he? Even if you promised me something like that, I would not believe it.”

Zhao Changhe touched his chin and said, “If you’re worried about that, how about I offer you another kind of support?”

Batu sneered. “What, is the Saibei Buddha going to bring up Cult Leader Maitreya again? Even if it were Maitreya, he’s no match for the khagan.”

Zhao Changhe rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry about that. I know more Ranking of Heaven experts than you can imagine.”

Batu was taken aback, realizing that there might be some truth to that. Apart from the emperor of Great Xia, Zhao Changhe indeed had sway with Cui Wenjing and reportedly had a good relationship with Situ Xiao. Who knew if Situ Xiao’s master, Li Shentong, was also in his circle?

That made three experts on the Ranking of Heaven that Zhao Xianghe knew personally, while Batu had never even seen so many.

Zhao Changhe stared at Batu. “Given the current situation, hesitation is useless. If I can find someone to restrain Timur, would you, Batu, dare to stab the Khagan of the Golden Horde in the back during the decisive battle at Yanmen?”

Batu’s breathing grew heavier.

Zhao Changhe said slowly, “You also have the temple backing you... If Timur can be the Khagan of the Golden Horde, why can’t you?”

“Stop it. You want me to attack the khagan from the rear, but that’s incredibly difficult.” Batu took a deep breath. “To reach Yanmen, we must pass Huangsha Market. If we move past Huangsha Market, then Ubalu could attack me from behind, and I’d be marching to my death. If I attack Huangsha Market first, I can’t guarantee that no one escapes. If the khagan gets wind of any such plans, I would still die.”

A smile surfaced on Zhao Changhe’s face. “What if I can make sure that Ubalu won’t attack you from the rear?”

“Are you sure? Don’t tell me that you plan to assassinate Ubalu...” Batu glanced at Yue Hongling, who had not yet spoken. “Even if Miss Yue could kill me, she would not have been able to escape. Are you really willing to risk your lives against Ubalu?”

“Whether we can do it or not... you have no choice. Do you dare to take the gamble?”

Success would mean dominating the Grasslands; failure would mean death and the destruction of his tribe.

Would he dare to risk it?

Batu gripped his wine bowl tightly, crushing it into powder with a loud crack.

*

The moon shone brightly amidst the sparse stars.

A Ferghana horse galloped out of the camp, heading straight for Huangsha Market.

Yue Hongling rode in front, with Zhao Changhe holding her waist as they sped along. After they had ridden over ten li, Yue Hongling finally spoke, “I doubt I can assassinate Ubalu. I don’t think I can even get into Huangsha Market. Did you lie to him?”

Zhao Changhe smiled and said, “You’re afraid I’m sending you into danger, aren’t you?”

Yue Hongling pouted. “I know you wouldn’t, but I just can’t figure out how you plan to do it. And your talk about getting a Ranking of Heaven expert sounds like a bluff. Is your real goal just to trick him into stabbing Timur, making Timur retreat, and not caring about what consequences the Warring Lion Tribe might face after?”

“Of course not. Even if he seems like he’s being led by my words, if he does not see any actual results, he could easily drag his feet, and it would all come to nothing.”

“So you can really deliver what he wants?”

“I can only say that I’ll try my best... This time, I’m not sending you into danger. You don’t even need to enter Huangsha Market.”

“Whoa!” Yue Hongling reined in the horse and turned back to look at him with a frown. “I won’t just stand by while you take such a huge risk.”

“It’s not like I don’t need you to do anything. There are many experts from the temple in the market. Your job is to lure them away. There’s no need for you to always directly fight them. Safety comes first.”

At Huangsha Market.

By the central Huangsha Lake, Chi Li and the temple shamans had been meticulously exploring the area for over twenty days, still relentless in their efforts.

They were convinced that this place was the exit of the secret realm. They believed that as long as they stood guard there, Zhao Changhe and Yue Hongling would not be able to escape.

The first light of dawn reflected on the lake, making it shimmer like an enchanting secret realm.

Chi Li even experienced a few moments of martial arts enlightenment...

In the midst of his contemplation, a clear female voice drifted in from outside the market. “Chi Li, where are you?! Do you dare to come out and finish our unfinished battle from Yangzhou?”

Yue Hongling!

How could she be outside the market?

Chi Li stared dumbfoundedly at the lake he had been guarding for over twenty days, nearly spitting out blood.

Who the hell said this lake is the exit of the secret realm?