Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 285: Either Join the Cult or Be Beaten to Death

Chi Li finally caught up with Yue Hongling.

However, what had begun as a pursuit by a group of experts from the temple had dwindled to just Chi Li alone.

Now that Chi Li was all alone, Yue Hongling dismounted to face him without hesitation. They clashed only once before Chi Li’s expression changed. “The first layer of the Profound Mysteries... You’ve broken through too.”

Yue Hongling smiled slightly. “I just came from the secret realm. If I failed to even break through, would I not have simply wasted all the time you’ve spent guarding it for us?”

What’s with her tone? Did she pick up bad habits from Zhao Changhe?

Chi Li felt a surge of anger rising in his throat and took a deep breath. “The first thing you want to do after breaking through is to challenge me?”

Yue Hongling replied earnestly, “What did you expect? We never got to finish our battle in Yangzhou.”

The more Chi Li thought about it, the more something seemed off. Why is she suddenly so fixated on fighting me? She isn’t Zhao Changhe... Wait!

His expression suddenly changed. “Where’s Zhao Changhe?”

Yue Hongling smiled and blinked innocently.

From the distance, a fast horse approached. Before the rider even got to them, his voice could already be heard as he shouted from afar, “Commander Ubalu was assassinated! Huangsha Market is in chaos! Return to the market quickly! We must take charge of the situation!”

Chi Li whipped around, utterly shocked.

Despite already having an ominous premonition, he still had a hard time believing that something of this magnitude had taken place.

How long have I been chasing Yue Hongling? Even though Ubalu has no top-tier experts as guards, he has thousands of soldiers. He’s as cautious as a tortoise, and he’s also pretty strong himself, so how could he have been killed in such a short time? Is this really something Zhao Changhe can pull off? No way... Could someone from the Ranking of Heaven have made a move?

In fact, his guess was quite close. Black Tortoise was at the top of the Ranking of Earth, only a step away from reaching the Ranking of Heaven. She had not made a move in a long time, so no one knew what her current strength really was. If someone like Wang Daoning, who was at the bottom of the Ranking of Heaven, were to fight Black Tortoise, the rankings on the Tome of Troubled Times might really change. At the very least, it would not be an easy fight.

Taking advantage of Chi Li being distracted, Yue Hongling quietly mounted her Ferghana horse and bolted. “You’ve got company coming again. I won’t fight you like this.”

Zhao Changhe had told her not to engage in a prolonged battle, and she listened.

Seeing Yue Hongling retreating, Chi Li was so furious that he nearly vomited blood.

How did Yue Hongling end up like this... What happened to her warrior’s heart?

Earlier, Chi Li harbored a faint admiration for Yue Hongling. From his perspective back then, only a woman like her was worthy of him. But now, all that admiration had vanished. Sure enough, if you pair up with a bad man, you’ll be led astray as well. The valiant heroine is no more.

What frustrated him even more now was that he was in a dilemma on whether or not to chase after Yue Hongling.

Yue Hongling held secrets pertaining to the secret realm. However, she had broken through to the Profound Mysteries, and he didn’t even know if he could win against her at this point. If he wasted more time on her, then the chaos in Huangsha Market could become serious, and the consequences would similarly be aggravated.

After a moment of hesitation, Chi Li made up his mind. “Retreat!”

Yue Hongling shielded her eyes with her hand as she watched Chi Li lead his men away. Then, she directed her horse southeast, heading straight for Batu’s army.

Meanwhile, Zhao Changhe and Lady Three, accompanied by a group of cooks and servants carrying luggage, were also heading toward Batu’s army.

Han Wubing had disappeared on his own without leaving so much as a word.

Zhao Changhe wondered why Han Wubing had become so solitary and unsociable. Is this how all swordsmen end up? Yue Hongling and Xia Chichi also use the sword, but they aren’t like this...

In truth, Han Wubing, having lurked around and been in hiding for a month, was really eager to celebrate and have a drink with his comrades with the success of his mission.

However, as the saying goes, once bitten, twice shy. Every time he saw Zhao Changhe, he was surrounded by different women, each more beautiful and stronger than the last. The woman who was with Zhao Changhe this time, Lady Three, was capable of single-handedly defeating an army, and she was undoubtedly a powerhouse on the Ranking of Earth. He really could not comprehend how Zhao Changhe dared to get involved with such a woman!

If he ended up as a third wheel for such a powerful woman, could he withstand her wrath?

Wait... Ranking of Earth... Black Tortoise Lake... If this woman is Black Tortoise, then with Xia Chichi and the Fire Serpent of Yi... What the hell?! Is Zhao Changhe trying to unify the Four Idols Cult with his dick?!

Having uncovered this shocking secret, Han Wubing decided to leave immediately. The Four Idols Cult was a demonic cult, and it was unpredictable and dangerous. What if Lady Three suddenly decided to eliminate all witnesses?

Han Wubing valued his life too much to stay, so he quietly left.

“That friend of yours has extremely pure sword intent. It’s rare to see such purity in a swordsman,” Lady Three said as she watched Han Wubing’s receding figure. “I feel like even his master might not be as pure.”

Zhao Changhe said, “Do you know his master?”

“I’ve beaten him before.”

“...”

“The Sword Hut is full of sword fanatics, people who are truly obsessed with the sword. But to me, that obsession does not mean purity; rather, it’s more like lunacy and monomania. Han Wubing, on the other hand, is clear and sharp, with boundless potential.”

Zhao Changhe secretly thought that if this was true, the Sword Hut might be seeking the ancient Sword Emperor. The next time the sword tomb opened, he felt that Han Wubing would definitely go and have a look.

“Speaking of which,” Lady Three commented with some confusion, “I probably had a bit of part to play in him killing Ubalu, considering I offered him a reward for it. Why didn’t he come to me for the payment I told him about after succeeding?”

Zhao Changhe was speechless. “What does this have to do with you? Han Wubing acted out of disdain for the practices in the beast ring. He believed that they needed to be ended—isn’t such a purposeful sword contrary to your idea of purity?”

Lady Three smiled slightly. “That is purity.”

“Can you elaborate?”

“It lies within the heart.” Lady Three seemed reluctant to delve into martial arts philosophy with Zhao Changhe. Her eyes darted around, looking at the inn staff running alongside them, and she transmitted a message to him, “These people belong to the fifth lord. It would be better not to talk too much, and you better not mention anything related to the Four Idols Cult’s martial arts.”

Zhao Changhe responded in kind. “I doubt your strength is much less than the fifth lord. Why stay as his subordinate?”

Lady Three smiled. “Ying Five’s people can still be of use to me... It just isn’t time yet.”

Zhao Changhe recalled what the Fire Serpent of Yi had said about the Four Idols Cult’s vast hidden power.

Indeed, it’s vast. They have influence not only in the capital, the military, and major gangs like the Cao Gang, but they’ve even infiltrated secret intelligence organizations led by someone like Ying Five, who’s on the Ranking of Heaven. Or perhaps Lady Three originally was a part of that organization, and only later devoted herself to the Four Idols Cult?

When it comes to the right time... they likely need a leader who is on the Ranking of Heaven to unify them and direct their actions. They’re strong, but it isn’t enough just yet.

However, the acquisition of the Black Tortoise gemstone might just elevate Lady Three to a higher level. While Zhao Changhe and Yue Hongling saw it merely as a catalyst to transform their bodies into a certain Dao Body, the Four Idols Cult undoubtedly had deeper uses for it. Lady Three’s cheerful demeanor and good mood were evidence of this.

Lady Three smiled and continued to converse with him telepathically, “Hey, I was asked for my opinion on whether or not to admit you into the cult, as well as for my opinion on your star chart. Well, my opinion now is that regardless of what your star chart means, just with your connection with the Black Tortoise secret realm, it seems that fate is tying you to our cult. We believe in fate... And so, I agree with letting you join the cult.”

Zhao Changhe rolled his eyes. “I never agreed to join the cult, so what’s the use of your approval?”

Lady Three’s eyes twinkled mischievously. “What if I send the Fire Serpent of Yi to you?”

“She’s the imperial noble consort. I once thought that Vermillion Bird was giving her to me, but I later realized that it was just a misunderstanding. Vermillion Bird would never give away someone with such a valuable position, and neither would you... So, stop teasing me.”

“If you refuse to join the cult, things will be very troublesome for you.”

“How so?”

“Because I can confirm that your star chart is definitely not the same as the Night Emperor’s. The Night Emperor’s star chart features only the four idols, not the entire starry sky.”

“That doesn’t make sense. Why would the Night Emperor be called the Night Emperor if his star chart only contains the four idols? The Night Emperor should have the entire array of stars in the sky. Right, and the moon too! How can he be called the Night Emperor without the moon?”

“That was indeed the Night Emperor’s goal, but he never achieved it,” said Lady Three. She looked at him thoughtfully. “No one from the last era accomplished it. Your star chart is unique to you and has nothing to do with anyone from the previous era. Little brother, you better not die early. I’m quite interested in seeing how far someone with such a star chart can go.”

Zhao Changhe nodded. “I’ll try to stay alive. But then why did you say that things will be troublesome for me? Are you going to kill me just because I don’t fit into the Four Idols Cult? Can’t we just be friends?”

“I can be friends with you, but who knows if a certain little serpent would agree. She might feel deceived by a man pretending to have the Night Emperor’s destiny. Hehe...”

Zhao Changhe was dumbfounded. “Huh?”

“Either join the cult, and we can talk, or prepare to be beaten to death. Your choice.”

Zhao Changhe was annoyed. “When did I ever use that as a pretext to deceive her?”

Lady Three’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “That’s just a woman giving herself an excuse. Don’t make her angry, little brother.”

Zhao Changhe stroked his chin and thought for a moment. “I’ll join the cult, but not as one of your underlings. I will walk my own path.”

Lady Three’s eyes turned deep. “Do you want to conquer us?”

Before Zhao Changhe could explain, she suddenly smiled and said, “Alright, I’ll be waiting for you.”

After saying that, she gracefully drifted away with her subordinates. “Participating in the war does not align with either my interests or Ying Five’s plans. So, during the war at Yanmen, Ying Five will, at most, fulfill the agreement to restrain Timur. Expecting us to truly join in the fight is impossible. The rest is up to you, little brother.”