Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 297: The Four Idols Cult Is Not a Brothel

Zhao Changhe was truly deceived by her words, and his heart was filled with joy.

He had a great liking for the Fire Serpent of Yi, but her attitude had always been ambiguous. Sometimes, he could sense her affection, but other times, she felt distant, as if she was playing a game from a higher dimension.

It was one of life’s greatest illusions and wonders, perhaps.

He recalled their time in Sword Lake City, the two of them running hand in hand through the foggy, rainy streets. She seemed genuinely happy back then.

But after they arrived in the capital, their relationship became awkward. It was as if she had taken off one mask only to put on another.

But now, here was Black Tortoise solemnly telling him that she liked him!

Zhao Changhe almost pumped his fist and cheered, but he held it in. He did, however, pour Lady Three a drink with extra enthusiasm. “Hm, but her identity...”

“Other than the difficulty for you in sneaking into the palace, what’s the big deal? The agreement with Huangfu Qing was made with the fake Xia Longyuan, taking advantage of the real one’s disappearance to settle matters directly. Huangfu Qing mentioned this to you, right?”

“Yes, she did. She said the fake one wanted to lay some groundwork for a potential coup, making deals with you guys. I thought at the time that the fake was quite daring, and it seemed like he wasn’t afraid of death at all. But honestly, I feel like you guys are just as fearless.”

“We were testing the real Xia Longyuan’s reaction at the time. We wanted to see if he was really in control. If he was, he would not tolerate an additional consort and the sudden emergence of an influential family in the military. He would certainly have put a stop to either one, and nothing would have come of our plans. If he did not do anything to stop our plans, then that meant that he was either extremely weak and had lost control or could not be distracted. Either way, having someone of ours placed in the palace is extremely useful.”

Zhao Changhe said, “I understand your thoughts! But are you not afraid that he might just be temporarily absent? That he is only letting things be for the time being, intending to return to kill both the fake and Huangfu Qing once he returns?”

“Of course, we’ve considered that.” Lady Three smiled faintly. “Huangfu Qing didn’t tell you, did she? She actually wants to be ’killed by a foolish emperor,’ which would then force Huangfu Yongxian to rebel. But in reality, we would secretly take her away...”

Zhao Changhe held his forehead in dismay. “Damn...”

In fact, Lady Three had nearly revealed too much.

Only someone like Vermillion Bird, a leader figure of a powerful force, could truly be confident in her ability to escape even from a weakened Xia Longyuan. It was only someone of such caliber who would take such a risky step to infiltrate the palace. If Xia Longyuan did not appear, she could indeed gain significant benefits from her position. If he did, she would escape, forcing her loyal father to rebel. It was a well-calculated plan.

No matter how clever the plan was, only someone like Vermillion Bird could truly pull it off. If it were the Fire Serpent of Yi instead, someone who was only at the ninth layer of the Profound Gate, it was basically a death sentence. Black Tortoise’s revelation clearly suggested that Huangfu Qing was Vermillion Bird.

Back then, Huangfu Qing did not dare to reveal so much to Zhao Changhe precisely because she feared that, with how clever he was, he would figure everything out.

However, it was difficult for Zhao Changhe to spot this flaw precisely because he knew Xia Longyuan’s power and held it in high regard. In his mind, Xia Longyuan was ranked first on the Ranking of Heaven only because that was the highest rank available. He believed that, in actuality, there should only be two different rankings on the Tome of Troubled Times: Xia Longyuan and everyone else. Therefore, whether it was Vermillion Bird or the Fire Serpent of Yi in the palace, he saw their actions as no different from courting death. Xia Longyuan’s lack of reaction was simply because he was detached from the world and enjoying the show.

Yet, Zhao Changhe could understand the Four Idol Cult’s logic in this matter. Their plan was reasonable within conventional thinking. Just like how He Lei, despite being a top-ranked warrior on the Ranking of Earth, did not dare to show his face in front of a group of soldiers in Sword Lake City after being injured. And when he did reveal himself, he only ended up getting beaten up. Given Xia Longyuan’s prolonged seclusion and how he had allowed a fake to take the throne, it all seemed like he had a problem and was no longer a threat.

Who would think that Xia Longyuan was not only in perfectly good health, but actually much stronger than before? Everyone else was in a wuxia story, while he alone was in a xuanhuan.[1] They were fundamentally not on the same level, so all the plans people had that involved Xia Longyuan were mistaken by default.

However, he could not say this outright. Xia Longyuan had not met up with him so that he could broadcast his actual condition to the world. So, he just waved his hand and said, “I suggest you not make assumptions about Xia Longyuan... It’s best to withdraw as soon as possible and stop playing around, really.”

But to Lady Three’s ears, his words simply sounded like he was saying that he did not dare to sneak into the palace to snatch anyone, suggesting that they meet outside instead.

She thought for a while, then shook her head. “The real Xia Longyuan has never appeared. We’ve finally managed to infiltrate the central power after so much time and effort. We can’t just leave without getting anything in return... How about this: if you don’t dare to sneak into the palace, I can arrange for her to meet with you secretly. How about that?”

Zhao Changhe yelled angrily, “It’s not that I don’t dare sneak into the palace. I’m saying that she’s genuinely in danger in the palace, and you don’t understand anything! You bunch of fools!”

Lady Three was stunned by his yelling. She pointed at her nose and said in disbelief, “You... actually yelled at me...”

Zhao Changhe sighed. “I’m sorry, I got too worked up. Yelling at you is pointless. I should go yell at her instead.”

Lady Three’s face was expressionless. I was clearly yelled at just now, but why did it feel good to hear him so passionate? Go yell at her, please. If you don’t yell at her, you’re not a man!

Zhao Changhe thought for a moment. “By the way, since you’re here, can you pass a message to Chichi for me?”

Lady Three maintained her stern face. “go ahead.”

“I once visited an old acquaintance on her behalf to check on their condition. Tell her that they’re very healthy and full of life.”

Lady Three was stunned for a moment. Then, she said thoughtfully, “Have you ever considered that this so-called acquaintance might just be a ruse?”

Zhao Changhe was stunned too, suddenly grasping their logic better.

Well, that’s not entirely impossible.

“Alright,” said Lady Three as she leisurely sipped her wine. “Although you yelled at me, I can see that it was because you were worried and cared deeply about someone. I won’t hold it against you. But if you want me to help you sneak someone out, that’s not happening.”

Zhao Changhe muttered, “I’ll do it myself. If she really likes me, what do I have to fear?”

Heh... Lady Three’s mood improved instantly.

With one keeping a stern face and the other smiling mischievously, they drank a few more cups in silence before Zhao Changhe finally asked, “How has Chichi been lately? Can she come out?”

“Hey!” Lady Three was incredulous. “Enough already! We’re the Four Idols Cult, not a brothel.”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

Lady Three continued, “But speaking of which...Chichi was first, right? The Fire Serpent of Yi should call her big sister then, right?”

Zhao Changhe said helplessly, “There’s nothing between me and the Fire Serpent of Yi yet.”

“I’m just asking. If it happens, wouldn’t it be that way?”

“...It would, probably.”

Lady Three’s eyes sparkled and she could barely restrain herself from urging him to hurry up. She was really eager to see what would happen at that time.

However, relationships truly were taboo for saintesses within the cult, so even the lawless Lady Three was cautious, though her cheeks were slightly flushed.

Zhao Changhe said, “Why do I feel like your saintesses can graduate? Vermillion Bird and you, for instance, should have been saintesses before becoming venerables, right? So, when Chichi becomes Venerable Azure Dragon or Venerable White Tiger, won’t all these issues go away?”

“It’s not quite the same,” said Lady Three. “We were indeed saintesses, but it was just a transitional phase, selecting the best to become the representatives of the four idols, in turn becoming venerables. But Chichi is special. She embodies two idols, which is unprecedented. To us, she’s being groomed to be the leader, not just a venerable. Hence, the strictest standards apply to her. Someone destined to be the master of the stars can’t start off by defying the cult’s teachings, right? It would spell disaster for the cult. The followers would lose faith, and the teachings would be ignored.”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

It does seem that way. Everyone would think the cult has no future.

“Who’s in charge also makes a big difference. The previous generation of the Four Idols Cult was not this strong. It was only because of several geniuses like us that the cult has developed into what it is today. In the past, even if we broke some rules, it wasn’t a big deal. But now there’s a strict overseer. The cult has mostly been able to develop this well thanks to her. I’ve been hands-off most of the time, so I must respect her decisions.”

“Vermillion Bird?”

“Yes.”

Zhao Changhe stroked his forehead. “I thought you were older than her. In the hierarchy of the four idols, isn’t she the youngest as well?”

“The four idols are equals; there are no rankings between them. It seems you’ve misunderstood them a bit. Also, even if there were rankings, between the one wielding real power and someone like me who’s mostly hands-off, it’s obvious who calls the shots.” Lady Three began to fake cry. “If she punishes me for anything, I’d have to obey her, uwahh....”

“Not necessarily...” Zhao Changhe sipped his wine and said leisurely. “Anyway, why do you love money so much but dress so modestly? Is it because during the cult’s difficult times, you were in charge of raising funds and everything you earned was given to the cult for its development? And now, you’ve just kept to that habit?”

Lady Three stared at him silently, her eyes narrowing.

“You guys are truly remarkable, really,” Zhao Changhe said sincerely. “Although some of your actions seem rash to me, you have to take risks to achieve great things.”

Lady Three said, “Your tone doesn’t seem to say that you’re giving up on Chichi, though.”

“Based on what you said, there’s no need to rush. Either she’ll become the leader, or...”

“Or? She might become the leader in twenty or thirty years. Do you think you’ll still be up for it then?”

Zhao Changhe looked at her incredulously.

“Ahem.” Lady Three coughed to cover her embarrassment. “Instead of waiting for her to become the leader, maybe you should focus on whether you can defeat Vermillion Bird. Then you could boldly demand to marry Chichi, and see what she does.”

Zhao Changhe looked at her sincerely: “Shelly[2], you really are something. The Four Idols Cult is really lucky to have picked you up...”

“What did you just call me?”

“Nothing, nothing, that was just an expression...”

Lady Three snorted. “But I don’t think you can do it. Do you know what giving us the Black Tortoise Gemstone will lead to?”

“What?”

“Tang Wanzhuang already peered into the third layer of the Profound Mysteries, but she was too anxious, causing damage to her lung meridian. Seeing what happened to her, we decided to wait for an opportune moment... And now, that moment has arrived.”

Zhao Changhe was stunned for a moment, then he suddenly realized.

Does this mean that Black Tortoise and Vermillion Bird could potentially genuinely reach the level of those on the Ranking of Heaven?

Is the Four Idols Cult going to rise to the heavens?

1. In wuxia stories, the abilities used are superhuman but just marginally. Xuanhuan, on the other hand, might have literal gods. Imagine someone able to wreck a house with one punch versus someone who can wreck an entire city by snapping their fingers. ☜

2. This is just a random cute name for a tortoise. In the raws, he says 龟龟, which literally means “turtle-turtle” and would be the equivalent to a pet tortoise/turtle of calling a pet dog “doggy.” ☜