Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 312: Subjective Value

The young couple exchanged amused glances and followed the man upstairs.

Once they reached the top of the stairs, they were momentarily stunned.

Instead of a small loft or attic, they found themselves in a spacious hall filled with burly men armed with swords and sabers. These men were all glaring at them menacingly.

The man dressed like a Daoist who had greeted them earlier retreated and stood by the side of another Daoist seated at the main chair. It appeared that he was the latter’s disciple.

The whole setup looked like the headquarters of a gang, and they had walked in right in the middle of a meeting.

Xia Chichi could not help but blink in amusement. Their luck was unbelievable. She had simply guessed that stores with numerous items would likely be under the Yukun Gang and had randomly chosen one to enter. Now, they just so happened to find themselves in the headquarters of the Yukun Gang while the gang bigshots were having a meeting. They did not even need to look for Tian Lingzi—the Daoist in the main seat was most likely him.

How come I never realized how good my luck was before? Maybe it’s because I always hang around Changhe, and his luck is just ridiculous.

Both of them showed no signs of unease, confident in their own strength. They cupped their fists in a respectful gesture and said, “Sorry to disturb everyone. It seems that we came at the wrong time...”

The Daoist in the main seat shook his head and said, “If you’re here just to buy a gourd, then there’s no such thing as coming at the wrong time. Business can be done anytime. But if you have other matters with our Yukun Gang, you might as well just say it directly.”

Xia Chichi asked, “Are you Daoist Priest Tian Lingzi?”

“Yes, I am,” replied Tian Lingzi. “I conduct my business openly and have nothing to hide.”

Xia Chichi smiled and said, “You’re a lot more interesting than those who hide and conceal their identities...”

Tian Lingzi said, “Such as yourself?”

Xia Chichi was left momentarily speechless.

Shouldn’t you have pointed someone else out, like Tarantula? Do you even know how to talk to people?

However, it was natural for others to be cautious of them. Zhao Changhe quickly took over the conversation to salvage the situation, “We’re indeed here to buy a gourd. Does your gang have the kind of gourd we’re looking for?”

“Light but durable, resistant to swords and sabers, not prone to wear or tear. We do have such a gourd, we sto—uh... we acquired it in an ancient secret realm. It’s an artifact from the ancient era,” said Tian Lingzi. “Although its practical value is average, anything from the ancient era is valuable. What price are you willing to pay for it?”

“Name your price, we’ll see if we can afford it,” replied Zhao Changhe.

Tian Lingzi laughed. “Normally, we would be willing to negotiate the price, but since you mentioned catching a spider, the price has changed. This is why you should be careful not to reveal your cards too soon, young lady.”

Xia Chichi laughed as well. In this city filled with deceit, Tian Lingzi’s straightforwardness felt like a breath of fresh air, even though it could just be a persona. It was still refreshing.

She had not mentioned the spider to buy a gourd but to assist her husband. Zhao Changhe was looking for the Thieves Guild, and she needed to make some noise to draw them out quickly. They could not afford another round of indirect probing that would take multiple days or even longer.

Xia Chichi said leisurely, “I was not revealing my bottom line. I was just giving you a piece of information. However, with so many ears around, I’d rather not speak here.”

Tian Lingzi said calmly, “It’s wise to be cautious. However, the two of you have not earned enough trust for a private meeting just yet.”

Zhao Changhe smiled and said, “I’m friends with someone in your gang. Will that do?”

Tian Lingzi asked curiously, “Oh? Who might that be?”

“His surname is Ji,” replied Zhao Changhe. “If he’s here, maybe he could meet with us in private.”

Tian Lingzi was momentarily taken aback, then laughed. “So you’re here for the Thieves Guild... Whether you’re truly Ji Chengkong’s friend or his foe, you’re asking the wrong person. We only work together with the guild as one of their channels for selling stolen goods. We’re not part of the guild. We don’t know about the whereabouts of core members of their guild such as Ji Chengkong.”

Zhao Changhe was not too surprised about this and said with a smile, “But you can at least communicate with them, no?”

“That’s true. Do you need me to relay a message to them for you?”

“Yes. Please tell them that Zhao Changhe seeks an audience with the Thief Saint.”

A sudden silence befell the hall, and then everyone erupted in murmurs and whispers.

The First Hidden Dragon, Zhao Changhe!

Everyone had been eyeing this rugged, scarred warrior who greatly resembled the rumors Zhao Changhe. However, as there were so many people who imitated him these days, they had not been sure if it was really him.

Now, he confirmed it himself. He boldly revealed his name to them. No one doubted his words, as seeking an audience with the Thief Saint while being an imposter would mean a gruesome death, especially since Ji Chengkong knew him personally. They knew that he could only be the real Zhao Changhe.

A person’s name is like a tree’s shadow. If an ordinary person casually revealed their identity, they would be considered a fool. But if that person was Zhao Changhe instead, others could only see him as a hero, fearless and bold.

His fame was not just for show. Within a year, Zhao Changhe transformed from a little carp in a small pond into the first among hidden dragons. Such incredible potential may never be seen again and certainly had no historical precedent. Being the first hidden dragon was essentially a prelude to entering the Ranking of Man. Unless they met an untimely death, there had never been a first hidden dragon who failed to make it onto the Ranking of Man. When Yue Hongling was ranked second, she was already regarded as a distinguished figure wherever she went. Now, Zhao Changhe enjoyed even greater renown.

He had almost single-handedly altered the dynamics of the Grassland, penetrating deep behind enemy lines, traversing thousands of li, and winning numerous battles. To this day, his efforts had left the northern and southern tribes of the barbarians divided and immersed in internal conflict. By causing such internal strife, he ensured peace for the Central Plains for at least several years.

Such epic feats were on a completely different level compared to ordinary battles in the jianghu. Even villains had to give him a thumbs-up for his feats. In Kunlun, who knew how many people drank and sighed to themselves while talking about how they never expected such a mighty figure to emerge precisely while they avoided the world.

His title of Bloodthirsty Asura, initially rather amusing in a boorish way, had now taken on an aura of fierce renown. He had made the nickname famous.

Zhao Changhe revealed his identity with a purpose. He had connections with the Thieves Guild and did not fear exposure. Moreover, with everyone seeing how bold and open he was, nobody would suspect him of disguising himself as Wang Daozhong. Later on, he could easily change his appearance and no one would even suspect him.

However, he still needed to secure a storage ring to hide Dragon Bird. Otherwise, it would be far too easy for people to recognize him.

Tian Lingzi was extremely cautious. “It turns out that you’re Young Hero Zhao... Then this young lady should be the Sunset Divine Sword, right?”

Xia Chichi’s face suddenly fell, and she looked annoyed. “I don’t wear red all the time like some desperate woman eager to get married. Hmph.”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

Meanwhile, Vermillion Bird, who was watching from a distance, felt as if a slingshot hit her out of nowhere. She ground her teeth in frustration.

Tian Lingzi chuckled and said, “My mistake. Hmm... Well, you may all leave. Since it’s Young Hero Zhao, I doubt he came here to assassinate me.”

The subordinates agreed and stood up. They bowed, then withdrew. Many of them could not help but stare at Zhao Changhe as they passed by, completely ignoring the beautiful Xia Chichi. They looked like a bunch of starstruck fanboys.

Whether good or evil, those of the martial arts world always respected heroes.

Meanwhile, Zhao Changhe thought about how many of his achievements were feats of assassination.

Tian Lingzi whispered something to his disciple, who also took his leave. He then smiled and said, “Since you wish to contact the Thieves Guild, I’ve sent my disciple to relay the message. Now, shall we talk about our business? Young lady, I’d like to know why you mentioned a spider?”

Xia Chichi said “I understand that you have a grudge against Tarantula?”

Tian Lingzi smiled and said, “Recently, we’ve had conflicts with the Jinqian Gang. The meeting we were having was to discuss the attitudes of the nearby gangs. Tarantula is one of the forces we’re focusing on as we’re unsure of which faction she leans toward. Thus, when you mentioned her, we had to stop our meeting.”

“Then the news I have for you is that she wants to kill you,” Xia Chichi said with a smile. “Is that information enough to trade for the gourd?”

Tian Lingzi shook his head. “A single gourd isn’t a big deal. It’s not worth haggling over. However, the information you’ve provided is quite serious. How can you prove the validity of your information?”

Zhao Changhe expected Xia Chichi to say something flippant such as “It’s up to you whether to believe me or not.” However, Xia Chichi actually turned serious and asked, “What exactly is your conflict with the Jinqian Gang?”

Tian Lingzi said, “Tomorrow at noon, we’re having a banquet to negotiate with them. As everyone knows, there’s no such thing as a friendly banquet. We must consider all aspects.”

Xia Chichi smiled and said, “Then it’s simple. If I help fend off Tarantula tomorrow, you give me the gourd. If we can manage to kill her together, then tell me the location of the secret realm where you got the gourd from.”

Tian Lingzi found this all a bit hard to believe. “You’re doing this for a mere gourd? It might be an antique, but it’s nothing more than a trinket. I genuinely can’t understand why you seem so obsessed with it.”

“Is it so hard to understand?” Xia Chichi smiled faintly. “In the jianghu, there are some people who might kill someone for you just because you offered them a drink. Everyone values different things. To you, the gourd is just a collectible trinket, but to me, it’s a unique memento.”

Zhao Changhe had been silent all this time. He initially thought that Xia Chichi was making a big deal out of nothing. But considering that she had already made an enemy of Tarantula, it made sense for her to ally with Tian Lingzi to eliminate her completely. He had also thought that she might be more interested in the secret realm that the gourd came from.

Her explanation took him aback.

He turned to look at Xia Chichi’s profile. Her smile, which might seem mischievous or even evil to others, appeared pure and beautiful to him, as pristine as the jade of Kunlun.