Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 50: The Waking of Insects

In the darkness of night, Zhao Changhe bolted wildly toward the back of the mountain with Fang Buping in close pursuit.

In the moment, it felt amazing to kill that idiot, but Fang Buping had arrived. After killing Wang Dashan, whether Zhao Changhe would be able to survive being chased down by Fang Buping was the real question.

Fang Buping’s expression was quite sinister under the moonlight, and unexpectedly, held a bit of joy. “Zhao Changhe! You have violated the rules of the cult by indiscriminately killing one of your brothers! Where do you think you’re going!? Leave your head behind!”

Fang Buping was truly happy.

He hated Zhao Changhe’s official status as a formal disciple of the cult, and with his backing from the saintess, Fang Buping did not dare mess with him. Even if he wanted to kill Zhao Changhe, there was nothing he could do other than use his authority to give him some trouble and let him suffer in silence.

In the end, Zhao Changhe had unexpectedly lost his cool. After only a bit of teasing and being taken advantage of twice, he had revealed an opening for Fang Buping to exploit.

Wang Dashan was definitely not a brother of the cult. Strictly speaking, Zhao Changhe only murdered a bandit from the mountain stronghold. It was no different from when he killed Zhang Quan and could not be considered breaking the rules of the cult. However, matters like this depended on how one spoke of them. Back then, Instructor Sun said that Zhang Quan was trash and his death meant nothing, so why couldn’t Fang Buping do the opposite? If the branch master said that Wang Dashan was a brother of the cult, he could always alter a few documents to make it seem like that was the case. Zhao Changhe would not be able to dispute it.

Fang Buping was pleasantly surprised.

He knew that Zhao Changhe had just broken through to the third layer of the Profound Gate. His potential was indeed terrifying. To be honest, no matter how hard he thought, Fang Buping could not understand how a man could reach the third layer of the Profound Gate after just cultivating for four months. Everyone here has cultivated the Vicious Blood Art. Is there anyone unaware of how difficult it is to cultivate? Even if this idiot has been secretly practicing an internal art to support himself, isn’t this too ridiculous?

No...if this is true, then I need to kill you all the more. We’ve had beef from the start. Do you really think I’ll wait for you to mature? Also, you just reached the third layer. Do you think you’re some hot shit? There’s no way you’ve gotten used to the power of the third layer, so what can you do with it?

Fang Buping, though, had been training at the fourth layer of the Profound Gate for many years. Even with just his twenty years of risking his life in battle in the jianghu, fighting experience, and understanding of saber arts, could a greenhorn like Zhao Changhe match up to him?

Do you think you’re Yue Hongling, able to defeat Cult Leader Xue at such a young age? Even she’s been cultivating from a young age and trained for over a decade, so who the fuck do you think you are?

“Zhao Changhe, you also practice Tracless Soaring Blood. How can you hope to outrun me? Give yourself up obediently and head back to stand trial, hahaha.”

“You sure are full of bullshit. Did you become the branch master by sheer volume of shit spewed?”

“...wait till I get my hands on you. You think I’ll kill you? You’ll fucking wish you could die!”

The sound of Fang Buping’s sleeves billowing in the air drew closer, but Zhao Changhe continued rushing ahead, his expression incomparably calm.

Both of them practiced the same movement art, Traceless Soaring Blood. Since Fang Buping had a higher cultivation, he was clearly faster than Zhao Changhe’s. If the latter simply ran, he would obviously not be able to outrun the branch master. However, Zhao Changhe never intended to run, but fight. Him escaping from the mountain stronghold was to avoid being caught in a tight encirclement. He merely wanted to draw Fang Buping behind the mountain.

Yue Hongling noted at the beginning of their training that Zhao Changhe had an incredibly clear goal he wanted to reach. She was correct. This goal was Fang Buping.

From the start, being able to defeat Fang Buping was something Zhao Changhe demanded of himself.

Vice Branch Master Huang assumed his position after withdrawing from the branch’s elite troops. Fang Buping was different. From the start, he was in command of Instructor Sun and the other elite troops as branch master and well-known in the cult as a general on the border regions. Even though his ranking was a bit low, his battle would be the most difficult and dangerous one Zhao Changhe fought since transmigrating.

Fang Buping’s fundamental martial art is not necessarily the Vicious Blood Art. It’s possible he combined it with a better martial art from the cult. He might even have part of the Blood God Art.

Furthermore, Traceless Soaring Blood is a movement art that requires one to use internal force. Since Fang Buping also practices it, he must have internal force. He’s not someone that just practices external arts. Just like me, he cultivates both! He’s reached the fourth layer of the Profound Gate!

What’s more, he’s a master of saber arts and has plenty of experience. Can I defeat such a person?

Swoosh!

Fang Buping’s saber whistled through the air. Even from far away, one would be able to feel the branch master’s intent to cut Zhao Changhe down. The muscles in Zhao Changhe’s back could not help but tighten.

He’s so fast!

Zhao Changhe suddenly turned around and slashed out. He accurately hit the side of Fang Buping’s saber.

What the fuck, does he have eyes on the back of his head?!

Zhao Changhe’s attack did not use up all of his strength. Very quickly, he lightly pushed off the ground and used the force of the attack to circle around Fang Buping. In the blink of an eye, Zhao Changhe was a few zhang away.

Fang Buping could not help but admire Zhao Changhe’s solid foundation. His arms, legs, and saber were in perfect harmony; his attacks were extremely precise, and he had masterful control over his strength. Zhao Changhe’s saber art had truly reached a higher level. Moreover, Fang Buping had no idea where he had picked up the ability to determine the position of his enemies using his hearing. Without even looking, Zhao Changhe knew where to strike.

However, it was truly a pity. Zhao Changhe had just broken through to the third layer of the Profound Gate. In terms of raw strength, there was a great disparity between him and Fang Buping.

“Your hands are trembling, aren’t they?” Fang Buping resumed the chase and laughed excitedly. “Why run when you can fight a few bouts and let me see how much you can entertain me?”

Zhao Changhe’s hands were indeed trembling, but unlike what Fang Buping imagined, his heart was not. On the contrary, he was quite calm.

He did not feel like he was up against an immovable wall. Fang Buping’s skill with his saber was not beyond Zhao Changhe’s expectations. There was simply a gap in their strength! This meant that Zhao Changhe stood a chance!

He remained silent and continued fleeing. Suddenly, he leapt into the air and jumped over some vegetation ahead.

Fang Buping chuckled and mimicked his jump. “I know the traps in the stronghold like the back of my hand. You want to rely on them to change your fortunes? Hahaha... You must be full of despair right now, aren’t you?”

Following his jump, the saber in Fang Buping’s hand suddenly turned scarlet and began overflowing with vicious qi. Under the moonlight, it looked incomparably fierce.

Scattering the Gods and Buddhas!

Zhao Changhe could feel that the vicious blood qi in his body was being suppressed by his opponent from behind, to the point that it disturbed his calm. For the first time, his Back Eye actually backfired—seeing that fierce vicious blood qi, his soul was shaken slightly and he actually felt a bit of dread.

However, that feeling only lasted for an instant. How could Zhao Changhe be intimidated by that sort of power? He turned around and slashed out once more.

Clang!

An intense metal-on-metal sound echoed through the night. Zhao Changhe coughed up a mouthful of blood and continued retreating. In midair, he grabbed a vine fluttering in the wind and fiercely stepped on the tree trunk by the side, burrowing the force of this motion to swing toward the pool. He reached it in a single breath.

Fang Buping stumbled somewhat and he was even more stunned.

How is Zhao Changhe able to find the weakest point of my attack, like he’s practiced it a hundred thousand times before? It shouldn’t be... He couldn’t have learned it, right? There’s no way he’s experienced enough to clearly be able to distinguish the weak points of my attacks. That would be too heaven-defying.

As he thought this, he saw Zhao Changhe swinging on a vine, so he also grabbed one and swung over. However, this motion apparently triggered some mechanism; from all directions, sharpened wooden spears shot toward him.

I allowed that idiot to continue leaking information to you for this very moment to make you believe that you understood everything about the stronghold. Too bad Wang Dashan didn’t know shit about the traps I set up by myself!

Fang Buping brandished his saber in mid-air. Even though it looked like he did not put in any strength, his blade was like a dancing pear blossom, shredding all of the wooden spears to pieces in an instant. He felt not even a sliver of danger.

Indeed, Fang Buping was strong and experienced.

Behind a tree by the pool, Zhao Changhe had already picked up his bow and nocked an arrow. The killing intent in his eyes was palpable.

Boom!

The bowstring’s twang was like thunder, and an arrow shot out like a shooting star.

Fang Buping, who had just dealt with the threat of the trap, let his guard down for a moment. By the time his brain processed that booming sound, the blurry silhouette of an arrow was already at his face.

Where did that bow come from? He didn’t have one on him.

As the thought flashed past his mind, Fang Buping bellowed as he raised his saber to block the arrow.

The arrow qi, twice strengthened by Zhao Changhe’s internal art and his vicious blood qi, spiraled outward. An incomparably terrifying vicious blood qi assaulted Fang Buping’s meridians and caused the blood and qi in his body to roil. He could not help but retreat a step to resist this formidable attack. In the end, he managed to break the arrow in half.

Before Fang Buping could even heave a sigh of relief, however, a bloody glow suddenly appeared before him.

A blood-red saber streaked across the firmament. Under the moonlight, a figure had leapt from the pool and now floated above him; it looked like a demon high up in the sky.

Scattering the Gods and Buddhas!

This wave after wave of attacks was like the rushing of river water—an unstoppable force!

Clang!

Fang Buping anxiously raised his saber to block the attack. The world-shaking sound of their weapons colliding could be heard even from the far-away stronghold.

The backlash from blocking the arrow had yet to dissipate, and Fang Buping could not yet muster his strength to fully defend. Zhao Changhe had been reserving his strength for this exact moment.

Zhao Changhe had gained the upper hand. After this one attack, their strengths were now comparable.

Both of them coughed out blood, their arms were swelling, and their eyes were red like beasts.

“I never thought you’d be able to hold on this long against me. Impressive...” While they were in a stalemate, in the end, Fang Buping had more strength remaining. He slowly said, “But this is where it ends...”

Before he could finish speaking, however, he was suddenly blinded by something white.

A bag of crushed limestone had burst in his face. He ate no small amount of it, and his eyes were in even more pain than his throat. He could not see anything.

Fuck you. I thought you were a great man of unmatched character. Just as we were enjoying the damn fight and we were going all out like the men we are, you throw some fucking limestone at me?!

A coolness washed over Fang Buping’s throat before he even had the chance to curse at Zhao Changhe.

Amidst the moonlight, everything was silent.

Every orifice in Fang Buping’s head was filled with limestone powder, and blood gushed from his throat as he slowly fell down, staring at the sky. The dull thud as he hit the ground marked the end of this battle...and the end of his life.

Never had it occurred to Fang Buping that his pursuit would end like this.

Zhao Changhe slowly retreated a few steps, exhausted. He stuck his saber into the ground, kneeled, and leaned on it for support while panting heavily.

His wave of attacks, which had been planned out for some time now, had used up all of his strength. He had drawn upon every bit of potential he had. If he could not succeed with this, then he would have surely died.

Indeed, not everyone was a match for the branch master of a demonic cult. Fang Buping was really strong, but the jianghu had uncountably many great men. If Zhao Changhe was to wander the jianghu, fighting people with higher cultivations was clearly not as simple as he had imagined.

As for the limestone? Pft.

The way of Heaven is eternal. It does not exist because of Emperor Yao’s benevolence, nor does it perish with Emperor Jie’s despotism. Is this not what the Tome of Troubled Times acknowledges?

Zhao Changhe took a deep breath and struggled to pick himself up. Then, he sheathed his saber and strode down the mountain.

“Second brother, hurry! Move faster!” The young lady anxiously pulled her brother as she flew along the road. “He hasn’t even broken through to the third layer of the Profound Gate. Fang Buping has been training at the fourth layer for many years, he can’t win!”

“I told you to abandon the mission. Who let you sneak into the stronghold at night!”

“You’re still talking about this? I’ll let you scold me when we’re back home!”

Cui Yuanyong could only helplessly follow his little sister as they sped to the mountain. Shortly after stepping onto the mountain path, however, their expressions suddenly changed as they looked to the sky.

A golden light shone in the sky. The Tome of Troubled Times was once again descending upon them.

Third month. Insect’s Wake. Zhao Changhe, having only cultivated for four months, broke through to the third layer of the Profound Gate. Immediately after, he cut down Branch Master Fang Buping from the Blood God Cult at Beimang.

The Ranking of Hidden Dragons has changed.

Rank 91: Zhao Changhe.

A long river descends from the nine heavens, flowing into the jianghu.

[END OF FIRST ARC]