Chaotic World Book-Chapter 268 - 263: The Storm is Brewing

"Let’s split into three groups and run," Zhao Changhe said, glancing at the approaching dust from the barbarian cavalry. "Later, we can meet up at an inn in Yellow Sand Market." He was about to flee.

Situ Xiao was carrying the Qiao Family’s young master who had been knocked out. "Why the hell would I carry this dead weight to Yellow Sand Market? We’ll talk about it later. Got to go, find Cui Yuanyong and change it up for a drink."

After saying that, he ran off first. It was actually because his Qinggong was the weakest. Carrying a person, he feared he wouldn’t outrun the army and lose face.

Besides, Situ Xiao really wanted to challenge Yue Hongling... He felt he lacked just a bit more experience and was waiting for the right time. But considering the way things were now, this guy might end up being a friend’s wife, and he might never have the chance to challenge him again... Damn it, why does it feel like every woman is related to you?

This friend is too much trouble. I’ll cut ties another day.

"Ei, ei..." Han Wubing wanted to grab Situ Xiao, but he was a step too slow and watched him run faster than a rabbit.

He looked helplessly at Zhao Changhe and then at Yue Hongling, "Is my existence always at the wrong time? Maybe I should leave first..."

Damn it, why does it feel like every woman is related to you?

This friend is too much trouble. I’ll cut ties another day.

"..." Yue Hongling, with her arms crossed, said, "What are you guys thinking? The one who should leave is me."

Zhao Changhe: "?"

Han Wubing: "?"

Yue Hongling said irritably, "Don’t you know that the barbarians have been surrounding me for a long time? I dare not enter Yellow Sand Market."

Zhao Changhe reached into his chest, rubbed something, and when he stretched his hand out again, he had a lump of yellowish poop-like substance, about to smear it on Yue Hongling’s face.

Yue Hongling drew her sword to chop.

Zhao Changhe shrank back, embarrassed: "Just changing appearances."

"It’s useless, every woman will be thoroughly inspected. Haven’t you seen how others dare not bring women inside? Under the pretext of searching for ’Yue Hongling,’ others’ family members have been forcibly taken to the beast market to be sold. It’s happened several times."

"How much trouble have you actually caused the barbarians to make it this severe?"

"What’s it to you?" Yue Hongling turned, irritated, and went into the fort, "I’m going to find some food to take with me. You do whatever you need to do. I’ll find a way to meet up with you later."

Zhao Changhe said, "How about we meet somewhere outside?"

"Further to the northwest, there’s Rocky Mountain. I’ll be staying there temporarily. If you have a chance, could you bring me something?" asked Yue Hongling, her tone unintentionally revealing a bit of hope.

Han Wubing glanced sideways at the silent pair, and sure enough, he heard Zhao Changhe reply very readily: "Sure."

"Then I’ll take my leave." Yue Hongling, in good spirits, went back into the fort to search for things.

It felt good to have someone to back her up. She had some plans and felt it was tough to execute them alone, especially now that she was being specifically targeted and restricted. But now having Zhao Changhe and Han Wubing, whom she trusted and who were skilled martial artists, it seemed possible to get some things done.

On the other side, Zhao Changhe and Han Wubing exchanged looks. Han Wubing said, "I’m staying at the Beast Market Inn. Call me if anything comes up. No time to talk more now, we have to move quickly."

"Okay, I’m staying at San Niang’s Inn, you can also find me there. I’ll be using the name Wang Daozhong."

Han Wubing: "..."

Looking back, Wu Balu’s cavalry had already reached bowshot distance.

The two exchanged no more words and "whoosh" split off in different directions to run.

Unlike ordinary martial artists and soldiers, these individuals, with their exceptional Qinggong and being among the front-runners known all over the world, were truly difficult for regular cavalry to catch. Even Situ Xiao, with Qinggong as his weakness, when he put his leg strength to the test, no horse could catch up with him due to the hardness of his Mystical Gate Eighth Layer.

To corner someone like this, unless a Grandmaster was deployed or a trap was set beforehand that they couldn’t escape from, they were really hard to capture.

This was also the main reason Yue Hongling and the others had been safe in the Northern Border for so long. Cui Yuanyong believed that the team he sent out should not have all escaped, it was for this reason.

Horses for them were primarily a means of conserving energy. They were used to fighting without horses... uh this phrase sounded a bit strange. Of course, being without horses wouldn’t work; trekking through the vast grassland and Great Desert on two feet, they would exhaust themselves in a few days. Yue Hongling’s horse was hidden in Rocky Mountain, her temporary stopping point.

In short, this group casually chatted before the army arrived, and only when pursued did they start to run, managing to disappear without a trace soon after into the night, unable to be found.

The barbarian commander leading the troops was not fixated on the chase and waved his hand: "Stop pursuing. Confiscate the merchandise of that merchant caravan and enslave the people."

The law of the jungle was simply thus.

Those in the merchant caravan who were awake to the situation stole less and ran earlier, escaping. Those who were greedy and unwilling to leave, fighting over things, faced a grim fate.

The Deputy General asked, "The woman we just saw should be Yue Hongling... Per Commander Wu’s orders, everything else aside, this woman must be captured no matter what."

The leader waved his hand, "This woman isn’t someone we can capture just by recklessly charging at her. She’s more capable of soaring than a Flying Eagle. Even an army of a hundred thousand might not be of much use. Commander Wu has already had the Great Khan send real powerhouses here. This woman has been roaming the Northern Border for too long, thinking we’re just ordinary soldiers. Maybe we’ll give her a tough time when they arrive."

"So, restricting her supplies is actually about progressively reducing the area where she can operate?"

"Exactly, if I’m not wrong, since she still appears around here, it’s highly likely she’s in the Rocky Mountain of the Northwest, where water can be found beneath the rocks." The leader clenched his fist, "If she’s really there, she won’t be able to escape. Perhaps when the reward comes down, we’ll all get to have our fun."

...

Meanwhile, Zhao Changhe took a long detour, changing back into the guise of a yellow-faced Han, and returned to an inn with great spirits.

He didn’t use the main entrance of the tavern but entered from the back of the inn and went straight to sleep until the bright daylight.

Last night was truly exhilarating, having saved a hero, killed a traitor, met friends, and dispelled all the pent-up frustration since leaving the Central Plains; he almost wanted to burst into song.

As a man leaves the borders, it ought to be like this!

If given another chance, to lead a troop galloping across the grassland, charging through battle lines, unstoppable - that would truly be satisfying.

Zhao Changhe felt he had a chance for such an opportunity; he still had some ideas to test and verify.

Upon waking at dawn, he casually freshened up and strolled out to the tavern where the morning crowd was bustling. It seemed the place didn’t only serve alcohol, as usual, there were breakfast goods for sale, with various pastries from the Western Regions being particularly distinctive.

And the breakfast discussion was especially lively today; all patrons were loudly discussing the shocking events outside the market last night, "Damn, those Martial Artists from the Central Plains are ruthless. I heard just four of them, claiming to be elite troops, blasted through a camp of a thousand, turning it into a bloodbath, and setting a fire that lit up half the sky."

"That sounds exaggerated, doesn’t it? I heard they just torched the front and back of the camp, either for a rescue or something."

"What about that caravan? All the people and goods disappeared. The scene of the Bloodthirsty Asura holding a head and shouting, other caravans saw it too."

"...Maybe."

"Listen to them bluffing! If Martial Artists from the Central Plains were all that strong, why would we still be fighting? If there were a few hundred Yue Honglings and Zhao Changhes, couldn’t they just flatten an army of a hundred thousand?"

"...Because aside from Yue Hongling and Zhao Changhe, there’s also Qiao Er."

As soon as this was said, the intensity of the discussions died down a bit.

Zhao Changhe leisurely walked in and sat right in front of the counter, motioning with his hand, "San Niang, some unique pastries, please, not the ones from Jiangnan, but the local specialties here, the more unique, the better."

San Niang sized him up from head to toe for a while, "Did you go out and pull off something big?"

"What are you talking about? Why would it have anything to do with me?" Zhao Changhe said, "I just went out for a stroll and came back... If I really had raided a caravan, would I still come to buy your pastries?"

San Niang served him a plate of pastries, her expression filled with surprise and doubt.

She knew that Zhao Changhe came back in the middle of the night, but indeed without any goods, which didn’t seem like someone who had just returned from raiding. It was nearly impossible to comprehend for someone who lived in such a place, how he could return empty-handed. Could it really not be him?

How could it be such a coincidence, she’d just told this guy that the Qiao Family might have taken some slaves, and then suddenly the slaves were freed. You’re telling me there’s no connection?

Zhao Changhe was eating his pastries, starting to boast, "Listening to them, sounds pretty impressive, it was really just four guys?"

"Yep, it probably was just four."

"This Bloodthirsty Asura Zhao Changhe is incredible!"

"Yes, four men against a thousand, that’s two hundred and fifty each. The ranking given to him as Hidden Dragon in Chaotic World Book earlier is quite reasonable."

Zhao Changhe choked on a mouthful of pastry, nearly coughing himself to death. "San Niang, do you have a problem with them?"

San Niang replied leisurely, "Of course I have a problem. Yue Hongling, Situ Xiao, and Han Wubing have all patronized my place, only Zhao Changhe hasn’t. What, do you not consider me as a Central Plains person?"

Zhao Changhe silently slid over a piece of silver.

San Niang asked in surprise, "What’s this for?"

"Bring me some dry provisions and fresh water. I’m heading out."

"Going far?" San Niang looked at him with a meaningful gaze, "You came from afar, and there are still many interesting things in Yellow Sand Market you haven’t seen, and you’re thinking of leaving already?"

Zhao Changhe said, "Like the beast ring? Honestly, not so interested. Seeing injustice and wanting to intervene, yet realizing you’re powerless, how frustrating must that be?"

San Niang said, "You’re a strange one. Others come to this hub of commerce, looking to uncover treasures unavailable elsewhere. What exactly did you come here for?"

Zhao Changhe stood there, speechless.

San Niang sighed, "I reckon even if Zhao Changhe himself came, he’d have to hand his ’two hundred fifty’ title over to you. You’re truly a Hidden Dragon and Crouching Tiger."

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l