Tome of Troubled Times-Chapter 741 (2): The Reformed Heroine

Yue Hongling watched her master’s retreating figure, deep in thought. This was his final test.

If the information he provided led her straight into an ambush, that would be laughable. But he probably would not go that far, and he would most likely simply keep delaying, hoping she would give up.

She rubbed her temple and sighed. What was the point of getting caught up in these personal matters?

She had originally returned to gather intelligence on Chang’an for Zhao Changhe, not to waste time on internal sect politics. Information on the leaders of the barbarians, their strongholds, where to find them—those were things she could figure out just by going out and observing for a few days.

What was the point of coming back to the sect if she could not even learn something here she could have simply found out about outside?

Well, at least I got to meet the head of the Wei Clan. It’s a perfect entry point, so why not take advantage of it? Worrying about what kind of person my master has become won’t change anything.

With that thought, Yue Hongling suddenly felt much lighter. In a flash, her figure blurred, and she was gone.

Wei Changming sat inside his carriage, swaying gently as it trundled along the road back to Chang’an. His thoughts, too, swayed between calculations and regrets.

Yue Hongling had returned, and she was clearly set on messing with their plans and killing the northern barbarians. It was apparent that things were going to become a real mess.

If she insisted on pushing forward, there would only be one outcome—the powers of Guanlong would find a way to make sure she died here. They could not allow her to jeopardize the alliance with the northern barbarians.

What a waste.

He had spent years investing in Luoxia Mountain Village. Back then, the situation had been much simpler—there were no grand political entanglements, just an emotional investment.

But now?

Yue Hongling had the strength to single-handedly kill the Black Hmong King as a corpse puppet. That was not the power of someone merely on the Ranking of Earth; it was power worthy of the Ranking of Heaven.

And in this world, a force with a Ranking of Heaven expert in its ranks was not just a martial sect. It was a contender for true power. One could simply look at Li Shentong.

By all logic, given his current ties with Luoxia Mountain Village, if his family ran into trouble or offended someone they could not afford to cross, he should have been able to ask Yue Hongling for help, and she should have agreed without hesitation. Securing a Ranking of Heaven powerhouse as an ally would have made his years of investment incredibly worthwhile.

But instead?

The moment she returned, it immediately escalated to a full-scale struggle for the fate of the empire, the enmity between Han and Hu.

His “investment” had not given him a strong enough grip. Hell, even her bond with her own master was not enough to pull her into their side.

All these years of effort—wasted. But... looking at it from another perspective...

His thoughts had not even finished forming when a sudden sense of danger shot through him. Wei Changming reacted instantly, reaching for his long sword—only to find that it would not budge. It refused to move even an inch.

A breath of fragrant wind brushed past him, and he soon discovered that a sword was already at his throat. He had not even seen how she’d gotten inside the carriage.

His heart pounded wildly. His so-called Ranking of Man strength was utterly useless. In front of her, he was no different from a child.

“M... Miss Yue...!” Wei Changming stammered. “I, I’ve never wronged you...”

Yue Hongling’s voice was calm. “Oh, is that so. Tying my sect to the Li Clan through that so-called marriage alliance, forcing me into a difficult position... Does that not count as wronging me?”

“Hah!” Wei Changming sighed heavily, stamping his foot down. “Do you think I had a choice? Li Boping brought it up. There was simply no way I could refuse him outright. If you ask me, I’d much rather have my own family marry into yours! Honestly, I considered it. But I held back because I was afraid that tying my family to your sect would make people suspicious.”

Yue Hongling blinked, her eyes narrowing slightly in amusement. “Li Gongsi is dead, while Li Boping is merely average among those on the Ranking of Man. I don’t remember his exact ranking, but I know it’s below yours.”

She tilted her head.

“So I have to wonder... Why are you still so willing to follow the Li Clan’s lead? This thousand li of Guanzhong is in front of you, ripe for conquest. Are you seriously telling me you aren’t tempted?”

“Uh...” Wei Changming let out an awkward chuckle, carefully choosing his words. “Miss Yue, perhaps we could... discuss this without the sword at my throat?”

Yue Hongling withdrew her sword and sat across from him.

Wei Changming took out a set of drinking cups from within the carriage, pouring her a cup of wine before speaking slowly. “Power struggles aren’t just about who has the strongest fighters, especially when no one has any real powerhouse on their side. In that case, it all comes down to money, troops, and resources. When Li Gongsi was alive, he had the reputation and the political skill to consolidate power. After joining forces with the barbarians to eliminate a few dissenting factions, he became the uncontested leader. That’s just how these things go. I couldn’t compete with that. It wasn’t even close.”

Yue Hongling nodded. “And yet, despite all that, whether in terms of martial prowess or political strength, the Li Clan is still completely outmatched by the barbarians. Won’t they just become puppet rulers, bending to the barbarians’ every command?”

“They could have ended up that way,” Wei Changming said with a knowing smile. “But with the Han pressing in from the south, Timur doesn’t have absolute control either. The Li Clan is useful to him, so he has to treat them as partners rather than as mere subordinates. And Li Boping isn’t a fool. First, he strengthened his political standing by allying with the Buddhist sects. Then, when that wasn’t enough, he brought in Yuxu. By gathering these forces under his banner, he secured his own position, ensuring he wouldn’t be reduced to a mere puppet.”

Yue Hongling thought for a moment before saying, “But from what I’ve seen, Buddhists and Daoists are deeply at odds with each other right now.”

“That’s right. That division was originally a calculated move. It’s a way to ensure both groups remain dependent on the ruling power. The more they fight, the more they need the Li Clan to lean toward one side or the other. But when word spread about Langya, doubts began creeping in about Master Yuan Cheng. Some feared he might turn out to be another Gui Chen. That suspicion forced him to leave Chang’an, which wasn’t something we’d anticipated. With Yuxu dominating the stage, it seemed like Daoism would overshadow everything. But then, out of nowhere, the Great Wild Goose Pagoda produced a new Buddha. Now, things seem to have balanced out again.”

Yue Hongling gave it some thought. “The Li Clan is walking on the edge of a blade.”

“They have no choice. The new Han dynasty has already declared the Four Idols Sect as its official state religion, meaning everyone else has to rely on gathering power from other factions. Even if the Li Clan was not deliberately playing this balancing act, this situation would have happened anyway.”

Wei Changming took a sip of wine, then continued, “Of course, there’s a huge risk involved with what they’re doing. The biggest issue is that the Li Clan itself has no true powerhouse. If they lose control of this delicate balance and one side gains too much influence, they could be completely sidelined. Or, worse—if they offend one faction too much, that faction might simply refuse to play along. But for now, even with all their internal conflicts, every power in Chang’an is still united in resisting the Han. Their combined strength isn’t actually below the Han’s. In fact, it might even be greater.”

Yue Hongling’s expression remained indifferent. “You don’t need to keep bringing up the new empire. I’m not some official or minister of theirs.”

Wei Changming smiled warmly. “Of course not. You’re strong enough to become a power of your own.”

That was the underlying understanding behind this entire conversation.

When Yue Hongling had casually asked him about being tempted to conquer Guanzhong, his heart had skipped a beat. The answer to that? Of course, he was tempted! How could he not be? However, the situation was simply too unstable. No one was bold enough to make the first move.

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Only one thing was certain: if the Li Clan failed to maintain their position, they would be ripped apart by wolves. And Wei Changming would be one of those wolves. That much was clear.

But also clear was that Wei Changming had no intention of working with the Han.

The Great Han Empire was openly suppressing aristocratic families while elevating commoners. For the lower classes, this was a dream come true, but in the grand scheme of power struggles, it was not necessarily an advantage. With the aristocracy resisting them, many things became impossible to accomplish. If the Han Empire had chosen to work with the aristocratic families instead, they could have easily had Wei Changming among their ranks by now.

But unfortunately for them, Wei Changming had no interest in following Cui Wenjing’s example. He had no intention of abandoning his military power for political survival.

And so, he kept testing Yue Hongling’s ties to the Han.

Two years ago, she would not have understood the deeper implications of this conversation. But after spending so much time with Zhao Changhe, her perspective had expanded far beyond just the jianghu.

Now, she understood perfectly well what was being implied in the conversation.

Leaning back against the carriage wall, she took a slow sip of wine. After a long silence, she suddenly said, “I’m close to Changhe, but I have no stake in political conflicts. Even if I were to help him, that doesn’t mean I stand with Xia Chichi. Can you grasp that distinction?”

Wei Changming blinked, then smiled knowingly. “Oh, I understand.”

The struggle between the Eastern and Western Palaces... Even a consort of the Western Palace would need her own base of power.

Yue Hongling continued, “To be frank, the only thing I care about is the barbarians. I will oppose anyone who collaborates with them. My presence here has nothing to do with the Han, and I represent only myself in my dealings with you. As for your investment in Luoxia Mountain Village, let’s just be honest, it was never about the sect but about me. So I’ll say this to you loud and clear: if you’re willing to support the fight against the barbarians, then no matter how the political landscape changes, I will personally consider the Wei Clan a friend.”

And with that, she vanished.

Wei Changming stared out at the light snowfall beyond the carriage window, his expression unreadable.

If one were to talk about investments, then with just that one sentence, Yue Hongling had just returned more value than all the years he had spent on Luoxia Mountain Village.

Because in the end, she was right. It had never been about Yue Fenghua. It had always been about Yue Hongling. The very same Yue Hongling who now indisputably held Ranking of Heaven power, as well as a direct connection to Zhao Changhe. Even if the Han was unfriendly toward aristocratic families, this gave him a backup plan.

If things just so happen to turn against the Li Clan... Who said Guanlong had to be ruled by Li? Why not Wei? The prospects are immeasurable. However, investments come with conditions. The barbarians are the key... The barbarians...

Conveniently, he had no ties to them. It was only the Li Clan that did.