Tome of Troubled Times-Chapter 743 (2): Jiuyous First Appearance

This was not just mockery; this was brutal social execution.

Even Yuxu nearly lost his composure. Shaking his head, he said, “We don’t have our own workshops for manufacturing such things. Even our ceremonial items are commissioned from craftsmen outside.”

Dai Qingge hesitated, opened his mouth, but finally remained silent.

Yuxu and Zhao Changhe both turned to look at him simultaneously.

Under their expectant gazes, Dai Qingge sighed in resignation. “My family does own workshops, and they’re quite large. Making a mold for these tops would be easy. If we work overnight, they could be on the shelves by tomorrow evening... but, Daoist Yuxu, if my family openly takes sides like this...”

Yuxu smiled faintly. “I do not like forcing people with martial might, but that does not mean my status as the third on the Ranking of Heaven is merely decorative. If you assist me in this matter, then whoever dares target your family would be declaring war on Yuxu Temple.”

With those words, Dai Qingge’s concerns evaporated completely.

For most aristocratic families, aligning with Buddhism or Daoism was simply a matter of choosing sides. But what better backing could there be than a personal promise from the third-ranked figure on the Ranking of Heaven?

This was a golden thigh. Once he clung to it, his family’s rise was all but guaranteed. His father would not object, he would probably even praise him for it.

Hey, now that I think about it, it feels as if I’ve met this Brother Qin before... Wait... shit... it’s you?!

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This was technically a forced alignment, but since it was not being done openly, there was still plausible deniability. Operating in the shadows rather than outright declaring their stance was not the worst idea.

Dai Qingge cast a resigned glance at Zhao Changhe and sighed. “Fine. In that case, I’ll take my leave now to make the arrangements. If the molds aren’t poured in time, we might miss the opportunity.”

With that, he hastily excused himself and left.

Yuxu and Zhao Changhe watched as Dai Qingge departed. Yuxu chuckled softly. “There are no simple men on the Rankings of Troubled Times.”

Zhao Changhe smirked. “I wonder when I’ll make it onto the rankings. It seems those who compile the rankings don’t think much of me.”

Somewhere, the blind woman was likely itching to twist his head off.

Yuxu, however, simply poured him another cup of tea. “I would say you are but a step away. Or rather, perhaps you are already on it, and you simply lack a recorded battle.”

He was referring to the Ranking of Heaven.

Zhao Changhe remarked, “I have no particular desire to clash with those from the divine land listed on the rankings... Hmm, right now, the most notable barbarian warrior on the Ranking of Man is still the former top-ranked hidden dragon, Fox Spirit Chi Li. He hasn’t had any public fights in quite some time. I wonder how much he has progressed. If I get the chance, I’d like to test him.”

The hell do you mean Ranking of Man? What Chi Li? You’re after his master, aren’t you?

Yuxu sighed inwardly, feeling exasperated, and decided to change the subject. “Since you have chosen to help this old Daoist, what is it that you seek from me?”

“Nothing much.” Zhao Changhe swirled his tea leisurely. “I simply despise the northern barbarians. Helping you in this matter is something I'm doing gladly. If you can truly drive them out and claim sole dominion over Guanzhong, then I don’t mind being your vanguard.”

From the start, their conversation had revolved around the Buddhist-Daoist struggle and their shared enmity toward the northern barbarians. Neither had touched upon the deeper issues lurking behind Yuxu’s predicament. But with this final remark, Zhao Changhe subtly alluded to more.

Would he act as Yuxu’s vanguard only against the barbarians?

Or was he offering aid should Yuxu have other enemies as well?

It was a question left intentionally unanswered; there was no need to say anything more.

Zhao Changhe drained the last of his tea and stood. “Meeting the third on the Ranking of Heaven today has been a pleasure. It’s already getting quite late, so I shall take my leave. I hope there will be another opportunity to hear your teachings in the future.”

Yuxu nodded and handed him a small wooden token. “With this, you may enter and leave Louguantai freely. We Daoists are reclusive by nature and lack skilled tacticians. Since you are now involved in this conflict with Kong Shi, I hope you will continue to offer your insights. And should any danger arise because of it... this old Daoist will intervene.”

With that assurance, the meeting had gone as well as it possibly could have.

Zhao Changhe knew better than to linger. After all, the more one speaks, the greater the risk of slipping up. Who knew if, in all that had been said, he had let something slip? If the Dao Lord caught wind of it, things would get troublesome.

He accepted the wooden token, clasped his hands in a respectful farewell, and departed without another word.

His destination was the area near the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. He intended to find an inn nearby, one conveniently close for a meeting with Yue Hongling whenever necessary.

Of course, staying here was a bit risky. After all, this was Papiyas’s territory. And today, he had thoroughly humiliated Papiyas. If the other party realized that Zhao Changhe had the audacity to lodge so close, he would absolutely come looking for trouble. And if Papiyas unleashed the full force of his demonic arts... Zhao Changhe was not entirely sure he could win.

But Zhao Changhe was not actually afraid of that confrontation, nor did he fear Papiyas fully unleashing his demonic arts. What he truly feared was that if he did so out in public, Buddhism would be utterly finished in Chang’an. And once that happened, Yuxu would have absolute dominance. With no rival forces, he could finally confront the Li Clan head-on, forcing them to either sever ties with the barbarians or face Yuxu’s withdrawal from the game altogether.

In other words, the true objective of this visit was merely to unmask Papiyas. If he could do that, his mission would be largely complete.

As for everything else? Those were problems far too complex to solve at this stage.

Just confirming this strategic focal point already put his mind at ease. In any grand game, the most daunting part was not knowing where to place the next move. Now that he had found it, the whole board became much easier to navigate.

He was still sorting through these thoughts when he unwittingly stepped into a deserted alleyway.

By the time he had left Louguantai, it had already been late. Now, the sun had completely set. The winter night was coated in a light dusting of snow, and while the streets of Chang’an still gleamed with lanterns, maintaining the illusion of an eternal city of lights, the moment one stepped into the alleyways, all of that warmth vanished.

Here, the darkness was absolute.

Zhao Changhe suddenly slowed his steps. An overwhelming sense of dread surged through him.

The pitch-black alley seemed to stretch and distort, its shadows deepening unnaturally. It no longer felt like a simple passage between streets but an endless, desolate wilderness—a vast, empty expanse drowned in silence.

A bone-chilling fear crept into his heart. This was not the fear of battle, nor the primal dread evoked by bloodlust or slaughter. No, this was something else entirely. It was a terror born from isolation and helplessness. It was the dread of standing alone against a darkness so infinite, so consuming, that it felt like it could swallow his very soul.

The wind howled around him like the wails of lost spirits.

Cold sweat formed on Zhao Changhe’s forehead.

This was a spiritual attack. And not just any random or casual one, it was a spiritual attack so powerful that it could drive a person mad, trapping them in an eternal nightmare of loneliness and despair.

And then, she appeared.

A graceful figure stepped forward, moving with an effortless elegance that seemed to stir the very shadows around her. The background music of the howling night wind seemed to follow her every step, a symphony of the void accompanying her.

Her slender hand extended ever so slightly forward, beckoning as if saying, There is no need to fear. Obey me, submit to me, and this dark night shall no longer hold terror for you.

A maddening temptation surged through Zhao Changhe’s mind... It was the primal reaction of one lost in the void, grasping for the first source of warmth and guidance. It was the kind of surrender that felt inevitable, the kind that came when one was stripped of all resistance. He knew this was her domain. He knew this was a carefully woven illusion. And yet, the urge to yield was almost irresistible. If he let things be... the fear would vanish. The darkness would no longer matter.

Her lips parted slightly. Not a sound came out, and yet it felt as though a soft whisper was brushing against his ear. Paired with her outstretched hand, the meaning was unmistakable: Kneel. Kiss me. And I will give you everything.

Zhao Changhe’s gaze locked onto that pale, delicate hand. With immense effort, his eyes slowly dragged upward until they met hers.

Those deep, black irises gleamed like polished obsidian. Beautiful, yet utterly devoid of life, like a vast, dying galaxy.

The blind woman had once said “If that’s the case, then Jiuyou would be a better comparison.”

In that instant, her identity became clear. The woman before him was none other than the ancient adversary of the Night Emperor. A supreme demon god of the ancient era. A being who represented chaos and annihilation. An entity suspected to be at the third layer of the Profound Control Realm!

It was no wonder Yuxu had joked about “subduing Jiuyou.” That... was no joke.

It was a warning, a subtle way of telling him that Jiuyou was in Chang’an.

If I’d known she was here... Why the hell would I have willingly walked into this city?!