Chaotic World Book-Chapter 242 - 237: First Visit to the Capital

Sword Lake City lies between Qinghe and Langya, roughly corresponding to the modern location of Dongping Lake. The Capital is similar to its current location, whereas Yanmen Pass is in Shanxi.

Although Yanmen and the Capital both lie to the north, in reality, they form a triangle with Sword Lake City. To reach Yanmen Pass, one wouldn’t pass through the Capital, so Vermilion Bird had to coax Zhao Changhe into taking a detour there.

The journey was significantly longer, especially with Zhao Changhe’s habitual tactic of employing deceptive maneuvers, making detours left and right. It took so many days to head north that they gradually sensed the arrival of autumn, seeing the ears of wheat by the roadside and the golden yellow of the trees.

Just like the south, the northern plains were no better off.

Aside from bases like Qinghe, Gusu, and Langya, where Aristocratic Families were entrenched, most places in the Divine Continent were in poor condition. Despite the autumn harvest season, it looked like a poor yield. Both the south and north were at war, with the officials urgently pressing for taxes and conscription. Zhao Changhe, on his way here, had already seen several scenes reminiscent of "The Official of Stone Moat" and multiple instances of "Newlywed Separation".

There were countless cases of bandits gathering to loot, declaring themselves kings of mountains. In many areas, people had already attacked the local government offices and robbed granaries. The bandits had evolved considerably from what Zhao Changhe first encountered when he arrived in these lands; they had moved on from a Wang Lun to a Song Jiang.

In less than a year... the versions of bandits had already been updated, and Zhao Changhe could no longer keep up with the pace.

The closer one was to the emperor’s feet, the less improvement was seen. Though not quite to the extent of "The empire, a thousand miles, holds not a rooster’s crow," it was enough to feel the chaos of a war-torn year.

Combined with the actions taken by the Wang Family, it was clear they had already entered a period of chaos, beyond merely the "prologue."

While the current situation in the south involved landlords organizing armed resistance against the Maitreya Sect, the north still seemed to have the Empire’s elite Border Army battling against the nomad invasions. From what Zhao Changhe had observed earlier, many Border Army officers or commandery chiefs had deep connections with the Wang and Cui Families. He wondered who the Main General was, someone able to command these people and unify them against the enemy.

And what would be the consequences if this Main General decided to play the role of Wu Sangui? What if the Wang Family withdrew their armies? What then?

Another confusing point for Zhao Changhe was, the Capital being the emperor’s gatekeeper, why did the nomads bypass it and head for Yanmen instead?

Was it due to Xia Longyuan’s deterrence?

"Of course it is because of Xia Longyuan’s deterrence. At his peak, he truly could break an army by himself. Being first on the Heavenly List is no joke, far stronger than the likes of the bottom-dwellers like Wang Daoning, by a lot."

"Then who is the defender of Yanmen?"

"Marquis Jingyuan."

Zhao Changhe was stunned for a moment, then tapped his head, "Oh, I remember now. Ninth on the Earth List, Huangfu Yongxian? The Imperial power isn’t weak, actually."

Vermilion Bird said indifferently, "Of course it’s not weak. Otherwise, how could it have lasted this long? Did you really think Tang Wanzhuang was the only one supporting it? If it were that useless, we would have rebelled long ago, why bother hiding it?"

"What are General Huangfu’s political standings like?"

"How would I know? You’re entering the Capital, go find Tang Wanzhuang and ask her yourself."

"You seem to speak quite bluntly about Tang Wanzhuang, but you seem a bit respectful towards Huangfu Yongxian? You even refer to him by his title, Marquis Jingyuan, rather than his name."

Vermilion Bird spoke lightly, "A bit of appropriate respect is due for those defending our nation beyond its gates. If the Four Symbols Sect were to rule one day, wouldn’t such a capable general be worth winning over?"

"And if your Sect were to win, what about Tang Wanzhuang?"

"If you join the Sect, I’ll reward you with her as your servant."

"..." Zhao Changhe didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Vermilion Bird found it amusing, the perspective from which Zhao Changhe observed throughout the journey, the direction of his considerations...

Vermilion Bird was certain that Zhao Changhe truly had no ambitions of becoming a Prince, yet his perspective was naturally inclined in that direction.

Rather, it was as if he took a detached view, observing from the side or looking down upon the world, analyzing the reasons for its formation and the possible projections.

It was less a Prince’s perspective, and more akin to the divine eye of a deity peeking through the clouds from high above.

Thinking about this, the amusement slowly faded from Vermilion Bird, replaced by a faint stirring of emotion.

She asked with some caution, "You said you’re only interested in being a knight of the Worldly Society."

"Yes, have I not been one on this journey?"

More than that. In pursuit of justice, Zhao Changhe had spent a lot of extra time on the road; otherwise, he would have already entered the Capital by now. Vermilion Bird couldn’t fault him for wasting time, knowing full well that if she tried to stop Zhao Changhe from righting wrongs, he would turn against her.

Upholding chivalry and intervening where he saw injustice were, according to Zhao Changhe, the main reasons for his martial training.

You have the nerve to claim you come from a bandit background.

In the end, the formidable Demon Sect Venerable, who wouldn’t bat an eye at killing, had been accompanying him on acts of heroism, rescuing the elderly, orphans, and maidens along the way. Ultimately, it wasn’t for nothing; they were all given messages and settled in nearby branches of the Four Symbols Sect, as part of recruitment.

Indeed, in these times of chaos, the rise of the Demon Sects mainly garnered new followers in this manner, with the Maitreya Sect being the most typical example. The Four Symbols Sect wasn’t without its share, actively forming a private army of the Demon Sect, just not as indiscriminate as the Maitreya Sect.

In fact, the Four Symbols Sect was more elite because the real identities of the Xuanwu and Vermilion Bird... knew much more than the likes of Maitreya.

These thoughts flashed through her mind, but Vermilion Bird continued to question, "You say you’re only interested in being a knight of the Worldly Society, but I find your perspective different."

"How so? More macroscopic?"

"Um..."

"Heroes aren’t necessarily just about righting wrongs where they see them; there’s another kind."

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"The greatest heroes are those who serve their country and their people."

Vermilion Bird: "...Where did that concept come from? That’s what you call a hero? Just say you’re with the Demon Suppression Department."

"Who says I’m not? After all, every man has a responsibility for the rise and fall of the world, right?" Zhao Changhe laughed heartily, spurring his horse into a gallop: "A white horse adorned with gold bridles, racing northwest without stopping. Who’s the son of that family, roaming the margins as a knight-errant... sacrificing his life for his country’s plight, welcoming death as if returning home! If this isn’t being a hero, then what is!"

"Giddy up!" Wuzhui dashed forward.

Vermilion Bird sighed, this wasn’t the answer she was hoping for.

In fact, Zhao Changhe knew what answer this young lady was hoping for, something about sects, always about gods and Buddhas when there’s nothing or something... but that really wasn’t what she was thinking.

Miss Winged Fire Snake was sent by the Vermilion Bird Venerable to follow him, and although she verbally denied being "sent as a woman," it inevitably carried a strong hint of that implication. Therefore, Zhao Changhe was always tempted to tease her, and even itching to hold and kiss her. Could it be that the lady herself subconsciously felt the same? Even if there wasn’t any hint of that, she still needed to show a bit of it, leading to an ambiguous relationship from the start.

But Zhao Changhe had no intentions of using the dubious "Divine Star Map" to take advantage of her. That sort of scumbag move was Xia Longyuan’s style, not his, Zhao Changhe’s.

It would be so much better to simply talk about feelings and become closer... because without realizing it, this young lady had become the woman who had stayed by his side the longest, other than Chichi.

All this time traveling and staying together, hand in hand, walking the path of a knight-errant, had almost been a month.

Familiarity and habit are terrifying forces, just like that morning in Beimang when Luo Qi woke up to find herself sleeping soundly in Zhao Changhe’s arms. Vermilion Bird was the same, she hadn’t noticed at first that every time the horse stumbled, she would instinctively brace against his back with her hands, but now she was too lazy, occasionally bumping into him without even being aware, and he didn’t notice either.

At times, without realizing, she would wrap her arms around his waist, neither of them felt anything.

The noble horse galloped on, with the young lady’s arms around him, and the magnificence of a city loomed in the distance under dark clouds that weighed down like mountains.

After nearly a month of hesitant travel, autumn deepening, the Capital was finally in sight.

Zhao Changhe, who had always maintained a calm demeanor, suddenly felt a bit of tension, nearly had the urge to turn back, but he forcefully suppressed his thoughts and continued forward.

The Capital had always been a place to avoid, never did he want to come this early, but now that fate had led him here, why not explore?

"This isn’t a place you can enter with a pig’s face." Vermilion Bird dismounted from afar, "I will find my own way in; you just go straight into the city."

Zhao Changhe asked, "Then how will I contact you after I get in?"

Vermilion Bird chuckled, "Don’t think about discovering my true form... Anyway, you’re always the center of attention wherever you go. Once I’ve sorted out my affairs, I will find you."

And with that, she quickly disappeared from view.

Zhao Changhe also didn’t bother with any pig’s face disguise, returning to his original appearance, he rode into the city.

"Halt, galloping is not allowed within the city, dismount and lead your horse by hand!" The city gate guard’s spirit was better than any Zhao Changhe had seen in other cities.

Before now, they were all lethargic, who the hell cared if you rode a horse or not? It was considered decent not to extort an entrance tax out of convenience.

Zhao Changhe didn’t mind the guard’s obstruction, finding it appropriate, dismounted to pay the City Entrance Tax.

But the guard waved his hand, "First time here? There’s no City Entrance Tax in the Capital. Just submit your travel permit, and go in properly. And that sword on your back, don’t go starting brawls. Tang Wanju is in the Capital now, so you lawless folk from the Worldly Society better watch yourselves."

Zhao Changhe couldn’t help but laugh, "You respect Tang Wanju quite a bit, huh?"

"That’s only natural." The guard, not wanting to talk too much, stretched out his hand, "Where’s your travel permit?"

Zhao Changhe had never needed a travel permit wherever he had gone and hadn’t thought about getting one, but it made sense for the Capital, especially during wartime. He was wondering what to do when laughter came from behind: "A travel permit is just to confirm identity, and everyone knows who this man is, no need to check."

A group of people turned to look, and there stood a dandy, swinging a folding fan, grinning, "The Hidden Dragon, Zhao Changhe, the one you’ve posted wanted notices for, and you don’t recognize him?"

Hidden Dragon wasn’t a big deal in the Capital, onlookers didn’t care much, and they continued with their inspections for entering the city.

But Zhao Changhe could clearly see a slight change in the expressions of several guards.

He could almost feel another storm brewing. He was certain that the words "Zhao Changhe enters the city" would sweep through the Capital in an instant.

Zhao Changhe sighed, "Dai Family’s young master, aren’t you from the Northwest? What brings you here?"

It was the young master of the Dai Family from the Langya Sword Discussion. Zhao Changhe even forgot what his performance had been like at the time.

The young master Dai laughed, "Who doesn’t have some property in the Capital?"

"You mean a Capital office?"

"What’s that?" Dai Family’s young master drawled, "Do you have a place to stay in the Capital? Would you like to stay at my place?"

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