Chaotic World Book-Chapter 524 - 510: Troops Approach

Despite knowing it was bound to happen sooner or later, Sisi was still furious enough to kill someone.

She knew that the days of them being together, day and night, had come to an end due to the war. No matter how long it might take to end this war, Zhao Changhe could no longer come back to continue their life together.

He had completed the current phase of his cultivation, and there might be some secrets hidden here that were not yet ready to be revealed. Perhaps when he returned, at the turn of summer and autumn, bringng the Vermilion Bird and White Tiger, he would be trying to unlock deeper secrets.

"I will come back," Zhao Changhe said, lowering his head to kiss her forehead. "Don’t give me that look, let’s get to work first."

Sisi pouted and muttered, "Lei Zhentang should be healing his injuries instead of jumping around; I think he is asking for death!"

Zhao Changhe gave a helpless laugh. After all, it was Zhai Muzhi who had come to suppress, and Lei Zhentang was supposed to be on your side, part of the alliance, scolding Lei Zhentang... It seemed Sisi had already lumped Zhai Muzhi and Lei Zhentang together, but Zhao Changhe felt that would be too premature to conclude.

That said, whether they were in cahoots or not, a fight for dominance over the Miao Region was inevitable in the future, and it was normal for Sisi to vent her anger on Lei Zhentang.

Zhao Changhe stood up, "Let’s go, I need to check out the situation... Right now, I don’t even know who I should be fighting."

He truly didn’t know who to fight...

Theoretically, Zhai Muzhi’s troops had been mobilized because of the news that the Miao Region was expelling the Xia, which took more than a month to respond, astonishingly slow, but still justified. Zhao Changhe couldn’t criticize the people from Shu County for coming out to keep an eye on behalf of the Xia.

Perhaps it was Secret Agent Li Si’an from the Demon Suppression Department who had reported the situation here to the Imperial Court, and the Imperial Court had then issued the orders that led to Shu County’s sluggish action.

But he couldn’t possibly join Zhai Muzhi to suppress the Miao Region... The rebelliousness of the Miao Region, though driven by the ambitions of the Black Miao, had been primarily fueled by Zhai Muzhi’s oppressive actions which incited widespread public outrage. Otherwise, with solely the ambitions of the Black Miao, other tribes like the White Clan would not have cooperated with them, and Lei Zhentang would have had to keep his ambitions to himself.

Zhao Changhe was well aware that his make-believe enemy for breaking into the Second Layer Secret Treasure these past days was none other than Zhai Muzhi.

Not Lei Zhentang, but Zhai Muzhi.

Regardless of whether Zhai Muzhi had conspiracies or was purely greedy and poisonous, such traits, if seen by a knight-errant during normal times, would make Zhai Muzhi the very first target to eliminate among corrupt officials.

But Zhai Muzhi was not just any corrupt official; he was the top ranking individual of the Human List.

Perhaps the previous top ranking of the Human List was only at the First Layer Secret Treasure, like Vulture Hunting Teeth in the past, who was promoted to the Earth List merely to fill a position.

However, one could also deduce that being such a figure, Zhai Muzhi was only a step away from the Second Layer Secret Treasure, with a breakthrough possible at any time. After so long, as he was rapidly advancing, others would not just be standing still. There was a very high possibility that Vulture Hunting Teeth had already reached the Second Layer Secret Treasure by now.

Similarly, the ranking of Zhai Muzhi on the Human List had remained unchanged for many years... Therefore, considering him merely as First Layer Secret Treasure would be an underestimation; he must be regarded as Second Layer.

With his previous capabilities, rather than acting as a knight-errant and killing corrupt officials, he wouldn’t dare to make a move carelessly; he would only risk himself.

But now things were different... Zhao Changhe was confident enough in his current strength.

Zhao Changhe pondered for a moment, "Here is what we’ll do, you organize the troops for battle, and I will go meet Zhai Muzhi."

Sisi was stunned for a moment before she remembered that Zhao Changhe was not from any Miao tribe; he was a person of Xia... and also held the Jade Token of the Secret Agents from the Demon Suppression Department, giving him ample qualifications to have a face-to-face talk with Zhai Muzhi.

Sisi scratched her head, "Don’t tell me , after all this, you’re going to help Zhai Muzhi fight against us."

Zhao Changhe slapped her butt, "Behave and get cleaned up, and wait to serve your master in bed."

Watching the blushing queen, the maids who had come to deliver the message turned their heads away.

The posture they had caught a glimpse of when they arrived to deliver the message still reverberated in their mind, the emperor had been wiping the corner of his mouth when he stood up... The disruption caused by Zhai Muzhi and Lei Zhentang this time seemed to have come at a very critical moment.

...

Sisi didn’t bring many people from the Secret Realm of the Spirit Clan, only some young people who longed for the bustling world outside, to balance out the proportion of Xia people in Taoyuan Town.

In fact, there was no need for support from the Secret Realm; the forces from Taoyuan Town alone were already a power the Miao Region could not ignore.

Although their absolute military strength wasn’t vast, the Xia people were all trained in martial arts, extremely elite; and the Miao Region’s witchcraft and Gu Technique were also efficient in the Spirit Clan, even more so. When combined, Taoyuan Town was undoubtedly one of the strongest local powers around Dali.

As soon as Sisi left the Secret Realm, she immediately mobilized the troops and headed for Dali to participate in the Alliance Army meeting.

Zhao Changhe rode north, passing through paths infested with miasma and poisonous insects, heading straight to the northern area where Zhai Muzhi’s troops were gathering.

Zhai Muzhi’s location was already very close to the Miao Region, and it was unclear whether he had intentionally avoided the Divine Brilliance Sect in Emei, taking a more westerly route. At that moment, following a river flowing south along the west, Zhao Changhe found the river’s name quite familiar and felt like grabbing a cigarette to smoke.

This river is called the Litang River, which flows upstream through Litang in the Northwest... but now it is downstream and is about to enter the Miao Region.

The army marched until dusk, stopping to water their horses by the Litang River and set up camp.

Zhao Changhe, having hastened slowly for two days, caught up with the army as they were finishing their encampment. He observed from a distance and shook his head.

Such a lazy demeanor, setting up camp took half a day; this is incomparable to the efficiency of Jiangnan, let alone Yanmen. Among them, a figure who seemed to be a vanguard leader leaned against a tree, gathering people to drink. Every now and then, he would curse, "Hurry the fuck up, what are you dawdling for? The prefectural magistrate and the central army will be here soon, and they’ll whip you to death!"

The soldiers were pale and emaciated, wearing ragged clothing. Some took out dry rations to eat with water; Zhao Changhe noticed the rations seemed spoiled.

Someone pulled out a waist knife to cut stakes, and Zhao Changhe keenly noticed the knife was already nicked, showing traces of rust.

Were these the troops meant for battle?

They were more like being sent off to die in the Miao Region. Whether they could even survive the path through the poisonous miasmas ahead was questionable.

He had been observing from a distance for so long when a group of scouts finally noticed him and approached, shouting, "Who’s there?"

Zhao Changhe looked at the gaunt scouts and sighed, "I am a secret agent from the Great Xia’s Demon Suppression Department, here on urgent business to see Prefectural Magistrate Zhai. Please announce my arrival."

"The magistrate is still behind... he won’t come until we’ve finished setting up camp..."

The leader on the other side, noticing the conversation, called out, "What’s going on?"

"General Zhai, this man says he’s a secret agent from the Demon Suppression Department."

"A man from the Demon Suppression Department? Show me your token."

Zhao Changhe reluctantly pulled out his jade token.

"Pfft..." The general couldn’t see the token clearly, but he spat out a mouthful of wine and coughed, "A jade token secret agent, huh..."

As he spoke, his deputy generals and trusted aides hastily hid items, even trying to pull away some nearby soldiers.

The general carelessly waved his hand, "Hide what? Invite this colleague from the Demon Suppression Department over for a chat."

Zhao Changhe rode closer, his eyes slightly narrowed.

Those trusted aides were trying to hide soldiers, who were clearly women.

Not just women, they were lifeless, with traces of blood, and extremely fearful, serving by their side.

Zhao Changhe’s gaze swept over the objects they hadn’t managed to hide in time...

It was the heads of Xia countryfolk, the bloodstains still fresh.

"Ah, what is the esteemed name of this secret agent? Jade tokens aren’t common, you’re almost on par with our magistrate." General Zhai didn’t care that these things were seen, he rose smilingly to greet, "Come, let’s have a drink together... our magistrate will arrive soon."

"Being a secret agent, it’s inconvenient to disclose my name," Zhao Changhe said, expressionless as he dismounted.

"Oh, right, right, we didn’t think that far, haha." General Zhai pretended to help him up, subtly slipping him a piece of gold.

Zhao Changhe accepted it.

Seeing that he took it, General Zhai’s smile widened, pushing a woman directly into Zhao Changhe’s arms, "We’re all colleagues, right..."

Zhao Changhe felt the woman’s trembling fear, his hand resting on his knife hilt, as a horrific intent to kill lurked beneath his calm eyes.

In the distance, a cloud of dust rose – the central army of Zhai Muzhi had arrived.

Zhao Changhe slowly released his hand, deciding not to startle the snake, and laughed, "I have urgent matters, really not in the mood for feasting with the general. Once I’ve seen Prefectural Magistrate Zhai and handed over my duties, I’ll come back to drink with the general, to drink to the netherworld."

What I just said, how similar to that uneducated Situ Xiao, always talking about drinking to the netherworld...

The general, feeling it was a bad omen, waved his hand, "Since the magistrate has arrived, I too must attend the feast, let’s go together."

————

PS: I might have eaten something bad last night; my stomach has hurt all day, feeling terrible.

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