Tome of Troubled Times-Chapter 678: At the Gates

Zhao Changhe guided Snow-Treading Crow to a small, deserted island, collapsing against a rocky outcrop to rest and swallow medicinal pills.

The golden light in the sky from the Tome of Troubled Times had yet to fade. Zhao Changhe gazed at it with a somewhat peculiar expression on his face.

This time, the Tome of Troubled Times was absurdly biased.

He had emerged from the two battles heavily injured—especially this last one, which had left him barely able to move. He had relied entirely on bluffing to scare off Hidden Wind. Given the current state of both combatants, it could not even be called a “victory.” If Hidden Wind had turned back, Zhao Changhe would have had to rely on Dragon Bird and River of Stars to act on their own to save him.

And yet, the Tome of Troubled Times made no mention of any of this. Instead, it conjured a narrative of him as a fearless hero driving out gods and demons with unparalleled might, even equating him to Xia Longyuan with that ridiculous “rivaling even Emperor Xia” line. It was over-the-top flattery at its finest.

But this was exactly what the blind woman had meant by “helping.” Zhao Changhe wanted to strike decisively and deter others, and this was the only way to do it. Without the tome’s spin, who would believe he had forced gods and demons to flee while remaining seemingly unscathed?

This well-crafted legend could indeed grant him a period of peace. At the very least, those eyeing the Heavenly Tome would think twice before making a move.

On the flip side, the report painted Desolate Calamity and Hidden Wind in an extremely unfavorable light. Others would almost certainly start targeting them.

Hidden Wind’s claim of having only himself and owning little else was likely nonsense. If the rules governing secret realms were anything to go by, for him to have survived in some secluded location, he unquestionably had treasures to protect himself. The same could probably be said for Desolate Calamity. Now, they became the ones “guilty” for possessing treasures...

This, Zhao Changhe realized, was why gods and demons preferred to stay hidden. Most were still recovering from their injuries, lacking the confidence to reveal themselves. None of them wanted the Tome of Troubled Times to expose their existence, making them targets. Now that both Hidden Wind and Desolate Calamity had been publicly outed as wounded, they would face endless trouble in the future.

Why the blind woman was so intent on helping him remained a mystery. As she had said before, even if the Heavenly Tome were stolen from Zhao Changhe entirely, she could simply follow whoever it was that took the Heavenly Tome from him. Whether Zhao Changhe lived or died was not particularly important to her.

Perhaps her true goal was simply to ruin these gods and demons? It was consistent with her previous behavior—always subtly sowing discord.

The most venomous of hearts indeed belongs to a woman.

Of course, leaving aside the biased phrasing, the blind woman also had a valid reason for publishing this announcement.

The Tome of Troubled Times traditionally only reported events that affected the rankings. These ancient gods and demons were not on the rankings, so their victories or defeats would not trigger updates. But the times were changing, and it was no longer appropriate for these beings to remain outside the rankings.

If the gods and demons were part of this world, then the rankings had to adapt to include them.

But the question now was, how were they to be ranked?

In theory, their cultivation levels should place them at the very top of the Ranking of Heaven, potentially claiming the top three positions outright. That would push everyone else down, perhaps even all the way to the Ranking of Earth.

However, cultivation did not always equate to combat power. The Rankings of Troubled Times had always prioritized performance in battle over cultivation levels for precisely this reason. Real-world combat power was the ultimate measure of strength. Without clear victories and defeats, how could anyone judge who was stronger?

Now, with these gods and demons emerging one after another, it was impossible to just estimate their ranking. This was not the Ranking of Hidden Dragons, which accounted for potential. Real battles would be the only way to determine their rightful rankings.

Now that they had “lost” to Zhao Changhe, what would happen next? Zhao Changhe was ranked second on the Ranking of Earth, so would the two Profound Control Realm gods, Desolate Calamity and Hidden Wind, be relegated to the third and fourth rankings? That would be absurd. Even if such a ranking were made, who would be third, and who would be fourth?

It was impossible to decide.

Thus, the only solution was to reorganize or rearrange the rankings at a later date. More gods and demons would need to appear, and there would have to be more battles against others already on the rankings to gather sufficient data for a new order to emerge.

Zhao Changhe gradually pieced together the situation and finally said, “No matter how it’s spun, thanks. This biased announcement is crucial for me. Without it, I couldn’t handle the constant stream of challengers, and I wouldn’t be able to do anything else.”

The blind woman said nothing.

Zhao Changhe added, “You once told me that you only truthfully reflect the facts of the Heavenly Dao and, at most, embellish the phrasing. I believed you. But this time, the embellishment has gone beyond phrasing—it’s deviated from the truth. That suggests it’s not that you lied before but that you’ve now gained some ability to customize the rules. Am I right?”

The blind woman replied, “I still cannot subvert the rules arbitrarily. Rules are rules. I merely continue to manipulate phrasing. In broad terms, you did win. It’s just... a poetic version of the truth.”

“Hmm... journalism,” Zhao Changhe muttered.

“You’ve got time to nitpick my writing, but you’re not worried about the other battle currently going on?”

Zhao Changhe briefly assessed his internal state, then shook his head with some difficulty. “I need to focus on recovering right away. If Hidden Wind comes back, I’m finished. As for the battle over there...”

He paused, a faint smile forming on his lips. “I trust Yangyang.”

The blind woman almost gagged.

* * *

Zhao Changhe’s battle had stretched from night into day, but in that time, the other battle had progressed at lightning speed.

While Zhao Changhe and the Desolate Calamity were locked in a life-and-death struggle, Wan Dongliu and the Wang Clan’s troops had clashed on the road as the former marched to claim the city. The disparity in preparedness between the two sides was stark. The Wang Clan’s troops suffered a resounding defeat, and Wan Dongliu’s forces pressed on toward Lanling. Before dawn, the city’s defending general abandoned his post, and Lanling fell without a fight.

Lanling had been the final defensive barrier south of Langya. Beyond it lay the Wang Clan’s very heartland.

Meanwhile, earlier still, Cui Yuanyong had been consolidating the surrendered forces at Juancheng before advancing eastward again. Every town he passed along the way surrendered at the mere sight of his army. By the time the main battle erupted, Cui Yuanyong had already reached Weishan Lake.

Speed was paramount. Neither Cui Yuanyong nor Wan Dongliu had the luxury to slowly reorganize and consolidate their armies. No one knew when the northern barbarian tribes or the Li and Yang clans might intervene with some unexpected maneuver. The consensus was clear: the sooner this campaign concluded, the better. Even a few days’ delay could spell disaster.

Thus, while Zhao Changhe hid away to recover, by that same evening, Cui Yuanyong’s vanguard had joined forces with Wan Dongliu’s troops, and their combined forces began advancing toward Langya.

From the time Cui Yuanyong and Zhao Changhe left Qinghe to now, only a few days had passed. Yet, in those few days, the seemingly formidable forces of the Wang Clan had either surrendered or fled. Their seemingly impenetrable defensive depth had crumbled like rotten wood. Langya, their stronghold, had suddenly become the frontline—a collapse even swifter than that of Yuan Shu[1].

It had all begun with that single arrow across the river, the arrow that completely dismantled anything hitherto considered common sense in warfare.

The advancing forces faced virtually no resistance, turning what should have been a grueling campaign into little more than a forced march. They moved with such speed that it seemed less like a war and more like a tour, advancing straight to the gates of Langya.

Wang Daozhong, now the head of the Wang Clan, was at a loss. Even now, with enemy forces at his doorstep, he could not understand how things had spiraled so completely out of control. His army was vast, his generals many, and he even had the backing of gods and demons. Yet it all seemed as if it did not exist, as if the opposing forces had simply charged straight to his gates.

Still, Langya was different from the surrounding territories. This was the heartland of the Wang Clan, their most solid foundation. Here, they would not collapse at the first touch like the others. Furthermore, it was winter—a season known for favoring defenders. Everyone knew that attacking a fortified city in such conditions was an uphill battle.

“There’s no need to panic,” Wang Daozhong said sternly, addressing his generals in the council hall. “We still have tens of thousands of soldiers in the city. With this cold and snow, water poured on the city walls turns to ice. Who could possibly breach our defenses? Since the deaths of my elder brother and Lord Li in the capital, we’ve established a defensive alliance with other aristocratic families. We only need to hold for a few days—they won’t stand idly by. The Four Idols Cult’s grip on the capital is far from secure. The longer this drags on, the more likely they are to fall into a mess.”

Sitting among the guests, Gui Chen nodded in agreement. “Cui Yuanyong and Wan Dongliu have advanced recklessly. This is no way to conduct a war. Rest assured, my Taiyi Sect will fully support the defense of this city. If we hold out for just a few days, their forces will show fatigue and fall apart without us even needing to engage them.”

Wang Daozhong let out a slow breath. It was clear why the Wang Clan respected Gui Chen so much. His words, coming from someone of such standing on the Ranking of Earth, were a much-needed reassurance in these dire times. Playing along, Wang Daozhong asked, “And Zhao Changhe’s battle with the gods and demons...?”

Gui Chen smiled faintly. “I’m not sure what’s going on with this latest report in the Tome of Troubled Times. But Zhao Changhe, having fought two gods and demons back-to-back, cannot possibly have escaped unscathed. At the very least, we won’t need to worry about him participating in the short term. Besides... If I’m not mistaken, Mister Daozhong, you’ve already reached the third layer of the Profound Mysteries, have you not?”

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Wang Daozhong had been waiting for this moment. Stroking his beard with a smile, he replied, “Indeed, I was fortunate enough to break through just a few days ago.”

“Exactly. Zhao Changhe is likely at a similar level. If he managed to defeat the gods and demons, it must have been by making use of external means—something that worked once but cannot be repeated. Even if he does join the battle, we need not fear him. And if he doesn’t, all the better.” Gui Chen chuckled. “With just Cui Yuanyong, Wan Dongliu, and Xue Canghai, how could they possibly breach our defenses?”

The interplay of their reassurances seemed to lift the gloom that had filled the council hall. The generals of the Wang Clan, their spirits rekindled, echoed in unison, “If that’s the case, let Cui Yuanyong’s forces march to their doom!”

1. Yuan Shu (袁术), a prominent warlord during the Three Kingdoms period, is remembered for his ambition, arrogance, and poor strategic decisions, which ultimately led to his swift and dramatic demise. ☜