Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 119: Nowhere We Can't Call Home

The evening banquet finally began on the top floor of the Bright Moon Tower. At a table were Wan Dongliu, Xuan Chong, Yue Hongling, Zhao Changhe, Tang Buqi, plus a few local “Little White Dragons” from Yangzhou. Despite there being fewer than ten people at their table, half of them were outstanding young talents who were on the Ranking of Hidden Dragons, making it a rare sight even across the years that Wan Dongliu had been hosting gatherings.

The top floor had no walls and offered a panoramic view. A bright moon hung high in the sky, a gentle breeze blew, and the fragrance of flowers was carried along by the wind. Bridges, flowing water, the small boats on the river, as well as the lanterns at the night market by the riverside could all be seen from the top floor of the Bright Moon Tower, creating a splendid night view.

Without the presence of the magistrate, the gathering now had a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Wan Dongliu’s face no longer showed any hint of the anger that had been present on his face earlier. His face now had a look of concern, “Miss Yue, is your injury serious? Shouldn’t you take some time to rest first?”

Yue Hongling shook her head and replied, “The interruption was perfectly timed, so I only got a superficial wound from the scimitar. I did not even get inflicted with any internal injuries from the saber qi. I applied some medicine and now I’m fine.”

Xuan Chong applauded and said, “Brother Zhao, that was truly an incredible throw. The force behind that saber was truly fierce. If it were me, I would also not have dared continue attacking after being met with such a saber, and I would have been forced to retreat. Honestly, I didn’t see it coming. How were you able to tell that they were going for a mutual kill?”

Zhao Changhe chuckled innocently and said, “I just guessed. I just felt like the atmosphere was off.”

Wan Dongliu said, “It seems like you really have developed an extremely keen awareness of murderous intent. It makes sense, considering how many people have tried to assassinate you until now. Amazing, indeed.”

Zhao Changhe glanced at him and realized that what the man said was actually right.

He really did not quite understand the details of the fight between Yue Hongling and Chi Li. It was just his intuition that told him something was wrong. It was not even Dragon Bird—after all, Dragon Bird would only notify him of murderous intent that was directed toward him. He was not sure if this keen awareness was due to his own experiences or if it was an extra sense provided by the Back Eye.

If it was the former, then it was a good thing, as it was a result of his own training and experiences; but if it was the latter, he was no different from a blind man merely being granted the sense of sight, and it was something that did not truly belong to him. Zhao Changhe truly was quite curious about the specific reasons behind his heightened awareness.

However, Wan Dongliu had mentioned that it had been a long time since he had fought anyone, so where did his judgment come from?

Tang Buqi chimed in from the side, “Brother Wan, about the foreigner’s market...”

Wan Dongliu interrupted him with a wave of his hand and said with a serious expression, “I already sent someone to investigate earlier. Chi Li and the others are no longer in the market.”

Tang Buqi’s expression grew even darker. Whether the members of the Tang Clan were indulgent or not, their sense of belonging to the Great Xia Empire was undeniable. They even had plans to have Tang Wanzhuang marry into the imperial family. Among the major noble families, the Tang Clan was undoubtedly one of the most opposed to foreigners. That was also why Tang Buqi had been the first to take action today, and why he had such a hard time tolerating Chi Li’s presence.

Tang Buqi took a deep breath and said, “The northern barbarian tribes have been mobilizing their troops, and there have been many small-scale confrontations on the border. These confrontations have made life unbearable for those living at the border. Although His Majesty has yet to officially ban trade and deals with foreigners, allowing foreign martial talents like Chi Li to train and kill people within our borders is quite strange. If this happened in Gusu, he would have been hunted down long ago, or expelled at the very least. What is the meaning behind Yangzhou’s actions?”

Wan Dongliu smiled bitterly and said, “What can we do? There has not been any explicit order from those above to prohibit anyone from entering the territory. Yangzhou believes that it should show the magnanimity of a great nation, so there’s nothing that we can do.”

Tang Buqi sneered, “That’s true, but it seems quite likely that the Maitreya Cult is colluding with the barbarian tribes, doesn’t it?”

He paused for a moment, holding back the rest of what he had to say.

Investigating the Maitreya Cult had proven to be an extremely difficult task for the Demon Suppression Bureau. It was like getting caught on a vast sea during a storm while the sailors were rioting, and the Cao Gang was playing a rather unflattering role in this. As a member of the Tang Clan, Tang Buqi was well aware of these matters. There was a great possibility that Wan Dongliu had connections with the Maitreya Cult. Even if their stance toward the northern barbarian tribes differed, Wan Dongliu probably would not fall out with the Maitreya Cult over this.

Of course, the Cao Gang was not easy to deal with, so they could not just arrest Wan Dongliu or his father, Wan Tianxiong, casually. Even Tang Wanzhuang had to take an extremely cautious approach in this matter.

Wan Dongliu, appearing oblivious to what Tang Buqi was referring to, suddenly chuckled and said, “Hey, now that the unwelcome guests are gone, we really shouldn’t keep talking about such unpleasant matters. How about we just discuss romance and enjoy a good drink?”

One of the local youngsters chimed in and said, “Speaking of romance, Miss Yue, with what happened earlier, does this mean that Mister Zhao now meets your criteria for a partner?”

Zhao Changhe glanced at Yue Hongling silently. I told you this would come eventually.

Yue Hongling smiled calmly and said, “Yes.”

The crowd erupted into cheers, “Does this mean there’s a romance brewing between you two?”

Yue Hongling cast a sidelong glance at Zhao Changhe with her beautiful eyes and said, “Well, let’s wait and see.”

Wan Dongliu clapped his hands and laughed heartily, “Brother Zhao! Don’t you think it’s time for you to show your affection?”

Zhao Changhe was dumbfounded for a moment before he managed to ask, “How?”

Yue Hongling could not help but laugh silently.

Everyone was taken aback by his question. You’re the one pursuing her? Why are you asking us? How should we know?

Wan Dongliu asked cautiously, “Brother Zhao... Have you never pursued a lady before?”

After some thought, Zhao Changhe admitted, “No.”

He really had never pursued anyone before. Even when he had gotten closer to Chichi, it was because he had spent time with her day and night. Their feelings for one another developed slowly, eventually igniting when they admitted their feelings for one another. If I really had to pursue a witch full of lies, then I really have no idea where to even start. I bet nobody in this world would know where to start. Being played to death by her would be the most likely outcome.

Someone at the side commented, “But what about Cui Yuanyang?”

I never pursued her. She’s the one who took a liking to me... Of course, Zhao Changhe could not say that, so he instead said, “I directly discussed that with the head of the Cui Clan”

The expressions of the people present suddenly changed when they heard what he said. Whoa, whoa, that’s some courage! He actually went straight to Cui Wenjing to discuss marriage? No wonder he got chased away. Even normal betrothals involve a lot of ceremony and formalities. Did he really think he could snatch a wife from a powerful family just like that?

Does this mean that those rumors about him being entangled with men are actually true? It seems like he’s never seriously pursued a girl before. He probably just snatched them from somewhere just like he did with his stronghold mistress.

People glanced at Yue Hongling, who was calmly sipping her drink, unable to discern her thoughts. Wan Dongliu coughed dryly and said, “Well, I don’t have much experience in that field either. My marriage is directly being handled by my father. I’ve never even seen the woman I’ve been engaged to.”

Xuan Chong said, “I am a daoist priest, so don’t look at me.”

Everyone then turned to look at Tang Buqi. When it came to flirting and courting, this dashing playboy surely has some experience.

However, nobody expected Tang Buqi to suddenly jump up as if he had been poked in the butt and exclaim, “I won’t teach him even if I’m threatened with death!”

Everyone looked at him with utter confusion, unable to figure out why he reacted so strongly to the suggestion.

Little did they know that Tang Buqi’s thoughts were somewhere along the lines of, Motherfucker, you were using my aunt’s Spring Water Sword Intent when you hit me. Am I supposed to teach you my flirting techniques so you can use them on my aunt? How stupid do you think I am?!

Facing the strange gazes from others, Tang Buqi cleared his throat and said, “You’re asking me how you should pursue Miss Yue while she’s right in front of you? Does she look like a fool to you?”

Wan Dongliu blinked, sighed, and said, “Brother Zhao, Miss Yue is clearly giving you a chance. If you can’t demonstrate any skills today, you can’t blame me for looking down on you. Are you a man? Are you actually going to wait for Miss Yue to take the initiative?”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

Yue Hongling: “...”

The unfortunate Zhao Changhe felt so embarrassed and anxious as he secretly thought: Sister Yue, what the hell is going on with you today? As long as you put on a stern face, none of this rubbish teasing and flirting will continue. Why are you sitting there in silence, drinking, as if you’re just waiting for me to embarrass myself? Are you actually finding all of this interesting and want to see how I pursue you?

Your attitude is making them think that you’re actually interested to see what I will do! Can’t you see them pushing me more and more?

Seeing that Yue Hongling remained silent and seemed to be waiting to see his performance, Zhao Changhe finally could not take it any longer and thought: Screw it! Chichi already told me to let go of my inhibitions, so why am I worrying so much?

He simply closed his eyes and said loudly, “Miss Yue, you said that your heart still desires to roam the world, and that was why you initially rejected me. However, I similarly desire to wander the jianghu, and explore the farthest reaches of this world! As long as you are willing to walk hand in hand with me, there is nowhere we can’t call home!”

Damn, this guy is so straightforward...

Everyone present looked at Yue Hongling with strange expressions, thinking that Zhao Changhe might have crossed the line with his words.

However, to everyone’s surprise, Yue Hongling did not seem embarrassed or angry. She just looked at Zhao Changhe’s face, which was flushed with shame, with a hint of... confusion?