Tome of Troubled Times-Chapter 774 (2): Why Should the People of Today Chase After the Ancients
Chapter 774 (2): Why Should the People of Today Chase After the Ancients
Yanmen Commandery.
Hidden Wind led the forces of Jinnan northward, tearing through Jinbei with unstoppable momentum and arriving swiftly at Yanmen.
Jinbei had once been cowed into submission by Vermillion Bird’s decisive use of force. But while methods of the jianghu were effective in the short term, they lacked long-term viability. It was never a true conquest, merely a temporary pacification. The moment one’s presence faded, rebellion could rise again at any time.
In the end, ruling and controlling a land required an intricate system of governance, layers of administration, military presence, and personnel. A single god or demon alone could not maintain rule. Without structure, all one would get was hollow obedience.
This was also why the Han-Hu War could not be resolved by a simple battle of gods.
Back then, the Empire had been stretched thin, unable to afford anything beyond expedient measures. The greatest benefit of Vermillion Bird’s campaign had likely been nothing more than gathering grain and funds.
Yet, to Vermillion Bird’s surprise, as Hidden Wind now stormed northward, Jinbei’s tribes did not immediately turn against the Empire. Rather than openly revolting, they simply offered no resistance, passively stepping aside, as if showing that they would simply follow whoever wins.
At the very least, they had learned to be cautious.
But for Hidden Wind, it was enough. No obstructions, no interference. It allowed him to reach Yanmen without resistance.
Yanmen was home to the permanent border garrison, and their families were settled within the commandery. If the rear were to fall, the news would reach the western army, and Huangfu Yongxian’s forces would collapse before battle even began. There would be no need for even a single fight.
Frankly, Timur and Li Boping had never imagined that the Han dynasty would dare send Huangfu Yongxian north while the Three Jins were still unstable.
Where did they get such confidence?
Before the army of Jinnan could even make a move, Hidden Wind had already flown ahead, appearing above Yanmen Commandery.
Gazing down at the sparse ranks of defenders atop the walls, he let out a chilling laugh as he said, “The Yuanjia expedition ill-prepared and hasty, no victory like that of Langjuxu, nothing gained but a panicked retreat, a truly bitter defeat[1]. This is a line from a poem that has been around since the previous era. Have none of you heard it before?”
The soldiers looked up at the demon god hovering above them. His overwhelming presence pressed down upon the entire city, yet most of them did not react.
There was neither fear nor panic. There was only calm and silent resolve.
Hidden Wind grew furious at the sight of such a calm, indifferent expression in the face of life and death. It reminded him of Zhao Changhe when he had been wounded beyond recognition yet still looked at him with the same unshaken composure.
With a sweep of his hand, a storm of wind and sand erupted, engulfing the entire city. “Rest assured, I won’t kill you. But an entire city’s worth of families... I wonder how many pages of the Heavenly Tome they’re worth in Zhao Changhe’s heart? He says he’s going to protect the divine land? How laughable! Hahahaha... huh?”
His laughter abruptly caught in his throat.
A gentle sound, like flowing water, arose quietly. Though not loud, it effortlessly spread throughout the city and even reached his place in the sky.
The windstorm meant to sweep away the city’s people suddenly struck an invisible barrier. Not a single wisp of it breached the city’s borders.
Is that... a sound wave technique?
Sound, like water, was omnipresent. It blended with the wind, traveling through it. Yet, every gust of force, every surge of power, all oppressive energy vanished without a trace.
Instead, it was Hidden Wind’s own heart that started to pound erratically, as if something was stirring within his soul, disrupting and resonating with it.
He turned his gaze downward in shock. Perched atop the city gate sat a woman, her robes fluttering gently as she played the guqin with a casual grace. Her autumn-water eyes glanced up at him, their reflection like the mountains and rivers of Wu and Yue beneath brooding storm clouds. No matter how dark and ugly the sky, it could never diminish the beauty of the land.
Beside her stood a petite maid, looking up at him with unabashed curiosity. Her lips were moving—she was saying something to her master.
Hidden Wind could read them.
“Young Miss, I thought these representatives of demon gods would at least have some bearing. No matter how ugly, I never thought they’d be this hideous... But wow, I guess I was wrong. If it were me, I’d be too ashamed to crawl out of my grave to face people. Honestly, I’d just bury myself back in.”
Hidden Wind: “...”
He had never met this young miss and maid before, yet upon hearing the maid’s vicious words, a name surfaced naturally in his mind.
Tang Wanzhuang. She was the bureau chief of the Demon Suppression Bureau and now, she’s the prime minister of Han. They say she’s the most beautiful woman in the world. Seeing her now, the rumors were not exaggerated.
In all fairness, Hidden Wind felt that if Jiuyou were not so unnaturally pale, the title of “most beautiful” might still be up for debate...
But regardless, she’s not in the capital. She came here with only a single maid to guard Yanmen herself.
It was thus no wonder that Jinbei had not wavered, and no wonder that the defenders of Yanmen were able to remain so calm. For years, Tang Wanzhuang had been the stabilizing force of the empire. In the hearts of Han’s military and people, her presence was no less significant than Huangfu Yongxian’s. In many ways, it even surpassed him. With her here, what enemy was worth fearing?
Yet the most shocking part was that she had broken through.
A woman burdened with endless worldly affairs, with hardly any time to cultivate—how did she manage to step into the Profound Control Realm?
Hidden Wind, with knowledge spanning two eras, could not comprehend it.
Is the Profound Control Realm some common cabbage to be picked at will? Did she simply have an epiphany after a long day at work?
He could not help but ask, “You’ve left the capital? Is there no one guarding it anymore?”
Tang Wanzhuang spoke softly, yet her voice carried straight into the heavens, “One who commands the wind should be the freest of all beings, drifting across the world, riding the clouds, vanishing into the nine heavens. That is the meaning of Hidden Wind. Yet, why do you scurry from east to west? Defeated by King Zhao at the Eastern Sea, wounded by the Vermillion Bird in Jinbei, now bound to mortal factions and entangled in worldly conflicts. Why?”
Hidden Wind smacked his lips and sneered. “I seek only the Heavenly Tome. If Zhao Changhe hands it over, I’ll leave at once. What do I care for mortal disputes?”
“Then...” Tang Wanzhuang pressed a single finger against her zither strings, her tone calm. “Why don’t you go to King Zhao and ask him for it? Could it be that you don’t dare?”
Hidden Wind clenched his teeth at her barbed words.
“An ancient demon god... yet you’re nothing more than this. Truly laughable.” Tang Wanzhuang resumed her playing of the guqin, chuckling softly. “You’re right. The capital is empty. If you have the ability, go ahead and attack. I certainly can’t chase you down.”
Hidden Wind certainly did not dare to do that. He could only harrumph and say, “I don’t care whether the capital is empty or not. But Yanmen is truly an empty city. Do you really think strumming your guqin will scare people away?”
Even as he spoke, dark shapes emerged on the distant horizon. Jinnan’s army was advancing toward the city walls.
“If you focus on stopping me, you won’t have the strength to deal with anything else. Yanmen’s defenses are pitiful; it will fall within days. What good is your presence here alone?”
Tang Wanzhuang’s playing quickened, seemingly targeting the distant army. Yet, Hidden Wind shifted the sound waves by controlling wind, sending them skyward where they dissipated into nothingness.
The enemy forces pressed in closer.
Hidden Wind laughed and said, “You know what, now that I think about it, you must be more valuable to Zhao Changhe than all of Yanmen. I wonder how many pages of the Heavenly Tome you are worth?”
Tang Wanzhuang watched the approaching army, her expression indifferent. “These exchanges between us were merely to test whether I could completely neutralize your abilities. It appears that I can, so that settles it. Take them out!”
At her order, soldiers atop the city walls removed the coverings from several large objects. More than a dozen ominous-looking black pipes protruded from the battlements.
Hidden Wind had never seen such things before. He tilted his head in confusion for a moment. “What are those?”
In response to his question, the soldiers lit the fuses attached to their end of the pipes.
The sizzling sound of burning fuses triggered an ominous premonition deep within Hidden Wind. Instinctively, he flung out his hand. A violent gale erupted across the battlefield, attempting to block all possible trajectories.
A sharp glint flickered in Tang Wanzhuang’s eyes. With a resounding twang, her guqin released a powerful sound wave. The wave shredded through the wind barrier in a spiraling vortex, shooting straight into the sky toward Hidden Wind’s position.
And the next instant, the cannons roared.
BOOM!
The advancing Jinnan army, still pushing their siege ladders forward, was blasted into a gruesome spectacle of flesh and blood. The ladders, battering rams, and people bringing them toward the wall... Everything and everyone was obliterated into smoldering wreckage.
Smoke and debris billowed into the air, blanketing the battlefield in eerie silence. From the highest-ranking officers to the lowliest foot soldiers, the Jinnan troops stood frozen, staring in stunned horror at the mangled, charred remains of their comrades. Their minds had gone utterly blank.
What are those things?
Hidden Wind, who had just barely dodged Tang Wanzhuang’s strike, was equally dumbfounded. freēnovelkiss.com
What... in the world... was that?
Tsss...
Fuses were ignited once more, and Tang Wanzhuang’s calm voice rang out across the battlefield. “Why should the people of today chase after the ancients? Hidden Wind, you may take your leave now. If you insist on lingering in battle... the world may no longer remember your name.”
Boom!
Another round of artillery thundered across the plains.
Clang!
And then, a flash of sword light split the sky. The Spring Water Sword had been drawn. A dazzling arc of energy shot upward, streaking toward the dumbfounded Hidden Wind.
Tang Wanzhuang's voice carried a chilling determination as she stated, “Since she defeated you once, then I will too.”
At that moment, Hidden Wind abruptly realized something. Tang Wanzhuang was here for one purpose and one purpose alone: to say this one single line.
1. This is a line from Writing of Resentment (书愤) by Southern Song dynasty poet Lu You (陆游). ☜
