Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 108: White Lotus Temple

No wonder Ruyan had been giving him those strange looks earlier. In other people’s minds, they probably saw him as someone who secretly had a crush on Yue Hongling, even going as far as getting a stronghold mistress who looked like her. Because of that, when she left him, the rumors began spreading like wildfire.

Countless people were likely waiting to see the spectacle of his encounter with the “real” Yue Hongling!

Zhao Changhe had not expected Yue Hongling to be in Yangzhou, but the coincidence was quite remarkable. Although they were truthfully not involved in some romantic drama as others imagined, he did find it pleasantly surprising that an old friend, whom he had not seen for quite some time, was in the same place. He wondered how she was doing now.

She was known for carrying out heroic deeds all over the jianghu. It was likely that she had chosen to stay in Yangzhou because, just like him, she had noticed the problems in the area.

Yangzhou is such a large city. I wonder where I can find her...

Lost in thought, Zhao Changhe was oblivious to how Ruyan was interpreting his reactions. In her eyes, she had basically just confirmed that he harbored a crush on Yue Hongling. She could not help but want to tease him, completely forgetting how much she had feared for her life just moments back. With a mischievous smile, she suggested, “It looks like you really do like Yue Hongling. You know, if you want, I can dress up like her...”

Startled, Zhao Changhe quickly shook his head, realizing what could happen if he really let Ruyan do something like that. He hurriedly waved his hands and said, “No, no! I’ve already had enough of playing with such impersonators.”

If you really do that and she finds out, I’ll be dead before I even get a word in.

Ruyan covered her mouth as she giggled. We all know that you didn’t stop because you were bored, you stopped because she ran away. “So are you saying that you’re after the real deal? Well, we aren’t sure where she’s staying, but we do know that she’s been spotted in the vicinity.”

As expected, Zhao Changhe blurted out, “What did she do when she appeared?”

Ruyan replied, “She killed an official.”

Zhao Changhe: “?”

Ruyan sighed softly. “The official she killed was someone who was involved in forcing men to dredge the river, and they even conscripted women and children for more manpower...”

As she spoke, her voice became softer and softer, “If I could have met Lady Yue back then... I probably wouldn’t have ended up where I am now...”

Zhao Changhe pursed his lips and said nothing.

It’s just like when I first saw her.

Ever since he had first seen her, she had constantly served as a reminder of the kind of person he aspired to be.

Ruyan added, “In any case, after Lady Yue killed the official, she probably left the area. Even if she is still in the city, it would not make sense for her to make her whereabouts known. So, if you want to find her, maybe you could just walk through the streets and shout, ‘I, Zhao Changhe, have come. I request a meeting with Lady Yue Hongling.’ That might just work!”

“You just want to see some drama, don’t you?”

Ruyan covered her mouth and chuckled.

Zhao Changhe could not hide his curiosity about Yue Hongling’s current situation, but he still decided to steer the conversation back to the original topic, saying, “We’ve gone quite a bit off-topic, haven’t we? I wanted you to tell me a story, right?”

“Well, you were asking about Wan Dongliu’s current cultivation, and I genuinely don’t know much about it.”

Zhao Changhe nodded and pondered in silence.

In fact, the Ranking of Hidden Dragons was really bad as a reference. It mainly measured a person’s potential based on the difficulty of their most recent achievement, but it never accurately depicted the overall strength or improvements that someone on the ranking had.

For instance, when Zhao Changhe himself reached the 88th place on the ranking, he was at the third layer of the Profound Gate, and that had become widely known throughout the world. However, no one knew that he advanced to the fourth layer of the Profound Gate within the confines of the Cui Clan just a few days after. His actual combat power had improved significantly since then, not only due to the increase in his cultivation but also due to the enhanced resilience of his meridians. Moreover, he now had Dragon Bird and he was getting increasingly proficient.

Han Wubing, who was ranked in the 70s on the Ranking of Hidden Dragons and at the fifth layer of the Profound Gate, was far superior to most of his peers. However, when compared to Zhao Change, he was not that much stronger. As such, if someone were to estimate the latter’s abilities according to his ranking, they would be met with a deadly surprise.

As for Wan Dongliu, he had reached 70th place on the Ranking of Hidden Dragons at least a year ago. Actually, Zhao Changhe remembered that when he had first arrived in this world, Wan Dongliu had already been at the 70th rank. However, would it really be sensible to use his performance from back then to estimate his combat power today?

Not everyone was eager to demonstrate their power and compete for spots on the ranking. There were many who preferred to keep a low profile and improve their strength discreetly. Of course, it was also possible for some to have their power regress over time. This was not surprising. The world of martial arts was filled with complexities and uncertainties.

Since continuing on this topic could arouse suspicion, Zhao Changhe decided to shift the conversation to another topic.

He asked, “I recall Brother Wan mentioning the Maitreya Cult earlier. It seems like I have a certain connection with them...well, at least to the extent that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the chance to properly meet those of the Maitreya Cult yet. If I wanted to do that, where do you think I should go?”

Ruyan’s eyes briefly displayed a hint of panic. She lowered her head and replied, “I don’t know.”

The Maitreya Cult was no longer in its early stages of establishing goodwill. It had openly declared itself an enemy of the Demon Suppression Bureau. While Wan Dongliu and Zhao Changhe could discuss such things openly, she did not dare reveal that she was a follower of the Maitreya Cult.

Zhao Changhe could sense her fear and chuckled. “I am a Buddhist myself. I merely wish to pay my respects to the Maitreya Buddha. Which temple should I visit in Yangzhou?”

Ruyan whispered, “When we wish to pay our respects to Buddha, we usually go to the White Lotus Temple ten li outside the city.”

Zhao Changhe looked puzzled, “Are there no temples within the city?”

“The authorities do not permit it,” Ruyan whispered. “Even the temples outside the city cannot openly worship the Maitreya Buddha.”

Zhao Changhe nodded in understanding. Regardless of how rotten other branches of the imperial court were, the Demon Suppression Bureau, under the leadership of Tang Wanzhuang, was at least not bad. It was still quite difficult for demonic cults to openly show off.

But now, the Maitreya Cult was infiltrating all levels of society. Even the young gang leader of the Cao Gang, a large gang that had to have some relations with the government, was already likely a part of their forces. How long could Tang Wanzhuang’s efforts hold against the million-strong workforce of the Cao Gang? If something were to go wrong...

Zhao Changhe felt shivers run down his spine just thinking about it.

The more he learned about the situation, the more he felt the need to find Yue Hongling to discuss what to do. He had a feeling that, with Yue Hongling around, he had a stronger sense of purpose and determination. Even Tang Wanzhuang could not sway him like she could. It was honestly a bit strange, considering that Yue Hongling was, in fact, younger than him.

“Alright,” Zhao Changhe handed Ruyan a piece of silver. “It’s nearly dawn. You served me well tonight. Make sure to tell your madam how many different positions we tried. Don’t talk about how we just chatted all night. I wouldn’t want for you to get punished. You can go now.”

Ruyan was stunned for a moment. Her expression shifted from curiosity to gratitude.

Not only did he not blame her for not serving him well, but he even tipped her. Furthermore, he was even concerned that she might get punished if someone found out that she did not serve him well...

*

Early in the morning, ten li east of the city, White Lotus Temple.

Yue Hongling concealed herself up on a beam. Her gaze was cold as she observed the scene below her.

Villagers in ragged clothes who could not even afford to feed themselves were bringing their last scraps of food as offerings. They then left the temple afterward, feeling grateful.

Last night, she even saw some young girls performing certain rituals where they seemed to be brainwashing themselves. She knew what would happen next if she did not intervene. However, it appeared that the cult was waiting for something and did not conduct the expected “ritual” last night. As such, Yue Hongling decided to bid her time, planning to learn more about the Maitreya Cult’s practices before taking action.

Having spent most of her life in the northern regions, she had only recently come south. Similar to Zhao Changhe, she had never heard of the Maitreya Cult before. Thus, when she had first come down south and found out about them, she had initially thought that the Maitreya Cult was some kind of benevolent Buddhist sect that saved people from suffering. But after carefully investigating them for a while, she had realized that they were even more sinister than many bandit groups she had encountered in the past.

A few days ago, someone claiming to be a Buddha had even tried to trick her into joining the cult as a celestial maiden. That person’s head now rested separately from his body. It was from that moment on that Yue Hongling’s journey through the southern jianghu took a pause as she began focusing on uncovering the secrets of the Maitreya Cult.

Up to this point, Yue Hongling’s knowledge of the Maitreya Cult was limited, and she knew only a fraction of the whole picture. The White Lotus Temple was a recent discovery of hers, and she intended to observe it further.

Yue Hongling had a straightforward and bold demeanor, which often gave people the impression that she was rough and arrogant. But in fact, she was more meticulous and astute than most.

This was actually very similar to how Zhao Changhe was. This was also why both of them could see a reflection of themselves in the other.

As she continued observing the temple, someone hurriedly entered the temple and whispered to the abbot, “Zhao Changhe stayed at the Xiaoxiang Pavilion last night, accompanied by the top courtesan, Ruyan.”

Yue Hongling perked up her ears.

“Oh? Have you discovered something?”

“The servants below said that Zhao Changhe seemed to finish in just a few breaths.”

Yue Hongling: “...”

The abbot chuckled, “Well, isn’t that good? Many people who join our cult do it because they want to find a solution to that particular problem. We have our ways to ensure that he can maintain his prowess for as long as he wishes.”

“But later, Ruyan mentioned that Zhao Changhe and her engaged in all kinds of positions throughout the night, and she even said that he was still quite vigorous toward the end.”

“Oh? Why did his vigor rise again?”

“Ruyan said that she’s not sure, but he seemed to get really excited when she brought up Yue Hongling.”

Yue Hongling: “...”

After pondering for a while, the abbot chuckled again and said, “Have our flower-picking celestial maiden dress up as Yue Hongling and accompany him tonight instead of Ruyan. It seems that Zhao Changhe is even easier to win over than we initially thought.”