Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 305: Are there any... Huh?

Although this was his first time meeting Yang Bugui, Zhao Changhe spoke as if they were close, “So it’s you... Not long ago, I met with your brother Zhixing, and he mentioned you.”

Yang Zhixing was the head of the Yang Clan, and Wang Daozhong was definitely someone to have connections with such a figure.

Yang Qianyuan assumed that “Wang Daozhong” would be familiar with his appearance, which was why he did not dare hide his identity. Little did he know, Zhao Changhe had never bothered to pay much attention to those wanted posters, so how could he possibly be that familiar with his appearance?

On the contrary, Zhao Changhe felt somewhat nervous at the moment. What if Yang Qianyuan had seen Wang Daozhong before? His disguise was just the usual yellow-faced man. He mainly covered up his scars, resulting in him looking like a young man. His appearance was vastly different from the actual Wang Daozhong.

However, how could an illegitimate son born from a concubine such as Yang Qianyuan be qualified to meet Wang Daozhong? Although he thought that this “Wang Daozhong” did look a bit too young, he simply thought that perhaps top-tier experts such as those on the Ranking of Earth had some way to maintain their youthful appearance. Furthermore, no matter how doubtful he was, he did not dare to act rashly and could only offer a flattering smile, “Since it’s someone like you who came here, I would not dare hide anything. Actually, most people here hide their identities. Most of us don’t know who anyone actually is. For all I know, a passerby on the street could be a once-famous demon whose name shook the world.”

Zhao Changhe scoffed, “I already told you, there’s nothing to be afraid of. Rest assured, I’m not here to capture you.”

“Of course, of course. The Yang Clan does not have the right to trouble someone like you to travel so far to catch someone for them,” said Yang Qianyuan. “But it really is rare to see someone of your caliber coming to a place like this...”

Zhao Changhe said, “Why? Is this place just a refuge for people who can’t make it elsewhere? Kunlun has always been a legendary place since ancient times. From what I know, many people throughout history have come here seeking treasures. The Yuxu Palace can only manage the nearby peaks. They can’t control the entire area, can they?”

“People used to come here more often, but it’s become less and less frequent lately. In a place full of demons, who dares to come easily. Initially, we thought you were one of those who come here to look for treasures. But with who you are, you wouldn’t need to personally come here to seek treasures... Could you perhaps be looking for someone?”

“Why can’t I be here to seek treasures?”

“First, someone of your stature has plenty of people to command, so you wouldn’t need to risk coming here yourself. Second, with your status, you could directly visit Yuxu Palace. Why would you need to come to this transit city at the foot of the mountain?”

“Transit...” Zhao Changhe asked, “What do you mean by that?”

“It’s easy to fool Great Xia, but Tang Wanzhuang is a whole different story. With her running the Demon Suppression Bureau, who would dare to be careless? For instance, one common trick they use is making a trusted subordinate look like a runaway criminal and use them as a spy. In the past, someone got close to a notorious villain, earned their trust, and then tricked them into leaving, leading them right into a trap set by the Demon Suppression Bureau. By the time Daoist Yuxu found out about it, they were already hundreds of li away.”

Zhao Changhe was speechless.

Yang Qianyuan sighed. “That’s why not just anyone can enter Kunlun. New refugees must stay in the city and undergo observation to have their identities confirmed before being allowed into the mountains.”

Zhao Changhe nodded and said, “I see... That’s interesting. It’s hard to find out about these things without coming here personally.”

“Every place has its own doorways. It’s normal for those of the outside world to not know about it,” said Yang Qianyuan. “Actually, over time, as more people gather in the city, it becomes less necessary to enter the mountains. Life in the city is convenient, and you can fulfill pretty much any desire you have. And with so many villains gathered here, neither the authorities nor their enemies dare to come here easily, so why bother going into the mountains? Most refugees just stay in the city now.”

“It’s still a bit different, isn’t it?” said Zhao Changhe. “If everyone entered the mountains, they would pretty much become a part of a unified force. The whole point of accepting criminals in the first place is to create this force. If you guys just kill each other indiscriminately in the city, what does Daoist Yuxu stand to gain?”

“Actually, the city really is somewhat similar. Even if outsiders are not treated as people here, once they settle in the city, they won’t be attacked out of nowhere. Everyone needs a place to stay. Of course, no one has ever officially established the rules here. It’s just what the people here have come to accept. But if someone tries to take over the city, Daoist Yuxu cuts off their head that same day. That’s his bottom line. Otherwise, he doesn’t interfere with whatever goes on in the city. He just collects taxes and resources, and he sometimes forces people to do some work. He’s just like a king.”

“I see...” Zhao Changhe mused. “But why does Daoist Yuxu bother? He could openly declare independence. If he does, what could Tang Wanzhuang even do?”

Yang Qianyuan seemed to have understood something. “So you came here to work together with Daoist Yuxu.”

Zhao Changhe was taken aback but inwardly appreciated the convenient explanation. He would never have thought of making up such an excuse for being here. This reasoning made Wang Daozhong’s presence here make much more sense.

He maintained a dignified expression and said, “Indeed, that’s my intention. I’m just resting in the city for now.”

Yang Qianyuan said, “In the past, Xia Longyuan’s influence made Daoist Yuxu cautious. But now that Xia Longyuan’s power is waning, Daoist Yuxu has not done anything different. We don’t know what he’s afraid of. I might just not have been in the mountains long enough to understand.”

Zhao Changhe frowned slightly. “In that case... If I go directly into the mountain, I should be able to meet him, right?”

Yang Qianyuan smiled apologetically and said, “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been in the mountains.”

Zhao Changhe nodded, “You seem to be doing well here, though. You haven’t been here for long, right? Yet it looks like you’re already a leader of sorts.”

Yang Qianyuan laughed and said, “Oh, I’m no leader. I offered the Yang Clan’s cultivation techniques to the Jinqian Gang[1] based in the east of the city for protection. The leader of the Jinqian Gang saw that I had some skills and gave me a small business to manage. But as I said, there are hardly any outsiders here, so the business can’t really do well. Sometimes, I’m unable to even earn enough to eat.”

Zhao Changhe asked as if he were a wise elder, “So you’re just running an unremarkable business day after day. Do you ever think that it might have been better to stay at home? Do you regret coming here?”

Yang Qianyuan’s expression remained neutral. “Every action has its price. I simply accept this as the price for the actions I’ve done. Anyway, it’s not like this is the end of the road for me. If I manage to catch Daoist Yuxu’s eye and learn a technique or two, who knows? Maybe one day I can fight my way back. Thirty years on the east of the river, thirty years on the west; every dog has its day.”

Zhao Changhe chuckled and said, “Interesting. For now, I’m your guest. Arrange a guide for me and serve me well. If you do that, you’ll at least have food for the month. If I meet Daoist Yuxu, I might even put in a good word for you.”

After saying that, he flicked his wrist and slapped a piece of silver onto the table... or rather into the table. It was embedded just deep enough to be flush with the tabletop, and it looked as if it was part of the table.

Yang Qianyuan’s last trace of suspicion dissipated.

While he could do the same, he was not able to do it anywhere near as effortlessly. More importantly, he had immediately recognized the move to be the Wang Clan’s Heavenly Sea-Suppressing Palm.

Yang Qianyuan said with greater respect than he had offered before, “Senior, would you like to take a walk around the city? Where would you like to go first? I’ll lead the way.”

Zhao Changhe thought for a moment. “Are there any brothels here?”

Yang Qianyuan smiled knowingly, “Of course there are. Please follow me.”

In reality, Zhao Changhe was not looking for a brothel but a gambling house. However, he did not want to be too straightforward and preferred to take a roundabout approach. Most of the time, brothels and gambling dens were located close to each other; where there were brothels, gambling dens were usually nearby.

Naturally, he wanted to find where Ying Five’s influence reached. He did not see listening to Yang Qianyuan’s words to be enough. He needed to verify things through another source. Moreover, he could not reveal his true intentions to Yang Qianyuan. Yang Qianyuan was merely a stepping stone to find more trustworthy people.

The main challenge was that Ying Five’s people might not be openly running a gambling house here. Daoist Yuxu was no fool. While he might accept criminals because they could be of use to him, he would not welcome another powerful force like Ying Five’s to compete with him.

Even if the Ying Five’s people were here, they would likely be operating under a different guise. The fact that Lady Three did not tell him exactly how to find them likely meant that, back then, she still did not trust him enough to tell him such a secret.

But on the other hand, if he showed up riding Snow-Treading Crow and carrying a broad saber, it would not take long for Ying Five’s people to recognize him. If he made a show of looking for a gambling den, he should be able to draw the attention of Ying Five’s subordinates.

While he was in thought, they arrived at a brothel.

Immediately, a swarm of alluring women surrounded him, each trying to entice him, “Sir, come with us...”

“Sir, don’t listen to her. Our skills are much better...”

“We have a girl who’s available for her first time tonight. Would you like to take her, sir?”

Zhao Changhe looked around, his face expressionless.

He had not seen a single gambling den. The entire street was filled with brothels, with women pushing themselves onto him, their ample bosoms nearly suffocating him.

Barely managing to escape the onslaught, he grabbed one of the women at random, “Stop pushing! You, come with me!”

Just as the words left his mouth, he froze.

At the corner of the street, a young man dressed as a nobleman was holding a fan and leisurely entering another brothel. He was surrounded by a group of prostitutes and his relaxed demeanor made him look like a seasoned regular.

Like hell she’s a seasoned regular.

Zhao Changhe recognized the young man instantly.

It was none other than Xia Chichi.

1. This is a reference to the Jinqian Gang (金钱帮), which literally translates to Money Gang, in the works written by Gu Long. In Gu Long’s writing, the Jinqian Gang is an organization in the jianghu comparable to the Beggars’ Gang. ☜