Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 407: The Ranking of Man Awaits Your Name

Kuaiji, once a massive commandery in ancient times when it was first established, encompassing Gusu and Hangzhou. It was the origin of the Three Wu[1]. Later, with administrative subdivisions and the rise of Gusu and Hangzhou, Kuaiji gradually became more specifically associated with the area around Kuaiji Mountain[2]. In the present world, it is known as Shaoxing, but in this world, it was still called Kuaiji.

When Tang Buqi recaptured Hangzhou, his army was stationed there, just over a hundred li away from Kuaiji, facing Maitreya’s last remaining forces.

In fact, the Maitreya Cult was not far from being isolated, and that was if it wasn’t completely isolated by now. The major forces in the south had all begun to counterattack, with some even taking the opportunity to expand their own power. Now, with forces converging from all sides, Kuaiji had become almost like an island, surrounded on all sides.

Previously, no one had dared to confront the Maitreya Cult directly. Apart from Tang Buqi, who was willing to take the lead, others were hesitant to step up, as Maitreya could still risk everything to take the head of whoever dared to lead the charge. Although Maitreya might not succeed if they were heavily protected, and he may not even be willing to stake everything on such an attempt, people were still afraid. After all, why take the risk? If some hotheaded person wanted to take the lead, they would let them do so.

This was the deterrent power of a top-ranking expert on the Ranking of Earth.

But ever since Maitreya was defeated in Xiangyang, everyone knew he had suffered serious injuries. With that, their courage had swelled, and within just a few weeks, the situation in Jiangnan had completely changed.

However, the coalition leader, Tang Buqi, remained stationed in Hangzhou, not launching a full-scale attack. It was as if there were some catastrophic force that remained hidden in Kuaiji Mountain capable of obliterating hundreds of thousands of troops, making him too cautious to advance.

People had mixed feelings about this.

Some believed Tang Buqi was trying to keep the enemy alive to consolidate his own power. Others thought that he was using this opportunity to turn his forces against other factions, preparing to carve up their territories.

The most accurate guess was that this young lord was waiting for his aunt to arrive and take command before daring to fully commit to a final battle.

“Young Master Tang,” someone approached Tang Buqi late at night. “Maitreya is said to be severely injured and has not been seen for a month. His forces are nothing but remnants, their morale is low, and they have no competent generals left. Kuaiji is in disarray. If we don’t seize this opportunity to eliminate this threat, when will we?”

Tang Buqi sat in his command tent, draped in a cloak, seemingly reading a book. He calmly replied, “They’re also out of supplies. Surrounding them is enough; they will collapse in a matter of days.”

“But if we wait any longer, Maitreya may recover. By then, even if we destroy his forces, he could escape on his own, leaving us with endless troubles in the future.”

“My aunt should arrive before then, so there’s no need to worry...”

The adviser was left speechless, and he left the tent in frustration, muttering, “This young fool isn’t worth advising!”

I can’t believe we actually let this young man become the coalition leader and soak up all the glory. It’s utterly humiliating. With such thoughts, the adviser had completely forgotten why he had not dared to take the lead himself initially, and suddenly, the thought struck him—Why can’t I be the one to break through Kuaiji and kill Maitreya?

Everyone has already begun vying for dominance. The Tang Clan originally had a massive opportunity to take the lead and secure it... But since Tang Buqi himself is willing to hand it over, if not now, then when am I to make my move?

In the early morning, General Wu Weiyang of the Demon Suppression Bureau hurriedly reported, “Young master, Prefectural Governor Zhu mustered his troops and launched a nighttime assault on Kuaiji on his own...”

Tang Buqi put down his book and sighed. “Everyone thinks I’m just riding on my aunt’s coattails... Well, in fact, I am.”

Wu Weiyang: “...”

Tang Buqi continued, “My aunt said that Kuaiji cannot be taken by conventional means; we must wait for her to arrive. If they don’t believe me, then what can I do? The coalition is just a coalition at the end of the day. Out of respect for my aunt, they made me the coalition leader, but I’m not truly in command. In terms of official rank, Prefectural Governor Zhu is actually my superior.”

Wu Weiyang sighed, “I understand... But should we go save them?”

Tang Buqi’s eyes turned cold. “No.”

Wu Weiyang’s expression shifted slightly.

Tang Buqi said, “The coalition is full of people eager for glory. Their hearts are restless. Since someone wants to set an example, let them. In this way, everyone will see why we need to wait. Without a bloody lesson, no one will obey my commands.”

Wu Weiyang was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, “That’s true.”

Tang Buqi said, “Moreover, letting those most eager to take the lead suffer the consequences so that the others learn a lesson is also the best course of action...”

The light in Wu Weiyang’s eyes flickered.

Tang Buqi muttered to himself, “Otherwise, with such ambition... After we deal with the Maitreya Cult, they’ll be the ones we’ll have to deal with next...”

Wu Weiyang: “...”

Tang Buqi smiled brightly, “Ready the troops.”

Wu Weiyang was stunned, “But didn’t you say not to save him?”

“We need to at least make it look like we intend to rescue them... We won’t enter Kuaiji, but we’ll pick up as many survivors as we can. Otherwise, the morale of the coalition will truly collapse.”

Wu Weiyang bowed, “Understood.”

* * *

In the middle of the third month, Prefectural Governor Zhu Huan of Luling, without orders from the coalition leader, led over ten thousand elite troops to attack Kuaiji at night.

Gazing from a distance at the soldiers on the city walls, whose banners were swaying precariously, Zhu Huan chuckled. “With defenses such as these... If they don’t want the glory of dealing with Maitreya, we’ll gladly take it. Everyone, listen up! I want to be drinking inside the city within half an hour!”

His troops charged at the city gates in unison, pushing their siege equipment forward.

Suddenly, the city gates swung open, and a force of about a thousand warrior monks rushed out.

“They actually dare to open the gates and fight us?” Zhu Huan was momentarily stunned. “Have they lost their minds?”

The vanguard soon clashed with the warrior monks, and to Zhu Huan’s surprise, these warrior monks were not some remnants of a defeated army as he had expected. The enemy’s imposing momentum made them look very much like a seasoned, powerful troop; it was as if they were an unstoppable army that had won a hundred battles. As soon as they made contact, Zhu Huan’s supposedly elite troops crumbled immediately.

“Something’s wrong!” The deputies beside him exclaimed. “They’re truly impervious to blades and spears!”

Zhu Huan noticed it too. These warrior monks were nigh invulnerable, the blades and spears that struck them leaving no marks on their bodies.

How are we supposed to fight against this?

This is at least on the level of Situ Xiao, but how many Situ Xiaos could there be in the world? Yet now, there are suddenly a thousand of them here out of nowhere?

How is this possible?! If the Maitreya Cult had such power, Jiangnan would have fallen long ago!

“This is impossible! Let me personally dispel their sorcery!” Zhu Huan, a powerhouse at the ninth layer of the Profound Gate, spurred his horse forward and thrust his spear at the leading warrior monk.

With a loud clang of metal striking metal, the spear pierced the warrior monk’s heart.

“I knew it—they can’t truly be invulnerable! Their weakness is their heart! Don’t panic, stay steady...”

But before he could finish speaking, his own eyes widened in disbelief.

The warrior monk, who had his heart pierced, did not fall. Instead, he clutched the spear’s shaft, his eyes fixed on Zhu Huan.

In his eyes, there were no whites—only a shining golden light.

This is no human... or at least, not a living one!

“Damn it... Retreat! Full retreat!” Zhu Huan cursed as he yanked out his spear and turned his horse to flee.

But how could a retreat be successful under these circumstances?

In an instant, the thousand warrior monks had torn through Zhu Huan’s forces, forcing them to scatter in all directions. Their weapons pressed relentlessly toward Zhu Huan himself.

One warrior monk leaped into the air, swinging a gleaming golden jiedao straight at Zhu Huan’s throat. Zhu Huan barely managed to parry the blow, but more jiedaos were already slashing down around him. Despite having more men, he found himself trapped in a terrifying encirclement, his soldiers and bodyguards unable to provide any support.

After all, their attacks could not even wound these monks!

Watching as his bodyguards and deputies were slaughtered around him, Zhu Huan’s heart was filled with both pain and regret.

First Seat Tang had warned them that Kuaiji could not be taken by conventional means and that they had to wait for her. He thought that it was just the Tang Clan wanting to claim the merit and that Tang Buqi was simply following his aunt’s orders.

Such a great opportunity for glory was right before him, and he had thought that if he did not seize it, it would be his loss.

But now...

He realized that Tang Wanzhuang had been right all along.

He had not even encountered Maitreya himself yet, and a mere thousand warrior monks had already turned the battlefield into a field of blood.

Even he was about to die...

Clang!

Zhu Huan forcefully swept away the warrior monk’s jiedaos with his spear, suppressing the blood that surged up to his throat as he leaned over his saddle and rode on in an attempt to escape.

The sounds of battle roared all around, and all he could see was a sea of golden light. Zhu Huan charged left and right, but he ultimately could not break through.

He was much stronger than an ordinary soldier and general; he could fight one or even ten, but how could he fight a hundred, a thousand? Especially when he faced these seemingly unkillable foes...

It was not long before he ran out of strength.

Zhu Huan managed to thrust his spear through a warrior monk’s throat, but he took a blow to his back in return, stumbling forward. With a heavy sigh, he muttered, “My end has come...”

He realized that these warrior monks were not inexhaustible. They had become much weaker, much weaker than before, but unfortunately, he had expended all his energy faster.

At that moment, a cavalry force came charging toward the battlefield.

At the forefront, Tang Buqi’s sword slashed through the air, decapitating a warrior monk. Even after the head was severed, the body continued to crawl on the ground, refusing to die

Tang Buqi did not waste time engaging further; instead, he raised his sword and shouted, “All soldiers of Luling, come this way! I shall cover your retreat!”

Seeing a beacon of hope, the scattered Luling soldiers swarmed toward Tang Buqi.

Tang Buqi leaped into the fray, his sword sweeping in a wide arc to fend off the warrior monks attacking Zhu Huan. He grabbed Zhu Huan by the collar and hoisted him up. “Let’s go!”

The two of them landed on the back of his horse, and with another swing of his sword, Tang Buqi scattered the warrior monks, who were now considerably weakened. His horse then neighed loudly as it sped away.

But as he looked down, he realized that Zhu Huan was already lifeless.

A golden light flashed in the sky.

It was not a battle record. The text did not even bother to mention the prefectural governor who had fallen under the city walls, as the Tome of Troubled Times deemed his death insignificant.

In the middle of the third month, Tang Buqi turns 25 and shall be removed from the Ranking of Hidden Dragons.

The Ranking of Man awaits your name.

These words were not a sign of favoritism by the Tome of Troubled Times. Every person who aged out of the Ranking of Hidden Dragons received this same hopeful message.

But to be removed from the ranking due to age generally implied that their potential was limited. Throughout history, there had been those who blossomed late and made it onto the Ranking of Man, but they were very few, and even those who did rarely made it beyond the Ranking of Man. There had yet to be a precedent of someone aging out of the Ranking of Hidden Dragons and making it onto the Ranking of Earth.

However, both Maitreya within the city and the fleeing soldiers outside the walls had a feeling that this young man may just have a chance at being an exception.

1. This is in reference to a period of economic growth in the region known at the time as San Wu (”The Three Wu”), the name stemming from the commanderies of Wu, Wuxing, and Kuaiji (which had formerly been located in Wu). ☜

2. Kuaiji Mountain is six kilometers southeast of downtown Shaoxing, Zhejiang province. It is the birthplace of China's first dynasty, the Xia Dynasty. ☜