Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 620: Vermillion Bird's Betrayal

If Xia Longyuan was suffering from the backlash of the mountains and rivers, then the heads of the aristocratic families were now experiencing the backlash of their own sword spirits, which was no less intense than what Xia Longyuan was suffering from.

Previously, when their intentions clashed, and resonance was impossible, the sword spirits merely ignored them. Their actions had not been egregious enough to warrant punishment, and the sword spirits, weakened themselves, chose passive defiance over open rebellion.

When the swords were revived with the Sea Tribe's yin qi, their strength was only partially restored, and their minds were muddled. Just like when Cui Yuanyang tried to communicate with the Lianshan Sword—the sword’s behavior resembled that of a half-witted brute. Without full clarity, their hatred was easily exploited: the emperor had stolen half their soul energy, so he was the enemy. Who else would they attack?

But now, with their soul energy restored, the sword spirits expelled the Sea Tribe's influence, regaining full sentience.

Their personal grudges faded. More importantly, their minds cleared, and they grasped the reality of their situation.

The emperor may be a tyrant, but his ministers are traitors. What is there to protect in such a world?

To be wielded by such “masters”—especially one who had opened the gates to the barbarians—was the ultimate humiliation. Their resentment toward the emperor paled in comparison to their fury and shame toward their own wielders.

We are the sword spirits sworn to protect the land. When did we become tools of personal ambition?

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

A storm of sword qi filled the air, enveloping both Xia Longyuan and the clan leaders, all caught in the deadly tempest.

Everyone had assumed that Xia Longyuan had stolen the swords’ soul energy to use it for some personal purpose—for instance, to create this secret chamber infused with the essence of the mountains and rivers. No one thought he had simply kept the energy unused, dormant.

He never intended to wield the power himself. He had merely sought to sever the aristocratic families from their ancestral roots—an old strategy from a time when he still ruled the world with the wisdom of a proper emperor, curbing the power of the clans.

“In those days, my cultivation was unremarkable. I dared not risk an immediate backlash, so I took half their soul energy gradually, letting the sword spirits sleep. Perhaps that was the most cautious decision I ever made.” Xia Longyuan sighed, ignoring the storm of sword qi converging on him. “Later, when my power grew and enemies multiplied, I never continued the process. The swords were cast aside... and you acted first. So be it. This is a fitting end.”

The clan leaders struggled to fend off the relentless sword qi, their expressions dark with frustration. “The swords are attacking us and you equally! They haven’t turned to your side. What are you gloating about?”

“True, the sword spirits still resist me. But isn’t the balance of power clear?” Xia Longyuan laughed, a sound both bitter and triumphant. He suddenly struck out with a fist.

Boom!

Wang Daoning met the blow with his own palm, the force of their clash shaking the air.

Both men staggered slightly. Xia Longyuan swept his arm back, deflecting the sword qi converging on him. Wang Daoning did the same, but his movements were less fluid, a hint of desperation creeping in.

Even with his power diminished a thousandfold, Xia Longyuan’s raw strength still edged out Wang Daoning’s by a narrow margin.

As Xia Longyuan himself had admitted, this was his weakest moment. His foundation had crumbled; only his vast reserves of power kept him standing. If someone else joined the fight now, he would be in real trouble.

Yet at this critical juncture, Ying Five and Vermillion Bird stood to the side, their brow furrowed, their expressions wavering. Li Shentong’s gaze was fixed on Li Gongsi, who was desperately dodging the storm of sword qi, his fists clenched so tightly they shook. He looked as though he were on the verge of turning against his own ally.

In Tang Wanzhuang’s intelligence reports, Li Shentong had marched his forces toward Hanzhong only to withdraw. She had spent days agonizing over the missing details. The truth was simpler than she had imagined: Li Shentong had learned that the northern barbarians had sacked Chang’an and refused to advance, unwilling to appear as though he were collaborating with them. He had retreated in disgust.

And now it turns out you were the one who brought the barbarians in the first place!

To cooperate with such a man—even if it meant slaying a tyrant—was to forfeit all honor as a martial artist. If word spread, they would be mocked by the entire jianghu.

Still, Xia Longyuan was their true target. To betray their allies on the battlefield? That was a fist that was hard to swing.

Vermillion Bird felt numb. Rage simmered within her, a seething thought that screamed: To hell with this damned world!

Ying Five did not share the same struggle, but the scene left a bitter taste in his mouth. This was not how it was supposed to be. The legendary act of slaying the dragon should be a heroic struggle, a fight to the death, where tearing even a shred of flesh from the beast would be a triumph. There should be no need for elaborate justifications—I want to kill you because I refuse to bow, because I wish to challenge the strongest under heaven. Whether I live or die, that is the way of the jianghu.

Ying Five even knew someone who had been lurking in the shadows, waiting for a chance to steal a keepsake from Xia Longyuan. Even if that theft cost him his life the next moment, he would die content, his life’s purpose fulfilled. Such was the spirit of the jianghu: You are the strongest, and that’s reason enough.

Who their allies were should not matter. They could fight together against the common enemy and, afterward, resume their grudges without hesitation.

But now? This mess reeked of political maneuvering between the emperor and the aristocratic families.

What is this nonsense? Since when did we stoop to picking sides in imperial politics?

Vermillion Bird's chest rose and fell as he glared at Xia Longyuan. Her thoughts were different from those of a pure-hearted martial artist like Ying Five. She loathed Xia Longyuan for personal and ideological reasons. Her cult's teachings left no room for emperors outside their faith. She had been one of the most fervent in this battle.

In theory, nothing had changed. The emperor’s fate had nothing to do with her. He just needed to die.

Yet the words “collusion with barbarians” paralyzed her.

She was more than Venerable Vermillion Bird of the Four Idols Cult. She was Huangfu Qing. A member of the Huangfu Clan; a daughter to a foolish father who had spent his life fighting the northern barbarians. A sister to four brothers who had died on those battlefields.

And now she was supposed to help someone who conspired with the barbarians?

She could not bring herself to strike.

Wang Daoning’s rage seethed within him. He wanted to throttle Li Gongsi where he stood. He could guess what was on everyone’s mind. If not for the barbarians’ involvement being laid bare, the situation would not have devolved into this awkward standstill. Fighting was one thing—it was an internal affair. But the moment an outside enemy was invited in, everything changed. Even he would not have gone that far.

But now, we’ve crossed that line.

The shift in everyone’s emotions lasted only a heartbeat, yet the battle had already exchanged several furious rounds. With a Profound Control Realm cultivator holding the front line, Li Gongsi and Yang Jingxiu struggled to fend off their own rampaging sword qi while also attempting to assist Wang Daoning. Since the storm was attacking Xia Longyuan indiscriminately as well, they managed to hold on—barely.

But they would not last much longer. The indiscriminate assault of sword qi posed a vastly different challenge to each side. Xia Longyuan needed to dedicate only a fraction of his focus, while Li Gongsi and Yang Jingxiu had to exert nearly everything they had. It was a losing battle.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

After only a few exchanges, Yang Jingxiu blocked a strike from Xia Longyuan. His blood surged violently, nearly forcing a mouthful of blood from his throat. In that instant of weakness, sword qi from his own divine sword slashed across his body, leaving him bloodied and gasping.

It was clear the trio’s defenses were on the verge of collapse. Yet Wang Daoning let out an unexpected breath of relief. “So you really have no power left to conceal. If you did, you wouldn’t let this chance slip by.”

Xia Longyuan’s brow furrowed.

It was true. He had nothing left to hide. The backlash from the mountains and rivers had shaken his very foundation, far more than he had anticipated. There was no point in denying it.

Bang!

Wang Daoning launched a fierce palm strike at Xia Longyuan. Amid the storm of sword qi, a barely perceptible gleam of saber light flickered, streaking toward Xia Longyuan’s back.

The figure ranked sixth on the Ranking of Heaven, Snow Owl!

This was Wang Daoning’s hidden card. Or perhaps it was not entirely his, since Snow Owl acted on his own terms, striking only when he was certain Xia Longyuan was vulnerable and had no trump cards left.

It worked perfectly. Xia Longyuan had been wary of Snow Owl earlier, but after such a prolonged battle without a sign of him, he had lowered his guard. Now, at the critical moment, Snow Owl made his move. The man had the patience of a true predator.

Xia Longyuan was forced to abandon his follow-up strike on Yang Jingxiu. His body twisted as he lashed out with a palm to deflect Snow Owl’s sword.

Wang Daoning’s fist followed seamlessly, striking Xia Longyuan’s exposed side. He was trapped, besieged from both front and back!

At that instant, a flash of golden light shot toward Xia Longyuan’s temple—an arrow, shimmering pale-gold.

Zhao Changhe!

He had been lurking for a while, waiting for the right moment. Seeing that Xia Longyuan did not immediately need rescuing, he had held back, watching to see if Wang Daoning had a hidden move. Now, he struck decisively.

At the same moment, he roared, “Venerable Vermillion Bird! Wang Daoning launched a surprise attack on Wan Tianxiong, leaving him at death's door! Are you truly going to cooperate with such a person?”

His words gave Huangfu Qing, Vermillion Bird, a perfect pretext to act on her simmering doubts. Flames erupted from her hand, and she lunged at Wang Daoning, her fiery claws reaching for his throat. “How dare you, wretch?!”

Wang Daoning nearly spat blood.

Who would have thought that when people joked about Zhao Changhe and Vermillion Bird, it would play out like this in the most critical battle? Zhao Changhe had not just joined the fight—he had brought about a full-blown betrayal from Vermillion Bird herself.

Everything was falling apart!