Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 680: The Fall of Langya

In contrast with Zhao Changhe, Cui Yuanyang was truly the one who played the role of a mere attachment to a divine weapon. In fact, Desolate Calamity’s aim was to reduce Zhao Changhe to Cui Yuanyang’s level, which would have made him far easier to deal with.

Qinghe Sword’s level of power was similar to that of Dragon Bird and the fledgling River of Stars. With Zhao Changhe absent, Cui Yuanyang, at this moment, was essentially a downgraded version of Zhao Changhe.

However, Cui Yuanyang was well aware of her limitations, opting to stay hidden within the army and wield Qinghe as a flying sword, from a distance. Wang Daozhong, lacking Desolate Calamity’s abilities, found himself struggling against an autonomous divine sword. Desolate Calamity might have been able to handle fighting a masterless divine weapon, but even the erratic slashes of Qinghe left Wang Daozhong overwhelmed.

Back in the day, Iceheart ran rampant at the Ancient Sword Lake. Even with the combined efforts of Zhao Changhe, Han Wubing, and Xia Chichi, they barely survived its onslaught. A sword without vulnerabilities, immune to harm and exhaustion, could only be subdued if its energy ran out or if the opponent was vastly stronger—otherwise, victory was unattainable.

If Wang Daozhong had read Records of the Monster Blade[1], he might have anticipated how miserable it was to go up against a weapon with a will of its own.

Under the relentless attacks of such a terrifying divine sword, the guards Wang Daozhong had dismissed as mere fodder suddenly became anything but.

Although Cui Yuanyong was only at the first layer of the Profound Mysteries, he was nonetheless someone on the Ranking of Man. His guards were all battle-hardened veterans. Normally, Wang Daozhong could cut through ten of them with a single swing, but now, with most of his focus taken up by Qinghe Sword, how could they not dare to surround him and attack?

Spears thrust in from all directions. Even Cui Yuanyong leaped from his horse and joined in on the encirclement.

Wang Daozhong hastily summoned a protective barrier of qi to ward off the incoming attacks. While expending his vigorous qi to neutralize the barrage of blades and spears, he focused all his efforts on countering the Qinghe Sword. Step by step, he fought his way backward, attempting to escape the encirclement.

This fight was unwinnable, but retreating was still an option.

Or so he thought.

Just as Wang Daozhong flew backward to escape, a burst of blood-red light erupted from the city walls. Xue Canghai, who had been relentlessly assaulting the walls, suddenly abandoned the siege and turned, his body and saber merging into a deadly strike aimed straight at Wang Daozhong.

At the same time, Lu Ya, who had been engaging Yu Deju, also pivoted and returned to intercept Wang Daozhong.

Clang!

Wang Daozhong blocked Xue Canghai’s attack. The force sent Xue Canghai spiraling backward, but it also drove Wang Daozhong back into the enemy formation, where he was immediately pinned down by Lu Ya and Cui Yuanyong.

“Damn it...” Wang Daozhong cursed as he realized his predicament.

On the walls, Yu Deju and the other generals of the Wang Clan were dumbfounded. What now? Were they supposed to jump down to rescue their lord?

Wang Daozhong himself was equally stunned. His forces were the defenders; they could not just open the gates and march out to his aid. Meanwhile, the attackers had the advantage—they could easily return to the siege, leaving Wang Daozhong stranded.

This was precisely why, in years of warfare, even generals famous for their individual prowess, like Timur, Cui Wenjing, and Wang Daoning, had refrained from personally charging into enemy formations to assassinate opposing commanders. Even in battles between the elites on the Ranking of Earth, those like Maitreya hesitated to take such risks, even knowing Tang Wanzhuang had returned to the capital.

There was an unspoken rule, a mutual understanding. Such recklessness was avoided not only because it was dangerous but also because being lured into a trap and dying in such a manner was a disgrace that would tarnish one’s name for generations.

And yet, Zhao Changhe had shattered that precedent. His actions had sparked a new wave of boldness—the idea that a decisive strike at the enemy’s leader could end the battle in one swift move. If Zhao Changhe could do it, then why couldn’t Wang Daozhong?

Except, in spite of Zhao Changhe’s repeated claims to the contrary, Wang Daozhong was not he.

And more importantly, he had done it with an arrow.

Now Wang Daozhong found himself neck-deep in trouble, all because he had chosen to emulate Zhao Changhe’s gambit in entirely the wrong way.

Of course, the Wang Clan still had formidable elders and capable core members, not to mention powerful guest generals like Gui Chen and Yu Deju. If someone made the decisive call, there was still a chance to send in their top fighters to rescue Wang Daozhong. Alternatively, they could take a bolder approach. They could open the city gates and launch a full-on assault. Perhaps then they could turn the situation around while their enemy’s main formation was in disarray. It was not impossible that such an attack could lead to a decisive victory. The key was making the right decision.

An elder of the Wang Clan stepped forward and shouted decisively, “Their main formation is in chaos! Open the gates and charge out! We’ll storm their formation and rescue the family head—that is the best course of action! If we fight effectively, this battle could be decided in one stroke!”

Indeed, risk and opportunity went hand in hand. Wang Daozhong was undeniably formidable, his power capable of suppressing the seas. Even while facing countless experts and a divine sword, he was holding his ground. If the Wang Clan launched a full-scale assault now, there was a chance they could overwhelm the enemy’s formation. But time was of the essence. If they delayed any longer, Wang Daozhong would truly fall.

With the elder’s decisive command, hesitation within the Wang Clan vanished. The city gates thundered open, and Wang Zhaoling led a cavalry vanguard charging out with ferocity.

On the other side, Wan Dongliu, having already halted his siege, regrouped his forces and turned to intercept, rushing to assist the main formation.

Just as the two sides collided, a sudden blaze erupted from within the city, flames roaring skyward and casting the sky in an eerie red glow.

The Wang Clan forces, just emerging from the city gates, froze in shock.

“What’s going on?”

“Hurry! Go back and put out the fire!”

“No, we must save the family head first!”

The experts of the Wang Clan were thrown into chaos, spreading confusion and panic among the soldiers.

The granaries, though not that heavily guarded, were still considered a critical asset. They had several nearly Ranking of Man level officers stationed to defend them. How had they been set ablaze, and so silently at that, without even raising the alarm?

Seeing their precious granaries burning in front of them dealt a heavy blow to morale. If the enemy could torch the granaries right under their noses, what else could they do? And what about their families?

Their families!

Some soldiers, still within the city, immediately abandoned any intention of joining the full-on assault. With shouts of alarm, they rushed toward the granaries or even directly back to their homes. Inside the city walls, chaos erupted, soldiers scattering like headless chickens. The officers tried to stop them but found it impossible to hold them back.

And truth be told, they did not really want to. Some mid-ranking officers threw down their weapons, shed their armor, and rushed home to check on their wives and children.

In reality, Wu Weiyang and his team had no intention of harming the Wang Clan’s families. Even the granaries were not completely burned. They had chosen a secondary storehouse to target. Most of the fire was confined to barracks and supply depots, carefully staged to create as much chaos as possible without causing irreversible damage. After all, they planned to use those supplies themselves later.

When Zhao Changhe had first summoned Wu Weiyang to Langya, telling him to “act when the time is right,” Wu Weiyang had not expected that moment to come so quickly—not even a month later. But now, looking at the disorder consuming the city, he knew the Wang Clan was finished.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

From the direction of the Wang Clan’s ancestral shrine, several figures darted through the air. Even the elders responsible for guarding the shrine, ancient yet powerful, could no longer sit still and had come out to assess the situation themselves.

Wu Weiyang raised his long saber, pointing it toward the flying figures. His voice rang out like a battle cry, “Burning a granary isn’t enough for glory! Take the heads of these old dogs and earn glory that will last generations to come!”

The elders, aged and weathered, had likely never expected to be confronted like this. What they faced was not an elite army but a small group of warriors—each one a figure worthy of being on the Ranking of Man!

Aged and weathered as they were, they might not even stand a chance against these attackers.

Where did so many experts come from? Not even the main base of the Demon Suppression Bureau should have so many people at this level.

The city descended into chaos as a fierce street battle broke out. No one paid any attention to the spreading fire, which now burned with even greater ferocity. The area around the city gate was in complete disarray. Soldiers who had not yet exited the gates scattered in all directions, some even trampling over one another in their panic. Those already outside were consumed by thoughts of retreat, utterly demoralized.

Wang Zhaoling, sword in hand, cut down several soldiers in an attempt to rally them, but even that failed to restore order. In the end, the troops that had marched out simply discarded their weapons and surrendered on the spot. “We surrender!”

Even Wan Dongliu stopped and stared at them blankly, what more Wang Zhaoling?

In an instant, the tables had turned. Wang Zhaoling found himself squeezed into the city gate, staring at the advancing enemy forces outside.

Realizing the futility of his position, Wang Zhaoling was not about to make a pointless stand. With a quick leap, he vaulted over the wall and back into the city.

But as he landed, a glimmer of cold steel cut through the air from the city wall above, blocking his retreat.

The attack came from the very wall he had just jumped over. Completely unprepared, Wang Zhaoling instinctively parried the strike, but the force behind it was strange—neither fully solid nor insubstantial. It sent him crashing back down to the ground.

Staring up in shock, his face darkened. “Xuan Chong...”

On the wall above, Xuan Chong smiled faintly. “My apologies, brother Wang.”

Wang Zhaoling turned his head, only to see Wan Dongliu gesturing for his troops to halt their advance. Wan Dongliu also offered a faint smile. “Brother Xuan Chong, it has been years since we last met. Who could have imagined our reunion would look like this?”

Xuan Chong replied with a stern expression. “I find no joy in this situation, none at all.”

Wan Dongliu knew exactly what Xuan Chong meant. Once, they had been a group of young men from prominent families in Yangzhou, drinking together at the same table, egging on a certain couple. Now, though they had risen to become experts of impressive renown on the Ranking of Man, that couple could kick them out to sit with the dogs.

Wang Zhaoling glanced at the two catching up, then shifted his gaze to the distant battlefield where Wang Daozhong was still engaged in a desperate struggle. He sighed heavily.

Gui Chen was still out there.

The clan elders and guest generals who had initially attempted to rescue Wang Daozhong now found themselves in a similar position. However, at least they were not in as much chaos as the ordinary soldiers. After a brief hesitation, they reached a unanimous decision: retreat was no longer an option. They had to press forward and rescue Wang Daozhong. Leaving their strongest leader to die was unthinkable—if he fell, it was the end for the Wang Clan.

Even if the battle was hopeless, saving Wang Daozhong meant they could regroup and flee to the sea, biding their time for a resurgence. Without him, there would be no hope of rebuilding.

Resolving themselves, they charged en masse toward the enemy’s main formation.

At the forefront was Yu Deju, ranked eighteenth on the Ranking of Earth. He was the first to enter the fray—only to be met with the ferocious Blood God Saber and a formation made up of elders of the Blood God Cult.

Xue Canghai’s face twisted into a sinister grin. “Old Yu, care for another round?”

Yu Deju wasn’t intimidated in the slightest. His sword thrust straight into the formation as he thought to himself, I’m not alone. Gui Chen isn’t any weaker than I am. With the two of us who are on the Ranking of Earth here, how could they stop us?

But no sooner had the thought crossed his mind than a sharp sense of danger seized him.

Instinctively, Yu Deju dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding a flexible sword that grazed past him. Yet, in a seamless, flowing motion, the blade curved and found its target, piercing into his side.

Yu Deju turned in disbelief, his eyes locking onto Gui Chen’s calm, smiling face. “Mister Yu, those who surrender will not be harmed.”

“Gui Chen!” The other elders of the Wang Clan arrived just in time to witness the betrayal. Staring at the unfolding scene, their minds went blank, their reflexes dulled. Even their attempts to act felt disjointed and meaningless.

One of their strongest allies had turned, and another lay injured. Against an enemy force with tens of thousands of troops, what chance did a handful of old bones have?

Meanwhile, Wang Daozhong, trapped and struggling to fend off the onslaught, roared in fury, “Gui Chen! The Wang Clan has treated you with nothing but generosity!”

Gui Chen replied with a faint smile. “That’s true. But unfortunately, I made an agreement a long time ago, long before this, with King Zhao.”

King Zhao...

The words hit like a thunderclap.

The Wang Clan had conducted thorough investigations into the Taiyi Sect, ensuring they had no connections to the Demon Suppression Bureau. After all, in a court as dysfunctional as the current dynasty, where only Tang Wanzhuang seemed to take her responsibilities seriously, there was no need to fear Gui Chen being an agent of the bureau. Convinced of this, the Wang Clan had gradually grown at ease with him.

They had assumed Gui Chen’s betrayal was a spur-of-the-moment decision, a reaction to the Wang Clan’s apparent decline. But now they realized that this was all part of Zhao Changhe’s meticulous planning. It was something orchestrated, as Gui Chen himself had admitted, a long time ago.

The fires within the city? Undoubtedly orchestrated by his people as well.

Who would have thought it possible? The so-called mountain bandit of Beimang actually had schemes that reached this far and struck this deeply.

The Wang Clan had lost, not just to an army but to a vision.

And they could not even say it was undeserved.

1. This seems to be a reference to Records of the Monster Blade (妖刀记) written by Silent Monkey (默默猴). I’m not sure what it is about, but it’s the first thing that came up in a google search. ☜