Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 370: I’ve Been Letting You

Lu Shiheng maintained his composure, smiling as he said, “You must be jesting, right? I have been diligently preparing for battle, training soldiers day and night, and recruiting experts. Unless Maitreya brings a large army personally, it would not be easy for someone like Yu Cixiu to claim victory over Xiangyang with just his troops.”

Tang Wanzhuang smiled. “Is that so? Then you truly are a capable minister, prefectural governor.”

“I wouldn’t dare accept such praise,” Lu Shiheng replied. “If Xiangyang lacks anything, it’s sufficient funds and provisions. First Seat Tang, could you help transfer some supplies from Jiangnan? Oh, wait, the route is blocked, so how about transferring some supplies from Heluo[1] instead? There should be plenty of grain there.”

Tang Wanzhuang responded flatly, “I have no authority over Heluo.”

Lu Shiheng looked surprised. “Why not? I heard His Majesty granted you significant authority over the south...”

Tang Wanzhuang said, “The Yang Clan of Hongnong no longer follows orders. My authority has no effect on them.”

Lu Shiheng feigned a sharp intake of breath. “The Yang Clan of Hongnong has not made any large moves these past years. Could they have suddenly decided to rebel because Wang Daozhong helped them capture Yang Qianyuan? Is that really enough to cause such a massive change in their stance?”

“The specifics are still unknown to us. However, this matter is at most a pretext; the actual instigator for their insurgency may not even be the Wang Clan, but the Four Idols Cult,” Tang Wanzhuang’s beautiful eyes scanned Lu Shiheng’s face as she said calmly. “Therefore, if the Yang Clan moves south, attacking with the Maitreya Cult from different sides... or if Vermillion Bird and Black Tortoise directly storm your mansion, are you still confident?”

Tang Wanzhuang did not know about Lu Shiheng’s collusion with the Maitreya Cult. She had rushed to Xiangyang out of concern that Lu Shiheng might join an alliance with the Wang Clan, Yang Clan, and the Four Idols Cult.

The reason was that Lu Shiheng had once been a subordinate of the Wang Clan, having been mentored by Wang Daoning in sword arts.

On the outside, with Lu Shiheng being in Xiangyang, he seemed to be detached from the Wang Clan’s machinations. However, his allegiance could easily change with a word if the alliance reached Xiangyang.

Such an alliance would be far more troublesome to deal with than the Maitreya Cult, mainly because they would not face the same resistance from local forces that the Maitreya Cult did. For example, Lu Shiheng’s attitude toward the Maitreya Cult and toward the Wang and Yang Clans would be entirely different.

Before the battle at Taihu Lake, Tang Wanzhuang had heard about the Yang Clan’s upheaval and had wanted to rush to Xiangyang then. She believed that her presence could sway Lu Shiheng’s allegiance, or at least that it was worth trying to do so. Therefore, she rushed over immediately after the battle ended, racing against time.

That was also why she had warned Li Sian and Da Zhou about the risk of too many carrier pigeons possibly attracting attention and exposing them. It was a hint specifically pointed at the city lord, for who else but him would be monitoring the traffic of carrier pigeons in the city? If Lu Shiheng switched sides, Li Sian and Da Zhou would be in grave danger.

Unfortunately, upon arriving, she discovered that the Immortal Palatial Garden had already been compromised and that Li Sian had been captured, exposing Lu Shiheng’s betrayal.

She was too late. Alone, it was simply too difficult for her to mend all the fissures in the sky.

Lu Shiheng continued, “The troops from the north would need to cross the river to come south. It would not be easy for them to do so. If you’re worried about that, bureau chief, why not contact the capital? If the Yang Clan makes a move, attack them from their rear. That way, the threat to Xiangyang would be resolved. I honestly still doubt the Yang Clan would have the guts to carry out such an attack.”

The Yang Clan, indeed, did not have the guts. They wanted to take Xiangyang without having to fight. They wanted it to simply fall into their hands directly.

Tang Wanzhuang sighed. She was about to say something when her expression subtly changed.

Zhao Changhe had learned the Moonglade Sutra from her, allowing him to sense dangers around him, so how could she, as the one who taught him, not be able to do the same?

She clearly felt the presence of powerful individuals arriving at the Immortal Palatial Garden. The surrounding rooftops also quickly became filled with experts forming a formation. In barely any time, powerful bows and crossbows surrounded the brothel.

In the short time that Lu Shiheng had been chatting with her, he had arranged a thorough encirclement.

Was he just stalling to let me get surrounded? Where did he get the audacity to openly hunt the bureau chief of the Demon Suppression Bureau in Xiangyang? Even the Wang Clan would not dare do such a thing!

Does he think he has control over the entire city and can cover this up? The Tang Clan knows I’m here, so if something happens to me, whether the Tome of Troubled Times announces it or not, he won’t be able to hide it from the Tang Clan. Just what is he thinking?

Tang Wanzhuang’s mind raced as she pretended not to notice. She swallowed back her words intended to persuade him and leisurely sipped her tea. “Since the prefectural governor says so, it seems that I might have indeed been overthinking things. Your words are reasonable; perhaps I should head to the capital immediately.”

Lu Shiheng leaned over to pour her more tea with a smile. “It’s already quite late. There’s no need to rush back overnight. Why not rest in Xiangyang for the night and set off tomorrow morning? In fact, you can even just send a message from here; there’s no need for you to run around personally.”

“I’m afraid that If I stay here for the night, my head might be hanging on the city gate by morning.” As she said the last word, she abruptly launched an attack, aiming right for Lu Shiheng’s throat.

Lu Shiheng, having just leaned in to pour her tea, barely managed to dodge. However, Tang Wanzhuang’s strike was so swift that his shoulder still ended up getting hit, sending a wave of numbness through his body.

Lu Shiheng felt an immense wave of regret. He had known that Tang Wanzhuang who had formidable strength and acted decisively, yet he still let himself be deceived by her frail appearance. Every time he faced her, despite his prior caution, he was still not cautious enough. He should never have leaned in so close to her. It was pathetic that, despite being ranked forty-eighth on the Ranking of Man, he could not even block a sudden attack from her and was now rendered immobile by her acupoint strike.

Fortunately, he had finished setting up the trap. As soon as Tang Wanzhuang made her move, an ambusher burst right through the wall, their terrifying saber slashing toward her back.

Tang Wanzhuang was prepared. Her body moved gracefully as her delicate hand deflected the saber.

Both parties wavered slightly, and the saber was retracted, revealing the enormous, mountain-like form of Maitreya.

Tang Wanzhuang’s face darkened.

She never expected it to be Maitreya!

How could it be Maitreya?

Tang Wanzhuang took a deep breath and coldly said, “So it’s you. I never expected this... Prefectural Governor Lu, care to give me an explanation?”

“Why should I?” Though he was immobilized, Lu Shiheng appeared even calmer. “Didn’t you see? He doesn’t care about my life or death. He just wants yours. Using me as a hostage is meaningless.”

Maitreya, having missed his first strike, did not launch another one in haste. He chuckled and said, “First Seat Tang, what a surprise, we meet again so soon.”

Tang Wanzhuang frowned slightly. Maitreya had been injured at Taihu Lake but he seemed to have recovered quickly. Now, he looked completely unscathed, making her victory yesterday seem almost fake.

Is the dual cultivation technique of the Pure Bliss Art really so miraculous?

She took a deep breath and said coldly, “Maitreya, you might think you’ve won, but as a leader, you’ve entered enemy territory. This behavior... it’s not only short-sighted but also turns you into someone else’s pawn.”

“Pawn?” Maitreya laughed. “This is just about taking the blame for your death in Xiangyang. Whether Wang Daoning or Yang Jingxiu hinders me from taking over this city, it doesn’t matter. I’m not afraid of being blamed for your death, and the schemes of the Wang and Yang Clans might not succeed. After killing you, I can focus on playing chess with them.”

Tang Wanzhuang asked, “Has the prefectural governor fallen under the control of your heavenly maidens?”

“Take a guess.” Maitreya laughed. “Including you... These aristocratic families, high and mighty, think that just showing their face will solve everything. Absolute bullshit.”

Tang Wanzhuang did not respond. She knew that there was some truth to his words. She had overestimated her influence, coming here alone. There were many more factors that she should have considered besides the value of her face. But even if she had considered them, the mind-controlling techniques of the Maitreya Cult and the Four Idols Cult rendered all of her considerations meaningless.

Maitreya chuckled. “First Seat Tang, in our previous encounters, I was always at a disadvantage. The first time at the Ancient Sword Lake, it was a conflict between us and the Four Idols Cult, and you intervened out of nowhere. I didn’t want to fight you. The second time at your Tang Clan. Zhao Changhe and Tang Buqi ruined my plans; the situation was not in my favor, and I didn’t want to engage. In yesterday’s battle at Taihu Lake, we were evenly matched, but Tang Buqi took advantage of my vulnerability and broke my formation. But today...”

He pointed around the room, pointing out the presence of the members of the Maitreya Cult in the surroundings, “Today, the situation is in my favor.”

He then pointed toward the city lord’s mansion, “Your right-hand man, Li Sian, who is also a significant source of funds for your spy network, is currently in the hands of our heavenly maidens. Not only is his life at my mercy, but his money will soon also belong to our holy cult.”

After saying this, he looked up and down at Tang Wanzhuang’s beautiful body, a strange smile surfacing on his face. “First Seat Tang, are you willing to abandon your right-hand man, Xiangyang, Jiangnan, your reputation, and your moral integrity? Do you still want them?”

Tang Wanzhuang knew his words were meant to unsettle her.

They had always been evenly matched. If one side’s mind wavered, that side would lose. Previously, Maitreya’s mind had wavered, and now it seemed that it was her turn.

Tang Wanzhuang slowly drew her Spring Water Azure Waves Sword, pointing it at Maitreya. Her expression was calm. “It seems you still don’t know.”

Maitreya smiled, “Oh? Please enlighten me on what it is that I don’t know.”

“The only reason it has seemed like we’ve been evenly matched... is that I’ve been letting you believe so.”

Maitreya’s expression changed slightly, and then he sneered. “Then let’s see who perishes first. Will you cough to death first, or will your outburst kill me?”

1. This is the basin between the Yellow River and the Luo River. ☜