Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 512: Snow Owl

The Miao in the south yet dared not cross their borders, and thus heroes descended from Emei.

Perhaps Li Shentong had been waiting for this moment for a long time... waiting for the opportunity that Di Muzhi’s departure from the heart of Shu would provide!

He could not secretly develop a vast hidden force like Maitreya—he only had so many followers. How could he conquer cities and seize territory? Even the bandits of Mount Liang could barely hold a city after breaking through its gates; ultimately, they were forced to retreat back to their mountain and once more reduced to mere bandits[1]...

To attack Chengdu[2] directly or quietly take off Di Muzhi’s head might have been easy for Li Shentong. But there was a lurking threat—a venomous snake in the shadows.

Snow Owl was an assassin. As long as an assassin remained hidden, the level of threat they posed was at its greatest. Thus, Li Shentong had endured, waiting for his chance.

It was only a dignified, open confrontation that could break that threat.

In a clash of armies, an assassin would have no choice but to draw their sword and face their enemy head-on.

This was exactly what Li Shentong wanted; he wanted Snow Owl to confront him directly. Once an assassin was exposed, a man forged as iron would have nothing to fear.

And so it happened that Di Muzhi led his troops southward, away from the core of Shu, to the open plains of Litang. When Li Shentong received this news, he only needed a single breath of time to decide. In the next moment, the disciples of the Divine Brilliance Sect swept down from their mountain, decisively launching their assault.

Di Muzhi had just been thinking that no matter how disorganized his army was, it hardly mattered since the Miao would not dare attack. Yet he now found himself facing a truly ironic situation as he confronted the charge of several thousand elites from the Divine Brilliance Sect.

Di Muzhi and the other high-ranking officers in the command tent hurriedly headed toward the gate to witness the approaching flood of enemies. Every single one of their faces bore a grim expression.

Just looking at the bronze-skinned man leading the charge, they felt as if they were seeing the King of Hell coming to claim their lives.

It was Li Shentong, fifth on the Ranking of Heaven!

In this setting, he was even more fearsome than the fourth-ranked Yuxu... because he was truly impervious to weapons, and ordinary soldiers truly meant nothing to him!

“Release the arrows! Release the arrows!”

In all fairness, numbers did provide some advantages. No matter how disorganized the army, when tens of thousands of soldiers loosed arrows at once, it was a magnificent sight—darkening the sky, blotting out the sun.

Yet Li Shentong surged forward, and this rain of arrows fell upon him as if it was nothing more than a gentle drizzle, incapable of even scratching him a little.

In the blink of an eye, Li Shentong reached the gate of the camp, and from a fair distance, he unleashed a punch.

Boom!

With a thunderous roar like that of an earthen dragon, a powerful blast of energy shattered the gate into splinters. It offered no resistance whatsoever, and many of the soldiers standing behind the gate were turned into pulp from the sheer force of the blow.

Not even the most powerful battering ram could do something like that. In fact, Zhao Changhe felt that the strike had the power of an explosive cannon shell.

All the soldiers turned pale, panic already setting in, and many began to fall back. Who would dare face this human-shaped dragon head-on?

Once morale broke and troops began fleeing, it would not matter if the enemy forces only had a few thousand troops—Li Shentong alone was worth ten thousand. And without a worthy opponent to block such a vanguard, a top Ranking of Heaven warrior like him on the battlefield was as lethal as a war machine.

Di Muzhi, gritting his teeth, led his officers to encircle Li Shentong, shouting sharply, “Li Shentong, are you truly intent on rebelling?”

If they could suppress him, their numerical superiority could still turn the tide.

Li Shentong cast them a scornful glance. “I am exterminating a villain of the people. How is this rebellion?”

Di Muzhi put on a fierce front, but his words belied his inner fear. “Are you not afraid that His Majesty will come and crush your Divine Brilliance Sect?!”

Anyone who had established a sect or a family lineage was no longer unburdened; they had to consider the well-being of their sect or family. Countless heroes were shackled by such concerns, bending their heads and wasting away.

Li Shentong laughed to the heavens. “The Divine Brilliance Sect has no home, no family, no ties, nor worries. Even if that foolish emperor comes, we shall fight to the death. What is there to fear?!”

With his laughter, both sides closed the distance. Li Shentong clenched his fist once more, unleashing a thunderous strike.

No one knew that in the midst of their exchange, a subtle voice transmission reached Li Shentong’s ear. “Sect Master Li, keep an eye on Di Muzhi’s aide, Xie Ruhai. He is likely Snow Owl.”

A flicker of understanding crossed Li Shentong’s eyes. He let out a boisterous laugh and responded, “Alright!”

A burst of fist energy clashed simultaneously with several weapons.

At that exact moment, a near-imperceptible killing intent struck toward Li Shentong’s side.

However, Li Shentong had not fully committed to the punch he had launched before. It merely dispersed Di Muzhi and his men before transforming into a fierce blast, slamming viciously toward the source of the sneak attack.

A shrill screeching sound rang out, and both sides staggered slightly. Snow Owl, whose ambush had failed and got struck by the far more powerful counterstrike, took the brunt of it, stumbling back two extra steps with a grim expression. “How did you know it was me, Young Hero Zhao?”

It really is Xie Ruhai!

Judging from those words, Zhao Changhe’s voice transmission had been intercepted—the abilities of those on the Ranking of Heaven clearly exceeded Zhao Changhe’s understanding.

Di Muzhi stared at Zhao Changhe in disbelief. He’s a rebel too? But he’s fought at Yanmen and secured Jiangnan, showing pure loyalty to the nation every step of the way!

Standing outside the formation, Zhao Changhe smiled faintly. “Shi Wuding was not someone who engaged in social dealings; his heart was wholly focused on his sword. Yet, multiple sources indicated that disciples of the Sword Hut had extensive interactions throughout Shu—suspicious, to say the least. That obviously could not have been Shi Wuding’s doing. He wasn’t even aware that he was a pawn in someone else’s game. The Sword Hut served as a front for the Snow-Listening Pavilion, and all of this was orchestrated by none other than the master of Snow-Listening Pavilion.”

“What does that have to do with me, a mere unassuming aide?” Snow Owl questioned.

“Earlier, I mentioned to Prefectural Governor Di that Snow Owl had killed Shi Wuding. The governor’s reaction was one of utter disbelief, though he immediately controlled himself. Fortunately, my eyes are pretty sharp. His reaction shows that he has interacted with Snow Owl and that they’re very closely connected. In fact, he should be so close with Snow Owl that they’re able to facilitate continued and immediate communication.”

“And how are you able to conclude that we’re able to communicate in that way?”

“Over a month ago, Wang Daozhong traveled south, and no sooner had he arrived than Shi Wuding came looking for him—clearly at Prefectural Governor Di’s request. Although Wang Daozhong traveled at a leisurely pace, joining Li Sian’s convoy, considering Prefectural Governor Di’s resources...” Zhao Changhe gestured toward the gathered soldiers. “Sending a messenger ahead to overtake Wang Daozhong and accurately locate Shi Wuding to relay information... Well, such precision and coordination are simply far beyond what the governor is capable of. Even if he had a few elites, it’s unlikely they would be dispatched urgently for someone like Wang Daozhong, who isn’t of such importance.”

Di Muzhi remained silent.

“It could only be the Snow-Listening Pavilion that is capable of maintaining such communication, and it’s quite possible that Snow Owl was transmitting information directly through some form of mind control. Is that enough?”

Xie Ruhai looked impressed. “No wonder you’ve come to be renowned as a sharp investigator who has solved several major cases for the Demon Suppression Bureau. You certainly have a keen mind. But even if you deduced Prefectural Governor Di’s interactions with the Snow-Listening Pavilion, how did you conclude it was me?”

“Having deduced this much, the aide who’s inseparable from Prefectural Governor Di naturally became the primary suspect. What confirmed it for me was Prefectural Governor Di’s reaction to Sect Master Li’s charge—rather than fleeing, he led his men to face the attack... Where did he get such confidence? There was only one possibility: while he himself could divert Sect Master Li’s attention, he had a hidden ace beside him that was capable of striking fear into Sect Master Li. The only one who fits that bill is you.”

During this brief exchange, the disciples of the Divine Brilliance Sect behind Li Shentong had already reached the gate. Shouts and cries erupted as both sides formally engaged.

Snow Owl slowly drew his sword and pointed it at Li Shentong, speaking coolly, “Sect Master Li, you’ve avoided direct confrontation with me for so long. Why put everything on the line now? It’s not easy to nurture thousands of disciples. If you’re preoccupied with me, how many of them will perish here?”

Li Shentong threw his head back in laughter. “Do you think I’ve been standing here listening to you two talk because I fear you? I was merely giving Young Hero Zhao some face, letting him shine a little more in front of everyone.”

Snow Owl: “...”

Zhao Changhe: “Umm...”

“Now that a rat hiding in the shadows has stepped out into the light, what’s there to fear?” Li Shentong’s muscles bulged, and he roared, “Die!”

He unleashed another thunderous punch, stirring winds and shifting clouds.

The battle between the fifth and the sixth on the Ranking of Heaven unfolded on the southwestern frontier, by the banks of Litang River.

Regardless of who emerged victorious, for the moment, Li Shentong was effectively held at bay. Could the thousands of Divine Radiance Sect disciples prevail against an army of forty thousand?

If Di Muzhi were leading them with no opposition, the answer might still be uncertain.

But Zhao Changhe was also here.

Di Muzhi took a deep breath and turned to Zhao Changhe. “Young Hero Zhao, what exactly is it that you want?”

1. This is a reference to the righteous bandits of Mount Lian, figures well known from Water Margin. In the novel, they are a group of 108 bandits who gather on Mount Liang to resist corrupt officials and injustice. ☜

2. Capital of Sichuan/Shu. ☜