Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 560: He Knows Too Much

In a world where cannons were still rather unreliable, naval warfare remained brutal and primitive. After several rounds of arrows and bolts, battles devolved into massive ships ramming into one another, trying to overpower the other through sheer force. Before long, the waters were filled with the wreckage of sunken vessels—a scene at once grand and brutal.

If ramming did not succeed in sinking a ship, the combatants resorted to boarding it, leading to vicious hand-to-hand combat. People like Hai Qianfan and Hua Zhenming leaped aboard enemy ships, slaughtering their way through opponents like tigers in flocks of sheep.

When the Penglai fleet joined forces with the pirates to assault the other nations, it was no battle but a massacre. Two giant powers pummeling a group of smaller, far weaker fleets was akin to two grown men beating up a group of five-year-olds.

From the perspective of achieving the total annihilation of the coalition fleet, this strategy was far more effective than having them act as cannon fodder. After all, if they were used as pawns, none of these forces would go all out. Even if they were sent to scout ahead, they could easily slack off or merely pretend to search, which made it difficult to determine whether they had gathered anything useful. Naval warfare, after all, was much different from land warfare.

Only by completely tearing up any pretense of cooperation and launching an all-out, two-pronged attack could they achieve the maximum possible results. The larger the ship, the harder it was to turn and flee. Once encircled from both sides, escaping was nearly impossible.

Lai Qi was stunned, stammering, “Marshal Hai, you... you’re allied with the Heavenly Origin Pirates?”

Hai Changkong remained calm, replying, “Don’t ask questions you shouldn’t.”

Lai Qi found it remarkable that Hai Changkong had not decided to kill him just for daring to ask.

Hai Changkong continued, “If you truly understand the situation, you should recognize that this is indeed the will of the Sea God. And, of course... whether you can speak of it to others, well, you understand that too. I need a third-party from the allied fleet to go out and deliver the official story. General Lai, you’re a smart man, and you fit the role perfectly.”

Lai Qi sighed, reluctantly nodding. “What do you want me to say, marshal?”

“Naturally, you’ll say that spies infiltrated the coalition, leading to a sneak attack by the pirates that caused heavy casualties—even my fleet lost several ships. Didn’t you see it yourself?”

“...But marshal, won’t retreating damage your reputation?” Nôv(el)B\\jnn

“The will of the Sea God takes precedence. What does my personal reputation matter?”

With a complex expression, Lai Qi nodded, “Understood. I know what to report.”

Hai Changkong looked at him for a moment before casually adding, “And where are your two personal guards?”

Lai Qi’s heart skipped a beat, and he turned around to see that Zhao Changhe and Lady Three were nowhere to be found.

Hai Changkong smiled faintly, patting Lai Qi’s shoulder. “Who delivers the official story is ultimately of little importance. Choosing you wasn’t merely because you arrived early and were the weakest. In fact, being too weak makes your story less credible... However, I chose you for a reason... Heh.”

Without further explanation, he strode off toward one of the seemingly unassuming escort ships in the Penglai fleet.

Lai Qi frowned deeply, realizing there was more to Hai Changkong’s words. Did he choose me because of the two guards I had? Is there something else involved? But where did those two go?

* * *

Regardless of past grievances or pirate affiliations, Zhao Changhe could not tolerate the sight of a cult sacrificing followers to awaken some evil god.

War was one thing, but to deceive others into being sacrificed for some ritual? Zhao Changhe found it intolerable. If he could ignore such things for the sake of his “greater plan,” then one day, he would not even have the right to face Yue Hongling again.

So he asked Lady Three, “Sacrifices usually involve arrays, right? It can’t be as simple as just killing people, can it?”

“Of course,” Lady Three replied, knowing what he was thinking. “Are you thinking of destroying it?”

“Mm-hm.” Zhao Changhe sighed. “We don’t fully understand what this war is truly about. There’s still too much we don’t know. But stopping the sacrificial ritual to the evil god—that’s something we can manage. At the very least, we can prevent the Sea God from reviving easily.”

Lady Three was silent for a moment, then said, “Follow me.”

As the Venerable Black Tortoise of the Four Idols Cult, she was all too familiar with these matters... Rituals involving the sea were nothing compared to the knowledge possessed by the Four Idols Cult. She could easily discern how the sacrificial energy flowed and identify the core of the sacrificial array with just a glance.

It was hidden aboard one of the unassuming escort vessels within the fleet of the Penglai warships. Anyone who discovered something was amiss would probably head straight for the flagship or assume it was on the island. Who would have thought it would be concealed within an ordinary-looking ship?

That very ship was still actively engaged in battle as they moved.

Taking advantage of the chaos, the two slipped into the lower decks. Though the guards there were formidable, to these two, they were no more a hindrance than air.

Before Zhao Changhe could even make a move, a waft of fragrance passed by, and Lady Three had already incapacitated all the guards with a few swift strikes, leaving them unconscious on the side.

Zhao Changhe glanced at Lady Three and sighed. “Were you afraid that I’d kill them?”

Lady Three pursed her lips. “Who said that? They’re not my people. Kill them if you want.”

Zhao Changhe chuckled silently. He knew her conflicted emotions ran deep enough to make even a tortoise want to retreat into its shell. He decided not to dwell on it further and turned his attention to the strange sacrificial array before him.

Compared to the kind of grand array one would expect for the revival of a god—something that would span across the Seven Seas—this array was pitifully small. But in truth, it was the largest formation Zhao Changhe had ever seen in this world. The ship was no mere skiff, and the array spread across the entire hull of the massive sea vessel.

The array emitted a soft blue light, flowing and shimmering like water, inscribed with runes that Zhao Changhe could not comprehend. At its core was a familiar blue crystal, from which a malicious eye slowly emerged, staring at the two intruders.

Zhao Changhe drew Dragon Bird. “If I understand correctly, destroying that crystal core will stop the array, right?”

That was precisely correct.

The eye on the crystal transformed into a transparent figure of water, its gaze cold. “It’s a pity you won’t succeed.”

Zhao Changhe smirked. “How many of these water-cored constructs has the Sea Emperor created? If he’s got so much time, why doesn’t he just come and face us himself?”

The water figure remained silent.

Swish!

Zhao Changhe’s saber flashed across the space between them, aiming for the water figure’s face. “We’ve already killed one of you before, so we can certainly destroy another!”

Clang!

The water figure raised its hand to block Dragon Bird but a flash of astonishment appeared on its face.

In the past, Zhao Changhe’s slash would have simply been like trying to sever water with a blade—achieving nothing. But at this moment, as his saber met water, it did not pass through, striking it solidly.

It was not that the water figure had gathered strength to resist—it was that the saber itself no longer passed through. It landed solidly on the water figure, creating a genuine clash of energies!

Though Zhao Changhe grunted under the rebound force, he did not fare as badly as the water figure, whose entire body rippled under the impact. It was evident that the strike had dealt some damage.

If a punch could scatter ocean waves, would the same principles, applied through a blade, not achieve the same effect?

In the next instant, a heavy fist howled through the air—Lady Three’s punch had already reached its target.

Bang!

The head of the water figure, freshly formed, shattered into a mess of splattered droplets.

The water droplets were scattered in all directions, each one easily piercing through the deck, leaving the ship’s hold riddled with holes, causing it to begin to sway.

A sigh sounded from outside the cabin. “We can’t let the ship be destroyed. If the array merges into the sea, its destructiveness will only increase. There’s even a possibility of this entire region of the sea mutating. Otherwise, why do you think we’d keep it on this unassuming ship?”

Lady Three turned abruptly, locking eyes with Hai Changkong, whose gaze held a complex mix of emotions.

“It has been over ten years, and to see the princess so valiant... it truly stirs many emotions within me.” Hai Changkong sighed. “Truly, Your Highness should never have returned... You know nothing of the affairs at sea anymore. Blindly interfering will only cause disaster... Besides...”

Lady Three coldly asked, “Besides what?”

“Besides, it only rekindles my desire to kill you.” Hai Changkong slowly drew his long saber, his voice low. “Since you already set foot on the mainland, why come back here?”

Lady Three did not seem to notice him drawing his saber, replying coolly, “You’ve known I was here all along?”

“Lai Qi isn’t the problem, but many on his ship aren’t even human, though he might not even realize it himself.” Hai Changkong smiled faintly. “When you revealed yourself, the images were transmitted to us immediately... especially since you still carried injuries that have yet to heal.”

Lady Three sighed. “So even when I disguised myself as Lai Qi’s personal guard to meet you, you were fully aware and yet gave no indication. Since when did men of the sea grow to be as cunning as you?”

“Well, there’s a really simple explanation, really. Those who weren’t as cunning have long since become fish food.” Hai Changkong paused, then suddenly laughed. “Setting the past aside, we have a question that has long gone unanswered. Now that you’re here, perhaps we can finally get an answer.”

Lady Three asked, “What is it?”

Hai Changkong lifted his long saber, his expression solemn. “Where does my strength rank on the Rankings of Troubled Times? You bear the title of Black Tortoise, second on the Ranking of Earth, feared throughout the world... So where do we, these men of old Jiangnan, stand?”

Lady Three looked him up and down, then broke into a slight, amused smile. “Heh, you’re not even worthy to face me.”

With that, she turned back to the water figure, whose head had already reformed. It watched the two of them coldly, as if analyzing the information within their exchange.

A broad saber now stood in the middle, barring the way. Zhao Changhe grinned, his teeth showing. “The little pig under Venerable Black Tortoise requests Marshal Hai to offer me some guidance.”

Hai Changkong’s gaze left Lady Three, and though he had clearly been humiliated, his expression remained unchanged.

He eyed Zhao Changhe’s broad saber with some interest. “Where do you rank on the Rankings of Troubled Times?”

Zhao Changhe replied, “I’m not even on the rankings.”

“There’s no need to lie to me. First on the Ranking of Man, Zhao Changhe, willing to become a little pig for our princess’ favor.” Hai Changkong burst into laughter. “The King of Man’s romantic achievements are known even on the seas.”