Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 192: You Said You Were Afraid

The two of them did not speak much along the way and they soon arrived at the base of the Four Idols Cult in the city.

This was not a branch of the Four Idols Cult but rather a temporary residence, much like the one they had in Sword Lake City. It was a large mansion mainly occupied by Chichi’s subordinates, including Elder You, the Azure Dragon Protector.

When he saw a woman wearing a red robe reserved for Vermillion Bird and a mask meant for the Fire Serpent of Yi bringing Zhao Changhe in, Elder You and the other’s eyes nearly popped right out of their sockets.

Vermillion Bird glared at them, causing them to start sweating profusely. They lowered their heads, not daring to speak.

Vermillion Bird said, “Protector You, are the venerable and the saintess here?”

“...” Elder You wiped the sweat off his brow. “The saintess is out on official business. As... as for the venerable, I believe that she should be in the inner courtyard.”

Vermillion Bird was very satisfied with Elder You’s situational awareness. She turned to Zhao Changhe and said, “You can feel free to ask them about Cui Yuanyang’s whereabouts. I will go to the inner courtyard to report to the venerable. Wait for me to see if she has anything to say to you. Don’t leave on your own, it would be rude. It would not be good for you if the venerable became angry.”

Zhao Changhe said helplessly, “Do I look like such a person? Go ahead.”

Under the watchful eyes of Elder You and the others, Vermillion Bird quickly disappeared into the inner courtyard. She changed into the Vermillion Bird mask, and then after some thought, she switched out to another set of robes with slightly different patterns before checking herself in the bronze mirror.

The mask for the Fire Serpent of Yi covered the entire face, including her lips, leaving nothing to be seen by others.

Meanwhile, the Vermillion Bird mask only covered half of her face, with the tip of her nose ending in the shape of a bird’s beak, while her lips looked as if she had applied a shiny rouge.

“Sensual lips... What a strange description,” Vermillion Bird muttered to herself softly. “What does that word mean again?”

No matter what it actually means, it should be a compliment, so I guess it’s good. There’s no harm in hearing more of such things.

Vermillion Bird admired herself for a while longer before leisurely walking out.

As she entered the hall, she heard Zhao Changhe’s raised voice, “Chichi is going to kill Yangyang?”

Elder You said, “Um, we’re also worried about the saintess, so we actually came to talk to the venerable about canceling the mission. Cui Yuanyang is currently guarded by many experts. So, unless we’re prepared to engage in a full-scale battle against them... but there really isn’t a need for that.”

“Hm?” Vermillion Bird walked out. Her voice returned to its usual tone—lazy and enchanting but tinged with a biting coldness. “Is it up to you to decide whether such missions are necessary or not, Elder You?”

“Of course not.” Elder You and the others fell to their knees. “We are simply worried about the saintess. Even if the mission is successful, it will be difficult for her to escape. If it must be carried out, we implore the Venerable to go and provide assistance.”

Among the people kneeling, Zhao Changhe remained standing, causing him to stand out. Vermillion Bird’s gaze fell on him, finding his calm demeanor somewhat strange, “You have nothing to say?”

Zhao Changhe was initially startled but quickly regained his composure.

How could Chichi actually do something like that? Besides, the mission is suspicious in the first place. I doubt that Vermillion Bird gave that mission out seriously. It’s likely another test to see how Chichi sees our past relationship.

After hearing Vermillion Bird’s question, Zhao Changhe replied, “I believe that your cult would not want its own saintess to foolishly and knowingly walk into danger. Based on my understanding of Chichi, if the mission cannot be completed, she will naturally give up. So, I personally feel that there isn’t a need to worry too much. If there is anything I want to say to you, then it would be about something else.”

Vermillion Bird said coldly, “Speak.”

“If you sent your cult’s saintess out on such a mission just to test whether she and I still hold our past relationship, all the while disregarding the severity of the situation... then I must say that you have truly disappointed me, venerable.”

Vermillion Bird suddenly wanted to go around him and see if there was any sweat on his back.

Are you seriously having any palpitations? You said that you were afraid of me... yet this is how you act before me? Or is it that because you care so much about Chichi’s safety, your anger clouds your fear even when confronting the person you fear the most?

“I have my own considerations. Don’t assume that everything revolves around you and act so self-righteously,” Vermillion Bird said calmly. “Of course, just in case, I will go to assist her immediately. As for you...”

She paused and said, “The Fire Serpent of Yi told me a couple of things, and I have some questions to ask you. Accompany me and we can talk on the way. Let’s go.”

After saying that, she waved her sleeve and left.

Although her attitude was cold, the outcome was acceptable. Zhao Changhe was, in fact, drenched in cold sweat as he followed her out obediently and asked, “Where is the Fire Serpent of Yi?”

“Since she has completed her mission, then she naturally must have gone off to do something else. Why are you asking about her?” Vermillion Bird flew ahead of him. “Could it be that you have taken a liking to her?”

Zhao Changhe followed after her, feeling speechless. “Not at all. I don’t even know what she looks like, so how could I just suddenly fall in love with her? I say, venerable, I understand that the higher-ups in your cult can’t casually talk about their emotions or relationships. After all, there have been incidents in the past that can make you wary, but there’s no need to be so sensitive about everything, is there?”

Vermillion Bird simply acted as if she had not heard what he said, displaying an attitude that suggested that he had no right to advise her on anything. She instead continued to inquire, “She said that Wang Daozhong was causing trouble for her, and you stood in front of her to confront Wang Daozhong. Why did you do that?”

Zhao Changhe sighed helplessly and said, “She was just tasked with asking me a few questions. She didn’t do anything wrong, so why should she be threatened with violence? Just because of her affiliation with the Four Idols Cult? I don’t see anything wrong with that identity. At least when compared to the Wang Clan, the Four Idols Cult might not necessarily be the villains.”

Finally, Vermillion Bird stopped talking, flying ahead aloofly for a while. Suddenly, she grew impatient and said, “You’re too slow.”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

Vermillion Bird reached out and grabbed the back of his collar. Before Zhao Changhe could even think of resisting, he was already lifted up, and in the next moment, they were already outside the city, moving at an incredible speed.

Vermillion Bird’s cold laughter could faintly be heard in the wind. “You’re so weak, yet you dare to talk so confidently to me!”

Zhao Changhe, now at the mercy of his captor, decided not to struggle and simply crossed his arms, refraining from retorting.

It was true that she was much faster than him. It was better to intervene sooner rather than later to prevent any actual trouble from arising. Thus, he had no concerns about losing some face at the moment.

The disparity in their cultivation was just too vast. Although the movement art taught to him by Tang Wanzhuang had significantly made up for his shortcomings in this area, when compared to someone like Vermillion Bird, it was basically worthless.

Even her grabbing motion had been so swift that he did not have the time to react. She truly was worthy to be the person he both admired and feared the most.

But this time, upon seeing her again, he did not feel as afraid of her as he had before. He was not exactly sure why this was so. Her attitude was obviously still very cold, but for some reason, it felt like she was not looking down on him as much. In the past, her gaze had swept past him as if he were an ant. But now, he at least did not feel like an ant anymore. He felt more like a small cat as she carried him.

Her attitude hasn’t changed, and she still has that same disdainful gaze, so is the difference in my own mind?

Could it be because I’ve gained some fame now? Or is it because of my familiarity with Tang Wanzhuang? Tang Wanzhuang actually even ranks higher than Vermillion Bird, even though she’s ill. Once she recovers, she should be much stronger than Vermillion Bird. Is it because I’ve gotten familiar with someone like her that I no longer feel the same awe I did toward Vermillion Bird?

But then, he heard Vermillion Bird say, “If I were to invite you to join the cult, offering you a top position, would you be willing to join?”

Zhao Changhe came back to his senses and asked curiously, “What kind of top position?”

“There are still vacancies in the Twenty-Eight Mansions. If you become one of the constellations, you can learn the relevant martial arts. Moreover, being one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions not only grants you a high rank in the cult, but also considerable authority.”

For example, the position of Fire Serpent of Yi was vacant, and the mask had not been given out to anyone.

What Zhao Changhe thought of when he heard this was Wan Dongliu’s sudden strike that was like a venomous snake in the water, and how slippery he had been. Both the offensive and defensive means he used that came from the Four Idols Cult seemed much stronger than the martial arts of the Cao Gang.

But he still shook his head and said, “I’ll have to decline your generous offer. I won’t join the cult.”

He could clearly feel the hand gripping his neck tightening, and the palpable threat coming from Vermillion Bird, “Why? Do you look down on my Four Idols Cult?”

“No, I’ve already told the Fire Serpent of Yi that I don’t really believe in gods. So, logically speaking, you shouldn’t even think of me as someone suitable to join the cult.”

Vermillion Bird fell silent.

From this perspective, it did seem somewhat inappropriate. However, his other remarks were quite fitting for the cult, especially his long-term goals. They could almost be considered to be completely aligned with the cult’s objectives.

However, since he did not have any faith, it was natural for him to not want to join.

Why would a reputable martial artist of the jianghu want to bear the identity of a demonic cult member? It was quite normal.

The question now was what attitude she should take toward him. Forcing him to join was definitely not appropriate, nor was tempting him with benefits. Those who could be bought over were also prone to betrayal, and the cult generally did not engage in such actions with those who were not truly aligned with their cause.

More importantly, the cult preferred quality over quantity, and that was one of the reasons their numbers were much lower compared to the Maitreya Cult. They mainly employed subsidiary and auxiliary forces, the Blood God Cult for instance, to make up for their shortage of manpower. The core members of the cult had always been few. The reason why they had not readily brought Zhao Changhe into the Four Idols Cult initially was mainly due to this consideration as well, rather than disdain or contempt.

Either way, this matter needed further consideration.

While she was in thought, they caught sight of smoke and dust in the distance.

The Cui Clan’s convoy was there, and from afar, two girls could be seen walking side by side with smiles on their faces.