Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 455: The Saintess Shall Take the Seat

Lei Ao once publicly professed his love for Sisi, and Sisi responded by saying, “Let’s do this according to the customs of the Hundred Tribes. If you can beat me, I’ll follow you.”

They then fought in the street.

Although Lei Ao was said to be at the eighth or ninth layer of the Profound Gate, Sisi was around that level too, so on the surface, they appeared evenly matched. But in terms of skill and technique, Lei Ao was not even fit to carry Sisi’s shoes. It was a complete one-sided beating—physically speaking, she even slapped a tooth out of his mouth.

This incident was known to almost everyone in Xizhou Town, and Zhao Changhe heard about it from Sisi when he arrived.

Thinking back, he was not sure if Sisi had mentioned it to explain her distance from Lei Ao or just in passing. Maybe she did not mean anything by it, but he decided not to overthink it...

In any case, this incident unexpectedly gave Zhao Changhe the most solid foundation for his investigation. No matter how perfectly a disguise could be applied to the face or how closely someone resembled Lei Ao, a missing tooth that had to be replaced was not something that the technology of this era could accomplish.

The Rejuvenation Art might allow for a tooth to be regrown if the person was alive, but for a dead person, it would take literal divine intervention.

Thus, Lei Ao’s body in front of them was undoubtedly a fake.

The atmosphere in the hall became extremely awkward. Pan Wan and the others began to smirk slightly, curious about how Lei Zhentang would respond.

So he really couldn’t bear to kill his own son after all...

Sisi’s brow furrowed, not looking too pleased. She felt that Zhao Changhe had offended the Black Hmong Tribe to the point of no return by exposing this in public, possibly bringing a deadly grudge upon her Ancient Spirit Tribe. Sisi was not particularly afraid of the Black Hmong, but she was unhappy that Zhao Changhe had acted without consulting her, putting her tribe in a dangerous situation, and potentially disrupting many of her plans.

In a moment of reflection, she recalled the past.

She had done something similar to him before, though the circumstances were different, the nature of the act felt somewhat the same. She now came to realize why he had been so angry back then.

Sisi smiled bitterly to herself but said nothing, thinking that she might as well abandon her future plans and lead her tribe into hiding in the secret realm.

That would be the end of her connection with this troublesome man.

As everyone’s thoughts diverged, Lei Zhentang slowly spoke, “Indeed, our tribe has a method for dental implants. Two days ago, Lei Ao was fitted with a new tooth. What, does the Ancient Spirit Tribe’s protector not believe me? Shall I knock out one of your teeth and demonstrate the procedure for you?”

Zhao Changhe smiled slightly. “Last night, I crossed blades with your son.”

Lei Zhentang’s eyes narrowed.

So that’s how it is. No wonder he was so certain the body was fake even before checking the teeth... The two of them had fought the night before. Lei Ao likely had injuries that only he knew about, and he saw that this corpse was lacking them.

Lei Zhentang instinctively tightened his grip on the armrest, ready to lunge and kill Zhao Changhe the moment he spoke.

Taking a hard stance to intimidate everyone might be the final solution and his final option. After all, the claim that his son was killed was just an excuse. Those willing to unite had already done so, and as for people like Pan Wan and Xiang Simeng who continued to oppose him, he might as well take this chance to kill them all in one fell swoop. Though it would cause future trouble, there was no time to worry about that now.

However, Zhao Changhe only hinted at some things but went no further, not even bothering with what injuries he might have inflicted. Instead, he said, “Actually, whether this is your son or a substitute doesn’t change the fact that someone from the Great Xia Empire wanted to kill him. After all, Qi Siyuan confessed to it... He may have killed the wrong person, but that doesn’t change the essence of the matter.”

Lei Zhentang was taken aback. Why is this guy suddenly speaking on my behalf, and with such a reasonable argument at that? He even provided an excuse for having a substitute?

Sisi was also surprised, looking thoughtfully at Zhao Changhe’s back.

She felt that he probably had not intended to hold back at first, just wanting to expose this whole sham. But as he spoke, he must have realized it would harm her tribe, so he pulled back...

And that was indeed the case.

Zhao Changhe had originally intended to fully expose the truth, suspecting that Qi Siyuan was actually under the influence of gu. Everyone had been checking the corpse for signs of witchcraft and whatnot, yet no one had thought to investigate the assassin himself. He was just about to bring it up when he realized that pushing any further may greatly endanger Sisi’s tribe. It would have been crossing the line.

It was not like Zhao Changhe to turn a blind eye to an obviously fake case, but here he was, going along with it. Sisi watched him and suddenly smiled wryly, mocking herself.

Maybe she was overthinking things. Since when had he cared about her, his “maidservant?”

But then Zhao Changhe spoke: “If we of the Hundred Tribes were to rise up and resist the tyranny of the Xia, what would be the plan? Chief Lei, do you already have a strategy?”

Lei Zhentang could not figure out what Zhao Changhe was getting at and cautiously replied, “Of course, the plan would be to form a coalition of tribal armies, elect someone to act as the alliance leader, and jointly sweep out the forces of Xia within our borders. We’d also need to unite to defend against the Shu military’s suppression. Otherwise, if we fight separately, Di Muzhi’s army will crush us all!”

Zhao Changhe smiled faintly. “So this whole act... Oh, whether your son is dead or not, you’ve already made up your mind to be the tribal alliance’s leader, haven’t you, Chief Lei?”

There was no way Lei Zhentang could admit to something like that, so he replied, “Of course not! I’m just gathering everyone for justice. As for who will be the alliance leader, that’s up to everyone to vote on.”

Immediately, a leader from one of the tribes allied with the Black Hmong shouted, “I nominate Chief Lei! The Black Hmong Tribe was the royal tribe under the former king, their roots are pure and strong, and now they’re the most powerful among us. Chief Lei is also the strongest warrior. Who else but him could lead us as the alliance leader?”

Someone else, with a sinister tone, added, “Oh? So you want to restore the Black Hmong Kingdom, is that it?”

Everyone turned to look at the source of the voice, only to see a leader of a Hmong Tribe dressed in white, sneering. “You speak of the Xia people’s tyranny, but how is the Hmong Miao any better? In just a few decades, have you all forgotten how the Black Hmong King ruled back then? You, you, and you...”

He pointed around at several people. “Have you all forgotten how your ancestors were taken, flayed alive, and sacrificed? It seems like you’ve all forgotten, huh?”

Lei Zhentang coldly replied, “Has the White Tribe decided to side with the Xia as their lapdogs?”

The White Tribe, formerly known as the White Hmong Tribe, was a powerful tribe with great influence in the region.

The White Tribe leader sneered, “The Xia aren’t good, but neither are you. I’m fine with an alliance against the Xia, but only if you’re not the leader. Otherwise, to hell with your alliance—we’ll fight each other first!”

Pan Wan of the Yao tribe, another major tribe in the area, was not afraid of Lei Zhentang either and coldly added, “So, are you rallying us to fight against Xia tyranny, or are you just looking to make yourself the leader? That’s all we need to know.”

Lei Zhentang began to smile coldly.

Some of the tribes here had already been secretly won over by him, and many others were just small tribes going along with the tide. His excuse to rise up was meant to appeal to these smaller tribes. If he had to rely solely on brute force, he would lack a stable foundation, making future plans much harder to execute. That was why if Zhao Changhe had gone through with his revelation, he would have been forced to resort to a bloody crackdown—something he wanted to avoid at all costs.

But now, since the ruse had not been exposed, his “righteousness” was still intact. He was not afraid of a few rebellious voices from tribes like the White or Yao. He had always anticipated they would be difficult, and once they were swiftly dealt with, the others would not offer much resistance. At this point, some iron-fisted measures were necessary.

Just as he was about to make his move, “Si Laoye” casually approached Qi Siyuan and said, “Let me check for gu...”

“Hold on!” Lei Zhentang took a deep breath. “What exactly is it that you want to say? Just speak openly.”

“Oh, nothing much,” Zhao Changhe replied. “I was just thinking... We’re all talking about uniting against the Xia, yet here we are, about to fight amongst ourselves. Isn’t that just pointless?”

Lei Zhentang asked coldly, “What do you propose then, Protector Si?”

Zhao Changhe responded, “Why not form a council of five major tribes? We can then let them vote on all major decisions.”

Lei Zhentang’s face twitched, not liking the idea.

But Zhao Changhe now held all the cards—first, he threatened to expose the fake corpse, and now he was hinting at checking if Qi Siyuan was being controlled by gu. If this got out, everything would collapse.

Lei Zhentang discreetly flicked his finger, silently sending a fine needle toward Zhao Changhe’s ribs.

But Zhao Changhe seemed to have anticipated this. With a light flick of his sleeve, the needle was deflected and got stuck in his robe, turning into yet another piece of evidence against Lei Zhentang.

It was not the trouble of a clever mind that Lei Zhentang feared—it was the fact that the person causing trouble was also a skilled warrior.

Lei Zhentang glared at Zhao Changhe for a long time before saying, “Does your tribe let its protector speak for them in all things? Do you speak for your saintess?”

Sisi had already seen through the dynamics of the situation and smiled radiantly, “He represents me.”

“Very well,” Lei Zhentang finally said. “Do the White and Yao tribes have any objections?”

The two tribal chiefs exchanged glances, understanding that if they continued to oppose him, it would lead to bloodshed right then and there. Si Laoye’s proposal was already the best possible compromise for everyone, so they both shook their heads. “It’s acceptable.”

The White and Yao tribes only make up two seats. As long as my side can secure the other three seats, this proposal would be meaningless.

Lei Zhentang silently calculated and then said, “Then we shall proceed with the five-tribe council. Everyone can begin making nominations.”

The hall erupted into chaos, with people talking over each other, voicing their opinions.

Sisi leaned in close to Zhao Changhe and whispered, “Based on the strength of the tribes, it’s likely that the Black Hmong, Yi[1], White, and Yao tribes will secure four of the seats. No matter how much they argue, the overall strength ranking won’t change. The fight is really for the fifth seat... At this point, there isn’t any one tribe that clearly surpasses the others. Since you proposed this idea, I assume you have a candidate in mind for that fifth seat. Who are you thinking?”

Zhao Changhe whispered back, “You’re not going to fight for it?”

“Me?” Sisi looked at him strangely. “My tribe only has a few hundred people here.”

“Then who are you afraid of?”

“Other than those four tribes, I’m not really afraid of anyone else.”

“So why not fight for it?” Zhao Changhe lowered his voice, “I acted too rashly earlier and caused you some trouble. I owe you an apology... so let me make it up to you.”

Sisi stared at him intently.

Zhao Changhe continued, “How about I help you win a seat? In the future, when your Ancient Spirit Tribe finally decides to emerge, this can be your base for any future expansion.”

Sisi was silent for a moment. “How?”

At that very moment, Lei Zhentang asked, “Protector Si, everyone is making their nominations. Why don’t you nominate a tribe you support?”

Zhao Changhe responded, “Favoring kin is no crime. I nominate the Spirit Tribe for the fifth seat.”

The hall fell silent once again, everyone staring at Zhao Changhe as if witnessing a miracle.

Zhao Changhe acted as if he did not notice their stares and said calmly, “Someone mentioned earlier that Chief Lei is the strongest, right? That means it’s not just about the overall strength of the tribe but also respect for individual power, correct?”

Lei Zhentang nodded, “Indeed, what do you propose?”

Clang!

Zhao Changhe drew his longsword. “Anyone who defeats me may take the fifth seat. If nobody is able to, then my tribe’s saintess shall take the seat.”

1. The Yi or Nuosu people are an ethnic group in southern China. Numbering nine million people, they are the seventh largest of the 56 ethnic minority groups recognized by China. They live primarily in rural areas of Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangxi, usually in mountainous regions. ☜