Tome of Troubled Times-Chapter 714: The Axe

After a brief discussion, Zhao Changhe and Yue Hongling decided to disguise themselves and investigate discreetly. Even if their concerns turned out to be unnecessary, it was better to err on the side of caution than to act recklessly.

Hiding within the forest, Zhao Changhe took out the Qinghe Mirror and examined his reflection, contemplating how he should disguise himself. The rough, yellow-faced look he had used in the past had become too recognizable. His more recent disguise as Wang Daozhong was no longer an option either, as the man was dead.

“Poor Daozhong,” Zhao Changhe lamented with a sigh. “I didn’t even get the chance to visit his grave and light some incense.”

Muttering to himself, he began applying powder to his face. Before long, the image of Snow Owl came to be reflected in the mirror.

He adjusted his voice, letting out a series of eerie, raspy laughs. Then, he turned to Yue Hongling and asked, “How do I look?”

Yue Hongling burst into laughter. “Snow Owl is usually quite composed. You’re overdoing it. You’re acting more like Wang Daozhong. Tone it down a little.”

“Oh, right, I’ll be more restrained.”

“Also, don’t touch me while having that face on.”

“...” Zhao Changhe had no choice but to let the comment slide. Picking up a brush, he began applying the disguise powder to Yue Hongling’s face. “Here, you pick a look too. That old Si Furen disguise won’t do anymore. Come to think of it, that name was terrible—it sounded like you were Sisi’s wife. You’re my wife. You should’ve been called Zhao Furen[1].”

Yue Hongling was both amused and exasperated, but she let him continue without protest. Before long, the face staring back at her in the mirror was a chaotic, unattractive mess.

“You’re so petty,” she complained. “You can’t even stand the thought of someone glancing at me, can you?”

“That’s not it,” Zhao Changhe responded seriously. “It’s just that no matter how I try to imagine a different face for you, it always ends up looking far worse than your original one.”

The blind woman: “Ugh...”

Having heard few compliments in her life, Yue Hongling was genuinely pleased and accepted his reasoning. “Alright, I’ll let you off. So, what’s the plan now?”

Zhao Changhe glanced out of the forest, his expression thoughtful.

Miaojiang did not actually refer to just Miaojiang alone. Taoyuan Town alone housed an entrance to the Spirit Tribe’s secret realm—a vast area spanning thousands of li. It was essentially two territories in one. As for Sisi’s current location, whether she was outside or inside the secret realm, no one knew for sure.

Even within Miaojiang proper, the area was vast. If Sisi was outside the Spirit Tribe’s secret realm, she could be in Taoyuan Town, Dali, or even a larger city like Kunming. The possibilities were endless.

Yue Hongling suggested, “In that case, it’s better if we split up. I’ve been to Dali before, back when I was hunting down the pacification commissioner, so I know the routes there pretty well. I’ll head to Dali and look around. You check out Taoyuan Town. Regardless of what we find, we’ll meet back here at midnight to share what we’ve learned.”

Zhao Changhe hesitated. “I was planning for us to move around together.”

Yue Hongling burst into laughter. “We’re two people. Why would we do one person’s work when we can accomplish twice as much by splitting up? Dividing tasks and sharing information isn’t any less ’together.’ Come on, don’t be childish.”

Zhao Changhe relented, nodding. “Alright, midnight tonight, we meet back here—no exceptions. Oh, take the Qinghe Mirror with you. I’ve been practicing the Diamond Sutra, so I’m much better at resisting curses and poisons, but the curses and gu poison in this place might still be an issue for you, so it’s better if you carry it.”

Yue Hongling did not argue. She accepted the mirror, then gracefully pushed off, shooting backward into the air, giving a casual farewell gesture as she disappeared into the distance.

Zhao Changhe, in a good mood, glanced once more at his reflection in a nearby stream, Snow Owl’s face staring back at him. Satisfied, he left the forest, signaling Snow-Treading Crow to graze freely, and headed toward Taoyuan Town.

* * *

It was still morning by the time Zhao Changhe arrived, and the bustling town market had not yet closed for lunch. The streets were lively, teeming with people

The biggest difference between Taoyuan Town and other places like Dali was its population. Most residents were Xia—well, Han. As he walked through the streets, the atmosphere felt indistinguishable from a town in the Central Plains: similar clothing, similar language. The only reminders that this was not truly part of the Central Plains were the architectural styles and the occasional presence of non-Han people.

It was a veritable Chinatown.

Zhao Changhe strolled confidently through the streets, navigating from memory toward the main settlement where the Spirit Tribe resided.

From a distance, he spotted the settlement’s heavily fortified defenses. Fully armed soldiers patrolled the gates in orderly formations, with powerful bows and crossbows positioned inside the walls, creating the impression that the place was ready for battle at any moment.

This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

Zhao Changhe paused, tapping his forehead. Of course, only absolute military might could ensure peace in a region like this. Miaojiang was not a unified entity but rather a coalition of tribes, where flaunting military might was the norm. The fact that Sisi had managed to maintain such a disciplined and formidable army even during peacetime spoke volumes about her capabilities.

Unlike in the early days of her rule, when Sisi relied heavily on Han troops, the current forces appeared to be an even mix of Han and non-Han soldiers. Among them, many were likely Spirit Tribe members who had emerged from the secret realm. This balance was fragile, and it was not hard to imagine potential tensions beneath the surface. However, for now, everything seemed normal and stable.

Normal or not, infiltrating to investigate would be no easy task.

Despite his strength, Zhao Changhe had not mastered invisibility. Was he supposed to rely on bewitchment techniques to get inside? That felt excessive...

As he debated his next move, a voice whispered in his ear through a sound transmission, “Master...”

For a moment, Zhao Changhe did not realize the voice was addressing him. But the targeted nature of the message—delivered directly to his ear—was unmistakable. He subtly turned his head toward the source.

At a nearby tavern, a man who appeared to be an ordinary Han was seated at a table near the door, sipping wine. Noticing Zhao Changhe’s glance, the man made an obscure hand gesture, one that no onlookers would understand.

Whether or not he understood the hand gesture, it was clear that the man was addressing him.

Zhao Changhe could not help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation. Last time, when he had disguised himself as Wang Daozhong to come here, he ended up being chased down by Shi Wuding, turning a quiet visit into chaos. It felt like a case of trouble finding him because of the disguise. Now, posing as Snow Owl, it seemed he had walked into another situation—but this one, at least, looked like it might work to his advantage.

Without betraying his thoughts, Zhao Changhe approached the table and sat down opposite the man. Keeping his expression cold, he said in a low, commanding voice, “You’ve disappointed me greatly.”

As he spoke, his eyes gleamed with sharp, piercing sword intent as if an invisible blade were driving straight into the man’s spiritual platform. The man’s head throbbed with piercing pain, as though his mind were being stabbed.

This sharp, lethal sword intent was not something he had only just learned from Snow Owl’s techniques. He had wielded such intent long before; he’d learned from both the Sword Hut and the Snow-Listening Pavilion, and even back in Miaojiang, his sparring with Shi Wuding and Snow Owl had sharpened his skills further. Mimicking Snow Owl’s demeanor and abilities now was no different from when he had impersonated Wang Daozhong.

The man across the table broke into a cold sweat, his face twisted in agony. He looked like he wanted to kneel on the spot but restrained himself, mindful of the bustling tavern around them. Keeping his head low, he muttered, “Master, their defenses are truly formidable. We’ve been infiltrating slowly, but progress is slow... We didn’t expect your personal arrival. We are unworthy and... deserve death.”

“Spare me the excuses,” Zhao Changhe replied curtly. “I only want to know your progress.”

The man gulped and lowered his voice. “So far, we’ve learned that the divine axe is not outside—it’s been taken into the Spirit Tribe’s secret realm. The Spirit Tribe claims that the axe is fated to belong to them... Whether that’s just a declaration to legitimize their claim or if there’s some truth to it, we don’t know.”

The Axe of Tngri... So, instead of taking the axe to the Theives’ Guild in Kunlun as one might expect, the Thief Saint brought it here to his disciple?

Though these thoughts churned in his mind, Zhao Changhe deliberately scoffed, “The axe belongs to Ye Wuzong. If it’s in Xiang Simeng’s possession, it’s because he’s doting on his disciple. What does the Spirit Tribe have to claim? Do they think they can take on Ye Wuzong? How many lives are they willing to risk?”

The man whispered, “According to our observations and intelligence, Ye Wuzong has not recovered from his injuries. Xiang Simeng has been expending significant effort to care for her master.”

Zhao Changhe’s heart skipped a beat.

He remembered witnessing the injuries the Thief Saint suffered while stealing the axe, but he had not expected that the wounds would linger to this extent. It had been quite some time since the incident, after all.

Could the backlash from the axe really be that bad?

No wonder the Thief Saint hasn’t dared return to Kunlun. He wasn’t delivering the axe to his disciple as a gift, he’s been seeking refuge here. He probably no longer trusts Yuxu. And now, Snow Owl sent his subordinates here to plot for the axe!

1. Furen (夫人) can be used to refer to the lady of a house or the wife of whoever’s surname she took. ☜