Chapter 237: Arriving At The Capital For The First Time

Chapter 237: Arriving at the Capital

Sword Lake City lay between Qinghe and Langya, roughly corresponding to the position of Lake Dongping in the modern world. The Capital shared a similar location to its modern counterpart, while Yanmen Pass was situated in Shanxi.

Though Yanmen and the Capital were both to the north, they actually formed a triangle with Sword Lake City. Traveling to Yanmen Pass did not require passing through the Capital at all, so Zhuque had to wheedle Zhao Changhe into taking a detour with her.

This journey was immensely long. Coupled with Zhao Changhe's habit of laying false trails and taking winding paths, they traveled northward for an unknown number of days until the breath of autumn gradually set in, visible in the wheat ears by the roadside and the golden hues of the trees.

Much like the devastation witnessed during his southward trek, the northern plains fared no better.

Apart from the strongholds occupied by powerful clans like Qinghe, Gusu, and Langya, the situation across most of the Divine Land was exceedingly grim. Despite it being the autumn harvest season, the fields looked barren, and with wars raging in both the north and south, the government grew even more urgent in demanding taxes and conscripting soldiers. Along the way, Zhao Changhe lost count of how many scenes resembling the classic poems of bureaucratic oppression and tragic marital separations he had witnessed.

Bandits gathering to plunder and seizing mountains as kings were beyond number. In fact, in many places, people had already begun attacking county offices and robbing granaries. Compared to the so-called mountain bandits when Zhao Changhe first arrived in this world, they had evolved significantly—progressing from petty rebels to organized insurgents.

It had been less than a year, yet the meta for mountain bandits had already updated, and Old Boss Zhao could no longer keep up with the patch.

The closer they drew to the Emperor's feet, the less improvement they saw. Though it had not yet reached the point where no rooster crowed for a thousand miles, it was enough to feel the weight of a year plagued by war and chaos.

When taken together with the actions of the Wang family, this era had already officially entered a chaotic age; it was no longer just the "prelude."

If the current situation in the south involved the landlord class organizing armed forces to counter the Maitreya Sect, then the northern barbarian invasion was likely still being resisted by the empire's elite border army. From his prior observations, many border generals and local county officials shared labyrinthine connections with the Wang and Cui families. It remained unknown who the commander-in-chief was, or who possessed the authority to keep these factions working together to resist the enemy.

And if this commander-in-chief chose to turn traitor like Wu Sangui, what would the consequences be? If the Wang family withdrew their forces, what would happen then?

Another point that greatly puzzled Zhao Changhe was that the Capital's location could be considered the Emperor defending the nation's gate. Why did the barbarians bypass it during their southward march and choose Yanmen instead?

Was it still due to the deterrent power of Xia Longyuan?

"Of course it's because of Xia Longyuan's deterrent power. In his prime, he truly could break an entire army single-handedly. Ranking first on the Heavenly Ranking is no joke; he is far, far stronger than Wang Daoning, who sits at the bottom."

"Then who is the defending general at Yanmen?"

"The Marquis of Jingyuan."

Zhao Changhe paused for a moment, then tapped his head. "Oh, I remember now. Huangfu Yongxian, ranked ninth on the Earthly Ranking? The imperial court's strength actually isn't weak."

Zhuque said leisurely, "Of course it isn't weak. Otherwise, how could it endure for so long? Do you truly believe Tang Wanzhuang is the only one holding it up? If they were truly that useless, we would have rebelled long ago. Why bother hiding anything?"

"Then what are General Huangfu's political alignments?"

"How should I know? You've entered the Capital; go find out from Tang Wanzhuang yourself."

"I get the feeling you show no courtesy to Tang Wanzhuang, yet you seem to have a bit of respect for Huangfu Yongxian? You actually call him the Marquis of Jingyuan instead of using his name."

Zhuque replied flatly, "To those currently keeping the enemy outside the nation's gates, a proper amount of respect is warranted. If the Four Symbols Sect takes the world in the future, shouldn't we win over such a fine general?"

"And if your sect takes the world, what about Tang Wanzhuang?"

"If you join the sect, she will be bestowed upon you as a maidservant."

"..." Zhao Changhe was caught between tears and laughter.

Zhuque also found it amusing—the perspective Zhao Changhe used to observe things along the way, and the direction of his thoughts...

Zhuque could be certain that Zhao Changhe truly had no desire to become a prince, yet his perspective naturally leaned in that direction.

Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say it differed slightly from a prince's perspective. Instead, it resembled a detached viewpoint, observing and looking down upon this world from above, analyzing the root causes and potential outcomes.

Rather than a prince's perspective, it was more like the eye of a god or Buddha subtly peering out from above the high clouds.

As Zhuque pondered, her amusement gradually faded, replaced by a slight tremor in her heart.

She asked somewhat cautiously, "You said your only intention is to wander the martial world as a heroic vagabond."

"Yeah, haven't I been doing exactly that along the way?"

It was far more than just doing it. To right many wrongs, Zhao Changhe had wasted a great deal of travel time; otherwise, he should have entered the Capital long ago. Zhuque could not blame him for wasting time, as she knew very well that if she tried to stop him from such acts, he would lose his temper with her.

Righting wrongs and helping the weak was what Zhao Changhe claimed to be the primary purpose of his martial arts practice.

And yet, you have the nerve to say you started out as a bandit.

In the end, a grand, unblinking venerable of the demonic sect accompanied him along the road, saving old men and orphaned girls left and right. Ultimately, it wasn't without benefits; they sent word to relocate everyone to nearby branches of the Four Symbols Sect, treating it as recruitment.

In truth, the rise of demonic sects in chaotic times relied primarily on such new blood, with the Maitreya Sect being the most typical example. The Four Symbols Sect was no exception and was currently forming its own private army, though they were not as undiscerning as the Maitreya Sect.

In fact, the Four Symbols Sect was far more elite in this regard because the true identities of Xuanwu and Zhuque... made them vastly more knowledgeable than someone like Maitreya.

As these thoughts flashed through her mind, Zhuque still questioned him aloud, "You say your only intention is to wander the martial world, but your perspective doesn't look like it."

"Why? Is it more macro?"

"Mhm..."

"A hero doesn't just have to right wrongs and help the weak. There is another kind."

"Which kind?"

"The greatest of heroes serve the nation and the people."

Zhuque: "...Where did that concept come from? You call that a hero? You might as well just say you belong to the Demon Suppression Bureau."

"Who says it isn't? The rise and fall of the world is the responsibility of every individual!" Zhao Changhe laughed heartily, spurring his horse into a gallop. "A white horse adorned with a golden bridle, galloping swiftly toward the northwest. May I ask whose son this is? A rogue cultivator from You and Bing... sacrificing his life for the nation's crisis, viewing death as returning home! If this isn't a hero, what is!"

"Giddyap!" The Black Steed galloped away.

Zhuque sighed; she hadn't wanted that answer.

In truth, Zhao Changhe knew exactly what answer this lady wanted. Being a religious sect, they always dragged gods and spirits into everything... but it truly wasn't what she thought.

Miss Yihuoshe had been dispatched by Venerable Zhuque to accompany him. Although she claimed it wasn't "sending a woman," the heavy implication remained. Thus, Zhao Changhe always wanted to tease her, and his heart even itched with the desire to hold and kiss her. Perhaps this lady herself subconsciously shared that sentiment? Even if she didn't, she had to act the part, causing the relationship between the two to be exceedingly ambiguous from the very beginning.

But Zhao Changhe had absolutely no desire to use ambiguous "divine constellations" to trick her into bed. That sort of scummy behavior was what Xia Longyuan did, not Zhao Changhe.

It was much better for them to talk about feelings and stay close... because without realizing it, this lady had become the woman who had stayed by his side the longest, second only to Chichi.

Traveling and lodging together, accompanying each other hand in hand, and practicing chivalry with swords, it had already been nearly a month.

Familiarity and habit possessed a terrifying power. Just like back in Beimang, when Luo Qi woke up in the morning to find herself sleeping soundly against Zhao Changhe's chest. It was the same for Zhuque; she hadn't even noticed that while she used to protect herself with her hands against his back during the bumpy horse ride, she had grown lazy now. From time to time, her chest would press against his back, yet she felt nothing amiss, and neither did he.

At times, her hands would subconsciously wrap around his waist, unnoticed by her and unnoticed by him.

The swift horse galloped, encircled by the lady's arms. In the distance, a magnificent city loomed, oppressive as a mountain beneath the dark clouds that shrouded the sky.

After nearly a month of halting progress, the autumn chill grew deeper, and the Capital was in sight.

Zhao Changhe's consistently calm demeanor suddenly grew a bit tense. He felt an almost overwhelming urge to rein in his horse and turn back, yet he forced his thoughts down and moved forward slowly.

The Capital had always been a place he avoided, never intending to touch it so early. But since destiny had brought him here, why not take a look?

"You cannot enter with a pig mask on." Zhuque dismounted from afar. "I will find my own way in. You may enter the city directly."

Zhao Changhe asked, "How do I contact you once I'm inside?"

Zhuque gave a soft laugh. "Don't think about uncovering my true identity... In any case, you are a focal point wherever you go. Once I have handled my affairs, I will find you."

With that, she quickly vanished from sight.

Zhao Changhe did not put on the pig mask again. Restoring his original appearance, he reined his horse toward the city gates.

"Halt! No galloping inside the city. Dismount and lead your horse!" The spirit and discipline of the gate guards were far superior to any city he had seen before.

Previously, all he had seen were lazy guards who didn't care if you rode a horse or not, and were already considered decent if they didn't extort an entry tax along the way.

Zhao Changhe did not mind the guard's intervention; instead, he felt it was exactly as it should be. Dismounting, he reached for his coin pouch, intending to pay the entry tax.

The guard waved his hand dismissively. "First time here? The Capital requires no entry tax. Just hand over your travel permit and enter properly. Looking at that blade on your back, make sure you don't pick fights or cause trouble. Chief Tang is currently in the Capital, so you lawless martial artists better behave yourselves."

Zhao Changhe couldn't help but smile. "You all seem to respect Chief Tang greatly."

"That's only natural." The guard was too lazy to say more, and extended his hand: "Where's your travel permit?"

Zhao Changhe had never been asked for a travel permit wherever he went before, and he had never thought to get one. But he understood that the capital required it, especially in wartime. Just as he was feeling a bit troubled, laughter came from behind: "A travel permit is just to confirm identity. This man's identity is known to all under heaven—why bother checking?"

The group turned to look, and saw a young dandy shaking a folding fan, chuckling: "Zhao Changhe, the Thirteenth of the Hidden Dragons. You even put up wanted posters for him before, and now you don't recognize him?"

The Thirteenth of the Hidden Dragons was nothing much in the capital; the onlookers didn't care and continued with the checkpoint to enter the city.

But Zhao Changhe clearly saw slight changes in the expressions of many guards.

He could almost feel other winds stirring. He was certain that the five words "Zhao Changhe enters the city" would sweep through the capital in an instant.

Zhao Changhe sighed: "Young Master Dai, aren't you from the Dai family of the Northwest? Why are you here?"

It was precisely the young master of the Northwest Dai family from the time of the Langya Sword Debate. Zhao Changhe had even forgotten what he had done back then.

Young Master Dai laughed: "Who doesn't have some property in the capital?"

"Is this called a 'capital liaison office'?"

"What's that?" Young Master Dai said leisurely: "Do you have a place to stay in the capital? Would you like to stay at my place?"