Chapter 289: Today's Chaotic Times Ranking

Chapter 289: Today's Chaos Roll

Heavy snow blanketed the green mountains, a vast expanse of white both within and beyond the passes.

Within Yanmen Commandery, at the Prefect's Mansion, in the finest guest courtyard.

The man known far and wide as the Hidden Dragon First, who had not joined the pursuit, now lay sprawled like a dead dog on a soft chair, his face pale and lips blue, barely clinging to life.

He had endured three rounds against Vulture Hunter's Fang, the last being a desperate, all-out strike—surviving at all was already a feat.

If the ranking of Hidden Dragon First was a stirring tale that served only as a footnote, this blow was the true core—a deed that even Batu found awe-inspiring.

Yet for all that glory, the pain of bleeding wounds, the weakness after unleashing all buffs, the aftermath of the blood fiend eruption, all crashed down upon him. Zhao Changhe, who had just been so heroic, now only wished Sister Yue would come and cuddle—he couldn't hold on any longer.

Yue Hongling knew what her lover was thinking, but with Cui Wenjing and others present, the proud female knight couldn't bring herself to slip in for dual cultivation. She pretended not to know him and buried herself in the pursuit.

Thus, it was Cui Wenjing who faced Zhao Changhe's resentful, shit-faced expression.

"You can make that face at others, but you dare show it to me?" Cui Wenjing's face was even sourer. "Are you complaining that I'm keeping you from getting cozy with your lady knight? Fine, go ahead and get cozy—but don't expect anything else."

Zhao Changhe realized this was his future father-in-law and forced a smile: "No, it's just that I'm hurt and miserable... Uncle, can you treat me? I've run out of medicine..."

"You've been roaming the jianghu this long, and almost all the medicine you've used came from the Cui family!"

Zhao Changhe: "..."

Truth was, the Cui family's medicine had long been exhausted; lately, he'd mostly used medicine from the Tang family and the Demon Suppression Bureau. He decided not to argue—otherwise, he might die at Old Cui's hands before the barbarians could kill him.

"Forget it. You're a hero this time; there's no point in me scowling at you." Cui Wenjing's voice softened as he tossed over a bottle of medicine. "This is better than the one Yangyang gave you—the finest internal injury remedy from the Cui family. It's also excellent for strengthening your foundation and regulating the backlash weakness."

Zhao Changhe took the medicine and felt somewhat better. Curious, he asked, "Uncle, how do you have time to stay here? Don't you need to keep Tiemuer in check?"

"..." Cui Wenjing sighed. "You passed out for a short while after returning to the pass. The battle is already over—did you think you just got back?"

Zhao Changhe: "..."

Damn, he had blacked out?

He'd been injured many times before, but never like this. The gap between him and the Human Roll's first was even wider than he'd estimated; surviving was sheer luck.

Cui Wenjing said, "Tiemuer has gathered his remnants and retreated into the desert. Batu is sweeping through the Southern Desert. From now on, the situation will be split north-south: the Golden Tent Khanate hides in the Northern Desert, while the Southern Desert is ruled by the War Lion Tribe. Batu has sense—he's already submitted a petition for allegiance. Once the Emperor issues a decree, he'll likely become the King of the Southern Desert."

Zhao Changhe said, "Since Tiemuer just ran off and is fine, wouldn't he be afraid if I went back to take his head?"

"And you're not afraid he'll take yours?"

"I'll be wandering the Central Plains—how would he know where I am? He hasn't opened his clairvoyance yet... The Wang family and the Listening Snow Pavilion were searching for me everywhere before, but we never even crossed paths. Batu is different—he can't escape his temple."

"So Batu seeks to become a vassal, a subject of the Emperor, a feudal lord guarding the grasslands. Then Tiemuer will have to think twice."

"That's it? If it were me, I wouldn't care about anyone's threats. In this situation, I'd go all out to kill him and feel satisfied."

Cui Wenjing smiled. "That's why you're a knight-errant, not a sovereign."

Zhao Changhe said, "So is this called 'desirelessness makes one strong' or 'should have no attachments'?"

"A mere Eightfold Mystic Gate weakling who nearly died from one blow of Vulture Hunter's Fang—don't talk about such things in front of me. You're laughable."

"Damn..."

"Tiemuer's recent defeat has triggered a chain of reactions—a whole mess of troubles. His tribe probably doesn't even have enough food for winter. Stabilizing the Northern Desert will give him plenty of headaches. It'll be at least half a year before he can turn his attention elsewhere." Cui Wenjing sighed. "So can you stop worrying about all this and just rest? You claim to have no attachments, yet the moment you wake up, you're concerned about Tiemuer's counterattack. Who's the one truly burdened?"

Zhao Changhe stole a glance at him. "Uncle, you seem quite concerned about me? I'm not even on the Human Roll yet."

Looking at that ingratiating face, Cui Wenjing barely restrained the urge to punch it.

How rash—three years for the Human Roll.

He was already at the Eighth Gate now. How many hurdles remained to the Human Roll?

Of course, there were plenty of people at the Ninth Gate, and only a dozen or so could fill the Human Roll. Breaking through to the Secret Treasury was a chasm—most in the world couldn't cross it. That didn't mean he would definitely succeed.

But by now, no one in the world doubted whether Zhao Changhe could make the Human Roll. Even if he were stuck at the Secret Treasury forever, the bottom of the Human Roll didn't necessarily require it. Cui Wenjing suspected Zhao Changhe could even challenge the last-ranked member now...

Who was at the bottom? Xue Canghai?

Actually, it was Sitou Xiao.

In this war, both Cui Yuanyong and Sitou Xiao had entered the Human Roll. Tiemuer's own son, the Golden Tent Prince Lada, had encountered Cui Yuanyong on the battlefield and been soundly defeated and routed. His seventy-first place was indisputably taken by Cui Yuanyong.

No other Human Roll duels or deaths had occurred, but the rankings shifted—as if the Book of Chaos were settling accounts. Hulie was removed, said to be severely injured and untreated, his foundation damaged, thus expelled from the Human Roll.

Then Cui Yuanyong, who had just taken seventy-first, became seventieth. Xue Canghai advanced to seventy-first, and Sitou Xiao became seventy-second.

Sitou Xiao was probably fuming. Cui Yuanyong had earned his place through a direct challenge, while Sitou Xiao had merely filled a vacancy—in the eyes of the world, that was a different tier. He still needed a Human Roll battle to prove himself. Cui Wenjing suspected Sitou Xiao was already scouring the land for Xue Canghai.

With Helei and Hulie removed and these newcomers filling the gaps, it felt like the Chaos Roll's strong were fading, and the newcomers were weaker than before.

But Cui Wenjing knew that wasn't true.

Overall, the Human Roll might actually be stronger than before. Previously, the bottom had some padding—many with outdated records and no new progress. Now, they were all true elites, forged in real combat, tested and proven. The frauds were dwindling.

And the top of the Hidden Dragon Roll were all solid candidates for the Human Roll, with almost no suspense.

First: Zhao Changhe. Second: Wang Zhaoling. Third: Xia Chichi. Fourth: Han Wubing.

No one doubted they would make the Human Roll—it was only a matter of time.

In short, his son had made the Human Roll, and by defeating a strong opponent in a direct challenge, not by filling a vacancy—full of substance. Old Cui was delighted. But this fellow before him was about to make the Human Roll, and Old Cui's face was sour.

If he'd known Zhao Changhe was this formidable, he'd have settled the betrothal long ago. Why had he been so clever with that "three years for the Human Roll" business? Now, romantic scandals kept popping up—never mind whether there was anything between him and Tang Wanzhuang, but he'd been riding side by side with Yue Hongling across the grasslands for so long. Did anyone believe nothing had happened between them? Even a pig wouldn't.

Cui Wenjing wanted to slap himself twice. But the announcement had been made to the world; he had to swallow his tears and accept it. Not on the Human Roll meant not on it. The man wasn't his son-in-law yet, and he had no right to control how many women he took.

But if he let him wander outside for another year or so, who knew how many more women would appear? Old Cui now wished he could stuff Zhao Changhe directly into the Human Roll and have him marry his daughter on the spot.

So in Zhao Changhe's eyes, Cui Wenjing was silent for a long time before forcing out through clenched teeth: "You're not planning to deliberately loaf around for two years and hit the Human Roll right at the three-year mark, are you?"

Zhao Changhe blinked.

He actually had a similar idea—not to stall for three years to chase girls, but because he wanted to break through to the Secret Treasury and ascend directly to the top of the Human Roll.

What was the point of being at the bottom of the Human Roll at the Ninth Gate? Just picking the tallest among dwarves to fill a spot. The Human Roll after breaking through to the Secret Treasury—that was the True Human Roll in the eyes of the Book of Chaos.

Back then, both Chi Li and Yue Hongling had wanted to step onto the Human Roll with a decent rank, not squeeze in at the very end.

Zhao Changhe's ambition was wilder—he wanted to break straight into the top fifty.