Chapter 36: Tigers Roaring In The Mountains

Chapter 36: The Tiger’s Roar Shakes the Mountains

The Northern Mang was no vast mountain range, merely a single great peak. Since the Blood God Sect had swarmed into the mountain, no other forces remained upon its slopes.

Yet the surrounding region still held lesser hills and woods, where bandits lurked, and even in the towns beyond the mountains, there were so-called “heroes”—all roughly lumped together as figures of the Mangshan Way.

Alas, the glory days of Mangshan were an age past; now it was but a desolate backwater. The odds of such a place producing any true hero were slim. One who could break through the first level of the Mystic Gate might strut about like Luo Qi when he played the role of the outer sect’s senior brother, proudly calling himself a notable figure.

So how many true champions could there be?

As Zhao Changhe descended the mountain, a thought flickered through his mind: This place held little meaning now—the pool was too shallow, the stage too low. He hadn’t even glimpsed anyone from the Chaos List. When would he ever touch the wonders of someone like the Blind Woman? He was merely using this land for convenient training, unsure at what level he should leave.

The thought passed in an instant, and his eyes fell upon the scene on the mountain path.

The roadblock set up by the bandits lay scattered and broken. Several of their men were strung upside down from a tree by another gang of ruffians, swaying as snow from the branches showered down, landing in just the wrong spot and provoking loud howls from the dangling captives. Their captors laughed heartily nearby.

Two young men in coarse cotton jackets stood meekly by the roadside, likely passersby who had been stopped. They looked awkward and at a loss, watching the gangsters brawl, though their expressions seemed to barely suppress laughter.

“Tsk, ‘First Rank Defeats Second, Hidden Dragon Two-Fifty’—sounds so grand, and this is all?” The leader of the opposing gang laughed loudly. “I’m Second Rank myself. Let him come out and show us how lavish he is!”

A lackey chimed in: “That kind of internal gang fight—definitely not serious. Maybe the other guy even held back. What’s so great about a rank jump? In a real fight, three moves to beat a higher rank? Who’s fooled? If he had to fight an outsider to the death, would a mere First Rank dare?”

“Of course not. Look, his men are strung up, and he hasn’t even peeped, hahaha… And he tries to set up roadblocks—what a joke.”

“Indeed, no need for roadblocks today.” A resonant voice suddenly rang out from the mountain. Everyone turned to see a figure flash through the air, a blade glinting. The ropes holding the bandits snapped with a whistle, and the men crashed to the ground, scrambling up in surprise: “Boss!”

“Zhao Changhe, you’re finally out!” Someone pointed at him, laughing. “You, a Hidden Dragon Two-Fifty, dare to compare with our boss? Let’s…”

The words died in his throat, trailing off into silence.

He saw his boss’s expression turn grim, dark as a pot bottom—far from the bravado of moments ago.

His eyes darted to the severed rope, and a chill ran through him.

Had he even seen that blade clearly?

If it had been aimed at his neck… would his head still be on?

“Being certified as a Two-Fifty is annoying enough, but I never expected so many real Two-Fifties who don’t need certification.” Zhao Changhe lazily picked his ear and flicked a finger at the leader. “Brainless, aren’t you? Even if you beat me, would you make the list? Don’t know what the Hidden Dragon List means? Look it up in a dictionary. You believe whatever you hear, then imagine the opponent held back, thinking you’ve found the truth behind rank jumps… What kind of path are you on? Might as well join a forum.”

The leader dodged hastily, but the earwax still smeared across his face.

Furious, he leveled his blade: “Zhao Changhe! Do you really think Mangshan has no men? So arrogant!”

“Tch. Can’t even dodge that… If the heroes of Mangshan are this pathetic, how disappointing.” Zhao Changhe yawned. “Didn’t sleep well last night, need to catch up. All of you, come at once.”

“Bastard!” The leader, beyond rage, swung his blade in a furious slash.

The seemingly lazy Zhao Changhe’s eyes flashed with sharp light. His languid demeanor vanished in an instant; he moved like a startled hare.

The onlookers saw the blade flash again. A deafening clang rang out as Zhao Changhe met the blow head-on with pure strength!

In that instant, a surge of bloody aura swept forth. Those nearby felt a murderous intent pressing upon them, as if the falling snow itself had grown sharp. Zhao Changhe’s eyes turned blood-red, savage and fierce.

“Clang!” The leader’s attacking blade was knocked wide, his hand numb.

He tried to retreat in terror, but there was no escape.

Zhao Changhe turned his slash into an upward flick, cleanly shaving off the hair atop the man’s head, exposing the scalp—not a hair’s breadth off.

Dead silence fell.

They had spoken of three moves… And now?

One move? Or one and a half?

The leader stood frozen, sweat pouring, his eyes rolling upward, desperate to see what had happened to his head. Zhao Changhe flicked his left hand, slapping him across the face: “With such skill, you dare covet the Chaos List! My men!”

Wang Dashan hurried forward: “Here, boss.”

“Search them all—take their valuables and weapons back for use. String every one of them upside down here for a full day and night.”

“A-a full day and night? In this heavy snow, they’ll… they’ll die…”

Zhao Changhe whirled to stare into his eyes: “Did you see that blade just now? It was aimed at my neck. If I had lost to him, do you think I’d be dead? Hanging them for a day, life or death by fate—and you feel sorry for them?”

Wang Dashan stepped back, silent.

Zhao Changhe strode to the thickest tree by the path, sliced off a strip of bark, and carved a line: “Zhao Changhe duels the heroes of Northern Mang. One hundred silver taels per challenge. The Hidden Dragon seat is here—come and claim it.”

He wrote, then marched back up the mountain: “We’ve got extra income today, and a way to make more. Let those two passersby go. Bullying the innocent is no mark of a true hero.”

Wang Dashan chased after him: “Boss, you’re still on the wanted list. Don’t you want to live?”

“If even these fools know where I am, who can I hide from? What’s the point of skulking? Let’s speak openly! When the officials come, I’ll have my reasons!”

“…So we won’t rob travelers anymore?”

“Whether Heaven’s Way exists or not, I walk my own path!”

Wang Dashan and the others didn’t fully understand, but they had no choice—they went to hang the men and search their belongings. The two young passersby in coarse jackets watched Zhao Changhe’s retreating back with strange expressions. One murmured, “Truly a tiger roaring among the mountains, silencing all beasts. How could such a man be merely a mountain bandit, a low-level Blood God Sect disciple… Incredible…”

The other replied, “And only at the first level of the Mystic Gate, yet his momentum rivals the ninth heaven.”

“Momentum has no necessary link to cultivation. Hidden Dragon, Hidden Dragon… Heh, the Chaos Book does not deceive.”

“Aren’t you the same? Praising yourself?”

“Shh, keep your voice down.”

“Hey, do you think his one-move victory over a Second Rank will make the Chaos Book flash again?”

“The Chaos Book isn’t that trivial. Without a qualitative leap, it won’t accumulate… Actually, this time he won in one move by secretly using inner force—a true internal-external breakthrough to the first rank. The real comparison might not surpass his earlier feat. This man seems rough but is quite cunning. He hid his inner force well—I almost missed it.”

“I see…” The second man stroked his chin. “Well, the show’s over. I’m here to catch a wanted criminal. If you feel a kinship with him, go to town and find Yue Hongling yourself. I’ll catch him alone. Let’s see what reason he has when the officials come.”

The first shook his head: “I’m afraid you’ll fall into his hands if you act alone…”

The second glared, unconvinced: “How could that be!”

“Anyway, you’re on the verge of breaking through to the third level of the Mystic Gate. Why not enter the city for two months, break through first?”

“Oh… fine. Let him swagger for two months. He’s amusing enough…”