Chapter 610: Shocking Changes in Huaiyang

Chapter 610: Sudden Turmoil in Huaiyang

Xia Chichi knew that Zhao Changhe truly had no desire for the throne—he had even given away the dragon aura he carried to the black steed.

Though if he truly wanted such so-called dragon aura, he could have as much as he pleased, his casual bestowal upon the horse showed he had never once considered it, nor cared a whit.

But that didn’t mean she, Xia Chichi, wanted it.

Just because you give me something doesn’t mean I want it…

Yet, meeting Zhao Changhe’s gaze, she ultimately held her tongue.

A man’s intentions were kind, after all; perhaps in his heart, father and daughter were still father and daughter. Old Xia’s past deeds weren’t so inhuman as to be beyond redemption… Anyway, she couldn’t sort out her own feelings on the matter, nor was she firmly set on wanting or not wanting. She would take it step by step.

In short, she had originally come back to join him in resisting the Hu, not to wander aimlessly here… But because the Tang family’s seagoing ships, upon docking, only knew to follow the established route back to Ningbo, they had landed in Jiangnan, and the journey northward offered many more things to do. No sooner had they left Jiangnan than the north brought them into the territory of the Cao Gang, a place equally fraught with history.

In the past, the Tang family and the Cao Gang had been on good terms; Tang Buqi and the gang’s young master, Wan Dongliu, shared a deep personal friendship. But now, few from the Tang family dared to travel north through Yangzhou, often taking detours to disembark elsewhere.

Because over the matter of opening the seas, the Tang family and the Cao Gang had clashed in interests and broken ties.

The rift went deeper—the crux lay in the Cao Gang’s allegiance to the Four Symbols Sect.

The Cao Gang had long been a key target for infiltration by the Four Symbols Sect. The young master, Wan Dongliu, had been indoctrinated into the sect since childhood by the elder sister Zhuque. Whether Wan Tianxiong knew or not, he likely had his suspicions, but turned a blind eye, keeping his options open. In those days, many of the gang’s lowly laborers had not been swayed by the Maitreya Sect, largely because many had already been led by the young master to believe in the Four Symbols…

By the time Wan Tianxiong resolved to rise in rebellion, he had clearly joined the sect as well, and was now given the post of Protector—one of the typical forces backed by the Four Symbols Sect. On this front alone, their stance clashed with the Tang family. And fiercely at that—the two sides’ leaders had been at odds since their maiden days, and the conflict persisted even now, over a man.

If the Tang family intended to move north, Wan Tianxiong, straddling the Jianghuai region, would be the first barrier. Similarly, if the Jianghuai army sought expansion, they had only two paths: either north to Langya, or south to seize Tang territory. In the current chaos, the most tense and likely first battleground for onlookers to bet on was between the Cao Gang and the Tang family.

Now, northern travelers from Jiangnan crossed the river humbly as merchants from various houses; for now, the two sides had not yet reached the point of cutting off trade, though it felt imminent.

Zhao Changhe’s boat, carrying his family of three, naturally had no need to avoid Yangzhou—aboard were a Venerable and a Holy Maiden… So even though Xia Chichi had little inclination to linger here, propriety and reason seemed to demand she take a look.

“I wonder if it’s Wan Tianxiong or Wan Dongliu in Yangzhou now?” Zhao Changhe gazed at the distant city walls as the sun neared the horizon, hesitating whether to stop for the night.

Xia Chichi muttered, “Maybe neither is in Yangzhou. What, do you have words for them? Or do you see some kind of aura here?”

“No.” Zhao Changhe said helplessly, “Not every faction has dragon aura. And even if the Cao Gang had it here, it would fall to you—you’re the true heir. I have nothing to say to the Cao Gang for now. If I did, it would be to tell them to strike at the Wang family’s rear. But I don’t know if that’s the right move militarily; it depends on Wan Tianxiong’s thinking. How much control do we have over the Cao Gang?”

Xia Chichi wasn’t sure either: “That, you’ll have to ask the Venerable.”

Zhao Changhe looked at Sanniang.

Sanniang lay prone on the black steed, playing dead.

He wasn’t asking that Venerable. Why ask me? When have I ever meddled in sect affairs beyond punishing the Holy Maiden by making her copy texts…

The three of them openly led their horses off the boat, still undecided on whether to meet Wan Tianxiong and his son, when they saw Wan Dongliu already waiting ahead. How he had learned of the Venerable and Holy Maiden’s arrival was unclear.

Zhao Changhe stepped forward, intending to exchange pleasantries, but Wan Dongliu’s expression was grim: “Venerable, Holy Maiden… My father was assassinated, the night before last.”

The three’s faces changed in shock: “What happened?”

Wan Tianxiong had ranked eleventh on the Earthly List in the first edition of the Chaos Chronicle when Zhao Changhe first crossed over. Ahead of him were tenth Yang Jingxiu, ninth Huangfu Yongxian, eighth Shi Wuding, seventh He Lei, sixth Li Gongsi of the Longxi Li clan, fifth Maitreya, and above them, a bird and a turtle sandwiching Wan Zhuang, with the top being the Thief Saint Ye Wuzong.

In the past two years, four of the strongmen ahead of Wan Tianxiong had fallen: Hai Pinglan, Maitreya, He Lei, and Shi Wuding. Now Wan Tianxiong ranked seventh on the Earthly List, a true top-tier expert and regional hegemon.

Once, when he had wounded Wan Dongliu, the young master had threatened, “If you don’t leave, my father will come and beat you to death.” Back then, Zhao Changhe had been genuinely intimidated, fleeing like a rabbit.

Now, Zhao Changhe judged himself to be roughly on that level on paper, though Wan Tianxiong might have improved over the years; he couldn’t rely on old impressions. He was probably still a step behind. But he now had the confidence to face him on his own strength, without relying on soft power.

This was an opponent Zhao Changhe was still weighing whether he could face… and yet, in his own territory, under heavy protection, he had been assassinated!

From Wan Dongliu’s expression, it seemed the outcome was grim!

Zhao Changhe cast aside all other thoughts, grabbed Wan Dongliu’s hand, and sprinted toward the city: “Talk as we go. To be honest, Brother Wan, I’m fairly confident in my medical skills now. As long as your father is still alive, there’s a chance!”

Wan Dongliu swallowed his gloom, ecstatic: “If you can cure him, Brother Zhao, just say the word. I’ll go through fire and water without a single complaint—or I’m a dog’s bastard!”

Xia Chichi followed, asking, “Who did it?”

Wan Dongliu’s expression darkened again: “Wang Daoning.”

Wang Daoning…

The three exchanged glances, initially surprised, then quickly understood: “He’s going to handle other matters and wanted to eliminate the threat from the south first!”

If Wang Daozhong were here, he would understand what Wang Daoning meant by “Langya is secure” before he left. Internally, there were few problems; Guichen and other Wang family experts held the fort. With the biggest variable in the south resolved, Langya would indeed be safe for the short term.

In fact, it had been a long time since a faction leader had been taken out by such a decapitation strike… Unless the power gap was enormous, even with Wang Daoning’s strength as tenth on the Heavenly List compared to Wan Tianxiong, the difference wasn’t enough to justify such a move. Wan Tianxiong wasn’t made of clay; with home-field advantage unknown, penetrating deep into enemy territory under heavy guard was far too dangerous—he might not return.

“So, what level is Wang Daoning at now?”

Wan Dongliu said, “Very strong… During the battle, my father gasped and asked one word: ‘Imperial’? Wang Daoning smiled and didn’t answer.”

Imperial Realm.

The three exchanged looks, their expressions grave.

What the hell? Wang Daoning had returned injured from overseas, and now he’s in the Imperial Realm? Was he a Saiyan too?

“He moved like he was entering an empty land. All our defenses, all our formations, countless experts surrounding him—none of it mattered. He slaughtered them, leaving bodies everywhere. My father was struck in the chest with a palm; it was like a tidal wave, crushing his chest flat. Wang Daoning thought he was dead, then butchered a few more before leaving.” Wan Dongliu shuddered: “Thankfully, I wasn’t there, or I might have died in that battle.”

“So your father didn’t die?” Sanniang asked curiously. “Wang Daoning slipped up. The Chaos Chronicle didn’t report it, and he didn’t confirm.”

“My father used the Venerable’s Turtle Breathing Technique to fool Wang Daoning for a moment. But it only bought time; it couldn’t change the fact that he was mortally wounded. We’ve called in every famous doctor, and they all say he can’t be saved. Wang Daoning probably thought there was no need to come back and finish the job.” Wan Dongliu’s expression was dark: “If my father dies, I’ll march north to Puyang immediately. He killed my father; I’ll kill his son. I’ll wipe out the Wang family root and branch!”