North Mang was no thousand-mile mountain range, merely one large mountain. Since the Blood God Cult had entered in force, no other factions remained on it.
But there were other small hills and woods in the surrounding area, occupied by bandits, and even the towns outside the mountain had their share of "heroes." They could more or less all be called figures of the Mang Mountain underworld.
Unfortunately, Mang Mountain's glory belonged to the previous era. Now it was just a remote backwater. The odds of a place like this producing any true heroes were rather slim. Anyone who broke through the first level of the Profound Pass could hold his head high and proclaim himself somebody, just as Luo Qi had when pretending to be the senior outer disciple.
So how many outstanding heroes could there really be?
As Zhao Changhe descended the mountain, a thought suddenly crossed his mind: this place really had nothing interesting left. The pond was too shallow, the scope too small-time. He could not even meet anyone on the Chaos Era Ranking. When would he ever touch the blind woman's level of mystery and wonder? He was merely taking advantage of this place's convenience for training, but he did not know what level would be the right point to leave.
The thought flashed past, and he had already caught sight of the situation on the mountain path.
The roadblock set up by the Mountain Stronghold had been kicked askew. Several bandits from the stronghold had been hung upside down from trees by another group of burly men. As they swung, snow showered down from the branches, landing in a particularly sensitive spot and making the suspended bandits howl miserably. The burly men stood nearby, roaring with laughter.
Two young men in short, coarse-cloth jackets stood meekly beside the road. They were probably the travelers who had originally been stopped. They seemed at a loss now that gangs were fighting each other, though judging by their expressions, both were actually holding back laughter.
"Tsk, tsk. First level beating second, number two hundred and fifty on the Hidden Dragon Ranking. Sounds mighty impressive, but this is it?" The burly leader opposite them was laughing heartily. "I'm second level too! Tell him to come out and make a spectacle of himself. Let's see how grand he really is!"
A lackey beside him chimed in, "That was just infighting in his gang. They definitely weren't fighting for real. Maybe the other guy even went easy on him. What's so impressive about beating someone a level higher? In a real fight, winning across levels in three moves? Do they take us for fools? Against an outsider in a fight to the death, would a measly first-level fellow like him even dare?"
"Of course he wouldn't! Haven't you seen? His men are hanging there, and he doesn't even dare let out a fart! Hahaha... and he thinks he can set up roadblocks. What a joke."
"There's indeed no need to set up a roadblock today." A booming voice suddenly came from up the mountain. Everyone turned to look, only to see a figure flash through the air and a blade gleam. The ropes suspending the bandits snapped with a swish. The bandits fell to the ground, then scrambled up in delighted surprise. "Boss!"
"Zhao Changhe, you finally came out!" Someone pointed at Zhao Changhe and laughed. "You, number two-fifty on the Hidden Dragon Ranking? Do you dare have a match with our boss-"
Before he finished, his voice suddenly dwindled, and he awkwardly shut his mouth.
He noticed that his boss's expression was extremely grave, as black as the bottom of a pot. Where was the swagger with which he had just demanded Zhao Changhe come out and make a spectacle of himself?
He instinctively glanced at the ropes Zhao Changhe had cut, and a sudden shiver ran through him.
Did I even see that slash clearly?
What if it had been aimed at my neck? Would my head still be there?
"Being officially certified as a two-fifty is annoying enough. Who knew there were so many genuine idiots in this world who didn't need certification?" Zhao Changhe lazily picked his ear, then flicked his finger toward the burly leader. "You really act like you haven't got brains. Even if you beat me, would that put you on the ranking? If you don't know what the Hidden Dragon Ranking means, could you go home and look it up in a dictionary? You believe whatever anyone says, then invent some story about the other guy pulling his punches and think you've discovered the truth behind beating someone a level higher... why are you messing around in the underworld? Go mess around on a forum instead."
The burly man dodged hastily, but the earwax still splattered onto his face.
He flew into a rage, leveling his saber at Zhao Changhe. "Zhao Changhe! Do you really think Mang Mountain has no one worth reckoning with? Such arrogance!"
"Pfft. You can't even dodge that... if that's the standard of Mang Mountain's heroes, it really is disappointing." Zhao Changhe yawned. "Didn't sleep well last night. I'm in a hurry to catch up... all of you, come at me together."
"Bastard!" The burly man was beside himself with fury and came at him with a savage chop.
A sharp light suddenly flashed in the seemingly languid Zhao Changhe's eyes. His lazy demeanor vanished in an instant, and he moved like a rabbit breaking free.
The onlookers saw the blade flash again. With an ear-splitting clang, Zhao Changhe met the blow head-on, neither dodging nor evading, relying purely on strength!
In that instant, blood baleful energy surged wildly. Those around him could even feel killing intent striking them in the face. Even the swirling snow beside him seemed to turn cutting, while Zhao Changhe's eyes had become blood-red, ferocious beyond compare.
Clang! The burly man's attacking blade was knocked wide open by that single clash, leaving even his hand numb.
Horrified, he tried to dodge, but how could he possibly get away?
Zhao Changhe changed his downward chop into an upward sweep and deftly shaved the hair off the top of the man's head, exposing his scalp without the slightest error.
The entire scene fell utterly silent.
Earlier, they had been talking about three moves... what about this time?
One move? Or did it count as one and a half?
The burly man stood rooted to the spot, drenched in cold sweat, his eyes rolling upward as he desperately tried to see what had happened to his head. Zhao Changhe swung his left hand and smacked him across the face with a crack. "With that paltry ability, you dare covet a place on the Chaos Era Ranking! Boys!"
Wang Dashan hastily answered from beside him, "Here, boss."
"Strip all their valuables and weapons off them and take everything back for our own use. Hang every last one of them upside down here for a full day and night before we talk."
"A-a full day and night? In this heavy snow, th-they could die..."
Zhao Changhe abruptly turned and stared him in the eyes. "Do you know that slash of his was aimed at my neck? If I'd lost to his saber, do you think I would've died? Hang them for a day and leave life or death to fate, and now you're feeling sorry for them?"
Wang Dashan took a step back, not daring to speak.
Zhao Changhe strode toward the thickest tree beside the mountain path, shaved off a patch of bark with his saber, and carved a line into it: "Zhao Changhe meets North Mang's heroes blade to blade. One hundred taels of silver per challenge. A place on the Hidden Dragon Ranking awaits here. Come claim it."
Having finished writing, he strode back up the mountain. "We've made some extra money today, and now we've got a way to bring in revenue too. Let those two travelers go. Bullying the innocent doesn't make you a hero."
Wang Dashan followed behind him and asked, "Boss, you're still on a wanted notice. Have you got a death wish?"
"Even people like these know where I am. Who do you think we can still hide it from? What's the point of skulking around? Might as well put everything out in the open! If the authorities come, I'll have my own case to make!"
"...Then we won't rob travelers anymore either?"
"Whether the Heavenly Dao exists or not, I'll walk my own path!"
Wang Dashan and the others could not make sense of that, so they helplessly went off to hang the men and search their belongings. The two young travelers in short cloth jackets watched Zhao Changhe's retreating back with peculiar expressions as he strode up the mountain. One said softly, "Truly like a tiger roaring through the mountains, silencing every beast. How could someone like this be nothing but a mere mountain bandit, a low-ranking Blood God Cult follower... honestly..."
The other said, "And he's only at the first level of the Profound Pass. That presence towers straight up to the ninth heaven."
"Presence doesn't necessarily have anything to do with cultivation. Hidden dragons, hidden dragons... heh, the Book of Troubled Times truly hasn't deceived me."
"Aren't you one too? Praising yourself, are you?"
"Shh, keep your voice down."
"Hey, do you think the Book of Troubled Times will flash again now that he's beaten a second-level opponent in one move?"
"The Book of Troubled Times isn't that frivolous. It doesn't tally up victories without a qualitative change... actually, he secretly used internal energy to win in one move this time. This was truly the first heaven of internal-external unity. The actual disparity in strength might not even compare to that previous fight. He looks rough and forthright, but he's actually pretty sly. He hid that internal energy so well that even I almost missed it."
"I see... got it." The second man stroked his chin. "All right, show's over. I'm here to catch a wanted criminal. If you want to cherish a kindred spirit, go find Yue Hongling in town yourself. I can catch him on my own. I'd like to see what case he has to make when the authorities come."
The first man shook his head. "I'm afraid you'll fall into his hands if you act alone..."
The second man widened his eyes indignantly. "How is that possible?"
"You're right on the threshold of breaking through to the third level of the Profound Pass anyway. Why not stay in town for two months and make that breakthrough first?"
"Oh... then let him swagger around for another two months. He's quite entertaining too..."
Before you continue