Tome of Troubled Times-Chapter 730 (2): The Blind Womans Revenge

Compared to the relative calm within the Spirit Tribe’s borders, chaos reigned in Miaojiang.

Miaojiang was home to a multitude of tribes, and ever since the death of the Black Hmong King, no one had been able to unite them. Lei Zhentang and Dao Qingfeng had both sought to accomplish this, only to meet their ends and see their tribes fall into decline.

Now, it was the Spirit Tribe’s turn to attempt the feat.

For years, the Spirit Tribe had maintained a defensive stance, guarding Taoyuan Town and avoiding outward aggression. But now, alongside their Han allies, they had launched an all-out campaign, sweeping through the Cangshan and Erhai regions in a bid for conquest.

Dali, previously occupied by Dao Qingfeng’s White Hmong, was in disarray following his sudden death. Without a leader, the White Hmong descended into chaos, and on that very night, the Spirit Tribe army marched in. The White Hmong surrendered, and Dali fell into new hands.

Unlike the small mountain village that was Taoyuan Town, Dali had the potential to serve as a capital city.

By taking control of Dali, the Spirit-Han alliance signaled the countdown to the unification of Miaojiang. However, the disorderly mix of tribes in Miaojiang made stability far more challenging than within the Spirit Tribe itself. After consolidating her internal power, Sisi immediately established her seat in Dali and called for a multi-tribe conference.

Such gatherings had long been a tradition in Miaojiang—governance was often structured around a “council system.” However, most of the tribes that had once participated in this system had dwindled. Among those with some measure of power left, only Pan Wan of the Yao Tribe remained. To Pan Wan, this so-called conference felt more like a Hongmen Banquet[1]. If Sisi decided to kill her and wipe out the Yao Tribe, there would be little standing in her way.

But Pan Wan had no choice. She might die if she attended, but if she did not, then she would certainly die, and her tribe might well be exterminated.

The conference was held in Dali’s royal palace, a location heavy with symbolism. The palace, originally built by the Black Hmong King, had been renovated by Lei Zhentang and further restored by Dao Qingfeng. Its grandeur made it a fitting venue for such an important meeting.

“You want to become the King of Dali?” Pan Wan asked bluntly, her tone direct. “Lei Zhentang wanted to be king. Dao Qingfeng wanted to be king. Now you, Xiang Simeng, also want to be king. Is power really so enticing that you’d submerge the beautiful Cangshan and Erhai into the endless flames of war?”

Sisi smiled calmly and asked, “Big Sis, have you ever considered that it might precisely be because there is no king that Miaojiang is engulfed in the endless flames of war?”

Pan Wan sneered. “Well, even when we did have a king, it wasn’t exactly paradise here. When the Black Hmong King ruled, every tribe lived as slaves.”

Sisi countered, “Then tell me, when was the best time?”

Pan Wan raised her head and thought for a long time before replying, “The years right after the Xia Emperor established oversight in Miaojiang were the best... but then the Han began to oppress us...”

“So what if the Han Empress governs us on paper, but I’m actually the one in charge of Miaojiang? Would that be better?”

Pan Wan narrowed her eyes. “How can you guarantee that you won’t become the next Black Hmong King?”

“I can only give you my word,” Sisi said, resting her chin on her hand. “If nothing before has worked, shouldn’t we at least attempt to find a better way? We have to try every option.”

“And if it doesn’t work?”

“Then you can curse me and demand my abdication.”

Pan Wan could not help but laugh. “Are you playing house?”

“No,” Sisi said seriously. “Everyone knows words mean little. That’s why if it were the Black Hmong King, he wouldn’t even bother with such formalities. He would not have even bothered to give you any choice; he would have simply made you kneel. The fact that I’m willing to say it shows at least a different attitude.”

“There’s a bit of reasoning in that, childlike though it might be, ” Pan Wan admitted, and her smile grew more genuine. “You could rely on brute force to conquer us all but instead strive for peace. I can see the sincerity in your stance.”

“At this moment, Big Sis, you don’t represent just your own tribe—you’re a reflection of Miaojiang’s Hundred Tribes. I could destroy one tribe, but I cannot annihilate all of them. I could enslave them all, but I do not wish to.” Sisi’s tone became somber. “This is an unprecedented age of chaos, with gods and demons alike in turmoil. I hope we can unite and protect the beauty of Cangshan and Erhai together.”

Pan Wan asked, “And what position do you plan to place me in?”

“I’ve modeled our internal governance in the Spirit Tribe after the Han imperial court,” Sisi explained. “Many positions remain vacant—I’m waiting for you all to fill them. Would you be interested in taking the seat of... Grand Chancellor[2]?”

Pan Wan’s eyes widened in shock.

This was fundamentally different from the rule of the Black Hmong King. It was an offer steeped in sincerity. Sure, one might dismiss it as buying trust with lavish rewards, but even so, it was a statement of intent.

At the end of the day, strength ruled supreme. When you had the power to enslave Miaojiang but still chose to extend goodwill, it naturally yielded the desired effect.

Finally, Pan Wan stood up from her seat and knelt on one knee. “I am willing to serve my queen.”

Sisi beamed and pulled her up by the arm. “I knew you would agree, Big Sis.”

She then turned to address the other tribal representatives at the meeting. “Whether Black Hmong or White Hmong, regardless of past disputes or animosities, we are now one nation. All tribes will be treated equally, without favoritism or prejudice.”

Many of the smaller tribal representatives dropped a knee to the ground and bowed. “We are willing to serve our queen.”

Yue Hongling stood at Sisi’s side, quietly observing as the latter commanded the meeting with poise and authority. She could not help but feel a trace of admiration. Initially, Yue Hongling had assumed she might need to intervene—particularly when it came to matters involving the Han. After all, it had been her blade that ended the life of the pacification commissioner who had oppressed the tribes. Her voice carried weight in these discussions. Yet, as it turned out, her involvement was not necessary at all.

“Since that’s settled, let’s host a grand banquet for the Hundred Tribes today!” Sisi declared confidently, striding toward the door. She glanced back at Yue Hongling with a playful smile. “Sister Yue, as the Han representative, what do you think abou—ah!”

Just at that moment, Zhao Changhe achieved his breakthrough, and the Heart-Bonding Gu triggered a surge of shared sensation. Sisi’s mind was suddenly pulled thousands of li away. At the same time, she turned to speak and missed the step at the doorway.

Unlike the doorway at the Spirit Tribe’s sacred temple, this one’s threshold was slightly higher.

In front of the gathered tribal chiefs, the newly crowned queen who had just united Miaojiang stumbled clumsily, flailing her arms as she nearly pitched forward face-first into the ground.

Fortunately, Sisi was, after all, the heir of the Thief Saint. Her mastery of wind control allowed her to twist mid-air gracefully. She pushed off the ground with one hand, flipping herself upright in a fluid motion.

But just as she steadied herself, a gust of wind from her acrobatic recovery knocked loose the old plaque above the doorway. The wooden plaque came crashing down, right upon her head.

Sisi reached up with her delicate hand, intending to catch it, but the plaque was old and rotten. The moment she grabbed it, it crumbled into dust. A shower of wood fragments and debris rained down, leaving the new queen covered in dust, her bright eyes blinking through the haze with utter perplexion.

The entire council chamber froze in stunned silence. Even Yue Hongling stood slack-jawed.

What kind of ancestral curse did she stumble upon to have luck this bad...?

At that very moment, a golden light flashed across the sky:

The White Hmong Chief Dao Qingfeng sought to awaken the corpse puppet of the Black Hmong King. Yue Hongling discovered his plan, followed him into the tomb, and slew him with her blade. She destroyed the corpse puppet, bathed in blood, and stood defiant against thousands of soldiers, her sword striking fear into the White Hmong. Thus, her might shook Dali.

Dao Qingfeng, ranked 38th on the Ranking of Man, has fallen.

Spirit Tribe Queen Xiang Simeng, having mastered the Dao of spirit control, quelled rebellion at the sacred mountain, defeated assassins in the mourning hall, and subdued the undead. She secured the loyalty of the Han army, then marched from Taoyuan, swept across Erhai, unified the tribes, and claimed Dali as her seat of power. Her authority as queen established, she now rises to take the vacant position in the Ranking of Man.

Ranking of Man, Rank 38: Miaojiang Queen Xiang Simeng

The delicate dice are dyed with red beans...

The announcement abruptly cut off, followed by an unprecedented addition—a symbol that only one person in this entire world recognized for what it was, but everyone found strangely understandable.

...😅

Sisi spat out dust.

Who wrote this ridiculous update? Did I offend you or something?!

Foll𝑜w current novℯls on ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm.

Back at the Ao Pool, Zhao Changhe was equally dumbfounded. He yelled to the air for the blind woman to hear, “Hey, hey, Blindie! Since when can the announcements of the Rankings of Troubled Times have emoji? Are you playing around with the system?!”

There was a strange kind of poetic absurdity in this—a national announcement delivered with an emoji. The entire world was probably left speechless at this very moment.

Leaning casually against a tree by the Ao Pool, the blind woman crossed her arms, her face alight with satisfaction and a vengeful glee. “Well, you let her call me a little bitch. She ruined my reputation, insinuating nonsense about me? Fine, let’s see how she likes it. From now on, whenever people think of her, they’ll call her the Emoji Queen.”

Zhao Changhe stood there with his mouth half open, unable to close it for a long time.

That’s... why you did all that?

This is why you can’t just give the tome spirit free rein over everything. If this keeps up, the whole world might descend into chaos.

“Uh, by the way... since Hongling defeated the Black Hmong King, doesn’t she qualify for the Ranking of Heaven?”

“And who’s she going to replace?” the blind woman retorted. “When you beat those demon gods, I couldn’t update the rankings either. The Black Hmong King is nothing more than a dead man. It wouldn’t make sense for him to still be on the ranking.”

She paused, a hint of frustration crossing her face. “If only all these contenders would show themselves at once, I could properly reevaluate their strength and update the rankings in one go. But no, they have to keep popping up one by one—what’s the point of that? You’d better hurry to Kunlun and fight everyone there. If you do, I can finally reorganize the rankings.”

Zhao Changhe waved his sleeve and stormed off.

1. As explained in chapters 658-659, this is a metaphor for a gathering filled with ulterior motives and treachery. ☜

2. This would be the highest-ranking executive official in imperial China. ☜