Tome of Troubled Times
Chapter 812: Give Me Your Heavenly Tome

Chapter 812: Give Me Your Heavenly Tome

Even though Ye Jiuyou had fully expected the pair to get all lovey-dovey, she had not anticipated that this cute little snowflake could burn quite that hot. And even more unexpected was that Zhao Changhe would actually dare to go through with it right on her own bed.

Watching the scene unfold in her own dwelling, Ye Jiuyou stared, stunned, utterly dumbfounded. Her mind went blank as she had no idea what to do or how to react.

She thought it would be over in a short while. But she had underestimated Zhao Changhe. Not only was he ranked first on the Ranking of Heaven for his martial arts prowess, it turned out that his sky-propping pillar really was strong enough to hold the sky up. Half the night passed, and they were still going strong.

To make things worse, thanks to Piaomiao power-leveling in her place, Cui Yuanyang’s body could now handle a great deal more. The two were in perfect sync, tireless, lost in each other with seemingly no end in sight.

They even started dual cultivating in the process, taking advantage of the moment to heal Zhao Changhe’s lingering internal injuries, finally mending the damage that had refused to recover before.

Am I really going to have to sit here all night and watch the live performance?

Ye Jiuyou’s eyes darted back and forth, her thoughts spinning. Then, with a subtle motion, she cast a quiet spell.

Piaomiao, who had been deep in slumber, slowly drifted awake. In her hazy state, she did not quite know what was happening... only that she felt an overwhelming wave of bliss coursing through her as if she were floating among clouds.

She basked in it for a moment until full awareness struck.

And then she nearly passed out from sheer rage. Her consciousness faded so fast that even Cui Yuanyang did not notice that Piaomiao had briefly stirred in her spiritual sea.

Ye Jiuyou, meanwhile, was grinning ear to ear.

If I have to suffer, someone’s going down with me. Though to be fair, this isn’t exactly that... But seriously, though, sleeping through it? Are you really just going to pretend like none of this is happening? While your body’s being ravished? That’s far more than just self-deception at this point. It would be better for you to at least know what’s happening.

With that thought, Ye Jiuyou felt completely justified.

What she did not know was that Zhao Changhe had noticed Piaomiao’s brief awakening.

Because for him, this was not simply about pleasure, or some routine “fulfilment of husbandly duty.” From the very beginning, he had been using the method of dual cultivation to merge his body and mind with Cui Yuanyang, diving deep into her spiritual sea, searching for a way to separate her soul from Piaomiao’s.

In theory, the two souls were now symbiotic and inseparable by force.

While all of them had reached a level of cultivation capable of splitting their soul, allowing one’s soul to divide into multiple fragments, things were far from being as simple when it came to doing so permanently. Following standard techniques, one could indeed split off the parts belonging to Cui Yuanyang and the parts that were Piaomiao. But, as Lady Three had once clearly stated, even with her own splitting of tortoise and snake, the two of them were not truly separate. They were both still her.

It was by bounding his soul to all things that Zhao Changhe was thereby able to allow his soul to be present everywhere. And this had led him to notice similar limitations. He could multiply his presence a thousandfold, yet every aspect was still him, governed by the same will.

In order to truly divide two souls into independent, autonomous beings, each with their own will and their own destiny.... According to Ye Jiuyou, there was only one person who could possibly know of a way: her sister.

However, Zhao Changhe still believed that the situation between Piaomiao and Yangyang was fundamentally different from others. After all, they truly possessed two separate consciousnesses. While the way by which others split their souls could not result in true independence, it truly seemed as though it should be possible for these two.

The results of his spiritual probing, however, left him with a pounding headache. To put it metaphorically, it was like two distinct colors of paint stirred together. They were intertwined, yet not fully blended into a single new color. You could still make out the original hues, but they were already entangled.

Stir a little more, and they would become a single, indistinguishable new color. Having them combine into one was almost too easy, but pulling back and trying to separate them again seemed impossible. Who could perfectly extract the original colors from a mixed paint? Worse still, these were not static; they were constantly moving, shifting, blending further as time went on.

Right now, Piaomiao’s “color” was dormant, while Cui Yuanyang’s was boiling with life. In other words, this was the best time to try distinguishing them. Zhao Changhe cautiously channeled his soul energy, attempting to insert himself into the crevice between them and peel the two apart.

But he found no entry point and no leverage. It was like fumbling in a fog, the sensation always slipping away just as he thought he had something. What he did not realize was that this very act was bringing his soul into contact with both Cui Yuanyang and Piaomiao at the same time.

In her slumber, Piaomiao found herself dreaming. It was a dream in which a man appeared, holding her close, his breath brushing her ear. A strange sensation lingered in her body—soft, warm, blissful. Instinctively, she pressed closer to the presence in her dream.

Is this... Zhao Changhe?

Then, the foreign energy of Jiuyou’s technique wormed into her dreams, and Piaomiao’s subconscious reacted in alarm, triggering a sudden awakening.

Just as Zhao Changhe was in the middle of his attempt, Piaomiao stirred.

The metaphor of paint was indeed just a metaphor. In truth, Zhao Changhe saw something far more vivid: a sleeping beauty with a serene, refined grace. Though drowsy and soft, she still bore traces of the awe-inspiring presence that once stood against world-ending demons, her aura steeped in the spirit of the mountains and rivers, ethereal and majestic.

Her lashes fluttered, her gaze dazed and dreamy, then she blinked and realization dawned upon her. Her eyes snapped open and locked on his.

The two of them stared at one another for a brief, frozen instant.

And then she fainted dead away from rage.

Zhao Changhe’s spirit beat a hasty, awkward retreat from the spiritual sea.

* * *

By the time the sky began to brighten, Cui Yuanyang had fallen into a deep, utterly content sleep. Zhao Changhe stroked her flushed cheek, kissed her gently, then rose quietly and slipped into his robes.

The next moment, his figure flickered and reappeared before Ye Jiuyou.

She was still seated cross-legged atop the mountain peak. Zhao Changhe sat down across from her, mirroring her posture. It looked as if the two of them were about to engage in a philosophical debate.

Ye Jiuyou’s expression carried a teasing gleam. “So what was supposed to be a night of pleasure turned out to be an exhausting, soul-and-mind-draining endeavor. I imagine you didn’t get much enjoyment at all.”

Zhao Changhe replied calmly, “As long as my wife enjoyed herself, that’s all that matters. Besides, it seems even the mighty demon god Jiuyou is ignorant of a few things... such as men.”

Ye Jiuyou asked curiously, “Oh? What makes you say that?”

“Men only feel the true pleasure at the very end. Everything before that is enjoyable, of course, but also tiring.”

Ye Jiuyou blinked. This was a rather unexpected turn of the conversation. “Then why do men always want to last longer?”

“First, for the woman’s sake. Second, it’s a matter of pride. It’s an emotional high, a sense of conquest and accomplishment. If it were only about relieving oneself, the hand would be more efficient. You know what they say, nobody loves you like you do.”

Ye Jiuyou nodded thoughtfully. “Thank you for the enlightenment.”

Silence fell for a moment.

One of the strongest ancient demon gods and the current number one on the Ranking of Heaven, sitting cross-legged like sages discussing the Dao... and the topic was this. Yet neither showed a hint of embarrassment and both remained stone-faced, maintaining entirely serious expressions.

In fairness, this, too, could be considered an academic topic if you truly delved into it. But if the Heavenly Dao still existed, it might have judged the world beyond saving.

After a pause, Zhao Changhe said, “So this is how you receive guests? You don’t even offer them a cup of tea?”

Ye Jiuyou replied coolly, “I already gave you my house and my bed. What else should I offer? Myself?”

Zhao Changhe’s gaze instinctively flicked toward her chest, but he said nothing.

Catching his glance, Ye Jiuyou gave a slow, teasing smile. “Would you like me to fulfill the terms of our wager?”

Zhao Changhe lowered his eyes slightly, voice indifferent. “I know that even if I press you to honor the bet, you’ll just renege. Breaking promises means nothing to you—it’s practically your signature trait.”

“Then why even bet with me?”

“Because it wasn’t for the wager itself. It was to prove something to myself and to you all. It was to show that your assumptions, your so-called standards, are flawed. Whether it’s you or Ye Wuming.”

“...Heh. You do realize that Ye Wuming is starting to look more and more like your inner demon, right? Everything leads back to her. Whatever you do, it’s to prove something to her. Even this.”

“I know,” Zhao Changhe said calmly. “She’s been my inner demon from the start. Always has been. Even when I practice martial arts, I have to tread carefully, worrying whether this or that will fall under her influence. I’ve never had a moment’s peace.”

“She might be listening, you know.”

“Then let her listen. She already knows, whether I say it or not.”

Ye Jiuyou considered that, then smiled and said, “So then, what about our duel? Are you still going to fight me? Even knowing that I’ll default on the bet if you win?”

“I’ll fight you, but not now. At this point, both the bet and the fight are meaningless. I came here for two reasons. One, for Yangyang. And two, as proof of my sincerity for this alliance. Whether or not you have sincerity is your business, but I have to show mine. That’s all.”

Ye Jiuyou’s eyes gleamed with interest. “Not now, hmm.... Then when do you plan to fight me?”

“The agreement between us that the victor leads was never truly necessary. That’s just the natural order. The weak follow the strong. If I could truly defeat you, you wouldn’t be able to renege; even if you tried, I’d just beat you into submission. And when I clearly can’t defeat you, the agreement’s nothing but a joke. It holds no real power.”

“So what you’re saying is... right now, you’re willing to follow me?”

“At the moment, you and I haven’t established any cooperation. So the question of who listens to whom is moot.”

“But you do need to establish cooperation with me.”

“I do. But the cooperation I want has nothing to do with combat and certainly not with subjugation.” Zhao Changhe’s voice was steady and deliberate. “Of course, you’re free to try killing me, to take the Heavenly Tome or River of Stars for yourself... but that’s exactly what Ye Wuming wants. And I trust you’re not foolish enough to play into her hands.”

“And how do you know that me killing you would be what Ye Wuming wants?”

“Because, for reasons I can’t fully explain, Ye Wuming cannot kill you, and neither can she kill Piaomiao. She needs my hands to do the job. If you and I truly fought to the death, she’d step in at the crucial moment, strike you from the shadows, and make it look like it was me who injured you. You’ve never dared to go all out against me since the moment we met. You’ve always been watching for Ye Wuming’s interference. Otherwise, I’d be dead already. There would have been no need to wait until now.”

“No wonder... I always wondered why you insisted on carrying the Heavenly Tome with you. You knew it meant carrying Ye Wuming’s gaze wherever you went, that you could never escape her surveillance. I thought you were simply stupid... but you were using her presence to keep me in check, weren’t you?”

“Exactly. Any battle I have with a demon god is what Ye Wuming desires. So the question is, will you play into her hand?”

Ye Jiuyou tilted her head and studied Zhao Changhe for a long while before chuckling. “You’ve got some serious nerve... If your assessment had been wrong, you’d already be dead. Or worse, you’d be my puppet, and you’d be suffering a fate far worse than death.”

Zhao Changhe replied coolly, “If a chess piece wants to leap off the board, it must be prepared to die. Without that courage, it’s better off staying home to nurse children.”

Ye Jiuyou said, “Before this, when I asked you to hand over the Heavenly Tome, you refused. You said I was a bad person and shouldn’t be made stronger. When I asked for River of Stars, you said no as well, saying that it’s your daughter. This and that, all denied. So what exactly is this supposed cooperation you came here to propose?”

Zhao Changhe said, “Show me your page of the Heavenly Tome.”

“...Huh? And what do I get in return?”

“Nothing. Just show it to me.”

Ye Jiuyou’s eyes widened in disbelief, and she nearly burst out laughing. “Have you lost your mind?”

Zhao Changhe’s gaze did not waver. “Ye Wuming can’t kill you. But can you kill her? She’s using me. You’ll need me, too. She’s carefully orchestrated everything to ensure I gather more and more of the Heavenly Tome, growing stronger and stronger. The question now is, do you have her level of resolve? If not, I suggest you surrender now and admit she’s still your superior, that you’re not worthy of competing with her.”

Any hint of laughter vanished from Ye Jiuyou’s face, and her expression turned grave.

Zhao Changhe met her gaze with one that was calm and unwavering.

Ye Jiuyou fell silent for a while before slowly speaking, “Giving you the Heavenly Tome... isn’t impossible. But Ye Wuming also needs the full Tome, and she’s only missing this one page. How can I be sure that giving it to you won’t just be handing it over to her, dressing her for the wedding while I sit out in the cold?”

“Of course you can’t just hand it to me, that would complete her collection. I’m only asking to see it with it still remaining in your hands. I won’t touch it. If Ye Wuming shows up, I’ll stand with you to protect it. Piaomiao is also here. She won’t be able to take it.”

“You’ve already learned about the Dao of space from Ying Five and River of Stars. Why do you need my page? In fact, you might be better off studying these arts outside the Heavenly Tome. Anything within it comes with the risk of falling under Ye Wuming’s control.”

“Because I need to glimpse time.”

“And your reason?”

“First, to see if I can uncover Ye Wuming’s true intentions. I want to have an idea of what exactly was being sealed by the Frost Chi. Second, I already have the Dao of karma, but karma can’t exist independent of time. Each page of the Heavenly Tome complements the others. Without this one, the rest are difficult to fully master. The page still floating in the sky doesn’t seem related to martial cultivation, so that leaves only the one in your hands.”

Ye Jiuyou went quiet again, eyes distant, clearly deep in thought.

Zhao Changhe said, “Everything I think about Ye Wuming, I voice aloud. I conspire against her as if shouting in public, and she knows it all anyway. And I’ll be just as direct with you. When I grow strong enough, I may become your enemy. I may even kill you. Because this world cannot coexist with gods of chaos and annihilation. That’s all. How you choose to respond is up to you.”

At last, Ye Jiuyou gave a soft laugh. “Ye Wuming brought in a variable from beyond the Heavenly Dao to wield as her blade. If that blade turned out to be dull, it wouldn’t have served her; if it was too sharp, she risked cutting herself. As it turns out, you’re the latter, and your edge is already shaving-sharp. I really do wonder what she’s feeling right now, watching her weapon turn against her.”

“She feels nothing. She wants me to become her enemy. This is exactly the outcome she designed. So I’m simply obliging her.”

Ye Jiuyou suddenly asked, seemingly out of nowhere, “Why did you say that you may even kill me? Shouldn’t it be a must, if I’m a threat? Or... can you not bear to do it?”

“Because...” For once, Zhao Changhe hesitated. He had been answering every question smoothly without pause, but now he slowed, thinking as he spoke, “Because I feel... you’re not the same as when we first met. You aren’t like the rumors from the ancient era either. You’re not the Jiuyou I thought I knew. You’re becoming more human. I don’t know what happened to cause that shift. But if this path continues, then is there really a need to kill you?”

Ye Jiuyou’s smile widened, teasing. “There’s no need to explain. You can just say that you can’t bear to. Did touching me feel that good?”

Zhao Changhe’s face remained blank.

Chaos really does beget madwomen. No sane person could understand how the conversation went from apocalyptic philosophy to flirtation in half a breath. What sort of mental gymnastics were involved in making that leap?

Just as Zhao Changhe was trying to steer the discussion back on track, Ye Jiuyou flicked her slender wrist. A golden scroll of silk appeared in her hand, gleaming brilliantly. “Here it is, the last page.”

Zhao Changhe froze, staring for a moment. Ye Jiuyou continued, “Whether or not I benefit from this doesn’t matter. The one who benefits, who grows stronger... is you. No matter how silver-tongued you are, remember this... You owe me.”