Tome of Troubled Times
Chapter 818: Please Set a New Trap

Chapter 818: Please Set a New Trap

In truth, the appearance of Zhao Changhe’s face among Piaomiao’s illusions should not have meant anything significant. After all, Zhao Changhe’s own illusions had included plenty of other men; family and friends could weaken one’s resolve just as well as their romantic partners.

If one were to give it a bit more thought, it became even less remarkable. Originally, their relationship had begun as antagonistic, even bearing the question of whether he should kill Piaomiao to save his wife. Yet, Zhao Changhe had always viewed Piaomiao as a good person, which was exactly why he had hesitated from the start. There was no need for an illusion to prove something already demonstrated in reality. And if this had already been proven, why dwell upon it further?

But the real issue now was Piaomiao’s illusions showing Zhao Changhe and... nobody else apart from her own reincarnation. Whatever happened to her bold claim of there being no one who could weaken her resolve? Across two entire eras and countless faces she’d seen, the only two who could shake her were Cui Yuanyang and Zhao Changhe. Perhaps she had not exaggerated much, yet this very exclusivity only made those two faces even more glaringly obvious.

Softening her stance toward Cui Yuanyang was understandable. After all, she was literally Piaomiao’s reincarnation. But Zhao Changhe? Was it purely because he was her reincarnation’s husband?

And on Zhao Changhe’s side, the Piaomiao illusions appeared unclothed...

Actually, the reason for this was embarrassingly simple: he had hardly ever seen Piaomiao with clothes on. Their interactions had been minimal, so naturally, the naked scene had made a much deeper impression. Yet, regardless of the reason, a situation that should not have been anything special suddenly felt charged with mutual, intense ambiguity. Even Zhao Changhe, despite being battle-hardened and no stranger to romantic escapades, felt his cheeks warming, and Piaomiao’s face burned even more fiercely.

The illusion beasts bearing Zhao Changhe’s face ahead were swiftly annihilated, turned to ashes by a thoroughly embarrassed and flustered Piaomiao. For over ten li ahead, all traces of life vanished, and even the surrounding mountains were partially leveled.

Zhao Changhe silently admitted to himself that even he might not have survived that explosive strike. It was like deploying an ultimate skill just to clear some random mobs...

“I told you we should’ve flown straight over. What were you dawdling for?” Piaomiao snapped angrily, soaring upward without waiting for a reply.

Zhao Changhe quietly followed after her, wisely avoiding confrontation with an irritated woman.

Then, he heard Piaomiao toss out another stiff sentence. “You are the cornerstone of the Great Han. Killing you recklessly would destabilize everything. Don’t get any strange ideas.”

Zhao Changhe: “Yes, yes, yes.”

“What’s with that tone?”

“I was emphatically agreeing, a triple affirmation if you will.”

“Huh? Since when are you so cheeky with me?”

“Since I saw a crowd of Zhao Changhes... Now I know that no matter how cheeky I become, I’m safe from harm.”

“You!”

With practiced ease, Zhao Changhe quickly changed the subject again. “Your last attack was too flashy. I also have my own techniques that allow me to strike across a wide area, so do you not wonder why I bother hacking my way forward one strike at a time?”

Piaomiao was effectively diverted. “You wanted to avoid alerting our enemies prematurely?”

“This place contains far more than just illusion beasts. There are humans on the Ranking of Heaven and a bunch of unknown entities, and it’s the stronghold for several evil groups. On the bright side, this realm is massive. Hongling spent ages here without trouble, and that proves Papiyas can’t constantly watch every corner of it, or at least that he’s not watching. If we’d kept a low profile, we could have better grasped the situation bit by bit. But after your strike, even if Papiyas had been asleep, he’s certainly awake now, readying a net of traps to greet us.”

Piaomiao grew quiet, and when she did speak, a trace of guilt colored her voice. “I acted rashly.”

“It’s fine,” Zhao Changhe reassured her with a smile. “I have a map of this place. If we conceal our presence and take alternate routes, we might still evade some critical pitfalls.”

“The map that the ancient Black Tortoise made is truly remarkable,” Piaomiao said thoughtfully. “Even Ye Jiuyou and I aren’t so familiar with the geography of the heavenly realm. Is the Four Idols Cult’s foundation truly this profound?”

“Well, not exactly. This one’s my personal foundation,” Zhao Changhe replied shamelessly.

Piaomiao fell silent again.

He refrained from mentioning this foundation originally belonged more to Ye Wuming, afraid that doing so might worsen Piaomiao’s mood again.

Both restrained their auras, quietly navigating through the mountains. Zhao Changhe opened up the page of the Atlas of Mountains and Rivers for the Heavenly Demon Illusion Realm, staring in confusion for a moment. “This place is huge, and there aren't any landmarks. I’m not sure exactly where we are. Can you take a look?”

Piaomiao leaned in closely, studying the map for a while before pointing at a spot. “We should be right here.”

“Are you sure?” Zhao Changhe turned his head to look at her.

Piaomiao lifted her gaze as well. The two suddenly found themselves almost nose-to-nose, barely any distance apart. They froze awkwardly for a heartbeat, quickly turning their faces away simultaneously.

“I’m sure...” Piaomiao murmured, averting her eyes again. “All these mountains and stones may look similar at first glance, but each has distinct characteristics. Every stone, every plant can serve as a landmark. Your uncertainty suggests you still have room to refine your attention to detail.”

Zhao Changhe laughed softly and said respectfully, “Understood, revered god.”

Piaomiao continued averting her gaze.

When they first met, Zhao Changhe addressed her as “revered god.” It had been a long time since that, however. Now that she heard him speak to her in such a way again, she was not sure if he meant genuine respect or was teasing her again.

Trying to regain control, she reminded him of her seniority. “You might be an unmatched prodigy, but you’re still young and lack sufficient maturity and tempering.”

Zhao Changhe put away his map, smiling faintly as he said, “Well, you’ll have to let me temper myself then. You shouldn’t step in anymore from now on. Ye Jiuyou was, at the very least, right in that there’s meaning in me exploring alone. If someone as strong as you keeps intervening, I won’t get any meaningful experience. Besides, most people don’t even know the one inside Yangyang’s body is actually Piaomiao. You should remain hidden and give Papiyas a nice surprise when we finally encounter him. I suspect that if he knows you are here, he might never show himself. So, no matter how dangerous it gets for me, you must not act before we reach Papiyas.”

His tone had shifted suddenly from the respectful address of “revered god” of earlier to something with a hint of command, clearly a subtle jab at her earlier lecturing.

This man’s heart was clearly smaller than a needle’s eye.

Piaomiao replied impassively, “And if you encounter an illusion you cannot break, should I give you a hint?”

“There’s no need for that. That would defeat the purpose of training.”

“Very well.”

The two of them quietly navigated around for a while longer, neither saying another word.

Yet despite their silence and the complete lack of overt intimacy, two people sneaking carefully through the forest in broad daylight, quietly evading illusion beasts, inexplicably conveyed an atmosphere oddly reminiscent of a secret romantic rendezvous.

Cui Yuanyang, perched thoughtfully within the spiritual sea, watched with a curious sense of deja vu. Back then, had she and her big brother Zhao not navigated perilous mountains together just like this? Even their appearances had not changed much. Only Zhao Changhe’s temperament had evolved greatly. Before, she had found his wild arrogance irresistibly attractive; now, his poised confidence held equal allure.

Ultimately, he was the one she loved. No matter how he changed, he would always captivate her. And given how much Piaomiao had shared her memories and feelings, how could Piaomiao possibly escape these feelings herself?

But as she was entertaining these tangled thoughts, Zhao Changhe suddenly halted.

Ahead, a familiar figure swiftly flashed through the mountain path. Sisi, dagger in hand, darted nimbly, eliminating seven or eight illusion beasts effortlessly before slipping swiftly into the forest.

What the hell is she doing here? Why did Sisi come to such a dangerous place? Zhao Changhe wondered to himself, cautiously following her. He watched as Sisi navigated through the woods with precision, clearly headed toward a specific target.

Her graceful movements, her swordsmanship vaguely reminiscent of the Sword Emperor, and that lingering, familiar fragrance in the air all confirmed to Zhao Changhe that this was the real Sisi, not merely another illusion.

He trailed behind carefully. If Sisi had activated her Spirit-Controlling Technique and borrowed the Blood Ao’s strength, she would usually be fine anywhere in the world, but this place was an exception. She stood no chance against Papiyas, not to mention the unknown threats lurking here, such as Snow Owl. This was absolutely a death trap for someone of her level. So why was she here alone, and what exactly was she after?

Is it some secret mission from Ye Wuzong? But why not inform me beforehand?

Piaomiao, following close behind, glanced sideways at Zhao Changhe’s suddenly tense and solemn expression, almost imperceptibly pursing her lips in mild annoyance.

Swish!

Sisi’s dagger cleanly dispatched two more illusion beasts before she perched silently atop a branch, carefully observing something below.

Zhao Changhe peered over from a distance, noticing the smooth, reflective stone wall ahead and feeling a jolt of recognition.

That stone wall matched Yue Hongling’s earlier descriptions. This was the wall that had almost consumed her soul by reflecting her deepest desires. If memory served him right, this stone wall linked this realm with Kunlun, existing half here and half there.

Even more chilling, he recalled Yue Hongling’s suspicion that these illusion beasts might be formed from the souls of explorers drained by this boundary stone—an utterly malevolent creation.

Why did Sisi come looking for this stone wall?

In front of the stone wall, several enormous beasts, far larger than typical illusion beasts, prowled diligently, vigilant as they patrolled.

After observing for a short moment, Sisi seized an instant when two beasts crossed paths, their vision obscured. With a flick of her fingers, two gu insects silently burrowed into the beasts’ bodies and exploded violently.

In the chaos, Sisi swiftly moved closer to the stone wall.

Zhao Changhe anticipated her next move, but to his dismay, she froze in front of the wall, instantly ensnared in its grasp.

Zhao Changhe cursed inwardly. Even a brief lapse here could be fatal. Did this reckless girl really think she’s strong enough to handle this place alone?

Sure enough, in that momentary daze, a swift sword light flashed from the sky, rushing toward Sisi’s exposed neck. From the attacker’s white clothing and phantom-like speed, it was clear that the one who had unleashed the sword strike was Snow Owl.

Sisi snapped awake from her trance but moved sluggishly, clearly still affected by the illusion. It was already too late to evade the strike.

Clang!

A dragon’s roar echoed and a crimson saber light streaked through space and time itself to meet the sword light. In an instant, Zhao Changhe’s saber was blocking Snow Owl’s path.

Forced to abort his strike, Snow Owl spun into a blur, immediately shifting to the side to launch a counterattack.

Having drawn away Snow Owl’s attention, Zhao Changhe swiftly deflected the blow, stepping protectively in front of Sisi. “A remnant of the old Ranking of Heaven, resorting to ambushing a young girl...”

Before Zhao Changhe could finish speaking, a chilling sensation shot up his spine.

Sisi’s dagger viciously lunged toward Zhao Changhe’s back, while Snow Owl’s sword, sharper and swifter than before, thrust directly toward his face. Even the two illusion beasts that had appeared to have exploded earlier transformed into spiritual fluctuations, rushing toward Zhao Changhe’s mind.

It was an all-encompassing ambush. Everything from start to finish had been a trap.

Piaomiao instinctively raised her hand to intervene but abruptly stopped herself. Zhao Changhe had clearly instructed her not to interfere until Papiyas himself appeared, even in the direst situations. This fake “Sisi” was obviously not Papiyas.

Yet Zhao Changhe neither dealt with the dagger behind him nor evaded Snow Owl’s sword. Instead, he swung Dragon Bird forward mercilessly, aiming directly for Snow Owl’s head.

Snow Owl swiftly turned into a blur, evading the slash effortlessly. Yet Zhao Changhe’s figure vanished at the same moment, leaving the sword, dagger, and spiritual fluctuations to strike empty air simultaneously.

Teleportation.

Li Shentong had warned him that the sturdiness of his body was merely the final safeguard and not something to rely upon carelessly. Among the various escape methods available, Zhao Changhe had quickly developed a preference for teleportation. Just like Flash in League of Legends[1], it was a potent and incredibly versatile ability.

Of course, any powerful ability had its drawbacks. This one specifically required preemptive setup and could not be executed at random. Clearly, Zhao Changhe had anticipated this ambush from the start.

“If Papiyas himself doesn’t come out, none of you are strong enough to catch the flaw in my teleportation. You could ambush me your whole life and still only catch air.” Zhao Changhe calmly faced Snow Owl, still deliberately turning his back to the fake Sisi. He then greeted Snow Owl casually, “Long time no see. You still haven’t lost your virginity?”

Snow Owl: “...”

Zhao Changhe sighed dramatically. “No wonder you’re still stuck at the first layer of the Profound Control Realm. You even absorbed Dark Oblivion, yet you’re still this weak... utterly pathetic.”

Snow Owl nearly choked from frustration. Since when is an expert at the Profound Control Realm considered weak? Yet even Snow Owl had to admit that Zhao Changhe did in fact have the credentials to make such remarks. The rate at which this man progressed in cultivation was unreasonable, bordering on absurdity.

Snow Owl disdained further verbal sparring, but the fake Sisi coldly asked, “How did you discern that I, the Queen of the Spirit Tribe, am fake? My disguise was flawless, and I even killed illusion beasts in front of you.”

Zhao Changhe responded casually, “You’re right, there was indeed no flaw to your disguise. Your martial arts, your fragrance, even your gu arts were flawless. It’s probably because these things were conjured from my own memory. The illusion was perfect and with no cracks to exploit.”

“Then how did you see through it?”

“I simply cheated,” Zhao Changhe sighed. “Sisi and I have a Heart-Bonding Gu. At such close range, our minds resonate clearly. Normally, we’d instantly know each other’s thoughts. But after calling out to you repeatedly without receiving a single response, it was obvious you were fake. Honestly, you could’ve picked anyone else to impersonate, but you just had to pick Sisi, whose brain is literally connected to mine...”

Snow Owl: “...”

The illusion beast: “...”

What other choice did they have but to pick Sisi? The other women were traveling to Kunlun together, so only Sisi could reasonably appear here alone. Who knew Zhao Changhe and Sisi would have something as bizarre as a Heart-Bonding Gu?

Snow Owl persisted stubbornly, “Then how did you avoid being affected when you looked at the stone wall?”

“Bold of you to assume I ever looked at the stone wall.”

“You weren’t even curious enough to take a single glance?”

“My wife saw it a while back and she told me exactly what it was,” Zhao Changhe said, sounding even more disappointed than they did. “Look... I came here to train. Why did you choose something that lets me cheat? You guys are a total letdown. How about this? I’ll let you go, then you can go back and set another trap for me, alright?”

Even Snow Owl, famed for his restraint and lack of emotions, visibly darkened at these words. This kind of insult was not something easily brushed off.

Zhao Changhe continued, “Even though I saw through it immediately, I still purposely walked into your ambush, hoping to lure Papiyas out. But he’s more cowardly than I expected. He doesn’t even dare to take advantage of such a perfect opportunity. Well, whatever. Either have him meet me personally or go back and set a better trap. Because as it stands, none of you qualify as more than a passing amusement for me.”

Suddenly, multiple sword lights erupted from the darkness, flying directly at the hidden Piaomiao. “Then how about Cui Yuanyang? Is she qualified to entertain us?”

Zhao Changhe sighed, not even bothering to turn around.

Clang!

A divine sword was unsheathed, and purple qi surged violently, filling the sky.

Several screams echoed in quick succession as a cluster of Snow-Listening Pavilion assassins collapsed lifelessly around Piaomiao.

Well, at this moment, it was actually not Piaomiao but Cui Yuanyang, who had been mercilessly dumped into the fray by Piaomiao. After all, these small fries could easily be dealt with by the Qinghe Sword alone.

Realizing that even Piaomiao could occasionally have a mischievous side, Zhao Changhe felt rather amused, though outwardly, he maintained a grim and sorrowful expression. “It seems you’re not even qualified to entertain a single sword... How pitiful.”

1. The author specifically used the same words here as for the Flash summoner spell in League of Legends. ☜