Tome of Troubled Times
Chapter 844: Do You Dare Try Trusting Me

Chapter 844: Do You Dare Try Trusting Me

Even Ye Jiuyou, who had grown accustomed to all manner of displays of power, had to admit that seeing someone striding across the snow with a mountain balanced in one hand was impressive.

It was not something one encountered often, after all.

Still, the words she spoke were cold and cutting. “I told you to come at night. Why are you here already?”

Zhao Changhe casually tossed the mountain aside. It landed neatly at the foot of her peak without disturbing so much as a single flake of snow. The smooth, mirror-like side of the mountain faced directly toward Ye Jiuyou. Even from atop her snowy summit, she could see her own reflection as if gazing into a colossal makeup mirror.

In response to her question, Zhao Changhe asked lazily, “Why did it have to be at night?”

“You’ve just reunited with your wives, and the dust has barely settled. Shouldn’t you have spent some time with them?” Ye Jiuyou’s voice remained flat. “Men are all fickle creatures. It’s not just an empty saying.”

“If the dust had truly settled, then it wouldn’t be just a single day of reunion but forever. The only reason I have this single day is that we both know everything is only just beginning.”

“Even so, you could spare at least a day for them. Doesn’t it bother you?”

Zhao Changhe fell silent for a moment before saying, “Do you realize what you sound like right now?”

Ye Jiuyou tilted her head in confusion.

Zhao Changhe matched her expressionless gaze. “Given the context, you sound like... the mistress I’m sneaking away to have an affair with. That’s the only scenario where fickleness would be an accusation that fits.”

Ye Jiuyou let out a short, humorless laugh. “Well, I’ve never heard of someone drawing their blade against their mistress.”

Zhao Changhe knew she was still seething over his act of barring her path with a blade, but there was nothing he could say to undo it. All he could offer was a simple answer, “Which is exactly why this isn’t an affair. Since it isn’t, it’s far more proper to meet during the day than under cover of night.”

There was logic to his words, but Ye Jiuyou’s expression only grew colder. “I told you to come at night because I work best at night. To me, night is the true day.”

They stared at each other, neither quite knowing why they were even arguing about this. On the surface, it was pointless. If either of them were about to start some clandestine romance, what did these petty words even matter? But beneath the surface, the relationship between them was complicated. Their human identities were betrothed, and their divine selves were exposed to one another in ways others could never understand. Even if they themselves did not feel the ambiguity, others would.

Ye Jiuyou had insisted on meeting him alone, not wishing to have his wives watch their conversation with wary, ambiguous eyes. It was not about romance but also about pride; it was about refusing to be misjudged.

Yet the Ye Jiuyou, who once gleefully threatened to throw the other party’s household into chaos back in Chang’an, now seemed strangely hesitant about such perceptions. Why? No one knew. Ye Jiuyou herself did not know, and she did not want to examine it too closely.

However, she had forgotten that arranging a secret nighttime meeting was far more suggestive than simply speaking under everyone’s gaze... Thus, Zhao Changhe’s grand act of “bringing a mountain as a gift” now seemed laden with an unspoken challenge: do you dare look into your own heart?

Ye Jiuyou finally glanced at the mountain and said in a bland tone, “And why exactly have you lugged that thing here? If you’d only brought a corner, I could use it as a mirror. But like this, I’m not sure whether it’s dangerous.”

Zhao Changhe replied, “This artifact can capture souls and turn them into wandering souls. I couldn’t just leave it unattended back there. I figured leaving it with you would be best.”

Ye Jiuyou sneered. “Then destroy it. My little shrine can’t house such a monstrous thing.”

“At the moment, other than the things related to Ye Wuming, this mountain is the only thing you’ve ever actually said you wanted. So, naturally, I’m giving it to you. If it’s too big, you can refine it into something else, repurpose it, or just destroy it as you wish.”

Ye Jiuyou’s sneer faded. Her face remained unreadable. “So this is your way of making amends?”

Zhao Changhe said, “No, it’s simply a gift.”

Her expression softened slightly and she stretched out her hand.

With a flick of her fingers, the massive mountain shrank, spinning until it became a small mirror resting lightly on her palm. Tossing it playfully into the air and catching it, she said with a smile, “I’ve accepted your gift. Now then, since you’ve come all this way, you might as well get to the point.”

Zhao Changhe was momentarily speechless. Wasn’t it you who summoned me here? How did it turn into me seeking you out? If you hadn’t summoned me here, I’d be at the Heavenly River, happily accompanying my wives right now. I don’t have anything urgent I need to talk to you about.

Still, there was no point arguing. He simply accepted the situation and said solemnly, “The ancient Four Idols... ought to be left to rest. In the traditions of this world, disturbing the dead is seen as a grave transgression.”

Ye Jiuyou’s face darkened instantly. “So what? I haven’t harmed anyone. Must you meddle in that too?”

“Do you really think it’s a trivial matter, though? Even the Sword Emperor questioned whether you think that way,” Zhao Changhe said calmly. “Well, perhaps to you it is nothing, but the world does not see it that way. If you continue walking a path in defiance of the common sentiment, then just as in the acient era, you’ll find yourself the target of heaven’s wrath and humanity’s scorn.”

Ye Jiuyou sneered and said, “From the beginning of the previous era, Ye Jiuyou has always stood against the world. I’ve long been branded as a villain. What does it matter now?”

“You were never able to surpass Ye Wuming. And the reason for that was not a matter of strength but one of support. You could not stand against her entire system of power. Your lack of strength was tied to the isolation you faced. You’ve already suffered once for this; are you truly willing to suffer for the same reasons again?”

Ye Jiuyou narrowed her eyes and stared at him intently. For a long while, she said nothing.

Zhao Changhe continued, “Secondly, you yourself don’t wish to be the role the world has written for you, nor the mouthpiece defined by the Heavenly Dao. You no longer want to represent darkness, so why cling to the manipulation of death? Is it because severing yourself from darkness has weakened you, and if you change too much at once, you fear you’ll lose all your strength?”

Ye Jiuyou replied coolly, “Since you already understand that much, why waste your breath? Nothing can change overnight. Everything must be done step by step. Even if I despise the roles forced upon me, I cannot destroy my own foundation and leave myself struggling as a powerless weakling. Good and evil, righteous and wicked... Those words mean nothing to me.”

Zhao Changhe said, “Then have you ever considered that even if you once stood for darkness, if that darkness no longer defines you, then you’re already stepping outside the predetermined framework?”

Ye Jiuyou was momentarily stunned.

Zhao Changhe pressed further, “Everyone around me walks this path. The Four Idols are this way. Lady Three became the Sea Emperor in her own right. Now, Hongling seems poised to surpass the Sword Emperor. Who among them was ever defined by the Heavenly Dao? They cultivated themselves, and so did I. They call me the Night Emperor, but do you think I am the same as Ye Wuming? The power I wield wasn’t given to me; it wasn’t something I was born with. I took it with my own two hands, so it is mine and mine alone. Even if people like you try to suppress it, what of it? One day, we’ll overthrow the old order and take its place. The examples are already too many to count.”

Ye Jiuyou fell into a heavy silence. After a moment, she said, “What about Piaomiao? She is still bound by the destiny she was born with.”

Zhao Changhe shook his head. “You should ask her if she agrees first. She is no longer the detached divinity of the past, and the bearer of humanity’s destiny that she supports is no longer just a vague concept. Her support is tied to Zhao Changhe, not to King Zhao or whatever possible Emperor Zhao. Is it still the same to her whether I reign or not? Can any sovereign rise without making a difference to her? No. She’s no longer as she once was.”

Ye Jiuyou’s heart stirred slightly, though she remained silent.

There were countless examples, after all. From a human’s perspective, this was natural. However, from the viewpoint of the primordial demon gods, it was anything but. Even if they understood it intellectually, to truly act on it... that required not just getting off the ship, but also burning it behind you. It was no small thing.

Zhao Changhe continued, “From certain clues we’ve seen, it seems possible that the destruction of the previous era and the emergence of an era belonging to man was deliberately orchestrated by someone to push this very idea forward.”

Ye Jiuyou narrowed her eyes. Could it be Ye Wuming?

Sure enough, Zhao Changhe continued, “Ye Wuming was a true hero. I admire her greatly. But how long do you plan to let her stand above you?”

Ye Jiuyou let out a laugh, and she appeared neither angry nor amused. “Are you provoking me, or are you swearing loyalty to your dear Ye Wuming?”

Zhao Changhe, of course, had half-intended his words for Ye Wuming’s ears, but not as an oath of loyalty. In fact, it was quite the opposite. “If Ye Wuming heard what you just said, she might not feel the need to strike at you anymore. At the very least, you could erase the threat coming from her side.”

Ye Jiuyou studied him for a moment, interest gleaming in her eyes. “And if she does strike at me?”

Zhao Changhe drew Dragon Bird from his side and drove it into the snow between them.

Ye Jiuyou stared at the blade, her eyes clouded with an old, bitter hatred. “Is it certain that your saber will stand against Ye Wuming and not against me?”

Zhao Changhe said, “That... is why you’ve never been able to truly open your heart to me, isn’t it? You could never be certain where I stood between you and Ye Wuming. You could never build trust.”

Ye Jiuyou said indifferently, “I’ve never been able to trust anyone. It has nothing to do with Ye Wuming.”

Zhao Changhe said softly, “There’s a first time for everything. The only question is whether you’re willing to try.”

They had been speaking in all seriousness. Yet somehow, when that line fell from Zhao Changhe’s lips, an odd tension blossomed between them. Both of them fell silent.

The snowy world around them seemed to grow even quieter, the falling snowflakes swirling softly around Ye Jiuyou but never crossing into the space within a chi of her.

It was just in her nature to be forever distant, untouched by any ornament or adornment... She was surrounded by countless followers yet truly accompanied by no one.

She had always been on her own. In the endless abyss of darkness, the only thing she had ever truly seen was her own reflection in the Soul-Capturing Mirror.

“I’m supposed to trust... a man who, just a few moments ago, raised his saber against me and barred my way?” Ye Jiuyou spoke slowly, her voice low, growing cold and distant.

Before Zhao Changhe could answer, Ye Jiuyou struck. Her right hand flashed out like lightning, moving straight toward Zhao Changhe’s chest.

He instinctively moved to block but midway through the motion, he stopped himself. He moved his hand aside, leaving his chest wide open, allowing her palm to land squarely against him without resistance.

The impact never came. There was no violent force, no devastating blow. Instead, boundless darkness wrapped itself around him, silencing his dantian, withering his meridians, and draining the vitality from his blood and flesh. His entire body came to be completely permeated by darkness and death qi. It looked as if he were about to become a corpse puppet, or a mindless thrall that had been swallowed by the darkness.

Seeing that he did not dodge at all, even Ye Jiuyou showed a flicker of surprise in her eyes. However, she only said coldly, “I told you long ago, when we first made our agreement, I need you as my servant. Only as my servant could I ever trust you. So, where did you find the courage to neither block nor evade?

Death qi clouded Zhao Changhe’s face as he clutched his chest, seemingly in great pain, yet he was smiling. “Cough... I thought you were just angry and wanted to hit me. Even if you struck me hard, it would be only right to let you vent your anger.”

Ye Jiuyou’s cold composure almost broke. She looked like she was about to laugh. “All that just for this? Now, you’re about to become my puppet. Do you regret your childishness?”

“Childishness? Han Wubing atoned by severing his arm. I repay with a single palm strike. It seems to me that I’m getting the better end of the deal,” said Zhao Changhe. “As long as you’ve vented your anger, it’s worth it.”

“Even if you end up my servant?”

“Actually, if you meant only to hurt me, the blow would have landed. But if you intend to control me, you might not succeed so easily.”

“Oh? Is that so?” Ye Jiuyou’s gaze deepened. Boundless darkness pressed inward once again only to find that Zhao Changhe’s soul sea was tightly bound by chains. Her death qi could not breach it.

Ye Jiuyou let out a low, amused laugh. “The Soul-Shackling Chain isn’t invincible. With my strength, breaking it wouldn’t be impossible. If that’s all you’re relying on...”

Zhao Changhe shook his head. “That’s not my trump card. The truth is, you never wanted to make me a puppet. That’s my real defense.”

“And why wouldn’t I want to make you my puppet? I dream of having your entire faction under my command.”

“A puppet is merely an extension of your will. A puppet version of myself would have no worth beyond its basic strength. He would be nothing but a blunt tool and he’d provoke the wrath of the Four Idols and Piaomiao, making your plans even harder to realize.” Zhao Changhe sat down cross-legged in the snow, smiling faintly. “But now that I’ve absorbed a thread of your death qi, I’ve gained a few insights. Would you care to hear them?”

Ye Jiuyou, intrigued, tilted her head. “What insights?”

“You said it yourself, you don’t want the destiny you were born into. If you reforge your path along the way humans cultivate, you could wield those same laws of darkness while breaking free from the old framework. It might be a way to have it both ways.”

“And so?”

“Earlier, when I killed Dark Oblivion, the laws of darkness scattered into the void. You could seize them again. But if you simply rebuild upon your old foundation, you’ll inevitably fall back into the same old position... However, if you take my hand, if you glimpse the laws anew through me, maybe you could truly step outside the old path.”

Ye Jiuyou smiled and said, “You’re offering yourself to me as a research subject?”

Zhao Changhe nodded and said, “You were right before. I wouldn’t offer my wives to be your experiments, nor would I allow you to study my daughter, River of Stars. But me? Sure, I can offer myself. The will and essence of the Night Emperor, the powers of the Four Idols, the transformations between life and death, the division of light and shadow—I have them all. Even though I haven’t mastered any of them perfectly, that’s not what you need. What you need is a new catalyst. You need something to ignite your own awakening.”

Ye Jiuyou’s smile faded. She stared into his eyes, serious and penetrating. “You do realize that this places your life completely in my hands?”

Zhao Changhe’s expression grew solemn. “I told you I would help you. Now, I offer myself to prove it. It’s not whether I dare to do it, but whether you dare to accept it and put your trust in me.”

Both of them knew perfectly well that Ye Jiuyou could not truly kill Zhao Changhe. Even with this opportunity to make him her puppet, she dared not truly take it. The consequences would simply be too catastrophic and too unpredictable. It was not that Zhao Changhe trusted her blindly; he simply knew that there was no way he would fall here.

And yet, it was still trust. It was trust in Ye Jiuyou’s reasoning. It was still a gamble with his life on the line, and on whether Ye Jiuyou could dare to take the step forward.

I dare to trust you. Do you dare to do the same?