Tome of Troubled Times
Chapter 851 (1): Matters of the Wedded

Chapter 851 (1): Matters of the Wedded

Since all his wives were in favor of striking while the iron was hot, Zhao Changhe saw no reason to delay. Taking the translation, he made a beeline once more for the snowy mountain where Ye Jiuyou resided.

From a distance, he saw her, still clad entirely in black, seated in quiet meditation atop the summit, allowing the howling wind and snow to lash at her figure. His heart sank at the sight.

If Zhao Changhe had employed any deliberate strategy, it was not striking while the iron was hot but precisely the opposite. He had let it cool overnight.

He had wanted to observe what change, if any, would surface after Ye Jiuyou passed through Chang’an and returned to the darkness. Would her heart stir? If she remained utterly unmoved, then perhaps he, too, would know to retreat. No one could warm a stone. After all, even Ye Wuming had been together with him from morning ’til night for close to three years, yet she took decisive action all the same. Calculating one moment, vanishing the next. Maybe she would treat Zhao Changhe with slightly more consideration, but even that took years to cultivate.

Ye Wuming may have appeared ruthless and detached, even to the Four Idols and Piaomiao, but Zhao Changhe had long suspected she was not entirely devoid of emotion. Her tenderness toward Shuanghua was evidence of that. And Ye Jiuyou? She had to be even more extreme. She was the true embodiment of someone who had no one by her side.

If the Ranking of Demon Gods ever ranked who was the hardest to woo, Ye Jiuyou would easily take the top spot, especially considering the timeframe. It was practically hell difficulty. That was exactly why his women found the whole thing so entertaining. They thought their man was taking on the impossible.

Fortunately, Ye Jiuyou was now at a chaotic juncture. She was actively purging the will of the Heavenly Dao from within herself, attempting to replace it with her own independent will. This was the prime moment for someone else to leave an imprint of their own. If he could not manage it now, then no one ever would.

So, seeing her unchanged demeanor made Zhao Changhe’s heart drop.

Getting closer only worsened it. The accessories were gone, and even the blush and rouge had been wiped clean; she had returned to that pale, ghostly visage. When she sensed his approach and opened her eyes, they still held the same frosty gleam.

The only thing that gave him a sliver of hope was that she spoke first, “Didn’t bring your flock of birds this time?”

“You told me to come alone, didn’t you?” Zhao Changhe steadied himself and once more took a seat across from her.

This time, just a little closer than before.

She was the one to speak first, and this was evidence she had not returned to what she was in the past just yet. Crucially, there even seemed to be a trace of... jealousy in her tone?

Ye Jiuyou acted as if she had not noticed him edging closer. “You said you’d come after discussing things with them. What is it you want?”

“First off, I want to know if you’ve given up on the plan of using the ancient Four Idols as corpse puppets.”

Ye Jiuyou was silent for a moment, then slowly said, “If I can gain the essence of the Four Idols from you, then the corpse puppets do become a lot less valuable. However, they still offer immense support on the battlefield. Right now, I’m relatively weak, so having them would help greatly. It’s not easy to just toss them aside.”

Zhao Changhe said, “With my help, your period of weakness won’t last long. Besides, a corpse puppet is still just that. They can’t wield the true strength of the ancient Four Idols. Add them all together and they still might not match me alone.”

Ye Jiuyou sneered. “If they can be compared to you, then they’re already worth keeping. Do you even know how strong you are now? If you were weak, I would’ve crushed you long ago. You wouldn’t be here spouting nonsense.”

“Uh...”

She snapped, “A corpse puppet follows my every command, but what about you?”

Zhao Changhe raised a hand. The mountain’s buried metals flowed together, forming the rough shape of a blade. Before it even took form, he snapped it with a loud crack, then threw it away. “Ever since I obtained Dragon Bird, I’ve never needed another blade. Even when other blades obeyed me completely and Dragon Bird refused to do the same. I never wanted her to be just an obedient tool. Her will is what makes her precious to me.”

Ye Jiuyou smiled faintly. “You want me to treat you like a saber?”

Zhao Changhe replied, “At the very least, I’m confident Dragon Bird listens to me more and more. Do you not believe that you can make Zhao Changhe listen to you more and more? If you can conquer me, what corpse puppet could compare? But you don’t even dare imagine it.”

Ye Jiuyou was momentarily stunned, unable to reply.

Zhao Changhe pressed further, “You really are in a weakened state right now. When we first met in Chang’an, you had the confidence to wreak havoc in my backyard and toy with me like a puppet. But now you’re afraid of being pursued?”

It was, indeed, quite amusing seeing how things change. Back then, she could say “I’m here to mess up your harem” with a smirk and even flirt a little. Now, she could no longer say anything of the sort. Why? Was it really because she was weaker? Or was it that back then, Zhao Changhe meant as little to her as a rock by the roadside, and she could say whatever she liked. Now, the dynamics had shifted, so even her words had become more cautious.

Ye Jiuyou looked slightly pained but did not answer directly. “Are you done? All this just to talk me out of using the ancient Four Idols’ corpses. You’re becoming further and further out of line.”

“I’m not talking about the Four Idols anymore. I’m talking about you.”

“...”

“If it’s not fear, then why aren’t you wearing your necklace anymore? You could argue that you took off your robes because they’re special battle garments, and the bracelet because you don’t want it damaged, but the necklace? That can only be intentional.”

“I’m just not used to it. Yesterday, I accepted it to complete a transaction. Now that the deal’s done, everything returns to its original state. Why would I still wear it?”

“I gave you insight into the darkness, revelations on life and death, a glimpse of the cosmos itself—all just so I could give you something else? Are you even listening to yourself?”

Ye Jiuyou could not help but let out a laugh. “Then what was it for?”

Zhao Changhe answered righteously, “Obviously, it was so I could feast my eyes on something nice. If you’re not using the things I gave you, that means you’re not upholding the terms of our deal. So at the very least, you’re required to use them in my presence. When I’m not around, you can do whatever you want.”

Ye Jiuyou had half a mind to retort that she was never someone who cared about keeping promises. What kind of mistaken impression did this man have of her, exactly? But for some reason, the words never made it out of her mouth. Instead, she looked strangely resigned. She turned her body slightly, and just like that, she was in a long dress again, with bracelet and necklace all in place. Still, she looked as if she was only doing this because the deal demanded it.

Whether she was doing it to maintain the integrity of their alliance, or because she herself did not mind having an excuse to wear these things, even she could not say for sure.

“Are you satisfied?” she asked with visible exasperation as Zhao Changhe’s eyes lit up with unmistakable heat.

Zhao Changhe grinned. “Very.”

Whether that satisfaction came from her willingness to continue honoring the deal or just from the sheer visual pleasure, who could say? If asked, Zhao Changhe would simply shrug and ask “Why not both?”

Strangely enough, she had worn the same outfit just yesterday and had not felt anything in particular. But today, the way he looked at her stirred a strange sense of shame she could not quite explain.

Zhao Changhe understood the difference all too well. Walking through a market with a group, drawing attention from the crowd, was one thing, but wearing it privately, specifically for one man’s gaze, was something else entirely. The psychological difference was night and day. These subtle intricacies of a woman’s heart were things most demon gods would not grasp, and Ye Jiuyou was certainly among such demon gods.

All she could do was sit under Zhao Changhe’s burning gaze, gradually growing uncomfortable. “Have you stared long enough?”

“I’ll never get enough,” Zhao Changhe said cheerfully before smoothly switching topics. “Let’s leave the matter of the ancient Four Idols at that. If you ever truly need their strength, I’ll step in and take their place. That’ll do, right?”

Ye Jiuyou snapped, “What if I want to use that strength to beat up your Four Idols?”

“You don’t even have a reason to fight them anymore. What conflict remains between you? Competing for a man?”

“You—” Ye Jiuyou choked for a moment, rifling through her thoughts only to realize, to her own surprise, that if she and Zhao Changhe stayed allies, she genuinely had no reason to oppose the new Four Idols.

It was a hard concept to wrap her head around. For so many years, she had been defined by her opposition to that entire system. That antagonism had become second nature, as normal and instinctive as eating or breathing. Now, all of a sudden, it was gone. The emptiness left in its wake felt bizarre and disorienting.

Let alone Ye Jiuyou, even Ye Wuming was scratching her head over this.

She, too, felt uneasy.

Once upon a time, she had warned Zhao Changhe in no uncertain terms about Ye Jiuyou. She had even pointed out that Vermillion Bird was the biggest source of tension between them and speculated how intense and perilous a future clash could become. And now? Had there ever even been a genuine fight that took place between them?