Tome of Troubled Times-Chapter 814 (2): Preliminary Cooperation Test

Perhaps Ye Jiuyou had never imagined that she would one day share a precious artifact with someone in such an effortless way, tossing it back and forth like it did not matter whose hands it was in, as though what was his was hers and what was hers was his. Sure, this particular treasure had been rendered half-useless by Ye Wuming’s interference, and if it had been something she could actually use, maybe she would not be so generous. But still, she had to admit: This feeling was new and special.

At the very least, it proved that their partnership had survived its first real test. Which, for a demon god known for chaos, was something bordering on the unbelievable.

Ye Jiuyou knew she could not trust anyone. No one had ever truly trusted her either. An experience like “you respected me, so I won’t betray that” was something she had never had, not once in two entire eras.

But the truth was... her cooperation was not all that sincere. She still planned to kill Zhao Changhe. Once their collaboration was over, he would have to die. If not, that karmic bond from the marriage pact would eventually cause trouble. Things were already getting out of hand as the karma was piling up, and now he had even seen her naked. She could not let it go any further...

Could she then really say she was worthy of his trust?

“Since you aren’t able to make use of the pages...” Zhao Changhe took a deep breath, then continued, “Do you want me to keep going?”

Yet again, a question that felt way too much like “So... should I keep watching you bathe?”

Ye Jiuyou’s mind was already in a chaotic mess. She did not want to get tangled in this kind of bullshit again. Waving a hand dismissively, she said, “Later. For now, let’s talk specifics. How are we actually going to cooperate?”

Zhao Changhe shrugged. “Any thoughts? Just keep in mind that if Ye Wuming can observe us, it might not be through the Heavenly Tome. Even if we toss it aside and try to scheme in secret, it could still be like plotting right under her nose.”

Ye Jiuyou replied, “I can block her. There’s no way she can just pierce through my barriers and spy on me.”

Zhao Changhe shook his head and said seriously, “I advise you not to think that way. After merging with the Heavenly Tome, Ye Wuming’s abilities may far exceed what you once knew of her.” freёnovelkiss-com

What she left on me isn’t just the Heavenly Tome. Her eyes may be watching from inside me.

That part, Zhao Changhe did not say aloud. So far, he had not addressed the topic with the blind woman, and he was not sure if she had realized he had guessed as much. Xia Longyuan had once hinted that he should practice the Wang Clan’s cultivation technique to purge foreign influences. He had been cultivating them quietly ever since. However, whether the blind woman knew of it was anyone’s guess. He felt it best not to bring it up unless absolutely necessary.

Ye Jiuyou did not seem concerned. “Then let her hear us plotting right to her face. For now, you’re still too weak to pose any real threat to her. You need to grow. Even if she’s listening in, she can’t stop that growth. Unless she kills you ahead of time... But would she?”

Zhao Changhe tilted his head slightly. “It’s not about whether she would. It’s only about whether the time is right.”

That little defiant look on his face made Ye Jiuyou want to laugh, but she pressed on, “If you still intend to grow stronger, I have a place to recommend. It’s useful to me as well.”

“Where?”

“The Heavenly Demon Illusion Realm, Papiyas’ domain,” Ye Jiuyou said calmly. “I still suspect that the Mirror of Illusion and Reality he gave me was faulty. I need the genuine article. And he has karma with you, which you need to resolve. Let this be our first formal act of cooperation. What do you say?”

Zhao Changhe raised an eyebrow. “Speaking of him, since you were able to snatch the mirror, why didn’t you just kill him outright? I’d just chopped his clone almost in half at that time. He should have been badly wounded.”

“Just like Ye Wuming can’t kill me or Piaomiao, I may not be able to kill Papiyas either. He’s a demon born of the human heart. As long as humanity exists, so will he. This is a law of the Heavenly Dao. And even if I could kill him, what would that accomplish? I’d just end up absorbing his intent and becoming the new Papiyas. I don’t want that. I haven’t even figured out my true self yet. Why take on another mess? It would harm me more than it would help.”

Zhao Changhe nodded in understanding.

Whatever one could say about Ye Jiuyou’s chaotic nature, when it came to this sort of thing, she was remarkably clear-headed. The temptation to absorb Papiyas was not something most cultivators could resist. Only someone with a crystal-clear sense of their path could achieve the kind of cultivation that even Ye Wuming had to take seriously.

Ye Jiuyou added, “Why do you think Ye Wuming would bring in someone like you, a being from beyond this world? Only someone like you can break free from the framework laid down by the Heavenly Dao. During the battle against the Dao Lord, if not for your presence, Yuxu and the others’ resistance would have amounted to nothing. And that’s also why I value you, why I chose to work with you.”

Zhao Changhe was silent for a long moment before he spoke slowly, “So you want me to kill Ye Wuming?”

“Of course,” Ye Jiuyou replied, then suddenly smiled. “Oh right, you don’t want to kill her, do you? You...”

Zhao Changhe cut her off. “I don’t know. Let’s talk about Papiyas first.”

“Alright,” Ye Jiuyou actually did not press further. Her tone turned properly serious as she continued, “To be honest, I’ve cooperated with Papiyas before. Well, you should be well aware. You ruined that whole operation where my subordinates Dark Oblivion, Underworld Guide, and a few others were working with the Ranking of Heaven assassin Snow Owl. I still haven’t settled that score with you. Anyway, Snow Owl wasn’t mine. He belonged to Papiyas. Back then, our goals were not exactly the same.”

At the mention of that, Zhao Changhe could not help but glance at Ye Jiuyou again. This woman really could not stay out of trouble. Her goal had been to revive the Spirit Tribe’s ancestral land. As for Papiyas and Snow Owl, they had likely been after the Axe of Tngri, something Ye Jiuyou had little personal interest in. She was probably just assisting an ally.

Given the alliance between her and Zhao Changhe right now, that Spirit Tribe matter was too big to bring up now, and she was far from likely to give him a proper answer. Luckily, no real harm had come to the Spirit Tribe back then; otherwise, this cooperation would have been dead on arrival. Even so, Sisi probably still held a deep grudge against Jiuyou. Hopefully, this could be dealt with later.

“Snow Owl using sword qi to raise fish[1]... Was that derived from Papiyas’s inner demon?”

“More or less. Why it had to be a swordsman doing it, don’t ask me. I simply don’t care to know,” Ye Jiuyou replied. “I only know where Papiyas’s Heavenly Demon Illusion Realm is. It’s also known as Paranimirta, or the sixth and highest of the six heavenly realms of the Desire World[2]. It’s extremely dangerous. Do you dare to enter?”

“Are you saying you want me to go alone?”

“If I or Piaomiao or your little harem stormed in alongside you, how would that help you grow?” Ye Jiuyou’s expression turned cold. “Of course it has to be you alone. If you die in there, the cooperation between us ends, naturally. And that would only mean that you weren’t worthy.”

Zhao Changhe looked at her for a few moments, then suddenly smiled. “You’re a little conflicted, aren’t you? Deep down, you do want me dead. If I kick the bucket, all that business about you being seen naked can vanish with me.”

Ye Jiuyou’s eyebrows shot up, and she was clearly about to snap back but Zhao Changhe cut her off, “Anyway, I’m fine with going alone. In fact, if Snow Owl’s connected to Papiyas, then I have to go. It might involve an old friend who’s been missing for a long time. I have to see it through.”

Ye Jiuyou’s retort was choked in her throat. She crossed her arms and said coolly, “Then what are you still doing here?”

Zhao Changhe replied calmly, “Before I go, I still need a few more days to study the page of time and space. What I saw earlier was just a glimpse of a story. It was interesting but shallow. It did nothing for my cultivation, so it was practically a waste. If you don’t want me tracing your karma, and you also don’t want me handling that page directly, then let Piaomiao hold it.”

“Why would I give it to Piaomiao? I still need to trace my own karma as well.”

“...Then you’ll just have to put up with me seeing a bit more.”

Ye Jiuyou’s expression froze.

From the distance came Piaomiao’s voice. “Give me what? See what?”

Ye Jiuyou’s mouth twitched. Her tone suddenly softened, becoming all gentle and warm, “Piaomiao~ Would you like to hold the Heavenly Tome for a while?”

Piaomiao floated over gracefully, but her expression was tinged with suspicion. “Since when did you become so generous?”

Ye Jiuyou replied sweetly, “Don’t worry, there’s no trap. Even if you don’t trust me, surely you trust Zhao Changhe, right?”

Piaomiao glanced at Zhao Changhe. She was visibly flustered due to the horrifying things she’d witnessed the night before, but when it came to his character... she had to admit that she did trust him. Honestly, she just had no idea how to face him right now, and using the perfectly serious matter of the Heavenly Tome to diffuse some of the awkwardness was not a bad strategy at all.

So she asked, “Is she serious?”

Zhao Changhe could only nod. “She is.”

Piaomiao nodded. “If King Zhao says so, then I believe it. I’d like to take a look at the Heavenly Tome too.”

Ye Jiuyou produced the Heavenly Tome, wearing the satisfied smile of someone who had just evened the scales.

1. This should be referring to the sword slaves. ☜

2. Paranirmitavaśavartin is one of the heavenly realms in Buddhist cosmology. The meaning of the term is something along the lines of “the heaven of enjoying things conjured by others,” i.e. a realm whose dwellers can freely enjoy not only things of their own creation but whatever else others have created. It is the home of Papiyas, a.k.a. Māra, the supreme deity of all that is desire and illusion and the one who is said to have tempted the historical Buddha (Siddartha Gautama) in order to stop him from awakening as a Buddha. ☜

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