Tome of Troubled Times-Chapter 833: The Wind Rises

“Anything you want to say to us, ancient remnant soul senior?”

At the riverbank, four women surrounded an orb playing dead, conducting a tribunal.

The soul orb replied dutifully, “As you can see, I am not a remnant soul. I am round, complete, and of fine luster.”

“...Did I freaking ask you what you were?!” Lady Three snorted, then reached down, picked up the orb, and sat on it.

Thump, thump!

Two tiny hands sprouted from the orb and began flailing on either side. “Hey! Come on, we just barely escaped from a world-ending cataclysm!”

Xia Chichi squatted in front, poking it with two fingers. “Oh my, a senior who survived the collapse of heaven itself. No wonder so many women find you irresistible...”

Piaomiao had been standing under a tree with arms crossed, watching coolly the entire time. But now, perhaps out of pity, she raised a hand and summoned the orb into her arms, rescuing it from beneath Lady Three and holding it gently.

The four women turned in unison, eyes gleaming as they stared at her.

Piaomiao held the orb calmly and said, “He is under my protection. No one may bully him, not even his wives.”

The four women stood there, mouths slightly open, brains temporarily blue-screening.

So... Is this the mistress confronting the main wives? Or is she genuinely defending her man in a show of unwavering devotion?

Our husband is being protected by another woman now? And we’re the aggressors?

Look at that poor soul orb snuggling pitifully against her chest. By heavens, we must have been bullying him quite badly!

Piaomiao’s gaze slowly turned to Xia Chichi. Her voice was mild as she said, “As the ruler of the mountains and rivers, Your Majesty bears the weight of the realm and must act for the greater good. Yet here you are, bullying the pillar of the nation. How foolish.”

“Me? I’m bullying him?” Xia Chichi pointed at herself in disbelief. After a long pause, she sputtered, “Excuse me? When Aunt-Master kicked him and sat on him, you said nothing. Yet when I so much as poke him, I’m suddenly in need of imperial correction?”

“I have no authority over others, but I am responsible for advising and guiding you,” Piaomiao replied serenely. “A ruler must—”

“I’m not bullying him!” howled Xia Chichi. “Do you even understand the situation? We just caught you in the act! You’re the home-wrecking fox spirit here! And I haven’t even yelled at you yet! How dare you lecture me?”

Piaomiao simply said, “He is mine, not yours. I protect him. What you think of that has nothing to do with me.”

Xia Chichi: “...”

Why... why did this feel like she was the one in the wrong now? How could a mistress be this righteously assertive? Did being an ancient god make it so that you just automatically win arguments?

Then, something clicked.

“Wait, what do you mean he’s yours? Shouldn’t you be siding with me more? I am the Empress of the Great Han Empire! My consort is cheating! Shouldn’t you be helping me confront the other women instead?”

“Perhaps,” Piaomiao said thoughtfully. “During the Spring Equinox Rites[1], your prayers reached me. You were very sincere. One line asked for my blessing so you might bear a crown prince to stabilize the realm. You requested that your consort visit you more and avoid the Empress Dowager’s quarters. You said you didn’t mind the other wives, but your son must be born before any of the others. That is a matter of national importance, so I shall aid...”

Xia Chichi’s jaw dropped. “...Shut up!”

Huangfu Qing gave her disciple a sharp side-eye and ground her teeth in silence.

Zhao Changhe slowly sprouted two stubby hands and covered his face.

Lady Three, eyes glittering with joy, rummaged through her bag and pulled out a melon slice, offering a portion to Yue Hongling.

They suddenly were not all that interested in catching an affair anymore. This was much more fun.

Piaomiao’s gaze swept calmly over them all. “Changhe has slain the Frost Chi, entered Kunlun, conquered the Heavenly Demon Illusion Realm, broken into the ancient Night Palace, commanded the Heavenly River, and crossed the end of an era. All this in barely a dozen days—hundreds of battles, thousands of wounds. Do you truly think he snuck away just to have fun? And even if that was the case, it was me who pursued him first. If there’s any seduction here, it would be from me. He turned into a soul orb to calm you down, but I—”

Mid-sentence, she suddenly frowned and bent forward as if suffering a sudden affliction.

Zhao Changhe popped back into human form with a puff and caught her. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing. I’ve been separated from my anchor for too long. I’m beginning to show signs of instability... By the way, you’ve been away from your body for quite some time as well. You should be careful as well. Being in such a state does not come without harm.” She quickly steadied herself, then turned to the rest. With a formal bow, she said, “I must go to Yangyang immediately. If there’s more to say, I’ll return later. Ladies... Big Sisters... If I’ve offended you in any way, I’ll offer tea and apologies to you another time. For now, please forgive my abrupt departure.”

Before she even finished speaking, her soul had already faded. She was gone, carrying out a divine descent that sent her soul a thousand li away to Xiangyang.

The four women blinked, unsure if she had just pulled a masterful escape. But judging by her demeanor, it did not appear like she was merely avoiding trouble. It really did seem more like something truly needed her attention.

And she had actually... called them “big sisters.”

That alone was a shocker. Considering she was a whole era older than any of them, calling them big sisters could not have been easy.

Yue Hongling murmured, “This Little Sister... Big Sister Piaomiao, I quite like her. I thought ancient demon gods had no emotions, but she really did move to protect you.”

Zhao Changhe sat cross-legged on the ground, hands stuffed into his sleeves, saying nothing. Anything he said now would just make him look like he was flaunting.

Besides, he knew that none of them were truly angry. Each of them had once fallen in love while dancing the edges of betrayal, as one does. It would be hypocritical to scold someone else for the same. Sure, they were a bit annoyed to catch him red-handed, but a few slaps on the wrist and that was that. There was no need for a massive argument.

The unexpected part was Piaomiao. He had never expected her to react that way, and from the looks on his wives’ faces, neither had they. They did not say it aloud, but they were all fairly impressed and in admiration of her.

Zhao Changhe himself felt a quiet fondness. Piaomiao being so openly protective and unswervingly sincere was something he could never have imagined in her even as recently as the week before.

Lady Three handed over another melon slice. “So? What’s with her? She seemed off just now. Aren’t you going after her to check?”

“She’s not injured. What she needs most right now is to reach Yangyang as quickly as possible. I do have something to discuss with you first, then I’ll go.” He paused, then continued, “Piaomiao’s soul was only recently severed from Yangyang. It’s currently unanchored. She either keeps borrowing Yangyang’s body, or... we have to create a vessel for her.”

The women who, just moments ago, had stormed in to catch him cheating, were now collectively concerned. “Do you have a plan for that? Need help?”

Zhao Changhe said, “Back in the ancient era, we stole a lotus platform...”

Huangfu Qing gasped. “That thief from the Night Palace was you? How did you survive the Night Emperor?!”

Zhao Changhe blinked. “You know about that?”

Huangfu Qing handed over the jade slip from earlier. “It’s in the ancient records Ying Five uncovered.”

Zhao Changhe took it and scanned it, then his expression shifted.

He had not seen this record before, so the incident truly made it into history... with him in it.

And if he had seen this record before stealing the lotus platform, would he have assumed someone else had done it and ended up hesitating, worried that taking it himself might “alter history”? If so, might he not have gone through with the theft? And if he had not... What then? Was trying to avoid interference with fate actually a form of interference in itself?

But then again, what could be done, and what could not? Who really knew?

“What are you thinking about?”

“Oh, nothing. I’ve found some clues about the ancient White Tiger. You should pursue them. The White Tiger is likely also within the Heavenly River, but in a different segment of it. The river stretches tens of thousands of li and it’s impossible to completely comb through it, but I might have a faster way you can use to find him. Hongling, try tracking the sword qi we implanted in Snow Owl.”

Yue Hongling raised an eyebrow. “What does he have to do with this?”

“From what I’ve seen, Snow Owl is tied to Dark Oblivion, who was plotting against Jiuyou. But even so, it doesn’t explain why he’s such a sharp, pure-blooded sword cultivator. That kind of sword aura has to come from either the Sword Emperor... or the White Tiger. Follow that line, and you should find something.”

He stood up. “I’m heading to Xiangyang now to take care of Piaomiao’s situation, and then I’ll try to get some answers from Jiuyou. If my instincts are right, we may reunite during the battle against the ancient White Tiger.”

The others exchanged glances, their gazes at Zhao Changhe growing slightly odd.

Why does he sound like a wandering prophet now? Since when did he begin peering into time and chasing karma? Is this how all divine weirdos began?

Still, regardless of his growing mysticism, his instructions made sense. A clear direction replaced what had been confusion. That was the effect of having a pillar. The family would scatter without him.

They just wished their pillar would stop “propping up” other women so often.

And yet, they could not shake the feeling that things were building up again. He was off to meet not one but two terrifying ancient demon gods. One had already been transformed into a possessive little wife, so what would become of the other?

“Be careful. The incident regarding the White Tiger isn’t just about him,” Zhao Changhe said, his tone solemn. “There’s something massive secret hidden within, something even Ye Wuming has to tread carefully around.”

Only after Zhao Changhe left did Huangfu Qing slowly turn toward Xia Chichi.

Xia Chichi began to move backward step by step, but her master was quicker. She reached out, grabbed her, and dragged her down onto her lap.

Smack! Smack! Smack!

“What the hell do you mean by ‘visit you more and avoid the Empress Dowager’s quarters’?! And what’s with ‘your son must be born before any of the others’?! You’d better explain yourself!”

Xia Chichi burst into silent tears.

* * *

Back in Xiangyang, Zhao Changhe slipped back into his body. Before even opening his eyes, he felt as though he had fallen ill. His limbs were weak, even the fifth one; his strength was completely sapped.

This was the aftereffect of remaining too long in a state where his soul and body had not been one. Although the discomfort was slight and would pass quickly, it was enough to make clear that Piaomiao could not stay in her current state for long. She needed a body, and soon.

When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Cui Yuanyang sitting beside him, gently wiping his body with a damp cloth. During the days his body had lain there as though it were dead, she had dutifully tended to him.

The moment she saw his eyes open, Cui Yuanyang gave a faint smile. “Awake? The moment Big Sister Piaomiao returned, I knew you’d be right behind.”

She was smiling, but her face looked pale, and her smile a little forced. Zhao Changhe sat up quickly and took her hand. “What’s wrong? Did someone upset you while I was gone?”

“Who would dare, apart from you?!” Cui Yuanyang threw herself into his arms. “You two bullied me! Big Sister Piaomiao vanished, and you just lay there without a word like a corpse for days on end. There was no sign of when or if you’d wake up again. Do you know what I’ve been feeling these past few days? Do you?! Ugh...!”

Zhao Changhe’s heart softened at her tears. He held her gently and kissed the teardrops on her cheeks. “There, there. I’m fine now, aren’t I? Your husband’s life is too tough to be snuffed out that easily.”

“Pah.” Cui Yuanyang sniffled. “I should’ve known. You were lying there like the dead, but sometimes you were still, well... hard. You’re exactly the kind of scourge that lives a thousand years!”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

She pinched the flesh at his waist, twisting hard. “Speak! Which vixen were you out fooling around with this time? You even play around as a soul! Just how desperate are you?!”

In the depths of Zhao Changhe’s spiritual sea, the once-mighty Piaomiao now curled up in a corner like a quiet little soul orb, saying nothing.

Zhao Changhe grimaced from the pain. “I was only with your Big Sister Piaomiao. What vixen?”

“Liar. Big Sister Piaomiao is just a little floating orb, how could you possibly... don’t tell me you even fool around with orbs now!”

“You’re always right,” Zhao Changhe said with a resigned laugh, pulling her into a hug. “Interested in seeing Big Sister Piaomiao get her new body? It’s quite the spectacle.”

Cui Yuanyang’s eyes lit up. “I can watch?”

“Why not?”

“Isn’t it basically the same as giving birth?”

Piaomiao would have coughed out blood had she possessed blood to cough out. Please, spare me this act. You know how babies are made.

But Zhao Changhe, without missing a beat, answered solemnly, “We’ll be making her body together. And since she’s coming out of your body... she should call you Mother.”

Piaomiao finally snapped and burst out of the spiritual sea. “Zhao Changhe!”

Zhao Changhe grinned and caught her in his hands, rubbing her smooth round form and planting a kiss on it. “Come, let’s go see Jiuyou.”

To be so openly doted on in front of Cui Yuanyang, Piaomiao’s soul turned faintly pink. Cui Yuanyang’s eyes sparkled into little hearts, and she eagerly snatched the soul orb into her own arms. “Let me play with it! It won’t be a ball for much longer...”

Unable to take it anymore, Piaomiao shifted back into human form and pounced on Cui Yuanyang. “You little wench! You’ve made me suffer so much!”

“You clearly like him! You should thank me for setting you up!”

The two beauties, who were so strikingly alike, wrestled on the bed, a chaotic tangle of limbs and hair. The scene was enough to make anyone’s breath catch in their throat.

Then, Yuan Cheng’s voice rang out from beyond the door, “Has King Zhao awoken?”

Zhao Changhe called back, “I’m good. Is there something urgent?”

“Papiyas has been wreaking havoc in the tower for two days straight,” Yuan Cheng replied. “He’s demanding to know whether King Zhao has fulfilled the agreed tasks and whether it’s time to release him.”

Zhao Changhe smiled faintly. “Yes. You can let him go now.”

Yuan Cheng hesitated. “Are you really going to let the tiger run free? Please reconsider.”

“It must be done. If I don’t let this little tiger go, there are too many things I’ll never be able to confirm.”

* * *

Back atop the snow-capped peak where she resided, Ye Jiuyou still sat alone at the summit, letting the snow drift silently around her. The moment Zhao Changhe arrived, it felt as though the clamor of the outside world had been sealed off, like he had stepped into another dimension altogether.

Ye Jiuyou glanced at Piaomiao and Cui Yuanyang, one on either side of Zhao Changhe. Her usually unreadable expression showed a rare flicker of surprise. “So you really did end up separated...”

“Indeed,” Piaomiao replied, uncharacteristically offering a respectful bow. “No matter your original intentions in sending us to the Demon Illusion Realm, I must still thank you for it. The outcome is something I desired.”

Ye Jiuyou rolled her eyes. “I sent you there to verify the nature of the Mirror of Illusion and Reality, not to split your damn souls. And now you’ve succeeded in that, yet come back to me empty-handed. Is this how you handle cooperation?”

Zhao Changhe said, “The first question I asked Papiyas after capturing him was about the so-called Mirror of Illusion and Reality. The answer: there is no such thing. What he gave you was merely a fragment of the Soul-Capturing Mirror. A true Mirror of Illusion and Reality cannot be found because it simply doesn’t exist.”

“Go on.”

Zhao Changhe recounted the entire exchange between Dark Oblivion and Tngri, then concluded, “So what you’re using now is part of the Soul-Capturing Mirror, and it’s harmful, not helpful. That said... even if you were misled about the mirror itself, I suspect you already had your doubts about Dark Oblivion, and maybe you were even laying a trap.”

Ye Jiuyou was quiet for a moment, then gave a soft chuckle. “And why not assume I was completely fooled?”

“Because after Dark Oblivion was absorbed, you didn’t show the slightest response. Not even the smallest retaliation for your pride. I know you’re cold, but not that indifferent. At the very least, you’d raise a little hell just to save face.”

“That’s not necessarily true. Underworld Guide died by your hand, and I didn’t come after you for that either.”

“...That’s different. You and I, well, let’s not pretend we’re strangers. But Snow Owl? Do you two have any history?”

“And you and I do?”

Zhao Changhe sighed. “There’s no point playing coy. You were waiting to see what Snow Owl and Papiyas were up to. That was a big part of why you sent me into the Heavenly Demon Illusion Realm. You wanted me to be your eyes and ears. Dark Oblivion was playing his game... and so were you.”

“And what makes you so sure of that?”

“Because the Ye Jiuyou I know is a storm-stirring demon, not a silent doll waiting on Kunlun’s peak for fate to unfold,” Zhao Changhe said. “You’re not saying anything because whatever you’re doing probably isn’t very clean, and you’re afraid I’ll mess it up.”

Ye Jiuyou laughed again, her voice low and almost bitter. “You think too highly of me... I’ve failed at nearly everything I’ve tried in front of you. What exactly are you overestimating?”

“I’ll never forget the way Ye Wuming reacted when she learned you had returned,” Zhao Changhe said flatly. “Your past failures were mostly because Ye Wuming kept interfering. Without her, who knows how far you could’ve gone or how dangerous you could be?”

Ye Jiuyou’s expression did not brighten at the compliment. She looked up at the sky for a long moment, then asked, “So, will you stop me?”

“Not necessarily. How about we make a deal?”

“I’m listening.”

“Lend me the Abyss of Jiuyou... and I’ll help you with whatever it is you’re planning.”

1. In dynastic China, the Spring Equinox was marked by the Spring Rites, where emperors led ceremonies worshipping the sun ☜

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