Chapter 796: Unfinished Karma

Chapter 796: Unfulfilled Fruit

In the past, this girl had been modest and bashful about such matters, never daring to express herself, waitfully pining for her young master to take her.

Ever since she had been officially "stamped" last time, she had visibly grown proactive, turning into a little temptress... Not even bothering to save her mistress in distress, she seized the chance to seduce her young master instead...

She had not even noticed that a grinning Sanniang was still standing right behind her, flirting with another woman's husband right to their faces.

Zhao Changhe found it genuinely amusing, and Sanniang almost let out a laugh herself.

Of course, Sanniang could not be bothered with a mere maidservant; she found the scene over there, with her own silly bird bullying Tang Wanzhuang, far more entertaining.

Tang Wanzhuang's martial cultivation had already been left behind by Huangfu Qing, and now, carrying unhealed injuries, how could she be a match for Huangfu Qing? Pinned against a pillar with her true qi sealed, yet deliberately not completely paralyzed, her limbs could still feebly struggle, her head turning desperately side to side, stubbornly refusing to be kissed. That unyielding look in her eyes amidst her tangled hair and loose hairpins was truly magnificent to behold.

Huangfu Qing was in no rush to actually kiss her; whichever way Tang Wanzhuang turned her face, Huangfu Qing would kiss that cheek, even purposefully leaning down to kiss her neck. Tang Wanzhuang was furious but helpless, and before long, even soft whimpers began to escape her lips.

Meanwhile, her own maidservant was busy seducing a man, and the man, with no pretense of courtesy, held the young maid in his arms, lowering his head to block her small mouth.

Who said she was sharp-tongued? She didn't bite at all. How adorable she looked, obediently parting her sweet lips to welcome the man's demands, her pretty face flushed red, her eyes still darting over to watch her mistress being bullied, terrified of being caught.

Sanniang felt that the sight of this mistress and servant being pinned down and devoured together was simply too delightful.

Tang Wanzhuang, panting with rage, shouted fiercely, "Huangfu Qing, it's one thing for you to come flaunting your power, but you're actually playing around! Do you truly believe that without our support in the rear, you could have achieved sole merit on the front lines?!"

Huangfu Qing smiled, her jade-like hand caressing Tang Wanzhuang's body, "What merit or no merit, I'm just healing your injuries, all right... Look how good I am to you..."

"What kind of injury requires you to force a healing? I think there's something wrong with your head, and I ought to help heal you instead!"

"Fine, come on then... As long as you can pin me down, you can heal me however you like..." Huangfu Qing kissed her fair neck, "Just like that day you tricked me into Changhe's bed to heal me."

Tang Wanzhuang was utterly spent, "Enough, enough. My mind is burdened, I have no heart to play with you... Since your cultivation is so strong now, if you can contact Changhe, hurry and do so. Something has happened, understand?"

Tang Wanzhuang had never shown such helplessness and a plea for mercy before Huangfu Qing, which startled Huangfu Qing considerably, "What is it? The grand situation is clearly settled now, a perfect time for rest. What are you so anxious about? Work is never finished, one must balance tension with relaxation. Why are you frowning every single day?"

"Cui Wenjing sent word. Cui Yuanyang has gone missing."

Huangfu Qing: "?"

Sanniang: "..."

Zhao Changhe: "!!"

Baoqin: "!!!"

It was over. As expected, things were delayed indefinitely again. Her young master would definitely have no mind for anything else now.

Sure enough, the young master, who had been happily devouring the maid just a moment ago, instantly stood straight, "What happened?"

Tang Wanzhuang: "?"

Furious and bitter, she pushed at Huangfu Qing, "Zhao Changhe, you came and didn't even save me, just letting her devour me!"

"..." You two have already huddled and piled together on a bed before, what could possibly happen...

Zhao Changhe did not answer that, asking urgently, "What happened to Yangyang?"

Tang Wanzhuang said, "Cui Wenjing said Yangyang's cultivation suddenly surged, killing Huangyang in a single strike, and then she left with Jiuyou. The name Huangyang cried out before dying was 'Piaomiao'."

Zhao Changhe's expression turned exceedingly grim.

That Yangyang was the reincarnation of Piaomiao was something he knew. But the Blind Girl had once said that in this situation, one would not be easily "possessed," and even awakening was difficult. After all, the Qinghe Sword was only one of four swords; relying solely on such a medium to restore the full entity was indeed unlikely. At the time, he had agreed with this point.

In truth, whether he agreed or not mattered little; he had no way to stop it back then, unless he had chosen not to reforge the Qinghe Sword, but the situation at that time made such a choice impossible.

Now it seemed the Blind Girl had not told the truth back then...

The most frustrating part was that the Chronicle of Turbulent Times had made no mention of this matter. Regarding the Battle of Hangu Pass, it only emphasized that Li Boping and Cui Wenjing fought back and forth before eventually declaring a truce, failing to mention Huangyang at all.

If he had not returned ahead of schedule and were still resting and recovering at Mount Langguxu, by the time the news reached him there, who knew how many days would have passed.

"What are you doing? You haven't answered me lately when I called. Were you hiding this from me?" Zhao Changhe shouted angrily to the Blind Girl in his mind, "Why hide such an important matter from me?"

The Blind Girl still gave no response.

Zhao Changhe's heart skipped a beat, and suddenly he understood.

It seemed this inability to contact the Blind Girl was not a temporary silence like before... She seemed to have truly left him, or at the very least, had resolved not to speak for a long time.

He had been blocked.

If the prerequisite was having all nine pages of the Heavenly Book, then the last page the Blind Girl needed was with Jiuyou. Piaomiao had left with Jiuyou, so no matter what, he would have to fight his way there. Whether he died at Jiuyou's hands or Jiuyou fell by his hand, the nine pages would be gathered either way.

To the Blind Girl, did she only care about this result?

But that didn't make sense either. She could have easily pretended nothing was amiss and defeated Jiuyou together with him. Wouldn't that have gathered the nine pages just as smoothly? Why create such a rift with him, adding unnecessary variables?

Unless her true objective was not entirely about gathering the Heavenly Book, and she had other designs... Thus, gathering the Pages of Truth and Illusion seemed to have reached the most critical juncture for her, allowing her to begin the final phase of her grand design?

The most infuriating part was that even if he threw away the pages of the Heavenly Book currently on him, it would be useless. No matter where he discarded them, the Blind Girl could easily reclaim them. If he gave them to other powerful figures, there was no one left whom the Blind Girl deemed a threat; giving them to anyone would only bring them harm.

Unwittingly, the Blind Girl had cleared all paths, leaving only one road to walk.

Enter Kunlun, meet Jiuyou.

"You play this role, thinking yourself the final boss... believing your arrangement is like the predetermined destiny of the Heavenly Dao to me..." Zhao Changhe muttered under his breath, "But don't capsize your own ship, Lady Yedi..."

Huangfu Qing and Sanniang both narrowed their eyes simultaneously.

"There is no need to worry," Zhao Changhe said calmly. "It is impossible for Yangyang to meet with harm, and I can be certain that Piaomiao and Yangyang are separate entities. This way, if I want to save Yangyang, I must kill Piaomiao. Someone wants me to do exactly that. If she had simply told me to kill Piaomiao, I wouldn't have done it without reason—Piaomiao was a good person... But for Yangyang's sake, I have no choice."

Tang Wanzhuang frowned and asked, "Since someone needs you to kill Piaomiao... what if Piaomiao has consumed Yangyang? Would you kill Piaomiao to avenge Yangyang?"

"If Piaomiao consumes Yangyang, she will inevitably retain a portion of Yangyang's memories, possess Yangyang's body, and might even hold affection for me. Could I strike down such an existence... I don't even know if I could bring myself to do it. What if I can't? She knows me very well; she wouldn't make such a design. Therefore, it can only be that they are separate. Piaomiao has nothing to do with me, so I will strike."

Speaking to this point, Zhao Changhe paused, muttering softly to himself, "Logically, time cannot be dragged out. If it drags on, no one knows if Piaomiao will succeed in consuming Yangyang. She isn't afraid that I won't put in my full effort as quickly as possible. But since speed is required, why didn't she do what she used to do—shift all the blame to Jiuyou and quickly cooperate with me to finish this? She clearly didn't need to enrage me like this, so why seek discomfort? Does she want it fast, or does she want it slow... or is it simply... she purposefully wants me to hate her?"

Everyone looked at each other.

This entanglement sounded... just how close were you two? Close enough to reach this level?

The previously anxious Tang Wanzhuang now appeared much calmer, "I thought it was a sudden crisis, hence my worry. But since it is a pit intentionally dug by someone else, we instead cannot leap blindly into it in such a rush."

Zhao Changhe asked, "What are your thoughts?"

Tang Wanzhuang inquired, "If we are to act, where should we go? Chang'an?"

"Most likely Kunlun... The critical issue now is that Kunlun spans thousands of miles, far more than just Yuxu Peak. Hongling went there before, and after several months, she had only explored the tip of the iceberg. How can we find Piaomiao in the shortest time?"

Tang Wanzhuang smiled slightly, "Wanting to find a place is actually quite easy... at least finding Jiuyou is very easy."

Zhao Changhe's eyes lit up, "How so?"

"Even after the Buddhist and Daoist sects abandoned the Li family, and they lost their foreign Hu allies, they still maintain a confidence that they stand on equal footing with us. Is it because Jiuyou stands behind them?"

"Correct."

"Since Jiuyou wants to support the Li family, it shows she needs them and will not easily let them perish, right?" Tang Wanzhuang said, "By utilizing the subterranean vault of heaven, you can project your divine presence across ten thousand miles. Project directly into Li Boping's palace to kill him, and Jiuyou will have to come out to save him. Won't you meet her then?"

Zhao Changhe exhaled, "Reasonable."

In all matters, what one feared most was not knowing the root cause, being left utterly bewildered. As long as he could meet Jiuyou and commune with her, they could certainly unearth the thoughts of both sides, allowing them to settle the matter with composure.

Without another word, Zhao Changhe soared out, heading straight for the imperial palace, "Everyone come along. Once the connection is made, we will deliberate on the spot."

The crowd shifted rapidly, heading straight for the imperial palace.

Baoqin sniffled, sitting on the ground with her knees hugged to her chest, bursting into tears all of a sudden, "What Yedi, you villain! Don't let me ever see you! Even if you beat me to death, I'll curse your mother until she's unrecognizable! Waaah, if this drags on for another two years, Baoqin will be an old woman..."

Zhao Changhe could not project his divine presence to every single corner, but with the aid of the subterranean vault of heaven, he could essentially cover the vast majority of it.

The crowd hurried to the underground of the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Zhao Changhe pressed his hand against the sky, his divine sense easily locating Li Boping's palace, and he descended in an instant.

...

Li Boping was also at his wit's end at this moment.

Just as Tang Wanzhuang had said, the Buddhist and Taoist sects had abandoned him, and now the foreign reinforcements from the Hu were also gone. The Silk Road to the west had been plundered by horse bandits, cutting off contact for a long time. The Divine Phoenix Sect in the south had advanced into Hanzhong, though they had been driven back; it looked like they could return at any moment. After all, the elite forces of the Divine Phoenix Sect were actually in the frontier beyond the passes, and this front was merely a diversion to prevent them from fully attacking Hangu Pass.

The Great Han had won a great victory this time, with minimal casualties, only a drain on resources and grain. But after breaking the Grassland Royal Court, the spoils were incalculable—whether in population, gold, silver, or livestock. Once they had rested and absorbed the war dividends from this northern expedition, how could they fight when they marched west again?

With Batu to the north, the Divine Phoenix Sect to the south, and Ying Wu to the west, it was a trapped beast scenario. Even without the Great Han making a move, he could declare his kingdom's doom.

Li Boping was ambitious but no fool blind to reality; he was already considering surrendering outright, which would at least secure him a noble title. The various clans of Guanlong were no fools either; many were already secretly communicating with the Great Han. If he delayed any longer, he might wake up tomorrow to find his head on Xia Chichi's desk...

But the old ancestor above him pressed down; she forbade surrender, so who could surrender? She had used secret arts to elevate him to the Third Hidden Treasury, allowing him a glimpse of the Imperial realm—was that so he could surrender?

Of course, deep down, he also harbored a hope that the ancestor would exert herself, killing off Zhao Changhe and his crew, leaving him with a chance to play his hand.

After all, from the Chaos Ranking, the ancestor seemed to be the second demon god; whether Zhao Changhe and his group combined could match her was uncertain.

From the surname "Ye," the Chaos Ranking clearly implied she wasn't his ancestor... but that didn't matter; she said she was, and so it was.

In short, his mind wavered left and right, unable to decide. At that moment, Wei Changming requested a private audience.

"What brings Changming here?" Li Boping gestured for Wei Changming to have tea, his heart wary.

Wei Changming was no honest man either; on the surface, he stood with Li Boping through thick and thin, but behind the scenes, he had long established ties with Luoxia Manor, essentially investing in Yue Hongling. After Li Boping discovered this, to show he had no second thoughts, Wei Changming specially arranged a marriage between the young master of Luoxia Manor and the Li family, which dispelled Li Boping's suspicions.

But with the times changing so rapidly, what crooked schemes might Wei Changming be brewing now?

Wei Changming leaned in closer and said in a low voice, "Does the King of Qin know that after this battle, many families are restless at heart?"

Li Boping thought to himself, Aren't you one of them? Yet you speak to me of this... He said, "I am well aware."

"With the myriad factions in chaos, any rash move would shake the foundations. Does the King of Qin have any strategy to break this deadlock?"

Li Boping wanted to probe and asked, "Some even urge me to surrender. What is Changming's view?"

Wei Changming immediately replied, "Others may surrender, but the King of Qin must not. Have you not seen Cui Wenjing? He surrendered and even offered his daughter, yet he only received a nominal marquis title. The entire Cui family now has only Cui Yuanyong serving in the army, starting from a mid-level officer. The glory of Qinghe Cui is no more. Yang Jingxiu surrendered and now lives in retirement, tending his fields; no one from the Yang family holds office, having withdrawn from the world. Remember, Yang Jingxiu even had some past connection with Zhao Changhe, yet he ended up like this. How could the King of Qin's fate be better than Yang Jingxiu's? You haven't married your daughter to him like Cui Wenjing did. When the time comes, he can fabricate an excuse and kill you outright. Where would the King of Qin go to cry for justice?"

Li Boping squinted at Wei Changming and laughed, "Changming is truly a loyal minister."

Wei Changming stamped his foot in frustration: "Enough! The King of Qin knows that when I befriended Yue Fenghua of Luoxia Manor, my true intent was to cultivate ties with Yue Hongling. Who would have thought Yue Fenghua would decay faster than anyone, ending in a rift between master and disciple? How much of that decay will Yue Hongling blame on me?"

Li Boping smiled. That was true... Wei Changming had tried to steal a chicken only to lose the rice; Yue Hongling would only resent him. This indeed bound them together as grasshoppers on the same rope.

Seeing his smile, Wei Changming chuckled inwardly.

If you surrendered on your own, where would my merit be? The goodwill from my past cooperation with Yue Hongling would be wasted. No, you must resist stubbornly, and I will coordinate with Yue Hongling from within—that would be my great achievement, wouldn't it?

Li Boping sighed and asked in a low voice, "Now that Zhao Changhe has pacified the northern frontier, Guanlong trembles in fear. Changming, what counsel do you have?"

Wei Changming stroked his beard and said, "Actually, the Vermilion Bird envoy came earlier with a flimsy excuse of seeking a marriage for the young lady. The King of Qin might as well pick up that thread..."

Li Boping was startled: "Didn't you say that even Cui Wenjing marrying off his daughter was useless?"

"On one hand, Cui Wenjing's situation is far better than Yang Jingxiu's; at least he won't be beheaded, so it's a fallback. On the other hand, it's a delaying tactic, showing weakness to the enemy. Now that the Great Han has just pacified the northern steppes, the people yearn for peace and dislike war. If the King of Qin actively shows a willingness to retreat and cease hostilities, Zhao Changhe would violate moral principles by attacking now, losing popular support. In the meantime, the King of Qin can take the opportunity to march west in force, kill Ying Wu, reopen the trade routes, and absorb the strength of the western tribes—wouldn't that be splendid?"

Li Boping's heart stirred; there was indeed logic in this.

"Moreover, Li Shentong is severely wounded, and Situ Xiao is still green; Ba-Shu is barely holding on alone. If we can lull Zhao Changhe into complacency, then, when they least expect it, concentrate our superior forces to strike south into Ba-Shu, the momentum of Qin and Han would be achieved!"

Li Boping nodded slightly: "Changming, go now. Let me ponder this further."

Wei Changming added, "Actually, back then, the young lady seemed genuinely fond of Zhao Changhe. This move might even please her."

Li Boping fell into thought.

There was some truth to it. If the ancestor truly liked Zhao Changhe, then he could surrender smoothly later, securing a position like Cui Wenjing's, and not lose everything.

Wei Changming withdrew, chuckling to himself.

That one's name had never been hidden; she called herself Jiu You. According to the Chaos Ranking, she was the second demon god, Ye Jiu You. A figure of that caliber—if she herself proposed marriage, that was one thing. But could you propose it? Who do you think you are?

As an outsider, it was fine to suggest it from the perspective of your benefit; the decision was yours, not mine. But if you actually went to him with that proposal, you would surely anger her. She would think you had your own ideas, trying to usurp her role. If she then withdrew her support, what could you do? A demon god—was she really your ancestor? Could she support you and not me?

Even if, by some chance, Jiu You truly liked Zhao Changhe and went along with it... when the Great Han and Guanlong clashed, would she side with you or her own husband? You were nothing to her. Worse, she might help her husband take your head. Then Zhao Changhe would thank me.

Even if you didn't go to him, you would trust me more, thinking I had your best interests at heart. Then, whatever happened next, we'd see.

No matter how things developed, it was all to my benefit. At worst, Zhao Changhe's harem would mutter a few words about me—what did that matter?

Over there, Li Boping was seriously mulling over the idea. After all, the Vermilion Bird had formally proposed it before, so a response would be natural. He wasn't foolish enough to actually consider sending the ancestor away; instead, he thought of adopting a daughter under his own name, the most beautiful in all Guanlong... Zhao Changhe was notorious for his love of women; he would surely fall for this delaying tactic.

Just as he was thinking this, a drop of blood suddenly materialized before him, rapidly growing into the form of Zhao Changhe.

Li Boping's heart leaped. Before he could even shout, a fierce hand knife slashed toward his throat, as if aiming to take his head directly.

Zhao Changhe was only putting on a show, hoping Jiu You would come to the rescue so he could meet her and talk.

But what he didn't expect was that Jiu You was preoccupied with important matters at that moment and wasn't paying attention here at all.

The hand knife came down, and no one came to help. Li Boping's strength was no match for Zhao Changhe's current power. Terrified, he rolled away frantically, blurting out, "I'll marry my daughter to you!"

The hand knife halted above Li Boping's head. Zhao Changhe's mouth twitched: "Where is Jiu You?"

"Exactly, Jiu You! Jiu You! The marriage contract from Vermilion Bird Venerable last time—the Li family accepts!"

His voice boomed, echoing outside the hall. Countless guards and attendants heard it.

Zhao Changhe stared dumbfounded at his own karma. Out of nowhere, the thread that had been about to vanish was reconnected—his marriage to Jiu You, now known to the world, proposed by the groom's envoy and accepted by the bride's parents. The parents' command and the matchmaker's words were all in place... In the world's perception of "trends of qi," the trend pointed to Jiu You of the Li family being Zhao Changhe's wife.

The thread thickened, branching into multiple possibilities... This cause was not yet exhausted; the effect must come.

A figure flashed, and Jiu You appeared in a fury: "Who dares to meddle with my karma!"