Chapter 824: The Woman I Like

Chapter 824: The Woman I Like

Zhao Changhe’s reaction left Cui Yuanyang unsure whether to be pleased or disappointed.

Pleased, because he wasn’t particularly excited about “switching targets”; instead, he hesitated, which at least meant no other woman in his heart surpassed her, Cui Yuanyang.

Disappointed, because if that were the case, wouldn’t her plan be ineffective?

But then Zhao Changhe paused and said in a low voice, “Sorry, I didn’t know you’d suddenly come out… Better switch back to Yuanyang.”

Cui Yuanyang had no choice but to keep up the act: “Can’t you just finish now?”

Zhao Changhe replied helplessly, “Sister, I’m in a state of heart demon right now, not my usual self-controlled state. It’s already a stretch that I can stop and talk at all! Either switch Yuanyang back, or just knock me out!”

Cui Yuanyang feigned anger: “What if I do neither?”

“Knock me out or not, I’m going on!” By now, Zhao Changhe’s lust was burning his mind, leaving him no spare rationality to wonder why she wouldn’t knock him out. He lowered his head and continued.

The words Cui Yuanyang wanted to say were all forced back into her stomach, her eyes rolling white.

At the same time, another soul was also rolling its eyes—out of anger.

The intense stimulation jolted Piaomiao awake from her hazy stupor, only to hear Cui Yuanyang impersonating her. Did that mean Zhao Changhe thought he had already slept with her?

She should never have let that wild girl Cui Yuanyang take over her body. Once she did, she was bound to stir up trouble!

Now the trouble was enormous. Even killing Zhao Changhe wouldn’t change his belief that he had slept with her—and that belief wasn’t entirely wrong, because she was awake now! She could feel everything! And the greatest tragedy was that her whole body was too weak to resist; her feeble struggles couldn’t withstand Zhao Changhe’s overwhelming force, like a tiger pressing down with the weight of a mountain.

Piaomiao was so furious she nearly fainted again, but the worst tragedy was that she couldn’t even faint; she had to endure it all.

“Cui Yuanyang!” In the brief moment she could speak, Piaomiao finally spat out a curt threat: “You remember this!”

Cui Yuanyang could only respond with “Mm, ah,” unable to form words, but inside she wanted to laugh.

Because the first thing this elder sister said, when she could speak, wasn’t to deny it to Zhao Changhe…

Was it because denial was useless? Or did it only confirm she was awake?

What a mess… Cui Yuanyang wanted to both moan and laugh, her expression extremely odd.

Meanwhile, Zhao Changhe, lost in his release, had no idea what was happening inside. He genuinely felt his heart demon greatly receding, so he put in even more effort.

Of course the heart demon would recede. It had originally been a subconscious desire to possess Piaomiao, triggered at close range by Mara. Since he had obtained it, it naturally dissipated. As Piaomiao had judged, truly doing it might have led to deeper indulgence, but the Ancient Buddha hadn’t lied—the Buddhist method was precisely the cure, and with both approaches working together, it was suppressed.

When it was finally over, the remaining traces gradually faded with the aid of the golden Buddhist scriptures. Aside from extreme mental exhaustion, as if he had suffered a severe injury, everything else returned to normal.

Zhao Changhe wearily glanced at the jade-like figure in his arms. She had fainted—both souls were unconscious.

He checked and found no serious harm, clearly just from overstimulation. He breathed a sigh of relief. Summoning Dragon Sparrow and Star River to guard him with swirling light, he held his wife’s body and fell into a deep sleep, too tired to think about anything else.

“Looks like he’s really recovered. He even remembered to summon us for protection,” Dragon Sparrow said to Star River. “Is he wary of the monks here? I don’t think they’re a problem.”

“One must be cautious. After going through the demonic illusion, it’s normal for paranoia to increase,” Star River mused. “I think he’s mainly guarding against Mara. After all, Dad said the chained one is just the main body.”

“Staying in a place like that for long would drive anyone mad. I couldn’t tell which ones were real or fake. I used to be sensitive to killing intent, but in this illusion, even killing intent was completely hidden. Wuwuwu, I feel like I’m just a minnow.”

Star River said, “If you can’t tell, just cut them all down. People have weaknesses, and that’s what gets exploited. Without weaknesses, there’s nothing to invade.”

“No way. If they were really those aunties, I couldn’t bear to cut them either. My heart is one with Dad’s… Would you be able to?”

“Why would I care? I have no bond with them,” Star River replied casually, but in her mind flashed the scene of Ye Wuming from earlier.

Except for that one, she had sensed something off about all the other illusions. But that one she hadn’t detected; she thought it was really Ye Wuming. And she had secretly hoped for a proper meeting between those two, to break the ice in their awkward relationship.

But it was all fake.

Little Star River rarely felt disappointment, and with it came hatred—hatred for Mara. That lying cheat deserved to be stabbed to death by Little Star River.

So even the seemingly indifferent Star River had a weakness: Ye Wuming was her only one.

The most despicable and hateful thing was a heavenly demon that deceived using what others cherished most.

Little Star River sulked with a puffed face, while Dragon Sparrow muttered on the side, “Who would’ve thought pretending to be Piaomiao could cure the heart demon? Dad thinks he’s slept with Piaomiao now. What happens next?”

Star River was annoyed: “You’re so noisy.”

Dragon Sparrow asked, “Weren’t you scared earlier?”

Star River was even more puzzled: “Scared of what? Mara? Mara has no effect on us.”

“If Dad really fell into demonhood, and Piaomiao is so strong, she wouldn’t kill him but would run away. If she ran, then the ones by his side…”

“You’re afraid he’d go mad and die?”

“Didn’t you think about the fact that there are still two women by his side?”

“?” Star River’s clear eyes widened. She thought for a long time but couldn’t figure out what Dragon Sparrow meant. What women? Two of them?

Just as she was confused, Star River’s eyes suddenly turned sharp, and her sword aura surged. At the same time, Dragon Sparrow’s blade light appeared. An indistinct phantom in the air twisted and dissipated—Mara trying to sneak an attack again. The sword and blade spirits blocked it outside, and the weakened demonic illusion could no longer invade their master.

From outside the door came Yuancheng’s voice: “We have just suppressed the main body of Mara with a secret technique and extracted the chain. I came to return it to King Zhao. Some residual energy may have scattered during the extraction. Has Your Highness been invaded here?”

A phantom of a twin-tailed girl jumped out of the room: “Give it to me.”

Yuancheng: “?”

Where did this girl come from?

Before he could react, the little girl grabbed the chain and rushed back inside: “You go back. My dad is sleeping.”

Dad… Was that a dialect term for father? Yuancheng was dumbfounded. Zhao Changhe wasn’t that old himself—how did he have such a grown daughter? He really lived it up.

Dragon Sparrow excitedly barged into Star River’s sword: “Little Star River, tie it up for me! This thing is fun!”

“Get lost.” Star River kicked Dragon Sparrow out of her home.

Zhao Changhe was dreaming.

He hadn’t dreamed in a long time. In the past, his dreams were always of Ye Wuming, but now he knew those weren’t dreams—they were Ye Wuming entering his consciousness to talk. And even earlier, before his transmigration, the dreams of fighting and slashing people were also illusions woven by Ye Wuming, or rather, dream-weaving, probably a way to select the person she wanted.

This time, it seemed like a real dream—a spring dream about ancient Piaomiao, starting after she stepped into the bathwater. Then it grew hazy, and by the time he woke, he couldn’t remember clearly. A typical sign of an ordinary person’s dream, but strange for someone like Zhao Changhe, who cultivated his soul.

When he opened his eyes, the sky was already bright.

Turning his head, he saw Cui Yuanyang nestled against his shoulder. As his gaze met hers, her eyes just opened, staring directly into his from inches away.

In an instant, her eyes turned fierce, and demonic aura surged skyward.

Zhao Changhe’s first reaction was to protect the bed board—otherwise, it might collapse.

Piaomiao grabbed his throat: “Listen to me. Last night wasn’t me!”

Zhao Changhe thought back and realized it was odd that she hadn’t knocked him out during the pause. But the Cui Yuanyang he knew couldn’t possibly impersonate Piaomiao—the difference in temperament and tone was too vast… And later, he had felt her struggle, though he had suppressed it. Yuanyang really didn’t have that much strength…

Overall, he still believed it was Piaomiao. After all, when she led him into the back courtyard, there had been a strong implication of using herself as medicine. Now she was denying it, of course, because she couldn’t save face.

Since she couldn’t save face, he’d just go along. Zhao Changhe quickly raised his hands in surrender: “Alright, alright, it wasn’t you. But now you…”

Piaomiao paused, suddenly realizing she was naked and nestled in a man’s arms.

There was no denying that. It was indeed her, Piaomiao, bare-skinned in a man’s embrace.

Piaomiao was so furious this time that she truly wanted to kill. Her hand erupted with energy.

Zhao Changhe thrust upward.

Piaomiao’s energy instantly dissipated, her face flushing crimson.

It wasn’t just being in a man’s arms—they were still connected, never having separated.

"Zhao Changhe, you!"

"It is you now, isn't it?"

Piaomiao's mind briefly blanked, utterly at a loss as to how things had devolved into this... Ever since she began sharing a body with Cui Yuanyang, was such a day destined to come?

Most absurd of all, this happened during her demonized state, a terrifying condition feared by all, a moment when her heart was filled with nothing but malevolence, yet she had actually been taken.

By the time she recovered her senses, completely demonized and frantic, her fists and palms slammed desperately against Zhao Changhe. Zhao Changhe found it impossible to pin her down, but a chain abruptly appeared in his hand. Without time to think, it shot into Piaomiao's spiritual terrace with a sharp whistle, binding her tightly once more.

At the same time, Piaomiao's palm struck his chest. Zhao Changhe spat out a mouthful of blood; fortunately, he had bound her quickly, for it had truly been a hair's breadth from disaster.

Zhao Changhe let out a breath: "Where did the chain come from?"

Longque replied: "The old monk brought it over last night, saying Papiyas has been temporarily suppressed by them."

"Temporarily..." Zhao Changhe pondered for a moment, but decided to fix Piaomiao's situation first, so he swiftly entered her sea of consciousness.

It was just like what he had seen last time: Piaomiao and Cui Yuanyang were bound together. Cui Yuanyang was clearly still fast asleep, while Piaomiao's divine soul had turned pitch black, her demonic energy even more severe than at the very beginning.

This... Zhao Changhe felt a bit of a headache. Why does it feel like she's enraged from being violated, triggering even deeper hatred? Was it really not you last night?

Seeing him enter the sea of consciousness, Piaomiao struggled: "Kill me!"

"Impossible." Zhao Changhe carefully crouched before her, reaching out to gently caress her face: "I don't know if there was a misunderstanding before... If I formally pursue you, could you give me a chance?"

Piaomiao glared at him: "Now is the easiest opportunity to kill me and save your precious Cui Yuanyang! In this state, it's easiest to tell us apart without any risk of accidental injury, so why play the hypocrite!"

"Why would I kill the woman I like?"

"Like? Is that lust or liking? Don't you know the answer yourself?"

"You said that while I claimed to be training you, I treated Yuanyang with tenderness, showing which one I liked more." Zhao Changhe said softly: "What about now?"

With his words, he slowly lowered his head and planted a gentle kiss on Piaomiao's forehead.

Though that divine soul was surrounded by black mist, hideous and distorted, he still kissed her very gently, without the slightest hesitation or aversion.

As their divine souls touched, Piaomiao shuddered, momentarily struck speechless.

Zhao Changhe murmured: "If you call it lust, you're really wronging me... Just look at you now, you can hardly be called beautiful."

Piaomiao: "..."

"Even before this, I hadn't seen you many times. Most of the time, you spoke to me using Yuanyang's face, and I've already said your true appearance is somewhat unfamiliar to me. I barely even know what you look like, so where is the lust? To say something even more heart-wrenching, before I saw Ye Jiuyou bathing, I had completely forgotten that I once saw you bathing. I didn't take it to heart at all; it was only because I traced her bathing that I remembered such a thing happened with you too..."

"You bastard!"

Zhao Changhe continued: "I admit I have a bit of a lecherous side, but in this matter, I truly won't accept it being called lust. Toward Piaomiao, who forged the four swords in antiquity to stabilize the rivers and mountains, I feel reverence; toward Piaomiao, who protected the land but died from a sneak attack, I feel pity; toward Piaomiao, who returned with hatred yet left Yuanyang unharmed out of kindness, my feelings are complicated. If any other entity occupied Yuanyang's body like this, I would kill them without a doubt, but toward you, I don't even want to say a harsh word."

Piaomiao sneered: "Yet your words are still cold and cynical."

Zhao Changhe said: "That's because we really weren't familiar. Should I have said those greasy words I used these past two days instead? How would that look?"

Piaomiao said angrily: "Have we become close over these past two days?"

Zhao Changhe said: "Though the time was short, fighting hand in hand and protecting each other makes us companions through life and death to me. The moment you gambled your life to draw out the chain binding you to deal with Papiyas and didn't harm me, you became a comrade to whom I could entrust my back."

Piaomiao did not answer.

In truth, there was no mutual protection; it was entirely Zhao Changhe protecting her. Though it could be said she turned around to protect Zhao Changhe in the latter half, she hadn't actually achieved much—just soundly thrashing a Papiyas who was already captured, which she felt embarrassed to even mention.

Zhao Changhe said: "To be honest, my relationship with Ye Wuming is very peculiar. She uses me, and now she angers me, but it hasn't reached the point of crossing my bottom line. Moreover, she helped me quite a bit before and taught me a lot; she is a master, a friend, and an enemy all at once. Spending nearly three years together, even if you held a stone for three years, feelings would develop, let alone with a living person."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I want to tell you that cooperating with Ye Jiuyou to deal with her is a way to vent my frustration, and if a real fight breaks out, I might not even know whose side to take... But my cooperation with you stems from a genuine belief that she did wrong in this matter, and I will firmly stand by your side."

"That is merely King Zhao's justice; it represents nothing."

"In Papiyas's illusion, Ye Wuming was a vital link, and the importance of being a part of my inner demon can well be imagined... You should know the other illusion was Sisi, who is my wife." Zhao Changhe paused, then whispered: "Yet there was one more illusion, and that was Piaomiao, which was also the final link that triggered my inner demon and almost caused my total collapse. Papiyas is an enemy, but using him to question my heart and seek the truth cannot be faked. Those words triggered by my inner demon were also thoughts originally hidden in my heart that I wouldn't normally say, and they cannot be faked either."

Piaomiao did not know how to respond, but blurted out: "The words you are saying now aren't any better!"

"Binding you just now was only because you were too impulsive at the time, so I had to restrain you. Now that I've finished speaking, I will remove the chain. Whether you want to kill me or cut me to pieces, it is entirely up to your whim." After Zhao Changhe finished speaking, he actually removed the chain, allowing the demonically blackened Piaomiao to break free and stand before him.

Piaomiao found herself freed completely unprepared, finding it truly unbelievable: "Are you really not afraid of death?"

"If last night was an accident, it means I possessed you without your consent, and I deserve whatever punishment comes my way. I will take it."

Piaomiao stared blankly for a long time. If one were to say he used force against her will, it couldn't really be counted as such; it could only be considered a karmic debt, and if blame had to be assigned, it should be pinned on Cui Yuanyang's head rather than his.

Most crucially, as long as she wasn't in that furious, impulsive state, she truly couldn't bring herself to kill him.

Perhaps... she really had developed feelings...

The reason for her anger was probably just that it happened against her will, leaving her chest tight and immensely infuriated.

But now that he had earnestly confessed and pursued her, was it still stifling?

Piaomiao had never imagined an existence like herself would speak of love with a human, but she knew that if such a thing were to happen, it could only be with the Master of Mountains and Rivers. That was her "favor," a word that inherently carried two meanings: one belonging to a deity, and one belonging to a woman.

After spacing out for a long while, it finally coalesced into just two words: "Get out!"

Zhao Changhe obediently exited her sea of consciousness, and the two of them returned to holding each other stark naked, staring at one another.

Piaomiao really wanted to bury her face in her hands. How did things turn out like this...

Yet Zhao Changhe didn't try to act cute. He quickly turned over and put on his clothes, then went out into the courtyard to fetch a basin of water: "Wash up, and we'll go check on Papiyas's situation. If your demonized state can only be resolved by killing Ye Wuming, then you must be prepared for it to never be completed... I think killing Papiyas should be enough."

For some unknown reason, Piaomiao actually asked: "Does it displease you greatly that I am constantly in a demonized state?"

Zhao Changhe wrung out a towel for her, helping her wipe her face and body as he replied: "I've said it before, I quite like you like this... It's just that I know you don't like it yourself, and that after all is not the true you."

"It's always 'I've said it before, I've said it before.' Just because you said it, should I believe it?"

"You can believe that every single word I say to you is true." Zhao Changhe smiled and said very calmly: "Including this phrase: the woman I like."

The warm towel brushed against her body, smoothing over the ferocious hickeys and bruises from last night. A warm sensation drifted over, and sunlight poured through the window lattice onto Zhao Changhe's earnest profile. Piaomiao watched intently, completely still, allowing him to tend to her without saying another word.