Chapter 828: Free Meal is Truly Sweet

Chapter 828: The Soft Rice Tastes Truly Good

“Where is this?”

Zhao Changhe came to his senses, finding himself standing atop a vaguely familiar mountain range, with a surging river below rolling eastward.

Turning his head, he saw a white-clad immortal standing close beside him, also gazing down at the river. Her robes fluttered, her eyes were misty, and her beauty was city-toppling.

Both familiar and strange.

Familiar because he had just seen her in the stone wall’s images… or rather, a stick of incense ago, he had been teasing her while she was bound in chains, her eyes closed in self-deception, allowing his liberties.

Strange because that version of her was wreathed in demonic aura, barely concealing a murderous edge—not her true self. And in the retrospections of the Soul-Capturing Mirror or the Qinghe Sword, she had only been seen from afar, hazy as a dream.

This was the first time he had seen her true form up close. No longer Yangyang’s baby face, she was Yangyang fully matured, with an added ethereal immortal grace, breathtakingly beautiful.

Piaomiao.

He only wondered whether this was the Piaomiao he knew, drawn in together with him by the Soul-Capturing Mirror, or an ancient Piaomiao. If the latter, they didn’t know each other, and trouble might arise.

As if sensing his gaze, Piaomiao withdrew her eyes from the river below and turned to look at him, her expression complex and hard to read: “This place… you should be familiar with it.”

Zhao Changhe exhaled. From her tone, this was indeed the Piaomiao he knew. So she had been pulled in while trying to save him earlier; he had vaguely heard her shout, “Zhao Changhe, be careful!”

Shaking off the strange feeling in his heart, he replied, “It does look somewhat familiar, but I can’t recall where I’ve seen something similar. Maybe I glimpsed it in the Mountain and River Atlas and didn’t pay attention?”

“This is Beimang, the place where you lived.”

“But the Beimang I saw had no river…” As he spoke, Zhao Changhe suddenly realized: “This is ancient Beimang!”

“Correct, the river is the Luo.” Piaomiao said, “This is the central plain of the world, the mountain is the burial mound of emperors, where the dragon qi of the mortal realm gathers. I was born in the Luo River and made this my home.”

“No wonder it feels familiar—every time I saw you, you were here… and your bath was here too… uh…” Zhao Changhe stopped mid-sentence, finding it strange. Facing the demonized, violent Piaomiao, he could say all sorts of teasing things, but facing the normal Piaomiao, the words wouldn’t come out.

Her aura made such words feel like sacrilege.

He stole a glance at Piaomiao. Her expression was still complicated, but she said nothing.

Zhao Changhe quickly changed the subject: “It seems your demonic possession has been lifted.”

“Mm.”

“Thank you for saving me earlier.”

“…Why mention that?” Piaomiao said indifferently. “Besides, I didn’t succeed. Now we seem to be in bigger trouble.”

Zhao Changhe looked around, puzzled: “We were pulled in by that stone wall—the Soul-Capturing Mirror. Why are we at Mount Beimang and the Luo River?”

“Because you kept saying you only wanted to remove the cause of my demonic possession, but deep down, your subconscious wanted to resolve the grudge between me and Ye Wuming. The Soul-Capturing Mirror saw your true heart…” Piaomiao answered calmly. “And as for me, I said I only wanted to trace back to the moment of possession, but in my heart, didn’t I also want to see Ye Wuming?”

“This thing can travel through time?”

“It’s we who travel through time,” Piaomiao sighed. “It only helps us pinpoint where we want to go.”

Zhao Changhe: “…”

Damn. If that’s the case, there seems to be no way back. The path he had followed to trace the cause was now disrupted—he was lost.

Lost in the river of time—that would be very troublesome.

No, there was a way: find the Soul-Capturing Mirror of this era; that should be the path back. But that seemed to be in the Heavenly Realm, and this was the Mortal Realm.

“Do you know how to get to the Heavenly Realm?” Zhao Changhe asked.

Piaomiao was silent, lost in thought.

Zhao Changhe knew the answer: “I don’t advise meddling with any cause and effect. Really… if you go to find Ye Wuming now, you’d probably lose, even with me. I suggest we head straight for the way back and not interfere with anything in the past. The chaos that could cause is unpredictable.”

Piaomiao was silent for a long while, then said softly, “What if I sabotage her plans?”

Zhao Changhe thought it over. Right now, both he and Piaomiao were here as souls, without the Heavenly Book or the Eye Behind. Ye Wuming probably didn’t know they existed. Maybe they could secretly cause some trouble.

Having read and watched too many stories about interfering with time, Zhao Changhe didn’t dare gamble on what would happen. Look at how just changing the cause of demonic possession had led to this mess. What if something more serious happened? People could die. If the timeline changed drastically, he might return to find everyone he knew gone—that would be a regret beyond remedy.

But the Soul-Capturing Mirror had seen his true heart… his subconscious had indeed wanted to help Piaomiao resolve this grudge, which was why he had been sent here. Would doing nothing also betray his heart?

Seeing him pondering, Piaomiao said, “At this time, I am forging a sword at the bottom of the Luo River. The day the sword is completed, the sky will collapse. You and I have very little time to choose.”

Zhao Changhe suddenly clapped his hands: “Right, there’s something we might be able to do. It would be very useful for us, wouldn’t change any cause and effect, and you could vent a little, collect some interest.”

Piaomiao asked in surprise, “What?”

Zhao Changhe grinned: “Since the Soul-Capturing Mirror is in the Heavenly Realm, we’re destined to go there anyway. Now that we’re here, how about sneaking into Ye Wuming’s palace and stealing the lotus platform?”

Piaomiao’s eyes lit up. Her usually expressionless face suddenly showed a hint of Yangyang-like delight.

It was indeed a good idea that killed multiple birds with one stone.

There were very few people in the world who could steal from the Night Palace, and Piaomiao happened to be one of them—provided Ye Wuming wasn’t there.

As for whether stealing the lotus platform would cause Ye Wuming to retaliate and kill, that probably didn’t need to be considered. If she would kill a friend over such a crime, she was a scoundrel anyway. Besides, Ye Wuming’s intent to kill all the gods was clear; this shouldn’t be related.

No time to waste. Piaomiao no longer looked at the scene of her past self forging the sword at the bottom of the Luo River. She grabbed Zhao Changhe’s hand and flew eastward.

In an instant, they went from the Luo River to the shore of the Eastern Sea—a teleportation of ten thousand miles, without a trace of worldly dust.

Zhao Changhe was quite impressed. Piaomiao was indeed stronger than him now… From the looks of it, his earlier guess was right: Tianya Island was the boundary between the Mortal Realm and the Heavenly Realm. But why hadn’t Piaomiao continued?

Just as he thought this, a voice came from the sea ahead: “Greetings, Your Holiness.”

A giant turtle loomed on the sea surface, staring at Piaomiao on the shore, seemingly a bit nervous: “May I ask what brings you here?”

Piaomiao’s expression was cold, her tone aloof: “I go where I please; I need not explain to the likes of you.”

The giant turtle seemed to force a smile: “Your Holiness can naturally go anywhere… but this person beside you…”

Zhao Changhe pointed at his own nose: “Me? Is the sea forbidding unfamiliar faces now? Ancient times… uh, when did this rule start?”

The giant turtle said, “Normally, no… but things are different lately. Our Emperor is in seclusion and fears disturbances. Moreover, this is the period of the Severing Earth from Heaven prohibition. Your Holiness must know… This one’s cultivation is quite strong; we need to know his origin, or we can’t explain.”

So “things are different lately”—the top gods could sense the impending sky collapse, and the Sea Emperor was preparing for the tribulation… Zhao Changhe realized that ascending to the Heavenly Realm wasn’t easy these days; there was the Severing Earth from Heaven rule. But Piaomiao didn’t seem to care…

What identity should he give himself?

As he racked his brains, Piaomiao said, “He is my man. What right do you have to question? I am speaking with you here out of respect for the Sea Emperor and the Dragon Emperor. Do not test my patience. Move aside!”

As she spoke, the sea and sky roared, and purple energy filled the air.

The giant turtle was flipped over by the purple energy, tumbling into the sea like a snail. Piaomiao had already grabbed Zhao Changhe and sped off toward the distant sea.

Zhao Changhe was moved to tears.

“He is my man…”

That giant turtle was clearly an important sea-guarding beast under the Sea Emperor, yet it couldn’t even withstand Piaomiao’s overflow of energy…

The soft rice tasted truly good.

And Piaomiao was such a domineering boss—she and Yangyang were quite a match. Usually, a domineering boss has a cup of green tea by their side.

As this thought flashed through his mind, they arrived at a huge sea altar.

A massive dragon statue towered into the sky, exuding a powerful aura, surrounded by dragon clans in solemn majesty. Zhao Changhe stroked his chin, realizing this place was familiar—it was where Xia Chichi had used the Azure Dragon Seal to open the statue and be teleported to Tianya Island. Back then, the Sea Emperor had transformed into a flood dragon coiled into an island, and the fierce battle between Xia Longyuan and others had taken place here.

But at that time, this grand altar was long gone, leaving only a dilapidated statue. Now, it was in its original grandeur. This should be the altar of the Azure Dragon—the “Dragon Emperor” Piaomiao had mentioned. Besides being the Human Emperor, he also ruled the dragon clan and seemed to be a close ally of the sea race.

Piaomiao hovered outside the altar and transmitted her voice to all: “Inform the Azure Dragon that Piaomiao wishes to go to Tianya.”

Several dragons flew up to meet her: “Greetings, Your Holiness… The Night Emperor has decreed that the Severing Earth from Heaven is in effect recently.”

Zhao Changhe covered his face... daring to mention that blind old man in front of Piaomiao, he felt they were about to get a beating.

Piaomiao sneered: "It's daytime now, she's called Night Emperor, can she control this?"

The giant dragon: "?"

Night Emperor is just a title, but in essence, it's the Heavenly Emperor. Speaking of which, doesn't Piaomiao have a good relationship with the Heavenly Emperor? Why is she acting like this...

A giant dragon awkwardly forced a smile: "Your Excellency has the closest alliance and favor with our Dragon Emperor; should you have a token of command?"

Piaomiao said: "I saw him just yesterday, forgot to ask for one. Since you know of the alliance, why not let us pass?"

The dragons exchanged glances, deeply troubled. The Azure Dragon was the Human Emperor, and his relationship with Piaomiao was extremely special—under her supervision, yet also in need of her favor, but to some extent, Piaomiao could be considered the Human Emperor's aide; the word 'alliance' could hardly encompass it. Since Piaomiao was leading someone to the horizon, they dared not defy her will in any case, for if she lodged a complaint with the Azure Dragon, no one could bear the consequences.

But how could they let them pass without a token? Piaomiao was known for valuing order; such a breach of protocol had never been heard of... Could this be a fake by Bōxún?

Piaomiao said calmly: "Since it's difficult, then I shall open it myself. If the Azure Dragon blames anyone, I will bear the responsibility."

With that, she pulled Zhao Changhe straight through the crowd of dragons, pressed the altar casually, and a rainbow spanning the horizon rose into the sky. Suddenly, a colorful gate appeared in the heavens.

No dragon dared to stop them; the guards were as good as nonexistent.

The fourth of the Demon Gods, Zhēshē, Zhao Changhe was once again moved to tears. What was his so-called number one on the Heavenly Ranking compared to this? What kind of existence had he been sleeping with these past few days... If he hadn't come to this ancient era, he wouldn't have realized how formidable she was.

Piaomiao transmitted a thought: "This is the Gate of Heaven, which will disappear in the next era. Hold me tight. Don't let your mind wander too much; the Heavenly Gate is pure, and too many stray thoughts will prevent you from passing."

Zhao Changhe collected his thoughts, obediently took her hand, and stepped onto the rainbow to ascend to heaven.

Countless dragons craned their necks to watch—not Piaomiao ascending, but the man she held by the hand.

Heavens above... Piaomiao holding hands with a man?

Just then, a stern shout came from afar: "Hold!"

Piaomiao's expression turned icy, and she did not turn her head: "What advice does the Sea Emperor have?"

A burly man, bare-chested and wielding a trident, flew over from a distance: "Piaomiao, you wounded my patrol god of the sea and trespassed into forbidden ground. Do you have no regard for the dignity of the sea clans?"

The Sea Emperor had arrived...

Zhao Changhe tilted his head and transformed his face into one somewhat resembling Wang Daozhong. His own face could not be seen by the Sea Emperor—the karmic consequences would be too great. He would use the Wang family face to build a bridge first.

Then he heard Piaomiao say calmly: "I am the pulse of humanity; why should I care about those who wear scales and horns?"

The Sea Emperor sneered: "The Azure Dragon also wears scales and horns, yet he became the Human Emperor!"

"So I can still form an alliance with him, but you have nothing to do with me. If you have the ability, ascend to the land and become the master of both sea and land." Piaomiao continued pulling Zhao Changhe upward: "To achieve that, you seem to need to break with the Azure Dragon first, rather than pestering me."

"If you want to ascend to heaven, I won't stop you, but leave this man to me!" The Sea Emperor's spiritual assault howled forth, straight at Zhao Changhe: "Ascending to heaven from the mortal realm grants boundless fortune; not just anyone can go up so easily!"

Zhao Changhe clenched his fist, about to twist and strike, but purple aura had already blossomed around Piaomiao.

"Boom!" The spiritual ripples collided, and the Sea Emperor suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, tumbling backward.

Piaomiao's expression remained unchanged, still calm: "Overestimating yourself."

The Sea Emperor roared in fury: "Piaomiao, would you truly make an enemy of my sea clan for the sake of some inexplicable man?"

Piaomiao said flatly: "You don't even dare to break with the Azure Dragon; what use is your bluster?"

"You!" The Sea Emperor was both angry and anxious: "You have always been indifferent and uninvolved in worldly affairs. Today, you are so abnormal—could it be because you have a man?"

Piaomiao was silent, offering no reply.

To onlookers, their hands were still clasped, as if in tacit admission.

Zhao Changhe had been eating soft rice from start to finish, not needing to say a single word or lift a finger, led by Piaomiao through the heavy guard of sea and dragon clans, easily stepping onto the Gate of Heaven.

As they drew closer to the Heavenly Gate, Zhao Changhe couldn't help but glance at the Sea Emperor—it seemed he was injured...

Could it be that the main reason for his near-death state during the collapse of the era was that he was first wounded by Piaomiao? It didn't matter; so far, these events couldn't change much karma. Even Piaomiao's blatant offending of people had little consequence, because there were at most a few days before the heavens collapsed. Even if the Sea Emperor wanted revenge, he wouldn't have time.

This was probably why Piaomiao was so arrogant... In truth, even if revenge did fall upon Piaomiao in this world, she would completely disregard it.

That said, even if this world's ocean wasn't as vast as Earth's, it should still be larger than the land. Why was the Sea Emperor's strength so inferior to Piaomiao's?

As if hearing his thoughts, Piaomiao said calmly: "Mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas—all are the king's domain. At least half of the current ocean belongs to the Azure Dragon... In your era, the sea people also revere you, so it's similar to me... Therefore, don't be benighted. If you are benighted, I will weaken."

"I am not the Human Emperor."

"You are stronger than the Human Emperor..." Piaomiao paused here and tilted her head slightly: "The Human Emperor and I are alike, but we are merely your two wings."

Zhao Changhe turned to look at her, but Piaomiao looked away, avoiding his gaze.

You want to be my wings together with Chichi? That sounds like... a confession...

"Put away your stray thoughts." Piaomiao's voice came.

Zhao Changhe composed himself and stepped through the colorful rainbow gate ahead.

Before his eyes, another world unfolded.