Chapter 833: The Wind Rises

Chapter 833: The Wind Rises

“Is there anything you want to tell us? Senior ancient remnant soul?”

By the riverbank, four women surrounded a ball playing dead, holding a tribunal.

The soul ball said honestly, “As you can see, I’m not a remnant soul—round and whole, full and plump.”

“…Is that what we asked? Don’t try to weasel out with cuteness.” San Niang reached out, picked up the soul ball, and sat down on it.

The soul ball “thumped” as it sprouted two little hands, struggling on both sides: “I said, we just barely escaped from the Celestial Collapse with great hardship!”

Xia Chichi crouched in front, poking it with two fingers: “Ooh, a senior from the ancient times who experienced the Celestial Collapse—what a vicissitudinous life! No wonder you could charm so many beauties…”

Piaomiao had been leaning against a flowering tree with arms crossed, watching coldly from the sidelines, but now she couldn’t bear it anymore. She suddenly reached out, rescued the soul ball from under San Niang’s bottom, and held it in her arms.

The four women turned their heads simultaneously, staring at her with burning eyes.

Piaomiao held the ball, saying calmly, “He is under my protection. No one can bully him, not even if you are his wives.”

The four women’s mouths hung half-open, their minds momentarily short-circuited.

Was this a mistress challenging the legitimate wives, or was she defending her lover?

So our husband is being protected by another woman, and we are the enemy?

Seeing the soul ball rubbing against her chest pitifully, as if to say, “So it’s really us bullying you?”

Then Piaomiao’s beautiful eyes fell on Xia Chichi, and she said calmly, “Your Majesty is the master of mountains and rivers. You should focus on the big picture and do great deeds. Yet you crouch here bullying the pillar of the state—how foolish.”

“I bully him?” Xia Chichi pointed at her own mouth, then after a long pause said, “No, when Master kicked him and sat on him, you said nothing. I just poked him twice, and you lecture me?”

“Because I can’t control others, but I have the duty to advise and supervise you. A ruler of a nation should—”

Xia Chichi interrupted in exasperation: “What do you mean I bully him! Do you even know we’re catching you in adultery? You’re the fox spirit seducing our husband! I haven’t even scolded you, and you scold me first?”

Piaomiao said, “I am his, not yours. I only protect him. What you think has nothing to do with me.”

Xia Chichi: “…”

Why did this adultery-catching feel so frustrating? How could she be so righteous as a mistress? Was being an ancient demon lord that impressive…

Xia Chichi suddenly realized: “Wait, what do you mean you only protect him? Shouldn’t you protect me more? My royal husband’s adultery is harmful to the state. Shouldn’t you help me demand an explanation and talk to that fox spirit?”

“Perhaps,” Piaomiao said. “Oh, by the way, I heard Your Majesty’s prayer during the Spring Sacrifice—very sincere. One part was about blessing you to bear a crown prince early to stabilize the state, saying the royal husband should visit the Empress Dowager less, and that while other rooms might be fine, your son must be born before your younger brother… That is indeed a matter of state importance, and I must help—”

Xia Chichi: “…Shut up.”

Huangfu Qing glanced sidelong at her disciple, grinding her teeth inwardly.

Zhao Changhe stretched out his two little short hands, covering his face.

San Niang’s eyes sparkled as she pulled a slice of melon from her pack and handed one to Yue Hongling.

Suddenly, catching adulterers didn’t seem as fun anymore.

Piaomiao’s gaze swept over them, and she said calmly, “Changhe slew the Cold Chi, entered Kunlun, conquered the Demon Illusion Realm, broke into the Ancient Night Palace, embraced the River of Time and Space, and crossed the destruction of an epoch. In just over ten days, he endured a hundred battles and bore ten thousand wounds. Do you really think he just ran off to have an affair? If you call it an affair, then I was the one who seduced him. I took a liking to him first. He’s willing to turn into a ball to let you vent your anger, but I am not… mmph…”

Mid-sentence, she suddenly frowned and bent over, as if struck by some harm.

Zhao Changhe “thumped” back into human form and supported her: “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. It’s just that I’ve been away from my vessel too long, and it’s starting to feel wrong… Speaking of which, your soul has been separated from your body for a long time too—that’s not good either. Don’t take it lightly.” Piaomiao quickly recovered and bowed to everyone with a fist-in-palm salute: “I need to go to Yangyang immediately. You can talk to him about your matters later; I’ll go first. Ladies… sisters, forgive my rudeness. I’ll come back to serve tea and apologize another day. I take my leave now.”

Before she finished speaking, her soul shadow had already faded, and in truth, her divine presence had descended ten thousand miles, heading straight for Xiangyang.

The four women blinked, wondering if she was just pretending to run away… But her attitude didn’t seem like she was afraid; it really seemed like something was wrong.

And she actually called them “sisters”—that was truly not easy… She was an entire epoch older than them. Could she really bring herself to call them younger sisters…

Yue Hongling said, “This Piaomiao… sister, I quite like her. I thought ancient demon lords had no emotions, but I never expected her to protect you like this.”

Zhao Changhe sat cross-legged on the ground, hands tucked in his sleeves, saying nothing. He felt that anything he said would sound like he was taking advantage and being smug.

He knew these women weren’t truly angry. They had all come together through their own “affairs,” so what right did they have to judge others? Being caught red-handed was naturally a bit annoying, but a few punches to the head would cool their anger. There was no need to defend himself. Yet unexpectedly, Piaomiao had acted like this. They didn’t say anything, but inside, they all admired her.

Zhao Changhe himself loved her too. This kind of temperament from Piaomiao was something he never would have imagined earlier.

San Niang handed him a slice of melon: “Tell us, what’s her situation? She seemed a bit off just now. Aren’t you going to check on her?”

“She’s not injured. What she needs most is to reach Yangyang as fast as possible… I have something to tell you all, and I’ll go over soon.” Zhao Changhe said, “Piaomiao’s soul was recently cut from Yangyang’s body. Now it has no anchor. Either she continues to borrow Yangyang’s body, or we need to forge a body for her.”

The women, who had been so fierce about catching adulterers, now showed concern: “Do you have a plan for forging a body? Need any help?”

Zhao Changhe said, “Earlier, we went to the ancient times and stole a lotus pedestal…”

Huangfu Qing was extremely shocked: “The thief in the Night Palace was you? How did you survive from the Night Emperor?”

Zhao Changhe asked curiously, “How do you know about that?”

Huangfu Qing handed him the jade slip: “Ying Wu found an ancient record about it.”

Zhao Changhe took the jade slip and glanced at it, his expression strange.

He hadn’t seen this record before. So history really had his participation in this event.

Thinking back, if he had seen this record earlier and thought the lotus pedestal was stolen by someone else, would he have been afraid to steal it for fear of “changing history”? If he hadn’t gone, what would have happened?

So deliberate avoidance might actually interfere with history…

But what could be done and what couldn’t—who knew?

“What are you thinking?”

“Oh, nothing. I have some clues about the White Tiger here. You can follow them.” Zhao Changhe snapped back to reality and said, “The White Tiger might also be in the Heavenly River, but in a different section. The river is tens of thousands of miles long—impossible to search. I have a faster way… Hongling, try tracking the sword aura you planted earlier on the Snow Owl.”

Yue Hongling asked in surprise, “How is he involved?”

“From what I’ve seen, the Snow Owl is connected to the Dark Extinction and might harbor schemes against the Nine Abysses. But that alone doesn’t explain why he is a swordsman with such sharp sword intent… So either he’s related to the Sword Emperor, or to the White Tiger. Follow that thread, and you’ll definitely find something.” Zhao Changhe said, “I’m going to Xiangyang now to handle Piaomiao’s matter, then ask the Nine Abysses what it knows. If my intuition is right, we might very well join forces in the White Tiger campaign.”

The women exchanged glances, looking at Zhao Changhe with some oddity.

He was starting to seem a bit mystical now… Was this how all diviners who measured time and traced causality ended up?

But regardless, since he had made the arrangements, they just had to follow. The originally vague direction was instantly set. This was the feeling of having a backbone—without him, they would fall apart.

It would be even better if he didn’t have affairs outside…

But they also had a premonition… Going alone to meet two terrifying ancient demon lords, one of whom had already turned into a protective little woman—what about the other?

“Be careful. The White Tiger matter is definitely not just about the White Tiger.” Zhao Changhe’s expression was extremely grave: “There must be a huge trouble hidden in this, the kind that Ye Wuming must handle with extreme caution.”

Only after Zhao Changhe left did Huangfu Qing slowly turn her head to look at Xia Chichi.

Xia Chichi stepped back step by step, soon caught by her master, who pinned her down over her knee and spanked her: “What do you mean by ‘the royal husband should visit the Empress Dowager less’? What do you mean by ‘your son must be born before your younger brother’? Explain yourself!”

Xia Chichi was on the verge of tears.

…

Back in Xiangyang, Zhao Changhe slipped back into his own body. Before he even opened his eyes, he felt as if he had been ill—limbs weak and powerless.

This was because his soul had been separated from his body for too long, causing a slight maladjustment, but it would recover quickly.

From this, he could see that Piaomiao’s condition could not last long. He had to forge a body for her as soon as possible.

Opening his eyes, he saw Cui Yuanyang sitting beside him, wringing a wet cloth to wipe his body. During the days his soul was away, his body had been a living corpse, and Yangyang had been taking care of him.

Seeing Zhao Changhe open his eyes, Cui Yuanyang smiled faintly: “Awake? When Sister Piaomiao came back just now, I knew you would wake up soon.”

Though she was smiling, her little face looked somewhat pale, and her smile seemed a bit unnatural. Zhao Changhe turned over in surprise, grabbed her hand, and asked, "What's wrong? Has someone been bullying you these past few days?"

"Who would dare bully me?" Cui Yuanyang threw her arms around him. "If anyone's bullying me, it's the two of you. Sister Piaomiao vanished without a trace, and you lay there like a living corpse for days without a word, no sign of when you'd wake. I was terrified you'd never come back... Do you know how I've felt these days, wuwuwu..."

Zhao Changhe's heart softened as he gently embraced her, kissing away the tears on her cheeks: "There, there, I'm fine now. Your husband is blessed with a long life; it's not so easy for me to not return."

"Pfft." Cui Yuanyang sniffled. "I should have known—even lying there like a living corpse, you'd still get stiff sometimes. A scourge like you can last a thousand years!"

Zhao Changhe: "..."

Cui Yuanyang pinched the flesh at his waist and twisted. "Tell me, which vixen did you hook up with outside? Even your soul could go astray—how desperate are you?"

Piaomiao, who had just been so domineering outside, now shrank into a corner of her soul sea, turning into a soul ball and staying silent.

Zhao Changhe winced in pain. "I only went out with your Sister Piaomiao. Where would a vixen come from?"

"Nonsense. Sister Piaomiao is just a little ball—how could she do that with you? Don't tell me you'd even go after a ball."

"You're right about everything." Zhao Changhe hugged her, half laughing, half crying. "Would you like to witness the process of Sister Piaomiao building a body? It's quite interesting."

Cui Yuanyang brightened up. "Is this something I'm allowed to see?"

"Why not?"

"Is there any difference between this and giving birth?"

Piaomiao, stifled there, really wanted to complain: Don't pretend—I don't believe you don't know how babies are made.

But Zhao Changhe actually told her with a straight face: "We'll help her build a body together, and since Piaomiao emerged from within you, we'll have her call you 'Mother.'"

Piaomiao couldn't take it anymore and drilled out of the sea of consciousness: "Zhao Changhe!"

Zhao Changhe cheerfully scooped up Piaomiao's soul ball, rubbed it, and gave it a kiss. "Let's go find Jiuyou."

Held and pampered by him in front of Cui Yuanyang, Piaomiao's ball turned a faint pink. Cui Yuanyang's eyes turned into hearts as she snatched the ball and hugged it. "Let me play with it—soon there'll be no chance..."

Piaomiao couldn't stand it anymore and transformed back into human form, tumbling onto the bed with Cui Yuanyang. "You little minx, you've brought me nothing but trouble..."

"Clearly, Sister likes it herself. You should be thanking me for playing matchmaker..."

The two strikingly similar beauties wrestled, a sight that was simply delightful.

Suddenly, a voice came from outside the door: "The King of Zhao is awake?"

Zhao Changhe asked, "What is it?"

Yuan Cheng said, "Papiñ has been causing a ruckus in the pagoda for two days, asking if the King of Zhao has completed those tasks and if it's time to release him."

Zhao Changhe smiled faintly. "He can be released. Right now."

Yuan Cheng hesitated. "Are you sure you want to let the tiger go? The King of Zhao should think thrice."

"He must be let go... If this tiger isn't released, many of my conjectures cannot be verified."

...

Back at the snowy mountain where Jiuyou resided, Ye Jiuyou still sat alone on the peak, letting the snowflakes swirl around her, everything silent.

The liveliness that had been there before seemed to belong to another dimension when it reached this place.

Ye Jiuyou studied Piaomiao and Cui Yuanyang flanking Zhao Changhe, a rare look of surprise on her face. "So you actually split them..."

"Indeed." Piaomiao, for once, bowed to her. "Whether you sent him and me to the Demon Illusion Realm out of some scheme or not, in the end, I still have to thank you."

Ye Jiuyou said crossly, "Sending you to the Demon Illusion Realm was, for me, about confirming the Mirror of Truth and Illusion, not just for you to split your soul. Now you've succeeded in splitting, yet you come to me empty-handed. Is this how you cooperate?"

Zhao Changhe said, "When I captured Papiñ, my first question was about the Mirror of Truth and Illusion. The answer was that what he gave you was merely a Soul-Capturing Mirror; the Mirror of Truth and Illusion doesn't exist in this world. Not only did I get that conclusion, but I also know the whole story from start to finish."

"Tell me."

Zhao Changhe recounted the conversation between Anmie and the Eternal Heavenly God, then gave his own summary: "So what you're using now is just a part of the Soul-Capturing Mirror, harmful with no benefit. But I feel that, although you were misled by Anmie about the Mirror of Truth and Illusion, you must have known Anmie had ulterior motives, or perhaps you were even fishing for something."

Ye Jiuyou was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed. "You're making excuses for me. Why couldn't I have been completely duped?"

"Because after Anmie was absorbed, you showed no reaction... Even if you were cold-blooded, you wouldn't go that far. At the very least, you'd have done something to save face."

"That's not necessarily true. When Yin Kui died by your hand, I didn't come looking for you over that either."

"...We're different. What friendship did you have with Xue Xiao?"

"What friendship do I have with you?"

Zhao Changhe said helplessly, "Why hide it from me? You must have been waiting for Xue Xiao and Papiñ to make a move... Sending me to the Demon Illusion Realm was partly to observe what they were up to. Anmie was laying his plans, and you were laying yours..."

"Why are you so sure?"

"The Ye Jiuyou in my mind must be a scheming demon stirring up trouble, not a wooden puppet sitting quietly on the Kunlun peak waiting for things to happen." Zhao Changhe said calmly, "The reason you won't tell me is simply that what you're doing isn't good, and you're afraid I'll ruin it."

Ye Jiuyou suddenly smiled. "You think quite highly of me... Everything I've done in front of you has basically failed. What are you overestimating?"

Zhao Changhe said, "I'll never forget how nervous Ye Wuming was when she learned you had appeared. The main reason for your past failures was Ye Wuming's constant interference. Without her, I don't know how severe the things you'd do could be."

Hearing this answer, Ye Jiuyou's expression didn't brighten. She looked up, thought for a moment, and asked, "So, will you ruin it?"

Zhao Changhe said, "How about we make another deal?"

"Speak."

"Lend me the Jiuyou Abyss... and I'll help you with what you want to do."