Chapter 854: How Dare You Smash It!

Chapter 854: How Dare You Break It!

“Is that so?” Ye Jiuyou replied lazily, “Believe it or not, I’m not fighting you right now.”

Zhao Changhe was taken aback. What do you want to do?

Could she really intend to keep lingering here with me, leaning against my shoulder while having breakfast and enjoying the view?

Then Ye Jiuyou said, “You’ve gone to great lengths to make me experience human life, the feelings of an ordinary human woman cherished by a man’s tender affection… Since I’m here, is it really just for breakfast?”

Zhao Changhe looked down at her and noticed a faint smile on her face, truly resembling a young lady out on a date with her lover. It left him momentarily dazed, unsure if this was genuine or deliberate.

Of course, since things had come this far, he could only reply, “What else do you want to do? Name it.”

“Is it proper to buy just one set of clothes? That’s too deliberate.” Ye Jiuyou blinked. “I want many to change into, including accessories. Also, bedding, a wardrobe, a full set of furnishings. And I want to eat a lot of things, not just cotton candy and pastries. If you don’t butter me up properly, don’t expect me to spar with you.”

Zhao Changhe smiled. “As you command, my lady.”

“Did you bring enough money?”

“Honestly, not too much… Fine wood and jewelry are very expensive.”

“Figuring out how to buy what’s needed within a limited budget—is that also a necessary part of being human?”

“Generally, yes… But unfortunately, you’re playing the role of Miss Li, engaged to the Prince of Zhao, so all you can experience is being spoiled rotten by a tycoon.”

Ye Jiuyou didn’t understand the last few words. Puzzled, she followed Zhao Changhe to settle the bill and then headed back to the clothing shop from the other day.

The shop was filled with a dazzling array of clothes. To be honest, Zhao Changhe wasn’t great at picking them out; he could barely tell which colors suited Ye Jiuyou. Ye Jiuyou herself had no sense of aesthetics, simply picking up clothes to compare and then putting them back with a slightly troubled expression.

Then Zhao Changhe waved his hand imperiously: “Everything she just picked up and looked at, wrap it all up.”

After saying this, he felt a bit regretful—the tycoon’s script was missing something. There was no malicious female rival to snatch clothes, so he could have said, “Everything except what that person touched, wrap it all up.”

Even so, Ye Jiuyou’s eyes curved with laughter: “Is this what you call being spoiled rotten?”

“Pretty much.” Zhao Changhe chuckled. “If you’re going to spoil someone, you don’t even let them have the trouble of choosing.”

The shop owner was already overjoyed, thinking that the bellyband he’d given away the other day had been more than worth it.

Ye Jiuyou laughed. “Being so extravagant—doesn’t that go against your reputation as a ruler who’s frugal and loves the people?”

Zhao Changhe said, “If it’s to win Miss Li’s heart, this little investment is more than worth it. Personally, I have no material desires.”

“Do I have material desires? So forget it. I don’t want to be the one who ruins your reputation, Prince Zhao.” Ye Jiuyou finally picked out three sets of clothes and said with a grin, “Pay up.”

The shop owner wanted to cry.

What about all the clothes? Now there are only three left…

“As for accessories…” Ye Jiuyou said with a smile, “I also want a ring.”

“Then let’s go pick one.”

“Why didn’t you buy me a ring last time?”

“In my hometown, giving a ring has a special meaning… I subconsciously thought you wouldn’t accept it, and I couldn’t rush things.”

Ye Jiuyou stopped walking toward the jewelry shop and turned to look at Zhao Changhe with a knowing smile: “Don’t you know… that around here, giving a necklace already has a special meaning?”

Zhao Changhe was startled. “Huh?”

“It means tying someone down… It seems our Prince Zhao isn’t as knowledgeable as he thinks…” Ye Jiuyou said calmly, then walked straight into the jewelry shop.

Zhao Changhe stood outside, stunned for a long time… If you knew, why did you accept it? And even if you accepted it, why did you have to point out the meaning?

How did it feel like the roles were reversing…

Inside, Ye Jiuyou was already picking out rings, but she frowned for a long time, even more dissatisfied than with the clothes.

In this era, diamonds and platinum weren’t popular; everything was gleaming gold rings. It wasn’t that gold or silver were bad, but they really didn’t suit Ye Jiuyou’s temperament. If Zhao Changhe had to choose, he’d give her a black jade ring, but unfortunately, there was nothing similar here except thumb rings, which weren’t quite right.

Zhao Changhe stroked his chin as he watched from the side, then suddenly said, “How about this: I’ll make one for you myself.”

Ye Jiuyou turned to look at him.

Zhao Changhe said, “I’ll pick suitable heavenly materials and earthly treasures, personally carve a formation, and make it into a storage ring. Well… though for you, the space around you is always at your command, so you don’t need a storage ring…”

Just like how she carried a mountain with her, no one knew where she kept it. Zhao Changhe wasn’t sure if she even needed a storage ring.

Ye Jiuyou said, “You mentioned earlier that in your hometown, giving this means what?”

“It means a proposal gift to Miss Li.”

Ye Jiuyou smiled faintly, said nothing, and turned to leave the jewelry shop.

Zhao Changhe walked beside her, feeling that after two days of scheming, he suddenly didn’t know what to say—like he’d been out-schemed.

“Zhao Changhe, I want to eat that!” Zhao Changhe snapped back to reality. Ye Jiuyou tugged at his sleeve, pointing at a nearby candied hawthorn stick. “That looks cute. Is it tasty?”

“What counts as tasty?”

“Sweet is tasty.”

Zhao Changhe couldn’t help but laugh. He went up, paid, and turned to see Ye Jiuyou licking it with her eyes curved in delight. A realization struck him.

There was no scheme or trick. It was just that she was no longer as troubled as she’d been the past two days. She had completely let go and was enjoying all the mortal things, spoiled by a man.

“Where do we go for custom furniture?” Ye Jiuyou asked while licking the candy.

Zhao Changhe scratched his head. He’d never arranged such things in this world and wasn’t sure. He’d seen carpentry shops, but they didn’t seem to handle design…

The two looked at each other, scratching their heads, then both burst out laughing and said in unison, “Let’s go to the Ministry of Works and have them do it.”

This blatant misuse of public resources for private gain, and their minds working so alike, confirmed that the Prince of Zhao was indeed unfit to be a ruler—but perfectly suited to be a demoness’s lover.

A man and a woman, both licking candied hawthorns, barged into the Ministry of Works, startling the officials. When they recognized Zhao Changhe, they nearly bit their tongues.

Dare you let the martial world hear about you licking a candied hawthorn like this?

“Custom furniture? Wardrobe? Dressing table? Bed?” the vice ministers felt like they were dreaming. “Um, should we deliver it to the palace?”

Zhao Changhe said with a grin, “Just leave it here. We’ll come pick it up… Miss Li is marrying into the capital, so this is her dowry.”

Ye Jiuyou’s eyes sparkled, a hint of a smile on her lips, but she didn’t refute.

For people from Guanzhong, Chang’an was the capital. Saying she was marrying into the capital here was almost treasonous. But from officials to clerks, no one noticed anything wrong…

The tide was set… Even if she, Ye Jiuyou, had once been a demon god trying to sow chaos and division, she seemed unable to stop the tide of history. Guanzhong was doomed to fall to the Great Han’s conquest, just as she seemed unable to escape the capture of her emotions.

So she decided not to remain passive any longer.

“I’ve had my fun. Let’s go back and fight.” Ye Jiuyou patted Zhao Changhe’s cheek. “These two days of spoiling have pleased your big sister. I hope your strength will please her just as much.”

Zhao Changhe knew his scheme had been broken.

In essence, besides wanting to gain insights from the fight, he had also intended to make Ye Jiuyou understand that he wasn’t just messing with her emotions—his strength was worthy of her, and their goals could align.

But she had already seen through it, leaving no room for surprise or excitement when his strength exceeded expectations.

And she had even started calling herself “big sister”… Was she planning to conquer him in return? To make him understand that nothing else mattered compared to absolute strength—that no matter how good he was at stirring her heart, he was still just a little brother who had to follow her lead?

Zhao Changhe suddenly found it even more intriguing. His fighting spirit, which hadn’t been particularly high, blazed up.

…

“Clang!” Ye Jiuyou flicked her finger lightly against the side of the Dragon Sparrow. Zhao Changhe’s strike, carrying a thousand jun of force, was deflected.

The battle took place in the Abyss of Nine Nether. Any energy spill wouldn’t damage anything or trigger any celestial phenomena, leaving no reference feedback. Everything seemed to exist in a vacuum. All that could be seen were two ordinary martial artists exchanging blows, perhaps even less flashy than the battle of the Hidden Dragon Ranking on Chang’an’s main street just now.

But Zhao Changhe knew how terrifying that finger was.

Within that finger lay not a contest of pure strength, but the interplay of many profound laws.

He could clearly sense the workings of life and death—the evil intent of death driving straight to his origin, seeking to snatch away his life in an instant, turning his flesh and blood withered and aged, directly into a lifeless corpse.

At the same time, the surrounding darkness became terrifying blades, cutting at his soul, tearing at his flesh, a crushing pressure that seemed to force his bones out of his body, his internal organs churning and displaced, no longer his own.

His mind was also assaulted, losing perception, losing thought, left only with boundless darkness, breeding fear, loneliness, madness.

No pure force could withstand this strike; it required an understanding of the source of power. Any weakness in that understanding would lead to certain death.

A true demoness—every aspect of her combat prowess was of the most sinister kind... yet on the surface, it was merely a single finger.

Zhao Changhe finally understood why, when Ye Wuming had been suppressing Ye Jiuyou back then, their battle had seemed so unremarkable, as if they were just chatting face to face. Because at that time, he couldn't see the intricacies at all; their duel didn't necessarily require physical moves—how many laws clashed, how many mysteries contested in just the exchange of their gazes, outsiders would never know.

But now, Zhao Changhe fully received that finger. His blade was merely deflected, and the next moment, with a flick of his left hand, Galaxy was drawn.

The demon sword in the darkness silently thrust straight toward Ye Jiuyou's chest.

The sword hung inches away, yet could not penetrate. Galaxy hovered in the air, like a little girl whose head was held down by an aunt, unable to reach the adult no matter how she struggled.

"Twang!" Aunt Jiuyou flicked her finger again, and the little girl tumbled backward, clutching her head as she retreated.

It looked cute, but the force of that flick was enough to overturn a night sky, terrifying beyond measure.

"Hateful aura of Ye Wuming." Aunt Jiuyou's tone was icy as she tried to add another slap. Galaxy felt that if this aunt became her stepmother, her future would be grim, so she erupted wildly.

The next moment, stars in the void blazed wildly, countless meteorites raining down, crossing dimensional barriers to appear directly above Ye Jiuyou's head, seeking to bury her alive.

A broad saber swept across, blood staining the sky.

Shattering Heaven and Earth!

"Boom!" The power of the meteorites and the might of heaven and earth struck the same point, yet hit nothing.

Ye Jiuyou appeared silently behind Zhao Changhe, a palm striking his back.

In the darkness, she was everywhere; Zhao Changhe could not track her at his current level.

But Zhao Changhe seemed to have anticipated this. His long saber slanted upward, and the wildly falling stars reversed like a rewind, returning to the sky above, weaving into a new firmament in the void. Ye Jiuyou's palm struck that firmament, shattering it with a bang, but Zhao Changhe himself was unharmed. He spun his blade and slashed at Ye Jiuyou's neck.

For the first time, Ye Jiuyou flinched. This strike was interesting...

"Bang!" Her delicate hand struck the back of the blade again. Blood trickled from Zhao Changhe's lips as he staggered back, crouching slightly with a fierce glare, his battle intent blazing.

Ye Jiuyou clasped her hands behind her back and asked, "What is the name of that strike just now?"

"Recreating Creation. The final form of Lie's Blood Fiend Blade."

"I see it differs from his intent? The meaning of the stars rekindling and weaving the sky is certainly not Lie's."

"It carries his legacy, but my intent has long diverged from his."

Ye Jiuyou tilted her head slightly, watching his fierce, battle-hungry gaze—so different from the gentleness of the past few days. She found she didn't want to see Zhao Changhe like this; he should be smiling faintly, wiping the milk from the corner of her mouth... not staring intently, searching for weaknesses in her attacks.

In truth, Ye Jiuyou knew Zhao Changhe's urgency to break through to the third realm of the Imperial Realm... and if he wanted to break through, the guidance Piaomiao could offer was somewhat off; her own pointers would be more useful.

Ye Jiuyou had once wondered if Zhao Changhe's emotional campaign toward her was largely to get her full help in his breakthrough. If he could dual cultivate with her, he might even break through directly—the benefits of dual cultivation with her were not just massive energy, but also ample soul-entwining insights; this was no joke.

But from his battle intent in these rounds, Ye Jiuyou understood: he had never truly thought that way.

He didn't want to treat emotions with utility; he had the pride of a warrior. His breakthrough didn't rely on such means. He truly wanted to gain insights through battle alone, and also to make her understand that he was worthy of being the man of Ye Jiuyou.

"I didn't expect you to be half a step into the third realm already. You do have the capital to be arrogant." Ye Jiuyou murmured to herself, "No wonder you could take Ye Wuming's palm yesterday. She didn't hold back much."

Zhao Changhe: "...We're fighting. Be serious."

"I've lost interest in continuing this fight. One more strike." Ye Jiuyou's eyes sharpened. "I said before, if I don't hold back, you'll die. If you can't withstand this strike, you'll truly die. If you can..."

Zhao Changhe asked, "What then?"

"If you withstand it, you'll likely break through to the third realm of the Imperial Realm... Even if not, I promise to help you break through."

Zhao Changhe said seriously, "Good."

Ye Jiuyou took a deep breath and threw a punch, very slowly.

Halfway through, her jade hand turned pitch black, exuding a chilling death aura. Where it passed, even the darkness seemed to be devoured.

The darkness itself ceased to exist—no light, no shadow, all returned to silence.

Zhao Changhe's heart leaped. He instantly put away Longque and Galaxy. He had a premonition that anything touching this fist would be consumed entirely, reduced to nothing.

He could not meet this fist with any physical object...

With a fierce roar, Zhao Changhe threw a punch of his own.

With that punch, the Heavenly Book hidden in his ring flipped through pages, stopping at the page of light and shadow.

Dazzling light burst forth, illuminating the dark abyss. Like a laser, it met the all-devouring darkness.

"Boom!" The violent aftermath of power spread through the abyss, shining for countless miles.

At the core of the clash, the light was suppressed and devoured by the darkness. Blood seeped from Zhao Changhe's lips as he gritted his teeth, struggling desperately.

In terms of absolute power, he was far inferior to Ye Jiuyou—she was at the peak of the third realm of the Imperial Realm, while he was only a pseudo-third realm, a full major level difference. However, Ye Jiuyou was currently in a transitional phase, not as strong as before; she had been injured yesterday, and though healed, she wasn't at her peak. Moreover, light naturally illuminates darkness. Losing this round was inevitable, but death was not certain. As long as he could weaken the force of this punch as much as possible, the residual power could be endured with his body, leaving him severely injured but alive—that was the expectation.

Ye Jiuyou coldly watched Zhao Changhe's desperate struggle. His power was slipping out of control; the beam of light began to scatter, spilling onto her wrist...

The jade bracelet on her wrist was glaringly conspicuous in that moment.

This bastard—didn't he know that the overflow of this power would destroy the bracelet?

You idiot, don't you know that if that mountain doesn't count, this bracelet is the first gift you ever gave me? I told you long ago it's fragile in battle, and you still don't pay attention!

Ye Jiuyou instinctively withdrew a bit of power to protect the bracelet. With a "puff," Zhao Changhe finally spat out a mouthful of blood, tumbling backward for several miles, lying suspended in the void, coughing incessantly.

Coughing blood, Zhao Changhe looked up at Ye Jiuyou as she slowly walked through the void toward him, puzzled. The injury was lighter than expected... He should have been on the verge of death, but it was only this much...

Was she still too weak, or had she held back? Didn't she say she wouldn't?

Ye Jiuyou walked up to him expressionlessly: "Are you dead?"

"Alive." Zhao Changhe asked cautiously, "Did you... hold back?"

"If I hadn't, you'd be on the brink of death. I could either save you or finish you off with another strike." Ye Jiuyou said flatly, "Do you have no regard for your life? You had to endure it? If you had just surrendered, you wouldn't have had to fight like this."

"Because we agreed on just that one strike. If I survive, I win. What's a serious injury?" Zhao Changhe laughed carelessly. "So you really didn't need to hold back. Holding back only made my battle insights shallower."

Ye Jiuyou erupted in fury: "If I hadn't held back, the bracelet would have shattered! Zhao Changhe, you bastard! How dare you break it!"

Zhao Changhe was dumbfounded. In the heat of battle, he really hadn't noticed that.

Ye Jiuyou took several deep breaths, barely calming herself, and said flatly, "In any case, regardless of whether I held back, you wouldn't have died from that strike. By our agreement, you've withstood it. I promised that if you did, I'd help you break through, and I'll keep my word. Heal yourself first; we'll talk after you've recovered."

"Wait." Zhao Changhe suddenly grabbed her hand. "I can't get up. Help me."

Ye Jiuyou pulled him up impatiently. Zhao Changhe seemed to lose his balance, stumbling forward and falling against her.

Ye Jiuyou frowned, about to push him away, but was tightly embraced.

"Get off!"

Zhao Changhe weakly wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder, murmuring, "If we keep fighting, I'll die... Don't move, let me hold you for a moment..."

Ye Jiuyou stood still for a long while, then finally sighed. She helped him sit down, letting him lean on her shoulder. "Take out your medicine... Last night you healed me; now I'll heal you."