Chapter 855: The Reality of the World

Chapter 855: The Truth of the World

He said he was helping her heal, but tragically, none of Ye Jiuyou’s skills included healing. She couldn’t even match an ordinary Xuan Pass martial artist channeling inner energy to soothe meridians, for her power was purely corrosive and destructive—inputting it only worsened the injury.

She could only honestly let Zhao Changhe lean against her… After all, it was his Blood Demon Undying Body and Spring Return Art that were doing the actual healing; all she could do was make his leaning a little more comfortable.

The custom bed hadn’t even arrived yet, and her abyss was bare and empty.

Ye Jiuyou didn’t know why she had said, “I’ll help you today…” He had gotten himself hurt, and she had warned him long ago: not only would she wound him, she might even kill him. Yet seeing him injured, she still impulsively blurted out that line—purely asking for trouble, making work where none existed.

This man was a master at seizing an inch after being given a mile. After holding him for ages, Ye Jiuyou had no idea if he’d secretly healed himself or not; he just leaned there endlessly, refusing to get off, occasionally shifting positions with a little nudge.

Before she knew it, his nose and lips were nearly brushing her snow-white neck.

This was nothing like silent healing—clearly his wounds were almost healed, and he was deliberately taking advantage.

Ye Jiuyou could no longer bear it: “Have you had enough? I can tell your wounds are long healed!”

“What do you know? You hit hard—don’t you realize how much it hurts? Of course I’m not healed. Not even close.”

“You…” Ye Jiuyou raised her hand, pretending to slap him.

Zhao Changhe immediately buried his head into her chest.

Half annoyed, half amused, Ye Jiuyou tapped his head: “So now you’re starting the shameless routine, are you?”

Zhao Changhe thought to himself, *It’s working*—she hadn’t even pushed him away at this level of intimacy… And her protective gesture toward the jade bracelet proved everything.

It seemed her behavior today wasn’t a reverse trap; she genuinely enjoyed being spoiled, using the Li family girl’s engagement as a fig leaf to indulge freely.

She… had indeed never been cherished by anyone.

The only one who could be called a relative was a mortal enemy, who had ambushed her just last night, and no one yet knew the true intent of that attack… She had to wrap herself in boundless darkness, daring not to approach any existence, doing everything in secret solitude.

From start to finish, his approach was the only correct one… He had been straightforward: *I want you*, then he pampered and spoiled her, wanting to see her become more beautiful because he admired and liked her; not wanting her to be alone, even if only to see her reflection in a mirror, to witness her becoming vivid, and to see… his own mark.

The effect was excellent, but without last night’s rescue and protection, the progress bar wouldn’t have risen so fast.

That was the first time in Ye Jiuyou’s life she had been guarded by someone… Her face was calm as a still lake, but inside, a tidal wave had yet to subside even today.

But success aside, there was still a long way to go before “possession.” Like mortal couples who seem to be dating but still need the “just the tip, not going in” routine to progress step by step, and even after getting together, they might break up over something.

Even now, Ye Jiuyou refused to admit her feelings directly, using the Li family girl’s engagement—“I’ll send you to Guanlong”—as a cover, so the progress bar wasn’t full. But how to take the next step was a huge problem, because Ye Jiuyou wouldn’t fall for the “just the tip” trick. She was emotionally lonely, starved for love and care, but that didn’t mean she was naive. She had witnessed countless mortal romances over the millennia; if he dared use such tactics, he’d probably be thrown out immediately.

Thinking this, Zhao Changhe suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.

His mindset was off. He had played too many flirting games, turning into the kind of scumbag who seduces women for their bodies.

He had to admit that part of his attraction came from lust and the desire to conquer a supreme demon, but the main reason was indeed the moment he saw her alone in the darkness and felt a pang of pity. When he said, “Withdraw the Azure Dragon from the capital,” that instant had plucked a heartstring, giving him the urge to take care of her.

His earlier “tactics,” aside from using words to force her into a deal, were mostly genuine—he truly felt that was what he should do… Yet it had turned into scheming to seduce her into bed, like some villainous young master.

He suddenly sat up straight.

Ye Jiuyou looked at him in surprise, noticing the cold sweat on his brow, and asked curiously, “What’s wrong? Did my slap knock you silly? Or is your injury acting up?”

“No…” Zhao Changhe said quietly, “When I shaped Piaomiao’s body, I left a lotus pond outside. If you’re willing, you can transplant that pond into this pool of yours. Combining them would have excellent life-restoring effects, capable of reviving the dead and regrowing flesh. My minor injury would heal quickly if I sat in it.”

Ye Jiuyou was baffled—why had this guy suddenly turned serious after blatantly groping her? Not understanding, she went along: “Why wouldn’t I want something so good? I could use it myself.”

Zhao Changhe smiled: “I thought you might dislike things like that, since back then Piaomiao and I made it to annoy you.”

Ye Jiuyou laughed without answering.

A few days ago, it would indeed have disgusted her, but not now.

At least now, her darkness and stillness had changed from the original design… Too much of Zhao Changhe’s intent had been mixed in.

If it was his, she didn’t dislike it… The only discomfort came from its connection to Piaomiao…

Zhao Changhe ventured: “Since you don’t object, shall I move it over?”

“Mm.” Ye Jiuyou closed her eyes and sensed it, quickly locating the pond. With a thought, the entire lotus pond merged into the pool.

Since it was only a small pond formed from leftover scraps of the lotus platform, it occupied only a small part of the pool, not affecting her usual baths. Bathing in such a pond might even benefit cultivation…

“Are you going to soak in it to heal now?” Ye Jiuyou still couldn’t figure out why he had stopped groping her—was it to show off his body? Pervert.

Zhao Changhe shook his head: “There are small lotus seats here; I can sit on one.”

Ye Jiuyou blurted out, “And me?”

Zhao Changhe laughed out loud, and Ye Jiuyou realized how strange the question sounded, immediately stiffening her face and falling silent.

Zhao Changhe chuckled: “You should study the inscriptions, of course. You cared so much before, I had you wrapped around my finger, and you even risked injury to force a breakthrough. Now that you have it, you’re indifferent.”

Ye Jiuyou: “…”

Zhao Changhe flashed onto a lotus seat, crossed his legs, closed his eyes, and murmured: “At least this time, you won’t be alone in what you’re doing… Even if there are a few words left to force a decipher, someone will be here to protect you.”

Ye Jiuyou watched him sit in meditation, sensing that he wasn’t fully absorbed—part of his mind was still alert to his surroundings. She tilted her head, thinking, and suddenly understood what Zhao Changhe was doing.

This guy… because he had leaned against her chest with lustful thoughts earlier, then reflected that he wasn’t after that, he intended to reform, put away his wickedness, and simply accompany her?

Ye Jiuyou smiled silently. Quite adorable, actually.

As the embodiment of the greatest demon, Ye Jiuyou didn’t care about others having wicked thoughts. From the start, she had been curious to see how this guy would try to trick her into bed. If he really had the skill, the higher the technique, the more she would admire it. These past few days, she had thought his methods were impressive, pulling her emotions along, only to realize he was the innocent little rabbit.

But… so what he did wasn’t part of his seduction strategy? At least partly genuine?

Ye Jiuyou sat by the pool, propping her cheek on her hand, watching Zhao Changhe heal with closed eyes, forgetting for a long time to look at the inscriptions.

If the Heavenly Dao still existed, who knew if it would be furious enough to destroy the world.

After a long while, Ye Jiuyou leisurely took out the Piaomiao translation Zhao Changhe had given her and cross-referenced it with her own translation.

The remaining undeciphered characters were indeed few… If it were martial arts related, she couldn’t afford to guess even half a character—a single misinterpretation could lead to disaster. But if it were merely a record, she could infer the general meaning.

“Ha… just as I thought.” Ye Jiuyou murmured to herself: “This world is nothing but a deception… No wonder Ye Wuming slaughtered all the gods and demons, no wonder the White Tiger went mad… No wonder I always felt everything about me was just a predetermined label. It seems Ye Wuming was the first to go mad; the White Tiger probably overheard it from her and then lost his mind…”

A long-unseen ferocity flickered in her eyes: “Who does he think he is…”

“Rumble!” The earth trembled, dark winds howled, and ten thousand ghosts wailed in the Abyss of Nine Nethers.

Zhao Changhe opened his eyes.

They met Ye Jiuyou’s violent gaze.

They stared at each other for a moment. Zhao Changhe’s eyes remained gentle, and Ye Jiuyou’s rage subsided slightly. She said flatly, “Are you laughing at us?”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because you don’t seem surprised.”

“I’ve just read and watched too many stories, so I’m more accepting… I’ve actually had similar guesses before.”

“Then tell me what you guessed.”

“I guessed that the complete Heavenly Book is the essence of this world—it’s the artifact of a powerful being, or related to that person’s martial records. The artifact was so powerful that it internally evolved a world, forming a realm. The first living being in that realm might have been you. If no one interfered, you would have been the Heavenly Dao of this world. The world being born from darkness and chaos should be about right.”

Ye Jiuyou’s expression shifted: “Continue.”

Zhao Changhe said: “Your power made even the artifact’s owner wary, so he artificially intervened, dividing heaven and earth, separating the order that formed after the realm’s creation, and naming it Ye Di Wuming. Primordial gods have no surnames—you were simply Jiuyou, and she was originally nameless; ‘Ye’ was added later by others. In Ye Wuming’s mouth, she always called you ‘Jiuyou,’ and that wasn’t out of affection.”

Ye Jiuyou gasped: “Are you guessing the origin of the world, or the origin of us sisters?”

Zhao Changhe said earnestly: “Guessing about you sisters; the world is just incidental. Mainly because you’re so formidable—pursuing your story naturally leads to the world’s origin.”

Ye Jiuyou: “…Continue.”

"After the division, you two each represent opposing rules, endlessly fighting among yourselves, and thus can no longer pose a threat to that person. To ensure you never learn your true origins, a false impression was implanted that you were born after Ye Wuming. And because the rule you represent runs counter to the world's order, every later-born demon god will be your enemy."

Ye Jiuyou remained silent.

Zhao Changhe continued: "Thus he became the 'Heavenly Dao' that governs the world. Every so-called primordial demon god was preordained by him—whether the rules they represent or the limits of their cultivation are like a fixed program. No matter how hard you try, you can never break through the barriers; everything you do is a futile illusion. Oh, and perhaps any excess cultivation beyond the set limits is absorbed by the Heavenly Dao as its nourishment. It's no wonder that anyone who realizes they are merely a molded clay doll would go mad... But if there's one among all demon gods who has been most bullied and who, upon learning the truth, should be the maddest, it's you."

Ye Jiuyou was silent for a long time before finally speaking: "So... does your so-called pity for me have anything to do with this?"

"Partially... but mostly it's just my speculation; it may not be true. To pity someone based on guesses would be ridiculous."

"Meaning, even if you've long believed this, you don't find it laughable?"

"Why would I find it laughable?"

"We are like puppets."

"Pfft, I even like paper-cut characters, let alone you, standing before me so vivid and real." Zhao Changhe stood up, flashed to Ye Jiuyou's side, and reached out to brush her lips: "Who says this is fake? The preordained demon god Jiuyou would never be moved by anyone, but the woman before me puts on makeup for me and changes into beautiful clothes for me."

Ye Jiuyou stared at him without speaking.

Zhao Changhe asked: "So how much of my guess is right?"

Ye Jiuyou sighed: "Seven or eight out of ten. No wonder you're not too interested in inscriptions—relying on guesses alone, you're almost spot on. If we had to figure this out ourselves, we'd rack our brains and never come up with it."

Zhao Changhe said: "Then why are there inscriptions left behind? Is it like a criminal leaving a souvenir of their crime to admire?"

Ye Jiuyou shook her head: "No. Just as even the most perfect criminal leaves traces... It wasn't easy for him to accomplish all this. The boundary itself would leave marks, naturally forming inscriptions in the primordial land, which he couldn't erase. By the way, what gave you the clues?"

Zhao Changhe replied: "I once glimpsed the mad White Tiger saying everything is false. When I traced your origins, I hit a dead end no matter what. I felt the hand behind it was of a higher rank than Ye Wuming. Add to that some things An Mie said, and my recent realization that the world was born from the Youyin... stringing it all together, it's about right. Oh, and although Yao, Shun, Yu, and the poetry were deliberately introduced by the Blind One in this era, the Four Symbols and such existed before. I suspect this 'Heavenly Dao' is from my home system... so the Blind One went there to recruit help."

Ye Jiuyou was silent. This time, she truly felt overwhelmed by Ye Wuming—what she had done was leagues beyond.

Zhao Changhe seemed to read her thoughts and said softly: "Who else deserves to be deliberately suppressed by the Heavenly Dao? Not even Ye Wuming... And yet, despite this, you still managed to awaken to the truth. I truly find that remarkable."

Ye Jiuyou smiled faintly: "Sweet talk won't help. I've lost to Ye Wuming in this matter."

Zhao Changhe said: "You know, one reason I've never truly hated that blind woman is this... I feel she's fighting against something, and for that goal, she's willing to neglect many things. Just as you said, Ye Wuming is also mad."

Ye Jiuyou looked up at the Youyin above and said after a long pause: "I don't know where she learned all this... But why didn't she come and tell me once she knew?"

This time, Zhao Changhe said nothing.

It's only natural that others knew before you. You were the one most deliberately suppressed. If even you have begun to 'awaken to the truth,' then other top-tier demon gods at the peak of the Imperial Realm must have started too, and they might have found the truth before you.

Besides, if you had known first, would you have trusted Ye Wuming?

Not to mention that you've been at odds for so many years, trust would be impossible. Even considering your temperaments, you and Ye Wuming are essentially the same—both so aloof and reclusive. If you suspected that the other had been planted from the start to monitor the world, how could you dare to exchange opinions? From Ye Wuming's perspective, the whole world is untrustworthy, and among them, the dark-aligned ones are even less trustworthy, since An Mie seems to truly be that person's dog.

Ye Jiuyou suddenly laughed: "But there's one thing I'm better at than her."

Zhao Changhe snapped back to attention: "Oh?"

"At least I haven't gone mad... I was furious at first, but I calmed down quickly." Ye Jiuyou said softly: "Because when I saw the most unbearable truth, there was someone by my side. He told me that I am real."

She reached out her slender hand and gently touched his face: "I... am luckier than her."

Zhao Changhe's throat unconsciously made a gulping sound, and he unconsciously leaned in closer.

Ye Jiuyou's eyelashes trembled, and slowly, she closed her eyes.