Chapter 856: Winding Path

Chapter 856: The Winding Path

It was hard to describe Ye Jiuyou’s mood at this moment… Her emotions were in turmoil, her mind racing with countless thoughts, and a violent rage lurked within her heart—hardly the time for tender affection.

Yet she was indeed stirred… seized by an impulse to be intimate with him, to truly feel her own existence from every angle, not as some illusion.

A powerful embrace and a scorching kiss seemed capable of filling every need.

So he kissed her, and in the end, Ye Jiuyou did not evade. At first she shrank back slightly, but when their lips met, the burning touch felt so unfamiliar, yet so intoxicating, and… so real.

Suddenly, Ye Jiuyou threw her arms around him like a madwoman, fiercely taking the initiative to breach his defenses.

Zhao Changhe was startled by her fervor, then felt her body brimming with immense strength, dragged along as they tumbled uncontrollably, rolling until with a “plop” they fell into the pool.

The chill of the water sobered them both. Zhao Changhe pulled back a little and said, pained, “You…”

Before he could finish, a finger pressed against his lips. Ye Jiuyou panted slightly and gritted her teeth: “Isn’t this what you wanted? Why aren’t you satisfied when I take the lead?”

“I didn’t mean… mmm…” His lips were kissed again, his words stifled. Zhao Changhe tragically realized that when Ye Jiuyou used force, he couldn’t break free at all, utterly like a passive, weak partner.

Ye Jiuyou, mid-kiss, suddenly found it amusing. She pulled away again, pinched his chin, and examined him: “Really not for this?”

Zhao Changhe turned his head away in a sulk.

At this moment, Ye Jiuyou’s hair and clothes were drenched, her silk dress clinging to her body, outlining a stunning allure, her faint fragrance like opium, intoxicating—who wouldn’t want that?

But few would want to be held and toyed with like a weakling, unable even to move. What was with these demon lords? Earlier, Piaomiao had nearly used steel wool, and now you too.

It’s just that I can’t beat you. Just wait.

Ye Jiuyou coiled around him, her long legs underwater wrapping around his waist, her arms around his neck. She leaned close to his ear, gave a light kiss, and breathed like orchid: “Not even this?”

“You…” Zhao Changhe gritted his teeth: “If you keep provoking me like this, and when I really want you, you refuse, I’ll turn hostile.”

“Are you angry?” Ye Jiuyou still kissed his ear gently, smiling softly: “Ever since you said you had designs on me, on the surface you’ve pressed with deals, but in truth you’ve always spoiled me, never once angry at me.”

“Since we met at Kunlun this time, you’ve never been this fiery.”

“Have I ever told you…” Ye Jiuyou’s finger traced the scar on Zhao Changhe’s face, then slid down his neck and across his chest: “If I stand opposed to order, theoretically I should be quite wanton?”

“But I’ve said it before—you’re not.”

“No, I am.” Ye Jiuyou’s tone was gentle, utterly seductive: “It’s just that no one has ever been able to unlock it, and no one has been worthy of my wantonness toward him. All along… isn’t that what you wanted to be?”

Zhao Changhe was nearly driven mad by the teasing. He gritted his teeth: “I just want you to be clear about what you’re doing. Don’t kick me away when it comes down to it—my little brother can’t take it.”

Ye Jiuyou’s eyes grew complex.

She truly didn’t know what she was doing… Imagining being held down by him and wantonly toyed with, she might indeed kick him away at the critical moment. But taking the initiative to be intimate with him like this suited her current mood, so she did it. Whether it was wantonness, she didn’t know.

This man seemed to understand her even better than she did herself, like a human mirror of the soul.

Revealing the heart, and captivating the spirit.

She didn’t dwell on it, only hummed: “Anyway, you’ve been toying with me these past few days… Can’t I pay you back now?”

“I wasn’t toying… forget it.” Zhao Changhe knew this wasn’t the time for reasoning. He held back and asked, “What do you want?”

“He has bullied me so… Ye Wuming wants to kill me, the Sword Emperor wants to kill me, the Four Symbols want to kill me, all gods and demons are my enemies, and even my own subordinates plot against me in secret… You’re good to me only as a means to play your games… The only ones I can trust are the corpse puppets I control, and you won’t even let me use them… You’ve all gone too far…” Ye Jiuyou spoke softly, her lips moving from his ear slowly across his cheek, his neck… then she bit down hard on Zhao Changhe’s shoulder.

Zhao Changhe winced in pain but held back, relaxing his muscles’ automatic tension to let her bite.

Blood gushed out, and her lips, which had just lost their rouge from kissing, turned crimson again.

The smell of blood sobered Ye Jiuyou a little. She released her teeth and realized that Zhao Changhe’s shoulder had a whole chunk of flesh bitten off, yet he hadn’t made a sound the entire time.

“You…” Ye Jiuyou panted: “Your body training—how could it come to this?”

“Afraid it would hurt your teeth.” Zhao Changhe smiled: “Feeling calmer?”

Ye Jiuyou stared silently at the wound on his shoulder, which was healing rapidly because they were in the lotus pond, and said nothing for a long time.

She had said earlier that she would calm down quickly, but it turned out she hadn’t at all. Only now was she truly a little more composed.

Zhao Changhe could feel the surging power within her slowly fading, her tense body gradually softening. She leaned gently against his chest and murmured: “Give me some time… My mind is in chaos.”

Zhao Changhe lowered his head and kissed her lips again: “At least I’m getting my own blood back.”

Ye Jiuyou closed her eyes and softly hummed in agreement.

This time she was utterly submissive, without any of the wildness from before.

Zhao Changhe kissed her very gently, though he felt Ye Jiuyou needed something rougher… When she inflicted violence on others, she couldn’t find the reality of her own existence; only the pain she herself felt was real.

But he couldn’t bear it.

Women were meant to be cherished, especially one like her, so starved of affection.

In the frenzy earlier, he hadn’t had the mind to notice, but now, savoring it, he realized her lips were very cold, almost without warmth, chilling to the soul.

This was a woman that ordinary people could never touch; if one’s cultivation was insufficient, even a single kiss could kill instantly…

“Is this the kiss of mortal men and women?” Ye Jiuyou suddenly asked.

Zhao Changhe hummed in affirmation.

“It really is sweet, like cotton candy.” Ye Jiuyou whispered: “I like sweet things.”

“From now on… it will all be sweet.”

“Do I look very ugly now?”

“Why do you say that?”

“After splashing in the water so long, my makeup is gone, the rouge is eaten by you, and I’m as pale as a ghost.”

“No, you look especially beautiful now.” Zhao Changhe said: “Do you know what a man thinks when he sees your gauze dress clinging to your body in the water, revealing your undergarments?”

Ye Jiuyou bit her lower lip and whispered: “Do you want to touch?”

“Ah?”

“The reason this look is beautiful… isn’t it because it makes people want to touch?”

“Woman, don’t play with fire.”

Ye Jiuyou smiled, took his hand, and pressed it against her chest: “That brief brush in the Eternal Heaven—weren’t you regretful you didn’t get a proper feel? No need to regret; that was just a useless clone. Now it’s the real body.”

She was indeed becoming wanton… but the scale was just right, not as shocking as before. How could Zhao Changhe resist? He spun her around, back against his chest, lowered his head to kiss her again, and without hesitation climbed the peaks.

Ye Jiuyou panted, leaning in his arms, gazing dazedly at the dark void above. This feeling was so strange… She was truly being fondled, yet she didn’t feel the humiliation she had expected; instead, she found a sense of reality.

So I exist.

So I too have feelings like a normal woman.

My body, my soul—commanded by me, cherished by him.

Ye Jiuyou thought hazily: Would he seize the moment to take her completely? And after taking her, would he stop spoiling her as before?

If he went straight to the point, she would give it to him—it was what he deserved. But perhaps only this once… because it would mean that everything he had shown before was still just for her body, even a reflection and substitute of his unfulfilled desire for Ye Wuming.

This was a thorn that had always been buried in Ye Jiuyou’s heart, never removed.

But if, under these circumstances, he could still consider her chaotic state and stop his advance, not taking advantage of her vulnerability… then her heart and body would truly fall to him, and that too would be what he deserved.

Just as she thought this, she heard Zhao Changhe whisper in her ear: “Should we get up?”

Ye Jiuyou’s dazed eyes took a long time to focus. She turned her head to gaze at his face: “When it’s come to this, why do you still hold back?”

"Because this is the most classic case of taking advantage of vulnerability..." Zhao Changhe said, "You say you're luckier than Ye Wuming because at a time like this, someone is there to comfort you, to tell you that you're real... rather than someone taking advantage of your vulnerability to sleep with you. Whether that's misfortune or luck is hard to say. Anyway, I've kissed and touched you, and I've already earned back what I lost from your bite."

Ye Jiuyou's eyes shimmered with a playful light, and she chuckled softly, "You wouldn't happen to be impotent, would you?"

Zhao Changhe laughed, too lazy to argue. Something behind you has been pressing against me for so long—whether I'm capable or not no longer needs proof.

Ye Jiuyou whispered, "Playing hard to get too much loses its meaning... If you don't want it now, don't regret it later."

"I'm not playing games." Zhao Changhe said slowly, "You've been stamped by me. Even if I have to chase you relentlessly for a lifetime, I'll have you. You can't escape. But not today. What you need today is an embrace. Otherwise, I would have given in the moment you started acting flirtatious, not waited until now."

Ye Jiuyou fell silent.

Yes, there's no escape... From the moment you said you wouldn't take advantage of my vulnerability.

It's as if you're reading my heart in our conversation, more absurd than cheating.

It's not that he can read minds, but because he is sincere. Only true care would be like this... and it confirms once again that I am not a substitute for his unattainable desire for Ye Wuming. He has done everything he said.

Ye Jiuyou was silent for a moment, then spoke softly, "Then... I want to sleep. Hold me."

Sleep...

Perhaps Ye Jiuyou had never slept since her birth. The only thing that could be called sleep was the heavy slumber of injury during the collapse of the era.

Normally, she neither needed sleep nor dared to sleep. Even in meditation, she had to remain somewhat vigilant, let alone sleep.

But at this moment, she could, because there was a man she could fully trust holding her, allowing her to experience what mortal women had—when their hearts were troubled and low, they could burrow into a man's arms, be coaxed to sleep in the warmth of his chest.

Zhao Changhe said nothing, only lifted her out of the pool, sat down by its edge, and let her head rest on his lap.

In the darkness, Ye Jiuyou stared at Zhao Changhe for a long, long time before forcing herself to cut off her spiritual senses and fall asleep.

...

Having no experience with sleep, Ye Jiuyou didn't know how long she had slept... In any case, this sleep was very restful. She didn't have to think about anything, didn't know anything. It wasn't meditation, cultivation, or injury-induced slumber—just the purest rest.

Actually, it didn't feel all that great, because when asleep, she couldn't feel her own existence. At this moment, that feeling was somewhat inappropriate and should have been unpleasant. But the touch and warmth transmitted by the human pillow beneath her head were so real that they canceled out everything.

The benefit was that yesterday's troubled mood had completely calmed down. Though there were still faint ripples, they were no longer related to the inscriptions.

Only for him.

When she opened her eyes, Zhao Changhe was still sitting motionless, his thigh under her head probably numb by now.

Ye Jiuyou looked up at him, and Zhao Changhe, sensing her gaze, looked down and smiled, "Morning."

It felt like he had just said that word... back when he had guarded her all night outside the abyss. Ye Jiuyou suddenly found this simple word very warm, and the sight of his smiling face upon waking was also very warm.

Because of his presence, this dead silent abyss had become a place of spring blossoms.

Ye Jiuyou lazily sat up and smiled, "How long did I sleep?"

"Lazy, over six hours. Mortals rarely sleep that long. Usually, that's called a pig."

"Aren't you the Room Fire Pig? A perfect match." Ye Jiuyou stretched and looked at the mirror beside her.

The person in the mirror was no longer soaked and clinging, not as alluring, but unexpectedly not pale. Instead, there was a hint of rosiness. Ye Jiuyou was startled, then suddenly understood—it was because she had drunk his blood yesterday. He was no mortal but a top-tier deity; his blood had miraculous effects, and its life force had subtly altered her attributes.

Judging by her reflection, she no longer needed makeup... No cosmetic could match the work of a demon god.

Zhao Changhe came up beside her, pressed his face against hers, looked at the mirror for a moment, and smiled, "Beautiful."

Ye Jiuyou said, "Help me with my makeup?"

"No need." Zhao Changhe lifted her hand and smiled, "I have something new for you."

Ye Jiuyou looked down and saw Zhao Changhe pull out a black jade ring from somewhere, trying to slip it onto her ring finger.

Ye Jiuyou remembered that yesterday in Chang'an, he had said he would make her a storage ring, and that giving a ring was a proposal custom from his homeland. So this was already done?

"While you were asleep, I descended to Ying Wu's place, asked him for some black jade, and collected some of your dark condensation crystals here to forge this ring. It won't be easily damaged in battle, unless someone deliberately targets it, and no one is that crazy." Zhao Changhe slipped the ring on and smiled, "But now I don't know—am I proposing to Miss Li or to Lady Jiuyou?"

—To Miss Li, she could easily agree, as it was always a way out for her. To Jiuyou, the meaning would be very serious, with no escape.

Zhao Changhe still wasn't confident about how deep Ye Jiuyou's feelings were for him, so he was testing with words. At least with a way out, he wouldn't fall flat on his face.

But Ye Jiuyou just smiled, "You're proposing. If you don't say it, do you expect me to?"

"..." Pushed to this point, Zhao Changhe gritted his teeth and said directly, "Zhao Changhe seeks to marry Lady Jiuyou."

There was no reaction. The ring slid on without any hindrance.

Ye Jiuyou watched quietly as the ring slowly reached the base, feeling as if she herself had been locked in, and replied softly, "Yes."

Zhao Changhe was caught off guard. He hadn't expected such a straightforward response. After a moment of stupor, he quickly recovered, took her hand, and kissed it.

When he looked up, Ye Jiuyou was also looking down at him. Their eyes met, and they both recalled their first encounter in the dark alley of Chang'an, under the shadow of Ye Wuming's great pit, when Ye Jiuyou's hand had inadvertently brushed against his lips.

Now, it seemed like fate.

Zhao Changhe stood up and said softly, "Been cooped up inside too long. Want to go out for a walk?"

Ye Jiuyou replied with the same word, "Yes."

Hand in hand, they left the abyss, and the teleportation direction they both chose was still Chang'an.

Sitting in a familiar teahouse for breakfast, Zhao Changhe looked at the sunlight outside the window and sighed, "I'm more used to bright places. Your place is really too dark for me."

Ye Jiuyou was also looking outside and answered casually, "Actually, you shouldn't have been able to see anything in my place. I don't know how you managed it... If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have been so casual about 'house arrest' for you and Piaomiao."

"Saying words of regret, but your tone sounds so indifferent."

"I've married you. What does it matter if I suffer a loss from you?" Ye Jiuyou withdrew her gaze from outside, looked at him, and smiled radiantly. "There will be plenty of times when you take advantage of me in the future..."

Zhao Changhe's heart stirred.

Her current charm, her casual flirtatious words, fell perfectly between yesterday's wantonness and her usual aloofness. Every smile and glance was increasingly captivating.

Zhao Changhe ventured, "Since we're married, how about we visit the King of Qin after breakfast?"

Ye Jiuyou replied with the same word, "Yes."

She had already responded to Zhao Changhe's inquiries three times in a row with this word, as if she had completely handed over the lead to him.

Zhao Changhe finished breakfast thoughtfully, took her hand, and strolled through the streets, under the gaze of countless Chang'an citizens, until they reached the palace.

Li Boping heard about it from afar and came out to greet them directly. Others thought he was using such solemn etiquette to welcome the King of Zhao, but little did they know that when they met, his greeting was directed at his "daughter": "Old... Ancestor..."

His eyes fixed on the Ancestor's hand clasped with Zhao Changhe's, his face twisted like a gourd.

Ye Jiuyou nodded slightly to acknowledge him, then pulled Zhao Changhe straight into the inner palace: "I'll show my husband around. You don't need to follow."

Li Boping wiped his sweat: "This..."

You're letting the leader of an enemy nation into our inner palace?

Whose palace is this?

Ye Jiuyou obviously didn't need to explain to him. Instead, she turned to Zhao Changhe with a beaming smile: "What you wanted... my dowry."

Li Boping was there, so Zhao Changhe couldn't say much, just smiled.

Though they said they were touring, they didn't walk much. They strolled casually and naturally ended up at Ye Jiuyou's bedchamber here. As expected, the main bedchamber didn't belong to Li Boping; it had always been Ye Jiuyou's, even though she had stayed there for no more than three days in total.

Li Boping and the others followed far behind, watching helplessly as, in broad daylight, the Ancestor led a man into her bedchamber and slammed the door shut.

Li Boping: "..."

Wei Changming: "..."

The betrothal he had instigated—neither of them had expected such an outcome, so forceful that his own petty schemes were snuffed out before they could even sprout.

Only when they stood in the fragrant bedchamber did Zhao Changhe finally laugh and say, "You really are giving Li Boping no face at all... I thought at least I'd have to socialize with him a bit."

"A mere warlord in his own fief—what is there for me, Ye Jiuyou, to show face for? If not for the sake of a pretext to explain to the outside world, how could I have been presented to the world as his daughter, letting you gain an undeserved advantage? As for you... you are my man, not the King of Zhao. The King of Zhao may need to socialize with him, but my man does not."

My man...

Zhao Changhe savored the word, then finally said, "So the advantage I gained—does it refer to Chang'an, or to you?"

Ye Jiuyou lifted her head to look at him, her usually deep eyes now clear as water: "Since you have given me an embrace, then wherever I can reach, it all belongs to you. How could it be merely a matter of Chang'an?"