Chapter 870: A New Chess Game

Chapter 870: A New Chessboard

After encountering that shameless master-in-law, Longque felt that this little junior sister apprentice was quite pitiable.

The killer was not her; the true owner of the "Sacred Blade Longque" was right there, ready to reclaim it at any moment. Yet the world saw the Chaos Chronicle write thus:

"Qingming. Ling Ruoyu, empowered by Longque's might, with a Profound Barrier body, slew in succession Secret Depths Second Layer Chang Wanchun and Secret Depths Third Layer Li Huangquan. The Sword Lake trembled; gods and ghosts alike were astounded."

"Due to the power of the divine artifact, it cannot directly replace rankings. The list shifts in order, and Ling Ruoyu advances to the bottom of the Human Roll."

"Human Roll Seventy-Two: Ling Ruoyu."

"Each generation produces its own talents, each ruling the roost for hundreds of years."

Ling Ruoyu felt like crying but had no tears.

Now the entire world knew that Longque was in the hands of a nobody like her, with its location specifically pinpointed to Sword Lake. How could she defend against the open and covert attacks to come? Those who would come to seize the blade were likely not mere Secret Depths experts—Imperial Realm cultivators might even appear...

And that line about "each generation producing its own talents"—it sounded as if she were the protagonist of this era, all glamorous and bold. But in reality?

Originally, Ling Ruoyu had high aspirations, wanting to emulate her master's legendary feat—a battle on the Human Roll that would shake the world, leaping straight to the top fifty or sixty instead of clinging to the tail end.

That year's Chaos Roll, that generation's Hidden Dragons, were still regarded as an unparalleled convergence of events since the Roll's inception, endlessly celebrated in countless tales. The top-ranked figures of that year, including all their actions and even their ways of showing off, became models for young people of subsequent generations to imitate—let alone her own master...

Now, all this—her achievements were entirely the blade's merit, her ranking pitifully inched up by one spot, like a mere connection with no style at all.

The young girl's dream of making a name in the martial world was utterly shattered, replaced by endless peril.

Her master had said that the Chaos Chronicle was written by a blind bastard with no virtue except good looks, and if she ever met him, she should cut him down.

Her master had never lied.

But Ling Ruoyu was also a free-spirited sort. Since things had come to this, she had no time to dwell on it. Confirming that this "ancient demon god" before her had no intention of seizing Longque, she shouldered the blade and prepared to leave: "I didn't mean to disturb you, senior. Farewell."

Zhao Changhe followed behind, chuckling: "With the Chaos Chronicle setting you up like this, won't you be devoured alive the moment you step out?"

Ling Ruoyu replied, "Nearby is the Imperial Demon-Suppression Bureau. I can seek help."

"Oh... Are you with the court?"

"Not exactly."

"What year is it now?"

"Great Han Dynasty, Tianhan thirty-first year."

Thirty years, indeed... Zhao Changhe let out a soft sigh.

"Senior, until we meet again." Seeing that the "ancient demon god" had fallen silent, Ling Ruoyu bowed and departed with Longque on her back.

Zhao Changhe stroked his chin, watching her retreating figure without stopping her.

This girl was clearly a direct disciple of Hongling... Hongling had actually taken an apprentice.

A disciple of Yue Hongling—such karmic ties were not something just anyone could bear... Once, he himself had tried to become Hongling's apprentice, but that master-disciple thread had been severed before it could continue. With that karma in place, Yue Hongling would not easily take on a disciple. No matter which child she tested, she would unconsciously compare them to him, Zhao Changhe, and usually couldn't bring herself to accept them. If she had taken one on, it meant she deemed this girl worthy to be a second Zhao Changhe, to carry on the legacy of their shared martial world.

Just as he was lost in nostalgia, a phantom flickered. A twin-tailed loli blocked her master's path, pointing at her own nose: "You just left me with that little girl and let her take me away? You don't want me anymore?"

Zhao Changhe couldn't help but laugh: "Her sword intent is unmistakably Hongling's direct lineage. Hongling's disciple is also my disciple. If one day I want to pass on my blade techniques, I might actually give you to her. That's called a heirloom famous blade—isn't that perfectly normal?"

Longque was speechless. By that logic, it really did seem normal... But am I really just a blade?

"I don't care!" Longque began to roll around: "You can't abandon me, you can't give me away, or I'll rebel!"

Zhao Changhe was amused and exasperated: "I was joking. How could I really give you away?"

Longque kept rolling: "Then why don't you take me with you?"

"Each generation has its own protagonist. The current protagonist is clearly this young lady. The aura of fortune swirling around her is even denser than mine back in the day. Following her will let me quickly get to the bottom of the schemes hidden behind those demon followers. Besides, what you see is what I see—consider it a scouting mission for me."

"Do you really think that, with the demon gods scattered and the remaining ones all being your wives, mere mortals can still stir up any schemes?"

"Yes," Zhao Changhe said. "Back then, the Heavenly Dao wasn't dead—just sealed outside the realm, ready to strike back at any time. We cleansed those demon gods, but they were only the visible tip of the iceberg. After two epochs of His machinations, how many hidden agents could rise from within the realm at any moment? Now I need to find the core of the changes within the realm before I can safely fight my way beyond it and end everything once and for all. Otherwise, if I act rashly and my home is stolen, I'll have no time to cry."

"Then why didn't He make his move while you were asleep, instead of waiting for you to wake?"

"What do you mean, waiting for me to wake? Ye Wuming isn't a pushover, and neither are my wives. With them keeping a sharp eye on the changes in the world, He can only lay his plans in secret, waiting for an opportunity. In truth, the opportunity He was waiting for must have been before I woke up—I just woke up early. What major events have happened in the world recently?"

Longque muttered: "Nothing else. One is that I ran away, and the other is that the Star River appeared."

Zhao Changhe's heart stirred: "In theory, the day the Star River appears is the day I truly emerge from seclusion. To snatch you and the Star River away before I came out—that might have been the core of this campaign. But a little girl barged in and woke me up early... So, this is what they call a protagonist."

Longque: "..."

Wasn't it because I ran away from home? By that logic, I'm the protagonist.

Zhao Changhe seemed to read her thoughts and laughed: "It was your encounter with this girl that stirred up the storm. That's why I'm not taking you with me—stay with her for a while. Besides, she's your dear junior sister. Why are you so reluctant?"

Longque didn't actually dislike Ling Ruoyu; she rather liked her. As long as her master wasn't giving her away, it was fine: "But she seems intent on not running around with me—she wants to send me back to the capital."

"With her fate, even if nothing happens, something will be made to happen. How could she possibly just send you back without incident? Don't worry—she won't succeed."

Longque had no choice but to pout, cross her arms, and squat back into the blade.

Over there, Ling Ruoyu had just left Sword Lake when a group of Demon-Suppression Bureau officers surrounded her: "Miss Ling, please wait!"

Ling Ruoyu directly pulled out a jade token.

The Demon-Suppression Bureau men: "..."

So this one was one of their own—and a superior. To have a jade token at the Profound Barrier level—since the Bureau's founding, only one person had ever been granted such a privilege: back then, Chief Tang had given one to Prince Zhao.

This Miss Ling's background was something...

Ling Ruoyu wearily unstrapped Longque: "This is the Sacred Blade Longque. I hereby deliver it to the court. My mission is complete. Farewell."

"Miss Ling, please don't..." The Bureau leader smiled apologetically: "Our Sword Lake is a small place with no strong experts. We can't escort the Sacred Blade. Since you are our superior, perhaps you could bear the burden a little longer?"

Ling Ruoyu was puzzled: "How is this a small place? Langya is right next door—isn't that a regional stronghold? The Chaos Chronicle has been flashing for so long—surely he hasn't missed it?"

"Lord Xuanchong was ambushed on the road. The outcome is unknown."

Ling Ruoyu frowned deeply. With the area around Sword Lake now a storm center, if Chief Cui didn't come to support soon, Lord Xuanchong alone might not be enough. But she couldn't just wait here—if she did, something big might happen.

Left with no choice, she said: "Fine. Help me hide my tracks and secretly escort me to the capital. Can you do that?"

The Bureau men replied: "The road to the capital is sure to be heavily watched. One misstep and everything goes wrong. In our humble opinion, you might be better off lying low until Chief Cui arrives—then there's nothing to fear."

"I can't just wait." Ling Ruoyu pondered for a moment, then suddenly said: "Perhaps we should do the opposite."

The Bureau men were taken aback: "What do you mean, miss?"

"In two days, it's Marquis Wu's fifty-fifth birthday. I hear Prime Minister Tang himself will attend. Instead of waiting here passively, I might as well take the canal south to Gusu. If Prime Minister Tang is there, all is well. Even if he isn't, it will be a gathering of many experts. Marquis Wu is a regional hegemon and a friend of Prince Zhao. With him overseeing the protection of the blade, I can truly hand over this mission."

The Bureau leader thought it over and agreed: "That's a good idea. No one would expect you to take the blade south at a time like this. The journey should be safer."

Ling Ruoyu added: "Also, I heard on the road that the Star River's intent appeared in the Eastern Sea. Is that true?"

"Yes. We just submitted that news to the capital today. So you already knew."

Ling Ruoyu nodded: "With that news, not only Prime Minister Tang and Chief Cui, but even the two venerables, Vermilion Bird and Black Tortoise, and perhaps my master... might come. Then it's settled. Give me a cloth to wrap Longque, and arrange a boat immediately."

Zhao Changhe was still at the bottom of the lake, sensing the young girl sitting at the bow with a large door-like board on her back. He found it quite amusing.

She didn't need anyone to stir up trouble for her—she was already charging straight into the heart of the storm.

"How long are you going to hide from us?" A voice suddenly sounded in his ear.

Zhao Changhe turned his head. Beside him in the water, a ethereal figure gradually emerged, like a water sprite, dreamlike and illusory.

Hidden in the matryoshka space, no one could find her... But once she emerged, amidst the mountains and rivers, Piaomiao naturally found her first.

Not only did Piaomiao find her, but Ye Wuming also wrote a crooked book to trap the girl, clearly seeing it all clearly. Now I wonder if the Heavenly Dao knows... After countless rounds of strikes, in terms of world information, the Heavenly Dao is obviously no match for Ye Wuming. Her current nonsense in the Chaos Book is most likely to deceive the Heavenly Dao, not just to trick a mere Ling Ruoyu.

Hearing Piaomiao's resentful words, Zhao Changhe could only sigh: 'I wasn't hiding; I was asleep and knew nothing. But don't blame Jiuyou; she had her reasons for doing this.'

Piaomiao naturally understood that reasoning—even now that she herself had found him, she wouldn't go blabbing to all the sisters, and at this moment she understood even more Ye Jiuyou's earlier feelings.

But having been separated from her man for thirty years not long after falling in love, the anger couldn't dissipate so easily: 'Where is Ye Jiuyou? What is she doing?'

Zhao Changhe said: 'She was already gone when I woke up... I reckon she found clues about the Night Palace and is verifying them. Only news of Ye Wuming could make her set aside other matters...'

'And you?' Piaomiao fumed. 'Risking your life to help Ye Wuming, gone for thirty years—isn't your heart only filled with Ye Wuming? What do you take us for?'

Zhao Changhe said helplessly: 'How could I have done this for her?'

Piaomiao didn't believe a word: 'Then what was it? Ye Wuming wanted to perish together with the Heavenly Dao and give you the Three Realms. If you had no feelings for her, wouldn't that outcome be best for you? Why risk your life?'

'I risked my life because I knew I wouldn't die—we had a backup plan for revival, as you well know.' Zhao Changhe gently embraced Piaomiao and said softly: 'Every time I broke through before, I felt uneasy and insecure, but now there are no lingering troubles. This had to be done sooner or later, and that moment was the best opportunity... It was my fault for not telling you in advance, but we have endless lifespans and plenty of time.'

Piaomiao kept a sullen face and said nothing. Of course, it couldn't have been discussed in advance—once mentioned, no one would have agreed. In fact, if not pushed to that point, Piaomiao would never have lent him all her power for such a thing, let alone others.

Zhao Changhe continued: 'Compared to us who had a revival backup, Ye Wuming had already self-destructed her body. If she destroyed her soul again, there would be no turning back. We cannot do something with no fallback. If we discover that the Heavenly Dao hasn't died and need her cooperation with Jiuyou, but she's already dead—what then? So I had to stop that fool's self-important move.'

Piaomiao sighed: 'Ye Wuming planned for two epochs, leaving nothing to chance in every aspect. That step was bound to succeed. It's just that you instinctively didn't want it, finding all sorts of excuses... that's all.'

Zhao Changhe fell silent. He couldn't be sure whether Ye Wuming's step would succeed; perhaps it could, but he knew there was another way, completely unnecessary to go that far.

There was no need to die. Why die?

'She still owes me what she hasn't repaid—why should she just die as she pleases? Arranging everything so arrogantly—do I need her arrangements?' Zhao Changhe ground his teeth. 'Even if I'm to kill that enchantress, it will be by my hand.'

Piaomiao glanced at him, thinking to herself that it wouldn't be a bad thing if that wretched Ye Wuming were conquered by a man—she could discuss this with Jiuyou later to see how to manage it...

But she couldn't bring that up aloud, and said calmly: 'Now that the Heavenly Dao hasn't died and the lingering troubles are hard to eliminate, what plans do you have?'

'I just woke up and many things are still unclear. I'll observe for a few days before deciding.' Zhao Changhe said: 'First, I need to find Xinghe... I returned her eye behind me, and there's no connection between us anymore. As long as she wants to hide, we'll never find the Night Palace... Only Xinghe is the key connecting me to her.'

Piaomiao said: 'If we can't find Xinghe, so be it—has its connection with you been severed?'

'Yes, the master-servant bond is cut... After all, that arrow already set her free as an independent realm. Now I can't sense her exact location. Also...' Zhao Changhe paused and said in a low voice: 'I strongly suspect that the news about Xinghe spreading everywhere might be a trap.'

'So you sent Longque to investigate?'

'Longque and Xinghe lived together in the ring, fighting since they were young. If anyone in the world knows Xinghe best, it's not me, but Longque. If there's any problem with Xinghe, Longque will detect it immediately. Meanwhile, I'll observe secretly. Since no one knows I've awakened, I can settle the matter in one decisive move.'

Piaomiao looked at him with a strange expression for a long while, then sighed softly: 'Why do I suddenly feel you'd be better off asleep? Once awake, you're so full of worries. In truth, the realm operates without you... Ye Jiuyou, as the source of this world, has been settling for thirty years—you probably don't even know what level she's reached. Do you really think you're indispensable?'

Zhao Changhe shamelessly leaned closer: 'Is this concern? Not angry with me anymore?'

Piaomiao whispered in his ear, her breath like orchid: 'If you want me not to be angry, you'll have to make up for thirty years of conjugal dues.'

Zhao Changhe, having been pent up for thirty years himself, was already distracted by Piaomiao's breathtaking beauty and longed for intimacy. But she had been cold-faced, not the right atmosphere. Now that Piaomiao was teasing him, he didn't hold back and reached to undo her sash.

Piaomiao smiled and pressed his hand, snorting: 'Too bad my reactions are shared with Yangyang. As long as you don't want the whole world to know you're awake, you'll have to hold it in.'

Zhao Changhe, cruelly teased and denied, clutched his nearly bursting lower region, wanting to cry but having no tears.

So never offend a woman—even Piaomiao has learned this trick. Can this world ever be good again...