Chapter 881: The Crumbling Alliance

Chapter 881: The Crumbling Alliance

Outside the window, a lady knight of the Yue clan hung upside down, spying on the waterside pavilion, her teeth grinding in fury.

There really were dogs!

The window paper was silently pierced, and a tube was inserted, blowing in a puff of sleeping smoke. The lady knight waved her hand discreetly, and a swarm of mosquitoes crawled through the tube, a dark, dense cloud.

A flash of red, and the lady knight vanished.

From afar, Ling Ruoyu, who had secretly followed to steal the technique, was astonished—was this my master?

Alas, this was merely the lady knight’s petty vengeance, useless against the adulterous pair within.

The sleeping smoke was certainly ineffective; even the mosquitoes raised by the spirit clan couldn’t get close to them. Zhao Changhe would kill them all with a single thought. All it achieved was a brief buzzing, and a declaration: your affair has been discovered.

Just a little annoyance—surely after that, they’d find it hard to continue their passionate entanglement, breaking the mood.

That was Yue Hongling’s plan, but unfortunately, the adulterous pair, mid-act, couldn’t care less. After killing the mosquitoes, they carried on as if nothing had happened.

For Zhao Changhe, tonight’s dual cultivation held a deeper meaning, not just intimacy with the long-deprived Wan Zhuang.

In the evening, he had felt the passage of time deeply, which stirred great insights into his cultivation. But with so many distractions, he hadn’t had the peace to meditate on it. Now, with everything settled, that moment of heart-touching emotion came with Wan Zhuang by his side in dual cultivation, and amidst the tender passion, insights into cultivation flooded in.

Before, he had used the Heavenly Book to sense the changes of time and space, and had traversed the river of years, but it was never the same.

Never had he felt it so directly. Waking from a slumber, his once-vigorous friends were now white-haired, with grandchildren around their knees; turning back, Wan Zhuang’s face remained unchanged, standing quietly in Jiangnan. That moment of emotion was worth more than ten pages of the Heavenly Book, for it could only come from truly living through the years.

Just as the weight of life experienced by the elderly can never be felt by the young merely from reading books—if you haven’t lived it, you haven’t lived it.

Perhaps the true value of those thirty years of slumber was not the rebirth like the Marriage Garment Divine Art, but the sedimentation of time.

Tang Wanzhuang panted softly, her eyes half-closed and hazy. She felt the energy flowing back and forth in the dual cultivation was richer than before, as if Changhe’s strength was still growing. Even her own and Baoqin’s energy was increasing.

A more wondrous experience was that, though the bed was shaking vigorously with their exertions, a layer of white mist surrounded them, utterly still. A swarm of mosquitoes hovered further out, frozen in midair, creating a bizarre, indescribable scene.

Time and space frozen?

Half flowing, half still.

Suddenly, Tang Wanzhuang’s body trembled, nearing her peak.

Zhao Changhe’s movements halted, and his voice came: “Still going to leave me hanging?”

Tang Wanzhuang gasped in frustration: “You choose now to say this?”

Weren’t you cultivating? Is this multitasking without hindrance the meaning of your Third Realm of the Imperial Stage?

Zhao Changhe pressed on: “Will you leave me hanging?”

“No… no more…”

“Then what should you say?”

Tang Wanzhuang bit her lower lip and whispered: “Changhe… I missed you so much…”

“Boom!” The speed surged, and the final assault came. Tang Wanzhuang’s sea of consciousness felt as if struck by lightning; she could no longer form thoughts, nor speak.

Zhao Changhe pulled Baoqin, who was beside him, intending to continue.

Baoqin moaned: “Master… I haven’t rested enough…”

Zhao Changhe tapped her lips: “Then use your talent?”

Baoqin gave him a look of mixed resentment and longing, then slid down.

Tang Wanzhuang regained a bit of clarity and spat softly—where did the little vixen learn that?

Oh, we learned it together from the pictures before. Never mind.

Watching Baoqin serve him, Tang Wanzhuang hesitated, then mustered the strength to lean over and kiss his chest.

Zhao Changhe looked down at the dignified and elegant Chancellor, her pretty face flushed, and couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Tang Wanzhuang’s voice was as faint as a mosquito’s: “Don’t look… I don’t know how I’ll face them tomorrow…”

“If we’re not embarrassed, then the embarrassment is theirs.”

Tang Wanzhuang felt that since Baoqin wasn’t embarrassed, she wasn’t either.

She served him for a while, then slowly slid down, joining Baoqin.

He was too strong; the two of them together still felt insufficient.

…

The next morning, the whole family gathered in the backyard for breakfast, everyone’s eyes occasionally lingering on Tang Wanzhuang and her maid.

Ling Ruoyu kept sneaking glances at the mosquito-feeding trio, focusing on whether they had any bites on their faces. In the end, she saw no signs of distress or bites.

What a pity—the imagined scene of the three lying unconscious, feeding mosquitoes, didn’t happen. Ling Ruoyu thought she might try that trick herself when she roamed the world.

Apart from Yue Hongling and her disciple, no one else was bored enough to extend their divine sense to spy on others’ affairs. For now, everyone could only confirm that Zhao Changhe had slept in Baoqin’s room last night.

Tang Wanzhuang didn’t openly admit she had stolen a taste, but her radiant, rosy face, like a blooming crabapple, full of spring charm and breathtaking beauty, seemed to prove something. Yet she didn’t admit it, and no one could force the question, so they all looked at her with suspicion.

The only one who could be seen was the shameless Baoqin, leaning close to Zhao Changhe and picking food for him: “Master, eat this…”

“Crack,” Huangfu Qing snapped her chopsticks.

Baoqin was now openly flaunting her affection, following the young master’s orders to show off to these old women. After all, the Great Emperor had never feared Huangfu Qing even when she was a rookie, and now she wasn’t afraid at all. Even as Huangfu Qing snapped her chopsticks loudly, Baoqin acted as if she hadn’t seen it, still smiling seductively: “Should Baoqin feed you with her mouth?”

As she spoke, she actually bit a piece of cake and brought her lips to Zhao Changhe’s mouth.

Zhao Changhe bit the other end, and the adulterous pair shared the cake with tender affection.

“Crack, crack” sounded repeatedly, as the Tang family lost several more chopsticks.

Huangfu Qing couldn’t take it anymore: “In broad daylight, in front of everyone, you’re the Chief Clerk of the Chancellor’s office—have you no shame?”

Baoqin glanced at her curiously: “This official is the Chief Clerk of the Chancellor’s office, a court official, only under the Chancellor’s command, not under the harem’s jurisdiction.”

Huangfu Qing fumed: “So I can’t control the officials of the Han Empire now?”

Baoqin said leisurely: “The Empress Dowager should mind her own palace matrons.”

San Niang: “?”

Who’s the matron?

San Niang slammed the table, exposing the truth: “We all agreed to leave him hanging, and you’re this hungry?”

“I am hungry, because I’ve never tasted it before,” Baoqin said matter-of-factly.

Ye Jiuyou slammed the table: “If you want to be slutty, hide and do it, don’t flaunt it in front of us!”

Baoqin said: “This is the Tang family’s place; I can do whatever I want here. What business is it of a guest?”

Piaomiao slammed the table: “All under heaven, no land is not the king’s. What do you mean, the Tang family’s place?”

Baoqin said: “Our master is the king.”

Yue Hongling slammed the table: “Do you think no one can control you?”

Baoqin glanced at her: “Not the one with a kid.”

Ling Ruoyu: “…”

Zhao Changhe, who was pretending to provoke them, could barely keep up the act. Baoqin the Great Emperor’s scene of single-handedly challenging the world was too fierce—this was a group of Imperial Stage cultivators. Zhao Changhe himself couldn’t take them all on, and he felt that the wrath of these demon gods could destroy Suzhou outright.

Footsteps sounded outside the courtyard. Cui Yuanyang arrived, hand on her sword. Whether by design or accident, she edged Baoqin aside as she reached the table and reached for the pastries: "I've been chasing thieves and handling aftermath all night long, while you lot laze about, eating and drinking to your hearts' content."

She munched on the pastry, her gaze fixed on Tang Wanzhuang: "Chancellor, I'm short on hands. Lend me some of yours."

Tang Wanzhuang had no choice but to reply: "Of course. Chief Cui, name your request."

Cui Yuanyang grabbed Baoqin by the arm: "The Chief Clerk has long served the Chancellor, rich in experience, and well-versed in the work of the Demon Suppression Bureau. She'll do."

"Hey, hey... wait, hold on..." Baoqin was dragged away without a word, her feet lifted off the ground, still clutching a pastry in her hand.

The group of women turned in unison to watch Baoqin being hauled off, all wearing relieved smiles. With Baoqin gone, what excuse would you have left to crawl into Tang Wanzhuang's bed?

Yue Hongling grabbed her disciple and tossed her over: "Yuanyang, take this one too. She needs training. Yu'er, remember: in daily combat, you're not to use the Star River."

Ling Ruoyu: "..."

I wanted to watch the drama... but forget it, with the Chief Clerk dragged away, there's probably nothing left to see.

Zhao Changhe's mind echoed with only one thought: Baoqin's been banned. This game is over.

"Uh... Yuanyang's gotten so capable now..."

"Ahem." Tang Wanzhuang cleared her throat: "These years, Yuanyang has been the one running the Demon Suppression Bureau. Her contributions are immense."

"Why won't she even look at me?"

"Because she's giving you the cold shoulder too," Piaomiao said. "Apart from that one surnamed Bao who got dragged away, no one else is that shameless."

Tang Wanzhuang: "...Actually, Baoqin's surname is Tang."

Yue Hongling stood up and tapped the table: "Alright, the obstacles are gone. Changhe, come with me. We need to talk about the child's education..."

The group raised their hands, then lowered them again.

Everyone had some excuse to talk to him, but in the end, no one could compete with the education issue. They could only watch helplessly as Zhao Changhe was dragged away by Yue Hongling.

"Something feels off," San Niang whispered to Huangfu Qing. "Are we being set up?"

Huangfu Qing stole a glance at Tang Wanzhuang and said uncertainly: "Probably not... That surnamed Tang is usually the most dignified, always concerned with face. Yue Hongling is also proud and self-respecting. It shouldn't come to that..."

San Niang tried to convince herself: "Right, not everyone is like Baoqin... Logically, these two are the least likely to steal. I'd be more likely to steal than them..."

Tang Wanzhuang lowered her head and ate.

In the secluded courtyard where Yue Hongling stayed, Zhao Changhe was pinned against the wall by his collar, hands raised in surrender: "Wha-what are you doing?"

Yue Hongling gritted her teeth: "Guess why I sent Yu'er away?"

Zhao Changhe: "..."

So this time, she really did send the kid off to buy groceries, didn't she?

"I said no one was allowed to sneak a taste. Tang Wanzhuang, the great Chancellor of Han, admired by all for her grace and bearing, was the first to steal!" Yue Hongling was fuming. "If the Chancellor can steal, why can't a chivalrous woman?"

Zhao Changhe didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Just as he was about to say something, his mouth was sealed by a kiss.

All the clamor faded into silence. The anger in her heart softened amidst the passionate kiss. Yue Hongling's grip on his collar gradually loosened, her hands slipping down from his lapels to wrap around his waist.

Zhao Changhe embraced her in return. Still kissing, they moved into the room.

"Bang." The door hooked shut, concealing the thunder and fire within.

"All these years, raising Yu'er, I've often thought: when will I have one of my own... a girl as obedient and lovely as Yu'er."

"Then let's make one ourselves..."

Amidst the thunder and fire, a voice came from the void: "Since Ruoyu has awakened the Star River, we can trace the Night Palace from her. Finish this matter first before discussing your child's education. It's not urgent—what are you doing!"

Yue Hongling, riding hard, turned her dazed, starry eyes: "Ah? We were just talking about children, just not referring to Yu'er."

Ye Jiuyou was so angry her hair burst into Nine Abyss flames: "Humans are not worth consulting!"

Just as she was about to vanish, she found herself unable to move, as if time had strangely frozen. Ye Jiuyou's heart stirred. She could, of course, break free from this strange time-stop, but in that brief hesitation, the man's strong arms had already wrapped around her: "For thirty years, how many times have you secretly touched and kissed me... Others pretend to give the cold shoulder, but you pretend too..."

Ye Jiuyou: "..."

In that moment of hesitation, she was already pulled into his arms. His words brushed against her ear, seeping into her heart: "Since you're here, don't you want to?"

Ye Jiuyou bit her lower lip.

Of course, she wanted to. It was just that she wasn't used to sharing with others. Ye Jiuyou, who considered herself above others, had never imagined such a scene. That was also one reason she had hidden him away.

But when this scene actually happened, Ye Jiuyou found she had no resistance to it, and even felt a faint anticipation.

Because in front of him, she would reveal a wantonness that opposed order.

Zhao Changhe's hand had already slipped under her purple robe. Ye Jiuyou, watching Yue Hongling ride, suddenly wondered: what if the other person were Ye Wuming? What would that scene look like?

Just thinking about it made Ye Jiuyou feel like she was about to climax. It seemed more enticing than any chaos or disorder.

The man kissed her, and her thoughts soon dissolved.

...

Lunch.

San Niang and Huangfu Qing's eyes darted around Yue Hongling, then suspiciously glanced at Ye Jiuyou, and finally at Tang Wanzhuang.

In just one morning, Yue Hongling and Ye Jiuyou both exuded the same enchanting aura as Tang Wanzhuang, their charm in full bloom. The corners of their brows and eyes seemed to have blossomed, warm with spring.

Piaomiao, on the other hand, wore a sour face, looking like she wanted to pick a fight.

As a demon god, she wasn't usually sensitive to such matters, and her emotional fluctuations were relatively calm. But when it came to Ye Jiuyou, Piaomiao was extremely sensitive. Any small change was hard to hide from her perception.

So the fools were us.

While we were giving the cold shoulder, we were actually giving the man away.

Especially Piaomiao, who had been the first to discover his awakening. She could have taken him then, but she held back and ended up last. Her fury was comparable to when she was backstabbed by Ye Wuming back then. You sisters are both backstabbing me, aren't you?

The three of them were so angry their stomachs ached. They exchanged glances, and Huangfu Qing spoke calmly: "Only some loose ends remain here. Let the Demon Suppression Bureau handle them. We should consider our next move. Now that Changhe has revived, for the Four Symbols Sect, it's also the return of the Night Emperor. The sect needs a ceremony. Changhe, come back to the capital with us and see Chichi."

Faced with this legitimate reason, Zhao Changhe didn't think much and nodded: "Alright. There's nothing else in Suzhou. It's time to return to the capital."

Piaomiao said: "Didn't Jiuyou say that with the Star River, we can trace the Night Palace's location?"

Ye Jiuyou coughed: "Yes. But it requires some preparation..."

Piaomiao said: "Then go prepare. Do you have nothing else to do? What does the capital's affairs have to do with you?"

Ye Jiuyou: "...Fine. You go to the capital. I'll gather what's needed and come later."

Zhao Changhe felt the atmosphere was strange and coughed: "What about Sisi's plan to locate the Heavenly Dao?"

Tang Wanzhuang and Yue Hongling, well-fed and content, said generously: "That was something we were handling with Baoqin. The two of us will go. We haven't seen Sisi in a while and miss her."

"Alright. I'll go to the capital and then head to Miaojiang to find you. Stay safe."

"In this world, aside from matters beyond the heavens, there's nothing left that requires us to be careful about safety..." Ye Jiuyou gritted her teeth: "You're the one who needs to be careful. Don't get devoured whole, skin and bones."

Her voice faded, and she vanished, as if fleeing in haste under Piaomiao's glare.

Tang Wanzhuang and Yue Hongling rose leisurely: "Then we'll head to the southwest. You all take your time and enjoy the journey."

The once bustling courtyard quickly emptied, leaving only Piaomiao, San Niang, and Huangfu Qing, glaring fiercely at Zhao Changhe.

Zhao Changhe took half a step back, feeling as if he were about to be devoured.

The fragile alliance had crumbled within a day, all because Baoqin had come.