Chapter 898: Humans and Ghosts Are All Plotting Against Ye Wuming

Chapter 898: Human or Ghost, Everyone is Plotting Against Ye Wuming

Yue Hongling had originally been surveying the shamanic arrangements alongside Ye Jiuyou and Piaomiao. She never expected that the so-called reckless spy who had trespassed into the forbidden grounds would be her own disciple, and when she stepped out to see her, she was left caught between tears and laughter.

This was a top-tier sanctuary directly tied to the Heavenly Way, protected by defenses that were absolute pinnacles of the world, personally set up by Jiuyou and Piaomiao, with the additional layer of a completely novel shamanic system from Miaojiang. For a fledgling young girl to dare blindly bargain her way in...

She had originally intended to punish the reckless brat, wanting to ask if she knew the meaning of death now. Yet, seeing the little girl’s reddened eyes as if she had just wept, the words of criticism died in her throat. Instead, she felt her heart soften completely at the sight of the young thing shrinking into her embrace, seeking solace.

Ling Ruoyu rarely showed such weakness; she had always been resilient and valiant, so much so that everyone called her a second Yue Hongling. But even Yue Hongling herself had moments of vulnerability when she longed for someone to walk hand-in-hand through life with.

Thus far, Ling Ruoyu would only display such weakness and dependence before her, Yue Hongling. Not before Zhao Changhe, and certainly not before Ye Wuming.

It was a rather strange sensation... both gratifying, yet tinged with a faint, guilty sense of having stolen someone else’s prize...

Never mind that, the child was raised by her own hands, so what did it have to do with Ye Wuming!

Putting her thoughts away, Yue Hongling warmly embraced her disciple. "Yu'er, don't cry. Master will take you on a tour. Shamanic magic is just like that once you've seen enough of it; you won't be afraid of it in the future. Why don't you also tell Master about your experiences following your grandmaster all this time?"

"I want to sleep with Master tonight."

"Good, good, good..."

"Actually, I wanted to ask, is it guaranteed to ache and swell when that place grows up?"

"Back then, I didn't feel much of anything, being a martial artist after all."

"But I am a martial artist too."

"Ah, I understand now. After all, we grew up slowly, whereas you just aged by many years in a single moment..."

"If that place isn't big enough, is it bad for feeding babies?"

"It, it should be. After all, when you were molded back then, you already looked five or six years old, so you were never fed..."

"Then when will Master and Grandmaster have one? I want a little junior sister."

"You cheeky girl, daring to tease your master now, are you..."

The master and disciple departed with their arms around each other's shoulders, laughing and chattering along the way. Their high ponytails bounced in perfect synchronization. Ye Wuming’s gaze remained glued to them as they went, her teeth grinding so hard she felt they might shatter.

Who are you asking about physiological hygiene, and who is actually your mother!

Yet they looked so fitting together... even their ponytails were tied exactly the same way.

It was over. Now, every time her focus locked onto these individuals, she would forget to look at what was happening elsewhere in the world. Her multi-core CPU had already been burned down to a single core. She hadn't paid any attention at all to whether any outstanding Hidden Dragons had emerged recently, and it seemed a battle for the Human Rankings had occurred the day before yesterday without being recorded. This proxy Heavenly Way had neglected her duties to an outrageous degree...

Speaking of which, it was normal to be like this toward Ruoyu, but why did she also burn down to a single core every time she looked at things related to Zhao Changhe now?

Ye Wuming rubbed her head, her chest aching.

By the sacrificial altar, Ye Jiuyou lifted her gaze toward the position where Ye Wuming was concealed, offering a faint smile.

Beside her, Piaomiao was transmitting her thoughts: "If there is any aspect of this world's laws that Ye Wuming still lacks, it ought to be shamanic sorcery and venomous insects?"

When it involved Ye Wuming, telepathic transmission was the correct method of communication, unlike that little fool Ling Ruoyu.

Ye Jiuyou transmitted back: "Her weak point is indeed related to shamanic sorcery... For a very long time, fearing she would alert the Heavenly Way, she avoided matters concerning the Spirit Race. For someone with Ruoyu's foundation to fall prey to it proves that nothing of this sort exists within Ye Wuming's system, to the extent that the River of Stars is untouched by it as well."

"If that is the case, there are certain things on my end that she does not touch either."

"Yes. Although she is deeply versed in matters concerning qi and meridians, their functions differ. At the very least, she cannot do what you do—making someone who ought to be pregnant become pregnant... You are also independent of the systems belonging to the Night Emperor and myself."

Piaomiao felt that Ye Jiuyou’s specific choice of pregnancy as an example harbored a bit of hidden resentment. Pretending not to notice, she discussed it with utmost gravity: "Therefore, combining shamanic magic with some of my traits, it is indeed possible to ensnare Ye Wuming..."

"Exactly," Ye Jiuyou said, her gaze falling upon the sacrificial altar. Here lay a strand of hair placed inside a deeply sinister bronze vessel, within which a terrifying power seemed to brew.

Several days ago, she had called Piaomiao away, saying, "Let me show you something good." The good thing was right here.

This was Ye Wuming's hair.

In theory, Ye Wuming used the Heavenly Book as her vessel, but in reality, much like her daughter Ling Ruoyu, she possessed an independent physical form on the outside. The Heavenly Book was to Ye Wuming what the River of Stars was to Ling Ruoyu—the exact same concept for both mother and daughter. This was also the inspiration from which Ye Jiuyou and Piaomiao had suggested turning the River of Stars into Ling Ruoyu in the first place.

During the battle thirty years ago, Ye Jiuyou had quietly obtained Ye Wuming's hair and hidden it within her own Nine Nether Abyss, using various highly malicious and salacious laws to nurture it. After all, these villainous laws were her old trade.

And shamanic magic could act upon the original body through the medium of the target’s physical remains... Ordinary shamanic magic could not achieve this, but now that Sisi had managed it for thirty years, laying out an array spanning more than ten li, it was targeted at the level of the Heavenly Way. Naturally, it would be effective against Ye Wuming as well. Among shamanic arts, there were naturally famous aphrodisiac and salacious categories; it only depended on which one they chose.

If they were still worried that Ye Wuming's level was too high, allowing her to break through the double insurance of Ye Jiuyou's refinement combined with the shamanic catalyst... then adding Piaomiao's traits, grounded on the premise that "this matter benefits the qi and meridians of the mountains and rivers," this causal-law level effect would serve as a third layer of insurance...

Ye Jiuyou and Piaomiao exchanged a glance, both feeling that the probability of success was exceptionally high.

Of course, there was still a knotty point to this matter—finding the right timing. Specifically, whether they should do it before the decisive battle with the Heavenly Way, or wait until after the Heavenly Way was dealt with.

If done beforehand, internal strife would break out before the external enemy was destroyed, which was naturally no good thing... It would be fine if they pulled it off, but in the event of a blunder that provoked a falling out and war with Ye Wuming, who could bear the responsibility for such a total mess?

If done afterward, without having subdued Ye Wuming before the decisive battle with the Heavenly Way, they wouldn't be on the same side. Could they rely solely on tacit cooperation during the final battle?

This matter was also unsuited to be told to Zhao Changhe... Given his disposition, if he knew everyone wanted to use such methods to bring down Ye Wuming, he would object ninety percent of the time.

Their grievance could not be allowed to be ruined by him...

"I will discuss it further with Wanzhuang," Piaomiao said with some hesitation. "Your nature is fundamentally somewhat dark, and your thoughts may not necessarily be reasonable. Wanzhuang has managed the realm for so many years; her perspective is the most objective."

Right in the middle of their discussion, Zhao Changhe and Sisi arrived hand-in-hand. "What are you two researching?"

Ye Jiuyou swiftly concealed the vessel holding the hair, acting entirely unperturbed. "Naturally, we are surveying to see if there are any omissions—you two are back so soon? I thought you would at least do it once..."

Sisi smiled like a blooming flower, not caring about this vulgar banter in the slightest. "We went to pay respects to an old friend. Although performing such deeds before someone's grave is a peculiar preference for some, Changhe does not like it."

Zhao Changhe gave a dry cough. "What are you all thinking? How is the shamanic arrangement coming along?"

Piaomiao said, "I have been surveying this place all these days and feel that the preparations are basically sufficient. It can be activated at any time. When do you think it is appropriate to begin?"

When to begin, of course, did not refer to how to deal with Ye Wuming, but to the matter of tracing the Heavenly Way.

Zhao Changhe hesitated slightly... In theory, the sooner the better. Thirty years ago, the Heavenly Way had clearly been injured, and there was a certain probability that it had not yet fully recovered and was currently nursing its wounds. If they could seize this opportunity to strike at its doorstep and eliminate the future trouble forever, it would naturally be best.

Even if the Heavenly Way had already recovered from its wounds, they still needed to quickly locate the other party's position to seize the initiative. There was only a thief for a thousand days, but no guarding against a thief for a thousand days. To constantly wait passively for the other party to cause trouble would sooner or later lead to disaster.

But this sort of tracing could absolutely not be done in a way that allowed them to find the other party without the other party noticing. The Heavenly Way would bound to sense it; perhaps this tracing would be the direct fuse that ignited the great war. Right now, he had only just begun to touch the edge of the Other Shore, and his relationship with Ye Wuming had yet to be settled. To rashly start a war at this time felt inappropriate.

Pondering for a long time, Zhao Changhe finally said, "There is no rush for the time being. I am currently peering into the Other Shore and have gained a little something. Let us see if there is any further progress over the next few days."

Ye Jiuyou and Piaomiao exchanged a glance, both smiling. "Fine, then we will continue our preparations, to begin whenever needed."

Having said that, they sat there without moving an inch.

Zhao Changhe gave the two a suspicious look. Did preparing this thing require the two of you, supreme powerhouses, to sit shoulder-to-shoulder like children waiting for fruit? Those who didn't know better would think you two were Ling Ruoyu and Longque...

"What's with that expression?" Ye Jiuyou said with a coquettish smile. "Aren't we leaving some space for you and Sisi... After not seeing each other for so many years, you only went to look at a grave?"

Zhao Changhe felt these two were up to something, but no matter how he turned it over in his mind, he couldn't figure out what the issue was. He left, looking back with every three steps. After all, when it came to shamanic magic, he belonged to the category of a basic layman; he couldn't make heads or tails of it even if he stood there watching, so it was best left to those who knew the trade.

...

In the Dali palace at night, Ling Ruoyu was sharing a bed with her master, speaking of intimate things, while Ye Jiuyou and Piaomiao had joined forces with Tang Wanzhuang and were secretly conspiring. Zhao Changhe and Sisi’s intimacy after a long separation was rare and precious, so they were naturally doing the things they loved to do.

Sisi's service had always made Zhao Changhe unable to put her down. One had to know that up until now, the person who let herself go the most in bed and gave a man the most ultimate experience was still only Sisi, the eternal deity.

Only Ye Jiuyou, who claimed to be wanton toward him, could barely keep up in this regard, but limited by her excessively high level and her need to preserve some dignity, she could never let herself go as completely as Sisi. Therefore, Ye Jiuyou felt that Sisi ought to become her successor; she was wrong, she was the one who ought to learn from Sisi what true wantonness meant.

Once, Zhao Changhe had even feared that indulging in Sisi's enchanting service would turn into a hero's grave, ruining his heart for martial advancement. But today, of course, there was no longer any such worry. On the contrary, amidst the frenzied dual cultivation, he was better able to comprehend that single thread of the bridge to the Other Shore that had slightly touched his consciousness today.

Ye Wuming's time and ritual, Ye Jiuyou's chaos and creation, the Sword Emperor's ultimate destruction... The middle perhaps encompassed many combinations of cause and effect, illusion and reality, but they all lacked yin and ying.

Ye Wuming and Ye Jiuyou had to combine to be more complete, and the Sword Emperor was even more biased toward solitary yang. If he were to look for the greatest difference between himself and these top three demon gods, it still lay in the harmony of yin and yang, as well as their joint utilization.

In particular, the item of "joint utilization" was actually the key ring of "controlling the Heavenly Book."

Ye Wuming had failed to achieve this, so she could only "merge with the Heavenly Book," ultimately lacking that single thread.

In a daze, Zhao Changhe vaguely wondered if it might not be necessary for the sisters to merge—could he serve as a yin-yang conduit himself?

The thought felt a bit narcissistic, and Zhao Changhe dared not confirm it. He mused to himself that he should find a chance to test it with Jiuyou and Piaomiao someday... hoping they wouldn't find it too crude.

Sisi's murmur brushed his ear: "Master... I can't go on..."

Zhao Changhe ceased his conquest, lowering his head to plant a gentle kiss.

Sisi reveled in his tenderness, smiling brightly. "Many sisters are nearby now, Master. Would you like..."

"No need. They know we've just reunited after so long and deliberately left us alone. I don't have to have that—isn't it better to just sleep soundly with my Sisi?"

Sisi chuckled. "Are you sure? Look at what time it is..."

Zhao Changhe: "..."

He extended his spiritual sense outward and found the sky already faintly lit with dawn.

A whole night...

Zhao Changhe pushed the thought aside, laughed, and leaned over again. "Then let's have a morning workout."

"Oh, go slower..."

As the sky grew pale, Ling Ruoyu rose from her master's warm embrace, washed up thoroughly, and brimming with vitality, she shouldered the Dragon Sparrow and cradled the Galaxy in her arms, darting toward the queen's bedchamber.

She knew the queen was also an aunt, and last night her master's husband must have stayed there. To deliver the love letter to him, she just needed to go there. Aunt Tang had given her a token, granting free passage through the palace, so she wouldn't risk running into sorcery again.

Just as she showed the token and entered the bedchamber grounds, the bedchamber still far ahead, faint sounds of moaning and groaning drifted through the breaking dawn.

Ling Ruoyu: "..."

She stole a glance at the maidservants attending around the bedchamber; they had already blushed and retreated far away. Clearly, after serving the queen for so many years, they had never imagined Her Majesty could be so... wanton. The unrestrained sounds... It had been a whole night, and after a brief pause, it started again. How was her voice not hoarse? Was the Imperial Realm truly so unbridled?

"How did I get by back when I was the Galaxy?" Ling Ruoyu rested her chin on a stone table outside the palace, quietly asking the Dragon Sparrow.

The Dragon Sparrow scratched its head too. "I don't know how I got by before either... I was there longer than you."

Both girls knew deep down that when they were merely swords and blades, they didn't care about or even understand such matters. Now, as humans, they felt the awkwardness of it all. Truly, being human was the hardest—better to remain a blade or a sword...

"What now?" The Dragon Sparrow leaned over Ling Ruoyu's back, peeking. "Are you just going to wait here?"

"What else can I do?" Ling Ruoyu said. "How about we fight to pass the time? It's already dawn; they should be finishing soon..."

The Dragon Sparrow was eager. "That's a good idea... But if we fight here, we'll disturb them, and this place can't withstand our energy rampaging."

"That's easy." Ling Ruoyu placed the Galaxy on the table. "You used to barge into my sword to fight me, didn't you? Now my sword's interior is its own space—let's go in together and fight however we like."

The blade and sword maidens acted on impulse, both diving into the Galaxy.

The maidservants could only see a blade and a sword resting on the table, the black sword occasionally buzzing and trembling, much like the bedding inside the bedchamber at that moment...

Soon enough, the sounds inside stopped. Mainly because Sisi, unable to endure further, quickly found an excuse: "Alright, Master... Those two girls at the door are fighting..."

Zhao Changhe chuckled. "I wonder what they're up to. Ruoyu aside, if the Dragon Sparrow has something to say, she could just call me directly. Haven't they seen enough?"

"They don't dare face us in such situations now..."

"But the Dragon Sparrow is still a blade."

"Hehe... And Ye Wuming is still a book. Do you think she's been watching us all night—is she feeling a little damp now?"

Ye Wuming, who was watching her daughter fight the blade: "?"

Zhao Changhe: "..."

Sisi pushed him lazily. "Go take a look. I need to sleep—you've nearly taken me apart..."

Zhao Changhe didn't insist. He dressed and left the room. He was curious why the two girls had come so early in the morning. Surely a disciple's morning greeting didn't need to be this eager.

When he went out, he found it quite amusing. The Galaxy sword had clearly created its own space, like a universe of stars. Two girls stood on celestial bodies, fighting, casually hurling stars as they fell—the chaotic havoc of that small world was oddly satisfying.

The girls were so engrossed in their fight that they ignored him when he appeared. Zhao Changhe had no choice but to tap the Galaxy sword. "Hey..."

Ling Ruoyu's voice came from inside: "Wait, Master's husband, I'll beat the Dragon Sparrow in a moment."

The Dragon Sparrow was grappling with her, rolling around. "I'm not the same Dragon Sparrow from a few days ago!"

The two girls were tugging each other's hair, entangled in the void. Zhao Changhe was speechless. Suddenly, his form flickered, and he too entered the Galaxy sword, grabbing both girls by the scruff and lifting them into the air. "Are you done fighting?"

The Dragon Sparrow was shocked. "How can you just enter the Galaxy like that..."

Ling Ruoyu added, "At least you should say 'Galaxy, I'm coming in'..."

Zhao Changhe said, "If you hadn't said those two lines, nothing would be strange. But now that you've said them, it's getting weird... So, why are you two showing up at my door so early, acting cute?"

Ling Ruoyu then remembered the real matter. She quickly pulled a note from her bosom. "Mother secretly told me to give this to you. It's perfect to read here, where no one else can see."

Ye Wuming, seeing Zhao Changhe enter the sword, didn't think much of it at first. A few seconds later, she realized with alarm—oh no. She had planned to have the note turn to ash the moment Ruoyu handed it to him, but now that he had inexplicably entered the sword, he could read it directly!

What exactly did that love letter say?