Tome of Troubled Times
Chapter 798 (2): What Does Ye Wuming Want to Do?

Chapter 798 (2): What Does Ye Wuming Want to Do?

“Alright, let’s move on to another topic,” Ye Jiuyou said, her tone light. “How is your cultivation coming along? With your soul divided like this, it must have affected you quite a bit.”

Piaomiao replied, “It’s better than expected. Since Yangyang and I aren’t actively fighting over control, there’s no real conflict. Of course, reaching my peak state again won’t be easy. But there’s an even bigger problem.”

“Oh? And what’s that?”

“The fragmentation of the divine land is affecting me far more,” Piaomiao’s voice turned icy. “If Zhao Changhe does make it here, aren’t you afraid I’ll join forces with him to deal with you instead?”

“Haha...” Ye Jiuyou laughed, her smile unfaltering. “And without me, how exactly do you plan to take your revenge?”

Piaomiao was silent for a moment before slowly saying, “The chaos of Kunlun, as well as certain people here, disgust me. If Zhao Changhe doesn’t arrive within a month, I’ll leave regardless.”

“Suit yourself, as long as you still plan to go after Ye Wuming.”

Piaomiao bit down gently on her silver teeth. “To this day, I still don’t understand why she’s doing this.”

Ye Jiuyou smirked. “It’s simple. She wants to exterminate all the primordial demon gods, including you and me.”

Piaomiao’s gaze snapped toward Ye Jiuyou, staring at her from across the mountaintops.

“If I’m not mistaken, she’s attempting to erase all remnants of the original Heavenly Dao, intending to replace them with a new humanity. The Tome of Troubled Times shines in the heavens, and its purpose is akin to raising a nest of venomous creatures. It’s nurturing the strongest humans to challenge the gods and demons themselves. If you wish to speak of chaos, then she’s the chaos of the world of gods and demons, she is who has brought upon them true troubled times. When the time is right, she’ll let the world truly know that even gods can be slain. Look around you. How many ancient faces have already perished in this era? The number isn’t much lower than during the collapse of the previous era.”

Piaomiao narrowed her eyes. “Why would she do this?”

Ye Jiuyou said, “I’m not in her brain, so how would I know what she’s thinking? I can only make an educated guess... Based on everything that’s happening, the most reasonable assumption is that she’s preparing to replace the Heavenly Dao. Wiping out all remnants of the original Heavenly Dao would be a necessary first step.”

Piaomiao pondered this for a moment, then nodded. “That’s possible.”

Ye Jiuyou continued, “Right? That’s what I think, too. We are all bound by certain rules and laws of the Heavenly Dao. There are things we simply cannot do. For example, Underworld Guide, Dark Oblivion, and Desolate Calamity all function as extensions of my domain, yet I can’t directly absorb them into myself. I need these subordinates to exist as separate entities. Similarly, Ye Wuming can defeat me but cannot kill me. She can kill you but cannot prevent your reincarnation. She always needs an external hand to do it. And if she doesn’t believe that mortals from this world are capable of fulfilling her vision, she looks elsewhere, even to beings from another world. Xia Longyuan and Zhao Changhe, for example.”

Cui Yuanyang scratched her head. “Another world?”

“Before them, there must have been others, but they all failed one after another, thinking they were some grand protagonist of a great legend, only to die without even realizing how they died. In the end, only those two left their names in history. They truly are unparalleled geniuses. Ye Wuming got lucky there,” Ye Jiuyou said with a smile. “But fortune and misfortune are intertwined. Heroes have their own will and their own ambitions. From the very start, Xia Longyuan wanted to challenge her. And Zhao Changhe? He’s even crazier. He actually wants to bed her. Hahahahaha! You should’ve seen her face when she glimpsed his desires in Papiyas’ illusion—it was absolutely priceless! The first time in history someone dared to think that about her!”

Piaomiao: “...”

Cui Yuanyang: “...”

Ye Jiuyou continued, “Honestly, if someone managed to kill Zhao Changhe, it would ruin years of Ye Wuming’s careful planning. But he’s not so easy to kill anymore. Not only is he powerful himself, but the women around him are all formidable. None of them are easy to deal with... Well, except for one. But you’ve taken over her body, and now she’s suddenly become the strongest of them all.”

Piaomiao: “...”

Cui Yuanyang: “?”

“But this time, he really might attempt to storm Kunlun alone for this little girl’s sake...” Ye Jiuyou’s smile deepened. “If he succeeds, I may just join forces with him to turn against Ye Wuming. If he fails, well... then I’ll kill him and take the tome for myself. Either way, I sabotage Ye Wuming’s plans.”

Inside the sea of consciousness, Cui Yuanyang threw a fit. “Big sis! I hate this woman! Help me beat her up!”

Piaomiao remained silent for a long moment before responding with a sigh, “We’ll decide when he gets here.”

Then, as if something had just occurred to her, she asked, “By the way, why are you so expressive in this life?”

Ye Jiuyou blinked in surprise. “What, you too? Why is that even a question? What’s wrong with smiling and laughing a little?”

“It is strange,” Piaomiao said plainly. “Because in our past lives, I’ve only ever seen two expressions on you—cold indifference and bloodthirsty killing intent.”

Ye Jiuyou’s brow furrowed deeply.

Piaomiao continued, “I gained human emotions because I shared the memories of my reincarnation. But you? What changed for you?”

Ye Jiuyou had no answer.

It was a strange thought.

* * *

Meanwhile, Zhao Changhe withdrew his soul fragment and shared the details of his conversation with Ye Jiuyou with Tang Wanzhuang and the others gathered around him.

Piaomiao had assumed that Zhao Changhe would not ask his women to risk their lives for another wife, and that they would not be willing even if he did. But the truth was, Zhao Changhe did not need to say a word. Before he could even bring it up, Tang Wanzhuang had already spoken decisively.

“In that case, we should prepare to head to Kunlun immediately.”

Huangfu Qing asked, “What was the basis of your agreement with her? Why set a one-month deadline?”

Zhao Changhe answered, “Based on my own cultivation progress. I estimate I’ll break through to the second layer of the Profound Control Realm in less than a month.”

Lady Three asked, “And how do you plan to find them? Do you have a lead?”

Zhao Changhe replied, “Didn’t Ying Five ask you to pass along a message that he had business to discuss with me?”

Lady Three sighed. “I knew it. He thought he was recruiting you, but you were already eyeing his resources.”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

“He should be in the Western Regions right now. I’ll show you where.”

Lady Three placed her hand over Zhao Changhe’s, sharing her divine sense. Zhao Changhe once again reached out to the subterranean sky, extending his senses.

At that moment, Ying Five, still recovering from his battle with Timur, was resting in a lavish estate in the style of the western regions. He had suffered significant injuries and, unlike Lady Three, lacked the benefit of dual cultivation techniques to aid his recovery.

Suddenly, Zhao Changhe’s face bloomed into his field of view.

Startled, Ying Five flinched instinctively and swung a slap only to realize that it was just a projection.

“Shit, that is a neat trick...” Ying Five exhaled sharply. “You’re almost at Xia Longyuan’s level now, I see.”

Zhao Changhe shook his head. “Not quite, but I’m probably not far off.”

“It really is you, then...” Ying Five cursed. “That damn Third Lady Yuan, selling me out like this? Traitor.”

Zhao Changhe smirked. “Your so-called secret stronghold is a secret to others, not to me. What value does it hold for me? You think I’m here to hunt down some mounted brigands?”

Ying Five chuckled. “Once you unify the land, you will have to deal with bandits eventually.”

“Are you really a bandit, though? Really now.” Zhao Changhe shot him a sharp look. “Let’s cut the nonsense. When you mentioned future cooperation, were you referring to Kunlun?”

Ying Five asked curiously, “You seem to be in quite the rush... Are you going to be sending yourself to your death in Kunlun?”

“You’ve been running wild in Kunlun with your level of cultivation, and I’m the one sending myself to my death?”

Ying Five’s facial muscles twitched violently. “Damn it, my ‘level of cultivation’? If I’m so weak, then why are you even here asking for my help?”

Zhao Changhe grinned sheepishly. “No, no, the fifth brother is the most righteous of men. I meant no offense. Now, what exactly do you need my help with?”

Ying Five said, “Do you know how I search for secret realms?”

“I’m all ears.”

“Every secret realm is a fragment of the ancient heavenly realm. If you piece them all together, they form the original heavenly realm. This is common knowledge. I have a special method that allows me to sense adjacent fragments using the ones I’ve already located. That’s why I have an easier time finding them than most... and that’s also why the more secret realms I know of, the better my chances of locating others that hold real value.”

“So that’s how it is. I thought you were trying to complete a jigsaw puzzle.”

“I’m not an idiot. Do you think I could singlehandedly reconstruct an entire fragmented world? I’m just exploring it piece by piece, looking for valuable parts. I’m a member of the Mounted Brigand Brotherhood, not some kid playing with building blocks.”

Zhao Changhe sighed. “Honestly, I expected you to sound a bit more sophisticated.”

Ying Five gave him a deadpan stare.

Zhao Changhe tilted his head, avoiding eye contact.

Maintaining his flat expression, Ying Five continued, “Anyway, I recently found a new fragment. But after some preliminary scouting, I realized I can’t get in.”

Zhao Changhe immediately caught his meaning. “Meaning there must be something powerful inside.”

“Exactly.” Ying Five snapped his fingers. “There’s a powerful ancient demon god in there, which means there’s bound to be something worthwhile, whether it be treasures, inheritance, or something even greater... That’s the whole reason I’m here. Of course, I want to take what’s inside. But since I can’t do so alone, I need backup. And who better than you?”

Zhao Changhe said, “If you can help me locate the secret realm I’m aiming for, I have no problem helping you take down as many as you need.”

Ying Five smirked. “If we manage to break into this one, not only will it help me locate other fragments more easily, but considering that there’s an ancient demon god inside, there’s a chance this is the place you’re looking for. And even if it isn’t, a being that’s been in Kunlun for this long would surely have valuable information for you.”

Zhao Changhe sighed. “Enough with the sales pitch, Fifth Brother. I came to find you. I was always going to fight. Just tell me when.”

“Give me three days. Once I’ve recovered, we’ll move out.” He then gave Zhao Changhe a once-over and added, “You seem anxious. I advise you not to rush. No matter how urgent things feel, keeping a clear head is always crucial. These three days aren’t just for me. They’re for you, too.”

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