Tome of Troubled Times-Chapter 847: The Mortal Realm

Ye Jiuyou had indeed never tasted such things before.

This was the case not just for street food but any kind of mortal food. Even when she had disguised herself as a young lady of the Li Clan or whatever other exalted roles she played in the past, she had never once sampled the so-called delicacies of the human world. In her eyes, they were nothing more than worthless scraps, their energy negligible.

She was just about to refuse when a stick of cotton candy was pushed into her hand. Zhao Changhe’s smile was warm. “You agreed to accompany me to the market, so that means you should play your part. I can’t be the only one eating while you just stand there watching, can I?”

Ye Jiuyou snapped, “I haven’t even tried to back out yet, and you’re already demanding more?”

Zhao Changhe chuckled. “But hasn’t Your Highness Jiuyou always been a model of reliability?”

“And who told you that? Has no one ever described to you what the god of chaos is like?”

“Then why did you honor your agreement with me? Why were you willing to abandon other plans for my sake? Could it be because you like me?”

Ye Jiuyou nearly vomited. “Get lost!”

Yet even as she said it, there was a strange flicker of guilt. She had only ever treated one person with such scrupulous loyalty in an alliance.

Zhao Changhe smirked. “Ye Wuming’s tried it.”

In truth, Zhao Changhe had no idea whether Ye Wuming had ever eaten cotton candy, but it was the perfect weapon against Ye Jiuyou. Her gaze instantly turned icy. She stared at the cotton candy as if it were some profound Dao or principle of the world.

Zhao Changhe said with a grin, “There’s so much you’ve missed, experiences that even Ye Wuming has had. From the vastness of the cosmos to something as small as a piece of candy. If you want to trace things to their origin and grasp the truth, this won’t do.”

Without another word, Ye Jiuyou took a bite.

She had no idea how to eat something like this. The entire fluffy mass went into her mouth, and when she looked up again, her face was covered in sticky sugar strands.

Zhao Changhe burst out laughing. Ye Jiuyou glared at him, furious.

“How’s the taste?”

“It’s nothing special. Can it even compare to the treasures of heaven and earth?”

“None of the natural treasures of heaven and earth have sweetness like it, and no one forges pills in that direction either. This is something that only mortals come up with.”

Ye Jiuyou said nothing. She had to admit that there was indeed no natural treasure that had such a flavor. It was genuinely delicious, even if it left her face annoyingly sticky.

Then, she realized the vendor and the nearby children were all watching her with amused grins. The uncle behind the stall laughed in a kindly way, “You two must be from some aristocratic family. Young master, you’re quite blessed! Your wife is both beautiful and adorable.”

Ye Jiuyou: “...”

Wife? Adorable?

“She is, isn’t she?” Zhao Changhe shamelessly waved. “Thanks, Uncle. We’ll be back.”

Ye Jiuyou shouted furiously, “Zhao Changhe!”

That shout, which in another moment might have frozen a soul with its chilling fury, was now entirely undercut by the absurd sight of her sugar-smeared face.

Zhao Changhe grinned and reached out, gently wiping the sticky sugar from her lips. “This is how you eat it.”

Then he stuck out his tongue, rolling a bit of the fluff onto it with a flick.

Ye Jiuyou growled, “I didn’t ask you how to eat it.”

Zhao Changhe shrugged. “No one here knows who you are. Why do you care? You always claim to be above the opinions of the world, willing to defy heaven itself. But now you’re worried about the gaze of a candy vendor?”

Ye Jiuyou choked on the words. She had no comeback. How does this man have such a bottomless well of twisted logic?

Zhao Changhe, unconcerned, turned away and continued meandering through the market, happily eating his cotton candy. Ye Jiuyou cast him a glance, then looked down at the fluff in her hand. Then, hesitantly, she stuck out her tongue for a small lick.

Zhao Changhe peeked over at her and could not help but smile.

She snapped, “What’s so funny?”

“I’m not laughing at you,” he replied.

“Then what are you laughing at?”

“There...” Zhao Changhe pointed ahead at two round-faced girls, no more than four or five years old, running through the market, giggling as they went. “Watching them, I can’t help laughing myself.”

Ye Jiuyou glanced sideways at him. He was genuinely smiling—open and bright. She could not understand why.

What’s so amusing about those brats?

Just then, she noticed a rat-faced man sidling up from the side toward the two little girls. Both she and Zhao Changhe could clearly feel malice when they encountered it, and even without reading qi, the man’s intentions were obvious.

With a flick of his finger, Zhao Changhe sent out an invisible force.

The man cried out and crumpled as something struck his knee from nowhere.

By the time he scrambled back to his feet, the girls were already reunited with their parents, holding their hands as they disappeared into the crowd.

Frustrated, the man slammed his palm against the ground only to look up and see a man and woman standing before him. Both of them were smiling, but their smiles did not reach their eyes.

Just as the man opened his mouth to say something, a palm made rather forceful contact with his face, sending him spinning through the air and scattering his teeth across the ground.

His miserable wails echoed down the street. Within moments, a crowd had gathered to see the source of the commotion, while the man and woman responsible had already vanished, hand in hand.

“Chang’an’s public security really leaves a lot to be desired...” Zhao Changhe sighed, still nibbling on his now-shrunken cotton candy.

Ye Jiuyou followed beside him, licking hers with little enthusiasm. “Shouldn’t you have reported him to the authorities? Isn’t that more in line with what you ought to do? Instead, you just gave him a slap and walked off?”

Zhao Changhe replied lazily, “You seem to have a misunderstanding about me. I’m jianghu scum, not a government officer. Well, technically, I do still carry the Demon Suppression Bureau’s jade token... Eh, whatever. Chang’an isn’t under my jurisdiction right now anyway. After you hand over the dowry, then maybe we’ll talk.”

Ye Jiuyou could not suppress a laugh. “You still dare to call yourself jianghu scum now... Then tell me, Sir Ruffian, why not cut the problem off at the root?”

“That slap was enough. That guy will be bedridden for the rest of his life. That’s punishment enough.” Zhao Changhe sighed. “I came here to stroll around the market with you, not to waste time dragging people off to the authorities or getting tangled in public attention. I’d just rather not stir up a mess and have people start mentioning my name around here.”

“If it contradicts your purpose, then why intervene at all?”

Zhao Changhe turned and looked at her, that same warm, foolish smile from before returning to his face. “Because I want to protect the things that make me smile like this. That’s why I fight. That’s why I wage war. ”

Ye Jiuyou’s heart skipped a beat.

He wants to protect... the things that make him smile like that...

But right now, he’s smiling like that at me.

It was as if he were saying, “I would protect you too, just as I would those children.”

It should have been infuriating, being placed in the same category as helpless children, being seen as something fragile. Yet somehow... her heart softened instead.

In a flash of irritation, Ye Jiuyou shoved the last bit of cotton candy into her mouth and angrily tossed the stick aside.

Hmph. As if Ye Wuming would ever eat such tasteless nonsense. It’s like chewing wax!

“Come on, this way!” Zhao Changhe suddenly grabbed her hand again and dragged her toward a nearby shop.

Ye Jiuyou stumbled after him, looking up at the sign above the door: Rouge Pavilion.

Ye Jiuyou tilted her head in confusion.

The Rouge Pavilion, as its name obviously implied, sold cosmetics and perfumes, but that was not all. It also offered all manner of jewelry and ornamental hairpieces.

Zhao Changhe glanced around once, then pulled her over to a jewelry counter. He turned back and scrutinized her from head to toe.

Ye Jiuyou felt a rare surge of embarrassment and annoyance. “What are you doing? I don’t want any of this junk!”

Zhao Changhe looked at her flowing black hair, then smiled and said, “I agree. With hair as perfectly black as the night sky, you don’t need anything cluttering it. It’s most beautiful just the way it is.”

Ye Jiuyou: “...”

In this world, no woman simply wore her hair loose and straight anymore. Even the most carefree swordswomen of the jianghu, such as Yue Hongling, tied their hair back. Loose, flowing hair was more often associated with ghosts than people. Only this lunatic could look at it and call it “most beautiful.”

“But that doesn’t mean you can’t wear something elsewhere,” Zhao Changhe said, tapping the counter. He motioned to the shopkeeper, “Bring me that jade bracelet.”

The shopkeeper smiled approvingly. “Excellent eye, sir. This is the finest jade we have, clear as spring water...”

Zhao Changhe tossed a gold ingot onto the counter. “Right, right. Is that enough?”

The shopkeeper’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. “Uh... Would you perhaps like to buy everything, sir?”

Ye Jiuyou stood there speechless. With Zhao Changhe’s level of perception, his ability to appraise materials utterly crushed any mortal treasure appraiser. Gold and silver were basically inexhaustible for him now; it was ridiculous he even bothered carrying it around anymore. It was probably just an old habit from his early days in the jianghu.

But the real issue was that she had absolutely no need for this. What good would one piece of mundane jewelry worn on the wrist do?

A casual spar would shatter the bracelet. If she had to wear or carry something, it should at least be a magical artifact that doubled as a defensive treasure... Yet she had never cared for such things. Even in the last era, she had not collected any, and in this one, both old and newly forged divine treasures were almost nonexistent. Some of the former had been crushed or collected by Zhao Changhe himself, while some of the latter had been created... also by Zhao Changhe himself.

She watched as Zhao Changhe picked up the bracelet and seized her wrist to slip it on.

Zhao Changhe said thoughtfully, “Strictly speaking, you should wear something better. There are a lot of treasures in Ying Five’s collection, but those are second-hand goods, and they’re often funerary items. I can’t give you that sort of thing. When we have the chance, we’ll find new treasures or forge ones ourselves.”

Ye Jiuyou almost retorted that she had no taboos about funerary goods—she even played with corpses, after all—but the words caught in her throat.

She simply stared blankly at him slipping the bracelet onto her wrist, her heart a jumble of tangled feelings.

What are you doing? Why would you give this to me?

Her wrist was smooth and flawless, but also unnaturally pale from long years under the cover of darkness. Once the vibrant green jade encircled it, that cold paleness seemed to gain a faint vitality, a hint of lively color that had not been there before.

The old shopkeeper could not help but praise her, and he did so with all honesty. “Miss, you truly have the complexion of jade and ice! How absolutely stunning! Young Master, you have excellent taste; the bracelet suits her perfectly.”

Ye Jiuyou’s lips twitched. She lifted her gaze to Zhao Changhe and asked quietly, “Why are you doing this? What use do I have for something like this?”

Zhao Changhe smiled. “It’s not about use. I gave this to you because it looks good on you.”

Ye Jiuyou had to admit that it did look good, and it did complement her skin. Still, she pressed: “But why does looking good matter to me? What use is it?”

“In the past, there might not have been any point to it. No one ever looked at Ye Jiuyou with eyes that sought to find beauty in her, and Ye Jiuyou had no need for such a gaze.” Zhao Changhe looked at her deeply, then continued very seriously, “But now... there exists someone who does.”

Ye Jiuyou snapped, “And why should I let you look at me like that?”

Zhao Changhe replied calmly, “So that... when you face the mirror in silence, the reflection staring back isn’t always pale and lifeless but holds at least a flicker of warmth.”

Ye Jiuyou’s heart skipped a beat once more. She forced herself to scoff and said, “You’re insane. Who the hell looks at their wrist in the mirror?”

Zhao Changhe chuckled and tapped the counter again. “Right. Shopkeeper, let me see that sapphire necklace over there.”

Ye Jiuyou’s eyes widened. What is this absurdity?! I didn’t ask for a necklace!

The shopkeeper lit up instantly, and he rushed over to present the piece. A big spender, clearly! In all truth, it almost looked to him like it was some rich young master laying a trap for an inexperienced village girl, but who had ever seen a girl, villager or otherwise, as beautiful as this? With that demeanor, that complexion, that otherworldly presence... It was outright baffling.

Zhao Changhe picked up the necklace and reached out as if to drape it around her neck.

Ye Jiuyou instinctively stepped back, hand already half-raised to strike his chest.

Zhao Changhe, sensing the danger, did not press forward. Today was not about taking advantage. He simply said, “Either I put it on you, or you do it yourself.”

Relieved, Ye Jiuyou did not bother to argue further. She snatched the necklace and clasped it on herself. Zhao Changhe tilted his head with a trace of disappointment. He had half-expected her to fumble with the clasp, needing help. But of course, a woman like Ye Jiuyou had eyes in the back of her head. She fastened it smoothly without even glancing.

Zhao Changhe’s familiar, maddeningly smug smile returned.

“What the hell are you grinning at again?” she growled.

Zhao Changhe continued smiling and asked, “Did you bring the mountain?”

The shopkeeper blinked in utter confusion. What was wrong with these two?

The mountain Zhao Changhe was referring to was naturally that massive cliff that had once served as the Soul-Capturing Mirror. Zhao Changhe had simply picked it up and handed it to her, and she had then shrunk it down to a palm-sized mirror, storing it in a ring. Naturally, she still carried it.

She scowled, but she took it out, and then... she froze.

The sapphire around her neck did not bring liveliness like the green jade bracelet had. Instead, it accentuated her stillness, her mystery. It amplified her inherent beauty into something hauntingly alluring. It was like a pond hidden in the deepest night suddenly blooming with demonic flowers on its banks.

Somewhere behind her, the old shopkeeper audibly gulped.

A few girls entering the shop gasped. “She’s... so beautiful...”

Ye Jiuyou could swear that across all the years and lives she had lived, no one had ever spoken those words about her.

Even the aunties by the rouge and powder counter started beckoning enthusiastically. “Miss, come over here! Try some of our cosmetics! Everything is free to try!”

Before she could even react, Zhao Changhe had already pressed a hand to her shoulder and gently nudged her that way.

Had they gone straight to makeup from the start, Ye Jiuyou would have turned and walked out on the spot. But somehow, after all this, she found herself seated before a vanity, staring into a copper mirror... and had no idea what she was thinking anymore.

The woman in the mirror felt... faintly unfamiliar.

A matronly woman gently dusted her cheeks with a smile. “Miss, you’re honestly the most stunning girl I’ve ever seen. Your skin is already perfect, and it’s truly enviable. Really, you don’t need any makeup at all. It’s just that... maybe you haven’t been eating well? Your complexion’s a bit pale. Just a touch of blush will make everything flawless.”

Behind her, other girls were already scolding Zhao Changhe, “What kind of husband are you, sir? You look so refined, yet your gorgeous wife has such a pale face and plain clothing. The poor thing must be suffering under your care!”

Zhao Changhe bowed in every direction, grinning. “Ladies, your rebukes are well-earned. I’ll make sure she eats well from now on.”

He took a sheet of lip paper[1] and gently held it to her lips. Ye Jiuyou instinctively pressed her lips together and her reflection bloomed. Color lit her lips for the first time, and suddenly, her entire expression took on a vibrant luster.

Ye Jiuyou stared at the mirror in a daze. Why does this feel... like a mortician putting makeup on the dead?

Apart from her, however, one else seemed to share that thought. Around her, there was only a chorus of amazed whispers. “She’s breathtaking... They say Tang Wanzhuang is the most beautiful woman in the world, but I really think that this lady isn’t behind at all!”

“Ahem...” For once, Zhao Changhe’s smile faltered. He stole a glance at Ye Jiuyou’s face.

It was exactly as he feared—her expression had soured. Hearing another woman’s name, especially that one, right now? It could not be worse. And worse still, Tang Wanzhuang was not in the habit of wearing makeup. She was naturally flawless. Meanwhile, she... needed embellishment just to draw even?

Ye Jiuyou let out a sharp, indignant snort.

Thankfully, the next moment, another girl protested, “Come on, has anyone here even seen Tang Wanzhuang? For all we know, people are just fawning over her. This young lady is right in front of us, and look at her! If she had a more flattering outfit, she’d look even more amazing. Clothes make the person, after all!”

Ye Jiuyou snorted again, but this time, she internally agreed. Even if Tang Wanzhuang did not use makeup, she surely had beautiful clothes and adornments, and what was so impressive about that?

Someone else chimed in, “Exactly. And Tang Wanzhuang’s already past thirty, right? No matter how pretty she was, time takes its toll...”

Ye Jiuyou had to actively prevent her jaw from dropping to the floor. Excuse me, what age do you think I am?

With that, she finally snapped. “Zhao—You, I want new clothes!”

Zhao Changhe grinned from ear to ear. “That would be my pleasure.”

Ye Jiuyou turned back to the mirror, staring at her reflection. I must be losing my damn mind.

1. This functions similar to lipstick. ☜

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