Tome of Troubled Times-Chapter 852: The First Clash With Blindie

“You’re pressing... a little too hard.” Zhao Changhe studied her for a moment, then suddenly reached out and wiped at the corner of her lips. “Look, it’s a mess now.”

Ye Jiuyou did not even think to resist. His calloused fingers had already brushed away a trace of crimson from her lips.

Unlike the accidental touches in past battles, or even the brief clasping of hands she had dismissed without a thought, this was the first time they had drawn so close by their own volition. It crossed the line of an ordinary relationship between a man and woman, yet Ye Jiuyou did not feel the least bit disturbed. If anything, her heart even began beating a little faster.

From a man who once believed that women only interfered with the speed one could draw their saber, Zhao Changhe had walked a long road. After experiencing romances with all kinds of temperaments, if the level at which he understood women’s hearts was not already at the level of the Ranking of Heaven, then it was at least at the level of the Ranking of Earth. Meanwhile, Ye Jiuyou had lived in eternal solitude, untouched by tenderness. How could she possibly guard against the approach of someone of his caliber?

They say a simpering fool could never get a girl, but that was not always true.

At the very least, for a woman like Ye Jiuyou, who had never really known what it meant to be cared for, this was exactly the kind of approach that worked.

Of course, one could not simply grovel endlessly and blindly. One had to strike a balance... a dance of closeness and restraint, inching ever forward. Like a devil’s hand plucking the strings of the heart, each stroke sending ripples that refused to fade.

So when Zhao Changhe turned and said, “Put it on yourself. I won’t look,” Ye Jiuyou did not even find it odd. She simply bit her lip, stared at his back for a long moment, and huffed, “Don’t think I don’t know you can still see if you’re anywhere nearby.”

She flashed away, vanishing back to her poolside refuge.

The sash slipped. Her gown slid off in silken layers. Ye Jiuyou stared into the mirror at a body like white jade, biting her lip. “Why must it be tinged with pink? What’s wrong with plain white? Human aesthetics are so arrogant.”

She picked up the dudou, holding it up to the light. “Isn’t this white too?”

Contrary to popular belief, women in ancient times did not all wear dudou as undergarments. Most wore simple cloth liners; wearing sheer silk was a risk. If seen through, the distinction between a dudou and a full wardrobe malfunction was negligible. The sheer purple gown she wore now was pure silk, thin as cicada wings. With the dudou, the effect was tantalizing—wanton, even.

She pressed the dudou against her chest, testing the fit in the mirror. The reflection almost did not look like her.

Expressionless, she reached behind her to tie the strings, then slipped the gown back on. In the mirror, the translucent silk revealed the white dudou beneath, her fair limbs laid bare. Dressed, she looked more provocative than undressed—like some courtesan from a brothel. Should she just go join the Four Idols Cult as a deputy cult master?

What am I doing? Dressing up is one thing, but this... this is deliberately dressing up for him. Have I gone mad?

She almost did not want to go back out. Maybe she would just hide here forever.

No. I need the translation.

With a flash, Ye Jiuyou reappeared atop the snowy mountain, her face stony as she extended a slender hand. “Enough. Give me the translation.”

Zhao Changhe did not respond immediately. He simply looked her up and down, eyes full of laughter.

Ye Jiuyou fumed, grabbing him by the collar. “Are you still not done?”

Zhao Changhe just smiled. “You look beautiful.”

“You...” Ye Jiuyou took a deep breath. “The translation. Are you giving it to me or not?”

Zhao Changhe answered with a single word, “Trade.”

Ye Jiuyou’s eyes flared. “If we’re trading, then was all that before?”

Zhao Changhe chuckled and said, “That was the price of your request. If I don’t get a little enjoyment out of this, how can the trade begin?”

Ye Jiuyou had had enough. She sent him flying with a fierce kick.

He soared into the sky, legs crossed and arms folded, then drifted lazily back down, still smiling as he pulled out a slip of paper. “Here’s the translation of a dozen or so characters. For the rest, you’ll have to come back next time.”

Ye Jiuyou’s brows shot up. “Next time?!”

“Of course. I need at least two or three more follow-ups, just to see if you’ll change outfits again.”

“Zhao Changhe, how bored are you?!”

He smiled faintly. “Well, after this, I really won’t have anything left to bargain with. I have to make this last.”

Ye Jiuyou opened her mouth to retort, but said nothing in the end.

Somewhere deep in her heart, she felt an inexplicable pang—regret, or perhaps reluctance. It was hard to say what exactly she was feeling.

With that final remark, the mood finally settled. They exchanged a dozen or so translated characters in silence. A few were duplicates, but overall, it was a productive session.

Ye Jiuyou knew these few words were far from enough to decipher the carvings. Still, she made a show of scrutinizing them, comparing them against the source, though even she was not sure what she was really looking at.

She snuck a glance at Zhao Changhe, only to find that he was not even looking at the carvings. Instead, he was simply watching her with great interest.

With a sigh, Ye Jiuyou said, “You’d better go. You’re just a nuisance here.”

Zhao Changhe did not argue with her. He gave a smile and said, “I’ll come back tomorrow for the next set.”

With that, he turned and strode off without another word.

Ye Jiuyou watched him go, instantly regretting her last remark. Calling him a nuisance meant that he could disturb her peace, and that meant that he had stirred her heart. For someone like her, that line was not just a dismissal. It was tantamount to admitting just how well his methods were working.

She did not know if Zhao Changhe had caught the implication. But whether he did or not, the outcome was already set. With her emotions in such turmoil, if a true enemy were to appear now, she would likely be killed before she could recover her composure.

Ye Jiuyou glanced cautiously from side to side. What if Ye Wuming chose this moment to launch a sneak attack?

She sighed and pressed her fingers to her temples, feeling a headache coming on. If she wanted to purge the mental chaos stirred up by that damned man, she would probably need several days to cool off. But of course, he would not give her that chance. He would be back tomorrow, without a doubt.

Even his departure now was likely calculated, just enough not to push too hard.

He’s too good at this... Once it was clear that this was a battle of hearts and not blades, she did not stand a chance. It was like trying to resist an expert at the Profound Control Realm while she was still at the Profound Gate Realm.

* * *

“How’d it go, how’d it go? Any progress?” The moment Zhao Changhe returned, the women were on him like hawks.

Unfortunately, there was no way Zhao Changhe could share the details of his flirtation tactics in front of his own women. Just thinking about it made his scalp tingle. He could only skip the summary and get straight to the point. “I’m going back tonight. There’s no point waiting for tomorrow.”

Xia Chichi leaned in, curious. “Why at night? For her, nighttime is essentially daytime. A night raid wouldn’t mean anything, would it?”

Zhao Changhe pressed a palm to her head, exasperated. “What’s going on in that little brain of yours? A real night raid would get me beaten to death, alright? I’m no match for her right now. I have my reasons.”

“So, getting beat up means the progress wasn’t great?” Lady Three sighed melodramatically. “It looks like we humans really are too defenseless. Just shelter one from wind and rain on a deserted island, and they hand over body and soul.”

Huangfu Qing offered helpfully, “Then maybe you need to stage a damsel-in-distress scene. A standard playbook won’t cut it anymore.”

Zhao Changhe could not help but laugh. “You’re really not afraid of inviting a god-level storm into your backyard? All of you seem really up for this.”

“Should we be afraid of her?” Huangfu Qing scoffed. “We were going to kill her in the first place, remember? Why would we be afraid now? How about this: our Four Idols Formation is complete, right? Let’s go beat her up. You step in to defend her. I bet she’d swoon on the spot.”

Lady Three clapped. “Yes! The hero saves the beauty and shows he’s willing to defy his own side for her.”

Yue Hongling covered her face in despair. “What a load of nonsense. If the lot of you seriously showed up to beat up Ye Jiuyou, she’d know it was all for show. With your intelligence, no wonder she mopped the floor with you.”

...Though, come to think of it, I was the first one to fall. Yue Hongling covered her face even deeper.

Zhao Changhe laughed in spite of himself. “Alright, enough with the stupid ideas. Progress is actually much better than you think... Honestly, Ye Jiuyou is far from some cold, deathly void. Right now, her emotional volatility is off the charts. I just really don’t want to talk about this in front of you all—it makes me feel like an absolute scumbag.”

As he spoke, he handed the dozen or so characters from Ye Jiuyou to Piaomiao. “Here. This might relate to the world’s deepest secrets. My exploration into the ancient past is nearing its climax... If you’ve any chance to ascend to a higher realm, the key likely lies here. Start studying it and see if it sparks anything.”

Piaomiao took the slip and asked, “You still haven’t broken through to the third layer of the Profound Control Realm?”

Zhao Changhe shook his head. “The barrier’s loose, but I still need a trigger. It’s not something I can force.”

Piaomiao said, “Maybe these inscriptions made by the Heavenly dao are exactly the trigger you need. Are you really just going to keep trading them little by little like this?”

“What’s a few days?” Zhao Changhe shrugged. “Anyway, have any of you seen signs of a breakthrough?”

Everyone shook their heads, each heaving a quiet sigh.

The completion of the Four Idols did not just mean the Four Idols Formation was perfected, it also meant their cultivation paths could intertwine, drawing and complementing each other. The Heavenly River was an ideal place for cultivation, rich in spirit qi and full of insight. Even Xia Chichi, whose progress had always lagged behind, had broken through to the second layer of Profound Control Realm after training here. Her cultivation speed of late had been astonishing. So everyone had been comfortably ensconced at the Heavenly River, taking their time with cultivation. If they were going to train somewhere, why not here?

But the third layer of the Profound Control Realm was a true bottleneck. The ancient Four Idols had never managed to cross it. For them to do it now, within a short time, would be no easy feat.

And yet, they differed from the ancients in one critical way. Just as Dark Oblivion had said, the ancient demon gods all had predetermined limits. Modern cultivators did not. The limits that once held back the ancient Four Idols might not hold them back.

Piaomiao’s revelation of the concept of immortality had offered them a potential path, but it was not enough. Whether they could truly break through, none of them had any confidence. Even Zhao Changhe was not particularly optimistic about his own chances.

As the final revelation of the ancient secrets drew near, the pressure only mounted. The third layer of the Profound Control Realm was the pinnacle—without reaching it, did they even qualify to stand on the stage that was coming?

For a moment, all the levity in the room vanished. Everyone fell into quiet meditation.

Piaomiao flipped through the dozen or so characters obtained from Ye Jiuyou, frowning as she studied them. After a moment of silence, she said in a low voice, “Changhe, the more of these inscriptions we decipher, the greater the chance of forcibly grasping their meaning. In other words, if we’re only missing a few characters, it might be possible to brute-force our way through. But with what we have right now, forcing a breakthrough could trigger a backlash. What do you think? Should I try it?”

“Of course not. We can still keep trading with Jiuyou, so why rush?”

“But... do you think Jiuyou might try to force it?”

Zhao Changhe’s heart skipped a beat. He lowered his voice. “That’s bad... I need to check on her.”

Ye Jiuyou stood quietly before the mirror, gazing at the unfamiliar woman reflected within. Her eyes were like autumn waters, her face tinged with the blush of spring blossoms. The sheer purple gauze barely veiled the pure white dudou beneath. The look was pure, yet suggestive.

She had to admit that she looked stunning. Ye Jiuyou knew exactly how much damage this appearance could do to a man, but this was not her; this was not the real Jiuyou.

She had nearly forgotten what she was supposed to look like.

She reached for the sash at her waist, intending to change out of the outfit... She could always put it back on tomorrow when he came.

But her hand paused mid-motion. If she was just going to wear it again tomorrow for his sake, what was the point of changing at all? No one else was going to see it.

—This was, in fact, why Zhao Changhe had planned to come at night. He wanted to see if she would end up not changing, just for tomorrow’s meeting.

That very thought sent a chill down Ye Jiuyou’s spine.

Was she really about to go out of her way just to look good for him? Dressing herself up, flowering herself up for his gaze, greeting his desire with no intention of resisting?

Ye Jiuyou took a deep breath and walked to the edge of the pool, pressing a hand to the stone that had been carved with the inscriptions of the Heavenly Dao.

They had deciphered more of the text now. Was it enough to attempt a forced interpretation? Did she really need to keep letting him lead her by the nose? If this went on, he would not just hold the initiative in their cooperation; he would be dragging her very heart into chaos.

If he showed up tomorrow only to find she had already solved everything on her own—that she no longer needed him—would that not disrupt his plans and let her seize back the advantage?

Ye Jiuyou remained silent for a moment, then slowly made up her mind.

She had already dressed in a dudou for him today and even played at the ritual intimacy of married couples, and she had not resisted at all. If she let this go any further, what would become of her?

The risk of forcing the interpretation was real, but it had to be done if she wanted to reclaim control. She could not afford to spiral any deeper.

A ripple of energy gathered in her palm and spread over the stone slab. She fully immersed her spirit, beginning the forced deciphering of the carving.

She did not know how much time had passed before she suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, slumping against the slab with a pale face, chest heaving.

She had failed... Her spirit felt churned, her meridians thrown into disarray.

As expected, the matters of the Heavenly Dao could not be rushed. To force them was to court disaster.

Now, she was in trouble... Though the injuries were not too serious and two days of careful rest would suffice to recover, even if Ye Wuming had not planned to strike before, she certainly would now.

Just as the thought flickered through her mind, a chill surged up from her core.

A familiar and terrifying force pierced through space-time. A hand like white jade crashed toward her Tianling point. “To think you actually let yourself fall into such disarray over a man... and at such a time, no less?”

“Ye! Wu! Ming!” Ye Jiuyou burst forth with a palm strike to meet the attack.

Even injured, she was no lamb to be slaughtered! If she was going down, she would make sure the other paid the price!

Bang!

Their palms collided. At the same time, space twisted beside Ye Wuming, and a massive saber came crashing down from above.

Ye Wuming was momentarily taken aback. Her left palm struck the side of Dragon Bird, deflecting it. The distraction reduced the power of her strike against Ye Jiuyou. Ye Jiuyou still spat blood and was sent flying, but the impact was not nearly as severe as it could have been.

Zhao Changhe, too, staggered back with blood at his lips, but rebounded like a spring and charged again. “Blindie, care to talk?”

Ye Wuming’s figure shimmered and vanished before Dragon Bird could land.

Her voice echoed from the void, light with laughter, “So this is what it feels like to truly cross blades with you... It’s rather amusing. Until next time then.”

“You damn blind woman, get back here!” Zhao Changhe roared, slashing once more at empty air. However, Ye Wuming was already gone, her scent lingering faintly in her wake.

Panting, Zhao Changhe turned back. Ye Jiuyou, lips stained with blood, was leaning softly against the pool’s edge, watching him.

The complexity in her gaze was unmistakable. Even in the infinite depths of the void, it shone clear as day.

“Are you badly hurt?” Zhao Changhe no longer cared about Ye Wuming. He rushed forward, supporting her as he pressed a pill into her hand. “I’m not sure if mortal medicine works on you... If you’re okay with it, I’ll aid you with the Rejuvenation Art. Just don’t resist my energy when it enters your body.”

But Ye Jiuyou said nothing of her injuries. She just stared at him, her expression deeply conflicted. “You... really drew your blade against Ye Wuming for me?”

Zhao Changhe blinked, then chuckled. “Isn’t that the final goal of our collaboration? Ganging up on Ye Wuming? What, you’re still questioning my sincerity?”

Ye Jiuyou managed a faint smile. “Why did you show up so timely? It’s already strange enough that Ye Wuming could locate this place. Are you saying you can monitor it too?”

“I’d already planned to visit tonight,” Zhao Changhe said. “Then Piaomiao mentioned you might try to decipher the text by force, so I rushed over early. And sure enough... Honestly, what is it with you women? I was going to give you the rest of the characters tomorrow. Why go looking for trouble?”

Ye Jiuyou did not answer that. She sighed softly. “I’m starting to wonder... if Ye Wuming is deliberately helping you.”

The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel