Tome of Troubled Times-Chapter 885: The Third Card

Even Ye Wuming, who had merged with the Heavenly Tome, could still enter and exit it freely, traversing the myriad realms without hindrance. If she possessed a physical body, then would her state not mirror that of Ling Ruoyu?

However, Ye Wuming would never find herself without clothes. And as for Ling Ruoyu... Well, she could probably bring her clothes along too if she was skilled enough.

When Zhao Changhe returned to the altar, the trio from the Four Idols Cult were surrounding Ling Ruoyu, sitting cross-legged, chins propped on hands, eyes gleaming with an eerie shine.

The girl clutched her robes tightly and sat huddled in place, looking very much like a pitiful child who had just been ravaged by a gang of old witches.

“Well?” Zhao Changhe asked. “What did you find out?”

“For now, all we can say is that there’s a faint sense of rejection. One realm seems to repel items from another,” Lady Three replied. “But whether that’s the true explanation remains to be confirmed. If it is, then with enough practice, Ruoyu might be able to bring items into that space after all. It’s her realm, and she makes the rules... hopefully.”

Huangfu Qing added, “Considering that you were the master of River of Stars, if you think of it from that angle, then defining its rules should be within your power as well.”

The room fell silent after that, and each person was lost in thought.

By this logic, was this not essentially a reflection of the relationship between the Heavenly Dao and Jiuyou?

Zhao Changhe’s gaze shifted toward River of Stars, then circled to rest upon Dragon Bird. He mused quietly.... If one day they no longer heeded his call and instead chose their own paths, how would he feel?

Perhaps it would be akin to watching a daughter leave home to marry—an ache in the heart, but not something unforgivable. Yet to others, this was no tender farewell between kin but rather the betrayal of a master by their servant. And that, they would never accept. They would try to crush that independence and force it back under their heel.

It was not hard to imagine.

In truth, the Heavenly Tome might originally have been the Heavenly Dao’s artifact. But once Jiuyou awakened, she never acknowledged Him as her master. The Heavenly Dao tried to impose that bond and failed, and thus began the long string of manipulations that followed.

Looked at this way, the Heavenly Tome must be an incredibly high-grade artifact for it to even be capable of being unwilling to accept a master. It was much like how the Dragon Bird had behaved when Zhao Changhe first acquired it. Back then, it had only shown faint traces of sentience and had not yet evolved into the bratty twin-pigtailed gremlin she was now. It acknowledged him purely due to his Six Harmonies Art, allowing him to use it as a saber. Only after its saber spirit awakened did it truly gain autonomy, and had it not recognized him then, it might well have flown off on its own.

And what did Zhao Changhe do?

He pinned it down and beat the hell out of it, forcibly producing a twin of the original spirit, which he then defined himself. And was that not the exact same relationship between the Heavenly Dao and the Ye sisters?

If so, then perhaps the Heavenly Dao truly needed the Heavenly Tome, much like Zhao Changhe needed the Dragon Bird. He could still fight without River of Stars or the Dragon Soul Bow, but if Dragon Bird was gone, that was another matter entirely. He would probably end up kneeling, pleading, and groveling to bring that annoying twin-pigtailed brat back.

Perhaps the Heavenly Dao’s relentless pursuit stemmed from the same need.

There might be more to it, but this was likely a major part of the problem.

Returning to the core issue, if an awakened artifact refused to recognize its master, there was only one possibility: a fundamental incompatibility in nature or temperament. This meant the Heavenly Tome was likely not created by the Heavenly Dao at all but acquired by accident. If it had been custom-made to suit its creator, there would have been no rejection in the first place.

If someone like Ye Wuming could stumble upon a treasure like the Heavenly Tome, then surely there were other such artifacts scattered across the myriad realms, waiting to be found.

To roam freely among the myriad realms, discovering such hidden wonders... That was Zhao Changhe’s ultimate dream. And maybe it was Ye Wuming’s dream too.

She had defined River of Stars’ foundation as the starry night, but this starry night was not based on the constructs of this world. It was modeled after the true cosmos.

In the previous era, she had fallen short of completing it due to her incomplete understanding. But in this era, she passed the torch to someone who could comprehend the true vastness of the universe, and only then was River of Stars born.

River of Stars’ innate abilities of spatial traversal and breaking through the spatial barriers were no accident. They were born of that cosmic origin.

Whether she could truly pierce through and break out of the barrier of the world was still uncertain; she probably lacked the strength to do so for the time being. But as for reaching the Night Palace? That much was already within reach.

As Zhao Changhe sat deep in thought, the others around him assumed he was grappling with the idea of redefining River of Stars. After a long silence, Ling Ruoyu finally spoke up, her voice soft and hesitant. “If... Master Zhao, if you wish to help define River of Stars, I... I’m willing.”

It was nothing more than reestablishing their bond. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t acknowledged him before.

Zhao Changhe blinked and snapped out of his reverie. Smiling, he said, “No need. River of Stars is River of Stars’ own River of Stars.”

Ling Ruoyu: “...”

Do you really have to speak in such a confusing manner?

“I’ll step aside for a bit,” Zhao Changhe added. “Ruoyu, return to the sword. I’ll try sensing it again afterward.”

With that, he turned and left once more.

When he returned, Ling Ruoyu was gone. Only River of Stars floated silently in the air.

Zhao Changhe seated himself before it and placed his hand on the blade.

The Four Idols Cult trip couldn’t help but wonder if the girl was feeling anything.

Of course, Ling Ruoyu did not feel anything at all, at least physically. Psychologically, however, it was a different story. It was unnervingly awkward, like a rebellious teenage girl having her head patted by her father in front of her chuckling aunts.

How strange...

Zhao Changhe, for his part, had no such thoughts. At this moment, he was focused entirely on one thing, which was visiting the Night Palace.

He had discussed matters regarding the Heavenly Dao with Chichi before, and the more he thought about it, the more he realized it could not be delayed any further. He needed to make contact with the damned blind woman and exchange some information before things spiraled out of control.

Had Ruoyu agreed to return to her sword spirit form earlier, Zhao Changhe could have simply used River of Stars to find the Night Palace long ago. But since the girl had stepped out to claim autonomy, that was not possible, at least not until now. By pure chance, she had reentered the sword, and that opened the path once more.

Of course, he could only go alone. It was no longer feasible to bring a whole group charging in with him.

As for danger? Aside from possibly losing custody of his daughter, there was not much to worry about.

People had always assumed that Ye Wuming was his biggest threat. But thinking about it carefully, what reason did she really have to kill him? And was it worth triggering a massive war in the three realms? If there was a motive, maybe it was that she did not want to be romantically pursued. But Zhao Changhe knew she was not that shallow.

He slowly gathered his focus and traced the threads of karma through River of Stars.

Time and space began to shift, and the river flowed in reverse.

In Piaomiao’s mist, the ancient Black Tortoise traversed mountains and rivers, finally arriving at the Night Palace. “Your Majesty, the materials required for River of Stars are mostly gathered. Only a few remain. Items like Night Flowing Sand still need to be sourced.”

Ye Wuming took the materials into her hands and fell into a long silence.

Black Tortoise blinked. “Your Majesty?”

“My intent remains incomplete... There isn’t enough time. I am unworthy of River of Stars,” Ye Wuming murmured, almost to herself. “At best, I can forge a rough form. It will have to be completed by another in a future time.”

As her words faded, flames ignited in her palm.

She was forging a sword, using her own hand as the forge.

Watching the materials melt and gradually take shape into a sword, Black Tortoise was deeply impressed. Still, he gently reminded her, “Your Majesty... the Night Flowing Sand...”

“The dark of night flows like water, space slips through our fingers like sand,” Ye Wuming whispered. “It’s true that the sword’s awakening will ultimately require it. But without the complete intent or essence, this sword cannot be forged in full. Let it be set aside. Whether in reincarnation or another form, only I can finish this. Better that than letting some stranger benefit.”

Black Tortoise asked, “Then what would you have me do?”

“Take the sword blank. Place it together with my token and the Atlas of Mountains and Rivers. When the time comes to find the Night Flowing Sand, that will be your guide.” She paused for a moment, her gaze distant, as if peering into the depths of fate. Her expression turned faintly strange, and she added, “If the heavens collapse and it must be safeguarded, then just place a simple concealment array over it. Nothing too difficult. As for the location, anywhere is fine. Only I will have the fate to find it.”

Black Tortoise blinked, confused. “Why such a simple setup?”

“If a new era ever comes, then it will belong to mankind. Their strength will be limited. Their cultivation likely capped at the Profound Gate. Don’t leave behind problems they won’t be able to solve...”

Black Tortoise gave a solemn nod, then proceeded to watch in silence as the sword blank finally took shape.

A faint tremor stirred the threads of space and time. Ye Wuming frowned and turned only for the vision to fracture like shattered glass.

They were in the very same place, separated by an entire era.

The completed River of Stars emerged abruptly in the void. At that moment, far away, Ye Wuming sensed something. She flickered through space and arrived instantly.

Her eyes landed at once on the man standing exactly where Black Tortoise had stood, River of Stars in hand, his gaze turning back to meet hers.

Ye Wuming froze, rooted in place.

They stared at one another, silently locked in each other’s eyes.

Zhao Changhe looked into those bright, serene eyes for a long, long time. Then he smiled. “Such beautiful eyes spent three years on my body, truly a waste.”

Beneath the subterranean sky, the trio from the Four Idols Cult gaped at the now-empty altar. Xia Chichi exploded in fury. “He just swore we’d live or die together, and now he’s run off on his own?! Does he really think Ye Wuming won’t kill him?”

Meanwhile, Ye Wuming herself was saying, “Do you truly believe I wouldn’t kill you?”

Zhao Changhe looked at her earnestly. “Our child needs a father.”

Ling Ruoyu: “...”

Ye Wuming: “...”

“You’ve been waiting for me to come to you for days, haven’t you?”

Ye Wuming’s voice was ice-cold. “Truly insufferably self-righteous.”

“Those words... I should return them to you. I’ve tried to speak to you, time and again. And when have you ever not done things your own way?”

Ye Wuming turned her face aside. “And what was the result? Everything resolved beautifully in the end.”

“No shit, you think suicide is beautiful? Do you even know what that word means?” Zhao Changhe laughed coldly. “Fine, ending your own life is your own business. No one can interfere with that, but what about the future you plotted for everyone else? Did you ask Jiuyou? Did you ask Piaomiao for permission to kill her? Did you ask me or Old Xia before forcefully bringing us to this world? You claim to oppose the Heavenly Dao, but tell me, what’s the difference between you and Him?”

Ye Wuming replied calmly, “Perhaps there is no difference. If there is... then maybe it’s that I never intended to survive. I would pay for His death with my life. Once I’m dead, all debts are settled. What is there to be angry about?”

“Is that why you were so set on sacrificing yourself?”

“If you had followed my plan—my death, your rise as Heavenly Emperor, ruling over the three realms—then, given time, you would have become able to break through the barriers between worlds and return home. From the beginning, I’ve never lied to you.”

“You absolutely lied.”

“Oh?” Ye Wuming raised an eyebrow. “What exactly did I lie about?”

Zhao Changhe’s voice turned icy. “The Night Emperor card. I drew it myself, you didn’t give it to me. That was my destiny, not yours to dictate.”

“What difference does that make? Who do you think handed the title of Night Emperor to you piece by piece? Along with the entirety of the Four Idols Cult? What else could you possibly want?”

“But what I drew... was it truly the title of Night Emperor? Or the Night Emperor herself?”

Ye Wuming blinked. “?”

Zhao Changhe suddenly stepped forward. “You seek death, but was it merely a calculated tactic? Or was it that you couldn’t stand the thought of ending up in my hands?”

Ye Wuming’s eyes sharpened. “You’re courting death.”

“You can’t kill me,” Zhao Changhe said flatly, slowly drawing Dragon Bird and pointing it forward. “You haven’t surpassed the Profound Control Realm. You’re still half a step away, and everything else is just bluster.”

Ye Wuming stared at his blade, then suddenly smiled. “And what makes you so sure I haven’t broken through? That clash above Tiger Hill?”

“Exactly. Even if I can fight most others beyond my level, I wouldn’t dare try that against you. If you had truly reached beyond the Profound Control Realm, those two strikes atop Tiger Hill would have crushed me. That’s one judgment. The other is that the Heavenly Dao is still trying to breach this world. It’s probably not because he’s gone mad, but because he still thinks he can win. If you had truly already broken through, He’d know His chance was gone, but He knows that you haven’t. He’s rushing because He knows His time is running out.”

Ye Wuming let out a soft sigh. “Oh, Zhao Changhe, if only you weren’t quite so clever, you’d be far more endearing....”

“Because what you wanted was a chess piece, not a husband?”

“...” Ye Wuming had no desire to entertain such ambiguous nonsense. Her tone turned cold. “So, does drawing your saber means you’ve come to fight me?”

“That’s right,” Zhao Changhe replied, equally cold. “This is me formally telling you: the pawn you once moved across the board is now your equal. In terms of power and influence, I have already surpassed you. If you still refuse to acknowledge that truth, then I’ll make you face it.”

Ye Wuming narrowed her eyes, studying him for a long moment before speaking. “Then let me see it for myself.”

Even as the words left her lips, her jade-white hand suddenly flashed before Zhao Changhe’s face in an open-handed slap.

Zhao Changhe’s saber moved.

In that instant, time itself seemed to halt. Ye Wuming’s strike failed to land, and her movement froze in midair. Zero time later, Dragon Bird was already at her throat.

Even Ye Jiuyou had fallen prey to such a temporal rupture, frozen for a breath. It was only natural Ye Wuming would be caught as well.

But while she was caught, so was Zhao Changhe. His saber did not move forward. Both of them were immobilized for a fraction of a second, suspended like statues, locked face to face before they violently tore apart, each springing backward.

The moment they landed, Zhao Changhe lunged again like a tiger, saber flashing in a sweeping arc.

Ye Wuming’s hand shot out, slamming into the flat of his blade.

Bang!

A terrifying shockwave exploded between them. Zhao Changhe was thrown backward, blood slipping from the corner of his mouth.

Ye Wuming remained untouched. She continued forward without pause, her hand slamming straight for his chest. “Is this what you mean when you say that you’re now my equal?”

As he retreated, Zhao Changhe gave a faint smile. “Exactly.”

The fact that he could take a blow and merely stagger, not crumble—that alone marked him as having stepped into the same level as her. They were peers now, whether she admitted it or not. He might lose in a one-on-one, but with enough allies, even Ye Wuming would lose. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Still, he had no intention of calling for backup, at least not today.

Just then, his figure flickered and vanished. Ye Wuming’s palm struck empty air. Then, saber light came crashing toward her back.

However, that strike seemed to pass through endless mountains and rivers, a chasm of dimensions, unable to close the final gap.

Ye Wuming turned unhurriedly and extended a single finger.

Bang!

The moment her fingertip met the tip of the saber, energy erupted again. She staggered slightly and then appeared behind Zhao Changhe.

For a heartbeat, both recalled that dream. The playful dagger-wielding witch, toying with the burly saber-wielder, stabbing him in the back and drifting away, leaving only the scent of perfume.

Back then, she had killed him countless times in the dream world. Maybe the death was not real, but the pain was. Every single time.

That memory flashed through Zhao Changhe’s mind as he turned on instinct, unleashing a textbook spinning slash aimed at her flank. Again, her finger met the side of the saber. Again, blood sprayed from Zhao Changhe’s mouth as he staggered back.

His body hunched low, preparing to spring again, posture aligning into the opening form of Scattering the Gods and Buddhas.

Ye Wuming raised her hand.

No matter what, they had exchanged three moves. Even if he was at a disadvantage, he held his own. If the point was to prove they stood on the same level, then he had done it.

Now it was just about making this stubborn man understand who still held the reins.

Whoosh!

A shadow flashed between them. River of Stars floated in midair, blocking their line of attack. From the blade came the voice of a girl: “Mom, Dad, please stop fighting...”

All of Ye Wuming’s killing intent dispersed into the void. She stood frozen, mouth half open as if she had swallowed a particularly large fly.

Zhao Changhe’s battle aura faded as well. He stared at the floating sword, then broke into a grin. “I may have lost, but it’s an honor to stand before you as a true challenger. It’s taken... thirty-three years.”

Ye Wuming said nothing.

Though they had refrained from using heaven-rending or earth-shattering ultimate techniques, each exchange had been filled with profound mysteries—time and space, illusion and reality, interwoven in lightning-quick succession. The truth of their power had already been revealed.

That dream from long ago had felt like child’s play. No one back then could have imagined a day would come when that brash young man would raise his blade against her for real. Much less that in his eyes, there would be no fear, only a desire for challenge and conquest.

Zhao Changhe said, “Now can we speak openly? About everything... from where the kid’s going to study to matters pertaining to the Heavenly Dao.”

Ye Wuming was silent for a long while, then turned toward a distant corridor. “If we’re going to talk, we can’t do it without wine. Come with me.”

Zhao Changhe stowed away his saber and followed, wiping the blood from his lips.

Then, he said word-by-word, “Ye Wuming... One day, Dragon Bird will get to your throat.”

Ye Wuming did not even look back. Her voice was light as she replied, “I’ll be waiting.”