Chapter 820 (1): What Can Be Done to Those Bound

In truth, Piaomiao had already regained clarity. She now stood fully conscious, face-to-face with Cui Yuanyang, the two of them bound tightly together by the chains.

There was simply no separating them, so Zhao Changhe could only restrain them both at once.

Clear-minded or not, Piaomiao’s aura remained ferocious and volatile, a tempest of violent intent. She thrashed and writhed incessantly. Cui Yuanyang could even see her face twisted with malice. Once a figure of cold, elegant beauty, she was now more like a venomous harpy.

Her thoughts were fully consumed by inner demons. At this moment, Piaomiao was a demon driven by hatred.

Had she regained clarity a moment sooner, Zhao Changhe would never have been able to bind her so easily. Fortunately, he had acted while she was still dazed. Now, no matter how much fury burned within her, she could not escape the grasp of that bizarre artifact.

“You dare bind me?! Once I break free, none of you will be left with a whole corpse!”

Cui Yuanyang tried to speak to her gently. “Big Sis—”

She had not even finished the word when the demonized Piaomiao snarled, cutting her off. “Who’s your big sister?! I’ll devour you whole! You have no reason to exist!”

Cui Yuanyang sighed wearily. This big sister of hers would not even spare her own kin. From the force of Piaomiao’s struggles, she had the ominous feeling that the chains might not hold for long. If Zhao Changhe could not resolve this soon and Piaomiao broke free, he might not be able to defeat her...

“Why aren’t you saying anything? Aren’t you always the sweet-talker, always so good at pretending to be weak?”

“...So you know I often pretend to be fragile,” Cui Yuanyang replied softly. “You’re just too kind. Even when you know it’s an act, you still can’t bear to expose me.”

“That was me being a fool! I never should’ve had such compassion!”

Cui Yuanyang shook her head but did not argue. She knew Piaomiao was only venting rage. There was no point trying to reason with her while she was in this state.

“Why aren’t you speaking? Are you waiting for your dear husband to kill me and rescue you?”

“No,” Cui Yuanyang replied calmly. “Big Brother Zhao would never kill you. If he intended to, he’s had more than enough chances already.”

Clang!

Dragon Bird once again swept backward, deflecting the sword energy from Snow Owl and shielding Cui Yuanyang’s body with unwavering resolve.

Cui Yuanyang continued, “His thoughts are only on protecting us.”

“Us? Please. He is protecting

you

.” Piaomiao sneered. “And carrying you on his back only slows him down. It drastically lowers his chance of survival. Worse still, he’s risking a sudden strike from me the moment I break free. So it’s either abandon you... or die here. Which do you think he’ll choose?”

“He won’t abandon me.”

“Then he’ll die. And so will you. Why do you sound so calm?”

“Because if I live, I live with him, and if I die, I die while he’s holding me. Why should I

not

be calm?”

Piaomiao froze for a moment; the surprise made her even stop struggling.

Cui Yuanyang went on, her voice tranquil, “Honestly, I’d rather he left me behind. That way he could escape. But I know he’d never do that. Talking him into it would only get me scolded... so I’d rather wait here quietly. I believe he’ll find a way through this.”

Piaomiao snapped back to herself, and her anger flared. “People have made solemn vows only to betray them! Do you know how many have broken promises and sacred oaths? Do you know how many have slayed their allies with their own hands?! You don’t even have such a promise with him. What gives you such faith?”

“He’s Zhao Changhe, not Ye Wuming.”

At the mention of that name, fury surged visibly across Piaomiao’s face. But just as she was about to erupt again, she felt a sharp, piercing spiritual strike.

Papiyas and Snow Owl were still giving relentless chase. Papiyas’s spiritual attacks were vast and indiscriminate. Zhao Changhe, Piaomiao, and Cui Yuanyang were all caught in their sweeping reach.

Bound by chains, the two women could not resist. Their only hope lay in the chains being strong enough to block the spiritual attacks. But before the spiritual fluctuations even reached the chains, they were already countered and washed away by a flood of crimson light. The power could not even get close.

At that moment, Zhao Changhe let out a muffled groan, blood trickling from the corners of his eyes. This was a sign his soul had taken a heavy blow. He had split his soul to shield the two women, leaving himself vulnerable.

Cui Yuanyang whispered, “Big Sister, you are wrong. You said he was only protecting me. But he’s protecting you as well. Deep down, you know it.”

As she finished, her strength faltered. Her spirit, overwhelmed, slipped into unconsciousness.

Piaomiao tried to retort, but there was no one left to hear. Her conversation partner had fallen asleep. With no one to direct her fury toward, Piaomiao was left in silence. She could only turn inward, trying to break free of the Soul-Shackling Chain while keeping one eye on Zhao Changhe’s ongoing battle.

Though their exchange of words seemed lengthy, it was all carried out between their souls, so it had taken no more than an instant. Zhao Changhe’s skirmish during this time had amounted to no more than a single exchange. They had not even made it far in their retreat.

And at this moment, Zhao Changhe was not in good shape.

The greatest damage remained that earlier palm strike from Piaomiao, which had nearly shattered his ribs. It was a severe blow to his combat strength. If not for that, he might not even need to flee.

Within the chaos, a strange flicker of guilt stirred in Piaomiao’s heart, but it was swiftly drowned beneath the sea of rage and hate.

Still, Piaomiao’s judgment remained intact. She could clearly see that Zhao Changhe’s flight was not to safety. There was no safety within the Heavenly Demon Illusion Realm. True safety lay only in leaving this secret realm, but with someone dragging him down, teleportation was all but impossible. The slightest delay would plunge them into extreme peril.

In truth, Zhao Changhe’s overt retreat was nothing more than a means to buy time for recovery. With his Eternal Blood Demon Body and the Rejuvenation Art, he could recover rapidly. He appeared to be fleeing, but in truth, he was setting the stage for a reversal kill.

A bold and valiant plan, indeed.

But Papiyas did not conform to the rules of conventional combat. The battle in Chang’an, when Zhao fought what he believed to be a clone of Papiyas, had no real reference value. Piaomiao doubted Zhao Changhe even understood that what he had fought in Chang’an was not truly a clone, but merely one of Papiyas’s countless manifestations.

Anyone could be Papiyas.

Just like Piaomiao now. She bore Piaomiao’s face and she wielded Piaomiao’s power and techniques, yet she was entirely warped in temperament and intentions. She was Papiyas.

Every plant, every beast, every wisp of air in this realm could be Papiyas. He existed freely in all forms. Zhao Changhe’s desperate flight held little meaning against such an entity.

Sure enough, as Zhao Changhe continued running, he noticed the scenery ahead shifting. He entered a serene valley filled with birdsong and blossoms.

Dusk painted the sky golden, slanting rays bathing the land. At the edge of a sea of flowers stood a woman clad in black robes and veil, quietly gazing at the blooms.

Zhao Changhe burst into the scene. The woman turned to look at him, but her eyes remained closed, unreadable.

Ye Wuming.

Zhao Changhe abruptly halted. This time, he truly could not tell whether this Ye Wuming was another illusion conjured by Papiyas or if the real Ye Wuming was truly waiting here. By all logic, it had to be an illusion... But the possibility that this was the real one could not be dismissed.

Either way, the answer was simple: strike first. If it was the real Ye Wuming, his attack would do nothing anyway. So why hesitate? Thus, without a word, Zhao Changhe slashed at her.

His strike landed true, yet it was like slicing water with a blade. His strike did no damage and faced no resistance.

Ye Wuming finally spoke, “So this is your current strength? How disappointing.”

Zhao Changhe did not bother replying. He dashed past her, continuing his flight.

With a wave of her hand, Ye Wuming summoned a curtain of night that descended from the heavens like a drawn veil, blocking the path ahead. He could no longer pass through.

With this level of power, this is very likely the real Ye Wuming...

Zhao Changhe finally spoke, “Not blocking me anymore? Fine. Tell me your WeChat ID and we can talk later. I’ve got no time to chat right now. Oh, and help hold off Papiyas, would you?”

Ye Wuming glanced past him.

Zhao Changhe did not need to look back. With his Overlooking Eye, he clearly saw four figures emerging in the rear. It was the ancient Four Idols.

“Let’s go,” Ye Wuming said. “The Four Idols will hold them off. They won’t catch up. As for everything else, I’ll explain.”

“Alright.” Zhao Changhe, still carrying Piaomiao, followed her into the flower garden. He quickly noticed that the scenery resembled the medicinal garden he had seen back with Ying Five.

Judging by the design, it looked like they had been transported into the ancient era—the Night Emperor’s rear garden, perhaps?

He walked alongside Ye Wuming for a time, not in the mood to admire the scenery. “Now, explain.”

Ye Wuming leaned a little closer, studying the figure on his back. She smiled lightly. “This is the clearest split between Piaomiao and Cui Yuanyang you’ll ever find. It’s also the best moment you’ll ever have to kill her. Why didn’t you take it? Have you fallen for her?”

Zhao Changhe replied, “Why would I need a reason? She was corrupted by Papiyas. The reason she’s like this is because her inner demons were triggered. This isn’t who she really is.”

Piaomiao: “...”

Ye Wuming said, “And what if I told you that this is who she is now? That she’ll never come back?”

“I wouldn’t believe you. Worst case, I’ll drag her to the monks and have them figure it out. That’s their specialty.”