Chapter 825 (2): The Beginning of Separation

Papiyas said lazily, “Surely you’re not going to let me go over that kind of question. Come on. What else do you want to know? Just get on with it.”

“Third...” Zhao Changhe’s voice dropped. “Can you directly remove Piaomiao’s corruption?”

Piaomiao blinked, taken aback. Indeed... Compared to killing Papiyas and hoping it worked, having him undo it himself seemed like the safer and more reliable approach.

Papiyas snorted. “Aren’t you just chasing your own tail? The optimal solution is to leave Piaomiao in the pagoda. The Buddhist purification will cleanse her demonic qi over time. While it might be painful, it is also undoubtedly effective.”

Zhao Changhe frowned. “Painful, huh... How long would it take?”

Papiyas replied, “Depends on how competent these bald donkeys are. Could be several years if they’re slow. Months if they’re fast.”

“That's not good enough!” Zhao Changhe said flatly. “Is there any other way?”

Papiyas looked genuinely confused. “What's the problem with that? For beings like us, what are months or years? They're but the blink of an eye.”

“Because it’ll hurt. You’re talking about months, maybe even years, of torment? Don’t be ridiculous. You caused this. If she must suffer for it, I’ll make sure you suffer a hundredfold in return.”

Piaomiao said nothing, her lips pressed tight.

Papiyas was equally speechless for a moment, then finally muttered, “Well... there might be other ways. But they’re tricky. Karma and whatnot, you know? Whatever seed you plant, you must then bear the fruit it bears. You’ll need to ask these monks if any among them truly understands karma. See if they can sever her karmic root. As for other solutions, forget them. Unless her inner demon is fully resolved, killing me won’t help her one bit.”

Zhao Changhe’s heart trembled slightly.

That might actually be feasible. But I can't count on a group of monks whose strongest is only at the first layer of the Profound Control Realm. The only one I can rely on is myself. Unfortunately, my understanding of karma is still too shallow. Hm, maybe the Buddhist sects have certain techniques I could study...

“I’ll give it a try myself first,” Zhao Changhe said. “Now, last question... You’ve fragmented yourself into countless incarnations. Do you know of a method to separate a reincarnated form from the soul of a previous life?”

“If you can truly distinguish between the two and perform a flawless severing, then yes, I do know a method to create an independent clone.”

𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

“How?”

A trace of malicious glee tinged Papiyas’s voice. “Another case of chasing your own tail. You’ve never heard of the Buddhist lotus platform’s power to manifest a corporeal body?”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

Right... That’s how Nezha

[1]

did it, wasn’t it?

He suddenly remembered the lotus platform he had found in the Maitreya secret realm long ago. People had said it possessed extraordinary vitality and life force. Back then, everyone had taken a petal. He himself had used one to temper his body with remarkable results.

And that was just a lotus grown in a forgotten courtyard of some ancient temple. This was the very heart of the Buddhist sects. Surely, there were even stronger versions here. If he could obtain one of suitable quality, even Piaomiao might be able to forge a body anew. And with the page of life he had in his possession, the odds would be even better.

But that... was probably the lifeblood of the Buddhist sects. No wonder Papiyas’s tone was so gleefully wicked. He knew how much trouble Zhao Changhe would stir up if he tried this.

After a moment of silence, Zhao Changhe turned to Yuan Cheng. “Keep him suppressed here for now. Let me try a few things before we decide anything further.”

Papiyas let out a cold chuckle. “I’ve answered everything you asked... Word is that Zhao Changhe always keeps his promises. I’d like to see if that’s true.”

Zhao Changhe did not even glance back. “I’m not you.”

Yuan Cheng hesitated, then followed him down the pagoda. Only once they had exited did he ask in a low voice, “King Zhao... Do you truly intend to release Papiyas? He's a Heavenly Demon! He must not be allowed to roam freely...”

Zhao Changhe lowered his voice as well. “We’ll suppress him for now, grind down his strength. Once he’s weakened, there’s bound to be some dog-eat-dog infighting. When that happens, we watch. Letting him go... may well be the beginning of his true death.”

Yuan Cheng’s expression eased slightly. “You have campaigned across the land for years, never once failing in strategy. We trust you.”

Zhao Changhe chuckled. “I thought you’d start by arguing over the lotus platform... but here you are, worrying about setting a demon loose. Not bad, old monk.”

Yuan Cheng rolled his eyes. “Because we don’t even have a proper lotus platform to argue over. That one from Maitreya’s realm? Just to get a single petal, I had to sneak through Tang Buqi’s backdoor. Have you forgotten about that, King Zhao? We tried cultivating a new lotus from that petal, but it hasn’t even bloomed yet...”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

“Then... do you know where I can find one?”

The ancient vajra, who had remained silent until now, finally pressed his palms together and spoke, “The ancient Mount Ling has long since fallen. If such treasures still exist, they’re most likely in the Night Emperor’s private collection.”

Zhao Changhe could not help turning to glance at Piaomiao. Her fists had clenched tightly.

Judging from the fragment of the medicinal pool he’d visited with Ying Five, Ye Wuming probably did have such treasures. If all went as suspected, Ye Wuming likely had a palace, within which a veritable treasury that could rival all three realms[2] combined.

Could it be that if I want to create a new body for Piaomiao, I actually have to go beg Ye Wuming?

Zhao Changhe let out a long sigh and turned to Yuan Cheng. “Can I ask if your temple has any scripture or texts related to karma? I’d like to study them. If compensation is required, feel free to name it.”

Yuan Cheng smiled and said, “Surely you know that Papiyas is our greatest enemy. The act of you capturing him alone places us in a debt more immense than the sky. You’re welcome to any scripture within our temple. As for karma-related texts, we actually have quite a few. It’s just... we’re too ignorant to truly comprehend them.”

Zhao Changhe pressed his palms together in gratitude. “Then I'll have to thank you, Master. I’ve had my share of misconceptions about the Buddhist sects in the past. Your temple has opened my eyes.”

“You’re too kind,” Yuan Cheng said, blinking slyly. “This old monk still believes that you have deep karmic ties to Buddhism. The Sutra Pavilion isn't far. Please, allow me to guide you.”

With Yuan Cheng leading the way, Zhao Changhe collected the texts and returned to the rear courtyard with Piaomiao, both weighed down by their own thoughts.

Zhao Changhe flipped idly through the texts, enjoying the rare moment of quiet beside him. After a while, curiosity got the better of him. “You’ve been unusually quiet this whole time. If it weren’t for the residual demonic qi around you, I’d think you’d already recovered.”

Piaomiao glanced up at him. “Since the person can’t be killed, and nothing can be done, throwing a tantrum would only be tiresome and annoying. As long as it’s not being provoked, demonic intent can be suppressed.”

“You’re afraid of being annoying?”

“...” Piaomiao did not reply.

I'm not afraid of annoying the monks. I'm just afraid of annoying you.

She knew she had acted childishly and recklessly before. Back then, they were not close, so it did not matter how she acted. But now, she did not want to be someone he would find bothersome.

Of the four questions Zhao Changhe had asked Papiyas, the one about the Frost Chi had been a long shot. The one about the Mirror of Illusion and Reality was clearly for Ye Jiuyou. But the other two... were for her. And for that, he was even willing to let a tiger roam free.

No matter what vague or evasive things he had said before, the things Zhao Changhe did were all incredibly substantial. They made her heart settle and left no room for doubt.

Just then, Cui Yuanyang woke up and a voice rang through Piaomiao’s spiritual sea. “Big Sister...”

This little vixen again...

Piaomiao really had no desire to deal with her. This entire mess was her fault.

Cui Yuanyang gave a sheepish smile. “Don’t be mad, Big Sister. I meant well. I thought that if he believed he had you, his inner demon would fade, and you wouldn’t have to be his cure anymore... I really didn’t think you’d wake up...”

Piaomiao responded coldly, “It wouldn’t have made much difference if I had or hadn’t. The body’s yours. His inner demon is gone now, and he looks so serious. He's much more likable now than when he was all glib and oily.”

“So you do like him, then.”

Piaomiao was silent for a moment. Then, she reluctantly replied, “I don’t know.”

Cui Yuanyang asked, “Why don’t you test your heart?”

“What ridiculous scheme do you have now?”

“It’s not like that...” Cui Yuanyang said quickly. “Look at the table.”

The two sat across a stone table. On the table was a tea set. Zhao Changhe sat beside it, reading. Piaomiao glanced over. “What about it?”

“He’s poring over Buddhist texts to find a way to resolve your corrupted state... and how to separate us. Big Sister, would you be willing to brew him a cup of tea? If not, I will. His inner demon may be gone, but his mind is still strained. Even if you don’t feel for him, I do.”

Piaomiao sat in silence for a long while before finally speaking softly, “I’ll do it. He’s burdening himself for my sake. It’s only right I serve him tea.”

The scent of tea began to waft gently through the rear courtyard of the temple. Bamboo rustled softly in the breeze, the fragrance mingling in the quiet. Zhao Changhe was so immersed in the texts that he nearly forgot himself and nearly mistook the moment for being beside Tang Wanzhuang.

But when he looked up, the round face before him still belonged to Cui Yuanyang or so it seemed. Her eyes were hidden behind the gentle veil of steam rising from the tea, making it impossible to tell.

A delicate hand held out the cup, her voice calm and quiet as she said, “You haven’t fully recovered. Don’t strain yourself too hard... Take a break. There’s no rush.”

For a moment, Zhao Changhe felt dazed.

That tone, that gaze... Is it Yangyang? Or Piaomiao?

1. Mythical character who is resurrected by Buddhas in a golden pagoda. ☜

2. This is just referring to the world in its entirety. ☜