Chapter 859 (1): The Third Card Once Drawn

In the Heavenly River, within every ripple was a star, and within every star a world unto itself.

If someone chose to hide within this boundless river of stars, not even Ye Wuming, operating at full strength, could locate them in a short time. In fact, it was through this very river that the ancient White Tiger had once made his escape, and Piaomiao had used it to smuggle Zhao Changhe out on the lotus platform.

Bathing here, in short, was the safest option across all three realms.

This time, Zhao Changhe had been away for a while. The women, weary from cultivating on their own, had broken up the monotony; Piaomiao even took it upon herself to challenge the Four Idols Formation for a proper sparring session. The bout left everyone flushed and dripping with sweat, and naturally, they ended up gathering in the river to bathe.

It turned out that, with everyone congregating at the same stretch of river, their husband did not have to try very hard to peek.

While bathing, Piaomiao suddenly sensed her power surging. Her cultivation was unlike that of the others—her strength grew through the flourishing of the mortal realm. And now, she could feel it: the divine land nearing completion, the world itself drawing toward unity.

Guanlong... has been subdued? Or at the very least, it seems that the process has begun. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be receiving so much feedback from the qi veins.

She focused inward. Indeed, her power now exceeded what it had been in the ancient era. She had never reached the true pinnacle of the third layer of the Profound Control Realm. Back then, the ancient Azure Dragon held immense dominion over the mountains and rivers, and even the seas. Yet the seas always remained divided under the Sea Emperor’s partial rule; thus, the unity was incomplete. As a result, the power she received had always lacked that final thread of perfection.

Zhao Changhe, on the other hand, had achieved true unification of land and sea—Lady Three’s indirect dominion over the oceans made sure of that. In terms of influence, he had already surpassed the ancient Azure Dragon.

From a while back, Piaomiao had been aware that... if Zhao Changhe subdued Jiuyou as well, even she might benefit. If he could claim the Night Palace, perhaps even her own bottlenecks could be shattered.

At this very moment, she felt stronger than ever before.

Could it be because of Ye Jiuyou?

It felt like it, but it was such a surreal notion that she began to wonder if she was imagining things.

As this thought crossed her mind, a sudden sensation of someone watching pricked at her senses. Piaomiao tensed. Her spirit flared in silent retaliation, attempting to blind the intruder outright.

Just as her counterattack lashed out, she caught a glimpse of who it was—inside a bedchamber in Chang’an, Zhao Changhe was cuddled up naked with Ye Jiuyou, the two of them clearly engaged in a post-lovemaking conversation.

Piaomiao’s eyes nearly popped out of her skull. The backlash from suddenly withdrawing her own counterattack nearly scrambled her mind.

Is that woman really Ye Jiuyou? She can actually be so demure, so docile, and look like a frail young lady conquered by a mighty bear? HAHAHAHAHA!!! She tricked me into being with him, but now look at her! All nice and battered! But how did it all happen so fast? It’s only been a few days! This is unbelievable!

Wait... Was I like that too when I was with him? Maybe I should’ve peeked a little earlier, then I might’ve caught the whole show....

Flushed and distracted, Piaomiao drifted off in thought.

Meanwhile, the other women, now finished with their bath, gathered at the riverbank to eat and gossip.

“Why is Big Sister Piaomiao taking so long?”

“Maybe ancient demon gods need to scrub more surfaces than we do?”

“Are you saying that she has a... rod to wash?”

“Wouldn’t be impossible... She is smaller than me, so what’s taking her so long?”

“You guys comparing sizes now? Want to try it tonight?”

Piaomiao, who had been ready to emerge, immediately thought better of it. Their shameless banter left her speechless.

I think it might be better to stay hidden for now.

She still struggled to truly blend in with this group... though, to be fair, they were easy to get along with. If she had not integrated yet, it was more a reflection of her own aloofness. Even so, she had grown used to their teasing and did not really mind it anymore.

But now, another one was about to arrive. One colder and crueler.

Would these girls dare joke with her too? Or would it end in a fight?

Piaomiao found herself looking forward to it.

Just then, one voice said, “Tonight? Who knows if that smelly bear’s even coming back. He used to drop in at least once a day, but now he’s gone the whole day without showing up. Clearly, he’s been bewitched by that seductive fox.”

“Come on, you’ve got to be fair; she’s not exactly seductive. She’s more cold-hearted than anything.”

“You don’t understand. Back in Chang’an, I saw her with my own eyes saying she wanted to stir up chaos in our household. Don’t be fooled by that corpse-like face of hers. When she turns it on, she might be even sluttier than that enchantress from Miaojiang.”

Their chatter reached a lively crescendo.

And then, through the mist rising off the river, two figures appeared.

Everyone immediately stopped talking and turned.

The first silhouette was unmistakable. It was Zhao Changhe.

The second walked with a languid, elegant grace, her outline curvaceous and poised. As she drew closer, an invisible pressure surged across the riverbank. A cold and biting sensation crept into their bones, and they felt as if their very blood would freeze, as if their flesh might wither.

It was Ye Jiuyou.

Ye Jiuyou... Is she even stronger now than when we last saw her?

Everyone tensed, instinctively falling into combat stances. The aura she projected was simply too overwhelming. And with those earlier remarks possibly overheard, who knew what was to come next?

Just then, the terrifying figure suddenly staggered, her knees giving out. Zhao Changhe caught her with lightning reflexes. The entire oppressive atmosphere collapsed in an instant.

The expressions on the women’s faces turned... rather peculiar. Meanwhile, Ye Jiuyou’s tightly composed expression shifted through a spectacular range of colors.

I should’ve known not to overdo it just now... Well. I suppose that settles the matter of my face... forever and ever.

“Zhao! Chang! He!” Ye Jiuyou growled through gritted teeth, her voice like something dragged from the depths of the underworld. “This is all your fault...”

Zhao Changhe coughed. “Come on, you guys don’t have to look at me like that. It’s not what you think... Jiuyou recently clashed with Ye Wuming. She’s still recovering from her injuries.”

Does rubbing against the Heavenly Tome count? Well... technically, it isn’t a lie.

A collective exhale swept through the crowd. Apparently, even these women held Ye Jiuyou in high enough regard that they did not want their worldviews shattered.

It was only now that they noticed that Ye Jiuyou looked completely different from the dark-robed figure they had in their minds. She was now wearing a silk gown in a deep violet hue—not even the same one Zhao Changhe had bought her on the first day. She had bought three yesterday, all different in design, but each in that same enigmatic purple. On her wrist was a bracelet of jade-green hue; on her finger, a ring of inky obsidian; at her neck, a sapphire necklace. One could even faintly make out a dudou beneath the gown.

She looked utterly radiant. She was far more seductive and vibrant than before. Her previous “ghostly” beauty had already been striking, but like this, she was utterly breathtaking.

Everyone said in unison, “Ye Jiuyou?!”

Lady Three raised a brow. “Changhe, did you just grab some random woman to impersonate her? Really, there’s no need to put on a show. We wouldn’t mock you even if you hadn’t sealed the deal. But if you’re going to fake it, at least try harder. Ye Jiuyou would never dress like this.”

Ye Jiuyou’s face darkened, but she remained silent.

From the river, Piaomiao stepped lightly across the water and sighed. “It pains me to confirm it, but this is really Ye Jiuyou. Who else could project that level of pressure?”

Lady Three glanced at Piaomiao’s graceful water-walking form, then back at Ye Jiuyou, and suddenly felt that... there was something wrong with all these ancient demon gods.

The male ones, such as Desolate Calamity and Dark Oblivion, had all been hideous, so why were the women all devastatingly beautiful?

Ye Jiuyou finally spoke. “Piaomiao, have you tested their Four Idols Formation?”

Piaomiao replied, “I did recently. It’s formidable. If I enter alone, I’d struggle to break out, but likewise, they’d have difficulty injuring me. It’s a stalemate, more or less. Of course, we didn’t go all-out, so the final outcome is uncertain.”

Ye Jiuyou nodded. “I’d like to test it myself.”

Piaomiao asked, “You came here just for that?”

“Why else?” Ye Jiuyou sneered. “Did you really think I’d come here to make small talk with a bunch of women?”

Xia Chichi turned to Huangfu Qing and said, “Do you see that corpse-digging zombie from the last era? Look at her pretending to be all high and mighty.”

Huangfu Qing: “...”

Ye Jiuyou’s eyes glinted with killing intent.

As expected, she did not get along with the Four Idols. Just seeing them reminded her of the ancient era when their predecessors had fought her to the death—and now, in this new era, they were stealing her man.

I must have been out of my mind to agree to this meeting.

Zhao Changhe quickly stepped between them, grinning awkwardly. “Jiuyou probably knows more about the Four Idols than anyone except Ye Wuming. I invited her here to help analyze the formation. She might be able to spot flaws you haven’t noticed, but there’s no rush. Let’s all try to get along first.... Starting things off with a fight doesn’t help.”

With the way he phrased it, everyone was still uncertain whether or not he had actually succeeded in winning Jiuyou over. Was she officially one of them? It sounded like their relationship was progressing but had not quite crossed the final threshold...

In truth, Ye Jiuyou had agreed to this meeting on one condition: Zhao Changhe was not allowed to announce their relationship. She honestly found it quite hard to shoulder the embarrassment of being conquered in just a few days. She only wondered if Piaomiao had found out already.

Ye Jiuyou snuck a glance at Piaomiao, who was watching her with a faint, amused smile.

Her face flushed, and she flicked her sleeve with annoyance. “What’s there to get familiar with? Are we supposed to bond emotionally before fighting? You, the sharp-tongued one, what was your name... Azure Dragon, Empress of Han, or whatever. Let’s start with you.”