Tome of Troubled Times-Chapter 884: Entering River of Stars

Xia Chichi always put on a show for the world, presenting herself with regal decorum, but when it came to expressing emotion with Zhao Changhe, she had always been straightforward and fervent. She knew just how to draw out the depths of his feelings.

At that moment, Zhao Changhe, who had begun to see the world as a cultivator with a detached, transcendent gaze, was suddenly and utterly pulled back to earth by a single sentence.

“Don’t say such nonsense. I’m not going to die, and neither are you.”

He gently stroked Xia Chichi’s belly as he said softly, “The truth is... there may not be that many bitter battles left.”

“Don’t try to fool me,” Xia Chichi replied coolly. “If we’re talking demon gods, I bear the will of the Azure Dragon. In the world of humans, I am the reigning sovereign. After watching over this land for thirty years, what should be known, I already know. What shouldn’t be known, I know anyway. You still have no assurance of defeating the Heavenly Dao, and neither does Ye Wuming. Both of you are carrying doubts in your hearts. How can there not be a bitter war ahead?”

Zhao Changhe was a little surprised. “What makes you so certain? Most people think that last battle wasn’t all that intense.”

“Because now you’ve already found the River of Stars, yet you haven’t gone to confront Ye Wuming. And she hasn’t come to seize the child, either. On the surface, everything appears calm, but there’s only one explanation for all this: the two of you made a silent pact. Since the strike at Tiger Hill missed its mark, neither side dares press the issue too hard. Neither of you wants to let a third party swoop in for the kill.”

“...Mm.”

“That last battle not being ‘all that intense’ back then was merely thanks to you sacrificing yourself. Our pillar of strength nearly died in that battle. Those who say it was easy only show that they weren’t the ones bleeding. It’s easy to talk when you’re still standing.” Xia Chichi sighed. “I’ve been thinking about something lately...”

“What is it?”

“How important is this world to the Heavenly Dao? Does He really need to claim it? Could it not let go?”

Zhao Changhe was silent for a moment, and then he replied, “Maybe it’s just... possessiveness. A refusal to let anyone else lay hands on what He sees as His. Or perhaps it’s the bitterness of being bitten by His own hound. When such emotions swell out of control, they devour all reason. I imagine that’s where the hatred that Ye Wuming once suppressed came from.”

“In general, those with intelligence weigh gains and losses and make calculated moves. If both sides are evenly matched and wary, war doesn’t break out easily. It’s just like now, between you and Ye Wuming. If the Heavenly Dao had even a hint of concern toward the two of you, this final battle might never happen. Instead, it’s still stirring up trouble within the realm, still trying to grab River of Stars to force its way across dimensions. That means only two things: either it has lost all reason, or it still believes it can win.”

Zhao Changhe said nothing.

She was right. If Ye Wuming, having fused with the completed Heavenly Tome, had already surpassed the boundaries of the Profound Control Realm and now possessed the power to take the Heavenly Dao down with her... and if Ye Jiuyou had also reached that level...Then, the two sisters, united, would be a catastrophic threat. Even if the Heavenly Dao had once been invincible, He should now be wary—unless He believed He still held the upper hand.

The other possibility, of course, was that... He had simply gone mad.

Either He had lost sanity, or He was certain of victory.

If it were the former, that could be managed. But if it was the latter, then what awaited them was a battle to the death. And it would be their death.

Judging from that, they were already at a disadvantage in terms of intelligence. Their cards had already been laid on the table; their strength was visible to all. But the Heavenly Dao remained shrouded, His true hand unseen.

They would have to contact Ye Wuming soon. They needed a clearer picture of the Heavenly Dao’s actual power before some irreversible mistake was made.

Zhao Changhe did not want to linger on this dark topic with Chichi. Stroking her belly, he smiled and said, “Don’t worry. I have a plan. Just take care of yourself and our baby. Too much stress won’t be good for either of you.”

Xia Chichi made a face. “I didn’t feel a thing these past years. But ever since you came back to life, the nausea started, the bloating... I finally realize that being pregnant is miserable.”

“You still feel like a child yourself sometimes...”

“Oh please, you’re the one acting like a child, bullying your own disciple like that.”

“And you didn’t?”

“That’s different. I’m the vicious legitimate wife giving the concubine’s daughter a hard time. My actions are perfectly within my rights.”

Zhao Changhe wisely decided not to argue the finer points of court hierarchy or whether her version of “perfectly within her rights” held any actual logic. He simply leaned down and pressed his ear gently to her belly, smiling.

Of course, the fetus had not even formed yet, so there was nothing to hear. However, Xia Chichi did not push him away. She gently ran her fingers through his hair, letting him press his ear to her belly as if he could hear something, just letting him listen to what was not even there.

In her mind, she thought, You really are just a big child yourself.

Unlike everyone else, Zhao Changhe had missed thirty years of growth. In many ways, he was a child behind the wheel of a war chariot. And the funny thing was, next to certain beings who had lived tens of millions of years, even he did not stand out as especially immature.

Xia Chichi bit her lip and glanced sideways. By now, the palace maids had rotated through so many times that none of them recognized Zhao Changhe. He had not let anyone see him enter tonight. The bedchamber had long been cleared out. The incense curled softly in the air, warmth lingering behind the curtains, and not a sound could be heard.

“Um...” Xia Chichi whispered. “If it hasn’t even formed yet... does it still count as dangerous? I mean... bedroom matters?”

Both of them had a solid understanding of medicine and physiology. Technically, it was the first trimester that one needed to be cautious of. Once the belly was visibly round, it was usually fine, though they did still have to take care not to be too rough. But in this case, they were barely days in, and most people would not even know they were pregnant yet, let alone stop for it.

So, theoretically speaking, it should be fine... However, neither of them had ever done this before. There was a sort of nervous reverence now that had not existed before. A hesitance neither had felt before.

Zhao Changhe swallowed. “We probably shouldn’t... I’m not that desperate.”

Xia Chichi stared at him, aggrieved. “Didn’t any of them ever say something like ’it’s not you who’s hungry?’”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

Xia Chichi was fidgeting now. “Why don’t we just try?”

Zhao Changhe still looked unsure. “Should we... ask someone? An experienced matron, maybe?”

Xia Chichi gave a laugh, both amused and exasperated. “Who in the world asks about something like that? And we’re not just anybody. We’re the empress and her consort. Do you want to lose the last shred of dignity we have? Shall we ask... Mother Huangfu?”

Huangfu Qing materialized beside the bed in an instant, Vermillion Bird mask in place, glaring at her expressionlessly.

Xia Chichi froze.

Huangfu Qing ground her teeth. “So this is what happens when I leave you alone for a few years, eh? You get cocky? You think just because you’re the cult leader and the empress, you can flip heaven on its head?”

As the cult leader, she was still her disciple. As the empress, she was still her daughter. Without the mask of the Fire Serpent of Yi, Huangfu Qing had full authority to suppress Xia Chichi in every possible relationship. Xia Chichi wilted at once, muttering, “You said I could have tonight to myself...”

Huangfu Qing gave her a long, withering stare. Who wants to reenact palace scandal fiction with you? But who told you to call me mother?

...Though really, this wretched empress has a surprisingly strong grip on palace affairs. Even the offhand things Baoqin said back in Jiangnan had made it back to her. Or maybe the two of them simply have linked brains.

Swearing inwardly, she said aloud, “At your current stage, it should be fine. Just... keep it gentle. Nothing too rough.”

It was true Empress Mother-style advice. But Xia Chichi squinted suspiciously. “You’ve never been pregnant. How would you know?”

Huangfu Qing nearly swung at her. “I grew up in a household where nothing was off-limits. I heard everything. You were still cross-dressing back then!”

Xia Chichi nodded solemnly. “Mother, you may step down now.”

Huangfu Qing grabbed her collar with a scowl. Chichi said serenely, “Careful, I’m in a delicate condition now. Hands off.”

Huangfu Qing actually laughed. “Then go on being delicate. Just don’t do it.”

She turned and wrapped her arms around Zhao Changhe, planting a long, tender kiss on him. “We’ll do it instead.”

Xia Chichi leaped up. “Let go of him!”

Zhao Changhe stuck to his proven strategy in all romantic minefields and stayed absolutely silent. As the scent of two different women’s perfumes warred around him, he quietly profited.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed beyond the bedchamber. All three froze.

A palace maid called out, “Your Majesty, Miss Ling says she challenged the three court officials again under the cover of night and has successfully defeated them all. She asks if she may enter the palace now.”

Xia Chichi: “...”

Huangfu Qing: “...”

Zhao Changhe: “Well... Have her brought to the altar in the palace and reward her by allowing her to copy the foundational texts of the Four Idols Cult. Let her calm her heart and reflect beneath the starry sky.”

Ling Ruoyu, wearing a face of innocent clarity and stupidity, hugged Dragon Bird as she followed the palace maid. Her eyes were wide and curious, glancing left and right as she was led into the Four Idols Cult’s main altar in the imperial palace.

As Ling Ruoyu looked around, a strange sense of familiarity swept over her.

This was only natural. After all, the place she was brought to was none other than Xia Longyuan’s Imperial Ancestral Temple. Under this subterranean sky, beneath the altar, was a forge, and this forge was where River of Stars had been born.

Without a second thought, the girl tossed Dragon Bird aside and sat cross-legged atop the altar, clutching River of Stars in her arms and staring up at the starry sky overhead. Her mind and spirit slowly drifted, slipping into deep contemplation.

Dragon Bird: “...”

She had not meant to ignore Dragon Bird, but something about this place stirred her more deeply than anywhere else. She could not help it. After all, this subterranean sky had originally been crafted by Xia Longyuan in his attempt to follow Ye Wuming’s path. This place was meant to encompass the heavens and reach all things. It was only natural that the Four Idols Cult had chosen this site as their headquarters and main altar. It aligned almost perfectly with her essence as River of Stars.

Zhao Changhe had once considered refining this entire firmament into a portable artifact, allowing him to be everywhere at once. But his cultivation had progressed too quickly. He had bypassed the need for such tools and instead achieved omnipresence through his own being. And with that, the idea had been shelved.

As River of Stars incarnate, Ling Ruoyu understood all of this. As she sat in stillness beneath the firmament, a question emerged in her mind. This subterranean sky is already quite close to the concept of an independent realm. If Master Zhao had refined it back then, would it have evolved into a complete world with living beings... and its own Heavenly Dao?

And if so, would the “Heavenly Dao” of that realm simply be... its artifact spirit?

River of Stars herself possessed the power to simulate a world. If she were to do so, would she then become the Heavenly Dao of that world, just as Jiuyou once was and just as her mother was now?

Dragon Bird instinctively edged away.

She watched, uneasy, as Ling Ruoyu’s body began to blur. Ling Ruoyu’s whole being seemed to be merging with the sword in her lap. The sword rose upright as if it were a person, then it turned its “gaze” left and right, then tilted “downward” to look at the stunned Dragon Bird lying on the ground.

Dragon Bird moved even further away.

Ling Ruoyu—if one could still call her that—tried to “reach” for it, only to realize she had no hands. Her motion turned into a slash.

Dragon Bird struck back with a fury.

And just like that, the sword and saber erupted into battle beneath the altar. Sparks flew as they dueled, their blows echoing throughout the secret realm.

Guards of the Four Idols Cult’s altar rushed in, horrified. However, each attempt to approach was blocked by waves of energy from the clash of the sword and saber. None of them could get close.

“Quick, someone inform Her Majesty! The main altar is under attack by... by monsters!”

“Wait, Venerable Black Tortoise is napping just outside! Go wake Venerable Black Tortoise!”

There was no need for them to go wake Black Tortoise.

As the two weapons dueled furiously, each parry and strike carried enough force to make even seasoned cultivators hesitate. The guards suddenly felt as if their very spines had been seized by fate. But then, the hilts of both weapons were suddenly gripped mid-air by two pale, delicate hands. They were then lifted clean off the ground like two struggling fish.

Lady Three stood there, casually examining the two blades now drooping limply in her hands. Oddly enough, she noticed that just moments ago, their struggling strength had been enough to almost shake free from her grip. But the moment they sensed her arrival, they immediately went limp, surrendering to her hold.

“So it’s you two again,” Lady Three said with a puzzled look. “Why are you fighting this time? And where’s Ruoyu?”

Dragon Bird swished its “tail” in the air, as if pointing toward something.

Lady Three turned, and there on the ground lay Ling Ruoyu’s clothing, scattered as if hastily discarded. Sweat still clung to the fabric from her earlier bout with the three court officials. The faint scent of youthful exertion lingered in the folds.

Lady Three: “...”

The inheritance clearly landed on the right person. But... where’s Ruoyu?

Just then, River of Stars spoke in actual audible words, “I’m here...”

Lady Three blinked.

You... you can speak out loud? You don’t even have to use spiritual transmission? Where’s your physical body?

River of Stars paused. Lady Three suddenly had the distinct sensation of a little girl straining to... well... push something out.

And then, realization struck. Her expression turned sharp. “Guards, turn around! Clear the room! Now!”

The guards obeyed without hesitation. In mere moments, the altar was completely vacated.

As Lady Three had suspected, her instincts were spot-on. Sure enough, a small girl tumbled out of the sword completely naked. She hit the ground with a startled yelp, flailing as she rolled, then scrambled to scoop up her scattered clothes and clutch them to her chest. Her flushed face had turned an alarming shade of purple.

Lady Three glanced down with the weary gaze of a seasoned professional watching a flustered intern on her first day. Her look said it all.

Ah, youth.

Flatter than Chichi, no wonder she could squeeze into that sword. If she had so much as a bump, she might’ve gotten stuck. She might’ve needed a battering ram to dislodge her then.

Wait, that’s not right. In any case, no one really fits inside a sword, right?

Watching the poor girl clumsily try to get dressed, Lady Three could not help but ask, “How did your physical body even fit in there?”

Ling Ruoyu looked like she was about to cry. “I, I don’t know! I just... sort of went in...”

“Went in? What went in?” A blur flashed into the altar. Zhao Changhe, Huangfu Qing, and Xia Chichi all arrived at once, clearly in a rush. Judging by their disheveled clothes, they had not prepared for this.

Seeing his own disciple equally disheveled, Zhao Changhe’s expression twisted into one of pure fury. “Who did this?!”

Ling Ruoyu: “?”

Lady Three gave him a once-over. Thankfully, the girl had finished dressing, and though the outfit was rumpled and incomplete, there was no wardrobe disaster. Lady Three coughed into her hand. “What’s with that look? She didn’t get attacked. Ruoyu entered River of Stars.”

Zhao Changhe visibly relaxed, exhaling a long breath. “Good. I thought—”

“You thought what, exactly?” Lady Three said icily. “Maybe start by asking how she ended up inside the sword?”

Zhao Changhe looked at Ling Ruoyu. She stood there, clutching her collar, visibly tense. “I really don’t know... I was just meditating on this underground firmament, this subterranean sky. I was thinking about what if I were a self-contained world with a consciousness or a spirit... and then, next thing I knew, I was inside River of Stars.”

Zhao Changhe calmed down and began stroking his chin as he studied his little disciple.

Ling Ruoyu took a cautious step back.

“...What’s with that look?” Zhao Changhe asked dryly. “Just tell me, how did it feel?”

Ling Ruoyu hesitated. “It was dark at first, and empty. Then, when I entered, stars began to appear. It was like I lit up the entire sky. It felt just like... like I was home. Like how I used to feel living inside the sword when I was little.”

That did not sound dramatic at all. In fact, it sounded exactly like a spirit returning to its vessel.

Zhao Changhe kept stroking his chin. “If we take the self-contained world interpretation seriously, then the interior should be limitless and capable of accepting real objects. That means her body entering isn’t impossible... But if that’s the case, why didn’t her clothes go in?”

How do you know my clothes didn’t... Ling Ruoyu grumbled inwardly, blushing. “I... I don’t know.”

Zhao Changhe continued, “And if physical matter can’t enter, that means that only souls or consciousnesses can. That would make her appearance as a sword spirit logical. But if that’s the case, how did her body come with her?”

Everyone fell silent.

For a long moment, this room of third-layer Profound Control Realm cultivators, some of the most powerful beings in the world, stared at each other blankly. None of them could explain it.

Finally, Zhao Changhe offered, “What if you try doing it again right in front of us? Maybe then we can figure something out.”

The room went dead silent, and Ling Ruoyu slowly began backing away, step by step.

In the next moment, in perfect unison, the entire assembly of Four Idols Cult members lifted their legs and kicked Zhao Changhe out of the subterranean sky. “Leave! We’ll be the ones to observe her!”

Outside, the guards of the main altar watched in stunned silence as their revered Night Emperor was unceremoniously booted skyward.

Zhao Changhe vanished into the distance as a glimmering speck in the sky.

Poor Zhao Changhe, still deep in thought, had not even realized why he had just been kicked out. His mind was entirely elsewhere.

By instinct alone, he mused as he ascended through the air, This state that River of Stars is in must be exactly the same as Ye Wuming’s when she merged with the Heavenly Tome...