Tome of Troubled Times-Chapter 906: Collect Some Interest

Crack...

Something snapped.

It was the legs of the bed.

In her fury, Ye Wuming exerted a sudden burst of strength, and the entire massive bed collapsed in an instant. All four of them went tumbling down together.

They had not even hit the floor when Ye Wuming’s hand was already slicing toward Zhao Changhe’s Dragon Bird. Cold sweat broke out across Zhao Changhe’s back as he lunged to grab her wrist.

Thanks to the intense dual cultivation session just moments ago with none other than the Other Shore-level Jiuyou, possibly even two Other Shore-level cultivators if one counted Ye Wuming, and adding the support of Piaomiao’s qi veins on top of that, Zhao Changhe’s condition had improved considerably. His earlier injuries, which had nearly left him immobile, were now stabilized. Full recovery was still some ways off, but he could move and fight without issue.

But even in that state, facing a berserk Ye Wuming head-on was asking for trouble. He could already feel his Dragon Bird teetering on the brink of annihilation.

Yet, surprisingly, his hand caught her wrist.

It was only for a moment, as she broke free in a flash and slammed a palm straight at his chest. But that brief moment of resistance was all it took. Ye Jiuyou and Piaomiao came in simultaneously from left and right, each grabbing one of Ye Wuming’s arms.

Bang!

Only then did all four of them crash to the ground along with the collapsed bed.

A fraction of a fraction of a second.

That was how close they had come to losing Dragon Bird. Even an instant’s delay and it would have been done for.

As it turned out, this version of Ye Wuming was only a fragment of her soul returning to her body. Her main consciousness was still entwined with Ye Jiuyou, which limited her ability to access her full strength.

The result? Ye Wuming was pinned down, arms stretched out to the sides by Jiuyou and Piaomiao, while Zhao Changhe was sprawled on top of her, knees locked against her thighs, holding her down.

Silence fell. It felt like time itself had stopped.

This... this was worse than when she had been playing dead. Back then, she could just close her eyes and pretend nothing was going on and she was in her safe space.

But now?

Wide awake and pinned in this exact position? This was textbook ravishment posture.

Not in a million years—no, not in ten million—would Ye Wuming have imagined she would end up in a situation like this.

Her mind went blank for a heartbeat before she began thrashing wildly. “Just kill me already!”

Zhao Changhe replied flatly, “Say it with a little ‘mmph’ at the end. It will really sell the set.”

Ye Wuming: “Huh?”

Ye Jiuyou and Piaomiao exchanged a look, faces oddly unreadable. Honestly, the two of them would not have minded seeing Ye Wuming get ravished. Watching her suffer that kind of humiliation might even be the most satisfying revenge imaginable.

But somehow, Zhao Changhe’s bizarre comment ruined the entire mood. The atmosphere deflated like a popped balloon. Even the expressions on the other two women now looked rather strange.

Ye Wuming stopped struggling. The more she resisted, the more ridiculous it got. And Zhao Changhe, for his part, did not seem to be making any move to take advantage. He just kept her pinned down.

It seemed as though he had already reached a state of post-nut clarity.

Time seemed to freeze again for a beat. Then, Zhao Changhe asked, “Are you still planning to kill me?”

It was as if to say “if not, I’ll let you go.”

Ye Wuming stubbornly responded, “Kill me.”

Hearing this, Zhao Changhe groaned. “You really think it’s been easy holding back? Fine then. If you want to die, then I’ll make sure your last moments feel amazing.”

Ye Wuming’s eyes flew wide open. His lips were pressed firmly against hers in a searing kiss.

A wave of dizziness washed over her. Her mind went completely blank.

It was only now that she realized that whether it was being kissed to transfer energy to her in her comatose state or being passively dragged into dual cultivation while inside Ye Jiuyou, neither of those compared to this. Nothing could compare to the feeling of being fully conscious, fully present, and having him devour her like this in her own body.

It was a difference not just physically speaking but even more so psychologically speaking.

Physically speaking, even if the previous experiences allowed for some shared sensation, they had always been somewhat dulled by the fact that she was merely a passenger being taken on a ride. But now it was her very body and her own senses being ravaged. Her wide eyes were filled with the sight of his face, and they were close enough that she could feel every breath he exhaled against her skin. His scent was flooding her mouth and nose.

On either side of her, Ye Jiuyou and Piaomiao watched with uncontained delight.

What revenge could be sweeter than this? Ye Wuming, how does it feel to be on the receiving end for once?

Piaomiao did not hesitate to call upon the power of the mountains and rivers to share the live feed of Ye Wuming’s humiliation with all their sisters.

It was not until Ye Wuming’s mind, blank with rage and shame, began to stir with a flicker of lucidity that Zhao Changhe finally pulled back just a little, panting as he asked, “Still feeling indignant?”

Ye Wuming grit her teeth and glared daggers at him.

“What’s there to be indignant about?” Zhao Changhe said between breaths. “You’ve wronged a lot of people. Sooner or later, someone was bound to exact payback. Did you think that you could just die and be done with it? If only it were that easy. You’ve always had that self-destructive streak. Isn’t that because somewhere deep inside, you’ve known this day would come? That you were trying to run away from it?”

Ye Wuming said nothing. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Ye Jiuyou had spoken similar words before. She had not thought too much of it then, but now... she had to admit that there might actually be some truth to it.

Perhaps she really had wanted to avoid this moment, especially this kind of moment. But karma is karma. Maybe this was the price owed, the only way to settle the past.

Still, what gnawed at her most was that Zhao Changhe, who had never taken advantage of her before, not even when she was half-drugged in a haze of lust, had now let loose. Is it because Ye Jiuyou and Piaomiao are here? Or is it because... he’s simply using this as another way to crush my will to die?

Sure enough, Zhao Changhe spoke again. “I know you’re feeling resentful. After all, it was our use of witchcraft that led to that opening, leading to your injury. Then you blew up with some unknown technique and fell unconscious. And while you were like that, we... took advantage. Of course, you’d feel violated. Even I wouldn’t stoop that low if things were normal.”

Ye Wuming finally responded coldly, “What do you mean you wouldn’t? You already did.”

Zhao Changhe shrugged. “This counts as doing it? Come on. That’s not giving my private lighthouse enough credit.”

Ye Wuming: “...”

Ye Jiuyou and Piaomiao burst into laughter.

Zhao Changhe then continued, “That was just collecting a bit of interest. But if you’re still set on dying, then I’ll really go all the way.”

Ye Wuming turned her head away.

Zhao Changhe asked again, “So? Want to try?”

Her voice was flat with resignation. “No.”

She knew he was still trying to save her, and yet... that did not ease the burning frustration in her chest. I don’t want to die anymore. Why do you still have to say things like that? Being forced to answer such a question, so humiliatingly and weakly... Death truly might have been easier to swallow.

Zhao Changhe, however, looked quite pleased. He rose to his feet with an air of smug triumph. “Since you don’t want to die, I suppose it’s your turn to get revenge on us now.”

Ye Wuming strained her arms again, but this time, Ye Jiuyou and Piaomiao were no longer holding her down. They let go of her with cheery smiles.

Ye Wuming rubbed her wrists and said coldly, “You’re letting me go just like that? You’re going to regret this.”

“Oh? That sounds great to me.” Zhao Changhe straightened his clothes with a grin. “We want payback, and you want revenge. Let’s see whose fists are harder. You’re not convinced today, so we only took a bit of interest. But if the day comes when you are convinced... maybe that’ll be our final chapter.”

Ye Wuming said nothing, simply staring at him with an icy gaze.

Zhao Changhe did not press further. He left her to curl up at the edge of the shattered bed, and turned to Ye Jiuyou. “How did you use that corpse puppet of yours?”

Ye Jiuyou, already dressed, replied lazily, “I had it crush its own heart. Its body is still intact.”

“So if we want to use it to trace Luo Chuan’s location, we’re still able to do so?”

“Technically, yes. But Luo Chuan’s not stupid. He probably knows we’d try something like that and already has measures in place. Still, it depends on how badly he’s hurt and what kind of safeguards he can still maintain.”

“What’s the worst-case scenario?”

“It could cause a backlash, which is why I haven’t dared try it for the time being.”

As they chatted, the three of them casually sat around the table. Piaomiao picked up a wine flagon and warmed the wine.

Meanwhile, Ye Wuming remained silent at the side of the collapsed bed, feeling like she might die from sheer mortification. This was the Night Palace, and they were acting like it was their damn living room.

...Well, it technically was their home now. Her original soul and consciousness were still tied to Ye Jiuyou’s body. Technically speaking, Ye Jiuyou was the ruler of the three realms now, and this meant that the Night Palace now belonged to Ye Jiuyou and not Ye Wuming.

Ye Wuming massaged her temples, sighing silently as she looked down to fasten her clothes.

The entire situation was so ridiculous it left her mind numb.

From this moment on, her reputation, her image, everything she had built, was shattered and smeared into the mud. She did not even know what to do with her body anymore. Should she keep it around? It felt like a pathetic gesture of surrender. But if she gave it up, what would become of it? Would she just be handing it over for Zhao Changhe to use as some kind of plastic doll?

And what about her soul? Should she return the residual fragment in her original body to Ye Jiuyou? Or try to take back her soul from Ye Jiuyou’s body and have it return to her own body?

But if separation was the goal, she definitely could not manage it on her own. She would need Ye Jiuyou’s full cooperation, and ideally, Zhao Changhe and Piaomiao assisting from the side. After all, those two had more experience with the process than anyone.

Do I really need to ask them for help? Am I really going to have to ask this group of degenerates for help?

Then, Ye Jiuyou’s words caught her attention, “It could cause a backlash, which is why I haven’t dared try it for the time being.”

There. That’s my chance.

“I have a way to prevent the backlash,” Ye Wuming said, her tone firm.

The trio turned to look at her, each with a rather complicated expression.

Back in the day, a claim like that from Ye Wuming would have drawn admiration. Everyone would have nodded in awe, thinking, “Of course, it’s Ye Wuming. She can do what no one else dares.” But now, no matter what she said, all they could see was that humiliating image of her from earlier.

“Ahem,” Zhao Changhe coughed. “All good now?”

Ye Jiuyou and Piaomiao turned their faces away, stifling laughter. Ye Wuming’s face remained expressionless.

Zhao Changhe cleared his throat again and handed her a cup. “Come on. Sit. Have a drink.”

Ye Wuming actually did sit down, facing Zhao Changhe directly. “The priority right now is confirming Luo Chuan’s location. Ideally, we need to know what he’s doing. But in our current state, that’s not possible.”

Zhao Changhe raised a brow. “Why not?”

“Because I’m not in a usable state.” Ye Wuming scowled. “Do you really think that someone who just got pinned down by the likes of you is in top form?”

“Nope, I don’t think so,” Zhao Changhe said cheerfully. “But I do enjoy the sight.”

The cup of wine in Ye Wuming’s hand nearly went flying.

Ye Jiuyou chuckled. “So you’re saying we need to separate again? But with you and me fused together, anything I can do, you can too.”

Ye Wuming’s face was expressionless as she said, “I don’t want to be fused with a bitch.”

Ye Jiuyou’s smile was bright. “But weren’t you the one acting like a bitch just now?”

Crack!

Ye Wuming crushed the wine cup.

Piaomiao looked up at the ceiling, acting as if she was not present.

It was not that Ye Wuming refused to merge with a bitch; she simply did not want to be made into one herself. She was done with so-called voluntary fusion. All she wanted now was to return to her body, and then hang this pack of degenerate bastards by their own intestines.

Zhao Changhe stroked his chin. He finally got it. He had never quite understood the situation until now, but with just a few exchanges, everything snapped into place. Ye Wuming and Ye Jiuyou had fused. This meant that Jiuyou’s strike on Luo Chuan, the one that reached the level of the Other Shore, had actually come from the two of them combined.

Wait... Doesn’t this mean that when I was dual cultivating with Ye Jiuyou earlier, I was basically sleeping with Ye Wuming as well? Fuck... That explains a lot.

Ye Jiuyou was still arguing with Ye Wuming, “You’re the one who said it before. Separating now would be bad for Changhe’s healing and would hinder our insight into the Other Shore. It’s barely been a day and you’re already changing your mind?”

Ye Wuming slammed the table. “Maybe ask yourselves what you did to change my mind?”

Ye Jiuyou sneered, “Well, too bad. As long as I refuse, you can’t leave.”

Ye Wuming sneered right back. “Then forget chasing down Luo Chuan. Let’s just wait until he knocks on our door again.”

With that, she stormed off, no longer willing to face this bunch of lust-drunk degenerates blabbering away in her bedroom.

The negotiation had not even begun, and it had already collapsed. And since it seemed like there was not going to be any negotiating, her first priority had become to hide this body somewhere Ye Jiuyou could not find it.

She darted through to the core of the Night Palace, where she spotted Ling Ruoyu seated in quiet meditation. The young girl nestled River of Stars peacefully in her arms, and her eyes closed in cultivation. She was completely unaware of the depravity her parents had just engaged in.

When Ling Ruoyu opened her eyes and saw Ye Wuming, she beamed with that same bright, childish smile. “Mom! You’re safe! Just now, the Night Palace couldn’t sense you... I thought something happened to you. Since you’re back, you can take back control of the Night Palace.”

Whatever fury Ye Wuming had brought with her was gently swept away by that innocent smile. Away from the dogs, with only her daughter beside her... that, at least, was something to be grateful for.

She instinctively reached out and tousled Ling Ruoyu’s hair, speaking softly. “Don’t worry. Nothing will happen to me. And the Night Palace was always yours, so there’s no need to take anything back.”

Ling Ruoyu sniffled and blinked curiously. “Did you and Dad make up?”

Ye Wuming tilted her head in mortified confusion.

“You smell like him...” Ling Ruoyu’s eyes flicked to Ye Wuming’s neck. A hickey stood out vividly. The little girl blushed and turned her head away, saying nothing.

Ye Wuming slapped a hand over her neck, mortified. “There’s nothing going on between us!”

“Oh, really?” Ling Ruoyu looked a little crestfallen, lowering her head.

Ye Wuming stared at the girl’s downcast expression and snapped, “What, you want me to do... that... with him?”

Ling Ruoyu murmured, “That’s not what I mean.... I just... Most kids have their parents together....”

Ye Wuming had nothing to say in reply to that.

Her temples throbbed again. She leaned against the astronomical observatory, rubbing her forehead with a sigh, eyes closed.

She felt a gentle touch on her temples. Opening her eyes, she found Ling Ruoyu beside her, little hands carefully massaging her head, expression serious and focused.

Ye Wuming stared, her heart quietly rippling. It was like a stone had been dropped into a still lake, stirring waves far deeper than the ones earlier stirred by being pinned, kissed, and fondled.

“You...” Ye Wuming hesitated, then she finally asked in a low voice, “Didn’t you resent me? Didn’t you want nothing to do with me?”

Ling Ruoyu whispered, “River of Stars’ memories are getting fuzzy... All I know is that since we reunited, you’ve treated me really well.”

Ye Wuming closed her eyes again and fell silent.

She had meant to ask what the girl had written in that damn love letter, but now, she no longer had the heart to do so.

Zhao Changhe’s attitude toward her had definitely shifted. He was more forward and more aggressive. It was as if he was assured that she felt something for him, and that was probably the effect of the supposed love letter.

But things had gone too far already. What was the point in telling him the letter had not been from her? That if he was going to kiss and grope her, he owed her an apology?

What was she supposed to do? Was she supposed to tie up the girl gently massaging her temples and scold her? Was she supposed to tell her that since she wrote the letter that caused so many problems, she had to face the consequences?

Her mind, ever the multi-core processor, drifted again toward the room where the degenerates were still talking and drinking. She could sense Zhao Changhe speaking to Ye Jiuyou, “Stop binding Ye Wuming’s soul. Let her separate if she wants to.”

Ye Jiuyou chuckled. “Oh? But isn’t this perfect for you? You get to mess with her as much as you like. If she really splits off, no one will be able to control her... she might just kill you, you know.”

“She won’t kill me...” Zhao Changhe said softly. “Not after that letter...”

Ye Wuming: “...”

Zhao Changhe was still toying with his wine cup, speaking more to himself than anyone else. “I have no interest in a soulless body. The one who stirs my thoughts and desire... has always been that Ye Wuming who hangs like a star up high in the heavens.”