Tome of Troubled Times-Chapter 925: The Four Idols Brothel Finally Complete

“Feeling proud of yourself now, huh?”

No sooner had Zhao Changhe returned to the Heavenly Tome after his glorious solo act outside than he got his ear yanked by an angry mob.

“You went off to sneak around for two days straight? What, were you planning to wait until the whole house got raided before showing your face again?”

“What kind of dirt-sucking succubus kept you busy for two full days?”

“Why didn’t it just suck you to death?”

Zhao Changhe knew he was in the wrong. He lowered his head obediently, smiling sheepishly. “It couldn’t be helped. The cultivation process just takes that long... Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had the strength to finish things so cleanly out there, right?”

“You’ve got the gall to say that?” Piaomiao’s tone was uncharacteristically fierce. “I bet half of that time was wasted on sweet nothings. You should’ve just flipped her over and given her the full meat stir-fry treatment from the get-go. You really like to complicate things, huh?”

Zhao Changhe could hardly believe those savage words were coming from the gentle and serene Piaomiao. But clearly, he had stirred the hornet’s nest. He had wanted to explain that Ye Wuming, as the spirit of the Heavenly Tome, would have snapped back the moment there was real danger, but judging by the crowd’s mood, this was not the time for logical reasoning. All he could do was keep his head down and take the scolding.

In truth, it was not concern for danger that had everyone riled up. If anything, a crisis gave them an excuse to step in and cut loose. What actually irked them was how Zhao Changhe seemed to show Ye Wuming special favor. The jealousy was palpable.

Ye Wuming, meanwhile, did not say much to them. While Zhao Changhe was getting chewed out, she quietly slipped away to look for her daughter.

Now that she had opened her heart and accepted her relationship with Zhao Changhe, one of the most meaningful parts of it for her was finally being able to be with her daughter openly. There was no longer any need for snatching and hiding or pretending. She could be a mother without shame.

Who knew just how much the thought of giving her child a complete family had factored into her decision to surrender herself? It might have outweighed anything Zhao Changhe imagined. All his relentless pursuit and persuasion could not match the power of that one little girl.

But before she could find where Ling Ruoyu had gone, she was intercepted by Ye Jiuyou. “Can we talk?”

Ye Wuming hesitated, giving her sister a sidelong glance. After a moment, she finally nodded. “Mm.”

The two sisters strolled side by side through the Night Palace’s garden, neither saying a word for a long time.

Their relationship was a strange one. In theory, they were the same person, though now divided and distinct. They could be seen as twin sisters, but with grudges stretching across two entire eras and after so long viewing one another as bitter enemies, that knot in their hearts was not going to untangle overnight.

The turning point, perhaps, had been when Ye Wuming relinquished control and allowed Ye Jiuyou to be the one in control of their shared body. That had been a gesture of faith for the greater good.

The outcome? Ye Jiuyou had dragged her body through all sorts of indecent chaos in what looked very much like revenge.

But in truth, Ye Wuming did not owe Jiuyou anything. If there was a debt, it was owed to Zhao Changhe alone.

It was only after a long silence that Ye Jiuyou finally spoke, “I’ve been thinking over these past two days about the way I treated you back then; I went too far. You were thinking of the bigger picture. You knew exactly what would happen, and you still went through with it. Meanwhile, I let my personal grudge cloud everything.”

Jiuyou’s actually apologizing first... Ye Wuming was secretly shocked, but her response was calm. “I just went with the flow. I owed it to Piaomiao, and to Changhe.”

“Then why didn’t you just tell Piaomiao directly?”

Ye Wuming did not answer.

Ye Jiuyou sighed. “You’re always like this, always keeping everything bottled up... It’s not good for you.”

Ye Wuming looked at her with surprise. “You, of all people, are saying that?”

“When you marry a rooster, you follow the rooster. Marry a dog, follow the dog.” Ye Jiuyou chuckled. Then, she added, “Besides, the grudge between you and Piaomiao is the final knot, and it’s yours to untie. Changhe can’t do much about it. Honestly, you’re such a strange one. You clearly want to make things right with her, and you already have, in action at least... but you refuse to say it. It’s just like your old schemes. They look impressive on the surface, but in the end, what did they amount to? They were nothing but fuel for Changhe to yell at you.”

Ye Wuming replied flatly, “Those who understand, understand. What’s the point of saying more?”

“You really are stubborn.” Ye Jiuyou exhaled. “Still, I think Piaomiao knows.”

“She would. That woman sees everything with crystal clarity.”

“You always observe from the outside, as if everything is a calculation... but there’s one thing you don’t know.”

“What is it?”

“By the end of the last era, Piaomiao had already begun to experience emotion. Her very first feeling was friendship. And back then, she had only one friend.”

Ye Wuming came to a halt.

At the far end of the garden lay the lotus pool. The Four Idols Cult, along with Tang Wanzhuang, Sisi, and the others, were gathered in one of the pavilions by the lotus pool, holding a celebratory banquet filled with laughter and cheer.

Piaomiao stood alone in a separate pavilion, leaning against the railing, gazing into the water. Her robes fluttered lightly in the breeze.

Surrounded by mirth and laughter, she somehow seemed distant.

This was nothing unusual. Piaomiao had always been reserved, rarely seeking company. But from the vantage of the two sisters watching from afar, there was a sudden, inexplicable melancholy to her figure.

The breeze stirred across the pool. Her garments swayed softly, making her seem even more ethereal. She was like a dream untethered from the world.

Ye Wuming stared at her, lost in thought. Ye Jiuyou gently patted her on the shoulder. “I’m going to find Changhe. You handle the rest.”

With that, she drifted away and vanished.

Piaomiao remained by the railing, gazing down at the water. The distant sounds of laughter reached her ears, and her thoughts wandered.

Perhaps the greatest gift of following Zhao Changhe was not finding a partner who reciprocated her feelings but gaining so many companions—people who could share joy and laughter along the path. Even if she never fully fit in, just listening was enough to warm her heart.

And yet, her thoughts kept drifting back to the one person she had once trusted without question... and the one who had shattered her body with a single palm strike.

In that moment, the hatred had been so deep it had nearly driven her to madness.

But now, perhaps it was time to let it end. Piaomiao knew that for someone like Ye Wuming, the humiliation she’d suffered recently was a punishment worse than death. And yet, she had endured it.

Piaomiao understood what that meant. It was an act of repentance.

Maybe it’s time to say that the past is the past.

The scent of a familiar fragrance drifted close. Piaomiao instinctively tensed up and gathered her power.

Ye Wuming made no move to defend herself. She simply stood beside her, silently leaning on the same railing, watching the water.

Piaomiao let her gathered power dissipate. Her voice was calm as she said, “What are you here for?”

Ye Wuming was silent for a moment before replying, “Do you see those withered lotus leaves?”

Piaomiao looked up. It was the very spot where she had once “stolen” the lotus platform.

Ye Wuming said softly, “I think... deep down, you already know. I could’ve stopped you that day.”

Piaomiao did not respond.

“I let you go because it was you,” Ye Wuming said softly. “That lotus was meant for you from the start.”

Piaomiao said coldly, “So I should be grateful? Grateful for being treated like a pawn, for having my fate and life decided without my consent?”

“...I’m sorry.” Ye Wuming’s voice was low. “Back then, the burden I carried was too great. I couldn’t trust anyone. That was the only way I could think of.”

Piaomiao raised her voice. “But I trusted you!”

“And that was your mistake.”

Piaomiao fell silent.

After a pause, Ye Wuming asked, “What will it take for you to let go of your anger? Wasn’t what I went through enough?”

“You’re doing it again, deciding for me what counts as repayment. What you think makes things even isn’t necessarily what I want.”

“...Which is why I came today to ask you.”

Piaomiao faltered. She did not know how to answer. In truth, she had already let go. That humiliating punishment that had even been broadcasted for others to see had been enough.

Once the seeds of corruption were cleansed, she was not someone who held grudges easily. Even her most venomous act of revenge had only gone that far.

The two stood in awkward silence for a long time. At last, Ye Wuming spoke again, her voice barely above a whisper, “Thank you... for once thinking of me as a friend.”

Piaomiao lifted her gaze thoughtfully, then pointed toward the ongoing banquet. “If you can drop the attitude, call them sisters, and raise a cup with them like an equal, then I’ll forgive you.”

It was a tall order, even for Piaomiao herself; she had not quite managed it yet. For Ye Wuming, who had no genuine rapport with the others and who certainly was not the type to casually toss around the word “sister,” it was even harder.

But since Piaomiao had said it, Ye Wuming nodded with resolve. “Alright.”

Piaomiao watched as Ye Wuming walked over to the pavilion where everyone was, awkwardly raised a hand, and said, “H-hello, sisters...”

“Pfft...” Lady Three, who was in the middle of sipping her wine, sprayed her wine all over the table, nearly soaking Huangfu Qing.

Ye Wuming stood stiffly in place, completely ignoring her. Meanwhile, Piaomiao could not hold it in and burst into laughter.

And with that, the knot in her heart was gone.

It was then that Zhao Changhe finally showed up, scratching his head in confusion. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing.” Tang Wanzhuang struggled to keep a straight face. “Where’d you run off to just now?”

“I had to patch up River of Stars... River of Stars had to keep Luo Chuan contained while striking at Sunny Sky, and that naturally took a toll. Ruoyu’s still over there sniffling.” Zhao Changhe sat down and pulled Ye Wuming to his side. “Let me introduce you all, this is our Heavenly Dao.”

“Heavenly Dao, huh...” Xia Chichi blinked. “Come on, Tome of Troubled Times, flash something for us. I’ve never seen you write an announcement in real time.”

Ye Wuming’s expression remained taut. “These battles weren’t about worldly affairs, so there’s nothing for me to announce.”

“What do you mean, not about worldly affairs?” Xia Chichi teased. “Is the Night Emperor getting dragged to a banquet like a lapdog not worth a few dramatic lines?”

Ye Wuming looked like she wanted to storm off, but then she caught Piaomiao’s gaze from across the pavilion. Her face flushed, then paled, then flushed again. In the end, she stayed silent.

Moments later, the skies above lit with golden light as the Tome of Troubled Times finally stirred.

In the seventh month, Zhao Changhe gathered his companions and slew the otherworldly Heavenly Demon, Luo Chuan, thus ending a war that had stretched across two eras.

At the time, opportunists from the Myriad Manifestation Segmentum launched an invasion. Ye Jiuyou, Piaomiao, Yue Hongling, Yuan Sanniang, Huangfu Qing, Xia Chichi, Tang Wanzhuang, and others defended the Night Palace. Zhao Changhe plunged into enemy lines, beheaded Sovereigns, and subdued the sea of stars. Henceforth, the three realms welcome an era of peace and safety.

Zhao Changhe then challenged Ye Wuming, and by defeating her three times, he won her heart in full.

The ancient Night Emperor, Ye Wuming, is now his wife.

Having scattered the gods and Buddhas, he reclaims his place on the Ranking of Heaven.

Ranking of Heaven, Rank 1: Zhao Changhe.

The unnamed demon god who had once claimed the top ranking was now officially named and no longer veiled.

The ancient Night Emperor, Ye Wuming, had become Zhao Changhe’s wife.

There was no additional commentary. That one line was the commentary.

The three realms fell into stunned silence. No one knew what to make of it. Was this a war report? A royal decree? A love letter?

Since when could the Tome of Troubled Times be used to flirt?

Even in the Night Palace, the wine-soaked revelry to a halt. Everyone stared at Ye Wuming, her face slightly flushed, though her composure remained impeccable.

No one could quite believe she had actually allowed those words to be made public.

And as for Zhao Changhe... he was probably flying on cloud nine.

* * *

“Honestly, we really shouldn’t spoil him like this.” The celebration banquet had ended, but the women of the Four Idols Cult lingered to chat with Ye Wuming.

For all their shared ties through incense and faith, they now found themselves unexpectedly indignant on behalf of their former Night Emperor. Their complaints, however, came out sounding like this, “Big Sister Piaomiao, too. If Your Majesty wants to make it up to her, fine, but why let that Zhao guy walk away grinning from ear to ear?”

Ye Wuming did not seem the least bit bothered. She took a slow sip of tea and smiled faintly. “It’s nothing. I made my choice. There’s nothing to hide. A public declaration of love before the entire world. In Zhao Family Village’s terms, that’s what they call being romantic. I happen to like it.”

“Romantic, huh...” Xia Chichi snorted. “So after winning your heart with his romance, he goes straight to bed with Big Sister Piaomiao?”

Ye Wuming: “...”

And indeed, Zhao Changhe was now sharing a bed with Piaomiao.

As the de facto ruler of the now-subdued Myriad Manifestation Segmentum, the so-called mountains and rivers had expanded exponentially. Piaomiao stood to gain immense benefit from that, and naturally, Zhao Changhe was helping her break through to the Other Shore.

Of course, helping her meant exactly what some people might think.

Ye Wuming held her teacup, fighting off the sour twist in her chest, keeping her voice carefully even, “Dual cultivation is the most efficient method. Piaomiao needs the boost. There’s really nothing to say about it....”

The girls exchanged looks. Quietly, they all reached the same conclusion. Their former Night Emperor had fallen, and hard at that. Judging from how thoroughly she had fallen, it probably was not something recent. She had likely liked Zhao Changhe for a long time, but only now had she come to terms with it and let go of everything else.

Xia Chichi said, “Forget them. Let’s talk about us. You know, our Four Idols Cult used to worship you, right? Under the original, unedited doctrine, the cult didn’t even have a leader, just a single figure at its center: the Night Emperor. I only became the cult leader later when someone had to step up... but now that you’re with us again, how about I step down and hand it back to you?”

Ye Wuming replied, “We don’t need a cult like this anymore. Or rather, if there is to be one, it should be led by new mortals chosen from the mortal realm. All of us should step aside.”

Huangfu Qing chuckled. “So you consider yourself one of us, Your Majesty?”

Ye Wuming let out a soft sigh. “We all come from the same lineage. The real question isn’t whether I consider you one of mine, it’s whether you still consider me one of yours. Jiuyou said I should learn to get along with others, but if we’re talking about camaraderie, I’m doing better than any of them. After all, I have you.”

Lady Three looked like she had something to say but hesitated.

Ye Wuming noticed. “What is it?”

“...Nothing,” Lady Three replied blankly. “But the Four Idols Cult really shouldn’t call itself a cult anymore. What kind of cult gets its entire pantheon taken out in one clean sweep? What are we even supposed to call ourselves at this point?”

Ye Wuming opened her mouth, then shut it again.

Tragic. Just... tragic.

Lady Three’s eyes twinkled. “By the way, remember how we summoned Your Majesty back then? Technically we still owe you an offering. What would you like? We’ll offer it.”

Ye Wuming raised an eyebrow, amused. “Aren’t offerings supposed to be something you choose yourselves? Since when do you ask the god?”

Lady Three grinned. “If we offer it, will you accept it?”

Ye Wuming said indifferently, “And what exactly do you think you have to offer?”

Lady Three smiled slyly. “Hasn’t Your Majesty noticed someone missing from the banquet?”

Of course, Ye Wuming had noticed. Aside from Piaomiao, that little schemer Ye Jiuyou had also slipped away.

Piaomiao can be excused as she’s on the verge of a breakthrough. But Ye Jiuyou? What the hell is she up to?

Xia Chichi chimed in, “If we help Your Majesty sabotage Big Sister Jiuyou’s fun, does that count as an offering?”

Ye Wuming wanted to say it was not necessary, but when she opened her mouth, nothing came out.

She knew full well these little foxes were just using her name to fight their own battles, but... maybe that was not so bad. From now on, the nature of this war was practically set in stone.

We really ought to start watching more Zhao Family Village dramas. Empresses in the Palace, War and Beauty, stuff like that.[1]

Just as she was thinking this, the Four Idols Formation suddenly flared to life.

Ye Wuming froze. “What are you doing?”

“Summoning the Night Emperor, of course! But don’t worry, the target’s different this time. We’re not summoning you but that guy surnamed Zhao,” said Lady Three with a grin. “Relax, we’ve got a plan. We’ll wait until Big Sister Piaomiao finishes breaking through and enters meditation. Then we’ll yank him over here. We’re not letting Jiuyou swoop in and steal him right after.”

Ye Wuming: “...”

Yue Hongling, who had been silent until now: “...”

Something feels really wrong.

Are they trying to help or digging their own graves?

Have none of them given any thought to what it means to summon him naked mid-dual-cultivation? Are they seriously treating the Four Idols Cult like a damn brothel?

Yue Hongling tried to speak up but did not get the chance as Xia Chichi shouted with excitement, “I can sense it! It’s over! Big Sister Piaomiao’s entered meditation!”

“Now’s the time!”

Ye Wuming: “Wait, don’t—”

Whoosh!

A flash of light.

Zhao Changhe appeared stark naked in the middle of them, eyes wide, utterly baffled. He looked around and saw the Four Idols and the former Night Emperor. “Oh, nice. Am I about to have the full Four Idols Cult experience?”

1. The titles here are actual dramas, by the way. ☜