Xia Chichi drew Iceheart and leaped to her feet. Ye Jiuyou gave the weapon a glance and said coolly, “Iceheart... Do you know why White Tiger, even after having fallen into madness, showed a flicker of confusion upon seeing that blade?” Xia Chichi raised her guard. “Why? Don’t tell me White Tiger has some connection to Shuanghua?” Ye Jiuyou answered calmly, “White Tiger is the embodiment of the metal. But Iceheart is not made of metal, so although he claims dominion over all weapons, he’s actually incomplete. To surpass that limitation, he must draw insight from weapons like Shuanghua. That’s why Iceheart holds a natural allure for him. Though to be clear, it’s martial resonance, not romantic interest. I suspect that the fact you could even acquire Iceheart is due to its karmic connection to Han Wubing.” Yue Hongling’s expression grew thoughtful. Xia Chichi looked toward Zhao Changhe. Their eyes met, both reflecting a flicker of astonishment. Indeed, karma had a way of surfacing in unexpected ways. Back when they sought out Iceheart, it had been inseparable from Han Wubing’s fate. And Chichi herself was tied to both Azure Dragon and White Tiger; her karmic entanglements ran deep. Ye Jiuyou continued, “So among you, the one most suited to wield Iceheart is actually Yue Hongling. However, since the sword has already chosen you and follows you faithfully, there’s no need to force a change. Instead, within the Four Idols Formation, you should emphasize complementarity. Have you considered that?” Yue Hongling offered a respectful bow. “We hadn’t... Thank you for the guidance.” “It’s nothing,” Ye Jiuyou said. “Since Changhe asked for my help, I’ll assist you with everything related to the Four Idols.” Having fully embraced her role as the ancient, wise senior, she suddenly vanished from her spot and reappeared behind Xia Chichi, her claws reaching for her throat. You dare call me old and tacky? Let’s see how young and springy you are then! Yue Hongling’s sword flashed from its scabbard. At the same time, Vermillion Bird’s fire and Black Tortoise’s fist flew toward Ye Jiuyou’s back. It was mid-afternoon, yet the entire atmosphere darkened instantly. In the darkness, the constellations of the Four Idols shimmered brilliantly. There were no silhouettes, only the vast canopy of the heavens spread out before them. Zhao Changhe stepped back slightly, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Piaomiao as they looked toward the distant battlefield. His heart was stirred with awe. The Four Idols Formation produced an effect that bordered on fantasy. Their combined intent no longer felt like four individuals attacking in unison; rather, it had become one entity, a composite presence. Its divine manifestation faintly emerged, like the eye of gods and demons opening within the night sky. That figure was Ye Wuming. The convergence of the Four Idols was the Night Emperor. That manifestation, flickering amidst the darkness, was one Zhao Changhe had seen before... in memories he had long buried. It was the third card he had once drawn. A strange feeling crept over him. Of the three cards he had drawn in the beginning, each had seemingly belonged to him. The first, which corresponded to the Back Eye, he had wielded ever since. The second, the throne, had led him to Chichi and the current imperial line, becoming a central axis of his journey in this world. And now, with both Chichi and the realm under his sway, the card had indeed proven prophetic. The third card had once been merely a hint toward the witch from his dreams. Yet now, it felt as though that card had not just revealed a thread. Rather, it had unearthed her very soul. If this third card also belonged to him... did that mean Ye Wuming herself belonged to him? Was that a valid interpretation? Or did inheriting the mantle of the Night Emperor already fulfill the card’s purpose? Surely the blind woman, in orchestrating his fate through those “draws,” would not have tossed herself into the prize pool... would she? Zhao Changhe stood in silence for a moment. Then, with a flick of his hand, a set of cards materialized, their backs shimmering faintly. He turned to Piaomiao and held them out. Piaomiao blinked. “What for?” “This is a manifestation I’ve formed from the karmic threads that bind you and me. Whatever card you draw, that’s the fruit of our bond.” Piaomiao smiled faintly and, without hesitation, plucked a card from the fan. An image revealed itself. It was a silken vine entwined around a tree. “I long to rest upon a towering tree.” Piaomiao laughed softly. “Isn’t this what any card I drew would’ve shown?” Zhao Changhe laughed with her. “More or less. The karma between us has become so transparent that there’s no card that would fall outside this pattern... But even this image carries further proof.” “That we won’t die. We won’t part. And we won’t betray one another. Among the endless possible outcomes for us... the most likely is to be eternally intertwined.” Piaomiao nodded gently. “As it should be.” Zhao Changhe gazed down at the card in her hand. But the thoughts running through his mind went far beyond what he said aloud. These cards were not influenced by his will. They were pure manifestations of the karmic probabilities between him and Piaomiao. If, back then, Ye Wuming had likewise drawn without imposing her will... then she had not placed him into the deck. He had drawn the one-in-a-billion outcome. He wondered what expression had crossed Ye Wuming’s face when she saw that card. “Hey...” Piaomiao leaned in and whispered, “You haven’t announced it, but... You have already taken Ye Jiuyou, haven’t you?” Zhao Changhe replied in a low voice, “You already knew? I suppose nothing that happened in Chang’an could escape your senses.” “Mm-hm...” Piaomiao murmured, “No one in the world would dare imagine such a relationship between you and Ye Jiuyou. You can continue playing that ambiguous role of frenemies. Let others believe it, and mislead their judgments. At the right moment, it could yield unexpected advantages.” Zhao Changhe asked, “There’s not much point in hiding it from the Sword Emperor and the rest... In your view, if the Heavenly Dao were still present, could we conceal it from the Heavenly Dao?” Piaomiao considered it seriously, then nodded. “Yes. Jiuyou and I both have a very refined sensitivity to the Heavenly Dao. If it were still active, we’d know. The fact that neither of us can sense it at all means something is deeply wrong. Perhaps it’s been cut off from the world entirely.” Zhao Changhe fell silent. Cut off... or suppressed? He suddenly recalled what was sealed within the Abyss of the Frost Chi. Is that it? If that was the Heavenly Dao, or even just a fragment of it, why did it feel so dark and distorted? Why did it feel ar worse than even Papiyas? When I killed Dark Oblivion and divine punishment descended from the heavens, where did that come from? Zhao Changhe was starting to suspect what Ye Wuming might be doing. A tremor shook the earth in the distance. Zhao Changhe looked up. The Four Idols Formation was still in place, and none of the four had been harmed, but the formation had been thrown into disarray. Each of them had been forcibly displaced from their position. A shadow flashed across the field—Ye Jiuyou had broken free. The formation could not hold her. Piaomiao was genuinely impressed. She herself had ended in a stalemate against the formation, but Jiuyou had managed to shatter it from within. It seemed Jiuyou was still much stronger. Piaomiao had made considerable progress lately, but clearly, Jiuyou had not fallen behind either. The women in formation appeared deep in thought. Evidently, they had all benefited from the bout. Ye Jiuyou swept past them and gave Zhao Changhe’s shoulder a light tap. “Come to the Abyss of Jiuyou tonight. We need to talk.” She made it sound perfectly aboveboard, like there was something serious and proper to discuss. Only Piaomiao saw through her. This woman was making up an excuse just to drag her man away, refusing to let him stay and spend time with the rest of them. Piaomiao could not resist. “You’ve had our husband to yourself for days now. Can’t whatever you need to say wait until tomorrow?” Ye Jiuyou replied with utter confidence, “They failed to trap me. That was the wager.” “Did you forget that I can hear you without having to see you? You never actually set any wager.” Piaomiao then added via voice transmission, “And since you’re the one who doesn’t want to make your relationship public, what gives you the right to pull rank over us? Be a good girl and crawl back to your abyss. Tonight, you’re welcome to watch our battlefield.” Ye Jiuyou looked at Piaomiao as if struck dumb. “Piaomiao, was that really you who just said that?” Piaomiao met her gaze evenly and said aloud, “If you, Ye Jiuyou, can steal a man, why can’t I? Oh, and I forgot to remind you, you still owe me an honorific. You’re supposed to call me Big Sister.” Ye Jiuyou was fuming. She originally thought that there might be some camaraderie between her and Piaomiao. Who knew the first topic of their “bonding” would be getting bullied? Piaomiao barely spoke with the others, so why was it that she suddenly had so much to say to her? Unfortunately, she had insisted on preserving face. Even if it meant eating humble pie, she had to maintain her composure. Gritting her teeth, Ye Jiuyou left behind a curt statement, “This current Four Idols Formation has some intriguing differences from the ancient one. It’s worth observing. I shall return tomorrow. Hopefully, I will find more surprises.” With that, she swallowed her bottle of vinegar whole[1], flicked her sleeve, and vanished. 1. This phrase is basically referring to eating a loss. ☜