Tome of Troubled Times-Chapter 905: Night of Shame

Within Ye Jiuyou’s spiritual sea, Ye Wuming erupted with unprecedented resistance. Earlier, when Ye Jiuyou had kissed Zhao Changhe, the backlash had merely caused a splitting headache, but now, the spiritual sea surged as it underwent a violent upheaval.

The two entangled souls within the spiritual sea clawed at each other, yanking hair and twisting ears in a chaotic brawl.

Ye Jiuyou let out a low groan, collapsing to the edge of the bed, clutching her head in pain. Ye Wuming’s spiritual assault was not something easily endured. She was thus momentarily incapacitated...

But just before that, she had managed to roll Zhao Changhe onto Ye Wuming’s body, pinning him firmly against her.

Zhao Changhe did not have the strength to care about the fighting pair beside him. Right now, he was sprawled atop Ye Wuming in agony and, admittedly, a little bliss.

Her body was warm and supple under the robes, and her hair was smooth and fragrant as silk. He couldn’t really move, but from where he was, he didn’t need to. He could feel everything.

This was Ye Wuming’s body. And she looked exactly like the image of the blind woman he had always carried in his heart.

To ravage her freely, was this not the deepest dream he had had since being forcefully brought into this world? Compared to this, what did the Heavenly Dao or the Other Shore even matter?

Yesterday, no amount of effort could coax his body to respond, but now, it rose of its own accord, and it was so hard that it felt like he might split apart.

Still... no.

For one, it was not like he had any lofty sense of morality, but this was going too far. Whether she was conscious or not, he was not about to do something like that to her while she could not do anything about it.

Moreover, she only seemed to be unconscious. Now that he was here, Zhao Changhe could tell that it was not unconsciousness. Rather, her body had no soul within.

He could sense that she was not breathing, she had no pulse, and she was showing no signs of life. If not for the warmth still lingering in her skin, he would have fully believed that she had died and this was merely a corpse. If he did anything to her now, wouldn’t that count as necrophilia?

Zhao Changhe was admittedly a degenerate, but he was not that far gone. If she really were dead, his first thought would not be to touch her inappropriately but to search for her soul, to try and bring her back. But with that said, he did not believe that Ye Wuming was truly gone. Had she been dead, Ye Jiuyou would not have been acting the way she was now.

“Her soul doesn’t seem to be inside.” Zhao Changhe forced the words out. “Where is she?”

Amidst their brawl in their shared spiritual sea, Ye Jiuyou barely managed to spit out a few strained words, “She’s right here.”

Zhao Changhe: “?”

What does that mean? Is her soul still inside her body and I’m just too weak to sense it? If so, then is she just in a really deep coma?

If it’s just a coma... then maybe I could try the Rejuvenation Art?

Without hesitation, Zhao Changhe leaned in and kissed her, parting her lips and slipping past her teeth.

Ye Wuming, still locked in spiritual combat with Ye Jiuyou, went completely berserk. “Stop it right now!”

“Hahahaha!” Ye Jiuyou laughed until she clutched her sides, but she was soon thrown off by the frantic Ye Wuming, and she nearly lost control of her own body. She scrambled to reassert dominance, wrestling back control.

Ye Wuming was beside herself. She had handed over control voluntarily, but now, reclaiming it was like scaling the heavens. Never had she so deeply regretted her path of self-destruction. Had she known this would happen, she would not have considered any damn self-detonation; she would have just blown up these two damn lovers instead.

But right now, she could only watch herself being enjoyed by others. She had never even seen this kind of stuff in porn. At best, there were scenes where the husband was tied up and forced to watch someone else ravish his wife.

She now knew what that felt like, except she was both the viewer and the viewed.

“I want out!” Ye Wuming struggled with everything she had. “Ye Jiuyou, I swear I’ll never forgive you!”

Just yesterday, she had claimed she was not some split personality, that the fusion had been a willing choice... and now, barely a day later, she regretted it enough to want to bash her own head against a wall.

“Hahahaha...” Ye Jiuyou was laughing so hard she could hardly breathe. Then, in a show of camaraderie, she generously shared the complete feed with Piaomiao.

“Pfft...” The always-composed Piaomiao was laughing herself silly, literally rolling across the ground in Miaojiang.

Nearby, Sisi peeked in. “Big Sister Piaomiao... who’s Master playing with?”

“Good, good, that’s the perfect wording.” Piaomiao could barely contain herself. “Say more lines like that, I love hearing them.”

Sisi was taken aback.

What happened to our sweet, gentle big sister? Why does it feel like she’s suddenly broken?

Sisi scratched her head. Then, her eyes drifted toward the scenes being shown on the screen that had just appeared. That face being kissed... Why did it look so much like Big Sister Jiuyou? And even a little like a grown-up version of Ruoyu?

Then, her eyes widened and her scalp tingled.

Wait, is that Ye Wuming?

Zhao Changhe, naturally, had no idea what kind of drama was unfolding in the minds of his women. He was still doing his best to gather the last remnants of his energy to drive the Rejuvenation Art in hopes of awakening Ye Wuming. His own soul was too feeble to sense any trace of hers, but he was confident that this was no corpse.

Her body functioned like that of a living person. Her blood was still circulating, her energy was still flowing, and everything was working as it should. There were even minor residual internal injuries, remnants of the strike she had taken from Luo Chuan prior to the battle. And now, under the influence of the Rejuvenation Art, even those were gradually healing. A corpse would never display that.

More telling still was that her complexion had turned visibly rosier under the stimulation of the kiss and the Rejuvenation Art, blooming like a flower with dew, soft and radiant.

This drove Ye Wuming, who was currently locked in a spiritual battle with Ye Jiuyou, into complete collapse.

She had felt it yesterday when Zhao Changhe kissed Ye Jiuyou’s body. Now, with him kissing her own body, the sensation was even stronger. The deeper the kiss, the softer her soul became. Her resistance weakened rapidly, and she lost even the slimmest chance of turning the tide.

But amidst the fury... something more complicated began to stir in her heart.

He was this badly wounded, barely holding onto a shred of strength, yet instead of using it for himself, he used whatever energy he had left to use the Rejuvenation Art to heal her.

Though I have to say, this healing process is a bit... Hey, if you’re going to heal me, then just heal me! What the hell is your hand doing?! Why don’t you go ahead and screw me while you’re at it?!

Of course, there was no such thing. Moments later, Zhao Changhe ran out of energy. He collapsed next to her, panting in exhaustion. He looked just like a man resting after a passionate session.

Ye Wuming: “...”

Zhao Changhe frowned slightly as he turned to ask Ye Jiuyou, “Strange. I’m certain her soul hasn’t left. Her body still feels very much alive. But after all this time transferring energy with the Rejuvenation Art, she still hasn’t shown any sign of waking. Something’s off.”

Ye Jiuyou, breathless herself from fending off Ye Wuming’s rampage, exhaled heavily. “No clue. Take your time figuring it out. By the way... how was the, uh, tactile experience?”

“Ahem.” Zhao Changhe, suddenly a gentleman in front of Ye Jiuyou, could only answer, “Nothing special.”

Ye Wuming wanted to scream.

“Mm, is that so?” Ye Jiuyou then said, “So let me get this straight, you barely managed to recover a sliver of your energy and then you just dumped it all into her?”

“Not all of it,” Zhao Changhe replied. “I kept a little in reserve to help stabilize myself.”

“I’ve got a suggestion.”

“What is it?”

“Dual cultivation,” Ye Jiuyou said matter-of-factly. “Her body’s overflowing with power. Right now, she can’t reciprocate, so you’re giving unilaterally. In essence, she’s draining you. Look at yourself. You’re a mess, yet you’re still letting yourself get leached off of. If you want to recover quickly, the best way would be to take from her instead...”

Zhao Changhe tilted his head, a disappointed expression on his face.

“Okay, okay, calm down now. I know you’re not the type to do something so ruthless.” Ye Jiuyou propped her head on her hand and pouted. “But seriously now... You say you’re still mad at her, and we all know you are, but everything you’re doing shows no signs of revenge. Piaomiao and I both hate her. If you keep this up, we’re going to be very displeased.”

Zhao Changhe sighed. “Draining her would be too much, and I won’t be doing that in any case. If you have another idea, I’ll do whatever you say.”

“Well, you can just play with her.” Ye Jiuyou grinned. “Didn’t you say yesterday you wanted to shove it right in her—mmph!”

Ye Jiuyou clutched her head as her spiritual sea once again went into a violent upheaval. Ye Wuming had launched another full-on assault.

Zhao Changhe gave her a puzzled look. Why does Jiuyou seem... unwell? And what’s wrong with her today? Why would I ever be in the mood to fool around with a lifeless doll?

He quickly moved off Ye Wuming’s body and wrapped his arms around Ye Jiuyou. “What’s wrong with you?”

“N-nothing...” Ye Jiuyou gritted her teeth. “Go play with her. Why are you bothering with me?”

Zhao Changhe snorted. “Don’t be ridiculous. You matter far more to me than she does.”

Ye Jiuyou blinked, her little temper vanishing in an instant as she settled into a serene calm.

Inside the spiritual sea, Ye Wuming also fell silent.

“What’s going on?” Zhao Changhe channeled a thin strand of energy to check Ye Jiuyou’s condition. “Strange, I don’t sense any injury or ailment. What exactly happened?”

Ye Jiuyou nearly laughed. With how weak you are right now, what could you possibly perceive from a soul entanglement at the level of the Other Shore? 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

However, his worried, attentive expression warmed her heart, so she felt like explaining herself. “It’s a special kind of illness. Let’s just say that I exhausted myself helping you heal earlier. If you mess with her instead, my mood will improve, and then I’ll get better. The more creative you are, the faster I’ll recover.”

“That’s utter nonsense,” Zhao Changhe muttered as he lowered his head and kissed her gently. Activating the Rejuvenation Art, he murmured, “Just rest. Let me help nourish you a little.”

As she felt his care, his warmth, Ye Jiuyou’s heart turned to jelly. Her lashes quivered, and she closed her eyes, leaning in to meet his kiss.

At that moment, any thought of revenge against Ye Wuming flew right out the window. I have a man who spoils me. Do you? He values me more than he does you.

Their kiss deepened. Her heart stirred with the growing pressure of his embrace. Soon, she whispered breathily, “Seems like you’ve recovered well today... Want to try dual cultivation?”

Zhao Changhe had no objections. In fact, that was the point of yesterday’s trial—whether or not they could dual cultivate would drastically affect the efficiency of healing.

He gently undid her gown, taking his time in savoring her. After a bit of attentive service, he pressed himself down against her.

Ye Jiuyou moaned softly, arms wrapping around his head, arching her neck in pleasure. This hardness... I have to thank Ye Wuming’s body for the stimulation. Otherwise, with how he was yesterday, we really wouldn’t have managed this today.

She mentally chuckled and offered her dear sister a mocking whisper, “Thanks for the help. Next time, I’ll let you blow him first.”

Ye Wuming was about to flip shit.

The worst part? She could feel it. She had felt it when he kissed her body earlier. Now, as Zhao Changhe was dual cultivating with Ye Jiuyou, she still felt everything.

Others like Piaomiao and Cui Yuanyang shared one body. She also shared one body... but also had her one. And both bodies’ sensations were being routed to her. No matter which one he was touching, it felt like it was happening to her.

And to make it worse, her own body was lying right beside them. As Zhao Changhe and Ye Jiuyou coupled passionately, the sight was practically a portrait of sisterly indulgence.

And it could have easily become that. The only thing stopping it was that ridiculous man’s restraint.

Originally, given his weakened state, it would have been ideal to have Ye Jiuyou on top. But Zhao Changhe could not bring himself to yield, not with a setup like this. He insisted on being in control, driving forward himself.

Ye Jiuyou could feel his effort, and she relished every moment. Her mind began to spin again, thoughts turning impish as her eyes danced with mischief. In a teasing voice, she murmured, “Changhe~”

“What is it?” Zhao Changhe asked.

“Let’s try something new?”

“What did you have in mind?”

Her gaze slid sideways to Ye Wuming’s body, still lying quietly on the floor. She giggled. “It’s getting kind of lonely here, don’t you think?”

Obviously, there was absolutely no way she would be getting lonely right now. But Zhao Changhe, ever the wise one, understood what she actually meant. Without hesitation, he shifted her right next to her sister.

Ye Wuming ground her teeth like never before. Once I get out... I swear I’ll kill you both. I swear!

Never in her life had she regretted anything more than she regretted her magnanimous self-sacrifice today. It really was something one should never do. Zhao Changhe had been right to stop her back then. This was all her mistake.

Once they slipped into the rhythm of dual cultivation, time seemed to stretch into eternity. Ye Wuming had no idea how long she had been trapped in torment within Ye Jiuyou’s spiritual sea. She had gone numb, barely aware of anything anymore, and yet the depraved couple showed no sign of slowing down.

Even with his body still injured and weakened, Zhao Changhe was going at it as if he were possessed—no, actually, he was going at it as if he were the usual Zhao Changhe. Some of his wounds had already split open again, blood trickling down, yet still, he did not stop. Ye Wuming truly felt that the phrase “to chase pleasure until death[1]” must have been coined just for him!

“Damn bastard! You’re going to die buried between a woman’s thighs one day!” Ye Wuming gritted out between clenched teeth, cursing him furiously.

In truth, though, Zhao Changhe was getting a bit of an undeserved bad rap.

Sure, at first, he had enjoyed the sensation. But very quickly, that pleasure gave way to something deeper. Dual cultivation was not just indulgence but enlightenment. And before long, the shared experience of Ye Jiuyou’s Other Shore Realm pulled his mind into insight.

He had already brushed against the threshold when he clashed head-on with the Other Shore before. That encounter had laid the foundation. Now, through this session of dual cultivation, the door was fully opened, revealing a vast new landscape.

So this... this is what it meant to define the laws.

Jiuyou’s current state isn’t just creation anymore. She could define the rules within a world, acting as its Heavenly Dao. And that’s the very essence of being a Heavenly Dao, to write the rules within its framework.

But what if one day you could step outside the framework itself, and write rules from nothing? Would that mean going beyond the Other Shore?

That thought still felt distant, but the far shore was now visible. And once the far shore is visible, it means you’re already away from the shore you started on. And when you start contemplating creating your own rules, simply changing them becomes trivial.

As his comprehension grew, so did his strength. His injuries rapidly began to heal. Energy surged back into him. What started as feeble efforts became increasingly vigorous, and their dual cultivation deepened.

Back in the spiritual sea, Ye Wuming was practically rolling her eyes into the void.

Ye Jiuyou was doing the same. “Changhe...”

“Hm?” Zhao Changhe returned to himself, glancing down to find Ye Jiuyou sprawled next to Ye Wuming like melted wax, barely able to twitch.

“I’m done,” Jiuyou murmured, breathless. “You can have her instead.”

Ye Wuming was close to exploding.

Zhao Changhe was, too. So close, in fact, that he had to resort to every bit of restraint he could possibly muster.

Just then, a familiar scent wafted through the air. Piaomiao had arrived.

“All done yet? Then, it’s my turn.”

Piaomiao did not care about many things, but when it came to tormenting Ye Wuming, she was always eager to join in.

Ye Wuming: “...”

She did not know whether to breathe a sigh of relief... or explode in rage.

Will this ever end?

Ye Jiuyou rolled lazily to the side, her voice thick with amusement. “I knew you couldn’t hold back.”

Piaomiao huffed and casually pinched Ye Wuming’s chest. “She’s not all that special.”

Then, as naturally as if she’d been practicing for this, she shoved Ye Wuming into a prostrating posture, as if she was worshipping them. “Changhe, hug please~”

Ye Wuming immediately blew up again and lunged at Ye Jiuyou, the two sisters breaking into another brawl.

Unfortunately, both had been rolling their eyes and lying limp just moments before. Now, their catfight was even weaker than before; it was more like a slap-fest between kittens.

Meanwhile, Zhao Changhe had already laid Piaomiao flat next to Ye Wuming and begun the second round of cultivation.

In truth, this was the first time Piaomiao and Ye Jiuyou had cultivated with Zhao Changhe together. In the past, both had too much pride to let go. Each of them was a top-tier demon god, after all. They only ever lowered their guard during those games involving Ye Wuming.

Suddenly, Piaomiao let out a soft, curious sound. “Hm?”

She had sensed something unusual. Ye Jiuyou’s intent and insights from the Other Shore were flowing to her through Zhao Changhe, as if he were a relay station.

Zhao Changhe had actually theorized about this before. Perhaps the Ye sisters did not need to merge to be “complete.” If he could serve as a conduit, allowing them to share and perceive each other’s will through him, would that not also be a form of unity? He had always known it would be difficult for the sisters to dual cultivate directly, but maybe he could test the waters with Piaomiao and Jiuyou.

To his surprise, it actually worked.

Piaomiao’s cultivation was vastly different from Jiuyou’s. The nature of their cultivation had nothing whatsoever in common, so it was hard to say how much she could truly gain. Yet even so, something was going on.

Theoretically, Piaomiao breaking through to the Other Shore was extremely unlikely, but if the one sharing with Ye Jiuyou were Ye Wuming?

That possibility suddenly looked promising.

Ye Wuming, meanwhile, had no clue that these degenerate couples were so focused on the path of cultivation. All she felt was that she had been reduced to a kind of glorified pimp to help Zhao Changhe have fun with multiple women. That kind of utility made her want to die from sheer humiliation.

Her body was untouched, but her spirit? Never in the history of defilement had anyone been so defiled.

She did not know how long the ordeal lasted. Days seemed to rise and fall, until finally, roosters crowed the coming of who-knew-how-manyeth dawn.

Ye Jiuyou and Piaomiao, each well-sated from multiple rounds, lay on either side, limbs splayed and glowing with satisfaction. At the moment, each of them was even immersed in the insights gained from the session of dual cultivation.

Zhao Changhe, however, did not linger to enjoy the afterglow. Instead, he sat down next to Ye Wuming and began cleaning his weapon.

There was nothing that could be done. It was a force of habit.

Ye Wuming had been humiliated to her very core. The sight of him polishing his “blade” while looking at her like this pushed her beyond reason. An unprecedented surge of rage erupted from her soul, shattering the bonds that kept her tethered to Ye Jiuyou and forcing a portion of her spirit back to her body.

Zhao Changhe was still diligently cleaning himself when he noticed Ye Wuming, who had lain there all the while, unmoving, suddenly opened her eyes.

The fury in her gaze could have razed the entire Night Palace to the ground.

“Zhao! Chang! He! I’m going to kill you!”

1. Just for those wondering, the raw phrase here is 要色不要命, which isn’t a common phrase at all. The very similar and actually common version of the phrase is 要钱不要命, which translates to wanting money more than one’s life. ☜