Tome of Troubled Times-Chapter 744 (1): Vermillion Birds Arrival

Could she really have fully recovered in just three months?

At best, she might have reached Xia Longyuan’s level now. However, it was still more likely that she had not even gotten that far.

And there was another important factor. The blind woman had actively prevented the Dao Lord from obtaining the Heavenly Tome, even going as far as to personally take action to that effect. That meant she definitely would not want an ancient god or demon like Jiuyou getting her hands on it either.

Jiuyou’s prestige might seem greater than the Dao Lord’s, but would the blind woman really allow her to kill Zhao Changhe and take all six pages of the Heavenly Tome that he had? Absolutely not. That was why, back when they had been dealing with the Spirit Tribe, the blind woman had repeatedly warned him to be wary of Jiuyou.

Will she personally make a move again this time?

If he could hold his own, even just a little, and as long as the blind woman did not have to openly intervene... Then, yes, she would almost certainly make her move.

But regardless of whether she did make a move or not, he had to fight for his life. Jiuyou, it seemed, had yet to realize who he truly was. If she had, she would have crushed his skull immediately. Since she did not know, then he could make use of this gap in information.

Breathing heavily, Zhao Changhe stared at the delicate hand stretched before him.

Slowly, he lowered his head, assuming the posture of a man about to kiss it.

The moment one’s heart wavered and they acted in submission, they would begin to fall. One step at a time, they would sink deeper into the abyss, becoming nothing more than a pawn, a hound at her command. But of course, he would never actually touch her hand.

The closer one got, the further away it would seem. The more one pursued, the deeper one would sink—until there was no escape.

Jiuyou’s technique was a perfect illusion, a mirage of temptation designed to devour the will. But Zhao Changhe’s mind was growing clearer by the second. He had learned Tang Wanzhuang’s Ice Heart Sutra, allowing his heart to remain as still as a lake, undisturbed by the winds. More recently, he had immersed himself in the Diamond Sutra, allowing his heart to become as unshakable as a diamond.

As expected, no matter how close Zhao Changhe seemed to get to that delicate hand, it always remained just out of reach. The lower it drooped, the more it guided him toward his knees.

His fingers trembled as he reached out, mimicking the desperate struggle of a man yearning to grasp that elusive hand. Jiuyou’s lips curled into a taunting smirk, the surrounding darkness seizing upon this moment of supposed vulnerability, flooding into his spiritual platform without restraint.

The instant those shadows reached his spiritual platform, they crashed into a radiant expanse of Buddhist light. Jiuyou hesitated. And that single moment of hesitation was all Zhao Changhe needed. His award-winning performance of trembling hands suddenly shot forward as a violent, earth-shaking strike blasted toward Jiuyou with relentless fury!

Heavenly Sea-Suppressing Palm!

Jiuyou chuckled, entirely unfazed by the attack. The hand that had hovered so teasingly near Zhao Changhe’s lips flicked in response, about to deliver him a sharp slap.

But then, the shadows behind her twisted.

A divine sword streaked through the air, its blade bearing the faint imprint of a Taiji diagram, slicing toward Jiuyou’s back.

It was Yuxu!

Even Zhao Changhe had not anticipated this unexpected ally. It seemed that once Yuxu had hinted at Jiuyou’s presence, he had no intention of simply standing by. Knowing that Zhao Changhe could not handle this alone, he had come to support him!

And that was not all.

Just as Jiuyou’s delicate fingers were about to slap Zhao Changhe, an inexplicable force momentarily restricted her movement. For just a fraction of a second, her hand faltered, moving only the slightest distance forward. That distance was precisely half a cun. This left her palm perfectly suspended right in front of Zhao Changhe’s lips. Her palm was so close that she could feel his breath.

The blind woman was making trouble from the shadows.

Zhao Changhe, naturally, took full advantage of the situation.

Without hesitation, he pursed his lips and his mouth brushed against her hand in a fleeting kiss.

At the exact same moment that his lips met her skin, his Heavenly Sea-Suppressing Palm slammed squarely into Jiuyou’s abdomen!

As expected, the attack was utterly useless. It was as if he had struck an endless void. His force dissipated into nothingness, leaving not a single trace of an attack even having been carried out.

At the same time, Yuxu’s sword reached the back of Jiuyou’s neck. Jiuyou simply flicked her other hand, dissipating the energy before it could reach her. Yuxu retreated two steps, now positioned behind her, while Zhao Changhe stood in front. Jiuyou was pinned between them.

Jiuyou took two deep breaths. Yet, instead of looking at Yuxu or “Qin Jiu,” the very first thing she did was lift her hand and stare at the spot where it had been kissed. Her chest heaved with anger. She had no idea where that strange restrictive force had come from. In her mind, it had to be Qin Jiu’s doing.

So, you had the ability to briefly restrain my movements... and you used it just to steal a kiss from my hand?

What kind of degenerate are you?!

Zhao Changhe: “...”

Somehow, it feels like there’s a huge misunderstanding. But then again... is it a misunderstanding? I did do it, after all. Well, whatever. Who told you to hold your hand so close to my mouth?

Now that the terrifying pressure had finally receded, Zhao Changhe was able to properly take in Jiuyou’s appearance for the first time.

Earlier, his mind had been entirely consumed by the vast emptiness in her eyes—those cold, desolate voids that seemed to swallow everything.

But now that he got to take a proper look at her, he found himself seeing something else entirely. It was not just that she had galaxies for eyes. Even her facial features bore a striking resemblance to the blind woman.

That nose, that mouth... The only real difference is that the blind woman has short hair, while Jiuyou’s hair goes all the way down. Damn, if only I could see what the blind woman’s eyes actually look like...

“Hey, Blindie...”

The blind woman knew exactly what he was about to ask. She did not respond.

Jiuyou spoke instead.

“That radiant Buddhist light... So, you are a disciple of the Buddhist sects. Yet even Yuan Cheng himself would struggle to match your cultivation. Why is that?”

Her voice was distant, ethereal—eerily similar to how the blind woman had sounded in her early days. But while the blind woman had always carried a trace of hidden mischief, even in her most cryptic moments, and now had become entirely human in her mannerisms—someone who could smile and insult him freely—Jiuyou’s voice was utterly devoid of emotion.

So, she still hasn’t figured out who I really am? Does she seriously think I’m from one of the Buddhist sects? How much is the blind woman hiding for me?

Thoughts raced through Zhao Changhe’s mind, but his response came naturally, “Is it so strange for a student to surpass their teacher? You’re clinging too much to appearances, lady.”

Jiuyou turned slightly and glanced at Yuxu.

“So, this is actually some kind of cooperation between you and the Buddhist sects?”

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Yuxu smiled faintly. “Kong Shi is... problematic. While Yuan Cheng and I have been at odds for years, I trust his character.”

Jiuyou gave a small nod. In her mind, the pieces now fell naturally into place. To her, this was nothing more than orthodox Buddhism recognizing the invasion of Papiyas and joining forces with Yuxu to eradicate him. As for this Qin Jiu, she now believed that he must have been sent by the Buddhist sects specifically for this mission. Everything aligned. Even his decision to lodge near the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda perfectly fit the role.

Then, her expression turned cold.

“There’s a Buddhist disciple as lustful as you? What kind of monk are you supposed to be? What kind of character is this?”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

Yuxu: “...” Why am I not even remotely surprised? This is just their normal behavior... Oh, right. This is Zhao Changhe we’re talking about. Never mind, carry on.

Jiuyou’s lips finally curled with a hint of malice.

“Originally, since you were of the Buddhist path, I might have spared you...” Her voice dropped, laced with an eerie finality. “But after what you did today... you must die. Yuxu cannot protect you.”

Before her words had finished echoing through the air, a deathly chill surged through Zhao Changhe’s entire body. His consciousness itself began to dissolve.

The force of annihilation. The power of ultimate death. The control of life and death itself.

Had the blind woman not insisted he spend countless hours meditating in the Spirit Tribe’s burial grounds, studying the nature of death qi, this would have been an instant kill. He would not have even realized how he died.

Silently, he murmured in his mind, “Thanks, Blindie.” Though he could not yet control the conversion between life and death, he understood it now.

He could see the process unfolding. And if he could see it, then he could resist it.

You at least have to hit me first!

To Jiuyou, however, the sight before her was something else entirely.

This man, who was supposedly a Buddhist disciple, now stood bathed in a radiant Buddhist glow, his entire form shimmering with illusory lotus petals, pulsating with endless vitality.

Even Zhao Changhe himself was unaware of just how strongly Buddhist his presence appeared. Ever since his early days, he had been practicing the Pure Bliss Art—an authentic Buddhist technique. It had been with him for so long that it had almost become one of the pillars of his foundation, nearly on par with his Vicious Blood Art. It was because of this that Yuan Cheng and Yuan Xing both viewed him as a natural Buddhist heir; aside from his behavior with women, everything about him practically screamed “Buddha’s chosen.”

And so, Jiuyou’s conversion of life into death failed to take hold. Meanwhile, Yuxu, having perceived the unseen battle between them, let out a soft roar and struck again, his long sword flashing toward Jiuyou’s back, partially lifting the pressure on Zhao Changhe.

Jiuyou met Yuxu’s sword with one palm and simultaneously lashed out at Zhao Changhe with the other. Zhao Changhe roared in defiance, his thunderous palm strike colliding with hers in a violent explosion.

Bang! Bang!

Jiuyou stood unshaken, effortlessly holding her ground against both opponents as steady as a mountain.

But just then, the sky ignited.