Chapter 1384: Redemption

"Hmm?" Nanming Yushu's words made everyone who was about to leave turn back as one.

"What on earth is going on?" Everyone was stunned, their gazes all fixed on Ye Chen without exception. Clearly, the so-called "Dao friend" that the Hua Kui mentioned was this guy.

"Not seeing the divine sons of the three great holy lands, not seeing the many Da Sheng, but wanting to see an obscure Zhun Sheng." Too many people couldn't wrap their heads around it, unsure what the Hua Kui was thinking.

"Damn it." The faces of the three divine sons twisted with fury, gritting their teeth as if ready to kill. The Hua Kui had already rejected them, costing them all face, and now she wanted to see a Zhun Sheng level cultivator, which was a blatant slap in their faces. It implied that they were inferior to a Zhun Sheng.

"This is pushing it too far." The Da Sheng thought the same, their eyes flashing with cold light. If not for being in Tian Que Di Wang Cheng, they would have likely charged in and started a massacre.

"Thank you, Xianzi, for the honor." Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Ye Chen scurried inside, delighted by this unexpected turn. Now that Nanming Yushu was seeing him, everything would be easier to discuss.

"Investigate him for me." The three divine sons abruptly turned and left, each sending a message to their guards. As lofty figures, they couldn't tolerate this and had already marked Ye Chen, this Zhun Sheng, for death.

"This is truly bizarre." The group dispersed, each one baffled and unable to figure out what was happening. Even now, they couldn't see through the Hua Kui's intentions.

By this point, Ye Chen had followed a female cultivator's guidance to the depths of the secluded garden, arriving at a bamboo grove.

The bamboo grove was tranquil, filled with immortal energy and hazy mist, an ideal place for cultivation and reflection. Deep within the bamboo, hidden from view, stood a delicate pavilion, where Nanming Yushu resided.

She was truly like an immortal descended from the nine heavens, pure and flawless, with a beauty that seemed dreamlike.

When Ye Chen arrived, Nanming Yushu was painting, and her subject was him. Each stroke was deliberate, capturing his features vividly and his essence with remarkable accuracy.

"I have to say, your painting is pretty spot-on." Ye Chen approached casually, as if they were old friends, picking up a bunch of grapes from the jade table nearby. He ate while watching.

"Have we met somewhere before?" Nanming Yushu asked while continuing to paint.

"You said it." Ye Chen smiled faintly, then summoned a barrier, enveloping the entire bamboo grove. Only then did he flick a strand of immortal light into her brow.

Immediately, Nanming Yushu's body trembled, and the brush in her hand slipped. She let out a pained groan.

Ye Chen wasn't idle; he tossed the grapes aside and picked up the fallen brush from the ground. Since her painting wasn't finished, he decided to continue it—after all, he had time to kill.

Beside him, Nanming Yushu was in agony as the memory light surged deep into her divine sea, like a key forcing open sealed past events.

As the memories merged, the seal on her previous life's memories dissolved. Vast recollections flooded into her divine sea, intertwining and fusing with her current life's memories.

She remembered—it all came back: her past life and events, and her former name: Nanming Yushu.

A gentle breeze blew, and her body stopped trembling. Her eyes filled with tears as she stared blankly at Ye Chen, who was still painting. He was as deeply etched in her memory as ever, indelibly imprinted on her soul.

"Welcome back, Nanming Yushu." Ye Chen, still painting, turned back with a smile.

"What... what happened? Why am I still alive? I clearly died."

"A lot has happened." Ye Chen smiled but didn't explain further. Instead, he sent out a wisp of divine sense, carrying various events into her divine sea, leaving her to process it all herself.

"Reincarnation? Rebirth?" After reading the divine sense, Nanming Yushu stood there like a statue, stunned. She had no idea that reincarnation existed in this world, allowing the dead to be reborn. Such profound mysteries left even the daughter of the Xuan Emperor feeling dizzy and overwhelmed.

"I thought my painting was decent." Ye Chen had finished and was now admiring it. His skill didn't match Nanming Yushu's, but it wasn't too far off.

"You actually killed a great emperor." Nanming Yushu looked at Ye Chen as if he were a monster.

"Not bad, I didn't let the myriad realms down." Ye Chen smiled and waved his hand, producing an immortal sword etched with ancient runes. Its level wasn't too high—just Tianjing grade.

"Yuan Hong." Nanming Yushu hurriedly took it, hugging it like a long-lost relative. Tears the size of beans fell—it was her father's divine weapon, and she never thought she'd see it again.

"The Xuan Emperor is still alive. Save your tears for when you see him." Ye Chen laughed, pulling out a wine flask.

"My father is still alive?" Nanming Yushu whipped her head around, staring at Ye Chen in disbelief.

"Not just your father—the nine emperors of Da Chu are all alive." Ye Chen sent out another wisp of divine sense, explaining the matters of reincarnation and rebirth, along with even more ancient events.

"I knew it—my father is still alive." Nanming Yushu burst into tears again, sobbing even harder, like a tear-streaked figure. After endless ages, she finally had a confirmed answer.

"No time for more talk—come with me!" Ye Chen interrupted her reminiscing. "I'm short on time, and Tian Que Di Wang Cheng is a special place. I'll use the heavenly dao to take you away."

"No." Nanming Yushu quickly objected.

"What? You don't want to leave?" Ye Chen was taken aback.

"It's not that I don't want to—it's that I can't use the heavenly dao in Tian Que Di Wang Cheng." Nanming Yushu explained, "This ancient city is suppressed by an ultimate Dao emperor weapon. Acting recklessly with the heavenly dao will bring disaster."

"There's such a thing?"

"There are bloody examples in history." Nanming Yushu said, "It was an immortal king of the immortal race who once awakened the immortal wheel forbidden law right here in Tian Que Di Wang Cheng. He tampered with the heavenly dao and provoked the emperor weapon, nearly dying in the process. He even lost a Six Paths Immortal Eye because of it."

"That's terrifying." Ye Chen's heart skipped a beat. Good thing he hadn't acted rashly earlier—otherwise, he'd be on the road to the underworld by now. If even an immortal king almost perished, what chance did he have?

"The Di Wang Seal truly defies heaven and earth."

"So, does that mean I have to redeem you?" Ye Chen looked at Nanming Yushu tentatively.

"It seems that's the only way to leave now." Nanming Yushu shrugged helplessly.

"Your single dance is worth millions—redeeming you must cost a fortune, right?"

"What do you think?"

"How about you just stay here?" Ye Chen said, turning to slip away.

"Come back here!" Nanming Yushu reached out and yanked Ye Chen back. Her beautiful eyes sparkled with anger. "In your eyes, is money more important than me?"

"The problem is, I don't have that much." Ye Chen protested quickly. "Even if I sold myself, it wouldn't be enough!"

"Nonsense, I saw it." Nanming Yushu snatched his storage bag and opened it on the spot. The source stones inside were countless, dazzling in their abundance.

"Isn't this money?" Nanming Yushu glared at Ye Chen. "And you dare say you have none."

"You have to leave me some, at least!" Ye Chen coughed. "If you redeem yourself, I'll be broke. Two hundred years of hard work, wiped out in an instant."

"How can you bear to leave me in a brothel?"

"It's not so bad—I could come chat with you whenever I'm free..."

"Why don't you just go die?"

"Dancer, why are you so angry?" No sooner had Nanming Yushu spoken than a ethereal female voice echoed into the bamboo grove. The barrier was broken, and a person entered.

It was a woman in green robes, stunningly elegant, her beauty rivaling Nanming Yushu's. More importantly, her cultivation was frighteningly high—she was a Zhun Di level expert.

"Greetings, Matron." Nanming Yushu hurried forward to bow respectfully.

"No need for formalities." The green-robed woman smiled, her gaze falling on Ye Chen. "I heard you turned down the divine sons of the three great holy lands and the many Da Sheng, yet chose to see this young friend. It's quite intriguing. Now that I see him, your judgment is indeed good."

"This junior is Ye Chen. Greetings, Senior." Ye Chen coughed and quickly bowed.

"The Archaic Holy Body—where's your divine repository? Why only the origin?" The green-robed woman sat gracefully, eyeing Ye Chen with interest. "You weren't born without the divine repository inheritance, were you?"

"This... it's a long story. Let's talk about something else instead. For example, I want to redeem Hua Wu—could you make the redemption price a bit cheaper?"

Ye Chen's words made the green-robed woman burst into laughter. She'd never seen such an odd Zhun Sheng, bold enough to bargain with a Zhun Di and demand one of her Hua Kui.

"How much cheaper do you want?" After laughing, the green-robed woman looked at Ye Chen curiously.

"This is all I have." Ye Chen handed over his storage bag, wincing.

"Not enough." The green-robed woman glanced at it and shook her head with a smile.

"I really don't have more."

"Then I'm afraid I can't help."

"Come on, let's negotiate!" Ye Chen rubbed his hands. "An IOU would work too!"

"If you run off and don't come back, where would I find you?" The green-robed woman rested her chin on one hand, smiling playfully at Ye Chen. "Xuan Huang is so vast—tracking someone down is no easy task."

"You could ask Zhutian Sword God—I'm very familiar with him. Or Kunlun Xu, the Divine Hall, Jiuhuang Heaven, Daluo Zhutian, and the Great Xia Dynasty. Just mention my name, and they'll give you face—they all owe me a favor."

"You listed so many, but why not mention the Six Paths?"

"My ancestor has a bit of a temper." Ye Chen said meaningfully, starting to exaggerate again. "If he found out someone was chasing me for debt, he'd lose it. He's always been fierce—if he came to Tian Que Di Wang Cheng to settle scores with you, that would be trouble."

"Your ancestor isn't exactly a stranger here—trying to scare me won't work."

"Wait, has my ancestor caused chaos in Tian Que Di Wang Cheng before?"

"Don't change the subject. We're talking about the redemption price." The green-robed woman picked up her teacup and took a sip. "If the price isn't enough, you can pay with something else, like your Archaic Holy Body blood."

"I knew it—you want my blood."

"So, will you agree or not?" The green-robed woman glanced at Ye Chen with a smile.

"Agree, agree." Ye Chen shook his head, finally understanding her scheme.

"Straightforward."

"Hey, since I paid with my blood to redeem you, can I at least spend one night with you?"

"Get lost."