Chapter 1682: The Invitation

The small garden was quiet, with only scattered fallen leaves drifting in the wind.

Ye Chen had been taken back to his room, covered with a quilt, completely still, silent, and even his breathing had ceased.

As tough-minded as he was, he had finally broken down. After three hundred years of trials and tribulations, including slaughtering his way through the imperial capital, he still couldn't overcome this emotional barrier.

Having endured so much hardship, all the accumulated pain and wounds erupted today. This blow was utterly devastating.

"I say, brother, don't be like this. At least say something."

"Think about your family. I don't want to see you so depressed."

"You're young! There's plenty of time ahead to enjoy life. Don't waste your youth sleeping away—go out and have some fun."

Zhao Yun stayed by the bed, earnestly trying to comfort him.

He was loyal and hadn't left, afraid that Ye Chen might do something reckless, like hanging himself with a rope.

Or, for example, extracting his Saint Body origin and kicking it around like a ball.

But despite Zhao Yun's endless chatter, Ye Chen showed no reaction at all. He was as still as the air itself.

Zhao Yun shook his head helplessly. If this had happened to him, he would have collapsed too. From ancient times, matters of the heart have always been the hardest to overcome.

"Ye Chen, get out here!" A shout came from outside the room.

Through the crack in the window, one could see a peerless woman, her chest heaving with anger, her beautiful eyes sparking with fury.

She was, without a doubt, Qin Mengyao, and she was fiercely bold.

That night, Ye Chen had sent her to a brothel, and when she returned, she was furious. The King of Chu Jiang was enraged and had locked her up for over half a month.

Only today had orders come from above to release her.

Like a wild horse that had broken free, she rushed over immediately. She wouldn't be Qin Mengyao if she didn't settle the score from that day.

As she spoke, the woman kicked the door open and stormed in, holding a weapon in her hand, her face flushed with rage.

"Shh!" Zhao Yun gestured for her to quiet down.

"What's with the shushing?" Qin Mengyao waved him aside.

This woman was indeed fierce. She yanked off the quilt and grabbed Ye Chen by the collar, lifting him up.

However, Ye Chen didn't react at all, his arms hanging limply.

His expression was blank, his eyes hollow, like a soulless corpse with no vitality whatsoever.

Qin Mengyao was stunned. With white hair and a withered look—was this really Ye Chen?

How had he turned into such a mess in just a few days?

From the time she had known Ye Chen, this was the first time she'd seen him so defeated, and it made her hesitate to act.

She glanced at Zhao Yun, figuring he must know the reason. Today's Ye Chen was just too strange.

"Put him down and come outside to talk." Zhao Yun turned and left the room.

Qin Mengyao finally set Ye Chen down and even tucked the quilt back over him before muttering to herself and following outside.

In the garden, Zhao Yun had already found a stone chair and pulled out a wine flask, taking a big gulp. All that talking had left his mouth dry.

"What's going on?" Qin Mengyao sheathed her sword, her eyes full of confusion.

"Do you know who Yao Shun is?" Zhao Yun asked, turning his head.

"Yao Shun?" Qin Mengyao's eyes darted around, blinking rapidly. After thinking for a few seconds, she shook her head. "Never heard of him."

"Even you don't know?" Zhao Yun frowned.

"What's this got to do with Yao Shun?" Qin Mengyao was completely baffled.

"I've looked into it. The Naihe Qiao Shen was taken away by someone named Yao Shun, and apparently, she's carrying his child."

"Seriously? That kind of thing happened?" Qin Mengyao's eyes widened.

"Clearly, he's been hit hard by this." Zhao Yun sighed.

"So what? It's not a big deal!" Qin Mengyao scoffed. "Just snatch her back. With the Emperor as your backing, who would dare mess with you?"

"If it were that simple, things would be fine."

"But it is that simple! He's not usually this pathetic."

"The fact that Naihe Qiao Shen left with Yao Shun proves everything—she doesn't love Ye Chen anymore. Even if you bring her back, she'd just be an empty shell."

"That makes sense." Qin Mengyao stroked her chin.

"The only blame is that Ye Chen loves too deeply. The deeper the emotion, the greater the pain." Zhao Yun shook his head helplessly, sighing endlessly.

"We have to help him." Qin Mengyao said.

"In the end, it depends on him. If he gets through it, he'll be reborn; if not, he'll become a burden of karma, wandering aimlessly for the rest of his life."

"You never know." Qin Mengyao smirked and winked, then transformed herself into the likeness of Chu Ling.

It was an exact match—her demeanor, her gaze, even her every smile and frown were identical.

Zhao Yun clicked his tongue in amazement, thinking Qin Mengyao's disguise technique was masterful. If he didn't look closely, even he might not recognize her.

Her intention was clear: maybe seeing Chu Ling's appearance would snap Ye Chen out of it.

"It's spot-on, but I'm not sure it'll work." Zhao Yun shook his head.

Qin Mengyao huffed dismissively and headed into the room.

She cleared her throat lightly and sat by the bed, her eyes full of affection. "Ye Chen, I was just joking with you. Don't take it seriously."

Ye Chen didn't react, not moving an inch, like a statue with no consciousness, just a block of cold stone.

"Don't be so petty! Come on, let's go buy some ingredients together."

"Someone's bullying me—aren't you going to get up and beat them?"

"If you keep pretending to sleep, I'll really hit you. Come on!"

Qin Mengyao chattered on without stopping, going on for over half an hour straight. She wasn't kidding around.

But Ye Chen just stayed under the quilt, not budging the whole time, let alone responding.

"Fine, I give up." Qin Mengyao's face was full of embarrassment. She rubbed her forehead and walked out of the room, defeated.

"Feeling pretty defeated, huh?" Zhao Yun couldn't help but smile.

"It's like talking to a blockhead—he doesn't listen to anything, doesn't answer anything. Or maybe my disguise just isn't good enough?"

"You think you can fool him just by wearing Naihe Qiao Shen's face? Recognizing someone isn't about the eyes; it's about the heart."

"Makes sense." Qin Mengyao sat down, losing her temper.

"The one who tied the bell must untie it. We need to find Naihe Qiao Shen—that's the right way. Given their past, she should help."

"The problem is, we don't even know who Yao Shun is or where to look."

"I forgot about that." Zhao Yun rubbed his brow. Even Qin Mengyao didn't know, so who could say what kind of immortal Yao Shun was?

The two of them pondered, both stroking their chins as they racked their brains for ideas.

In the room, Ye Chen remained the same, sunk into a deep sleep.

He slept for three whole days without any movement, not saying a word, like a living corpse.

Over those three days, Zhao Yun and Qin Mengyao searched millions of miles around but couldn't find anyone named Yao Shun.

It wasn't until the fourth night that someone entered the small garden.

It was a woman, at the Saint realm and a general in the underworld. She wasn't extraordinarily beautiful, but she was attractive, her body enveloped in divine light.

"Who are you?" Qin Mengyao glanced at the woman.

"My master has sent me to deliver something." The woman smiled gently and presented a red invitation.

Zhao Yun and Qin Mengyao exchanged looks and instinctively took it.

When they opened it, they saw it was a wedding invitation. The ones getting married were Chu Ling and Yao Shun, with a grand ceremony to be held.

"Can they get any more infuriating?" Qin Mengyao tossed it aside.

They had already left Ye Chen in such a state, and now they were pouring salt on the wound, trying to destroy him completely?

The woman smiled but said nothing, turning and vanishing. She was just a messenger; the invitation had been delivered, and that was that.

"This is too much." Qin Mengyao was ready to explode on the spot.

"Whether to go or not is up to him." Zhao Yun picked up the invitation, dusted it off, and headed into the room.

On the bed, Ye Chen was still the same, covered with the quilt and sleeping.

Zhao Yun placed the invitation on the table. "In three days, Naihe Qiao Shen and Yao Shun will be getting married. You're invited to the ceremony."

Ye Chen didn't speak, but Zhao Yun clearly saw the quilt twitch slightly. Evidently, the invitation had stirred him.

As expected, anything related to her could affect Ye Chen—it all came down to that word: love.

Zhao Yun sighed and left, his faint words echoing back.

"As cultivators, we must face the path ahead without fear. Even if you can't let go, don't run from it. The Saint Body lineage has written an immortal legend; don't tarnish the glory forged by your ancestors."