Chapter 1710: Not Worthy

Old Ancestor Qing Luan departed once more, her elegant back slightly stooped.

As the elder of her clan, facing the end of her days wasn't her greatest fear. What truly terrified her was seeing her people oppressed by outsiders.

Behind her, Qing Luan lowered her head, her heart filled with sorrow and helplessness.

Compared to the entire Qing Luan clan, she was insignificant. The decline of her family was destined to lead to a tragic fate for her.

Ye Chen had been settled in the attic, lying quietly on the bed.

He seemed unaware of exhaustion, his eyes vacant and unblinking, staring at the ceiling like a living corpse.

His consciousness was a chaotic void, devoid of any awareness.

How tragic—after braving the six paths, he had ended up like this. The one who had slain an emperor shouldn't be reduced to a mere puppet.

At Jie Ming Shan, Bai Zhi hesitated several times, clearly anxious.

Ming Jue, on the other hand, just stared with wide eyes, fixated on Qing Luan.

For some reason, upon hearing that Qing Luan was to be sent into a political marriage, he felt an inexplicable surge of anger, accompanied by a faint ache in his heart.

He wondered if the Ming Emperor found out, whether he would strike him down with a single palm.

Here I am, saving people, and you're off thinking about chasing women. Having a prize disciple like you is truly gratifying, damn it.

"Senior, how much longer will it take?"

"Keep playing the qin; he will hear it."

"Don't worry; it's only a matter of time."

Chu Ling choked back sobs.

Di Huang smiled gently.

Bai Zhi took out a handkerchief and gently wiped away Chu Ling's tears, though they kept flowing endlessly.

Chu Ling nodded vigorously, but more tears streamed down her cheeks.

The anxious wait was torturous, every second feeling like a century, dragging on endlessly as if to wear one down completely.

Day turned to night, the sun and moon cycled, and in the blink of an eye, three days had passed.

That day, Qing Luan Immortal Mountain was unusually lively, all because of the arrival of distinguished guests. Many elders lined the paths to welcome them warmly.

The honored guest, needless to say, was the Huo Feng clan prince.

A group of elders exchanged pleasantries in the hall, while the Huo Feng prince leisurely wandered around Qing Luan Immortal Mountain, fanning himself with a folding fan.

Whenever Qing Luan clan disciples saw him, they bowed respectfully.

The Huo Feng prince smirked mockingly, strolling along with an air of superiority, looking down on everything around him, his lips curved in a playful smile.

He had the right to be arrogant, given his noble status.

This fellow was indeed no ordinary person; his bloodline was extraordinarily powerful, with flames swirling around him and his divine eyes encompassing the heavens and earth.

As he spoke, he casually ascended a mountain peak.

This very peak was where Qing Luan sat in meditation. Upon his arrival, he saw her seated under an ancient tree, quietly cultivating.

"What a fine mood you have, Huo Feng prince."

Qing Luan slowly opened her eyes, her expression as indifferent as still water, her face showing no trace of emotion.

"You've grown even more beautiful since our last meeting."

The Huo Feng prince chuckled suggestively, his eyes flickering with lewd glints.

"They don't match at all."

Ming Jue muttered to himself, clenching his fists as he looked at the Huo Feng prince's face, feeling an itch to act.

"Don't match? They match perfectly!"

Bai Zhi glanced at Ming Jue.

"What's there to match? At first glance, he has a face that just begs for a punch."

"Why wave that folding fan around? He's not even handsome. Someone like him is clearly no good."

"That sleazy, lecherous grin is just infuriating to look at."

Ming Jue ranted on without pause, tearing the Huo Feng prince apart with his words, nearly jumping up in fury, seething with resentment.

Bai Zhi turned to look at him, sizing him up from head to toe.

Even Di Huang and the Ming Emperor glanced back, their expressions odd.

Have you lost your mind? What did the Huo Feng prince ever do to you? Are you about to curse his entire lineage?

Ming Jue cleared his throat and shook his head: In any case, they don't match.

After this brief interlude, the peak of Jie Ming Shan fell quiet once more.

However, one could still occasionally hear muttering and cursing, all from Ming Jue's doing, though he kept his voice low.

At some point, a faint "pop" echoed through the void.

Only then did Di Huang and Ming Jue retract their divine abilities. It seemed they had opened a sliver of a passage, allowing the qin music to enter the spirit realm.

Upon seeing this, Chu Ling strummed the strings rapidly, not daring to stop.

Her qin music drifted into the void and was channeled into the spirit realm.

Ye Chen, lying on the bed, trembled slightly. His vacant eyes gained a hint of confusion, along with a touch of clarity.

His expression turned pained, veins bulging on his forehead.

But as the Jiu You Xian Qu continued to flow in, the pain gradually faded, while the clarity grew stronger, awakening his mind.

This state of confusion differed slightly from his previous one in Da Chu.

More accurately, it was much improved compared to that time.

In the past, before falling into confusion, several of his dao bodies had been severed one after another, damaging his origin and causing his chaotic dao to fracture.

This time was different; his dao principles remained intact.

More importantly, the immortal melody Chu Ling played was passed down from Di Huang, originating from the Donghua Empress, making it utterly authentic.

Thus, there was no need for emotional mending to restore his clarity.

The qin music kept flowing across the realms, gradually dispelling the force that had engulfed Ye Chen's mind.

Ye Chen sat up, clutching his head and letting out a low roar.

Fragments of scattered images began to manifest in his sea of consciousness, and his lost mind slowly returned to his divine platform.

Outside, the Huo Feng prince had not yet left; he was still admiring the scenery and occasionally glancing at Qing Luan with a mocking smile.

Qing Luan remained silent, her expression coldly indifferent.

She felt no affection for the Huo Feng prince—in fact, she harbored disgust. His notorious reputation for harming innocents filled her with anger.

Seeing her like this, the Huo Feng prince's face darkened.

As the prince of the Huo Feng clan, he was used to being held in high esteem. When had he ever been treated so coldly? And by his own betrothed, no less.

Yet, despite this, he still wore a smile, watching Qing Luan with interest.

"You seem to despise me?"

"Prince, what are you talking about? I've always been like this."

Qing Luan replied.

"You should know your clan's situation. In the future, you'll rely on my Huo Feng clan for protection."

The Huo Feng prince smiled faintly, his eyes gleaming as he brazenly scanned Qing Luan's body.

"Are you threatening me, Prince?"

Qing Luan asked indifferently.

"Don't put it that way."

The Huo Feng prince slowly approached, lightly fanning himself as he chuckled mockingly.

"I just want you to understand not to anger me."

With that, he reached out to touch Qing Luan's cheek.

This sight nearly made Ming Jue leap up. Fortunately, they were in the underworld; if they were on that mountain peak, he would have kicked him already.

Qing Luan stepped back, a cold light flashing in her eyes.

But the more she resisted, the more excited the Huo Feng prince became. He pressed forward, extending his hand again, his eyes full of lewdness.

"Please show some restraint, Prince."

Qing Luan's words turned icy.

"You'll be mine eventually, so why pretend to be so virtuous?"

The Huo Feng prince laughed suggestively, baring his white teeth, his lewdness completely unmasked and blatant.

Just then, the door of the distant attic creaked open.

Out stumbled Ye Chen, rubbing his head as he walked unsteadily.

"Where is this?"

Qing Luan was stunned; clearly, Ye Chen had regained consciousness.

This was unexpected—he had triggered a taboo and fallen into confusion, yet he recovered on his own. How could he be so extraordinary?

The Huo Feng prince was also taken aback, not expecting to find a man on this peak.

In an instant, his face turned ice-cold, feeling a surge of unprecedented rage, as if a green hat had been placed on his head.

"Who is he?"

The Huo Feng prince whipped around, glaring at Qing Luan, his eyes instantly blood-red.

"An old friend of mine."

Qing Luan replied calmly, her expression unchanged.

"An old friend?"

The Huo Feng prince laughed in fury, his violence evident.

"From where I stand, he must be your lover!"

"Prince, mind your words. Such harsh accusations will only shame the Huo Feng clan."

Qing Luan said indifferently.

"Shame? You've brought shame to my clan, you wretch."

"Hey?"

The Huo Feng prince's words were cut off by Ye Chen, who hurried over and circled around Qing Luan.

Finally, he stopped and asked tentatively,

"Qing Luan?"

"It's me."

Qing Luan smiled softly.

"Long time no see."

"I've missed you a bit."

Ye Chen stepped forward and gave her a bear hug, free of any improper intentions—just the embrace of old friends.

This hug made the Huo Feng prince's face freeze over instantly.

It was a blatant slap in the face. He, as the betrothed, couldn't even touch her, yet she allowed an outsider to hug her like that.

And right in front of him, no less. What could be more humiliating, more enraging?

At the peak of Jie Ming Shan, Ming Jue jumped up in exasperation.

What the hell? Talking is one thing, but hugging? If you're going to hug, fine, but don't get handsy—that's mine, watch yourself!

His sudden movement startled Bai Zhi beside him.

Jumping like that— are you out of your mind? What's gotten into you?