Chapter 1827: Still Need People

Chapter 1827: Still Short on People?

Ye Chen stepped forward, his deep eyes fixed intently on the hosts.

"No," the hosts replied in unison, shaking their heads. "Our agreement with the spirit beasts is for tonight at midnight."

"We should get ready," Ye Chen said with a smile, pulling the hosts along as he walked inside. "Come on, let's drink."

"Uh-huh." The hosts responded, still in a daze, letting Ye Chen lead them like soulless figures.

Once they snapped out of it, they all felt their hearts pounding with excitement. It was as if they were meeting Ye Chen, the legendary Huang Ancient Saint Body of the current era, the ruthless figure who had slain two emperors. His legends were like myths, and being led by him was a true honor.

"Let's go! Check out Lao Qi's kid—I'm his granduncle, after all." Xiao Yuan Huang smoothed his monkey fur and followed inside.

"It's the same for anyone." Long Jie and the others also stepped forward. As they passed by the Hengyue elders, they straightened their backs proudly, as if declaring: We're all esteemed guests.

"They must be loaded." A group of mischievous elders stroked their beards, scheming to make some extra cash. People from Xuan Huang were all filthy rich—this was a prime opportunity.

"She must be unmarried." A group of cheeky disciples eyed Bei Sheng, Di Jiuxian, and the Ling Zu goddess, thinking about finding a time to discuss life's ideals with them.

The group made their way to Xiong Er's mountain peak.

The hosts felt awkward and restrained, showing clear signs of unease.

Or perhaps they were a bit scared, trembling nervously. They'd heard long ago that the people of Da Chu were fierce and quick to fight, so as small fries, they needed to stay on their best behavior.

Kui Niu and his companions, however, were completely at ease, having visited multiple times and being old acquaintances with some of the locals.

"Oh, look who's here again." Xie Yun and his group crowded over, grinning widely and flashing their pearly white teeth, their eyes gleaming mischievously.

"What's the problem? Can't we come?" Xiao Yuan Huang muttered, lacking confidence and worried about another group beating.

"You're... Kui Niu?" Situ Nan was the first to notice, his expression full of shock.

Not just him—Xie Yun and the others, who were about to joke around, were stunned when they saw Kui Niu, their faces blank with surprise.

Back in the day, during the battle with the Hong Huang prince, they had all been there, witnessing Kui Niu bleed out on the battlefield. Seeing him alive now was unbelievable.

"Didn't you tell them?" Kui Niu glanced at Ye Chen.

"I was afraid they'd cry." Ye Chen shrugged.

"True, I wouldn't believe it myself." Kui Niu scratched his ear. That trip to the Yin Cao underworld had felt like a dream.

Meanwhile, Xie Yun and the others kept staring at Kui Niu, waiting for an answer. He just shrugged. "I'm tough as nails."

"That explanation is flawless." Everyone looked serious, sensing that Ye Chen and Kui Niu were hiding some secret.

"Whoa!" Long Jie had somehow dashed into the house and came out carrying a chubby little baby.

Yes, carrying him—like picking up a frog by the leg. It was Xiong Er's son, and the poor plump baby was wailing his lungs out.

Kui Niu, Xiao Yuan Huang, and the others grimaced at the sight.

Even the beauties like Bei Sheng and Di Jiuxian had their lips twitching. They'd seen fat kids before, but not this fat.

"Is this your kid?" Everyone's eyes turned to Ye Chen in unison. In their memory, Ye Chen's wives were all stunning, but this little one was so chubby—how overweight must his mother be?

"Don't mess around. He doesn't look anything like me." Ye Chen dismissed it casually, too lazy to explain. Xiong Er's antics had put him in an awkward spot; he'd clarified it hundreds of times already.

Just then, Chu Xuan and the other women hurried over, their expressions excited, as if they'd heard about the hosts.

"That's them," Ye Chen said with a laugh, glancing at the hosts. "Not yet, though—we have to wait until midnight."

"Finally going home." Chu Xuan's eyes brimmed with tears of emotion. Overwhelmed, she lost her composure a bit, waving her hand to present over a dozen storage bags, handing them out one by one with a trembling voice. "Dear fellow daoists, you've worked so hard on your journey."

"Not at all, not hard at all." The hosts were flattered, murmuring among themselves. The people of Da Chu weren't like the rumors at all—they were quite warm.

More and more people climbed the mountain, and the complaints grew louder. At a glance, all you could see were scowling faces.

Most had been tricked by Xiong Er, preparing elaborate gifts of rare treasures, only for that guy to snatch them all.

This had taught everyone a lesson: next time Hengyue had a celebration, they needed to check first. Otherwise, they'd keep getting scammed by those shameless types and lose their valuables.

And next time, besides the gifts, they wouldn't bring an extra pill or source stone.

Hengyue had too many scoundrels—like that jerk Dao Ze, the most unprincipled of all. Every visit, he'd steal something.

"Come on, close the gates, release the dogs—ah, I mean, bring the wine."

Once most people had arrived, Xiong Er waddled up with his hefty body, beaming and boisterous, clearly having raked in a fortune.

Without him saying a word, the well-wishers had already started.

Just like last time at Hengyue's feast, everyone helped themselves, grabbing wine without waiting to be served. They were determined to drink their fill—the money they'd shelled out for gifts was a rip-off, so they aimed to get something back. That was the mindset.

The seating arrangements were quite deliberate.

For instance, the Tang family and Xiong family folks, who already disliked each other, were crammed at the same table, bound to squabble.

Or the descendants of various kings and emperors, seated together—mid-drink, they'd start reminiscing about their epic battles.

Then there was Ye Chen's group, occupying a massive table over ten zhang long, with dozens of people cursing and chatting.

But one table stood out for its strange and eye-catching atmosphere.

It was Chu Xuan's table, filled with Ye Chen's wives, Di Jiuxian, Bei Sheng, the Ling Zu goddess, the Gu Zu goddess, Ye Ru Xue, Mu Wan Qing, and Yue Chi Xun.

Why strange? Because of Di Jiuxian and Xi Yan.

They looked exactly alike—or rather, like they were carved from the same mold. Their personalities, behaviors, and mannerisms were identical, making people think they were twins.

"You've hit me several times before, and I've got it all noted down." Di Jiuxian pouted, her eyes sparking with fire every time she looked at Xi Yan, itching for another fight.

"You can't beat me." Xiao Xi Yan chuckled.

"Hmph." Xiao Jiuxian huffed, still unconvinced.

"Is your family still short on people?" The Gu Zu goddess chimed in just as the two girls cooled off, blinking her clear, bright eyes at Ye Chen's wives.

"What do you mean?" Xi Yan scratched her head, and the other women looked puzzled, not getting the implication.

"If you're short, I'll give you Bei Sheng from Xuan Huang."

"Don't talk nonsense." Bei Sheng shot her a fierce glare.

Chu Xuan and the others' gazes locked onto Bei Sheng. With things said this far, they understood perfectly.

Under their collective stare, Bei Sheng's cheeks flushed bright red. She wished she could vanish into the ground—this was beyond embarrassing and humiliating.

"You're here now, so don't leave. The more the merrier." Xi Yan grinned playfully. "Welcome, Bei Sheng, to join us."

"Don't be shy!" Shangguan Yu Er joined in the teasing, and Chu Xuan and the others laughed, not minding how many women Ye Chen had. Genuine affection was rare and precious.

"I-I'm done eating." Bei Sheng coughed awkwardly and stood up to leave. Staying longer would be mortifying.

"Hey, over at the sisters' table, you all seem to be having a blast!" At a nearby table, Xiao Yuan Huang glanced over.

"Having that many wives and still going strong—who else but you?" Long Jie whistled in admiration.

"If you have extras, tell your brother—I'll take care of them for you." Kui Niu grinned shamelessly.

"Don't leave tonight; us brothers should have a good chat." Ye Chen, unfazed, poured Kui Niu a full cup.

This sight made Kui Niu shiver, and everyone else felt the same. That cup of wine suddenly seemed like a farewell drink—meaning, finish it and hit the road.

The banquet was lively, with the well-wishers drinking heartily, and Xiong Er drinking even harder—or more accurately, being forced to. Some unreliable types pinned him down, two holding his legs and two his arms, pouring tan after tan down his throat while cursing: "Take that for messing with us."

The Xiong family was furious about it, and so was the Tang family, but they were all held back by a group of old-timers.

As for Hengyue's people, they just ignored it, even justifying it to themselves: Xiong Er was a real character, and a few extra drinks wouldn't hurt. He was a father now, after all—time to celebrate.

It wasn't until night fell that the banquet wrapped up, with forces from all sides rising unsteadily, burping from the booze.

In situations like this, there were always a few who got blackout drunk, yelling nonsense—that's the legendary drunken rampage.

For those types, no exaggeration—they didn't walk out; they were carried out. Trying to cause trouble in our Hengyue Sect? You must have the wrong script!

Kui Niu and his group left too, staggering with every step.

The others were fine, but Xiao Yuan Huang was totally wasted, planted at the base of Jade Maiden Peak. No matter how they pulled, he wouldn't budge, shouting that he wanted to borrow one of Ye Chen's wives for the night.

Ye Chen's wives were understanding, though—they dragged Xiao Yuan Huang out to a remote corner and beat him until he was barely breathing, pulling out most of his monkey fur.

"Messing with Ye Chen is one thing, but never mess with his wives." The Wu Zu godson grimaced, sobering up instantly.

The group hauled Xiao Yuan Huang away, but on a headcount, they were short one—Bei Sheng from Xuan Huang.

She wasn't refusing to leave; she couldn't. The Gu Zu goddess and Ling Zu goddess had drugged her with a special pill and, being so thoughtful, delivered her straight to Jade Maiden Peak.

At that moment, Bei Sheng lay quietly on the ice jade bed. What great friends—they'd pulled this on her.

"She's really beautiful." Xi Yan circled the ice jade bed, eyeing Bei Sheng, especially fixated on a certain part of her that was notably larger than her own.

"Mine's the standard size." Shangguan Yu Er was looking too, her expression awkward—hers was smaller too.

Chu Xuan turned her head, smiling at Ye Chen. "Should I call you a flirt or just fickle?"

"Heavens above, I swear, I have nothing with this girl." Ye Chen quickly protested. "I'm a true gentleman."

Hearing those words, the women all burst into laughter. "Gentleman"—that had nothing to do with him.