Chapter 2063: Full Moon

A new day dawned, with gentle morning light bathing Zhuxian Zhen. The townsfolk were all busy at work; though their wounds had healed, their homes still needed repairs. They could count themselves lucky to be alive.

To show his gratitude, the wealthy landowner in town gritted his teeth and donated one hundred taels of silver to build a Bodhisattva temple in Zhuxian Zhen. He firmly believed that doing good deeds and accumulating virtue would bring good fortune.

Ye Chen took a keen interest in this. He painted a portrait of the evil demon and eagerly delivered it to the landowner, suggesting that the Bodhisattva statue in the temple be modeled after it.

The landowner was more than happy to agree. Most importantly, Ye Chen’s painting skills were exceptional; he captured the essence of the evil demon perfectly, making it look like a true celestial being. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that on this land, no one could find anyone more beautiful than her—absolutely fitting for a Bodhisattva’s aura.

"Wait until the Bodhisattva temple is built, then I'll go there every day to pee."

Anyone who knew Ye Chen would give him a thumbs-up for that.

Of course! As the tenth emperor of Da Chu, how could he be so kind-hearted? He was clearly waiting for the evil demon. That sneaky scene didn’t even need to be witnessed—just imagining it was impressive.

Soon, Yang Ge Lao emerged.

Today, the old Yang was beaming with joy, his face full of smiles. He had become a father—who wouldn’t be thrilled? He had looked worn out yesterday, but now he appeared several years younger.

"Being a father really makes a difference," Ye Chen sighed.

"This is all thanks to your family's senior." Yang Ge Lao grinned from ear to ear, bringing out a jug of wine that had been aged for a hundred years and handing it to Ye Chen. In his excitement, he was incredibly generous.

Ye Chen didn't hesitate; after all, it was free, so why not take it?

"The child is born—could you help treat Xia Lan?"

"Her body is too weak; we'll wait until after the full moon," Ye Chen replied casually.

"You're right." Yang Ge Lao chuckled and hurried off, heading straight to the pharmacy to buy some tonics for Xia Lan to nourish her body.

Ye Chen watched Yang Ge Lao leave, thinking to himself that he should find time to give his future father-in-law a good thrashing—not for any reason, just because his hands were itching for it.

Today, no one came for fortune-telling; they were all at home fixing their houses.

Ye Chen enjoyed the peace and quiet. Several times, he thought about going to Yang Ge Lao’s residence to hold the little baby, but he held back. She hadn't finished her confinement period yet, so Xia Lan's room wasn't somewhere he, a grown man, could just enter.

Thinking about his future daughter-in-law, Ye Chen’s thoughts went far ahead. If Ye Fan was efficient enough, he might even get to hold a grandson. As a grandfather, he had already come up with a bunch of names for the child and planned to pass down all his family skills to him, letting him carry them forward.

As he pondered, a graceful figure appeared in his mind.

It was Ji Ningshuang, his lover from his past life and wife in this one, yet he would never see Ye Fan marry and have children.

At the thought, a wave of sorrow and longing washed over him, stirring an urge to drink.

But when he snapped back and reached for the jug, he realized the hundred-year-old fine wine that Yang Ge Lao had given him had been chugged in one go by some scoundrel. It had to be Shangguan Jiu—no one else.

"Wow, what great wine." Shangguan Jiu let out a satisfied burp.

Ye Chen’s face turned pitch black in an instant. He had been so lost in thought that he hadn’t noticed when this guy showed up, and in a moment of distraction, the wine was gone without him even getting a taste.

"You scoundrel, at least leave some for me!" Yang Xuan grumbled from the side, upset that he had been a step too slow and gotten nothing.

Ling Feng was there too, feeling awkward; no matter how fast he tried to move, he still couldn't beat Shangguan Jiu.

In their bad mood, the two dragged Shangguan Jiu off to a secluded spot and gave him a proper beating. They didn't stop until nightfall, leaving him hanging from a tree branch.

Day turned to night, and time cycled on; in the blink of an eye, a month had passed.

Yang Ge Lao’s baby finally reached her full moon.

Having a child in his old age was a joy, so he threw a lively full moon banquet. All the prominent people in Zhuxian Zhen were invited, including the midwives who had been threatened that day. Yang Ge Lao sincerely apologized to them and even gave each one a gold ingot as a gift.

How could such a festive occasion be without Yang Xuan and the others?

It was worth mentioning that Shangguan Jiu, the infamous Blade Maniac of the chaotic world, showed up empty-handed without even contributing any gift money. But he sure helped himself to one jar of wine after another, making Ling Feng and Yang Xuan reluctant to sit near him—it was embarrassing.

Ye Chen went too; after all, it was his future daughter-in-law's full moon banquet, so he had to drink to that.

It wasn't until nightfall that the guests dispersed.

Ye Chen sobered up and went to see his future daughter-in-law.

In the room, the scene was warm and cozy. Xia Lan was embroidery, while Yang Ge Lao happily held the little baby, not minding the effort at all. After all, this was his precious daughter—people say a daughter is a father's lover from a past life, and seeing her now, that was absolutely true.

The first person Ye Chen laid eyes on was still Xia Lan.

Her current state was identical to his in a past life—like a dead person existing in the form of the living, without breath, heartbeat, or pulse. He wasn’t sure if she would show up in a mirror.

Yang Ge Lao probably didn't know about this.

But Xia Lan likely understood it all; given the evil demon's nature, she must have been told early on. From her expression, you could see a hint of melancholy in her smile. That's why she cherished the remaining time even more and was grateful for the evil demon's Yin-Yang Immortal Mark.

At least, in this state, she could spend more time with her child and husband.

To Ye Chen’s gaze, she responded with a faint smile.

Ye Chen smiled back; the two of them understood each other without words, though they were keeping it from Yang Ge Lao.

This might just be a kind lie in the silence.

"Come, let me hold her."

Ye Chen turned his eyes from Xia Lan and carefully took the little Yang Lan from her.

The baby in the swaddle was incredibly adorable, especially her big eyes, which looked just like Xia Lan’s. They blinked curiously at Ye Chen.

"Not bad," Ye Chen said with a smile.

Who would have thought that the child he was holding was the rarest of rare, a Tian Sha Gu Xing? If her fate hadn't been sealed by the evil demon, not just Yang Ge Lao and Xia Lan, but even he might have been affected. The clashing of fates didn't care if you were a cultivator or an ordinary person.

For that, he had to thank the evil demon's thoughtful efforts.

Ye Chen held the baby, utterly fond of her.

He still didn't know what kind of fate and bloodline would result from Tian Sha and Tian Quan combining, but according to the evil demon, it would surely be terrifying. The example of the Wuqing Great Emperor was right there.

"I need to study this properly," Ye Chen muttered to himself as he headed toward the door.

"Hey!" Yang Ge Lao scolded loudly and yanked him back. "You're leaving, fine, but leave the child here! That's my baby—how can you just take her like that?"

Ye Chen chuckled awkwardly, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Go on, get out! You have no sense at all." Yang Ge Lao took the child back and roughly shoved Ye Chen out the door. From now on, he needed to keep a close eye on the little one to stop certain people from sneaking her away.

Outside, Ye Chen shook his head with a smile and left Yang Mansion under the moonlight.

When he returned to the small garden, the evil demon was already waiting, one hand propping up her cheek as she smiled at Ye Chen.

Instantly, Ye Chen felt a chill run through his body. Whenever the evil demon smiled like that, he usually ended up getting beaten.

"Seen your future daughter-in-law?"

"She's really cute," Ye Chen said with a grin.

"One good news and one bad news—which do you want first?"

Ye Chen frowned but replied, "The bad news."

"I think I'll start with the good news." The evil demon yawned.

Ye Chen nearly cursed. You already decided, so why ask me? Are you sick?

The evil demon ignored Ye Chen's dark expression and gently waved her sleeve, summoning an illusory water curtain. In the curtain appeared the scene of Jade Girl Peak, where a chubby little child was toddling across the grass, chasing butterflies.

Ye Chen stared in surprise. As a father, how could he not recognize his own child? That was Ye Fan—but how had he turned into a baby again?

"Facts prove that the Tian Quan Zhi Ti and Tian Sha Gu Xing have some innate mysterious connection," the evil demon said leisurely.

"So, you're saying Ye Fan is like this because of the Tian Sha Gu Xing?"

"At least, that's what Kunlun Shen Nu and I both think."

"Will this affect Ye Fan?"

"You can see Ye Fan's changes as a kind of nirvana rebirth," the evil demon explained slowly. "The Tian Sha Gu Xing's fate might be a disaster for others, but for the Tian Quan Zhi Ti, it's an opportunity for transformation. The two will nurture a terrifying power through mutual generation and restraint."

"If it's really as you say, then it's good news," Ye Chen said, letting out a breath.

"The bad news coming up—you need to prepare yourself."

"Just say it."

"Your Ye Ling has been taken by Wulei Zhi Cheng."