Chapter 2064: Owe You a Favor?

"How could she be taken by Wu Lei Zhi Cheng?" Ye Chen panicked at once. That was a sinister place, and he knew it all too well—a den of cold-blooded and heartless individuals. Chu Xuan from back in the day was a perfect example; once they took someone, it was anyone's guess if they'd come out alive.

"This god saw it with my own eyes; it's no lie," Xie Mo shrugged.

"Then why didn't you stop them?"

"Stop them? How?" Xie Mo chuckled. "That's Wu Lei Zhi Cheng. Not even I could handle it, and even if your Da Chu's Nine Emperors showed up, they'd be wiped out just the same."

"What exactly happened?" Ye Chen furrowed his brow.

"Well, about that, you can't blame Wu Lei Zhi Cheng," Xie Mo crossed his legs. "Word is, your precious daughter kidnapped a female immortal from Wu Lei Zhi Cheng and fed her some of Da Chu's special product. Wu Lei got furious and personally came out to invite your Ye Ling back to Wu Lei Zhi Cheng for tea."

Ye Chen opened his mouth, at a loss for words.

That little girl was getting more and more out of control, picking a fight with Wu Lei Zhi Cheng of all places.

He didn't even need to see it to imagine the scene: A proper immortal from Wu Lei Zhi Cheng had been forced to consume Da Chu's specialty, turning even the emotionless into someone with feelings. No wonder Wu Lei was enraged—if it were him, he'd do the same and drag them back for tea.

"Who does she take after, always stirring up trouble like this?" Xie Mo glanced at Ye Chen.

Ye Chen cleared his throat and rubbed his forehead hard.

Did he even need to ask? Of course, she took after him. But he'd never intended to pass on his skills in deception and scheming to Ye Ling; he'd planned to teach them to Ye Fan. Who knew Ye Fan would turn out so honest and upright, while his darling daughter had mastered them all on her own, without any teaching? It seemed she was poised to outdo her old man and leave him in the dust.

"Getting dragged into Wu Lei Zhi Cheng is bad news!" Xie Mo sighed.

"Does Chu Xuan know about this?" Ye Chen asked tentatively, looking at Xie Mo.

"Who knows?" Xie Mo replied casually, pulling out a small mirror to fix his hair. "Whether she knows or not doesn't make a difference. The lord of Wu Lei Zhi Cheng acted personally, so your Wu Lei goddess won't be of any help."

"I'm going back to Da Chu," Ye Chen declared immediately.

"Sorry, but I won't let you go until that person arrives."

"You're so casual about it— what if it were Mu Liu Qing who got taken? Would you still be this laid-back?"

"Casual? Absolutely," Xie Mo shrugged again, unfazed. "Wu Lei Zhi Cheng is full of beauties. If he went, he might even bring back a few wives. How lively would that be?"

Ye Chen had words on the tip of his tongue but couldn't say a thing.

"You don't need to worry too much." Xie Mo put away the mirror, stretched lazily, and stood up. "Wu Lei Zhi Cheng has been around for ages; they wouldn't stoop to killing a junior. Even if they don't give Chu Xuan face, they'd still consider the All Heavens' debt. Back in the great war against the demons, Da Chu's blood flowed like rivers, and the Heavenly Court was utterly destroyed. The entire All Heavens, including Wu Lei Zhi Cheng, owes Da Chu a massive favor."

"You don't say, I almost forgot." Ye Chen took a deep breath. "If everything's fine, great. But if they dare touch my Ling'er, once my Sheng Ti is complete, I'll be the first to overturn Wu Lei Zhi Cheng."

"Ambitious—I like it." Xie Mo patted Ye Chen on the shoulder and turned to leave.

Ye Chen quickly stepped forward and grabbed Xie Mo. "Speaking of favors, you owe me one. You need to pay it back."

Xie Mo stopped and smiled at Ye Chen. "I owe you a favor?"

"No, no!" Ye Chen hastily let go, shaking his head like a rattle drum. That smile was a bad sign—it meant a beating was coming. He'd overlooked a major issue: This woman was a Chi Mei Xie Shen, a god who never did anything normal. Never bring up favors with her; getting beaten was the least of it, but ending up half-paralyzed would be a real loss.

"Hmm, the young can be taught." Xie Mo smiled in satisfaction and vanished.

Behind him, Ye Chen's legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed. In that moment, it felt like he'd brushed against the gates of hell. Good thing he was quick-witted; otherwise, he might have been sent flying into space by now.

He was truly scared— the mighty Huang Gu Sheng Ti, scared stiff by beatings.

The night fell silent with Xie Mo's departure.

Ye Chen sat under the old tree, hands propping up his chin, thinking about his children. One piece of good news, one bad; one about Ye Fan, one about Ye Ling. His son and daughter couldn't be more different— the boy didn't take after his father at all, but the girl had learned his ways perfectly.

The night passed without incident, and dawn arrived in the blink of an eye.

Early in the morning, Ye Chen got up, gathered his things, and stepped into the bustling streets.

Zhu Xian Zhen was even livelier than usual that day, with notices plastered everywhere. It wasn't a wanted poster this time, but a grain requisition order. Every household in Zhu Xian Zhen, without exception, had to hand over one hundred shi of grain.

"This is leaving us no way to live! We can barely feed ourselves— where are we supposed to get one hundred shi of grain?"

"The current Qi Wang is even worse than the old Yan Wang! Demanding one hundred shi just like that."

"Damn this war— it's the common folk who suffer the most."

Complaints echoed through the streets and alleys, with everyone looking worried.

Ye Chen said nothing as he walked by, sighing inwardly. It was all the fault of war. One hundred shi might be nothing to the wealthy, but for the poor, it was a matter of life and death— they could hardly fill their own stomachs, let alone contribute grain.

Amid the muttering, Ye Chen set up his fortune-telling stall.

Because of the grain requisition, people in Zhu Xian Zhen were too busy scrambling for grain to come for readings. Still, Yang Ge Lao was reliable as always, showing up to support him at times like this.

He wasn't alone— Xia Lan was with him, along with the baby in his arms. Being a father changed a man; he walked around with a perpetual grin. The grain levy that troubled everyone else was no issue for him— he could easily afford one hundred shi.

Ye Chen paid more attention to Xia Lan.

She looked a bit rosier today and was breathing, but Ye Chen could tell she was faking it to avoid raising Yang Ge Lao's suspicions.

"Come on, call him brother."

"Get lost." Ye Chen snapped, thinking he'd have to deal with this old man later. That was his future daughter-in-law they were talking about— calling her brother? Besides, the baby was just a month old and couldn't talk yet. Yang Ge Lao was just here to joke around.

"Don't sweat the details," Yang Ge Lao chuckled.

"Hey?" A commotion erupted as Yang Xuan popped up out of nowhere, ignoring old Yang and snatching the baby straight away.

"You clumsy oaf, be careful! I—"

"Out of the way, don't block me."

Yang Ge Lao glared and stroked his beard, but before he could finish, he was pushed aside. Yang Xuan had arrived, and naturally, Shangguan Jiu wasn't far behind, both crowding in to coo at the baby.

The two burly men leaned in close, making the baby giggle.

"Such a tiny nose and eyes— looks just like me."

"Don't kid yourself; she takes after me more."

The two bantered back and forth, leaving Yang Ge Lao's face darkening. He felt like there was a green shadow looming over his head.

Meanwhile, Xia Lan ignored the trio and sat down across from Ye Chen, placing her right wrist on the table with a smile. "Senior, would you check my pulse?"

Ye Chen said nothing and placed his fingers on Xia Lan's wrist, playing along fully.

From the outside, Xia Lan had breath, a heartbeat, and a pulse that any ordinary doctor could detect. But it was all an illusion. Ye Chen could see through it— she had no real pulse, no heartbeat, no breath. Her wrist was icy cold, almost lifeless. Apart from the fact that she was still alive, she was no different from a corpse.

Moreover, Ye Chen couldn't divine her fate; as a dead person, her life pattern had vanished, so there were no signs to read. He had no idea how much longer Xia Lan could live.

"How is it?" Yang Ge Lao turned around, fixing his gaze on Ye Chen.

"Yao Yue Xin Fa is still causing issues," Ye Chen said calmly, picking up a brush and writing as he spoke. "From now on, practice the technique I'm prescribing. However, with this method, you might often see strange things, but don't worry— it's all normal."

"What kind of strangeness?" Yang Ge Lao leaned in and asked.

"For example, no pulse, no heartbeat, no breath, and your body might feel cold at times."

"This..."

"Thank you, senior." Xia Lan smiled as she took the paper, her eyes full of gratitude. With Ye Chen's words, she wouldn't have to fake her breath, pulse, or heartbeat anymore. The two of them would keep up the charade, using this kind lie to deceive Yang Ge Lao.

The family left, the little one in their arms standing out warmly amid the crowd. Ye Chen watched, lost in thought, and seeing their child reminded him of his own.

"Having a wife is the best." Yang Xuan and Shangguan Jiu both clicked their tongues.

"Turn left up ahead— there's a Qing Lou."

"We're upstanding gentlemen." The two declared righteously, glancing at Ye Chen before turning and walking away. They casually rounded the corner at the next intersection. These martial arts masters were off for a night of revelry— the legendary kind of indulgence.

Ye Chen couldn't help but laugh. Those two perfectly embodied the Da Chu spirit.

Night fell quietly, shrouding Zhu Xian Zhen in gloom.

For the sake of one hundred shi of grain, many couldn't sleep.

Under the old tree in the small garden, Ye Chen was quite at peace. He held a carving knife in one hand and a piece of wood in the other, working away steadily. He was carving Ye Fan and Ye Ling as children— they had been as adorable as little Yang Lan back then. Seventy years had passed in a flash, and his children had grown up, but his cultivation path remained boundless, and the person he waited for was still somewhere at the edge of the world.

In the stillness, a gentle breeze suddenly brushed by, carrying a faint scent of a woman.

Ye Chen sprang up, his eyes narrowing as he scanned around. Strangely, it felt like someone was touching his face.

Oddly enough, there was no one in the garden.

"Di Dao Xian Fa, Meng Hui Qian Gu."

Ye Chen murmured softly, certain that someone had come— a woman, in a dream, connecting to reality through illusion. He just couldn't see her.

This weird occurrence was similar to when he had dreamed back to Da Chu years ago. He could see the people of Da Chu, but they couldn't see him.

Soon, the breeze faded, leaving only a single illusory teardrop in the world.

Ye Chen gently reached out and caught the tear. For some reason, his heart ached faintly.