Chapter 2068: Lost?

In the quiet night, in Ye Chen's small garden, Yang Ge Lao, Yang Xuan, Ling Feng, and Shangguan Jiu were all present, but they stared at Ye Chen with strange expressions, not saying a word. The atmosphere in the garden felt a bit off.

It wasn't surprising that the four of them acted this way, because Ye Chen seemed a little unhinged at the moment. He sat alone under an old tree, muttering to himself. In the garden, besides him and the four others, there was no one else. So, who exactly was Ye Chen talking to? Could it be a ghost?

Ye Chen continued speaking, but not to a ghost—it was to the woman from his dreams. Though he couldn't see her, he could sense her presence, like chatting with an old friend, except there were no responses.

“This guy must be going mad!”

“But for things like this, you have to take action.” Yang Xuan was the most straightforward, rolling up his sleeves and preparing to slap Ye Chen hard, putting all his strength into it.

But embarrassingly, before he could swing, Ye Chen lifted his foot and kicked him flying. Then, Ye Chen went right back to chatting with the woman in his dreams. He joked to himself, “My face isn't something just anyone can hit.”

Not far away, Yang Xuan got up, grimacing in pain. Ye Chen's kick wasn't light—it nearly made him throw up the lunch he had eaten.

The other three—Ling Feng, Yang Ge Lao, and Shangguan Jiu—stroked their chins and unanimously concluded: Ye Chen was fully awake.

It wasn't until sometime later that Ye Chen stood up, stretched lazily, and glanced at the four of them, paying special attention to Yang Xuan. His look seemed to say: “If you want more trouble, I'll kick you to death.”

“Tch!” Yang Xuan shook his head dismissively, not taking it seriously.

“You're different today.” Ling Feng was the most observant, noticing the changes in Ye Chen. Even though he was right there, Ye Chen felt elusive, his aura flickering in and out, giving off a vague and hard-to-grasp feeling.

“I had some occasional insights.” Ye Chen smiled but didn't explain further. It wouldn't make sense to them anyway—the gap was too big. He needed to get them to understand lingli first before teaching them about the great dao. This would be a long journey, requiring guidance and their own realizations.

“You're getting harder and harder to figure out.” Ling Feng said with a laugh and a shake of his head.

“One day, you'll understand.” Ye Chen replied with a smile.

“During the time you've been focusing on sword enlightenment, those people have still been coming every day. The treasures they've sent are piled up in your room.” Yang Ge Lao said with a chuckle.

Ye Chen glanced toward the room and, as if seeing through the walls, took in the scene inside. There were all sorts of rare herbs, famous paintings, porcelain, pearls, and jewels—everything you could imagine. Yang Ge Lao's word “piled” was spot on; it was heap after heap, filling an entire room.

As for the people Yang Ge Lao mentioned, they were, of course, the various feudal lords. Although Ye Chen had clearly stated he was staying out of the world, they were still making their final efforts. Who knows, maybe Ye Chen would come out of seclusion. As long as he did, any price would be worth it.

The feudal lords understood this, and Ye Chen knew it too. This was about unifying the land and deciding who would become emperor—who wouldn't be tempted? Not to mention these valuables, even promises of titles, high positions, or half the kingdom wouldn't be off the table.

“Take whatever you like.” Ye Chen waved his hand casually.

“Just waiting for that.” Yang Xuan and Shangguan Jiu pulled out large sacks from their waists and hurried into the room, eager to grab as much as they could. It was rare to see Ye Chen so generous, so they went all out.

Yang Ge Lao and Ling Feng were more restrained. Yang Ge Lao picked a single pearl, and Ling Feng took a painting. As for those two unreliable ones, they filled their bags to the brim and even carried out two jars of fine wine on top.

Given how excessive the two were, Ye Chen saw them off with a special courtesy—not just any send-off. He basically kicked them out, and who knows how far they flew or when they'd land.

The night grew deeper, and all was silent.

Ye Chen didn't seem tired. He stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the stars.

Having advanced to the level of banxian, his perspective had broadened. He could clearly see people's fate stars, especially the tian sha gu xing, which shone the brightest. That little child was destined for something extraordinary. Even across countless star domains, she could influence Ye Fan, causing Ye Chen to turn into a child, proving just how powerful her fate was.

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

In the morning, the sunlight was gentle, and the autumn breeze was refreshing.

When Ye Chen arrived at the tavern entrance carrying his things, quite a few people were already waiting—representatives from various feudal lords, including princes, battle-hardened generals, and prime ministers. Each held a position of high status, showing their respect for Ye Chen.

Seeing Ye Chen arrive, they all rushed to help, setting up tables and chairs with smiles on their faces. If not for being in Zhuxian Zhen, they might have started fighting among themselves.

“Everyone, you should head back today!” Ye Chen said with a smile. “Go tell your lords that as long as they don't disturb the peace of Zhuxian Zhen, I'll stay as a carefree wanderer.”

His words were quite polite, effectively shutting down anything else they might say.

The group wanted to speak more but ultimately held back. They lingered for a while, sighing and shaking their heads, then bowed respectfully and left. Before going, each left a note with conditions for inviting him out of seclusion—one more generous than the last.

In the days that followed, people still came occasionally, but they all got turned away.

Over time, the visitors became fewer and fewer. Realizing they couldn't persuade Ye Chen, they shifted their focus to governing their lands. Without a wulin myth to aid them, the wars would still go on.

Without their visits, Ye Chen enjoyed more peace. The townspeople of Zhuxian Zhen, whenever they passed by, would bow respectfully to him, as if worshiping a deity. The most devoted was the wealthy local landowner, who spent a fortune to have a statue of Ye Chen carved and placed in a temple for worship.

As a result, Ye Chen always had a strange expression whenever he walked by.

A month later, the major feudal lords went to war again, and it was a massive free-for-all. In the fight for territory, they pulled out all the stops. The struggling Qi Kingdom finally couldn't escape destruction. The Qi Wang died with resentment in his eyes, cursing his disastrous son.

Compared to the chaos outside, Zhuxian Zhen remained peaceful. The feudal lords had an unspoken understanding: they fought elsewhere but never here, and they never provoked Ye Chen.

Thanks to this agreement, Zhuxian Zhen was spared from the ravages of war, truly becoming a haven away from the world. Many refugees traveled over mountains and rivers to seek refuge here, including some from the wulin. This was the safest place under heaven.

As a result, many new houses were built outside Zhuxian Zhen, constructed by the refugees themselves. The local residents were kind-hearted and often brought grain to help them.

The refugees were grateful and began clearing land for fields, planning to settle there permanently. With a wulin myth like Ye Chen watching over them, they no longer had to fear the wars.

The battles among the feudal lords continued, showing no signs of stopping—in fact, they grew fiercer. After several months, two smaller kingdoms met unfortunate ends, possibly due to bad luck or choosing the wrong side.

Who would have thought this war would drag on for three whole years?

In three years, the original eight major feudal lords were reduced to just three, creating a three-way standoff. Only then did the three-year conflict temporarily come to an end.

Looking at Zhuxian Zhen, it had expanded more than tenfold in those three years, now resembling a full-fledged city. The influx of refugees had greatly increased the population.

“Three years already—has the person I'm waiting for gotten lost?” At the tavern entrance, Ye Chen rested his chin on his hands, feeling an urge to curse. The feudal lords had fought for three full years, and he had waited just as long, but the person still hadn't arrived. The worst part was, he didn't even know who he was waiting for.

“Come on, call me brother.” Yang Ge Lao was there again, trying to have fun, holding little Yang Lan in his arms and always coaxing the child to call Ye Chen brother. That way, he could claim a higher seniority.

“Get lost.” Ye Chen cursed weakly, but when he saw little Yang Lan, he perked right up.

Three years had passed, and the child was now three years old—chubby and adorable, with bright, clear eyes free of any impurity. Ye Chen's future daughter-in-law was as lovable as could be.

The seal from the xiemo on her was still intact and extremely strong, making a tian sha gu xing seem no different from an ordinary person. If the seal were broken, she would bring calamity to her parents.

Xia Lan was there too, and yes, she was still alive, looking quite well. The yin yang xian wen held firm, and after three years, there was no sign of decline. Over time, even Xia Lan started to feel like she was truly alive, almost forgetting the xiemo's words from three years ago.

The family of three enjoyed their warm, happy moments, all thanks to the xiemo.

Speaking of the xiemo, Ye Chen glanced into the void. Calculating the time, the xiemo hadn't shown up since their last encounter three years ago. Ye Chen strongly suspected that woman had been struck by lightning—after all the evil deeds she'd done, she was due for some payback.

“I say, how much longer do we have to wait?” Shangguan Jiu was drunk and stumbling, with Yang Xuan trailing behind him, both looking dejected. They'd waited eagerly for three years without a single word, starting to think Ye Chen was just stringing them along.

“Keep waiting.” Ye Chen replied listlessly. He wanted to leave too, but the person he was waiting for hadn't arrived yet, and who knew when that would be.

Yang Xuan and Shangguan Jiu didn't bother asking anymore—they'd gotten the same answer for three years straight.

The two hooked arms and wandered off, turning a corner to sneak off for some entertainment. In the past three years, they'd become regulars there—not to boast, but they knew all the ladies by now.

As evening fell, Ye Chen packed up his things but didn't head home. Instead, he left Zhuxian Zhen.

After waiting three years, he was tired of it. He wanted to go out and see the vast landscapes.

Under the moonlight, he walked across the vast wilderness, his figure lonely and boundless, with no clear destination or end in sight. When tired, he'd rest in the mountains; when sleepy, he'd doze in the forests.

This journey lasted three months, filled with dust and hardship along the way.

Tonight, the wind was bitingly cold, signaling the approach of winter, and the plants were mostly withered.

In the mountain forest, Ye Chen stopped, pulled out a flask of wine, and sat on a rock to drink. After finishing it, he lay down and fell asleep.

It was only past midnight that the forest stirred. Someone passed by—an elderly man, leaning on a cane and carrying a three-year-old child on his back. Both were gaunt and dressed in rags, clearly refugees from the wars, depending on each other for survival.

“Grandpa, there's someone on that rock.” The child said in a childish voice, pointing at Ye Chen.

The old man had seen him too but didn't dare approach, fearing he might be a bandit. The forest was just too dark and foreboding, with chilling winds.

However, before they could pass, Ye Chen suddenly sat up, startling the old man so much he nearly fell.

Ye Chen said nothing, his sleepiness gone in an instant. His deep eyes locked onto the child, narrowing into slits as he scrutinized him. The more he looked, the deeper his frown grew. “How is that possible?”

The old man was terrified and tried to hurry away with the child on his back.

Ye Chen was faster, stepping forward in one stride to block their path. His gaze was still fixed on the child—or more precisely, on the child's benming linghun.

“How is that possible?” He murmured the same words again.

It wasn't without reason; the child's benming linghun was identical to that of the former Qi Wang's heir.

“The reincarnation of the Qi Wang's heir.” After a long pause, Ye Chen muttered to himself, then instinctively looked up at the vast sky, furrowing his brow. “Does this ancient star have its own cycle of reincarnation?”