Chapter 2076: Duty-Bound

Han Xin departed, but Ye Chen sighed and shook his head. He wouldn't try to foresee what came next; it was all up to Han Xin's choices. If he insisted on becoming a feudal king, his life wouldn't last long. From ancient times, those with merits too great to ignore had shaken the ruler and invited their own downfall, especially in a newly established dynasty. You might see the emperor as a brother, but the ruler views you as a threat. You can share hardships with him, but not the rewards of prosperity.

Unfortunately, Han Xin didn't heed his good advice. He believed his achievements were so lofty that even the Han Di wouldn't dare touch him. But he had underestimated the Han dynasty. Nine months after leaving Zhu Xian Zhen, he was charged with treason, and his life truly came to an end.

Ironically, it wasn't the Han Di who executed him, but the Han Hou. A renowned general who had shaken the world didn't die on the battlefield but was tragically killed by a woman.

The cunning rabbit dies, and the loyal hound is boiled; the birds are gone, and the good bow is hidden.

On his deathbed, Han Xin finally understood the depth of Ye Chen's words, but it was too late. He died branded with the crime of rebellion, a loser destined to be infamous for eternity.

His death sparked an uproar among the people.

The ignorant commoners truly believed Han Xin was a traitor, while those with a bit of sense knew better. It was just that he was too deeply entrenched in the court; the Han Di probably couldn't even sleep peacefully. If a meritorious minister didn't know when to step back, he was digging his own grave.

Under the moon, Ye Chen quietly gazed at the stars.

Han Xin's life star had fallen from the heavens—a once-in-five-hundred-years military talent, now reduced to dust.

Quietly, three months slipped by.

Since Ye Chen had arrived in Zhu Xian Zhen, a full ten years had passed.

Even Ye Chen himself couldn't believe he had stayed on this mortal ancient star for an entire ten springs and autumns. There were a few moments when he almost thought he was just an ordinary person, rising with the sun and resting at dusk, free from schemes and sword fights, with everything peaceful and uneventful.

Late at night, the evil demon arrived, her face pale and blood trickling from her mouth from time to time. Her breath was weak, clearly indicating serious injury—her yuan shen had been affected, and her ben yuan damaged. Pain lingered in her beautiful eyes.

Ye Chen furrowed his brow; few could wound the evil demon this badly.

"There's something I need your help with; I wonder if it's convenient."

The evil demon sat down, speaking leisurely. Even injured, she still crossed her legs casually.

"Whether climbing a mountain of knives or descending into a sea of fire, this junior is duty-bound."

Ye Chen immediately patted his chest, speaking with great righteousness. The evil demon seemed to be asking, but it was pointless; whether he agreed or not made no difference. Since the outcome was the same, he might as well show some loyalty. Who knows, maybe she'd reward him with a treasure if she was pleased.

The evil demon raised an eyebrow, touched by Ye Chen's words.

Since Ye Chen had said that, she wasn't going to hold back. She raised her hand and drew a light circle around him to keep him from escaping, then released his seal.

What followed was a bit disharmonious—or more accurately, bloody.

Yes, the evil demon was drawing blood from him again.

Ye Chen's mouth twitched; he couldn't move or speak, just watched as the evil demon drew bowl after bowl of his blood without stopping.

This scene made the two supreme beings of the underworld feel inexplicably refreshed.

It was always Ye Chen drawing blood from others; today, he was finally on the receiving end.

The evil demon's actions weren't for amusement; she genuinely needed Ye Chen's blood. The blood of the Huang Gu Sheng Ti contained true yuan in every drop; swallowing this sacred blood was far more effective than spiritual medicine. The evil demon wasn't foolish; she wouldn't pass up this divine remedy.

Ye Chen's face was pitch black. You crazy woman, you came all this way just to draw my blood? And you asked if it was convenient? You make it sound so nice.

It wasn't until some time later that the evil demon stopped, removed the light circle, and sealed Ye Chen again.

The pitiful Ye Chen staggered, barely able to stand, his head dizzy from losing several bowls of blood. If it had been an ordinary person, they'd have collapsed long ago.

"This is what you said; I didn't force you."

"You think you can be any more straightforward?"

"Your body is strong; drawing a few more bowls won't matter."

Ye Chen didn't speak, his mouth twitching. This reason was quite novel; even he, the pit god, was speechless.

The evil demon didn't mind and sat cross-legged in mid-air, fusing the sacred blood and healing herself.

Ye Chen plopped down on the ground, his face dark as he stared at the evil demon. You drew so much blood from me; at least give me some tonic! Do you even have any shame?

But the evil demon paid no attention to his expression, focusing entirely on her healing.

Don't say it, Ye Chen's sacred blood was truly effective for her injuries. The ancient power within the sacred blood erased her hidden wounds and even refined her immortal body. After several bowls, her aura became more majestic, and her momentum kept rising, seemingly on the verge of breaking through Zhun Di peak.

At that moment, a loud boom echoed, and the entire heaven and earth trembled.

Ye Chen jumped to his feet, shocked, looking up at the sky. That was the precursor to the Di Dao Shen Fa. No need to guess—it was drawn by the evil demon. She was a Hong Huang level great god; after resurrecting with her soul, she was a genuine Zhun Di peak. If she got a chance, she might really achieve emperor status. If he could help her become an emperor, even drawing a few more bowls of his blood would be worth it.

Regrettably, the thunder came quickly and vanished just as fast; the void returned to calm.

The evil demon spat out blood, not from her injury, but from the backlash of the Di Dao Shen Fa. She was only half a step away but couldn't cross it. Between her and the great emperor lay an insurmountable chasm.

"How about you draw some more blood for me?"

"Do you think becoming an emperor is that simple?"

"I guess I thought too much."

Ye Chen coughed. It wasn't that he had overestimated the sacred blood; he had underestimated the great emperor. As the evil demon said, without the right opportunity, even swallowing the Di Huang of the great accomplishment Sheng Ti wouldn't help—you'd still be unconnected to the emperor's position. Otherwise, all those Zhun Di peaks would have become emperors long ago.

The evil demon left again, and before departing, she finally left some tonic for Ye Chen.

That woman was in an excellent mood; having a Huang Gu Sheng Ti around was truly convenient. Whenever she was injured, she could come here to draw some blood from Ye Chen and save a lot of spiritual medicine.

I don't know if Ye Chen would jump up and curse if he heard that.

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

In the morning, Ye Chen carried his gear and listlessly left the small garden, obediently setting up his stall. Every time, Yang Xuan and the others would show up first thing, along with Yang Ge Lao; getting a divination every day was a must, and they never paid for the fortune-telling.

Yang Xuan and his two companions were fine, and Yang Ge Lao was okay too; based on the past ten years, he could live another twenty years or so.

But today's Xia Lan had a bit more pallor on her face.

Ye Chen took a look and realized the Yin Yang Xian Wen in her body had started to decay, though slowly—it wasn't a good sign. Her fate grid was already dead; it was only the Yin Yang Xian Wen sustaining her. Even he couldn't calculate how much longer Xia Lan could live.

Xia Lan probably knew this in her heart and had already accepted her fate.

Ye Chen was powerless; once the Yin Yang Xian Wen decayed, no one could save her. It was a pity that Yang Ge Lao was still in the dark, not knowing his wife was essentially a living dead person.

Night fell, and Ye Chen put on his cloak, donned his hood, and left Zhu Xian Zhen.

Every so often, he would go out, sometimes for a few days or months, appearing in various ancient cities and villages, all to find an identical ben ming hun and prove that this ancient star had reincarnation. He just needed to find one more, and the paradox would be resolved.

This time, he went farther and stayed away longer, not returning to Zhu Xian Zhen for a full ten years.

In ten years, he visited countless places, traveling and lodging along the way, much like when he was in Da Chu searching for reincarnated people. Wherever there were people or spirits, his shadow appeared, accompanied only by solitude and desolation, etched with the marks of time.

However, after searching for a full ten years, he still didn't find an identical ben ming hun.

He didn't find the ben ming hun, but he witnessed a great deal of the world's prosperity. Although the Han Di was ruthless to his meritorious ministers, he was benevolent to the people; there was no war in the realm, and the common folk lived in peace.

Another peaceful night, he stopped in the mountains and lit a bonfire.

In the flickering flames, he caught the scent of a woman's fragrance again.

He knew that the woman had dreamed of him once more. Over the past ten years, every three to five days, she would dream of him, and wherever he went, she dreamed there, always accurately.

"Have you been following me all along? I wouldn't owe you money, would I!"

Obviously, there would be no response, or rather, if there was, he couldn't hear it.