Chapter 2097: My Brother's Wife

In the dead of night, a bonfire crackled in the forest, illuminating the surroundings. Another large iron pot bubbled with meat soup, prepared from the remains of a Hong Huang Ji Da Sheng. Such a nourishing creature was too good to pass up.

The tenth emperor of Da Chu was truly skilled in the kitchen, especially when it came to stewing meat. His unique blend of seasonings filled the air with an enticing aroma, arousing the appetite with just a whiff.

Tang San Shao was a prime example, clutching a large bowl and salivating, ready to devour the contents at any moment. Judging by his plump physique, he clearly had a hearty appetite.

As for Ye Ling, she was unusually well-behaved tonight, lying on Ji Ning Shuang's lap and recounting her hundred and seventy years of hardships with tears and grievances, like an overgrown child.

Ji Ning Shuang smiled gently, stroking her head repeatedly.

Soon, the meat soup was ready, and Yang Xuan, Shangguan Jiu, and the others were released.

Ye Ling's eyes lit up instantly. She blinked her beautiful eyes at Xiao Yang Lan, then glanced at Ye Chen, and finally at Ji Ning Shuang, her expression seemingly asking, "Another one?"

"Don't mess around," Ye Chen coughed dryly.

Ye Ling didn't trust her unreliable father one bit. She turned to Ji Ning Shuang instead, placing more faith in her mother—after all, a mother wouldn't lie to her.

"Your sister-in-law," Ji Ning Shuang said with a smile.

"Sister-in-law?" Ye Ling was stunned. She instinctively looked down at Xiao Yang Lan, who stood by her feet, gazing up at her with wide, innocent eyes filled with curiosity.

"Tian Sha Gu Xing," Ye Ling murmured softly, as if recognizing Yang Lan's destiny. She was quite surprised—this was an extremely rare fate. Pairing it with Tian Sha... would that really be okay?

"A perfect match," Ye Chen said with a slight smile, perhaps sensing her concern.

"That's good then," Ye Ling laughed. "Our Ye Fan will definitely like her."

"Mommy, hug me," Xiao Yang Lan extended her little hands toward Ye Ling.

Pfft!

Ye Chen sprayed a mouthful of meat soup in a spectacular fashion.

Beside him, Ji Ning Shuang did the same.

Such was the synchronicity of this husband and wife pair. Ye Chen hit Tang San Shao squarely in the face, and Ji Ning Shuang did the same, their aim precise and movements flawless.

The poor little black fatty happened to be sitting in the perfect spot to be sprayed.

Tang San Shao's face instantly darkened—well, it was already dark, but he felt his in-laws had done it on purpose. Out of everyone present, why spray only him?

Ye Ling couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time. Wasn't this messing up the family hierarchy?

"I have to say, their family tree is a bit messy," Yang Xuan remarked meaningfully.

"You noticed that too."

"You can't call her mommy; you have to call her big sister, okay?" Ye Ling said with a laugh as she picked up Xiao Yang Lan. The little one was so adorably plump and cute that, as her big sister, Ye Ling couldn't help but adore her.

"Uh," the little one responded obediently, feeling an unusual closeness to Ye Ling.

Ye Chen and Ji Ning Shuang exchanged glances, feeling a touch awkward.

Xiao Yang Lan really did resemble Ye Ling when she was little—she'd call anyone pretty "mommy." Back in the day, she once called Yue Huang "mommy," which made Qian Shang Yue spit out his wine.

"Hug me, let me hold her," Tang San Shao said, rubbing his hands and sidling over with a cheeky grin. His teeth stood out starkly against his dark skin, almost gleaming.

"Get lost," Ye Ling snapped, kicking him away.

"Hey, don't! I'm her brother-in-law, after all."

"Brother-in-law, my foot—scram."

"Old man, you need to do something about this. Her temper's way too bad," Tang San Shao grumbled, glancing at Ye Chen. "If she were back in my hometown, she'd get a spanking for that."

"Come here, little fatty," Ye Chen beckoned with a wave.

Tang San Shao trotted over obediently, beaming. "Old man, you might not know me yet. I'm Tang San Shao, Ye Ling's husband."

"Back in the day, were you ever robbed of something?" Ye Chen asked, eyeing him with a smile.

"I get robbed every other day. Which time are you talking about, old man?"

"The Dun Jia Tian Zi."

"That jerk!" Tang San Shao exploded, jumping three feet in the air. "I've never seen anyone so arrogant and shameless! They stole my Dun Jia Tian Zi and then beat me up good."

He was seething, his eyes practically shooting flames.

Not to brag, but out of all the times he'd been robbed, that one stuck with him the most. They were on the same level, and they even activated Xue Ji Xian Jie, but he still lost. Every time he thought about it, he felt humiliated.

Yang Xuan and the others covered their ears, giving Tang San Shao meaningful looks.

With a face that dark, no wonder he got robbed—that's what everyone was thinking.

Meanwhile, Ye Chen stayed composed, not interrupting. He just pulled out an iron rod and started sharpening it vigorously. He'd huff on it occasionally, then wipe it with his sleeve, making sure it was polished to a shine—it was going to see some blood soon.

On the other side, once Tang San Shao finished ranting, he scooted back to Ye Chen and scratched his head. "Old man, why bring that up out of nowhere?"

"Because I'm the jerk you were talking about."

"You?" Tang San Shao shuddered, nearly wetting himself.

It was a real shock.

Not just him—Ji Ning Shuang and Yang Xuan were all raising their eyebrows in surprise. They had no idea there was such a ridiculous connection between Ye Chen and this little black fatty.

Ridiculous indeed. He hadn't even become the son-in-law yet, and he'd already beaten up his future father-in-law. Just moments ago, he'd been calling him a jerk left and right, cursing up a storm.

Now, in everyone's eyes, the little black fatty was quite the character.

Yeah, a real talent—the outstanding kind, absolutely top-notch.

And Tang San Shao's expression was the most entertaining of all.

Though the little fatty was dark-skinned, he wasn't dumb. Ye Chen bringing this up out of the blue meant he was settling old scores. Heaven knows, back then he had no idea it was Ye Chen—the guy was wearing a hood and hiding his face. How was he supposed to know? No wonder it felt so familiar; turns out Ye Chen was the one he'd fought that day.

Suddenly, Tang San Shao felt a chill run through his body. Ye Chen was smiling at him, but that smile looked sinister, like a butcher eyeing a pig.

And that iron rod in Ye Chen's hand—it was glaringly obvious.

"I've calculated it—the signs point to bloodshed and chaos," Shangguan Jiu said gravely, pulling out a pipe from somewhere and blowing smoke rings.

"You gonna put up with that? I couldn't," Yang Xuan said, nudging him.

"Come on, Jiu Niang, you hold her," Ye Ling said, standing up and handing Xiao Yang Lan to Ji Ning Shuang. Then she rolled up her sleeves and pinned down the still-confused Tang San Shao, giving him a thorough beating while yelling, "You dead fatty, you've got some nerve hitting my dad—rebellious brat!"

Tang San Shao's screams were like a pig being slaughtered, utterly piercing.

The scene was as bloody as ever, with blood splattering everywhere.

Poor Tang San Shao—this beating was so unjust. He was the victim, after all. He got robbed and beaten back then, and now he was getting another thrashing. What a world!

Ye Chen just shook his head and carried on eating and drinking like nothing was happening.

Ji Ning Shuang acted just as casually, feeding Xiao Yang Lan, with no intention of stopping the fight. If you wanted to marry into their family, you had to tough it out—no issues there.

Ye Chen and Ji Ning Shuang were unfazed, but Yang Xuan and the others felt a shiver. This family was something else—every one of them was fierce, beating people like they were out for blood.

It wasn't until sometime later that Ye Ling finally stopped, sweating profusely.

As for Tang San Shao, he was sprawled out in a big X, perfectly straight.

"Don't be scared, little one. Big sister isn't usually like this," Ye Ling said, taking Xiao Yang Lan back. She'd gone a bit too hard, and the bloody scene had frightened the child.

It wasn't until late into the night that Tang San Shao managed to get up, his face bruised and swollen, with blood still dripping from his nose. He sat quietly next to Ye Chen, as obedient as a lamb.

"Don't sweat the small stuff. Here, have some soup," Ye Chen said, patting the little fatty on the back.

Tang San Shao took it, but he was sniffling and tearing up. Was I that wronged? I got robbed, took two beatings, and now I've brought your daughter back, only to get another one.

Just for those three beatings, your daughter owes me at least one night—that's only fair.

Of course, he only dared to think that. If he said it out loud, a fourth beating would follow, and after that, he'd be heading straight to the underworld.

As dawn approached, the group set off.

Tang San Shao tagged along shamelessly, chattering about going to Heng Yue to propose marriage.

Ye Chen didn't object.

Propose all you want—if Ye Ling's mothers agree, I'll take your last name.

Of course, bringing Tang San Shao along served another purpose for Ye Chen: he could freely control Xue Ji Xian Jie, so it was worth studying this little black fatty closely—there might be some surprises.

In the spatial passage, the atmosphere was quite harmonious. Ye Ling held Xiao Yang Lan, teasing her now and then, making the little one giggle like a playful sprite, pure and innocent.

Tang San Shao kept trying to hold her, but no luck.

"Ling Er, do you know Wu Lei's true appearance?" Ye Chen asked, holding his wine flask.

"I don't know," Ye Ling shook her head. "She's always veiled, with some secret technique hiding her face."

Ye Chen didn't press further. He was still curious about Wu Lei's identity and her connections to Chu Xuan, Chu Ling, and Xiao Ruo Xi. There had to be some link among the four of them.

He'd asked Di Huang and Ming Di about it before, but those two supreme beings hadn't said a word.

As for Chu Xuan, even though she became the goddess of Wu Lei City, she knew very little. If not for him pointing it out back then, she wouldn't have realized that the city lord looked exactly like her.

"Da Di Zhi Zi," Tang San Shao exclaimed in surprise during Ye Chen's thoughts.

Hearing those four words, Ye Chen snapped back and glanced at Tang San Shao. This little black fatty was no simpleton—he could see the outside starry sky from within the domain passage.

"It's really him," Ye Ling said, peering out as well.

Ye Chen shifted his gaze from Tang San Shao and looked toward the external starry sky.

There, he saw a figure in purple robes striding through the void—a young man with eyes like stars and black hair cascading like a waterfall. Strange phenomena flickered around him, faint but present. His form was as steadfast as a monument, and every move exuded the aura of the great dao. His bloodline and origin were incredibly dominant; even from the passage, Ye Chen could faintly sense a mysterious power.

"Da Di Zhi Zi—his reputation is well-deserved," Ye Chen murmured.

Thinking of Da Di Zhi Zi, he couldn't help but sigh. It was because of that bloodline that fused with all living beings that it had caused a misunderstanding back in the day, leading to karma with Hao Tian Shi Jia.

"A bloodline that seizes heaven's fortune," Ji Ning Shuang said softly, her tone laced with emotion.

"Jiu Niang, in the years you were away, he fought Ye Fan hundreds of times," Ye Ling said with a laugh. "He's incredibly strong, but he still couldn't beat our little Ye Fan."

"Is that so?" Ji Ning Shuang was quite surprised.

"I've fought him too, and he couldn't beat me," Tang San Shao boasted with a grin.

"As if you could—controlling Xue Ji Xian Jie makes it no surprise he couldn't beat you," Ye Ling retorted.

"Even without Xue Ji Xian Jie, I'd still make him cry."

"Will bragging kill you?"

"Bragging isn't a crime."

The two banterers were at it again, trading jabs nonstop.

Ye Chen and Ji Ning Shuang, however, focused more on Da Di Zhi Zi. With their broader perspective, they could see his exceptional qualities—not just his bloodline, but his dao insights. At such a young age, to have such profound comprehension was enough to stand above his generation.

"Being able to fight him to a draw—Fan Er has surprised me," Ji Ning Shuang said with a smile.

Ye Chen smiled too, a look of contentment for the younger generation. Not just for his son Ye Fan, but for Da Di Zhi Zi as well. One was like the heavens, the other like the earth; the two were destined to lead a new era. Talented individuals emerge in every generation, and one day, they would take their place.