Chapter 2233: Colorful Banners Fluttering

In the early morning, the gentle sunlight bathed Hengyue Zong.

Yunu Peak remained as elegant and graceful as ever, shrouded in swirling mist like a delicate veil that veiled a woman's face, adding an air of mystery.

One had to say, the scenery on Yunu Peak at that moment was stunningly beautiful.

From afar, the various colorful xian yi hanging on the trees swayed in the wind like fluttering caiqi, each one carrying a faint feminine fragrance that was refreshing and invigorating with just a whiff.

Perfect!

Ye Chen, who was chopping vegetables at the stove, couldn't help but praise it sincerely every time he looked up. This was his handiwork, and it was well worth the late-night effort.

Wow!

A cry of amazement echoed from the opposite mountain peak. It came from that rascal Xiao Lingwa, who was standing at the summit, tiptoeing and craning his neck to gaze over. The entire Yunu Peak was a sea of fluttering caiqi, like a vibrant ocean with surging waves, dazzling anyone who looked.

Wow!

More exclamations followed, as the talented members of Hengyue Zong climbed to their peaks and gazed into the distance. So many dazzling xian yi—what could this mean? Were they for sale? If someone said they were just hanging clothes to dry, we'd believe it.

Wow!

Even the elders of Hengyue Zong rushed to their own peaks, where the array of colorful xian yi looked like a group of fairies, turning the naturally graceful Yunu Peak into a vibrant tapestry of colors.

"From what I can tell, Ye Chen is back." Situ Nan stroked his chin. "He might be the jerk who threw those thunder bombs at my place last night."

"No need to guess—it's definitely him." Xie Yun grumbled.

"That bastard ruined my good time." Xiong Er's face was as dark as charcoal. Last night was supposed to be memorable—he was in bed with his wife, getting cozy—when a thunder curse exploded, startling him so badly he nearly wet himself. That perfect spring dawn was shattered into pieces.

"He's back and washing clothes—music to my ears." Xu Fu, Pang Dachuan, and Zhou Dafu stroked their beards, each with a meaningful smile.

As they watched and chatted, many of them covered their eyes, staggered in place, and nearly fell over. Their vision blurred with stars, and their heads buzzed.

This was all thanks to Ye Chen, who had used an emperor-level xian array to cover Yunu Peak. Anyone looking over, regardless of age or gender, was blinded. When they tried to look again, all they saw was a blanket of mist, impossible to see through.

In that instant, the whole of Hengyue Zong felt awkward. They wanted to peek, but their cultivation wasn't up to it.

"What the heck is that?"

"What do you mean, 'what'? Get lost."

Just as one wave settled, another rose. From Long Wu's peak came shouts and calls. It was Long Yi, who had gone over early in the morning to chat with Long Wu and spotted the reincarnated Dongfang Yuling at first glance. She was about three years old, chubby and adorable.

Long Yi's insight was sharp—who could miss that it was the reincarnated Dongfang Yuling, and a yongsheng ti at that? Damn, this was big.

So, this big bald guy started yelling and demanding to swap wives with the other big bald guy.

Naturally, the two bald guys started fighting.

Dongfang Yuling blinked her big eyes, watching with wide-eyed curiosity.

She hadn't had her memory seal unlocked yet—or rather, it couldn't be unlocked. This was similar to what had happened with Ji Ningshuang and Xi Yan back in the day.

Her mortal mother was there too, her expression hard to describe.

Luckily, Long Wu was clever enough to have prepared a believable excuse the night before.

Because of Dongfang Yuling, the entire Hengyue Zong was buzzing with excitement, waves of people flocking over.

Glancing around, Long Wu's vast peak was packed with crowds—all there to see Dongfang Yuling, and to see the yongsheng ti.

In a gathering of talents, the origin of wild ideas, ridiculous things often happened.

Like today—maybe because there were so many people, little Dongfang Yuling got lost in the mix, snatched away by some talent. This sent Long Wu into a rage, flipping over the Hengyue Zong great hall.

While the outside world was lively, Yunu Peak was unusually quiet.

Ye Chen was still bustling around the stove, preparing a hearty breakfast for his wives and child.

The women were all still asleep—it was Ye Chen's doing, using too much mixiang, so they hadn't woken up yet. As for Ye Ling, she was just a little sleepyhead who wouldn't stir without being called.

Perfect!

For the umpteenth time, Ye Chen marveled at his own work.

No sooner had he spoken than sounds of rummaging through chests and cabinets came from the various rooms. The women seemed to have woken up and were searching for something—what else? Their clothes, of course. Not a single piece was left.

"Hey, who took my clothes?" The first voice came from Shangguan Yuer's room.

"Mine are gone too." That was Xi Yan.

"What a coincidence—mine too." Haotian Shiyue said groggily. "And my storage bag is missing."

As soon as she said that, the rummaging stopped altogether.

Then, one by one, windows flew open, revealing half-faces—postures varying. Ji Ningshuang, Liu Ruyan, and Lin Shihua looked demure and elegant, their hair smooth and charming. Shangguan Yuer, Xi Yan, and Luo Xi looked playful and mischievous, their hair a bit messy, eyes still heavy with sleep.

So, why were they all only showing half their faces?

It was all thanks to Ye Chen, who had taken every last piece of their clothing and hung it all on the trees.

And there he was, acting like nothing had happened, diligently chopping vegetables with expert skill.

He was the picture of a devoted family man.

He was also a master at pranking his wives.

Glancing at the women, they were all stunned, mouths agape as they stared outside at the spirit trees laden with their xian yi, swaying in the wind.

What on earth had happened? The women looked bewildered.

Yes, something had definitely happened—otherwise, why were their clothes draped all over the mountain, not a single one left? This was worse than thieves—they'd been stripped clean.

"Don't just stand there—come out for breakfast." Ye Chen's well-timed comment cut in.

At his words, the women turned in unison toward the stove. There was Ye Chen, holding his spatula and showing off his cooking skills.

In that moment, no more questions were needed—they all realized their clothes hadn't walked out on their own. Some jerk had hung them up one by one.

In that instant, vivid scenes played in their minds: in the dead of night, a thief named Ye Chen sneaking into room after room, emerging with armfuls of clothes.

In that instant, no matter their usual demeanor, the women's faces flushed red. Though they were in their rooms, they were still bare, and who knew what that guy had done after stripping them last night? Even the wildest among them had their pride.

"Ye Chen, have you no shame?" Nanming Yushu slammed her window shut and yelled from behind it. Not just her face—her whole body felt burning hot.

"You have no shame." With a series of slams, the windows closed one after another, followed by angry shouts from the rooms.

"I don't like hearing that."

"I'm just kindly washing your clothes and making breakfast, and I get called shameless? Where's the justice?"

"And you lot—sleeping like logs, not even noticing when someone carried you off."

Ye Chen fired back point by point, all while not missing a beat with his stir-frying.

Shame? Don't talk to me about shame—I've long since lost it. Besides, what's the point of shame?

In the rooms, the women nearly choked on their frustration, on the verge of passing out.

Only now did they truly see how utterly shameless Ye Chen was. After not coming home for over a decade, he pulls stunts like this the moment he returns.

The embarrassing part was, they hadn't noticed a thing last night.

They couldn't be blamed—it was just that Ye Chen was too skilled.

After pulling off sneaky tricks so many times, he had leveled up from amateur to king.

This was his signature move, especially smooth when used on his own family.

"The last dish is done—come eat."

"Eat your head—give back our clothes!" It was still Nanming Yushu, pounding on the window with her fist.

"Come out and get them yourself!"

"I..." Nanming Yushu stood firm but nearly stumbled, regretting which nerve had misfired back then to tie her fate to Ye Chen's, ending up with such a shameless fool.

"Give back the clothes, now!" Chu Xuan and Chu Ling were frantic, stomping their feet in anger, their eyes blazing as if the fire could leap out.

"Give them back!" The women chorused in outrage, desperate to get dressed—not because they were cold, but because being naked was too humiliating.

"Come out and get them yourself." The clever Ye Chen stuck to that line, shaking his head with a carefree air. No way was he delivering them.

At the table, he sat up straight, feeling triumphant.

After all those years of getting beaten up every time he came home, he was finally holding his head high.

In the rooms, the women had all crouched down, hands covering their faces, overcome with a sense of despair. If they weren't naked, they'd have stormed out and beaten Ye Chen half to death, then pinned him to the bed and finished him off.

As for the clothes, no one was going out to fetch them. Even the playful Xi Yan was too embarrassed, let alone Chu Xuan and Chu Ling. They were certain that once they stepped out, Ye Chen would pull more tricks—like taking pictures or casting seals. Getting their clothes back wouldn't be that easy.

And sure enough, that's exactly what Ye Chen had in mind. His memory crystals were ready, and so were his sealing techniques. Let one come out, and he'd seal them. As for telekinesis? Forget it—they could think again, because he knew all their moves.

Wow!

After a moment of silence, another cry rang out.

Ye Ling had woken up—or rather, been startled awake. Opening her door, she saw the mountainside full of vibrant caiqi, each one strikingly familiar. They looked just like what her mothers usually wore.

Seeing her emerge, Chu Ling called from the room, "Ling'er, bring Mommy's clothes inside."

Ye Ling furrowed her brows slightly and glanced again at the clothes on the trees. She also shot Ye Chen a look. Being clever, she quickly figured out what had happened—it had to be her unreliable father pulling another shameless stunt.

"Don't just stand there—hurry up." Chu Ling urged again.

Uh...

Ye Ling obeyed, walking over slowly.

In the rooms, the women were already clenching their fists, waiting for Ye Ling to bring the clothes so they could drag Ye Chen out and teach him a lesson.

But under their watchful eyes, Ye Ling stopped midway, rubbed her hands together, chuckled, and sat down at the table. "Dad, did you make all this?"

"Besides me, who else has the skill?" Ye Chen said deeply.

"Dad made it, so it must be good."

"Here, try this—it's great for your skin."

"Thank you, Dad."

The scene at the table was quite heartwarming, and Ye Ling ate with gusto.

In the rooms, the women's mouths hitched in unison. So much for fetching the clothes.

Chu Ling felt it the most. Looking at her husband and daughter, she couldn't help but clutch her chest. You little rascal—you're a true Ye through and through!