Chapter 2425: Flower Wine and Ancient Tea

Wulei Zhicheng had dissipated, leaving the starry sky silent and everyone still lost in thought. After a long while, someone finally snapped out of it, though no one dared to speak. The fear of Wulei Zhicheng only grew; even two Dacheng Shengti hadn't dared to force their way in, so who else would risk challenging it?

In that moment, many old veterans made a wise decision: from now on, whenever they encountered Wulei Zhicheng, they would steer clear and behave themselves. Such an existence wasn't something anyone could afford to provoke.

The crowd fell silent, and people began to disperse one after another.

It had to be said that Dongzhou Wuwang and Wulei Xianzi made quite the striking pair, walking hand in hand into the distance. Who knew, the next time they met, they might be a family of three.

Just as eye-catching were Diwu Shenjiang and Ye Chen.

The three of them were exceptional talents, each having won the heart of a goddess from Wulei Zhicheng. Even their way of walking set them apart from others—arrogant strides that showed no regard for anyone.

Comparing oneself to them was truly disheartening!

The world sighed and lamented; sharing an era with such prodigies was nothing short of awkward.

But even more awkward was the situation of Miaomiao Laodao.

That's right, he had returned, miraculously still alive. He hobbled along, clutching his lower back, his face marked with a clear palm print that was both elegant and eye-catching.

After that slap, he had become completely subdued, his whole demeanor deflated.

Ye Chen chuckled with delight. Seeing him get beaten brought an odd sense of satisfaction. He almost wanted to praise Wulei for a job well done—after all, the one who had beaten him up before was now getting a taste of his own medicine.

With the crowd gone, the vast starry sky felt empty.

Ye Chen, ever the romantic, didn't rush home. Instead, he led his group of wives on a leisurely stroll, truly savoring the mortal world for the first time in his past and present lives.

Along the way, he couldn't help but glance at Chu Xuan and Chu Ling from time to time, his eyes full of curiosity. He was still thinking about the matter of Wulei. Back in the Lingyu, he had seen her true appearance, and it was identical to theirs. If anyone claimed the three had no connection, not even ghosts would believe it.

And then there was Ruoxi, with the same noble bearing, adding another layer of mystery.

In a mortal ancient city, the streets bustled with people and calls from vendors, showcasing the vibrancy of everyday life.

The women had all changed into plain clothes, but their ethereal beauty was impossible to hide. Ordinary folks had never seen such stunning individuals—not just one, but a whole group, all seemingly sharing the same husband.

As for the husband, even more eyes were on Ye Chen. People scanned him from head to toe and back again, wondering what kind of charm he possessed.

So many beautiful women, and he had claimed them all.

This was something on the minds of many: beauties were rare in the world, yet here he was, hogging over a dozen. Causing such havoc—weren't you afraid of being struck by lightning?

"Come on, everyone, put these on."

Ye Chen was quite proactive, handing out fake mustaches to his wives. They were too beautiful; dressing as women drew too much attention. Men's attire was safer, at least keeping those prying eyes at bay. With so many gorgeous wives, they were always the center of attention wherever they went.

Chu Xuan and the others covered their mouths and laughed, though they went along with it.

When they emerged again, not a single one looked like a woman; they were all dressed as men.

And of course, the essential accessory for showing off: folding fans, one for each. They fanned themselves lightly, exuding an air of refinement that screamed wealthy young masters from prominent clans.

This left the young ladies of high society utterly flustered, their eyes sparkling with admiration.

As they strolled down the street, a few maidservants couldn't resist running over to offer sachets, each containing a note—either a love poem or sweet words, all quite charming.

Tsk, tsk, tsk!

Ye Chen held a pile of sachets, flipping through them one by one. The messages were mostly the same: invitations to stargaze that night, and if things went well, perhaps find a room for more.

This earned him plenty of resentful glares from the young ladies watching in secret. They were fuming, stamping their feet—those weren't for you! Was it appropriate to read someone else's letters?

Appropriate!

That was Ye Chen's response. They were boldly flirting with my wives—do you think you're above the heavens?

Night had fallen quietly.

The clever Ye Chen took a detour, leading his wives to a prime spot.

By "prime spot," he meant a brothel.

Chu Xuan and Ji Ningshuang were fine with it; they'd been to such places with him before. Nanming Yushu was also okay; after her reincarnation, she had been a courtesan who performed arts but not favors, so she knew the scene well.

But Chu Ling and the others were genuinely excited; it was a first for them.

The madam was warmly welcoming, and the courtesans were enthusiastic, but their attention was mostly on Chu Xuan and the group. It was all because these women, disguised as men, were strikingly handsome. Standing among them, the originally good-looking Ye Chen suddenly seemed quite plain.

As the saying goes, no comparison, no harm.

In the end, Ye Chen slipped out and found a teahouse to sip tea, feeling rather dejected.

As for Chu Xuan and the others, they were still in the brothel, enjoying the flower wine like pros.

"Dad, where are Mom and the others?"

Ye Ling showed up, holding a skewer of candied hawthorn, her playful outfit drawing eyes as she approached.

Ye Chen didn't say a word, just pointed toward the brothel.

"Wow." The little chubby one was stunned. As expected of a Shengti—while his wives were drinking flower wine inside, he was out here alone, sipping tea in style.

Ye Ling grinned. "I'm going too."

"Take me along." Tang San Shao was eager and quickly followed.

Ye Chen waved his hand, pulling them back. As an elder, he needed to set a proper example today and lecture the juniors on life's principles. Don't keep running off to brothels—flower wine isn't as good as this ancient tea. Leaving me here alone isn't right!

Ye Ling pouted, and Tang San Shao wore the same expression.

In all the myriad realms, the least reliable "elder" was the one in front of them. He preached morals endlessly but had done plenty of shameless things himself.

Ye Fan and Yang Lan, however, were more reserved. When they came to the teahouse, they each held an ancient book bought from the mortal world—nothing special, just tales of old myths.

Upon hearing that Chu Xuan and the others were in the brothel, both son and daughter-in-law couldn't help but laugh awkwardly. Sending your wives to drink flower wine—who else in the heavens could pull that?

Boom!

Suddenly, a loud rumble echoed, stirring up the mortals. It sounded like thunder, a sign of rain to come, and some vendors were already packing up to avoid getting wet.

Ye Chen looked up, his eyes narrowing as he gazed into the distance.

Even with his insight, he couldn't pinpoint the source of the boom. It wasn't from a battle; the rumble seemed to come from some unknown realm. Such events had been happening more frequently lately.

"Zi Xuan Gugu once said it's due to changes in Taigu Honghuang," Ye Ling whispered.

Ye Chen already knew that; if Ye Ling was aware, he certainly was.

This was precisely why Di Huang and Hongyan were relentlessly pursuing and trying to destroy the Zhuxian Jian—to quickly open a path to Taigu Honghuang. Lately, those unexplained booms had become more frequent, bringing an ominous feeling.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

The boom faded, and the street grew quieter, but Ye Chen's Chaos Cauldron was vibrating intensely. More precisely, the Dunjia Tianzi on it was trembling, radiating brilliant golden light.

Ye Chen frowned; this strange phenomenon was a first.

As wise as he was, he could guess that the Dunjia Tianzi was connected to the earlier boom. Or rather, it shared some ancient secret with Taigu Honghuang.

"Does the Dunjia Tianzi originate from Taigu Honghuang?"

Ye Chen pondered this inwardly. With the changes in Taigu Honghuang, the Dunjia Tianzi was reacting—it was clearly cause and effect. So, this guess made sense.

"Young friend, I'm closing up shop," the kindly old tea seller said with a smile.

Ye Chen smiled back, placed two copper coins on the table, and stood up.

At the other end of the street, he saw Chu Xuan and the others approaching. They had likely heard the boom too, cutting short their flower wine session. Xi Yan's face now had two red lipstick marks, one on each cheek, perfectly symmetrical.

Shangguan Yuer had one on her forehead and one on her cheek, both vivid red.

This sight made not just Ye Chen, but even Ye Ling, twitch their lips. Were the moms really going all out? If that boom hadn't interrupted, would they have taken things to the bedroom for more "talks"?

"How was the flower wine?"

Ye Chen asked with his hands behind his back, paying special attention to Xi Yan and Shangguan Yuer—their red lipstick marks stood out among all his wives.

"What a pity I'm not a man."

Xi Yan giggled.

"They were all so welcoming," Shangguan Yuer said with a playful smile.

The women laughed again; Xi Yan and Shangguan Yuer had been the most lively, running all over the brothel.

"With so many wives, you could open your own brothel."

The little chubby one stroked his chin.

As soon as he said that, not just Ye Chen, Ye Ling, and Chu Xuan—they even made the good-natured Ye Fan explode. Without waiting for the others, he slapped the chubby one, leaving him dazed.

"Keep that mouth shut!" The late-arriving Ye Ling was furious, kicking him all over until he was a mess, determined to beat him into a pulp.

"The booms are getting more frequent," Nanming Yushu said, looking up at the sky.

"It's hard to shake this unease," Ji Ningshuang murmured, her heart trembling even without the sound.

"I keep feeling like there's a voice calling from the void," Chu Xuan said.

"The same for me," Chu Ling frowned slightly.

Ye Chen said nothing, his gaze shifting from Chu Xuan and Chu Ling to Ji Ningshuang and the others. It seemed only Chu Xuan and Chu Ling felt that calling, likely tied to their mysterious backgrounds.

Without another word, he turned and led the way back.

The return journey was overshadowed by a gloom. The others were fine, but Chu Xuan and Chu Ling occasionally fell into brief trances.

Ye Chen saw it clearly; he was certain these two wives of his were connected to Taigu Honghuang, and perhaps to the ancient heavenly court as well.

"What Zhao Yun said back then was indeed true," Ji Ningshuang transmitted via divine sense.

"The imbalance of forces in the void is a harbinger of catastrophe," Ye Chen replied with a deep breath. Zhao Yun had told him that, and clearly Ji Ningshuang too. Now, with signs of disaster emerging, the changes in Taigu Honghuang were likely the spark.

"Hurry back to Da Chu," a soft voice came from the storage pouch, from a transmission stone—it was the voice of Renwang, serious and authoritative, like a true elder.