Chapter 941: A Shocking Past

Chapter 941: A Shocking Past Event

Chu Lingyu had been taken away, but Ye Chen remained on the mountain peak, rubbing his brow intensely.

Chu Lingyu turned out to be Hong Chen's wife, a fact that left Ye Chen utterly baffled no matter how hard he tried to make sense of it. Everything had unfolded in an unexpectedly dramatic way.

Ah!

At some point, a sigh echoed, and Tianzong Laozu stepped onto the mountain peak, sitting down beside Ye Chen.

"Senior, you've kept this from me for so long!" Ye Chen turned to look at Tianzong Laozu and sighed again. "If I'm not mistaken, you must have met Hong Chen in the past."

"Indeed, I have." Tianzong Laozu took a deep breath and didn't deny it. "The first time I saw you at the Tianzong Shijia, I was a bit dazed. I never imagined there could be someone in the world who looks so much like him."

"I'll give you credit—your acting skills are top-notch." Ye Chen rubbed his brow.

"No matter how convincing the act, it can't change reality!" Tianzong Laozu sat down and gazed into the distant haze. "Back then, Yu'er faced her tribulation, losing all her cultivation. I sealed her memories and sent her to the Fanren Jie as a form of training. Little did I know it would lead to a romance with no end in sight."

"She met Hong Chen." Ye Chen handed a wine flask to Tianzong Laozu.

"Just as you said." Tianzong Laozu took the flask. "With no memory of being a cultivator, Yu'er lived in a fog, and so did Hong Chen. By some twist of fate, they ended up together in the mortal world."

"Hong Chen was in a daze, and Chu Lingyu was just an ordinary person back then." Ye Chen murmured to himself, his mind briefly wandering. This was so similar to his own story with Liu Ruyan.

"The first time I met Hong Chen was on the night of their wedding." Tianzong Laozu didn't notice Ye Chen's distraction and continued steadily. "Yu'er, without her cultivator memories, didn't realize it, but I could see clearly that although Hong Chen was muddled, his power was extraordinarily strong."

"So, did you forcibly separate them, Senior?"

"How could I break up a loving couple?" Tianzong Laozu smiled warmly. "Let them marry—that's fine. I'm not that old-fashioned. But my son-in-law couldn't stay muddled forever, so on their wedding night, I tried to heal his injuries. Instead, I awakened a mysterious and immensely powerful force within him. He went berserk, and even I suffered severe wounds. The so-called Dao Shang was left by him. When I regained consciousness, he had already vanished. It wasn't until many years later that I encountered him again as the ninety-seventh generation Shengzhu of Yanhuang. But he didn't recognize me, and I didn't bring it up. I've kept this secret for centuries, and even Zhong Jiang and the others never knew."

"Ling'er once mentioned that someone used a Wangqing Zhu on Chu Lingyu. Was that your doing, Senior?"

"After Hong Chen went berserk and disappeared, I brought Yu'er back to the cultivator world." Tianzong Laozu took a deep breath. "She has exceptional talent and quickly returned to the path of cultivation, advancing rapidly. But Hong Chen was her inner demon. Every time her cultivation advanced, she was tormented by heart demons, nearly turning to ash several times. I had no choice but to seal her memories again. To ensure she wouldn't remember Hong Chen, I used the Wangqing Zhu. Yet, the ways of the world are truly wondrous. Even so, it couldn't stop the power of love. She broke through my seal, and over time, the Wangqing Zhu became ineffective. Her lost memories returned bit by bit."

"No wonder she seemed like a completely different person during those days. And afterward, she always looked at me with such a strange expression." Ye Chen couldn't help but stroke his chin.

"Then I met you." Tianzong Laozu went on. "I thought you might be Hong Chen reincarnated. You look exactly like him, and coincidentally, you also possess the Liudao Xianlun Yan and became the Shengzhu of Yanhuang. You're so alike, as if you're the same person. I believed it was a gift from the heavens, sending you to save my Yu'er from her torment."

"So, when you wanted me as your son-in-law back then, it wasn't just a whim or because of my talent. Your real goal was to use me to help eliminate her inner demon."

"I admit, I was using you." Tianzong Laozu said with a face full of regret.

"There's no need to feel guilty, Senior. I understand." Ye Chen smiled.

"Unfortunately, plans don't always keep up with changes!" Tianzong Laozu gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Back then, Yanhuang was in desperate need of a strong ally, and with the prestige of Tianzong Shijia, I thought I'd agree to that political marriage without hesitation. But once again, I overlooked the power of love."

"You're probably shocked that Hong Chen is still alive, Senior."

"I'm wondering if the heavens took pity on my daughter, giving them another chance to rekindle their fate." Tianzong Laozu sighed wistfully. "But I know better than anyone that Hong Chen isn't an ordinary person. He's too mysterious, mysterious enough to make me wary. Even if he's still in this world, what awaits Yu'er is still a love full of wounds and scars."

"Do they have any children?"

"Yu'er is still a maiden. I arrived at just the wrong time back then. As a father, I had my own biases—I didn't want my daughter to marry someone so muddled. That's why I tried to heal Hong Chen on their wedding night. Not only did I fail to cure him, but I ended up making him go berserk."

"You certainly picked an awkward time to show up, Senior." Ye Chen's expression turned a bit odd, imagining how their wedding night had been completely disrupted by her father-in-law.

Tianzong Laozu chuckled and shook his head but said no more, occasionally taking a few sips of wine.

Ye Chen wisely stayed silent as well.

He didn't blame Tianzong Laozu for his actions back then. As a father, he had his reasons for protecting his daughter. Ye Chen simply marveled at how wondrous and unpredictable the world could be.

"Over the next few days, I may have to restrict his freedom." After a while, Ye Chen broke the silence. "I hope you'll understand, Senior."

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Shengzhu." Tianzong Laozu replied with gratitude. In the current heavenly court, perhaps only this young man in front of him could keep his daughter in check. His methods might be a bit forceful, but they were effective.

"You're too kind, Senior."

"In that case, I'll take my leave." Tianzong Laozu stood up, glanced one last time toward where Chu Lingyu was held, sighed, and then vanished.

After he left, Ye Chen lingered on the mountain peak for a long time.

This shocking past made him feel a deep sympathy for Hong Chen and Chu Lingyu.

Or perhaps he empathized with them. Their experiences were so similar to his own with Liu Ruyan.

But Hong Chen and Chu Lingyu seemed even luckier—at least Hong Chen was still alive, while all that remained of Liu Ruyan was a serene ancient qin. Was there truly no happy ending for a cultivator and a mortal?

Only after some time did he finally move.

When he reappeared, he was in an underground palace of Hengyue Zong. Chu Lingyu sat cross-legged on an altar, sealed there.

"Let me out." Chu Lingyu's expression was cold, her beautiful eyes misty with a hint of hope and plea.

"You don't even know where he is." Ye Chen replied calmly.

"Three years ago, did you know where Chu Xuan was?" Chu Lingyu stared straight at Ye Chen.

"I've told you, we're not the same." Ye Chen took a deep breath. "If I hadn't seen Hong Chen in Beichu, I wouldn't stop you. But as I've said, he's not the Hong Chen of the past anymore. He's too dangerous."

"I'm his wife, and he's my husband. I'm not afraid of him, and he won't hurt me."

"Then wait here in Hengyue Zong." Ye Chen said slowly. "He'll come. It won't be long."

"Are you that certain?" Chu Lingyu looked at Ye Chen with agitation.

"Absolutely certain." Ye Chen turned and left, his voice echoing faintly through the underground palace, each word sounding like music to Chu Lingyu's ears.