Chapter 987: Endless Joy

"Senior, you..." Seeing Hong Chen's hand reaching out, Lin Shi Hua instinctively stepped back, her delicate brows furrowing as she looked at the wooden-faced Hong Chen. She was especially puzzled by the tears glistening in his eyes.

"Hong Chen." Chu Ling Yu quickly intervened, blocking Hong Chen's hand, her expression tinged with awkwardness. The girl was beautiful, but you couldn't just touch her like that! Didn't you realize your wife was right there?

As for Hong Chen, his extended hand was stopped, and his expression turned wooden once more. A flash of tears crossed his eyes, leaving behind a profound sense of confusion.

"Little girl, don't mind, don't mind." Chu Ling Yu gave an awkward smile as an apology, then hurriedly dragged Hong Chen away.

"What a strange person." Watching Chu Ling Yu leave as if fleeing, Lin Shi Hua murmured in surprise.

"He's not in his right mind, so don't take it to heart." Ye Chen chuckled.

"Senior brother, you must be joking. I'm not one to hold grudges."

"After all that traveling, you must be tired. Go back and rest." Ye Chen patted Lin Shi Hua's shoulder and turned to leave.

Behind him, as she watched Ye Chen's retreating figure, Lin Shi Hua smiled warmly, her beautiful eyes filled with tender affection. Hong Chen and Ye Chen looked exactly alike; if it had been Ye Chen touching her earlier, she wouldn't have dodged.

But thinking of Hong Chen, she glanced in the direction where Chu Ling Yu had gone, scratching her head in confusion.

For some reason, from that mentally unclear Hong Chen, she felt a vague sense of familiarity—something familiar yet strangely distant, as if she'd encountered it before but couldn't quite remember.

By now, Ye Chen had already ascended Yu Nu Peak, though his eyes occasionally flashed with a hidden, uncertain light.

As an outsider to the earlier scene, he had seen it most clearly and noticed the tears flickering in Hong Chen's eyes, which surprised him the most.

Moreover, ever since Hong Chen arrived at Heng Yue, he had become even more enigmatic. He seemed interested in everything about Heng Yue, whether it was the people, the mountains, the pavilions, or the palaces.

"There's wedding wine to drink—excellent, hehehe." Just as Ye Chen was lost in thought, his musings were interrupted by a flurry of chattering voices.

Looking up, he saw the playful Shangguan Yu Er and Luo Xi, along with Chu Ling Er and Bi You, gathered around a jade stone table. Each of them held red invitations, and some had more than one.

"What's got you all so excited?" Ye Chen approached, smiling at the women.

"It's all good news, of course." Shangguan Yu Er giggled, like a little sprite, and hopped in front of Ye Chen, stuffing a red invitation into his arms. "Ling Xiao and Xiao Xiang are getting married."

"They should have gotten married ages ago." Ye Chen smiled, his thoughts drifting back to the events at Heng Yue's ninth branch hall years ago. He had played a part in helping Ling Xiao and Xiao Xiang achieve their happy ending.

"Here, this one's for Xiong Er and Tang Ru Xuan." As he pondered, Shangguan Yu Er kept shoving more invitations into Ye Chen's arms. "This is for Chen Rong Yun and Hao Tian Shi Yu, this for Li Zhang and Hao Tian Shi Xue, this for Wei Wen Zhuo and Dongfang Yu Yan, this for Zhao Zi Yun and Nangong Zi Yue, this for Zi Yan and Li Xing Hun, this for Qing Yun and Ling Hao, and this for Liu Yi and Nangong Yue."

"Is this all coordinated?" Ye Chen looked at the dozen or so invitations in his arms, his expression a mix of amusement and surprise.

"Hao Tian Shi Yu and Hao Tian Shi Xue..." Seeing their names, Ye Chen felt a bit odd. They were like his two sisters, and now they were getting married? To guys like Chen Rong Yun and Li Zhang?

"Oh, everyone's here?" Just then, a carefree figure climbed up Yu Nu Peak—it was Xing Chen Dao Shen, carrying a stack of red invitations in his arms.

"Great, add one more."

"Come on, everyone come when the time is right." As Ye Chen twitched his mouth, Xing Chen Dao Shen had already started handing out the wedding invitations one by one. He was in an exceptionally good mood today, grinning from ear to ear.

"Getting married really changes a man." Ye Chen couldn't help but sigh.

"You bet it does." Xing Chen Dao Shen grinned.

"Huh? Getting married in the mortal world?" On the side, Shangguan Yu Er exclaimed softly.

"That's right. Xing Er and I have decided to retire from the cultivation world." Xing Chen Dao Shen smiled.

"Tired of the cultivator world?" Ye Chen looked at him with a smile.

"Yeah, tired of it." Xing Chen Dao Shen took a deep breath, his smile carrying a hint of weariness. "I've only prepared about a dozen invitations. We'll just be an ordinary couple in the mortal world, living a simple, uneventful life."

"Your choice, and I won't interfere."

"Thanks, boss." Xing Chen Dao Shen bowed respectfully, then flew away from Heng Yue Sect with a face full of smiles.

"A simple marriage like that should be wonderful." Watching Xing Chen Dao Shen leave, Ye Chen smiled slightly. For some reason, when Xing Chen Dao Shen mentioned living simply, he felt a touch of longing himself.

"Ye Chen, when will you marry us?" Luo Xi grabbed Ye Chen's hand, tilting her head up, her big eyes clear and bright as she blinked at him, hoping for a definite answer.

"Uh, I'll go check on Chu Xuan first." Ye Chen coughed awkwardly and vanished from sight.

After he left, Chu Ling Er and the others looked a bit embarrassed. Not everyone was as innocently straightforward as Luo Xi. When it came to marriage and family, women still had their sense of propriety.

But speaking of marriage, the women all had a moment of daze, lost in thought, their cheeks flushed with a woman's gentle affection. Each of them played an irreplaceable role in Ye Chen's life—not just passersby, but threads of destiny that filled them with anticipation.

Meanwhile, Ye Chen had already walked far away, the playful expression on his face slowly fading as fresh blood silently trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Not long ago, he had endured another bout of heavenly tribulation, fierce and unrelenting, forcing him to make an excuse to avoid Chu Ling Er and Shangguan Yu Er. He didn't want them to see him in such a vulnerable state.

Wise as he was, after three years of muddled existence, he had seen through the ways of the world and understood the feelings of Luo Xi and the others.

Yet, he was avoiding it—or rather, afraid to touch upon romance. As one afflicted by heavenly tribulation, he feared that its merciless force might harm Chu Ling Er and the rest, turning them into tragic victims like the pitiful Liu Ru Yan, scarred by the wreckage of love.

Suddenly, he arrived at the cave where Chu Xuan was in seclusion.

As soon as he approached, his eyes narrowed slightly, fixing on the stone door sealing the cave.

This cave was designed for seclusion, with the entrance sealed by a stone door during retreats. But this time, the door was etched with ancient patterns, obscure and astonishing to him.

"What a profound formation." Ye Chen murmured to himself. Even with his Xian Lun Yan, he couldn't decipher its secrets.

"It must be an ancient secret formation."

"Where did Master find such a high-level ancient secret formation? It's even more advanced than Gu San Tong's."

"This is quite unexpected." Ye Chen activated his Xian Lun Yan, trying to peer through the stone door to see Chu Xuan inside, but he failed, just as he thought. The formation on the door blocked even his Xian Lun Yan's gaze.

"Ye Chen, what is it?" A light, melodious female voice came from the cave, as beautiful and enchanting as celestial music.

"It's nothing major." Ye Chen smiled. "Lately, Da Chu has been full of joyous events. I came to take you to some weddings."

"That's a shame." Chu Xuan's soft laughter echoed from the cave. "I still need some time before I can emerge from seclusion. I'm afraid I won't make it to their celebrations."

"In that case, focus on your retreat."

"Please convey my blessings to them."

"Understood." Ye Chen smiled and turned to leave. Even after walking a few steps, he couldn't help but glance back at the cave. For some reason, he felt that something was off.

"What's not right about it?" He touched his left eye, murmuring to himself, unable to pinpoint the reason.