Chen Bowen stepped forward to stand in front of Su Rong, his tone laced with disdain. Ye Chu could not help laughing at the sight. “What, planning to fight me before taking on the Sha Country cultivators?”
“That will not be necessary. With a national contest at hand, I will not let personal feelings affect the outcome.” Chen Bowen smiled, his expression still bright and open, causing those nearby to nod inwardly in approval. In comparison, Ye Chu seemed even more lacking in grace, even more repulsive.
“Then please leave this spot.” Ye Chu said to Chen Bowen. “My actions are not for you to judge.”
Chen Bowen laughed. This was exactly what he wanted. The angrier Ye Chu became, the more it highlighted his own poise. He glanced at the surrounding crowd and, sure enough, saw their disgust towards Ye Chu deepen.
“Su Rong, let us go.” Chen Bowen smiled at Su Rong.
Su Rong shook her head. Her gaze remained fixed on Ye Chu, stubbornly awaiting his answer. Seeing this, Chen Bowen frowned slightly, but in the end he stayed by her side.
“Are you really not going to tell me the truth?” Su Rong stared at Ye Chu.
Ye Chu gave an innocent smile. “The problem is, I truly did not do it. Otherwise I would definitely take responsibility.”
After saying this, Ye Chu feared Su Rong might press further, so his eyes shifted to the duel arena. At that moment, cultivators from both sides were already engaged, though none had entered the Intent realm yet, so it was not particularly thrilling.
“Why are you all crowding around me? Go up and deal with these Sha Country cultivators. It is time to show your patriotic spirit.” Ye Chu said to Chen Bowen and the others.
“Then why do you not show yours?” Zhang Su’er glared at Ye Chu and huffed.
Ye Chu shrugged with a laugh. “Do you know what the most tragic unrequited love is?”
“What?” Zhang Su’er asked, puzzled.
“The most tragic unrequited love in the world is: I love my country.” Ye Chu laughed. “How could I do something so tragic?”
“…” Zhang Su’er decided she could not continue talking to Ye Chu. This fellow was simply a scoundrel.
Watching the relaxed, carefree, and unrestrained Ye Chu, Ye Tian felt a touch of surprise. In his memory, Ye Chu had always been a rogue and a rascal, but now he gave off more of a debonair, devil-may-care air, as if nothing in the world weighed on him, his expression utterly languid.
This change made Ye Tian look at Ye Chu a second time, especially after hearing from Ye Chao that Ye Chu had defeated Ding Kaiwei in a single move. It made him feel that Ye Chu was very different from before. Others might not believe Ye Chao, but he knew his younger brother well enough to be certain he would not lie about such a thing.
“In these three years, perhaps he really has changed a lot.”
“How did you survive these three years?” Ye Tian thought for a moment and still asked Ye Chu. When the Weiyuan Marquis Mansion had cast Ye Chu out, everyone had assumed he would die. The old Ye Chu knew nothing but evil deeds. How could someone like that survive in this world where the weak fall prey to the strong? Yet now, seeing Ye Chu, not only had he survived, but he was living well.
“Ah.” Ye Chu had not expected Ye Tian to speak to him first. “A person, even if reduced to digging up tree roots to eat, will not necessarily die.”
At these words, everyone froze in place, including Su Rong. Their gazes converged on Ye Chu, filled with disbelief. The Ye Chu who had always been fed on delicacies from land and sea, had he really eaten tree roots? Could this be true?
Su Rong could not imagine what it was like to eat tree roots. If it were her, she felt she could not force it down.
Zhang Su’er and the other women had always loathed Ye Chu, but hearing this, they could not help feeling a pang of sorrow. What degree of hunger would drive someone to eat tree roots?
Ye Tian’s expression was equally complex. He could not imagine what Ye Chu’s experiences had been like over these three years.
Ye Tian let out a soft breath and looked at Ye Chu. “No matter what becomes of you in the future, you must live well. Being cursed by others does not matter. At the very least, you must continue the bloodline of your branch. Second Uncle passed early, leaving only you. If you do not live well, you are unfilial to him. Though the Ye family expelled you, you have your own life to live. It does not have to be within the Ye family.”
Hearing this, Ye Chu lifted his head and looked straight at Ye Tian.
“Live well. I hope one day you will make the Ye family regret casting you out.” Ye Tian did not say more to Ye Chu. After those words, he turned and left.
Watching Ye Tian’s departing back, Ye Chu’s expression was similarly complicated. Unlike the other clan members, Ye Tian genuinely cared for him. Despite all the harm his actions had caused the family, Ye Tian had still come to fulfil a little of his duty as an elder brother.
“Rest assured, Father’s line will not end with me.” Ye Chu was usually lazy and indolent, but at this moment he spoke to Ye Tian’s retreating figure like a solemn promise, with less of his usual frivolity and more seriousness.
Ye Tian’s steps paused briefly, but he soon continued onward, as if he had not heard Ye Chu’s words.
…
Seeing Ye Tian and Ye Chao both leave, Chen Bowen finally refused to stand beside Ye Chu any longer and also walked away.
“Did you really eat tree roots?” Once the group had gone, Zhang Su’er still asked in disbelief.
Ye Chu smiled but did not answer her. Three years ago, when he had first arrived in this world and possessed Ye Chu’s body, he had been gravely injured and penniless. He could do nothing but forage for food to avoid starving.
At that time, with Ye Chu’s frail constitution and severe injuries, catching even wild rabbits or chickens was impossible. He could only eat wild fruits from trees or vegetables from the ground, but when he could find neither, he had been forced to try digging up tree roots. That month had been his hardest.
Dragging his aching body, barely clothed and never full, Ye Chu had doubted every day whether he would survive. Fortunately, he had held on until his injuries healed. From then on, life gradually normalised. Uninjured, he could make tools, set traps, hunt beasts, and provide for himself without fear of hunger.
Later, by chance entering Qingmi Mountain and travelling the world with the old madman, his life had completely transformed.
Seeing Ye Chu silent, Zhang Su’er muttered unhappily. “Fine, do not say if you do not want to.”
Yet seeing Ye Chu’s distant look, Zhang Su’er knew he had spoken the truth. This former scourge of Yao City, who would not eat without meat and even turned his nose up at mountain delicacies and ocean treasures, had actually eaten tree roots over these three years. It was truly unbelievable.
“Down below…”
While everyone fell silent over Ye Chu’s experiences, batch after batch of fighters had changed in the duel arena. A cultivator from Sha City had already defeated more than ten from Yao City, infuriating the young talents of Yao City.
“Ye Chao has gone up.” Amid the crowd’s anger, Ye Chao took the stage first. Yao City’s true core strength was finally showing itself.
“It seems the warm-up phase of the duel is ending. The real battles are about to begin.”
“Hahaha, this time we will definitely thrash Sha Country until they flee in terror.”
“Look, Brother Bowen and Brother Ye Tian are both ready. No one is their match.”
“…”
The crowd grew excited, while Ye Chu’s gaze turned to Su Rong beside him. From the side he could see her fair skin. “Heh heh, you really have such confidence in Yao City’s cultivators. You are not worried at all about being captured and made a mountain queen?”
