Chen Bowen stepped forward and stood in front of Su Rong, his tone carrying a trace of disdain. Seeing this, Ye Chu could not help laughing. “What? Before fighting the cultivators of Sha State, do you want to fight me first?”
“That will not be necessary. With the national battle at hand, I will not let my personal likes or dislikes affect the situation,” Chen Bowen replied with a smile. His smile was still bright and graceful. The people around who saw it could not help nodding secretly. Compared with Chen Bowen, Ye Chu seemed even less graceful and more disgusting.
“Then please leave this place,” Ye Chu said to Chen Bowen. “It is not your place to comment on my actions.”
Chen Bowen smiled. This was exactly what he liked. The angrier Ye Chu became, the more it would highlight his own grace. Looking at the surrounding crowd, he indeed saw their disgust for Ye Chu deepen.
“Su Rong, let us go,” Chen Bowen said with a smile.
Su Rong shook her head. Her gaze remained on Ye Chu, stubbornly waiting for his answer. Seeing this, Chen Bowen frowned, but he still stayed beside Su Rong.
“You still will not tell me the truth?” Su Rong stared at Ye Chu.
Ye Chu smiled innocently. “The problem is that it really was not me. If it were, I would definitely take responsibility.”
After saying this, Ye Chu was also afraid that Su Rong would continue questioning him, so he turned his gaze towards the duelling arena. At that moment the cultivators from both sides were already fighting, but none of them had reached the Intent Realm yet, so it was not particularly interesting to watch.
“Why are you all surrounding me? Go up there and deal with those cultivators of Sha State. It is time to show your patriotic spirit,” Ye Chu said to Chen Bowen and the others.
“Then why are you not showing your patriotic spirit?” Zhang Su’er snorted while staring at Ye Chu.
Ye Chu shrugged and laughed. “Do you know what the most tragic kind of unrequited love is?”
“What?” Zhang Su’er asked in confusion.
“The most tragic unrequited love in this world is, I love my country,” Ye Chu said with a grin. “Such a tragic thing is not something I would do.”
“….” Zhang Su’er felt that continuing to talk with Ye Chu was pointless. This guy was simply a bastard.
Looking at Ye Chu, who appeared calm and carefree, Ye Tian felt a little surprised. In his impression, Ye Chu had always been a shameless rogue, but now he seemed more like a carefree and unruly young noble, as if nothing in the world concerned him. His expression was lazy and relaxed.
This change made Ye Tian look at Ye Chu again. Especially after hearing from Ye Chao that Ye Chu had defeated Ding Kaiwei with a single move, he felt Ye Chu was very different from before. Others did not believe Ye Chao, but Ye Tian knew his younger brother well. He would never speak nonsense about something like this.
“In these three years, perhaps he really has changed a lot.”
“How did you survive these three years?” After thinking for a moment, Ye Tian finally asked Ye Chu. When the Marquis of Weiyuan’s residence had cast Ye Chu out, everyone believed he would certainly die. After all, the Ye Chu of the past knew nothing except causing trouble. How could such a person survive in this world where the strong prey on the weak? Yet now Ye Chu not only survived, he seemed to be living quite well.
“Ah.” Ye Chu did not expect Ye Tian to speak to him first. “Even if a person has to dig up tree roots to eat, it is still possible to stay alive.”
Hearing this sentence, everyone froze, including Su Rong. Their eyes focused on Ye Chu in disbelief. Ye Chu, who had always been raised on delicacies, had once eaten tree roots? Was that really true?
Su Rong could not imagine what it would be like to eat tree roots. But if it were her, she felt she would not be able to swallow them at all.
Zhang Su’er and the other girls had always disliked Ye Chu, but when they heard this sentence, they could not help feeling a trace of bitterness in their hearts. How hungry would someone have to be to eat tree roots?
Ye Tian’s expression was also complicated. He could not imagine what Ye Chu had experienced during these three years.
Ye Tian took a light breath and looked at Ye Chu. “No matter what happens in the future, you must live well. Being cursed by others does not matter. At the very least you must leave descendants for your branch of the family. Second Uncle passed away early and only left your line behind. If you do not live well, that would be unfilial to him. Although the Ye family expelled you, you still have your own life. You do not necessarily have to remain within the Ye family.”
Hearing this, Ye Chu raised his head and looked directly at Ye Tian.
“Live well. I hope that one day you will become capable enough to make the Ye family regret driving you away,” Ye Tian said. After that, he turned around and left without saying more.
Watching Ye Tian’s departing figure, Ye Chu’s expression also became complicated. Unlike the other members of the family, Ye Tian truly cared about him. Even though Ye Chu’s past actions had greatly harmed the family, Ye Tian still came to fulfil his responsibility as an elder brother.
“Do not worry. Father’s lineage will not end,” Ye Chu said towards Ye Tian’s back, as if making a promise. His tone carried less unruliness and more seriousness.
Ye Tian’s steps paused briefly, but he soon continued walking, as if he had not heard Ye Chu’s words.
…
After Ye Tian and Ye Chao both left, Chen Bowen also did not want to stand near Ye Chu any longer and walked away as well.
“You really ate tree roots?” After everyone else had gone, Zhang Su’er still asked Ye Chu in disbelief.
Ye Chu smiled but did not answer. Three years ago, when he first arrived in this world and possessed Ye Chu’s body, he had been seriously injured and penniless. There was nothing he could do except find food to avoid starving to death.
At that time, Ye Chu had no strength to even tie up a chicken, and he was severely injured. Catching wild rabbits or pheasants was impossible. He could only eat wild fruits from trees or wild vegetables from the ground. But sometimes he could not find edible fruits or vegetables, so he had no choice but to dig up tree roots to eat. That month was the hardest month of his life.
Dragging his aching body, poorly clothed and never full, Ye Chu had doubted whether he would survive that month. Fortunately, he endured until his injuries healed. From then on his life gradually improved. Once he recovered, he could make tools and set traps to catch wild animals, supporting himself without worrying about hunger.
Later, by chance, he entered Qingmi Mountain and travelled the world with the old madman. Only then did his life truly change.
Seeing that Ye Chu did not answer, Zhang Su’er muttered unhappily, “Fine, do not say it then.”
However, when she saw Ye Chu lost in thought, she knew what he said was true. This man who once refused to eat without meat in Yao City and even picked at rare delicacies had actually eaten tree roots during these three years. It was truly unbelievable.
“Get down…”
While everyone remained silent thinking about Ye Chu’s experiences, the duel arena had already seen wave after wave of fighters replaced. A cultivator from Sha City had already defeated more than ten people from Yao City, causing many of Yao City’s young elites to grow furious.
“Ye Chao has gone up,” someone shouted as Ye Chao stepped onto the stage. The true backbone of Yao City’s strength had begun to appear.
“It seems the warm up period of the duel is about to end. The real battle is about to begin.”
“Hahaha, this time we will definitely beat Sha State until they flee in panic.”
“Look, Brother Bowen and Brother Ye Tian are already prepared. No one will be their match.”
…
Everyone was excited, but Ye Chu’s gaze turned to Su Rong beside him. From the corner of his eye he could see her snow white skin.
“Hehe, you really have confidence in the cultivators of Yao City. Are you truly not worried about being captured and taken away as a bandit’s wife?”