Nuwa Stone's words were indeed tempting for Ye Tiancheng, but no matter how tempted he was, Ye Tiancheng couldn't bear to hurt Su Muxian.
"Stinky rock, stop talking. What do you mean? Are you asking me to take a knife and stab Su Muxian to death? Would that satisfy you?"
"Kid, nothing is absolute. Sacrifice doesn't necessarily mean you have to kill her yourself. Perhaps Su Muxian can die because of you, which would break the curse on you, allowing you to start a new chapter and search for the next fragment of Fuxi Qin." Everything was indeed very tempting, but Ye Tiancheng was tired and didn't want to rack his brains anymore.
"Alright, stinky rock. I'm living quite well now. I believe you've recovered quite a bit during this period of dormancy. I don't need your help anymore. You can continue to sleep. When we meet next time, perhaps our ideas will be different, and we can proceed. I can't bring myself to harm Su Muxian now."
It was too difficult. Ye Tiancheng felt that those who achieved immortality had abandoned too much emotion and desire, becoming almost anti-human.
"After all, once I confirmed my feelings, I realized that the person I deeply loved was Su Muxian. I can't lay a hand on the woman I love. That would be worse than being a pig or a dog."
In fact, Nuwa could see that Ye Tiancheng simply couldn't make up his mind. He wasn't worthy of being a king yet, unable to achieve even the most basic transcendence.
A person with ordinary emotions needs to accept many harsh realities and cannot sever these emotional ties. This was why Ye Tiancheng had been stuck in place.
"Alright, Ye Tiancheng, then I won't bother you anymore. I believe you will definitely grow stronger in the future. I don't want to rush you. Think it through slowly. This period is like a vacation for you. You and Hou Mingzhu should cherish your family life. I wish you both well."
After Nuwa Stone finished speaking, it fell into slumber, and Ye Tiancheng's heart settled. Compared to the urgency of becoming an immortal, Ye Tiancheng preferred this grounded feeling.
After giving up the idea of recovering his true qi, Ye Tiancheng felt much better and no longer had to be depressed and feel that heaven was being unfair to him.
Ye Tiancheng and Hou Mingzhu, like a normal couple, would go grocery shopping together and occasionally watch a movie.
Ye Tiancheng would also follow trends and buy Hou Mingzhu a hot cup of pearl milk tea. The two even adopted a plump little corgi together, which was unprecedented.
Hou Mingzhu used to dislike dogs, but she changed for Ye Tiancheng. Because Ye Tiancheng liked dogs, she even started learning to cook.
Although the taste wasn't great and was far from the family's chef, Ye Tiancheng gradually got used to the taste. At first, he really couldn't get used to it, feeling like he was taking medicine.
Later, he even felt that Hou Mingzhu's cooking had a special flavor...
In any case, Ye Tiancheng had gradually gotten used to living with Hou Mingzhu. Sometimes, while eating, they would suddenly look at each other and smile, as if they understood each other very well.
Ye Tiancheng had no intention of thinking about cultivation matters, at least not for a few years, as he wanted to enjoy these happy days.
However, only three months had passed, and before Ye Tiancheng could get enough of this happy life, Lin Xue, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, showed up during a stormy, bad weather.
"Didn't I tell you? I have a wife now, and I need to be mindful of appearances. If you suddenly show up at my house like this, and my wife finds out, she'll be unhappy. I don't want her to be unhappy."
Ye Tiancheng spoke very heartlessly, but seeing Lin Xue's hair drenched by the rain and water stains on her clothes, he realized it must have just rained outside.
"Lin Xue, aren't you using an umbrella? You must have come through the rain. What's so urgent that you'd brave the rain to find me?"
"There is indeed something very urgent, Brother Ye. I've been talking about cultivation and investigating why your true qi has dispersed to this extent. I only recently found out that you've been cursed. Why didn't you tell me earlier? Perhaps I could have helped you during this time."
So Lin Xue rushed to find him to talk about this matter. Actually, Ye Tiancheng had already come to terms with it. He had been extremely distressed before, but now he felt that it was the frog monster who caused him to be cursed, allowing him to have a more complete life. Otherwise, with his previous arrogance, how could he have come to the Hou family as a live-in son-in-law? He wouldn't have had this new life with Hou Mingzhu. Now, he felt quite grounded and stable.
"You're right, but why did you go to such great lengths to investigate? You could have just asked me, and I would have told you."
"Brother Ye, so my investigation is correct? I also found out that you wanted the姻缘镜子 (Yinyuan Mirror) to see who the person you loved most in your heart was. By sacrificing that person, your curse could be lifted. Is that person Su Muxian?"
Ye Tiancheng felt it was becoming more and more fantastical. "How did you know it was Su Muxian? The姻缘镜子 can only be used once... No, that doesn't make sense."
"Brother Ye, how about this, shall I help you? I know you've reached such a high level, the peak of the Golden Core stage, but it's such a shame that you can't gather your true qi."
"No need. Don't bother with my affairs. I think my current life is quite good, and I don't want to change it, at least not in the short term."
Ye Tiancheng had made his intentions clear, but Lin Xue couldn't quite grasp it. Instead, she felt that Ye Tiancheng said this because he didn't want to trouble others.
"Brother Ye, no strong person is willing to be weak. I still owe you a debt of gratitude, and I will definitely find a way to help you."
Seeing the determination in Lin Xue's eyes, Ye Tiancheng suddenly had a bad premonition. He didn't know what Lin Xue was planning. To avoid more uncontrollable events, Ye Tiancheng quickly reminded her.
"Lin Xue, what I told you just now is true. I'm also enjoying my current family life and don't want to be disturbed by anyone. You don't need to do anything for me out of self-感动 (gǎndòng - moved/touched), and it won't be useful even if you do. I won't be grateful to you."
"Brother Ye, actually, I still prefer to call you Master. I know that the difficulties you're facing now cannot be solved by simply living an ordinary family life. I understand all your pain. Actually, I don't want you to bear it alone. As a disciple, I want to help you share the burden."
Ye Tiancheng's brows furrowed even tighter. He actually had selfish motives; he was truly happy and didn't want things to turn sour.
"Brother Ye, I know you've always been wary of me. It's okay. I will prove to you with my actions that I will always stand on your side, Master. That betrayal last time was the thing I regretted most in my life, and it will never happen again."
The more Ye Tiancheng listened to Lin Xue, the stranger he felt. He quickly emphasized again, "Don't talk nonsense, Lin Xue. In short, don't do anything foolish for me. It's really not worth it. I think our relationship is good as it is, simple and uncomplicated. Don't end up getting yourself injured again like last time when you helped me get the姻缘镜子."
Speaking of this, a smile brightened on Lin Xue's face.
"Master, you said you'd always resent me and never forgive me, but you saved my life at a critical moment. I knew you wouldn't be so heartless."
Ye Tiancheng felt that if he continued to interact with Lin Xue, this woman would become a hot potato. He felt it was best to distance himself from her.
"Stop talking, Lin Xue. You've said enough. You should leave quickly too. If my wife finds out you're here later, it'll be difficult for me to explain."
Seeing Lin Xue looking at him with admiration, Ye Tiancheng quickly spoke a little more sternly, "The only thing you can do now is not to cause me trouble. I don't want trouble either."
Lin Xue nodded with a smile. "Okay, Master, I'll listen to you."
After saying that, Lin Xue left. Looking at the back of his former disciple, Ye Tiancheng felt a complex mix of emotions.
He felt like something had changed, but he couldn't quite pinpoint it.
Ye Tiancheng hesitated for a moment, then quickly returned home. He had things to do.
Hou Mingzhu had instructed Ye Tiancheng to iron a few clothes. Ye Tiancheng dared not be lazy, or his wife would get angry again. Thus, Ye Tiancheng was busy until almost evening. Hou Mingzhu called in the meantime, saying she was dining with her girlfriends and might be back late, so Ye Tiancheng shouldn't wait for her to eat.
As a live-in son-in-law, the most important thing for Ye Tiancheng was to be obedient. He readily agreed and told Hou Mingzhu to have fun with her friends and not to worry about home.
It was the weekend, and without Hou Mingzhu accompanying him at home, Ye Tiancheng felt a bit bored. He might as well go to the company; it was more lively with more people.
The rain had been light earlier, but now it was raining heavily, and the sky was extremely gloomy, with dark clouds seemingly pressing down on people's heads.
Ye Tiancheng glanced outside through the floor-to-ceiling window, feeling a bit suffocated.
Suddenly, the nanny ran over to tell Ye Tiancheng that someone else had come to see him. This was the last thing Ye Tiancheng wanted to hear.
If Hou Mingzhu returned, it would be fine. But if anyone else came to see him, and Hou Mingzhu found out, it would arouse her suspicion, and Ye Tiancheng would have to explain.
She was always quite strict, and after a long time, explaining felt tiring. This time, the visitor was Su Muxian, and Ye Tiancheng's heart felt a mix of emotions.
Ye Tiancheng hadn't seen Su Muxian in a while. The last time they met was at a small wedding. Seeing her again brought a sense of emotion, and he felt happy upon seeing Su Muxian.
Perhaps the姻缘镜子 had spoken most accurately. At this moment, it awakened the most primitive excitement within him. Ye Tiancheng had to admit that his feelings for Su Muxian had always been deep.
"Su Muxian, why are you here?"
The rain hadn't stopped all day. Su Muxian's condition was not much better than Lin Xue's when she arrived. Several parts of her body were soaked, and she looked somewhat disheveled.
"I just found out, Ye Tiancheng, that such terrible things have happened to you. Why have you been silent all this time, bearing it all by yourself, and unwilling to tell me? I can share your burden, and I can sacrifice for you."
Hearing these words, Ye Tiancheng's heart was severely impacted. He quickly realized that Lin Xue must have gone to Su Muxian and told her everything.
Ye Tiancheng understood that Lin Xue would do anything for him. He guessed that Lin Xue might have even asked Su Muxian to sacrifice herself, which was simply too much.
"Alright, Su Muxian, don't overthink it. You're living a happy life now and don't want to dwell on past events. Although I was in a high position before, I was always lonely and pathetic. Now I have a happy family. Everything from the past is over."
As if not listening to Ye Tiancheng at all, or rather, not wanting to listen, Su Muxian said something else, "Ye Tiancheng, did you ever like me? What were your feelings for me? I've always been curious."