Chapter Forty: Ephemeral Lives Like Ants

When Ye Xin opened his eyes again, he found himself back in the Ye household. The crimson canopy above his bed swayed gently. The room was quiet. At the foot of the bed, someone was lying face down, apparently asleep—it was Ye Ling.

Ye Xin immediately turned his focus inward, inspecting his core. The sphere of light had vanished without a trace, but in the boundless sea of his spirit, countless minuscule points of light now flickered, imbuing the darkness with a hint of vitality.

His gaze returned to the bed canopy—red, of all colors. He grumbled inwardly. After returning from the ancient forest, he had slept on this bed once before, but hadn’t paid attention at the time. Colors induce psychological cues; color psychology was a vital field, after all. If the original Ye Xin had grown up surrounded by red, it would have shaped his psyche to be extremely self-focused. Coupled with his inability to condense spiritual power and the resulting sense of inferiority, it was only natural that he would have struggled between egotism and insecurity, and engaged in such reckless behavior.

Just then, the door opened softly. Xue Baiqi entered. When he saw Ye Xin awake, his face lit up with surprise and joy. He opened his mouth to speak, but, catching sight of Ye Ling, quickly changed his words: “Young master, you’re awake?”

Ye Ling was startled awake. Seeing Ye Xin conscious, she froze, then cried out in relief, “Brother…”

“How long have I been asleep?” Ye Xin asked. As he spoke, he realized his voice was hoarse.

“Today is the sixteenth day,” Xue Baiqi replied.

“The sixteenth day… I’m surprised I haven’t starved to death,” Ye Xin said with a wry grin. “Ling, help me up.”

Ye Ling reached out and gently helped Ye Xin to sit upright, her arms around his shoulders.

“These days, you couldn’t keep anything down except a little rice broth,” Xue Baiqi said. “It’s all thanks to the young lady—she’s been caring for you day and night.”

“Baiqi, let’s not talk about that now,” Ye Ling interjected. “Brother, how are you feeling?”

“I feel like I’m starving to death—I could eat an entire ox,” Ye Xin replied with a weak smile.

“Baiqi, go to the kitchen and tell them to bring food immediately!” Ye Ling ordered.

“I… All right,” Xue Baiqi hesitated, then turned to leave. So much had happened in Jiuding City over the past half month; he’d been at his wits’ end with Ye Xin unconscious and unable to contact Master Gui. Now that Ye Xin was finally awake, he was anxious to consult with him, but he couldn’t disregard Ye Ling’s wishes.

“Baiqi, wait a moment. I have something to ask you.” Ye Xin forced himself to set aside his burning hunger. “The city’s been in chaos these days, hasn’t it?”

“Brother, how did you know?” Ye Ling asked in surprise.

“There was such a bizarre and shocking incident at Shuangjia Mountain—those principalities must have dispatched large numbers to investigate,” Ye Xin said softly. “I imagine even the major sects have been alerted.”

“That’s exactly right,” Xue Baiqi nodded. “Many cultivators have appeared in Jiuding City, questioning everyone they meet. The Ye family has been harassed countless times, and the whole city is on edge. Even the Longteng Martial Academy has closed its gates.”

“Brother, I’ve never seen so many cultivators in my life—not even in all my years put together,” Ye Ling said, raising her voice. “Some of them never walk—they fly, Brother! They can fly!”

Ye Xin chuckled and exhaled deeply.

“Vice-Principal Zhang from Longteng Martial Academy disappeared,” Xue Baiqi continued. “Three days after he went missing, his corpse was found over ten miles outside the North Gate, bearing wounds—he must have been cruelly tortured.”

Ye Xin froze, immediately thinking of Xie En.

“Teacher Xie from the Fifth Battalion was also abducted, but those cultivators didn’t harm him,” Xue Baiqi explained. “I spoke to him and he…”

“What did he say?” Ye Xin pressed. Xue Baiqi had stopped short, likely out of consideration for Ye Ling, but she already knew some of his secrets—there was no need to hide more, though, of course, not everything could be revealed at once.

“He said he was so scared he nearly wet himself,” Xue Baiqi said with a bitter smile. “He couldn’t resist at all. Luckily, he had the sense to cooperate fully, and in the end, those cultivators took pity on him and let him go.”

“Ling, did any cultivators question you?” Ye Xin asked.

“I’ve lost count of how many times,” Ye Ling replied, helplessness on her face. “Not just me—even Tie Renhao and Tie Huizhen haven’t had a good night’s sleep in days.”

“What did they ask you?” Ye Xin inquired.

“They asked about what happened at Shuangjia Mountain, what I saw and heard. I can recite their questions by heart now,” Ye Ling replied, then hesitated.

“Ling, did you notice something?” Ye Xin caught her hesitation.

“Brother, do you remember those words? ‘The countless lives of the Chiyang Path, seventy-one great sects, all karmic threads rest on your shoulders. You only wish to seize the rightful domain, committing heinous sins, yet still dream of ascending the Heavenly Road.’” Ye Ling recited the lines fluently, without a hint of doubt—she had clearly memorized them.

“Is there something wrong with those words?” Ye Xin mused. He couldn’t detect anything unusual in them.

“It’s not the other cultivators, but there was one who was very strange,” Ye Ling said. “When I mentioned ‘Chiyang Path,’ he was visibly shocked—even his breathing stopped for a moment, and he stepped back. The others didn’t react at all.”

“Oh…” Ye Xin frowned.

“And when I mentioned the ‘Heavenly Road,’ his face looked as if he’d seen a ghost—then he turned and flew off into the sky,” Ye Ling recalled. “He seemed to be fleeing, as if learning that secret meant certain death. But he was clearly the strongest of them all!”

“How do you know he was the strongest?” Ye Xin asked.

“When the others questioned me, I was frightened but could barely manage. But when that cultivator stood before me, he seemed kind and gentle, yet I was paralyzed—my heart pounded and I trembled uncontrollably. And he could fly—so fast he vanished in an instant.”

“There’s only one explanation,” Ye Xin said slowly. “He was the strongest and most knowledgeable. The others didn’t even know about the Heavenly Road or the Chiyang Path.”

“Is that so?” Ye Ling thought for a moment, then nodded. “Brother, that makes sense.”

“My little Ling is the cleverest—she noticed so much,” Ye Xin said with a smile.

“Oh, not at all…” Ye Ling blushed. “At the time I was only afraid. It was only later, when I was alone, that I figured these things out.”

“Has anyone come to see me?” Ye Xin changed the subject.

“Yes,” Ye Ling replied. “Any cultivator who visited the Ye family would want to check on you. You were unconscious for so long—once, I couldn’t help it and begged a kind-looking cultivator to examine your injuries…”

“What did he say?” Ye Xin’s heart leapt, cutting her off.

“He said you were fine. The blow to the back of your head had stunned your core, so you hadn’t woken up,” Ye Ling explained. “Brother, you’re lucky! That cultivator said there’s no cure for this. Some recover quickly, others may sleep for years or even decades. I was so frightened!”

“Second Madam wept every day,” Xue Baiqi added, “and despite the turmoil in the city, searched everywhere for a cure.”

“Brother, I’m going to tell Mother you’ve woken up!” Ye Ling finally realized what she ought to do.

“Wait,” Ye Xin stopped her. “The First and Fifth Battalions lost many men, didn’t they?”

“Yes…” At this, Ye Ling’s expression dimmed. “Eleven died. The rest were wounded, to varying degrees… except for me—I wasn’t hurt at all.”

Ye Ling knew full well that she was unharmed only because Ye Xin had protected her; her eyes grew moist at the thought.

“Who died? You mentioned Tie Renhao and Tie Huizhen—they survived. What about Wei Qingfan?” Ye Xin asked.

“He was lightly wounded—he’s fine now,” Ye Ling answered. “Tie Renhao and Tie Huizhen weren’t badly hurt, either. And then there’s Deng Duojie—she was only slightly injured, too. The heavens are blind!”

Ye Xin suddenly began to laugh—a strange, harsh, hollow sound that sent a chill through the room.

“Brother… why are you laughing?” Ye Ling called.

“Have you ever felt… that we live as lowly as ants?” Ye Xin laughed.

Xue Baiqi and Ye Ling were both stunned. It was true—since all those cultivators had swept into Jiuding City, the entire place had been shrouded in a terrifying cloud. Not just them—even Lord Tie Xinsheng had gone into hiding.

To survive, one had to keep their head down. To offend a cultivator was to court disaster! Vice-Principal Zhang of Longteng Martial Academy had been left to rot in the wild like a stray dog—who in the Kingdom of David dared demand justice for him?

Everyone could only remain silent.

“But… it’s just as well. I finally understand what I must do,” Ye Xin sighed. Since coming to this world, his sole aim had been survival. But that was hardly an ambition; it was far too narrow. The earth-shaking disaster at Shuangjia Mountain had revealed a new chapter, a new goal.

He must become one of those beings! At the very least, when disaster struck, he would rise up in defiance, not await death with folded hands.