Chapter 156 - 121: Return to the Main World

Chapter 156: Chapter 121: Return to the Main World

The seventeenth day of the first month.

The sky had been overcast since morning. A funeral of unprecedented scale was underway in the city, which was still reeling from the recent disaster.

There was no mournful music, only the sound of the wind whimpering through the ruined streets and alleys.

Chen Ye, dressed in plain clothes, paid his last respects to his master, Guan Sihai, his close friend, Tie Dan, and all his colleagues from Liyuan who had sacrificed their lives that night.

The common people came of their own accord. A dense, dark crowd filled the streets, stretching from the General Temple all the way to the city gates.

They did not cry or shout, but stood in silence, seeing these heroes off on their final journey in this most simple and sincere way.

In the funeral procession, Mr. Lu and his daughter, as well as Qi Shihao and his daughter, silently walked beside Chen Ye.

Lu Jinghong’s eyes were red and swollen. She wanted to offer some words of comfort several times, but felt that any words would be pale and powerless in the face of such a final separation. In the end, she remained silent.

Not until the last shovelful of yellow earth was cast did the funeral finally end.

But the uproar in Sea Guardian Guard had only just begun.

The imperial envoy sent by the Court arrived with a Holy Decree to ennoble Chen Ye as the "National Guardian Celestial Master," with a reward of a thousand taels, a title, and a fiefdom, intending to bring this "Immortal" under the Court’s control.

Reporters from the major newspapers, like sharks smelling blood, were trying every means possible to dig up the exclusive story of "The Immortal Descends, Slaying Ghosts with a Single Song."

For a time, the street outside the Chen Family’s home was packed with visitors, the threshold nearly worn away from the traffic.

But Chen Ye ignored them all.

He did not accept the decree, nor did he meet with any reporters. He simply found another secluded courtyard residence, closed his doors to visitors, and paid no mind to worldly affairs.

He didn’t perform on stage, didn’t see guests, and didn’t even see his friends when they came looking for him.

Lu Jinghong was very worried about this. She wanted to go see Chen Ye several times, but was stopped by her father, Mr. Lu, each time.

Looking at his daughter’s anxious expression, Mr. Lu just sighed deeply. "Let him have some quiet time alone. This is a hurdle no one can help him with. He has to get through it himself."

Hearing this, Lu Jinghong could only bury her concern and worry deep in her heart.

But on this day, an invitation was suddenly delivered.

Mr. Lu and Qi Shihao opened it and saw that it was from Chen Ye, inviting their two families to a banquet tonight.

The two exchanged a glance, both somewhat surprised, but this was followed by a wave of joy.

In their eyes, Chen Ye’s willingness to host a dinner was proof that he might have finally emerged from his immense grief.

When Lu Jinghong heard the news, she was so happy she almost jumped for joy.

All afternoon, she was in her room, constantly trying on clothes, spinning round and round in front of the mirror, always feeling that none of them were worthy of tonight’s dinner.

At dusk, the two families met up and traveled by carriage to Chen Ye’s new residence.

The carriage stopped at the gate of the courtyard, where Chen Ye was already waiting.

He was still dressed in a simple, clean long gown. He seemed to have lost some weight, but his face held a gentle smile, showing no trace of gloom.

Seeing this, Lu Jinghong’s anxious heart finally settled a little.

Her greatest fear was that Chen Ye would be unable to recover, wallowing in the past and unable to extricate himself. Now, it seemed it wasn’t so serious.

Chen Ye smiled and led everyone into the courtyard.

In a small pavilion in the courtyard, a violet copper hot pot was already set up. The soup base in the pot was boiling, and the charcoal fire burned brightly, radiating a pleasant warmth.

"Although spring has begun, the weather is still a bit chilly," Chen Ye explained with a smile. "Having hot pot in the courtyard has its own unique charm."

Naturally, no one had any objections, and they all took their seats.

The ingredients were already prepared—fresh beef and mutton, and seasonal vegetables.

Chen Ye picked up a kitchen knife and personally began slicing the meat for everyone.

His knife skills were superb. With a flick of his wrist, slice after slice of beef and mutton were cut as thin as a cicada’s wing, then arranged evenly on the plate.

Lu Jinghong watched, somewhat mesmerized.

She propped her chin on her hand, her bright eyes fixed on Chen Ye without blinking.

’This man... he can command a stage and also work in a kitchen. And most importantly, he’s so handsome. If I could marry a man like this, I’d probably wake up laughing from my dreams.’

At that moment, Chen Ye felt Lu Jinghong’s burning gaze on him, but he only sighed softly in his heart and didn’t respond.

’After spending all this time together, how could he not know this young lady of the Lu Family’s feelings for him? She was a sincere, passionate girl, without a trace of impurity. It would be a lie to say he wasn’t moved.’

’But in the end, he was someone who had to leave. This meal was his own farewell banquet, just one he hadn’t announced out loud. So, rather than leaving her to miss him day and night in the future with a lifelong, irreparable regret, it was better to be cruel now and make a clean break. Although he didn’t consider himself a good person, he couldn’t bring himself to hurt such a sincere and pure girl for his own selfish desires.’

The atmosphere of the dinner was also rather subtle. Mr. Lu and Qi Shihao were both sharp-witted men. They seemed to have sensed something but didn’t point it out, merely lowering their heads to eat their meat and downing cup after cup of wine.

Qi Nana also looked thoughtfully at Chen Ye, then at her blissfully happy best friend beside her, a complicated look in her eyes.

Only Lu Jinghong seemed to have noticed nothing. She remained cheerful and lively, eating meat with gusto and drinking a good deal of sweet and sour fruit wine. Her little face was flushed, making her look utterly adorable.

The meal lasted late into the night.

Mr. Lu and Qi Shihao were both quite drunk, and Lu Jinghong was also feeling a bit dizzy from the after-effects of the fruit wine.

Among everyone at the table, only Chen Ye’s eyes remained as clear as ever.

After finishing their last cup of wine, Mr. Lu and Qi Shihao shakily stood up to take their leave.