Chapter 316 Can Empathize

Wang Kerou carried Yang Zhen away.

Yes, she didn't even want the corpse of Feng Hua Daoist.

Lu Ye's eyes narrowed at the sight.

What does this mean?

Didn't she love the Feng Hua Daoist? Now she won't even claim his body?

Lu Ye couldn't make sense of this situation.

Because he was a man.

But when Lin Chuyue saw this, she paused in surprise.

Being a woman, she understood Wang Kerou's thoughts immediately.

"Perhaps she didn't really care for this Feng Hua Daoist. Maybe her affection for him wasn't even as strong as her feelings for Shouren Daoist. It looks like she deliberately picked Feng Hua Daoist to provoke Shouren Daoist," Lin Chuyue said.

Lu Ye blinked in confusion.

Huh?

Choosing a man she doesn't care for, deliberately pairing up with him, and using this to upset the man she actually likes?

What's worse, this man had been nothing but good to her.

Lu Ye thought he had seen many crazy women, but this was a whole new level.

Truly unbelievable.

"As a woman, can you understand this?" Lu Ye asked curiously.

"I get it, but I don't approve."

Lu Ye did something totally out of character for his status as a Celestial Lord - he scratched his head.

Hold up, this makes sense to you?

No wonder Wang Kerou perked up whenever Shouren Daoist returned. It's possible this whole scheme wasn't even Feng Hua Daoist's idea.

By the NineLives Celestial Lord!

Shouren Daoist exhaled slowly.

He directly pulverized Feng Hua Daoist's corpse into dust.

The Human Emperor Banner flew out, automatically scooped up the opponent's soul. Wouldn't want to waste it - wasting is shameful behavior.

"Sorry you had to see that," Shouren Daoist said.

Lu Ye stepped forward and gently patted Shouren Daoist's shoulder.

"Go get good and drunk, and you'll forget all about it!"

"Alright, let me clean up first."

"No rush!"

Taoist Shouren began relentlessly smashing things—anything related to the two of them. Even a glance made him sick. The places they had lived, the spots they had frequented, he wrecked it all.

But the couple had lived here for far too long.

Remnants of their shared life were everywhere. In the end, the once-beautiful cave abode was torn apart until only rubble remained.

"Brother Daoist, let's find another place. The environment here is no longer suitable."

Yet Lu Ye shook his head.

"No, no need to go elsewhere. Toasting your new start in the wreckage—now that’s fitting!"

"Ha! If you’re fine with it, then please!"

"After you!"

Amidst the ruins, stone tables and stools sprang up.

Lu Ye and Lin Chuyue took their seats.

Shen Xitong was a no-show—she disliked mingling with others, only ever showing up to taunt her ex-wives.

Even Shouren’s meltdown wasn’t juicy enough to draw her out.

They raised their cups.

The three chatted aimlessly, shooting the breeze.

Lin Chuyue shared wild stories from within the Celestial Gate, Lu Ye recounted ancient figures’ dirty laundry, while Taoist Shouren alternated between gratitude and drinking.

They knocked back cups.

One jar after another.

Before long,

it wasn’t the wine—he was drowning himself.

Taoist Shouren was clearly wasted, and now, it was his moment to take center stage. He couldn’t help but bawl his eyes out.

He sobbed like a damn waterfall!

He began pouring out the grievances in his heart.

"I just don’t understand—I truly can’t fathom it. I’m good to people—why can’t they return the favor?"

"I protect them, yet why do they never feel gratitude, just take it for granted?"

"The Path of Protection, the Path of Protection! You screwed me over!"

"I only meant to be kind, but ever since cultivating the Path of Protection, how’d I get like this?"

"Brother Daoist, my heart’s raw—it fucking hurts!"

"I don’t even know what kind of life I’ve been living—what kind of life!"

"Just reaching the Heaven-Earth Realm in the Path of Protection, and already I’m a walking wound. I can’t even imagine how much suffering I’d endure if I cultivated it to the Emperor Realm, the Celestial Lord Realm!"

Lu Ye kept his faint smile.

But upon hearing these words, his smile gradually faded.

"Fellow Daoist, drink up! Have more!"

Drink yourself silly, you jerk!

"Lu Ye, what happened to your Emperor-ranked friend who cultivated the Dao of Protection? Do you know? Tell me so I can feel less alone."

Lu Ye...

"Just drink and stop talking nonsense!"

"Fine, fine, let's drink, let's drink!"

"I've suffered so much, it's been so hard! I've done so many good deeds, yet no one cares. But if I mess up just once, everyone points fingers at me!"

"From here on out, I'm cashing in!"

"I'm going to reclaim everything owed to me over all these years!"

"*Hiccup*... Lu Ye, Fellow Daoist Lin, you wouldn’t believe how broke I usually am—broke as a joke! If it weren't for this wine, given to me when I first did someone a favor and they didn’t yet know my character, I wouldn’t even be able to afford a drink!"

"And after they got to know your character?"

"Hahaha! If I weren’t so damn embarrassed, they’d dare to take the wine back!"

"Just wait, just wait—none of my debtors are getting off easy!"

Shouren Daoist was a lightweight.

He didn’t even make it halfway before collapsing onto the table.

Lin Chuyue’s gaze fell on Lu Ye. "He’s drunk now. With so much fine wine left, bottoms up!"

"Ground rule: no cheating with energy to sober up. Whoever does is a total wuss!"

Lin Chuyue felt certain she could uncover Lu Ye’s secrets this time—after all, he and Shouren Daoist had been going hard on the drinks just moments ago.

Lu Ye nodded.

Drink!

And so, the two began drinking.

From dawn till dusk, until the full, silver-coin moon hung in the sky, spilling a river of silver light over the earth, draped over them like a cloak.

"Lu Ye, this wine really is delicious. No wonder they wanted it back. If Old Man Drunken Sword got a taste, he’d probably lose his mind over it!" Lin Chuyue’s cheeks were flushed, her words slightly slurred.

"It is indeed good. Mellow but packs a punch—I can already feel myself getting drunk." Lu Ye’s gaze was a little hazy.

From Shouren Daoist, Lu Ye had seen much, and his heart couldn’t help but ache.

The thing is, among those protected by the Dao of Protection, there were indeed good people.

But those good people were often weighed down to their graves by it.

Time and again.

Because when he protected others in desperate situations, those grateful people would often risk their lives to shield him. These situations were just as painful.

So difficult!

It's just too much!

Just one jar of wine was left.

Lin Chuyue's vision blurred as she looked at the equally dazed Lu Ye, asking what she most wanted to know.

"You... you... are you really the Emperor, the Emperor's reincarnation?"

Lu Ye shook his head, making him dizzier.

"No... not the Emperor..."

Lin Chuyue, disappointed, couldn't stay upright any longer and slumped onto the table.

"It's the... Heavenly Sovereign..."