Chapter 102

Chapter 102: Trust

Chen Da noticed Ye Shi's mood stabilizing and handed him a piece of paper.

Ye Shi inquired with a puzzled expression, "What's this?"

"It's a voucher for the storage vault of the Ming Yue Business House. Your grandfather left something for your parents there. In their pursuit of these valuables, Ye He and Ye Xun relentlessly pressurized your parents. Had the Ye father and son duo not been so aggressive, your parents wouldn’t have met their untimely demise," Chen Da said, anger evident in his eyes.

Ye Shi clenched his fist tightly, teeth gritted.

"Your grandfather was immensely powerful, but he often overestimated the goodness in people," Chen Da said with a sigh.

Ye Shi bit his lip, lowering his head in silence, his eyes shifting rapidly with emotion.

Ye Xun wasn't his real father; he was the beast that had caused his parents' deaths. While he might let past grievances slide, if Ye Xun ever crossed him in the future, he wouldn't be so forgiving.

"Justice is clear, and karma is inevitable. Ye He, despite all his scheming, probably never expected to be killed by the son he trusted most," Chen Da commented, a hint of satisfaction coloring his face.

Staring at Chen Da in shock, Ye Shi asked, "Uncle Chen, are you saying that Grandfather, no, Ye He was betrayed and killed by Ye Xun?"

Chen Da nodded and explained, "Indeed. And it's tied to your father. Ye Xun, back in the day, went to great lengths to win over your father, gaining a lot in the process, all of which eventually ended up in Ye He's hands."

"Ye Xun's cultivation talent is mediocre. Over the years, his progress has been slowing down, leading to a deepening resentment against Ye He. Coincidentally, Ye He made errors in his haste to advance, presenting Ye Xun with the perfect opportunity."

Narrowing his eyes, Ye Shi inquired, "So?"

"So, Ye Xun poisoned Ye He," Chen Da stated sarcastically.

Ye Xun wasted all his wit on women, foolishly dreaming that once Ye He was gone, he would have full control. He never considered if he had the necessary influence to hold it.

"With Ye He gone, Ye Xun didn't gain much after all," Ye Shi commented with a frown.

Chen Da smirked, "You're right. After Ye He's death, the Ye family's fortunes declined rapidly. It wasn't long before Ye Xun regretted his actions. However, the situation in the Ye family has improved recently."

"Why is that?" Ye Shi inquired with a hint of dissatisfaction.

"He made use of you. No matter what, you are, in name, his son. And now, you've been taken as a disciple by Wu Wang," Chen Da said, letting the implication hang in the air.

After suffering so much in the Ye family for all these years, the thought of being used by Ye Xun infuriated Chen Da.

Ye Shi clenched his teeth, cursing, "That damned bastard."

"Let's not discuss the Ye family any further. How are things between you and Young Master Mu?" Chen Da asked with a gentle gaze.

Mentioning Mu Chen, Ye Shi's anger dissipated, his face blushing slightly, "Mu Chen has been very kind to me."

Chen Da advised, "Looks can be deceiving. No matter how kind Young Master Mu seems, always be cautious."

Ye Shi confidently said, "Mu Chen is different from Ye Xun. He's sincere towards me."

Chen Da skeptically replied, "Before Ye Xun showed his true colors, even your father thought of him as sincere. It's essential to trust, but even more critical to be cautious. Young Master Mu always gives me an inscrutable vibe. Perhaps he's not as benign as he seems."

Ye Shi puffed up his cheeks, not agreeing but holding back his words, thinking how Ye Xun couldn't even be compared to Mu Chen in the slightest.

"There's nothing about me that Mu Chen would covet," Ye Shi stated nonchalantly.

Chen Da doubted, "Isn't it? The Azure Flame that Mu Chen possesses, didn't you give it to him?"

Shaking his head, Ye Shi clarified, "No! Mu Chen found it on his own."

Chen Da gave Ye Shi a disapproving glare.

In Ye Shi's mind, it was indeed Mu Chen who found it. Without Mu Chen, the maze wouldn't have been broken.

"Uncle Chen, why did you only tell me about the safe now?" Ye Shi asked, puzzled.

Chen Da glanced at Ye Shi, "First, the contents of the safe are meant for martial artists and spirits, and you didn't need them earlier. Moreover, Ye Xun has been suspicious and kept an eye on you. Only when you started working at the tavern upon arriving in Mo City did he let his guard down slightly."

Ye Shi frowned, nodding, "I see. So I've been watched this entire time." He had always felt that someone was watching him, and that feeling persisted.

...

Holy Star Academy.

"That Flame Seal is truly powerful. Previously, Tang Zhu spent 1.3 million to get a third-level Flame Seal at the auction and successfully refined the Solar Essence Flame from it," a female student commented.

"It's great to be rich!" another sighed.

"Indeed, 1.3 million is a lot."

"Being born into wealth is a privilege not everyone has."

"Actually, being born wealthy is less beneficial than finding a good husband. Ye Shi also refined the Solar Essence Flame. Considering the intensity of his Solar Essence Flame, he must have fused with twenty to thirty groups of it. Mu Chen is so generous to Ye Shi, handing him hundreds of millions of Yuan Stones to manage."

"Ye Shi still has dozens of Flame Seals. I heard from a senior sister serving near Jing that whenever he has time, he fuses with a Flame Seal, and each time he does, his strength also increases."

"Ye Shi is truly fortunate, isn't he? Aren't Ye Rong and Ye Shi siblings in our class? Maybe she can pull some strings for him."

"You're joking, right? Ask her for a favor? Ye Shi and her are like arch-enemies. If you ask her, Ye Shi might just hike up the price for you."

"Ye Shi and Zhuang Yu are at odds. Following Zhuang Yu's lead, Ye Rong has continuously provoked Ye Shi. By now, Ye Shi probably harbors deep resentment towards Ye Rong."

"Did you know? Ye Rong and Ye Shi have always been at odds. They share the same father but have different mothers. I've heard that Ye Rong's mother almost killed Ye Shi when he was a child."

"Ye Rong really has no shame. It's already generous of Ye Shi not to trouble her, yet she overestimates her abilities and keeps trying to antagonize him."

"Must be poor upbringing. Coming from a small place, inexperienced yet always sees herself as a princess."

…………

Ye Rong sat alone, quietly eating her meal. There wasn't a single person around her table.

The feeling of isolation deeply troubled Ye Rong.

"What's so special about Ye Shi? Why does everyone fawn over him?" Ye Rong couldn't understand how she ended up in this situation.

"Upon recalling her mother's advice, Ye Rong clenched her teeth in frustration. Her mother surprisingly told her to mend fences with Ye Shi, even suggesting she apologize. When Ye Rong read the message, she could hardly believe it came from her own mother."

Clenching her fists, Ye Rong thought, "Why would I apologize to someone who has made my life miserable?"

"Ye Rong pursed her lips, secretly relieved, 'Thank goodness, my father still cares for me. He's already on his way. It shouldn't be long before he arrives. Ye Shi might mistreat me, but he'd surely respect my father.'"

…………

Zhuang Yu sat next to Lan Ruofeng, asking casually, "Ruofeng, you haven't acquired a flame essence yet, have you?"

Lan Ruofeng nodded and said, "Indeed!"

Knowing that Mu Chen has a unique flame, Lan Ruofeng has been longing for one too. But if these flames were easy to find, Xiong Wei wouldn't have searched for years without success.

"I've heard the Flame Token is quite effective. It has a high success rate in merging with the Sun's Essence Flame," mused Zhuang Yu.

Lowering his head, Lan Ruofeng's face contorted with emotion. The thought of using something created by his rival, Mu Chen, was nauseating.

The Sun's Essence Flame, extracted from the token, although of good quality, is weak and hard to cultivate. It's not the best choice for someone like Lan Ruofeng, who aspires to be a master craftsman.

"The flame essence Mu Chen possesses is the Qingming Flame. If he only had the Solar Essence Flame, the gap between them would only grow over time."

"What's even more frustrating is the high price of the Flame Symbols. With his wealth, Lan Ruofeng couldn't buy many. The mere thought of spending money to buy something from Mu Chen made him feel quite aggrieved."

"Ruofeng, are you alright?" Zhuang Yu inquired, seeing his troubled look.

Lan Ruofeng shook his head, "I'm fine."

"Zhuang Yu rested his chin in thought, 'Where on earth did Mu Chen get that unique flame? He's indeed lucky to acquire such a precious treasure.'"

Lowering his head, Lan Ruofeng thought: Mu Chen's flame was surely a gift from Ye Shi. Mu Chen, that sycophant, must know there's something off about Ye Shi.

"That fool, Ye Shi, is helping Mu Chen count his earnings even after being sold out by him."

"..."

"Master." Both Lan Ruofeng and Mu Rongyan greeted respectfully as Hua Shu approached.

"Hua Shu observed the two, feeling a mixture of emotions."

To be fair, both Lan Ruofeng and Mu Rongyan, as four-star martial artists, have performed exceptionally well. But this year is different.

"This year, not only did two talents with level eight potential emerge, but also an exceptional individual, Mu Chen."

"This year, all four Martial Kings have taken apprentices. Even though I've taken two, compared to the other three, their quality seems somewhat lacking."

"Both Zhuang Yu and Ye Shi have reached the level of five-star martial artists, while Mu Chen has advanced to eight stars."

Whether better or worse than his disciples, everyone has surpassed them.

"Work hard," Hua Shu said, somewhat dispiritedly.

"Yes," both Lan Ruofeng and Mu Rongyan responded.

Lan Ruofeng clenched his fists. Although Master Hua Shu didn't voice any reprimands, his disappointment was evident.

With Mu Chen now an eight-star martial artist, not only in alchemy but also in cultivation, he's surpassed Lan Ruofeng.

Thinking of Mu Chen, a profound sense of defeat surged within Lan Ruofeng.

"Had the unique flame been mine, things might have been entirely different."

"The message from my parents mentioned that Qu Kun once searched for the Qingming Flame. It's possible that it's connected to Ye Shi."

"What if, upon hearing about Ye Shi's background from my mother, I hadn't stayed home with Zhuang Yu but immediately returned to Mo City? Would everything be different now?"

"One wrong step leads to a series of mistakes. Regretting now is too late."

…………

"Despite Chen Da's warnings, Ye Shi shared both the safe and his background with Mu Chen."

"Listening to Ye Shi's story, Mu Chen was momentarily lost in thought."

"'Mu Chen,'" Ye Shi murmured softly.

Mu Chen slowly regained focus, looking at Ye Shi and asking, "Why tell me all this? Aren't you afraid I might have ulterior motives?"

Ye Shi leaned against Mu Chen confidently, "I know you won't harm me."

Mu Chen helplessly smoothed Ye Shi's hair, "In this world, besides yourself, no one can be fully trusted. Being so naive, what am I going to do with you? How can I leave you be?"

Ye Shi nonchalantly rested his head on Mu Chen's shoulder, smiling, "I'm only like this with you. You wouldn't hurt me, right?"

Mu Chen chuckled, pulling Ye Shi into an embrace, "Of course, I wouldn't harm you."

"If I hadn't come into the picture, would Ye Shi have shared all this with Lan Ruofeng? Mu Chen squinted, realizing a hint of jealousy but unsure of its exact cause."

"How much do you know about your biological father?" Mu Chen asked after a moment's reflection.

Ye Shi shook his head and said, "Not much. He wasn't acquainted with my parents for long before he left. However, Uncle Chen mentioned he left behind a copper plaque."

"A bronze plaque?" Mu Chen narrowed his eyes.

Ye Shi nodded, "Exactly." He then took out a metal plaque, handing it to Mu Chen. Engraved on it was a character that read "White."

Mu Chen furrowed his brows. Zhuang Yu's third badge had the surname "White." He wondered if it had any connection to his own biological father.

"Keep this safe. It might be useful in the future," Mu Chen advised.

Ye Shi dismissed the thought, "How useful can it be? It's not even made of gold."

Mu Chen sighed, "It might not be gold, but it isn't silver either. It's probably a special metal."

"Is it some special metal? Is it valuable?" Ye Shi asked, eyes wide with curiosity.

Mu Chen chuckled, "It's probably very valuable. In any case, keep it safe."

Upon hearing it might be valuable, Ye Shi carefully put the plaque away.

Seeing Ye Shi's reaction, Mu Chen couldn't help but smile.