Chapter 144: Have a Cup of Tea Before You Leave

Gu Zhiheng looked at the equally frivolous Ghost Sovereign, convinced that his sister-in-law’s entire family had lost their minds. They were simply the most inexplicable people alive.

He had merely come to retrieve his magical artifact. It was bad enough that they had confiscated it without permission, but now they were pulling this stunt. If the eldest brother had caused trouble, they should go find the eldest brother; what did it have to do with him? He hadn't been back in ten thousand years, so how was this his concern!

These people were truly going too far, all teaming up to bully him alone. It had been like this in the past, and it was still like this now.

He was, after all, the universally feared Monarch Chiling, yet in their eyes, he was worth less than nothing, subjected to their bullying from time to time.

"Since you're already here, just sit for a while, have some tea, and chat." Another person emerged. This fellow was Ming Lan’s eldest brother, Ming Yuan.

The entire Ming family had defective brains. Right now, Gu Zhiheng just wanted his artifact and wanted to leave; he really didn't want to stay in their company a moment longer.

Ming Lan fancied Ye Qiong, and Ming Yuan fancied Ye Wan. This brother and sister had clearly set their sights on his Ye family.

One was a Ghost Sovereign of the Lower Three Realms, and the other was the supreme ruler of the Upper Three Realms. The disparity between the two was not just a little bit vast.

Look at their offspring as well—equally vast in status and cultivation, with enormous gaps in every aspect.

His eldest brother liked Ming Lan because of the Ghost Deity connection, but Ming Yuan was truly overreaching himself. Ye Wan was definitely not a girl he could covet.

Therefore, the Ye family held deep grievances against both Ming Yuan and the Ghost Sovereign, delaying the marriage between his eldest brother and sister-in-law again and again.

"Wanwan has no possibility with you. Give up while you can. The daughters of the Ye family would never marry into a place like the Lower Three Realms." Given how doting his father was toward Ye Wan, he would never consent to her marrying into a place like the Ghost Realm.

Ming Yuan was simply delusional—a toad wishing to eat swan meat, not a chance in hell!

"Don't put it that way. I merely admired her; I never insisted on marrying her. You all are really overthinking it." Ming Yuan lowered his head and gave a bitter smile. It seemed this misunderstanding was impossible to clear up.

He had never truly liked Princess Ye Wan. The one he liked was Ye Zheng, who used to wear princess dresses every day back then—at least until he found out Ye Zheng was a boy, at which point he gave up.

Back then, Ye Zheng was still very young and often ran around outside with Ye Fanghe wearing women's clothing. Because he looked too delicate and pretty, everyone mistook him for a girl.

Had he not learned at a banquet that this was the same Monarch Chiling who killed without blinking an eye, he would have felt nauseated by the matter for a very long time.

Ever since then, Ming Yuan had never followed the Ghost Sovereign to the Upper Three Realms again, nor had he ever seen Ye Zheng again.

Even news of him was rarely heard. When he learned that Ye Zheng had left the Upper Three Realms to undergo his heavenly tribulations below, he had only caught a glimpse of him from afar.

And to meet again—was right now.

"Let's go. Lan'er will give your artifact to Fanghe. Let's go drink some tea and sit for a while." Ming Yuan gave Gu Zhiheng a push, his gaze sincere and devoid of any other intent.

"Tell me, the person you liked back then—don't tell me it wasn't my sister! Could the person you liked have been... the female-dressed version of me?!" Gu Zhiheng found it almost unimaginable. This was too absurd and melodramatic.

If that was really the case, didn't that mean everyone had misunderstood, and for all these years at that?

Wasn't this a bit too much!

"You're only realizing this now?!" Ming Yuan felt a twinge of heartache and cast Gu Zhiheng an annoyed glare.

If Gu Zhiheng had been a girl, he could have tried harder. Since he was a guy, forget it—he was entirely straight.

"No... no way! Were you blind and out of your mind back then?" No matter how pretty he and Fanghe looked, the Upper Three Realms didn't lack fierce and stalwart women!

"Hah, back then I was only looking at the face and didn't pay attention to anything else. Who would have guessed that the dignified Monarch Chiling would actually have a penchant for cross-dressing?" Ming Yuan felt quite aggrieved himself; what right did this guy have to look down on him?

"This is your favorite tea. Try it and see how it tastes; if you don't like it, we'll switch to something else." Looking thoroughly reluctant, Ming Yuan pushed a teacup across the table and refused to look at the shameless Gu Zhiheng any longer.

If he and Fanghe hadn't spent every day roaming the Ghost Realm dressed as women back then, how could he have fallen for it, and how could he have harbored it in his heart for so many years?

Although he was straight, he had liked that person for many years after all; how could he let go just like that?

"Once I go back, the matter between my sister-in-law and my eldest brother can proceed. Your family should stop blaming my eldest brother." Gu Zhiheng took a sip of tea, utterly failing to taste any flavor.

Perhaps he had drunk too much alcohol; he could no longer appreciate refined things like tea.

"The tea might be good tea, but right now I only drink alcohol. The one who drank tea was Ye Zheng, not Gu Zhiheng!" He shook his head and smiled; everything had long since changed, and the people of the past were gone.

Ten thousand years had passed; he had long stopped liking tea, nor did he wish to drink it.

The girl who used to look for him every day to drink tea had recently gotten married. They had no future together anymore, nor was there any tomorrow.

Alcohol was enough; it could dispel sorrows, and it could soothe worries!

Ming Yuan found it amusing and asked Gu Zhiheng with a gossipy expression, "What, did Divine Lord Xingran abandon you? Are you planning to drown your sorrows in alcohol?"

"Don't you know that drowning sorrows in alcohol only makes sorrows deeper?" Hahahahaha, it turned out everyone was the same, hopelessly trapped in matters of the heart.

"I'm different from you. I've let go, and she has found a better choice and destination. I'm blessing her." With a rather smug look at Ming Yuan, he finished the tea in his cup and stood up.

Instead of talking nonsense with him, he might as well go see if Fanghe had retrieved the artifact; they still needed to hurry back before dawn!

Watching Gu Zhiheng leave, Ming Yuan did not stop him. Now that things had been laid out in the open, his own heart felt much lighter.

Yet why was there still a trace of loss in his heart? As he watched the departing figure, why were his thoughts acting up restlessly once more?

Could it be that he truly had fallen for Ye Zheng, regardless of whether he was male or female, regardless of whether he was the Ye Zheng of the past or the Gu Zhiheng of the present?

Finished, finished, he was beyond saving. He had even promised his old man that he would get married and produce offspring!

If this went on, what offspring was he supposed to produce?!

If his old man found out, he would surely break his legs first, cut off his breath second, and finally toss him into the Underworld River.

"The artifact has been given to Fanghe. Don't forget what you promised me—you must keep your word regarding the matter between me and your eldest brother!" Ming Lan looked at Gu Zhiheng with some displeasure, then directly issued a dismissal, telling the two of them to get lost.

Gu Zhiheng offered a brief bow, took Fanghe back to the borderlands, and went to check on his rebellious disciple.

There was still some time before he had to undergo his tribulation, meaning this rebellious disciple would soon be liberated.

Others were implicated because of him, but Gu Mojiang was different. He had been born with a rebellious bone; he genuinely wanted to stage a revolt.

Therefore, while everyone else could return to their starting points and live normal lives, Gu Mojiang could not. He was a true conspirator of treason.