In the gloomy, damp prison, Ye Chen appeared awfully petty with his fringes over his face. Only he alone knew what the past three days had been like. No one bothered to visit him or check on him, as if he was deserted by his Sect. All he could feel now was his disdain for Gu Changge, and he was dying to tear him into pieces. Nonetheless, what startled him was that he met the person he abhorred and was most reluctant to see the most.
"Prince Gu, as you ordered, Ye Chen has been confined here the entire time." Gu Changge treaded behind a disciple slowly to Ye Chen's cell.
"Very well. You may retreat." With an expressionless face, Gu Changge nodded. After the disciple left, Gu Changge swept his piercing glare across Ye Chen's miserable look. It was obvious that the protagonist had undergone severe torment in his three days of imprisonment. Supreme Stygian Holy Land didn't even care to spare him a drop of water in order to gratify Gu Changge. It was quite pitiful for the Fortuitous One, who was living finely, to live so deplorably. Despite that, Gu Changge wasn't at all sympathetic toward him. After all, if Ye Chen had the capability, he would never forgo Gu Changge as the one thing the former yearned for was turning him into ashes.
"Gu Changge, what are you here for?" Ye Chen questioned loudly, sensing Gu Changge's hostility. Subconsciously, he assumed that Gu Changge was here to murder him.
"I came here to meet you, or rather, to meet your Master." Gu Changge casually beamed as he directly pointed out Ye Chen's secret.
"W-What are you talking about? I don't know what you mean." As Ye Chen's heart skipped a beat, his nervousness was obviously reflected on his face. [How did Gu Changge know about Master? No one other than me knows about her!] In that instant, with his secret compromised, he grew tremendously anxious, as if he was a puny ant in front of Gu Changge.
"You may drop the pretense. Wouldn't trick a child with that face of yours." Gu Changge scoffed and continued, "How long do you intend to hide, Senior? Concealing yourself isn't very senior-like, don't you reckon?" As Gu Changge was speaking, his eyes fixated at the ring on Ye Chen's finger.
At once, Ye Chen's heart sank. Not only did Gu Changge know about his Master's presence, but he even knew where she was hiding.
"Why would Prince Gu himself burden a Cursed Spirit like me?" At that moment, a sigh could be heard from Ye Chen's ring. The voice was angelic, but with an underlying helplessness. Accordingly, before their eyes flashed a crimson glow and an ordinary figure in red surged in the air.
"Master?" Ye Chen was dumbfounded at his Master's volitional appearance, and he couldn't help but feel distressed.
"Ah, so this is what Senior looks like," he claimed composedly. Prior to that, he had assumed the 'Master' would be an old man, but it was actually a stunning woman in red with a pair of crimson eyes and delicate face. [Pfft. Why are the pretty ones always around him? Your Master is indeed a beauty, but it won't take long before she becomes mine!]
"To what do I owe the pleasure, Prince Gu?" Yan Ji, being forced to show herself, softly quizzed in a calm tone. Since Gu Changge had discovered her presence, he indubitably had the means to draw her out, so she decided to save the redundancy and make herself visible.
"Nothing particular, to be truthful. I simply wished to see the mighty force behind Ye Chen as I was bewildered as to what kind of person it would be," Gu Changge leisurely answered. At least, on the surface, none—including Yan Ji and Ye Chen—could tell what he was plotting at.
Regardless, assuming Gu Changge came with ill intent, Ye Chen leered at him with immense malice and viciousness.
On the other hand, Yan Ji, too, could not fathom Gu Changge's true intent, so all she could do for the time being was keep her guard up. In response, she replied, "So you have. I'm just a regular woman, and by no means mighty."
"If even a fool like Ye Chen could turn out this strong, you may have been too humble, Senior."
"Stranger things have happened. His strengths are all credited to his wit and talents."
"Senior, isn't it a waste of your skills staying by Ye Chen's side?" Gu Changge mindlessly inquired as he revealed a hint of earnesty in his smile. At the same time, he sneakily attempted to snatch Ye Chen's ring away, but as he was about to do so, he sensed an explicable danger, to which he cussed at his poor fortune, though he certainly did not reveal his irritation.
"Who are you calling a fool!?" Ye Chen was instantly tilted by Gu Changge's mockery and how the latter shamelessly goaded his Master right in front of him. [Gu Changge is hopelessly blatant!] Though, his frustration might have rooted from his disquiet. As of now, Yan Ji was his greatest support, and he didn't dare to imagine what would happen if his Master left him.
At Gu Changge's words, Yan Ji was also baffled. Although Ye Chen could indeed be foolish once in a while, he had his other merits such as determination, bravery, and relentlessness. Besides, she owed him her awakening, so she couldn't be bought with those words to abandon her disciple. [What does Gu Changge truly mean with those words?]
"Is he trying to break us apart?" Immediately, Yan Ji revealed a scowl as she realized Gu Changge's true intention. Nevertheless, her being able to figure it out didn't mean Ye Chen could. Ultimately, it was as Gu Changge said, he was a fool indeed.