49: Chapter 49 Ah! My ears, they're dirty.

Li Fu had no time to pay attention to these idle gossips. Where was his ageless beauty? Why hadn't she arrived yet?

After a while, a charming, middle-aged woman arrived late.

She was wearing a decent qipao, her hair was meticulously pinned up, and a reserved smile hung on her face.

Li Fu was so excited that he trembled all over. He didn't even respond to the guests greeting him, but instead swung his arms and sprinted over.

From far away, Xiao Ye heard their conversation. He pricked up his ears, and then he regretted it.

Li Fu looked at A-Mei affectionately: "A-Mei, I am just a fish that swims only for you."

A-Mei asked in confusion: "What can a fish do?"

Li Fu smiled and took her hand: "Chop off the fish head, make it into chopped chili fish head, and feed you first."

A-Mei blushed: "What about the fish body?"

Li Fu leaned in, his voice soft and serious: "The fish body (the rest of my life), of course, is all used to accompany you."

Xiao Ye shivered on the spot, goosebumps falling all over the floor: "Damn it~ That's so cheesy! Ah, my ears! They are dirty!" He wished he could rip his ears off and wash them.

Li Da, standing by, also had a look of despair: "This is not my father, definitely not. My father wouldn't be this cheesy."

Xiao Ye patted his shoulder and said earnestly: "Accept reality. Not only has your father come back to life, but he has also become a cheesy uncle. It's fortunate you aren't his biological son, otherwise, if you inherited that..."

Li Da sighed up at the sky: "Oh Heavens, you might as well strike him dead."

For the next few days, Xiao Ye was working diligently. In order not to let the fields lie fallow, he was devoted to his duty—no, that's not right, he was striving for perfection and meticulously arranging his schedule.

A month passed quickly, and hard work paid off; his little brother finally completed its mission.

Just as he was preparing to set off back to the Hehuan Sect, the Yang Mimi sisters were both pregnant.

In order not to let the children have no name or status, Xiao Ye didn't say a word and directly married the sisters together.

Thus, after a month, the Xiao Family was hosting a banquet again, and again, and again.

Firecrackers crackled, red lanterns were hung high, the grand display was not reduced at all, and not a single part of the process was missed.

Xiao Ye wore a bright red robe, leading the two brides through the motions, but the smile on his face couldn't be maintained no matter what.

"It's really strange," he muttered to himself, "Why are these people all looking so gloomy? Aren't they happy to have a banquet to eat?"

He looked around at the mostly empty tables and the sparse guests; everyone's face was written with "I was forced to come."

Several old acquaintances sitting in the corner huddled together, whispering complaints:

"Of course, eating at a banquet is happy, but look at this frequency—? Even a landlord doesn't have surplus grain!"

"Who says it isn't! I don't even throw banquets as often as he does when my sow gives birth to piglets!"

"Have you ever seen anyone give wedding gifts until they were almost bankrupt? Now, whenever I see the Xiao Family sending out invitations, my legs go weak."

"Shh—keep it down, don't let Master Xiao hear. What if he doesn't invite us to his next concubine ceremony? Wouldn't we have wasted the gift money from before?"

"That's true... eat, eat, eat more, and get our money's worth back."

Xiao Ye had sharp ears and heard bits and pieces, and the smile on his face vanished completely.

He looked down at his empty purse, then at the table full of dishes, and suddenly felt—this banquet was a huge loss.

He hadn't collected much gift money, but the cost of the banquet flowed out like water.

This business was not worth it.

Three days later, because the sisters were pregnant, Xiao Ye had to embark on the flying boat back to the Sect alone.

For the next four consecutive months, Xiao Ye was busy with Alchemy.

Hehuan Sect, lakeside courtyard.

"Phew—finally finished refining everything." Xiao Ye looked at the Medicinal Pill bottles filling the shelves, let out a long breath, and showed a smile of pure relief.

In four months, he finally refined all the spirit materials brought back from Sunset City into Foundation Establishment Pills, and every single one was of perfect quality, with a nose-tingling medicinal fragrance, stacked neatly like an honor guard formation.

"Brother Ye, come have some tea." Luo Lili walked in carrying a pot of spirit tea, her footsteps light, her figure graceful.

Xiao Ye took the teacup, his gaze habitually sweeping across her lower abdomen—completely flat.

The smile on his face vanished instantly, as if someone had pressed a pause button.

Four months. He had worked diligently for four months, more dedicated than a farmer. Yet, this field hadn't sprouted a single bud.

"This woman must be taking medicine," Xiao Ye complained frantically in his heart, "This makes no sense?"

He put down the teacup, leaned back against the chair, and got straight to the point: "Lili, are you still pining for Ma Bide?"

"Ah? No, Brother Ye!" Luo Lili waved her hands repeatedly, looking sincere, "I am already entirely yours now, how could I still be thinking of others?"

Xiao Ye stared into her eyes: "Then why are you still taking medicine?"

Luo Lili's smile froze for a moment, then she lowered her head, her voice as quiet as a mosquito's hum: "I... I just didn't want to delay my cultivation. Besides, I am still Ma Bide's Dao Companion in name. If I were to get pregnant with your child, how could I stay in the Hehuan Sect? What would others think of me?"

Xiao Ye listened and was stunned for two seconds.

That's it? He thought Luo Lili was remembering Ma Bide's life-saving grace and couldn't let go of that old relationship. It turned out she was just afraid of losing face?

"That's it?" Xiao Ye couldn't help but laugh, "I thought it was something serious."

"Isn't that serious?" Luo Lili looked up, her eyes slightly red, "I am a Pure Cultivator, my reputation is very important..."

Xiao Ye waved his hand, interrupting her long-winded speech: "Alright, alright, I understand your concerns. Isn't it just a matter of status?"

He stood up, paced around the room twice, then suddenly stopped, turned to look at her, and grinned: "Then I'll just get rid of Ma Bide, and won't you be free? Then you can openly be my woman, what is there to fear from gossip?"

Luo Lili opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but swallowed it back.

Seeing that she didn't refute him, Xiao Ye already had a plan in mind.

This field, no need to abandon it yet. Once he moved that obstructive "stone" away, and plowed it again, he didn't believe it wouldn't sprout.

At night, the Carnivorous Cultivator gathering.

The hall was filled with smoke and chaos, the sound of music was jarring, and everywhere there were male and female Cultivators embracing.

Ma Bide leaned on a recliner, one arm around a scantily clad, sexy female Cultivator, and in the other hand, he held a wine glass, looking as comfortable as a lazy cat basking in the sun.

"Brother Ye, Lili is my Dao Companion, isn't it bad for you to do this?"

Xiao Ye sat opposite him, crossing his legs.

"Cut the crap." Xiao Ye pulled a bulging Storage Pouch from his chest and slapped it on the table, "Here are ten thousand Spirit Stones, your breakup fee. Take the money and leave; from now on, Lili has nothing to do with you."

Ma Bide appeared calm on the surface, even frowning as if he were "very troubled." But inside, he was uncontrollably excited—ten thousand Spirit Stones! He couldn't save that much even after working himself to death in the Sect for ten years!

He looked down at the Storage Pouch, then up at Xiao Ye, his eyes darting around.

Brother Ye was an Alchemist. Alchemists were never short on Spirit Stones. Ten thousand? Did he ask for too little?