Chapter 13 - Chen Family

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An hour later, the trio arrived at the massive gates of Empyrean Cloud City.

Xie Ren gazed up at the towering city walls, impressed by their immense size and the wide protective moat that surrounded the city. He couldn't help but marvel at the craftsmanship.

This is the small city people in Taishan Continent talk about? he thought incredulously.

"Entry fee: 5 gold coins per person!" the gatekeeper called out, his hand already stretched toward them.

The man looked them over quickly, clearly noting their simple, plain attire. His eyes gleamed with greed.

"Wasn't the fee only one gold coin per person?" Lan Yue asked, her brows furrowing in confusion.

"Here, I make the rules!" the gatekeeper said smugly, his gaze flicking over Lan Yue with a greedy glint.

Lan Yue opened her mouth to argue, but before she could say a word, there was a loud clang as Chen Yinyin slammed her large sword into the stone ground, the blade biting into it with a forceful thud.

"Impudent, I'll allow you to rephrase that!" Chen Yinyin's voice was cold and sharp, her eyes fixed on the gatekeeper.

The man froze, his face draining of color. The sword was enough to make any reasonable person tremble in fear, but the gatekeeper knew better.

Although many people in Empyrean Cloud City did not recognize Chen Yinyin by face, they had certainly heard of her. She was infamous.

"Want me to carve your name on a tombstone?!" she said.

The gatekeeper, now fully aware of who she was, immediately dropped to his knees, his palms raised in submission. "Miss Chen, I'm sorry! I didn't recognize you, please forgive me!"

"Get lost, or I'll hack you into pieces!" she threatened.

With that, the gatekeeper scrambled to get out of their way, his previous demands forgotten. No one dared ask Xie Ren or Lan Yue for an entry fee with Chen Yinyin standing there.

As they stepped into the bustling streets of Empyrean Cloud City, Xie Ren felt out of place. Everywhere he looked, there were strange and wondrous things, merchants hawking goods, exotic smells filling the air, and people from all walks of life moving through the crowded streets. He couldn't help but feel like a beggar who had accidentally stumbled into a noble's grand feast.

"Scoundrel…" Chen Yinyin started, but as she caught the sharp glare Xie Ren shot her, she quickly corrected herself. "Master, I need to head back to the Chen family. What about you two?"

Xie Ren gave her a knowing look and flicked her lightly on the head.

"Yinyin, don't you want your master and senior sister to visit your family?" he asked.

Chen Yinyin huffed, mumbling under her breath, "You're asking on purpose!"

Xie Ren couldn't help but smirk at her reaction, his hand twitching slightly as he looked at her retreating figure.

He raised his hand, his gaze lingering on Chen Yinyin's backside.

Chen Yinyin's eyes widened in realization. Her face quickly shifted, and she snapped back, trying to smooth over her tone.

"Master, welcome to my Chen family as a guest!" she said, her voice sweet but tinged with a hint of reluctance.

Chen Yinyin swallowed her frustration, knowing that if she spoke any more dishonest words, she might as well invite lightning to strike her down. But what else could she do? After all, Xie Ren's fists were far more powerful than her words.

"Good disciple," Xie Ren said. "Since you're so eager to invite me, your master, and your senior sister, we can't refuse. We'll reluctantly grace your Chen family with our presence."

Chen Yinyin's chest tightened in anger. Her temper was already on edge, and now she had to deal with Xie Ren's incessant teasing. She had lived two lifetimes, and never once had she encountered someone as shameless as him.

The trio walked through the lively streets, and wherever they went, people who recognized Chen Yinyin quickly moved out of their path, as if trying to avoid a plague. Xie Ren couldn't help but ask, his curiosity piqued.

"Yinyin, these people are really scared of you?"

"Of course!" Chen Yinyin responded with pride. "I'm the boss of Empyrean Cloud City."

Xie Ren raised an eyebrow. "At the Qi Refining stage, you can't find anyone to challenge you? Are the cultivators in Empyrean Cloud City that weak?"

Chen Yinyin shot him a sideways glance. "Have you ever heard the phrase, 'I'm from the Chen Family'?"

"Ah," Xie Ren nodded with understanding. "So you're from a powerful family. No wonder you've got such a bad temper!"

"Who has a bad temper? Do you want me to cut you down?"

Xie Ren and Chen Yinyin bickered like this all the way to the entrance of the Chen family.

As soon as the gatekeeper saw her, he shouted toward the courtyard, his voice tinged with panic.

"Miss is back! Everyone, hide!"

Xie Ren couldn't help himself; he burst out laughing. "Chen Yinyin, your reputation is really something else. Even the gatekeeper is scared of you!"

"Stop shouting!" Chen Yinyin growled, glaring at the man. "Shout again, and I'll cut you down!"

The gatekeeper, clearly shaken, scrambled to stop his shouting as Chen Yinyin marched past him, her sword dragging along the ground with a heavy, menacing sound.

Xie Ren glanced at the gatekeeper and raised an eyebrow. "Does your lady often kill people?"

The gatekeeper looked at him with a mixture of sympathy and wariness. "Brother, are you new to Miss? Be careful. She doesn't actually kill people but she does lock offenders in the stable."

Xie Ren blinked in surprise. "So she's not a cold-blooded murderer?"

The gatekeeper shook his head, his expression a little rueful. "Not unless she's really pushed."

Xie Ren couldn't help but chuckle. A Demon sovereign who locks people in the stables. He had expected a terrifying figure, not someone who preferred mischief over bloodshed.

The irony of it made him smile, although he still didn't fully understand how someone like her could be called a Demon sovereign.

As they entered the Chen family's compound, they didn't walk far before an elderly man with graying hair stepped forward to greet them.

"Miss, you've finally returned," he said, his voice warm but tinged with concern. "It's been days since we've seen you. The clan leader and madam were worried sick!"

The man was Chen Shan, the housekeeper of the Chen family and a skilled Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Chen Yinyin scoffed at his words, rolling her eyes. "Grandpa Shan, that's not funny. Do you really think they're worried about me, the troublemaker? They probably wish I'd die outside!"

"Miss," the old man chided gently. "You can't say that. If the clan leader and madam hear you, they'll break your legs!"

Chen Yinyin exhaled, unimpressed. "They dare break my legs? Do they think my grandfather Chen Wen is just sitting around doing nothing?"

She spoke of her grandfather, Chen Wen, who was one of the pillars of the Chen family. At the middle stage of Golden Core, he was a powerful figure even in Empyrean Cloud City. Though not the highest cultivation level, he was among the strongest in the city.

Then, Chen Yinyin affectionately pulled Chen Shan close, her earlier gruffness melting into a tender gesture. It was clear she had a deep affection for the old man, despite her tough exterior.

Xie Ren, watching the scene unfold, couldn't help but be moved. Family bonds were truly something special.

Even someone like Chen Yinyin, who had lived two lives and carried the title of Demon sovereign, could still long for the warmth of family. It seems fate had its own way of connecting people together, even for those who had reached immortality.