!

Whoosh-

After Ye Ling'er gnashed her teeth and finished listing Chu Chen's faults, pinning all the blame on him, the surrounding air seemed to freeze.

The Ye family's main hall fell dead silent.

The seventh day of mourning?

Lingering attachments?

A haunting ghost?

Still pestering them even in death??

...

Such words sounded utterly bizarre and absurd, yet to Ye Ding, Ye Han, Ye Qingqing, and the others...

They actually made perfect sense!

"I knew it. How could I, Ye Han, a dignified fourth-tier Formation Master, possibly fail to outline a mere third-tier [Wind Thunder Frost Formation]?"

"It was all because of that trash Chu Chen! That explains everything!!"

Ye Han was like a drowning child who had suddenly found a lifeline, earnestly rationalizing her own failure:

"I am still the same Ye Han. The Dharma brush and scroll I used to outline the Formation are no different from before. Even my Frost Peak remains unchanged."

"If there has been any recent upheaval in our Ye family, it is that this trash Chu Chen was swept out the door and struck from the family registry!!"

As soon as these words fell, Third Sister Ye Qingqing also came to a sudden realization, nodding hastily in agreement.

"Ye Han is right. After that trash betrayed the Ye family, he dared to cross the Heavenly Demon Gorge, trying to use himself as bait to drag our Ye family down to hell with him!"

"Only our foolish Eldest Sister would fall for his trick, nearly losing her life to his deception. The rest of us would never be fooled by that trash!"

Ye Qingqing nodded again, adding thoughtfully,

"When that trash Chu Chen was still in our Ye family, he loved to loiter around my Clearwater Peak for no reason. He was like a lapdog that couldn't be chased away. Now that he's become a wandering ghost, he's still just as annoying."

"No wonder I always felt a cold draft on my back while refining artifacts, as if a pair of eyes were staring at me. So it was this trash causing trouble all along!"

"Ling'er, you truly are clever. You figured it out in an instant."

Everyone nodded in agreement. In an instant, voices accusing Chu Chen resounded throughout the entire Ye family main hall. Even...

Even Patriarch Ye Ding darkened his face and furrowed his brow, impatiently waving his hand to interrupt his three daughters' conversation.

Seeing this, Ye Qingqing, Ye Han, and Ye Ling'er shuddered in fright and quickly shut their mouths.

After all, they knew very well in their hearts that blaming every single fault on Chu Chen was too...

Far-fetched!

It was just that they had been doing this for so many years; they simply couldn't change their habits overnight...

But now that Chu Chen was dead, for them to still act this way... was it...

Was it going too far?

Sure enough, their father, Ye Ding, couldn't bear to listen anymore and was about to reprimand them.

Ye Qingqing, Ye Han, and Ye Ling'er lowered their heads, bracing themselves for their father's scolding.

"This King has always believed that talk of ghosts and spirits was too esoteric. I never believed in wandering souls in this world."

But unexpectedly, as soon as Ye Ding opened his mouth, his words were shocking:

"However, my breakthrough this time should have been a natural and certain matter. Yet, at the critical juncture of breaking through, the originally clear Heavenly Dao suddenly became obscure and incomprehensible."

"If it wasn't caused by that little beast, then who could it be?! That little beast must be holding a grudge against this Patriarch for severing our father-son relationship and striking his name from the family registry! But can this be blamed on me? Tell me, can you blame your father?"

Under Patriarch Ye Ding's interrogation, Ye Qingqing, Ye Han, and Ye Ling'er shook their heads like rattle-drums. If their father was wrong, wouldn't that mean they were all wrong too?

"It is true that the little beast rendered meritorious service to our Ye family; your father is not blind to that. But besides being Chu Chen's father, I, Ye Ding, am also the Patriarch of the entire Ye family!"

"That little beast was already crippled. I couldn't let him rest on his laurels and freeload for the rest of his life. How would the branch disciples of the Ye family view me then? Xiao Xuan is different; he possesses the bearing of a Great Emperor. If I don't nurture him, who else should I nurture?"

"Sigh, that little beast's desire for merit was simply too strong, his resentment too deep. Even in death, he refuses to rest in peace."

Ye Ding sighed softly. If it weren't for this failed breakthrough, he... he wouldn't have even remembered Chu Chen's existence.

"Ling'er, you are the most intelligent among us sisters."

Ye Qingqing took Ye Ling'er's hand and asked,

"In your opinion, since that trash has turned into a wandering ghost and is haunting us, what... what should we do? We can't just burn some joss paper for him, kneel down, kowtow in apology, and beg him to let us go, can we?"

As soon as Ye Qingqing's words fell, the expressions of the Ye family members present changed drastically.

Make them kowtow and apologize to that trash Chu Chen, that little beast? Wouldn't that be... the biggest joke in the world???

Besides, when he was alive, they could bully and humiliate him as they pleased.

Now that he was dead, there was even less reason to take him seriously.

"Kowtowing and apologizing... that... that is absolutely impossible! He couldn't bear such a gesture anyway!"

Put on the spot, Ye Ling'er glanced at her father and sisters, who were staring intently at her. Suddenly feeling the heavy weight of responsibility, she forcibly swallowed back the words, "How should I know?" After a moment's thought, she spoke excitedly:

"Since he only appeared on the seventh day of mourning, once this period passes and some time goes by, I think that trash's soul will naturally dissipate into the heavens and the earth."

"After all, that trash was struck from our Ye family registry and has already become a wandering ghost. There is no place for him in this world anymore. I believe that if we just wait a while, his... his soul will surely scatter, and he will never be able to haunt us again!"

Hearing this, the Ye family members in the main hall, including Patriarch Ye Ding, all nodded in agreement.

"But what if the seventh day passes and that trash still clings to us, refusing to leave our Ye family? What do we do then?"

Ye Han furrowed her brows, her face cold, and spoke righteously:

"As you all know, that trash loves to loiter around our Ye family and pester us. I, Ye Han, am a future Formation Grandmaster. I don't have time to slowly waste away with him."

Upon hearing this, Ye Qingqing and Ye Ling'er exchanged glances, a trace of panic in their eyes.

After all, they too were future Artifact Refining Grandmasters and Pill Refining Grandmasters. Who among them was willing to waste time with that trash?

Patriarch Ye Ding also furrowed his brows deeply. His position as Patriarch was originally...

Originally, it was only because the Ye family's Ancestor saw that he had a good son, and out of consideration for Chu Chen, that Ye Ding was allowed to sit in this position.

Otherwise, whether in terms of cultivation, talent, or seniority, what qualifications did he, Ye Ding, have? What right did he have??

"If... if it really comes down to it, then after the seventh day passes, if we still cannot break through, then..."

Pausing halfway, Ye Ling'er swallowed hard, her eyes somewhat evasive. But under the urging of Ye Qingqing and the others, she steeled herself and continued:

"Then we will go and invite a demonic cultivator. I've heard that some demonic cultivators are extremely skilled at imprisoning souls. They can suck a person's soul into a Soul-Refining Banner and forge it into a demonic artifact, scattering their soul entirely. They will be barred from reincarnation, trapped for all eternity without any hope of release."

Whoosh-

As soon as these words were spoken, the Ye family's main hall fell into dead silence.

Although Chu Chen was utterly hateful and utterly shameless, still...

Still, he was their own younger brother. He was still a member of the Ye family. Still...

Still, he had rendered meritorious service to the Ye family. If they did this, they feared their consciences... wouldn't be able to bear it.

Sigh~

Upon hearing this, Butler Fu could no longer hold back and sighed inwardly.

This absurd and bizarre scene left the old butler completely bewildered.

Not to mention that the three young ladies present were dragons and phoenixes among mortals, but how could Patriarch Ye Ding also join in this nonsense and believe in ghosts and spirits?

Failing to break through in cultivation, failing to refine Pills, failing to forge Dharma Treasures, failing to outline Formation scrolls...

How could they blame someone else?

Let alone blaming someone who was likely already dead-Chu Chen!

"Do the Patriarch and the young ladies not think... if... if Young Master Chu Chen truly possessed such great ability, why would he... why would he have been driven out of the Ye family? Why would he have died in the Heavenly Demon Gorge??"

Butler Fu sighed secretly. His ears were still filled with the Ye family members endlessly accusing Chu Chen of being an ungrateful white-eyed wolf, of having no conscience, and of deserving to be devoured by demon beasts...

Although Butler Fu possessed a high cultivation realm, he was still a servant of the Ye family. Given his status, it was naturally inappropriate for him to speak up and defend Chu Chen. But watching Patriarch Ye Ding join in the nonsense, Butler Fu suddenly felt a deep sense of sorrow. He thought to himself:

"With a Patriarch like this, how can the Ye family ever rise? How can it ever dominate the entire Desolate Ancient Continent??"

"I fear the entire Ye family is... not far from the day of its destruction!"

Although Butler Fu didn't speak his thoughts aloud, his furrowed brows and worried expression were noticed by Patriarch Ye Ding, who immediately questioned him:

"Butler Fu? Why do you sigh? Could it be..."