Chapter 578: Chapter 448: Good Bamboo Grows from Bad Stalks
In the dimly lit prison cell, in addition to the young man who earlier replaced Hong Yulang, another person had now appeared.
The lock on the prison door was still securely fastened.
A chill ran up Hong Fang’s feet.
Though he had become a prisoner, he was still an expert of the Reincarnation Second Realm; the fact that someone had entered the cell without his awareness spoke of terrifying strength.
"Who are you?"
Hong Fang eyed the newcomer cautiously.
The visitor was tall, wearing a gauze scarf and a spotless Alchemist Robe, appearing almost like a Heavenly Person, radiating an aura that one could not look at directly. On his forehead, there was a smear of vermillion red, resembling a Blood Drop.
"How could you so deeply believe a fake letter previously, yet now when I stand before you in person, you fail to recognize me?"
Hong Fang’s eyes widened, and he felt as if he’d been struck by lightning, his knees weakening and collapsing onto the filthy ground.
"Master Hong Ru, are you Master Hong Ru?" After enduring the despair of the day, Hong Fang thought his death was inevitable. But the nocturnal visit from Chen Hongru gave him a lifeline and a glimpse at survival. "Master Hong Ru, please save me!"
Hong Fang realized then that the Chen Hongru before him was not his physical self but a Spiritual Body formed by Chen Hongru’s potent spiritual power.
The person behind Noble Princess Consort Luo was indeed Chen Hongru.
"I have come today regarding Ye Lingyue’s matter. I heard she is your daughter. Do you realize how much trouble she has caused to the Dan Palace?" Chen Hongru’s Spiritual Body had already reached the Heavenly Prison.
Hong Fang and his wife’s dog-eat-dog antics had been clearly observed by Chen Hongru.
For such a contemptible person, Chen Hongru typically had disdain, but thinking that Hong Fang still had some utility, he revealed his Spiritual Body at night.
Upon hearing this, Hong Fang cursed inwardly, again blaming that ’wretched girl’. Yet from Master Hong Ru’s tone, it seemed he also deeply detested Ye Lingyue.
A sense of relief filled Hong Fang, his face filled with indignation.
"She doesn’t deserve to be my daughter, that lowly bastard, framing her own father, secretly making my father consume the poisonous Nine Revolutions Reincarnation Elixir, truly harboring wolflike ambitions. If I could escape this Heavenly Prison, I’d make sure that little bastard suffers a horrible death."
Hong Fang truly hated Ye Lingyue.
If it weren’t for her, how would he have fallen to such a state today, selling his wife for survival, with everyone turning against him, even his children seeing him as an enemy.
"Oh? I will give you a chance. Tell me everything about Ye Lingyue and her origins. If I am satisfied with your story, I might consider letting you go. Remember, speak honestly. If there is any falsehood, I won’t wait two more days to send you on your way," Chen Hongru said indifferently.
Upon hearing this, Hong Fang dared not hide anything. He hurriedly recounted everything about Ye Lingyue being expelled from the Hong Residence at a young age, her fall along with Ye Huangyu, her rise in the Ye Family, her alliance with the Lan Residence, and joining the Alchemist Tower—leaving no detail spared.
When he heard of Moon Iron and the Ye Family, Chen Hongru was deeply shocked; he had suspected that Ye Lingyue was the descendant of Ye Wuming. Now it seemed she indeed was.
Moreover, this girl had been foolish until the age of thirteen and then suddenly turned intelligent, becoming a completely different person. She must have encountered something extraordinary.
Could it be that she inherited something from Ye Wuming?
The more Chen Hongru thought, the more terrified he became. If his conjecture was true, if she had taken the Chaos Heaven and Earth Array and inherited Ye Wuming’s legacy, then her becoming fully mature was imminent.
He could not allow her to become another Ye Wuming.
"Master Hong Ru, this is what happened." Hong Fang recounted breathlessly, stealing glances at Chen Hongru, whose expression fluctuated wildly, leaving one to guess what he was thinking.
"Hmph, you truly are a worthless coward. I am quite astonished. How such a man as you could father a daughter like Ye Lingyue," Chen Hongru said after listening, showing only disdain and contempt towards Hong Fang.
Although Ye Lingyue had outwitted Chen Hongru and stolen the Heaven and Earth Chaotic Array, her ability to overcome the First Layer of the Heaven and Earth Tribulation proved her intelligence and strategic mind superior to others.
That a man like Hong Fang could father her was indeed a case of a bad bamboo shoot producing a fine bamboo.
It’s no wonder Ye Lingyue would go to any length, using all means to have him put to death.
Even Chen Hongru wished to kill him with a slap; his existence was simply a disgrace to men.
"This...this..." Hong Fang looked uneasy, "Master Hong Ru, you see, I have already spoken. Would you consider sparing my life? If allowed to join the Dan Palace, I will be utterly loyal."
"To save you, I must first see if you are worth saving," Chen Hongru said, flicking something to the ground.
Hong Fang took a careful look; it was an Elixir Pill exuding a fragrant aroma.
"What is this?" Hong Fang felt the pill seemed familiar.
He swallowed hard.
"Nine Revolutions Reincarnation Elixir?"
Hong Fang had seen this Elixir Pill before; it was the very Nine Revolutions Reincarnation Elixir that Luo Song had given to Hong Qingyun, capable of significantly boosting a Martial Artist’s power.
But then he remembered how his father had exploded bodily, and his voice trembled slightly.
"Don’t worry, there is nothing wrong with this Elixir Pill. After taking it, not only will your restricted Primordial Power recover, but you will also break through to the Reincarnation Three Paths. Here is the uniform of a guard from the Lan Residence. Three days from now, when Ye Huangyu and Nie Fengxing marry, I assume you’re keen to ’attend’ the ceremony."
After saying this, Chen Hongru glanced outside the Heavenly Prison.
The noisy sounds of intermingling between men and women had gradually subsided.
Zhuge Rou returned, held by the old prison guard.
As soon as they entered the Heavenly Prison, they saw an additional person inside.
"Who are you!" Both the prison guard and Zhuge Rou were shocked, drawing their swords with a whoosh, striking at Chen Hongru.
Chen Hongru sneered, his gaze sharpening. The guard, who had the cultivation of an Innate Martial Artist, felt his knees buckle, and with a loud thud, he collapsed to the ground, unable to move.
"Here are two Jade Toad Pills. After taking them, one will transform into the appearance of the first person they see," Chen Hongru said, throwing the Elixir Pill to Hong Fang.
Hong Fang caught the Elixir Pill, understood the hint, pried open the prison guard’s mouth, and stuffed the Elixir Pill into it.
Zhuge Rou stood by, her face pale with fright.
After taking the Jade Toad Pill, the old prison guard’s body started crackling with noises. His originally short and vile face rapidly changed.
In just the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the old guard transformed into "Hong Fang."
And Hong Fang, having taken the Elixir Pill, changed into the appearance of the old prison guard.
Hong Fang quickly stripped off the prison guard’s clothes, expressed his gratitude to Chen Hongru, and then prepared to walk out of the cell.