The Oblivious Hero Will Be Eaten by the Yandere - Chapter 3

A few hours later, Sui Yueheng departed.

He appeared to have other matters to attend to, leaving Ye Chen alone in the ice chamber.

Although his chains had been removed earlier, the seal remained, leaving Ye Chen completely unable to circulate the spiritual energy within his body. A defensive array protected the room, keeping the biting cold at bay, but it also cut off any possibility of escape.

It was a sanctuary, yet also a prison.

Ye Chen’s eyes were wide, staring blankly at a void in the air. He couldn’t understand how things had devolved to this point. It was beyond his comprehension, leaving his heart feeling heavy and numb.

A suffocating, sour ache was lodged in his chest, as if frozen solid by the chamber’s chill, impossible to swallow or disperse.

Ye Chen slowly curled into a ball. His entire body throbbed with a pain far worse than any injury he had ever sustained. He didn’t understand it. He had endured countless wounds, bled profusely, and even survived broken bones and severed meridians by gritting his teeth and pushing through.

So why was this invisible pain, this woundless agony, so unbearable?

Even now, everything felt surreal. In just a few short days, his entire world had been shattered. Everything looked the same, yet everything had changed.

His body was warm, but Ye Chen found himself wishing the array would fail. He wanted the frost to seep in, hoping the cold might clear his clouded mind.

Gradually, his consciousness began to drift. Too much had happened in a single day, and both his body and spirit were spent. Unable to hold on any longer, he slowly closed his eyes.

***

It felt as though an eternity had passed before Ye Chen finally emerged from his groggy state.

The ice chamber was terrifyingly silent, with only the sound of his own breathing echoing through the empty space. He felt he had finally regained some semblance of calm. Sleep had restored a fraction of his spirit, allowing him to actually think about his current predicament.

Crying was useless, and resentment was futile.

Sui Yueheng had gone mad, but he could not afford to.

Did Sui Yueheng really think that locking him in here and sealing his cultivation would force him to resign himself to fate?

No, absolutely not! Ye Chen told himself.

Throughout his journey, while he hadn’t lacked Sui Yueheng’s help, he had ultimately only ever been able to rely on himself. He hadn’t given up when he was labeled a “waste,” nor when he was surrounded by beast tides, nor when he was hunted to the point of leaping off a cliff. He hadn’t even given up when his dantian was destroyed.

So what if Sui Yueheng had suddenly lost his mind? He would find a way through this.

Unconsciously, he had stopped calling him “Master.”

In the darkness, the myriad of emotions that had filled Ye Chen’s eyes slowly faded, replaced by his usual clarity.

It was just… it was just like being bitten by a dog, he thought. I can get past this.

He had to escape!

And then… right, Master must be trapped by a heart demon. He had fallen into obsession. That had to be it!

A tiny, flickering flame of hope rose in Ye Chen’s heart. Thinking this way, he suddenly felt he understood why Sui Yueheng had done those things today.

He was possessed. A possessed person wasn’t in their right mind. Once he escaped this place, he just had to find a way to wake Sui Yueheng’s consciousness from the grip of the heart demon!

How could his Master truly be this kind of person?

To do such things to his own disciple was subhuman, and his Master had always been a man of high integrity and gentleness. He was definitely being controlled.

Besides, such things between two men certainly weren’t something a righteous cultivator would do. Master’s heart demon must be truly terrifying!

At that moment, Ye Chen conveniently chose to forget the group of people who had previously confessed their feelings to him.

I won’t be trapped here forever, Ye Chen thought. I have countless friends, and they’ll realize I’m missing sooner or later.

There was nothing in the ice chamber to mark the passage of time, only a frightening stillness.

At first, Ye Chen scrambled to find a way out, but he quickly realized it was an exercise in futility. He couldn’t contact the outside world, he couldn’t open the chamber door, and he was powerless against the seal on his body.

His fighting spirit began to erode, bit by bit.

Time stretched on. It lasted so long that he began to lose track of day and night. He began to wonder, what if all his friends were just like the people in the secret realm that day? What if they were all like Sui Yueheng?

If that last shred of hope vanished, what would he do?

Ye Chen lay back on the bed, wrapping himself in the silk quilt.

How did it come to this? It felt as if, all of a sudden, the entire world had descended into chaos and everyone had become abnormal.

It was so wrong. How could they “like” him? They were all men! Shouldn’t a romantic bond be between a man and a woman?

His thoughts spiraled until the booming sound of the ice chamber door opening snapped him back to reality.

Sui Yueheng’s silhouette appeared at the doorway.

Ye Chen’s body stiffened. The shame and anger he had suppressed instantly surged back into his heart. His fingers instinctively gripped the silk quilt beneath him, and he immediately turned his face away, refusing to look at the man.

Even though he suspected Sui Yueheng was being controlled by a heart demon, he couldn’t bring himself to face the man as he was now.

The door slowly closed behind Sui Yueheng. Once the sound died down, the silence felt even heavier than before.

Then, the sound of footsteps approached.

“I have taken care of many things,” Sui Yueheng said.

His voice was calm, carrying the gentle tone Ye Chen knew so well.

“I told your friends that you are in secluded meditation, preparing to break through to the Nascent Soul stage. For us cultivators, it is perfectly normal to remain in seclusion for several years.”

“As for my old enemies… back then, they joined forces to force me into self-detonation. But after my ‘death,’ their alliance naturally crumbled.”

“No one will find this place, and no one will disturb us.”

Ye Chen kept his face turned away, his gaze fixed on a single speck of cold light on the edge of the bed. He didn’t want to listen, but the long-standing silence made every word crystal clear.

He didn’t care what Sui Yueheng had been doing, but his heart sank when he heard the man had contacted his friends. Although they didn’t know Sui Yueheng’s specific identity, several of them knew of his existence. If Sui Yueheng shared a few secrets that were hard for outsiders to find, he could easily earn their trust.

In that case, they would likely believe he was in seclusion. This meant that for the next few years, at least, no one would think to look for him.

Sui Yueheng had planned this all too well!

Ye Chen’s fists tightened. He desperately wanted to land a punch on Sui Yueheng’s calm, smiling face.

“Chen’er,” Sui Yueheng’s voice dropped lower, carrying a haunting, seductive tenderness. “I know you cannot accept this yet, but it’s alright.”

He paused, looking into Ye Chen’s eyes for a moment as if weighing his words. “I brought you your favorite osmanthus cakes.”

Ye Chen’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sui Yueheng raise his hand. Resting in his palm was a plain white jade plate, glowing with a faint spiritual light. He was likely using his energy to keep the cakes warm and soft.

The cakes on the plate were cut into perfect squares, sprinkled with delicate osmanthus petals, looking exceptionally appetizing.

Sui Yueheng gently picked one up and held it toward the bed.

The scent of osmanthus wafted over, mixed with the warm, sweet aroma of steamed glutinous rice. Ye Chen used to love these. Back when he first started cultivating and needed resources, Sui Yueheng had taught him how to earn money. After buying his materials, Ye Chen’s treat to himself was always osmanthus cakes.

But now, that familiar sweet scent in the ice chamber only made his chest feel tighter.

“You’ve done those things to me, and now you’re acting like this… what’s the point!”

Ye Chen’s voice was terribly hoarse, having not spoken for a long time in the silence of the room.

Sui Yueheng’s movements stopped. He frowned, staring at Ye Chen for a long while before offering a faint smile.

Then, with a quick flick of spiritual energy, the plate and the soft cakes within it were instantly ground into dust.

“Chen’er has grown up, he no longer likes sweets… then we won’t eat them.”

“I’ve finished my business, and I’ve purchased a residence in Starfall City. There is no need to keep you locked up here anymore.”

“When the time comes, whatever Chen’er likes, I will take you to the market to buy it, how does that sound?”

The way Sui Yueheng called him “Chen’er” made Ye Chen’s skin crawl. Even though the man had always called him that, the tone was completely different now.

Or perhaps it was the same, and he just hadn’t noticed before everything happened. The thought made him feel even more nauseous.

But…

He caught the key point in Sui Yueheng’s words.

Sui Yueheng wasn’t going to keep him locked here? He had bought a residence in Starfall City?

Starfall City… that was where the Ye family was located. Was Sui Yueheng really not afraid of him being recognized if they returned there?

While confused, Ye Chen also felt a spark of hope. If they went back to Starfall City, there might be a way to get a message out. Even though his relationship with some in the Ye family was strained, as long as he could see other people, there was a chance he could call for help.

**

As Sui Yueheng watched Ye Chen’s expression soften slightly, he shook his head with a bitter smile in his heart.

Ye Chen’s state seemed to have improved, so his goal was technically achieved. However, the reason for the improvement was the prospect of leaving his side.

Thinking about the Ye family’s current attitude and the situation in Starfall City, Sui Yueheng’s mood, which had been somewhat foul, began to brighten again.

He had spent a long time away this time, and he had thought a lot. He hadn’t just been handling the matters he told Ye Chen about, he had also been giving himself time to calm down.

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