The Oblivious Hero Will Be Eaten by the Yandere - Chapter 5

What he didn’t know was that when Sui Yueheng first saw the youth sitting by the stream all those years ago, he had been captivated in an instant. That gaze, as clear as freshly melted snow from a mountain spring, had struck him straight in the heart.

Later, Sui Yueheng took him as a disciple, cleared his blocked meridians, and provided him with the cultivation methods and guidance he needed. In less than three years, Ye Chen successfully reached the Foundation Establishment stage. After making a brief, brilliant showing within the Ye family, he plunged headfirst into the Cangwu Mountain Range.

Ye Chen didn’t particularly harbor fantasies of returning in glory to spite those who had looked down on him, mostly because his departure had already been grand enough. At the time, his parents and elders had desperately tried to convince him to stay, wanting to keep this overnight genius within the family. But Ye Chen, remembering the cold treatment and exclusion he had endured, simply told them that even Starfall City was too small to hold him. It was an act of extreme arrogance.

He had left cleanly, taking almost nothing with him. Looking back, he did feel a touch of nostalgia, not for the Ye family, but simply for his former life in Starfall City and those earliest memories of training under Sui Yueheng’s wing.

He had often thought about coming back to visit, but he had always been too busy. If he wasn’t preoccupied with his own cultivation, he was helping a friend in trouble or heading to a newly opened secret realm. There was never enough time.

Now that he had finally returned, everything had changed.

Ye Chen’s eyes were filled with a sense of lost confusion. Time had passed, and though he was revisiting his old haunts, he was being half-supported and half-imprisoned by the person he had once trusted most. Sui Yueheng hadn’t just sealed his spiritual power, before leaving that ice chamber, he had refined the black iron chains into a magical artifact and fused them into Ye Chen’s body.

Whenever Sui Yueheng wished, he could tighten the chains at a moment’s notice, rendering him immobile.

Now, Sui Yueheng seemed to thoroughly enjoy the feeling of Ye Chen having no choice but to rely on him. He insisted on bringing him out and kept the chains pulled taut, making every movement a struggle for Ye Chen.

Ye Chen felt utterly drained of strength. Despite the bone-deep loathing he felt, he was forced to lean on Sui Yueheng’s strength just to stay upright. And before they had left… though it had happened several times before, Ye Chen still felt a profound sense of pain, not just physically, but mentally.

Ye Chen had tried to struggle earlier, but after nearly collapsing several times and being caught in Sui Yueheng’s arms, he had no choice but to give up. The high-spirited youth who had once left with such bold words had returned to his homeland as a completely different person.

This transformation hadn’t happened in just a few days. He was terrified of running into the Ye clansmen or bumping into old acquaintances. If he met them and they asked why he looked like this, Ye Chen felt he would rather just die on the spot.

He realized he had been too naive. Seeking help was out of the question, now, he was even praying in his heart that no one would recognize him.

Sui Yueheng didn’t just know all his secrets and techniques, he understood his personality perfectly. When it was just the two of them, Ye Chen would fight tooth and nail to push him away and escape. But in the outside world, in a familiar place, he would instead become submissive. Over time, perhaps he would stop resisting so much.

Sui Yueheng turned to look at Ye Chen, noting his lowered head and the long lashes that hid the emotions in his eyes. His gaze drifted down to see Ye Chen’s fingernails digging into his palms. Blood was already beginning to smear his knuckles, yet he seemed unable to feel the pain.

The hand Sui Yueheng had around Ye Chen’s waist tightened slightly. He called out his name, but Ye Chen didn’t react, nor did the grip of his fists loosen in the slightest.

With a soft sigh, Sui Yueheng applied a bit of pressure, pulling Ye Chen into a full embrace. Keeping one hand on his waist, he used the other to take hold of the clenched fist, slowly but firmly prying his fingers open.

“Don’t do this… you’re bleeding.”

Spiritual energy gathered in Sui Yueheng’s palm, flowing over the wounds. The bleeding stopped, scabs formed, and the skin slowly began to knit back together.

Ye Chen said nothing. At this moment, he couldn’t find a single word to say. His body was trembling, and he felt as though the gazes of the people around them were like sharpened blades, leaving him feeling flayed and bloodied from head to toe.

This is a slow execution, he thought.

Their intimate posture made it seem as if Sui Yueheng was desperate for everyone to see exactly what their relationship was. And they—even if no one knew they were master and disciple—were both men. How could this be happening? Worse yet, he was the one being held.

Ye Chen’s instinctive reaction was to push him away, but in the end, he didn’t. He would rather hide. At least this way, no one would see his face or recognize him. If he hid, no one would know that the “once-in-a-millennium” genius of the cultivation world, the young Sword Sovereign who had risen to fame in recent years, was being held in someone’s arms as a helpless, powerless puppet.

Ye Chen indulged in this self-deception, then startled himself with the thought. How could he…

Sui Yueheng sensed his rigidity and let out a light chuckle. He couldn’t help but stroke the youth’s hair, feeling that his decision to bring Ye Chen here had been absolutely right. Still, he reminded himself not to push too hard. He wanted Ye Chen to slowly accept him, not drive him to his death.

Lightly patting the young man’s back, Sui Yueheng whispered, “It’s alright… they can’t see your face, and they won’t recognize you. As long as you stay by my side, my illusion will hold. Besides, so many people come and go here, and it has been so many years.”

“I only wanted to bring you back, I don’t want any outsiders disturbing us.”

The trembling in Ye Chen’s body slowly subsided. He leaned heavily against Sui Yueheng, as if a string in his heart had finally snapped, and he began to gasp for air. It took a long time for him to straighten up. His heart was still racing. He pushed Sui Yueheng away and took a step back, only to nearly fall again due to his weakness.

“You…”

“Cough… why didn’t you say that sooner…”

Sui Yueheng caught his waist again to help him stand, a trace of a smile on his lips. He was quite satisfied with the chain artifact he had created. “You didn’t ask.”

Hearing the tone of his voice, a feeling even more distressing than before surged in Ye Chen’s heart. This wasn’t right. How could his master speak so flippantly?

Ye Chen even began to wonder if Sui Yueheng had been possessed. Just as he had transmigrated into this world, could someone else have transmigrated into Sui Yueheng’s body? The only difference being that he was a reincarnation, while Sui Yueheng was a victim of possession.

As he stared blankly in one direction, he thought that if that were true, it wouldn’t actually be so bad. At least his true master would remain the noble, upright gentleman he remembered. This thought gave him a small measure of relief.

Sui Yueheng followed his gaze and spotted a rice cake shop at the corner of the street. Its bamboo sign swayed gently in the wind, looking strangely familiar.

Ah, right.

Years ago, Ye Chen had come here to buy rice cakes several times. He had a sweet tooth but didn’t like eating plain sugar or syrup, so various pastries had become his favorite treats.

“Are you looking at that shop? It has been over ten years, I’m surprised it’s still open…”

Ye Chen didn’t react immediately. So much had happened since leaving Starfall City that some of the less important details had naturally faded from his mind.

Sui Yueheng led Ye Chen to the shop and bought two boxes, choosing the flavors Ye Chen used to like based on his memory. The shopkeeper briskly packed the steaming rice cakes. When he handed them over, his eyes briefly brushed over Ye Chen’s face. He paused, looking as though he found the face familiar, yet he couldn’t quite connect it to anyone in his memory.

Ye Chen kept his head down the entire time. Even though Sui Yueheng said his spell prevented people from seeing his features clearly, standing in front of someone he used to know was still incredibly awkward.

He remembered now. Over a decade ago, the current shopkeeper was just a young man who had recently taken over the business from his father. Back then, Ye Chen used to tell him his cakes weren’t as good as his father’s. By the time he left Starfall City, the new shopkeeper’s skills had finally caught up to the old man’s.

Sui Yueheng took the rice cakes and paid, using his spiritual energy to keep them warm, just as he had done with the osmanthus cakes before.

“I wonder if the taste has changed. You haven’t had these in years. It’s getting late, and we’ve been wandering long enough. It’s time to go back.”

Ye Chen remained silent, allowing himself to be led through the market to a residence in the southern part of the city.

What else could he say? This wasn’t his home, and he didn’t want to go there, but did his wishes even matter?

Before them stood a villa with green tiles and white walls. It looked somewhat desolate, but it was pleasantly secluded. A small bamboo grove stood to the side, short enough to see across, but it added a touch of elegance to the courtyard.

The southern part of Starfall City had always been quiet. At least, quiet in the way Ye Chen understood it. Almost everyone living here was a mortal, and it was close to the farmland outside the city walls. This did, in fact, suit his preferences. Back in the day, he rarely came to this area, so even though they were still within Starfall City, he felt a slight sense of relief.

They stepped into the courtyard, which had clearly been prepared in advance. It was a world away from the desolation suggested by the exterior. Every plant and tree was vibrant. Though Ye Chen’s divine sense was sealed, he could tell from experience that many of the ornamental plants were actually rare spiritual herbs. For a Soul Transformation cultivator like Sui Yueheng, finding beautiful spiritual plants was a simple task.

Sui Yueheng led Ye Chen inside and placed a barrier around the property. It wrapped the entire residence so tightly that even if a cultivator passed by, they wouldn’t realize a courtyard even existed there.

Only after finishing this did he release his hold on Ye Chen. He turned to look at him and said softly, “From now on, we will live here. Do you like it?”

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