"Ah, it's a long story!"
The old beggar sighed. "Back then, we were all gang leaders or sect masters. At the very least, we were heads of our clans. But fate was unkind. Our sects went bankrupt and were liquidated, and that's how we ended up like this."
"Your sects went bankrupt!?"
Ye Chen froze, then asked tentatively, "Don't tell me you got caught up in stocks!?"
"Alas!!"
At his words, the beggars all sighed in unison.
Back when they'd first invested, they'd been riding high. Their sects' assets had multiplied hundreds of times over, and wherever they went, people fawned over them and showered them with flattery. Their confidence had swollen to unprecedented heights, and they'd believed their families and sects would grow bigger and stronger under their leadership.
But good times never lasted, and the market had suddenly taken a nosedive.
By the time they realized what was happening and tried to pull out, it was already too late. They could only declare their sects and families bankrupt.
"Wait..."
Ye Chen said, utterly baffled, "You're all at least Immortal Lords, and some of you are even Immortal King Realm experts. In the Immortal Realm, you'd be big shots in your own right. Even if your sects and families went bankrupt, you could still make a comeback. How could you be content to live as beggars in this rundown temple!?"
"Make a comeback!?"
The old beggar gave a self-deprecating smile, pulled out his wine gourd, and took a swig.
Their cultivation was still intact, but their Dao Hearts had already shattered.
Every one of them had once been ambitious, eager to lead their families and sects to the summit. But in the end, they'd all fallen from heaven straight into hell.
Some had watched the fruits of their Old