For the Rest of This Life, I Bear Your Karma

Three hours later, Qian Renxue leaned against Ye Yuan's chest, panting heavily.

She felt as if her jaw no longer belonged to her.

She didn't want to move her mouth even a little bit.

She pinched Ye Yuan's face, "I really suspect that you weren't asleep, A-Yuan."

He was clearly asleep, yet he still held her head...

She hadn't lied to Ye Yuan; this medicinal bath was indeed hard to come by, and it was special in that she didn't need to actively absorb it like the first time.

She only needed to sit quietly inside, and her body would absorb it on its own.

Qian Renxue leaned against Ye Yuan's chest and drifted into a deep sleep.

The exhaustion from just moments ago caused her to fall into a dream quickly.

This dream was the same as the others, dreaming once again of the time when the two of them first met.

In the dream, in a past life, on the Douluo Continent, at the former site of the Martial Soul Hall.

By this time, the Shrek Seven Devils had already ascended to the God Realm.

"Master, quite a few people have arrived from outside; should we still take them in?" The one speaking was his personal attendant, named Wuneng.

This name was given by Ye Yuan when he first saved him; seeing that he was honest and clumsy, Ye Yuan had bestowed it upon him.

In this life, Ye Yuan had not met Qian Renxue early on.

He had wandered around and joined Shrek Academy, but because of his relationship with Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing, he was constantly targeted by Tang San and the others.

Ye Yuan had been suppressing his own strength; he was different from Tang San and his group.

His Candle Dragon Emperor martial soul allowed him to break through to become a god within a hundred years without needing a deity position.

If he dared to become a god now, Tang San would immediately bring people to annihilate him.

"Of course, after all, the goal of establishing the Heavenly Court at the former site of the Martial Soul Hall was to help these people."

The people Ye Yuan referred to were naturally the commoners oppressed by the two great empires.

"Yes, understood, Master."

"By the way, Master, the matter of taking on an apprentice that you mentioned last time is ready; we are waiting for you now."

"I know." Ye Yuan stood up and walked slowly toward the outside of the hall.

Wuneng looked at his back and suddenly called out, "Master!"

"What is it?"

"Do you really have to go? Isn't our life right now quite good?"

"Why are you still planning to go find that Tang San?"

Ye Yuan did not reply, simply walking away slowly.

After the seven members of Tang San's group ascended to the God Realm, Tang San had come to the lower realm to warn Ye Yuan that if he dared to ascend, Tang San would immediately bring people to suppress him.

He hadn't killed Dai Mubai yet, and he was not reconciled.

Moreover, since he had already come to this world, why not try to reach for the heights?

He planned to take on a gifted individual as his disciple, pass on all his skills to them, and then hand over the position of the Lord of the Heavenly Court.

The Heavenly Court was the only utopia for commoners that Ye Yuan had created on the Douluo Continent.

People had been joining in an endless stream over these years.

In a sense, this was another continuation of the Martial Soul Hall.

After finishing all this, he wanted to go up and see the sky of the God Realm, and meet that high and mighty God King.

"A person cannot live a cowardly life forever; one must always pursue something."

"Dai Mubai, you won't have to wait too long."

At this moment, the square of the Heavenly Court Kingdom's sacred hall was packed with people.

These were spirit masters who had come for his reputation, as well as many commoners.

On the Douluo Continent, this was a phenomenon that simply did not exist.

Spirit masters were actually queuing up together with commoners.

Although these commoners had no spirit power, they wanted to try their luck; after all, the master of this Heavenly Court had not said that commoners could not participate.

"Look, it's the master of the Heavenly Court!"

"This is the strongest person on the current Douluo Continent, Ye Yuan!"

"Lord of the Heavenly Court, please bless us!"

"..."

Over these years, Ye Yuan's reputation could be said to have resounded throughout the entire continent.

He was not only formidable in strength, but also lacked the arrogance of the nobility.

In the Heavenly Court, everyone was an ordinary person; there was no distinction between nobles and commoners.

Ye Yuan had long since prepared the trials, and anyone who passed them would become his disciple.

They would become the next master of this Heavenly Court.

"I announce that the recruitment examination for the disciple of the Master of the Heavenly Court has officially begun!"

With the chief examiner's order, the assessment formally commenced.

Watching these people get eliminated one after another, Ye Yuan could not help but shake his head.

The trials he set did not just test cultivation talent; intelligence and temperament were equally indispensable.

If one were not outstanding enough, they would be unable to suppress the Clear Sky Sect and the two great empires on the continent.

After Tang San left, the Clear Sky Sect was the strongest sect on the continent, followed by the Tang Sect.

The third power was none other than Shrek Academy.

Before Tang San left, he had left behind quite a foundation for Shrek.

It had become an academy with vast influence—no, it should be called a state within a state.

"It seems it will take quite some time to make a selection."

The more Ye Yuan watched, the less interested he became, so he went down the mountain alone to clear his mind.

The withered yellow grass was frozen stiff, emitting a crisp snapping sound when stepped upon.

A little girl with golden hair was walking through the snow.

Her clothing was thin, and her frame was small and frail.

Walking alone in the mountains, she had just been screened out of the examination.

"Grandfather, this human world is so bitter."

"Lord Angel, your blessing is truly so bitter."

She was Qian Renxue, who had died after her great battle with Tang San.

The Angel's blessing had granted Qian Renxue a second life, but this time, her talent was mediocre.

Without the status of a noble, without the help of Martial Soul Hall and her grandfather, she found it difficult to take a single step in this world.

She wanted to die, yet deep down, there was a sense of unwillingness, but Tang San and the others had already left the Douluo Continent.

No matter how gifted she might be in this life, it would be impossible to take revenge.

"I'm so tired, Grandfather, Little Xue is a bit sleepy."

"I want to sleep."

"Little Xue misses home."

Unconsciously, she walked toward the main hall of the Heavenly Court, the place where Ye Yuan resided and the former site of Martial Soul Hall.

She clutched a steamed bun in her arms, taking it out with hands covered in frostbite. "No, this is my last ration; I must save it."

She tucked the bun back into her clothes and continued walking, not knowing how long she had been going.

Finally, she collapsed to the ground. "Grandfather, Little Xue is coming to see you soon."

Suddenly, a man appeared in her field of vision.

Qian Renxue recognized him; he was someone who had participated in the battle at Jiayu Pass.

He had saved Qian Renxue's life back then, but before Tang San ascended to the God Realm, he had found her again and killed her.

Looking at the girl before him, Ye Yuan could not help but think of when he had first transmigrated to the Douluo Continent.

At that time, Ye Yuan's situation was exactly the same as the Qian Renxue before him, and it was also winter.

If it hadn't been for that woman back then, he might have died.

A glimmer of light appeared in Qian Renxue's eyes—a light called the will to survive.

"No, I cannot die."

"Grandfather's instructions have not yet been fulfilled, and the vengeance for the destruction of Martial Soul Hall has not been avenged."

"I must live!"

Qian Renxue used all her strength to stand up, her thin body trembling uncontrollably.

"Master... of the Hall..."

"Please, take me as your disciple." After saying this, Qian Renxue knelt down.

In Qian Renxue's value system, all interactions were accompanied by transactions.

She pulled the bun from her bosom; the bun, held by her grimy little hand, was somewhat blackened.

She looked at the only thing on her person that held any value to her.

A hint of bitterness welled up in her heart.

This steamed bun was something she had snatched from a shop when she was starving.

She couldn't help but steal it.

As a result, she was discovered and nearly beaten to death.

Those memories were already somewhat blurred; she only knew that her entire body ached now.

"I... I have nothing else of value."

The man before her was one of the most noble people on the Douluo Continent, and in the eyes of Qian Renxue, he would surely have no interest in such a thing.

But she didn't want to die yet, so she remained kneeling on the ground.

As long as she lived, there was hope for revenge; she could not die.

Ye Yuan looked at the young girl before him, a flicker of soul power dancing across his fingertips.

The soul power at his fingertips split the steamed bun in two.

"From this day forward, you are my, Ye Yuan's, disciple. We each hold half of this bun."

"If you are truly willing to take me as your master, then eat that half."

"On the path of cultivation ahead, Ye Yuan shall protect you for the rest of your life and bear your karma."

The girl stared blankly at the handsome, tall man before her, her eyes filling with something new.

Qian Renxue had seen the powerful Angel God, but at this moment, her own Angel God had appeared...

She did not speak, only feeling her face grow itchy, wet, and hot.

It turned out she was crying; she didn't even know how long it had been since she last wept.

She hadn't cried when scolded by her grandfather, hadn't cried when injured during cultivation, and hadn't cried when killed by Tang San, yet now, tears flowed down her cheeks.

She immediately shoved the bun in her hand into her mouth, swallowing it down in a rush.

Ye Yuan stared at the black handprint on the bun in his hand; how long had it been since he last ate a steamed bun? He didn't know.

Just as Qian Renxue thought Ye Yuan was disgusted by the black handprint on the bun.

Ye Yuan shoved the half-bun directly into his mouth.

The bun wasn't large to begin with, and having been cut in two, it was easily swallowed in one bite.

"What is your name?" Ye Yuan asked.

Qian Renxue did not answer, only shaking her head.

Ye Yuan took off his outer robe and draped it over Qian Renxue's thin frame.

That was the warmest garment in Qian Renxue's memory.

"Then you shall take my surname."

"You and I, master and disciple, have formed a bond in this snowy weather. I shall name you, with the single character Xue, so from now on, you shall be called Ye Xue."

"In the future, Master will call you Little Xue."

Qian Renxue murmured, "Ye Xue, Little Xue..."

From that day on, she was no longer called Qian Renxue, but had a new name: Ye Xue.

Ye Yuan did not know why he had taken this girl as his disciple.

She had no astonishing talent, no stunning appearance, and no vast wealth.

In short, there was nothing about her that met his requirements for taking on a disciple.

Perhaps this is just how people are.

It is like going to a pet shop to buy a cat, thinking you will choose a cute and well-behaved one.

But then you see a little stray cat on the side of the road that has suffered through hardship.

That cat is miserable and terrified of people.

Yet when it meets you, it walks toward your feet and lingers around you for a long time.

Even if you are someone who pursues beauty to the extreme, you still take in that little stray cat.

This is something no one would have expected, including yourself.

Just like the current Ye Yuan and Qian Renxue—no, it should be Ye Xue...