The Sorrow of a Hundred Reincarnations!

Pfft. Ye Zichen burst out laughing.

He suddenly found this little girl much more pleasing to the eye than the one at home who spoke ill of him behind his back all day.

"Your flowers are so pretty. How about I buy some?"

Ye Zichen looked at the flowers in the basket. Little blossoms had also been woven into a colorful wreath, and it was truly beautiful.

"Yes, yes! Big brother, how many do you want?"

Mu Lingxi was delighted. The streets were rather quiet today, and she hadn't sold many flowers.

Now someone was buying them, and he was a handsome big brother too. She was so happy she danced for joy.

"Then I'll buy your whole basket. I'll take all of them. Here."

With that, he took out a Spirit Stone and placed it in Mu Lingxi's hand, wrapping her fingers around it so she held it securely.

"Big brother! That's too much! This basket of flowers isn't worth that much!"

When Mu Lingxi saw the Spirit Stone, she hurriedly tried to pull her hand free and return it to Ye Zichen.

She had seen Spirit Stones before and knew they were more valuable than gold, silver, and jewels. This one Spirit Stone was enough to pay for lots and lots of flowers!

"It's all right. Your name is Mu Lingxi, right? Then I'll call you Lingxi. Lingxi, I only have Spirit Stones on me. You wouldn't refuse to sell me flowers, would you?"

Ye Zichen stroked the little girl's head again, looking troubled.

"But... but..."

Mu Lingxi stammered, thinking it over.

"Then how about this, big brother! I'll take you to my house and have Grandma teach you how to weave flower wreaths! Mine aren't as pretty as hers, so I can only ask her to teach you."

Mu Lingxi scratched her head and spoke shyly.

Ye Zichen pretended to ponder, then said, "All right, let's go! I was just thinking I'd like to learn how to weave such pretty flower wreaths!"

Ye Zichen got up. Then, the two of them, one big and one small, headed for the southernmost corner of the outer city, Mu Lingxi holding Ye Zichen's hand.

Half an hour later,

At the southernmost end of Chu Imperial City's outer city, where the vast majority of the poor lived, the houses were rather simple and crude.

"It's time someone told that dog emperor to fix up his rundown city."

Ye Zichen couldn't help frowning.

"We're here, we're here! My house is at the very back. Wait here, big brother. I'll go get Grandma."

With that, Mu Lingxi skipped inside.

"That silly girl..."

Seeing how optimistic Mu Lingxi was, Ye Zichen sighed helplessly.

Before long,

Mu Lingxi came out, slowly leading a stooped old woman by the hand.

"Big brother, this is my grandma. I already told her, and she agreed to teach you how to weave flower wreaths!"

When Mu Lingxi spoke of her grandmother's wreaths, the corners of her smiling mouth seemed to reach the heavens. It was clear how much she loved the wreaths her grandmother made.

"Hahaha, my granddaughter doesn't know any better. Please forgive her. Come inside and have a seat!"

Ye Zichen stepped forward and helped Grandma into the house.

The open space in front of the house was tiny; the three of them alone took up more than half of it. Ye Zichen helped Grandma sit down, then took a small stone slab and sat down himself.

"Lingxi, there's no water in the house. Go boil a pot."

The old woman called out, and Mu Lingxi ran off to boil water.

After Mu Lingxi left, Grandma spoke. "Young master, you were so generous. This old woman thanks you on that girl's behalf."

"There's no need to thank me, Grandma. Please teach me how to weave such pretty flower wreaths, and tell me about that girl while we're at it."

Ye Zichen replied politely, then chatted with Grandma about Mu Lingxi's past as he learned to make wreaths.

"That child has had a hard life since she was little. When she was two, her parents died after being caught up in a war. Until the very last moment, they held her tightly in their arms and protected her."

"An elder from the same hometown found her and traveled for days to bring the child to me. Now, in this world, only my granddaughter Lingxi and I have each other to live with."

"After moving from place to place, we finally made it to this big city."

"..."

Mu Lingxi's grandmother dearly loved her granddaughter. She spoke at length, lamenting how unfair the world had been to Mu Lingxi.

Ye Zichen listened from beginning to end without interrupting.

Before they knew it, the sun was about to set, and Ye Zichen prepared to leave.

"Wow! Big brother, yours are so pretty! You've only been learning for half a day, but I'm so clumsy. Boo-hoo."

Mu Lingxi sounded aggrieved. Big brother had learned for only an afternoon and already made so many pretty wreaths. She was so stupid.

Ye Zichen gently pinched Mu Lingxi's cheek and said, "Then I'll give this one to you, Lingxi! From now on, you have to try to make one even prettier than mine!"

"Wow! Really, big brother? Thank you! I'll definitely make a super-pretty one for you then!"

Mu Lingxi accepted it with delight, then hugged Ye Zichen.

"I still don't know your name, big brother! Can you tell Xi'er?"

Letting go of Ye Zichen, Mu Lingxi blinked her lively eyes and asked expectantly.

"My surname is Ye. You can call me Brother Ye from now on."

Ye Zichen answered softly.

"Okay! Goodbye, Brother Ye!"

"Goodbye! Grandma, please don't see me off any farther."

"Goodbye!"

Mu Lingxi's voice rang through the alley as Ye Zichen's figure slowly disappeared from the two women's sight.

Before he left, Grandma had refused to accept the Spirit Stone no matter what he said. In the end, Ye Zichen had to exchange it for silver before she reluctantly accepted it.

"Grandma! Hurry and teach me some more. I want to make a super-pretty flower wreath! Hehe."

"Oh, you. All right, all right!"

The two returned to the house.

Meanwhile, Ye Zichen hadn't gone far. He was hidden in the air and looked back once more as Mu Lingxi and her grandmother went inside before turning away.

"Mu Lingxi, the Reincarnation Immortal Physique... a hundred reincarnations... I wonder what you'll become after enduring the trials of this final life?"

Ye Zichen murmured, his gaze deep.

During the day, he had used the Eye of the Sovereign's ability and seen the shadows of reincarnation upon the little girl. He had also seen Mu Lingxi's previous ninety-nine lives of suffering.

In each of her previous ninety-nine lives, Mu Lingxi had suffered pain, despair, fear, and unwillingness to accept her fate. All those figures had gathered within the silly girl of this final life.

Even someone like him found it a little hard to bear after seeing such karma.

"Alas, if I'd known, I wouldn't have looked."

Ye Zichen sighed and headed toward the medicine shop with the basket of flower wreaths.