Ye Chen's Misery

"I can alter the Devil Dao Cultivation Method the system gave me. If I don't say it's a Devil Dao Cultivation Method, those disciples might not be able to tell."

Lin Ye had made up his mind. He would disguise the wording of the Devil Dao Cultivation Method as much as possible, alter its description, and change its name to something as close as possible to a righteous-path Cultivation Method. That should take care of any problems.

The Black-Yellow Sect was a small, one-star sect. Nearby lay Black Spirit Town, which had quite a few residents. He planned to try his luck there and see whether he could find a suitable disciple.

Before long, Lin Ye arrived in Black Spirit Town. The system would notify him if there were any disciples suited to cultivating the Devil Dao, but its range was only a hundred meters. Beyond that, it couldn't detect them.

Only when his cultivation improved would that detection range expand.

Black Spirit Town.

Most of the people in the bustling crowd were ordinary folk. Martial artists were still rare in this world, and in this little town, most of them were only at the second or third level of the Body Refining Realm. Anyone at the Late Stage of Body Refining was considered a great expert.

"System, are there really no disciples suited to cultivating the Devil Dao?"

Lin Ye had walked around town without finding a single suitable disciple. Just how stringent were the system's requirements? If he couldn't find a suitable disciple, wouldn't his Supreme Devil Dao System be a useless system?

"Have you heard? Ye Chen of the Ye Household had his meridians severed. I'm afraid he'll never be able to break through to the Middle Stage of Body Refining!"

"Who did it? The Ye Household is one of the three great lineages in our Black Spirit Town, with several Late Stage of Body Refining experts. Who would dare offend them?"

"Late Stage of Body Refining, that's all. They're only considered experts in Black Spirit Town. Anywhere else, they wouldn't even count as ants. Speaking of which, this Ye Chen has had a miserable time of it. He was betrothed to the Luo Household's third young miss when they were little, and they grew up as childhood sweethearts. But later, the Luo Household's third young miss wanted to break off the engagement in public and humiliate the Ye Household. Naturally, the Ye Household couldn't let it go, but the Luo Household's third young miss found herself a backer, so they had no choice."

"Are you saying the Luo Household's backer severed Ye Chen's meridians?"

"No. After that happened, Ye Chen threw himself into arduous cultivation. His maid, Xu Yan, was indignant on her young master's behalf and cursed the Luo Household's third young miss every day. Xu Yan had such a pitiful face, too, and she stayed by Ye Chen's side while he cultivated. Little by little, Ye Chen fell for his maid, Xu Yan. He even talked back to his parents over her, insisting on marrying her."

"That happened? Xu Yan sounds pretty good, at least more dependable than the Luo Household's third young miss. I reckon Ye Chen's father objected because he thought Xu Yan's background wasn't good enough."

"Good, my ass! Not long ago, an important figure passed through Black Spirit Town and discovered that Xu Yan had a special physique. The important figure wanted to take her as a disciple and bring her along. Ye Chen wanted to go with Xu Yan, but guess what happened?"

"The important figure wouldn't agree, and Xu Yan didn't speak up for him?"

"If only she'd merely failed to speak up! Xu Yan actually asked the important figure to have her maidservant's indenture canceled and demanded that the Ye Household never mention the matter again. Ye Chen only said a few extra words, and Xu Yan had the important figure strike him with a palm, severely injuring him and severing his meridians. Afterward, Xu Yan happily left with the important figure."

"What? There's someone like that? She hid it too well! Looks like Xu Yan was only good to Ye Chen because she wanted to become the mistress of the Ye Household. Now that she's risen above her station, Ye Chen and the Ye Household must be a disgrace to her."

"Yeah. Given Xu Yan's character, once her cultivation improves in the future, she might even come back and wipe out the Ye Household. Now everyone keeps their distance from the Ye Household to avoid suspicion. No one dares get close to them anymore."

Lin Ye listened to the group's conversation and thought Ye Chen had it far too hard.

His surname is Ye, he's had such a miserable time, and his meridians are severed. He's a textbook protagonist template. He might just meet the Supreme Devil Dao System's requirements for a disciple.

Lin Ye immediately headed for the Ye Household's residence.

The Ye Household.

Ye Chen lay in bed, looking as though he had nothing left to live for. When the Luo Household's third young miss, Luo Susu, had hurt him before, he had only been angry. After all, there had been little affection between them. But this time was different. He had truly fallen in love with Xu Yan and had even decided she was the one for him for the rest of his life.

Yet it had all been false affection, and he had even become a disgrace to her. If Xu Yan's cultivation hadn't been so low, she might well have wiped out him and his lineage outright.

On top of that, his meridians were now severed, and he had no hope of cultivating for the rest of his life. He was utterly desperate.

The Ye Household was packing up, preparing to leave Black Spirit Town. If they stayed, it wouldn't be long before Xu Yan returned and made a move against them. As soon as Xu Yan broke through to the Body Forging Realm, the Ye Household would have no power to resist.

"Young master, please eat something. We have to leave Black Spirit Town tomorrow. Without your strength, you won't be able to travel for long." Ye Chen's young attendant walked in carrying a bowl of porridge.

Xu Yan had been the one to bring him porridge before, but now that the maid was gone, the attendant had taken over.

"I'm not hungry!" Ye Chen waved a hand gently, then turned over and lay there, grieving in silence.

Meanwhile, outside the Ye residence.

Lin Ye walked around the Ye residence. When he reached a certain spot, the system's voice rang out.

"Devil Dao disciple meeting the Supreme Devil Dao System's standards detected. Host, please accept the disciple as soon as possible..."

Lin Ye was overjoyed to hear the notification. He had finally found one, and it was most likely Ye Chen.

He went to the main gate and announced his identity. "Lin Ye of the Black-Yellow Sect. I have come to pay a visit to the Ye Household."

"The Black-Yellow Sect!"

The guards were immediately surprised. They had heard of the Black-Yellow Sect. Though it was only the weakest kind of one-star sect, it was still a sect!

They hurried off to report to the head of the household.

"Someone from the Black-Yellow Sect has come to visit our Ye Household?" Ye Long, head of the Ye Household and Ye Chen's father, frowned slightly upon hearing the report. He knew the Black-Yellow Sect's situation as well. Although it was a one-star sect, it had long since declined and was also very poor, with no businesses to speak of. Naturally, he looked down on such a sect.

But he didn't dare offend the Black-Yellow Sect either. However weak a one-star sect might be and however few disciples it had, it had to have at least one Body Forging Realm martial artist. The Ye Household, on the other hand, didn't have a single one.

"I'll see him!"

Ye Long sent someone to invite Lin Ye in.

Before long, Lin Ye entered the Ye Household and met Ye Long. He saw through Ye Long's cultivation at once: the eighth level of the Body Refining Realm. His strength was fairly decent.

Ye Long looked at Lin Ye and frowned slightly. He couldn't see through Lin Ye's cultivation at all. He even felt that Lin Ye was shrouded in an extraordinary presence. This was the effect of the Devil Shadow Breath-Returning Technique. Lin Ye needed to disguise himself as a great expert, or it would be difficult to take a disciple.

"And you are, sir, of the Black-Yellow Sect..."

Ye Long cupped his hands as he asked.

"Lin Ye, the newly appointed sect master of the Black-Yellow Sect," Lin Ye announced.

"Sect master of the Black-Yellow Sect!" Ye Long was greatly startled. The sect master of a one-star sect was surely a Body Forging Realm martial artist. He couldn't afford to offend him. "Please, Sect Master Lin, have a seat."

After sitting down, Lin Ye looked around before asking, "Might I ask where your son Ye Chen is?"