Eternal Holy Emperor

Ye Chen teased Huan'er, causing the maid's face to blush and her delicate little fists to wave continuously. Under her annoyed gaze, he burst out of the room with a loud laugh and headed towards the Salary Hall.

After wandering about the vast City Lord Mansion for a while, Ye Chen finally arrived at a wide and majestic room clearly marked "Salary Hall" in large, swirling characters.

The Salary Hall was where the Ye Family distributed the monthly allowances to its members.

Generally, as long as a family member reached the age of twelve, they would receive a corresponding monthly allowance, varying from person to person, as it was not possible to treat everyone equally.

Those who were valued by the family or had contributed significantly, such as those who were pinned with high hopes or possessed cultivated talents, naturally received a higher monthly allowance, while the opposite was true for others.

Although Ye Chen had fallen from grace, going from a genius to a cripple, and his future position as the Family Head was doomed to be revoked, and he could not hold important positions within the family, he was still the progeny of the current Family Head and the Lord of Luofeng City. The family could not completely ignore or suppress him, and they still issued fifteen gold coins each month.

Such an allowance was considered upper-middle-class even among the younger generation of the Ye Family, eliciting envy and jealousy from many of his peers.

When he arrived at the Salary Hall, there were already many family members queuing up to receive their monthly allowances, a few dozen people, both old and young, but mainly from the younger generation.

Ye Chen silently followed the line at the back, unnoticed by anyone else.

Behind the tall, red sandalwood desk, the Salary Hall staff was busy calculating the allowances to be distributed and handed a bag of coins to the fifteen- or sixteen-year-old boy at the front of the line. The boy opened the bag and couldn't help but wail, "Oh my goodness, only five gold coins this month, how am I supposed to spend this?"

The other family members also received their money bags and found that the allowances weren't much, mostly ranging from five to twelve gold coins, and some even as few as four.

Generally, two gold coins were enough to cover a common household's expenses for a month, but that was certainly pitiful for a family's young master used to spending freely.

At that moment, a commotion suddenly arose in the Salary Hall.

A young man appeared at the door and strode forward. He was exceptionally handsome, and well-built, about twenty years old, and he walked directly to the red sandalwood desk without queuing.

But no one complained; on the contrary, they stepped aside to make way, looking at the young man with awe and reverence.

"Look, Cousin Zhengyang is here. He is one of the outstanding members of our generation in the Ye Family and the grandson of the Great Elder. His allowance this month must be over eighty coins."

"Eighty gold coins, really? I only received eight this month."

"Only eighty? That's actually less. Last month he received eighty-four, and this month it must be more, maybe even over a hundred."

With the appearance of Ye Zhengyang, whispers among the other family members ensued, many casting envious and admiring glances. The envious chatter was incessant.

Among the talented younger generation of the Ye Family, Ye Zhengyang was one of the few distinguished members.

At just twenty years old, he had reached the Acquired Ninth Realm of Perfect, just one step away from advancing to the Innate Realm. Although he could not compare to Yang Yi, the Heavenly Pride Girl of the Yangg Family, he was still regarded as a genius expected to reach the Innate Realm within three years—a great hope of the family.

At that moment, Ye Zhengyang received a money bag from the elder at the Salary Hall; heavy and full, it was evidently not less than eighty gold coins just by looking at it, much more than what others received.

"It's really deserved by Cousin Zhengyang, his allowance is so much, all of us together don't even have as much as him."

The other family members cast envious glances, marveling repeatedly. One family member couldn't help but ask, "Cousin Zhengyang, how much is your allowance this month?"

Hearing the question, the other youngsters all pricked up their ears eagerly to listen.

Ye Zhengyang shook his head and sighed, "It's a bit less than I expected this month, only a hundred gold coins."

Though he seemed a bit disappointed, his eyes clearly shimmered with satisfaction. An allowance of one hundred gold coins was almost the most among the younger generation of the Ye Family.

As expected, many of the surrounding young men and women couldn't help but gasp in shock and admiration, especially the blooming young ladies who couldn't hide their fervent gazes.

Ye Zhengyang, with his handsome appearance, great strength, and the potential to carry the elder position of his grandfather, was indeed a dream lover for every girl.

"No wonder Cousin Zhengyang is the strongest among our younger generation; his monthly allowance is more than what I get in a year."

"Cousin Zhengyang is so handsome and strong, already at the Acquired Ninth Realm at twenty, and might soon step into the Innate Realm, surely becoming the top among the young generation of the Ye Family."

"What are you talking about? Cousin Zhengyang is already the top among the younger generation of the Ye Family, and he should be the rightful heir to the family, much stronger than that waste Ye Chen."

Listening to the wave after wave of envious voices from the crowd, Ye Zhengyang's cheeky smile grew even more conspicuous, vanity—a temptation many young people couldn't resist.

Especially the position of the Family Head and the Lord of Luofeng, every member of the younger generation of the family wished to inherit it, including him naturally.

It could even be said that he had already considered the position of Family Head as his own. However, he didn't show this on his face, merely waving his hand and saying, "My brothers and sisters, the position of Family Head is only for those who are capable. Although my cultivation is not bad, I am still young and not qualified for the position of Family Head. Don't speak carelessly and attract unnecessary gossip."

"Cousin Zhengyang, you're being modest. If not you, who else could take up the position of Family Head in the future?"

"Yes, Cousin Zhengyang is not only handsome and suave, but he also reached the Acquired Perfection at the age of twenty, just a step away from reaching the Innate realm. Surely, he will be the next Family Head of our Ye Family. Our Ye Family depends on you, Cousin Zhengyang, to lead us to glory."

The young men and women in the clan hurriedly spoke up, their flattering contributions adding to the smug expression on Ye Zhengyang's face, which he couldn't hide as he waved his hand and chuckled, "My brothers and sisters, you flatter me too much, don't say such things."

"Pfft—"

Ye Chen, standing at the end of the line, couldn't help but burst out laughing. This guy was really bad at pretending, clearly wanting it yet trying to appear disinterested. He had seen many who boasted, but none so conspicuously as this.

The laughter was particularly loud and startling, even more so when people turned to see that it was Ye Chen, at the end of the line, who had laughed.

Mocking Ye Zhengyang like this was surely too audacious.

Ye Zhengyang couldn't help frowning, his expression darkening slightly, but he did not speak.

As a member of the Ye Family's younger generation with the highest cultivation and status, he always had a strong sense of superiority, especially when facing Ye Chen, who was merely at the Third Level of the Acquired Realm. He viewed him like a noble looking down on a beggar, filled with arrogance and disdain, deeming it beneath him to speak to someone who brought disgrace to the family.

Moreover, he knew that sometimes he didn't need to speak; others would speak for him.

Indeed—

"Ye Chen, what are you laughing at?" A youth about the same age as Ye Chen stepped forward, pointed at Ye Chen's nose, and scoffed, "Are you doubting Cousin Zhengyang's qualifications to be the next Family Head?"

With a single question, Ye Chen was pushed into opposition against Ye Zhengyang, causing everyone to cast strange looks at him.

Even Ye Zhengyang himself took an interested look, eager to see how this family disgrace would be humiliated by his kin.

Ye Chen recognized this youth, Ye Hua, the same age as him and the only child of a relative who handled affairs for the family, spoiled from a young age. Despite his lower cultivation level, because he had a better father, he received more salary each month than Ye Hua did, which made Ye Hua jealous and often looking for opportunities to antagonize him.

He had been targeted many times over the past couple of years, and this time was no exception.

Faced with Ye Hua's pointed scolding, Ye Chen simply furrowed his brows and did not retaliate angrily.

Having lived two lives, once as the Young Supreme, the founding Sovereign of the Immortal Divine Country, everything made him far more mature than he appeared, with a well-cultivated mental state. He wouldn't easily get angry over such matters.

In his eyes, both Ye Hua and Ye Zhengyang were just playing house, and he couldn't bother to stoop to argue, merely shrugged and said, "I didn't mean that."

However, his retreat was seen by Ye Hua as an act of cowardice and retreat, and, ever jealous of Ye Chen, he wouldn't miss this chance to humiliate him publicly. He mocked, "It's good that you, a waste, recognize your place. Cousin Zhengyang is our Ye Family's cultivation genius, unlike you who can't even cultivate properly. He will always be the one destined to take the position of Family Head."

Dismissive of the response, Ye Chen walked straight to the counter to collect his monthly salary. Arguing was less practical than quickly collecting his salary and leaving.

Such behavior, however, was seen as contemptible and despicable by the other clan members.

Now even an ordinary clan member could insult him at will, which just showed how degenerate this waste was. If not for his father who held the positions of Family Head and City Lord, he would have long been banished from the Ye Family and sent to the frontier.

Ye Chen didn't want to stir trouble, but that didn't mean others wouldn't provoke it first. Seeing Ye Chen silent, Ye Hua thought he had cowered and, with a satisfied smirk, stepped forward and snatched the money pouch of gold coins that Ye Chen had just received, barking viciously, "You, a waste, also manage to collect fifteen gold coins a month. If not for your father, what ability do you have?"

"Give it back to me," Ye Chen stretched out his hand to take it back.

Ye Hua stepped back and revealed a cold sneer, "You can take it back if you kneel on the ground and bark three times like a dog. Maybe if you amuse me, I might even reward you with a few copper coins to buy dog food."

None of the surrounding clan members intervened; instead, they laughed loudly, eager to see how ridiculously funny it would be for Ye Chen to lie on the ground and bark like a dog.

Even Ye Zhengyang watched with interest, arms crossed. For the son of the Family Head to imitate a barking dog amused him greatly.

Slap—

A crisp slap suddenly sounded. Ye Chen raised his hand and fiercely slapped Ye Hua across the face, staring at a stunned and furious Ye Hua and said coldly, "I don't argue with you because I don't see the point in dealing with such a boring person like you. Do you really think you are something? In my eyes, even a dog knows better how to behave than you."

Under the shocked gazes of everyone, the young man's icy words echoed throughout the Salary Hall.