Chapter 72: Not Just Shattered, But Blown Apart (Part Three)

Ye Li was remarkably talented in alchemy. He could take a simple laxative and concoct it into something that tasted like a potent tonic, leaving you defenseless against its effects. It might even come with some unexpected side effects that could plunge you into utter despair.

Ye Zhao glanced around quickly, then lifted the “Cracking Broth” and took a sip.

The moment it touched his lips—

Pfft!

So salty, all show and no substance!

He cursed inwardly, then suddenly felt a strange sensation in his stomach. The violent churning that followed made his face change dramatically.

It was as if thunder rumbled within his belly, a raging sea threatening to burst forth. The sensation intensified almost instantly, an explosive pressure! He tried to suppress it with his Dao energy, but to his horror, it only grew fiercer!

Clamping his hands over his abdomen, Ye Zhao tiptoed quickly toward the latrine, careful not to move too fast, fearing disaster would strike before he arrived.

As the head of the Ye family of Ankang Continent, if word got out that he soiled himself, how could he ever show his face again? He might as well hang himself from a beam at home.

Ye Kun opened his door, only to find the corridor empty. “Where did everyone go? Uncle is acting like a child, how boring.”

Just as Ye Kun was lamenting his uncle’s childishness, a muffled bang echoed in the distance—a truly peculiar sound.

Yawning, Ye Kun decided to go back to sleep for a while since it was still early, though his stomach felt a bit unsettled.

The “sobering soup” Ye Kun drank the previous night had been absorbed by the two streams of Dao energy within him, but not entirely. After all, Ye Li and Yan Muer had “specially” prepared it, so it wasn’t easy to neutralize. Now, he only felt a slight discomfort—nothing serious.

But Ye Zhao was not so lucky.

That muffled bang just now nearly made him want to die.

He had barely squatted down when he let out an explosive fart. Perhaps his strength wavered for a moment, and with just a bit too much force, the two wooden planks beneath him snapped, sending him tumbling into the cesspit.

Only his head remained above the surface, gasping for air, while bubbles rose behind him.

What did it feel like?

It was an utterly humiliating situation, yet his face involuntarily showed a look of comfort, as if soaking in a hot bath.

Who knew relieving oneself could be so pleasurable?

Two extreme emotions warred within Ye Zhao, and he didn’t know what expression was appropriate.

All things considered, the relief was immense, but the surroundings were less than ideal.

He wanted to get out, but his body showed no signs of stopping. Call for help? He’d rather die.

Damn it! What on earth was in that soup? Did that bald-headed fellow prepare it on purpose? Did he know he’d be here this morning?

Was he really that clever?!

Half an hour later, Ye Kun and Ye Qin finally got up. Both were to hold their coming-of-age ceremonies today, though Ye Qin was not yet married.

The ceremony would be a simple family affair, as was the custom in Taijing. Only the royal family or high nobility would invite many guests to such an event.

For most families, it was a modest affair marking a major life milestone.

The coming-of-age ceremony involved worshiping the ancestors, serving tea to parents, listening to their advice, and thus the ritual was complete. From then on, the young man was considered an adult, free to spread his wings.

Ye Kun and Ye Qin were already dressed in their ceremonial robes—a set of dark red long gowns, unadorned and traditional. Even the most powerful men wore the same color, perhaps only choosing finer fabrics.

The only difference was that Ye Qin wore a hair crown. Their mother had specially prepared a beautiful jade-green hair crown for him.

Ye Kun looked at his brother’s crown and felt something was off… but it certainly suited the occasion.

My poor brother, are you really our mother’s biological son…?

All grown men wore hair crowns—except the disreputable, like Teacher Wu Chi, who wore his hair loose.

And, of course, there was another possibility—like Kun himself, who was bald…

Should he just fasten the crown to his bare head?

Looking at his brother’s crown, Ye Kun grinned, “Handsome!”

Ye Qin did look dashing, especially with the crown lending him an air of maturity. Locks of hair framed his face along his temples, enough to make any noble lady swoon. If Ba Wanqing saw him now, she’d surely regret her choices; his transformation was remarkable.

“It’s just… the crown is green,” Ye Kun said.

“…”

“And it’s a gift from Mother.”

“…”

Brother, you’re making this so hard for me—I don’t even know how to comfort you.

Ye Qin just grinned and patted Ye Kun on the back, “Brother, seeing you like this, I’ve already come to terms with it.”

Like I’d believe you. You expect me to believe you digested it all overnight, unless the cesspit exploded.

Bang!

Just as Ye Kun finished the thought, a thunderous crash sounded outside.

The brothers exchanged glances, then rushed out to investigate. Could someone be causing trouble?

As soon as they opened the door, a stench filled the air, and both immediately clamped their noses shut.

At that moment, Ye Ming and Dongmen Meng hurried to the scene, followed by Zhang Tiantian and Xiao Ling.

As for Ye Li and Yan Muer, they had relieved themselves to the point of exhaustion and were still resting.

Thankfully, the two of them were strong—they only spent the night in the latrine.

The entire Ye family gathered at the latrine, only to see the ground covered in… well, excrement.

Ye Kun’s scalp tingled again. He had just been thinking about the latrine exploding—who knew it would actually happen!

Could his brother really have come to terms with it?

Ye Ming, holding his nose, said gravely, “Who has a grudge against our family latrine? To blow such a crater!”

“Husband, hurry up and clean it, the smell is unbearable,” Dongmen Meng quickly retreated.

Ye Ming turned to his two sons.

Ye Kun and Ye Qin cupped their hands and made a hasty exit…

Ye Ming then looked at Xiao Ling and Zhang Tiantian. Xiao Ling bowed slightly, “Master, I must go prepare breakfast.” She left as well.

Only Ye Ming and Zhang Tiantian remained, staring at each other.

“Master, my sense of smell has suddenly become quite sensitive lately—I fear I cannot shoulder this responsibility.”

“Zhang Tiantian! I dare you to take one step away today!”

“Of course, I can also hold my breath.”

It seemed, in this family, Ye Ming could only bully you.

No wonder it was called Cracking Broth—it blew everything apart. Ye Zhao had no choice but to flee to a secluded place and relieve himself until the world went dark.

Inside the Ye family’s main hall—

“Mother, where are my sisters-in-law?” Ye Qin asked curiously, surprised not to see them so early.

Dongmen Meng sipped her tea. “They must have eaten something bad last night. Their stomachs have been upset all night—they’re still resting.”

Ye Kun felt something was off, but quickly dismissed the notion. If they truly meant him harm, why would they give him diarrhea? Only a fool would drink a laxative they themselves had prepared. Besides, his sisters-in-law seemed quite clever.

It must have just been some bad food.

As their husband, he ought to check on them, especially since they had brewed him that sobering soup last night.

Could it be there was something wrong with the sobering soup?

Or did the two of them drink it all outside in one gulp?

Ye Kun chuckled. Who could be that foolish?