Xiao Jietian stood before the towering city gates, his gaze sweeping across the massive outer walls that curved like the graceful body of an ancient zither.
Three enormous characters were carved above the entrance in flowing, elegant script: Tianyin City—Heavenly Sound City.
This grand fortress fell under the dominion of the enigmatic Sound Valley and served as the sole gateway to their hidden sanctum. Only by traversing the exclusive spatial wormhole within Tianyin City could one reach the true heart of the Sound Valley.
Xiao Jietian had long harbored curiosity toward this mysterious sect shrouded in secrecy and seclusion; thus he had chosen it as the first destination on his journey through the Central Plains.
"What brings you here?" the woman in crimson asked, tilting her head toward him.
"Nothing of great import," Xiao Jietian replied with a faint smile, turning to regard her. "Merely curiosity toward this reclusive Sound Valley. But Tiger Girl, should you not be in seclusion refining your cultivation? Why have you run off to wander the mortal world?"
"I was nearly bored to death in closed-door cultivation," Hu Jia huffed, crossing her arms. "I came out to see the world. I did not know where else to go, so following you seemed the safest choice. After all, with our current strength, any true expert in the Central Plains could erase us with a casual flick of the sleeve. Isn't that right, Xue'er?"
She turned to the purple-robed beauty beside her.
The crimson-clad woman was none other than Hu Jia; the violet-robed maiden was Han Xue.
After encountering one another once within the Eternal Heaven Palace, the two had quickly discovered a shared temperament and, within mere days, become fast friends.
"Precisely so," Han Xue nodded earnestly. "The waters of the Central Plains run far too deep. I once managed our family's merchant caravans, yet my travels rarely extended beyond the Northern Territories. To journey across regions like this… it is truly unprecedented. Besides, Xiao Jietian will protect us. You would not wish for my elder sister to grieve, would you?"
Xiao Jietian felt an uncanny sense of familiarity upon hearing Han Xue's words—as though he had heard this exact line somewhere before.
"As long as it pleases you both. However, do not stray too far from my side—understood?"
The moment the words left his lips, he suddenly felt as though he had been ensnared.
"No… I meant do not wander far from me—not this."
Xiao Jietian glanced down to find both of his hands firmly captured, trapped deep within twin abysses of softness, completely immobilized.
"I believe this is the safest arrangement," Hu Jia declared innocently, blinking up at him with wide, guileless eyes.
"Do as you wish," Xiao Jietian replied, voice calm. Since they felt no disadvantage, how could he—a man—possibly suffer any loss?
"Then let us proceed. Everyone around us is staring."
At those words, Han Xue and Hu Jia glanced around. Indeed, countless gazes from the bustling crowd were fixed upon the three of them. A faint blush crept across both women's cheeks.
Yet neither released her hold. Instead they tugged him forward, one on each side.
"Is being excessively handsome truly so unrestrained? Even peerless beauties throw themselves at him without shame," a nearby man muttered enviously, eyes fixed on Xiao Jietian. The two women beside him were not only breathtakingly beautiful but possessed figures graceful enough to stir any man's heart.
"If you possessed even one-fifth of his looks, I would throw myself at you without hesitation," a passing woman remarked dryly as she glanced at the envious man.
...
Xiao Jietian now walked down the bustling main street with both hands clasped behind his back.
One might ask: where had those two "attachments" gone?
Once inside the city, the women's true natures had been completely unleashed.
The moment they beheld the dazzling array of stalls lining the thoroughfare—jewelry, silks, rare curios, exotic spices—Han Xue and Hu Jia promptly released his hands and plunged into a frenzied shopping spree.
Women never tired of shopping; their energy in such matters seemed inexhaustible.
Xiao Jietian followed quietly behind, silently guarding them. Yet a faint but unmistakable aura emanated from both women, deterring any would-be troublemakers.
As for the "golden fingers" (pickpockets) who prowled the crowds, a few bold ones attempted their craft—only to be swiftly suppressed by Xiao Jietian's invisible pressure.
And Xiao Jietian did not merely trail behind them idly.
Who in the world was better informed than these very "golden fingers"?
After some "friendly" questioning, these street operatives—under the gentle coercion of his aura—even recounted childhood tales, such as the time they spied upon widows bathing.
From them, he learned that the exclusive spatial passage to the Sound Valley lay within the central plaza.
The Sound Valley had always been shrouded in profound secrecy. Apart from core members of the sect and a handful of supreme powers, almost no outsider knew its true location.
With the destination now known, Xiao Jietian felt no urgency to proceed. He had no desire to cut short their enjoyment; time, after all, was something he possessed in abundance.
The two women purchased a dazzling array of accessories along the way, as well as garments in every imaginable hue.
Seeing the sheer volume of their acquisitions, Xiao Jietian could not help but ask curiously:
"Why purchase so much? Some of these garments do not even suit your usual styles."
"Do not interfere in a woman's affairs!" Han Xue and Hu Jia retorted in perfect unison, linking arms and simultaneously rolling their eyes at him.
They had their own secret purpose for these purchases—one they had no intention of revealing to him just yet.
Xiao Jietian reached out and gently patted both their heads in light retaliation.
"Very well. You have explored the entire street. It is time we moved on."
Both girls rubbed their heads where he had touched them. Hu Jia even bared her small, delicate fangs, glaring at him.
Xiao Jietian ignored the display and continued walking forward.
"I will bite you one day!" Hu Jia declared, showing her tiny fangs as she stared at his retreating back.
"Exactly! Then we shall bite him together—let him taste our wrath!" Han Xue agreed fervently.
Little did they know their playful threat would one day come true.
"Yes, yes—I await that day with bated breath. Now why are you lagging behind? You will lose me at this rate."
With his cultivation, Xiao Jietian had naturally overheard every word. He paid their threats no mind; those two little white rabbits would surely regret their boldness when their jaws eventually ached from biting.
Hearing his voice, the pair hurriedly caught up.
They arrived at the central plaza.
The square teemed with people coming and going. Sound Valley disciples clad in their distinctive robes patrolled the area, maintaining order.
"So many people! I never imagined it would be so prosperous here. Then Tianyin City itself must be even more bustling?" Han Xue unconsciously pressed closer to Xiao Jietian's side. After a moment she boldly took his hand and guided it to her slender waist. "There are too many people. You must hold me tightly and protect me well."
Hu Jia, seeing this, immediately followed suit.
Though their actions were daring, the faint blush on their cheeks revealed their inner nervousness.
Especially Hu Jia—when Xiao Jietian's palm settled against her waist, her entire frame trembled slightly. Clearly this was the first time any man had ever touched her there.
Xiao Jietian naturally did not refuse such a delightful boon.
Instead he casually wrapped both arms around their waists and slowly guided them forward through the crowd.
Even through their garments, he could feel the exquisite slenderness of their waists and the silken smoothness of their skin.
Hu Jia's waist was especially fine—like a supple willow branch. Though not quite as impossibly narrow as the Little Fairy Doctor's, it was scarcely inferior, and it possessed a lively elasticity that spoke of remarkable flexibility.
Han Xue's waist was similarly slender yet noticeably softer; the sensation of holding it was indescribably comfortable.
Both women naturally felt the subtle movements of his fingers. A quiet thrill rose in their hearts.
This proved that Xiao Jietian still held interest in them—a most auspicious sign indeed.