The Azure Sword Sect's grand flying ship broke through the thick sea of white clouds, revealing the breathtaking expanse of the Central Continent.
Standing at the bow of the ship, Yan Shuo rested his hands on the carved wooden railing. The wind whipped his pristine white robes around him as he looked down at the sprawling landscape.
A hundred years ago, this region had been a war-torn wasteland. He remembered burning down at least three major sect headquarters right around this exact latitude. But time, and an absurd amount of money, had a funny way of erasing history.
Now, sitting in the heart of a massive, fertile valley, was the Golden Dragon City.
It was the undisputed commercial capital of the cultivation world. Massive, towering pagodas carved from pure white marble and gold pierced the sky. Rivers of glowing, spiritual water wove through the city streets like glowing blue ribbons. Thousands of cultivators zipped through the air on flying swords, while luxurious carriages pulled by majestic, multi-colored spirit beasts crowded the wide, jade-paved avenues below.
It was loud, it was opulent, and it absolutely reeked of wealth.
"The Golden Dragon Pavilion certainly knows how to put on a show," Yan Shuo murmured to himself, a lazy, appreciative smile on his face.
The soft padding of footsteps on the wooden deck broke his train of thought.
"Husband?" a quiet, slightly nervous voice called out.
Yan Shuo turned around.
Tantai Zhi stood at the doorway of the ship's cabin. She had spent the entire night and most of the morning threatening the sect's best tailors to produce a new wardrobe for their "first date."
She wasn't wearing her usual heavy, intimidating crimson robes that made her look like a goddess of slaughter. Instead, she wore a beautifully tailored, flowing dress made of light, sunset-peach silk. The fabric hugged her stunning, mature curves perfectly, trailing down to the floor like liquid fire. Her long, ink-black hair was partially pinned up with a delicate jade hairpin, letting a few soft strands frame her flawless porcelain face.
She looked less like an untouchable, terrifying Saintess, and more like a breathtakingly beautiful young wife eager to impress her husband.
She was currently fidgeting with her sleeves, refusing to meet his eyes. A deep, very uncharacteristic blush painted her cheeks.
"Is... is it too bright?" she asked softly, her terrifying aura completely suppressed. "I told the tailor to use softer colors. I didn't want to look like I was going to a battlefield when I was walking with you. Does Husband like it?"
Yan Shuo's pragmatic brain stalled for a second.
Ever since he realized she was the starving teenage beggar girl from a century ago, his perspective of her had entirely shifted—mostly into deep, uncomfortable awkwardness. It was incredibly jarring to look at this breathtaking, overpowered goddess and mentally superimpose a dirty, crying 16-year-old wiping her nose on her sleeve over her face.
She's basically the starving girl I tossed a scrap of wolf meat to a hundred years ago, Yan Shuo thought, a bead of invisible sweat forming on the back of his neck. And now we're married. The Heavenly Dao really has a sick sense of humor.
,
He quickly pushed the weirdness down. Play the part, enjoy the soft rice, don't mention the wolf, he reminded himself firmly.
He let go of the railing and walked over to her. Turning on the charm with the effortless ease of a veteran actor, he reached out, gently took her hand, and pressed a practiced, flawless kiss to her knuckles.
"You look absolutely stunning, Wife," Yan Shuo said, his voice perfectly modulated to sound warm and doting. "The sunset colors suit you perfectly. I'm going to be the envy of the entire city today."
Tantai Zhi's golden eyes widened, sparkling like shattered stars. Her blush deepened to a bright crimson, and she immediately threw her arms around his neck, burying her face happily in his shoulder.
"Husband's mouth is so sweet," she mumbled into his robes, her heart beating wildly against his chest. "I'll wear this color every day if you want."
"Only on special occasions," Yan Shuo chuckled, awkwardly patting her back like an old man comforting a clinging grandchild. "Come on. The ship is docking. Let's go see what the Central Continent has to offer."
---
The moment they stepped off the flying ship and into the bustling streets of Golden Dragon City, the atmosphere changed.
The city was absolutely packed. Cultivators from every corner of the world had gathered for the upcoming Grand Auction. The streets were lined with incredibly high-end pavilions selling everything from rare defensive arrays to exotic spirit beast eggs.
As Yan Shuo and Tantai Zhi walked down the main jade avenue, the crowds naturally parted for them.
It wasn't because Tantai Zhi was releasing her killing intent. She was actually trying her absolute hardest to be a normal, polite wife on a date. She kept her aura completely locked down.
The crowd parted because the two of them were simply too striking to ignore.
Yan Shuo, with his flawless, pure golden Foundation Establishment aura, walked with the relaxed, effortless confidence of an ancient emperor in disguise. Beside him, Tantai Zhi was a literal vision of world-toppling beauty.
"Look at them," a passing Core Formation cultivator whispered to his companion, his eyes wide. "Which ancient family do they belong to? That young master's foundation is so pure it hurts to look at, and that woman... heavens, she's gorgeous."
"Don't stare!" his companion hissed, aggressively pulling him away. "Anyone who looks that relaxed in the Central Continent is either a fool or a monster. Just keep walking!"
Tantai Zhi didn't care about the whispers. Her entire universe was currently hyper-focused on one single thing: her hand was completely intertwined with Yan Shuo's.
She was practically floating. She stayed pressed tightly against his side, her golden eyes darting around the city with eager curiosity.
"Husband, look," she pointed at a massive, floating crystal orb in the center of a plaza that was projecting an advertisement for the upcoming auction. "They are selling a Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox pup tomorrow. The fur is very soft. Do you want me to buy it for you so you can rest your feet on it while you read?"
Yan Shuo laughed, gently squeezing her hand to keep up the charade. "I think a footstool is cheaper, Wife. Besides, those foxes shed everywhere."
They continued their stroll, taking in the sights. Yan Shuo intentionally avoided the weapon shops and the high-end pill pavilions. They had four days before the actual auction started. There was no need to rush into business and ruin his relaxed vacation.
Instead, he guided her toward the more mortal-leaning districts of the city. The places that sold art, silk, and food.
The fragrant smell of roasted meats, sweet pastries, and spiced spiritual wine filled the air.
Yan Shuo's eyes caught sight of a small, busy vendor's stall on the corner of the street. An old mortal man, sweating over a small charcoal grill, was dipping skewers of bright red, spiritual hawthorn berries into a boiling pot of golden sugar syrup.
Tanghulu. Candied spirit fruits.
It was a completely common, inexpensive street snack. Most high-level cultivators wouldn't be caught dead eating something so childish and mortal.
Yan Shuo stopped walking. He remembered the Bitter-Frost Root from the courtyard the night before. He remembered how she had chewed on it because she was starving and freezing in the snow.
"Wait here for a second," Yan Shuo smiled.
He let go of her hand, walked over to the vendor, and tossed a small, low-grade spirit stone onto the cart. It was enough money to buy the entire stall, but Yan Shuo just picked up the largest, most perfectly glazed skewer of red candied berries.
He walked back and held it out to her.
Tantai Zhi blinked, looking at the shiny, sugar-coated fruit.
"For me?" she asked softly. As the supreme Saintess of the Azure Sword Sect, people offered her heavenly treasures, legendary swords, and rare pills. No one had ever offered her a candied stick of fruit on the street.
"Of course," Yan Shuo said. He patted her head with the exact same energy he used to have when throwing her leftover wolf meat by the campfire a century ago. "You said you liked sweet things. Try it."
Tantai Zhi carefully took the wooden stick. She took a small, delicate bite of the top berry.
The thin, crisp shell of hardened golden sugar shattered against her teeth, instantly followed by the incredibly sweet, slightly tart juice of the spiritual hawthorn fruit. It was simple. It was warm. It was overwhelmingly delicious.
A look of pure, unadulterated childish wonder flashed across her flawless face. Her golden eyes widened, and she looked up at him as if he had just handed her the stars.
"It's so sweet, Husband," she whispered, a genuine, completely innocent smile breaking across her face. It wasn't her terrifying yandere smile, or her polite, fake Saintess smile. It was the smile of a girl who was finally, truly safe.
"Good," Yan Shuo said, casually wiping a tiny crumb of sugar from the corner of her lips with his thumb.
Internally, he sighed. She really is just the exact same kid, just with the power to vaporize mountains now.
"I told you," Yan Shuo continued smoothly, playing the doting husband role to perfection. "You only get to eat the best things from now on."
Tantai Zhi leaned into his hand, closing her eyes happily. The bustling, noisy crowd of the Central Continent completely faded away. For her, there was only the sweet taste of the sugar and the warmth of his palm against her cheek.
"Hey! Watch where you're standing, you outer-province bumpkins!"
A loud, incredibly obnoxious voice shattered the tender moment.
Yan Shuo let out a slow, tired sigh, dropping his hand from his wife's cheek.
He didn't need to turn around to know what was happening. It was the Central Continent. It was a crowded street. And he was a fifteen-year-old boy standing next to a world-toppling beauty. It was mathematically impossible for an arrogant young master not to show up and ruin the mood.
Tantai Zhi's eyes slowly fluttered open. The sweet, innocent maiden vanished in a microsecond. The temperature in a ten-foot radius around them instantly plummeted to absolute zero.
"Husband," Tantai Zhi whispered, taking another bite of her candied fruit. The crunch of the sugar sounded remarkably like breaking bones. "Someone is being loud again."
Yan Shuo casually turned around, sliding his hand back into hers to keep her from massacring the entire street block.
"Let's see what the local wildlife has to say, Wife," Yan Shuo smiled pragmatically. "If they're boring, we'll just ignore them and go find a nice tea house for lunch."