The Capital of the Eastern-Northern Border, also the border with the Ancient Nation of Liuxun, was where the Ancient Nation Academy, jointly established by the four great ancient nations, stood tall.
To be precise, the Ancient Nation Academy was actually situated at the junction of Liuxun, Baiyao, Beiming, and Xiyun—the only cultivation sanctuary on this continent not governed by any single nation.
Here, there was an unspoken rule: no private conflicts could be initiated, not even by a sovereign ruler.
Therefore, Shangguan Xunyi set their destination here.
She didn’t believe that the status of a mere Shangguan Family Head could outweigh that of a monarch.
They traveled overnight to the academy so her master could protect them briefly.
After ensuring their safety, she planned to slowly unravel Yun Mu’s emotional knots, grow closer to the young man over time, and eventually live shamelessly happy lives together.
This was her careful plan.
Unfortunately… while her hopes were bright, reality was cruel.
She had already encountered troubles both unexpected and yet inevitable.
The girl gently laid Yun Mu down, letting him lean against a massive rock.
Feeling the familiar presence steadily approaching, her expression turned serious—Shangguan Hongzhi had caught up.
“Xunyi sister, you should leave first. It’s inconvenient to bring me along, you…”
“Shh!”
She raised a hand to cover the boy’s mouth, then took down a Qiankun Pouch from her waist and pulled out a black cloak emitting a profound aura.
Without hesitation, she draped it over him and fastened it securely.
“Xiaomu, don’t say another word. What I’ve decided won’t change—whether it’s taking you away or everything I did before, do you understand?”
“Mm…”
“That’s good. This cloak is a treasure given to me by my master. It can hide your aura so you won’t be detected. It’s the only one, so you must take good care of it. Don’t lose it.”
Leaning close, the girl whispered into his ear.
Then she lifted her hand to cup his cheek.
Her face flushed as she raised her left hand to cover his eyes.
“S-sorry.”
She kissed him again, just as soft as before.
Perhaps because he was too weak to resist, or perhaps the darkness amplified his senses, Yun Mu pressed against the rock and felt the girl’s shy tongue clearly.
Sweet and tender like this, soft as flowing water, intoxicating—just like when he sneaked a sip of his master’s fermented wine as a child, the slight tipsiness and tingling sensation spread through his entire body instantly.
“Mm…”
Unconsciously, he bit his lip.
The girl reluctantly pulled away, her eyes dazed and half-lidded.
She looked at the boy’s larger-than-expected reaction and licked her lips, clearly reluctant to stop.
But she knew this wasn’t the time for intimacy.
She quickly pulled herself together, silently scolding herself for “wanting too much” while reminding herself to “stay calm,” finally calming her emotions.
“Xiaomu, you’ll recover in about a minute.”
She raised her hand, pointing to a somewhat rapid river not far away.
“Once you feel okay, swim across without looking back. Find an old man named Li Changyi, just mention my name—he’ll understand.”
She paused, noticing the cloak’s ties were loose from her nervousness, then smiled as she tied two knots firmly.
“If I don’t die, I’ll apologize to you twice for those two unauthorized kisses, alright? Then I’ll fulfill any wish you have—be your wife… never mind. Just promise me you’ll listen to me, okay?”
The words almost slipped out, but she didn’t say them. Pinching Yun Mu’s cheek, she didn’t wait for a reply and turned to leave.
The boy watched the tall, receding figure, feeling dazed.
In the haze, he seemed to see the scene when Lin Xizhi parted from him long ago.
The same cheek-rubbing, a similar if—but this time, he obeyed because he believed if he was a good boy, his master would return as promised.
But he was wrong. Lin Xizhi never came back, and since then, his master never touched his face again.
The boy’s voice was a “roar” muffled by the cloak.
His body wanted to move but hadn’t recovered.
He could only watch the girl grow smaller and smaller until she vanished from sight, a sharp pain stabbing his heart.
Xunyi sister… wait…
Jiang An, Shangguan Hongzhi stood alone, gazing at the roaring river.
His expression had softened; the rage from before had dissipated.
“It’s been a long time since I came here. To enjoy this river view alone feels somewhat lonely.”
He closed his eyes, hands behind his back, listening to the waves lapping the shore.
“Too bad your father is no longer here, Xunyi niece.”
Behind him, Shangguan Xunyi held a Blood-red Spear pointed straight at him.
Without a word, she sprang forward like an arrow released from a bow.
Crimson starlight wrapped around her right arm, a Dragon Phantom coiling around the spear tip as it howled through the air.
Shangguan Hongzhi didn’t move but sighed deeply.
His overwhelming pressure lifted, knocking the girl back more than ten meters before she could come within three feet of him.
Branches snapped loudly as the spear tip scratched a straight line into the ground, gradually gouging deeper until fully embedded in the soil.
“Sigh… To fight for a stranger against one’s own kin—if your father were alive, he’d be heartbroken.”
He continued, speaking as if to himself, spreading his arms and raising his chin in tragic grandeur.
“He and I came to this academy in our youth, full of ambition and vigor. But now—everything’s changed; people and things are no more.”
Spear tips flew in from all directions, each strike wrapped in tremendous power.
Shangguan Xunyi searched for a flaw, but the vast difference in strength rendered her attacks ineffective.
Still, she did not stop.
Her spear moved faster, her meridians opening wider.
Right now, she had only one thought: no matter what, she must buy as much time as possible for Yun Mu.
“Sigh, such a foolish child. Using your power like this, damaging your roots—if I don’t strike back, you’d collapse from starlight exhaustion anyway. Was it really worth it?”
Shangguan Hongzhi suddenly turned, a ruthless gleam flashing in his eyes.
The girl, still airborne, was slammed to the ground, unable to move.
“And… do you really think you can delay me much longer?”
He extended his right hand, claws-like, grabbing the girl mid-air and slowly lifting her.
The spear slipped from Shangguan Xunyi’s weakened grip, clattering to the ground and kicking up dust.
“Hmph!”
He kicked the weapon far away and looked down at the pale-faced girl, eyes narrowing.
“Xunyi niece, I don’t actually want to do this. After all, you’re my brother’s blood,” he relaxed slightly and smiled mockingly.
“So, where did you send Yun Mu? You can’t have really sent him across the river, right? Otherwise, why stop me here? Tell Uncle honestly, and I might spare your life.”
The hypocritical voice rang in the girl’s ears, making her scowl with disgust.
She clearly knew all this was a trap to extract information.
So-called kinship and concern were mere dust compared to this family head’s personal interests.
More so… his actions involving Shangguan Qiuyue’s bone replacement, though seeming deeply filial on the surface, likely hid secrets unknown to others.
She gave no answer, instead staring calmly at the rushing river, a trace of peaceful smile appearing.
Xiaomu should have left by now, right?
He even called me sister Xunyi.
He must be listening to me like when he was little.
The two remained locked in a standoff.
Shangguan Hongzhi’s murderous intent surged, yet he hesitated to strike.
Because he knew: as long as the girl was alive, Yun Mu wouldn’t leave on his own.
The boy must be hiding somewhere, quietly watching them—and might even come out soon.
So all he needed to do was wait.
Soon, rustling noises came from the nearby bushes.
Above the fiery red spear shaft, a gaunt hand suddenly appeared.