The setting sun dyed the rural road in a warm layer of orange.
Having left that oppressive mansion, even the air felt fresher.
Liu Yue held her daughter’s hand.
Her eyes were still red, but they glistened with tears of joy and pride.
“Niannian, these past few days… you must have suffered out there, right?”
Her mother’s voice was full of heartache.
Her thumb gently stroked the back of Su Nian’s hand, as if trying to smooth away invisible scars.
“I didn’t suffer. In fact, I was quite impressed!”
Su Nian shook her head, a heartfelt, radiant smile blooming on her face for the first time in a long while.
She naturally wouldn’t pass up the chance to show off her achievements to her parents.
“I’m very powerful now,” Su Nian said with a hint of boasting, like a child eager to show her parents a trophy.
“I’m the youngest Mentor at Red Maple Magic Academy now. I also performed great feats during the Demon Race’s attack and am known as the ‘Star-Moon Saintess.’ Even His Majesty, the King of Zheng, acknowledged it!”
“Oh, and I’m an idol too!” She puffed out her chest, tilting her chin up slightly.
Although the status of a Magic Feather Fantasy idol was far lower than that of a powerful Magic Tutor or a war hero, she was still proud of the title.
After all, it was her very first job when she arrived in Academy City.
Of course, those times being captured by that Horned Demon Bastard, becoming a Slave, and in humil—
“Good, good! My daughter is truly successful!”
Her father, Su Zhentian, tightly gripped the [Frostfall Fang].
With every step, he could feel the strength within his body recovering, and his smile grew more hearty.
“My daughter is truly successful!”
His back, which had been slightly hunched due to old injuries, was now ramrod straight.
His steps were steady and powerful, shattering the gloom of the past dozen or so years.
Having recovered his strength, Su Zhentian clearly possessed much more confidence.
The family chatted happily, and the conversation soon inevitably shifted to the man who had been quietly following beside them.
Liu Yue stopped and turned around.
She scrutinized Chu Tian with the gaze of a mother-in-law looking at a son-in-law—one that grew more satisfied the more she looked.
“Is your name Chu Tian? How old are you this year?”
“Where are you from? What does your family do?”
“How did you meet our Niannian?”
The string of questions was like the typical interrogation style of mothers—warm yet direct.
“You can just call me Tian, Auntie.”
Chu Tian discarded the domineering and wicked aura he’d displayed at Shadowmoon Manor.
A gentle and humble smile hung on his face, making him appear refined and polite.
He even bowed slightly, keeping his posture very low, completely lacking the terrifying pressure that had overwhelmed everyone at the Su family residence.
“Ma’am, I am twenty-two. My home is in a small town on the edge of the Monster Forest, and currently, I… do a bit of business in Academy City.”
“Niannian and I met in Academy City. The first time I saw her, I was deeply attracted by her talent and courage.”
His voice was steady and sincere.
Every answer was flawless, perfectly crafting the image of a well-bred, upright young man who was deeply in love with their daughter.
Su Nian followed behind with her hands behind her back, listening silently.
‘Fake! This Horned Demon Bastard is such a fraud! Attracted by my talent and courage? He’s clearly just lusting after my body! He also loves bullying me, forcing me to serve tea, fetch water, and prepare his bathwater just because he wants to see me beg for mercy in humiliation!’
‘What a pervert.’
Yet, as luck would have it, her parents clearly had an excellent impression of the Horned Demon.
“Doing business is good. It’s a path to success!”
“Besides, I can see that Chu Tian’s strength is also quite formidable,” Su Nian’s father said.
As a martial artist, he naturally paid close attention to the other man’s power.
“My strength is decent enough to protect Niannian,” Chu Tian said, meeting Su Nian’s gaze.
Su Nian looked helpless, but she couldn’t expose him.
Seeing the satisfied and relieved smiles on her parents’ faces as they nodded at “Chu Tian,” an incredibly strange feeling welled up in her heart.
It was as if… they truly liked what they saw and had already decided on this son-in-law.
This absurd scene made her feel dizzy.
That loathsome Horned Demon was currently using his flawless acting skills to trick her parents into trusting and liking him.
***
Chatting as they walked, they soon reached their destination: White Emperor Village in Carp Township.
Su Nian saw the familiar small courtyard.
Quite different from the noisy and flashy atmosphere of the main Su family residence, everything here was steeped in a peaceful tranquility.
Her mother, Liu Yue, pulled Su Nian into a room to whisper together.
Meanwhile, her father, Su Zhentian, stood in the center of the main hall and carefully placed the [Frostfall Fang] upon an old square table like an offering.
The wisps of cold air emanating from the sword’s blade lowered the temperature of the entire room by several degrees, even causing a thin layer of condensation to form on the windows.
He stared at the divine sword for a long time with focused eyes, as if looking at a long-lost friend or foe, or perhaps conversing with his long-gone youth and pride.
After a long while, he finally looked up.
Those eyes, which had been clouded for years due to injury and illness, now seemed as though they had been washed by spring water, reigniting with a brilliant luster.
His gaze moved past the divine sword and landed directly on Chu Tian.
“Chu Tian.”
His voice was steady, carrying an unquestionable gravity.
“You… come with me to the study.”
Su Nian’s heart was once again gripped tightly by an invisible hand.
The light inside the study was dim, and the air was filled with the dry scent of old scrolls mixed with a bit of dust.
A ray of the setting sun peeked through the narrow window, cutting a pillar of light into the air where countless tiny dust motes danced and swirled.
“The Energy Gathering Magic Circle…” Su Zhentian said, looking into Chu Tian’s eyes.
Chu Tian’s eyelids twitched slightly.
He hadn’t expected that a brief mention of the Energy Gathering Magic Circle would make Su Nian’s father so serious.
It seemed he knew something.
“The Energy Gathering Magic Circle was indeed mastered by the Su family ancestors and has been guarded by our lineage for generations. It was because of this technique that the Su family was able to cross the doldrums of the Boundless Sea from the East Continent,” Su Zhentian said after a moment of hesitation.
Every word felt incredibly heavy.
His opening statement was earth-shattering.
His voice echoed in the quiet study.
“However, various forces have coveted this item for years. Therefore, the technique was sealed in a secret realm in the mountains behind the village. That place is filled with traps, making it impossible for ordinary people to enter.”
“Unfortunately, by our generation, the special method of entry has been lost.” His tone became somewhat grave.
***
Meanwhile, in the bedroom.
Liu Yue pulled Su Nian’s hand and sat on the edge of the bed.
The bedsheets were freshly changed, carrying the clean scent of sunlight and soapnut.
Her mother’s hands were warm and dry as she gently held Su Nian’s smooth hand.
The thin calluses on her palms rubbed against Su Nian’s skin, bringing a sense of groundedness settled by the years.
“Niannian, tell me the truth.”
Liu Yue’s gentle eyes crinkled into beautiful crescents as she smiled.
She leaned in closer, her voice kept low, filled with love and concern for her daughter.
“Do you… really like that boy, Chu Tian?”
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