Su Linghuang wore a well-fitted deep red gauze dress, her curvaceous feminine figure outlined to perfection.
Her majestic peaks stood proud, her slender waist was soft and alluring, and even the delicate branches bore rich fruit.
Through the fabric, glimpses of her smooth, snow-white skin were faintly visible, tempting like a half-peeled lychee.
Just moments ago, the sweet words of a certain scoundrel still lingered in her ears, tugging at the innocent heartstrings of the young maiden.
It prompted her to end her cultivation early today, hoping her nominal “husband” would spend some time with her.
But before she could even step inside, she witnessed an intimate scene between Gu Shenzhi and Tao Yao.
If not for the years of teachings from the Moon Shadow Sect, which gave Su Linghuang a “thorough and profound” understanding of men, she would have, at the very least, poked a few holes in that scoundrel by now.
“Miss Su, I…”
Gu Shenzhi was about to explain his rude and reckless behavior from the previous night, but before he could finish, the overwhelming pressure of the Spirit Manifestation stage came crashing toward him.
Her blood-red eyes gleamed with a faint crimson light, and the bluestone tiles beneath her feet cracked and shattered instantly.
“Miss Su? Has my ‘husband’ forgotten the sweet nothings he whispered in my ear last night, not even willing to call me Huang’er?” Su Linghuang tilted her head slightly, her tone dripping with disdain.
In the next moment, with a flick of her wrist, the sharp edge of her spirit sword pointed straight at Gu Shenzhi’s chest, radiating killing intent.
The hands of the saintess of the Evil Sect were stained with blood that could never be washed clean, and the Red Lotus Saintess was no exception.
“Huang’er, I can explain everything.”
Gu Shenzhi hurriedly corrected his address, taking half a step back and slowly raising his hands, like a heartless man cornered by his wife’s life-threatening wrath.
His heart was filled with confusion, but he decided to go along with her for now—the power of a Mysterious Grade spirit sword was no joking matter.
“What exactly is your relationship with that maid? Be honest, and don’t even think about lying to me!”
Looking at the furious beauty before him, Gu Shenzhi grew even more puzzled.
Could it be… she was jealous?
Could it be that Su Linghuang, the top beauty of Muyun Province and the saintess of the Moon Shadow Sect, had already fallen for him?
He shook his head vigorously, banishing such absurd thoughts from his mind.
That was obviously impossible— even romance novels wouldn’t dare write such a plot.
“Tao Yao is just my maid, nothing more. Our relationship is purely that of master and servant, with not a hint of anything beyond that. I only asked her to cook some porridge for me earlier.”
Gu Shenzhi spoke earnestly, desperately trying to prove his innocence.
“No, I want you to swear that you won’t get cozy with any woman other than me!”
“What, so I can get cozy with Huang’er?” Gu Shenzhi muttered under his breath, but the girl in front of him heard it.
“I… will try to satisfy you, but first, make the oath.”
Su Linghuang’s cheeks flushed crimson, her snow-white skin tinged with a rosy glow, both captivatingly radiant and innocently charming—an utterly breathtaking sight.
Gu Shenzhi’s heart trembled, and for a moment, he stood frozen.
It wasn’t his fault for being lustful; his “wife” was simply too enchanting.
“Swear it, now!”
Snapped out of his daze by the girl’s urging, Gu Shenzhi raised his right hand and solemnly declared, “I swear, in the name of the Young Sect Master of the Spirit Sword Sect, that I will never betray Huang’er in this lifetime. If I break this oath, may I be struck by five bolts of lightning and my body reduced to ashes.”
At this moment, Gu Shenzhi appeared righteous and fearless, as if he were willing to die for her.
But the truth was far from that.
The reason he dared to make such a grave oath wasn’t because he was willing to give his life for the Red Lotus Saintess.
Rather, he calculated that by now, the old fogeys of the Spirit Sword Sect had likely already appointed a new Young Sect Master.
What did the oath of the Spirit Sword Sect’s Young Sect Master have to do with him, Gu Shenzhi?
Only when the dust settled did Su Linghuang slowly sheathe her sword.
Her phoenix eyes carefully scrutinized Gu Shenzhi, the man who had forced her to call him “husband.”
His sword-like brows were sharply defined, his lips red, his teeth white, his nose high and straight, and his skin smoother and fairer than a woman’s.
His warm voice was like a spring breeze, soothing to the soul.
If only the eyes hidden beneath that silk scarf were a bit more striking, he’d be like an immortal descended to the mortal world.
Su Linghuang nervously stepped closer to him, her small hands tightly gripping the hem of her skirt, trembling with tension.
She slowly rose on her tiptoes and, like a dragonfly skimming the water, planted a fleeting kiss on his right cheek—cool, refreshing, and indescribably tantalizing.
The girl’s kiss instantly captured his full attention.
The soft, delicate sensation was like a flower petal brushing his cheek in the breeze—indescribably exquisite.
Su Linghuang quietly rested her head against his chest, her beautiful eyes shimmering with autumnal waters, radiating the innocent charm unique to a young maiden.
“Do you like it?”
Her voice was as soft as a mosquito’s hum, her tone delicate as silk.
Gu Shenzhi didn’t hear it clearly and asked, “Huang’er, what did you just say?”
Su Linghuang grew even more embarrassed.
How could she muster the courage to repeat herself?
She was certain he was teasing her on purpose.
Gritting her teeth, she stomped hard on his shoe.
With her arms crossed and her alluring, icy face slightly tilted upward, she huffed, “If you didn’t hear it, don’t expect to hear it again.”
The Red Lotus Saintess’s sudden tsundere attitude left Gu Shenzhi in an awkward spot.
He’d never dealt with a situation like this before.
Helplessly, he resorted to mimicking how his father used to coax his mother.
Little did he know, these honeyed words were the very same ones he’d spoken last night.
Su Linghuang barely listened to two sentences before she grew annoyed, letting out a cold chuckle and looking at him with disdain.
“Wait, you said you asked that maid to cook porridge for you?”
“There… shouldn’t be a problem with that, right?” Gu Shenzhi said cautiously, afraid of angering her again, his demeanor utterly submissive.
“For now, there’s no issue. Though we’re only husband and wife in name, I hope you’ll have some self-awareness and not go chasing after other women. Or do you plan to marry them all?”
“Huang’er is right. I don’t have many worldly desires,” Gu Shenzhi replied.
“Hmph, who’d believe that nonsense?” Su Linghuang turned away, tucking a strand of snowy hair behind her delicate ear, deliberately avoiding his gaze.
The lake breeze was lively, and the Red Lotus Saintess stood motionless, her slender fingers fidgeting with each other.
Occasionally, she rose slightly on her toes, revealing a glimpse of her snow-white skin, as if lost in thought.
In such a situation, how could Gu Shenzhi dare leave?
He could only wait cautiously by her side.
“This saintess has decided to personally cook today—a simple bowl of spirit rice porridge. As for who gets to drink it, my ‘husband’ can decide for himself.”
Su Linghuang’s lips parted slightly, her pearly teeth emphasizing the words “husband” and “decide” heavily, though a smile still lingered at the corners of her mouth.
“Does my husband seem a bit unhappy?”
As soon as she spoke, Gu Shenzhi shook his head vigorously, forcing a calm smile.
“To drink porridge made by Huang’er’s own hands? I’m thrilled beyond words.”
“Good.”
With that, Su Linghuang flew off on her sword.
This would be her first time cooking—how would it turn out?
But it was just a bowl of porridge.
Could it possibly be harder than mastering the Evil Phoenix Nirvana Sword Scripture?
Gu Shenzhi slowly sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, his body slightly stiff.
Wiping the sweat from his brow, his heart was filled with the relief of surviving a calamity.
But how could a trial of the heart end so easily?
This wasn’t the end—it was only the beginning.
Dreams are beautiful, but reality is cruel.
The path of Asura isn’t one you can simply walk in or out of at will!