Half an hour later, the two of them arrived at the best inn in the nearby town and booked two of the finest rooms.
“I don’t have money,” Nan Shan said cautiously.
Xi Yuan snapped his fingers, magically cleaning the dust from her clothes before replying leisurely, “Did I say you’d be paying?”
“Even if you wanted me to, I don’t have any.”
Nan Shan snorted and headed straight to her room.
Xi Yuan scoffed lightly and entered his own room.
After walking nearly a full day to keep up with Xi Yuan out of pure stubbornness, Nan Shan’s shoes were nearly worn through.
Though her stamina was far beyond what it used to be, she still felt the fatigue. The moment she lay on the bed, her whole body relaxed.
This inn must be expensive, Nan Shan thought, recalling the ornate entrance and overly enthusiastic attendant.
Then she remembered how easily Xi Yuan handed her parents a gold nugget.
Speaking of gold… that pure gold demon-subduing pestle Zhicen gave her was still with Lingye.
If she’d known she wouldn’t see him again, she should have taken it back.
Just like her mother used to say—spend richly on the road even if home is poor.
Oh right, there was also the Chen Yue Pearl.
When Xi Yuan kidnapped her, she hadn’t had time to wear it. It had already been ten years.
Was it still sitting safely on her vanity?
…
For a moment, Nan Shan felt disoriented.
Time had seemed to stand still on Dongyi Island with its long, sun-drenched days.
Even now, she found it hard to believe—she was thirty years old.
This age… wasn’t much younger than her parents were when she left home.
Nan Shan turned over in bed, just about to sleep when someone knocked at the door.
“Honored guest, have you settled in?”
It was a woman’s voice.
Nan Shan sat up.
“What is it?”
“I wanted to ask if you’d like some hot water for a bath?”
The woman asked warmly.
Nan Shan looked up and noticed the luxurious bath in the room.
Fifteen minutes later, the woman thoughtfully shut the door from the outside.
Nan Shan slipped into the hot water, stirred the petals floating on the surface, and once again confirmed—this inn was definitely expensive.
She hadn’t indulged in something like this for a long time.
She soaked until the water turned cold, then loosened her tired limbs and got into bed for a solid night’s sleep.
Itchy.
Her face was itchy.
Annoyed, Nan Shan scratched at it. Just as she was about to fall back asleep, the itch returned.
Frustrated, she opened her eyes—only to meet a pair of seductive eyes.
The air suddenly stilled.
She looked at the fluffy weed in Xi Yuan’s hand and asked calmly, “What are you doing?”
“Waking you up.”
Xi Yuan’s innocent look resembled a little fox.
Nan Shan: …
She had just had a good sleep and was now disturbed by someone she found annoying.
About to scowl, she suddenly spotted the lavish breakfast on the table and immediately got up to wash.
“So obedient?”
Xi Yuan teased with a smile.
Nan Shan ignored him, washed up, and went straight to eat.
Xi Yuan waited in good spirits.
Only after she finished did he lead her out of the inn.
“Still not going to say where we’re going?”
Nan Shan stood at the street corner, clearly not planning to budge unless he told her.
Xi Yuan raised a brow.
“Just follow me. Why ask so many questions?”
“I at least want to know how I’m going to die,” Nan Shan countered.
Xi Yuan let out a quiet laugh.
“As long as you behave, I won’t let you die.”
“But whether your friends will let me live—that’s out of your hands, isn’t it?”
Nan Shan wasn’t so easily fooled.
Sure enough, Xi Yuan gave a faintly annoyed smile but didn’t deny it.
They stood at an impasse for a moment before Xi Yuan finally relented.
He raised a graceful finger and pointed in a direction.
“That way.”
Southwest.
Nan Shan paused, quickly gathering her thoughts.
“You could’ve said so earlier.”
With that, she strode southwest.
Xi Yuan smiled and, as she passed him, suddenly reached out and pulled her into his arms.
Her back suddenly pressed against his firm chest. So close, she could feel his breath.
Nan Shan immediately struggled. “What are you—”
“Shhh.”
Xi Yuan raised his eyes.
His voice was deep and soothing.
“Do you want to walk or shall I carry you?”
Nan Shan instantly stopped resisting.
Xi Yuan gave a silent laugh, tossed his long whip onto the ground—where it transformed into a flying magical vessel.
They were clearly in a bustling city, yet the sudden appearance of such a large flying object didn’t draw any attention.
Obviously, he had cast a spell.
Nan Shan hopped onto the vessel and let Xi Yuan take her flying southwest.
They flew for three days and nights.
At first, Nan Shan stayed wary of the man beside her, but as time passed, boredom set in.
She leaned against the vessel, eating the snacks she had bought earlier.
“…Don’t dirty my vessel,” Xi Yuan said coldly.
Nan Shan glanced at him, then defiantly popped a preserved plum into her mouth.
Xi Yuan: …
Flying through the sky was dull, but once the snacks were gone, they finally reached their destination.
As soon as Nan Shan’s feet touched the ground, she felt a wave of cold.
She looked up instinctively—and fell silent at the sight of the towering mountains in the distance.
“This is Mount Kunlun,” Xi Yuan said as he carefully cleaned and stored his whip-shaped flying vessel.
“The greatest immortal mountain in the world. Surely you’ve heard of it?”
Nan Shan licked her lips and spoke hesitantly:
“If I remember correctly, the Myriad Life Cauldron…”
“Belongs to Kunlun,” Xi Yuan explained with a smile.
Nan Shan’s eyes widened.
“And you still dare to come here?!”
“Why not?”
Xi Yuan spread his hands.
“They don’t know I’m the one who stole it.”
Nan Shan gave him a suspicious glance.
“…That friend of yours—is he from Kunlun?”
This time Xi Yuan truly laughed.
“How could that be? He looks down on Kunlun.”
Even Kunlun isn’t good enough? Just what kind of being is this Earthworm God?
Nan Shan was about to probe further when Xi Yuan suddenly looked at her.
“…What?”
She asked cautiously.
Xi Yuan looked her over a few times before saying, “After you disappeared ten years ago, I hid the Myriad Life Cauldron in Kunlun Mountain for safety.”
Nan Shan was stunned.
“The most dangerous place is the safest,” Xi Yuan explained.
“I came to Kunlun this time to retrieve the Cauldron.”
Nan Shan hadn’t expected him to be so upfront.
After thinking for a moment, she asked, “So… are we going to get it now?”
Xi Yuan began scrutinizing her again.
Nan Shan frowned under his critical gaze.
Just as she was about to ask what he was staring at, he sighed.
“No good.”
She blinked.
“What’s no good?”
“You look like this,” Xi Yuan said, “and it’s a disgrace to my aesthetics.”
Nan Shan: …
She froze for a moment before realizing he was insulting her.
Just as she was about to lash out, he was already walking away.
“Come on,” he said casually.
“Let me take you somewhere first.”
Nan Shan frowned.
“Where?”
“You’ll see.”
Kunlun was a famed mountain, and for hundreds of miles around it was full of vibrant life.
Nan Shan followed Xi Yuan slowly into a nearby town and was immediately stunned by the bustling scene—
Rows of buildings, wide streets, and clean, well-dressed people rushing by.
She looked down at her rough linen clothes and suddenly felt out of place.
“How is it here?”
Xi Yuan asked.
Nan Shan paused, then replied honestly:
“Feels like a land of wealth.”
Even the bustling Ghost Market of the Underworld or the beautiful scenery of Dongyi seemed a little lacking compared to this prosperous town.
Hearing her words, Xi Yuan chuckled.
“You’ve got good taste.”
Nan Shan looked at him.
When she wasn’t annoyed, her eyes looked obedient and calm, easily stirring one’s patience.
Xi Yuan raised an eyebrow and explained further:
“Kunlun’s spiritual energy spreads for a thousand miles. Many choose to settle here. Over time, the place flourished. And since the government fears the immortal sects, they don’t impose heavy taxes. Life’s better for the common folks here.”
Nan Shan nodded, then noticed several similarly dressed men passing by.
The townsfolk bowed repeatedly to them, showing deep respect.
“Those are disciples of Kunlun,” Xi Yuan said softly beside her ear.
Nan Shan instantly felt guilty.
“Let’s go, let’s go.”
“Why go?”
Xi Yuan grinned.
She glared at him.
“What did you just say?”
You, a man who stole Kunlun’s ancestral treasure, dare to stroll in front of Kunlun disciples?
Are you serious?
Xi Yuan let out a light scoff and stood there indifferently.
With his striking looks and silvery hair, he quickly drew attention from the disciples.
Seeing them walking over, Nan Shan quietly shuffled a few steps away, pretending not to know him.
Xi Yuan shot her a side glance, and just as he was about to pull her back, the disciples arrived.
“Excuse me, are you the Lord Wu Wang?”
One asked.
“I am,” Xi Yuan nodded.
Nan Shan froze.
The disciples bowed immediately.
“The disciples of Kunlun welcome the Lord’s arrival.”
“You’re too kind,” Xi Yuan said lazily.
“I plan to rest in town for a couple of days and will head to Kunlun for the Flower Viewing Banquet.”
“We shall take our leave then, not to disturb your leisure.”
With that, they departed.
Nan Shan was dumbfounded. She only managed to shuffle up to him after a while:
“Aren’t you a descendant of Qingqiu? Since when are you a marquis?”
Xi Yuan didn’t answer. Instead, he pulled a passerby aside.
“Go inform the Fengyue Pavilion that their lord has returned.”
Upon hearing the word “lord,” the passerby immediately ran off to deliver the message.
Fifteen minutes later, the message reached the grandest, most luxurious building in the city.
Suddenly, doors were closed, guests dismissed, and the entire place fell into a frenzy.
“The Lord is back! The Lord is back!”
A beautiful man in sheer silk ran around the building in joy.
In his excitement, he bumped into someone and tumbled to the floor.
“Ugh… who’s so blind?”
He grumbled, getting up—
Only to meet a pair of timid, pure eyes.
His anger vanished instantly.
“Yu-ge!”
“Ah Chen?”
The boy called Ah Chen answered obediently.
A red mark between his brows moved slightly as he spoke.
Though simply dressed, he made one think of a single phrase—
Alluring and radiant.
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