Du Yue hugged Su Wen tightly, her eyes closed as she enjoyed his warmth, while Su Wen gently patted her back, trying to calm her intense emotions.
Meanwhile, Suzume, sandwiched between the two, tried to wriggle her way out but failed. In the end, she could only stay there quietly, her tiny face flushed red.
Young Master Rush watched them, his gaze turning as cold as ice.
To him, this was the ultimate humiliation, being treated as invisible by a group of country bumpkins.
The air in the hall thickened, heavy with a terrifying pressure that seemed to press down on everyone.
"You dare…" he growled, releasing his Early Golden Core aura, his voice trembling with fury. "You dare ignore me?"
Attendants and cultivators alike collapsed to the ground, including the two women clinging to his arms, their breaths hitching as their legs went weak.
In the Eastern Continent, aside from city lords or patriarchs of major families, Golden Core cultivators were rare.
But seeing one here was enough to make people kneel, without even being asked.
Yet Su Wen and Du Yue didn't even flinch.
They didn't even look at him, as if they were busy with something far more important.
"Y-You…" Young Master Rush muttered in shock when he saw that they were still ignoring him even after releasing his aura.
Even the trembling attendant at the side couldn't help but look at the couple with a trace of newfound admiration.
"What do you want?" Su Wen finally looked at him, still patting his wife's back, his tone tinged with annoyance.
"Y-You… how dare you speak to me like that?!" Rush roared in fury."Do you know who I am?!"
"Who…?" Su Wen asked flatly.
"I am Rush Swiftmane, the fourth disciple of the Grand Elder of the Great Eastern Sect, and the third young master of the Swiftmane family!" he declared arrogantly.
Su Wen's eyes widened slightly as he stared at him with a strange expression.
'Wait… is this the legendary spoiled young master I used to read about in novels in my previous life?'
After a brief moment of contemplation, he spoke honestly,"I see… amazing."
"You bastard! You still dare to disregard me after knowing my background?!" Rush snarled, his eyes darkening as blood rushed to his horse ears, which stood straight upright.
"Sorry, I don't really know what I'm supposed to say in situations like this…" Su Wen replied with a slightly embarrassed expression."This is my first time encountering a Typical Young Master."
"Y-You...!"
Taking it as mockery, Young Master Rush immediately pulled out a Peak Grade 3 hammer, intending to teach Su Wen a lesson.
Seeing this, Su Wen hurriedly spoke,"Wait! Wait... let's chat first…! It's not always that you get a chance to meet someone like you."
"Fuck off...!" Rush snarled, just about to charge forward, when suddenly the attendant at the side stepped in, subtly positioning himself between the two sides.
"Young Master Rush," the attendant said firmly, though still maintaining the respect owed to someone of status, "please remember where you are. This is the Treasure Tower. These guests are under our protection. Regardless of your background or cultivation… causing a disturbance here would be unwise."
The words struck Rush like a bucket of icy water. He knew of the terrifying reputation of the Treasure Tower.
All of his anger vanished instantly as he pulled back his aura, though his expression remained twisted with resentment.
He clenched his jaw so tightly it seemed his teeth might crack.
"Don't let me see you once you are outside," he warned.
With a final hateful glare at Su Wen and Du Yue, he spun around and stomped toward the staircase.
His footsteps echoed with fury, his face still a flaming shade of red.
His two women companions somehow managed to stand up as they hurried after him, filled with a mix of fear and awe.
Silence returned to the floor.
Su Wen watched Rush's retreating figure, his face a curious blend of bewilderment and bemusement.
Then he glanced at the attendant, who stood straight, head held high, hands behind his back, feeling smug after using the Tower's terrifying reputation to scare away a Golden Core cultivator.
Su Wen thanked the attendant, who waved his hand dismissively, as if it were no big deal to him.
Su Wen, with Du Yue clinging to his arm and Suzume perched atop his head, walked toward the stairs leading down to the ground floor.
Rounding a corner, his gaze fell on a small section labelled Discounted Miscellaneous Items.
The area held only minor trinkets and broken treasures, things most people wouldn't spare a second glance at.
Yet something tugged at Su Wen's senses.
Inside a cracked jade pendant lay a black stone, ordinary in appearance, yet Su Wen felt inexplicably drawn to it.
He recalled the cryptic words the old man had spoken earlier about a black stone.
Intrigued, Su Wen picked it up.
The surface felt cold, yet the moment it rested in his palm, it felt strangely illusory, as if it didn't fully exist in this space.
"Wife, look at this stone," Su Wen murmured, raising it slightly. "I can feel rich space and void qi within it."
Du Yue took the stone, examining it carefully with her soul sense. "Husband, this is a top-grade Void Crystal. You can use it as a raw material to forge your life-bound sword. You could even use it to comprehend your Space and Void Intent."
Su Wen's eyes widened in astonishment, and a smile spread across his face. "Amazing… the old man really didn't lie to us."
Du Yue nodded lightly. "You're right, husband. I doubt it's native to the Eastern Continent. These crystals are usually found in places with spatial tears, rich in void qi, or within space-oriented dungeons."
Su Wen nodded, then handed the stone to the attendant without hesitation.
"Honoured guests," the attendant said respectfully as he accepted the stone. "Do you require anything else?"
Su Wen shook his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Not for now. Let's head downstairs."
Just as Su Wen stepped onto the stairs, he froze.
A sudden chill ran down his spine, sharp enough to make his heart feel cold.
His breath caught in his throat, and a terrifying sensation of imminent death clawed at his mind.
Every nerve screamed that something unseen was stalking him, with deadly intent.
His instincts screamed to flee, yet his body refused, stiff and frozen as if rooted in place.
Little Suzume, perched atop his head, tilted her tiny head and glanced toward a certain direction.
With a casual, nonchalant expression, she flicked her feathery fingers, sending out a faint streak of light, so subtle that no one noticed it.
The suffocating sense of death vanished instantly.
Su Wen staggered, clutching his chest as he breathed in jagged gasps. His mind struggled to comprehend what had just happened.
Du Yue frowned, immediately noticing his condition. She grabbed his arm and asked anxiously,"Husband… are you alright? What happened?"
Su Wen continued to take deep breaths, his palm resting against her shoulder for support, sweat soaking his back.
After a few moments, he spoke slowly,"I… I don't know. I suddenly had a terrible feeling… as if someone was trying to harm me. But then… it just disappeared."
Du Yue's eyes narrowed."A feeling…?"
Before she could continue, Suzume spoke in a laid-back tone,"Chirp~ Ah… it was just a pesky bug."
"A bug…?" Su Wen and Du Yue exclaimed in unison.
Du Yue's innocent, clingy expression shifted into a dark, fiery glare.
Seeing her, Su Wen shook his head and forced a weak smile."I don't know… must be my imagination… or some side effects from that damned soup."
Du Yue remained silent, her eyes turning completely white as she merged with the Laws of the world, trying to peer into the heavenly secrets.
A second later, her eyes returned to their usual sparkling blue. Yet her expression did not soften.
'This isn't his imagination', she thought grimly.
'Someone truly tried to harm him… and they aren't ordinary. With my current mortal cultivation, I can't see through them yet.'
Her gaze turned sharp.'I must cultivate faster. And whoever they are… I will make sure to annihilate them.'
Seeing her so quiet and serious, Su Wen steadied himself and spoke,"Alright, let's go. Nothing happened... I must be tired. We don't have the whole day to spend just standing here."
Unbeknownst to them, the attack aimed at Su Wen had already crossed the river of time itself.
And the light streak released from Suzume's tiny, feathery fingers had not only annihilated the attack, but also surged back along its origin, completely wiping out the attacker's existence.
Even their Pure Soul included.