Shen Haoran reached into the folds of his sleeve and produced a ring carved from star-silver, glowing with a faint, rhythmic pulse of spiritual energy.
"I originally came here with a collection of gifts intended to help you recover your foundation," he said, sliding the ring across the stone table toward her. "Even though you have clearly found your own path to recovery, keep it. Consider it a small token of my sincerity. There are enough high-grade spirit stones, Rank 4 marrow-cleansing pills, and auxiliary herbs in there to sustain your cultivation until the Golden Core Realm."
Huo Yue's breath hitched. Golden Core? In the Eastern Region, a single Golden Core expert could protect a city for a century.
The resources required to reach that stage were enough to bankrupt the Huo Clan several times over.
"This... it's too much," Huo Yue stammered, her fingers hovering over the ring but not yet touching it. "I haven't done anything to deserve this."
Shen Haoran watched her, his expression unreadable.
For a moment, he had actually considered taking her back to the Central Province immediately, whisking her away to the luxury of the Shen Clan.
But he quickly dismissed the thought.
What he wanted was the Flame Empress, and if he brought her back, give her all the resources she needed, who knew if she would actually be that domineering Empress.
If she didn't face the betrayal, the hunt for Heavenly Flames, and the cold reality of the cultivation world, she would never grow the thorns she needed to rule the heavens.
"Take it," Haoran insisted, his voice brook no argument. "I do not take back what I have given. However, if your conscience troubles you, there is a way to repay me."
Huo Yue looked up, her red eyes searching his. "How?"
"Accompany me into the city," he said, a playful spark finally entering his eyes. "I've spent my entire life within the confines of my clan, now that I'm out, I want to see the sights of Tan Wu City, and I can think of no better guide than my own fiancée."
Huo Yue thought for a moment and nodded slowly, reaching out to take the ring. "If that is what you wish... then I shall accompany you."
As they stood to leave the pavilion, Shen Haoran didn't simply walk beside her but immediately reached out and slid his arm firmly around her waist, drawing her slender frame against his side.
Huo Yue flinched, her entire body stiffening like a startled cat.
No man had ever touched her with such casual intimacy, and her instinct was to push him away, but the warmth of his hand through her silk robes and the steady, calm rhythm of his presence stopped her.
'Oh well, he is my fiancé after all,' she reminded herself, her heart drumming against her ribs. 'In the eyes of the world, I already belong to him. Little bit of intimacy doesn't matter.'
She forced herself to relax, leaning slightly into his embrace as they walked out of the Huo Clan compound.
*
*
*
The streets of Tan Wu City were bustling with activities. Although not prosperous in Shen Haoran's eyes, it is still lively for a small city.
Well, it was also probably because the news of the Profound Ark's arrival had spread like wildfire, and from the whispers and looks of the people, it seems like the Huo Clan have already spread the fact that Huo Yue was engaged to him.
Because of this, as they walked, a path naturally cleared for the couple as they walked.
The citizens whispered in hushed tones, staring in awe at the "Young Master from the Heavens" and the "Fallen Genius" of the Huo Clan.
"You're quite famous here," Haoran whispered into her ear, his warm breath sending a shiver down her spine. "And from what I'm hearing, you are also praised as the most beautiful woman in the city. My, am I lucky to have such a wife."
"Don't tease me," Huo Yue murmured, blushing fiercely as they stopped before a steaming food stall.
The vendor, a middle-aged man, looked like he was about to faint. "Y-Young Lord! Young Miss Huo! Please, try my Spicy Spirit-Grain Buns! On the house!"
Shen Haoran didn't wait for Huo Yue to answer as he picked up a bun, blowing on the steam before taking a bite, "Hmm... It's passable, for someone that isn't a Gourmet Hunter."
He then brought the bun to her lips and said, "Try it. You'd be surprised."
Huo Yue stared straight at his eyes and bit her lip, but she couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her mouth.
She then took a small, delicate bite, the heat of the spices blooming on her tongue. "It's... it's actually very good."
"Isn't it?" Haoran remarked casually, wiping a stray crumb from the corner of her mouth with his thumb.
The intimacy of the gesture made Huo Yue's head spin.
Haoran gave the vendor a gold coin, even though he insisted that it was on the house. In the end, the vendor can only thank hin profusely.
After that, the two of them spent the afternoon wandering through the bustling market.
And Haoran was treating the entire trip as a date, observing Huo Yue's reaction and make sure she have the best time.
He would notice her lingering glance at a certain jewelry at a jewelry stall and buy it for her, he would give a soft comment about how a particular jade hairpin would look against her red hair, or the way he kept his hand firmly on her waist, claiming her in front of the people as if he's afraid that people doesn't know that they are engaged.
At this moment, in a stall selling rare silks, Haoran held up a bolt of crimson fabric. "This color suits you, Yue'er. It looks like a flickering flame. One day, I suspect you'll wear the world in this color."
Huo Yue looked at the silk, then at him. For the first time, the anger and bitterness of the last three years felt distant, like a bad dream.
She felt protected, she felt treasured, as if she was, in his eyes, the only girl that exist.
'He's good, little disciple,' Fairy Liu's voice echoed in her mind, sounding uncharacteristically impressed. 'Very good. Just make sure you don't lose your heart before you've even mastered your first flame.'
Huo Yue ignored her teacher, looking up at Shen Haoran's sharp profile. "Thank you, Haoran. For... today."
Shen Haoran looked down at her, his eyes softening just enough to be dangerous. "The day isn't over yet, Yue'er. And neither is our story."
They continued their little trip, and eventually the bustling market square transitioned into a wide plaza where the air was thick with the scent of burning incense and the competitive shouts of sect recruiters.
Banners of azure, gold, and crimson fluttered in the wind.
"What's this?" Asked Haoran.
"A recruitment."
"Recruitment?"
"Hm. Every year, the sects from all over the empire gather here," Huo Yue explained softly, her voice carrying a trace of the longing she had felt during her years as a 'crippled' genius. "It is the only day the commoners of Tan Wu City have a chance to change their fate."
Shen Haoran nodded absently, his gaze sweeping over the various booths with practiced indifference.
To him, these "sects" were nothing more than gathering places for ants.
However, his eyes suddenly snagged on a figure sitting at the very edge of the plaza, away from the noise and the colorful banners.
The man sat cross-legged on a simple straw mat.
He wore a plain, somewhat frayed white robe, and his long black hair fell loosely over his shoulders. His eyes were closed, and he lacked the desperate energy of the other recruiters.
"Who is that?" Haoran asked.
Huo Yue followed his gaze, her brow furrowing. "That is Lin Feng. He claims to be the Sect Master of the 'Azure Dragon Sect.' It's a bit of a joke in the city, actually. Despite the domineering name, the sect has no land, no resources, and no disciples. Lin Feng himself is only at the 9th Stage of Qi Gathering. People say he's a dreamer who refuses to join a real sect."
As if triggered by her words, the man—Lin Feng—opened his eyes and turned towards them.
In that instant, the world seemed to tilt for Shen Haoran.
He felt a phantom sensation, an invisible ripple of energy that swept over him like a cold tide.
It wasn't a physical attack, but something far more intrusive. It felt as if a pair of eyes was peeling back his skin, reading the secrets carved into his bones, and peering into the very depths of his sea of consciousness.
For the first time since arriving in this province, Shen Haoran felt a genuine shiver of alarm.
Unknown to anyone else, a translucent blue screen flickered into existence before Lin Feng's vision.
[Target Identified: Huo Yue]
[Age: 19]
Cultivation: 9th Stage Body Refinement]
[Talent: Supreme Grade (Hidden)]
[Traits:
—Master In The Ring (Gold): Possesses an ancient remnant soul mentor.
—Favored By Flames (Gold): Innate affinity for all fire-based laws.
—Fortune In Misfortune (Gold): Calamity only serves to strengthen her foundation.
—You Can't Afford To Offend My Man (Gold): Destiny is intertwined with an anomaly.]
[Description: Favored by the heavens. Although her path might be full of pain and hardships, she is destined for greatness. She possessed the talent to dominate her era and stand at the pinnacle, her name will be remembered for eternity.]
[System Evaluation: MUST RECRUIT. Host, if you miss this disciple, you might as well kill yourself]
Holy shit! What is this?! Lin Feng's breath hitched. A Supreme Grade talent? In this backwater place!? Heavens, you finally showed me mercy!
Definitely must take her as a disciple! This is definitely a protagonist level talent!
But as his gaze shifted to the young man standing beside her, the screen glitched, turning a violent, warning red.
[Target Identified: Shen Haoran]
[Age: 20]
[Cultivation: 1st Stage Golden Core]
[Traits: ERROR: DATA CORRUPTED]
[Description: [WARNING: EXISTENCE ANOMALY]
[System Evaluation:] If Host miraculously recruits him, the System will immediately self-destruct from pure shock. You will effectively become the God of this Universe. DANGER: Do not provoke.
What...the hell!? System, are you broken? What the hell are these?
Lin Feng almost cursed outloud. This is the first time the system acted like this, or rather, he had never heard of a system that acts like this.
Did he perhaps receive a discounted System from T*mu?
Unknown to Lin Feng, although his "observation" lasted only a few seconds, but to Shen Haoran, it felt like an eternity.
His Golden Core hummed with a violent, defensive frequency, jis protective instincts screamed at him.
In this world, anyone who could see through him without his permission was a variable.
And variables were meant to be erased.
Shen Haoran's peaceful, gentle smile didn't falter, but his eyes turned into twin pools of freezing, murderous intent.
The temperature in the immediate vicinity of the pavilion dropped by several degrees.
The hand on Huo Yue's waist tightened, 'That man...I want him dead.'
"Is something wrong, Haoran?" Huo Yue asked, shivering suddenly from the sudden chill in the air.
Shen Haoran didn't look at her. His gaze remained locked on Lin Feng, his voice a low, dangerous silk. "Nothing, Yue'er. I just realized that even in a small city, one can find a very bold rat."
Huo Yue tilted her head, confused.
But seeing that Shen Haoran has no intention of explaining, she decided to not ask and simply stared at back to disciple recruitment going on.