The carriage moved at a leisurely pace. It would still take a few days to reach Night City. The coachman, puzzled, patched up the hole in the side of the carriage and wondered aloud, “How could such a big hole have appeared without me noticing?”
Hua Yan pretended not to know.
Lu Chengsha dared not extend his hand again. Hua Yan suspected it would take him another year or two to muster up the courage.
When they lodged at an inn that night, Hua Yan found the small town vaguely familiar. Passing by a steamed bun shop, she bought a few buns. Only after taking a bite did she recall that this was the town where she had first met Lu Chengsha. Now, it felt like a lifetime ago.
The bun shop owner had once smiled and told her that she could get two free buns the next time she came. Even if she hadn’t disguised herself, she doubted he would recognize her now.
Back then, she had just left the sect, full of curiosity about the righteous heroes. Everything seemed novel, and she lived carefree. Perhaps it was this fearlessness that led her to follow Lu Chengsha without hesitation upon first sight.
If it were now, she wouldn’t dare.
Hua Yan took another bite of the bun, recalling her first glimpse of Lu Chengsha.
At that time, Lu Chengsha was truly cold, ruthless, strong, and arrogant. Comparing him to the current awkward, stubborn, and occasionally sullen Lu Chengsha, she just felt…
Never mind, she still liked him a lot.
Lu Chengsha had wandered off somewhere again. Hua Yan guessed he was probably on the roof.
People in the inn were chatting idly. Hua Yan overheard them talking about Zhangjia Town. The once bustling Zhangjia Town no longer existed.
It turned out that not long after they left, a strikingly alluring girl appeared in the town. Not only was she beautiful, but her every gesture was innately seductive. She was sent away and eventually became the concubine of a very powerful official. This girl was quite capable; it didn’t take long before she was extremely favored. Then, she found an excuse, claiming she had been horribly abused by the townsfolk in her youth. Naturally, the official had to stand up for her. Without lifting a finger, he had his subordinates make the town suffer.
Now, Zhangjia Town was desolate, with its residents either dead or scattered, leaving only an empty shell of a town.
It was said that the girl returned once, dressed in fine clothes and living luxuriously. She uttered just a few words: “Sister Xueran, see, I’ve avenged you.”
No one knew who this Xueran was, but Hua Yan remembered clearly.
Back then, she didn’t understand love and only found Mo Huan’s story lamentable. Now, reflecting on it, she felt the helplessness hidden between the lines. Despite their love, the barriers of status and unresolved conflicts made being together far from simple.
Before Zhang Xueran died, she told Mo Huan, “I lied to him.” At that time, Hua Yan couldn’t understand either.
Suddenly, it all made sense. No matter how much Mo Huan loved her, he was always a disciple of the demonic sect. His methods of revenge were extremely cruel; he killed both the evildoers and Zhang Xueran’s parents and brothers. Even though Zhang Xueran might have held resentment towards her parents and felt little affection for them, such a brutal act would be hard for an ordinary person to accept, making it difficult for her to face him.
Similarly, Hua Yan knew very well that although she did not personally kill Lu Zhenxing, if he really died because of her, it would be hard for Lu Chengsha to face her.
Even now, with Lu Zhenxing still alive, it’s difficult for him to face her.
Lu Chengsha, sitting on the rooftop, also heard the conversation. Lost in thought, it took him a while to recall that it seemed related to a demonic sect disciple he had killed. The details were blurry, but he remembered the slender, mute woman who suddenly stepped in front of his sword.
Few dared to block Lu Chengsha’s sword, let alone an ordinary woman without any martial skills.
In the end, the person she was trying to protect committed suicide, and she still rushed towards his sword.
And then she died just like that.
At the time, Lu Chengsha was slightly perplexed. To him, it was even more incomprehensible than a moth to a flame. However, he wasn’t curious or inclined to understand. Years later, he suddenly realized he had done something similar.
When Lu Zhenxing wanted to kill her, he stood in front of her without a moment’s hesitation.
That was the first time Lu Chengsha felt he might die. His wounds were not yet healed, and he was already struggling. Moving slowly, he still forced himself to wield his sword. The pain from his torn, bleeding wounds was unbearable, but his will and instinct kept his body going.
The only thought in his mind was to ensure her safety.
Never in his life had Lu Chengsha had such a strong will and thought. Previously, he killed demonic sect members because Lu Zhenxing told him they were all wicked and deserved to die. Those thoughts didn’t come from himself. He never had any desires of his own until now.
After leaving Tingjian Manor, he wandered aimlessly while recovering from his injuries, feeling lost and disoriented.
Lu Zhenxing told him he no longer needed to be the sword of Tingjian Manor. But what else could he do?
Lu Chengsha realized that his past life path and goals were all arranged by Lu Zhenxing. He was born and raised in Tingjian Manor, learned the Lu family’s swordsmanship, and wielded Wuren to kill demonic sect members.
Now, he suddenly found himself to be the son of the former demonic sect leader, and he had lost his purpose.
Lu Chengsha re-examined himself. He even infiltrated marketplaces and mingled with common people to understand what they did daily, to see what made him different. This meaningless observation continued for a while before he realized he didn’t want to do anything. He only wanted to find her.
But he couldn’t.
But he still really wanted to find her.
His gaze lowered slightly, and he saw her downstairs buying buns, looking a bit lost as she took a bite. Lu Chengsha quickly averted his eyes and looked into the distance, recalling what had happened in the carriage during the day, unsure of what to do with his hands.
His heartbeat involuntarily quickened.
He immediately wanted to get up and move farther away, but he didn’t dare go too far. She was always at risk when she went out, and although Lu Chengsha knew she was strong now, he still didn’t want her to get hurt.
He could preemptively deal with those lying in ambush to harm her, without her even knowing.
Despite this, he still felt uneasy when she was close to others.
She had told him about her childhood experiences, with some details altered and characters replaced. Although he listened intently at the time, he couldn’t connect it to reality. Later, he vaguely realized that the lazy, older brother she mentioned might be Xie Yingxian, the demonic sect leader who saved her from Lu Zhenxing’s sword that night.
He didn’t know what she did every time she returned to the sect.
So he was still unhappy.
But these feelings couldn’t be expressed because he shouldn’t have seen her, let alone be by her side like this.
Before knowing her true identity, he had vaguely sensed something was amiss. They spent their days together, and Lu Chengsha couldn’t help but watch her. Those subtle clues weren’t hard to notice, but he always chose to ignore them.
In hindsight, Lu Chengsha realized this was what people called wishful thinking.
From a young age, Lu Zhenxing had told him never to entertain wishful thinking, to not show mercy, to avoid doubt, and to decisively act. If his sword hesitated for even half a second, it could mean his death. In the end, he did disappoint him.
But he couldn’t let his final wish go unfulfilled.
Hua Yan ordered an extra meal from the servant, telling him to place it on the eaves. The servant was puzzled, “Why is that…”
The maid immediately interjected, “Is it a custom of the madam’s family to offer sacrifices to the heavens?”
Hua Yan replied, “Yes, that’s right, it’s a tradition!”
The maid, feeling proud after receiving praise, suddenly expressed her concern, “This time, the roof won’t get a hole in it, will it?”
Hua Yan gritted her teeth and said, “…If it does, I’ll reward you with silver tomorrow.”
Of course, the roof did not get a hole, and the next morning, only empty plates were left. The innkeeper clicked his tongue in amazement, while Hua Yan had mixed feelings. Maybe he hadn’t eaten enough—should she order more next time?
—
Night City was the city where Dongfeng Buye Tower started a century ago. The original Dongfeng Buye Tower inn was established here. Initially just a small town, after a century of development, it had gradually become as prosperous as any major city in other states.
Moreover, unlike other cities, Night City had looser checks and a diverse population. While it was not very welcoming to demonic sect members, it didn’t turn away even the most notorious villains.
Upon entering the city and lifting the curtain, Hua Yan immediately felt a different kind of bustling atmosphere.
Right at the entrance, someone with a smile approached to inquire about their purpose and destination. When they mentioned they were here for the auction, they were immediately given directions and information about places to stay and visit. Each person was even handed a Night City guidebook, including the maids and attendants.
Hua Yan noticed that the guidebooks handed to each person were different.
Her own book detailed stores for clothing, jewelry, and cosmetics, as well as schedules for theaters, all things that would interest a woman. She grabbed the book given to the demonic sect disciple and saw that it introduced places for dining, entertainment, gambling houses, and brothels, along with archery and cricket fighting venues. Everything was covered, which left Hua Yan amazed.
The most prominent feature of Night City was still Dongfeng Buye Tower itself.
Perhaps due to its early construction, the Xianjiang Duobao Pagoda here had only five stories, all painted red with occasional gold lacquer accents. Each level was adorned with red lanterns, vibrant and dazzling. The pagoda’s spire even had red silk strands hanging down like chains, almost reaching the ground, swaying wildly in the wind.
Dongfeng Buye Tower’s wealth was astounding, and naturally, the auction had its own separate guide.
The auction was divided into two parts. The first half featured jewelry, antiques, paintings, and curiosities, while the second half offered various elixirs, divine weapons, and rare medicinal materials worth their weight in gold. Hua Yan skimmed through the catalog and almost choked when she saw one particular item.
—The pair of swords used by the demonic sect leader Xie Yingxian during the raid on Tingjian Manor.
What is this! Can this even be sold? Who would buy this!
Weren’t they supposed to despise the demonic sect? How could they shamelessly make money from this!
Thankfully, such items were rare in the auction.
Xie Yingxian had long been suspicious of Dongfeng Buye Tower. He found it very strange that such a large organization in the martial world had no trace of its owner. Dongfeng Buye Tower was involved in more than just inns; they also ran restaurants, teahouses, clothing stores, and more. Their business was vast, and not only did they pay huge taxes to the imperial court annually, but they also sent generous sums of money to various sects, which Xie Yingxian referred to as protection fees.
He even suspected that Dongfeng Buye Tower might be connected to Cixin Valley.
Hua Yan said, “Surely, it’s not just because the owner of Dongfeng Buye Tower and Nian Yi share the same surname, Jiang?”
Xie Yingxian lazily smiled and said, “Who knows? When Nian Yi left the Yin family, he didn’t take a single coin with him. Otherwise, when the Yin family’s collateral branches divided the family fortune, he wouldn’t have been just a suddenly missing son-in-law. Even if he was skilled in medicine, he would still have needed money when he first established the valley… though it could have been funded by others. It’s just a thought.”
Since they were investigating, naturally, they had to stay at Dongfeng Buye Tower. Xie Yingxian ensured she had enough silver, even enough to buy some jewelry at the auction for fun.
As they settled in, Hua Yan couldn’t help but wonder where Lu Chengsha would be staying tonight.
When she got off the carriage, she had wanted to tease Lu Chengsha by grabbing the arm of the fearless demonic sect disciple and calling him “husband” or “spouse.” But after hesitating, she only managed to say, “master.”
She hadn’t called Lu Chengsha that yet!
She couldn’t let someone else take that title!
Even so, Hua Yan felt the demonic sect disciple suddenly go weak at the knees, almost collapsing. Fortunately, she held onto his arm, steadying this cowardly “master.”
Around them, people suddenly remarked, “Hey, did you all feel it suddenly get cold just now?”
“Yeah, I felt a sudden chill. What’s going on?”
The demonic sect disciple whispered nervously to her, “Please, stop… I’m losing years off my life here…”
But as soon as he leaned closer to speak to their holy maiden, he felt an even colder chill, immediately shut up, and moved away a bit.
Hua Yan thought he was truly useless. If he had any use at all, if he could provoke Lu Chengsha to show himself, she wouldn’t be so frustrated.
Night City was indeed a city that never slept. At night, it was even more bustling than during the day. There was no curfew or control, and Hua Yan heard there was even an underground fighting arena, arranged for martial artists who loved to brawl. One could participate or just watch, with participants signing death contracts before the fights and winning generous rewards.
On the surface, the city was filled with the noise of drunken revelry, arguments, brawls, and street performances, bustling all night like the evenings of the Sword-seeking Tournament, though more unruly due to the diverse crowd.
Hua Yan wanted to explore and went out alone, leisurely strolling through the crowd. Even with her face covered, she still attracted attention.
A few who didn’t know better tried to flirt with her, but before Hua Yan could act, they suddenly backed off a few steps, looking around in fear, “Who’s there?”
Hua Yan didn’t need to guess to know who it was.
Expressionless, she said, “My husband.”
The man, sensing the easing of the murderous aura, laughed, “Who are you trying to scare, girl? If your husband is so formidable, why isn’t he here with you? Why let you roam alone at night?”
Hua Yan replied, “That’s right, I’m bluffing you.”
The man burst into laughter again, “In that case, since I’m free tonight, how about I play the role of your protector and accompany you? Wherever you want to go, I’ll be by your side!”
With that, he reached out to put his arm around Hua Yan’s shoulder.
Hua Yan remained expressionless. She pulled out her silk fan and, under the man’s lecherous gaze, drove it into the stone wall next to them. Then, as his expression turned from lustful to horrified, she pulled the fan back out.
“Move aside,” she said.
The thug, who had been about to harass her, touched the hard stone wall and stammered, “Oh… okay.”
He didn’t realize it wasn’t over yet.
Shortly after the beautiful woman walked past, he saw a man in black, equally expressionless but with a gaze cold as ice, carrying a long sword on his back. The man pressed a finger on the thug’s shoulder, and immediately the thug felt excruciating pain, his body flying uncontrollably backward. By the time he regained his senses, he had flown two streets away and crashed into a wall, spitting blood on impact.
The surrounding crowd gasped, but scenes like this were not uncommon in Night City’s nights.
Clutching his aching chest, the thug struggled to get up, only to see the fearsome black-clad man seemingly teleport to him, saying, “Her husband is me.”