T/N: It took me a whole week to realize I labeled it 57 instead of 58, so now there are two Chapter 57s. (╥﹏╥) Just let it be.
The kiss imprinted on her cheek was light but exceedingly clear. Sang Dai’s entire being felt as though her weak spot had been struck, her movements stiff and too nervous to dare move recklessly.
Whenever she got nervous, she looked like this – like a little quail. Su Xuan found this even more endearing the more he watched her, his face and eyes full of laughter, his gaze filled with such deep affection that anyone who saw it could immediately discern his feelings.
The crowd could not help but be astonished: The Beast King had not married all these years and rarely appeared outside the Beast Palace. Among all the Beast Kings throughout history, he was the latest to take a wife. Could such a cold and indifferent person really act this way?
His gaze seemed as though it was glued to that female cultivator.
And that female cultivator…
Someone from the Immortal Realm narrowed their eyes to take a closer look, and then their pupils suddenly widened in shock.
“That’s… that’s Sang Dai from Sword Sect!!”
“Sang Dai? That eldest lady from Sword Sect? The one who awakened the Heaven-grade lightning spiritual root?”
“Wait, no, didn’t I hear she died in the great battle two months ago?”
“Dead? What dead? She was in Bairen Alley not long ago! And she even betrayed Sword Sect… no, you could say she betrayed the Immortal Realm.”
“Betrayed? Betrayed what! That Sword Sect was unjust and unscrupulous, making Miss Sang a scapegoat. She did well to leave! If it were me, I would’ve left too!”
Sang Dai: “…Su Xuan.”
She wasn’t particularly used to such crowded occasions. Back in Sword Sect, she had mostly moved alone. Now that she was the center of everyone’s attention, she couldn’t help but feel embarrassed under those scrutinizing gazes.
Su Xuan interlocked his fingers with Sang Dai’s, raised an eyebrow, and asked the guard, “Is this sufficient now?”
The guard looked at Sang Dai, clearly troubled.
“But this young lady looks…”
Su Xuan’s smile deepened, while Sang Dai’s gaze darted evasively.
Su Xuan: “Madam, he doubts our relationship.”
He sounded exactly like he was tattling.
Sang Dai tried to explain to the guard: “…He really is, really, uh…”
The guard: “…Really what?”
Sang Dai’s face was burning, and that word felt like they were scalding her tongue, making it impossible to say them aloud.
Su Xuan gave a low chuckle, knowing her shy temperament and not wanting to tease her any further. “My lady is naturally timid. You—”
“Hu… Husband.”
The soft voice of the sword cultivator beside him broke in.
Husband.
That one word exploded in Su Xuan’s ears like fireworks, leaving him unsure how to react as a tingling numbness spread to the tips of his ears.
Sang Dai held his hand tightly, stumbling over her words: “My husband and I… we haven’t yet formed a marriage contract, but… but we are indeed… Dao companions…”
Her voice grew softer and softer, sounding increasingly guilty.
The guard took another look at the famously hot-tempered and lazy Beast King of the Four Realms.
The corners of a certain fox’s mouth couldn’t help but twitch upwards wildly. The smile in his eyes could no longer be concealed as he stared at the sword cultivator beside him, his two eyes practically sparkling with stars.
The guard: “…”
The guard stepped back. “Please proceed.”
The way the Beast King looked at her, like a clingy little puppy—though his tails weren’t visible, everyone could almost see those nine fluffy tails wagging behind him, blooming like flowers.
Su Xuan, holding Sang Dai’s hand, entered Chunqiu Tower. No matter how anyone on the street stared at him along the way, he didn’t spare them a single glance. His eyes remained glued to his blushing sword cultivator, as though he couldn’t wait to wag his tail in front of her.
She called him husband?
Dai Dai called him husband?
Dai Dai called him husband!!
[So happy! So happy! So happy!!!]
When Sang Dai finally dragged him to a secluded spot, she immediately tried to let go of his hand, but Su Xuan held on tightly.
Sang Dai: “Let go, there’s no one around.”
Su Xuan, acting proud: “I won’t. I’m going to keep holding.”
He felt that Cui Shao was absolutely right—he had to be thick-skinned and even more enthusiastic. Since Dai Dai already called him “husband,” wouldn’t the next step be to make him her real husband?
He was so close to having an official title!
Sang Dai, helpless: “…Su Xuan, how old are you?”
Su Xuan: “…”
Su Xuan was shocked. “You’ve forgotten my age?!”
Su Xuan looked incredulous. “Are you so unconcerned about me that you don’t even know how old I am?”
Sang Dai had never been looked at with such an expression—like she was some heartless scoundrel.
She fell silent, trying to stay calm, but ultimately failed.
Sang Dai stomped heavily on Su Xuan’s foot. “How can you be this stupid?!”
Su Xuan hissed in pain, thoroughly kicked by her.
Just then, a pair of Dao companions turned the corner and froze when they saw the two of them.
“…Beast King? Miss Sang?”
As it happened, this pair of Dao companions recognized both Sang Dai and Su Xuan.
“You two…”
They pointed to their clasped hands.
Su Xuan immediately straightened up, his face cold and indifferent. “This lord and my wife are here at Chunqiu Tower to celebrate with Pavilion Master Qiu.”
The Dao companions opposite them: “Wife?”
They looked at Sang Dai, noticing her face flush red. It seemed like she was angry, yet not exactly angry—an expression hard to decipher.
Sang Dai forced a smile: “Yes, I… Su Xuan and I are married… haha, he is my husband now.”
Su Xuan lifted his chin slightly, the corners of his lips curving into a smile. He was just short of having the words “Sang Dai’s Husband” written across his face.
The Dao companions awkwardly chuckled. “…Wow, that’s really incredible…”
Who didn’t know about these two sworn enemies? One was the eldest lady of the Sword Sect, and the other was the Beast Realm’s ruler. Both had awakened Heaven-grade spiritual roots, and they had been at odds for years. Su Xuan would frequently storm into Sword Sect looking for fights.
Now these mortal enemies had actually become Dao companions?
The male cultivator among the Dao companions glanced at Su Xuan and silently gave him a thumbs-up.
Truly impressive. To be able to win over Miss Sang, the famously cold beauty—clearly, all those past visits to pick fights had not been about the fights. The “drunkard’s intention was not the wine but the person.”
Su Xuan raised an eyebrow, looking entirely unashamed.
Once the Dao companions were sent off, Sang Dai immediately shook Su Xuan’s hand free.
Su Xuan clicked his tongue.
He hadn’t held it long enough yet.
Sang Dai quickened her pace and walked ahead, Su Xuan trailing right behind her.
“You’re walking so fast and keeping such a distance. Aren’t we Dao companions, Dai Dai?”
Sang Dai: “…”
She slowed her steps, and Su Xuan was immediately by her side.
Their shoulders brushed against each other.
“Madam, would you wait for your husband?”
Sang Dai shot him a fierce glare. “Are you addicted to this or something? There’s no need to—”
Su Xuan covered her mouth, cutting her off mid-sentence.
He raised a slender finger and wagged it gently, speaking sincerely: “Dai Dai, don’t say such things, and don’t be angry at your husband. Last night was all my fault.”
The implication in his words was heavy.
Su Xuan lifted his gaze, his eyes landing on the wooden ceiling above. Through the impenetrable planks, it was as though he could see something, the corner of his lips curling slightly. However, the smile never reached his eyes.
Sang Dai followed his gaze, her phoenix-like eyes narrowing slightly.
The two exchanged a look, their emotions clear only to each other.
Chunqiu Tower was a towering structure. In the current cultivation world, most buildings did not exceed ten floors, but each of Chunqiu Tower’s towers had a hundred levels. Qiu Chengxi’s mastery of mechanical arrays had reached an unparalleled peak.
They were now inside the main tower, the one Qiu Chengxi used to entertain guests. They had only just entered the first level, yet it seemed they were already being watched.
Su Xuan took her hand again. This time, Sang Dai did not refuse and allowed him to hold it.
The two did not speak aloud but communicated silently via sound transmission.
Su Xuan: “We were probably being watched the moment we stepped in. He’s on the upper floors.”
Sang Dai: “Did you see his cultivation level?”
Su Xuan replied via sound transmission, “No, he’s observing us through the mechanisms in this building. He hasn’t used spiritual power.”
This building was filled with hidden mechanisms. Even a lamp hanging on the wall might contain deadly poison needles, and some corner could easily hide a thousand-mile eye [a mechanism that allows long-distance observation]. In short, the moment one entered Chunqiu Tower, every action was under surveillance.
Su Xuan sneered through the sound transmission: “Qiu Chengxi is still this cautious. If it weren’t for his genuinely decent mastery of mechanisms, this nitpicky habit of his would’ve gotten him hunted down by the Four Realms a long time ago.”
But the truth was, Qiu Chengxi’s skill with mechanisms was more than decent. Even though Sang Dai had never met him personally, she had heard of his reputation.
Young in age, high in cultivation, and through his mastery of formations and mechanisms, he had achieved this level of cultivation with a Mysterious-grade spiritual root. His talent was exceptional.
Moreover, he was highly sociable.
When he first made a name for himself, many across the Four Realms wanted him dead. A master of formations could easily infiltrate enemy territory with a single small array. And since Qiu Chengxi had no background and was all alone, he was an easy target.
But he roamed the world, offering his services far and wide. Today, he set up a mountain-protection array for one sect; tomorrow, he built a disciple pavilion for another. With enough favors repaid, the entire Four Realms became his friend, and no one dared to pursue him anymore. Meanwhile, his cultivation only continued to grow, making him a true powerhouse.
Good relationships, high cultivation—he was truly remarkable, and Sang Dai couldn’t help but admire him.
Most of the great cultivators of this age were eccentric: either too proud to associate with common folk, secluded to focus entirely on cultivation, or simply antisocial like herself, who was naturally quiet and poor at making friends. And then there was Su Xuan, who was both irritable and lazy, spending his days cooped up in the Beast Palace, refusing to go out.
What Qiu Chengxi had accomplished was truly rare.
Sang Dai found him quite impressive.
Suddenly, a voice sounded in her ears through sound transmission: “Thinking about Qiu Chengxi? You think he’s impressive?”
Sang Dai didn’t feel anything odd and nodded absentmindedly. “Yes, very impressive.”
The voice in her sea of consciousness suddenly changed tone: “What’s impressive about him? Is he more impressive than me?”
Sang Dai: “…”
She stopped and turned expressionlessly to look at the fox beside her.
The little fox squinted its eyes.
[Even Shen Ciyu, who grew up with Dai Dai, never got praised by her. Why should Qiu Chengxi be so special?! Wait… Qiu Chengxi is said to look quite good too… Damn it, I shouldn’t have let Dai Dai come here!]
Sang Dai: “…”
“Why aren’t you saying anything? Is he more impressive, or am I?”
Sang Dai coldly replied, “I’m the most impressive.”
She grabbed Su Xuan and walked forward, her side profile cold and resolute as though her Dao heart had been fortified.
The fox spirit frowned, dragged into a room by Sang Dai.
Anyone entering Chunqiu Tower received a jade token indicating their accommodations. Perhaps because Su Xuan was the Beast King, the guard had assigned them a room on the nineteenth floor, and the room was quite spacious.
Inside was a main table. The fox spirit sauntered over, sat down leisurely, and pulled out a teapot from his Qiankun pouch, sipping tea slowly. His fox-like eyes remained fixed on the indifferent sword cultivator.
Sang Dai: “…Why are you staring at me?”
Su Xuan: “Because I want to.”
“Suit yourself.”
Sang Dai was immune to his antics. She found a stool and sat down, carefully placing a person’s distance between herself and Su Xuan.
Su Xuan was displeased. He stretched out a leg, hooked the leg of Sang Dai’s stool, and dragged her closer.
Sang Dai: “…Can’t you walk on your own?”
Su Xuan: “The walls have ears. How can Dao companions sit so far apart?”
[No, no, no! Why sit so far away from me?! I want to stick right next to you!]
Sang Dai turned her head and ignored him, treating him as if he were nothing but air.
She drank several cups of water in one go, silently pondering whether the person behind the scenes would show up here.
Since the second spiritual root had been placed here, it was clearly a trap for her. Now that she had arrived, when would that person appear?
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PART 1
PART 2