A transparent aura formed around them, and everyone seated on Xiao Xiuxiu's back felt no wind pressure at all.
Watching clouds whip past and the world blur beneath them, Xue Nu couldn't hide her amazement.
"So fast! At this speed, we'll reach Han in less than half a day."
---
By afternoon, Xiao Xiuxiu carried them across the Han border—a breathtaking pace compared with the months a carriage would have needed in ancient times.
They didn't stop. Within half an hour the splendid capital of Han spread out before them.
From above, a veil of pale mist floated over the city. Rows of houses stood in orderly lines in a basin ringed by mountains. The royal palace lay deepest within, and the outer districts seemed to stand like loyal guards encircling their king.
Goku glanced down at the palace, then shifted his gaze to a vast, ornate compound to its right. The manor sprawled across half the palace's footprint—tall towers, red timbered walls, pearl-like lanterns glittering like stars. In truth, it looked even more opulent than the palace itself.
To avoid commotion, they landed in the hills outside the city. From there, Xue Nu looked down and breathed, "So this is Han… I didn't expect it to be so beautiful."
"That estate… it looks even grander than the palace."
"That belongs to Ji Wu Ye, Han's Grand General," Goku said quietly. "He effectively runs the kingdom. The Han King is little more than a puppet."
"I've heard he's the strongest general Han has seen in a century," Xue Nu said evenly.
"Strong? He's trash," Goku replied with a cold snort. His coming to Han meant Ji Wu Ye's days were numbered.
"You sound… murderous. Do you have a personal grudge?" Xue Nu asked, curious.
"I simply dislike him," Goku said.
"Then he's truly unfortunate," Xue Nu smiled. "Did you come to Han just to kill him?"
"…Not exactly. But close enough. Come on."
---
The main avenue teemed with carts and crowds—a thriving metropolis.
Goku kept the women close, wary of bold hands in the press. With faces like theirs, caution was wise—but for once, his concern proved unnecessary.
They took rooms at an inn, ate together, then wandered the lantern-lit streets until sunset, finally returning to rest.
Under a starry sky, Goku looked toward the distant palace—and vanished. He reappeared inside its grounds, among a grove of bamboo.
He walked the narrow path until a great jacaranda came into view, draped in violet-blue bloom. Petals drifted like starlight; a delicate fragrance hung in the air.
"What a beautiful jacaranda… even lovelier up close."
Standing beneath the blossoms, Goku drove the Demon Sword point-down into the earth and gazed ahead.
Soft footsteps approached. He tilted his head, a smile touching his lips. "There you are."
A young girl in a fine silk dress came slowly along the path. Ribbons fluttered, hair swayed, and a bright, innocent smile lit her face—unguarded, carefree.
Seeing a man where she usually found solitude, the girl blinked.
"Hey! Who are you? Why haven't I ever seen you here?"
Goku's smile deepened. "Before asking someone's name, you should offer your own. That's basic courtesy."
"Bold of you!" she huffed, though the tone was more girlish than haughty. "I am Princess Honglian. When I ask a question, you answer first."
"So, Honglian," Goku said mildly, "why aren't you in your own quarters? Wandering around the palace at night—you're not afraid of running into bad people?"
"Bad people? This is the palace. Where would bad people come from?"
"For example… me." He tapped his chest, amused.
"You're a bad person?" Her eyes shone with curiosity instead of fear. "What do bad people usually do?"
'Hard to believe,' Goku thought, 'that this innocent princess would one day become the venomous beauty known as Chi Lian under Wei Zhuang's tutelage…'
"Isn't this jacaranda beautiful?" he asked instead, looking up through the blossoms.
"You still haven't told me your name!" she puffed. "So rude."
"Goku."
"Goku?" She murmured it to herself, then her attention snagged on the sword stuck in the ground. Her eyes lit up. "Is that your sword? Are you a swordsman?"
"No. But I can use a sword."
He lifted a hand; the Demon Sword leapt to his palm. One casual swing—silver light flashed—and a nearby boulder parted silently into two mirror-smooth halves.
"Incredible…" Princess Honglian stared, stunned. "You're much stronger than my master. Will you teach me swordplay?"
"You want to learn?"
"Mm. I've been training, but I'm not improving."
"Sword training is hard."
"I'm not afraid. I can persevere."
"It's late. Come here at this time tomorrow," Goku said, glancing at her once before vanishing.
She stood frozen for a moment, then broke into a delighted smile. Humming to herself, she trotted back toward her chambers, brimming with anticipation for tomorrow night.
---
When Goku stepped back into his room, he found the High Priestess waiting, worry etched on her face.
Relief softened her features when he appeared. She opened her mouth, but he cut in, "Let's go. I already know," and headed straight for the Yan Crown Princess Consort's room. His abrupt departure from the garden meant one thing: something was wrong with her.
Inside, Xue Nu waved him over, anxious. "Goku, quickly—Lady Ji suddenly felt pain in her belly. Is something wrong?"
Lady Ji lay on the bed, pale and tense. The moment Goku entered, her fear ebbed—as if an anchor had settled in her heart. With him here, problems seemed to melt away. It was a security she had never felt with Yan Taizi Dan.
Goku frowned and said gently, "Lift your skirt a little."
Color rose to her cheeks, but she knew better than to be shy now. A healer's heart is that of a parent, she reminded herself. She drew the fabric up to reveal her smooth, fair abdomen—slightly rounded from early pregnancy.
Goku laid a hand over her belly.
A soft white glow bloomed from his palm and sank into her body. Warmth spread through her like spring water, flooding her limbs. The comfort was so deep it almost pulled a gasp from her lips; her calm dissolved into a rosy flush.
When he withdrew his hand, the warmth ebbed like a receding tide, leaving an unexpected sense of longing. Startled by her own thoughts, she scolded herself silently and steadied her breathing.
"As of now, no more cultivation," Goku said, as if he hadn't noticed. His tone held a mild reproach. "Circulating inner force stresses the meridians. The fetus is fragile; it can't withstand that."
"I… understand," Lady Ji said quickly, nodding again and again.
"Thank goodness," Xue Nu sighed in relief. "Lady Ji, really—didn't your physician warn you?"
Lady Ji shook her head. She had only just discovered the pregnancy, and the doctor hadn't known she practiced martial arts.
"I'll loosen your meridians a little each day. It'll benefit the child," Goku said. "When she's born, I guarantee she'll be a once-in-an-era prodigy."
He had decided: Yue'er would be raised into a peerless genius. Others said to start training from early childhood.
Goku intended to start from the womb.
_____
T/N:
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