At dawn, the cheerful songs of orioles echoed from the woods. The air was exceptionally fresh after the rain, and a sliver of morning light gently touched Luoqing City's face. Her slender brows furrowed slightly as she lazily sat up, rubbing her sleepy eyes. When she saw Nie Yun, who was already awake, a faint blush crept onto her cheeks. The memories of the previous day in the cave, and the fact that she had slept through the night leaning against a man she had just met, caused her to shyly lower her stunningly beautiful face. "Nie... Young Master Nie... Good morning... Why didn't you wake me earlier...?"
"Miss Luoo, you're awake? You looked exhausted yesterday, so I didn't have the heart to wake you. Does your wound still hurt?" The moment the words left his mouth, Nie Yun's face reddened, and he cursed himself inwardly. 'Of all the things I could have said, I had to bring up that awkward topic from yesterday.' He hastily fumbled for a bottle of elixirs and said, "Er... Miss Luoo, external wounds are easy to treat, but internal injuries must be cured over time. I have a bottle of Nine-Turn Jade Dew Pills here; it's an excellent remedy for internal injuries. Please take it. One pill a day should prevent any lasting damage."
Though Nie Yun had tried to quickly change the subject, the mention of her wound made Luoqing City lower her head so far she nearly buried it in the dirt. Unsure how to reply, she simply gave a soft murmur of acknowledgment and snatched the unremarkable jade bottle from his hand. She immediately spun around and asked, "Young Master Nie, what are your plans now?"
"To continue the trial, of course. If you wouldn't mind, Miss Luoo, would you be willing to help me?" 'I might as well see this through to the end,' Nie Yun thought.
A flash of joy lit up Luoqing City's face. "But, Young Master Nie, I'm injured. I'm afraid I won't be much help... I might even be a burden to you..."
"It's no trouble. There's strength in numbers. Besides, you're injured right now, and it's not safe for you to be alone. If you stay with me, I can look out for you. Consider it my way of repaying your honorable father for his grace toward the people of Luoshui City."
"Mm... mm... Then... thank you, Young Master Nie..."
「Three months later.」
"I declare the champion of the Divine Wind Empire's trial competition to be... NIE YUN!!! From this day forward, I bestow upon Nie Yun the Divine Wind Golden Shield. To see the shield is to see me, the Emperor. Should any show disrespect, Nie Yun has the authority to execute first and report afterward! Nie Yun, step forward to receive your reward!" As the Emperor's majestic voice faded, a wave of cheers erupted from the crowd. Over the past three months, Nie Yun and Luoqing City had traveled together. Though her injuries had not fully healed, limiting her fighting ability, her sharp and decisive judgment had saved Nie Yun from perilous situations time and again. Ultimately, he had secured the top prize, becoming the champion of the trial competition! Nie Yun strode forward, head held high, until he was before His Majesty the Emperor. He knelt on one knee and declared, neither meek nor arrogant, "Thank you, Your Majesty! From this day forward, I, Nie Yun, will make the ever-increasing strength of the Divine Wind Empire my mission, and I will defend its honor to the death!"
The cheers from below the stage were incessant. In the crowd, a young woman smiled and slowly clapped for the man on the stage. She murmured, "Nie... Brother Nie Yun, you will surely grow even stronger. From now on, the sky's the limit for you. But I wonder... years from now, will you forget the girl who gazed at the moon and talked with you all night in a cave...?"
"Young Master Nie, what are your plans now?" The award ceremony ended quickly. Once the crowd had dispersed, under the light of the setting sun, Luoqing City asked Nie Yun, her heart full of hesitation. 'She wished so desperately that he would stay, so she could see him more often. But his ambitions were so vast—how could a woman like her ever hope to keep him here?'
"Although I gained much this time, the Ultimate Venerable Realm is still a distant prospect. I plan to set out and temper myself, to seek a breakthrough during my travels. I'm afraid we'll have to part ways for now, Miss Luoo."
"Oh... oh... Young Master Nie, you are a dragon among men. Of course you must travel far and wide. I must also return to the Baihua Sect to continue my cultivation. Then... let us part ways here. Until we meet again, please take care of yourself, Young Master Nie."
"You take care as well, Miss Luoo. And don't be so quick to throw your life away again, haha... When we meet again, I hope you will have become an Ultimate Venerable!" With that, Nie Yun turned and left. To him, Luoqing City was merely a passerby in his life, nothing more than an ordinary friend...
Luoqing City watched Nie Yun's retreating back, standing rooted to the spot for a long time. A glimmer of tears flashed in her bright eyes. She whispered, "The mountain has its trees and the trees have their branches, but my heart loves you, and you do not know. Young Master Nie, you must live well. May you have eternal joy and a life without hardship..."
「Three years later.」
'It's the seventeenth of May again. The day we met... I wonder how you are doing, if you've already forgotten me. As long as you haven't forgotten me, as long as you can occasionally recall what I look like, I'll be content... Have you already married the one in your heart? Sigh...' Beneath a willow by the river, a graceful figure in white gazed at the flowing water. She continuously fiddled with an unremarkable jade bottle, sighing softly to herself. The seventeenth of May was the day they had met, and this was the place where she and Nie Yun had parted. So, on this day every year, Luoqing City would come here and gaze at the only memento he had left her—the bottle that once held his elixirs—sighing forlornly in the wind. As these thoughts filled her mind, Luoqing City, as elegant as a mountain orchid, felt a wave of sorrow wash over her, and her vision began to blur with tears.
"Young Master, here in the Divine Wind Imperial Capital, when it comes to pleasure houses, Xiyue Building is the absolute best. And that new Flower Dan they have, Mong Liyu, is a true masterpiece! They say she's still a virgin, and ordinary men can't even get a glimpse of her. We're lucky to be with you, Young Master." A group of sycophants crowded around a young man in magnificent robes. He had refined features, but a faint viciousness lurked between his brows. Combined with a smile like a gentle spring breeze, it created a bizarre impression. This was Feng Rongruo, the maternal grandson of the Mi Tian Sect Master and a son of His Majesty the Emperor. Despite his scholarly appearance, he was in fact a notoriously lecherous and debauched rake who, relying on his noble status as a Prince and grandson of the Mi Tian Sect Master, had ruined countless respectable women.
"Young Master? Young Master?"
Feng Rongruo had been on his way to Xiyue Building to enjoy the company of the new Flower Dan when he suddenly stopped by the river. His eyes had caught sight of Luoqing City, sobbing softly on the opposite bank. Luoqing City was a woman of pristine beauty to begin with, and now, lost in her memories, her tear-streaked face was all the more pitiable and lovely. How could Feng Rongruo possibly walk away after spotting such a treasure? It took him a long moment to come to his senses. With a single leap, he crossed the river and landed before her, putting on his trademark smile. "Miss, why are you here crying on such a beautiful day? Oh, allow me to introduce myself. I am Feng Rongruo."
At his words, Luoqing City gently wiped her tears and glanced up at the man before her. Feng Rongruo's vile reputation was common knowledge; why would she ever engage in conversation with him? She stood up and said, "Thank you for your concern, Young Master. I am feeling a bit unwell, so I will be returning to my sect."
With that, she stood and turned to leave.
"Wait a moment, miss. I haven't yet had the pleasure of learning your name," he said, reaching out to grab her.
"My humble name would only sully your noble ears. It is best left unsaid." Luoqing City executed the Falling Petal Step, narrowly dodging a hand that filled her with utter disgust, and floated away.
But Feng Rongruo wasn't one to give up so easily. He glided after her, caught up, and reached for her again. "Don't run, my dear beauty," he taunted. "Your peerless looks made me fall in love at first sight; I could never forget you. And since you are of marriageable age, why don't we become husband and wife? Let me dote on you properly."
"I am a disciple of the Baihua Sect! Don't you dare be so shameless, you degenerate!"
"Heh, and what of the Baihua Sect? My grandfather is the Mi Tian Sect Master. I'm going to have you, and I doubt that Baihua Xiu would dare to say a word! Just submit to me, beauty, and I promise you a life of wealth, glory, and happiness!"
"You... You shameless fiend!" Faced with such a scoundrel, Luoqing City was at a loss for words. Although she was a disciple of the Baihua Sect, the Mi Tian Sect was a behemoth within the Divine Wind Empire. And while both she and Feng Rongruo were at the Peak of Qi Sect, he, despite being a degenerate, was also a cultivation genius. He had reached the Peak of Qi Sect Realm at a young age, and the Mi Tian Sect Master had high hopes for him. His Cultivation Techniques and Martial Arts were far more profound than her own; she was certainly no match for him. 'If I fight him and lose, who knows what horrors await!' Making a swift decision, she fled toward her sect. 'No matter how arrogant he is, surely he wouldn't dare cause a scene right at the Baihua Sect's gates?'
But how could it be so simple? Seeing Feng Rongruo give chase, his gaggle of hangers-on immediately followed without a word. Suddenly, Feng Rongruo's speed exploded. With a WHOOSH, he shot in front of Luoqing City and blocked her path with a palm strike. Luoqing City dipped her shoulder, drew her longsword, and countered with her Orchid Swordsmanship. Her resistance only made Feng Rongruo more excited. He flicked her blade away with a finger and unleashed another palm strike. Luoqing City had no choice but to block with her sword before turning and sweeping it in a circle. Just as Feng Rongruo moved to counter, she abruptly abandoned her sword, tapped the hilt with her foot, and used the momentum to float away. She knew she was no match for him, and with his pack of wolves closing in from behind, getting entangled now would mean a swift capture once they arrived. Her sudden feint had caught Feng Rongruo off guard; she should have been able to get away. But in the instant she turned, he fired off a blast of Palm Qi that tore her sleeve, and the jade bottle she kept treasured against her chest fell to the ground. Luoqing City had only just begun her escape when she saw the bottle fall. Acting on pure instinct, she turned back to retrieve it. Though she was a shrewd and decisive woman, anything related to Nie Yun caused her to lose her usual composure. Without a thought for the consequences, she went back for the bottle. By the time she tried to flee again, she was already surrounded.
"What in the world do you want?"
"What do I want? Don't you already know, my beauty?" Feng Rongruo had taken in her every action. Seeing this exquisite woman give up a golden opportunity to escape for the sake of an ordinary jade bottle, he instantly put two and two together. A fierce surge of jealousy rose in his heart. The gentle, spring-like smile vanished from his face, replaced by a look of lewd viciousness!