In the end, Bai Ze was dragged away by Mo Yunqi!
In the kitchen, only Ye Xuan and Ji Anzhi remained.
Ye Xuan looked at Ji Anzhi in front of him, smiling faintly. At that moment, he recalled the first time he met her.
Back then, Ji Anzhi had been completely bare!
Of course, Ye Xuan was a gentleman. He wouldn’t look at what he shouldn’t, but what he *should* see? He’d definitely take a peek!
Ji Anzhi glanced at Ye Xuan. “What are you thinking about?”
Ye Xuan snapped out of his thoughts and smiled. “Nothing!”
With that, he stepped closer to Ji Anzhi, opened his palm, and a blade appeared in his hand.
The blade was just over three feet long, its body a deep azure, but the edge gleamed blood-red, chilling to behold. The handle was light, with two characters engraved on either side: “Ye” and “An.”
Seeing the blade, Ji Anzhi froze.
Ye Xuan smiled. “I had this specially forged for you! It’s crafted from the power of countless stars. When you swing it, it’s imbued with immense stellar energy. Beyond that, it’s versatile for both attack and defence. With a swing, you can unleash the protection of ‘Stellar Love’!”
Ji Anzhi looked at Ye Xuan. “Love’s protection?”
Ye Xuan nodded earnestly. “My protection!”
Ji Anzhi: “…”
The small pagoda suddenly interjected, “Pfft, Little Master, you’re shameless!”
Ye Xuan: “…”
Ji Anzhi reached out and grasped the handle. It felt cool and smooth, perfectly balanced. Looking at the blade, her lips curved slightly upward, especially when she saw the two characters on the handle.
It was clear she loved it.
Ye Xuan took out a storage ring and handed it to Ji Anzhi. “Anzhi, a little gift for you!”
Ji Anzhi looked at him. “What is it?”
Ye Xuan grinned. “Take a look!”
Ji Anzhi glanced into the ring and immediately froze.
The entire ring was filled with black scrolls—tens of thousands of them. But that wasn’t the point. The point was that these scrolls contained blade cultivation methods, blade techniques, and even some divine blade skills.
Ye Xuan said softly, “I know you love blades, so I travelled the cosmos, collecting every valuable blade cultivation method and technique for you…”
He stepped closer to Ji Anzhi, smiling. “Do you like it?”
Ji Anzhi lowered her head slightly. After a long moment, she nodded.
Ye Xuan suddenly took her hand, noticing the calluses at the base of her thumb. His heart ached, and he said softly, “Don’t push yourself so hard. If it’s too much, I’ll protect you for life.”
Ji Anzhi trembled slightly. She looked up at Ye Xuan, and after a moment, she leaned into his embrace.
At that moment, the small pagoda piped up, “Little Master, didn’t Sister Tian Ming say that to you?”
Ye Xuan retorted inwardly, “Mind your own business!”
The pagoda: “…”
Just then, Ji Anzhi gently pushed Ye Xuan away. “Xiao Jiu is here!”
With that, she took the storage ring from Ye Xuan’s hand and turned to leave.
Ye Xuan turned to the door, where a woman stood, clad in silver battle armour, exuding a heroic aura.
It was Ninth Princess Jiang Jiu!
Jiang Jiu had matured significantly since they last met.
She smiled. “I’m not interrupting, am I?”
Ye Xuan laughed heartily, quickly changing the subject. “Xiao Jiu, it’s been years—you’re looking more beautiful than ever!”
Jiang Jiu blinked. “More beautiful than Anzhi?”
Ye Xuan’s expression froze.
*A deadly question!*
At that moment, Ye Xuan opened his palm, and the small pagoda appeared. He looked at it, frowning. “What nonsense are you spouting? Xiao Jiu is just as beautiful as Anzhi, got it?”
The pagoda panicked. “Bloody hell, Little Master, you…”
Ye Xuan, displeased, said, “What’s that? You’re just a broken pagoda—what do you know?”
With that, he put the pagoda away and silenced it.
The pagoda: “…”
Jiang Jiu looked at Ye Xuan. “What did the pagoda say?”
Ye Xuan grinned. “It said you’re very beautiful!”
Jiang Jiu rolled her eyes. “Smoothing things over!”
Ye Xuan chuckled, relieved to have navigated that hurdle.
Jiang Jiu glanced at Nan Litian, still kneeling outside. “You’re not taking her as a disciple?”
Ye Xuan looked at Nan Litian and shook his head. “She’s too proud. She needs to be tempered, or she’ll break easily in the future.”
Jiang Jiu nodded slightly, then asked, “How long are you staying this time?”
Ye Xuan thought for a moment. “I’ll be leaving soon.”
Jiang Jiu fell silent.
Ye Xuan stepped closer to her, smiling. “Let me take you somewhere!”
Jiang Jiu looked at him. “Where?”
Ye Xuan grinned. “You’ll see!”
With that, he grabbed her hand, and the next moment, they vanished.
*Space-time traversal!*
In the blink of an eye, Ye Xuan and Jiang Jiu landed. As Jiang Jiu opened her eyes and saw their surroundings, she froze.
They stood in a sea of flowers, surrounded by vibrant, mysterious blossoms stretching beyond sight. Butterflies fluttered among the blooms, and cranes occasionally soared overhead.
In that moment, Jiang Jiu felt like she was in a fairyland.
She turned to Ye Xuan. “This… where is this?”
Ye Xuan smiled. “Xiao Jiu’s Realm!”
*Xiao Jiu’s Realm!*
Jiang Jiu was stunned.
Ye Xuan glanced around, then said softly, “I travelled the cosmos and found this tranquil place…”
He looked at Jiang Jiu, smiling. “Do you like it?”
Jiang Jiu studied him. “There must be many creatures in this world. You didn’t…”
Ye Xuan laughed. “Do you think I’d slaughter creatures just to please a woman? This place’s spiritual energy was nearly depleted, on the verge of collapse. I placed star veins here, allowing this world to survive.”
Jiang Jiu nodded slightly. “That’s good.”
Ye Xuan smiled. “Do you like this place?”
Jiang Jiu laughed. “What’s your goal in doing all this?”
Ye Xuan thought for a moment, then said, “To make you happy!”
Jiang Jiu’s face lit up with a radiant smile. “Do you think I’m happy?”
Ye Xuan hesitated. “I’m not sure!”
Jiang Jiu shook her head slightly. “Anzhi spends all her time on the mountain, unfamiliar with worldly ways, so a few sweet words are enough to move her.”
She looked directly at Ye Xuan. “She might just be one of many women to you, but you’re her only one. When a woman is heartless, she hurts others the most. When she’s devoted, she touches hearts the deepest. Ye Xuan, don’t betray her!”
Ye Xuan nodded. “I know.”
Jiang Jiu smiled. “Of course, the way you treated her this time was a promise to her, which is right. A man should take responsibility for those he loves. If you don’t love someone, don’t string them along.”
She glanced around, then said softly, “Did you bring me here to make a promise to me too?”
Ye Xuan nodded.
Jiang Jiu looked at him, smiling. “The sea of flowers is beautiful. You put in a lot of effort.”
Ye Xuan grinned. “As long as you like it!”
Jiang Jiu said softly, “Do you remember our first meeting?”
Ye Xuan nodded.
Jiang Jiu looked at him, smiling. “I really loved what you said: ‘Only with a nation can there be a home.’”
Ye Xuan fell silent.
Jiang Jiu continued, “I liked that young man back then!”
Ye Xuan smiled faintly. “Xiao Jiu, do you think I’ve changed?”
Jiang Jiu was silent.
Ye Xuan opened his palm, and the golden blade Jiang Jiu had given him years ago appeared. He looked at her. “Once, my only goal was to give my sister a good life. But later, I realised how hard it is to live peacefully.”
He looked up at the starry sky. “Xiao Jiu, do you know how vast this cosmos is? Infinitely vast! In this boundless universe, there are countless powerful forces and unimaginable superpowers! You may not know this, but some beings could erase Qingzhou from the universe with a single thought.”
He turned to Jiang Jiu. “I’d love to be that young man again, but if I were, who would protect Qingzhou? Who would protect you all? You liked the old Ye Xuan, but that Ye Xuan had to grow up!”
Jiang Jiu remained silent.
Ye Xuan continued, “The old me, the current me—it’s still me! You felt something for me because of my words, ‘Only with a nation can there be a home.’ But do you know, now, I’m not just protecting a nation or Qingzhou. I’m protecting the Five-Dimensional Universe, the Nine-Dimensional Universe, and so much more…”
He placed the golden blade in Jiang Jiu’s hand. “Of course, I understand you. You gave me this blade years ago, and I’ve kept it close. I know it carries your affection. As you said, I came to you today to make a promise—or rather, to state my position. I, Ye Xuan, don’t like hiding things. If I like someone, I like them. If I don’t, I don’t! Today, I return the golden blade you gave me!”
Jiang Jiu looked at the blade in her hand, silent.
Ye Xuan opened his palm, and a storage ring appeared. He placed it in her hand. “This ring contains cultivation resources and some military texts. Though Qingzhou is peaceful now, I know you love strategy, so I’ve collected these over the years. There are also cultivation methods and martial techniques suited to you—they should help!”
Jiang Jiu remained silent.
Ye Xuan smiled. “I did this to win your favour, sure. But is it wrong to want to make someone you like happy? Back when I was young, I had nothing, so I could only offer a sincere heart. Now, my heart hasn’t changed, but besides sincerity, I can give you more—whatever I have, I want to give you, to make you happy!”
Jiang Jiu stayed silent for a long time.
Ye Xuan glanced around, then said softly, “I’m heading to the Xuan Realm. Whether I live or die is uncertain. After today, if fate doesn’t bring us back together, we’ll meet in the next life…”
The small pagoda suddenly interjected, “Little Master, aren’t you going to inherit your family fortune?”
Ye Xuan snapped inwardly, “Mind your own business!”
Hearing Ye Xuan’s words, Jiang Jiu’s expression shifted. At that moment, Ye Xuan said, “Xiao Jiu, I’m leaving!”
With that, he turned to go.
Suddenly, Jiang Jiu grabbed his hand and placed the golden blade back in his palm, saying softly, “No matter how long it takes, I’ll wait for you in Qingzhou. If you don’t return, I’ll follow you!”
With that, she gently leaned into his embrace.
The small pagoda: “…”
