Northern Region, Xiangshui City.
Today, the common folks were living their usual lives. They work at sunrise and rest at sunset.
Come evening, everyone returned to their homes, each to their own. Those with wives went home to accompany them. Those without? They sought out “Fifth Lady” (The right hand) for a bit of solo exercise. Who knows, maybe they’d even build some muscle while at it.
Those with low cultivation levels would band together in groups of three to five, venturing into the mountains to hunt low-grade spirit beasts in exchange for spirit stones.
As for those with higher cultivation, they were either in seclusion, on their way to seclusion, fighting, or on their way to a fight.
As for worldly pleasures? The unsophisticated drank and feasted. The refined enjoyed the moonlight and snow.
The City Lord of Xiangshui City was originally named Nangong Goudan (Dog-Egg Nangong).
Coming from a humble background, his parents had chosen a “cheap” name, believing it would bring good fortune and help him survive. Who would’ve thought that Goudan would get absurdly lucky and eventually rise to the position of City Lord, even reaching the sixth rank in cultivation.
However, the name “Nangong Goudan” was simply too embarrassing to say aloud.
You couldn’t very well introduce yourself as “I am Nangong Goudan, City Lord of Xiangshui City.”
The moment you opened your mouth, your enemies would probably laugh their teeth out.
So, he changed his name to Nangong Chuixue (Snow-Blower Nangong) which had a much more elegant and poetic ring to it.
Today, City Lord Nangong Chuixue was leisurely sipping tea—
When suddenly, the ground trembled violently.
“Whoa—!”
Nangong Chuixue flipped right off his recliner.
Booom, rumbleee!!
“What’s going on? Wh-What just happened?”
Nangong Chuixue was startled.
Could it be that a powerful cultivator had just started a battle nearby?
Craaack—
A sound like shattering glass echoed through the air. In the sky, a massive crack appeared!
From within that rift, an ancient and powerful aura began to leak out.
The legendary Sky-Mending Secret Realm… had appeared!
***
In the imperial palace, the secret chamber.
Lu Xiyue looked at her eldest disciple, who was sitting not far away with her eyes closed in meditation. Standing beside her was a clone of Ji Yuhuang.
Lu Xiyue turned to the real Ji Yuhuang behind her and asked,
“So… you tricked my disciple like this?”
Ji Yuhuang gave her a sideways glance and replied,
“Trick? Every word I said was true.”
That’s right. Ji Yuhuang genuinely wanted to help Bai Yuyan improve her cultivation. However, to do that, Bai Yuyan needed to enter seclusion for a while.
And during that time, their little husband was hers to toy with as she pleased.
Lu Xiyue rolled her eyes at Ji Yuhuang. She didn’t believe for a second that Ji Yuhuang was being purely selfless.
“The Sky-Mending Secret Realm is about to open. What are you planning to do? Don’t tell me you’re going with them?”
“As much as I’d like to, those old fogeys don’t want any eighth-rank cultivators near the Sky-Mending Secret Realm. What’s wrong? Judging by your expression, are you worried about our little husband?”
She cast a glance at the cool and composed Sword Fairy beside her.
Lu Xiyue paused to think for a moment before slowly speaking:
“This is Feng’er’s opportunity. If he could obtain a secret treasure in his past life, then he can definitely do it again in this one.”
“Of course our little husband can do it. Do you think a man chosen by me, Ji Yuhuang, could be ordinary?”
As she spoke, pride filled her voice.
***
“Commoner Chu Feng pays respects to Your Majesty.”
Chu Feng bowed respectfully to Ji Yuhuang, who was dressed in imperial dragon robes.
Standing before the Empress’s commanding and icy presence, Chu Feng felt extremely stifled.
As expected, Sister Wan’er’s gentleness was so much more comforting.
But ever since he returned, he hadn’t seen Sister Wan’er again.
“You seem quite afraid of Us. Why? Is it because We’re… ugly?”
A cold smile tugged at Ji Yuhuang’s lips, and a terrifying pressure burst forth from her body. It was overwhelming and suffocating.
Booom!
Hearing Ji Yuhuang’s words, the surrounding palace maids all dropped to their knees, their bodies trembling.
“N-No, Your Majesty’s beauty is peerless, capable of toppling nations. You are utterly enchanting and unmatched. Not ugly at all.”
Chu Feng quickly offered a stream of compliments.
Good grief, he thought. Why is this Empress so hot-tempered?
No wonder Senior Sister Yuyan had warned him the Empress was a tyrant….now he saw she hadn’t been exaggerating in the slightest.
He had to tread carefully. One wrong move, and if the Empress got upset, he’d be…
Wait a second! Where’s Master?! Where did Master go?!
“Then why won’t you lift your head and look at Us?”
Ji Yuhuang looked at her well-behaved little husband with a strange sense of pleasure.
This switching of identities… wasn’t there something her little husband had once mentioned in his past life? Roleplay, was it? Or maybe he called it cosplay?
She vaguely recalled something he’d said about a certain role….about a queen, basement, leather, whip, candle…
Gulp.
Chu Feng swallowed hard, then slowly raised his head.
What met his gaze was a face identical to Sister Wan’er’s. They looked exactly the same.
He wasn’t sure about the body at first, but since he had once “measured” Sister Wan’er’s figure by hand, now, comparing it to the Empress’s… he was certain. The body was nearly identical too.
Ji Yuhuang reached out a slender hand, gently lifting Chu Feng’s chin with her index finger.
“Well? Do you think… We are beautiful?”
With a faint smile on her lips and a voice still cool and distant, Ji Yuhuang appeared even more stunningly cold and elegant.
“Your Majesty’s beauty puts the moon and flowers to shame and makes fish sink and birds fall from the sky.”
As soon as Chu Feng finished his flattery, he noticed the coldness in the Empress’s eyes begin to melt. It was replaced by a rare hint of tenderness.
That look…
It was the same as Sister Wan’er’s.
To be fair, they really were sisters. Even their gentle gaze was strikingly similar.
But in the next moment, Chu Feng saw the Empress’s phoenix eyes once again fill with cold indifference, as if the warmth from earlier had been nothing but an illusion.
“Such sweet words…I like that.”
Ji Yuhuang withdrew her slender hand. Just moments ago, after being so thoroughly flattered by her little husband-to-be, she had actually started to fall for it a bit. Fortunately, she snapped out of it in time.
Her red lips pressed together slightly. Facing such a helplessly defenseless little husband, the fact that she had managed to restrain herself just now was already a feat of immense willpower.
“So….have you given any thought to becoming my imperial consort?”
Ji Yuhuang took a seat, her phoenix eyes locked on Chu Feng.
“Um……………”
Chu Feng had no idea how to respond. If he answered honestly and said he didn’t want to be a consort, would the Empress fly into a rage and have him executed?
But if he lied and said he did want to, what if the Empress said, “No time like the present. Let’s get married tomorrow”? That would be a total disaster.
Come to think of it… if he married the Empress, would that make him the one marrying into her family?
“What’s the matter? Marrying me….does that feel beneath you?”
“No, not at all. Marrying Your Majesty… I’d say it’s more like a blessing.”
“Then why haven’t you agreed yet?”
“Your Majesty, marriage should be something done willingly by both parties. If we force it, the end result will only be resentment and unhappiness.”
Alright.
Chu Feng decided to take on the role of a nagging monk and started earnestly trying to persuade her.
With the Empress’s temper and status, marrying her would basically be like marrying an ancestor.
This went way beyond a strong, independent woman. This was the Pro Plus version. The final form of all strong women: the Empress!
“Hmph! There’s nothing I want that I can’t have!”
Ji Yuhuang declared domineeringly.
It’s over.
Yep, no matter how much he tried to reason with her, it was pointless.
Just when Chu Feng thought he’d have no choice but to obediently become the Empress’s consort, a voice rang out.
“Ji Yuhuang, when it comes to Feng’er’s lifelong future, it’s not your decision to make!”
Chu Feng’s eyes lit up the moment he heard the voice. It was his master!
At that moment, Chu Feng really wanted to say, “Master! You are lightning! You are light!”
Master, where were you just now? If you’d been any later, your disciple would’ve had no choice but to surrender beneath the Empress’s… hem… no, her imperial dragon robe.
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