Wasting Things Is Shameful...

Early the next morning, the sky had only just begun to brighten.

Jiang Zhen quietly got up, glanced at Ah Yin still sleeping beside him, tucked in her blanket, and softly left the room.

The courtyard was chilly, and the morning mist had yet to disperse.

"Knock... knock..."

Jiang Zhen held the hairpin, cool and smooth to the touch, in his hand and walked to Ice Empress's door, knocking on it.

"Come in."

He pushed open Ice Empress's door. She was sitting by the bed, swinging her legs listlessly, her Emerald eyes gazing out the window in a daze.

Hearing Jiang Zhen enter, she turned her head, her face returning to its usual indifferent expression.

"What is it?"

Jiang Zhen walked up to her and opened his palm. The Ice Marrow Jade Hairpin lay quietly in it.

"This is for you."

His tone was calm, as though he were merely handing over an ordinary item.

Ice Empress's gaze was instantly drawn to that icy blue glimmer. Her pupils contracted imperceptibly; she had clearly recognized it as the hairpin she had glanced at several times the previous night.

But she immediately turned her head away, raised her chin slightly, and snorted. "Hmph, who likes such tacky things that only human women use? Take it away."

Jiang Zhen had anticipated her reaction. He did not insist and simply withdrew his hand as she requested, speaking casually.

"Since you don't like it, I'll throw it away."

As he spoke, he made as if to casually toss the hairpin out the window.

"You!" Ice Empress abruptly turned her head, stopping him almost instinctively.

Seeing the faintly amused look in Jiang Zhen's eyes, she immediately realized she had been teased. A faint blush rose on her puffed-up cheeks, yet her gaze remained fixed on the hairpin.

Jiang Zhen stopped while he was ahead and held the hairpin out to her again, this time placing it directly into her outstretched palm.

"I've already bought it, and it can't be returned. If you dislike it, deal with it yourself."

Having said that, he gave Ice Empress no chance to argue and turned to leave.

"I'll go check out. Pack up and get ready to leave."

The door quietly closed.

Inside, Ice Empress sat alone by the bed, looking down at the cool, translucent hairpin in her palm.

The jade quality of the hairpin was exceptional, its carved snowflake patterns lifelike. It was even ice blue, which made her feel extremely comfortable.

She ran her fingers over its smooth body. Her Emerald eyes held complicated emotions—annoyance, embarrassment, and a trace of... delight that even she herself had not noticed.

After hesitating for a moment, she finally gave a soft snort and muttered under her breath, "...Wasting things is shameful. I'll... I'll accept it for now."

As she spoke, she awkwardly tried to pin the hairpin into her Dark green Long Hair. After several attempts, she barely managed to secure it.

A streak of icy blue amid the dark green was unexpectedly harmonious and beautiful.

She walked to the washbasin in a corner of the room and looked at her reflection on the water's surface. The Corner of the Mouth seemed to lift in a tiny curve before she quickly suppressed it.

By the time Jiang Zhen returned from checking out, Ice Empress was standing in the courtyard with her usual expression, as if nothing had happened.

Only, the Ice Marrow Jade Hairpin had quietly found its way into her hair.

Jiang Zhen saw it and secretly laughed, but did not expose her.

"Let's go."

He took the hand of Ah Yin, who had just woken up and was rubbing her eyes, and spoke to Ice Empress.

The three of them had a simple breakfast of steaming meat porridge and flatbread by the street, then left Dragon City and officially set out for Heaven Dou City.

Once they left Dragon City's borders, the land opened up once more.

On either side of the official road lay snow-covered wilderness and sparse woods. The air was cold and fresh.

"We're not in a hurry. We'll head south, taking in the sights as we go. Consider it a journey," Jiang Zhen said to Ice Empress.

Ice Empress had no objection. She had always been curious about the Human World, and a leisurely pace suited her perfectly.

Her gaze swept over the scenery along the way, taking in every novelty that caught her interest.

For example, a frozen scarecrow in a distant field, an ornate carriage racing down the official road, or even a strangely shaped crooked tree by the roadside.

She would Glance Sideways at them a few more times, but she would never ask about them, maintaining the aloof persona of the Northern Extreme Heavenly King.

Ah Yin was much livelier. Everything seemed new to her, and she often tugged on Jiang Zhen's hand to ask question after question.

Jiang Zhen patiently answered every one of them while also keeping an eye on their surroundings and Ice Empress's reactions.

They passed through a small town where a modest market happened to be underway.

Ice Empress still wore an expression that said, "There's nothing This Empress hasn't seen."

Yet her steps unconsciously slowed, and her gaze lingered over the stalls selling handmade woven goods, local snacks, and toys.

Understanding at once, Jiang Zhen bought Ah Yin a steaming roasted sweet potato and handed one to Ice Empress as well.

Ice Empress glanced at it and had intended to refuse, but upon catching its caramel-like sweet fragrance, she silently accepted it.

Imitating Jiang Zhen, she peeled away its charred skin to reveal the soft, golden flesh inside. She cautiously took a bite, and its warm sweetness immediately dispelled some of the chill from their journey.

Thus, the three of them continued south at an unhurried pace.

Although Ice Empress's tongue remained as sharp as ever, and she often gave the things she saw scathing critiques such as "inferior" and "useless,"

her body language gradually relaxed. She was no longer constantly tense, and she would occasionally even unconsciously move closer to inspect things that interested her.

Two and a half months later...

One human and two beasts arrived outside Heaven Dou City.

From afar, one of the continent's largest cities displayed its majestic grandeur.

The towering city walls sprawled across the horizon like a giant dragon. Built from the hardest bluish-gray boulders, they had weathered countless years of wind and rain, becoming only more imposing and dignified.

The gate towers rose high, banners fluttered in the wind, and the armor of the patrolling soldiers gleamed with a cold luster beneath the sunlight.

Compared to Dragon City's austere frontier style, Heaven Dou City brimmed with the magnificence, prosperity, and deep heritage of an imperial capital.

Its enormous gates stood wide open. Carriages and people flowed endlessly through them, while ornate carriages, Spirit Masters in all manner of attire, merchants, and commoners streamed past in an unbroken current. The clamorous bustle could be heard from far away.

"Hmph, it's only so-so. It can't compare to Xue'er's and my Ice Palace."

Ice Empress curled her lips and offered her habitual assessment, but her gaze unconsciously lingered for several seconds longer on the towering walls that seemed to reach the clouds and the distant Palace Buildings faintly visible beyond them.

Such an enormous man-made construction was rare even over the course of her long life.

Ah Yin's little mouth fell open, her azure eyes filled with amazement. "Wow... Brother A Zhen, this city is so huge and tall!"

She tightly gripped Jiang Zhen's hand, gazing at the bustling scene before her with both excitement and a touch of timidity.

Jiang Zhen smiled faintly and tightened his hold on her small hand. "Come on, let's go into the city."

Passing through the deep, grand gate tunnel, they found the sights within even more dazzling.

Along the broad streets, wide enough for ten carriages to travel side by side, shops stood in dense rows.

High-end luxury stores, fragrant restaurants, and shops displaying exquisite clothing and jewelry were everywhere.

The air was filled with a complicated blend of scents—the aroma of food, the sweet fragrance of cosmetics, and the vibrant "human presence" unique to a city.

Their group drew considerable attention—a Blue-Haired Youth with an icy and distinctive aura, a cute little blue-and-golden-haired girl like an elf, and a young yet coldly beautiful girl with Dark green Long Hair. Passersby repeatedly Glanced Sideways at them.

Jiang Zhen paid them no mind. He first found a rather grand-looking restaurant and took the two girls inside for a hearty meal.

Although Ice Empress continued to critique every dish, her chopsticks moved no slower than anyone else's. She took several extra bites of a crystal-clear dish called "chilled crystal cake."

After the meal, Jiang Zhen found an inn with a quiet, elegant setting in the bustling district and rented two superior rooms.

"Get a good rest tonight,"

Jiang Zhen said to Ice Empress and Ah Yin,

"Tomorrow, we'll set out to handle our real business."

At those words, an almost imperceptible anticipation and sharp gleam flashed through Ice Empress's Emerald eyes. Naturally, she knew what this so-called "real business" was.

That blessed land containing the Ultimate Ice Spring and Immortal Herbs—the Ice Fire Yin Yang Eye.

She nodded lightly without another word, then turned and entered her room.