Husband

"Young Master!"

General Xiong San rushed in from outside the tent, roaring angrily, "These assassins were just hired for a bounty, and we can't get them to reveal who's behind this! The priests are also at a loss!"

Wu Wang leaned back in his beast-skin chair, looking a little tired, a faint glint flashing in his eyes.

"Kill them. Don't make a fuss, and remember to have the priests destroy their lingering souls."

General Xiong San's eyes widened. "Just kill them directly? Wouldn't that be letting them off too easily!"

"Let's handle it quietly," Wu Wang waved his hand. "I'll report this to my father tomorrow. Don't disturb Father and Mother's reunion."

"Yes!"

General Xiong San bowed to receive the order and turned to leave.

"Wait, General San."

Wu Wang suddenly called out to Xiong Lao San, the light in his eyes flickering uncertainly.

General Xiong San stood there, stunned, waiting. It was the first time he had seen the Young Master, usually so decisive and swift, show such hesitation.

"Young Master, what is it?"

"Someone has already set their sights on me. We can't let the mastermind behind this go unpunished. Otherwise, how will our Bear Hug Tribe establish ourselves in the Northern Plains?"

Wu Wang slowly exhaled, the hesitation gone from his eyes. He said calmly:

"Mutual development must be on the premise that we don't suffer any losses.

The Northern Plains ultimately respects strength, not who does the most good deeds.

General San, execute these people immediately, but don't feed their bodies to the wolves. After daybreak, spread the word that...

My mother, using the profound secret of her unique Star Invocation Technique, guided by the almighty Star God, and following the path of karma, will perform a seven-day ritual on the bodies of these assassins to find the origin of all events."

Xiong Lao San couldn't help but ask, "What is this 'path of karma'?"

"Just spread it outside as I said. Did you remember all of that?"

"I remember! Lord Cangxue's action, the Star God's guidance, the power of the Seven-Day Sacrifice, following the path of karma to find the origin!"

General Xiong San glanced at Lin Suqing, then immediately straightened his chest.

"Young Master, don't worry, we won't be that foolish!"

Seeing Wu Wang nod, the burly man bustled out of the tent, his loud shouts causing a slight disturbance.

Lin Suqing, standing nearby, was deep in thought. When she looked up at Wu Wang, she saw his figure sunken into the beast-skin chair.

The starlight was faint, illuminating his somewhat gaunt face, yet there were areas of shadow that the light couldn't quite reach.

"Young Master, is something wrong?" Lin Suqing asked softly.

"Nothing,"

Wu Wang replied, closing his eyes. He made a gesture of priestly prayer with his hands and said in a low voice:

"May those who will soon perish due to my decision today find peace under the guidance of the Star God."

He then silently added in his heart:

Infinite Heavenly Venerate, Jade Emperor, Namo Gatling Bodhisattva, Einstein the Great Relativity Venerable.

Even though the Great Wilderness is not under their jurisdiction.

Lin Suqing didn't quite understand Wu Wang's prayer. Those who kill will be killed; there was no need for pity towards these assassins who had tried to kill her.

Could it be that the Young Master is actually incredibly gentle... and she isn't worthy of enjoying that gentleness?

Self-pity often arises in a single thought.

However, what happened next completely exceeded Lin Suqing's imagination. If it could be summarized in four words, it would only be—

Bloody and tumultuous.

The bodies of these assassins were hung outside the Royal Court, with a large number of priests chanting around them. The rumors spread by General Xiong San, amplified by the Star God Cult, quickly swept across the land.

On the sixth night of the corpse hanging, the wolf cubs in the Royal Court's kennels paced restlessly.

In the middle of the night, a large number of dark figures descended from the sky, targeting the dozen or so corpses. However, they were surrounded by the elite forces of the Bear Hug Tribe, who had been waiting.

Starlight sealed the path, and arrows crisscrossed the sky.

A fierce battle raged for nearly half an hour. The attackers were captured alive, dozens of them, while the rest were annihilated. Their origin was also thoroughly interrogated and repeatedly verified.

The neighboring clan to the Bear Hug Tribe—the Long-Haired Tribe.

The Long-Haired Tribe, primarily composed of humans and beast-people, were skilled at driving beast herds and believed in the Star God and the Beast God.

Although the tribe's overall strength did not rank among the top ten in the Northern Plains, they were by no means weak. Moreover, they had had numerous skirmishes with the Bear Hug Tribe over border demarcation, and there was a long-standing resentment between them.

Their plan was originally flawless. Through a certain force in the Western Plains, they had posted a bounty at a merchant caravan. The captured witch from the Yushique Kingdom was also part of a 'professional team' that specialized in assassination and sabotage, making it virtually impossible to trace the employer.

But who could have imagined that the Star Invocation Technique had a karma profound secret!

In truth, at first, the leader and the Grand Priestess of the Long-Haired Tribe adamantly refused to believe this news.

But as rumors spread throughout the tribe and anomalies appeared frequently in the starry sky, they could no longer sit still.

What's worse, the assassins they sent didn't die. Even worse, they couldn't withstand some Young Master's interrogation "techniques." Dozens of confessions, varying in detail, all pointed to the Long-Haired Tribe's leader and the Grand Priestess.

Half a month later.

The Bear Hug Tribe attacked the Long-Haired Tribe without declaration, splitting into three routes for a surprise assault.

A month and a half later.

This tribal war quickly concluded with the defeat of the Long-Haired Tribe.

Following Lord Cangxue's suggestion, the Bear Hug Tribe divided a portion of the Long-Haired Tribe's former territory equally among several other powerful neighboring tribes.

—This was, of course, Wu Wang's arrangement.

The nail that sticks out gets hammered. Blessings fall upon the strongest.

Since Brother Xing Tian has grand ambitions to contend with the Heavenly Emperor, it's good for their Bear Hug Tribe to tag along, benefit a little, and steadily make a living in the Northern Plains.

After the war, Cang Xue convened and presided over the Seven-Day Sacrifice council, officially removing the Long-Haired Tribe from the Northern Plains. The former members of the Long-Haired Tribe became refugees, permitted to be absorbed by various tribes protected by the Star God.

A medium-sized clan vanished within two months.

It's worth noting that the casualties among the participating Bear Hug tribesmen were actually not high.

The observing great clans had expected a protracted war lasting at least half a year. In reality, it was a one-sided advance by the Bear Hug Tribe, with the Long-Haired Tribe completely unable to fight back.

The chariot crossbow formations, the Star Invocation Technique that influenced local weather, and the new repeating giant crossbows wielded by the Giant Wolf Riders became the focus of attention for all the clans.

Unfortunately, the Bear Hug Tribe kept a tight lid on the new giant crossbows, outwardly claiming they didn't exist, that they were toys, that such things were impossible, and that the tribesmen were just bragging.

When the Long-Haired Tribe's war completely concluded, the designers of these giant crossbows and tactics, in their riverside cabin, penned a single large character:

[Contention]

Lin Suqing, who was grinding ink beside him, frowned and pursed her lips, asking softly, "An entire clan, just like that, gone?"

"What else?"

Wu Wang put down his wolf-hair brush and sat back in his chair, chuckling. "A clan that has never birthed a Sun Sacrifice will always remain a fringe power in the Northern Plains, vulnerable to being swallowed by other forces at any moment."

Lin Suqing hesitated, then voiced her concern:

"If it hadn't been the Long-Haired Tribe attacking that night, but some other powerful great clan... wouldn't we have suffered heavy losses, like hurting a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred of our own?"

Wu Wang then elaborated:

"I hesitated for a long time before making this decision, but there was no other way. This is a responsibility I must bear. If I were an ordinary member of the Bear Hug Tribe, I would simply counterattack with my own strength if ambushed. But as the successor to this clan's leadership, an assassination attempt is not just my personal affair."

Seeing Lin Suqing looking somewhat confused, Wu Wang added:

"If a clan's Young Master being assassinated is treated as if nothing happened, then that clan will inevitably be seen as weak by other major powers, and disasters will follow one after another. The Long-Haired Tribe may not have been acting alone; perhaps other great clans supported them, otherwise, they wouldn't have been so misguided, constantly thinking of provoking us. Appropriately displaying our strength is the only way to deter forces that can truly threaten us. This is the way of survival in the Northern Plains."

He paused, then smiled. "Why am I telling you all this? Go back to your room and cultivate."

"Oh," Lin Suqing replied, tiptoeing towards the door. Before she left, she seemed to remember something and turned back to ask, "Young Master, what about that sealed puppet?"

"Cremated."

Wu Wang replied without looking up. "Its self-awareness was erased right after birth. Quite pitiful."

Fire...

Lin Suqing pursed her lips, lowered her head, and retreated. She had thought Wu Wang would spare the puppet.

Wu Wang rested for a while, calming his slightly turbulent emotions. He stood up, picked up his brush, and with a stroke of immense force, dipped the tip in ink like a feather falling on snow, writing a character after [争]: [仙] (Immortal).

During his parents' last visit to their clan's ancestral land, Wu Wang had already mentioned his desire to venture into the Human Domain and broaden his horizons. His father's attitude was strongly opposed, while his mother expressed some concern. However, as long as his mother agreed, persuading his father wouldn't be difficult.

After the battle with the Long-Haired Tribe, the Bear Hug Tribe should be stable for a considerable period. The Star God's Blessing was unlikely to occur again anytime soon, and the Wave Tribe stood in their way. The time was ripe to seek out an immortal to cure his strange illness. It was time to make preparations for the Human Domain, to purchase an "back-to-school set" at the Northern Wilderness Market, and to display the ordinary financial strength of an ordinary Northern Plains tribe.

Thus, three months later, Wu Wang's chariot, accompanied by vast numbers of Giant Wolf Riders, surged out of the Royal Court and headed towards a seaside market.

"Husband, husband?"

Who?

Wu Wang opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was a hazy aurora. He was sitting under a tree.

He looked down and saw a pair of fair, tender little hands. He was wearing a short beast-skin shirt and shorts, just like he did when he was seven or eight years old.

A dream?

"Husband, do you like me?"

A clear voice called out from beside his ear. Wu Wang suddenly looked up, and a little girl stood before him, slowly bending down.

Wu Wang couldn't see her face clearly, nor her figure, but he could see the sweet smile on her lips.

"Then it's settled, we are husband and wife."

Husband and wife?

How did they become husband and wife?

Wu Wang's eyes widened. He immediately realized something and wanted to reach out and grab the little girl in front of him, but he felt powerless and couldn't lift his hand.

His shoulders felt a slight numbness. The little girl had actually bitten him on the shoulder. She even had two sharp teeth.

The next moment, the little girl disappeared, and a blurry figure suddenly appeared.

This figure was tall and slender, with almost perfect curves. Her most striking feature was her long hair, which cascaded past her waist. He still couldn't see her face or her attire.

'Who are you?'

Wu Wang asked in his heart, but he couldn't make a sound. At this moment, a great longing surged within him, a desire to see her face clearly, to know her origin.

'Who exactly are you!'

After asking this time, Wu Wang suddenly saw a pair of bright eyes, saw the tenderness and deep affection in them.

The blurry figure suddenly dissipated, and fragmented images flashed before Wu Wang's eyes, along with those distant and near calls:

"This concubine will not make you wait too long..."

"Husband..."

"Wait for me... wait for me..."

Wait!

On the speeding carriage, Wu Wang suddenly opened his eyes, his body tense, sweat on his forehead, his eyes unable to focus for a moment.

"Young Master? Are you feeling hot?"

Lin Suqing's voice came from the side, and Wu Wang felt as if he had grabbed a lifeline, pulling himself out of the mire.

He slowly exhaled and immediately shouted for the carriage to stop. He asked Lin Suqing to take out the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone she carried with her and quickly drew three scrolls.

The first scroll depicted the scene from his dream: a large tree with dense branches and leaves, a small lake reflecting the starlight, and brilliant auroras floating all around.

The second was the outline of the little girl.

The third was a pair of eyes, eyes that were impossible to describe specifically. They were almond-shaped, yet gentler than almond eyes.

After finishing the three paintings, Wu Wang felt as if his body had been drained of all strength. He sat there blankly, unable to snap out of it for a long time.

Had he forgotten something?

Was there a gap in his memory from when he was seven or eight years old?

Wu Wang tried hard to recall and probed repeatedly, but he came to a very certain conclusion – his memory was complete, with no gaps whatsoever.

Then what was this...?

He couldn't have been dreaming for no reason!

In terms of Star Invocation Technique, he could already be considered a 'strong practitioner' in the Northern Plains. It was impossible for him to have such dreams casually.

"What's wrong? Young Master."

Lin Suqing asked worriedly from the side, "Did you have a nightmare?"

"How did I fall asleep?"

"You just fell asleep like this," Lin Suqing was a bit flustered. "You started meditating as soon as you got on the carriage, and then you started snoring while meditating."

Wu Wang carefully recalled the scene before he fell asleep, which surfaced in his mind.

Lin Suqing said with concern, "Is it because you've been pushing yourself too hard in your cultivation? You must be careful. Cultivation is most afraid of being greedy for success and advancing rashly. An unstable state of mind can easily induce inner demons."

Inner demons?

Was it because he had been desperately trying to find out the cause of his strange illness, and his Dao heart had developed a crack?

Wu Wang rubbed his temples, looking at the paintings before him, his mind unable to calm down for a long time.

This might be an inner demon, or perhaps...

It was the root of his strange illness!

With the clues he currently possessed and the information he knew, he couldn't draw any effective conclusions.

A ball of flame erupted from his palm, and Wu Wang burned the three paintings before him to ashes. He gave Lin Suqing a few instructions, telling her to pretend she had never seen anything.

Clutching the necklace he kept close to his body, Wu Wang wanted to contact his mother, but then he loosened his grip on the necklace.

He should first determine if it's a hallucination, then seek his mother's help. He couldn't rely on her for everything.

"Young Master," a guard reported, "we're not far from the market. According to the rules agreed upon by the clans, large groups cannot approach the market."

Wu Wang asked, "Su Qing, how's the contact over there?"

"They're ready."

"Mhm," Wu Wang took a beast bone mask from his embrace and put it on. For the rest of the journey, he continued to ponder the sudden dream.

Wu Wang was certain that he had never met the owner of those apricot-shaped eyes before.

Comparing them carefully, Wu Wang also ruled out the Star Gods.

Star Gods' eyes were narrower and longer, like phoenix eyes.

Jokes aside, Wu Wang had genuinely considered many times that he had been fancied by a wealthy Star God, who had bestowed some 'blessing' upon him, thus preventing him from interacting with other women.

He had even prepared himself mentally: if the Star God came to capture him and he couldn't win, he would die to defend his right to choose a partner!

But now, things seemed to have become... a bit too strange.

He raised his hand to touch the 'bitten' spot on his shoulder, but there was no wound, nor any related memory.

If, and this was just a hypothetical, his strange illness was truly caused by the woman in his dream leaving a mark, a curse, or some other peculiar thing on him.

And if the strongest Sun Sacrifice of the Northern Plains and his grandmother, who had lived for over six hundred years, were both powerless against this curse, then this woman's identity...

Was she no less than a Star God?

That was impossible, there was no reason for it, it was too outlandish.

The last moment of his previous life was him piloting a spaceship into a wormhole that suddenly appeared near Earth.

Then, with a bang, the spaceship exploded, he was gone, vaguely feeling his soul drift through endless darkness, drawn away by some vortex.

He had fully recovered his past life's memories at the age of three. His memories from before the age of three were also completely preserved.

Wu Wang could be absolutely sure that he had never met that girl in either of his lives!

It must be a hallucination, right? This has to be a hallucination?

But without the Star Invocation Technique, he was still in the Qi Gathering realm...

Ah, this!

Headache.

The sound of waves crashing ashore came from the distance, and the edge of his vision was filled with pure azure. He saw the shimmering sea at the horizon.

Four Frost Wolves charged headlong, directly crashing into the bustling market, drawing countless gazes.

A moment later, Wu Wang temporarily suppressed the chaotic thoughts in his mind and, surrounded by over a dozen guards, entered the largest circular tent in the market.

The interior of this tent reminded Wu Wang of the venues where he watched circus performances in his previous life.

The hundreds of seats surrounding the central stage were completely empty, and all entrances were sealed by fierce guards.

As soon as their group entered, over a dozen scantily clad women with voluptuous figures stepped forward to bow, calling out sweetly:

"My lord, this way please."

Wu Wang nodded slightly, and a guard threw out two bags of gold and silver trinkets.

Just some colorful little stones.

After a short while, Wu Wang sat in the front row, center seat, with all sorts of delicacies before him and a glass goblet swaying in his hand.

Lin Suqing stood quietly by his side and said to the stage:

"You may begin."

Clang—

A burly man with horns on his head, exuding a strong aura of blood, struck a golden gong and shouted to the sky:

"The 632nd Northern Plains Treasure Auction officially begins!"

Wu Wang sat there, still trying hard to recall and ponder.