Saina

Su Li was so angry he laughed.

He walked over and plopped down beside Saina.

"What kind of crap is that brain of yours filled with every day?" Su Li flicked her forehead, giving her a sharp rap. "I just died and came back. I haven't even had a chance to sit down, and you're already kicking me out?"

Saina covered her forehead, biting her lower lip and saying nothing.

She turned her head and stared at Su Li's face. He was so handsome.

Sword Brows Starry Eyes, skin so fair it practically glowed. Even dressed in rags, he still had the air of an immortal descended from the heavens.

Then she looked at herself. Her hands were like chicken claws, she was all skin and bones, and her face was pockmarked.

A crushing sense of inferiority overwhelmed her.

"You're not an ordinary person." Saina lowered her head and tugged at the dry grass.

"I could tell in my previous life. When you worked the forge, white smoke rose from your body. Other people worked themselves to death at the forge, but you did it with ease. This time, you came back from the dead looking even more handsome. You must've been sent down by some heavenly lord to do great things."

Saina's voice grew quieter and quieter, thick with tears.

"I'm just a country girl. I kept you to myself for sixty years in my last life, and I couldn't even lay you an egg. I'm not good enough for you."

"You should find a princess this time. Or some beautiful fairy. If I follow you, I'll only hold you back. Go on. Just pretend we never met in this life."

Listening to her, Su Li felt his temples throb.

He swore furiously to himself. To hell with princesses and fairies.

In his previous life, he'd just run into two assassins who looked like fairies. Before he'd even gotten properly acquainted with that chest of gold coins, they'd stabbed him right through.

He'd learned the hard way that the prettier the woman, the more dangerous she was.

Better to stick with the country girl he knew inside and out.

She might not be much to look at, but she'd protect him with all her heart.

He was greedy and lustful, but he valued his life even more.

Saina was still tugging at the grass, tears pattering down.

Su Li couldn't be bothered to waste his breath. Reasoning with this stubborn mule was useless. The most practical thing was to take action.

He leaned over and cupped her pockmarked face in both hands.

His thumbs roughly wiped away the tears and snot on her cheeks.

"You had me to yourself for sixty years in our last life, and now you're pulling your pants up and pretending it never happened?" Su Li stared at her astonished face, his voice both fierce and urgent.

"So what if we didn't have kids? I like your pockmarked face. I like your skinny little body!"

Saina froze.

That impossibly handsome face was right in front of her. Their noses nearly touched, and the man's warm breath fell against her face.

"You..." Saina stammered, unable to get the words out properly.

"Shut up!"

Su Li pressed forward, his lips crashing hard against her slightly chapped ones.

Who cared about taking it slow? Who cared about romance? They'd wasted several years fumbling around before finally consummating their marriage in their last life. It had been a complete waste of time.

Since they'd both brought their memories with them this time, why pretend to be chaste virgins?

Her collar slid straight down to her waist.

A broad expanse of snow-white skin met Su Li's gaze. Her complexion was truly exquisite.

Never weathered by wind and sun, it had been covered by clothes year-round and was dazzlingly white. She wasn't particularly well-endowed, but her youthful firmness held a kind of primitive, untamed beauty.

Saina's body went limp, and she collapsed onto the grass.

Her mind went completely blank.

But her body's instincts were perfectly honest. She reached out with her thin arms and wrapped them tightly around Su Li's neck.

The night breeze turned scorching.

In the grass, two bodies entwined.

Young bodies, carrying the experience of more than sixty years...

Saina was completely overwhelmed. She could only bite down hard on her lip to keep herself from making too much noise.

The moonlight cast their shadows...

Sweat trickled down their long, slender necks.

Their conversation had a rather comical air to it.

They were an old married couple, yet they still had to go through the awkward beginnings all over again.

But strangely enough, it felt wonderful.

Without that accursed protection trait suppressing his instincts, Su Li let himself go completely.

The Sword Spirit Root surged wildly within him. With every breath, aether from the air flowed into his meridians. His stamina was absurdly good.

This...

After who knew how long, the night breeze finally scattered the heat in the hollow in the grass.

Saina lay limp in Su Li's arms.

Her coarse clothes were haphazardly draped over her, but they couldn't hide the alluring expanse of snow-white skin. She didn't even want to move a finger. She felt as if every bone in her body had fallen apart.

Su Li leaned against the trunk of the Old Locust Tree and looked down at his wife in his arms.

Her pockmarked face was flushed, and tears still clung to the corners of her eyes.

But her inferiority and lifelessness were gone, replaced...

"Are you still kicking me out?"

"I'm not anymore." ... "I couldn't kick you out if I tried. You're as stubborn as a dog."

"You..." ...

Saina snuggled closer to him.

"Su Li, what do we do now?" Saina looked up at him. "Since you came back from the dead this time, does that mean you got nothing out of it? Are we still going to work at the smithy in this life?"

Work at the smithy?

Su Li sneered.

To hell with working the forge. He'd spent his whole previous life hammering iron, only to end up drafted as cannon fodder.

In this rotten world, honest hard work led nowhere.

Even when he'd earned the title of Magic Forger, people had still treated him like a fat sheep to be fleeced.

If he wanted to live well, he had to be more ruthless and richer than those noble lords.

"No more smithing." Su Li stroked his chin. "In this life, I'm going to live off a rich woman. No, I'm going to become a wealthy landowner."

"Big talk." Saina pouted. "Your pockets are emptier than your face is clean."

Su Li laughed.

He raised his left hand. In the moonlight, the ancient bronze ring on his index finger gleamed faintly.

"See this thing?" Su Li held his hand up in front of Saina.

Saina stared at the shabby ring, which didn't even have a pattern.

"Copper? It can't be worth much. Could we pawn it for a couple of pieces of black bread?"

Su Li rolled his eyes. The country girl's horizons didn't extend beyond black bread.

"Keep your eyes open and watch."

Su Li focused his mind.

A fist-sized Stone on the ground vanished into thin air.

Saina's eyes widened. She rubbed them, then stared hard at the spot where the Stone had been. It was empty.