"Huh? We have to kill each other too?" Zhang Xiu blinked and pointed at himself and Yaoshi.
"Yes."
After getting his answer, he rubbed his hair, looking troubled. "Forget it. I've had enough fun anyway."
"What do you mean...?" Green Pheobe had only just begun to grow wary when someone kicked her flying from behind!
"What do I mean? You precious little darling, you! How fucking dare you harm people in the Lord of Longevity's name? Meow!"
Before Green Pheobe could say anything, Li Ge vaulted over the wall and began stomping on her like mad. Zhang Xiu raised his foot and joined in.
"You bastard! How dare you drag my wife's name through the mud? Fuck!"
Arriving late, Chen Chang'an saw that the two had already started fighting, dropped the unconscious man in his hands, and joined in the bullying.
The man he had knocked unconscious was none other than the leader of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus in the Exalting Sanctum, a traitor to the Cloud Knights: Purple Rose, or, to use his original name, Zhixin.
Dozens of minutes earlier, Zhang Xiu had run into the pair again and simply dragged them along to help.
As for how they knew where Purple Rose was? Simple. Through Skydeep's earlier contact with the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, they had traced that bastard back to his location.
Seeing the scene before her, Yaoshi also started throwing punches at the air like a boxer.
Finally, after several minutes of crushing violence, Zhang Xiu stopped kicking and turned to Chen Chang'an beside him.
"Did you get it?"
"Yeah." The latter nodded, then took a prescription from inside his clothes and handed it to him.
Zhang Xiu unfolded the prescription and glanced over it, clicking his tongue at the ingredients it required.
Vidyadhara Marrow alone was enough to show how serious the matter was.
"Here, Stelle. You accepted a commission from the Seat of Divine Foresight, right? Take this." As he spoke, he folded the prescription again and placed it in Stelle's hand.
"I did, actually, but how did you know, Zhang Xiu?" Stelle looked utterly puzzled.
"A secret. Everyone has their secrets... All right, go report back. We're off~" Zhang Xiu brushed the question aside, waved to her, then took Yaoshi's hand and headed for the gate.
"Hey, Cloud Knight over there. Want to come back with us to report in?" Li Ge hoisted the unconscious Green Pheobe onto his shoulder and waved to the Cloud Knight behind Stelle.
Seeing that the matter had been settled, the Cloud Knight stood stunned for a moment before reacting. "Oh... oh! Coming!"
Watching everyone around her leave, Stelle was left rather dazed.
My undercover operation only just started, and it's already over...?
After leaving the courtyard, Zhang Xiu tried hard to recall the plot, but three years had passed. No matter how he racked his brain, he couldn't remember the details.
All he knew was that Dan Heng was currently with Luocha and someone else, and Yanqing probably hadn't met Jingliu yet.
"Zhang Xiu, we'll take our leave for now. These Disciples of Sanctus Medicus still need to be sent to the Ten-Lords Commission for judgment."
"Sure, sure. See you! I'll treat you guys to a meal when you're free."
"Mm. Until next time."
With that, the three left with the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus in tow.
Just then, a gentle breeze swept past, stirring his hair and his worries.
Zhang Xiu looked toward the distant sea of clouds and starry sky, then let out a long breath. His troublemaking spirit began blazing fiercely.
"Hey, honey, can you make the Vidyadhara pregnant?" He looked at Yaoshi, ready to stir up something big.
"The Vidyadhara... descendants of [Permanence]. Their infertility is a flaw in their race's Path. Only [Propagation] can allow them to reproduce. Yet should they become tainted by Propagation, the offspring they bear would likely be nothing but vermin."
"Hmm... Then if you swallowed up the Path of Propagation, honey, wouldn't you be able to cure them?" A bold idea sprang into Zhang Xiu's mind.
He still remembered that Luocha's coffin contained a piece of the Aeon of Propagation's remains.
"I could. Yet, husband, do not mistake this for a good deed." Yaoshi shook her head and continued, "Leaving aside whatever unforeseen changes might occur, the consequences of curing such a flaw alone would be far from what we desire."
"Fair point. Then... do you know what happened to me in the Pathway Rift?" Zhang Xiu's joking expression faded, and his face grew somewhat serious.
Yaoshi looked into his eyes. "Pray, tell me in detail."
"No, I don't know what happened to me there either. I only know that when I was fighting Cocolia, I went into the Pathway Rift, and then..."
Zhang Xiu raised his left hand, and a black flame slowly rose from it.
"I became a Pathstrider of [Preservation]? The Amber Lord looked at me? What exactly happened in the Pathway Rift?"
Indeed, Zhang Xiu had forgotten everything he had done in the Pathway Rift, along with the person wreathed in black mist.
"I do not know." Yaoshi shook her head, her veil stirring slightly.
"Honestly... with my will, becoming a Pathstrider of Preservation doesn't surprise me. But drawing the Amber Lord's gaze?" His brows knitted tightly.
"Husband, you truly underestimate yourself."
"Do I? Forget it. I can't be bothered to think about it anymore. Whatever happens, I've got you to help me, honey. Though that does sound a little like living off my wife..." Zhang Xiu relaxed his brows, and his expression eased as well.
"Yet under the present circumstances, it would be more accurate to say that I am receiving your aid, husband." As Yaoshi spoke, a golden, illusory arm slowly grew from her shoulder.
It represented the philosophical concept of [Order], and was also a source of power.
"Holy shit, honey, be careful. If someone notices, we might get chopped into mincemeat... Though we could recover even after getting chopped into mincemeat."
"Pfft... Do not fret. No one will pay it any mind." Yaoshi's golden arm brushed across Zhang Xiu's waist, then dissipated.
Seeing that no one around them was indeed paying them any attention, Stelle also emerged from the courtyard and made a point of reminding the two.
"The person that Diviner sent should be contacting us soon. Zhang Xiu, remember to check your phones."
"Hey, don't worry. We won't be late. As for now..." Zhang Xiu blinked and looked at Yaoshi, who was pressed close to his side. "Hehe, let's go, honey. We haven't finished exploring Aurum Alley yet."
"For chovy's sake, give me something fucking decent!" Looking at the already melted ice cream in his hand, Zhang Xiu's face flushed red.
"At least the last shop's ice cream still held its shape before we left. Yours turned into water the moment we paid!"
"Once it leaves the counter, it's no longer our responsibility. Hehe, young friend, you're not from around here, are you?"
The owner was a middle-aged man, currently reclining in a rocking chair and leisurely fanning himself.
"Hehe, the Xianzhou is under full lockdown right now. How did you get in? Tsk, tsk, tsk. If you call to report this, who do you think they'll arrest, you or me?"
Seeing him act like such a shameless deadbeat, Zhang Xiu actually laughed in anger. He immediately took out his phone and sent someone a few messages.
Then, wearing a strangely sweet smile, he said softly, "Answer the phone."
"What phone?" The owner frowned and stopped fanning himself, realizing something was wrong.
Zhang Xiu took a deep breath and practically roared!
"I said, answer Jing Yuan's call!"
Before you continue