The princess wanted to see the stars.
She longed to visit the place closest to the stars, where she could feel the vastness of the celestial sea.
After comparing multiple maps, $2u Xi set his sights on the highest point in the world.
It was an extrely tall, rugged, and cloud-piercing mountain known as [Jun Mountain].
Standing at its peak, one could easily witness the flowing Milky Way and the brilliance of countless stars.
"Sir, this place seems very far away."
"Yes, it is quite far."
Inside the study, $2u Xi spread out the map to examine it, while Wu Yingxue stood beside him, leaning forward curiously with her hands clasped behind her back.
After so discussion, $2he two decided to leave the small town that very day, taking their ti, stopping and resting along the way, aiming to reach the mountain within half a year.
Though they could have used their supre power to arrive at the mountain in an instant, $2u Yingxue refused to do so.
She found that far too dull.
"Ti to go, Yingxue."
"Yes, sir!"
Xu Xi rolled up the map on the table and stood to walk outside, while the princess trotted after him, her face alight with excitent and anticipation.
...
The mottled stone walls bore the marks of ti's passage.
The rough dirt road was covered with deep wagon ruts.
Pausing to gaze into the distance, $2heir eyes t endless shades of deep green.
Xu Xi and the princess traveled at a leisurely pace, often stopping for several days to explore each new place before continuing their journey.
During this ti, $2hey encountered martial artists searching for the leader of the martial alliance on multiple occasions.
"Damn it, where has that lord gone?"
"Let's move on to the next place!"
"In the pri of his life, how could the alliance leader be indulging in romance?"
The n grumbled as they rushed past Xu Xi and Wu Yingxue, $2ompletely failing to recognize that the princess in the ruqun dress before them was none other than the martial alliance leader they so desperately sought—the very one who had vanished shortly after taking office.
Xu Xi couldn't help but wonder:
Was it because Wu Yingxue's image of single-handedly challenging the entire martial world was too domineering, $2aking that the only version of her people rembered?
Or had these martial artists, after years of training, completely lost their ability to perceive the obvious?
"Well, it doesn't matter."
Watching the martial artists disappear into the distance, Xu Xi shook his head with a faint smile and continued onward toward Jun Mountain with Wu Yingxue.
"Yingxue."
"I'm here, sir."
"Aren't you going to address this? The rumors about you have been spreading even more lately."
"It's fine, sir. I don’t care about such trivial matters."
The princess giggled lightly, $2er steps growing even more buoyant.
...
By the third month of their journey, $2u Xi and Wu Yingxue were trekking through the mountains when they were caught in a torrential downpour.
The raging storm, whipped by fierce winds, pounded relentlessly against the earth.
Each raindrop that struck the ground sent up a burst of water.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
Everything in the mountain forest was swallowed by the relentless sheets of wind and rain.
Though neither Xu Xi nor Wu Yingxue feared the storm, they had no desire to travel in such weather. So, they sought shelter in a nearby stone cave.
The cave was deep, its path narrow and winding.
Despite the violent storm outside, $2he interior remained eerily calm.
"Sir, this rain is so heavy," Wu Yingxue murmured, sitting at the cave entrance and catching raindrops in her palm. The large drops struck with surprising force, stinging slightly.
It felt familiar.
Nostalgic, even.
The princess shifted slightly to avoid being splashed by the wild rain.
She faintly rembered a similar storm during the days when the Survival Army had rebelled against the Great Qian Dynasty.
That rain had claid many lives.
Wu Yingxue herself had been utterly exhausted.
After the battle, her entire body ached with fatigue, leaving her no choice but to cling to Xu Xi’s back in an embarrassing manner as they left the battlefield.
What a vivid mory...
The past was like this relentless downpour—drip after drip, rging into tiny streams that flowed through the mountain forest.
"How wonderful."
A smile touched the girl’s lips.
The days of fighting for survival were now in the past.
No one would have to sacrifice themselves anymore. No one would go hungry.
"Sir, how much longer do you think this rain will last?"
Wu Yingxue turned her head to look back.
At that mont, Xu Xi was using a firestarter to light a small copper lamp, casting a faint glow inside the cave.
He thought for a mont before answering, "About two more hours."
"That’s too long..."
The princess clicked her tongue.
Seeing the rain outside grow even heavier, she scooted closer to Xu Xi and settled beside him, leaning against the cave wall as she prepared to take a short nap.
Yet the mont she sat down, Wu Yingxue jolted upright again.
"Ow, ow, ow!"
Her face twisted in pain and indignation, $2ooking utterly pitiful.
The martial alliance leader, undefeated in battle and never once injured in combat, had now managed to hurt herself—by bumping the back of her head against a slightly protruding rock while trying to sleep.
"Sir, it hurts."
Seeing the princess’s aggrieved expression, Xu Xi sighed.
"Yingxue, when will you learn to temper your impulsive nature?"
Though his words were chiding, $2is hands were already checking the injury.
Xu Xi sat cross-legged, letting Wu Yingxue rest her head on his lap as he used the lamp’s fla to examine the back of her head.
Fortunately, $2t was just a small bump.
Nothing serious.
"Anyway, I have you here, Master. Besides, it's not my fault."
"Who knew the rock wall would be so sharp?"
Seeming rather sulky, the princess lying across Xu Xi's lap spoke with unmistakable defiance.
Xu Xi chuckled. "Alright, stop squirming. Let take care of it."
Truthfully, Xu Xi had intended to lecture her—perhaps even punish her with a flick to the forehead.
But the girl's expression was too pitiful, and with her head injured, Xu Xi reconsidered and let it go.
A damp cloth soaked in water.
Gently, he wiped the wound on the back of her head, clearing away the tiny grains of sand and stone.
Then, he applied a cold compress to prevent swelling.
"Hehe, Master is still the best. With you around, I don’t have to worry about a thing."
Wu Yingxue rested her head against Xu Xi, her eyes half-closed in contentnt.
Just like before.
Master's gentleness never changed.
Should I just kidnap him and take him ho? With his temperant, life together would surely be blissful.
Hmm...
But fighting one against four is too difficult.
Besides, I don’t want Master to think of as so violent brute.
The princess frowned, lost in her thoughts, when Xu Xi's voice ca from above:
"What if I’m not around? Yingxue, you should learn to take care of yourself."
Without hesitation, the girl replied, "Then I’ll wait until you co back."
......
Wu Yingxue’s injury healed quickly.
Even without invoking her supre power, $2er physical resilience far surpassed that of an ordinary person.
Yet the girl insisted she was still hurt—claiming she could only continue the journey if Xu Xi carried her.
And so, $2or the next three days, Xu Xi carried Wu Yingxue on his back.
The reason it was three days and not four, five, or six was that the princess suddenly sensed danger—as though so naless calamity would befall her if she didn’t get off Xu Xi’s back.
Truly terrifying.
......
The fourth month of their journey.
Xu Xi and Wu Yingxue arrived at a village.
The sun blazed fiercely over the flat earth.
Farrs toiled in the fields, the chorus of frogs and birds rising and falling around them—a scene of humble, earnest labor, whispering a simple prayer:
[Bountiful harvest.]
On a whim, $2u Yingxue summoned a spear that danced like a dragon, its gleaming edge slicing through the sky, effortlessly tilling the hardened, barren soil—leaving the villagers gaping in awe.
"Ma! Co quick, there’s an immortal here!"
"Bless us, fairy maiden! Make our Erlangzi grow up strong!"
So villagers trembled in reverence, others prayed for blessings.
A few even dropped to their knees, ready to kowtow.
Fortunately, Xu Xi and Wu Yingxue intervened swiftly, stopping the commotion and explaining that this was rely an advanced application of martial arts.
"Are all martial artists this incredible?" soone asked.
"More or less," Wu Yingxue scratched her head.
And so, for a long ti afterward, the village held a firm belief:
Anyone from the outside who practiced martial arts must possess the power to soar through the skies and split mountains apart.
Whenever wandering warriors passed through, $2he villagers would eagerly gather, eyes shining with anticipation, urging them to demonstrate their skills.
"Sure, sure!"
Flattered, $2any would oblige with a smile.
Only to be t with scornful looks.
"Trying to fool us, eh? We ain’t stupid! Real martial arts don’t look like that!"
"But this is real martial arts!" the warriors would protest, exasperated. Damn it, who started the rumor that martial arts could make people fly?
......
The fifth month of their journey.
Xu Xi and Wu Yingxue drew ever closer to Jun Mountain.
Along the way, $2hey wandered in joy and ease.
They witnessed the customs of distant lands and marveled at the grandeur of mountains and seas.
But what delighted Wu Yingxue most were the local delicacies they encountered.
Every ti she bought sothing, $2he would split it in half.
One for her.
One for Xu Xi.
"So why not just buy two portions?" Xu Xi asked.
"To avoid waste, Master," the princess replied flawlessly.
"Oh, Master! I heard there’s a festival nearby. Let’s go check it out!"
Wu Yingxue blinked, $2rabbed Xu Xi’s hand, and dashed toward the nearest bustling city.
The festival was lively.
Processions carried deities, incense burned, and vendors peddled all manner of specialties.
"Master, don’t look over there!"
Just as Xu Xi was about to step into the heart of the city, where the liveliest street awaited, Wu Yingxue hurriedly pulled him away.
She moved so fast that Xu Xi barely caught a glimpse—
only a fleeting impression of an ornate, bustling building.
Its signboard read... Yi Hong?
Xu Xi chuckled and let the princess lead him elsewhere, steering clear of that particular street.
"Yingxue, anything you’d like to eat?"
"I want every—ahem, whatever Master picks is fine."
Wu Yingxue coughed lightly, her voice softer than usual, her eyes blinking with an air of docility—
obedient, well-behaved, and utterly adorable.
"Alright, I’ll choose for you," Xu Xi agreed with a smile.
And so, $2u Xi bought the girl all sorts of delicious treats.
Every single one, without fail, delighted her.
The reason was simple.
Whenever she spotted sothing delicious, Wu Yingxue would blink at Xu Xi with lively eyes and utter two simple words:
["Want to eat."]
So, Xu Xi would ask, "Yingxue, should I buy this for you?"
"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm!"
Wu Yingxue nodded rapidly.
But she quickly caught herself—she shouldn’t be so eager.
How unrefined!
"Though I’m not particularly hungry, since it’s a gift from you, Sir, it would be rude of to refuse."
As she spoke, $2er eyes curved into crescents.
Standing beside Xu Xi, she cautiously parted her lips and took a delicate bite of the savory roasted at, savoring it slowly.
The way she clearly wanted to devour it yet held herself back made Xu Xi chuckle.
"Sir, is sothing wrong with ?" the noblewoman asked, puzzled.
"No, nothing. I just think Yingxue is very lovely," Xu Xi replied.
Wu Yingxue seed even happier.
Grinning widely, $2er mouth full of roasted at, she puffed out her chest and mumbled, "Gurgle gurgle... After all, I’m... the mighty Wu... gurgle..."
"Eat slowly. Don’t choke."
Xu Xi gently stroked the girl’s head, his gaze tender.
Once they’d eaten their fill, $2he two continued strolling through the city.
Aside from food, Xu Xi also bought Wu Yingxue a few other trinkets—mundane novelties from the mortal world, yet still fascinating.
But the most important thing was the person by her side.
Wu Yingxue quietly tightened her grip on Xu Xi’s arm.
......
The sixth month of the simulation.
The river surged violently, a lone boat cutting across its currents.
The plains and cities of before had vanished, replaced by a roaring, untad torrent—
like a wild horse freed from its reins, $2ushing forward without end.
Even the most seasoned boatn wouldn’t dare venture into such waters recklessly.
But Xu Xi and Wu Yingxue were lucky.
The mont they reached the riverbank, the turbulent flow cald.
And there, abandoned yet perfectly usable, was a small boat.
"Yingxue, did you do this?"
"Hehe..."
The girl’s sheepish smile said it all.
Soft rice (relying on luck or others’ help)—how miraculous, right?
......
Miraculous indeed, this "soft rice" could not only cross rivers and seas but also scale mountains.
After traversing the raging currents, $2he colossal form of Mount Jun lood ahead, a pillar connecting heaven and earth, its peak lost in the clouds.
Legends said it teed with fierce beasts and demons that drained the essence of n.
The martial world brimd with tales of the strange and extraordinary tied to this place: the legacies of fallen masters, elixirs of lost sects, and even an ancient divine eagle whose wings could blot out the sky.
In short, $2ount Jun itself was a convergence of peril and opportunity.
But none of that concerned Xu Xi—or Wu Yingxue.
From start to finish, $2either had any interest in the mountain.
They ca only because its summit was the closest place in this world to the stars.
Night fell.
Silence enveloped the land.
The full moon arrived quietly, its gentle radiance spilling across the sky like a river of stars.
A breeze rustled the treetops, whispering the secrets of the night.
"Sir, let’s go up."
Wu Yingxue couldn’t bear the thought of Xu Xi climbing.
Afraid he might stumble.
Afraid he might tire.
Hand in hand with him, she summoned a path of starlight stretching from the ground straight to the mountain’s peak.
As for why they didn’t simply ascend directly into the heavens, $2he noblewoman had her own reasoning.
"Sir, atmosphere is what matters most~~" Wu Yingxue seed to have picked up so... peculiar ideas from Earth.
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