In a world of dense forests and thick grass, Shen Yun stood tall, dressed in a stone-blue long gown, his posture like that of a pine and cypress, his frame erect.
He was handsome, and even though he bore bloodstains from a recent battle, his demeanor remained unaffected—gentle, refined, and composed.
He was truly a man of consequence.
Chu Yu narrowed his eyes, suddenly feeling that the young man before him, while appearing placid, possessed an incredibly radiant aura, much like the first rays of the morning sun breaking through the clouds.
He seemed soft on the surface, yet his brilliance was almost blinding.
"Young man, you are indeed remarkable!" Chu Yu wiped the blood from his face and clapped Shen Yun heavily on the shoulder.
He had to admit, Shen Yun was excellent, and he had misjudged him once again.
"Your Majesty flatters me. I arrived late."
"Why call me Your Majesty? Aren't you my daughter's husband? Call me the same as she does," Chu Yu said, being straightforward and decisive.
Once he recognized Shen Yun's talent, he shed all formalities and directly acknowledged his status.
Shen Yun's heart swelled with joy.
He thought to himself that he had not disappointed his wife after all!
After recovering, Chu Yu declared loudly, "Prepare the carriage! I intend to hold the Gu family accountable!"
By the time they returned to the temporary palace, dusk had begun to settle. A faint golden glow from the west of the grasslands cast a dim yellow hue over the blood-stained figures.
The wind blew from behind them.
Su Xiaoqi, accompanying Yu Jing, waited at the front of the tent to greet them. She caught the scent of blood wafting from that direction.
Her heart tightened, and she instinctively scanned the approaching group for a familiar figure.
For a moment, she couldn't find him.
Her heart clenched, and she rushed forward without hesitation, shouting, "Husband, Shen Yun..."
Her clear and pleasant voice drifted into the wind, only to be masked by its roar.
By the time it reached the main group, there was no sound.
However, Shen Yun, who was with the trailing prey, seemed to sense something. He spurred his horse to the forefront.
At a glance, he saw the lake-blue figure standing in the center of the grassland.
The wind was strong, fluttering her skirt and hair.
It made her appear exceptionally light, almost as if she were ascending to immortality.
He realized his wife might not belong to their world, that she might be about to leave.
Shen Yun's heart also tightened, and he galloped towards her.
"Wife..."
Su Xiaoqi saw the stone-blue figure rushing towards her.
She stopped and stood still, her hands behind her back, waiting.
As Shen Yun approached, he quickly reined in his horse, leaped down, and embraced her tightly.
He lifted her completely into his arms.
Su Xiaoqi instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, nestling in his embrace, listening to his heartbeat.
However, Shen Yun had just fought a fierce battle, and the smell of blood on him was strong, making her feel nauseous.
She couldn't help but gag.
"Oof..."
"Wife..." Shen Yun panicked. He then noticed the bloodstains on his clothes, quickly shed them, and tossed them aside. He embraced her again, urgently found her lips, and took her breath away.
Their kiss was long and passionate.
Meanwhile, Chu Yu had reached Yu Jing.
Yu Jing also noticed the bloodstains on his person, her delicate eyebrows furrowed. "Who was it?"
"The Gu family."
"You shouldn't have been soft-hearted," Yu Jing's expression turned cold.
When she had ordered Chu Yunwei's confinement earlier, she had subtly suggested dealing with the Gu family as well.
But he had still been too soft-hearted.
She thought of his royal sister's marriage into the Gu family, and how the Gu family was related to him by marriage.
But she hadn't expected...
Or perhaps she had expected it.
He had a vague suspicion in his heart.
It was just that the other party hadn't revealed their true colors.
Only when the dagger pierced him did he remember to resist.
Because of this thought, Chu Yu did not deny it. He merely sighed, a hint of annoyance in his heart.
"What about Xuzhi? Why is he also covered in blood?" Yu Jing had seen Shen Yun removing his clothes earlier.
"He saved me," Chu Yu recounted the events.
Yu Jing smiled, "See? Isn't he good!"
"One cannot judge by appearance; I was too narrow-minded!" Chu Yu was not a stubborn person.
On the contrary, he was very receptive to advice.
Especially from Yu Jing.
"You didn't tell me earlier. I thought he was just a scholar," Chu Yu remarked.
Yu Jing chuckled, "If I had told you that he was not only the top scholar but also a skilled fighter, would you have believed it, looking at his physique?"
Yu Jing understood Chu Yu's thinking well, so she hadn't revealed her own knowledge of Shen Yun to him.
She believed that once Chu Yu witnessed Shen Yun's abilities, he would surely approve of him.
Their tastes in men had always been very similar.
This had never changed over the years.
This was because most of the black-clothed assassins had been killed, but a small portion were captured.
Shen Yun's subordinate, Zhang Lei, was skilled at interrogation.
After a few rounds of questioning, they couldn't help but confess everything.
The Gu family, without a doubt!
The next step was for Chu Yu to purge the family.
The outcome of the hunt seemed to have become less important.
However, the prey Shen Yun had hunted and the act of saving the Northern Chu sovereign remained deeply etched in everyone's minds.
This was something they had witnessed firsthand, and he was undoubtedly the top performer in the autumn hunt.
After Chu Yu dealt with the Gu family with swift and decisive action, he did not forget his promise to Shen Yun.
He bestowed upon him the crescent moon saber that he always wore at his waist.
Shen Yun and Su Xiaoqi were not particularly moved by this.
They were simply happy to have received the approval of Chu Yu, as a father.
However, after Yu Jing called them over for some guidance, they learned of the incredibly powerful functions of the crescent moon saber that Chu Yu had gifted to Shen Yun.
It was almost equivalent to a death-exempt token in Northern Chu.
Furthermore, with it, coupled with Shen Yun's good looks, he could travel freely between the major cities of Northern Chu.
"I hope you will not disappoint your father's heartfelt intentions."
Yu Jing was somewhat surprised by Chu Yu's generosity but also vouched for him, wanting Su Xiaoqi to know that her father actually cared deeply for her.
It was just that, having held a high position for so long, except in front of her, he had long forgotten what it meant to be an ordinary father.
Su Xiaoqi was also grateful for this.
From then on, the family's relationship grew even closer.
On their return, Shen Yun, as promised, placed the thick bear pelt on Su Xiaoqi's carriage seat cushion.
Indeed, the carriage, which had been slightly shaky before, became much smoother.
On the return journey, the carriage stopped at a villa.
Yu Jing sent word that Daoist Zhang, whom they had met on the road earlier, had arrived.
He wished to meet them again.
After this, he would embark on his travels once more.
That night, at the ninth hour, Su Xiaoqi, accompanied by Shen Yun and Yu Jing, met Daoist Zhang again.
"Hahaha, young friend Xiaoqi, it's been a while, how have you been?" Daoist Zhang greeted Su Xiaoqi with great familiarity.
Su Xiaoqi looked at his immortal-like demeanor and the spring-like smile on his face.
She felt her mood brighten just by looking at him.
She then smiled radiantly and nodded in greeting.
"How is it, is the child well?" Daoist Zhang asked.
Su Xiaoqi's eyes widened in surprise, "Daoist Master, how did you know?"
From the moment they met, he hadn't taken her pulse. How could he tell just by looking at her appearance?
"Hahaha, it seems young friend Xiaoqi has forgotten what I told you when we met in the town below Gan Quan Temple."
Su Xiaoqi thought back carefully and suddenly remembered Daoist Zhang saying that the next time they met, it would be when she was pregnant.
At that time, she hadn't thought about having children at all and hadn't taken his words to heart.
She hadn't expected Daoist Zhang to possess such abilities.
Foreseeing the future, he was truly an extraordinary master in this world.