On a winding, verdant path in the distant mountains, the male disciple who had previously greeted the servants was leading Liu Jiangfusheng and a pretty, purple-clad young woman towards them.
As the three conversed, Liu Jiangfusheng happened to glance up and saw Gu Junshi's unsteady form at the windswept precipice. A gust of frigid wind swept past, lifting her robes and hair, and she stumbled forward, falling.
His pupils constricted, his heart felt as though it would explode. He sprinted towards her, shouting, "Ayi—"
The rustling wind in his ears was accompanied by a distant cry. Gu Junshi's expression shifted, but there was little panic. After all, she was not a true mortal. If someone meant her harm, she had her own means to resolve it.
However, considering her current persona as an ordinary village woman, she feigned being struck and went along with the fall to avoid arousing suspicion.
It was merely a feigned move. She had calculated the timing and used her extraordinary reflexes to grab onto a bare, rugged rock mid-fall, steadying herself firmly. No matter how biting the bone-chilling gale below, she did not loosen her grip. Only when Liu Jiangfusheng drew nearer to the cliff's edge did she notice the force that had been entangled and pulling at her had slackened.
Thus, she slowly climbed back up.
A suspicion flashed through her mind.
Liu Jiangfusheng, who had rushed over, thought he was too late. To his surprise, he saw her already halfway up the cliff, her body emerging from the edge. His steps faltered. His face was pale, beaded with cold sweat, and he stared blankly.
She… she hadn't fallen?
The next moment, he tugged at his stiff face, letting out a deep sigh of relief. He quickly stepped forward to help pull her up.
He was still breathing unevenly, his heart still pounding. After confirming she was unharmed, his voice hardened as he asked, "Are you afraid of heights?"
Gu Junshi, who was dusting off the dirt on her clothes, looked up at his question. "No."
"Did your foot slip?"
"No."
His voice suddenly rose. "Then how could you, a grown person, lose your balance and fall?"
Gu Junshi, who had been responding casually while contemplating the recent events, did not expect such a strong reaction from him.
She temporarily set aside her pursuit of the truth and took the opportunity to notice the completely transformed, delicate new husband before her.
It was true that clothes make the man. Unlike his previous rustic attire, he now wore the robes of a cultivation sect, with similar color schemes to Danyan's, but with subtle differences.
His wrists were adorned with intricate embroidered sleeves, his waist slender, his legs long. A silver-bright egret coronet graced his hair. He possessed the ethereal beauty and refinement of a sixteen or seventeen-year-old, with eyes that were as gentle and caring as smooth cream. A faint blush of grievance and anger at the corners of his eyes made him seem worthy of the most beautiful words in the world to praise and marvel at his existence.
"Were you worried about me?"
Gu Junshi's gaze softened slightly. She had always considered herself not to be a superficial person driven by appearance, valuing substance more. But at this moment, she felt uncertain about her own self-assessment.
Seeing her gaze at him with such a meaningful look, Liu Jiangfusheng seemed to be caught by her stare, forgetting to breathe.
What was she thinking, looking at him like this?
Not far away, the male disciple and the purple-clad young woman had already arrived. However, seeing the two of them standing together, it was as if they were automatically shielded from all external interference, making them hesitant to interrupt this moment of marital reunion.
The purple-clad young woman stared at Gu Junshi, sizing her up. She was somewhat surprised and somewhat disappointed.
Her junior brother's wife was not unattractive, not like a foolish, silly village girl at all. In that case, did she still have a chance?
"Junior Brother Fusheng is indeed devoted, isn't he? Even though his wife only has a废灵根 (feī línggēn - waste spiritual root) and will become an ugly old woman within thirty years, he remains loyal."
At this moment, a melodious voice, like a babbling spring, rang out. A young man in blue robes descended, ethereal and graceful, his complexion like flowers in the early spring dawn.
Liu Jiangfusheng turned at the sound of his voice and immediately recognized the newcomer.
"Senior Brother Danyan?"
When he performed the disciple initiation ceremony yesterday, influential figures from the Dayan Sect were present, so he and Danyan had met before.
The male disciple and the purple-clad young woman reacted differently upon seeing Danyan. The male disciple was fearful, while the young woman's peach-blossom-colored face lit up. They both said in unison, "Senior Brother Danyan."
Danyan smiled and nodded to them, then walked towards Liu Jiangfusheng. However, his gaze shifted to Gu Junshi, his deep-set eyes focusing on her with a captivating tenderness: "But it's understandable. Sister-in-law's appearance… truly has a unique charm."
This was true. He had never seen a woman with such an air of "six relatives utterly severed."
The male disciple and the purple-clad young woman looked at him in surprise.
Since when did he become interested in married women?
Though Danyan spoke with such honeyed words, Gu Junshi witnessed dark energy emanating from behind him. Those distorted, ugly ghosts clawed and bared their fangs, exhaling towards her with malice.
"The grand ceremony" did not go as planned, what a pity.
It cackled in a hoarse, eerie voice.
Gu Junshi: "..." Confirmed, she thought, so he's a hypocrite.
Liu Jiangfusheng frowned. He found his Senior Brother Danyan's words extremely grating, and he loathed the frivolous, vulgar gaze Danyan cast upon Gu Yi.
"Senior Brother, Ah Yi is my wife. I hope you will speak with more respect," he said coldly, issuing a warning. He then pulled Gu Junshi, preparing to leave, only to hear Danyan's smiling voice: "Since Junior Brother cherishes her so much, it would be best to keep her within sight. Otherwise, if you encounter another windy spot and another accident occurs, she may not be so fortunate next time."
Liu Jiangfusheng paused. A smile of childlike innocence appeared on his face, but his eyes were dark and terrifying. "Senior Brother, what do you mean by that?"
Ah, he truly loved that look in his eyes. It meant he had struck a nerve.
Gu Junshi saw Danyan smile more gently and joyfully, his aura becoming increasingly dark and rampant. The evil spirits on his back seemed to gain sustenance, growing considerably larger. The overlapping, immense shadows exuded a chilling aura, howling as they lunged towards Liu Jiangfusheng…
That thick, disgusting, tar-like blackness represented humanity's most primal vices: slaughter, jealousy, fear, anger, loneliness…
This person's nature was truly filthy and narrow-minded.
Gu Junshi lowered her eyes slightly, a mocking curve forming on her lips.
Her delicate husband was not something such filth could casually defile.
Beneath the evergreen camphor tree at the cliff's edge, the black shadow stirred as if coming back to life. Its edges began to fold and writhe. It moved from its supposedly unchanging position and then, like a toad flicking its tongue, suddenly shot out a thin, dark line that wrapped around Danyan's ankle as he stood with his back to it, dragging him backward without preamble.
Danyan's eyes widened slightly. Before he could turn, his body was uncontrollably yanked backward.
In an instant, he tilted backward and was forcibly pulled down the cliff by the invisible shadow.
This scene, this moment, was strikingly similar to the scene of Gu Junshi falling off the cliff earlier.
"Senior Brother—"
The male disciple and the purple-clad young woman were also stunned. They rushed forward urgently, but only Liu Jiangfusheng and Gu Junshi, who had made the move, remained indifferent.
However, Danyan was not a simple individual. His cultivation had already reached the Golden Core mid-stage, allowing him to fly through the air. Mid-fall, he managed to stop his descent in a disheveled state, simultaneously summoning his defensive artifact—a golden bell that encased him. His face was as dark as water.
Danyan also sensed that strange invading aura again. So… he had guessed wrong. The outer disciple was not using some special treasure to turn the tide; someone was secretly helping her.
Who was the owner of that aura? Why did it play this trick to toy with him?