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At the top deck of the flying ship, just outside his luxurious Gold Class suite, Young Master Rush stood quietly, his gaze fixed on the sprawling city below.
His aura was noticeably stronger than before. He had already broken through to the mid-stage Golden Core realm within the past week… yet a faint trace of unease still lingered in his eyes.
He swept his spiritual sense through the message stored within his jade token, the one he had received back in Sky Way City.
His fingers tightened, the knuckles turning pale.
Memories surfaced, dark and suffocating, pressing down on him like a weight he could not ignore.
For a brief moment, his breathing faltered, then slowly, deliberately, it returned to normal.
"Looks like I can't avoid facing him any longer," he muttered under his breath.
After a moment, he took a few slow breaths, calming the turmoil within.
He retrieved his storage ring and scanned its contents, his spiritual sense brushing over the spirit stones inside.
"I'll prepare for the worst."
With that, he turned and walked away.
This time, the light in his eyes no longer wavered; it sharpened with each step, filled with quiet determination.
Under the curious and perplexed gazes of countless onlookers, Su Wen walked out through the city gates with Du Yue clinging to his back like a koala.
His cheeks burned with embarrassment as they passed beneath the towering gates set into the massive green-stone walls marking the city's boundary.
'So soft…' he groaned inwardly as his steps hitched for half a beat before he forced himself forward.
"Wife, please behave… people are watching," Su Wen muttered, his voice caught between complaint and fluster at the sensation of the softness on his back.
Du Yue only hummed in response. She nestled closer, her chin brushing lightly against his shoulder as she breathed him in, her voice drifting in a lazy murmur.
"Husband, it's all your fault. Who told you to be so intoxicating?"
"Y-You…" Su Wen opened his mouth, then closed it again. Words failed him entirely.
He exhaled slowly, forcing his thoughts back on track, and lifted his chin toward the distance.
"You see that mountain?" he said, pointing toward a snow-capped volcanic peak rising in the distance. "That's where the dungeon is. We should head to the Central Guild first and register as mercenaries."
"Hmm… Central Guild?" Du Yue echoed lazily. Though her tone showed mild curiosity, her hands were far less restrained, wandering across his body as if mapping unfamiliar territory.
Suppressing a shiver, Su Wen forced himself to keep walking.
"Yeah. They handle the exchange of monster cores and spirit materials, especially those from dungeons. From what I've read, they have branches all over the world, something like the Treasure Tower."
"Oh? Then what are these 'monsters' and 'cores' you're talking about, husband?" she asked, her fingers slipping beneath his robes with idle curiosity.
Su Wen's steps nearly faltered. Heat rushed to his face, and his breath hitched before he managed to steady himself.
"I don't know everything. But from what I read back at the academy…" he said, trying to sound composed before continuing, "monsters are usually born in dungeons. They're corrupted by malevolent qi, violent, bloodthirsty, and destructive by nature. Some records say even low-grade ones will attack anything that moves."
Du Yue listened this time, quiet for a few steps.
"They sound troublesome," she said.
"They are," Su Wen replied. "But valuable. Their bodies, claws, blood… and especially their cores."
He adjusted his grip under her legs before continuing, "Once a monster or spirit beast reaches Grade 3, it begins forming a pseudo-core. By Grade 4, that develops into a true core. Those are worth a lot, just like spirit stones."
Du Yue blinked, then frowned faintly.
"But husband… when I hunted Grade 3 spirit beasts for dinner, I never saw anything like that."
A small, genuine smile touched Su Wen's lips.
"That's normal. Early Grade 3 cores are unstable, more like condensed qi wrapped in a fragile shell. The moment the beast dies, it collapses and disperses."
"Hmm… no wonder…" she murmured, sounding genuinely thoughtful, at least for a moment.
Then her attention drifted again.
Inside his robes, one hand traced slowly along his abdomen while the other slid to his waist, her fingers lingering as she muttered under her breath,
"So firm… I want to touch everywhere…"
Su Wen froze mid-step. A sharp shiver ran down his spine, and his grip tightened instinctively as his pace quickened.
Du Yue responded by tightening her legs around him.
"Husband…?" she said softly. "Ever since you started drinking those so-called vermilion protein shakes, your face keeps turning red… and your breathing gets uneven."
She slipped her arm up through his collar, pressing her palm lightly against his forehead as she leaned close to his ear.
"And why does your body get so hot whenever I touch you? Look how loud your heartbeat is!" she whispered, her tone turning subtly enchanting. "Are you sure you're alright?"
Su Wen's expression twitched, his embarrassment plain.
"It's nothing… just some side effects of yang qi," he said quickly. "Don't worry about it."
"Mm… is that so…" she murmured.
Leaning in, she gently nibbled on his ear, her voice dropping to a teasing whisper.
"Husband… is that why you've been becoming more and more… irresistible lately?"
Su Wen shuddered, his heartbeat pounding in his ears like a drum.
Without warning, he broke into a light run.
"Y-You… stop wasting time! Focus on cultivation instead of things like this!" he said, trying and failing to sound stern.
"Hehe…" Du Yue let out a soft laugh, clearly amused.
Her hands pressed against his chest, feeling the firm, well-defined muscles beneath.
"Husband… so nice…"
That was the final push.
As if something snapped, Su Wen surged forward, his speed exploding as each step struck the ground with force. He ran, channelling all that restless energy into motion, eager to divert his mind from the heat and his wife's antics.
Perched on his back, Du Yue beamed, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she enjoyed her personal "husband ride".
After nearly half an hour of constant running, with what felt like a living weight draped over his back, Su Wen finally slowed to a stop at the entrance of Ironwood Village.
Encircled by tall, sharpened wooden palisades etched with faint enchantments, the village was small yet lively, with no more than a dozen structures within.
Simple wooden houses stood in neat clusters, their roofs blanketed in snow, while thin streams of smoke curled lazily from chimneys into the cold air.
Children darted through the open spaces, laughing as they chased one another, their breath puffing into soft clouds in the chill.
Su Wen exhaled and gently lowered Du Yue to the ground.
For a moment, he stood still, letting his breathing settle. The rapid thrum in his chest gradually eased, and the lingering heat on his face began to fade.
Du Yue, however, looked thoroughly dissatisfied.
The moment his warmth left her, she puffed her cheeks and stepped closer, her fingers catching his sleeve as she gave a light tug.
"Husband… no… carry me more. I don't want to walk…" she murmured, her voice soft and coaxing.
"Wife…" Su Wen replied, a hint of helpless amusement slipping through, "I'll carry you on the way back. For now, behave."
He kept his gaze forward, deliberately avoiding looking at her.
Du Yue studied him for a second, then huffed quietly, as if conceding a small battle.
In the end, she settled for clinging to his arm, leaning comfortably against him as they made their way into the village.