“You’re happy now, but,” Ruyi raised her eyes, frowning as she stared at him, “do you know what you’re giving up? Even if it’s just three to five years, the cultivation progress you’d make in the mortal realm versus the Nine Heavens would be completely different for you, not to mention that the old Celestial Emperor still values you highly right now.”

“I know.”

“If you regret it in the future, I have nothing to compensate you with.”

“I know.”

“You and I have tens of millions of years to be together, we don’t lack these three to five years.”

“I know all of this.”

Shen Qiyuan looked at her, his dark eyes smiling: “But you and I have finally made it through the hardships. Separating for three to five years at this time—I can’t bear it, and you wouldn’t be happy either.”

“What does being unhappy matter? There are countless things in this world that make people unhappy.” Ruyi was somewhat irritated. “Have you forgotten what Supreme Lord said? You immortals cannot be too concerned with romantic entanglements. Look, a Divine Lord with a bright future ahead, just wasted away in the mortal realm like this—isn’t it such a pity?”

“But the mortal realm is a wonderful place.” He looked at her, speaking meaningfully. “It’s the best place.”

Ruyi’s eyes reddened.

When he said this before, she hadn’t taken it seriously at all, not knowing how much loneliness and waiting were contained in those words. Hearing it again now, her heart trembled along with it.

“Giving up a career for love is the stupidest thing to do, equivalent to staking your entire fate on the other person.” She pressed her head against his chest, saying fiercely, “Are you so certain that I won’t let you fall to complete ruin?”

“Since I can make such a decision, then no matter what the outcome is, I’ll accept it.” He raised his hand to stroke her black hair. “I’m not one of those frivolous, useless young men who would blame the results of their own choices on you.”

Ruyi hit him once, then buried her face in his chest again, reaching out to tightly grasp his clothes.

Shen Qiyuan slightly curved his lips: “I originally thought I understood you quite well, never expecting that after all these years I still hadn’t discovered you’re fierce on the outside but soft on the inside.”

Pretending to be so carefree, but when sending everyone away one by one, her heart was probably aching beyond measure.

“I’m not, I didn’t, don’t talk nonsense.” She raised her head, the moisture already gone from her eyes, glaring at him huffily with her beautiful eyes, but her gaze was full of tenderness.

His heart also softened along with hers, and he took her hand, saying: “Let’s go.”

“Where to?”

“Go back to pack our luggage and come with me to Huizhou.” Shen Qiyuan said, “The transfer order has already come down; we can’t let the Eastern Palace take it back.”

Ruyi raised an eyebrow: “I thought you’d want to find a place to cultivate.”

“The days are so long, what’s the fun in just cultivating?” He strode ahead, his fingers tightly interlocked with hers. “Besides, you like the liveliness of the mortal realm, don’t you?”

“I do not.” She mumbled.

Shen Qiyuan didn’t expose her.

As spring was ending, there was another lion dance competition in the city. Two lively lion teams stepped on tall poles to compete for the embroidered ball. Ruyi sat upstairs, watching the ball from the dragon-and-pearl performance fall from the highest central pillar, and suddenly closed her eyes.

—God, please bless us.

She pressed her palms together.

—I hope all of Shen Qiyuan’s wishes come true, and I hope both he and I have a good ending.

The red lion caught the embroidered ball, and cheers erupted all around.

Shen Qiyuan turned to look at the person across from him, slightly curving his lips.

“I heard it,” he said.

When the two set off to leave Lin’an, they didn’t notify anyone else. In Ruyi’s words, it wasn’t that they were afraid of the sadness of parting; they just felt that the scene would be too awkward. It was better to leave a letter and slip away quietly, than write another letter to report their safety after arriving.

Shen Qiyuan suppressed his laughter and adopted her suggestion.

This time, they didn’t use any magical formations; the two traveled leisurely through mountains and waters, taking their time to arrive at Huizhou.

Huizhou was indeed not as prosperous as Lin’an. There were many local tyrants, and the phenomenon of official-bandit collusion was also very serious. Before Shen Qiyuan arrived, the former prefect had hanged himself at the yamen gate, leaving only a mess of accounts and several hot-to-handle aristocratic families.

The official who came to receive them had a somewhat numb expression, as if he didn’t expect them to survive even half a month.

However, Shen Qiyuan not only repelled seven or eight assassination attempts, but also followed the vine to find the melon, quickly discovering several hidden agents left behind by Great Xia’s envoys.

The several aristocratic families felt something was wrong—this person’s martial arts were far too formidable, and attacking him was impossible.

They immediately turned their attention to the woman beside Master Shen, the rumored not-yet-married Lady Shen, Liu Ruyi.

This young lady looked delicate and weak, with barely any meat on her arms, and always wore a smile on her face, appearing both easy to manipulate and deceive. So the several families discussed it and decided on a strategy of courtesy before force. They had an unfavored concubine daughter host a poetry and tea gathering in the Xie family’s name, inviting Liu Ruyi to attend.

As they expected, this woman had no cunning at all, even leaving her attendants outside the mansion, boldly entering the encirclement they had already set up by herself.

“This is perfect.” The Wang family said to the Xie family. “First step, detain the person. Second step, send word to Master Shen. Third step, catch them all in one net and send them to hang alongside the former prefect.”

The Xie family thought this was a good idea.

However, a retainer hurried in from outside, wiping his sweat: “Masters, I’m afraid this first step won’t work.”

“What won’t work? Isn’t the person already in the courtyard?” The Wang family member was dismissive.

The retainer shook his head repeatedly: “You masters should quickly hide.”

What was there to hide from? The several masters rose in confusion, just about to ask for clarification, when they saw the two half-open doors kicked down by someone.

With two crashing sounds, the door panels fell to the ground, raising a cloud of dust. Everyone coughed incessantly, covering their mouths and noses with their sleeves. When they looked up, they saw Liu Ruyi, who had appeared so frail and weak, holding a wine pot in one hand and hooking the little concubine daughter’s neck with the other, her cheeks flushed red as she said: “Your household’s tea is indeed far inferior to this wine. Qingqing, don’t you think so?”

The little concubine daughter was half-embraced, half-held hostage by her, her face pale, unable to speak.

The several masters were terrified and hurriedly tried to call for the household guards, but the person in front of them waved her hand and said with a grin: “Don’t bother calling, I knocked them all down.”

“Knocked… knocked down?”

The retainer nodded with a pale face: “They’re all lying in the side courtyard, piled up like a mountain. Although they’re still alive, they definitely can’t come over right now.”

Only then did the several people realize something was wrong, and quickly bowed to Ruyi: “Lady Shen, misunderstanding, misunderstanding.”

“She put poison in my tea, what’s there to misunderstand?” Ruyi narrowed her eyes in displeasure.

The Xie family members quickly said: “This was her acting on her initiative, it has absolutely nothing to do with us. If you’re angry, just take her back for punishment; we absolutely won’t interfere.”

“Yes, Lady, just punish her. This trouble she stirred up has nothing to do with us.”

Ruyi raised her eyebrows and took another look at the young girl in her arms.