If his own father were to catch him and drag him back, he knew he wouldn’t be killed, but Gu Lianhua would pay a terrible price.

Therefore, after Gu Lianhua’s injuries had mostly healed, and before the main force from Wentian Mansion could arrive, they first found a way to deal with the people tailing them.

Of course, "dealing with them" didn’t mean killing them.

Instead, they injured their pursuers, leaving them powerless to continue the chase.

By then, the secret pursuers had been replaced by experts from Wentian Mansion. The Mansion’s Ten Thousand Catty Strategy was formidable, and after the exchange, Dongfang Wujiu and Gu Lianhua were once again seriously injured.

Fortunately, they still managed to subdue their trackers, and the two finally escaped from right under Wentian Mansion’s nose.

After everything they had been through, they both felt they were inseparable.

Nor did they want to be.

But their statuses destined them to never be together, especially in the lands of the Eastern Domain.

Wentian Mansion would never allow its Young Mansion Master to marry a demoness from the Flower Moon Sect.

So, the two put their heads together and decided to leave the Eastern Domain, fleeing to the Northern Domain to live in anonymity.

No one knew them here. They figured if they lived together for a while longer, had a child, and then waited three to five years before returning, perhaps Dongfang Canyang would come to accept their union.

After all, Dongfang Wujiu was Dongfang Canyang’s only son.

’He might, in a fit of righteous fury, kill his only son, but could he bring himself to kill his own grandchild?’

Holding onto this hope, the two resolutely stepped into the territory of the Northern Domain.

But they hadn’t enjoyed two days of peace before they heard the news: Fang Shuwen had killed Ye Wucheng and Ye Bai in the Eastern Domain and was now heading to the Northern Domain alone to seek out Ye Wufeng of the Sword God Palace and settle a score.

This news was like a single stone setting off a thousand waves.

In that instant, Dongfang Wujiu felt his blood run hot.

’This is how a true man should be!’

Then he looked at himself, lost in romantic affairs, having abandoned Wentian Mansion and his position as Young Mansion Master. The so-called chivalry he had learned since childhood was all but forgotten.

He couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of remorse.

But when he looked at Gu Lianhua, he knew he couldn’t let her go.

For a time, he was caught in a dilemma.

Gu Lianhua saw what was on his mind and finally decided to come with him to Anyue City to take a look.

If possible, they would lend a hand.

However, Gu Lianhua’s intention was still to prioritize their own well-being.

If things became too risky, they would walk away.

How could Dongfang Wujiu possibly refuse?

And so, the two of them arrived in Anyue City.

But then they overheard that group in the inn. Dongfang Wujiu’s blood rushed to his head in a fit of rage, and he wished he could strike them down on the spot to show them the prowess of an expert from the Eastern Domain.

Fortunately, Gu Lianhua held him back, stopping him from impulsively getting himself killed by a flurry of blades.

Seeing his anger had still not subsided, she comforted him in a low voice.

"There, there. I know you’re a man of integrity. That’s what made me fall for you in the first place."

"But we still must act with caution. Fang Shuwen has made an enemy of the entire world now; there’s very little we can actually do."

"The best-case scenario would be for him to avoid Anyue City altogether."

"...It’s no use."

Dongfang Wujiu shook his head.

"Anyue City is merely the place where this fire burns the brightest."

"You said it yourself—he’s an enemy to the whole world."

"Even if he bypasses Anyue City, there are other cities. There are far too many people who don’t want him to reach the Sword God Palace."

This wasn’t merely a matter of pride.

If Fang Shuwen really managed to fight his way through all the obstacles to the Sword God Palace and even kill Ye Wufeng...

...then the entire Northern Domain would forever be seen as inferior.

Fang Shuwen would have suppressed the Jianghu of an entire domain all by himself.

For the next ten, or even a hundred years, as long as Fang Shuwen remained in this world, no one from the Northern Domain would dare to speak loudly in front of anyone from the Eastern Domain.

Even a hundred years later, when Fang Shuwen was long dead and gone...

...future generations would still use this day’s events to lord over the Northern Domain, ensuring they could never hold their heads high.

In other words, if Fang Shuwen’s blow truly landed, it would be enough to break the Northern Domain’s spine.

And for that reason, the people of the Northern Domain would never allow him to succeed.

"Then what about us..."

Gu Lianhua’s expression was complicated. A situation like this was no place for people like them to get involved.

But Dongfang Wujiu simply shook his head.

"If Fang Shuwen dares to do it, why wouldn’t I, Dongfang Wujiu, dare as well?"

"He will definitely come to Anyue City. When that time comes, I’ll join him in this madness. Even if I die, it will not have been a wasted life!!"

This had always been the way of Wentian Mansion.

It was also the only thing Dongfang Wujiu felt he could do right now.

Gu Lianhua looked at the man before her, suddenly smiled, and reached out to take his hand.

"I’ll go with you."

Dongfang Wujiu’s pupils quivered slightly, and then he smiled as well.

"Alright."

...

...

It snowed today, but it wasn’t purely snow.

Tiny snowflakes, half-melted, refroze into ice, forming pellets of hail the size of millet grains. They were heavier than snow, yet not large enough to cause harm.

As they fell thick and fast upon one’s body, they created a slight, itchy sensation.

A soldier standing on the watchtower of Anyue City reached up and scratched at a small pellet of hail that landed on his neck, frowning slightly.

"If it’s going to rain, just rain. If it’s going to snow, just snow. This damn hail is the worst."

"Less complaining. Keep your eyes peeled. The City Lord gave orders that we need to be on the lookout for that Fang Shuwen."

"Wary of what? Haven’t you seen what it’s like inside the city? You think he’d dare show up, even if he had all the courage in the world?"

The soldier said with a laugh:

"To put it bluntly, if everyone spat on him just once, they could drown him alive."

The other man was about to say something more when he suddenly frowned and looked out into the distance beyond the city walls.

He quickly raised a hand to point.

"Is that someone coming?"

"So many people come and go every day, what’s the big deal about one person..."

He trailed off, his own brow furrowing, because the approaching figures were strange.

A man and a woman were riding a half-black, half-white beast.

Their features were too indistinct to be sure; they could only wait for them to get closer.

And as the figures drew nearer, the soldiers finally confirmed their identities. They were the two people from the portraits.

Fang Shuwen and Long Qingzhi!

For a moment, the two couldn’t help but exchange a glance, each seeing the astonishment in the other’s eyes.

"He really dared to come!!"