"Good, as long as you understand. But don't let it happen again."
Holding Xue Nu's hand, Goku walked calmly out of the inn. The terrified soldiers standing around could only watch in silence—none dared to stop them.
From the upper floor, Duanmu Rong watched their departing figures. A faint light flickered in her violet eyes.
"So that's the kind of swordsman Master once spoke of… Truly powerful."
---
Out on the street, Goku and Xue Nu walked side by side. Wherever they passed, soldiers instinctively stepped aside.
When they reached a quiet riverside, Goku suddenly stopped and said softly,
"I've made up my mind."
"About what?" Xue Nu turned her head, puzzled.
"I'm going to the royal palace of the Yan Kingdom."
"What?!" Xue Nu looked at him in shock. "Why?"
Goku's tone was calm. "Because I hate trouble."
---
Originally, Goku hadn't taken the Yan Kingdom's wanted notices seriously. In fact, he had thought it might be fun—traveling with Xue Nu across the land while dodging pursuers, sightseeing along the way. It even sounded romantic.
But he hadn't expected that, even in this age of slow communication, word could spread that fast!
He'd taken out one messenger soldier the night before, yet somehow by morning, every nearby city already knew about him. At this rate, how could there be any romance left? Every time they entered a new town, they'd have an army waiting to ruin the mood.
That was something he absolutely could not tolerate.
A Sovereign and a God of Destruction… being hunted by mortals? Unacceptable.
They needed a reminder of what it meant to place his name on a wanted poster.
---
As they rode toward the Yan capital, Xue Nu sat behind Goku on the horse, the city walls growing clearer in the distance. A complex look crossed her face.
"Who would've thought," she murmured, "we just escaped that place, and now we're heading back again. Goku… are you sure about this? The Yan royal palace isn't easy to enter. There are many martial experts there. From what I know, even the Crown Prince—Yan Taizi Dan—is one of the greatest masters in the realm."
"Yan Taizi Dan, huh?" Goku helped her off the horse, smiling faintly. "Your Fei Xue Pavilion… it has ties to him, doesn't it?"
"Yes," Xue Nu nodded slightly. "Fei Xue Pavilion is under his patronage. That's why we've been able to remain in the capital safely. I've only met him once, though."
Goku chuckled. "The Crown Prince of Yan, the Mo Sect's successor… naturally, his strength isn't low."
He glanced at her. "Are you afraid?"
Xue Nu shook her head gently. "You told me… you would protect me."
"Haha! That's right, I did say that!" Goku laughed heartily. "Even if all the gods in heaven descended together—they wouldn't be able to touch a single strand of your hair!"
His tone was filled with confidence and unshakable pride.
"In other people's eyes, that palace might be a dragon's den or a tiger's lair. But in mine? It's just another building. I'll walk in when I want, and walk out when I please!"
Xue Nu couldn't help but smile. His arrogance—his audacious, unrestrained pride—it was infuriating and captivating all at once.
She looked toward the distant capital, her gaze serene.
He had once stormed that place to rescue her. If he now wished to return, she would follow without hesitation.
---
"How do you plan to get in this time?" she asked, half-teasing. "Don't tell me you're going to charge straight through again, carrying me on your back?"
"That's exactly my style!" Goku laughed loudly.
Charging through thousands of soldiers with a beautiful woman in his arms—what could be more heroic, more exhilarating? Perhaps… that was their kind of romance.
"So?" he said, crouching down slightly and glancing back at her with a grin. "Care to go crazy with me one more time?"
"You really are insane…" Xue Nu smiled softly and lay against his back. "But why not?"
---
As the wind howled past her ears and the scenery blurred into streaks of light, Xue Nu didn't even know whether Goku was flying or simply moving with impossible speed. All she knew was that her heart was pounding—alive and vivid like never before.
It was reckless. It was foolish. It was madness.
But she trusted him completely.
Because as long as he was there, she knew—she would be safe.
---
Before long, they arrived above the majestic Yan royal palace. A figure descended from the clouds, landing soundlessly upon a beautiful tower balcony.
From within came the faint sound of splashing water.
"Huh?" Goku froze for a moment. "Someone's bathing in the middle of the day?"
Just as he leaned toward the paper window—
"Who's there?!" a sharp voice called from inside.
"Damn—she noticed!" Goku's eyes widened.
Instead of retreating… he crashed straight through the window.
Ripples danced across the bathwater, glimmering under the daylight. Flower petals floated atop the surface, and the air was filled with the fragrance of blossoms and soft feminine scent.
Standing within the wooden tub was a stunning, mature woman—her expression startled yet commanding.
The moment she had sensed movement outside, she had tried to leave the bath and dress, but Goku was faster. Much faster.
Before she could even react, he was already in front of her.
Unlike a typical woman who might have screamed, her eyes turned cold. Murderous intent flared as blue light surged around her palm—
She struck first.
"Yin-Yang Technique?" Goku muttered in mild surprise. With a casual slap, the wave of energy shattered instantly.
The woman gasped, ready to counterattack—
But before she could, Goku vanished and reappeared beside her. A hand clamped gently but firmly around her slender neck.
"Don't move," he said quietly.
The words, combined with his grip, made her blood rush to her head—her face turned crimson with fury and humiliation.
At that moment, Xue Nu drifted through the broken window, landing lightly inside.
She froze.
Silence filled the room.
Goku blinked. "Wait—this is a misunderstanding! I was just trying to stop her from screaming, that's all!"
Seeing Xue Nu's calm but unreadable expression, Goku quickly released the woman. His relationship with Xue Nu was just beginning to warm—if she misunderstood now, he'd be done for.
The woman staggered back and, with a flick of her wrist, summoned a dress that wrapped around her body. Her eyes turned icy.
"Who are you people? Do you realize that trespassing into the royal palace is punishable by death?!"
Her voice was normally gentle, but now it carried a cold authority that matched her elegant poise. Her beauty was mature, noble, and dazzling—a woman of high status, clearly no ordinary consort.
"You can't just barge into the palace bathhouse and expect to live," she hissed.
Her hands glowed again with Yin-Yang energy, a beam of blue light bursting forth toward Goku and Xue Nu. The air itself seemed to twist under its power.
Unfortunately for her, in front of Goku—such an attack was meaningless.
He caught it with one hand, and the energy dispersed like smoke.
A blur of motion, and Goku appeared behind her. A precise strike to the back of her neck drained her strength. She collapsed softly to the floor, unable to move, though still conscious.
The woman's eyes were wide with disbelief.
'He neutralized my attack… with one hand?'
The gap between them was too vast. Fear began to creep into her heart.
For someone like this to appear inside the palace—it could only mean disaster.
Regret flickered across her face. She shouldn't have dismissed her maids earlier. At least one or two should've stayed…
"It really was just a misunderstanding," Goku said dryly.
From behind him, Xue Nu's voice came cool and clear:
"How did she feel?"
"Pretty good," Goku answered reflexively—then froze.
He turned, black lines forming across his forehead, to see Xue Nu's faint smile.
"Xue Nu… I just realized—you have a bit of a dark side," he said helplessly.
Her expression remained calm, but the sparkle in her eyes betrayed amusement. She wasn't truly angry.
Meanwhile, the woman on the ground flushed crimson with a mix of rage and shame. She wanted to curse him, but her upbringing restrained her tongue.
"What do you plan to do with her?" Xue Nu asked evenly.
Goku smirked. "Strip her naked and pose her in eighteen different ways."
"W-What?!" Xue Nu gasped, eyes wide.
"You wouldn't dare!" the woman snapped, her composure breaking for the first time. Panic flickered in her gaze.
And beneath that panic, a touch of sorrow—resentment toward the man who should have been there to protect her.
Her mysterious husband, always absent… leaving her alone, even now.