Although Shui Bing'er's cooking wasn't on par with Li Chang'an's, her dishes were perfectly balanced in flavor—neither too salty nor too light. Li Chang'an's culinary skill, of course, came not only from his keen control over fire and timing but also from his access to top-grade ingredients and sauces.
Backed by his family's restaurant empire and armed with modern cooking knowledge, it was almost impossible for anything he made to taste bad.
Shui Bing'er, however, ate sparingly. To maintain her figure, she finished with a light vegetable salad.
When they were done, Li Chang'an considered her gesture of gratitude complete. It was time to move on to business.
"Where is the Northern King right now?" he asked, glancing at her as she untied her apron. He stepped forward and helped her loosen the strings behind her back.
"Thank you," she said softly, letting her hair down. "He should be stationed at the northwestern border, near the frontier with the Star Luo Empire."
Although the Northern King had a mansion in Heaven Dou City, he spent most of his time defending the border and rarely returned to the capital. It was his steward who had invited Shui Bing'er and her sister to the capital—but clearly, the order had come from the Northern King himself.
"Good. We'll head north and settle this within three days," Li Chang'an said decisively, already turning to leave.
"Three days?" Shui Bing'er blinked at him. "Even if we travel without rest, that's impossible."
The Heaven Dou Empire was vast. Even with spirit master speed, horseback travel would take far longer. Flying for three straight days was unimaginable—especially while carrying her.
"I said three days, so it'll be three days," he replied calmly. "Just point out the exact location on the map."
He retrieved a map of the Douluo Continent from his spatial storage and spread it out.
"There—Northern Domain City," Shui Bing'er said, tapping the map. It lay directly between Heaven Dou and Star Luo—far from Spirit City's central region.
"Got it. Let's go." Li Chang'an turned his hand over, and a small, ancient bell appeared in his palm.
The air before them split open, revealing a deep rift of lightning-lined darkness.
"Is that… a spatial portal?" Shui Bing'er gasped. The ability to tear space was legendary.
"Mm. Now, take my hand," Li Chang'an said matter-of-factly. "Stay close, or the spatial turbulence could tear you apart."
"O-okay…" Shui Bing'er nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. She slipped her cool, delicate fingers into his palm.
His hand was warm. Steady. Reassuring.
Their fingers interlocked tightly as he led her forward. The world blurred, and they stepped into the rift.
Ten seconds later, they emerged outside the towering gates of Northern Domain City.
Li Chang'an released her hand and stood still. "My soul power's drained. I'll recover—guard me for a moment."
Truth be told, his soul power was nearly exhausted. He'd just teleported across half the continent—while still nursing a sore back from recent sex. His legs wobbled slightly, but he steadied himself.
Fortunately, with his dual soul cores, recovery came swiftly. Within seconds, he was already drawing in spiritual energy like a vortex.
To Shui Bing'er's eyes, countless motes of light seemed to flow toward him, surrounding his body in a rhythmic ebb and surge.
Vitality as heavy as mercury, breath in harmony with nature itself…
That was Li Chang'an in his natural state.
After ten minutes, he opened his eyes, calm and composed once more.
"All right, let's go into the city."
"So soon?" Shui Bing'er asked in astonishment. "It takes me an hour to recover that much soul power!"
"Not to full strength," he said casually. "But enough."
Of course, he didn't tell her that he constantly absorbed ambient energy even while walking. No need to crush her confidence.
"Understood." Shui Bing'er nodded and fell into step beside him, walking shoulder to shoulder.
Northern Domain City was the empire's northern stronghold, built to mirror the capital's design. Its walls were towering, its gates thick and iron-bound, and its soldiers drilled with impeccable precision.
Even compared to the Royal Knight Corps, these troops were sharper—each man emanating faint killing intent. Every ten minutes, cavalry patrols thundered past, ensuring order.
Entry checks were strict. Visitors had to register, present identification, and undergo soul power verification before receiving an entry seal.
Fortunately, Li Chang'an could alter his martial soul's aura. Shui Bing'er entered under her true identity, while he presented credentials from his "time at Shrek Academy."
"Keep these passes on you," a soldier warned. "Inspections happen often. Anyone without them will be detained. Also—no combat within city walls."
The procedure made sense. It prevented spies or rogue spirit masters from infiltrating unnoticed. Judging by the army's discipline, Li Chang'an had to admit—the Northern King was no simple man.
It was no wonder Emperor Xue Ye trusted him with this crucial post. The city's position made it second only to the capital itself.
But a competent general didn't necessarily mean a good man. Li Chang'an knew that much. Still, he made a mental note to observe the Northern King carefully.
"We'll scout the Northern King's Mansion first," he said. "Then find lodging nearby and plan our next move."
Revealing his identity would end things quickly, yes—but it would also count as meddling in the Heaven Dou Empire's internal affairs. That would cause endless political headaches—and if Bibi Dong found out he'd gone gallivanting off to help another woman, she'd probably kill him.
So—low-profile operation it was.
The Northern King's estate was enormous, occupying an entire street. The gilded plaque over the gate gleamed with four bold characters: "Northern King's Mansion." Even the doors alone screamed wealth.
"Damn," Li Chang'an muttered. "This guy's loaded. My whole place could fit in his courtyard."
Armed guards patrolled the gates, half wielding spears, half soul tools, all sharp-eyed and alert.
As he and Shui Bing'er turned to leave, a low-profile carriage rolled up to the gate. From it stepped a plain-dressed elderly man—yet his presence made both of them freeze.
Emperor Xue Ye.
Li Chang'an narrowed his eyes.
'What is the Emperor doing here?'