Just as Gao Tian and Shu Yu stepped aside from the registration table, the large doors of the City Lord's mansion opened. Sen Shu emerged, dressed in a flowing robe of white and gold. Her gaze swept across the courtyard until it landed on Gao Tian and Shu Yu near the registration area.
She walked toward them, a faint smile playing on her lips.
"Isn't that Gao Tian?" she called out.
Gao Tian turned to face her, surprised.
"Oh, Miss Sen. We meet again."
How does she know my name? I don't remember ever telling her.
Shu Yu, standing beside him, looked at Sen Shu calmly. Her face remained expressionless, but thoughts flickered beneath the surface.
He called her Miss Sen... Could she be the daughter of Sen City's Lord?
Gao Tian tilted his head slightly and asked,
"Miss Sen, how do you know my name? I'm sure I never introduced myself."
She must have investigated me. But why?
Sen Shu's smile turned a little awkward.
"Ah… I just happened to hear it from the inn's owner. He's an old friend of mine."
That's not true, but there's no way I can tell him I had Sen Ren track him down. I'll just wait until she brings me a full report.
Shu Yu looked at Gao Tian, her tone as cold and calm as ever.
"How do you know her?"
Gao Tian replied without hesitation,
"Oh, we met at a shop. I was selling the white tiger beast's corpse."
Sen Shu added with interest,
"Oh, so she was the one who helped you take it down?"
Gao Tian nodded.
"Yes."
But Shu Yu quickly corrected him, her voice quiet and emotionless.
"No. I didn't help him. All I did was stab my sword into the neck of a beast that was already unconscious. The one who took it down on his own… was Gao Tian."
Sen Shu glanced at Gao Tian with raised eyebrows, clearly impressed.
So he subdued a Rank Three beast on his own… intriguing.
Gao Tian scratched his head, a little embarrassed by Shu Yu's bluntness.
"It was nothing…"
But inside, he felt a flicker of pride. The moment, however, was interrupted as more cultivators lined up behind them for registration, and Sen Shu stepped aside, her expression thoughtful.
Sen Shu tilted her head and asked with a playful tone,
"Are you two participating in the Pill Making Competition?"
Shu Yu answered simply, her tone calm and even,
"Yes, we are."
Ruler Dog, nestled comfortably in her arm, gave a small sigh before cuddling deeper into her embrace and falling asleep again.
Gao Tian added, "Yeah, we're looking for a pill—"
He paused mid-sentence and turned toward Shu Yu with a teasing smile.
"For a little cat who forgot her situation and nearly leaped into a big fight."
Shu Yu shot him a side glare, her crimson eyes gleaming faintly with a sharp glint. Gao Tian instantly raised both hands in mock surrender, alarmed.
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry! Just joking!"
Sen Shu watched the interaction with a spark of amusement in her eyes.
They really are like a perfect match. But I can't let this get too dull… I'll stir things up a bit.
Without warning, she stepped forward and gently wrapped her arm around Gao Tian's, linking with him like a couple.
"Gao Tian," she said sweetly, "aren't you going to introduce me to your companion?"
Shu Yu's expression didn't change—still calm, still blank—but inside, her thoughts stirred.
Why is she clinging to him like that? Are they really that close? Why… why does this annoy me? Relax. This has nothing to do with me.
Gao Tian's face turned bright with surprise.
"Ah… I-I mean… I was going to, but W-what are you…"
Before he could finish fumbling with his words, Sen Shu smiled at Shu Yu and declared proudly,
"I'm Sen Shu. Daughter of Sen City's Lord."
Shu Yu responded with her usual calm, cool tone.
"I'm Shu Yu."
Across the street, atop the tiled rooftop of a nearby shop, six guards of Sen City stood observing the scene. Among them was Vin Lin, the same guard Gao Tian had humiliated earlier at the city gate.
He gritted his teeth and muttered,
"Brother, that's the guy who forced us to kneel… in front of everyone."
Behind him, the two other guards who had shared in that humiliation nodded.
"Yes, Brother Vin Hai. He's the one."
Standing beside them was a man dressed in the dark uniform of Sen City's central mansion—a figure of some authority. His narrow eyes fixed on Shu Yu and Gao Tian with cold intent.
"That boy… I'll beat him within an inch of his life," he said with a cruel smirk. "But that girl… she'll make a fine concubine."
He was Vin Hai, one of the top guards of the City Lord's mansion—known for his arrogance and cruel disposition.
Vin Hai's eyes narrowed the moment he saw Sen Shu wrapping her arm around Gao Tian.
Why is Young Miss Sen clinging to that guy? That bitch… I tried so many times to win her over, but she ignored me again and again—and now she's hanging onto some other man like that?
His hands clenched into fists, and his face twisted with jealousy and rage.
Meanwhile, in front of the City Lord's mansion, Sen Shu gently released Gao Tian's arm.
"So, I'll be leaving now," she said softly.
Then she leaned closer, her lips near his ear.
"And we'll meet again," she whispered before turning and walking off into the street, leaving Gao Tian and Shu Yu standing behind.
Shu Yu turned her crimson gaze to Gao Tian, her voice calm but laced with an edge.
"You two seem close. Is something going on between you?"
Gao Tian turned toward her in a panic, waving his hands.
"No, no! What are you saying? There's nothing between us!"
Huh? Does she think I'm some sort of flirt? I'm a proper Immortal Emperor—I've never done anything like that, even in my past life!
Shu Yu, unfazed, simply turned and began walking toward the inn, patting Ruler Dog gently in her arms.
"Alright then, I'm going back to the inn."
Gao Tian quickly followed.
"Wait! I'm coming too!"
Just as they passed through the next street, six figures leapt down from a nearby rooftop, landing smoothly in front of them. Shu Yu stopped immediately, her gaze flat and icy.
"Who are you?"
Gao Tian stepped up beside her, his brow furrowed.
"What's wrong? Who are they?"
"I don't know," Shu Yu answered quietly.
One of the men stepped forward with a smirk—Vin Hai, clad in the uniform of the City Lord's mansion.
"Well, well," he said, "I'm guards of the City Lord's mansion. The Lord has requested your presence."
His eyes trailed shamelessly over Shu Yu as he thought to himself,
Up close, this girl is even more beautiful. She'll be mine.
Gao Tian's gaze sharpened as he recognized one of the guards—Vin Lin, the man from the city gate.
So it's them. The City Lord excuse is just a cover. They're planning something… trying to kill me, maybe.
He said aloud, "The City Lord wants to see us? What for?"
Shu Yu opened her mouth, her tone steady.
"We have no intention to mee—"
Before she could finish, a voice sounded directly in her mind—Gao Tian's.
"Let's go with them. I think we'll have some fun."
She responded through the same silent channel.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah," came his confident reply.
While the two communicated silently, Vin Lin stood smugly behind his comrades, his thoughts full of hatred.
Hehe, that bastard is walking straight to his death. I'll make him regret ever humiliating me. You're done for, fool.
Vin Hai, meanwhile, had his eyes on Shu Yu, grinning internally.
She'll make a perfect wife… whether she wants to or not.
Gao Tian turned to the guards.
"Alright, we'll go. Lead the way."
Shu Yu gave a small nod beside him.
Vin Hai strode confidently ahead, passing by Gao Tian and Shu Yu as he led the way toward the City Lord's mansion. His voice carried over his shoulder.
"Follow me. The City Lord is waiting for you two."
Heh, follow me to your death, boy, he thought with a cruel grin hidden from their sight.
Behind him, Vin Lin and the four other guards marched silently in formation, their eyes filled with anticipation and hidden motives.
As the group moved through the street, murmurs rippled through the crowd that had begun to gather.
"Isn't that Vin Hai?" a young woman whispered with stars in her eyes.
"He's so hot."
"I want to marry him one day."
"Brother Vin Hai... he's my idol!"
Vin Hai kept his head high and his expression proud, ignoring the voices around him. He was focused on his prize.
Behind the guards, Gao Tian walked casually, his steps light, hands behind his head. He looked relaxed—completely unbothered by the looming mansion ahead. His eyes scanned the surroundings, his demeanor carefree, as if he were heading into a tea house rather than a potential ambush.
Beside him, Shu Yu walked with measured calm. Her crimson eyes stared ahead without emotion, Her body was poised to move at a moment's notice. Beneath her calm surface, she was ready—ready to fight, ready to kill if needed.
Soon, they arrived before the towering gates of the City Lord's mansion. The massive doors stood firm, ancient, and engraved with powerful warding runes.
With a loud creak and rumble, the gates began to open, their weight groaning as they revealed the grand courtyard beyond.
Standing in formation around the open grounds were guards of the City Lord—dozens of them, stationed at the corners, stationed at the walls, all bearing the emblem of Sen City. Their eyes turned toward the newcomers, silent and watchful.
But deep inside the mansion, in a quiet, luxurious room at the heart of the estate, the true City Lord lay sleeping peacefully on a soft bed, unaware of what was unfolding beyond the walls. He had no idea his trusted guard, Vin Hai, was using his name—twisting his authority for personal vengeance and desire.