The Sky Lord's arm rested lightly around Lian Hua's waist when a gust of wind swept through the white chamber.
Twelve armored men dropped to one knee outside the door. Their celestial armor shimmered with a faint light, and their spears hummed softly with power.
The lead guard, his face pale with worry, bowed low. "Your Excellency," he said, "the Voignoa Clan has arrived. Their Patriarch insists on seeing his son."
Hua froze. His heart stopped. My father…
He quickly turned in the Sky Lord's arms, glaring up at him. "You have to let me go! If my father finds me in your bed chamber dressed like— like a dancer, he'll kill me, bring me back to life, and kill me again for dishonor!"
Tian Zhen merely blinked, unfazed, as if Hua had just commented on the weather. "He has come," he said in a calm voice. "Then let him wait."
"Wait?!" Hua sputtered. "He's not the patient kind! He's the type to burn down your palace and slap your ancestors!"
The god sighed slowly. "Tell them I am coming," he commanded his guards, his voice heavy.
"Yes, my Lord!" The men bowed and disappeared in streaks of blue light.
As the room fell silent, Hua struggled against the Sky Lord's hold. "You can't just—"
He didn't get far. The Sky Lord leaned down and kissed Hua's forehead softly.
The gesture was simple and calm, almost affectionate, but Hua froze as if struck by lightning.
"What—what was that for?!"
Tian Zhen smiled faintly. "A seal of calm. You panic too easily."
"I panic because I'm in trouble!" Hua hissed. "And you're making it worse! People don't just kiss assassins on the forehead!"
"Hmm," Tian Zhen murmured, straightening and walking toward the door. "They should."
Before Hua could respond, twelve celestial knights entered, surrounding him in perfect formation. Each held a sword that shimmered with runes.
"Guard him," Tian Zhen commanded. "He is not to be harmed or touched."
The knights bowed. "Yes, my Lord."
"Wait!" Hua shouted. "You can't just leave me like this!" He gestured helplessly at his scandalous silk outfit. "At least give me pants!"
The god paused at the doorway, half-turning. His expression was calm, but the faintest hint of amusement glimmered in his eyes. "Blue suits you," he said simply, and then he was gone.
The temple's main hall was vast, with a thousand pillars of white stone. Banners of blue light rippled like auroras across the ceiling.
Lian Hua's father, Voignoa Patriarch Lian Fei, stood with his men at the center. His dark robes were embroidered with silver blades, and his aura was sharp and cold.
Behind him, his daughter—Hua's stepsister, Lian Mei—fanned herself dramatically, her beauty striking with skin as pale as the moon and eyes like jade.
The moment the Sky Lord appeared, silence fell.
Tian Zhen walked forward, his robes flowing like mist, his crown glinting under celestial light. Every step showed quiet power—the kind that made even the air bend in obedience.
Lian Mei's fan slipped from her hand.
"…Beautiful," she whispered. "Father, did you see? He's— he's divine."
Her father frowned. "Control yourself. He's the enemy."
But she was already half in love—and, more dangerously, plotting.
When the Sky Lord greeted them, his tone was polite but cold. "Patriarch Lian," he said, bowing his head slightly. "Your visit is… unexpected."
"My son was taken," Lian Fei said stiffly. "I came to retrieve him."
Tian Zhen's smile was slight, unreadable. "He broke into my temple, destroyed a sacred seal, and nearly stabbed me in my sleep. Yet… I prefer to keep him."
Lian Fei's jaw tightened. "You what?"
"He will remain here," Tian Zhen said simply. "Under my protection."
Before the patriarch could explode, a soft voice interjected—his daughter's.
"Lord Tian Zhen," Lian Mei said sweetly, bowing low. "Forgive my brother's foolishness. He was misled by jealousy. Perhaps you could overlook his crime… if our clans were united by marriage?"
Her father blinked. "Mei—"
But she continued, her eyes bright. "If I were to wed Your Excellency, the feud between our clans would end. It would be… fate."
Tian Zhen regarded her for a moment. His face was impassive. Then he said, "Fate has already chosen my bride."
The hall fell silent.
Lian Fei frowned. "And who might that be?"
The god's lips curved faintly. "Your son."
Every mortal jaw in the hall dropped.
The Patriarch's voice cracked. "My— what?"
Behind him, Lian Mei made a strangled noise. "My— my brother? You mean— him?!"
The Sky Lord inclined his head. "He bears the scent of moon and shadow. He woke me from eternal sleep. His spirit matches mine. Thus— he is chosen."
There was a pause. Then Lian Fei's expression twisted from disbelief to fury. "You dare insult my clan with such blasphemy?!"
Tian Zhen didn't reply. His eyes darkened.
The air thickened—heavy, electric, shimmering with divine energy.
And then, before anyone could blink, the Patriarch lifted off the ground.
Invisible power coiled around his throat like a serpent of light, raising him effortlessly into the air. His feet dangled, his face turning red.
"Your tone displeases me," Tian Zhen said softly.
Lian Mei screamed, "Father!"
The Sky Lord didn't move. "You forget yourself, Patriarch. This is my realm. Your son is under my care. You will not insult him again — or I will unmake the very air you breathe."
For a moment, the hall trembled, with pillars humming from restrained celestial force.
Then, as suddenly as it began, the pressure vanished. The Patriarch fell to his knees, gasping for air.
Tian Zhen turned slightly, his white robes whispering as he moved. "To defy the heavens," he said calmly, "is to invite ruin. Remember that."
Tian Zhen's voice softened. "My bride is not to be questioned."