The master courtyard was peaceful, quiet, and completely suffocating.
Yan Shuo sat perfectly still on his heated jade cushion, wrapped tightly in his absurdly thick Cloud-Fox cloak. He stared blankly at the perfectly manicured bonsai tree across the garden.
"I will be back in exactly two hours, Husband," Tantai Zhi said, her voice filled with a mixture of fierce determination and deep reluctance.
She stood by the heavy wooden doors, already dressed for travel. She had traded her usual majestic crimson robes for a slightly more practical, form-fitting red martial outfit. Her crimson sword hung at her waist, humming with eager, bloodthirsty energy.
"Are you sure you need to go, Zhi'er?" Yan Shuo asked, his tone perfectly mild. "We have enough spirit herbs in the treasury to last a mortal lifetime."
