The streets of Starlight City stretched endlessly beneath the golden afternoon sun.
Countless people moved through the bustling avenues.
Merchants called out from both sides of the road, advertising exotic spices, rare herbs, colorful fabrics, and freshly cooked food.
Children ran through the crowded streets with carefree laughter.
Elegant carriages rolled past noble districts while common travelers wandered through the markets searching for supplies and opportunities.
After months spent among silent mountains, dangerous forests, ancient ruins, and endless cultivation training—
the city felt like a completely different world.
Life.
That was the first thing one could feel here.
Not cultivation.
Not danger.
Not survival.
Life.
Han Qing Li walked quietly behind Lin Shuan.
In her arms rested the Snow Fang White Tiger cub.
The little tiger lazily stretched its paws while looking around with curious blue eyes.
For Qing Li, everything felt new.
Everything felt strange.
Everything felt beautiful.
Her gaze continuously wandered across the city.
The towering buildings.
The colorful banners hanging between rooftops.
The countless people living their ordinary lives.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
For a moment, she seemed less like a cultivator who had survived countless dangers and more like an ordinary young girl seeing the world for the first time.
"Shuan Hao..."
Her voice carried a trace of wonder.
Lin Shuan glanced back.
"What is it?"
Qing Li looked around again.
Her eyes sparkled.
"Is this really Starlight City of the Da Cang Empire?"
Lin Shuan nodded.
"Hmm."
Qing Li slowly turned in a circle.
Her gaze moved from one street to another.
From one building to the next.
"It is beautiful..."
She paused.
Then she softly added,
"The outside world is truly fascinating."
Lin Shuan became silent.
His eyes unconsciously settled upon her.
The excitement.
The curiosity.
The innocent amazement.
He had worn that same expression once.
Years ago.
When he had first left Myriad Frost City.
Back then he had been younger.
Weaker.
More naive.
The world had seemed endless.
Every road had felt like the beginning of a grand adventure.
Every city had appeared magical.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"The outside world really is different."
Qing Li nodded.
Neither of them spoke for a while.
They simply continued walking.
Then suddenly—
a cheerful voice interrupted the peaceful atmosphere.
"Oh my!"
A middle-aged woman walking beside her husband stopped.
Her eyes widened when she saw Han Qing Li.
"What a beautiful girl!"
The husband looked at Qing Li and immediately nodded.
"Indeed."
Then his gaze shifted toward Lin Shuan.
The man laughed.
"Young man, you are truly fortunate."
Lin Shuan blinked.
The woman smiled warmly.
"To have such a beautiful wife."
Silence.
Qing Li froze.
Lin Shuan froze.
Even the White Tiger cub blinked.
For a moment nobody knew what to say.
A faint red color immediately spread across Qing Li's cheeks.
Her ears turned crimson.
She lowered her head.
Lin Shuan's expression became extremely strange.
"W-We are not—"
Before he could finish—
the couple had already continued walking.
The husband laughed.
"Young people are always shy."
The woman giggled.
"Take good care of your wife."
Then they disappeared into the crowd.
Lin Shuan stood there speechless.
Qing Li remained completely silent.
Neither dared look at the other.
Several seconds passed.
The awkward atmosphere grew heavier.
Finally—
the White Tiger cub yawned loudly.
The strange moment instantly broke.
Both quickly looked away.
And continued walking.
Pretending nothing had happened.
Yet Qing Li's cheeks remained slightly red.
A few streets later—
another voice reached Lin Shuan's ears.
This time it belonged to a child.
"Papa!"
The little boy pointed excitedly toward a toy stall.
"Mama!"
"I want that one!"
The child ran toward a wooden toy sword.
His parents laughed.
The father lifted him into his arms.
The mother gently adjusted his messy hair.
The three stood together.
Smiling.
Laughing.
Happy.
Lin Shuan suddenly stopped walking.
His eyes remained fixed on them.
The noisy city gradually faded from his awareness.
The surrounding voices became distant.
For a brief moment—
he was no longer standing in Starlight City.
Instead—
he was back in Myriad Frost City.
A small boy.
Walking between his parents.
His mother smiling warmly.
His father buying small gifts from market stalls.
Simple days.
Ordinary days.
Days he had once believed would last forever.
But they hadn't.
His clan had fallen.
His home had been destroyed.
His family had vanished into history.
The little boy's laughter echoed in the distance.
Lin Shuan's eyes quietly dimmed.
A trace of loneliness surfaced.
A loneliness he rarely showed anyone.
Behind him—
Han Qing Li stopped.
She slowly turned around.
Her gaze landed on Lin Shuan.
Then followed his line of sight.
She saw the child.
The parents.
The family.
Understanding immediately appeared in her eyes.
Because she understood.
More than anyone else.
She too had lost everything.
She too knew what it felt like to watch others possess things that could never return.
A home.
A family.
A past.
Silently—
she walked back toward him.
Then gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
Lin Shuan looked at her.
Qing Li's expression was calm.
Yet her eyes carried deep emotion.
"Shuan Hao..."
Her voice was soft.
"A traveler who constantly worries about the home behind him cannot continue his journey."
Lin Shuan remained silent.
Qing Li continued.
"If he keeps looking backward..."
"He may eventually reach his destination."
"But his journey will lose its meaning."
The wind gently blew through the street.
For a long moment—
neither spoke.
Then Lin Shuan smiled.
A genuine smile.
Not forced.
Not bitter.
Just calm.
"You sound wiser than usual."
Qing Li rolled her eyes.
"I am always wise."
Lin Shuan chuckled.
For the first time in several minutes—
the sadness inside him faded.
"Thank you."
Qing Li smiled.
The two resumed walking.
Neither noticed—
that danger had already begun watching them.
Across the street—
inside an outdoor tea café—
several rough-looking men sat around a wooden table.
Their clothes were dirty.
Their faces carried scars.
Each possessed the aura of a cultivator.
Not powerful cultivators.
But dangerous enough for ordinary people.
One of them suddenly narrowed his eyes.
"Boss."
Another man followed his gaze.
His eyes immediately landed on the White Tiger cub.
Greed appeared.
"That beast..."
The largest man at the table leaned forward.
"A Snow Fang White Tiger cub?"
Several men exchanged looks.
A beast like that could be sold for a tremendous amount of money.
Or raised into a powerful companion.
Either way—
it was valuable.
Very valuable.
The leader grinned.
A cruel grin.
"Interesting."
His gaze shifted toward Han Qing Li.
Then his smile widened further.
"Very interesting."
The men immediately understood.
They rose from their seats.
And followed.
Several minutes later—
Lin Shuan and Qing Li entered a quieter street.
The crowd had become thinner.
The noise of the marketplace was distant.
Then suddenly—
a group of armed men blocked the road.
More figures appeared behind them.
The street instantly became surrounded.
People nearby immediately stepped back.
Some even fled.
Fear appeared in their eyes.
"It's them!"
"The Alley Hunters!"
"Run!"
The civilians quickly dispersed.
Within moments—
the street was nearly empty.
Lin Shuan's expression became cold.
The men ignored him completely.
Their eyes remained fixed on Qing Li and the White Tiger cub.
One of them stepped forward.
"Girl."
His voice was threatening.
"Hand over the tiger."
The White Tiger growled softly.
The man smirked.
"Or else."
Slowly—
he dragged his thumb across his throat.
A killing gesture.
Qing Li's expression became icy.
Before she could respond—
another man stepped forward.
He was large and ugly.
His eyes moved up and down her body.
Disgust immediately appeared in Lin Shuan's gaze.
The man's smile became vulgar.
"Actually..."
"You don't need to hand over the tiger."
His eyes remained fixed on Qing Li.
"You can come with us instead."
The surrounding men burst into laughter.
The ugly man licked his lips.
"You can entertain us tonight."
Silence.
The street suddenly became very quiet.
The smile disappeared from Qing Li's face.
Her eyes turned cold.
Extremely cold.
The next second—
SLAP!
A loud sound echoed through the street.
The ugly man flew sideways.
His body crashed directly through a wooden shop entrance.
Wood exploded everywhere.
The entire street froze.
Nobody had expected Qing Li to attack so suddenly.
The ugly man groaned from inside the destroyed building.
Half his face was swollen.
Several teeth flew from his mouth.
Qing Li lowered her hand.
Her expression remained cold.
"If you speak another word..."
"I will remove your tongue."
The surrounding thugs immediately exploded with rage.
"Attack!"
Weapons were drawn.
Swords.
Axes.
Spears.
Killing intent erupted.
Yet at that moment—
none of them noticed Lin Shuan.
Because behind Qing Li—
his expression had already changed.
The warmth had vanished.
The calm had disappeared.
Only coldness remained.
Pure coldness.
His eyes slowly became white.
White as frost.
White as death.
A terrifying pressure spread through the street.
The air suddenly felt heavy.
Several thugs unconsciously stepped back.
Lin Shuan's voice sounded.
Soft.
Deadly.
"You fools..."
The men looked toward him.
His gaze was terrifying.
"You truly wish to die."
Crack.
Lightning appeared beneath his feet.
For one brief instant—
everything became silent.
Then—
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion shook the street.
Lin Shuan vanished.
Several people blinked.
Then—
thud.
Something hit the ground.
Another sound followed.
Then another.
Then another.
Heads.
Human heads.
Rolling across the street.
Blood sprayed into the air.
Several headless bodies remained standing for a brief moment—
before collapsing.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Nobody understood what had happened.
The entire battle had ended in less than a breath.
Lin Shuan stood several meters away.
His sword pointed downward.
Fresh blood dripped from the blade.
The surviving thugs stared in horror.
One man dropped his weapon.
"T-This..."
Another's legs began shaking.
"A monster..."
"He is a monster!"
Panic erupted.
The remaining men attempted to flee.
But it was too late.
Lightning flashed again.
A sword ray crossed the street.
Another body collapsed.
Then another.
Then another.
The onlookers watched in complete terror.
Some remembered something.
Years ago.
A masked youth had slaughtered powerful enemies in Starlight City using nearly identical methods.
The memory returned instantly.
Fear spread through the crowd.
"It's him..."
"That monster from years ago..."
"Oh heavens..."
Nobody dared move.
Nobody dared speak.
Because Lin Shuan looked less like a human—
and more like an executioner.
Inside the destroyed shop—
the ugly thug finally crawled outside.
His face was pale.
His eyes filled with terror.
He saw the corpses.
The blood.
The destruction.
Then he saw Lin Shuan.
The thug immediately turned around.
And ran.
As fast as possible.
"Help!"
"HELP!"
"I don't want—"
Lightning flashed.
The world became silent.
A head rolled across the ground.
The final thug fell.
Dead.
The battle was over.
Completely over.
Several moments passed.
Nobody spoke.
Then—
a voice emerged from the crowd.
"Good."
Another followed.
"They deserved it."
"They terrorized this district for years."
"Nobody could stop them."
Relief slowly replaced fear.
Many people secretly celebrated.
The Alley Hunters were gone.
Completely gone.
Lin Shuan ignored them.
Instead—
he turned toward Han Qing Li.
She stood motionless.
Her beautiful eyes remained fixed on him.
Not because she feared him.
But because she had witnessed something important.
Lin Shuan would endure suffering.
He would endure pain.
He would endure loneliness.
But if someone threatened those under his protection—
he became utterly merciless.
Lin Shuan approached her.
The killing intent surrounding him gradually disappeared.
The white color faded from his eyes.
His expression softened.
"Qing Li."
She looked at him.
Lin Shuan smiled slightly.
"Sometimes..."
"A traveler must protect more than his own home."
The wind blew gently through the street.
His next words carried unusual weight.
"If we stop protecting the homes of others..."
"Then one day there may be nobody left to protect ours."
Qing Li stared at him.
Then slowly smiled.
A beautiful smile.
One that carried understanding.
Without another word—
she reached out.
Lin Shuan took her hand.
The White Tiger cub yawned comfortably.
Then the two continued walking.
Leaving behind the corpses.
Leaving behind the crowd.
Leaving behind the judgment that had fallen upon the wicked.
As the sun slowly descended toward the horizon—
they arrived at the Transportation Station of Starlight City.
Large carriages stood in neat rows.
Travelers continuously arrived and departed.
Lin Shuan approached the ticket counter.
"Two tickets."
The clerk nodded.
"Destination?"
"The Imperial Capital."
The clerk quickly completed the registration.
After receiving the tickets—
Lin Shuan returned.
Qing Li accepted one.
For a moment both looked toward the distant road stretching beyond Starlight City.
A road leading toward the heart of the Da Cang Empire.
A road leading toward new opportunities.
New dangers.
New destinies.
The carriage slowly began moving.
The city gates opened.
And beneath the crimson glow of the setting sun—
Lin Shuan and Han Qing Li departed toward the Imperial Capital.
Neither knew—
that the next chapter of their journey was already waiting ahead.