Today marks an explosion! The most magnificent surge yet! The seventh outbreak this month—heh, heh. Seven times already, surpassing an entire month’s worth of prior outbursts, and we’re not even halfway through the month!

In the blink of an eye, Baili Luoyun’s heart had settled on a target, forged a plan. But he wouldn't utter a word; he only needed to act!

Until the plan was complete, it was just talk, nothing worth mentioning, and even if spoken, it would be meaningless.

Fifty kills within two months. Time was pressing fiercely. Baili Luoyun carefully tucked the sheet of white paper into his robes, then looked up at Jun Moxie, managing a somewhat relaxed smile. “Then I shall depart.”

“As fast as you can!” Jun Moxie smiled, patting his shoulder. “You can do it!”

Baili Luoyun nodded, turned, and strode away, unwilling to waste another second.

“Wait, take this.” Jun Moxie raised a hand, and a small jade vial dropped into Baili Luoyun’s grasp. “There are two pills inside. The yellow one cures all poisons. Take the red one, and your cultivation will advance by ten years!”

Baili Luoyun’s fingers clenched tightly around the vial. He didn't look back, one hand resting on his sword hilt. His figure paused momentarily, a flicker of gratitude and surprise crossing his face. Then, he abruptly broke into a swift stride, walking straight ahead without the slightest hesitation, vanishing from everyone’s sight in an instant.

When Jun Moxie was speaking with Baili Luoyun, Jun Wuyi, Ying Bokuang, and the Three Swords of Dongfang remained silent.

All five grandmasters understood that this conversation was Jun Moxie cultivating his own faction, a force belonging solely to him. Yet, Jun Moxie hadn't concealed this from them, not showing the slightest inclination to hide anything. Unconsciously, this satisfied the five men.

At this crucial juncture, if any of the five had interjected, no matter the content, it would undoubtedly have significantly undermined Jun Moxie’s future authority as a leader. These five were seasoned veterans; how could they not grasp this?

Seeing that Jun Moxie had finally concluded his business, Jun Wuyi exchanged a glance with the three Dongfang brothers. “Moxie, come with us. We have something to tell you.”

Ying Bokuang boomed with laughter. “You three chat amongst yourselves. This old man will wander about.” Saying this, he spun around and disappeared without a trace. He could roughly guess what these men intended to discuss, but he had zero interest. For him, the most vital things in the world were the advancement of Xuan Gong and martial prowess. All that romance, the entanglements of men and women—what sort of business was that? Thus, Grandmaster Ying had no inclination to participate, slipping away immediately.

Jun Wuyi and the Dongfang brothers looked slightly sheepish. Discussing those sensitive topics with their junior left the four of them feeling a bit embarrassed.

Watching the five head toward the main tent, Dugu Xiaoyi and Guan Qinghan, watching from afar, exchanged a look and quietly followed. Both women wanted to understand the reason behind Jun Moxie’s massive change in demeanor today.

The contrast between his two previous personas was too stark, too strange.

The two women had been secretly observing the recent fight, each holding different thoughts. Dugu Xiaoyi thought: As expected, this fellow is this formidable. Hmph, he concealed himself for so long, and now he’s finally revealed himself. My eyesight is still the best; Brother Moxie was the first one I set my sights on. I won't give him up to anyone, no matter what!

But Guan Qinghan’s thoughts were far more complex than Dugu Xiaoyi’s. She gazed vacantly at Jun Moxie’s retreating figure, thinking only: So, he truly was holding back before.

In this society, women were perpetually appendages to men. Which man would tolerate being bullied by a woman? Recalling the years Jun Moxie had pestered her, often suffering her beatings and never receiving a kind word, yet this man, possessing incredible skills, had always endured, willing to approach her even in a manner despised by the world.

Remembering Jun Moxie earnestly participating in her martial arts training, only to be dominated by her, yet still managing a playful, roguish smile—Guan Qinghan was suddenly flooded with sweetness.

For such an arrogant man to humble himself for the woman he loved—how rare was that?

It is easy to find priceless treasures, but hard to find a lover truly devoted!

Now, this man was shedding his restraint, preparing to reveal his peerless brilliance to the world! And at this moment, she had become his woman through a moment of helplessness and coincidence—moreover, the first woman he publicly acknowledged.

Could this be fate?

But could this matter truly be that simple? How much would she have to face afterward?

Guan Qinghan drifted through her thoughts, pulled along by Dugu Xiaoyi, intentionally and unintentionally creeping toward the outside of the command tent. Jun Wuyi and the others had already sat down, heavy with unspoken worries. The four elders looked at each other, none daring to speak first, truly unsure of how to begin, or what they should even say once they did. Even knowing the two women were eavesdropping outside the door, there was no need to hide the matter from them, as they were both parties involved.

Jun Moxie looked at his uncle and three maternal uncles with confusion. “What is it? Why do all of you have such expressions? Nothing went wrong at home, did it?”

“What could go wrong at home? It’s all because of you, boy!” The four shouted in unison, their synchronized rebuke so perfect it seemed rehearsed. After speaking, they couldn’t help but glance at each other.

“Moxie, regarding you and Qinghan, I discussed it with your three uncles just now,” Jun Wuyi said, his eyes complex and tinged with helplessness. “Although I already adopted Qinghan as my goddaughter and dissolved the engagement between our families, the outside world still doesn't know… cough, cough, even your grandfather—”

“Huh? What is it? Third Uncle, what exactly are you trying to say?” Jun Moxie wasn't slow-witted, but he genuinely hadn't considered this. In his frame of reference, even if Qinghan followed him, there would only be minor gossip.

Regardless of who this woman was, her husband—his elder brother—was dead. Was he expected to demand that a peerless beauty remain a widow her entire life? They had met only a handful of times, never even having a wedding ceremony, yet he was demanding she uphold chastity? What kind of logic was that?

Did people not pursue lifelong happiness? Since the Jun family intended to restore Qinghan’s freedom—even granting it—she naturally should remarry. If she was going to marry someone eventually, why couldn't it be him?

Therefore, although Jun Moxie had considered this issue, he always felt it wasn't a big deal. This was a residual effect of his past life’s mindset, yet he overlooked how severe the restrictions on propriety and the corrupt moral concepts governing relations between men and women were at this time! It was entirely incomparable to the Earth of his previous life.

The segregation of the sexes in this feudal age could rival the reverence accorded during the peak of Neo-Confucianism in the Song Dynasty!

“I truly don’t know what you’re thinking, boy. Even if you were useless, you should have realized that if your grandfather found out about this, he would surely fly into a righteous fury!”

Jun Wuyi looked at his nephew. “The head of the Guan family would also find this impossible to face… so, your uncles and I have decided: the army will break camp, and you will not return to Tianxiang with us. Go to the Dongfang family first, visit your mother, visit your maternal grandmother… After all, you haven't seen them in over a decade; that is familial blood! Yes, I will resolve this matter as quickly as possible. Once your grandfather’s anger subsides and things settle down… then you can return. Otherwise, with your grandfather currently enraged, he might do something rash…”

Jun Moxie frowned, slightly bewildered. “Third Uncle, are you saying I should leave to avoid the storm?”

“You’re not completely dense, that’s exactly what I mean!” Jun Wuyi sighed. “This matter requires much maneuvering to eliminate the various negative repercussions.”

“What negative repercussions? Why is Grandfather so angry? Third Uncle, what exactly are you saying?” Jun Moxie suddenly erupted. “What repercussions are there? Does this matter dishonor the family reputation?”

Outside the tent, Guan Qinghan suddenly clapped her slender hands over her mouth, and two lines of tears streamed down her face.

Wasn’t this matter precisely about disgracing the family reputation? Dongfang Wenqing and the other three, along with Jun Wuyi, muttered internally: What is wrong with this boy? Usually so sharp and clever, why is he so muddled now? Although the four knew this situation wasn't Jun Moxie's or Guan Qinghan's fault, the outcome was what it was, the fact remained the fact! And this fact was fundamentally an error!

At least, before the world acknowledged Guan Qinghan's new status, this was an undeniable mistake!

“This is for your own good, both of you,” Jun Wuyi said, knitting his brows. “Do you think I enjoy sending you away temporarily? But you must understand, on these matters, you cannot simply do as you wish… We need to work hard on all this! Believe me, soon we can fade this incident out. Once things are stable, everything will be fine! Don't you want to see your mother and grandmother?”

“No! Those are two completely different things! I will certainly visit Mother and Grandmother, but absolutely not now!” Jun Moxie flatly refused. “I will absolutely not slink away to the Dongfang family, passively waiting for the outcome. That is not the Jun Moxie I am.”

The four were stunned by his vehemence and looked at each other in surprise. This was clearly the best way to resolve the current awkwardness; what was wrong with this boy?

Jun Moxie suddenly stood up. “I don’t know what damnable customs this world adheres to, nor do I care how others view this! But this matter is non-negotiable! I will make no concessions, no compromises! I will absolutely not flee!”

“Should a woman simply live as a widow? Don't you forget, this woman barely met her husband a few times, never even had a wedding ceremony, let alone shared intimacy! What meaning does such a so-called marriage hold? Can a woman not pursue her own happiness?”

“Since our Jun family decided to return her happiness to her, why can’t she marry me? Am I not a man? Can I not give her happiness? More than that, she is already my woman!”

“Why care about what others say, what others think? Does it concern us? Those pedantic scholars are nothing but farts! If they anger me, I’ll conquer the world and institute book burning and the burial of scholars! I’ll wipe them out completely! Let everyone perish together!” Jun Moxie was somewhat uncontrollably furious, a wild killing intent surging in his eyes!

Whenever there is a call for monthly tickets, there must be an outbreak… This month, the outbreak has continued until now… I suddenly feel fatigued, utterly exhausted. I hope, I need, my brothers and sisters to give me momentum! I must rally myself!

After finishing this chapter, I lay on my bed, staring at the starry sky outside the window for a long time… A man’s responsibility—never flee! To fight the world for one person… could I do that if it were only for myself? Better to betray Heaven than betray her, but now she is already another man’s wife! Isn’t that a huge joke?

Feeling dejected, I shut down the machine and sleep, hoping that tomorrow brings the flash of blades and shadows as I battle the winds and clouds again! If you wish to know what happens next, please log in to Jī Jiào, where more chapters await. Support the author, support legitimate reading!