The disciples beneath them, however, knew nothing of this. They were unaware of these two women's identities, and surely misunderstood their own current state of weakness, perhaps even believing themselves invincible, relying on these figures as their stronghold... It was difficult to accept... This would undoubtedly have a huge impact on their future authority, but there was no alternative. To provoke the other side rashly again, or even to engage in immediate, bloody combat would be fatal.

"What you say holds water. Indeed, such enmity is impossible to coexist in this world! Let us set aside the matter between us for now; we shall watch the spectacle first. A decisive battle with Jun Wuyi of the Jun family, hah, I truly wish to see if the elites of the Xiao family of Fengxue Yincheng can really overcome a Blood-Clothed General from a mortal nation. I hope I won't be disappointed..." The white-robed maiden didn't even lift her eyelids, speaking as if to the air itself.

The Snake King immediately retracted his imposing aura, standing quietly beside the white-robed maiden. "She has reverted to the demeanor of a sheltered, demure young lady. Were it not for her excessively dark and unpleasant complexion, this moment would indeed be quite captivating..."

Xiao Buyu was utterly speechless, caught between laughter and tears.

These two were clearly planning to sit back and watch the show...

But having them watch was enough to give her a myocardial infarction...

It was a blessing that Xiao Han didn't know who these two women were; otherwise, he'd barely be able to muster one-tenth of his full strength...

Ignorance is indeed bliss, proving to be a stroke of sheer luck!

At this moment, Xiao Buyu, the Second Master Xiao, finally and utterly understood the meaning of that phrase.

Young Master Jun had been in a foul mood these past few days—extremely foul!

With every step he took, he drew closer to Tianxiang City, and facing the already prepared, overwhelming offensive of public opinion, Jun Moxie had steeled himself! It was nothing major; however, the reason for his bad mood was partly related to this.

The Young Master worried that he might lose control of his temper and go on a killing spree across the world! Facing those 'gentlemen' more annoying than gossiping old women, Jun Moxie always struggled to suppress the surging tide of his killing intent! And this time, the target of the attacks was himself. Even with psychological preparation, Jun Moxie couldn't quite predict the final outcome, though it wasn't difficult to surmise.

And then there was Guan Qinghan.

In the Young Master Jun's mind, since that impossibly thin veil between them had finally been torn, frankly, this elder brother had held back for two lifetimes. Since arriving on the Xuanxuan Continent, he hadn't truly tasted the fruits of his desires, merely bearing the notorious reputation of a profligate tyrant... Since they had already crossed that threshold, shouldn't he stop being so guarded?

Besides, this was a matter beneficial to all; at least everyone felt comfortable, right? Therefore, Young Master Jun had been scheming for a second encounter these past few days. But no matter how fiery his passion and how intense his desire, Guan Qinghan remained unmoved, like an unyielding ice peak!

She didn't even give him a chance to speak. His enthusiasm was wasted, his desire unquenched, yet unsatisfied!

Young Master Jun, a novice in matters of the heart, completely overlooked Guan Qinghan's current thoughts. While she was deeply moved and quite swayed by Jun Moxie's devotion to her, and she had already recognized Jun Moxie in her heart, her status had changed. Along the way, the fact that Jun Wuyi had adopted Guan Qinghan as a goddaughter was already known throughout the barracks. Even if the majority didn't know, the fact remained the fact.

One could say Jun Wuyi had tacitly approved of their relationship.

But this did not mean Guan Qinghan could allow herself wanton indulgence with Jun Moxie before marriage! What happened that night was merely a mistake, a mistake she was compelled to make. But if she were to willingly join him in the blissful cloud and rain while fully conscious afterward, then Guan Qinghan would truly become a continental laughingstock, scorned by all!

After all, in the context of this era, people were far from accepting such progressive ideas. Moreover, this was a period of extreme conservatism! Therefore, Miss Guan’s attitude toward Young Master Jun stemmed from shyness, embarrassment, heavy concerns, and... in short, absolutely no letting Young Master Jun cross the line!

As a result, Miss Guan was even colder than before—truly beautiful as a peach blossom, yet chilling as frost and ice!

With Young Master Jun’s intelligence, he couldn't fail to understand this. But now he felt like an aging bachelor, a lifelong virgin, whose gate of desire had suddenly been opened. And before him stood a peerless beauty, who was also his legitimate woman.

But this great beauty refused to yield, stubbornly unwilling to join him on the great path of shared ecstasy...

If it were only this, it might be tolerable; he could simply endure. But there was also the enchanting Dugu Xiaoyi, who, at all times and in every way, used every available means to seduce him and please him... Yet, this one was even more off-limits...

So Young Master Jun was miserable—truly miserable!

One could imagine a very healthy, robust, normal man experiencing blood rushing to his lower abdomen dozens of times a day, his sword drawn and ready, nearly set off at any moment!

Whenever this happened, Young Master Jun would clench his jaw until veins popped on his forehead, breathing in sharp gasps. He would either hurriedly retreat to his tent to enter the Hongjun Tower for cultivation or slip out at an opportune moment to find a pond for a cold bath.

This life was simply unbearable; no normal man could endure it!

Fortunately, it was already early winter. He could wear several layers of clothing, but one could still vaguely make out that prominent bulge. If it were summer, Young Master Jun might truly have to walk around with his weapon pointing forward in a charging posture...

Under such circumstances, how could his mood possibly be good?

Especially three days ago, when they reached the fork in the road and the three Uncles parted ways with the main contingent to rush back to the Dongfang family, Jun Moxie became even more uninhibited in his behavior.

The reason Dongfang Wenqing and the other two left was simple: this was the only remaining blood relative of their sister. She absolutely had to be protected. Now that they had encountered such an awkward predicament, the three immediately returned to report to the Old Madam so preparations could be made. If the Jun family faced insurmountable attacks, the Dongfang family would mobilize their full strength, even if it meant snatching Jun Young Master and Miss Guan away by force, regardless of the accusation of treachery!

So, after concluding their matters here, the three departed without delay.

And now, Jun Moxie was riding his horse behind the carriage carrying Guan Qinghan and Dugu Xiaoyi. That carriage was something he had extorted in the first place, yet he himself was forbidden to ride in it! This prohibition order was issued personally by Jun Wuyi. The Third Uncle's commands were always strictly obeyed, and even Young Master Jun was unwilling to defy them!

Catching the faint, lingering scent of fragrance, Jun Moxie felt an involuntary surge of blood rushing through him. Unconsciously, his 'that' had responded again.

The horse, which had been walking calmly, suddenly whinnied loudly, turned its head, and looked at Jun Moxie with great confusion. Its large eyes were filled with bewilderment and grievance: Master, I'm already suffering enough with you riding me. Please stop poking me with that little stick... This feeling is strange. I'm a stallion; even if you're starving and will take anything, shouldn't you consider it? Even if you don't mind being the bottom, I have my own standards... Besides, that's the wrong spot; that's my spine...

Jun Moxie gave the horse an innocent look: Brother Horse, you think I want this? But my thing hasn't been listening to orders lately... You are such a magnificent steed; surely you must suffer the same troubles?

May everyone understand!

So the fine horse understood, turned its head, and continued its pace, silently enduring.

Since forging the divine sword 'Yanhuang Zhi Xue' (Blood of the Yellow Emperor), Jun Moxie had indeed rested for a few days. But he sadly discovered that he was better off when he had been constantly playing the thief. After this period of rest, he felt worse than when he was overworked in the previous days. At least then he had a spiritual focus; now, all he had was distraction upon distraction.

After several failed attempts at diversion, Jun Moxie finally gave up hope. If there were bandits in the camp again, at least he would have something to focus on, wouldn't he?!

This time, under the pressure of jealousy and depression with nowhere to vent, Young Master Jun indiscriminately stole everything, military provisions and civilian goods alike! However, before this, Jun Moxie had already informed Jun Wuyi, saying not to panic; he had taken the weapons, as they had "other uses."

Thus, Jun Wuyi was prepared and remained calm in the face of the crisis. Out of trust in his nephew, Marshal Jun chose to believe without question and even deliberately shielded him. Consequently, when the quartermaster nervously reported the losses, his face etched with tension and despair, expecting a beating or execution, the Marshal waved his hand dismissively, saying, "What major issue is this? Aren't they just a few blades? Why bother me with such trifles! Get out!"

The quartermasters, who had already resigned themselves to death and were ready to confess their crimes, left thoroughly confused, bewildered, and strangely relieved. Each of them felt as if they were dreaming! This wasn't just five or six weapons missing; it was the loss of nearly half the camp's armaments—a crime punishable by death!

Why were they let off the hook?

When did the Marshal become so easygoing? To be so 'kind and approachable'... It left everyone feeling overwhelmed by the unexpected favor...

So, Young Master Jun started forging weapons again every night. But this time, he wasn't as frantic as before. At most, he used a little over a hundred weapons to forge a single sword, and he only forged nine such swords before completely losing interest.

I'm not a blacksmith; I only forged these things to have a focus, to pass the time. Repeating a task that wasn't important or particularly meaningful for a long time—anyone would tire of it...

Well, these swords were quite enough for now. Uncle San gets one, Grandfather gets one, Hai Chenfeng gets one, Baili Luoyun has one reserved, and Old Pang... As for the others, their cultivation isn't high enough yet, and besides, they couldn't lift them anyway.

So, nine swords were more than sufficient...

One thing was very clear about Jun Moxie's transformation. As Jun Moxie became more familiar and understood the divine sword 'Yanhuang Zhi Xue' better, the killing aura surrounding the Young Master grew increasingly sharp and intense.

[Note to dear readers: The current chapter has reached the final page of this book.]