"Come on, General Ye," Lang Taotian joked, waving Ye Xiu forward. This was not mere politeness but the lighthearted teasing between friends.

Ye Xiu certainly understood. He patted Lang Taotian's shoulder and walked forward with him, grasping his arm. "Your Royal Highness, how dare I walk out alone these days? You heard it just now; the Princess seems intent on thoroughly punishing me."

"Hahahaha, you two are something else, truly a destined pair of adversaries," Lang Taotian shook Ye Xiu off and strode out quickly. "I'm helpless when it comes to my little sister. How she chooses to deal with you is your own cross to bear; I can’t interfere that much."

"Hey! Hey!" Ye Xiu cursed Lang Taotian's disloyalty while running to catch up, only to have A’Jiao rush up before him, pouting with a face full of indignation.

"It’s rare that you have self-awareness, knowing I plan to punish you!" A’Jiao blocked Ye Xiu’s path, the demure image she maintained before the court instantly vanished. "I’d like to hear what you have to say! Why should I punish you?"

Ye Xiu panicked like a cockroach desperate to survive, pacing back and forth yet unable to figure out how to escape. "It’s not like that, Princess A’Jiao. Consider your status as a princess, and now I am a Great General of your Water Tribe. Can’t we just let go of past grievances or something?"

"Grievances? I don't recall holding any grudges against you. It’s just that it seems you’ve deceived me in many matters," A’Jiao pouted, clearly enjoying Ye Xiu’s near-frantic state.

"I know what it is, I was wrong!" Ye Xiu had no choice but to raise his hands in surrender.

Deep down, A’Jiao genuinely wished to spend time with Ye Xiu, if only so they could bicker a bit. In this Water Palace, her status as a princess meant no one dared offend her, and like many princesses, she was profoundly lonely.

"How about this, close your eyes first," Ye Xiu, knowing A’Jiao wouldn't let this go easily, tried his old trick to amuse the young woman.

"You again!" A’Jiao nearly struck Ye Xiu. "You always trick me this way! If you lie to me one more time, I will surely…"

"Surely what?" Ye Xiu looked up, exhaling through his nose. "At worst, you hit me a bit. But you might not even win the fight against me."

"I can’t beat you!" A’Jiao, never one to admit defeat, actually brandished her trident in front of Ye Xiu. "Don't think just because you luckily won that 'Three Sword First Martial Arts Tournament' that you can swagger around me. It's all that rotten competition’s fault for not allowing women to participate."

"Fine, fine! I yield to you," Ye Xiu quickly bowed and admitted his fault, constantly muttering, "Close your eyes, and I promise to show you something you’ve never seen before."

"Nonsense. If I close my eyes, I can’t see anything at all, let alone something I’ve never seen!" A’Jiao stamped her foot in frustration, wishing she could just toss Ye Xiu away.

"Ah!" Ye Xiu was also pushed to the edge of exasperation and almost stamped his own foot. He suddenly grabbed A’Jiao’s hand and said sternly, "I can't be bothered with this nonsense. If you don't close your eyes, I’m leaving. I’m done dealing with you!"

A’Jiao had never seen Ye Xiu this rushed, nor this serious. For a moment, she didn't know whether to be worried or pleased, but deep down, she was willing to close her eyes and await Ye Xiu’s surprise.

With A’Jiao quieted, Ye Xiu finally managed to calm down. He certainly wasn't going to trick her; he simply moved softly behind her and gently wrapped his arms around her waist.

"You…" A’Jiao’s body trembled, slightly unaccustomed to being held by someone. But at this moment, she wasn't angry nor did she open her eyes; she merely shifted a tiny bit before relaxing again, letting Ye Xiu hold her tightly. Gradually, she felt her body begin to float. The pressure from the ground vanished beneath her feet. She tilted her head back, savoring the sound of the wind rushing past her ears and the steady rhythm of Ye Xiu’s breathing. Everything—heaven and earth—seemed light and soft.

"Open your eyes now," Ye Xiu whispered intimately, biting lightly at A’Jiao’s ear. "I didn't lie to you this time, did I?"

When A’Jiao opened her eyes, she found herself far above the ground. Everything below was the familiar Water Palace capital, yet it was a view she had truly never witnessed before. The sound of wind from beating wings still softly brushed past her ears. Looking down from the sky, the pavilions, the winding waterways, everything appeared so clear and vast. But what touched her most at that moment was witnessing such beauty cradled in a man’s embrace.

"A’Jiao, when did I ever lie to you?" Ye Xiu smiled warmly, continuing to ascend. He wanted A’Jiao to see even more beautiful sights.

"You did! You did!" A’Jiao exclaimed in a voice laced with playful complaint. Besides such words, she couldn't find any other vocabulary to converse with Ye Xiu.

"Heh heh, look at that cloud over there," Ye Xiu rested his head vaguely against A’Jiao’s shoulder. "Doesn't it look like a flower, just like the one I gave you last time? Pity the flowers in the sky remain, but the one I gave you must have been thrown away by you."

"No way, I didn't throw it away! I kept it safe, placing it…" A’Jiao started to retort stubbornly but suddenly felt embarrassed. She lowered her head and pinched Ye Xiu’s arm hard with her hand.

"Ow!" Ye Xiu cried out in pain that pierced his very core. His hands loosened slightly, causing A’Jiao to slip for just an instant, but he immediately gripped her again.

"Ah! Hold me tighter!" A’Jiao grumbled, wishing she could pinch him again.

Ye Xiu felt a pang of awkwardness at her request. He had actually been holding her tightly, fearing some unexpected instability might make him let go and cause her to fall—which wouldn't be fun. But to be asked so directly by a woman made him feel slightly ill at ease, leaving him momentarily stunned. "That’s about enough. We should head down; it must be close to mealtime."

"No way! I just got up here to play for a bit. I want to fly a little longer. Didn't you mention that cloud? Let's fly over and see it! Hurry up, fly faster, fly faster!" A’Jiao was clearly not being polite; she was treating Ye Xiu like a servant. "Faster, even faster!"

Ye Xiu sighed deeply, truly regretting this surprise he’d engineered. They could have happily gone for a grand meal, but now he was serving as her personal aircraft. He supposed he owed A’Jiao from his previous life, in addition to the life-saving grace she’d shown him in this one. He had no choice but to exert himself, flying straight up into the highest reaches of the heavens. A long time passed, and Ye Xiu was seen darting left and right in the sky, finding no peace. Wherever they flew, the sound of A’Jiao’s delightful laughter mixed with Ye Xiu’s groans could be heard. Finally, after yet more time, Ye Xiu was permitted to descend.

"Damn it!" Ye Xiu bent over, gasping for breath, shaking his finger at A’Jiao. "You treated me like a slave! I am, after all, the winner of the Three Sword Martial Arts Tournament, the Great General of the Water Tribe, and soon to be tasked with sealing the Water God Beast! And yet you used me like a mere attendant. You really can do it."

"Hahahaha, who told you that you always lied to me before? I never knew you had wings," A’Jiao burst into laughter, thoroughly pleased with herself. "But this princess had a wonderful time today, and I’m very satisfied with your performance. Come on, I permit you to sit beside me for the meal."

"I refuse…" Ye Xiu knew A’Jiao had ulterior motives. Being new here, he was sure this girl would scheme against him again. "I’d rather sit next to your elder brother than next to you."

"Let’s go!" A’Jiao paid him no mind and dragged Ye Xiu by the hand toward the banquet hall. By the time they arrived, the Palace Lord, the First Prince, and everyone else was already waiting for them.

The Palace Lord looked at Ye Xiu and A’Jiao with a smile. "Jiao’er, where did you take our Great General that he missed the chance to eat?"

A’Jiao waved her hand, feigning innocence. "I once saved General Ye’s life, so I made him repay me by taking me out to play. Isn't that right, Great General Ye?"

"Yes, yes, that's right," Ye Xiu mumbled, knowing that among the crowd, there was no one he could afford to offend less than this very Princess.

"Hahaha, is that so? Quick, please take your seats," the Palace Lord opened his mouth wide, clearly showing a hint of disbelief. "Since General Ye and A’Jiao are fated, you two shall dine together today. No need for formality."

"Ah, perhaps that’s not appropriate," Ye Xiu tried desperately to refuse, but his words were cut off by Lang Taotian from across the table.

"General Ye, don't hesitate. Take your seat! Servants, bring the food." Lang Taotian gave an evil smile, aware of Ye Xiu's apprehension, but knew this arrangement couldn't be changed, as A’Jiao beside him was already beaming with barely concealed delight.

Reluctantly, since everyone seemed set on this arrangement, Ye Xiu sat down. He noticed A’Jiao on his side already grinning wickedly at him.

Servants filed past one after another. Ye Xiu watched as the plates and dishes in their hands zipped by, and his own table was soon laden with various incomprehensible foods.

"It is the fortune of our Water Tribe to welcome General Ye today. Let us first toast General Ye with a cup of wine," the Palace Lord commanded, and everyone raised their glasses. "Bottoms up."

"Thank you, Palace Lord, thank you all," Ye Xiu was somewhat overwhelmed by the attention. However, he was extremely puzzled by the drinking vessels the Water Tribe used. Logically, the customs within the Three Swords realm should be similar, but the cups the Water Tribe used were very long, like large straws. One such cup held at least the equivalent of ten cups in Wan Jian Jue.

"What’s wrong, can't handle it?" A’Jiao said triumphantly, draining her long-straw cup in a single pull.

It wasn't that Ye Xiu couldn't drink it; he just found the vessel and the scent of the wine peculiar. But caught in the situation, he had no choice but to pinch his nose and down the drink. To his surprise, despite its strange appearance, the liquid tasted remarkably like beer—something he hadn't had in a long time.