It was night.
The entire Tianheng Sword Sect lay utterly silent.
It was the height of summer, and the weather was sweltering. Even at night, there wasn’t the slightest trace of coolness in the air.
Except for one place.
Tianheng Peak was the Sword Sect’s main peak, where the sect master and several elders resided. Beside Tianheng Peak stood an isolated mountain known as Sword Peak. Its slopes were steep, its four sides sheer cliffs, and the only connection to Tianheng Peak was an iron-chain bridge.
This was the residence of the Sword Lord, Gu Yunyi.
Even in the scorching heat of summer, Sword Peak remained bitterly cold, its chill enough to make people reluctant to approach.
Xin Ya lay on the bed in the Sword Lord’s bedchamber, waiting for the ever-busy Zhewang-Jun to return.
Zhewang-Jun was her husband.
Strictly speaking, he was only her husband in name.
Because they had been married for three years and still had yet to consummate their marriage.
The most intimate things they had ever done were little more than embracing and holding hands. They hadn’t even shared a proper kiss.
Today was Xin Ya’s birthday. Gu Yunyi had promised to come back and celebrate with her, so she had originally planned to take advantage of the occasion, prepare some wine, and see whether the chaste and self-controlled Zhewang-Jun could finally be tempted into giving in.
She had personally cooked an entire table of delicious dishes and spent the whole day bustling about. She had dressed herself up until she was utterly flawless and beautiful.
But she waited and waited.
From daylight into the depths of night.
She waited until her birthday had already passed, yet her husband still hadn’t returned.
That’s why she had said from the beginning that he could only be considered her husband in name.
No companionship. No intimacy. Nothing but an empty title.
What kind of husband and wife were they?
If other people knew what Xin Ya was thinking, they might even scold her for being ungrateful.
After all, he was Zhewang-Jun, the Tianheng Sword Sect’s foremost disciple.
He had entered the Dao at the age of three, formed his Nascent Soul at seven, and attained the rank of Sword Lord at twenty.
He was the brightest star in this chaotic age.
At a time when the demon clans were invading, demonic cultivators ran rampant, and the world had fallen into turmoil, Gu Yunyi had single-handedly quelled the upheaval across three provinces and slain the Demon King at Falling Star Abyss.
The cultivation world universally recognized him as the “Savior.”
He was the role model of every cultivator. Countless young people had picked up swords because of him, had yearned to cultivate because of him.
His very name was a banner.
Everyone praised him as a great hero. What young man or woman wouldn’t admire him?
Being able to remain by his side was already an unparalleled honor. If she demanded anything more, wouldn’t that be a little too greedy?
Was that really how it was?
It probably was.
Xin Ya stretched herself out evenly across the bed, savoring the traces of another person’s presence lingering in the bedding.
Gu Yunyi himself didn’t really have a scent.
He didn’t burn incense, and he was hardly ever injured, so there wasn’t even the slightest medicinal smell about him.
It was only when one drew close to him that they could sense a faint chill.
Like the wind of winter.
It wasn’t biting, yet it made people instinctively want to take a step back.
Xin Ya couldn’t explain why.
Clearly, there was no distinctive personal scent about him at all.
Yet anything he had touched, any bedding he had slept beneath, carried a familiar trace that she could somehow sense.
Liar.
What other people thought was their business.
Let them call her ungrateful.
Let them call her greedy.
She was still miserable.
He had lied to her again.
He had promised to come back, yet the day had come and gone without him appearing. All the anticipation and waiting she had poured into the day had amounted to nothing but a waste of her own feelings.
And she couldn’t even properly get angry.
Whenever she showed the slightest dissatisfaction with him, he would immediately apologize, sincerely assuring her that he wouldn’t do it again.
But next time, he would absolutely do the exact same thing!
If other people knew she’d lost her temper with him, they would also criticize her, either openly or behind her back, for being unreasonable.
Last time, she hadn’t even said anything particularly harsh. She had merely told him that if he went several more months without coming home, he might as well never come back again.
Who could have expected that the very next morning, the sect master would summon her and give her a thorough scolding?
She doesn’t understand the bigger picture.
Short-sighted.
Childish.
Those were the words they used to describe her.
But when it came to Gu Yunyi, the very same qualities became their opposites.
He carries the world in his heart.
He plans everything with ease.
He remains unmoved by anything.
Everything good belonged to him.
Every bad thing belonged to her.
Xin Ya formed a hand seal and extinguished the lamps before abruptly pulling the covers over her head.
She wasn’t waiting anymore.
What difference would it make if he came back?
He still wouldn’t let her touch him.
This taciturn, rigid, old-fashioned great hero—who cared who wanted him? They could have him.
Did she really think she would—
A gust of wind swept past outside the Sword Pavilion.
Xin Ya instinctively opened her eyes beneath the covers.
Her fingers clenched tightly around the edge of the blanket, and her mouth quickly went dry.
He was back.
Gu Yunyi had returned.
She could never mistake his presence.
Whenever he returned late at night, he would completely conceal his aura, as though afraid of waking her.
But he had no idea how overwhelming his aura was to her.
As long as he came near, she would wake up even if she had been sleeping like the dead.
Xin Ya closed her eyes and pulled the blanket down to reveal her face, pretending to be asleep.
She had become an expert at pretending to sleep.
Tricking Zhewang-Jun wasn’t difficult either.
Every time she used this trick to launch a surprise attack on him, he would fall for it at least a little.
She had plenty of experience by now.
—Though nothing ever came of it afterward.
Tonight, Gu Yunyi entered quickly.
He must have known that he had broken his promise yet again and that she would be sulking.
From the training grounds to the bedchamber, it took him no more than a blink of an eye.
The moment he entered, Xin Ya could feel the intense sensation of being watched.
It was as though his gaze were slowly, meticulously grinding over her.
Before long, her hands and feet had gone rigid.
Her eyelids twitched repeatedly, and she nearly couldn’t resist opening her eyes.
At the crucial moment, however, she managed to hold herself back.
She forced herself to relax again, as though she were truly asleep, paying no attention whatsoever to his late return.
The sound of clothes being removed came from beside her.
Zhewang-Jun was undressing.
Ah.
That’s right.
Although he refused to consummate their marriage, making her question her own charms time and again, wonder whether he loved her at all and why he had married her in the first place, he was otherwise perfectly normal.
He rested normally.
He shared a bed with her normally.
And he had perfectly normal—
physical reactions.
The cold aura beside her settled into place.
The bedding was lifted, then dropped again, and the chill instantly invaded her body.
She felt as though she weren’t experiencing summer at all.
It was winter.
Xin Ya couldn’t help shivering.
Instinctively, she turned over, facing away from him.
Everything looked like the unconscious movement of someone asleep, instinctively putting some distance between herself and another person.
It didn’t seem to disturb Gu Yunyi…
Probably?
Warmth suddenly spread across her waist.
Her husband had adjusted his body temperature and was slowly drawing her into his arms.
At times like this, she couldn’t help thinking that he really was considerate.
That he really must have married her because he liked her.
Xin Ya opened her eyes with her back still turned toward him.
Then what exactly was all of this?
Why did he always use his late returns to avoid everything?
Why?
Xin Ya lowered her eyes and stared at the arm resting around her.
His skin was very pale, like that of someone who had spent years without seeing sunlight.
Almost unnaturally pale.
His fingers were pale as well, the joints sharply defined. His nails were trimmed cleanly and smoothly, so when they brushed against her skin, they didn’t cause the slightest discomfort.
These were the hands that wielded a sword.
The precious hands of Zhewang-Jun held his lifebound sword and had led countless cultivators to where they stood today.
Although the war was not yet over and he continued to campaign in the south and north, the cultivation world had already established powerful spheres of influence.
All of it depended upon the hand resting around her.
A hand like this…
Wouldn’t it ever occur to him to use it for something else?
For example, gently stroking her.
Xin Ya really wanted to know what it felt like.
They lived in a chaotic age.
Who knew whether they would even have the chance to see each other again tomorrow?
Since they were already together, of course they should seize the moment and enjoy themselves, becoming a pair of carefree immortal lovers.
Unfortunately, that seemed to be nothing more than her own idea.
The sword cultivators of the Tianheng Sword Sect all devoted themselves to arduous cultivation, holding themselves to extremely strict standards and taking Zhewang-Jun as their model in everything they did.
Even with their own dao companions, they were restrained and proper, just like Gu Yunyi, never allowing themselves to cross the line.
So what exactly did you people get married for?
Xin Ya drew a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.
She closed her eyes and naturally rolled over, draping her arms and legs over Gu Yunyi.
He didn’t move.
He simply lay there quietly, like a perfectly serviceable body pillow.
This level of intimacy was something he could tolerate.
After three years, Xin Ya had long since figured out exactly where his boundaries lay.
Suddenly, her arm was caught and gently moved aside.
Her fingers curled slightly as she savored the sensation of what she had just touched.
Because she was still pretending to sleep, pretending it had all been unconscious, she couldn’t actually grab or stroke him. All she could do was brush against him as casually as possible.
But even that brief touch was enough for her to feel his reaction.
It was always like this.
Every single time!
Clearly, he wasn’t completely unaffected either, yet he simply refused to let things go any further.
The moment she pushed her luck, he would “wake” her with an expression that said he had already done his duty by warning her. Then he would stare at her without saying a word, leaving her alone with her own embarrassment and humiliation.
It seemed she could only ever be embarrassed and humiliated.
Her husband was the great hero in everyone’s eyes, an immovable mountain.
She could safely remain in the Sword Sect, enjoying the finest food, clothing, and accommodations. Even with a spiritual root that was rotten to the core, she could have rare heavenly treasures piled before her to bolster her cultivation, all thanks to Zhewang-Jun’s generosity and extraordinary abilities.
Thunder or rain, both are Heaven’s grace.
Her very survival depended upon him. She was inseparably bound to him.
But she had truly had enough of Gu Yunyi.
Tonight especially.
The empty promises and fruitless waiting of the past few days had drained the last shred of her patience.
He had his boundaries.
Did she have none?
Was she supposed to grit her teeth, swallow her grievances, and endure this for the rest of her life?
Overcome by her emotions, Xin Ya stopped pretending.
Her eyes flew open, and she stared intently at the handsome face only inches away in the darkness.
Zhewang-Jun was exceptionally handsome.
The kind of handsome that made people afraid to look for too long.
Like a divine sword displayed for all to see, he was someone everyone longed for a glimpse of. Anyone who saw him would be captivated, yet after that single glimpse, they would leave without daring to linger.
He was simply too cold.
Looking at him for too long made their eyes ache.
There was not a single flaw to be found in his features. His eyebrows were long and slightly arched, as though carved by two blades, perpetually drawn together as if he were always pondering something.
His eyes were a deep black, his pupils so dark that it was impossible to discern what emotions lay within them.
His nose was straight, his lips thin. When pressed together, they formed a single line. He looked somewhat fierce when he didn’t smile.
But even when he did smile, it wasn’t much better.
The corners of his lips would rise only slightly, the curve so faint it was almost invisible, like a crack appearing in ice and snow.
In the darkness, Xin Ya met those eyes and instinctively bit down on her lip.
Just as before, the moment he saw that she was awake, there was no surprise or questioning in his expression.
He was so calm, as though he had known all along.
His thin lips moved, seemingly about to say something, but Xin Ya was faster.
She stared at him and, without a word, put the hand he had moved aside straight back where it had been.
He wouldn’t let her touch him?
Then today, she was going to touch him anyway!
Gu Yunyi’s long brows shifted slightly as he stared straight into her widened eyes.
In the pitch-black, placid depths of his eyes, she could see her own disheveled reflection.
She was covered in sweat.
Her damp hair clung to the sides of her face, while her thin undergarment had grown moist against her body, outlining every curve. Her slender, pale wrist strained as she reached downward, and the stubborn bite of her lower lip had left a smear of blood.
—She was always so disheveled.
Every time she faced him, she ended up like this.
Xin Ya’s eyes slowly grew sore. She didn’t know whether she was genuinely about to cry or simply hadn’t blinked for too long.
Either way, her eyes filled with moisture, tears gathering at the rims and threatening to fall.
Yet she stubbornly refused to back down.
If she failed again tonight, if she once again let him evade the matter this way, she might truly never find the courage to try again.
Was she supposed to live like this for the rest of her life?
A cultivator’s life was extraordinarily long.
To spend an entire lifetime this way would be nothing short of torture for her.
The very thought frightened Xin Ya.
If she could turn back time, she would never have married him.
But there was no turning back.
Time could not be reversed.
All she could do was grit her teeth and keep moving forward.
Xin Ya slowly exerted more pressure with her hand and lifted her leg to brush against his. Gritting her teeth, she said before he could refuse,
“You broke your promise again.”
“Tonight, I must have you. If you push me away again, I’ll leave tomorrow.”
To make it clear that she truly meant it this time—that this wasn’t another empty threat like before—she ruthlessly added,
“If I leave, I won’t come back. Ever.”
If a person truly loved you, then when you lowered yourself to this extent, when you pushed your words this far, they ought to give you some kind of positive response, shouldn’t they?
Unless they didn’t love you.
The reality was that he simply didn’t love her.
Compared to someone who didn’t love her, she was simply too foolish to keep trying to outdo him in ruthlessness.
Gu Yunyi looked at her.
Without the slightest hesitation, he pushed her away.
Even though he had been deliberately holding back his strength, she was only a weak cultivator with a ruined spiritual root. Her so-called “innate immortal bones” sounded wonderful, but combined with her rotten spiritual root, they had become a terrible calamity.
She was completely incapable of cultivating immortal arts. The moment she tried, the two forces would rebound against each other, leaving her incredibly weak.
All the cultivation she had accumulated over the years had been built up through spiritual treasures.
How could someone like her withstand a push from the Sword Lord?
With that single shove, she crashed straight into the wall behind her.
Xin Ya leaned against it, her entire body trembling as she swallowed the bloody taste filling her mouth from where she had bitten her lip.
Meanwhile, Zhewang-Jun rose swiftly, put on his clothes, and swept away.
From beginning to end, he never even looked at her once.