Fierce Wife

Deep within the Monster Beast Mountain Range in the Central Province.

A colossal city, built from piled-up rocks, stood proudly among the mountains. The rocks were stamped with various beast claw marks—some embedded deep into the stone, others merely shallow scratches—all exuding the rough, ancient aura of primordial beasts.

"Whoa, that's magnificent!"

Little Fairy Doctor, dressed in disguise, lifted her head and gasped in genuine awe at the seemingly endless wall of massive stone blocks.

"Look at you, acting like a proper village girl," Ye Shu teased, seeing her impressed expression.

"And whose fault is that? You're the one who made me dress like this!"

Xia Hanmo turned around, tugging at her coarse cloth robe, and shot him an indignant glare.

"You don't get it. It's called romance."

Ye Shu shook his head.

He too wore ragged, dusty clothes, his face smudged with dirt. Standing next to the similarly peasant-dressed Little Fairy Doctor, they looked like a pair of refugees fleeing some godforsaken backwater.

"Romance? I don't see any."

Xia Hanmo curled her lips in disdain, but the corners of her mouth betrayed her with a subtle upward twitch.

What she wore didn't really matter!

What mattered was being with this guy.

Just the two of them.

If that wasn't a honeymoon, what was?

"Hehe..." Xia Hanmo secretly gloated to herself. "That big idiot back home is waiting for her deadbeat man, with no idea we're already out here strolling around."

Stealing someone else's man felt this good, huh?

The more she thought about it, the funnier it seemed, and she couldn't keep the smile off her face.

Ye Shu, seeing this, looked completely baffled.

"What are you laughing about?"

"N-Nothing. Just remembered something funny."

Xia Hanmo quickly wiped her mouth, then stepped forward to hook her arm through Ye Shu's, cooing sweetly: "Brother Ye~ The two of us going out alone to do... things—if that plain-faced wife of yours back home found out, would she be jealous?"

"If she knew we were arm in arm, would she come beat me up? So scary! Your other half at home."

"Not like me. I only know how to care for my dear brother~"

Her voice was so syrupy and clingy it could kill. Ye Shu shuddered, nearly stumbling over his own feet.

He gave Xia Hanmo a strange look.

Who knew old Haji Mo, with those big honest eyes, could turn so sly and coy? Looks could be deceiving.

Women truly were a terrifying species.

"Alright, cut the act." Ye Shu, exasperated, gave her shoulder a gentle push. "She's safe at home, and forget about jealousy—we're all family."

At that, Xia Hanmo's amusement instantly deflated.

She curled her lip dismissively. "Who's family with her? Don't tell me... you're not thinking of having us all share one bed to serve you together, are you?"

"Dream on!"

"W-What? No! I'm not that kind of person."

Ye Shu waved his hands in frantic denial, then turned and pointed at the city wall ahead, awkwardly changing the subject. "Look how big this city is! Those claw marks are ferocious!"

"Player..." Xia Hanmo spat under her breath.

But then she sighed helplessly.

What could she do? She was hopelessly, irredeemably in love with this guy. Even if she had it all to do over, she'd fall for him again.

That was just fate, she guessed.

"Ugh..."

As the two walked toward the city, a clump of grass by the roadside suddenly rustled. A small head popped out from it, hair tangled and plastered over her face, with a few blades of grass stuck in it. She glared with burning resentment at the pair in the distance.

"You stinking jerk! Heartless scum! Liar! Two-timing lout! Homewrecker! Ungrateful pig! Ruthless beast! Lust-breaker sworn to no oath at all! Walking disaster of a deadbeat! Slutty man who tossed his wife aside!"

"He said he loved me most!"

"Claims he's out on business—turns out he's sneaking off with some vixen! And here I am, serving you at home every day, kneeling till my knees are red. And this is how you repay me?!"

Jiang Xin viciously chomped down on the grass stem in her mouth, imagining it was Ye Shu's most precious treasure as she ground it to bits.

A sudden chill shot down Ye Shu's spine.

"Wait... do you feel a murderous aura?" He stopped mid-step, carefully scanning the surroundings, but only found an empty forest.

Xia Hanmo followed his gaze and made a round.

"I don't feel anything."

"You've just got too many guilty secrets."

"Nonsense. I conduct myself with integrity."

Ye Shu muttered under his breath, gave one more suspicious glance, and, finding nothing, resumed walking.

"So, where exactly is this place?"

Stopping in front of the city gate, Xia Hanmo finally asked the question she'd been meaning to since the start.

"What you see before you is the holy land of the beast clans."

"Holy land?"

"Yes, the sacred city of Ten Thousand Beasts."

Ye Shu took her hand and patiently explained:

"Legend has it that in ancient times, there was no method of cultivation in the world. All creatures tempered themselves with the world's spiritual energy, pursuing the limits of the physical body. And Ten Thousand Beasts City was where the old masters came to test their flesh."

He gestured at the city's stone walls.

"Don't let these rocks fool you—they're called Spiritual Abandonment Stone. As the name suggests, they're completely immune to spiritual power. The only way to leave a mark is with pure, unadulterated physical strength."

"The deeper the mark, the stronger the body."

"I see."

Xia Hanmo nodded as she looked up.

Out of the towering wall, one claw mark stood out the most—embedded so deep it nearly pierced the entire structure, standing in stark contrast to the others like little stamps. It looked like a massive press left behind in wet cement.

Ye Shu followed her gaze and explained.

"That's the mark left by the Dragon King of the beast races, who disappeared long ago. Ninth-rank superior. His body so terrifyingly powerful, it's said he could even fight a True Immortal."

"Fight a True Immortal?"

Xia Hanmo didn't seem fazed in the least. If anything, she wanted to laugh.

Because from her fragmented dream-memories, dealing with the fabled Dragon King would be like stomping out a stray dog on the roadside. He only showed his face before Old Ye ascended.

And even then, it was utterly useless.

"What's with that look?" Ye Shu gave her a peculiar glance, then said solemnly: "You don't respect a senior?"

"No, no, I hold the Dragon King in the highest regard!"

She raised four fingers as if making an oath, struggling to keep a straight face.

"Honest!"

"But honestly, neither do I."

With a casual wave, Ye Shu turned and led her into the city.

"Are you serious, you scoundrel?" Xia Hanmo was stunned, but before she could protest, Ye Shu had already reached the gate.

With the token given by the Mo family, entry was effortless.

After all, not even the beast clans would dare offend any of the eight great hidden houses, especially with the Old Beast King away and the clans in disarray.

Soon after Ye Shu and his companion entered, Jiang Xin leapt out from the grass, a tiny Jiang Mingyue perched atop her head, and rushed toward the city.

"Stop! Invitation, please."

The bull-headed guard at the gate raised his triangular pitchfork and blocked her path.

"Out of my way!"

Jiang Xin snapped her head up, a violet glint flashing in her eyes.

"Uhh..."

The ox-headed guard suddenly stiffened, his gaze growing vacant. The steel fork in his hand drooped as if his soul had been drained away, and he stood blankly back in his original position.

Jiang Xin let out a cold snort. Holding Jiang Mingyue in his arms, he strode past the guard, hurrying after Ye Shu and the others.

"You heartless man! Just wait until I catch you!"