Husband

After leaving the Feixian Drunken Spring Pavilion, Ye Chuan hadn't managed to gather any useful information, but he did learn something new from the brothel madam.

"I heard that the Phoenix Feather Sect is recruiting new disciples today."

"..." Beside him, Bai Qianshuang's beautiful eyes flickered with a hint of confusion.

"And?"

"At a recruitment event like that, the so-called Grand Elder is bound to be present, right?" Ye Chuan said. "We can just go and ask him directly."

"You mean... you plan to attend the recruitment?" Bai Qianshuang asked.

"What do you think?" Ye Chuan flashed a bright grin. "We’ve got nothing better to do. Might as well go have some fun?"

Bai Qianshuang blinked slowly, the stray hair on her head swaying slightly.

Recruitment—

Ye Chuan → Late-stage Transformation Spirit realm

Bai Qianshuang → Peak Transformation Spirit realm

Their strength surpassed even most sect leaders. If they attended the recruitment, what kind of farce would that be?

"If this is your plan, I have no objections," Bai Qianshuang said softly. There wasn’t a better option at the moment, and if attending the recruitment could help them achieve their goal, she didn’t mind.

At least it was better than visiting those pleasure houses.

The thought of Ye Chuan casually chatting and laughing with those courtesans earlier made Bai Qianshuang feel an inexplicable frustration.

Still, she knew he was handling serious business, so she hadn’t stopped him—only watched helplessly.

Useless Qianshuang.

"If we’re attending the recruitment, what about our identities?" Bai Qianshuang asked.

"Just say we’re a married couple," Ye Chuan said offhandedly.

"Married?!" Bai Qianshuang stiffened, her voice rising slightly.

"Hm?" Ye Chuan found her reaction odd. "What’s wrong? Is there a problem with that? You used to joke about it all the time."

"No problem," Bai Qianshuang replied flatly, shaking her head.

"Hm?"

"Husband." She paused, averting her gaze, her voice slightly strained. "Or... would 'darling' be better?"

The sudden address caught Ye Chuan off guard, and he was momentarily stunned by how adorable she sounded. But he quickly recovered with a smile. "Wife?"

"!"

Bai Qianshuang buried her face in her chest, her ears and neck flushing crimson. "For now... just call me Qianshuang."

Seeing her so flustered, Ye Chuan couldn’t help but chuckle. "Let’s go."

As a city under the protection of the Phoenix Feather Sect, gathering information about them was easy.

"Recruitment event? It’s happening these two days. See that mountain over there? Climb to where the clouds gather—that’s where the sect is," a street vendor explained.

The climb itself was part of the sect’s selection process.

Those with poor physical condition or older age wouldn’t have the strength to scale the several-thousand-meter peak.

As for flying up—

Most recruits were barely at the Foundation Establishment stage, if that. Many hadn’t even begun Qi Refinement, making flight impossible.

"That mountain?" Ye Chuan extended his spiritual sense toward the area. Many were climbing, but as he probed deeper, an invisible force blocked his detection.

"A barrier?" he murmured.

Bai Qianshuang understood what he was doing and cautioned, "H-Husband, spiritual sense detection can easily alert them."

"Right." Ye Chuan withdrew his senses.

The two summoned their flying swords—since Foundation Establishment cultivators could already ride swords, and with countless cultivators flying daily in Phoenix Feather City, their actions drew no attention.

They soared upward, soon spotting the famed Phoenix Feather Sect—

Atop the mist-wreathed emerald peaks, the sect’s gate resembled a phoenix poised for flight. Vermilion pillars were carved with flowing golden feather patterns, glowing warmly in the morning sun.

Dozens of apricot-yellow banners fluttered on either side of the gate, each bearing a lifelike phoenix engulfed in flames, their rustling carrying faint avian cries.

The white jade plaza before the gate was packed with hopeful youths, lining up along the wide stone path.

At the far end of the plaza, several elders in gold-trimmed feather robes sat on a raised platform, behind them a massive banner reading "Phoenix Feather Sect Recruitment" in gilded characters.

"Hmm... these elders are all around Nascent Soul realm," Ye Chuan noted.

But with his spiritual sense blocked, he couldn’t gauge the sect’s strongest cultivator.

Bai Qianshuang spoke up, "H-Husband, let’s land first."

"Alright."

As they descended, they immediately drew stares.

Not just because of their striking looks—the fact that they could ride swords meant they had been cultivating for some time.

And since they weren’t wearing Phoenix Feather Sect robes, it could only mean one thing:

They were here for the recruitment!

"Husband, everyone’s staring at us," Bai Qianshuang said.

"Most of them are mortals—it’s natural," Ye Chuan replied casually, unfazed. Having participated in the Qingyun Sect’s recruitment before, he was familiar with the process.

"Husband, where should we wait?"

"Let’s queue over there." But then he paused, giving Bai Qianshuang a puzzled look.

"Qianshuang, why do you keep saying 'husband' in every sentence?"

Normal people didn’t address each other by name in every line of conversation.

Bai Qianshuang stiffened slightly before murmuring, "I didn’t pay much attention. Just a habit."

A habit?

"If you don’t like it, I’ll stop," she said.

"It’s not that I dislike it." Though he found it odd, Ye Chuan smiled. "It’s fine. Keep calling me that... wife."

Bai Qianshuang turned her head away, pretending to admire the scenery. "Husband, let’s go queue."

"Sure, sure." Ye Chuan chuckled.

At the end of the line, the two continued to attract attention.

"Those two actually flew here on swords... and they look so young."

"Seriously? And they seem to be married—both with such high talent?"

"This year’s recruitment is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers."

"Come on, maybe we all have the potential to be emperors—just not awakened yet."

Whispers surrounded them, but since Ye Chuan and Bai Qianshuang weren’t the first to arrive by sword, the chatter soon died down.

Compared to them, everyone was more concerned about their own cultivation potential.

Even becoming a mere outer disciple would elevate them above ordinary mortals.