Xuan Tian sighed again. He can't really blame Fan Qingyan. He knew Fan Qingyan's observation skills were far better than his other Commanders. That was one of the reasons why he was picked as a Commander.
And it wasn't entirely Fan Qingyan's fault. It was his. He couldn't maintain his demeanor as the Great General.
"At ease, Commander."
Fan Qingyan relaxed his posture, turning to Xuan Tian. "Does this mean my punishment is over, General?"
Xuan Tian looked him straight in his eyes. "No, Commander. It is not. You still have another hour, have you not? And since when are punishments negotiable?"
"Then… General's 'at ease' means…?"
"Just turn around and stand straight for another hour!" barked Xuan Tian.
"Yes, General!"
Xuan Tian stepped into his study, the door closing softly behind him.
He had just returned from meeting Tianjun.
Xuan Tian received another mission from Tianjun. Lingxu Sect was getting bolder, and the pill crisis in the Human Realm had worsened. An alliance was rising to challenge ICEB. Tianjun had tasked him with uprooting Lingxu's growing influence.
But Xuan Tian couldn't shake the feeling that something about the assignment felt... off.
On his table, in the study, a bluish white feather suddenly appeared, descending slowly.
"One," he said in a low voice.
From the shadows of the room, a man wearing all black appeared. His face had the same skin tone as the soldiers in the training ground. His eyes, bluish green, brought a threatening aura to his otherwise handsome, unblemished face.
One bowed and saluted silently.
Xuan Tian picked up the bluish white feather. "News?"
One straightened his back, "A new alliance consists of cultivators from various sects was suddenly formed. This alliance, spear-headed by Lingxu Sect, has been approved by the Human Emperor. He had no choice, General. The Crown Prince was missing. We believed he was kidnapped by Lingxu, to hold sword above the emperor's head."
Xuan Tian frowned, "And ICEB? What have they been doing?"
Suddenly, Xuan Tian's eyes sharpened. His senses caught another presence. It was subtle—too subtle. Whoever it was had deliberately suppressed their spirit energy.
Someone was eavesdropping.
How dare they.
The next second, thin layers of ice crystals began forming inside the study—across the windowpane, the floor, chairs, and desk. The temperature dropped sharply.
As quickly as the frost appeared, One vanished back into the shadows. His bluish green eyes were the last thing Xuan Tian saw before he disappeared completely. This was One's number one rule: no one but Xuan Tian could see him. His place was in the shadows—unless ordered otherwise.
Xuan Tian's breath turned to fog as he exhaled. He relaxed into his chair, waiting. He knew exactly who it was.
The next second, thin layers of ice crystals began forming inside the study—across the windowpane, the floor, chairs, and desk. The temperature dropped sharply.
As quickly as the frost appeared, One vanished back into the shadows. His bluish green eyes were the last thing Xuan Tian saw before he disappeared completely. This was One's number one rule: no one but Xuan Tian could see him. His place was in the shadows—unless ordered otherwise.
Xuan Tian's breath turned to fog as he exhaled. He relaxed into his chair, waiting. He knew exactly who it was.
The next instant, the tip of a sword appeared before his eyes, stopping just short of stabbing into his right eye.
Xuan Tian didn't flinch. He blinked slowly, gaze shifting to the attacker at the other end of the blade.
A beautiful young lady stood there, holding a crystal sword. Her blue eyes sparkled brilliantly. She wore a pale blue dress adorned with silver embroidery that wrapped around her form perfectly. Jet-black hair, styled with pale blue and silver accessories, enhanced her grace and charm.
Her expression faltered as the blade failed to move forward. In one fluid motion, she pulled it back and redirected her strike. It was fast and precise—almost flawless.
Unfortunately for her, her opponent was Xuan Tian.
Without even moving, Xuan Tian raised a single spirit energy shield—its surface shimmering with purple hues. The woman's strikes crashed against it, again and again, but the shield held effortlessly.
No matter what she did, she couldn't break through.
Annoyance flickered across features sculpted with divine precision—too perfect to belong to the mortal world, she pointed the sword to the floor. "You're cheating, General," she said. Her voice was gentle and melodic, like birdsong—pleasant to the ears.
"You can't just shield up. Fight me like the man you are."
Xuan Tian kept staring at her. "You should never drop your sword, Shu Yue."
Shu Yue gasped and spun sharply. She deflected Zhongyi at the last second, staggering a few steps before regaining her footing. In a flash, she returned the attack. Zhongyi flew and danced on its own, as if guided by no hand at all.
Shu Yue and Zhongyi exchanged several hundred blows in an instant—all while Xuan Tian, Zhongyi's master, remained seated, perfectly relaxed in his chair.
It was evident that the longer the fight dragged on, the more cornered Shu Yue became. Her steps faltered more frequently, and the sword in her hand began to feel heavy.
Finally, Zhongyi saw an opening and struck with flawless precision. Shu Yue's crystal sword flew from her grip, clattering across the ice-covered floor. She staggered backward, unable to hold against the force of the final blow.
She couldn't stop herself. Step after step, she reeled back—until her heel slid on the frost-laced surface. She let out a soft yelp.
Before she could fall, Xuan Tian was there, catching her effortlessly in his arms.
Shu Yue gasped, eyes wide, staring up at his face. His expression was unreadable, calm as ever.
Her heart raced. Her breath caught in her throat. A soft flush bloomed across her cheeks, unbidden and impossible to hide.
He is perfect. Too perfect. Like a celestial statue carved by the stars themselves—meant to be admired, never touched.
And yet, here he was… holding her.
Shu Yue sighed contentedly. She was exactly where she should be—in his embrace. When Tianjun had bestowed their engagement, she was proud to be chosen. But she never expected that the General would also be such a handsome man. A perfect partner for her.
Xuan Tian looked down at the woman in his arms. He scanned her for injuries and found none. In one smooth motion, he helped her stand, picked up her crystal sword, and returned it to her. All of this happened in the span of five short seconds.
Shu Yue snapped back into focus. She took her sword, and with a flick of her sleeves, the weapon—along with the frost—vanished.
She stood there in perfect poise, facing Xuan Tian. "I lost again, General," she said softly.
"You may have lost, Shu Yue, but you've improved tremendously," Xuan Tian replied honestly. "Your moves have become sharper, more precise."
Shu Yue listened while watching Xuan Tian describe her improvement. A faint disappointment bloomed in her heart. She had hoped he would say something else—something about how beautiful she looked in her new dress. She had chosen it deliberately, hoping to impress him. But it seemed he hadn't even noticed.
"You need to—Shu Yue?" Xuan Tian paused when he noticed her distracted gaze.
"Hmm?" Shu Yue answered absentmindedly. Her blue eyes widened slightly when she realized she hadn't heard his explanation. A fresh blush crept into her cheeks. Her long, thick lashes fluttered like fans as she blinked.
Anyone else would've been captivated by the sight—a blushing maiden blinking to hide her fluster. Anyone, but Xuan Tian.
A smaller face flashed in his mind. A grin, all mischief and sharpness. Almond-shaped, dark brown eyes narrowed playfully, beginning a blink war.
His mouth curled upward.
Shu Yue gasped audibly. Ah! I've made him smile!