Night fell, candlelight flickering.
Anming whispered to the figure beside him, "Xu'er, I'll be traveling to Zhuming soon to reforge Wuye with their flame."
Pink hair spilled across the pillow as Fu Xuan turned to embrace him. Her luminous eyes narrowed. "You've been drinking. Hmph."
"General Jing forced me."
"Truly?"
"Naturally."
Watching Anming slander Jing Yuan with such solemnity, Fu Xuan burst into soft laughter. She nestled against his chest, petite frame curling like an affectionate kitten. "The journey is long. Stay vigilant."
Her concern lingered, though she trusted his current strength. Candlelight caressed Fu Xuan's timeless features—the Luofu's Master Diviner bore no physical marks of years, only the tempered poise of her office.
Yet with Anming, she reverted to murmuring work frustrations, lamenting lost free time since assuming her role. Though she carved out moments for their reunions, each always felt too brief.
"What if… I miss you?" Fu Xuan's whisper trembled slightly. After all these years, farewells still chafed.
Married veterans they might be, but Anming's obliviousness often forced her initiative. Heat rose in her cheeks as she extinguished the candle with a wave—even seasoned lovers deserved moonlight's discretion.
[Age 43. Preparations to reforge Wuye complete. After bidding Fu Xuan farewell, you leave your courtyard for the first time in 24 years.]
Anming slipped through Yuque's shadows, boarding a prearranged Star Raft to Zhuming. The vessel's autopilot hummed reassuringly—no navigation needed, just patience.
Provisions lined the cabin. Collecting Wuye's reforging materials had demanded years, aided by Yaoguang and Fu Xuan. Now only the flame remained: Sui Huang's Primordial Blaze, said to burn at Zhuming's heart.
The journey proved uneventful. Jing Yuan's forged credentials passed scrutiny at Zhuming's Brilliance Harbor—a docking platform carved from monolithic moonstone, its trusses gleaming like embedded ore.
Contrary to expectations of furnace-like heat, Zhuming greeted him with artisan-cool breezes. Anming noted the craftsmanship—Fu Xuan would adore this place. Guilt prickled him anew: their "honeymoon" had never extended beyond Luofu.
"A craftsman of Zhuming's Artisanry Commission, Su Xiaoquan, greets the Sword Sovereign." A mellifluous voice interrupted his thoughts. A pink-ombre-haired girl presented jade credentials, golden dragon embroidery rippling across her vermilion dress. A bubble-blowing seahorse dangled at her waist.
"Master Huaiyan sent me."
Anming's hand drifted toward his wooden practice sword. Jing Yuan hadn't mentioned escorts—but infiltrating Sui Huang's domain undetected was always improbable.
"Sui Huang's recent instability requires we visit Flamewheel Forge Palace first." Su Xiaoquan chattered brightly, guiding him past glowing foundries. Anming noted the peerless craftsmanship of her cyan-hued rapier—this girl was no ordinary envoy.
"Master once said if Yingxing ever reforged Wuye..." Her murmur turned wistful. "It would transcend mortal blades."
"Why was it incomplete originally?"
"A core ingredient lacked." She tilted her head, smile sharpening. "Your brother touched an Emanator's flesh... though not for smithing."
Crowds thinned. Anming's grip tightened.
Pink hair blurred.
A cyan streak split the air with a shriek—
—and met Wuye's shattered hilt.
The strike moved faster than sight, but Anming needed no eyes when steel sang. Blade-tip hovered millimeters from his throat, arrested by an upraised guard.
Crimson vertical pupils replaced Su Xiaoquan's gentle gaze. "Surprising."
"You're no Xianzhou native." Yet her credentials glowed authentic.
The wooden sword hummed. A flick of its bladeless edge severed pink strands mid-air. Su Xiaoquan sheathed her rapier, tension dissolving like mist.
"Merely verifying legends." Her reptilian eyes glinted. "The Sword Sovereign who caught Divine Archery... lives down to rumors."