SSS-level catastrophe? That's my wife!

"Fang Tieqiao! Die!"

An Shuyao's figure suddenly appeared in front of him, her black wings whistling as they slashed straight at his lower body!

"Damn! What a crazy woman!"

Fang Tieqiao felt a chill run down his spine. His storm domain instantly exploded to its maximum, with gale-force winds whipping up sand and gravel to form a rotating barrier around him.

He suddenly raised the giant iron bar in front of him!

"Clang!" The moment the black wings collided with the giant shovel, a shockwave exploded, sending dust flying everywhere.

……

On the summit of Qing Shou Mountain in Jiangcheng, a figure in a gray trench coat walked against the mountain wind.

The man had a cigarette dangling from his mouth, the crimson flame flickering in the night, as he walked toward a simple temple with peeling walls not far away.

Amidst the swirling smoke, he whispered hoarsely, "This temple, I remember Wang Quan mentioning it, was just a dwelling place for a down-on-his-luck monk, but Feng Xi and Lü Ping both think there's something wrong with it..."

As he spoke, he had already reached the temple gate.

Sparks flew as the cigarette butt was stepped on, and he expertly pulled out another cigarette, lit it, and then spoke in a deep voice into the temple:

"I apologize for disturbing you so late at night."

A calm voice came from inside the temple: "Esteemed benefactor, this humble monk has already been disturbed three times tonight."

"If you have something to do, please come again tomorrow. This humble monk will always be here."

Gu Cang's eyebrows shot up sharply, his fingers unconsciously clenching the cigarette between his fingers. He said in a deep voice, "Damn it, you think you're so great just because I gave you a little face?"

"You think I'm negotiating with you? Get out here, or I'll raze this temple to the ground tonight."

The air suddenly became deathly still...

A long sigh came from inside the temple, and then the temple door creaked open.

A monk in robes slowly stepped forward, his hands clasped together, his eyes lowered, and calmly said, "Esteemed benefactor, do you intend to use your power to intimidate others?"

The moment he looked up, Gu Cang's pupils suddenly contracted, and his right hand, holding a cigarette, trembled slightly uncontrollably.

Damn! Isn't this bald monk one of the three seventh-tier high-level cultivators from that kingdom in the forbidden city the night before?!

Holy crap! How could someone like this have been hiding in Jiangcheng for over 20 years?

He took a deep drag of his cigarette, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "Sorry to bother you, go back to sleep."

Without a moment's hesitation, he turned and strode away.

This scene left the monk stunned. He frowned as he looked at the man's back, feeling that the man was somewhat familiar, but he couldn't recall him no matter how hard he tried.

In the end, he shook his head, turned around, and walked back to the temple.

The moment he stepped into the temple, he suddenly stopped and his brows furrowed deeply.

He murmured to himself, "Why do I inexplicably feel death approaching? Is there anyone in this world who can make this humble monk feel such unease?"

He stood in front of the temple gate for half a minute, the night wind carrying mountain mist across his monk's robe.

After a moment's thought, he finally chose to leave, his figure flashing like a phantom in the night, his sigh carried away by the wind.

"It is not that I am afraid of this feeling of unease, but rather that I choose to avoid its sharp edge."

On the other side of the mountaintop, two tents were pitched in a sheltered spot.

Gu Cang had already reached the tent. When he looked at the two people in front of him, his eyes were serious: "Your feeling is right, that bald monk is indeed suspicious."

Upon hearing this, Feng Xi swiftly drew a long whip from her waist, leaving a shallow mark on the ground with the tip of the whip.

Her eyes flashed with murderous intent: "Then what are we waiting for? Now that we know he's got something going on, let's send him to hell."

"Leave it to me," Lü Ping said with a smile, his eyes gleaming with eagerness. "I recently learned a new interrogation technique, so I'll give it a try."

Gu Cang sighed softly. Why did Lin Mu suddenly disappear at such a crucial moment?

He then said in a deep voice, "That bald monk is a seventh-level awakened being, and he is a member of the kingdom."

"What!?" Feng Xi and Lü Ping exclaimed in unison, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

"Brother Gu, are you serious?" Lu Ping took a step forward.

Gu Cang nodded: "Yes, absolutely true."

He paused, then asked, "Ning Mo and Qing He are on their way, right?"

"Judging by the time, we won't arrive in Jiangcheng until after midnight at the earliest." Feng Xi put away her whip.

"Okay, let's wait a bit and not act rashly."

After Gu Cang finished speaking, he picked up his phone again. When the screen lit up, he dialed Lin Mu's number again, only to be met with the same cold, impersonal voice: "Hello, the number you dialed is currently switched off..."

He shoved his phone back into his pocket and muttered to himself, "Could it be... bro, you're really heartbroken?"

He paused, then nodded to himself—he thought the possibility was still quite high.

"Brother Gu, what are you muttering about?" Lu Ping asked, puzzled.

Gu Cang waved his hand and turned to walk down the mountain: "It's nothing, I just suddenly remembered a sad story."

"I'll go down the mountain again. By now, the people from Jiangcheng Town should have already laid down heavy defenses on Qing Shou Mountain."

After his figure disappeared into the night, Lü Ping looked at Feng Xi, scratched his head, and asked in confusion, "But why would people from the Kingdom appear here? Is it really for the students of the Awakened Academy?"

"But this doesn't make sense. If that monk was a high-ranking official in the kingdom, why didn't he stop us from annihilating those grey-robed men?"

"He could have easily taken us both under the cover of night..."

"There's only one possibility: this monk still has a sliver of conscience, but not much," Feng Xi said, raising her hand to press her temples, a complex look flashing in her eyes.

"Forget it, let's discuss it when they arrive. Seventh-tier advanced realm... we're far too far behind, Lü Ping."

She sighed, and Lin Mu's image appeared in her mind. She thought to herself: Except for that face, everything about him is too similar.

Ning Mo, Qing He, you two have been hiding a huge secret from me.

……

The courtyard of Tieqiao's house was still a mess.

Lin Mu sat upright on the stone bench, holding a bouquet of flowers in his arms. His expression was inexplicably unnatural, much like a young boy experiencing his first love.

He glanced at the messy scene in the courtyard and vaguely guessed what had happened, but he made no move to get up and help clean up.

On the stone bench opposite him, Su Nianhe sat very close.

She rested her chin on her hands, a gentle smile playing in her eyes: "Lin Mu, there's a card inside the bouquet, don't you want to take a look?"

Lin Mu paused slightly, avoided her gaze, and said in a low voice, "We'll see later."

Su Nianhe pouted slightly, her tone tinged with a hint of coquettishness: "Lin Mu, can you look me in the eye when you talk?"

"Seriously, I'm not going to eat you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Mu's gaze met her beautiful, gentle eyes once again.

In just a moment, his emotions, which had just calmed down, surged again, his heart pounded, and his voice carried a barely perceptible panic: "Yeah, it's up to you."

"puff--"

Su Nianhe couldn't help but chuckle softly, her shoulders trembling slightly, her eyes brimming with laughter: "Lin Mu, how can you be so adorably silly?"