31: Chapter 31 A Marriage Decree That Came Naturally

Late that night, as was customary, the soundproofing array had been running for a long time.

On the bed, Li Fan, breathing heavily, couldn't help but feel a bit melancholic and began to ponder the origins of the Universe.

Zhang Zixuan, whose head was resting on Li Fan's chest, kissed him, also feeling quite exhausted.

"Husband, you gave me quite a scare tonight, just a little bit more..."

Li Fan didn't take in Zhang Zixuan's soft, sweet words; his mind had already fast-forwarded from the origin of the Universe to the insignificance of life.

"The insignificant me... If not for the System, would I be diligently farming right now?"

At this moment, a flash of inspiration struck Li Fan, and he recalled a Cultivation Technique.

"Zixuan, turn over."

Zixuan complied with Li Fan's request without understanding why, while Li Fan was already immersed in the time within his mind.

Li Fan... He had realized it! His gaze was calm, as if he saw the clouds and rain about to descend, and he spoke slowly.

"Sorry, Zixuan."

"I am not striving for your sake right now."

"Not for anyone."

His eyes reflected the sky full of rain clouds.

"I just purely feel that this world is incredibly comfortable right now."

As he finished speaking, Li Fan closed his eyes, and a clap of thunder seemed to appear beside his ears.

He lifted his hand from Zixuan's waist, brought two fingers together, and cast a spell...

"Azure Waters of the Sky, Water Summoning Art!"

The long-circulated Cultivation Technique 《Water Summoning Art》 had long been developed into various uses by generations of people.

However, for tens of thousands of years, only a few people have known this move...

Finally, the long-suppressed rain poured down in torrents.

Amidst the clouds and rain, Zhang Zixuan also let out a sigh of admiration.

"Is this the 《Water Summoning Art》... So powerful, I..."

Before she could finish her sentence, Zhang Zixuan fell asleep.

Seeing this, Li Fan felt moved; this 《Water Summoning Art》 was truly wonderful.

In the early morning, listening to the shouts of street vendors, Li Fan lay on his armchair as usual, steeping tea.

It wasn't until near noon that a weary Zhang Zixuan came out from the inner room draped in a thin robe. Seeing Li Fan so relaxed and content, she gave a coquettish huff.

"It's all your fault. Do you even know how to cherish the fairer sex?"

Li Fan said nothing. It wasn't until he saw Zhang Zixuan go to the side room's spirit spring that the corners of his mouth curled up.

"Now I can have a bit more peace and quiet every day."

Sipping his tea, Li Fan began reading the tabloid.

Before long, Zhang Zixuan emerged from the side room. Her hair and skin were still beaded with water, like a lotus rising from the water; anyone who caught a glimpse would feel their blood boil.

However, Li Fan only glanced at her once before continuing to read the tabloid. There was no look of Zixuan's he hadn't seen; he was used to it.

Zhang Zixuan came to the table, sat down, poured herself a cup of tea, and said earnestly.

"Husband, actually, I am half-human, half-demon."

Hearing this, Li Fan, who was reading the paper, looked up at Zixuan. At this moment, her fox ears and fox tail were revealed, looking quite charming.

Her fox ears twitched slightly as she continued to speak.

"My mother was an ordinary demon fox in the mountains. By chance, she entered a Secret Realm and, by a stroke of luck, consumed a Spirit Treasure, which allowed her to take human form."

Her fox tail curled forward, and she stroked it gently.

"That Spirit Treasure was called 'Yinshen,' and from it, she obtained a Physique called 'Yinchanghuisui'."

"My father was a descendant of a fallen imperial clan. The two met in the Secret Realm, and that is how I came to be."

Speaking of this, Zhang Zixuan blew on her tea and brushed her fox tail toward Li Fan's face, which he grabbed instinctively.

"Fluffy..." The texture was nice, and Li Fan was quite satisfied.

Zhang Zixuan let out a soft gasp. Seeing that Li Fan had no prejudice against her half-human, half-demon form, she smiled slightly and continued.

"And by a one-in-ten-thousand chance, I happened to inherit and undergo Fusion of my parents' Physique and Spiritual Root."

"It is the 'Naichang Tianhuiming' Physique."

Speaking of this, she sipped her tea, her eyes turning somewhat cold.

"This is an Innate Physique. Anyone who has feelings for me will have their Aptitude and cultivation forcibly absorbed."

"Parents, relatives, friends, it is the same for all."

She wrapped her fox tail around Li Fan, pressed her body against him, and kissed him.

"You are the exception."

Li Fan gently stroked Zhang Zixuan's fox ears, and a sweet sound followed.

"This is the first time I've heard you talk about it."

"It must have been very lonely along the way."

Her special Physique destined her to be alone; if not for Li Fan, the future would have remained the same.

Zhang Zixuan didn't speak, only continuously demanding kisses from Li Fan.

After a while, they reluctantly separated, her purple-blue pupils gazing deeply into Li Fan's.

Only now did she truly regard him as a man to accompany her for a lifetime.

...

Li Fan gently placed the sleeping Zhang Zixuan onto the bed. Perhaps it was the first time she had slept so peacefully, though her sleeping face was a bit messy, with strands of hair left at the corner of her mouth.

At this time, the street vendors began shouting as they packed up their stalls; the sun was already setting in the west.

This scene could be considered leisurely, but Li Fan clearly knew that everything was merely happening within a phantasm.

If the phantasm were to vanish, how much of this affection would remain?

Li Fan chuckled softly; Zhang Zixuan had already completely sunk into the human desire Secret Realm.

What about the other one? Thinking of this, Li Fan looked through the window bars toward the vermilion walls and blue tiles of the Imperial City.

"That Third Princess must be the other woman."

Li Fan had long suspected that this phantasm simply revolved around the human desires within the hearts of the Cultivators trapped inside.

He had the System, so the phantasm could not affect him, and Zhang Zixuan had already completely fallen; that only left the luxuriously dressed woman in court attire.

"What about your desires?"

As if the phantasm were responding to Li Fan's inner thoughts, an announcement rang out outside the courtyard.

"Proclaiming, Li Fan is summoned to the palace to have an audience with Your Majesty."

"Alright, let's go."

In a normal situation, he certainly wouldn't wade into these muddy waters, but since this was a phantasm and he had been leisurely enough, getting out sooner was the right thing to do.

Opening the courtyard gate, just as he was about to ask the person delivering the decree to lead the way, the surrounding environment changed suddenly like spilled ink. Before long, Li Fan was already standing in the great hall.

Pillars supporting the heavens stood in succession, with Dragon and Phoenix coiled around them. The palace canopies hung as if suspended in the high heavens, with twinkling stars and a bright moon hanging beneath them.

His gaze followed the layers of white jade steps upward, but the end was not a resplendent imperial throne.

Just a prayer mat, a low table, and a tea set.

In a moment, a blurry figure appeared, sitting cross-legged on the prayer mat. Tea appeared on its own, and he sipped it indifferently.

Unable to see clearly, Li Fan channeled his mana and focused his gaze, but the blurry figure became increasingly illusory, as if pixelated, with chaotic noise flickering.

"Is this the father of that woman in court attire? He can't even be simulated by the human desire phantasm?"

Li Fan was somewhat surprised; the origins of this person might far exceed his imagination.

Before long, intermittent words reached Li Fan's Sea of Consciousness. The phantasm's imitation of this person's voice was filled with strain and incongruity.

"Observing you... very much suits my daughter's heart... intention, specially decreeing marriage... granting the two a good bond..."

The words were brief, and after finishing, the blurry figure dissipated directly, and the phantasm could no longer be maintained.

Subsequently, the surrounding scene receded, and Li Fan stood once again at the entrance of the courtyard.

"Is that it?"

"Nangong Miao?"

Li Fan muttered the name that had appeared in his mind; perhaps she would come to the courtyard tomorrow morning.

He could feel that he had gained another faint connection, drifting toward the depths of the palace.