32: Chapter 32 Three People in the Shadow

Inside the palace, a young woman was applying makeup with the help of a maid.

"Your Highness, tomorrow morning, you can finally escape this sea of suffering."

Nangong Miao nodded.

"After begging for so long, Father King is finally willing to let me leave."

"I have long grown weary of this deep palace, with its scheming and calculations."

She personally took a hairpin from a jade box and inserted it into her hair.

"Fourth Sister gave this to me when she was six."

She then took out a pair of earrings and put them on.

"Sixth Sister gifted me these when she was eight."

Among Emperor Yanheng's daughters, she was the ninth, yet she was now the Third Princess. It was as if she could see the figures of her two long-lost childhood playmates.

"Fourth Sister, Sixth Sister, like you, I am about to be free."

...

Zhonghuang Heaven, Yongri Imperial Palace, Emperor Yanheng.

"I have a daughter who has already formed a Heavenly Dao Alliance with someone?"

Emperor Yanheng was somewhat displeased. Outside the Yongri Imperial Palace, the great sun was still rising as he manipulated the heavenly secrets to calculate.

"I set this myself?"

Emperor Yanheng waved his robe, causing the great sun to slowly descend.

"Interesting..."

His gaze pierced through layers of space, as if seeing the source of everything.

Illusion Realm, detached courtyard.

The sun was hidden behind the western mountains. Li Fan lay on a reclining chair, leisurely blowing in the night breeze. Having already dealt with Zhang Zixuan and sent her to sleep early tonight, he was quite relaxed.

A tabloid had just been delivered urgently; the headline stated that the Third Princess's marriage had been finalized. Li Fan naturally knew this—wasn't he the groom himself?

"How should I welcome this Third Princess tomorrow morning?"

It was his first time, after all.

"Should I decorate it a bit more festively?"

"Should I also change this outfit?"

"Which room should I arrange for her?"

As he thought about it, sleepiness overwhelmed him. Li Fan covered his face with the tabloid and fell asleep.

"Husband, wake up."

Li Fan, with bleary eyes, removed the tabloid from his face and realized the sun was already high in the sky.

Zhang Zixuan was shaking Li Fan's reclining chair with a look of joy, her fox tail even exposed.

He scanned the courtyard and immediately understood the source of Zhang Zixuan's joy.

At this moment, the courtyard was draped in red silk, with red carpets on the ground and various crimson decorations, making the place look festive and joyous.

"Husband, are you finally going to officially marry me?"

Hearing this, Li Fan felt a bit awkward. He scratched his cheek and turned to look at the side room.

This room was the most heavily decorated, with a large "Double Happiness" character pasted on the window and door.

Seeing this, he had a guess in his heart.

"It can't be..."

He then walked toward the side room. As he approached the door, his attire changed accordingly.

When he arrived at the door, he was already dressed in standard groom's attire.

Li Fan glanced at Zhang Zixuan, who was silently following behind him, and pushed open the door with a trembling hand.

Beneath the vermilion curtains, Nangong Miao sat gracefully on the bed draped in red silk, covered by a red veil, waiting quietly.

When the door opened, he could clearly see her body tremble; she was clearly not prepared either.

Li Fan slowly turned his head to look at Zhang Zixuan, who was stunned behind him.

Her eyes were dark, her jade hands clenched tight, and the surrounding Spiritual Qi gathered, as if it would explode at any moment.

It was the silence before a storm; Li Fan swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

Although he had managed to keep Zhang Zixuan obedient lately, she was still a Dao Entrance Realm Cultivator, an existence above the Nascent Soul stage.

However, the expected lightning and thunder did not occur. After a moment of silence, tears fell from Zhang Zixuan's dark eyes.

With teary eyes and drooping fox ears, she tugged at the corner of Li Fan's clothes and sobbed,

"Don't abandon me... okay, Husband?"

Seeing this, Li Fan's anxious heart softened, and he turned to wipe away her tears.

He used both hands to lift her drooping fox ears and rubbed them.

"I won't."

A short while later, Li Fan raised his hand and poured clear tea for both Zhang Zixuan and Nangong Miao.

Nangong Miao looked splendidly adorned; under her heavy makeup, her thoughts were unreadable.

Zhang Zixuan's eyes were red and swollen. She kept her head slightly lowered, but her gaze was guardedly fixed on Nangong Miao, clearly on high alert.

Li Fan sat between the two. He had always been a laid-back person who disliked beating around the bush, so he spoke directly.

"Your Highness Nangong, Ah Xuan is my Dao Companion."

"When His Majesty bestowed the marriage that day, I had no room to refuse."

This was the truth; indeed, he hadn't been given a chance to refuse before the person had vanished.

"If Your Highness is unwilling, I will simply petition His Majesty to annul it."

Unexpectedly, Nangong Miao shook her head resolutely.

"No need!"

Her gaze was firm.

"I am no longer some Your Highness. Just call me Ah Miao."

Seeing Nangong Miao's resolute expression, Li Fan had to turn his gaze toward Zhang Zixuan.

Zhang Zixuan seemed to understand the meaning in Li Fan's eyes and rubbed her red, swollen eyes.

"As long as Husband doesn't leave me, Zixuan doesn't mind."

As she finished speaking, mist welled up in her eyes again. Li Fan quickly raised his hand to gently pull her head over and rest it on his shoulder.

Gently rubbing her drooping fox ears, Li Fan recalled the joyful expression Zixuan had shown earlier when she saw the courtyard decorations.

So, he looked at Nangong Miao and said.

"I have one more presumptuous request..."

Just like that, Zhang Zixuan also experienced the scene she had been longing for.

"Husband, come quickly."

Zhang Zixuan was getting impatient and kept urging him, while Nangong Miao, who was beside her, also chimed in.

"..."

Several days had passed. Li Fan leaned lazily on the reclining chair, watching the hard training points increase on the System interface.

[Current hard training points: 120]

In the illusion Realm, the System hadn't changed much; it was just the familiar idle System that routinely gave some hard training points every day.

"Isn't there a 'Many Children, Much Happiness' System? Why haven't I seen it pop up?"

"I suppose one cannot conceive offspring within this illusion Realm."

He would have liked to experience having children in advance, but unfortunately, the illusion Realm wouldn't allow it.

Before he could finish speaking, Nangong Miao came out from the room and walked slowly to Li Fan's side. Li Fan subconsciously trembled.

He had thought that since he could handle Zhang Zixuan, who was in the Dao Entrance Realm, dealing with Nangong Miao, who was in the same Realm, would certainly be a breeze.

He hadn't expected that his special Physique after refining the 'Essence of Restoration' only had a special effect on Zhang Zixuan.

But when facing Nangong Miao, the pure gap in Realm began to take effect.

He was completely at a disadvantage and couldn't hold his own.

The most frightening thing was that Nangong Miao appeared dignified and graceful on the surface.

But in reality, her nature was just like the Cultivation Technique she practiced—like flames clinging to the body.

The jar containing goji berries appeared on the table again, but this time, Li Fan didn't have to do it himself.

Nangong Miao grabbed a handful for him and sprinkled it into the tea, speaking with a smile.

"How can this little bit be enough?"

Through these few days of contact, Li Fan discovered that Nangong Miao seemed to want to obtain something from within his body.

This was also the reason why she married him in the illusion, rather than some other Mortal in the illusion.

It was just that in this illusion, everything except what the System provided was merely an illusion.

Amidst the swaying tree shadows, Li Fan felt moved once again.

"I am so small, and the galaxy is so infinite."

Just then, Zhang Zixuan came out from the inner room. Seeing Nangong Miao crouching beside Li Fan, she pointed and scolded angrily.

"You thieving cat!"

Nangong Miao reacted at this moment, looked at the teapot on the table, and wiped her mouth.

"I was thirsty, I... I was just drinking some water to moisten my throat."

Her figure flashed, and she sat upright on a small stool beside Li Fan, pouring herself a cup of tea as if nothing had happened.

Zhang Zixuan's fox tail swayed wildly.

"Damn it..."

She directly extended her claws and swiped at... Li Fan, who was beside Nangong Miao.

"Why me... stop... I haven't recovered yet."