250: Encountering a fight

The warmth of the spiritual tea still lingered in her throat, carrying an elegant fragrance of orchids and angelica that washed over her heart.

Hua Hanxiang unconsciously rubbed the warm surface of the cup with her fingertips. Suddenly, as if remembering something important, she looked up at the man sitting quietly opposite her. She raised her delicate hand, its warmth from the tea still present, and lightly touched Situ Jun's brow.

The touch was as light as a butterfly skimming water. Situ Jun's brow twitched slightly as he heard her voice, thick with concern like a spring breeze rippling across a lake, spreading a fine tenderness:

"Husband, how is your mind recovering? How about... we use the Dual Cultivation method to nourish it for a while longer?"

Situ Jun took her hand in his and gently rubbed the delicate flesh of her palm with his thumb. The smooth, soft sensation caused his taut heartstrings to relax slightly after days of tension.

The faint fatigue in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a watery softness as he spoke warmly:

"No need. You've just woken up and your body is still weak. Rest first."

Hua Hanxiang refused to listen. Her fingertips curled slightly, gently scratching his palm like a spoiled cat.

She leaned forward, her skirt brushing against the beast-fur carpet of the carriage with a soft rustle, her eyes filled with a stubborn concern:

"I'm really not tired; in fact, I feel quite energetic after waking up. Husband, over these past few days for the sake of the refugees, you've been coordinating supplies and instructing subordinates to appease the people. I've seen how much mental energy you've exhausted. The Dual Cultivation method can nourish your spiritual power and remove the fatigue from your Divine Soul, and I can also borrow some of your Yang Spiritual Qi to stabilize my Realm. It's killing two birds with one stone."

As she spoke, her body leaned further forward. Her warm breath, carrying the fragrance of spiritual tea, lightly brushed against Situ Jun's neck, sparking a faint itch.

Situ Jun's heart softened. His nerves, which had been tight due to the unknown road ahead, were smoothed out by her dependent and serious expression.

He curled his lips in a helpless smile and gently pinched her smooth chin, his tone full of indulgence:

"You always have your reasons. As for me, I can never win an argument against you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Hua Hanxiang smiled and raised her hands, her fingers weaving complex and beautiful hand seals.

Pale green Spiritual Qi, like early morning mist, slowly flowed from her fingertips. Carrying the vitality of reviving plants, it gently enveloped the two of them.

The lingering tea fragrance and the feminine scent inside the carriage merged into an enchanting atmosphere, gradually blending with this pure Spiritual Qi. It became warm and peaceful, like the spring sun wrapping around the small carriage.

Seeing this, Situ Jun also relaxed his mind and slowly released his own Yang spiritual power. Golden spiritual power surged out like a stream, intertwining with her green Spiritual Qi to form a circulating cocoon of light between them.

As the Spiritual Qi flowed, Hua Hanxiang could clearly sense a trace of stagnation within Situ Jun's body that had not yet fully settled.

It was a hidden trouble left behind by excessive mental exhaustion, like a stubborn rock in a stream, obstructing the smooth flow of spiritual power.

At this moment, the two streams of spiritual power acted like gentle currents, surrounding that stagnation and gradually melting and dissolving it bit by bit.

She couldn't help but move closer, her forehead gently resting against his, their noses almost touching.

Their breaths intertwined. Her voice was as soft as a murmur, carrying a trace of imperceptible heartache:

"Husband, don't always carry everything on your shoulders. If there are difficulties in the future, you still have me. We are husband and wife; we should face the wind and rain together."

Situ Jun opened his eyes, which clearly reflected her serious expression. The concern in her eyes was like a warm light, causing warmth to surge in his heart and making the flow of spiritual power even smoother.

He reached out to pull her by the waist, drawing her closer to him. With his chest against her back, he could clearly feel the warmth of her body.

His voice was deep and gentle, like a promise whispered in her ear:

"Alright. From now on, I won't hide anything from you and will discuss everything with you."

About an hour later, the two intertwined spiritual lights slowly withdrew, returning entirely into their bodies.

Hua Hanxiang felt refreshed all over, as if her entire body had been soaked in warm water. Even the trace of fatigue in her eyes had vanished, replaced by a moisture that seemed filled with starlight.

Situ Jun also let out a visible sigh of relief. His previously furrowed brow completely smoothed out, the exhaustion on his face faded significantly, and even his breathing became more stable and long.

He reached out to help Hua Hanxiang tidy her hair and dress. Seeing her still looking shy, he couldn't help but gently pinch her reddened earlobe and teased softly:

"Are you satisfied now? If we keep going, you won't be able to get out of the carriage."

Hua Hanxiang nodded obediently, her cheeks flushed with a faint blush. Just as she was about to say something—perhaps to ask about the upcoming itinerary—the carriage suddenly braked hard. The momentum nearly sent her tumbling forward, but fortunately, Situ Jun was quick and caught her shoulders in time.

The voice of the Guard captain came from outside, steady yet clearly alert:

"My Lord, there's a situation ahead! The road is blocked!"

Situ Jun's gaze instantly sharpened. The previous tenderness was completely withdrawn, replaced by the coolness and majesty of a superior.

He gently settled Hua Hanxiang on the soft seat, tucking a nearby brocade cushion beside her, and instructed in a low voice:

"Stay in the carriage. I'll go out and take a look."

With that, he lifted the carriage curtain and stepped out.

The cold wind whipped dust into his face, yet he didn't move a muscle. His black robes snapped in the wind, and a faint pressure already emanated from his body.

Hua Hanxiang was worried. Ignoring Situ Jun's instructions, she hurried to the carriage window and carefully lifted a small gap to look outside.

She saw that the Official Road had become extremely narrow here, barely enough for two carriages to pass side-by-side. One side of the road was a steep cliff face covered in moss and loose stones, with occasional pebbles tumbling down. The other side was a bottomless mountain ravine. As the mountain wind blew, she could hear the sound of rushing water below, a sight that made her heart race with fear.

And just a hundred yards ahead, the originally clear road was completely blocked—not by a landslide, but by two groups of Cultivators engaged in a fierce battle!

Spiritual light flashed violently, and colorful Spells exploded in the air, as brilliant as fireworks but carrying deadly killing intent.

Sword Qi crisscrossed, striking the cliff face and splashing countless fragments of stone.

Dust filled the air above the battlefield, obscuring vision. Accompanied by the roars and screams of the Cultivators and the ear-piercing sound of Magic Treasures colliding, the scene was chaotic to the extreme.

Hua Hanxiang looked closely and saw that the two sides were clearly distinguished.

One side was dressed in the common attire of Southern Border Loose Cultivators—disorganized clothing ranging from coarse cloth tunics to tattered ritual robes. However, their attacks were extremely ruthless, utilizing a messy variety of Cultivation Techniques. Some Cultivators even brandished bloody bone staves, marking them as clearly malevolent.

The other side wore uniform clothing: moon-white brocade robes with identical jade pendants tied at their waists, looking like members of a small Family.

They were maintaining a simple defensive Formation, trying to resist the attacks of the Loose Cultivators, but they were already struggling and the Formation was full of holes.

Several corpses already lay on the ground, their moon-white robes soaked through with blood. It was a shocking sight; they were clearly at a disadvantage and their line of defense could be breached at any moment.