404: Companionship and protection

"Li Xuan..."

Situ Jun murmured under his breath, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"He certainly knows how to find an opportunity. Unfortunately, he's miscalculated."

He raised his hand and took out a blank spiritual talisman from his storage ring.

The talisman was yellow all over, with a faint spiritual power flowing on its surface; it was a high-grade sound transmission talisman.

Situ Jun focused his Divine Sense and rapidly carved complex instructions onto the talisman. Each instruction contained his will and Qi, flickering with a faint golden light.

"Nightingale, closely monitor the movements of all Cultivators traveling from the Royal Capital to the Northern Frontier, especially those from the Heaven-Patrolling Iron Cavalry. Once you discover Li Zhong has set out for the Northern Frontier, send word to me immediately. There must be no mistakes!"

After finishing the instructions, Situ Jun flicked his finger, and the sound transmission talisman turned into a streak of light, quietly flying into the sky and merging into the morning light of Northern Frontier City, speeding towards Nightingale's location.

Having finished this, Situ Jun turned and stepped down from the city wall.

His pace was steady, each step on the blue bricks making a clear sound, carrying an unquestionable power.

The hidden arrows from the Royal Capital had already been shot. He was never one to sit and wait for death; since someone dared to take the initiative to provoke him, they had to be prepared to face the consequences.

If Li Zhong wanted to investigate, let him.

Although Li Zhong was powerful as a Late Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator, it would be quite easy to subdue him by catching him off guard without alerting the Qintian Division—unless he carried the mark of a great powerhouse, which seemed unlikely.

At that time, not only would he gain a subordinate, but he would also have an information channel within the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty's Heaven-Patrolling Iron Cavalry, giving him more confidence when expanding toward the Dynasty in the future.

As for Li Xuan, he was in no hurry for now.

The cause Li Xuan planted today, he would surely make Li Xuan repay a hundredfold in the future.

Descending all the way, the clamor below the city wall became increasingly clear.

The laughter of the commoners, the shouts of vendors, and the chatter of Cultivators intertwined to form a vivid morning scene of the Northern Frontier.

Looking at all this, the coldness in Situ Jun's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a bit more determination.

Everything he did was to protect the stability of the Northern Frontier, to guard the thousands of people in the city, and to protect his cherished wife and children.

No matter how much wind and rain lay ahead, he had to face the difficulties head-on and never retreat.

By the time he returned to the City Lord's Manor, it was already past the Hour of the Dragon.

The backyard of the City Lord's Manor was bolstered by a Formation, making it warm and cozy, a stark contrast to the coldness atop the city walls.

A wisp of warm fragrance drifted with the wind—it was the scent of Osmanthus mixed with a faint medicinal aroma, fresh, elegant, and refreshing.

Situ Jun slowed his pace, walking slowly along the corridor.

Both sides of the corridor were planted with golden Osmanthus. Tiny blossoms covered the branches, shimmering with a faint golden light under the sun. When the wind blew, the blossoms fell rustling to the ground, carpeting it in gold, feeling soft to step on as the fragrance grew even more intense.

The courtyard presented a picture of peaceful times.

Su Yunniang, dressed in a light purple brocade skirt, sat on a pearwood chair under the veranda soaking up the sun. Her posture was gentle, her features soft, and a faint smile graced her face as she held a leisure book, occasionally raising her hand to brush away the Osmanthus petals falling on the pages.

Qiu Lan sat by her side, talking with her in a low voice about the trivial matters of the Northern Frontier—mundane yet warm.

Not far away, Liu Xuaner, dressed in a light green jacket skirt, was leading the Maids Cui Zhu and Chun Hua to tend to the plants in the courtyard.

Liu Xuaner had a slender figure and bright eyes. She held a small trowel, carefully loosening the soil for the Roses, occasionally laughing and chatting with Cui Zhu and Chun Hua, her laughter as clear and pleasant as silver bells.

Cui Zhu and Chun Hua were nimble, tending to the plants while echoing Liu Xuaner's words, their faces full of smiles.

The sun shone through the branches of the Osmanthus trees, casting dappled shadows upon them, warm and soft.

In the air, the scent of Osmanthus, the fragrance of flowers, and the faint medicinal aroma intertwined, quiet and beautiful, as if isolated from all the wind, rain, and schemes of the outside world.

Situ Jun stood under the veranda, watching quietly for a moment.

The coldness and gravity in his eyes completely faded upon seeing this peaceful and harmonious scene, replaced by a touch of softness and warmth.

The stability of this backyard and the smiles of those around him were his consolation when weary, his motivation to move forward, and the things he had to protect with all his might.

He took a deep breath, slowly restraining all his sharp edges and gravity, hiding the storms and schemes in his heart.

Then, he stepped into the courtyard with a gentle smile on his face—a smile from the heart, warm and true, making him look like a completely different person from the cold-eyed City Lord of the Northern Frontier on the city wall.

"The weather is fine today; you all seem quite comfortable."

Situ Jun's voice was gentle and carried a hint of a smile, breaking the silence of the courtyard.

Hearing his voice, Su Yunniang hurriedly put down her book and stood up with a smile, her eyes full of joy.

"Husband, you're back. Seeing the warm weather just now, I had someone stew some nourishing chicken soup. It's been kept warm on the stove; I'll have someone bring it to you."

As she spoke, she was about to have Qiu Lan go get the soup.

Situ Jun walked forward quickly, gently supporting her arm, his tone tender and doting.

"No need to rush. Leave the soup for now; I'll sit with you for a while. I've been busy with city defense matters lately and haven't had a good talk with you all in a long time."

Su Yunniang's heart warmed, and she sat down obediently, looking at Situ Jun with a gentle gaze.

"Husband is the City Lord of the Northern Frontier and bears heavy responsibilities; you don't need to always worry about us. Everything is fine in the manor, and the best thing we can do is not to cause trouble for you."

Situ Jun sat down beside Su Yunniang, picked up a cup of clear tea from the table, and took a small sip. The tea was fragrant, and the warmth slid down his throat into his stomach, dispelling the coldness from his body.

He listened to Su Yunniang and Qiu Lan chatting about the trivialities of the Northern Frontier and the laughter of Liu Xuaner and the Maids. His gaze slowly swept over the gentle and bright faces in the courtyard, his heart becoming even more determined.

No matter how turbulent the waves from the Royal Capital, no matter how troublesome Li Zhong's investigation, and no matter how many difficulties and obstacles lay ahead, he had to stand at the very front. He could never let the stability and warmth of this backyard be disturbed by the coming storm of the investigation.

He would protect them, protect the Northern Frontier, and protect everything he cherished, even if he had to pay any price.

After tending to the flowers, Liu Xuaner walked quickly to Situ Jun with a charming smile on her face.

"Husband, look, I planted these Moon Orchids myself. In a few days, they will bloom. When that time comes, Husband and Sister Yunniang can admire them."

Seeing her charming look, the smile in Situ Jun's eyes deepened, and he nodded gently.

"Good, I'll wait for the Moon Orchids Xuaner planted to bloom."

In the courtyard, it was warm and filled with laughter.

The sun was just right, the Osmanthus was fragrant, and times were peaceful, as if all the storms of the outside world had nothing to do with this place...