532: Chapter 532 Deep Affection in the Still of the Night

After the banquet dispersed, the night was already deep.

The daytime clamor of clinking glasses in the City Lord's Manor receded like a tide softened by the night, leaving only rows of palace lanterns under the eaves swaying gently in the chilly evening breeze. The warm yellow glow diffused through the carved window lattices and spilled out into the courtyard, casting mottled, flickering shadows on the bluestone path.

In the corner of the courtyard, the branches of that Spirit Plant grew askew, its faint fragrance wafting into the South Courtyard's wing room, adding a touch of quiet solitude.

Luo Yu was settled by the manor's servants in the most elegant wing room of the South Courtyard.

Her companion, Chi Yu, was still young and had already been unable to hold out after the daytime socializing; she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow upon returning to her room, not even having time to properly close the door.

Only Luo Yu felt no sleepiness at all, sitting alone by the window, resting her elbow as she stared blankly at the old plum tree in the courtyard.

Moonlight spilled through the plain window screens, thin as a cicada's wing, like flowing water, softly spreading across her features and coating them in a layer of cold yet gentle radiance.

She was naturally elegant and gentle; now, having shed the dignified bearing of a Xihua Sect Elder, with a few stray hairs hanging by her temples, her features appeared even softer and her temperament more serene, though a lingering trace of weariness and concern was hidden deep within her eyes.

Suddenly, there was a very light knock on the door—three times, unhurried and carrying a hint of caution.

Luo Yu's heart gave a sudden leap, as if something had lightly plucked at her heartstrings.

She hurriedly rose, straightened her hem, and stepped forward to pull open the door.

Outside the door, Situ Jun stood with his hands behind his back.

During the day, he wore his City Lord's court robes, majestic and solemn, wielding the power of life and death over the Northern Frontier, his eyes filled with decisiveness.

Now, shrouded by the night, he wore only a plain brocade robe. The moonlight poured down from the sky, outlining his silhouette as upright as a pine tree. With his straight nose and slightly pursed thin lips, his usually sharp eyes had lost all their edge, leaving only a warmth and tenderness never seen during the day. When his gaze fell upon her, it was soft enough to melt.

"Not resting yet?"

His voice was low and slow, like the night breeze brushing through plum branches, carrying a magnetic quality.

Luo Yu stepped aside slightly to clear the doorway and replied softly:

"I can't sleep."

Situ Jun stepped into the room. His gaze naturally swept over her slightly messy hair at the temples and landed on the unmistakable fatigue in her eyes—the traces of traveling day and night for half a month, exposed to the elements, to reach the Northern Frontier.

His heart softened slightly, as if it had been gently tugged.

Without many words, he took a step forward and reached out to pull her gently into his embrace, his chin resting tenderly on the top of her head. The faint scent of plum blossoms and refined Spiritual Qi from her hair lingered around his nose.

"You've been traveling for half a month; it's been an exhausting journey. Why didn't you rest earlier?"

Luo Yu leaned obediently against his warm, solid chest, the steady and powerful rhythm of his heartbeat reaching her ears.

The exhaustion of the past few days' travel, the anxiety about the unknown on the way, and the long-suppressed longing in her heart all dissolved at this moment, turning into a surge of irrepressible tenderness that flowed slowly through her entire body.

She slowly raised her hands, wrapped them around his waist, and buried her face deeper, her voice as light as a sigh:

"I wanted to see you."

These three short words, simple and direct, were better than all the sweet talk in the world; every syllable struck Situ Jun's heart.

He looked down at the person in his arms.

Under the moonlight, her features were gentle and her eyes shimmered with tears. Where was the dignified, serious, and unsmiling demeanor of a Xihua Sect Elder? She was clearly just a young woman who missed her lover and had traveled a thousand miles to be with him.

Situ Jun's heart stirred. No longer able to restrain himself, he leaned down and gently kissed her lips.

Luo Yu slowly closed her eyes, responding submissively.

That kiss was not hurried; it was gentle and lingering, carrying the cherished feeling of a long-awaited reunion and the deep affection settled by time.

The candlelight in the room flickered gently in the evening breeze, lengthening and overlapping their embracing shadows, casting them onto the plain walls and blending them into a mass of thick, inseparable tenderness.

After the kiss, Situ Jun leaned down and picked her up in his arms.

Her figure was light, and she snuggled in his arms as obediently as a cat.

He walked toward the bed step by step, reaching out to lightly lift the brocade curtains. The soft silk fell slowly, cutting off the moonlight from the window and the fragrance of the Spirit Plants in the courtyard.

Clothes were gently shed, the faint sounds falling into the silent room. Moonlight spilled through the gaps in the window screens, reflecting a room full of lingering romance.

After a long time, the waves gradually subsided.

Luo Yu leaned against his chest, her body soft, her hair slightly damp, and her cheeks flushed with a charming crimson.

She remained silent for a moment, but ultimately unable to suppress the concern in her heart, she spoke softly:

"About the passage... what do you plan to do?"

Situ Jun grasped her slightly cool hand, his palm warm and broad, firmly enveloping her slender fingertips. His tone was steady and certain:

"Over a year ago, I already ordered people to collect Materials to repair the space pearl. You have seen that pearl before; it contains a complete small world within. If it can be fully repaired, it would be comparable to an Innate Spirit Treasure and could safely house living people. If the passage opens before it is repaired, I will leave this pearl for you all to repair slowly before I enter the Otherworld. When the passage opens again in the next millennium, if you can reach the Soul Transformation Middle Stage, you can take the pearl into the Otherworld to reunite with me."

Luo Yu's heart shuddered. She suddenly looked up at him, her eyes full of disbelief and melancholy:

"A thousand years... that's so long..."

A thousand years is enough for seas to turn into mulberry fields and for black hair to be dyed with frost.

Even though a Cultivator's Lifespan is long, such a lengthy separation was enough to make one's heart tighten.

Situ Jun sighed softly and pulled her tightly into his arms again, his chin resting against her forehead. His voice was gentle yet carried an unquestionable firmness:

"With your Aptitude and Comprehension Ability, stepping into the Soul Transformation Realm within a thousand years is not difficult. Moreover, before I leave, I will exhaust the pure Spiritual Qi of the Dragon-Phoenix Grand Derivation True Scripture to temper your Spiritual Roots and enhance your talent for Cultivation. The better your Aptitude, the smoother your path of Cultivation will be, and the day of our reunion will be closer."

Leaning in his arms and listening to his steady heartbeat, Luo Yu's eyes grew hot and her nose felt sore.

She knew in her heart that this was the best and only way for now.

The rules of the Heavenly Dao cannot be violated. On the day the passage opens, Cultivators above the Soul Transformation Middle Stage must go; otherwise, when the Lightning Tribulation descends, not only will Situ Jun be unable to save himself, but the entire Northern Frontier will be turned into a purgatory.

A thousand years is an unreachable Reincarnation for a Mortal, but for a Cultivator, it is merely the time spent in a few secluded cultivations or undergoing a few Heavenly Tribulations.

As long as the longing in one's heart does not fade, what is there to fear from a thousand years?

She raised her eyes, looking directly into his deep gaze. Her eyes shimmered with tears, yet they held an unprecedented determination:

"Then it's settled. A thousand years from now, I will come find you."

Situ Jun lowered his head and tenderly kissed away the moisture falling from the corner of her eye, his voice raspy yet incredibly serious:

"Alright, I will wait for you. No matter how long, I will wait."

Luo Yu took the initiative to tilt her head up and kiss his lips again.

This kiss was more passionate and resolute than before, carrying the courage of a desperate gamble and hiding an endless stream of deep affection and obsession.

Situ Jun's arms suddenly tightened, pulling her deep into his embrace.

The candlelight flickered and the curtains hung low, completely shrouding the room's lingering romance.