Chapter 586 512: "Junior Sister, We Are Family... and Only Family.

Xuanwang City. Inside a certain inn.

The sun was setting in the west, and the warm, orange-red glow of its last rays illuminated Nangong Jin's profile, making her skin shine like warm jade.

She leaned against the window, her gaze fixed on a towering clock tower in the distance. Intricate components floated all around the entire structure, with complex runes flickering in and out of sight on its surface.

That was the location of Xuanwang City's Teleportation Array.

"Brother Pei, we still have to wait three days for the Teleportation Array to activate..."

Nangong Jin bit her lower lip, a flicker of irritation, almost imperceptible, in her eyes.

This small emotion, amplified by the demonic Curse Seal on her lower abdomen, made her feel agitated and restless.

Pei Yuhang, who had always been perceptive when it came to women, noticed Nangong Jin's mood. He was a little puzzled and asked softly,

"Junior Sister, are you that eager to head to the Endless Sea immediately?

We just escaped that sunless Underground Palace. Wouldn't it be nice to spend a few days exploring the city?"

At his words, Nangong Jin lowered her lashes, concealing the turbulent emotions in her eyes.

'Being alone with Brother Pei, even if it's just for a brief stay in this unfamiliar city, is of course a wonderful thing.'

'But according to Ji Shenyun, the so-called "reinforcements" will arrive sometime between tonight and tomorrow. The thought of someone coming between me and Brother Pei feels like a thorn lodged in my heart.'

Even Nangong Jin herself didn't know why she felt this way. 'Perhaps it's because of Brother Pei.'

Today, as she walked through the city with Brother Pei, she had seen other Female Cultivators and young women shyly approach him.

Her hand on her sword had tightened unconsciously, a knot forming in her chest.

Nangong Jin didn't know the word 'possessiveness.' She just felt that this was all because she wanted to protect Brother Pei so badly.

'I can't let Brother Pei fall into danger again, like when Ji Shenyun captured him.'

As this thought crossed her mind, Nangong Jin raised her gaze to the lanterns beginning to light up in the distance, a cold glint in her eyes.

"Brother Pei... I don't trust the people Ji Shenyun is sending."

"Anyone that Female Demon knows can't be good. Who knows what kind of Evil Cultivators or Demon Dao practitioners she's sending...

If the Teleportation Array could activate today, we could go straight to the Endless Sea without having to meet them."

Pei Yuhang looked at Nangong Jin's slender, delicate back, hesitated for a moment, then said softly,

"Junior Sister, if you're really that worried, then once the reinforcements arrive, you should move into my room...

That way, if anything unexpected happens, we can watch out for each other."

"Brother Pei, you'd really let me move in?"

Nangong Jin's cool eyes suddenly lit up. Realizing she had lost her composure, she quickly cleared her throat and said,

"That is only logical, Brother Pei."

"AHEM, I mean... if those reinforcements are ruthless Demon Cultivators, then they're definitely foes, not friends.

Moving in with you would be the safer option, Brother Pei."

After she finished, feeling as if she'd done something mischievous, she stole a glance at Pei Yuhang. 'Brother Pei didn't notice how secretly delighted I am, did he...?'

Seeing that Pei Yuhang was just quietly sipping his tea and not looking her way, Nangong Jin finally relaxed.

At this moment, she suddenly felt that if the so-called reinforcements could serve as a good excuse for her to live closer to Brother Pei, then maybe they weren't so bad after all.

"Junior Sister Nangong."

Just then, Pei Yuhang's gentle voice suddenly rang out, making Nangong Jin startle and her long legs tense up.

"Earlier today, I overheard some people saying there's a fireworks parade in Xuanwang City tonight. Would you like to go see it with me?"

"Fire... fireworks?"

Nangong Jin froze for a moment. Then, upon realizing that Brother Pei was asking her out, the tips of her jade-white ears flushed a visible shade of pink.

She hastily looked down, smoothing out her perfectly neat sleeves, but a trace of excitement escaped in her voice. "I... Of course I would."

"Brother Pei, can you wait for me to change my clothes?"

...

The sun had set, and night had fallen.

When Pei Yuhang saw Nangong Jin again, he found she had changed out of her usual practical, plain attire and into a pale cyan dress embroidered with koi fish in silver thread.

The moon-white silk sash tied at her waist further accentuated her graceful figure, making her waist look so slender it could be spanned with a single hand.

He gazed at her, his expression momentarily stunned.

"Do I look nice, Brother Pei?"

Nangong Jin rose onto her toes and, like a butterfly, lifted the hem of her skirt and spun around.

"This dress... it looks familiar."

At his words, Nangong Jin lowered her gaze, seeming to be lost in reminiscence, as if retrieving fragments of a forgotten past.

"This was my favorite style of dress... before I left the Xuanyuan Dao Sect."

"Back when you taught me swordsmanship, Brother Pei, I often wore this very dress. You would stand behind me, holding me close... our bodies pressed together, your hands guiding mine as you taught me how to practice.

I'm so happy. You remember it even more clearly than I do, Brother Pei."

Pei Yuhang looked at the rosy blush on Nangong Jin's lovely face. Even for a man who had seen the most beautiful women in the world, his breath caught in his throat. He opened his mouth to speak, but then he remembered Ji Shenyun's warning.

In the end, he lowered his gaze, suppressing the urge to compliment her.

"Let's go, Junior Sister."

"...Mm."

Nangong Jin walked by Pei Yuhang's side, unconsciously keeping herself about half a step behind him.

This cool and distant Forgetfulness Fairy had, for once, traded her usual attire for a beautiful dress with a more worldly air. A White Jade hairpin was nestled in her jet-black hair, swaying gently with each step and lending a rare softness to her otherwise cold demeanor.

The main streets of Xuanwang City were already bustling with noise and people. Lanterns hung from both sides like ripe fruit, casting a warm red glow over the bluestone-paved road.