After Táng Lís death, Xùn actually didnt remember that period of time very clearly. Many things had become vague and indistinct... He couldnt recall the scene at the time, nor could he think back on it. It was as if his body had its own consciousness, understanding that those memories were too painful, so he would subconsciously try to forget everything.

  He spent those days recovering in the eastern city, sitting alone by the window of his temporary residence, whether it was sunny or rainy, he just sat there, speechless and silent, a whole day would pass like that. He had never experienced such a desolate and painful moment before, nothing seemed to have any meaning, the energy in his body was drained away for no reason.

  The wounds on my body are gradually healing, but the wounds in my heart have never healed.

  Yuwen Jin occasionally came over, and one time he curiously asked him: "Do you really love your wife so much? There are many good women in the world, why do you only love this one?"

  Why? His encounter and love with Tōri were too hasty, and their time together was too short. During that period, Fūka didnt think about why; he just indulged in those days because he had someone by his side and felt fulfilled, not thinking of anything else. Before meeting Tōri, he hadnt loved anyone else and didnt know what it meant to love someone.

  It may be because Táng Lí appeared at a good time, or it was because she was too gentle... He had never seen anyone like that before.

  He didnt know what words to use to describe Tang Li, he couldnt describe it clearly, but he remembered the warmth from Tang Li when he woke up from the coldness of death, she gently hugged him with a sense of treasuring and love.

  This was something that Sun couldnt understand, from the very beginning, Tang Li treated him as if he were a long-lost lover, taking care of him with meticulous attention. They hugged each other in the cold and desolate Ghost Wailing Plains, where the night was icy and terrifying, filled with all sorts of strange sounds, making it a place that made ones skin crawl. But Tang Li was here, and she didnt fit in with her surroundings, bringing with her a warmth that was completely different from this world.

  Xun had heard her singing while he was in a coma, she occasionally hummed some tunes softly, those tunes inexplicably reminded him of gentle breeze and rain or taverns, vivid and intimate. Xun felt peaceful in his sleep, feeling an unprecedented calmness.

  They are completely different, Xuns first half of his life was lonely and hasty, never got anything good or emotional, being attracted to Tang Li seems like a matter of course. He finally had what he wanted, wanting to take the initiative to pursue something.

  If Táng Lí didnt like him, perhaps he would also stay by her side, carefully protecting her, just like guarding the most peaceful and gentle corner of his own heart.

  Fortunately, Tōri also liked him and they got together exceptionally smoothly. Shun decided to leave Rendanji for a big reason because of Tōri, he didnt want the peaceful life created by Tōri to be disrupted by unexpected events from his side.

  However, she eventually left him. He had experienced the most beautiful emotions in the world and suddenly lost them. This was the only time in his life that he was thoroughly defeated, so defeated that he couldnt even pick up a knife again. The wounds on his body healed two months later, but it took him two years to stop drowning in pain.

  In the Eastern City, he repaid Yuwen Jins kindness for two years. Then he went to the Northern City with a determination to die and kill Xiahou Xuan, but unfortunately, Xiahou Xuan was not so easy to deal with. They both suffered heavy injuries, and Xun had no choice but to leave. After that, he wandered around the world to cultivate his skills, devoting all his attention to pursuing better swordsmanship.

  After Táng Lí left, Xùn realized that he was more indifferent to everything around him than before, and he couldnt invest emotions in anyone or anything anymore.

  His heart is as dead ashes.

  But Táng Lí came back, and thus the dead ashes reignited.

  At the same time, the circumstances of Tōris death that year suddenly became clear in his mind, and not only that, but also haunted him like a nightmare, making it impossible for him to sleep.

  "I didnt intentionally stay awake, but I just couldnt fall asleep."

  "I clearly know youve come back, knowing youre not dead, right by my side, but the image of you dying in my arms keeps appearing in my dreams, making me feel terrified." The fear that comes after realization, the tension of suspecting everything before ones eyes is not real.

  He said in a low voice: "I may indeed be too tense, but I cant control it."

  Tang Li listened quietly to Xuns explanation of why he couldnt sleep at night, and suddenly reached out to support his cheeks, speaking calmly: "Xun slave, actually your situation should be a kind of illness called post-traumatic stress disorder. Its because you witnessed my death that it caused mental harm, anxiety and tension, all of which are very normal situations."

  Xun listened and didnt quite understand, "......what trauma what disability?"

  Tang Li: "To put it simply, you need treatment and dietary therapy will be enough."

  This time I understood.

  Peach: "So you still have to eat at night, dont be afraid of getting fat."

  "......I dont have."

  "Actually, its not just practicing sword fighting that can exercise your body, there are other ways. Perhaps this method will make you feel more at ease and recover from illness faster."

  Xun didnt know what she meant until he was dragged onto the bed at night.

  Sun: "......" In order to avoid Tang Li being unaccustomed to the current situation, he restrained himself very much, but as a result, he was preempted by his gentle and weak wife.

  Tang Li wasnt afraid at all, and she comforted him by hugging his neck: "Cooperate with the treatment, youll get better soon. You must sleep well, or you wont have energy, which will affect your physical health."

  Under Tang Lis care, Xuns condition is indeed getting better.

  They got along so well, Yuwen Jin noticed it and came over to eat while sighing at Tang Li, "You and Xun brother are moving too fast, arent you? Its only been a few days, but your feelings have gotten even better."

  Tang Li handed him a basket of steamed buns, smiling and saying: "The most unbearable things in relationships are hesitation and guessing. No matter how good the relationship is, it will be worn down by doubts. So if you have questions, ask them early on, and solve problems together. Time waits for no one, so we must grasp the present well and not hesitate. Who knows what unexpected things might happen while hesitating?"

  Yuwen Jin choked back a sound, "But its not everyone who can be honest about their thoughts."

  Tang Li lowered her head and smiled, ladling a bowl of sweet soup and covering it with a white ceramic lid. "So Xun Nu is really hard to come by, as long as I ask him, he never hides anything from me, and he doesnt suspect me either. This trust is something that others absolutely cant do." Otherwise, why would she like this person so much?

  Tang Li picked up the food box and said, "The city master continues to eat, Ill go give the sweet soup to Xun Nu at the martial arts arena."

  Yuwen Jin hesitated, swallowed a bun, and called out to her, half-jokingly saying: "I say, sister-in-law, if you feed him like this several times a day, what if he gets fat? You wont like him then, will you? Be careful, or else Yuwen Xiong will be very sad."

  Tang Li looked at him with a mixture of surprise and curiosity, then suddenly burst out laughing. "Did the City Master misunderstand what I said last time? The change I was talking about wasnt about changing ones appearance... The City Master hasnt met the person he likes yet, so maybe he doesnt understand." Physical appearance might be one way to get into someones heart, but once youre in, and you decide not to leave, then that path is no longer important, even if its broken.

  Yuwen Jin: "......" Suddenly feeling very stuffy?

  Xun agreed to stay in the East City for fifteen years, during which he would protect Yuwen Jin, garrison the East City, and Yuwen Jin also asked him to train the official troops, which meant that he was formally invited to become one of the martial arts instructors of the East City. Xun had lived in the East City for a period of time before, but at that time he was just a guest who kept a low profile, not as his own person. Now that his identity was confirmed, everyone in the East City government would politely call him Mr. Xun.

  Only Táng Lí still calls him Xūnú. As for this, Xūn has no objection, but he also only allows Táng Lí to call him that way.

  Regarding the relationship between Tang Li and Xun, since they didnt hide it at all, everyone tacitly understood. Behind their backs, people would gossip, but Tang Li ignored them; at least on the surface, no one dared to offend them, after all, Xuns intimidating power was too strong. Those who followed Tang Li to Dong City, such as Chou Tu, could only pretend to be blind and act like they were there for tourism. What else could they do? They could only wait for Nan Gongxian to arrive soon.

  Tang Li walked through the long corridor to the martial arts arena, where she saw a group of guards practicing sword fighting. She stood at a distance for a while before Xun came over. He was wearing a black short-sleeved martial arts shirt, his hair slightly damp with sweat, and had taken off his outer robe, revealing broad shoulders and long legs that made his waist seem particularly slender.

  Tang Li glanced at his waist, actually, she was still looking forward to Xun Nus weight gain, but he unexpectedly seemed to have a heavy image burden. For this inexplicable concern, he had been eating more in the past few days and practicing his sword with extra rigor, even the lazy guards under Yuwen Jins command were trained to the point of exhaustion.

  "Arent you tired? Actually, theres no need to be so serious, taking a rest is also okay." Tang Li said tactfully.

  "Not tired."

  "Cough, actually I think they cant take it anymore." Tang Li pointed to those dull-eyed guards. Yuwen Jin didnt dare to say it himself, so he came to find her, hoping she could help convey the appeal "Dont treat the guards as killing machines for training".

  Xun faintly shook his head, "Not good." It was because of this that the martial power of Dong City had always been weaker than the other three cities. If it werent for the merchant road being controlled below, something would have happened long ago.

  Tang Li remembered when she was teaching her before, even teaching her was so strict, let alone others.

  Xun listened to some of Tang Lis words and did not continue to torment those imperial guards. As long as Tang Li came to find him, he would let go of those imperial guards and follow Tang Li back early, so several times down, what those imperial guards looked forward to the most was Tang Li coming over, good for an early release.

  It wasnt long before Xiahou Xuan and Nangong Xian arrived at Dongcheng.

  Yuwen Jin knew they were up to no good, but since the two city masters had come in person, he still had to go out to greet them. A large group of people surged through the East City Masters Martial Arts Arena, coincidentally bumping into Xun and Tang Li walking by from the side, Tang Li was still holding a handkerchief to wipe away Xuns sweat on his forehead, the two of them walked while speaking in hushed tones, anyone could see that their relationship was intimate.

  Yuwen Jinxin said, this is really a coincidence, slapping him in the face. He glanced at Xiahou Xuan beside him and saw that this proud young master with his chin raised to the sky was now green with a blackish tint. Nangong Xian, on the other hand, was calm as usual - Chou Tu had already sent him a message, he was not concerned about who Nangong Jing liked, but whether she really agreed to hand over that thing.

  Tang Li and Xun also discovered this large group of people. Xun saw Xia Hou Xuans carriage, the warmth in his eyes was quickly replaced by a murderous intent, the veins on his hand holding the knife bulged, and he subconsciously blocked Tang Li behind him.

  Tang Li pressed down on Xuns arm and nodded to the few people, "Uncle, Xia Hou Chengzhu, youve arrived faster than I imagined."

  Xiahou Xuans anger reached its limit, seeing her hand still on Xun Yus, he hated to chop off those two hands, and asked in a bad tone: "What do you mean? Are you going to betray me?"

  Tang Lis eyes scanned him strangely, with disgust and malice in her tone: "What did Xia Hou Chengzhu say? We dont have any relationship, what is this talk of betrayal?"

  Xiahou Xuans eyes sank, and he was amused by her, "No big deal? Youre my fiancée!"

  "Its not now." Táng Lí wēn wēn róu yī xiào, "What a pity that Xià Hóu Chéng zhǔ came too early. If it were two months later, I would have even gotten pregnant with Xún Nús child."