In the period after Tang Li's death, Xun actually didn't remember things very clearly, many events became blurry.

He couldn't recall the scenes at that time, and had no way to think back, as if his body had its own consciousness, understanding that segment of memory was too painful, so it would subconsciously forget everything.

During that time, he recuperated from his injuries in the East City. For long days, he would sit alone by the window, whether it was sunny or rainy, he would just sit there, not speaking, sitting for an entire day. He had never had such a bewildered and painful time, when nothing had any meaning, the strength in his body drained by some unknown force.

The wounds on his body were gradually healing, but the wounds in his heart never healed.

Yuwen Jin would occasionally come over. One time, he curiously asked him: "Do you really love your wife that much? There are so many good women in the world, yet you only love this one, why is that?"

Why? His meeting and falling in love with Tang Li had been too hasty, their time together too short. During that time, Xun hadn't thought about why, he just indulged in those days, feeling satisfied to have someone like that by his side, unable to think of other matters. Before meeting Tang Li, he had never loved anyone else, and didn't know what it meant to love someone.

Perhaps it was because Tang Li appeared at just the right time, or perhaps, it was because she was too gentle... He had never met someone like her before.

Xun didn't know what words to use to describe Tang Li, he couldn't describe it clearly, but he remembered when he woke from the cold of death, he clearly felt the warmth from Tang Li, she held him gently, full of a kind of cherishing and love.

This was something Xun couldn't understand. From the very beginning, Tang Li treated him as if he was a long cherished lover, taking care of him attentively and carefully.

They embraced in the bone-chilling Ghostly Crying Plains. The Ghostly Crying Plains at night were frigid and frightening, with all kinds of strange sounds, it was a disgusting and unpleasant place, but Tang Li was there. She was completely at odds with the environment, carrying a warmth completely different from this world.

While unconscious, Xun had heard her singing. She would occasionally hum some tunes softly, those tunes inexplicably made him think of gentle breezes and fine rains, or taverns and homes, vivid and intimate. In his sleep, Xun felt at peace, a tranquility he had never felt before.

They were completely different. Xun's first half of life was lonely and rushed, never obtaining any beautiful things or feelings. Being attracted to Tang Li, this seemed to be a matter of course. He finally had something he wanted, something he actively wanted to pursue.

If Tang Li didn't like him, perhaps he would still stay by her side, properly protecting her, like guarding the most tranquil and gentle corner of his heart.

Fortunately, Tang Li also liked him, they got together exceptionally smoothly. Xun's decision to leave the Refining Realm was in large part because of Tang Li, he didn't want the peaceful life Tang Li had created to be shattered by accidents originating from his side.

However, in the end, she still left him. He had experienced the most beautiful feelings in the world, then abruptly lost them. This was the only time in his life he had been utterly defeated, routed to the point he could no longer even pick up his blade. The wounds on his body healed after two months, but it took him a full two years to no longer be mired in pain.

After repaying Yuwen Jin's kindness with two years in the East City, he went to the North City, carrying a resolve to die in order to kill Xiahou Xuanyu. Unfortunately, Xiahou Xuanyu was not so easy to deal with. They both suffered serious injuries, and Xun had no choice but to leave. After that, he wandered everywhere training, focusing everything on pursuing better bladework.

After Tang Li left, Xun found himself even more indifferent to everything around him compared to before, and was no longer able to invest feelings in any person or matter.

His heart was like dead ashes.

But Tang Li came back, so the dead ashes reignited.

At the same time, the circumstances of Tang Li's death back then, he could suddenly remember clearly. Not only that, they clung to him like a nightmare, making him unable to sleep peacefully.

"I'm not deliberately not sleeping, but unable to fall asleep."

"I'm well aware you've come back, I know you're not dead, right by my side, but the image of you dying in my arms frequently appears in my dreams, making me feel fear." A belated fear, suspicion that everything before his eyes wasn't real, tension.

Xun said hoarsely: "I may indeed be too tense, but I can't control it."

Tang Li quietly listened to Xun explain why he wasn't sleeping at night. She suddenly reached out to cup his cheek, saying calmly: "Xun, actually your situation should be an illness called 'post-traumatic stress disorder'. It's because witnessing my death caused you mental trauma, anxiety, tension, these are all very normal situations."

Xun didn't really understand. "...What trauma what disorder?"

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

This time Xun understood.

Tang Li: "So you still need to eat your late night snacks, don't be afraid of getting fat."

Xun: "...I'm not."

Tang Li: "Actually, practicing the blade isn't the only way to exercise, there are other methods. Perhaps this method can make you feel more at ease, and recover from the illness faster."

Xun didn't know what she meant, until he was pulled onto the bed at night.

Xun: "..." In order to avoid Tang Li being uncomfortable with the current situation, he was very restrained, but ended up having the initiative seized by his weak wife again.

Tang Li wasn't scared at all, even hugging his neck to comfort him: "Cooperate with the treatment, you'll get better very quickly. You must sleep well, otherwise you'll have no energy, it really affects physical health."

Under Tang Li's comprehensive care, Xun's condition indeed improved.

The two of them got better so quickly, Yuwen Jin noticed. When he came over to freeload food, he sighed to Tang Li: "You and Brother Xun are moving too fast, your relationship has gotten even better in just a few days."

Tang Li brought over a basket of steamed buns for him, smiling as she said: "The most undesirable things in a relationship are hesitation and guessing. Even the best feelings will be worn down by doubts, so if you have questions you need to ask early, if you have problems then solve them together. Time waits for no one, so you need to seize the present even more, you can't hesitate. No one knows if some accident will occur while you're hesitating."

Yuwen Jin made an "eh" sound. "But not everyone can be frank about their thoughts."

Tang Li lowered her head and laughed, scooping a bowl of sweet soup and covering it with a white porcelain lid. "That's why Xun Nu is so rare. Whenever I ask, he never hides anything from me, and he doesn't doubt me. This level of trust is something no one else can achieve." Otherwise, why would she like this person so much?

Picking up the food box, Tang Li said, "City Lord, please continue eating. I'll take this sweet soup to Xun Nu at the martial arts field."

Yuwen Jin hesitated, swallowed a bun, and stopped her, half-jokingly saying, "I say, sister-in-law, if you feed him several meals a day like this, what if Xun Nu gets fat? You won't like him anymore. Be careful, if you stop liking Xun Nu, he will surely be very sad."

Tang Li looked at him in surprise. After a while, she suddenly laughed out loud. "City Lord, did you misunderstand what I said last time? The change I mentioned wasn't about appearance... Maybe you haven't met the person you like the most, so you don't understand."

Appearance may be one of the paths to a person's heart. Once you pass through and enter their heart, deciding never to leave, then that path is no longer important, even if it's broken, it doesn't matter.

Yuwen Jin: "..." Suddenly feeling so full?

Xun agreed to stay in East City for fifteen years. During this time, he would protect Yuwen Jin and guard East City. Yuwen Jin also asked him to train the city guards, formally inviting him to become one of East City's martial arts instructors.

Xun had lived in East City for a while before, but at that time he was just a reclusive "guest", not one of their own. Now that his identity was confirmed, everyone in the East City government politely called him Sir Xun.

Only Tang Li still called him Xun Nu. Xun had no objections to this, but he only allowed Tang Li alone to address him that way.

As for the relationship between Tang Li and Xun, because they made no attempt to hide it, everyone tacitly understood. No matter what people said behind their backs, Tang Li didn't care. At least on the surface, no one dared to offend them, after all, Xun's deterrence was too strong.

Chou Tu and the others who came to East City with Tang Li could only turn a blind eye these days, pretending they were here as tourists. They couldn't do anything about it anyway, so they could only wait for Nangong Xian to come soon.

Tang Li walked through the corridor to the martial arts field and saw a group of city guards practicing swordsmanship. She stood at a distance and waited for a while, then saw Xun walking over. He was wearing a black short-sleeved martial arts shirt, his hair slightly damp with sweat. Having taken off his outer robe, his broad shoulders and long legs made his waist look especially slim.

Tang Li glanced at his waist. Actually, she quite looked forward to Xun Nu gaining weight. But unexpectedly, he seemed to care a lot about his image. Recently, he ate more but also practiced swordsmanship more diligently, causing even Yuwen Jin's group of lazy city guards to complain bitterly from the training.

"Are you tired? You don't really need to be so serious. It's okay to rest more," Tang Li said tactfully.

Xun: "I'm not tired."

"Ahem, actually I think they can't take it anymore." Tang Li pointed to those dazed-looking city guards. Yuwen Jin didn't dare tell Xun himself, so he specifically asked her to help convey the request of "don't train the city guards as if they were assassins."

Xun shook his head lightly. "Unacceptable."

This was precisely why East City's military strength had always been weaker than the other three cities. If it weren't for the control of the business community underneath, something would have happened long ago.

Tang Li recalled when Xun taught her before, he was so strict even with her, let alone others.

Xun still listened to some of Tang Li's words and stopped torturing those city guards. As long as Tang Li came to find him, he would let the guards go and leave early with her. After a few times, what those city guards looked forward to the most was Tang Li's arrival, so they could be liberated early.

Not long after, Xiahou Yuanyu and Nangong Xian arrived at East City.

Even though Yuwen Jin knew they came with ill intentions, with two city lords personally visiting, he still had to go welcome them. A large group of people passed through the East City Lord's martial arts field and happened to run into Xun and Tang Li walking by.

Tang Li was still using a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from Xun's forehead. The two walked and talked in low voices. Anyone could see their intimate relationship.

Yuwen Jin thought, what a coincidence, a slap in the face. He glanced at Xiahou Yuanyu beside him. Sure enough, this proud young master, whose chin was usually raised to the sky, now had a face green with anger.

Nangong Xian, on the other hand, was calm and collected - Chou Tu had long sent him a letter. What he cared about now was not who Nangong Qin liked, but whether she really agreed to hand over that thing.

Tang Li and Xun also noticed this large group of people. When Xun saw Xiahou Yuanyu, the tenderness in his eyes was quickly replaced by murderous intent. The veins on his hand holding the sword bulged as he subconsciously blocked Tang Li behind him.

Tang Li pressed Xun's arm and nodded to the few people. "Uncle, Lord Xiahou, you arrived faster than I expected."

Xiahou Yuanyu could no longer hold back. Seeing her hand constantly on Xun's, he wished he could chop off those two hands. He questioned her in an unfriendly tone, "What do you mean by this? Are you betraying me?"

Tang Li looked at him strangely, her tone full of disgust and malice, "What are you talking about, Lord Xiahou? We have no relationship, so how can it be called betrayal."

Xiahou Yuanyu's eyes darkened. Her words made him so angry that he laughed. "No relationship? You are my fiancée!"

"Not anymore." Tang Li smiled gently. "What a pity Lord Xiahou came too early. If you were two months later, I might have even been pregnant with Xun Nu's child."