Two days later, Jiang Chen and his two companions officially arrived at Frost Moon City. Once inside, the stocky Liu Zhen proved true to his word, handing over a stalk of Heavenly Luminous Grass to Jiang Chen. The two sides agreed to meet three days later at an agreed-upon location, where Liu Zhen would elaborate on his next request.
Frost Moon City was a core city in the northwestern reaches of the Upper Eight Domains. Though it couldn't hold a candle to Pill Fire City, it was still considered a jewel among the Upper Eight Domains.
It was the heart of the Upper Crescent Moon Domain—the pride and glory of its people.
Taking in the unique regional atmosphere, Jiang Chen had no appetite for enjoying such exotic surroundings. The moment thoughts of his father, Jiang Feng, crossed his mind, a heavy weight settled over his heart.
"Something bothering you, little brother?" The Peerless Emperor's powers of observation were keen.
Jiang Chen didn't deny it. "Brother, there are things pressing down on my heart. They concern the safety of my loved ones, and every time I think about them, I'm filled with a sense of unease."
The Peerless Emperor nodded sympathetically. "We may fear nothing under heaven or above the earth, but those closest to us—those we love most—are ultimately our softest spot, our weakness. You know why I didn't bring your sister-in-law to Pill Fire City? I was afraid someone would use her to get to me."
The Peerless Emperor's words resonated deeply within Jiang Chen.
In this life, he had already been threatened through his loved ones more than once, and each time had taught him to grow more cautious.
Reflecting on his previous life, he realized he had been nothing but a burden to his Heavenly Emperor father. Perhaps many of the Heavenly Emperor's enemies had once plotted to use him as leverage?
Jiang Chen's heart sank. He feared that in this life as well, someone might seize his father, Jiang Feng, and use him as a hostage. If such a thing were to happen, even possessing thousands of Divine Abilities, Jiang Chen would be utterly powerless.
After all, the word "father" carried far too much weight for him. It was a psychological threshold he simply could not cross.
"Forget about it for now. You're still young—don't shoulder too much. Take a page from the young folk of the Upper Crescent Moon Domain. This is a place that truly knows how to appreciate the finer things. Look at the girls here—cheerful, lively, fiery and uninhibited. My advice? Seize the opportunity..." The Peerless Emperor grinned, trying to lighten Jiang Chen's mood.
Jiang Chen was at a loss for words. "Brother, if your wife heard you say that..."
"Haha, I'm absolutely devoted to your sister-in-law. Besides, that's you young people's game. Us old-timers are past all that."
The girls of Frost Moon City really were different from those elsewhere. Perhaps it was the climate—the women here generally dressed quite lightly, and they lacked the shy modesty or prim propriety of girls in other places.
A casual stroll down the street would reveal young maidens singing and dancing. The girls here seemed to speak with their eyes, with their very movements—even their bare midriffs seemed to have a language of their own.
Every gesture, every glance, was imbued with a kind of heat that could set any man's blood to boiling.
"Brother, enough idle talk. Take me to see sister-in-law." Jiang Chen had originally come here to gather news about his mother.
But since the Peerless Emperor had come along, he figured he might as well visit the Emperor's dao companion first.
"Mm, follow me." The Peerless Emperor's tone shifted the moment his dao companion was mentioned—his earlier playfulness giving way to something more earnest.
Though the Peerless Emperor was an independent cultivator, he truly had friends everywhere. Not long after entering Frost Moon City, he led Jiang Chen to a rather secluded area.
This was where his friend lived.
And the Peerless Emperor's dao companion had been settled within this friend's territory.
Any place where the Peerless Emperor would entrust his dao companion was guaranteed to be trustworthy.
"Brother Mo, you're back?" This time, the one who greeted them was a woman—a woman of exceptional, delicate beauty.
Her voice was soft and melodious, carrying an incredibly gentle quality.
"Sister Qing, how is Ah Yun?" The Peerless Emperor asked anxiously the moment he saw her.
"Sister Yun is still the same as before. Brother Mo—and this is...?" The woman's residence was refined and elegant. Though situated in the heart of a bustling city, it possessed a serene seclusion, as though it existed apart from the world.
"He's one of us." The Peerless Emperor turned to Jiang Chen. "This is your sister-in-law's former fellow disciple, and also a friend of mine."
Jiang Chen blinked. So this was Brother Mo's friend in Frost Moon City? He'd assumed it would be a wandering martial artist like the Geng brothers.
He hadn't expected a woman—let alone his dao companion's junior martial sister. This caught him quite off guard.
"Lady Qing, greetings." Jiang Chen was courteous enough. Having heard Brother Mo address her as "Sister Qing," he slightly adjusted the form of address.
The woman's bright eyes flickered, and she gave a slight nod. "Hello."
Her tone was neither effusively warm nor so cold as to seem unapproachable.
"Let's go inside." The Peerless Emperor treated the place as his own home, striding inside without ceremony.
A faint shadow of disappointment crossed Lady Qing's fair face. She let out a soft sigh and followed them inside with small, measured steps.
Jiang Chen caught that sigh and felt an inexplicable sense of puzzlement.
Why had this woman sighed like that? He couldn't tell whether it was for the fate of the Peerless Emperor and his companion, or for her own.
Somehow, Jiang Chen felt there was something in that sigh that defied easy interpretation.
Stepping into the courtyard, they found a world apart. All manner of plants and trees had been cultivated throughout the small garden, lending the entire space an ethereal, otherworldly quality.