The moment Shen Xuan calmly said, "Should I feed you then?"
the woman's entire body trembled, and a terrifying murderous aura burst out of her.
Her cold eyes turned sharper than blades. "Do you want to die?" she said, her tone icy but faintly trembling with embarrassment.
Shen Xuan frowned slightly, his expression calm. "If you don't want to eat, then don't," he replied in a cold voice and turned away.
Before the atmosphere could thicken further, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the woods. Both of them looked toward the source.
A young girl in a flowing purple dress rushed out of the trees. Her beauty was soft yet striking, her anxious eyes full of worry.
"Mistress! Are you alright?" she cried, kneeling beside the woman. "I'm sorry I'm late! There was no one nearby who could help, and the medicines in this region are useless for your internal injuries…"
The girl's name was Long Meiling — the woman's loyal maid.
When she noticed Shen Xuan standing nearby, her gaze instantly turned cold and hostile."Who are you?" she demanded sharply.
But before Shen Xuan could reply, the injured woman raised a weak hand."Meiling, don't misunderstand him," she said in a faint but firm voice. "He helped me greatly Long Meiling blinked, her anger dissolving into shock. She bowed respectfully."Thank you… for helping my mistress," she said softly. "Forgive my earlier rudeness."
Shen Xuan simply nodded. "It's fine. Besides, your mistress said she would reward me with a precious treasure otherwise, I'm not some saint who helps everyone"
Hearing that, Long Meiling froze, her expression twisting with disbelief and anger.No one had ever spoken to her mistress that way before.
She was about to retort, but her mistress stopped her with a sharp mental message through spiritual sense.Meiling's lips tightened she lowered her head and said nothing.
Shen Xuan paid them no further attention. He turned back to his half-roasted beast and calmly resumed cooking as the faint crackle of fire filled the tense silence.
The campfire flickered softly in the darkness.Shen Xuan sat cross-legged, calmly roasting the beast meat, the scent of sizzling flesh mixing with the cool night air.
Not far away, the veiled woman and her maid, Long Meiling, sat together. Their voices were low — carried through spiritual sense and soft whispers.
"Mistress, we must return soon," Meiling said quietly. "If we stay too long in this Lower World, the realm's laws will reject our existence. I can already feel it… the world's will doesn't accept us."
The woman gave a faint nod, her expression unreadable beneath the veil.
After a moment, Meiling's gaze fell upon the roasted meat."Mistress, would you like to eat something? Your internal injuries haven't fully healed yet. Should I feed you?"
At those words, a faint blush crept across the woman's delicate face — hidden behind her veil. Meiling, of course, couldn't see it.
She sighed softly. "That arrogant boy is at least capable of something," she muttered under her breath, glancing toward Shen Xuan."Even if it's only cooking. He looks like the type who only cares about treasures… Typical of the people from this world. Mistress, you shouldn't mind his behavior."
Then she smiled lightly. "Let me remove your veil, Mistress. You need to eat — your body needs energy."
The woman hesitated for a brief second but didn't stop her.As Meiling lifted the veil, the moonlight fell upon a face so breathtaking that even the stars seemed to dim in comparison.
Her beauty was ethereal — pale yet radiant, her eyes cold and fierce, her lips soft as cherry blossom petals.The faint traces of blood staining her white robes only made her look more fragile… and more divine.
For a moment, even Shen Xuan's gaze drifted in her direction.The woman's flawless face reflected the firelight like a dream — yet Shen Xuan's expression remained calm, distant, untouched.
He simply turned the meat, unbothered, his mind elsewhere.
That indifference — that lack of reaction — made the woman's heart twist strangely.Disappointment.uncomfortable
She was one of the 2nd most Beautiful and powerful women of the Immortal Realm, courted by countless immortal kings and immortal emperors and admired across countless immortal kingdoms. Countless powerful mens and geniouses had proposed her but she rejected them all because her heart was already broken.
And yet this… mortal man, this low-world cultivator, had simply looked at her — and ignored her, as if she were no more than a passing breeze.
That's right she was from immortal realm and how she got there time will tell
Meiling began to gently feed her mistress, while Shen Xuan finished his roast and prepared to eat.The woman glanced at him again, her curiosity burning stronger than before.
Who exactly was this man… who could look at me without a flicker of desire in his eyes?
The fire crackled softly, scattering embers into the cool night air.Shen Xuan sat silently, the roasted beast meat now ready. He reached up, unfastening the mask that had covered his face for so long.
The woman, half-reclined against a boulder, noticed the subtle movement.Her eyes — sharp, deep, and filled with curiosity — unconsciously followed his hands.
The mask came loose.For a fleeting moment, the flickering flames danced across his features as he turned slightly, picking up the plate beside him.
And then
Her breath caught.
The woman's eyes widened, her composed expression faltering completely.Her heart trembled in her chest, a thousand emotions flickering through her gaze — disbelief, confusion, and something deeper… something like longing.
Her slender fingers clenched around her robe, and a faint tremor ran through her body.
Shen Xuan turned slightly, unaware of the storm he'd just caused.But to her that face… it wasn't just handsome. It was familiar.
No… this can't be…
Her pulse quickened. The firelight reflected in her eyes as her lips parted soundlessly.
Meiling, noticing her mistress's sudden reaction, frowned and followed her line of sight.And the instant her gaze fell upon Shen Xuan's uncovered face she froze.
All color drained from her face. Her body went rigid, disbelief etched in every line of her expression.
Her lips trembled before she managed to whisper, almost choking on the words
"Absolutely…impossible."
The night wind whispered through the forest, carrying the faint scent of ash and blood.
The woman's hands trembled slightly as her gaze remained fixed on the young man before her. Her voice, unsteady and faintly quivering, broke the silence.
"Meiling… tell me…" she whispered, her eyes glistening under the dim firelight. "What I'm seeing— you see it too, don't you? This isn't… this isn't an illusion, right?"
Tears shimmered at the corners of her eyes, though she didn't seem to notice them.
Meiling's throat tightened. For a long moment, she couldn't find her voice. When she finally spoke, her tone was low and cautious, masking her own shock."Mistress, please… calm yourself. Maybe… maybe he's not the one we think he is."
But her mistress's pain was already visible — the tremor in her lips, the ache in her gaze.
"No," she said, her voice trembling as she shook her head. "It must be him… it has to be him…"
Meiling bit her lip, helplessly watching her mistress's fragile composure waver. Of course she knew why this was happening — why that face had shattered her mistress's calm so easily.
Softly, she said, "Mistress, why don't we ask him directly? If he truly is… that person, then he'll recognize you the moment he fully sees you."
Shen xuan saw her face before but he only saw one side so he didn't truly saw her full face ut he knew that she was a beautiful women.
The woman hesitated, then slowly nodded. It took all her willpower to suppress the storm within her heart. She drew in a steady breath, gathering herself.
Together, the two of them walked toward Shen Xuan.
Shen Xuan looked up, a flicker of surprise passing through his eyes when he saw them approaching — but he said nothing, continuing to eat quietly. The aroma of roasted meat mingled with the night air.
They stopped near the fire. The woman and her maid both stood there, watching him. The silence stretched long — too long — broken only by the soft crackle of the flames.
When Shen Xuan finally finished eating, he lifted his gaze. His cold eyes met theirs — calm, unreadable.
He frowned slightly at their unblinking stares and asked, in his usual indifferent tone,
"Do you… need something?"
When Shen Xuan's calm voice broke the silence — "Do you need something?" — both the woman and Meiling froze.
The woman's lips parted slightly, but no words came out. Her entire body trembled, the faintest shiver running through her as if her strength was slipping away. The fact that he… hadn't recognized her — that he had looked right at her and seen nothing — made her heart twist painfully.
Shen Xuan frowned at her pale, shaking form."You should sit down," he said in his usual steady tone. "Your outer injuries have mostly healed. Only your internal ones remain — you shouldn't be standing."
Meiling quickly supported her mistress, helping her sit on the soft grass. After a moment, she turned to Shen Xuan and spoke politely,"Could you… roast a bit more meat? My mistress still needs energy to recover."
Shen Xuan glanced at her briefly."You should've said so earlier," he replied, his tone flat. "I would've cooked extra."
He drew another beast from his storage ring, set up the fire again, and began roasting it. The rich scent of sizzling meat spread through the night air, mingling with the cool forest breeze.
Not far away, Meiling and her mistress sat side by side, their eyes faintly glowing as they spoke through spiritual sense.
"I told you, Mistress," Meiling said softly in her mind. "He can't be that person. He… already—"
She stopped herself before finishing the sentence, afraid her words would reopen wounds better left buried.
But her mistress couldn't accept it. Her gaze remained fixed on Shen Xuan's back, her expression filled with pain and disbelief.
Meiling could only sigh, helplessly watching her lady struggle against memories that refused to fade. How could someone look so much like him? she wondered. It's impossible…
After some time, when the meat was ready, Meiling spoke aloud."Thank you," she said quietly. "We won't forget your help."
Shen Xuan shook his head."It's fine," he said indifferently. "I only guarded your mistress and gave her some food. Nothing worth remembering. Besides—" his eyes flicked toward the woman, "—she promised me a treasure in return."
Meiling blinked, half-annoyed, half-surprised at how casually he spoke. Even her mistress's lips twitched slightly at his bluntness. For someone so cold, he seemed strangely…simple.
Shen Xuan roasted another piece of meat, handed it to them, then silently climbed up a nearby tree. He leaned back against the trunk, staring at the night sky — stars scattered like shattered glass.
Below, Meiling helped her mistress into a portable treasure — a small artifact that unfolded into a quiet, glowing room. Before following her inside, Meiling looked up one last time at Shen Xuan resting under the moonlight.
When she entered the room, her heart sank. Her mistress's eyes were red, faint traces of tears still glistening.
Meiling sighed softly.So even after all these eras… those wounds never healed.
Outside, the night deepened. The stars watched in silence ready to witnesses a reunion neither heaven nor fate had allowed.
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