"Then let's go."
"Huh?"
"To the city?" Su Luo pointed toward Ancient Flame City.
"Where else?"
"Not the volcano?"
This didn’t make sense. Based on past experience, shouldn’t Li Siyi be heading to the volcano to intercept Lin Xuan’s opportunity?
"What’s so interesting about a volcano? Of course we’re going to the city."
Li Siyi pulled Su Luo along.
"Are you sure?" Su Luo was still skeptical.
"Let’s go."
This opportunity meant nothing to Li Siyi—she wasn’t even skilled in fire magic.
She just wanted to stroll around with Su Luo.
Only then did Su Luo notice that today, Li Siyi was dressed in a vibrant red outfit, a stark contrast to her usual style.
Li Siyi seemed to notice Su Luo’s gaze and spun in front of him. "Well? How do I look?"
"How do I put it… inappropriate?"
"‘Inappropriate’ is fine, but don’t say ‘not good-looking.’ I’d be heartbroken."
"Well, now that you mention it… you do look nice."
He just needed a moment to adjust. After a few more glances, he had to admit—she really did look beautiful.
It didn’t take long before they reached the city.
Su Luo didn’t bother disguising himself. If the allied sects spotted him, he’d just stir up trouble and move the plot along.
How long they could keep wandering depended on when they were discovered, but it wouldn’t affect the story either way.
The city was alive with festival celebrations, filled with stalls selling all kinds of exquisite and amusing trinkets.
Street performers lined the roads—whether their acts were impressive or not, the variety alone was staggering.
The crowd was immersed in the joyous atmosphere.
Su Luo felt a wave of nostalgia. It had been so long since he’d wandered through such a lively place.
Li Siyi, too, was experiencing the northern culture for the first time, fascinated by everything, her excitement palpable.
"How about this?" Li Siyi picked up a fan, holding it up to half-cover her face.
"Not bad. It suits you."
"But I still think a sword fits me better. What about this?" She grabbed a cute-shaped hair tie and tied her hair into a high ponytail.
"Looks great on you."
"Are you just humoring me?"
Despite her words, Li Siyi happily bought the hair tie.
"I mean it. It really does suit you." Su Luo wasn’t lying.
Li Siyi believed him, but that wasn’t enough.
"Oh? Then tell me—which one suits me the most?"
*What does Su Luo think is my best look? I want to know.*
Su Luo glanced around and picked out a butterfly-shaped hairpin. "This one."
Li Siyi leaned her head forward.
Silent, but clearly signaling—*Put it on for me.*
Su Luo obliged without hesitation.
"Well?"
Li Siyi lightly touched the hairpin, her eyes slightly nervous as she watched Su Luo.
"Looks nice."
"I think so too."
Her heart fluttering, Li Siyi continued walking with Su Luo.
The street performances, though easily seen through, still dazzled with their visual flair.
Hand in hand, they wandered, occasionally joining in on small activities.
Meanwhile, Xie Feiran and Gu Anxin were also strolling through the streets.
The Seven Stars Sword Sect’s delegation to Ancient Flame City was too large, so they had split up.
The two were enjoying the festive mood when they spotted Su Luo and Li Siyi in the distance—laughing and chatting, a picture of bliss.
"Alright, time to turn around." Xie Feiran slung an arm over Gu Anxin’s shoulder and forcefully steered him away.
Gu Anxin frowned. "What’s so special about this Su Luo?"
Having joined the Seven Stars Sword Sect relatively recently, Gu Anxin was trustworthy but hadn’t been fully briefed on Su Luo.
They’d treated Su Luo differently multiple times before, and Gu Anxin had always been puzzled. But since the sect leader never objected, he’d let it go, focusing instead on honing his forging skills.
Now, faced with the same situation, he couldn’t help but ask again.
"Brother, it’s not that I don’t want to tell you, but trust me on this." Xie Feiran was cautious—had he not grown up in the sect, even he might not have known.
"Let’s just take another street and not disturb them."
"Fine."
Gu Anxin and Xie Feiran had fought side by side countless times; they were comrades who could trust each other with their lives.
Besides, Gu Anxin was more interested in forging anyway.
At the same time, Lin Xuan was also wandering the streets when he turned a corner and ran straight into Su Luo and Li Siyi.
The three locked eyes.
After a brief pause, Lin Xuan raised his hands, feeling around blindly as if he couldn’t see.
Then, pretending to be completely sightless, he gradually angled himself away and slipped off.
Disappearing into the crowd.
"What was that about?"
Seeing Lin Xuan, Su Luo had braced for the usual volcanic explosion to kick off the plot. But why was he acting like that?
*Playing blind? Since when was that his thing?*
Li Siyi shrugged. "No idea. Maybe he thought he couldn’t take you alone and went to call for backup. Let’s keep going."
Su Luo figured that made sense. Lin Xuan was probably being cautious—gathering more people to protect bystanders.
"By the way, he saw you with me. Isn’t that a problem?"
"Nah. I’ll just say you’re blackmailing me, that I’m being forced."
"That’s… pretty casual, but alright."
Su Luo wasn’t in a hurry. There was still time, so why not keep enjoying themselves?
Li Siyi had assumed their outing would end there, but getting to continue was a pleasant surprise.
Gently nudging Su Luo, she said, "Come on, let’s go. There’s something interesting up ahead."
Meanwhile, Lin Xuan, now out of sight, dropped the act. He didn’t know what Su Luo was planning, but there was no need to interfere.
Su Luo had good judgment, and with Li Siyi around, nothing would go too wrong.
Soon after, Lin Xuan bumped into Xie Feiran and Gu Anxin.
Xie Feiran grinned mischievously. "Guess who I just saw?"
"Su Luo, right?" Lin Xuan smirked.
"Yeah. You saw him too?"
"Of course. But I pretended to be blind and walked away."
A self-deceiving tactic, but it didn’t matter—no one recognized Su Luo as a member of the Heavenly Demon Sect anyway.
"Smart move." Xie Feiran gave a thumbs-up. "They’re finally relaxing. Let’s not let anyone ruin it."
"Agreed." Lin Xuan nodded.
Gu Anxin, however, was lost. "If I remember correctly, Su Luo’s a traitor to the Seven Stars Sword Sect, right? You’ve always acted weird around him, but this is going too far."
Lin Xuan just laughed. "Haha, what’s the big deal? You’ll understand eventually."
He wasn’t one to spill secrets, but the fact that he could joke about Su Luo in front of Gu Anxin meant he already trusted him.
"Yeah, we’ll tell you later," Xie Feiran added.
Gu Anxin shrugged. "Fine. I’ll hold you to that."
"Alright then, let’s get started," Lin Xuan said.
Xie Feiran nodded. "Got it."
Gu Anxin: "?"