A fiery red sun slowly rose into the hazy white sky, casting a ray of morning light over the mist-shrouded earth. All things awoke. A gentle breeze brushed the green leaves in the mountain forest, causing them to sway softly. Birds in the woods chirped happily, filling the air with their calls. People just waking up breathed in the damp, fresh air, though some still complained about the glare of the sunlight—human hearts could never be truly satisfied.
On the peak of one of the mountains behind a bustling, mid-sized city tucked away in the remote northern and southern regions of the eastern mainland, a young boy and girl sat atop a large boulder, gazing out at the rising sun.
The girl was dressed in a light pink silk dress, the hem fluttering gently in the wind. Her silky black hair was casually gathered at the nape of her neck, with a few playful strands falling beside her fair cheeks. Her bright, expressive eyes were like clear lakes, and as her gaze shifted, they radiated endless intelligence and mischief. Beneath her small, straight nose, her cherry-like lips curved upward slightly, revealing two shallow dimples that made her look even sweeter and more adorable. At that moment, she leaned her head gently against the boy's shoulder, her hands playing softly with the hem of her skirt as she let the warm morning light fall upon her pretty face. With eyes half-closed, her expression radiated satisfaction and intoxication, clearly enjoying the moment.
After a long while, the crisp voice of the girl broke the peaceful quiet of the mountain peak. "Brother Yingjian, how long has it been since you last watched the sunrise with Shaner?" The girl raised her head to gaze at the boy close beside her, a hint of playful reproach in her eyes as she pouted her lips slightly and gave a gentle stomp of her foot. "Hmph, you don't even remember, do you?"
"Uh," the abrupt question left the boy momentarily at a loss for how to reply. After a moment of silent thought, he ticked off his fingers, his smiling expression freezing into one of apologetic sheepishness as he answered weakly, "O... one and a half months."
"Then what has Brother Yingjian been busy with all this time, to not even spare a moment for Shaner?" The girl blinked her expressive eyes, her small lips curving upward in an aggrieved pout. Tears even welled up in the corners of her eyes, and her delicate frame trembled slightly. "I don't care, you have to give me a proper explanation."
Seeing the formidable persuasive power of the girl's expression, the boy panicked and immediately changed his tune to comfort her. "Just some important matters. See, I'm watching the sunrise with you the moment I finished."
"Really?" The girl tilted her head slightly, suspicion in her eyes, her brow furrowing slightly as she wound a lock of her hair around her finger. "I don't believe it unless you explain properly."
"Yes, truer than real gold!" The boy nodded vigorously, like a chick pecking at rice, afraid she wouldn't believe him.
Seeing the boy's sincere expression, the grievances in the girl's heart instantly vanished. Her clear, watery eyes rolled, her expression turned stern, and she bit her lower lip with her pearly white teeth, saying coquettishly, "Then you'll have to compensate this fragile heart of mine." With that, she gave a mischievous blink and put her hands on her hips. "Otherwise, I won't let you off."
At this, a strange expression flashed across the boy's face.
"Then what do you want?" The boy seemed long accustomed to the girl acting coquettishly in front of him. He spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness and asked.
"I want... I want... to eat roasted magic spirit rabbit meat!" The girl rested her chin in her hands, her gaze darting back and forth over the boy as if examining some rare treasure, making the latter feel a bit uneasy. A moment later, the girl broke into a brilliant smile, biting her lip with a dreamy giggle, her face full of anticipation as she reached out to tug gently on the boy's sleeve. "And you have to roast it for me yourself."
The boy was stunned, almost doubting whether he had heard correctly. It was that simple? In the past, the girl before him wouldn't have let him off so easily. Still, he nodded in agreement.
"But there are conditions!" A cunning smile flashed across the girl's pretty face, a hint of triumph in her eyes as she leaned forward toward the boy. "This time, Brother Yingjian has to hunt it yourself, and then roast it for Shaner. How about that?"
Hearing this, the boy wore a wry smile, his head drooping in slight discouragement as he muttered to himself that he had indeed thought too simply.
"This time, Brother Yingjian has to hunt it yourself, and then roast it for Shaner. How about that?" The girl blinked her large eyes, leaning her head forward with a smile, her face brimming with excitement and anticipation as she gave an excited clap of her hands. "You're not allowed to go back on your word, okay?"
At such close range, looking into each other's eyes, she could feel his breathing. A distinctly masculine scent drifted into her nostrils, and a flush spread across her pretty face.
The girl's orchid-like fragrance washed over the boy's heart. Gazing at the alluring lips before him, possessing a unique youthful charm, he felt a sudden urge to lean in and gently bite them. His hands, curled inside his sleeves, slowly clenched into fists, his nails digging into his palms just enough to clear his head. Silently cursing himself as a beast, he stepped back a few paces, his earlobes slightly red and his smiling expression a bit unnatural as he said, "Alright, I'll go make preparations." With that, he turned and bolted down the mountain.
Watching his somewhat panicked figure fleeing down the mountain, the girl's clear eyes flashed with a brilliant light as she murmured softly, "Shaner is very greedy, you know. I want to eat rabbit meat roasted by Brother Yingjian for the rest of my life. Do you understand?" A shy blush bloomed across the girl's face, a sweet smile graced the corners of her lips, and she crossed her hands over her chest.
The boy was named Chen Yingjian, the second son of the sixth elder of the Chen Family in Fenglin City, and the direct grandson of the clan head. Although only fifteen years old, he already stood 1.7 meters tall. With a slender physique and delicate facial features centered around a pair of sharp eyes, his most striking feature was a deep cyan, sword-shaped birthmark right between his brows—its lines so clear it looked entirely real. Because of this unusual birthmark, coupled with his inability to absorb spiritual energy, he was a household name throughout the city. Once, when he asked his mother about the origin of the birthmark, she told him it appeared shortly after he was born, and even she had no idea why. Rumors outside claimed it was a curse, suggesting that his physique, the "Xuantian Pure Yang Body," was so powerful that even the heavens grew envious and sealed him off from cultivation. Because of this, Chen Yingjian endured endless mockery and cold treatment in Fenglin City, and very few people were willing to befriend him. However, there was one baffling puzzle: a genius girl in Fenglin City loved to stay close to him. Other boys could be friends with her, but taking it a step further was nearly impossible, leaving many of his peers frustrated and gnashing their teeth. All their anger seemed to be directed at him.
The girl was named Lin Shanshan, fifteen years old, the city lord's daughter and the genius girl of Fenglin City. At such a tender age, she had already condensed into a Spirit Disciple. Putting aside her prominent background, she was immensely appealing in her own right, with a petite, exquisite figure, expressive eyes, and a lovely visage. With every smile and frown, she exuded the ethereal temperament of a celestial maiden, successfully capturing the hearts of many young men.
Women were naturally the most beautiful creatures in the world, greatly adored by men. As the old saying went, "Even heroes struggle to pass the trial of a beauty." Amidst the adoration of many, conflicts were bound to arise, especially among youths in the prime of their adolescence whose hot-blooded zeal often led them to do impulsive things...
Yet, what people found most baffling was why a proud daughter of heaven always liked to follow around a good-for-nothing youth who couldn't absorb spiritual energy. This made quite a few youths in Fenglin City green with envy. Awed by the formidable influence of the Chen Family in the city, they dared not do anything to him, but members within the Chen Family were a different story. Thus, Chen Yingjian inevitably suffered bullying from his peers within the clan—who could blame him for winning the favor of a pearl adored by all?
Fenglin City was a remote, small city in the Loulan Empire, situated fairly close to the Monster Mountain Range and less than a hundred miles from two major cities. Due to its special location, foot traffic was sparse. The Chen Family had developed here for several centuries, possessing a deep foundation of strength in Fenglin City that allowed them to stand tall and maintain endless glory. Decades ago, their strength was on par with several other small local families, but due to certain reasons, their status had suddenly soared, propelling them to sole dominance in less than a year.