Volume Three: Untethered and Carefree, Chapter 107

Jin Li gripped the shadow in her hand, her eyes cold and piercing as she stared at the figure in black slowly approaching her.

Hearing the man speak, her heart tightened.

She then asked coldly, "Who are you?"

The man stood a short distance away, stopping short of entering the golden array. "Come back."

The moment those words were spoken, Jin Li’s hand suddenly grasped at empty air. The shadow vanished from her grip, leaving her alone within the golden array.

The young woman stared at the black-clad figure, who offered no reply. Having achieved his goal, he turned to leave.

"Stop!" the girl commanded.

The man ignored her completely.

Cursing under her breath, she broke through the golden talisman array. With the speed of a light-shadow, she appeared behind him and delivered a palm strike empowered by a gust of wind.

The man was slammed to the ground.

Jin Li was stunned; how could he be so weak?

The man struggled on the ground, clutching his injured shoulder, and slowly rose to his feet.

"Cough, cough... So, you really did come for Tu Shan Yan after all."

"What do you know?"

Without answering, the man ripped off his heavy black cloak. His body transformed into a swarm of bats that flew directly toward Jin Li.

An illusion.

Jin Li felt a surge of anger.

With a wave of her hand, blue flames incinerated the black bats. This person must be connected to the one she encountered at the altar; there was definitely a link between them.

As the morning light grew bright, Jin Li sat by the river, staring at her own reflection in the water, feeling momentarily lost.

The most urgent task now was to obtain the Kunlun Mirror. But how was she to infiltrate the Governor's Mansion?

She needed to see the Governor and state her purpose.

Straightening her clothes, she walked through the streets, observing her surroundings while pondering a way inside. The man from last night had injured his shoulder; that meant anyone bearing an injury from her immortal arts was undoubtedly him...

"Look, look! Young Master Si Mu is choosing a consort! I wonder which lady will be the lucky one?"

"Haha, to put it nicely, that’s a life of luxury and wealth ahead. To put it bluntly, it’s just marrying into a wife’s family. You’d have to live at the mercy of your spouse's family for the rest of your life."

"True. They say Young Master Si Mu has been a sickly weakling since childhood. What if he... you know... before the wedding night even begins?"

"Pah, pah, pah! Even if the Governor doesn't favor him, his status is set in stone. After all, he is the Governor's own child."

"Hmph, a man—what great things could he possibly achieve?"

They cast a disdainful look at a man passing by.

Jin Li crossed her arms, watching the two gossiping townswomen with interest. She let out a cold laugh, her eyes mocking as she addressed them: "Oh, please, stop. I can already smell the sourness. I don't know whose mouths are so bitter and foul, but looking at you two, it’s quite obvious. Those who know will think your family upbringing is poor; those who don't might think you're just spouting sour words because you're bitter about not being able to participate in the selection and gain such wealth yourselves."

"Who are you talking about?! What did you just say?! Do you know who my father is?" The woman stood with hands on her hips, screeching.

Jin Li raised an eyebrow. She was taller and slimmer than them, possessing a striking elegance that made her stand out in the crowd. Her prominent features drew the attention of many passersby.

"I’m talking about you. Why? Did I say something wrong, or did I hit a nerve, Auntie?"

"Auntie?!" The woman’s face flushed a vivid, chaotic shade of red and white. Despite her teeth-gritting rage, she didn't dare to strike, only glancing around as the crowd grew larger.

She gave a cold snort, eyeing Jin Li with contempt. "Look at your pretty-boy face. I don't know which house you're a concubine for. As a woman, with such a lowly status, how dare you insult me?"

"A 'pretty-boy'? As a woman? Let me tell you, sharing the same gender as you makes me feel ashamed! Bullying men? Slandering others? Nothing more than a common street-dweller’s face."

With that, Jin Li gave them a sharp look and turned to leave, but the women finally lunged at her.

A hand, strong enough to shake a boulder, gripped Jin Li’s collar, as if a fist were about to strike her face the next second.

"Let go." Jin Li’s voice was cold and warning.

The woman, undeterred and furious, demanded that Jin Li explain herself. The young woman’s clear, beautiful face grew dark. She could not understand why everything here was so unfair. What did it matter if one was a man or a woman? Both were merely human, yet they insisted on dividing people into ranks and classes of high and low.

"I don't want to hurt anyone. Let go."

"You woman, you're so arrogant! Today, I’ll teach you how to behave."

Just as Jin Li tightened her fist and the woman raised her palm, someone shouted, "Stop!"

The onlookers turned to see a squad of soldiers in red armor approaching, weapons in hand. Even the soldiers were all women; men could not join the military unless they were of the bureaucratic nobility.

Jin Li was so frustrated she laughed. This was just how it was in the mortal realm—the status of women here was no lower than that of men in the mortal world.

"What is going on?!"

"Her! She was the one who started it!"

Started it? When did she start anything? They were truly spouting lies with their eyes wide open.

Jin Li did not want to cause trouble. "If you are determined to find fault, you will always find a pretext."

Before she could finish, the soldiers produced a portrait, nodded to each other, and said, "That’s her. Take her away."

Jin Li was bewildered.

Before she could ask, two soldiers grabbed her arms to drag her away.

"Well done, officers!" the two women cheered.

Watching their gloating expressions, Jin Li’s eyes darkened, and she gave a slight flick of her eyebrow.

"Ah! It hurts! My leg!"

"My hand!"

This time, she only broke their bones; the next time, it wouldn't be so simple.

*Bullies hiding behind authority.*

"Where are you taking me?"

Jin Li was ushered along by the group, but they remained silent.

Her hands were bound. About half a day later, they arrived at the South City Gate, where she saw a horse—its mane thick, its frame powerful and sturdy. Once they passed through the South Gate, it would only be another half-day to the Governor’s Mansion.

A faint sense of joy flickered in Jin Li’s heart.

"Are you taking me to the Governor’s Mansion?"

They remained silent. Then, a woman dressed in official robes stepped out from behind the group. She walked with a steady, imposing gait. The girl examined the intricate patterns on the woman’s collar—the high mountains and red clouds characteristic of the Western Wilderness. The embroidery was exquisite; the crane and moon on her chest looked so vivid they seemed ready to take flight.

This person must hold a high status.

Jin Li waited for what would come next.

The woman unfurled a red silk scroll and read aloud: "By the grace of Heaven and the mandate of the Governor: Recognizing the beauty of the fair one, and knowing your virtue and talent, you are hereby appointed as the Consort of Si Mu. Thus ends the decree."

What?

What consort?

Whose consort?