Yet, the powers she grew around were cold and uncaring, a far cry from where she stood now.
Though she'd committed more sins than the guards of her family she once saw as powerful warriors.
Though she'd seen more bloodshed and taken more lives than they had likely met.
Though all of this, she felt that the power she wielded, and how she wielded it was not wanton, or cold and callous.
It was a power used to protect what she believed in, and to aid those she wished to aid.
It was her's, and to her, it was righteous beyond belief.
These two had come a long way and sensing the strength of the guards, those at the step of the capital, they knew there was still a long way to go.
The journey was not over.
"Let's go on a date, shall we?" He made the first move, a foot moving ahead of the other confidently, a hand reaching out to her with grace and more than a little roguish charm.
She looked him over as though a girl looking at her date, and rolled her eyes at his boyish antics, yet she didn't dislike it.
As a matter of fact, she smiled, dropping away her usual self and putting on the truth as her mask.
"Then, why not visit the Blossom Eaves first?" His hand was left hanging as she passed him, a teasing look in her eyes at his slightly dumbfounded look with his hand still out.
A revenge for his teasing before when he pushed her into the portal.
He quickly collected himself again, and smiled teasingly.
"Your memory is outstanding." He stood in step beside her, as they approached the gates.
She shook her head as though contemplating.
Then, a wrapping coiled out from her dress and split away wrapping itself around his head to cover his eyes which to anyone else, would naturally inspire great distress.
"Did you really intend to go into the city with eyes searching like that?" She brushed a strand of her hair aside, her appearance more or less covered away as a veil appeared to cover her face.
His smile grew smaller, into a teasing one.
His lips parted.
"I was simply testing the intellect of my dearest, I wished to see what you might think of it." He hovered around her with a stupid grin which made her lift a brow.
With a single finger she poked at his chest causing more than a light amount of pain, as she was no shoddy hitter.
Yet, the pain could not be seen in his covered eyes.
Her wraps were the only thing that could truly stop his aura from leaking out, and by extension it was made far more difficult to discern things from him.
"Registration."
In the midst of their antics, a voice cracked the atmosphere like a whip.
They'd arrived at the grand gate of Fengshi, those wolves of great might engraved in the pillars of the gates, looking down at them almost peering.
Rather than respond, Feng Wuqing directly took a nail to her wrist, as she cut it was healed away just as fast making it difficult to draw blood, however, all she needed was a small drop.
Those wolves carved into the gates began to shine slightly, the guards eyes widened and pupils shrank, he said nothing more and stepped aside, an air of respectfulness cloaking the rest of those stationed at the gate.
"A form of blood contract? Are the gates Spiritual?" He was astounded at the horriific waste of resources before him, taken form as a glorified registration formation.
It was such a waste, he felt his insides churning.
With such resources, what could be done? Tens of weapons-, nay, hundreds of weapons could be made into artifacts and a few may even be Spiritual Weapons!
"Heh." Sensing his dull distress, she smirked beneath her veil, "This is nothing."
His qi swept over her as he looked down at her.
With a swift movement, the two were removed from the vision of those untrained.
"It wasn't a compliment." In the midst of their movement, a few disapproving eyes caught them, those who couldn't see didn't care and those that did looked down on the needless use of techniques in the city.
Yet, despite these looks he didn't care.
However!
He stopped in his tracks so abruptly that she couldn't do so as well and ended up a few hundred meters ahead!
Before him was stall, and a familiar vendor.
Spirit Leaf.
It didn't truly have any spiritual qualities except for the calming of the soul, albeit so incredibly null that it was mostly just for mortals enjoyment.
Yet, he couldn't forget the ease he'd felt at the docks of Sea Spring when he'd first tried it, it was such a pleasure.
"...master?" A husky voice came from the vendor then, as his customer stood in reminiscences before his stand.
For a moment, he wondered if he'd been recognized.
But then, he remembered that back then, his appearance was radically different to now, there was no way he could be, the merchant just called everyone that way.
"Spirit Leaf, all of it. I will buy it all." He took out the highest quality blood stones which immediately grabbed the attention of everyone around.
Blood Stones, at their core were things which could only be found in places with extremely heavy Miasma, to have them meant one had either gone to a forbidden place or they'd traversed into the Demon Realm to go hunting.
As for having Blood Stones at such a realm, it was quite the shock to many.
With Spirit Stones used as the currency between cultivators, it was no shock if those were brought out, but blood stones were just too strange to see used in trading, especially for such a thing as Spirit Leaf, a useless thing for addicts.
Some lamented that even a hero who fought in the forbidden lands could not escape such a foul addiction.
"No need." The vendor however naturally didn't care about how his product was seen by the people who didn't use it, they weren't buying so what did it matter.
Hearing what heh ad to say though, the young man-, no.
Shou Xin was made to think.
"I've already received great payments." The vendor's old gaze pierced the air between them.
His eyes were not those of power, nor those that held some unknown, otherworldly power which could not be sensed.
They simply carried age, and all the benefits that came with it in this world were old people were seldom seen, especially mortal ones.
"...what gave me away?" Smiling coldly, he was not asking, but rather wished for his curiosity to be sated immediately.
Yet, a hand touched his shoulder and a veiled woman stepped in front of him, placing down Spirit Stones as payment.
A brief wind revealed the corners of her kingdom-toppling visage, her lips moved.
"We would be grateful if you'd pretend to have seen nothing here." Her voice transmitted secretly and directly, a skill she'd picked up as she grew stronger.
Qi Transmission.
The vendor didn't seem surprised, as though he'd come into contact with such things regularly despite not being a cultivator himself.
The vendor wasn't fazed and simply set aside the Spirit Leaf which would be suitable for the payment.
"I am old and tired. My memory fades a little more each day."
The door of the home behind him opened suddenly, and he turned back.
Standing in the doorway was a young girl, her eyes glowering with a strange sheen. Despite her youth being not much more than Xiao Wun, she was clearly more childish.
"Grandpa!" She held out a pendant taken from a letter, it had the insignia of the sword and executioners platform, a familiar thing.
Immediately, the insignia was noticed and the vendor turned away from his daughter, looking instead at the young man before him who he knew to be.
He saw his frown.
The vendor dropped to his knee's instantly and began.
"Please forgive my granddaughter there are many fake things in this world and she is still young I-!"
Shou Xin waved a sleeve, they'd begun to garner too much attention because of his show, but, it was also not without warrant.
The Shou Clan was based in the Demon Realm at Baylen's Rest and had no way to possibly spread here, so far from the gate.
Someone was using their insignia.
"Show us where these people are." It was not a question he garnered to the granddaughter, but an order.
He was no longer in the mood to sightsee.
Feng Wuqing who had figured this out after arriving back here after a few moments shook her head lightly.
"We are going to the Blossom Eaves right after this." She too was not asking, and he knew this well.
He acquiesced without a fight, since he also had an inkling to go sightseeing and he had also agreed that they would do so as they travelled.
Unfortunately this had come up, and the granddaughter who was at the door of the small house had her eyes go dark, passing out standing up.
A tragedy for the granddaughter since she was not allowed to remain passed out, awakening a split second later without even being given the chance to fall, as Shou Xin grabbed her mid fall, hoisting her into his arms.
She awoke with a start at the sudden touch, never had she felt such a strong embrace, even from her grandfather who'd raised her all these years.
Her eyes quivered and searched, following from his fingers tips back up his arm where the white robes began and the disguise started to fall away.