Inside the house, the venomous phoenix, now clad in a cotton robe, looked nervously at the sombre-faced Cendrarsa.
There were so many things she wanted to say, yet not a single question dared to surface.
Cendrarsa, after a glance outside to ensure there was no commotion, leaned down towards the venomous phoenix's ear and whispered softly, "Why have you come to find me?"
"The Demon Slaughter Assembly is about to commence. Various forces in the world are stirring, and, moreover, Chief, several of our altars have been purged."
"Purged by whom?"
"Who else but the Sword Sect? Randolph led the charge."
This aligned perfectly; in the previous life, it was Randolph who had initiated the cleansing of the Poison Phoenix Sect, ultimately prompting Cendrarsa to end Randolph's life.
As the days of tranquillity passed, they had seemingly forgotten about the events in the wider world.
"Chief, you and..."
Before the venomous phoenix could finish her sentence, footsteps drew near.
"My dear, the noodles are ready. Please call your mother-in-law to come and eat."
"Oh! Understood."
Cendrarsa acknowledged and, after a brief glance at the hesitant venomous phoenix, her stoic expression transformed into a smile.
"Shall we, Mother? My husband's culinary skills are exceptional; you must taste it."
"Oh!"
As the venomous phoenix sat at the table, looking at the bowl of noodles covered in chilli oil, she began to perspire.
Now, before her lay not just a bowl of noodles, but three exceedingly tricky questions.
Firstly, did her dear Chief know that her husband, the educator, was actually Randolph's disciple, the notorious madman, the Sword of Showers, Zagonnas?
Secondly, had Zagonnas already recognized her, and did he realize that his wife was none other than Cendrarsa, the leader of the sinister cult from the southern frontier?
And lastly, could she eat this bowl of noodles? Were there perhaps hidden ingredients within, like gold needles or blades?
She was indeed the venomous phoenix, but her 'son-in-law' was a madman; who knew what surprises lay within the meal?
"Mother, eat up, or the noodles will congeal." Zagonnas politely urged, his demeanour as gentle as jade.
With a trembling hand, the venomous phoenix picked up her chopsticks.
"Um, why aren't you two eating?"
"We have already eaten, mother. Please, do enjoy your meal." Although spoken lightly, the venomous phoenix heard a veiled threat in Cendrarsa's words: "If you dare not eat, you'll be in trouble."
"Alright, I'll eat." With resolved determination, the venomous phoenix picked up a noodle.
"Mmm, delicious! Your husband is quite skilled. Daughter, you are truly fortunate."
Never had a bowl of noodles instilled such nerve-wracking fear in the venomous phoenix.
Before she could finish, Zagonnas's student arrived.
"Master, my grandmother isn't feeling well. Could you come and see her?"
"What's wrong with your grandmother? Where does it hurt?" Cendrarsa inquired, then glanced at the pair in the kitchen before saying, "Mother, husband, I'll be back soon."
"Alright, go ahead." Zagonnas nodded, and Cendrarsa followed the student out.
Now, in the kitchen, only he and the venomous phoenix remained.
After a moment of silence, Zagonnas turned to look at the venomous phoenix.
"Chief Protector, it's been a while."
"Hehe, yes, Zagonnas, indeed it has."
"She doesn't know I am Zagonnas, and I prefer to keep it that way. Do you know what you should do?"
Thus, Zagonnas had already discovered her Chief's identity.
Would a virtuous madman, such as himself, marry the leader of a cult out of love?
"Zagonnas, what have you done to our Chief?"
"She is my wife, not a Chief. You must have heard about my tendencies when I go mad. If you dare to reveal her identity to her, I don't mind killing you right now to silence you."
At this, Zagonnas's gaze shifted, sending a chill down the venomous phoenix's spine.
"Hehe, son-in-law, your words are indeed chilling. This is our first meeting, after all."
"Exactly, our first meeting indeed. Madam, you've had a long journey from the south; let me tidy up my study for you to rest tonight."
Zagonnas also smiled, and as he prepared to leave, the venomous phoenix couldn't resist one more statement.
"Son-in-law, on my way here, I heard that the Sword Sect's leader is zealously slaughtering the followers of the Poison Phoenix Sect, vowing to eradicate our sect entirely."
Seeing the venomous phoenix earlier, Zagonnas had already surmised that her journey held significant importance.
In the previous life, it was his Master's campaign against the Poison Phoenix Sect that led to Cendrarsa's demise by poison.
Though unaware of the specific details, rumour had it that at the time, Cendrarsa too had been severely injured and had taken two months to recover before attending the Demon Slaughter Assembly.
Now, Randolph had once again embarked on a destructive path.
However, this time, Zagonnas could not allow Cendrarsa to face Randolph again.
Not out of fear that Cendrarsa couldn't defeat Randolph, but out of his reluctance to see his wife hurt in any way. This was his problem to solve, an opportunity to avenge his enemy firsthand.
Taking a deep breath, Zagonnas headed out without looking back.
"I understand, thank you for the information, mother-in-law."
With that, Zagonnas departed.
The venomous phoenix gritted her teeth, unable to comprehend Zagonnas's intentions.
However, one thing was certain - Zagonnas must deeply, profoundly love their Chief. Each time he mentioned the Chief, his eyes gleamed with adoration.
Never would she have imagined that this madman was also an ardent devotee of love.
Reflecting on this, the venomous phoenix lifted the bowl of noodle soup and drank it all.
Only after finishing did she remember: where had her Chief gone? Off to treat someone? Would she even provide treatment? Just refraining from poisoning someone would be an achievement, let alone administering care. What had her Chief experienced during these past few months?
When Cendrarsa emerged from the student's home, night had fallen.
After settling the venomous phoenix, Zagonnas draped a sable fur cloak over his delicate wife before gently placing his hand on her shoulder.
"What's wrong?"
"Sigh, grandmother isn't doing well. It seems she won't make it through this winter."
"Do your best; don't overexert yourself."
"My love, after the New Year, I want to take my mother back to our hometown."
Walking slowly along the snow-covered village path, Zagonnas tightened his grip on her hand.
"It's been a while since you visited. Going back to see is not a bad idea."
"I..."
Cendrarsa hesitated in her speech; in her previous life, it was her act of killing Randolph that drove him to madness during the Demon Slaughter Assembly.
Despite reincarnating, the past resentments and grievances had not dissolved; they were bound to resurface.