Xiao Mo stopped in his tracks, his gaze falling upon the woman standing before him.

He gently waved his hand, instructing, "Go fetch a jar of fine osmanthus wine."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Wei Xun hurriedly bowed and withdrew.

After Wei Xun left, Xiao Mo walked forward to the woman's side and asked, "I wonder what Fairy Jiang is looking at?"

Jiang Qingyi didn't withdraw her gaze, still looking upward, asking with some curiosity, "What is this watchtower of yours used for?"

"This watchtower doesn't really have much use. It's just that when the successive Zhou Kingdom rulers felt weary from handling state affairs, they would come to this place to gaze into the distance from on high, to clear their minds." Xiao Mo answered.

Jiang Qingyi nodded lightly, then asked, "Does Your Majesty normally come here?"

"I don't." Xiao Mo smiled, speaking truthfully, "First, I don't have any state affairs to handle. Second, this watchtower is too high. Climbing up would probably exhaust me half to death."

Jiang Qingyi turned her head, her eyes blinking as she looked at Xiao Mo.

"What is it?" Xiao Mo asked somewhat puzzled.

"Nothing." Jiang Qingyi shook her head, once again directing her gaze toward the watchtower.

Xiao Mo then suggested, "Would Fairy Jiang like to go up and look?"

"Doesn't Your Majesty not want to go up?" Jiang Qingyi asked.

"Going up alone is boring, but if accompanying a friend, that would be different." Xiao Mo said with a smile.

Jiang Qingyi fell silent for a moment, then agreed, "Alright."

As her words fell, Jiang Qingyi grasped Xiao Mo's wrist, leaped up with a light bound, and landed gracefully atop the watchtower.

The two stood side by side at the top of the watchtower, gazing out at the scenery before them.

A light breeze blew past, gently lifting the hems of their clothes, brushing their cheeks and hair.

Though the wind carried a trace of coolness, it made one feel refreshed and exhilarated.

Standing atop this watchtower, the entire palace's scenery was laid out before their eyes.

Although Zhou Kingdom was only a small nation, this palace was built quite magnificently.

This was also Xiao Mo's first time seeing the palace's complete appearance with his own eyes.

Jiang Qingyi spoke lightly, asking Xiao Mo, "Isn't Your Majesty's bedchamber on the other side? How did you come here?"

Xiao Mo lightly pressed his hands on the railing, looking into the distance, "Today the Empress Dowager invited me to Lingxin Palace to reminisce and also to try on the wedding ceremonial robes. I've only just come out."

"Oh." Jiang Qingyi only responded softly.

The two fell into silence once again but Xiao Mo didn't feel the slightest bit awkward.

After spending these days together, silent moments between them had long become commonplace. This Fairy Jiang simply wasn't one skilled with words.

After half an incense stick's time, Jiang Qingyi suddenly spoke up and asked, "Your Majesty's empress... is she beautiful?"

"Hm?" Xiao Mo was slightly stunned, not expecting her to suddenly ask this.

"She should be considered very beautiful..." Xiao Mo answered, "After all, she's called by the world Zhou Kingdom's foremost talented woman and also Zhou Kingdom's greatest beauty. However, I actually haven't seen her with my own eyes."

As he spoke, Xiao Mo's tone gradually lowered, and he sighed softly, "Actually, this Miss Yan is quite pitiable. She's both talented and beautiful. Perhaps she doesn't wish to enter the palace at all, but being born into such a noble family, I'm afraid she also has no choice in the matter."

"Hehe."

Just as Xiao Mo's words fell, Jiang Qingyi let out a cold laugh.

"What's wrong with Fairy Jiang?" Xiao Mo detected the strangeness in her tone.

This Fairy Jiang seemed to have some opinions about Yan Ruxue.

"Nothing." Jiang Qingyi turned her head away, looking toward the other side, her expression faintly revealing some displeasure.

"..."

Since she didn't say, Xiao Mo didn't press further.

After spending these days with this Fairy Jiang, he had gradually grown accustomed to her occasional moodiness.

And just as the two continued to quietly gaze at the distant scenery, Wei Xun had already arrived at the base of the watchtower carrying a jar of osmanthus wine, continuously waving his hand upward to signal.

"What does he want?" Jiang Qingyi glanced at Wei Xun, asking lightly.

"I just instructed him to fetch a jar of fine osmanthus wine." Xiao Mo explained with a smile.

Jiang Qingyi furrowed her willow-leaf brows lightly.

The next moment, she extended her hand and with a light beckoning gesture toward the wine jar in Wei Xun's hands, that jar of osmanthus wine flew up accordingly, and in a moment landed steadily in her palm.

She lifted the wine seal, turned and raised her head to drink. The clear wine liquid slid down her fair chin, slightly dampening her collar.

Casually wiping the corner of her lips, Jiang Qingyi tossed the wine jar toward Xiao Mo, saying concisely, "Drink."

Xiao Mo: "..."

"What?" There was a trace of barely perceptible threat in Jiang Qingyi's tone, "Is it because I drank from it, so you find it distasteful?"

"That's not it." Xiao Mo smiled, catching the wine jar, "Since Fairy Jiang doesn't mind, what can I say?"

With that, he lifted the wine jar and likewise drank heartily.

Watching as Xiao Mo's lips pressed against where she had just drunk from, beneath the woman's veil, her fair cheeks couldn't help but flush with an extremely faint blush.

Xiao Mo set down the wine jar, wiped the corner of his mouth, and praised, "This wine is indeed excellent."

"It's passable." Jiang Qingyi responded softly, her body leaning lightly against the railing's edge.

"Speaking of which, does Fairy Jiang have some unhappy matter?" Looking at her profile, Xiao Mo suddenly asked.

Jiang Qingyi tilted her head, asking in return, "Why do you suddenly ask this?"

"Because I often see the immortal lost in thought alone, as if harboring many worries." Xiao Mo answered in a gentle tone.

"It's nothing much..." Jiang Qingyi snatched the osmanthus wine from Xiao Mo's hands, turned her head to take a sip, "I'm just looking for someone, that's all."

"Someone?"

"Mm." Jiang Qingyi bent down, her arms resting on the railing.

"Is this person very important to Fairy Jiang?"

"Not important."

"..."

Xiao Mo felt this Fairy Jiang seemed somewhat contradictory.

Not important, yet you're still looking?

"What expression is that, Your Majesty?" Jiang Qingyi looked at Xiao Mo's speechless eyes, her own eyes narrowing.

Xiao Mo shook his head, "Nothing. I was just thinking, after Fairy Jiang finds this person who's both important and not important, what will you do?"

Jiang Qingyi took another sip of wine.

Perhaps because of the wine, she spoke more freely today.

"After I find him..."

Jiang Qingyi's fair palm gripped the wine jar tightly.

"I want to tell him that I've grown up. I'm no longer that little girl from before. I've already fulfilled my promise from back then and become a sword cultivator who can stand on her own

But you're already gone."

Hearing her gentle words, Xiao Mo smiled, "This person is truly important to Fairy Jiang."

"I said! Not important!" Jiang Qingyi said seriously.

"Alright, then not important." Xiao Mo went along with the woman's words, "However, I believe Fairy Jiang will definitely be able to find the other party, and he will surely be gratified by Fairy Jiang's current achievements."

"Find him? What good does finding him do?"

Jiang Qingyi tucked her hair behind her ear. Those starry eyes, sharp as swords, seemed to have been blown by sand and wind for a thousand years.

After a long while, Jiang Qingyi turned her head, looking directly into Xiao Mo's eyes.

"I found him but he cannot find me."