The person across from her looked exactly as she remembered.
Only his expression seemed a little aloof, with a hint of curiosity in his eyes, but not much emotion.
—This was normal, too.
After all, he probably didn't know her yet.
Su Cheng thought in a daze.
She knew this guy wasn't young, but she hadn't expected him to be in the four-digit range.
Although many strong humans could easily live for a few hundred years, those who reached a thousand were usually very famous.
But—
If this guy had non-human blood, like high elves, they could naturally live to a thousand years.
If they were highly skilled, that number could double, and compared to humans, the tier requirement was lower.
A human might need to be at the tenth tier to live two thousand years, while an elf would probably only need to reach the eighth tier.
A jumble of thoughts flashed through Su Cheng's mind.
She hadn't forgotten that she had just messed with the Holy Knights of the Church, and they were still pursuing the people from the Mirror Shadow Society, so it was possible he was here for that.
The blond young man stood in the shadow of the roof, his perfect face, seemingly carved from gold and white jade, still showing no distinct expression.
Su Cheng looked closely, didn't see much disgust or wariness, and cautiously took a few steps closer.
Considering they didn't know each other now, and what had just happened, she spoke while keeping her guard up in case he suddenly attacked.
"Sir, is something on your mind?"
"Hmm?" The blond young man raised an eyebrow slightly. "What prompts you to ask that?"
"You're in a busy market, using some kind of power that makes people unable to see you—"
Su Cheng looked around.
Judging by the reactions of the passersby, they either didn't see his face, or in their eyes, he looked like a random extra.
Otherwise, he would definitely be turning heads.
"Except for me," Su Cheng tilted her head. "So I'm a little curious. Also, I hope you're not here to demand an explanation, because what happened earlier was an accident."
"I did sense some different powers," he said noncommittally, "but I don't think you need to take responsibility for anything, otherwise we wouldn't be talking like this."
"Alright," Su Cheng sighed. "Then what are you here for?"
He looked down at her. "As I said, I sensed the power you used, so I came to take a look."
Su Cheng silently waited for him to continue.
However, Ian just quietly studied her for a few seconds, then suddenly disappeared.
Su Cheng: "?"
Su Cheng: "…………"
He really just came to take a look?
Forget it.
It wasn't like she had nothing else to do, did she really have to have something happen with him?
In the noisy market bathed in the sunset's glow, Su Cheng felt an unwarranted sense of irritation, as if everything in front of her was starting to distort.
However—
When she casually bought a few handmade trinkets and returned to Highgarden to find Lusha, that terrible feeling disappeared.
"Carnival?"
They sat on the black stone steps looking up at the night sky. The courtyard ahead was quiet, with the occasional rustling of insects.
The dark clouds in the sky parted, faintly revealing a cold moon, which was obscured by a hazy blue-purple mist.
Considering the Moon God was also a subordinate of the God of Light, this kind of power barrier was probably necessary.
"Yes."
The black-haired young man propped his hands behind him, slightly raising his face, revealing a beautifully contoured jawline.
"But I have to attend the Holy Chant ceremony tomorrow, so I might not be able to go with you—but that doesn't matter. I heard there will be a lot of fun things and good food. You can relax and enjoy yourself."
He suddenly turned his head. "By the way, thank you for speaking up for me in front of Lord Montagne."
Su Cheng was taken aback. "Ah?"
"...We ran into each other earlier, and he gave me some pointers, mentioning that 'she seems to appreciate you'."
Lusha said, looking a little embarrassed. "Although he didn't say who it was, I guessed it was you. No one else would mention me in front of him, considering he obviously doesn't like me."
He paused and looked at her earnestly. "Thank you. Even though it seems like I'm always thanking you, I don't know what else to say."
"It's nothing," Su Cheng couldn't help but smile. "I don't care what he thinks. I was just speaking my mind."
The two stood up and walked side by side through the corridor. In a hall where several passages met, they ran into another group of people.
Those people were all very tall, with long, pointed horns featuring transverse ridges on their heads. Their black tails were either raised or hanging down behind their waists, the bone spurs at the ends closing into a heart shape.
Their skin tones varied from light to dark, but all were flawlessly smooth, shimmering with a jade-like glow under the candlelight.
Su Cheng only took a couple of extra glances.
Those people almost simultaneously looked at her.
Someone winked and flirted with her, someone licked their lips and wagged their tail while looking her up and down, and someone even reached out directly to touch her face.
Su Cheng grabbed the person's wrist and smiled as she greeted them, "Hello, your excellency."
The person let out a silvery, crisp laugh. "Good evening."
The pitch-black long tail nimbly reached over, looking like it was about to touch her thigh.
Su Cheng silently shifted a step to the side. "I won't bother you anymore. It looks like you have business to attend to."
The incubi looked her up and down with varying expressions.
"Let's go," the leader said impatiently. "... is still waiting for us."
Those cold, ice-blue eyes were filled with a certain restless emotion.
Su Cheng met his gaze for a second.
The man had dark brown curly hair, like an ancient tree bathed in moonlight, and eerie black markings spread across his pale skin.
He was half-naked, and those vine-like patterns twined down the muscles of his neck and shoulders, circled his lean waist and abdomen, and disappeared downward.
He had a handsome and cold face, and his slightly light irises made him look somewhat ruthless, yet highlighted an unapproachable, peculiar charm.
His thin, rose-red lips were naturally turned up, so even when his expression was indifferent, he looked as if he was half-smiling.
Su Cheng's heart almost uncontrollably skipped a beat.
—That was definitely not an emotional reaction, but an instinct influenced by the power of the incubus.
The moment she met his eyes, those cold blue eyes, like a frozen lake, seemed to pour out a chill that enveloped her.
Pulling her down into that intoxicating coldness.
And.
She realized this person was, in a sense, an acquaintance.
The fugitive who had run into her bedroom on the first night she crossed over had a face just like this.
Incubi obviously had different personalities, and not all of them were enthusiastic.
Like this leader.
He looked at the two people in front of him, his gaze initially a bit annoyed, but it quickly changed. "...Dragonborn?"
The other incubi looked at each other in dismay.
He took two steps forward as he spoke, "Why would the master bestow a gift upon a Dragonborn?"
Su Cheng raised an eyebrow. "You're saying that thing on me is a gift?"
"Ha?" He crossed his muscular arms. "What else would it be?"
Su Cheng: "..."
When she first met this incubus, he had confidently declared it was a curse.
Why was it suddenly a gift now?
"That is a test," the incubus said in a low voice, a hint of jealousy in his eyes. "I really don't know why He would choose you—"
"Wait," Su Cheng interrupted him. "So it's different from a normal Divine Favored mark? He's testing me? Testing what? And what happens if I pass the test?"
"That is something you will have to discover for yourself," the incubus said, glancing at her. "I imagine that is part of the test itself."
With that, he walked away without looking back.
The rest of the incubi quickly followed suit, some of them constantly looking back to wink flirtatiously.
Su Cheng glared at their retreating backs.
"...You have one too?" Lusha looked at her in shock. "I didn't sense it at all—"
Su Cheng maintained her bewildered expression. "What?"
Lusha had clearly misunderstood. "Did you not know? That is Lord Rayriel... the master those incubi speak of is His Highness, the God of Desire."
Su Cheng massaged her temples.
Now she was one hundred percent certain that her curse came from the God of Desire, but it was evidently different from a standard Divine Favored mark.
She decided to pretend that bastard Vorey was already dead. Turning around, she dove straight into the Tower of Omniscience to search for any information she could find on the God of Desire.
However, she couldn't find any useful information.
At dusk the next day, a few clerics from the tower came to call for her, asking if she wanted to join them for the Carnival celebrations.
The festival was being held in the neighboring Twilight City. At the edge of the shadows cast by the mountains where Highgarden sat, stood a vibrant port city.
During this festival at the turn of spring and summer, legend had it that ancient deities once descended on this day to sing and dance with mortals, indulging in the joys of life.
Hearing this story, Su Cheng subconsciously thought of a certain deity.
It seemed He hadn't paid her any attention in quite a while.
Could it be because she hadn't been happy enough lately?
She even missed Him a little bit.
The entirety of Twilight City was immersed in a jubilant atmosphere. Even though it was shielded by the dark shadows of the mountains, the lights illuminating the city looked like a fallen galaxy.
Countless paper lanterns hung high on rooftops, eaves, and street trees. Glistening phosphor powder glowed in the night, resembling countless plump fruits.
In the open windows of every household sat glass jars filled with colorful bioluminescent algae.
Beautiful magic crystal bonfires were piled up in squares of all sizes. Multicolored flames hissed as they rose into the air, splashing dappled light and shadow over the swaying crowds.
Walking down the crowded long street, Su Cheng looked at this brilliantly colorful world in shock.
She heard the music of leather drums and bagpipes as musicians played cheerful, rhythmic dance tunes.
The tantalizing aroma of roasted meats and rich fats drifted through the streets.
Vendors slipped freshly baked pies into paper bags or poured simmering fruit wine from copper pots into wooden cups, while sausages and fish skewers sizzled on grills.
Her companions quickly dispersed to do their own things.
Strong drumbeats, applause, and snapping fingers echoed from all directions, accompanied by uninhibited laughter, screams, and impromptu singing.
Su Cheng bought two grilled sausages to munch on. At first, she was able to appreciate the scene like an outsider, but she was soon swept up by the tidal wave of revelry.
Her mood inexplicably lifted.
All her previous confusion and doubts temporarily faded away.
She tossed her iron skewers into a basket. Someone shoved an object into her hand—a mask that only covered the lower half of the face. It was very light, likely made of papier-mache.
Layers of dazzling colors were painted on the outside, outlining a vague smiling face.
Su Cheng inspected it, then simply put the mask on and blended into the crowd.
It was as if she had entered an ocean of masks. Suns, moons, and stars, flourishing flowers, ferocious beast heads, or various human expressions—countless styles of colorful masks, paired with painted patterns, feather shawls, fringed skirts, and jingling metal ornaments, all worked together to conceal everyone's identity, leaving only souls immersed in joy.
That wondrous sense of relaxation deepened. Accompanied by the explosion of even more passionate drumbeats, the crowd let out a roar like a landslide or a tsunami.
A group of dancers wearing feathered short skirts pushed a parade float burning with blue-purple flames past the intersection, instantly drawing a crowd around them.
People scrambled to grab the fire-wrapped flowers from the float.
The dancers tossed clusters of flowers into the air and casually shot out blades of air. The flowers instantly exploded and fluttered across the sky, drifting down like a colorful rain of fire.
The flowers were clearly enchanted. The flames on them burned fiercely, but they did not burn the hands at all; they still felt cool to the touch.
The streets were filled with swaying light and shadows and booming music. The crowd danced and cheered to the drumbeats as the refreshing night breeze blew against their faces.
Su Cheng jumped along with the crowd, feeling as if she had cast off some invisible restraint. The entire world turned into a backdrop that was suddenly fading away.
In a daze, someone seemed to take her hand, guiding her to step forward and spin.
Then, a light kiss landed on her lips.
It was as if she had tasted the sweetest nectar and mead, and the joy in her heart burst forth like a tidal wave.
The moment she opened her eyes, Su Cheng saw strands of gold and silver hair fluttering past.
It was like refined moonlight blooming into a myriad of flowers amidst the lantern light.
The next second, all the noise and restlessness fell into silence.
Through the swaying layers of the crowd, Su Cheng saw a figure standing under the eaves.
The man was very tall, his frame appearing somewhat lean. His raven-black curly hair was tied back casually, cascading down below his waist like a waterfall.
He wore a black feather-trimmed mask that only covered the skin around his eyes, revealing a high-bridged nose and a perfectly contoured jawline.
The man was not entirely still; he seemed to be swaying gently to the rhythm of the music.
However, his movements were minimal, carrying a detached clarity and appreciation, like a quiet reef within a whirlpool.
Yet, what truly captured her gaze and abruptly cooled the fiery atmosphere of the entire street were his eyes.
Those profound and melancholic eyes were the purest black, devoid of a single impurity—dark, yet bright.
They were like obsidian reflecting the moonlight at midnight, and like shining stars in the night sky.
Beneath those thick, long black eyelashes, the eyes hidden in the shadows of his brow bone carried a heart-stopping depth, like an ancient oceanic glacier that had been silent for billions of years.
