Chapter 46: Chapter 46: Prince Carry
"Vahn, are you alright?" Seraphina asked quietly, her gentle features etched with genuine concern.
Vahn nodded, a deep sense of security washing over him.
"Yes... Now that you’re here, I should be fine."
Vahn’s pride wasn’t so shallow that he would reject her help at such a critical moment.
He acknowledged he was currently weak, and he needed this powerful backing. She was perfect for it.
But he was working tirelessly for a future where he would be the one to protect her, not the other way around. It was a man’s duty to protect his woman.
But for now, however, he would enjoy her protection. There was a unique joy in that, too.
Seraphina’s usual gentle eyes turned ice-cold, noticing the palpable killing intent radiating from the hostile figures who had been converging on Vahn. Because of her deep spiritual insight (an ability that allowed her to judge a soul’s nature) she instantly understood Vahn had acquired something that had invoked their deadly greed.
And now they sought to rob him, or worse, kill him if he resisted.
The mere thought of seeing Vahn’s lifeless corpse on this cold night sent her heart into turmoil. The thought of losing him was a pain she would never allow herself to witness.
Her palms began to glow with a chilling, pure white light.
She gazed at the shadowy figures with cold wrathful eyes.
"The world always sees me as a kind Saintess, but they always forget I have emotions too," she stated, her voice trembling slightly with suppressed rage. "And when you target the person closest to me, you all have incurred a wrath I didn’t want the world to witness. For your transgression and greed, you all shall be... perished."
The greedy rogue cultivators, who had foolishly chosen Vahn as their target, froze in terror at the statement. They had unknowingly provoked the fury of the Saintess of Light. This was not the same benevolent Saintess they knew of. This was a person who sought absolute punishment.
"F-Forgive—" one of the men started, desperate to beg for mercy.
But before they could utter another plea, Seraphina’s rage found its physical form.
Slice. Slice. Slice!
Several Swords of pure Light Qi materialized in the air, streaks of dazzling white energy that cut through the dozen men with unstoppable speed and deadly efficacy.
Blood sprayed like a macabre fountain, and bodies fell like grass, dying the stone-made road a shocking, bloody red.
At that moment, the entire scene froze.
Even Patriarch Xion and Medicine King Oswin, observing from above, were stunned into absolute silence. They had never heard of the Saintess of Light being capable of killing so many people so mercilessly. Until now, she was only known for her boundless kindness and impartiality. She was rumored to forgive her enemies. She used to say everyone deserve another chance.
But now, everything had changed.
But how? By whom?
The question hung unspoken in the air.
Patriarch Xion’s eyes narrowed on the masked young man standing beside Seraphina.
A suspicion intensely formed in his mind.
"Could it be him?"
As for Vahn, despite his ambition and burgeoning mental power, he was still a young man who had lived a sheltered life in Green Willow village.
As such, seeing such a bloody spectacle with his own eyes, made him a little ill.
He leaned against a pillar, swallowing hard against the urge to vomit. He knew he would have to get used to this kind of scene, maybe one day he would have to kill human with his own hand, so he was trying bery hard to adapt.
But it wasn’t as easy as he thought.
Seraphina noticed his condition instantly. Her anger melted away, replaced by concern and a deep, protective tenderness. She gently leaned in, bypassed his protests, and scooped him up into her arms.
Vahn was instantly mortified and flustered. Isn’t it typically the man who does the ’princess carry’?
What made the situation even more awkward was the tight embrace. Her generous pair of melons, like soft cushion beneath the thick fabrics of her robes, were pressing firmly against his shoulder and chest.
Vahn’s cheeks instantly flushed red.
Before he could voice his embarrassment or protest the highly unusual gesture, Seraphina launched into the sky. She didn’t rely on a clumsy flying sword or a beast. Her raw spiritual power alone was enough to lift them both and send them soaring through the night air with incredible speed and grace.
Seraphina’s bold action nearly made the onlookers’ jaws drop in disbelief. Below, the remaining cultivators, even the high-ranking Sect elders, were shocked.
"That... That can’t be our Saintess," one mumbled in shock. "She never let a man touch her before, much less carry one!"
"It’s true! She might be an imposter. There’s no way the Goddess of White Lotus would do such a disgraceful thing!" others exclaimed, trying to rationalize the impossible sight.
Yet, underneath their judgment, a fierce, bitter jealousy burned in their hearts. Just who was that masked young man?
High above the Auction Hall, seated on the back of the magnificent Blazing Phoenix, Patriarch Xion flashed a mysterious smile.
"So, you’re him, after all," he muttered, his gaze fixed on Vahn being carried through the air.
Medicine King Oswin looked utterly perplexed. "Who are you talking about, Patriarch?"
"No one," Xion replied dismissively, shaking his head. "Just someone from the past. Anyway, let’s head our way. That lass is probably dying to add this Flame Seed in her collection."
"Haha, I can understand your pain, Patriarch," Oswin laughed, shaking his head. "Sometimes Flama even asks for my Spirit Cauldron to add to her collection. She really is hopeless."
With one last glance toward the east where Vahn and Seraphina were flying, Xion and Oswin departed toward the west, their fiery Phoenix a magnificent streak against the night sky.
In the eastern night sky, under the light of the full moon, a strange couple soared across the vast expanse.
Vahn still looked thoroughly embarrassed, his cheeks flushed despite the cool breeze. Seraphina continued to fly with effortless power, seemingly unaware of Vahn’s flustered condition.
To be honest, Vahn couldn’t help but enjoy the current situation a bit. Surrounded by her sweet scent and held in her soft, protective embrace, he felt he was truly in heaven.
Even the vomiting urge left his mind completely.
Everything was serene and peaceful, until Vahn finally broke it a question:
"Seraphina, I am really curious. How were you able to recognize me, despite the disguise I was wearing?"
Seraphina looked down at his face, where the black mask was now gone.
Her natural red lips curled into a gentle, loving smile.
"What kind of question is that, Vahn? I can smell your pure Soul even from miles away. So how could I not recognize you?"
Hearing her answer, Vahn felt an overwhelming warmth spread through his chest.
He was now sure of one thing: he would no longer be able to live without this loving woman .