It seemed like an ordinary day, the usual gathering of heavenly officials in the Heavenly Capital on the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Everything was proceeding as expected: Pei Ming, as always, lingered near Ling Wen and Shi Wudu, and, as always, the trio was nicknamed "the three tumors." So be it. He merely smirked, letting such jabs roll off him as usual.

But suddenly, something occurred in the assembly hall that made even the most unflappable officials lift their heads. Jun Wu, who typically maintained an air of majestic calm, allowed himself a faint smile and announced:

Jun Wu: Soon, someone who has not been here in a very long time will arrive.

An uneasy silence settled over the hall. All eyes were on Jun Wu, awaiting clarification, but he said no more. Then, the massive doors of the hall slowly swung open, and the soft but distinct sound of boot heels echoed through the stillness.

A figure appeared in the doorway, cloaked in white with a fur-lined collar. The hood concealed their face, and the garments seemed to carry with them the chill of northern lands, where blood flowed endlessly in wars against demonic beasts. The stranger moved unhurriedly yet with the confidence and grace that only true warriors possessed.

When the hood was pulled back, the hall fell utterly silent. It was a woman. Her skin was flawless, porcelain-pale, as if carved from the purest jade. In her eyes, where countless winters and battles dwelled, tenderness intertwined with unyielding resolve.

Jun Wu, his gentle smile unwavering, spoke again:

Jun Wu: It has been a long time, Goddess of War of the Northern Kingdom.

Many of those present continued to stare at her in open astonishment. All except one. Pei Ming. He did not look shocked. He did not gaze at her in wonder. Instead, that familiar smile appeared on his lips—lazy, charming, dreamy, as if he had just laid eyes on something deeply familiar and infinitely dear. Ling Wen, noticing this, rolled her eyes ever so slightly. Another of Pei Ming’s targets? Of course. Yet she couldn’t resist the opportunity to jab at him:

Ling Wen: Don’t tell me you’re starting again? — she asked dryly.

Pei Ming lazily shifted his gaze to his companions, the corners of his mouth curling into a sly smirk.

Pei Ming: What? — he drawled. — Don’t I have the right to admire my wife after five long centuries?

For a few moments, the hall froze in stunned silence. The heavenly officials exchanged glances, clearly struggling to believe what they had just heard. Even Ling Wen and Shi Wudu, well accustomed to Pei Ming’s antics, now looked genuinely taken aback.

“Pei Ming and… wife?” someone murmured, utterly at a loss for words.