(MC POV)
Looking at the drama that was supposed to happen, as I and Yuri would just watch in shock and enjoyment, had somehow dragged me into it; in fact, I am the centre of attraction.
Looking at the young man who was pointing his sword at me and then looking at the elders and the sect master and finally the woman named Shangguan.
"I'm sorry, what is happening here?" I asked.
Looking around at the sect master and her elders, also at the girl called Shangguan and Mayene, and then back at the young man who was challenging me to a duel, I felt like I was in a different dimension entirely.
"What is happening here is you being engaged to her." The man named Hao Ren replied, pointing his sword at me and Shangguan, who looked at me with what looked like an apologetic smile.
"When did I get engaged to you?" I asked, looking at her, but I feel like the person I was supposed to be looking at was actually her mother, the sect master.
"Uh... That was during the sect exchange festival of your sect; you were not available at that time." The sect master replied, looking at me. "I, on the other hand, do not know who this young man is, nor how he was able to get here."
"Firstly, I was the one that saved your daughter from that manticore's lair, and secondly, I beat my way up here; your sect's disciples are very weak, I might add." The man responded, looking a bit too cocky as he looked at me. "We were supposed to be a loving couple according to the plot, but she was called back by her mother, who did not even know that her daughter was in danger, and now I am hearing that she is getting engaged to you."
Okay, what is wrong with her getting engaged to me? and secondly she was held hostage before?
Sorry, focusing on the wrong thing.
"During my sect's exchange festival? Why was I not informed about this?" Looking at the sect master of the pink petals sect... Okay, it's too long; I will just say sect master Nuwa.
"Uh, well, it was actually a bet that was made between me and your sect master, and it was just about three weeks ago that Shangguan was informed, when she came back from Tang city," Her mother said as she looked at her daughter. "You did not tell me you were trapped by a manticore?"
"Well, you should have waited before telling me about being engaged to master Zen." She clapped back, looking at me with a smile, to which I gave her a smile... I think.
"Then who is he?" I pointed to the guy who was picking his ear at the side.
"He was the one that saved me from passing, Hao Ren," Shangguan replied with a grimace on her face.
"Yes, and she promised to be my lover when I did before..."
"Before she was called by her mother and came back to the sect only for you to hear she is being engaged to me, correct?"
"Yes, basically."
Okay, this is very messed up, and now that I think about it.
"You were in that auction, right?"
"Yes,"
No wonder Mayene's voice sounded familiar; it was at the auction house.
"Okay, so if I am getting this right, you were saved by him but then received some information to head back to your sect, and before leaving, you promised to be his partner, but you then changed your mind and rather decided to be engaged to me. now your one-minute boyfriend is here to fight me for your love... Am I missing anything else?" I asked, looking at Shangguan, Hao Ren, and sect master Nuwa.
"Yes", Hao Ren
"Something like that," Shangguan
"Wait, when did you get caught by a manticore?" Nuwa
"So how do we settle this, then?" I can't just break the engagement, and I don't want to fight this man, and I also don't want to cause a rift between my sect and the Pink petals sect.
"Why don't you pick someone else?" A voice said as we all looked over to see Mayene timidly raising her hand as she spoke. "Since sister already promised this man, why doesn't she fulfil her promise?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
Okay, this girl is smart, but she's digging a deeper pit for me here.
"No, any other suggestions?" I would of course turn down such a plan.
"Why? Aside from sister, I am also a dao child of the sect, meaning if sister is not available, I would take over, and now that she has promised to be with another man, I would have to take the mantle and be the one to be your bride!" She countered with more confidence than before.
"Mayene!" Sect master Nuwa called out, looking to reprimand her daughter for the things she had said, but then another voice joined the occasion.
"Well, she does have a point."
"Dad!?" Shangguan screamed as a man looking to be in his late forties came in through the broken door.
"Shanggaun, you of all people should know how powerful a promise is to us practitioners, and this man did indeed save you from that manticore, and I don't think you have compensated him well enough. we all know how powerful a manticore is."
Looking at the new actor in this drama, I felt that he is someone that can get out of this mess.
"But we can all say that you made that promise in a fit of gratitude and did not really mean it, so it can be forgiven," He added, crushing all my hopes.
"Hey, so what do I get in return, then?" Hao Ren asked, placing the sword on his shoulder, and I hope he does not nick himself with that.
"A reward and an apology, but for breaking into our sect unannounced and even injuring some of our disciples, you would have to serve here as an orange-robed worker." The man then clapped, and some people in what looked like brown skin-tight clothes appeared, surrounding the man named Hao Ren.
Oh, another stealth rune; this one is a bit advanced, though.
"Haha, you think you can keep me here? I, Hao Ren, go wherever I want to go and leave whenever."
"Lotus fire!" He conjured what looked like a lotus made of green flames.
"Heavenly fire!" Sect master Nuwa called out, in the embrace of her husband... When did she get there?
The brown-clothed people did not have time to react and were instantly disintegrated on the spot.
"This is not over!" The man said as he dashed out of the hall.
"You think you can just come and leave when you want?" The father of Shanggaun said as he chased after the man, leaving me and the rest of the people in the hall.
"So... Uh, anyone want tea?" Elder Dao asked as she held a tray in her hands.
Why not, since I even need to sit and think a little about what to do?
As I sat down, I felt a hand massage my shoulder, and looking up to see Yuri's face, it was like a light bulb lit up in my head.