Her cold words echoed in my mind:
"I pursue the martial path. I have no interest in marriage, and I despise weak men. The only reason I've tolerated this engagement is because my parents forced me into it."
Those words gnawed at me as I sat in silence. A servant, Chao Chao, came to summon me to the main hall for dinner.
When I arrived, my parents were already seated, waiting. My mother's gaze was soft, yet filled with determination.
"Do not worry, my son. I will see to it that you are married into the Qin family. Our Yin clan may be in decline, a mere shadow of its former self, but that engagement was arranged before your birth. We will not allow them to trample on our honor."
Her words were not merely comfort—they carried the weight of our clan's pride, of a lineage once glorious yet now struggling to stand tall.
I clenched my fists beneath the table. The Yin clan had indeed fallen from its former heights. In the great war against the demonic beasts decades ago, countless of our elites perished. My grandfather, once hailed as a general of unmatched might, had laid down his life to shield the continent. My uncles, cousins, even promising youths—all were swallowed by that endless tide of blood and steel. What remained was a family scarred, hollow, and struggling to recover.
And I, the so-called heir, was mocked as a disgrace.
"I also have a younger sister," I thought as my gaze softened. Yin Xiaoyue, my sweet little sister, always endured the scoldings of our parents because of my reckless actions. In my blindness, I thought she was stealing away their love. But the truth was harsher: she bore my mistakes in silence.
Chao Chao, the little maid, placed the dishes on the table and stole worried glances at me. She had been by my side since childhood, quietly picking up after my messes, enduring my temper, never once complaining.
I thought to myself: I had nothing in my past life. Now I have everything—my parents, my sister, this family. Whatever it takes, I will protect them.
The sound of the front gates opening echoed across the hall. A servant rushed in to announce, "The Qin family has arrived."
A heavy silence fell. My mother's hands froze above her chopsticks, my father's expression turned grim.
When they entered, the Qin family's arrogance filled the hall like a stench. Qin Beoni's parents spoke coldly:
"Our daughter cannot be shackled to one who was defeated by a servant. Such a marriage would only stain her future."
And then she—Qin Beoni herself—stepped forward. Her eyes were as sharp as swords, her tone colder than frost.
"Yin Chu, you are unworthy. I pursue the martial path. I have no interest in marriage, and I despise weak men. From the start, this engagement was nothing but a chain my parents bound me with. Now that you've proven yourself lacking, there is no reason for me to continue this farce."
Murmurs rippled among the attendants. Some pitied me. Most smirked, eager for my humiliation.
My father's voice thundered in reply, "This marriage agreement was sealed before either of you drew breath. Do you think our Yin clan's honor is so easily cast aside?"
But Qin Beoni sneered. "If he still clings to this engagement, then let him prove himself on the stage. Yin Chu, I challenge you. If you lose, the engagement is annulled."
Her eyes bore into me, expecting hesitation, cowardice. Instead, I rose slowly, a calm smile tugging at my lips. For weeks I had been in seclusion, tempering myself, and now my cultivation burned at Peak Qi Condensation. She was only at Mid Qi Condensation.
"Very well," I said, voice steady. "But remember this moment."
The courtyard filled with onlookers as we faced each other.
The Qin elders smirked, convinced their daughter would crush me. The servants whispered: the young master is finished again.
The duel began. Her movements were sharp, her blade fast, her aura of frost chilling the air. She wielded the Frost Petal Sword Technique, a Qin family art, each slash forming petals of icy sword-light.
But compared to the weeks of refinement I endured, they were like ripples against the ocean.
I circulated my qi, my meridians surging with power. With each breath, my strikes grew heavier, sharper, until the courtyard rang with the clash of steel.
"Impossible…" Qin Beoni gasped as her wrist numbed from the force of my blows.
With one final strike, I shattered her guard, twisted her sword from her grip, and slashed across her arm. Crimson splattered across the ground. She stumbled back, pale, clutching the wound.
Gasps erupted. The young master won? Against the Qin family's genius daughter?
I stood above her, my sword pointed at her throat. A hush fell over the crowd.
I could have ended it there, but I didn't. I let her live, staring coldly into her hateful eyes.
"Even if I do nothing," I whispered, my voice like ice, "the world will still paint me as a villain."
Blood dripped from my blade. Pain surged in my chest where her sword had grazed me. Behind me, I heard Xiaoyue cry out, and Chao Chao's panicked voice calling my name. My parents rushed forward, torn between pride and worry.
I raised my head toward the sky.
"Then so be it. Even if I must walk the path of a villain, I will protect my family. If being a villain is the price of holding on to what is mine… then I will become the greatest villain of all."