"Li Ming, are you truly going to the engagement meeting today? Don't tell me you've finally decided to face humiliation in person?"
The sarcastic voice of his cousin echoed from outside the bamboo courtyard.
Inside, Li Ming sat cross-legged under a peach tree that was already shedding its blossoms, a faintly amused expression playing on his lips. His clothes were plain white, but despite the wear, he had the air of someone who should've been wearing silken robes and giving scholarly lectures, not nursing tea in an old courtyard.
He lazily opened his eyes, their depth like a calm lake—so calm, in fact, it seemed as if even mockery could not ripple it.
"Face humiliation?" Li Ming smiled faintly. "If being mocked could make me cultivate faster, I would've been an Immortal by now."
"Ha! At least you know you're a cripple!" The cousin's laughter echoed, followed by retreating footsteps.
Li Ming simply lifted his teacup and took a sip. The spring water tasted slightly bitter—much like his fate.
He, Li Ming of the Li Clan, first son of the late Sword Elder, had been tested at the age of seven and found to possess no spiritual roots whatsoever. No matter how many elixirs or spirit stones he consumed, his meridians remained closed. For twelve years, he had watched others ascend step by step while he remained... ordinary.
In a world where power was the law, "ordinary" was another word for "useless."
....
The Li Clan of Cloudspire City was one of the mid-tier powers of the Azure Sky Domain. They governed a region rich in spiritual veins, producing countless cultivators. For such a family, a genius was glory, but a waste was shame—especially when that waste happened to be the heir to one of their greatest elders.
Even worse, Li Ming was engaged.
It was an arranged engagement made in his father's generation. The bride-to-be, Su Yueru, was none other than the daughter of the Jade Harmony Sect's elder—a girl born with an Ice Spirit Physique, known across the Eastern Domain for her cold temperament and her immense talent.
She had broken through to the Foundation Establishment Realm at fifteen.
Li Ming? He was still at the "can't-refine-Qi-to-save-his-life" stage.
The engagement that had once been a source of pride for the Li Clan had become the joke of the entire city. Rumor said that the Jade Harmony Sect was planning to call off the marriage—and the Su Family was coming today to do just that.
....
"Call off the marriage, huh?" Li Ming muttered to himself, setting down the teacup and gazing at his reflection in the rippling water basin nearby. "I should probably be upset... but honestly, I've been expecting it."
He stood up, dusting off his robe. The morning sunlight spilled through the peach blossoms, covering him in soft pink light.
"If fate decides to strip me of a wife before I even have one," he sighed dramatically, "I'd at least like to look handsome when it happens."
He straightened his robe, tied his long black hair properly, and adjusted his sword belt—even though that sword had never drawn blood nor channeled a shred of spiritual energy.
Then he smiled at his reflection.
"Perfect. If I'm going to be abandoned, at least let it be with grace."
....
By the time Li Ming reached the main courtyard, the atmosphere was already tense.
Inside the hall sat his clan's patriarch, Li Zhentian, several elders, and on the opposite side—a group wearing robes of white and silver, embroidered with a snow lotus pattern. The faint chill in the air was proof enough: cultivators from the Jade Harmony Sect.
At the center of that group sat a young woman with long, silvery-blue hair tied into a ribbon, her expression calm yet distant—like a statue carved from eternal ice.
Su Yueru.
She was, without doubt, beautiful enough to make a man forget the mortal world. Her skin was porcelain, her eyes as clear as frozen lakes, and her posture graceful beyond measure.
But that coldness… that distance… it was enough to make any man tremble.
Even so, Li Ming found himself smiling wryly.
"So that's my fiancée, huh?" he murmured under his breath. "I can see why the heavens gave her ice for a heart. Any warmer and she'd set the world on fire."
When he stepped through the doorway, the hall fell silent.
Everyone turned to look at him—the crippled young master, the butt of every whispered jest.
"Li Ming." The patriarch's tone was calm, but his brows were furrowed. "You're late."
"I came as soon as I heard there was a wedding to end," Li Ming said with a casual smile, taking his seat with neither arrogance nor fear.
The visiting elder from the Jade Harmony Sect cleared his throat. "Young Master Li, I believe you already know why we are here."
"To end an engagement," Li Ming said lightly. "I'd be offended if you came all the way just to have tea."
The elder frowned slightly at his lack of shame. "Indeed. A marriage requires balance. One side has soared; the other remains… unable to cultivate. I trust you understand."
Li Ming nodded, smiling faintly. "Perfectly. It's unfair for a heavenly phoenix to be tied to a plucked chicken."
"Li Ming!" an elder from his clan snapped. "Mind your words!"
But Su Yueru's gaze flickered. Her lips curved slightly—not quite a smile, but something close.
She stood then, her voice as calm as flowing snow. "Li Ming."
"Yes, future ex-fiancée?"
"I came not to humiliate you," she said quietly. "This engagement was made by our elders. To dissolve it is not your fault."
Li Ming raised an eyebrow. "Then I should thank you for your mercy?"
Her expression didn't change. "No. You should thank me for the pill I brought."
At her gesture, a maid stepped forward, holding a jade box. When it opened, a faint fragrance of medicine filled the air.
"This is a Spirit Root Revival Pill," she said. "Though it cannot make one a genius, it can repair damaged meridians. My sect prepared it as compensation for ending the engagement."
A collective murmur spread through the Li elders.
Li Ming's eyes twitched.
A priceless pill just for breaking up with me? I didn't realize being dumped could be profitable.
"Miss Su," he said after a moment, smiling politely, "you honor me. But you should know—pills like this have no effect on someone who never had spirit roots to begin with."
"That," she said, meeting his eyes for the first time, "is why I'm not here to break off the engagement."
The hall went still.
Even Li Ming blinked. "...What?"
"I've thought about it," Su Yueru continued, her tone calm, but her eyes firm. "The Jade Harmony Sect may disapprove, but I will not go against the engagement. If you are willing, we will marry."
The words struck like thunder.
The elders of both sides erupted in murmurs. The Jade Harmony Sect's envoy turned pale. Even the Li patriarch's teacup nearly slipped from his grasp.
Only Li Ming sat frozen, blinking slowly.
"…Marry?" he repeated.
Su Yueru nodded. "I do not abandon promises. Whether you can cultivate or not, that is your fate. Mine is to honor what was agreed."
Li Ming rubbed his temple, muttering under his breath, "Did I wake up in the wrong world?"
At that very moment, a faint golden light flashed behind his eyes.
A mechanical chime echoed in his consciousness—cold, emotionless, divine.
[Heavenly Marriage System initializing…]
[Condition detected: Wife compatibility 87%.]
[Would you like to bind as Couples?]
Li Ming froze.
His heartbeat quickened. "Wait... what?"
[Upon marriage, cultivation will be shared between bound partners. Dual comprehension of Dao will result in mutual resonance and accelerated growth.]
He stared blankly at Su Yueru, who was now being surrounded by arguing elders.
His lips twitched.
Are you telling me… all I had to do to awaken a system… was get married?
The voice continued, indifferent.
[Warning: Binding requires mutual consent and a formal spiritual vow. Failure to complete within one month will reset compatibility.]
Li Ming stood abruptly, startling everyone.
"I agree!"
Su Yueru blinked. "What?"
"I mean," he coughed, recovering, "I accept the marriage arrangement. Of course."
The hall fell silent again.
The Jade Harmony Sect's envoy opened his mouth. "Young Master Li, think carefully—"
"I've thought carefully my entire life," Li Ming interrupted, smiling brightly. "And for once, Heaven seems to think I deserve a wife."
The patriarch exhaled, torn between pride and confusion. "Then… the Li Clan shall prepare the wedding rites!"
Su Yueru inclined her head slightly. "Once the formalities are complete, I will return to the Jade Harmony Sect. We will perform the ceremony there."
"As you wish," Li Ming said quickly, trying to hide the gleam of triumph in his eyes.
System, you beautiful golden cheat, I could kiss you—wait, no, that would be weird.
[Binding pending: Awaiting spiritual ceremony.]
Li Ming's grin widened.
For the first time in his life, the "waste young master" felt like Heaven itself was smiling down at him.
Maybe he wasn't a cripple after all.
Maybe he had simply been… waiting for the right woman.
*****
[A/N:] Okay, welcome everyone to another try.
Expect consistent updates, but supporting me will motivate more chapters.
Combining everything I love about some translated Chinese works into this work, read and enjoy!