"Get out of the way!" A crisp, cold voice called out just as Ling Xiao was meditating with his eyes closed.
His memories told him it was the Ling Family's youngest sister, Ling Yun'Er. She was only twelve years old, yet had already reached the cultivation level of a Tier Two Sword Master. Though a genius Martial Artist, those who knew her preferred to call her the "Little Princess of the Ling Family."
This was because Ling Yun'Er was exceptionally cute—far prettier than her older sister, Ling Su. With her delicate, porcelain-like features, she was already a budding beauty, destined to become an absolute stunner when she grew up.
It was precisely because three of the General's four children were so exceptionally talented that many secretly speculated Ling Xiao wasn't the General's son at all. Of course, such rumors were utter nonsense.
"Young Miss... The General has given an order..." The guard at the entrance looked at Ling Yun'Er, utterly conflicted. He didn't dare defy the clever, mischievous Little Princess of the Ling Family. However, the General had commanded that no one was to visit Ling Xiao, saying he was to reflect on his mistakes in seclusion.
"Thirteen, you're no match for me. Don't force my hand!" Ling Yun'Er, who usually wore a constant smile, was now holding an antiquated short sword. Her fair hand was clenched tight, her face a mask of frost as she stared at the guard named Thirteen, looking ready to strike at the slightest provocation.
Indeed, with his strength as a Tier Nine Sword Attendant, Thirteen was absolutely no match for Ling Yun'Er, a Tier Two Sword Master. Power had nothing to do with age.
Still, Thirteen didn't dare defy the General's order. As he and the other guard stared helplessly at the cold-faced young miss, caught in a dilemma, an authoritative voice spoke from behind them. "Thirteen, let her in." It was followed by a sigh.
Recognizing the General's voice, Guard Thirteen hastily bowed and let Ling Yun'Er pass. Without a backward glance, she snorted and rushed inside.
General Ling Tianxiao watched with a complicated expression. His precious little daughter no longer clung to him, pestering him endlessly for stories the moment she saw him. He felt gratified that his children were so united, but also began to wonder. 'Have I really gone too far this time? Have I shown too little care for my son, Ling Xiao?'
But the moment he recalled the scene of his old friend, Xie Changting, awkwardly breaking off the engagement, Ling Tianxiao felt an irrepressible anger swell in his chest, pent up with no release.
'In all these years, when have I ever been so utterly humiliated?' Ling Tianxiao and Xie Changting, a great merchant of the Lanyue Empire, had been friends since childhood. Though their paths diverged as adults, their firm friendship never wavered. The marriage had been arranged when their children were young to bring their families closer. He never imagined it would end in such a disgraceful affair.
Ling Tianxiao cursed his son internally. 'Useless piece of trash. Can't even handle one girl, and he dares call himself a son of the Ling Family? Fine. So the engagement is off. If Ling Xiao stays this weak, he'll only cause greater disgrace in the future!'
General Ling Tianxiao dismissed his original intention to check on Ling Xiao's condition. He turned, flicked his sleeves, and strode away.
In truth, Ling Tianxiao knew perfectly well that Ling Xiao's power was far inferior to Xie Xiaoyan's. He had regretted his angry outburst almost immediately. 'I probably wronged my son. Perhaps I was deceived by that little wench.' But a man of his stature couldn't possibly go seeking trouble with a young girl, especially not the daughter of his good friend, Xie Changting.
That was why, ever since Ling Xiao had awoken, Ling Tianxiao had been thinking, 'If my son has any spine, he'll use this humiliation as motivation and reclaim his honor himself. If he's just a waste of space, I can help him once, but I can't help him a hundred times. It would only end up hurting him, so what's the point?'
Ling Tianxiao had readily agreed to his old friend Xie Changting's request to break the engagement. Even if the Xie Family hadn't suggested it, Ling Tianxiao would no longer have allowed his son to marry that girl. Friendship was one thing, but a girl so calculating and manipulative was not suited for the Ling Family.
As for the disgrace... Ling Tianxiao let out a long sigh. 'My comrades who fell on the battlefield ten years ago... how many people still remember what they looked like?'
The moment Ling Yun'Er saw her third brother lying on the bed, large tears streamed down her face. She rushed over, choking back sobs. "Third Brother, are you okay? Are you badly hurt? How could Father be so cruel!" The same Ling Yun'Er who had been too cold to utter a word outside couldn't hold back her sense of grievance and heartache upon seeing her bedridden brother.
Ling Yun'Er had also faced ridicule at the academy. People said her brother had disgraced the nobility. As she had been closest to her third brother since they were children, Ling Yun'Er naturally couldn't bear it and had gotten into several fights. But this only made the taunts more vicious: "Your brother is a weakling who needs a woman to stand up for him." Furious, Ling Yun'Er ran home from the academy. She had to see her third brother for herself and hear the truth, because she simply refused to believe he would do something like that.
Although this was a different Ling Xiao, he was still deeply moved by such a strong sibling bond. In his past life, he had set foot on Shushan as a child to cultivate the Immortal Path. The endless training had made relationships among his fellow disciples cold and distant; he had never experienced true familial warmth. Moreover, he had perfectly fused with the soul of the original Ling Xiao, inheriting his deep longing for his family.
For a moment, Ling Xiao felt his nose tingle with emotion. He could feel the original Ling Xiao's adoration for his younger sister.
Ling Xiao raised his hand and gently wiped the tears from the corner of his sister's eye. He smiled a bit awkwardly. "Yun'Er, I'm fine. It's all of you who have been wronged because of me."
Ling Yun'Er lifted her head and bit her lip. Her star-bright eyes locked onto Ling Xiao's. In a clear voice still tinged with the sound of childhood, she said, "Third Brother, I believe you! Eldest Brother and Second Sister will believe you, too! And I won't let Xie Xiaoyan get away with this!" A chill spread across her face, showing a resolve far beyond her years.
Ling Xiao was moved, but he still said, "There's no need. The truth will speak for itself. Promise me you won't go looking for trouble with her."
'In truth, I don't think she's any match for Xie Xiaoyan,' Ling Xiao thought. 'A Tier Two Sword Master versus a Tier Six Sword Master... even if Yun'Er's Swordsmanship is superior, she has no chance of victory. The power gap is undeniable. Why would she go and seek her own humiliation?'
'Besides, if anyone is going to settle the score with Xie Xiaoyan, it has to be me!' Ling Xiao sneered internally. 'She insulted "me" and thinks that's the end of it?'
Ling Yun'Er looked at Ling Xiao, feeling her third brother had changed. The brother she remembered, though not highly skilled in Swordsmanship, had a boisterous and vengeful personality. Now, he seemed somber and listless. 'Could it be that Father's punishment broke his spirit?' she wondered.
The thought made Ling Yun'Er's anger toward their father flare. She resented his foolishness, and her hatred for Xie Xiaoyan grew even deeper. She mostly understood why her brother didn't want her to seek revenge; he was afraid she was too weak and would only get hurt. 'However...' A cold sneer played on her lips. 'I'm only twelve! I have plenty of time! Xie Xiaoyan, one day, I will surpass you!'
Just then, they suddenly heard a guard announce loudly from outside, "Third Young Master, Fourth Young Miss, a young woman outside named Xie Xiaoyan says she's here to see the Third Young Master."
"Xie Xiaoyan!" Ling Yun'Er's eyebrows shot up, her face a mask of disbelief. She shot to her feet and snarled through gritted teeth, "She dares to come to the Ling Family! I'll kill her!"
"Wait." Ling Xiao stopped his enraged sister. He gave a faint smile and said, "Yun'Er, this is my business!" His tone was light, but it held an unquestionable authority.
Fuming, Ling Yun'Er locked gazes with Ling Xiao for a long moment before finally relenting. She moved to the doorway and snapped irritably to the guard outside, "Let her in!"
A moment later, the door opened. Sunlight streamed into the room, illuminating a wild dance of countless dust motes. Ling Xiao, who hadn't seen the sun in days, instinctively narrowed his eyes. He watched the woman silhouetted by the light. This was the "first time" this Ling Xiao was seeing the woman who was no longer his fiancée.
He had let her in for one simple reason. 'I just wanted to see for myself what this woman actually looks like.'