C8 The Engagement Was Canceled

In the grand hall, Su Yunshan, the patriarch of the Su Family, sat with an air of solemnity, his expression grave and serious.

Narrowing his eyes, Su Yunshan fixed his gaze on the figures before him. "Xueyao, shouldn't you be at Danwu Academy studying? What brings you here?"

"Hehe, Uncle Su, my father insisted, repeatedly reminding me to make a special visit to see you," Lu Xueyao said with a smile, her beautiful features and tall stature radiating charm with every grin.

"Ah, Niece Lu, your thoughtfulness is appreciated," Su Yunshan replied, nodding in approval. The thought of Su Ling marrying Lu Xueyao one day put his mind at ease.

"Elder Han, you may now present the items my master sent with you to Uncle Su," Lu Xueyao prompted, turning to address the stoic, gray-robed elder behind her.

"Understood." The elder, devoid of expression, retrieved a letter from his robes and tossed it before Su Yunshan. "Patriarch Su, this letter of recommendation comes directly from the Vice President of Danwu Academy. With it, an ordinary individual can gain entry to the academy's outer court for study."

"Hmm?" Su Yunshan's eyes narrowed further as he regarded the letter now lying on the floor, his face contorting with displeasure. "Xueyao, what is the meaning of this?"

"Uncle Su, I have never even met Su Ling, and our engagement was not of my choosing. I wish to dissolve our betrothal. I hope you will consent," Lu Xueyao requested softly, her lips quivering slightly.

It was clear to Su Yunshan now why Lu Xueyao had come to the Su Family with such a retinue. An engagement cancellation. Su Ling, a man of stature, was facing the indignity of a woman seeking to break their engagement. Should this become public, how would Su Ling ever hold his head high in Qingyang City?

"Patriarch Su, Lu Xueyao has been admitted to the Holy School at Danwu Academy and taken as a direct disciple by Vice President Shan Changkong. It is likely she will soon be betrothed to a prince of the Lanqing Empire. The decision to annul the engagement with the Su Family is both Lu Xueyao's wish and that of the academy," Han Feng, the gray-robed elder, interjected as he stepped between Lu Xueyao and Su Yunshan. "We've learned in Qingyang City that Su Ling is known as a good-for-nothing, unable to cultivate martial arts or alchemy. Patriarch Su, do you truly believe Su Ling is worthy of marrying Lu Xueyao?"

"Your insolence knows no bounds!" Su Yunshan erupted, standing swiftly as Mystical Qi roiled within his Sea of Qi and burst forth.

"Father, let it be," came a calm voice from outside the hall.

Lu Xueyao turned toward the entrance, her eyes landing on a young man stepping into the hall. It was Su Ling, clad in a simple embroidered silk robe, his features refined and pleasant. Not strikingly handsome, but there was an ease about him that was undeniably appealing.

As Lu Xueyao and Su Ling exchanged glances, it marked their first encounter since their engagement had been arranged. Han Feng, with a half-closed gaze, watched Su Ling enter the hall and remarked coolly, "Now that the concerned party is here, they can decide for themselves whether to call off the engagement."

Su Ling remained unfazed. He had heard Han Feng's words, but they seemed to barely register with him. Call off the engagement? In his past life, Su Ling had been the preeminent warrior across the Nine Heavens and Ten Realms, not to mention a Peak of Ninth Grade alchemist. A matter as trivial as an engagement was hardly worth his concern.

The mood in the Su Family's hall turned icy with Su Ling's arrival. As he approached Lu Xueyao, a black-robed elder who had been quietly trailing her stepped forward to intercept him. "Elder Lu, there's no need," Lu Xueyao said calmly. The elder scrutinized her for a moment before stepping aside, satisfied that she was unharmed.

With a smile, Su Ling extended his hand to Lu Xueyao, "Hello! Fiancée."

"Hmm?" Lu Xueyao was momentarily taken aback. She was here to dissolve their engagement, yet Su Ling's composure was disarming. "What, you won't even shake my hand because we're about to break off our engagement?" he asked, his demeanor unaffected by the impending dissolution.

Lu Xueyao chuckled, assuming Su Ling was putting on a brave face. How could any man not feel a sting when facing a broken engagement? But she had misjudged the situation; Su Ling was genuinely indifferent. In fact, had Lu Xueyao not sought him out, he would have initiated the breakup himself.

Su Ling had been granted a second chance at life thanks to the Heaven Demon Pearl. In his previous life, he fell in battle against hundreds of Celestial Sovereigns. Now, his focus was solely on cultivating his strength to become the ultimate ruler of the Nine Heavens and Ten Realms, mastering both martial prowess and alchemy. No one would be able to defeat him. Under these circumstances, why would he allow a marriage contract to hold him back? Breaking off the engagement was a given for Su Ling.

"Hello, Su Ling," Lu Xueyao greeted as she shook his hand briefly before withdrawing it. "So, you're agreeing to annul our engagement now?"

"Yes, annulling it is for the best—for both of us. I hope you find someone to marry out of love, not for convenience or gain," Su Ling replied, nodding with a serene expression. "I wish you all the best."

Lu Xueyao was left bewildered. What was this young man trying to convey? She was the one initiating the breakup, and yet he was the epitome of calm, even offering his blessings. Was he not processing the situation correctly?

Unperturbed by Lu Xueyao's astonishment, Su Ling simply smiled and made his way to Su Yunshan, crouching down to retrieve the fallen recommendation letter.

"Kid, calling off this engagement is nothing but beneficial for you. That letter of recommendation will get you, a good-for-nothing, directly into Danwu Academy," Elder Han Feng said, looking down at Su Ling with a few cold chuckles. For someone like Su Ling, who he considered worthless, being accepted into Danwu Academy was like a blessing that would take ten lifetimes to earn.

"Thank you," Su Ling replied, his composure unshaken. He held the recommendation letter, examining it intently for quite some time.

"Su Ling, I truly owe you an apology. It's me who should be thanking you. But you must realize, our worlds were never meant to intersect. Danwu Academy is divided into the outer, inner, and Holy Schools, and gaining entry to the Holy School is a one-in-a-million chance. I've already been admitted into the Holy School, and with your abilities, that letter should at least get you into the outer court," Lu Xueyao said, her lips pressed tightly together. She had never met Su Ling before and was taken aback by his decisive acceptance of the broken engagement, something she hadn't anticipated.

After all, Lu Xueyao was a woman of exceptional beauty and now a member of the Holy School at Danwu Academy, destined for greatness. If Su Ling had chosen to cling to her out of spite, he could have gained considerable advantages.

"One in ten thousand? Congratulations are in order then. I wish you a bright future," Su Ling said with a smile.

"Ah, he must be rattled, not making much sense anymore," Lu Xueyao sighed, feeling a bit helpless. She understood the emotional toll the broken engagement had taken on Su Ling, who was now speaking without much thought.

With that, she produced a brocade box from her robes and set it on the table beside her. "Su Ling, inside this box is a high-grade Washing Marrow Pill. It can unblock your meridians, transforming you into a normal person."

"Xueyao, a Washing Marrow Pill is a Second Grade Pill, and a high-grade one at that. You're giving it to this waste?" Elder Han Feng interjected, his face clouding over with displeasure.

"Xueyao, our engagement is over, and you're no longer my betrothed. I cannot accept the Washing Marrow Pill. Thank you," Su Ling said calmly. He then pulled out a pill from his robes and added, "Besides, I already possess an even higher-grade Washing Marrow Pill."

"Hmm?" Both Lu Xueyao and Elder Han Feng were taken aback.

They simultaneously turned their gaze to Su Yunshan, thinking, "Su Yunshan must really be generous with his wealth. A top-grade Washing Marrow Pill is valued at tens of thousands of High-Grade Profound Crystals on the market, and the Su Family's fortune probably caps at around 100,000 High-Grade Profound Crystals!"

What they didn't realize was that Su Yunshan himself was just as astonished. He looked at Su Ling, bewildered, fully aware of the value of a top-grade Washing Marrow Pill and curious about how Su Ling had acquired it.

Without offering any explanation, Su Ling pocketed the top-grade pill and said with a smile, "Well then, Xueyao, our engagement is dissolved, and you're free to go. I hope you become a formidable alchemist in the future."