Outside the sect gates stood a blue-robed young woman of about sixteen years. Her skin was like snow, her figure slender, with an oval face and willow-leaf eyebrows that radiated an air of nobility.
From her appearance and bearing, she was in no way inferior to Lu Qianqian.
Murong Xin.
A legitimate descendant of the Murong Family of Tianhai City.
Possessing a supreme-grade spiritual root, she was the direct disciple of the Eleventh Elder of the Baihe Sacred Sect.
Her other identity was—Xiao Zuiji’s former fiancée.
This heaven’s favored daughter, who combined both beauty and talent, appearing at the Iron Bone Sect’s mountain gate was completely unexpected.
Murong Xin gently raised her head, brushing the dark strands from her forehead. A pair of starry eyes gazed toward the man standing on the distant watchtower as she murmured, “It really is him.”
Some time ago, she had returned to Tianhai City to visit relatives and heard that her former fiancé had participated in the Qingyang County sect martial competition and won the championship. On her way back to the sect this time, she had specifically made a detour to take a look.
Xiao Zuiji was also looking at Murong Xin, his face darkening. “Why has this woman come!”
Memories from five years ago surfaced.
It was in the Xiao Family’s great hall, before all the clan members, with the Baihe Sacred Sect’s elder accompanying her. Murong Xin had said indifferently, “I’ve come to break off the engagement.”
Those six cold and proud words pierced like sharp arrows deep into Xiao Zuiji’s heart. Throughout his five years of wandering, whenever he recalled them, the pain was unbearable.
Toward his former fiancée, Xiao Zuiji had no emotional attachment—after all, it was an arranged marriage from the womb, and they had only met once as children.
But having a woman come to break off the engagement, especially in front of everyone, was undoubtedly equivalent to ruthlessly trampling his dignity.
Falling from genius to waste—he could accept that.
Being expelled from the family—he could accept that too.
What he couldn’t accept was that when he was down and out, even his fiancée had to come and add insult to injury, thoroughly casting him into the abyss.
Seeing Murong Xin again and remembering her proud expression from back then, Xiao Zuiji truly wanted to turn the muzzle of his Type 88 sniper rifle toward her and pull the trigger.
“Creak—”
Just then, the red-lacquered gate swung open. Su Xiaomo waved her hand. “Miss Murong, please enter.”
Murong Xin frowned. “Is your sect master not personally receiving this young lady?”
Her voice carried an air of arrogance.
She had the qualifications to be arrogant. After all, just her status as a legitimate Murong Family descendant meant that anywhere in Qingyang County, the high-ranking members of various sects would line up to welcome her.
Even the fifth-tier Cangshan Sect would show deference out of respect for the Baihe Sacred Sect.
Oh my goodness.
This woman is quite cocky, isn’t she?
Su Xiaomo said irritably, “Miss Murong, you’re merely a legitimate descendant of the Murong Family. Why would our sect master personally receive you?”
Family head and sect master were equivalent positions.
A family’s legitimate descendant visiting without the sect master coming out to receive them—no problem with that, perfectly proper.
“Are you entering or not?”
Su Xiaomo said impatiently, “If you’re not coming in, I’m closing the gate.”
“Hmph.”
Murong Xin snorted coldly and stepped inside. Anger flickered in her brows as she thought, “A ninth-tier sect actually thinks so highly of itself.”
After entering and seeing the spacious outer courtyard and the magnificent, resplendent great hall, a trace of surprise flashed through her bright eyes. “This Iron Bone Sect is quite impressive.”
“But…”
Looking at the disciples training in the martial arts field, she said disdainfully, “Their aptitude is mediocre and their cultivation levels are low. No matter how luxurious the sect is, it’s ultimately still a low-grade existence.”
From this woman’s arrogant behavior, it was enough to prove that Jun Changxiao had guessed correctly—she came with ill intentions!
…
The great hall.
Murong Xin walked in and, seeing the young man in white robes sitting in the head position, said indifferently, “You’re the Iron Bone Sect’s master?”
“That’s right.”
Jun Changxiao rested his elbow on the armrest, fingers interlaced, and smiled. “This seat has long heard that my disciple has an incomparably beautiful fiancée. Seeing you today, the reputation is well-deserved.”
Li Qingyang’s mouth twitched.
My sect master, bringing up the words “fiancée”—aren’t you deliberately trying to provoke her?
Indeed.
Murong Xin’s lovely face immediately turned cold. “Sect Master Jun, I no longer have a marriage contract with Xiao Zuiji. Please don’t joke about it.”
“Oh yes, oh yes.” Jun Changxiao slapped his forehead, pretending to suddenly remember. “This seat forgot—my disciple and Miss Murong no longer have any engagement. Ah, getting old, memory’s failing.”
Awkwardly clumsy acting.
“Miss Murong.”
Jun Changxiao got to the point. “What brings you to my Iron Bone Sect this time?”
“Nothing much.” Murong Xin said indifferently. “I just heard that Sect Master Jun’s disciples swept the top four positions in the sect martial competition. I came specially to see what makes them so different from others.”
Jun Changxiao said, “I see. Qingyang, call your Junior Martial Brother Xiao over to accompany Miss Murong and give her a thorough tour of the Iron Bone Sect.”
Li Qingyang felt somewhat crushed.
“Sect Master.”
Xiao Zuiji appeared at the great hall entrance. “This disciple is already here.”
…
The back mountain, among the peach grove.
Murong Xin stood before a peach tree, her pale fingers gently plucking at the peach blossoms on the branches.
Xiao Zuiji crouched on a rock, his Type 88 sniper rifle wrapped in black cloth and placed beside him, never letting the gun leave his person.
The woman was incomparably beautiful, the man outstandingly handsome—like a heaven-made pair.
Unfortunately.
Beneath this beautiful scene, a solemn atmosphere pervaded.
After a long while.
Murong Xin clasped her hands behind her back, looking toward Xiao Zuiji. “You still haven’t opened your meridians?”
Her tone was much more moderate, lacking the previous arrogance.
Xiao Zuiji said indifferently, “Miss Murong, whether I’ve opened my meridians or not seems to have absolutely nothing to do with you, does it?”
Murong Xin paused briefly in silence, then changed the topic. “Back then, I told my grandfather I wanted to break off the engagement, but the old man didn’t agree, so don’t blame me for taking matters into my own hands and going to the Xiao Family to break it off.”
“Moreover…”
She paused. “I truly didn’t know that your spiritual root and cultivation would regress, nor did I know about your situation in the Xiao Family at that time.”
Xiao Zuiji said indifferently, “It happened a long time ago. You don’t need to explain anything to me.”
Murong Xin plucked a peach blossom and toyed with the petals. “Over these five years, everyone has believed that I, Murong Xin, went to your Xiao Family to break off the engagement because my fiancé lost his aptitude and cultivation.”
As she spoke, she tossed over a medicine bottle. “Inside are ten Meridian Opening Pills that increase the chances of opening meridians. Consider it compensation from the young, impulsive me of the past.”
“Is this pity?” Xiao Zuiji asked.
Murong Xin remained silent.
Xiao Zuiji said mockingly, “You, Murong Xin, are heaven’s favored daughter. I, Xiao Zuiji, am now nothing but a waste. Naturally, I could never reach so high. Please take the Meridian Opening Pills with you.”
“Whoosh—” A happy soccer ball shot over, directly hitting his face, followed by Jun Changxiao’s rebuke: “Stand tall and proud for this seat!”
“Swish!”
Xiao Zuiji stood up, fists clenched tight, saying word by word, “Murong Xin, the humiliation you gave me five years ago—sooner or later, I, Xiao Zuiji, will go to the Baihe Sacred Sect to reclaim it!”
“Add a deadline!” Jun Changxiao’s voice called out.
“Ten years!”
“Too long!”
“Nine…”
“Fine, three years then!”
Xiao Zuiji: “…”
Murong Xin brushed her dark hair and smiled. “In three years, you’ll come to the Baihe Sacred Sect to find me?”
“That’s right.”
Xiao Zuiji’s gaze turned cold and sharp. “In three years, I’ll bring divorce papers to the Baihe Sacred Sect and tell everyone that it was I, Xiao Zuiji, who divorced you—not you, Murong Xin, who broke the engagement!”
Murong Xin’s expression froze.
She saw an unprecedented determination in this man’s eyes—something that hadn’t been there even when they first met, back when he was still a genius.
“Three years, then.”
Murong Xin said indifferently, “Fine. I’ll wait for you at the Baihe Sacred Sect.”
With that, she turned and left. The broken peach blossom drifted down, its petals gradually separating in mid-air—as if representing the once heaven-made pair finally going their separate ways today.
“Miss Murong.”
Jun Changxiao’s voice echoed through the back mountain: “Forgive me for not seeing you off.”