“Even Youyue is like that. She didn’t even tell me her younger brother came. Looks like I need to add a few more dishes today,” Dongbo Xueying suddenly raised his eyebrows. His state of Oneness with Heaven and Earth allowed him to perceive every movement, even the flapping of a fly’s wings, with absolute clarity. Naturally, the conversation between Kong Youyue and her younger brother, Kong Hao, was also crystal clear to him.
…
Inside Youyue’s room.
“Father sent you here just for this?” Kong Youyue asked softly.
“Exactly,” Kong Hao replied. “Father also specially instructed me to say… the Si Clan holds an immeasurably high status throughout the entire Qinghe County! Whether it’s military officers, city magistrates of the county seat, local rulers, and other important officials, even some fierce bandits, wealthy merchant guilds, and the secret factions lurking in the shadows—every force, both overt and covert, must bow before the Si Clan!”
“The Si Clan is the very sky of Qinghe County! If they declare someone guilty, that person is guilty—whether they are or not,” Kong Hao continued. “And Si Chen is the true golden boy of the Si Clan. He became a Star-Level Mage merely two years ago, at only twenty years of age, and is deeply cherished by the Si Clan’s Ancestor. Once he becomes a Silver Moon-Level Mage, his status will be even higher and more astonishing.”
“Father said he doesn’t insist you must marry Dongbo Xueying anymore. If you can marry Si Chen instead, that would be even better. He said that if our Kong family can establish a connection with the Si Clan, we could truly ascend to the heavens in an instant,” Kong Hao added.
Kong Hao then pursed his lips, “Still, Sister, I think Father is being too pragmatic. I, for one, support you. Honestly, you don’t have to mind what Father says—it’s just his way of speaking. After all, it’s not certain that you can successfully marry that young master Si Chen!”
“Hmph.”
Kong Youyue let out a soft, disdainful laugh. “Father has always been like this!”
That was all she said—no more.
“Sigh…”
“I’ve always wanted to get closer to Dongbo Xueying, as Father strictly commanded,” Kong Youyue sighed gently. “Although I’ve tried very hard, and he’s become somewhat close to me, he still hasn’t publicly declared me as his girlfriend.”
“Doesn’t he like you?” Kong Hao asked quickly.
“Not exactly. He’s always focused on his spear techniques. Except for me, and excluding a few female servants in the castle, he hasn’t even spoken much to any other young women,” Kong Youyue replied. “Dongbo Xueying may seem cold on the outside, but he’s warm within. If I just keep at it patiently, I believe in time, given his nature, he will eventually marry me.”
“But being with him is really quite dull,” Kong Youyue shook her head. “He probably hasn’t even noticed it himself. He doesn’t know how to be sweet or charming at all—no sense of romance. He’s even worse than those male disciples at the Mage Tower when it comes to knowing how to please a girl.”
“Sister, you don’t like Dongbo Xueying?” Kong Hao asked in surprise.
“When I first arrived here as a child, I really admired him,” Kong Youyue admitted. “But later, after studying magic under my teacher and realizing the vastness of the world, I came to see him as just average—an obsessed martial fanatic who’s lost in his spear techniques.”
…
On the rooftop of the city tower.
Under his Oneness with Heaven and Earth, he could even sense the tiniest details—Kong Youyue’s expressions, the flicker of her eyes. When she called him a martial fanatic, the slight disdain curling at the corner of her lips was crystal clear to him.
Dongbo Xueying’s face turned slightly pale.
Truthfully, he had never felt that deeply for Kong Youyue either. There had been no passionate or fiery emotions between them, and he had never intended to make their relationship official. After all, he might very well lose his life on a future Bronze-Level mission. Yet, after six years of companionship, he wasn’t heartless—he had inevitably developed some feelings.
Upon hearing her words, Dongbo Xueying couldn’t believe it. “She’s actually someone like this!”
It felt as if a massive stone pressed down on his heart.
It was suffocating.
Betrayal—was this what it felt like? He had foolishly believed that Youyue had always been devoted to him, thinking that if he ever wanted to marry her, it would be simple and effortless. But the truth was… Kong Youyue had never truly loved him at all.
It made sense! He had no charm, always buried in his spear techniques, clueless about how to be sweet or comforting…
“Why did she keep deceiving me?”
“Cursed, cursed, cursed.”
A raging fire burned in Dongbo Xueying’s heart. The seemingly pure emotions from the past six years—though not love, they could at least be called friendship.
But it had all been deception! It had all been pretense!
“She turned out to be this kind of person.” Dongbo Xueying had always thought Kong Youyue was gentle and considerate, but now he found her… repulsive!
Indeed.
He didn’t have many friends to begin with, and Kong Youyue had been one of them. Yet she had been pretending all along, even secretly thinking of him as nothing more than a martial-obsessed lunatic.
“Why am I so angry? What’s there to be angry about? I never loved her passionately or deeply,” Dongbo Xueying mused with self-derision. Yet no matter how he tried to console himself, the realization that those six years of emotions had been a lie still left him deeply unsettled.
…
Kong Youyue smiled. “Compared to him, young master Si Chen from the Si Clan is much smarter and more intelligent. Although he’s a bit naive, at least he knows how to be charming.”
“Si Chen is courting you?” Kong Hao’s eyes widened.
“Mm-hmm,” Kong Youyue nodded gently.
Indeed, Kong Youyue had every qualification to attract others. She was quite beautiful, charming, and obedient-looking. Having grown up surrounded by people, she had an extremely precise understanding of human nature. After many days of subtle, unnoticeable guidance, young master Si Chen had indeed begun to take notice of Kong Youyue and started pursuing her. However, Kong Youyue had always maintained a certain distance, keeping him on a string.
“Do you like Si Chen?” Kong Hao asked in surprise again.
Kong Youyue paused slightly before replying, “A little, maybe.”
How could that be?
How could she possibly fall for a man so easily? In truth, she considered ‘Si Chen’ to be a better target than Dongbo Xueying! Younger, more handsome, and most importantly, with a better background and promising future! In comparison, Dongbo Xueying was nothing more than a wooden block—no charm.
Passion, and barely any attention toward her. He was utterly tasteless.
“Sister, what are you planning to do?” Kong Hao asked curiously.
“I haven’t decided completely yet. I’ll just let things take their natural course,” Kong Youyue replied. In truth, she had already made her decision.
But in front of her younger brother, there were some things she had to hide. Otherwise, if her brother thought his older sister was too ruthless and heartless, it wouldn’t be good.
…
Dongbo Xueying strode along the stone path inside the castle, his entire body exuding a cold aura. The servants dared not approach him, sensing that their lord seemed to be in a bad mood.
Soon, Dongbo Xueying arrived at the gate of Kong Youyue’s small courtyard.
“Boom!”
His hand pressed against the courtyard gate, instantly shattering the latch. He pushed the door open and strode in.
“Who is it?” Kong Youyue’s voice remained as gentle and curious as ever. She and Kong Hao stepped out from the house, both seeing Dongbo Xueying standing in the courtyard.
“Brother Xueying!” Kong Youyue called out joyfully.
But Dongbo Xueying stood there, and the air around him seemed to freeze. A heavy pressure spread out, making Kong Youyue and Kong Hao shiver involuntarily.
“I never imagined you, Kong Youyue, would be this kind of person,” Dongbo Xueying’s voice was somewhat hoarse. “I really don’t know how to be charming. I’m just a martial-obsessed lunatic who only knows spear techniques.”
Kong Hao’s eyes widened.
Kong Youyue’s heart turned cold.
How did he find out?
But the words ‘no Fantasy style translation:
Passion’ and ‘martial-obsessed lunatic’ clearly indicated that Dongbo Xueying had overheard their previous conversation. There was no point in trying to cover it up anymore.
“Brother Xueying, I’m sorry. It was all Father forcing me, making me do this,” Kong Youyue quickly said. “I didn’t want to either.”
Dongbo Xueying simply looked at her—coldly.
Thanks to his Oneness with Heaven and Earth, he clearly remembered the expression on Kong Youyue’s face when she had spoken before. The disdain she had shown when calling him a martial-obsessed lunatic—she had never revealed that expression in their actual interactions. But now, under his Oneness with Heaven and Earth, he had seen it clearly. And now, how could he possibly believe her pretense?
Under Dongbo Xueying’s gaze, Kong Youyue felt an invisible pressure. It made her heart race and her usually calm mind begin to tremble. She was clever and understood people’s hearts well, so she always knew how to respond. But now, under Dongbo Xueying’s gaze, she felt panic and nervousness.
She didn’t know—this was the pressure of spiritual force!
After achieving Oneness with Heaven and Earth, Dongbo Xueying’s spiritual force was incredibly powerful. Being stared at by him was like being watched by ten thousand people at once—intolerably oppressive!
“I’m leaving. Right now.”
Kong Youyue stopped trying to explain and turned to go inside to pack.
Dongbo Xueying stood silently in the courtyard. Moments later, he saw Kong Youyue and Kong Hao each carrying a suitcase, quickly exiting the courtyard.
…
“Miss Youyue.”
The guards at the city gate still greeted her politely.
Kong Youyue forced a faint smile and left the castle with her younger brother, heading toward the Mage Tower.
“How did he find out? He actually discovered my conversation with my younger brother?” Kong Youyue looked back at the Snowstone Castle. She understood that she probably wouldn’t be able to enter this castle again. “I haven’t even completely won over Si Chen yet. Breaking things off with Dongbo Xueying now was too hasty. If I had waited a little longer, until things with Si Chen were settled, it would have been better.”
“Forget it. Since it’s already happened, regret is useless.”
“Hmph. What’s so great about being a martial-obsessed lunatic anyway?”
“He’s only somewhat famous in this small place called Yishui City. Compared to the Si Clan, what is he really? Still, he wasn’t completely useless—I did gain a staff and a mage’s robe from him,” Kong Youyue mused inwardly.
…
“What a person she turned out to be. My judgment of people must be pretty poor,” Dongbo Xueying leapt and flew onto the rooftop of the castle’s main tower, sitting there and gazing over the vast Snowstone Territory. “I’ve had too little interaction with people. To be deceived like this…”
“Well, I suppose it’s also a kind of training.”
Dongbo Xueying was originally a master of spear techniques. His state of Oneness with Heaven and Earth had been achieved only after reaching a sufficiently high level in spear techniques, gradually comprehending the mysteries of the universe through martial cultivation.
His mindset was as sharp as a spear.
Cutting through entanglements swiftly!
Since this woman harbored deceitful intentions, he had expelled her from Snowstone Castle, ending all entanglements between them.
“She is who she is, and I am who I am. Perhaps love like that between Father and Mother—born from life-and-death experiences, capable of entrusting one’s life to each other—that kind of love is more suitable for me?” Dongbo Xueying suddenly smiled, tilting his head back to drink from a bottle of wine. With his level of spiritual cultivation, ordinary emotions that hadn’t truly taken root in his heart could be severed without hesitation.
“Right. I’ve already achieved Oneness with Heaven and Earth. Which path will be more suitable for me to transcend into the extraordinary?” Dongbo Xueying began contemplating the path he would take to enter the realm of the extraordinary. After all, transcendent life was his true pursuit!
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage