Su Cheng froze completely.
She could hear the man's sharp intake of breath, like a hound sniffing out its prey. His lips were almost brushing against the hollow of her shoulder.
The demi-human's body temperature was naturally high, and his steady, drawn-out breaths washed over her like scorching waves of heat, burning through her clothes and searing her wound.
Su Cheng instinctively tried to dodge, but the man clamped down on her other shoulder. A large, gloved hand pressed firmly against her shoulder blade, pinning her securely in place.
They were so close. The long ears on top of his head twitched occasionally, and the soft, fluffy fur at the tips trembled along with the movement.
They were almost touching her face.
Su Cheng: ...
Driven by some inexplicable impulse, she reached out and gave one a squeeze.
So soft!
The fur at the tip of the ear was even softer than she had imagined, like silk wrapped around cotton. As the pad of her finger rubbed against it, she could feel the delicate fluff brushing against her skin.
Instinctively, she stroked the cartilage at the back of the ear.
A suppressed, low gasp suddenly escaped the man's throat.
The large hand gripping her shoulder abruptly tightened. You—
Su Cheng: ...
Su Cheng felt like she was probably going to die.
But since she had already touched it, she decided she might as well give it another rub.
Ling Yang: ...
The Holy Knights in the courtyard: ...
Their expressions were hidden behind their visors, making it impossible to see their reactions, but their breathing hitched for a few seconds.
Clearly, many of them had seen it.
Su Cheng cleared her throat lightly, let go of his ear, and said with a straight face, It looked like there was a mosquito on your ear just now.
The red-haired man straightened up and looked at her with a faint, teasing smile. Why—
Su Cheng wanted nothing more than to slap herself to death.
She couldn't exactly say it was because she really liked puppies!
—do you have mosquitoes here in the spring?
The Legion Commander drawled slowly, looking genuinely puzzled.
Su Cheng: ?
Su Cheng quickly seized the out he gave her. The climate here is just really weird—
Ling Yang suddenly raised his hand and pressed it against her forehead.
Su Cheng instantly froze, not daring to move.
As a Legion Commander of the Holy Church, his combat prowess undoubtedly made him one of the absolute best among the Holy Knights.
A big shot of this level could squash her into mincemeat with a single finger.
The smooth leather of his glove left a cold sensation against her skin.
She saw a burst of gentle white light, followed by a slowly spreading warmth. The redness and swelling on her forehead vanished in an instant.
Feeling any better?
The man's fingertips slid slowly down from the corner of her forehead, paused briefly at her temple to trace a light circle, and finally hooked onto her delicate earlobe.
He lowered his head and leaned in closer. It must have hurt a lot at the time—
He seemed to be talking about her forehead, but his eyes were fixed on her shoulder.
Su Cheng was just about to speak.
Ling Yang suddenly pinched her burning earlobe.
His index finger slowly trailed down the concave curve behind her ear, all the way to the vulnerable nape of her neck. He watched with satisfaction as the girl completely stiffened.
Immediately after, that comforting warmth flowed out once more, surging toward her injured shoulder and quickly soothing the lingering ache.
Su Cheng met his gaze.
The Legion Commander still wore a smiling expression. You're welcome.
...Thank you.
Su Cheng wanted to nod her thanks, but since he was still gripping the back of her neck, she had no choice but to keep her face tilted upwards.
Consider it an apology for my abrupt intrusion, Ling Yang said, looking down at her. Though I only came here specifically to take a look after hearing about your situation.
What? Su Cheng was bewildered. The broken engagement? Even you've heard about it?
Hahahaha, of course not, Ling Yang couldn't help but laugh again. It's about the bracelet your uncle handed over to the local temple yesterday. Because of its massive significance, it has already been sent back to the Holy City of Solan and has alarmed quite a few important figures—
Su Cheng: ?
...I just happened to be passing by and wanted to see who handed in such an interesting item. Unfortunately, I still have work to do. Let's chat next time, my dear lady.
Ling Yang released his hold on her and offered his hand to her once more.
Su Cheng stiffly raised her arm.
The red-haired man chuckled, grabbing her hand directly. He held the young girl's slender hand in his palm and gave it a gentle shake.
Farewell.
With that, he vanished in a flash.
A few seconds later, the giant dragon in the sky let out a roar, spread its wings, and soared into the clouds.
The Holy Knights in the courtyard also departed swiftly, with the leading captain even offering her an apology before leaving.
Only after they had all completely withdrawn from the estate did Lin Zhen come over to comfort her.
He merely thought his niece had suffered an unprovoked disaster. Right now, he repeatedly told her to relax and urged her to hurry and get some rest.
Su Cheng hesitated to speak. Uncle, what's the situation with the bracelet?
Did you forget? Lin Zhen asked in surprise. It was your father's relic. Previously, you felt there was something wrong with it and gave the bracelet to me. I tried to destroy it but failed, so I had no choice but to hand it over to the priests at the temple!
Su Cheng: ???
How was this plotline spliced together?! They deleted Lin Yun's scenes, yet the rest of the parts are still connected?
According to the book's setting, the soul inside the bracelet originated from over two thousand years ago, from a kingdom that had been destroyed by the Holy Church. It seemed that the kingdom had passed down the faith of the Dark God.
The soul was originally a living person as well, but because their physical body was destroyed, they took up residence within the bracelet.
No further details had been revealed. It was also possible that it was written later in the story, but she had skipped chapters and missed it.
She hadn't expected the Holy Church to take it so seriously, even sending the item to the Holy City—the main headquarters of the God of Light's believers.
Ling Yang even mentioned that it had alarmed important figures.
He himself was already a Legion Commander. In the massive Holy Church, where titled clerics numbered in the millions, there really weren't many people with a higher rank than his.
I never would have imagined, Lin Zhen said, still harboring lingering fears. Thank goodness we handed that thing over early!
He hadn't dared to enter the courtyard just now, and because of the angle, he hadn't seen his niece's audacious actions at all.
Su Cheng smiled bitterly. That was left behind by my father. I just hope they don't think I have any involvement with heretics.
You were the one who took the initiative to hand the bracelet over. Besides, if they were truly suspicious, you would have been taken away long ago.
Lin Zhen shook his head. The current Pope is about to ascend to the Divine Realm, and the Holy Selection Ceremony is about to begin. There are numerous factions within the Holy Church, and the real big shots are all busy. Moreover, there are many people who hand over heretical items. If they were to arrest and put people on trial at the drop of a hat, who would ever dare to hand anything in? Alright, don't worry about it anymore. Hurry up and go to sleep. Rest well, because your fiancé is coming tomorrow.
Su Cheng: ...
She just remembered that the next Pope and the future Holy Maiden both seemed to have a romantic entanglement with her. Then, thinking about what had happened tonight, she felt an immense headache coming on.
Uncle, Su Cheng spoke up softly. Could you help me find a few books? Just have them delivered before I wake up tomorrow morning.
Lin Zhen told her to just say what she needed, and after hearing her request, he readily agreed.
Early the next morning, the household servants knocked on her door, bringing her breakfast and handing over a few thick, heavy tomes. They informed her that the Family Head wanted her to head over early.
Su Cheng took the books, flipped through them, thanked the servants, and after freshening up, she left her room.
Passing by a bamboo grove and an artificial lake, and then walking through two corridors, she encountered a group of young masters and misses from the Lin family along the way.
They were all there to watch the drama unfold. Their faces bore various expressions—some sympathetic, some mocking, and others gloating over her misfortune.
"Tsk tsk tsk, I heard your fiancé is already at the Ninth Star of the Fifth Tier, the same as the family head!"
"Sigh, he's a Marquis's son, after all. His father is the commander of the Royal Guards in the capital, and his mother is an elder of the Warriors' General Guild..."
"Moreover, a nineteen-year-old Battle Master! You couldn't find more than a handful in the entire empire..."
"Oh, I heard Nanhe Academy even wants to recommend him for the Dragon Knight trials!"
"No wonder he doesn't want to marry a piece of trash like you—"
Su Cheng walked past them, her face devoid of any expression.
So what if he was a Dragon Knight?
If she damn well had Lin Yun's treatment, she would have the Ancient Dragon King as her mount and wife in the future!
"Hahahahaha, weren't you acting so tough, Su Cheng? Why aren't you saying anything now—"
The loudest mocking laughter was abruptly cut off by a wind blade thrown straight at his face.
The young man gasped, wiped the fresh blood from his cheek, and stared at his bloodstained fingers. "This?!"
Everyone was dumbfounded.
"What was that?!"
"Did she cultivate battle aura? No, that wasn't—"
"Magic?"
They stared at her in shock and uncertainty.
Su Cheng conjured a second wind blade, waving it in her hand and making a show of preparing to throw it.
"...That's a wind blade, a Tier Two magic spell?!"
To be able to cast a Tier Two spell silently and instantaneously, she was either a peerless genius or had been studying magic for quite some time!
The crowd immediately scattered in a panic.
A few gossipy individuals remained. Someone came over to congratulate her on becoming a mage, then tried to pry for information about the Dragon Knight from last night.
The commotion had been too massive. Even though they weren't near the courtyard, they had all been awakened by the dragon's roar and had seen the giant, sky-obscuring dragon from afar.
Su Cheng waved them off, claiming it was just someone tracking down heretics who happened to be passing by. Seeing her impatient demeanor, they knew she wasn't in the mood to talk, so they didn't dare ask further.
She headed straight for the reception hall in the main building of the estate.
The moment she stepped through the door, all eyes in the room instantly converged on her, and the atmosphere froze.
Several guests sized her up, and soon, a look of surprise appeared in some of their eyes.
They were dressed in luxurious clothes, possessed an extraordinary aura, and bore similar crests on their persons. It was obvious they were all from Nanhe Academy.
It was one of the finest warrior academies in the Silver Moon Empire. Over the centuries, it had cultivated countless high-tier warriors. Because it was located near the imperial capital, the academy was filled with nobles.
"Miss Su Cheng—"
A young man stood up from his seat.
He looked to be in his early twenties, tall and slender. He wore a short white trench coat that accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist, while tall boots outlined the long, lean lines of his legs.
His ink-black hair was tied into a high ponytail. On his fair, handsome face, a pair of black eyes shone with a clear light like cold stars, his expression distant and indifferent.
The young man gave a slight nod. His posture was polite yet carried a hint of arrogance, making him look like a jade tree standing amidst the snow.
Su Cheng looked at him.
Honestly, this guy's looks and figure were not bad at all. But in comparison, the little—ahem, the demi-human from last night fit her kinks much better than he did.
Therefore, she felt absolutely no regret. "Hello, young Marquis. To make a long story short: you're here to break off the engagement, I accept, bring out the contract, and I'll sign it right now."
"Please do not address me like that," the young man was slightly taken aback. "Contract?"
"To dissolve an engagement, there should be a contract, right? In duplicate, written clearly in black and white, stating that from now on, whether we date or hook up with others, it has nothing to do with each other. Isn't that right, Mr. Murong?"
Su Cheng said this while pulling a prepared quill pen from her pocket.
The reception hall fell into a dead silence.
"You misunderstand."
Murong Yue frowned slightly. "I am not breaking off the engagement with you for... those reasons. It is just that for the next few decades, I must devote myself entirely to cultivation, and I do not wish to hold you back."
"Okay, okay, okay, thank you," Su Cheng nodded. "Any reason is fine, I agree to it all. I just want the contract. If you won't write it, I will."
Murong Yue seemed like he wanted to say something else. "The engagement back then was only verbal, and now—"
"That's no good," Su Cheng interrupted him again. "It's better to write it out clearly in black and white. Otherwise, what if someone tries to deny it and go back on their word later?"
An elder suddenly slammed his hand down, shattering a coffee table. He scoffed coldly with a dark expression, "Nonsense! What do you think you are? You flatter yourself far too much!"
Su Cheng looked at him in surprise. "I said 'someone.' Why did you automatically assume that Mr. Murong would be the one to go back on his word? Also, who are you? What do you have to do with our engagement? Are you his guardian? That can't be right. Mr. Murong is an adult now; he should be able to make his own decisions, right?"
"You!"
"Cough, cough," Lin Zhen coughed repeatedly. "This is Elder Li from the Nanhe Sword and Martial Academy."
As he spoke, he continuously shot pointed glances at his niece.
The warrior crest on the middle-aged man's chest was a gorgeously styled golden longsword with intricate patterns, symbolizing a Tier Seven warrior.
—A Battle Ancestor.
A high-tier warrior of this level could turn an estate or even a whole street to ash in the blink of an eye, or even reduce an entire city to ruins.
Su Cheng, however, wasn't very afraid.
Having just seen a succubus and a Dragon Knight the night before, and considering that as the main character, she would have to tangle with countless deities in the future, her threshold had been drastically raised.
"...Hmm, Mr. Murong."
Su Cheng turned her head back. "Back then, it was your father and my father who agreed on the engagement. Now my father has passed away, but your father is still alive. May I ask if your esteemed father knows you are here to break off the engagement?"
Murong Yue's face darkened. "Since it is my engagement, I believe it is my business, and it has nothing to do with anyone else."
Su Cheng suddenly clapped her hands. "Exactly! I agree too!"
Everyone in the room couldn't help but look at her.
"Freedom of marriage and love! It has nothing to do with parents or anyone else! Not to mention that the laws of the empire and the holy scriptures of the Church also explicitly state this point. As long as one is a citizen of the empire, the right to choose who to marry rests solely in their own hands."
Su Cheng said loudly, casually patting the books she had brought with her.
"If anyone has any doubts, you can come and take a look. These are the 'Marriage Code of the Silver Moon Empire,' the 'General Law of the Silver Moon Empire,' 'Behind the Marriage Court: Jaw-Dropping Truths,' and 'Breaking the Shackles: Embarking on the Path to Marriage Freedom.' Various cases are written out clear as day!"
The entire room fell dead silent.
The expressions on the faces of the instructors and elders from Nanhe Academy also became somewhat subtle.
Among them, some had already arranged their children's marriages, some hadn't yet but harbored such thoughts, and others simply wanted to form a marriage alliance with Murong Yue. Therefore, they did not agree with her in their hearts.
However, they couldn't refute her either; otherwise, wouldn't they be slapping Murong Yue in the face?
After all, he was currently going against his father's wishes.
Murong Yue performed exceptionally well at the academy. Having been enrolled for only three years, he had already advanced continuously.
He had previously received praise from the Dean of the Sword and Martial Academy, who even said he would recommend him to participate in the Dragon Knight trials.
It was highly likely that Murong Yue would be able to become his disciple in the future.
That man was a peerless powerhouse at the Battle Emperor tier, and also the figurehead of Nanhe Academy. After all, looking across the entire Silver Moon Empire, Tier Ten warriors could be counted on one's fingers.
Because of this, many people in the academy were already scheming to win Murong Yue over, even hoping to arrange a marriage with him.
"So," Su Cheng tilted her head, "since this is a matter between you and me, then it... doesn't have anything to do with these gentlemen, right?"
She said this while looking at the academy elders.
Their faces looked rather grim.
Murong Yue was extremely powerful; in the entire Lin family estate, only Lin Zhen was at the same tier as him. They weren't worried that anything would happen to him.
It was just that he was young, entirely devoted to his cultivation, and lacked real-world experience. They were only afraid that he wouldn't be able to control the situation and would be taken advantage of by the Lin family.
This wasn't something they could openly say.
Having it pointed out to their faces, they wanted to scold Su Cheng for her insolence, but found it hard to speak up. For a moment, they couldn't help but feel infuriated.
Murong Yue remained silent for two seconds. "The recruitment convention in the southern border of the Empire has already begun. The instructors came to Jinpo City specifically for this matter, and now..."
He looked up at Su Cheng. "They also intend to evaluate you. I heard that you are unable to condense battle aura, perhaps because you haven't found a suitable manual."
Su Cheng was speechless.
Whether the other party was making excuses, using a mix of threats and promises, or both, it had no effect on her.
Su Cheng shook her head. "No need. I don't practice battle aura because I don't like it."
Elder Li sneered, "How shameless. Who doesn't know that you are—"
Su Cheng raised her hand, and a pale green wind spirit suddenly flashed into existence.
A current of wind instantly surged from her fingertips, blowing and curling the loose hairs by the side of her face.
"I like magic," she said lazily, "and I don't care for your school."
Nanhe Academy was a gathering place for elites, but it primarily focused on cultivating warriors. Although it had a division that taught magic, compared to the Empire's veteran magical institutions, it naturally fell short.
The entire room fell silent.
Elder Li stared at her, utterly speechless.
He was a pure warrior, completely ignorant of magic, and hadn't been able to sense the elemental spirit on her.
So it wasn't until this moment that he realized she was a mage.
...She was actually a mage?!
Su Cheng lowered her hand. "Mr. Murong, our engagement was arranged by our elders. It actually has no legal binding force, but many people, especially your relatives and friends, know about it. If I go to the Imperial Capital in the future, I probably won't be able to avoid hearing gossip. Therefore, it's best we write it down clearly in a contract to save us from any misunderstandings later."
In the original novel, there was a part where the female supporting character's father learned of this matter and specifically sought out Lin Yun to apologize, saying that this was entirely the female supporting character's own idea and didn't count at all.
Whether he was just putting on an act or being sincere, Su Cheng didn't want to deal with that kind of situation.
She no longer sought their agreement and directly started writing. As she wrote, she consulted the books, flipping through several legal codes and case compilations with a rustling sound.
The other elders were all immersed in shock, and for a moment, no one interrupted her.
They looked at each other, recalling the information they had gathered earlier, which all stated that the Lin family head's niece was a piece of trash who couldn't cultivate battle aura even at sixteen or seventeen years old.
—The latter half of the sentence wasn't wrong, though.
Murong Yue stood up with a headache and walked over to her side, wanting to see what she was writing.
"Party A and Party B entered into an engagement arranged by their respective fathers in the year 699 of the White Moon Calendar, stipulating that upon reaching adulthood and when conditions are ripe, both parties shall fulfill their marital obligations. Now, due to changes in the wishes of both parties and actual circumstances, and through mutual agreement, it is decided to dissolve the said engagement."
Murong Yue: "..."
"Effective from the date of this contract, Party A and Party B shall not, in any form (including but not limited to verbal, written, etc.), interfere with each other's romantic relationships, marriages, and all other personal life matters under the guise of the engagement. Both parties commit not to disseminate or imply to any third party (including but not limited to relatives, friends, classmates, the general public, etc.) in any form that an engagement relationship still exists between them. They shall not harass, threaten, mock, or exert any form of pressure on each other under the name of the engagement..."
Su Cheng paused her movements. Realizing that the Empire's judicial system possessed methods like magical lie detection, she figured some of the wording could be simplified.
She tapped the table with her pen. "...After signing this contract, Party A and Party B shall fully inform their immediate family members, teachers, friends, and other relevant insiders who may be involved, of the core terms of this contract in writing, through public announcement, or via other methods recognized by both parties. Insiders shall be deemed to have accepted the constraints of this contract from the moment they receive the notification. If Party A or Party B violates the aforementioned agreements, the breaching party shall pay the non-breaching party a penalty of one million gold coins. If an insider violates the aforementioned agreements, Party A or Party B has the right to demand that the insider bear joint liability and pay a penalty of the same amount. In addition to the penalty, the breaching party shall also compensate the non-breaching party for the mental distress suffered as a result of the breach of contract, with the compensation for mental distress amounting to one million gold coins. If the breach of contract causes damage to the non-breaching party's reputation or lowers their social standing, the breaching party shall bear additional compensation for reputational damage..."
Murong Yue: "???"
His mind was entirely filled with "one million gold coins," and he felt as if he had lost the ability to think.
