What exactly does a million gold coins mean?
The common currency across the Northern and Southern Continents consists of copper, silver, and gold coins. They operate on a base-100 system: 1 gold coin = 100 silver coins = 10,000 copper coins.
In terms of purchasing power, one copper coin is roughly equivalent to one dollar, making one gold coin worth about ten thousand dollars.
An ordinary citizen of Jinpo City earns less than a single gold coin for a month's work, while those who earn a bit more might make one or two.
So, converting that, a million gold coins is an absolute fortune.
Su Cheng calmly continued reading aloud, "Both parties confirm that after the dissolution of the engagement, there shall be no property disputes or financial liabilities between them..."
Bam!
Elder Li slammed his hand down, cracking yet another table. "A million gold coins? You sure have a lot of nerve!"
"Eh?" Su Cheng looked at him. "This is the penalty for breach of contract. If I breach it, I have to pay up too. Is Murong Yue the only one taking a risk? Or do you think he'll go around proclaiming that we're still engaged? That's not right, aren't you the ones begging me to break off the engagement? Shouldn't you be happy to see a contract like this?"
Elder Li's face grew even uglier, and he couldn't help but look at Murong Yue.
Murong Yue frowned slightly. "A million gold coins is too much. If you're trying to use this method to—"
Su Cheng laughed. "Mr. Murong, I know you genuinely want to break off the engagement with me, but what was your original plan? Either offer various conditions to strike a deal with me, or provoke me by belittling me so that I'd hate you to the bone out of 'pride' or 'dignity'?"
Which one he chose probably depended on her personality.
"...But no matter which one, I'd be the one to confront your father later. When he comes to find me, I'd have to stand firm, because you don't dare to defy him directly, so you can only make me do it."
Of course, she felt that Elder Mr. Murong didn't necessarily like this engagement that much either.
After all, since his son had made a name for himself, he probably agreed in his heart that his son could find someone better.
But on the surface, he definitely had to put on an act to prevent others from saying that the Murong family went back on their word.
Su Cheng didn't care about any of this. But if she was going to settle this matter, she either had to leave no loose ends, or at least get some benefits out of it.
"...Actually, your father might be thinking the exact same thing. When the time comes, you can present a united front and tell the public that it wasn't you who broke your promise, but me who was unwilling. You'd still come out looking perfectly clean. See? I have to bear the pressure from start to finish, so it's only right that I ask for some money, isn't it?"
"Miss Su," Murong Yue said, his eyes turning cold. "Please watch your words."
"Hmm? I thought we had already reached the stage of tearing off our masks and speaking the truth. Are we not there yet?"
Su Cheng sighed. "So, do you want to break off the engagement or not? If you do, then sign it. Your hesitation makes me suspect that you don't really want to cancel the engagement, but are just playing hard to get to attract my attention."
Murong Yue closed his eyes briefly.
Forget it.
Since the other party saw things so clearly, there was no point in him saying anything more.
With this contract in hand, he would have something to say to his father.
"You!"
Elder Li, however, was full of anger, his gaze toward Su Cheng filled with disgust. "To be so young yet so devoid of manners, reeking of money—truly befitting of someone born to lowly merchants!"
Lin Zhen's expression also turned ugly, but he didn't dare to talk back.
Su Cheng waved the contract in her hand. "Some people come to break off an engagement and still trouble others to write the contract. It's one thing not to be grateful, but to be so nitpicky on top of it... I won't say who it is, but I suggest they reflect on themselves."
Elder Li glared at her furiously. "You!"
Su Cheng wasn't scared in the slightest.
Lin Yun's words were much harsher than hers, and he was even more unreasonable, yet they hadn't hit him either.
Murong Yue sighed. "Elder Li, please do not say such things. Her father is my father's savior."
Elder Li's face was flushed with anger. "She's the one who doesn't know what's good for her!"
He had thought that with their status, this matter would undoubtedly be handled smoothly.
Moreover, whether it was the Lin family or that girl surnamed Su, they would definitely treat them with the utmost respect.
Who knew it would turn out like this?
The mere Lin family—Lin Zhen was getting on in years, yet he was only a fifth-tier warrior and the vice president of the Jinpo City Chamber of Commerce.
He was nothing but a negligible figure!
If they were in the imperial capital, even if someone of that status wanted to send their children to be his lovers, he would consider them unqualified!
Lin Zhen's niece, an orphan whose parents were both dead—so what if she was a mage? At her age, it would be a miracle if she was even at the second tier!
"Miss Su," Elder Li sneered, "You must have been practicing magic at home all this time, probably never having ventured out into the world. The outside world is very dangerous for you. If you aren't careful, you might face a bloody disaster."
Su Cheng: "?"
Was he actually threatening her personal safety now?
Murong Yue was also stunned.
He didn't agree with the idea of an arranged marriage from before birth. He simply felt that since his opinion hadn't been asked back then, he shouldn't have to bear the responsibility now.
However, he didn't want anything bad to happen to Su Cheng either. After all, she hadn't asked for this engagement.
"Elder Li," Murong Yue frowned, "We shouldn't..."
"Actually, I'm not too worried," Su Cheng suddenly spoke up. "Our tribute to the Church has already been delivered to the Holy City. Commander Ling and I were even talking about it yesterday. I believe there are many people who wouldn't want anything to happen to me. If anyone is plotting to kill me, they are most likely heretics, enemies of the Church."
The elders of Nanhe Academy all changed their expressions.
The Holy City?
Who could possibly send a tribute to the Holy City?
Commander Ling?
The Church had a massive garrison on the Northern Continent, with millions of Holy Knights. Only the nine legion commanders and seventy division commanders held the title of Commander.
Among them, only one person had the surname Ling.
The elders of the Lin family also exchanged glances. They had all seen the giant dragon descend from the sky yesterday, but they didn't know the specific details.
Lin Zhen had only mentioned that the Church was hunting heretics, without saying much else.
Now it seemed they had actually hooked up with the Church?
No wonder that girl was so confident. As a mere second-tier mage, she dared to challenge the people from Nanhe Academy.
"...I did hear that a giant dragon appeared around here," another mentor shook his head at Elder Li, "And someone came down from it."
Elder Li's face turned extremely ugly.
If it was Ling Yang, an expert of that caliber, just releasing his spiritual power from afar would be enough to investigate every detail of the mansion. He wouldn't even need to leave the dragon's back.
Once he personally entered the courtyard, it must be because he believed there was someone here worth his making a special trip to greet.
If Su Cheng really had offered some important tribute and gained the favor of the Holy City, then it all made sense.
Elder Li was extremely proud of Nanhe Academy and greatly admired His Excellency the Principal. Believing that Murong Yue would likely become his student, he defended Murong Yue at every turn, wanting to back him up.
But deep down, he also knew that even a famous academy in the Empire was nothing in the face of a colossal entity like the Church.
Even the Emperor's coronation had to be performed by the Pope, and the entire Empire was influenced by the Church's power. What did an academy amount to?
The rest of the people had similar thoughts, and couldn't even help but let their imaginations run wild.
Was Su Cheng's stipulation of one million gold coins in the contract her own idea, or was someone pulling the strings behind the scenes?
The more they thought about it, the more they broke out in a cold sweat. They couldn't help but take the contract and read it carefully again, feeling that every single word held a profound meaning.
The hands holding the contract began to tremble.
The few of them exchanged glances. The mage among them coughed lightly, "Miss Su, Mr. Murong originally planned to give you some compensation as well..."
Su Cheng immediately perked up, "Oh?"
That's right.
This also happened in the original novel. It was just that as soon as the fiancée mentioned compensation, the male lead acted as if he had been humiliated, completely lost his composure, and the two started arguing.
Su Cheng picked up her quill again. "I'm going to write this into the contract. Wait for me to add it."
The elders: "?"
Su Cheng wrote furiously for a moment before setting the pen down. "See if this works?"
Murong Yue looked down and read aloud, "...Party A, as the party initiating the annulment of the engagement, agrees to pay Party B (amount to be filled) as compensation to make up for the potential psychological and social impact Party B may suffer due to the dissolution of the marriage contract. Furthermore, Party A shall not interfere with Party B's use of said compensation (including but not limited to usage, gifting, cashing out, reselling, etc.). This compensation is a one-time payment, and Party A shall not demand its return from Party B in any form (including but not limited to litigation, negotiation, extortion, etc.)."
Deathly silence fell over the reception room once again.
"Both Party A and Party B, along with their direct blood relatives, retainers, vassals, and other associated groups, shall not inflict personal harm upon the other party in any form. This includes, but is not limited to: the direct use of violent means to cause physical injury; hiring, instigating, or coercing a third party to carry out acts of harm; or employing covert methods such as poisoning or illegal detention to compromise personal safety..."
His expression grew increasingly ugly. He looked as if he wanted to declare that he would never do such things, yet he couldn't stop himself from reading further.
"In the event that both parties participate in joint competitions or similar activities organized between formal academies, confrontational actions conducted in accordance with established rules shall not be deemed a violation of this clause..."
Su Cheng waited beside him for him to finish reading, then looked around and asked, "What does everyone think? If there are no issues, we'll finalize the draft."
A bout of silence.
One of the instructors let out a long sigh. "Show Miss Su the gift list and the items."
They naturally hadn't prepared these things without a clear goal. Aside from sounding good in name, they also harbored the intention of using them to entice her.
After all, as an orphan and merely the niece of the Lin family's patriarch, with no real abilities of her own, wouldn't she be in desperate need of money?
Even if she truly managed to condense battle aura in the future, the cultivation process of a warrior involved all sorts of exorbitant expenses. The higher the rank, the truer this became; everything from potions to weapons cost a fortune.
Now that she had become a mage, the same applied.
She might feel that marrying Murong Yue would yield more benefits, but if Murong Yue kept dragging things out, what could she possibly do?
If the engagement could be annulled, these benefits were right in front of her.
It was just that—
When it came to the annulment, she seemed even more eager than they were.
"This is the gift list. The presents are all placed in the courtyard..."
A young man walked over and handed her a scroll.
The young man was also a student of Nanhe Academy, and the look in his eyes as he gazed at her was full of admiration.
"...Thank you."
Su Cheng swept her eyes over the numerous items listed on the scroll. "Then I'll register them on my end. Uncle, could you help me inspect the items listed? It's not that I don't trust everyone here, but rather that I have limited experience and a poor eye. If there's any mistake, it's better to point it out now so we can clear it up."
She casually handed the gift list to Lin Zhen.
The latter gave her a helpless look, didn't say anything, took it, and walked straight out.
The hall quieted down once again, leaving only the sound of a pen tip scratching against paper.
Su Cheng quickly finished writing. When she looked up, she saw Lin Zhen had returned and was nodding at her. Clearly, there were no issues with the compensatory gifts outside.
She handed the contract back to Murong Yue and asked if he had any objections.
Murong Yue glanced at her.
The girl still had a completely serious expression. Her amber eyes were bright and clear, making her look entirely pure and innocent, truly like a child ignorant of the ways of the world.
Murong Yue knew this was all an illusion. "...No problem."
Su Cheng smiled in satisfaction.
Lin Zhen had already called for a scribe. The person took the draft and carefully transcribed the contract onto a scroll that was easy to preserve.
As one of the vice presidents of the Jinpo City Chamber of Commerce, Lin Zhen knew many professionals.
This scribe had beautiful, neat handwriting, writing swiftly and clearly without a single mistake.
Su Cheng also thanked her. First, she filled in the blanks on the contract with the names and various details of Party A and Party B. Then, she signed her name at the very bottom before handing the scroll to Murong Yue.
This time, Murong Yue merely skimmed it before silently signing his name.
Lin Zhen and another academy elder also signed their names as witnesses.
According to the rules, Party A and Party B each kept a copy.
Looking at her contract, Su Cheng felt exceptionally satisfied.
Not only had she restored her happy single status, but she had also gained a sudden windfall.
She looked at the scroll gleefully, her mood soaring to the highest peak. Noticing the ugly expressions on the faces of the Nanhe Academy instructors, she couldn't help but want to put on a bit more of a performance.
Anyway, they all thought she had hooked up with the Holy Church.
Su Cheng cleared her throat and raised the contract in her hand. "...In my name, I swear to the God of Law and the God of Covenants, that I shall fulfill all matters within this contract."
The young girl's sweet voice echoed through the hall.
Everyone looked at her in shock and uncertainty.
Elder Li frowned.
A mage from a merchant background who was influenced by such habits and had managed to connect with the Holy Church—that was the only reason she would constantly bring up the gods, right?
He didn't know what exactly Su Cheng's relationship with the Holy Church was. If she was merely exploiting their prestige to bluff, then given Murong Yue's background, there would be no consequences even if he broke the contract in the future.
If that little wench tried to take the contract to court, she would have to see if any judge even dared to take the case.
...The empire's current Minister of Justice was indeed an impartial and incorruptible figure. Moreover, as a God's Favored, she surely wouldn't pay any mind to the Murong family.
However, ever since she stepped down as the Chief Justice, she no longer presided over trials.
Several thoughts flashed through Elder Li's mind. Hearing her words, he couldn't help but sneer, "You don't need to put on an act here. What an unpresentable—"
The next second, a brilliant light burst forth in the reception room.
A radiant golden light surged out from the scroll.
Everyone was nearly blinded, unable to keep their eyes open.
A majestic, overwhelming pressure filled the air.
Two exceptionally tall figures materialized in mid-air.
The person on the left had his eyes tightly shut. Brilliant dark golden curly hair cascaded down to his waist, and his handsome, elegant face was as calm as still water.
His body, draped in a snow-white robe, was strong and solid. Two pale, muscular arms were exposed, wrapped in chains covered with sharp spikes.
Beneath the golden snake-like chains, his knotted muscles rose and fell like mountain ridges. The ends of the chains transformed into bracelets on his wrists, looking both like ornaments and shackles.
In one hand, he held a gavel engraved with countless runes, and in the other, he cradled a thick, heavy tome. Blood seeped from the gaps between the pages, converging in the air into a crimson waterfall.
The other person had black hair and dark skin. On his extraordinarily handsome face, his expression was gentle, and his eyes carried a smile, making it very easy for people to feel a sense of trust in him.
His torso was tall, lean, and powerfully built, his upper body completely bare. His chest was full and sculpted, rising like honey-colored hills. The deep grooves of his abs resembled carved relief, and his Adonis belt disappeared beneath an ornate golden waist chain.
His arms were formed from fluttering, overlapping scrolls made of silk, leather, woven fibers, and stone fragments, with countless golden threads weaving through the layers of parchment.
A sudden laugh echoed from within the shifting golden light.
"The pact is sealed, binding as law."
The voice was gentle and melodious, yet it carried a terrifying power that pierced directly into the minds of everyone present.
Those of lesser strength were instantly knocked unconscious.
The rest fared little better; even Murong Yue could not help but press a hand to his forehead. Fighting through the agony, he raised his head to gaze at the flowing sea of golden light. Yet, a sharp, pulsing pain struck his mind, as though countless other eyes were hidden within the radiance.
And They were all "watching" this place.
Suddenly, another voice emerged from the brilliance.
"Blasphemer—"
A deep, majestic voice echoed throughout the hall.
Elder Li was abruptly ripped from his seat, hoisted into midair by an inexplicable force.
Despite being a seventh-tier warrior, a powerhouse capable of leveling half a city in an instant, he did not even have the time to utter a single scream.
His entire body contorted violently. His spine twisted like a wrung cord, and his limbs spiraled backward. Jagged bone shards pierced through his flesh, and every joint in his arms and legs dislocated completely, leaving him looking like a mangled puppet.
Stretched taut by the brutal distortion of his limbs, his skin began to crack and tear.
"—shall suffer the punishment."
The unseen force ripped him to shreds, reducing him to an explosive mist of blood that filled the air.
