Each Going Their Own Way, a Broken Engagement Stirs Trouble

"Are you finished?"

Ning Rongrong gripped the jade pendant at her waist, her fingers moving back and forth over the pattern of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.

"Is there nothing else you want to ask me?"

"There is."

"Is this what you want, or what the sect wants?"

"My father and the elders all think this engagement is no longer suitable."

"So that's what the sect wants."

"I didn't say that."

"But you just did."

The wind blowing across the lake scattered the heat rising from the fire.

Li Zhexian moved the grilled fish aside and picked apart the flesh with his chopsticks, removing the fine bones one by one.

"If you're hungry, you can eat the fish first."

"I didn't come here to eat fish."

"I understand."

"You've always been like this. Whatever happens, you can take it in stride. Nothing anyone says ever seems to land."

Li Zhexian placed the fish bones he had picked out on the edge of the plate.

"You're the one who proposed breaking off the engagement, and you're the one who said all those things yourself."

"If I cried in front of you, would you stay?"

"I never said I would stay."

"So that's how it is."

"Can you stop asking me questions like that?"

"Then how should I ask?"

"I haven't finished speaking."

Li Zhexian put down his chopsticks and looked up at Ning Rongrong.

Ning Rongrong took half a step back, loosening her grip on the jade pendant.

"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda is a support-type Martial Soul, so the sect needs powerful Battle Soul Masters to protect it."

"My Soul Power has already reached level twenty-six, but you're still stuck at level ten."

"It's been six years now, and you haven't even broken through to level twenty."

"Mm."

"You can't just say that."

"Then what should I say?"

"You should say you'll catch up to me someday."

"I can't promise that."

"You could also say you'll work hard."

"I work hard every day."

"But you haven't gotten any stronger."

"That's true too."

Ning Rongrong had long considered that Li Zhexian might ask whether she looked down on him. She had also thought he might go to Ning Fengzhi, or even draw his sword and force her to take back what she had just said.

But she had never expected Li Zhexian to still be sitting by the fire, picking bones out of a fish.

"Have you been waiting for this day for a long time?"

"What I've been waiting for isn't the broken engagement."

"Then what have you been waiting for?"

"For you to say these things yourself."

Ning Rongrong's fingers stopped moving over the jade pendant.

Li Zhexian looked at the jade pendant at her waist and remembered what had happened when they were six. Back then, Ning Rongrong had pressed the pendant into his hand and taken his sword tassel.

At the time, Ning Rongrong had carried a bag of candy and still stepped on the hem of her own skirt when she walked.

She had told Li Zhexian that when he learned to fly someday, he had to take her up into the sky to see it.

Now Ning Rongrong was already level twenty-six.

And Li Zhexian was still only level ten.

A heaviness arose in his chest. Li Zhexian raised a hand and pressed it against his chest, then quickly lowered it again.

"I'm giving your sword tassel back."

Ning Rongrong untied the Azure Lotus Sword tassel from her waist and held it out to Li Zhexian.

"Don't blame me. I just want to keep moving forward."

Li Zhexian took the Azure Lotus Sword tassel, then held the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda jade pendant out to her.

"This should go back to you too."

Ning Rongrong failed to get a firm grip on the jade pendant.

It slipped through her fingers, and she hurriedly reached out and caught it again.

"You can keep it."

"The engagement is over. We should return each other's things too."

"But I don't want it."

"Rongrong."

Ning Rongrong raised her head.

"May we each fare well from now on."

Ning Rongrong gripped the jade pendant tightly. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda pattern pressed into her palm, causing her pain.

She had prepared herself to hear Li Zhexian question her, and had also prepared to wait for him to ask her to stay.

But Li Zhexian had neither blamed her nor asked her to stay.

"Do you really have nothing else to say?"

"No."

"What I just said was that our engagement is over."

"From now on, we're no longer betrothed."

"I heard you."

"Aren't you going to ask who I'll marry in the future?"

"That's your business."

"Aren't you going to ask about Shi Potian either?"

"Shi Potian once lost to me."

Ning Rongrong gripped the jade pendant even tighter.

"One day, you'll definitely regret this."

"Maybe."

"How can you answer like that?"

"Because I can't make your decision for you."

"If I leave now, you won't stop me either?"

"The road is right beneath your feet."

Ning Rongrong's eyes had reddened.

She raised her hand, wanting to throw the jade pendant back at Li Zhexian. But halfway through the motion, she lowered it again.

"I'm leaving."

"Mm."

Ning Rongrong took seven steps forward, then stopped by the lake and turned to look back.

"Li Zhexian, even if you get stronger someday, don't come looking for me."

"All right."

"And if you don't get stronger, don't blame me for it."

"All right."

Ning Rongrong turned around, a corner of the jade pendant poking out from her clenched palm.

"Can't you say anything besides 'all right'?"

"What else do you want to hear?"

Ning Rongrong didn't answer.

She turned and ran toward the covered walkway.

Ning Fengzhi stepped out from behind a pillar of the walkway and caught his daughter as she ran into his arms.

Ning Rongrong looked up, and when she saw that it was Ning Fengzhi, tears finally fell from her eyes.

Ning Fengzhi wanted to reach out and touch her head.

His hand had already risen halfway, but in the end, he drew it back.

"Rongrong."

"Don't call me that."

Ning Rongrong pushed Ning Fengzhi away and ran quickly down the walkway.

Ning Fengzhi stood by the lake without going after her.

Behind the rockery.

Chen Xin was gripping the hilt of his sword, his expression grim.

Ning Fengzhi walked over to Chen Xin, who finally spoke:

"The person you let go today may not remain the level-ten child he is now."

"Uncle Jian, I'll arrange for people to escort him out of the sect."

"Who asked you to send him away?"

"The sect elders will force me to."

"If the elders force you, are you going to hand Uncle Jian over too?"

"That's not what I meant."

Chen Xin walked out from behind the rockery, the wind from the lake blowing his white hair behind him.

"If you truly thought of him as a child of your own family, you should have gone out there just now."

"If I had gone out there, what would Rongrong have done?"

"She's already made her choice."

"Was it really her own choice?"

"She's only twelve."

"Li Zhexian is only twelve too."

Ning Fengzhi gave no further answer.

He knew Chen Xin was right.

But the pressure from the sect was there, and he couldn't simply watch his daughter bear the consequences along with the entire sect.

By the lake, Li Zhexian put away the Azure Lotus Sword tassel and left the fire.

He didn't walk quickly, but the wind kept blowing both his sleeves backward.

The panel in his sea of consciousness lit up with white light.

"Detected: the host's emotions have reached a critical threshold."

"The shield's current value remains unchanged."

"Recommendation: the host should immediately receive an attack from an external force."

Li Zhexian walked up to the courtyard gate and placed his hand on the latch.

You certainly picked a good time.

Another line of text appeared on the panel.

"Emotional fluctuations cannot be converted into shield damage."

I don't need you to remind me of that.

"Recommendation: the host should immediately receive an attack from an external force."

Li Zhexian pushed open the courtyard gate.

From outside the gate came the sound of clapping.