Nalan Yanran's Advance

"Distinguished guests from the Imperial Capital?"

After giving the clan's youths a harsh lesson and casually beating up every last person who had provoked him, Xiao Yan left in high spirits.

He, Xiao, never held grudges. As for throwing heavy punches at those rabble, that had merely been a coincidence.

Mulling over what Xun'er had said before leaving, Xiao Yan fell into deep thought.

Since Xun'er had mentioned it to him, then judging by that girl's sweetly innocent yet secretly scheming nature, the visitors from the Imperial Capital had to be connected to him.

In this life, although his circle of acquaintances was not limited to Wutan City, and he had gone out over a year ago to search for artifact-refining materials and met people from outside, there was only one person he could think of when it came to the Imperial Capital.

They had barely met. Aside from exchanging several letters after he learned that he had a marriage agreement, she was simply his fiancée.

Nalan Yanran.

To be honest, Xiao Yan found it a little strange.

This was not the sort of fiancée who had grown up with him as a childhood sweetheart. He had actually always looked forward to having an innocent childhood-sweetheart fiancée.

But this kind of arranged marriage was hard to judge. It was even more awkward than being forced into a blind date.

Then again, he had a legitimate reason. Although he wanted to get rid of this engagement, he had to consider Xiao Zhan's feelings. After thinking it over, Xiao Yan simply stopped thinking about it. Rather than dwell on all that nonsense, he might as well do more of what he wanted to do.

At worst, they could spend some time getting along as friends, then call it off on the grounds that they were unsuitable for each other.

Then, by coincidence, he lost all his Dou Qi three years ago.

Xiao Yan knew his own circumstances. His mentality had not suffered in the slightest; instead, he had become even more spirited and confident. But it was different for everyone else.

Thinking this was a good excuse that would neither hurt his father's reputation nor make the matter seem unreasonable, Xiao Yan exchanged several letters with Nalan Yanran.

From between the lines, he could tell that his practically stranger of a fiancée was someone with very strong opinions.

She also had her own distinct views on fate.

"A fiancée... coming here at a time like this..."

Unconsciously rubbing his ring, Xiao Yan sank into thought.

"Heh heh... cough. Little Yan, judging by that expression, it seems this fiancée of yours has come with ill intent?"

In accordance with the gentleman's agreement he had made with Xiao Yan, Yao Chen, who had been placed under a sealing technique and had not actively peered into the outside world, drifted out after Xiao Yan lifted the seal. Seeing Xiao Yan's thoughts written all over his face and hearing his occasional muttering, Yao Chen roughly figured out what had happened and gave a strange laugh.

"My fiancée and I probably share the same thoughts. Neither of us likes this engagement very much."

Xiao Yan glanced at him and nodded faintly.

"Based on what I know of her, she probably does not have that sort of snobbish mentality of looking down on people. But she most likely came this time to annul the engagement."

Even before he lost his Dou Qi, Xiao Yan could tell from their correspondence that Nalan Yanran wanted to break off the engagement. This gave him a somewhat favorable impression of this little villainess who seemed straight out of an engagement-annulment story. After all, in this feudal society, breaking off an engagement with a genius and breaking off one with a cripple were fundamentally very different. The latter was undoubtedly far more despicable.

Based on his experience reading webnovels in his previous life, the starting point for a protagonist's rise from uselessness was generally an annulled engagement.

Afterward, the protagonist would slap the other party in the face mercilessly and leave them trapped in eternal regret.

He had seen more than enough of those snobs.

Now, however, there was someone who seemed to purely want to decide her own fate. It was hard for Xiao Yan not to think highly of her, and he was happy to go along with the flow.

Although their correspondence over the past two years had practically turned into mutual insults, that did not stop Xiao Yan from appreciating her.

"From your expression, you don't seem to want this marriage either. Isn't that a good thing?"

Yao Chen raised a brow, though images of the women from his youth flashed through his mind. After giving it some thought, he more or less guessed what Xiao Yan was thinking. "You're afraid she's young and impulsive, and will annul the engagement in public, leaving your father unable to save face?"

"If they weren't impulsive, could they still be called young people?" Xiao Yan spread his hands. If both sides' parents had wanted to end the engagement, it would have been called off long ago. The other party had most likely come without telling her family, and at an age like theirs, how could she possibly think everything through so thoroughly?

But it was not a big problem. With him, Xiao, here, what tricks could she possibly pull?

So I really do need to go out and explore more in the future.

Nalan Yanran acted as she pleased, and was he, Xiao, any different?

The only difference was that he, Xiao, was a cultured man. He would not let his reckless actions hurt those closest to him.

For no reason at all, Xiao Yan recalled the time he had spent in Qingshan Town recently and felt a little nostalgic.

Outside, whenever words failed, he could simply fight. The feeling of letting Dou Qi connect directly to his brain and replacing thought with beatings was simply too satisfying.

A true man should aspire to travel far and wide. The ancients had not deceived him.

Not to mention roaming through other worlds!

Sure enough, he needed to get out more often.

At that thought, Xiao Yan's eyes shifted slightly.

Nalan Yanran had arrived at exactly the right time. It was like receiving a pillow just as he was feeling sleepy.

Once this matter is settled, I can start doing something important.

Muttering to himself, Xiao Yan made up his mind.

Jia Lie and Oba, the other two great clans of Wutan City, had grown increasingly arrogant in recent years.

What would happen next? Whether from history books or all kinds of webnovels from his previous life, Xiao Yan could figure out what they intended to do even with Nalan Yanran's brain.

He, Xiao, had no intention of reasoning with that lot. A cultured man had to act with culture!

The Master had once said: just do it!

Reason was for friends! Why waste words on enemies?

And as for now...

Turning to look at Yao Lao, Xiao Yan grinned and flicked one hand, pulling out two Storage Rings he had prepared in advance.

"Old man—no, Teacher, my dear teacher, you wouldn't want your adorable disciple to lose face in front of everyone, would you?"

Yao Chen immediately felt a chill run down his spine, and his eyelids twitched uncontrollably.

"What are you trying to do?"

"Heh heh, Teacher, lend me your power..."

Outside Wutan City.

On the official road, an extraordinary-looking convoy raced toward Wutan City.

Inside one of the carriages, a breathtakingly beautiful young woman dressed in green leaned against the carriage wall, staring blankly out the window.

She held several sheets of letter paper in her hand. Seemingly recalling something, she clenched her fist so tightly that it turned white.

Several old letters lay scattered within the carriage. It was easy to see that they came from two different hands: one graceful and elegant, yet carrying a hint of heroic spirit; the other wild and unrestrained, yet somehow bearing a trace of...

Her gaze fell upon the somewhat sloppy handwriting. Wanting to force herself to praise it through rose-tinted glasses, Nalan Yanran instead sighed.

Fine. Although the other handwriting had nothing to do with beauty, the unrestrained boldness between its lines still made her yearn for something.

Without realizing it, she had developed a few expectations toward that boy she had never met.

She wanted to see what kind of person could remain without the slightest trace of despondency in adversity, while still possessing the confidence to refuse to let others control his fate.

Nalan Yanran did not want anyone deciding her fate for her.

Yet at this moment, she wanted to take a good look at the fiancée she had never met and see just what kind of person he was.

No matter what he was like, her fate had to be decided by herself!

Wutan City was close...

As she looked at the scenery beyond the window, a blurry figure surfaced in her mind. Nalan Yanran suddenly wondered, if it were Xiao Yan, what would he do?

Would he bring a massive entourage and march over in grand fashion?

Would he flaunt himself through the streets without knowing any of the circumstances?

A thoughtful glint flashed through Nalan Yanran's eyes.