Morning light settled over Cloudcrest City in a slow, warm way that made the rooftops look a little softer, and the streets sound a little louder. Lin Tian stepped out from the main hall and let the breeze brush his face.
It carried the mixed scents of food, incense, and cold steel from the clan's training yard. He stood still for a moment, not because he was admiring anything, but because pausing helped him pretend the day was starting the same as every other one.
A servant sweeping the walkway noticed him first.
"Morning, young master."
Lin Tian nodded. "Morning. Did the night shift give you trouble again? You look tired, and if you don't sleep enough, you'll start drifting off while sweeping and hit your head on the steps."
The servant blinked, surprised he remembered something so minor. "I'm fine, young master. Thank you for worrying."
"I worry because you keep pretending you don't need sleep," Lin Tian said, stepping aside so she could continue. "At this rate, the broom will get more rest than you do."
She laughed quietly, grateful for his teasing, then returned to her work.
Lin Tian walked forward, hands behind his back, posture straight but relaxed. He didn't try to appear noble, nor did he carry himself like someone who expected the world to move aside for him. He walked like someone who knew exactly how much space he took up—no more, no less.
Two younger servants whispered by the water barrels.
"I heard she's already in Central Province," one said softly.
"Who?"
"The Bai girl. His fiancée. They say she's stronger now. Way stronger. True Spirit Realm Peak, maybe."
"Peak? Then she'll cancel for sure."
Lin Tian kept walking without reacting, though the words pressed a little deeper than he wanted to admit. Their engagement had been arranged years ago, back when both clans still had hope. Back before his parents died. Back before the Lin Clan's decline became something whispered about behind closed doors.
He turned the corner toward the clan's main training yard. Juniors sparred in pairs, their movements rough but enthusiastic. Someone shouted for a block. Someone else cursed when their wrist bent wrong.
Lin Tian paused at the edge.
A boy around fifteen lifted a hand. "Young master, watching again?" His tone tried to sound respectful, but there was a hint of awkwardness, like he wasn't sure if the greeting was welcome.
"I'm watching because you keep dropping your stance," Lin Tian said. "Your feet spread too far when you swing the blade. You'll lose balance the moment someone pulls you off center."
The boy frowned. "I didn't notice."
"You wouldn't," Lin Tian answered. "You're too focused on your arms. You forget your legs exist."
Another junior whispered behind him, "Don't make him feel bad. He can't cultivate, remember?"
Lin Tian heard it.
The boy shifted uncomfortably. "Young master, I didn't mean anything—"
"I know," Lin Tian said with a small smile. "I'm not offended. Keep practicing. Just be aware of your feet. You learn faster if you don't let the sword pull you around."
The junior nodded quickly and hurried back.
Lin Tian stood there for a few breaths. He knew every movement they practiced. He had memorized the manuals, the breathing techniques, the rhythm of how qi should move through the body. He could explain every step with crystal clarity. What he couldn't do was make even one thread of qi respond to him.
'I know everything except how to make my body obey me.'
He moved on.
As he crossed the long stone path toward the inner halls, Elder Yuan stepped out from one of the side chambers. The elder had white streaks in his hair and a gentle expression that made him look like he was always on the verge of giving advice, even when he wasn't.
"Tian, you're up early," Elder Yuan said. "Did you sleep well?"
"Well enough," Lin Tian replied. "Just walking. Checking how everyone is doing. The clan is busy this morning."
"Busy is good," Elder Yuan said, though his tone shifted slightly. "But you… you should be careful not to strain yourself. Your condition hasn't changed in a long time. I don't want you to hope for something your body refuses to give."
Lin Tian held his gaze. "I stopped hoping years ago. Don't worry about me. I'm not here to chase after impossible things."
The elder sighed. "It's not impossible, Tian. Just… difficult."
"You don't have to soften it," Lin Tian said quietly. "Difficult is just another word for 'no.' I already made peace with it."
Elder Yuan opened his mouth like he wanted to say something else, then closed it instead. He nodded, placed a hand briefly on Lin Tian's shoulder, and left.
Lin Tian continued on, but the last exchange sat heavy in his chest. Not because the elder was wrong, but because he had spoken kindly. Kindness hurt more than cruelty sometimes.
At the far edge of the courtyard, he passed a group of older disciples polishing swords. They didn't greet him. Instead, they whispered when they assumed he couldn't hear.
"Azure Snow Sword Sect sent envoys," one murmured.
"Yeah. They're here for Bai Xueya. She's a monster with a sword. True Spirit Peak at eighteen? Who does that?"
"She's probably here to end that engagement. Can't blame her."
"No one wants a cripple for a husband."
Lin Tian kept walking. The words didn't dig into him anymore, but they didn't slide off smoothly either. Just enough to remind him of what the world thought of him.
Once, the Lin Clan had stood equal to the Bai Clan. Once, he would have been seen as a worthy match. But now, his grandfather was the only pillar left, and Lin Tian—the last direct heir—could not cultivate. The engagement existed only because of a promise between two families who no longer stood at the same height.
'She has every right to break it,' he thought.
He reached the old hall where his father used to teach sword basics. He stepped inside, the air quiet and still. Dust lay on the tables. A few practice swords leaned against the wall.
He walked toward the sword his father used to hold. Not a treasured blade—just simple iron. Lin Tian wrapped his fingers around it. The grip felt familiar, even if the blade had never responded to him.
His father's voice drifted in his memory.
"Strength isn't only in the arm, Tian. It's the will to move forward, even when the world tells you to stop."
Lin Tian swallowed. "I know, Father. I haven't forgotten."
He brought the sword up, testing the weight. His form was good. His stance was stable. His swing was smooth. Only the qi flow was missing.
He lowered the blade.
'If she comes to cancel the engagement… I won't stop her.'
Not out of bitterness. Out of honesty. Out of wanting her to be free of a future tied to someone the world saw as hopeless.
Outside, footsteps ran toward him.
A young servant skidded into the hall entrance, breathless. "Young master!"
Lin Tian set the sword down. "What's wrong?"
"She—she's on the way," the servant said quickly. "Lady Bai Xueya. The envoys just sent word. She'll reach Cloudcrest by tomorrow."
A single heartbeat passed.
Lin Tian's hand tightened around the sword hilt—just for an instant—before he let go.
"I see," he said.
The servant hesitated. "Young master… are you alright?"
Lin Tian gave a small, steady smile. "I'm fine. Go help the others prepare. She'll be tired from the road."
The servant nodded and ran off.
Lin Tian remained still.
For the first time that morning, the quiet of the hall felt heavier. Not painful. Not frightening. Just… final, in a way he hadn't wanted to admit.
'Tomorrow, everything changes.'
Good or bad, he didn't know.
But he knew this much:
'Whatever she chooses… I won't hold her back.'
He closed his eyes.
And a soft tremor in the air—so faint he almost thought he imagined it. A pressure from far beyond Cloudcrest, moving quickly.
Someone strong was approaching.
End of Chapter 1