Cloudcrest City buzzed with noise from morning trading, but all of that softened when a single formation of Azure Snow Sword Sect escorts stepped into view. Their blue and white robes cut through the crowd like a cold wind, making shopkeepers straighten their stalls and cultivators lower their voices.
The men and women walking with them wore expressions too disciplined to invite conversation, and the emblem of a frost-soaked sword stitched onto their sleeves made people shift aside long before the group reached them.
At the center of the procession walked Bai Xueya.
Her presence alone quieted the entire street by degrees. She moved with an even pace, her back straight and her eyes calm. Her hair was tied loosely behind her, white strands brushing her shoulders whenever the wind touched them. The sword at her hip wasn't decorated, but even its plain shape drew attention because of the way she carried it.
Merchants whispered. Junior cultivators nudged each other. Guards blinked.
"That's her," someone muttered. "Bai Xueya, the ice fairy."
"True Spirit Realm, Peak Level at her age… how?"
"She's terrifying. Beautiful, but terrifying."
Xueya didn't react. She simply walked, the calm center of a small storm of whispers. But her gaze lifted once toward the direction of the Lin Clan—quietly, briefly. An unreadable emotion flickered there before disappearing behind her usual composure.
The escort captain raised his voice. "Stay alert. Our job is to ensure Lady Bai reaches the Lin Clan safely. No delays. No discussions with the crowd."
"Yes, captain."
They kept formation tight. Even so, the closer they came to the Lin Clan estate, the quieter the city grew. A few children stopped their games, balls rolling across the dust as they stared with wide eyes.
For just a moment, a small crease formed between Xueya's brows—as if she were gathering herself, steadying her breathing. The moment was subtle, gone the next step.
But it suggested something was weighing on her.
Inside the Lin Clan meeting hall, elders gathered around a long polished table. Their voices rose and fell in anxious waves.
Elder Qin slapped the table. "True Spirit Realm, Peak Level at eighteen. She's not just talented—she's a future pillar of the Azure Snow Sword Sect."
Elder Shao nodded. "And her sect knows it. Look at the size of the escort. They want to confirm our situation before letting her continue this engagement."
Elder Hua exhaled. "Her status outstrips Tian's by too much. Even if he weren't crippled, the gap would still be enormous."
Elder Wei muttered, "If they cancel, we lose face. If we insist on keeping it, we look desperate. Either way, we risk embarrassment."
Silence lingered.
Lin Zhaotian, the Clan Leader—and Lin Tian's uncle—stood at the head of the table. Calm. Steady.
"I won't force her," he said. "If she wishes to end the engagement, I'll honor her choice. Her parents trusted our family. I refuse to cling to their daughter like a lifeline."
Elder Qin frowned. "But—"
"No." Lin Zhaotian's voice cut cleanly through the room. "Tian has already suffered enough. If the engagement dissolves, it will not be because we tried to bind her."
A few elders lowered their gazes—not out of disagreement, but because the truth stung.
Lin Tian walked through the outer courtyard, hands behind his back. The crisp morning air couldn't shake the faint anxiety pressing against his chest.
A young servant ran toward him. "Young master… Lady Bai has arrived in Cloudcrest."
"So soon." Lin Tian nodded. "She must have pushed through the night."
"Yes, young master. They didn't rest at all. It looked like… urgency."
Lin Tian's throat tightened. "You think she came to cut the engagement."
"I—I didn't say that, young master!"
"You're not wrong to think it," Lin Tian said quietly. "If that is her wish, she shouldn't be bound to me."
The servant swallowed. "But… the engagement was her request too, wasn't it? When her parents passed?"
Lin Tian froze. The words landed deeper than the servant expected.
"She asked to keep it," the servant whispered. "Everyone said she was too young to understand. But she never changed her mind."
Lin Tian's chest tightened—not with hope, but with something more complex. Something he didn't name.
"…People make promises out of duty," Lin Tian said softly. "Not all promises are meant to survive once the world demands something new."
The servant bowed and left.
Lin Tian entered the inner gardens. Peach blossoms drifted around him, brushing his sleeves. This place used to feel warm. Today it felt unfamiliar.
He sat beneath the tree his father once used as a teaching spot.
"Whatever she chooses…" he murmured, "…I won't tie her down."
But even as he said it, a small ache pressed beneath his ribs. He didn't want to hold her back—but he also didn't want to watch her walk away.
He took one long breath.
Then footsteps echoed through the courtyard.
"Azure Snow escort sighted! They're at the main gate!"
Disciples ran. Elders rushed. Even servants abandoned their tasks.
Lin Tian stood slowly, brushing fallen petals from his robe.
'It begins.'
He walked toward the gate.
The world seemed to narrow the closer he came. Guards opened the gates with stiff shoulders. Elders lined up, faces tight with uncertainty.
And beyond them—
A figure stepped into view.
White hair. Calm eyes. A sword at her side. Presence sharp enough to change the air itself.
Bai Xueya.
Her gaze swept over the courtyard—and for the briefest second—
Her eyes softened when they found him.
Lin Tian stopped one step short, breath catching just once—too quickly for anyone else to notice.
But Xueya noticed.
End of Chapter 2