Chapter 4: The Story of Guo Mei's Former Fiancé
Lin Fan was never someone who needed to struggle for recognition.
From the moment he was born into the prestigious Lin family, his future had already been quietly outlined by the expectations of lineage, heritage, and inherited opportunity. The Lin family was not merely wealthy in material resources, but rich in history. Their bloodline carried a long record of cultivators who had climbed into higher realms, some even leaving behind legends that younger generations still studied and revered.
In such an environment, Lin Fan's existence was not surprising.
What was surprising was how early his talent revealed itself.
By the age of twelve, Lin Fan had already reached the ninth stage of Qi Refining. In the cultivation world, this was not just impressive. It was a clear signal that his foundation was far above average, and that his future was likely to extend far beyond the reach of ordinary cultivators.
While most children his age were still learning to sense qi, or barely managing to circulate it within their bodies, Lin Fan had already stabilized his cultivation, refined his meridians, and demonstrated control over his internal energy that even some older disciples struggled to maintain.
He was, by all definitions, a prodigy.
At the same time, across a quieter and far less celebrated branch of noble society, Guo Mei existed in a completely different reality.
Her engagement to Lin Fan had been arranged long before either of them could fully understand its meaning. It was not born from affection, nor from personal choice. It was a political arrangement, a carefully constructed alliance between two families seeking mutual benefit. For the Lin family, it reinforced ties with another noble household. For the Guo family, it was a chance to secure association with a rising talent whose future seemed increasingly promising.
At the time of the engagement, neither side could have predicted how divergent their paths would become.
As Chen Fan's cultivation progressed rapidly, Guo Mei remained unable to cultivate at all.
This was not due to lack of effort on her part.
Resources had been allocated. Methods had been attempted. Guidance had been provided by instructors hired by the Guo family. Yet despite all of this, Guo Mei's body showed no response to qi. Her meridians did not open. Her dantian remained inactive. In a world where cultivation determined status, power, and even survival, this placed her at a severe disadvantage.
By the age of twelve, the contrast between the two had become undeniable.
Lin Fan stood at the peak of Qi Refining for his age group, recognized and acknowledged as a genius whose future likely included entry into a major sect.
Guo Mei, in contrast, had not even crossed the threshold required to begin cultivation.
This disparity did not go unnoticed.
Within noble circles, engagements were rarely viewed purely through the lens of personal relationships. They were evaluated as long-term investments. When one party demonstrated extraordinary potential while the other failed to meet even basic expectations, the arrangement naturally came under scrutiny.
Lin Fan's trajectory changed first.
His performance attracted the attention of the Heavenly Immortal Sect, one of the most prestigious cultivation sects in the region. Recruitment into such a sect was not simply an honor; it was an opportunity that could redefine a cultivator's entire life. Sect resources, advanced techniques, mentorship under higher-level experts, and access to environments rich in spiritual energy all contributed to accelerated growth.
For Lin Fan, this was the path he had been aiming for.
For the Lin family, it validated their lineage.
For the Guo family, however, it introduced a complication.
As Lin Fan's status rose, the engagement that had once been mutually beneficial began to look increasingly mismatched. In cultivation society, alignment of strength and potential mattered. A genius bound to someone unable to cultivate was not seen as stable long-term positioning.
Lin Fan himself did not react with anger or resentment toward Guo Mei.
He was not cruel, nor was he driven by spite.
But he was also not sentimental in a way that would override his priorities.
His goals were clear: pursue cultivation, refine his abilities, and ultimately ascend toward immortality, following the path that his ancestors had set before him. In that framework, maintaining an engagement that no longer aligned with his trajectory was unnecessary.
When he made his decision, it was done in a straightforward and formal manner.
A divorce letter was issued.
It was not accompanied by confrontation or public dispute. Instead, it followed the customary procedures expected within noble and cultivation society.
Along with the divorce letter came compensation.
Low-grade pills and a modest allocation of spirit stones were included as a form of acknowledgment. While not extravagant, such compensation was consistent with what one might expect when dissolving a political engagement. It served both as closure and as a signal that the separation was being handled in an orderly fashion.
From Lin Fan's perspective, this was a reasonable and appropriate conclusion.
The engagement had been political from the start. Its purpose had been to strengthen ties, not to guarantee lifelong commitment regardless of circumstance. With his advancement into the Heavenly Immortal Sect, the original purpose of the arrangement had already been fulfilled and surpassed.
However, within the Guo family, the interpretation of events was far less neutral.
The dissolution of the engagement carried implications that extended beyond the personal relationship between Chen Fan and Guo Mei. In noble society, such actions were often read as indicators of shifting power dynamics. A break in engagement, especially one involving a rising genius, could be perceived as a decline in value for the other party.
Guo Mei's inability to cultivate became the central issue.
In a family that valued strength and contribution, her condition placed her in a vulnerable position. Without the backing of a strong alliance, and without the ability to cultivate, her presence became difficult to justify in terms of long-term benefit to the family.
What followed was not immediate in a dramatic sense, but it was decisive.
Guo Mei was expelled from the Guo household.
This removal stripped her of protection, resources, and status. In a world where cultivation families often extended their influence beyond their immediate households, being cast out had serious consequences. It meant losing access to the networks and safeguards that might otherwise have shielded her from external threats.
The divorce, combined with her inability to cultivate, transformed her from a noble daughter into a liability in the eyes of many.
From that point forward, she was no longer under the umbrella of the Guo family.
And in a society where strength dictated survival, that absence was significant.
Chen Fan, meanwhile, did not intervene in what happened next.
His focus remained on his cultivation within the Heavenly Immortal Sect. Surrounded by peers of similar or greater talent, he continued to refine his abilities, build his foundation, and pursue advancement through the structured environment of the sect.
To him, the engagement had been one chapter of his life, now concluded.
He did not harbor hatred toward Guo Mei.
Nor did he carry guilt in any meaningful sense.
From his perspective, the decision had been logical. Continuing an engagement with someone who could not cultivate would have imposed limitations on both parties. By dissolving it, he allowed each side to pursue a path more aligned with their respective circumstances.
In his mind, this was not an act of cruelty.
It was an act of clarity.
He had chosen the path of cultivation without compromise.
He had chosen to follow the trajectory of his ancestors, whose legacies were built upon relentless pursuit of strength and transcendence.
In such a worldview, attachments that did not contribute to that goal were naturally set aside.
What he did not fully account for, however, were the cascading effects of that decision.
To him, Guo Mei was a closed chapter.
To the Guo family, her departure exposed weaknesses.
To external observers, her expulsion marked her as unprotected.
And to those who operated in the shadows of the cultivation world, she became an opportunity.
Lin Fan moved forward without hesitation, unaware that the consequences of his choice had extended far beyond the simple dissolution of an engagement.
For him, the path ahead remained clear, structured, and upward.
For Guo Mei, the path had become uncertain, hostile, and unpredictable.