Melancholy…
Utterly, profoundly melancholic…
In the courtyard of Hane Peak, Suri gripped the newspaper in his hands and read it again and again, veins throbbing at his temples.
"Shocking! Hane Peak's Only Male Disciple, Suri, Blocks a Blade for Love! Such Devotion! Earth-Shattering!"
"Breaking News! Suri of Hane Peak Masters Divination, Calculates Our Holy Maiden's Daily Life! Is This the Distortion of a Stalker or the Fall of a Gentleman?!"
"If You Won't Block a Blade for Her, How Dare You Say You Love Her?! A Deep Dive into the Heart of the Blade-Blocking Hero Suri!"
"Some Love Is Possession. Some Love Is Letting Go. And Some Love Is Silent Guardianship. Even if He Is Only at the Burning Furnace Realm, So What? A Toad Who Doesn't Dream of Swan Meat Is Not a Good Toad! Suri! Eternal God!"
"You're the toads! Your whole family are toads!"
He finally couldn't take it anymore.
With a furious slam, Suri hurled the Qianling Daily onto the stone table.
He had once been extremely angry.
Now he was extremely, extremely angry.
"Senior Brother… it's time for your medicine…"
Chiyun gently placed the freshly brewed bowl on the table, her voice soft with concern.
"Chiyun, I really have nothing to do with that Holy Maiden! You have to believe me!"
Clutching his junior sister's small hands, Suri looked like a man whose entire reputation had collapsed overnight.
"Mm… I believe Senior Brother…" Chiyun nodded.
Then, almost unconsciously, she avoided his gaze. Her clear eyes blinked.
"…I think."
"..."
Suri wanted to cry.
Ever considerate, Chiyun added softly, "Senior Brother doesn't need to worry. Even if marrying the Holy Maiden requires a large bride price, Chiyun will work hard together with you."
"..."
This was not the direction he wanted the conversation to go.
"Oh, right, Senior Brother," Chiyun continued. "The Hall of Rewards and Punishments delivered many spirit stones and medicinal pills. Suzune is helping count them. The senior from the hall said the Holy Maiden may visit today."
"The Holy Maiden?"
No sooner had Suri spoken than a figure descended from the wind.
A woman landed gracefully upon Hane Peak.
She wore a long pink-and-white dress. Her black hair was pinned up with a Deer Deity hairpin, one loose strand brushing her flawless cheek.
Unlike the distant frost she exuded on the plains, today she carried a faint warmth—an almost human softness.
Yet even so—
There remained a natural distance about her.
"Jiang Ningzhi greets Young Master Suri. I have come to thank you for saving my life."
She bowed slightly before him.
When Jiang Ningzhi lifted her head and noticed Chiyun, her eyes brightened subtly.
She had heard that Hane Peak had a reclusive junior sister.
But she hadn't expected someone so gentle.
It felt as though the girl were spring breeze incarnate—quietly nourishing everything without sound.
"Holy Maiden."
Suri put away the newspaper and returned the bow.
Though the system was undergoing maintenance, he could still view others' Fate Scripts.
Activating his ability, Suri looked above Jiang Ningzhi's head.
The once-black script had turned brilliant gold.
Almost rivaling Chiyun's.
His heart skipped.
He flipped it open.
Sure enough—
It had changed.
[Jiang Ningzhi]
• Escaped mortal calamity. Fortune surges.• Within ten years, she will enter the Nascent Soul Realm, becoming the youngest Nascent Soul cultivator in the world.• In her future cultivation journey, she will find the one she has long searched for and fall deeply in love, unable to extricate herself.• A thousand years later, she will duel Qu Chiyun. For certain reasons, she will personally kill the one who once saved her life.
Suri: "..."
His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
He read it again.
And again.
He wasn't mistaken.
For a moment, Suri's mind went blank.
Wait.
What?
Why would she kill me?!
Did she have too much free time?!
"Senior Brother…"
Chiyun gently tugged at his sleeve.
He had been staring at Jiang Ningzhi like a complete pervert, eyes wide, breathing heavy—
(He was angry. That was all.)
"Senior Brother, staring at a lady like that is impolite…"
"Apologies, Holy Maiden. I was discourteous."
Suri withdrew his gaze, though his emotions were in chaos.
"Not at all," Jiang Ningzhi shook her head softly, biting her lower lip. "Actually… I know."
"You know? Know what?" Suri blinked.
She glanced at Chiyun.
"Chiyun, could you give us a moment? I will speak with Jiang—ah—with the Holy Maiden."
Understanding the implication, Suri signaled for privacy.
"Mm." Chiyun bowed and departed.
Once she left, the two sat facing each other at the stone table.
Jiang Ningzhi's eyes drifted toward the half-covered newspaper.
She had read those articles.
At first, she did not believe Suri harbored feelings for her.
But recalling how he had blocked the blade without hesitation…
And listening to her never-been-in-love attendants analyze the situation endlessly…
She could no longer deny it.
Young Master Suri truly liked her.
Otherwise—
Why calculate her preferences?
Why know what she liked to eat?
Why risk his life?
The only explanation…
Was love.
But Jiang Ningzhi had long resolved to devote herself to the Dao.
She would not take a Dao companion in this lifetime.
That was why she hadn't visited on the first day.
She hesitated, unsure how to reject him gently.
He had saved her life.
She owed him.
If he were ever in mortal danger, she would repay it with her own life.
But she could not return his feelings.
"Miss Jiang!"
"Mm!"
Startled by Suri's sudden call, she straightened instinctively. The curve of her figure beneath her robes was momentarily accentuated.
"I have long had a question for you," Suri said solemnly. "It has been difficult to ask… but I believe I must."
He looked at her with deep intensity.
"Please speak," Jiang Ningzhi inhaled quietly.
This must be it.
A confession.
Feelings cannot be forced.
She must reject him firmly. To accept falsely would be disrespectful.
"Miss Jiang," Suri said gravely, "if I ever offend you in the future… would you spare my life?"
"I'm sorry. Ningzhi cannot accept Young Master's feelings."
They spoke almost simultaneously.
"...Huh?"
"Eh?"
They stared at each other.
Silence.
Complete confusion.