Chapter 16: Reborn as a Marquis from Among Enemies (Part 4)

The following day
The Martial Arts Grand Competition of the Tianfeng Kingdom.
Geniuses from all sects gathered, making it arguably the most talented group in nearly a century.
Unfortunately, this year saw the emergence of a monster.
Even with a genius cultivation reaching the third level of the Spirit Pattern Realm,
it was still useless.
The difference between the third and seventh levels of the Spirit Pattern Realm was simply too great.
Su Chen didn't even move his body, defeating him with a single strike.
He went to the Spirit Pool to cultivate, further advancing his cultivation and breaking through to the eighth level of the Spirit Pattern Realm.
His cultivation path in this life was smooth sailing.
Su Chen then cultivated at the Tianfeng Martial Academy for another year, reaching the ninth level of the Spirit Pattern Realm before graduating from the Tianfeng Royal Palace.
He became the youngest graduate in the history of the Tianfeng Martial Academy.
After leaving the Tianfeng Martial Academy, Su Chen did not return to the Jinghai Marquis's Mansion first, but instead went to the Tianlan Sect.
The reason given was to test his martial arts.
And so, Su Chen, accompanied by his maids, guards, and steward, set off for the Tianlan Sect in a grand procession.
...
Half a month later
Inside the Tianlan Sect
"May I ask what brings the young lord to our Tianlan Sect?"
The Tianlan Sect Master cautiously observed the young man before him.
This man's status was far more prestigious than that of the Tianlan Sect itself.
Su Chen calmly replied, "I wish to cultivate at the Tianlan Sect for half a year. This is my sincerity, and I humbly request Sect Master Yang's approval."
Su Chen produced a jade box and handed it to the Tianlan Sect Master.
The Tianlan Sect Master opened the jade box slightly, his expression changing drastically. He quickly closed it again, his face beaming with a smile, "Since it is the young lord's request, then it is certainly possible."
"However..."
A hint of difficulty appeared on the Tianlan Sect Master's face, as he hesitated.
Su Chen chuckled softly, "Senior Yang, rest assured, I will not covet your sect's core techniques, nor will I venture into the forbidden area."
Hearing this, the Tianlan Sect Master beamed again, agreeing to Su Chen's request.
Within the Tianlan Sect
Su Chen's so-called verification of martial arts was all nonsense.
What he truly wanted was to see an old friend.
A month later, his guards finally relaxed their vigilance, allowing Su Chen to explore the Tianlan Sect at his request.
And Su Chen found... the location of his old friend.
Within Bamboo Peak
He saw Li Qingyue again; she had aged considerably.
Su Chen remembered her arrogant demeanor when Li Qingyue came to annul the engagement in their first life.
Now, he saw a lonely old woman, spending her days with the bamboo forest.
It turned out... almost two hundred years had passed.
Even Su Chen could barely remember the events of his past life.
"Young Master seems to recognize me?"
Li Qingyue was puzzled. Why did the young man look at her with a faint familiarity?
It was as if he had seen a long-lost friend.
Su Chen nodded: "Although I have never met Senior Li, I have often heard of your deeds."
Li Qingyue smiled self-deprecatingly: "What deeds have I done? They are probably just old stories and tales, fabricated for others' amusement."
Su Chen was silent for a moment.
Indeed, as Li Qingyue said, her past annulment of her engagement had long been fabricated into a popular story.
Unfortunately, the protagonist never achieved the fame described in the story, leaving Li Qingyue filled with regret.
He was not Xiao Huohuo, and Li Qingyue was not Nalan Yanran.
Su Chen asked with some curiosity, "Why did Elder Li go to annul the engagement back then?"
A hint of surprise flashed in Li Qingyue's eyes. She hadn't expected this noble young marquis to be so interested in gossip.
She sighed softly. If she were younger, she certainly wouldn't have wanted to talk about these things.
But now, she was old. After the last battle, her lifespan was running out, and the memories that had once been blurred in her mind had become increasingly clear, lingering in her heart.
Perhaps, having more listeners wasn't so bad.
Li Qingyue smiled, "Since the young marquis is so interested in my story, then I will tell you this old tale."
Su Chen poured two cups of tea and placed them in front of the two of them, listening quietly.
"All this tragedy stems from my naivety in my youth."
"My fiancé, with whom I was betrothed, was merely the son of a small family patriarch. Like the young marquis, he had a son, but he was far less outstanding than the young marquis."
Su Chen's face twitched, and he quickly took a sip of tea to calm himself.
After complimenting Su Chen, Li Qingyue continued, "Back then, I was valued by my master and had the potential to reach a higher level of cultivation. I was young and ambitious, believing that among the countless heroes in the world, how could I, Li Qingyue, be content to be a wife and mother in a small family? Although I am a woman, I also have the ambition to meet the heroes of the world."
As if recalling her youth, a smile appeared on Li Qingyue's face.
She never regretted joining the Tianlan Sect, nor did she regret breaking off the engagement.
Su Chen remained silent. In his first life, he truly was unworthy of Li Qingyue.
The two families were merely old friends, and his relationship with Li Qingyue was good, but only good; it wasn't one-sided.
However, he later became obsessed with the drama of breaking off an engagement.
Su Chen asked, "Was that the reason Elder Li broke off the engagement?"
Faced with Su Chen's question, Li Qingyue was silent for a moment, then said hoarsely, "Yes and no. If he were my husband, I, Li Qingyue, would accept it. But he can't be my fiancé. From childhood, my father, mother, and clan all told me that I was to marry into his family and become his wife, but I've always hated having my fate controlled by others."
Su Chen was stunned; he hadn't expected Li Qingyue to have broken off the engagement for this reason.
Li Qingyue saw Su Chen's surprise and smiled, "Young Marquis, you're surprised, aren't you? Those stories all say I'm someone who abandons her fiancé for my future, and I did indeed do that. If that's what you think, that's fine too."
Su Chen nodded seriously.
In his first life, he had thought so too.
Su Chen continued, "Senior Li, you never married. Did you ever regret your decision to annul the engagement?"
This time, it was Li Qingyue's turn to be stunned.
She seemed to see a figure from her hazy memories sitting opposite her, posing this question.
After a long while, Li Qingyue finally came to her senses. The face before her was unfamiliar, not the one she remembered.
"Regret...maybe. Sometimes, I do wonder if my life would have been different if I hadn't annuled the engagement. The path of cultivation is too lonely. I've encountered many geniuses, but none of them have that same feeling as before."
"If he hadn't broken off the engagement, would he have been spared the murder of his enemies and the annihilation of his entire family...?"
Throughout her life, her ambitions surpassed those of many men. She fought her way up from a small town to become an elder of the Tianlan Sect.
Did she regret it?
Perhaps it was just that as she grew older, her aspirations faded, and she watched her loved ones pass away one by one.
She began to miss that time.
But back then, she never regretted any of the decisions she made.