He'd rather run than be turned into a cannon fodder for the broken engagement.

There were still two days before the opening of the conference. These two days were mainly for registration and drawing lots. Leng Huan did not plan to participate in the competition. However, she had just returned from registering with her fellow disciples and had just parted ways with Fu Xun. As she walked back to the right courtyard gate, she was suddenly stopped by a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"Miss!"

Hearing the address and glancing to the side, she realized it was a cultivator from the Leng family. Leng Huan wanted to pretend nothing was wrong and continue walking, but the cultivator reached out and blocked her way, so she had no choice but to stop.

The male cultivator in the light blue uniform of the Leng family bowed and said, "Young Miss, I am here on the orders of the young master to meet you at the front mountain square."

"If I say you've mistaken me for someone else, may I pass?" Leng Huan rolled his eyes.

"Young lady, you jest. Young master is waiting in the square. Please don't make things difficult for me." The cultivator then gestured for him to proceed.

"Why are you joking? Which eye of yours sees me as your young lady?"

Leng Huan asked this question deliberately to test their attitude towards his current behavior.

The monk quickly bowed his head and replied, "Although the young lady's personality has changed somewhat, her temper remains the same..."

Bah! Does that mean she's just as spoiled and willful as the original owner of this body?

Leng Huan hesitated for a moment, then breathed a sigh of relief, his feelings a mix of emotions. With a flick of his sleeve, he turned and left, deliberately speaking with an air of arrogance: "Hmph! I'm not the same person I used to be. Fine, I'm leaving!"

The Leng family disciple also breathed a sigh of relief. Regardless of whether she was angry or not, he just needed to complete his task.

-

Qianshan Square is a spacious venue specifically used for hosting large-scale events, including registration and competitions.

The crowd was so dense, no wonder I hadn't run into the Leng family before.

now--

Grass!

Leng Huan was surprised to find that Murong Qin was also there!

From a few feet away, he saw Leng Feng chatting and laughing with a man in a magnificent purple robe. Upon closer inspection, he realized that it was Murong Qin, whom the original owner had met several times!

"Huanxue! Come here quickly."

Leng Huan stopped in her tracks, wanting to retreat. She really hadn't expected to meet the original owner's arranged marriage partner now!

Good heavens! The thought that they were all aware of the arranged marriage sent chills down Leng Huan's spine.

Which straight man is getting engaged to another man?

She really can't accept this right now!

Hearing the sound of the cold wind in her ear, as if it knew what she was thinking, the Leng family and the Murong family all turned to look at her. Leng Huan cursed even more in her heart.

"Big Brother." Leng Huan approached unhurriedly, put on a natural expression, cupped his hands in greeting to Leng Feng, and pretended not to see Murong Qin standing beside him.

But Leng Feng certainly wouldn't let her get away with it so easily. After a few simple pleasantries, he smiled and turned to Murong Qin: "My cousin has finally arrived. It's really not easy to see you. Look, Young Master Murong is here too. You two can have a chat now."

Leng Huan: Thank you for the invitation.

Murong Qin smiled and nodded to Leng Huan: "Miss, it's been a long time. After several years, it's great to see you again. Miss Huanxue is just as she was back then, no... she's even more graceful and charming now."

Anyone can lie through their teeth. Leng Huan raised an eyebrow and glanced at him a few times: "Young Master Murong is the same, unchanged. Of course, I'm referring to your handsome appearance, not your cultivation level."

Murong Qin and Leng Feng established their foundations around the same time, but after several years, their cultivation levels remained the same. Leng Huan's words were truly sarcastic and unhelpful.

Murong Qin's expression stiffened slightly, and his lips twitched. He pretended not to understand the second half of the sentence and simply said, "Miss Huanxue is joking."

"..." I never expected that after not seeing her for several years, my cousin would be so sharp-tongued. Leng Feng, whose cultivation had finally increased by one level last month, actually felt a sense of relief.

-

She had hoped to let Leng Huan and Murong Qin have a good chat and develop their relationship, but she ended up killing the conversation right away.

Murong Qin: "Miss Huanxue must have gained a lot of experience over the years. Would you be willing to tell me about it?"

Leng Huan: "No experience? How can I have any experience? All I know is how to herd cattle, feed pigs, chickens, and ducks in a mortal's village... blah blah blah..."

Leng Feng: "..." No wonder the disciples he sent out hadn't been able to find her.

Murong Qin pressed on: "Then Miss must have put in a lot of effort to reach her current level of cultivation in such a short time, right?"

Leng Huan lifted his eyelids: "Of course! Cultivation isn't like a pie, falling from the sky on its own."

Murong Qin: "..."

Leng Feng: "..."

.

After a while, Murong Qin finally couldn't stand her saying anything nice and stormed off.

Leng Feng sighed softly, "I know you don't want to marry him, but at least give him some face, right?"

Leng Huan looked at him expressionlessly: "Whoever promised can go and give it to them."

After a few moments of silence, Leng Feng took a deep breath: "My father ordered me to bring you back to Beijun after the conference, otherwise he might arrange a marriage on his own. Whether you are here or not doesn't matter much."

"And you need to participate in the competition to see your growth and shortcomings."

Leng Huan's expression changed several times: "What do you mean by saying it doesn't matter whether I'm here or not! If that's the case, then I won't be polite. Whoever agreed to the engagement should get married!"

After a moment of silence, Leng Feng rubbed his forehead: "...Huanxue, you're willful and disrespectful. Do you want to go to the Confinement Platform again?"

Confinement Platform?

Leng Huan sneered inwardly, "No way he'd even consider that."

She had already made up her mind that she would never return to Beijun, even if it meant death. As for the engagement, if a family's pride like Murong Qin were to perish, Murong would likely collapse...

Participating in a competition is one thing, but an engagement... even a dog wouldn't go.

He parted on bad terms with Leng Feng, leaving behind the words "remember to sign up for the competition" before leaving with his men.

-

Leng Huan rushed to register before the last minute of the second day, and drew a round: Ding-class arena, number 2,500.

"Huan-ge, you should be near the end, probably in the final round."

The other disciples had already registered yesterday, and now only Fu Xun was with them. Hearing him say this, Leng Huan nodded: "The competition is a few days after yours."

Fu Xun is in the Bing-class arena, number 1314.

He asked, "Why do you suddenly want to participate again?"

The weather was lovely; the afternoon sun made people feel lazy, and a gentle breeze was blowing. Then, Leng Huan's clear and melodious voice rang out: "Since Leng Feng asked me to have a competition, let's give it a try."

Fu Xun's expression hardened slightly: "Your brother came looking for you?"

"Ah."

After a moment of silence, the only sound was the light and heavy footsteps of the two of them as they walked towards Ruyi Pavilion.

The backyard is a large garden, where tall ancient pines still stand in the spacious open space behind Ruyi Pavilion. Leng Huan leaps up, turns around, and sits in the same spot as before.

"...Are you going back to Beijun?" Fu Xun gently landed beside her and asked hesitantly.

"Of course not." Leng Huan picked a pine needle and stuck it under his nose.

Sunlight shone on her, the hairpins in her hair reflected the light, and she rested one hand on her face, nodding her head as she spoke.

"The reason I didn't tell you last time was because my family broke off the engagement with the Fu family and wanted to form a marriage alliance with the Murong family, so I ran away."

"Ugh, engagements are just too scary..."

Fu Xun: "...Why are you afraid?"

"You don't know this. That genius in the Fu family must be very powerful. Maybe one day he will have a great opportunity to soar to the top, and then he will make a comeback and take revenge on everyone who has offended him."

"For example, the Fu family who bullied him, the Leng family who broke off the engagement when he was weak, and me..."

The genius from the Fu family himself: ...

Listening to her logical analysis, Fu Xun lowered his eyes and stared at her head for a while. He suddenly remembered the dream he had before, in which the Fu family and Leng family were reduced to mountains of corpses and seas of blood. He didn't think he would wipe out his entire family because of such a thing.

But a sudden sense of panic rose within him. Raising his hand to rub his temple, Fu Xun shook off the absurdity and lingering fear, his voice firm:

"No, the decision to annul the engagement was made by your elders. You had no say in it from beginning to end. Even if he really wants revenge, he won't touch you."

Leng Huancai didn't believe it: "Forget it, I won't provoke him. I just hope he won't come after me."

Fu Xun lowered his eyes: "...No, he shouldn't be that heartless."

-

Perhaps trusting Fu Xun, Leng Huan confided in him:

"Don't say that. I left home in such a hurry that I didn't think things through. I finally managed to find the engagement token, but then I lost it on the way. I was planning to return it to Fu Xun in person when I saw him someday. Alas, I'm afraid I'll never find it again. What a sin!"

"..." Fu Xun touched the token in his heart, speechless.

"To be honest, neither the engagement nor the annulment was my intention. I wonder if that day ever comes, that gentleman would have the mercy to let a nobody like me go..."

Leng Huan looked worried and distressed.

Fu Xun's expression was gentle, and his voice was deep and confident: "Yes, he won't hurt you."

---