Lin Tiannan was the leader of the Southern Martial Arts World, and the Lin Manor was regarded as one of the wealthiest families in the region.
Unfortunately, Lin Tiannan had only one beloved daughter, Lin Yueru, and no sons. Yet such a vast family estate needed someone to inherit it, didn't it? In desperation, he had publicly announced a martial arts competition to recruit a son-in-law—hoping to find a man of both character and skill who could marry into the Lin family and take over the family business.
At first, Lin Tiannan was very satisfied with Alex's martial arts and appearance. But Alex's refusal of the proposal after entering the competition left Lin Tiannan embarrassed.
Didn't this young man realize that if he had simply agreed, the management of the Lin family's entire fortune would eventually be placed in his hands?
Yet, there was no way to subdue Alex in public. Helpless, Lin Tiannan returned home to check on his daughter.
Her chambers were locked, and his long attempts at persuasion outside her door were met with silence.
Meanwhile, Liu Jinyuan and Alex had also arrived at the Lin Manor.
Naturally, Lin Tiannan wasn't pleased to see Alex, and he gave a cold snort.
"Senior Lin, you've misunderstood," Alex said with a sigh. "There can never be anything between your daughter and me. In my opinion, there's no need for you to hold a competition at all. I think Liu Jinyuan and your daughter would make a fine match. If they marry, you'll become even closer as family, wouldn't you?"
These words weren't only meant for Lin Tiannan—they were also spoken for Lin Yueru, hidden inside her room.
"Jinyuan?" Lin Tiannan turned his eyes toward his nephew, clearly unprepared for Alex's suggestion.
"Young Master Alex, you… you…" Liu Jinyuan stammered in embarrassment, caught off guard by the sudden mention of his name.
But Alex spoke sincerely. From an outsider's perspective, if Lin Yueru could be with Liu Jinyuan, while Li Xiaoyao remained with Zhao Ling'er, the outcome would be truly happy for everyone.
"Impossible!" Lin Tiannan shook his head firmly, cutting off the idea.
"Why?!" Alex asked, clearly surprised.
From his perspective, Liu Jinyuan was an ideal match. Why go through all the trouble of holding a martial arts competition instead of allowing Yueru to marry him? In their world, marriages between cousins weren't unusual.
"Jinyuan will certainly achieve great success in his official career," Lin Tiannan said, after glancing at his nephew. "But he is no martial artist. He would never be able to manage the fortune of the Lin Manor."
He deliberately emphasized the Lin Manor's fortune, making it clear that marrying his daughter meant inheriting not only her hand but also the estate itself.
"I see…" Alex finally understood.
Lin Tiannan's true purpose in finding a son-in-law was to secure an heir to the Lin Manor.
It made sense. Liu Jinyuan's father was a minister, and Jinyuan himself was destined for a brilliant rise in government service. He would have neither the time nor the temperament to manage the Lin family's affairs. Besides, with his gentle nature, Liu Jinyuan was hardly suited for survival in the martial arts world.
"I… I…" Liu Jinyuan's face filled with disappointment.
Lin Tiannan sighed inwardly as he saw the expression on his nephew's face.
He knew Liu Jinyuan was a talented man, but unfortunately, he wasn't suitable to be his son-in-law—much less the heir to the Lin Manor.
With a sharp creak!
Alex and the others were standing outside Lin Yueru's room, talking. Naturally, she had overheard everything from inside. At that moment, the door suddenly swung open, and Lin Yueru stood there, glaring furiously at her father.
"Dad, I'm your daughter, not a tool for you to use to find an heir to the Lin Manor!"
As soon as she shouted those words, Lin Yueru turned her eyes toward Alex. Without hesitation, she raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face.
"You're even more of a jerk! If you look down on me, that's fine—I'm not begging you for anything. But why are you pushing me onto someone else? I'm not your commodity! What right do you have to meddle in my marriage? I'm not getting married—not in this lifetime!"
With a loud bang, she slammed the door shut again.
No one spoke. Liu Jinyuan, Lin Tiannan, and the servants all stared at Alex, whose cheek now bore the bright mark of her hand.
That single slap showed just how heartbroken Lin Yueru truly was.
Alex raised a hand to his face. With his physique, the strike hadn't really hurt—but being slapped by a girl was a first for him.
"Well, nephew, you two should go rest downstairs first…"
Lin Tiannan's anger toward Alex, which had been burning moments ago, faded after witnessing his daughter's outburst. He quickly spoke to Liu Jinyuan and ordered the servants to prepare guest rooms for the two young men.
"Alas… what a pity," Lin Tiannan sighed as he watched Alex leave.
He had made it clear that marrying Yueru meant inheriting the Lin Manor's fortune, yet Alex showed no interest. That left Lin Tiannan both helpless and oddly relieved.
Helpless, because his vast family estate held no attraction for the young man. Relieved, because it proved Alex's character—if he ever married Yueru, it wouldn't be for wealth or power.
But the tragedy was simple: Alex just didn't want to.
A guest room was soon arranged. Alex sat there in silence, replaying the moment in his mind.
He touched his cheek. Lin Yueru's tearful face as she struck him lingered in his memory, clearer than ever.
When he first came to this world of The Legend of Sword and Fairy, he had viewed the original characters as nothing more than figures in a story, pieces of a plot—spectacles to observe from a distance.
But today, after Lin Yueru's tears and that single slap, he could no longer fool himself.
She wasn't just a character in a drama. She was a real person—living, breathing, feeling.
"Did I really do something wrong?" Alex whispered under his breath.
"If my life were a novel, then this would truly be one of those cruel, poisonous plots—handing a girl over like some bargaining chip…"