Jiang Li stood up, her movements graceful and slow, and walked toward Ma Ruoruo, who was bound tightly and unable to move.
She reached out her slender jade-like fingers, her nails painted a deep crimson, and lightly traced them across Ma Ruoruo's pale cheek—an action gentle yet chilling, as if she were admiring a beautiful piece of art right before its destruction.
Her voice drifted lazily through the air, carrying an innocent cruelty. "Dongfang Sheng, listen carefully. If you refuse this marriage and insist on breaking the engagement, then I'll just have to kill her. And not just kill her—I'll use the 'Lighting the Heavenly Lamp' method. Bit by bit, I'll watch her struggle, watch her scream in agony, until finally she becomes a beautiful little 'lamp.'"
Her eyes narrowed slightly, as if savoring the image in her mind. The purity of her smile was more terrifying than blood.
A bone-deep chill raced up from the soles of Dongfang Sheng's feet straight to his head.
He knew her too well. Jiang Li wasn't bluffing. She would do it.
"Jiang Li!"
Dongfang Sheng's voice trembled with fury and a trace of fear. "Don't push me too far!"
"Heehee."
Jiang Li covered her lips and laughed softly. The sweet, eerie laughter echoed in the deathly silence of the warm pavilion. "But I just love... pushing people. Watching them struggle in despair and rage—it gives me such joy."
"You—!"
Dongfang Sheng could no longer contain his rage. He turned sharply and roared toward the figure standing behind him. "Aunt Liang! Take her down—now!"
The warm pavilion fell into a suffocating silence.
Aunt Liang's tall, sturdy body remained perfectly still, like an ancient, immovable stone pillar.
Her stern face didn't flicker with any emotion. Her steady gaze met Dongfang Sheng's shocked, furious eyes without the slightest ripple.
"Aunt Liang?"
Dongfang Sheng's voice trembled with disbelief and heartbreak. For the first time, he looked at the woman who had watched him grow up—and she felt like a stranger.
Aunt Liang finally spoke, her voice deep and steady, each word landing like a hammer against his chest. "Young Master, the alliance with Miss Jiang was decided after much thought by the Master himself. For you—and for the entire White Fish Society—it is the best, and only, option right now.
As for Miss Ma Ruoruo's life or death... that depends entirely on your choice."
Boom!
It was as if thunder exploded directly inside his skull.
Dongfang Sheng staggered, his face draining of all color. A crushing wave of betrayal and helplessness devoured him whole.
"Heh... heh-heh..."
He gave a broken laugh, stumbling backward half a step. His eyes burned with anguish and bitterness as he stared at Aunt Liang. "So it was Father... Father ordered this.
For the sake of the White Fish Society's so-called survival, for its interests—he doesn't care about me at all. My feelings, my life—they mean nothing to him!"
Aunt Liang's expression remained calm, her tone unwavering. "Young Master, you have enjoyed every honor and privilege that comes with being the Young Master of the White Fish Society. Naturally, you must also bear its burdens. Sacrifice is the price of responsibility."
"Bullshit!"
Dongfang Sheng's furious roar tore through the still air. The sheer intensity of his rage forced his mind into painful clarity.
He didn't believe it—not his father, not like this. "Father isn't that kind of man! What happened to the White Fish Society? Is it only because of the Lingxi Sect? What else?!"
Aunt Liang sighed deeply, the sound heavy with helplessness. "Young Master, we have already reported this many times. The suppression from the Lingxi Sect has grown worse by the day. And just two days ago, things took a sudden turn for the worse. The Xu Clan's Second Branch leader—'Sky-Breaking Sword' Xu Mingye—has personally arrived at the Lingxi Sect to oversee matters."
"Xu Mingye?" Dongfang Sheng's pupils shrank sharply, and the faint hope in his heart—that maybe, just maybe, there was still a way out—was completely shattered.
But he still tried to struggle against it, forcing out his disbelief. "Even if Xu Mingye came, so what? He's just one man. My White Fish Society has more than ten Yin God cultivators, and our sect-protecting grand formation is impregnable. Why would we fear a single person?"
"Pfft…"
Behind Jiang Li, the swordsman who had been silently watching the entire time finally let out a mocking laugh that carried open disdain.
"One man? Hahahahaha!"
He laughed loudly, his voice full of ridicule, his eyes gleaming with pity for what he clearly saw as a fool. "Young Master Dongfang, you're the heir of the White Fish Society, and yet you're this ignorant? That's the 'Sky-Breaking Sword' Xu Mingye we're talking about.
Even with one hand and one sword, he can make mountains and rivers tremble.
He's one of the most powerful Yin God experts acknowledged in the entire Horn Constellation Realm—a man whose strength is infinitely close to the Yang God Realm.
They say he alone can hold back an army of one million, and that's no exaggeration.
Tell me, among everyone in your White Fish Society, who could withstand even a single sword strike from him? Will it be those half-dead old ancestors still in closed cultivation? Or your father, who sits in the main hall but hasn't even stepped into the late stage of the Yin God Realm?"
His words were sharp as cold steel, stabbing straight into Dongfang Sheng's heart. Each line ripped away the last thin veil hiding the White Fish Society's weakness.
Dongfang Sheng's face turned ashen as his heart sank to the bottom of a freezing abyss. Desperation flickered in his eyes as he turned toward Aunt Liang, clinging to one final sliver of hope.
Aunt Liang met his gaze heavily, her face solemn, her voice low but steady. "Brother Hu's words… harsh as they sound, are the truth. Young Master, the Master personally sent word to me yesterday. Xu Mingye's arrival has completely crushed the morale of all our strong cultivators. None among us can face his might. The only way to blunt his blade, even temporarily, is…"
Her voice trailed off as her eyes shifted toward Jiang Li, who sat with a relaxed posture, lazily admiring her crimson-painted nails.
"...the Jiang Clan."
Hu Chen—the swordsman—picked up her words with a proud smile. His tone was clear, forceful, and brimming with arrogance. "My master, the 'Cloud-Thunder Sword Sovereign' Jiang Bai, is also the fifth grandfather of Miss Jiang Li.
Surely, Young Master Dongfang, you've at least heard of that name? His reputation outweighs that of 'Sky-Breaking Sword' Xu Mingye by far. The old man dotes on our young lady more than anyone else.
If you, Young Master Dongfang, agree to this marriage right now and form a union with our lady, the Jiang Clan will stand behind you as your shield.
Forget Xu Mingye— even if the entire Lingxi Sect comes down on you with full force, they'll think twice before offending the Jiang Clan. Xu Mingye wouldn't dare move against the White Fish Society at all."
Dongfang Sheng's body swayed as if the last of his strength had been ripped out of him. He stumbled back several steps, nearly losing his balance.
Grief, fury, and humiliation all surged through him at once, crashing together like violent waves until he could hardly breathe.
"Jiang Li…"
His voice came out hoarse, dry, and broken, heavy with exhaustion and bitter irony.
After a long moment, he lifted his head, his bloodshot eyes locking onto the beautiful, demonic girl before him. "I know what I am. I'm useless, a coward, and unworthy of you, Miss Jiang. So tell me… why? Why are you so obsessed with me?"
Jiang Li's smile slowly faded. The innocence on her face vanished like a mask slipping off, replaced by a cold, analytical gaze—like someone appraising a piece of merchandise.
Her lips curved slightly again, the faint smile beautiful yet bone-chilling.