Cloudcrest City buzzed with noise from morning trading, but all of that softened when a single formation of Azure Snow Sword Sect escorts stepped into view. Their pale-blue robes cut through the crowd like a cold wind, making shopkeepers straighten their stalls and cultivators lower their voices. The men and women walking with them wore expressions too disciplined to invite conversation, and the emblem of a frost-soaked sword stitched onto their sleeves made people shift aside long before the group reached them.
At the center of the procession walked Bai Xueya.
Her presence alone was enough to make the city quiet by degrees. She moved with an even pace, not fast or slow, her back straight and her eyes calm. Her hair was tied loosely behind her, white strands brushing her shoulders whenever the wind touched them. The sword at her hip wasn't decorated, but even its plain shape drew attention because of the way she carried it.
Merchants whispered. Junior cultivators nudged each other. Guards blinked in disbelief.
"That's her," someone muttered, barely audible. "Bai Xueya, the ice fairy."
"True Spirit Peak at her age… how's that even possible?"
"She's terrifying. Beautiful, but terrifying."
Xueya didn't react. She simply walked, the calm center of a small storm of whispers.
The escort captain raised his voice for the first time. "Stay alert. Our job is to ensure Lady Bai reaches the Lin Clan safely. No delays. No discussions with the crowd."
"Yes, captain," the guards answered.
They kept their formation tight. Even so, the moment she stepped into the main street leading toward the Lin Clan estate, the noise of the city faded again. A few children stopped mid-game, balls rolling across the dirt as they stared at her with wide eyes. She passed them without slowing.
Her gaze lifted only once—toward the distant gates of the Lin Clan.
The city watched her move like something rare, though she looked as if this kind of attention didn't reach her at all.
Inside the Lin Clan meeting hall, elders gathered around a long polished table. Their voices rose and fell in anxious waves. Even without raising their tones, worry clung to every sentence.
Elder Qin slammed his hand on the table first. "She reached True Spirit Peak before turning eighteen. Do you understand how impossible that is for most cultivators? She's not just talented; she's in a completely different realm of genius."
Elder Shao shook his head. "Her sect knows it too. They didn't send all those escorts just because they're respectful. They want to gauge our strength. If the Azure Snow Sword Sect demands to dissolve the engagement, they'll do it without hesitation."
Elder Hua exhaled slowly. "You're not wrong. Her status outstrips Tian's by too much. Even if the boy weren't crippled, she'd still be several steps beyond him."
Elder Qin's mouth tightened. "And Tian… he's a good child, but good doesn't count when cultivation is involved."
Elder Wei crossed his arms and muttered, "If they cancel, we lose face. If we insist on keeping the engagement, we look like parasites hanging onto a future genius. Either way, the clan risks embarrassment."
The room fell quiet for a moment.
Lin Zhaotian, the Clan Leader—and Lin Tian's uncle—stood at the head of the table. His expression was steady, the calm of someone used to balancing the weight of a clan on his shoulders. His voice carried a clarity that silenced everyone else.
"I won't force her," he said. "If she wishes to end the engagement, then I will honor her choice. Her parents trusted our family. I won't repay that trust with greed or selfishness."
Elder Qin frowned. "But, Clan Leader—"
"No." Lin Zhaotian lifted a hand. "This isn't about status. It's not about the clan's pride. It's about a promise between two families who are no longer here to speak for themselves. If she asks to be freed, then I will free her. And Tian… he will accept it. He's carried enough pain already."
The elders nodded reluctantly.
Meeting adjourned.
Lin Tian walked through the outer courtyard with his hands clasped behind his back, trying to steady the faint anxiety building in his stomach. He reminded himself not to overthink. Bai Xueya could choose whatever life she wanted. If she came here to end the engagement, he had no right to hold her back.
A young servant ran toward him, slowing down only when he reached a respectful distance.
"Young master… Lady Bai has arrived in Cloudcrest."
Lin Tian nodded slowly. "So soon. She must have traveled without many breaks. Her sect takes her safety seriously."
"Yes, young master," the servant said. "She didn't stop to rest. She came straight toward the city center with a full escort. They looked very focused."
Lin Tian studied the servant's expression for a moment. "You think they're here to dissolve the engagement."
"I… I can't say that for sure, young master," the servant said quickly, hands tightening around his sleeves. "I only meant that they came prepared."
Lin Tian looked away, eyes soft. "It's fine. You're not wrong to think it. Most people do. And if that's her decision, I won't argue with her. I never wanted her chained to something that brings her nothing but trouble."
The servant hesitated. "She might think differently."
Lin Tian let out a small breath, not quite a sigh. "She doesn't owe me hope. I don't want to trap her. I want her to walk whatever path gives her peace. If that path leads away from me, then I should let her go."
The servant lowered his head. "You always say things like that, young master. But not everyone would choose the same way."
Lin Tian offered a gentle smile. "That's because not everyone feels the same weight. I've had eighteen years to understand what I can and can't offer. Genius cultivators need partners who can stand beside them. Not someone like me."
The servant didn't know how to answer, so he bowed and excused himself.
Lin Tian walked toward the inner gardens. It was quiet there. The peach tree stood taller now than it had when his father trained him beneath it. Its branches shifted gently in the breeze, scattering petals across the path.
He sat beneath the tree, leaning back against the rough bark. The sound of the training yard drifted softly across the courtyard—clashing wooden swords, shouts, laughter of younger disciples. Their bright energy reached him, but only from a distance.
A few petals brushed his shoulder. Another landed on his hand.
He didn't brush them away.
"If she chooses to leave," he said quietly, "then I hope she finds someone who fits her world better. Someone who doesn't drag her into awkward decisions or force her to carry the weight of a promise she didn't ask for. She deserves someone who understands what she's becoming, not someone who falls behind before the journey even begins."
He closed his eyes for a moment.
'She deserves freedom.'
Footsteps rushed up the path.
"Clan guards have sighted the Azure Snow escort!" someone shouted. "They're at the main gate!"
Shouting spread across the compound. Disciples scrambled. Elders hurried toward the entrance. Servants sprinted back and forth, uncertain whether to prepare a welcome or prepare for negotiations.
Lin Tian stayed under the tree for one last breath.
He let the moment settle. Let the noise fade enough for him to gather himself. Then he stood up, brushed the petals from his sleeve, and adjusted the simple robe he wore.
'It begins,' he thought.
He simply walked, steady and calm, toward the front gate where fate waited—whether to tie a bond tighter or cut it cleanly in one stroke.
As he approached, he saw figures forming at the entrance. Guards opened the gates with strained expressions. Elders stood in a line, their faces caught between anxiety and dignity.
And beyond them—
A figure stepped into view.
White hair with calm eyes and a sword at her side. Presence sharp enough to cut the air.
Bai Xueya.
Lin Tian stopped just short of the last step, breath held for a single quiet moment that stretched far longer in his chest.
End of Chapter 2