The setting sun hung low, its orange-red glow gently draping over the earth like a soft veil. The air, baked by the sun all day, gradually cooled as lanterns along the city's bustling streets flickered to life one by one, resembling a brilliant river of stars winding across the ground. The wide avenues hummed with an endless stream of pedestrians and a rising tide of noise. Standing in the middle of the street, Chen Yingjian watched a petite, graceful figure blend into the crowd, keeping his eyes fixed on her until she vanished completely at the far end of the thoroughfare. Only then did he slowly withdraw his gaze. Remembering their playful banter earlier that day, the corners of his mouth curved up into a faint, gentle smile, his eyes filled with tenderness and longing. A cool breeze swept past, fluttering the hem of his robe as a wave of warmth surged through his heart, the image of the young maiden who had just departed playing over and over in his mind.
A moment later, he placed his hands behind his back, glanced down a few branching alleyways, and turned to merge into the passing crowd. Humming a tune under his breath, he headed down the narrow path that led closest to his home. He had walked less than a hundred meters when his steps suddenly faltered and came to a halt. His previously cheerful expression froze instantly as his eyes landed on a figure ahead of him. His brow furrowed slightly, and a flicker of panic crossed his eyes. Hesitating for a moment, he forced an unnatural smile and said, "Aunt Lin."
Standing in the middle of the narrow lane was a voluptuous woman in her forties, whose facial features and posture bore a strong resemblance to Lin Shanshan's. At that moment, the final rays of the setting sun cast their glow upon her, outlining her in a soft golden edge as if she were draped in a sacred radiance. A faint, ambiguous smile hung on the corners of Lin Mother's lips, though her eyes remained sharp and calculating as she swept her gaze up and down Chen Yingjian.
Her autumn-water-like eyes reflected the young man's figure. Suddenly, a meaningful smile crept onto her pretty face, and she addressed Chen Yingjian, "Nephew Xiaojian, what a coincidence."
Chen Yingjian nodded in polite acknowledgment and remained silent, knowing full well that this was no coincidence at all, but a deliberate wait. He pressed his lips tightly together, his expression turning somewhat tense.
"Let's go into this teahouse and sit for a while, and keep your aunt company," the woman said with a smile upon seeing the youth's silence. Her gaze carried an undeniable weight, and her smile held the stubborn determination of someone who would not stop until she achieved her goal. Without waiting to see whether he agreed, she took the lead and stepped into the small teahouse close by.
Chen Yingjian hesitated for a moment before following her inside, his face full of helplessness and his steps feeling heavy. Although he knew nothing good could come of this conversation, the woman was, after all, Lin Shanshan's biological mother.
The visitor was none other than Wu Qiongxue, the mother of Lin Shanshan. Ever since they were children, Lin Shanshan had loved playing with Chen Yingjian. Back then, Wu Qiongxue had seen no harm in two children playing together and had chosen not to interfere; after all, the two families were old acquaintances, and any objection would have been unreasonable and unjustified. However, as the two grew older, she noticed a subtle shift in their relationship. This realization startled Lin Mother, and she immediately began trying to put a stop to their interactions. Yet the harder she tried to stop them, the stronger the backlash became. Sometimes Lin Shanshan would scale the courtyard wall just to go looking for Chen Yingjian, and since it was impossible to watch over her twenty-four hours a day, Lin Mother found the situation deeply distressing. Even though she frequently lectured her daughter not to associate with this "good-for-nothing" and to think of her own future, the girl simply refused to listen, replying instead: "Your daughter is grown now and knows what she is doing." Those words had almost made Lin Mother spit blood. It was then that she realized her daughter was no longer the obedient child of the past; she had grown up and developed a mind of her own.
Had the two families not been old acquaintances, Lin Mother likely would have used force to solve this vexing problem. After all, every parent hoped to see their daughter find a good home.
And now, having failed in every possible attempt to keep them apart, Lin Mother had resorted to today's meeting! It was a truly helpless measure—who could blame her when she had only this one precious daughter?
Inside the luxurious private room of the teahouse, the two sat facing each other. The youth remained silent, Chen Yingjian keeping his head lowered with a gloomy expression. The woman gracefully picked up a cup of tea, took a delicate sip with her red lips, and then set the cup down. Raising her head, she fixed her gaze straight upon the youth, her eyes filled with scrutiny and probing. After a moment, she smiled and said, "You look in remarkably good spirits today, Nephew. You must have had a thoroughly pleasant time."
"Every day is much the same for me, Aunt," Chen Yingjian replied, his somewhat stiff features twitching as he forced a smile, though the expression looked thoroughly strained.
"Oh?" Lin Mother raised an eyebrow, her eyes brimming with suspicion as she narrowed them slightly. She naturally did not believe a word he said, especially since she had been keeping close tabs on his every move lately. Thus, she dismissed his remark as mere idle talk.
"Is Aunt Lin showing concern for your nephew? If so, I am truly flattered, and I thank you in advance," Chen Yingjian said, wearing an expression of gratitude toward Lin Mother. Though he was smiling on the surface, a trace of stubborn defiance lingered in his eyes.
Chen Yingjian stayed silent, knowing that Lin Mother had a hidden agenda—she was not dropping in for a casual chat, and nine times out of ten, it concerned him and Shaner. At that moment, his brow furrowed deeply as he fell into thought.
Intent on achieving her purpose for the day, Lin Mother paid no heed to whether he was listening and simply continued on her own.
"As for me, I have only this one single daughter. Ever since she was born, Lin Yi and I have doted on her, never letting her suffer the slightest grievance. Seeing her grow up and excel in her cultivation talent—reaching the level of a Spirit Disciple at such a tender age—we, as her parents, feel immensely proud. In my view, Shaner is destined to walk very far on the path of cultivation and will sooner or later leave Fenglin City to pursue higher realms, just like her aunt who studies at the Ziling Sword Sect. Furthermore, cultivators enjoy superior physical constitutions and much longer lifespans compared to ordinary people, to say nothing of those in even higher realms of Daoist mastery. You should certainly be aware of this." As she spoke, Lin Mother lifted her chin slightly, a proud expression blooming on her face while she watched Chen Yingjian's reaction with a solemn look.
Though presented as mere observation, this was effectively a demand for Chen Yingjian to give up on Lin Shanshan. It was her way of making him see the reality of the situation and telling him not to ruin his own lifelong prospects: her daughter had a long road ahead of her, whereas he could not cultivate at all, possessed a lifespan of barely a hundred years, and could not afford to wait. Moreover, waiting around would only result in an empty outcome and ruin his own life. And she was doing this purely out of kindness.
This was a vicious tactic indeed. Knowing full well that he could not absorb spiritual qi, she deliberately picked at his old wounds to strike a blow against his pride.
Hearing this, Chen Yingjian's expression shifted slightly. The latter words felt like sharp thorns, every single syllable piercing his heart. The hand resting beneath the table trembled slightly, and he bit his lip, struggling to keep his emotions under control.
Noticing the reaction of the youth opposite her, Lin Mother felt a surge of satisfaction. A trace of triumph flashed in her eyes, and the curve of the smile on her lips deepened. Striking while the iron was hot, she pressed on: "You and Shaner have grown up together since you were children, and in my eyes, you are practically half a son to me. As long as you are willing, you and Shaner can become sworn siblings, and I will do everything in my power to help you secure your footing here in Fenglin City in the future." Lin Mother stared intently at Chen Yingjian, a flicker of anticipation in her eyes.
What a vicious scheme! Once they became sworn siblings, they would never be able to be together, and her so-called help was nothing more than arranging a safe, mediocre livelihood for him here in the future. In their eyes, Chen Yingjian was destined to remain an ordinary person forever, spurned by his own family. Yet she was acting out of pure kindness—he had better consider her offer carefully!
Chen Yingjian naturally understood the underlying meaning behind these seemingly well-intentioned words. At that moment, an unnamable fury flared within his chest, and his hands inside his sleeves clenched into tight fists, his knuckles turning white from the force. Maintaining a blank expression, he spoke in a hoarse voice: "Thank you for your kind intentions, Aunt. Your nephew is exhausted today and will take his leave now." With those words, he turned and bolted through the door, refusing to look at whatever expression she might wear, his face a mask of anger and lingering resentment.
Watching the youth's rapidly retreating back, Lin Mother froze. The smile vanished from her face in an instant, and her brow furrowed in a mixture of worry and helplessness. She had originally thought he would care enough about his own future to listen, but it seemed she had underestimated him; still, today's meeting had achieved its intended effect. She offered a faint smile, took a sip of tea, and straightened the wide cuffs of her robes. Sighing inwardly, she muttered to herself: It is not that I am being cruel, but you truly cannot be allowed to drag my Shaner down.
The moon rose into the sky, casting a silvery-white radiance across the earth that made the city look as though it were draped in a pristine gauze or a thin layer of frost. The cool air brought crowds of pedestrians into the bustling streets, filling the night with a chorus of voices.
The narrow lanes were brightly lit as Chen Yingjian stumbled forward, walking in a daze. His desolate and hollow appearance drew many curious glances, followed by quiet whispers and pointing fingers. His eyes were empty, as if his soul had been ripped away.
Along the way, Chen Yingjian nearly tripped several times, though he managed to steady himself and make it back. Just as he was about to step through the main gates of the Chen Family estate, a respectful voice reached his ears: "Young Master Xiaojian, the Patriarch asked that you go see him the moment you return."
"Oh." His mind was still trapped by the wounding words Lin Mother had hurled at him. Crestfallen, keeping his head down with empty eyes, he strode straight into the grand courtyard without looking back, tossing out a single, dull syllable while his face remained completely numb.
"Hmph, what's there to be so arrogant about? Just a good-for-nothing young master. If it weren't for his good birth, he wouldn't amount to much of anything," one of the guards at the gate muttered disdainfully, casting a scornful look at the retreating thin figure.
"Shh, watch your tongue. Be careful someone hears you," the other guard warned, covering his mouth with a nervous expression.
"Pfft, what's there to be afraid of? It's the truth, anyway. Just look at how he gets by around this courtyard..."
"What are you two whispering about over there?" A stern voice boomed from the dark avenue outside the gates, and a middle-aged man who bore a striking resemblance to Chen Yingjian stepped out from the shadows.
The newcomer was Chen Yingjian's paternal uncle, Chen Haotian, whose spiritual cultivation had reached the peak of the Spirit Master tier, just a hair's breadth away from the Spirit Ancestor Tier. Known for his fiery temper, very few people dared to cross him. At that moment, his face was dark and his gaze sharp.
"If I ever catch you gossiping behind people's backs again, pack your bags and get lost. Do you hear me?" Chen Haotian's face turned icy as he turned his head and rebuked them harshly, his eyes blazing with fury.
"Y-Yes... We... understand," the two guards stammered, terror striking their hearts. They exchanged a quick glance, swallowed hard, and responded with trembling lips, their faces pale with fright.
Looking up at the thin figure that had vanished into the darkness, Chen Haotian shook his head and let out a quiet sigh. He then cast a cold glare at the two guards, let out a cold snort, and swept his sleeves as he walked away.
The moment Chen Haotian left, the two guards raised their heads and looked at each other, both reading the lingering terror in the other's eyes. They wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads, not doubting the truth of his threat for a single second.