"Who are these two?" some outsiders asked, not understanding what was happening.
"You must be new. That group over there includes the young master of the Zhao family, a cultivator in the Mid-stage Qi Condensation. His older brother is a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator who joined a major sect at a very young age!"
"And the one next to him is the notoriously useless eldest young master of the Xie family—completely devoid of any cultivation, an absolute good-for-nothing."
People all around murmured and discussed among themselves.
"Get them!" Zhao Yang snapped at the men behind him.
The men behind Zhao Yang acted as though they had just received an order.
They surged forward, surrounding Xie Guannan so tightly not even water could leak through, their eyes filled with mockery.
In contrast to his past life, however, Xie Guannan's gaze was sharp yet calm.
This kind of gaze made Zhao Yang and his men feel rather uneasy.
Xie Guannan first put the medicinal herbs away into his storage ring; he couldn't afford to damage the ingredients during the upcoming fight.
The next scene caused everyone to gasp.
They saw Xie Guannan push off hard with his back foot and shoot straight forward like an arrow released from a bow.
With a loud thud,
he slammed a punch directly into Zhao Yang's face. This caught Zhao Yang completely off guard, as he never expected Xie Guannan to make the first move against him.
Zhao Yang had no time to dodge, and Xie Guannan's punch landed squarely on the bridge of his nose.
He staggered backward several steps, half-collapsing onto the ground.
The onlookers on the street gasped once more.
How dared this useless young master pull off such a stunt?
Fortunately, Zhao Yang was a Qi Condensation cultivator; even though Xie Guannan had put his all into it, Zhao Yang wasn't sent flying.
A wave of warmth hit him as fresh blood slowly trickled from his nostrils.
Xie Guannan's punch had clearly been delivered with the intent to deal a heavy blow.
Furious and flustered, Zhao Yang shouted angrily, "Beat him to a pulp! How dare he hit me? He clearly doesn't know how to spell the word 'death'! Since when does a piece of trash with no cultivation dare to lay a finger on me?"
He was incandescent with rage, wishing he could tear Xie Guannan to shreds.
How could Xie Guannan possibly dare to act like this? Previously, when his money was stolen, he hadn't resisted at all, acting like a meek little sheep.
Hearing Zhao Yang's order, the surrounding men lunged straight at Xie Guannan.
Yet Xie Guannan moved a step faster.
Strike first to gain the advantage!
In his past life, he had been the Southern Emperor, and even though he currently lacked cultivation,
how could his combat skills and experience ever compare to what these few men possessed?
"Is this really that useless eldest young master of the Xie family? Why is he nothing like what I've heard?"
"Indeed! Wasn't that Xie young master a playboy good-for-nothing who only knew how to frequent places like that?"
"Why does he look like someone who actually knows martial arts?"
The surrounding crowd pointed and whispered.
Faced with the coordinated assault of these men, Xie Guannan did not fall behind in the slightest at first.
The ultimate reason, however, was that this body was simply too weak and lacked stamina.
It was hard to fully unleash the essence of his combat techniques, and by the end, his attackers only suffered some superficial injuries.
Meanwhile, Xie Guannan was beginning to lose his footing.
Just as Zhao Yang and the others prepared to press their advantage and strike while the iron was hot, a voice rang out:
"Stop."
－004 Meeting Ruoyu Again
A voice as melodious as silver bells came from not far away. It was not loud, but everyone present heard it clearly.
People gasped as if their lives depended on it, as though the breath sucked in could freeze away the entire winter.
The newcomer was a young lady with fair skin, delicate features, eyelashes fluttering like butterflies, and a gaze filled with endless tenderness.
Hearing the voice, the crowd looked over and saw a young woman dressed in a black and white split skirt, her silver-bright hair cascading over her shoulders like a brilliant, starry waterfall.
She was walking quickly toward them.
Hearing that voice, Xie Guannan felt a jolt in his heart. He hesitated for a moment, but ultimately raised his head with a firm expression, murmuring to himself, "Thank you!"
That person was none other than his fiancée, An Ruoyu. She remained as fresh and refined as ever, untainted by worldly vulgarity.
Truthfully, Xie Guannan would rather not have crossed paths with her in such a setting.
He hadn't been able to beat his opponents, and on top of that, he had been witnessed by his fiancée while being ganged up on in public. Even if he were to achieve enlightenment and ascend in the future, where would he put his face? This was simply a man's greatest humiliation.
Yet the men who had been beating him up lit up when they saw the newcomer, their hearts stirred with romantic fantasies. Zhao Yang, the leader, even licked the corners of his lips, God knows what thoughts running through his mind.
An Ruoyu, who looked like an immortal maiden, gave off the impression of an untouchable white moonlight, yet she was by no means some naive, clueless girl.
"This... this... I've never seen such a beautiful woman in my life," the crowd exclaimed in awe!
"Does someone so breathtaking truly exist in this world?"
"I used to think Old Zhang's daughter next door was the ceiling of beauty, but seeing this today, I finally realize what the bottom of the sewer looks like."
"That's a stinking ditch you're talking about!"
"To think this Xie young master actually needs a little girl to protect him. Tsk, how utterly shameful."
The onlookers on the street chatted and pointed amongst themselves.Zhao Yang's flunkeys stood nearby, staring foolishly at the newcomer and muttering among themselves.
Feeling deeply uncomfortable with such gazes, An Ruoyu raised her hand and directly released her Foundation Establishment Stage aura.
With every gesture and movement, she exuded an indescribable charm.
Looking politely yet softly at the onlookers on the street, she said, "Please disperse, everyone."
"Ah!"
"The little fairy won't let us watch!"
"Fine, we'll leave! She's not even as pretty as Cuihua next door anyway! Not worth watching!"
Once the street crowd had completely scattered, she turned her anger on the others and said, "And you lot—keep staring at me and I'll dig your eyes out!"
An Ruoyu even made a digging gesture toward her eyes.
The men were startled instantly, not daring to take another step forward, and hurriedly shook their heads, retracting their gazes.
"Are you still not leaving? Do you really want to start a fight?" An Ruoyu said coldly, making a move to draw her sword and strike.
Seeing this silver-haired woman shield Xie Guannan behind her, Zhao Yang knew he was no match for her.
"Xie Guannan, you just wait! Don't let me catch you again!" Leaving behind this harsh threat, Zhao Yang and his cohorts prudently took their leave.
In his previous life, the exact same scene had played out—only then, he had taken a much worse beating.
This time was much better. In his past life, he had spent months recovering at home, which had only worsened the An family's impression of him when they came to visit.
Fortunately, that wouldn't be necessary this time.
Steadying himself against the wall, Xie Guannan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
He slowly turned his head to look at An Ruoyu.
Though he had experienced countless trials in his life, he still felt somewhat shy about looking at his own fiancée.
Yet destiny would not allow him to run away.
The next moment.
The two of them.
Locked eyes.
*"As expected of my fiancée, quite protective of her husband. I'm very satisfied,"* Xie Guannan thought, a trace of gratification showing in his eyes.
*"Why is he looking at me like that? And why does he give me such a familiar feeling? I've never met him before, have I? From what I can remember, this is my first time coming to this place,"* An Ruoyu's heart surged with turbulent thoughts, a complicated expression crossing her face.
An Ruoyu shook her head to clear away those random thoughts, then spoke up: "You're injured, don't move around."
That melodious voice rang in Xie Guannan's ears once more.
The silver-haired young woman, An Ruoyu, walked briskly toward him. Her steps were light, and since they were already quite close, those few strides brought her even nearer.
Her skin, like moonlight porcelain, emitted an ineffable freshness and refinement.
Her silvery-white hair cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall of starlight, every single strand radiating an unspeakable beauty.
Her figure was slender and well-proportioned, like a peerless masterpiece of nature. Such a breathtaking woman made Xie Guannan hesitant to keep staring, and he quickly looked away.
Any man would want to fix his gaze upon her; he only looked away out of concern that it might make his fiancée uncomfortable.
He recalled his previous life.
By the time he had truly become a powerful expert.
When he saw her again, she was in the Flying Immortal Sect as a cultivator at the Void Transformation Realm, and Xie Guannan had stepped in to save her once.
From that moment on, her attitude toward Xie Guannan had changed.
In the end, she had also been forced to marry into the Liuyun Dynasty, becoming a concubine to the minor prince—and the concubine with the lowest status at that.
The weathering and sorrow on her face had been startling to behold, yet she had never ceased to remember their past ties and helped Xie Guannan whenever she could.
Her eyes had always carried a misty haze, and she had constantly urged him: "Leave quickly, it's better not to let yourself be the subject of too much gossip."
Shortly after, An Ruoyu had turned and left. A sudden catastrophe struck then, wiping out the entire Liuyun Dynasty from top to bottom, including An Ruoyu.
When Xie Guannan received the news, he possessed combat prowess rivaling an entire nation, but by the time he rushed there, An Ruoyu's body was already cold.
From that day on, An Ruoyu remained his deepest regret, his greatest sorrow in this life.
Youth truly is no time to meet someone too breathtaking; without the strength to protect them, all such encounters ultimately turn into an enduring ache in the heart.
He was still lost in memory when a voice abruptly interrupted him.
"You..."
"The way you struck out earlier didn't seem to match your cultivation level. If your cultivation were higher, those people would definitely be no match for you." An Ruoyu gestured with her small hand, smiling in praise.
At the same time, she produced a healing pill and handed it to Xie Guannan, while channeling her own Spiritual Power to mend the internal injuries throughout his body.
The dimples at the corners of her smile became faintly visible, adding a lively charm to her beauty.
Looking at An Ruoyu healing him right before his eyes, Xie Guannan felt an indescribable complexity in the depths of his heart—a bitter missed connection from his past life.In this life, he would never let go again. Everything that belonged to him, he would not loosen his grip on a single bit. In his past life, his family had perished, and he had carried the weight of deep hatred. He had drifted away, helpless and alone.
He had never even had the chance to see her, let alone take her as his wife.
During the Nine Sects Grand Tournament in his past life, the little prince of the Liuyun Dynasty had noticed An Ruoyu, fallen in love with her at first sight, and pursued her relentlessly. Yet Ruoyu had felt not the slightest bit of affection for him.
Because the little prince's pursuit had failed, he had resorted to underhanded tactics.
Operating in the shadows, he had colluded with other factions to suppress her family, ultimately forcing her under immense pressure to marry him. From that moment on, she became another tragic victim of a power struggle.
Her dust-free, peerless beauty became the crime that sealed her ill-fated destiny. An Ruoyu appeared before his eyes once more, looking as fresh and refined as ever.
At the same time, regret, remorse, heartache, and a lingering trace of happiness churned within his heart, a hundred mixed emotions washing over him.
In his past life, no one had ever helped Xie Guannan when he was striving to become a mighty expert; people had only ever fawned over him. The person who had helped him the most in his past life was none other than An Ruoyu.
An Ruoyu was quietly tending to his injuries. Countless scenes flashed through Xie Guannan's mind.
Xie Guannan looked at her profile—An Ruoyu's focused expression, combined with her face like a lotus emerging from the water, and strands of silvery-white hair falling around her, made her look as breathtaking as someone out of a fairy tale.
For a moment, Xie Guannan was somewhat mesmerized. But this was his fiancée, after all; what was wrong with looking at her a little longer?
There was nothing wrong with it at all! It was completely justified.
As if remembering something, Xie Guannan asked abruptly, "I am Xie Guannan. It's a pleasure to meet you. May I ask your name?"
If he had blurted out her name right away, what would that even look like?
Even though Xie Guannan already knew her name, she did not. The proper steps still had to be followed, and besides, how could they deepen their connection if he didn't even know her name?
"Me? I'm An Ruoyu. My family came here to take care of some business. I'm not entirely sure what it's about, but it seems I'm supposed to meet someone," An Ruoyu replied calmly.
"What's going on? Why do I feel no sense of annoyance toward him? In fact, there's even a strange sense of familiarity!" An Ruoyu's heart was a tangle of mixed emotions, accompanied by an indescribable feeling.
In her past life, as the ice-cold Southern Emperor, she had seen countless peerless beauties, none of whom could compare to the person before her.
Countless people had sought to pull him in simply for his status and power as the Southern Emperor, using him as a pawn to scramble for authority and profit!
Yet the person before her was someone willing to sacrifice herself for her family's greater righteousness—how could he possibly be the sort to stop at nothing in pursuit of power?
She was someone who would secretly help him even after he gained power, right up until her death. Xie Guannan had never even gotten the chance to make it up to her.
Their marriage had been arranged by their families. As long as their personal strengths permitted it, their families would naturally support the match.
Their destinies were already bound together. If he didn't seize this properly, Xie Guannan might as well just end his own life.
It would be a sin not to taste a delicacy served right to one's lips.
Xie Guannan felt his body grow much lighter, his injuries healed by seven or eight-tenths.
An Ruoyu withdrew her Spiritual Power.
Then she said, "My father is still waiting for me at the inn over there. I only came out for a walk to clear my head, and I can't stay away too long. I should head back now."
"I had a lot of fun hanging out today. And your injuries... make sure you rest for a few days," An Ruoyu cautioned, a note of lingering worry in her voice, before standing up.
Xie Guannan stood up as well, smiling, "It was just a minor wound, nothing that'll kill me."
An Ruoyu couldn't help being amused by his remark.
"Thank you, my Ruoyu." Finally, Xie Guannan murmured softly.
"Huh? What did you say?" An Ruoyu was completely baffled.
She hadn't clearly heard what Xie Guannan said; it just felt a bit strange.
"Ah? It's nothing, haha! I was just marveling at how lucky I got, heading out today and getting rescued by a beauty."
Xie Guannan hurriedly scratched his head and waved his hands, offering an awkward excuse to brush it off.
Xie Guannan could be considered an old fox, but toward his own fiancée, he couldn't afford to put on any airs!
"Thank you for the compliment. I'm leaving now. May our paths cross again if we are fated," An Ruoyu said, her face flushing slightly with embarrassment, though she responded politely.
She felt that she got along quite well with the person before her, which left her feeling rather perplexed inside.
"There was a hint of something I couldn't quite understand in his gaze, yet it didn't feel like he harbored any improper intentions toward me," she muttered to herself.
She understood how difficult it was for ordinary people to turn their lives around, and she murmured aloud, "Can we really meet again in the future?" Then she shook her head helplessly.
Though Xie Guannan desperately wanted to talk to An Ruoyu longer and stay by her side a while, the most pressing matter right now was to raise his cultivation realm. There would be plenty of time in the future to stick together.
Matching up with wonderful things required a certain level of personal strength. And right now, he clearly lacked that.
"May our paths cross again," Xie Guannan said with a smile.
The two parted ways one after another.
As he left, Xie Guannan looked back at An Ruoyu's retreating figure, the corners of his mouth curving upward slightly.
"As expected of my destined match."
.........
The Xie Family Courtyard.
The four grand characters "Xie Family of Jianghai" were carved onto the plaque, powerful and stirring. Yet those four characters were also written with boundless helplessness—once upon a time, they had been the "Xie Family of Liuyun"!
Now, they had been reduced to a mere minor family in Jianghai City.
Still, Xie Guannan didn't care about that. Turning things around couldn't be simpler!
"Haha, rebirth is simply marvelous! Everything can start anew. Back when I became the Southern Emperor, there wasn't a single soul by my side."
"Those fair-weather friends... better left unmentioned," Xie Guannan mused to himself.
He pushed the door open and strode inside.
The first thing that met his gaze was Su Rongply waiting for him!
"The little bastard's wings have gotten stiff; he even dares to ignore me now! Where did he get those injuries anyway? Serves him right!" A flash of malicious viciousness flickered deep in her eyes.
Watching Xie Guannan stumble as he walked into the courtyard, Su Rongyue wore a vicious, cruel smile.
She had originally hoped her son would bring back some good news, but seeing his injured state only filled her heart with mockery.
"Well, well, well. Did I give you permission to come in? What happened to you?" Su Rongyue asked, her tone dripping with blatant sarcasm. "Did you go out and cause trouble again? Which young prodigy taught you a lesson this time?"
Xie Guannan silently looked at her, a flicker of pain and helplessness flashing through his eyes. Unwilling to tangle further with Su Rongyue, he said, "I just accidentally took a fall."
"My, my, how did I ever end up with a good-for-nothing, cheap-spawn son like you!" Su Rongyue said with venomous sarcasm. "You can't even walk without falling down; what else are you good for? Oh right, besides eating, drinking, and making merry, it seems you can't do anything else at all! Ahahaha!"
"What business is it of yours!" Xie Guannan said coldly.
Su Rongyue raised her hand.
"Su Rongyue, this is still the Xie Family Courtyard. What? Are you planning to resort to physical violence out here in the open?" Xie Guannan raised his voice.
At least put on a show of pretense!
"What are you yelling for? Don't forget you're a good-for-nothing! A good-for-nothing who can't even cultivate!"
Standing where she was, Su Rongyue watched the smile gradually fade from her face as she realized her attitude toward Xie Guannan had indeed been a bit too harsh.
"Get out of the way!" Xie Guannan shoved Su Rongyue aside with all his might.
With that, Xie Guannan strode away toward his own room.
"This little bastard!" Su Rongyue stomped her foot in anger.
"Someone come."
A maid at the mid-stage Qi Condensation walked over, knelt down, and saluted, "Mistress!"
"Go keep an eye on him! I have a feeling this little bastard is acting strange!"
"Yes, Mistress!"
The maid changed direction and followed after him.
－006 The Good Show Is About to Begin
The bed was covered with all sorts of herbs, though they were all common, mortal-grade ones.
Xie Guannan set about refining medicinal pills.
For refining low-grade pills like these, any container would do.
He didn't even need a cauldron; Xie Guannan simply picked up a bowl from the table and started a fire.
Was it reckless?
Not in the least—this was Xie Guannan's confidence in himself!
Moreover, pills of this sort could not and did not need to be refined with high-quality flames; ordinary, mundane fire would suffice.
For Xie Guannan, this was as simple as breathing.
In truth, he currently possessed no natal flame whatsoever, let alone any other high-quality fire.
Placing the herbs into the bowl, he could not use spiritual intent to control them; he could only manage the process by timing when each ingredient was added and adjusting the heat.
This was the hardest part of refining this pill: it had to be refined using mortal ingredients, mortal herbs, and mortal fire.
Because the lifespan of mortals was inherently short, the legacy of such medicinal pills was extremely difficult to pass down.
Xie Guannan had stumbled upon this method by chance in an ancient text; he had memorized the refining steps, but had never actually tried it before.
This was his first time attempting the refinement, and fortunately his luck was defying the heavens, even though he ruined quite a few herbs.
Marrow Cleansing Pill!
Successfully refined!
Still, he had overestimated this body of his: five bowls of First-Grade Marrow Cleansing Pills, ten pills per bowl, and he had broken three bowls in the process.
Naturally, he had also lost thirty Marrow Cleansing Pills—well, twenty pills, technically. In reality, a single pill would have been more than enough; it could transform the mundane into the first-grade, and even turn mortals into immortals.
The ultimate path is simplicity itself.