C2 Chen Jinbai

After three centuries, I, Qi Xiao, have at last made my return!

Regret swelled within Qi Xiao's heart.

To the casual observer, Qi Xiao appeared to have been a simpleton for merely three years. Yet, in truth, he had lived through a three-hundred-year saga that was nothing short of legendary.

In his former life, the Qi family had unwittingly become entangled in the clandestine power struggles of secret clans. They fell victim to the oppressive might of the Ouyang family, the regional overlords of the southwest, which sent the Qi family spiraling into ruin.

Subsequently, his father met his end at the hands of the Ouyang assassins. His mother, who possessed clues to the family's hidden treasure, was abducted by the Three Dragons Society, the most formidable criminal syndicate in A Province, and perished under brutal interrogation.

His sister suffered a fate at the hands of the Liang family from West River, enduring such indignities that she took her own life in despair.

Qi Xiao himself was subjected to unspeakable shame, left crippled by the Soong family's heir and cast into the river.

However, in what he believed to be his final moments, Qi Xiao inadvertently unlocked the family's secret treasure bequeathed by his mother. Not only did he survive, but he also turned misfortune into a windfall.

Bearing the stigma of a 'good-for-nothing,' he leveraged the family treasure and his extraordinary talent to conquer the Eastern World.

He earned the fitting moniker of the Eastern Sword God.

Yet, no matter the heights of power he reached, he could not rectify the regrets of the past.

Thus, he exhausted his cultivation to journey back to his youth. Regrettably, he could not master the forces of time travel to return to the period before his family's downfall.

Seeing his sister alive again filled him with a joy beyond the comprehension of others.

As the man who once stood at the pinnacle of the Eastern martial arts, Qi Xiao held no regard for the Lin family's current standing. What did it matter if the engagement was dissolved?

Qi Xiao's attention turned to Lin Suxin. Though she had come to sever the engagement, Qi Xiao, with the memories of his past life, knew well that despite her apparent disdain, calling off the engagement was not her true desire.

Someone else was exerting pressure on the Lin family to force the annulment.

In his past life, Lin Suxin's second uncle had repeatedly rescued him from the clutches of the Soong family. Therefore, Qi Xiao was willing to go along with Lin Suxin's decision to break off the engagement, but he was resolute that the Qi family would not suffer humiliation on his account once more.

Lin Suxin and Lin Cheng were both taken aback by Qi Xiao's words. Lin Suxin hadn't anticipated Qi Xiao would agree to call off the engagement so readily. She had assumed he would at least put up some resistance. Did he not care at all about their betrothal?

Lin Cheng, however, erupted into raucous laughter, his guffaws bordering on the theatrical. "You? Cancel an engagement with the Lin family? Hahaha, that's hilarious! You're nothing but a penniless nobody. Even if you've stopped playing the fool after three years, what difference does it make now?"

He continued to laugh uproariously, pointing at Qi Xiao with eyes brimming with scorn. "Just so you know, you're nothing more than an ant to the Lin family. We can squash you whenever we feel like it!"

"Enough, Lin Cheng," Lin Suxin interjected, her tone authoritative. "Since the Qi family's young master has consented to the annulment, let's have him sign the agreement."

She looked down at Qi Xiao with a gaze that oozed superiority. "You must realize that someone of your standing is simply not a match for me."

With a knowing glance from Lin Suxin, Lin Cheng pulled a briefcase from behind and slammed it onto the coffee table with a thud. "Just sign the agreement, and you'll see there's plenty of money," he said with a haughty air.

He flipped open the case to reveal stacks of cash. Qi Xiao, stoic, accepted the briefcase full of money. "Exactly. Without money, what good is pretending to have principles?" Lin Cheng sneered as Qi Xiao took the case, reinforcing Lin Suxin's disdain for him.

But the Lin siblings were in for a shock. Qi Xiao casually grabbed a lighter from the coffee table and set the cash ablaze without a second thought. They stared at him in disbelief, Lin Cheng leaping back in alarm.

"Qi Xiao, have you lost your mind?" Lin Suxin's brow furrowed deeply. Was he still not over his foolishness?

"Money is merely a number," Qi Xiao said, lifting his head to meet their gaze with a serene smile. "You two can head back now. I'll be coming by to formally break off the engagement."

Lin Cheng glared at Qi Xiao with mocking contempt and began to curse.

"Qi Xiao, have you lost your mind? Living in this dump and still talking big—do you really think you have any right to speak like that?" Qi Xiao just chuckled nonchalantly and fixed his gaze on Lin Cheng. "Me, having rights? What about the young master of the Lin family, barking around just because of his lineage—does he have any?"

Before Lin Cheng could unleash a torrent of insults, Lin Suxin cut in. "Qi Xiao, since you've agreed to call off the engagement, what does it matter if you stay with the Qi family or the Lin family?" Her voice was icy as she stared at him. "Or are you saying you'd rather let your sister go hungry and live a life without hope, all to save your pathetic pride?"

Qi Yun felt a shiver run through her at those words. She knew her brother had always been fiercely proud, and the prouder he was, the more easily he could be wounded. And after being the fool for three years, who knew how many had laughed at him? Could he really withstand the scorn of so many?

Qi Yun looked at Qi Xiao and saw no sign of discomfort from being called out; his smile was as serene as ever. Noticing his sister's look, Qi Xiao glanced at Qi Yun but addressed Lin Suxin: "You've got it all wrong, Lin Suxin. If I were on my own, breaking off the engagement now wouldn't be an issue. Pride is the most worthless thing in this world."

He lifted his head to meet the Lin siblings' eyes once more. Lin Suxin could swear she saw the glint of a hidden blade in Qi Xiao's gaze. "But I'm not alone. I carry the weight of the entire Qi family on my shoulders."

Lin Suxin was baffled. "What do you mean?" Qi Xiao let out a cold laugh. "For years, many have dishonored the Qi family. Yours isn't the first, nor will it be the last." His eyes grew colder as he continued to address Lin Suxin, "But rest assured, I'm not just speaking about the Lin family. I mean anyone in West River who has crossed the Qi family—they will all face consequences."

Lin Suxin was nearly stunned by the words she heard. It was beyond her imagination that the Qi family's young master, who had been in a foolish state for three years, would utter such bold words upon regaining his senses.

Wasn't that a bit too presumptuous?

"Qi Xiao, think this through. Calling off the engagement today is in the best interest of both you and the Qi family. But if you're set on going to the Lin family to break it off, I can't promise there won't be consequences!"

Qi Xiao replied firmly, "No need for further thought. You may leave now."

Lin Cheng scoffed, "Do you actually think you have the final say on where the engagement is broken off? Don't get ahead of yourself!"

At that moment, a short, plump woman burst into the room, her voice shrill.

"Breaking off the engagement? Oh, Yun, I've been telling you to hurry and have your brother formally cancel the engagement with the Lin family. See what's happened? The Lin family's young masters and misses have come knocking!"

Despite her designer attire, the short, plump woman couldn't mask her crassness.

A burly man followed her in, his muscular frame straining against his clothes, his temples prominently bulging.

Lin Cheng gave a cold huff, "And you are?"

Before the pair could respond, Qi Yun beat them to it.

"Auntie? What brings you here?"

The woman's face, a tight cluster of flesh, strained to form a warm smile as she addressed Qi Yun,

"Oh my, I simply had to check on my dear niece!"

Qi Xiao's brow furrowed. He initially only recognized the woman, but when Qi Yun called her 'auntie,' he instantly recalled her identity.

His demeanor turned even icier, as he remembered the events that unfolded next—events he had been powerless to prevent in his previous life.

He watched the short, plump woman with a cold detachment, inwardly relieved. [That was a close call. If I had awakened even a day later, the consequences would have been unthinkable!]

The man beside her then spoke up, his tone courteous yet lacking the woman's obsequiousness,

"My apologies for the intrusion. We were unaware that the Lin family's young masters and misses were present. I am Chen Jinbai, a retainer of the Liang family."

Chen Jinbai turned to Qi Yun with a smile and said, "We didn't come here on any urgent business. The young master of the Liang family simply asked me to bring someone to him."

Lin Suxin's mind raced with confusion. Bring someone? She couldn't help but wonder about the strained relationship between the Liang and Qi families. The Qi family's enterprise had suffered a blow in the past, with the Liang family's scheming largely to blame. Now, with the Qi family down on their luck, what could the Liangs possibly be up to?

Beside her, a short, plump woman gestured towards Qi Yun and questioned Chen Jinbai, "Mr. Chen, do you think this young lady will meet the Second Young Master's expectations?"

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