Hua Che realized that he might... have been reborn.

Not sure whether to cry or laugh.

He stood in a daze for quite a while before recalling the current timeline.

In the world of cultivation during that era, there were numerous forces, with countless sects and factions emerging. Among them, the Shang Qing Immortal Sect held the highest authority. Beneath the Shang Qing Immortal Sect, three forces stood independently: Fengming Valley, Ye You Prefecture, and Yuntian Shuijing.

The power and influence of these three families and sects were roughly comparable, and all of them were under Shang Qing Immortal Sect’s lead.

Chu Binghuan was the eldest son of the Yuntian Shuijing prestigious family. Even at a young age, he had already shown outstanding talent, displaying exceptional intelligence and enviable gifts.

In this year, Chu Binghuan was sixteen years old, and Hua Che was three months older.

Just as criticized in the past life, Hua Che’s birth mother was a courtesan, a woman entangled in the worldly affairs of the red-light district.

Her name was Hua Mei'er, and her appearance matched her name (NT: huā  měi - beautiful flower)—bewitchingly beautiful and charming. Renowned for her allure, she was said to have captivated the entire entire nine states and four seas, leaving beings of all kinds, be they human, demon, or celestial, enchanted by her mere glance. Even the formidable cultivators practicing the heartless path could not resist her captivating smile.

However, she was, after all, just a courtesan— Regardless of her exceptional talent or outstanding qualities, and irrespective of whether her beauty had the potential to bring about the downfall of a city, she was a woman of low status, humble, and insignificant.

Since Hua Mei’er was lowly and humble, of course her son was also lowly.

According to societal norms, such vastly different statuses should not have intertwined. Unfortunately, fate had other plans. In the previous generation, Chu Binghuan's grandmother had fallen on hard times, and she was fortunately rescued by Hua Che's maternal grandmother. The two bonded instantly and became sworn sisters. Grateful for the life-saving favor, Chu Binghuan's grandmother, upon seeing the young and pitiful Hua Mei'er, proposed an alliance through marriage.

At that time, Hua Mei'er already had a prior engagement, so Chu Binghuan's grandmother reluctantly gave up on the idea. However, she was persistent about deepening the connection between the two families. With a stroke of inspiration, she suggested having their grandchildren marry each other instead.

Hearing this, Hua Che's maternal grandmother found the idea quite amusing. The two immediately agreed, exchanging tokens of goodwill in a lively manner.

And so, before Huamei'er, who was merely ten years old, even crossed the threshold into marriage, the future son-in-law was already set.

At first glance, this arrangement seemed absurd. However, later on, Chu Binghuan's grandmother married into the Yuntian Shuijing, elevating from a sparrow to a phoenix. On the other hand, trouble befell Hua Mei'er's family, and the series of events leading to Hua Che's mother's decline was unknown to him. All he knew was that before Hua Mei'er could marry, she descended into the life of a courtesan. Eventually, she entered into a relationship with someone, giving birth to Hua Che.

Unable to survive in the brothel while pregnant, Hua Mei'er redeemed herself with all her savings and, accompanied by Hua Che and the old servant Jiang Po Po, embarked on a difficult journey for survival. The once promising union now seemed incredibly ironic.

In the previous life, after dealing with his mother's affairs, Hua Che stumbled upon a seemingly inconspicuous small box. Upon opening it, he discovered a jade pendant.

Wrapped carefully in a silk cloth, deliberately housed in a worn-out lacquer box, the young Hua Che instinctively felt that the object was extraordinary. He pestered Jiang Po Po, and with a nagging feeling in his heart, he wondered if it might be a token from his irresponsible father!

 

The truth was clear—rather than a father, he was an unworthy inner demon.

Hua Che had self-awareness. Holding the token, he traveled a long way to Yuntian Shuijing, not seeking refuge, nor exploiting distant relatives for financial gain. Instead, he came to voluntarily annul the engagement.

Chu family offspring were the pride of heaven, while he, a homeless street rat, had no place to stand beside them. Why should he embarrass himself by clinging to an engagement? It was better to voluntarily withdraw from it!

On the way there, Jiang Po Po explained that Chu Changhe and Mei Cailian had no daughter, only a son named Chu Binghuan. Chu Binghuan's father had passed away, and Yuntian Shuijing was currently led by his uncle, Chu Changfeng.

Hearing this information further strengthened Hua Che's determination to annul the marriage.

A man?

What a joke!

However, when Hua Che, upon seeing Mei Cailian, had yet to utter a word, he was bombarded with a torrent of sarcastic remarks from Mei Cailian.

"Engagement? What engagement? How come I never knew my son had an engagement with you? Do you have a marriage contract on hand? Any tokens? Even if you do, it can't be confirmed as genuine. You should be aware of Yuntian Shuijing’s status in the cultivation world. Countless people are eager to connect with us, and many prominent young ladies aspire to marry my son. Please, take a look in the mirror. Examine yourself thoroughly. What part of you is worthy of Binghuan? Consider whether you have the right to stand in this place."

All the carefully chosen words Hua Che had prepared on his journey were all swept away. The young and proud Hua Che found it laughable and was on the verge of laughter. The pride of a young person could not tolerate such humiliation. So, he chewed up the words "annul the marriage" and swallowed them, then confidently proclaimed, "I've checked long ago. It's a perfect match, an absolute match!"

Hua Che couldn't remember Mei Cailian's expression at that moment; all he remembered was that he was forcibly expelled from Yuntian Shuijing.

Frustrated by Mei Cailian, he refused to lead an ordinary life. Determined to enter the cultivation world and become a powerful figure, he decided to join the prestigious Supreme Immortal Sect, even surpassing Yu Yuntian Shuijing. On his way to apprenticeship, he encountered Chu Binghuan. At that time, the two were strangers and even stirred up some laughter.

Reflecting on these old stories, Hua Che became lost in thought. When he snapped out of it, he had already been escorted by the gatekeeper into Yuntian Shuijing.

Suddenly, someone called his name. Hua Che subconsciously turned around, only to find Jiang Po Po catching up. She was holding a cloak, carefully draping it over Hua Che. Apologetically, she explained to the gatekeeper, "I apologize for the disrespect. Our young master isn't well, and I was afraid he might catch a cold. I hope the young immortal lord can take good care of him."

A warmth filled Hua Che's heart. Without waiting for him to speak, Jiang Po Po urged him to move quickly. After all, a poor person without a family couldn't let the wealthy Mrs. Mei wait for too long.

Following the gatekeeper, Hua Che entered the Yun Tian Pavilion. There was no one here. Standing in place for half an hour, he didn't even see a servant, let alone the shadow of Mei Cailian. Hua Che knew it was intentional.

In his previous life, he waited for a full four hours. Despite his humble background, he was well-educated. He had learned traditional virtues such as respecting elders and caring for the young directly from his mother, Hua Mei’er. Standing upright, he waited patiently until the sun set.

Hua Che, arms crossed, chuckled lightly. He bypassed a low table and sat directly on a cushion. As he hadn't started cultivating yet, he was just an ordinary mortal, having climbed a mountain road and felt weary, with his back aching.

After sitting for the duration of an incense stick, Hua Che, no longer content with sitting upright, began to relax and lean back. Just as he was about to lie down, the distinguished Mei Cailian finally arrived.

Waiting for the maids to bring in some fine tea, Hua Che leisurely stood up only when the incense had burned for a while. With an insincere tone, he said, "This junior has been impolite."

Mei Cailian's face darkened. In an indifferent tone, she said, "Please, have a seat."

Hua Che sat cross-legged, picked up the clear tea on the table, and moistened his throat. The purpose of his visit had been reported by the disciples of the sect, and there was no need for unnecessary politeness. Mei Cailian's mood was not great, and she had no interest in engaging in any roundabout tactics with Hua Che. She directly said, "I heard from the disciples that you came to see my son Binghuan because of some marriage arrangement made several years ago. You..."

Mei Cailian looked at Hua Che and hesitated.

Hua Che cupped his hands and introduced himself, "This junior's surname is Hua, given name Che, courtesy name Qingkong; with the character 'Clear' in Che, while “qingkong” is representing ‘a clear and vast sky’."

Mei Cailian didn't pay much attention to his name, just nodded and said, "Alright, Hua Qingkong, is it? I know your purpose, but as a mother, I've never known about any engagement my son had. Isn't it ridiculous?"

Hua Che smiled in a very cooperative manner.

Mei Cailian was momentarily stunned.

Although she didn't want to admit it, she was indeed astonished. This sixteen-year-old young man was exceptionally good-looking.

His skin was excessively fair, his facial features were clear and delicate, and his pair of phoenix eyes exuded a variety of charm, enchanting and peerlessly mysterious. Occasionally coughing a few times, coupled with the yet-to-mature bones of a young man, he had a somewhat delicate and sickly beauty, truly captivating the hearts and souls of onlookers.

Even as a young teenager, he possessed such an otherworldly allure. What more when he grew up? Wouldn't he become an extraordinary disaster of unmatched beauty?

Unfortunately, good looks were of no practical use. After all, he was the son of a courtesan, born into lowly circumstances, and still a commoner without any foundation. Otherwise, this marriage could have been possible.

Putting down the cup, Hua Che entered the main topic, "This marriage was arranged by the older generation. Mother never told me about it, and it was only when I questioned my grandmother that she..."

"Marriage? What marriage? How come I never knew my son had any engagement with you?" Mei Cailian interrupted Hua Che's words. A disdainful look flashed in her beautiful eyes. "Do you have a marriage certificate? Do you have any tokens? Even if you do, it's not certain that it's authentic..."

"I came to annul the engagement."

"In the cultivation world, you should know the status of my YunTian ShuiJing. Many people are eager to establish connections with us, and numerous noble ladies from influential families... What!?" Mei Cailian's face turned pale, stopping abruptly.

Hua Che's smile deepened. He stood up, supporting his knees, and said, "Although it was an emotional connection established by the older generation to strengthen the relationship between our families, considering the disparity in our backgrounds now, it's better to let it go! Forcing this marriage would be unfair to me and inconvenient for you. Let's not make things difficult for each other."

Mei Cailian's countenance paled.

The way he spoke made it sound as if she despised Hua Che and defied the arranged marriage by the elders, violating filial piety.

Hua Che took out the jade pendant and placed it on the table, saying, "Moreover, both I and your son are males, and he is the only heir. It's reasonable for Madam Mei not to fulfill the engagement considering the concerns about continuing the family line. That being said, I'll take my leave!"

"Wait!" Mei Cailian saw Hua Che turning to leave and hurriedly stopped him, her manner showing a hint of anxiety, causing the pearls and jade on her head to make a tinkling sound.

Rejecting someone who didn't meet expectations was one thing, but actively proposing to break off the engagement was another matter.

Considering the status of YunTian ShuiJing and her own esteemed position in the Nine Provinces, Mei Cailian couldn't comprehend why a nameless nobody like Hua Che refused to climb the high branch and, instead, chose to willingly break off the engagement. What kind of logic was this?

Mei Cailian's mouth twitched. "What are you playing at?"

"Nothing, really," Hua Che innocently explained. "Just thought it's better to make the breakup clear sooner rather than later, to avoid someone in your family lingering on it and eating vinegar."

Mei Cailian was stunned. "What?!"

It was only after Hua Che had walked away that Mei Cailian picked up the jade pendant. Crafted from fine sheep-fat jade, the characters "Tian Yu" were exquisitely carved – the courtesy name of Chu Binghuan.

They had agreed during the exchange of tokens to use this name for their future grandchild, making it easier for recognition.

Mei Cailian naturally wouldn't agree to such an absurd marriage. Regardless of whether Hua Che was a man or woman, his humble background, lack of family, and the question of whether he could bring any benefits to Chu Binghuan were all significant concerns. After all, Chu Binghuan was destined to become the number one figure in the Dao of Immortals, and YunTian ShuiJing was set to become the number one major sect in the Dao of Immortals. What was supposed to be a stern and forceful rejection to let Hua Che give up early turned into a situation where she felt she had suffered a loss, and she couldn't help but feel choked and unable to vent.

The maid remained silent as a cicada, quietly retreating. While holding a tea bowl and bowing, she encountered someone face-to-face. She respectfully said, "Young Master."

"What happened?" The person asked.

Speaking in hushed tones, the maid said, "A young gentleman surnamed Hua came to see Madam."

Chu Binghuan's face changed dramatically. "Where is he?" he asked urgently as he walked quickly towards the YunTian Pavilion.

The maid hastily replied, "Young Master, that person has already left. He said he came to break off the engagement, returned the token, and then left."

Chu Binghuan abruptly stopped, looking at the maid in disbelief.

Worried that her master might think he was being rejected out of disdain, the maid quickly explained, "The young gentleman already has someone in his heart, so he came specifically to break off the engagement. It's not because..."

"Break off the engagement, someone in his heart?"

The maid felt that her young master had chewed up and spat out these words, and even without looking up, she knew how terrifying his expression must be. Before she could risk her life to explain further, she heard four words slamming down like a heavy blow.

"I'll find him!"

 

Translator : DarNan