Dao Of Nihility: Possessor Of The Nameless Scripture

CHAPTER 7: Calling Off Engagement

"Alright then... we'll leave you two to get acquainted," Lin Beichen said before dragging the scar-faced man away with him.

In an instant, Lin Wuchen found himself in an awkward situation. He had no idea how to begin the conversation.

After a brief moment of silence, he finally spoke. "...Let's find somewhere quieter."

In the end, he decided to take her somewhere secluded where they could discuss the betrothal without any interruptions.

Leng Yueyan merely stared at him for a long moment, neither speaking nor moving.

Seeing that she remained silent, Lin Wuchen let out a helpless sigh.

"I'm sure you've heard... some rather unpleasant things about me." He gave a wry smile. "To be honest, I was just as shocked after hearing about everything I supposedly did."

Leng Yueyan frowned slightly. "...Weren't you the one who did them?”

"Well..." Lin Wuchen rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I recently lost my memories, so I have no recollection of what I did before... or even why I did it."

He replied with a perfectly straight face, lying as naturally as he breathed.

Leng Yueyan studied him in silence, suspicion flickering in her eyes. Although she remained skeptical of his explanation, she ultimately gave a slight nod and followed after him.

Lin Wuchen led her to a quiet garden not too far from the banquet hall. The surroundings were peaceful, as most of the guests were still enjoying the festivities.

The moment they arrived, he got straight to the point.

"I want to ask you something."

Leng Yueyan turned to look at him, a hint of curiosity flickering across her face.

"What is it?"

Lin Wuchen met her gaze. "Do you really want to get married to me? Are you truly okay with this engagement?"

Leng Yueyan looked at him in surprise. This was the last question she had expected him to ask.

"Why are you asking this?"

"Just answer the question first," Lin Wuchen replied.

Leng Yueyan fell silent for a moment before speaking honestly.

"If I'm being honest... I don't think I want to get married right now. Not to you... or to anyone else."

"But it doesn't matter, does it?"

"It does," Lin Wuchen said calmly. "No one should be forced to marry someone they don't love."

He paused briefly before adding,

"I also have no desire to entangle myself in love, or matters of the heart."

"Why is that?"

Leng Yueyan was slightly surprised by his answer. From what she had gathered about him, Lin Wuchen had always been someone deeply interested in women. His current attitude was completely different from the impression she had of him.

Hearing her question, Lin Wuchen's thoughts inevitably drifted back to the betrayal he had suffered. His expression subtly changed, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes for a brief moment.

Leng Yueyan noticed the change immediately. However, seeing that he clearly did not wish to talk about it, she wisely chose not to press further.

"So... what is it that you want?" Leng Yueyan asked.

"Let's annul the engagement," Lin Wuchen said without hesitation.

Leng Yueyan looked at him quietly before speaking.

"You should know that your father once saved my father's life while they were exploring a secret realm. That was where my father got the scar on his face.”

"To repay that life-saving grace, my father betrothed me to you. They agreed that once we came of age, we would be married. It was his way of repaying a life debt while forging an even stronger relationship between the Lin and Leng families.”

"If we suddenly ask to break off the engagement, I doubt either of them will take it well.”

"They don't have to. Besides, neither of us agreed to this engagement in the first place." Lin Wuchen said.

"Since it's what we both want, there won't be any hard feelings. We can even remain friends."

"...Friends..." Leng Yueyan murmured softly. A complicated look flashed across her face, as though the word had stirred an old memory.

"If you don't want to be friends, we can simply go our separate ways," Lin Wuchen added calmly.

"If our engagement is annulled, I won't have any reason to come see you anymore. The chances of us ever meeting again will also be extremely slim as I'll be joining the Northern Ice River Sect to cultivate." Leng Yueyan said

Lin Wuchen let out a light chuckle. "Why? You don't think I'll be able to join a sect as well?"

Leng Yueyan remained silent, neither confirming nor denying it. If Lin Wuchen had been capable of joining a cultivation sect, he wouldn't have waited until now. Coupled with his mediocre talent, the possibility was almost nonexistent.

"Well," Lin Wuchen said with a faint smile, "I'll be joining the Ten Thousand Sword Sect. So... who knows? Perhaps we'll meet again."

Leng Yueyan raised a brow in surprise.

The Ten Thousand Sword Sect was the most prestigious sword sect in the empire. Its entry requirements were notoriously stringent, demanding not only exceptional cultivation talent but also extraordinary aptitude in the Sword Dao.

In her eyes, even if Lin Wuchen somehow managed to qualify for a sect, it certainly wouldn't be the Ten Thousand Sword Sect.

Yet… for reasons she couldn't explain, she found herself believing his words. It was an inexplicable feeling, but it was there nonetheless.

She couldn't help but look at him in a new light.

"...Good luck," she said softly, a faint smile appearing on her lips.

The two chatted for a while before making their way back to the banquet. By the time they returned, the banquet was already drawing to a close.

In one corner of the hall, Lin Beichen and Leng Yunting were still chatting over cups of wine.

"There they are!" Leng Yunting laughed as he noticed the pair approaching. "I was beginning to think you two weren't going to come back."

Lin Beichen glanced at them before looking at Leng Yueyan.

"Well? How did it go? I hope my son didn't cause you any trouble."

Leng Yueyan gently shook her head. "Not at all. Wuchen is nothing like the rumors."

"Oh?" Lin Beichen raised an eyebrow, visibly surprised.

He had honestly expected Lin Wuchen to embarrass himself the moment he was left alone with such a beautiful young woman.

Did his memory loss create a personality change? He thought to himself.

"Haha, that's good to hear," he said with a smile. "You shouldn't believe every rumor you hear."

"There's something we'd like to say," Lin Wuchen suddenly interjected.

"Oh?" Leng Yunting looked at him curiously. "What is it?"

Lin Wuchen exchanged a glance with Leng Yueyan before speaking. "We've discussed it, and we'd like to call off our engagement."

The smiles on both men's faces instantly froze.

"...What? Why all of a sudden?" Leng Yunting asked, unable to hide his surprise.

"Yueyan, what's going on? I thought we'd already settled this matter."

"Actually... I'm the one who brought it up." Lin wuchen said seeing Leng Yueyan being questioned.

They probably thought she was the one who decided to call it off. It was easy to understand their assumption. In their eyes, no man in his right mind would willingly give up the chance to marry a woman as beautiful as Leng Yueyan.

Both men turned to look at him in disbelief.

"You what?" Lin Beichen frowned. "What were you thinking?"

"I don't think I'm ready for marriage and the same goes for Leng Yueyan," Lin Wuchen replied calmly. "I only want to focus on my cultivation.”

Before either of them could retort, he continued, "There's no need trying to convince us otherwise. We've both thought this through carefully and have made up our minds. This was a mutual decision, and there are no hard feelings between us."

Silence fell over the group.

Lin Beichen looked at his son before turning to Leng Yueyan.

She gave a slight nod, silently confirming Lin Wuchen's words.

Seeing that, Lin Beichen let out a helpless sigh. He then turned to his old friend. "What do you think?"

Leng Yunting smiled bitterly. "I honestly don't know what to think. She never mentioned anything like this to me."

Lin Beichen remained silent for a moment before nodding.

"...Very well. Since they've both made up their minds, there's no point forcing the matter."

Leng Yunting sighed as well before nodding in agreement. "I suppose you're right."