"Good, you have all gathered," Yun Hao spoke as he looked at the people who had gathered. There weren't many, the ones present were the main family. Yun Hao stood in the middle as the others gathered around him. Meanwhile, Xiao stood beside his mother and sister, occasionally glancing at the nine-year-old girl.
She was cute, with long black hair tied in a ponytail, a cute nose, and dark black eyes that shined like gems. She seemed shy as she stood next to her father, a handsome middle-aged man who along with his daughter is the only outsiders, not part of the family, being present in the meeting.
Xiao knew about him, the man being the son of the head of the Li family, a family that existed within the Yun family territory. They weren't as strong as the Yun family, but they weren't too bad. The nine-year-old girl is the granddaughter of the head, and her mother had died after giving birth to her, or at least that's what the world knew.
That wasn't all. In his previous life, the girl was his fiancée. The engagement happened just a month after his awakening, so he didn't expect it to happen so soon. Looking at the shy girl, Xiao could only sigh. In his past life, he didn't pay much attention to her, especially after her talent awakened.
Engagements between two individuals usually took place after both parties had awakened their talent to ensure compatibility. It wouldn't make sense if the girl awakened a great talent while the boy didn't, or vice versa. To avoid such issues, family engagements were decided after both parties awakened their talent. Engaging only one party has awakened is like gambling with someone's future and making a mockery of that person.
Xiao knew this too well. In his past life, his father never liked him, his mother, or his sister. Their low standing caused him to be pushed down further when his talent awakened. Although they didn't abandon him or cut off his resources, they simply stopped caring about him. Even in this life, the talent he displayed was also nothing extraordinary. Despite his great comprehension and battle powers, others only saw his potential as just something. He's talented, but it's not like talented ones like Xiao didn't grace the family before. Xiao had thought that with his recent display, things would be different, but he had overestimated his family.
'Sigh... What was I thinking?' Xiao's eyes turned extremely cold for a moment, a hint of red flashing through his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. Only Xuanyin, who had a connection with him, noticed. Xiao turned to the nine-year-old girl, whose name was Li Lun. She was among those he had hurt, and he vowed not to repeat the same mistakes.
In his past life, just as she awakened her talent, Li Lun lost her sight. Yes, she became blind. Her cultivation talent wasn't exceptional, and no matter which doctor examined her, they all said that she was destined to be blind and her powers would not be great. It wasn't just blindness; she also became disabled, losing all feeling in her legs and never being able to walk. In one word, her future seemed bleak.
Xiao still remembered how his mother fought to cancel the engagement. How could his mother sit back and watch her son marry someone with a disability? But she didn't win the argument. His grandfather and father spoke about the "integrity" and "face" of the family and how breaking a promised engagement would reflect poorly on them. It was all a bunch of bullshit. The Min family and his father just wanted to put him down, their own child. But it was Li Lun who suffered the most.
She truly had feelings for him, but the arrogant Xiao from the past had trampled on them and left. He didn't pay any attention to her, leaving her completely heartbroken and transforming the shy girl into a cold-hearted person. But in the future, she showed everyone who looked down on her that she was not what they declared her to be, and that Li Lun was someone that will reach true greatness, though she was no longer named Li Lun.
It turned out that she was chosen by an Immortal for a legacy, and the suffering she endured was a test. When she passed, she soared to the Void realm in the blink of an eye, becoming a princess and then an archery goddess in the future. Xiao couldn't help but be in awe when her stories spread across all the lands.
Her most famous story was when she single-handedly defended an entire realm from a monster wave with just a bow. Her name and adventures became known throughout the realms, and she even joined the Heavenly Opposers by her own choice. The legacy she was chosen for played a part as well.
She was the Void Archer, blessed with the Void physique, and with the goodwill of the Void Ruler, she lived a life above all. In the future, there were several phrases about her, such as: {Never let down your guard in front of the Void Archer, or you won't know how you died.}
The truth was that, like Xuanyin, Li Lun also became a legend. She was even adopted as the Void Ruler's daughter. But those who knew the legends didn't know the troubles Li Lun had gone through. Xiao had initially thought that after Li Lan became famous, she had forgotten about him and didn't care. But he was wrong. During some of his travels, she saved his life without him knowing.
It was only when he read about the Heavenly Opposers that he learned the truth. He didn't know why she did it, but she had helped him, and he believed in repaying his debts, especially when he knew that she had never been truly happy or content in her life. That was all due to the Heavenly Court, who thought she was chosen.
Countless times, they had caused chaos in her life. Despair and danger followed her, and the Heavenly Rulers kept her on their list. Due to the intervention of the Heavenly Trees, this generation's supposed chosen ones were protected by a fog. It did protect them, but several talents that should have shone were snuffed out due to suspicion.
But this time might be different. Not all of them might meet a tragic fate. Some might survive, but that would only happen if Xiao willed it, and he only moved when he was certain of his profit.