"Do you know about the fiancé of Long Lifen?"
Su Xiaobai shrugged; this was the first time he was hearing of it.
It wasn't just him; many from their generation were unaware, as the events had transpired centuries earlier, and the hype surrounding them had long since faded into whispers.
"It's Sun Liang. He now wields complete control over the Sun Dynasty. The moment he spotted you with Long Lifen, he demanded compensation from Guardian Long. It's all become a colossal mess. The Immortal Emperor was once a friend to Guardian Long, but Sun Liang is a different beast. He has seized control and now seeks to suppress all threats."
"You've unwittingly become a scapegoat for him. During the engagement, the entire Long family was publicly humiliated; Long Lifen was relegated to the status of a concubine, not a wife," Sun Lingxi explained, her voice laden with a mix of frustration and pity.
Hearing of the Long family's humiliation sparked a fleeting wave of satisfaction in Su Xiaobai, but his own role as a scapegoat irked him.
"The Guardian Long allowed all this to occur on his watch?" Su Xiaobai's voice carried a blend of disbelief and surprise.
Sun Lingxi shook her head, her expression weary. "You won't understand, the dragon and phoenix only appeared as allies on the surface. The Immortal Emperor, who had been in seclusion, emerged to support his son, Sun Liang. I can't understand how Sun Liang convinced him."
"The Goddess Xue exchanged rings and is set to become the official wife of Sun Liang. With her status and prestige, nobody dared question why Long Lifen was merely made a concubine," she said, her voice tinged with a bitter smile.
Though the Immortal Emperor was her father, Sun Lingxi had seen him only once as he retreated into seclusion.
Her mother remained a mystery to her.
In fact, her interactions with Sun Liang had been few, and sensing his evil intentions, she had always maintained her distance.
As for the bond of siblings, she could only scoff.
Even if she were to face the worst at the hands of Sun Liang, she doubted Sun Jianhong would come to her aid.
Though intervening might tarnish his reputation and jeopardize his claim to the throne, Sun Lingxi knew better than to expect his protection.
On the surface, Sun Liang played the part of the noble heir, but beneath that facade lay a calculating and ruthless man, far more dangerous than one might assume.
Even if Su Xiaobai had not been involved, she believed it was all a setup, a tragic play, one way or another.
Su Xiaobai's presence merely hastened Sun Liang's schemes.
"Goddess Xue marrying Sun Liang?" Su Xiaobai's face changed with disbelief and suspicion.
He felt himself an unwitting pawn in the devious schemes of these ancient manipulators, likely to be sacrificed without a second thought.
Previously, he had doubted that Sun Liang would dare to execute him, given that he was, after all, the son of a late S-ranked guardian.
But with the Immortal Emperor and Guardian Long now part of the equation, everything had shifted dramatically.
Even his own mother might not be able to shield him from this storm.
But—
'How did Sun Liang manage to sway the heart of a Goddess?'
Sun Lingxi harbored similar doubts; she had never seen them together either.
A sinister plot seemed to be undergoing, and she sensed that the waters were about to run red with blood.
Goddess Xue, her origins unknown, yet her rank in the star guardian rankings stood even higher than that of Guardian Long, securing the second place.
Despite Sun Liang's backing from the Immortal Emperor, she doubted that power alone could have swayed such a powerful woman.
Yet, she had seen it with her own eyes during the ceremony, and the harsh reality could not be denied.
Radiance City, the capital of Wuxia Province, was on the brink of becoming a sea of blood, a future Sun Lingxi could feel chilling her bones.
"Is there anything else?" Su Xiaobai's sudden voice snapped her back to the present.
He was now standing near the entrance, his demeanor inexplicably transformed, wearing a smile and exuding obedience.
"Huh? What are you doing?" Sun Lingxi's frown deepened, her confusion evident.
Su Xiaobai replied nonchalantly, "Obviously, running away. Isn't that why you're here, to free me?" He glanced at the prison entrance, already swung wide open.
Why stay any longer?
His trust in Sun Lingxi had solidified now.
"Old man, do you want to come with me—" he began to turn and ask, but his expression shifted to one of surprise.
The cell was empty.
"What old man? Who are you talking to?" Sun Lingxi frowned and followed his gaze, but all that met her eyes was the barren cave, void of any other presence.
With a complicated look, Su Xiaobai shook his head, a wry smile touching his lips. 'The old fox was quicker than me,' he thought, convinced the elder had made his escape before him.
He hesitated before looking back at Sun Lingxi, and finally, with a hint of gratitude, he spoke, "I will remember this favor."
"En." Sun Lingxi nodded, and behind her veil, a small smile briefly illuminated her face.
She felt an odd connection to this man—perhaps pity, perhaps something more, but it brought her unexpectedly closer to him.
However, just as he was about to step into the light and leave, she called out in a panic, "Su Xiaobai, don't go back to Storm Peak Mountains. Run away—run far from Wuxia Province and never approach its walls again!"
Her words halted Su Xiaobai momentarily.
He nodded slowly, a mixture of resolve and uncertainty flickering across his face as he gradually disappeared from her sight.
Though he had assented to her warning, whether he would truly heed her advice remained uncertain.
He resolved never to approach the cursed bounds of Wuxia Province again.
There were other lands beyond its walls, perhaps less secure, but undoubtedly safer for his family than any proximity to the dangers within Wuxia.
Yet, the directive to avoid Storm Peak Mountains stirred a rebellious chord within him.
That rugged expanse was his home, the first refuge.
There might be an ambush waiting, as Sun Lingxi feared, but Su Xiaobai had decades of familiarity with those wilds.
He knew every hidden path and shadowed crevice better than anyone else.
As for the engagement with a woman from the Azure Dragon Clan, his interest was non-existent.
It was only for his mother's sake that he hadn't broken the engagement.
But now, given the turn of events, such ties seemed trivial.
The Azure Dragon Clan held no further significance for him.
If the chance arose, he might even raze their stronghold to the ground—a thought that once would have horrified him.
Yet now, with the newfound powers coursing through his veins, his perspectives had changed , emboldening his ambitions and darkening his resolve.