Chapter 2: The Proxy Bride

Zhang Kui’s face was etched with terror. He could not fathom how Qin Xingchen had suddenly become so powerful.

"Not going to talk?" Qin Xingchen said with a hint of impatience. "Then die."

"Don't kill me! I'll talk, I'll talk!"

Just as Qin Xingchen prepared to deliver the fatal blow, an overwhelming desire to survive forced Zhang Kui to fully capitulate. "It was Luo Shan! Senior Brother Luo Shan ordered us to kill you!"

"Luo Shan..." Qin Xingchen narrowed his eyes. He knew who Luo Shan was. He was the number one inner-sect disciple of the Moon-Watching Sect and enjoyed a formidable reputation. Zhang Kui and Li Yi were both his lackeys.

Qin Xingchen asked, "I have no grudge against Luo Shan. Why does he want me dead?"

Zhang Kui replied, "Because Senior Brother Luo Shan has always been in love with the Holy Maiden, and you were set to marry her. To prevent you from becoming her husband, he ordered Li Yi and me to find a way to kill you. That is why we..."

He did not finish his sentence, for the rest of the story was how he and Li Yi had tricked Qin Xingchen to the edge of the cliff at Wind-Mourning Valley before pushing him off. He added, "Qin Xingchen, it was Senior Brother Luo Shan who wanted you dead; it has nothing to do with me! Please, spare my life!"

Qin Xingchen found it utterly ridiculous. "You and Li Yi pushed me off a cliff, and now you say it has nothing to do with you? Are you suggesting I should just act as if it never happened? Hmm?"

Zhang Kui begged, "I was only following orders! Please don't kill me! Have mercy on this lowly dog; I know I was wrong!"

"Wrong?" Qin Xingchen scoffed coldly. "Since you know you were wrong, go down and join Li Yi in repentance!"

With that, he lifted his right foot and stomped down fiercely. The force of this blow was twice that of the first, instantly crushing Zhang Kui's skull.

Zhang Kui was dead.

"Rest assured, I will send Luo Shan down to join you both soon," Qin Xingchen said coldly, looking at the two corpses.

Daring to plot his murder! Heh... Luo Shan was already on his death list.

At that moment, the Chaos Divine Cauldron within his body trembled slightly, generating a strange suction force. In an instant, the essence energy from Zhang Kui and Li Yi was drained into the cauldron, leaving their bodies as shriveled husks. A gentle breeze blew past, turning the remains into dust that drifted away on the wind.

After absorbing their essence, a single drop of liquid overflowed from the Chaos Divine Cauldron, falling directly into his Dantian. A moment later, he felt his inner spiritual energy become significantly more robust than before.

"It can actually devour the cultivation of others for my own use? As expected of a divine cauldron capable of swallowing everything!" Qin Xingchen gasped in shock. The origin of this cauldron was mysterious; even he could not fathom it. Perhaps he would discover more of its secrets in the future.

"With my current physical strength, I have clearly surpassed my peers, enough to rival a warrior at the first level of the Blood-Refining Realm. I am invincible among those of my own level! This Chaos Tyrant Body Art is truly powerful."

At this, he looked up at the sky, his expression chilling. "Saint Wuji, Saint Haotian, you surely never expected me to still be alive, did you? Since I am still alive, that is the greatest punishment for you both."

"Just wait for me!"

"The day I return to the Upper Realm shall be the day of your deaths!"

Every word dripped with monstrous killing intent. Afterwards, he climbed up the cliff and returned to the Moon-Watching Sect. Upon his arrival, he was notified that the Sect Master requested his presence in the Council Hall.

...

Moon-Watching Sect, Red Leaf Peak, Council Hall.

"Father, I will say it again: I will absolutely not marry that piece of trash, Qin Xingchen! If you insist on forcing me, I will run away immediately and never return to the Moon-Watching Sect. You can pretend you never had a daughter!"

"Insolent!"

As the Holy Maiden, Yu Shanshan, rose to leave the hall, she was rebuked by Yu Xiong, who sat at the head of the assembly. "The Second Elder once saved my life. It was to repay that debt of gratitude that I promised you to Xingchen all those years ago. Your wedding is in one month. If you wish to break our engagement, are you trying to turn me, the Sect Master of the Moon-Watching Sect, into a man who is unrighteous, ungrateful, and lacks integrity?"

Yu Shanshan looked aggrieved. "I don't care! I would rather die than marry a piece of trash!"

"What did you say!" Yu Xiong was incensed, rising from his seat.

"Yu Xiong, have you lost your mind? Why are you losing your temper at our daughter like this?" The Sect Master's wife, Liu Furong, said angrily to her husband. "Besides, Shanshan is right. She is the Holy Maiden of our sect and your precious daughter. Qin Xingchen is nothing but trash; is he worthy of her? A heavenly maiden marrying a waste? If such a scandal gets out, not only will the Moon-Watching Sect be humiliated, but Shanshan’s entire life will be ruined. Do you understand?"

The First Elder, Shi Kun, chimed in, "Sect Master, the Madam is correct. Qin Xingchen is truly unworthy of the Holy Maiden." He shifted his tone. "Furthermore, Young Sect Master Lu Tianhua of the Heavenly Sword Sect is deeply devoted to the Holy Maiden. He has publicly stated on many occasions that he would marry none but her. Were it not for the existing engagement, he would have come to propose long ago. I believe that if we could form an alliance with the Heavenly Sword Sect, our sect would surely become much more powerful."

Once these words were spoken, the high-ranking members seated on both sides of the hall nodded in agreement. The Heavenly Sword Sect was a first-tier power in the entire Tianhe Dynasty, while the Moon-Watching Sect was merely second-tier. If they could align with the Heavenly Sword Sect, the future of the Moon-Watching Sect would be bright indeed.

At the mention of Chen Tianhua, Yu Shanshan’s face flushed with shyness and longing. In her eyes, only a man with a powerful background like Chen Tianhua was a match for a heavenly maiden like herself. What was a piece of trash like Qin Xingchen?

"No!" Yu Xiong remained defiant. "There is no need for further discussion; I will not cancel this marriage!"

Yu Shanshan burst into tears. "Father, if you insist on forcing me to marry a waste, then I will die right here before your eyes!" With that, she rushed toward one of the stone pillars in the hall.

"Shanshan, don't do anything rash!" The crowd was terrified.

Liu Furong hurriedly restrained her daughter, glaring at Yu Xiong with resentment. "Yu Xiong, why must you force our daughter to this point? How can you be so heartless?"

Yu Xiong was panicked. He had not expected his daughter to choose death over marrying Qin Xingchen.

"Sect Master, there is no need to trouble the Holy Maiden further."

A young man walked into the hall. It was Qin Xingchen. He had been standing outside for half a quarter-hour and had heard every word of their discussion.

"Xingchen, don't take Shanshan's words to heart. Rest assured, I gave my word to your foster father, and I will not go back on it. The wedding between you and Shanshan will proceed as scheduled in one month!" Seeing Qin Xingchen appear, Yu Xiong regained his composure. He was a man of integrity, and since Qin Xingchen's foster father had saved his life, he could not be ungrateful.

According to the memories of the original body, Qin Xingchen knew that his foster father was Qin En, the Second Elder of the Moon-Watching Sect. He had been an abandoned infant, rescued and raised by Qin En as his own son. Thus, Qin En was not only his savior but also his provider—the debt of gratitude was as heavy as a mountain. A year ago, after his Dantian was shattered, Qin En left the sect to find a way to recast it, and he had not yet returned.

"Qin Xingchen, don't you dare think I will marry you!" Yu Shanshan glared at him with disgust. "I am the heavenly maiden of this sect, a person of noble status. The man worthy of me must be a peerless genius whose status and standing are far above my own. You, a useless piece of trash—are you trying to play the part of a toad wanting to eat swan meat?"

Qin Xingchen was unfazed. "The Holy Maiden is overthinking it. In truth... I have no interest in you."

"What did you say?"

"Exactly what I said."

"You..." Yu Shanshan was furious. She had intended to humiliate Qin Xingchen so that he would retreat and help her persuade her father to break the engagement. She had not expected him to reject her in return. She was the Holy Maiden of the Moon-Watching Sect, the most beautiful woman in the sect, worshipped by everyone. How dare Qin Xingchen reject her?

Qin Xingchen ignored her and looked at Yu Xiong. "Sect Master, the Holy Maiden and I do not love each other; even if we married, we would not be happy. Therefore, I believe this engagement should be cancelled."

The crowd was stunned. Qin Xingchen had actually requested to break the engagement himself! This was beyond everyone's expectations. Yu Shanshan was also shocked, but then she was overcome with ecstasy. In her eyes, the trashy Qin Xingchen finally had a shred of self-awareness.

"No!" Yu Xiong remained opposed. "Xingchen, this engagement was decided between your foster father and me. How can a decision made between elders be treated as child's play? If I dissolve the engagement, would I not be breaking my promise to him? When he returns, how am I to explain this?"

At this moment, Liu Furong stepped forward. "Husband, I think Qin Xingchen is right. Since he and Shanshan do not love each other, they are destined to be unhappy together. Since you do not wish to break your vow to the Second Elder, how about this: let Yumeng take Shanshan's place and marry Qin Xingchen instead?"