The continuous mountains were emerald green.
A Taoist temple hung precariously on the cliff face, reminiscent of the Hanging Temple of the present era.
An old man and a young man stood at the edge of the cliff, gazing at the first hint of dawn breaking in the east.
"It's almost time, I have to go," the old man sighed softly, turning to look at his disciple.
Ye Bufan remained silent, his eyes already red. Orphaned at a young age, it was the old man who had raised him.
"After I attain nirvana, you should descend the mountain. I vaguely sense that the restraints are loosening, and a chaotic era is approaching. I believe you can forge your own path. It's a pity I won't be able to witness it."
The old man extended his hand, and a half jade pendant and a yellowed letter appeared in his palm.
"After I'm gone, take this half jade pendant and this marriage certificate to the Liu family in Jinhe. Fifteen years ago, when I descended the mountain on an errand, I helped the Liu family with a small favor, and they proposed a marriage alliance to express their gratitude," the old man said.
"I'm not getting married," Ye Bufan said immediately after listening.
The old man chuckled helplessly and said, "Your master knows your temperament; you dislike being arranged. You can decide on the matter of the engagement yourself after you descend the mountain. However, there is another matter you need to attend to – upon reaching the Liu family in Jinhe, use this half jade pendant as a token and be sure to retrieve the other half. That is a gift your master has left for you."
"Lastly, don't neglect your cultivation, and make sure to take care of yourself…"
Ye Bufan looked at the old man, accepted the jade pendant, and the old man smiled with satisfaction before turning to dust before Ye Bufan's eyes, scattering in the wind.
Sixteen years of events flashed through Ye Bufan's mind, from Qi Refining, to Sword Cultivation, to studying Taoist scriptures. The old man had given Ye Bufan almost everything he could. To Ye Bufan, the old man was the only family he had in this world, and now, that only family had left him.
Two days later, Jinhe City, Binhai Province.
Ye Bufan followed the address his master had given him and was slightly surprised. This was the most expensive villa district in Jinhe City, rumored to be inhabited by the city's most prominent wealthy individuals.
Ye Bufan walked through the villa district gate, holding the half jade pendant.
"Hey, what are you doing! This isn't a place for you to linger, hurry up and leave!"
At this moment, a security guard emerged from the guardhouse, a riot stick in his hand, arrogantly pointing at Ye Bufan and shouting.
"I'm looking for someone," Ye Bufan said to the guard.
The guard scanned Ye Bufan from head to toe. Ye Bufan had just come down from the mountain and had no other clothes except the blue Taoist robe, which had a few scattered patches.
"Who... are you looking for?" The guard originally didn't intend to bother with Ye Bufan, but his job had exposed him to many people of status. Although Ye Bufan was dressed very simply, the aura he exuded was extraordinary, causing the guard to hesitate.
"I'm looking for Liu Zhenghao," Ye Bufan handed the jade pendant to the guard. "I am the disciple of an old friend of his."
The guard looked deeply at Ye Bufan and said sternly, "Wait here."
A minute later, the guard emerged from the guardhouse, an impatient and fierce expression on his face.
"Madam Liu said that their Liu family has no old friends and does not recognize this jade pendant," the guard said.
Now it was Ye Bufan's turn to frown. Just as he was about to speak, the guard preempted him.
"I've seen plenty of people like you. I advise you to leave quickly, don't wait for me to escort you out." The guard picked up his riot stick and threatened Ye Bufan.
Ye Bufan took a deep breath and said, "Could you please ask again? Just say that I'm here to break off the engagement."
"Hahahaha, did I hear that right? With your appearance, you should look in the mirror before speaking. You dare to say you have an engagement with the Liu family? What a joke. Get lost, do you hear me?" The guard raised his riot stick and swung it towards Ye Bufan's shoulder.
But in the next second, the guard's expression changed slightly. Ye Bufan's index and middle fingers of his left hand clamped the riot stick, looking very relaxed. No matter how the guard pulled, he couldn't retrieve his riot stick.
"Beep—Beep—"
The guard turned to find help, but a Rolls-Royce was just driving into the villa district entrance.
Ye Bufan released his hand, and the guard's demeanor changed again as he walked towards the Rolls-Royce.
"What's wrong?" a young woman peeked her head out from the back seat of the Rolls-Royce.
"Miss Chu, that person is trying to enter the villa, but... hey!" The guard turned back, but Ye Bufan had already disappeared from his spot.
The young woman was named Chu Mengyao, the daughter of the Chu family in Jinhe City. She was a high-achieving returnee student and had immediately taken over the family business upon her return, managing the Chu family's affairs with great skill.
Chu Mengyao waved her hand and said, "Alright, forget about him. Open the gate for me first, I'm in a hurry. If anything happens, just use my name, and I'll take responsibility."
"Yes, yes, yes." The guard repeatedly agreed. As a mere security guard, he dared not delay the young lady's business. He quickly opened the gate to let her pass. It wasn't until the Rolls-Royce had passed that he noticed an old man sitting in the other seat. The guard suddenly realized and walked back into the guardhouse.
Ye Bufan seized the opportunity while the guard and Chu Mengyao were talking and entered the villa district.
Ye Bufan still knew the specific location of the Liu family villa. He was now standing at the villa entrance and rang the doorbell.
Soon, a woman dressed as a nanny came out, looking at Ye Bufan with a confused expression.
"Ye Bufan, by the dying wish of my master, Lin Xiaoyao, I am here to fulfill the engagement," Ye Bufan called into the villa.
"Let him in," a woman's voice came from inside the villa. The nanny then dared to open the door and let Ye Bufan in.
The villa was large and luxuriously decorated, making the entire building seem spacious. In the ground floor hall, besides a woman in a qipao sitting on the sofa, there was only the nanny who had opened the door for him.
Ye Bufan's ears twitched, and he heard the breathing of four people upstairs. Two of them had steady and even breaths, indicating they were likely martial artists.
The woman in the qipao was the mistress of the villa—Liao Yuan, the mother of Liu Ruoyan, with whom Ye Bufan was engaged.
Seeing Ye Bufan standing still after observing the villa's decor, Liao Yuan couldn't help but sneer inwardly: a country bumpkin who had never seen the world.
"Sit," Liao Yuan beckoned Ye Bufan to sit down.
Ye Bufan took out the jade pendant and the marriage certificate. Liao Yuan held up her hand, signaling Ye Bufan to not rush. She first asked the nanny to make her a cup of coffee and said calmly, "You came straight to Jinhe after descending the mountain, didn't you? Didn't you get to explore Jinhe properly?"
"My master's dying wish was not to be delayed," Ye Bufan replied.
"I see." Liao Yuan looked up and gave Ye Bufan a cold glance, thinking that he had come straight to discuss the engagement as soon as he emerged from the remote mountain village, like a toad lusting after swan meat.
Ye Bufan looked at Liao Yuan and, sensing her hidden meaning, asked, "Aunt, please speak your mind. There's no need to be cryptic."
"My father-in-law made this engagement without our couple's consent back then," Liao Yuan said with a cold expression. "But now that my father-in-law and your master have both passed away, this engagement naturally no longer exists."
Ye Bufan wanted to explain that he didn't like being arranged and had actually come to break off the engagement. However, since he entered, Liao Yuan had been speaking to him condescendingly, even looking at him with contempt, which made Ye Bufan very displeased.
Liao Yuan continued, "You're a smart person. Families like ours value matching social status. As a poor boy like you, coming to fulfill an engagement is something you shouldn't even consider. I can give you ten minutes to think about what kind of compensation you want."
Ye Bufan sneered and said, "I'd like to ask why?"
"My Ruoyan is already engaged to the second young master of the Yang family, the number one wealthy family in Jinhe. Look at yourself, what are you? Do you think you're worthy?" Liao Yuan glanced dismissively at Ye Bufan and took a sip of coffee from the table.
As the top wealthy family in Jinhe, families like the Yang family placed great importance on their reputation. If it were known that Liu Ruoyan had been engaged before her betrothal to the Yang family, the Yang family would undoubtedly feel disgraced. This would not only lead to the cancellation of the marriage between the second young master Yang and Liu Ruoyan but also cause the Liu family to face the Yang family's wrath.
Liao Yuan would never allow such a thing to happen.
"Actually, I came here to break off the engagement," Ye Bufan said.
"Your choice is correct," Liao Yuan said contemptuously, looking at Ye Bufan. She merely came to save face, to find a way out for herself.
"However, now, I've changed my mind," Ye Bufan said.
"You..." A hint of malice flickered across Liao Yuan's face. "Boy, don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit."
"Ye, I will never marry you."
A woman hurried down the stairs. She was wearing a black dress, her hair was slightly curled, and she wore light makeup. She bore a slight resemblance to Liao Yuan. Ye Bufan concluded that this was his fiancée, Liu Ruoyan.
Ye Bufan turned back, his heart leaping with joy. He hadn't expected that the other half of the jade pendant was hanging on Liu Ruoyan's chest.
"Ah! You pervert, where are you looking?" Liu Ruoyan shouted angrily, noticing Ye Bufan's gaze and its direction.
"Ye Bufan! How dare you be so lawless with me here? If I weren't here, would you have dared to lay hands on me?" Liao Yuan reprimanded sharply.
"I'm not interested in you."
Ye Bufan said dismissively to Liu Ruoyan. At the same time, he circulated his true qi in his left hand and made a grabbing motion towards Liu Ruoyan's chest from a distance. In the next second, the half jade pendant appeared in Ye Bufan's hand.
"I'm taking back the jade pendant," Ye Bufan said coldly.
"Ah—"
Liu Ruoyan stomped her foot in anger. As the eldest daughter of the Liu family, she was always the center of attention wherever she went. But this Ye Bufan, to say he wasn't interested in her, and not even look at her properly—this was an insult to Liu Ruoyan.
Seeing that he had obtained the jade pendant, Ye Bufan turned to leave.
"Stop, did I say you could leave?" Liao Yuan called out.
Ye Bufan's actions had undoubtedly slapped the Liu family in the face. Liu Ruoyan had lost face, and the Liu family's face was also tarnished.
"Bang bang bang bang."
Two men in black suits ran down the stairs behind Liu Ruoyan and blocked Ye Bufan's path.