Luo Ming said nothing for a while, watching Wei Ting’s tears, his heart pounding against his chest.
’Using his own daughter...as a cultivation resource to break through?’ He thought, dazed, nearly staggering back in shock.
Luo Ming had prepared himself for many possibilities. Any manner of secret about the Wei family, their ancestors, or even some other Heaven-cursed clan out there...but never this.
Now he couldn’t help but wonder if this was the reason behind Wei Bing’s regression. And if that were true...
’...what kind of scheme is she plotting against her own family?’ His silver eyes widened slightly, ’Damnation, this clan is going up against someone who already knows exactly what they intend to do with her. I don’t know the full plan, but Wei Bing is a demonic cultivator. She won’t show mercy.’
Luo Ming even suspected it was likely her own family had driven her toward the Demonic Path in the first place.
"You...you understand now?" Wei Ting said, pulling Luo Ming back to the present, "You cannot marry her. My parents would never allow it. There’s a reason I was chosen, despite being the youngest, the least experienced."
Luo Ming clicked his tongue softly, "Your parents?" He said, "Does that mean your mother agreed to this?"
"Do you think she had a choice?" Wei Ting laughed bitterly, "Or that I did? We live in a patriarchal society! The Patriarch decides everything, and none of us dare speak against it, lest we anger the ancestors."
"That wasn’t my question." Luo Ming pressed, growing irritated, "I asked whether she agreed or not."
"She was against it." Wei Ting said through gritted teeth, "But the Elders and Ancestors backed my father’s decision. There was nothing else to be done."
He nodded after a moment, saying nothing further. This new information changed nearly everything.
He’d planned to make Wei Bing his wife by releasing Wei Ting from the engagement, but that no longer seemed feasible.
Worse, he now knew of a plot against Wei Bing. One that would either annihilate the Wei Clan entirely or leave it severely weakened.
Going up against a regressor was a fool’s errand, after all.
’What should I do now?’ He wondered, frowning deeply, crossing his arms over his chest.
As he thought it over, Wei Ting stepped closer, standing beside him, lips trembling.
"Don’t tell anyone." She whispered, terrified of what her family would do if they ever learned she’d revealed such a secret.
Certainly, she’d be killed, or crippled. Wei Ting wasn’t sure which was worse.
But she had nothing to fear from him.
"I won’t tell anyone." Luo Ming reassured her, "But things have changed now. I don’t want Wei Bing used like this."
Wei Ting frowned at his words, "You...you still want to marry my sister, after everything I just told you?"
"Why does that surprise you?"
"Did you forget what I just said? Heart Demon? She’s a born killer!"
"And I like her that way." Luo Ming shot back, voice steady, "Now, if you don’t mind, I need time to think this through. Can you show me to the room I’ll be staying in? I need to rest before dinner tonight."
"What about our engagement?"
"What about it?" He raised an eyebrow at her, "It’s void—!"
"I already told you, I’m not letting it be broken. You and I will marry."
"I like your—!"
"I don’t care." Wei Ting hissed, cutting him off, staring at him intently, "You can love my sister all you damn well like, I don’t care. What I do care about is that you’re my husband, not hers!"
"Men can take multiple wives, fool."
She scoffed, "I know my sister. She’ll never love you, let alone agree to share you with anyone. Which means any relationship you’re hoping to build with her...won’t happen." Wei Ting then, with spite in her voice, walked past him, leading him toward his room.
Luo Ming followed, pondering what exactly was going through her mind.
Curious, he used Soul Record on her, focusing this time only on the description:
[Description: Conflicted with her own feelings, uncertain whether she loves her sister or hates her, uncertain whether she truly wants Luo Ming or not. One thing is certain, though, she’ll do whatever it takes to keep Luo Ming for herself, if only to keep him from her sister. Yet a part of her still thinks of Lin Han. A guilty part of her.]
Luo Ming read the description over and over, unsure how to react to what he’d just learned.
He realized Wei Ting was doing all of this purely out of spite. She didn’t actually care about him. What she cared about was that he cared about Wei Bing.
It was a twisted dynamic he couldn’t quite understand the origins of. But Luo Ming wasn’t about to simply accept it.
He had his own—!
[Conditions have been met regarding Wei Ting, Candidate for the ******.]
Luo Ming stopped abruptly, staring at the flickering gold, white, and red panel before him, confused.
’What? What conditions?’
[A unique, hidden piece of knowledge will be whispered to you by the Heavens. Please listen closely, Owner of Records.]
Instinctively, Luo Ming focused with full attention.
[Having learned that Luo Ming is visiting the Wei Clan to confirm his engagement to Wei Ting, Lin Han is heading directly to the Wei Clan to "save" his lover and challenge Luo Ming to a duel. He will arrive during dinner.]
’Now what in the hell is this nonsense?’ He thought, lips twitching, recognizing this deeply clichéd plot straight out of every cultivation novel he’d ever read.
Wei Ting turned her head to look at him, frowning at the fact he’d stopped following her.
"What are you standing there for? Let’s go."
Luo Ming lifted his head and looked at Wei Ting, still mulling over what the Heavens had just told him.
He wasn’t sure how reliable it was, or what exactly he’d done to trigger it, but it seemed wiser to prepare than to wait and regret it later.
With that in mind, Luo Ming quickly formed a plan, if it could even be called that.
But first he nodded, following her in silence until they reached the door of his room.
Wei Ting grabbed the handle, twisted it open, revealing a luxurious room decorated in blue and white.
They stepped inside, Wei Ting lingering at the doorway, looking back at him.
"Don’t forget." She warned, "If you refuse the engagement despite the fact that I’ll cry, faint, weep until my face turns pale...you’ll offend my clan."
She smiled provocatively, "You don’t want that, do you?"
"I don’t see you crying right now, though?"
"I will, when the time comes."
"So you’re chaining me to your side, just to spite me and your older sister, and soothe your own wounded ego?"
Wei Ting’s eyes hardened, but she refused to answer.
Luo Ming chuckled, shook his head, and walked toward the bed, "Alright. Wei Ting, let’s consider a hypothetical scenario, shall we?"
"Hm?" She tilted her head.
"Let’s say your lovely Lin Han shows up at this house, during dinner, and challenges me to a duel because he wants to ’save’ you from me." He sat on the bed, facing her, "What would you do, given that you’re the one insisting this engagement stays intact?"
"Why would he—!"
"That’s not the question. Learn to answer what’s asked." Luo Ming cut in, "Now, tell me what you’d do?"
Wei Ting looked lost, genuinely confused, "Well, I don’t damn know?"
"Perfect. Good thing I’m here, then." Luo Ming said, as though he’d anticipated exactly this, "I’ll tell you what to do, darling. And you’ll follow it, if you want things to go your way.
"You get to feed your pride in front of your sister, and I get what I want from Lin Han. Of course, let’s not forget, all of this is..."
He smiled.
"...purely hypothetical."
—End of Chapter 24—