’Hope this works.’ Luo Ming whispered to himself, falling backward onto the comfortable bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Wei Ting had left after he’d laid out his plan for the "hypothetical" scenario where Lin Han came to challenge him for her.
Needless to say, she hadn’t liked it in the slightest. But Luo Ming couldn’t care less. Either she accepted it, or he’d destroy the engagement regardless of the consequences.
She knew he meant it.
In the end, Wei Ting had no choice but to concede, accepting Luo Ming’s terms with venomous, spiteful eyes.
Luo Ming was certain she wouldn’t hesitate to get back at him the moment an opportunity arose. But that was a problem for his future self to deal with.
For now, he lay alone in his new room, thinking over everything he’d just learned.
First, there was the fact that the Wei Clan intended to kill their own daughter, Wei Bing, and harvest her Heart Demon as a cultivation resource.
Something he still could barely wrap his head around.
’But honestly, I don’t particularly care about the Wei Clan. Still, it could cause unnecessary complications or uncertainty if Wei Bing ever manages to enact whatever plan she has in mind. There has to be a better way to handle this.’ He frowned slightly, ’A way that benefits everyone. Given my current standing in the Luo Clan, having the Wei’s full support would be invaluable.’
So he needed to find a way to learn Wei Bing’s plan and figure out how to redirect it. That certainly wouldn’t be easy. But Luo Ming remained optimistic.
He had to be.
Second, there was the matter of his Soulblade, Soul Record, proving to be far more than he’d initially believed. The fact that he could receive information directly from the Heavens was significant.
He’d apparently met some condition regarding Wei Ting.
But plenty of questions remained:
’Are these conditions a one-time thing per individual? Or do I need to meet them again to receive similar information in the future?’
Having no one to ask made this all the more frustrating. Still, there was no point dwelling on it further than necessary.
He’d figure it out through continued use of his Soulblade, and that was exactly what he intended to do.
Sighing, Luo Ming glanced at the candle clock on the table.
"Two more hours until dinner, huh." He mused, then closed his eyes, "Better rest while I can. I’ve got a lover ready to challenge me over a woman who herself refuses to let me go. Truly, it’s tough being handsome in today’s society."
He smiled dryly and slowly drifted off.
...
Hours passed quickly, and before long, it was time for dinner.
Luo Ming woke far later than intended, virtually guaranteed to be late regardless of how he moved.
Which was exactly why he wasn’t rushing.
The second young master of the Luo Clan took his time, making sure his clothes, hair, and face were all in top form.
Once done, regretting slightly that High Elder Qisi wasn’t around to style his hair, he pulled out his spirit fragrance and sprayed himself.
"That’s enough. Any more and it’ll be impossible to keep the women at bay." Luo Ming said flatly, glancing once more at his reflection before stepping out of the room, only to freeze abruptly on the doorstep.
His eyes widened slightly at the sight of Wei Bing, dressed in a beautiful blue robe that trailed to the floor, her blue hair braided into a large knot draped over her left shoulder, faint scars visible at the corners of her lips.
She was strikingly beautiful, her hand raised as though about to knock. She looked just as startled as he was.
But she recovered quickly, regaining her composure with impressive speed.
"I’m sorry if I disturbed you." Wei Bing said, her voice even, "But we’re all waiting for you to begin dinner and the discussion."
Luo Ming took a moment to snap out of his daze before blurting out, "I should be the one apologizing. And I am. I overslept."
"So you really were tired from the journey." Wei Bing concluded, narrowing her blue eyes slightly, "That’s not what you told me earlier. You lied."
Luo Ming’s smile stiffened at her words. Before he could respond, though, Wei Bing’s expression returned to its usual neutral state,
"I’m joking." She said flatly.
"Huh...is this how you joke?" Luo Ming said, awkwardly.
"Yes. You don’t like it?"
"Huh...well, I do? But could you try smiling next time you do it? I nearly had a heart attack."
"Why?"
"You’d be even more beautiful if you smiled." He paused, then shook his head, "You know what? Never mind. I’d probably have an even worse heart attack if you smiled. I’ll just endure your deadpan humor."
Wei Bing’s face flushed slightly at his words, adding an even more captivating look to her features. She coughed, turning her head away sharply, unsure what to do with herself.
Luo Ming always had this effortless way of unsettling her composure, and it was infuriating.
She never quite knew how to act around him. Talking to him felt entirely different from talking to anyone else. Not that she was particularly talkative to begin with, but still.
He was intriguing, and strangely bold, given he was engaged to her little sister, yet openly flirting with her in the meantime.
That thought soured her mood instantly, and she turned, walking off toward the dinner hall.
"Let’s go." She said, her voice suddenly colder than usual.
Luo Ming tilted his head, "Well, what? Did I do something wrong again?" He muttered, then sighed, falling into step beside her.
For the first few seconds, silence stretched between them, Wei Bing trying to understand why she was irritated by the fact that he was soon to become her own sister’s husband.
That thought led her to something else, though.
"Are you here to cancel the engagement, like you said you would?" She asked suddenly, eyes fixed forward, ignoring the servants shuffling around them.
"That was the plan." He said, "But things have changed. I think I’ll go through with it after all."
Wei Bing nearly stopped mid-step. Well, she did. But she resumed almost instantly, her heart beating a bit faster.
"...why?" She asked, her tone strange.
"I don’t have a choice."
"No choice? Is Wei Ting threatening you?" She asked, snapping her head toward him, "Is that why you can’t cancel it?"
"Not exactly. But why do you ask?" Luo Ming said, sparing her a glance, "And why do you look angry?"
"I’m not angry."
"I didn’t say you are, I said you look like you are. There’s a difference."
"I don’t think now’s the time for you to be clever with me."
"You’re talking a lot more than usual today, Wei Bing. I wonder why."
"Are you actually dodging my question?" Wei Bing said, her voice this time so flat and cold that Luo Ming felt an internal shiver.
Just then, they arrived at a crossroads shrouded in shadow. Wei Bing seized the opportunity, pulling him into the darker path, pressing him against the wall, hand flat on his chest.
Luo Ming smiled wryly, "Oh, slow down. I’m a bit shy."
"I’m not stupid, Luo Ming." Wei Bing said, "I see what you’ve been doing with me since that day. Was all of it just a game?"
Her voice darkened, her eyes growing colder by the second, a faint hint of red bleeding into their edges.
Luo Ming immediately sensed the danger of the situation. He steadied himself and spoke:
"I wasn’t joking."
"Then why change your mind and decide to marry my sister instead?"
"First, I want to know why you care this much. Do you love—!"
"I don’t." Wei Bing cut him off coldly, "But you haven’t been hiding your intentions of pursuing me. So the fact—!"
"What are you doing?" Wei Bing cut herself off, turning just in time to see Wei Ting storming toward them.
She barely had time to register her sister’s presence before her hand was shoved sharply away from Luo Ming, Wei Ting now standing protectively in front of him, as if shielding a puppy.
"Why are you here, and what are you doing with my husband, sister?" Wei Ting hissed, immediately defensive.
Wei Bing looked down at her own hand, still flinching from the shove, then slowly, mechanically, turned her gaze back to Wei Ting.
The moment Luo Ming caught the look in her eyes, his heart sank, and Soul Record activated on its own:
[Description: Well, you might want to run as far away as possible when you see Wei Bing, the Regressor, in this particular state. Just saying. You don’t have to take the advice.]
’Just fucking wonderful.’
"Your what, little sister?"
—End of Chapter 25—