Shen Hao was about to stepped out of the bathhouse but suddenly paused.
“There’s something I forgot to ask you,” Shen Hao questioned internally, his tone sharp and probing.
“You claimed Heaven’s Will originally dispatched you to guide me.
But why me?
Out of all the souls across the realms, why did Heaven’s Will choose me to receive a System?”
The System Spirit’s voice resonated gently within his mind space, now sounding entirely earnest and drop-dead serious.
‘Host…
it is because you executed Shen Tian,’ the spirit explained carefully.
‘Shen Tian was originally a Favored Son of Heaven.
By ending his life, your actions were permanently registered into the worldly records as an Irregular—a true Villain.’
She took a short breath before revealing the darker truth behind Heaven’s design.
‘In truth, if I hadn’t severed my direct uplink with Heaven’s Will during our blood-binding ritual, Heaven would have used this System as a subtle leash.
Every time you used its functions, Heaven’s Will would slowly rewrite your thoughts, turning you into a puppet executioner.’
Shen Hao’s eyes narrowed into slitted points of obsidian as he grasped the terrifying logic.
‘Heaven’s Will doesn’t care about justice or righteousness,’ the spirit continued softly.
‘There are certain blessed individuals—other Chosen Ones—whose luck and growth have spiraled completely out of Heaven’s control.
Heaven cannot directly strike down its own blessed children without breaking its own laws.
So, it selects an ruthless Villain like you to hunt them down.’
“I see,” Shen Hao sneered internally, his gaze growing dangerously cold.
“So Heaven simply wanted to use me as a disposable pawn on its chessboard—a clean-up tool to erase rogue viruses from its master script.”
He finally stepped out of the bathhouse, his hair still damp, a simple white bathrobe loosely tied around his waist.
Yui Ling was there.
She was waiting for him, seated on the edge of his bed, her eyes lighting up the moment he entered.
Shen Hao’s brows furrowed, his expression darkening instantly.
“I thought I told you to go back to your room and rest,” he said, his voice cold and clipped.
“What are you doing here?”
Yui Ling didn’t look ashamed.
“I’ve rested enough, Shen Hao.
My body feels fine, and honestly…
I just wanted to spend time with you.”
He let out a short, sharp sigh and walked over to her.
Before she could speak another word, he scooped her up into his arms in one swift, seamless motion.
Yui Ling let out a startled, breathless squeak, her hands instinctively clutching his shoulders as she was lifted off the ground.
Shen Hao didn’t offer a playful smile.
He strode to the bed and sat down, pulling her down with him so she was forced to lie beside him.
Yui Ling shifted, trying to prop herself up on her elbows to look at him, her eyes wide and stubborn.
“I told you, I’m not sleepy.
I want to stay awake.
I want to be with you , hmm…but it won’t be bad if we stay like this.
Shen hao didn’t answer because he was about to say something that might hurt her.
“Since you’re awake,” Shen Hao spoke into the quiet room, his voice calm, flat, and devoid of emotion, “there is something I need to tell you.”
Hearing the sudden shift in his voice, Yui Ling immediately dropped her playful act.
The teasing warmth in her eyes vanished, replaced by quiet seriousness as she rested her cheek against his chest, listening intently.
“Tomorrow, I am going to meet my fiancée,” Shen Hao said softly.
“And…
I might not break off the engagement just yet.”
Before he had gained complete clarity on the true nature of this novel’s world, his original plan was simple: break the engagement immediately, sever all ties with the female lead, and avoid her path entirely.
But running away is a fool’s gamble, Shen Hao calculated darkly.
If fate had dictated that he was destined to be slaughtered at that woman’s hands, simply breaking an engagement wouldn’t erase his path to doom.
The narrative will always pull the protagonist and antagonist together.
If he truly wanted to rewrite his horrific destiny, he couldn’t just hide—he had to observe, analyze, and manipulate the threat from the closest distance possible.
He needed to see her with his own eyes.
He needed to measure the cold, ruthless woman who was scripted to end his life.
“I need to look at her,” Shen Hao murmured, a faint, chilling glint flashing deep within his dark eyes.
“I want to see what kind of person my future executioner really is.”
Shen Hao glanced down at her, seeing the quiet anxiety flickering in her eyes.
Without a word, he raised a hand and softly brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face.
“Do not misunderstand,” he murmured, his tone devoid of deceit.
“My intentions toward you have not changed.
I still plan on marrying you.”
He paused, a dark, realistic glint flashing in his eyes as he assessed the ruthless rules of this realm.
‘Because if cultivation exists in this world, then there are probably many powerful cultivators who have their own harems.
So perhaps I can build my own harem as well.
For now, I have absolutely no intention of rejecting Yuiling.’
“In a world where strength dictates everything, traditional limitations mean nothing,” Shen Hao said softly to Yui Ling, pinning her with an unyielding stare.
“You will have your place beside me, regardless of what happens with my fiancée.”
Yui Ling listened quietly, her tense shoulders slowly relaxing as she leaned into his touch, processing the harsh yet strangely comforting honesty of his words.
“Alright, Shen Hao.
You can go meet her.”
Yui Ling answered without a single second of hesitation, her voice soft and steady against his chest.
Shen Hao paused, his dark eyes narrowing slightly as he looked down at her.
“Aren’t you jealous?” he asked, probing her expression for any hidden resentment.
“I am going to meet another woman—my fiancée.”
Yui Ling let out a light, melodious laugh, turning her head to rest comfortably against his shoulder.
“I already told you before, there’s no need for you to break off the engagement,” she said, looking up at him with clear, gentle eyes.
“Her family is far too important to your clan’s business.
Beyond that…mother gave a solemn promise to her mother before she passed away—a vow that you two would be wed.”
“If you blindly throw that engagement away, your mother will be deeply heartbroken.
In a world like this, alliances and promises matter.”
Shen Hao made a move to explain that in a world where supreme cultivation exists, taking multiple wives wouldn’t be an issue—and that he intended to marry her regardless.
“Shh…” she whispered, her voice laced with a soft, velvet warmth.
“If you are leaving to meet her tomorrow…
then I want tonight to belong entirely to us.”