Crown Prince Li Shenyuan stood motionless at the foot of the Fountain of Eternal Union.
His imperial robes were impeccably elegant.
Golden embroidery traced celestial symbols across the fabric, a reflection of his rank and authority.
Every fold of his attire had been arranged with meticulous care, every ornament chosen to embody the nobility and perfection expected of the heir to the throne.
Even his hair, secured with flawless precision beneath a crown of precious jade, seemed to obey a discipline imposed by the heavens themselves.
His posture was perfect.
His bearing, regal.
He was the very embodiment of imperial perfection.
Surrounding him rose the Seven Mountains of Fate.
They formed a sacred circle around the fountain, silent and immutable, guardians of a place that time itself had never managed to defile.
Their presence was overwhelming, almost alive, as though they breathed alongside the world.
Each mountain bore a name.
A purpose.
An ancient memory.
To the east stood Mount Heng of the Oath, weighing the sincerity of every vow spoken before it.
Its razor-sharp peaks seemed to pierce the heavens themselves, scrutinizing the hearts of mortals.
To the south rose Mount Luo of the Bound Heart, binding together souls destined for one another.
Its gentle silhouette resembled two spirits embracing for eternity.
Mount Tian of Eternity reached endlessly toward the sky, watching over infinite time.
Its summit disappeared into the clouds, touching the unseen.
Bathed in a gentle silver radiance stood Mount Yue of the Twin Moon, reflecting the love born beneath the same moonlit sky.
Mount Shen of the Unified Soul sealed the union of two spirits.
Mount Ming of the Promise preserved the echoes of sacred vows, repeating them tirelessly throughout the ages.
And finally…
Mount Yuan of the Golden Thread.
The unseen heart of fate.
Guardian of the bond that united two souls beyond lifetimes, beyond reincarnation, beyond worlds themselves.
It was a place where no lie could survive.
A place where vows became eternity.
A place where even the gods honored their promises.
According to legend, if one proposed marriage here, drinking from the fountain beneath the gaze of the Seven Mountains, then the union would be sealed forever.
Neither mortals.
Nor clans.
Nor even the gods themselves could ever break it.
Fate itself would become the guardian of that promise.
Li Shenyuan slowly drew in a breath, savoring the pure, sacred air of the place.
From the very first moment his eyes had met Chen Yue’s…
He had known this day would eventually come.
His gaze settled upon the crystal-clear water flowing peacefully before him, shimmering as though it held the very light of the heavens.
Every droplet fell with a crystalline melody, hypnotic…
Almost enchanting.
He had chosen this place with calculated precision.
He wanted his vow to be irreversible.
He wanted the entire world to know that this was not the whim of a spoiled prince…
But a promise carved into fate itself.
Chen Yue will be mine.
A faint smile curved his lips.
And no one…
not even Wei Ran…
will be able to stop me.
He straightened slightly, adjusted his robes with an elegant motion, and silently rehearsed the words he intended to say.
Every sentence had to be perfect.
Every pause had to carry weight.
Every gesture had to capture her heart.
He imagined Chen Yue standing before him.
Surprised.
Flustered.
Perhaps even moved by the sanctity of this sacred place.
He could already picture her eyes widening in astonishment.
He could already hear her breath catch.
She won’t be able to refuse.
Not here.
He slowly reached toward the water, ready to take a sip and seal his decision forever.
Then…
The air changed.
A frigid gust swept through the clearing like the breath of winter itself.
The leaves trembled violently.
Birds took flight in a frenzy of beating wings.
Even the fountain’s gentle murmur seemed to hesitate for the briefest instant…
As though it were holding its breath.
Li Shenyuan felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise.
A presence.
A powerful…
Threatening presence.
He slowly turned his head.
Wei Ran was approaching.
His steps were calm.
Steady.
Relentless.
Every movement carried an overwhelming authority that seemed to make the very air tremble around him.
His dark robes stood in stark contrast to the fountain’s sacred radiance, like a shadow swallowing the light.
His face was an expressionless mask of ice.
His eyes— Two black abysses.
Burning with restrained fury.
In one hand, he held a crumpled scroll.
As Wei Ran drew closer, Li Shenyuan recognized it immediately.
His message.
The message he had sent to Chen Yue.
How…?
Wei Ran never slowed his pace.
When he reached the fountain, Wei Ran threw the scroll onto the ground with icy contempt, the gesture dripping with absolute disdain.
The parchment partially unfurled across the damp stone before coming to rest at the edge of the sacred water, as though its very presence had tainted the place.
Li Shenyuan froze.
He had never expected to see Wei Ran here.
Not in Chen Yue’s place.
He had given precise instructions to his royal messenger pigeon—a shapeshifter capable of assuming human form—to deliver the message directly into Chen Yue’s hands, without allowing anyone else to see it.
How did he intercept the message?
The truth was simple.
Bai Zhen had intercepted the messenger.
The moment he noticed the shapeshifter lurking around the Wei Manor, trying to slip inside disguised as a servant, Bai Zhen had grabbed him by the collar.
Terrified at the sight of the dragon, the messenger had dropped the scroll before fleeing in a cloud of smoke.
Li Shenyuan understood immediately.
His eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
Yet he maintained his composed smile, that mask of flawless imperial courtesy he wore at all times.
“Where is she?” he asked, his voice perfectly controlled—cold and impeccably polite.
Wei Ran did not answer.
He merely stared at him with an intensity that would have forced anyone else to retreat.
The two men faced one another, motionless as stone statues.
The air between them grew taut…
Rigid…
Like a bowstring stretched to its limit.
“Stay away from Chen Yue,” Wei Ran said, his voice as cold as death itself.
It wasn’t a request.
It was an order.
A slow, provocative smile spread across the Crown Prince’s lips.
“Why?” Li Shenyuan replied, his voice smooth…
Dangerously smooth.
“You’re not married.” He let the silence linger.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
“Your union hasn’t been sealed.” He took a deliberate step forward.
A challenge.
“And even if it had been…” His smile widened.
“I still wouldn’t care.” Something darkened within Wei Ran’s eyes.
A dangerous glimmer.
Savage.
Almost beast-like.
“I’ve never met a woman as intriguing,” Li Shenyuan continued, his voice becoming softer…
More provocative.
“…as Chen Yue.” He spoke her name with deliberate tenderness.
Almost sensually.
Like a verbal caress.
Wei Ran stepped forward.
The air vibrated around him.
An overwhelming aura of power poured from his body, crushing everything in its path.
“Stop,” he said, his voice lower than before, laden with deadly menace.
“Or the next time…” “I’ll kill you with my own hands.” An icy silence descended over the clearing.
The wind stopped.
Even the water of the fountain seemed to freeze in place.
Li Shenyuan burst into laughter.
Clear.
Brazen.
His laughter echoed between the mountains like a resounding slap.
“You think you can frighten me?” he said, his eyes gleaming with defiance.
“Chen Yue doesn’t belong to you.” Wei Ran clenched his jaw.
The muscles tightened violently.
His fists closed until his knuckles turned white.
“Chen Yue is mine,” he answered without the slightest hesitation, every word carrying absolute conviction.
“And she will become my wife.” Li Shenyuan’s laughter only grew louder.
Mocking.
Insulting.
“Then prove it, Wei Ran.” He took another step forward, the smile never leaving his face.
“Because she’s the one who’s going to marry me.” The invisible thread between them stretched to its breaking point.
Wei Ran drew in a slow, deep breath, struggling to contain the fury threatening to consume him.
He didn’t strike.
He didn’t draw his weapon.
Yet the promise of violence contained within his gaze was more terrifying than any blade.
Come near her one more time…
And I’ll kill you.
He slowly turned away, refusing to give in to the provocation.
Before leaving, he spoke one final sentence.
Cold.
Final.
It rang through the clearing like the judgment of fate itself.
“Stay away from her.” Then he walked away with measured steps, every movement carefully controlled despite the storm raging inside him.
He left the Fountain of Eternal Union behind.
The crumpled scroll lay abandoned in the dust.
And Li Shenyuan remained standing at the center of the sacred clearing, the smile still lingering on his lips…
But his eyes had darkened with a dangerous resolve.
You think you’ve won, Wei Ran?
You’re mistaken.
Chen Yue will be mine…
whether you like it or not.
The fountain’s waters continued to flow peacefully, indifferent to the vows and threats of men.
Fate itself…
Had just been challenged.
And the Seven Mountains watched in silence…
…waiting to see which of the two men would keep his promise.
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