Shen Jue’s brow furrowed slightly.
“Who sent you?” His right hand already rested on the hilt of the sword at his waist. “And who is this A’Ning you speak of?”
Pei Du suddenly stepped out. When he saw the woman’s face on the roof, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.
“Miss Li? What is the meaning of this?”
Yun Shu arched an eyebrow. “Nothing much. I just can’t stand seeing you lot force a young girl into marriage, especially to such a pretty boy who’s all style and no substance.”
She kept calling him a pretty boy.
The veins on Shen Jue’s forehead throbbed faintly, and his fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword instinctively.
His knuckles cracked audibly.
He had never been humiliated like this. To make matters worse, the woman sat on the roof with an arrogant expression that screamed, “I’m here to cause trouble, what are you going to do about it?”
It left a breath stuck in his chest.
He couldn't vent it, and he couldn't swallow it.
What made him feel even more stifled was that he didn’t even know who this “A’Ning” was.
“I am an upright man of honor. How could I ever do something as foul as forcing a young girl? You are speaking nonsense!”
Before Yun Shu could provoke him again, Pei Du, who was standing nearby, asked in surprise.
“General Shen, you still don’t know about this?”
Shen Jue looked at him. “What should I know?”
“The Marquis of Ningyuan and my eldest brother have arranged a betrothal between you and my brother’s only daughter, Wanning.”
Pei Du had also only recently learned of the news, but he hadn't mentioned it to Shen Jue yet.
After all, it was rather awkward.
He was a classmate of Shen Yu and considered Shen Jue a peer, yet Shen Jue was now betrothed to his niece.
For no reason at all, his seniority had jumped up a level.
Shen Jue lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment.
He then turned and strode toward the main hall, rummaging through the desk he used for official business.
Finally, amidst a pile of documents, he found a family letter pressed at the very bottom.
The handwriting on the envelope belonged to his father.
The wax seal was intact.
He tore it open immediately, pulling out the letter and scanning the familiar handwriting with rapid speed.
The letter explained the betrothal in concise terms.
Pei Wanning, the legitimate daughter of the main branch of the Pei Clan in Heluo, was sixteen years old and of excellent character and appearance. Since the two families were of equal social standing, they had already exchanged marriage cards. He was expected to return to the capital after the new year to deliver the betrothal gifts.
Shen Jue gripped the letter, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper.
With the world in such chaos, how could he have the mind to start a family or indulge in romantic sentiments?
Moreover, he felt an utter aversion to this betrothal that his father had decided unilaterally. He had no desire to marry a woman he didn’t even know.
“Zirang, this marriage was my father’s own decision. I was unaware of it until now.”
He looked at Pei Du with a frank gaze, though his tone left no room for negotiation. “I will write a letter immediately to have my father call off this engagement.”
“I must trouble you, Zirang, to explain this to your elder brother. I am willing to compensate Miss Pei to the best of my ability.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of something tearing through the air rang out.
“Whiz——”
Shen Jue’s pupils shrank. He instinctively tilted his head, and a sharp gust of wind brushed past his ear.
A lock of black hair drifted down from his temple.
The second arrow came from the roof again, striking the tail of the previous arrow embedded in the pillar behind him.
It split the first arrow clean in half.
Shen Jue slowly turned his head to look at the arrow on the pillar, then at the severed lock of hair on the ground.
As the ancients said, cutting the hair is like cutting off the head. This was an insult far harsher than any verbal abuse; it was an act of extreme provocation and contempt, a literal trampling of his dignity!
“Shen Jue.”
On the roof, Yun Shu finally stood up.
She looked down at him from her height, her clear eyes swirling with undisguised mockery.
“If there is to be a broken engagement, it should be A’Ning who rejects you! It is you who is not good enough for her, not the other way around!”
Shen Jue looked at the woman on the roof. He felt the anger of being insulted and the frustration of having a marriage forced upon him.
But mostly, he felt stifled.
He said coldly, “Out of respect for the fact that you are a woman, I will not settle scores with you. Stop this senseless harassment!”
“You really are self-righteous.”
Yun Shu picked up her bow and arrow, drawing the string back until it was like a full moon. The third arrow pierced the night sky, tracing a curved arc.
Shen Jue stepped aside to dodge, his long sword flashing as he parried the arrow aimed at him.
Before he could catch his breath...
A short blade lunged straight for his face.
The woman’s voice rang in his ear. “If I defeat you today, you will let A’Ning break the engagement. How about it?”
“Arrogant.” Shen Jue didn't believe for a second that he would lose to a woman. “If you win, I am at your disposal!”
“Fine.”
Yun Shu held the knife in a reverse grip. Without a single word of nonsense, she closed the distance, her blade wrapped in a gale.
The light of the blade and the shadow of the sword intertwined in the courtyard.
Shen Jue’s swordsmanship was as steady as a mountain, yet every time he exerted force, Yun Shu neutralized it with clever precision. Every time he pursued, she evaded with an unbelievable movement technique.
“Someone like you can actually be a General?”
Yun Shu mocked him the moment she opened her mouth.
“You were the one who wrote that letter?”
Shen Jue spoke through gritted teeth.
Yun Shu admitted it freely. “That’s right, it was me.”
Even as she spoke, her offensive didn't stop, her fists pounding against Shen Jue one after another.
Before long...
Sweat appeared on Shen Jue’s forehead, and his breathing began to grow ragged.
It wasn't that he wasn't strong enough, but this woman’s fighting style was incredibly strange; he couldn't recognize her techniques at all.
In a moment of inattention, the back of the blade struck his wrist. His long sword flew from his hand and landed on the ground with a clang.
Immediately following that, his knee went numb. He lost his balance instantly and crashed heavily onto the ground.
A black boot stepped onto his chest, followed by a cold blade pressed against the side of his neck.
“General Shen, you’re not all that after all.”
Shen Jue lay on the ground, his chest heaving violently. His eyes held shock, resentment, and self-doubt.
He had actually lost to a woman...
【Shen Jue Shock Value +100】
【Shen Yu Shock Value +100】
【Pei Du Shock Value +100】
【Current Shock Value: 67,900】
“Fighting a pretty boy like you is truly boring. Just wait quietly for A’Ning to break the engagement.”
Yun Shu insulted Shen Jue one last time.
Then, she turned and left the Governor’s Manor.
The system watched Yun Shu, who hadn't spoken since returning to her room. It tried its best to suppress its grinning mouth, putting on a troubled face and patting her shoulder with its paw.
“Host, it’s fine. So what if the male lead’s Favorability dropped by 40? Don’t you still have 30 left?”
Yun Shu sighed and shook her head. “Sigh, I didn’t expect the male lead to be so unreceptive to this approach. My mistake.”
Of course, she knew Shen Jue wouldn't be receptive.
The male lead, Shen Jue, as described in the book, was called 'decisive' if one were being kind, but 'possessing extreme male chauvinism' if one were being blunt.
After she had humiliated him publicly like this, he would probably draw his sword the moment he saw her in the future to trade blows.
In all likelihood, after tonight, she was no longer a woman in his eyes, but his arch-rival for life.
The system comforted her, “Host, it’s normal to fail once or twice. Don’t lose heart.”
“You’re right. I need to pull myself together.”
Yun Shu seemed to regain her confidence.
“System, after this lesson, I feel like I can’t rush the male lead’s pursuit. It has to be a gradual process.”
The system nodded. “Yes, exactly!”
Yun Shu said, “I’ve been thinking. We should prioritize earning Shock Value first. Let's pull more outfits before trying to pursue the male lead again.”
The system thought of what it believed to be a brilliant idea.
“Host, how about you put on that newly pulled Peerless National Beauty Set and take a stroll around Xindu City?”
“The special effects of that set are incredibly cool and flashy. It’ll definitely make everyone’s jaws drop.”
Rate on N.U.
