The two future fiancés walked along a path in the West Wing towards a lake garden.
However, upon passing the entrance, Li Shen’s face contorted into a more annoyed expression.
Stopping, he swiftly turned around to face his stoic-face bodyguard who had been following them from the carriage.
“What are you guarding me for? I’m in the Imperial Palace, do you really think someone would try to assassinate me while I’m here?”
“You may never know Second Prince.”
Li Shen’s face scowled and he pointed at his feet before saying.
“Stay right here, it’s inappropriate for you to be listening to our conversation.”
Li Shen saw he was about to retort but he held up his hand and said.
“Can’t you see me from here? If I’m in danger you can step in, remain here, that’s an order.”
After a moment, the guard nodded his head before Li Shen turn to catch up to Lu Yue who was several meters away by the lakeside.
Taking a deep silent breath and then releasing it, Li Shen approached Lu Yue's side with his hands behind his back.
Staring out in the distance, he saw that the large lake created a rippling reflection of the moon.
The forest surrounding the lake was dead silent. The only sound present was the winds blowing against the water, creating small waves on the lake's surface.
Li Shen raised his head from the lake to look at the sky.
The moon was clear to see, however, rain clouds were present that would soon obscure it.
‘This feels familiar.’
Standing here with Lu Yue cause this feeling to rise in his heart.
Perhaps it was due she had that appearance and they were together by this lakeside.
Li Shen took a glance at Lu Yue from the corner of his eyes.
Her ocean blue hair and dress gave off a luminescent glow under the moonlight. Her appearance at this moment blended perfectly with her surroundings.
World-class painters would have killed to be given the chance to capture such a beautiful and breath taken scene. But even they would frowned since her detached look shattered the otherworldliness of the painting.
Or would it have been better?
A painting that depicted a Moon Goddess that descended from the heavens but would come to this lake because of her longing to return home. Her detached look would be her scorn for this Mortal Plain, considering everything and everyone beneath her.
Li Shen glanced away.
He wasn’t a painter but even he had become poetic because of this atmosphere. She was beautiful, but so far he can’t see himself developing any feelings towards her, and she probably feels the same given she hadn’t spoken to him.
Thinking about the sadness he saw within her heart, Li Shen said.
“You know, if this marriage bothers you as it does to me then you don’t have to go through with it.”
“...You really don’t want to marry me.”
Li Shen turned his head to see Lu Yue’s blue and red emerald eyes staring at him.
“Don’t you feel the same?”
Hearing Li Shen’s question, Li Yue turned back to the lake and remained silent for a brief moment before saying.
“Do you know why this marriage is being arranged between us?”
“My father told me about it partially. To save your life I need to get married to and have a child.”
Li Shen looked at Lu Yue to see if she reacted in any way but she didn’t.
“But don’t you think that’s unfair on my part?”
Li Shen continued.
“Why should I selflessly sacrifice my happiness to marry someone I don’t love? I don’t know you so why should I help you?”
Li Shen fully turned towards Lu Yue and his expression was serious.
Lu Yue opened her mouth to speak but Li Shen suddenly cut her off and said.
“And if you’re going to say I could just have concubines then forget it. If I were to fall in love I would only have one significant other.’
Hearing this, Lu Yue immediately turned her head to him and he could see utter coldness prominent in her eyes.
“Who do you think you are?”
“…What?”
Li Shen was confused by Lu Yue’s words and he frowned.
“Do you perhaps think that because you're a prince you have the right to be so self-centered? It’s ridiculous to think that someone as weak as you have such a high opinion of yourself.”
Li Shen’s face fell and he stared at Lu Yue expressionlessly.
“Let’s get one thing straight. I’m not the one who has something to gain from this marriage alliance.”
“Do you think I would have swooned over the possibility of marrying you?”
Li Shen snorted.
“Even with your looks your nothing more than skin and bones in my eyes, with such a rotten and condescending attitude you can forget about obtaining my seed!”
Li Shen then turned to leave.
He was completely done and wanted nothing to do with this girl.
How the hell was he self-centered? It’s his choice whether he wanted to marry her or not. So what if she was going to die? He wasn’t the one plunging a knife into her chest.
Li Shen wasn’t just living this life for himself anymore, he won’t compromise it for anything and anyone he didn’t have a favorable opinion of.
As Li Shen stormed away Lu Yue’s eyes narrowed into slits.
*Swish!*
“Huh?”
Li Shen's senses screamed at him and he quickly dodge to the side. A frigid Sword Qi immediately slashed past his face.
Li Shen was completely dumbfounded.
“You b-are you crazy?!”
Li Shen yelled at Lu Yue who was holding a sword that was releasing a frigid aura in the surroundings.
The lake behind her as well as the grass below her feet was being covered in ice.
“Do you think you can just refuse? Are you perhaps batting for the same team? Or why else would you refuse to marry me with my looks?”
“Batting for the same team? Just what the hell are you suggesting you crazy lunatic.”
Li Shen’s expression turned ugly.
He realized his first impression of her might be wrong.
“I’m not the one here who is crazy. It’s you for refusing to marry me. Just stay right there, my sword will convince you otherwise.”
Lu Yue took a step forward and her body faded away to appear in front of Li Shen before slashing down her sword.
Li Shen twisted his body and dodge the sword by mere centimeters before backing away.
‘This girl is a lunatic! Is she the type to go batshit crazy when things don’t go her way?’
*Swish!*
Li Shen dodge another sword slash before he said.
“Look, I don’t know what you think attacking me will achieve. Also his is not helping you sell your point, I don’t find crazy attractive to be honest.”
*Swish*
*Swish*
*Swish*
Despite the fast movement of her sword, Li Shen acrobatically dodge her attacks.
At the lake garden entrance, his stoic bodyguard saw the two fighting and his expression turned conflicted.
Was this considered assassination or a couple's quarrel? Should he step in?
After thinking for a moment, he noted that his prince was dodging her attacks rather easily and determined he wasn’t in any immediate danger.
As Li Shen dodged more of Lu Yue’s attacks, he was beginning to get annoyed.
“Are you finished?”
With a squat, her sword passed over his head and he casually looked up at her before asking.
Lu Yue didn’t respond, her expression remained the same as she swung her sword upwards causing a terrifying blue flash followed it.
Li Shen quickly pushed off the ground and retreated, having her sword miss him by mere centimeters once again.
But the blue flash that followed severed a piece of his golden robes.
However, he was still calm and casual as he dodged her attacks.
At one point he even held his hands behind his back and dodge her swings consecutively.
At some point in this, his annoyance slowly started to turn to curiosity.
The Sword Art she was using was strange.
At one moment it was fast and straightforward, but at other times it was slow and agile.
The shifts between these attributes were seamless on her part making it obvious she had mastered it to a high level.
“What is the name of the Sword Arts you’re using?”
Swish.
Dodge.
Lu Yue remained silent only swing her sword.
Swish.
Dodge.
“You aren’t going to answer me?”
Swish.
Dodge.
“Fine, I’ll just come up with my own name. How about... the Supreme Yin Yang Sword Art?!”
Li Shen paused before raising a finger in the air while naming her Sword Art.
Swish.
Dodge.
Li Shen quickly move his finger out of the way and leaned his head horizontally making her sword barely past his nose. The frigid energy from her sword batted his face.
Coming back up, Li Shen said.
“What, you don’t like it?”
Swish
Dodge.
“Okay, it’s more of a sword-style principle than a Sword Art. How about Swift But Slow Sword Style?”
Swish.
Dodge.
“You’re naming sense is atrocious.”
Landing on his feet from a leap back, Li Shen said.
“So you finally talked, I was wondering what you’ve been up to silently attacking me. Are you that desperate for my seed?”
Li Shen used his index finger to rub his nose with a smug expression.
However, for the first time, he saw Lu Yue’s expressionless face change. She glared at him with anger and said.
“You refuse to help me and then turned around to mock my efforts to persuade you. You’re completely shameless and despicable!!”
Li Shen was taken aback by her sudden emotional outburst and he stuttered.
“Y-you-do you really think attacking me was you being persuasive in me accepting you as my wife? Perhaps you need to get your brain checked because that logic is not something a sane person could think of.”
Hearing that, Lu Yue’s face morphed into a dark look and the sword in her hand suddenly released a blue flame. The frigid energy around her body multiplied and her Mid-Foundation Realm cultivation burst forth with unstoppable momentum.
But one weird fact was that a bit of heat could be sensed in this frigid energy. There was even a light red color around her sword.
Seeing this Li Shen commented.
“So you decided to get serious. What are you going to do, try and “Persuade” me harder for my seed?”
Li Shen’s taunting words angered Lu Yue further and she slashed her sword at him.
Several blue frigid Sword Qi with a hint of red shot towards him but he dodged them with the same casual ease as before.
Lu Yue seeing this became even angrier.
She dashed towards Li Shen and stab her sword at his chest.
Li Shen with a calm expression decided to up his power as well. After sidestepping her sword, he flicked its edge resulting in a loud bang.
The force of the flick surprised Lu Yue and her sword almost left her hand.
After recovering, an expression of shock appeared on her face as she looked at Li Shen.
“How are you so strong?”
The most uptodat𝓮 n𝒐vels are published on (f)reew𝒆(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦