(House of Trueblood)
The door creaked open, and three silhouettes strolled into the court. One wore a white shirt and black material pants, while the other two were dressed in green robes. They all had black hair as they strode down the court with confidence. The silhouette at the front was a young man with a soft beard on his face that intensified his handsomeness, while the two men following him were middle-aged.
As they walked down the court, all eyes were fixed on them. The court was filled with many people—not random individuals, but members of the House of Trueblood, for this was the court that belonged to the Trueblood household.
"That's him. Alee, the son of Ashur," a lady in the court whispered to her friend.
"You don't mean it. I've been hearing about the talented genius of the House of Ashur; I never knew it was him," another replied.
"He's so handsome... I wish he could warm my bed," another chirped in.
"Shh... Lower your voices. He's already betrothed to the daughter of the former Patriarch."
"Wait... You mean he's the Alee who got engaged to Amelia four years ago?"
"Yes... He's the one."
"Amelia is truly lucky to secure such a partner... I envy her."
"What's even good about that Amelia? How can she pull such a talented genius to herself?"
"This isn't a market square, you ladies," a middle-aged man snapped at them, and they all fell silent at once.
At this moment, Alee and his companions had already arrived before the Patriarch of the House of Trueblood, who sat on his throne.
To his left and right were two elders of the family with long white hair and white beards, draped in horseblood-colored coats as they stared at the young man who bowed with both hands stretched forward, palms folded inward and touching each other.
"Junior pays his greetings to the Patriarch," Alee greeted, and the Patriarch narrowed his gaze.
'Patriarch? Ever since the engagement between him and Amelia, this is the first time he'll address me formally.' His gaze shifted in another direction.
Toward the lady seated nearby—an epitome of beauty. A lady with flowing red hair and blue eyes. Her blue eyes were not shining but dim. Her face looked pale yet strikingly beautiful. She wore a simple light-purple gown with a veil wrapped around her frame and purple shoes that matched her outfit. On her right wrist was a bracelet identical to the one on Alee's hand.
The Patriarch's gaze returned to Alee, who had not yet raised his head. It was common knowledge that he had to wait for the Patriarch's response before doing so. Raising his head without permission would be a sign of disrespect.
"Ahem... Rise, son. What brings you to the Court of Trueblood? Did our daughter do anything wrong? Tell your uncle, and I'll scold her on your behalf," the Patriarch said, clearing his throat as he awaited Alee's response.
"To answer your question, Patriarch, your daughter did nothing wrong, and you don't need to scold her. However, she's the reason I'm here today. I'm here to call off the engagement," Alee announced publicly, and almost everyone in the courtyard turned sharply to look at him.
Amelia stood up at once, panic etched on her face as her heart raced while she stared at Alee. 'Is he joking?'
"Haha... The son of Ashur should stop such an expensive joke. Come, come—if my daughter offended you, there's a proper way to go about it..." The Patriarch beckoned him to lean closer.
Alee stretched his hands forward again, palms bent inward, making a slight bow. "It's not a joke, Patriarch. I'm calling off the engagement for real. I'm now at the Energy Condensation Realm, and I need to focus on my cultivation. I hope Patriarch can understand."
The Patriarch's expression changed instantly. Even the elders wore worried looks.
"What's happening? What's the son of Ashur saying?"
"He wants to call off the engagement? Is he crazy?"
"Who does he think he is? The ancient god Merlin?"
"Isn't he aware that Amelia is the daughter of our former Patriarch?"
"The Patriarch won't allow this to escalate further."
"Yes... Let him break the engagement, and then I'll engage with him."
Different voices voiced their opinions.
"What has come over you, boy? Is it because you just stepped into the Energy Condensation Realm? The path of a cultivator is arduous and long. Since you've been engaged to Amelia, she has been your cultivation partner, helping you reach this level at such a young age," one of the Trueblood elders said.
"And that's the reason we came to report this matter to you. We came with gifts and valuables to apologize for the inconvenience," one of the two middle-aged men added as they pulled a box out of thin air—a box used to store a Grade 2 treasure.
The elders' eyes shone at the sight of the treasure, but the Patriarch remained unmoved.
"What is the meaning of this, boy? Do you know what happens to a lady whose engagement is called off?" the Patriarch asked, his voice laced with venom.
"I'm aware, but there's nothing I can do about it. I don't want a pest dragging me down," Alee replied.
The Patriarch's ire surged, and he stood up at once, releasing his aura violently.
A fierce wind tore through the court as everything was pushed back. The two middle-aged men quickly positioned themselves in front of Alee, shielding him from the violent aura that could injure him directly if he met it head-on.
"You dare call the Daughter of Trueblood a pest?" the Patriarch's voice boomed as he took a step forward, causing immense pressure to press down on Alee. He stumbled, his organs shaking as he nearly coughed out blood.
"Stay your hand, Patriarch. Any more steps, and I'll assume it's a declaration of war against the House of Ashur," one of the middle-aged men declared.
The Patriarch halted and retracted his aura, granting Alee some breathing space. The last thing he wanted was a war between both houses.
"I'm cutting off the engagement, and that's final. Whether you accept the gift or not is up to you," Alee retorted in a hushed tone as he turned and began walking out of the courtyard. The two middle-aged men bowed as they presented the gift to the Patriarch.
They did not immediately follow Alee, wary that the Patriarch might act against him.
Alee walked past the crowd as they whispered in hushed tones.
"The son of Ashur has gone senile."
"What is he thinking?"
"After using our daughter to improve his cultivation, he suddenly wants to dump her."
"No one will marry Amelia again. She's a second-class product."
"She'll become a topic of ridicule among her peers."
"I recall the same thing happened to my friend's sister. The next month, she committed suicide."
"Are they going to leave him unchallenged? The Trueblood clan will truly lose face."
"The House of Ashur is in public alliance with the House of Baculum. Offending the young master of Ashur is akin to insulting the House of Baculum. Our Trueblood House can't withstand a war against both houses," a middle-aged man analyzed the stakes.
While others remained still, watching him leave, it was different for Amelia. Everything had taken her by surprise.
Her entire world came crashing down as she ran toward Alee, her eyes fixed on his back, wet with tears she tried desperately to hold back.
"Alee, wait..." she called.
He stopped before the door without turning around.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The sound of her steps echoed through the court.
"Tell everyone you're joking... Tell them..." Amelia demanded.
Alee scoffed. "It seems you haven't realized the gravity of the situation yet." He turned and looked her in the eyes.
"I'm done with you," he said flatly.
"What? You said you loved me. You promised to marry me. You promised to take me around the world. I helped you cultivate..." Amelia was at a loss for words.
"So because you helped me cultivate, I should marry you? That's not your place, dear." Alee stepped closer and removed a strand of red hair from her face. "Your place is to be a cultivation partner... a cultivation furnace that accelerates my growth. It's all thanks to you, and I've already paid you back with those valuable gifts in the box. You see, I didn't take advantage of you, my furnace."
"I... a cultivation furnace? How dare you call me a furnace?"
Amelia's aura flared as she punched Alee heavily in the face, causing him to stagger backward.
The crowd watched with keen interest as the matter escalated beyond expectation, yet no one moved. The stakes of involvement were too high.
"You call that a punch? You're so weak. You don't even fit to be my furnace, let alone my wife," Alee retorted as he stretched out his palm.
A giant green energy palm materialized in the air and grabbed Amelia before she could react. It squeezed her tightly, forcing a scream from her lips before flinging her toward the door.
She crashed to the ground, coughing out blood violently as one of her limbs snapped.
"You're nothing more than a used pebble. You helped in my cultivation—so what? Does that mean I'm obliged to marry you? Even your Patriarch doesn't have a say. If there's anyone to blame, it's your father. He forced this engagement with my father, and merry as they were, they both died in battle. Those who forged the engagement are dead. The engagement is null and void. Do you understand?"
The words struck Amelia harder than any blow. She tried to rise, but Alee waved his hand, and the giant energy palm slammed her into the ground again, cracking the floor. The Patriarch watched with a heavy expression, yet he could do nothing.
"I asked a question."
Alee raised his palm again, about to command the energy palm to strike her once more—
When the door suddenly burst open.
"WHO DARES TOUCH MY SISTER?"