Chapter 136: 136

Chapter 136: 136

After a week of extravagantly indulgent eating and drinking back in the System Space, one day, after finishing lunch, her little System suddenly brought back some news:

Her mother was pregnant again!

In Nanyan's small world, her mother's complexion had already become much rosier and healthier. Especially after this pregnancy, she seemed much younger overall. It was uncertain if it was due to the System's miraculous medicine, which had cost Nanyan half of her mission points.

Since Madam Li's daughter had passed away, her health had significantly declined. She had thought that her life would remain this way, but one morning, she woke up feeling a stifling discomfort and nausea. Initially, she assumed it was because of the sweltering summer heat.

It was already late August or early September, the hottest time of the year in Yan Yun City. She had recently heard that Lady Chen of the Chen residence had gone into labor due to pregnancy complications, giving birth to a frail daughter.

This news inexplicably reminded her of when she gave birth to Yan Yan years ago. That incident had severely drained her health, and coupled with inadequate postpartum care, she had lost the ability to conceive again in this lifetime.

Regret was inevitable, but as her daughter grew older and spent each day by her side, that emotional burden gradually eased. Alas, fate had cruelly made her a parent mourning the loss of a child. By now, Lady Li had come to accept her lot in life; it was what it was.

However, she couldn't help but think that the child was ultimately innocent.

Li Qingruo's biological mother had long passed away from illness. The scholar named Chen had no parents, and the Chen residence lacked a matriarch to manage daily affairs. Apart from an elderly lady who was too old for such responsibilities, there was no one truly close at hand to care for the newly delivered Li Qingruo.

Madam Li sighed and instructed her servants to prepare two aged ginseng roots as a congratulatory gift for the Chen family, hoping to accumulate some blessings for her daughter's next life, praying that she would be born into a better family, no longer destined to...

At this thought, Madam Li felt an even greater weight on her chest. Lately, she had been experiencing discomfort all over her body, particularly an intense aversion to that old creature!

This aversion reached its peak the following noon during mealtime. Upon seeing the fish soup on the table, Madam Li promptly gagged and vomited. The maidservants around her were terrified, attending to her needs and patting her back. Lord Li was so startled that he dropped his chopsticks, promptly sending for a doctor. Demonstrating his enduring strength, he turned around, lifted his wife, and carried her straight to their inner chamber to rest.

Unfortunately, in the process, he strained his old back.

In the end, both Lord and Lady Li ended up lying down together – he sprawled on a couch in the outer room, contemplating the meaning of life, while she lay in their bedroom, observing those outside with a cold, disdainful gaze, utterly disgusted.

At such an advanced age, he still tries to emulate young couples, carrying his wife into the bedroom as if he were still young. Does he not realize the state of his aging limbs? For years, even climbing a mountain exhausts him. Can he really manage to carry her? Still insisting? How humiliating!

When the doctor arrived, Lord Li's wailing intensified. The physician first examined him, then announced that it was merely a twisted waist with no serious issues. A few plasters and a few days of rest in prone position would do the trick.

After that, the doctor went to the inner chamber to take Lady Li's pulse. After the consultation, the elderly physician laughed heartily, bowed twice, and exclaimed, "Congratulations, Lord Li! Your lady is with child, already two months along. Given her age, this pregnancy is somewhat precarious. Lady Li must take great care in these coming days. She must avoid excessive worry and anxiety. I shall prescribe some calming and prenatal herbs for her. Lady Li, remember to take them regularly each day."

Upon hearing this, Lady Li was utterly stunned.

What a joke! At thirty-three, with a daughter who should be having children of her own, she was unexpectedly pregnant!

For years, she had tried various remedies to conceive again, but with age catching up and her daughter no longer young, she eventually gave up altogether.

Yet now, the physician was telling her that she was pregnant once more.

Lady Li was so stunned that she could barely speak. Touching her flat abdomen, she realized that this child had been causing her discomfort all these days?

When Lord Li heard the news outside, it was as if a bolt of lightning had struck him. He somehow managed to rise and rushed in, grabbing the old physician's wrist, repeating frantically, "Doctor, you haven't made a mistake, have you? My wife is really pregnant? You're absolutely sure there's no misdiagnosis?"

The elderly physician's face turned stern. "I've been practicing medicine for over three decades, and I can recognize a simple pulse like this. Lord Li, you're still in your prime, but you must take better care of your body from now on. Look at that twisted waist injury of yours..."

The couple blushed under the old doctor's scolding, all bowing their heads in submission. Mrs. Li, feeling ashamed, glared at her husband, who, like a quail, dared not utter another word.

After seeing the doctor off, Mrs. Li caressed her belly and thought of her daughter, sighing with emotion. She believed it was her daughter's spirit watching over her, knowing that she would be alone in her later years, thus sending her such a precious gift.

...

Having observed everything in the miniature world, Nan Yan couldn't help but laugh. She stroked the system's small head and praised it, "Not bad, not bad. The divine medicine produced by the system is truly remarkable. I suppose there shouldn't be any danger for my mother this time during childbirth, right?"

The system flipped through the instructions and showed them to her, "Hopefully not. This medicine has restorative effects and, considering your mother has given birth once before, the second time should be smoother than the first."

Nanyan smiled warmly and waved her hand. "That's all right then."

"Alright, Host. Your new mission has commenced. Your vacation balance is running low, so please prepare yourself for the next mission promptly."

After finishing the last pastry, Nanyan spent her last enchanting night in the system space. She clapped her hands, turned around with great satisfaction, and headed to the new world to embark on her assignment.

Excellent, this time it was another high-stakes martial arts world filled with forced marriages and power struggles.

Forced marriages and power struggles, indeed! It was all about the thrill and excitement!

Excellent, now this promises to be entertaining.

Nan Yan smoothly entered the narrative world, which indeed proved to be an early version of a martial arts realm, filled with melodrama and excitement.

In the realm of martial arts, it was customary for such factions to be divided into two opposing camps. This world was no exception.

On one side stand the righteous sects led by numerous prominent martial arts families, chief among them the illustrious Zhao Clan of Qingzhou, renowned for their martial arts mastery, and the Murong Clan of Jingzhou City, an undisputed noble house and local powerhouse in the martial world. These esteemed families boast an countless number of disciples under their tutelage.

On the other side were the individuals from the Dark Cang Sect, who were commonly referred to as the demonic cult by the righteous factions. They were known for their whimsical actions and disregard for constraints. When they formed alliances, they rallied under the banner of the Dark Cang Sect's leader.

There exists another faction that remains neutral, albeit a small one, and for now, we shall set them aside.

These two factions have long respected each other's territories; righteous practitioners abstain from interfering with the demonic cult's domains, while the cult members avoid disrupting the peaceful lives of the righteous. This superficial peace has been maintained between them.

However, since the ascension of the new leader of the Profound Azure Sect, Xuan Cang, this delicate balance seems to be gradually crumbling.

The new leader, Yu Liuyun, is a remarkable martial arts prodigy with exceptional talent. His family was once a renowned righteous martial clan in the jianghu.

Yet, tragedy struck the Yu family not long after, as they were viciously attacked by an old enemy seeking revenge. The entire family was slaughtered, leaving only the male protagonist and his mother to narrowly escape with their lives.

The male lead, Yu Liuyun, had his martial arts completely crippled. Though he miraculously survived, he was practically no different from a disabled person.

At that time, he was so weak that he couldn't even defeat a scholar who couldn't lift a chicken. How could such a person possibly survive in the ruthless world of martial arts?

To make matters worse, shortly after, his only remaining family, his mother, passed away due to her injuries. The entire Yu family was left with just him. This situation was utterly despairing.

Well, he was undoubtedly one of the most tragically introduced male leads in history. However, he didn't deserve sympathy.

Nan Yan skipped through the subsequent plot and continued reading.

After the protagonist's mother passed away, he found himself helpless, stripped of his martial skills and without any support. With nowhere else to turn, he reluctantly followed his mother's dying wish and sought refuge with the Lin family in Qingzhou City.

This Lin family had a long-standing friendship with the Imperial family.

Miss Lin, Pianran, from the Lin family, was betrothed to him, bound by a jade hairpin as a symbol of their pact. Since he was fourteen years old, Yu Lianyun was aware that Miss Lin from Qingzhou City was his promised bride.

He had also met that petulant yet playful young lady, four years his junior, who would plop down on the table with mischievous delight and call him her betrothed elder brother whenever she visited the Mu family. It was then that Mu Liuyun etched that girl into his heart, vowing to marry her when they both grew up.

Regrettably, before he could fulfill the marriage contract, the Mu family was suddenly struck by a great calamity, and the engagement was naturally put on hold.

In the face of this tremendous upheaval within the Imperial House, unless he truly had no other options, Yu Liuyun would never have wished for his betrothed to witness him in such a pathetic state.

But there was no choice. For the sake of survival, he still had to go.

Alas, people in this world were often more inclined to add flowers to a brocaded garment rather than offer aid when one was in need.

Back when the Imperial House was at the height of its power in Songzhou, the head of the Lin family would personally visit each year, bearing generous gifts, and only after much persuasion and pleading did they manage to establish a marital alliance with the Imperial House.

Now...

After an arduous journey filled with tribulations, the protagonist finally reached the Lin Family in Qingzhou City. However, his disheveled and unkempt appearance prevented him from entering the premises. When Yu Liuyun recounted the entire story to the guards, he expected them to let him in, but to his surprise, the Lin Family member instructed the guards to beat him out.

Initially, Yu Liuyun assumed that the guards didn't recognize him. He tried every means to explain that he wasn't a fraud, insisting that he indeed had an engagement with the Lin Family's young miss, Lin Pianran, and even brought the token of their betrothal.

With great care, Yu Liuyun retrieved the hairpin his mother had given him before her passing, presenting it to the guards as proof. He offered that if they doubted his words, they could summon the head of the Lin Family and the young miss herself. He swore he was not a fraud and that the young miss would recognize him.

In response, one of the guards snatched the hairpin from his hand, threw it to the ground, and stomped on it with force.

Then, with disdainful eyes, the guard scorned him, comparing him to a beggar who dared to harbor illusions about the Lin Family's young miss – a comparison to a toad wishing to eat a swan, a fantastical and unrealistic dream!

The guard further remarked that the young lady's refusal to meet you was her final act of dignity towards you. You should look at yourself now, filthy and stench-ridden, how could you ever deserve our lady?

His disdainful mockery sent shivers down one's spine.

As for Yu Liuyun, witnessing his mother's hairpin being crushed underfoot, he, overwhelmed with despair, attempted to rush forward and fight the man. Predictably, he was once again surrounded by guards and beaten mercilessly, ultimately having an arm and a leg broken. Bruised and bloodied, he was discarded like a lifeless dog into a back alley among beggars, left to fend for himself.

Only later did Yu Liuyun learn that the Lin family's young lady already had someone she loved.

On the day of his visit, she was, in fact, accompanying the fifth legitimate son of the Zhao family from Qingzhou, appreciating lotus flowers in their estate.

How could Lin Pianran possibly agree, knowing that her former fiancé, armed with their old tokens of affection, was coming to claim her once more?

Without a moment's hesitation, he immediately instructed his servants to swiftly deal with Yun Liuyun and, in the process, destroy the former token of affection to avoid tarnishing his pristine reputation.

Now that Yu Liuyun is but a cripple, and the Yu family has been utterly annihilated in Songzhou, what could she possibly accomplish by marrying into such ruins? Would she be expected to brave the bitter north winds beside him each day, wandering and begging for their sustenance? How could a delicate lady like her endure such hardships? It would be more merciful to end her life with a single stroke of the sword! And yet, Yu Liuyun is nothing more than a wretched beggar now, his martial arts prowess revoked. Does he truly believe he is worthy of her hand in marriage, a man in such a pitiful state?

After Lin Pianran had the guards expel Yun Liuyun, the male lead did not die. Despite being severely wounded to the point of his last breath, given some time, he would swiftly regain his full vitality as before.

Yuliu Yun was no different. Not only did he not die, but one day, he was taken back by an old monster. That old monster turned out to be the previous leader of the Profound Azure Sect.

The Abysmal Azure Sect's Supreme Leader had merely been curious. This youth, who had mingled among the beggars, clearly had damaged meridians and severe internal and external injuries. For an ordinary person with such injuries, even if they didn't die, it would be impossible for them to stand up again.

Yet, this youngster defied the odds, not only surviving but also honing his skills with a wooden branch in the grove each night, fueled by sheer willpower. He progressed from barely being able to hold the branch steady at the outset to eventually wielding it with such prowess that each strike and parry carried an air of formidable determination.

The elderly leader, in a final moment of contemplation, decided to test the youth within the woods. He ultimately confirmed that the boy possessed extraordinary martial arts talent, but his skills had been crippled due to injuries to his meridians. Otherwise, with his innate gift, even without mastering superior martial arts techniques, he could have become a second-rate master in the martial world within five years. Rubbing his chin, the old leader eventually made the decision to take the boy back with him.

Yet, taking him back wouldn't guarantee a life of comfort.

Yuliu Yun had no clue who this person was. At first, he was extremely cautious, but the moment the old man mentioned that he could help restore his martial abilities, Yuliu Yun immediately became submissive.

Regardless of whether the person's words were true or false, given even the slightest chance of regaining his martial arts abilities, Yu Liuyun would not let it slip by.

Eventually, he found another elderly enthusiast for testing poisons, who inoculated him with toxins, experimented with medicines, and nurtured parasites within him. With great toil and tribulation, they managed to reattach his tendons and meridians, unblocking the obstructed pathways. As a result, he could practice martial arts with far greater ease than the average person.

Yuliu Yun thus became the disciple of this elderly man, only later discovering that this old fellow was none other than the renowned leader of the Profound Azure Sect in the martial world.

The elderly Sect Leader had ulterior motives for bringing back Yu Liuyun, otherwise, he wouldn't have gone through such great lengths to save him, teach him martial arts and inner techniques, and ultimately, marry his own daughter to him.

The Elder Patriarch had initially intended to mold him, to train him into a loyal guardian for the Profound Heaven Sect and his daughter, but he never expected that this faithful hound would turn out to be a wolf in waiting, biding its time to strike.

This wolf merely disguised itself as a dog when he was in a wretched state, and the old abbot had misjudged its true nature. However, by then, his health had already failed him; he was like a lamp running out of oil, nearing the end. Thus, he sought a dependable successor for his daughter, ensuring her future would be free from want and hardship.

Following the passing of the Elder Patriarch, Yu Liuyun seamlessly ascended to the throne of the Profound Azure Sect. Initially, there were dissenters who openly challenged him; however, after witnessing his unfathomable inner strength and overwhelming martial prowess, not a single member of the sect dared to defy him anymore.

The original owner of this body was none other than her, a mere supporting character with a backdrop role. She was the legitimate daughter of the former sect leader, who is now Yuliu Yun's wife.

Though Zhou Nanyan was the daughter of the Sect Leader of Profound Azure Cult, her constitution had always prevented her from practicing martial arts. Unable to wield any skills in this world of martial arts, she was particularly vulnerable to harm.

Hence, her father had sheltered her greatly. It was precisely due to his overprotectiveness that he had nurtured such a gentle and refined demeanor in his daughter. She enjoyed the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, was skilled in needlework, and often read books in her leisure time. She bore no resemblance to the children of the martial world.

After Zhou Nanyan married Yu Liuyun, their relationship could be described as polite and courteous.

Deep down, Zhou Nanyan genuinely liked her husband, but due to her shy and reserved nature, she never dared to express these feelings openly.

Yu Liuyun also showed her a considerable amount of respect. After all, she was the daughter of the previous Cult Leader, who was both his savior and half a mentor. Thus, he treated her with great respect.

However, their relationship didn't resemble that of typical spouses. Yu Liuyun had been coerced into marrying Zhou Nanyan from the beginning. The former Cult Leader had subtly and overtly threatened to reclaim everything Yu Liuyun possessed if he didn't marry his daughter.

Of course, Yu Liuyun had no choice but to comply and do so with reverence. But after the wedding, he felt indifferent towards this Cult Leader's daughter. It wasn't that he disliked her; it was just too bland. Their relationship was so tepid that even on their wedding night, when they were undressed and lying in the same bed, Yu Liuyun showed no reaction towards her.

Ultimately, it was Yu Liuyun who found an excuse, stating that his current cultivation of martial arts and inner energy was incomplete, thus he couldn't risk exhausting his vitality through intimacy. Hence, the matter of sharing a room was temporarily put on hold.

Zhou Nanyan, blushing at the time, hastily nodded her head in confusion and scrambled to dress herself. From then on, she dared not bring up the subject again.

After that, Yu Liuyun took up residence in the outer chamber.

For nearly half a year, the two of them maintained a polite and distant relationship. Zhou Nanyan had always believed that her husband held affection for her, despite his cold demeanor. He rarely shared anything with her, but perhaps that was just his introverted nature. The fact that he never spoke to her about external matters might have been his way of sparing her worry, as he indeed treated her with great respect.

This was how Zhou Nanyan rationalized their situation.

It wasn't until one day, when she saw a young lady imprisoned in the dungeon of the Profound Heaven Sect, that Zhen Nanyan realized her husband was capable of emotions. The girl in the cell furiously reprimanded him, pointing at his nose and calling him a wretched beggar, an abhorrent scoundrel. She swore that even if he kept her captive for a lifetime, he would still be nothing but a contemptible beggar to her, and she would never marry such a monstrous villain, a disgrace to the martial world!

Zhou Nanyan didn't know who this woman was, but in that moment, she understood that her husband wasn't devoid of feelings. He could be angry, furious, helpless, and mocking. He would be pained to see the imprisoned woman cry, yet after the sympathy, he'd mock her again. His love and hate intertwined, all stirred by that one lady.

But why, when facing his rightful wife, could he remain as calm as a tranquil pond? Sometimes, he couldn't even be bothered to feign interest.

Zhou Nanyan felt deeply devastated in that moment. Her husband was an entirely different person before her and another woman. She wondered now if he had ever held any genuine affection for her during their shared nights.

Taking advantage of her husband's absence, Zhou Nanyan ventured into the underground palace once more. It was then that she learned the captive woman's name was Lin Pianran, the eldest miss of the Lin family from Qingzhou City.

From Lin Pianran, she discovered her husband's past. They had once been betrothed, but the engagement was long since dissolved, and Yuliu Yun had taken her as his wife instead.

Lin Pianran, on the other hand, was engaged to the fifth legitimate son of the Zhao family. The trio had set out together to explore the world, intending to return and marry after their travels. Yet, somehow, Yuliu Yun had found out and captured her alone, imprisoning her in this dungeon devoid of sunlight.

It had almost been two months now. If she didn't reappear soon, her fiancé would be beside himself with worry.

Later, Lin Pianran pleaded with her to release her. If that was truly impossible, could she at least convey a message to her two companions so they could come to her rescue?

Reluctantly, Zhou Nanyan agreed after the girl's persistent pleading. She felt conflicted and sorrowful – conflicted over betraying her husband, and sad that he held such extraordinary feelings for Miss Lin.

Despite the girl's evident disdain for him, he insisted on keeping her captive. What kind of emotion drove him to such extremes?

In truth, Zhou Nanyan had her own selfish reasons for agreeing to let Miss Lin go. She hoped that once the girl reunited with her fiancé, they would quickly wed and return home, thus ending her husband's obsession.

Subsequently, Zhou Nanyan instructed her maid to pass a message to the two young men at the inn down the mountain. After they successfully infiltrated the Xuan Cang Sect, she offered them assistance, ultimately helping the trio escape. She wished for them to flee far away and never cross paths with her again.

Yet after fulfilling her duties, she returned to face her husband's uncontrollable rage. Yuliu Yun erupted, severing their relationship completely. The remnants of their past affection vanished without a trace.

Zhou Nanyan never imagined that one day her husband would fiercely grip her neck for another woman, then sternly declare:

From the beginning to the end, the only wife in his heart has always been Miss Lin. What are you? Just a stepping stone for my resurrection. How dare you lay a hand on someone I claim?

It was at that moment that Zhou Nanyan fully realized her husband had never loved her. She was not even worth a strand of Lin Pianran's hair.

In the depths of his furious loss of control, Yuliu Yun expelled her from the Xuan Cang Sect under the charge of heresy.

Upon issuing this command, he immediately dispatched personnel to retrieve Lin Pianran, who had managed to escape. Regardless of the circumstances, he was determined to bring her back. Upon learning the whereabouts of the trio, Yu Liuyun took matters into his own hands, personally apprehending Lin Pianran and severely injuring her fiancé right before her eyes.

When Zhou Nanyan was left alone and sent out of the Profound Azure Sect, she coincidentally encountered two severely injured individuals: Lin Pianran's fiancé, Zhao Xiuyan, and one of their companions, Murong Tao.

The two men, under the assumption that she had accidentally become lost, had originally intended to use her as leverage to exchange for Lin Pianran's return from the Xuan Cang Sect.

Yet, it was all in vain; Yun Liusu could tell that Yu Liuyun held no affection whatsoever for his former wife.

In their severely wounded state, neither Zhao Xiuyan nor Murong Tao could endure much longer. Eventually, they had no choice but to take Zhou Nanyan with them to an inn. However, upon arriving at the inn, Zhou Nanyan's exceptional beauty drew unwanted attention. That very night, she was abducted by a lascivious thief. Initially, Zhao Xiuyan intended to rescue her, but his companion merely dismissed the idea with a cold remark, "Forget it."

"It's not our concern anyway. If his own wife doesn't care, why should we exhaust ourselves to save him? Don't forget, Elder Sister Yan is still in his hands."

Though Zhao Xuyan felt a subtle discomfort upon hearing this, he didn't argue. After all, his fiancée was undeniably more important than a stranger.

With this thought, Zhao Xuyan dismissed the idea. Besides, it was well-known that women from the Demon Sect were often skilled and resourceful. Although he had never heard of the Sect Leader's wife before, she likely had the means to protect herself.

Thus, the two left Zhou Nanyan to her fate.

This negligence led to Zhou Nanyan being assaulted by a ravisher that night. After losing her innocence, she was devastated and stumbled out of the demonic den. At the foot of the Xuan Cang Sect's mountain, she overheard people discussing the news of the new Sect Leader remarrying.

Upon hearing this news, Zhou Nanyan was momentarily bewildered, alternately laughing and crying, unsure what wrong she had done to deserve such treatment.

In her ultimate despair and anguish, she stumbled through an abandoned wilderness, eventually finding an old tree. There, she wept for what seemed like an eternity before using her belt to hang herself from the branch.

And just like that, the former Sect Leader's wife met her end.

She had never harmed anyone throughout her life and had even lent assistance to many, yet in the end, she died in such a pathetic state, without even proper clothing to cover her.

Not even their corpses were given proper burial.

...

In the remaining storyline, the male lead persistently coerces and seizes the female lead. Despite his forced marriage, she continues to despise and resent him for destroying her lifelong happiness.

Upon realizing his genuine feelings for the female lead, the male lead starts to alter his approach to love. He constantly compromises for her sake, repeatedly putting himself in harm's way. Witnessing her pain, his own heart is tormented with regret and agony.

Ultimately, this transformation touches the female lead's heart. At a critical moment when both face life or death, they reconcile, becoming a blissful and complete couple.

As for the original fiancé of the female lead, Zhao Xiuyan, and the backup male character, Murong Tu, upon witnessing their beloved ultimately choose another, both were undoubtedly disheartened. However, they eventually elected to let go, each returning to their respective lives. They obediently followed the instructions of their elders, proceeding to marry, have children, and live out unremarkable yet contented lives.