Chapter 55: Where Longing Leads, One Arrives

Mu Yiren's steps were weak and faltering; last night, she hadn’t touched a drop of water. The thought of marrying Chen Lishi cut her heart like a knife. Yet the pain of her parents’ ashes was far more unbearable. She could not imagine how she would face her departed parents if their ashes were desecrated by Chen Lishi, turned into a chamber pot as he threatened.

She had cried through the night, whispering apologies into the air. No one knew those apologies were all for Ling Xiao. Her eyes, red and swollen from weeping, had lost their shine; at this moment, Mu Yiren was no longer herself, but merely an empty shell, devoid of soul.

Chen Lishi, watching her in this state, felt increasingly triumphant. A wave of satisfaction welled up inside him—this was exactly what he wanted. He wanted Mu Yiren to wish she were dead. The more devastated she was, the happier he felt.

"Yiren, from today, you are my woman. Suddenly, I feel that even losing my hands and feet was worth it," he said.

Mu Yiren cast him a cold glance. "You will never have my heart."

Chen Lishi's eyes narrowed, two cold gleams flashing from his gaze. "What do I need your heart for? I only want your body, to torment you. That’s enough." He paused, then sneered again. "Honestly, if you had agreed to my pursuit earlier, none of this would have happened. I wouldn’t be crippled, and you wouldn’t be at odds with me. What’s the point? Heaven has destined you to be mine. You can’t escape."

Mu Yiren clenched her teeth, refusing to speak further. Every word exchanged with Chen Lishi felt like a waste of her time.

Chen Lishi snorted and signaled to a nearby attendant. "Ignore her. Begin the wedding ceremony! Once it’s done, I’ll take her to the bridal chamber and make her suffer."

The maid nodded and immediately summoned the master of ceremonies.

The MC, a young man in a suit with a false, sanctimonious smile, launched into a lengthy speech, nearly as dreary as a eulogy. "On this joyous day..."

With every phrase, Mu Yiren felt her heart grow heavier, suffocating. She knew that when the MC finished, she would face the hardest moment of her life. But what must come, would come.

At last, the MC concluded his speech and moved to the formal vows. "Mr. Chen Lishi, do you pledge to marry the beautiful Mu Yiren at your side, to care for and cherish her all your life?"

Chen Lishi put on a gentlemanly smile. "I do."

The MC smiled and turned to Mu Yiren. "Very well. Ms. Mu Yiren, do you pledge to marry the handsome and dashing Mr. Chen Lishi at your side, to stay together through sickness and health, never to abandon him?"

Mu Yiren trembled, her face pale as wax.

The MC was taken aback, then whispered a reminder: "Ms. Mu Yiren... do you... pledge to marry Mr. Chen Lishi at your side?"

Mu Yiren bit her lips until they bled, refusing to utter a word.

The guests began to murmur. Chen Lishi’s face twisted with rage as he grated out, "Mu Yiren, what are you trying to do? Don’t mess this up for me! Otherwise, I’ll take your parents’ ashes and use them for urine!"

Mu Yiren trembled again. Her eyes, red from endless crying, misted over once more, tears swirling in her vision.

"Ling Xiao, the one I love most, I’m sorry! In the next life, I’ll repay you!"

Nearly hopeless, she whispered this, then parted her lips, ready to speak the word "I do."

Chen Lishi’s lips curled in triumph, as if he’d won a war.

But at that moment, a sudden accident occurred.

A golden light descended abruptly from the sky, falling outside the Chen family’s main gate.

With a thunderous crash, the cement ground was shattered into fragments.

Everyone was startled and looked outside. From the haze of dust, a handsome figure emerged.

His eyes blazed with murderous intent, making everyone tremble uncontrollably.

Mu Yiren turned sharply; in that instant, she could no longer hold back her tears as they streamed down her cheeks.

Chen Lishi’s eyes widened in shock.

"Damn it! How did he show up at this moment? Stop him! MC, hurry up—ask the question! As long as she agrees, she’ll be part of the Chen family!"

The Chen family’s bodyguards rushed toward Ling Xiao without hesitation.

Ling Xiao’s gaze never wavered from Mu Yiren; he strode straight toward her.

The first bodyguard charged him, throwing a vicious punch. Ling Xiao caught his fist and, without mercy, crushed the bones.

The man barely managed a scream before Ling Xiao slapped him so hard his head flew off.

The rest of the bodyguards surged forward. Ling Xiao roared, "Get out!"

With a single command, a surge of energy exploded from him, an immense, invisible force that blew all the charging bodyguards into a mist of blood.

Witnessing this, the MC shrieked in terror and fled.

Chen Lishi was beside himself with rage. "Bastard! Get back here! If you don’t, I’ll kill you!"

Even as he raged, Mu Yiren tore off her white veil and, without hesitation, slapped Chen Lishi’s face twice.

"Go to hell!"

With that, she sprinted toward Ling Xiao.

Chen Lishi coughed up blood in fury, but before Mu Yiren could reach the door, a gun was pressed to her head.

"Try taking one more step," came the threat.

Mu Yiren trembled, gritting her teeth, glaring fiercely at the man before her.

The patriarch of the Chen family, Chen Lishi’s father.

No one expected that this middle-aged man would pull such a deadly trick at the crucial moment.

He smirked coldly. "Trying to run? Do you really think you can escape? After you crippled my son, did you think the Chen family would let you off so easily? Let me tell you, if you don’t bear children for the Chen family, you’ll never escape for the rest of your life! You maids, keep watch over her!"

With that, he fixed his gaze on Ling Xiao outside.

"You, out there, you may stop now!"

Ling Xiao glanced at him indifferently. The patriarch pointed his gun at Ling Xiao.

"So it’s you, together with that little slut Mu Yiren, who crippled my son’s legs? You’ve got some nerve! Just because you’re a martial artist, you think you can treat my son this way? Do you really think you’re someone special?"

Ling Xiao’s expression remained impassive.

"If you... put down the gun now, I’ll let you die whole."

The patriarch burst into laughter. "Put down the gun? Don’t even think about it. Today, I’ll make you taste the pain of broken limbs! You will pay for what you did to my son!"