Chapter 11: The Future Left to Oneself

The moment he opened his eyes, Chu Li felt as if his body were bound by lead weights.

Although he had long known his constitution was frail, he didn’t expect that a single all-out sword strike at the mid-stage of the Postnatal Realm would leave him in such a state.

“As I thought, without the Martial God bone, the time I can actually fight is extremely short,” he muttered.

“With such little time, if I’d met an ordinary demon it might have been manageable—but if it were a formidable foe, I might have fallen first.”

“I have to figure out some solution.”

Muttering these thoughts in a haze, Chu Li’s vision gradually cleared. It was then that a figure approached.

“Chu Li! Are you all right? I’m Nangong Shi of the Nangong family—do you still remember me?”

Nangong Shi’s voice was strained. Although they had met once in childhood, neither left a deep impression on the other.

Who would have thought that after more than ten years—and with their betrothal effectively nullified—they would meet again like this.

At her words, Chu Li slowly nodded and gave a hearty laugh. “Miss Nangong Shi, of course I remember you. It’s been a long time.”

“It really has. Earlier you had a bamboo hat on and I didn’t recognize you. By the way, Chu… er, why are you here?”

Although she had her suspicions, Nangong Shi asked directly. Chu Li smiled and shook his head at her question.

“Miss Nangong Shi, you don’t need to call me ‘Young Master Chu’ anymore. Actually, I’ve left the Chu family and am making my own way.”

“What!?”

Eyes wide with astonishment, Nangong Shi could hardly believe her ears.

Leaving the Chu family?

Those words sounded so simple, yet carried the weight of a thousand pounds!

The Chu family was one of Daxia’s great clans—many would break their necks to enter its ranks, yet Chu Li had chosen to quit?

“Chu Li, leaving the Chu family—do you know what that means? Why did you do it?”

Nangong Shi reached out to steady him, anxiety in her voice. Chu Li lowered his gaze and let out a self-deprecating laugh.

“In truth, there was no great reason. In that household, I was nothing but an outsider.”

Hearing these words, Nangong Shi couldn’t help but tremble.

As she feared! Was it because of her that he had been implicated?

Leaving one’s family was a grave taboo—no one would do so unless they had suffered unbearable humiliation.

And yet… after all, Chu Li carried the blood of the Chu family. Could the Chu family really have cast him aside like this?

Looking at Chu Li’s pale face, as if he might fall ill at any moment, Nangong Shi found it hard to believe something like this could happen.

Blood is thicker than water—that was what she had been taught since childhood. It was hard to imagine that there could be family members this heartless in the world!

But in the next moment, Chu Li’s words completely ignited her fury.

“I was born frail, and without the Chu family’s Martial God Bone, I could only live five years—but the Chu family didn’t want to give it to me. Instead, they gave it to the adopted son, Chu Ming.”

“What did you say? The Chu family actually did something so outrageous!?”

As Chu Li revealed the cause of it all, it wasn’t just Nangong Shi who was stunned—even Xiao Tao beside her was shocked!

As the saying goes, ‘one doesn’t let fertile water flow into outsiders’ fields.’

The Chu family’s Martial God Bone was the clan’s most precious treasure, of immense benefit to a martial cultivator—it could even change fate itself.

Yet they had chosen not to give it to their sickly biological son, and instead gifted it to an adopted child!?

Such an act wasn’t just exclusion—it was utter ruthlessness, showing complete disregard for Chu Li’s life!

“What was the Chu family thinking, making such a decision?”

“Outrageous! You and I are betrothed—you are my fiancé, and yet the Chu family dared to treat you like this!”

Looking at the lone figure of Chu Li before her, Nangong Shi felt both anger and an overwhelming guilt.

Because she vaguely sensed that Chu Li not receiving the Martial God Bone was at least partly because of her.

In this generation, the Nangong family had only her as an only daughter—which meant if the two of them married, either Chu Li would marry into the Nangong family, or any sons they bore might be claimed by Nangong.

In such a situation, if Chu Li possessed the Martial God Bone, their children’s martial talent would likely be greatly enhanced, which would obviously be very advantageous for the Nangong family!

Conversely, if Chu Li didn’t have the Martial God Bone, then even if a bit of the Chu family’s bloodline flowed into the Nangong family, it was likely the children would be mediocre—or frail like Chu Li himself.

“They took the benefits of the marriage alliance, yet ensured their bloodline power wouldn’t flow out. What a cunning calculation by the Chu family!”

“But to sacrifice their own flesh and blood for this… truly ruthless!”

“As his fiancée, not only did I fail to help him—I instead dragged him down to this miserable state!”

Thinking of this, Nangong Shi felt an ache in her heart, overwhelmed by how deeply she owed Chu Li.

After Chu Li left the Chu family, their engagement had undoubtedly been annulled as well. But after thinking for a moment, Nangong Shi still made her decision.

“Chu Li, since there’s no longer a place for you in the Chu family, why don’t you come to the Nangong family?”

“Miss!?”

At these words, Xiao Tao beside her cried out in shock.

Bringing a man back to the residence wasn’t a small matter—let alone a former fiancé!

If this news reached the academy, who knew what kind of rumors it would spark.

On the other side, Chu Li also widened his eyes, surprised as he looked at the beauty before him.

Nangong Shi—he knew this woman all too well. Not only did she have breathtaking looks and sharp intelligence, but she was also noble in character, devoted in love, and exceptionally gentle toward those she cared for.

Her virtues were too many to count.

But the problem was: at this point in time, there shouldn’t really be any deep feelings between them, should there? Why would she risk so much to take him in?

Looking into Nangong Shi’s sincere eyes, Chu Li felt deeply moved, but in the end, he still shook his head.

He wanted to spend the last five years of his life for himself.

“Thank you for your kindness, Miss Nangong, but I already have a goal.”

“A goal? What is it?”

“I want to spend the last five years of my life slaying demons and monsters—to do something for this world. That’s also why I appeared here today.”

“!”

At these words, Nangong Shi’s eyes widened in shock, as if she were seeing Chu Li for the first time.

Even Xiao Tao beside her was full of disbelief.

A young master of a noble family, who could have enjoyed luxuries beyond the reach of ordinary people—yet he had chosen to abandon all that, and use his remaining life to protect the common folk from demons and monsters?

It sounded like something straight out of a storybook. But looking into Chu Li’s clear, resolute eyes, Nangong Shi couldn’t help but believe him.

Because in his gaze, she saw only calm conviction and compassion for the world.

This kind of look was not something an ordinary person could have.

This… is my former fiancé?

No wonder he possessed such swordsmanship.

In that moment, Nangong Shi suddenly felt a sense of inadequacy—Chu Li’s image seemed to grow infinitely taller in her heart.

And seeing him so frail and exhausted deeply touched the softest part of Nangong Shi’s heart.

“Chu Li… no, I remember they used to call you ‘A-Li’, right? May I call you that?”

“Of course.”

Gazing gently at the young man before her, Nangong Shi took out a wooden box and smiled sweetly.

“Then, A-Li, would you please accept this?”