Turns Out, I’m In A Villain Clan! Chapter 423 Engagement Broken??

In this realm, what could be more pitiful than mere trash?

A former prodigy who had plummeted... straight into worthlessness.

The physician's declaration had already sealed it for all those gathered there—

He was ruined.

(Excellent!)

Bai Zihan mused with composure.

This outcome couldn't be better.

In the past, no matter how much they labeled him a "trash," he could at least practice cultivation.

Plus, he retained his position as the successor to the mightiest family in the Desolate Heaven Empire.

That kept the Chu Clan from voicing any outright discontent, despite his tarnished name and feeble aptitude before.

Even Chu Ziyan had consented to the betrothal—for pragmatic gains.

Yet now?

Things had shifted entirely for him.

A broken shell.

Indistinguishable from an ordinary human.

Even Chu Ziyan, who had once committed to the match for sensible motives, would undoubtedly waver.

The Chu Clan would without doubt demand its cancellation upon learning the truth. As for the Bai Clan?

They'd have scant grounds to resist.

After all, Bai Xueqing had shattered her own betrothal in the past.

Should the Bai Clan resist vigorously, they'd only appear irrational.

Besides, Bai Zihan had already resolved to convince his father.

A subtle arc formed on Bai Zihan's mouth.

(The ideal justification.)

A smooth end to the betrothal.

No humiliation suffered.

No lingering resentments.

No one left with regrets.

Still, that wasn't the core motive.

The betrothal to Chu Ziyan didn't truly disrupt his existence. Its presence or absence altered nothing in his world.

He harbored no desire for other females, and the commitment didn't irk him.

He had to concede that the engagement spared him his parents' nagging about wedlock—which they would have hounded him over otherwise.

What truly counted... was the fallout.

Appearing as a cripple brought its perks.

Numerous foes would finally sigh in relief. Believing him harmless, they'd slacken their surveillance.

Sure, a few might seize the chance for vengeance—but those sorts were negligible.

Were Bai Zihan still deemed dangerous, the attackers dispatched against him wouldn't be trivial novices.

They'd be powerhouses of the Immortal Realm.

Indeed, amid the conflict with the Demonic Forces, all had witnessed it plainly—

He could confront cultivators at the Great Ascension Realm.

To dispatch such a figure, Elders of the Immortal level would need to act.

And they'd devise elaborate schemes for his murder.

But upon discovering his crippled state?

Plenty wouldn't trouble with dispatching killers, given the hassle of clashing with the Bai Clan.

And those driven by spite or similar motives to send assassins would inevitably drop

their vigilance.

"I'm crippled!"

Bai Zihan declared.

With those words, Bai Tianheng and the rest at least verified that Bai Zihan grasped his fate.

Yet his tranquility bordered on the unbelievable.

Bai Zihan tilted his head a bit, fixing his eyes on Chu Ziyan.

(Hurry up...)

Bai Zihan pondered in silence.

(End it like the lead female should. Rest assured—I won't nurse grudges like a spiteful lead male.)

He anticipated Chu Ziyan's rejection of the betrothal.

Undoubtedly, she wouldn't relish binding herself to a cripple as her spouse.

However, what followed... defied all that.

"Bai Zihan..."

Chu Ziyan advanced, her forehead creased in concern.

Her gaze held no chill.

No scheming glint.

It brimmed with genuine fret.

"Are you okay?"

She inquired gently.

Bai Zihan went rigid.

"...What?"

Chu Ziyan drew nearer, inspecting for lingering wounds.

"Argh—I'm fine!"

Bai Zihan replied.

Witnessing Chu Ziyan's sincere concern for him, a pang of remorse stirred within Bai Zihan.

She fretted over him, while he schemed to deceive her.

He scowled in his thoughts.

(This defies the script!)

She ought to regard him with sympathy.

Or detachment.

Not such care after the revelation of his crippled state.

Bai Zihan lingered in expectation.

Maybe she merely respected the Bai Clan's prestige.

Or perhaps it stemmed from Bai Xueqing—her closest ally—being his sibling.

Yes.

It must be that.

No chance she truly wished to uphold a betrothal to a cripple.

Thus, he endured.

But the situation held steady.

Alongside Chu Ziyan, the others engaged in light conversation too, aiming to soothe his anxieties and assuring him to disregard the doctor's verdict.

Bai Ren even bragged about knowing an Alchemist capable of forging a pill to fully restore his form.

The rest insisted there was no cause for alarm and affirmed he remained the Bai Clan's successor.

Only Bai Xueqing stayed mute, her look and demeanor diverging from the crowd's.

Whether from indifference toward him or doubt that he was truly crippled, Bai Zihan couldn't discern.

He figured it was probably the first.

At last, departure loomed.

"Zihan'er requires repose," Bai Tianheng murmured. "All of you, let him have some peace."

Bai Tianheng assumed that amid the throng, Bai Zihan couldn't reveal his real feelings.

So they ought to withdraw for now, allowing him room to absorb the blow to his physique.

The Grand Elders assented. Gradually, they pivoted to exit.

Chu Ziyan wavered... then trailed after them unhurriedly.

That's when Bai Zihan voiced out.

"Hold on!"

All halted.

Bai Tianheng wheeled around, taken aback.

"Zihan, is there something you require?"

Bai Tianheng queried.

Bai Zihan drew in a measured breath.

"Father... regarding my betrothal to Chu Ziyan." The pavilion fell hushed once more.

Bai Tianheng's face grew taut.

Bai Zihan pressed on, seemingly advocating for Chu Ziyan's benefit.

"Given my state," he articulated deliberately, "the Chu Clan ought not bear a cripple as their prospective son-in-law."

He cast a look toward Chu Ziyan.

"Chu Ziyan merits far more."

Bai Tianheng remained silent.

He merely regarded his offspring.

In his stare, he detected no scheming—only surrender.

The formerly bold, assured Bai Zihan...

Appeared to have forfeited his self-belief.

And that insight wounded deeper than any combat scar. Typically, he would assure Bai Zihan such matters were trivial.

He was his boy and the Bai Clan's inheritor still. No chance he'd permit a settled betrothal to shatter.

Yet he refrained from challenging the despondent Bai Zihan.

He chose not to impose and resolved to honor Bai Zihan's decision.

Bai Tianheng exhaled softly and nodded gradually.

He intended to voice that if this was his desire, he wouldn't oppose—but Chu Ziyan's interruption preempted him.

"No such thing is necessary."

Chu Ziyan proclaimed.

Bai Zihan tensed.

Chu Ziyan moved ahead.

Her posture stood erect, her stare resolute.

"Crippled or otherwise," she stated distinctly, every syllable solid and unwavering, "the betrothal persists."

The atmosphere turned utterly motionless.

Bai Zihan's thoughts went vacant.

"...What?"

Chu Ziyan faced him squarely.

"A misconception appears to exist," she went on evenly.

"From the start, I didn't consent to this betrothal due to your cultivation prowess."

Indeed—prior to the betrothal, Bai Zihan was deemed to possess trash-level talent, devoid of prospects.

Though love hadn't prompted her agreement either, it certainly wasn't his cultivation that swayed her.

Whispers spread across the pavilion.

The Bai Clan's Grand Elders traded looks.

Bai Yuie inclined her head in approval.

"Splendid words," she remarked with a subtle grin.

"Staying firm in good times is ordinary. But upholding loyalty amid hardship..."

Her eyes turned to Chu Ziyan.

"That embodies the true poise of a Bai Clan Lady!"

Bai Ruhong chuckled lightly.

"Haha! Quite so. Such determination is scarce in the youth."

"Unyielding to profit or setback—this devotion will certainly find its due."

Even Bai Ren dipped his head in concurrence.

Bai Tianheng fixed his gaze on Chu Ziyan for an extended beat.

Then... a layered grin emerged on his features.

This prospective daughter-in-law...

She truly stands unmatched.

Just one individual sensed none of the warmth.

Bai Zihan.

(...This veers far from the intended path.)

His reality seemed to have skewed.

No—

It had crumbled entirely.

Chu Ziyan's ears tinted pink beneath the Immortal Grand Elders' scrutiny.

Even she couldn't fully shrug off such acclaim.

"I... I'll give it my all," she murmured, dipping her chin momentarily.

Her tone held firm, though the flush revealed her inner stir.

The Grand Elders beamed, evidently pleased.

Only Bai Zihan's lip corner spasmed sharply.

(...Give it her all?)

All at what, precisely?

All at wedding him?

All at dismantling his meticulous scheme?

Then—perhaps catching his stare—Chu Ziyan lifted her eyes.

Their gazes locked.

Her face gentled, the prior concern lingering, now blended with unyielding strength.

Determined.

Almost... comforting.

"Therefore," Chu Ziyan stated, meeting his eyes directly, "you needn't fret!"

Bai Zihan's pulse faltered—not with eagerness, but dread.

"You will absolutely wed me."

Hush!

The declaration lingered like a holy pledge.

To the others, it echoed with romance.

To the Grand Elders, it signified devotion.

To Bai Tianheng, it brought solace—no, deeper still. Appreciation.

But to Bai Zihan—

Those words tolled like a fatal decree.