Past, broken family

Jiang Lanzhi had already prepared thousands of dialogues for meeting Xiao Fan, and had told herself countless times that she must remain as cold as iron.

But the moment she saw him, she admitted that her heart still trembled uncontrollably.

None of her prepared openings were suitable; she just stammered out a soft, "Hello."

Dressed in luxurious purple-gold robes, with a soft jade belt around his waist, and a perfectly tall figure, the man who had once captivated her memory now stood before her again.

Her heart wavered for a moment.

But the next instant, she told herself that he was nothing more than a hypocrite with a righteous facade.

Do not repeat the same mistake!

Cannot repeat the same mistake!

Longing? Hatred? Love? Resentment? With myriad emotions intertwined in her heart, Jiang Lanzhi's gaze also revealed an indescribable complexity.

Xiao Fan composed himself; this time, he had to take it seriously.

"Would you like to go for a walk?"

"I'll show you around and help you get familiar with the surroundings," he said with a genuine and gentle smile.

Jiang Lanzhi's face flushed with shyness, and she softly whispered,

"Yes, I'm not very familiar with this place, so I'll trouble Young Master."

The two walked side by side, a perfect match, like a divine couple.

"Young Miss and Young Master are truly a good match."

"Yes, I heard Young Master is a heaven-blessed genius, even stronger than our Young Miss."

"Are these the prospective newlyweds?"

"Haha, it's not an exaggeration to say they are a match made in heaven."

Every Cultivator who saw them praised and envied them.

But only Xiao Fan was panicking internally.

He was the villain, and his fiancée was the Child of Destiny; how could they possibly be a couple? According to the normal process, he might be killed for her to achieve Dao.

He would be the husband who gets killed.

As he chatted and laughed with Jiang Lanzhi, he also opened Jiang Lanzhi's golden script.

[Jiang Lanzhi: Empress of Unfeeling Rebirth.]

[In your previous life, you were a mad Devil Head, forcing Jiang Lanzhi to Cultivate Evil Path Cultivation Technique. On the day she succeeded, you removed her heart and extracted her Bloodline, destroying her Foundation and rendering her a cripple.

Fortunately, Jiang Lanzhi obtained the Legacy scattered by Baihua Fairy, the ancestor of Hundred Flowers Holy Land. She rose against the odds, Cultivating for a hundred thousand years to finally become the Empress of Unfeeling.]

[By the time Jiang Lanzhi rose, you had already gone mad and died, but your deep love for her left an unforgettable scar in her heart.

She thought your death had erased all memories, but unexpectedly, her Heart Demon during her Undergoing Tribulation was the very knife you plunged into her heart on their wedding night.]

[With a flawed Dao Heart, she died miserably under the tribulation lightning. She was Rebirth into her youth, only to make up for the deficiency and ruthlessly trample you, the unfaithful man, underfoot!]

"Holy crap!"

Xiao Fan exclaimed, "Good heavens! When did I become an unfaithful man?"

Aside from that vague childhood encounter, this was their first meeting, wasn't it?

"System, you're not trying to trick me, are you? Although I'm a bit of a philanderer, I understand how to cherish women."

"How could I possibly dig out someone's heart? I usually engage in Dual Cultivation, which is sustainable Cultivation, okay? And I control the intensity, never Cultivating someone to death in one go."

[Absolutely true.]

[The 'you' in her memory is the same 'you' now; you are both the same person.]

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!" Xiao Fan denied.

How could I, an old pervert, kill a beautiful woman?

[Host, it is entirely possible.]

[In the timeline without the System, you would be affected by the Child of Destiny Xiao Yun's intellect-reducing aura, forming an enmity with him, being defeated by him, and serving as his stepping stone.

Losing to Xiao Yun caused a drastic change in your state of mind. You disregarded everything, only wanting to become stronger, even resorting to the most evil and yin-damaging method—the Heart-Devouring Mind-Cultivation Technique of Severing Affection and Eradicating Desire.

One condition for this technique is that one person must deeply love the other, using the heart of the deeply loved person as a guide to Cultivate this Cultivation Technique.

You showered Jiang Lanzhi with care, making her feel unprecedented tenderness and affection. A talented Young Master from a prominent family, showing her such meticulous concern—it was a textbook domineering CEO scenario. What woman could resist such treatment? Unbeknownst to her, Jiang Lanzhi fell deeply in love, her feelings arising inexplicably.

You were already a mad Devil Head at the time, and your love for Jiang Lanzhi was merely a means. Jiang Lanzhi, however, believed it to be true. On your wedding night, you stabbed her to death, digging out Jiang Lanzhi's heart. From then on, Jiang Lanzhi's love for you completely transformed into hatred. As deep as her love was, so deep was her hatred!]

[Your mother was even more heartbroken and grief-stricken. She never imagined that her most beloved son would commit such a heinous act.

To cure Jiang Lanzhi, your mother led people into a forbidden land to seek Immortal medicine for Jiang Lanzhi, and her soul lamp extinguished.

Jiang Lanzhi respected and loved your mother, treating her like her own. Upon hearing this devastating news, she felt suicidal. Fortunately, she received a Legacy, survived the ordeal, underwent Phoenix Nirvana, and Cultivated the Dao of Unfeeling, finally becoming the Empress of Unfeeling.]

[It was also because of your mother that Jiang Lanzhi did not destroy the Xiao Family, but the Xiao Family ultimately fell into Xiao Yun's hands.

When your father learned that your mother had entered the forbidden land and was in danger, he also entered the forbidden land and never returned.]

After reading all this, Xiao Fan's heart sank. Killing his wife on their wedding night, his parents implicated because of it, and his family ruined due to the appearance of the Child of Destiny.

The Child of Destiny was the greatest disaster!

This Xiao Yun must die!

At the same time, his gaze towards Jiang Lanzhi became softer, with a hint of apology.

Alas, this woman's fate was too tragic.

As the two walked, they arrived before a sea of flowers, where all the blossoms competed for beauty. Xiao Fan noticed an exceptionally vibrant flower, plucked it, and gently placed it in her beautiful hair.

He pointed to the sea of flowers before them and said with a smile,

"This is my Xiao Family's Star Sea Flower Garden, which absorbs the power of the stars and gathers a massive amount of Spiritual Qi.

I heard you are a Disciple of the Hundred Flowers Holy Land; Cultivating here should allow you to achieve twice the results with half the effort."

"This is my Young Master token. Take it; you can enter and exit this place freely from now on."

Xiao Fan handed his Young Master token to Jiang Lanzhi, showing his goodwill.

Jiang Lanzhi paused, her heart filled with emotion. It was a pity that this was merely a dream, destined to end.

"If only you could always treat me like this," she sighed helplessly in her heart, as if speaking of her own foolish fantasy.

After a moment of hesitation, she took the token.

"Thank you."

Are you going to try this again?

If this were my previous life, your actions would make me think you were very good to me.

But I understand that now, you merely want to use me as a tool.

Xiao Fan also realized something was amiss.

If I treat her this well, won't it be just like the previous timeline?

Combined with her frozen movement, it was clear she was on guard.

He wanted to explain, but then he thought, would she misunderstand this as him trying to cover something up?

Xiao Fan was caught in a dilemma.

It seems disarming Jiang Lanzhi won't be easy.

However, Xiao Fan was not without a solution.

"From now on, I'll call you Jiang Lan Zhi. You don't need to call me Young Master; it's a bit too formal. Just call me Xiao Fan," Xiao Fan said softly.

Jiang Lanzhi agreed outwardly, but scoffed inwardly.

Trying to get close again? Your methods are truly exactly as I remember them!

Xiao Fan didn't care about her thoughts; he simply said, "I heard you're participating in the Hundred Flowers Holy Land's Saintess assessment. Do you need my help?"

"No, I can manage it myself."

She said with a smile, her voice soft and weak, yet with a feeling of keeping people at a distance.

Xiao Fan didn't insist and continued,

"Haha, then you're very strong! I only just managed to get started with Cultivating this Righteous Qi under the guidance of the clan elders."

"But recently, I've had a new Epiphany." At this point, he said proudly, "Cultivating Righteous Qi to its highest Realm can cause a transformation, transforming one into a Righteous Qi Constitution."

"You should know about it, right?"

Jiang Lanzhi said, "I've heard a little."

Righteous Qi Constitution? It is very strong.

But a person with ill intentions like you will never reach that stage in Cultivating Righteous Qi.

"Then take a look at this," Xiao Fan said with a smile.

The next moment, he activated his Righteous Qi Constitution, and a surge of Righteous Qi emanated from him. An invisible aura made him appear radiant.

He was like an Immortal who slays demons and devils, with an innate Immortal demeanor.

Jiang Lanzhi's expression was stunned, her eyes wide. She murmured to herself, "How is this possible?"

"I just had an Epiphany by accident. How about it, is my Righteous Qi Constitution acceptable?"

"Mmm, it's very impressive."

Although Jiang Lanzhi appeared calm on the surface, her heart was incredibly shaken. Impossible, he, a mad Devil Head, couldn't possibly Cultivate a Righteous Qi Constitution!

Something must have gone wrong!

Xiao Fan restrained his aura, looking calm and composed. Seeing her stunned expression, his goal was achieved.

To clear my name, I can only weave a benevolent lie.