Chapter One: Severed Ties Beneath Falling Snow
In the frozen majesty of Silver Frost City, carved into the icy bones of the Northern Continent, the great Tian Family stood as one of the Four Pillars of sword cultivation. Their ancestral hall, a cold fortress of steel and snow, was rarely disturbed—yet today, the wind itself seemed to whisper of change.
Inside, beneath the looming banners of sword-shaped constellations, the hall buzzed with subdued tension.
A guest had arrived. Not a stranger, but someone whose name once echoed like a soft melody in this cold place—Yue Shuang, daughter of the Yue Clan, and more importantly... the fiancée of Tian Jian.
The great doors swung open with a gust of snow. She entered with the grace of drifting frost, clad in the icy-blue robes of the Ice Sword Sect—one of the Six Supreme Sects of the Northern Continent. Her face was serene, beautiful, untouched by emotion, but her eyes were clear with purpose.
The elders recognized her at once. Murmurs stirred. Tian Jian, still young and recovering from secluded training, stood silently at the side, confused yet unreadable.
Tian Wuye, the family patriarch, raised an eyebrow. "Yue Shuang. The Tian Family welcomes you... but this is not a casual visit, is it?"
Yue Shuang stepped forward, her voice calm as falling snow. "No. I come to annul the marriage agreement between our families."
A gasp rippled through the hall.
"My pursuit is the sword," she continued. "I have joined the Ice Sword Sect, and they have forbidden attachments that may hinder one's path to the Dao. Emotions cloud clarity. Ties drag the blade."
Tian Jian's expression didn't change. But his fingers curled slightly.
Tian Wuye's voice was sharp. "This agreement was made in the name of unity between clans. Do you understand what you ask?"
"I do," she replied. Then, after a pause, her gaze flickered to Tian Jian. "If you truly wish to walk the path of the sword, Tian Jian... you'll understand why I must sever what holds me back."