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

In this realm, what could surpass the label of trash?

A once-brilliant genius who had plummeted... straight into becoming utter waste.

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

He stood crippled now.

(Excellent!)

Bai Zihan mused with composure.

This outcome suited him ideally.

In the past, despite his "trash" reputation, he had managed to pursue cultivation.

Plus, he held the position of heir to the mightiest clan within the Desolate Heaven Empire.

That status had kept the Chu Clan from voicing any outright discontent, even amid his tarnished name and feeble aptitude.

Chu Ziyan had consented to their betrothal purely for its practicality.

Yet things had shifted dramatically now.

He was no longer the same.

A true invalid.

Indistinguishable from any ordinary mortal.

Even Chu Ziyan, who had once backed the union for its benefits, would no doubt waver.

The Chu Clan would undoubtedly demand its cancellation upon learning the truth. As for the Bai Clan?

They'd have scant grounds to resist.

After all, Bai Xueqing had severed her own engagement before.

Any strong opposition from the Bai Clan would only paint them as irrational.

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

A subtle smile tugged at Bai Zihan's lips.

(The ideal pretext.)

A smooth end to the betrothal.

No damage to reputation.

No lingering resentments.

No one left with regrets.

Still, that wasn't the core motivation.

The betrothal to Chu Ziyan held no real sway over his existence. Its presence or absence altered nothing for him.

He harbored no desire for other women, and the commitment didn't chafe at him.

He had to concede, though, that it spared him his parents' nagging about wedlock—something they'd undoubtedly hound him over otherwise.

The true value lay in the consequences that followed.

Appearing as a cripple brought certain perks.

His numerous foes would at last lower their defenses. Believing him harmless, they'd slacken their vigilance over him.

Sure, a few might view it as a chance for vengeance—but such foes amounted to nothing.

If he were still deemed dangerous, any attackers dispatched against him wouldn't be mere insignificant pests.

They'd be powerhouses of the Immortal Realm.

During the clash with the Demonic Forces, all had witnessed it plainly—

He could contend with cultivators at the Great Ascension Realm.

To take down such a figure, only Immortal Elders would step in.

And they'd orchestrate elaborate schemes for his demise.

But upon discovering his crippled state?

Most wouldn't even trouble with sending killers, given the backlash from the Bai Clan.

Those driven by old vendettas to act would inevitably drop their caution.

"I'm crippled!"

Bai Zihan declared.

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

Yet his poise bordered on the surreal.

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

(Hurry up...)

Bai Zihan pondered in silence.

(End it like the story's heroine would. Rest assured—I won't harbor bitterness like a spiteful lead character.)

He anticipated Chu Ziyan's rejection of their bond.

After all, no woman would relish tying herself to a disabled spouse.

However, what unfolded next shattered those expectations entirely.

"Bai Zihan..."

Chu Ziyan advanced, her forehead creased in concern.

Her gaze held no chill.

No scheming glint.

Just pure anxiety.

"Are you okay in your body?"

She inquired gently.

Bai Zihan went rigid.

"...Huh?"

Chu Ziyan drew nearer, inspecting for lingering wounds.

"Ack—I'm okay!"

Bai Zihan replied.

Witnessing Chu Ziyan's sincere concern stirred a pang of remorse in Bai Zihan.

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

He scowled to himself.

(This defies the script entirely!)

She ought to regard him with sympathy.

Or detachment.

Not this earnest care after news of his disability.

Bai Zihan held his breath.

Maybe she merely respected the Bai Clan's standing.

Or perhaps because Bai Xueqing, her closest ally, was his sibling.

Yes.

It must stem from that.

She couldn't possibly wish to cling to a betrothal with a cripple.

Thus, he lingered in wait.

Yet the situation stayed unchanged.

Beside Chu Ziyan, the others engaged in light conversation too, aiming to soothe his fears and assuring him to dismiss the doctor's verdict.

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

More voices chimed in that fretting was unnecessary, emphasizing he remained the Bai Clan's heir.

Only Bai Xueqing stayed quiet, her look and demeanor unlike the rest.

Whether from indifference toward him or doubt in his true crippling, Bai Zihan couldn't discern.

He figured it was probably the first.

At last, departure loomed.

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

Bai Tianheng assumed that amid the crowd, Bai Zihan couldn't freely express his feelings.

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

The Grand Elders agreed with nods. They departed one after another.

Chu Ziyan paused... then trailed after them gradually.

That's when Bai Zihan interjected.

"Hold on!"

All halted.

Bai Tianheng pivoted, 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 tent fell hushed once more.

Bai Tianheng's face grew taut.

Bai Zihan pressed on, seemingly advocating for Chu Ziyan.

"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 observed his son.

In those eyes, he detected no cunning—only surrender.

The formerly bold and assured Bai Zihan...

Now appeared to have forsaken his own spirit.

That insight stung deeper than any scar from combat. Under normal circumstances, he'd insist Bai Zihan forget such concerns.

He was his child, the Bai Clan's successor. No prior betrothal would shatter on his watch.

But confronting Bai Zihan's apparent defeat, he hesitated to push.

He chose not to impose, opting to honor his son's decision.

Bai Tianheng exhaled softly and nodded gradually.

He intended to affirm that if this was his desire, he'd raise no objection—but Chu Ziyan's interruption came first.

"That's unnecessary."

Chu Ziyan stated firmly.

Bai Zihan tensed.

Chu Ziyan moved ahead.

Her posture stood rigid, her stare resolute.

"Crippled or otherwise," she pronounced with clarity, every syllable solid and unyielding, "our betrothal endures."

The atmosphere turned utterly motionless.

Bai Zihan's thoughts went vacant.

"...What?"

Chu Ziyan faced him squarely.

"It appears there's a misconception," she went on evenly.

"From the start, I never consented to this betrothal due to your cultivation prowess."

Indeed—prior to their union, Bai Zihan was branded with worthless talent and zero prospects.

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

Whispers spread across the tent.

The Bai Clan's Grand Elders traded looks.

Bai Yuie inclined her head in approval.

"Well spoken," she remarked with a subtle grin.

"Staying firm in good times is ordinary. Yet holding true amid hardship..."

Her eyes turned to Chu Ziyan.

"That marks the true poise of a Bai Clan lady!"

Bai Ruhong chuckled lightly.

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

"Unwavering through profit or peril—this devotion shall not go without its merits."

Even Bai Ren dipped his head in accord.

Bai Tianheng regarded Chu Ziyan at length.

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

This prospective daughter-in-law...

She truly stands unparalleled.

Just one individual sensed none of the warmth.

Bai Zihan.

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

His reality seemed to warp.

No—

It seemed to crumble completely.

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

Even she couldn't fully shrug off the acclaim.

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

Her tone held steady, though the flush revealed her.

The Grand Elders beamed, evidently pleased.

Only Bai Zihan experienced a sharp tic at his lip's edge.

(...Give it her all?)

All for what, precisely?

Excelling as his spouse?

Excelling at derailing his meticulous schemes?

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

Their sights locked.

Her face eased, the prior concern lingering, now blended with unshakeable strength.

Determined.

Nearly... comforting.

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

Bai Zihan's pulse faltered—not from 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 embodied fidelity.

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

But for Bai Zihan—

Those very words tolled like a fatal decree.