The carriage came to a steady stop in front of the Lin Mansion.

Chen Sheng straightened his robes and stepped down.

After the gatekeeper announced his arrival, a flurry of footsteps echoed from within the mansion moments later.

The first to emerge was the County Magistrate, Lin Shou, a portly man with a full beard. At his side was a fair-skinned, curvaceous beauty clad in fine silks.

No introduction was necessary. Chen Sheng had already guessed the beautiful woman’s identity: she was the County Magistrate’s Wife, and also a legitimate daughter of the Yang Family.

He hurried forward two steps and bowed, his posture respectful yet dignified.

"This subordinate, Chen Sheng, pays his respects to Lord Magistrate and Madam."

"Commander Chen, no need for such formalities."

Lin Shou beamed as he sized up Chen Sheng. His gaze was scrutinizing, yet it held none of the anger one might expect from their previous conflict. Instead, it carried an inexplicable warmth, as if he genuinely admired the young commander.

"Thank you, sir." Chen Sheng straightened up, his expression composed.

Lin Shou turned to his wife, his tone becoming noticeably cooler.

"I still have some urgent matters to attend to at the office. Please show Commander Chen into the mansion and introduce him to the young ladies of the Yang Family. The Commander is a man of great talent and youth; we must not show him any discourtesy."

"Rest assured, my lord. I understand."

Madam Yang gave a slight curtsy, her face holding a polite, almost rehearsed smile.

Chen Sheng keenly perceived the subtle rift between the husband and wife, but he quickly suppressed the thought. ’The drama of a great house is none of my concern.’

Lin Shou nodded. Without another word, he boarded a separate carriage, surrounded by his guards, and departed.

"Commander Chen, please follow me into the mansion."

Madam Yang turned back to him, her smile suddenly animated. Her eyes roamed over Chen Sheng’s upright posture and handsome features, her admiration unconcealed.

"After you, Madam."

Chen Sheng stepped slightly to the side, his posture impeccable.

He knew better than to overstep his bounds in the County Magistrate’s Mansion.

Madam Yang chuckled behind her hand. Without further ceremony, she turned and began to walk, her gait graceful.

She had a voluptuous figure. With the sway of her hips, her full curves revealed a charm unique to mature women—like a ripe peach, she exuded an air that invited one to probe deeper.

Chen Sheng glanced instinctively, but quickly collected himself, assuming a look of perfect composure.

’The County Magistrate’s Wife... She’s not someone I can afford to get involved with.’

’At least, not now.’

"Commander Chen, you are a paragon of the army, young and full of promise. The Yang Family and I would certainly not try to fob you off with just any woman."

Madam Yang continued in a soft voice as she led him on. "The young ladies from the Yang Family we’ve invited today are all of the highest caliber in looks, disposition, and talent. I’m certain you will find one to your satisfaction, Commander."

"You praise me too highly, Madam. I am just a simple Martial Artist; how could I be so picky?"

Chen Sheng’s tone was mild and self-deprecating, but it then shifted to one of sincerity. "To be honest, I would be more than satisfied to find a woman with even a fraction of your charm, Madam."

His words weren’t entirely an exaggeration. The marriage alliance was a matter of expedience; appearance wasn’t his primary concern.

Unexpectedly, Madam Yang’s steps faltered for an almost imperceptible moment. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, a peculiar glint flashing within their depths. Then, she shook her head gently, her tone tinged with self-pity.

"You jest, Commander Chen. I am long past my prime. What charm do I have left to speak of?"

Chen Sheng just smiled, not pursuing the topic.

’His last comment had already bordered on inappropriate. Pushing it further would only invite speculation and cause unnecessary trouble.’

Seeing his reticence, a flicker of disappointment, nearly invisible, crossed Madam Yang’s eyes. She deftly changed the subject, beginning to point out the features of the mansion grounds.

They arrived at the edge of a garden, which was a riot of colorful blossoms. From within, the clear, bright laughter of young women could be faintly heard.

Madam Yang paused and pointed to several graceful silhouettes in the garden with a smile.

"Please look, Commander Chen. They are all here. I wonder which of them strikes your fancy?"

Chen Sheng stepped forward as bidden, his eyes sweeping across the young women in the garden, all in the bloom of youth.

Objectively speaking, these young women of the Yang Family were all pretty and charming, but they had the typical look of sheltered young ladies. None were particularly breathtaking. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

’For a moment, the absurd thought, ’Could we get a new batch?’ even crossed his mind, but he quickly quashed it with self-mockery.’

Just as he was about to point to someone at random and complete this formality, a woman in white, who had her back to him until now, turned around.

Her brows were like distant hills, her eyes like autumn pools, and her skin was fairer than snow. Her cool, aloof aura was tempered by a trace of gentle grace. She was, without a doubt, the most striking of them all.

Chen Sheng’s gaze narrowed. A decision formed in his mind. He spoke softly:

"Who is that young woman in white?"

Madam Yang followed his gaze, and her expression immediately turned complicated. After a moment’s hesitation, she lowered her voice.

"Commander Chen, that is Xueyao... She... She was Gao Qiheng’s fiancée. She’s just staying with us for a while to clear her head. Perhaps you might... consider one of the other girls?"

’Damn it all,’ she lamented internally. ’How could it be such a coincidence? He kills a man, and in the next breath, he takes a liking to his fiancée? This Commander Chen’s taste is just too...’

"Oh? Gao Qiheng’s fiancée?"

Upon hearing this, not only did Chen Sheng show no signs of backing down, but a stunning brilliance flared in his eyes.

"No. There’s no need to look at anyone else. It has to be her!"

’If his initial choice of Yang Xueyao was based solely on her outstanding beauty, then learning her identity changed everything. In his eyes, her value had just skyrocketed.’

’It wasn’t that he had any particular predilections. Rather, he instantly saw the enormous strategic value. Just imagine: how would the Gao Family react if they learned that before their Direct Lineage descendant was even cold in his grave, his fiancée was about to marry his sworn enemy?’

’This would be a soft blade twisting in the Gao Family’s heart. Better yet, it was the perfect catalyst for driving a wedge between the three great families!’

"This... This might be somewhat inappropriate, don’t you think?"

Madam Yang looked troubled. Staring into Chen Sheng’s increasingly fervent eyes, her sense of unease intensified. An unmentionable thought surfaced uncontrollably:

’Could it be... that Commander Chen has a taste for... married women? If that’s the case, then just a moment ago...’

She didn’t dare let the thought linger. Her cheeks grew warm, and she hastily pushed the absurd notion from her mind.

"What’s inappropriate about it?"

Chen Sheng’s tone was as sharp as steel. "A fiancée who has not yet married into the family is not a true wife. Now that Gao Qiheng is dead, the engagement is naturally void. Miss Yang is a free woman.

"If the Yang Family is serious about this alliance, then I believe Miss Yang is the most suitable candidate."

He deliberately emphasized the word "alliance," throwing the decision back to the Yang Family.

Madam Yang gave Chen Sheng a complicated look. After a long silence, she finally sighed and whispered a few words to the maidservant at her side.

The maidservant hurried into the garden and returned moments later, leading the woman in white—Yang Xueyao—who approached with a graceful, swaying gait.

"Aunt, you were looking for me?"

Yang Xueyao’s voice was soft and tinged with confusion. Her eyes flickered over Chen Sheng. Seeing his remarkable presence and the fact that her aunt was personally attending to him, she knew he could be no ordinary person and gave a slight nod in greeting.

"Xueyao, my dear, come and greet Commander Chen Sheng."

Madam Yang said, her voice holding a barely perceptible note of tension.

"My greetings, Commander Ch—"

Yang Xueyao began to curtsy as she spoke, but her words caught in her throat.

’Commander Chen? In all of Changshan County, there was only one commander named Chen... the murderer who had cut down her fiancé, Gao Qiheng, in the middle of the street!’

At this realization, her delicate frame trembled. She shot her head up, her beautiful eyes staring at Chen Sheng in utter disbelief. A storm of emotions churned within them—shock, fear, resentment, and a thread of helpless confusion, all tangled into a complex, unspoken turmoil.

"Greetings, Miss Yang."

Chen Sheng’s expression remained placid. He offered a faint smile, as if he hadn’t noticed the violent storm of her emotions in the slightest.

"Xueyao," Madam Yang took a deep breath. Knowing there was no avoiding it, she forced herself to speak. "The reason I asked you all here today is to discuss a marriage alliance between our Yang Family and Commander Chen. A moment ago, the Commander... expressed a favorable impression of you. What are your thoughts on the matter?"

The words struck like a thunderclap.

Yang Xueyao stood frozen, utterly stunned. The color drained from her lovely face, leaving it as white as a sheet.

’She and Gao Qiheng had known each other for years. While their love hadn’t been a passion etched into her very bones, there was affection between them. Her fiancé was barely dead, not yet cold in his grave, and now her family wanted to marry her off to his murderer?’

’How could she possibly accept this?’

"Aunt, I..." Her ruby lips parted, her voice trembling, her refusal plain to see.

However, before she could finish, Madam Yang cut her off, her tone leaving no room for debate.

"That’s enough. We’ll leave the matter at that for now. You may go. Your uncle will handle the specifics."

Yang Xueyao bit her lower lip, her pearly teeth digging in. She glanced at Chen Sheng, whose face was calm but whose eyes were sharp as daggers, then at her aunt’s unyielding expression. A bellyful of grievance and indignation could only be converted into a bitter whisper:

"Yes... Aunt."

She shot Chen Sheng one last, deep look—a look so complex it could make a man’s heart shudder. Then she turned and stumbled away.

From beginning to end, Chen Sheng watched it all unfold, a faint, barely-there smile on his lips.

’Watching Yang Xueyao’s devastated figure retreat, he felt not a shred of guilt. On the contrary, he found this whole affair... more and more interesting.’