General Roland Lowell’s words made Evan Chu’s heart jolt. His face instantly grew troubled as he replied, “General, you can’t be serious—this puts me in a really tough spot.”
Roland Lowell was also taken aback. He looked at Evan and asked, “Why would you say that? Do you mean you think my Lin isn’t pretty enough?”
Evan was dumbfounded for a moment. He never imagined in his wildest dreams that Roland would actually want his own daughter to follow him. This kind of blessing was way too much for him to handle.
He hadn’t even dealt with the Dream Maiden mess, and now Rowena Luo was suddenly thrown into the mix. Evan felt like his luck with women was almost cursed—yet he absolutely couldn’t accept this. His Pure Yang Constitution was a deadly blessing: any ordinary woman who became truly intimate with him could be burned alive by his overflowing Yang energy. Unless Rowena had a special Yin physique to counterbalance his power, getting close to him meant risking death itself. The danger was real, and Evan’s heart twisted at the idea of bringing disaster to someone he cared about—all for the sake of romance.
His Pure Yang Constitution wasn’t something just anyone could handle. Roland’s good intentions could only be gently refused—even if it might hurt Rowena, it was really for her own good.
“General, you might not know, but I’ve already got family—and more than one. If your daughter followed me, she’d only suffer. I can’t ruin her life,” Evan said seriously.
"I don’t care how many women you have! Even if you had a hundred, I’d still want to follow you!" Rowena burst out, her voice trembling with stubborn passion. "I just want to stay by your side, no matter what—no one can change my mind!"
Evan exchanged a glance with Selena, hoping she could help him out of this mess. Selena understood Evan’s constitution perfectly—just like her own. If she got involved with an ordinary man, she could drain him to death; for Rowena, being with Evan could mean losing her life as well.
Evan’s refusal was actually saving her, but nobody knew the real reason—they just thought he was being arrogant and looking down on her.
“General Roland, Evan really does have his reasons. He’s got important things to take care of and can’t afford to think about romance right now. Honestly, he’s even turned me down—and I’m a Divine Martial Realm Demon Clan princess. So it’s no surprise if he refuses your daughter too,” Selena said.
Selena’s words made everyone look at her. Everyone knew her identity—she was a Divine Martial Realm powerhouse, and stunningly beautiful to boot. But to hear that even Evan had rejected her? That was truly unbelievable.
Rowena stared at Selena in shock. “Are you serious? Why would he do that—does he not like women? Is he... into guys or something?”
Rowena really did dare to say anything. Evan suddenly felt so embarrassed—she’d even brought up that kind of rumor, making things go from bad to worse.
"Enough wild guesses! General, it’s not that I’m heartless—I really, truly can’t do it. Maybe one day you’ll understand. I’m doing this for her sake! If she follows me, it could cost her life—and I’d never forgive myself. You think it’s easy to turn someone away? Every word feels like a knife in my chest!" Evan’s voice was heavy with pain and responsibility, the weight of his own power pressing down on him.
Everyone here had status and pride. Roland’s proposal was partly because he admired Evan’s talent, and partly to repay Evan for saving his whole family. Since Evan refused, Roland couldn’t press the issue any further.
“Evan Chu, I hate you! Don’t think you’re so great—I don’t care anyway!” Rowena shouted, her voice trembling as she turned and ran away in tears.
Selena spoke up, “General, you’d better go after her. Your daughter’s got quite the temper—I’m worried she might do something reckless.”
Roland agreed with Selena’s assessment and said to everyone, “I’ll excuse myself for now. We’ll talk about this some other time!”
Evan knew he’d hurt another girl’s heart by doing this, but some things were bound to hurt people—he couldn’t help it.
He glanced at Skylar Yule and said, “I was planning to leave tomorrow, but after all this, everyone’s feeling pretty upset. I’ve decided—I’m heading home right now!”
“Wait for me—I’ll get ready and go with you!” Skylar Yule said, then turned and left.
“Bro Evan, I’m coming too! You can’t leave me behind!” Gavin Wei immediately chimed in.
Evan could only nod helplessly. Still, Gavin had a family—he wasn’t sure if tagging along was really the right choice.
Evan, Selena, and the others didn’t have much to pack. Soon, Skylar Yule returned in plain clothes, smiling. “It’ll just be me this time. Elder Warren will stay and guard the manor—I’ll send someone to prepare a carriage!”
“No need for a carriage. If we relied on that, who knows how long it’d take to get home? We’ve got our own ride,” Evan said.
Just then, Goldwing appeared before everyone. “Boss, what’d you call me out for?”
"I need to head home. Goldwing, carry us back!" Evan commanded. Goldwing had just broken through to a higher realm, and his cultivation made him faster and stronger than ever—his speed now rivaled even Selena’s full-powered flight.
Goldwing replied, “Alright, let’s head outside—there’s not enough space in here for me to stretch out.”
Everyone climbed onto Goldwing’s back and left the Second Prince’s Manor. At that moment, a tearful young woman watched Goldwing soar into the sky and whispered, “Why did you have to reject me? Did you know that I liked you from the very first time I saw you at the restaurant?”
“Rowena, some things just aren’t meant to be. Don’t be too sad. Evan Chu is destined for greatness—I doubt his ambitions stop at our little Heavenly Dragon Empire. Just knowing him is already something special,” General Roland Lowell said, appearing behind Rowena.
“Father, my heart hurts—it hurts so much...” Rowena sobbed as she threw herself into General Roland Lowell’s arms.
Meanwhile, Goldwing was flying at incredible speed—especially after his recent breakthrough. Even Selena was shocked; his pace now nearly matched her own full-powered flight.
From the Royal Capital to Evan’s home in Flowing Cloud City, Goldwing could cover the distance in just half a day. By noon, they were already five li away—a traditional Chinese unit of distance, with one li being about 500 meters (roughly a third of a mile).
Evan had Goldwing stop. A beast that huge would cause a sensation in Flowing Cloud City, and Evan just wanted to see Dominic Chu and Luna Chu—he didn’t want to draw too much attention.
The four of them walked back on foot, and Evan felt a wave of nostalgia as he took in the familiar mountains and rivers. He remembered all the things that had happened here back when he was just a Mystic Warrior.
Soon, the four arrived at Evan’s home—only to find the gate tightly shut, sealed with a notice from the City Lord’s Mansion. Evan was startled.
He’d been gone for a year and never imagined something like this could happen. Was it because of the nationwide manhunt for him? That thought flashed through his mind.
Skylar Yule stared wide-eyed. "Second Brother, this is your house? Who the hell dared to do this? Seal the ancestral home of Prince Valiant—are they tired of living? Whoever’s behind this must have a death wish!"
Evan didn’t answer. Instead, he went next door to ask around. The neighbor saw him, recoiled in shock, and spat, "You actually dare to show your face here? Your family’s been thrown into the City Lord’s Mansion—all because of you! They gave a three-day deadline: if you don’t surrender, every last Chu will be executed. You’re a walking disaster, Evan Chu! You bring ruin wherever you go—everyone here hates you!"
The moment Evan heard this, his eyes blazed with fury and guilt. He dashed back to his group, voice thunderous and indignant: "Let’s go! We’re storming the City Lord’s Mansion right now—I’ll make them pay and bring my family home! If anyone stands in our way, I’ll crush them!"