Forced to Become the Protagonist of a Restricted Novel [Transmigration & Rebirth] - Chapter 5

Su Cheng froze completely.

She could hear the man inhaling, like a hound searching for its prey. His lips almost touched the hollow of her shoulder.

The demi-human’s body temperature was high, and his steady, drawn-out breaths came like waves of scorching heat, burning through the fabric to sear her wound.

Su Cheng instinctively tried to pull away, but the other side of her shoulder was seized by him. His large, gloved hand pressed firmly against her shoulder blade, pinning her in place.

They were so close that the long ears atop his head occasionally twitched, the soft fur at their tips trembling along with them.

They almost brushed against her face.

Su Cheng: “…”

As if possessed, she reached out and gave one a pinch.

So soft!

The fur at the tip of his ear was even softer than she had imagined, like silk wrapped around cotton. As her fingertips grazed over it, she could feel the fine down sweeping across her skin.

She instinctively stroked the cartilage behind his ear.

A stifled groan suddenly escaped the man’s throat.

The hand gripping her shoulder abruptly tightened. “You—”

Su Cheng: “…”

Su Cheng felt like she might die.

But since she had already done it, she might as well give it another rub.

Ling Yang: “…”

The Holy Knights in the courtyard: “…………”

Their expressions were hidden behind their visors, making their reactions unreadable, but their breathing collectively stopped for a few seconds.

Clearly, many of them had seen it.

Su Cheng cleared her throat, letting go with a straight face. “There seemed to be a mosquito on your ear just now.”

The red-haired man straightened up, looking at her with an amused yet questioning gaze. “Why—”

Su Cheng wanted to strangle herself.

She couldn’t very well say, “Because I really like puppies,” could she?!

“—Do you already have mosquitoes here in spring?”

The Legion Commander said slowly, looking genuinely puzzled.

Su Cheng: “?”

Su Cheng quickly seized the opportunity to play along. “The climate here is just weird like that—”

Ling Yang suddenly raised his hand and pressed it against her forehead.

Su Cheng immediately froze.

The Legion Commander of the Church, in terms of combat prowess, was undoubtedly among the elite of the Holy Knights.

A powerhouse of his level could crush her into paste with a single finger.

The smooth leather left a cool sensation against her skin.

She saw a gentle white light, followed by a slowly spreading warmth. The swelling on her forehead vanished in an instant.

“Feeling better?”

The man’s fingertips trailed slowly down from her temple, pausing briefly at her cheek before lightly circling around, finally hooking onto her small earlobe.

He leaned in closer. “It must have hurt a lot back then—”

He seemed to be referring to her forehead, but his gaze was fixed on her shoulder.

Su Cheng was about to speak.

Ling Yang suddenly pinched her burning earlobe.

His index finger slid slowly down the curve behind her ear, all the way to the fatal spot at the base of her neck, watching with satisfaction as the girl stiffened completely.

Then, that comforting warmth flowed once again, spreading toward her injured shoulder and quickly soothing the lingering pain.

Su Cheng met his gaze.

The Legion Commander still wore that smiling expression. “You’re welcome.”

“…Thank you.”

Su Cheng wanted to nod in acknowledgment, but since he still held the back of her neck, she could only maintain her upturned face.

“As an apology for disturbing you so abruptly,” Ling Yang looked down at her, “though I only came to take a look after hearing about your situation.”

“What?” Su Cheng was bewildered. “The broken engagement? Even you’ve heard about it?”

“Hahahaha, of course not,” Ling Yang couldn’t help laughing again. “It’s the bracelet your uncle submitted to the temple yesterday. Because of its significance, it’s already been sent back to the Holy City of Solan and has caught the attention of several important figures—”

Su Cheng: “?”

“…I happened to be passing by and wanted to see who had submitted such an interesting item. Unfortunately, I still have work to attend to. We’ll talk next time, dear lady.”

Ling Yang released his hold on her and extended his hand again.

Su Cheng stiffly raised her arm.

The red-haired man chuckled, directly grasping her slender hand in his palm and giving it a gentle shake.

“Until we meet again.”

With that, he vanished in a flash.

A few seconds later, the dragon in the sky roared and soared into the clouds.

The Holy Knights in the courtyard quickly departed as well, with their captain apologizing to her before leaving.

Only after they had all withdrawn from the estate did Lin Zhen come over to comfort her.

Thinking his niece had suffered unjustly, he repeatedly urged her to relax and get some rest.

Su Cheng hesitated before speaking. “Uncle, what’s the situation with the bracelet?”

“You’ve forgotten?” Lin Zhen was surprised. “Your father’s keepsake. You thought there was something wrong with it before, so you gave it to me. I tried to destroy it but failed, so I had to hand it over to the temple’s priests!”

Su Cheng: “???”

How did this plot get stitched together?! With Lin Yun’s part removed, how is everything else still connected?

According to the book’s setting, the soul within the bracelet came from over two thousand years ago—from a kingdom destroyed by the Church, a kingdom that seemed to have worshipped the God of Darkness.

The soul had originally been a living person, but after their body was destroyed, it became trapped in the bracelet.

More details weren’t revealed, or perhaps they appeared later in chapters she’d skipped.

She never expected the Church to take it so seriously, even sending it to the Holy City—the stronghold of the God of Light’s followers.

And Ling Yang mentioned it had caught the attention of important figures.

He himself was already a Legion Commander. In the vast Church, there were countless titled holy officials, and very few held higher ranks than him.

“Who would have thought,” Lin Zhen said with lingering fear. “Fortunately, we handed it over early!”

He hadn’t dared to enter the courtyard earlier and, due to his angle, hadn’t witnessed his niece’s audacious actions.

Su Cheng smiled wryly. “That was left behind by my father. I just hope they don’t think I have any connection to heretics.”

“You were the one who voluntarily handed it over. Besides, if they truly suspected anything, you would’ve been arrested already.”

Lin Zhen shook his head. “The current Pope is about to ascend to the Divine Realm, and the Holy Selection ceremony is approaching. The factions within the Church are numerous, and the true figures of authority are all preoccupied. Besides, there are plenty who submit heretical items—if they started arresting people for it, who would dare to hand anything over? Alright, don’t worry. Go get some rest and recover your energy. Your fiancé will be here tomorrow.”

Su Cheng: “…”

It suddenly occurred to her that both the next Pope and the future Saintess seemed destined to be entangled with her. Recalling the events of the night, she felt another wave of headache coming on.

“Uncle,” Su Cheng said softly, “could you help me find a few books? Just have them delivered before I wake up tomorrow morning.”

Lin Zhen told her to speak plainly and readily agreed after hearing her request.

The next morning, the household servants knocked on her door early, bringing breakfast and several thick tomes, informing her that the family head had requested her presence sooner rather than later.

Su Cheng took the books, flipped through them, thanked the servants, and after freshening up, headed out.

Passing through a bamboo grove and an artificial lake, then crossing two corridors, she encountered a group of young masters and ladies of the Lin family along the way.

They were all there to gawk, their expressions varied—some sympathetic, some mocking, others gloating.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. I heard your fiancé is already at the fifth rank, nine stars—just like the family head!”

“Ah, but he’s the son of a marquis, with a father who commands the Imperial Guards and a mother who’s an elder of the Battle Masters’ Guild…”

“And at nineteen, he’s already a Battle Commander. There are barely any in the entire empire who can match that…”

“Oh, I heard the Nanhe Academy even wants to recommend him for the Dragon Knight trials!”

“No wonder he doesn’t want to marry a good-for-nothing like you—”

Su Cheng walked past them without a flicker of expression.

So what if he was a Dragon Knight?

If she had Lin Yun’s advantages, she’d have an Ancient Dragon King as both mount and wife in the future!

“Hahahaha! Weren’t you so full of yourself, Su Cheng? Why so quiet now—”

The loudest jeer was cut off by a Wind Blade hurled straight at the speaker.

The youth gasped, wiping the blood from his cheek and staring at his stained fingers. “What?!”

Everyone froze.

“What was that?!”

“She’s cultivated battle energy? No, that wasn’t—”

“Magic?”

They gaped at her in shock and suspicion.

Su Cheng conjured a second Wind Blade, waving it threateningly as if ready to throw.

“…That’s a Wind Blade—a second-tier spell?!”

To cast a second-tier spell silently and instantly, she’d either have to be a once-in-a-generation genius or have been practicing magic for some time!

The crowd scattered instantly.

Only a few gossip-hungry stragglers remained, one stepping forward to congratulate her on becoming a mage before probing about the previous night’s Dragon Knight.

The commotion had been impossible to miss—even those not near the courtyard had been jolted awake by the dragon’s roar and glimpsed the sky-obscuring beast.

Su Cheng waved them off, claiming it was just a passing investigation into heresy. Seeing her impatience, they knew better than to press further.

She headed straight for the main hall’s reception room.

The moment she stepped inside, every eye in the room locked onto her, the atmosphere instantly tense.

The guests scrutinized her, and soon, some of their expressions shifted to surprise.

Dressed in luxurious attire, exuding noble bearing, and bearing similar insignias, they were unmistakably all from Nanhe Academy.

That was one of the finest Battle Master academies in the Silvermoon Empire, having nurtured countless high-ranking warriors over centuries. Located near the imperial capital, it gathered nobles from all corners.

“Miss Su Cheng—”

A young man rose from his seat.

He appeared to be in his early twenties, tall and slender, clad in a white short trench coat that accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist. Knee-high boots outlined the graceful lines of his long legs.

His jet-black hair was tied into a high ponytail, and his pale, handsome face bore a pair of cold, starlike black eyes that gleamed with an aloof indifference.

The young man gave a slight nod, his demeanor polite yet tinged with arrogance, like a jade tree standing proudly in the snow.

Su Cheng studied him.

Truth be told, his looks and physique weren’t bad, but compared to last night’s little—ahem, the half-beastman was more her type.

So she felt no regrets. “Hello, Young Marquis. Let’s cut to the chase. You’re here to break off the engagement, I’m willing, bring out the contract, and I’ll sign it right away.”

“Please don’t address me like that,” the young man frowned slightly. “Contract?”

“To annul an engagement, there must be a contract, right? Two copies, black and white, clearly stating that from now on, dating or hookups are none of each other’s business. Isn’t that right, Mr. Murong?”

As she spoke, Su Cheng pulled out a prepared quill from her pocket.

The drawing room fell dead silent.

“You misunderstand.”

Murong Yue’s brow furrowed slightly. “I’m not breaking off the engagement for… those reasons. It’s just that for the next few decades, I’ll be devoting myself to cultivation. I don’t want to hold you back.”

“Fine, fine, thank you,” Su Cheng nodded. “Any reason is fine, I agree. I just want the contract. If you won’t draft it, I will.”

Murong Yue seemed about to say something. “The engagement back then was only verbal, now it’s—”

“That won’t do,” Su Cheng interrupted again. “Better to have it in black and white. What if someone tries to renege later?”

A elder suddenly smashed the tea table with a slap, his face dark as he snorted coldly. “Utter nonsense! Who do you think you are? You overestimate yourself!”

Su Cheng looked at him in surprise. “I said ‘someone.’ Why do you automatically assume it’s Mr. Murong who’d renege? Also, who are you? What does our engagement have to do with you? Are you his guardian? Wait, no—Mr. Murong is an adult, surely he can make his own decisions?”

“You—!”

“Ahem,” Lin Zhen coughed repeatedly. “This is Elder Li from the South River Sword Martial Academy.”

He shot his niece meaningful glances.

The middle-aged man’s chest bore a Battle Master emblem—an ornate golden longsword with intricate patterns, marking him as a seventh-rank warrior.

—A Battle Paragon.

A high-ranking warrior of this caliber could reduce a mansion, even an entire street, to ashes in the blink of an eye, turning a whole city into ruins.

Yet Su Cheng wasn’t particularly afraid.

Having just encountered an Incubus and a Dragon Knight last night, and considering her future entanglements with countless deities as the protagonist, her threshold for fear had been drastically raised.

“…Well, Mr. Murong.”

Su Cheng turned back. “Back then, it was your father and mine who agreed on this engagement. Now my father has passed, but yours is still alive. Does your father know you’re here to break it off?”

Murong Yue’s expression darkened. “Since it’s my engagement, I believe this is my business. It has nothing to do with anyone else.”

Su Cheng suddenly clapped her hands together. “Exactly! I agree wholeheartedly!”

All eyes in the room turned toward her.

“Freedom in marriage and love! It has nothing to do with parents or anyone else! Moreover, both the empire’s laws and the church’s scriptures explicitly state this—every citizen of the empire holds the right to choose their own spouse.”

Su Cheng declared loudly, patting the stack of books she had brought with her.

“If anyone has doubts, feel free to take a look. Here we have The Marriage Code of the Silvermoon Empire, The General Laws of the Silvermoon Empire, Behind the Marriage Court: Those Jaw-Dropping Truths, and Breaking the Chains: The Path to Marital Freedom. Every case is clearly documented!”

The room fell into silence.

Several elder mentors from Nanhe Academy exchanged subtle glances.

Among them, some had already arranged marriages for their children, others had similar plans in mind, and a few even harbored intentions of forming an alliance with Murong Yue through marriage. Naturally, they disagreed with her stance.

Yet they couldn’t openly refute her—doing so would undermine Murong Yue’s position, wouldn’t it?

After all, he was defying his father’s wishes.

Murong Yue had performed exceptionally well at the academy. In just three years since enrollment, he had advanced rapidly through the ranks.

He had even earned praise from the dean of the Sword Martial Academy, who mentioned recommending him for the Dragon Knight trials.

It was entirely possible that Murong Yue might become his disciple in the future.

That dean was a Battle Emperor—a peerless powerhouse and the pride of Nanhe Academy. After all, across the entire Silvermoon Empire, tenth-tier Battle Masters were exceedingly rare.

Thus, many within the academy had already begun scheming to win Murong Yue over, some even considering marriage alliances.

“So,” Su Cheng tilted her head, “since this is between you and me, it has nothing to do with… these gentlemen, right?”

She glanced pointedly at the academy elders.

Their expressions darkened further.

Murong Yue was immensely powerful. Within the entire Lin estate, only Lin Zhen matched his rank, so they weren’t worried about his safety.

But he was young, single-mindedly devoted to cultivation, and lacked worldly experience. They feared he might be outmaneuvered by the Lin family in negotiations.

Yet this wasn’t something they could openly admit.

Cornered by her words, they wanted to scold Su Cheng for her rudeness but found themselves unable to speak up, their frustration mounting.

Murong Yue remained silent for two seconds. “The enrollment assembly in the empire’s southern territories has already begun. The mentors came to Golden Amber City specifically for this matter. Now…”

He looked up at Su Cheng. “They also intended to evaluate you. Rumor has it you cannot condense battle energy, perhaps because you haven’t found suitable manuals.”

Su Cheng was speechless.

Whether he was making excuses, pressuring her, or both, it made no difference to her.

She shook her head. “No need. I don’t practice battle energy because I don’t like it.”

Elder Li scoffed. “How shameless. Everyone knows you’re—”

Su Cheng raised her hand, and a pale green Wind Spirit flickered into existence.

A gust of wind swirled around her fingertips, lifting the stray strands of hair by her cheeks.

“I prefer magic,” she said lazily. “And I couldn’t care less about your academy.”

Though Nanhe Academy gathered elites, its focus was on nurturing Battle Masters. While it did have a magic division, it paled in comparison to the empire’s established arcane institutions.

The room fell silent again.

Elder Li glared at her, unable to retort.

He was a pure Battle Master, utterly ignorant of magic, and hadn’t sensed the Elemental Spirit around her.

So it wasn’t until this moment that he realized she was a mage.

…She was actually a mage?!

Su Cheng lowered her hand. “Mr. Murong, our engagement was arranged by our elders and actually holds no legal weight. But many people, especially your relatives and friends, are aware of it. If I go to the imperial capital in the future, I’ll inevitably hear gossip. So it’s best we make everything clear in a contract to avoid future misunderstandings.”

In the original story, there was another scene where the female lead’s father learned of this and specially sought out Lin Yun to apologize, saying it was entirely the female lead’s idea and didn’t count.

Whether he was being sincere or just putting on an act, Su Cheng didn’t want to face such a situation.

Without waiting for their approval, she immediately started writing, flipping through several law codes and case compilations as she drafted the document.

The other elders were still reeling from shock, so no one interrupted her.

They exchanged glances, recalling the rumors they’d heard—that the Lin Family Head’s niece was a good-for-nothing who couldn’t cultivate battle energy even at sixteen or seventeen.

—The latter part wasn’t wrong, at least.

Murong Yue stood up with a headache and walked over to see what she was writing.

“Party A and Party B entered into an engagement agreement in the year 699 of the White Moon Calendar, arranged by their respective fathers, stipulating that they would fulfill marital obligations upon reaching adulthood when conditions were suitable. Due to changes in mutual intentions and actual circumstances, both parties have agreed to terminate this engagement through consultation.”

Murong Yue: “…”

“From the effective date of this contract, Party A and Party B shall not interfere with each other’s romantic relationships, marriages, or any other personal sexual activities in any form (including but not limited to verbal, written, etc.) under the name of the engagement. Both parties promise not to disseminate or imply to any third party (including but not limited to relatives, friends, classmates, or the general public) that the engagement still exists in any form, nor to harass, threaten, mock, or exert any form of pressure on each other under the name of the engagement…”

Su Cheng paused briefly, remembering that the empire’s judicial system included magical lie-detection methods, so some wording could be simplified.

She tapped the table with her pen. “…Party A and Party B shall, after signing this contract, inform their immediate family members, teachers, friends, and other relevant parties of the core terms of this contract in writing, through public announcement, or by other mutually agreed means. Upon receiving such notice, these parties shall be bound by this contract. If either Party A or Party B violates the above terms, the breaching party shall pay the non-breaching party a penalty of one million gold coins. If any informed party violates the above terms, Party A or Party B shall have the right to demand joint liability from said party, including payment of an equivalent penalty. In addition to the penalty, the breaching party shall compensate the non-breaching party for emotional damages amounting to one million gold coins. Should the breach result in damage to the non-breaching party’s reputation or social standing, the breaching party shall bear additional compensation for reputational damages…”

Murong Yue: “???”

His mind was completely occupied by the figure “one million gold coins,” rendering him incapable of rational thought.