Douluo:Heaven’s Rejected Monarch

The night air felt crisp against Fang Yuan's skin as he walked through the dimly lit streets of Glorybound City. His body ached from the fight, but he ignored it. His grip tightened around the jade pendant in his hand, the last remnant of his mother. He had taken it back, just as he had taken back his dignity.

Beside him, the silver-haired girl walked quietly, her small steps quick to match his pace. She was smaller than him, thin, her clothes torn and covered in dust. Yet she didn't complain, didn't cry. Her violet eyes flickered in the darkness, filled with quiet curiosity as she glanced at him.

Fang Yuan didn't speak at first, but the silence felt different now. Before, it was the cold stillness of strangers. Now, there was something else. A connection, thin but present. He turned his head slightly, his voice calm.

"What's your name?"

The girl hesitated for a moment before answering, her voice soft. "Na'er."

He nodded, accepting the name. "Where do you live?"

Na'er lowered her head slightly. "I… don't have a home."

Fang Yuan wasn't surprised. A child wandering the streets alone at night, no one looking for her, it was obvious. His first thought was to leave her at an orphanage, but something about that idea felt wrong. The image of her, standing alone in the cold streets, waiting for no one, sat uncomfortably in his mind. He glanced ahead, his decision firm before he even realized it.

"Then you'll live with me."

Na'er's steps faltered. She blinked up at him, wide-eyed, as if she hadn't heard him correctly. "Really?"

Fang Yuan didn't look at her, his tone steady. "I don't say things I don't mean."

For the first time that night, her lips curled into something faint, almost hesitant. A smile, small but real. "Okay."

The silence that followed no longer felt cold.

The city lights faded behind them as they approached the Fang family estate.

The towering stone walls loomed in the distance, standing as a silent guardian over the grounds. The wooden gates, etched with ancient carvings, bore a quiet dignity. Beyond them, the courtyard stretched wide, stone pathways leading to the different wings of the estate. Lanterns flickered in the darkness, casting long shadows across the garden. Fang Yuan pushed open the side entrance and stepped inside, his posture as composed as if he had never left.

The moment his foot touched the stone pathway, a deep voice broke the silence.

"You're late."

Fang Yuan's gaze lifted to the figure standing near the entrance of the main hall. His father, Fang Tianhong, stood with his arms crossed, his blood-red eyes glowing faintly under the lantern light. He was tall, his features sharp and defined, a quiet authority in his presence. Dressed in simple black robes, he looked every bit the noble warrior he was.

Behind him, an older figure leaned slightly on a wooden cane. Fang Jinhai, Fang Yuan's grandfather, carried the presence of someone far beyond his years. His silver hair flowed past his shoulders, but his body remained strong, his gaze sharper than any blade. There was no wasted movement, no unnecessary words. Even standing still, he carried the weight of power.

Fang Yuan stopped, meeting his father's gaze without hesitation. "Something happened."

Fang Tianhong's gaze flickered briefly to Na'er before returning to his son. His expression did not change. "Come inside."

The air inside the hall was thick with silence. The Fang family did not waste time on unnecessary formalities. Fang Yuan stood before his father and grandfather, the weight of their expectations pressing down on him.

Fang Jinhai was the first to speak. "You fought." His tone was flat, carrying no surprise.

Fang Yuan nodded.

His grandfather studied him carefully, eyes sharp and unreadable. "And?"

"I won."

A pause. Then a nod. "Good."

His father, however, exhaled softly, his gaze unreadable. "Did you kill them?"

Fang Yuan didn't blink. "No."

For the first time, his father's expression shifted, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Why?"

Fang Yuan considered the question. It wasn't because of mercy. He simply hadn't needed to. His grip tightened slightly on the pendant in his hand. "There was no point."

Fang Tianhong nodded slowly. "Good. You remembered what I told you."

Fang Yuan remained silent, waiting.

His father stepped forward, his tone even but firm. "There is a fine line between strength and recklessness. Killing when necessary is one thing. Killing because you can is something else entirely. You are six years old. If you let bloodshed become easy now, you will lose control before you ever gain true power."

The words settled in Fang Yuan's mind, heavy but clear. He understood them, though a part of him still held a quiet, unspoken disagreement. He nodded nonetheless.

Fang Tianhong's gaze moved to Na'er. "And what of her?"

"She stays," Fang Yuan said without hesitation.

His father raised an eyebrow. "And why is that?"

"She has nowhere else to go."

Silence filled the hall. Then, to Fang Yuan's surprise, it was his grandfather who spoke first. "Very well."

Fang Tianhong glanced at the old man but said nothing. Instead, he sighed. "Fine. But you are responsible for her."

Fang Yuan did not argue. He had already decided.

Time passed and Na'er adjusted quickly to life in the Fang estate. She was quiet, rarely speaking unless spoken to, but she followed Fang Yuan everywhere. The servants were wary at first, uncertain why a commoner girl had suddenly appeared in the noble house, but no one dared question the young master's decision. Fang Tianhong mostly observed from a distance, his thoughts unreadable. He was not a man who interfered unless necessary. Fang Jinhai, however, watched everything with a careful gaze.

Days passed, turning into weeks. Fang Yuan grew used to Na'er's presence. She never cried, never complained. She was silent but not weak, delicate but unshakable. She listened. She learned. She was different.

One evening, as they sat in the courtyard, Na'er broke the quiet.

"Why did you help me?"

Fang Yuan didn't answer right away. He thought about the question, then replied honestly. "I don't know."

Na'er tilted her head slightly. "But you did."

He glanced at her. Her violet eyes were clear, no longer filled with fear. He smirked slightly. "Would you rather I left you?"

She shook her head. "No."

A small breeze passed between them, rustling the leaves. The night sky stretched overhead, stars flickering against the darkness.

Na'er smiled. "Thank you."

Fang Yuan said nothing, simply leaning back against the tree, closing his eyes as the night settled around them.