Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Mo Lingqiu was indeed duping Jiang Xiaonu!
Of course, he was not lying about the Green Eagle King. He was just exaggerating the problem. For example, they themselves could build the big array formation although it would be a little troublesome for them. Still, it would be worth it if the Eagle Empress would owe them a favor.
Once Jiang Xiaonu went back, she would definitely… not come back out again. At least, in the short-term, she would not be able to make it out on her own. A few years later, Jiang Xiaonu would probably forget about Jiang Yi, wouldn’t she?
Mo Lingqiu could not care less about what would happen in the future. He just wanted the Eagle Empress to owe him a favor. He also did not want the Green Eagle King to cause a huge scene in Earth Emanations Domain. This man was mad. No one could say for sure whom the Green Eagle King would kill first once he flew into a rage. No one in the Earth Domain dared to offend him. Even in the Heaven Domain, many people did not dare to provoke him.
Jiang Xiaonu was seriously considering this option. Jiang Yi kept silent. Although he did not want Jiang Xiaonu to leave, he alone could not protect Stellarsky Domain in ten years. All his wives, his loved ones, and his clansmen were in Stellarsky Domain. Naturally, he did not want the place to be destroyed. He was put in a spot. All he could do was let Jiang Xiaonu make the decision for herself.
Jiang Xiaonu pondered the problem for a long time. Finally, she looked at Mo Lingqiu seriously. “If I go back… with her, can I really save Stellarsky Domain?”
“Definitely!”
Mo Lingqiu answered confidently. “Lass, you are belittling your own Empress Mother and your clan’s capabilities. Even without building an array, I’m sure that as long as your King Father makes known that he wants Stellarsky Domain to be protected, the Netherworld Clan would not dare to come after it in exchange for anything. If you don’t believe me, I can promise you myself. Even if your mother does not build that array, the Earth Emanations Pavilion will help to build one to protect Stellarsky Domain. Would that do?”
“No!”
Jiang Xiaonu answered in a cold voice, “I want you to make a Heavenly Thearch Blood Oath. If anything bad happens to Stellarsky Domain, you will die a terrible death.”
“…”
Mo Lingqiu was completely speechless. Who was he? A high-level, formidable martial artist like him could be trusted. His words were akin to gold; if he could say something, he would be able to do it for sure. Why would he bother lying to a little lass like her?
Still, seeing Jiang Xiaonu’s two huge eyes staring him down, all he could do was smile bitterly. “Alright, I’ll make a Heavenly Thearch Blood Oath. If anything bad happens to Stellarsky Domain, I will die a terrible death. Young Mistress, is that enough for you?”
“No!”
Jiang Xiaonu answered once again. He turned to Jiang Yi and said, “I also want you to promise that my Young Master will be kept safe. If anything bad happens to him, you will also die a terrible death!”
“…”
Mo Lingqiu felt a sudden urge to slap Jiang Xiaonu hard across the cheeks. Was this lady taking him to be a slave of her family?
How dare she make Mo Lingqiu swear to become Jiang Yi’s nanny? Why did he have to assure that Jiang Yi would be kept safe? Jiang Xiaonu would surely never come back again once she left; was Mo Lingqiu supposed to protect Jiang Yi for the rest of his life then? Jiang Yi was not a corpse. He had hands and legs, and he could walk. Was Mo Lingqiu supposed to lock him up for life? What if he killed himself?
Mo Lingqiu’s expression became bitter as a gourd. He shook his head and said, “Young Mistress, I cannot promise that. All I can say that as long as Jiang Yi is in Earth Emanations Domain, I will do my best to keep him safe. I am the Assistant Pavilion Lord of Earth Emanations Pavilion after all. As long as Jiang Yi does not leave Earth Emanations Domain, he will be kept safe without a problem.”
“No way!”
Jiang Xiaonu gritted her teeth stubbornly. “I want you to make a Heavenly Thearch Blood Oath, or I will not go…”
Hoo-hoo!
Mo Lingqiu turned around and started taking deep breaths, trying his best to keep his anger and indignance in. If she were someone else, he would have lost his temper and killed her by now. However, he could not do anything to Jiang Xiaonu. All he could do was keep his anger down as much as possible.
“Sigh!”
Jiang Yi sighed gently. Jiang Xiaonu had decided to go home for the sake of Stellarsky Domain and himself. She was innocent, but she was not stupid. She knew that things would get worse once the Green Eagle King arrived. In fact, Jiang Yi would very likely be killed.
She chose to swallow this down and go home first. Once Stellarsky Domain was safe, she would then look for a way to find Jiang Yi again.
Since Jiang Xiaonu had already made up her mind, there was no point for Jiang Yi to say anything more. Seeing Mo Lingqiu about to lose his temper, he laughed mirthlessly. “Alright, Xiaonu, don’t put Lord Mo in a spot. A formidable martial artist of his cultivation level can be trusted for sure. What’s more, the formidable martial artists of Battle God Pavilion Luo Clan and Earth Emanations Pavilion Luo Clan have already been killed. Young Master will not be in any danger.”
Jiang Xiaonu was the most obedient to Jiang Yi. She nodded and turned toward Jiang Yi. Her eyes began to well up, and tears flowed down her cheeks. However, she remained silent. She bit her lips as if wanting to say something. At last, she still remained quiet. Jiang Yi did not say anything as well. He only pulled Jiang Xiaonu gently into his arms and then tightened his arms around her.
Mo Lingqiu finally heaved a sigh of relief. He exchanged a meaningful look with Jiang Yi and then said, “We cannot delay things any further. The Eagle King will arrive at any time. I’m going back to inform the Eagle Empress now and get her to immediately send people to Stellarsky Domain to set up the array. Don’t worry. If anything happens to Stellarsky Domain, I will kill myself as punishment. Take this time to say your farewells. The Eagle Empress will come and take the lass away soon.”
Mo Lingqiu left, and Jiang Xiaonu began crying more intensely but silently. Now that Mo Lingqiu had gone, the Eagle Empress would arrive at any time. Both of them would then have to separate.
Although she would be leaving with her own mother, Jiang Xiaonu felt like this was no different from leaving with a bunch of strangers. Nobody knew when the two of them would be reunited. Jiang Xiaonu’s heart began to fill unimaginable with panic, fear, and pain.
“Xiaonu!”
Jiang Yi called out, his voice choked with emotion. “Don’t be afraid. The Eagle Empress is your mother. I can see how much she loves you. Don’t do anything stupid once you get back to the Ink Feather Race as well. Train hard. Once you are powerful and strong enough, you can count on yourself to come and find me. Of course… I will train hard myself, too.
“I will train hard and become even stronger than your King Father. If your King Father wouldn’t allow you to find me, I will kill everyone in the way until I can snatch you back. Believe Young Master. You will always be my most beloved Xiaonu. You will always be my most beloved younger sister. Young Master will never leave you behind.”
“En-En!”
Jiang Xiaonu nodded profusely, like a chicken pecking at rice. She tightened her arms around Jiang Yi as if afraid to lose him. After crying for a longer time, she finally looked up at Jiang Yi with tear-filled eyes. “Young Master, I will try my best to train hard. I will come and find you for sure. Wait for Xiaonu. Xiaonu will always be your maidservant. I will serve Young Master my entire life.”
“Alright!”
Jing Yi nodded, smiling slightly. He reached out and wiped the tears from Jiang Xiaonu’s cheeks. With his gaze softening, he said, “Xiaonu, don’t cry anymore. We have to hide our weaknesses in our hearts. Don’t let others see it. You’ve always been my pride and joy. I hope to see you smiling as you leave and smiling as you come back and find me. My Xiaonu will always be the best.”
These words caused Jiang Xiaonu to immediately stop crying even though her body was still trembling slightly. She closed her eyes and buried her head in Jiang Yi’s chest. She could feel his aura. A long time later, she looked up, filled with renewed courage and determination. “Young Master, actually… I don’t want to be your younger sister. When I come back to look for you again, can you… marry me? Don’t run away from it. I want to hear your genuine response.”
“Uh?”
Jiang Yi did not think that Jiang Xiaonu would ask him this question at the very last minute. He had always known that this was how Jiang Xiaonu felt towards him, but he always tried to run away. All this time, he saw Jiang Xiaonu as his younger sister. He never thought anything else of her. At that moment—looking into Jiang Xiaonu’s pure and hopeful eyes, he felt something that he himself did not dare to face.
“I, I…”
Jiang Xiaonu stuttered. They heard soft footsteps outside. It was obvious that the Eagle Empress and company were here. Jiang Yi did not know what else to do. At last, through gritted teeth, he said, “Xiaonu, I will consider this thing very seriously during this time. Once you come back, I will give you a proper answer!”
“En!”
Jiang Xiaonu smiled sweetly. The Eagle Empress was standing outside the door, along with Mo Lingqiu, Mu Hongcha, and the rest. Yet, they did not step in. They were waiting for Xiaonu to walk out. Jiang Xiaonu immediately felt peace. She closed her eyes and leaned into Jiang Yi once again, smiling. After hugging him for a while, she looked up, deeply into Jiang Yi’s own eyes. Then, she turned around and walked out.
Her footsteps were steady. There was no hint of any trembling. She did not even turn back to look at Jiang Yi. One step at a time, she walked towards the Eagle Empress. However, she did not look at the latter. She only said in a cold voice, “Let’s go.”
Jiang Yi did not move or say anything. He did not display a hint of emotion on his face, and… his eyes were closed.
He did not dare to look at Jiang Xiaonu walk away. He was afraid that he would not be able to let her go and that he would rush forward to pull her back. Similarly, Jiang Xiaonu did not dare to look back, for fear that she would not be able to leave.
Plop!
After the Eagle Empress brought Jiang Xiaonu away, Jiang Yi’s entire body wobbled; and he dropped onto the floor. It felt like he had just lost his soul spirit. His expression was listless, but he gripped both of his hands tightly. Slowly, his expression became more and more aggressive. With a deep growl, he shouted, “I want to become stronger. I want to become stronger, so that no one can ever decide my fate again. Xiaonu, wait for me. If your King Father does not allow you to find me, I will kill until I get to the Ink Feather Race just so I can win you back! I swear!”
