Chapter 331 - 125: I Don’t Want My Heart Back, a Clean Break, How Can He Have It Both Ways?

At first, when she was ambushed outside the temple, she thought her whereabouts had been leaked because of the Liu Clan.

Combined with Jiang Lan dispatching the Prime Minister’s Mansion’s Tributors and retainers, her immediate guess was that Jiang Lan had sent men to kill the Liu Clan.

If the Liu Clan were dead, then even fewer people would know the truth of what had happened back then.

She had thought Jiang Lan hated her so much that, after his "rebirth," he had become unscrupulous, wanting to eliminate everyone connected to that past affair... Jiang Lan did not want her to know the truth of what happened back then.

Perhaps that way, his conscience would be clearer when he took his revenge on her.

But...

After the events of tonight, Jiang Ruxian realized she was still completely and utterly wrong. Her misunderstanding of Jiang Lan ran far too deep.

Even knowing what would happen in the original future, even with his towering hatred for her, he had never once considered killing her.

’Since he knows what will happen in the future, he must also know my current cultivation level and strength...’

’But among the Tributors and retainers he dispatched, the most powerful was only at the Seventh Realm.’

’These people couldn’t have hurt me at all. He returned the Immortal Heart to me, severed ties with me, and sent people to intercept me only because he didn’t want me to set foot in the Imperial Capital Jingyang City.’

At this moment, Jiang Ruxian began to understand Jiang Lan’s actions.

He was caught between the Prime Minister’s Mansion and her, trapped by a myriad of helpless and unavoidable circumstances. On one side were the parents who had given birth to and raised him; on the other... was her.

How could he possibly have satisfied both sides? In truth, he’d had no choice at all.

The Great Xia’s Southern Hunting was imminent. The moment she set foot in the Imperial Capital, given Jiang Lintian’s and Li Qingshu’s hostility toward her, they would surely take matters into their own hands.

And what would the Royal Family do then? To preserve the greater good, they would surely use the Grand Array to trap her.

’Someone from the Royal Family got involved with Lan at some point. They were secretly observing just now. If my mind hadn’t been so scattered, how could I have failed to notice?’

Jiang Ruxian’s mind calmed considerably.

She had always believed that Jiang Lan still held deep feelings for her. It was just that she had hurt him too deeply in her past life, making him avoid her like the plague in this one.

Otherwise, why was it that when they met on the cliff, she could feel the pain, helplessness, and powerlessness in his heart...?

’If he knew that I have actually returned to the present from the future, that I’ve already experienced the events he spoke of from that "past life," he would probably only loathe me more...’

’If I want Lan to accept me again, the best way is to make him understand that the dream he had was just a dream, and not the actual future.’

Numerous thoughts flashed through Jiang Ruxian’s mind, and her spirits were no longer as low as before.

In her past life, she had been able to stand at the absolute peak, looking down upon all worlds, by relying on the determination and great perseverance she possessed once she set her mind to something.

...

Meanwhile, on another famous mountain, the dark clouds had scattered and the heavy rain had ceased. The night sky was dotted with stars, and the air was fresh, making everything seem exceptionally clear.

The retainers and Tributors of the Prime Minister’s Mansion were all waiting here. Each was injured, but none of the wounds were fatal. They would be fine after a period of rest.

Jiang Lan’s complexion was still a little pale, but it wasn’t obvious.

He had changed into a set of black robes, and the wound on his chest had healed completely. Although he had lost the Seven-Aperture Exquisite Immortal Heart, a blazing ball of light, like phoenix fire, now enveloped the spot, nurturing a new heart. A vast and dense life force emanated from it.

In addition, the fortune surging into his Mud Ball Palace far surpassed that of any previous moment.

The density of fortune on Jiang Ruxian was so great that even Lin Fan, the original protagonist of this world, was nowhere close.

A moment ago, Jiang Lan had actually tried to probe Jiang Ruxian’s fate, but he had failed. Like Emperor Xia, her cultivation and power far surpassed his own. The fortune on her body was so abundant it steamed like a fog, obscuring everything and making her fate impossible to discern.

However, when he had come into contact with Jiang Ruxian just now, he had noticed something unusual.

His Age Dao Fruit had stirred unexpectedly. An aura of time fragments lingered around Jiang Ruxian.

It was precisely because of this accidental discovery that Jiang Lan had deliberately repeated to Jiang Ruxian the same story he had told his parents.

And from the subtle changes in her expression, a delicate speculation began to form in Jiang Lan’s mind...

But whether it was true or not could only be determined through future interactions.

At the very least, he felt tonight’s probing and actions were well worth it. He had not only figured out Jiang Ruxian’s current attitude toward him but had also successfully defused some potential trouble down the road.

Jiang Ruxian wouldn’t hurt him. On the contrary, because of the original misunderstandings, she felt a deep sense of guilt and indebtedness toward him.

Although the relationship between the Prime Minister’s Mansion and Jiang Ruxian was still hostile, it wouldn’t immediately devolve into open conflict...

’From now on, being strangers is better than being enemies. It’s better for her, too. At the very least, she should get to experience that feeling of utter despair, when all hope is lost...’

Jiang Lan gently touched his chest. Logically, the Seven-Aperture Exquisite Immortal Heart had already been returned to Jiang Ruxian, so why did the emotions from before still linger in his heart?

Had he truly inherited and merged with the original memories, or had some emotions from the future been added to them?

The sage Zhuang Zhou dreaming he was a butterfly? Did the butterfly become Zhuang Zhou, or did Zhuang Zhou become the butterfly?

Shaking his head, Jiang Lan didn’t dwell on the matter.