Chapter 291 - 116: The Deal, Striking While the Iron is Hot, and How Thoughtful of You

Jiang Lan just let out a dismissive laugh, then scooped up the injured Song Youwei and quickly departed.

At his current level of strength, he was naturally no match for Eunuch Wei. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have had Song Youwei stall for time.

However, he hadn’t been wrong earlier. If he was truly determined to leave, Eunuch Wei wouldn’t have been able to stop him.

That was why the best solution was to negotiate a truce—they would each stay out of the other’s way.

As for the Dao Heart oath he had sworn, it would have no effect whatsoever on the developing situation in Great Xia.

Jiang Lan had plans for Qi Qingxuan and naturally didn’t want him to attract any attention too soon. Otherwise, if Qi Qingxuan couldn’t develop properly, he’d be unable to contend with Emperor Xia.

When two dragons fought, it created more opportunities for him to play the fisherman and reap the benefits.

"How did things go on your end?"

Song Youwei, held in Jiang Lan’s arms with her hands wrapped around his neck, felt extremely awkward. She tried to make conversation as a way to distract herself.

"The timing worked out perfectly."

"But I miscalculated this time. I never expected that old eunuch to be so powerful, with one foot already in the Eighth Realm. It must have been difficult for you to hold him off for so long."

Jiang Lan said calmly, glancing down at her.

He saw the paleness in her face, and her once full, rosy lips were now drained of color. He felt a pang of guilt and self-reproach.

"I really thought you’d set me up and abandoned me here..."

The wind tangled Song Youwei’s dark hair. She used her free hand to peel off the Human Skin Mask from her face, feeling much more comfortable once it was off.

After growing more familiar with Jiang Lan, she was no longer as reserved as in the beginning, when she would address him as "Young Master."

Jiang Lan himself had told her to be more casual.

"..."

"So that’s the kind of person you think I am." Hearing her words, Jiang Lan gave a helpless smile.

"But you came to rescue me so quickly, so you’re not that kind of person," Song Youwei said, tilting her head. Her beautiful eyes gazed distractedly at the swiftly passing Huze Mountain Range below.

To stall Eunuch Wei, she had deliberately fled in the opposite direction from the one the Qi Family matriarch and the others had taken toward Jiyun Temple. The two paths were diametrically opposed and far apart.

And yet, Jiang Lan had still managed to arrive in time...

Jiang Lan smiled but didn’t say anything more.

’He liked to consider every angle. He would never have let Song Youwei take such a risk without being absolutely sure of the outcome. Of course, he would never tell her that.’

’That Death Replacement Ancient Talisman was indeed precious—so rare it was priceless. Not even the Changlong Business Alliance had anything like it.’

’Moreover, the method for crafting it had long been lost.’

’These days, the major Immortal Sect Lineages protected their heirs closely, but even they didn’t possess such life-saving treasures.’

’In his original plan, Song Youwei was supposed to have used the Death Replacement Ancient Talisman. After all, not every plan can be executed without some losses. Life was never that perfect.’

’It was just that Song Youwei had more skills and trump cards than he’d expected, allowing her to hold out for so long...’

"..."

Seeing that Jiang Lan wasn’t talking, Song Youwei also gently closed her eyes to rest.

In all her years of roaming the world, this was the first time she had faced such a dangerous situation, and the first time she had been so severely injured.

Now that her tense nerves had finally relaxed, an indescribable exhaustion washed over her.

And yet, there was a warm, pleasant, woody scent about Jiang Lan that gave her a strange sense of security, and she subconsciously tightened her arms around him.

As for the Bosha Sutra that Jiang Lan had demanded from Eunuch Wei, she was tactful enough not to ask about it.

Jiang Lan could sense the shift in Song Youwei’s feelings, but he merely glanced at her, not wanting to disturb her rest.

’Previously, Song Youwei had helped him for two reasons. On the one hand, she was forced to, controlled by his Bloodthirst Pill. On the other hand, she needed something from him, as he was the one who told her that her younger sister was still alive.’

’But now, her feelings seemed to have undergone a subtle change...’

’Jiang Lan could clearly perceive a growth and surge in his fortune.’

’However, he wondered, if Song Youwei knew that he’d actually arrived a while ago and had simply waited until she was on the brink of death before intervening, would she jump right out of his arms and give him a good thrashing?’

...

「Inside Jiyun Temple」

A purple mist lingered, shrouding the peaks in an ethereal, otherworldly air.

Qi Qingxuan, the Qi Family matriarch, and the others offered incense before several Daoist School statues. It wasn’t until late afternoon, around 5:00 PM, that they finished and started down the mountain with their entourage.

After learning the truth of his identity and origins, Qi Qingxuan’s entire mindset had undergone an unprecedented transformation.

The Qi Family’s Direct Lineage Disciples who had once looked down on him now seemed no different from the common masses in his eyes. They were simply not of his world, and their paths would never cross again.

Therefore, he paid their scorn and disdain no mind, remaining utterly unperturbed.

This shift in his mentality had fundamentally altered his perspective on everything.

Even when facing the Qi Family matriarch, there was a casual ease deep in his eyes.

’I am of the Royal Family’s direct bloodline, the elder brother of the current Emperor Xia. In the future, I will be the one to inherit the throne and rule Great Xia.’

’There’s no need to lower myself to the level of my subjects over such trivial matters.’

The Temple Master of Jiyun Temple noticed the subtle changes in Qi Qingxuan after not having seen him for some time. He began to value the young man even more, and even considered asking him to stay at the Daoist Temple.

Qi Qingxuan politely refused all offers. Before he left, the Temple Master of Jiyun Temple found him in private and personally handed him a dragon-headed jade ruyi scepter, about the size of an infant’s arm.