Chapter 476 - 161: There Will Come a Day to Reconcile

The girls, however, knew their place. Without any signal from Jiang Lan, they dared not make any bold moves, nor did they harbor any hope of earning his favor. They all remained perfectly proper.

Dressed in black, You’Er was like a shadow hiding in the darkness. Her eyes were fixed on the pool, ready to intervene at the slightest hint of an improper move from the young women.

While Jiang Lan was no Ascetic Monk, he truly had no interest in these young women.

Still, the pressure of their massage was just right. As he relaxed, a wave of drowsiness washed over him. ’Is it because I’m finally letting my guard down, or is it the flower petals in the water?’

For a moment, Jiang Lan’s thoughts grew hazy. Soon, his half-closed eyelids grew heavier until he seemed to have truly drifted off to sleep.

Seeing Jiang Lan seemingly asleep, the young women exchanged glances. They hesitated, afraid any large movement might startle him awake, and wondered if they should quietly withdraw.

But then, beside the steaming, bluestone bath, a woman in white appeared as if from nowhere.

Her face was shrouded in the steam, making it impossible to see clearly. The only thing visible was a pair of eyes more brilliant and beautiful than the stars themselves.

The young women were shocked. They had never seen this woman in white before and, assuming she was an assassin, were just about to cry out.

But with a wave of her fair hand, an invisible ripple spread out from the woman in white. The young women were frozen in place, unable to do anything but blink.

The next moment, the woman in white waved again. An immense force seemed to envelop them, silently lifting them out of the bathing chamber and depositing them outside the bedchamber, where they immediately fell unconscious.

You’Er, who was not far off, suffered the same fate, casually tossed out of the bedchamber along with them.

The woman in white had features as if from a painting, with brows like fine jade and a face like a celestial’s. Her skin was like ice, her bones like jade, making her seem like a Banished Immortal straight from the Guanghan Palace.

Any words in this world would pale in comparison when trying to describe her beauty, failing to capture even a fraction of its splendor.

It was none other than Jiang Ruxian.

She walked quietly to the edge of the bath and sat down, placing her hands on her lap. She tilted her head, gazing at Jiang Lan, and dipped her exquisite, fair, and delicate bare feet into the water, letting it soak the hem of her dress.

"Even in his sleep, his brow is furrowed..."

’When did you become like this, always so cautious and on guard?’

Jiang Ruxian sighed, her voice laced with heartache as she reached out and gently smoothed the crease between Jiang Lan’s brows.

Deep in his slumber, Jiang Lan was completely unaware.

The perpetually furrowed brow slowly relaxed under the gentle stroke of Jiang Ruxian’s fingers, and his entire expression softened into one of peace and tranquility.

Jiang Ruxian continued to watch him, her fingers tracing a path from his brow down his face. A memory seemed to surface, and a misty, dreamlike look clouded her moon-bright eyes.

"Lan..."

she murmured, gently massaging the space between his brows just as she had when they were children and he needed her comfort for his troubles.

’Such a pity... we can never go back to those times.’

The next moment, as her thoughts drifted, the slightly dazed Jiang Ruxian was suddenly startled.

A warm, strong hand had seized her slender fingers as they massaged his brow. The grip wasn’t powerful, yet it was tight, as if unwilling to ever let go.

Watching Jiang Lan’s subconscious movement, a helpless yet tender smile touched Jiang Ruxian’s lips. "Still the same as always," she whispered. "You have to hold my hand to feel at ease, don’t you?"

"Don’t worry, I won’t leave. Just get some proper rest."

She knew Jiang Lan wouldn’t wake up. This was just a subconscious reflex in his sleep.

’But only in your dreams do you show what you’re truly thinking and feeling.’

In waking life, he despised and hated her, wanting to sever all ties. He had gone so far as to dig out the Seven-Aperture Exquisite Immortal Heart to return to her, wanting nothing more to do with her.

Yet here in his dreams, he refused to let go of her hand. In fact, he was holding it tighter than ever before...

’I know you’re struggling, too... I understand...’

’It’s all because of me. It’s my fault.’

’But I believe that one day, we will resolve our past grievances and be reconciled.’

Gazing at Jiang Lan, Jiang Ruxian gently shifted, leaning over to carefully lift his head and rest it on her lap. Only then did a contented smile grace her lips.

「News that Feng Jun of Great Xia had personally arrived on Immortal Ascension Island had long since spread among the island’s major families, the three great guardian families included.」

At that moment, within the Tantai Clan’s Little World, several Elders were gathered in a great meeting hall, discussing the matter.

"The Great Xia imperial court placing importance on the Demon Abyss is a good thing. But the Four Great Dukes, who almost never make public appearances, all showed up to greet them today. That’s rather strange."

"The Four Great Dukes lost their reverence for the Great Xia imperial court long ago. I suspect they only just received word that this Jiang Lan was coming to Immortal Ascension Island, which is why they rushed out to greet him..."

"Heh. They weren’t showing respect to the Great Xia imperial court. They were showing respect to the Prime Minister’s Mansion."

"If they couldn’t rely on the Prime Minister’s Mansion for favorable trade prices, the resources they control wouldn’t be nearly enough for them to maintain their standing on Immortal Ascension Island. They’d have no right to be mentioned in the same breath as our three great Noble Families."

"The Prime Minister’s Mansion has extensive business dealings with our Tantai Family as well. Over ninety percent of the Yang Flame Gold Mine and Red Fire Silver Ore our clan extracts is traded directly with the Changlong Business Alliance. This saves us the shipping costs and potential losses from transporting it all the way to the Celestial Central Province. However, the Prime Minister’s Mansion drives a hard bargain on the price. They then ship it to the Artifact Refining Sects and Noble Families in the Celestial Central Province and resell it for several times the profit."