Chapter 551 - Jiao Yue’s Heart
Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT, Rock
Ling Tian glided along with the night wind, a bland expression on his face.
Regarding Shui QianHuan, Ling Tian still did not treat him with much importance. It was only in his death that Ling Tian treated him as an opponent. Or else, he wouldn't have used the Heaven Splitter to send Shui QianHuan off.
This was also a sort of consolation.
When Shui QianHuan was there, Ling Chen's Divine Ice Formula had already lost its effect, and his entire body was already bereft of any internal energy. As such, he had to bear with the intense pain! For an ordinary person on the verge of death, to reject an expert's offer of help to circulate their power and ease his pain, choosing to bear it on his own! Just based on this willpower, it was enough to change the expression of anyone who heard of it!
On that point, Ling Tian respected Shui QianHuan. People who could achieve this level of willpower were really too few! Even before death, he still retained the pride and arrogance that belonged to him!
Thus, Ling Tian pulled out his sword! The Heaven Splitter!
While the Heaven Splitter was only just a sword, in this world, it was the symbol of power at its utmost peak. To die under the Heaven Splitter was a sort of comfort to Shui QianHuan, who had a death sentence hanging over him.
Those who obtain the Heaven Splitter obtain the world! This sentence, to Ling Tian, was just a joke, an amusing act, merely a sharp weapon to attract the entire world to fight for it. However, the sad part was that the majority of the people who did not have the knowledge were too many, If there was only one person, then it would be of no consequence, but if thousands upon thousands of people said so, then there was a huge persuasive power!
No one could overlook such a power, including Ling Tian! This might be the power obtained through conforming, but when left untouched for a long period it would still become useful with a huge influence! That was because there were at least 90% of such conformers in the entire world!
Ling Tian suddenly thought of a point. Why did Justice gift the Heaven Splitter to me? The half-year bet on pursuit, directly canceling it was still acceptable. But gifting the sword after canceling the battle?! The symbol of the ruler of the world! Could it be… that Justice's true objective was….
Ling Tian took in a breath of cold air. If this was really the case, then he not using it, not borrowing its influence, he would be a total idiot then!
At this age and in this world, the Heaven Splitter was akin to a ruler's seal of the emperor of the country during the feudal times!
Indeed an extravagant gift!
Ling Tian suddenly halted in his footsteps, at the same time suppressing all the waves in his mind. In front was the Ling Residence! The place where he spent seventeen years of his life growing!
Looking at the words 'Ling Residence' flickering in the dark, Ling Tian took in a deep breath of air. A few months ago he was forced to leave, and this time, he actually felt a tinge of homesickness. Shaking his head, he banished this weird thought of his, and his body straightened as he floated straight into the courtyard. Towards the place whom he was familiar to the utmost with, if he did not want to alert anyone, even if Justice was inside the residence now he still would not be able to detect Ling Tian.
Just as he passed by his own little courtyard, Ling Tian made an amazing discovery. There was actually light coming from the lamp dimly showing inside his room, and that was his personal bedroom. After he left, Yu BingYan and Ling Chen both moved to the Ling Family Courtyard. His room should have long been empty, why would there still be a person staying there?
Under his curiosity, Ling Tian did a flip in the air and dashed towards his place. In half the time it took for a person to draw a breath, he was already lightly landing beside the window, without sight nor sound!
From inside came a low sigh, and a clear and feminine voice sounded, "Little brother Tian, it's been so long, yet you're still not back. Do you know how much I worry about you? The news has spread that no one has yet to survive the pursuit of the Martial Order Medallion owner from Beyond Heavens. I don't believe it, you'll definitely come back safely, I only just need to know that you're safe, just that!"
Ling Tian's heart also stopped. This was Princess Jiao Yue's voice! Why was she here? Dabbing his fingers with saliva, he gently pierced a hole through the paper covering the window and peered through.
Inside the room, Princess Jiao Yue was supporting her chin with one hand, as she languidly sat on the chair Ling Tian always used, staring entranced at the lamp in front of her. Her face was streaked with worry and reminiscence.
"Oh my enemy, how could you just up and leave just like that, without even leaving a single word of explanation? What am I going to do? The entire city knows that I, Jiao Yue, am the wife bestowed upon you by my father, but you, have you truly treated me as your wife?" In the room, Princess Jiao Yue softly sighed. Looking at how she behaved, it was as though Ling Tian was really sitting in front of her, silently listening.
"Could it be that you're still worried that my mom and I will blame you? Although the Ling Family was involved in the destruction of the Imperial Family, causing the Sky Bearing Empire to change owners, in the end, it was Imperial Father who first betrayed the Ling Family. On this point my mother and I are clear. Him falling to such a stage, and yet not being killed by the Ling Family is already a show of mercy. While I may be the daughter of the Long Family, I'm also the niece of the Ling Family. Seeing such a scene is already satisfying for me, do you know that?"
"Your heart now should be extremely relaxed, right? However, do you know how terrible it feels for me to be trapped in between the Long and Ling Family? The Ling Family counterattacking is not wrong, but in the end, no matter his mistakes, he is still my father… sigh, if we become husband and wife in the future, will you still give me the cold shoulder?" Princess Jiao Yue stared misty-eyed at the flame, with a light blush dusting her face.
Ling Tian's heart leaped at her confession. Long Xiang wholly deserved his situation, but Princess Jiao Yue was a complete bystander being caught up in the raging firestorm. She was completely innocent, and added on was the fact that she was announced to the world that she was being betrothed to Ling Tian. Thus, Jiao Yue's situation was actually the most awkward.
To speak the truth, Ling Tian really did not place Jiao Yue within his heart, or he should say, he did not treat her as his woman. While she was Ling Tian's cousin, not even comparing to the place Ling Chen had, even Yu BingYan or Xiao YanXue was already far above her. In his escape, Ling Tian probably did not even think about her at all! Only at this moment did Ling Tian feel a weird and sour feeling in his heart.
Towards Jiao Yue, Ling Tian felt a sense of comfort and warmth just like with an older sibling, and being with Jiao Yue would make Ling Tian extremely relaxed, this sort of feeling was separate from any relationship feelings.
Speaking of which, this sweet-tempered cousin of his had found him extremely likable ever since young, even though he had carried the black tag of Sky Bearing's number one profligate, she had always shown tolerance for that. Having grown up in the Profound Palace Inner Courtyard, her character was especially simple, and by right unable to survive in the inner palace. However, being Ling Ran's only daughter, the eldest daughter of Long Xiang, it was precisely her simpleness and kindness that invoked Long Xiang's love for her. However, without any schemes, and with the majority of power held by Empress Yang, her days were not very comfortable. The only place she probably ever felt safe was the Ling Family, where she spent many a day in happiness. It was also where she created trouble with Ling Tian. A pity that Ling Tian was a person of two lifetimes, and hence did not have any sort of childish fantasies to speak of, thus their communications were few and between!
However, it was this sort of pure and simple girl, that because of a mistake made by her elders, landed in such a miserable state. Ling Tian was very clear that Jiao Yue was someone who was deeply traditional and only knew how to obey others without resistance. Even when her own marriage was used to win over the subject's loyalty, she never tried to resist or fight for her rights. Long Xiang had betrothed her to Ling Tian, and she had just accepted, even happily so. This was because, while Ling Tian had the black name of a profligate, he was still someone she knew and was familiar with, better than some unknown husband.
As Ling Tian slowly unveiled his shining talents, Jiao Yue also started to feel more and more pleased, for ever since she was betrothed, she had treated herself as Ling Tian's wife, with him as her one and only husband. Seeing her husband change for the better, she was filled with joy. Especially during the Literature Meet at Smoky Thea Tower, where his fame shot towards the sky, Princess Jiao Yue felt like her heart was drowning in honey!
But this joy only lasted for a few days, for the three-pronged scheme to destroy Ling Xiao and the Ling Family was revealed, with her father actually being the mastermind behind it!
This was followed by the winds of change, where Ling Xiao's army was surrounded and in grave danger. Ling Tian rushing a thousand miles out to rescue him, charging straight into the army, willfully slaughtering and earning himself the reputation of an asura. Back in Sky Bearing, Ling Chen and Meng LiGe all devised a strategy to take down the Long and Yang Families, turning the tables around to the perpetrators and causing Sky Bearing to have a change in regime! After Long Xiang lost the battle, he was put under house arrest in the Ling Family, and he lost his sanity, becoming a lunatic.
Her own father forgot favors and tried to violate justice by plotting against her own husband's family. This shattered the beautiful fantasy dream she was living in! How could a little girl in her youth bear so much tragedy?!
Before she could settle the relationship matters, while Jiao Yue was still at a loss, along came the news of Ling Tian being pursued by the number one expert of the pugilistic world, Justice, and had fled for over a thousand miles. Jiao Yue's heart immediately came round, throwing aside the tiny bit of hatred she had, and she wholly worried about Ling Tian, praying, even having nightmares, with a depressed expression daily. This was exacerbated when the Yu Family, one of the two largest aristocratic families, brought people to propose a marriage, with the Ling Family agreeing! Jiao Yue, who had no one left to rely on, almost fell into absolute despair!
With setbacks one after another, Jiao Yue finally fell ill. Because Old Madam Ling had always looked fondly upon her, she had personally cared for her illness, and Jiao Yue had voiced out that she would like to move to Ling Tian's personal courtyard to tend to her illness. How could Old Madam Ling not see her intentions? Pitying her infatuation, as well as knowing that Ling Tian would probably not head to his tiny yard the moment he came back, she agreed.