Chapter 1008: So Near Yet So Far
Eight years ago, Jiang Yi was then still a collateral young master of the Jiang Clan in Skyplume City, who used to be humiliated by everyone. That was when he first met Su Ruoxue. At that time, Su Ruoxue was the mentor of Mt. Spirit Beast College. When Jiang Yi nearly got kicked out, it was Su Ruoxue who helped him after that.
From that day onward, he has had an inexplicable affinity with this princess from the Great Xia Kingdom. At the Mt. Spirit Beast College, Jiang Yi fell in love for the first time. When Su Ruoxue followed him without question in the Tomb of Heaven Monarch, he swore an oath that he would kill or exterminate any person, clan, or kingdom that dared to bully her.
Jiang Yi did abide by his oath. He held off one million troops outside the Summer Rain City for her. When he appeared outside Summer Rain City, Su Ruoxue smiled at him. That type of beauty and the flirtatious feeling was something that Jiang Yi would never forget. He then drew three Heaven Paintings, one of which depicted Su Ruoxue at that very moment. He named it ‘Pa.s.sion’.
When Ji Tingyu held Su Ruoxue hostage and abducted her in Hades Abyss, Jiang Yi’s heart broke. In a blink of the eye, a few years had pa.s.sed. Su Ruoxue had appeared in his dreams countless times. While diving into the Desolate East Sea, almost peris.h.i.+ng on the Phoenix Cry Continent, when he was being hunted by She Fei, and even when fighting a tough battle in Sin Island, Jiang Yi never once gave in.
No matter how tough and how tired he was, Jiang Yi never gave up. This was because there was always something inside him pus.h.i.+ng him to persist and carry on: he had to find Su Ruoxue and save her! He had to protect her for eternity!
Six years. It had been six years since Su Ruoxue was abducted!
More than two thousand nights, he had always been hallucinating about the scene of two of them meeting again. He had also thought that perhaps he would never be able to see this lady he loved deeply ever again. Jiang Yi did not expect to suddenly see her again under such circ.u.mstances.
His body was trembling incessantly, with tears streaming down silently. Jiang Yi was not a weak man; he rarely shed a tear. Jiang Yunhai had told him since young that men should have an indomitable spirit. Men could perspire and bleed but could not shed tears.
His divine senses locked on Su Ruoxue; Jiang Yi felt a well of gentleness and guilt building up inside him. Even though it had been six years, Su Ruoxue had not changed much—though she was a little thinner. She appeared colder, with the coldness seeping in her bones. She had a unique aura about her, a coldness of extreme proportions.
Su Ruoxue’s looks were superb and in no way inferior to Yin Ruobing. She wore a white dress and carried an elegant yet cold air, instantly attracting the attention of many. Cao Duantian was not far from her, his eyes flickering intentionally or otherwise this way.
Swis.h.!.+ Swis.h.!.+
From uncountable castles, many young masters and young mistresses flew out of them. Heaven Hidden Sect was the uncrowned king of the Snow Region. The envoy of Heaven Hidden Sect was also not to be treated lightly. Who dared to be disrespectful?
“Mo Xing, follow us out to greet Heaven Hidden Sect’s Fifth Eldress and the four Saint Ladies.”
Mo Qi’s sent a voice transmission via his divine senses. Jiang Yi recovered himself. He changed into a stream of light and zoomed out of the central hall, flying up above the castle.
Swis.h.!.+ Swis.h.!.+
Mo Qi and company immediately followed suit. With all the elders slightly bowed, Mo Qi cupped his hands and said, “Greetings to Fifth Eldress, greetings to the four Saint Ladies!”
Everyone bowed and repeated the greeting in unison except for Jiang Yi, who was dazed in midair. He looked at Su Ruoxue without saying a word. Thankfully, he still managed to control himself and did not shed any tears or act recklessly. He just stood there in a daze and stared.
“En?”
Jiang Yi’s inactivity stood out like a sore thumb and attracted the attention of many. Fifth Eldress and the four Saint Ladies also looked over. Fifth Eldress looked at Jiang Yi deeply but did not say a word. However, Jiang Yi’s disrespect towards Su Ruoxue angered the three other Saint Ladies. One of them coldly called out, “How dare you show disrespect to Saint Lady Xue?”
“Mo Xing! Hurry and apologize to the Saint Lady!”
Mo Qi panicked. To become foes with the Heaven Hidden Sect meant certain death. He tugged at Jiang Yi and tried to persuade him. However, Jiang Yi seemed to be oblivious and continued staring at Su Ruoxue.
“Mo Xing!”
From afar came Cao s.h.i.+shui and Mo Yao’er. Mo Yao’er was jealous that Jiang Yi was looking at a lady like this. She said coldly, “Do not be rude Mo Xing. Apologize to the Saint Lady immediately.”
“Shut up!”
Jiang Yi suddenly yelled at Mo Yao’er as if crazed. The tone of his voice was frightening; his gaze piercingly cold. Mo Yao’er flinched and took a step back, fearful of Jiang Yi’s sudden ferocity.
Jiang Yi withdrew his gaze, cupped his hands, and greeted Fifth Eldress and Su Ruoxue. “Mo Xing pays his respects to Fifth Eldress and Saint Lady Xue! Saint Lady Xue, we met before in Summer Rain City. Do you remember?”
After saying this, Jiang Yi stared incessantly at Su Ruoxue’s expression. He was utterly disappointed when Su Ruoxue’s icy expression did not even change a little. She did not seem touched at all. She did not even open her mouth; she was cold like an ice mountain.
“Hmph!”
Jiang Yi’s reprimand of Mo Yao’er and his staring at Su Ruoxue, together with his seemingly nonsensical words angered Cao Duantian. He snorted coldly, “Mo Xing, your pickup line is a little too cliche. The four Saint Ladies are the esteemed guests of Tiger Subdue Sect. If you dare offend them, you will be making an enemy out of me.”
Cao Duantian was genuinely angered, or else he would not say something like this. Mo Qi and company’s expression changed, too. Mo Fu sent a voice transmission: “Mo Xing, stop fooling around, or we would all die.”
“Jiang Yi!”
At the same time, Fifth Eldress’ voice transmission rang in Jiang Yi’s mind: “Do not act rashly. I was able to bring Su Ruoxue today because you helped us kill Qiu Ming. I intentionally arranged such that you could see her in person. As you can see, Su Ruoxue does not remember what happened. If you continue to behave like this, it will only end badly for you and your friends. I will bring her away immediately, too.”
“Huff, huff…”
Jiang Yi did not even look at Cao Duantian. He took a few deep breaths and forced himself to calm down. He suppressed the urge to take Su Ruoxue away by force.
He knew without a doubt that Fifth Eldress was not lying to him. Su Ruoxue had indeed entered the Soul Cleansing Pool and had her memories sealed. There was no way she could recognize him now. If she could, her gaze would not be so foreign, and she would not be so cold.
The cruelest and heartbreaking thing in the world was not to live without loving. It was actually having the woman a man loved most deeply standing in front of him and not recognizing him at all.
So near yet so far!
Even though Su Ruoxue was only a few meters away, Jiang Yi felt like she was so far away from him.
“Ahh, Ahh, Ahh…”
He looked at the heavens and roared; each roar louder than before. His voice carried a sense of endless agony, sorrow, and loneliness.
He looked at Su Ruoxue deeply and then flew into the distance. He did not dare to stay on Tiger Subdue Mountain. He was afraid he could not control himself and would forcibly take Su Ruoxue away. He was afraid he would go crazy and kill everyone!
“Uh…”
Mo Qi and company looked at one another helplessly. What was happening with Jiang Yi? Why did he suddenly go crazy and leave?
“Mo Xing, come back!”
Mo Yao’er looked at Jiang Yi’s sad and lonely figure and ached for him. With tears flowing down, she yelled and chased after Mo Xing. However, Mo Xing had attained the seventh stage of the Heaven Monarch realm. He was definitely faster than Mo Yao’er. After she chased for a distance, she realized that she could no longer even see Jiang Yi in the distance.
“That man!”
Su Ruoxue broke her silence upon hearing the agony in Jiang Yi’s voice. She felt something move inside her. She looked in the direction that Jiang Yi left in, waited a while, and asked Fifth Eldress, “Fifth Eldress, who is that man? Why is it that when he roared with agony, my heart aches with pain? Do I know him?”
“You do not. He is just a crazy person!”
Fifth Eldress’ eyes flashed momentarily. She quickly recovered herself and said nonchalantly. She changed to a voice that only she could hear and muttered to herself, “Yes indeed. He is just a fool. A fool crazy over love…”