The rolling Changjiang flowed under people’s feet, rushing to the nearby estuary.
As the river went by, so did the lofty sentiments.
Standing on the other side of Sky Academy to see the river always gave people a sense of hero aging. The fast-moving water flowed into the sea without return, as if in the quick lost youth. Looking back at what happened yesterday, Li Tianlan found that everything had become hazy and empty and been gone.
He stood quietly on the bank, gazing at Sky Academy opposite and the rolling river in front of him for a long time.
Having one foot in the Qi-controlling Realm, but the other was in the Thunder-shocking Realm.
This was the most formidable moment of his life. Though below the Invincible Realm, he could fight and defeat anyone.
But it was also his loneliest moment.
The empty yet swelling sense in his body was constantly changing from head to foot. At this moment, Li Tianlan felt like an inflated balloon, seemingly inflated but empty inside.
It was power that inflated.
And it was his vitality that was empty.
The afternoon sun was just perfect, and flowers were in bloom in the warm spring. It was a pleasant day with a sudden strong wind blowing the river.
Li Tianlan’s white hair was slightly flying with the wind, and a few strands of hair, pale and lackl.u.s.ter, waved in the wind, fell, swept across the eyes of the people present, and finally fell in front of w.a.n.g Yuetong.
At this moment, everyone present sensed Li Tianlan’s extreme abnormal strength, but they also clearly sensed his weakness. Under his powerful momentum, his body seemed to be already vulnerable, as if he would be directly blown by the a stronger wind and dissipate between heaven and earth.
“Senior brother!”
w.a.n.g Yuetong, who had stopped weeping, cried out, and tears rolled down her cheeks like a dam again. She walked over to Li Tianlan and asked in a quavering voice, “Why is that? Why?”
Li Tianlan kept quiet.
w.a.n.g Yuetong held her mouth tightly, and the tears wetted the back of her white hands. She hadn’t cried even when Li Tianlan called her a b.i.t.c.h not so long ago, but now she was shaking and crying miserably.
Not only w.a.n.g Yuetong, but also Horsewoman and Enchantress were in grief.
Given that he possessed the Wind and Thunder Veins and had once reached the Thunder-shocking Realm at a younger age, what enormous potential Li Tianlan had!
Over time, when he broke through into the Invincible Realm, he would be a contender for the top five or even the top three in the Divine List.
After meeting Li Tianlan, even Enchantress had to admit that Li Tianlan was going to be a young proud Son of Heaven, and even one of the leading contenders for the t.i.tle “the proud Son of Heaven”, although she was biased in favor of w.a.n.g Shengxiao.
Unfortunately, with that stunning blow, everything was gone.
Li Tianlan was still alive.
But the potential proud Son of Heaven was dead.
How long could Li Tianlan live in this state? Even if he had a long life ahead of him, did he have anything to do with the Invincible Realm when he had burned nearly all his potential and vitality?
He would have no hope of ever reaching the Invincible Realm.
What a harsh reality for someone like Li Tianlan!
Looking at his white hair and lonely figure, Enchantress was silent and felt depressed.
“I’m not resigned to the current condition, but what can I do?”
Li Tianlan looked at the river and finally spoke. His voice was low, as if he were murmuring to himself, “What can I do?”
It was the second time he had asked himself this question.
The first time when he asked himself this question, he was in Sky Academy across the river. At the time, the answer to that question was crystal clear to him.
But this time, he was at a loss.
“Senior brother.”
Trembling and weeping, w.a.n.g Yuetong carefully took Li Tianlan’s hand and sobbed, “Go back to the w.a.n.g family of Beihai with me. I have a way to save you. I’m sure I will have a way to save you.”
Li Tianlan took a deep breath, his chest heaving visibly. Between his inhalation and exhalation, it was as if all his grudges and resentments were rushing out of his body with his breath. His face, so white that it was almost transparent, seemed to become composed again.
Looking at w.a.n.g Yuetong, whose voice grew hoa.r.s.e and lips were bleeding, Li Tianlan whispered, “Have you forgotten?”
He pointed to his chest and went on, “I’m your enemy.”
w.a.n.g Yuetong shook her head desperately and her voice sounded desolate. Her heart, which seemed to have been torn by Li Tianlan’s own hands, seemed to recover when Li Tianlan protected her, and then was broken again by Li Tianlan’s glaring white hair.
Dignity? Pride? Being reserved and dignified?
All abandoned.
w.a.n.g Yuetong didn’t want anything but Li Tianlan alive. She wanted to see him to be in high spirit and fired with boundless enthusiasm, even if she had to face his indifference and nonchalance again.
She would be contented as long as he was alive whether they would be enemies or friends, close or distant.
Facing Li Tianlan’s calm and indifferent eyes, w.a.n.g Yuetong stepped forward and again hugged him tightly. “Please, senior brother, go to the w.a.n.g family of Beihai with me. I was wrong. I don’t hate you anymore, okay? Please,” she begged hoa.r.s.ely.
She said she was wrong and she was begging him.
Li Tianlan felt the tears begin to well behind his eyes. His heart skipped a beat and a great bitterness struck him. He felt the darkness before him and could hardly breathe.
How much did she care about him that she could give up her dignity and say that she was wrong?
How much did she care about him that she could implore to him without reserve?
Why should she admit she was wrong when it was not her fault? Why did she implore him?
She was w.a.n.g Tianzong’s favorite youngest daughter among the young generation of the w.a.n.g family of Beihai.
Li Tianlan could clearly feel the pain in his heart. w.a.n.g Yuetong didn’t know how much the man she loved and hated wanted to hold her in his arms. Actually, Li Tianlan didn’t want her to know.
She had the persistence and pa.s.sion to love and hate, but she was unlikely to have the courage to bear some things.
Li Tianlan clenched his fists, blue veins bulging on his bloodless arms. Instead of giving w.a.n.g Yuetong a hug, he reached out and pushed her away firmly and forcefully.
Unsteady, the little princess fell to the ground.
“Get out of here, you b.i.t.c.h.”
Li Tianlan looked lukewarm, but his heart was like a valley that was filled with cold wind and bitterness, and with the wind whirling, the whole empty valley felt chilly, which was ironic.
w.a.n.g Yuetong sat on the ground in a daze, tears streaming down her face. Her clear yet enchanting eyes had been red and swollen because of crying, but there was no anger or sadness in them, only pleading. “You will die, senior brother. You will die!”
He would die.
When she uttered this, w.a.n.g Yuetong felt like she had lost all her strength, and she could hardly get up for a moment.
She was lying on her stomach, mumbling and repeating, “You will die… ”
Li Tianlan turned his head away from her.
Enchantress flew into a rage when she saw what Li Tianlan had done to w.a.n.g Yuetong. She was one of the core experts of the w.a.n.g family of Beihai and had a very good relationship with w.a.n.g Yuetong. Like w.a.n.g Yuetong’s sister and mother, Enchantress loved and even doted on w.a.n.g Yuetong from the bottom of her heart. If someone scolded w.a.n.g Yuetong, Enchantress could turn hostile to and even kill the person, not to mention someone who hurt w.a.n.g Yuetong.
But now Li Tianlan pushed her precious little princess to the ground, abandoned her like dirt, and even called her a b.i.t.c.h, and asked her to get away…
Out of anger, Enchantress’ eyes suddenly turned bewitching red.
Her body suddenly flashed with lightning. She jerked forward, squinting at Li Tianlan’s back and said in a voice of danger, “Li Tianlan, go get Yuetong up and apologize to her, or you’ll regret it.”
Horsewoman hesitated, and said nothing, but she had made a gesture of blocking her.
“I’m not going to apologize.”
The indifference in Li Tianlan’s tone perfectly masked the tremors in his voice. “She is a b.i.t.c.h, am I wrong?”
“What kind of thing are you? How dare you insult the princess of w.a.n.g family of Beihai?”
Enchantress took a deep breath and did her best to adjust her condition.
Horsewoman was already difficult to deal with, and now she had to deal with the unpredictable Li Tianlan who had one foot in the Thunder-shocking Realm.
But she was fearless. Neither her stance nor her concern for w.a.n.g Yuetong would allow her to back off at this point.
“He’s not a thing.”
Tribulation, who had been so silent that he looked as if he had never existed, suddenly stated. His voice was still deep and hoa.r.s.e, not biting, but contained something absolutely oppressive in it. “He is the Young City Governor of Sigh City, and the future City Governor. Enchantress, who are you? How dare you be rude to the Young City Governor? It’s a matter between young people. You stay out of it.”
Sigh City.
The Young City Governor.
Enchantress was shaken, and the step she was going to take was frozen in place, unable to move.
This decision was so hasty and unthinkable, but she had to believe because it was announced by Tribulation.
In all people’s eyes, Tribulation was the future Governor of Sigh City, and only he was qualified to be the future City Governor. He was the most amazing a.s.sa.s.sin in the Zhongzhou State in hundreds of years, and even the faith of many killers.
He tried to force his way through the Qi-controlling Realm into the Invincible Realm.
He created his own Buddhist Incantation of Nine Words, vowing to match that of Taoism and Buddhism.
How brave and talented he was!
If he succeeded in ascending from the Qi-controlling Realm to the Invincible Realm, Situ Cangyue would not be able to control him. Such a man gave up his position as future City Governor and chose to stand behind Li Tianlan.
Why on earth was that?
Enchantress took a deep breath. Even though she knew she was no match for Tribulation, she didn’t want to give in. “Are you trying to stop me?”
“Go away!”
Before Tribulation could answer, w.a.n.g Yuetong let out a sudden shriek that sounded helpless and miserable.
Enchantress was startled and stopped where she was. She looked at w.a.n.g Yuetong with sadness in her eyes.
w.a.n.g Yuetong struggled to get up from the ground, looked at Li Tianlan in a dazed way. Suddenly she turned around and ran away without looking back.
Enchantress cast a cold glance at Li Tianlan and followed w.a.n.g Yuetong without hesitation.
Li Tianlan was still standing by the river, motionless as a statue.
He seemed not to have heard the news that he was the Young Governor of Sigh City or Enchantress’ provocation. The news, which was enough to shock the Zhongzhou State, seemed to blow away from his ears.
Tribulation glanced at Li Tianlan with appreciation in his eyes.
He was an a.s.sa.s.sin, but not a machine without feelings. Love was a complicated thing, but to deal with the entanglement of two people, it only needed an apology or confession.
He saw w.a.n.g Yuetong held Li Tianlan the moment he arrived here.
w.a.n.g Yuetong was willing to die with Li Tianlan.
Li Tianlan should have let go of all the bad things that happened before.
It was because he let go of the bad things, he should cherish the present.
Tribulation understood Li Tianlan’s indifference and believed that Enchantress could also understand it. At this point, to push w.a.n.g Yuetong away was the most responsible thing for Li Tianlan to do.
Li Tianlan had the courage to push w.a.n.g Yuetong away, but he didn’t have the courage to let w.a.n.g Yuetong face his death.
w.a.n.g Yuetong said there was a way to save Li Tianlan in the w.a.n.g family of Beihai.
Maybe what she said was true, but w.a.n.g Yuetong would not be able to get it. Even if Li Tianlan gave his life to the w.a.n.g family of Beihai, the chances were slim.
In Tribulation’s opinion, this young man’s mocking words made him very manly.
It was better for her to be sad and hate him now than to be devastated when she faced his death.
Like his sister, the Governor of Sigh City.
Tribulation’s eyes flickered as he looked at Li Tianlan, trying to say something.
Across the river.
An old figure was hurtling towards them along the bridge.
He was Sky Academy’s headmaster, Zhuang Huayang!
Tribulation stood where he was, with the same old composure.
Zhuang Huayang, aware of the fighting on the sh.o.r.e, immediately came. As he looked at the battlefield where the battle was over and the white haired Li Tianlan, with a strong yet empty aura, Zhuang Huayang’s heart suddenly sank. “What happened?” he asked in disbelief.
Li Tianlan didn’t say anything.
Nor did Tribulation.
Horsewoman was distracted and didn’t say anything either.
Zhuang Huayang’s heart kept sinking, sinking to the bottom.
Li Tianlan’s white hair was a sign that his life and potential were burning up.
What did that mean?
There was no hope of his getting into the Invincible Realm!
Zhuang Huayang’s heart quivered. “Has the Academics lost the most valuable person we could find now?” he wondered.
“If so, how will the Academics treat Li Tianlan in the future?”
Zhuang Huayang didn’t want or dare to think about it any further. He just said, “Let’s go back to Sky Academy first.”
“I’m not going back to the college,” Li Tianlan finally said.
He stared at Sky Academy across the river and slowly said, “There is no point of going back.”
Then he turned slowly and stepped away.
“Where are you going?”
Zhuang Huayang and Tribulation asked in unison.
“My home.”
Li Tianlan answered lightly.
At this point, a black Mercedes reached the river almost at full speed.
Ignoring the obstacles in the battlefield, the bright car roared around the battlefield and finally stopped near Li Tianlan.
The door opened and Qin Weibai stepped out of the car hurriedly. At the sight of Li Tianlan’s white hair, she froze in place as if struck by lightning.
Li Tianlan looked at Qin Weibai silently. He had been quiet after the battle, but now in front of his girlfriend, his mouth curved, and his eyes suddenly turn red.
“Sorry, I’m afraid I’m going to disappoint you,” he quavered, his voice no longer cold or calm, but with an undisguised bitterness.
Qin Weibai, dressed in a suit, quivered and clenched her fists. Her fingernails pierced into her palms, causing blood to rush out.
She took a deep breath and walked slowly to Li Tianlan, with the same softness in her eyes.
“Boss.”
Horsewoman nervously walked over to Qin Weibai and whispered.
“Slap!”
Qin Weibai raised her hand sharply and smacked Horsewoman in the face.
Horsewoman’s tall and plump body lurched backward, but she didn’t dare to fight back. She just lowered her head and said nothing.
She stood still, and even did not wipe the blood from Qin Weibai’s hand on her face.
“I don’t want any explanation. Get in the car and go back with me!”
Qin Weibai still sounded cold, but there was an almost uncontrollable madness and fury in her words.
Horsewoman immediately went obediently into the Mercedes.
“She is not to blame. Seriously.”
Li Tianlan looked at Qin Weibai and explained concisely in a low voice.
Qin Weibai turned to look at Li Tianlan again, and her eyes and voice became gentler than ever. “Do you believe me?” she asked.
Li Tianlan nodded without hesitation.
Qin Weibai’s mouth curved into a big smile. She put her arm around Li Tianlan’s neck, kissed him on the corner of his mouth and whispered, “You’ll be all right. Wait for me to get back.”
Then she took two steps back, gave Li Tianlan a deep look, and turned toward Mercedes.
As she pulled the door open, Qin Weibai glanced at Zhuang Huayang as he walked up to her. “Zhuang Huayang, tell the leader behind you, half a month, at most half a month later, I’ll give you back a Tianlan in good condition. You’d better not play tricks during this time,” she told Zhuang Huayang curtly.
“Go to Bili State, now,” she order composedly after she got into the car.
The driver Flaming Fire gave a respond, started the car and sped up sharply.
The car was cloaked in silence.
Qin Weibai sat alone in the back seat, her mouth compressing into a thin, hard line, and her dark and deep eyes blazing with determination and madness at all costs.
…