Huo Yuhao removed his Imitation and revealed his actual appearance. He nodded lightly and said, “I"m fine. And you?”
Ju Zi gave him a slight smile and said, “You"ve seen it – I have been leading the great army into battle. It"s not good for me, but it"s not bad either.”
Huo Yuhao stared at her as she stared back at him, and they went quiet in that instant.
Ju Zi"s eyes were very pa.s.sionate, but Huo Yuhao"s were full of lament. A long time had gone by, but he could still remember vividly even now when he brought Ju Zi deep into the lair of soul beasts and risked their lives.
“Yuhao, are you really the person who destroyed our aerial surveillance soul tools?” Ju Zi suddenly asked.
Huo Yuhao nodded in response.
Ju Zi heaved a sigh and turned around. She gazed in the direction of where her Fire Phoenix Legion and army were camped as she said bitterly, “I never thought that those words that I said back then would come true. The thing I really didn"t want to happen finally did. We have finally met again on the battlefield after all.”
Huo Yuhao said, “You"re just a girl – why do you have to throw yourself into this war!? You… haven"t you married Xu Tianran? He actually allows you to show yourself outside?”
Ju Zi said plainly, “He is a person who is very sensitive to danger, and he doesn"t even trust the people closest to him – I am the exception, because I saved his life when he was in the most difficult of times. Therefore, he has always trusted me. Our marriage was just a ceremonial process so that he can allow me to do more. You can say that I am his wife, but it"s more accurate to say that I am his most trusted subject. Military power has always been most important in his eyes, so he inserted me into the army. You may not believe me, but when he was severely injured all those years ago, not only were his legs crippled, but he"s also infertile. I haven"t been staying together with him till today.”
Huo Yuhao was astonished when he heard her words. He was an emperor, but he was infertile? If this secret was known to the public, it would probably shake Xu Tianran"s throne to its very core.
Ju Zi chuckled and said, “I"m telling you all this, and it seems like your status in my mind has surpa.s.sed his. But I believe you won"t say this to anyone, right?”
Huo Yuhao said, “Since you trust me, what else can I say? I"m not such a bad person.”
Ju Zi turned around and stared at him again. “I"m sorry, Yuhao. Even though I am unwilling to meet you under such circ.u.mstances, I am very happy to see you alive. Don"t fight against me, okay? You will not be my match on the battlefield. Your heart is too soft, and that is especially so for those beside you. Your heart has always been too soft.”
Huo Yuhao frowned as his eyes gradually grew cold. That was because he could see that Ju Zi"s large eyes were flickering with decisive emotions.
“Ju Zi, I can take you away if you"re willing. I can take you away from the Sun Moon Empire, and you can start an entirely new life. You have personally been through the cruelty of war, so why do you have to bring war to even more people?”
Ju Zi"s expression changed, and her voice suddenly became shrill. “That"s easy for you to say. The Star Luo Empire"s army killed my father back then and ruined my family, so why don"t you say that to their generals and commanders? They destroyed me and everything I had, and I want revenge. I told you a long time ago that the reason why I"m still alive in this world is for revenge. Anybody who will help me exact my revenge will be doing me a favor. Xu Tianran is my benefactor, and you – are not!”
Huo Yuhao felt the resentment that was rippling from Ju Zi, and he fell silent.
They returned to their quiet interaction from before.
The resentment on Ju Zi"s face gradually disappeared after a moment, and a faint smile surfaced. “Why are we talking about all that after not seeing each other for so long? I don"t want such bliss that"s so hard to come by disappear like that. Walk away, Yuhao. We have become two parallel lines that are destined to never converge. You have your path, and I have mine. Unless you kill me now, you can"t stop me. n.o.body can stop me from moving forward, and one day, I will lead the Sun Moon Empire"s great army to flatten the Douluo Continent"s three empires and conquer the world. There will no longer be conflict on the continent when that happens, and I will rule over this country properly, so that there will be eternal peace.”
Her eyes were full of pa.s.sion as she spoke.
Huo Yuhao felt his heart tremble when he heard her words. Rule this country properly – her?
Ju Zi smiled and stared at the shock in Huo Yuhao"s eyes “For some reason, I can never hide the words that are deep in my heart whenever I"m with you. Perhaps it"s because you are the only man I"ve ever liked in the world. Seems like my choice was right; you have become so powerful now. You"re not yet a t.i.tled Douluo, and yet even though I don"t know how you"ve done it, I can feel that you are far more threatening than typical t.i.tled Douluo to me. Yuhao, if you"re willing – if you"re willing to help me, when I have conquered the entire continent in the future, I am willing to be the woman behind you. Alright? When that happens, I trust that you will have reached the pinnacle of the human world.”
“You"re only twenty years old and yet you already possess such power. Furthermore, you"re not like me, because I"ve used a lot of medicines and drugs to raise my strength. My senses are very strong, and I can feel the aura of a very powerful individual of our generation from you. You will definitely become a Transcendent Douluo, perhaps even an Ultimate Douluo. Stand by my side, will you? If that happens, I will be filled with hope, and even more fighting spirit. I will definitely attain my goal in an even shorter period of time.”
Huo Yuhao slowly but determinedly shook his head as he gazed into the burning pa.s.sion in her eyes. “Ju Zi, you"re right. We are two lines that can no longer converge, and you have your, resolutions while I have my own motivations. Yes, an empire that can conquer the entire continent will bring peace in the future. But have you considered how many lives have to be given in this war to reach this goal of peace?”
Ju Zi said coldly, “Success is paid with lives, and the future has to be built on rivers of blood.”
Huo Yuhao grunted coldly and said, “Ju Zi, I didn"t expect you to be so cold-blooded. How are you any different from an evil soul master? Even though I don"t know what you"re going to do in the future, you should know that the Sun Moon Empire is playing with fire by cooperating with the Holy Ghost Church. The Holy Ghost Church has so many evil soul masters, and they are extremely formidable. Their two Ultimate Douluo are the most powerful human beings in the world. Do you really believe that you can control them? In the future, even if the Sun Moon Empire can conquer the whole continent, will these evil soul masters remain silent? I"m afraid they will have the same goals as you when that happens.”
Ju Zi laughed, and her laughter was br.i.m.m.i.n.g with confidence. “I don"t need you to worry about those things. As long as you"re willing to be together with me, and help me, I will slowly let you understand my plan. The Holy Ghost Church is very powerful, but even the strongest of men have weaknesses. Furthermore, they are a sect. What I control is an empire"s strength. Do you really believe that individual strength can fight against an entire empire? Be the man behind me, Yuhao. Please? Consider me begging you.”
Ju Zi suddenly became very weak as her words stopped there. Two rows of tears slid down her cheeks as the transparent teardrops swiftly turned into ice and dropped to the ground before they shattered into pieces.
Huo Yuhao stared at her. There was uncertainty in her eyes, and there was fear – but there was more hope.
He knew that this was perhaps the last time their destinies would intersect. But could he really do that?
Huo Yuhao took a step forward as he shook his head lightly. He brought Ju Zi into his embrace and said, “I"m sorry, Ju Zi, but I can"t. You have your resolutions, and I have mine. Even though I am not willing to admit it, perhaps we can only be enemies. After today, I will risk everything to stop the Sun Moon Empire"s invasion. I wish for peace in the continent, and I will work to that end till the day I die.”
Ju Zi let him hug her. She raised her arms and wrapped them around his st.u.r.dy back. She didn"t attempt to convince him anymore, and just allowed her tears to flow like waterfalls, and her teardrops turned into ice on her beautiful face.
The two of them were just hugging each other, and Ju Zi raised her head after a moment as she gently pushed Huo Yuhao away.
“You are the person I am least willing to have as an enemy, Yuhao. Do you know that?” Ju Zi said agonizingly.
Huo Yuhao raised his head into the sky and said, “You and me both.”
Ju Zi nodded gently and said, “Alright, since you"ve made your choice, then we can only be enemies after today. Yuhao, have you ever liked me?”
Huo Yuhao trembled before he gently nodded.
Ju Zi smiled and walked next to him. She placed her arm around his neck as she pressed her lips close to his ear. “I guess I have not liked you for nothing. Thank you, and even if you"re lying to me, I"m still very happy.”
Huo Yuhao heaved a sigh and said, “Why would I lie to you? You were the first woman that walked into my heart, but there are just too many hurdles and barriers between us – too many. Ju Zi, you…”
Ju Zi suddenly raised her hand and pressed it against his lips. She didn"t let him continue. “Since we have our own resolutions, then from today onwards, can we stop attempting to convince each other? We will both work hard on our own paths. Perhaps, several years or even decades later, when one of us has achieved our goal, everything will be different. Don"t you think so?”
Huo Yuhao gently nodded. He knew that any attempt to convince her would be futile.