Chapter 720: Parting

Whether he was flustered or not, Li Luo would absolutely never admit it; words he himself had spoken had to be swallowed into his stomach even if his teeth were broken and bloodied.

However, when the appointed time arrived, in the evening, when Dean Ling Ling Zhaoying came to pick her up, Li Luo looked at Jiang Jiang Qinge, standing alone with nothing to her name, and his heart still inevitably trembled.

At this moment, the setting sun slanted down at the edge of the sky, and the evening glow hung across the horizon like fire.

The House Luolan House caravan came to a halt, and everyone looked toward the right side of the caravan, where a slender, graceful figure stood tall and elegant; the evening breeze blew past, stirring her hair, and the azure short cape behind her fluttered lightly with it.

In the years since Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan had left, this breathtakingly beautiful figure had been the spiritual pillar of countless people in House Luolan House.

It was she who turned the tide, stitching together the House Luolan House that was on the verge of collapse, buying enough time for Li Luo; without Jiang Jiang Qinge, House Luolan House would likely have already fallen apart back when Li Luo was still in the Empty Phase stage.

Lei Zhang gripped his long spear tightly, his expression solemn, and barked in a low voice: "Everyone, bid farewell to the Young Lady!"

The long spear in his hand slammed against the ground.

At the same time, all the guards of House Luolan House stamped their spears against the ground in unison, producing a low, orderly sound.

"Bid farewell to the Young Lady!" They cast respectful gazes toward Jiang Jiang Qinge, and their low roars rang out.

Jiang Jiang Qinge's golden eyes swept over the crowd, and a gentle smile surfaced on her exquisitely beautiful face; the breeze blew across this plain avenue, carrying with it her clear voice: "Everyone of House Luolan House, although this world is vast, in my heart, only House Luolan House is my home."

"So, no matter how wonderful the world outside is in the years to come, no matter if there are blossoms dazzling enough to confuse the eye, in the future, I will definitely come back, so I hope everyone will help me guard this little family business of House Luolan House; Jiang Qinge is deeply grateful."

She lowered her head slightly.

Everyone struck their fists against their chests in unison, producing a neat sound.

Jiang Jiang Qinge smiled faintly, first walking toward Cai Wei and Yan Yan Lingqing, whose eyes were red-rimmed, reached out her hands and embraced each of them, and said softly: "House Luolan House will be left in your hands for a while; you've worked hard."

Peach-blossom-like beautiful eyes shimmering with mist, Cai Wei held back her tears from falling and said: "Jiang Qinge, you must come back soon."

Yan Yan Lingqing, too, was grief-stricken at the parting; she was reluctant to see Jiang Jiang Qinge leave, but she understood that Jiang Jiang Qinge had no choice but to go, so she could only suppress the sorrow in her heart and say: "Don't worry, Jiang Qinge, I will make the Xiyang House stronger!"

Jiang Jiang Qinge gently patted their backs, soothing their emotions; in truth, she did not want to leave House Luolan House either. Just as she had said, no matter how splendid and dazzling the world outside might be, what she wanted even more was to protect this little home called House Luolan House.

She loved that House Luolan House, which carried all her memories.

However, her current situation also had to be resolved.

She did not fear death, but she worried that if something happened to her, Li Luo would be heartbroken and in despair, and under such circumstances, it would also affect his cultivation; Li Luo only had four years of life left, and if anything affected that, it might prevent him from fulfilling his wish to be ennobled within these four years.

After soothing Cai Wei and Yan Yan Lingqing, Jiang Jiang Qinge's gaze shifted, and she walked toward Li Luo, who had been staring at her from the side.

Jiang Jiang Qinge stood before Li Luo; the girl's slender and graceful figure, her porcelain-white cheeks appearing slightly flushed under the evening glow, and her deep golden eyes reflected Li Luo's melancholy, handsome face.

"You look absent-minded; it seems yesterday's broken engagement affected you greatly," Jiang Jiang Qinge said with a smile.

Then she blinked her thick lashes and said: "Want to beg me? I could let you take it back once. Yesterday I had actually planned to write you a new marriage contract, but unfortunately you refused again, prettily claiming that such a marriage contract needed to be witnessed by Master and Mistress."

"Your little scheme... you actually wanted to show off to Master and Mistress, didn't you? You wanted them to see with their own eyes that this real marriage contract, you could obtain it on your own."

The smile at the corner of Jiang Jiang Qinge's lips seemed to carry a hint of teasing.

Li Luo's face reddened, and he said righteously: "What do you know? Such an important matter naturally needs to be witnessed by parents to be proper and legitimate."

Jiang Jiang Qinge smiled and did not argue with him; in truth, this marriage contract was not important—it was only a formality. What mattered was the hearts of both sides, so neither she nor Li Luo minded setting it aside for later.

"Li Luo, in the days ahead when I am no longer by your side, you must cultivate diligently. Today's parting is actually because we are not strong enough, and I feel somewhat self-reproachful; if I were strong enough, we wouldn't have been forced to this point," Jiang Jiang Qinge said softly.

Li Luo sighed and said: "If even you have to blame yourself, then I might as well just bash my head against a wall and die."

"But I don't think there's any need for that; we still have time. Any tribulation that cannot kill us will only make us stronger."

He gazed at the girl's face, which seemed like the most beautiful in the world, and smiled: "When we return to Daxia, we will settle every bit of this grudge, one by one—whether it be that Shen Shen Jinxiao, or the Regent, Zhu Zhu Qinghuo... not a single one of them will escape."

Jiang Jiang Qinge nodded slightly; she was quite in agreement with this.

Then she glanced at Ling Ling Zhaoying, who was waiting not far away, stepped forward, reached out and embraced Li Luo, and said softly: "Li Luo, take care."

Li Luo held the girl by the waist, breathing in the faint fragrance among her hair, as if to imprint this scent deeply in his heart; his emotions surged within him like the tide, and finally these feelings turned into a murmur: "Wait for me, I will send you that 'Nine-Stripe Sacred Heart Lotus' as soon as possible."

Jiang Jiang Qinge nodded gently, then, under the gaze of everyone, took the initiative to rise on her tiptoes and lightly touched Li Luo's lips.

After that, she no longer hesitated; although her heart was filled with a thousand reluctances, she still broke free from Li Luo's embrace, took long strides, and walked toward Ling Ling Zhaoying.

Li Luo stood quietly in place, his pupils reflecting the sky full of evening glow, and also reflecting that graceful figure.

Amid the many gazes filled with reluctance, Jiang Jiang Qinge walked to Ling Ling Zhaoying's side; the latter gave her a gentle smile, then brilliant light radiated from her body, the light enveloping Jiang Jiang Qinge's figure as well; the next moment, that streak of flowing light shot up into the sky, tearing through the evening glow, heading straight for the horizon.

Li Luo gazed at the departing streak of light, and faintly, a voice wrapped in phase force drifted over, indistinct and elusive.

"Li Luo, remember our bet."

Her voice seemed somewhat ethereal, yet carried a bewitching, world-toppling temptress allure, drifting softly into Li Luo's ears, causing intense ripples to rise in his melancholy, parting-stirred heart.

"Sigh."

Li Luo Heavily exhaled a breath, calming the surging emotions in his heart.

Then he turned his head and looked at the massive caravan of House Luolan House; of this four-person little family of House Luolan House, three had now departed.

It seemed it was also time for him to leave, for now.