CHAPTER 673: CHAPTER 540: THE STORY OF WU ZHONG AND YAN JIU

After Lan Cai’er left, the smile on Ye Lingyue’s face faded away.

Although they were not related by blood, Ye Lingyue truly regarded Lan Cai’er as her own elder sister.

"Yan Jiu, tell me the truth, what is your origin?"

Ever since she noticed that Lan Cai’er and Yan Jiu had a mutual affection, Ye Lingyue had been vigilant. She instructed Yan Che to send the elite of the Ghost Sect to investigate everything related to Yan Jiu.

But the investigation turned up nothing.

Yan Jiu had no parents and no family; he was like a rootless duckweed that had suddenly appeared.

He became famous almost at the same time as Wu Zhong, and he was also one of the founders of the Underworld Yama Palace.

Without understanding Yan Jiu’s background, Ye Lingyue couldn’t comfortably entrust Lan Cai to him.

"You’ve investigated my identity? Ye Lingyue, what exactly do you want to find out? About my origin or about Wu Zhong’s? There are some things that you, with your current strength, are not ready to get involved with. However, one thing you can be sure of, no matter who I am, my feelings for Cai’er are genuine," said Yan Jiu, his expression more serious than ever.

After saying that, Yan Jiu turned and walked away.

Even though Ye Lingyue was the woman identified by Wu Zhong, as long as Wu Zhong did not speak himself, Yan Jiu would absolutely not speak on his behalf.

Some things, only when spoken out by oneself, have meaning.

"Yan Jiu... are you from another continent? I once met a friend who told me that besides the Qing Province Continent, there are other continents in this world, such as the Divine and Netherworld," Ye Lingyue suddenly asked as Yan Jiu turned to leave.

The friend mentioned by Ye Lingyue was Yun Sheng.

Yun Sheng told Ye Lingyue that she was already several hundred years old.

However, her appearance was undoubtedly that of a young girl, and so was her husband, Ye Beiming.

"Elder sister, I suppose I’ll just call you elder sister like Cai’er does. You’re right, the Qing Province Continent is just a drop in the ocean. However, apart from the Divine and Netherworld, there are many other continents between heaven and earth, as well as things you might never come across in your lifetime," Yan Jiu said, not continuing further and simply walked away.

With Ye Lingyue’s intelligence, she had already deciphered the subtext in Yan Jiu’s words.

Yan Jiu and Wu Zhong, they really were from another continent.

However, why had they suddenly come to Qing Province Continent?

Yun Sheng had told her that as someone not from the Qing Province Continent, she could not stay here for much longer. Did that mean that Wu Zhong and Yan Jiu would also leave one day?

Ye Lingyue’s heart suddenly tightened, filled with an inexplicable fear.

But even she could not clearly distinguish whether this fear was for Lan Cai or for herself...

"Yan Jiu, he is not from the Qing Province people."

When Ye Lingyue relayed Yan Jiu’s words to Lan Cai’er, Lan Cai’er was not too surprised.

The night they consummated their relationship, she was too exhausted and rested on Yan Jiu’s arm.

Yan Jiu softly told her a story in her ear.

That story was about betrayal and loyalty.

Yan Jiu said, his most important brother, also the only boss he acknowledged in this lifetime, had gone missing, their life or death unknown, due to the betrayal of another good brother.

When everyone thought his good brother was already dead, Yan Jiu didn’t give up.

He went through untold hardships to find his good brother.

But his brother had changed beyond recognition and couldn’t even remember his true identity.

Yan Jiu didn’t get discouraged. Year after year, day after day, he helped him, taught him martial arts, watched him grow bit by bit, becoming even better than before.

But at the same time, he also found that his good brother had changed.

His good brother fell in love with a woman.

For that woman, he was even willing to become an ordinary person.

For a while, Yan Jiu couldn’t understand it, not until he met Lan Cai’er.

At the end of that story, Lan Cai’er didn’t hear the outcome; she only knew that Yan Jiu had said there were only two people in this world he would never betray: one was Wu Zhong and the other was Lan Cai’er.

"He has his unspeakable difficulties, but I choose to trust him. As long as he remains Yan Jiu, I will be with him, even if one day he leaves me, I won’t resent anyone." Lan Cai’er’s face carried a faint smile, which made her entire being seem as if coated with an unusual beauty.

Initially, when she parted ways with Dao Ge, it was because she had never truly trusted Dao Ge, and Dao Ge had never trusted her either.

But Yan Jiu was different. She had only known this man for a few months, yet it felt like several lifetimes.

She knew that some people, once met, turned everyone else into mere formalities.

"I think, the good brother he mentioned must be Wu Zhong. Ling Yue, I can tell you have feelings for Wu Zhong, but you also have feelings for Feng Xun. As your sister, I can’t give you any advice, but I just hope you can think it through. Perhaps, this coronation ceremony of Emperor Beiqing will give you an answer." Lan Cai’er knew that Ye Lingyue had been avoiding giving a straight answer to Feng Xun.

Apart from her distrust in love, another reason was Wu Zhong.

It was like how she had once wavered between Dao Ge and Yan Jiu, but in the end, she chose to follow her own heart.

Lan Cai’er had only learned one reason for Ye Lingyue’s hesitation; she didn’t know that the persistent yet blurry nightmare in Ye Lingyue’s mind was her true concern.

Because Lan Cai’er "got pregnant," Lan Yingwu, in a fit of anger, took Lady Lan back to Xia Capital.

He even left harsh words — unless Yan Jiu left the Underworld Yama Palace, he would rather not acknowledge having a daughter like Lan Cai’er.

Lady Lan could only wipe away her tears, holding her daughter’s hand, reluctant to let go.

Before departing, Lady Lan also called for Yan Jiu.

"Madame, I am very sorry."

Lan Cai’er bore some resemblance to Lady Lan, and seeing Lady Lan become so haggard these past days, Yan Jiu felt more guilty.

"Yan Jiu, promise me, take good care of Cai’er. She is a stubborn child, and once she’s set her mind on you, it’s for life. I hope you can be just as determined about her and do not let her down. If there comes a day when you realize that you can’t give her the happiness she desires, please send her back to Xia Capital," said Lady Lan earnestly.

Yan Jiu’s mouth opened as he wanted to say that such a day would never come.

But then he remembered something and, in the end, he just nodded.

Lady Lan nodded in relief. As a woman of traditional virtues, she didn’t understand any great principles, but relying on her eyes and a woman’s intuition, Yan Jiu, in her eyes, was a good man.

This child, at least, wouldn’t deceive people with all manner of sweet talk and flattery.