Jiang Lang was startled. "Save you?"
Lin Qingrou sighed softly. "In the past, you had the strength, and my father and stepmother couldn't do anything to you."
"But now that your cultivation is completely ruined, it is as easy as turning their hands for them to kill you. Even if they kill you in secret, the ancestor has no way to blame anyone."
"If you agree to marry me now, you will be the son-in-law of the Lin Family. If they want to move against you again, they will have to consider the ancestor's attitude and the reputation of the Lin Family."
Jiang Lang instantly understood.
However, he didn't understand why Lin Qingrou wanted to help him.
Lin Qingrou seemed to see through what he was thinking and said, "You once saved my life, have you forgotten? Besides, out of everyone in the entire Lin Family, you were the only one who didn't mind that I was ugly..."
Jiang Lang was taken aback; he had indeed forgotten.
Seeing Jiang Lang's reaction, a trace of disappointment flashed deep in Lin Qingrou's eyes, and she sighed softly, "It doesn't matter. I've always been this insignificant anyway."
Jiang Lang said, "Miss Lin, please don't say that."
Lin Qingrou shook her head and gave a self-deprecating smile. "It's fine, I'm used to it. Take this..."
With that, she took a money pouch out of her drawer. "This is money I've saved for many years. Jiang Gongzi, take this money and leave the Lin Family. But you must leave quickly so they don't discover you."
"Otherwise, if you stay here, you will only suffer their grievances day after day. I don't want you to live the same life I do from now on."
Jiang Lang was stunned. "If I leave, what will happen to you?"
Lin Qingrou smiled bitterly. "My life is already like this, could it get any worse? Take advantage of the fact that they're not on guard and run quickly—run as far as you can."
Looking at Lin Qingrou urging him to run away, Jiang Lang honestly felt somewhat ashamed.
He had genuinely thought earlier that Lin Qingrou was worried she was too ugly to marry out and therefore wanted to latch onto him.
Yet who would have thought that she actually wanted to save him?
At this thought, Jiang Lang's heart was slightly moved.
Although Lin Qingrou's appearance was ugly, she was deeply affectionate, loyal, and knew how to repay kindness. Compared to Lin Yayin, she was countless times better.
After just a moment, Jiang Lang made up his mind. "I'm not leaving. I'm staying, and I'm going to marry you!"
Lin Qingrou was stunned, and lowered her head with a sense of inferiority. "Jiang Gongzi, stop joking. I'm so ugly, how am I worthy of you? Take the money and go quickly."
As she spoke, she tried to shove the money into Jiang Lang's hands.
Jiang Lang looked at Lin Qingrou with bright, piercing eyes and said, "Am I, Jiang Lang, the kind of person who judges by appearances?"
"Miss Lin, you are affectionate and righteous. Compared to that unfeeling, heartless bitch Lin Yayin, you are immeasurably better. It was my eyes that were blind before, but from this day forward, I, Jiang Lang, swear that I will never let anyone bully you again!"
Hearing this, Lin Qingrou's delicate body trembled. She raised her head and looked at Jiang Lang for a long, long time, tears welling up in her beautiful eyes.
She had lived a lonely and bitter life; how could she not yearn for someone to cherish and protect her?
Hearing Jiang Lang's vow, her heart was deeply moved.
However, Jiang Lang was only an ordinary person. If he stayed in the Lin Family, he would only live a life worse than a dog just like her, and she didn't want to drag Jiang Lang down with her.
She smiled, her smile somewhat desolate, and said softly, "Jiang Gongzi, hearing you say this makes me truly happy, but I cannot drag you down with me. Go, if you delay any longer, you won't be able to leave."
Jiang Lang directly grasped Lin Qingrou's hand and looked down at her. "My mind is made up, there is no need to say any more."
"No matter what happens in the future, I will carry it for you."
"And the unfair treatment you suffered from the Lin Family, I will surely demand justice back for you!"
Lin Qingrou looked at Jiang Lang, feeling the warmth of his thick palm, and her heart beat rapidly for a moment.
At this moment, she felt an unprecedented sense of security.
Yet Jiang Lang was no longer that heaven-defying prodigy; how could he possibly fight against the Lin Family?
Still, just having Jiang Lang hold such a sentiment made her completely content.
She truly couldn't drag Jiang Lang down, or she would feel uneasy for the rest of her life.
She said softly, "Jiang Gongzi..."
Jiang Lang frowned slightly and said domineeringly, "Stop talking. From now on, you are not allowed to call me Jiang Gongzi!"
Lin Qingrou was startled. "Then—then what should I call you?"
Jiang Lang spoke directly: "Call me Husband!"
H-Husband?
Lin Qingrou's face flushed red, but she couldn't bring herself to say it.
At that moment, Jiang Lang gently raised her face and began to examine it closely.
Lin Qingrou's eyes darted away. "You... what are you doing?"
Jiang Lang frowned and said, "Don't move, let me see if your face can be cured."
Lin Qingrou sighed softly. "It can't be cured. It's something I was born with. When my mother was still around, she searched far and wide for famous doctors, but they were all helpless and said it was an incurable disease. Jiang... Jiang Gongzi, you really do care after all, don't you?"
Jiang Lang looked at her and said, "Since I agreed to marry you, I will never mind. But if it can be cured, why not cure it? I've already looked, and it can be treated."
Over these past three hundred years, he had coupled with Empress Yaochi, and Empress Yaochi truly had not treated him poorly, from time to time imparting all sorts of vast knowledge to him—the schools of thought of the hundred philosophers, everything imaginable.
According to Empress Yaochi, this was because Jiang Lang performed well in bed and deserved to be rewarded.
Lin Qingrou didn't believe it at all. After so many years, she had long since despaired, and she shook her head slightly. "Jiang Gongzi, please don't joke..."
Jiang Lang said, "Whether I'm joking or not, you'll know very soon. I'll be right back."
With that, he walked out.
Lin Qingrou watched Jiang Lang's figure leave, her emotions complicated for a long time.
"Will Jiang Gongzi really marry me?"
"How could that be possible?"
"With this trip, he probably will never come back again."
"That's fine too. Isn't this what I wanted?"
"Yet... why am I weeping again?"
***
Leaving the Lin Family, Jiang Lang came to an open space.
Lightly stroking the Dragon Power Emperor Ring, a surge of brilliant light suddenly soared into the sky.
Hum—
Jiang Lang's Divine Soul instantly arrived inside a vastly huge palace.
At the back of the palace stood a towering platform, with steps leading up layer by layer. At the very end sat an extremely grand and majestic throne.
Jiang Lang looked at that throne and muttered to himself, "That must be the throne of the Mortal Realm Envoy, one of the gifts Empress Yaochi gave me. Ascending to the throne allows one to command all of Empress Yaochi's forces in the Mortal Realm."
Jiang Lang walked up step by step and then sat down.
The moment his backside touched the throne:
"Ah~~~~ Oh~~~~~ So coooool~~~~~~"
Jiang Lang felt even his testicles shrink, letting out an extremely shameful groan.
It was a case of thermal expansion and contraction, so to speak.
At the same time,
Boom—
An overwhelming, boundless might surged up into the sky from the throne.
The next second,
Across the entire Mortal Realm, countless big shots instantly sensed this terrifying power, and their expressions all changed drastically!
"It's the Mortal Realm Envoy!"
"The throne of the Mortal Realm Envoy hasn't been ascended by anyone for thirty thousand years. Who could it be this time?"
"Quick, pay homage at once!"
In an instant, the Divine Souls of countless big shots flew into the grand hall from all directions.
Soon, the entire hall was densely packed with people, so many that one could not see the end at all.
Seeing this scene, Jiang Lang's expression turned slightly stern.
As expected of Empress Yaochi, who swept across the myriad realms and suppressed the heavens; just the Mortal Realm alone possessed such a colossal force.
The big shots standing in the front rows exuded profound, abyssal auras, standing firm like towering mountains—they were clearly the absolute pinnacle existences of the Mortal Realm.
By now, everyone had caught sight of Jiang Lang's appearance, and they all wore looks of astonishment.
Because Jiang Lang was simply too young!
To be valued so heavily by Empress Yaochi at such a young age and become the Mortal Realm Envoy, what kind of monstrous prodigy was he?
Even old monsters like them were completely unable to sense any spiritual energy fluctuations from this youth.
This is...
The supreme state of returning to simplicity!
At the very least, he is a supreme powerhouse!
Such a young supreme powerhouse?!
Simply defying the heavens!
This envoy is terrifyingly strong!