Chapter 229 - He Couldn’t Decide (1/2)

”Honestly, what happened out there?” Jing Yi hurriedly bandaged Qiu Ling's wound. He really felt that it was a pity that he hadn't been able to learn anything about alchemy yet. Maybe he could have done more for him?

”Don't worry about that.”

Jing Yi sighed and gripped Qiu Ling's uninjured hand. ”Long Jun. I'm your fiance. Don't you feel that that is someone you should share your troubles with? And don't say there isn't anything troubling you. I can see it. It looks a bit …” He lowered his head and gazed at Qiu Ling's hand in his instead. ”It looks like back then, in your inner self. You have that same expression right now.”

Qiu Ling closed his eyes. Damn. He really couldn't pretend in front of this version of Jing He. Was he really more observant than Jing He's immortal self? Or could it be that Jing He had just pretended not to notice because he himself had things he didn't want to talk about?

Ah, Jing He, I'd like to go up and ask you about it. Maybe I'd be surprised by your answer.

”It's not that bad. It's just … There was somebody hiding over there who shouldn't have been here in the Hei Dian Sect and I'm afraid … this might have something to do with me.”

Jing Yi pondered and finally looked up at Qiu Ling's face again. ”Is it … about your mother's family?”

Qiu Ling took back his hand, stood up and paced through the room. He really wanted to run away from this conversation but he had told himself that he should tell Jing He's mortal reincarnation as much as he could. As his fiance, he was entitled to that knowledge just like Jing He's immortal self was. He had missed talking about it in the Nine Heavens so he couldn't ignore it now.

”You could probably say that. It's more complicated than that, though. I guess the simplest way to explain it would probably be to compare it to the sects or maybe even better this country. You know I'm not from here, don't you?” He turned back around and looked at Jing Yi questioningly.

”I figured as much.”

”Mn. Well, as I've told you back then, I originally grew up in the capital of our kingdom. You could even say I spent half my childhood at the royal court. My father was the king's right-hand man, after all. The man my mother had fallen in love with was from another kingdom. In fact, he was that other kingdom's sovereign and one who felt like he had the right to our kingdom's throne.”

”So all of what happened to your family back then was because he wanted to take over the kingdom. It didn't work, though, or did it?”

”No, you're right. It didn't. They managed to … kill the old king, though.” Qiu Ling turned away before his guilty conscience could give him away.

The old geezer probably had his reasons for fleeing the dragon realm. He certainly needed the rest here in the mortal realm to heal the injury the soul-devouring dagger had caused him. It was a miracle anyway that he was still alive after being injured with that thing. As far as Qiu Ling knew nobody else had ever managed to live through that. He really was curious how he had done it …

Anyway, he couldn't tell Jing He. The fewer people knew the better. In fact, it would be for the best if the only ones who knew of that would be the old geezer, that human Grandmaster from the Yun Zou Sect and he himself. Like that nobody would be able to inadvertently give the information away.

Qiu Ling stared at the window and tried to convince himself of this noble reason. In the end, he closed his eyes and cursed inwardly. Alright. He was just afraid that he would have an even harder time to marry Jing He when that old geezer took back his throne. What type of status would he have then? What would he use to convince that Heavenly Emperor to take him in as his son-in-law? 'I'm the best warrior in the dragon race' probably wouldn't be enough even if the Heavenly Emperor would certainly love to have someone capable guard his son.

”And this person today had something to do with that other kingdom?”

Qiu Ling emerged from his thoughts and nodded. ”Yes, he was. Knowing them they have some sort of plan and it won't be anything good. I'm afraid they'll try to hurt you.”

”Why would they? I'm not important at all to your kingdom.”

Qiu Ling pressed his lips together. Alright, here it was. Lies soon catch up with one. ”You … You're important to me.”