Chapter 161 Brother: "Did I do something wrong?"

Wen Yizhan struggled to look away from their hands. He looked at Jiang Yuhuo, and the moment their eyes met, she lowered her gaze.

Wen Yizhan felt suffocated, as if something heavy was pressing down on him, making it impossible for him to breathe.

"...Is it true?"

He still couldn't believe that these two completely unrelated people could have gotten together.

Wen Yizhan pulled her towards him with force, "Junior sister, I want to hear you tell me yourself."

Jiang Yuhuo looked up at Wen Yizhan, his gaze fixed on her. His eyes, which usually curved into two crescent moons, were red and filled with disbelief and disappointment.

Jiang Yuhuo felt a slight tightness in his chest. "Yes."

Upon hearing her answer, Wen Yizhan felt as if something had pierced his heart. A strong sense of suffocation spread instantly, causing his heart to clench and ache, making him want to cover it.

A raindrop from the sky hit his face and slowly slid down below his eye.

He couldn't act strangely. He was her senior, she respected him, felt sorry for him, but she didn't love him.

Wen Yizhan wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and asked, "When...did you two meet?" He released her hand, forcing a smile, "You've already formed a bond, why didn't you tell your senior brother? Did you think he would interfere?"

Seeing Wen Yizhan's dimmed eyes, Jiang Yuhuo felt a tightness in her chest. She shook her head and said, "No, I didn't know about your relationship. The contract was formed because—"

Her words were abruptly interrupted by Li Mengbai, "We met in Luoyue City. Brother, who she's with is none of your business." Li Mengbai took Jiang Yuhuo's arm, "Besides, brother, Yuhuo becoming your sister-in-law is like strengthening family ties. From now on, we'll both be members of the Li family. Isn't that wonderful?"

"Brother, don't worry, I will treat her well—"

Before he could finish speaking, a punch landed squarely on Li Mengbai's face, knocking him to the ground. Wen Yizhan grabbed him by the collar and roared, "Who told you to speak! Who cares about your Li family!"

The anger erupted completely when he heard "sister-in-law" again. Wen Yizhan felt his whole body was engulfed in rage. He didn't know if he was angry because of Li Mengbai or because of Jiang Yuhuo.

"Senior brother." Jiang Yuhuo reached out to stop Wen Yizhan, but was stopped by his gaze. "Junior sister, this is a grudge between him and me. Don't stop me."

Jiang Yuhuo withdrew and went to the outer room.

Outside the door, the ground was covered with red leaves; inside, angry shouts and the sounds of things being smashed could be heard continuously.

Neither cultivator used spiritual power; every move was a brutal, hand-to-hand combat. Though they were brothers, they fought like bitter enemies separated by a blood feud. Fortunately, neither used spiritual power, so neither was in mortal danger.

She was also stunned when she heard the word "sister-in-law".

How could these two people be brothers? How could two such different people be related by blood?

Now, recalling Wen Yizhan and Li Mengbai's faces, she was surprised to realize that the two actually had many similarities in appearance, but because of their completely different temperaments, she had never noticed this.

But honestly, didn't she mistake Li Mengbai for someone else the first time she met him?

She had initially thought that signing the contract would simply mean playing the role of a good husband and wife with Li Mengbai, as required by both parties in the alliance. But now it seemed that the price was much higher than she had initially imagined.

Although her senior brother did not blame her, Jiang Yuhu could sense that they might never be able to go back to the way things were before.

This realization made her feel uncontrollably sad.

It seems like she's about to lose the person who's best to her in this world.

Both wrists were squeezed too hard, leaving red marks. A real silver snake coiled around Jiang Yuhuo's left wrist, using its coolness to relieve the burning sensation.

The other silver snake, which had been transformed, had reverted to its mermaid form and stood before Jiang Yuhuo.

Amidst a carpet of red leaves, a female cultivator in black sat with her head bowed on the blue stone steps, while a mermaid in white robes and blue hair stood below, gently breathing on her wrist.

"Are you very sad?" As the red marks faded, Jia Yue silently put her hand back. Seeing that she was unwilling to speak, he stayed by her side, even though she was sad for another man.

"If you're feeling down, you can tell me. I won't tell anyone, you can trust me on that." He stroked her hair, the scent of the Udumbara flower in the air having a soothing effect.

Jiang Yuhuo looked up at the open space in the distance, her dark eyes momentarily blank. "Did I do something wrong?"

She trusted someone who was full of scheming against her, and hurt someone who was wholeheartedly good to her.

Jia Yue knew she was referring to a marriage alliance. Naturally, he didn't want to see her marry anyone, but from Jiang Yuhuo's perspective, it was the only option.

"Don't blame yourself." He leaned down to look into her eyes and coaxed her gently, "If you don't want to get married, don't force yourself. Dissolve the contract with him, and I will help you."

Jiang Yuhuo simply shook her head, as if her vulnerability was only momentary.

"I will not terminate the contract."

She knew what Jia Yue was carrying on his shoulders; it was her own business. She had already taken Jia Yue's pearl, and she couldn't let him be dragged down with her. There were still people in the Sea Kingdom waiting for him.

"Aren't you leaving yet? Didn't you have a lot of business to attend to at Tianque before?"

As soon as she felt a little better, she tried to get rid of him. Jia Yue smiled bitterly and said, "You don't need to worry about things over there. They all know I need to go into seclusion and won't bother me with official business. Besides, there are Chang Yu and Qing Ping. They can handle ordinary matters." He brushed aside her stray hairs and smiled. "I've said it before, I can't live without you now."

"But I also told you that I don't want him to see you."

"Yes, I remember." The merman lowered his head and smiled bitterly. "So when there are other people around, I won't appear in human form. Are you relieved now?"

Inside the courtyard gate.

Two figures, one in black and one in purple, were fighting each other.

"You're just doing this for revenge, aren't you? You've been competing with me since we were little. You want everything I have, and if I don't have it, you take it away!"

"I didn't want anything, I don't want anything! Why, why are you even trying to take her away!" Wen Yizhan's face was bruised and swollen, her eyes bloodshot. "You never treat her well, once you get her you just throw her to the back of your mind, you never cherish her! You and your father are the same kind of people!"

"How could people like you possibly know what true love is!"

In terms of physical strength, Li Mengbai, accustomed to a life of luxury, was naturally no match for Wen Yizhan, who had practiced swordsmanship for many years. He was pinned to the ground, his fists slamming down heavily, yet he still roared in rebuttal, "Nonsense! Of course I know, I like her, I just like her! Who do you think you are? Just because your own lowly mother couldn't keep that old hag's heart, you think everyone else is like her?" Li Mengbai spat out a mouthful of blood, his smile vicious, "I'm not like that bitch Li Shichuan, and Jiang Yuhuo is not like that slut Wen Ruoxin."

"I love her, so I will do everything in my power to be with her forever." Those beautiful eyes gleamed with a strange light. "You've occupied her for so many years, it's time to let go! Remember your place!"

"Shut up! What right do you have... what right do you have!"

A more ferocious punch slammed into Li Mengbai. Wen Yizhan's eyes were bloodshot, and the fire in his heart flared up, burning away all his reason. He couldn't tell whether it was Li Mengbai's repeated use of the term "slut" that made him angrier, or Li Mengbai's open declaration of love for Jiang Yuhuo that made him even angrier.

The person he's guarded for so many years...

What was his identity? He was the illegitimate son of the Li family, and a senior brother on Zhenyang Peak. He was the person closest to her, yet also the furthest away.

Li Mengbai wasn't the only one being beaten; Wen Yizhan was also badly beaten by him. But seeing the bastard's pained expression, Li Mengbai didn't feel the satisfaction he had expected.

He hated Wen Yizhan. From a young age, Gongsun Chan taught him to hate everyone, especially the slut and bastard who stole his father.

He was the legitimate son, and in everything he had to do better than that nameless, lowly bastard, to forever trample him underfoot. But one day, that lowly bastard was brought back to the Li family, and it was quickly discovered that he possessed innate sword talent, a genius rarely seen in the world. It was truly laughable that such excellent talent did not fall into the offspring of the union of two great families, but instead into a lowly illegitimate child.

Gradually, everyone began to like him. What's even more ridiculous is that such a filthy and corrupt family, which has raised a bunch of monsters, would like a kind-hearted child, and not just because of his talent.

Jealousy grew and spread day by day. Unable to steal away the goodwill others held for him, Li Mengbai repeatedly snatched away what he cherished. He wanted to see when this seemingly pure person would be stained with the same colors as this family. When that time came, he would let him go, because then he would become meaningless.

First it was the little gadgets he had on hand, then the small sword... He watched Wen Yizhan's suffering with great pleasure, until one day, he used some tricks to cause his most trusted servant to betray him and bring him to the person who had once made Wen Ruoxin completely break down.

Looking at Li Yanluo's face, which bore an eight-tenths resemblance to Wen Ruoxin, and listening to the servants' way of addressing her, he felt that Wen Yizhan should be able to understand.

Sure enough, Wen Yizhan never spoke to anyone in the family again until a Kunlun immortal came and took him away.

He originally intended to eliminate the servant who betrayed Wen Yizhan, but by the time he found him, the man had already been dead outside the city for many days, his face and internal organs devoured by wild beasts.

Thus, he realized that so-called children who are inherently kind are nothing more than this.

He lost interest in him, only occasionally tripping him up when they met by chance, to relive the fun of his childhood.

But he never expected to meet Jiang Yuhuo.

Such a foolish person is actually his junior sister, and he cherishes her so much. Of course, he won't let her go easily. He plans to lure her into betraying him, trample on her sincerity, and then abandon her in front of Wen Yizhan. He'll enjoy watching that bastard suffer again. That would surely be very pleasant.

But he messed up at the very first step.

She lit a fire in his long, dark life, giving him a bone-chilling warmth, but also endless unease. So unease that even when he finally saw Wen Yizhan in agony, he could no longer feel joy. He was even afraid, afraid that there might be even the slightest possibility that he would lose her.

Because he knew clearly that nothing in this world was more important than her.