Chapter 1315, A Fleeting Sunset on the Face

Translator:  Ashish

Translation Checker: Silvain

 

*Hooooo…* Taking a long, deep breath, Lan was about to speak…

 

But before she could open her mouth…

 

*Shhh…* A flash of light flickered and vanished.

 

The next moment, her shoulder suddenly felt a faint weight.

 

Following the sensation and glancing over, Lan was startled to find that this mysterious Lord Alarion had already placed a hand on her shoulder.

 

“That’s enough… there’s no need to say anything. Everything you’re feeling is already written all over your face…”

 

“Lord Alarion, I…” A trace of bewilderment flickered deep in her eyes, and Lan froze mid-sentence.

 

[Written on my face? Written what?] At that moment, Lan was truly confused.

 

First, Lord Alarion’s arrival had been far too sudden. Second, his three rapid-fire questions had struck straight at her heart, leaving her unable to respond at all.

 

What she did not realize was that, in Yu Zi Yu’s eyes, her reaction had already told him 80-90 percent of what he wanted to know.

 

Hesitation, it was written all over her face. For someone at Half-Step Hegemon Realm, even a moment’s hesitation was enough to explain everything.

 

While it could not be said for certain that Lan’s heart leaned toward the Demon Court, at the very least, she would not stand against it.

 

And that was enough for Yu Zi Yu. After all, when it came down to it, wasn’t the Angel Clan already just another Force under his banner? Whether Lan served the Angels or the Demon Court made no difference to him. The only problem was that he simply could not openly take command of the Angel Clan himself.

 

So now, Lan’s display had left him more than satisfied.

 

[A person devoted to her kin, yet one who deeply values gratitude…] Smiling in his heart, Yu Zi Yu gave Lan the most honest appraisal.

 

[Such a person… is worth trusting. Whether for the Angel Clan or the Demon Court, she is someone to be trusted.]

 

And as the ruler of both the Angels and the Demon Court, Yu Zi Yu naturally found her pleasing.

 

…

 

But now, seeing the growing astonishment on Lan’s face, Alarion stopped teasing her. His expression returned to calm as he finally put her worries to ease, “Rest easy. The Demon Emperor and I are the closest of friends. Whether you fight for the Demon Court or for the Angel Clan, it’s all the same to me…”

 

“Uh…” A brief silence fell ensued, and Lan’s beautiful eyes widened in surprise.

 

[Closest friends…!? That… that explains everything. No wonder Lord Alarion was so willing to ally the Angel Clan with the Demon Court. It turns out… he and the Demon Emperor are the closest of friends. A bond like that is no ordinary thing. It’s the kind of friendship where you can entrust the other with your very life. With a bond like that, all of Lord Alarion’s past actions suddenly make sense. He trusts the Demon Emperor, and so, he trusts the Demon Court. That’s why… he was able to entrust the entire Angel Clan to their care.]

 

“So… does that mean, Lord Alarion, you’ve always been with the Demon Emperor?” She suddenly asked, her eyes gleaming with a spark of curiosity.

 

No, it was not just curiosity, there was also a certain gleam, hard to put into words.

 

Like any ordinary woman… even one as lofty as Lan, a Queen of Angels, had a cat-like curiosity.

 

But as the popular adage goes, curiosity killed the cat.

 

With the corner of his mouth faintly lifting, Yu Zi Yu simply extended a finger and flicked Lan lightly between the brows.

 

…

 

A single fingertip’s touch brought the smooth, jade-like sensation to her skin, making Lan’s expression falter for a moment.

 

Looking closely, a faint flush of crimson bloomed across her cheeks. A fleeting sunset on her face, this could exactly describe her current appearance.

 

Never before… never before had anyone shown her such an intimate gesture.

 

And what’s more, this man was the one she respected and admired above all others, Lord Alarion.

 

So, bewilderment, shyness and something else altogether made Lan’s heart pound like a startled fawn.

 

But before the pounding could last long, a voice sounded softly in her ear, “I’m leaving now… Take care of yourself…”

 

With those words, the dazzling set of sixteen golden wings suddenly erupted with radiant glow, drying the sky in gold completely.

 

And along with this, Yu Zi Yu’s figure dissolved into countless shimmering motes, scattering into the air.

 

“Lord Alarion…” She called out, her voice tinged with excitement.

 

But her right hand froze halfway to reaching out, because, at that moment, she couldn’t think of a single good reason to keep him from leaving.

 

And the strange, unnamable feelings rising in her chest left her even more at a loss.

 

What Lan didn’t know was that, far away in the starry sky, Yu Zi Yu’s eye twitched slightly.

 

“Are all members of the Angel Clan this innocent? No, should I say, even the Queen of Angels, Lan, is this innocent?” Muttering to himself, Yu Zi Yu felt a bit embarrassed.

 

He was used to being close in such a way with people like Nine Tails or Ling Er. That was why he had casually tapped Lan’s forehead, but he did not expect that it would make her cheeks flush so deeply.

 

And Yu Zi Yu, though not the most emotionally perceptive, was not a fool. He could clearly tell what that look in her eyes meant.

 

While he could not be certain that Lan had fallen for the persona of the Fifth Angel King, ‘Lord Alarion,’ there was definitely a budding emotion there.

 

And that… left him feeling a bit dumbfounded.

 

After all, his current appearance as the Fifth Angel King was not his True Form.

 

If Lan were ever to learn the truth, that the Lord Alarion she had a crush on was just a disguise, her feelings could easily turn into a love-hate relationship.

 

There was no denying that Lan would not take it very well.

 

After all, she deeply respected and even worshiped Lord Alarion. And if someone of such status in her heart turned out to be nothing more than one of the Demon Emperor’s many Forms…Just thinking about it made Yu Zi Yu’s scalp prickle.

 

*Haaaa…* Sighing and shaking his head in helplessness, Yu Zi Yu mumbled to himself, “I’d better leave this place quickly…”

 

And with that, he accelerated, turning into a streak of starlight shooting straight toward the Celestial Realm.

 

As for dealing with Lan? Naturally… he would no longer deal with her.

 

A budding sentiment was still far from love. All he had to do was avoid meeting her again in his ‘Lord Alarion’ persona.

 

However, what Yu Zi Yu did not know was that Lan was no ordinary woman. And in some matters, she was far more persistent than most.

 

“Lord Alarion is the Demon Emperor’s closest friend… Then, next time I visit the Demon Emperor, I should be able to see Lord Alarion again… Lord Alarion is, after all, the uncrowned King of our Clan. As his subject, it’s only right to pay my respects… And besides, I’ve hit a bottleneck in my cultivation… I wish to seek his guidance…”

 

In a rare moment of quiet reflection, Lan, standing tall atop the Eternal Dragon Spire, gazed at the starry sky with anticipation. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but the six pure-white wings on her back slowly drew inward like a timid bird, as if she was shy… and a little nervous.

 

Though she had lived for over 200 years, by the standards of the Angel Clan’s age, Lan was still only 17-18 years old in Human terms.

 

And so, the occasional stirrings of a young girls’ heart were only natural.