Chapter 834 - 324: Weaving Sweet Dreams for the Slumbering
Fan Wubing’s eyes gleamed darkly,
"Only you are unworthy to say such a thing."
"Is that so?"
"You are clearly the person who has been with her the longest, yet you haven’t understood a shred of her."
Jiang Xuan asked,
"Then, you who have spent days with her, what have you come to understand about her?"
"I don’t need to answer this question to you."
Jiang Xuan shook his head,
"It’s fine if you don’t say; this question, I ask for you to ask yourself. You should truly ponder whether you understand her. Do not presume I am disturbing your mind. The reason I stand here today is not to tell you what kind of person she is but because I am the Emperor of the Immortal Dynasty, and I must die before its fall."
"Cough, cough—" Fan Wubing coughed for a while, "As expected of siblings, equally captivating and equally stubborn. But if... I’m not that strong and entirely not your adversary, I wonder if you would still say the same words?"
Jiang Xuan replied,
"I cannot give you a precise answer because you are the first person to stand before me with such demeanor in so many years. This may sound arrogant, but that’s the truth."
"You have this awareness, yet why can’t you see that the birth of the Immortal Dynasty is a deception, its grandeur but a bubble?" Fan Wubing took a deep breath, suppressing the pain within his chest.
Jiang Xuan smiled slightly,
"How are you certain that I don’t understand?"
Fan Wubing paused.
Jiang Xuan said,
"After sister left, I was crazed in wanting to understand why she left. So many years have passed; unless I truly am a foolish person, how could I possibly know nothing?"
"But you know, yet why..."
"Why turn a blind eye, why not change, right?"
Only now Fan Wubing seriously regarded this Emperor.
Jiang Xuan said,
"The birth of the Immortal Dynasty consumed countless people’s heart and soul, entangling billions across the world. I am the Emperor of the Immortal Dynasty, the head of nations, the Emperor in billions of eyes. You want me to tell them, the Immortal Dynasty is a scam, the splendor they aspire to is a false bubble?"
"..."
"With the birth of the Immortal Dynasty, amidst this state of irreversible circumstances... Besides making the Immortal Dynasty greater, I have no other choice. Even if such greatness is false, it must be maintained. When the tall tower collapses, those first crushed to death are always ordinary people who can’t escape or withstand. Big figures can hide, can stand aside to watch the spectacle, but they cannot."
Jiang Xuan laughed,
"This is the law of heaven."
Suddenly, Fan Wubing realized he should go understand this man who had been Immortal Emperor for ten thousand years. He wanted to pick at him, question why he didn’t try to change this situation?
But he asked himself, if he were in Jiang Xuan’s position, what change could he make?
He could do nothing.
Because as long as this world still believes in Heavenly Dao supreme, any change is futile. After all, the Immortal Dynasty exists by destiny, hence the Immortal Emperor is called Emperor.
"But this is destined to happen." Fan Wubing said, "Doing nothing is the worst way, isn’t it?"
Jiang Xuan nodded, "No one can be held accountable for wrong choices, so not choosing is the best way. If I were to attempt change today, who can guarantee the Heavenly Dao will not punish the common people tomorrow? Except for maintaining the prosperity and grandeur of the Immortal Dynasty to the greatest extent, I have no choice, Fan Wubing, this is the biggest helplessness. So, I have been waiting..."
"Waiting for what?"
"Waiting for her return." Jiang Xuan looked up to the heavens, "I have always firmly believed that she would once again turn the tide, just like when facing the mighty Zhou Yue Dynasty. Yet... she did not come, instead sending you."
He looked straight into Fan Wubing’s eyes,
"I trust my sister because no one cares more about the nation of Shangjing, no one cares more about what was lost to the world once. But you, I’m sorry, I cannot trust."
"..." Fan Wubing did not speak.
Jiang Xuan said,
"In your eyes, I see no passion for this world. I cannot be sure whether everything you do is for yourself or for this world. Although I am not your adversary, believe me, I absolutely have the ability to prevent you from obtaining the will of the Immortal Dynasty."
Fan Wubing said,
"So, this is not a battle; it’s a test."
"Yes."
Fan Wubing laughed,
"Then let me prove that I am qualified to represent this world and challenge the Highest Heaven."