Max Level Return—I'll Protect That Fragile One

Xu Xingguang pointed out almost emotionlessly: ”Back then, Your Highness was captured by soldiers of the Great Sheep Country and fell into the enemy’s trap. The situation was perilous, but Your Highness refused to become a prisoner, unwilling to be coerced by the Great Sheep Country, and for this, was willing to sacrifice herself.”

”Though Your Highness is a woman, she possesses a heart as steadfast as a rock.”

”There isn’t a parent in this world who wouldn’t be heartbroken and despairing at the loss of a child. But I believe, with the strength of a woman like Your Highness, she wouldn’t crumble just from the pain of losing a child. So Star guesses boldly that there must be a deeper pain hidden in Your Highness’s heart.”

Xu Xingguang felt unable to bear it in her heart, yet she had to speak the truth that saddened her. She said, ”Divine Concealment Island is heavily guarded; it’s almost impossible for the Sect Leader of Rashomon to infiltrate without help, so I guess he must have received aid from Your Highness.”

”And Your Highness did not know, you were inviting trouble into your home.”

Upon hearing this, Andariel’s eyes filled with tears, her body trembled uncontrollably, and she couldn’t help but cover her face, letting out painful whimpers like a small animal trapped in a cage.

Huo Canghai suddenly raised his cane and pointed it at Xu Xingguang.

A sharp poisonous sting extended from the bottom of that cane, directly targeting Xu Xingguang’s neck. ”Xu Xingguang! Leave here! If you don’t leave now, don’t blame me for being ruthless!”

Just as Huo Wen’an, who was previously slumped weakly in a wheelchair, stood up with a speed like a ghost, pressing down on Huo Canghai’s cane with his bare hands. ”Then try it, let’s see what you can do to her!”

Huo Canghai tried to pull out his cane.

But Huo Wen’an’s long, slender fingers seemed fragile, yet their power was as strong as an iron clamp.

Huo Canghai couldn’t pull out the cane at all.

Huo Wen’an gazed into Huo Canghai’s cloudy, aged eyes and said, ”Do you think by pretending not to know the truth, you can maintain peace? Grandfather, knowing your body is injured but not daring to touch it, leaving it alone will cause it to rot to the bone!”

”When the wound festers to the bone, only by cutting away the rotten flesh with a sharp blade can it heal again.”

”You should understand this truth.”

Huo Canghai’s lips quivered for a moment but finally released the cane weakly.

Huo Wen’an then took the cane.

He sat back into the wheelchair limply, placed the cane between his legs, and returned to his quiet, weary demeanor.

”It’s me...” Andariel raised her head sadly, turning to look at Huo Canghai. Her elegant and beautiful face was full of guilt and pain. ”Huo Canghai, it was me who invited trouble into our home, I caused our child’s death.”

Huo Canghai’s eyes reddened.

He looked at the tear-soaked Andariel, gently closed his eyes, leaned back in the chair, and sighed: ”I knew it was you.”

Andariel was slightly stunned.

”You knew?” She shook her head in disbelief and said, ”How could you know? When did you find out?”

Huo Canghai told Andariel: ”I didn’t find any clues, but I guessed it.”

”Xu Xingguang is right, Divine Concealment Island isn’t that easy to infiltrate; Alex was on my blacklist, his chance of sneaking into Divine Concealment Island was zero. The only person who could help him infiltrate Divine Concealment Island was the mistress of the island.”

Huo Canghai used his aged, somewhat deformed fingers to wipe away Andariel’s tears, gave a self-mocking smile, and sighed: ”Lili, from the day we got married, you’ve shared the same rights as me. The guards outside the town would only let Alex onto the island with your orders.”

Stunned by Huo Canghai’s account, Andariel was unable to stop crying. ”So, you... you knew all along it was my mistake that Lan Yue was kidnapped?”

Huo Canghai sighed heavily before saying: ”I knew.”

”Then why haven’t you confronted me with the truth all these years?” Andariel always assumed Huo Canghai didn’t know, while she, who knew the truth, couldn’t muster the courage to say it all.

If it were just the pain of losing a child, then after a period of grief and sorrow, Andariel could still pull through with her strong will. But, the child died because of her; she simply couldn’t forgive herself.

She kept the truth hidden while enduring the pain of losing a child, still harboring hatred toward the Sect Leader of Rashomon.

So, she fell ill in her heart.

She was sick in her refusal to wake up from it.

”I owe Lan Yue.” After more than twenty years, Andariel finally confessed her painful feelings to Huo Canghai. She said: ”Back then, not long after you took me from the chaotic battlefield, Alex betrayed the Great Sheep Country and was hunted and expelled by the Great Sheep Country.”