Max Level Return—I'll Protect That Fragile One

”Jiang Heng, you young man. The fact that you managed to find this place means you’ve uncovered your own lineage.” Huo Canghai’s eyes were sharp and his mind meticulous. When he learned Jiang Heng wanted to see him, he deduced that Jiang Heng had discovered the truth about his origins.

His willingness to come forward and seek the truth from him suggests he wasn’t willing to face it.

Jiang Heng clenched his fists, his head bowed low, and spoke with difficulty, ”Someone told me I am the child of the Rashomon Sect Leader. I came to the Moon Palace tonight to hear you, Mr. Huo, give me some genuine words. Am I... really his son?”

Before Huo Canghai could speak, Belial’s eyes turned crimson, ”That’s right! You’re the spawn of that demon!” Belial’s harsh tone couldn’t conceal his hatred for Jiang Heng’s biological father.

Belial pressed down on the table before him, tears of regret falling.

She spoke with a broken heart, ”I originally wanted to put you up for adoption, but Her Highness, out of kindness, hoped I would bring you to Divine Concealment Island. Because I deemed you innocent at birth, my heart softened, and I brought you to Divine Concealment Island.”

”Her Highness treated you with love as boundless as a mountain, treated you as her own. Everything Little Lan Yue had, you had too. But in the end, they all died because of you!”

”I shouldn’t have given birth to you under pressure from my mother back then, to this cursed child!” Belial did not truly hate Jiang Heng; her hatred was towards Alex, who used Jiang Heng as bait, leading to Little Lan Yue’s death and nearly causing Song Chi’s demise.

Even though he had mentally prepared, confirming that he was indeed the son of Belial and the Rashomon Sect Leader still left Jiang Heng feeling absurd and ridiculous.

He looked at Belial, her face full of tears. She was his birth mother, yet he couldn’t sense a trace of maternal love from her. What she had for him was only hate and resentment.

Realizing Belial did not welcome his existence, Jiang Heng quickly calmed down. He didn’t look at Belial again but instead turned to Huo Canghai, voicing his doubts, ”Mr. Huo, since I am the murderer of your children, why didn’t you kill me back then?”

Huo Canghai was a ruthless man, and Jiang Heng didn’t believe he would suddenly show mercy and spare him.

Huo Canghai raised a brow, countering Jiang Heng, ”Then what do you think could be the reason?”

Jiang Heng couldn’t answer.

Huo Canghai, expressionless, stated, ”Even though you are Belial’s child, Lili treated you as her own. She educated you diligently and loved you sincerely. I worried that if I killed you, Lili would blame me in the future.”

And Huo Canghai absolutely wouldn’t allow any obstacle to exist between him and Andariel that could affect their emotions.

”Young man, you should be grateful for Lili’s love. Otherwise, you would have died at the age of six.”

Jiang Heng was utterly taken aback.

Did he really owe his survival to Her Highness the Princess?

Jiang Heng shook his head and said, ”You’re all lying to me! How could I be the child of the Rashomon Sect Leader? He’s such a scoundrel; I’m nothing like him!”

”You’re nothing like him?” Huo Canghai seemed to have heard a joke. He said, ”What kind of person is Jiang Mantian, and what kind of person are you? You grew up beside Jiang Mantian yet didn’t learn a shred of his virtues. Young man, you must admit, you do indeed carry the same evil genes as that scoundrel Alex.”

Genes are hereditary.

Especially some bad ones.

”Leave.” Huo Canghai waved him away. Touching his weary brow slightly, he said, ”If you dare step beyond your bounds, I won’t hesitate to make you the target of the hundred noble family consortiums.”

Jiang Heng felt a chill in his heart.

Huo Canghai was threatening him that if he didn’t behave, he would expose his identity, making him the hunted by the noble families’ consortiums.

For the rest of his life, he would live a miserable existence, always in fear, always hiding.

Jiang Heng couldn’t resign himself to such a fate.

Out of a cunning instinct, he turned to look at Belial, always feeling that as his mother, Belial should say a few good words for him in front of Huo Canghai.

Jiang Heng tried to say something, seeking Belial’s forgiveness.

”Lady Daphne, I am the child you carried for ten months. No matter how much of a scoundrel my biological father is, half of my blood still comes from you. You brought me into this world, and you honestly have not a trace of care for me? Can you truly bear to see me live my life, burdened by Alex’s sins, in fear and unrest?”