Young Master Jiang Couldn't Be a Bad Person

Su Qinghan left the City Lord's Mansion and heard no shortage of gossip along the way, as well as receiving some strange, appraising looks.

Fortunately, her state of mind was strong, and she did not care much. Before long, she returned to Su Manor.

For the past few days, everyone in Su Manor had been worried about Su Qinghan's situation, yet none dared go to the City Lord's Mansion to ask after her.

Now that they saw her return, many clansmen heaved a sigh of relief. At the same time, many were curious about what she had done in the City Lord's Mansion these past few days.

Su Changkong and several clan elders hurried at once toward the courtyard pavilion where Su Qinghan usually stayed.

Su Qingyao also ran over anxiously to see her. With such a major incident having occurred in the family, Su Changkong had not been able to let her leave the manor these past few days.

In the pavilion beside the pond grew many begonia trees and parasol trees. A breeze stirred the leaves into flight, bringing with it a touch of chill.

"Qinghan, are you all right...?"

When Su Changkong arrived, Su Qinghan was standing in the pavilion, seemingly lost in thought as she watched the falling parasol leaves.

She was still wearing the same plain white gown from the banquet that night, unchanged in the slightest. Amid her cold expression was a solitary aloofness, as though she stood alone in the world like a frigid mountain.

His voice trembled slightly, his face filled with unconcealable worry and self-reproach.

"Big Sister, you... why did you only come back today? Were you... were you bullied by... by that bad man?"

Following behind Su Changkong, Su Qingyao's little face, smooth as jade, was filled with worry. Her small hands were clenched tightly, and she stammered from excessive nervousness.

"I'm fine. I made you worry."

Su Qinghan looked at her father and younger sister. Seeing how tense they were from worry, warmth stirred in her heart, and she gently shook her head.

"Really? Nothing happened?"

Su Changkong still did not believe it. She had spent so many days and nights at the City Lord's Mansion without returning—he truly could not believe that nothing had happened.

"Big Sister, at the banquet, you did that for my sake..."

Large tears began rolling down Su Qingyao's eyes, pattering down one after another.

Su Qinghan gently rubbed her head and said softly, "Stop crying. I'm really fine. When has your sister ever lied to you? You and Father don't need to worry."

"Young Master Jiang... well, he isn't what you think he is..."

Those words left Su Changkong stunned. Then he became even more grief-stricken and said, "Father has wronged you. I should have been more decisive then and forcibly taken you away. Did that bastard force you to do something and forbid you from speaking recklessly about it?"

Su Qinghan could not help but fall silent.

She knew that explaining it like this would actually be useless.

Had she not truly come into contact with and gotten to know Jiang Lan, she herself would probably not have believed that the Prime Minister's son of rumor possessed so many unknown sides.

But this concerned Jiang Lan's secrets, so she could not casually say more.

"As for Young Master Jiang, Father, you should not make wild guesses. In any case, he did not bully me..."

Su Qinghan said softly. Then she rolled up her sleeve, revealing a stretch of arm as snowy white and delicate as jade.

Upon it was a bright red chastity mark, vivid as a flower, clear and unmistakable.

Su Changkong was dumbfounded. He truly found it hard to believe that, given his daughter's beauty, Jiang Lan had actually let her go and not laid a hand on her.

"Could he be playing hard to get?" he muttered.

Su Qinghan felt a headache coming on. She could only compose her expression and repeat, "Father, mind your words. Do not ask any more about Young Master Jiang."

Su Changkong looked somewhat embarrassed. Seeing that Su Qinghan truly did not seem to be in any trouble, he finally left so as not to disturb her rest.

The matter of Su Qinghan joining the Dao Cang Sword Sect had long spread throughout the Su Family.

If not for Lin Fan's attempt to assassinate Jiang Lan that day, the Su Family would likely have been holding a grand feast by now, inviting guests from all sides to share in the joyous occasion.

The Dao Cang Sword Sect was one of the four great sword sects of the present Great Xia Dynasty. Even across the entire Nine Provinces Continent, it was a powerful Daoist lineage with profound foundations and a long inheritance.

At such a young age, Su Qinghan had broken through to the Fourth Realm, the Illuminating Nether Realm. Her future could only be described as a broad, bright road stretching before her.

"I know you were quite close to that Lin Fan. He bought you all sorts of little trinkets and snacks before, but from this day onward, you must draw a line between yourself and him. He is the assassin who tried to kill Young Master Jiang, a fugitive wanted by the Great Xia Dynasty. You cannot be implicated by him."

Su Qinghan looked at her younger sister and spoke softly.

On her way back from the City Lord's Mansion, she had seen wanted notices posted everywhere on bounty boards.

The crime of assassinating the Prime Minister's son was enough to leave Lin Fan with nowhere to stand within the Great Xia Dynasty.

Besides the bounty ordered by the Jiangling Commandery governor, many aristocratic families and sects had even posted wanted notices of their own, hoping to capture Lin Fan and curry favor with the Prime Minister's Manor.

Su Qingyao looked conflicted. "Big Sister, how do you know about all this?"

Su Qinghan glanced at her, gently shook her head, and offered no explanation.

The cosmetics boxes and other items in Su Qingyao's bedchamber clearly could not have been brought to her by servants. Combined with her familiarity with Lin Fan, it was not difficult to guess who had given them to her.

What was Lin Fan plotting by going to such lengths to approach Su Qingyao?

"Big Sister, what exactly happened these past few days? Why does it feel like your attitude toward that great villain... Young Master Jiang has gotten much better?" Su Qingyao grabbed her arm and could not help asking curiously.

"Has it gotten much better?"

Su Qinghan was slightly surprised. She had not expected Su Qingyao to notice that subtle change.

Still, she did not deny it. The corners of her lips lifted in a fleeting curve before falling again. "Some things happened that surprised me..."

"Ah..."

Su Qingyao stared blankly. What kind of answer was that? With her little brain, she simply could not figure out how that was any different from saying nothing at all.

Su Qinghan reached out and pinched her nose. "In any case, remember this: Young Master Jiang is not a bad person. I don't know what grudges lie between him and Lin Fan, but Lin Fan lurked within the Su Family for so many years, hiding his strength and plotting without acting. That makes him far more frightening."

A person who would rather endure the torment of heart-devouring pain for so many years than harm innocent people could not be bad to the extreme, even if he was bad.

Su Qingyao nodded somewhat hazily, then said in a small, embarrassed voice, "Actually, when I first saw Young Master Jiang, I also felt that he didn't seem like a bad person..."

Su Qinghan was rendered speechless. She had nearly forgotten that this girl had loved pretty things ever since she was little.

To put it plainly, she was a standard looks-obsessed girl.

At the City Lord's Mansion, Jiang Lan, who was having a meal, sensed quite a bit of Qi Luck pouring in once more from somewhere in the unseen.

Though the power of Qi Luck was ethereal and intangible, after fusing with that Qi Luck Dao Fruit, his perception of Qi Luck had become even sharper and more sensitive. He could even judge whom it came from by sensing the "aura" of that Qi Luck.

"Su Qinghan's wool is quite easy to shear, but in a short time, it probably still won't be enough to mature the Qi Luck Dao Fruit to its second stage..."

Jiang Lan smiled inwardly. This Female Protagonist was indeed clever, but she was far more innocent than he had imagined.

Once he dealt with Lin Fan next, who knew how much more Qi Luck he would obtain?

"Young Master, following your instructions from a few days ago, I had the Commandery Governor of Jiangling Commandery issue orders to the city lords of every region, telling them to send people to keep a close watch over the pharmacies and shops in their cities. Should anyone appear who purchases large quantities of Yang-attribute herbs, they are to seize them immediately..."

At Jiang Lan's side, Uncle Ying respectfully reported on the matter.