Chapter 286: Chapter 286: I Won’t Let Anything Happen to Either of Us

Throughout these reincarnations, Zhao Lang had gradually discerned a pattern.

No matter what he became or where he went, he always ended up back in Chixia Village, dying an unexpected and violent death.

And the greater his achievements, the more tragic his end would be.

He once returned to the Gu Family, eradicated all his enemies, and became the powerful Gu Family Patriarch, only to die at the hands of his most trusted subordinate on a stormy night, his limbs severed, his face unrecognizable.

He had also tried to live incognito abroad, aiming for an unremarkable life unknown to others, yet met his demise on the streets of the City of Romance.

No matter what he tried, the outcome never wavered.

By his fifth life, he had already grown weary.

Tired of this fate he could not change no matter how he struggled.

But just as he was ready to give up, he inadvertently saved a barefoot monk.

That monk immediately saw through his fate and, before leaving, imparted some words to him.

He said humans undergo seven cycles of reincarnation; what is called reincarnation is the ebb and flow of life and death. But his fate from the moment of his birth was not so simple. In his case, the ordinary cycle of reincarnation had become an utterly meaningless regression.

And once he had gone through all seven lives, he would vanish from this world completely.

Unless he could find the one person who could rescue him from the cycle of reincarnation.

Afterward, that itinerant monk disappeared completely from his life, never to be encountered again.

He had also tried to search for this so-called rescuer from the cycle, but despite exhausting two whole lifetimes and all of his wealth and resources, there was no change.

Just as he was ready to give up and accept his ludicrous fate,

Jiang Li appeared.

Previous experience had taught Zhao Lang that as long as he chose to remain in Chixia Village, he was certain to die unexpectedly on a certain day in July at the age of 22, and his experiences in the village wouldn’t be much different.

But this lifetime, he was greeted by Jiang Li and others.

This situation had never occurred in his lifetime before.

So, he began to silently observe this major upheaval.

When he discovered that Jiang Li was the key element in this upheaval, the stagnant waters of his heart began to ripple once more.

Perhaps Jiang Li was that destined person meant to rescue him from reincarnation?

But he dared not jump to conclusions; after all, this was his last chance.

So, all he could do was approach her step by step, draw nearer to her bit by bit, and see if he would be affected by her.

Yet, it seemed as if something uncontrollable had begun to stir in the depths of fate.

He found himself becoming fascinated by her unfazed eyes, her indifferent and cool demeanor, and her mysterious array of skills.

She was like a fog, initially he only wanted to unravel the secrets of this fog, but later, he seemed to take an interest in the fog itself.

The moment he saw the sky ablaze with fire, he didn’t realize he was in the critical month of July of his cycle–when a mere accident could have killed him instantly–instead, he instinctively rushed in and rescued her.

The moment he fell off the cliff, he felt even more at peace.

His seven lifetimes combined were more thrilling than any single life; what more could he regret?

But miraculously,

He survived.

Because of her presence.

…

Listening to all this, Jiang Li found herself deep in contemplation.

Zhao Lang’s experiences didn’t seem absurd to her, as hers were exactly as outrageous compared to his.

From her understanding, the world they were in was like a book, where every character’s life was set by a predetermined plot.

However, Zhao Lang was just a character in this book who had nothing to do with the main storyline.

Due to his inherently strong Fate, which clashed with the predetermined plot, a bug had appeared, and he had fallen into an endless cycle of Reincarnation.

If she hadn’t awakened and affected the progression of the story in the book, it’s likely he would have been trapped in this cycle forever, or as the wandering monk had said, died in his seventh life, unable to escape his predicament.

Her awakening was a redemption for other characters in the book, and for Zhao Lang, wasn’t it the same?

Her master always said that those from Xuan Sect should be filled with great love, serving the nation above, and the people below.

At the very least, she couldn’t let down the name her master had given her.

Jiang Li’s gaze returned to his face.

“Don’t worry, I’ve seen your Fate, and some changes have already occurred. Maybe you can really escape this predetermined cycle of Reincarnation.”

Zhao Lang, however, lifted his head to look at the dense canopy of towering trees above them.

“Even if I can’t escape, that’s my destiny. I’ve tried, and I have no regrets, it’s just…”

He met Jiang Li’s eyes, his look becoming tinged with a hint of sorrow.

It’s just that it seemed he had finally met such a unique person in his seven lives, yet he had no chance to delve deeper with her.

Jiang Li patted her skirt and stood up, no longer indulging his melancholy.

“Let’s hurry and leave this place. If we can’t find the way out, not even the King of Heaven could save us.”

The hottest days of summer had arrived, and the Primordial Forest would only get hotter with each passing day.

Compared to the lurking beasts in the dark, the scarcity of water was their greatest challenge.

In this sweltering forge with no ventilation, water resources would only evaporate faster.

Their increasingly exhausted bodies undoubtedly hastened the approach of the grim reaper.

At first, Jiang Li still managed to find some juicy fruits to sustain their basic physiological needs.

Zhao Lang’s wound seemed to heal quickly, and he even had the mood to joke around with her.

“You haven’t been saving all the food for this injured person, have you? I’ve noticed you haven’t eaten anything for a long time.”

Jiang Li snorted coldly, “I’m not that self-sacrificing. If I die, you won’t live much longer either. So rest assured, I’ve kept most of the food for myself.”

But she soon realized that all his good condition was just a facade he had put on to reassure her.

His rib had broken deep inside, and the primitive healing methods were not enough for a full recovery.

With the environment around them being extremely poor and suffocatingly hot, it wasn’t long before Zhao Lang’s wound became infected.

It was only when Jiang Li smelled the stench of rotting flesh that she learned of his forced cheerfulness all along.

“Why bother?” Jiang Li said sternly, “Aren’t you tired of telling me a joke every day?”

Zhao Lang’s face was as white as paper, and his lips were cracked from lack of fresh water.

Even so, he managed a weak smile.

“Because I’m afraid you’ll get bored. After all, here, I’m the only one you can talk to. I don’t want you to lose your mind before we make it out.”

Jiang Li moved her lips but said nothing, simply turning away silently.

“Don’t worry. I’m not that mentally fragile. Before we find our way out, I won’t let anything happen to either of us.”