Mated at First Sight
Chapter 1073 - 724: So That’s How It Is (2)

Chapter 1073: Chapter 724: So That’s How It Is (2)

"I’ve arrived," Elder Jiang stood before the elder, gazing steadily at his indifferent demeanor, an almost ascetic detachment from fame and fortune, sarcasm flickering in his eyes, a faint smile on his lips, "It looks like you knew it was me all along! Is there something you wish to say to me?"

Hehehe... He had thought his disguise was quite good, only to find that others were even better at it.

Compared to them, he was like a clown; it’s just a pity that in the end, it was he, the clown, who won.

The elder chuckled lightly, "I just never imagined that power could change a person so completely. You’re no longer the old Jiang I knew," the one who would do anything for a friend. Perhaps that old Jiang had died many years ago, killed by his own hands.

The elder sighed softly, a hint of sorrow in his gaze.

"The Jiang of today will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. How many people have died by your hands for the sake of your ambitions?" Those events that had occurred time and time again were clear after some contemplation; his calm words bore no trace of accusation, as if he was merely recounting someone else’s story for his ’friend’ to hear.

The word ’friend’ seemed no longer applicable to the two of them; to use it would be an irony to both words.

"Innumerable," Elder Jiang said leisurely; at this point, there was no need for further concealment. He casually took a seat opposite the elder, calmly watching him, "You speak of me this way, but let me ask you, have people not died for you to sit in that position? Don’t delude yourself into thinking your hands are clean. In fact, we are the same, so stop mocking from fifty paces when you’re no different at a hundred." The sarcasm in his voice was unmistakable.

On whose hands among these people is there truly no trace of that crimson stain? There’s none.

Fifty paces laugh at a hundred.

"Hehehe..." Hearing this, the elder gave a light chuckle, "Indeed, our hands are all stained with blood, but I can touch my own conscience and say that there are no innocent souls unjustly killed under my command." The blood on his hands belonged to invaders; he had never reached out a bloodstained hand towards his own countrymen except for those who had wronged the nation and required punishment! He has a clear conscience before heaven and earth.

Since he had taken this position, everything he had considered over the years was not for himself!

Truth be told, even the elder himself hadn’t expected to find himself seated in this position, and to have occupied it for so many years.

It had been so long that he could hardly remember; ever since he took this position, his days had been filled with busyness, with family and everything else paling in importance compared to his work. Or rather, he had simply not had any time to attend to anything related to family! Nowadays, he felt quite estranged from his family members, and the younger generation certainly didn’t dare behave recklessly in front of him.

Except for Mu Lin, who appeared three years ago.

His seat of power was difficult to occupy; to sit in it was to accept solitude.

But he was fortunate, for by his side were two who understood him, with whom he could occasionally share his innermost thoughts.

"Conscience." Hearing this, the other burst into loud, exuberant laughter, "You’re actually speaking to me of conscience! Hahaha... let me tell you, in this world, conscience is the least valuable thing there is." He didn’t need it.

"What’s most valuable is power." Only with that supreme power does everything become perfect; and he, too, would become more perfect.

"You’ve gone mad." Completely consumed by the vortex of power, unable to escape, fully subordinated, a slave to it.

However, hearing the elder’s words, Elder Jiang was unfazed and even felt a certain smoothness in this realization, "I am mad," he admitted without hesitation, "I went mad the moment this world couldn’t treat me fairly, and I’ve been thoroughly mad ever since! How’s that for an answer, are you satisfied?" he said mockingly, looking at the elder with a provocative gleam in his eyes.

"Fair?" The elder seemed not to fully grasp the meaning behind his words.

Elder Jiang sneered coldly, "You don’t understand, do you? Well then, let me explain it to you."