Caught off guard, a wave rose in his heart.
Even though he had been prepared, at this moment, Sun Lang's heart still trembled slightly.
An indescribable feeling rose in his heart. Perhaps it was panic, perhaps it was excitement. It was as if he had reached the crossroads of fate, and what should come would come.
Sun Lang looked at the old madam. The old madam's expression was calm, and there was even a smile on her face.
He closed his eyes, then opened them and said softly, "My name is Sun Lang, Zhao Qian, Sun Li, Lang Lang, Lang Qiankun. I come from a distant world, a place called China."
"It's a very good name." The old madam's smile was still very gentle. "It's not worse than my grandson's."
Sun Lang was silent. He didn't know what to say at this time.
The old madam seemed to want to speak, but tears flowed from her eyes. Other than Sun Lang, the old madam was also at a loss. Although she already knew the inside story, when she heard the truth from the other person's mouth, there was still a great sadness in her heart. The love of family was based on blood, beyond the soul and everything else.
She wiped her tears, and her voice was a little choked. "I … I'm just a little sad … I can't see my Baoyu, my grandson …"
Sun Lang whispered, "I'm sorry."
The old madam wiped her tears and sighed softly. "Why should you apologize?
You are also a victim. If Baoyu didn't act willfully, you wouldn't have come to this world and suffered so much … "
Sun Lang was surprised. He thought that Empress and the others had told the old madam a different version of the story.
In the end, the old madam was used to storms. She tried to calm her emotions and forced a smile. "It's very strange, isn't it?
They told me the truth because only the truth can win people's trust. They said that you were a puppet for so many years, but in the end, you lost everything. You must have a great hatred. This anger will sweep over everything and take it out on anyone who can take it out on, including the Rongguo family … "
Sun Lang said calmly, "I almost did that."
The old madam looked at him and whispered, "No, you won't."
Sun Lang looked at her in surprise.
"Because you're a good kid … I've always believed that."
Old Madam's tone was light but firm, "After knowing the so-called truth, I took back all the letters you sent back in the past few years and read them again bit by bit. After knowing the truth, I returned to take a look. Every letter had a new discovery and some of the previous doubts could be explained. I could hear your inner voice when you were writing the letters. You longed for hope and also gave us hope …"
Sun Lang said softly, "But these hopes are all fake …"
"Why do you say that?" The old lady held his hand. "Your heart is sincere."
"But all of this is based on lies. Jia Ying is dead. The person you remember died eight years ago. I'm just a substitute, an imposter. I was forced to accept this fate and was taken away from me …" Sun Lang said slowly. "I'm not Jia Ying."
The most persistent person was actually Sun Lang himself.
He was no longer willing to believe easily. He erected the sharp thorns and coldness all over his body to resist everything from the outside world. Jia Ying was the cause of everything. She was the knot in his heart. His fate had changed because of her.
"Why should you apologize?"
The old madam let go of Sun Lang's hand and stroked his cheek. "Why should you apologize to us?"
Sun Lang looked at the old madam in a daze. "I …"
The old madam didn't let him continue and interrupted him, "We should thank you. All of us should thank you … Thank you for everything you've done for us …"
Sun Lang was stunned.
The old madam asked Sun Lang to turn around and pointed at the picture scroll on the wall. Dark clouds covered the city, swords, spears, and halberds. The light of darkness and despair. That figure was the most dazzling star on the battlefield.
"This is not your war, but you came to this world and did very, very good things. Because of this, countless people were able to survive … This is a feat that will go down in history and should be remembered by all the people. No one can erase or deny such achievements. Why shouldn't you proudly admit all of this?"
Sun Lang said slowly, "This is not what I want. This is just a false scam. And there is no good result. There is only despair at the end of the road …"
No matter how glorious things were done, no matter how bright and dazzling they were, the final result cruelly shattered everything. The false truth was false after all. It dyed everything into darkness. So the hero became a clown and the light became a joke. Everything in the past sank into the bloody vortex.
The moment he pulled out the sword in the Dahuang Mountain, he had already denied everything in the past.
But the old madam stared into Sun Lang's eyes and said softly, "Maybe this is really the case. But why are you apologizing to us?
You replaced Jia Ying and his name and life. You were forced to step onto a battlefield that had nothing to do with you. No matter if it was hard or tiring, no matter if it was fear or hatred, child, as the grandmother of my dead child, I ask you … "
The old madam's eyes seemed to be shining with stars. There was a wise and warm light in them.
She said, "Let me ask you, Sun Lang. Have you brought shame to my grandson's name?"
Sun Lang was stunned.
What happened in the past swept through his mind like a tide.
When he was in the Dahuang Mountain, heaven and earth collapsed. Everything was denied. He was robbed of everything. Unstoppable fury, despair, and killing intent filled his heart. The earthling Sun Lang started his revenge. For everything he had experienced, pain, betrayal, despair, and helplessness … He also wanted the people who hurt him to taste the same.
But before this … there was no such thing.
He looked at the old madam. The old madam met his gaze and said calmly, "Please tell me … this is a plea from a relative of the deceased. Please answer me seriously. This is very important."
Sun Lang closed his eyes. He felt his heart beating. The memories of the past were like engravings on a stone. They were there for thousands of years. These were the years he had lived.
He held the old madam's hand and asked her to sit on the chair. Then, he faced the old madam and half-knelt in a military salute. He held her hand like a grandson who had returned victorious and was reporting the results of the battle to his closest relative.
In the beautiful days of the past, he had imagined the scene of returning home victorious. At that time, he had already decided to pretend to be Jia Ying. He would bury this secret in his heart and accept his current fate.
At that time, he thought that he must return on a sunny day, stepping on fresh flowers, wearing a battle robe, and under the gaze and envy of tens of thousands of people. He would then report to his grandmother about the merits he had achieved.
"General of the Martial Arts Hall's Sword Pavilion, General Pillar of the Nation, Special Entry Guanglu Daifu, Commander of the Six Armies, Marshal of the World. Six years of military service, starting in Gaoyang of Tang Prefecture and participating in the Battle of Gannan …"
Killing generals and capturing flags, charging and breaking through enemy lines, he was the first to achieve merit.
The young man who was late by two years quietly talked about his military history. The bloody battles, the turbulent battlefields, he tore open the haze of despair and stood up straight in the endless pain. He began his long journey.
"In the Shang Province, you have achieved great success in your martial arts. You have participated in 47 battles, killed more than 2,300 enemies, seized 9 flags, achieved 14 outstanding merits, killed 67 generals, and achieved 35 outstanding merits. You have been promoted based on your merits …"
From the moment he broke through enemy lines, he walked step by step to the marshal's scepter. It only took him six years. It was not a shortcut. Instead, it was a long road that was forcefully compressed. The process was very, very painful.
"Led by General You Ji, the Zephyr Battalion went down the Dragon River and attacked the Azure Army. Victory."
"Then fought to a draw …"
"North Wind, Moyi, Lingjiangshan, Valley of No Return, White Tiger Plains …"
Just like the armor, every mark was engraved with military merits. In the Tianyuan Battlefield that was recorded in the history books, a transmigrator forced himself to adapt to his role amidst blood and fire.
Every promotion was accompanied by a great battle that shook the six armies. A new star that shone brightly in the world rose.
Sun Lang slowly talked about his past. He repeated it as if he had experienced it himself. From a lost and fearful earthling to a famous general who had won hundreds of battles, this was his story.
"Before the Great Desolate Mountain, six years of time was a journey that many people would never be able to achieve in their lifetime."
"I've fought thousands of battles, but I've never been defeated. The battles that I've commanded have all ended in victory. The soldiers under my command also have the highest survival rate among the six armies. They're proud of fighting under my command. I've defeated one powerful enemy after another for this land, banished the Heavenly Demons, and reclaimed the land. Many people have survived because of this. I've defeated the Heavenly Demons, I've brought victory, I've saved the people …"
"Under the name of Jia Ying, I won the Tianyuan War."
He looked at the old lady who had lost her grandson. His eyes were open and fearless. They were filled with calmness.
Sun Lang held the old lady's hand and pressed it against his face. It was as if he had traveled through time and space. Jia Ying's soul had broken through the boundary of life and death and come to him.
He murmured softly, as if he was talking in his sleep, "I have finished the beautiful battle. I have walked all the paths that I should have taken. I have also defended the path that I should have defended."
From the beginning to the end, he had lived up to this name.
The old lady hugged his head and hugged him as if she was hugging her beloved grandson. She said softly, "So, thank you. After going through so much pain, you still use this name with kindness and hope … I thank you. I also thank you on behalf of Baoyu …"
"Yes."
Sun Lang maintained this posture and said slowly, "If you want, everything can still be like this. This name can still shine for a long, long time …"
He felt his head being touched, "Good boy."
The old lady patted Sun Lang, "It's almost time … Let's go."
Sun Lang stood up … Then let's go to the wedding. They were about to get married.
The old lady led him out of the ancestral hall and walked outside. Then, Sun Lang was surprised. They did not return to the courtyard. Instead, they walked to the front yard … The wedding clothes were still in the room.
However, the old lady pulled him and did not allow him to explain. She also did not allow him to ask more.
He did not ask more … At this point, he no longer had any doubts in his heart.
The old lady pulled him out of the inner hall. He had already heard that there were many people in the vast square. They were all guests who had come to attend the wedding. At this moment, all eyes were focused on this pair of grandfather and grandson.
Their eyes were filled with confusion. Did they not say that they were getting married?
Why did the groom come out like this?
But no matter what, they all bowed to salute.
Sun Lang followed the old lady and returned the salute. He was still holding the old lady's hand. Her hand was very warm, so he was very relieved. He heard the old lady say, "Thank you for coming here. This old lady has invited everyone here today to play a little trick. In fact, it's not that this child is getting married. This old lady wants to tell everyone something. This child is very filial, but the Rongguo family can't be thick-skinned …"
Sun Lang looked at the old lady in surprise.
The old lady only gave Sun Lang a warm smile.
Today's sky was very blue and the weather was very good. He saw the clouds of Jin Ling, leisurely floating in the sky. The ground was quiet. In the decorated Rongguo family, the old lady's voice spread to everyone's ears, "… This child is an old friend of the Jia family. He was separated from his family because of the Tianyuan War. My second son could not bear him, so I adopted him here. I planned to tell him the truth when he grew up …"
A beautiful and reasonable story came out from the old lady's mouth. Sun Lang looked at everyone's expression. Some were surprised, some were surprised, and some were relieved. His eyes were a little sore, as if some function of his body had returned to normal …
But perhaps, it was just sand in his eyes.