Death… and me

1256 A Sovereign’s Heart & A Woman’s Gentleness

“Hurhur…” Tie Butian didn’t say it clearly. She only let out an inexplicable laugh. “Humans… value their own family the most after all…”

The reason why Lan Meixian had betrayed her own disciple was precisely for the sake of her own clan and her family.

“I’m just a little sad. I don’t blame her, really.” Tie Butian smiled quietly. She rested against Chu Yang’s chest, listening to his strong and vigorous heartbeat and thought to herself, “I really can’t blame her. Should there come a day where Chu Yang and our child are in danger, I would also throw everything aside for their sake…”

She thought forlornly to herself, “Teacher, I don’t blame you. We’re both women! But you shouldn’t have let them kill the Shadows!”

“You won’t be staying here long, right?” asked Tie Butian softly.

“Yes, I can only stay for slightly over a month before I have to leave. I’ve only temporarily unlocked the passageway this time, so I only have two months to move about.” Chu Yang took a deep breath. “If I want to come again, I’m afraid… that would have to wait till the Nine Heavens passageway is completely unlocked.”

“Mmm~~” Tie Butian let out a sound of understanding. Then, she struggled out of his embrace and took a seat on the chair. Chu Yang also sat opposite her.

“You… really intend to stay here?” asked Chu Yang tentatively.

Tie Butian nodded lightly. “This is the empire which we have fought for together. It’s also my ancestors’ dream… Over here in this world, as long as there’s no one suitable to take over for me, I want to stay here!”

She gave him a slight smile. “Chu Yang, if I leave with you, what can I do for you?”

Chu Yang was suddenly struck dumb.

With Tie Butian’s current cultivation, if she were to leave with him, it was a fact that she wouldn’t be able to help him out much. The only thing she could do was to stay at the Chu Clan and be protected by others while he continued to explore the world and fulfill his dreams.

If that was the case, what was the difference to him between Tie Butian staying here and being in the Chu Clan? She was going to be waiting for him nonetheless.

But to Tie Butian, it was a world of difference.

“I have a dream.” Tie Butian smiled gently. “Under my reign, I want all the families in this world to never have to experience the pain of separation! To never have to be subjected to the tragedy of war! To never have to cry tears of grief and sadness! To never have to die an unjust death! To never have to be subjected to famine and inability to keep themselves warm!”

“I want my people to be happy and content! I want my lands to be peaceful! I want these Lower Three Heavens to rejoice in happiness!”

“That is my dream!”

Tie Butian’s eyes were bright and shiny. “Chu Yang, do you know? Ever since I became the Crown Prince, the days and nights of worry and unease have trained and let me evolve into someone who’s suitable to be a ruler.”

“I like my current state.”

“I like my Iron Cloud!”

“I like my people!”

Turning to Chu Yang, she gazed at him with love and devotion. “Perhaps I cannot be the best as your woman. But… as the Emperor, I feel that… I am doing very well!”

Chu Yang took a deep breath. Watching the light of dream dancing upon Tie Butian’s face, he couldn’t help but be filled with respect for her. He took a breath and said, “As my woman, you’re also doing very, very well.”

Tie Butian smiled at him.

Right now, she was still dressed as a male Emperor. Had she been in her female form, this smile of hers would surely have been filled with endless charm.

“Therefore, Chu Yang, your Little Tian Tian is two different people from the Tie Butian in the imperial court! Little Tian Tian can do anything for you and will let you do anything you want to her. No matter what happens, Little Tian Tian is just a woman with a husband. She can only use everything she has — her body and her love — to make her man as happy and content as possible. Even if she has to be wanton and unrestrained in front of her man, that is also the duty and responsibility of a wife.”

“But Tie Butian is completely different from Little Tian Tian. Tie Butian needs to use all of his capabilities, all of his intelligence and all of his wits to control his subjects. He needs to use every means available to him to create happiness for his people!”

Tie Butian got to her feet again. She walked over to Chu Yang and reached out her arms, hugging him gently around his waist. “As a woman, I only listen to my man… Therefore, whatever my man wants me to do, I will do, including every shameful deed… Because I am my man’s woman.”

“But as a sovereign, I must take responsibility for my people, my empire, and my nation. I can only descend upon the world as a ruler and take charge of everything!”

“As a woman, I am not forceful! As a sovereign, I have a clear conscience! As a person, I have no regrets!”

Tie Butian whispered, “Chu Yang, can you understand my heart?”

“Yes, I can!” Chu Yang gazed upon Tie Butian, a sense of respect suddenly welling up in his heart.

This was a true human!

A true human was different from a true man and a true woman.

She was able to completely separate her duties and identities, and view herself in an all-rounded manner from different perspectives. When she was a woman, she wholeheartedly behaved as one; when she was a sovereign, she wholeheartedly took on that role as well!

During the last few days, Chu Yang had always felt that the current Tie Butian was different from what he knew her to be in the past. This was especially true in bed; she was too obedient.

But now he understood; she was still the same as what she was in the past.

She understood that the time she had to be a woman was very short, so she gave up every inch of her pride and status, desiring only to be her man’s woman!

But outside of the bedchamber, she was the Emperor!

A ruler descending upon the world!

This kind of tenderness and obedience of a woman appeared only in front of one person — Chu Yang!

“Now that I have you and I’ve become your woman, my life is complete.” Tie Butian murmured, “There is no one in this world who is more blissful than me!”

Chu Yang chuckled. “Yes! You are the happiest, and so am I!”

Tie Butian smiled joyfully.

“However, since you have decided to stay here, we must raise your cultivation. Right now, you are only a third-grade King-level. In these Lower Three Heavens, that is still not safe.” Chu Yang contemplated for a moment before saying, “I’ll raise your cultivation for you in the evening.”

“Will it affect your cultivation?” Tie Butian raised the question first.

If it was detrimental to Chu Yang, she’d rather not raise her cultivation.

“I am the Nine Tribulations Sword Master! The one thing I don’t lack are elixirs. Got it, little girl?” Chu Yang pinched her cheek lightly.

“Alright.” Tie Butian nodded, her face red.

After a long while, she suddenly whispered softly, “Later, you can ask Little Yang Yang. He… He’s a descendant of the Chu Clan after all. If… If he is willing, you can bring him with you.”

There was an overwhelming amount of reluctance in Tie Butian’s voice.

A jolt went through Chu Yang’s heart. He knew just how agonizing it must be for Tie Butian, as a mother, to say what she had just said, and what a great sacrifice it was for her!

…

“I want to become the Emperor!” The little fellow flailed his arms wildly as he exclaimed furiously.

“…” Both Chu Yang and Tie Butian’s faces were covered in black lines.

“Why?” asked Chu Yang. He knew that this son of his was tiny but had a huge mind of his own, so he definitely had his reasons.

“Descending upon the world and bestowing kindness upon the world!” The little fellow’s eyes shone brightly. “How awe-inspiring is that!”

“Awe-inspiring?!” Tie Butian was speechless.

“But of course, the most important is…” The little fellow snorted and continued, “The imperial harem of consorts and concubines…”

“I’m going to smack you to death!” Before he finished, Tie Butian and Chu Yang had already grabbed him and started to smack his bottom!

The little fellow wailed pitifully.

When Chu Yang and Tie Butian were leaving, Chu Yang turned back to see his son staring at him, his eyes bright and shiny. Agitation welled up in Chu Yang’s heart. He strode back to him quickly and gave him a couple of kisses on his soft cheeks.

“Ew… Gross.” The little fellow hastily wiped his face.

Chu Yang burst into laughter and pinched his son’s cheeks lovingly, before smacking him on his bottom once more and walking back out.

Little Tie Yang rubbed his face as he watched Chu Yang leave, an acute look of sentimental yearning in his eyes.

If I don’t take over my mother’s burden, how can she ever attain her happiness?

The only one who can give my mother happiness in this whole world is just my daddy alone.

Only when I take over her responsibilities can she leave and enjoy her happiness.

As for me… I’ll have a son in the future too. Then I’ll also leave and look for my parents…

Although Chu Yang wasn’t aware of just how deep this little fellow was thinking, he understood his son’s intentions.

“We’ll let him follow you for now.” Chu Yang chuckled as he rubbed his nose, feeling rather miffed about it. “It’ll just be for about a year or so. When the Nine Heavens passageway is unlocked, I’ll bring him to the Upper Three Heavens to acknowledge his ancestors and his roots. Of course, when he comes back here to Iron Cloud, he’ll still be the Crown Prince and heir to the throne. When the passageway is unlocked in the future, it’ll also be more convenient for us to travel back and forth.”

Tie Butian nodded. “Alright.” A look of awkwardness came over her. Obviously, she was reminded of her Senior Sister Disciple again… This was going to be unavoidable.

She really didn’t know… how to address her when they would meet in the future.

Just as she was troubling over it, she heard Chu Yang say, “Oh right, when you meet our mother in the future… Ah! ~~~Hisssss! ~~”

Before he could even finish, he had already been viciously pinched by an embarrassed and awkward Tie Butian. He couldn’t help but cry out tragically.

Only to see Tie Butian speed up and vanish at the end of the corridor. Her gait was actually immensely panicked…

Chu Yang burst into laughter.

At night.

The two of them sat opposite each other.

Tie Butian stared at the three huge bathtubs in the bedchamber, rather confused. They were filled with steaming hot water. She got even more confused.

Even if he was intending to take a bath, surely just one large bathtub would suffice?

“Come come come, Tian Tian. Let us drink a little tonight.” Bringing out a wine jar and two wine cups, Chu Yang filled the cups with wine.

Tie Butian was a little faint. The wine jar was only the size of a fist, and incredibly miniature. The two wine cups were only the size of a finger pad.

“Your Majesty, here.” Chu Yang raised his wine cup very respectfully.

“Hmph, I’ll acknowledge that you still have a pretty good eye for things after all.” Putting on the airs of an Emperor, Tie Butian picked up the wine cup in an ostentatious manner before she downed the contents in a gulp. She frowned; the wine cup was so small that she could barely hold it properly, and there were only a few drops of wine within?

Just as she was pondering about this, a wave of heat suddenly surged within her Dantian. The heat spread through her limbs in an instant. Her pretty face turned red in no time and she felt unbelievably hot.

The Emperor was enraged. “You, you… We’ve already reached this stage and you’re still using aphrodisiacal poison on me?!”

“Aphrodisiacal poison?” Chu Yang was flabbergasted. “Do I still need to give you aphrodisiacal poison at this point?”

This was the wine he had gotten from Xue Leihan. Afraid that Tie Butian would not be able to withstand it, Chu Yang had diluted it further with Spiritual Spring Water.

“But this… Why is this happening?” Before Tie Butian could finish, she widened her eyes immediately. Impurities were seeping out from her arm at a speed visible to the naked eye. It actually smelled rather bad.

Xue Leihan’s wine could cleanse and detoxify even the body of Chu Yang, a ninth-grade peak-level Monarch, much less Tie Butian, a mere third-grade King-level?