Death… and me

Chapter 1397 It’s Impossible To Accommodate Both Sentiment And Reason

Ten thousand years of time had slipped by him so leisurely just like that. For a moment there, he actually sank into a stupor.

After a long while, with a sigh, Lan Buhui replied, “Who doesn’t harbor any regrets in this world?”

Mo Tianji said impassively, “Your father is one who doesn’t!”

Lan Buhui was stunned yet again. Slowly, he nodded. “Yes, he has no regrets. I cannot compare to him!”

Mo Tianji stated impassively, “I have no regrets too!”

Lan Buhui slowly extracted himself from his memories. He stared at Mo Tianji, his look in his eyes gradually turning razor sharp and fierce. He said softly, “50,000 to 60,000 people died in the great explosion you single-handedly created! And you regret nothing?”

Mo Tianji smiled mockingly. “Do you mean to say that you think I shouldn’t have done that? Do you mean to say that you think that your kin didn’t deserve to die?”

Lan Buhui looked livid.

Mo Tianji took a breath and then, he brought out a small thick booklet from his bosom. Flipping it open, he recited, “The Lan Clan’s ten thousand years of wicked deeds and oppressing the people and bringing disaster to the world… are as follows!”

“8,900 years ago, the Lan Clan wished to expand the clan. The second grandmaster, Lan Muxue, ordered that the clan located next to theirs, the Cao clan, be completely uprooted. That night, the entire Cao clan, whose population totaled 30,000, was wiped out with not a single survivor! The Lan Clan successfully seized the land and started large-scale construction works. This is where the outer courtyard and garden of the Lan Clan are.”

“7,100 years ago, a Lan Clan young master tried to forcibly seize a woman for marriage and was injured by the woman’s family, the Du clan. That night, the entire Du Clan, totaling 5,000 people, was killed and the daughter of the Du clan went missing. Later, the body of a lowly concubine was tossed out from the chamber of the Lan Clan young master. The identity of the body is suspected to be the daughter of the Du clan, Du Mufeng.”

“3,336 years ago, a plague broke out outside Tianlan City, resulting in the death of hundreds of people. The Lan Clan dispatched experts, who slaughtered every human and animal within 1,500 miles of Tianlan City. Half the population of Tianlan City was also annihilated. More than 1,300,000 corpses were put together and burned to ashes, the fires reaching the imperial court of the heavens!”

When Mo Tianji reached this part, he closed the book and said calmly, “Plagues have existed since ancient times. But to take more than 1,300,000 lives in one fell swoop just because of a plague that infected hundreds… The Lan Clan is the one and only. There’s no one else like them!”

Lan Buhui took a deep breath, a look of agony in his eyes.

“700 years ago, a drought broke out, resulting in dire poverty and destitution. A clan affiliated to the Lan Clan, the Shen clan, did not submit taxes on time. The delay lasted three days. On the fourth day, all 800-odd lives of the Shen clan were killed. The guards on duty disappeared overnight.”

“15 years ago… 90,000 people were killed!”

“Three years ago…”

Mo Tianji’s voice was very calm as he slowly recited all these. From the beginning to the end, his voice was calm and didn’t carry much emotion. However, each and every incident was bathed in blood.

There were simply too many to list!

As Mo Tianji recited, Lan Buhui’s countenance slowly changed. From calm and composed, it turned red bit by bit, before it gradually turned expressionless and ashen.

Smacking the book against his palm lightly, Mo Tianji asked impassively, “Great Elder Master of the Lan Clan, or perhaps, do you think that all of these have never taken place?”

“There are 100,000-odd people in the Lan Clan now. They occupy one-fifth of Tianlan City… when Tianlan City is a large city housing millions! Just from this alone, the dominion of the Lan Clan is clear to all.”

“The perimeter of the Lan Clan is where a lot of large clans have assembled, forming a natural line of defense for the Lan Clan… Why can’t I exterminate them together with the Lan Clan?”

Mo Tianji added on in a cold and detached manner. “This is… simply meting out justice on behalf of the heavens!”

A glint crossed Lan Buhui’s eyes, as though that of a hawk. “Where did you get all this information?”

Mo Tianji replied, “There is a group of people in the Nine Heavens who have been entrusted with an important mission in life — The chronicles of the Nine Heavens! They recorded all the history that took place in the Nine Heavens from olden times till now…”

“These are just the parts about the Lan Clan found in there!”

Lan Buhui nodded slowly. “Great!”

There was mockery in Mo Tianji’s eyes. “Great?”

Lan Buhui kept quiet for a moment. Then, he asked, “So these are the reasons for you taking action against the Lan Clan?”

Mo Tianji straightened his back and replied icily, “Is it not enough?”

Lan Buhui took a deep breath, unable to utter even a word.

Mo Tianji went on coldly. “Back then, when your father destroyed the Nine Super Clans… He also used the same reasons!”

Lan Buhui replied hoarsely, “These reasons are good enough. But I want to kill you nonetheless!”

Mo Tianji gave him an icy smile. “Even if you don’t kill me, I will kill you too! Do you think that these blood debts have nothing to do with you? If not for you condoning them, would they have happened? The divine consciousness of a sixth-grade Supreme Martial Artist is already capable of covering the entire Tianlan City; as a ninth-grade Supreme Martial Artist, do you mean to say that you have no idea what’s going on in this city? What have you done about it?”

Lan Buhui’s expression remained the same. He replied impassively, “You don’t understand. You really don’t. Before you become one of the Nine Super Clans, perhaps you never will.”

Mo Tianji snickered coldly.

The two of them stared at each other, neither of them backing down.

Although Mo Tianji was on absolute weaker ground, the look in his eyes right now was instead that of one high up looking down on another! As though a judge looking upon a criminal!

Even if the criminal possessed ultimate martial prowess, in front of the judge, he was nothing but a prisoner awaiting death!

After a long while, Lan Buhui finally looked away impassively. He said, “Earlier, you mentioned the weakness of the Nine Super Clans. Now, I’ll give you the chance to prolong your last moments and let you finish what you wanted to say.”

Without much emotion, Mo Tianji said, “I’m very tired and I’m injured. I don’t have the strength to talk anymore.”

Lan Buhui replied, “You should understand that right now, your life is dependent on how I feel.”

Mo Tianji smiled at him. “Yes, but you should also understand that whether or not I wish to speak is also dependent on how I feel.”

Lan Buhui smiled as well. “I can choose not to listen.”

Mo Tianji returned his smile. “I can also choose to die!”

The two of them exchanged a look, discovering the mirth in each other’s eyes at the same time.

Lan Buhui let out a long sigh. “You are a talent! What a shame! Let me explain a little… Back then, I was in seclusion. Although I was aware of what they did… I did not stop them. The success of a general is built upon ten thousand bleached white bones while the establishment of a nation is built upon millions of lives. Much less… a large clan ruling over the Nine Heavens?”

“As for today, the destruction of the Lan Clan is, as you have said, you meting out justice on behalf of the heavens. Your conscience is clear. I admit… According to common ways of the world, a clan such as this has also come to a point where a clean up is necessary. But as their ancestor, I wish to avenge them!”

“You killing them is based on reason. Me avenging them is based on sentiment.”

“Since olden times, sentiment and reason have never been able to be accommodated at the same time!” Lan Buhui took a deep breath. “I hope you understand!”

Mo Tianji fell silent for a moment. His eyebrows were raised, as though he wished to rebut his words. But ultimately, he instead replied impassively, “I understand you!”

He really did.

After all, people who could uphold justice and righteousness even at the sacrifice of blood relations were very rare, and far and few. Such people were either saints or fools.

Mo Tianji self-professed to be neither a saint nor a fool. Putting himself in his shoes, if he were in Lan Buhui’s current situation, even though he knew very well that his family was in the wrong, he would also choose to avenge them.

Lan Buhui said, “Thank you very much for understanding.”

Mo Tianji turned to Gu Duxing. “Do you have with you the elixirs that Boss gave you? Give me one so that I can recover my strength.”

Gu Duxing nodded. “I only kept one with me. I’ve given the rest to Ji Mo and Luo Kedi.”

Mo Tianji was stunned. “I’ve also given them mine…”

Looking at each other, the two brothers exchanged a resigned smile. To the brothers, it seemed as if it was more common for Ji Mo and Luo Kedi to get injured. They frequently got themselves into a bloodied and battered state…

Gu Duxing brought out the elixir, which Mo Tianji took from him and swallowed.

Lan Buhui did not stop them during this entire process.

To him, even if these two were to recover to their full strength, they were nothing more than just that. He could easily smack them to death with just a casual wave of his hand, so what did it matter whether or not they recovered from their injuries?

Although Gu Duxing brought the incomplete version of the Nine Tribulations Pill with him everywhere, he absolutely couldn’t bear to use it until they reached a critical point.

After all, an incomplete version of the Nine Tribulations Pill was equivalent to an additional life. Who would bear to use it unless they reached a point of absolute desperation? Once it was used, the next time they found themselves truly at a point of life and death, there wouldn’t be another chance.

After consuming the incomplete version of the Nine Tribulations Pill, Mo Tianji’s complexion visibly turned for the better. He got off the bed and took a couple of steps. Smiling, he commented, “Boss’ elixirs are simply too effective.”

Then, he said to Lan Buhui, “Elder Lan, since you wish to talk, then please take a seat!”

Lan Buhui let out a laugh and took a seat opposite him.

Mo Tianji turned to Gu Duxing. “Second Brother Gu, after the talk, we’ll enter a battle of life and death. I have no confidence in being able to escape, while there’s only a tiny sliver of hope in your case as well. Therefore… if you have assurance in escaping, hurry and leave! Do not hesitate!”

Gu Duxing took a breath and said resolutely, “It was my carelessness that landed us in trouble this time. We’ll just die together! In life, we are brothers; in death, so are we! Am I, Gu Duxing, supposed to run for my life and let my brother pay the price of my mistake?”

Mo Tianji replied impassively, “Our identities have already been exposed. Boss and the brothers are in similar danger. If you do not escape, you will never be able to make up for your mistake ever!”

“If you still remember that it was your carelessness and underestimation of the enemy which caused the death of I, Mo Tianji, then you must be careful and prudent in future. Do not let our brothers die again because of the same reason!”

Mo Tianji spoke about his life and death as though he was talking about someone else’s entirely. His tone was calm and serene.

Gu Duxing clenched his jaw. Mist appeared in his eyes and he swallowed hard.

Tears were close to falling from his eyes, but he circulated his energy instead, evaporating them.

He didn’t wish to let anyone see his moment of weakness, especially when an enemy was still in front of them.

“The lives of Boss and the brothers… depends on whether you can get away!” Mo Tianji stressed once more. “If you truly wish to show only consideration for the brotherhood and loyalty between us and your guilt toward me and end up dying here together with me, then there’s nothing else I can say.”

After saying that, he turned and smiled at Lan Buhui. “I apologize for showing Elder something so embarrassing.”

Lan Buhui replied amicably, “It’s fine. If you can let me know the true flaws of the Nine Super Clans, I will let you brothers die a faster and painless death.”

He smiled slightly. “Although you have been buying time since the beginning, I will not stop you. If all the Nine Tribulations are like the two of you, then even if all of you are here today, this old man has absolute confidence in sending all of you to your deaths together too.”

Mo Tianji smiled. “Since that’s the case, then let us have a talk of life and death.”