Death… and me

Before anyone could blink, Shi Qian Shan suddenly sprung up from the floor and rushed to Chu Yang's room. Knocking the door down with one kick, he gave Chu Yang the most threatening glare and demanded, "Chu Yang, you… How dare you betray me?"

Shi Qian Shan's calmness had long dissolved. His eyes were bulging with rage and he breathed heavily as he spoke.

"Senior Brother, where did you hear such gibberish from?" Chu Yang sighed pretentiously, as though he did not know what was happening.

Tan Tan approached quickly and intervened. "Senior Brother, Second Junior Brother is also oblivious to it."

"Nonsense!" Shi Qian Shan bellowed and continued questioning, "Why didn't you tell me he was Li Jian Yin earlier? You… why did you sabotage me?"

Indignant and furious, Shi Qian Shan cried loudly, "What calamity have I brought upon myself? How could I have been so stupid to cause such a huge disaster? Seems like trouble has found and cornered me…"

"I'm in the same boat too. You can try to run from the sun as hard as you can, but you can never outrun the sunlight…" Chu Yang said despondently and innocently. He then called out defensively, "Senior Brother, what does this have to do with me?"

After hearing Chu Yang's response, Shi Qian Shan felt everything turning dark. His face turned white and he nearly coughed up blood. "He was the one who caused me trouble in the first place. How dares he try to feign innocence right under my nose?"

Even his heart nearly paused for a moment of extreme rage.

"Why would I have reprimanded Li Jian Yin, if not for you? If you had not angered Li Jian Yin angry, how would things have escalated so badly? If not for a troublemaker like you, how would I have been so careless and myopic… How could I have gotten myself entangled in such a precarious state?"

"Because of this, you, the actual culprit, will not face any consequences. But I, the innocent one, have just become the sworn enemy of Li Jian Yin!"

"Till now, you're still trying to play innocent? What exactly do you have against me?"

Shi Qian Shan breathed heavily. His eyes were as large as fireballs. He was so furious that he became lost for words.

Watching Shi Qian Shan's heaving chest, dirty thoughts flooded into Chu Yang's mind. "If he were a woman, this is definitely worth watching. But this rise and fall are not spectacular at all. It is just toxic to the eyes."

"This is true, isn't it? Senior Brother Shi, what does all of this have anything to do with Chu Yang?" Tan Tan scratched his head and asked ingenuously. "We were all present at the scene. Second Senior Brother did not utter anything at all. On the other hand, Senior Brother Shi defended us valiantly. We are immensely grateful towards you. How could we have plotted against you?"

Tan Tan's words came deep down from his heart. His praises for Shi Qian Shan were very genuine and sincere. After all, he looked up to Senior Brother Shi a lot. Unfortunately, Shi Qian Shan was so livid that he interpreted these words as scathing sarcasm.

"Defended you valiantly? What a joke! You two have planned really well, haven't you?"

Shi Qian Shan's body shuddered. There was only darkness in his eyes. His mouth was opened but no words came out. His face looked just like a pig!

His vision was blurred and disoriented from a constant pounding in his head. Shi Qian Shan snorted angrily before storming out of the room. A few seconds later, a loud dry cough was heard, followed by some distorted mumbling, before silence descended once again.

The next morning, Tan Tan opened the door to discover a patch of blood in the bushes. There was also a putrid smell which would make Tan Tan uneasy for many days…"Whose blood is this? This seems so sinister."

As Shi Qian Shan walked out, his eyes gave a chilling stare. Shi Qian Shan was very heartless. He was also a scheming man with many plots. Some compared him to a vicious snake. Such people should die as soon as possible. However, Chu Yang did not want him to die soon!

Initially, Chu Yang thought he could pick up many useful traits from Shi Qian Shan. For instance, his scheming plots, cruel acts and manipulative moves were qualities which Chu Yang lacked previously but could be necessary to trump the martial world. Although unethical, they were invaluable in a world which worshipped the powerful.

In times of cruelty, even great men had to be cruel. Vicious schemes had to be plotted in times of necessity!

The reason was straightforward. These traits could protect oneself. If one could not even defend oneself, then one could simply stop dreaming of achieving great feats. It would be tantamount to fighting fire with one's bare hands.

Empires could change; people could transform. But one thing always remained true. To leave a lasting legacy was undeniably much harder than leaving a bad reputation. Therefore, the good had to sacrifice so much more than the malignant. Few were able to leave a good legacy in history. In fact, there were not many who had successfully left their name in history.

Furthermore, there were a few trump cards which Chu Yang could not reveal yet. If others had known about his true strength, he would face a multitude of problems, especially from those scrutinizing the top disciple position. Once they knew that a genius had suddenly appeared amongst other geniuses, the newcomer would easily become the target of sabotage and attacks.

"If I ever become the target of everyone's threats, I will certainly face a tragic end even if I had three heads and six arms!"

With such potential repercussions hanging overhead, it was fortunate that Shi Qian Shan was around to share his burden. Dumping everything to him had been enjoyable indeed!

Running the show oneself was certainly draining. It felt great to be able to enjoy the entertainment as a bystander!

Chu Yang also realized something important. He still lacked many things. Moreover, the path that he chose should be different from his previous life. In his previous life, he cultivated Sword Art in the absence of love and emotions. Technically, It was possible to cultivate in seclusion without attending to other aspects of life. However, Chu Yang decided that this time should be different.

"Ever since my previous life ended, I had already walked down a different path!"

"I must have a taste of all the things I have missed and ignored in my previous life! In the past, I knew nothing but to value honour and integrity."

"I must no longer hide like before. I must live life the fullest. From the earth, I shall rise. Only then can I attain the pinnacle of Sword Art. Only then will I understand the Way of the Heavens!"

"Wu Qian Qian… please continue to fool him. Allow him to shield me until his death. It is a good plan after all. With such cover to hide under, I can observe and enjoy myself."

"Although, he's not really an important person, this is not an issue at all!"

Of course, Chu Yang had been able to hurt Li Jian Yin earlier on because he could accurately predict Li Jian Yin's next move and implement his trap early. The retreating, cowering and subsequent sitting on his neck was also intentional.

Although Chu Yang lacked the godly and formidable strength of his previous life, his powerful foresight was preserved. Overcoming a young kid like Li Jian Yin was merely a piece of cake.

…

Gathering Clouds Peak.

In the library, Master Wu Yun Liang sat on a wooden chair and smiled lightly. Three strands of black hair stuck out from his chin. Beside him was a middle-aged man clad in a green qipao. His hairless face appeared calm. His eyes radiated with infinite wisdom. He was the master of Dream Clouds Peak, Seventh Brother Kong Jing Feng. He was also a scheming figure in Beyond the Heavens Sect.

Wu Qian Qian stood before the two great masters and reported the incidents. Even while she was describing the events at Purple Bamboo Garden and the injuries sustained by Li Jian Yin, she was still unable to fathom the actions of Chu Yang or Shi Qian Shan. Wu Yun Liang, who was initially calm, suddenly threw an astonished glance at Kong Jing Feng.

"In your opinion, what do you think about the three disciples of Purple Bamboo Garden?" Wu Yun Liang asked.

Surprisingly, Wu Yun Liang was not concerned about Li Jian Yin's injuries, but about the three disciples of Purple Bamboo Garden.