Death… and me

1472 The Dream Is Drawing Near!

Where was the City of Fairies?

At the land of Dragon and Phoenix Bringing Prosperity, he had obtained the seventh fragment of the Nine Tribulations Sword as well as the location of the eighth fragment, which was related to the Fairy race.

“Sword Spirit, where did the previous generations of Nine Tribulations Sword Masters obtain their Nine Tribulations Sword from? It can’t be from the land of Dragon and Phoenix Bringing Prosperity or the City of Fairies too, right?” asked Chu Yang.

“How can that be!” The Sword Spirit broke into a smile. “Since olden times, the only one with such luck is you! The previous generations of Nine Tribulations Sword Masters didn’t even have the accompanying Nine Great Herbal Medicines…”

Chu Yang uttered an ‘oh’. Then, he asked, “Do you know where the City of Fairies is?”

The Sword Spirit smiled very wryly. “How would I know that? But… if you wish to know, there’s someone who definitely knows where it is! In addition, this person would also be very happy to take you there.”

Chu Yang realized who he was referring to right away. “Young Master Yu!”

“That’s right!” The Sword Spirit said, “In this whole world, Young Master Yu is the only one who would know and be able to find… the City of Fairies!”

Chu Yang nodded quietly.

Young Master Yu should also have come up the moment the Nine Heavens were reopened. But why was there no news of him even at this point? Where exactly had he gone?

After organizing his thoughts, Chu Yang glanced over at Ao Xieyun and Rui Butong who had already waited for some time. Noticing their concerned gazes, he smiled warmly and said, “It’s fine, let’s go.”

…

Two days later.

Chu Yang galloped full speed ahead on his steed. There was already a hint of the chilliness of autumn in the breeze blowing against his face.

Today was already the fifth day since they departed from the Chu Clan. By now, they were already nearing the great river and about to exit the southeast.

Thinking back to how sad his grandfather looked when he brought up the matter of the traitor after returning to the clan, Chu Yang sighed. Wei, Chu Feilong’s wife, had taken her own life right after Chu Yang and the others returned.

She left behind only a few lines —”Living half in darkness and half in the Chu family, there is laughter in the mornings and woes in the evenings. I, too, wished to bring happiness to my family and be a loving mother and a filial daughter-in-law. Alas, the evil spirits had entrapped my heart. One is my benefactor who brought me up, while the other is my husband and children of blood relations. Half my life was spent in melancholy and the other half in joy as I went through a lifetime of contradictions and a lifetime of loneliness. Now that I am gone with the wind, is my husband still there in the underworld? Wei, the woman of sin, admits her wrongdoings and asks for punishment. I beg everyone in the Chu Clan to take pity on my Yun’er for he is now on his own and helpless. On account that he is still a part of the Chu bloodline, please take care of him. I don’t need him to enjoy prosperity and glory; neither do I hope for wealth and riches. I don’t need him to have a literary flair; neither must he possess martial prowess. Staying safe for the rest of his life is my greatest wish…”

From her last words, one could see the conflicting emotions of this woman. She might have been vicious and cruel, might have been cunning and sinister, might have been unforgivable, but her entire life was ultimately one of contradictions and pain.

‘One is my benefactor who brought me up, while the other is my husband and children of blood relations.’

The Ye Clan’s kindness of bringing her up and the sentiments of her familial ties with the Chu Clan.

That line of ‘Half my life was spent in melancholy and the other half in joy as I went through a lifetime of contradictions and a lifetime of loneliness’ made one even sadder and dismal.

She was ultimately just the Ye Clan’s tool to deal with other clans and nothing more.

The reason why the Ye Clan had planted this pawn was to gain control of the Chu Clan and go against the Xiao Clan. But perhaps due to luck or other reasons, she had ultimately failed after all these years.

‘Now that I am gone with the wind, is my husband still there in the underworld?’

Chu Yang sighed. She ultimately still had feelings for Chu Feilong. Now that she had gone to the netherworld, her thoughts were still on whether she could find Chu Feilong…

But so what even if she did find him?

Towards this woman, Chu Yang truly didn’t know how to appraise her character anymore.

“Big Brother Chu Yang, what are you sighing about?” Dressed head to toe in red, Mo Qingwu was sharing a horse with Chu Yang. Her soft and silky hair tickled Chu Yang’s cheeks softly and gently, as if stroking the bottom of his heart.

When she heard Chu Yang’s sigh, she turned her head slightly to the back and asked.

Inhaling a breath of air, Chu Yang replied in a low and deep voice, “I was just thinking that this world simply has so many contradictions… Good and evil, loyalty and treachery, right and wrong… The boundaries within are truly difficult to put into words…”

Mo Qingwu went ‘oh’ and said softly, “Yes… There are some things that cannot be rationalized through principles and reason.”

Nodding, Chu Yang replied, “Yes, humans came into existence in this world before principles and reason. Principles and reason are created by humans themselves, so how can they possibly portray the human heart to its fullest detail and eloquence?”

Mo Qingwu said softly, “Yes, just like the many heartless and fickle men in this world… Actually, they are also truly difficult to understand and impossible to explain…”

Alarm welled up in Chu Yang’s heart. “Hmm?”

Mo Qingwu looked back at him with a smile. “Of course I’m not talking about you.”

Chu Yang gave a wry laugh in response, finding her behavior not quite right.

Chuckling, Mo Qingwu said, “Chu Yang, I’m a sixth-grade peak-level Supreme Martial Artist now…”

A befuddled Chu Yang replied, “Oh?”

Wrinkling her nose, Mo Qingwu said, “No matter what you do in the future… I’ll be able to be of help to you. No matter where you go, I’ll be able to keep you company…”

Feeling the love and emotion as deep as the ocean in Mo Qingwu’s words, Chu Yang couldn’t help but sigh wistfully. “Yes… No matter where I go, you’ll be able to stay with me now…”

“So, don’t you ever think of abandoning me again.” Tilting her head, Mo Qingwu smiled lightly as she said, “I want… to be with you in life and death forever…”

Chu Yang felt as if he had been struck by lightning. A violent tremor went through him.

Widening his eyes, he looked at Mo Qingwu, alarmed and panicky.

Mo Qingwu’s crystal clear eyes looked back at him before she subtly avoided his gaze. From her side-profile, one could see that there was a gentle smile on the corners of her lips. She said, “Chu Yang… I’ve seen that dream to its end…”

Thunder suddenly boomed incessantly in Chu Yang’s mind, shocking him so much that dizziness overwhelmed him. His breathing became ragged and his heart pounded madly. His lips as though close to splitting from dryness, he opened his mouth and asked hoarsely, “What… dream… did you see to its end?”

The autumn breeze blew towards them, sending the sand and dust on the ground swirling into the sky.

Amidst the clouds of dust covering the sky, Mo Qingwu’s crimson robes were as red as blood. Even her smile seemed to have become faint and indistinct. This time round, however, she didn’t avoid his gaze. She answered softly, “Exactly that dream.”

Chu Yang felt an icy coldness permeate his entire head. With a violent shiver, he asked in a murmur, “You saw all of it?”

Mo Qingwu nodded affirmatively. “Yes!”

Smiling, Chu Yang said, “It’s just a dream!”

Mo Qingwu’s brows furrowed lightly. With some perplexion in her expression, she said, “But I feel that it’s real.”

Chu Yang took in her hint of perplexion. At once, he relaxed and replied solemnly, “But it’s ultimately not real!”

The horse galloped ahead at high speed. On the horse, Mo Qingwu turned around and looked straight at him. Her crimson robes fluttered in the wind, covering her head. Her silky hair flew in Chu Yang’s face. The look in her eyes was deep and full of tender feelings as she murmured, “Chu Yang… Chu Yang… Chu Yang…”

Her tone was actually full of the heartbreak resulting from too much sadness and innumerous hardships.

Chu Yang pulled her into his embrace and warmed her with his body. Resting his chin on Mo Qingwu’s head, he said softly, firmly, solemnly and with much heartache, “It’s just a dream!”

“It’s just a dream…” Mo Qingwu’s eyes dimmed a little and she buried her face into Chu Yang’s embrace. As she took in his familiar scent, she nodded lightly and replied softly, “Yes… It’s just a dream…”

And then, she was still. Nestling in Chu Yang’s arms, her breathing became slow and regular — She had actually fallen asleep.

Chu Yang’s countenance was somber, his eyes fixed straight ahead. Watching the scenery fly by him on the sides, his eyes were menacing and sinister, as if a wounded beast. In this instant, no one dared to go near him!

He didn’t even know what he was thinking at that moment.

However, judging from the air of restless irritability surrounding him, all the brothers strongly believed this — Should any enemy stand before him in this instant, even if it were a million-strong troop of soldiers, he would never stop until he killed them all!

…

At the side, Mo Tianji followed beside him on a white horse. In the beginning, he was rather disgruntled and even somewhat jealous when he saw Mo Qingwu nestling in Chu Yang’s arms. But slowly, he realized that both Mo Qingwu and Chu Yang’s expressions were rather abnormal. He couldn’t help but sink in deep contemplation.

Could… something have happened?

11 people and 10 steeds!

Heading towards the continent central, they sped the entire way.

Three days later, they reached the Black Blood Forest.

They took five days to go through the Black Blood Forest. As they went through the forest, the familiar scenery entered their sight again.

They had traveled in and out of this forest several times in the last two years!

Chu Yang heaved a sigh inwardly. Looking at that inky Black Blood Forest behind him, he suddenly thought of a poem and an aloof and beautiful woman in fluttering white robes.

An elegant and refined, cold and aloof woman so lofty and beyond his grasp.

‘Should we meet again beyond the clouds, I pray you’ll pick up the falling flowers at the river south’!

Chu Yang let out an acerbic chuckle and urged his horse forward. After they reached the Ye Clan’s territory in front and went through it, it would be a straight path to the northwest!

Over there, there was still an extremely important battle that they needed to get to!

Diwu Qingrou needed that battle. Similarly, Mo Tianji and himself also needed it!

As if he could tell what Chu Yang was thinking, Mo Tianji urged his horse forward and went closer to him. “Don’t be anxious! We must take our time to head there instead.”

Chu Yang’s brows knitted together. “Take our time to head there?”

Mo Tianji smiled. “First of all, our combat power has just improved by a great deal. This sudden increase in power requires practical training before it can blend perfectly with our own battle tactics, skills and techniques, as well as the rapport among the brothers. We need time… Otherwise, if anything happens after we head there recklessly, we’ll incur unnecessary losses.”

“Secondly… Towards the current situation, while we are certainly anxious, what you must have faith in is that Diwu Qingrou is definitely even more anxious than we are!” A hint of a mysterious smile appeared on the corners of Mo Tianji’s lips. “We may be anxious but we can completely keep our anxiety in check. On the other hand, Diwu Qingrou is no different from an ant being roasted on blazing flames right now… It’s a sort of anxiety that’s close to a breakdown!”

“Therefore, there’s no harm in letting him enjoy it a little longer.” Mo Tianji chuckled sneakily.

Right away, Chu Yang became rather cheerful. He derided him in amusement. “Tianji, it’s only now that I realize that you are seriously much more sinister and insidious than Diwu Qingrou.”

Chuckling, Mo Tianji replied, “The other thing is, no matter how anxious he may be, Diwu Qingrou would also try to hang in there to the best of his abilities. In addition, he will do this using a method which will keep increasing his prestige, in order to maintain this general situation. This is something that I believe wholeheartedly in. Should he not be able to achieve this, then he won’t be worthy of being our opponent at all!”

Chu Yang nodded. Towards this, he was also completely convinced.

“Let’s go. Since all of us have already crossed the boundary between immortal and mortal, then let us create chaos in the world starting in the northwest!” With his eyebrows raised, Mo Tianji looked toward the northwest. In a dispassionate tone, he said, “It’s also time to let Diwu Qingrou know of my existence.”

This line of his actually harbored the boundless heroic spirit of one ready to test his sword on the world and of one looking down upon the whole world!