Death… and me

"I can't be sure," Wu Qian Qian replied hesitantly with a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

"Oh? You are unsure. How unsure are you?" Kong Jing Feng became more interested. He smiled at his beautiful niece and asked gently.

"My impression of them differs greatly from rumours," Wu Qian Qian said with a frown. "According to rumours, Shi Qian Shan is a capable man who can shoulder many responsibilities by himself. He is known for being meticulous and proficient. However, I was rather disappointed by his words just now."

"According to rumours, the second disciple, Chu Yang is a withdrawn, honest but rather eccentric person. Only after today did I realize his true potential. He may seem like a coward and who is fearful of others, but in reality, he is actually…"

Wu Qian Qian paused for a moment as she tried to find a suitable word to describe Chi Yang. Finally, she continued, "In short, Chu Yang is an enigma. I am unable to understand him. On the other hand, the third disciple, Tan Tan, is exactly like how the rumours described. He really doesn't know his place well."

After listening to her, both masters fell silent again and frowned as they immersed deep in thought.

After a long while, Wu Yun Liang stood up and walked slowly towards the corner of the room. He reached out and revealed a piece of white paper hidden within a painting hung on the wall. The white paper was a list of names. There were forty names in total and each name was checked with a red mark next to it.

On the back of the paper was another ten names but out of which, only two were marked. These two names were the first two names on the page and each had three check marks beside it. The two names were Xue Ye Meng and Qin Mu Shang.

In the first list, Li Jian Yin's name was at the nineteenth position and Shi Qian Shan's name at the thirteenth place. Chu Yang and Tan Tan's names were not even on the list.

Taking a brush, Wu Yan Liang paused for a moment before crossing out Li Jian Yin's name with a red line. Next, he paused momentarily before moving his brush to write "Chu Yang" at the bottom of the list.

After which. Wu Yun Liang added a "?" after Chu Yang's name. Satisfied with the amendments, he took two steps back, raised his brows and pondered. Then, he took the brush and crossed out Chu Yang's name, leaving only the question mark behind.

"I am afraid this may trigger instability and turmoil." Kong Jing Feng said while frowning. "Beyond the Heavens Sect is already facing a volatile period now. The events today will inevitably affect Junior Brother Meng."

"Junior Brother Meng won't be affected at all. I understand his personality. Unless the Beyond the Heavens Sect perishes, he will never let anything else bother him." Wu Yun Liang shook his head confidently. The next moment, his face turned dark suddenly. "Is it really true that Shi Qian Shan…"

An air of uncertainty and suspicion hung in the silence.

"Yes," Wu Qian Qian replied firmly. Although most believed Shi Qian Shan was a respectable and valiant man, based on Wu Qian Qian's impression, he was as timid as a mouse and simply a foolish coward comparable to a fearful and blind chicken.

"There is really no hope!" Wu Yun Liang sighed heavily.

Upon receiving this news, both masters did not speak much. Clearly, they did not really take this matter to heart.This was after all a childish feud of the younger generation. It had little bearing in the martial world. However, their faces still showed clear signs of uneasiness and anxiety.

Wu Yun Liang waved dismissively. Wu Qian Qian took the cue and left silently.

"Senior Brother, I have an idea…" Kong Jing Feng began.

"There is no hurry," Wu Yun Liang interrupted and waved his arm with a gloomy look on his face.

Kong Jing Feng stayed silent for a moment before speaking with a low voice, "It has only been seven generations since the founding of the Beyond the Heavens Sect. When our ancestors founded this sect, they elevated us to the pinnacle of the world of cultivation of the Lower Three Heavens. We enjoyed respect and benefits from the royal family and a lifetime of honour. However, the second generation had confronted the imperial family of the Great State of Zhao, tarnishing the reputation of the sect tremendously. Many of our top martial artists were hunted down and persecuted. More than half died. Fortunately, two of the most senior ancestors back then unwittingly did a great favour for the royal family. It was then that the confrontation finally ceased. This event helped the Beyond the Heavens Sect slowly regain its status and rebuild the nine peaks and one garden."

"The third generation elders were all great talents. Each of them was exceptional. It was believed that the sect would return to its former prosperity and status. However, the unprecedented proliferation of talents led to great internal conflicts of the nine peaks and one garden. They started killing each other, throwing the sect into a period of turmoil again. The Beyond the Heavens Sect suffered a major loss once again. There was no choice but to implement a strict law prohibiting fighting and killing of one other. Till today, with the exception of Junior Brother Meng's garden, every other place in the nine peaks and one garden are all plotting schemes and firing silent arrows. The ten best disciples of the eighth generation continue to be engaged in battles. The sect will certainly suffer huge losses again."

"Over the years, the Beyond the Heavens Sect was relegated from a top-tier community to a mere second-tier community today."

Kong Jing Feng sounded hesitant initially but as he spoke, he became more and more vehement. "Senior Brother, the nine peaks and one garden seem majestic at first glance. However, each place has its own vested interest. I personally feel that it might be better to not have it at all!"

"Our sect is already so divided, there will surely be traitors. The Beyond the Heavens sect is in a dangerous period. There used to be Seven Great Sects in the past. But now, only six remain. Hong Chen Xuan and Xin Jian Zhai have already been scrutinizing the seventh position for a very long time. They are our strongest adversaries! Moreover, Divine Sword Pavilion and Black Blood Union have blood feuds with us. Surely, they can't wait to destroy us!"

"The destiny of the Beyond the Heavens Sect is balancing precariously on the edge of a cliff!" Kong Jing Feng, "Senior Brother, we must hurry!"

"How would I not know all of these?" Wu Yun Liang breathed a long sigh. "You've only mentioned the significance of the martial world and external factors but you have totally missed our greatest problems."

"There are nearly six hundred male disciples in the eighth generation of Beyond the Heavens Sect over the past few years. Some are useful, but most are not. When it comes to their female counterparts, there were no more than fifty of them ten years ago. But today, there are almost one hundred fifty of them! Although their skills are limited, they are all true beauties…"

Wu Yun Liang sighed and walked slowly to the window. He said quietly, "It seems the end of our sect is imminent!"

"Beauty will only bring about disasters," Wu Yun Liang said. "In a prosperous place like ours, beauty is in abundance, and this is fundamentally the root of our catastrophe. As the situation of Beyond the Heavens sect aggravates, we cannot expect the eighth generation to uphold stability in the martial world. Their personal interests will inevitably trigger endless disputes!"

"Beauty may be the root of the trouble, but it can also be a valuable resource" Kong Jing Feng rebutted, "Who knows, having more female disciples traversing the martial world may actually help the Beyond the Heavens Sect recruit more followers."

"Do you think that is even possible?" Wu Yun Liang asked doubtfully. "In the eyes of the powerful, beauty is merely a tool."

"The Beyond the Heavens Sect currently suffers from internal conflicts and external threats. If we implement your proposal and force the nine peaks and one garden to become one powerful entity, I fear it will cause a huge divide within the sect! The sect will disintegrate completely!" Wu Yun Liang warned. "If our foreign adversaries take the opportunity to attack us then, Beyond the Heavens Sect will instantly perish!"

"Severe sickness will result in excessive reliance on medicine. You are not wrong. However, if you become critically ill, you will use excessive medicine and this will only lead to death from overdose! Moreover, we have greater enemies from afar, these…" Wu Yun Liang stopped suddenly as though there was something he could not say.

Kong Jing Feng appeared convinced. He said, "So are we just letting it continue to sink deeper into the abyss? Are we going to let everything slide downhill?"

"We must borrow external powers…" When Wu Yun Liang said 'borrow', a distressed look appeared on his face. His eyes showed pain and reluctance. Remaining very silent, he turned towards the list of thirty-nine names and stared for a long while without speaking.

"What about the females disciples? How should we address this issue?" Kong Jing Feng continued to probe further.