Death… and me

Sabers cannot bend, but the energy of a saber can. These words alone emphasized the biggest misconception with regards to saber arts in all of Nine Heavens.

Following that earth-shattering battle, the entire Iron Cloud Citadel fell into chaos. The people of Golden Horse Riders department fell hush. Their two King level leaders were both seriously wounded. Out of the nineteen martial masters that went with them, nine were injured. They would not dare to cause a commotion even if they wanted to. This was their most fearful period as they were apprehensive that Bu Tian Pavilion might send an army to attack them at any minute.

The Hei Mo people were even more distraught as all three of their King level leaders were injured.

Saber King Soul Catcher remained at Bu Tian Pavilion for almost half a day while remaining troubled, despondent and humiliated.Not long after, he returned to Cloud Gate Inn to recuperate.

While the Saber King felt as if he was heartless, he was becoming disorientated with his "prodigious astucity". For a second, he almost thought that he was supposed to be their higher up.

In the span of the next three days, Chu Yang invested all his efforts into tracing all of Tang Xin Sheng's connections and had captured more than seven hundred people, all at once.

All of Bu Tian Pavilion were hustling.

Minister Chu took his leave nonchalantly after assigning all the duties.

Throughout this entire time, Chu Yang did not fight with other people. Whenever he had free time, he would be seen sitting alone, frowning and deep in thoughts. Occasionally, he would swing his arms back and forth.

Heavenly Armament Pavilion was not an exception and he even stopped training to achieve his extensive breakthroughs.

Every day, other than playing with Mo Qing Wu, he just sat in silence pensively, thinking of ways to turn energy from dantian into saber energy, before sending it into the saber and out in a fluid state. Eureka struck him when he discovered that having curved, straight or circular energy were all feasible.

Typically, saber or sword energy would only be concentrated at the top. The force might be great, but an opponent simply needed to dodge it. Chu Yang was thinking of something out of the box.

For the past few days, this was precisely what Chu Yang had been pondering about. As a result, he bothered Dong Wu Shang more and more.

"May I know how saber energy is created?" Chu Yang questioned.

"It is created by bringing all of the killing energy in the body and combining it with martial energy. Thereafter, you just have to send it out from the saber," Dong Wu Shang replied impatiently.

Chu Yang looked up and asked, "Does that mean that the saber energy has to be from the saber?"

Dong Wu Shang was taken aback and bewildered by the question that had just been thrown at him. If not from the saber, where could the energy possibly come from? Was Chu Yang feeling alright?

"Wait, so is it possible to send out saber energy from your subconsciousness?"

"Or is it a possibility that saber energy…"

"No, don't leave… Hey!"

Chu Yang's obsession with saber energy had driven Dong Wu Shang insane. He immediately retorted, "Minister Chu, you should probably research about sword energy instead! Both of them are from the same origin!"

"Alright, why don't you tell me how sword energy is created then? How is it emitted? Don't leave!" Chu Yang's persistence had really gotten on Dong Wu Shang's nerves. Eventually, Dong Wu Shang lost his patience and walked away.

Things continued the way they were and the five other brothers were flabbergasted.

Minister Chu continued bugging them daily and threw ludicrous questions that any amateur martial artist could answer.

Not long after, Minister Chu would direct his attention to Mo Cheng Yu.

"Senior Mo, can you please swing your saber at an angle towards the pond for me? "

"What for?" Mo Cheng Yu retorted.

"I just want to see if your saber energy can hit the tree on the right-hand side."

"What? You're preposterous!" Mo Cheng Yu exclaimed, already losing his cool.

Swing the saber forward towards the pond but hit the tree on the right instead? This is saber energy, not to be mistaken for a guarded weapon's energy nor pure energy!

As time passed, everyone ignored his calls for help and Chu Yang had no choice but to test it out himself. After experimenting close to a few hundred times, he saw no results.

Suddenly, Chu Yang's face lit up with excitement. He found an ideal and foolproof specimen, Mo Qing Wu. Little Miss Loli was currently dreaming of a gentle dance saber. She even held it to sleep in her arms. Whenever she was bored and everyone happened to be gathering around her, she would draw it out and swing it around several times to brag.

Every time she drew the saber out, everyone around her would be in shock, not excluding Dong Wu Shang, Ji Mo, and Minister Chu. Dong Wu Shang was dumbfounded and Little Miss Mo Qing Wu relished the gazes thrown at her.

"Brother Wu Shang, do you like my performance?" Miss Loli gave an adorable grin and batted her beautiful lashes as she gazed at Dong Wu Shang.

Dong Wu Shang gulped and hesitated to answer. "Yes, I do!"

"But I will never give it to you!" Little Miss Loli giggled cheekily in satisfaction.

"Brother Ji Mo, do you like it?" She questioned while blinking her eyes adorably, feigning innocence.

"I don't fancy it!" Ji Mo answered pensively.

"Why not? How could you not fancy it? It is such a good saber!" Little Miss Loli was not going to take this lying down and she started to tear up.

"Alright, fine! I love it!" Ji Mo had to raise his arms, conceding defeat.

"But I won't give it to you!" Little Miss Loli smiled triumphantly.

Ji Mo was speechless and wanted to cry so badly.

"Brother Du Xing, do you like it?"

Gu Du Xing left immediately upon hearing that question.

Minister Chu realized that Mo Qing Wu would not be exasperated by his countless requests. She was the ideal specimen!

"Xiao Wu!" Minister Chu shouted from afar.

"What is it, Brother Chu Yang?"

"Do you like that saber?"

"Yes, I do!" Little Miss Loli burst out in elation.

"Do you want to use it to swing at the water in front of you and see if I can feel on the right?" Minister Chu's eyes lit up in hopes that his plan of using her as an assistant for his experiment would succeed.

Without hesitation, Little Miss Loli swung her saber a few times towards the pond. "Swoosh… swoosh… swoosh!!!"

"Brother Chu Yang, do you feel anything yet?"

"I do not feel anything, maybe you did not do it correctly! Try again!"

Little Miss Loli swung her saber a few more times, now visibly putting more effort.

"Brother Chu Yang, do you feel anything yet?"

"I still don't feel anything. Can you test it out a few more times? Begin with energy from your dantian and send it into your meridians. After which, you let it out slowly."

This time, Little Miss Loli followed Minister Chu's instructions and concentrated very hard before swinging it towards the pond.

"Do you feel it yet?" Little Miss Loli asked, feeling slightly dejected this time.

"You are almost there!" Minister Chu persisted while encouraging Little Miss Loli not to rush through it.

Little Miss Loli tried swinging her saber with more concentration and precision but to no avail. Minister Chu still failed to feel anything.

"Why do you still feel nothing? Still no feeling? I am in agony and you still feel nothing yet!" Little Miss Loli whined while still persevering on.

Minister Chu felt guilty for making Little Miss Loli work so hard for his personal motives and suggested that she should take a break.

However, Little Miss Loli persisted on despite feeling slightly disheartened that she was not able to make Minister Chu feel anything.

"Do you feel it yet?" Little Miss Loli questioned incessantly, time after time after swinging the saber.

Chu Yang was so drained that he felt faint, on the brink of collapsing.

…

Three days passed and Cheng Yun He arrived at Iron Cloud Citadel. He made use of the identity of a merchant and the guards granted him entry into Iron Cloud Citadel. Throughout this time, there was an immense level of tension in Iron Cloud Citadel where it was in a state of chaos and disaster.

There was a faint scent of blood lingering in the air even at the entrance of the citadel.

After several arduous attempts, Kong Shang Xin was finally contacted and questioned on his absence during a crucial time like this. Cheng Yun He was beyond appalled and in shock.

The King level leader arrived only three days ahead of him, but he was already looking like a pallid demon. His face was as white as a sheet and would cough incessantly albeit only sitting up for a few minutes. On many occasions, he would be seen coughing up blood.

Although Yin Wu Fa was not in the pink of health, he did show signs of recovery and was only letting out some dry coughs.

King level leader Yin was the one that was severely injured and there is no reason for Kong Shang Xin to behave like this.

"I am afraid to say that the Lord's deduction is wrong!" Kong Shang Xin sighed, exhaling heavily.

"King of Hell Chu is indeed a King level master. To add on, he is also an eighth grade King level master!" Cheng Yun He was startled by what he had said.

Yin Wu Fa also announced that he was a King level master and something does not seem right. After serious discussion, they came to the conclusion that it cannot be the case. However, now that Kong Shang Xin made a totally opposite statement on the Lord's deduction, it gave people a reason to reconsider their judgment since Diwu Qing Rou trusted him a lot.

"You fought head on with King of Hell Chu?" Cheng Yun He asked solemnly. Looking around to see if anyone is eavesdropping, he whispered, "Where are the other people that came with you?"

Kong Shang Xin fell silent after coughing a few times. His face was written with guilt all over it and he could not find the right words to say to Cheng Yun He.

He felt as if there was something in his throat and he could not bring himself to say the truth. There was no way he could tell Cheng Yun He that instead of waiting for him to arrive, he selfishly proceeded on with his own plans. To make matters worse, not only was he severely injured, ten martial masters died in the process of fighting.

Noticing the expression on Kong Shang Xin's face, Cheng Yun He felt that something was amiss. His face started to turn pale and he stuttered, "You … you … didn't fight with King of Hell Chu?"

"I didn't fight?" Kong Shang Xin yelled furiously, "Are you blind? If I didn't fight, where do all these wounds and bruises come from?"

Cheng Yun He was shocked. He was at a loss of how to react to the gravity of this situation they landed themselves in. He stared blankly at Kong Shang Xin and Kong Shang Xin did not hesitate to stare back. After what seemed like an eternity, Cheng Yun He finally said in exasperation, "We have nothing left! Finished! We're really finished!"

"What!" Kong Shang Xin glared furiously at Cheng Yun He and shouted, "Am I the one to blame?""Those martial masters were on the mission with you right? Where are they now?" Cheng Yun He asked desperately as he held onto this last ray of hope.

"Dead…They are all dead." Kong Shang Xin answered, almost close to tears. "Are you blind? Can you not see it for yourself? Why do you even bother asking?"

Cheng Yun He was speechless and at that moment, it felt as if the world crumbled at his feet. He was thrown into an array of emotions and as he fumbled for the words to say, anger struck him first. He turned towards Kong Shang Xin and yelled in disbelief, "How can you possibly act without thinking and got so many martial masters killed? How can you act so indifferent like it is not your fault to begin with?"

Kong Shang Xin had enough and started throwing profanities at Chen Yun He. He was livid and his eyes were red as he roared almost inaudibly, "Do you think I want to lose? Do you think I want to get injured? They are my comrades but most importantly, they are my brothers, my friends and my family too but now, they are dead! Do you think I don't feel remorseful? You have no idea how much I hate myself right now!"

"So what? No matter how much you regret your actions, you cannot turn back time anymore!" Cheng Yun He replied sternly.

Yin Wu Fa, who was lying against the pillar pushed himself up and grimaced in pain while saying, "Second brother! Official Cheng! Please let it slide! Instead of focusing on what is already done, we should focus on what to do next!"

"What we should do next? This situation is irredeemable!" Cheng Yun He yelled matter of factly, "Your second brother foiled our plans and created a mess that can never be cleared!"

Cheng Yun He was always in control of his emotions and rarely flared up. He was always collected and slow to react.

Diwu Qing Rou even once evaluated Cheng Yun He's character to be: "A hero in times of disaster, with the innate ability to expand the territory without brute force and violence. In good times, he is able to build internal peace and is a reliable right-hand man of the prime minister."

These words spoke profoundly of Cheng Yun He's ability and no one ever doubted him.