Death… and me

The two brothers were genuinely and sincerely beaming from ear to ear. Anyone who witnessed this would definitely be envious. The two Mo brothers had a close and intimate relationship. From the looks of it, it would not be surprising if they were to share their pants. (1)

No one would know that in the mind of these two brothers, they had already made each other mortal enemies.

The bodyguards that were standing outside the door tried to avert their gazes as they stole quick glances at the two young masters walking in and shuddered in fear. If anyone were to lift up their sleeves, they would see that even their arms were covered with goosebumps, let alone a commoner.

The two young masters seemed so kind and amicable on the surface, but no one was aware of the uncountable murderous intents that were brewing within. It was truly appalling and bone-chilling.

Those two brothers continued to talk amiably with each other as they walked away.

"Second brother, how is Xiao Wu's injury now?" Mo Tian Yun questioned with concern, "Who is the culprit?"

"Her injury is very grave!" Mo Tian Ji squinted his eyes with killing intentions as he answered, "It was all the Hei Mo clan's fault! Those heartless bastards deserved to be chopped to a million pieces! I cannot believe that they had the audacity to damage Xiao Wu's Three Yin Meridian! I am very mad about this! Rest assured, big brother. I have it all under control. I swear that if they try to make another move on little sister again, I would not hesitate to drag these heartless bastards to hell myself even if it means leading myself to my own death!"

There was no hiding of the gravity of Mo Qing Wu's injury. It would have been easily discovered either way so it was better to come clean that his little sister's Three Yin Meridian was damaged.

"Those heartless bastards…" Mo Tian Yun murmured under his breath in agreement. His eyes flashed with rage and shouted, "Yes! Hei Mo clan ranks below ours and yet they dared to make such an offensive move! They are truly ruthless and there is no way I will forgive them. If I run into them, I will not hesitate to chop them into pieces!"

The two brothers coincidentally smiled and looked at each other at the same time. The four King level masters that were walking behind the two brothers all felt their palms dripping with perspiration from all the nervous chills they were getting from their conversation.

Tagging along with the two young masters was a test of their hearts' endurance! They were so close to losing it and they felt that it seemed almost like torture to them.

Mo Tian Yun suddenly paused in his tracks. With his arms akimbo, he said with a slightly changed attitude and tone, "Uncle Cheng Yu, do you know what is your crime?"

Mo Cheng Yu's stance diverted and he became even more hostile. He bowed and said, "Yes, I definitely know my crime!"

"You know your crime? Do you know that you are little miss's bodyguard? I cannot believe that you actually neglected your responsibility and allowed little miss to suffer from an irrecoverable injury! Mo Cheng Yu! Have all these comfortable years made you daft?" Mo Tian Yun stared at Mo Cheng Yu in utter disbelief.

"I am sorry! I know I have sinned!" Beads of perspiration trickled down Mo Cheng Yu's forehead profusely. He wanted to justify himself but there was no denying that Mo Qing Wu was indeed gravely injured. To make matters worse, Mo Tian Yun was clearly using him to deal a blow to Mo Tian Ji! If he has the audacity to argue, Mo Tian Yun would probably have someone beat him to death right there and then.

Mo Tian Ji wanted to say something, but he stayed silent.

Earlier on, Mo Tian Yun was talking to him as a brother. However, it was different now and the tables have turned. He was using his position as a young master to support his argument. If Mo Tian Ji said anything, he would have been charged with insubordination!

"Wait, so do you also know that you have done wrong? I will announce the clan's decision later on!" Mo Tian Yun remained a straight face and kept a calm composure throughout the entire talk.

"Mo Cheng Yu had neglected his responsibilities and definitely cannot be forgiven! However, due to his former merits, he shall not be punished. In exchange, he is to be removed from his guardian position and relocated with his family to Cang Lan battlefront to assist in the contributions to the clan!"

Mo Cheng Yu's whole body trembled with fear. Is this their plan to get me away from little miss?

"Isn't eldest brother pushing his limits?!" Mo Tian Ji furrowed his brows.

"If it was not for Mo Cheng Yu risking his life to protect her, little sister would have been dead by now. Mo Cheng Wu might have sinned but such a punishment is too adverse!"

"This is the decision among the clan's elders!"

Mo Tian Yun sighed and said, "Second brother, I also do not want this to happen. However, in any case, I am not the leader of this clan at this point in time. I have no power in altering their decisions. The leader of this clan is, of course, father! Do you have something to say about father's decision? Who are you to argue with him?"

"I will explain it properly to father later." Mo Tian Ji said sincerely.

"I hope you will be victorious in your feats of war so that Uncle Cheng Yu would not have to suffer hardships at the battlefront." Mo Tian Yun exclaimed sarcastically.

"I don't want Uncle Cheng Yu to go!" Mo Qing Wu insisted.

"It's alright, be a good girl. This is an adult issue, do not interfere, understand?" Mo Tian Yun smiled and gently rubbed Mo Qing Wu head, comforting and consoling her.

Mo Qing Wu's body trembled in fear. Her face subconsciously let out an expression of dismay as she took half a step back.

A trace of gloominess flashed in Mo Tian Yun's eyes but he immediately regained his composure and smiled saying, "Let's go! Father is still waiting for all of you. Father and the others are very concerned about little sister's injury."

Mo Tian Ji's demeanor faltered slightly as he recalled that little sister was still gravely injured. He gritted his teeth in anger tightly and kept silent.

A meeting was held immediately upon their arrival back home. Mo Cheng Yu was sentenced and the morning after, he left with his family to Cang Lan battlefront. No matter how intelligent Mo Tian Ji was, there was nothing he could do but face punishment as he was facing the entire clan's power.

The elders did not give him a chance to even explain himself. They immediately checked his little sister's body. The whole grouped sighed in utter dismay and most of their eyes welled up in tears.

Mo Tian Ji still had that memory fresh in his mind. At that point in time, his little sister was holding tightly onto the saber Chu Yang gave her and she sauntered to the main hall. Her lively eyes looked like those of a woeful rabbit. His heart wrenched in pain from recalling that scene.

He still remembered his little sister running towards their father with tearful eyes. He stretched out his arms for a hug with a conflicting look on his face and retracted them back with hesitation.

At that time, his little sister halted in her tracks. She turned and look at her father in surprise and at that instant, tears started pouring down her cheeks.

Bam! Mo Tian Ji angrily punched the tea table as he was filled with so much rage and regret.

…

Although Mo Qing Wu was young, her heart was already very sensitive. She had recognized how unusual the elders were behaving. Observing her elders who were usually easy-going with her, all of their eyes showed a strange reaction and a tinge of aggression.

Regret, anger, and disappointment… but they felt no mercy towards Mo Tian Ji. Her very own father who was so loving toward her looked away and sighed whenever she looked in his direction.

Mo Qing Wu was filled with apprehension and uncertainty. Fear and anxiousness filled her little mind and it quickly enveloped her. She was completely clueless as to what was going on and what was going to happen next. She thought to herself, "Why has everything changed after I merely went out for a tiny bit of fun?"

Mo Qing Wu felt faint and felt as if she was collapsing! At the moment, she felt as if her spirit had left her body.

At that very moment, she could not help but think about Chu Yang. She started to reminisce about the times where his eyes were filled with love and the times where his attention was only focused on her and nothing else. Thinking about all that made Mo Qing Wu's little heart longed to return to Chu Yang's side.

Internally, she cried out. "Brother Chu Yang, where are you now? When will you come to visit me … I… I am currently… really… really… pitiful…"

Mo Tian Ji frowned as he could feel that something was amiss.

Mo Tian Yun had returned eight or nine days ahead of him and had arranged everything with the clan, even boiling down to the treatment of Mo Qing Wu.

While it is obvious that the clan had not clearly stated this, Mo Tian Ji knew that Mo Tian Yun would definitely not neglect and treat this matter lightly.

Mo Tian Ji racked his brain as he tried to think of how he could help to make his little sister's life a little more comfortable. He had already lost all hopes of her being treated and recovering to the state she was before.

Mo Cheng Yu's departure was definitely a clear indication.

By eliminating the strength of Mo Qing Wu's side, Mo Tian Yun had taken a definite edge in the battle for power between himself and Mo Tian Ji.

Mo Tian Ji clenched his fists tightly and muttered under his breath, "You are wrong! Mo Tian Yun, if you don't see me as an opponent, I would not have fought with you, It is your own doing that you are too suspicious and initiated a fight with me first. You have made me your enemy! Now that you have made a move against Xiao Wu, you and I will not share the same sky! We will not have peace till the day I defeat you."

Thinking about this, he smiled bitterly. Before, he always looked up to his big brother as an ideal role model. He was always proud of his big brother achievements as he was only five or six years older, but his big brother was already was able to think of things that Mo Tian Ji did not even think of.

At that point in time, he always felt that if they had worked together and had heeded his older brother's advice, the Mo clan would have risen under their hands! They definitely would be conquered the Middle Three Heavens.

However these past few years, he had unexpectedly run into danger. It was shocking when he found out that his big brother was starting to deal with him. Since then, his impression of his brother changed adversely. He was no longer the Mo Tian Ji he knew of before.

Mo Tian Ji knew that if he was to maintain the same state of mind as before, it would have been no different than waiting for his death. His character had grown and honed throughout the adversities he had faced.

Although his elder brother was the rightful heir to the clan and had ten years of head start, he was still comparably vulnerable! It was not until these past two years that he matured and the situation slowly became the reverse.

Mo Qing Wu had run into such a mishap only because of her closeness to him.

It was impossible that everything occurred by chance! Mo Tian Ji had always believed that anything accidental was definitely partially intentional. The Hei Mo clan, even with intelligence capability, would not have known of their whereabouts.

It was suspicious that they were able to act with precision and even had the time to prepare an ambush beforehand. Adding up all these pieces of evidence and coincidences, Mo Tian Ji came to a conclusion that he might have been framed. There was no other way that there would be a different explanation as to what had happened.

By returning home early, it was equivalent to showing Mo Tian Ji his cards. He might have the thought that he would definitely emerge victorious as the final result had been decided when their little sister's power was eliminated by him.

Mo Tian Ji thought to himself, "You are measuring a kind person's heart with that of a petty and narrow-minded person! You should know that I have never intended to use little sister's power to back my own! It will always be hers and hers alone! If I want to defeat you, I would use my own strength and defeat you impartially!"

"People like you are competent with plotting against others but you do not know Mo Tian Ji's pride." Mo Tian Ji closed his eyes and let out a disappointing sigh.

"Second young master, the clan leader sent you a notice. You are told to join the clan's meeting and he also stated that there will be an important decision!" Suddenly, a voice interrupted Mo Tian Ji's train of thought and this new information made Mo Tian Ji's whole body trembled with fear.

He thought to himself, "Finally, I have been waiting for this day. The move against little sister has been made? Now, what should I do?"

(1) This was referring to a Chinese phrase that meant "common interest".