Death… and me

[Young Master Yu!]

Chu Yang was startled in his heart. [I see, so it’s really that person.]

This Young Master Yu could be considered as the number one mystical figure from the Middle Three Heavens. Not to mention that he was a peak level expert!

He was also Dark Bamboo organization’s most competent expert. He had no name, no surname, and no past. Moreover, he was an elusive figure who would appear and disappear unpredictably, like seeing a divine dragon’s head without being able to see its tail. Ever since his debut, no one knew about his origins or where he had come from, as if he had suddenly emerged in this world out of the blue. There simply were no records about his past. It seemed as if the world itself had suddenly given birth to such an outstanding expert one day.

No one, as a matter of fact, knew the true extent of his cultivation.

When dealing with a Martial Great Master, he could just prevail; against a Revered Martial Artist, he could barely obtain victory; similarly against a King level expert, he could only win by a little…

With such vagueness surrounding him, who could possibly figure out the bottom line of his martial arts? Just like handling a butcher's cleaver with ease, he had won each and every battle with utmost repose. Ever since he had abruptly appeared in this world, he had been through a myriad of battles, yet none ended in his defeat!

Among the dark forces of the Middle Three Heavens, Young Master Yu’s name was akin to the name of a demon.

"Young Master Yu…" Chu Yang sucked in a breath of cold air and prudently asked: "Are you a member of the Bamboo?"

A surprised look flashed in Young Master Yu’s eyes as he said: "You know me?"

He had said before about meeting Chu Yang, but the truth was that he had only seen Chu Yang. On the contrary, Chu Yang had never seen him. However, judging from the way Chu Yang was speaking right now, as well as his demeanor, it seemed like Chu Yang already knew about him. Therefore, Young Master Yu could not help but be somewhat curious.

"How can I not know about an illustrious expert like you?" Chu Yang said with a smile.

"I see, so I guess it’s because your brothers are those young masters of the Middle Three Heavens." Young Master Yu immediately thought of this.

"Back then in Jun Lu Lu’s room, that person who hadn’t shown himself from start to finish… that was you, right?" Chu Yang smiled as he raised his head. He couldn’t help but recall the terrifying aura from that day.

"You are quite impressive, I must say!" Young Master Yu gave his sincere praise as he intensely stared at Chu Yang: "You were able to figure that out just from a sentence!"

"It was not difficult to guess at all." Chu Yang laughed as he picked up the teacup and sipped a mouthful. He immediately felt a burst of cold aura flushing down his throat as the spirit energy instantly diffused into his meridians, giving him a greatly refreshing feeling: "The reason why Young Master Yu has asked me to come here is not just to have a casual chat over the tea, I presume?"

He sighed and continued, "Although the tea is good, and the water is delicious too."

Young Master Yu’s gaze remained fixed on him for a while before he finally said: "Well, I think you deserve such fine tea."

This time, he sighed and continued: "I called you today not because you have helped Ah Lu a big time for this competition in Lotus Lake, nor is it because you helped Ah Lu in comprehending ‘tuning’ at the House of Exceptional Beauties back then…"

Chu Yang tilted his head to one side: "Oh?"

"It’s because I have found out that you’re quite a skilled person." Young Master Yun laughed and one could see the slight tinge of bashfulness that had come over his face, similar to one on a ten-year-old kid’s face who is nearing his teenage, yet with an extra hint of implicit charm in his demeanor: "You have this hidden skill into making people unknowingly obligated to you."

"Ha ha." Chu Yang laughed heartily.

"So I would like to ask you…" Young Master Yu suddenly stared intently at him, and asked in a serious tone: "Are you a member of the Ye Clan, or the You Clan?"

"I guess these family names you took just now…” Chu Yang quietly said, "are from the nine aristocratic families of the Upper Three Heavens, correct?"

"They are, indeed." Young Master Yu nodded.

"Let me be honest with you, but the fact is that I don’t know much about the Nine Heavens Continent…" Chu Yang replied: "In fact, I am hearing these names for the first time today!"

Young Master Yu shot a suspicious glance at him.

"Frankly speaking, my knowledge of the Nine Heavens Continent is limited to the facts and information I could gather from the official records." Chu Yang smiled: "As far as things like inside stories, secrets and legends are concerned…I am completely ignorant about all of that."

A puzzled look flashed in Young Master Yu’s eyes.

"Sometimes I think, since this continent is known by the name of Nine Heavens Continent, then what exactly is the significance of grouping the heavens as Upper Three Heavens, Middle Three Heavens, and Lower Three Heavens?" Chu Yang further asked: "This entire continent is clearly divided into three segments, then why is it called Nine Heavens?"

Young Master Yu was carefully observing each and every change in Chu Yang’s facial expression. After a long time, he suddenly heaved a long sigh and, laughing at himself, said: "It seems like my guess was completely wrong…"

"What?" Chu Yang asked.

"So you really don’t know anything!" Young Master Yu said in a heavy tone, it seemed he was extremely mad at himself for guessing incorrectly.

"They may seem like a bunch of simple stuff to you, but they are fairly complex for me." Chu Yang laughed: "I would like to think that you have already investigated about me, yet you are asking me a question like this. It appears to me that you suspect those investigation accounts about me."

"That’s because you have been progressing too fast!" Young Master Yu exclaimed before heaving a sigh: "If I am not mistaken, you are presently at Revered Martial level. Moreover, you are a Revered Sword Artist, and that too of Second Grade?"

Chu Yang was startled in his heart; [I am already sparing no effort in concealing my cultivation, without allowing a single strand of my aura to be exposed, yet my cultivation has been thoroughly seen through by this man, that too in a glance.]

[Such visual prowess is amazing in itself, and yet exceedingly terrifying!]

"How long has it been since you took birth in this world… even if you are a peerless genius, and had a stockpile of endless elixirs at your disposal… even if you had a first-grade teacher to give you proper guidance… even after all that, it is still impossible to attain such an incredible progress rate in the Lower Three Heavens." Young Master Yu gave a bitter laugh as he continued: "If you were me, someone who has seen it all… then you wouldn’t ask why I suspected you."

Chu Yang’s lips twitched a bit as he naturally knew about this point; [the rate of my progress would certainly seem as mythological to anyone, whosoever he might be.]

"Fine then, we have owed you twice anyway. Today, I will tell you secret details about the Nine Heavens Continent, which are known only to the insiders." Young Master Yu snorted twice before continuing further: "Only those who have reached a certain level can contemplate this matter. Considering your present cultivation, getting to know about this is certainly beyond your ability… in fact, I must say that something like this is happening for the first time ever in the history of the Nine Heavens Continent."

"Please, do enlighten me." Chu Yang smiled calmly at his own pace. In fact, he was quite anxious in his heart, because what he was missing right now was the true history of the Nine Heavens Continent, or one could say, that he was unaware of the true realm of experts which was hidden within the Nine Heavens Continent!

Pursuing strength with all of one’s might, only to be puzzled by confusing legends and rumors… who would want to purse legends which might be far from truth?

"This matter is something that is very hard to explain to others." Young Master Yu thought for a while, then continued: "… in fact, it is so incredible, yet absurd at the same time, that … I was not particularly willing to share it with you… but have to because I am enmeshed in a trap of one's own devising!"

He sighed: "Who would have thought that you will come up with such a request! The knowledge of this secret is like a symbol of status, something that can only be obtained by those who have obtained a certain extent of power and wisdom… in fact, even most people in the Upper Three Heavens do not know about it… the secret of the Nine Heavens only belongs to the nine aristocratic families of the Upper Three Heavens… yeah!"

Chu Yang smiled. [This is exactly what I have been dying to know all this time.]

Therefore, as soon as he heard Young Master Yu speaking about the two debts he owed him, Chu Yang didn’t beat around the bush and bluntly put forward his demand: “I don’t understand the Nine Heavens!”

He must forcefully disperse the dense fog which had been clouding his mind for so long.

"And here I thought that… you may ask me to assassinate Diwu Qing Rou…" Young Master Yu said while gently rubbing his own temple.

Chu Yang maintained the same smiling expression on his face, while he waited patiently.

"Well then." Young Master Yu helplessly smiled as he said in a silky, breeze-like tone: "Even if they find out that this secret came out from my mouth, what can they possibly do… humph."

This sentence was brimming with loftiness!

Chu Yang’s heart suddenly thumped as his vision shook slightly: [Don’t tell me that this secret cannot be said casually? And if once said, will have serious consequences?]

[Why?]

"Nine Heavens Continent… was originally just a continent, and didn’t have the Upper Three Heavens or Lower Three Heavens. In fact, there were no heavens to begin with in the first place. It used to be a single world at that time… ravaged with unceasing disputes. Humanity, Beast kin and several other races used to flourish together on this one big continent.

Young Master Yu continued in an unhurried pace: "And at the time humanity was slowly nearing its end, there were nine great powerhouses in the world. Each of them belonged to one of the nine great races; and, furthermore, all of them had attained the supreme realm.”