Death… and me

Melting Meridians Hand was a very sharp tool of the Ye Clan. In fact, it could even intimidate the Nine Heavens! Anyone would be finished by one mere slap of this hand on the body. This skill wasn't fatal. But, it was more malicious than any kind of skill that could kill people!

It was because one's meridians would be demolished within three days… regardless of one's cultivation level if one was slapped by the Melting Meridian Hand. How would the spiritual power operate… without the meridians?

The person hit by the Melting Meridian Hand would gradually turn into a living corpse as time would pass. In fact, the victim wouldn't even be able to move a finger. But, their consciousness would stay active. In fact, it was also said — it would be impossible for one to open and close their eyes after three days!

This was truly horrible! In fact, it would be worse than death… especially for an expert!

"Right." Meng Chao Ran faintly smiled. A deep sign of pain reflected between his eyebrows, and it seemed as if his soul had just experienced a deep shock. He said, "Your master's wife… had agreed to return to her clan in exchange of an opportunity for me to live. But, two-and-a-half days had already passed by that time. So, my meridians became rigid even though I took the antidote."

Meng Chao Ran stared lankly in a daze. He let out a breath and said, "Therefore, I had no other choice… but, to temporarily reside in the Beyond the Heavens Sect since I could barely manage to maintain a feeble existence …"

"I… see…" Chu Yang had a cold expression in his eyes as he slowly said. There was a chilliness and heaviness in these words… In fact, he-himself couldn't feel it…

[Ye Clan!]

[Ye Clan!!]

"But, two strange events have happened since last year. And, these two strange events have given me a little hope." Meng Chao Ran warmly looked at Chu Yang. "Furthermore, one of these two strange events has stemmed from you, while the other one from Tan Tan…"

"Two strange events? And, they've stemmed from me and Tan Tan…?" Chu Yang was at a loss, [What kind of strange events…?]

"Yes. The first one happened with Tan Tan's Divine Chi Gathering Fish…" Meng Chao Ran heaved a sigh and said, "I accidently found out that the Divine Chi Gathering Fish grew very rapidly when Tan Tan nurtured it. Moreover, the Divine Chi Gathering Fish could absorb the spirit energy of the world. And, this special type of spirit energy didn't suffer the constraints of the Melting Meridians Hand! Thanks to that, I became capable of promoting my cultivation again. Moreover, that mysterious spiritual energy was especially quick, and it could condense too! Therefore, I could cultivate to the eighth grade of King Level in a short period of just over a year!"

"I see. It's the effect of the Divine Chi Gathering Fish," Chu Yang silently pondered.

"The second unexpected event happened today." Meng Chao Ran continued, "And, it stemmed from the medicine that you gave me. I found that my injuries were healed after I took it. Moreover… I had abundant energy to break through to the ninth grade of King Level. Then, I even broke through to the first grade of Emperor Level Expert in one spurt of energy!"

Meng Chao Ran chuckled, "This is simply a miracle!"

"Miracle…" Chu Yang was dumbfounded, and stared blankly. He had undoubtedly given his master an incomplete version of the Nine Tribulations Pill. So, it was only effective to restore health and heal injuries. How did it enable Meng Chao Ran to promote his cultivation level?

[What is this about? Did I make a mistake?]

[It is impossible. Because… the last complete Nine Tribulation Pill has been taken by Mo Qing Wu.]

Therefore, Chu Yang didn't have any complete Nine Tribulations Pill at present…

[What's the matter with this?] Chu Yang was at a loss.

The Sword Spirit was meditating at present. So, Chu Yang also couldn't ask him either. Therefore, he had to keep this matter suppressed in his heart for the time being. However, he had secretly decided in his heart, [I must make Sword Spirit concoct a complete version of Nine Tribulations Pill after he finishes his meditation. Then, Master will recover completely, and that will enhance his strength. And, I will also ask about the matter of this incomplete version of Nine Tribulations Pill at that time…]

"Is Master's wife now… in the Ye Clan?" Chu Yang cautiously and solemnly asked.

Meng Chao Ran had a gloomy look in his eyes as he replied, "Yes." However, he didn't speak on this matter further.

Therefore, Chu Yang had no other choice but to become silent. Meng Chao Ran's eyes were enough to tell that there must've been too many stories! But, Chu Yang couldn't get to the heart of the matter if Meng Chao Ran wasn't ready to tell.

[However, this is the heartache that master will have for his lifetime.]

Meng Chao Ran remained silent for a while. He unconsciously looked at the fluttering snow outside of the cave. Then, he softly whispered, "Wind and rain can't wash the scars in one's heart. The Vicissitudes of life can't wipe out emotional scars. We must not speak of the past, but the separation leaves us desolate. I remember that we had pledged of eternal love, and enduring while the world lasts… Our life would've been like a spring dream, and we would see fairies dancing and flying around. We would've chanted the songs of love. And, we would've shared the sufferings of life together. We wouldn't have let each other's heart's break. And, our soul would sail through the Nine Heavens… Alas!~~~"

Suddenly, he profoundly sighed. His expression became sad, and he didn't speak a word further.

A long while passed before he stood up feeling desolated. He then walked out, and stood motionless amidst the dense snow. He looked up to the sky, and calmly gazed at the sky. It seemed as if… he could see his lover in the Upper Three Heavens through this hazy sky. He was looking up there so devotedly and so attentively…

He kept standing like this for a long time. Then, he deeply sighed in his heart. There was a silence in his heart as he whispered, "Chu Chu… you wrote this poem… Chu Chen, are you okay?"

Meng Chao Ran felt that his heart was ripped into two pieces while he was still alive as he remembered this name.

He groaned from heartache and curled up in the snow. He had suddenly felt so much pain in his heart that he couldn't breathe. His heart felt to be burning. And, it was getting more and more intense. In fact, he felt as if his soul was burning…

"Chu Chu… Chu Chu… Chu Chu…" Meng Chao Ran continuously murmured in his heart. He didn't feel alive in this world when he wasn't calling out this name. But, it felt that a knife was ruthlessly cutting through his heart every time he called out this name…

"Chu Chu… What should I do? You had promised me that our souls will sail through the Nine Heavens together. I can't take this anymore… Even hoping to die together with you has become too much to expect…"

He slowly closed his eyes. And, two teardrops dripped down from his face. A man who wouldn't change the look in his eyes even in front of death was crying now…

This was the extremity of the pain of love! A person who had never experienced the bitterness of love couldn't understand the pain in Meng Chao Ran's heart…

Chu Yang was silently sitting in the cave, and was keeping watch on Tan Tan. He didn't turn his head to look outward since he knew that Meng Chao Ran didn't wish anyone to see him like that.

He could understand the despair of Meng Chao Ran's heart. [This feeling must be similar to the one that I had felt when Mo Qing Wu had died in my previous life, right?]

[True and deep love only turns as a torture to oneself if it isn't realized.]

[It is true that it's the biggest tragedy in the world if parents fail to live with their kids and don't get to raise them. But, isn't it that the same as love that can't be realized that makes it the biggest tragedy of life?]

[How many people in the world live with their lovers since the beginning of their love, and till the end of their lives? But, what do the people in love do if that doesn't happen? They keep the love buried deep in their heart… to let it rot! And, the painful memories of that life eventually take everything away, and leave only endless emotional torment for the rest of their life!]

Chu Yang had become somewhat sentimental. He recalled that a wise philosopher had once said, [Man is the weirdest creation of God. It's not necessary that the name a man unconsciously whispers while being dead-drunk is his last wife's. And, it's not necessary that the deepest sorrow in a woman's heart is for her husband…]

[But, they can't help but call out their true love's name when they are in their midnight dream and have completely lost control over themselves. But, who can say that they aren't loyal?]

[But, who has felt this kind of pain?]

[Who has felt this kind of helplessness?]

[Who has felt this kind of bitterness?!]

Chu Yang sadly sighed. [Master is in the prime of his life. Ye Chu Chen is also in her prime. Why can they not be together? Can't I help Master… to fulfill his wish?]

Chu Yang was silent. But, he had silently made this decision in his heart!

…

Three days had passed. Chu Yang had completely recovered. However, Tan Tan was still unconscious.

Meng Chao Ran and Chu Yang were extremely worried.

It was because Tan Tan had been in a very unusual coma this time. He was only drowsing when unconscious during the first two days. But, his whole body had been turning sometimes hot and sometimes cold on the third day. The stones of the cave would freeze and crack when his body was cold. But, it would become unbearable to stay at his side when it was hot. In fact, Chu Yang couldn't endure it even when he would circulate Seven Yin Cold Energy!

The master-and-disciple duo had never seen such a strange phenomenon!

In fact, they hadn't even heard of it before! Who could've imagined that a person's body-temperature could change like that? Stones would freeze when it was low. And, the stones would melt when it was high…

Damn, what goddamned matter was this?

"Master, is Tan Tan always like this?" Chu Yang finally couldn't endure it. [What's wrong with him? I've even stuffed an incomplete version of Nine Tribulations Pill in his mouth. But, he vomited it out… Why did it not melt in his mouth and change into spirit energy?]

"Never…" Meng Chao Ran's complexion was serious. He looked at the unconscious Tan Tan as he replied anxiously.

"What is going on…" Chu Yang was troubled.

"He ate the inner core of a ninth grade spirit beast…" Meng Chao Ran heaved a deep sigh, "After that, his whole body started to heat up… it warmed up to such an extent that my hand would've blistered up if I had touched him. And, it wouldn't cool down either," Meng Chao Ran frowned.

"He ate an inner core of a ninth grade spirit beast?!" Chu Yang was gob-smacked. He opened his eyes wide. [This guy has swallowed an inner core of a ninth grade spirit beast… how come he hasn't exploded by now?]

"He swallowed it whole!" Meng Chao Ran was somewhat speechless as he added.

Chu Yang's jaw suddenly dropped.

[Generally, the inner core of a ninth grade spirit beast is at least as big as a fist. And, the biggest one can even be as big as a watermelon… And, he swallowed it whole? How did he even swallow it?]

"Like this…" Meng Chao Ran forced a smile and demonstrated with his neck, "… here, it swelled up all of a sudden… After that, it slowly went inside…"

"Ha ha ha…" it's true that Chu Yang was worried, but he burst into cheerful laughter when he saw the gestures his master made.

Tan Tan finally woke up after two days.

Sword Spirit had also recovered in the past few days. And, he had been urging Chu Yang to try to look for his soul fragment. In fact, he was 10,000% sure — he had issued sword energy and changed the appearance of the sky during the battle. So, that sudden blast of sword energy from faraway must've been a reaction from his soul fragment!

However, Chu Yang had remained unmoved.

[The matter here hasn't resolved yet, and he wants me to go? It is out of question! He wants me to ignore such an enormous matter!]

However, Tan Tan had finally woken up on this day…

Tan Tan suddenly turned over, and sat on a small stone. Then, he let out a very long sigh, "Ouch, this sleep made my whole body hurt."

"Tan Tan, you woke up?" Chu Yang became pleasantly surprised and suddenly turned his head.

"Chu Yang…?" Tan Tan was even more surprised than him as he called out, "Come on, quickly. Take a look at me. Have I not become more handsome?" he had fiercely made a 'shocked' expression while speaking. He then spoke-up in a 'shocked' manner, "I look handsome, right? I look more handsome than you, right? Ha ha…"

…

Notes: There was a part in the chapter were the Author seemingly writes about his own thoughts surrounding the pains of love. It was left as it is in the original piece along with the Editor's comments, and we've left it as such as well.