Death… and me

Rui Bu Tong didn't know whether to laugh or cry. [I haven't heard about you being handsome, carefree, and whatnot… But, I've heard that you're super narcissist and shameless. And, I have been looking forward to meeting you for a long time.]

"Is Chu Yang… your senior martial brother?" Rui Bu Tong touched his nose and asked with a stammer.

"Of course! Chu Yang is my martial brother! He's only a little less handsome than me. So, he can be considered the second most handsome man in the world," Tan Tan snorted as he pointed his nose upwards and said.

"This is… a misunderstanding." Rui Bu Tong had enthusiasm on his face. He burst into loud laughter and came over running to him, "So, you're a family member. Ha ha ha ha."

"Give me my bag first!" Tan Tan again felt hungry as he watched Rui Bu Tong running over. In fact, his figure appeared to be doubling in front of Tan Tan's eyes. Tan Tan didn't even feel thankful as he said.

"You still think that I won't return this bag? Come, come, come, have meal with me first," Rui Bu Tong greeted him with a smile, "I am sworn brother of your senior martial brother… um, don't you know that?"

"How can I have a meal with you when you won't give me my bag?" Tan Tan lied on his stomach on the ground. Then, he swayed his head, "Give it to me, first!" the words he had said to Rui Bu Tong didn't reach his ears.

Rui Bu Tong felt funny and amused.

[Big Brother's junior martial brother is a miser. In fact, he's a big one! He's still thinking about the treasures in his bag!]

[I have even said that 'you still think that I won't return this bundle?'. Won't you die if you don't eat food first?]

A sound echoed at this moment, "Eh? How come you two are together?"

A dark shadow fell on the ground like lightning. Chu Yang had finally arrived!

"Big brother!"

"Senior Brother!"

Both of them called out at the same time.

"Big brother… he-he, this is a misunderstanding!" Rui Bu Tong embarrassedly laughed.

"Chu Yang, Senior brother! This bastard stole my bag. And, he also wants me to starve to death. Boohoo…" Tan Tan burst into tears. He felt extremely wronged.

Both of them tried hard to rush over to Chu Yang first. And, Tan Tan bumped into Rui Bu Tong in the midway. They then started to push-and-pull at each other.

"Big Brother, it's not like that. This… this junior martial brother of yours is talking nonsense…" Rui Bu Tong's heart also filled with the feeling of being treated unjustly. "He's the one who beat me up without any reason first… I…"

"But you can't steal my stuff for that… didn't I only beat you up a bit?" Tan Tan shouted since he felt wronged. Then, he felt a pain in his heart, "I – the most handsome and carefree man – haven't eaten for the last three days. My face has become so skinny due to hunger… Senior Brother, you have a look… Haven't I become skinny?"

Chu Yang didn't know where to laugh or cry.

"Well, well… talk one be one, and speak slowly. Isn't it only a misunderstanding? So, I will be the mediator since I'm here now…" Chu Yang raised his hand, "Where's the bag? Take it out first."

Tan Tan snatched the bag, and opened it as quickly as possible. Then, he grabbed a fifth grade inner core and stuffed it into his mouth.

He didn't even care to chew it. He simply stretched his neck, and swallowed it down to his belly.

Then, he took out another one, and again stretched his neck…

Then, third one…

Then, fourth one…

Then, fifth one…

Rui Bu Tong was about to give an explanation when Tan Tan had eaten the first one. But, he had instead been left to open his mouth and eyes wide in fright. In fact, he had even forgotten the explanation he was about to blurt…

[No wonder he didn't eat anything. So, this is his food?]

[Crap… is this normal?]

Rui Bu Tong only felt his head spinning. [How can someone eat inner cores of spirit beasts?]

[I've never heard something like that before!]

[This is a miracle!]

Rui Bu Tong hadn't noticed that Chu Yang's smile had changed into shock when Tan Tan was swallowing the fourth inner core. Even the color of his face had faded.

Chu Yang's mouth had unknowingly gotten opened wide when Tan Tan was swallowing the fifth inner core. His face had also changed into dead-grey…

[It has only been a few days, right? How did Tan Tan's appetite increase so much? Shit! It has risen to five inner cores per meal? That means… one inner core of two-hundred-thousand. Five per meal… that is one million! So, it will be three million in one day…?]

Chu Yang groaned. [Tan Tan will soon start eating ten cores in one meal if his appetite continues to grow at such a terrifying speed… And, it will cost six million a day…]

[Moreover, fifth grade inner cores won't be able to satisfy his hunger if he levels up once more. And, he will need sixth and seventh grade inner cores… And, that will make us bankrupt!]

Chu Yang thought of this, and felt his head spinning. He then sighed in grief, "Master… you avoided this problem by walking away from it. You must be so relaxed and happy. But, you left behind such a moocher for me… I… I will go bankrupt even though I'm the Nine Tribulations Sword Master. I can't take care of his food expenses…"

However, Tan Tan was stuffing sixth one in his mouth at this time…

After all, Tan Tan had been awfully hungry since the past few days! So, he still didn't feel full even though he had been eating nonstop…

Minister Chu's eyes turned white when he saw the sixth one going down to Tan Tan's belly!

Minister Chu's whole body shivered when he saw the seventh one going down the belly. In fact, he wished he were dead…

Tan Tan then tried to stuff the eighth one… And, the grieved howl that had been inside Minister Chu's heart finally burst out to his mouth, "Master… you old man… you fu*ked me up…"

Chu Yang nearly collapsed in fright. However, he wasn't the only one. Rui Bu Tong had also collapsed… as if he had seen a ghost or something…

Tan Tan had stuffed his mouth, and he felt full. So, he hiccupped, and put the eighth one back. Then, he stroked his belly, and sat on the ground with his legs stretched. He felt extremely satisfied, "I am stuffed! This food was delicious."

Chu Yang fiercely rubbed his temples. He felt that his head would explode due to headache.

He had never thought that he would have to worry about food expenses… He had never imagined that he would be forced into a dead-end situation by the food expenses of just one person…

Tan Tan suddenly shouted out loud in a tragic hurry. Then, he jumped up at a lightning speed. He then grabbed Rui Bu Tong with a fast movement of his hand, and threw him on the ground. Rui Bu Tong was already stunned, and wasn't guarded in the least. Then, Tan Tan got on his body, and started to beat him up in a crazed manner.

"You brat! You dared to steal my stuff!"

"You little bastard! You dared to starve me!"

"And, you even laughed at me!"

"You dared to say that I'm not handsome!"

"You…"

Rui Bu Tong was only a second grade King Level Expert at present. What strength did he have to resist the ninth grade King Level Expert Tan Tan? So, he was only screaming with a 'boohoo'. He was continuously crying for help amidst those screams. His whole body had instantly been turned black-and-purple by the punches, pinches, slaps and twisting of Tan Tan's…

"Tan Tan!" Chu Yang hastily rushed to stop him.

Tan Tan was very obedient. And, he stopped his hands that very instant. But, he was still sitting on Rui Bu Tong. He then majestically asked, "Are you convinced or not?"

"Yes. I am!" Rui Bu Tong was a hoodlum. But, he miserably took it lying down.

"Humph! I will still beat you up even if you accept!" Tan Tan rubbed his hands together and stood up.

"Big Brother… you must give me justice…" Rui Bu Tong cried, "I am being bullied very miserably here…"

Chu Yang had a headache!

He pacified them for a while. And, both of them eventually calmed down. But, both of them felt very wronged. And, both of them were glaring at each other, and were eager to beat each other. Tan Tan was a ninth grade King Level Expert now. So, he wasn't afraid by any means.

Rui Bu Tong had also made a resolution in the secrecy of his heart. [I will come and teach you a lesson after this upgradation of mine…]

Chu Yang looked at Rui Bu Tong. He couldn't help but say excitedly, "Sixth Brother, what is your current cultivation level?"

"Second grade King Level Expert!" Rui Bu Tong heaved a deep sigh. He comforted himself in his heart. [I can't be compared with this freak Tan Tan. And, I can't be compared with Gu Du Xing and Dong Wu Shang either. But, I must be stronger than Ji Mo, Luo Ke Di, and Chu Yang!]

However, he fell into an abyss when Chu Yang struck him these words, "Eh, second grade? Gu Du Xing and Dong Wu Shang are fifth grade King Level Experts now. They are fifth grade Sword King and fifth grade Saber King respectively."

Rui Bu Tong suddenly stared back with big and rounded eyes, "What?"

Chu Yang sighed and said, "This will be quite shocking to you… ok? Ji Mo and Luo Ke Di seem to be at the peak of fourth grade at present…"

Rui Bu Tong sat down on the ground. "What?! Big Brother… you, you… you're not lying to me, right?" Rui Bu Tong looked at Chu Yang giving a meaningful glance of affirmation. And, he went into a daze as a result. He muttered, "What the heck… how did I fall behind by that much?"

Chu Yang sighed, and it seemed as if he was bemoaning the state of the universe and pitying the fate of mankind. He then said, "Ahm, ahm… I'm also… a fifth grade Sword King now…"

Rui Bu Tong's eyes rolled back. His whole body shivered and twitched. He wanted to cry, but had no tears, "Big Brother… could you not give me shock after shock like that…? And, here I thought that I was advancing at a very good speed these days… boohoo…"

This was certainly Rui Bu Tong's true thought. He had repeated leveled up during these days, and he had reached the peak of the second grade King Level as a result. This had made Rui Bu Tong immeasurably satisfied with himself. But, he had suddenly realized that he was the weakest amongst his brothers. Moreover, his strength wasn't the weakest by a small margin either.

He had particularly come across a great opportunity in this Northern Wilderness. And, he could upgrade by a wide margin here. In fact, he could easily promote his cultivation by one grade at the very least. And, this would be a terrific thing. Therefore, Rui Bu Tong had thought that he would come back after this upgradation, and would flaunt his strength to his brothers. He had also thought that he would teach Dong Wu Shang and Gu Du Xing a lesson if possible…

However, Rui Bu Tong was left very frustrated and sad after he heard that barrage of news from Chu Yang's mouth…

The most unimaginable thing for him was that Chu Yang was now a fifth grade King Level Expert. This was too big a blow for Rui Bu Tong to endure!

One must know that Chu Yang was merely a Martial Great Master when they had last met…

[Such a big difference ah! He's so far ahead of me now? Moreover, the difference is of three grades?] This had left the self-satisfied Rui Bu Tong to feel very depressed…

"I'm also very disappointed…" Chu Yang heaved a deep sigh, and proceeded to shock him again, "You see my junior martial brother was much inferior to me last year. But, he's a ninth grade King Level Expert now…"

Rui Bu Tong painfully clutched his hair, "Ah, ah, ah… Am I dreaming?"

"You don't need to be so disappointed…" Chu Yang sighed since he knew that the lost time can't return. He said, "We have only started to upgrade. But, do you know how much we have sacrificed for this? We have faced the crisis of life and death several times every day. In fact, Gu Du Xing, Dong Wu Shang, Ji Mo, and Luo Ke Di are still continuously fighting blood-soaking battles…"

"How much did we sacrifice? And, how much did you sacrifice? That's the difference! Therefore, you don't have to balance out the difference in your heart…" Chu Yang hypocritically consoled him. But, he was provoking him by making negative remarks in reality. "We've staked our lives in battles…"

Rui Bu Tong's eyes turned red as he jumped up. "It's not good! Do you think that I can't achieve this if you guys can? We are the same, brothers! We're not afraid of anyone!"

"Don't… don't be too impulsive!" Chu Yang pacified him.

"I can't be premeditated anymore!" Rui Bu Tong flew into rage, "I won't come out without promoting to the utmost this time — even if I die inside!"

Chu Yang jumped up in fright. He quietly thought that his idea of provocation by making negative remarks had motorized into 'overkill', "What… do you mean by 'this time'?"

"I have come with my two masters to upgrade my strength…" Rui Bu Tong explained thus and so. Then, he paused for a second. He then further said, "Humph! How can leveling up by one grade be enough? I will level up by two grades! Three grades! Four grades! Five grades!"

He fiercely yelled, "I must increase my strength, ah!"

Chu Yang's whole body got covered in cold sweat.

…