Death… and me

Chu Yang mischievously laughed, "You don't need to ask about my cultivation. I'm a ninth grade Martial King. Well, this is my Junior Martial Brother Tan Tan. He's also a ninth grade Martial King. Brother Ao, please share some of your knowledge with us whenever you have the time."

"My knowledge~~~~" Ao Xie Yun bit his lips because he had a strong urge to cry out loud.

[This is a group of ninth grade King level Experts, a Saber Emperor, and a Sword Emperor.]

[These people are said to be as famous as me. But, they used to be below me some time ago… Now, I'm just a sixth grade Martial King …]

[It's too embarrassing! I feel extremely inferior.]

"Brother Ao, may I ask what your cultivation level is?" Ji Mo rolled his eyes, and asked.

"Well! ~~~~" Ao Xie Yun heaved a deep sigh. However, tears streamed down his face before he could speak…

Rui Bu Tong coldly snorted. He seemed to be taking joy in other's misfortune as he consoled, "Brother Ao doesn't need to feel down about this. Do you know how much hard work we've put to have our current accomplishments? Do you know how much we've had to struggle? We've sacrificed a lot… Well, we'd practice martial arts almost a dozen times a day. We'd practice until we fainted… you can't have a good harvest without a good amount of investment. The fact is that you're already doing well at present…"

This guy had said the exact same words that Chu Yang had said to him in order to motivate him. [Damn! Who would've thought that I'd feel happier now when I'm saying these words than I had felt… the time when I heard these words?]

Ao Xie Yun's face turned pale in embarrassment. He lowered his head, and hastened-on with the journey. He couldn't say anything anymore.

However, he heaved a deep sigh after a long while, and said, "I – Ao Xie Yun – am surnamed 'Ao', which means proud!"

Suddenly, a strong conviction arose in his heart. [Why can't I accomplish it if they can? There will come a day when I will reclaim this word in my name!]

[I will be proud in front of the world!]

The one who wants to set the pace always remains under pressure, but they lack motivation. And, this guy here wanted to set the pace. However, he was full of motivation, and wasn't under any pressure.

Ao Xie Yun suddenly found himself brimming with fighting spirit once he let go of his arrogance.

[First, I must make myself unique and unrivalled. Second, I must take revenge. I must personally avenge the deaths of my uncles. I'll also do my best to look after their families. Third, I must catch up with these brothers, and then surpass them. I will reclaim my title of being the number-one youngster in the Middle Three Heavens.]

[They all are human beings. They all have been raised by their parents. They are also made up of flesh and blood like me. I won't concede to them.]

…

They encountered the pursuers several times along this journey. They had several fights. But, everyone managed to escape. This was because they primarily focused on escaping. They didn't get involved in prolonged contact with the enemy. Ao Xie Yun and Rui Bu Tong received some injuries during the course of this journey as they rushed out…

…

Tracing back to one-month before this matter…

Mo Tian Ji had set-off great waves in the Middle Three Heavens. The entire Middle Three Heavens was in great chaos. Ou Clan, Meng Clan, Tian Clan, and the other clans were battle-ready. And, Xie Clan, Mo Clan, Dong Clan, and the other clans were also ready with their stern defenses.

The war was about to break out.

On that day…

Mo Tian had a discussion with Dong Wu Lei, Luo Ke Wu, Ji Zhu, and the others. After that, he didn't speak for a very long time. But, he looked conflicted in his mind.

"What are you thinking, Brother Mo? Why do you have such a worried look?" Dong Wu Lei admired Mo Tian Ji's plan very much. So, he couldn't help but ask when he saw him looking worried.

"You guys mentioned that Meng Luo, Tian Bu Hui, Tu Qian Hao, and the others aren't in their clans. So, it is a possibility that they've taken their armies to hunt down Ao Xie Yun. I'm thinking… how to deal with this…?" Mo Tian Ji heavily replied.

"When did we mention that they aren't in their clans?" Luo Ke Wu scratched his head in confusion.

"It's because everything has become too calm at the moment even though the storm is brewing. This is 'war' we're talking about. There are only thick clouds… and no rain. How is it a war if both sides only guard against against each other?" Mo Tian Ji said in a soft voice, "Didn't you guys say that it had been too calm in the neighborhood when you were coming here. Therefore, I speculated this.

"The environment wouldn't have been so tranquil if those hot-blooded youngsters were in their clans. They would have caused at least small conflicts… if not some big movements. Such tranquility explains that the sly old foxes are handling things since the juniors aren't present there. And, where else could they have gone if they aren't here at such a critical moment? There can't be any other matter besides chasing down Ao Xie Yun.

"The old fogies are experienced and knowledgeable. They like to wait calmly, watch things from the sidelines, and save their strength. Important matters often get dragged by these old foxes. They then turn into several hundred years of grudges and enmity between big clans because these old fogies never take decisive steps in complex situations. This is every clan's way of handling affairs – dragging it. They don't have the acute spirit of a youngster. Therefore, I can conclude that the youngsters aren't present in their clans!"

Mo Tian Ji wrinkled his brows, and said, "I'm thinking about… Ao Xie Yun!"

"Ao Xie Yun?" Dong Wu Lei knitted his brows, "Brother Mo is thinking… that we should save Ao Xie Yun, right? I think we will have many benefits and no harm if we save Ao Xie Yun. So, we should save him."

Mo Tian Ji fiercely shook his head. Then, he raised his head, and looked up to the sky. He pondered for a long while, and said, "This is a wrong argument."

Mo Tian Ji let out a deep breath. Then, he resolutely said, "It took our plan so long to give rise to chaos in the Middle Three Heavens. However, the response of the great clans is still not intense. And, the friction will become dull with time in case Ao Xie Yun doesn't die. All the clans would seal themselves. And, Ao Clan doesn't have the ability to crush everyone's defenses at once.

"Moreover, Ao Clan will probably treat it as an incident in which Ao Xie Yun got to experience the brutality of Jianghu up close if he survives. So, they won't start off a war against those clans.

"And then, all of our arrangements will certainly go in vain, and all of our efforts will be for naught. After all, those old fogies are far too tolerant," Mo Tian Ji sighed, "They only focus on the survival and expansion of their clan… sigh…"

Luo Ke Wu's eyes flickered as he said, "You mean to say that Ao Xie Yun must die? We can't save him?"

"Yes, Ao Xie Yun must die. Otherwise, Ao Clan won't get involved in this turmoil." Mo Tian Ji deeply nodded. "We can't help him in any way. Ao Xie Yun might come out alive in case we provide any support."

He sighed and said, "Ao Xie Yun is an outstanding man. I also hate to let him die. But… we have to abandon him, and we must do it without the slightest of hesitation."

"But… this…" Luo Ke Wu gawked, "And, what if they successfully shift the blame on Xie Dan Qiong… We'd be the unlucky ones if that happens."

Mo Tian Ji pulled the corners of his mouth and grinned. Then, he insipidly said, "I had informed Xie Dan Qiong about this a few days ago. He will rush to the Ao Clan to look for a meeting with Ao Xie Yun after he has handled his clan's affairs."

"Look for a meeting with Ao Xie Yun?" Dong Wu Lei and Luo Ke Wu opened their eyes wide.

"Yes! Look for a meeting with Ao Xie Yun." Mo Tian Ji smiled, "Then, Xie Dan Qiong will think of a way to stay at the Ao Clan. And, he'll wait for Ao Xie Yun to return. Xie Dan Qiong will leave the Ao Clan only under two situations. First, Ao Xie Yun has come back home safe and sound. Second, the news of Ao Xie Yun's death has come… But, this must be done in secrecy…"

"Excellent!" Dong Wu Lei clapped his hands, "Ou Du Xiao will certainly shift the blame on Xie Dan Qiong if he wants to shift the blame on someone. But now, Xie Dan Qiong would've been present in the Ao Clan this entire time… So, he couldn't be blamed even if Ao Xie Yun were to die 10,000 times over!"

Mo Tian Ji exposed a faint smile and nodded, "It will be so. Therefore, we'll patiently wait for the news now… the news that I want to hear the most… the news of Ao Xie Yun's death!"

Dong Wu Lei, Luo Ke Wu, and Ji Zhu slapped the table and showered praises.

"However, this whole premise… is lacking something somewhere…" Mo Tian Ji wrinkled his brows, and paced back and forth. He had wrinkled his brows even more tightly… as if he was thinking very hard.

"Lacks something? Brother Mo, this plan is foolproof. What could it possibly lack?" Dong Wu Lei was already full of admiration.

"It lacks thrust… it needs a very strong thrust," Mo Tian Ji frowned, "We've already incited friction all over. It is like a grassland spread to a thousand miles in which all the grasses have already dried. We only need a little spark at this moment in order to set the entire grassland on fire. But, where is this… little spark?

"But, we can't take the initiative to set into action. Our initiation will turn into our passiveness if we do so. They will possibly say that we were the ones with the evil plans unless they are publically exposed beforehand. Therefore, we can only gather the strength, pull the bow-string, and wait for the right time to strike."

He wrinkled his brows, and persistently pondered. [Where is this spark? Where to find it? How can we give rise to a large fire? Moreover, how can we make this large fire spread uncontrollably, and make it destroy everything?]

"We've already done enough to cause turbulence in Jianghu. So, it will raise suspicion against us if we move a foot again… But, who will come to ignite these dry grasses for me? Who has the potential to set the grassland ablaze?"

He was pacing back and forth with a frown upon his face. And, the wrinkles of his brows were getting tighter and tighter. The look of contemplation was becoming increasingly intense in his eyes.

Dong Wu Lei and Luo Ke Wu heaved a deep sigh, and looked at each other. They had finally realized that their own thoughts weren't able to follow the rhythm of Mo Tian Ji's.

[The way Mo Tian Ji thinks is on a whole other level… It seems as if he can rise high above and have a bird's eye view at all situations.]

Mo Tian Ji stopped his footsteps after a long while. He then tightly wrinkled his brows, and muttered, "Everything that we've built with so much hard work will go in vain… If there's no fire…"

"Do you think that Ao Xie Yun's death wouldn't be enough to cause this large fire that we need?" Dong Wu Lei was puzzled as he asked.

"The Ao Clan will obviously fight to take revenge. But, it is completely different from the battle to establish power. Things wouldn't be chaotic enough… if it is only a war for revenge. And, we won't get enough big advantages out of it…" Mo Tian Ji grunted.

"But, we still don't know… when King of Hell Chu and the others would return?" Dong Wu Lei muttered, "Brother Mo, what is your plan… in case it all begins before they come back? Our previous preparations will certainly be wasted."

"They won't be wasted!" Mo Tian Ji replied with full confidence, "We will stand in an invincible position… even if they can't arrive here in time."

Then, Mo Tian Ji's eyes suddenly lit up. [King of Hell Chu? Return?]

Suddenly, a lot of thoughts started to emerge in his heart. [Can King of Hell Chu do this… can he? Can he do this… can he do this or not…]

Mo Tian Ji pondered hard, and then he finally said, "Well… the very crux of this whole mess has been caused by King of Hell Chu. So, I'll just need to exploit it; that's all…

"The rules and conventions of the world state that the instigator must get involved in the drama of his creation. Therefore, King of Hell Chu can't escape this drama. It's just karma… But, can King of Hell Chu set this large fire?" Mo Tian Ji thoughtfully said.