Death… and me

A storm had suddenly risen in the Middle Three Heavens. But, an earth-shaking event had also occurred in the Lower Three Heavens at the same time.

The Iron Cloud Empire had finally succeeded in uniting the whole world and ruling over the entire Lower Three Heavens.

The Wolf Tribe of the Northern Grassland had also surrendered to the Iron Cloud Empire.

The Lower Three Heavens was now the dominion of the Iron Cloud Empire.

Tie Bu Tian was finally ruling the world for real. All of the territories belonged to him. There was no land on the earth that didn't belong to him.

Tie Bu Tian sent Tie Long Cheng as his representative while the entire nation was celebrating. The entire world felt joyous at this time.

However, he didn't come out of the imperial palace himself. It was said that Empress Wu Qian Qian was about to deliver the baby. And, the Emperor couldn't leave her alone during this time.

The entire nation spiraled into jubilation once this news had spread. And, no one said anything about the fact that the Emperor hadn't come out of the imperial palace. This was because everyone believed that the Emperor was someone who valued friendships and relationships very much. They all believed that he was a very good man, and that such a man could rarely be found in the world. The world was very fortunate that Iron Cloud had such a Monarch. The common people were very fortunate.

Commander Tie Long Cheng and the other ministers were very happy. However, some people noticed that their eyes were involuntarily looking in the direction of the palace from time to time. They had faint expressions of worry and uneasiness in their eyes. It seemed as if they couldn't wait to break away from here, and return to the imperial palace…

…

Lan Mei Xian was inside the imperial palace, and was guarding the delivery room. She was deeply worried. Therefore, she was constantly pacing back and forth. She had distress and anxiety on her face.

Sounds of moaning were constantly coming out of the delivery room. It seemed that someone was suppressing her painful screams…

A rich and cultured married couple was sitting in a corner. They were pleasant to look at. The man appeared polite, gentle, and cultured. And, the woman appeared graceful and luxurious. They both seemed like a Daoist immortal couple.

Lan Mei Xian was continuously sighing while pacing back and forth. Finally, she said, "Ruo Lan, is the midwife that you brought from the Upper Three Heavens not managing things properly? Fei Ling, didn't I tell you that there's no good midwife in your Chu Clan? Didn't I tell you to go and find Grandma Cui from Lan Clan? But, you didn't listen to me. And, now five or six midwives have come from your Chu Clan. It's been a long while. Why haven't they still come out of the room? Are these midwives eating in there?"

This couple was Yang Ruo Lan and Chu Fei Ling.

The fact was that Tie Bu Tian hadn't been feeling relieved around the midwives of the imperial palace. She had been worried that her secret might come out. So, Lan Mei Xian had sent an order to Yang Ruo Lan. Then, Yang Ruo Lan and Chu Fei Ling had personally led down midwives from the Upper Three Heavens.

Yang Ruo Lan replied with a smile, "Master, you don't need to worry. These ladies that I've brought are rich in experience. And, their primary martial power is excellent. Besides, I've already checked that the position of the fetus is in the right place inside the womb. So, there won't be any accident."

She found it somewhat funny in her heart. [Midwives of the Lan Clan… are obviously good. But, Master didn't go herself. How could my husband and I ask some other person to come with us?]

[After all, it is the Lan Clan.]

"But, why is it taking so long?" Lan Mei Xian was extremely anxious.

"Master doesn't know that…" Yang Ruo Lan felt somewhat embarrassed at mentioning it, "… it is not easy for a woman to give birth to a child. It had taken me one full day and one full night when I was… about to give birth. I had to bear that unbearable pain for that long…"

She couldn't help but feel sad in her heart after she spoke this. The sadness that she harbored because of her missing child had come out again. And, the rims of her eyes turned red. Chu Fei Ling hastily comforted her.

Chu Fei Ling was somewhat restless. He had been worried that his lovely wife would meet with some accident if she were to go alone. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come here. After all, this was such a weird scenario. The Junior Martial Sister of his wife was giving birth. And, he — a man who was the husband of the Senior Martial Sister — was sitting outside in wait.

"That damned King of Hell Chu," Lan Mei Xian said while panting, "You caused this mess. Then, you just walked away from it. That bastard left Tian Tian to suffer so much pain. It is such an important moment. Tian Tian is giving birth. And, even his shadow is nowhere to be seen at such a time."

She then heavily stamped her foot, "He has angered me."

Yang Ruo Lan forced a smile. She said in her heart, [How can that man be here when he doesn't even know anything?]

Suddenly a loud moaning sound was heard from the inside. Then, the voice of a midwife was heard, "Endure it… don't exert yourself physically. You must save your strength. Otherwise, you'll have no strength left when the child starts coming out. And, that wouldn't be good for the child…"

'That wouldn't be good for the child'– these words seemed to have filled infinite power in Tie Bu Tian. Her voice immediately lowered down, and she took a deep breath. She then continued to inhale deeply, and saved her strength bit by bit…

"My poor apprentice," Lan Mei Xian suddenly sat down in a chair, and covered her face with her hands. Tears had started to stream down her face. "Even your ancestors don't know what you owe to that man… And yet, you're sacrificing your life for him."

She sat still for a while. Then, she stood up. Then, she again sat down, and again stood up. After that, she walked to the portrait of the Goddess of Birth, and sincerely knelt down, "Mother Goddess… I, Lan Mei Xian have never believed in any supernatural being. But now, I believe in you… So, this follower will worship you for a lifetime if you help Tian Tian in giving birth to this child… May I die a painful death with the sky crashing upon me if I break this oath."

Yang Ruo Lan's eyes became somewhat moist.

[My master Lan Mei Xian has always been so strong and stubborn. She never got married. Her nature has always been proud and aloof. She has never prayed to the almighty, and has always defied the supernatural. But, she is sincerely praying to a goddess for her disciple's sake at this moment. It is obvious that her heart is in chaos…]

On another side, Wu Qian Qian had already knelt down in front of the portrait of the Goddess of Birth. She had been kneeling down here for a long time now. She was silently praying in her heart. [May the child be born healthy. May the mother and child be healthy…]

Suddenly, another moaning sound came from inside the room. The sound made it seem that Tie Bu Tian couldn't bear the pain anymore.

Lan Mei Xian kowtowed. She was feeling pangs of distress at this time. She suddenly turned her head and said, "Ruo Lan… Can vitality be used for helping her in giving birth to the baby? How… would Tian Tian… bear so much pain?"

Yan Ruo Lan felt embarrassed as she replied, "Master, you don't know. Even a Supreme Expert has to go through this phase… while giving birth to a child. This has nothing to do with one's vitality. Any woman is just an ordinary woman during childbirth. It doesn't matter what cultivation she has… or how extraordinary she is."

"Ah!" Lan Mei Xian turned her head back in disappointment. She then kowtowed, and continued to pray devoutly.

"Keep on enduring it… Keep on enduring it… You're almost there. Do it properly one more time…" the midwives comforted Tie Bu Tian in soft whispers. It seemed as if there was a calming strength in their voices…

Tie Bu Tian painfully moaned. Her complexion had turned deathly pale, and her eyes had turned very red. Her hands were clenched very tightly on the sides of the bed. Her fingernails had sunken into her palms, and blood was seeping out from them.

"Don't worry. It's all right. It's just that you're giving birth for the first time… Good, your child looks very good and healthy. The important thing right now is to look after you. You must hold on…" the midwife constantly comforted her.

Tie Bu Tian weakly nodded in response. She then revealed a determined look in her eyes. Then, she lowered her head, and said, "My child must be born safe and sound…"

Finally…

It was that time when the people outside had almost lost their calm…

"Good… push… push harder, alright. The child has come out… it has come out. The child has come out…"

"Boohoo~~~" a loud sound of the crying of a baby was heard. Finally, a ray of sunlight had come piercing through the black clouds in the sky.

It was the most natural sound of nature. Tie Bu Tian finally felt relaxed after she heard it. She exposed a smile of relief from the corners of her mouth. Then, she fainted owing to the exhaustion…

[My child. His and my child… is born!]

Everyone's body had shaken the moment they had heard the cry of the child. And, all of them had exposed the expression of ecstasy on their faces.

"How is the child? How is the Emperor?" Lan Mei Xian hastily asked.

"It's very good. It's very healthy. It's a big and healthy boy. The mother and the child are safe and sound."

'The mother and the child are safe and sound'. Lan Mei Xian, Chu Fei Ling, Yang Ruo Lan, and the other experts felt as if their bodies were on the verge of collapsing as these words transmitted out of the room. It seemed as if their entire strength had silently exhausted in that instant.

A blessing fell from their hearts.

[God bless them!]

Lan Mei Xian knelt down in front of the portrait of the Goddess of Birth in joy. She then pounded the ground with her head, "Thank you, Goddess. Thank you, Mother… This Lan Mei Xian will worship you day and night from now on. I'll constantly burn incense in front of your temple. Thank you for keeping my Tian Tian and her child safe…"

Chu Fei Ling and Yan Ruo Lan looked at each other. They saw redness in the rims of each other's eyes.

A long while passed. Lan Mei Xian had finally regained her calm and composure. She stood up, and sipped tea. Then, she wiped her tears, and said while feeling somewhat embarrassed, "Both you girls irritate me. You also make me worried to death… I would rather shed my blood than shed a tear. I have cried only twice in my whole life… and it is because both of you have failed to live up to my expectations."

She again wiped her tears. She was somewhat angry out of shame as she said, "The first time was when you gave birth to a child. I stayed on the rooftop of your Chu Clan all night. I shed tears the whole night for you. The other time was when this aggravating girl… conceived a man's child, and didn't even let him know… she bore it all by herself… alas…"

"Master…" Tears were streaming down Yang Ruo Lan's face.

Wu Qian Qian had been struck dumb when she had heard the baby crying. She had felt as if she had awakened from a dream. She crazily knocked her head several times in front of the portrait of the Goddess. Then, she sprang up, and rushed towards the delivery room.

"Don't go in!" Yang Ruo Lan quickly grabbed her hand, and stopped her, "You can't go in yet."

"Why?"

"This… you can't go in because she is saying so." Lan Mei Xian smiled and reprimanded, "Let them hold the child for a while. What are you worried about? Do you think that you can rush casually to a place where a child is born? You don't have any clue about such matters, do you?"

"Eh…" Wu Qian Qian's face turned red. She felt somewhat embarrassed.

Then, a splashing sound came from the inside. It seemed that the baby was being bathed.

A gentle sound of footsteps was heard after some time. And, an old lady came out carrying a child in a swaddling cloth. She then said with a smile while walking, "It is strange. This old lady has delivered so many babies. And, almost all of those babies were born with their eyes closed. But, it was different for this little guy. His eyes were wide open. His round eyes were flexibly rotating. However, I don't know if he can see anything or not…"

Another old lady said from behind, "Such big babies can't see anything even though their eyes are open. It takes at least one day for all seven orifices of the head to open up. After that, they become able to see."

"Therefore, it is strange…"

"Really?" Everyone gathered around them in a competitive manner. They moved close very carefully, and looked. They had formed a big circle of heads around the baby in the swaddling cloth.

Yang Ruo Lan had also moved close in excitement. However, she was startled as soon as she glanced at the baby. She then closed her eyes, and again opened them to look. Then, she rubbed her eyes, and stared at the baby with her eyes wide open.

….