Death… and me

Wu Qian Qian was sitting quietly in her room. She had barely slept in the past few days.

"My goal is to reach to the top of the Nine Heavens!" Chu Yang had spoken these words.

[Therefore, I must go as well!]

[I won't let you see me, but I'll watch over you and help you!]

"Qian Qian, I'll take you to the Upper Three Heavens when Tian Tian's baby is a month old. I'll recommend a famous teacher for you. Your future will be limitless!" Lan Mei Xian had said this.

"It's not necessarily impossible for even Monarch or Saint Level Expert to become your teacher. Even a highest level Supreme Expert might want to work hard on training you. Your aptitude won't disappoint them."

[I won't fail. The stronger I'll be, the more able I'll be to help him.]

"You must help me watch over him. You must help me help him. But… don't let him find out about Tie Yang," Tie Bu Tian's voice echoed in Wu Qian Qian's mind. And, Wu Qian Qian heaved a long sigh.

Both of them had a pitiful fate.

She still remembered the conversation she had had with Tie Bu Tian when Chu Yang had left, "So many women in this world get married and have kids in their life. They help their families in difficult times, and grow old together. But, they are struck with a realization by the time they die… that they weren't truly in love with their partner. They deeply love their children and grandchildren. However, they remain lonely throughout their lives when it comes to romance.

"How many wonderful men are there in the world? There are billions of men and billions of women in the Nine Heavens. How many women are there who genuinely love a man, and are able to genuinely win the love of their man for themselves? I have. And, that's enough for me. I'm content with it. I don't want anything from anyone now. He will naturally take the responsibility if I force him to do so. But, what would be the point… of that kind of responsibility? So, I'm content with my one-sided love. After all, I can at least have some illusions in my heart.

"Women like strong men… especially young and handsome heroes who are passionate and courageous…What kind of woman wouldn't like such men? Therefore, heroes are destined to be tangled in emotions… But, heroes aren't necessarily sentimental.

"Chu Yang is not a sentimental person. However, he isn't a licentious young master either. He is sly and fierce by nature. But, he's an upright person deep down. The so-called slyness, wretched and immoral behavior, craftiness, and manipulation… these aspects are his ways of doing things, and not a part of his nature.

"Every word he says has a purpose behind it. He sometimes does things that make others not know whether to cry or laugh. However, everyone exclaims in admiration after he reveals his true purpose behind those things. Such a man can't be tangled in emotions or sympathy. He has to have a heart of iron."

Wu Qian Qian still remembered that Tie Bu Tian had exposed a strange and complicated kind of expression in her eyes when she had mentioned that Chu Yang had a heart of iron. There had also been pride in her eyes.

"If his heart was fickle… if he could easily be attracted to pretty women… Or maybe, if he had been attracted to me that easily… then, would he still be the same Chu Yang we admire? Would we still have suffered for him like this? Could such a fickle man be worth sacrificing our love for?"

Wu Qian Qian had counter-attacked Tie Bu Tian at that time with these words. And, it had left Tie Bu Tian incapable of speaking-up for three days.

Both of them had no hope… Their love hadn't been acknowledged… They had been rejected… However, the feelings of love and pride for Chu Yang in their hearts had stayed undiminished.

She was thinking, pondering, inferring, and fantasizing. She was shedding tears, and was laughing heartily now and then. [I'll go to the Upper Three Heavens in a few days. Chu Yang will also go to the Upper Three Heavens sooner or later. So, I'll just have to wait for him to come up to the Upper Three Heavens. That's all.]

Wu Qian Qian came out of her thoughts when she heard the news of Yang Ruo Lan's arrival. She then hastily went to receive Yang Ruo Lan.

She was doubtful in her heart. [Why is Yang Ruo Lan looking for me in these wee hours?]

[Has something bad happened to Tie Bu Tian?]

Yang Ruo Lan sat down. Then, Wu Qian Qian very carefully asked, "May I know why Senior has come this late at night…"

"It's nothing serious." Yang Ruo Lan's mood had become somewhat tranquil by now. However, she was obviously still longing to know more about her son. Moreover, she was a lot worried about what might happen next. So, she was scared as well.

This present King of Hell Chu was her closest intuition at this time. He was also her biggest hope. She didn't know whether she would be able to withstand the blow… if it were not so…

She didn't know if she would be able to summon the courage to continue looking for her son after that…

"I've come here to ask one thing. I want to know the real story of your junior martial brother, um, about King of Hell Chu," Yang Ruo Lan tidied up the train of her thoughts and asked, "I want to know everything about him before he arrived here at the Iron Cloud Nation. May I ask Miss Wu to have a chat with me if she's okay with it…"

"Chu Yang?" Wu Qian Qian's eyes lit up as soon as she heard this name. But, she also became suspicious. [Why is she asking about Chu Yang?]

"Yes," Yang Ruo Lan said, "There's no other meaning behind this. I don't have any evil intentions. I just want to know something. So, don't worry."

Wu Qian Qian nodded and said, "I don't know what Senior wants to know. I didn't have much contact with Chu Yang when I was in the Beyond the Heavens Sect."

She recalled the time when she was in Beyond the Heavens Sect, and the things that Chu Yang had taken care of back then. Wu Qian Qian couldn't help but smile with her crescent moon-like eyebrows as she did so.

"Tell me everything you know," Yang Ruo Lan looked at Wu Qian Qian's expression. And, she couldn't help but stretch the corners of her mouth. [It looks as if… this youngster King of Hell Chu is a lady killer. This girl in front of me clearly has feelings of love towards him…]

"Um… I only met Chu Yang two years ago. He was habitually silent. He was somewhat reserved in the sect as well. He didn't like speaking much. He was the kind of man who would quickly vanish if thrown into a crowd…"

Wu Qian Qian spoke while constantly recalling.

"Oh?" This beginning of the story was beyond Yang Ruo Lan's expectations. [King of Hell Chu had held the world in his hand. He could raise storms with the flick of his hand… But, he was introverted when he was young?]

"Martial Uncle Meng of the Purple Bamboo Garden was the most talented and able person in the previous generation of the Beyond the Heavens Sect. He knew everything about everyone. Moreover, he had the most tranquil nature. He didn't bother anyone.

"My father and the others had told me about the three disciples of Martial Uncle Meng. They had said that the eldest disciple was mature, wise, and full of stratagems; the second disciple — Chu Yang was silent and reserved. And, the third disciple — Tan Tan was the most undisciplined disciple of the Beyond the Heavens Sect…

"I followed father's order one day, and went to the Purple Bamboo Garden…" Wu Qian Qian's bright eyes slightly flickered as she recalled what had happened on that day.

"I suddenly found out that these rumors about the three disciples weren't true. The difference between the eldest disciple Shi Qian Shan and the second disciple Chu Yang was that of sky and earth. Chu Yang's planning skills, intelligence, and scheming… everything was far better than those of Shi Qian Shan's."

"Then… why was he introverted most of the time?" The conflict between Chu Yang and Shi Qian Shan was simply like the battle of two ants in the eyes of this Emperor Level Expert, Yang Ruo Lan. However, she was overwhelmed by emotions while listening. And, she couldn't help but further question.

"I think it has something to do with Chu Yang's past," Wu Qian Qian replied with a smile, "After all… Chu Yang thought that he was an abandoned child. He used to think that his heartless parents had abandoned him. He was aware of this. So, he didn't want to talk about it."

Wu Qian Qian smiled, "In fact, this is human nature. It's not at all surprising. Generally speaking… a child who has had a sad past becomes reserved. Chu Yang is intelligent and crafty. But, he's only a human. He's no God. He certainly has a deep-seated anger his heart."

Wu Qian Qian told this with a smile on her face. She had always defended Chu Yang, and had never let anyone say a bad word about him. But, she didn't know in what way these words of hers had attacked Yang Ruo Lan.

Yang Ruo Lan's complexion turned pale, and her eyes filled with tears.

[His heartless parents abandoned him!]

[He has a deep-seated anger in his heart!]

[Heartless parents!]

Yang Ruo Lan's body shivered, and her eyes became lifeless.

"He must be very hateful towards his parents, right?" Yang Ruo Lan bitterly smiled.

Wu Qian Qian was immersed in the memories. So, she didn't notice anything. She blatantly said, "He obviously does. We were once handling some business matters together. This was after he had arrived in the Iron Cloud Nation. There was nothing important to do that day. So, he mentioned the topic of his past."

"What did he say?" Yang Ruo Lan nervously asked.

Wu Qian Qian raised her head, and looked at her with a surprised expression on her face. [It seems somewhat strange. Why is she getting anxious?]

She said, "We were returning via a street at that time. We saw that many parents had placed signs made of woven weeds over their children's heads. Those signs indicated that the children were for sale. They were selling off their children in order to make livelihood. I had said at that time that the children were very pitiful… then, Chu Yang had spoken a few words…"

"What words?" Yang Ruo Lan anxiously asked.

Wu Qian Qian looked upwards, and started to recall Chu Yang's words and expressions back then. A long while passed. Then, she said, "Then, Chu Yang said, 'These children are not that pitiful… because they have some worth at least. They know that their parents are selling them because they are helpless under pressure. They have some worth even though their parents are leaving them. They know this. Therefore, they don't resist it. However, the most pitiful are the ones that are considered trash by their parents right when they are born… and, are abandoned by their parents. They are the most miserable ones. They don't have the least bit of worth. They are so useless that they don't even have the qualifications to be traded away.'

"I had thought that he must've been thinking about his past while speaking all this. So, I hadn't dared to pry anything. Chu Yang then kept sighing for a long while. He made me buy all the children on that day, and accept them in the Bu Tian Pavilion. Then, those children were sent to a school which is now called 'Cloudy Sky' School. This school provides accommodation to all those who are forced to sell off their children in order to survive. Chu Yang has left now. But, this work never stopped. His Majesty and Bu Tian Pavilion have continued this work."

Yang Luo Ran didn't hear whatever Wu Qian Qian said after this part. Sounds of explosions were echoing in her mind. Only a few words were reverberating in her mind, [However, the most pitiful are the ones that are considered trash by their parents right when they are born… and, are abandoned by their parents. They are the most miserable ones. They don't have the least bit of worth. They are so useless that they don't even have the qualifications to be traded away.]

These words repeatedly resounded in Yang Ruo Lan's mind. She could feel her heart shatter into small fragments… piece by piece. Her soul was repeatedly being crushed into dust.

[What was Chu Yang thinking when he said these words? Was he hurting inside? Did he feel hatred? His heart must've been shattered while saying these words, right?]

[His drifting and homeless past must've made him very indifferent in his heart.]

…