Death… and me

Chu Fei Ling was suddenly startled. Then, he said while stammering, "Tell… me… what's wrong with that… What's wrong? Can I not… can I not talk about it?"

"Who said that you can't?" Yang Ruo Lan hatefully stared at him, "How can you be so stupid under such circumstances?"

"Under what circumstances…?" Chu Fei Ling was so confused that he started to scratch his head. In fact, he had to stop himself from collapsing. "Dear wife, tell me what's wrong? Why are you acting so weird today…"

"I'll go mad at this rate…" Yang Ruo Lan blew her top, and glared at him. She was seething with anger. [Bastard! The most important part was just about to come, and you got distracted. Can't you see that I'm burning with impatience here?]

She was speechless. But then, she raised her head, and looked up. She then muttered, "I'm acting weird now. I wonder why I married you back then…"

Chu Fei Ling wore a sad expression on his face. He then heaved a long sigh. Then, he sadly said, "You're right… You would've been much happier than you are now… if you hadn't married me back then. I must say… I've hurt you. You've suffered so much pain for so many years because of the internal strife of my Chu Clan…"

Yang Ruo Lan rolled her eyes, and revealed the whites of her eyes in the process. She then fell on the bed in a dejected manner. In fact, she had become so irritated that she wanted to cry, but she couldn't find the tears. She then said in a pleading manner, "Damn it… I was asking you to continue speaking. Please, continue telling me…"

A depressing thought rose up from Chu Fei Ling's heart. He muttered in his heart, [I've never seen someone dying to listen to the other person criticizing themselves. But, this matter is indeed the root of trouble for my family.] He continued to speak with pain on his face since he had no better option, "… you would've been happy for these many years if not for our Chu Clan. Ruo Lan, marrying me… has brought you suffering…"

There had been a sense of sincerity in his words when he had spoken the last sentence. In fact, there had been earnestness in his voice, and in his expression. After all, Yang Ruo Lan had been longing for her son for the past eighteen years. She had been in grief this entire time. And, Chu Fei Ling would start to criticize himself whenever he felt at a loss. He would speak softly, and become teary eyed. Then, the discomfort in Yang Ruo Lan's heart would disappear in thin air. And, she would start comforting him instead.

This tactic was tried and tested. It had become a standard method. Chu Fei Ling had been practicing self-criticism to gain proficiency in the art of coaxing his wife. He had even mastered the art of gabbing and using glib phrases!

However, this same old trick was obviously of no use today…

Yang Ruo Lan suddenly jumped up. She then clutched Chu Fei Ling's neck and said, "You jerk… you're so aggravating. You've been using this same old trick on me for eighteen years now. And, I have to pretend to comply every time for the fear that I would hurt you. And, you're still using this same old trick on me… You… You… Do you want me die of anger?"

Yang Ruo Lan became extremely angry! [This pig! Does he not understand what I'm saying?]

Chu Fei Ling was baffled by this.

[She has known about this trick of mine this entire time?]

He couldn't help but say in embarrassment, "Wife, you're very nice… you didn't expose me for so many years…" [But, why did you do it today?]

"Continue speaking!" Yang Ruo Lan was completely aggravated… It seemed as if twenty-five kittens had sneaked into her heart, and their hundreds of fingernails were scratching her heart's insides.

"You… haven't you been hearing it for eighteen years?" Chu Fei Ling became awfully sad. "You just said that I'm aggravating you… Then, what do you want from me?"

Yang Ruo Lan herself became depressed on seeing her husband's depressed and grieved face… as if all of her efforts so far had been in complete vain. She controlled her urge to vomit out blood. Then, she said in a gentle and extremely patient voice, "Didn't you tell me that you and your Sworn Brother had had a long and intimate conversation after the two of you swore brotherhood? Correct?"

"Yes," Chu Fei Ling earnestly nodded.

"Then, you continue speaking from there, okay? You continue speaking what you were saying, okay?" Yang Ruo Lan looked at him as if she was about to to shoot flames from her eyes. She was so angry that she felt as if her chest would explode. Then, she suddenly roared, "Okay?!"

The eyes of the guards and the palace maids in the vicinity of the imperial palace rolled back in shock with a loud buzz. It turned out that they had fainted from the shock of this roar. How could these people withstand the roar of an Emperor Level Expert?

However, Chu Fei Ling was the one to bear the brunt of this roar. He felt as if a drum and bell had rung together in his ears. He slowly came back to himself and said, "Oh, so that's what you wanted me to say… Well… Let me think…"

"Speak quickly!" Yang Ruo Lan interrupted while showing no trace of politeness. She sat upright and still. Then, she slightly leaned forward, and assumed an attentive listening posture. But, Chu Fei Ling jumped in fright when he saw this.

"Then, it happened like this… I told him about the regrets from my past. I was indescribably sad in my heart when I had spoken till here. However, I must praise my Sworn Little Brother. He had truly sympathized with me at that time. My Sworn Brother also shed tears along with me. Ah! He is such a pure-hearted and good young man."

Chu Fei Ling sighed, "To be able to sympathize so much with someone else's sad past… It shows how kind-hearted my Sworn Little Brother is."

Yang Ruo Lan lazily pulled out the corners of her mouth. She thought, [What the hell are you talking about? You were talking about 'his' sad past which he didn't even know about. So, why wouldn't he cry? And, why are you still boasting about his kind nature and good character? You're digressing hundreds-of-thousands of miles away from the topic.] She wanted to smile after she thought this. But, she instead deeply sighed. This was because she had realized something else. And, her heart suddenly started to beat wildly at this realization…

[It must've been extremely saddening for him…]

['My Sworn Brother shed tears along with me'… So, my poor baby also cried at that time…]

"I turned my head towards him after I had finished speaking. And, I saw that my Sworn Little Brother's cheeks were streaming with tears. He was sobbing. I almost jumped out of fright when I saw this," Chu Fei Ling exposed a warm smile on his face. He then said, "My Sworn Little Brother said while crying that… he was deeply touched…"

Yang Ruo Lan turned her face. She then clenched her teeth so tight in anger that her face contorted. Then, she thought in her heart, [I'm also deeply touched… I'm so deeply touched that I want to choke you to death…]

"Did he give you those gifts after you became Sworn Brothers… or before it?" Yang Ruo Lan sighed. She asked this question since she was very concerned about this fact.

"He obviously gave them to me after we became Sworn Brothers. My brother gave me those items as gifts on first meeting," Chu Fei Ling recalled the scene of that day, and his thoughts wandered far away. He then said with a smile, "My Sworn Little Brother is indeed a very good man…"

[I'm sure now. It was definitely him!]

Tears were streaming down Yang Ruo Lan's face like a river. But, a happy smile had bloomed on her lips. She felt as if a heavy stone had fallen off of her heart, "How is your Sworn Little Brother a good man?"

Chu Fei Ling's face was filled with gratitude. He said affectionately, "I had told him something before we became sworn brothers. I told him that his elder sister-in-law… um, that is you… has a condition of chronic chest pain. And, he had immediately taken out an elixir that could treat your chest pain when he had heard that. Moreover, this was a legendary medicine!"

Yang Ruo Lan felt as if a warm feeling had flown in her heart in a flash. Her entire body felt unprecedentedly comfortable at the moment. Her chest felt nice and cozy. It felt as if blood was rapidly flowing in her whole body. She couldn't help but cry tears of joy. Then, she thought while being in a daze, [So… so, my sickness was cured because my son was concerned about me… his mother…]

Suddenly, her heart twisted with bittersweet pain. And, she felt like crying her heart out. She seemed to be suffering extreme distress…

"Then, my Sworn Little Brother asked me my cultivation level, following which he gave me two wonderful elixirs that were even more peerless than that one. They were pills to help us upgrade our cultivations by one whole realm… Then, he especially told me – these are for you and my elder sister-in-law… one each. My Sworn Brother seriously repeated these words again and again, and exhorted me for a long while. He made me take one of them on the spot. He then stood guard to protect me. And, I smoothly promoted my realm…" Chu Fei Ling said with satisfaction.

[Our son must obviously be concerned that our strengths were low. So, he gave them to us without a second thought… so that we won't stay weak. Those two wonder drugs were a son's filial piety.]

"Elder sister-in-law?!"Yang Ruo Lan finally responded. She glared at Chu Fei Ling as if she would shoot flames from her eyes.

"Ah!" Chu Fei Ling was baffled. He stared blankly and said, "What?"

Yang Ruo Lan stared at him as if she would eat him alive and then chew him for a long while. Then, she finally waved her hand and weakly said, "It's nothing. You go on…"

"You're acting very weird today. In fact, you're like a bewildering mystery," Chu Fei Ling muttered, "Then, my Sworn Brother saw that my saber had been damaged in the fight. So, he simply gave me a new saber. After that, he gave me a sword, and said that it was for the madam… um, that means for you… Then, I reproved him…"

"Reproved?" Yang Ruo Lan opened her beautiful eyes wide, "Why?"

"This boy was stammering for some reason at that time. He told me to give it to 'the madam'." Chu Fei Ling shook his head, and broke into laughter. Then, he calmly said, "Humph, we swore brotherhood. So, how could he call you 'madam'? He should've called you 'Elder Sister-in-law'. Therefore, I straightened him up with a strict tone and a strict appearance. He was sweating profusely because of those strict instructions… An Elder Brother must always have the appearance of an Elder Brother."

Yang Ruo Lan opened her mouth wide. She looked at him in astonishment… In fact, it seemed as if she was looking at a strange creature.

[You're incredible… The other person doesn't address someone the way you want them to. So, you will forcibly make them do so. You are truly dignified…]

Yang Ruo Lan looked at Chu Fei Ling with 'high admiration' in her eyes.

[This man deserves to be worshipped. He swore brotherhood with his own son. There is no one like him in the entire world… No, not just in the entire world… It should be 'in the entire world through eternity'!]

[You're one of a kind.]

"You're awesome!" Yang Ruo Lan gave a thumbs-up, and stretched her thumb to Chu Fei Ling's nose. "You're fu*king awesome!"

She was happy and satisfied in her heart at this moment. She had come to know that her son had secretly given them so many good items. Moreover, every item was rare and ingenious. Happiness was overflowing from Yang Ruo Lan's heart. Therefore, she thought to joke with Chu Fei Ling for a while.

"Of course!" Chu Fei Ling seriously said, "My Sworn Brother is a heaven warping genius… But, he is still younger than me… He is still my junior."

"Don't show off so shamelessly. Just keep talking," A happy smile hung on Yang Ruo Lan's face. It made Chu Fei Ling look straight at her. He was taken aback by the quick changes in her mood. He then hastily focused his thoughts, and continued.

"Then, my Sworn Little Brother gave me two bottles of medicines with the basic function of hiding one's martial cultivation. In other words, other people wouldn't be able to see our real cultivation level once we had taken it," Chu Fei Ling sighed. He was somewhat embarrassed, "Then, I became very embarrassed and was unable to show my face since my Sworn Brother gave me another treasured item – the Mysterious Yang Jade. Therefore, I immediately bid him goodbye, and took my leave…

"My Sworn Little Brother is a very kind-hearted man. He even comforted me before I left. Moreover, he praised our son…" Chu Fei Ling shook his head over and over. He was obviously extremely satisfied with his Sworn Little Brother.

"He… praised our son?" Yang Ruo Lan half-opened her mouth. She was dumbfounded.

…