Death… and me

Chu Yang smiled in a ridiculing manner, "Third, the cultivations of none of you were visible. All of you had perhaps eaten some kind of medicine to conceal them. Anyone could have lost their vigilance by seeing that. However, an expert is an expert. You're an expert no matter how you hide your cultivation. I realized it when I saw that dust wasn't rising from under your feet."

Chu Yang laughed out loud, "But, this is a dirt road. And, the weather is also dry at this time. Clouds of dust blew up and filled the air when the horses stepped on the ground. However, it seemed as if the road was made of stone when you people did the same… How wouldn't that be odd? And, do you want me to believe that King Level Experts have started delivering goods nowadays?

"Fourth, we've never met before. We were complete strangers. But, you gave me a water pouch…" Chu Yang smiled, "I've never seen such a nice person in the Middle Three Heavens. You may be kindhearted by nature. But, you must ensure that the stranger you've met doesn't loot you, right? However, you approached me with full enthusiasm, and looked at me as if I was your blood relative. Didn't you act like a fool?

"There were so many loopholes. So, wouldn't I have been a greater fool if I had fallen in your trap?" Chu Yang indifferently said, "You must know… I had caught many spies who had been hidden internally for over a decade when I had arrived in the Iron Cloud in the Lower Three Heavens. I had caught them relying solely upon these tiny hints and clues, get it?

"But, you wanted to deal with me using such a childish method?" Chu Yang burst into loud laughter, "Ou Cheng Wu! Had you been kicked in the head by a donkey?"

Ou Cheng Wu's eyes burned with anger. He pointed his trembling finger at Chu Yang. Then, he spat out a mouthful of blood with 'puff' sound.

Chu Yang's vitality had almost restored. He slowly exposed a killing intention in his eyes. "You two, your time is almost up. I should send you both on your way to hell. Moreover, eight to nine-thousand people of your Ou Clan must be waiting with their raised heads in the hope of reuniting with you. So, I won't make them wait too much. After all, doing so would be a sin."

"Wait!" Ou Du Xiao shouted loudly. He stubbornly looked at Chu Yang, "I want to know something… You had seen through our disguise. However, that doesn't change the fact that you did indeed touch the water pouch. This mixed poison is the original creation of our Ou Clan as far as I know. And, there's no antidote in the world that can counter it. In fact, nobody knows how to counter it. Even a Monarch Level Expert can't resist this poison relying on his cultivation. So, how did you do it?"

Chu Yang snorted, "You don't need to know this!" Then, the Nine Tribulations Sword in his hand issued a 'clang' sound as he coldly shouted, "Ou Du Xiao, now it's your turn!"

Ou Cheng Wu bitterly smiled on the side. Simultaneously, a black smoke emitted from his body. Chu Yang squinted as he noticed that. Then, he slashed his sword horizontally. The sword-light flew over like a meteor, and chopped off Ou Cheng Wu's head. Then, the Sword Point slashed open the lapel on Ou Cheng Wu's chest, and a book dropped out. Black smoke emitted out of this book like an unending stream.

However, Chu Yang's vitality spread everywhere, and the black smoke immediately disappeared.

"I knew that you had this thing on you. No wonder I couldn't find it when I searched in the Ou Clan," Chu Yang sneered. He saw that five words were printed in black on the cover of this book –'Ten-Thousand Poisons Evil Book'.

Ou Clan had become famous relying solely on this secret book. It was so thick that it looked like a piece of brick!

Ou Du Xiao hatefully stared at Chu Yang. His father had just died a tragic death in front of his eyes. So, he couldn't help but seethe with anger. He shouted out loud, and rushed over. His figure moved swiftly and erratically. And, his body emitted a dense black fog that had a foul smell!

It was the magical technique 'Poison Spirit Evil Technique' which was only allowed to be practiced by the direct descendants of Ou Clan's Clan Lord! However, Chu Yang's present cultivation was far above that of Ou Du Xiao. So, he turned his body and fearlessly rushed into the black fog. He then vigorously shot the Nine Tribulations Sword head-on!

Ou Du Xiao let out a pitiful scream as the sword inserted into his chest. Then, a blood stream gushed out of his chest as the sword's point was pulled out. But, he hadn't fallen yet; he was still staggering. He firmly covered his chest with his hands, and asked with difficulty, "You… why does the poison not affect you?"

Chu Yang's crystal clear eyes looked at Ou Du Xiao in the black fog. Then, he slowly said, "The poison doesn't affect me because I'm… the Master of the Nine Tribulations Sword! No poison in the world can have any effect on me!"

Ou Du Xiao's eyes almost popped out of his eye-sockets. He felt blood rushing with a great speed in his body at this moment even though he had received so many injures.

"So that's how it is… so… so…" Ou Du Xiao listlessly looked at Chu Yang. He then suddenly faced upwards, and bitterly smiled as if he had gone completely insane. Then, he yelled, "I regret it a lot! I regret it a lot!"

Finally, he fell down with his face upwards with a thud sound, and stopped moving. Thereafter, he didn't make any sound.

His eyes were wide open even though he had died. However, those rigid pupils didn't have any sorrow or resentment in them… Instead, there was only endless regret!

His body gradually began to crumple since all of his vitality had been sucked out.

Chu Yang looked at the wide open eyes of Ou Du Xiao. It was evident that he had died with a remaining grievance. Chu Yang sighed in his heart when he noticed this. After all, he could understand the meaning of Ou Du Xiao's last words, 'I regret it a lot! I regret a lot!'

Master of Nine Tribulations Sword!

The Master of Nine Tribulations Sword appeared once in ten-thousand years. And, this signified that everything in the Upper Three Heavens was on the verge of turning upside down. The existing Nine Great Ruling Clans would be dethroned. And, nine brothers of the Master of the Nine Tribulations Sword would form new dominating clans, and rule over the Nine Heavens!

This pattern hadn't changed since the Nine Heavens Continent was formed ninety-thousand years ago.

Some people would obviously wish to resist this pattern. Consequently, an unending war would break out between the original nine great clans and the Master of Nine Tribulations Sword every time the world experienced this change in power structure. And, the Nine Tribulations Sword Master would win and change the framework of the Nine Heavens every time!

Ou Du Xiao had also gotten this opportunity at first!

He could've become friends with Chu Yang only if he had treated Chu Yang with honesty just like Xie Dan Qiong's clan had done. He could've obtained a favorable impression from Chu Yang. Then, wouldn't the Ou Clan have had an acknowledged place in the future Nine Heavens?

The Ou Clan may not have become one of the nine dominating clans of the Nine Heavens. But, it still could've become one of the big clans of the Upper Three Heavens. In fact, there would've been no two ways about it.

All the generations of the Ou Clan had yearned for this in their dreams. This had been their ultimate goal since Ou Clan's formation as they wanted to achieve paramount honor in the Nine Heavens.

And, this would've been extremely easy to obtain for the Ou Clan! After all, the God of Destiny had arrived at the Ou Clan for doing this big favor. But, Ou Du Xiao had ruined this once-in-a-ten-thousand-years opportunity for their momentary greed! He had also taken his entire clan into the abyss of death!

He had led his own clan to a situation where the entire clan had been exterminated.

So, how could Ou Du Xiao not have regretted it?

Ou Clan had clearly decided to become friends with King of Hell Chu back then. In fact, they had already held a meeting and prepared the money that they had to return to King of Hell Chu down to the last penny. They would've had a fair deal with King of Hell Chu…

Ou Du Xiao had felt conflicted in his heart even when the clan had decided to renege on the promise. Moreover, the clan's determination hadn't been that strong at that time. So, Ou Du Xiao could've reversed the present situation only if he had firmly opposed it.

However, greed had risen in his heart due to some inexplicable reason at that critical time. He had become angry and ambitious. And, that had eventually led to this irremediable tragedy…

So, how could Ou Du Xiao not regret?

Perhaps, his spirit would also harbor endless regret for eternity after his death!

Chu Yang also heaved a deep sigh when he saw Ou Du Xiao shouting 'I regret it a lot' at the time of his death.

[He was one of the twelve up-and-coming influential figures of the Middle Three Heavens! He hadn't even started to grow when he died at my hands. I remember that the Ou Du Xiao of my previous life had moved unhindered in the Middle Three Heavens. His poison technique had given him an awe-inspiring and heroic persona which had made the entire Middle Three Heavens tremble.] Chu Yang incessantly sighed as he thought of all this.

[You regretted it a lot. But, it's not that I don't regret it either.]

[Your clan was so proficient in using poison. It could've assisted me in the road to the future of the Nine Heavens if you could've wholeheartedly been my friend. How good would that have been for my journey — the Master of the Nine Tribulations Sword?]

[How many enemies would've been deterred with the word 'poison' in the war of the Nine Heavens?]

[It could've avoided so many casualties of the brothers fighting on my side.]

[It's a pity that you chose the other road!]

[I had already thought that this Poison Spirit would either be a formidable enemy or a great help when I was in the Continent Center Citadel of Great Zhao in the Lower Three Heavens.]

[And, I had already showed my goodwill to you at Mt. Dingjun in the Middle Three Heavens. I had sent off the intention to be friends with you. Otherwise… why would I have extended the time limit for you…? Why would I have put forward such favorable conditions for you?]

[I – King of Hell Chu – have a lot of money, but I'm not a spendthrift who just casually throws away his money.]

[You were still a man of character despite being vicious when I saw you in the Continent Center Citadel in the Lower Three Heavens. You were still pure-hearted when I met you at Mt. Dingjun in the Middle Three Heavens. But, why were you suddenly blinded by wild ambitions at the critical time?]

[You eventually chose the other way.]

[You did regret it. But, you realized your regret only in your final moment. Now, there's no use of you regretting, right?]

[Farewell, Poison Spirit!]

[Farwell! There will be no Poison Spirit in the world of Nine Heavens from now on!]

Chu Yang gently sighed. Then, he extended his hand, and gently closed Ou Du Xiao's open eyes. After that, he silently thought in his heart; [This is your final journey. I'm closing your eyes in this world so that you can open your eyes in the afterlife. The legends say that the one who dies with their eyes open becomes blind after arriving in the Netherworld. I don't want you to be blind. However, I'm not doing this for the Ou Du Xiao of this life. Instead, I'm doing this for that world-shaking Poison Spirit from my previous life!]

[The Ou Du Xiao of this life doesn't deserve this favor from me. But, the Poison Spirit of the previous life was indeed worthy.]

[Who could've imagined that the twelve influential figures of the Middle Three Heavens from my previous life would become nothing but a dream in my head?]

[…especially the ones at the top… Dark Bamboo, Black Devil, Gu Du Xing, Poison Spirit, Ao Xie Yun, and Tian Bu Ru!]

[They are only my dream now!]

…

Chu Yang stood up. He let out a faint shout. Then, he shot his palm on the ground. A big hole was formed in the ground with a bang. He then put the corpses of Ou Du Xiao, his father, and the twenty-or-so experts of the Ou Clan into the hole. Then, he pushed continually with his hands, and made a grave.

The Nine Tribulations Sword flew out with a 'swoosh' sound. It cut off the roots of a big tree at the roadside. Then, the sword-light produced some whistling sounds, and turned the tree-trunk into a smooth grave-marker within an instant. Chu Yang then set it up in front of the grave.

Chu Yang thought for a while. Then, he moved his sword like the wind, and carved a few words on this simple and crude grave-marker.

He then deeply sighed. He got up, and left with flying speed. He didn't turn his head until his figure disappeared.

The light of the setting sun shone on the grave-marker, and illuminated the words written on it.

There was no name of the deceased. There was no introduction. Only a poem was written on it…

The Jianghu is an entanglement of gratitude and grudges,

There is no hero or champion;

Whether you regret or I regret,

Wins and losses are all but dreamy clouds'

Why bother thinking about this life or previous life,

Who has remained innocent since ancient times?

Outstanding heroes will dance in heaven and hell;

Nine Heavens are now poison-free!

This poem was either to commemorate the Poison Spirit of his previous life or just Chu Yang's realization. However, Chu Yang's undying obsession with his previous life had suddenly vanished in thin air after this.

It was just like Chu Yang had written in his poem — there is no hero or champion… Wins and losses are all but dreamy clouds… Why bother thinking about this life or previous life…? Who has remained innocent since ancient times?"

After all, his previous life didn't exist anymore.

…..