Death… and me

"Especially when I found out that you've already become a Sword Emperor…" Tu Qian Hao miserably laughed, "Ha-ha… I lost my heart at that instant. Afterwards, I had said that I'd go and kill Gu Du Xing. And, Black Devil had commented on this — he's a Sword Emperor. What grade King are you?"

Tu Qian Hao mimicked Black Devil's tone as he said these words. In fact, he had vividly imitated that ridiculing tone to perfection. This showed how greatly those words had stimulated him at that time.

"I had realized that I couldn't overtake or kill you at that time itself. However, I could always die at yours hands, right?" Tu Qian Hao snorted, "I – Tu Qian Hao – will die. However, I'd still be a thousand times better man than those bastards who only speak behind others' back and never dare to face the enemy!

"And, I'd be ten-thousand times prouder than them!" Tu Qian Hao had roared while saying this.

This sentence was clearly very powerful. He was feeling very sentimental… His emotions were rising and falling like waves as he endured with difficulty. Blood had started to spurt out from his chest because of the sword.

Gu Du Xing was shocked. He extended his knife-like fingers, and pressed on his chest for a while to stop the bleeding.

Tu Qian Hao's complexion turned golden. He then said with a warm smile, "Don't bother… I had come here to seek death! Could it be that you truly believed that I – a mere seventh grade King Level Expert –could win against a Sword Emperor?"

Gu Du Xing remained silent and sighed. Then, he said with disappointment, "You can't die."

Tu Qian Hao gave a carefree smile, and suddenly said, "But, I now have this infinite confidence in myself that I wouldn't necessarily lose if I got another chance to have a fight with you!

"…because I had suddenly comprehended my own Sword Way when the death was near at hand… In fact, I had comprehended my very own realm-realization for becoming a Sword Emperor!" Tu Qian Hao's complexion turned serious as he filled with pride. He panted as he said, "I would've become a Sword Emperor in the future if I didn't die today!"

Gu Du Xing knitted his brows. He somewhat anxiously looked at Tu Qian Hao's increasingly pale complexion.

Tu Qian Hao chokingly coughed. He then strangely laughed at himself, "Do you know when I came to this epiphany?"

"When?" Gu Du Xing couldn't help but ask.

"An infinite feeling of death had welled up in me when the tip of your sword pierced through my heart. And, that was the exact moment when I realized my Sword Way!" Tu Qian Hao exposed a bright smile. "I had broken through at the exact moment when the tip of your sword entered my heart… Ha ha ha… This is fu*king ridiculous! It's truly fu*king laughable!"

Gu Du Xing couldn't help but become speechless…

He didn't know what to say.

Tu Qian Hao had broken through as soon as the tip of the opponent's sword pierced into his heart! Anyone who would hear of such tragic fate would become speechless.

"It's rightly said that one has their biggest breakthrough at the time of their death," Tu Qian Hao was done laughing. He sighed in disappointment and frustration. Then, he muttered, "I remember that a senior had once told me —'the aura of death is the omen of breakthrough'. I had never understood this. But, I've finally comprehended it today… ha-ha…"

He muttered, and then smiled while being spellbound. Then, he suddenly turned his head, and looked at Gu Du Xing with luminous eyes. He said, "Gu Du Xing, I'm dying. But, my Sword Way can't go to waste. Please do me a favor."

"What favor?" Gu Du Xing had already made a vague guess as to what it could be.

"Only you have the ability to understand my state of mind of that time. Therefore, I want to tell you my Sword Way." Tu Qian Hao's pupils suddenly expanded wide, and he exposed a fanatical look in his eyes. "Gu Du Xing, I wish that my Sword Way would become famous in the entire world! I wish that its prestige would awe the entire Nine Heavens! Please… I request your help."

"My help?" Gu Du Xing had guessed it correctly. However, his entire body still trembled when Tu Qian Hao personally said these words.

"I can call over the experts of your clan. You can pass it on to them," Gu Du Xing indifferently said.

"It won't do!" Tu Qian Hao resolutely and decisively said. Then, he coldly snorted, "They aren't good enough. They won't understand! Gu Du Xing, you mustn't let my life go to waste!"

Tu Qian Hao didn't wait for Gu Di Xing to reply after he said this. Instead, he selfishly continued, "My epiphany is called 'Unruffled by Sentiments'. Forget everything! Forget the sword… Forget yourself… Forget the sky… Forget the earth… Just remain unruffled!

"Forgetting everything is the highest realm of my sword-play…" Tu Qian Hao said with difficulty, "You listen carefully…"

He then started to explain. His voice recounted little by little, and Gu Du Xing gradually became immersed no matter what he said…

Gu Du Xing's cultivation and temperament had enabled him to feel the incredible power of this realm right when he had heard the first sentence.

Therefore, he concentrated all his mental power, and tried his best to listen to every sentence and every word as carefully as he could.

[Tu Qian Hao has come very close to the end. He has a quarter-of-an-hour at the most. And, he needs to finish telling everything before that. This is the only opportunity in this life and age to listen to an epiphany that has come in-exchange for someone's life!]

[So, I'd be letting myself down if I can't memorize this. Moreover, I'd feel sorry for Tu Qian Hao.]

[Tu Qian Hao's fear will perhaps come true if can't memorize this. And, he'll die with a remaining grievance if that happens…]

The two people stood face-to-face. A sword's hilt was glittering and issuing a cold light in between them. The sword hilt in Gu Du Xing's hand was motionless like a ten-thousand years old boulder. And, the sword tip in Tu Qian Hao's chest was still slowly soaking with bloodstains.

'Unruffled'!

Chu Yang would've perhaps heaved a long sigh if he was here. It was hard to say what he would've been feeling in his heart.

After all, Tu Qian Hao had become one of the twelve influential figures of the Middle Three Heavens in Chu Yang's previous life. He had learned the 'Unruffled Sword-art' using his 'Unruffled Sword'. And, he had comprehended the 'Unruffled Sword Cultivation Method' and 'Unruffled Secret Sword Technique' on the basis of that. In fact, Tu Qian Hao had rushed to the peak of the Middle Three Heavens just by this word –'Unruffled!

He had stood in the Jianghu whilst wielding his sword with a proud smile after slaughtering myriads of heroes!

Such was Tu Qian Hao…

Tu Qian Hao had recorded all of his realization in a book in the same year that Chu Yang had died. And, he had been preparing to march to the Upper Three Heavens. Chu Yang didn't know whether Tu Qian Hao succeeded or not in doing so. But, he knew that the book that Tu Qian Hao had written was named 'Unruffled Heavenly Book'.

The Tu Qian Hao from this life had comprehended the 'Unruffled Sword-Play'. And, he had done it twenty years earlier than when he had done so in Chu Yang's previous life! However, this matter was still worth sighing over since this 'Unruffled Sword-Play' would never be used by the hands of its inventor — Tu Qian Hao.

The book 'Unruffled Heavenly Book' had shocked the entire Middle Three Heavens in Chu Yang's previous life. But, this storm was impossible to appear in the Jianghu in this life.

This was truly regretful!

There were twelve influential figures in the previous life. Among 'Meng Luo, Jasper Flower, and Tian Bu Ru'… Meng Luo had already been destroyed in this life. Not even his skeleton remained… Among 'Poison Spirit, Tian Ji, Li Xiong Tu'… the Poison Spirit had been eliminated. The Nine Heavens were now poison-free…! And, among 'Black Saber, Qian Hao, and Young Master Xie'… Qian Hao's life journey was about to end ahead of time.

A long while passed…

"Memorized?" Tu Qian Hao's voice was weak. But, he still eagerly asked.

"Yes!" Gu Du Xing took a deep breath.

"You… repeat it thoroughly. I'll listen…" Tu Qian Hao's pupils expanded a little. He then muttered, "Whosoever uses the Unruffled Swordplay in the future would think of me – Tu Qian Hao, right?"

"Unruffled Sword…" Gu Du Xing knew that Tu Qian Hao didn't feel at ease in his heart. So, he softly and clearly recited the theory of Unruffled Sword in one go.

However, Tu Qian Hao exposed a strange look of loneliness on his face, and it seemed as if he wasn't even hearing what Gu Du Ding was saying. Instead, he had tilted his head to one side. In fact, it seemed as if he was listening to something else as he muttered, "Very dull!"

"What?"

Gu Du Xing hurriedly asked, but didn't hear a response. He stared at him, and saw Tu Qian Hao's body standing erect. Both his eyes were filled with bleakness. And, there wasn't any breath left in him.

The final words at the point of death of the founder of the 'Unruffled Sword'… and one of the twelve influential figures were…

[Very dull!]

A splendid and magnificent hero of this generation had lived a colorful life. In fact, he had run amuck in the Jianghu. So, it was ironical that his final words were 'very dull'!

No one knew what was 'dull'? And, why was it dull?

He had perhaps come to a new realization in his final moments. However, no one would ever know about it…

Gu Du Xing heaved a deep sigh. Then, he gently pulled out his sword.

The Black Dragon Sword looked like deep and clear water as it separated from Tu Qian Hao's chest. Gu Du Xing retreated two steps. Then, he looked at Tu Qian Hao with rapt attention, and sincerely bowed while holding the sword with both of his hands. He then earnestly said, "Brother Tu, you can pass on with a relieved heart now. The Unruffled Sword will certainly blossom in the Jianghu!"

Tu Qian Hao's body hadn't fallen down. It still stood upright; the beard on his face was rustling and trembling in the air. The hollow of his eyes contained limitless pride. However, there was also a feeling of self-ridicule in them along with traces of loneliness and desolation.

It seemed as if he was ridiculing the irony of his life. After all, it had been truly ridiculous and very helpless. He also seemed to be mocking the millions of people in the world for being so dull as well as unbearably stupid and disgusting.

His hands naturally dangled down. However, he still held a sword. The sword-light was still flickering and flashing erratically.

He was dead… He was just a corpse. However, he was still standing straight in a way that made it seem as if a lone heroic man had blocked a mountain pass in a such a way that even ten-thousand people wouldn't be able to pass through. He still had a cold and elegant demeanor.

Blood was dripping drop by drop from Gu Du Xing's Black Dragon Sword. It seemed as if the blood was reluctant to part with the sword, but was still sliding down along its tip. It was dripping on to the dirt below. And, the splashes were making the dust fly off in curls.

"This is Jianghu…" Gu Du Xing exhaled a long breath. He had held in this breath for a long time. And, he had finally let it out. However, he felt a sense of loss at this moment.

"There are so many clashes between right and wrong in the Jianghu. And, there are so many things that should happen or shouldn't happen. So, who can calmly claim to be innocent when it comes to life and death?"

Gu Du Xing heaved a sigh. Then, he moved back a dozen or more steps, and stood with his hands crossed behind his back. He seriously looked at Tu Qian Hao who had already lost his entire aura. Gu Du Xing had an extremely complex expression in his eyes as he gently said, "Brother Tu, the road to the underworld is very long. So, please take good care of yourself along the way."

"Young Clan Lord!" the twenty experts of the Tu Clan screamed in grief. They hurriedly rushed over. However, they immediately found out that there was no breath left in Tu Qian Hao… that he had died!

They couldn't help but scream wildly as a result. They turned around like whirlwinds, and firmly looked at Gu Du Xing. Then, they said in grief and indignation, "You Gu's Clan's man… you dared to kill our Young Clan Lord?"

Gu Du Xing indifferently looked… An old man with a full beard had overheard the entire conversation. And, he had tears in his eyes as a result. However, he was angrily looking at Gu Du Xing. So, Gu Du Xing couldn't help but coldly reply in a sharp tone, "Why? Hadn't Brother Tu explained all of this to you people beforehand?"

[Tu Qian Hao had already planned everything. In fact, he had even planned his certain death clearly. Then, why hadn't he explained everything to these people?]

Gu Du Xing couldn't believe it!

…