Death… and me

Chu Yang sighed, "This is awful!"

Mo Tian Ji sneered, "The fact is that I have overestimated them. That's my calculation mistake!" He disdainfully said, "Even the Ao Clan could've been annihilated this time if I hadn't believed in these rumors. It's lamentable that I've missed such a great opportunity… It's so unfortunate!"

"Oh?" Chu Yang became curious, "Care to elaborate…"

"The Ao Clan has always been the number-one clan of the Middle Three Heavens. And, Ao Xie Yun is the most talented among the descendants of this generation. Therefore, I took it for granted that Ao Xie Yun is the future successor of the Ao Clan… I wasn't wrong about this point. And, Ao Xie Yun is clearly the best choice no matter how one looks at it… I wasn't wrong about this point either."

"Right," Chu Yang puckered up his brows.

"But, I made a mistake… a grave mistake!" Mo Tian Ji remorsefully sighed, "Ao Clan is known to have seven geniuses in this generation. In other words, there are six more geniuses apart from Ao Xie Yun. They are Ao Qing Yun, Ao Meng Yun, Ao Lang Yun, Ao Yu Yun, Ao Feng Yun, and Ao Cheng Yun. These six people aren't that popular. However, Ao Clan recognizes them as geniuses. So, how could they possibly be an ordinary bunch?

"These six individuals hold the title of 'genius'. Moreover, they hold this title within the number-one clan of the Middle Three Heavens – Ao Clan. Therefore, they should be as capable as Ao Xie Yun… The disparity between them and him shouldn't be that big, right?" Mo Tian Ji said.

"Yes, I would think the same if I were in your shoes," Chu Yang nodded.

Mo Tian Ji stamped his foot in anger, and exclaimed, "This was my mistake! I was gravely mistaken!

"My original plan was to cause a storm in the Middle Three Heavens, and push the Ou Clan's Alliance to the forefront of the struggle. This would force them to take a risk out of desperation… They would try to intercept and assassinate Ao Xie Yun. However, I knew that they would try to shift the blame of the assassination onto Xie Dan Qiong. Therefore, I sent Xie Dan Qiong to the Ao Clan in advance, and thereby blocked the enemy's escape route.

"Moreover, I reckoned that the Ao Clan would dispatch its troops as long as Ao Xie Yun's fate was uncertain. And, the six geniuses would definitely be the ones leading those troops! This was primarily because of two reasons… First, to take revenge… Secondly, the Ao Clan would need to be prepared in case Ao Xie Yun had truly died. After all, it would become necessary to choose the best, and weed out the worst from among these six individuals in that case. And, that's because they would need to pick out the next heir. This kind of selection follows the survival of the fittest in the Jianghu. And, this is the optimum mode of selection… It constitutes training as well as reading people."

Mo Tian Ji's tone seemed aggravated every time he said the words 'six geniuses'. He would even gnash his teeth in anger while doing so.

"The storm did start as I had planned. Ou Clan and their ally clans were indeed pushed to the forefront of the struggle. And, Ao Xie Yun was hunted down for thousands of miles. And then, the Ao Clan did indeed dispatch their troops. They also sent out those six geniuses as expected… Everything went according to my plan until this point.

"However, things went out of my control after that… Moreover, this frustration is something I can't share with anyone besides you. Otherwise, it would mess up the morale of our troops."

Mo Tian Ji was extremely depressed… He let out a melancholic sigh.

"That's because you – the wise and amazing King of Hell Chu – then employed a stratagem to destroy the Meng Clan… You even joined hands with the Xie Clan, and exterminated the Ou Clan. These two things came as pleasant surprises for me. However, I became somewhat regretful and indignant in addition to being pleasantly surprised. And, that's because you had ruined my plan… and that too an exceptionally big plan!"

Mo Tian Ji insipidly said.

"Ruined your plan?" Chu Yang was puzzled.

"Yes, you shouldn't have destroyed the Meng Clan," Mo Tian Ji sighed and said, "How wonderful would it have been in case the Meng Clan hadn't been destroyed? I had originally planned to wait until the time was ripe… the time when the Ao Clan would move into action! After all, it would be a time of chaos. So, our big clans would fly our flag, and set out to eliminate the root of evil at that time. We would call out to the entire Jianghu to join our noble cause…

"That's because the Meng Clan would've been the demons if they were still here. And, all those clans associated with them would've been considered as the demon's accomplices! Then, we could've stood at the higher moral ground without any effort. Moreover, we could've command the heroes of the world to fight alongside us… We could've rallied together the masses to attack the evil!

"Even the Ao Clan would've been left with no choice but to listen to our orders and acknowledge our lead status. After all, our strength would've been strong enough, and we would've advocated ourselves to stand up against the evil!

"Therefore, I could've used the Meng Clan to catapult our big clans up to the supreme position in one fell swoop… We could've enjoyed a nominal position before the end of this campaign. However, we would've achieved this position in reality after the end of the battle. That's because we would've been the ones saving the people from evil…

"There aren't any good people in the Middle Three Heavens. However, there must surely be a lot of hot-blooded people who would've rushed over to join this just-cause when this campaign happened. And, such people are usually the most trustworthy… They are the ones that can increase our clans' strength the most. I had even planned on how we'd rope them in… how we'd rally them… how we'd retain them… how we'd… But, all of it got wrecked in the end by your single underhanded move! It destroyed the entire Meng Clan as well as my future plans… Ugh!"

Mo Tian Ji heaved a deep sigh, and ferociously looked at Chu Yang.

"I… Fu*k!" Chu Yang was stunned. [That smug move of mine from had clearly crippled the enemy's power back then. But, who would've thought that it would unexpectedly be more of a hindrance than a help?]

[What is this motherfu*ker yapping about…]

"What I couldn't come to terms with was that… Those enemy clans had voluntarily decided to annihilate the Meng Clan with their own hands… and that too brazenly… in broad daylight. Therefore, there's simply no way for us to justify that these clans are accomplices of the demons as this matter stands. In fact, there's a chance that they would be the standing on the moral high ground, and dealing with us if we aren't careful… You say… Haven't you fu*ked up my big plan?!"

Mo Tian Ji sighed, "This is the first thing that had caught me off guard! That's because I had never anticipated that you would move into action at such a time… And, that too so quickly and so decisively! I hadn't even known anything when you were already done over there."

Chu Yang just lowered his head, and sipped tea. He didn't say anything… It was more like he couldn't…

"The second miscalculation is due to that bunch of bastards from the Ao Clan. They had started to attack the opposing clans immediately after they set out. But, what has baffled me is that… those bastards are delusional. They've engaged in a power struggle after just one strike… How foolish can they be?

"They are fighting amongst themselves for power and profit. But, what was completely unexpected for me was that they would target you guys. However, the reasons seem obvious now. First, they didn't dare to aim for the major clans to gather allies in a direct manner since not every major clan has moved into action to participate in the chaos. Secondly, you and your brothers are almost like straggling and disbanded soldiers. So, it's easy to deal with you guys. Thirdly, you guys have shown potential. So, they want to recruit high-level thugs for a lifetime in order to suppress their own brothers. Fourthly… their real purpose is to use you guys to dispel our plans. In fact, this faintly shows that they have the ambition to unify the Middle Three Heavens…"

Mo Tian Ji let out an incomparably sarcastic laughter, "These brothers are engaged in an internal strife in this time of crisis when there's danger lurking everywhere. Moreover, each of them has pointed their spear at their potential allies… Such people are called the six geniuses of the Ao Clan?!

"I was seriously deceived by this word —'genius'!"

Mo Tian Ji took a sip of tea, "The situation is like this now… I initially intended to fight for hegemony with two opposing sides. However, it has now become a tripartite confrontation! The Ao Clan alone is a big force on one side. It doesn't attach itself with anyone. Then, there are those clans who have banded together by the Ou Clan on another side. They keep asking for reinforcements everywhere, but are instead very cohesive. And then, there's us on this side… And, we're all flustered as to how to deal with that bunch of retards from the Ao Clan…

"The most baffling thing is that all six brothers of the Ao Clan want to be the boss even though they have the same goal…"

Mo Tian Ji shook his head, and forced a smile, "This is what I simply hadn't anticipated… their overambitious nature!"

Mo Tian Ji finally concluded the explanation by saying, "This is the current situation… And, it has stemmed from the blunder in my plan."

Chu Yang was already stupefied.

[Mo Tian Ji was able to calculate every aspect to this extent in such a complex situation… His brain must have calculated so many things… Above all, he has come to the conclusion that it was his own mistake after such a long analysis!]

[This is even more impressive!]

[Only an individual who can see his own mistakes is capable of correcting them… And, only such people can reach perfection.]

Mo Tian Ji had been able to calculate to this point. Therefore, Chu Yang believed that Mo Tian Ji must at least have a mental outline… even if he didn't have a comprehensive countermeasure.

"So, what are you planning to do in the face of this situation?" Chu Yang straightforwardly asked.

"I have thought of a countermeasure. But, I'm waiting for the news for now." Mo Tian Ji deeply frowned. His eyes exposed an anxious look. He said, "We don't only have fools on the enemy's side alone, you know… We have… a lot of fools on our side too…"

He sighed, "There's no problem with you. There's no problem on Ji Mo's side too. Therefore, there's no problem with Huyan Clan either. In fact, it can be roped-in without an issue. There's no problem on Gu Du Xing's side. There's no problem with Xie Dan Qiong. These are our established strengths… And, there are no two ways about it!"

Chu Yang wrinkled his brows. He felt susceptible to what Mo Tian Ji hadn't mentioned, "You mean that there will be issues on the sides of Dong Wu Shang and Luo Ke Di?"

This was exactly what Chu Yang had been most worried about.

Mo Tian Ji took a deep breath, "I hope they don't have any problems. After all, it's going to be a serious issue for us in case there's any problem from their side!"

Chu Yang silently nodded, [Mo Tian Ji is right. Dong Wu Shang and Luo Ke Di's problems — if any — are indeed going to be fatal!]

However, the two of them must deal with that problem on their own. Even Chu Yang couldn't help them now.

"There is one more thing. I've felt all along…" Mo Tian Ji stood up, and slowly paced back and forth. He then said, "The enemy alliance is obviously at a clear disadvantage in terms of strength. But, they are still bearing hardship with equanimity, and biding their time.

"So, I suspect that… they are waiting for someone. They are most likely waiting for reinforcements. And, these reinforcements ought to be so strong that they are resting assured…" Mo Tian Ji frowned and said, "I suspect that these reinforcements will most likely come from the Upper Three Heavens!"

Chu Yang thought for a moment, and said, "There is indeed such a possibility. After all, only such a backhanded strategy can be the reason why they are so calm and collected."

"So, the pressure on us is going to be very big." Mo Tian Ji said in a soft voice, "You've only managed to make friends with the Dark Bamboo. So, we'll need to borrow their power if worse comes to worst. This will guarantee our safety. In fact, we can operate calmly even if problems arise on both Dong and Luo sides."