Death… and me

After the black-faced guard went out, he first found a renowned doctor to have a look at the medicine soup.

This doctor frowned and stroked his beard. After he looked at it for a while, drank a few drops of the soup, then retched for a moment, he actually revealed an amazed look, "Which divine doctor refined this medicine? He's really superb… He can even cook the medicine to such an extent…"

The black-faced guard was stunned, and asked, "Is this medicine really useful? How is it useful?"

The doctor replied excitedly, "I really can't say what's the use of this medicine, but this doctor's ability to cook the medicine to such a standard is really unparalleled… Look at how even the soup is. And even from so many years of experience, I can't taste what's exactly the medicinal ingredients it contains… The ingredients which could bring down the heat in people's body and that which could bring the heat into people' body are mixed together. I can faintly feel that it's strong medicine for treating sexual impotence…"

These words weren't wrong at all. No one in the entire Nine Heavens could match with the sword spirit's ability to cook medicines.

But without waiting for the doctor to finish speaking, the black-faced guard in front of him had vanished, "Ah, ah, don't go yet…"

"He's really a divine doctor! Such a superb medicine!" the black-faced guard started to put in all his efforts in finding the medicines needed for the 'second course of treatment'. He felt excited along the way. "Young master has hope now! The Huang clan also has hope now!"

…

On the afternoon the second day, as usual, Young Master Huang was forced to take down the medicine. While he was lying on the ground like a corpse, two people suddenly came in.

Chu Tenghu, Chu Tengjiao.

"Is big brother here?" the duo were all smiles.

"What's the matter?" Huang Xialiu flipped his eyelids as he lay on the ground restlessly.

"Who are you?" Chu Tenghu was startled: How come there's an extra person here? He looks so sick, like some corpse that hasn't been buried.

"Why should you care who I am," Huang Xialiu retched as he felt the fire burning in his chest.

"Why did you come?" at this moment, Chu Yang came out from inside.

"Big brother has been here for quite some time. Both of us are here to invite you to come back and have a gathering. We shall treat you this time around," Chu Tenghu said.

"Oh?" Chu Yang slanted his head and observed the duo as he thought: What wicked ideas are these two fellows thinking again?

Chu Tengjiao said enthusiastically, "Big brother, we've already settled a banquet in Lingyun Pavilion. Please come." He laughed, sighed and said sincerely, "Big brother… no matter what, we're brothers. Blood is thicker than water…" From his looks, he was even holding back some words which had sprung to his lips.

Chu Yang understood and laughed, "Do you mean you want to treat me a meal?"

"Yes," Chu Tenghu said eagerly, "Big brother, please do us the honor and give us a chance."

Chu Yang looked complicated. After thinking for a long time, he finally said, "Alright! I shall go!"

Chu Tenghu and Chu Tengjiao were overjoyed and said, "Then, the two of us shall wait for your arrival at the Lingyun Pavilion."

The duo left.

"How can you agree?" seeing that they had left, Huang Xialiu immediately sprang to his feet and said anxiously, "Are you mad?"

"Erm?" Chu Yang turned around to look at him.

"These two brothers of yours obviously have evil intentions on you!" Huang Xialiu said hurriedly. Even sweat came up to his forehead.

"I know," Chu Yang said quietly.

"Then why do you still want to go?" Huang Xialiu was stunned.

"Are you that concerned for me?" Chu Yang asked as he looked at Huang Xialiu with a spurious smile.

Huang Xialiu was startled at the instant. Instantly, he turned back his head and started to spit saliva resentfully, saying, "Concern your ass! I'm scared that if you die, no one else will cure my illness!"

Chu Yang laughed aloud. But he didn't say this: It's not only them who have ill intentions, but I also do. However, everything has a starting point…

As he said, another three people came as a group and entered the gate of the Purple Crystals Huichun Hall.

"Big brother, big brother, are you here?"

They were 15-year-old Chu Tengyun, who's Chu Feilong's third son, and two sons of Chu Feihan: 17-year-old Chu Tengxiao and 13-year-old Chu Tengkong.

The three teenagers still looked a bit like children. As they hurriedly came in, their faces were sweating furiously.

"What's the matter? Why did the three of you come?" Chu Yang asked miserably. Are his brothers in the Chu clan going to have a meeting?

The three gazed at one another as if they didn't want to speak first and wanted the others to speak.

Finally, Chu Tengyun mustered up his courage and began speaking, "Big brother, you've returned for a long time, but we haven't sat together and had a cordial talk with one another before. The three of us would like to treat you a meal in Ziqi Pavilion this night. Big brother, please come."

The other two nodded their heads.

Chu Yang was stunned: What's the matter?

Two groups of people came one after another to invite him to have a meal? One at Lingyun Pavilion, while the other at Ziqi Pavilion. Lingyun Pavilion was a renowned big restaurant situated at the most Northern side of the Wujin Town; Ziqi Pavilion was located at the most Southern side of the Wujin Town, and it had similar reputability as the Lingyun Pavilion.

One in the North and the other in the South. They were tens of miles away from each other.

Chu Yang revealed a mercurial expression. Finally, he probed, "Just now Tenghu and Tengjiao came and invited me to… I've already agreed. Can we meet up on another date?"

The three people's face changed, and Chu Tengyun blurted out, "Lingyun Pavilion? Big brother, you can't go there!"

And immediately, his face turned white and he tightly shut his mouth.

Chu Yang's body jerked, and he gave a deep and complex look at Chu Tengyun. He felt the blood in his heart starting to roll.

The four of them became silent.

Huang Xialiu looked at them one by one. He finally sighed and muttered, "Matters among brothers are really very complicated and cause me to have headaches…" then he stalked out, leaving the place for the four brothers.

Seeing that Chu Yang didn't speak for a long time, Chu Tengyun's face became paler and paler, Finally, he said in a low voice, "Big brother?"

Chu Tengxiao and Chu Tengkong stepped up at the same time and said in a low voice, "Big brother… they want to harm you… Tengyun heard this by chance…"

Chu Yang's face twitched and he asked softly, "Why?"

There was some hoarseness in his voice, and as he looked at Chu Tengyun, there was some contradiction and anguish on his face too.

Even though Chu Yang didn't say clearly, the three brothers knew that Chu Yang wasn't asking why Chu Tenghu and Chu Tengjiao wanted to harm himself, but he was asking Chu Tengyun why he had come to tell him this.

Chu Tengyun's young and tender face was now ghastly pale. His lips shuddered, then he lowered down his head, but immediately he raised up his head again, "I… I… I am brothers with my elder brothers… but I'm also brothers with you. I… I… I don't wish for our clan to collapse… and any accidents to happen to any one of you… We… We have the same root… and are from the same clan."

Chu Tengyun shut his mouth tight. When Chu Tengyun said these, he felt a sudden pain in his heart as it jerked violently.

Chu Tengyun stepped forth, raised his head and looked at Chu Yang. There was panic, guilt and imploration on his face, "Big brother… can you… you take a side… back?"

Can you take a step back?

Chu Yang's heart shuddered.

After a long time, Chu Yang said bitterly, "I want to take a step back… but it's now… impossible. Ever since I came back to the clan… I have a way to retreat… If I did so, my life would be in danger…"

The three teenagers' face turned gloomy. They bit their lips and lowered their heads.

As an offspring of the Chu clan, they could comprehend the meaning behind such words of Chu Yang.

Ever since big brother returned to the clan, did he request for anything? In everyone's eyes, big brother was always on the favorable side; But only they knew that big brother was making a helpless counterattack, nothing more.

After he returned to the clan, he didn't even initiate any attack and was instead pushed into the whirlwind by the family storm. Every time, he was making his counterattack!

But… Chu Feilong, again and again, device new strategies. Up till today, he even dispatched his two sons to invite him to have a feast and to make use of this opportunity to deal with Chu Yang.

The four brothers stood silently.

Chu Tengyun's breath got heavier and heavier. His chest could no longer withstand the heavy breaths and began to sound as if a bellow was pumped. He struggled and muttered, "Big brother, I heard that… Ye Wubo from the Ye clan was there."

Chu Yang's entire body jerked.

Lowering his head, Chu Tengyun said with difficulty, "Big brother… I know that my father and two brothers weren't good to you, but… can you… let go of them…?"

As he finished saying this, two drops of tears splattered on the floor. He turned around and walked out, before running away with his head ducked in. He even ignored the calls of Chu Yang, Chu Tengxiao and Chu Tengkong.

"Big brother, I'll go to have a look. Tengyun is stirred up…" Chu Tengxiao bit his lips, but finally he said, "Big brother… please… think more… about it. And… take more care."

Then, he dragged Chu Tengkong and rushed out.

Even after the three figures had vanished, Chu Yang still stood in his original position.

He looked complicated.

After a long time, he smiled bitterly, and facing the empty space in front of him, he muttered, "Brother, you're still small and you don't know… I have no room to retreat, and your father… also has no room to retreat. Your two brothers… originally had many routes to choose from, yet they chose this road to ruin… but you… you're making me feel very difficult…"

He continued to smile bitterly.

In his mind, he had already figured out the whole sequence of this event: Chu Feilong had discussed with his two sons to make use of their identities as Chu Yang's brothers to swindle Chu Yang out, then exploit Ye Wubo from the Ye clan to kill him.

But this was overheard by Chu Tengyun.

So, this righteous teenager wanted to get in front of Chu Tenghu and Chu Tengjiao in inviting Chu Yang, so that Chu Yang could avoid this trap; but for some reasons, he dared not to say the matter clearly in front of Chu Yang…

This was the cause of the scene that happened today.

Chu Tengyun was kind, honest and thoughtful. How would he know that his father and Chu Yang were now enemies and they were utterly incompatible of each other?

I don't want any accidents to happen to any of you, because we have the same root and are from the same clan.

Chu Yang listened to this numerous times, and he even said this before a few times; but it was only today that the soft and tender face and voice of the teenager touched him deeply.

"Unfortunately, I can't retreat," Chu Yang slowly raised his head and looked dispirited, "I… can't… retreat…"

…