Death… and me

Although Han Xiaoran said this way, he knew that he owed Chu Yang too much.

But since Chu Yang didn't claim credit for himself, should Han Xiaoran had expressed profuse gratitude to Chu Yang, it would instead make him seem like a stickler of formalities. In making acquaintances, one would have to look at his future relations. In the present, it would be better to not say anything.

So, Han Xiaoran only remembered the gratitude he had towards Chu Yang, but didn't say it outright.

He only changed his address to Chu Yang as a little brother, so as to indicate his intentions of making friends with Chu Yang regardless of their age differences.

Sha Xinliang and Qin Baoshan were even more aware of the weight of Han Xiaoran addressing Chu Yang as 'little brother', and they looked at Chu Yang joyfully.

Chu Yang's heart skipped a beat. Looking at the three people, he suddenly felt warmth in his heart. This feeling hadn't risen before ever since he had parted with Gu Duxing and his few other brothers.

"Law-enforcement master, I'm very honored for you to call me a 'little brother'," Chu Yang said, smiling.

Han Xiaoran became silent and said, "For these many years, ever since my brothers were gone and turned into my memories of midnight dreams, I haven't called anyone brothers before."

"Law-enforcement officers have great responsibilities and aren't allowed to form factions. But…" Han Xiaoran smiled bitterly, "Humans' hearts need comfort. Even if one is iron-hearted, he'll also need some moments when he can soften his heart. This is a human need and people don't do so just for exchanging interests between one another."

Han Xiaoran said in a low voice, "Just as you don't want to suppress the poison in me at first, this is because you know that how much trouble you'll get into if you do so. But in the end, you still resolutely decided to help me. This isn't for the friendship we have or the wealth I could give you, but because you recognize the justice I upheld as a law-enforcement officer for 1200 years. Nothing more."

"This kind of recognition is conscience!" Han Xiaoran said heavily, especially emphasizing the last word 'conscience'.

"Conscience is the most important thing to me in my whole life!"

"So, for this word, I, Han Xiaoran, am willing to be brothers with you!" Han Xiaoran smiled warmly, "Little brother, you've seen the place in my heart that is unseen to most outsiders, and I've also seen the pure heart that you have."

"You save me not because of my power. Similarly, I make friends with you not just because of your medical skills!"

"So, if you don't mention any price, so do I," Han Xiaoran said, "In making friends, one has to see whether he's agreeable, and the other thing to see is his heart. It's useless to speak a lot. But having a drink with each other will do."

"You said well!" hearing such words, Chu Yang beamed with joy, "Old brother, I must get drunk with you tonight!"

Han Xiaoran nodded smilingly.

"Who actually dares to deal with little brother?" Sha Xinliang asked anxiously.

"It's quite shameful to say," then Chu Yang explained the whole event, including his own background, Chu Feilong's conspiracy back then, the current circumstances and the Ye clan's intervention…

Han Xiaoran's eyes flickered and he said, "Ye Wubo? Ye Thirteenth?"

Chu Yang smiled and said, "Do you know him?"

Han Xiaoran turned silent for a while and said, "Ye Wubo is the thirteenth brother of the current clan master of the Ye clan. He's dark and witty, and always hide behind the scenes while he devises plots. I didn't imagine that he's the mastermind behind this matter."

He pondered for a while and said, "Looks like the Ye clan… is very ambitious."

Chu Yang smiled lightly and said, "The power of the Ye clan or how it plans schemes have originally nothing to do with me. But they have involved me. How can I not care about them?"

Han Xiaoran said, "You've good courage, little brother." He pondered for a while and said, "I'll help you in this matter. But… you must be mentally prepared, that is, I can help you to fight against Ye Wubo; but if this matter involves the whole Ye clan, or if they really have some far-reaching intentions… and in the end they sent out Supreme Martial Artist to deal with us… I'll be helpless. So, we should have a well-rounded plan to deal with them."

Han Xiaoran had said this frankly; Chu Yang also understood what he meant: If their enemies were below the cultivation of a Supreme Martial Artist, Han Xiaoran could fight against all of them. But if their enemies involved Supreme Martial Artists, Han Xiaoran could only lose his life if he fought against them.

But this was only the worse scenario; Han Xiaoran was in fact trying to think of a foolproof plan: While the Nine Heavens was big, there were only a few Supreme Martial Artists.

The Ye clan undoubtedly had Supreme Martial Artists. And with the tens of thousands of years of deep foundations of the clan, there should be more than one. But, if not for big events that mattered to the clan's life and death, how would they sent out Supreme Martial Artists so easily?

"It'll all work itself out in the end," Chu Yang laughed, "It's not good to think of it too much. Before that, you should get your body well. Old brother, we shall go to the inner room. Dissipate your body protection power and I'll help you to suppress the shadowless poison."

"Alright!" Han Xiaoran exclaimed.

…

Lanterns were just hung up along the streets. The Lingyun Pavilion looked magnificent amidst the night.

Two teenagers were looking around at the front of the Lingyun Pavilion, as though they were waiting for something.

At the top of the seven-storey Lingyun Pavilion, there were three separate rooms, taking the meaning of 'gathering of three stars'. All those who had come here not only represented their wealth, but also their nobleness.

One of the rooms on the left side was where Chu Feilong and Ye Wubo had gathered previously. Now, Ye Wubo and Chu Feilong were sitting opposite each other. In front of them were Ye Wubo's two expert guards.

Ye Wubo had four guards, but the other two were missing.

Nervousness was written all over Chu Feilong's face, and he had to continuously wipe away the sweat on him. He muttered in his heart, "Why didn't he come? Why didn't he come?"

On the main seat, Ye Wubo's face looked cold. He said, "Why didn't he come? Chu Feilong, you've already surpassed the time limit that I've given to you."

Chu Feilong said hurriedly, "The thirteenth master, the Law Enforcement Hall has invited Chu Yang over. This must have led Chu Yang to come later. But since he has agreed, he should be coming."

Ye Wubo snorted. His face didn't show any hesitation, and he said coldly, "For so many years, I hadn't waited for anyone like I am right now. I didn't expect to experience waiting for someone in this small Flat Mountain Ridge."

More cold sweat crept up Chu Feilong's face. He dared not to speak.

At this moment, some voices were heard outside. Someone had already entered the middle room, and the sound of chairs being pulled out could also be faintly heard.

The elder with a goatee pushed open the door and whispered, "Thirteenth master, Sha Xinliang, as well as Qin Baoshan from the Law-Enforced Auction Hall and another elder, has entered the middle room."

"Erm? Do you have any impression on this elder?" Ye Wubo asked.

"I didn't see him before," the elder with a goatee said, "But I think it should be an expert from the Law Enforcement Hall."

The corner of Ye Wubo's mouth revealed a mysterious smile and he said, "Looks like Chu Yang is going to come."

He turned silent for a while and praised, "Chu Feilong, this nephew of yours is really not easy. He has already expected that there will be dangers here, and has gotten a rescue team to support him."

Chu Feilong smiled bitterly and said, "I have discords with him all along. It's not surprising for him to have scruples against me. After all, he felt that only Sha Xinliang and the few other law-enforcement officers could protect himself here."

Ye Wubo smiled.

The elder with a goatee said, "Thirteenth master, do you want to go up and greet them?"

Ye Wubo snorted and said, "No."

Raising his eyebrows, he said darkly, "If I want to kill people, Sha Xinliang won't dare to stop me. So what if I kill people in front of him? If I go forward, Sha Xinliang will know that I'm here. That won't be nice. After I've carried out what I'm supposed to do, I'll simply inform him."

"Yes," the elder with the goatee didn't look surprised at all.

How could a mere Law Enforcement Hall in this small Flat Mountain Ridge not be afraid of the power of the thirteenth master of the Ye clan?

At this moment, the sound clothes fluttering in the air were heard. A figure came in from the windows, "Thirteenth master, that Chu Yang is already on the way. He's not more than a thousand feet from here."

"Okay," Ye Wubo asked, "Is he alone?"

"Yes. He's walking here slowly, and looks very free and casual."

"Death is looming. It's also a beautiful thing to be able to walk towards it with ease," Ye Wubo's said as his sinister eyes flickered, and the corners of his mouth hooked up to reveal a cruel smile.

Chu Yang walked along the way. Looking at the night sceneries in the Flat Mountain Ridge, he felt a different taste.

Then, he saw Chu Tenghu and Chu Tengjiao waiting for him anxiously. Seeing Chu Yang's arrival, they instantly felt as if a big piece of gold had fallen from the sky, "You've finally come!"

They didn't even call 'big brother'.

"Since my two brothers invited me here, I'll naturally have to come," Chu Yang smiled.

"Let's go up," the duo stood on both side of Chu Yang, sandwiching him in the middle. Then, the duo began dragging him up.

"Why are you so anxious?" Chu Yang smiled, "My two brothers are really enthusiastic…"

Chu Tenghu smiled evilly and said, "Brothers? Hahaha… Chu Yang, it's a blessing for you to call us by 'brothers'. After you've gone to the netherworld, please don't forget this blessing."

Chu Yang said stunningly, "Brother Tenghu, what do you mean? We're brothers, and blood is thicker than water."

"Damn it!" Chu Tenghu and Chu Tengjiao scolded at the same time, "Which one is your brother? You're a bastard. You're about to die, but still, you're daydreaming here."

Chu Yang's eyes turned cold, and a spell of death flowed faintly in his eyes, "Well? What are you saying? Did you mistake me for someone else?"

Chu Tenghu and Chu Tengjiao knew that Chu Yang was definitely going to die. They couldn't endure Chu Yang anymore. Furthermore, they also thought Chu Yang had lost his cultivation and couldn't break away from the two of them. So, they began to act recklessly and heaped vulgar on him.

Chu Yang's face turned colder for every sentence that the duo cursed on him.

Chu Tenghu and Chu Tengjiao were venting their frustrations on Chu Yang in a bid to give him greater insults before he died, but the reason why Chu Yang had tolerated them till today was to accumulate his reasons to kill them!

Although he had discords with them, after all, blood was thicker than water.

Chu Yang felt nothing in killing outsiders, but Chu Yang wasn't without scruples in killing his cousins. But now, along with their curses on him, the scruples he had were gradually vanishing.

When he arrived at the door of the room that Chu Feilong was in, a thread of blood flashed across the corners of Chu Yang's eyes. He finally figured out one matter.

Enemies were irrespective of the degree of intimacy.

Even if they came from the same family and had the same ancestors, as long as one wanted to kill the other, then they would be enemies! If the one who was targeted at still had scruples, he would be equivalent to committing suicide.

…