Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT, Rock
Walking out of the room, Ling Tian drew a long breath. He mysteriously felt as though his mood was a little heavy, as though his heart was being weighted down by a lofty mountain.
White robes flashed, and Li Xue smilingly appeared in front of him. "Is it done, Mister Ling who everyone loves?"
Ling Tian stared at her with a sour mood. "Ling Jian's sword is already placed on your neck, and you still have the leisure time to stroll around? Be careful that your face doesn't end up being disfigured! If your looks are destroyed, then you won't be a witch in name anymore!"
"Oh, I'm so scared! Cheh!" Li Xue stuck out her neck like a proud swan, raising her head as though in disdain, "Just based on him? Maybe if he practices for another decade or so, he might have a chance. When the time comes, we'll see how this lady beats up a sandbag then. Like you said, I'm a witch, so how can I play the part if I don't have the skills of a witch?"
Ling Tian waved his hand a little depressedly, "Then my great Miss, please find your little black cottage to go and fantasize. This noble here is not in a very good mood now, and I won't entertain you." Ling Tian turned around, ready to scram.
"Ha, Young Noble Ling rushing off to settle his feelings after ending a day of flirting, is it?" Grinning, Li Xue suddenly blocked his path. "I found out something very interesting, would you like to hear it?"
"Nope." Ling Tian felt like hugging his head and screaming. "I've been eating air for food and camping outside for the last few days, and I would like some good sleep right now."
Li Xue laughed craftily, and suddenly started talking to herself, "Everyone says that a woman goes about conquering her man in order to dominate the world, but I just found out that our Young Noble Ling seems to run opposite to that." As she laughed, she slowly spoke each word. "Our Great Noble Ling here seems to use the method of conquering women to dominate the whole world, hahahah…."
A row of black lines appeared on Ling Tian's forehead as he clenched his teeth and spat out, "This is really interesting. I've just found out that our great Miss Li here is also a woman! So, do you want to conquer, or be conquered?!"
The lass snorted in response, "So what? Can you conquer me? I'm OK with it if you want to try!" As she replied, she sent over a flirtatious glance. However, not being too used to such actions, it looked like she was glancing at him from the corner of her eyes.
Ling Tian trembled with fright, his face turning white. He immediately circulated his movement technique and ran off as fast as he could. If not for the improvement in his movement technique, most likely he would not be able to outrun her. Before this, Li Xue was the only woman that Ling Tian could not 'chase'...
******
The night sky slowly descended, and following the flow of time, everything turned dark.
Ling Tian's figure flashed around the courtyard, and after circling it once, he landed on a branch of a tree towering the fringes of the compound, just like a falcon. He cautiously landed, and only after checking his surroundings did he sigh in relief, and leap down from the tree, merging into the shadows.
On that same night, the Shui Family who came from afar had a commotion. This few matters let those injured and dead members of the Shui Family feel even more anxious and fearful.
The young nobles from afar, Shui QianJiang and Shui QianHai, were found hanging naked on a tree, their faces beaten and swollen, riddled with injuries and on their last breaths.
As for the last one, Shui QianHu, he got extremely drunk inside the Smoky Thea Pavilion, started a fight with another expert as he vied for attention, and was killed on the spot. His corpse was terrible to behold. This scene was even witnessed by more than a few hundred people...
As for the little princess of the family, Shui QianRou used a thousand-year blood ginseng and two Ice Jade Mangoes as well as four trunks of hundred-year Red Jade Ginsengs as the price to move Ye QingChen of Beyond Heavens, allowing him to invite the number one expert Justice to save the dying Shui QianHuan. With the Ling Family escorting him, Shui QianRou proceeded to Beyond Heavens...
The supposedly dead Shui QianHuan was suddenly saved!
This news no doubt left many of those with nefarious intentions dispirited.
Outside the city, in the darkness, a black painted carriage silently stopped at the roadside. The carriage seemed to be full of misfortune, and one could even make out the soft sounds of a female crying, full of the sadness of losing a loved one.
Under the dusty light of the oil lamp, the direct descendant of the Shui Family, the only male heir Shui QianHuan's chest had already turned into a deathly shade of black. He used all the strength he had left, and stretched out his right hand, stroking the soft hair of his sister. A look of release was on his face, and even a hint of satisfaction, as he thought how he managed to stab a longsword straight into the heart of Shui QianHu. So what if he died? In the end, he made sure the perpetrator died before him! Shiu QianHuan thought to himself as he smiled.
From outside, the sound of the wind grew louder, causing the entire carriage to shake. Outside were six strong and burly guards standing on guard, all without a single expression.
"Rou'er… promise Brother… that you'll live on happily, and help brother to take care of Dad and Mom…" Shui QianHuan's mouth slowly moved, staring at his sister's face. "Brother can't make it anymore, but the bloodline of the direct Shui descendants cannot fade away! You must use your last breath to prevent it from landing in the hands of those despicable people! Promise me!" Shui QianHuan began to violently cough, yet his eyes were still dead set on Shui QianRou. He coughed till he could not catch his breath, and with a choking sound, a mouthful of black-purple blood was spat out.
"Promise me!"
Shui QianRou's face was wet with tears, and she nodded her head, her tears falling like pearls dropping off from a broken necklace onto his body.
Shui QianHuan seemed to use all his strength to catch his breath. Suddenly, his eyes turned warm, and his voice too became dreamy as he spoke, "I'm not sure about Lady Ling Chen…. But I hope she can… live on happily… if there's a next life… cough cough cough…"
A shadow flashed, and the light suddenly dimmed by quite a bit. "Brother QianHuan, this younger brother here came to send you off one last time." Ling Tian was clad entirely in black, and he slipped into the carriage like a wisp of vapor. Looking at QianHuan, he warmly spoke, "I know, you have something to say to me too, right?"
Shui QianHuan slowly nodded his head, his gaze turning penetrative, "It's you! Ling Tian, you actually didn't die, you managed to escape the pursuit from Justice. I only have a word for you, respect!"
Ling Tian smiled in response, "Between the two of us, one has to definitely remain alive, right?"
Hearing this, Shui QianHuan also laughed out even as he coughed, "That's right!" He then seriously faced Ling Tian, "To be able to see you today, I'm really gratified."
Ling Tian remained silent as he nodded, as though he understood.
Shui QianHuan seemed to rouse himself up further as he held on, struggling as he continued to say, "Do you know? Ling Tian, I've never looked up to anyone before in my life, neither have I feared anyone, not even my dad nor Shui WuBo, because I believed that one day, I would soar above them. However, you are the first one, and the only one now! When you routed my 400,000 strong army, I already knew that I was far too lacking compared to you. I regret this very much, for I thought we would have the chance to cross swords once again. Now it seems like I won't be having this chance."
Ling Tian leisurely sat in front of him, slowly speaking, "I too feel the same regret. For your two aristocratic families, opponents of mine are really few and between. As for my generation, the only person is you. Thus, while you feel regret, I feel that it's a pity!"
Shui QianHuan's eyes lit up and his breathing became rough as he exclaimed, "You… is what you said true? You really consider me as an opponent?"
Ling Tian laughed, "Then do you expect me to treat those trashes Shui QianHu or Shui QianJiang as my opponents instead?"
"No! They're not worthy! How could they be worthy?!" Shui QianHuan shook his head emotionally, before looking at Ling Tian and sincerely beaming, "Ling Tian, thank you! Thank you for having been my opponent in the past."
The latter earnestly said, "I was supposed to return to the capital, but I suddenly thought of you and came over to send you off for your final journey. No matter what, the yellow springs road is far, I wish you bon voyage, see you again in the future!"
A smile surfaced on the corners of Shui QianHuan's mouth, as he warmly replied, "I actually had a lot of things I felt I didn't arrange well, but time and tide wait for no man. However, since you're here today, I can also relax now." He kept his smile, solemnly looking at Ling Tian, "Ling Tian, please forgive QianHuan here for sharing my inner worries with a stranger like you. I need you to help me with two things, please do not reject a dying man's wishes."
Looking at Shui QianRou on the side, Ling Tian smiled and replied, "Actually, I already know what you want me to help you with. You don't need to say it!"
Shui QianHuan stubbornly shook his head instead, fixing his attention on him fully, "Ling Tian, please take good care of my sister, my only sister!" It was unknown where he suddenly got his strength from, but Shui QianHuan straightened himself fully, and his withered hand grabbed onto the wrist of Ling Tian. A bright light flashed in his eyes, like the soul fire of a specter as his face revealed some jealousy, "And… and there's also Lady Ling Chen… you… must give her happiness, a lifetime of peace and happiness!"
Ling Chen! Ling Tian's eyes narrowed, and his warm smile carried a hint of killing intent, "Of course I will take care of my woman. Ling Chen will have a life of peace and happiness, I'll not trouble Young Master Shui to worry for her."
Shui QianHuan smiled dimly, hanging his head down low as though he had finished using all his strength. As his figure fell back down, Ling Tian found out that his chest, where the Divine Ice Formula had frozen into one black chunk of flesh, had actually begun to exude a layer of water. As for his face, his muscles suddenly began to twitch and jerk. Unbelievable pain once again attacked Shui QianHuan!
Seven days!
The effective period of the Divine Ice Formula flashed by in an instant!
The death date of Shui QianHuan was near.
Standing by the side, Shui QianRou naturally spotted this, and a distraught expression appeared in her eyes as she looked at her brother, then Ling Tian, before suddenly grabbing onto his lapels and shaking them hard, "Ling Tian, please save him…. Please save my brother… I beg you to save him… I can do anything you wish, please please save my brother!!!" At the last part, Shui QianRou seemed to be using all her strength to shout.
The person in question stood like a block of wood, without the slightest trace of expression on his face. Shui QianHuan's injuries had already reached a terminal stage. Let alone Ling Tian, even if Justice came, or even if a celestial being came down, they all had no ways to do so.
Shui QianHuan's throat started to let out weird gurgling noises, his breathing seeming to have turned into a pair of broken bellows. He had to use every single ounce of willpower he possessed so as to not scream from the extreme pain that wracked every single one of his nerves. He utilized the last breath of air to shout out, "Rou'er, send…. me…."
A violent tremor worked its way across Shui QianRou, and she suddenly let go of Ling Tian's lapels, taking a step back before falling onto the ground. How mentally strong willed she was, when faced with the prospect of killing her own brother, it was not something which could be done just because it was asked! Even if she knew that her brother could not be saved, that living was a pain in itself, she couldn't bring herself to do it!
Shui QianHuan then turned his gaze towards Ling Tian, his eyes full of pleading as he begged, "Ling Tian… please… please help me… I… don't want… to… let out any screams…" Even as his body shook. Tsunamis of pain continuously smashed on his nerves, causing huge droplets of sweat to appear on his forehead even as he endured it. However, the eyes he cast towards Ling Tian were full of urgency.
"Clang!" With a cold expression, Ling Tian pulled his sword out of the sheath, and the darkness seemed to have been lit up with a flash of light in that instant.
"Thank… you…" Shui QianHuan tightly clamped his mouth shut. He was afraid that if he were to leave it open, what would come out next would be screams and groans.
"The sword's name is Heaven Splitter, sending off the Monarch to the West!" Ling Tian solemnly gazed at Shui QianHuan. "We'll meet again in the indefinite future, have a good journey!" The next instant, the Heaven Splitter had already accurately stabbed into Shui QianHuan's heart! Ling Tian's internal energy was sent out, shattering every last bit of life within the former!
Shui QianHuan's body spasmed, and a look of gratitude passed by his face before he closed his eyes. His face calmed down, and on his final moment, a look of release, coupled with some loneliness was left on his face.
The grandson of the direct line of the Shui Family, Shui QianHuan, was dead!
"AHH!!!! —" Shui QianRou's hands trembled as she looked at her brother. She pitifully screamed out in agony, but suddenly cut off midway, looking as though she was frozen in time. Even her eyeballs stopped moving around, and all of a sudden, she looked like an idiot.
Ling Tian sighed as he returned the sword to the scabbard, before stretching out and pressing onto her HeiTian acupoint. This did not cause harm to the body and could allow a person to immediately sink into a deep sleep. The Shui QianRou right now was completely defenseless, keeling to the ground without a sound and fainting into a deep sleep.
Coming out of the carriage, Ling Tian instructed, "Bring the entire carriage over to the Ling Family Courtyard and hand it to Ling Chen. She will know what to do." When he finished, he stared up at the sky. Right now, the only person who could probably ease Shui QianRou in the entire Heavenly Star would be Ling Chen and him. Thinking about it, Ling Tian felt as though Shui QianRou was quite pitiful. In the entire Heavenly Star, with millions of people, how many could she dare to trust? A mere two people and from a certain perspective, one of them was even her enemy! Her own brother had actually died because of the people in the same family as her, and her entire family could not be trusted...
Tragic, what a tragedy this was!
To a seventeen to eighteen-year-old young lass, no matter how strong-willed she was, it would still be an unbearable pain in her life!
Standing by the side, Ling Chi respectfully bowed, and with a light noise, the carriage turned back towards the Ling Outer Courtyard. Ling Tian's body vanished like lightly dissipating smoke. Making a round, he did not find anything strange, nor marks of carriage or people, before he eased his worries. Seeing the carriage slowly merging into the darkness, his body flashed, and the night here regained its peace.